#Anyway enjoy something I made to celebrate my newfound freedom

[sageofanys]

Twin goddesses of creation

[taetaespeaches]

“I wasn’t going home with you anyway.”

jimin x reader (or o.c.) genre: fluff word count: 3.2K

a/n: Hi lovelies! How did Jimin and Dear meet? Well, let’s find out! This is all about how these two met at a club and intended to sleep with each other that night... only to end up being friends instead for TWO YEARS before crossing into a romantic coupling. This features Tae and Peaches as well, because well, why not. I hope you all enjoy, and thank you for reading! :))

SKIN warm and glistening among the crowd of dancing bodies, your focus on your friends had vanished about ten minutes prior when you first laid eyes upon him. He was stunning and you were drawn to his presence as he pulled out silly moves with his two friends, flashing you warm smiles every few seconds.

To be frank, he seemed like an ideal person to be under in order to get over your asshat of an ex, who was the whole reason you were even out that night. Finally breaking up with the guy for good, so you claimed, your friends took you out to celebrate your newfound freedom.

And there he was.

When he leaned in to one of his friends, a taller man with bleach blonde hair and striking features, you watched carefully as he shot you another glance before flashing a flirty smile as he walked through the crowd toward the bar. Looking back to his friends for a moment, you found both the man and the woman staring at you as they talked. Well, looks like someone must have mentioned you, so how could you not follow?

Excusing yourself from your own friends, you worked your way through the mass of people, eyes easily finding the man of your desire, his gaze already on you. He was drenched in charisma, almost unbelievingly so.

You both smiled at the same time, you taking the steps toward him, the man leaning up against the bar as he kept his eyes on you all the way until you were standing in front of him. Your orbs met his but neither of you extended a greeting.

Instead, you both scanned each other’s features, appreciating the beauty that was in front of you. Your staring session was cut short when the bartender offered the man his drink. When he turned back to you, drink in hands, you cocked your head.  

With the help of the alcohol running through your veins, you prompted a question. “So, are you an angel or something?” 

“Huh?” He questioned cutely with his eyes widened, confusion immediately washing over his features. “An angel?”

“Are you?” You asked as you watched him take a large gulp of his drink. “That’s not even a pick up line, I just genuinely don’t understand how you’re real,” you explained, a stunning smile stretching across his face making his eyes turn to adorable crescents.

“Actually, no, I’m just Jimin,” he told you, extending his hand. “Sorry to disappoint.”

“No disappointment,” you assured him, placing your hand in his, the touch sending the flutter of butterflies through your frame. Giving him your name, he repeated it, the letters sounding new and beautiful coming from his lips. “I’m still not convinced you’re not an angel, Jimin,” you told him, the man giggling cutely. It was quite possibly one of the best sounds you’d ever heard in your life, and you wanted to hear it again and again.

Leaning toward you, you followed his lead, gravitating closer to him. With his lips hovering over your ear, he whispered, “I do have ways of proving it to you.” A warm sensation rushed through your body, your skin heating in your flustered state.

Pulling away and shooting you a knowing look, he was completely aware of his effect on you. Your mind reeled, trying to figure out how to get him home with you. You were certain that’s what both of you wanted. “Do you want to dance, not an angel Jimin?”

The man chuckled, nodding. Quickly tossing the remainder of his drink back as if it was water, he gestured with a single nod to the crowd of people. “Lead the way,” he told you, and as you stepped toward the dance floor, he placed a hand to your lower back. The touch made your body tingle, and you wondered what his hands would do to you in other places.

With both of your respective friend groups within your eyesight, Jimin slid his hand from your back to wrap around your waist, pulling your back to his chest. The man was confident as he brought his lips to the shell of your ear, the breath sending shivers across your heated skin.

“Show me what you got,” he taunted, you scoffing as you both started dancing together, your arm stretching behind you both to find the back of his neck, your fingers curling around the ends of his grayish blue hair. His hands found your hips, holding you against him as you both lost yourself in the heavy beat of the club music.

You both were all smiles and random giggles, enjoying the feeling of each other’s unfamiliar but comfortable presence, your heartbeats reverberating against your chests, mimicking the heavy bass that boomed against the speakers.

Neither of you were certain how long you’d been dancing and sharing small touches before Jimin whispered in your ear, asking if you wanted a drink. Nodding at him, he took your hand in his, leading you through the mass of people toward the bar.

Emerging from the crowd, you and Jimin spotted his two friends at the bar. Looking to Jimin, you watched as he smiled shyly under the gaze of his pals, looking back at you with an apologetic expression.

Widening your eyes in question just before a small smile tugged at your lips, he shook his head. “Just, sorry in advance for whatever they might say,” he giggled, you nodding in understanding as your smile widened in amusement. He was cute when shy.

“Jimin, you were supposed to bring me a drink like fifteen minutes ago,” the girl called out to him, holding her arms up in feigned complaint, the man next to her smiling widely. As you both neared the couple, the girl smirked teasingly. “Did you get distracted?” She asked with an eyebrow raised, Jimin blushing as he glared at her, holding back a smile.

With a sigh, Jimin turned to you. “Well, these are my friends, I don’t know why,” he started before introducing them both to you, and you to them. Taehyung was the bleach blonde beauty and the girl was his best friend. You could tell by how they interacted that they were all very close, and it made you happy to see. It also made it more difficult to think about the fact that you were intending to know Jimin for just one night. Watching him laugh and joke with his two friends, you found yourself wanting to know him more sincerely; more longterm. You liked him.

Suddenly, Taehyung broke your focus on Jimin by calling out your name, your eyes darting to him. “Careful with this one,” the man nodded to Jimin as he addressed you, “if you’re not, he might just fall in love with you.”

The girl giggled but smacked Taehyung’s chest just as Jimin groaned, stepping forward to hit the guy’s arm, the bleach blonde man looking between them in offense as he held the spots they injured.

Enjoying the embarrassed smile on Jimin’s face as he shook his head, stealing a glance at you, you grinned, biting your lip. “Oh, he already asked for my hand in marriage on the dance floor,” you joked, the girl looking at you with a wide smile, a laugh slipping between her lips.

“Without a ring?” The girl asked pointedly at Jimin.

“He promised we can go shopping for one first thing in the morning,” you played along, taking Jimin’s hand that was still wrapped around yours to your chest, looking at him with a lovestruck gaze. “He spoils me.”

Jimin laughed but sported a look of confusion at you. “What is happening?” He asked, you and the girl giggling at his reaction.

“I’m just bonding with the future wifey,” the girl told him innocently, Jimin groaning again as Taehyung laughed.

Staring at the girl, you noted how she looked a little bashful despite playing the role of Jimin’s teasing best friend. Wanting to see just how shy she was, you decided to toy with her.

“If you keep it up with the soul connection we have going on, I’m going to have to make you my maid of honor,” you told her, the girl instantly looking at you in surprise as she giggled in embarrassment. As you smiled fondly at her, Taehyung also smiled at her with an expression of adoration. But Jimin was looking at you, warmly but also quizzically, trying to figure out who you were and how you fit into his life. In that moment, he knew he wanted you around for more than just one night.

It was almost strange how well you fit with the trio, keeping up with their teasing and jokes, feeling as though you’d known them for years when in reality it had only been about twenty minutes. You and Jimin hadn’t even ordered your drinks, getting distracted by the conversation. And you were even more distracted by the way Jimin consistently fell into you as he laughed. Adorable.

When Taehyung finished his drink, he looked to the girl with a wide-eyed expression. “Do you want pancakes?” He asked, the girl smiling as she nodded enthusiastically.

“Do you want to get food?” She asked you and Jimin as Taehyung turned to settle the tab.

You and Jimin both looked to each other, silently trying to communicate what your next steps for the night would be.

Though unsure, of his expression, it looked as though Jimin wasn’t too intrigued by the idea of breakfast foods with his friends at that moment. Giving him a small shake of your head, he widened his eyes. “Wanna go for a walk?” He asked you quietly, you smiling at the idea. A walk sounded perfect.

“Yeah,” you grinned.

“We’re going to go for a walk, actually,” Jimin told his friends, placing his hand on Taehyung’s shoulder just as Taehyung tucked his card back into is wallet. “Thank you for tonight, though,” he added sincerely.

“Okay,” Taehyung smiled, dragging the word out teasingly. “Careful, you two,” he told you both, Jimin scoffing as you giggled. “Ready, Peaches?” Taehyung asked the girl, taking her hand in his as they began walking away.

On her way past you both, she paused, looking at you. “It was nice meeting you,” she said sweetly, you internally cooing at her.

“You too, I’ll get your number from Jimin,” you told her boldly, the girl giggling shyly.

“Ok,” she breathed out bashfully. “You,” she squeezed Jimin’s chin between her fingers, “happy birthday, be safe,” she told him very sincerely, your eyes widening at the comment. Birthday? “Lunch tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’ll text you,” he nodded. “And thank you, I love you.”

“Love you too,” she grinned before waving to you both.

“Bye,” Taehyung called out before dragging his friend away, leaving you and Jimin alone for the first time in a little while.

“Well,” he sighed before laughing. “Those are my friends,” he said again, you giggling.

“I like them. I like you, Jimin,” you confessed brazenly, watching as Jimin smiled shyly. “Also, birthday?”

“Tomorrow,” he informed you. “I don’t usually have a lot of time to go out with friends and celebrate my birthday, but Tae and I had a free night so they decided to take me out,” he explained.

“Do you and Tae work together?” You asked curiously. “Or go to school or something?”

“Uh, yeah, work” he nodded. “Do you need to tell your friends you’re heading out?” He asked as you started making your way out of the club together.

“Oh shit,” you looked back into the crowd, Jimin laughing beside you. “I’ll just text them, they really just used me as an excuse to come out anyway,” you let out a dry chuckle. “We’re not that close.”

The man’s laughing faded as he nodded understandingly, though you knew he wanted to ask some questions about your comment.

Stepping out of the club onto the sidewalk, you both breathed out, you looking up at the sky and Jimin looking from side to side. “Want to go this way?” You hummed with a nod as you both started down the street, getting further and further from the clubgoers. For the first time all night, you didn’t touch or talk, simply walking side by side as you both rummaged through your minds.

Just as you began asking what him and Taehyung did for work, he asked why you were out tonight.

“Why am I out tonight?” You repeated his question.

“What do we do for work?” He repeated at the same time.

Giggling, you held out your fist. “Rock, paper, scissors for who goes first,” you suggested, Jimin smiling his big pretty smile as he held out his own fist.

“It’s the only way to decide,” he told you, you chuckling. Saying the chant together, you held out a rock as Jimin went for scissors, you cheering as if you just actually won something, Jimin sighing deeply at his loss.

“Read it and weep, Jimin,” you told him, shoving your fist toward his face, the man wrapping his hand over it and spinning you around in a circle.

He spun you a few times in a row before pulling you against his body, swaying your frame with his as you fell into a slow dance under the neon signs and street lights.

“Ah,” he breathed out, you giggling at him as you allowed him to lead you in a dance on the pathway. “My work,” he nodded. “I’m a dancer and a singer,” he smirked.

Your eyes widening, you cocked your head at him. “Like an idol?” You asked, your heart racing at the possibility that you had been flirting with a fucking kpop idol all night. Was he famous? God, were you embarrassing?

“What makes you think that?” He asked with a small smile.

“You dance and sing and you and Taehyung both have colorful hair and you,” your voice raised a little as you continued explaining, “have busy schedules, and you’re both gorgeous,” you added even louder, Jimin giggling, “holy shit,” you realized. “You’re an idol?” You whispered, looking around to ensure no one was hanging around watching the interaction.

“Wait, you think I’m gorgeous? Like more so than Tae, right?” He asked, you rolling your eyes.

“Yes, Jimin, you’re very pretty,” you told him. “Are you an idol?”

“Would it change your opinion of me if I was?” He asked nervously, you suddenly realizing how difficult it must be for him to meet new people because of his job and status.

“No,” you quickly told him sincerely. “Just a little shocking,” you grinned. “What group? Do I know any of your stuff? Play a song,” you told him, Jimin throwing his head back in laughter as you giggled against his chest.

