#Bachelorette Party Seattle

[shutth3puckup]

What’s the “wag dues”

J.T. Brown's (Seattle Kraken) wife, Lexi Brown has some tweet below explaining it. Basically, every WAG has to pay a fee and that money goes towards birthday and bachelorette parties, bridal and baby showers etc. The leags wags went on a boat cruise in september(?) before the season started, it was likely covered by those fees. They don't have to pay, but if they don't, they won't get to attend those events.

Like Lexi says, the guys pay for it. That's not something she specifically did, but its standard across the league. They pay so if the couple break ups, he gets traded etc, she isn't out the money.

[beachy--head]

Something Old, Something New

One-shot, Grey's Anatomy (read on ao3 or ff.net)

Summary: April is his best friend, so of course Jackson is going to say yes when she asks him to be the maid of honour at her wedding. Of course he's going to help her with all the wedding planning, the flowers, the cake, the seating chart. Of course he's going to throw her the best bachelorette party she could ask for.

Of course he's going to fall in love with her in the process.

Note: This came from a silly tumblr post where I imagined Jackson as April's maid of honor (he would honestly kill it), and @japril12 commented about the fact that of course he would fall in love with April. I started writing down a few ideas, and then this took a mind of its own.

This is slightly AU in the sense that April and Jackson haven't kissed or slept together at the boards and stayed BFFs in Seattle after season 8. Everything else is pretty much the same.

___

He has never seen his best friend looking so hyper. And that's saying something, given that ever since Matthew Taylor asked her to marry him after dating for 8 months, April has been very hyper. A spring-in-her-step, always-bouncing-and-smiling kind of hyper. The blush that is covering her cheeks is very April though, and it's clear she's dying to ask him something.

"I have something to ask you, and I want you to keep an open mind. I know it might seem weird, but I've seen it on Pinterest, it has already been done, and I kind of like the whole 'reversal of expectations' aspect of it all, when you think about it. It's not traditional, sure, but you're my best friend, and..." She looks at him with wide eyes and he can't help but grin, because he's always liked when April gets all worked up (and also when she refers to him as her best friend, their friendship having survived years of residency and of being attendings at the same hospital).

"Will you be my maid of honor?"

He brings his hands to his chest, pretending to clutch his heart.

"Yes, a thousand times yes!"

She laughs and swats him, and he meets her eyes.

"Do you think I would have let you ask Arizona? Or worse, your sister Kimmie? Of course I will."

She giggles and runs in his arms, hugging him with all of her body, and he lifts her lightly until her feet don't touch the ground. 

"Wait, does that mean I have to wear a dress?" he asks, bringing her back on the ground. She grins and brings her hand to her chin, pretending to think.

"I think salmon-pink would suit you very well. Bring out your eyes and everything."

___

"This one is perfect."

How did he end up going cake tasting with Matthew Taylor, he has no idea.

Well, he has an idea. April was obviously supposed to go. What she wasn't supposed to do was get stuck in the ER with victims from a MVC 10 minutes before her shift ended. Seeing him on his way home in the lobby, she had asked him if he would mind going to the cake tasting in her place. "Not that I don't trust Matthew's choice, I do, I just think two opinions are better than one. And well, you know your food and I know you won't let them get away with a pretty cake that tastes like cardboard." He had said yes, because one, who refuses free food? Not him. And two, because he's her maid of honor and that's what a maid of honor does.

In the small pastry shop, he realizes that he's never had more than one or two conversations with Matthew, and that it's the first time it's just the two of them. April is usually always there, chatting and trying to connect those two parts of her life, but he can't recall any meaningful interaction between him and the guy who is now the most important man in April's life.

"It's pretty good, yeah. Too bad you won't be able to choose that one."

"Why?"

"April is allergic to peanuts," Jackson says, tapping the ingredients list with his finger.

Matthew sighs and drops his head.

"Darn it! I really wanted that one. Hey, do you think it would be weird if we had two cakes?"

He wants to ask the guy if he's ever met his future wife, because there's no way that April Elizabeth Kepner would allow two cakes at her dream wedding. She'd go for the chocolate cake with raspberry mousse, hands down. But he barely knows the guy and doesn't know if the joke would be welcome, so he just shrugs and cuts a piece of the lemon cake in front of him, finding it tastes a bit too sour.

___

He's operating with Alex on a kid with a cleft palate, and it takes all of five minutes before the guy starts teasing him about being "one of the girls" in April's wedding.

"You're jealous?"

"Of being at Kepner's beck and call for the next few months? Right. Super jealous." Alex rolls his eyes. "Wait, did you take the job so you could get it on with one of the bridesmaids?"

"You want me to get it on with one of April's very married sisters or with Robbins?"

"Right. Then you're even weirder that I thought."

It's Jackson's turn to roll his eyes. Alex has never understood his friendship with April, always turning his nose up when they were all living together and the two of them did something together, be it watching TV or taking a walk. Still, he's not ready for what comes out of Alex's mouth next.

"You know, back when we were roommates, I always thought the two of you had something going on, or that you would end up together. It would have made so much sense, given how you were acting."

"Made sense? You always made fun of me for being her friend because we were so different."

"Yeah, well, what can I say, you two just work together. You ground her and always calm her down, she brings out your carefree side, whatever."

The patient's stats suddenly drop, so they focus on stabilizing him and operating after that, but when the surgery's done, Jackson looks at Alex and shakes his head.

He refuses to believe Alex Karev – Alex Karev, of all people! – is that good at deciphering human relationships.

___

The Kepner sisters are intense.

They have very strong opinions about everything, and they aren't afraid to voice them, no matter how inappropriate or insulting they can be. Their favorite pastime though seems to be giving backhanded compliments to the only sister that ever escaped Ohio, and for the third time in ten minutes, he finds himself making a face at Arizona and taking a sip of his glass of champagne (because if he has to be present for the dress selection, and he apparently does, because April has said 'You're an Avery, you know these things', then he's made it clear that they had to do this in style, and that champagne was required). He's walking a fine line here, trying not to make her sisters hate him, but still defending April because that's what a best friend does. What a decent person does, even.

Or so he tells himself.

April slides the curtain of the dressing room and walks towards them in what must be the 64th wedding dress she's been trying on today, and he suddenly gets what people mean when they talk about "the one".

It's the perfect dress for her.

Even the Kepners agree, and April giggles and twirls amid a sea of oohs and aahs. He makes sure to keep a smile on his face, hiding the ache in his chest as he stares at her. She's cute in scrubs, in jeans, in athletic wear, but that dress was made for her, and he remembers a time years ago when she was complaining about being single and he had told her that anyone would be lucky to have her. This only makes the ache in his chest intensify.

The medical professional in him tells him he has nothing to worry about and that physically, everything's fine with him.

The 31-year-old man who just had the biggest realization of his life tells him he is screwed.

___

He's on the phone with his mom when he looks at the time and sees he has to leave soon if he wants to make it to the appointment on time. 

"Mom, I have to go, April is waiting for me."

"Oooh, what is it this time?"

"Flower selection. I think."

"I'll let you go then. You don't keep a bride waiting!"

Before hanging up, he swears he can hear her say "With all the wedding activities she has you doing, you'd think you were the groom!" and his heart skips a bit, but he shrugs it off and puts on his coat.

