#(but frankly he's a bigger deal than he gives himself credit for and deserves to be an urban legend on the Grand Line)

[ikkaku-of-heart]

Ghostlight's Worth & Impact

I think one of Tomasu's biggest flaws (and perhaps a trait Ikkaku herself shares) is that he underestimates his own worth. He's a man who expects to be forgotten and will downplay his relationships and the impact he's made on the world and people he's met. He's a self-deprecating man content to be an observer, forgetting that he wasn't just some spectator during the Golden Age of Piracy.

The Ghostlight isn't just some obscure story that people will forget. He's a legend that is merely whispered of. The Fishmen and Merfolk he freed and relocated to the Calm Belt will always remember him. The Celestial Dragons both curse him and whisper his moniker in fear. Whitebeard considered him a true friend and frequently entrusted him to smuggle his share of treasure to Sphinx, so the Whitebeard Pirates will always hold respect and affection for him. Roger considered him a friend, too, despite Tomasu's protests, always inviting him to party when they crossed paths. He made an impact on Shanks and Buggy, too, with both remembering him with both admiration and fear. Kaido still remembers the hangovers he got from his moonshine. The likes of Sengoku, Tsuru, and Garp still question whether his death was real or faked. And the creatures of darkness, cryptids, and servants of the Old Ones still tremble at his name, because they know he isn't dead.

Tomasu expects to be forgotten, but his impact made that impossible. Yet because he believed he had little value and would be forgotten, he underestimated the world he had sent Ikkaku into. She has no idea what potential allies or enemies she has. She's both in more danger and more protected than he could imagine because he can't imagine his old friends and foes carrying over their loyalties and grudges to her. He underestimates the impact his name has when she utters it. Because he assumes that everyone thinks he's dead and gone, and those who know he lives don't care.

This flaw has definitely gotten Ikkaku into trouble, and saved her, more times than either of them would expect.

[hey-haven]

I cannot be silenced! Yuuki Mishima you deserve better!!!!

Looking back I do think it’s kindaaaaa gross how Mishima was treated by both the writers and the fandom. I do think between this and Baby Reindeer (work with me here) people really can’t grasp the idea of a flawed victim.

When it comes to the media, people are more willing to accept a palatable victim. Someone who is either a completely helpless damsel in distress, or someone who can bravely fight back and overcome their abuser and grow stronger from it. But that’s just not how it really works a lot of the time.

I remember when Baby Reindeer came out, there were a good handful of viewers who would go as far as to say that Donny deserved the abuse he was receiving because he was essentially enabling Martha in some way. And then we peel back the curtains and learn the reason why he enables her is actually, arguably, far more horrific than we could have thought.

People didn’t like that he didn’t do the just and noble thing right away, but that’s frankly why I like the story so much. Survivors of abuse don’t just come out the other side fully grown and matured from their experience. They will have to deal with issues that have branched out from the seed that was the abuse. Sometimes we will learn to bite back as a way to cope. Sometimes we can become desperate, clingy, avoidant, angry, violent, paranoid, we can end up hurting someone else. It’s not good and people have every right to be angry when survivors do something bad, but that’s sadly how some people become after dealing with abuse.

So no, the perfect victim you see in stories are almost never real.

Abuse doesn’t make stable individuals. Quite the opposite really. I think it makes a lot of sense for Mishima’s story to go the way it did. Someone who was isolated for years because he was bullied throughout middle school only to become one of the main targets of an abusive, power hungry teacher? No yeah, I see why Yuuki became obsessed with fame and attention. I see why he is extremely clingy to the protagonist. It’s all obvious signs of a sad kid who finally found some form of connection and is desperate to hold on to that. Obviously what he did was not good, but the story makes that very clear. It’s not like they ever tried to excuse his behavior.

I think it’s gross how people whittle him down as some annoying pest, when the thing that made him so clingy and obsessive is years of isolation, bullying, and physical abuse/manipulation. I’m not saying you can’t find those aspects annoying, I very much get why it can be. Even I have moments where I go “dude I can’t keep defending you”. That being said, I do think people should be more willing to step back and look at the bigger picture.

Yuuki actually takes the steps to better himself without the Phantom Thieves changing his heart, which goes to show that he actually has a very strong will and moral compass even if it does lose its way now and again. His healing won’t be linear, but he is trying. I think that makes him a stronger person than people give him credit for

[deathbidean]

my destiel fic recs pt.3

no one asked for this but I am determined to force my favourite fics on y’all

And This, Your Living Kiss - opal_bullets : Only a very few people in the world know that the celebrated and reclusive poet Jack Allen is just Kansas mechanic Dean Winchester, a high school dropout with a few bucks to his name. Not that it matters anymore; life has left him so wrung out he never wants to pick up another pen.Until, that is, a string of coincidences leads Dean to auditing a poetry course with one Dr. Castiel Novak. The professor is wildly intelligent, devastatingly handsome...and just so happens to be academia's foremost expert on the poetry of Jack Allen. holy shit. this. THIS. it’s amazing. it’s so beautiful. your heart will break for poor Dean. this is definetly a favourite of mine!!

Andrew Lloyd Webber Gets a Pass - delicious-irony, opal_bullets : In which Castiel's manner is vague and aloof, Dean Winchester doesn't care for a cuddle, and there's no doing anything about it.Or, Dean and Castiel attempt to survive rehearsals for a new production of Cats, and each other. I’M TELLING YOU NOW. IF YOU FAINT FOR ENEMIES TO LOVERS,,, THIS WILL KILL YOU. y’all,, honestly this fic ended me it’s so goddamn good

15x14 coda : it’s a date - contemplativepancakes : “So… How was your date?” “Really, Dean? That’s what you're concerned about? After we all almost died?” Dean waggles his eyebrows. “Well, yeah. Just looking out for my little brother.” The bunker door clangs open, and Sam shoves Dean towards it. “Maybe worry about yourself.”Sam and Eileen had a date, so it's only fair that Dean and Cas do, too, right? so so sweet. just pure tooth-rotting fluff that will make your heart ache

Starstruck - peanutbutterjelly-pie (Aleakim) : From the outside Castiel Novak looks like a regular guy: a good job, two teenage kids, a nice house and a crappy car he’s way too attached to.But there’s one thing no one knows about him: that, over twenty years ago, he used to live next to none other than Dean Winchester – back then a brash and loud-mouthed boy and nowadays a huge movie star and Hollywood’s sweetheart.Castiel never bothered to tell anyone about his childhood friend because frankly, who would believe him? Probably even Dean himself already forgot about his former awkward and weird neighbor, so Castiel seriously doesn’t see any point in mentioning the whole thing ever.But then an interview on national TV happens where Dean reveals way more about his past than ever before … and Castiel - as well as the rest of the world - suddenly realizes that he left a much bigger impact on Dean’s life than he originally thought. y’all,,,,, this is still being updated and when I tell you i’m living for each one,,,,,,,, it’s so goddamn good!!! and sweet!!! and just ughhhhh!!! highly recommend!!

Shot Through The Heart - peanutbutterjelly-pie (Aleakim) : Dean is a hunter. Castiel is a Man of Letters. And even though they have to work together on a regular basis, there is not much sympathy between them. Castiel thinks Dean too brash and reckless while Dean in return sees nothing more in the other man than a rude asshole with an obsessive love for books and a truly terrible fashion sense. But fate clearly has a funny way of throwing those two together over and over again. And somewhere along the way feelings change into something neither of them would have expected.  nah nah, y’all don’t understand,,, this fic is amazing!! again; ENEMIES TO LOVERS!!!! it doesn’t get better than that, am i right?

ours is the fire, all the warmth we can find - xylodemon : Sam brings it up as they're driving back from the steakhouse in Mankato.Dean cuts him a sharp, sideways glance. "You think I should what?""I think you should try journaling.""Why the hell would I wanna do that?" very sad and very beautifully written grieving Dean. just exactly what i needed after the finale and very much patched up the hole in my heart

Be My Boyfriend : Dean and Cas keep having to pretend to be dating to discourage other potential suitors. Things get a little out of hand. i actually read this first on tumblr and loved it so much i had to find it on ao3!! it’s such sweet and silly fluff!!!!

Holiday Homies - tricia_16 : Best friends Dean and Cas are sick and tired of the stress the holidays put on anybody not already in a relationship. The endless plus one invitations to fill for New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day (and this year, Sam and Jess's wedding on top of everything else) never freaking stop. So on Halloween night, Dean and Cas come up with a plan to be each other's plus ones from Thanksgiving to the 4th Of July. They'll fake a relationship, get their parents off of their backs, actually enjoy the holidays for once... and maybe wring a few orgasms out of each other while they’re at it.What could go wrong? you want two dumbasses in love?? you want friends with benefits who are very much in love with each other?? you want to cry in frustration over their idiocy?? this is the fic for you

fifteen flares - microcomets : When Dean finally comes home, the knots in his shoulders aching and his skin still layered in dust, he finds Cas waiting up for him at the kitchen table. Without a word, Cas nudges the vacant chair out with his foot, sliding an unopened beer across the counter in a silent invitation. (post-13.06 coda.) y’all this is so sweet and cute and just wholesome. i absolutely adore confession pre-canon and this is no exceptiion

Wanna Bet? - bendingsignpost : “I bet you... that I can get laid tonight before you can get a single kiss. We pick each other’s targets.”Dean bites his lip in the vain attempt to not burst out laughing. “Uh-huh,” he says. “Sure, Sammy. Someone single and actually attractive, sure.”“Deal?” Sam says. “A kiss on the mouth, no cheating.”Still pushing down a laugh, Dean offers his hand across the table. They shake. “Deal. Okay, who am I going for?”Sam smiles wider than the devil that once possessed him, and answers: “Cas.”  pure Dean dumbassery and intervening Sam AND IT’S SO SO GOOD!! my heart aches

Four Letter Word for Intercourse - bendingsignpost : As a grease monkey turned college freshman, Dean's constantly three seconds away from being stressed out of his mind. It hardly helps that he's finally figuring out his sexuality in his thirties. What might help with that stress is a little phone number (and a big credit card bill). If he can't figure out how to be bisexual in person, he can at least give it a go over the phone, right? (It's probably a bad idea, but he really can't help himself.) okay,,, so,,, this fic may have awakened certain things in me,,,,,,, but GOD DAMN!!!! genuinely,,,, one of the best fics i’ve read; it’s just so goddamn good! i don’t think i can adequately express how much i love this fic!!

and on that note, i shall end your suffering for the time being. but seriously, these fics are genuinely well written, well thought out and executed!! they deserve to be read by everyone who will enjoy them!!

pt.1 , pt.2

[taexual]

HOLIC - 31 | jb x reader

pairing: Im Jaebum x Reader

genre: enemies to lovers au | roommate au

warnings: angst + fluff + strong language + mild sexual themes aka the whole package

words: 8.3k (oh wow)

disclaimer: i do not own the gif, please let me know if it belongs to you, so i can give proper credit

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Your morning started an hour early because your phone’s incessant vibrating under your pillow made it feel as though an earthquake had started right in your room. Whining in a manner that resembled the terror-stricken screech of a pterodactyl far more than it resembled a sound any human would make, you pulled your phone out from under your pillow and squinted your eyes to check the time before you checked what had happened.

