#90% of the photos I took was just me vibing but I didn't like how they came out

[dontyouworrydaddy]

Can you please do 141 where the reader and them are talking about there Highschool years and like “I would have dated you in high school “ type thing THEN they see a pic of reader in high school (prom,first day,or any thing for that time) SHES FINE FINE like imagine 90s type vibe, then they remember what they looked like in that same year and they say back “ IM glad u didn’t meet me then cause u would have no interest “ AND SHES STILL FINE FINE where they think it’s a recent photo!

idk know what I’m doing I just got an idea and your my favorite writer so I wanted to let you know!!!!

YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

thᥱ most bᥱᥲᥙtιfᥙᥣ ᥕomᥲᥒ ιᥒ thᥱ ᥕorᥣd

Task Force 141 + fem! reader

I ABSOLUTELY love this idea!!!! Like as soon as they see your pictures they‘re like "damn. I‘m glad we didn’t meet back then because she would definitely reject me and on top of that probably make fun of me." I‘m sorry but especially with Soap😭 This dude probably had the craziest hair back then (he still has but we love him for it).

Also I‘m so thankful for your kind words🥺🥺 They really mean so much to me and you just lighten up my entire day<33 I wish I could hug you right now☹️ Remember that you’re also always loved by someone and MEEE🫶🏻🫶🏻💘💘

Thank you really so so much 🌸💕💕

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Simon Riley

It was a quiet evening at the your apartment . Simon found himself reminiscing about your high school years. As the conversation flowed, nostalgia filled the air.

"You know, Y/N, if we had met in high school, I would have totally dated you." Simon said with a playful smirk, leaning back against the wall.

You chuckled, a blush creeping onto your cheeks. "Oh, really? And why is that?"

Simon's gaze turned thoughtful as he recalled those distant memories. "Well, you are always confident and stunning. I would have been a nervous wreck around you."

Grinning, you teased, "Are you saying you weren't attractive back then?"

Simon chuckled, running a hand through his dark hair. "Let's just say my teenage years weren't my finest hour. I had an awkward sense of fashion, let’s not talk about my hair... Definitely not the smooth operator you see in front of you today."

Curiosity piqued, you both began reminiscing about those high school days. Simon had a mischievous idea and suggested pulling out old photo albums to see just how different you both were.

Rummaging through the dusty boxes, you stumbled upon a photo of your younger self. It was a picture from prom, in your beautiful dress. You were radiant, your smile lighting up the frame. Simon's eyes widened as he took in the sight.

"Damn, Y/N, you were fine then, and you're still fine now!" he exclaimed, feigning surprise.

You laughed, not realizing his little trick. "Well, thank you, Simon. I try my best."

Simon's expression shifted, his voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia. "You know, seeing this picture reminds me of why I'm glad we didn't meet back then. I don't think I would have stood a chance with you. You would've rejected me in a heartbeat."

Your smile softened as you leaned in closer. "Simon, you underestimate yourself. I would have seen the incredible person you were, braces and all. It's the person you are inside that truly matters."

Simon's eyes locked with yours, and a genuine smile graced his face. The air was filled with a sense of camaraderie as you both laughed at the absurdity of it all.

As the evening came to a close, Simon made a decision. He carefully tucked the photo of your younger self into his pocket, a keepsake of a moment he cherished. You remained unaware of this little secret, but somehow, deep down, you felt that this memory would always be a part of your bond.

John MacTavish

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and John and you were lounging on the couch, flipping through old photo albums. The nostalgic memories flooded your minds as you reminisced about your high school years. The room was filled with laughter and teasing as you playfully pointed out your younger selves in various snapshots.

John looked at a picture of you, radiating confidence in a stunning prom dress. He couldn't help but stare in awe, captivated by your beauty and timeless charm. With a grin, you turned to him and said "You know, John, I would have totally dated you in high school."

John's eyes widened in surprise, his heart skipping a beat at your words. He never expected you to make such a bold statement. "Really?" he asked, a mix of curiosity and disbelief in his voice.

You nodded, a mischievous glint in your eyes. "Oh, absolutely. You are the mysterious and brooding type. I was drawn to that kind of intensity back then."

A flicker of doubt crossed John's face as he remembered his own high school years. "I'm glad you didn't meet me then" he said, his voice tinged with self-deprecation. "I had this crazy hair phase, and trust me, you would have immediately rejected me."

You chuckled, playfully swatting his arm. "Come on, John. Show me that picture. I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad."

John hesitated for a moment, then reached for another album. He turned to a page and revealed a photograph of himself, his hair styled in an over-the-top, eccentric manner that seemed to defy gravity. His expression was a mixture of embarrassment and amusement as he looked at his younger self.

