#ALSO ALSO I hope you’re having a nice day

[piastrisun]

next in line.

pairings: lando norris + verstappen female reader.

summary: your brother announces his first baby, suddenly everyone’s eyes are on you. the teasing starts as harmless fun, but life has other plans.

faceclaim: lila moss.⠀warning: none.

request: for a smau idea, can you do verstappen!reader that just found out that her brother's gonna be a dad and is just excited maybe a reader x lando? and the grid teases her telling her she's next?

notes: so so happy for max, i’m sure he’s gonna be an amazing dad. and to make clear, i do not support kelly’s actions but i respect her as max’s partner and mother of their kid. also, i’m really sorry this took so long, i didn’t had my laptop :( but i do now!

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ynverstappen i’m going to be an aunt, AGAIN!!! congratulations to the best brother in the world and my sister-in-law for blessing us with a tiny human. can’t wait to meet my future favourite little one. 🤍

tagged maxverstappen1

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username this got me thinking she was expecting as well, the GASP i let out 💀

maxverstappen1 best brother in the world? finally getting the recognition i deserve

username the fact he commented this first, so unserious 😭😭

username1 i was so moved by the caption and now i’m laughing

maxverstappen1 ik houd van je, kleine zus!!! (i love you, little sister)

ynverstappen ik hou altijd van je, you’re going to be an amazing dad!! (i love you too)

username2 FAVES

username3 my most parasocial relationship are them because i feel like they’re my cousins

kellypiquet thank you!! 🥹 baby can’t wait to meet their favourite aunt

ynverstappen stop it i’ll cry

username they’re so sweet with each other

username4 OMG congrats to your family!!! can’t wait to see the cutest baby pics

landonorris i’m next in line to become an uncle

ynverstappen i hope you’re ready for all the babysitting we’ll be doing!!

username5 wait... does this mean lando and yn are next?

username6 imagine the chaos if they had a baby too 😭😭

maxfewtrell chaos? more like pure excellence the world’s not ready

landonorris couldn’t agree more

ynverstappen you’re BANNED from my posts

username7 do you guys think i still have time to reincarnate in that baby?

username8 MOVE, it was my idea first

danielricciardo aunt for now, mum next?

ynverstappen delete this immediately

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YOUR CHATS: MAMMA’S FAVOURITE GROUP.

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ynverstappen added to their story.

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landonorris just say the word babe

ynverstappen STOPPPP

landonorris i meannn, i was already planning our baby names list, but take your time

ynverstappen keep the list, i’m busy trying to decide between napping or rewatch criminal minds

maxverstappen1 we’re just preparing you for the future

ynverstappen future? i was planning on sleeping past 11 AM, thank you very much

ynverstappen but sure, let’s add kids to the list!

victoriaverstappen you’re next! the family is ready for some mini-you

ynverstappen okay that is kinda cute

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YOUR CHATS: TEAM BABY.

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landonorris four years with my person, my best friend, and the love of my life. here’s to many more!! i love youuuuu

tagged ynverstappen

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lnfour nice number that one

ynverstappen beyond grateful for you every single day, love you more than anything!! <3 ♥︎ liked by author

landonorris love youUuUu

maxfewtrell you two have made it 4 years and not killed each other? impressive

ynverstappen jerk, we’re literally the best couple

username SPEAK UR TRUTH 🗣️

username2 seeing you two together makes me believe in love and what

carlossainz55 yeah, how’s that baby talk going?

ynverstappen can we just enjoy the anniversary without being bombarded about children

landonorris hey!! it’s a valid question

sophiekumpen watching you grow together has been such a joy ♥︎ liked by author

landonorris we couldn’t have done it without all your support 🩶

username3 this is the cutest thing i’ve seen all day

username4 sooo, where’s the baby update?

georgerussell63 you better be sending out wedding invites soon... you know i’ll be waiting ♥︎ liked by author

username5 lando liked this omg

username6 OH IM SO EXCITED

maxverstappen1 maybe we can get the baby a matching anniversary onesie

landonorris don’t tempt me!!

username6 you’re worse than the actual mother 😭😭

alex_albon he is and we appreciate it

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landonorris added to their story.

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maxfewtrell she has that pregnancy glow

landonorris she says: fuck off

maxfewtrell so lovely as always 🥰

charles_leclerc is the shrimp carrying a baby shrimp?

landonorris i don’t think so but stay tuned!

charles_leclerc 🫡

ynverstappen shrimp 😭😭 you’re unbelievable

landonorris you’re MY shrimp, tho

ynverstappen i know i love u

landonorris special shrimp

ynverstappen yes

landonorris mama shrimp

ynverstappen too far babe

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ynverstappen added to their story.

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danielricciardo i’m assuming shrimp is code for ‘future mum’ now?

ynverstappen lando’s been calling me shrimp since FOREVER

danielricciardo for obvious reasons, you kinda look like one

ynverstappen you’re relentless

oscarpiastri you can’t escape forever, you know

ynverstappen i can and i WILL

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ynverstappen we <3 new york

tagged landonorris

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alex_albon this feels like a soft launch for a baby announcement

ynverstappen in WHAT world

alex_albon i don’t know, everyone says new york is romantic

ynverstappen no one has EVER said that

carlossainz55 you two look like you’re scouting locations for a babymoon

ynverstappen STOP GIVING HIM IDEAS

landonorris i do like the sound of that ♥︎ liked by author

ynverstappen no you don’t

username she says that and yet likes all the baby related comments 😭😭

landonorris do you think we’ll get a discount if we book the babymoon now? asking for a friend

ynverstappen i’ll throw you in the ocean

username2 LMAOO he’s not even subtle about it

maxfewtrell baby’s first visit to the empire state? 👶🏻

landonorris give us nine months, mate

username3 savannah slow down

username4 y’all are a little too cute and i love it

username5 REAL like those are my parents

oscarpiastri if you name the baby after me i’ll babysit for free. think about it

landonorris oscar norris-verstappen it is!!!

ynverstappen first of all, my last name would go first

ynverstappen second, you were my favourite, oscar

ynverstappen and i remark WERE

oscarpiastri got it miss

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YOUR CHATS: TEAM BABY.

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lando.jpg muse

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username he has called her his muse a million times and it gets me every time 🥹

ynverstappen love love love ♥︎ liked by author

lando.jpg 🖤

danielricciardo your family portraits are coming along nicely. just missing one thing…

lando.jpg i’ll admit that would make a good christmas card ♥︎ liked by ynverstappen

username2 u don’t even TRY to be subtle, huh? lmaooo

username3 someone pls tell him he’s not slick 😭😭

username4 you two are the cutest

username5 okay dad in training, we see you!!

username6 they can’t escape baby talk even online i’m CRYING

username7 husband AND dad material, i don’t make the rules ♥︎ liked by author

username8 him liking this he’s NOT real

username9 this man is ready, someone call yn

charles_leclerc dog dad today, human dad tomorrow 👀

ynverstappen tomorrow’s a bit ambitious, but thanks for the timeline

username she’s not saying no—

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©⠀piastrisun original work. please don’t translate, claim or repost any of my writing, 25’.

[allthesethingswillendsoon]

Long, long time

CHAPTER FIVE: There's a first time for everything

SUMMARY: Seventh grade marks some memorable firsts for the girls, both good and bad.

NOTE: Okay whoopsie this lowkey took me ages, but it's over double what I said it would be the other day, but it's not proofread, so if there are any mega plotholes just let me know. I don't mind this one, I think it could've been better but also it's like quite a memorable one for their plot development so like yeah. Also I'm thinking of also posting this on ao3 because I prefer reading on that platform so tell me if you think that's a good or bad idea. Okay, I hope everyone likes it and thinks it's semi-worth the wait.

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Warnings: Little bit of angst, Jealous Paige 6.6k words Pairing: Paige Bueckers x Azzi Fudd

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20th of FEBRUARY, 2015

OAKRIDGE, VIRGINIA

It was a normal, seemingly average Tuesday when it happened.

Paige woke up, she chucked on her clothes and went downstairs. She said a quick goodbye to her dad as he left for work and ate cereal at the kitchen counter. When the clock hit eight she grabbed her backpack and locked the front door. Azzi was waiting at the front gate as always.

They walked to school at a not too slow-not too fast pace, Azzi chattering about her crazy dream the night before - something about gingerbread men and a zombie apocalypse. From the moment they started walking to the moment they stopped, the dark-haired girl made a point to fill the air between them with consistent conversation, not that Paige minded, it was nice to just listen sometimes. 

The first bell rang as they entered the school, and the best friends parted ways for their classes, Paige to Maths and Azzi to French. First period rolled into second period, which rolled into third period. Finally, after an agonizing three hours of education, it was time for lunch.

Tuesday was renowned for having the best lunch, mac and cheese. It was simply mind blowing that the lunch ladies -who were almost always one health code violation away from unemployment- were able to create such delicious food. Each bite was other-worldly, the perfect ratio of pasta to sauce. And after such a draining morning, every student at Oakridge Middle School was absolutely desperate for a taste of heaven.

Paige scoffed at the line of eager kids waiting for their bowl, amateur hour. If they were smart they would have known that you’re allowed to get two bowls, if Miss Amanda likes you that is. All Paige had to say on the matter was that Miss Amanda loved Azzi, arguably more than her own daughter. So, with a proud grin, Paige waltzed her way past the queue over to her lunch table.

Azzi and Paige had sat together at the same lunch table every day since they started middle school. They shared their table with a few other girls in their grade, who they were friendly with. It was a peaceful arrangement, and the cohabitation worked well for both groups.

As she neared the table, Paige felt her heart drop, something was very, very wrong. The state of the cafeteria could be described as pure pandemonium. Each pre-teen wolfing food into their mouths like their lives depended on it, and some of the most violent line-cutting techniques could be observed. Paige herself had been looking forward to their silent lunch break, expecting both her and her best friend to be fully focussing on their food as was normal on a Tuesday.

So, when her table came into sight, there was no doubt that something horrible had happened to Azzi Fudd. The scene was comparable to a renaissance painting, amongst all the chaos sat Azzi, two glorious bowls of mac and cheese in front of her, both of them perfectly untouched. She was staring ahead, eyebrows furrowed as if she was deep in thought. 

There were many things Paige didn’t like about the world, but the thing she liked the least was seeing Azzi distressed. With a deep breath she walked over to the table, prepared to beat up whoever it was that had messed with her best friend.

“Hey Az!” Paige exclaimed as she sat down, her voice filled with so much enthusiasm it seemed almost fake.

“Hey Paige.” Azzi responded, glancing at her with that same pensieve look she’d had when she was sitting by herself.

Okay, now this was concerning. Not to be too full of herself or anything, but Paige was usually a fix-all for any of Azzi’s bad moods, so the fact her presence changed nothing, was definitely an issue. 

“Everything good? You look a bit upset.” 

“No, I'm not upset.” The younger girl answered, giving absolutely no sign of not being upset.

