#Got the last paycheck from the bakery job so I am pretty sure I’ll be able to make it

[oglegoggle]

Today’s vibe is strange. Maybe it’s just the January. January is like that.

[scarlettriot]

Along for the Ride PT 1

Pairing: KirishimaxF!Reader

Summary: A drunken mistake had you marking the little Plus One box to your snobby cousin's wedding. Kirishima told you not to worry, if you couldn't find a date, he'd go with you. When the wedding gets moved up, there's absolutely no time to find a date and you're now about to be traveling to America with Kirishima on a private jet no less, dreading having him meet your rude and impossibly arrogant family.

Contains: Kirishima and Reader both come from very well-off families. Plus-Sized Reader. Fluff. Hurt/Comfort.

Warnings: Kinda smutty for a minute. Minors DNI. Drunken Sex. TW: Manipulative Family Relationships. TW: Body Image Issues

A/N: This story has been rolling around in my head for a while now. I might rewrite this and repost. Or I might just post the whole thing soon. I dunno yet. It does get smuttier.

Word Count: 4,974

"What's up with Y/N?"

Eijiro stepped out of the locker room with a towel slung over his shoulder and made his way into the kitchenette where Mina was chugging a bottle of water before getting back to her patrol. His eyes were trained on their mutual friend out on the patio, pacing.

You had your phone pressed to your ear, the high neck of your hero costume unzipped to your collarbone and he noticed your gloves discarded on a chair.

"No clue." Mina shrugged. "She got back from patrol and she noticed a bunch of missed calls from her mom. She's been out there, flailing on the phone for the last fifteen minutes now."

The three of you had met in your second year at UA when you transferred into their class and were quickly accepted by their little squad of friends. You were a bit quiet at first but quickly found comfort in the group. Eijiro had grown especially close to you when you both interned with Fat Gum.

Late nights traveling on the train back to school, a few close calls while helping patrol, and days spent playing cards while you both healed up in the hospital left plenty of time for Eijiro to get to know you better than most. It was how he knew you had a pretty bad relationship with your family, why you hated returning home for the holidays almost as much as you hated any and all forms of tomatoes.

He considered going out there just to see if there was anything he could do but before he had the chance, you were sliding the glass door open. "Oh, good, you're back." He offered you a bottle of water for your throat that he assumed was sore after that argument. "I- um- can I borrow you for a second? Alone?"

Mina snorted a laugh. "If you guys wanna bang it out on the counter you can just say so. I gotta go to work anyways."

Eijiro threw the towel at her as she left the room leaving you two alone. "What's goin' on?"

You hoisted yourself up on the countertop while he leaned against the fridge. "You remember my cousin's wedding that's happening this winter?"

He nodded. He vividly remembered the both of you getting waste a few weeks ago when you were filling out the RSVP and accidentally marking 'plus one'. Then you ran around trying to find White Out but he'd told you if you didn't find a date or have a significant other by the time of the wedding, he'd just go with you.

You argued that your family was bat shit crazy, had more money than they could spend in their lifetime and because of that, they were among some of the rudest people you knew, and you didn't want Eijiro or anyone else around that.

The thing was, Eijiro already knew that and was still okay with going. He came from money too. A lot of it. His family was just more welcoming than yours, the wealth never really going to their heads. But, he reminded you that he'd ran into enough people like those in your family that he knew how to handle them. You finally agreed to let him accompany you, leaving the plus one box checked but the name line blank.

"Well, my cousin just found out that surprise, she's pregnant! And, obviously, she can't have a wedding while seven months along so they've decided to move the wedding up to this weekend."

He nearly choked on his own spit. "This weekend? As in four days from now?"

"Yup! Saturday at 4 in the evening. Oh! No one's supposed to know she's pregnant either. So, I'm just supposed to compliment her on how flattering her dress looks, how thin she is," Your hands strangled the water bottle between them, "And I have to find something flattering to my figure because my mother has seen me in my hero outfit and she's so glad I wear a mask because if anyone knew her daughter ran around looking like I do, well, it'd ruin her!"

You massaged your temples circling back to the actual point, "Anyways, I just wanted to bitch for a sec and let you know you're off the hook since four days is just a little short notice and I told her my plus one wouldn't be able to get the time off that fast."

He pushed off the fridge. "Well, wait, hang on! I'm not letting you go in alone to deal with them! Hell no! You need backup!" You looked almost taken aback by his abruptness, "Yeah. I can work this out. Is the wedding at the same place it was supposed to be or has it moved?"

"No, it's still that fancy lodge in California. I was planning on leaving Friday morning and then coming back either Sunday night or Monday morning since my mother insists I go to their brunch the following day. But, Eijiro, I already have this weekend off..."

"Denki owes me a favor or twelve. He's supposed to be off this weekend too, I'll just see if he can cover me."

"And if he can't?"

"Then..." He pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, "Y/N, am I feeling warm to you? I think I might be starting a fever!"

You folded your arms, shaking your head, "Thought you said lying isn't manly."

"Technically, correct. But, what would be real unmanly is for me to let you deal with your family's bullshit all alone." You watched him closely, "To be honest, I'm sure we could just explain you had a family thing come up and asked me to come along for moral support. I don't really think anyone would think twice about it. Hell, you took a few days off to console me when my turtle died suddenly!"

"Eiji, you refused to eat."

"And you brought me my favorite dumplings! Same thing!"

You might have shaken your head at him but your arms opened wide. The telltale sign you wanted affection. He walked forward, consuming you in a tight hug. Your arms latched around his neck, face buried in the hollow of his throat. "You're the best."

"I just do what I can."

>>><<<

You should have canceled. Instead of Eijiro faking sick to get out of work, you should have faked it with your mother so you didn't have to go in the first place. You crumpled to the floor of your bedroom in pure frustration amidst the twenty or so outfits and dozen pairs of shoes you'd thrown out of your closet trying to find something that your mother would deem appropriate.

It wasn't your fault you had a fuller figure. You worked out, ate right, not to mention your job kept you very active, and yet your, hips, ass, and breasts were by no means subtle.

Your mother had also insisted on the dress being floor-length and modern, "Do try not wearing all black. It's a wedding, not a funeral. And, get your hair looking natural, please." And, just like that, 70% of your wardrobe was out the window!

"It's open!" You called from the floor when the doorbell rang.

"You really should lock this." Mina tutted, walking through the door with a bag full of takeout.

"I do. At night."

"Honey, it's 9 PM."

"Night like bedtime."

Mina just rolled her eyes and walked into your tiny kitchen. "I see the dress hunt is going well."

"I actually figured it out!" You got off the floor, careful not to step on a heel as you made your way to the pink haired woman, "I'm just gonna go in my birthday suit. I figured, my mother made my body technically therefore she can't disapprove of it. Because, you know, she's never done anything wrong in her life!"

Your best friend snorted out a laugh and passed you the take-out container stuffed full of stir fry. "you're a wonderful person, you know that?" You loved the fact Mina didn't even have to ask what you wanted.

"If you'd just move closer to work then you could pick it up yourself and I wouldn't have to bring it to you."

"Too expensive." You declared after a mouthful. "You pay almost twice as much as I do per month and I just don't see the point. I have damn near the same amount of space you do for half the cost!"

You adored your small one-bedroom apartment. It was perfect. Right above a bakery that you visited each morning after your run and a little balcony that provided you with the most stunning view of the sunset.

"You and Kiri, I swear." Mina just shook her head and curled up with her food on the loveseat. "I thought he'd end up with the biggest house out of us all the moment we started making that real Pro money. You've seen his parent's house. It's massive! You could get lost in that place!"

Eijiro's place was barely bigger than your own. He lived in the same condo he had since you'd graduated UA, claiming it was perfect for him in each and every way. But, you knew that he donated a sizable amount of his paycheck every month to charities, the same as you. With savings to spare, neither of you saw the point in hoarding it and therefore the small condo was all he could afford with what he actually kept.

"Just don't understand how a guy that big can live in such a tiny little space. At least with you, it's you know, physically feasible."

Eijiro's bedroom was barely large enough to fit the king-sized bed the man needed to sleep comfortably and even then, his feet were dangerously close to dangling off the bed. And, as if the man's ears were burning, your cell phone went off under a pile of discarded shoes.

Shark-E: Figured out your dress situation? If not, I'm just gonna pack like ten different ties and hope for the best.

You: Yeah! I totally did! I'm just gonna wear this birthday suit I got and call it a night.

You chuckled at your own joke all over again. Watching the grey ellipses appear and then vanish, appear and vanish again. After a third time, you took pity on the man.

You: Joking, Ei. I still don't have it figured out but Mina's over so, hopefully, she can help.

Shark-E: Gonna give me a damn heart attack! Seriously, I wouldn't put it past you just to see the look on your mom's face. Tell Mina hi and good luck to you. I vote the dress from the Hero Gala two years ago.

You: Hi from Mina. Can't. Too much boobs.

Shark-E: You take that back right now! There is NEVER such a thing as too much boobs!

You chuckled to yourself, putting your phone down, and then finished off the last of your delicious dinner, thinking about the dress Eijiro mentioned.

You wondered if maybe there was a way you could make the thing work but it was so very low cut. So much tape had been used to make sure no slips happened but damn was it worth it! The beaded bodice with the sparkling long sleeves, gods, how you loved that dress.

"I'm inclined to agree with our shark boy. You're busty, who gives a damn. You looked hot as hell in that dress."

"My mother, that's who. As much as I'd like to not give a flying fuck what she thinks, for some dumb reason, I do. On top of her telling me that the amount of cleavage I would show would be vastly inappropriate for a wedding, she'd also say the way it hugs my hips makes them look too fat."

Mina rolled her eyes. "She's such a piece of work." Pushing herself up, she held her arms out to you, wiggling little pink fingers for you to take. "Come on then. Let's get you sorted."

"What about that one you wore to the charity art thingy with Kyoka last winter? The one with the silver top."

"Silver is too close to white." You called out from within your closet.

"What! Not true!"

"You know that. I know that. Every person with two brain cells knows that, which is why most of my family does not know that."

"Fine..." She whined and started sifting through the opposite end of your closet. "Oh, what about this?" Mina waved about the blue and green plaid skirt that made up your uniform from your middle school days when you lived in America. "Please try this on. I'm begging!"

You were pretty sure it wouldn't even go over your thighs anymore.

"It's got a better chance of fitting you!"

Mina threw it at you anyway. Slipping off the sweats you wore, somehow, someway, you were able to tug it on AND get it zipped, barely. It no longer covered your ass but you still enjoyed the way it swished around when you wiggled your hips.

"You could be fulfilling so many people's fantasies right now." Mina mused.

You pulled the skirt off and sweats back on, throwing the former back at her. "Yeah, you can take it and go fulfill Hanta's fantasies if you like. Not like I've got anyone to impress." You pulled down a dress you bought on sale a year ago but Mina was quick to dismiss it.

Too puffy, she said and then held up one that was from Momo. "I needed to get it shortened and I don't have time for that now."

"Wait..." She hummed and dropped the Momo dress. "I know what it should be!"

