#I have a friend joining me so we can be petty together

[gayboss-too-close-to-the-sun]

I’m going to Barnes&Nobles today, which is code for “I’m going to drink coffee and mercilessly judge books by their covers as if I’m judging the national dog show”

[wosohours]

commitment - leah williamson x reader

You always heard about “don’t date athletes” and “athletes are players," but of course when good advice comes your way, you ignore it.

It was a bit insane to think that you could start talking to the one girl who could not be bothered with being in a committed relationship. That gut feeling telling you “Don’t get too close”, “Don’t entertain her”, or “Don’t fall in too deep” but you once again ignored it.

Honestly, you could not help it. It was like a craving to be around Leah all the time. It almost felt like an obsession of wondering, “What is she doing?”, “Where is she?”, “Is she thinking about me?”

Constantly checking your phone to see if she messaged you. Looking at her social media every hour on the hour. You were in deep and you knew it would eventually lead to hurting yourself. Yet, being someone with the typical heart-eye delusions, the thoughts in the back of your mind kept saying, “She will change for you.”

Trying to distance yourself never worked because every time you were at a safe enough distance she kept pulling you right back in. Leah knew that she had some type of hold on you and constantly used that to her advantage.

Just last week she was barely texting and calling you back. You understood that she was not obligated to do so since you two were not officially together, but you were most definitely a little…maybe even a lot more than “just friends.” The dates, the romantic gestures, and the PDA all confirmed that but you could never understand her constant pushing and pulling.

Leah knows exactly how to make it up to you though. She texted three days ago saying how sorry she was not keeping in contact, how she misses you like crazy and how she planned a whole day for just the two of you. You were strong this time, wanting her to feel how she makes you feel by not texting back and declining her calls those three days. Yet one slip of weakness and here you are right back in her bed.

____________________

“I missed you so much you have no ideas.” Leah tells you as she feathers kisses all over your face as you both lay in bed naked.

“Oh really? I would not have guessed.” you said as you sat up from her chest and moved away from her a little. She froze looking at you with that cute frown that is usually stuck on her face and said, “Baby I told you I am truly sorry, I really mean it. I have just been a bit busier since the launch of my third book. You know this.”

Leah wraps an arm around your waist pulling you back down closer to her. “I am here now though, aren’t I?” You hesitantly relax into her and say, “I know but a simple text or any sort of reply would have been nice. I just missed you.” You can feel Leah smiling against your hairline after she lays a soft kiss there. “I missed you too babe.”

After a moment of you two just enjoying each other's company she says quietly, “How about we get up, you come shower with me, and then we can go out and get some breakfast?”

____________________

Once again the cycle repeats itself with Leah distancing herself. No longer answering calls or texts. Although it hurt, you thought it would be best to leave things the way they were to protect your peace, even pushing yourself to be petty enough to block her number. It was almost like you were putting her up to the test to see how far she would go to get your attention.

Although she did swipe up on one of your Instagram stories of you in a tight shirt with no bra saying, “I’ve seen it, now delete it,” but you ignored that as well.

____________________

Since being friends with Leah for many years you have grown closer with some of the Arsenal girls and with them loving your company, a couple of them have asked you to join them in celebrating the end of their USA tour at a local pub. People are either mingling by the bar, doing karaoke, or sitting around the reserved private table in the back.

Currently, you are at the bar getting a drink and you can feel Leah’s eyes burning into the back of your skull.

“What’s going on with you two? You have been more grumpy than usual,” Katie teases Leah as she sits in the empty seat next to her. “She's ignoring me,” Leah sighs, still looking at you.

“What have you done this time?” Alessia asks from across the table. “I’ve been kind of avoiding her again. I don’t mean to but I don’t know what I’m doing.” Leah replies.

“Have you tried talking to her about how you feel? Do you actually want to have a serious relationship with her?” Katie asks.

“No, I haven't talked to her. Every time I try to talk about us my mouth goes dry and all of a sudden I can’t think, and of course, I want something serious with her I’m just nervous,” Leah shakes her head and looks down at her fidgeting fingers.

Lia, who has been listening to the conversation from her seat next to Alessia, speaks up, “Well you might need to tell her soon because the bartender is flirting with her heavily.”

This causes Leah’s head to shoot up in your direction and sees the bartender smiling at you and reaching her hand over to rest on your forearm. “Yeah, not happening.” Leah quickly stands up from her seat and pushes past people to make her way over to you.