“I cannot play you a song right now, that is the most conceited move ever,” he laughed, brushing a stray hair out of your face. “Maybe next time.”

“A next time, huh?” You grinned. “You want to see me again?”

“I do,” he told you more seriously, you both eyeing each other carefully. “Now your turn, why did your friends use you as an excuse to come out tonight?”

Sighing, you nodded. “Right. My turn,” you smiled. “Well, I just recently broke up with my boyfriend.”

Jimin’s eyes widened as his mouth fell open. “Oh,” he said simply, you flashing him a small smile. “How recent?”

“Uh, yesterday,” you said guiltily.

“Oh, recent, recent,” he said, you giggling.

“Yeah, it was a long time coming, but, I’m not even that sad about it, just kind of relieved,” you told him, Jimin nodding in understanding. A moment of silence passed between you like the breeze in the night air before you spoke up again. “I don’t want to take you home with me anymore,” you said bluntly, not meaning for it to sound so much like a rejection.

He let out a short chuckle, smiling at you. “I wasn’t going home with you anyway,” he told you. “I mean, I thought about it, trust me.” Looking at him curiously, he grinned back at you. “Ok, but humor me. Why don’t you want to take me home? Am I not a catch?”

“I think you’re too much of a catch,” you admitted. “I have a feeling you’re going to be important to me,” you told him softly, Jimin’s lips quirking up into a fond smile. “I don’t want to ruin that by sleeping with you. No matter how much I may want to”

“Is that so?” He asked, processing your words with that pretty smile.

“Which part?” A few people walked past you, though you hardly noticed them as you stared into Jimin’s orbs.

“All of it.”

“Well, obviously I’m attracted to you,” you told him, looking him up and down to emphasize your point, making the man giggle. “But I’m not in the place for a relationship right now, and you’re more than a rebound, and I refuse to treat you as one,” you told him, Jimin staring at you thoughtfully. “I want to be your friend, not an angel Jimin.”

“I could do friends,” he told you without hesitation. “I don’t want you to be a one-night stand either, Dear.” Dear. You loved that.

“Mutual friend zone?” you asked with a smirk, Jimin nodding with his own smile.

“Can friends still slow dance?” He asked you as he dipped you, you laughing unabashedly at the action.

“Of course we can,” you assured him, allowing him to lead you in another dance. You could get used to slow dancing with Jimin.

As he swayed you both under the streetlights, as if no one was around to see you, both of you joked and laughed freely, feeling a sense of pure happiness for the first time in a long time.

Looking at him carefully, observing his sweet features, you bit your lip told hold back your growing smile. “You know what would make this dance better?”

Spinning you, he caught you back in a waltzing position. “What’s that?” He asked in a whisper.

Shooting him a mischievous smirk, he gave you a suspicious look. “Some music from my new friend’s group,” you teased, Jimin groaning as he dipped you again.

“You’re relentless,” he complained through a laugh.

“Get used to it,” you taunted, Jimin shaking his head. Not only would he get used to it; he would grow to love it. A lot more than a friend maybe should.  “Hey, happy birthday, by the way,” you told him. “Sorry your gift is being friendzoned,” you giggled. “I’ll try to do better next year.”

Jimin let out the most stunning laugh you’d ever heard to date, his eyes scanning your features. “I think you’ll have a tough time topping this year’s present. This one is very promising,” he told you softly with a flirty smile.

A friendship with Jimin really did appear to be promising. Perhaps in one or two or even three years’ time, you’d look back on this night fondly with your best friend Jimin. Or possibly boyfriend Jimin. Time would tell. But you definitely hoped he’d still be there in your life.

[solecize]

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘. the boy you meet in detention, felix, doesn’t see colours. you want to gift his eyes with the kaleidoscopes and the rainbows of your world. the palette of your love story is supposed to bring together a work of art, but calamity lies beneath the canvas. 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. felix x reader 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒. swearing 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓. 4.8k 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒. do i actually ever proofread anything that i write? also yes this is really late oops anyways i’d appreciate any and all feedback, comments, speculations, etc. i just wanna hear that u guys are actually enjoying this <3 pls and thank you

ORANGE. | PART II - “THE BEACH”

you lived that sweltering summer to the tune of jim morrison and the taste of ocean breeze kissing the tip of your tongue. those moments played back at the back of your mind like a film reel, the rainbows and glimmering lights of it all with felix. before that, though, a dark shadow loomed over and stood firmly in your way. the first challenge you were forced to tackle before embracing your newfound freedom, was tackling graduation. 

everyone hated graduation, save for their own few moments of spotlight, before they were rushed off the stage and reduced to trying to not doze off for the rest of the ceremony. it was an event for the parents of said graduate, rather that the newly finished student themselves. maybe that’s why some people made such a big deal out of prom, claiming it as “their night” and the “pinnacle of youth” or whatever other bullshit your classmates wanted to spew out in order to convince themselves that spending hundreds of dollars on one night was reasonable. obviously, you had skipped. that also meant that today really was a true goodbye to the last four years of pure lunacy. 

“don’t you want to take pictures with your friends?” your mom had asked, after you finished posing for what seemed like an hour for pictures at the front of the school. 

a myriad of graduates and their families teemed along the sidewalks and the parking lot and even just a few feet away from yourself at the entranceway. there were the mandatory pictures with the parents, maybe some with a favourite teacher, as kids held up their awards and flowers with stretched grins plastered upon their faces. you weren’t one of them, though you did get one decent award and a bouquet of forget me nots to show for it. 

you shrugged. “nah. it’s okay.” at that, your mom proceeded to shrug and was distracted momentarily by a fellow pta mom, as they engaged in conversation about the terrible speeches that they were forced to sit through.

the four or so people consisting of people you once considered your “group” were taking pictures in the other direction, doing the stupid jumping in the air pose, as one of their boyfriends was dragged into capturing the moment on someone’s hello kitty cased iphone. you rolled your eyes at the sight. they were crying, something about how they were going to be friends forever.

“what a bunch of saps.”

whirling around, the one thing that wasn’t forced that day was the bright smile tugging at the corners of your lips upon the sight of felix. the chances of finding him before the ceremony were slim, as you had overslept and were basically heaved and yanked and hauled into your parents’ minivan to make it to the graduation. when you finally met once again, your heart began to stumble and leap. 

even despite finding the entire occasion a snooze, you felt a little bad about sleeping right after you were handed your diploma. you missed felix crossing the stage and receiving his own. however, no such disappointment shone in his eyes, which were smiling at you.

you snorted in response. “tell me about it.”

giving him a once over, felix looked.  . .good. you never saw him outside of school and thus, never saw him outside of the ugly polyester uniform that he had no intention of actually wearing properly. he’d abandoned his cap and gown at some point, just left in a grey button up and black slacks. his over the ear headphones still hung around his neck.

“congratulations,” felix said, shyly shoving his hands into his pockets.

you couldn’t help but smile wider. “same to you.”

the two of you had yet to cross paths again since that day in detention. it was almost as if he’d begun skipping class as much as you begun to do so towards the end of the year. maybe a little part of you tried looking for him—you weren’t going to ever admit that—when you poked your head inside the detention room some days hoping to see him or lingered around paradise ice cream a little too long. 

but, you didn’t see him. felix came and went as he pleased, like a ghost. nothing was haunting about that smile, though, as you melted a bit under the sun because of it. you’d never met someone so genuine. 

felix leaned against the wall, peering over at the crowd forming in the parking lot. “you’re not going to that beach party everyone’s talking about?”

he really did listen. you, on the other hand, had no idea about it. frankly, you didn’t care and felix caught onto that quickly with your silent, indifferent shrug.

“your mom?” he questioned and pointed towards her. it wasn’t hard to see the resemblance, as you took after her well.

you nodded in response. “where are your parents?”

“oh, they went back to work. always busy, they were only able to leave for a few hours.” that situation tugged at your heart slightly, trying to imagine what that would’ve been like for him. at least felix didn’t have to go through the mushy traditions. 

a stuffy dinner party was in the works for you later that evening, with your mother calling up just about every relative within two hours away to come and celebrate your milestone. you wanted no part in it, preferring to jump face first back into bed and waste the rest of the day away watching tiktoks. felix made a confused face when you mentioned that.

“i can see why you don’t feeling like celebrating,” felix said, glancing around the streamer decorated walls, trying not to feel tiny underneath the intimidating ‘congratulations graduates’ banner hanging from wall to wall. “when you’re stuck around this place for so long, you’re just relieved enough that you made it out of here.” 

you blinked at him and after a pause, let out a soft chuckle. he’d hit it right on the nail. you didn’t even realize that yourself. 

“honestly? i can’t stand being here for another second.” you sighed, trying to cool down the blood beginning to boil. your patience was ticking and it seemed like your mom wasn’t going to tear away from her conversation with the other ‘can i see your manager?’ pinterest-loving, wine-drinking moms. 

“so don’t.”

biting back a snort, it was obvious that felix was used to just not being somewhere if he didn’t feel like it. however, he had no idea that he sparked an imaginary lightbulb to shine above your head. your eyes darted over to your mother, as your confirmed her lost engagement in her conversation. she wasn’t going to budge anytime soon and that gave you an idea. 

felix noticed the flicker of change in your expression and raised an eyebrow. “what is it?”

a grin spread across your lips. “say, felix.” you dug into your mom’s purse, which she had abandoned for you to hold while she left to talk to the other mothers. it didn’t take long for you to find it and you giggled when you came in contact with the cold metal. with a swift pull, you dangled the keys to your mom’s minivan in the air. 

“uh, yeah?” he cocked his head slightly.

“you got your license?”

in retrospect, felix never actually answered the question. he only said that it’d “been a while” since he was behind the wheel, but that didn’t stop you from suddenly leading the way to the honda odyssey with scratched on the rear from your practice driving from when you began doing so. maybe you should’ve caught on that he either never had his license or was warning you of how fucking bad of a driver he was. but you didn’t feel like getting in the driver’s seat in favour of controlling the aux, so you gave him that responsibility.

“let’s go for a drive. you got nowhere else to be, right?” it was probably a little cruel to guess that felix was not invited to the aforementioned beach party, but you’d already spoken the words. 

felix gave a mirror of your indifferent shrug and you grinned wider. 

“you know how i feel already about those guys. drinking cheap beer around a campfire isn’t really my idea of ‘having the time of our lives,’ yeah?” he replied. 

you weren’t sure what exactly took over and possessed you to basically steal your mom’s minivan with somebody you barely knew. maybe it was because of that feeling, the carefree feeling that zipped and danced through your veins like a breeze the last time you hung out with felix. it was unlike anything else you’d ever felt before.

a hint of hesitance painted over his face. “um, so where are we going?”

“you go out often?” the question was blunt, but you couldn’t help but ask, considering the surprise he wore when you invited him out after detention.

felix smiled bashfully. “no.” that was all he said, as the two of you made your way over to the old odyssey. “will your mom be okay with this?”

“huh? oh, hell no.” yet, you still unlocked the car with a click and gave an under hand throw of the keys to him.

the wash of uncertainty lingered on felix’s expression, as you opened the door to the passenger’s seat. then, he met your eyes and something shifted within his muscles and energy. warmth formed at the eye contact, gifting him with confidence to proceed. 

time was ticking and you knew that the two of you had to back out of the parking lot as quickly as possible, in order to remain unseen and undetected by your mother. you reiterated this to felix and suddenly, you were wishing that you didn’t.

“watch out!” you hissed, as felix reversed and almost ran over a former member of the hockey team. the said male began cussing at the car, which only prompted felix to get out of the parking lot in even more of a hurry.

swivelling and swerving around some stray individuals and other cars like a madman, it was a wonder that the two of you made it out and onto the street in one piece. it felt as though your heart dropped to the bottom of your stomach and was threatening to burst out of your throat. your breathing paused for the entire time. 

worse than a goddamned rollercoaster.

“oops?” was all felix had to say, as innocently as possible.

you allowed yourself to breathe, finally. the car was on the street and you were alive. hysteria bubbled at the back of your head and you began to giggle uncontrollably. felix looked over at your, eyebrows knitted together, before he, too, burst out into laughter. 

the car stopped at the first red light and you nodded at something in the distance. “straight ahead and then onto the highway.”