Mina hurried through the closet, grumbling about not finding it. "Just tell me which dress and I can tell you where it's at."

"It's that one you got for grad night and then you got sick and couldn't go!"

"Mina, Mina I can't wear that! That's actual vintage, not like, made-to-look-vintage!"

"But it's so elegant and has that off-the-shoulder sleeve thing. The wedding is at a damn sky lodge! It'll look so pretty in the snow! Ah! Found it!"

She yanked up the long, elegant gown from the garment bag you'd never removed it from. There wasn't a single wrinkle in the burgundy fabric. It looked just as beautiful as the day you found it in that second-hand store, on a mannequin with gaudy stage jewels that you just had to buy so the look was complete.

You ran the back of your hand over the velvety fabric, soft to the touch. "It'll be too tight now. If I was the same size I was at graduation-"

"Bullshit!" Mina cut you off with a dismissive hand, "You've got hips now. We aren't 18 anymore! It's not like it's some clubbing dress. And I bet no one would say a damn thing about your figure if they knew how easily you could crush them with those thighs!"

A smirk tugged at the corner of your lips. Without quirks, you gave every single one of your classmates a run for their money in hand to hand. Most were fairly easy to beat. You could usually take down Eijiro in about five or six minutes and Katsuki in half the time. Funny enough, it was Ochaco that gave you the hardest time.

"I'll consider it. But help me find something else just in case."

>>><<<

It was another two hours before you finally agreed on an a-line, empire waist green and gold number that had been the bridesmaid's dresses for Tetsutetsu's wedding. Mina thought they were a crime the first time they had to wear them, she had no idea what you were thinking.

That's why the moment you were preoccupied with trying to find yet another dress for the Sunday brunch, Mina pulled out her phone.

You: DO NOT, under any circumstances, allow Y/N to wear the green dress. She's bringing two because she can't decide. Red is the winner!

Jaws: Aw, come on. If she likes it, let her wear whatever she's comfortable in. She'll be under enough stress already.

You: Kirishima, it's the dress from Tetsu's wedding. The one that looks sparkly baby food.

It took him a second to respond.

Jaws: Alright. Understood. I thought you guys looked good but damn, she hated that dress.

You: We all did.

Mina looked at the message chain again and couldn't help but asked, "Are we just gonna ignore the fact that you and Eiji are flying all the way to America, last minute, to attend a wedding together, even though you're not together?"

"We've flown to the states before."

"For work!" She sat up eagerly. "This is different, Y/N! This is a date and not just a, like, casual date but a wedding date!"

You poked your head out of the closet. "No, it isn't. This is a friend helping another friend who stupidly mismarked an RSVP." You corrected very plainly but Mina wasn't one to give up so easily.

She whined, dragging out your name, "You guys have been doing this thing for ages. Why do you have to be so stubborn about it all!"

"What's that supposed to mean!"

Mina started ticking off points on her fingers. "He was the first person you opened up to at UA. You saved his life when he was busy saving Katsuki's life second year. You spent all that time interning together, became sidekicks together. Went to America together for three whole months, ALONE, and you honestly expect me to think there's nothing between the two of you!"

The truth of it all was simple really; 17 year old you had a massive crush on Eijiro Kirishima. He was sweet, always listening to you, providing comfort when you needed it, and always encouraging you to push your limits. He was bright and honest, a little slow in the head from time to time but that made him all the more endearing.

He was also head over heels in love with Katsuki Bakugo.

It was why you never made a move. Never spoke a word of the feelings you harbored. You didn't dare to cross that line with him because you couldn't ever hold a candle to the explosive man.

In the three years Eijiro and Katsuki spent together, your brain finally started registering Eijiro as just a friend, nothing more, and certainly nothing less. You thought your heart had followed suit but it was becoming more and more apparent that wasn't the case. Because the night he showed up at your door, tears in his ruby eyes, every lock you put on your heart broke open.

The same way you couldn't hold a candle to Katsuki, Eijiro couldn't hold one to Izuku. You knew exactly what he was feeling even if you never intended to tell him. Too overcome with fear. If Katsuki came back... that'd be it. Eijiro would go back and you wouldn't even blame him!

Still, the redhead consumed a decent chunk of your heart though, you couldn't deny that after the three months you spent together in America, gathering intel on a smuggling ring, living in the same apartment. The groggy, 'good mornings' when his voice was still scratchy with sleep, hair falling in his eyes. The late nights bandaging wounds and killing cheap bottles of wine while watching terrible American reality shows.

It was those bottles of wine that did you in on your second to last night in America. Supplying you with courage and draining your sense of reason, allowing you to crawl onto his lap, into his arms. You could still remember the pressure of his lips on yours, those sharp teeth gently dragging along your lower lip.

Scared hands tracing the curve of your ass before taking handfuls to squeeze. The laugh that came from you was unlike anything you heard before, something so genuine that you couldn't reproduce.

How it felt when he lifted you up and took you to his bed, laying you down taking his time removing your clothes, and watching with awe as you pulled away his own. The way he looked over top of you, his hair a curtain of red around you just before you closed your eyes, gasping while he filled you.

You also remembered the guilt that crept into your head during the wee hours of the morning, the doubt that was louder than the snores coming from behind you.

It made you slip from under his massive arm, gather up your clothes from his floor, you tucked the blanket around him, and pressed a kiss to his temple before padding out of the room.

You told yourself you'd talk to him about it if he brought it up, but he never did. Not the next morning, or night, not on the plane ride back home, nor anytime since. It was a memory you'd hold close to your heart, one you wouldn't let slip away or share.

"There's nothing there, Mina. We're just good friends is all." You lied with a smile on your face, something that had become surprisingly easy to do.

If only you knew that Mina saw right through it. That Mina already knew the truth of it all.

>>><<<

It was nearly one in the morning when your phone rang. The goofy picture of Eijiro with face half painted at a festival a few years back never failed to make you grin.

"It's a little late." You answered by way of greeting.

"Don't pretend like you were anywhere close to sleeping, you little night owl."

Chuckling at the nickname that had followed you since high school, "What's up, Eiji?"

"I was going over flights. You said in the office that you wanted to leave on Friday?"

"Yeah. I have patrol tomorrow and I didn't find any flights after 6 PM so, Friday is the earliest."

He was quiet on the other line for a moment. "Yeah, you don't have patrol tomorrow, or work at all for that matter."

You sat up a bit straighter in bed. "Um, yes I do."

"No, you don't. I called Mina, asked her if you'd mind taking that shift for you and, since she knows what's happening, she agreed the extra day for travel would do you some good. So, she's covering you tomorrow then you're off work until next Wednesday. As for me, thanks to all that overtime I put in when Denki, Kyoka, and Hitoshi got married, the three of them are splitting up my days so I have until Wednesday too."

Eijiro sounded impossibly proud on the other line, you could almost see the smirk on his face. "You've got this all planned out, don't you?"

"And a bag nearly packed. Just need you to tell me what ties to bring."

"Gold, burgundy, and black."

"Thought your mom said no black for you?"

"She said no black for the wedding. She said nothing about black at the brunch!"

You couldn't wait to put on the tea-length dress that had been a favorite for years. Satin with a lacy top and, best of all, pockets.

He let out a rumbling laugh that fell off into comfortable silence as you laid back in your bed, lights still on, the room still a mess. You tapped the speaker icon and laid the phone on the pillow right beside your head, listing to the various sounds of Eijiro moving around.

A door creaking open, a hanger clattering against another, and a zipper. "And just like that, I'm all set."

"Don't forget your passport or hero license."

"I have one in my wallet and the other in my backpack."

You swiped up on your iPad, off Netflix, and going to google, lazily searching through flights. "So, did you find any good flights since you've clearly been looking?"

Another chuckle, "Eijiro, why are you laughing?" More stifled giggles had you sitting up in bed again. "Just tell me a site you were on. They're just flights, what's so funny?"

"There isn't a site."

"You said you were checking flights."

"And I was... on my family's jet."

"Eiji! No! No, no, no! That is supposed to be for their business or hero things! My stupid cousin's wedding is neither of those things!"

"Relax, Y/N. My family has multiple and they don't have any business trips planned right now anyways. I already cleared it with my mom. Seriously, I just mention your name and she's likely to let me have it for a whole year at least. Plus Todoroki's is back up in working order so the agency is covered too."

Damn, why'd he have to be so good at planning from time to time! You'd completely forgotten about the second jet his family had. Always opting for the larger one since the few missions they needed it for required them to bring fifty or so heroes along.

"Besides, if we fly private, we can land at an airstrip closer to the venue and won't need to drive four hours on top of a ten-hour flight."

"Alright, okay, thank you but, let me take care of the rental car, please. It's the least you can let me do."

"Deal. I just have one more question for ya."

"What's that?"

"Wanna leave tonight?"

You nearly dropped your damn iPad in shock. "Eijiro! What the fuck has gotten into you! It's the middle of the night!"

"I'm excited!" He boomed, "I haven't had a vacation in months!"

"I hate to break this to you, buddy, but this isn't going to be a vacation. You really shouldn't get your hopes up. This isn't going to be a good time with laughs and fun memories... my family, they just, they aren't those kinds of people."

"But we are." He stated matter-of-factly. "If they want to have sticks up their asses then let them! We'll have a good time on our own, laugh and make fun memories! So, what do you say, Y/N? I can be at your place in fifteen. I just gotta put shoes on and grab my keys..."

"Wait, hang on. Are you forgetting that we need someone to, oh, I dunno, FLY THE PLANE! Actually, we need two someone's, can't forget about a co-pilot!"

He hummed happily and you rubbed your temples. "You, you have a pilot and a co, don't you, Eiji?"

"Mhm! There is a company we use. Two can be at the hanger in an hour and every hour after that. I just have to make the call and get the flight plan approved which will be done before I even get to your house."

There was literally no reason to say no. You had mostly everything packed, nothing you needed to get from the store, all you had to do was put on pants and pack up your hygiene bag and you were ready too. Maybe getting there quicker and getting the whole thing over with would be better than staying home dwelling on everything.

"Better put your shoes on."

The glee in his voice, that was enough to make this whole thing worth it, "I'll see you soon."

>>><<<

Eijiro reached into the backseat and plopped a bag down on your lap the very moment you were buckled in. "Had to make a pit stop." He explained.

"It's after two in the morning, where'd you have to..."

"Just open the bag and don't complain."

You found it filled to the brim with all your favorite snacks.

"I'm sure the plane will have a bunch of snacks we can raid but I know for a fact they don't have these." He held up a pack of cookies and creme flavored pocky that had been his favorite for as long as you'd known him, quickly followed by your favorite flavor too. You also found a massive bag of gummy worms and jolly ranchers.

"So, what you're telling me is our teeth are going to rot by the time we land? Not that I'm complaining."

You ripped open the bag of ranchers knowing that was what he'd go for first and sure enough his hand dove inside just as he pulled away from the curb. You could hear his dangerously sharp teeth biting through the rock candy like it was nothing while you still rolled one around your mouth.

