#I HAD TO RAMBLE TOO BECAUSE THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER

[yeahiveheardofbears-fics]

Hiiii!! I love your writing so much!! I was wondering if you could do another best friends to lovers with Steve <3 maybe they’re in their 20s and reader has never kissed anyone which she’s embarrassed about and thus ensues a healthy dose of angst and mutual pining and happy ending? <3 tysm for considering 🥹

oh, anon, I had so much fun with this one! I'm definitely thinking of doing a part two with smut...

[fic masterlist]

accidentally, then all at once

wc: 3097 steve harrington x reader, first kiss, best friends to lovers, angst, fluff, happy ending

“—I’m not mad.”

“Okay,” Steve says, dragging out the vowel like it means something. “Cool. You’re just sitting there with your arms crossed like a pissed-off toddler because you’re not mad. Got it.”

You shoot him a look. “Can you focus on the road instead of diagnosing my body language?”

He shrugs one shoulder, eyes still on the empty stretch of highway. “Hard not to notice when you’ve been doing that twitchy mouth thing since we left.”

Your jaw clenches on instinct. He grins like he caught you in a lie. You turn your face toward the window and sigh, trying not to sulk. The warm hum of the car fills the silence, broken only by the soft thrum of The Smiths on the stereo—because of course he put on The Smiths. Like your night didn’t already feel like a bad punchline.

He glances at you again. “Look, I don’t get it. So you kissed that guy. The one from your creative writing class. The one you talked about for, like, weeks.”

You say nothing.

“It was truth or dare, not a wedding ceremony. And, sidenote, we’re too old for that ‘playing games as an excuse to kiss’ crap anyway.”

You groan, dragging your hands down your face. “That’s not the point.”

“Then what is the point?”

Your voice comes out sharper than you mean. “It was my only one, Steve.”

The words just… drop. Like a record scratch in the middle of a song.

He blinks, eyes flicking toward you, quick. Then again, slower. “What?”

You should’ve let it hang. Should’ve laughed it off or pretended you said something else. But no—of course you had to go and drop a personal bomb in the middle of his dumb BMW like you were having some kind of main character monologue.

He lets out this awkward little laugh. “Wait—what? Like… ever?”

You grimace and turn back to the window. “Forget it.”

“No, no, hold on. I mean—really?”

And that’s it. The dam breaks.

“Jesus, yes, okay? I had braces until senior year. Like, industrial-grade. It was like kissing a fucking bear trap. And I wasn’t exactly in high demand. I was too busy writing angsty poetry and reading romance novels with characters who—surprise—also never got kissed. So no, it’s not some huge dramatic thing, it just… happened. I got dared, I went with it, and—whatever, okay? It’s not like it meant anything.”

You stare out the window, breath hitching slightly at the edges. You don’t even realize the car’s stopped until you see trees out the passenger side.

You blink. The lake glimmers under the soft pull of the moon, all glassy and silver. Lover’s Lake.

“Why the hell are we here?” Your sarcasm kicks back in, eyes narrowed, automatic armor. “What, you figured I got the first one out of the way so now I’m cleared for advanced coursework?”

He scoffs, soft and amused, like your sarcasm didn’t hit him straight in the gut. “Relax,” he mutters, hands still on the wheel. “I’ve seen enough of you and Robin’s weird anxiety rambles to know we were three minutes away from either screaming, crying, or—on very rare occasion—puking. And you had a couple beers, so I wasn’t risking that last one in the beemer. I like this car.”

You make a sound. Something between a groan and a huff, more grumble than anything, still curled against the window like it might let you disappear if you press hard enough.

You’re quiet again. That same tight silence you’ve had ever since the party, ever since you kissed that guy and didn’t say a damn word about it until now.

And now he knows why.

It’s not like you and him talked about that kind of thing, anyway. Not really. Not in any real detail. He’d hear names sometimes—people you didn’t like, people you really didn’t like—but never the kind of stories he and Robin traded in late-night 7-Eleven parking lots.

Then again, Robin’s gay. So it’s… less weird. Less tense.

With you it’s… different. Even if he doesn’t say why.

Your voice pulls him out of it. “I’m probably the only girl you’ve taken here who didn’t make out with you.”

He lets out a dry laugh, head tipping back lightly against the seat. “Okay, first of all, most of the heavy petting happened at Skull Rock. That was the hot spot.” He smirks when you snort softly. “Second, not true. I brought Robin here when she needed to scream about Tammy Thompson being straight.”

That earns him a breath of a laugh from you. Soft. Real.

It lands in his chest somewhere.

He should leave it there. Let the silence take over again. Let it fade into another weird, almost moment that both of you pretend didn’t happen.

But he doesn’t.