“where exactly am i going?” felix gave you a side eye, as you began fiddling with my phone. he glanced at it and raised an eyebrow, watching you scroll through your favourite early 2000s throwback playlist.

“take the exit for the beach.”

felix’s eyes nearly leapt out of his skull. “uh, are. . .are we gonna crash that party?”

you froze midway through your motions and began laughing once again, uncontrollably. but, felix didn’t react and you realized that he was being serious. you cleared your throat and paused.

“no,” you responded, in awe that he thought you were that rebellious. frankly, it wasn’t just that, but you were never going to carry those kind of guts. “screw that party. i know another cool spot on the beach, it’s kind of like my hideaway.”

and like that, felix shrugged and returned to his usual carefree demeanour. you thought about how much you dug that about him. then, you promptly shut that thought down because it came out of absolutely nowhere. plus, the two of you were still sitting in silence. not for long.

you turned on “ms jackson” by outkast and the two of you sung along to it. every. single. word. at some point, someone rolled down the windows and the wind began roaring in your ears and through your hair, but the only thing you could hear were your voice, straining to be heard at the top of your lungs. 

as the opening notes of “get ur freak on” began, you looked over to felix. the curiosity you felt must have been pronounced because he cocked an eyebrow at you. you continued staring at him.

“why are you here? you’re awfully trusting,” you chuckled, as you caught eye of the upcoming exit you were meant to take. 

he made the turn. “i’m bored. like you said, i don’t have anywhere else to go.” felix’s tone was light, but you felt bad about the comment. “plus, i’m the one behind the wheel. if anything, you’re the trusting one, putting me in this position.” you managed to snort at that.

“what, i’m not scary enough that i could be leading you to some crack house?”

felix smirked. “aren’t you the girl who volunteers before school hours to help the lunch ladies? the one who exclusively wore pink butterfly hair clips for two years straight? the one who wrote valentine cards for everyone in homeroom last year? the one with a pikachu—”

“okay, shut up. that doesn’t mean shit.” you scowled and he laughed at that. you didn’t realize that he noticed all of these little things about you, considering you’d barely spoken for four years straight and you tried to ignore the butterflies taking flight in your stomach as a result. 

he said, “senioritis really killed your soft side, huh?” 

“just a little,” you admitted. or maybe you were tired of being the good girl that everyone wanted you to be. something in you must’ve changed, like felix said, after ditching your long time friends and beginning to do things like skip class and warrant detentions. at this point, you were in way too deep and clearly, you no longer cared. high school was a chapter finished and you were perfectly okay with that.

the next song that drowned out your surroundings, just as the smell of sea salt filled your senses, was “we could be so good together” by the doors. the song was definitely not on this specific playlist as far as you knew, perhaps it was slipped in by accident when you were downloading your music. regardless, you kept it playing and you saw the way felix began drumming his fingers against the leather of the steering wheel.

“your influence, by the way,” you revealed and he smiled just a little brighter, if that was even possible. 

he said, “you remembered.” of course you remembered the way he lost himself in this band that day in detention on his stupid first generation ipod. how could you forget?

eventually, the beach emerged closer and closer in your line of sight. the traffic grew heavier, as the sound of trap music overcame the bluesy twangs of the doors. you rolled your eyes; the rest of the kids from your school had caught up.

“take the left here.”

“isn’t it a dead end?”

you shook your head no, they had long since expanded the street a few years ago. thankfully for you, the extended pedestrian way gave access to one of the best hidden gems in town. he didn’t argue and followed the direction.

felix turned up the music a little bit louder, even though you were now a little bit farther away from everyone else now. “i’d never thought i’d meet anyone as annoyed by everyone else at school until you.” 

“yeah—wait, turn onto this path there, don’t worry about the trees—aren’t we just quirky and different?” you snorted.

although it was still a path nonetheless, it was a little bit cramped for the heap that was your mom’s car. a wrinkle formed in between felix’s brows and you tried to relax the atmosphere by continuing to mindlessly sing to the music. he nervously hummed along. 

he blinked rapidly. "it looks like there’s no end. . .”

lush trees stood firmly on both sides of the path, dangling branches over in a wispy pose. sunlight weaved in and out of every open spot, creating a storm of sun on your surroundings. the taste of sea salt continued to dance in the air, though, dispelling any thought of suddenly finding yourself in a mystic forest. in the distance, underneath the voice of jim morrison, the sound of ocean waves commanded your ears. the car lurched up, tilting ever so slightly up to indicate the uphill drive. 

“why are you avoiding your parents?” felix asked out of nowhere, glancing at you and trying to not appear nervous at the path. 

“because today sucks. i don’t get the big deal.” you shrugged. “and honestly, i’m just a little bit overwhelmed.” your life had been moving in the fastlane for so long and upon the sudden closure, you ached for just a moment of relaxation. 

felix responded, with a thoughtful gaze to the distance. “yeah, i guess you’re right. same thing every year, just a new class of idiotic seniors forced out into the world on their own.”

eventually sunlight transformed from small dots leaking in from the weaves of branches and leafs into a full glaze from above. darkness disappeared and you were treated with a kiss of the bluest sky your eyes had ever laid eyes on. the tranquility came to an abrupt stop due to felix’s unpolished brake. he was in shock and that sacrificed your back because the two of you hurled forward in the sudden movement.

“sorry,” felix said, but neither of you chose to make a joke about his driving when this beautiful of a distraction presented itself in front of you.

the engine was killed and the music paused in one swift second. felix wanted to drink up his surroundings as much as he could. the two of you were perched on the top of a small hill, overlooking the rest of the beach from the height. even though you still remained on the same earth and balance as the people down there, it felt like you were far above. 

he managed to sputter out a low whistle. you grinned in response and hopped out of the car, trying your absolute best to refrain from stumbling in your heels. upon meeting the fresh air, you took a deep inhale.

“where the hell did you find out about this place?” felix looked around, eyes wide as he took in the view. 

you were not going to expose the fact that you were taken here the first time by a boy that wanted to hook up with you. he’d parked at the top of the hill, just as the two of you had just done moment before, hoping to get lucky before you swore at him and demanded that he brought you home. oh, freshman year. 

“i have my secrets,” you exchanged that embarrassing memory for what you hoped was a mysterious smile. “it really is beautiful, though, right? i feel like i’m on top of the world. the sky is clearer from up here and the ocean is, like, so goddamn blue. . .”

it was then when you remembered who you were with and your jaw snap shut after those words. 

he couldn’t know how blue the ocean was. felix probably wouldn’t have even noticed if it weren’t for your sudden reaction, but he only shook his head with a smile at your sheepishness. “it’s okay. don’t be embarrassed, people forget.” a lie, you guessed, as he’d mentioned so few people knew about his sight.

a weight of gloom settled at the pit of your stomach, but you pushed the feeling aside. he trusted you with the knowledge of his condition and you forgot to consider it. you bit your lip, raining down on the apologies, to which he just waved off. 

the male kicked a loose stone off the hill, watching it fly across the air and rocked into the deep, icy waters. “it’s really is beautiful, anyway. thanks for bringing me here.” 

“actually, you did the driving,” you grinned. “but, this isn’t all. you still trust me?” 

felix looked at you with a questioning regard and you took that as an answer. you had to swallow some fear down and the next thing you did surprised even you. you held out your hand and after a beat, he took it and intertwined your fingers with his.

his hand was warm and molded with yours to perfection. his skin was soft and pillowy, as if they’d been waiting for you for years to grasp. upon the grip, your hands became one and you wished to the clouds that you’d never have to let go. you took a glimpse of felix’s expression and you wondered if he felt the same way, trying to read the small small forming on his face and the light tint of pink glowing on his ears. 

then, you remembered what the hell you were doing and snapped out of your daydream. he locked the car for you and you led him down the hill, just a few feet back from where you were parked. there, you tugged him towards the smallest of entryways in between two trees, having to duck underneath some branches and step over some bushes to get through.

the path from there was clear, as shades of creamy corn coloured sand roughened up against your shoes and you dared to not sink into the ground with each step. it was one, steep trail that led straight into the land below, with waves just about stirring up against the sand. there was not much room to walk and you had to walk in front of felix for the two of you to fit. 

“hold on,” you said, as you wiggled out of your already dirty graduation gown, which you realized you should have abandoned at the car. you left to to lay on the ground, losing interest in it. 

felix gave you a once over. “that’s a nice dress.” did he just check you out? 

when you woke up that morning, almost afternoon, you were ill prepared for the day ahead of you. you jumped into the quickest shower of your life and nearly broke your fingers trying to braid your hair in record time. there was no room for daydreaming about what you were going to wear and you figured that it was going to be hidden underneath your graduation gown, anyway, so you grabbed the first thing in your closet, which was a yawn of an orange bridesmaid dress from a past wedding. it was a boring, floor-length with a sweetheart neckline and a semi-modest slit running up the leg. you’d ripped off the hideous bow on your way down the stairs, after not bothering with any makeup and from there, was hauled into the old minivan because you were already late. 

“what?” you laughed. “i hate this dress. i put on the first thing i saw and unfortunately, it was this abomination.” you thought your tone dripped with hatred, but felix didn’t look convinced. 

you climbed up onto some large rocks that marked the end of the path and tried to keep your balance. felix helped you steady yourself, hand still grasped in his and the other holding you by the waist. at that point, you’d also kicked off your nude pumps in favour of actually being able to stand. 

felix helped himself up on the rock, following your motions, and hopped over the rocks with you. you grabbed a handful of the tangerine fabric and pulled it up, at least caring enough to make sure that it didn’t get wet. the two of you landed together, just before a darkened entrance into a cave. the entry was concealed from the main beach, far too tucked away at the corner at every angle and only visible from hopping over the rocks.

“what colour is it?” 

the question was sudden and you gaped, as if you forgot how to speak. “huh?”

“your dress. what colour is it?” felix wasn’t even focused on the cave, his eyes still locked on you.

“it’s orange,” you told him. he nodded, his gaze not leaving, as if he were trying to memorize the sight. you frowned and put your free hand to his arm, beckoning him to continue following you. 

squeezing inside of the compact entryway, the two of you were introduced to the interior of the same golden sand that brushed against the waterline in a narrow opening at the very base of the cave. another gap was framed higher up, a bigger outlet that allowed most of the sunlight to stream in. 

“wow. just wow.” his hand squeezed yours just a little bit tighter, even there was no need to hold each other, now that you arrived at your destination.

you couldn’t help but notice the little things now. there were little fragments etched into the walls of different mineral colours, from the deep maroons and the slate greys and the rare navy blue. the small waves rushing in shone just a little bit differently depending on where you stood, just a little bit brighter or darker either way. even in the sand, there were bits of ivory for every handful of gold. they made the sight all the more gorgeous and felix couldn’t experience that. 

he noticed your sudden daze, staring off into the larger outlet and your mind miles away. that’s when you were hit with a wall of cold water, hand released from felix’s and your entire left side endured the splash. you gasped, whirling around to see him with an mischievous glint in his eyes. with the addition of a soaked arm sleeve.

“felix!” your jaw dropped and he responded with yet another splash. 

this escalated into a full on splashing match, until the two of you were completely soaked. your hair was dripping wet and felix’s sneakers were probably ruined. 

you also somehow also ended up tackling him to the ground.

that resulted in the unexpected position of being on top of him, as the two of you gasped to catch your breaths in between your hysterical bubbles of laughter. it took at least five minutes minimum before the two of you were able to inhale properly again. 

that didn’t mean you moved from your position, though. neither did he. felix wore a lazy smile and brushed a piece of wet hair out of your face.

“you ruined my dress. not so pretty now, huh?” you teased.

felix replied, “you said you hated it, i was just tryin’ to help you out.” he then paused for a moment, stumbling over his words. “plusimeantthatyoulookednice. notthedress.”

you weren’t sure if you were normal because you managed to actually understand his jumbled up words. you laughed off the blush heating up your cheeks and finally pulled yourself up, trying to hide it. sitting up, the two of you gazed up at the sky through the main gap in the wall. 

for the nth time that day, you decided to say “fuck it” and swallowed down your nerves. felix sat up, awkwardly running his hand through his grown out hair. he looked at you, seeing that it appeared as though you were struggling to say something.