The words get stuck in his head all day though, all the way through the florist appointment and his suit fitting and the selection of party favors. He tries to tell himself that he's just nostalgic, and that he's afraid because he's going to miss her. Because he's going to miss her, miss all the time they spend together at one of their places (because they had decided to be grown-ups and to live in their own apartments when they became attendings, but he swears that April has cooked more often that he has in his own kitchen, and that her fancy couch is bound to have his butt imprint on it from all their TV marathons and late-night discussions). Yes, that's it. April is going to spend more time with her husband and less time with her best friend, as she should, and he's just pre-mourning the decrease in their interactions. That's all.

He's not sure he's ready to acknowledge the fact that instead of sitting a few seats away on the bride's right side, he'd maybe (definitely) rather be the one sitting directly on her left.

___

It would be easier if Matthew was a crappy fiancé or a bad guy.

He's not. He actually loves April, following her like a puppy, and even if party planning is not his forte and he doesn't look too interested in the finer aspects of the wedding, you can see he wants to make his bride happy, saying yes to practically anything she wants.

Practically.

"I don't see why he doesn't want the 'mint-to-be' mints. That's a great pun!"

"It's not."

"It is!"

"And to think that you make fun of me when I tell dad jokes."

Now that the wedding is getting closer, they're working on the seating plan. Between the Kepner sisters' tendency to have beef with almost every one of their cousins and blood relations and their coworkers' ongoing drama at the hospital, designing a seating chart that will prevent any explosion during the reception is a delicate task that she hasn't wanted to outsource to anyone else.

"So you never told me. Are you bringing a plus one?"

"I am."

He already feels bad he's been having all these thoughts, and feels even worse when he realizes he's hoping for a reaction from her, anything, to show him he's not crazy.

"Really? Do I know her?"

Her tone is cheerful, but years of practice of being April's friend make him notice it's not as enthusiastic as it could be.

Or maybe it's just wishful thinking.

"You do, actually."

He thinks he sees something in her gaze, soon chased by a polite look of curiosity. She bites her lip and looks cautious, almost afraid to ask the next question, so he takes pity on her and doesn't keep her waiting.

"It's my mom, you dork. You think she'd miss your wedding? I didn't even have to ask her, she invited herself."

He's rewarded by a genuine April smile, one that showcases her dimple and reaches her eyes, and his breath catches in his throat for a second too long.

He's definitely, completely screwed.

___

"Can I ask you something?"

"No, April, I will not get a Pinterest account."

"No, it's not that! I mean you should, it would actually be easi– never mind," she backtracks when she sees his face. "I, it's... very personal?"

He blinks once. Twice.

"Yes?"

"You know how I'm a, well, a virgin," and the way she whispers that last word is so endearing he has to clench his fists to stay grounded.

"And Matthew is as well. We haven't done anything, like, we kissed, sure, and there was one time when we were in the heat of the moment and we almost, well, you know, but we didn't, and..."

He closes his eyes.

"April. Do you have a question?"

Sex is the last thing he wants to talk about with her. More precisely, sex between her and her fiancé. But he has decided that he won't ever be anything more than her best friend, the one who's always had her back ever since they were the last two Mercy West residents left. If he can't be the one who promises to honor and cherish her until death do them part, then he'll still be the one who vowed to protect her and be on her side no matter what.

Her cheeks are now a flaming red, and he thinks he sees something in her eyes before she drops her gaze and suddenly becomes very interested in studying her shoes.

"I'm just scared, that's all. And I have so many questions, but I guess that's normal. And I don't want to talk to Matthew about it, because it's weird, so I wanted to ask you, and..."

His mouth is dry, and he's pretty sure he's forgotten how to breathe. She breaks the moment though, shaking her head and plastering a fake smile on her face.

"Never mind, it's silly. Now, are you sure about that Pinterest account? I can send you an invite, so you could create your own boards, and then–"

___

"Your mom would so get a kick out of this."

"Say one word to her and I'll tell her how many times you practiced your speech before you met her for the first time when we were interns."

"You're a grumpus, you know that?"

"Anything for you."

Because his life is a complete joke at this point, he's dancing with April. Because of course, April has scheduled dance lessons for her and Matthew's first dance as husband and wife. And of course, Matthew Taylor, paramedic extraordinaire, had to be called away because of an accident just outside of Seattle right before the lesson. And of course the lesson couldn't be rescheduled, leaving April to plead with him to come with her so she can learn the choreography and teach Matthew later. It took the combined efforts of her puppy eyes and her dimple to convince him, but here he is, waltzing with her, not at all feeling like he could explode any minute.

"I'm just saying, looks like your fancy Avery dance lessons paid off, that's all."

"Well at least you– Ouch! That was my foot!"

She makes a face.

"Sorry, sorry! I have no coordination. Moline didn't have fancy balls or ballet classes, you know."

"Just your regular Cotton-Eyed Joe line dance in a barn?"

He kind of deserves it when she crushes his foot for the second time. At least she went for the other one this time. April Kepner is nothing but considerate.

"Listen, you have to relax and let me lead. Let the pro show you how it's done."

She nods, and he tightens his grasp on her waist, bringing her closer to him. They start moving in rhythm with the music, one two three one two three, and his heartbeats soon become wild, rushing faster than the music and making him dizzy. He makes the mistake of looking her in the eye, and the other dancers, the music, everything else disappears. He doesn't know how they're still moving, because he's not leading anymore, he's not sure he can do anything but stare at her. All of his attention is focused on the redhead in front of him, the gorgeous, unbelievable, freaking engaged redhead who looks at him with a glint in her eye and her mouth slightly open.

If it were anyone else, he would do it. He would wear his big boy's pants, close the gap between them and kiss the hell out of her, consequences be damned.

But it's April. His best friend April. The most important relationship in his life, and he can't, won't begrudge her the happiness she's chosen for herself. He's trying to tell himself he's being selfless here and ignore the little voice telling him that he's a coward.

When the song ends, he remembers how to breathe, and he sees something in April's eyes that almost sweeps all of his convictions away. He opens his mouth, but she shakes her head and turns away, walking a bit too fast towards the changing room.

You're not a coward, says the little voice. You're just an idiot.

___

He knows April loves his apartment, because she had spent a solid twenty minutes raving about the hardwood floors and the balcony and the Seattle views from his living-room the first time she'd visited. So obviously, he volunteers his place for the bachelorette party, cringing every time a Kepner sister brushes past one of the paintings on the walls or holds a crystal wine glass a bit too firmly.

He's the maid of honor, so he's vetoed the stripper the Kepners wanted to hire ("you have pretty eyes, but you're a buzzkill," were Libby's exact words when he told them the news, but given that Libby's tastes in everything seem to greatly differ from her sister's, he doesn't attach too much importance to her opinion) and opted for something simple. Gifts, drinks, snacks, music and games: as far as April is concerned, that's the recipe for a good night, so that's what she gets.

"Oookay April!" Arizona shouts a little bit too enthusiastically (who knew Robbins was such a fun drunk?). "What's Matthew's favorite color?"

"Blue. No wait, brown. Or something."

He's more than a little buzzed, so he joins the others in laughing away her hesitation and takes another sip of his beer. Who has brown as a favorite color?

"Last question. What's the first thing you're planning to do once Matthew and you are finally aloooone after the wedding?"