Because now that he’s thinking about it—really thinking about it—it is kind of a big deal. Not the kiss. Not the party. But the fact that you said it out loud. To him.

And you said it like it was something to be ashamed of.

He glances over at you again, the dim light from the lake catching the curve of your cheek. You’re still looking out the window like it’ll save you.

“Hey,” he says finally, voice lower now. “It’s not a big deal, okay? You’re not weird.”

You roll your eyes, sharp even in the dark. “Steve, we’re twenty-one. You’ve got a goddamn Rolodex of experience and I’ve got a drunken peck from a guy whose biggest personality trait is liking The Great Gatsby.”

“Okay, well, just so you know,” he says, a little smug, “I’m currently in what Robin is calling my ‘longest dry spell to date.’ So, I’m basically a virgin again. It's a reset.”

You snort, but your mouth twitches like you’re trying not to laugh. It’s barely there, but he sees it.

You shake your head, smiling despite yourself. “That’s not how it works.”

“What’s not?” he asks, pretending confusion.

“You don’t just—lose all your progress because it’s been a while. You don’t respawn as a virgin just because you haven’t made out with anyone in a year. That’s not how any of this works.”

He gasps, dramatic, hand over his heart like you wounded him. “Wow. Okay. First of all, rude. Second, it’s been fourteen months, not a year. Third—”

You lift your brows. “You counted?”

“I had to. It was starting to feel biblical.”

You laugh, soft and reluctant. “You’re so full of shit.”

“No, I’m serious,” he says, eyes wide and insistent. “At this point, I probably wouldn’t even remember how to do it. Any of it. I’d be like a baby deer. All limbs. No coordination.”

You snort. “You’re an idiot.”

“Probably a bad kisser now, too. Like—tragic.”

You look over at him, skeptical. “Yeah. I bet you’re awful. All that varsity experience? Gone. Wiped clean.”

He nods solemnly. “Gone. Out the window. I’m a shell of the man I once was.”

You roll your eyes, but there’s something warm curling in your chest. Something easy. Familiar. His hand nudges yours on the center console—not holding it, not quite, just a brush of his fingers against yours like punctuation. Like he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.

And somehow, you’re closer than before. Not dramatically. Just enough that you can smell the faint sharpness of his cologne and the minty gum he always keeps in the glove box. Just enough that if either of you turned your heads at the wrong angle, your mouths might graze.

You feel it happen before you can name it—the shift. The quiet, off-balance moment where the space between you stops being a buffer and starts being a pressure point.

His gaze flicks to the back seat. Then back to you.

He raises his eyebrows. “Could always… test the theory. You know. Just for science.”

It’s a joke.

It has to be a joke.

But your heart doesn’t get the memo. It kicks like it’s trying to break through your ribs.

You glance—just for a second—at his mouth.

Just a second.

Then you lean back, fast, putting distance between you and the heat that’s suddenly too much. You don’t look at him. You just fold your arms, shift your body toward the window, and pretend that didn’t land like a slap.

Steve doesn’t say anything at first.

Mostly because he’s too busy internally screaming.

Nice. Real smooth. Excellent joke, Harrington. Really landed that one.

He stares out at the lake, but all he can feel is the space put between the two of you. Like a wall he didn’t even mean to build.

Because he didn’t mean to say it. It just… slipped out. The way things used to. When flirting felt like muscle memory. When moments like that didn’t have consequences.

But this wasn’t just some girl at a party. This was you.

You weren’t just anyone. You were—his friend. A good friend now. Someone he actually knew.

And yeah, okay, maybe he’s thought about kissing you before. He’s not blind. You’re—well. You. And he’s still a guy with eyes and a pulse and urges, thank you very much.

He exhales hard, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Don’t,” he mutters to himself, voice low. “Don’t go there.”

He rubs both hands down his face, grounding himself in the familiar feeling of palms against tired skin. Then he glances over at you again, and guilt punches him square in the chest.

“Hey,” he says finally. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”

Your voice cuts through the car like a blade. “I know.”

Flat. Sharp. The kind of tone that doesn’t need volume to hurt.

He winces. “Right. No, I mean—I really didn’t mean to. It just—came out. Like a reflex.”

You don’t look at him. You just breathe harder.

He leans forward, bracing his forearms on the steering wheel like he’s trying to physically hold onto the moment before it gets worse. “But it’s not like—I mean, I didn’t mean it like it’s gross. Or that you’re, like, some experiment or something.”

Still nothing.

He keeps going, because now his mouth won’t stop. “You’re—you’re pretty. And nice. Usually.”

That gets a look. A look.

He winces again. “Okay. Yeah. That’s fair. Real bold stuff. Revolutionary. Compliment of the century.”