When she gets to you she gently wraps an arm around your waist not to startle you and pulls you back into her chest. She gives her glare that she usually saves for the pitch to the bartender, making her quickly release your arm and turn her attention to another customer waiting at the other end of the bar.

Leah smiles when you relax into her and she whispers in your ear, “You’ve been avoiding me.” You slowly turn around until you are face to face with her and say. “Hurts doesn’t it?”

“I deserve that. Why don’t we go have a chat and I will explain myself?” Leah says, moving her hand to grab yours. “Really? You want to talk now and here?” you scoff.

Leah just nods and gently pulls your hand so that you follow her out to the back patio of the pub. She sits on a bench that is a little bit away from the loud building and pulls your hand down to sit next to her.

“You know you shouldn’t just flirt with anyone, she could've just been charming you into being her next one nightstand,” she says.

“Hmm, pot meets kettle huh? You would know,” you scoff pulling your hand away from hers.

“No, I wouldn’t, because we are more than that,” she firmly replies.

“It sure doesn’t feel like it sometimes.”

“I know,” she sighs, focusing on her shoes, “but I can explain.”

You look at her and slightly nod your head giving her the indication to keep talking.

“I love everything about us. I love how we are with each other. How easy it is to be around you and the connection that we have. I’m just scared of the reality of us being together because it seems too good to be true,” she confesses. “Don’t get me wrong I do want to be with you and I am serious about you but there is this nagging feeling in my head that I am going to screw it all up.”

You grab her hands gently and say, “That’s completely understandable Leah, I wish you would have communicated with me about how you felt earlier. However, you can’t make future assumptions about something you or we haven’t even tried yet. Neither of us has any idea of what could happen but it doesn’t mean push away and hide from it.”

You continue, “You are looking too far into the future when you should be focusing on right now. That self-sabotaging brain of yours is going to stall you for great things one day.” you giggle pushing her head away making her laugh too.

After the giggles die down she says, “You are completely right. If you allow me to give this…us another try I am willing to put my all into it. I just ask that you give me that reassurance.”

“I can give you that, but you have to promise to communicate with me.” you nod raising your hand to move a piece of hair out of her face.

“I promise to communicate my feelings to you,” she replies leaning into your hand.

You smile and stand up from the bench pulling her up with you to give her a hug resting your head against hers. Leah pulls back a bit to give you a few quick pecks on the lips causing you to giggle and move away.

“My girl,” she whispers, pulling you back against her and laying one last kiss on the side of your head.

____________________

Since that day Leah has kept her promise of communicating more and you have kept yours by reassuring her when she needed it. She even asked you to officially be with her a couple weeks later and it had felt as though something shifted in the air.

She was constantly texting, calling, and wanting to be attached to your hip. When you too were with each other in person she would constantly cling to you but you were okay with it since that is what you were wanting from the beginning.

[augustinewrites]

“okay! i finally have a plan for your bachelorette party!” shoko exclaims, rubbing her palms together gleefully. 

“shoko, no,” you start, closing your laptop with a sigh. “i already told you, i don’t need a party!”

with the wedding only a week away, the excitement was beginning to sink in for you, satoru, and all your friends. 

“at least hear my plan first,” she insists. “i’m thinking male strippers, penis straws—”

“count me in,” satoru says, joining you on the love seat. your fiancé wraps an arm around you, kissing your temple before looking to shoko. “what time should i be there?”

“no,” she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. “no boys allowed at the bachelorette.”

“could i come if i was the stripper?”

that is an awful idea for so many reasons, the most prevalent being the time satoru tried to do a strip tease on your anniversary and broke his…you know.

but you promised you’d never talk about it again, so you’re relieved when shoko comes to the conclusion on her own.“you have the grace of those inflatable men at car dealerships, so absolutely not.”

gojo mocks her absolutely not in an obnoxiously high pitch, sitting back and fixing her with a petty glare. “who put you in charge?”

“i’m the maid of honour, which means i’m in charge of everything that happens at this bachelorette.” 

you hope that she misses the quick glance you and your fiancé exchange, wincing when you see she doesn’t. 

“what? what’s with the looks?”