Eijiro asked you about the resort you'd be going to, wondering if you'd been there before or what other stuff you guys could do when you weren't dealing with your family. "I figured we could fly back Monday night or Tuesday morning, you know, just play it by ear in case there was anything else we wanted to do."

More than anything, you wished you could just leech a little bit of that excitement from him. The glimpses of his smile you caught as you drove under the street lights made your heart ache.

"What?" He asked with that wide smile of his. You'd been caught staring, red-handed.

"I, uh, I just don't know what to tell you."

You could see the subtle change of his grin, watch as it softened and his hand came to rest on your thigh. "Hey, it's gonna be fine! And if we run into them while out doing stuff, you can just avoid them or hide behind me!" At least hiding behind Eijiro is an easy thing to do, damn mountain of a man.

His thumb slowly brushed back and forth. "'S gonna be okay. I'll beat 'em up if they're assholes!"

You snickered at his Katsuki impression and let the drone of the radio fill the air around you both. Enjoying the silence the rest of the way to the hanger with Eijiro's hand atop your leg.

[meganshinsou-tm]

Sugarcoated. (m)

↳ chapter four: candy apples

❧ genre: pro-hero hitoshi, adoptive siblings, happy ending

❧ chapter warnings:

[multi-chap masterlist] [previous chapter - next chapter]

"Hey, stop dipping off for free samples! Didn't you have enough pancakes!"

You turned your head with wide eyes as you were caught, a cookie pressed to your lips before you hurried and shoved it in your mouth as Hitoshi stormed towards you. You waved at the employee attending the cart and went to run in the opposite direction until a strong hand clutched the back of your sweater pulling you backwards as an inhuman noise escaped your mouth.

"You're the fucking hobbit here, you know that? Give me your hand, no more until what –" the hero looked at his watch to see it was only almost noon, according to Hobbit meal times the next meal was lunch, "Until three!"

Your hand was eagerly taken into his as he turned you around, making you smile and interlock your fingers with his. He looked down at your hands laced together so intimately and smirked.

"And you said I'm a nerd? How do you know Hobbit meal times Toshi," you replied, mouth still full of ooey gooey cookie goodness.

"Shut up and let's go you halfling!"

With a smile you did as told and continued around the market with the purple haired hero, searching and finding all the items you needed to make a special treat for Eri. Even after leaving the market, Hitoshi still never released your hand from his but you didn't complain. It was nice and comforting. Together you boarded a train once again then headed back to your place. Once in your apartment, Hitoshi helped to unpack the groceries and you sat all your ingredients up nice and neatly on the kitchen counter. You looked over it all, pointing and counting to make sure everything was there. 

"Corn syrup, sugar, food coloring, water and apples!"

Hitoshi was standing next to you, watching as you meticulously measured everything. It was cute to him how precise you were, making sure the sugar was even in the measuring cup and sizing up all the apples side by side only choosing ones that matched. Your eyes then looked at him and you smirked.

"Make yourself useful hero and wash these for me!"

"Yes ma'am," he smiled and grabbed the apples you motioned to.

You went to a cabinet and bent over, searching for a pan. Hitoshi couldn't help but look and stare with a devious grin. It was taking everything in him to not reach over and just smack your behind for the fun of it. After he finished washing the apples, you told him to dry them and to line the cookie sheet you took out with some wax paper, followed by impaling the apples with the sticks you purchased.

"Once I get this to a good boiling point, we'll have to work fast before the temperature drops."

"What happens if it drops?"

"Then the coating on the apples won't be clean and pretty."

"You're a bit of a perfectionist huh?" Shinsou asked with one of those attractive half grins.

You smiled and shrugged your shoulders, pouring the syrup, sugar and water into a saucepan while stirring it. "I like to produce quality shit, sue me. When I have my own bakery, I refuse to put out less than perfect products."

"That admirable. I'm sure when that happens, you'll be the one everyone comes to. And I'll become one of your regulars, all over again."

"Thanks for the warning," you snickered and stuck your tongue out at Hitoshi.

Only a few short minutes went by, Shinsou was leaning on the counter scrolling through his phone. He'd steal looks at you every now and then. You were so cute to him, especially in this moment all focused on your task. Your hair in a clip and the tip of your tongue between your teeth. Smirking, the lavenderette opened the camera on his phone and snapped a candid picture. You looked over at the sound of the shutter and growled.

"You're lucky I have to constantly stir this, or else!"

Hitoshi chuckled and stood straight, leaning in closer to you, his fingers brushed back a few flyaway strands of your hair. The two of you had grown quickly comfortable with being in close quarters of each other since that morning.

"Or else what sweetness, you gonna scratch me with those cute little claws?"

"You'd enjoy that too much Toshi! Now shut up and hand me the food coloring," you replied bumping your hip into him and removing the saucepan from the burner.

The man did as instructed. You took the small bottle from him and undid the cap, squeezing a decent amount of the dye into the clear and boiling mixture. Stirring in the color, the substance turned a glossy ruby red. Hitoshi got closer, genuinely curious now as he looked more at your handy work. The sweet and sugary scent filled his nostrils making him hum and sigh. It smelt like you actually and it made him salivate.

"Okay you hand me the apples, I'll dip them then hand them back and you place them on the wax paper. Easy enough for you?"

"Psh, I got this woman!"

You smiled and opened up your palm to him, looking at the mixture you stirred. Hitoshi handed you an apple and you took it, tilted the saucepan on its side and dipped the fruit into the pool of thick boiling candy. After completely coating the apple, you removed it and let it hang for a bit as the excess liquid roll off and handed it to the hero. Together you repeated the process until all six apples were done. Shinsou looked at the finished products and awed at them. The apples shined and gleamed. You went about cleaning up the dishes, adding the now sticky covered saucepan to a pool of hot water to let it soak.

"She's going to love these (Y/N), you're extremely kind for doing this."

"It's something I enjoy doing, if she likes me then I'll just have more reasons to bake and practice my skills. Halloween is coming up, and I love making treats for that holiday!"

Hitoshi took a picture of the apples and put the device back in his pocket. He looked at you leaning against the sink and fidgeting with your nails, not exactly paying attention to him. As he went to look away he noticed your sleeves were rolled up and saw bruises around both your wrists. 

Quickly he was planted in front of you, taking your right forearm in his grasp and inspecting your tarnished skin. A curse slipped from your lips as you tried to pull your limb free but he only moved his grip to your elbow as his free hand took hold of your palm so he had more control. The marks looked as if they were fading, alarming him that you had them for a few days now. His mind flashed back to how on edge you looked when your boss Mr. Lee was around then he remembered you saying the man could get handsy. The blood in Hitoshi's body started to boil and his grit his teeth.

"Did that piece of shit do this?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm fine Toshi, I can handle –"

"You're not going back there," Hitoshi's sharp and low voice cut you off.

His eyes looked into yours, the purple hues burning with fire. Your brows furrowed and you clicked your tongue, narrowing your own eyes at him.

"You're not my fucking father or something, plus if tonight goes well then I won't have to deal with him for much longer."

"No, I'm not your father, but I am your friend and I care for you and for your safety, a lot actually. If he has the balls to do this, what's to stop him from going further next time (Y/N)? He obviously has no morals or sense of boundaries, your news of quitting would probably set him off. I'm not letting you return to a place like that, not if it means putting you in danger."

You looked away with a sigh. It wasn't like you wanted to go back, that asshole who was your boss was the reason you hadn't even left your apartment all weekend. Of course if you didn't need the money, you would've never went back the first time the man ever said something inappropriate to you, but that was just how life was for you. You suffered and fought through all the bullshit, whatever it takes to get to your end goal, your dream. 

Your (e/c) hues looked back to Hitoshi, his grip on you loosened. Your free hand rubbed the back of your neck and you shrugged.

"I really appreciate your concern Hitoshi, I get that it's your job to care about other's safety, but I can't just not return. I still need to get at least that last paycheck and it's not professional, like it won't look good on future resumes and applications to just up and leave my place of work without notice, no matter the reason."

"Then give me your schedule and I'll accompany you to and from, and wait on you. I have a lot of vacation days saved up, I can afford to at least do that for a few days until you quit and come to work as Eri's babysitter."

"That's a little overboard Toshi, I'm not the only citizen that needs protection you know?"

The purple haired hero smirked finally releasing your elbow but still holding your hand. He looked at the bruise on your skin and shook his head, then softly kissed it. You felt your heart beat fast and flutter, as your cheeks heated up.

"True, but you're the only citizen I care about protecting at the moment. I'm not going to let the person I like and have feelings for get hurt more than she already has, not if I can help it."

You grunted and tried to reply but weren't really sure what to say. It was news to you that the hero actually had legit feelings for you besides friendly teasing and flirting, if anything you figured the two of you would just be a small fling but the way his tone was when he confessed and the look in his violet hues said different. It was sweet actually and made butterflies dance around in your stomach. You liked the hero as well but never put any more effort into the thought of an actual relationship blossoming between the two of you. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad though, he drove you nuts but always ended up flattering you, you enjoyed the time with him and he did make you feel safe and warm.

Hitoshi then released your hand and stepped closer, making your breathing hitch in your throat as his face leaned in. You screwed your eyes shut for some reason, unaware of what his next move was. It had been since before you started college that you dated or had a relationship. Getting your degree and pursuing your dreams came first and you had no time for boys so this was like learning to walk all over again. A deep chuckle made your eyes open and you felt warm lips on your forehead, instantly making your body relax.

"I'm sorry if that was a little too forward but I couldn't resist and you didn't exactly stop me. If I ever make you feel uncomfortable though (Y/N), I want you to let me know okay?"

You smirked and nodded. Unlike how your boss made you feel, when Hitoshi made such advances they didn't fill you with fear. Being around the hero was just the opposite, nothing he ever did made you feel uncomfortable and you wanted to make him aware of it. Standing on the tips of your toes you placed a soft peck to Hitoshi's cheek and cupped it with your hand, brushing your thumb over the spot. The man beamed at you and melted into your touch like some kind of kitten, his hand reaching up to rest over yours. It was the cutest he's ever looked and you screamed internally.

"How about we finish up here little halfling, then head out. Shouta's place is a good ways away and if I'm late then I won't hear the end of it from that little brat."

You nodded and smiled, retracting your hand and the hero ruffled your hair.

 Hitoshi watched as you went about plating the candy apples on a fancy platter and quirked a brow at how much effort you into just presentation, he really did admire the heart you put into your baking. All day long he found more and more things he started to adore about you. To him this was much better than having to see you unhappy in a silly, yet still cute outfit, at a place you loathed. He could get used to seeing a genuine smile from you and he was more than excited to show you off to the only other girl that mattered in his life. As he continued watching, you turned around with a smile.

"Alright Toshi, let's go see Eri!"

[1989dreamer]

In Your Little Werewolf Oven

On AO3

Summary: Danny moves to New York City and ends up opening a bakery called Little Werewolf Oven and most of his clientele ends up being supernatural.

As his reputation grows, Danny finds himself overwhelmed, so he advertises a position and gets not one, but two blasts from the past in the form of Derek Hale and his boyfriend, Stiles Stilinski.