He sighs and leans back in his seat, staring up at the car ceiling like it’s got a teleprompter he forgot to read. “I didn’t mean, like, surface-level stuff. I meant… the real stuff. Like how you remember dumb things people say in passing and then bring them up like three weeks later, and it freaks them out in a good way. Or how you’re the only person who actually listens when someone’s talking, not just waiting for your turn. Or like, the way you somehow always know when someone’s about to cry and do that casual thing where you pretend you didn’t notice so they can keep their dignity. I don’t know, you’re just—you.”

He’s quiet for a second. Then: “And you look really nice tonight. Like, really nice. That skirt thing you're wearing? The—uh. Whole situation? Yeah.”

You’re still not saying anything. So he laughs a little, under his breath.

“I guess… I kind of hoped if that stupid game led to you kissing anyone, it’d be me.”

Finally, finally, you look at him.

He swallows and offers a half-smile. Soft. Shrugging like it’s no big deal even though it’s the biggest thing he’s said all night.

“It’s a skort,” you mutter, finally looking at him again.

Steve’s head tips back as he laughs. “Ah, yes. The secret enemy of any guy trying to get to third base. I know it well.”

You smack his arm—harder than necessary, but it makes him laugh again. So you do too.

And then it’s quiet again. But not the same kind of quiet. This one feels… softer. Less like a wall, more like a blanket.

You mess with the fraying edge of your sleeve for a second. Then, too fast to stop it: “So what, you have a crush on me or something?”

It hangs there for a second. Too sharp. Too loud in the small space of the car.

Steve snorts, caught somewhere between defensive and flustered. “What are we, twelve?” But then he shrugs, eyes still on the lake. “I mean… yeah. Sometimes. It’s hard not to.”

That quiet stretches again. But it’s humming now.

He keeps going. “I mean, I spend most of my time with you, Robin, or a literal high schooler. And no offense to Dustin, but I don’t think I’m his type.”

You bite the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from smiling. It doesn’t work.

Your voice comes out smaller than before. “It wasn’t really a real first kiss.”

Steve glances over. “The thing tonight?”

You nod.

“No,” he agrees. “Definitely wasn’t.”

You shift toward him slightly, heart thudding louder in your ears. “So… what would you do different?”

You ask it like a throwaway. A maybe. Like you’re already bracing for a backpedal.

But when you finally look at him—really look—you catch it.

The way his eyes flick to your mouth. The way something stills in his whole body, like the world just narrowed to the space between you.

He looks at you like he’s seeing the question behind the question.

Steve doesn’t move at first.

Not because he doesn’t want to.

But because he does—badly—and that’s the problem.

He could tell you. He could say all the things running laps in his head. That he’s thought about this before. That he was hoping you’d ask. That maybe he’s been waiting for a moment like this and didn’t even know it.

Or he could show you.

But somehow, neither feels like enough on its own.

So he says, “Fuck it,” under his breath. And does both.

He turns slightly in his seat, eyes still on you, voice low but easy. “Okay… so let’s say we just got back from a date.”

You blink at him, confused—but not pulling away.

He continues, heart thudding loud in his chest. “Dinner was good. You made fun of me for ordering something boring. I made fun of you for putting hot sauce on literally everything.”

Your lip quirks, but you’re still watching him.

“We drove around a little afterward. Listened to that mixtape you won’t admit you made for me. Pulled up to the lake just to sit for a second. And now…”

He reaches up slowly, brushing a piece of hair from your cheek, letting his fingers linger there just a beat longer than necessary.

“… for the record, I’d probably be walking you to your door. No Lover’s Lake on the first date. Usually. But seeing as we’re already here, in my car, I’ll have to improvise.”

His voice dips, softer now. More real. “I’d lean in. Not too fast.” 

He does. 

“I’d wait to see if you moved. If you got shy or said you were tired or—” 

You don’t move. Not away from him, anyway. 

“And then I’d ask…” He’s just a breath away now. His nose nearly brushing yours. “Is this okay?” 

You don’t say anything. You don’t need to. Your eyes flutter closed. And that’s when he knows. 

He kisses you. Slow. Sweet. No pressure. No rush. Just the press of his lips against yours, careful and warm and way too full of everything he’s been trying not to feel for months. 

When he pulls away, your eyes are wide. Searching his face.

He sees the doubt flicker across your face—just for a second. Like you’re trying to catalog every part of it, weigh it against the idea that maybe you’re not enough. That maybe you’ll mess it up.

He hates that.

Because you didn’t. You don’t.

He gives you the softest smile he can manage, one that only barely masks how wrecked he feels by the fact that you let him kiss you at all. “You’re not bad at it,” he says quietly. “Not even close.”

You blink. Eyes wide. Lips parted.