It was five in the morning. You were more than ready to kill the reason why your phone was blowing up but then you noticed that it was Jaebum. The text messages from him were coming too fast for you to read them, however, and as you turned the chat with him on and began to reply – hoping to ask what his last wish was before you killed him – he must have noticed the three dots, and called you immediately.

Now growing concerned, you picked his call up and cleared your throat before actually speaking.

“He—”

“Jesus, you will never believe this,” Jaebum started before you even managed to get a word out. He sounded out of breath as if he’d been running while texting you. “They called me. They fucking called me! They said they—”

“They?” you repeated, your voice groggy. “Who—”

“Wait, were you sleeping?” he asked, realizing suddenly. “Oh, fuck, it’s—I’m sorry. Do you want to go back to sleep?”

“Yes,” you said, the exhaustion turning you into the least pleasant person possible. Jaebum paused, sensing you were going to continue. You did, “but you already woke me up, so tell me what happened.”

He debated hanging up and calling you later – when you sounded less dismissive, perhaps – but he realized he couldn’t really keep this to himself any longer – hence the countless text messages he’d sent you.

“My supervisor called,” Jaebum said. You were still too tired to understand why that was a big deal. “He has a night show, so his sleeping schedule is all over the place—anyway. He called to tell me that his team liked it. They liked my song.”

“They—oh, shit!” you sat up in bed, the news waking you up as well as an electric current would. “Jaebum, that’s amazing!”

“God, I know!” his enthusiasm was evident through the phone call and, all of a sudden, you didn’t care about sleep anymore. You found yourself wishing he’d told you this in real life – although, perhaps not so early – so you could have seen the smile on his face. “He said he doesn’t mind playing it on our station but he doesn’t think I should play it on my show – because that’s not fair – so he sent it Cato – he’s the nephew of my boss, so, naturally, his show is at five, right when everyone gets into their cars and turns their radios on as they drive home from work –  and Cato’s going to play it on his show. Today. He—i-it’s happening.”

“Today?!” your voice was a whole octave higher and you weren’t sure if Jaebum could understand what you were saying anymore. “That is fantastic, I’m so happy to hear that!”

“Yeah!” Jaebum sounded like he was seconds away from jumping up and down and, once again, you hated that you couldn’t physically see him in that moment. “So, listen, we have to celebrate. Cancel your plans tonight. I already called Mark. He said he’ll kill me for waking him up this early after we completely empty every drink at his bar.”

“Oh, that’s good,” you said, still giddy. “I’ll join in. But not today, though. Today is all about you. I really can’t believe this.”

“I know,” you could hear his excitement in his voice and it filled your chest with incredible amounts of joy. “I wouldn’t have submitted the song without you. Thank you.”

Your smile widened after hearing this but you shook your head even if he couldn’t see you.

“No, it’s all you,” you told him, sincere. “But I did say your song was amazing, didn’t I? Repeatedly, if I remember correctly. Good to know my taste is universal.”

Jaebum laughed – the sound making your heart beat even faster – before saying, “you know Jackson is going to get jealous that he’d tried to convince me to do it for so long and to no avail, while you did it in just a few days, right?”

“He won’t get jealous,” you disagreed, not trying to act like you knew Jackson better than Jaebum did but knowing that there was no way this was going to be the case. “He won’t care. He’ll just be happy this is happening for you. I am happy, too. Truly. You deserve this.”

The silence on the other end of the call would have made you think he’d hung up on you but you could hear his soft breaths so you knew he was stilll on the line. It killed you not to know what he was thinking, though.

“Thank you,” he ended up repeating. “You have no idea how much you’ve done for me.”

The sincerity in his voice was an indication that he wasn’t just thanking you for helping him out with the song. He was grateful for everything. And he’d meant it when he said you had no idea about any of it because if you had, you wouldn’t have been struggling to breathe all of a sudden because his voice was so gentle and so different to yesterday when he’d told you he wasn’t interested in dating.

“I’ll text you later,” Jaebum started to speak just when your face fell at the memory. “But find a free moment at five, would you?”

“I will,” you assured him, your heart full of warm emotion despite the bitter disappointment of yesterday slowly creeping in. “Beware, though, all of my text messages from that point onward will have more exclamation points than actual words.”

He chuckled at that, making you smile and strengthening your fight with yourself as you tried to keep thinking straight. Only when the call finished were you able to finally exhale, some of the wistful excitement leaving your body along with your breath.

There was still quite some time before you had to wake up to get ready for work but you already knew you weren’t going to be sleeping anymore. The excitement of knowing that Jaebum was just one step away from achieving success had filled your bloodstream with enough adrenaline to last the whole day and the sudden disappointment that followed when you recalled his confession – which, essentially, firmly locked the entrance gates to an actual, real relationship you’d thought you’ve been approaching with Jaebum – only seemed to strengthen the deadly amount of epinephrine inside of you.

You fell back onto your pillow, face-down. Screaming seemed to fit your mood – the pillow would have muffled the sound – but you didn‘t feel like screaming. Your desperate need to be with Jaebum didn‘t manifest itself in an aggressive way. Instead of wanting to yell and throw things around because, as it turned out, even after all this time, you still didn‘t understand him, you just wanted to sigh, groan, and... give up, really.

You‘d decided some time ago that you weren‘t going to care about the lack of official labels but, clearly, some part of you had thought that the label would come... eventually. That is, you thought that fooling around with each other as roommates was just one state that you would, sooner or later, move on from and, consequently, turn into something more. But, then again, you’ve already moved on from being just roommates. You already were something more.

And, for the love of all things holy, now you knew you needed the damn label to go with it.

Kissing Jaebum without knowing what would happen next was one thing – the ignorance was, oh, so blissful – but kissing him while knowing that he was never going to want anything official with you was an entirely different one. The first instance was pathetically promising. The second one was just pathetic.

Realizing that, ever since you‘d moved here, you‘d always hovered in this tiny—oddly comfortable—space between promising and pathetic, you turned back around and focused your eyes on the ceiling instead. You‘d reached a decision – well, your heart reached it for you – that was as neutral as you thought it to be possible.

You‘d wait.

You didn‘t even know that Jaebum had considered starting a relationship with you when he’d first met you, and he confessed it after some mild prodding from you. And, similarly, you didn‘t know that he‘d changed his mind about this and was now, apparently, not really interested in any relationship, but he confessed that, too. Although, frankly, you‘d have preferred it if he hadn‘t. Ignorance wasn‘t just blissful. It was also comfortable.

So, now you were going to wait. Maybe – your poor hopeful heart whispered – you‘d misunderstood something. Maybe Jaebum had meant something else and he was just waiting for the right moment to make himself clear. Again.

Not pressuring him into admitting something wasn‘t a tactic you‘ve tried before because you were generally a very I-need-this-now sort of person – which, of course, wasn‘t a very good trait but you‘d have been lying if you said you‘d been working to get rid of it – but this was bigger than anything you‘ve dealt with before. This wasn‘t a surprisingly abusive ex-girlfriend and this wasn‘t a purposefully secretive hobby of creating unbelievably good music.

This wasn‘t even you and Jaebum. This was you-and-Jaebum. As an item. As one item.

So, you were going to wait and focus on his music because that‘s what he needed you do to right now. He needed you to be his roommate and his friend. And that’s what you were going to be – or try to be – the whole night tonight.

Tonight, you were going to wait.

After having a semi-decent day at work – with just the right amount of actual working involved so you didn‘t have to spend the whole day wallowing in your utter confusion; but, then again, no day that involved communicating with snobby attitudes and overly arrogant customers was truly a decent day – you nearly lost all of your patience and even debated quitting when right at the end of your shift – and about twenty minutes until the radio show which would play Jaebum‘s song was supposed to start – a lady, that had brought her offspring with her to the gallery, had turned away for “one second,” and the unsupervised child proceeded to use a crayon he‘d snuck in somehow – not that there was a warning against crayons at the gallery but you‘d figured it would have been a given – to paint all over the walls of the first floor.

At that point, everyone was already tired and excited about closing up so, by the time you noticed the surprising neon red stripe running below the paintings exhibited on the walls of the gallery, there was already no point in stopping the child. His mother – on the phone with someone now – noticed the decorated walls at about the same time as you did and, once your eyes met, you thought you could see multiple emotions pass on the woman‘s face but remorse wasn‘t one of them.

She was shocked and, most likely, embarrassed. But she didn‘t feel like this was her fault. People that came to this gallery rarely did, so, straightening your posture once she took a step in your direction, you were prepared to listen to her excuse that was, really, only meant to restore her dignity and not actually explain why she‘d thought leaving her child alone was a good idea.