“what’s wrong?”

you managed to choke it out. “can i kiss you?” some sort of monster, one that was definitely not you, had overcome your being because you were in shock that you actually just said that.

felix nodded without hesitation, which put you into even deeper of a shock. you didn’t even notice that you were already slowly leaning in and he, too, as he reached out to lightly touch your cheek as he did so. 

from a distance, the sound of music and laughter dallyed and with every passing second, a new wave of water rushed in. the smell of salt and summer lingered about. your orange dress was doused and at some point in the psudeo fight, your once tightly wound braids broke free into loose waves. none of it mattered when felix pressed his lips against yours. they were just as soft as his hands. 

[tetrakys]

Episode 11 – Aftermath (Castiel)

“I really like your tattoos Castiel!” said the girl next to me, with a chirp voice and a bright smile. What was her name… Mary? Kelly? Damn… I didn’t remember. The music at the Snake Room was loud and I could barely hear anyone else talking in my booth.

I should have stayed at home… I was writing a new song, but… I didn’t know, everything sounded shallow and couldn’t quite figure it out. It was slowly driving me crazy. My bandmates had insisted to go out tonight, saying that I needed inspiration and I had been locked in my apartment long enough. They were exaggerating, it had just been a few days. And a week ago we had been right here celebrating our new music video.

Still, I indulged them. It was important for our band to stick together. I had had my fair share of failed music projects due to bandmates leaving to do their own thing.

“I particularly like this wing here on your arm” she continued, trying timidly to touch my tattoo. I moved my arm before she could, not liking to be touched by strangers. At least unless I was the one initiating it.

“Does it mean anything?” Of course it did, but I wasn’t going to tell someone I had just met. My mind went back to that person again, who had inspired that particular tattoo. We hadn’t parted in the friendliest way. I didn’t understand his decision at the time, and I still thought it was crazy, but I may have reacted differently if he hadn’t decided to go back to his damn farm right when she had just left. I was a mess at the time, he knew it, still… he had walked away too, thinking only about himself. Like her, like my goddamn parents… like everyone else in my life. Luckily, I had learnt my lesson, caring is for idiots.  

“Would you like to dance?” she said realising I wasn’t going to answer her question. This, however, was even worse. I hated dancing. I was hoping for a quiet night, just chatting with my bandmates, sitting in the darkest corner of the bar, unnoticed. I had to know it wasn’t going to last. A bunch of girls had spotted us not even 10 minutes after we had gotten here. The guys, of course, had invited them to join our table. This was the one aspect of my career and newfound fame I really couldn’t stand. Lack of privacy and freedom. Sometimes I wondered if it was worth it.

“No, thank you.” I replied, turning my head a little to drop the conversation. I was scanning the dancefloor just to keep busy when I saw her.

Right there in front of me, in the middle of the crowd, which like magic had parted giving me clear view. Her long, soft legs in plain sight thanks to the short dress she was wearing. I instantly remembered how those same legs had felt wrapped around me, while I was kissing and licking from her knee, along her inner thigh, towards her lips. Her moans while I brought her right to the peak of pleasure. I got hard just thinking about it.

I focused on the present… God she was sexy. Her round hips swinging at the rhythm of the music, that now sounded 10 times more sensual to my ears. Her long hair framing her face, down to her naked shoulders and back, almost reaching her small waist.

I stayed there, looking at her in the dark, like a perv. I couldn’t keep my eyes away, she was just so fucking beautiful. She had always been, since the first moment I had met her so many years ago. But she was also selfish and immature. I had never loved anyone so deeply and she had fucking left me. Tossing me away like yesterday’s leftovers.

When I saw her in the crowd at my concert, just a few months ago, I was dumbstruck, to the point of almost completely messing up the song I was playing. It felt like a switch had turned on in my chest the moment I had laid eyes on her. For five foolish seconds I almost thought she had come back for me. Of course she hadn’t. I tightened my fists at the memory. Thank God I didn’t care anymore.

While I was mentally debating about staying there and enjoying the view a little longer or just go home before doing something very stupid, someone grabbed her hips from behind. I instantly tensed. A guy I had never seen before was at her back, hands on her hips, rubbing himself all over her. I was two seconds away from jumping in there to punch him in the face when I saw her leaning her head against his chest, smiling.

What. The. Fuck.

Was she with him? Really? That guy? I was seething. I turned away before I really ended up doing something incredibly stupid, but of completely different nature respect to what I was contemplating of doing just a minute before. I wanted to kill him. How did he dare to touch her? She wasn’t his! She was…

Despite myself, I turned my head again and froze when I couldn’t spot her any longer on the dance floor. Where the hell had she gone? I found the creep at the bar, ordering drinks, so she must have gone to the restroom. I got up and made my way there, barely registering people at my table calling my name. I couldn’t care less, I made an elusive gesture and left.

Some part of me, the one percent that was still rational, knew that waiting for her outside the ladies’ room wasn’t exactly a great idea. However, the remaining 99% was in charge, and didn’t care how stalkerish it looked. Especially so when she finally stepped outside.

I grabbed her by the elbow and pushed her against the wall, in the dark corner behind the restrooms. The space was so small that we were tightly pressed against each other. I put my hands at the sides of her head, caging her, and stared down at her face.

“Castiel!” she yelped when she realised it was me.

“Hi Candy” I said calmly, coldly, successfully hiding my turmoil. “How are you?”

“Fine… and you?” she asked uncertain. I knew I was making her nervous, and that was exactly what I wanted. It was only fair, she was driving me crazy.

“Very good now” I said, scanning her from head to toe. “Wanna come home with me?”

That seemed to wake her from her stupor. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me, let’s bounce. Nothing interesting is going on here tonight.” I smirked like a real asshole “I bet we can find something fun to do at my place.”

“So…” she said, her voice shaking with anger “we sleep together, after you make it very clear that was supposed to be a one time deal. I don’t hear from you the whole week, then as soon as I run into you, you decide you are in the mood to have sex again? What am I, your booty call now?”

“Please” I replied dismissively, “we are friends, you know it. We don’t have to label things.”

That seemed to be the wrong answer, she just looked at me with rage and said “Goodnight Castiel” and made to leave. I didn’t allow her though, keeping her trapped between my arms, pressed against the wall.

“Is it because of that creep you were rubbing yourself against?” I asked with venom in my voice “Nice little show by the way, are you going to fuck him? You weren’t far from it back there.”

She just stared at me, shocked. I had literally managed to shut her up. I took it as a good sign.

“You know I can do you better baby” I whispered, lowering my head, just an inch separating our lips. “Come home with me.”

A moment went by when I thought she would either kiss me or slap me, but she actually… laughed? She literally started laughing her but off. I took a step back and frowned.

“You are jealous!” she said, her eyes shining. “That’s why you are acting like such an asshole.”

Fuck.

“I mean, you are always an asshole, but that’s a whole new level.”

“Please…” I replied with fake nonchalance.

“No, you please.” She pushed against my chest until I was the one now leaning against the wall. “Play your little games with someone who doesn’t know you Castiel.” She said smirking, “You can’t fool me.”

Then she walked away, leaving me there like an idiot.

“Are you going to sleep with him?” I couldn’t stop asking before she got back to the main room.

She stopped and looked at me from over her shoulder. “Mmm… who knows? I mean… it’s nice to not make plans and see how the night goes, right? Your words. And anyway, it’s none of your business. I’m not your girlfriend, remember? Your words again.” She closed her eyes for a moment, when she opened them again her voice was calmer “Figure out what you want Castiel.”

And just like that, she left.

I stayed there, staring for a while at the spot where she had been. I didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t my girlfriend, she hadn’t been for a while. I didn’t care who or what she did, I had made it very clear.

Except… I did care… and it was fucking eating me.

I punched the wall and felt a jolt of pain through my arm. Idiot. Stupid idiot, you need those hands to play. That’s what happens when you start to feel. I had to leave, right now!

I held my hurt hand with the good one. What a clusterfuck of a night, I should have just stayed at home. Walking through the exit, I left the bar without sparing another glance at the main room. I felt like a dagger was piercing my chest at the thought of what was maybe going on in there.

Figure out what you want, she had said. Easy, right?

The hell it was… I hadn’t felt such a mess in years. Hell… I hadn’t felt so much in years. Numbness was easier, all these feelings were too much for me to handle. Nothing good could come from them.

Except, maybe one thing… Now I knew exactly how to write my song.

[hl-secret-santa-2020]

Black Mesa Christmas

( @lapestelareste I’m your secret Santa! )

Gordon’s indifference to the cold environment and robotic announcements of Black Mesa was offset by his astonishment toward the experiments and his generally amiable colleagues. Not so much the other scientists, however, where they lost their patience for Gordon’s active and odd tendencies. He instead managed to have a better time talking with the security guards, who appreciated his benignly chaotic behavior for killing the boredom and being less uptight than the researchers.

Even so, there was little he could talk to them about. Their knowledge of physics was varied, but most tended to have only a high school level of understanding. Gordon’s own shyness to starting casual conversations made that gap of interests daunting to him.

During one of his breaks, he was about to go his locker when he saw someone’s open. It was from a B. Calhoun, a security guard he had met who mentioned wanting a beer in ear-shot of the administrator. While he’d feel bad peeping at private belongings, his curiosity tempted him to go for a quick one second look. His eyes widened when he saw a collection of books that had conspiracy theories about aliens living on Earth. He must be into science fiction! That’s something they could bond over!

Despite his stilted way of talking, Gordon was clearly trying to befriend Calhoun, who had introduced himself as Barney. He was more confident in speaking despite his odd interests, and he was able to chat it up with Gordon over aliens, which would then transform into more mundane talks about their backgrounds and other hobbies.

Barney once talked about growing up as a latch-key kid, and he would use his freedom to roam the neighborhood for adventures and finding weird things from obscure music records to substances only adults knew about. During one of these times, Barney said he found a video cassette that proved aliens were out there. The footage was a very grainy recording of a small, lanky humanoid roaming a wooded hill. There was no music and the only sounds were the sound of leaves being crumbled under its feet. Gordon was suspicious of this but played along. He could not deny either that such a visual would be burned into his own memory if he saw it at a young age.

“Here’s the thing, Gordon,” Barney looked at him with serious conviction. “I can’t tell for sure if that was an incredibly weird looking guy in a suit. But that’s an awful lot of good effects to waste on a student film.”

Gordon tried to say something but ended up making an expression of uncertainty.

“Either way, I know you probably think I’m gullible ‘cause I don’t have a PhD or anything fancy.” Gordon shook his head quickly in a neurotic display of sympathy. “Just wanted to tell you that since you don’t look like you’d shrug off that kind of stuff. Hell, I don’t think I told anyone else about that.”

Gordon smiled and reassured him that his secret was safe with them.

“Good,” Barney replied laconically. “And if I ever do find that thing again, you bet your ass I’m gonna catch him. I’ve practiced karate every day of my life.” Barney prepared some stock martial arts movements as Gordon reflexively put his hand to cover his face. Gordon lowered his hand and said that he’d pay Barney a beer if the alien was ever found, to which Barney grinned with acceptance and shook his hand.

As the holiday season was approaching, Gordon had anxiety over what to gift his new best buddy. He knew Barney liked to talk about “the truth”, whatever that meant. Aliens were another thing, but he was pretty sure aliens would be too hard to find. Think Gordon, think!

Doing what any other man would do in a tricky situation, he crawled into the facility’s air-vents to peek through the other rooms to get ideas. The other personnel were initially frightened by this rat-like human prowling above them and waiting to fall at any time, but they grew used to it after a few weeks. He could not find anything sticking out to him, however, only finding scientists in Santa hats and some holiday decorations scattered across the hydraulic robots and experimental teleporters.