“That’s good, I’m glad to hear that.” Sure, she was glad to hear her best friend say she wasn’t upset, but that statement didn’t mean much when the best friend in question looked like she might drop dead from stress in the next minute.

Just before she was able to continue her investigation, Azzi took in a big breath, as if trying to breathe in all the courage she could, before she started, “Listen Paige, I need to tell you something.”

Oh god, what could it be? A death in the family? An illness? She didn’t even want to think, could she be… moving? No. No. That was not the time for spiralling. Paige took a moment to compose herself. Azzi was clearly upset by whatever was happening, and the last thing Paige wanted was to make her even more upset by reacting anxiously. 

In the most calm tone she could muster, she asked, “Okay?”

“I’ve been keeping a secret from you.” Azzi said. She had clearly tried to sound confident, but the words came out sounding oh-so very sad.

“What? You’re a mob boss or something?” She joked, hoping to take away some of the tension that Azzi seemed to be drowning in.

“No, not that.” She deadpanned. Now, Paige was aware that it wasn’t her best joke, but she still thought it deserved a little laughter. 

Normally Paige’s crappy dad jokes were enough to take Azzi’s mind off whatever was troubling her for at least a second, but nothing was cracking her shell. For a moment, Paige let her composure slip, “Just tell me Az, you’re really stressing me out.”

Then, Azzi’s stressed exterior slipped, giving way to a softer look, the one she saved for Paige, “Okay, so you know Aaron?”

Paige ran through a mental list of kids in their grade before she questioned, “Aaron B or Aaron W?”

“Aaron B.” Azzi replied. It was probably a trick of the light or something, but Paige swore that as her best friend answered the corner of her mouth flickered up into a smile.

“Yeah I know him. Didn’t he pee his pants sleepwalking at sixth grade camp or something?” Paige chuckled at the memory, there was nothing like the silly fun of a school camp.

“That was Aaron W, not Aaron B.” Azzi stated matter-of-factly. 

Not laughing at the mob boss joke, sure Paige could get that. But not laughing at the thought of a twelve year old sleepwalking and sleep-peeing, simply unheard of.

Paige usually had pretty thick skin, but for some reason Azzi’s reaction mellowed her out, “Oh, right.”

For the second time, Azzi softened, her gaze meeting Paige’s almost apologetically, before she continued, “Anyways, so Aaron B?”

It was weird, the way she was acting. Her worried demeanour was a stark contrast to the urgency and statementness of her words. It seemed as if Azzi had been tasked with telling Paige this secret with as little personality as possible.

“What about him?” Paige questioned, deciding to help the younger girl move her explaining along.

“Well…” Azzi started, before suddenly developing the most intense interest in staring at literally anything other than the blonde girl sitting with her. A solid minute of silent waiting passed by, with Paige waiting to see what she had to say, and Azzi questioning if it was too late to back out.

Just when Paige thought she would never hear her best friend speak again, Azzi blurted, “He asked me to be his girlfriend.”

“What?! Paige near-yelled, she had almost stood up from the table in her outrage,“You said no, right?!” 

Who did this chumbag think he was? Asking the Azzi Fudd to be his girlfriend? 

God, it must have felt great for Azzi to put him in his place.

Nothing in the entire, ever-expanding universe could have prepared her for the words that came out of her best friend’s mouth, “I said yes.”

The words dropped like a bomb, waves of shock almost knocking Paige to the ground.

“What the fuck Az!? Why!?” This time Paige stood up from the table, hands slamming down, shaking the bowls of mac and cheese, before Azzi pulled her back down.

She got this shy look on her face as she spoke, her cheeks and ears burning, “I dunno. He’s cute, and he’s nice and funny.” For the first time during that lunch break, Azzi smiled. It was a different smile, one Paige hadn’t seen before. Once she saw it, she immediately wished she could unsee it. There was something about that smile, it held a different weight than her usual ones, like it meant something more, something deeper than when she smiled at Paige.

There was only one explanation, Azzi had gone crazy, and as her lifelong best friend, it was up to Paige to talk some sense into her, “Yeah, so what? I’m all of those things, doesn’t mean you’re gonna date me!”

Paige’s words settled in the air as Azzi returned her gaze to her. For the third time Azzi’s demeanor softened. She looked at her with such lightness, as if the weight of her vision would crack Paige’s skin open. Normally she liked it, but normal definitely did not include her best friend dating some random boy she barely knew,

Paige knew she was strong and she didn’t like to be babied, her exterior was tough and hard to break. The only people she ever really let loose around was her dad, and the Fudds. She knew none of the kids at school would ever be able to pick it, but she was a major dad’s girl. Not in the stereotypical, ‘pink princess’ way, but just in the way that her Dad was her hero, and Bob gave everything he had and more to Paige no matter what. With the Fudds, they were like the extended family she had never really had, being with them was great, she knew she was like a daughter to Katie and Tim, and like a sister to Jon and Jose. That being said, they were the people who saw her at her highs and lows, and they knew when to go hard or easy on her.

But with Azzi it was different. With Azzi she let herself go soft, let her guarded exterior turn mushy. Paige couldn’t count the amount of times she had cried over her mom, over life, tucked into the crook of Azzi’s neck. She would look at her with those soft eyes, and Paige knew it wasn’t patronising, she knew Azzi would never hold her moments of vulnerability against her. It was the only time she would ever let herself be unguarded. 

But in that moment not even the look on Azzi’s face could make her feel better.

Yet, the whole situation was somehow made worse when Azzi spoke again, “It’s different Paige. Surely you’ve had a crush on someone before, it’s just different.” 

With her words, some deep-seated anger arose from Paige. It was a weird feeling, being upset with Azzi - it had never happened before. Why would she say that, “It’s just different.”? Like their friendship meant nothing in comparison to her snapchat streak with a un-potty trained seventh grader.

“Yeah whatever Az.” Paige spat, her voice dripping with venom, “Why don’t you go and change his diaper or something?”

That time, Paige’s words were the ones to shock Azzi, “Why are you mad at me?!” Confusion was etched all across her face. “And also I told you that was Aaron W not B!”

“Same-same. Now if you don’t mind I have some Mac and cheese to eat.” Paige spoke dismissively, turning to give her full attention to her mac and cheese as she poked at it.

Paige avoided eye contact with Azzi like her life depended on it, not even daring to glance at her as she stared at her from across the table. It wasn’t until the second end-of-lunch bell rang that Azzi finally got up, leaving Paige to sit there with her thoughts.

And for the first time ever, Paige sat without Azzi at the table, and binned two, full bowls of mac and cheese.

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24th of FEBRUARY, 2015

OAKRIDGE, VIRGINIA

Paige had never considered herself a violent, or mean person. But there was just something about seeing Azzi and Aaron together that made her want to scream and yell and throw things. There were just so many things to dislike about Aaron, it was really hard to pinpoint exactly what made him so horrible.

Objectively speaking, he wasn’t ugly per se, but he definitely wasn’t a looker either. He had a button nose, a sharp jawline, clear skin, and bright green eyes. 

When she put it like that she knew that it sounded like he could be attractive - but he was not. 

Looking at Aaron was a jarring experience. It had never occurred to Paige how creepy-looking he was until Azzi started dating him.  Aaron had managed to ruin her brooding time, she couldn’t glare at her best friend without seeing his ugly face, or hearing his revolting voice - or worse, his laugh.

When she heard two girls in English talking about how lucky Azzi was to be his girlfriend she barely stopped herself from turning and strangling them both, and instead shut her mouth as tight as she could, and clenched her fists till her knuckles were pure white. 

To take her mind off the situation, she imagined him as a child, coming home from yet another lonely, friendless day at school to find his mother hosting an afternoon tea with her friends. They would fawn over him, and say “You’re going to be such a heartbreaker!” as they pinched his cheeks. Of course, they all knew it wasn’t the truth, but that’s just what you say to unfortunate looking kids, who grow up to be unfortunate looking pre-teens that ask out girls way out of their league.

Maybe what irked her was the fact that Azzi had smiled when she spoke about him, that saying the things she liked about him broke her out of her broody trance. Or maybe it was the way her cheeks had tinted the prettiest pink. How the galaxies in her dark brown eyes lit up a thousand times brighter. How the dimple in her cheek popped when she hung out with him, how her laughter at his shitty jokes echoed through the halls, honey sweet and sing-songy.

It was only when she came upon that specific reason for not liking him that she realised that maybe that gnawing, sour feeling that had settled low in her belly was something more akin to jealousy. And then, in the same strand of thoughts she decided to stop thinking altogether about why she didn’t like him, and instead just double down on the fact that Aaron sucked and she absolutely hated him. 

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27th of FEBRUARY, 2015

OAKRIDGE VIRGINIA

The final nail in the coffin came when Paige left her third period Spanish class. 

It was a Tuesday, which meant the best mac and cheese in the world. But it also meant it had been a week since Paige and Azzi had last spoken.

If avoiding Azzi was an olympic sport, then Paige had become a twenty-time gold medalist.

 For the first few days they weren’t talking, Paige made a point to stay in Azzi’s vision. She had decided that if she had to be reminded of the emptiness of Azzi in her life, then Azzi should be reminded of Paige. She made sure to be subtle with it, instead of standing directly in front of her, she’d ensure that Azzi would catch glimpses of her from her peripheral vision. Paige would watch as Azzi would spot her, then she would force herself to keep a straight face as she watched her best friend apologise to Aaron for forgetting what it was he had been saying.

That whole thing had been going perfectly, exactly to plan, but then it just started to make her really sad and really angry, and then, of course, her only option was to avoid Azzi, no matter what it took.

She thought it would be simple, she knew Azzi's entire timetable, she knew which hallways she walked down, she wouldn’t be surprised if she could estimate the amount of steps it took for her to get from point A to B. So in theory, it should’ve been smooth sailing to stay away from her, but nothing in her life had been easy, except Azzi - up until that point.

Aaron simply had to ruin, not only her friendship with her best friend, but also her ploy to never see her again. Obviously, because she wasn’t weird, she had absolutely zero idea about Aaron’s timetable, let alone his whereabouts, and in the past week the boyfriend-girlfriend duo had become attached at the hip, meaning it was nearly impossible to avoid them. The key word being nearly.

Paige had been working tirelessly to avoid the both of them, and somehow she had been able to manage it. Her genius strategy? Waiting till the second bell to leave for her next class. On the negative side, she had sprinted away from basically every hall monitor in the school multiple times. But on the positive, she had not seen Aaron and Azzi together in days, which was basically all she wanted.

As glad as she was to not see them together, it was the first time ever that Paige wasn’t on speaking terms with Azzi, and it made her really, really sad. Which was why she wasn’t thinking straight when she left third period Spanish and walked her usual route to the cafeteria - out the language corridor, round the gym, past Aaron and Azzi holding hands, then home-free into the cafeteria.

What. The. Actual. Fucking. Fuck.

