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wooahaes · 2 years

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If you're still in need of some EXO recommendations, I got you! Enjoy the following ask that definitely isn't way too long didn't take me way too much time to put togetherbecause I couldn't decide on just a few songs

(before getting to the list tho, I just wanted to say that I really enjoy your writing and it's helped me through some hard last weeks, so thank you for that 🥰)

So, first of all, fitting to this season, I can really recommend the whole universe album (I especially enjoy Fall), Sing for you and miracles in december, 10/10, always great

Then, we've got the classics - Baby don't cry, Mama (their debut, still hitting strong), Overdose

The title tracks obviously as well, but I especially really really love Tempo, the acapella part in the bridge is just out of this world good; also Lucky One is a really really good one (that I feel often gets overshadowed by Monster)

Now I could list a lot of side tracks, but I'm gonna try to keep it to two per Album ^^' and go through them chronologically

Playboy and Hurt, Promise/Exo 2014, Artificial Love and They never know, Can't bring me down, Boomerang, The eve (obviously, you definitely have to watch the dance practice too), walk on memories and touch it, ooh lalala and smile on my face, Jekyll and Groove, Paradise

Now coming to the solos and subunits, I'll just go for one each, because this is already way too long 😶

Baekhyun - UN Village

Kai - Nothing On Me

D.O. - Rose

Chen - Beautiful Goodbye

Suho - Starry Night

Xiumin - Brand New

EXO-CBX (Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin) - Hey Mama

EXO-SC (Sehun and Chanyeol) - What a Life

And last but not least: Lay - Lit this song is just so so so good, it's honestly one of my all time favourites

hii nonny! ive been meaning to get around to listening to all of these but im just gonna answer this one ask (since other ppl have suggested the same songs) and listen through rn!!

also tysm!! i'm glad i was able to help you through hard times. i hope things are better for you now <3 december has been weird for a lot of us i think, but we're getting through it. 2023 is just around the corner!!

i'm gonna go into this mentioning that the only EXO songs i know are love love love, tempo, baby don't stop, ko ko bop, and el dorado. there's probably more i've heard snippits of, but those are the ones i'm most familiar with >:3 (love love love was one of the first songs i listened to (outside of shinee) back in like. 2014-2015ish when i was originally into kpop tbh!!)

i'll come back to sing for you + miracles in december since universe has been a lot slower/calm winter vibes which is great but im admittedly in a weird spot rn ksdhfsdf but i do enjoy universe!! the winter vibes are great, just not what i need in this moment <3 (i'll def try to return to these later and give them a proper listen-through)

baby don't cry is like... oddly cozy in a way i can't describe? but ugh their voices layer so nicely here. also wait wtf this was 2013... how...

OH IVE HEARD MAMA. lets see how many of these songs i already know. it absolutely hits strong how the fuck is their debut??? some groups rly do just have debut songs that will always slap. also hehe they look like babies on the album cover. their vocals literally are so strong tho what da hell... how old were they at debut...

oh they were all upwards of 17. yeah that'd probably make sense.

know im also looking at songs on color coded and what the HELL kai's voice..... wack.

this answer is gonna be really long as u can tell.

OH ive also heard overdose. same album as love love love apparently :0 wack. overdose also slaps. i feel like im just gonna go through every song like "yeah this slaps" but tbh everything so far has slapped

im listening to tempo and im like wow. more guys <3 also the squeaking is the only cursed part of this song. i read a reddit thread once that mentions there was Someone who kept using the sound in songs??? the cursed SM era. song still slaps tho <3

i have reached lucky one. this one i haven't heard before! :D oh wait i lied. i was abt to be like 'idk where i heard it' BUT I'VE HEARD THE CHINESE VERSION.... probably in the rhythm smtown. im blanking on the name. but i do recognize the chorus lmao i was like hm why does this seem a lil off and its bc i've heard it in chinese lmao

good song tho!! its fun <3

OOO PLAYBOY IS ANOTHER I KNOW and love a lot. i mentioned once that i love the exo version but i always wished there was an official recording by jjong since both have different energies. i could go into it but i think jjong's live version he did once felt more... smooth? while the exo version feels a lot more playful and teasing. both are so good in different ways. it works so well with their voices imo but god i can only think of jonghyun when i hear it. it feels like such a Him song to write. i'll stop talking abt him but know that i do love the way EXO did the song.

hurt i don't think i know? we'll know when we hit the chorus. ok i dont know this. but :0 i have no idea how to talk about music despite taking classes for that lmao but!! the drawn out 'hurt' in 'you hurt me' just... flows so nicely?

can i say i rly do love baekhyun's vocals. like idk i think i usually notice his voice above the others at times. im saying this while listening to promise/exo 2014. also forgive me if its the wrong word but chanyeol has like... a slight rasp to his voice? its SO nice to listen to tbh idk if thats the right word but its like. texture. it scratches a brain itch.

ooo artificial love i also know primarily from the chinese version. it also slaps idk what else to say here sdfkhsdf it Does

they never know is another im unfamiliar with. i am repeating myself when i say i think everything slaps but there's something like... SO soothing abt this one while i can kinda bop to it as well? exo can do it all-

ok im gonna start making comments when i actually have them. if i don't say i dislike something, then assume its gonna be the usual 'this fucking slaps yo???'

OH YOO??? the like... contrast between "무너져 가는 Wall / 니 별은 이미 Fall" like. w wall and fall being much deeper? it is delicious. i am consuming this. its also in the different "down"s at the end of lines. tht contrast though UGH <3333 its so good

im gonna take a sec to mention that i really like the different exo album covers and like. the different way their logo is made. i just think its neat :)

im watching the dance practice for the eve. why are men hot. anon why would u do this to me. NOOO WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!!!!! I UNDERSTAND WHY U SAID I HAVE TO WATCH IT is this allowed. in my good christian minecraft server. i need to stress my 'why are men hot' was said within the first like 10 seconds.

ok i finally did something smart and just queued up everything else so i dont have to manually search.

walk on memories + touch it are both good! i don't have any real comments haha

have i mentioned i rly love how their voices mesh when singing together... bc i do...

jekyll slaps. i feel the need to mention it specifically. also groove is such a like. 180 from how intense jekyll was. 11/10 i love that.

ooo i rly like paradise :0 idk what abt it gets me but it scratches a certain itch and im into it

ok im gonna do the solo ones faster. baekhyun good and i already know this (i've heard some of his solo stuff and also his voice is just... so cozy. let him out of the military rn.

i put these out of order by accident so kai's song is after xiumin's--anyway YOOO I KNOW D.O'S SONG its on my lovey playlist hehe (the english version is i mean). solid song, makes me smiley <3

beautiful goodbye: makes me want to cry. good song <3

starry night: ooo... cozy. kinda sad. very pretty tho.

brand new: absolutely not what i expected ngl but im already into it. his voice reminds me of someone and i don't know who?? im boppin tho

nothing on me: kai is also someone who's solo work i've heard before--in terms of like... the big ones (mmm + peaches) and vanilla. his voice is so nice. idk how else to describe it, im running low on brain juice and im gonna make food after i finish out the last few songs

hey mama!: ooo this is fun <3 truthfully at this point i think if u tell me baekhyun is in anything, i'd probably listen.

what a life: ngl i wasn't sure if i'd be into it but the chorus slaps and i def enjoy it more after hearing the first chorus. random comment but i have to wonder if vernon has listened to this before. something about the way it flows, esp at the chorus, make me think of him and the way he makes music

lit: oh. oh. this gave me chills (in a v good way)

i'd give final thoughts but i think the general "exo fucking slaps" is all i can manage rn

ty for the long ask (even tho im getting to it a lil late) i hope u are having a good day <3

#wooahaes.ask #asks.anon

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jessiesjaded · 1 year

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top 5 songs right now also top five places youve been in aus 🫶🏻

Oooh Ive been on a very single artist jag a lot lately, Im kinda like that I just incessantly to one artist or group til I find someone else 🫣

FNF by Stray kids has been on Repeat because it's a boppy kpop song that's also about the australian bushfires? Sure why not!!

Sat in your lap by Kate Bush- the most me song ever, just an all around bop that I love!

Autoclave by The Mountain Goats- YOU OUGHTA HEAD FOR THE EXITS, THE SOONER THE BETTER. I love goats.

Disco 2000 by Pulp - this is a love song of all time imo.

La Vie En Rose, specifically the Lucy Dacus version- I always love this song but her version is so nice and. Pink sounding to me- Yeah!

Mermaids by FATM- I've listened to this 1 million billion times, which is probably why I was in her top 0.9% or some shit of listeners ??? somehow???

Fave places I've been in aus...

Melbourne- I went to Melb for a week in 2019 and I spent 90% of the time alone and I just. Walked everywhere and found all these nice little places and visted the art museums and it was just such a nice trip.

Salamander bay- went there with my cousin and her kids in jan 2020 and it was so quiet and lovely and really struck a nice balance between rural feeling and beachy!

Gundagai- I love driving out well into the country and I loved visiting here, very small town feeling, very quiet, honestly all the areas out around there were nice.

Ku-ring-gai- My great grandma was from here and it was where my grandma and dad were born- Visited the old shop she ran, 50 or 60 years ago, I walked around the old grave yard looking at family gravestones and sat in the sun, had a good pie!

Glenrowan, aka Kelly country! I just stayed here for a day while we went to melbourne but the cabin we got for only 80 bucks was so nice and so fun, we saw a lot of roos and had great fun going to this wild old Ned Kelly animatronic museum that was 100 insane and not historically accurate but great fun!

But yeah I also went to Queensland as a kid but I cant remember it that well lol thank you for the ask Ms Melia 💗💗

#ask #long post #😁

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beautifulnightmareunknown · 2 years

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oh deer (lol this is cringy)

hiii. so my morning was actually really nice. i woke up, went to the gym with my sis, got back home, ate and made my meals for the day then went to go get ready for work. while i was showering grace (my sis) got my clothes and all my “getting ready” things together for me and she even made and brought me my coffee. omfg and she made my bed for me lol. ive loved having her home from college. she really is my best friend. i feel like i can literally talk to her about anything and everything and there is no judgment or negative thoughts/feelings. i go to her for just about anything and she is always there. ANYWAYS, i left home and was bee bopping on my way to work listening to some music and just doing my thang. well i was almost to work and i freaking deer jumps out in front of me. i was only going about 35mph so the damage isnt that bad, but my hood is a little bent up and my grill is a little busted. other than that though my car is fine. i did however get in touch with my insurance guy and hes referring me to this place to get it fixed without filing a claim if i dont have to. hopefully its not too much money, but either way i just want my car fixed. i wouldnt mind driving around a cute little rental car either.

im currently at work right now, its nap time. i really cannot wait to start my new job. this place is just forever getting on my nerves. i love tammy to death (my co-teacher) but damn she is lazy. like when the kids need something shes always like trying to sneak tell them to ask me so that i will do it. and dont even get me started on the admin here. theyre just as bad if not worse. i was supposed to get finger printed like 2 or 3 weeks ago but i was sick on the day i was scheduled so i missed it and they just keep getting on my ass about rescheduling it like its my job to do so. which its not by the way. but little do they know its my last week here so it doesnt even matter. they just all get on my nerves here. its like no one wants to do their job and i mean thats why half the workers are leaving and why the whole class comes to me instead of the lead lol. i am going to miss the kids somewhat but not enough for me to stay and the pay here sucks. but yeah im going to work this week out and then text melanie (the director) that i quit. i dont care how unprofessional that is only because when they hired me here they made me not put in a 2 weeks notice to my previous job like i didnt have a choice and you know what they say.. “do unto others like you would want done to you” or something like that. then ill just have a week to chill and get into my new routine because quite literally fuck this place and lowkey fuck my schedule right now too.

ive been really good this year about keeping a positive mindset and not letting certain things get to me. i plan to keep it that way for the whole year and only work on bettering myself. i have weeded out most toxic aspects of my life and have gained more positive and encouraging in replace. i believe this year is only going to get better and more successful. one of my personal goals for this year is to read as many books as my height. thats crazy sounding i know but i am already off to a decent start with one book lol.

nap time is almost over so i am going to go ahead and sign off now. byeeee

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callunavulgari · 3 years

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“Cages or wings? Which do you prefer? Ask the birds.”

Heather’s Top 50 Songs of 2021

start a war — klergy // ily — surf mesa & emilee // in the blood — darren korb & ashley barrett // think about us — little mix // kings & queens — ava max // real boy — lola blanc // the search — nf // experience — ludovico ienaudi & starkey // moonlight densetsu — patrick moon bird // howl's the wolf — kila // inferno — hiroyuki sawano // demons — hayley kiyoko // voidfish — rachel rose mitchell // will you follow me into the dark — klergy & mindy jones // providence — eternal eclipse // unicorn wizard — ninja sex party // me too — meghan trainor // umbrella — rihanna // colors flying high — lollia // progress — dear hunter // montero — lil nas x // underworld — cypress // midas — skott // tell me — johnny jewel // story — nf // levitating — dua lipa // error — niki, kradness // runaway lvl 2 — aurora // follow you — imagine dragons // shum — go_a // farewell wanderlust — the amazing devil // from the edge — fictionjunction // fire — saint mesa // touch it clean — dj raulito // the devil you know — x ambassadors // grand escape — radwimps // good 4 u — olivia rodrigo // the killing kind — marianas trench // transparent soul — willow // devil i know — allie x // thunderous — stray kids // your ex-lover is dead — stars // holly holy — neil diamond // the village bride — kevin penkin // money — lisa // enemy — imagine dragons // dirty little animals — bones uk // inkpot gods — the amazing devil // eleanor rigby — cody fry // louder than words — andrew garfield

short version | long version | spotify wrapped

short version is the link to what you see here, my helpfully abridged version. long version will lead you to the 381 song, 23 hour and 42 minute supercut playlist which i’ve been slowly cultivating since early january. spotify wrapped will lead you to a mixture of the long and the short version, which is honestly pretty accurate but does not helpfully represent my ear worms of the week.

under the cut is me ranting about music, like usual. enjoy!

i. start a war || klergy if history is dead and gone then how did we get here, my god?

So, back in January I was driving home from work one day and this song came on as I was hitting the roundabout on Hamilton Rd, and I was immediately seized by the notion to write a role reversal wangxian AU. This eventually became the echo, as wide as the equator, which I didn't get around to publishing until March, but I wrote the second scene in the fic where Lan Wangji is thrown into the Burial Mounds that night. ii. ily || surf mesa & emilee i love you, baby and if it's quite all right i need you, baby

If I'm remembering right, this is another song that came on as I was driving home from work one day and immediately sunk it's claws into me. Pretty sure I found it in one of the spotify discovery weekly playlists. It's a little more repetitive than I typically like my earworms, but I just could not get it out of my brain. iii. in the blood || darren korb & ashley barrett home is not where you live but who cares when you're gone

Hades! It is a thing that happened to me. Very grand, had a great time. Played it for like two months straight and still whip it out every once in a while. Great game, 100/10. Highly recommend! iv. think about us || little mix oh, you put your hand on my waist and then you pull me close It's a bop. I love Little Mix's music, and this is the first I've heard of theirs since I found Salute in my Allison Argent phase back in... 2015? Ish? v. kings & queens || ava max and you might think i'm weak without a sword but if i had one, it'd be bigger than yours I cannot for the life of me remember if I just heard this on the radio or if it came to me through some kind of fandom playlist, but either way, it's just peppy enough that it got me through the last leg of winter. vi. real boy || lola blanc i can give you life with just a single whisper show you what the meaning of a heartbeat is

I wrote gonna make you feel, boy on my phone near the end of January all in one sitting. I had literally just woken up and it is one of the horniest things I wrote all damn year. Anyway, I made a couple playlists for Hades and this was on both of them. vii. the search || nf "hey, nate, how's life?" i don't know, it's alright i've been dealin' with some things like every human being and really didn't sleep much last night

This is another one where I'm not 100% sure where I found it, but I am so glad I did. My gut reaction is that it was another of the Discover Weekly mixes, but either way, I listened to this song every day for two to three weeks before I finally ventured out and listened to the whole album. Some really fantastic lyrics. viii. experience -remix- || ludovico einaudi & starkey *instrumental* I have loved this song since I watched the Sense8 finale back in 2016/2017. Despite the fact that the ending scene of the finale was basically a giant orgy, the song gave it such a depth of feeling that I ended up crying. Ever since then, this has been my go-to for background music whenever I'm writing something emotional. One of the Discover Weekly mixes threw me this remix and I immediately fell in love. ix. moonlight densetsu -remix- || patrick moon bird *instrumental*

I experienced this tiktok sometime in early March, and it is actually the motivation that finally made me download the damn app. Something about the vibe to it was just so weird and perfect. It had this dreamy quality to it while also somehow giving me flashbacks to the Happy Mask Salesman in Majora's Mask. Anyway, found the remix and saved it to my 2021 playlist, then a couple months down the line I'd end up heavily associating the song with Taako from The Adventure Zone. x. howl's the wolf || kila the wolf will run 'til rising sun the wolf will guide you in your dreams, run free

I ended up doing a trial of Apple TV for the sole purpose of watching Wolfwalkers when it came out. I loved the movie so much, which wasn't too much of a surprise since I think I've loved every single thing that studio has come out with since I first watched Song of the Sea back in 2016. xi. inferno || hiroyuki sawano though you can't see the sun a new day has begun I technically watched Promare back in 2020, but I ended up rewatching it in spring of this year because it just makes me so incandescently happy. I don't know what it is about it, but every time I watch it I end up getting teary by the end and a lot of it is this song, which just crawled into my ribcage and set up shop there. I'm so glad they added it to spotify. xii. demons || hayley kiroko please, forgive me, i've got demons in my head tryna eat me, tryna feed me lies until I'm dead

I did end up discovering this song long before it tethered itself to me as a Loki song (thanks to the beginning of episode three), which is why it shows up so early on this list. Anyway, I don't care what the lyrics say because I have definitely heard "he's fucking me, i've got demons in my head" literally all year. xiii. voidfish || rachel rose mitchell *instrumental* First things first, spoilers for the end of TAZ Balance if you click on the link that I'm about to link to. ANYWAY, I finally experienced The Adventure Zone this year! I read the first two TAZ comics at the beginning of the year and ended up finding this amazing animatic for a scene near the end of the series, and long story short, the combination of those two things finally ended up getting me past the first arc of the podcast, which is apparently all it took to hook me. Anyway, I have basically listened to Voidfish on repeat since I watched this animatic. The SHIVERS that I got at the line "there's magic in a bard song." God. Fantastic. xiv. will you follow me into the dark || klergy no trying to pretend we know where the story ends

Since I listened to a lot of Klergy in January, spotify ended up suggesting this one to me at some point in late spring and I just love the dreamy, melancholy thing that her voice does. This one hit me straight in my wangxian feels, like most of her songs do. xv. providence || eternal eclipse *instrumental*

There is a 95% chance that I found this song through SOME kind of fanvid, but I really don't remember which one. All I know is that Eternal Eclipse pumps out some absolute bangers and they're on a good portion of my writing playlists. xvi. unicorn wizard || ninja sex party sometimes i wish i was even more awesome than i already am. what would my life be like if i turned this shit up to eleven (out of a possible five)? I made a Taako playlist shortly after I finished The Adventure Zone and then uh, didn't actually publish it anywhere? Apparently? ANYWAY. There are 89 songs on the mix, including that remix of Moonlight Densetsu I was talking about earlier. Incidentally, the next few songs on this list are ALSO on the playlist. xvii. me too || meghan trainor who's that sexy thing I see over there? oh, that's me, standin' in the mirror

The most Taako of songs. I sort of love it. xviii. umbrella || rihanna now that it's raining more than ever know that we'll still have each other you can stand under my umbrella

Also on the Taako playlist. You know. Because of the... umbrella. And everything. Look, I thought it was hilarious. xix. colors flying high || lollia so choose a color to live by your goal, your faith, your virtue give it all be the best cause nothing less will do

I have been attempting to finish Persona 5 Royal since September of 2020. We ended up losing our cat, Mal, on September 20th and since I was playing Persona when it happened it has been REALLY hard to get through it. I am still technically on the last dungeon (third semester) but I've made progress. And yes, I know that I can just not play it, but I do love the game and really would like to know how it ends. xx. progress || the dear hunter with every ounce of passion i speak till my lungs both billow out i'll give you something to hope for. The Magnus Archives ended in March this year and I made the mistake of listening to the final episode on the way to work that day and basically crying in the parking lot before I went in. I spent my morning meeting combing through the tag on tumblr and found this artwork (spoilers obvs) which made a mention of this song in their tags. So obviously I went and listened to the song, then KEPT listening to it until lunchtime, when I wrote til my lungs both billow out on my break. Anyway, this song makes me have emotions. xxi. montero || lil nas x i'm not fazed, only here to sin if eve ain't in your garden, you know that you can Montero dropped at some point in the spring and put Lil Nas X on the map for me in a way that Old Town Road never did. It was great, it was catchy, the music video was genius, and I just love that man. I hope he goes far. xxii. underworld || cypress i've been searching for a home but i'm lost inside my mind, i'm trapped in the underworld

I think this was part of a Hades playlist. Very catchy. xxiii. midas || skott midas, you've got me thinking 'bout the story you've everything you ever wanted but will you ever get to hold me?