Overhead he could hear and then see several scientists bicker over whether they could locate Santa Claus in another dimension and bring him here. All while wearing elf and reindeer clothing. Gordon tried to stifle his laughing to remain being stealthy, as though the metallic echoes of his hands and knees were silent. He stopped briefly after a surprise announcement by the automatic VOX that said “Ho. Ho. Ho. Merry. Christmas.”

Gordon’s ideas were not getting anywhere, and his mind was stuck in a rut. He was not good at creating gifts, but he did not want to buy a generic gift to a new friend. He was growing more impatient and disappointed in himself for not knowing what to do, thinking he was taking the friendship for granted.

In the moment of frustration, he thought back to the story Barney talked about with the weird tape. If there was a way to use that as a gift, Gordon thought, he would be giving a great Christmas present. But figuring how to turn something like that into a gift would be tricky. He did not want to pretend to see the alien as he was a poor liar, and he was not good at making costumes or directing movies.

While lost n thought, he heard another sudden sound. Instead of the VOX, however, it was the teleporter he could see behind the air vent’s bars. The orange ethereal light had shot out something unusual. A football-sized creature with stubby legs and much longer forelegs. It had no features on its surface other than a light brown skin. It lunged out, exposing a toothy hole on its underside, which was only stopped by the glass cage containing it.

Gordon was awe-struck at this, and we was not sure if this was a real honest-to-God alien or an advanced machine prop. Either way, he thought that showing this to Barney would be a fantastic gift. A bizarre creature like this had to be what the holidays were for! But Gordon had to be careful. Security personnel were not allowed to see the experiments, and he did not have a camera on him.

He traversed his way back to Barney to tell him about the newfound organism. Barney was surprisingly very skeptical, in contrast to how Gordon thought he would react. Even with his frantic gesturing, Gordon couldn’t convince him.

“Hell, Gordon, you know I’m not even supposed to be near the scientists. That’s just asking for a dent in my paycheck.” Gordon put his finger on his chin and pondered how to convince him without too many risks. Grinning, Gordon pointed to the ventilation shaft and explained how to see the creature without rousing suspicion.

“Uh-uh. Gordon. That thing shouldn’t even hold one person. There is no way I’m going to be huddled in there just to see an alien.

Moments later, Barney found himself following Gordon through the air vents. His frown aside, Barney followed Gordon despite his pessimism. Gordon’s own enthusiastic smile, like a kid opening up a large present, was enough to guile him. Along the way, Barney talked about what Gordon’s background was like to pass the time.

Gordon was hesitant, and his mood lowered in response, causing Barney to change the subject. Gordon conceded anyway to explain. Gordon said his childhood was not rough and he did grow up in a loving family, but that a lot of times during school were full of isolation because of his eccentric behavior. He resumed by saying he didn’t have many close friends, and that was why he didn’t want to disappoint Barney.

“Sorry to hear that, buddy. But as far as friends go, you found one of the best, so it’ll take more than a few weird things like… whatever we’re doing now… to stop that.”

Gordon nodded softly and went on as he neared the part that was overhead of the creature, which he would describe in vague terms about its size and legs. Barney was not convinced, but he enjoyed the novel way he was traveling as they talked. Gordon peeked through the bars to get a better look at the strange animal, but he found an empty glass cage in its place.

His voice was strained, and he struggled to find any words, instead being baffled and saying that he swore he saw the alien in that spot. He started to ramble about how maybe a scientist took it away, or that maybe it escaped, which only increased his fear. He was holding onto his hair and scratching his head out of confusion until Barney put his hand on his shoulder.

“Woah hang on there. Look, I don’t know if you were pulling my leg or if you really saw something, but it’s not worth having a breakdown over.” Gordon slowed his breathing and looked back at Barney. “This was a hell of an adventure anyway, and it was just fun going through this weird maze. You could hear everyone talking about science stuff that doesn’t matter.” Gordon nodded and gave a bit of a smile after that pun Barney made, whether he realized it or not.

“Honestly, I don’t even celebrate Christmas that much. Too much focus on commercialized crap.” This prodded Gordon to ask what he usually celebrated on this holiday season.

“Festivus!”

Gordon stared at him with a stoic look before cracking up, his sudden giddy laughter echoing through the halls and startling all the scientists. Barney became confused and asked what was so funny. After getting no answers from the still-laughing scientist, he shrugged and let Gordon do his thing as he started to smile too.

[soutterlytaron]

Pizza & a Beer are the new Netflix & Chill || Taron & Phoebe

Summary: Couch dates are what happen, when the kids are away... God, they’re such parents now!

When: End of November, 2018

How was time running away so quickly these days? Taron’s birthday seemed like it already was a million years away and even though they had his family around to celebrate they had not even had a chance for a proper date night yet, something they usually did whenever they had the advantage of parents around and phoebe was not going to wait until Christmas when they’d either have her and his parents here or go visit one of them. So instead, she had booked his family a lovely little trip to New Orleans for a day and a night with the babies and his sisters so they’d have the house to themselves and could actually do nothing but relax and enjoy each other’s company. “Can you hear that?” Phoebe asked, referring to the fact that there was in fact nothing that anyone could hear right now. “It’s quiet. An empty house. I mean...an empty house and a zoo!”

—

Taron had just entered their living room, when he heard his wife’s voice and grinned in reply, as he made his way over to her and plonked down next to her on the couch. The past two weeks had gone by so quickly- his birthday, Elton’s concert, the Robin Hood press tour and premiere in the US… it felt like he had been surrounded by people every moment of every day - and now, the house felt strangely calm. “What did you do.” he asked Phoebe amusedly, “did you magically make our family disappear?” Stretching out his legs in front of him, he slumped further on the couch, and leaned against her. “Our furry roomies are all outside and enjoy playing with the leaves in the garden.” Recently, he had noticed that Cousin It had started building a winter nest on their porch, which their pets had become protective of and had begun dragging all leaves towards it. “What do we do with our newfound freedom?”

---

“Yes, I made them magically disappear, impressed?” Phoebe asked laughing while she moved to lay her head onto Taron’s legs, looking up at him grinning. “The magic trick is called a trip to New Orleans, your sisters were very excited to see where the show was made, so it was easier to be honest!” Autumn was well on its way and the garden was turning all shades of burnt orange and while Phoebe enjoyed that a lot, she enjoyed watching their animals play outside even more. “Its the sweetest thing, isnt it?” She really wasn’t looking forward to the colder months, but this was beautiful and she was keen to enjoy it until it lasted and was swapped for freezing cold and snow. “Give me a few minutes to make sure this peace and quiet is real...I don’t trust it just yet!”

---

“With you? Always.” Grinning at her, he nodded, his hand almost automatically moving to run his fingers through her hair, as she laid down. “And they didn’t beg you to go with them? I’m surprised - they can be pretty convincing.” Both Poppy and Katie loved Phoebe with all their hearts, from the first time he had taken her home to Aberystwyth, and they remained very much attached to their sister-in-law to the point where they stole her away from him, whenever they were around. He couldn’t be mad about that, however, not when he loved witnessing that so much. “Do you think she’ll go into hibernation this year?” he asked - last year, Cousin It hadn’t hibernated apart from sleeping more and eating less than usual, and it had them a little worried. “You’ll get to wrap up in my sweaters again.” He could see on her face that she was mourning the warm months of summer already, while he was looking forward to winter finally arriving full force. “I’m happy with that.” He kept up his slow threading of his fingers through her hair, while he looked down at her lovingly - full of awe at how much their lives had changed in the past year, and how much he loved all of it, including these moments of quietude. “I might do something daring, though,” he laughed, and bent his head to steal a kiss, leaving one on the tip of her nose, too.

---

“I’m not sure, I think it’s be the healthy thing for her to do, but then again I think we’d all miss her a lot so I’ll selfishly hope not? As long as she can happily be without it?” It was the oddest thing, the fact that cousin it in fact had not gone into hibernation, something phoebe herself would most likely do if she had the chance and if humans were made to go into a deep slumber over the winter months. “Your sweaters are the only thing that can get me through the winter, I’m not going to lie. Never miss Australia more than i do when it’s cold! How can you enjoy it that much?” It was fascinating to her to see how much Taron enjoyed winter and while she loved the idea of him passing that onto the kids and them being excited for snow and all, she’d forever be sceptic. “Something daring? Oh, like what? Open a bottle of wine before 5pm and order pizza?” She teased her husband softly before leaning up a little to seek his lips once more, his kiss being over way too quickly.

—

“We’ll leave a bowl of water and some dried fruit out for her, what do you say?” Before meeting Phoebe, he had only had a pet as a child, a dog he had loved dearly, but since being with her, he had realised how much he loved having animals around the house. Yes, they might cause chaos and leave a mess once in a while, but the love and adoration, and the care they received in return for caring for their roomies was something he didn’t want to miss out on ever again. “Your sweaters are my sweaters,” he told her generously, and then laughed at his mishap, adding “the other way round, actually, but you know what I mean, love!” Given that she had grown up in a warm country, he understood, why she didn’t enjoy winter the same way he did, but he still would try to make her wrap up and take her out to make snow angels or have snow fights with him anyway, and then make sure she warmed up properly again. “Do you want to go to Australia for Christmas again? I know my family will love the warmth as much as you do.” Her words let the smile on his face grow to a full-blown Taron-like grin, and he leaned back in to meet her half-way, and kiss her once more. A kiss that lingered for a long while, unhurried, full of love for Phoebe. “I was thinking Netflix, pizza and beer, but your version sounds classier...” His hand cupped her cheek, and he let his thumb trace over her cheekbone, as he gazed down at her lovingly. “But I’m very happy to stay right here, too.”

---

“Oh absolutely, it does sound like we need that out there - I wouldn't want the poor baby to miss anything!” His little mishap on the sweater situation made her grin softly, him correcting himself was what made her laugh though. It was sweet and while she had known what he meant she still couldn't help but laugh. His offer to go to Australia again made her smile brightly, while she knew just time wise and effort wise with the travels it would be easier to stay here or visit his family, she did love the idea to go to Australia again. “I mean especially with Teresa and the newest baby on the way I’d love to be home for a little bit over Christmas, but I don’t want you and your family to have to give up on snow and Christmas at home, are you sure they really wouldn’t mind? Ultimately it was something she wanted the whole family to agree on really, even if that would take some talking. “Oh, but yours sounds more comfortable, your suggestion wins! Actually anything that means not leaving the couch for more than 5 minutes wins!”

---

Her kind, big heart was one of the things Taron loved about Phoebe so much, and her words only confirmed it more - no matter how big or small, she took care of everyone in their little family and beyond, made sure everyone knew they were loved and wanted. Her laughter shook him out of his reverie, and he turned his grin onto her once more, nodding at her suggestion. “It’ll be our babies’ first Christmas in Australia! We should definitely go visit them all and Bumpy, while we’re there. Take the boys off their hands for a few hours, too.” His family was more like her than him, when it came to cold and snow, and so he added, “I’m sure they’ll love to be invited and have everyone get together again. We’ll ask them tonight, all right?” He knew family was important to Phoebe, hers as much as his, and with their little family on the move, neither would have to lose out on seeing them. Taron started laughing at her agreeing, remarking cheekily, “if that’s the only prerequisite, I really should have suggested having sex on the couch… we wouldn’t have to move off the couch for that, either.” The house being as empty as it was, they had all the choices left wide open to them.

—-

“You are the most amazing husband and human being, do you know that?” Phoebe asked, smile big and honest as she looked at him. His compassion was absolutely incredible and the way he had embraced her family and friends would never cease to amaze her. “I would absolutely love that, yes, that sounds absolutely fantastic!” The idea made her happier than she had thought, until now not realising how much she wanted to actually go home to Australia with the kids for Christmas. “I am inclined to agree, but can we order Pizza first? Cause now you also put Pizza on the table and..I do want both!” Phoebe teased him right back grinning before she stretched out to try to reach her phone. “Also, starving so we do need to get food first. Regret marrying me yet?”

