#Boston Breakers

[emotionalsupportsoccerball]

BOSTON IS GETTING AN EXPANSION TEAM HELLS YES

[adventuresthroughlife123]

First NWSL Goalkeeper to reach 150 games! She started 149/150!

[trendynewsnow]

Boston NWSL Expansion Team Faces Backlash Over Launch Event and Campaign

Boston NWSL Expansion Team Faces Backlash After Launch Event Tuesday was intended to be a momentous occasion for the National Women’s Soccer League’s newest expansion team, but just a day after a vibrant event in downtown Boston to unveil the team’s name and colors, the club found itself issuing an apology for the distress its publicity campaign had caused. Five hundred fans had RSVP’d for the…

[coachtfd]

Someone post pics of Kyah’s reaction. Like Ali Riley, she’s been at this for a very long time and I KNOW she’s just balling with joy somewhere right now. This one’s for you Kyah. 🐨🇦🇺

[larsnicklas]

[231227 LAT VS. CAN] macklin celebrini takes a gorgeous stretch pass from matthew wood and scores his second goal of the tournament, picking up his fourth point in two periods against latvia

[the-physicality]

so new york clinches first draft pick, and with their play, minnesota [which has not won a game since the international break] should be concerned.

[b3crew]

TOKYO GAME SHOW 2024 | "Phantom Breaker Battle Grounds Ultimate" | B3crew.com

Although it’s been a decade since I played the original, I found myself easily diving into Phantom Breaker Battle Grounds Ultimate at Tokyo Game Show.

[principiumindividuationis777]

[joegeniusblog]

Negro League Baseball Museum, "Barrier Breakers" at 118 Boylston St, Boston, through August 4, 2023

Negro League baseball has been an interest of mine for over 50 years. Robert Peterson’s ONLY THE BALL WAS WHITE captured the attention of this 12 year old Mets fan upon its publication in 1970. The Carrie Palmer Weber Junior High of Port Washington N.Y’s librarian Ms. Futter always had a smile upon seeing me take out ONLY THE BALL WAS WHITE for perhaps the 4th. time. As my youth coincided with…

[cinnamongorll]

a fragile line - masterlist

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female OC Fic synopsis: three years ago, Juliet escaped her father's religious survivor camp, ending up in the Boston QZ. Juliet created a life for herself in Boston, desperate to forget the trauma of her upbringing. One day, Juliet arrives home to find a mysterious letter which forces her to return to her home town. Juliet can't travel the harsh post-apocalyptic landscape alone, so she enlists the help of the grumpy and, at times, frightening man she works alongside: Joel Miller. Tags: extreme slow burn, age gap, older man/younger woman, protective joel, jealous joel, hurt/comfort, pov third person, mutual pining, angst, sexual tension, friends to lovers, canon-typical violence, feral joel, parental abuse, eventual smut.

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Inspired by ‘Strangers’ by Ethel Cain, ‘Haunted’ by Taylor Swift, and ‘Francesca’ by Hozier 🫀

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read on ao3 - 38/38 chapters (179k words)

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read on tumblr:

chapter 1 'Marked for death'

chapter 2 'Put it on me'

chapter 3 'Twice'

chapter 4 'Something in the way'

chapter 5 'Way down we Go'

chapter 6 'Hearing Damage'

chapter 7 'Slipped'

chapter 8 'Killer + The Sound'

chapter 9 'Carolina'

chapter 10 'Salt and the Sea'

chapter 11 'Tulsa Jesus Freak'

chapter 12 'The Night We Met'

chapter 13 'First Defeat'

chapter 14 'Who We Are'

chapter 15 'Bloodstream'

chapter 16 'Villain'

chapter 17 'NFWMB'

chapter 18 ‘Funny’

chapter 19 'Strangers'

chapter 20 'No Sound But The Wind'

chapter 21 'I'm Your Man'

chapter 22 ‘Running Up That Hill’

chapter 23 'My Tears Ricochet'

chapter 24 ‘Safe and Sound’

chapter 25 'House Song'

chapter 26 'My Body is a Cage'

chapter 27 'Happiness is a Butterfly'

chapter 28 'Illicit Affairs'

chapter 29 'The Last Time'

chapter 30 'If You Lie Down With Me'

chapter 31 'Breakers Roar'

chapter 32 'August Underground'

chapter 33 'Haunted'

chapter 34 'Bad Man'

chapter 35 'Can't Catch Me Now'

chapter 36 'Another Love'

chapter 37 'Francesca'

epilogue 'If I Go, I'm Goin'

[neuroticbookworm]

So Mew is officially in his Reputation era. And the aesthetics that he chose for the transformation was fascinating to me and @lurkingshan. Mew was, in his own words, setting out to be "as nasty as the nasty ones". And then went ahead and completely modelled his appearance after Ray.