A spotify discover weekly discovery! Loved her voice, loved the lyrics. xxiv. tell me || johnny jewel ft saoirse ronan be mine for always

Her voice is just so sweet. Possibly another discover weekly find. As you can tell, I listened to a lot of them this year. xxv. story || nf too early to tell, but at this rate i'm thinkin' this might be a bad day

when listening to his album after finding the search earlier in the year, this one really was the first one that resonated. xxvi. levitating || dua lipa i got you, moonlight, you're my starlight i need you all night, come on, dance with me I still REALLY like Dua Lipa's music. xxvii. -error || niki, kradness 壊れているの？壊れているよ

This is apparently a vocaloid song? I don't know. Somebody was talking about it on twitter and it just stuck with me. xxviii. runaway || aurora i was dancing in the rain i felt alive, and i can't complain This did catch on to tiktok for awhile, but I've been following Aurora's work for the last few years, so seeing her music really pop up there was an absolute delight. I adore her voice. xxix. follow you || imagine dragons i will follow you way down wherever you may go i'll follow you way down to your deepest low

I love Imagine Dragons. I don't care. Every song I've listened to of theirs has been amazing, and I think they have featured on these lists for the last five years. Pretty sure they sold their souls to consistently put out such bops. xxx. shum || go_a Весняночко, весняночко Де ти зимувала?

This was my first year actually paying attention to Eurovision, and holy hell, this song was AMAZING. I ended up looking through the rest of their work and finding other pieces I loved (which are in the longer version of this playlist) and anyway, I don't know, this song will forever make me think of 2021. xxxi. farewell wanderlust || the amazing devil i promise you i'm not broken i promise you there's more more to come, more to reach for, more to hurl at the door

I will forever be thankful for The Witcher because it led me to Joey Batey. I love him so much, and finding The Amazing Devil was a breakthrough for my whole year. Ruin coming out near the end of it was just as perfect! xxxii. from the edge || fictionjunction, lisa 今君はその刃を何処へ振り下ろす? We watched Demon Hunter at some point in I think maybe late summer? It exceeded my expectations, which was great, even if it did fall into the same trap that I feel like a lot of animes do. The opening went hard. xxxiii. fire || saint mesa burn the broken road hear drums thunder shake in the smoke Not sure where I found it. 90% sure it was another discover weekly playlist. Love it, though. xxxiv. touch it clean -remix- || dj raulito touch it, bring it, pay it, watch it turn it, leave it, start - format it

I do entirely blame Tiktok for this one. xxxv. the devil you know || x ambassadors it's better to know the devil you know the devil you don't 'cause wherever you go, wherever you go with the devil you know your never alone

I think I discovered this one around the time I was mainlining every single season of Lucifer. I'd forgotten how much I loved X Ambassadors' music. xxxvi. grand escape || radwimps 夏風邪に焦る心が夏をさらに早送るよめまぐるしい景色の中君だけが止まって見えた

Man, Weathering With You was amazing. Maybe not QUITE as amazing as Kimi No Na Wa, but it was really beautiful in its own right. This song actually made me cry in the car a few weeks ago. xxxvii. good 4 u — olivia rodrigo maybe i'm too emotional your apathy is like a wound in salt I really like her music. I don't care how similar it is to Paramore's. xxxviii. the killing kind || marianas trench if madness overtakes us both then nobody would be alone the ghost of us can linger here forever not to disappear

I actually found this song on a Magnus Archives fanvideo. The fanvideo was absolutely amazing! However, because I was watching Loki at the time, I then spent the next six to seven weeks in a feverish haze listening to it on repeat because it had solidified itself in my brain as the song that I thought of when I wrote Sylkius. According to my Spotify Wrapped, it is my most listened to song of 2021, which I listened to a very reasonable 137 times. And that isn't including the times I stopped it halfway through to play it again. xxxix. t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l || willow ft travis barker i knew a boy just like you he's a snake, just like you such a fake, just like you I actually ended up messaging one of my friend's asking if this was the same person who did the music for Ruby and he basically just texted me back with, lol Willow Smith??? And then I googled and realized that Willow was... Willow Smith. They do have very similar styles though, and I love her pipes! xl. devil i know || allie x i could pretend that i'm just praying now but i'm only on my knees

Also from the Lucifer phase. Unsurprisingly. They have a LOT of devil-themed songs in that show. xli. thunderous || stray kids bang bang bang boom man, i'm not sorry, i'm dirty I actually ended up finding out that season three of mo dao zu shi was out because @pingvi dropped this vid and I immediately lost my shit and went to go marathon the five episodes that I'd missed. This song is GREAT to listen to in the car and has bass that goes for days. Also, pingvi's videos are just as amazing as they've always been. xlii. your ex-lover is dead || stars there's one thing i want to say so i'll be brave you were what i wanted, i gave what i gave i'm not sorry i met you i'm not sorry it's over i'm not sorry there's nothing to save

This song has been on and off of my radar for years, largely because Life 2: The Unhappy Ending is still my favorite song in all of existence. This song ended up showing up on my discover weekly right as I was trying to write an Akira/Akechi fic for one of my Dark Month prompts - your ex-lover is dead, which I obviously named after the song, because that's how I roll with titles nowadays. Anyway. Good song. Sad feels. It was perfect. xliii. holly holy || neil diamond call the sun in the dead of the night and the sun's gonna rise in the sky

Watched Midnight Mass in October. May have fallen in love with the show itself and the few Neil Diamond songs that were featured. I loved it so much I ended up writing a Sylkius AU for the show. xliv. the village bride || kevin penkin & emi evans *instrumental*

I also watched Star Wars Visions during I day that I had off from food poisoning. I think this episode was my favorite, and this song followed me for weeks. xlv. money || lisa dun, da, la, la, dun-dun, dun, da-la-la, dun-dun dun, da, la, la, dun-dun, dropping on you Another song that I ended up discovering because @pingvi dropped an amazing fanvid. I cannot get over how they utilize sound and have ranted about it to more than one person. This is also a song that's fantastic to listen to in the car, particularly if you're on the highway and can really crank the bass. xlvi. enemy || imagine dragons i'm searching to behold the stories that are told when my back is to the world that was smiling when I turned Full disclosure: the long version of this playlist has basically the entirety of the Arcane soundtrack on it. Arcane was SO AMAZING. I loved it to pieces. This song is probably my favorite that Imagine Dragons has dropped in years and gives me incredibly intense Wei Wuxian feels. xlvii. dirty little animals || bones uk slide, shake your bones out if you wanna ride throw your head back, make you feel alive the kind of bad that make you feel good, good

Seriously, every song on the Arcane soundtrack is a gem, but this one is my favorite. If I remember right, it's the song that Jinx is listening to as she's tinkering. It just has so much energy. I LOVE it. xlviii. inkpot gods || the amazing devil and what you hear is not silence it's just the trees waiting to hear what next you'll hum and what you see is not the dark it's just the gods upturning ink pots 'cause they know what you'll become

Ruin coming out last month was amazing. I listened to the entire album twice through one Sunday morning after a friend tweeted about it and made me realize that it had finally dropped. Inkpot Gods was my favorite track and has made me cry at least two or three times since I started listening. I love it. I love this band. I love their music. It's so perfect. xlix. eleanor rigby || cody fry all the lonely people where do they all come from?

Tiktok lead me to this fantastic cover of The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby - specifically - this Tiktok - which made me flash back to at least six different anime phases. Anyway, the song is great and I get to sing it to my cat, whose name is Rigby. l. louder than words || tick, tick... boom cast if we don't wake up and shake up the nation we'll eat the dust of the world

Tick, Tick... Boom! did such a resounding number on my heart. This one hit harder than most. What does it take to wake up a generation, indeed.

#heather says what #fanmixes #2021 #new year's memes #year in music #year in review #music makes the world go round

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digirainebow · 3 years

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What is your favorite rhythm game?

omg you do not know the floodgate you have just opened

first of all, thank you for asking!! <3 second of all, i'm gonna do that thing i always do and give a very very longwinded answer where i don't pick just one 🙈

currently i'm very VERY into beat saber. my family an oculus for my brother's birthday and i've been playing every day for the past week because it's the first exercise i've been able to get in like 2 years and god is it an absolute BLAST. my love of rhythm games got really strong as a kid once i discovered ones that involved physically moving around, like i would always play ddr whenever i went to an arcade (even though to this day i suck at it), and someone had just dance at a new years party one year and i dragged my cousin into playing it with me basically the entire night. i got both the ddr wii game and a copy of a just dance game because i liked those games so much. i just like being able to actually dance to songs, but i'm literally a dancer so i guess that's not surprising adfsgdgdgs

anyway

beat saber is. first of all vr is suuch and experience so its the most immersive of all the fullbody rhythm games i have played and because if gives you fucking swords you feel just like so very badass. its kind of the perfect combination of ddr and just dance. it has the very simple, straightforward interface design that ddr and most handheld rhythm games have with basic directional hitboxes, paired with just dance's more movement based gameplay because girl, it sure makes you do more than just swing your arms around. the walls and crouch mechanics have had me sweating myself to drenched lol. it just makes me so happy, i've really missed dancing and this has been a great way to get back into it. we could barely afford the oculus's we got so its hard for me to recommend this to folks because vr is difficult to get your hands on but if you ever get the chance. its so fun. the learning curve is steep because its such a new type of experience for your brain, i thought it would just be another ddr for me where i can never go past normal/medium difficulty, but ive managed to get myself all the way up to being able to play at least one expert level, which is the first time that has ever happened to me with a physical dancing game and its exhilarating lmao please look up the song they have on the base game called spin eternally by camellia. im trying to get 100% in that one on hard difficulty rn and its. well. just see for yourself (and trust me, it is always faster and more difficult irl than it looks in recordings).

now for the handheld rhythm games >:)

i would be straight up lying if i said the idolish7 mobile game wasn't. significant to me. like i'm sorry if you hate gacha games, i'm sorry if you hate mobile games, i'm sorry if you hate idol anime, i'm sorry if you hate anime in general, i also hate all of those things and i understand. but this one is different i swear to you i swear i am on my hands and knees please take this seriously. i doubt the idolish7 app is going to hit unless you're also into the anime so like be prepared to get invested in some boys if you really want to get the most out of that as a rhythm game but the music is. so good actually please listen as hard as you can (with headphones!!) to any TRIGGER or zool track and pick up on all the little instrument and synth details and tell me that's not the tightest shit you've ever heard. not to mention it is the best balance i have seen in a basic mobile rhythm game like that! again, i am not into and refuse to get into any other idol thing, i tried with love live when it first came out and believe me snow halatian is still my bop, but the story and song layout was too boring for me and my metronome settings kept resetting and it just got to be too much for me. also, idk anything about prince-sama or whatever but someone i knew was really into it and they had me attempt one of the levels and i canNOT get down for that kind of torture. 6 cabochons is...why would you do that to someone. idolish7 also suffers a bit from metronome issues but i have found the exact perfect settings to make it actually on beat (who tf came up with rhythm games making you hit a note BEFORE the beat btw i have a bone to pick). it also has a very nice and normal amount of cabochons to tap. and ya'll, idolish7 was the first rhythm game i have ever been able to get a perfect on in expert on MULTIPLE SONGS. its easy enough to get a grip on, but still hard enough that it feels rewarding to learn the songs on the hardest difficulties! it is the perfect storm of good story and characters, good music, good interface, and mostly good gacha. do you know how long i have waited for that...man

i also--dude--fucking love parappa the rapper so much. and i would love it so much more if the rhythm interface wasn't COMPLETE AND UTTER GARBAGE i know it was 1997 and i was just being born then but holy shit. apparently the remastered is better but i wouldn't know, all i know is on ps vita it is ridiculously both so out of rhythm and so hair-pin specific in random places that its insane. i cant even tell you how many tries it took me to pass taste of teriyaki in um jammer lammy. btw idk if this is controversial yet brave but ujl is my favorite ive played in the series so far. original parappa songs are iconic but the sound, gameplay, and songs are all better in ujl imo. the entire milkcan discography fucking SLAPS and i mean like every song in the game. all of them unironically slap

finally, i also wanna mention the first rhythm game i ever fell in love with: everyone's favorite rhythm game, rhythm heaven! not only is rhythm heaven the most creative rhythm game i've ever played, but it TEACHES YOU!! so much!! about rhythm and song formating! perhaps even music theory! without feeling like one of those educational ds games for kids they had back in the day. you fully learn so much about off-beats and syncopation and stuff simply by playing, it doesn't have to explain shit. the repetition creates wonderful muscle memory, to the point i still find myself singing "stretch out your neck, *caws like a bird*" quietly under my breath throughout my days even now. the remixes are genius, and my favorite games built to scale and glee club are some of the most simple visually, but very valuable and at times difficult. its also just so cute and colorful. god i miss rhythm heaven, wish the megamix was real. i played rhythm heaven so much and so hard my ds lite is in shambles. 10/10

that was. even longer than i thought it would be, i should've made a youtube video! thanks so much again for being curious and i hope my answer was not only satisfying but something actually readable LMAO 😊

#digi discusses #maybe someday i will script this and turn it into a video lololol #the first time i played eternally spinning i just stood there afterwards laughing for a full minute because it was just So Much #also tl;dr my favorite rhythm game is idolish7 probably #long post //#also shout out to the persona rhythm games i love y'all but not like these

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thirstyandbeautiful · 3 years

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So I was going through the jamie tag, and you said there was a jamie part to one of your fics that you couldn't post yet because you're still working on it. Is that still happening? Just need more jamie content 😂

Thank you and welcome back! We missed you like crazy! 💖

Yes! It’s still happening, it’s just taking forever cause I’m super on the fence about adding her to a fic cause I feel like that just doesn’t do her justice, you know?

But the way I put her in the fic was so fucking hot and ive basically finished writing it but its an epilogue to sugababy so we will SEE

ANYWAYS. We do need more Jamie content so y’all gotta come thru with ideas/prompts. I know I’m constantly adding to what I already have going on (aka alot lol), and all of those are f/m or m/m/f so pls poke me for more of this!

This is what I got for soft saturday for you:

(Early) Homecoming

You were melting into the couch, your body sprawled on the deep maroon cushions as you mindlessly clicked through channels. There was nothing on, and you struggled to focus on anything these past few days.

It was all Jamie’s fault.

Well, not exactly. But it still was.

Your girlfriend had been unexpectedly called to some other country for some race thing, which was fine. It was totally normal. But it was off season, and the unexpected absence during a time you were looking forward to getting plenty of quality time together in made this little trip just drain the soul out of you. She’d been gone for a week now, and she had no idea when she’d be back.

You didn’t call or text her too much, not wanting to be distracting. It was going to be her first season in Formula One, and it was a huge deal. Jamie was going to be the first woman to ever compete at that level of the racing. You were beyond proud, but when she wasn’t here with you, you allowed yourself to mope.

You missed your other half.

In a fit of frustration you tossed your remote to the other side of the room and groaned, turning on your side for a moment before rolling off the couch. You laid on the soft, carpeted floor and curled into yourself on the side, dozing off after all the emotional turmoil.

You woke up with a start, jumping back, smacking the back of your head on the couch and sleepily screeching as you felt something touch your nose. When your eyes snapped open and a hand caressed the back of your head, you came face to face with Jamie.

“You’re home?” You asked, your eyes already beginning to water.

“Surprise, baby,” she replied softly, “I’m home.”

You leaned into her and kissed her softly, your lips molding to the familiar mouth of your lover as you gently kissed on each other. You laid back down, before popping your head up to look around the little nest she’d made on your floor. Blankets covered you, and there were pillows now too.

“Did you do this?” You asked.

“Of course, the blankets and pillows don’t walk on their own, you know.”

You bopped her on the nose, “Shush, no backchat from you after you left me here, nestless, for almost two weeks!”

“It was eight days.” Jamie replied.

“It was forever.” You grumbled, snuggling into her collarbone as she rolled on to her back to give you room to properly attach to her side.

“Did you miss me?” She singsonged.

“No.”

“Not even a bit?”

“Nope.” You popped the ‘p’.

“Is that why you were sleeping on the floor?”

“It’s comfy.” You growled into her t-shirt.

Jamie snorted, “Princesses don’t sleep on floors.”

“Good thing I’m not a princess, then.”

“You’re my princess.”

Your cheeks heated up and you turned your head down as Jamie maneuvered herself to her side, kissing your head as she grabbed at your chin, trying to make you look at her. But you defiantly kept your chin down, little giggles coming from the both of you as she tried to pull you up.

Your whole face felt hot, and you hated and loved when she said cute shit like that. She was a smooth talker, and it always reminded you of how you first met.

You’d been in a bar with some friends, when she complimented your outfit at the bar. You could tell she was interested, and beautiful, so you rolled with it, giving her hints that you were just as interested, but not fully giving it away. You enjoyed the little playful game of cat and mouse before you decided to put her out of her misery, putting your hand over hers on the bar before offering your number.

That had been three years ago, and you’d never been happier in your life.

Jamie had since gave up on turning you to face her, and sighed as she kissed you over your hair. “Girlfriend won’t even look at me.”

“Shush.” You whined, pushing your forehead between her breasts as you snuggled into her in your way.

“Girlfriend didn’t miss me, won’t look at me, next thing I know she’ll refuse to go to the paddock with me for the first race of the year.”

That got you to face her.

“Excuse you?” You said, pushing your hair out of your face, “What did you say?”