You burst into uncontrollable laughter, clutching your stomach. Tears formed at the corners of your eyes as you struggled to compose yourself. John couldn't help but join in, the embarrassment fading as he found joy in sharing this memory with you.

Once the laughter subsided, you looked at him with a smile. "John, you have no idea how much I would have loved to meet that version of you. That hairstyle is absolutely cute!"

John's face softened, his heart swelling with affection for you. "You're incredible, you know that?" he said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "Even if I looked like a total goofball, you would still find a way to make me feel special."

You reached out and took his hand, intertwining your fingers with his. "That's because I've always seen the amazing person you are, regardless of how you looked or what hairstyle you had."

John leaned in and gently kissed your forehead, his love for you evident in his eyes. "I'm the luckiest man in the world to have you by my side," he whispered and kissed you on the lips.

John Price

You and John sat side by side on the couch, flipping through an old photo album filled with memories from your high school years. The two of you had decided to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane. You couldn't help but smile as you stumbled upon a particular photograph that brought back a flood of memories.

"Oh my gosh, John, look at this!" you exclaimed, pointing to a picture of yourself at the high school prom. You were dressed in a stunning vintage dress.

John's eyes widened as he gazed at the photograph, taking in your breathtaking beauty. "Wow, you were absolutely stunning" he said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "If I had known you back then, I would've also been head over heels for you."

A playful grin spread across your face. "Oh, really? So you're saying you would've dated me in high school?"

John chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Well, I probably would've been too intimidated to ask you out. Plus, I had a weird sense of style back then. Trust me, you wouldn't have been interested."

Curiosity piqued, you leaned closer, showing him the photograph of yourself. "Well, let's see if that's true" you challenged him.

John's eyes widened even further as he looked at the picture. "Wait a minute, is this recent? You look exactly the same!"

You burst into laughter, your heart warming at his genuine surprise. "No, John, this is me in high school. That's why I said I would've dated you back then."

He let out a low whistle. "Well, damn. I definitely lucked out then."

You playfully nudged his shoulder. "Come on, John, you can't be that bad. Let me see your high school days."

John reluctantly handed you another photograph from the album, showing his younger self with a mischievous grin. He sported a rather peculiar outfit that seemed to be a mixture of different styles. It was elegant and had a touch of cowboy style, mixed…

You burst into laughter once again, unable to contain yourself. "Oh, John! I can't believe this was your fashion sense back then."

He smirked, looking slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I had a bit of a weird phase. Trust me, if we had met during those years, I would've been instantly rejected."

You shook your head, still laughing. "Oh, John, you have no idea. Even with that fashion sense, I would've been all over you."

His eyes sparkled with affection as he pulled you into a tight embrace. "Well, I'm glad we met when we did, then. I wouldn't change a thing about how we found each other."

You smiled, savoring the warmth of his embrace. "Me neither, John. We're perfect for each other, weird fashion choices and all."

Kyle Garrick

Kyle and you sat side by side on the couch, surrounded by photo albums from your high school days. You decided to take a trip down memories from back then together. As you flipped through the pages, looking at the good old times, you stumbled upon a photo of yourself from prom night.

"Oh, wow!" You exclaimed, holding up the photo for Kyle to see. "Look at me back then. I can't believe how much has changed."

Kyle's eyes widened as he took in the sight of you in your beautiful prom dress, radiating a timeless beauty. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret as he thought back to his own high school days.

"I would have dated you in high school" you mused, oblivious to the effect the photo had on Kyle. "You're such a great guy, I would have definitely dated you."

A small smile played at the corners of Kyle's lips as he stared at you, captivated by your words. "Thank you love, but believe me, you're better off not having met me back then. I was a total nerd."

You furrowed your brows in confusion. "What are you talking about? I‘m sure you were cute."

Kyle's expression turned pensive as he reached for another photo album and opened it to a picture of himself from the same year as your prom. His hair was a mess, his glasses too big for his face, and his clothes screamed "geek."

"See?" Kyle pointed to his photo, his voice laced with self-deprecating humor. "I was a freak. If we had met in high school, I would've been immediately rejected. You would've never given me a second glance."

Your eyes widened in surprise, and then you burst into laughter, shaking your head. "Baby stop. You look adorable!!"

He blinked, unable to comprehend your words. "Wait, what?"

"I'm serious!" You continued to laugh, your heart swelling with affection for the man beside you. "You're looking at this picture like it's some embarrassing relic, but all I see is the person I fell in love with. Baby Kyle looks so so cute here"

Kyle's gaze softened as he absorbed your words. The weight of his insecurities began to lift, replaced by a newfound confidence in your unwavering love. "I‘m 17 here love… not 6…"

Placing the photo album aside, you leaned in closer to Kyle, intertwining your fingers with his. "High school was just a phase, but what we have now, this incredible relationship, is what matters. I love you, Kyle Garrick, then, now, and always."