So does he think Ray is one of the "nasty" ones? Well, turns out, not quite. We see him trying to look confident with his fake hookup with Guy, but he fails. He's nervous, and it shows. He also tells Boston later in the episode that he "doesn't have to be as filthy as him".

So while he's not trying to be "nasty" or "filthy", he IS trying to be a transgressor. A rule-breaker. And he’s trying to emulate some of that chaotic energy Ray is always exuding without sinking all the way to Boston’s level. He wants to step out of line, but he still wants to stand within the moral boundary enough to claim superiority, as we see him do at Boston's house.

Which explains why Mew thinks Ray is not "right" for him, even if he’s willing to give him a chance to soothe his ego after Top’s cheating.

And when the time comes, it'll be oh-so-easy for Top to convince Mew that Ray is not "good" for him.

[skyfullofpods]

Random Podcast Recommendations Mega-List Part 1!

Updated: 07/12/23

Collected here in part 1 because tumblr has a limit of 100 links per post of my alphabetical list are the fiction podcasts from A-M I've recommended so far for my random podcast recommendations! Part 2 is here

A A Ninth World Journal Afflicted Aishi Online Alba Salix Among the Stars and Bones Apollyon Arden ars PARADOXICA

B Back Again, Back Again The Ballad of Anne & Mary The Beacon Believer Black Friday Breaker Whiskey The Bright Sessions

C CARAVAN Chaika Chain of Being Civilized Coexistence Come On In, The Water's Fine Copperheart Counterbalance

D Death by Dying Desert Skies Desperado Diary of a Space Archivist Dining in the Void Directive Do You Copy Dos: After You Down

E The Earth Collective Elaine’s Cooking for the Soul Electromancy The End of Time and Other Bothers Ethics Town Exoplanetary Everything is Alive

F Falling Forward Fan Wars: The Empire Claps Back The Far Meridian Fireside Folktales Folxlore Forgive Me!

G Gay Future Georgie Romero Is Done For Girl in Space The Goblet Wire Gone Great & Terrible Greater Boston Greenhouse

H Hallway to Nowhere Hand in Glove Harlem Queen Hauntingly Humdrum Hello From the Hallowoods Hi Nay Hit the Bricks Human Error

I Immunities InCo Inhale Inn Between In Transit

J Janus Descending Jar of Rebuke Joy to the World Jupiter Saloon

K Kalila Stormfire's Economical Magick Services Kane and Feels Keep It Steady The Kingmaker Histories

L The Last Echoes Less is Morgue Liars & Leeches Life On Pause Light Hearts LIMBO Lost Terminal Love and Luck

M Margaret's Garden Margaritas & Donuts The McIlwraith Statements Me and AU Mercury: A Broadcast of Hope Meteor City Middle:Below Moonbase Theta, Out

[dd-is-my-guiltypleasure]

Everyone’s gone UFO crazy. Maybe The X-Files should come back

Chrissy Iley

MARCH 2, 2024

Starring in a poignant new film adapted from his own novel, David Duchovny reveals the heartache of almost losing his daughter... and why his most famous show could yet return

No wonder David Duchovny has written, directed and stars in his latest movie Bucky F***ing Dent... it’s based on his own bestselling 2016 novel of the same name. Poignant and funny, it examines a father-son relationship via baseball, with X-Files star David playing Marty the dad, who’s dying of lung cancer, and Logan Marshall-Green from Spider-Man: Homecoming as his estranged son Ted.

The real Bucky Dent went down in history for scoring an unlikely home run for the New York Yankees in a 1978 tie-breaker against arch rivals the Boston Red Sox, and the film’s title is how generations of Boston fans have referred to him ever since, a metaphor for heartbreak. Set in that same year, the film follows struggling writer Ted as he moves back into his childhood home when he hears his father is dying, prompting a whirlwind of dark revelations from the past. Meanwhile, Boston fan Marty’s health dips whenever his beloved Red Sox lose, so New York fan Ted orchestrates the illusion of a Boston winning streak...