April ignores the whistles and suggestive comments and answers, with a straight face (but he knows her and doesn't miss the tilt in her voice that says she knows what she's doing), "I don't know, remove my shoes? I'm sure my feet will be killing me after hours in heels, and– why are you laughing?"

The guests soon turn the music up and start dancing and jumping around, and he's happy the party is going well, but he needs a few minutes away from all the squealing and the loud music. When he slides open the door to his balcony, he finds out that of course she had the same idea.

"Are you hiding from your own bachelorette party?"

Startled, she turns towards him with a half-smile.

"No, it's pretty perfect. I just needed to get some air."

He joins her on the edge of the balcony, leaning on the railing, and she turns her gaze back to the city.

"I love this view."

"So you tell me every time you're here."

His eyes are focused on the city lights in front of them, but he can hear her smile.

"You know me well. You know, when we were playing that game when I had to answer questions about Matthew. I was thinking that you and I would probably get perfect scores if we had to answer questions about each other."

Taking his heart out of his chest, crushing it on the ground and stomping on it a few times would probably hurt less than this.

"Yeah?"

His voice is unsteady, a dark contrast to the confidence he usually exudes.

"Yeah. Like your secret hobby?" She points to the telescope behind them. "It's astronomy, because your grandfather would take you to the planetarium when you were a kid and you still remember the names of all the constellations. Your favorite meal? Definitely chicken tetrazzini. And favorite color? Come on, it's dark green. We would so crush this."

He doesn't trust himself to talk, so he just nods. Slowly, she gets closer to him, but he keeps his gaze fixed on the buildings in front of them. If he doesn't look at her, he can do this. If he doesn't look at her, he can keep pretending his heart is not bleeding and he can stop himself from yelling he loves her to anyone who would listen.

"Jackson. Look at me."

He shakes his head.

"Jackson."

Because he can't refuse her anything, he turns his head and notices how close they are. Notices her slowly raising her arm and bringing her hand to his cheek. His heart is pounding, and his brain is telling him not to lean towards her.

He ignores his brain and starts moving in her direction.

"April! Avery! Come back inside, we put on the chicken dance like you wanted!"

Arizona Robbins is evil.

April closes her eyes for a moment and puts a hand on her neck, massaging a spot. She seems like she's about to say something, but she closes her mouth and heads inside, letting out the sound of a flurry of laughs when she opens the glass door.

He stays outside a few more minutes. Or hours. He doesn't know anything anymore.

___

The rehearsal dinner is kind of a torture for him.

Everyone is happy and smiling and mingling. April is radiant, stunning in her pale pink dress that makes her look like a princess, and he feels like a traitor, but he would rather be anywhere – a dentist appointment, an Avery foundation board meeting, hell, even one of his boards sessions – than here.

"Damn, Avery. Who pissed in your cheerios this morning?"

"I'm fine, Karev."

"Right. You've been nursing the same scotch since we arrived here, and Jo just asked me if you were born with that frown between your eyebrows."

He stays silent, because that's usually the best technique when dealing with Alex.

"Just saying. I've never seen a maid of honor looking so angry at a wedding. Well, if you don't count that chick in that twenty-something dresses movie."

It says a lot that he's not jumping on Alex's apparently secret knowledge of romantic comedies and making fun of him.

"It's just a stomach bug."

"Is that why you didn't want to make a speech tonight?"

I didn't want to make a speech, because I'm selfish and I don't want to wish April all the happiness in the world if that happiness is not with me. Because I'm angry at her for being so happy with someone else, and I'm angry at myself for not realizing I loved her earlier. Because if I have to toast my best friend and say nice things about her, I'm pretty sure I'll end up confessing my undying love to her, and I don't think Mr. and Mrs. Kepner, or Matthew, or anyone would be happy with that. Because if I see her squeeze Matthew's arm one more time and smile at him, I'm going to lose it, and it's not going to be pretty. Because I'm an Avery, and I've never felt so helpless before.

"Yeah, that's why."

___

"I thought the bride was the only one allowed to freak out before the wedding."

He turns around at the sound of her voice. Almost everybody is seated inside the barn where the ceremony is going to take place, and he'd thought that him taking a breather before the big moment would go unnoticed. His breath catches in his throat when he takes everything in, her dress, her pink lips, the braid of red hair framing her face, her eyes shining. She looks absolutely perfect. If he believed in soulmates, he would easily think she's his, and for the first time, he thinks that seeing her getting married to someone else is actually going to kill him.

"Averys don't freak out."

"Kepners do. Or at least used to."

He raises an eyebrow, wanting her to keep going, but her father calls after them, saying Jackson better get to his assigned position before the bride makes her grand entrance. She squeezes his hand and he turns around to go back to the barn, resisting the urge to say goodbye and flee.

The next steps go according to plan. He takes his place next to Arizona at the front of the barn, the organ starts playing the wedding march, the guests all stand up and April walks along the aisle, a vision in white, clutching her father's arm and smiling left and right, gaze unable to focus. Just before she joins Matthew, she steals a glance towards him, and her eyes are a storm of emotions.

Jackson doesn't really hear the minister start the ceremony. He's too busy trying to analyze the tightening in his chest, his mind replaying the moment he had with April just a few minutes ago, and the day before, and all the moments they had ever since they met at Mercy West in their weird orange scrubs.

I’m April Kepner, I’m from Ohio and I'm super excited to be near the ocean, although I don’t really know how I feel about the rain yet.

Jackson. It's okay, it's just a nightmare.

Well, April is the only friend I have left here.

We will be fine.

Will you be my maid of honor?

Can I ask you something? It's, uhm, very personal.

You're a grumpus, you know that?

We would so crush this.

Jackson, look at me.

He feels Arizona nudge him, drawing him out of his daydream, and he sees her mouth "Are you okay?", but nothing doesn't really register, except for one thing. It's now or never.

So many people are going to kill him.

He takes a few steps down from where the bridal party is positioned and finds himself standing in front of April and Matthew, who turn around, confused about his interruption.

You're not a coward. You're an idiot.

He takes a deep breath and tilts his head to the side. Here goes nothing.

"I love you, April. I always have. I love everything about you."

[turkishdclights]

@richlust

it used to be jude, ava, marcus, and akshay. funny, because back then, the joke she got from ava and some of their extended friends was that jude would end up with akshay. they had a peculiar kind of skinny love – both interested in eachother, neither wanting to ruin the tightness of their friendship. what jude never did think was that 5 years later, she would get a call from marcus that he was planning on asking ava on a date. 5 years after that, she was getting a call from ava asking her to be her maid of honor. jude had gone to university in new york after graduating from their big seattle high school, and then went abroad to portugal for her graduate degree, staying put when she met her partner of 2 years. by the time they broke up, she had built a life in portugal - she knew she’d leave eventually, but for now she hadn’t had the desire to pick up and start again. she was on a plane home a few weeks before the festivities, getting accustomed to the time change, helping ava finalize the details of her wedding and picking out last minute decorations until the real party started - the bachelorette party. they started in a club before a drunken ava insisted on bar hopping, eventually interrupting marcus’s bachelor party. jude did a double take when she saw a familiar face, tapping on the mans shoulder. “oh my god, i thought it was you!” she said, throwing her arms around the man. “it’s been so long!”

[budddywells]

Full Name: Buddy August Wells.