As it turned out, you were only partially right as the first words that passed her lips when she reached you were, “is this going to cost much?” followed by, “and how long is this going to take? I have somewhere to be in fifteen minutes.”

It was going to cost much – although, she was going to have to take this up with your supervisor, Eva – but it wasn’t about the money. Not that she’d ever understand it – clearly, she, just like everyone else in her position, was the kind of rich person that assumed money solved everything. But you couldn’t very well wipe the walls with money. And someone was going to have to wipe the fresh layer of crayon away.

“I’m sorry,” was what Eva told you when you gave her your best version of the puppy dog eyes after the woman had left – and taken her devil of a child with her; you thought he even snuck his tongue out at you on his way out. “You were covering this floor. Did you have plans tonight?”

There were eight minutes left until the radio show and Eva didn’t sound like she was going to excuse you from fixing this mess just because you’d made plans. She looked ready to give you a friendly pat on the shoulder and a pitiful look because you were covering this floor with two other girls – a real honor to cover the main floor of the gallery but you’d have traded it for anything – so, therefore, you were supposed to supervise the stray child. And now all three of you were going to pay by staying after work.

You were so angry – and even swore that if you’d ever have children, you would never let them use anything as unexpectedly dangerous as crayons – that, as soon as you started to clean the wall, you no longer felt like listening to the radio show at all. But then, choosing to make rational instead of emotional decisions, you groaned and pulled your earphones out from your pocket, plugging them into your phone. Your shift had, technically, just ended so you didn’t worry too much about being caught using your phone.

The radio show was just starting and the host, Cato, as Jaebum had told you, was introducing himself. You had no doubt he was going to play a few of the more popular songs before getting to the new ones, so you took this time to calm yourself down.

Jaebum had texted you before, checking if you’d make it to Mark’s bar by six-thirty tonight but, by the looks of this, you were only going to be there at eight the earliest. For some reason, however, the frustration you’d felt after seeing the child draw on the walls of the gallery had merged with the frustration you’ve been feeling ever since Jaebum had told you he wasn’t interested in a relationship, and thus, you suddenly didn’t feel like warning him that you were going to be running very late.

The bitter part of your mind told you that he just wouldn’t care anyway – and why would he? He didn’t want a relationship with you so why did it matter if his roommate wasn’t going to be there, celebrating with him? You wanted to show him you weren’t going to let him use your weaknesses against you and kiss you whenever he pleased – not that you minded, honestly, but this was your dignity at stake – and then claim he wasn’t interested in a relationship. You might have been dying to have him close to you at all times, but you had some self-respect, too.

But then you heard it. The first chords of “Don’t Touch Me” played in your earphones and, all of a sudden, your hand was wiping the wall of the gallery completely reflexively, because your mind had been transported back to Jackson’s studio when you’d first heard the song.

Listening to it now felt just as ethereal except now you knew you weren’t the only person hearing Jaebum’s voice as he sang his heart out. Now you were sharing the magical experience of his music with other listeners, some of which had undoubtedly written down the name of the song so they could look up the artist later. Jaebum’s song was no longer something that only a handful of people knew about – it was out there for the whole world to hear now.

People never think they take anything for granted until it’s taken away from them and you realized just how personal—how intimate—it had felt to be a part of the selected few who knew about this remarkable part of Jaebum. You bit your lip, realizing that anyone could listen to his music now. It didn’t make the song feel any less exceptional, not at all. But it did make you feel a lot less special.

So, getting your phone out, you texted Jaebum back because, even though he may not have wanted you in the way that you wanted him, the dread of wasting the bond you’ve created with him was too great. You were still, officially, just roommates and it hurt—and frustrated you, too—to think that you’d never be anything more but you didn’t think your self-respect – or, now that you thought back on it, perhaps it was your aggravation – was worth more than what you had with him.

You still wanted to know Jaebum. You still wanted him close. But maybe, in order to appease to your wishes and to your dignity, it was time you stopped kissing him. Maybe, your decision to wait included a pause on every physical activity that involved you and him.

When you got to Mark’s bar, nearly everyone was already drunk. Jackson greeted you at the door – he was truly just as excited about this as you and Jaebum were – and nearly spilled his drink all over your top when he leaned in for a hug. Affection was, obviously, not a foreign concept to him and it only seemed to intensify when he was drunk.

The number of people you didn’t recognize here didn’t surprise you – mostly because you weren’t sure if they were all Jaebum’s friends or if they were just random bar-goers who’d joined in after they saw that Jaebum was celebrating – but, when you caught the sight of Kiera – by all means, your best friend – talking to Mark by the bar, you stopped short.

She noticed you almost immediately and, after hopping off the stool excitedly, approached you with her arms outstretched.

“Hi!” she shrieked, always loud when she was drunk. “You’re finally here!”

“I am,” you replied, hugging her back, still surprised—but not disappointed—to see her here. “And you’re here, too.”

“Yes! Mark called me and told me you and Jackson had kicked Jaebum’s ass and got him to play his song on the radio,” she revealed, pulling you towards the bar by your hand. “I listened to it and, Jesus Christ, what has he been doing all this time?! The song is amazing.”

“It is,” you nodded, unable to resist a smile. Hearing her praise Jaebum made you feel even prouder of him. “So, hey, Mark called you, huh?”

Kiera rolled her eyes, giving the aforementioned bartender a nod – Mark’s smile seemed to widen when he saw that she was back at the bar – and then turning back to look at you and your smirk.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she warned. “I came because I was looking for a reason to get drunk.”

“You’re not that big on drinking,” you pointed out, the teasing grin not leaving your features.

“Fine. Then I came because I was excited to meet the creator of such a phenomenal song.”

You were basically the Cheshire cat now. “You’ve met him before.”

Kiera rolled her eyes. “You really want me to admit that I only came because I missed my best friend, don’t you?”

She threw an arm over your shoulders and you groaned, genuinely impressed—and annoyed—by her ability to avoid the topics she didn’t want—or wasn’t ready—to talk about. You were going to drop this, though, and just allow her to talk about something that she was more comfortable with but then Mark brought you and her drinks, and Kiera’s entire face lit up. You truly couldn’t help yourself.

“So, it’s me you’ve missed, yeah?” you asked her, hiding your smile behind your cocktail glass.

“Yes,” Kiera said with a straight face. You really could have learned a thing or two about avoiding uncomfortable topics from her because, somehow, your group of friends always chose you to tease. “I haven’t seen you in too long, I couldn’t miss the opportunity.”

“Mmmhmm,” you hummed, taking a sip and instantly feeling the alcohol hit your head. Mark must have used three parts vodka and one part cranberry juice when making this instead of the other way around. “Wow, this is hard—uh, right. And h-how did you know I was going to be here? I was late but I could have just never shown up.”

Kiera almost sighed, your hypothetical situation not sounding realistic in the slightest.

“Of course you were going to be here,” she said, “because Jaebum is here.”

You took another sip, enjoying the taste more this time, which could have only meant that the alcohol was doing its’ job properly.

“What?” you asked her, raising your eyebrows. “Are you implying I follow him wherever he goes?”

“No. I’m saying you follow each other,” Kiera replied, finishing her drink in one big gulp. She might not have gone out to drink very often, but she still knew how to. “It’s been impossible for any of us to see you without getting a glimpse of Jaebum, too.”

You shook your head, finishing your cocktail as well. “That’s not true. Hyojin and I went to our café the other day and—”

“—and then Jaebum called you, and you ran home to him,” Kiera finished for you.

“I—” you stopped, your stomach clenching. Your eyes were now on your empty glass on the bartop. “I didn’t run.”

Your friend had a victorious smile on but you weren’t looking at her.

“I wasn’t there,” she said, “but, trust me, you ran.”

“Okay, I don’t like where this is going,” you waved your hands around before covering your face. Kiera took this moment to wave Mark over just as you added, “let’s go back to me teasing you about Mark.”

She paused, hoping the bartender didn’t hear it but, just like always, she regained her balance quickly.

“Or,” Kiera started, “how about you go find your boy? I’ve seen him circle the bar three times before you got here and either he really wants to pee and can’t find the bathroom – which isn’t likely since, according to Mark, Jaebum has been here, at least, a hundred times – or he’s looking for you.”

Your heart rate picked up at the sound of that. You could tell that your entire body was on fire just imagining Jaebum waiting for you – your face, especially; your flustered state was probably obvious and visible from three galaxies away – and you did not want this to be the state that he saw you in for the first time today.

“He’s not my boy,” you said in a small voice.

“Oh, honey,” Kiera sighed, her hands on her hips. She sounded oddly motherly when she said, “he is.”

You shook your head, not particularly eager to inform her of Jaebum’s confession about the first night you’ve met and then the dismissal of your developing relationship that had followed at the ice cream store.

“No—” you started but your friend wasn’t going to have it.

“You may not have admitted it to yourselves yet but please don’t think the rest of us are as oblivious as you two are, yeah?” she said sternly. “Now go. He’s waited long enough.”

You huffed, stepping off the bar stool per her order and deciding to add one last, “you only want me gone so you can go back to talking to Mark,” before you walked away.

Kiera laughed – not defending herself this time – and watched you disappear deeper into the crowd as you looked for Jaebum.

You found him at the very back of the bar, lounging on one of the couches in a private booth, Jackson and four other guys you’ve never seen before surrounding him. Jaebum looked cheerful – a bright smile adorned his features and made your stomach do cartwheels – and intoxicated just like everyone else here. His cheeks were rosy and he looked visibly relaxed, except his eyes kept drifting away from his friends as he scanned the club.

You could have passed out right then and there when his eyes landed on you and you saw him stand up immediately. His friends all turned to look but Jackson was the only one who understood why Jaebum was suddenly leaving the table mid-conversation.

“You’re here!” was the first thing Jaebum said to you once he stopped close enough for you to hear him, his friends’ eyes following him. “Come on, let me introduce you to everyone.”