Paige isn’t a squeamish person in the least, but the sight of Azzi’s soft hand encased in Aaron’s sweaty one nearly made her throw up. It was surreal, it felt like time had paused, like Paige was floating in time, stuck in place staring at them as they walked hand-in-hand down the hall.

She could have stayed in her trance all day, glued down in the centre of the hallway, but thanks to Mac and cheese Tuesday the hordes of smelly tweens are pushing her forward towards the cafeteria.

Just like the week before she walked past the lunch line and went straight to her table. Since Azzi had been sitting with Aaron and his little minions, Paige had been left to sit with the girls they shared their table with. There were four of them, and they were nice, something Paige had never cared to notice, too busy with Azzi to pay attention to the girls sitting two feet away from them.

They were nice in all the cliche ways, but what made their kindness stand out was the fact they had not mentioned Azzi once, and had simply invited Paige into their conversations. It was good for her to talk to other people, to get out of her head. 

She was aware that she hadn’t been looking or acting her best since the previous Tuesday, but no one had said anything or shown a reaction to her disheveled appearance. It was only on that Tuesday, when Paige had stomped her way to the table that the girls had acknowledged her delicate state.

“Hey Paige!” Shania greeted, her friendly smile quickly growing concerned as she and the rest of the group took in her severely agitated condition, “Are you alright?”

“Wha- Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Nothing to worry about here!” The table continued to stare at her worriedly, perhaps more so after her seemingly, self-assuring response.

“Oookay, cool.” Shania responded, voice filled with nothing but good-willed apprehension.

The table fell into silence, the girls trying to figure out how to deal with Paige’s nuclear state, and Paige trying to act as normal as she could after seeing her best friend of seven years holding hands with a grubby boy.

“Oh my gosh, I forgot to tell you about this Paige! There’s a party this Friday at Ryan’s, and you should totally come along!” Emma squealed at her excitedly.

“Yeah, sure, I’d like that.” Paige responded, trying her hardest to sound happy despite herself.

“Yay! I’ll text you the deets,” Emma said, passing Paige her phone, encased in pink diamontes, “Put your number in.”

Paige dutifully poked in her phone number before handing it back. The girls fell into conversation about the party, talking about drinks and other people that were going. Paige was content with letting it go in one ear and out the other, until she heard the name ‘Aaron B’ sandwiched in between the names of the other partygoers.

Aaron going to the party meant Azzi going to the party, that meant they were both going to the party that Paige was going to. Great. Just great. She would get front row seats to their love-fest, how exciting.

For some reason that knowledge didn’t make her cancel, instead it fueled her with reasons to go. She wanted to be there, and wanted to be the one to surprise Azzi with her presence. She wanted her to feel that same stomach dropping feeling she had felt all week, she wanted to be the one with the upper hand. Another, softer part of her, wanted her first, boy-girl, alcohol party to be the same as Azzi’s, even if they weren’t experiencing it together, together.

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2nd of MARCH, 2015

OAKRIDGE VIRGINIA

The school day had dragged on for so long Paige had accepted the fact that it would never end, meaning she nearly cried tears of joy when the end-of-school bell had rung out through the halls.

Ever since Tuesday she had been buzzing with both nerves and excitement. She was convinced that going to her first proper party would cause some cosmic shift within her universe, like the clouds would part and the angels would sing to her the second her hands touched the glass of a lukewarm berry cruiser.

With much more enthusiasm than necessary she had swiped her book into her backpack and power-walked out of school. That had become a prime part of the ‘avoiding Azzi’ plan, leaving way too early for school in the morning, and booking out of school the second it ended to make sure their paths didn’t cross.

As she walked into their street, a pang of guilt struck through her chest at the sight of the Fudd house. It had been killing her, not just the radio silence between her and Azzi, but the subsequent disconnect that had happened between her and the rest of Azzi’s family. 

It was odd, she hadn’t felt the shoulder punches from Jon and Jose in over a week. Hadn’t been yelled at motherly by Katie in over a week. Hadn’t been pulled into a daughter and extra-daughter hug by Tim in over a week. They were things that were a part of her daily life that she had always taken for granted, assuming they’d always be there. 

That wasn’t the only thing she had missed, mostly she had been missing Azzi. Paige missed her so much, she just missed everything about her. And she had officially decided that she would try to make up with Azzi, preferably as soon as possible. Her best case scenario had her hoping for a reconciliation at the party that night. All she had to do was pull her away from Aaron and she was golden, she was one hundred percent sure that Azzi would forgive her once she apologised, because she really was sorry.

The more and more she thought about the whole situation the more she realised how absolutely crazy she had been acting, from quite literally the moment Azzi told her. It was like a switch had flipped in her brain, and all rational thinking had been thrown out the window.

As she showered and got dressed for the party Paige was growing increasingly excited at the prospect of speaking to Azzi again after what felt like a lifetime of separation.

She got her dad to drop her off at seven-thirty at Ryan’s house. Her dad had given her a stern talking to about drugs and alcohol, and the dangers of them. 

Unfortunately, Bob would have been severely disappointed to find out that Paige had accepted a cruiser immediately upon arrival. As excited as she was to talk to Azzi, she was also desperately nervous about going to her first party, and having to enter by herself. Although the cruiser didn’t reveal cosmic secrets to her, it did send the lightest buzz through her, and inspire her to go to the kitchen and concoct a wickedly bitter vodka-juice blend in a plastic red cup.

After a while of floating around, Paige spotted Shania and her friends in the corner, and quickly made her way towards them. As she does she scans the room for Azzi and/or Aaron. That still made her upset, that they were now always together, like Paige and Azzi usually were, but whatever, Paige was there to make up with Azzi, not trash on her stupid boyfriend.

She walked up to the girls and fell into the simple chatter that they constantly had going. It was nice, they were nice, the way the alcohol made her feel was nice. She was content, simply standing there huddled in a circle with them as they discussed something Paige really didn’t care about. It appeared they were going to stay like that, until someone yelled ‘Spin the bottle time!’.

Suddenly, everyone, including Paige, was shoved into the basement, a large, misshapen circle of people sat in the centre of the room. Scanning the room once again, Paige finally saw her.

Azzi was sitting in the circle, pressed up against Aaron on one side and some random cheerleader on the other. She was wearing a pink sweater and her nicest pair of jeans, her hair was out and her lips were glossed a soft mauve. To put it simply, she looked really pretty.

Paige was leaning against a wall, her third drink and second cruiser of the night held firmly in her hand. She had opted out of the game, not wanting to have to swap spit with some stupid boy in her grade if the bottle were to land on her.

It suddenly hit her that she was sitting out of the game because she didn’t want to kiss someone, and that Azzi was sitting in on the game because she did want to kiss someone. And that someone would obviously be her boyfriend.

The thought of Azzi kissing him made her shudder, but she pushed it to the side. Azzi was her best friend and it should not have mattered to Paige who she kissed, so she decided not to care.

For the amount of hype the game had received, it was actually quite boring. Someone would spin the bottle, the bottle would land on someone, they would kiss, then the process would repeat. It wasn’t until Kathy Libertman spun the bottle and it landed on Johnny Albertson that there were some oohs and aahs. The fact that Kathy had the world’s most massive crush on Johnny was as widely accepted as the fact that two plus two equals four.

As Paige chuckled at the spin she glanced towards Azzi, who looked up at her at that exact moment. Instead of looking away like she would have a few days ago she held her gaze, blue eyes on brown for the first time in too long, and smiled just a little. A look of confusion mixed with shock passed over Azzi’s face before the corner’s of her mouth flicked up.

God that felt good. The cruisers hadn’t changed her life, but seeing her best friend smile at her like that again made Paige think that maybe the universe was on her side.

After Johnny had adeptly swerved Kathy, a few more rounds passed. Then, it was Aaron’s turn. Azzi was trying to play it cool, but Paige knew every single one of her nervous tells, the clench of her jaw and the furrow of her brows softening for a second as Paige gave her an encouraging nod.

Aaron reached into the circle and spun the empty coke bottle. It spun and spun and spun before coming to a perfect stop between Azzi and the cheerleader next to her.

The chatter of the room dissipated immediately as everyone watched in anticipation. Azzi was visibly distressed, and even Paige was nervous as to where the situation was headed.

Aaron hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering between his girlfriend, the strawberry-blonde girl next to her, and the coke bottle. With a big intake of air, he leant forward over Azzi and kissed the cheerleader. The room erupted in a mix of confusion and support.

Everyone in the room was watching as Aaron and the cheerleader kissed for what seemed like forever, but Paige had her eyes trained on Azzi, who looked like a deer in the headlights stuck between them. Pushing through the room, Paige reached a hand out to Azzi who gladly took it and let herself be pulled out of the room and onto the street.

They stood in companionable silence, there were things they needed to say, but not yet.

It was nearing eleven o’clock when Paige called her dad to pick them up. The night air was chilly but when Paige’s hand brushed against Azzi, her whole body heated up from her best friend’s warmth.

Paige didn’t know if Azzi had been drinking or not, but she knew when they got into her dad’s car that he would know that Paige had in fact been drinking, and hadn’t heeded her dad’s warning. She expected a lecture on the danger of drinking but instead was met with absolutely zero conversation directed towards her, instead, her dad was talking to Azzi, catching up with her about the past week and a half of their lives. It hadn’t occurred to her till then that Azzi was just as much a part of her family as Paige was a part of hers - she had missed Azzi in her life so much.

The two girls went straight to Paige’s room and Bob to his. Only when they were tucked safely into the gentle warmth of the bedroom did Paige speak, “Listen, I’m really sorry Az. I don’t know why I was being so crazy, he just made me so upset, like I knew you were way out of his league and I just knew that you deserved way, way better than him.”

After her rant Paige sort of expected Azzi to get mad at her and let out her anger at the whole situation, yet Azzi simply smiled, “Yeah you were being pretty crazy, but I’m sorry too”

Paige scoffed at that, earning a confused chuckle from Azzi, “What are you sorry for? You literally did nothing wrong.”

“Well I should’ve told you ages ago, we had been texting every night for two whole weeks before he asked me out, and I don’t really know why I didn’t tell you… It’s just  that I was really worried you were gonna react… exactly like you reacted, y’know?” The curly-haired girl explained.

“Yeah, I get that, I did have like the worst reaction a person could have,” Paige confessed softly  “I mean, I’m just so sorry Az, I wish I never got angry, I’ve missed you so much.” 

Azzi pulled the blonde in for a hug, her head nestled in the crook of Azzi’s neck, the familiar, sweet aroma of her perfume filling her senses.

With a squeeze Azzi pulled away, before she flopped face-first onto Paige’s bed, “God that was so embarrassing.”

It was quite the situation, but it was definitely way more embarrassing for Aaron, like, fumbling the single-most pretty and smart and kind and funny girl in the whole school. She decided against saying that, and instead tried to lighten the situation, “Could’ve been worse, you saw what happened to Kathy.”