Kyle smiled, his heart overflowing with love for you. "I love you too, more than words can express."

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Am I an asshole because I told someone to shut the hell up about his autism?

Now, please read this before making your vote.

I (21 F) started going back to school recently, I signed up for classes late because it took so long for the paperwork and processes to be finalized. I was taking a speech class in the morning and we had to do a group project in class. Now, I spoke with the professor and told her I did not do well in group projects because I either get treated like literal crap or I do all the work. She said she didn't care, either I join a group or get a 0. Someone (20 M) was watching, we'll call him Ed for clarity. I asked if I could join Ed's group and he said yes. I tried being really nice to Ed and waited for our group members to meet with us after class. He showed me which music he liked and I said it was nice. So, during the entire time period of this project I would meet a lot with my group mates and we'd do the project. It was very difficult because professor wanted over 10 resources and a certain length for the report, then to top it off a PowerPoint we'd be presenting too. Ed did a lot of things to make me feel very uncomfortable, but my group mates ignored it and didn't say anything. He'd talk about how he visited the dark web and looked into hitmen. Then he showed us an intro to a porno. I felt very uncomfortable and mentioned it to the other girl in our group, she said she would talk with the other boys in our group about it (they all had been friends since highschool except Ed) , she said the assignment did require us to find an intro that was terrible, but maybe a porno intro was too much. The assignment in question was basically a research project about why introductions are very important. They ended up choosing some 90's tv show intro, I don't remember which one it was, just that the show got 2 seasons and the intro was too stereotypical for the time. During the time Ed would send me random "hi"s and he added/followed me on all my social media. He would comment on everything and would try to make conversations on them when I wouldn't text back. I kept the texts as bland as possible. Ed just gave me a bad vibe and kept doing shit to make me uncomfortable. Now here's where the autism part comes in. I was talking to a guy I had a crush on instagram and I guess Ed noticed. So Ed basically calls me and asks if I'm not attracted to him because he has autism. I said what the hell and hung up. It made me feel so uncomfortable then he started bringing up his autism on all my photos, posts, tweets, you name it. I didn't know what to do anymore. Ed kept blowing up my phone too. He'd message me every 5 mins and would get mad when I wouldn't answer right away. So back to my crush, Ed messaged him I wasn't interested in dating him! Like dude! So my crush says he doesn't have time for immaturity and blocks me despite me trying to defuse and apologize hundreds of times for that. So I asked for some advice and basically I got that his autism was making him act like that. I don't want to sound ableist, I'm sorry if I give off that impression, but enough was enough. I told him to fuck off or else I'd get the authorities and school involved since what he was doing was harassment. He said he can't harass since he has autism so I told him to shut the hell up about his autism since it wasn't a "get out of jail" card so i finally blocked him everywhere. I don't know if I'm being an asshole or maybe I'm just not patient or equip to handle Ed? Even then, I am in no shape or form attracted to Ed nor was I ever. Now I just never want him bothering me again.

[camp-counselor-david]

Ough, I just remembered that "Missing Halloween" animated short, and it hit me with the biggest Jasper/David vibes, so now I'm making it everyone elses problem with a self indulgent au ramble.

TW for child death

Jaspvid AU where after Jasper "leaves" Camp Campbell, the summer ends and David goes home for the year.

Things proceed as normal, until halloween, where after all school year of not seeing Jasper, David bumps into him on halloween of all days! He's got a pretty cool ghost costume on, too, especially for it being the late 90s! There was no reason to think he was actually dead. The ghosts in cartoons always phased right through things, but he could grab Jasper's hand and pull him along for a fun holiday themed buddy reunion!

By then, David forgot about the whole feud about the camp. All he knew was that Jasper was back, and he didn't seem too mad about what happened between them either. He seems to enjoy running around with David and trick or treating-- even though for some reason everyone's ignoring Jasper, which really peeves David off.

They stop by David's house, and even his mother seems to be ignoring Jasper! He asks his mom to take a picture of the two of them in their costumes, but she doesn't take it seriously, and when she shows them the photo she took, only David appears in it. So not only does his mom start insisting that he's being silly and taking an imaginary friend too seriously, but their gosh darn crappy technology isn't working right either!

David storms back outside with Jasper, upset at the idea that people think that his very real best friend is suddenly fake! Why would they imply that he's crazy when all of the adults in his life acknowledged Jasper as a person before? He and Jasper get into a little bit of an argument about it, causing Jasper to get up and walk off into the woods.