Nicknames: B, Bud, The BAWS (that one's self-given and he's the only one who thinks it's funny).

Pronouns and Gender: He/Him, Cis Male.

Birthday: August 2nd, 1996.

Birth place: Seattle, Washington.

How long have they been in town?: His whole life.

Sexuality: Bisexual.

Housing: Swindelbrook Apartments.

Occupation: Dog-walker / stripper.

Family: 3 older sisters, 1 older brother.

triggers for bio: cancer tw, death tw, emotional neglect tw

QUICK OVERVIEW:

Like most newborns, Buddy came into the world nameless. However, that namelessness stretched on for days and weeks after he was brought home from the hospital. The last born (and least wanted, if you asked him) of five, he was another pull on his already stretched-too-thin parents.

He was just Buddy while his mom and dad cycled through and trialed a variety of names, some lasting hours, the longest being 2 days (Matthew). When they couldn't settle on one, Buddy just stuck.

The lack of effort directed to something as important as his name was something Buddy felt his whole life. His oldest sibling had already moved on to starting her own life by the time he came along, and his parents hadn't mastered how to make their passion for changing the problems around them work in tandem with raising their children. Feeling adrift became the norm for him.

Despite feeling somewhat disconnected from the family unit around him, Buddy found it easy to form his own connections outside of the home -- he slotted in easily in most social circles in school, which continued into his teens and adulthood.

Always cared a lot about being a good friend, even when he wasn't always a good person.

Dated around in high school and his early twenties, the whole concept of settling down freaks him out some so he tends to cut ties before things get too far.

Has had 2 serious relationships in his life, one of which ended just over a year ago.

Skipped going to college despite having offers, and instead found himself in an entry level job at twenty-two in Seattle Bank.

Intended to make something of a career out of it and stuck it out, until he ended up getting fired a year and a half ago for a series of unapproved absences.

Those absences were a direct consequence of his father's illness. When August Wells was diagnosed with cancer, the only people he told were his wife and his youngest son, making the pair of them promise to not tell anyone else in the family.

The responsibility was one he didn't know how to shoulder, though he tried his best. He never missed taking him to an appointment or to treatment, and even in his final days he still couldn't bring himself to pick up the phone and ask his siblings for help.

Took his father's death incredibly hard. That and his recent unemployment sent his life freefalling.

Tried out a number of different minimum wage jobs, until he found dogwalking was the only schedule he could keep to due to it being one he made himself.

Stripping, on the other hand, fell into his lap -- ba dum tsh -- thanks to a combination of too much time at the gym to clear his head and a lack of inhibitions. Does some work at a strip club called The Doghouse, but mostly makes his money on hired events like bachelorette parties and birthdays.

PERSONALITY.

+ sociable, funny, loyal.

- insular, apathetic, distant.

FUN ADJACENT FACTS.

Calls the dogs that he walks Buddy's buddies. Has an instagram page for it that's just snaps he takes when he has them out. It's moderately popular due to how cute the dogs are.

Volunteers helping look after guide dogs in training. He thinks they're dope, and it's one of the few consistencies in his life currently.

Will not answer to the name Magic Mike.

Buddy walking dogs is just the energy of this pic.

CURRENT CONNECTIONS.

younger brother of @delilahcarreno

former brother-in-law of @rafacarreno

uncle of @sadiecarreno

former childhood best friend of / one time hookup / it's all a fucking mess of @murphyaltman

tinder ghostee of @samiduwhan

close friend of / dog walker of / big question mark who's very fond of making out with @estestrauss

former high school hook-up / close friend of @thaddtilly

doghouse donation dumbass of / casual fwb of @zerolawrence

SPECIFIC WANTED CONNECTIONS.

A childhood best friend!! Gimme that lifelong ride or die. Can be plotted in depth.

His 2 exes that were serious. Can also be plotted in depth, very much open to one or both ended badly. All the vibes!

People he's stripped for. Make it rain fr.

People who's dogs he walks. Give Buddy his buddies. 🐶

Someone he was close to and then cold cut out after his dad's death. Hella potential for angst. Maybe a little Banshees of Inisherin inspired given they wouldn't have known why he turned on them so suddenly.

Open to him having a roommate if your muse is based in Swindelbrook also!

Someone (or someones?) who's relationship he was part of ruining. Buddy doesn't care much about the relationship status of folks he goes home with. He's just a lil messy like that.

His older brother and his other 2 older sisters. I'm not above begging.

GENERIC WANTED CONNECTIONS.

connections wise he’s pretty much an open book right now, but some baseline ideas that can be springboarded off are:

friendly.

a best friend / ride or dies / close friends / childhood friends / pseudo-siblings / friends / drunk friends / new friends / former roommate.

romantic

flirtationship / friends with benefits / one time hook ups / tinder matches / unrequited crush (can be either way) / exes from high school / exes from his earlie twenties / exes on good terms.

antagonistic.

enemies / former (best) friends / exes on bad terms / frenemies / rivals / negative influence / significant other of someone that cheated on them with him.

[officialagtowncars]

Party in style for your bachelor or bachelorette bash with our premium limo service, available across Seattle, from the vibrant streets to charming spots in Everett and upscale neighborhoods in Bellevue.

[imnosuperman12]

30.

So I finally turned 30.

Leading up to it all, I really did experience the host of emotions that is associated with the big milestone. Some sadness and mourning over the perceived end of my youth. Some excitement of what's to come.

By and large, I'm at a pretty good place in my life. I made my peace with my Texas chapter and childhood this past December. I took my big PCS exam at the beginning of March, and worked through all the transitions of a new car, apartment, and job in the few months it's been since moving. So in that regard, it was nice to have all that settled so that I could truly enjoy and celebrate the March festivities.

I ended up doing a pedal tavern through the Ballard neighborhood breweries for my birthday. It was something on my bucket list for a while, and I'm glad I got to experience it with my 2 good friends from high school and college, as well as my Seattle peeps.

On my actual birthday, I ended up celebrating with my friend Stephanie at her bachelorette party in Palm Springs! It really was everything I could have asked for: a countdown to midnight the night before; morning yoga at the Airbnb; a personal bartender for day drinking at the pool. More importantly, getting to share that experience with friends that have been there since the start.

I will say the one hint of disappointment I have is that I was basically out of commission from 6pm onwards. The biggest culprits being that we did a lot of mixing, and that I didn't eat anything past breakfast.

BUT I will say if blacking out on my birthday has any silver linings, it's this: I will not be spending any more of my 30s in that condition, if I can help it. I want to remember the big moments! Especially when I'm with friends. And in your 20s, I feel like you get a free pass because you're young and don't know any better. Plus there's so many opportunities to get to do it all again the next weekend.

But with all the planning and coordination to get people together in this life stage for various weddings and group trips, it's not worth it for it to get to that point. I'm grateful that I was in the safety of the Airbnb; that I didn't have to get carried around a new city that I didn't know; that I didn't have to place the burden of taking care of me onto anyone.

But I did miss out on what could have been an even more memorable experience. AND then that even had implications on me getting sick when I returned from the trip!

To give myself self a little grace and forgiveness, it was my 30th. Like, that is pretty much how it's supposed to go. But if I can help it, my new rules include: shot limits and food consumption. NO exceptions.