“Yeah, but Johnny’s not her boyfriend.” Azzi mumbled from her spot splayed out on Paige’s bed.

“That’s true I guess.” Paige responded thoughtfully, accepting defeat.

“Great. thanks Paigey.” She grumbled light-heartedly.

Right before Paige went to apologise Azzi sprang up into a sitting position on the bed, “It just sucks y’know?”

“Yeah I know.” Paige hummed in agreement. Their shoulders were pressed together again, and Paige could feel the touch and the alcohol mixing and making her brain short circuit a little 

“Like I really thought I was gonna have my first kiss tonight” Azzi huffed in upset annoyance.

“Well look on the bright side, he’s a mega dick, so really you dodged a bullet.” Paige reassured her. 

As much as she was glad that Azzi had found out what a douche he was, she wished even more that it had happened quietly, not in front of a big crowd of people.

“You’re actually quite right.” Azzi agreed after considering her statement for a moment.

Paige playfully shoved her with her shoulder, “Of course I am.”

Azzi went quiet for a second before she turned to look Paige in the eyes, “Yeah. I want my first kiss to mean something. To be with someone that really cares about me and stuff.”

The words came from her mouth before she could think about what she was saying, “I mean you still could.” 

Paige didn’t know what it was that made her say that. Maybe it was the liquid courage from before. Or maybe it was the adrenaline from making up with her best friend. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the way the streetlight glow filtering in through the windows was hitting Azzi’s cheekbones just right, how her lashes were long and her lips full. How Paige wasn’t sure she had ever truly appreciated Azzi’s beauty before the way it was meant to be.

“What do you mean?” Azzi asked. It seemed like a question, but with the way Azzi was batting her eyelashes at her, it started to seem more like a challenge.

Paige’s brain actually did short circuit for a split second that time, but then, mostly thanks to the liquor, she decided to just double down and speak with confidence.

“I think you know what I mean” She responded, her blue eyes flickering from Azzi’s doe-y brown ones to her soft lips.

Almost imperceptibly, Azzi shifted closer. 

“Yeah.” She breathed out shakily, breaking eye contact to not so subtly look at Paige’s mouth.

“So can I?” Paige asked, moving her hand to rest on Azzi’s shoulder; confidence suddenly oozing out of her every pore.

“Yes.” Azzi responded quickly, her eyes trained only on her best friend’s mouth, before starting again, as if trying to regain some dignity, “Yeah. Yes please.”

Paige gave a soft smile before moving her hand up to cup Azzi’s jaw, the other settling feather-light on her waist. She watched as Azzi’s breath hitches, and her eyes flickered close. Paige followed suit, leaning in slowly. Azzi’s hands were hovering over both of her shoulders, as if unsure of what to do. Paige doesn’t mind though, if it weren’t for the alcohol that was running amok through her system they probably wouldn’t have even been in that situation in the first place.

After an eternity of leaning in, their lips touched in a soft peck. Only for a second, before they pulled away. Azzi tasted sweet, like canned lemonade and strawberry scented lip gloss. Her skin was warm under Paige’s hands.

Maybe it had been minutes or days or years since their kiss, neither were sure. All Paige knew was that she wanted to kiss Azzi again, and so she did. That time she let herself linger, let herself apply a little bit of pressure, and in return Azzi pressed in a little harder too. When Azzi made a little sound of contentment Paige thought she might explode. She wanted to keep going, but something told her to stop, to let it be good just as it was.

When she pulled away and opened her eyes, Azzi still had hers closed. And for a split second, Paige swore she caught a smile on her face, a kind of smile she had never given to Paige before.

Now that was it. That was the cosmic feeling Paige had been waiting for. Scratch the cruisers, scratch everything else, that was the feeling. The kind that people chase their whole lives, and Paige had just experienced it on a random Friday night in the quiet of her room.

Friendship really was magical. 

Azzi was her best friend, of course it would be her, they were the closest of all platonic soulmates.

A few seconds later, Azzi opened her eyes, and smiled at her. Her hands were still on Paige’s shoulders and she decided that she wouldn’t mind holding onto each other like that forever.

Kicking off their shoes they surrendered to wearing their outside clothes to sleep. Paige had a double bed, which was the absolute perfect size for two people in Azzi’s opinion.

They tangled together in a mess of warm limbs under the blanket. Azzi had her head on Paige’s chest, listening to the rhythmic thumping of her heartbeat.

“Thanks Paigey. I’m glad you were my first kiss” She whispered against her jumpered chest.

“I’m glad you were mine too Az, that’s what best friends are for, right?” Paige smiled good-naturedly, her chin coming to rest against Azzi’s head.

Azzi let out a little choked sound before she responded, “Yeah, best friends, totally.”

Paige ignored the weird way she was talking - it had been a long night - and pulled Azzi into her just a little tighter, prepared to let sleep take over.

Just when she thought she was about to fall asleep she heard Azzi’s whisper again, “Paige, you were right.”

“Yeah I usually am.” Paige smirked sleepily.

“So full of yourself, god.” Azzi said as she used her arm draped around Paige’s waist to poke her in the side.

Wincing slightly Paige gloated, “That’s like the second time you’ve said something like that to me tonight.”

“Yeah whatever you goof.” Azzi conceded, seemingly forgetting about whatever it was she had to say.

Paige wanted to sleep, but she wanted to know what it was that Azzi was going to tell her, “Wait, so what specifically was I right about?” she asked as she gave Azzi’s shoulder a soft squeeze.

“Oh right” Azzi spoke softly, “It was Aaron B.”

Azzi always got a little out of it when she was tired, but she always remembered to finish her sentences, “It was Aaron B, what?”

Paige thought she had fallen back asleep after Azzi had gone silent for so long, but after taking a quick inhale of breath Azzi answered quietly, “It was Aaron B that peed his pants on sixth grade camp.”

If it weren’t for the fact Paige was so determined to know what Azzi had said she would have missed the softly spoken words, but she didn’t and she was so glad she heard them.

Paige burst out laughing and Azzi followed along.

“You’re kidding me!” Paige wheezed between gasps.

But Azzi was too busy laughing so hard she could barely breathe, clutching onto Paige’s arm as her mouth opened wide in silent laughter.

That was how they fell asleep, tucked into one another as their heaving laughter gave way to shallow, sleeping breath.

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Feel free to send me asks or opinions and stuff in my inbox or DMs, responding to them is my favourite it's so much fun. As always, thanks for reading :)

[clockwayswrites]

Danny in Metropolis, ch3 p3

Masterpost bad bad day, so have a bitty bit of feels goo. please no back seat editing, I am in pain and tired ty <3

Danny held out the box with the pie in it towards Kon’s parents. “Um, for desert, as a thank you.”

“Well isn’t that swell of you,” Clark said. He was obviously charmed by Danny, which Kon guessed was good.

“Course, thank you for inviting me for dinner and the night, that’s really nice of you all,” Danny said as he rubbed at the back of his neck. “I hope it’s not any bother.”

“Of course not, we’re glad to have you,” Clark said cheerily. He would have looked entirely innocent to the untrained eye, but Kon could see the glimmer in his eyes and was dreaded whatever would come next. “Conner has been talking about you a lot so it’s great to finally meet you.”

Danny ducked his head as if that could hide his faint blush. “Hopefully nothing bad.”

“Dude, of course nothing bad,” Kon said, really hating that Danny blushing made him want to blush. “There’s nothing bad about you to tell. Just talked about school and our project and stuff, you know?”

“And speaking of that project,” Lois said, “I’d love to hear what you all have down about it so far, but also you tell me to shove off if I get too annoying about it.”

“Oh I co—”

“No, Danny, don’t say that,” Kon interrupted Danny and what was inevitably going to be him saying that he couldn’t do that. “You don’t know how intense Lois can get about words.”

Lois shrugged, unrepentant. “I didn’t get my Pulitzers for nothing.”

Danny glanced at Kon and then Lois. He didn’t look shell-shocked, thankfully, but was still being uncharacteristically bashful. Or just uncharacteristic for what Kon knew of Danny?

There really was a not he didn’t know, wasn’t there?

Like why Danny was sick.

“The help will be nice, really Mrs. Lane. English isn’t exactly my best subject these days.”

“Mrs. Lane’,” Lois repeated with a fond (if teasing) grin. “Please, you’re in my house, Lois is fine.”

“I—um, would Miss Lois do?”

Lois tried to cover her laugh with a cough. “Sure, Danny, we can compromise to that for now.”

Kon wondered if Danny could even hold out for the night.

[padfootagain]

Love in Verses (LI)

Chapter 51 : ‘Here begins a new life’

Hi! Here is a new chapter! Time for a romantic honeymoon!!

I hope you like this chapter! Tell me what you think!

****

Pairing: Hozier x fem!reader (professor!AU)

Warnings: slow burn, angst, hurt, hurt/comfort, tooth-rotting fluff in later chapters, some scenes in later chapters will have heavy sexual themes even if it’s not explicit nsfw description, so no minors here

Summary: Your life seems perfect. You're engaged, your career is thriving as you become an assistant professor at Trinity College, and this Andrew Hozier-Byrne you're sharing an office with seems to be a nice guy you hope to call a friend soon. Life seems to be smiling at you... until everything goes sour. When your fiancé breaks up with you, your perfect world shatters. And when your colleague also gets his heart broken soon after, your shared office seems to be a curse rather than a blessing. But Andrew seems determined to mend your broken hearts... Will things finally go according to plan?

Word Count: 3084

Masterlist for the series – Hozier’s masterlist – Main masterlist

La Vita Nuova

In that book which is My memory . . . On the first page That is the chapter when I first met you Appear the words . . . Here begins a new life

Dante Alighieri, quote from La Vita Nuova

It was warm. Too warm one could say, and yet you didn’t have the heart to complain, and neither did Andrew.

The sunset in Florence was a sight to behold. It coloured the Ponte Vecchio with golden hues, catching in the windows of the houses built there. The bridge stretched above the river, that seemed to glimmer with gold. And above the building on your right, further away, the Florence Cathedral rose above everything else, the globe of its roof tainted with an even brighter shade of orange than its usual hues because of the dying sun.

It was magical, truly. You had spent your day visiting the Galleria dell’Academia, and even now, a few hours later, you still couldn’t believe that you had seen Michelangelo’s David with your own two eyes…

You licked some of your gelato, as it was about to drip on your hand. Sweet, perfect to cool down in the hot air of late summer in Italy.

God… when had you gotten so lucky in life?

An arm was draped over your shoulders, bringing an answer to your question.

“I know that it’s still pretty early,” Andrew said, his voice quiet and soft, his usual tone that you loved so much. “But I have to admit that I’m absolutely knackered. Is that alright if we go back to the hotel after that ice cream?”

“Gelato!” you corrected him, making him roll his eyes, but his grin was giving him away.

“Right… gelato.”

“Hmm… I love when you speak Italian.”