He leans in again, closer now, until his breath fans warm across your cheek.

“Okay,” he murmurs, a low grin tugging at his mouth, “so this is what we in the biz call the… advanced coursework.”

You start to roll your eyes—classic, a callback—but then his mouth is back on yours before you can finish the motion.

This time, it’s not hesitant.

It’s intentional.

His hand slides up, fingers curling gently along your jaw as he kisses you again—just lips, for now. Soft, sure, grounding. He doesn’t rush. Doesn’t crowd you. He kisses you like he’s got nowhere else to be. Like he’s done pretending he doesn’t want this.

Then he pulls back just enough to speak against your mouth, voice barely a whisper. “Okay, now part your lips.”

You do.

“Good,” he breathes. “Now let me—” His nose brushes yours as he leans in again. “—show you what it’s supposed to feel like.”

His lips find yours again, slower this time. He tilts his head slightly, deepening the angle. You feel the difference immediately—it’s heavier. Hungrier. Still soft, but anchored in something that makes your stomach flip.

Then his tongue nudges gently at your bottom lip. Not demanding—just asking.

You let him in.

He exhales softly against you when you do, and his tongue brushes yours—just once. Light and careful. Then again, with more intent. He coaxes rather than takes, matching your pace, letting you get used to the rhythm.

He pulls back slightly, just enough to speak again, breath hot against your skin. “Relax your jaw. Don’t overthink it. Just… follow me.”

And then he kisses you deeper. His tongue strokes against yours, slow and unhurried, as if he’s teaching your body what it’s supposed to remember. His hand at your jaw tilts your face gently toward him, guiding. His other hand steadies himself on the center console, but it brushes your thigh as he shifts—just barely, but it sends a shiver straight up your spine.

You breathe in like you’ve been underwater.

When he finally pulls away, it’s gradual. He lingers. Like he doesn’t want to stop, like he wants you to feel every second of the space that’s suddenly between you again.

You’re both a little breathless.

Both flushed, blinking like you forgot where you were.

And Steve?

He just smiles.

That same soft, slightly stunned smile that says finally.

GUYS I REALLY WANT TO DO A PART TWO TO THIS. would that be something you'd like...?

[gaykey]

hi could u give me an intro to xlov? i’m a baby evol and i’m still navigating… like who are lavenderz?? i need to know the fandom inside jokes and etc lol

hi anon!

ok so, i'm also lowkey a babyvol too considering i only really got sucked in this comeback, so there's a ton of debut era content that i'm still disocvering now.

but, i was on the peripherals of the fandom for a little while before delving in, so, i'll do my best to give you a little intro to the group. this will get long......i tend to ramble, and will probably go on a tangent so, sorry in advance!

oh, and i'll also link a fun little video for you too here.

ok so!

first thing you need to know, is that they're pretty much a self-made group.

i don't know the detailed ins & outs of it, but basically, wumuti (leader & oldest member, our motheeerrrr) was on boys planet, where he met rui & haru - he was eliminated, but after, joined a production company. muti said, he'd had an idea for a boy group for a long time, with a unique genderless concept, but, didn't have the means, or the right people to make it a reality.

buuut, when he joined 257 entertainment, they trusted his vision, soooo, he basically like gathered up the cuntiest, most talented divas he knew (rui & haru, who he met on boys planet, and hyun who'd known for a while from being trainees in another company) and formed xlov.

they debuted january this year, so are incredibly new but damn, they've been working their asses off ever since!

they are literally, doing so much themselves.

wumuti produces a lot, writes lyrics, he's also in charge of styling and make-up. (if you haven't already, you should watch wumuti's make-up tutorials!) he is an incredibly hands-on and supportive leader when it comes to that side of things - their recent recording behind shows it really well.

he knows the strengths of each member, and how best to enhance their skills. he's also super encouraging and comforting (can you tell he's my bias lol). even down to little details, like the members nail looks for 1&only. rui has his talons full of gems and deco, haru tends to have bright colours and cutesy art, and hyun just has his painted with simpler art, as opposed to long nails, because that's what they all prefer!

it genuinely kinda makes me emotional tbh....

they have input on their choreos, create some of them, and even run/decide what goes on ther official social media accounts themselves. wumuti says he's in charge of insta, rui & haru tiktok & hyun b.stage.

all this allows them to express the concept in their own unique way, and just, allows them to be themselves, it's so so refreshing, and the members thrive under that kind of environment.

they just keep getting better & better.

but yes sorry! got ahead of myself a little

in regards to lavenderz, that's rui & hyun's duo name - because their colour (rui 🩷 & hyun 💙) make the lavender colour~ (wumuti's colour is ❤️ & haru's is 💛) there are quite a few jokes and memes that just refer to their colours, so that could be confusing as a baby evol.