Unlike their last spat, though, David follows after him this time. He didn't want to lose him all over again. But where are they going? Why did it look like Jasper was walking back to Camp Campbell? Or... Spooky Island? Why there? Why wasn't he listening when he called out to him?

He finds Jasper sitting alone outside of the cave, and the two talk out what happened. They laugh at how familiar their argument felt, and David ends up apologizing and sharing some of his halloween candy. Because when push came to shove, they would always be best friends.

Meanwhile, his worried sick parents seek him out, figuring that if their David ran away to anywhere, it was the camp that he wouldn't stop gushing about ever since he came back home from it.

After a lengthy search, they find David happily snacking on candy next to the corpse of his best friend, Jasper, who had finally found peace through being found.

Anyway, I'm sorry. I think I've seen too many death/monster aus lately, and it has infected me with the halloweenies. I'd be shocked if more people didn't see the original short I'm talking about, but here it is!

[bistaxx]

JINX !! tell me why you ship Quackity x Luzu and why you dont ship Quackity x Wilbur I need to know the Lore

Hiiiiiiiii Vin! oh gosh- I'll try to condense this as much as I can OKAY SO...

yeah I don't vibe with tntduo 😭- I already talked about q!tnt so I'll just explain about c!tnt instead:

Why don’t you ship it: The Fandom. Listen I hate saying it but it really is 90% of the reason why- I always try not to let annoying fandom stuff sour my opinions but like... MAN- Because like I actually did really use to enjoy /r tntduo fuck man I was shipping it back in October 17th 2020 after the moment in the button room and especially after the famous Niki's birthday stream like- idk I just liked the dynamic and the chemistry it was fun! I was even still shipping it when I first started getting really into the c!fiances and was hyped when Wilbur and Quackity met up again... but then. IDK- something about the fandom take on their dynamic just didn't click with me it didn't feel like the same characters I enjoyed ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO THE WAY C!QUACKITY WOULD GET TREATED- like GIRL- Quackity would not cave and be visibly annoyed or flustered by the first jab Wilbur makes hello-??? or the fanart that would portray Wil as like completely disregarding Q's personal space as this 'teehee funny flirty' thing like I HATED that shit- I also just hated how when I tried to look up c!fiances content I had to filter like 5 million tags to actually find what I was looking for because there'd be so many c!tnt fics that had the fiances tagged in them and 50% of the time it was just so Quackity could break-up with them for Wilbur 😭 I also just like got sick of seeing it everywhere when I wanted to find c!Q content it felt like it was inescapable and that people only cared for my favorite character solely to mischaracterize him in a ship I was quickly growing tired of... yeha I think that sums it up-

What would have made you like it? Um.. All of the above not happening LMAO-

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it? Like I said earlier I DID really like it and I have tnt shipping mutuals who do the dynamic justice even if I got super burnt out on it (shoutout to Thes)

... So anyway uh- SO LUCKITY-

(this will be a lot shorter despite how much I have to say about Luckity I'm just really tired rn SORRY 😭)

This will be about k!Luckity specifically cuz I rly don;t have much of anything to say about q!Luckity outside of finding Arinckity cute

What made you ship it? Started for the fluff and stayed for the toxic ship 😈- GOD Quackity and Luzu fucking outdid themselves with Luckity in Karmaland V like dude it's just so good- like looking back on it the writing was already on the walls that they were so doomed from the very start- like they somehow manage to be both "it's tragic because it didn't have to end this way" and "it's tragic because it was always gonna end this way." if that makes sense. But god at the start it was just so easy to overlook the blaring the red flags because they'd give us just enough hope that it'd end well only for the rug to get pulled during the elections and the whole dynamic get's flopped on it's head but now instead of cute fluff or funny flirting it's this Angry passion and resentment- from start to end they were devoted to each other whether in hatred or in love. The build-up and payoff were both just amazing even if I felt miffed about the ending of the arc at first I've since come to love it because really it's just the cherry on top of their tragedy leaving the possibility they could just end up doing it all over again yeah <3 They were The Moment yeah!

What are your favorite things about the ship? A lot of things but like- I love that they're sun and moon coded <33333 I remember associating them with sun/moon imagery before they took those iconic photos with the sun and moon and like I was so hyped when that happened <3 my toxic sun/moon boys yeah <3

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? Not really no- but HEY check out this web weave I made about Luckity that I'm still super proud of and debate remaking one day: X :3

[mune-no-koi]

So I was planning on doing a quick photoshoot out and about, unfortunately the weather hasn't been so great with Storm Dennis so that'll have to wait till another occasion. Also for once my camera is finally picking up the eyeshadow which is a bit of a miracle to say that its on the verge of dying.