“Paddock.” Jamie said, squishing your cheeks before kissing your lips, “First race,” kiss, “you and me,” kiss.

You kissed her one last time before you furrowed your brow. It wouldn’t be your first time at the paddock, it would be your second, but you hadn’t exactly had a good first time. You’d been practically bouncing off the walls, eager to get to the paddock and really just be Jamie’s girlfriend, on display, for the whole world to see.

It was a complete disappointment when the F1 photographer posted pictures of you in the paddock and called you Jamie’s ‘best friend’.

“But you are my best friend.” Jamie had whined, trying to pull you from your sour mood.

You knew she had felt just as you had, she just recovered quicker to try to lift your mood. You saw her face as she read the caption online, she was just as disappointed that the media clearly hadn’t picked up that you were much more than ‘friends’.

“Stop thinking about last time.” Jamie told you, rubbing her nose against yours, “Let’s try again, and this time, we can just be super obvious, like as girlfriend-y as possible, and they’ll get it.”

You groaned, “I don’t want to flaunt my gay in their faces to get them to acknowledge it. Why can’t straight people identify two gays in the wild?” You grumbled, getting a laugh from Jamie, which made you laugh with her.

“That’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever said.”

“It’s still true.”

Jamie kissed your cheek, rolling on to her side so you could lay face to face. Her hand gripped yours under the blankets, your knees touching where you were both mirror images of each other laying there.

“Come with me,” she asked softly, “come with me and kiss me as much as you like, don’t let go of my hand.”

You melted and smiled at her as she went on.

“Let me show the world that I have an amazing girlfriend, that I’m so in love with her, let them see how great you are, how great we are together.”

You felt your heart pull with each word she said.

Jamie leaned in closer to you, biting her lip before giving you the biggest smile, “Make them see your gay.” Jamie cackled.

“You ruined it! You ruined the moment.” You yelled as you also laughed. “Who’s the ridiculous one now, huh?” You leaned in and licked her cheek, making her squeal as she wiped away the wet trail you left.

You both laughed, vibrating the floor with your excitement as you tangled arms and legs together, snuggling down until you were settled properly in your nest.

“Okay, I’ll go.” You leaned up and kissed her before ducking back down under her chin.

Jamie squeezed you in her arms, “I love you, so, so much.”

“I love you too.”

#w #jc #this was so cute i cant #ss #soft saturday

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dedeuteros · 3 years

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Ouuhh wait i forgot i wanted to blab last week. Last ever season of ballroom dancing or whatever we do </3 First dance was last week, had another one tonight. Its so weird bc its like lolzies i just do this sometimes for funzies . But this is my 7th year hot damn. I cant recognize more than maybe 4 dances by name, but i suppose im well aquatinted with the moves at this point. Liikkeee its truly wild watching 6th graders coming for their very first dance clueless beyond measure knowing nothing. Like whaaaatt you dont know how to stand in a circle????? (Actually, i dont blame them its a lot to take in, but theres a point where i cant tap a pair for the 10th time telling them to turn 45 degrees . Like babes ur doing great but why are u standing like . Its like this - - - / - -?? Bc if there were more space it might not be a problem but if the direction is a basic forward then eventually they start running into peoples sides while the group is stepping straight in and out of thebcircle.) anyways.

Like i know i didnt know which foot i was on was important until liiikee my 4th or 5th year. Hypocrite that i am lol. But also im not surprised bc trying to explain to kids which foot is never pleasant. If theyre confused theyre usually confused beyond saving and u just gotta shrug ur shoulders together and go. Yeah we’ll be fine go get em tiger. (Unrelated i wish line breaks werent so massive holy shit)

So super fun. Being afab in this location. I dont mind dresses et cetera, love them generally, but the lack of freedom in what i can wear is ehhhh. I usually just, dont think abt it bc i like dancing anyways and im too distracted by counting out the steps. BUT! usually the ratio of girls to boys in older groups is not so even, so instead of lettingvthe kids dance among themselves we (junior helpers) have to deploy the full set of ourselves to dance as gentlemen (much to the dismay of the guys in my age group who would rather not dance at all, despite .. where we are) so yours truly, liking to dance as often as i can, gets to be a funny little man in a dress for the night! Im always nervous for the parents who might be snooty abt their daughters dancing with “another girl” but the girls themselves seem fine. One real lovely lady was even so kind as to tell me my hands were far less sweaty than most guys <3 (not true but I appreciate it)

The age (7yr) old issue is that in these dances the “gentleman is the leader” so given they know the dance (often do not) and have the confidence (a handful do not hide how much theyd rather be somewhere else) they would lead and ladies should follow (“even if hes wrong” which i would call bullshit on if i wasnt messing up the same amount). SO since they lead, the steps are such called for them. To begin teaching most dances, the director also calls for the girls but after a while ur expected to either know or be able to follow. I’m pretty practiced in my left and right and their reversal. Tldr: ive learned absolutely everything completely backwards so even if the director calls basic left, I automatically move right.

Trans and masc girl wins in the house this year!!! Its been a mess to some degree, since both wear suits/ vests. Ive been called over a few times to fill in bc “two boys are dancing together” and just had to tuen my ass back around. Ladies wear gloves <3 at least at their lvl, im ant to start bopping my boys on the head if they keep doing that. BUT i havent talked to one of them. But. The smaller lady was having trouble so i was trying to help out and stay near (bc even tho i hate the dress code, i do understand that its easier to have less confusion in switch partner dances if theyre all dressed distinctly “girl” or “boy” . We had no small amount of confusion tonight) uhhhbb uhh. O yea i was just sticking with her and making sure the partner switching wasnt getting messed up and . Idk just generally making sure she was getting help when she seemed confused. Normally i feel awful being hovery when a pair keeps messing up and i correct them bc i know they dont understand my correction anyways and they feel bad for being singled out. But im fucking cryng. She said thank u for helping :^(( no one ever ever says that and ive been helping for like 3 years. Made me so so happy i hope shes well

OUUHHHG TONIGHT WE DID THE TANGO!!! not rlly The Tango. A terrible childrens edition cannibalized version of the tango </3 i dont think ive done it in YEARS???!$& but its one of my favorites!! Got to do it with two groups!! So not only twice, but also different guys . One of them was better, but one of them was also not an 8th grader . I think. We actually had an 8th grader filling in since my helper group has gotten smaller over the years. Anyways i LOVE when we do like. The waltz and the tango bc they have, for what i assume is every year since i started, played the same shitty ass busch gardens ass royalty free music. I CANNOT take it seriously . Ouhhh but also since one of the groups that tango ed was older, it was a few more steps. The variety that keeps me awake after nearly 6 hrs.

Anyways i could talk abt this a lot more but eye am SO sleepy so if i remember I’ll probably jus add onto this tomorrow <3 bc idk its kinda geeky and not impressive to most ppl so i dont get to talk abt the lil details but its been ALMOST 7 YEARS!!! I have a lot to say!!!

#ad rambles #long post

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sprnklersplashes · 4 years

Text

heart of stone (7/?)

AO3

Unlike most of his peers, Damian isn’t excited at all about moving out. There’s a lot he loves about living at home-having a mom who cooks him his own meals, not having to pay bills, living withing walking distance of his best friends and a not having to do his own laundry. All those little conveniences are things he’ll miss sorely when that day comes, but the biggest reason has nothing to do with any of that. No, the reason he dreads moving out is because he’s not sure if he’ll be able to find a roommate that will put up with his constant singing around the house. Especially around audition time.

Which is why now, he’s practicing his rendition of Dressing Them Up in his bedroom, his mom being incredibly cool about the whole thing downstairs and Janis on Facetime, earbuds in and bopping along with him and giving him more enthusiasm than the actual audience probably will.

“You sound great.” She’s sitting cross legged on her hospital bed in a sweater and leggings, her face more bare than it was yesterday, but her eyes still bright and laugh lines creased around her eyes and mouth. She’s still her.

It was tough, seeing her for the first time, but weirdly, it wasn’t nearly as tough as he thought it would be. Once he got past the strangeness of the hospital environment and the little emotional hiccup she had with Cady, he knew she’s still her. Hard situation, uncomfortable new world, but still his Janis.

“You think so?” he says. “I don’t know about this song. All the forums say it’s a really good song to audition for the Emcee with.”

“And it’s your party piece,” she tells him. “Remember freshman year, you sang it for my grandpa?”

“I miss your grandpa,” he sighs.

“I’ll let him know. He calls me weekly now.” She shifts on the bed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Before he even realises what she’s doing, he checks her arm. No IV in there. Why does that make him feel better? “So do you think you’re going to change it?”

“Should I?” he asks, looking through his music. “The audition’s tomorrow. I don’t know if I can research and learn a new song by tomorrow.”

“Then don’t,” she tells him. “You’re overthinking it.”

“You’re telling me off for overthinking,” he says rather indignantly, raising an eyebrow at her. “This is the same girl who texted me at 2 in the morning for my opinion on a dog meme to send to Cady.”

“I needed a second opinion,” she says.

“Thought you didn’t need opinions,” he teases.

“Maybe I need yours,” she says softly, the grin on her face lighting up the screen. “Dick.”

“Don’t even love you,” he replies, blowing a kiss softly to the screen. Janis giggles, hiding her face behind her hand.

“Okay, you have the scene worked out as well?”

“I think so.” He picks up the extract from his bed. He’s done it for everyone, Janis, his mom, Janis’ mom, Cady, even the plastics. He learned that day that Gretchen is amazing at giving weirdly specific compliments and also knows more about theatre than he’d have guessed. Maybe in another life she’d be a drama geek like him. “It’s just an audition anyway. They’re not looking for the finished product. Just potential.”

“And you my good man are 6’2” of raw mother fucking potential.”

“Janis, language!”

“Raw mother freaking potential. Sorry, mom.” Somewhere behind the phone, Janis’ mom says something and Janis chuckles, rolling her eyes. “I’m not allowed to cuss in here. Since this is a ‘children’s ward’.” She quotes the word with her fingers. “Which is apparently where I belong.”

“You are a children,” he reminds her.

“I am older than you!” she spits back, laughter shaking her voice. She leans back on the bed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. The joke slips from her face, leaving soft sincerity in its place. “Are you nervous?”

“I don’t get nervous.” She raises her eyebrow at him, of course. By now she can see into his brain like there’s a little window on his forehead. It’s why he can’t bullshit with her, and conversely, why she can’t with him. “A little. I just really want a good role, you know. It’s our last show.”

“Which is why you’re going to ace that audition so hard,” she tells him. “Just don’t drink dairy in the morning and do your breathing before you go in. And stay away from the candy!”

“Pity you’re not here to remind me,” he says.

“True, but I did take the liberty of passing on all the info to Cady,” she tells him. “She knows what to do.”

“You’re a hero, babe.”

“Don’t I just know it,” she says. “Are you going to do the whole ‘dress for the part you want’?”

“Of course.” He runs over to his wardrobe and shows her the outfit he’d picked out for tomorrow, black silk waistcoat and black skinny jeans, his dance shoes in his bag. “What do we think?”

“Oh, that’s so sexy,” she tells him. “We need to bring waistcoats back to the collective again. I miss them.” Before he can answer, she looks beyond the camera, nodding along to a conversation he can’t hear. She casts an anxious glance at him, so quickly that he would have missed it if he blinked. “Okay. Okay, yeah fine, I know. Okay fine.” She turns back to him, letting out a long exhale that makes the hair on his arms stand up. He can’t help it; he has built-in parental instincts and they’ve been heightened ever since Janis went to hospital. So much so that even when she flashes up a peace sign and grins, it’s hard for him to grin back. “I have to bounce. Go get a good night’s sleep, ace it tomorrow, and tell the drama club that my services are still available.”

“I’ll let them know,” he says. He sits on the bed, tucking one leg under his body. He’s reluctant to let her go, their time together so precious now. “I love you, honey pot.”

“Love you more, bitch.” Her face freezes and then she’s gone. Not gone, he corrects himself. Just… not around for him right now.

“Okay,” he exhales, giving himself a shake. She’s fine. She said she was fine, she looked fine, she is fine. And she will be fine. She even said that she might be well enough to come see him in the show, all things going smoothly. The thought alone is enough to make him smile. Of course she will. The show won’t be for months anyway. He just has to get through this first. So he picks up his music and bounces down the stairs, ready to treat his mom and sisters to yet another rendition.

*****

It’s just after second period when the nerves do start to kick in. He’s not scared or intimidated, he can’t be he approaches auditions the way Cady would a calculus test, as a thrilling challenge to be overcome and a way to improve, whatever the outcome. But like he said to Janis, it’s his last year. He’s not gotten parts before but would be different. He wouldn’t throw a fit or leave the show if he didn’t get it, those types of divas make him cringe so much it hurts. But he can’t shake the idea that it wouldn’t be as special if he were in the ensemble in his last year. Besides, this is his part. Always has been.

“Hey.” He jumps off the floor, so wrapped up in his own thoughts he’d barely noticed the person sliding up beside him. He’s even more surprised when he sees who it is; Regina, wearing a lacrosse jersey over her white dress and a smile that’s uncharacteristically apprehensive. Since when did Regina George doubts? More to the point, since when did Regina talk to him? He wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t even know his name until Cady told him. He just assumed he was ‘Janis’ gay friend’ to her, nothing more. The same way she’s nothing more than ‘asshole Queen Bee I’d punch given the chance’ to him.

“Hi,” he says flatly. Her smile falters at his tone, and he has to hide his own smirk behind his locker door. Someone clearly isn’t used to not being given the golden treatment.

“So… how’s Janis doing?”

And the surprises keep on coming.

“You care?” he snorts.

“Yeah, I do.” Her tone is more defensive this time, the familiar anger that’s become her trademark making an appearance. Somehow, she sounds more natural this way. She shakes her head and tosses her dark hair over her shoulder. “You’ve talked to her recently, I’m guessing.”

“Of course I have. She’s my best friend,” he fires back, suddenly finding himself on the defence. Heat prickles on his skin and he wants nothing more than to get out of this conversation.

“I just… wanted to know how she’s doing,” she says, her voice quiet and her arms crossed over her chest. He closes the locker door and looks at her, trying to find some semblance of the ruthless predator he knows rather than the timid, vulnerable creature before him. It’s unsettling, seeing her like this, and he’s almost certain it’s a trap. “So how is she?”

“She’s great.” He slams the locker door closed and now it’s her turn to jump. “Janis is doing great. And she’s being let out for a week on Friday. So, she’s great.”

“O-okay,” she replies. She picks at her nails, her eyes growing wide. It’s only when she takes a step back that he can breathe again. She gives an attempted smile and it doesn’t look right on her face. “That’s cool. That’s good to hear.”

“Yeah.” He puts his bag on his shoulder and pushes past her. Admittedly, he does feel a little guilty here. Regina’s a horrible person, but she’s still a person, right? Maybe she is worried about Janis, that there’s some sincerity beneath the make-up.

No. Of course not. And if Regina wanted his respect, she should have started back in middle school. And in any case, why is he even thinking about Regina? He’s got way bigger things to worry about today than her.

He checks his phone at lunch, finding nothing from Janis. Which is normal these days. Normal re-adjusted pretty quickly and she’s just finished another round right about now, so she’s probably resting from that. Besides, no news is good news, as his mom likes to say.

“Damian. Damian!”

“Woah, yeah, I’m here.” He shakes his head, grabbing the side of the table. He really needs to tune back in today. Cady is sitting beside him, her hand on his shoulder and her eyes big with concern.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I am,” he says, patting her hand. “Just daydreaming, kid.”

“Okay.” Silence settles over them, tight and uncomfortable. It hurts. Janis’ absence hasn’t rocked their friendship at all, but at the same time it’s felt like there’s been something missing since the start of the year. And that there’s constantly something going unsaid with them. “When’s your audition?”

“T minus four hours,” he tells her. “They’re after school.”

“Speaking of I see you’ve broken out the two-litre bottle of water.”

“Are you kidding me?” he asks. “Honey, I am a professional.”

“A professional drama queen,” she teases. “You think you’re ready?”

“As I can be. My mom and sisters all gave me a standing ovation,” he says proudly. “And I think my cat liked it.”

“I mean that’s all the validation you need,” she says. “When you go into your first Broadway audition, all you need to tell them is how highly your cat recommends you.” They burst into laughter as Karen and a forlorn-looking Gretchen sit down next to them, Karen holding the other girl’s hand and looking helplessly at Cady and Damian.

“Hey, what’s up, Gretch?” Cady asks. Without a word, Gretchen slides a crumpled sheet of math questions over the table and lets out a huff. Despite trying not to look, Damian can’t help noticing the score at the top, and the “see me” written at the bottom. Cady’s face falls instantly as she takes in a sharp breath. “Well, it’s just the second week. And it’s one homework.”

“Oh, what’s the use,” Gretchen sighs. “I’m never going to get it. It’s all so complicated. I wish I had a brain like yours, Cady. You’re super great at math.”

“Well you’re good at stuff too,” Cady responds.

“Yeah,” Karen agrees. “Like you’re super good at English. And at picking out clothes.”

“I don’t think Ms Gardner will appreciate me picking out clothes,” she says glumly. “Besides, I need to get better at math this year. For one thing, my dad will totally kill me if I get another C.”

“Well… hey why don’t I tutor you?” Cady offers, changing Gretchen’s entire demeanour in an instant. She sits up and gasps, a smile breaking out across her face and lighting up the cafeteria.

“You would? Really?” she squeaks.

“Of course! I mean, I did all this stuff last year, so I know it well. What do you say?”

“Oh, thank you so much!” She reaches out the table and grabs Cady’s hand, and judging by Cady’s face, it’s stronger than you might think for Gretchen’s slight frame. “This makes me feel so much better.”

“What does?” Regina sits down beside her, looking from Cady to Gretchen and funnily enough, avoiding Damian entirely.

“Oh, Cady’s going to tutor me in math,” Gretchen explains.

“Oh, cool,” Regina says. “You know that’ll look great on a college application.”

“Yeah. I mean of course that’s not the only reason I’m doing it,” Cady replies, smiling at Gretchen. “But I know. All I’ve heard since we got back is ‘college applications’.”

“Me too,” Damian sighs. “And I am not looking forward to telling Miss Meyer I want to do theatre.” He rolls his eyes and mimics shooting his head.

“Oh, hey Damian, Cady?” Karen asks. “Can I ask you something.”

“Um… sure?”

“What kind of muffins does Janis like?” The four of them all fall quiet, Damian looking to a confused Cady before back at Karen, who seems to be the only one who sees the sense here.

“Muffins?” he echoes.

“Mm-hm. Well, I want to bake her muffins to cheer her up, and since you two are her besties, I thought you’d know,” she explains. “Trust me, there’s nothing worse than bringing someone the wrong muffins. One time my cousin brought my other cousin muffins that weren’t her favourite and I was so, so ashamed for her.”

“Oh, okay,” he says. Karen nods severely, apparently taking the muffins incredibly seriously. “Um… she really likes raspberries I guess. Oh, and white chocolate. That’s one of her favourite combos.”

“Perfect!” she chirps. “I’ll start shopping for those tomorrow. I told my mom about her and she said she might like something sweet.”

“That’s… really nice,” he says. Life with the former-Plastics is a surprise even after spending the summer with them. He isn’t sure how ‘former’ he’d consider them, especially Regina, but they’re softer than they were a year ago. Gretchen more caring, Karen more kind. Or maybe they were always like that and he simply didn’t notice.