“Do you, now?”

“It’s sexy.”

You looked away as Andrew’s eyes lit up, and he pulled you closer.

“I’ll learn how to speak Italian. The second we go home, I’m booking a class or something.”

You laughed at him.

“You’ll definitely need it, considering how limited your vocabulary is in that language.”

“I still know how to say the most important things,” he argued. “Per favore. Grazzie mille. Pasta. Pizza. Gelato. Museo. Ciao. »

He made sure to stare into your eyes when he added another word.

“Ti amo.”

You giggled, and you were almost embarrassed by how much of a schoolgirl you sounded like. But then it was Andrew, he always had this effect on you.

“Mia moglie…” he trailed off, slowing the pace of your walking to steal a kiss.

My wife. God, you were not used to being called that, yet.

“Hmm… you’re right, these definitely are the most important things.”

It was your time to steal a kiss.

“Think so too. So, what do you say, we go back to the hotel?”

You nodded, eating some of your ice cream, and licking at some of Andrew’s to steal some of the strawberry flavour he had chosen. He merely chuckled breathily as you did.

You kept on walking a little longer, taking in the view, the atmosphere, the busy street, while you and Andrew were taking your time. You were on your honeymoon, after all. You had time. A three-weeks long trip across Italy, that would show some of the places you had always dreamt of visiting.

And you got to do it all with the love of your life, how wonderful was that?

You walked back to the hotel as the night was falling for good on the town. You had eaten already, getting high on red wine and lasagna, and then bought a gelato as a dessert. So, when you stepped into your hotel room, you expected for Andrew to ask if you wanted to shower first, to quickly go to bed out of exhaustion after your long day. So, you took off your shoes, took in the view of the room, the large bed covered with white sheets, your bags tugged away in a corner, the small desk, the chair, and the large window with linen curtains that were letting in the last of the light for the day, thinking about cuddling with Andrew before falling asleep in his arms…

… until you heard the click of the lock on the door, the shuffling of Andrew taking off his shoes behind you, and felt his fingers on your arm, gently pulling to make you turn around. You instantly yielded, turning to him with a questioning look, only to be met with a stare that you knew all too well. Dilated pupils, stare intense, focused on you, with something tender and adoring in their light…

Before you could say a word, Andrew was holding your face in his hands, and crashing his lips against yours. If you were surprised, kissing him was second nature by now, and you wrapped your arms around his neck, going to your tiptoes so he wouldn’t have to bend too much. He moved a hand down your body, all the way to the small of your back, to pull you closer to him and help you keep your balance. You were soon out of breath, but kept on kissing, kissing, and kissing again, while Andrew softly pushed you backwards, making you move towards the bed.

You finally pulled away when he started unfastening your dress, pulling the zipper down and making your head spin with his fingers grazing the bare skin they revealed…

“I thought… I thought you were tired,” you whispered, barely breathing at all.

Another kiss, breathtaking, shaking all of you, down to your very soul, the earth-shattering kind of kisses that showed you his love, his adoration even.

Your dress fell at your feet. He ran a hand through your hair.

“I might have lied a little on that one, my love,” he confessed, something cheeky in his smile, and you kissed that tinge of cockiness away.

“So… you just wanted to get me in your bed, huh? I’ve found your secret,” you chuckled, although your knees were growing weak as Andrew’s hands moved across your bare skin.

He laughed as well, lips a breath away from yours.

“Indeed, that was my plan all along. Can you blame me though? I’m on my honeymoon with my beautiful wife…”

You couldn’t help but shy away a little at his words, and Andrew used your movement to gently hold your earlobe between his teeth, making you moan.

You had arrived in Italy three days ago, and all the two of you had been doing aside from seeing the sights was enjoying each other’s bodies.

Andrew seemed to still be as insatiable though… and you were definitely not complaining.

“So, what do you think about this plan of mine?” he whispered into your ear, voice suave and deep, almost hoarse, while he rubbed soothing circles into your hips.

You looked up at him, staring right into his hazel eyes.

“I think my gorgeous husband is wearing way too many clothes now.”

You didn’t have to tell him twice…

Andrew was dozing off. It turned out he was tired, and even though it was just 11pm, he was about to deeply fall asleep. You knew he was. It was easy to recognize the signs. His breathing had slowed, his eyes were closed, and the crease on his brow had disappeared. You noticed how his lips slightly parted. His hold on you loosened, but remained unmoving. For once, the night owl was the first to fall asleep, so you seized the occasion to admire him properly. Studied how his long hair was spread on the white pillow, listened to his soft breathing, admired his long eyelashes. You reached out to trace the edge of his nose with your fingertip, your touch barely there at all. He slightly scrunched his nose, moved his body closer to yours, and remained asleep, making you grin. You ran your fingers through his hair, careful not to wake him, gently kissed his closed eyelids, breathed in his scent…

Despite your long day, though, you weren’t sleepy. Your head was buzzing with the artwork you had admired during the day, and your legs were growing a little numb in the messy tangle of limbs you and Andrew had made in your cuddling time.

So, gently, slowly, you started to untangle yourself from Andrew’s embrace, stopping a couple of times when he stirred. Eventually though, you got up, grabbed a bathrobe and opened the large window, stepping onto the tiny balcony. There was barely enough room for a flower pot, a couple of tiny chairs, but it didn’t matter. The streets were still pretty busy, the shushed buzzing of conversations and traffic humming above the city. A gentle breeze made you shiver, but you didn’t want to walk back inside for now. Instead, you admired the view, took in the lights that stained the night. You could see the Ponte Vecchio from your window, the splashes of light it created on the river. It was magical, beyond words…

You turned around as you heard shuffling in the bedroom, and you saw Andrew putting on a bathrobe as well, smiled at how tiny it looked on his long frame. He smiled when he caught your eyes, walked over to you and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you closer, pressing his chest to your back.

He kissed your hair, played with the belt of the bathrobe, ran his fingers on the little embroidery there, the same decorating his own, the initials of the hotel…

“What are you doing?” he asked, kissing your hair again.

You could hear the tiredness in his voice.

“Just admiring the view. You can go back to bed, baby. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I always notice when you leave our bed.”

You smiled at the simple confession, a mere statement of a fact. He rested his cheek on the top of your head, admired the view as well.

“It’s so beautiful here,” he mumbled without thinking.

“Hmm… it is.”

“We should move here.”

“Here?”

“We could say goodbye to the rain and the cold…”

“And our jobs.”

“We’re academics. We’re international, babe.”

You chuckled at that, but couldn’t deny it.

“I’m sure we could find a couple of spots, with a bit of patience.”

“You would have to really book these classes to learn the language,” you teased, and Andrew rolled his eyes.

“Hmm… about that… I don’t know if it’s worth it, me doing that.”

“Really?”

“Considering our evening, it seems I don’t need to speak Italian to seduce you.”

You really looked for a cheeky comeback, but your brain was mushy feeling him grin into your hair, tightening his hold on you, imagining the light of mischief in his eyes.

He chuckled lowly, before letting out a long exhale.

“I think I’d still prefer to go home,” you whispered, and Andrew hummed as an invitation for you to go on. “This is so nice, but… it feels like a fairytale, like… like it’s not real. I can’t imagine myself filling up taxes in a place like this, you know? Or running late for work, or doing laundry… And this honeymoon is amazing, don’t get me wrong… but it’s not real. And I want to do real life with you. With the boring stuff too. Do you see what I mean?”

“That you really love filling up taxes? I’ll let you do all the work at home then,” he chuckled, and you rolled your eyes, pinching his arm in revenge, making him giggle.

“Andy! I’m serious!” you admonished.

“I know, sorry. No, I do understand what you mean. I want to do the boring stuff with you too. The simple stuff. The day-to-day stuff.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“But for now… we’re here, on our honeymoon. And in four days we’ll leave for Venice, and a week after that for Rome…”

“We really outdid ourselves with this trip,” you grinned.

“We did. And we don’t have to fill our taxes, so… let’s go back to bed. Tomorrow we’re going to the cathedral. And I want to eat at this tiny pizzeria we saw this afternoon. I had a good feeling about it.”

“Sure, we can do that.”

“Come back to bed… please, love… come back to bed…”

Your eyes lingered on the night sky, on the moon and the inky infinite beyond, on the tiny stars sparkling across it, on the lights of the city, vibrant with life, on the bridge that crossed the river and the sparks it ignited over the water.

You turned your back to it, facing Andrew. Your husband. God, you were still not used to the idea… you had gotten married less than a week ago… how crazy was that?

“Are you realising?”

“Realising what?”

“Like… is your brain registering the fact that… we’re married. We’re married, Andy. You’re my husband, and I’m your wife. And we’re going to spend the rest of our lives loving each other. Isn’t that crazy?”

His hand rose to cradle your face, touch gentle, filled with tenderness. His gaze softened, and he didn’t have to say the words for you to feel loved.

“Honestly? The fact that you said yes when I proposed hasn’t sunk in yet, let alone the fact that you actually said I do…”

You laughed at that, rising to your tiptoes to drop pecks on his lips.

“No… no, I still can’t believe we’re married,” he shook his head, and you kissed the corner of his lips as he smiled. “I can’t believe I’m lucky enough for you to love me.”

You rewarded him with a kiss, long and intimate, feeling him lean into you, seeking your touch and your embrace.

When you pulled away, you looked up at him, stared at his hazel eyes. They looked fully brown in the dim orange of the streetlights.

“I can’t realise yet, either. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, honey.”

“Come on, let’s go back to bed,” you nodded, and let him pull you into the hotel room again.

You closed the window, climbed back into bed. You chuckled and rolled your eyes when Andrew took off his bathrobe and asked you to do the same.

“And here you go… just to get me naked in your bed again.”

He gave you a cheeky grin, toothy and almost boyish, so pleased with himself as you complied and slipped under the sheets fully naked.

He held you close the second you had settled into the bed.

“To be fair,” he whispered into your ear, voice deep, so deep it made a shudder travel up your spine and your head spin, “I just want to feel you against me. It’s reassuring and… intimate. To touch your skin. Not in a sexual way but… to simply feel close to you. Does that make sense?”

You heaved a sigh.

“How come you always say things that make me fall even more in love with you, huh? Even after all this time?”

He laughed, nuzzled his face against yours.

And soon enough, you were both fast asleep, your night filled with happy dreams…

“Love, hurry up! We’re gonna be late.”

Andrew was hurrying already, as he mumbled angrily under his breath. He stabbed his toe in the kitchen chair, cursing loudly, grabbing his lunchbox and hurrying to the hallway, where you were impatiently waiting for him.

“I know. No need to say anything,” he warned you, clearly annoyed, and you merely crossed your arms before your chest as he grabbed his jean jacket.

“I’ll wait for you in the car,” you said in a neutral tone, grabbing his bag as well as yours and walking outside the house.

Andrew hurried behind you, locking the door of your shared home and hurrying in the driver’s seat of his car.