I'm older, and I know myself. And I'm grateful that I have this example to remember, and to set the tone and intention for the years to come. It doesn't have to be either or; but it can be about celebrating AND remembering. They're equally important.

And I owe it to myself to remember.

[micro-expressions]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Neon Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Neon Pink LED Light Wall Wedding Party Bday Decor.

[michtrace]

Hello again, tumblr!

It's 2023... and the last time I wrote in this was around New Years Eve for 2020. What's happened since then?

2020 - Hudson and I were living in NJ with my parents and older brother. I celebrated my 29th birthday at the bowling alley in Wallington with friends and cousins. I visit Gabby and Allyssa in DC right before hit the global pandemonium. My brother and I both worked in logistics operations at the time and were working in-person while many took to working from home. I remember being pretty envious of people who were able to be remote, and some who got to travel out of it. But it was such a twisted time, as so many were really holding it together in hospitals. Vaccinations were a thing, though a controversial topic apparently. I know people who lost people. My parents lost friends. Throughout that year I worked mostly. Later in the fall, began to spend time with just my cousins when dining opened back up-- outdoors and socially distanced of course. In the end tail of the summer I started doing online workouts with Chloe Ting, a youtuber, and ended up losing a deal of weight. My cousin Justine had gotten engaged-- the first of the younger cousins to get married (to follow in 2021). Work was rough, a tough crowd. I learned I wasn't good at managing a team. I left logistics ops (HR) to work in the NY office in the fall. Holidays were different that year. Everything was.

2021 - Things really started opening up. I celebrated my 30th birthday with Mitsuwa lunch and a workout at OT, and earlier my girlie cousins and I went to Domo Domo. In March, Shalane, Adrian and Simba moved to Vermont. I met my trainer, Anthony at 24H Fitness in April. Justine celebrated her bachelorette party in NYC (The Roxy, custom perfumes, Boucherie). Their wedding took place in Long Island. Kelly, Hudson and I visit Vermont later that summer for Adrian's proposal and officiating their civil ceremony. Hudson and I moved to an apartment in Brooklyn near East Williamsburg with Jelly (371 glory days). I dated a bunch (hello hinge and bumble). Mia visited in October! Jelly showed me the Brooklyn Museum, we went to NYBG, Hometown Hot Pot, Caffe Palermo (Cannoli King!), Anthony and Sons, Graham Ave... Ok I'm getting sad reminiscing on the wonderful memories. Tarot cards for fun, angel numbers, Case Kenny... I visit Austin a couple of times and Jelly joined me for one of them.

Oh and on NYE we celebrated in our pajamas and in our apartment, and woke up with Covid the next day. :)

2022 - I cried on the subway earlier in this year... lol. I celebrated my birthday by doing a boudoir shoot based in Greenpoint right off of McCarren. I met Francisco on hinge. I spent a lot of time between Long Island where he lived, Brooklyn, and NJ. I visit Seattle for the first time 2x since moving back/the pandemic. I started a new position as an HR Specialist focused on data. I was Shalane's best woman in her wedding and planned her bachelorette party in Cape Cod and bridal shower. Hudson was the dog of honor, too (wipes sweat from face). With the help of my family, I purchased a condo in North NJ and moved again, hopefully for a while. Later that year, Marcole and Jourdave became engaged. Cisco and I went on a few trips including one to visit his family in FL.

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[callmequeenkate]

Bachelorette party ready!! 🎉🎊🏳️‍🌈

[abbatoirablaze]

Bunk Mates, Chapter 17

Word Count:  3.7k

Warnings:  manipulation, coercion, dubcon, mentions of babies, Major TW:  injured children, car accident, major injuries, medical situations, hospital, surgery.

Ike’s POV

"Check it out," Granny said excitedly, slamming a box on the table, "I got my results about my ancestry."

"Oh 22 and you," Lucy smiled, "I've been wanting to do that."

"You'll never believe it. I'm 12 percent Jewish."

"What?"

"Really?"

"Get out of here," I laughed, "no way."

"This is going to change everything," Granny confirmed, “EVERYTHING!”

"We should all take these DNA tests," Cap smiled, "I've been telling women for years that I'm related to Joe Pesci. It's time I finally got proof."

We all started laughing, and Granny offered up, "Hey I got some extra swabs. Do you all want to do it?  I mean, I could send it off to the labs for you."

"Yeah," Alex grinned. She reached across the table to Lucy, "how fun, right?"

"Oh my god, I'm in."

I smiled at my girlfriend across the table. She'd been on A shift for a full week now, and I was on cloud nine. Granny started handing out the swabs, and I went to put it in my ear.

"Baby, no!"

"Ike," Cap said, stopping me from swabbing my ear, "No. Up here. Up Here."

He began to swab in his mouth, and I pretended to make it seem like I was joking about swabbing my ear, "I know. Why do you guys take me so seriously all the time?"

Granny handed me a new one and I said that I was kidding but watched everyone else swab their mouths and copied them. Embarrassed I got up to leave, telling Granny to get my swab to the lab and stat. I was stopped when I reached the bunk room.

"Hey you. "

"Oh heyyy," I said softly, “how’s it going?”

"Are you okay babe?" Alex asked, taking my hand in hers. I nodded and she put it up to her mouth and kissed it, "I can tell when you're lying babe."

"I just hate that they think I'm so dumb," I admitted, breaking down in front of her, "it's like, all the time, they treat me like I'm stupid."

"I'm sure they don't think that," she sighed, trying to calm me down, "you just say silly stuff sometimes."

"I don't mean to say stupid things to them though," I sighed, "like the shift before you came to A shift, we had a bachelorette party, right? So, they started joking with me about exotic dancing, and I didn't get any of their jokes. Then, I thought the dancer cop was a real cop. I told him that he didn't need to file a complaint or arrest anyone, and boom...his shirt was gone. Everyone was really laughing at me Alex."

"Well, I think you are amazing," she smiled at me, touching my pecs, "you are sweet, and loving, and compassionate. You are the most caring man I've ever met, and you treat me like a queen."

"But do you think I'm smart?"

"You are smart about what you care about," she replied. I smiled, "you know stuff that I don't, just like I know stuff that you don't. That doesn't make you any less intelligent than anyone else though. Your interests are just different."

"You are right."

"Come on big guy," she giggled, kissing me, "let's get back out there."

"Yeah," I smiled. I took her hand and walked back out but stopped short when I saw my twin brother. Alex dropped my hand, “Mike?”

"Come on Ike!" Andy yelled, "we share a room man!"

I started laughing as Mike was pulling the twin switch on him.

"Wait Mike! You son of a bitch."

"Wait, Ike has a twin?" Lucy asked, "holy Shit."

"Yeah," I heard Alex sigh as she sat near Lucy. I leaned over Alex and kissed her cheek, “Lucy, meet Mike.”

"Please be nice to Mike."

"No promises."

"You should have seen the look on your face Myawani," Mike said, putting his glasses on, "Ugghh, you're such an idiot."

"Lucy this is my brother Mike," I said introducing him, "Mike is a professor up at Seattle state."

"That's the last time I'm going to fall for that whole sexual harassment routine."

"Oh, is it Andy?" he asked, faking a laugh, "I don't think so. Hey Ikey. How are you?"

"Hey Mike," I smiled, staying in my quadrant, "you're here?"