He’d grabbed your hand – as if that was the most natural thing to do – and lead you to his booth where Jackson was sitting with a shit-eating grin on his face, and the other four guys looked pleasantly surprised.

“Alright, that’s Jackson, you know him already,” Jaebum began right away as one of his friends stood up to let you and Jaebum sit down on the couch next to each other. The same friend debated standing to give you two more space but then he decided to sit down next to you, after all – which prompted Jaebum to unconsciously pull you closer to him. “The one next to you is Jinyoung, he must be my oldest friend.”

The boy next to you scoffed. “Nice way to make me sound like I’m eighty.”

“I mean I’ve known him the longest,” Jaebum clarified, leaning back in his seat and rolling his eyes. “The one across from you is Yugyeom, he’s basically a child so we’re not really sure if he can even drink legally—”

“Hey!” came Yugyeom’s protest.

“—and the one next to him is BamBam,” Jaebum continued, “but he’s pissed because he has to be up early tomorrow and I refuse to care. Youngjae is also looking glum because his dog had some sort of an emergency today – everything’s fine now, though – but wait until he’s had a couple of drinks, you’ll love him. And, yeah. These guys here, along with Mark at the bar, are all my friends. The ones that matter, anyway.”

You nodded, giving the boys at the table a smile. You realized that these had to be the people Jaebum was talking about at the ice cream store yesterday – the friends that stuck with him throughout his relationship with Suji and after. The real ones.

They all looked welcoming enough but meeting new people was always a stressful experience. Knowing that these guys cared about Jaebum probably as much as you did, however, made you relax for one quick moment until your mind conjured up a scenario where his friends absolutely hated the very thought of you, and Jaebum moved out because he valued the opinion of his friends too much.

But then you took a deep breath and returned to the decision that you’d made this morning – you were going to worry about one thing at a time. Tonight was about Jaebum’s music. His friends' potential hatred for you could be handled tomorrow.

“It’s nice to meet you,” you settled on the basic response. “I’d say Jaebum told me so much about you but, honestly, he’s not much of a talker.”

Yugyeom was the first to laugh as he nodded eagerly, agreeing. “We weren’t aware he even had a roommate until a few days ago when Jackson had let it slip.”

That’s right, you were his roommate. Although, based on how close you were sitting to each other right now, one could have assumed differently.

You swallowed, reminding yourself that you’d decided you weren’t going to give in to your impulses anymore – at least not until you’ve reached a decision what your relationship with each other was – and tuned back in to the conversation his friends were having – it was BamBam, this time, ranting about how Jaebum never told them anything until the very last minute.

Jaebum kept rolling his eyes and sending soft threats their way each time his friends said something he’d have rather kept quiet about, but you could tell that these were his people. He was completely himself around them and you couldn’t help but smile as you watched them interact. It felt important to be in the presence of his closest circle of friends; it felt like you mattered to him just as much as the rest of them did.

As the night progressed, the boys all expressed their support, making it clear that they were just as proud of Jaebum as you were, all while still not ceasing to tease him about the smallest things. The waitress had stopped by your booth multiple times, and slowly, you felt yourself give in to the alcohol as a fog started to form in your mind and your mood kept lifting with every joke that Jackson cracked.

A few more drinks later, your table seemed to split into two worlds. There were the rest of the boys, getting louder with each glass that they’ve emptied, and there were you and Jaebum, seemingly lost to the rest of the world as you cuddled close to each other, his hand still on your waist and your head coming to rest on his shoulder.

“Why were you late?” he asked quietly but you were so close to him, you were able to hear him even through the sound of his friends’ laughter.

“A catastrophe at the gallery,” you replied with a sigh, your fingers absentmindedly toying with the edge of Jaebum’s cardigan that had come to rest on your thigh when you two sat down. “A kid got loose and decided to decorate the pale walls with a red crayon.”

“Oh, shit,” Jaebum replied but you could tell the image had made him smile. “Whoever decided to give kids crayons was a real asshole.”

“Tell me about it,” you sighed. “I had to go around, cleaning that mess and now I can’t even feel my legs anymore.”

For someone as drunk as him, he truly reacted quickly and as soon as you’d said that, Jaebum was suddenly lifting your legs up and dropping them on his lap, completely ignorant to the raised eyebrows on the faces of the boys around you.

“Why did you wear heels?” he asked you, one of his hands remaining on your waist while he placed his other one on your legs, his fingers tapping a gentle rhythm on your thigh.

“Because I wanted to look nice,” you replied, leaning against him because not leaning against him was suddenly too hard.

“You always look nice,” Jaebum replied, his quiet voice managing to drown out the loud noises of the bar.

The two of you would have never noticed that the rest of the boys had gotten up and left if it weren’t for Jackson who’d patted Jaebum on the back on his way out of the booth. And even though it was just you two sitting at the table now, you remained pressed tightly against each other.

Somehow, you’d let go of Jaebum’s cardigan and found your fingertips tracing the veins on Jaebum’s hand instead, as he’d stilled, letting his hand rest on your thigh. Your feather-light touch and the warmth of your body pressed against his only seemed to amplify the effect of the alcohol and Jaebum suddenly couldn’t handle having you so close to him and not doing anything about it.

“Do you remember the first time we met?” he asked, turning his hand palm up so he could take your hand into his instead.

You raised your head to look at him. “When I texted your ad?”

“No,” he replied, intertwining your fingers. “In real life.”

“When you tried to kick me out of the apartment?”

“Ah,” he chuckled, surprised that your memory worked this well even after all of these drinks. “No. Before that.”

“Before—” you frowned and then realized what he’d been talking about. The fateful one-night-stand. “Oh.”

Jaebum could tell that you’ve remembered as he nodded, watching your reaction. “Yeah.”

“You know I remember,” you told him then, your eyes on his. “We’ve talked about it.”

“Yeah, but you always focus on what happened after,” he said. “But do you ever think about the night itself?”

It was already warm in the club but his question only seemed to make you feel hotter. The intense look in his eyes wasn’t helping much, either. Although intoxicated, there was still a certain power to his gaze, and you found yourself looking away for just a moment so you could find a way to reply.

The night you’ve met always lingered in the back of your mind but you never focused on it, not wanting it to further speed up the process of falling for him. You’ve already had enough on your plate as it was, and reminiscing about how his skin had felt like pressed against yours was only going to complicate everything even more.

“W-well, I’ve been sort of busy trying to figure out what’s going on with you and me at the moment,” you admitted. “But have you, uh… thought about it?”

His response seemed to come out in a breath that caused shivers to run down your spine, “all the time.”

You were afraid to inhale – let alone move – in case you’d scare him off from continuing and Jaebum – seemingly afraid of the same thing – tightened his grip on you by pulling you onto his lap until you were straddling him and then wrapping his arms around your waist protectively.

You watched him, completely helpless and lost in the darkness – and the warmth, the lust, the love hiding there – inside of his eyes.

“You know, after all this time, I’ve finally managed to convince myself that you’re not the kind of person who would completely overcome someone’s life,” he said, the past doubts and insecurities sticking their necks out for the briefest of moments as Jaebum moved one of his hands to your face, no longer able to resist not touching your lips with the tips of his fingers. “But I’ve been wrong.”

You couldn’t find your voice. “W-what?”

“You have taken over my life completely,” he confessed, his eyes following the movements of his fingers as they gently brushed against your lower lip. “You weren’t even trying and you’re just everywhere. In every corner of my mind. In every part of my world. I can’t escape you.”

“Do you…” you started to say, your throat drying up, “do you want to?”

“No,” he shook his hand, pulling his hand away from your face and bringing it back to your waist. “God, no. It drives me crazy when I can’t stop thinking about you but I-I can’t imagine myself not doing that anymore.”

At that point, you were certain that the sound of both of your hearts banging against your ribcages – ready to explode in one big fire – was heard across the entire bar, but you couldn’t tear your eyes away from him as you whispered, “you never told me you thought about me.”

“You never tell me what you’re thinking about, either,” Jaebum replied, the corners of his lips lifting. “We’re not the kind of people who share our deepest desires with each other.”

“Deepest desires,” you repeated, tasting the words on your tongue and making Jaebum’s smile widen. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” he confirmed, straightening in his seat until his chest was pressed against yours. “They run deep.”

“How deep?” you asked shakily, your breath mixing with his.

“Very deep,” Jaebum replied, finally allowing himself to lower his eyes to your lips. He’d never thought he’d have this much self-control even if staying away from you was starting to get simply impossible. “But I feel like they’re rushing to the surface too fast for me to stop them.”

The distance between your lips was virtually non-existent now but the unexpected surge of adrenaline that had erupted into your bloodstream at the prospect of him kissing you again suddenly reminded you of the decision you’d made earlier today, before all the alcohol and all the touching. You pressed a hand on his chest.

“Jaebum,” a desperate whisper left your lips. “N-no.”

He pulled back, confusion taking over his features. “No?”

You shook your head, your heart hurting with each step that you took in the opposite decision of what you’d truly wanted. But you knew you needed to do this. You’ve allowed your heart to make decisions for you long enough, it was about time you made decisions with your head.

“No,” you repeated. “I don’t think we should do this.”

“Y-you don’t?” Jaebum was obviously surprised to hear this, his eyes blinking in confusion before he leaned back in his seat, putting more distance between you and him. “Okay. Okay, then we won’t do anything.”

He looked like you’d slapped him across the face and you bit your lip, your heart now beyond ready to claw out of your chest. “It’s not because I don’t want to…”

He frowned, the familiar coldness returning to his eyes. He’d started to shut himself off from you again, yet he still asked, “why, then?”

“Because of what you’d said,” you replied, wishing for this conversation to be over before it even started, or, at least, wishing you weren’t sitting on his lap when you talked about this because, aside from not being able to think clearly when he was so close to you, the position also didn’t allow you both many opportunities to stand up and leave if all of this got too much.