---

“How come?” Her comment surprised him, but her warm words left him blushing more than anything else. She liked to remind him of it often, and he never quite got used to it - although it always left him with a particularly warm feeling inside. “We could buy the tickets tonight, when our family is back from their trip?” Apart from having to read a few scripts, his schedule was wide open which meant they could go whenever Phoebe and him wanted. “That’ll mean we’ll get to see your new show there. I’m really excited about it!” Seeing her work made him happy, and knowing one could be around with the kids, while the other was on set, let him rest easy - Julian and Sadie had never had to go long without both parents around. “Aw, bloody… I should’ve known - ” Taron laughed and shook his head at his wife with increasing amusement. “Let’s feed you first!” Watching her try and reach her phone was amusing, and he was tempted to push it out of her reach with his foot, just to see what would happen. In the end, he leaned over her to grab it and hand it to her. “You choose - as long as there is much cheese, I’ll be happy. Tell Ambrosio to make it a big pizza.” He’ll happily wait til they had eaten, but he still stole a kiss from Phoebe, before the phone connection with their favourite pizzeria was made.

—-

“We should, especially if we all want to sit together! We are like a little army of people. Or a football team!” He was right though, it would be exciting and she could see the season premier of her own show with her family and especially with Taron by her side. The fact that they managed to both work and still stay spend as much time with each other and the kids, as a family, it was special. Truly, truly special. “You should have known, yes..but hey, come on Pizza!” She was very thankful for his little help to finally reach her phone before he told her to choose whatever “Are you sure? Cause last time you complained that there was a massive amount of veggies on there, so I just wanna make sure you won't hate me, or my pizza order!” Phoebe told him laughing before she dialled the number, kissing Taron back for a moment before she leant back to order a large Pizza, different toppings on each halves, making sure there was something for both of them on there! “Only going to take a few minutes, they love us, do you realise that? They deliver extra quick for us!”

---

“Or a Rugby team - half Welsh, half Australian!” Taron laughed at the thought, but at the same time it warmed his heart, because he didn’t need much more than this in his life - Phoebe, their kids, their families and friends… anything else came second to them. He beamed with pride, when he mentioned her show, because he was so proud of her finding and doing projects she loved. She was a great actress in his eyes, and deserved to work with the best and brightest in the business. “Almost two years of marriage, and I still can’t compete with pizza,” he grumbled good-naturedly, patting his stomach, when he realised that he was hungry, too. “The only veggie that should be on a pizza is tomato!” His exclamation was punctuated by a loud laugh, which was only silenced by her kiss. “Keep the veggies on it, it’s like having salad and pizza at the same time. At least Dalton won’t have my head for it… it’s salad. In some way. Somehow.” As he listened to her order their food, he thought back to the first time he had realised that Phoebe was a vegetarian during their first dinner together, which turned out to be the best first non-date ever. Back then, he had wondered how one could live without meat, but having been with Phoebe for two and a half years now, and working with his trainer Dalton Wong for different films, he had quickly learned that it was possible, and also good for you. “Express delivery?” he asked, shaking his head to clear his thoughts, then grinned at her. “You’re a genius, love. I love this - and you.” It meant they still had a few minutes left till their food came, and he was torn between fetching them something to drink, and gathering Phoebe in his arms. The latter idea won, and he cupped both of her cheeks in his hands and pressed a kiss to her lips.

---

“50 years of marriage and I’ll still make you wait if it means I get Pizza first, some things simply never change!” Phoebe told her husband grinning brightly before she rolled her eyes at him good heartedly. “Salad, really? Have I taught you nothing about healthy food?” She asked, though she couldn't actually not laugh about it. It was an absolutely hilarious concept and in a way, even though she wouldn't actually admit it, he was kind of right. “I know, please say that more often and share the news - you are married to a genius! But hey, I love you too, loads and you know it!” When he kissed her she responded right away, moving closer to him, leaning into him, only breaking the kiss for a moment to add one tiny joke more. “I mean, I know I am great and I just ordered Pizza, but I hope that's not how you thank everybody who ever orders you Pizza!” She didn't really leave him much time to reply before her lips were back on his, happily savouring the moment and the fact that they were alone to do whatever they want, something that was such a rarity those days and although she loved having a full house, moments like this reminded her of the fact that they really needed to find more time for themselves. “I love you, so much, thank you for existing!”

---

“Okay, fine, it’s a deal. I can live with pizza being your first choice sometimes, Phoebe - as long as I’m it the rest of the time… I’ll happily share with our babies.” They had had that “argument” countless times before, and he loved to tease her about it, play the carnivore simpleton to make her laugh. “You have, my love, and I’m very thankful for it.” It was a fact that eve since he had adapted to her eating habits more, he had had less trouble to get fit for roles that demanded a certain look or built, and he was thankful for it, because he had hated torturing himself with diets so much that he had overeaten once he could. Now, he didn’t have to, and could enjoy a bit of everything. Joining in her laughter, he reached out to pinch her cheek lightly. “If you want me to, I’ll shout it from the rooftops,” he told her, still laughing, “but you’ll have to bail me out, once I get arrested for disturbing the peace in this town!” There were so many reasons to love her, and when he replied “I love you, too”, all of those reasons were mingled in these three words. Her kiss, the feel of her so close kept his mind only focused on her, and he needed a moment to catch up. “Perhaps it is,” he told her, tongue-in-cheek grin in place, “perhaps that’s why Ambrosio delivers so fast.” He lost himself in their kiss, lips moving against each other unhurriedly, full of love, and let himself just feel for a while. These moments had become far and few in between, but their time with Sadie and Julian was so incredible that he couldn’t bring himself to miss them too much - he didn’t mind catching up like this, however, stealing a moment with Phoebe here and there, when their family was around, because she was, and always would be, the first love of his life. Just as he was about to reply to her compliment, the doorbell rang, and he got up with a grumble, but returned a few moments later with a laugh. “You’ve made me blush so hard right now that the delivery boy asked me, if I had caught a sunburn!” Leaning down to kiss her, he placed the pizza box in her lap and went to the kitchen to get napkins and the beer he had promised her. “To our epic “no kids in sight” date!”

---

There were many reasons why Taron was a perfect husband and counting and listing them all would be far too long, so Phoebe was happy to just use the fact that he without even talking about it he was the one to get up and get the Pizza from the door, allowing her to keep put on the couch without moving much only to smile at him brightly as he handed her the Pizza as well as the beer. “Very epic night, yes!” Phoebe exclaimed happily before she grinned even brighter “You look cute when you blush - and when you have a sunburn although that is very unhealthy so I cant even say that, can I?” She asked when he finally sat back down, opening both beers and handing him one. “To us and tonight!!”  She told him, raising her bottle before she took a sip although she did put the bottle down almost right away to open the Pizza box, putting it between them so they could both eat and enjoy the Pizza, the first slice hers though. “Aside from going to Australia, anything else you’d like to do with your free time? I mean you have a little bit of time off now, so what are we going to get up to? I think we should try to find something special to enjoy this - who knows what big big project you’ll have coming up afterwards and we will have to adapt to it!” She loved to see Taron work, just as much as he supported her work, but that also meant she wanted to spend quality time with him and their little family whenever they didn’t work.

---

Phoebe’s chirpy nature shone through brightly today, and he couldn’t help but feel as happy as she sounded, especially when he brought the pizza back to the couch. “I burn easily, so… perhaps it’s all right to say it?” That being said, he blushed all the same at her compliment, and grinned defencelessly. “To us. Thank you for making this possible.” The beer was cold, when it hit his tongue, and a little bitter, but he enjoyed the taste. The pizza smelled deliciously, and he had to laugh at the mountain of vegetables on one side, and the cheesy other side, as he took a piece. “I might try some of yours later, that way I can claim I ate my greens today.” But right now, the cheese was too good to pass up on. “I do,” he agreed, “but apart from being home with you, and us having some family time with Sadie and Julian, I’m not quite sure what more I’d want.” Perhaps going home would be nice, but Aber, or even London, weren’t comfortable this time of year - while it was cold and snowy, where they lived here, it was grey and wet there. “We could perhaps go to LA for a bit, and visit some friends, show off our babies and generally just relax a little? Or we could take them and ourselves to the Caribbean and enjoy some time off?” In the end, he shrugged, and kept munching on his pizza slice. “I’m happy with doing small things around here, too. Once it snows - sledding, making snow angels, and the Christmas Markets?” There was a lot they could be doing, but he didn’t want her to think that only his work, and his time off, mattered in their family. It didn’t - he wanted her to have as many opportunities as she wanted, whenever she wanted. “And if you find a new project you want to work on… I’ll be your perfect house husband. I’ll even do the dishes!”

---

“Really, one year of marriage and I still haven’t taught you what eating your greens actually means?” Phoebe asked laughing although she knew exactly what he actually meant and honestly, the cheesy side of the pizza did look ridiculously good and if it wasn’t for her pride, she would have probably stolen a piece already. “You really want to make all my sunshine dreams come true, don’t you?” Phoebe had always loved LA, it was perhaps the closest thing to Australia in terms of weather in the states, but also, it was a place where she had spent quite a few years and many of her friends still lived. “I mean I do think showing off the twins and how perfect they are is almost our duty as loving parents, don’t you agree?” The brunette asked jokingly before her laughter turned into an honest, heartfelt smile. “See, this is how perfect you are. How do you do it? Always think of me first, my projects, my happiness? You know that this, our little family is all I ever wanted and even if that would mean no acting, I’d be happy really. But you make everything possible at once and I really don’t know how you can be so perfect….to even do the dishes, I mean, look at you. Perfect!”

——

Taron broke down with laughter. “One year and three months, and yes, you taught me well - I just choose to ignore it, at times.” His life had changed so much for the better due to her being in it, and she had shown him so many things he would have missed otherwise that already trying to imagine not having her in it was an impossible task. His eyes followed her gaze, and he grinned. “Take one,” he urged her gently, “I’ll steal one of yours, and we’ll be even.” The smile on his lips softened at her words, and he had to admit sheepishly that his first thought had been what she would like to do, and where he could take her that they would both love. “We need to brag about them being perfect little angels for as long as we can,” he chuckled, “which is why Jamie definitely wants to see us - he told me we could stay with him, if we wanted to.” Leaning in, he stole a kiss, smiling, as he could taste pizza on her lips. “It’s because I’m utterly, madly in love with you, and I love seeing you happy. Plus, you do all these things for me, too, without even taking credit - you come visit me, when I work, you take care of our babies, you support me with whatever foolish idea I come up with. If I can give back this way, I will. And please, do not stop working on our account, us three will be where you are, while you work, and vice versa.” Cupping her cheek with his free hand, he stroked her cheek gently. “We make it work, because it’s what makes us happy - having each other, working, having this incredible home we made, and our little family. And stop saying I’m perfect, because I might start crying any minute now.” As he leaned in, he couldn’t help it and bit into her piece of pizza she was still holding, before he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “If I’m perfect, what does that make you?”

---

“Why would you ever ignore you extremely smart wife? Honestly, what's that all about?” Phoebe asked him grinning before she blew him a kiss when he told her to just take a piece of his Pizza, obviously having seen her looking at it for a minute or two too long. “We really do, I mean who knows, soon they’ll be old enough to tell everyone that a) we aren't as cool as we pretend to be and b) they aren't as cute and adorable as we tell everyone. Imagine!” The brunette suggested laughing before she nodded. The idea to stay at Jamies sounded lovely, the fact that he even offered was so sweet and she couldn't actually refuse. “Are you sure he wouldn't mind all of us? I mean we are quite a bunch!” Even if she would love to stay there, she still wanted to make sure it actually was okay and not a burden for someone else. Kissing Taron back softly she leant back into the couch once he did, his words making her not only blush, but grin madly. “I know that you aren't making me stay home, but you need to understand that I love it, I really do. If there will ever be an offer that makes me happy and that I want to take I will - but you and the babies are my priorities and my favorite little job, even though it doesn't feel like work at all, not for my little family!” She had always wanted to be a mum and have a family, it had always been her dream, but she could have never expected it to be as fulfilling as it actually turned out to be. It was her entire happiness. “Not calling you perfect anymore, you just stole my pizza. Well your pizza. That I stole from you, but still!” Phoebe scolded him softly but she couldn't really stop laughing before she rolled her eyes softly. “I think we both aren't perfect, maybe just perfect for each other!”