That's when he noticed Alex, "hey Ikey, you gonna introduce me to this little minx?"

"You remember Alex," I laughed, halfway reaching out, before realizing he didn't want me in his quadrant, "she is my girlfriend."

"Oh yeah," he said rolling his eyes, "hi Ashley."

"Mike."

"No," I said correcting him, "it's Alex."

"Yeah, what I said."

"You guys not gonna hug?"

"No, we're not really huggers," Mike said, “we stay in our own spaces, right, Ikey?”

"They don't even shake hands." Andy said quickly.

"We like to stay in our own quadrants, you know?" he asked. "Isn't that right Ike?"

"Yeah, we have quadrants," I laughed, "we just stick to them."

"Seems like a cop out, but whatever."

"Oh man it's so good to see you!" I said excitedly, "what have you been up to?"

"Not much," he said, rolling his eyes," Just published a paper on the moral significance of conscience. It's a...don't worry about it."

"That's cool," I smiled, feeling braggy, "I just debuted a new dance routine set to wet the bed by ludicrous. Its...it's pretty tricky."

“That's great," he replied, "you're a real artiste."

"Mike, you know I don't speak French."

"Yeah Mike," Andy said, breaking into the conversation, "it's actually pronounced ar-tees-tay."

"Are you being serious right now?"

"Yeah, come on," I scoffed, "I mean...it happens Andy."

"Cool cool cool," he replied, “cool cool!”

"Hey uh Ikey, can I talk to you in private pal?"

"Yeah of course," I nodded. I looked at Alex, "you okay with that?"

"You sure?" she asked.

"Come on Ikey."

"I'll be right back." I said, kissing her cheek, "I promise." 

"It's not true," Cap said to Lucy, "the aroma of Tacoma comes from the old pulp and paper mill."

"That's wrong," Lucy said, "egg farms. That's where the aroma comes from."

"I don't know," Alex said quickly, "I think cap is right on this one Luce."

"This is it. It's on Checkipedia," Andy said, "so it's offish."

"It's on Checkipedia."

"Yeah, it's wrong."

"Luce!"

I started looking at the defib, "Ike do you think these things are super strong?"

I picked them up and went to flip it to see if it had a power label on it, "IKE IKE! That's still charging."

I heard the whine right as it shocked me.

"IKE!"

"Aye caramba!"

I felt them help me into the chair and Granny looked at me worriedly, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said, taking a deep breath, "sorry guys I've just been really preoccupied lately. Mike asked me for my sperm for a baby!"

"What?"

"What?" Alex repeated, "A baby?"

"For the shitty way he's treated you all these years."

"Cap he doesn't treat me shitty," I said, sticking up for my twin, "you have to understand...guys he’s, my brother. That's brother stuff. He coulda asked anyone for sperm for his baby. You know who he asked? Me. His identical twin."

"Yeah, you should be flattered!"

"I know, right?" I asked, "I feel like it could really just bring us closer together, you know? Like as brothers...plus I've got to say, it would be pretty sweet to have sex with his wife."

"I don't think that's a part of the deal."

"Because she's infertile."

"I said the same thing," I admitted to Andy, “crazy, right?”

"Ike, you do not want the child of your seed being raised by that bullying prick."

"Cap he's not a bully. He's not a prick either...he's my brothe-" Before I could say anything else, I felt an arm wrap around my neck. Mike had put me in a headlock.

"What's up you spaz?"

"Oh, Mike, I knew it was you." I laughed, "we all do the..I'mma flip"

"Let's talk turkey you baster." He said. He pulled me away from the group, and gave me a noogie, "do you even get that? You even get that joke? "

"Man, you are so strong," I laughed, “how are you so strong, Mike?”

He let go when we were a few feet away from the guys.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Luce took a step away from her, just as Andy did. Alex walked up to us.

"Oh shit."

"Oh, did you tell her?"

"She’s, my girlfriend."

"You," she growled, pointing at Mike, "all you do is bully him. You come here when you and Susan have issues, then you fuck him over, and you leave...then you only come back just to do it all over again. Now you want him to give you his sperm for a baby!"

"Listen Anna."

"It's Alexandria, you pompous prick. Learn how to fucking say it," she growled, poking him with every syllable. Then she turned to me, "and you. You let him treat you like this every time he's in town. But you never tell him just how much he hurts your feelings. And you are going to up and give him your sperm for a baby?"

"He’s, my brother."

"And I'm your girlfriend," she hissed, "this asshole is using you, but you refuse to see it because you want for one moment, for him to treat you like an equal. Well guess what Ike, he won't. Once he's done using you, he's going to throw you away just like every other time."

"I think you need to back out of mine and my brother’s business," Mike said. My jaw dropped. I didn't know what to do. Alex and Mike never got along, but this was a new level of anger, “so go away, you little tart.”

"Guys." I pleaded. Alex turned back around to face me, "Alex."

"What?"

"I think you just need to relax bab-"

"Relax?" she asked, "RELAX? You got so excited at the thought of fucking another woman and making a baby with her...how the fuck am I supposed to feel? Are you as sleezy as Mike? Because that's not the kind of man I want to be with!"

"Alex what are you saying?"

She yelled out in frustrated tone and walked out of the bay. The guys looked at us, and I didn't know what to do. Mike tapped my shoulder. "Women, right? They're all crazy. Susan does that to me all the time. It's because she doesn't get us."

"Yeah," I sighed, not really sure what to think.

"Come on man," he smiled, "get up pal. Let's go get this insemination thing going. What do you say I take you out for ice cream and then you can jerk off into a cup."

"To tell you the truth I hadn't really made up my mind about that yet."

"Ike," he said softly, "this will bring us closer as brothers."

That was exactly what I thought. I smiled at my twin, "okay, alright. I'll do it."

"Hey there you go."

"But first, two scoops of rocky road, with sprinkles."

"You betcha," he smiled, "rocky road, followed by rocky load."

"Oh, rocky road…with..." I began but faltered. Shit. What's a pun that would go with that. "Oh man...orange sherbet, and sugar and sperm."

"Sugar and sperm?" Mike asked, "oh man. I forgot. You can't do puns. I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ike's cream. Come on buddy." 

'I don't think you should have contact with him.' 

I hit the bag again.  

'I don't think he should know you even exist.' 

I hit the bag harder.

'You idiot.  I ask you for one thing and you mess it up just like you mess up everything in your life.' 

I growled out loud, letting out a yell, and hit the bag faster.  

'You are so stupid!'

I hit the bag one more time and walked away from it.  I threw the towel that was over my shoulder onto the floor.  Then I joined it, collapsing onto the floor.  I needed a workout after that Peaches Penisi, but the events from the past few days were running through my mind.  

That and Alex. 

Ever since she freaked out on me, we hadn't really talked.  The guys told her about the prank on Mike, but that hadn't lightened the mood.  She wouldn't talk to me at home, and only talked to me at the station if she had to.  

It felt like things were on the downswing of our relationship and it had me feeling pretty depressed.  We lived together, had our dog Creatine, and I could really see a future with her, but that whole confrontation with Mike had made her really upset. 

The only good thing to come out of it was that my mom called to tell me Susan didn't get pregnant from the insemination.  The doctor said the treatment didn't take, but I guess my sperm went into her spleen or something.

"Hey man," cap said, "you okay?" 