As they get up to leave, he takes out his phone and checks it. Still nothing from her.

He walks Cady to her next class, the two of them being on the same floor.

“Should I wait for you until your audition’s done?” she asks him.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” he says, patting her on the back. “Go live your life, little one.”

“Okay, but…” She rests her head on his shoulder and warmth sparks in his fingers and a stupid grin crosses his face. “Would you like me to wait until after your audition? We can go to the donut place after?”

“Did Janis tell you to do that?” Grabbing donuts after auditions to unwind has been their tradition since middle school.

“Well, yeah,” she says, shrugging innocently. “Just thought it would be cool. It’s what you always do, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah of course, totally. That’d be awesome.” They stop outside her history classroom. “Okay, I will see you later.”

“I’ll be in the library,” she explains. “You can meet me there?”

“Awesome blossom.” They have a quick high-five before he sets off down the hall to American Literature. As he goes, he finds a small but fierce sense of anxiety sparking in his chest and he can’t work out what it’s for. Probably the audition. After all, no amount of experience can chase away the terror of this process. Waiting around, learning and re-learning lines, sitting by his computer waiting for an email and fighting through crowds to see the cast list. He puts up a confident face, but that will never stop shaking him.

He takes out his phone again, just to check the time and location again. There’s nothing from Janis again, which is fine. Completely.

“Damian Hubbard.” He halts and looks up at the face of his Literature teacher, Mr Bock. He’s not great, but he’s not awful either. Once upon a time he may have actually liked kids. “Is that phone meant to be out during school hours?”

“No, sir,” he replies, sliding it back into his pocket and hoping for the best.

“Well come on, you’re in my class next and I won’t have anyone being tardy.”

“No, sir,” he repeats, doubling his pace and making it into the classroom, looking up at the clock as he does so. Just three more hours to go.

*****

He spends the time waiting for his slot breathing and doing small vocal warm-ups, enough to get him ready but not enough to irritate anyone else. As well as consoling a fearful looking little freshman kid. There are few things in the world that warm his heart quite as much as seeing new faces in auditions and watching them bloom during the show. He always makes sure to build connections with each and every one of them, taking up the role he wished someone had done for him. By the time Damian’s name is called, the freshman is grinning and his hands are nearly steady and he even whispers ‘good luck’ before he goes in.

“Afternoon all,” he greets the panel; Miss Petersen, the director/oldest drama teacher, and the perky little new one, fresh out of teaching college and rearing to go, as well as the choreographer and head of the drama club. Three familiar faces and one new, all smiling back at him. Something he tells every freshman; they want to cast you. He hands the sheet music to the girl at the piano and takes his spot, always remembering to smile and compliment her.

“Hi Damian, how are you?” Petersen asks.

“I’m great,” he replies. He clears his throat slightly, not having realised how tight it was. Did he not warm up enough? “Ready to go.”

“Okay so what song have you picked for us today?” the new teacher asks. Miss Hadsell, someone said her name is. She’s cute, with wide dark eyes and blonde hair in a messy braid. He wonders if she also takes art, he hasn’t seen her around the art room.

Then he remembers he hasn’t been in the art room this year.

“I have picked Dressing Them Up from Kiss of the Spider Woman,” he says brightly, bringing himself back. Here and now, that’s what matters.

“Good choice,” Miss Petersen says. “And you’ll be reading for the part of the Emcee?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Okay.” She grins at him, although it doesn’t really do anything to bring his focus back. What is wrong with him today?

He takes two deep breaths, and then another, and quickly shakes out his hands before nodding to the pianist. Once the song starts, he’ll be fine. Lost in the music, laser focussed. And he is. After missing the first note. He’s never missed a note before. Still, he manages to pick up the rest of it and keep going, throwing everything into it.

But it doesn’t feel enough. Like something is holding him back. Every time he’s sang this song before it’s come as naturally as breathing, the movements coming from him, not a character or persona. Now nothing feels right. Like he’s on a string and someone else is moving his limbs and every gesture is artificial.

By the time he finishes, it’s almost a relief. And he’s never thought that about performing.

“That was great!” Miss Hadsell says. “You must love that song a lot.”

“It’s an old favourite of mine,” he agrees. He can still bring this back. Maybe it was better than he thought.

He reads through two scenes for them before he’s asked to leave. At least those are stronger, partially because he knows them like the back of his hand. He feels more himself in them, or rather he feels more like the character. Even if his mind’s still a little fuzzy, it clicks for him. If only it could have happened earlier.

Rather than running right to the library and Cady afterwards, he sinks down onto a bench in an empty corridor, wringing his hands together. He doesn’t remember ever feeling that nervous or having an audition like that. Not even when he was a kid. Being in drama clubs since he could walk chased away the strong jitters that could affect him like that. So what happened in there?”

You know a voice in his head whispers. He goes to wave it off, but he can’t quite do it. Because what if there’s some truth in it. He’s worried about Janis, he’s only human. But he has it under control. She’s getting what she needs and she’ll be back with him by Christmas, and they’ll move forward like nothing ever happened. He presses his fist into his palm and bites his cheek. He’s handling it, and his own issues have never affected his performances before. Why would they now?

There’s no point in worrying now, he tells himself. It’s over, so just go home, tell everyone it was fine and whatever happens, happens.

It’s with that mantra that he gets up and heads to the library to pick up Cady.

*****

The next day is Wednesday and when he wakes up he’s suddenly immensely excited and won’t pretend he doesn’t know why. As his mom likes to say, ‘Wednesday is halfway to the weekend’. Which is enough of a reason to be happy in itself, but this means something more. It means it’s two days until Janis gets out of hospital and three days until they hang out again. They arranged it a few days ago; a movie night in her place, just like always, with blankets and pillows and junk food and an equal balance of musicals and old sci-fi and horror. So he can’t not be excited, so much so that it’s enough for him to block out the memories of his audition yesterday.

So when he half-walks, half-dances into the kitchen, it’s justified, and what’s more, his mom picks up on it.

“Someone’s in a good mood,” she remarks.

“Sun’s shining, birds chirping,” he replies as he puts on the coffee pot and pops bread into the toaster.

“Did you talk to Janis at all last night?”

“A bit.” He pours himself a cup and one for his mom. All the milk in his and one sugar for him, black and two sugars for his mom.

“How’s she doing?”

“She’s fine,” he says. “You know her. Tough as hell, fighting anything.” His phone vibrates in his pocket and it brings an instant smile to his face. “As a matter of fact that’s her now… oh…”

Janis’ message is a picture of the medical student, Jackson, fiddling with her IV, shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Below is the caption ‘forgot to send you this yesterday. Thought you might enjoy’. And a winking face, of all the emojis.

‘Appreciated, thank you,’ he texts back. ‘Though I am debating the ethical ramifications of this.’

He probably won’t get an answer for a while. She tends to sleep in in the mornings.

“Her poor mother,” his mom sighs, seemingly to herself. He looks up at her, her hands tight around the hug and her head shaking. “I mean, poor Janis as well of course. No one deserves to go through that. But if anything like that were to happen to you…” She runs a hand through his hair, a fond smile along with her sad features. “God knows what I’d do.” There’s a small moment, a sigh, and then she kisses his head.

“Mom, you’re so mushy,” he sighs, not meaning any of it. Mushy is a well-established Hubbard trait passed from mother to son and he’s not ashamed of it, not at all. It’s that exact mushy-ness that gives him the capacity to love his friends the way he does and let them feel it every chance he can. He’d never trade it for anything. “I have to get ready. Don’t want to be late. Love you!”

When he gets into homeroom, Cady is bent over her notebook with her pens out, which strikes him as odd. Surely the study bee Cady Heron isn’t catching up on homework already. He’s not even catching up on homework yet.

“Hey.” He pulls on her ponytail, a far more amusing way of getting her attention that tapping her shoulder. She grins and looks up at him, stretching out her arms. “What are you working on?”

“Trying to make a schedule for tutoring,” she explains, handing it over to him. The page is divided into seven days and those into hour long slots, and true to form, everything is colour-coded. School is green, Mathletes is blue, and so-called ‘Janis time’ is purple. Her name is written in silver glitter pen rather than black ballpoint, and there’s a little star doodled in the corner. It’s nothing short of adorable, and Cady’s cheeks go pink as he knowingly catches her eye. “Gretchen says she can’t do weekdays, so I might squeeze her in on Saturday mornings.” She takes the page and tilts it, scrunching up her face. “Wonder how many more I can fit in.”

“How much tutoring does she need exactly?” he asks.

“It’s not just Gretchen,” she says, shrugging. “I just thought, well, why not expand it. See who else needs tutoring? I could make some money off of it. And it looks great on-”

“The college applications,” he finishes, earning an eyeroll from her. Still, they both smile. “I think that’s a great idea little slice. As long as no-one’s faking stupid to score a date with you.”

“Oh hush,” she chides, swatting at him playfully. “Besides, no one would dare. Half our grade is kind of terrified of Janis.”

“We all know she could still kick their collective asses.”

“Even hopped up on chemo, she could.”

“Yeah, completely.” Something shifts inside him, and suddenly his smile feels more plastered on that natural. Keep it together, he tells himself. “So has anyone gotten back to you about tutoring?”

“I haven’t put the word out yet,” she says. “Although I did make this!” She reaches into her bag and hands another page to him, this time with a photo of her in the centre and “Tutoring Services-Math and Science, specialising in calculus” printed below it, and her phone number and email address in a different, cursive font below. And true to form, she decorated it with little ClipArt lions and tigers. “What?”

“Nothing.” He hands her it back. “It’s just very you. And if I needed help with math, I’d call you in an instant.”

“You flatter me,” she jokes, putting it back in her backpack and dropping it on the floor. It catches his eye and he doesn’t understand why it would for a second, but then he remembers. She bought this backpack the day they went to the mall. She picked the white one with the little frogs. Janis had laughed at it, affectionately calling her a ‘permanent child’. That was the day Janis had passed out. The day she had overslept. The day before she had gotten that doctor’s appointment. And all the while, none of them knew the truth. None of them had put the pieces together.

“Damian?”

“Oh, yeah.” He nods quickly. “Yes, you should definitely do that.” Across from him, Cady’s eyebrows are shot up, her mouth half open. He’s blown it. Whatever ‘it’ is.

“Okay,” she sighs. “Um… are you okay?”

“Of course I’m okay.” He leans back in his chair and tosses his head. “Look at me, I’m the King of Okay, baby girl.”

“I know a bad Doctor Who reference when I hear one,” she tells him. She taps her pencil on the desk. If she knows a Doctor Who reference, then he can recognise a tell. She’s building up to something. “Look, it’s okay if you’re not okay. I mean what’s going on right now with Janis… it’s rough. It’s okay if you’re a little out of it. I am too.”

“Well that’s fine, but I’m not.”

The words shock him as soon as they leave his mouth. He wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t said them at all, rather someone behind him, and he wishes that were the case. He’s not like that. Those words are sharp and he’s rarely ever sharp. He made himself a promise never to be sharp or cruel or nasty unless absolutely necessary. He’s put in so much work over the years building up his cheerful, warm persona and it took a while for it to become fully natural. Apparently, he still needs work, because Cady’s face is falling at his outburst and she’s turning around him her chair and his gut is twisting and churning with guilt.

“Caddy, wait.” He reaches out and grabs her shoulder. “I’m-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to come out like that. It’s just-I’m so sorry, Caddy.”

“Hey.” Cady takes his hand and wraps her own around it, giving it a comforting squeeze. “It’s okay. Everything’s a lot right now.” Is it? Well, it is anyone can see that. But he’s coping, he’s sure of it. He woke up today so full of happiness he may have burst. How did he go from that to this in the space of an hour?

“Yeah,” he simply says. He runs his thumb over Cady’s knuckles, still shaken from what he said. He grips her hand tighter as if that can make sense of it. “I’m sorry.”

Despite Cady telling him it’s okay, a bad feeling follows him around all day, guilt combined with something else he can’t figure out. It leaves him feeling nauseous and uneasy all through his classes and even during lunch with his friends. It sits there all day, right in the pit of his stomach and wearing him out. By the time his first class after lunch starts, all he wants to do it go home. That very last bell is music to his ears and he barely remembers to bid goodbye to his friends before bolting out the door.

His hands are cold and unsteady as he pulls books out of his locker, his heart beating quickly and faintly beneath his shirt. He checks his phone, his messages empty, and makes a mental note to text Cady later before closing his locker and heading to the front gate. Hopefully by the time he gets home he’ll have come back to himself.

“Damian!”

Oh god, he thinks, suppressing a sigh. Ms Towers slips out in front of him, a file held close to her chest and her glasses perched on her head. She’s the school guidance counsellor, someone he’s never really interacted with. All of his issues were either fixed or in the process of that by the time he reached high school. She sure had her work cut out for her when the Burn Book was released though.

“Um, hi,” he says.

“Could I grab a quick word with you?” she asks.

No you cannot is what he wants to say. The school bell has gone, I’m free now.

“Sure,” is what he says instead, and his body follows her into her little office and even takes the seat she offers. It’s only when she sits down that he turns off autopilot. “Is this going to take long? Only I’ve got a lot of homework.”

“Not long at all,” she replies. She clears her throat, pretends to fix some papers on her desk, and leans forwards on the desk, her hands clasped beneath her. “Damian, what you’re going through is very difficult.”

“That’s indeed one word for it.”

“And the schoolboard is fully aware of any challenges you might be facing this year,” she goes on. “You probably know your teachers are all aware of the toll this may take on your schoolwork.” He hadn’t actually thought of that before. “But there are many support systems in place outside of the classroom. I want you to know that if you need any of them, we would be more than happy to schedule something for you. You could talk to me, or one of my colleagues on the care team, during one of your free periods maybe once or twice a week? Or if you want, our pastoral care team would be more than willing to talk to you in the school chapel-”

The image of Damian sitting in a church sitting on a pew talking to a priest about anything is so ludicrous to him that he actually bursts out laughing in her face.

He’s really being the resident asshole today, isn’t he?

“Sorry,” he replies, making a show of clearing his throat. “Something caught in my throat. You know how it is.”

“Oh, of course. I can get you some water if you like.” He shakes his head, taking his own bottle out of his bag, and gives her a gesture to keep talking. “Just if you want to avail of any of these services, they’re here. We’re all here for you Damian. So… do you think you might?”

“I appreciate the offer,” he says. His hand wraps tightly around his knee. “I really do. But I’m fine. I don’t need any school therapy or anything like that.”

“I don’t mean therapy,” she says. “Well, I could. But just if you needed a quick chat. This is a hugely stressful situation.”

“I know,” he snaps. He takes a deep breath in. He feels as though his insides are shaking, like a town caught in an earthquake. “I know. But I’m fine. I’m coping. And I have my own people anyway. I’ve got my friends; I’ve got my mom.” He stands on sore and unsteady legs and puts his bag on his back. “Besides, everything’s fine. Janis is coming home this weekend and we’re going to have a movie night and it will be exactly like it always has been. So we’re all good here.”

He lets her nod before bolting out the door. He doesn’t let anyone slow him down this time as he runs outside, down the front path and out the school gates, only starting to slow down when he’s off that street.

All the while, he doesn’t let himself think about Ms Towers’ offer, because doesn’t need it. He’s good. He’ll make himself good if he has to. He’s had enough practice at that after all.

*****

Saturday night takes forever to come around. The clocks on the wall tick by too slowly no matter where he is. Janis must get home late on Friday, because at some time after nine she posts a video of her dog cuddling her on her bed with the caption ‘I missed this boosh so much’. While Maxie takes up half the screen, he can see the smile in her cheeks. She looks good, healthy, happy, and that’s the main thing.

But finally the time comes, and he’s standing on her doorstep with a rucksack full of treats, DVDs, and the sleepover essentials. Butterflies flutter in his stomach, something he hasn’t felt since the early teens, and he has to hold back his arm lest he press the doorbell again.

“Hubbard!”

“Sarkisian!”

The moment he’s in her house, he envelopes her in a hug, letting her head rest in his shoulder and his hand rubbing up and down her back. His knees buckle in relief once she’s back with him, back hugging him. Sure he’s seen her before back in the hospital, but that was too alien. This is home. This is real.

“Missed you, dork,” she whispers.

“Missed you more,” he replies. When they finally let each other go, he sees her dressed down, blue and green galaxy leggings and a deep purple sweatshirt with a cartoon dinosaur on the front. Sleepover wear.

In the living room, Laura is setting up a bowl of popcorn and a try of tortilla chips, as well as a litre bottle of water and one of lemonade. She brightens up at the sight of him, hugging him lightly like you would a family member.

“Nice to see you, kid,” she tells him. “Hey how were the auditions? Janis told me they were this week.”

“Oh yeah,” he replies. It’s an effort not to wince. “They were fine. You know.”

“Well, we’ll be expecting front row tickets,” she tells him. “And a discount.”

“Sorry Laura no can do. Janis knows the importance of providing funds for the drama club.” Behind her mom, Janis nods as she fiddles with the DVD player.

“Oh, Janis, hon, let me do that.”

“It’s fine,” she replies, force behind the words. “I’ve got it. Besides you’re the one always asking me how to work it.”

“Fair enough,” she mutters. “Well, you two enjoy your night. I’m just down the hall if you need anything.”

“Cool. Thanks Mom.”

“Do you want me to take the dog out?”

“We can keep him. I think he’s missed Damian anyway.”

“And I’ve missed him,” Damian adds in. Maxie is pawing at Damian’s legs, his head rubbing against his legs and his tail wagging.

“Okay, just make sure you keep him calm. Otherwise he won’t let you sleep.”

“We’ll keep him calm,” Janis promises. “He’s a good boy.”

Laura mutters something to the contrary as she leaves, the door clicking shut behind her. Janis rolls her eyes at her.

“She’s so mean to the baby,” she says, patting the ground. “Come here Maxie-boy. Isn’t mama just the meanest and nastiest to the poor baby boy?”

“Should I leave you two alone?” he asks, only half-joking. Janis looks up from where she was making kissy faces at her dog and chuckles.

“I missed him,” she says. “Can you blame me? Imagine not letting your dog into the hospital with you.”

“It’s lunacy all right.” He kneels down beside her, opening up his rucksack. “Okay, I brought chocolate peanuts, I brought mini pretzels, I brought sour gummies. And to top it off, I brought your faves… crispy NemNems!” He holds up the box of M&Ms, wiggling them in her face. She bats them away, grinning.

“Perfection. Okay, what do we watch first?”

“You pick. That’s the rule after all, remember?” he reminds her. “Your house, your rules.”

“Okay. Then I pick…” She holds up the DVD to him; A Nightmare On Elm Street and wiggles her eyebrows. One of her favourites, which just so happens to be one of his least favourites. He’s not a horror fan. It’s one of the few disagreements they have.

“Deal. But I may have to hide behind your hair.”

They settle themselves on the couch, a pair of blankets resting on the heater behind them and Maxie plopped on top of them for extra warmth. His little head is on Janis’ lap, demanding pets, and she is only too happy to oblige. He snuggles further into her with his paws up on his legs and whimpering whenever she so much as shifts.

“Someone missed you.”