Marty has transferred his feelings for an old flame (the secret love of his life, not his wife) to the Red Sox. ‘The intensity of fandom has always puzzled me,’ says David. ‘It has to be a kind of sublimation. My father and I liked playing baseball; my best childhood memory is playing it with him and enjoying the simple communication you can have through a game, but we didn’t share the fandom thing.

‘Marty’s transposed his feelings for this woman to the Red Sox, and the movie is really about the idea of losing. In America there’s a sick addiction to winning and winners, but most of us have to lose every day. Suffering makes us human - it unites us all.’

There’s a moment in the film when Marty is talking about a chest infection that almost killed Ted as a child. Marty says he begged God or whoever to take his lungs instead and let Ted live. ‘One thing I’ve never told anyone is that when my daughter was nine months old she got really ill,’ reveals David. ‘Her mother [actress Tea Leoni] and I had to face the fact we might lose her and I remember feeling so devastated, I didn’t think I could love anything again if she died.’

His daughter West, now 24, has since become a successful actress who seems to have inherited her mother’s stunning blonde looks and her father’s charisma. ‘I think she has a greater passion for acting than either of her parents ever did,’ he says. They also have a son Kyd, 21, and David says the hardest moment of his life was telling them he and Tea were divorcing ten years ago, as his own parents had done when he was 12. ‘It was far worse telling them than actually experiencing it. When you’re a child you just try to get through it, you don’t feel responsible. As a parent I felt at least 50 per cent responsible.’

Tall and thin with good skin and an easy charm, David seems untouched by the ageing process, although this role is a huge shift from the Lotharios he usually plays, such as bed-hopping writer Hank in comedy-drama series Californication. Does getting older bother him? ‘Of course, and as an actor you have to think of the different roles you’ll be offered. When I was writing this script I was thinking I’d play Ted, the son. We tried to make it four or five years ago and I was still going to play Ted, but then when it came to doing it I realised it just wouldn’t work, so I thought I’d play Marty. And that was exciting because it was very different.’

Californication won two Emmys and a Golden Globe, but was notorious for its portrayal of LA’s seedier side. Does he think it could be made now? ‘Certainly they would insist on intimacy coaches, but I don’t think it would be made now, for the wrong reasons. There was a misunderstanding about what it was about. It was meant to be funny, and it was meant to be about family and love. But what everybody got excited about was not that,’ he says, referring to the furore over the sex scenes. ‘In my mind the show was misperceived.’

Another of David’s roles that would spark a row today was a transgender FBI agent in Twin Peaks in the early 90s, when almost no transgender women were on TV. Again it was groundbreaking. ‘But if you’re playing a murderer no one asks you, “Have you murdered people?”’ he says. ‘It was just being an actor.’

David is, of course, best known for The X-Files, in which he played UFO-obsessed FBI agent Mulder opposite Gillian Anderson’s sceptical Scully. The series finally bowed out in 2018 after 11 series, but could there ever be another? ‘Maybe - it might even be more current now,’ he says, referring to the recent release of top-secret UFO files in the US. ‘I’m not personally interested in UFOs so it doesn’t make it more exciting for me to revisit The X-Files. It was a role I played but I wasn’t passionate about the subject. Maybe I’m the only one who isn’t.’

There was a brouhaha at the time about the huge pay discrepancy between David and Gillian, and I wonder if it would be difficult for him to work with her again. ‘As far as I know, by the end there was no difference at all between us, but Hollywood salaries are very weird,’ he says. ‘I’m going to London soon and I’ll see Gillian because she lives there now. I saw her in the West End doing All About Eve and I enjoyed it. She wished me luck with Bucky too.’

In recent years David has explored his passion for music, releasing a couple of folk-rock albums. So does he see himself as an actor, a director or a musician? ‘All of them, I’m an artist,’ he says. ‘I can filter stuff through a song, a novel, a performance or through directing. There are all kinds of ways of being an artist. I write best about dramatic things. There’s a way to deal with suffering to create art.’

Bucky F***ing Dent, Glasgow Film Festival, Wednesday. Visit glasgowfilm.org

[theqtinkblot]

Helluva Wonderland AU: Hellborn/Fallen Angels

A/N: This took so long, but we’re almost close to finishing the character backstories for this au. As the title suggests, I hope this would make a little bit of sense with these choices. This will only talk about their short time on Earth/Heaven, what the Hellborns’ lives were like, and what they did in the Pride ring before joining the cult.