[grogusmum]

99 Miles From L.A.

PART OF THE DON’T GIVE UP AU

It's another song inspired Frankie fluff and angst fic... I know, I know

As always, the reader in my moodboards are just for vibes, not what for physical description - it you, baby! IT. YOU. 💚

99 Miles from L.A. by Art Garfunkel

FRANKIE X F!READER

WORD COUNT: 2500ish

WARNINGS: angst, fluff, implied sex, smoochies, handsyness, a 1990s high school dance, language, hints of PTSD if you squint and inaccuracies in how the military works (as always, if you see something, say something- let me know if I missed anything!)

NOTE/SUMMARY (because I don't know what I’m doing!) Frankie remembering how you met, fell in love and and then broke it off, before getting back together, marrying and having Lucia. (I went back and forth on how to indicate memories, if it’s unclear shoot me a message)

Frankie was holding out hope, as he drove his pickup truck along the highway, toward LA, toward you. You had lost touch years ago, somewhere along his deployment to Iraq. 

After returning from Yemen, he went back to his mother's house to help her downsize to a condo. After fussing at the state of him, she fed him and sent him up to clean out what was left of his stuff, after a couple weeks of good cooking and sleeping in his childhood bed, which was far too soft, he felt like they were making real headway. A week before moving day, he found a stack of old photos of the two of you while you were dating, in his desk.

Pictures from school dances and house parties, pictures from that old Polaroid camera you found at the local thrift store- it cost you more money to buy the film. But those polaroids were his favorite, as they were of moments when it was just the two of you.

This was The One, he thought, as he gazed at the picture you took of the two of you on the sandbar. Frankie had planned to marry you, but things got so messed up. He looked at the photos far too long, he found his eyes wet, rubbing his face with his palm, he told himself to get moving.

So he tucked them into his duffle bag and got back to work. After dinner, he went to see some old high school friends at the local bar. It was from one of your friends, he got a bead on where you landed... he decided to take a chance.

Keeping my eyes on the road, I see you

Keeping my hands on the wheel, I hold you

99 miles from L.A.

I kiss you, I miss you

Please be there

As Frankie drove his mind wandered to memories, he had been avoiding. He didn't even want to go to the stupid  junior semi-formal. His mama pressed him to go, to meet people. He was new to the school. An army brat, always new to every school...

He got to the gymnasium doors and he could hear "Gonna Make You Sweat" by C&C Music Factory. He rolled his eyes and turned, his mom's car was still there. She was watching to make sure he went in.

Ma, come on, he mouthed.

"!Ponte en marcha, Francisco!" Get going, Francisco. She did not mouth the words. Frankie almost turned as beet red as he had back then, just remembering her carrying voice.

This time he rolled his eyes so hard, his head followed, then his body turned to follow them. He went in, head down, pulling at his tie. 

It was like every other school gym, but tonight it was decorated for a winter theme, so light blue, and white streamers, balloons, white snowflakes, and silver icicles. Given the climate of the region, he just looked around like, why? 

He soon spotted you, like so many girls in the early 90s, you were wearing a slip dress with spaghetti straps. You stood out to him, not because you looked like Winona Ryder, but you invoked Winona Ryder, in a plum velvet dress, he couldn't see your feet but he was almost positive you were wearing boots... he had harbored a crush on her since Beetlejuice, so he was smitten immediately. Frankie remembered with a smile thinking you were probably one of those Alt Girls, who weren’t interested in Army Brats.

He was right about your interest in alternative music and such, but you didn't care at all that his dad was Army. Not that you didn’t have opinions about the military, boy did you...

Frankie watched you, from the bleachers for a while, and when you pulled away from your Alt Kid pack to get something from the refreshment table he approached. Raising his voice over the music, Frankie leaned in a little so you could hear him over the music and chatter, "Hey." 

"Hey."

"I'm, um, Frankie"

"Hi, Um-Frankie," you said with a smirk and a wink. 

Oh, yeah, he was hooked. He asked your name and if you wanted to dance, you both looked up at the ceiling as if that helped you hear the very loud music better, “Baby, Baby” by Amy Grant was about halfway through, and laughed. 

“Maybe the next one,” you said taking a sip of your drink. 

You both stood a little awkwardly side by side, watching your classmates dance. When the song ended, you both listened like your lives depended on it. “Wicked Game”, Chris Isaak. He looked at you, eyebrows raised, for your verdict. You kept eye contact, eyebrows also raised, as you took another sip, threw the cup in the trash. When you held out your hand, you scrunched your nose. His stomach flipped, then he smiled, his single dimple on display. 

Frankie recalled you saying later that was when you, in turn, were hooked. That dimple. 