“Yeah he did,” she replies, her voice fond. “You know when I came into the kitchen last night he peed himself because he was so excited.” She leans down to the dog and starts speaking in what they call her ‘Maxie-voice’. “Didn’t you to a peepee on the floor and Daddy had to mop it up?”

“Awww. Also ewww.” Janis digs him the ribs even as she laughs. Maxie is oblivious to this, his ears pricking up as he looks between the two of them. Damian cracks open the snacks, already commandeering the tortilla chips (what can he say, he’s a carb lover) and placing the rest of them delicately between them before opening the M&Ms and handing them to Janis.

“Oh, thanks…” She picks a few out of the bag while holding the dog down with the other hand, lest he eat something he shouldn’t.

When he looks back in the bag, it’s like no-one took anything. Sure enough, there’s probably only three or four in her hand right now. And they’re one of her favourite things in the world, ever. She’s hidden them under pillows at sleepovers before. Before he can stop, she notices him looking and gives him a shrug.

“I’m just not that hungry,” she explains, taking a sip of the water. “It’s fine.”

It’s fine. There you go. She said it’s fine, so it’s fine.

Despite that reassurance, and against his better judgement, he doesn’t stop taking peeks at her as the movie goes on. It’s probably a good thing he doesn’t like this movie. She picks at the food she would normally be fighting him for, eating a pretzel here and there and nothing else, only long, slow drinks of water. The hair on the back of his neck pricks up at it, his instincts once again kicking in.

Maybe instead of instincts, he thinks he might just be paranoid. Janis said that she hadn’t had much of an appetite recently. It’s just a side effect of the medicine. Nothing to be worried about, surely, especially with the way her eyes are wide and her grin is excited and bright, the way she jumps at scares she’s seen ten times over and ‘ooh’s at Freddy coming down the hall. She even calls him a ‘magnificent bastard’. Why should he focus on what she’s eating when she’s still her and is in good spirits? With that in mind, he turns his attention to the movie, properly this time, accompanied by Janis’ rantings and commentary.

When he does lose focus on Freddy Kruger again, it’s nothing to do with Janis or ‘instincts’, but rather nature calling, courtesy of a half-empty lemonade bottle on the floor. He stretches his stiff legs and turns to let her know, probably having to tap her to pull her out of the movie… only to find her curled in on herself, eyes closed, lips slightly parted. Her hand rests limply on Maxie and her chest rises and falls slowly. How long has she been like that, he wonders.

“Janis?” he whispers. Nothing. “Janis.” She doesn’t move, doesn’t even flinch. That’s her for the night.

She looks younger in sleep, especially without make-up. And a lot less tough. It’s easier to see her as the little girl he met crying in a bathroom all those years ago. But she was tough even then, and she’s even stronger now. He rises slowly, careful not to wake her. Maxie is still awake, but antsy at sitting down for too long.

“Come here, kid,” he says quietly to him. He lifts Janis’ hand a little and coaxes him off her, patting his knees until he reluctantly climbs down. He settles beside her instead, sitting beside the couch like a little guard dog. “Good boy.” Next he takes the blanket from the heater and throws it over her, making sure to tuck it over her shoulders. That’s what moves her, and for a second he panics, but she only murmurs something and burrows into it. His heart swells in that moment, and he presses a swift kiss to her head.

“Good night, kid,” he whispers, even if it’s still light outside.

He doesn’t go home after that. He sticks around all night, despite Janis’ mother asking if he wants to go home. Neither one of her parents are surprised she fell asleep, telling him she’s tired a lot in the hospital. Her dad heaves a sigh before telling him that’s how they know it’s working. Damian nods, unsure of what else to say, and heads back to the living room. The idea of leaving her alone in there unsettles him for whatever reason.

He slides Cabaret into the DVD player, the volume at 2 and the subtitles on. At least if Janis does wake up, it’ll be to something she likes. For now he bounces between watching the movie and watching her until he gives up entirely. He changes spreads himself on the couch next to him, the light from his phone the only light on in the room. As he does start to doze off, a mere four hours after Janis, he starts thinking about what her dad said. If this is how they know everything’s working, then he can take it. Because it means she’ll be okay at the end.

#mean girls fanfic #mean girls broadway #mean girls the musical #damian hubbard #janis sarkisian #cadnis #cadnis ff #mean girls ff #despite that cadnis is barely in this chapter ....#fic: heart of stone #look its a damian pov!

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buckybabybaby · 5 years

Text

Mr Hollywood (Epilogue Part III)

Summary: Bucky Barnes, an underpaid teaching assistant in a small English village, dreams of a movie career back in his home country of America. He finally gets the break he's always wanted, and if it wasn't for you, his best friend, he wouldn't have been able to take it.

But is that fact enough to save your friendship when it's tested by the pressures of Hollywood?

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Reader (Gender Neutral)

Word count: 1532

Chapter summary: The peace of normality, for once.

A/n: Probably the last epilogue, but who can say?! I think this rounds if off nicely though...

(If the picture is all blurry, opening it in a new tab in browser helps!)

Warnings: Just fluff.

Previous: Epilogue Part II

Mr Hollywood Masterlist | Main Masterlist

*****

“Do you mind it when Mr Barnes kisses other people?”

You don't have to look up to know Isabella is staring across your desk at you, eager to know the answer. Her younger sister Emilia has also drifted in to your classroom this evening, dragging with her a box full of building blocks, and is currently creating a mini town on your window sill and ignoring everything else, not quite old enough to be interested in gossip.

If you can call it gossip. Even with Bucky's dramatics over the month you spent in America, the paparazzi didn't catch on to anything and you returned to England and your work just as anonymous as you left.

That doesn’t mean, however, that curious little eight year olds can't figure out that something has changed between you and him. Edwin and his wife Ana both work full time, which isn't usually a problem as the two girls attend after-school clubs most days of the week, and even on Fridays when there aren't any running it's still not a problem as there is plenty to keep them occupied while they wait to be picked up. The music room seems to be a favourite of theirs, the lure of bashing around on the drums or piano unsupervised too hard to resist, but more often that not recently they can be found with you.

Isabella's continuing. “And do you make him clean his teeth before he kisses you afterwards?”

You laugh, still surprised at how direct she is. It only took her a couple of minutes to wrangle out the truth about you and Bucky on you the first day back, and so far it seems like she's stuck to her vow of keeping it to herself, in exchange for stories of your time in Hollywood.

She's still talking. “Does his character kiss other people? I haven't seen the show, daddy says I can watch it when I'm a little bit older.”

“Your daddy's probably right,” You say, not answering her other questions.

That doesn't stop her asking, “Will you get married to him now?”

“We'll have to see.”

“Will daddy get an invite to your wedding? 'Cos then I could come too! Emilia's too small but I could come, couldn't I?”

“Don't get too excited, Isabella. Nothing will happen for a few years yet, probably.”

Resting her head on her crossed arms, her brow furrows in obvious disappointment and you feel guilty.

You can't have that. “Tell you what.” Holding out your hand, you offer her your little finger and she wraps her own much smaller one around it with a grin. “When we get married, I'll make sure you get an invite, okay?” She gasps happily, and you add, “And one for Emilia, because I'm not planning on marrying him any time soon so she'll be old enough by then.”

“If you wait a few more years then the new baby can come too!” Isabella's hands clap over her mouth as you both realise what she's said. “I wasn't meant to say!”

You feign confusion. “Say what?”

She slumps back into her seat in relief, giggling quietly when you wink at her.

Then a soft knock interrupts from the classroom door and you look up to find Ana leaning against the frame. Not so subtly you glance at her tummy, trying to see if you can make out a bump, and from the look on her face, she notices.

Isabella and Emilia jump up at her arrival, gathering up their belongings as she comes to perch on your desk.

“I'm guessing she told you?”

“In her defence, it was an accident.”

Ana shakes her head fondly as she watches her oldest collecting her pens and zipping them away in her bag. “We didn't really expect her to not too. We're in the process of telling people so it doesn't really matter, and I'm just so pleased she's excited.”

Her daughters have finished fastening their coats and are hovering by the door, tired now after a long week and more than ready for dinner and bed.

“Thank you for looking after them.”

You whisper your congratulations as you hug her goodbye, waving as they leave, and you've nearly packed up your own book bag when you're interrupted again.

“This place really doesn't change, huh?”

Spinning around, you're met with the most beautiful sight you can imagine on a Friday evening. Bucky, taking advantage of a break between his scenes to visit you for the first time since the summer, is stood in your doorway in the outfit he tends to wear every time he travels, and before you can stop yourself you're skipping across the room and into his arms.

“I thought I was picking you up from the airport?” You mumble against his shoulder.

He shrugs and holds you closer. “Got an earlier flight. So I thought I'd come and surprise you.”

“You're the best sort of surprise I could ask for,” You admit. “If you'd been here ten minutes ago you could've also surprised your biggest fan.”

“Edwin's daughter, 'bella?”

“Yeah. She's first on the guest list when we get married, too.”

He leans back slightly to catch your eye, grinning widely. “Oh, it's 'when' now, is it? Not 'if'? That's encouraging.”

Your smile matches his. “But we'll have to wait until both of her siblings are old enough to attend too, I've made a solemn promise I couldn't possibly break.”

Bucky frowns. “Both her-oh, a new baby?”

“Yep.”

“And you don't want screaming babies ruining your big day?”

“Nope. Well, not ideally.”

“So, three to four years is how long we've got to wait?”

“If you're prepared to?”

Bopping your nose, he slides his lips briefly across yours. “Don't worry doll, I'm a very patient man.”

*****

“He's going to spoil your little girl rotten, I hope you know that.”

Sat on one side of your lounge with Sophia, you watch Bucky on the other side of the room cradle week old Amelia like she's make of tissue paper. The timing of his trip back 'home' is perfect as his baby niece was born just days ago, a much easier birth than her older brother so the whole family's able to come round to your house for the afternoon when she's still so young.

“Well, not rotten,” You acknowledge. “Never rotten, not one of your children, but he's still going to absolutely treasure her like he does Benjamin.”

“I know. I don't really think there's anything I can do to stop him.”

“Nah, you've just got to embrace it.”

“And what about you? Does he spoil you too?”

You flush at the knowing look she gives you. “He tries to.”

Not elaborating nor giving her a chance to pry any further, you get up and saunter over to admire the newborn, sitting next to Bucky on the sofa as Dayton slips away back to his wife, leaving the two of you alone for a minute.

Bucky turns to you. “Do you want to hold her?”

“Oh, er-”

“Here.” He holds Amelia out to you carefully. “Just keep her head supported and she'll be fine.”

“O-Okay.”

Waiting until you settle comfortably, he then passes you the precious bundle. You're tense at first, terrified of holding her incorrectly and causing her pain, but when she doesn't stir in your arms, you sink back into the sofa and watch her sleep. She looks almost exactly like her brother did when he was born, just that the soft hair across her forehead is darker, the same colour as her father as opposed to Benjamin's blonder curls, matching his mothers.

“She's so tiny,” You murmur in awe.

Bucky nods, smiling down at her when she stretches. “But she won't be for long. Which is yet another reason to come back more often.”

*****

It may be October half-term, but with the sun shining down it's warm enough to enjoy the fresh air in the garden, at least for a little while. Benjamin drags himself away from his little sister long enough to offer the chickens some corn, and under the watchful eye of both his parents he hesitantly holds out his hand to them, even after you warn him their beaks may hurt. Just like his dad and uncle, he loves a challenge.

Bucky guides you away from the others, ambling around the edge of the borders as he tells you about his and Sam’s latest antics, finally stopping at the base of the apple tree that holds so many memories.

“I miss you Y/N.”

“I'm right here.”

“I know, but when I'm gone, I-” He pauses, sighing. “I wish it could be like this all the time.”

“Me too.”

“I was thinking, for the next project, I could find a role a bit closer to you. Maybe a British production?”

“You shouldn't limit yourself for me.”

“No. But if something came up...”

“Then that would be very nice.”

“Wouldn't it?”

He holds you tight as he kisses you in a sunny patch under the slowly yellowing leaves, and you know that, whatever comes your way, as long as you have moments like this nothing will ever tear you two apart.

*****

Epilogue Part IV (Final!)

*****

A/n 2: if this is this last part I just wanna thank everyone who read and commented on this over the last eight months! It's been quite a while, so if you've stuck with it, thank you!! Once again I find it hard to let go when I feel like I've built a little safe family around Bucky, but there's always more stories to write, and different ways for him to fall in love with y/n, so watch this space ;)

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky imagine #bucky barnes imagine #buckybabybaby #Mr Hollywood

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dinfeanoriel · 5 years

Text

Missing Legend Pt. IV

Linked Universe belongs to Jojo56830 and Linked Universe! Part IV of my Missing Legend series! Coming close to the end...maybe.

Please enjoy! And remember, I own nothing but my writing.

~~~~~~~

“Another fruitless day spent searching vainly and we find nothing!” Warrior threw down his pack and sword in frustration, cerulean eyes swirling with worry and disheartment. The Knight slumped down onto a log, dropping his head into his hands. His hair fell from their once pristine placement and curtained his face from view, “Nothing,” He echoed in a quiet whisper.

Wind looked even more downtrodden and miserable as the days passed, slowly morphing into a week since Legend’s vanishing. There was a sadness and fear in his expressive and once bright eyes that didn’t belong there. The young sailor dragged his feet to where Warrior sat, lowering himself to the ground and curling up against the older Hero.

Warrior heaved a sigh and tried to gather himself together for Wind’s sake, but it was getting harder for him to stay calm and collected. They’d been searching for six days and hadn’t found a single thing! Nothing to tell them whether or not Legend was okay or if he were alive.

The shred of hope he’d been clinging to was slowly dwindling. He shook his head, banishing his thoughts and wrapped an arm around Wind, drawing him close.

Four sat across from them, face devoid of any emotion other than the faint crease between his brows as they drew together. His back was bent, hands dangling from his knees as his troubled and blank stare bored into the flickering campfire. He’d been struggling to remain optimistic. With each new day, he’d tried to believe they would find Legend...only for their search to end in failure.

Sky was beginning to look discouraged. He’d already set up his bedroll and rolled onto his side so his back now faced everyone. It was disconcerting to see the change that gradually crept over him. He was a soft-spoken, kindhearted, and pleasant soul who was never without a content smile on his lips and a warm gleam in his eyes.

Until now.

Hyrule had gone silent. He was ordinarily a quiet person, but never this quiet. Legend’s disappearance had affected him greatly. He’d fallen deep into himself and could be found sitting at the base of a crooked tree. One knee was bent with an arm draped across it and his head was bowed. The fire cast an ambient orange-red glow on his shadowed form, accentuating the melancholy and gloominess evident in his features, and enshrouding the rest in shadow.

Twilight was on a log adjacent to Time, back turned on the camp and face forward. Every night, he could be found watching the forest, as if he expected Legend to come waltzing out from within. They knew he wouldn’t, but they sometimes foolishly hoped he would. The Ordonian’s expression was grim, lips pursed tightly together. He was a man of few words, but lately, he’d become a man of no words. He still spoke when necessary, but that was only when giving commands or leading expeditions. Nothing more. At night, he became still and silent.

Time’s expression was more grave than usual. He didn’t want to say it aloud, although he knew all Heroes were thinking it, but six days and no sign of Legend? This bode ill. It implied a darker and more sinister fate for their friend. Time latched onto the sliver of hope that this wasn’t so. That Legend wasn’t dead. His heart constantly warred with his reasonable mind. The conflict within him was expressed in all other Links. The Leader had his hands folded underneath his chin, elbows digging into his knees as he stared off into the distance.

Hylia, if Legend yet lives, please...lead us to him...

Wild was grimly cooking something over the fire. He hardly made a sound. He had an arm wrapped tightly around Skittles, taking comfort from the bunny. He stared, unseeing, into the boiling pot, mind far away and heart heavy. He’d never thought he would miss Legend’s sarcasm and wit. His quick comebacks and snarks.

But he did.

Everyone did.

They would give anything to hear his voice again!

He heaved a silent sigh, turning to fetch his pack. He needed more spice for the meal he had planned. Wild flicked open the flap and dug throughout the pack precariously balanced on the log next to him. The contents within the bag shifted and became heavier in the front, causing the pack to become overbalanced and spill all over the ground.

The sound startled all of the Heroes from their thoughts and they looked to see Wild muttering and hurriedly grabbing the rolling bottles and runaway herbs.

From deep within the pack, an orb tumbled forth. All eyes were drawn to it when it flared up in the firelight.

“What is that?” Wind couldn’t help but ask when it rolled and bounced off Time’s boot. The elder Hero picked it up and pinched it between two fingers.

Wild shrugged, “Not sure. Sky and I found it when we were looking for Legend.”

Four blinked in shock and shot upright in disbelief, “It’s a Moon Pearl!”

Time and the other Links turned to him, curious. No one saw the way Skittles had frozen and how his gaze was riveted to the Pearl in shock and dismay.

“Moon Pearl?” Time repeated in question.

“What’s a Moon Pearl?” Warrior asked.

Four paused, lips sealing shut. This only served to intrigue the Heroes. The smaller Link considered for a moment then slowly replied,

“They’re...They’re rare gems. Special, but incredibly rare.”

Time’s eye narrowed. Four was keeping something from them.

“And what do these gems do?” He pressed.

Four shrugged, “On my adventure, they helped me find where I needed to go.” Another vague response.

Time frowned but didn’t ask for more clarification, for which Four was grateful.

“I’m surprised you even found one.” He remarked to Wild and Sky, “I didn’t think they existed here.” And his gaze drifted to the still Skittles in Wild’s arms. He followed the rabbit’s line of sight to the Pearl then back...

And that was when it hit him. It took sheer willpower not to react or jolt in surprise, but the unimaginable wave of relief that flooded over him freed him from the clutches of fear and worry.

He barely heard Wild’s reply.

Green!

I know, Red.

He was with us all along?!

Vio was definitely rolling his eyes at Blue’s enraged outburst.

Wild noted the intensity in which Time was studying the Moon Pearl. He turned it this way and that, appraising it very much the same way Wild had when he first discovered it.

“You can keep it if you want,” He said to Time, “I don’t really have any use for it.”

Time hummed. He didn’t know why, but he felt a great need to hold onto it, “I think I will...”

Skittles all but deflated when Time tucked it into his pack.

~~~~~~~

That night, the Heroes fell into another uneasy sleep. Skittles remained wide awake, however. His eyes would often wander over to where Time was and to the pack next to him, but he didn’t dare go for it. He couldn’t risk it.

Not while there were eight Heroes surrounding him.

Why, oh, why couldn’t anything be easy for once?

He gave as best a sigh he could given his form. This night, Skittles had chosen to stick close to Hyrule. Due to his animal senses, Skittles could feel the conflicting and overwhelming emotions Hyrule kept bottled within. He hoped his presence might serve to lessen it. Sometime during the night, Hyrule had grabbed hold of him, and so he was now cradled against his chest, fingers digging into his fur.

Twilight was on watch.

Or, he had been. He’d vanished into the forest and never returned.

Wolfie appeared and sat in the exact spot Twilight had been in, keen blue eyes watching the shadows.

Skittles could have rolled his eyes if the atmosphere had been any lighter. It was heavy with foreboding and sorrow. Worry and fear. Multiple bungled emotions and conflicted thoughts that it threatened to suffocate the poor animal.

He couldn’t help but feel incredibly guilty.