Same as before, some warnings (18+): mentions of harassment, racism, abuse, demonic practice, mention of illness, angst, violence, death, etc... You get it, onto the post!

Trey Clover:

Trey was born in London on October 25, 1927. He lived in a cake shop with his mom, dad, and two little siblings, living their best lives. Even during the Great Slump and WWII, Trey would still have fun with his two friends, Che’nya and Riddle. After the war, he tried to stay in contact with Riddle until he was 18 years old, when his parents sent him to a university in Boston to study Dentistry. Trey would pass away from heart disease at the age of 23 on September 14, 1951.

Everything was super bright, even though his eyes were closed until he finally opened them. Trey was surprised to find himself in front of the golden gates of Heaven where St. Peter popped up from behind his desk and welcomed him inside. Trey looked much like himself except for a white halo above his head, a pair of large celeste green and cream-colored wings on his back. Everything was going all right for a few years until he protected an angel from Adam harassing another Angel, ultimately pissing him off and banishing Trey to Hell, making him a fallen angel.

Once he woke up from the shock, he could only see a red sky and blurry figure standing above him. That is until he heard a familiar voice say, “Trey, is that really you?” Trey’s eyes widened as the figure placed his glasses back on, revealing a confused and crying Riddle. After their reunion and arrived at the Heartslabyul district, Trey became Riddle’s second in command, while still adjusting to his new appearance becoming a greenish skin tone, pointed ears, sharp teeth, his eyes having a black sclera, a clover mark now his left cheek, and his pastel green wings had become broken.

Cater Diamond:

Cater was born in the Envy ring on February 4. His family were the only succubus family that lived in a suburban neighborhood, so some of the Envy demons would often pick on his family, due to their racist views on other demons. But thankfully it wouldn’t last long, since his father’s job allowed their family to move all around each ring of Hell. Although he was annoyed by it, it wasn’t as or more annoying than dealing with his two sisters’ unreasonable bossy behavior.

Once he reached 18 years old, he became an avid social media user, mainly Sinstagram, and wanting to seek attention, he decided to move to Pride to “live his life to the fullest.” While he does seem to be doing well for himself on social media, being as outgoing as he does in social situations, he does seem to have a knack for gathering information, despite others would consider him as just a “succubitch.”

So, when he reached 23 years old, he was able to get a job as Riddle’s informant and advisor, gathering information about any rule breakers and scheduling important meetings. During his time in Heartslabyul, he met Kalim and Lilia during one of the Overlord meetings, and the three of them would hangout, sharing their love of new trends and parties. So, all in all, don’t assume he’s just a sexy face, because he’ll know everything and make your life more hellish.

Jack Howl:

Jack was born in a Hellhound family in the Gluttony ring on October 11. As a Hellhound, he and his family are considered the lowest class of demons in hell, aside from the imps, so Jack comes off as rather cold and distant, not wanting help from others, basically being a Tsundere to everyone around him. And because of the discrimination towards Hellhounds, this also gave him a strong sense of justice and drive to become stronger.

When Jack reached 16 years old, he began training to become a professional guard as a means of showing honor and strength. Though if you think about it, it’s better than the alternative positions Hellhounds are restricted to, such as just being a family pet. Soon enough when he reaches 21 years old, he begins to hear about a king of some sorts in the Pride ring, an overlord who strives to lead a group of Hellbeasts to glory.

Jack moves to the Pride ring and encounters Ruggie, asking if he can serve as a protector in the Savanaclaw district. Ruggie, although finding his request strange, did agree to teach him some of the ropes around the place. Hopefully, with everything he learns, he hopes that as he gets stronger within Leona’s pride of Hellbeasts, people will see him as something more than just a Hellhound.

Jade and Floyd Leech:

Jade and Floyd Leech were born in the Greed ring on November 5, their mother being a moray eel demon from Envy and their father being a loan shark from Greed. Their family’s business mostly consists of “dabbles in a bit of everything,” and seeing as they lived in Greed, that would apply to anything mafia related. And as such, Jade and Floyd were often tasked to gather information about rival gangs and “take them out” if anything goes wrong.