Jaebum, however, despite being confused, didn’t share the same mindset and was not even planning on letting go of you until he understood what you were getting at. The rejection stung but if there was a chance he was still going to kiss you at the end of the night, he was willing to clear up everything you needed him to.

“What did I say?” he asked, a weird vibrating sound accompanying his question. It could have been a text message on one of your phones but neither of you cared about that right now.

“You said you don’t want a relationship,” you told him, your eyes not leaving his.

Jaebum didn’t seem to recollect the exact moment he’d told you this as his eyebrows furrowed deeper, so you took a breath – the first one since you sat down in this booth with him – and reminded him.

“That day at the ice cream store,” you said. “I asked you why you weren’t going to ask the waitress out and—”

“I remember,” he cut you off, then. His heart had started to race again as he realized that this might have been the reason why you looked so distant when the two of you had walked out of the store that day. “I didn’t mean to say I didn’t want a relationship.”

“What?” you didn’t get it. “You said you weren’t interested in dating.”

“I said I didn’t want to date anyone else,” he repeated before adding a very quick but very necessary, “that’s not you.”

It was only in passing that you’d considered misunderstanding him but now that he’s confirmed you’ve misinterpreted his words, it was very hard to swallow all of a sudden. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Clearing your throat, you tried to keep your eyes on his but his gaze had warmed up and the iciness you’d seen form inside of it before had melted now that you understood what had gone down between you two at the store.

“You clearly have problems expressing yourself,” you stated.

Jaebum was smirking as his eyes followed the movement of your lips when you spoke. “You’re clearly very dense.”

Silence followed when neither of you managed to find the next words, both too focused on each other to think about what to say. Although neither of you moved, the distance between you – that had grown so inexplicably large when you refused to let him kiss you – seemed to decrease with each breath that your neglected lungs produced.

“I’m going to die if I don’t kiss you,” Jaebum revealed, his entire heart hidden in these words.

You realized that you were anxious. The uncertainty wasn’t a problem before but now that you’ve stepped over the line and acknowledged what you’d been doing, you knew you couldn’t back away. You’ve thought you’d focus on his music but that wasn’t what Jaebum was doing, so you couldn’t wait to have this conversation anymore. Now was your only chance to escape the gloomy state of 'unknown.’

“I—” you started to say.

Jaebum shook his head; he was through with talking. “Tell me you don’t want me to.”

“I-I can’t tell you that,” you replied but the same concerned expression did not leave your features.

“Well, then what is it?” Jaebum asked, no longer afraid to sound desperate. “What do you need me to do? Do you need the label?”

“No, I—I don’t know,” you were breathing much faster now. “I don’t think we should keep kissing each other when we don’t really know what we’re doing.”

It felt good to bring your thoughts into being. It felt good to finally acknowledge it. But you hadn’t expected it to also feel terrifying as Jaebum spent one long moment, watching your eyes instead of replying.

“We’re going to kiss,” he said, then, “that’s what we’re going to be doing.”

“And after?”

“Well, kiss again, hopefully.”

You closed your eyes, the demanding tone of your voice matching the desperation in his. “But what does it mean?”

Jaebum was losing it. His oxygen supply was already short when you were this close and his craving for you was just wretched, at his point. It was tearing him apart at the seams; he’d never thought anticipation could ever be so strong.

“Does it have to mean something?” he asked, his voice exasperated.

“Yeah, actually,” you spoke. “But if it doesn’t mean anything to you, I—”

You’d looked away from him for the first time that night – thoughts of standing up and walking away slowly spreading to your mind – and that was enough for Jaebum to pull you closer to him until your eyes were on him and your chests were pressed against each other again, allowing your hearts to beat the same rhythm. He wasn’t going to let you leave.

“Fuck. No. It means everything to me. Okay?” Jaebum said, his chest rising each time yours fell and falling each time yours rose. “I’ll give you anything, any label you need, anything you need, I just—fuck.”

His face was so close to yours now, you could almost feel his lips brush against yours with each word that he spoke. You wondered if this was what hell felt like – having something you want right at the tip of your fingers but being forced to resist it.

“Jaebum—”

“Tell me to leave you alone and I’ll do it. Tell me what you want from me, and I’ll give you all of it,” he pleaded, “just… talk to me. Please tell me what you need.”

“I…” it only took you a second to find the words because there wasn’t much that you needed in that moment, or in general. “I need you.”

“Fuck,” Jaebum exhaled against your lips. “You already have me.”

And in a climax of your and his desperations mixing together, your lips finally touched. Your rapid breaths only seemed to grow heavier each time your lips connected in a frantic kiss, your hands holding onto each other as if one of you was going to disappear if the other had let go. As if one of you was going to pull away and say something else.

But there was nothing else that was left to say. Not in words, at least. So, you let your lips do the talking, his tongue transmitting all of his feelings for you as he tasted the inside of your mouth, nearly suffocating from his own longing. Kissing was supposed to put an end to your desperation, it was supposed to finally satisfy your need to have each other close, and yet it wasn’t enough. You were pressed against each other but it wasn’t close enough.

Every bit of your body that wasn’t touching his was screaming and even when you leaned into him harder, your bodies seemingly merging together, it still didn’t seem to be enough. Every time he pulled away just slightly to inhale, your mouth burned, aching to have his lips pressed against yours again.

Your movements were fluid – granted, you’ve had practice – and you never once interrupted each other by moving your hands the wrong way or clashing your teeth against each other. You kissed like you were reading each other’s minds and, as your tongues toyed with each other, only deepening the kiss, it truly felt like you were finally revealing your deepest secrets to each other. And they didn’t need to be spoken aloud anymore because now you’ve learned how to talk without using words.

You thought you’d been standing at the gates of hell when Jaebum’s lips were so close to yours and yet they weren’t touching you but now, as you kissed him back, you knew you’ve transcended every divine place and had created your own heaven in the back of Mark’s club, seated on Jaebum’s lap, his mouth on yours.

Suddenly, however, you felt him still against you as a loud tap was heard against the leather of the couch next to you.

“Nice going you two,” a familiar voice spoke up, and you and Jaebum pulled away from each other, exchanging a look and then turning your heads to catch Jackson’s grinning face. “You owe Kiera fifty bucks, by the way. She’d just told us about your bet.”

You couldn’t remember any bets. Actually, you could barely remember the existence of anything when your lips were still swollen from Jaebum’s kisses and his eyes, when you turned to look at him, possessed nothing but passion.

“Thanks,” Jaebum finally acknowledged his friend, clearing his throat. “Jackson.”

“I came to pick my phone up,” he added, leaning down to pick his phone up from the couch opposite yours – that explained the vibrating sound you’ve heard before – and then giving you another teasing grin. “Not that you’ll need me, but I’ll be by the bar. Have fun!”

Your face was in your hands by the tame Jackson left and Jaebum sighed, pulling your palms away from your cheeks.

“God,” you shook your head as soon as his hands gripped your wrists, not letting you hide your face from him. “We’re—”

“At a bar, yeah,” Jaebum nodded, permanently amused by your flustered state. “I’m really regretting not celebrating at our apartment.”

You exhaled slowly, letting your hands drop to your sides and watching his hands follow, a part of him always touching a part of you.

“Well,” you started, “we can always celebrate later.”

His breath hitched just for a moment. “Fuck. Yeah, we can.”

He leaned into you before you could react properly, his lips returning to the place they belonged – right between yours – in a slow but steady manner. You kissed him back – you always kissed him back – but, when you pulled away to inhale a moment later, you started to speak before he could prolong the kiss.

“Maybe we should slow down?” you said but it didn’t sound like a statement. You weren’t waiting for his approval, at that point; you were waiting for his permission because if he’d said no, you knew you would have done just about anything he wanted.

“Yeah,” Jaebum said, surprising you. “Maybe.”

“I don’t want to, though,” you added, biting your lip now. You didn’t want to stay away from him but, at the same time, you didn’t want the confessions of tonight to signify a gunshot, starting a mere sprint. You didn’t want this to be a sprint. You wanted this to be a marathon – one that you’d spend every day of your near future running. “But we live together.”

Jaebum nodded. “We do.”

“So, we should probably take it slow,” you decided.

“Yes,” he said, his responses lacking the vocabulary.

You smiled at that. “Are you just going to agree with everything I say?”

“Yes,” he admitted, shameless.

“Are you hoping that will allow you to kiss me again?”

“Absolutely.”

He closed the distance between you as soon as he heard you chuckle, but this time, he pulled away after one quick peck – a short reminder that this was something that he could do now.

“Are you still tired?” he asked.

Truthfully, you’ve never felt less tired in your life but you were able to recognize that this state was temporary. Once the high of kissing Jaebum would fade, you’d go right back to exhaustion.

“I don’t know,” you replied honestly.

“Should we go home?” he seemed to take the role of asking questions now.

You weren’t sure about that, either, though.

“I don’t want to. I like it here,” you told him, your hips pressed firmly against his as you returned your hands to his chest – the beating of his heart sounding just as hypnotizing as his voice in his first song had sounded. “Right here.”

“Oh, I like it right here, too,” Jaebum replied, a smile spreading across his face as his hands found their way around your waist again. “But I’d like it more if fewer people were involved.”

You agreed and yet you refrained from expressing your wish to leave because wanting Jaebum all for yourself seemed selfish on an occasion like this.

“It’s your night, though,” you said tentatively. “We’re celebrating your song.”

He wasn’t catching up. “What’s your point?”

“You can’t leave,” you said. “All these people—”

“I appreciate them coming,” Jaebum nodded, his eyes on you just like they had been from the moment he’d laid his eyes on you tonight. “But I only need you.”

The feelings that his words had provoked rushed to the surface before you could stop them and you were the one pressing a gentle, lingering kiss to his lips this time. You nearly collapsed when you felt his lips stretch into a smile as he responded to you.