Things work out great for Danny because now, not only does he have more time to do the things he wants, but he also meets his future husband through Derek and Stiles.

Life couldn’t be greater, Danny thinks.

Note: Andrew Erickson would be played by Aldis Hodge if on screen.

Main relationship: Danny/Andrew

Background relationship: Derek/Stiles

                                                                                                                     ~ * ~

Danny makes his break with Beacon Hills when he chooses colleges. He graduates high school a semester early and then heads out.

No one even notices that he’s gone.

Well, no one except cousin Miguel who asks if he feels safe, if he thinks he needs help with the supernatural, and if he wants to keep in touch.

Yes, no, and not really.

Derek Hale is simultaneously the kindest and most fearsome person Danny knows. Mostly because there was a rumor floating around school before he left that Derek had killed both his uncle and a junior at the high school, Vernon Boyd, the third. Well, the uncle was still alive, but Boyd wasn’t, so Danny kindly turns down Derek’s offer of protection and then promptly fucks off to the other side of the country, hoping the distance will be enough.

And it is. For seven years. Long enough to get two bachelor’s in science, physiology and computer science, and to accidentally walk into a cooking class and end up in culinary school just so he can open his own bakery.

He is a bona fide business owner now.

He has no one working for him, so he is only open five hours a day and the rest of his time is spent baking.

It is, in a word, exhausting, but it is his work and it makes him happy.

Business is good for about three months, and then some big name celebrity comes through, orders some of his haupia—which he only made because it was easy and he could set it aside once it was done and not worry about it—and raves about it online.

After that, there is no peace.

Danny can’t get anything done aside from baking and making haupia, and he becomes despondent, trudging from one minute to the next, not even enough time or energy to swipe right on his dating app.

Yes. While Danny was in college, he had also taken time to create a new dating app for LGBTQ+ people. He has gone on a few dates using the app, and the experience is far superior to Grindr or just meeting someone at a bar. But now he doesn’t even have time for that.

He is horny and tired and he really needs help.

Well. Online applications are a thing. So, all he has to do is find three minutes to post something. He finds the time the next morning during breakfast, so he types up a job requirement and application and posts it.

By that afternoon, he has sixty-some applicants.

Okay. So it will take more than three minutes this time.

Great.

                                                                                                                    ~ * ~

Three weeks later, Danny still hasn’t sifted through all the applications. He is desperate, yes, but also too busy. It would be nice if he can just point at someone and assign them to work with him.

He has, however, managed to make an update to his app, and has received favorable feedback. So, while he is still unable to take a moment to breathe, at least he has money to hire someone to go through the applications for the bakery.

It’s a selkie named Ryliegh, visiting her cousin who lives in the apartment across the hall from him, and she is fantastic at everything except baking.

Danny feels a little more at ease with her watching his back. His store, while crowded with humans of every shape, size, and color, is also filled to the brim with supernatural beings who like to take pictures with the bakery’s sign, get something to go, and then hang out on the minimal furniture Danny had grudgingly added a few months back to compete with the Starbucks two blocks away from him.

Why he is a supernatural draw, Danny doesn’t know. Could be the sign.

There are very few things Danny has kept from his life in Beacon Hills, but a stage-whispered conversation between Stiles Stilinski and Scott McCall made the list, and his bakery is named Little Werewolf Oven.

Anyway. Danny views the supernatural as closeted. They don’t want the world to know they exist because the world would respond negatively. Hell, the first week he’d been open, a hunter had stopped by to ask him about the sign, and Danny had pretended to be obsessed with Jacob from Twilight—not that Taylor Lautner isn’t a hotty-mchotty who Danny had actually crushed on for a quick minute.

After the hunter left, it had taken everything in him to 1) not call Derek Hale to come make sure he was okay (not having Derek’s number helped) and 2) to remain open. What if the hunters came into his bakery all the time? They seemed set in their ways, and he knew it wouldn’t just be the supernatural population that was in danger. He himself might be targeted for “being different.”

Anyway. That hunter hasn’t come back nor has he told his friends about Danny, and so the supernatural and LGBTQ+ populations have claimed him.

And then Danny made haupia and never has peace anyway.

                                                                                                                    ~ * ~

Ryleigh corners him a month after he hired her and slaps a stack of papers into his chest.

“What’s this?” he asks, amused if a little sad that they had reverted to this non-technological way of doing things. It’s so much easier to look at his phone than to read physical texts.

“Reviews,” Ryleigh says. “And an application. I suggest you hire him. He’s perfect.”

“Reviews of what?” Danny flips through the stack quickly. Ah, the bakery. It is now officially on some site that directs tourists around. Great. He is going to be swamped.

Then suddenly, in the middle of the stack is a job application, generic, hand-filled. Pretty script. Neat words. Derek Hale.

Danny drops the papers.

“What?” Ryleigh demands. “What’s wrong?”

“I know this guy.” Danny picks up Derek’s resume. On paper, Derek does sound perfect. And he even has work experience in a bakery. Who knew?

“Is he bad?” Ryleigh asks.

“Not exactly,” Danny replies, still studying Derek’s skills. “In fact, why don’t you give him a call, see if he can make it in for a test run soon.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Ryleigh wanders away, phone already on her ear. Danny picks up the rest of the reviews and sticks them in his office for when he, maybe, will have time to read them. Some of them look so sweet.

For now, though, someone’s gotta make more haupia because someone announced, on their social media no less, with about 10,000 followers, that tomorrow is the official day of the week that they will have it.

Well. At least it’s just one day a week. Danny can deal with one day.

                                                                                                                    ~ * ~

Derek Hale returns Ryleigh’s call by the following afternoon, and she patches in Danny so they can talk.

“How soon can you start?” Danny asks, prepared for anything from a week to a month.

“Is tomorrow too soon?” Derek asks instead, and Danny can’t believe his good fortune.

“Sure, yeah,” he says, and then realizes he sounds desperate. Well he is, so fuck it. “Okay, Derek, you’re hired. Just bring in your social security card, driver’s license, and a bank account number with routing information so that I can direct deposit your paycheck.”

“Wonderful,” Derek deadpans. “See you tomorrow.”

Ryleigh gives him a thumbs up before she heads out for her night class. She’s taking computer science because she likes designing mobile games. Danny supports her wholeheartedly except he never downloads her apps. He doesn’t need the distraction. He still doesn’t have any time for dates, much less wasting time on his phone.

Derek will be such a relief. Too bad it isn’t tomorrow yet.

Whatever. Sleeves up. Maybe if he gets done before 9:00 pm, he can treat himself to that new Italian fine dining restaurant that opened around the corner from his apartment building.

                                                                                                                    ~ * ~

Derek is already at the bakery by the time Danny rolls in at 6:00 am. The Italian was delicious last night, and Danny’s in a good mood which only gets better when he starts showing Derek the ropes. Derek is easy to train and easy-going. He has a bit of sharp wit that comes out when he’s not guarding it, and Danny feels honored that he gets to see it.

Derek’s smile is quick and easy. Danny doesn’t ever remember seeing it in Beacon Hills.

“So why’d you leave Beacon Hills?” he asks once he’s made up an employee file for Derek, noting that although it’s good, his license is fake. “And how old are you anyway?”

Derek rolls his shoulders. “Beacon Hills got too small,” he says, tightly. “The Argents no longer have jurisdiction over hunters there, so another hunting regime moved in. And I’m 28.”

“Yeah? Why does your I.D. say you’re thirty then?”

Derek refuses to make eye contact when he says, “Since my birth certificate was destroyed in the fire, Laura added two years to my age so that she could leave me on my own while she worked. I haven’t changed the I.D. yet because I don’t want to lose that part of her.”

“Understood,” Danny says. “Well, do you have a new I.D.? ‘Cause this one’s about to expire.”

Derek smiles, relief evident in his eyes. “Yeah. I’ll get that done in a couple of days when Stiles gets here.”

“Stiles is coming here too?” For some reason, Danny thought that if Derek left Beacon Hills, he’d leave everything behind. To bring Stiles is to bring the essence of Beacon Hills.

“Yeah, well, it’s kind of rude to leave your boyfriend behind.”

“Boyfriend?!” Danny can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of him. Derek glares at him. “Sorry. I just. I didn’t ever think Stilinski would get a boyfriend. Or laid, for that matter.”

“Yeah, well, he’s excellent in bed.” Derek stiffly turns back to the breads, kneading just a little too hard to be human.

“Easy on that,” Danny warns him. “I don’t need to replace these counters.”

“I don’t need you to hassle my boyfriend,” Derek returns, but he does lighten his touch.

“So, Stiles is coming here. Cool. What’s he going to do?”

Derek shrugs. “Beats me. He got his degree in anthropology and zoology. He’s trying to prove that certain supernaturals evolved as a missing link between humans and some older species. It’s really fascinating, but he loves talking about it, so you’ll probably get a rundown on it if you see him.”

“That sounds cool actually,” Danny says. “Now. Have you ever heard of haupia?”

                                                                                                                    ~ * ~

Stiles does indeed arrive within a couple of days and Derek takes an hour to run to the DMV to update his license.

Then, when they get back, Stiles asks Danny if he still needs help.

Danny looks at the sea of people and then back at Derek and Stiles. “Yes,” he says, and Stiles hands him the same documents he’d asked Derek for.

“All right, you’re hired.”

Stiles grins, tying on an apron and jumping on the register. The line moves quickly, and suddenly the bakery is empty, for the first time in what feels like years.

“Cool,” Danny says. And then heads into his office to read the reviews from Ryleigh.

By the time he surfaces, the bakery is closed, Derek and Stiles have cleaned up, and Derek is prepping for tomorrow while Stiles sits on a stool and chats at him.

“Hey, thanks for coming out here,” Danny tells them. “It’s really awesome that you’re here.”

“Yeah, well,” Stiles says, “Beacon Hills kind of imploded on us. Did Derek tell you about the new hunter family that moved in? Right bastards, the lot of them.”

“He’s mad because they saw my eyes and decided that I needed to die.”

“Aren’t you mad about that too?”

Derek shrugs. “Yeah, I mean, that’s where I grew up. But Beacon Hills itself hasn’t been kind to me in a long time. I’ve got friends out here from before I followed my sister back. We’re actually going to meet one of them today.” Derek shares a look with Stiles. “Do you want to come with us?”

“You realize that I’m gay, right?” Danny says. He can’t help giving Derek a knowing look.

Derek snorts. “So is he. Do you want to come with us?”

Danny thinks of his lack of love life and lets it influence his answer. “Yes. I’d like to meet him.”

“Settled then,” Stiles says. “We’re meeting him at that deli on 23rd. His name is Andrew.”

“Are you going to tell me anything else about him?”

“He’s six feet tall, likes to dress well,” Stiles says. “He works as an analyst for a company close by. And he loves your baked goods.”

“So I have already met him?”

“Yeah,” Derek says. “And he thinks you’re cute. He hopes you think he’s cute too.” Then, Derek dusts off his hands, puts away everything, and washes up. “We have about an hour before we’re supposed to meet Andrew.”