As they both reached 22 years old, the twins started to grow bored of being in Greed, that is until they noticed an imp trying to escape some thugs from the Pride Ring. The imp expected the twins to help him, but he was in for a surprise of his life when Jade and Floyd helped the gowns in exchange for meeting the man the imp owes. So, after dumping the imp in the river, Jade and Floyd traveled to Pride and entered the lustrous Monstro Lounge in the Octavinelle district.

During the meeting, Azul was impressed with their handy work, disposing of a client that failed to pay his debt, and was surprised that they had asked to work in his business. Skeptical due to their fearsome demeanor, Azul agreed to their offer, and since then, they have been very close friends. Although they both become his two best men in crime, he has no control over them as they were free to do things they enjoyed in Pride, so at least they're doing alright for themselves.

Rook Hunt:

Rook Hunt was born in a Griffin Goetia family on December 2, his family’s nobility is ranked very high in Hell, or at least that’s as much as he can tell. What can be said is that Rook, from a very early age, is one of the strangest members in the Ars Goetia. Exploring the art of hunting while he has access to the living world, sneaking around spying on others and avoiding getting caught, all while discovering anything that he deems as beautiful.

On one of his customary drives through the streets of Pride, he immediately shouts for the driver to stop when something catches his eye. He stepped out of the limo and entered the Vees studio where he was greeted by Vox and Valentino, who believed he was there to indulge in adult films. However they are shocked to see that Rook walked past them and greeted Vil, declaring that he was so captivated by how beautiful he is and asked him many questions.

Over time, Rook and Vil would often spend time together, Vil would produce and perform his movies while Rook would watch and be amazed by his art. Rook also helps Vil by traveling to the living world and giving him some insight about the movie industry, as well as using his hunting skills to eliminate any competition. It pays to have not only a royal Goetia, but a loyal hunter by your side.

Epel Felmier:

Epel was born in the Wrath Ring to a family of imps on May 6. Being the shortest of his family, working on the farm, he tries his best to help with growing and selling apples. Growing up, he struggles to be more "manly"; he tries to grow taller, make his voice deeper, and build more muscle. But no matter how many times he tried, everyone still considered him to be cute, based on how he looked as he grew.

When he turned 21 years old, he traveled to the Pride ring, to make a deal with the Overlord Kalim to help his family with transporting their apples throughout Hell. However, he unfortunately bumps into and gets into a fight with the Cold-hearted Overlord, who insults him with the way he speaks in his hometown's accent. In triumph over his defeat, Vil forces Epel to work for him in his studio and become his personal project in exchange for providing help to Epel’s family to sell their products.

And since then, Epel has been, under contract, working for Vil in the Vees studio; mostly being a model for Velvet’s fashion and makeup brands and Vil teaching him proper etiquette while they live in the Pomefiore district. Epel hated how he was forced into Vil's overbearing beauty standards and constantly fought with the Overlord a lot, only to end up defeated afterwards. At least he has some people he could talk to in the studio, but it does piss Vil off whenever he hangs out with Angel from time to time.

Ortho Shroud:

With the real Ortho not being alive or his soul not in Hell (A/N: sweet baby’s too adorable to be there,) Ortho was created by Idia to be an exact image of his late brother, including having all of Ortho’s memories and personality. Idia created him out of Angelic steel, ensuring that he wouldn’t get damaged by any weapons while ensuring he won’t be slain from any exorcists. Ortho even tries to imitate his brother by making his hair look like his brother’s flaming hair and making his eyes glow as well. He spends his time helping Idia with his inventions and setting up meetings with Carmila, although he wishes his brother would attend them with him and make more finds. He has hope though.

Lilia Vanrouge:

From the beginning, Lilia and Lucifer were very close friends, during a time when Lucifer wasn’t appreciated by his fellow angels because of his ideas. Lilia served as a former holy guard, appointed by the elders to guard the Garden of Eden and make sure the first humans wouldn’t be tempted to sin. However, he felt sympathetic to Lilith’s independence and Lucifer’s dreams for humanity, so he secretly allowed them inside the garden.

Who would have known that when evil was released to Earth and Lucifer and Lilith were banished to Hell, Lilia and six other angels would rebel against heaven and become the first sets of Fallen Angels. They would be caught in a battle that would last for years on earth, until they were overrun and fled back to Hell. Lilia would continue to stay in contact with the royal family, sometimes even going to Earth, to give Lucifer some updates about humanity.