It was your first day back to Trinity, back to reality, after your honeymoon, and he couldn’t pretend that it was going smoothly so far. It was his fault, to be fair, he and his inability to be on time…

He was surprised when you rested your hand on his thigh.

“Let’s not fight or get mad this morning,” you said, offering an olive branch. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have rushed you so much.”

He took a deep breath, and found it easy to relax while your fingers traced circles into his thigh through his blue jeans.

“I’m sorry for being always late,” he mumbled.

“It’s okay. I’m okay. Are you?”

He let out a long exhale.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

He gave your hand a squeeze before he had to place his hand back on the steering wheel.

A comfortable silence filled up the car again, until you turned on the radio. Van Morrison’s voice filled the vehicle, making Andrew smile.

“How many ‘congratulations’ do you think we’re gonna have to go through today?” he asked, making you chuckle.

“Like you’re not going to enjoy every single one of them…” you teased, giving his thigh a squeeze.

“I do enjoy the reminder that you accepted to marry me, out of all people.”

You leaned across the car to kiss his cheek, making his skin turn a little pink.

“Do you think the students are gonna notice?” he asked after a short silence.

“Probably. Especially for you.”

“Me?”

“You rarely wear rings,” you reminded him.

Andrew nodded, brushing his hair away from his face and readjusting his glasses.

“The chaos our love causes,” he chuckled, and you soon joined him.

“Tell me about it,” you teased, making him roll his eyes despite his grin.

“I give them a week,” he said, but you shook your head.

“You’re underestimating them, especially this group we’ve been teaching for years now... the ones who caught up on us dating.”

Andrew laughed at the memory of your students losing their minds in the cafeteria a couple of years before when he had kissed you in front of them. It was common knowledge on the campus that the two of you were a couple by now, but that you were newly-weds…

“Maybe,” he conceded. “Three days?”

“Aren’t you supposed to see Saoirse this afternoon?”

He nodded with a hum as an answer.

“Then the entire campus will know by tomorrow morning.”

“You think so?”

“Oh… yes…”

Andrew thought you were exaggerating. He didn’t notice how his student’s eyes grew round when she noticed his new wedding-band, nor the way she kept on looking in your direction during her time in your office, trying to spot your own ring.

But you were wrong. The entire campus knew by the end of the afternoon.

The whatsapp group had never been more active, a tidal-wave following Saoirse’s message.

THE LOVE BIRDS ARE FUCKING MARRIED!

[da-extroverted-introvert]

Are we even friends? (tasm!Peter Parker x reader)

Fandom: The Amazing Spider-Man, Marvel

Pairing: Peter Parker x reader

Word count: 2.66k

Warnings: angst, death mention, grief

So I had a burst of inspiration and wrote this. I haven't seen the Andrew Garfield Spiderman movies in a hot minute so things may not be entirely accurate but please just roll with it. Working on a part 2 already, hope you enjoy. Please leave feedback!

Dividers by @lavendergalactic

Despite the gnawing feeling deep in your gut, you bring yourself to unbuckle your seat belt and walk out of the car.

You sit in the car and take a few deep breaths. You clutch the bouquet of flowers in your hand, trying to will yourself to step foot out of the car. Even after three months, this is hard to do. It’s like the first time all over again. The grief hits you just as hard as the day of the funeral.

You walk through the long, long aisle of headstones and grave markers. A bunch of people long gone who you’ll never know. It breaks your heart to know that to other people visiting loved ones, Gwen Stacy is just another headstone. Another person nobody will know again.

You finally make it up to Gwen’s grave. You kneel down and gently set down the bouquet. You stay kneeling there, just staring at your best friend’s name.

You take a deep breath before you start speaking.

“Hey. It’s me again.”

You pause for a moment, almost as if you’re expecting a response, even though there hasn’t been a single response throughout the many times you’ve been here.

“My grades are doing really good now. Applied for a few scholarships, and I actually think I might get into an Ivy League.”

You smile gently, knowing Gwen would be so proud of you. Whenever you doubted yourself, she would always encourage you. You remember the countless nights of her helping you with homework, telling you how much you’ve improved. She even said she was positive you’d get into the same school, becoming roommates and actually living together. Like sisters.

“Everyone in school misses you. They still talk about how amazing you were. How smart and how nice.”

Just yesterday you were walking down the hall past Gwen’s locker. There’s still plenty of pictures and decorations commemorating her. It gives you hope that Gwen will not be forgotten for a long time.

But you also think about the looks you get when you walk by. The sad, pitiful looks. You hate those looks. You also think some of those odd expressions are looks of confusion, as it was so weird to see you without Gwen Stacy right in front of you. You’ve always been Gwen Stacy’s best friend. People don’t know how to react seeing you without her.

“Uhmm…Peter misses you.”

You always choke up a bit at this part.

“We all do, of course, but especially Peter. I try to visit him every day. He doesn’t really talk to me though.”

Not that he talked to you too much before Gwen died, but you still felt like mentioning it.

“He just kind of sits in his room all the time. He hasn’t been in school much.”

The few times he has shown up in school, he just kind of ignores everyone. He must be getting tired of those pitiful looks in the hallways too.

“I’ve tried looking out for him. Like…like you would’ve wanted.”

God, you hate this. You really hate this.

“He just won’t let me in. I know he’s not going out as Spider-Man anymore, but he’s just not doing anything. He just sits in his room all the time. Not talking to anyone. Not even May.”

If he isn’t even talking to May, why would he talk to you?

You take a deep breath and finally stand up fully, your legs aching from kneeling on the hard ground for too long.

“I’m actually headed to his place now. I know he probably won’t talk to me, but I’ll still try. For you.”

You try to keep the tears back.

“Even if he doesn’t talk to me, May still lets me hang out. You know she makes the best food.”

You stare at her name again, not wanting to say goodbye again. But you know you have to.

“Anyway, that’s all. Thought I’d keep you updated. I’ll visit same time next week.”

You can almost hear her say goodbye to you. But you know it’s in your head. So you finally turn around and go back to your car, preparing for yet another uneventful visit to the Parker residence.

You knock on the door, preparing to put on a happy face in front of May. She’s such a sweet lady, you don’t want her to worry too much about you. She already has to worry about Peter, and you don’t want to put any extra stress on her shoulders.

Sure enough, May answers the front door with her signature sweet smile.

“Hey there, sweetie! Come on in, I just put on a pot of coffee, you must be freezing out here.”

She ushers you in and you revel in the warm atmosphere of the home.

“Thanks, May. I appreciate it.”

She dismisses your statement with a wave.

“Think nothing of it, hun.”

You sit down at the coffee table while May gets the coffee ready. While she does, you look around the home, which you’ve done countless times at this point.

Your favorite thing to look at is the picture on the wall of Peter. He must’ve been young, maybe sixth grade. In the picture, he’s at a science fair, holding up a nice red ribbon with “1st Place” written on it. May and Ben are standing proudly behind him as he smiles brightly at the camera. It makes you smile, seeing him so happy. But you also get sad, wishing he had some of that childlike joy back in his life.

May brings comes back in the room with two cups of coffee in her hand.

“Here you go, should warm you right up.”

You accept the cup with a smile, embracing the warm feeling on your hands. The warmth spreads when you take a sip. The coffee is nothing special, just as generic as any cup of coffee, but knowing that May made it for you and how happy she was to see you makes it taste better.

“Peter’s in his room if you want to say hi.”

She didn’t need to tell you where he was. You knew.

“Okay, I’ll go see him.”

You take a final sip of coffee and walk to Peter’s room.

You contemplate knocking on his door. You know if you knock that he probably won’t answer you, but if you just walk in, he still won’t talk to you. So, knowing the answer will be the same either way, you just walk in.

It looks like Peter hasn’t moved an inch since your last visit. He’s just laying on his bed, covered in blankets, head turned away from you. You know he’s awake though, you can tell by the way his body slightly tensed at the door opening.

“Hey, Pete.”

You speak gently, almost like you were afraid to scare him off. You close the door as softly as you can behind you.

“Missed you at school. I had the teachers give me your assignments so I can give them to you.”

No response. As usual.

You don’t know how to speak to him. You never really did. Neither of you really spoke to each other before he started dating Gwen, and when they did start dating, there was only small interactions between you. But still, you liked those small interactions. They were nice. Made you feel like you were sort of friends. But now that Gwen is gone, you don’t know where you stand.

Even so, you still try. You know that’s what Gwen would want. She wouldn’t want the love of her life wasting away like this.

“Have you eaten at all today?”

No answer.

“I know you’re, like, superhuman and all, but even so, you need to have some food in your body.”

You lick your lips and sigh, getting a little bit frustrated. It’s the same thing every day. You talk, he lays there, then you go home. You don’t feel like your presence is helping him that much, but if you don’t make an effort, you know you’ll feel guilty.

“How about some pizza? I can order one and it’ll be delivered in no time.”

As expected, no response. God, this boy is so infuriating sometimes.

“I know you hear me. Your spidey-senses kind of force you to.”

It’s still weird that Peter’s Spider-Man. You only found out about his secret by accident. You just walked into Gwen’s room, without knocking of course, as best friends do, and there you saw a surprised Gwen and Peter in his suit, mask in hand. That was a few weeks before the accident.

“Come on, Peter. You need to eat something. We can’t have you wasting away in here.”

“Why do you care?”

Even though his voice is raspy and not at all loud, you still flinch. That’s the most you’ve gotten out of him in three months.

“I, uh, what do you mean? Of course I care.”

“Why?”

His voice is a little louder this time.

“Because, we’re friends, Peter. I care about you.”

He sits up in his bed and faces you. You can finally get a good look at him. His once bright eyes, full of joy and mischief are dull and bloodshot.

“Since when? I mean, we barely talk.”

You don’t really know what to say, because it is true, you never talked with Peter as much as you would’ve liked to, but you still kind of thought those small interactions amounted to a friendship.

Just as you try to speak again, he talks some more.

“We both know the only reason we ever hung out was because of Gwen. And she’s not here now. So, please, just…”

He moves his arms around, trying to get his frustration across.

“Leave me alone.”

When he says this, he looks dead into your eyes, which are slowly but surely filling up with tears. You try not to let them fall.

You’ve been wishing for Peter to say something to you for months now, and now that it’s happened, you just want to curl into a ball on the ground.

Not wanting to be in the room with him any longer, you turn around and face the door. You put your hand on the doorknob but before you twist it, you turn your head towards Peter.

“I know you never really thought of me as a friend, Peter. A part of me always knew you just putting up with me for Gwen’s sake. But I always respected you, Pete. You were kind, funny, cool. Never mean.”

A couple of tears drops fall despite yourself.

“I remember when there was that Homecoming dance. You and Gwen were going together but I didn’t have a date. I was fine staying home, but you felt bad and invited me to come with you guys. You didn’t have to, nobody was forcing you, you just offered. Gwen didn’t even have to ask you to, you just did it.”