"I'm fine," I lied, "what's up?" 

"Do you know what's going on with your girlfriend?" 

"Is she okay?" I asked, sitting up.  

"I don't know," he shrugged, "she and Lucy went into the bathroom a few minutes ago.  The one in the bunk room, and they haven't come out." 

"They're probably just doing girl stuff." 

I got up anyways, and me and cap started walking upstairs.  When we got to the bunk room, I could see Andy and Granny both standing by the closed door. 

"Will you at least let us in?" 

"GO AWAY!" 

"What's going on guys?" 

"Lucy and Alex won't let anyone in." 

"There are other bathrooms," I heard Alex yell, "go away Myawani." 

"Alex?" 

"She's not coming out man." 

"Who is it?" Lucy asked. 

"Cap got Ike." 

For a few moments there was silence.  Then the alarm went off, "station 24.  Accident on the highway.  Construction vehicle t-boned.  Extraction from at least one vehicle is needed." 

The door burst open, and we all started down the pole.  Running to our gear we got in and Granny and Alex got in the ambulance.  

"Station 24, on route!" I heard cap call as he got into the truck.  I turned the sirens on and we went into high gear.  Just five minutes down the road on the highway I could see the accident, "jesus." 

It looked like construction truck had been t-boned coming out and had been pushed into the second lane.  There was a third truck where a flat bed lay empty, but there were metal pipes of all sizes scattered across the road.  Some had gone through the windshields of a few cars.

"Smith. Boykins," I heard chief across the radio, "go to the cars that have the pipes through the windshields.  I'm going to call for a few backup ambulances from other stations.  Crystal, Penisi, check for any potential ignition activity.  Myawani and Lucy pull the uninjured off to the side and away from the scene.  I'll hold the crowd off from the back and help the police re-direct traffic." 

The cops urged us forward, and I could see Alex and Granny already heading towards different cars. 

"CAP!" Alex yelled as we got out.  I looked at him, and he nodded forward, "I need you guys down here stat." 

"Go see what she needs," he commented, "I’m going to check on Granny, and we'll assess priorities." 

I rushed out of the truck and towards Alex.  I could smell the gas.  That's when I noticed it was leaking out from under the car.  

Shit. 

"It's okay sweetie," she said reaching into the car, "it'll be okay.  We're gonna get you out." 

I looked at the front and I grimaced.  The driver had been impaled.  It went straight through their neck.  Checking for a pulse I tried to hide my disappointment from the child in the back.  They were gone.  

"What's going on?" 

"I'm gonna be right back, okay?" 

"Please don't leave us!' 

"I'll be a few steps away, I promise." 

I could hear the children crying for her to come back as she pulled me away, "I don't know what to do." 

I could see tears in my girlfriend’s eyes, "what's going on?" 

She shook her head, "did you look in the back?" 

"No." 

She picked up her walkie, "cap.  Extraction is needed.  Two children in the rear of the vehicle.  Driver side smashed into barrier before fishtailing.  Driver is DOA, two children in rear.  Can't get the door open on either side.  Pipe is penetrating driver and five-year-old girl in the back.  Seven-year-old boy refusing to leave the vehicle without her...fluids leaking from the bottom heavily." 

"Shit." 

She nodded.  Cap looked down to us then rushed down.  

"Ike that's their only parent.  The little boy said they were heading home from the funeral..." she said, a few tears spilling down her cheeks, "and the boy won't leave his little sister.  The car is bound to catch.  The steam is coming from the hood...we can't use the saw outside the vehicle, or it'll catch from the sparks." 

"Jesus" 

"This is priority," cap said.  He took a look into the car and came back to us, "Crystal get the jaws, towels, and the saw.  Boykins, get as much water as you can.  I'm going to talk to the kids." 

We didn't waste any time.  Alex and I ran to the truck to get what we needed.  

"Hey can we talk?" I asked my girlfriend. She looked at me then pushed her gear away off the back of the ambulance, "are you okay?"

She shrugged, "it doesn't matter."

"Hey," I said quickly. I pulled her into my chest, "we saved that little girl. The doctors got that pipe out of her."

"Ike both of their parents are dead."

She looked at me. Her cheeks were patchy and raw. Her eyes were red. She had been crying since we left the scene. But now both of us were sitting at the emergency door still at the back door of the hospital. There were too many ambulances brought in that they loaded the little girl and her brother through the delivery doors.

"I'm sure they have family somewhere."

"Ike," she cried, "those kids will have to grow up without parents...doesn't that hurt your soul?"

"I mean it definitely sucks," I admitted, "but I didn't have to go through that, so I don't know what that's like...why do you even care so much about those two kids? What's going on with you? Ever since Mike showed up asking for my sperm, it seems like you only pay attention to kids now."

"Just forget it," she sighed, "I don't want to talk about it."

"No," I said, shaking my head, " I do want to talk about it. I feel like things changed between us. I agreed to give Mike my sperm, but the treatment didn't even work...so I'm not going to be a dad/uncle anyways."

"That's not what upset me Ike," she sighed, giving in, "what upset me is that you let him manipulate you...and then when he and I had words, you didn't take my side...then you said you wanted to have sex with Susan. It made me feel like I wasn't worth much of anything to you."

"No no no," I sighed, "you are. I just...I didn't want to get in between you guys, and I ..ughh. I mean I know I should have said something to him....and I don't really want to sleep with Susan. I just got caught up in everything, and my mind was racing a million miles. I didn't know what to do or think about anything...I swear, Alex."

"Ike-"

"I don't want things to end with us," I said quickly. It felt like that's where this conversation was going, "I really do love you. I mean, we moved in together, and have Creatine. And I really can see myself spending the rest of my life with you...honestly...and if this past week has taught me anything, aside from the fact that Mike is a jerk, it's that I want a family. You know, with you. I want us to be able to create that one day, because I love you. And what would be cooler than having little mini me and yous running around."

When I looked back into her eyes, she was still crying.

"I didn't mean to make you upset," I sighed, wiping away her tears, "please don't cry because of me."

"it's good crying," she sighed, “I-I promise!”

Just then the door burst open. Granny came through with a big smile on his face, "she made it through the surgery."

Alex lit up, "she did?"

He nodded, "yeah. And we got ahold of the kid’s grandparents...they're on their way right now."

It looked like a weight was lifted off her shoulders, "good."

"Miss Alex," a small voice said. The door was opened just enough for the little boy to pop out with a nurse. He smiled when he saw her, "you're still here!"

"I told you guys I wouldn't leave," she said, standing up. The little boy ran down the incline and straight up to her. He wrapped his arms around her the best that he could. She gave a sigh before wrapping her arms back around him, "I'm glad you and your little sister are okay."

"Alright Logan," the nurse said, "come on, we better get back inside before Dr. Nichols yells at us."

"Wait, Logan," she said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out two coins. He looked at it curiously as she handed them to him, "you and Emmy deserve this."

"What is it?"

"They are called challenge tokens. Every firefighter is given one when they join and get assigned to a station. I won my twin brothers from him one time," she said, "that is mine and his coins. I want you and Emmy to have them. That way, you can always remember how brave you both were, and how strong the two of you are."

"Really?"

She nodded. He hugged her again, promising that they would hold onto them forever, and that he wanted to be a fireman when he grew up, then disappeared back into the hospital. I helped Alex get her gear and we threw it into the back of the ambulance and closed the door. Granny began the drive back to the station.