also their emoji's god, i forgot about them - wumuti 🐰, rui 🦋 (rui will usually have a butterfly motif somwhere when it comes to stage fits), hyun 🐵, haru 🦊

a quick guide to the duo names, because they get used a lot in the fandom

lavenderz - rui & haru

barbiez - rui & wumuti

hyunmuti - wumuti & hyun

saruharuz - hyun & haru

uharuz - haru & wumuti (though haru refers to them as mother & son lol)

ruruz - rui & haru (again haru calls rui his big sister)

also, you might know this already, but members ages and official positions.

wumuti - leader/producer, turning 26 tomorrow!

rui - all rounder, 24

hyun - n/a, 22

haru - maknae, 19

their 'official' positions are funny because they basically do it all.

when it comes to memes and inside jokes, it genuinely so hard to keep up lol - stuff sprouts up every day, because the members do so much fan interaction, and just, there's so much content right now. i literally live in the evolville community on twt and i still miss stuff.

alot of them come from interactions with members during fanmeets/signs/calls.

as a new group, xlov are absolutely nailing it in regards to fan interaction. they so funny, sweet, open, and encouraging when talking to fans. they discuss what concepts they like to try, compliment fans nail art, tattoos, make-up and fits!

they do fun challenges, and so so many amazing covers too, oh ny god, check some of them out anon.

besides pics of them just being cunty af, their covers is how i started getting into them in the first place.

they have said they're on twitter too, so they're actually in on a lot of the fandom memes, and see everything lol. also, you can tell they have a genuine love of kpop and music as a whole. they talk a lot about their music influences and inspirations.

rui is a big girl group stan - a fan recently gifted him katseye album to unbox, and he was soooo excited <3

another thing, is that all the members are from different places! hyun is korean, haru, japanese, rui is taiwanese and wumuti is from china, but, more specifically the ürum region in xinjiang, which makes him ethnically uyghur, which is very important to him, and something he talks about a lot.

they're all fluent in multiple languages too, it's crazy. muti said he learnt korean in 3 months???

it feels like they're on a massive upward trajectory atm. every other day an xlov tweet goes viral. wether it's rui teaching a fan how to twerk at a fansign, haru absolutely killing it covering move by taemin, hyun's amazingly expressive recations during fancalls, or muti's absolutely transcedant levels of MOTHERING.

or just people just discivering their music organically and realising how good it is!

then boom, a new evol is born.

they keep gaining fans, and i am so proud. like i've only really had xlov for a couple of months at this point, but i'm gonna be here for a while, i know it.

lmaoooo this wasn't so much an intro but more me gushing about them??? and there's probably a ton of stuff i've forgotten....but i hope this was somewhat helpful to you! ❤️‍🔥

[storytimewithanonwriter]

🕸️ The Best Love Story Ever Written

TASM! Peter x Wife!Reader

Hello! Found another draft… this one has a lot. I what happens after this moment. I could make it a series. Just not sure if there is a want for it. Let me know if y’all want the rest. There’s an injury and hospital in this fic as well…. I guess I was in my Grey’s Anatomy era lol

- K

His voice was hoarse. He’d been speaking so long he wasn’t sure he could stop even if he wanted to.

Maybe he didn’t want to.

Because once he stopped, he’d have to think about how close he’d come to losing everything.

He cleared his throat, rubbing his thumb over his palm like he could ground himself in the rhythm of it.

“I guess…I should start at the beginning,” he said, voice low.

The very beginning.

It was pouring.

Not the gentle kind of rain that made the city look pretty, but the relentless, sideways sheets that turned umbrellas inside out and flooded every gutter.

He was late. Again.

And he knew, without even checking the clock, that she’d have something to say about that.

Peter swung down from a fire escape, landing in a puddle that soaked his ankles straight through his beat-up sneakers. His mask was still tucked in his pocket, and he probably looked like he’d been mugged.

He caught sight of her standing under a tiny awning, glaring at her phone like it had personally betrayed her.

Her friend Maven , the one with the bright pink streak in her raven hair and the louder mouth, was beside her, rambling something about online dating.

“…I’m just saying,” Maven was insisting, “if he doesn’t show up in five minutes, you’re letting me set you up with that EMT.”

She shoved her phone deeper into her coat pocket, rain dripping off her eyelashes.

“Mav , I swear, if you try to—”

And then she looked up.

Right at him.

And even in the rain, with her hair plastered to her cheeks and her friend in mid-rant, she smiled.

Like she was relieved.

Like maybe she’d been waiting for him all along.

⸻

His hand flexed where it rested on something soft—something small.

He kept going.