“We should go socialize,” you said after pulling away. “Well, you should. I’m going to wash my face with some cold water.”

“Oh, no, no,” Jaebum disagreed, helping you relocate yourself from his lap onto the couch next to him. The cold that engulfed your bodies when you were no longer pressed against each other was so surprising, you felt goosebumps rise on your skin. “If I have to walk around, talking to people while that’s the last thing I want to do, you’re doing the same.”

“They’re your friends,” you reminded him.

“And I love them,” he nodded, standing up and helping you stand with him by holding your hand. “And I know they’ll understand so I’m going to be embracing my egotistic side tonight. It is my night, after all.”

“Hmm,” you were curious. “And what is that supposed to imply?”

“It’s supposed to imply that I might find myself in the bathroom of the bar in the next few minutes,” he replied, “and I’m not going to feel bad about it.”

You loved the mischievous glint in his eye. “And what are you planning on doing in that bathroom?”

“Oh, you’ll know,” Jaebum replied, his lips by your ear as he guided you out of the booth, “because you’ll be right there with me.”

   chapter directory

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Stop praising Dan Slott for ‘progressing’ Peter Parker

During and after Dan Slott’s agonizingly long run on Spider-Man a common point of praise from those who loved his run has been how Slott allowed Peter to develop and progress. This fundamentally boils down to how in Slott’s run Peter:

·         Got a regular job

·         Became a scientist fulfilling his life long ambition

·         Became a company owner

·         Ran an incredibly successful company and became financially stable off the back of it

·         Began to fight crime on a global scale

·         How Peter was able to now help MORE people and do so in more realistic and sustainable ways via his newfound wealth and resources

·         Had lots of different suits and gadgets in his arsenal he could draw upon as Spider-Man showcasing how prepared he now was, how, if you like, responsible  he was being in his capacity as a crime fighter

Thing is…none of that stuff holds up to scrutiny. Some of them don’t hold up as examples of progress for Peter, some of them don’t hold up as examples of progress Slott pioneered and even the stuff that could be argued to be examples of progress don’t hold up as examples of praiseworthy writing on Slott’s part.

And I’m gonna break it all down as to why that is.

Let’s tackle those points as they came for the most part.

·         Got a regular job

·         Became a scientist fulfilling his lifelong ambition

 Peter has ad regular jobs before Slott’s run. Ignoring his show biz carrer, in the Silver Age Peter decided to try and take up a job offer from Norman Osborn.

Sure, he didn’t follow through on that cos Norman went off the deep end again, but it still demonstrates Peter taking an assertive step towards financial and job security.

In the 1990s, contrary to what Slott and others will tell you, Peter ALREADY got a regular job as a scientist....twice...

In the 1996 mini-series ‘Spider-Man: the Final Adventure’ Peter took a staff job at Garrid, the company that created the device that irradiated the spider that bit him. His rationale wasn’t even just financial security, but to learn all he could about his own biology in order to be prepared for any problems he had with his and MJ’s unborn child. Oh look. Spider-Man being responsible by getting a job to support himself, his family and manage his child’s health, his family being you know ANOTHER way he was progressed as a character!

Temporarily in the Clone Saga Peter also got a regular job as a staff photographer for the Daily Bugle.

Later in the late 1990s Peter took ANOTHER regular science job at Tri-Corp which was the company Garrid evolved into and also what Dan Slott shamelessly ripped off for HORIZON labs.

Wanna know something else?

Peter got his foot in the door at HORIZON labs via Marla Jameson taking pity on him after her husband/Peter’s brother-in-law got him fired and blacklisted as a photographer.

Sure Peter demonstrated sufficient aptitude to get himself hired by HORIZON labs but he was still helped via someone else to get his foot in the door, which is NOT what happened in Tri-Corp. He got his job at Tri-Corp all off his own back.

So this progress not only happened before but demonstrated GREATER independence and development for Peter than in the case of HORIZON labs!

Peter ALSO got a regular job in 2001 when he became a teacher at Midtown High in the ‘Coming Home’ arc by Straczynski and Romita Junior.

Please tell me again how, whether as a scientist or a company owner, SLOTT progressed Peter again by making him a scientist or giving him a regular job?

It’s obvious that had happened before, meaning at best Slott simply restored some progress for Peter, but he doesn’t deserve any credit for innovating it, as though he developed Peter in the way Stan Lee did when he had him graduate or something.

It’s especially laughable to give Slott credit for progressing Peter via his HORIZON labs job considering Slott got rid of those by the end of his run!

Granted he DID leave Peter with a different regular job as the Bugle’s science editor but (putting aside how this was dumb since Peter knows nothing about editing) again, he wasn’t the guy who first GAVE Peter a regular job nor one connected to science!

·         Became a company owner

·         Ran an incredibly successful company and became financially stable off the back of it

This is the biggest example of when people praise Slott for progressing Peter.

He became a company owner.

First of all I find it frankly (and I’ll get a little political here) gross that being rich and owning a company is equated as ‘progressing’ who you are and a badge of success (all us mere employees aren’t REALLY successful right?).

Your success in life, your progress has nothing to do with your wealth and it’s disgusting that people equate the two.

If you are a good person who does your bit, you’ve succeeded in life frankly. You don’t need to run a mega corporation.

Second of all...fuck off.

PETER becoming a company owner isn’t a marker of his success or progress because he had NOTHING to do with getting that company or making is successful.

Doctor Octopus did.

Doc Ock earned Peter’s doctorate for him.

Doc Ock founded the company

Doc Ock manipulated things to make it successful.

Shit, Doc Ock was the guy who invented the device that was the basis of Parker Industries signature product.

When you are just HANDED something and don’t have to work for it, it’s not a form of progress or development!

Slott deserves NO credit for progressing Peter in this regard because it’s the equivalent of saying you’ve progressed in earning your collage degree when someone did all the work for you.

Peter didn’t evolve as a character because of any of this stuff nor did he evolve to obtain it in the first place!

Hell Peter himself wasn’t even a COMPETENT boss. He price gouged people.

He irresponsibly neglected his duties as a boss to go play baseball with Miles Morales.

And, oh yeah, he used the resources of his newfound company to illegally interfere with the politics of a foreign Nations!

How the fuck is this progress?

·         Began to fight crime on a global scale

·         How Peter was able to now help MORE people and do so in more realistic and sustainable ways via his newfound wealth and resources

·         Had lots of different suits and gadgets in his arsenal he could draw upon as Spider-Man showcasing how prepared he now was, how, if you like, responsible  he was being in his capacity as a crime fighter

 Again by fighting crime on a global scale we mean invade foreign countries!...a tactic he might have also picked up from Doc Ock from when he controlled Spidey’s body.

Oh look, so even that isn’t something Peter did himself.

Moreover there is a more significant problem with Peter fighting crime on a global scale, or owning a big successful company or obtaining true financial security.

I’ll illustrate the problem like this.

 Would it be bad if aliens showed up out of the blue in Lord of the Rings?

 Would it be bad if in Dawson’s Creek international spies began becoming integral to the plot?

 Would it be bad if in Game of Thrones an interdimensional portal opened up and suddenly Jon Snow and Daenerys would have to deal with Imperial Storm Troopers?

 Would it be bad if in Thomas the Tank Engine, the plot suddenly veered off to be about a murder mystery and rape on board one of the train carriages?

 Would it be bad if in the Luke Cage Netflix show, suddenly Luke became a 1% Republican who lived out in the English countryside, decrying Black Lives Matter as anarchists who need to be stopped and this was framed as a good thing and in fact the morally right thing to do, supported by the other characters and the BLM framed as the villains?

 The answer to all of these would be a resounding YES!

 But why?

 Why would all those things be bad?

  Because in storytelling, even if hypothetically in-universe something happening does make sense, there is a bigger consideration.

 Consistency within the defined conceptual boundaries of that series.

 Basically Luke Cage is a character and TV show defined by being a street level, urban superhero concerned with issues pertaining to Harlem and more specifically stuff directly connected to racism that the citizens, Luke included, have to deal with, with the story framing racism as bad, the rich as exploitative of the underprivileged citizens and so on.

 What does this mean?

 It means Spider-Man being a rich, globally successful, globally famous CEO of the biggest tech conglomerate on the planet (to the point where his name is a verb) and acts on a global scale fighting crime well beyond the purview of New York is a BAD thing. As is giving him an expansive arsensal of high tech gadgets.*

 It is creatively reductive and impoverishing of the character and the series.

 And even if hypothetically it can be viewed as a form of progress and development it’s progress and development in a WRONG DIRECTION!

 Spider-Man as defined by his creators and more importantly the stories they and others systemically told about him is intrinsically anathema to all that shit from Parker Industries.

 Spider-Man is called the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man for two reasons. Firstly as a ironic statement upon his poor public image owed to Jameson’s smear campaign against him. But more importantly because he is local!

 He’s fundamentally a New Yorker, fundamentally the little guy, one of the people, an average, relatable citizen.

 I.e. the direct polar fucking opposite of a 1%er.

 He’s one of us!

 He is SUPPOSED to not be totally financially secure, like MOST people are.

He’s SUPPOSED to stay on his patch, his neighbourhood (New York).

He’s SUPPOSED to be down to Earth concerned with smaller scale crimes instead of big international stuff.

He’s SUPPOSED to not have all the best resources at his disposal and go into battle with a limited about of equipment!

 Violating any (let alone all) of those things is objectively bad writing because you’ve totally removed everything that defines the character in the first place.

 Sure. As a brief temporary off beat arc wherein things go back to normal in the same arc that veered them off course and wherein there are no real long term ramifications to the innate essence of the character, you can go against the spirit of the character.

 But Slott didn’t do that. He went hardcore against the spirit of the character, he didn’t do it for a brief arc, he made it the entire status quo and it lasted for YEARS, whether you just confine it to the Parker Industries era beginning in 2015 or even further back than that when he got all his uber high tech gear at HORIZON labs in 2010.