Although he was thankful for doing so much during his eternity of living, he had never been close to anyone, say for Lucifer, Lilith, and the other deadly sins. But that seemed to change when: he oversees watching over Malleus and teaches him about the human soul, he is asked by Sebek to train him to become a knight, and he found and adopted a human baby he named Silver. Hopefully, Lilia will continue to live until his death with the memories of the people he loves.

Silver:

Not much is known about his past, mainly about what he was or where he came from. All he knows is that Lilia found him as a baby on May 15, 1936. He didn’t understand why his father decided to adopt him since he was only human, but Lilia took him in and raised him as best he could. You can also imagine his surprise when Lilia recounted a story about how Lucifer couldn’t stop gushing over him when he told him and Lilith about Silver.

Now, the death of a human while in Hell is a bit tricky, instead of the usual soul falling into Hell, the body must undergo a painful transformation before they can begin their afterlife. So, when Silver unexpectedly died from an incurable illness January 29, 1959, at the age of 22, his body only grew gray and didn’t develop any demonic traits. Silver was so confused, he fled the castle, even if his body was still under recovery, until Lilia found him and cared for him while he was bedridden.

Over time, Silver had asked Lilia to teach him how to fight and use magic, since he had always wanted to learn when Lilia told him stories during the war. So he, along with a new apprentice named Sebek, Lilia taught them everything, from hand to hand combat, holy weapons training and magic lessons. Silver then decides to honor his father and to serve as a loyal guard, protecting his father, Malleus and even the royal family, should the time come.

[cariantha]

A Chance Encounter (3/3)

Book: Open Heart (Pre-Series) Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Sawyer Brooks) Rating: Teen Category: Fluff Word count: 1.3K Series Summary: Ten years before meeting at Edenbrook, Ethan and Sawyer have a chance encounter during spring break.

Chapter Summary: Almost two years after moving to Boston and meeting Ethan Ramsey, Sawyer realizes her spring break dream guy and current boyfriend are the same person.

Part One | Part Two

Part Three: The Realization 

March 2024 - Boston, Massachusetts

“Okay, okay! Truce!” Sawyer surrendered with breathless laughter. She and Ethan, and most of the surfaces in the room, were dripping wet in the aftermath of their impromptu water fight at the kitchen sink.

Ethan playfully swatted her bottom with a dish towel before he started mopping up the countertop. “Hey!” she jumped with a laugh. “You started it, mister.”

“Uh-uh. You did when you gagged at my recipe idea.”

“Sorry, not sorry. But it was a terrible idea. Who puts raisins in pasta? Who puts raisins in anything? Gross,” she shivered in disgust. Changing the subject, “Hey, speaking of terrible things… did you hear about all those spring breakers who ended up in the E.R. last night?”

“I did. I saw it on the news as well. It’s a miracle no one drowned. Fifty people crammed onto a pontoon boat… what a bunch of drunken idiots,” Ethan commented and shook his head.

“So, I take it you never did anything crazy or reckless on your spring breaks?” She stopped what she was doing and turned to face him. “Did you even go on any spring break trips?”

“Once.” 

Nearly a year and a half since meeting in the lobby of Edenbook, Sawyer still hadn’t remembered their encounter over a decade ago. And Ethan didn’t want to tell her. He wanted her to realize on her own and was still hopeful she would. Something would eventually jog her memory and he wanted to witness the moment she finally connected the dots. The more senior doctor had always been fascinated with how his protege’s mind worked, how an everyday random thought became the key to unlocking a medical mystery. He wondered if it would be like that when she finally remembered. But then again, Sawyer didn’t even know there was a mystery to be solved, so maybe not. 

“Once what?” Sawyer asked, walking to the dining table to collect the wine glasses, “Once you were reckless or once–” She cut herself off as her foot slipped out from under her. “Whoa!” she yelped, clipping her elbow on a metal cabinet handle as she fell on her rump. “Owww,” she whimpered, cradling her throbbing funny bone. 

“Shit! Are you okay?” Ethan rushed to her side and crouched down. He peeled Sawyer’s hand away from her elbow and saw red. “Come here.” Scooping her into his arms, he stood and gently deposited her on top of the kitchen island. Reaching for a roll of paper towels, he tore a couple off. “Here, keep pressure on it. I’ll be right back.” A minute later he returned with a first aid kit. 

Needing a distraction from the throbbing pain, Sawyer watched him sort through the kit. “Tell me more about your spring break. I can’t quite picture you partying on the beach in Florida. Isn’t that where all the east coasters go?” 