“I’ll meet you there,” Danny says, waving them away. They leave, exchanging knowing smirks. Whatever. It’s cool.

It’s a stretch to think he’ll get laid today, but the potential of meeting someone makes Danny a little giddy. He needs a quick shower, a touch up of his cologne, and then maybe he’ll have some time to clean out his inbox.

Oh wow, he has time tonight! Who knew that having employees would make his life so much more manageable.

Anyway. He doesn’t want to be late to meet—or rather, re-meet—Andrew.

                                                                                                                    ~ * ~

Derek and Stiles are standing outside on the sidewalk when Danny comes running up. He’d gotten wrapped up in his emails, unused to having even five minutes to do something like that instead of being too tired to function when he got off work.

“Andrew is already inside,” Derek says, pulling Danny close so he can run a hand over his back, something Danny used to watch him do with his pack before they were forcibly disbanded. Danny shivers under the touch. No lie, if Derek wasn’t with Stiles, Danny would be climbing him like a tree. As it is, he still has to will away a boner.

Derek smiles like he knows what just happened, and Danny shrugs him off.

Then, they walk into the deli. Derek leads the way, heading for a booth tucked near the back, a tall, suited man already sitting there, phone in one hand, the other resting on his head, fingers tangled in his curls. Danny stutters to a stop. He recognizes this man. He was one of the first people to visit the bakery. He’d made some mention of the name, something like, “Reminds of my best friend,” before winking and buying a dozen cookies.

Yeah, he was definitely cute.

“Andrew,” Derek is saying, “this is Danny. Mahealani. I think you’ve met before.”

Andrew looks up, taking in Danny standing there and nods. “Yeah. He’s an awesome baker.”

“And he’s gay,” Stiles remarks, sliding into the booth across from Andrew. Derek waves Danny to the table, and Danny sinks down next to Stiles. Andrew stands up and lets Derek sit so that he’s across from Stiles.

“Danny,” Andrew says, extending a hand, “Andrew Erickson.”

“Pleasure,” Danny says.

“Yes,” Andrew remarks, eyes sparkling. “It is.”

“Shall we order?” Stiles asks. “I’m starving.”

Danny doesn’t know if he’s hungry for food or for affection, but he knows either way, he’ll get what he needs tonight.

                                                                                                                    ~ * ~

The sort of date goes so well that Danny and Andrew walk back to Danny’s apartment together and then spend most of the night talking.

They don’t have sex, but it’s a near thing. Instead, Andrew spends the night on Danny’s couch and they exchange numbers and kisses.

Then, they both drag themselves to their respective jobs the next morning.

Stiles cracks a joke about the walk of shame, and Derek smacks him.

“Go well?” he says, as if he can’t tell. He’s a werewolf. He’d be able to smell if Danny had done anything.

“Yeah, it went really well. I think we could really work out.”

“Good. I’m glad.” Derek hauls Stiles into the kitchen.

Danny is thankful, but Derek and Stiles must have gotten in early because there in nothing for him to do.

Wow. This is going to give him so much time.

“Hey, you realize that you don’t have to do everything, right?” he calls out as he walks into the kitchen. Derek shoots him a blank look accompanied by a thumbs up. “Seriously, you can leave stuff for me to do.”

“Hey, werewolf here,” Stiles says. “He moves at two speeds: fast and faster.”

“Yeah well, you’re making me feel lazy here.”

“When’s the last time you had time to yourself?” Derek asks. When Danny doesn’t answer, Derek points at him. “Exactly.”

Danny looks to Stiles for help, but Stiles just shakes his head.

“Hey, you hired him,” he says. “Which reminds me: do you want me to do anything other than run register?”

Derek shakes his head, so Danny says, “Uh, no? That’s okay, Stiles. You did awesome yesterday. It’s probably going to be that busy again today.”

“That’s good, right?” Stiles asks. “I mean, it means that people like your business.”

“It also means that I can pay you.”

“And go on dates with Andrew,” Derek adds. “By the way, he really enjoyed last night. I think he’s definitely going to ask you out again.”

“Are you going to be okay with me dating your best friend?”

“Yeah. I mean, you and Andrew deserve to be happy. What kind of friend would I be if I got in the way of that? Maybe you’ll break each other’s hearts, but you won’t know unless you follow your path.”

“He’s gotten really Zen lately,” Stiles says. “Sometimes it’s really helpful.”

“Unless your name is Stiles and you don’t like to listen to your boyfriend.”

“I listened, honey. That’s why we’re in New York City.”

“Okay,” Danny interrupts before Derek can respond. “I’m going to go open now. Stiles, you wanna come with?”

“Yeah, sure. See ya, honey-baby-love-of-my-life.” Stiles throws an exaggerated kiss at Derek, who mimes catching it and tucking it into his pocket. It’s cute. Far cuter than Danny would have given either of them credit for seven years ago.

Maybe one day, he and Andrew can be like that.

It’s a goal. But first. Get through today. He needs to do an update for his app, reinforce some firewalls that keep out the bigots. If Derek and Stiles can handle the bakery, then he can get a head start on it. And meet with Ryleigh about financials.

It’s so nice to have employees.

                                                                                                                    ~ * ~

Andrew calls him two days later, on a Sunday, and asks to see him again.

“Been thinking about you a lot.”

“Me too.”

“Can’t wait. Can we meet now?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Cool, let me in.”

“You’re here already?” Danny looks around his apartment, but it’s neat. He’s clean—showered after a run with Derek this afternoon. He even changed the sheets on his bed.

And he remembered to buy condoms when he was at the store earlier.

“Um, sure. Let me just.” Danny throws on a light jacket and jogs down to the street. Andrew grins at him when he pushes the door open for him. They walk back up to Danny’s apartment in silence.

“So, I know this is kind of out of the blue, but do you want to have sex with me?” Danny asks once they’re inside again. Andrew pauses mid-step, shooting a puzzled look at Danny.

“Sex, on the second date?” he asks.

Danny shrugs. “We’re both adults. As long as it’s consensual, why shouldn’t we?”

“Do you think we’re even compatible?” Andrew asks.

“If you’re asking, you’re already thinking about it. Now, I’m vers. How about you?”

“Vers too. I prefer to top with partners on the first time. Is that okay?”

Danny nods. “I was going to play later,” he admits. “So, I’m ready to go. I’ve got lube and condoms in the bedroom. Will you join me?”

Andrew nods, reaching out for Danny’s hand.

He’s reminded sharply of Derek grabbing Stiles’ kiss. “Are we going to be cutesy and couple-y?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” Andrew says. “I mean, some partners like it, some don’t. I know I like pet names, but I’m not much for showing affection in public.”

Danny understands. As a gay black man, it has to be harder for Andrew to show his feelings or who he is without being attacked. “We won’t hold hands in public if it bothers you,” he says, “but I do like to call partners sweetheart and love. But not out in public.”

Danny isn’t under any illusions that Beacon Hills was an anomaly and that homophobia is still the norm in many places. He doesn’t like endangering either his partners or himself unnecessarily.

They sit on the bed, and Andrew studies Danny with kind eyes. “So, we’ll be cutesy and couple-y but only in private. Is it okay to walk with you, to stand near you?”

“To be caught looking at me, you mean?” Andrew nods. “Yeah, as long as it’s okay for me to do the same to you.”

“Definitely. So, this lube?”

Danny laughs, pushing at his chest. “Get undressed and I’ll give you a show.”

It certainly is a show when he gets down to it, and the sex is fun, messy, and only sort of good because they need to learn each other, but he doesn’t hate it, and he actually likes the way Andrew curls around him after they’ve cleaned up, and they sleep.

Danny wakes up in the middle of the night, sees Andrew still in his bed, and smiles before going back to sleep.

                                                                                                                    ~ * ~

Derek obviously smells when their relationship changes, but he doesn’t make a big deal out of it, and he doesn’t let Stiles do it either.

In fact, they go on a lot of double dates, and Stiles tells horror stories of the first time he bottomed for Derek.

“Never again,” Stiles sing-songs. “Derek doesn’t mind, do you, honey-bunches?”

“I mind you discussing our sex life,” Derek retorts, “sugar-sweet-on-top.”

They jibe each other often and throughout the day. The customers love it. They also seem to love it when Andrew manages to come in for lunch and he and Danny usually hide in the office.

The bakery does so well with the extra help that Danny hires an additional four people and extends the hours. He also starts making more traditional Hawaiian goods, which go over just as well as the haupia.

Then, suddenly, he looks up to find that he’s been dating Andrew for a year and he knows that he absolutely wants to marry this man. Andrew has already moved in, and his suits don’t look out of place in Danny’s closet.

Everything fits.

There’s some small fights. And once Andrew spent the night at Stiles and Derek’s apartment while they cooled off and reconciled.

But, still, 365 days. Danny definitely knows he wants to plan a proposal, plan a wedding, and spend the rest of his life with the beautiful creature that sleeps in his bed.

To celebrate their anniversary, Danny enlists Derek and Stiles’ help.

Derek whips up more than baked goods, and Danny is thoroughly impressed by the spread he prepares. Everything is on the table, literally. Way too much food for just two people.

Derek sees him eyeing the table. “You know how you’re thinking about implementing a donation of unused foods to the homeless shelters nearby? Yeah, this is the test run.”

“That’s wonderful,” Danny says. “Thanks, Derek.”

“Hey, I helped,” Stiles says, jabbing himself in the chest. “I made some of the dishes.”

Derek nods. “He did. They’re good too. Traditional Polish dishes, like pierogi, pączki, żurek, and naleśniki.”

“Andrew’s had them before,” Stiles points out. “I’ve never cooked for you, so I don’t know if you like them.”

“I’m sure I will.” Danny gives them both grateful hugs. “Thanks so much for doing this for me.”

“It’s not a problem,” Derek says, grabbing Stiles and tugging him along as he heads for the door. “Let us know how it goes, yeah?”

He nods and then they’re gone.

Danny swallows hard when he’s all alone. He’s suddenly nervous even though he and Andrew have been together for a year now.

An anniversary dinner is nice, but is it what Andrew wants? Should Danny have purchased a ring? Should he be proposing tonight?

Before he can do much more than worry that he’s not doing this correctly, Andrew steps into the room.

He takes in the table and whistles lowly. “They really know how to cook, eh?” he remarks. “They really support us, don’t they?”

“Yeah,” Danny agrees. He hugs Andrew and then pulls out his chair for him. “I haven’t tried Stiles’ cooking, but Derek says it’s good.”

“It is,” Andrew confirms, “although, I can’t pronounce half of what he makes, so he makes fun of me. We can’t all be secret linguistics, like Derek.”

“I’m going to come right out and say this,” Danny says, “I don’t have a ring. I meant to get one, and then I lost track of time.”

“You’ve been really busy,” Andrew agrees. “So I guess it’s a good thing I did get a ring.” He pushes back from the table and drops to his knee, holding a ring box in front of him. “Daniel Mahealani, I love you. I don’t want to spend another day without you, so will you accept this token of my affection and marry me when the time is right?”