A couple of hours passed when a whimper broke the heavy silence. Skittles picked his head up off Hyrule’s arm and looked to see Wind shifting in his bedroll. He tossed and turned, brow creased, and face twisted in pain, grief, and agony.

Wolfie rumbled low in his throat, lifting himself from his crouched position but Skittles stopped him,

“Wait!”

Wolfie started in surprise, head whipping in Skittles direction as the rabbit freed himself from Hyrule’s hold and quietly hopped across.

This was the first time Skittles had actually spoken to him! Wolfie could not overcome his shock.

Wind whimpered again and when the animals looked, their sensitive hearts ached to see the tears slipping down his cheeks. The sailor freed his hand from his blankets, stretching as if reaching out to someone.

“Legend...”

Guilt slammed into Skittles like a sledgehammer. He needed to fix this. And he needed to fix it soon. But how? If Legend came back and Skittles disappeared...they’d be devastated. But if Skittles remained and Legend never appeared...

He was conflicted. The rabbit shoved his personal feelings on the matter back and hopped to Wind’s side. He gently pawed at the youngest Hero’s cheek, urging him to wake.

“No...Please...” Wind’s breath hitched and a strangled sob broke from him. It physically pained Skittles to hear. “Legend..!”

Skittles planted both paws on Wind’s creased cheek, batting and pushing. Wind still did not wake, and so, Skittles decided he needed to go to the extreme. He hunched back onto his heels, prepping himself, and jumped.

He landed right on Wind’s chest, startling the Hero awake. Wind bolted upright with a small cry of,

“Legend!”

His chest heaved as gasping sobs shook his shoulders. Wind’s eyes, blurred by tears, flicked down to see a pink blob in his lap. He wiped his sleeve across his eyes and sniffed.

“Skittles...” he hoarsely whispered, wrapping his arms tightly around the rabbit and crushing him to his chest. “Thanks f-for waking m-me...” He sniffled again, glancing up momentarily when Wolfie materialized at his side and sat down. “Sorry...” He apologized, earning a bop on his nose from Skittles and a nudge from Wolfie’s snout. He grinned weakly. The gesture withered immediately afterward. “I had...I had such a horrible nightmare.” He told them, rubbing at his face.

“Legend was dying...and he was all alone...” A choked sound erupted from Wind and he buried his face into Skittles’s fur. “Th-there was n-no one with h-him...It was so dark...And I could see him. I c-could hear him...But h-he couldn’t h-hear me...” Wind muffled his cries, missing the sad look entering Wolfie’s eyes. The great beast nosed Wind’s cheek. He rumbled softly.

Wind lifted his head and furiously wiped at his eyes.

“I’m just...I’m just scared. What if...What if we don’t find Legend? What if...What if he is dead?” He hiccuped. “Or...what if we change worlds and Legend’s trapped here?”

It was the unspoken fear among the Heroes, and Wind had finally voiced it aloud.

Wolfie growled comfortingly.

That won’t happen.

Skittles pawed at Wind’s tear-stained face in reassurance.

All this pain, fear, and sadness. The worry, stress, and frustration.

He’d done this.

He’d watched the change that overcame each Hero with every passing day. He’d sensed their emotions, their feelings, and heard some of them during the night.

And now, Wind was having night terrors of his worst fears coming true.

Wind managed a weak smile, exhaling shakily.

“I hope we find him...” He looked to Skittles and Wolfie, “Do you think we will?”

Both animals dipped their heads with a certainty.

Wind was comforted. He started to recline back when Wolfie swiftly moved behind him so the boy was resting against him. Wind was grateful. The wolf’s presence helped to soothe him and his troubled heart and mind greatly. He nestled against the great beast, curling around Skittles.

“Thanks, Wolfie...” He whispered with a yawn. He peered down at Skittles sleepily, “You’ll stay with me tonight, Skittles..?”

Skittled clucked in affirmative and made himself comfortable.

And so, with his two animal friends close by, Wind was able to drift off into a sleep undisturbed by nightmares for the rest of the night.

Wolfie sighed and pillowed his head on his paws.

Will we find Legend..? He expelled a deep breath.

You will. Skittles quietly answered. The response made Wolfie glance back at him in faint surprise.

That’s twice now that you’ve spoken. He inclined his head, studying the rabbit. Skittles bristled, pointedly looking away from him.

Don’t get used to it.

Wolfie snorted quietly.

Thank you.

Skittles huffed and settled down for the night.