“It was during med school,” he answered. “Tobias’ stepdad had a house at the beach, right on the water. We spent a few days there with a couple of other buddies from school. It wasn’t anything wild like the scene in Florida… pretty upscale… but Tobias did throw a big party while we were there.” Having gathered the needed supplies, he lifted the paper towels and examined the gash on her elbow. “What about you? Let me guess… Mexico? Lake Havasu? Vegas?”

She shook her head as she also assessed her injury. “I was on scholarship. I couldn’t afford to go anywhere. But sophomore year, my roommate invited me to go with her to New York. She was a nanny for a super-rich family from L.A. They let her bring a friend since she was giving up her spring break to travel with them.” 

Standing between her legs, Ethan cleaned the wound. When Sawyer turned her head and flinched from the sting of the antiseptic, he leaned down and blew on her elbow. 

Sawyer snapped her head back to him. When he lifted his eyes to meet hers, memories of her time in the Hamptons with a handsome young stranger came rushing back. The stranger who traveled with three friends and whose roommate had a wealthy stepfather who owned a house on the water. A medical student at John Hopkins. A coffee snob with eyes the same color as the ocean.

“You– You didn’t say where you went for spring break,” she commented quietly.

Ethan stepped away to dispose of the bloody gauze and paper towels. His back was to her when he answered. “The Hamptons.”

When he turned around, he saw the realization dawning in her glassy eyes. 

Sawyer stared back at him for a moment. "Moondoggie?" she asked softly, her throat suddenly tight as she swallowed her choked-up tears.

Ethan smiled as he returned to the counter and rummaged through the first aid kit for the right size bandage. 

“You’re… it was… it was you?" she stammered, putting the puzzle pieces together. As he applied ointment to her wound, her mind wandered to the countless times he had lovingly kissed and caressed the barely there scar on her thigh. "Why haven't you ever said anything?" 

"It was complicated. You were an intern. I was an attending. Cracking that door open would have made it even harder to keep things professional.” 

"When exactly did you realize?" she wondered. 

"In the waiting room of the E.R. The moment I saw and called you over to help,” he admitted, tearing the wrapping away from the bandaid. 

��But you acted like you didn’t know me.” 

“I recognized you immediately. How could I ever forget these bewitching green eyes?” he said, his knuckles caressing her cheek. “I just didn’t know your name.”  

She held her tongue as he concentrated on placing the butterfly bandage just right. When he was done, Sawyer slugged him. 

“Ow! What was that for?” he moaned, rubbing his shoulder.

“We met. We had this incredible connection. Had a magical night together. And thennn, we meet again ten years later, unable to resist each other, and you still don’t believe in soulmates?!” 

Ethan shrugged. “You know I believe in science, not star charts. There’s a perfectly logical explanation–”

Sawyer shook her head and cut him off before he bored her to death with scientific reasoning. “Ethan… I can’t believe this… you were my… my–”

“Spring break hook-up?” he tried to finish for her.

“No… well yes, but you were my– my first.” 

He stopped what he was doing and looked her in the eyes. “Are you serious?” 

“Yeah.”

“Well, clearly it was not very memorable,” he poked fun at himself as he started to move away and clean up.

Sawyer quickly grabbed his shirt and tugged him back. “Are you kidding?! I’ve never forgotten that night, Ethan. I never forgot how you made me feel,” she told him, wrapping her hands around his wrists to keep him close. “You know, the first time I saw a picture of you, I thought you looked like him. The guy I met on spring break. It was always at the back of my mind, but I figured it was just wishful thinking...” She trailed off, stroking his cheek with her thumb. “It's probably why I didn't recognize you as my medical hero when we saved that woman's life. Seeing you again short-circuited my brain," she chuckled. Locking eyes with him, her tone became more serious. "That guy from the beach was my dream guy. I’ve never forgotten him and I compared everyone who came after to him.”

“Is that so?” he asked in a near whisper, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Yes.” Sawyer shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sorry I didn’t remember right away. I suppose once I started to get to know you… once I found the real thing… I didn’t need to hold onto the memory of the dream guy anymore.” She locked her legs around his waist and her arms around his torso, drawing him as close as possible.  

“I see,” he said, planting a soft kiss on her lips. “Well, maybe if I play my cards right, I can be your first and your last.”

“Take me to the bedroom, Moondoggie,” she smiled. “You can be my first, last, and right now.”

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