You wipe your cheek for a moment, still trying to keep eye contact with the boy in front of you.

“It was small things like that that made me like you. You’re such a good person Peter. I mean, you’re fucking Spider-Man, of course you’re a good person.”

You take one final big breath.

“So, you may not consider me a friend, Peter Parker, but you are mine. You are my friend. And I don’t have many of those, so, I’ve got to look after you.”

You finally twist the doorknob and open the door.

“It’s what Gwen would’ve wanted.”

With that final sentiment, you walk out of his room and speed past May, who is clearly worried about the tears on your face, eager to leave this house and go home to cry.

You spend the rest of your night watching movies in your room. You’re laying on your bed in your pajamas, bowl of popcorn in your lap. You glance at the opposite side of the bed. The side Gwen would sit as she laughed at the movies with you.

You try to focus on the movie, trying not to think about Gwen so much, and also trying not to think about your fight with Peter.

Was it even a fight? Neither of you yelled, but he did make you cry. He said some hurtful things. Things that were partially true. But you still didn’t want to see him. Seeing him hurt you a lot. All you can think about was the way he looked at you, with annoyance, frustration, anger. You felt bad for him, you know he’s grieving too, but he just made your blood boil and your eyes well up with tears.

Despite this, you know you’ll still visit him tomorrow. Because Gwen would want you to. Because that’s what friends do.

You hear a knock on your bedroom door.

“Come in!”

Instead of your mom or dad like you expected, none other than Peter Parker walks through your door.

He’s actually dressed in New clothes, as opposed to the weeks old clothes you saw him wear earlier. His eyes look like they’re filled with guilt.

“Hey.”

You’re not used to seeing Peter Parker in your room. He only showed up a few times when he crashed yours and Gwen’s movie nights.

“Hey.”

Peter looks at the ground nervously, hand reaching to scratch the back of his head.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I have been an absolute jerk to you and you don’t deserve that.”

You nod slowly, processing his words.

“You’re grieving. I get it. It’s okay.”

He quickly shakes his head.

“No, no, it’s not okay. I know I’m grieving, but you are too. I’ve just been shutting you out when all you want to do is help. It’s not right.”

You have no words. You certainly weren’t expecting this, but maybe you should have. It is Peter, after all. He’s a superhero. Always trying to make things right.

“You have always been nice to me, and you never gave up on me, even when I completely shutting you out. I haven’t been a good friend to you, and I want that to change.”

Hearing him actual say that he wants to be your friend warms your heart more than it should.

You give him a slight smile.

“You can start being a good friend and have a movie night with me?”

At first, Peter looks shocked that you’re willing to just forgive him so quickly. But then the expression on his face soon turns jovial as you shoot over on the bed, allowing him to sit next to you.

You smile as you press play on the movie you were watching. You can feel Peter’s eyes on the side of your face, but you ignore it until you know he’s watching the movie. Both of you just sit and watch, hands leisurely grabbing popcorn from the bowl between you. It almost feels normal, natural.

It actually feels like you have a friend again. Not that he can ever replace Gwen. And you know you could never replace Gwen in Peter’s eyes either. But both of you are filling the space that Gwen’s death left. It makes things easier for the both of you. It’s nice knowing that you have each other during this difficult time.

After a while, when all is calm between you and Peter and the movie is almost over, you turn to look over at Peter.

“You know, I visited Gwen’s grave today. I visit every week. You could come with me if you want.”

Peter is still for a moment, eyes locked on the screen in front of you. You wish you didn’t bring it up, knowing that Peter is just now starting to talk about Gwen’s death, and now you may have pushed too far too fast.

But then he looks over at you, a sad but gentle smile on his face.

“Yeah. I think that’d be nice.”

[bradchenford]

Jealousy, Jealousy

“Tim’s jealous side shows when Lucy gets asked on a date by another officer”

Post Season 6 / Pre season 7

Mid-Wilshire police station had seen a reduction in staff for the past few months. Sickness, injury, stress. All the usual denominators that affect an already overworked division. It was exhausting for the remainder of the staff, but their usual determination had prevailed so far. After all, Smitty was still at his desk, and that tugged at Lucy’s competitive side. No matter how exhausted she was.

However, during roll call there were some faces that Lucy didn’t recognise. She felt as though it was odd, as if her usual comfortable space had been invaded by trespassers, but that feeling was pushed to one side as soon as Grey walked in the room for his usual morning speech.

“All right, settle down” the chattering subsided as Grey’s authority hushed the room. “I hope you’ve all noticed that there are some new faces in the room today. If you haven’t, then you should consider a carer change” A couple of chuckles escaped the mouths of the seated officers, but not enough to interrupt him.

Lucy plucked up the courage to take another look around the room. To her surprise, she was met with a pair of eyes staring right back at her. They were a light green on the outside, but they had a dark centre. She gave a quick and awkward smile, before focusing back on Grey. She knew if she was caught not paying attention, he would make it known to the entire room.

The occupant of the eyes continued to stare with Lucy being none the wiser, but Tim was watching the exchange from the front of the room. He knew what type of man officer Booth was, and it was not the type that he wanted near Lucy. In fact it was not the type of man he wanted on the force, but that was not his decision. Especially since Booth was technically under the Hollywood devision.

Grey had finished roll call and just like Tim suspected Booth made a couple of strides towards Lucy, who was speaking to Lopez about her next under cover task. It was linked to one of Lopez’s ongoing cases, and Harper had taken a rare day off to spend with Leah. Tim felt his fists clench and Booth presented a smile that looked foreign on his face.

“Chen right? Next in line to be the top UC?” Booth placed himself between Angela and Lucy. Tim had envisioned a million different scenarios in which Booth failed miserably. A sudden Bee sting in which his face swelled up and he passed out. Or maybe Lucy would punch him in the face, but Tim knew that she was too nice for that.

By the time Tim’s thoughts got round to possible attempted murder, Lopez was stood in front of him with an all too familiar face. The face of ‘I know what you’re thinking, and I am about to tell you that.’

“My Abuela might have a curse we could use, certain things may fall off” Angela was also aware of officer Booths discretions, but despite this Tim new she would have his back even if Booth was the re-incarnation of Jesus. “I was thinking of something more practical… or physical” Tim grunted in dismay as Booth’s hand found its way to Chen’s shoulder.

“Unfortunately you lost that privilege when you were feeling sad for yourself and broke up with her” Tim was starting to regret this conversation, and it was not helping the anger that was bubbling up inside of him. Angela tugged him out of the room. “We’re riding together today- but- don’t argue with me Bradford”.

Tim didn’t argue

…

Lucy felt on edge after her conversation with officer Booth. She couldn’t figure out if it was because the words coming out of his mouth felt rehearsed and repeated like re-runs of a cringy TV show. Or if it was because of the light touches on her shoulder and her lower back which felt too personal for a first conversation.

Lucy was in the shop getting ready for the day. There was hope in her heart that the shift would be easier with the extra staffing, but she knew better than to get comfortable. As she was about to set off she watched Lopez and Tim walk towards the shop, Tim having the war bags in hand. There was no one else other than Angela that he would carry them for. Chen chuckled to herself, but was hit with a wave of sadness.

Her foot lifted gently of the clutch of the vehicle and she had left the lot before Tim could catch her staring. Lucy wished that she could look at Bradford without emotions clawing at her insides, but even though she has meditated and worked through her feelings over and over again. She still felt that emotional pull towards him that was undeniable.

She also couldn’t deny that she missed his touch, and his warmth beside her.

“Control to 7-Adam-15, 7-Adam-19 and 7-Adam-16 there are reports of multiple person fight at a property on 2210 Rosemont”

“7-Adam-15 to control, show me responding”

…

The scene was loud as Tim and Angela pulled up. Two patrol cars were already present, but the occupants were no longer inside. They both rushed in to the room which had about 10 people not including Lucy and Booth. The room was split into two sides and minor first aid was being administered. The tension in the room was thick, but not just between the opposing family members.

“Chen, you okay?” Lucy nodded towards Tim signalling that she wasn’t hurt. Although they were not on speaking terms, Tim still felt responsible for Lucy, especially since he was previously her TO. Or that was what he told himself to keep his head straight.

“You not going to ask me Bradford? Or do you just check on the cute female officers” The room fell silent. Or at least it did for Tim. The rage he felt earlier rose and burned behind his ears, and he couldn’t stop himself from swirling on his feet and pacing towards Booth.

Before Tim could cause any physical injury Lopez was in his Path. “You, outside and cool off” Tim felt his anger subside enough for him to take a look around the room. All eyes were on him, but the only ones he focused on were Lucy’s. Her eyes portrayed a look of shock that Tim hadn’t seen in a while. There wasn’t a lot that took Lucy by surprise, but Tim understood that his lack of control over his emotions wasn’t a part of his usual stoical character.

Tim was waiting outside of the property when Lopez, Chen and Booth left. “No one is wanting to press charges, no one is telling us who threw punches” Time to go. Lopez grabbed Tim by the shoulder and tried to move him a long.

“Do we have an issue Bradford” Tim heard Lopez groan from beside him, but he had already heard enough from officer Booth today. “We will have a problem Booth, if you keep up the inappropriate conduct at work. I will put a complaint into your watch commander” Booth laughed, but it was a laugh out of anger. Tim had already looked him up on the system, and the complaints from female officers were already pileing up. It would definitely have an impact on his career, especially since he was already under the big eye.

“Cut the high and mighty sergeant crap Bradford, tell me what you really want to say” Booth was now practically face to face with Tim, despite his stature being significantly smaller. Tim looked down at him with a look of pure disgust on his face. “You’re sleazy Booth, you treat women like shit. Chen is here to do a job, and a job that she is good at. She doesn’t need your gross comments”

“You sure it’s not just because you want a piece of that fine ass…” Tim’s hands were on Booth’s shirt before he even knew it. Booth tried to punch Tim in retaliation but wasn’t able to build up a good enough swing with Tim’s arms in the way.

“Tim stop!” Lucy’s voice broke Tim out of his trance which gave Booth a chance to push him off. Booth stormed off mumbling some insults to Bradford. “What is wrong with you” Lucy hit Tim in the chest, but not hard enough to cause pain. His mouth moved to say something but the words didn’t come out. “You just had so much to say to him, and nothing to me?”

“I don’t need you to fight my battles for me” Lucy saw that people were coming to their windows to watch the argument and she walked away as she felt the tears prick at her eyes. She was frustrated by the mix of hurt and confusion. Tim had said all those things about her being great at the job, but yet didn’t feel confident that she could deal with some creep.

Lucy didn’t spend time sat in the shop, she buckled up and drove away so she could process this far away from Tim’s watching eye. She didn’t understand him, why he broke up with her or why he was acting like he was. She also knew she was unlikely to get an answer from him.

….