---

“I’m not ignoring you, I’m ignoring the veggies and everything that has to do with them.” Taron made a show of catching her air kiss and putting it in his pocket, then patting on it, happy that she picked one of his pieces as well. She was a cheese fan as much as he was, and he was curious what she would say about his side of the pizza. “If I start imagining now, I’ll start worrying about it all - and I’d rather be here, in the present, with you. And hope for the best. Also, we’re totally cool, and they won’t ever be able to say otherwise!” Her words made him smile - Jamie, his co-star in Robin Hood, had been pestering him for months to come visit him in LA, and especially come live at their house, and this way, they would all get what they wanted. “He wouldn’t have offered, if he minded - and you just know he has a bloody big mansion in LA.” Seeing her so happy about his idea warmed and melted his heart, and he was looking forward to this trip already, a short, but sweet one for a bit of sun and fun with their friends and their twins. “I love you,” he repeated, once she had told him what she thought of his comment, “and I know and appreciate a lot that we’re your priority, you make me happy in ways I couldn’t even express more often than not - and I know that I’m the luckiest man alive to have you.” Early on, she had told him about her wish for a big family, and wanting the time and the space to enjoy it, too, and the longer he had known her, the more true these wishes rang. She was such a family person, even more so than him, and Sadie and Julian had made their lives even more perfect. “You are the most wonderful woman I know,” he told her gently, “I’ll support you with whichever you want to do - home projects and work projects alike.” It didn’t take him five seconds to burst into laughter, and a long time to calm down once more. “It was just hanging around, I had to,” he defended himself with a little shrug, as he finished his own piece and picked up one of hers, biting into it heartily. “I like that, perfect for each other is exactly what we are.” The rest of the pizza was gone quicker than he could have imagined, and once the box was empty, he leaned back into the cushions of the couch with a happy sigh. “This was a great idea,” Taron laughed and patted his stomach, then reached for her to pull her close, sighing once more, when he felt her warmth against his side.

---

“The Veggies and I aren't too pleased with you ignoring them, you know?” She asked him grinning before she added a joking “You are setting a terrible example for your children, think about that!” Obviously, he was about the best father there was, but she would always tease him about the food situation in the house. Deep down she did know though that she was extreme, not to the extent that Teresa was perhaps, but still rather extreme. “I am afraid, while we think we are super cool, the kids will probably disagree at some point, but for now, lets pretend we are the coolest parent ever!” Taron’s comment about Jamie’s mansion being big enough for them to stay there made her grin, Hollywood standard still had not caught up with the two of them, even after Taron’s massive success as well as Phoebes time on TV, so for her it was always amusing to see how other people were living, especially in Hollywood. “I love you too, a lot, you know that though, if not you’re an idiot!” She added softly before she smiled happily, his words were simply too sweet to not smile like the happiest woman alive, simply because she was. “And I love you even more for being so supportive, whatever we do and decide in the future, it will be the right decision, as long as we make the decisions together!” It was the beauty of their relationship, as long as the two of them were together she simply knew that they could tackle and deal with everything. When he laughed about her Pizza complaint she couldn’t help but laugh along. “Hey - just because its there you can take it? Is that the new rule?” She asked laughing, not really seriously mad, why would she be with more Pizza right in front of her, which was gone surprisingly quickly. “This was perfect, yes. Thank me for this brilliant idea!” Phoebe told him grinning before she moved over to lean against him, happily settling into his side. “Absolutely perfect. And so quiet!”

---

“All right, all right - for the children!” With those words he bit into the vegetable-laden piece of pizza, and made a show of liking it - he did actually like it, because the topping actually tasted amazing, but he wanted to make her laugh, too. “Until they can tell us we’re uncool, we’re the Schrödinger’s kind of cool parents! So we should bask in that for as long as we can. And show off, too!” Taron’s grin only widened, especially when he saw her grin. These moments had become far and few in between, between kids and work and real life, and to have time to joke around and tease each other felt great, more amazing than he could have imagined, actually. “Even if I’m an idiot, I don’t think I could forget that!” Her smile warmed his heart, and he knew that they were both at their happiest right now, with their family, with life and work - and she was right, if something that would impact on their family a lot would arise, they would decide the best course of action for them and for their family together. “I cannot wait to see your new show, and especially with Tez and your family!” If there was something he really loved, it was to sit down with their families and friends and watch a film or a tv series, and especially, if one of them was in it - the teasing and the laughter and the comments kept him from overthinking his performance and made him laugh along with them, and he hoped it was the same for Phoebe, too. “It was dangling right in front of my face, what would you have done in my place?” Taron started laughing at her thanking herself for the idea, and had to admit that it had been a great idea, not only the pizza, but getting their children out of the house for a little while. “Yes, thank you for everything,” he told her gently, and turned to look at her. “Any other brilliant ideas, wife of mine?” Throwing an arm around her, he pulled her closer.

---

“See, its good, isn’t it? Next we try it without the Pizza though and just the veggies, how does that sound?” Phoebe asked, already knowing the answer and honestly, she wouldn’t actually force him to eat whatever she was eating. She’d never force him to eat vegetarian, although she did love how he was trying it more and more. “Good, you forgetting that would be one of the biggest tragedies I could imagine to be honest!” She declared dramatically “I am sure it’s the kind of tragedy Shakespeare would come up with, so we don't need that, okay?” His enthusiasm about her new project was lovely, it truly warmed her heart how supportive he was, especially since none of her projects were especially large into comparison to his. “I really am just happy it’s an Australian project. It feels a little more special than another American Teen Production to be honest!” Without wanting to sound ungrateful, it was nice that she was at a spot in her life and career now that she could choose and they were financially stable enough for there to be able to pick and choose the things that she was passionate about opposed to choosing things that might make big money. “Fair enough, I probably would have taken a bite too, but don’t fight me with logic, I don’t like that!” She teased him once more before she cuddled even closer up to her husband. “Okay, I’ve already come up with the great ideas for today so far, I think now its your turn. I officially make this your responsibility now!”

---

Taron burst out laughing. “You drive a hard bargain, do you know that?” he commented with a shake of his head, but he understood what she was trying to do, and appreciated it deep down. “But okay, vegetables it is - for you.” She indulged him more than enough food-wise, especially when he was eating meat, so he could do this for her, too, and without missing out on anything, either. “Shakespeare didn’t have any kids, I don’t think he knew what it felt like to have your kids tell you you aren’t cool.” Again, he laughed at her comment, but then reached out and cupped her cheek lovingly. “It’s going to be all right, you know? They’ll love us anyway. And if they’re being cheeky, we can remind them that we wiped their butts for ages.” Both of her latest projects had been Australian productions, and Safe Harbour was about to win some awards - or so he hoped - it was that good. “You chose some pretty great projects, and anyone who loves you will want to watch them. And those who don’t know you yet - they’ll fall in love with you watching it.” They were in the lucky financial position to decide which projects to do and which to decline, and Phoebe truly had chosen projects that showed her wide range of acting talent, something Taron admired about her a lot. She had started acting long before it had even crossed his mind, and just by watching her work he learned new things, and not just about her. “Which is exactly why I’ll keep doing it, just to annoy you, love,” he replied cheekily and grinned, which widened, as she told him, he should come up with an idea now on how to spend their time off. “I offered sex before, but you declined, preferring pizza to anything else. I’m not sure my ego took it too well.” He laughed at himself, but then moved away from the cushions of the couch and straddled her legs. “But I like the thought...” Leaning in, he framed her face with his hands gently and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips.

---

“Of course it will be alright, by the time they tell us we aren’t cool we will have enough embarrassing evidence of the fact that they weren’t always cool either!” She confirmed quickly with a large grin on her face. Blackmailing their kids. Phoebe had clearly thought this through many times before. Her latest projects have been passion projects, actually her last three and the fact that they didn’t come with a Network like the CW had given her a great amount of freedom. And meant no annoying American accent that she probably would never actually perfect. “Well, you make it possible for me to choose whatever I want to choose and you have my back, I think thats truly what made the projects what they are!” It sounded cheesy, but it was true. They both were supporting each other a lot, no matter where filming took them which made it a lot easier to deal with the stress of living in a trailer or being away from home, simply because they never really done that, always finding a way to make it all work as a family. “I didn’t decline sex, I made Pizza the top priority!” She protested laughing and wound her arms around him once he had moved positions and her hands were framing her face. “See, now you had Pizza and you still get Sex, how good is this?”

---

Her logic made him laugh, but she was right about it - they took so many pictures and videos to send to their families that by the time their twins were old enough to whine, they would have all the means to seek revenge. “Have I told you that I love the way you think?” It wasn’t just her humour, but her being, all of her, that caught his attention time and time again, and he loved the fact that he could fall in love with her again every day, even with the smallest things she did. “You make the projects special - and you know how excited I get to see you on screen. Or see you work. Or help you with your lines.” There was something special about them being in the same profession and that made him even more appreciative about their life together - being able to enjoy each other’s work, supporting and perhaps even making someone take on projects was amazing and amusing to him. “You wanted pizza more than sex,” he mock complained, “I’m not so sure it’s going to happen now...” Her hands on his body had this incredible effect on him where he felt instantly warm, and like he could do anything he set his mind to, and he relished in the sensation for a while. “I do?” he asked and grinned at her. “Are you trying to seduce me now?” While having an empty house was the perfect opportunity to go a little while, Taron would happily go along with whatever she felt like doing. It didn’t stop him from teasing her, though, dropping his hands ot her waist and dipping them under her pullover, fingers skimming along her curves. It would take him a long while to get from teasing to actually seducing her, because they were having too much fun playing and laughing with each other, and it would only be much later, when they were lying wrapped up in each other, spent and sated, their warm bodies pressed together, that Taron spoke up again. “We definitely need more pizza dates like these, love.”

---

FIN.

[thekimmiandjackieshow]

Those DCP Party Buses

A College Internship.. It sounds professional. It sounds like a resume booster. It sounds like your door to bigger and better things within the company. 

Living in an old apartment complex with a bunch of other (mostly) 20-something year olds who are working crazy hours, sometimes well past midnight, and who are in desperate need of some stress relief. It sounds less professional and more like the perfect recipe for a late-night party scene. 

The Disney College Program is both of these things. On paper, it is a “living, learning, earning” experience, allowing students and recent graduates to professionally build their resumes by working for The Mouse. They live just outside of Walt Disney World, in apartments solely meant to house the Cast Members who are temporarily in Florida to make the magic. It allows younger people the opportunity to travel and gain experience with the company without having to commit to a permanent move to Florida. The added advertised benefit is that students learn responsibility by paying their own rent with the money they earn from the internship, taking care of an apartment and passing monthly inspections, living on their own. All of these things are true. 

However, all of these things create a party vibe that rivals some of the most popular party colleges in the country.

It’s no secret that college lends itself to parties. A bunch of people exploring their newfound freedom away from parents, some of them just turning 21 and finally being able to drink freely, and hoping to live a legendary college life like the generations before them, all create a desire to stay up late with friends, drinking, dancing, and forgetting all about the pending adult responsibilities. This is especially true on the Disney College Program. Some didn’t have the money or desire to move away for college, so used the DCP as a way to have that roommate experience outside of college. Others took a well-deserved break from the stress of college to gain some work experience and get a breather away from classes and exams. Some participants were just celebrating the end of their college career. For some, all of that is just an added bonus but their real focus was working for Disney. But, truth be told, the Disney life is stressful. Late hours, long hours, little pay, homesickness, the crushing realization that life outside of Disney can still cause stress no matter how magical your life is, roommate squabbles, high expectations at work, a potentially stressful position, all create a need to find ways to relax and reduce stress. This, coupled with the fact that the DCP is a once-in-a-lifetime experience with people from around the world, makes people want to get out, dance a little, drink a lot, and have fun.

While people party in their own apartments, the popular party destinations are usually near Downtown Orlando. But, a lot of people on the DCP don’t have cars. They rely on the transportation Disney provides. So, the solution was clear: Party Buses. 