“She always said I’m dramatic,” he murmured. “But you have to understand—when she smiled like that…everything else just stopped.”

He let out a breath that trembled a little.

“She looked at me and asked, ‘What happened to you?’ And I said—”

⸻

“What happened to you?” she demanded, eyebrows lifting.

Peter ran a hand through his soaked hair.

“Uh…rain?”

Maven made a strangled noise.

“Rain?” she repeated. “Did the rain beat you up and steal your wallet?”

He felt heat creep up his neck.

“…Sort of.”

Her mouth twitched, trying not to laugh.

“You’re late.”

“I know,” he admitted, feeling sheepish. “But I’m here now.”

And even though Maven rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful, she stepped away leaving them space to short out whatever was happening between them.

⸻

He swallowed, fighting the tightness in his chest.

“She had every reason to walk away,” he said. “She could’ve gone home. Let someone else in. But she didn’t.”

His voice softened.

“That’s the first thing you should know about her. She never gives up. Not on people . Not when things look tough . She keeps going. She keeps trying.”

⸻

A week later, he was early. Ridiculously early. He sat in a cracked red booth, bouncing his leg and checking the door every thirty seconds.

When she finally walked in, she looked nervous in a way that made something warm bloom in his chest.

She slid into the booth across from him, pushing her hair behind her ear.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi,” he breathed.

“You look…less drowned.”

He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I clean up okay.”

The waitress came by. She ordered pancakes and hot chocolate. He ordered coffee . He was too nervous for anything else.

For the first twenty minutes, they were both so awkward that she knocked over her water glass twice, and he forgot what day it was when she asked.

But by the time the plates were empty, he felt something settle in his chest. Something he hadn’t let himself feel since Uncle Ben died.

Hope.

⸻

A little movement beside him made his breath hitch.

He paused, feeling the soft rise and fall under his hand.

“You know,” he whispered, “I almost didn’t call her after that night. I thought she deserved someone normal. Someone who didn’t have… baggage. ”

His throat tightened.

“But I’m selfish. I wanted more time with her. And every day since then, I’ve been glad I was.”

⸻

He came through her window at 3 a.m., bleeding.

It was closer than his place. He’d meant to leave again before she woke up. He’d meant to keep her out of this part of his life.

But he tripped on her bookshelf.

And she bolted upright, flipped on the light, and stared at him—half in costume, mask pulled back, trying to look casual as he dripped blood on her rug.

“…Peter?” she croaked.

He froze.

“…Hi.”

“Hi?” she echoed, voice climbing an octave. “Hi? You are Spider-Man? ….all those times you were late or missing or distracted? My…My Birthday?”

He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again.

“Peter, you’re bleeding.”

She did blink an eye . Got out of bed and began to bandage him up. Made him hot tea , handed much needed Advil, and lead him to bed . She curled in to bed next to him , placed a delicate kiss to his brow , and placed a hand on his chest as she drifted back to sleep.

⸻

He laughed softly at the memory, the sound a little watery.

“She didn’t scream,” he said, shaking his head. “She just started swearing and helped me”

His smile faded.

“She has never looked at me like I was a monster. Not once.”

His voice grew softer.

“She makes everything feel…possible,” he whispered. “Even the parts that scared me.”

He finally looked down.

At the two tiny faces wrapped in soft blankets.

At her still form in the hospital bed, monitors beeping steady and reassuring.

“I guess…I should tell you,” he whispered to them. “Your mom…she’s the bravest person I’ve ever known. And she’s fighting to come back to us right now.”

His thumb brushed a tiny cheek.

“So while we wait…I’m going to keep telling you how it all began.”

He looked at her, voice breaking but full of quiet faith.

“Because this is the best love story ever written. And it’s not over.”

[mr-payjay]

i am making my own ii human names list, but very slowly, because i am pedantic. also, i will not be counting mephone creating them as canon. ive had these ethnicity and family hcs for ages, and i will base my names on them. now, here are the two most important names.

OJ: Olivier-Jean "OJ" Jacques Silveira. my oj interpretation/gijinka is brazilian (paternal side) and ivorian (maternal side). his last name comes from his father and is brazilian portuguese. his first name and middle name were given by his mother, as many people in côte d'ivoire speak french (french colonization —> it's the official language now but there's MANY others accompanying it). a lot of people who speak french like to use "jean" in hyphenated names (trust me ive met a bajillion of them), so i included it. i think his name sounds quite classy.

oj was born and raised in america, speaking english at school and french at home. as well as some portuguese, but he never actually learned it. i think he would become quite pissy when kids at school would pronounce his name incorrectly (Olivier-Jean is... very not intuitive to english speakers. i believe they would say it like Oliver-Jeen) so they ended up using oj as shorthand. and he was fine with that, so it stuck. but at home he's Olivier and Olivier-Jean. he tells new people he meets to call him oj just because it's consistent and because he doesn't like the sound of his real name being mispronounced. coming from someone who constantly gets her real names mispronounced.