“it’s just— tsumiki’s my maid of honour…”

you feel awful when her expression drops. “oh…”

“i’m sorry, i’ve been meaning to tell you,” you apologize quickly. “but she’s like our—”

thankfully your best friend recovers quick, shaking her head and sending you a smile. “you don’t have to explain. it’s okay, i get it. i’m okay with just being a bridesmaid.”

satoru takes a long sip of his drink. you look away guiltily.

“i don’t even get to be a bridesmaid?!”

you scramble for an explanation, looking to satoru for help. “well, he only has one best man and no groomsmen, so it’d be asymmetrical—”

“because that loser doesn’t have any other friends i don’t get to be in the wedding party?!”

“hey, i have friends!”

“you have nanami,” she deadpans, unimpressed. “you guys don’t even hang out.”

“actually, we’re planning on getting lunch tomorrow.” then, after a moment, “if we’re both free…”

“you can be our flower girl!” you blurt before satoru can embarass himself further. 

shoko sits back, considering this. 

“do i get to pick my own dress?”

“sure,” you agree.

“alright, deal. but i’m still throwing you a bachelorette party.”

“shoko!”

_____

“we are not crashing your fiancée’s party.”

“we don’t have to. i can crash it on my own.” satoru points out. 

nanami deeply regrets agreeing to be best man. deeply. “shoko specifically instructed me to stop you if you attempted to pose as a stripper.”

he only scoffs as if he isn't afraid of shoko ieiri himself. “only because she’s scared my pelvic sorcery is too powerful.”

“no, because you lack the grace of a dancer and broke your penis last time you attempted a strip tease.”

“what?! you guys know about that?!”

"of course," nanami shudders, staring forlornly out the window of the cab because he has seen some shit. "we have a group chat."

[andy-wm]

The Tarot of VMINKOOK

Their dynamic as I see it, and the absolute validation that Jimin and JK are together.

I really enjoyed the 3rd episode of Are You Sure, partly because I love the VMin dynamic, and partly becuse I was relieved to see that JK and Tae got along.

I also enjoyed watching just the three of them together without the rest of the members because I could really focus on the way they interacted.

This post is entirely my own opinion, and based on my observations. Feel free to politely disagree.

What we had was:

The Siblings - JK & KTH

The Cousins - JM & KTH

The Lovers - JM &JK

The Siblings

JK and Tae have peak adolescent sibling energy Pre-adolescent maybe....

It's typical of the petty rivalry of siblings close in age where the younger is the dominant personality and the older is slightly mistified by the audacity of their little brother.

Tae's eye-roll here 🤣

They will argue over nothing, but they will also readily unite when they have a common goal or foe. In this episode, they ganged up on Jimin for the sake of amusing the viewers (I get that they had a mandate to be entertaining but seriously, poor Jimin 🤣.)

At least it gave JK and Tae a reason to cooperate, because we know JK wasn't thrilled about him joining them. And who can blame him... how often do the two of them get away together?

Tae and JK probably have that "I can talk shit about my brother but nobody else can" thing going on, and I am 100% sure either of them would jump to defend the other if someone outside Bangtan gave them reason to.

I'm sure JK sees Tae as a genuine brother, but that doesn't mean Tae doesn't irritate the hell out of him sometimes. We've seen Tae take liberties, and we've seen JK snipe at him.

What is clear to me, seeing the three of them together, is that competitive-natured JK has to curb his desire to compete with Tae for Jimin's attention - to steal Jimin from Tae - and we've seen him do it, so it's not unheard of. The bottom line is, JK doesn't love sharing Jimin. And that being true, having to totally relinquish Jimin must have been... challenging let's say.

Even giving him a Harley to ride wasn't enough compensation for JK's FOMO when VMin were having fun in the car without him. And that grimace he wore when he was enjoying his solo gokart ride was absolutely hilarious too.

The other thing that comes between them, based on what I've seen, is JK's impatience with Tae's quirkiness. JK does not seem to have the gentle fondness or the endless patience Jimin does with Tae, which brings me to...

The Cousins

Tae and Jimin are like those cousins. You know the ones I mean? The cousins who have that magical bond. They connect on some ultraviolet wavelength nobody else can see, and it's both delightful and annoying for everyone around them (especially for the ultra-competitive boyfriend of one of the cousins, who feels like he's the third wheel when the those two get together).