Danny slides out of his chair so that he can kneel with Andrew. He picks up the ring and slides it on his finger. “Andrew Erickson, I do accept your ring and give you my promise to marry you when the time is right.”

They stand and sit back at the table.

“Twelve months,” Andrew says. “One whole year. It’s been a great year. And I can’t wait for the rest of the years too.”

“Yeah. That’s.” Danny blows out a breath. “That’s what I want too. I can’t wait for tonight, tomorrow, next week, the rest of our lives.”

“But right now, we have to do something about this spread. Certainly we can’t eat it all.”

“No, the plan apparently was to donate what we don’t eat down at the shelter.”

“Oh,” Andrew says, his smile slow and steady. Danny’s stomach flips a little, anticipating the celebration already even though they have dinner, donating the leftovers, and heading back to the apartment before they can even entertain the notion of sex. “That sounds wonderful.” He studies Danny with a knowing look. “How about we pack something up for later, drop the rest off at the shelter, and head home?”

Danny has to go around the table to kiss him because there’s too much food to lean over the table. But, hey, that’s good. So much food that won’t go to waste.

“I’ll grab some containers. Why don’t you pick out the things you think I should try from Stiles and then we’ll take care of the rest?”

“Divide and conquer,” Andrew says. “That’s why I love you.”

“That and I swallow,” Danny shoots back over his shoulder with a wink.

Andrew lets out a startled laugh. “Just go before you kill me with your quips.”

“I live to please,” Danny returns. “Just you wait.”

It’s hard to wait the two hours it takes to box everything up and deliver it. But somehow, they both survive right until they get into the apartment and the door is locked. Then they crash together, locked at the lips as they put away the food they kept, trying to undress as they move like some awkward, two-bodied creature.

They fall into bed without any injuries, and then proceed to make love at the slowest pace they have ever done so. It’s nice, but Danny is glad that the second round sometime around midnight is faster and more their pace.

Danny falls asleep afterward, sated and beyond happy. He’s got a wedding to plan with his fiancé.

                                                                                                                    ~ * ~

Stiles and Derek get married around Thanksgiving. Danny and Andrew both attend as best men.

It’s the first time in eight years that Danny has seen anyone from back in Beacon Hills, and he is surprised that it isn’t as awkward as he’d thought it would be. For one, Scott doesn’t come. Stiles makes some bullshit excuse, but Danny can see how hurt he is. And another thing, everyone has grown up and matured. Sure they all have a few more scars than he remembers, but for the most part they seem happy.

After, once the vows are exchanged, the grooms kiss, the toasts are done, the food is eaten, the bouquet lovingly handed to Danny by Derek, and the guests gone with the couple departed to their honeymoon, Danny sits with Andrew on their balcony, watching the moon rise over the rooftops.

“That was a beautiful ceremony,” he says. Andrew nods in agreement. “If you don’t mind, none of those people aside from Derek and Stiles will be at our wedding.”

“Obviously,” Andrew says. “Do you want something similar?”

“Small, intimate?” Andrew nods. “Yeah. That sounds perfect.”

“How about New Year’s? All we need are a few suits, witnesses, rings, and some of your haupia.”

Danny laughs. “I knew you were only marrying me for my prowess in cooking Hawaiian desserts.”

“Oh sure, yeah, that’s what attracted me to you in the first place.”

“Yeah? And what attracts you now?”

“Hmm,” Andrew pretends to think about the question, before sobering quickly. “Everything,” he answers honestly. “I love everything about you. I love the way you are so smart, the way you cook, I love how you treat your friends, and how you’re not afraid to let someone know when they’ve hurt you. I love the way your face lights up when you laugh, and most of all, I love the fact that you’ve let me share your life with you.”

“Aw, babe, you’re going to make me cry.” Danny rests his head on Andrew’s shoulder. “I love you too. I love the way you always know what to say in any situation and how you know to give me space when I’m mad. I love the way you always hang up your clothes. I love the way you hog the covers at night. But most of all, I love that I get to share your life with you.”

They share a few sweet kisses.

“Shit, we should have recorded those,” Andrew says suddenly. “They would have made the perfect vows.”

Danny laughs again, sure his face is a bright beacon in the cold November air. “Yeah. We should have. How about we go write them down instead?”

“That works too.” Andrew stands up, offers a hand to pull Danny up. “God, I love you.”

“I love you too. Now move, I’m freezing.”

                                                                                                                    ~ * ~

New Year’s day dawns bright and cold. The perfect day for a quick wedding.

Danny stands in front of the courthouse, Stiles to his right, fluttering about like a nervous moth. Ryleigh would have been here too, but she’s off visiting some of her others cousins, back in Ireland. She sent her love and congratulations in a confetti- and glitter-filled envelope that Danny had the foresight to open in his kitchen on the linoleum instead of his fully-carpeted living room. He’s still finding bits of glitter even after a deep clean.

“Why are you nervous?” Danny asks. “You weren’t this nervous when you and Derek got married.”

Stiles shrugs. “You realize this is the longest I’ve been apart from my husband since we first got together, minus the time he flew out here to get the job at your bakery. I’m just.” Stiles sighs. “Sometimes I think I’m going to turn around and he’ll be gone. Do you ever feel that way about Andrew?”

“No,” Danny shakes his head, “never. I trust him to come back to me, even when he leaves mad. Do you not trust Derek the same way?”

Stiles nods, but it’s clear he doesn’t.

“Why don’t you talk to your husband about it? I’m sure he’ll explain things better than I can.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Danny. You’re a great friend. Andrew is so lucky to be marrying you.”

“And I’m lucky to be marrying him,” Danny says. “Thanks to you and Derek for introducing us.”

“Oh hey, I think I see them.”

Indeed, it is Derek and his fiancé walking toward them. Andrew has the bouquet from Stiles and Derek’s wedding.

“Something old,” he murmurs as he comes astride of Danny.

Danny pokes his tie. “Something blue.”

“All right,” Stiles directs, “let’s get you inside and married before I lose any more feeling in my toes.”

Derek holds the door for them, and Danny swears he hears him hum “The Wedding March” under his breath.

Well, he and Andrew did pick out a playlist for the reception at the bakery after this, and they’ll dance to their song then, but it is nice to have some form of acknowledgment for what this day is.

Well, that is aside from the fact that this building is only open for the purpose of filing marriage certificates today and only for about two hours.

Six other couples have already been here. And now it’s Danny and Andrew’s turn.

“Got the rings?” he asks Stiles as they line up before the justice. Stiles nods, tossing one to Derek while Derek hands Stiles a folded piece of paper.

And then it’s off to the races. Vows exchanged, rings exchanged, kiss exchanged, paper signed, objections null and void, and it’s over.

Danny stands on the steps again, Andrew next to him, matching rings on matching fingers.

Derek and Stiles wave streamers of crepe paper in both his and Andrew’s favorite colors, clapping, and in the case of Stiles, whistling loudly.

As Danny surveys the mostly empty sidewalk in front of him, standing next to the love of his life, two good friends sharing this moment with them, he thinks life can’t get any better than this.

~ The End ~

[alexmarie29]

Wrong Ingredients - Mon-El

- Y/n = Your Name

- Y/L/N = Your Last Name

 Prompt- "Thanks Dearie! My request is a Mon-el x reader. The reader works for the DEO but she also owns her own bakery, it's kind of like an escape from all the stuff she deals with at the DEO. Mon-el has a crush on the reader and is unsure how to woo her, I guess would be the right word. He ends up being really sweet and he tries to help out but just ends up messing things up, but in the end he just comes out and says that he likes the reader and the reader likes him too. Something cute and fluffy! Thanks Dearie!!!" -anon // " i don't have a prompt or anything but pls write anything about mon el 🙏🏼" -anon

 Word count - 1,684

 MASTERLIST

    When J'onn first offered you a job at the DEO, you thought it was going to be easy. You had been friends with the Danvers kids since you were small, so you had spent some time at the DEO previous to getting hired there. You weren't going to go out in the field, you just weren't really interested in that, so you just assumed that you would be stuck at a desk doing paperwork or something.

You were wrong. You did so many different things that you weren't even sure what the technical name of your job was. While you were right about doing paperwork, you also had learned how to stitch people up and you got pretty good at hacking. After a while though, all the bad news and overall just down and serious atmosphere of the DEO had just made you feel stressed.

So, you decided to open a bakery. You had always wanted to start one growing up, and your paycheck was just large enough to afford a small store front in the middle of the city. Baking had always calmed you, so when you had the chance to start a bakery up, you did. You dug some money out of your savings to spruce the place up a bit and before you knew it, you were one of the more popular bakeries in town.

Between working at the DEO and at your own bakery, life was good. Baking relieved the stress that fell on you from working at the DEO. It got a little crazy for a while there, before everything seemed to die down and work went back to normal. That was before they found a Kyrptonian pod on the outskirts of the city. Kara and J'onn had brought the man in, and suddenly everything seemed to be a little crazy again.

For some reason, you had been put on watch. When they brought the man in, he was comatose, so they wanted someone to be close by so when he woke up he wouldn't escape. With your luck however, the three minutes that you were gone to go to the bathroom, he had woke up and escaped. Luckily he was hard to find and before everyone knew it, he was back at the DEO.

You hadn't expected to bond with the Daxamite the way you did. To him, you were the only person who didn't judge him no matter what Kara had told you about his kind. On his first day of work, you stopped by CatCo to sit and eat lunch with him. You were the nicest person he had met since he came to this Earth, so he obviously had developed some sort of crush on you.

Back on Daxam, when Mon-El wanted someone, he got them. His appearance and flirtatious attitude had made all the girls on Daxam swoon, but things were different here on Earth. Something about you had made turn into an awkward pile of mush. He didn't know how to act around you, you made him nervous. When he asked Winn what he should do about it, he just told him to spend time with you, so that's what he did. You had also began to develop feelings for him.

He had overheard you talking about a bakery that you worked at and he managed to convince Kara to give him the address. When the bell on the door rang, you set the flour scoop back into the bin, wiping your hands on your apron and walking through the saloon type doors and into the store front. You weren't expecting to see the Daxamite, but you had to admit that it was a good surprise.

"Hey Mon-El, what can I get you?" You ask, leaning against the counter in front of you.

"Oh, I uh, just wanted to come visit, see if you needed any help." He mumbles sheepishly, a light blush lighting up his cheeks.

"Well, I've just started to mix up a cake if you want to help?" You suggest, nodding your head slightly backwards, motioning for him to follow you into the back of the shop. He follows behind you slowly, stopping to wash his hands when you point to the small sink at the back of the shop. You've finished measuring the flour when he joins you at the workstation.

"So, what am I doing?" He asks, leaning back against the counter, staring at you.

"Well, you can go get the sugar from under the counter over there, and then once you do that go get the baking powder off that shelf over there." You command, his hand coming up in a small salute as he walks around the counter. You separate four eggs, washing your hands quickly before heading back to the counter, thanking Mon-El as you pass him. When you get back, you measure the sugar and pour it into the mixer.