 And again, Slott TOOK all that shit away by the end of his run anyway.

 So why the fuck does he deserve any praise for progressing the character when in his own work of his own volition he removed all that progress and it was progress in a direction we should NEVER have been going down in the first place.

 Final points

Slott didn’t even just progress Spider-Man in a bad direction in an unearned way.

Slott actively regressed the character in various ways.

Slott dismantled his long relationship with Mary Jane, removing her from even being a regular member of his supporting cast and eroding her established characterization along the way.

Slott DESTROYED Ben Reilly as a character, a figure who’s presence as a ghost or a physical person could’ve/did serve to develop and progress Peter as a person. He was his brother and more significantly allowed Peter to grow as a person by appreciating his own sense of identity.

Slott wrote Spider-Man as mentally 15. His work reveals this and if you don’t buy that he literally said so in a public statement!

Spider-Man isn’t mentally 15.

Spider-Man grew up fast because his uncle died and he needed to fill his role as a provider.

Slott is thus responsible for regressing him into a manchild.

So Slott for these and every other reason discussed is owed ZERO credit for ‘progressing’ Peter Parker.

You want to see progress for Peter done right?

Go read the JMS run.

Go read the DeFalco run.

Go read the Roger Stern run.

Go read the Gerry Conway run.

Go read the Stan Lee run.

Do not read the Dan Slott run.

*And before you say anything NO, this doesn’t mean the PS4 game is bad nor that it justifies doing that in the comics.

Adaptations must filter the essence and source material through the needs and necessities of what that adaptation (via it’s medium or its’ ‘project mission statement’) demands. In a modern VIDEO GAME which is about having stuff to play with and giving players lots of options an arsenal of gadgets is practically a pre-requisite the it isn’t in the comics, it’s no different than accepting in Spider-Man live action features his eyes not changing shape on his mask.

[disneyfanatic-kitty]

The Other Malfoy: Chapter 5 - Father-son Talk

(2.1K words) Read it on AO3

Chapter Summary: On the day before Christmas, Harry finally talked with Albus about Albus’ friendship with Scorpius for the very first time.

Harry saw Albus sitting on his bed while attentively patting and feeding his own owl, a birthday present for his eleventh birthday, when he entered what used to be his boy's sanctuary.

"Hello Albus." He made to take a chair to sit on, which Albus seemed to have no objection to.

"Hi, dad." He quickly gave Harry a look before returning his attention to the bird. "Amber will have quite a difficult job ahead. I have picked out a giant book for Scorpius. She will also have to carry mum's and your presents, as well as mine for Mr Malfoy as well." It was no wonder that Albus would be worried about how the bird would handle the workload, she had always been a smaller owl, though she had grown significantly bigger over the past few years. Harry had intended to get a larger and healthier owl for Albus, just as Hagrid had gotten him Hedwig, as his eleventh birthday present, but his son had immediately taken a liking to this black owl with large shiny amber eyes which had looked rather small for her age. It had become rather obvious that Amber reminded Albus, who had looked small for his age for as long as he could remember, of himself. Seeing Albus with his owl reminded Harry of his time at the Dursleys, with Hedwig as his only enjoyable company.

"What book have you gotten for Scorpius?" First tip of "communication with Albus", always tried to warm him up with Scorpius.

Albus' face brightened, "Oh… I have found him this antique Ancient Runes dictionary in the bargain corner of that smaller book store in the south side of Diagon Alley. I don't read Runes but Scorpius thinks it's absolutely fascinating for some reason. It's a pretty good deal too." It was actually quite alarming how happy his son would look whenever he talked about Scorpius, not that it was a bad thing.

"That sounds nice, I am sure Scorpius would love your present." Not that Albus needed Harry's reassurance, but he turned to give Harry a grateful smile anyway. Harry observed Albus as he gently tied the large package of presents to Amber's legs and sent her on her way. Normally, travelling to the Malfoy Manor would have taken Amber almost two hours, longer than what most other owls would take, but travelling with such a heavy workload would bound to take her longer. His son seemed very satisfied of himself as he imagined Scorpius' happiness of receiving his presents.

"I am actually kind of surprised that you are sending Draco a present as well." Albus' face turned serious immediately, he looked down as if searching for the right word to say.

"Well… Scorpius' parents have always been very nice to me. They have sent me birthday and christmas presents every year. And this year… he has sent those lovely chocolates after… It was nothing compared with what he has given me over the years but I have caused him so much troubles and fear. I just want to give something back… Scorpius has been worried about him ever since his mum passing away."

It did not matter how incoherent Albus' speech was, Harry was proud of the thoughtful boy he saw. He reached out to pat his shoulder to show that he understand. He would very much like to pat Albus' head but he reminded himself that Albus would not like to be treated as a young child by him. "That's a nice thing to do, Albus. I am sure both Draco and Scorpius will appreciate your thoughts." The father and son just sat in comfortable silence for a while.

"Speaking of Scorpius, would you mind telling me more about him?" Albus' look transformed into one of suspicion immediately, Harry guessed his son had a right to feel suspicious of his intentions.

"Albus, it's just that I realise I have never given enough effort to try getting to know your best friend. I know that you met him on the Hogwarts Express and he shared sweets with you. I know that he loves reading everything and he seems to have a crush on Rose. I know the facts but I don't feel like I know him as a person. I would greet him when he would visit in the summer holidays, we eat on the same table at dinner but I don't know enough about him to make comfortable small talks. You two would be whispering between yourselves for the most part. I really want things to change because he is your best friend, he will be there for you for the rest of your life, like Ron and Hermione will be there for me. He is a sweet child who deserves better, but I need your help."

Deciding that his father was sincere and feeling pleased that Harry would acknowledge that Scorpius would remain his best friend for a long time, Albus' features relaxed as he began, "Well, I supposed I didn't dive into details of my first meeting with Scorpius when I first told you in a letter all those years ago… I still remember Rose reminding me that you met Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione on your first train ride." Here he raised his chin up and gave a spot-on imitation of Rose "Al. We need to concentrate on who we choose to be friends with."

Harry could barely suppressed his laugh, he really did not want to laugh about his niece and he could not even imagine what Ron would do to him if he found out. Encouraged by Harry's laugh, Albus continued to animatedly reenact his first meeting with his best friend. He showed him how badly the both of them had messed up their introductions, how Scorpius had sungsong sweets always helped making friends, how Rose had unsubtly tried to make Albus leave, and how Scorpius had frankly told Albus who he was, seemingly expecting Albus to withdraw with Rose. Rose, for her part, not only bluntly accused Scorpius' parents (not just his father) to be Death Eaters, she also had not tried to disguise her uncomfortable reaction to the "Son of Voldemort" rumour at all in front of Scorpius himself. Here Albus got all defensive in Draco's behalf himself, he went on to describe how heartbroken Scorpius seemed to look by the end and how he just knew that he liked this lonely boy a lot and wanted to be his friend.

By the end of those five minutes, Harry was struck by how similar himself had been compared to Scorpius. He tried to imagine a different world in which he had been famous at eleven not as "the Boy who Lived" but as the "Son of Voldemort". He had sat by himself in the train compartment, still wearing Dudley's old clothes, anxious to make his first friend. What if Ron had, upon learning who he had been, walked up and left instead of sticking around? What if he had bought every kind of sweets off the trolley but no one had been willing to give him a chance to share his sweets? Harry himself had been the odd boy whom no one would like to befriend in the Muggle school he had gone to, thanks to Dudley's reputation and old uniforms. He understood how destructive rumours could be to a young wizard's social life as well, remembering well his "Heir of Slytherin" and "boy who lied about Voldemort's Return" days. He did not even need to imagine how lonely it must have felt for the poor Malfoy.

Again Harry was reminded of the guiltiness he had felt for separating the boys, he could only have done that because he had never taken the time to truly understand this boy, something that could easily have been done in five minutes had he truly put his heart into this. He had been through so much in his own Hogwarts years but the period of time when he had been caught in the middle between his best friends in his third year and when Ron had stopped talking to him after his selection as the fourth champion had been pretty awful. Had his conflicts with his best friends been caused by someone else, he would have felt so mad at this person. At least while he had secretly hoped for Albus to make more friends before fourth year, he had never displayed a prejudice against Scorpius until the dark cloud nonsense.

"Dad, you okay?" Albus was looking at Harry with a concerned look.

"Yes, I'm fine. Scorpius' past really got to me, that's all… I guess I have never realised how bad he had have. I'm so glad he had you… I mean has."

"Except I have not been a great friend to him at all. Right before we used the Time Turner for the first time. Scorpius, of all people, called himself 'crazily fortunate' just because he got to go to Hogwarts and have me as a mate. It was the most touching thing I have ever heard, yet I failed him right after. I…" Albus stopped himself, he seemed to realise he would inevitably have to blame Harry if he continued.

"Anyway, I have been rubbish. I had never truly considered his feelings before he snapped. He has always have so little yet he keeps giving, even after his mother has passed away. I was so selfish, inconsiderate…"

Harry could not take it anymore. While there was undeniably some truth there, it was very difficult for him to see his own son being so hard on himself, and judging by how happy Scorpius had been around Albus, surely he had already forgiven Albus. "Albus… you are not rubbish." That had come out louder than Harry had wanted, but it had certainly caught his son's attention.

"You have only failed your best friend because you were threatened by your prejudiced and ignorant father." Albus was speechless and dumbfounded to hear Harry calling himself that.

"Everybody makes mistakes sometimes. I did when I said those stupid words to you. I did again when I forced you two apart. It was cruel, unfair and wrong. You were absolutely right to get mad at me for doing that. You, on the other hand, have stayed true to yourself and your friendship with him. You have insisted for all these years that Scorpius is the only friend you need. I am sure he really appreciates you being there for him at his mum's funeral as well."

Albus shrugged, "Well, it was the least I could have done for him." He did not seem to want to give himself credits but he did not try to rebut Harry's argument either.