You’re welcome.

~~~~~~~

The dawn came much too early for Skittles liking. He stirred when he heard a faint rustling sound and blearily looked to see who had dared to disturb his rest. The glare mingled with his weariness would have been amusing if anyone had been awake to see it.

Wolfie was carefully trying to slip himself from underneath Wind, trying not to jostle the slumbering boy.

What are you doing? Skittles griped, voice heavy laden with sleep.

Wolfie paused, blinked, then faced him.

Moving.

And we’re sleeping, so if you don’t mind, move later.

I can’t.

Skittles growled, fixing the stupid wolf with a fierce glower, And why ever not?

Wolfie rolled his eyes.

Because, I was supposed to be on watch. And I need to make my rounds.

Skittles released a world-weary sigh, waving a paw at the wolf.

Fine, go. It’s your fault I’m awake now.

Wolfie finally managed to free himself with Skittles help. The bunny had gently lowered Wind’s head to the ground, bundling up a blanket and slipping it beneath the Hero so he wasn’t resting on the cold, hard, ground.

For all your grumpiness and griping, you truly are a kind and caring friend.

Skittles grumbled.

Not many would agree with you. Boy, his voice sure sounded warped when in animal-form. He was thankful for it, however. Now, off with you, mutt. He waved Wolfie away.

Mutt?!

Skittles expected Wolfie to leave and complete his rounds before everyone would awaken. He expected the wolf to trot away and check to ensure there were no monsters anywhere near camp.

What he hadn’t expected, was for the great beast to suddenly transform.

Into a Hylian.

A very familiar Hylian.

Poor Skittles was so taken aback by shock and disbelief from the unexpectedness of it all that he fell off his perch on a rock and crashed painfully onto the soil below. Twilight quickly leaped forward and snatched the unfortunate and stunned rabbit off the unforgiving ground.

“Sorry, Skittles,” Twilight apologized, drawing the rabbit up so they were looking eye-to-eye, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Oh, he’d made a grave mistake. And Skittles would ensure he paid for it.

The Hero gave a startled and pained cry when Skittles recovered himself enough to punch his eye with a strength no rabbit should have.

The slumbering Heroes littered about camp jolted awake at the sound, some instinctively whipping out their swords or reaching for their weapons.

“What? What is it?” Warrior demanded, leaping to his feet in a split second. He had remarkable response time. They supposed it was to be expected.

Wild whipped his head round to look at Twilight in worry. “What’s wrong, Twi?” He demanded, scrambling to his feet. He gave pause when he saw a crumpled Skittles lying at Twilight’s feet and said Hylian rubbing at his throbbing eye with a scowl.

“Twilight?” Came Time’s calm voice. Four brushed his hair back from his face, settling back when he realized there were no monsters to be found or any other danger to be seen. Wind was sitting upright in his bedroll, confused and still a little drowsy.

Sky lowered his Master Sword and frowned curiously at the Ordonian who was muttering darkly under his breath. Skittles quickly gathered himself together and stood, clucking and growling fiercely at the Hylian. He even shook his paws as he practically chewed him out.

The sight was quite comical.

Hyrule blinked, quirking an eyebrow at the furious rabbit. His fur stood on end as the bunny bristled and continued on with his rant.

How he wished they could understand what he was saying.

“Your precious Skittles punched my eye, Wild,” Twilight growled, covering the right side of his pinched face. He kept his eye shut. That rabbit sure hadn’t shown him any mercy.

Wild promptly fixed him with a look, “You must have done something to deserve it.”

Twilight sputtered. The betrayal!

Time chuckled to himself while the other Heroes snickered. Wild wandered over and picked up the still fuming rabbit into his arms. He smoothed the fur along his back and pat his head a couple of times.

“There, there, Skittles,” The Hero soothed. The rabbit kept his dark glare fixed on Twilight, growling menacingly. The look rivaled that of Time’s disapproving eye!

“Wow, Twi, whatever did you do?” Warrior curiously asked when Skittles turned his head away and hooked his chin solidly on Wild’s shoulder, glowering.

“You’ve made him maaaad!” Wind sang with a giggle.

Twilight made to answer, the words on the tip of his tongue but he quickly caught himself. Clearing his throat and flashing Skittles a look of his own, he groused, “I may or may not have stepped on his tail.”

Skittles whipped around in Wild’s hold, a terrifying and deep growl tearing from him as he bit at Twilight. It was easy to tell what he was saying this time,

I will never forgive you!

“Note to self,” They heard Sky murmuring, “Never get on Skittles’ bad side.”

#Linked Universe #linkeduniverse #Fanfic #Part IV #Missing Legend #Legend of Zelda

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angrylizardjacket · 6 years

Text

when i said it i thought it was true [3] {Ben Hardy}

A/N: 2973 words. Fake Dating AU.

[part 1] [part 2]

Roger Taylor has barely spoken two words to you since the start of filming, and it’s caused you so much anxiety. Were you disappointing? Did you not look or act accurate enough? Sometimes you catch him watching you when you’re with Ben, the two of you in costume, and he just looks... pensive.

Brian’s nice enough, soft spoken and always kind when he speaks to you, actually mentions that seeing you and Ben together makes him a bit nostalgic, and you’re not quite sure what to make of it.

The day you see the real Amanda, the woman you’re playing, you feel like you’re about to pass out. It’s as if you’ve got a direct look into your future, she could be your mother, though her hair’s just a little lighter than yours, hence the wigs they keep putting you in. She’s incredibly beautiful for her age, but that’s not the most striking thing about her. She cries the first time she sees Rami in costume, and she doesn’t speak to Roger.

The moment she meets you, she has to take almost a full minute, hand covering her mouth as she looks you over. It’s like a test, and all you can do is stand there awkwardly in full costume, watching as she tears up a little.

“What do you think?” Brian asks with a proud smile, and she lets out an incredulous laugh. “It’s a little uncanny, isn’t it?” Nodding, she approaches you, smiling brightly and greeting you warmly.

“Feels like I’ve gone back in time.” She’s surprisingly soft spoken, and she tugs at your collar, straightening it, before she rests her hands on your shoulders. “I’m flattered they’ve got you playing me, dear.” She tells you, and you think you might cry.

She only stays on set for about a week, the week you’re filming on the Garden Lodge set. The two of you are talking before filming starts for the day, you’re trying to glean any information you can that would help bring depth to your character, and Ben joins you. It’s the first time she’s seen him in full costume, and when he presses a kiss to your temple in greeting, her voice dies in her throat. Ben looks confused, concerned as she has to excuse herself.

It keeps happening, something about seeing the two of you in costume, together and sweet, it’s something she can’t stomach. She can talk to Ben normally, even when in costume, but the moment you arrive, and he smiles at you like he does, she feels her heart in her throat.

“I loved Roger, perhaps to my detriment.” She admits, taking a long sip of wine. She’d invited you out to dinner with her before she has to fly back to her family. “And I know what they’re saying in the movie, but he never really loved me.”

When you go to Ben with this information, he’s quiet, before he admits that Roger told him that when they were younger, their relationship was far from the sanitised version that was being presented in the film.

They’d been together for years, and there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that she loved him, and he took her for granted, always assumed she’d be there when he got back from trips and tours, he’d even proposed to her, and yet he’d do any pretty young girl while he was away because he knew he could get away with it. He’d cheated on her, and lied to her, and strung her along because it was easier than letting go.

Roger Taylor can’t bring himself to speak to you; you’re the spitting image of his biggest fault. Perhaps the way they’ve got it in the movie is his attempt at an apology, not that she’d accept.

Something about your relationship with Ben changes after that. It doesn’t feel like a performance, the way it used to, it feels more grounded. Neither of you are sure how to deal with the new information, but when the cast go out for dinner together, he’s got a hand on your knee under the table, and when you’re hanging out in his trailer between scenes, you let yourself fall asleep against him where you’re watching Netflix. The two of you go out with some of the others for the night, and he kisses you as you’re leaving the club together, his hands holding your face so softly, the kiss so surprisingly tender that you don’t even hear the click of the paparazzi’s camera from where they’re hiding around the corner of the building, and when you see the kiss on instagram the next day, you don’t think you care.

“Have you seen my nice, black blouse?” You called, elbow deep in a pile of clean washing on a Saturday morning.

“Which one?” Ben calls back from the shower, and you frown at the clothes before you; you really had meant to fold them sooner.

“The nice nice one, the one I wear for callbacks, you know the one I’m talking about.” And you move to rifle through the closet again, glaring at each piece of clothing as you flip past it.

“You sure it’s here?” The shower shuts off while you’re eyeing off a perfectly fine cream shirt that could serve as a decent replacement if you came to it. “Are you sure it’s not at your place?” He asks, stepping out of his adjoining bathroom wearing only a towel.

“No, I’m pretty sure I came back here after my last callback.” You mused, and you could hear him getting changed behind you as you tried to recall the last time you’d found yourself in the shirt in question.

“This would be easier if you just lived here.” He muses, letting the statement hang in the air. After a beat, you turn to look at him, brow creased as you considered his words. “If you want to, you can.” He offered, standing there in just a pair of jeans, his hair still damp. It might be the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.

“Are you serious?” Voice quietly hopeful, your expression brightens as he nods, grinning. Blouse forgotten, you cross the room in a few paces, throwing your arms around him. “Really really?”

“‘course I am.” He doesn’t tell you he loves you, but it’s there in the tone, in the way he kisses you, and it’s there when he spends the next twenty minutes helping you look for your shirt, though when you admit you don’t need it for a few days, he suggests breaking in the bed to fill the time.

“It’s the same bed.” You laugh as he flops back on it, coaxing you over.

“Yeah, but it’s ours.”

The wrap party for Bohemian Rhapsody is... a lot. It’s a bit overwhelming; you’re by Ben’s side and everyone wants to talk to him, congratulate him, and they want to talk to you, tell you how beautiful you look. Everyone is everywhere at all times, and the only constant is Ben.

His arm is around your waist when the two of you are standing by the bar, he’s chatting to someone who’s name you’ve forgotten, though you’re pretty sure he’s the second assistant director or something, and you’re trying to communicate to the bartender what you want over the music, leaning over the bar. The moment the bartender finally nods in recognition and scurries off to get your drink, Ben turns, sees your eyes shining bright in the light of bar, and he forgets what he’s saying, just for a moment. The guy he’s talking to leaves, pulled away by someone in the crowd, and you turn, smiling brightly, confusion creasing your brow when you see Ben watching you.

“What?” The bar is in a terrible location, far too close to the band they’ve got set up, but Ben can read your lips well enough in the bar’s fluorescent lights. He shrugs, doesn’t even attempt to answer as the band, not ten feet away, blast their way through a guitar solo. They’re mostly playing classic rock, a few Queen songs here and there of course, and they’re not bad, they’re just loud.

With your drink in one hand, you take his without thinking, weaving through the crowd, his fingers linked with yours. When you find the door to the courtyard, which is significantly quieter, you feel like you can breathe again. The air outside is cool, and you drop Ben’s hand now that you’re not likely to lose him in the crowd, and the two of you find seats to the side by a tall table.

“You don’t have to stay with me all night.” You tell him, resting your head on your arms, watching as he lights up a cigarette. It was a filthy habit, but damn if it didn’t make him look a hot. Hotter.

“I know that, dude,” he pauses, taking a draft and looking, watching all the people talking and laughing and bopping along to the music, “I like your company.” He says it easily but it still has you grinning, and when he catches sight, he grins in return.

He doesn’t leave your side. Not for the rest of the night.

Photographs are being take all night, and when you look back on them, you see you and Ben sitting side by side, his arm around you as you lean into him, laughing, and he grins at something off camera. You see the cast together for a group shot, all smiling brightly, most a little tipsy, and you’re holding Ben’s hand, your linked fingers just visible in a gap between Allen and Lucy. You see the two of you in the background of a shot of Rami looking absolutely ecstatic; you’re fixing Ben’s hair, and he’s giving you such a soft, endeared look that you hadn’t noticed at the time. If you crop it enough to make it your phone background, you don’t feel the need to call attention to it; for reasons you can’t quite articulate, it makes your heart warm.

It’s strange, and the thing that terrifies you is that it doesn’t feel like acting. It’s that grey area you keep finding yourself in, where it feels so familiar, and it’s like swimming upstream to remember that it’s all fake.

The two of you don’t even share a kiss, not even when you’re both tipsy, not even when you lean in to murmur something in his ear, and his answer brings his lips inches from yours. You want to kiss him, to forget that it’s all fake, but he sees you hesitate, and presses a gentle kiss to your cheek. Lips twisting in to a sad smile, you look out at the crowd of coworkers around you, dancing where the band had been replaced with a DJ, and you take another sip of your drink.

You’ve passed tipsy and dived straight into being drunk by the time you’re ready to head home, or well, back to your hotel room, but that required a taxi. Ben’s not much better off, and when you tug him into the back seat with you, he doesn’t argue. He’s the one who tells the driver the hotel they’ve got you all set up in, and you just lean against him, eyes fluttering closed, contentment filling you as he wraps his arm around you.

“I don’t have any makeup wipes!” You gasp into the silence of the hotel elevator. It feels like the most natural thing in the world to head to his room, your arm tucked into his to keep you from swaying in place in the elevator. It might also be that Ben refused to let you be by yourself after you almost face planted getting out of the taxi.

“I’ve got some in case of emergencies.” He assured, fidgeting with his key card before the elevator comes to a stop.

“See, this is why I love you.” The words come so easily that neither of even catch at first as you make your way down the hall. Ben slows once your words have sunk in, and you both realise what you’d said. “I didn’t mean it like that, I’m sorry.” Voice quiet, there’s a sudden sinking sensation in your chest that dampens the whole night for you, but he doesn’t say anything, just opens the door and starts rummaging through his suitcase for the wipes once he’s inside. Once he tosses them to you, he follows it quickly with an oversized shirt to sleep in.

There’s a solid five minute argument about who would sleep on the sofa, both of you trying to give the other one the bed. It takes you yanking a pillow from the bed, laying on the sofa and refusing to move for Ben to concede defeat. The sofa, however, is the single most uncomfortable piece of furniture you’ve ever had the misfortune of trying to sleep on. Sucking up your pride, you clutch the pillow to your chest as you make your way to the edge of the bed. He’s turned away from you, engrossed in his phone.

“Ben?” You ask, and he looks over his shoulder at you, eyebrows raised in question. “The sofa is really uncomfy.” You pouted. With a grin, he shifted, making room for you.

“Holy shit.” Ben looks like he’s just seen a ghost. The two of you are in a nice restaurant in the city, it’s not five stars or anything like that, actually it happened to be your favourite little hole-in-the-wall restaurant with surprisingly good food and excellent service, and you were treating yourselves to a night out before Ben had to step outside to take a call. You didn’t begrudge him, that’s just how life was for the two of you. “Holy shit.” He repeated, and you looked up from your meal with raised eyebrows.

“What’s up?” You ask, and to see the smile spreading slowly over his face has your heart warming. When he meets your eyes, he’s beaming.

“I think I’m going to be in X-Men.” He said quietly, and your fork fell from your hand, clattering against your plate.

“Holy shit.” You echoed, and he laughed a little, taking your hand when you offered it to him, squeezing gently.

The stars seem to shine a little brighter as Ben beams up at them, your hand in his as the two of you walk home. Sure, there’s paperwork, nondisclosure agreements, rehearsals, and a few months until filming actually begins, but Ben’s landed a role in a high-budget action movie, and you’ve never been prouder.

He spends the next few weeks in countless meetings, almost constantly in and out of phone calls with his manager and various producers, and when he’s not filming with Eastenders, he was usually training. He’s barely home, though neither of you are home a lot, you’re busy with your own projects, but when you see each other, he’s elated. You haven’t seen him this excited or motivated about a project before.

Sometimes you miss him. Of course you miss him, you love him after all, he’s your boyfriend and your housemate, and you tell him all of this over dinner and he looks like he wants to say something, like he wants to freeze this moment in time forever, to bottle it up if he could. You’re so proud, and you love him so much, and it’s the most beautiful thing in the world to watch those two parts of you coming together over a microwave dinner.

In the weeks leading up to filming, things change, and you feel like you never see him anymore. It’s not like before, then you were just busy, now he’s all over the country, in meetings and fittings and workshops. He calls, but your bed is so empty and sometimes you just want to come home to him and he’s not there, and he won’t be home until the end of the week. Things are still good and bright when you see each other - he’s always eager to make up for lost time - and you never once doubt how much he cares about you, but you feel... out of sync.

The two of you had fallen asleep not facing each other, but you wake with his arm draped across you, and it feels so familiar, so right, that it stings when you actually come to and realise where you are.

It’s been years since you’d woken up next to him, and you’d forgotten how pretty he is in his sleep. Part of you thinks that’s a good thing, that if you start to remember now you might keep dwelling. Another part of you urges you to go back to sleep; pretend or not, you should savour this moment you’ve missed so dearly. That’s the part that wins.

You expect when you wake again, for him to already be up and moving, as far away from you as possible, but instead you hear a sleep-rough greeting in your ear, and feel his chest firm against your back, his arm still around you where you’ve tucked yourself against him.

It’s not pretend, it feels like history repeating itself, and so you let yourself forget it’s fake for the moment, lean into him just a little and give a sleepy greeting back. Your heart already aches knowing how lonely you’ll feel once either of you move.

“I forgot how nice you smell.” He murmured, and that’s when you feel your heart already beginning to break. Instead of letting yourself crumble, your link your fingers with his hand where it’s slung over your waist.

“I forgot how warm you are; you’re like a furnace.” And you hear him laugh at that as he leans into you too, and let yourself bask in the moment.

the rat pack: @hotspacedeacon @strangeandwonderfulconcepts @itssaje @d-r-e-a-m-catchme @callumidiot @rockandrollandshit @bohorap @pietrorunsforme @sweetfierceimagines @itsjackothy @mhftrs @sherlockiantheatrenerd @softbenhardy @multifandomgirlrandomstuff @virtualsheepeat @smile-nine @i-padfootblack-things @deaconsroger @spookyfrances @holyurlbatman @your-idiotic-excellency

(crossed out means it wouldn’t tag; i’ll try again for the next part, lemme know if you wanna be tagged xx)

#ben hardy #ben hardy imagine #ben hardy x reader #bohemian rhapsody #borhap #bo rhap #roger taylor #brian may #borhap imagine #borhap cast #borhap cast imagine #rami malek #joe mazzello #gwilym lee #when i said it i thought it was true #the angry lizard writes

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 5 years

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Caramel Skin Under A Purple Rain prt 4 full draft

Coming out of his heat, Lance slept through the following quintant and a half. While his husband slept, Keith changed their sheets and found up the few blankets that hadn't made it onto their bed. Unlike Lance, Keith still felt the lingering urges from the past week, jerking off more than once in the shower to calm himself back down. Cleaning through the bathroom, he was glad that no one had seen the mess they'd made. The counter doors, shower wall and bathroom door had taken the brunt of their passions... which left him blushing like mad. If anyone had seen them... he would have clawed their eyes out. That side of Lance belonged purely to him, and now that they'd been through their first heat together, he had a much better idea of how to care for his husband in the future. He didn't know how much Lance remembered of it, but if he'd had access to an IV line and vitamin injections instead of pills, he would have been able to keep on top of Lance's needs far better... maybe he could get some stewed fruit or puddings, something easily swallowed that wouldn't hurt lance's throat. They also needed to get a fan for their room. The outpost might have built in air vents, but that didn't help when Lance was freezing cold and had them buried under a mountain of blankets with Keith boiling his arse off.

Hearing a thud from their bedroom, it was followed by a weak calling of his name. Thinking Lance would sleep through his shower, Keith grabbed his towel and rushed into their bedroom. Laying on the floor, Lance was tangled up in their blankets, struggling weakly to untangle himself. The moment of worry at the sound of the "thud" passed in an instant. Lance looking adorable with his tussled bed head, and pouty lips. Sucking his lips in to avoid laughing at his husband, Keith stared down at him as Lance's pout only grew

"Help?"

"What happened?"

"I needed to pee... my legs didn't get the memo"

Lance's voice was husky from over use. Having given up on escaping the blankets, he played with the hem of the blankets as he broke his gaze

"Alright, babe. Let's get you up. How do you feel?"

"Hot... tired... sick... grateful"

Pulling Lance free from their blankets, he hiked his husband up to his chest. Lance wrapping an arm around his shoulders

"Grateful?"

Lance nodded with a sign

"That you were here... are here... it must have been bad for you"

Kissing Lance's hair, what he'd gone through was nothing when compared to what his husband had been through

"I'm fine. A little tired, and a bit drained, but I'm alright. How much do you remember?"

"Most of it... I knew you were there, talking to me"

Sitting Lance down on the bathroom counter, Keith went to leave so his love could have some privacy. Wrapping his arms around his chest, Keith was pulled back against Lance. He felt weirdly glowey at his husband's words... A stupid, ridiculous happy glow

"I know... my heat's nearly all gone, but can we...?"

Turning in his hold, Keith cupped Lance's face. His big blue eyes staring into his own

"Babe, are you sure? You don't feel feverish and you don't smell as sweet now"

"I can feel it in my veins still... I... sometimes feel it after... but I ignore it... because I'm usually so miserable. I want to have sex with you while I'm mostly me..."

"I thought you needed to pee?"

Lance blushed lightly, biting his lip before giving a half shake of his head and replying

"I didn't want to say I'm horny... I'm sorry... I don't want to force you..."

"You're not forcing me. I'm worried about you. You've slept for most of the last two quintants. You're dehydrated and haven't eaten"

"Forget I said anything... you've done... enough for me. I shouldn't be asking for anything more"

Lance's scent filled with rejection, his whole frame slumping down. Keith wasn't trying to reject him. He'd simply thought that Lance had been completely open about his heat and that when it ended, that was it. He didn't want Lance thinking that he needed to give him sex as some kind of reward for being there

"That's not it at all. I'm worried. It was intense on your body"

"Is that why? Are you disgusted? By me and this? I... I shouldn't have made you come home"

"No. Hey, no. You're my husband. You'll always be my husband. I love that you want me. If you want me, you have me, but we're taking it slow. Then you're going to take a bath with me, and have something to eat and drink"

"Sounds good... my throat really hurts"

"Sounds to me like I need to kiss it better?"

"Mmm... my neck hurts too..."

Guilt tugged at Keith's heart. He'd cleaned the back of Lance's neck up where he'd bit him, dressing the site with a waterproof bandage, but he'd left for the last few days because he didn't want to disturb Lance's rest

"That's my fault. I... bit you. On the first night when I came. I'm so sorry. I cleaned it up and I don't know why I bit you, but there was blood..."

Running his hands up from where they rested near the small of Keith's back, Lance brought them forward and up along his chest them further up to cup his face

"Keith... it's ok. I know how instincts get... I know if you hurt me, you feel it a million times deeper than anyone else... Now please, I want my husband"

"Promise you'll tell me if it hurts. We had a lot of sex"

"My body is ready... I'm already wet for you"

"You're a fucking minx"

Reaching up his left hand, Lance brushed his hair back from his face. Patting the spot down with a soft smile

"And you... You're the most amazing husband... I know I was out of it, but I heard you... I heard what you said... I love you, my mullet haired idiot"

Huffing Keith tried to hide how happy his accidental husband made him. Lance's love was so pure and all encompassing. It'd been lost on Allura, or rather Allura's loss. How she didn't fall completely head of heels for Lance he didn't know

"You're the idiot. All I've got is these two hands to protect you... but I can't protect you from this"

Moving, Lance took Keith's hands in his

"You have these two hands to protect everything that I hold dear. You use these two hands to come home to me, ok? We need to talk, but right now I need you to take this pain away"

Keith's bottom lip wobbled. The thought of leaving again hitting him like a Galra cruiser in the part of his brain filled with his abandonment issues and feelings of short comings

"I don't want to leave you... let me take you back to bed and do this properly"

"Such a romantic"

Bopping Lance's nose, Lance made to bite at his finger

"Only for you"

Laying Lance out on their bed, his husband was a masterpiece. His body littered with the various marks Keith had left across his skin over the last moment. Some had already healed and were gone, like where his fingernails had broken the soft skin over Lance's jutting hips, the smaller love nips had stayed. He'd lost weight again, even more over the movement. He'd have to spend the next movement fattening his husband up again.

As Keith bottomed out, Lance's back arched as he moaned in pleasure. His long legs wrapping around Keith's waist as his husband slowly drew back and thrust back in carefully, a jolt running through his body as his husband hit his sweet spot. After a movement of this, he should have been tired of sex. He was tired of sex. He was tired of everything in general, yet when Keith had come to rescue his dumb arse from the floor, the sight of his mostly naked lover had him growing wetter than when he'd woken from dreaming of his lover. Keith had been so good to him. Way too good to him. Far better than he believed he deserved. Having been able to finally put it all into words, he found himself unable to convey the magnitude of his gratefulness. The man between his legs truely loved him. Truely treasured him.

Riding him slowly, Keith's hands roamed across his body. Occasionally he'd stop to press a kiss to some part he'd deemed of his affections deserving, but for the most part Keith had a weird smiling sex face on that was adorable. It was so far gone from the shyness he'd held when losing his virginity. He'd grown confident. He loved to touch as much of Lance's body as he could. Keith's warm hands felt as if he was wiping away the memories of everyone else who'd touched his skin. No longer did he jump or flinch when Keith would whisper near his ear. No longer did Keith's scent of voice blend with theirs... He felt better for having shared his heat with Keith, despite the voices in the back of his head continually pointing out how much of a burden he was to his husband. He hadn't been wrong through. His heat had been the worst one he'd ever had. Normally he could make himself get off the floor to take care of himself in simple ways such as drinking water, yet with his husband there it was like some invisible wall had shattered and his body knew Keith would take care of his useless form.

Feeling Keith kissing him, Lance immediately responded by deepening the kiss as he rolled his hips. Out of everywhere, his hips felt it the most. He'd been surprised at the feeling of being stretched so wide as Keith slotted between his legs. He wasn't sure his arse would ever go back to normal. Keith had felt like... he was big. Even if his human looking dick only looked a little bigger than normal, it was deceptive as hell. That thing grew so big that felt like he'd been impaled in all the best ways. The thing deep in the back corners of his brain that controlled his heat loved it. The way Keith would swell and catch. That thing near the base of his dick that made it hard to pull out. The feeling of Keith filled him with his spunk... He wanted to feel all of it all over again. Whining into the kiss, he tried to sit up and on Keith's lap. Instead of getting the message, Keith stopped altogether drawing a frustrated whine from Lance's lips

"Babe?"

"I wanna sit in your lap"

"You don't need to..."