You add the butter into the mixer after, turning it on as you walk over to grab the vanilla extract. You beat the eggs quickly before adding them into the mixer also.

"So, what now?" Mon-El asks, setting the container down onto the counter as he watches you peer into the mixing bowl.

"Okay, so you're going to use this to sift the flour into the bowl. I'll measure the baking powder while you do that." You explain, showing him how to sift. Once he seems to get it, you grab the measuring spoons. Opening the bin, you watch Mon-El as you measure the ingredients, adding it to the sifter as he sifts. Once he's done, you add some and turn the mixer on, alternating the flour mix and the milk.

You have light banter with Mon-El as you do so, even going as far to flirting a little. You measure the vanilla before handing it to Mon-El, letting him pour it in. After mixing, you set that bowl aside, grabbing a clean one and putting the egg whites into it.

"So, how have you been liking Earth so far?" You ask him while you wait for the egg whites to become fluffy.

"It's been okay. Now that I'm actually allowed outside of the DEO it's easier." He explains. He follows you over to the large oven, watching as you set it to 350 degrees. You quickly fold in the egg whites, pouring it into the pan and putting it into the oven. After setting the timer, you motion him to follow you into the store front. You lean over, opening the display case and grabbing one of the cake pops out, handing it to Mon-El.

"What's this?" He asks, staring at it as he holds it at the very bottom of the stick.

"It's a cake pop. Try it." You assure him, watching as he sends you a nervous look, slowly taking a bite. His eyes light up, causing a giggle to fall from your mouth.

"I knew you would like it!" You say through small giggles. He smiles at you, finishing it quickly before letting out a laugh himself.

"I shouldn't have enjoyed that as much as I did." He mumbles, chuckling as he stares at you. When you finally look back at him, you smile as you notice that he has icing on his face. You shake your head, reaching up and wiping it off. Your eyes travel slowly up his face to his eyes, only to find that he's staring down at your lips. His eyes meet yours, the two of you slowly moving in.

Your lips almost touch, but the bell above the door alerts you that there's a customer. The two of you jump apart, you turning to greet them. Mon-El stares at you as you talk to the customer,  a small smile appearing on his face as he watches you happily sell your goods to the pair of ladies. You quickly bid them goodbye, turning to look at Mon-El. You smile at him and begin to speak, but you're cut off by the beeping on the timer.

As you go to pull the cake out of the oven, you notice that the cake didn't rise.

"Uh, what's wrong with it?" Mon-El inquires, his finger reaching to poke it but you slap it away.

"I'm not sure. I've never messed this cake up before." You mumble, slightly defeated. Your eyes run over the ingredients, landing on the baking powder Mon-El had brought over. You flip the lid over, only to find that it was baking soda, not baking powder.

"Ohhh, you got the baking soda instead of the baking powder." You mumble, shaking your head as you laugh a bit. You turn to face him, smiling as you find him standing there uncomfortably, his face flushed bright red. He begins to apologize profusely, the blush on his cheeks only getting brighter.

"Mon-El, it's fine. The cake just didn't rise like it was meant to. It was just for myself anyway." You cut him off, your hands raising to cup his cheek. A small sigh leaves his lips, the look in his eyes showing you exactly how upset he is.

"Seriously. It's okay." You mumble, smiling at him before getting lost in his eyes. You watch as his eyes look down towards your lips again, quickly meeting your eyes again. You let out a small gasp as his hands reach up and pull your face towards his, his lips capturing yours. You quickly respond, passionately kissing him back as your hands move, resting lightly against his chest. You pull away, panting quietly.

"I like you." He whispers, blinking a few times as he stares at you.

"I like you too." You whisper, smiling at him and watching as a smile appears on his face. You let out a small giggle, pecking him on the lips before moving out of his arms. You pull out another bowl, laughing at the confused look on his face.

"Well, come on; The cake isn't going to mix itself." You explain, Mon-El laughing and shaking his head before moving to stand next to you.

[docandprof]

It’s About Time, Isn’t It?!

Welcome back to the land of the living my friend!!

Although we talk in some manner or another everyday, I have really been yearning for some blogging lately. I guess I just missed this relatively new aspect of our friendship and how it is kinda like a mini catharsis. And oh boy did I have a corporeal and all too real catharsis the other day!!

I took your advice for this week before you even vocalized (or typized?) it. How’s that for our mental connection?!?!? I went for a bike ride last Friday by myself in order to get some semblance of an active lifestyle! But instead of taking it easy on my first ride of the year, I decided to go over the bridge and through the Hickory Creek park. Man those hills were killing me. Not only were my legs dying, but my insides were turning with each pump of my legs on the inclines of those hills. I felt so winded and sick that I had to take a quick rest on a bench which felt really weird, like I was quitting or something, but that is probably just due to my inner struggles with the fear of failure and yadda yadda. But I went on and got home only to be overwhelmed by the feeling of nausea. So I dropped my bike and ran inside where I proceeded to throw up my breakfast (my mini bodily catharsis). It all felt so terrible and wonderful at the same time, as I'm sure many can attest too. You know, the emotions that come with vomiting very much mimic the actual vomiting process. Both are a mixed bag of the good and bad and are super violent, all over the place, but in the end, leave you feeling better than before. But this little escapade did not stop me from getting back in the saddle (haha the bike seat is actually called the saddle!!!). I went for a bike ride yesterday with AlPal, Dev, Silbs, and Jessie (and it was funny to watch Silbs ride a bike). I felt great and am trying to adopt the mindset of going for a ride every day to work on my cardio so that I can be prepared for when you get back and be a reliable running buddy.

Other than that, most of this time has been spent working at the theater, the bakery, or with my dad. If I'm not working or playing LoL, I'm swimming at Allie’s place, which is where we were last night! We watched La La Land and exposed the biking people to this fantastic movie for the first time. I was trying not to sing along with all of the songs. As for work, it is fine, nothing too exciting nor boring. But I need all of the money I can get if I'm gonna take Mable with me back to school. There are some repairs that I need to get done, namely things pertaining to the brakes, but I found out it is gonna cost me up to $1000 for all of the repairs. That really hurts, but the bright side is that my first check from the theater was already a quarter of that, some a couple more paychecks and I will hopefully be able to get Mable all taken care of.

Also since the last post, as you know, I went to Omaha to go see my brother compete at a pro-am ballroom dance competition. He did pretty well, but it was most fun just seeing him and spending time with my older brother. It’ll probably be the only time I see him all summer, and I don't know the next time that I will able to see him. But Omaha was decently fun. We went into this counter-culture store where I bought that awesome Robot poster for my room at school. I also got some loose leaf English Breakfast tea that I'm excited about. We even stayed a night in Iowa with my brother and saw Winstonian the doggo!!

Now for my last little story. It was this past Sunday night and I had to go to work early in the morning with my dad the following morning, so I decided to go to bed at like 11:30 instead of my usual 2-3 in the morning. But I just laid in bed for like an hour or so, tossing and turning because I was too hot, even with the fan on full blast, no shirt on, and the covers kicked off. So I got up and went to the bathroom because I thought maybe my body needed to do its business before it was ready to go to sleep. So I went to the bathroom, but I knew that wasn't it, I was still wide awake. Now it was like 1-1:30 in the morning, but I guess I was just hungry, so I decided that I wanted to eat and proceeded to eat some cereal. As I was about to sit down, my dad walks to the top of the stairs and asks me what I'm doing. I responded, “I had to go to the bathroom, and I cant sleep because I'm too hot and I'm hungry”. He looked at me for a second and then just turned and went back to bed. So I sat there in my boxers at my kitchen counter at 1 in the morning and ate a couple bowls of corn flakes. I went back up to my room after that and immediately fell asleep! I just love how weird life is and these little moments that pop up in our lives.

Now to get cereal...I mean serious! I really loved the way that you kinda identified hope. I just wanna make one quick comment on it that you briefly touched upon. You said that it is hard, almost impossible, to feel or see hope because it is embedded in the actions of life and living. But there is a stark contrast in the lack of hope, or hopelessness. Where hope isn't really felt or seen, its counterpart is very recognizable. In the medical world, hopelessness has many different names and can manifest itself in very different manners, such as learned helplessness. But the one disease that typifies a lack of hope is depression because you know inside that something doesn't feel right, and it can even affect your outward appearance. My personal opinion, I see hope as a fundamental and necessary part of life, kind of like a gear in a clock or link in a chain. Nobody pays any attention to it when it works fine, because everything appears and works normally, just like how you said that it is just living each and every day wanting to have a good day. Every person wants to have a good day, whatever that looks like to them. But it is when a part is removed from the clock or a link broken in the chain that problems arise and people notice. That is probably one of the most prevalent problems in the world today, and one that can affect anyone. Hopelessness can really wreck a person and the people around them, and I think it is the job of everyone to give hope and help each other realize how beautiful the mundane and often boring ways of life truly are. I like to think that is what religion is, and you hit it right on the head with your point on hope and religion.

Now for your question. What to do when life gives you bananas instead of lemons? I think that is the real essence of life! Everyone makes plans, plans to become this, plans to marry this person, plans to go and live here, but how many people have lived life without it throwing a wrench in their plans? I would dare to say none. I mean look at you! You already switched majors, have a relationship with a special girl that I'm sure you didn't anticipate (or maybe you did?). I know life hasn't gone the way I would've liked it to this past school year. But I think, and I know we have talked about this a lot, that these crappy aspects of life are what makes it so sweet! I mean, me, as a romantic, I see this question as prototypical of falling in love and meeting the right one. As you know, I always had a this belief in my head about how my love life would work out and how THAT girl would be the one and we would ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. But that door never opened for me and I ran up against it time and time again, and there are certainly some scars and bruises from that I still carry with me to this day, but I know that life, and God, will bring the one meant for me into my life when I least expect it or in a way or place that I never even could've thought of. But that’s just my interpretation. You roll with the punches and learn to take what is given to you and be grateful. You never know, that small seed you plant could turn out to be a great big tree one day that bears more fruit than you ever dreamed of. I hope that helps. I don't know if there is some impetus behind this question for you or if you just wanted to know, but I would love to hear your thoughts on it!

Final thoughts and questions of the week!! I have really been enjoying Attack on Titan this season and I hope we can finish watching this season together. I know that you have had to read some comics for a class last year, so in that spirit, I want you to watch a superhero movie and a youtube video about the movie after you watch said movie then report back to me! As for a question, Why does an proactive and healthy lifestyle suck so much? Alrighty, I’ll be seeing ya around bud.

Go now in peace,

doc

[jess-oh]

Reflection

Hey journal!