You led him to the dance floor and turned to face each other and he placed his hands on your waist. You put your hands on his shoulders, and for all the cool Winona vibes and sassy winks, holding each other like this made you look at him a little shyly, maybe your stomach just did a summersault like his was. As with most teenagers, slow dances were less about dancing as they were about having an excuse to hold each other three to four minutes, the price being the need to shift one's weight rhythmically (hopefully) back and forth. 

Frankie stepped in a bit, he felt your breath hitch, you were so close to each other now. He stared at your lashes, your cupids bow (though he had no idea of its name), the details in your eyes. By the bridge, you had your head on Frankie's shoulder, you smelled like an orange grove... he told himself that it was probably just your soap. Probably. 

He remembered kissing you that night. Just a sweet kiss goodnight, on your porch. After walking you home, you sat on the porch swing patting the spot next to you.

Frankie sat and you both turned, each placing a knee up on the swing so you were facing each other comfortably. You talked about classes, music, movies, whatever, just to keep the night from ending. All the while, Frankie's eyes would flit down to your mouth and back to your eyes. Finally, you said, "are you going to just keep looking at my lips, or are you going to kiss me already?"

Frankie half smiled and gave a pleased laugh, just like he did that night, as he remembered, the sweet softness of your kiss. How you both wanted more, but you leaned back, and smirked, "So, Um-Frankie, I'll see you at school Monday?" With a wink, you went into the house.

Turning the radio on, we're dancing

Passing a white sandy beach, we're sailing

99 miles from L.A.

I want you, I need you

Please be there

Frankie passed another mile marker, looked at the clock on the dash... his mind wandered to the best summer he had ever known, you took him sailing for the first time. He loved the water, an avid swimmer, ridden in speed boats, paddled canoes but had never sailed. You grew up with it, swimming, sailing, fishing, clamming... 

On your small sailboat, you taught him the parts of the boat, beginning with the type of sailboat you were sailing, a dinghy, which, Frankie thought was a riot. You agreed it was a ridiculous and reductive name for your baby, Hermia. You taught him terms and phrases he needed to know like, “coming about”. You both laughed at the really ridiculous ones, like “cockswaine” and “baggywrinkle”, that he didn't really need to know, you just thought they were funny.

You took a picture with the Polaroid when he manned the tiller and didn’t get mad when he ran the boat aground (another vocabulary word he learned) on a sand bar. You just laughed and shouted “LAND HO!!” unnecessarily, then hopped out of the boat. You dropped anchor and pulled out a boombox, set it on the seat, and turned it on. You had long turned Frankie on to Peter Gabriel, he smiled when he heard the beginning notes of his favorite album.

Frankie pulled the cooler out of the boat and set it on the sand. Soon, you were chatting about nothing of consequence, as you ate your lunch sometimes taking another "snap" with the camera.

"Why Hermia?" Frankie asked suddenly.

"Oh, um, it's from Shakespeare," you said, almost apologetically, knowing it probably sounds a little high falutin, "she is described in Midsummer Nights Dream by her friend- 'though she be little, she is fierce'. I've always kind of liked it."

He leaned across the food and drinks and kissed you, "you too, are fierce."

Frankie huffed and smiled as his memory reached your first time- 

You smiled wide, and ran into the water, and disappeared for a moment after a surface dive. You came up, calling, “Frankie come swim with me!” He was with you in an instant. 

“It’s deeper than I expected,” He said, the water up to his chest. He dunked and swam around you. You suddenly submerged, slapping the water with your feet together like a fishtail. 

“Hey, mermaid, where’d you go?”

It was a long moment before you came up. Your face shining, as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders... then your legs around his waist. He was taken by surprise and instinctively pulled his hips back, as his body was quick to react to you. You pressed against him, eyes on his.

He half smiled, "you sure?” 

“I am, Francisco,” you smirked and gave a wink.

Your lips crashed into his, and he held you tightly against him. Frankie's lips traveled down your neck hitting your bare shoulder, smelling of lotion, tasting of salt and you, his mouth traveled further, hitting your collarbone. You moaned and moved your arms to wrap around his neck, the sound went through him like a lightning bolt.

To his dismay, you unhitched your ankles from each other and let your legs float a little. He whined at the break in contact, but he needn't have worried... you whispered in his ear, “help me with my bathing suit bottoms.”

The windshield is covered with rain, I'm crying

Pressing my foot on the gas, I'm flying

99 miles from L.A.

We're laughing, we're loving

Please be there

Frankie, looked at the fuel gauge, he needed to stop and refill. He made a quick stop, filled the tank, got a drink, and got some 'gas station flowers'. The neighboring pump was being used by a young couple. They were having a fight in the car. He tried not to pay it any attention, but with all his reminiscing, his mind couldn't help but go back to when everything got so screwed up. 