Paper: Paige Hsu (foreign name) and 许佩妍 / Xǔ Pèiyán (original name). my paper interpretation/gijinka is han taiwanese, so fully of han chinese descent. more specifically, hoklo (chosen because i hc he can speak mandarin AND hokkien). his family immigrated to taiwan from fujian (province in china with hoklo ancestry) post ww2. Xǔ is a particularly common surname in fujian, so i chose it for him. be gentle with me if i messed up with his given name LOL i know much less about chinese than french (but DO inform me if you know more about it and spot any mistakes!). Pèiyán means, in a way, beautiful garment. to wear something beautiful. to be adorned. etc. it's partially based on trying to make it seem a bit like the name "Paige", partially based on what i think his mother might name him (no real hopes or dreams for him so it's a little shallow), partially based on him as i know him (focused on presenting himself). it's also, as far as i know, a name mostly used for women. note that my interpretation of paper is usually a trans man.

now, Paige is unisex, it sounds like page, and it's a loved one of mine's favourite name for him, so i like it. i also think it makes sense for when he immigrated to canada with his mother as something they chose, and something he can still keep (being conveniently unisex). Hsu is one of the taiwanese romanizations for Xǔ. im not sure if he'd take on oj's last name. perhaps he'd hyphenate them. he's not particularly attached to his family, but Paige Hsu is quite a pretty name.

bonus: nickel is named Nikola Stević. this one was easy because my interpretation of nickel is kosovar serb. last names come from the father but the exact practice of it is a bit outdated so Stević is likely from his grandfather or great-grandfather (unless im misremembering how it works). i don't like the name Nicholas his name is Nikola. Nicholas sounds like a sweet little boy Nikola sounds like a menace. i see Nicholas everywhere start calling your nickel Nikola

[crossdressingdeath]

I genuinely think the only people even slightly surprised by Caterina naming Lucanis as her heir were Illario and Lucanis. Lucanis from what we see and hear is more skilled (or at least puts in more visible effort, and at the level these two are aiming for not being seen to make an effort isn't all that much better than being seen as incompetent; the First Talon has actual work to do, it's not a figurehead position that can just be filled by a pretty face and a silver tongue), better respected (and no, there's no actual evidence that that's because of anyone sabotaging Illario's reputation or the Crows looking down on people using seduction; I think the Crows just generally value action over words), and just in every way except maybe charm seems to be the better choice out of the two of them. There's a reason why Wigmaker Job, which sets up this conflict, also shows Lucanis doing the planning and prep work (including finding secret ways through the city and making allies with useful skills and knowledge—hey, what was that about Illario being "the charming one"...? This combined with Lucanis seeming to be better liked and respected among the Crows really does feel to me like Illario's better at superficial charm used on strangers or acquaintances while Lucanis is better at winning a level of loyalty and trust from proper allies, the latter of which is more useful for a leader—to help him get close to the target) and thinking of the future (see things like him paying off the innkeeper who likely leaked their location so she and anyone she tells about this will be more likely to back the Crows over the Venatori in the future, a point that Illario didn't think of) and handling the vast majority of the killing and dealing with the abominations after while Illario mostly complains and follows Lucanis's orders! I genuinely don't see how anyone comes away from that story (which is the only direct comparison of the two of them at work that we get and so all we really have to go on regarding their individual skills as Crows) thinking Illario's the better choice! Gang please, don't read a book from a series known for Books That Lie To You (well in-universe book excerpts mostly, the codex lying to you my beloved, but you know what I mean) and come away just assuming that the things the characters say out loud are the truth over what their actions show. Lucanis having a heart emphatically is not a dealbreaker for him being the better choice for Talon (see: Teia, and also the dialogue between her and Viago after the servants are killed in Eight Little Talons which makes it clear that a given Crow's opinions on collateral damage and level of effort to avoid it are generally considered a matter of personal taste rather than something to really be judged) and... yeah, keeping that in mind there really isn't anything suggesting Illario would be the better choice.

Lucanis isn't perfect and Caterina absolutely should be training him specifically as First Talon (it's also entirely possible there are better options elsewhere in House Dellamorte that she isn't considering because of the nepotism angle), but he is better than Illario. In fact I firmly believe that Illario only had any reason to believe he was even being considered for First Talon because... he's Caterina's grandson and she's favouring her own family over unrelated Crows. But that's what makes me want to dissect him in a lab, because he's aware that favouritism is playing a part in the selection process—note that I'm not saying Caterina doesn't prefer Lucanis, just that he is objectively the better choice outside of that; sometimes the favourite legitimately is the better option—but doesn't seem to have any awareness that he is... also benefiting from that. And quite possibly benefiting more than Lucanis is! There's just something so tasty in Illario complaining about the thing that is also as far as we see the only thing putting him in the running, and that's assuming he was in the running and isn't just... assuming Caterina would favour him as her grandson.