The party buses aren’t affiliated with Disney in any way. In fact, in the first housing meeting, they advise against using these services and warn that if you do, you should be very cautious. But, every night of the week, a party bus swings by the apartment complex and waits for DCP’ers to board. They typically run on a schedule so that it varies by day but is consistent weekly. So, for example, every Tuesday, the party buses would pick up participants and head to Señor Frogs. 

I was never all that interested in going on the party buses. I was never much of a drinker, didn’t find loud music all that appealing, and wasn’t a fan of crowds. The whole idea of going to a club was actually kind of repulsive to me. On my first program, I never even thought about going. My roommates and I were similar in that we didn’t love partying all the time (and some of us didn’t like it at all). We also lived in Patterson, and party buses don’t usually stop there, so we weren’t even always aware of it happening. I’m kind of glad that my first program wasn’t all about the clubs and parties though, because it meant that all of our nights off were spent at the parks instead. I honestly think I explored the parks more during my fall program than during my spring program.

During my extension though, things changed. The roommates I was really close to were really into the clubs and party buses and all that. Their friends would come over and pregame beforehand, and then they’d go out and drink and come home super late. Every single time they talked about how it was such an awesome night. We had all had drinks in the apartment together before, so I had already gotten a little more used to drinking alcohol and the feeling of being tipsy, so all that was really missing was my desire to do that outside of the apartment. I was always worried that my anxiety would be overwhelming while I was drunk because I’d be less in control, and so I never wanted to drink outside of the apartment because I never wanted to experience that level of anxiety in public. My job was getting increasingly stressful though, and I was getting to the point where I wanted to let loose and have fun because after work I’d be grumpy and uptight. Also, my program was coming to a close and everybody said that the party buses were something CP’s had to experience. I knew plenty of people who never took part in that scene and still loved their college program, but I was curious about it and I didn’t want to leave my program regretting anything. Plus, the party bus parked right outside the front of Commons every night and because I lived in the front of the complex, I was always hearing the music. 

Finally, one week I decided to just go for it. It was a Tuesday night, so we went to Señor Frogs, and honestly it was so much fun. My friends and I had a few drinks beforehand just to get in the mood. I honestly knew that I wouldn’t be able to get on that loud bus without a little bit in my system to start. I do think the party buses are cool though because it’s an automatic DD. Everybody gets to drink and have fun because the bus will take everybody back. Plus, nobody has to worry about getting there, finding parking, or any of that nonsense. Anyway, the club was loud and fun. We paid a really small cover charge and walked on in. The floors were covered in melted ice and splashes of mixed drinks from people dropping their mostly empty cups to the floor when they were done. The bar was crowded with people ordering $2 margaritas. The bathrooms were filled with drunk girls trying to fix their hair and makeup in the giant mirrors. The dance floor was loud with people shouting over the music to be heard, and others singing every lyric they possibly could. Everybody was jumping, dancing, taking selfies, and letting go. Despite the place being filled to the brim with CP’s, nobody talked about work. Nobody talked about the difficulties of housing. The only gossip in the air was gossip from that night, and even that wasn’t real. None of it felt real. It was all just pure fun. The part I loved the most was feeling like I knew everybody. Every time I turned around I was running into somebody I worked with or a friend of a friend that I had met a few times. We always ended up dancing together in a large group. The group got bigger and bigger as the night went on, and it never mattered how large our circle got.

I only went to Señor Frogs twice on my program. The first time I had gone was so close to the end of my program that the second time I went was the very last time I could possibly go. I don’t regret that though. I'm glad I got to go. I have some very fond memories of that place now. I was never interested in going to parties or drinking before the program, but really the program helped me let go in a lot of ways. I was constantly trying new things and pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and in turn I was finding things I really enjoyed doing. In fact, several people I knew who had joined the party scene at Disney were never really interested in that before their program. I always joke that the Disney life pushed me to drink, but I honestly think it was just that the college program made me realize that fearing things was keeping me from trying new things that I could have been enjoying for a long time. I’m thankful to have had friends on my program who were different from me and could push me to go for it. I never would have had the stories I have now if it weren’t for that. Señor Frogs will always have a special place in my heart.

[asfeedin]

Identifying weakness: the real reason I chopped my hair

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

If you know anything about me and how I operate, I’m highly strategic about most aspects of my life.

Before I’ve done something, I’ve already mapped out why I need to do it, because the dance around the playground of pros and cons can be never-ending.

Without sounding like an extremist, I’ve always been someone who’s either all in or all out. Naturally, I tend to value that quality most in people as well.

When I half-ass an idea, I get a half-assed result. And mama wants da whooooole ass.

Okay, awkward ass talk aside, I’m sure you’ve all seen this quote:

As someone who’s lived on the road for over half a decade, I was constantly at the mercy of countries that lacked the proper hair care products I needed.

So I actually was chopping my hair off every 3-6 months and using wigs and weaves to carry on as usual.

Contrary to popular belief, Black hair grows fast! And it became an annoyance to bury my fro underneath wigs constantly because I was too lazy to always cornrow them down.

It wasn’t until last year after my surgery, that I decided to let it grow out again, because I came out of that experience with a newfound gratitude and decided I’d take better care of all aspects of my body, hair included.

I remember buying a bulk order of a specific kind of hair conditioner and getting it shipped to a friend in LA, before realizing that it’s literally impossible to be able to travel with all the hair care products you needed for proper maintenance of my 4C hair.

I have a pretty substantial number of white readers here, so I wanted to include the above graphic to educate more of you on how complex our hair can be, and how the “nappy or kinky” images that society touts as unprofessional, is our hair’s natural state when not chemically modified or pressed.

I grew up dreading the hot comb burning the back of my neck every Sunday getting ready for church.

My hair was just past shoulder length at its healthiest, but the time and products it took to maintain that, always exceeded either my budget or level of patience.

So I taught myself how to do box braids, quick weaves, lace fronts, you name it.

Black women don’t wear weaves because we have to, we do it because we want to, and enjoy the convenience. Click To Tweet

I always hated how society painted Black women as incapable of growing hair, when ours are so incredibly versatile.

And for the last few years, weaves and lace fronts are the preferred style of 90% of non-Black celebrity women, but I digress.

Anyways, 2019 took me through the wringer, and I entered 2020 with this burning urge to change more than just my location.

I was ready to level-up my outer appearance, inspired by these lessons I learned last year:

Don’t aim to be nice; aim to be respected.

There are people committed to misunderstanding you.

People aren’t evil; but if they can take advantage of you, they will.

Image isn’t everything, but it can be complementary to your messaging.

The less you care what people think, the more freedom you’re afforded.

My boho, carefree, gaping smile was the look I became branded by.

Always happy, always helpful, and always ready to lend whatever I could to make someone’s day.

Holy shit, Glo. You were a total people-pleaser.

You allowed yourself to get so bent by the needs and wants of others, you bent your own self out of shape.

In typical Glo form, I wanted to investigate this further, diving into self-help books, investing in therapy, and looking into psychological questionnaires to see who else “suffers” from this.

It led me to the Myers–Briggs Personality test (here’s a free site to take yours and where I’m pulling my reference screenshots from).

I got my ENFJ-A results and immediately scrolled to the weaknesses section to have a self-deprecating pity party for one, joking but absolutely f*cking serious.

And though this discovery was made after I had my hair chopped off, it confirmed what I already knew and why I had to do it.

First and foremost, let’s point out the fact that I’m equally as extroverted as I am introverted.

Over the last 3 years, I’ve tapped into my introverted side more (even wrote about how travel impacted that), but this is something people are shocked to learn because I have so much energy online.

But I’m able to preserve energy because I’ve developed a morning routine that allows me to pour into myself before trying to pour into others.

Another shout out to the fact that I share any category with two of my faves: Uncle Barry and Oprah.

Okay, now to the flaws.

Overly idealistic: I hold my values close to me, and when someone tends to lean on the cynical side, I struggle to relate or want to engage with them, because I find it a draining way to live.

However, in the world of business, this trait will eat you up alive.

If you’re kind to people, surely they won’t turn against you?

If you do good unto others, surely they will do good back?

If you have business ethics, people you do business with will as well?

LoOoOoOooOoOooOol.

It only took me a couple really shady experiences to realize, woooooow, Glo, you really was strollin’ through life with a rose-colored lens, seeing the world how you hoped it could be, rather than how it actually was.

Some lessons need to be learned the hard way, and I’m super thankful for the people that took advantage of me or tried to get one over on me, because it exposed a weakness in myself that I’d yet to confront. Click To Tweet

While I want to tell entrepreneurs that growing a business is a thrill, the hard truth is this:

If you are truly looking to build something great, get ready for the snakes to come out.

In droves.

It’s the people you least expect as well.

And when it comes to the B2B world, a company could see you needing their services more than they need your business, and so tacking on an extra $10K to the price tag because they can, isn’t out of the norm.

Money talks and there’s a lot of people who only see dollar signs when it comes to running their business.

I don’t think I’m in the minority when it comes to genuinely wanting to serve from a place of compassion, but it’s a matter of time before you might mix with the wrong people.

It’s a side of the business world I refused to acknowledge and therefore was so blind-sighted by the act that I had no choice but to change my narrative and take back control over how and who I would allow into my world.

This sounds like a Michael Scott a la The Office reference where your weaknesses are actually your strengths, see this clip for the lolz.

When people know that you love to help others, they become too reliant on you to the point that you don’t even realize you’ve overextended yourself far beyond your boundaries should allow.

With my products and services, I’m so committed to getting people results, that I forget that even if I’m giving 100% of my time and resources, there are still external factors that play into the desired outcome.

But because I’m so caught up in delivering results, I can’t even see that I’m literally just digging myself into a hole of mismanaged expectations and effort.

Don’t get so involved in the commitment to help others that you sacrifice yourself in the process. Click To Tweet

And before I knew it, I couldn’t tell a doormat apart from my reflection.

It’s why I created my Mastermind, because I could see others who have that same generous heart for serving, and I wanted to also help them navigate the shadier sides of business that you often only learn about through mentorship and personal experience.

I’ve created so many dynamics of ways that I help others, from daily posts on social media to my e-book, to syndicated articles, to podcast interviews, to live workshops, to bootcamps, to retreats, to courses, to private mentorship, and so on.

Thousands of people have invested in my products and services over the years, but the problem is, I started to feel like I needed to go out of my way to show gratitude, as if the product or service they paid for wasn’t enough.

Too much emotional investment into the people who you want to help, will have you trying to solve all the problems of a person who bought a $10 ebook, the same way you help someone who bought a $2,000 course.

Unrealistic expectations I unknowingly placed on myself, all because I wanted to make sure people realized that no matter the investment level, they were going to get answers/results/etc, ha insert mental breakdown here

So I flew to a hairstylist who I heard was one of the best in the country, and told her to literally do whatever the hell she wanted with my hair. I’m almost positive I used those exact words.

Around the time I did it, I was so over being the “nice” girl.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to turn into some mean b*tch (sad that women need to preface this because it’s assumed we’re bossy b*tches when we want to be more assertive in business).

I’m just no longer apologizing for the boundaries I’m putting in place to protect my peace and guard my energy.

One of my mentors, Necole, said it best:

And so, here we are, two months into having this short do and I’ve never felt more myself.

It matches the page I’ve flipped in my career and the new boundaries I need to put in place to protect my energy.

It took me a good week of looking in the mirror to even recognize who was staring back. I remember rehearsing in front of my tripod, going from one power pose to another.

I love who I’m becoming. And that I can look at myself and now see the reflection of someone on a journey who’s redefining her boundaries and who she allows to join her next chapter.

If this is what my 30’s have to offer, I’m loving this newfound peace that comes with the assertion and ownership of your life.

I don’t know if any of this was useful to read, but if you’re someone who’s ready to make a bold statement to yourself or to the world, I highly recommend shaving the locks and going for a pixie.

You’ll give off just enough “Can I speak to the manager” vibes, while still having a luminous flare, which makes your expression of radical self-love something that people can model in their own lives.

Here’s to the journey, Glo

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Tags: chopped, Hair, Identifying, Real, Reason, weakness

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