"Tell me more about Scorpius." Harry gently prompted.

"What would you like to know about him?" He asked after a moment of deliberation.

"Anything." Harry was actually dying to know if Scorpius had told his father he had been tortured but this would have been a terrible topic to continue the conversation with.

Albus looked very thoughtful then he unexpectedly broke into a smile. "Scorpius has always been unnecessarily posh but he seems to think that he is being completely normal. He has been wearing these ridiculous silk pajamas to sleep for as long as I have known him …" Once you got Albus started on Scorpius, it seemed like he could just go on forever. He went on to tell Harry how the two of them loved spending time at the Owlery, Astronomy Tower, or some remote corners on the grounds, where no one would be bothering them. It was bittersweet for him to hear because it was unfortunate that the Slytherin boys did not feel comfortable around others but they were obviously contented with each other as company.

Albus also told him that Scorpius' biggest hero was Bathilda Bagshot the historian, followed by Albus' own namesake, Severus Snape (at this he blushed pretty badly), so for Scorpius, the best thing he got from their "escapade" was the chance to meet both of his biggest heroes. Harry did not want to show his disgust in front of Albus but he still could not get Nagini the snake out of his mind whenever he was reminded of Bathilda Bagshot.

In any case, the more he learned about Scorpius Malfoy, the more sympathy and pity he felt for the boy. Draco had not remained close with the rest of the Greengrass family, as well as his Slytherin peers, so even in the festive holiday season, it would be just the two of them. Harry could imagine being in such an enormous but empty Manor would certainly make Christmas all the lonelier… unless.

[buddyrabrahams]

15 college football coaches outperforming their 2017 salaries

Sometimes, schools are fortunate enough to hire the perfect coach for their program — a figure who can take them to new heights and make them among the most successful in the nation. If they’re really lucky, they can get the coach to sign a pretty good deal — turning them into a national power for below market value.

Here is a list of 15 college football coaches who have earned their salary — and then some — in 2017.

Scott Frost, UCF ($2 million)

Frankly, it’s only a matter of time before Frost gets his big payday. For now, he’ll have to take solace in the fact that he has UCF unbeaten and climbing into the top 15. The quality of their opposition has been limited, but the Knights have handed Memphis the only loss they’ve suffered all season. An unbeaten campaign for the Knights is well within their each. No wonder at least one power conference team — and probably more — are eyeing up Frost for a bigger job.

Brian Kelly, Notre Dame ($1.6 million)

There were rumors that Kelly’s job wasn’t secure at this time a year ago, but those have certainly subsided. Notre Dame’s blowout loss to Miami hurt, and it more or less ended their College Football Playoff hopes, but the fact that those hopes existed in the first place is a credit to Kelly. The Irish are still in the top ten, and deservedly so. Kelly comes he’s surprisingly cheap for the Irish, working at a comparatively paltry $1.6 million compared to his big-name counterparts, though it’s uncertain if he earns additional money from other endorsement-type deals.

Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma ($2.1 million)

Riley inherited a very strong team after Bob Stoops abruptly retired in June, but it’s still not easy to walk in as a first-year head coach and maneuver your team into College Football Playoff contention. That’s exactly what Riley has done. The Sooners sit at 9-1 with their Playoff future likely in their own hands. Riley deserves a lot of credit for taking on a task that couldn’t be easy and passing the test with flying colors. After all, despite his experience, Stoops himself never managed to take Oklahoma into the final four.

Matt Campbell, Iowa State ($2.1 million)

Campbell’s Cyclones are a modest 6-4, but they’ve been a giant thorn in the side of the Big 12’s major contenders all season long. First they went to Oklahoma and handed the Sooners their only defeat of the season. Three weeks later, they beat then-ranked No. 4 TCU. They had every chance of making it three of three against the cream of the crop, with only a controversial call preventing them from taking Oklahoma State to overtime with every chance of winning. Keep in mind that Iowa State was 3-9 last season in Campbell’s first season on the job.

Mike Leach, Washington State ($3 million)

With a win over in-state rival Washington next weekend, Leach can take the Cougars to the Pac-12 championship game. Even if that doesn’t happen, they’ve already enjoyed an impressive season and beaten both USC and Stanford. If not for a pair of disappointing losses, they could even be in the playoff conversation. Leach only barely makes the top 40 in terms of salary, but the results have been, on the whole, very good. It’s been 15 years since Washington State was this relevant nationally.

Paul Chryst, Wisconsin ($3.2 million)

Bret Bielema and Gary Andersen both turned their successes at Wisconsin into other jobs elsewhere, and it hasn’t gone well for either of them. Chryst, meanwhile, is on the verge of taking the Badgers to heights they haven’t achieved in a decade, if not longer. He has Wisconsin sitting pretty at 10-0, already having clinched a spot in the Big Ten title game and in full control of their College Football Playoff destiny. They haven’t received their toughest tests yet. Michigan looms, and if Ohio State wins out, they’ll be the foe in the conference championship. But for a salary barely in the top 40 of NCAA coaches, Chryst is giving Wisconsin all the bang for their buck they could ask for.

Mark Dantonio, Michigan State ($4.4 million)

A year ago, people were questioning whether Dantonio had lost his magic. The Spartans were 3-9, had fallen far behind Michigan, and appeared to be in their most chaotic place since the coach took over a decade ago. Now, the fact that Dantonio still has the Spartans in the hunt for a Big Ten title is nothing short of a miracle. They beat Michigan and Penn State, and while a blowout by Ohio State demonstrated just how far they still have to go, the fact that they were able to play that game in November for control of their own Big Ten destiny is remarkable.

Gus Malzahn, Auburn ($4.7 million)

Malzahn was another coach whose job status didn’t seem completely secure last year, but now Auburn is well-positioned for a run at the College Football Playoff. An Iron Bowl win over Alabama would put the Tigers in control of their own destiny after they thrashed Georgia last week. Malzahn is fairly well compensated at $4.7 million, but he has Auburn ready to go toe-to-toe with the Crimson Tide once again. For the Tigers, that’s worth its weight in gold.

Mike Norvell, Memphis ($1.9 million)

The Tigers are paying Norvell less than $2 million a year, and he’s delivered them a shot at an AAC title. Central Florida is the only team that has beaten them, and if they handle their business, Memphis will get a second shot at them in the conference championship game. Norvell himself will probably be a candidate for some coaching openings and is in line for a pay hike sooner rather than later. For that reason, Memphis will have a hard time holding on to him.

Gary Patterson, TCU ($5.1 million)

Patterson makes a pretty penny — his salary is in the top ten — and yet it could be argued that he still doesn’t get enough appreciation. Patterson was able to smoothly take TCU from Conference USA, to the Mountain West, to the Big 12, in the span of 15 years without missing a beat. The Horned Frogs have once again gone toe-to-toe with the big boys in Oklahoma and found success. They appear to be in line for their third double-digit win season since joining the Big 12 for the 2012 season. Even if the playoff probably isn’t happening this year, Patterson deserves a ton of credit.

Mark Richt, Miami ($4 million — reported)

Did anyone have Richt turning the Hurricanes around this quickly? Miami is firmly in control of their own Playoff destiny now, and the opportunity to enter the field unbeaten is very real. After 10 years in the relative wilderness, the Hurricanes are indisputably back — just ask Paul Finebaum — and a blowout of Notre Dame has the optimism at a new high. Richt is reportedly making $4 million at Miami, but you can bet that to the school at this point, he’s priceless.

Kirby Smart, Georgia ($3.8 million)

The Bulldogs can still make the College Football Playoff, but they’ll have to win-out and beat Alabama or Auburn in the SEC title game. Still, in only his second season in charge, Smart has Georgia tantalizingly close to a shot at the championship. Georgia couldn’t always say that under his predecessor, Mark Richt. Smart has breathed new life into the program, and it says a lot that they would have a very real chance against the Crimson Tide if that matchup were to happen.

Charlie Strong, South Florida ($1 million)

Strong more or less had to reset his coaching career after his unsuccessful spell at Texas, but he was fortunate enough to find a pretty soft landing at one of the country’s better Group of Five programs. South Florida still has a chance at an AAC title if they can overcome UCF, and their 8-1 season is impressive by any measure. The fact that Strong is doing this for only $1 million (he comes cheap thanks to his Texas buyout) is even better. He’s proven quite the value for the Bulls in 2017.

Dabo Swinney, Clemson ($8.5 million)

Just to prove how good of a coach Swinney is, consider that Clemson lost an incredible talent in Deshaun Watson, and has still managed to remain in contention for the College Football Playoff. With Kelly Bryant at QB, Clemson has beaten the likes of Auburn, Louisville, Virginia Tech, and NC State — the latter three on the road. All four teams were ranked in the top 20 before Clemson got done with them. They’re headed for a collision with Miami in the ACC title game, and a third straight Playoff appearance is well in site. A team that was once always on the brink of greatness but couldn’t get over the hump under Tommy Bowden has become one of the best and most consistent programs under Swinney’s watch.

Nick Saban, Alabama ($11.1 million)

Death, taxes, and Alabama Football. There are few things guaranteed in life, but Nick Saban having Alabama contending for a national championship each year is among them. Saban has been at Bama for just over a decade. He needed just two season to get them competitive and went 12-2 in his second season in Tuscaloosa. Since then, he’s never won fewer than 10 games in a season, nor lost more than three. He’s won four national titles, has reached No. 1 in every season since ’08, and finished each of the last 10 seasons ranked inside the AP top 10. His relentless pursuit of excellence has resulted in Alabama bringing in strong recruiting classes every year, restocking their coaching ranks, and being well-prepared for every single opponent. Several SEC coaches losing their jobs because they simply cannot match up to him. Saban may make a lot of money, but just being able to know that the team will contend for a national title every single year is worth any price for Alabama. This season could mark their third straight trip to the national championship game.

from Larry Brown Sports http://ift.tt/2yKwCEe