"I want to... want up"

Keith snorted at his childish exclamation, yet still pulled him up as he sat back. Whimpering as he let his weight fall, Keith seemed to be buried impossibly deeper within him, stroking up the embers of his heat into fierce fire in his gut. Placing both hands on Keith's shoulders, he forced him down, starting to riding him hard and fast, as he his mouth hung slightly open. Fuck. It felt good. Like Keith's dick was made to him every good bit inside of him. Plus the look of pure pleasure on Keith's face was worth it. He loved his husband. He loved the little pants and growls he gave, and the way he'd try to match Lance's rhythm knowing bottoming from the top would wear him out ridiculously fast. Bringing his left hand up, he gripped his erection, whining as he started to jerk himself off. He couldn't do any of this without Keith. Keith was the one that made this body tolerable

"Babe... babe, I'm going to come"

Nodding quickly, Lance wasn't going to last much longer. His body's only thoughts were on being bred by Keith which meant pleasing his husband by performing well. Even if Lance had vaguely figured out as much, his body and his mind still weren't communicating. He wanted to fuck because he was horny. That's what it came across as

"Gonna... come... fuck... fuck... Keith... ah... uh! Ah! Ah!

His toes curled as he came, stuttering out his moan as three hard pulses sent cum across Keith's stomach and chest. Half rising as he started to come, he dropped hard and bonelessly back down, Keith now deeply inside of him where warmth started to form. He wasn't entirely sure he could feel Keith coming or if it was psychosomatic from knowing he was. He liked to think he could. It made his belly feel warm and full in all different ways from eating, or being used like a com dumpster. It was a good kind of full that turned bad the moment Keith pulled out. That was when the panic and terror would set in. He was beyond grateful that Keith hadn't let him sleep messy. His skin had to be as clean as possible. Even if it was an irrational fear, he couldn't get the idea of being fucked in his sleep by someone he didn't want out his head. His mind couldn't put two and two together even in heat with Keith, in a locked room with no one else having entry. Waking up with cum across him equated to someone touched him without permission.

Licking his lips, he let himself be cuddled by Keith enjoying the steady thumping of his racing heart. His stubborn husband had such a kind soul beneath all the emo prickliness. He just wanted someone to see him for him, and to love him for it. And he did. Rubbing his cheek against Keith's chest, Keith laughed softly

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Mmm... just thinking about you"

He heard the skipped beat of Keith's heart. That tiny moment of panic that raised his husband's pulse a tad more

"Me?"

"Yeah. I love you... you make everything more bareable"

"You..."

"I had you worried for a moment, did I? I heard your heart skip a beat for me, babe"

"With the amount of worry you put me through, I'm surprised my heart hasn't stopped"

It was a joke. It was just a joke. He knew it was a joke... yet his frazzled emotions didn't know it was a joke. Tensing in Keith's hold, he squeezed his eyes closed tightly as he tried to fight from crying

"Babe? You ok?"

Sniffling, he was losing the fight. Tears dripping on to Keith's chest. His husband's voice was soft but firm

"Hey... what are you thinking?"

"I'm sorry... I want to be good... better. I don't want to make you worry"

"You are good and you are doing better"

"I know you were joking, so if I'm doing better, why am I crying?"

"Because you're exhausted from your heat"

"I'm so tired... this between us... it isn't over is it?"

Keith hugged him tightly, burying his face in Lance's hair

"Work sucks and I hate leaving, but even if it spelled the end of everything in existence, I could never give you up"

Allura had... she'd left him behind like this...

"I'm not Allura"

Quiznak. He hadn't meant to say that out loud

"I know..."

"But you're right we really need to sit down and work this out. Daehra said you're not sleeping properly and pushing yourself too much"

"Daehra has a big mouth"

"Lance"

The way Keith said his voice, it was like he was commanding him to explain without raising above a loving whisper

"I have to. If I stop I think too much... I don't have the pills anymore and it's... it's really hard getting out of bed knowing you're not here... days are longer here, remember... I have to wait longer for news that you're ok... and I don't want you quitting work. I don't want you thinking about me all the time because I should be better now! It was three movements... not my whole life"

"You were tortured. You were tortured and you don't know how long they actually held you because space around here is hinky. You're allowed to still be healing..."

Shaking his head, Lance nosed at Keith's chest. He'd already thought about that in the past, more than he wanted to admit. He'd never truly, one hundred percent know how long he was out and used for their pleasure. He didn't need Keith adding to his worry, and by default, worrying himself more

"I don't want to talk about it anymore..."

"Alright. We can talk later"

Good. His throat felt too raw as it was. Moaning hadn't helped... Dios... he'd been such a slut for his husband during his heat... Keith had to be a bigger pervert then he gave him credit for.

Waking on the fourth day after Lance's heat ended, Keith found their bed devoid of his husband's warmth. Lance was still weakened from his heat, and following the advice of his instincts he'd stayed with his husband in their room knowing that Lance didn't have the physical strength to protect himself. He certainly had the mental strength, stubbornly shuffling around their room and insisting that he could feed himself. Messaging Daehra to let her know that Lance's heat had passed, she'd enquires as to when they would be returning to the outside world. Keith wanted to give it until the end of the movement, Lance didn't appreciate being babied... his husband's sulking lasting a whopping 5 doboshes before he scooted back in their bed and let Keith hold him.

Climbing out their bed, the half-Galra could hear water running meaning Lance was in the shower. Letting himself into their bathroom, he found Lance curled up in the corner of the shower, apparently sleeping. Shaking his head, he killed the flow of now cool water and squatted down by Lance, not caring that his sweat pants were getting damp as he took Lance's face in his hands, cringing at the lump his fingers found just above the hairline on the left. Soooo not sleeping

"Lance, babe?"

Tapping Lance's face, sleepy blue eyes blinked at him

"Babe, what happened?"

"Seizure..."

Semi slurring but not quite Keith's heart fell at the Cuban's answer. He'd prayed that by some miracle they'd vanished off the face of existence. He'd also been incredibly grateful to the powers that be that Lance hadn't had one during his heat

"Did the seizure happen in the shower or in bed?"

"Brushing my teeth... think I hit my head... wet myself..."

"Why didn't you call me?"

"Didn't pass out... 'nd was embarrassed"

Usually Lance's seizures had him out for vargas, like his panic attacks did

"Ok... I'm going to help you up now... and I'm going to take you to see Daehra. Just to make sure you're all ok"

"'m fine. You're fussing. This wall and I are besties"

"You're such a dork, you know that right"

"Mmm... I'm a dork with a wall as a best friend. Winning in life right now"

Hefting Lance up and over his shoulder before he could complain further, Keith carried him back to their bed. Sitting him on the edge, he pointed his finger at his husband

"Stay"

Raising an eyebrow, Lance yawned as he dropped backwards

"'m not Kosmo"

"No. Kosmo... well, I can't say he's better trained... but he usually stays in bed"

"He's a menace"

"He takes after your side of the family"

"Can't deny that..."

"Nope. Now, I'm going to dry you and we're going to go see Daehra"

"Fiiiine... wake me up when we get there"

Reaching down, Keith pulled Lance back up to sit up

"Whope! Nope. No sleeping just yet. Gotta get your head scanned first"

"Why? It's already fucking broken"

"Not broken, just a little muddled"

"I fucking suck"

"Ok that's it. No more talking. Just sitting"

Helping Lance to the med room, because his husband was a stubborn shit who wouldn't let him carry him, Daehra met them there. With more space than on the Telula, Daehra had more toys than Keith remembered, her face practically shone with pride as caught Keith looking around the space

"I'll be taking on my own staff soon. Coran made a lot of these supplies possible for us. Now, Lance, how did you manage to hit your head when Keith's been looking after you?"

Lying himself down on the examination table, Lance lazily waved a hand

"Seizure... I was brushing my teeth"

Grabbing her holopad, Daehra synched with the scanner above the examination table

"Do you know how long it lasted?"

"Few ticks... I didn't pass out..."

Keith interjected

"I found him sleeping in the corner of the shower. I don't know if he's out of it from hitting his head or the seizure"

Pouting, Lance closed his eyes

"Dobber... 'm fine, Dae just a bit sleepy"

"I'll be the judge of that. How was his heat"

"It was fine..."

"I was asking Keith, not you. Now lay there and behave yourself"

Snorting at Daehra bossing Lance around, Keith waited for the soft hum of the scanner to stop before taking his husband's hand in his

"It was different from what I expect, but now we've been through one together, I think I've got a better idea of what to do next time"

"I'd like to know more. If we can isolate the compounds that directly neutralised his heat..."

"No"

Lance didn't let Daehra finish her train of thought, despite the fact that Keith was interested in what she had to say. He didn't want to suppress his husband's urges, or make Lance feel ashamed of his body. But that didn't mean he didn't want Lance to not have the option if he chose

"Lance..."

"No drugs..."

"Babe, Daehra only wants to help"

"No drugs... no pills... I don't want... them"

"These are...

"Keith, no"

"Babe, I'm not trying to force you. I want you to be safe, well and happy. I want you to have the option of them in the future"

"I don't want any pills! I don't want anything in my system"

"You..."

Getting annoyed, Lance pulled his hand away

"You don't get it, Keith... it's like... you being stabbed when you love knives so much. Now imagine you're in a room surrounded by people holding your precious knives and they all want to stab you with them... it's safer to stay away..."

"I understand where you're coming from... I only want you to be healthy. I love you"

"I love you, even when I'm mad at you"

Humming, Daehra tapped on her holopad

"It's nice to see you're both as love sick as usual. Lance, it's all surface damage. Your skull is as thick as it's always been. Your vitamin levels are down across the board, and you're dehydrated and a tad malnourished. That's to be expected given you and Keith have been so busy. I'm going to start a saline drip line. No drugs, just a bit of water to hydrate your cells"

"No drugs"

Daehra nodded with a smile

"No drugs... Keith... should have a line too. He was really tired Dae"

Keith crossed his arms

"I'm fine, babe"

"Don't listen to him... I don't think he slept much either..."

Sure, he hadn't slept much but he'd eaten and made sure to keep his fluids up the best he could. Staring down at his husband, Lance opened his eyes to shoot him a pleading look. Quiznak. He couldn't say no to that

"Alright. Scooch over"

"You might have to do the "scooching", I'm sleepy"

"So demanding"

Manouvering Lance into his arms, Keith watched as Daehra prepared the IV bag for Lance. Taking a few ticks to doze off, Keith waited for Lance's breathing to even out

"I know he said no drugs, but have you got anything to help with his vitamin and mineral levels?"

"I was going to give him a herbal solution to help, but I think we both had the same idea about waiting until he fell asleep"

"I tried to get him to take his pills during his heat, but he ended up throwing them up and panicking. I was thinking next heat that an injection would be easier, I could give him those while he slept"

"It looks to me you both could use more sleep"

"He's pretty much slept nonstop since it ended. I think we were both feeling it towards the end there"

"It's good to see him resting. Do you know how much more time you have off?"

"At this moment, you're the only one I've contacted via comms. Have you heard anything?"

"Your mother checked in to make sure you arrived. Shiro also tried to call. The others were concerned when they couldn't reach Lance"

"Others?"

"From what I understand Pidge, Shay and Hunk. For your group call?"

"Oh..."

"I told him that you were both spending time together and unavailable at the moment. I want you to make sure he eats after this"

Nuzzling Lance's hair, his husband flinched in his sleep as Daehra inserted the cannula

"I have been. His throat's been pretty tender from it all, not that that stops him"

"And his more intimate areas?"

Keith had the decency to blush... he'd pretty much wrecked Lance's arse repeatedly as he drilled him on any surface that would take their weight

"A little bit of tearing, but he's been healing fairly well. I should probably get you to double check the wound on the back of his neck. I bit him pretty hard"

"If there was any kind of infection, the scanner would have picked it up. It didn't heal immediately?"

"No. Possibly because all his energy was going into his heat..."

"We'll take a little look at that when it wouldn't result in you having to let him go. He has missed you very much"

Smiling fondly at his lover, the feeling was very much mutual

"I miss him too. I feel like everything I feared is coming true with this outpost. We're both working so much. I thought I'd be able to use here as a base, but I'm so busy on Daibazaal or with missions that I'm not home as much as I want to be"

"As long as you know this is your home"

"Wherever he is, is home. How's things around here? Did you hire..."

Coming at him with a second saline bag, Keith wrinkled his nose as the cannula was inserted in his vein. Both he and Lance had relatively obvious veins in the crooks of their elbows. The ones on his hands were better... but hands always hurt a stupid amount in comparison

"... Did you hire a new cook? Or make a decision?"

"Shiro said he'd send someone out from the Atlas to help, but I've narrowed it down to two"

"You should hire both of them..."

"You haven't seen their credentials"

"I trust your judgement. If I never trusted you, I wouldn't have let you touch Lance"

"I seem to remember in the beginning you were quite against it"

"And I seemed to remember in the beginning your English was ridiculously formal. We've both changed"

Daehra giggled

"I think honestly Lance has changed the most. Not touching was the very basis of our professional relationship. He always supported us and our endeavours"

"He was always the glue that held Voltron together. Even when he couldn't see it himself... we all treated him like shit without realising... I wish I could go back and tell him how I actually felt, instead of feeding his silly rivalry game..."

"He's happy... most of the time. He still gets hung up on the negatives though... He's happy enough when he's busy, and not thinking about you"

"I hate not being here... I feel like I'm missing so much. We agreed on a decaphoeb, but it doesn't feel like it's working... Mum's got me training new recruits, and it's... frustrating. I can't take Lance to Daibazaal because it messes with his senses. I can't take him on missions because I don't want to put him in danger... Kolivan would have a heart attack if I even suggested it..."

"Have you talked to him? Told him that?"

"More than once..."

Silenced by Lance mumbling in his sleep, Keith hushed him as his husband softly whimpered "Klearo" and "no"

"I'll leave you two to rest. Please join us in the bar if Lance feels up to it"

"I think I'm going to take him to the kitchen. He'll start insisting on working again if he gets the chance"

"I wouldn't put it past him. Do you mind if I let Lucteal know how Lance is? He's been worried"

"Yeah. Let him know he's ok. Or he'll be ok. I'll have to start doing the call around. It's probably been movements already"

"It's been a little over one movement of our time. His heats last approximately one movements of your time"

"I keep forgetting your days are longer here..."

"His heat essentially lasted 4 of our days. Now, I expect you to make sure he takes it slowly. And I expect you to spend some quality time with him"

Keith nodded, he was in absolutely no rush to go anywhere

"Yeah. That's the plan"

When Lance woke they were still in the med room. Keith was being sappy as usual, kissing the spot where he'd just removed his cannula

"Dork"

Sprung in the act, Keith was adorable as he flushed

"You were supposed to be sleeping"

"Mmm... was. But my husband was being adorable and I don't want to miss that"

The throbbing, lingering headache that had plagued him since his heat ended had finally passed. When he'd collapsed in the bathroom, he'd thought it from that initially. Whatever Daehra had given him wasn't just simple saline

"How long?"

"She ran the bags on a slow drip so about 3 vargas. Your colour looks better. How do you feel?"

Humming, Lance took a moment to assess his body. He could feel his fingers and toes, which was a great start

"Everything's accounted for... my head feels better"

"That's good... up for some food?"

The part of that was "up" or at least part up wasn't up for food. Sex should have been the last thing he wanted now

"Yeah... food sounds good. I feel like I could still sleep for a phoeb"

"You can sleep as much as you like after you've led me to the kitchen"

Lance's heart fell a little at his husband's words. This was supposed to be Keith's home, yet his husband didn't even know his was around the outpost. Now that his heat had passed, Keith had no real reason to delay his return to Daibazaal... They'd both be going their seperate ways until Keith had time to see him again... Biting down his feelings, Lance forced himself to sit up, cautious as he slowly made to stand unaided. His legs still felt like they were barely in their sockets, and now that he was standing the fact he was semi-hard was painfully obvious thanks to the sweat pants he was wearing. No one ever warns you of the risks when you go commando in sweats

"Babe?"

Waving off Keith's concern, he didn't want to be touched. If Keith laid his hands on him, Lance was scared he might resort to physically begging him not to leave

"I'm fine. The kitchen isn't that far from here and I have a craving for something meaty"

Simonne and Marla were both in the kitchen when Lance led Keith into the space. Giving them a small wave, he ignored Keith in favour of raiding the cupboards and freezer for what he was looking for. Being in a commercial sized kitchen wasn't anything like cooking at home. There was a distinct lack of homely charm that he couldn't get used to. Plus, the big walk in freezer designed to lock when the hit the latch leaving him perpetually scared either himself or his staff would freeze to death... He'd kind of wanted the cook they'd had for a few movements to end up in their in order to cool his temper off. The man had big dreams so he'd given him a chance, but Lance soon regretted it after seeing him lose his temper at Tobias for returning a dish because it'd been essentially raw. Tobias didn't deserve that. Giving him a verbal and written warning, two quintants later the man had quit because someone else had a problem with their meal. In Lance's opinion the menu was too big. People came here to drink and sleep, eating was a far off thought and most people wanted something they could eat one handed while drinking. Cutting their menu down to 5 mains and changing seasonally made more sense.

Gathering up the ingredients, Lance placed them down on the long bench in the middle of the room. Not sure of what to do with himself, Keith was leaning against the bench with his head in his hands. Trying not to stare at his husband, because God it was cruel how ripped and perfect Keith was, Lance jumped when Keith interrupted the silence

"What are you making?"

"Burgers. I've already done the patties when we had a fresh load of mince. So it's nothing fancy"

Keith leaned further into his hands, scratching at the scar from his fight with Kuron in an unconscious manner

"Can I help? I came home to help... and I'm supposed to be taking care of you. It's in the job description"

Lance's took offence to Keith's joke. He was completely done with the voices in his head. He'd known Keith for years. He'd literally told Keith that he shouldn't be making decisions for himself when it came to himself because honestly his hatred still ran deep. Taking a moment, he hated that Keith wasn't pushing because he knew Lance was thinking

"You can rinse the lettuce and tomatoes. They both need to be sliced... I'll do the onions, beetroot and the buns. I know there's a jar of pickles around..."

Onions were the perfect excuse if his stupid mind decided he needed to cry again. He wanted to cook for Keith. He wanted it to be good for his husband. Plus, he wanted to prove to himself that he could handle something as simple as making lunch for them

"Alright. Oh. Daehra said she was going to let Lucteal know you're up and around again. I'll have to call mum. She tried to call us. Personally I think she's going to finally admit she's pregnant while we're both together"

Lance fumbled the bun he was removing from the bag

"She's what?"

"I only think she is... she hasn't confirmed it. I think that's why she's got me training the new recruits"

Lance rolled his eyes. He hated that Keith didn't seem to get it

"Babe, your mum's got you training the recruits because of those mad skills you've got. And because she trusts you. She needs someone she trusts to pass on the Blade technique-ee things you've all got going on over there"

""Technique-ee?" I don't think that's a word"

"I do. It's the best word for all your ninja stuff you do. That's great about Krolia, right?"

And not so great for them as a couple. Krolia would need Keith more and more as her pregnancy progressed. And depending on when she was due, Keith would probably need to stay on extra until she was back up on her feet again

"I mean... yeah. I think it is. I thought it was ok before I went home with you, but now I'm kind of really hoping she is... I want to spoil my sibling"

"Someone's got babies on the brain"

"No! No. Not like that! Not for a few more years... I mean... I'm just happy for her"

Keith's words stung a little, so without much in-depth thought on the matter Lance nodded, moving the conversation along

"Yeah, Krolia's going to have the cutest baby. I mean, I feel sorry for the kid having you as a big brother. You're pretty much perfect. That kid's going to have a lot to compete with"

"Pfft. You're the perfect one"

Giggling in the corner, Lance had forgotten the two maids were in the kitchen. It was lucky he hadn't opened his big mouth about his heat. Rolling the lettuce and two tomatoes over to Keith, his husband collected the items and moved towards the sink

"I kind of hope they look like Acxa. That'd be adorable"

"Or Krystaal. If they're a boy... Plus, just think about it. We could totally pull a lotor and send them off to age up and take control of the empire when I retire"

Resisting the urge to throw something at Keith, the knives in the block just off to the right were all pretty appealing. He knew Krystaal was cute... but he hadn't seen her. Besides Acxa had her moments. Mostly whenever she saw Veronica and blushed

"That totally worked out great for Lotor... So no. You can't send your sibling off to age up. Plus, they're really cute when they're babies and all chubby. Nadia used to cry for hours, which isn't that cute, but she'd settle for me. She'd spend hours sleeping on me if she could. Like you and Juana"

"That was a freak incident brought on by all the love in your household. Did Miriam teach you how to make burgers?"

"She did, then Hunk showed me a different way. I'm not saying mami can't make burgers, but a burger has to taste like a burger and not like sausage meat"

"Oooh. I'm telling mami"

"We both know you wouldn't. Here, wash this for me"

Throwing Keith the onion he'd picked out, his husband washed and threw it back like they been spent every day of their married life in the kitchen and were well seasoned pro's as Lance grabbed a knife from the block. Lance wasn't sure how many more days like this they'd get. Krolia needed Keith more than he did. His mental health didn't matter as much as her and his sibling. Keith would make an amazing big brother now that all his sharp edges had been carefully rounded off. No. What Lance needed was to pull himself out his flunk on his own. He needed something to make up for that missing high, that wasn't Keith's touches and kissed because they'd be walking out the door soon enough with his husband. Dios... he was being such a petty bitch. Keith hadn't even left yet. Slicing through the onion he forgot to leave the end on. Barely half a dozen ticks passed before his eyes were watering. Sniffling, he forced himself not to wipe at his eyes lest he wipe onion juices into them. Sometimes in life you needed to have a good cry on your own, and that's what his head was telling him he needed right now. Just to cry it out and reassess how he was now that his wretched heat had passed

"Dude, are you crying?"

Nodding

"I've been onioned. They're from Daehra's garden... which you haven't seen yet. I've got to show you while you're still here. She's even started working on cultivating desert and drought tolerant plants to take home. We went for a run out to collect cuttings. Half of them didn't strike but the ones that did look pretty cool"

Returning with the lettuce and tomatoes, Keith frowned at him

"You didn't tell me that"

"It was when we picked up that guy who was wanted on Erathus for unpaid parking fines... like two phoebs ago I want to say. You know, the one who threw Lucteal against a wall so he smacked him over the head with his staff... I swear I told you"

"You didn't"

Lance would bet his life on it that he did, purely because of how funny it was at the time. The man had no idea that Lucteal had caught on fast when it came to training with his staff. He was just lucky Lucteal hadn't undone the middle and drawn his blades

"Yep. I know I did. I bet if you checked your comms, you'll find a pic. Lucteal took the commission for the bounty. I mean, it's not he hasn't picked up GAC before, but Daehra and I were busy being proud parents and now I'm rambling... I'm sure I did. It was after the volcano, but before... I don't know what came next. I think we some rebels here after... nope. It's gone. You need a knife. You can use the one from your boot on my food"

Keith rolled his eyes at him, snarking

"I would have sterilised it first. I'm not some heathen"

"You probably wouldn't have remembered until half way through. You know what, let's make Daehra and Lucteal lunch too"

"I thought we were eating alone?"

"And I thought my husband would see the issues with smearing toe jam on our lunch"

"Technically it's dinner"

Raising the pitch of his voice, Lance was exceptionally mature with his response

"Mem em meme me... Technically it's dinner. Look at me, I'm Keith! I can actually keep track of the time. With my grizzled body and stylish mullet..."

"It's not a mullet!"

"It is if I say it is"

"It doesn't work that way"

"It does too!"

"Does not! It's a goddamn mullet!"

"It's grown out!"

"So you admit you went through puberty with a mullet!?"

"I admit nothing! Why are we yelling!?"

Lance simply shrugged

"Because I'm right and you're wrong"

"No. You're being a stubborn dick"

"Well this stubborn dick is making lunch for his mullet wearing husband. If that's not you, you can fend for yourself"

"Wha... huh? No"

"Then get to work"

Making extra for Daehra and Lucteal, lunch was nice. Simonne and Marla had left them to enjoy their meal together, so Keith had decided to be an adorable little shit. Wrapping his arms around him while he'd grilled both burger patties, Keith had peppered kisses to his neck line, not at all helping his with the problem in his pants, or his anxieties over the fact that Keith was leaving soon. When their meal was done, Lance grabbed both extra meals, having Keith hold the door for him as he headed out to the bar.

The wolf whistles from a few of his usual customers didn't go over well with Keith. Smiling through the assault of scents, he gave his "admirers" a nod before moving down to join Daehra near the register

"I made you lunch. How's business"

Sighing at him as he placed the plates down, Daehra finished up the purchase she was working on

"I thought I told Keith not to let you go back to work"

"You wound me. I made you lunch, and this is how you thank me"

"Keith should have been making lunch. You need rest"

He'd been resting. He'd done the sleeping thing. He'd done the med room thing. Now he wanted to play at doing the "normal" thing

"I'm fine. I feel heaps better. Take a break, Keith and I can take over here. Where's Lucteal at?"

"The training room"

Sounded about right

"Why don't you go get him and have lunch here?

"Because Keith looks positively murderous behind you"

"I don't look murderous. I simply don't want men wolf whistling at my husband"

Daehra laughed lightly

"Careful Keith, your possessive side is showing"

"Well... he's my husband... it took me long enough to finally catch him. I'm not about to let him go off with some random"

Keith sounded actually pissed about it all. Turning back to his husband, he drew him into a deep kiss before Keith could object. Looping his arms around his waist, and grabbing his arse to pull him close, the kiss left Lance a little weak in the knees as some of the patrons laughed, while others cheered at them

"See babe. Nothing to worry about. I talk about you enough that everyone here knows I'm yours. They were only trying to get a rise out of you"

"I don't wan..."

"Babe. Don't you talk about me?"

Misinterpreting Keith's silence to mean "yes", Lance smiled as he placed a small kiss on Keith's still slightly parted lips

"See. It's the same"

"Alright... I'm... still having a few issues over coming out of your heat with you. Right now everyone here feels like a threat"

"Probably because they are. Any number of people here right now could take us in a fight. And besides, every offer I've had I've turned down. You are the only one in the universe that has my express permission to touch me like you do. Now stop thinking too much"

"I'm doing a you. Getting stuck in my head instead of being here"

"You should enjoy being here. You won't be here much longer. Here, help me clean up the bar a bit. You can work on not scaring my customers away"

"I'd rather take you back to bed"

"You two are gross. Get your hands off each other and get to work. Lance, I looked at getting some more staff in. The details are on the holopad down there. Keith, you know how to a bus a table. Take this tray out there and do the rounds while I call Lucteal"

Ducking his head, Lance smiled a genuine smile at Daehra

"I love it when you get bossy..."

"We both know that's a lie. If I can't get you to rest, I can at least limit your activities"

"Yes, ma'am. Keith, you heard the lady. Time to work"

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