[bleaksqueak]

see, ppl can say what they want about the resi 3 remake, but the remake got Mikhail perfect. Also i actually really love weird Puppy Nemesis lmao

[herrscherofmagic]

oh this is gonna be one hell of a week for me...

...and it's only Tuesday x-x

Today I just caught up with WuWa's main story, after starting the game for the first time in the last week of v2.3...

but then tomorrow HSR's v3.4 comes out, with the climax (I think?) of the Amphoreus arc and huge plot stuff happening...

...but then the following day WuWa's NEXT main story update releases (jfc the previous one left on such a cliffhanger so I'm glad I only have to wait a couple days for this one T_T)

so yeah. i've got a lot of story to get through this week lmao

[moreaujeans]

semi came out to someone for the first time last night

[haarute]

it's amazing how almost all of my friendships (and by almost all i mean Every save like three) are ruined by my own self essentially swerving into a wall and crashing on purpose due to my inability to believe my company could ever be even slightly desirable to anyone and i'd rather just burn it all and die than see myself as someone who intrudes and abuses people's kindness out of my own selfish desire to want companionship.

[isca-rambles]

Lucy Chen is the love of Tim Bradford's life and Angela Lopez agrees!

[blizzardfluffykpop]

You sent me an ask so I shall return the favor! What is the most recent Kpop group you’ve gotten into and how did you find out about them? I always love hearing fan “origin stories” lol

Thank you for returning the favor~ That would be The Boyz 🥰💖 I love hearing fan "origin stories" too hehe (This is gonna get long I love them sm)

Anyways I've known about them since debut? I loved Bloom Bloom Pow with my whole heart when it came out and tried to fall for them then- It didn't work. The next time was when The Stealer (TS) came out~ I had watched them perform for Road to Kingdom- because ptg was on the show too- But I really loved TS cb- sm so that I bought the album about 6 mos later with my favorite members as inclusions at the time (Eric, Kevin and Hyunjae). But nothing came about of it even after watching the weekly idol episodes... Then came Whisper era and I ended up biasing Changmin (Q) and loving that song but again nothing came out of it.

(A little backstory is that Changkyun (I.M) got me into Dominic Fike's music-) Thus, when tiktok showed me Juyeon, Changmin, and Sunwoo dancing to Babydoll earlier this year as a dance cover: I fell. And then I finally checked out Watch It~ But Hui had his solo and it distracted me completely from falling further. Then I had gotten sick and decided 'well, what if I watch their content?' And I did... I watched their hello82 interview and their reaction to fanart of them, and lastly their mafia dance. And I loved each sm that I decided to check out more.

It was the first time I had watched their content and wanted to see more. And now, I watch their content almost daily. It's kind of like they revived the joy of kpop for me? My (old) ult of ults has been on hiatus due to the military so it's been stagnant content lately for me. But then they came in like a breath of fresh air- and I simply can't get enough. This month will be 3 mos and I honestly hope I'll follow them for a long time. (I think they're my new ult of ults tbh)

And lastly now here I am as a Younghoon and Juyeon bias (with bias wrecker: Changmin... he's doing everything to be bias again). And with them having a comeback I loved with my whole heart this past month, I think it really solidified them with me. Honestly, I'm so happy with them.

[todayisafridaynight]

Ichiban looks like a beautiful lady ☺️

real and true

[appreciatingtokrev]

only got to say like half of what i wanted in the tags of my last post abt my qpp but alas i hit the tag maximum

aroace love strikes again <2

[arolesbianism]

I always wanna try to find lob corp enjoyers to follow and such but by god I feel like I'm the only person on the internet who actually likes and enjoyed lob corp sometimes. I couldn't make friends here I'm the guy who genuinely believes lob corp isn't actually that hard for the vast majority of the game

[thegempage]

me in the first couple of months after moving, reassuring myself that things always get worse before they get better: hurting is the first step to healing!

me, a year and a month after the move, undeniably happier than i've been in over a decade and yet watching as each one of my maladaptive coping mechanisms falls apart in my hands, leaving me not only without any beneficial, long-term-appropriate coping mechanisms ready on-hand to replace them but also with the ever-growing sense that there is more wrong with me than i ever knew hiding underneath layers of masks and trauma responses: oh so i didn't know fuck or shit

[burntchickenlookingass]

No cuz im not done talking about ffcc