He knew you had every right to be mad, you had applied to schools together, you got into two, in California, together. You had spent months planning together. When he told you he enlisted, it was a blow.

“Frankie, you didn't even tell me this was a thing you were thinking about,” you sputtered, eyes glistening.

“You don’t make it easy,” Frankie said defensively.

“I- I don't make- shit Frankie!” Angry tears were running down your cheeks, which he knew you hated. It twisted his insides whenever you cried. 

He tried to come closer, to bring you in, for a hug.

“No, you don’t get to do that! We made so many plans and you're just throwing them away -”

He tried to explain, about legacies, and pressure, about the benefits of the military. Finally, he broke, ‘I didn’t get all the aid we need to afford it,” he muttered, looking down with his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets.

Your demeanor changed entirely, "oh, no! Frankie, I'm so sorry! I still- I wish you told me. You can tell me anything."

"So, they'll pay for school, on the GI bill, or whatever..." he took his ball cap off rubbed his hair.

"I'll defer a year, we can go after you get out."

His eyes got wide, starting to well. He shook his head, you would do that for him, he couldn't let you. But after a week of back and forth, you convinced him that working for a year or so, would be better for you anyway.

He was out of basic, his hair buzzed, his first deployment was in Bosnia. It was a relief to him that you agreed that Bosnia needed help, “I mean ethnic cleansing!? What the fuck?!” You tried to be clear, that you didn’t hate the troops, but the Military-Industrial Complex, how vets weren't cared for after, struggling when they come back from doing unspeakable things in the name of the country. He knew you hated it and mostly he understood you. But there were times he just wanted you to be supportive the way other soldiers' girlfriends and boyfriends were, not a conscientious objector.

You told him, you could try to be both. You wrote to him the whole time he was overseas, sent him care packages, with sweet notes, his favorite candy, polaroids of you, not just sexy stuff but pictures of you with his mama and his dog, taken at your weekly dinners at her house. And when his tour was short you started reminding him of the plans to go to California together for school.

But, after Bosnia was Iraq, after that he informed you about Afghanistan. You cried and stormed at him.

"How long am I going to have to keep waiting, Frankie? I put everything on hold! I- I was glad to, I learned a lot... but I want to go to school, I want you to go- I want us to go to California like we planned. Besides, you have nightmares, sometimes you look so far away, and I can't reach you- remember when we watched the firewor- -"

"I was picked, hand-picked for an opportunity to go into Special Ops. I can't just throw it away."

"But," you breathed, tears were streaming, "what about us?"

Reading the signs on the road, I write you

Counting the telephone poles, I phone you

99 miles from L.A.

We're laughing, we're loving

Please be there

Frankie wiped the tears that were silently running down his cheeks away, and muttered "idiota."

He had been so lost in his memories, following the GPS on autopilot that he suddenly realized he was in your neighborhood. The sun was going down when he arrived at the address your friend had given him. As he pulled out of his cell, he took a deep breath and punched the number written on a napkin.

The phone rang, rang again, one more ti-

"Hello," it was you, he knew your voice anywhere.

"Um, hey mermaid," Frankie ventures. "It's-"

"Frankie? Is it- I- oh, my g- how are you?"

"I'm, um, good?"

"Aren't you sure?"

He smiled at your good-natured snark.

"Well, no I guess I'm not sure. I hoped- I wanted to see you."

Frankie waited with bated breath, the moment spun out.

Very quietly, you finally spoke, "okay. Um, when?"

Frankie, all but gulped, "I'm uh, so I talked to Jax, I was back home helping out Mama, and she, she, gave me your contact information..."

"Yeah..."

"I'm out front," he blurted then held his breath, realizing this might have been a bad idea.

"You- you- you're here?" Your voice was so small.

"Yeah."

Quiet, he waited.

Nothing.

Then your front door opened, you stood there, eyes shining, phone in hand.

Frankie stepped out of the truck and came around.

You looked more beautiful to him than his memories, more beautiful to him than the photos could capture, as you crossed the porch and seemed to glide down the steps.

Frankie met you at the bottom of the stairs, you stood at the bottom step. You drank him in, your eyes roving over his face, his scruff, the mandatory ball cap. Frankie basked in your closeness. His heart nearly stopping when you took his face gently in your hands as if trying to determine if he was real. 

Your eyes landed and remained on his sweet brown eyes.

"How are you here?"

"I- I missed my mermaid..."

Both pairs of eyes, afraid to blink and have the other vanish, soft and glistening. From the step, it was easy to wrap your arms around Frankie's neck, eyes streaming freely now. Frankie felt your breath on the shell of his ear, and then you murmured, "I've missed the one I chose to stay on land for."