I’m still keeping up with this and I’m doing pretty well! I’ll probably shower after this since I have a 9am class tomorrow morning that I don’t want to be late for! I gotta get into the habit of just rolling out of bed once my alarm goes off instead of hitting “snooze” one too many times! It’s such a bad habit! T A T I just gotta do it! Yeah, I’ll have some extra time but that’s more time I could be dedicating to reading my discipline book or the Bible! I’ve been using the fact that I don’t have a physical Bible anymore as an excuse but I really do want to get into the habit of doing my QTs again! I had a pretty long first day today but it was rather fulfilling! I started the day off at work with Scott and Thor and did my best to be attentive and do a good job! I arrived about 15min before 8am and set everything up, I got along well with Thor and Scott, I was enthusiastic and focused, and overall, I felt pretty good! I was in a rush after work because I wanted to go downstairs, get my ID, heat up my pizza, and check when lockers would be available for check on the ninth floor...all in the 15min gap between work and class. Except, I got off of work a little late and forgot my phone and the elevators were taking too long so that didn’t exactly work out. Instead, I just stopped by the 9th floor and ate my cold pizza for lunch! I was planning on hanging out with Thor pretty closely but I actually became incredibly toxic with my old friends from past classes. It was so easy to fall into gossip and feeling confident and better than everyone else and I could tell that it really turned off Thor. Guy, our teacher, reminded me of Bruce Banner aka the Hulk today, haha. But he seems like a good teacher! He’s very upfront, which I appreciate, and I am looking forward to his class. I just need to get better at speaking up and not going with the flow of talking shit on others and just doing the best that I can now. I don’t want to be like those cliques that are “too cool” for everyone else and just keep to themselves! I want to be welcoming and reach out to others and make sure no one ever feels left out. But yeah! We were assigned our first project today which is going to be a 32-paged minimum magazine and I’ve been wrestling with what to do it on. As of right now, I am really enjoying the concept of automatic drawings and how fluid they are so I was thinking of somehow incorporating psychology or making this a self help book of sorts with automatic drawing flowing throughout to show how we are all interconnected as people! I think it’s a pretty cool concept. I just need to brush it up a bit and solidify my vision and make a vision board for both that and something else! And then we’ll see what Guy says next Tuesday. After that, I took the elevator down with Guy, Sara, and Anna Kunz. I went out at first before realizing that I had two hours to kill since Guy let us out early and decided to head back in and work on my concept for a bit longer on the ninth floor instead. There, I saw Sara again and kept her company as I continued to brainstorm. We chatted for a bit and she showed me a couple funny videos and then went off to do her own thing while I chose to stay behind. Honestly, I took a 10min nap before heading to the SDI around 4:30pm and thankfully, there were people there! I immediately clicked really well with everyone and felt incredibly confident and charismatic. Tina seemed pretty nervous today but maybe it was just because she was in such a rush! But yeah! Our icebreakers went really well and I lowkey carried my team throughout the competition. Then, we all headed downstairs to go to Chinatown together before realizing that Joyce was missing! We waited for a bit at first before Tina gave me the go to take the lead instead. I unfortunately cut my conversation with Janae short as a result which I was pretty sad about but was able to pick up a new conversation relatively quickly. We ran into a bit of a problem with one of the transfer students and tried buying a ticket at first for her but the line was pretty long. Thankfully, Esa offered to cover her fare and just swiped her in instead! We then went downstairs and barely missed the 95th train and had to wait a bit for the next one but it’s okay bc that gave Joyce time to join us! I also joked around with Mulan and surprisingly got along really well with her! Honestly, I was surprised that she showed up today at all and I was more surprised to see Claire so happy to see her bc I know things were kinda tense between the two of them last year. But even at Joy Yee, I saw Joyce getting along with Mulan and that REALLY surprised me. I guess they’ve put all the drama of last year behind them! I’m glad. When we got to Chinatown, we had to sort through who we were missing and decided to head in while I waited outside for Esa who took a crazy long time. Tbh, Sofia’s comment about how my blue dress is the perfect combination of “classic and sexy” took me by surprise earlier today and I kept thinking about it. I never was one to label myself as “sexy” and it just spoke to all my insecurities about how I’m not at all sexy and how I’ve been raised to go against that “vision.” That I should be more conservative in the eyes of the Lord so that statement really bothered me. But the more I looked at it, the more I could see what she was talking about. And the more uncomfortable I felt with wearing it. How did I go from being so over the top in love with the dress before and now I feel so incredibly afraid and insecure to wear it? It’s not like I’m going to a church wedding or anything. It’s family! Why does it matter? But then I was worried that everytime I bent down to write something while checking people in, they would see my boobs from above and think I was thirsty when really it’s just the dress and really just got in my own head about it all. Mitchell came to keep me company for a bit while I waited for Esa and gave me their number. I immediately texted and called them to only hear no response. Later, Joyce came out since the food had come and invited me in since they were taking so long. So I agreed and went in. I mostly talked with the new transfer student across from me, JO, and this other graphic design major. We made white people jokes, joked about how much onion JO got on his plate in comparison to mine and the other GD guy, and much much more. I was really able to laugh along with them and I was happy! They cheered me on as I attempted to finish my meal and we all laughed in fellowship as one. Esa eventually texted me back and let me know that they actually walked all the way to Roosevelt to get to a PNC ATM to pay for the food and was jogging back to Chinatown shortly after. Thankfully, the food came only a few minutes before Esa finally joined us! Me and the other GD kid waited a while for our good but it was so good and well worth the wait! I was happy! We then all headed to the bakery across the street and I offered to buy something for the GD kid since it was his birthday recently and I felt pretty good about doing it! I wasn’t planning on getting anything for myself but Joyce offered and I accepted, haha. I really should’ve said no but I was still happy to have paid for his food, even if I didn’t get any pastries too. I was fine with the decision that I had made to sacrifice my own money to make him feel welcome and special. Then, I got on the red line from Chinatown to go back home and as I was getting off, this lady that was talking on the phone yelled at me! But I didn’t realize it at first. I thought she was still just talking on the phone because she was already speaking pretty loudly. But once I realized what she had said, I quickly apologized and claimed that I didn’t even know I bumped into her before getting off at my stop. She said something along the lines of, “You don’t just bump into someone and not say excuse me! That’s incredibly rude!” And I was so taken aback at how serious she was because I really didn’t even realize that I had hit her! But her words kept ringing in my ears again and again and again while I waited for the bus and on the way to my apartment. I did feel pretty bad. I could’ve been offended and immediately retaliated. Or, I could’ve sucked up my pride and just accepted it. In the end, I chose to accept it. Once I got home, I immediately went to the restroom because I had to pee SO BAD. Then I joined Emily in her room and she showed me videos of her as a child and I showed her how to put in maintenance requests! I then checked the mailbox, hoping my paycheck and/or package would be there but unfortunately, it was not. So I finally sent the text to Jon asking for when I should be expecting my stuff. Then I took the cakes out, we watched some old childhood shows, put frosting on the cake, I get pieces for us both with marshmallows, headed back to her room, and finally ate the cake. It actually wasn’t that bad! I’d eat it again, 10/10. Jk. More like 7/10 but still, not bad! Then we watched a few episodes of Kipper and Caillou and then I showed her a commentary on Caillou which we both laughed hysterically at! I forgot how funny it was, HAHA. Then we listened to some trap remixes and watched other videos and laid on her rug. I was falling asleep as she read her class syllabus. Then, I decided to get up and go to my room and take care of some things and prepared to review tomorrow’s schedule and set my alarms. I heard Rhyarna and Eliza come in and wanted to say hi but I also really wanted to get some stuff done so when they asked to come in, I just let them. Rhyarna helped me tape my fuijfilms and polaroids onto the wall and gave me a taco! So nice. Then, I chatted with Eliza and Rhyarna for a bit in Eliza’s room before heading back out to do the dishes, brainstorm a bit more for Publication Design, and type my reflection. And now here I am. I have a 9am class aka Negotiation Skills and a 1-4:50pm class aka Graphic Design III. I am looking forward to GD III with Dawn and my other friends and Negotiation Skills sounds like it would be fun, so. I’m looking forward to it! Woo!

[oyasumi-posts-blog]

S T R E S S E D

I am so fucking stressed right now, I know we all have our own shit but let me just vent about mine for a sec. 

SCHOOL:

I currently am facing the end this semester of school, I’m sure most can understand that stress, with finals and what not. I also went through making the decision to finally switch majors. I did not get to switch to what I originally planned because if I switched, the curriculum calls for 4 more years of school, I currently have been in school for 2 years. I don’t have the time or money to be in school for 2 extra years! I can barely make enough money to move out. I literally still live at home, which means I commute to school and that gives me a whole other strain of stress. Which segues into my next issue...

WORK:

I have worked since I was 15 years old, my first job was in my best friends families new cupcake shop/bakery. It was a brand new money and time-consuming venture for her family. Her mom quit her full-time high paying job to follow her dreams of opening up a bakery, and soon her step-dad followed and quit his job to help her mom pursue her dream. They are two of the most hardworking people I know, besides my own parents. There were weeks where we didn’t get paychecks because they couldn’t make enough money to pay bills and pay their own workers. I was 15/16 at the time so it didn’t really matter to me, I loved them so much I was willing to help them as much as I could and patience from us was what they needed sometimes. It was a fucking great job. It was the most fun, ideal first job. It was so tiring though, and coming home smelling like old frosting kinda sucked but it really gave me a great work ethic. I will make another post about my past jobs because I’ve had a handful and I’m only 20. SO CURRENTLY, I am working at a hair salon, that pays good and has great perks, but they are not flexible at all. I can only work there about twice a week on a good week because of, you guessed it, school. So putting in 12 hours a week max was not supplementing me with enough money to even pay for the gas that goes into my car in order to go to school. So I decided to get a second job at a nearby dine in theater in my town. At this theater a lot of people I went to High School with work here. My friend told me to apply because I’ll get the job because they needed people and I needed a second job. It was too perfect. Which yep, I’ve been here for 2 months now and it’s so shitty lol. They need people because everyone quits, and everyone has been quitting since I started. I only want to stay through the summer I think, I want to have some longevity in a job, but idk how much longer I can take it. This job involves so much labor and so little reward. So many pissed off customers. It’s the server life lol. And this summer I’m taking on a third job, (this isn’t the first time I’ve done this lol) I’m going to start nannying again for this family I’ve babysat since I graduated High School, they’re the best. It is also another pretty labor intensive job, with a sort of low reward, but the family is amazing. I love them so much, and it’s extra money. I want to move out so bad. I can’t take commuting anymore, and next semester I’m taking classes Mondays-Friday when last semester I took classes all day Tues and Thurs. Currently, my classes are mon-Thurs. I can’t do it anymore, driving back and forth is killing me. I work way too hard for this shit. It has fucked with me mentally and physically. I want to be a normal student and not even have to worry about work more than school sometimes. I want to live on my own. But it’s something I’m going to have to work really hard for, I really hope all this pays off. 

TO END THIS MESS:

I just want to end this with this: I know things will eventually get better, I hope lol. I am so sick and stressed out by everything. But if you’re going through something similar, we can sulk together! Lol jk, we should be more positive about this. Sometimes I wish I had a boyfriend or something in my life to kinda help ease the stress, but idk, who know’s if that will ever happen. That is a whole other fucking stress in my life! lol. Okay my rant is getting long, I just got off work and I am about to pass out, I have work tomorrow also. Ugh. Good luck to everyone.