It was the end of shift and it was a miracle for Tim that Booth didn’t put in a complaint. Angela had given him an earful in the shop as well as a look of sympathy that he didn’t want. He didn’t deserve sympathy, not when he had ignored Lucy’s feeling all day because of his own anger…or as Angela had put it ‘jealousy’.

Jealousy wasn’t an emotion Tim felt, or he didn’t think he did. It was not an experience he had been through before. Or so he told himself. He had at least not felt it so deeply. He was arguing with himself in his head about if he felt jealous of Booth, and his actions towards Lucy. It just felt impossible to him that he could feel like jealous of some sleezeball, or that he thought Lucy would even entertain it. Before he even realised the answer he was in his truck heading towards her flat, and then at her door.

Tim had paused at Lucy’s door. He had been here a million times before, but he was hesitating this time. Before Tim could even knock the door swung open and Lucy stood before him. Her green dress caressed her body elegantly, and her her was pinned behind her ear.

“Tim?” Again, Tim found himself lost for words. He was at her apartment but he didn’t quite know why. “Where are you going?” He instantly knew that it was the wrong thing to say, even before Lucy’s face showed evidence of dismay. “Not that it is any of your business but I am going out to meet Tamara”. Tim held his head in shame and chose his next words more carefully.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to quiz you that’s not why I am here. I also know it’s not my place.” Tim waited to see if there was a reaction from Lucy but her facial expression and her body language remained unchanged.

“I’m also sorry for my actions earlier today. I don’t know what was going through my head, I just knew what kind of guy Booth was and I hated that he was speaking to you. Especially in the manner he was” Tim struggled to to get the words out in the correct order with Lucy’s hard stare.

“So you were jealous?”

“Why do people keep saying that? I was not… it sounds like you were” Tim sighed. He didn’t want to admit to Lucy that he had been taken over by something as petty as jealousy. “Okay maybe I was a little jealous, and I know again that it isn’t my place to be”

“You’re right it’s not” Lucy seemed less tense with Tim, even offering a small smile. She moved forward so she was able to turn and lock her door. When she turned back around Tim was much closer. They both leaned in slowly until their lips met, and Tim’s hand went to her cheek.

It was a short lived, but sweet kiss between the two before Lucy pulled away. “Tim, this is not the right time, especially if it was born out of jealousy. You still have a lot to work through”

Tim didn’t say anything in response but nodded. He hadn’t intended for the kiss to happen, but it was difficult not to when it was all he wanted to do. Lucy said a polite goodbye before leaving Tim in the hall on his own, and for some reason he knew that it was going to be okay between them eventually.

[redcamellia13]

What the. What the actual hell. I- could somebody explain to me how the heck a throw-away blog made just over two months ago has somehow amassed 1,000 likes?

Just like last gratitude post, I’m so sorry if I seem like I’m dissatisfied or disappointed with this milestone, it’s simply because I’ve run out of ways to express how thankful I am.

😅😅😅😅😅

I’m really not sure how to express my gratitude anymore, so I’m going to begin listing all of my strongest supporters.

Yes, that’s you, @theducklord5, @aheartfullofquestions, @musicalmoritz, @frogwithaflowercrown, @blondesillyboylover, @itzyukoo, @lavender-peach-tea, @neversam, @nam-the-nacho and probably several others I am neglecting to mention (sorry! Please bear with me, my sanity’s hanging on my a thread- I’m basically running on caffeine and sugar)

I am so, so grateful to all of you for your help and patience with my spotty upload schedule, and generally low quality posts. Seriously, how do you people still support me despite my never ending struggle with constant reblogs, unoriginal ideas…

Nevertheless, I am still just in awe of this huge number. I think I’m going insane!

Now, onto the blogs that are the standard I hope to live up to, the people that are so kind, passionate, respectful, intelligent, and charismatic you sort of have to question if they’re real. (I mean that in a good way.)

I hope to have reflected some of your wonderful qualities in my own posts, and I sincerely hope you understand my pure admiration for you all.

To @god-damnit-vinne, how could I start this dedication with anybody else? The amount of charm and enthusiasm that pours out of your posts is astounding, and you are actually my first Tumblr… friend(?) Mutual? I still remember when you replied to my post, the first I had ever received- it made me so happy I spent the rest of the day smiling until my face hurt. Honestly, you are the one of the nicest guys I’ve met, period.

To @pollen-blogs, we probably aren’t exactly friends, but I do hope you remember my username. Your writing style is so clear and crisp, it makes your posts and fanfics simply fun to read! Also, your art is impeccable- truly, the whole package.

To @sakuraswifee, I am simply in awe of the amount of passion in your posts. I’m not sure if passion is the right word, but reading your posts always brings a smile to my face since you always seem to love what you’re talking about :).

To @thelunarfairy, I realize that you definitely don’t know me, but I certainly know you. Your posts and analyses are the gold standard in my mind, something all my other posts should live up to, and the way you state things makes it so easy to understand.

To @itzprismosblog, you were the second interaction I’ve had on Tumblr. You probably don’t remember, but it gave me motivation to keep posting, since at the time I was getting used to an extremely demanding new routine. Your art is stunning, and your blog never fails to make me laugh :)

To @cupidsappllie, even if your blog wasn’t one of the most entertaining I’ve seen here on Tumblr, you would probably make it here on kindness alone. If I had to shoot a guy every time you single handedly pulled me out of a posting slump, I would be arrested for murder.

To @saturnssky, my second Mutual on Tumblr. Everything on your blog feels so genuine, like I’m sitting across from you at a cafe having coffee together, and it’s this wonderful feeling of closeness that I feel really makes your blog special, and it’s something I can only hope to replicate. Additionally, you’re one of my greatest supporters, so I’m so thankful for your unending patience.

To @ocelotlesbian, merely interacting with you online has sometimes made me happier than I have been during the entire week. The way you write feels like I can hear your voice flowing through your posts, and you just seem like a nice person I’d be lucky to befriend in person.

And to all the people that didn’t get specific mentions but have still supported my blog in any way, please know I am still so thankful for everything you’ve done.

My head is still spinning from the realization that I’m not just screaming into the void anymore, people are actually seeing what I’m writing.

As always, here’s to more poor writing, badly constructed theories, and character analyses that make no sense.

[leafdoodles]

...65 Cleo?

You guys are so fun, I’m loving these combinations

[catastrxblues]

EVERMORE by taylor swift (feat. bon iver) — “and i was catching my breath, floors of a cabin creaking under my step. and i couldn’t be sure, i had a feeling so peculiar, this pain wouldn’t be forevermore.”

my #swiftiegiftexchange2024 for @lovesickallovermybed!!!! 🫶🏽🫶🏽

[i-like-forcefem]

Hey so uh I wanted to ask about that candy bar you gave me at the Halloween party last night, I ate it before bed (it tasted really good) but when I woke up I started to notice some things. My voice sounds kinda softer and higher pitched than before, my body feels tingly and kinda soft, my hair looks a lot longer and fuller than I remember it being, and every time I look in the mirror I think I look thinner than before...my clothes feel uncomfortable...people have been saying I look and sound cute and every time they compliment me I start blushing...n-not that I'm in any pain, don't worry, it's just...uh...w-where did you get that candy bar from again?

Awwww, well cutie the bars are ones I make by with plenty of love, specially for Halloween and a secret recipe I can’t just share with anyone

But since you seem to enjoy them so much let’s make a little deal!

I’ll let you Trick or Treat everyday! Just come here with a new fun outfit everyday and you’ll never run out of candy bars!

That said the bars work the best if you eat them everyday (and they can have quite some withdrawal symptoms) and I only have you the first bar because your costume was so so adorable and cute and feminine, and just so you know you’ve set the standard now cutie!

If you want more candy bars you better come back in an even cuter outfit, and also make sure to walk here in broad daylight where everyone can see! No cars allowed, most of the fun from Halloween is that anyone can see your costume, so you do need the show off phase

Got it cutie? Good Girl! Now take one more bar as a free-bee and I expect you here in much more appropriate clothing tomorrow, if you want another bar of course

[sofiasfanartcollection]

oh, baby blue

made a little art for my dear friend @olliethescribe ’s latest chapter of Only Brooches <3

Ron being a good mentor/uncle/father figure and Leo opening up and trusting someone with his troubles my beloved

[sforzesco]

To begin with, your blog is AMAZING, WONDERFUL AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH😭

You are the main source of my late Roman Republic hyperfixation and I am GRATEFUL.

In one of your post you've mentioned that you have a crassus sulla playlist and since then I can't stop thinking about it. Can you pls tell what music you associate with these guys??

my top three songs for Crassus and Sulla are Hatef—k by the Bravery, Obsession by OK Go, and Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes! sometimes syudou’s In The Backroom when I’m thinking about those moments of Sullan style violence you see Crassus inflict, LUCY’s Boogie Man when I’m more focused on Sulla’s point of view. more abstractly, Daniel Licht’s Corvo Trailer & Polyphia’s Playing God. Anson Lo’s Money to zero in on specific themes!

and ABBA’S Lay All Your Love on Me, ofc!

shoutout to U-Know’s Thank U and Vuja De which also appear on my Sulla-Pompey & Sulla-Caesar track lists as well!

[somegrumpynerd]

Hi bestieeeee!!! How are you??

Have pumpkin and snowball acting like twins heehee

Hiii!!!! Hello friend!! :D

I'm good, kinda tired cause work was really busy but I got to do a lil writing on my lunch break so it wasn't all bad! How are you??

Ahhhhhh babies ;-; they're so cute, I love it when they're both on the big pillow!

In return, have the kitties I renamed to Cross and Epic on the pillow!

Dude and Bruh chillout time :D

[charliefqirie]

Hello, Charlie, just wanted to make this ask to tell you how amazing you are. You were one of the first kindergarten accounts I found here on Tumblr and I'm honestly so happy I did.

You, as well as other kg artist, made me feel so much better with my art, seeing someone having an art style that looked so similar to mine yet so different and from someone so cool as you. It made me feel a lot better, even if it's not something that big.

Also, the way you draw Ozzy is honestly so cool and a huge inspiration for my current way of drawing him, I adore him.

You are a super cool person, the few times I've been able to talk to you on the kindergarten server I've been so happy, I literally look up to you a lot, you are one of my idols here on Tumblr (is that how you say it?). However, what I mean is that you are in my top 3 favorite kindergarten artists, and the fact that I am able to talk to you is just so... "#!_:#)'#)€?". I got a little jump scared when I saw you on the server.

And there is more, but I honestly can't bring myself to write more without breaking up crying, soo, sorry for the super long ask and for being a coward and writing this as anon –🐀💥

anon… anon whoever u are i’m gonna get you… …. crignngn in the house tonight this means so much tysm sosbbsdnjsnsbd.

[vvitchy]

why are so many young people online obsessed with calling lgbt people fruits it’s one of my biggest pet peeves

[coldpintglass]

Flatmate is in kitchen disscussing her latest doctors appointment with her mum and I’m sat here in my bedroom waiting for her to be done so I can make my own dinner