@mylovelycomandante @seasonschange-butpeopledont

@oloreaa @jessie-writes-things

@its--fandom--darling

[bernadette-baguette]

dumb stuff I've said

•"my body tries to hypothermia me so I'll hypothermia it and see how my body likes it when I call the shots"

•"I can't promise anything I might get sucked outside again"

•"i was pissed so I took a walk all the way to coldstone"

•"kill that bitch and scooby-dooby-doo his ass"

•"I burnt my finger on a hot bowl because I thought my hands would be cold enough to make me immune to the heat"

•"I'm joking man lmao China owns what they do, I'm just not a fan of sending photos like gunfire"

•"it was open note and my dumb ass managed to bomb it with a 77.5"

•"If it's cold and I'm bundled up my body will hypothermia me"

•"actually u gotta put them a certain way; child support, then taxes"

•"I happen to have rlly good luck with my car, I've come close to being hit or hitting someone a few times, but luck's on my side!"

•"I had so much cool stuff bro but here's the thing half of my house is somewhere in the world.. it's out there "

•"according to you I'm a nerdy jock"

•"I dunno what the fuck my body is doing with these one-day pain parties"

"for a person who hates pie, I make a good pie."

•"so, there I was, bent over, with my flashlight but aimlessly tapping my hands in the grass looking for my ring in front of an Outback while Nick Jonas' "Jealous" was blaring."

•"modern times cannot force me to conform, I am getting more vintage by the minute."

•"I'm uncultured to this culture."

•"what if I turn my phone's clock ahead by a week? my shoes'll get here faster!!"

•"yes I am I lack common common sense and I am zoned in the 70s-90s"

•((bisexual panic intensifies))

•"high school's stressful and if someone wants to make fun of me for my damn light up shoes, go ahead, but I will automatically be 420% cooler than them bc I can just turn em on and moonwalk my ass outta your negative vibe zone."

•"I can literally go to work and switch it my left hand and people will think I'm married lol"

•""how was your day madam?" ooooooh hit me right in the knees"

•"off topic, but my best analogy yet; "this is like ordering a pizza at your favorite pizza place; however, you get the wrong pizza! but, you can't be mad because it's your favorite pizza place!""

•"I swear I'm not a player but when you're single, ready to mingle and you're an idiot who takes 15 minutes in the candy isle, there's a problem."

•"this Airbnb does not have crayons. I feel it is imperative for every Airbnb to have crayons. I'm leaving a bad Yelp review for this Airbnb."

•"is it bad that RHCP plays in my head even when I'm not actually listening to them..?"

•"one day, someone's gonna come up to me while I'm scattabopping to RHCP's "can't stop" intro and they're gonna yank out my ear bud at just the right time and go, "when are you gonna shut the fuck up?" and the I'm gonna go, "can't stop, addicted to-""

•"daisy's verdict: it looked like a shit of armour. - suit! suit of armour!! auto correct!!"

•"I like to use Ryan Gosling pictures to convey my emotions."

•"so, again, if I'm not the funniest thing since sliced bread, you haven't lived."

•"Tessa, aka the Bitch of The Brady Bunch who just wouldn't stop hissing and growling at everyone. Dude, eat a Snickers or something."

•"Imagine having a baseball bat named "Stevie Fuckin' Wonder Pets""

• "Coral bleaching is caused by white supremacy-"

• "I wanna smell like a snicker doodle!"

•"yanno what's better than perfume? lotion. lotion is subtle, you gotta get close to smell it... and then.. When they least expect it.. boom broken neck."

•"shut up! shut up! you didn't see me in the preteen girls bra section of Walmart! you didn't!"

•"Steven, if you don't shut the fuck up, you're about to be a scared pog."

•"yes, I socialized today. my friend got me a Christmas gift: scarves. that I promptly choked myself with. "Oh! Just what I wanted!" *rushedly ties scarf around throat and tightens* "yay!""

•"c'mon guys! This is simple brain knowledge! Same for your hands! Hand knowledge!"

•"very funnies. I have unfortunately adopted a very unhealthy addiction to Welch's fruit snacks. I ate so many packs that Vincent told me I smelled like them."

•"my dad said he was gonna give me some cigars. They were top tier, too, bro. Suddenly, poof, he leaves yet again."

•"this is likely the size I shall retain for the rest of my days. I have one superpower, scaring the shit outta people with my cold-ass hands."

•"baby you can roll me up into a cigar ;)"

•"got an older guy hitting on you? hit him with this! "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, for legal reasons, that is a joke. This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone of legal-age pleasefuckoffthankyouverymuch-""

•"I'm the teen embodiment of Anthony Kiedis, Johnny Knoxville, and George Carlin!"

"well, well, well, if it isn't the actions of the consequences of my actions."