"That was really nice of you."

"He deserved it," she said, nodding her head, "Those were our first challenge coins, and I'll always have the memories of starting out in California...but our home is here now, in Tacoma."

"Our?"

She nodded and reached into her pocket. "I wish I had some grand way to talk to you about this or something...but I didn't exactly have time to plan it. I thought it was just late, but I didn't get it this month."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you won't be a dad/uncle, but you're definitely going to be a daddy Ike," she said, pulling a pregnancy test out and showing me. The results said 'pregnant' with a little plus sign. I looked at my girlfriend, "we're gonna be parents..." 

Chapter 18

[uncensored-steve-the-platypus]

Drool

Warnings: Bad language words, painfully awkward reader, Bucky in a tux

Word count: 1279

A/N: This was written for @a-little-counter-esperanto’s Birthday Challenge!

The prompt I chose (and took a few liberties with) is “On the long flight to your best friend’s destination bachelorette, you pass out, drooling, on the shoulder of your seatmate.

When you arrive at the wedding, you are mortified to discover that your seatmate is the best man, and you spend the rest of the wedding weekend trying to avoid him.” Enjoy!!

You weren’t sure how you got here in the first place. It’s not like you and Rachel were close anymore anyways. Somehow, though, you ended up with an invitation to her wedding. She had moved out of your hometown after high school, so you had to take a few days off to fly down to Miami. It was a long flight from Seattle to the first stop in Salt Lake City, but an even longer one from Salt Lake City to Miami. At least you had a book or two to keep you occupied . You had the aisle seat, and when your seat partner arrived, you had to get up to let him in.. You glanced over as he lowered himself into the middle seat and my God was he attractive. You had to tear yourself away from those blue eyes before you creeped him out.

“Hi.” He said.

Shit. Airplane small-talk. You were never good at small-talk. “Hello.”

He held his hand out. “I’m James.”

You shook his hand and told him your name.

“So, Y/N, what’s taking you to Miami?” James asked as he buckled his seatbelt.

“Wedding,” you replied, still trying not to look at him.

“Me too!”

You smiled politely, torn between wanting to hear his voice some more and wanting the small talk to be over. He decided for you. “Where you from?”

“Seattle. Had a layover in Salt Lake City. You?”

“I’ve been bouncing back and forth between Brooklyn and Louisiana, but decided to try Los Angeles for a bit. Definitely not for me. After this I’m going back to Louisiana.”

You nodded. “Okay. All over the place then.” You chuckled.

He smiled. God was he attractive. “Something like that. At least it’s all on the same continent.” You chuckled again, not wanting to pry too much into this stranger’s personal life.

As the plane took off, you turned your attention to the books you’d stuffed in the seat pocket. You grabbed one to start reading. As the plane reached cruising altitude, your eyelids felt heavy, and you dropped your book as you fell asleep.

You woke with a start. You were still in the air, so you had no idea how long you had been asleep. Unfortunately, it was long enough to notice that your head was on Jame’s shoulder, and some drool had creeped out of your mouth and onto his shirt. Wiping your mouth, you shifted your body so that your back was to him, praying that he wouldn’t say anything to you about it. It doesn’t matter, you told yourself. You were tempted to fall asleep again but the thought of drooling on the handsome stranger’s shoulder again terrified you. You picked up the book you dropped and started reading again.

Soon, the plane landed, and as soon as the fasten seatbelt light went dark above you, you scrambled out of your seat, leaving James without so much as a glance or goodbye. It doesn’t matter, you thought to yourself again. It's not like you’re going to ever see him again anyway.

You rushed out of the terminal and down to the baggage claim, praying you wouldn’t run into James again. As Rachel picked you up from the airport, she looked at you curiously. “Y/N? What’s wrong?”

You scoffed, knowing she wouldn’t let it go. “I’ll tell you in the car.”

Rachel was laughing behind her perfectly manicured hand. “Oh my gosh no way!” You were giggling, too, despite yourself. “He was so hot, and I drooled on him. Only me, right?!”

Rachel laughed. “Well, forget about him. I gotta introduce you to Steve’s best man. I think you’ll really like each other.” She winked.

You pulled up to the hotel where everyone is staying, and you grabbed your bags to go change for the rehearsal dinner when you heard a voice behind you. “Y/N?”

“Don’t let that be who I think it is,” you muttered under your breath. You turned around. It was James. Of course it would be. “Hello,” you said quickly as you stepped into the elevator. Unfortunately, he followed you. “What are you doing here?”

“I told you on the plane,” you replied shortly. “Wedding.”

The elevator stopped on your floor, and to your dismay, both you and James exited, and your rooms were across the hall from each other. As you plopped your suitcase on the bed to open it, you ask the empty hotel room, “Can this get any weirder?”

A couple of hours later, you realized the answer to your question was yes. It could. Rachel led you straight to him at the rehearsal dinner. “Y/N, this is Steve’s best man, James.”

“Hello, again, Y/N, call me Bucky,” James said with a smile.

“Again?” Rachel asked, but a quick look from you filled in all the blanks she needed. “Oh.”

Bucky tried to recover for you. “We met in the elevator and are room neighbors.” You nodded, grateful he didn’t mention the plane.

“Yeah,” you smiled, looking for any excuse to leave the conversation. Luckily you weren’t part of the bridal party, so you had a table on the other side of the room. At least now you could check him out from a distance. He made eye contact with you a couple of times, which you quickly avoided.

After the dinner, Bucky tried to get your attention as you dashed to the elevator. You heard him call your name as you slammed the elevator button trying to close it. It slowly closed, his incredulous look the last thing you saw as you slunk against the wall. You hid in your room. Maybe if you just read tonight, it would calm your nerves. You looked in your carry-on bag and found only one book. You sighed. You must have left the other book in the seat back pocket in your rush to avoid Bucky. Great. You flipped endlessly through the three hotel channels before crashing in bed for the night.

That next day was the ceremony, and as you sat among a bunch of people you didn’t know, your gaze kept returning to Bucky. Damn did he look good in a tux. You caught his eye a couple of times, but this time, you didn’t look away as quickly. You saw the corner of his mouth turn up and his eyes crinkle as he snuck a smile at you.

After the ceremony, you beelined to the cocktail bar. Sipping on a vodka cran, you watched as the other guests meandered to their tables. A voice behind you startled you, making you spill your drink on your arms, narrowly missing your dress. “Hey, Y/N— oh shit! Sorry!” You whirled around to see Bucky with a handful of cocktail napkins in his hand. “Here,” he said, patting your arms with the napkins.

You chuckled. “I guess this is payback for drooling on your shoulder, huh? I’m so sorry about that. It was so embarrassing.”

“Is that why you’ve been avoiding me all weekend, Y/N? Because you drooled on my shoulder on the airplane?” You nodded. “I thought it was because you weren’t interested. I thought you sleeping on my shoulder was pretty cute, actually.” After he helped you get as much of the drink off your body as he could, he said, “Go wash up in the bathroom, and I’ll save you a dance later?” You nodded again, and as you walked away, he shouted after you, “And I have your book!” Heat began to creep up to your cheeks as you giggled, shaking your head. Maybe Rachel was right about you and the best man.