Jimin and Tae are 친구 - same age friends - and this automatically puts them together - they are peers. It creates an instant friendship bond. But their connection seems like more than that, because Jimin and Tae seem to be so at ease together that neither of them has to mask, and that means they trust one another. That type of deep connection between two people can only come from unconditional acceptance.

Tae doesnt know how to use a drive-thru, and Jimin patiently helps him.

I believe that even if they grow apart, their unique connection will always remain... Because you never forget your first, right?

I'm talking about the first person who really sees you.

Maybe they're the first person you come out to and who comforts you when you're afraid of what that might mean for you. Maybe they're the person who never teases you when you miss social cues, and who will quietly explain the joke you didn't get. Whatever your situation, that person is the one who you trust with your real self. You know you're safe with them.

Both Tae and Jimin have characteristics that set them apart. I'm not in the habit of diagnosing people but Tae does make me wonder, the way he lacks social awareness and sometimes goes off on bizzare tangents, and his very individual fashion sense... not to mention his hatred of shoes. Jimin's gender and sexual identity would have been equally challenging for him, trying as he was to fit in and be a strong man.

They would both have felt like outsiders and struggled with connection and belonging, and I think their genuine support of each other is what makes their friendship so special.

I think that's what the soulmates thing is all about.

And who could possibly compete with a soulmate? Only one person...

In this social game of cards, JK holds the trump.

The Lovers

There's only one reason JK would rank higher in Jimin's books than Tae, when Tae automatically has higher standing on both a personal level with Jimin, and a broader social level.

Jimin and Tae are 친구 - they have a bond unique to people born in their year. That bond means younger or older friends are always going to be more distant, because even with close friendships across age groups, honorifics will still apply. Only with chingus can the honorifics completely fall away.

In addition, Tae is older than JK, so automatically holds a higher social standing. Even though Tae and JK are friends, JK should still defer to him, especially where his chingu is concerned. But JK does not.

This can only mean one thing:

Jimin and JK are in a relationship.

JK's status as Jimin's partner outweighs any other relationships Jimin has. Therefore JK stands as an equal next to Jimin, and that shuffles everyone else down a notch.

That's why we see JK squeezing in next to Jimin (sometimes pushing the older members out) so he can get where he needs wants to be.

That's also why, in episode 3, JK could take the bed next to Jimin and leave Tae to sleep on the floor.

Aside from JK's position as Jimin's equal, we can clearly see that he takes care of Jimin in ways he wouldn't if they were not together. He may not defer to Jimin, but he is visibly devoted to him.

I have never had any doubt that Jimin and JK were lovers, and I never for a moment thought they broke up. It's no surprise to me that this is confirned when we see them on this trip.

But I'm still dying to see the next episode with Tae.

Bring on Thursday!!

[nohoney]

there’s knocking at bakugou’s front door that he assumes is from you, probably too drunk from your girls night out to get your house keys out from your purse. imagine to his surprise when he opens the front door and he sees three of your girlfriends carrying you together while the fourth one was the one who knocked on his door and you’re knocked out.

“hey bakugou, (name) is home safe and sound!”

he’s gotta hand it to your friends, they’re good ones for carrying you all the way up to the front door.

“thanks, you can give her here. i got her.” bakugou offers up his arms for your friends to relieve them of carrying you.

“no we can take her in, we just wanna kiss her goodnight.”

god the amount of affection you and your friends have for one another once you’re all wasted is something else. but bakugou has long gotten used to it too so he steps aside to let your friend group in. even as your head lolls, one of them carefully readjusts so that your head doesn’t hang at an awkward angle. it sort of reminds bakugou of the one time sero had to carry kaminari over his shoulder after getting too wasted at a house party.

you’re laid down on the big couch you and him purchased together recently, all of them gathered around you and making sure that you’re comfortable. it must be some sort of intuition you have to know that your girls are about to leave that you suddenly open your eyes, still pretty drunk, and you open your arms for your girls. bakugou watches as you and your friend group drunkenly voice your love for one another, smirking a little when one kisses you on your mouth and the other one playfully grabs at your tit with a compliment of how hot you looked tonight.

“bakugou, this is our girl okay? you better take care of her!”

“yeah katsuki!” you join in on hanging up on him, “if you do some stupid shit, they’re gonna get you!”

oh he has no doubt about it; one of the girls in your group is somewhat notorious for petty revenge and even he would not be up for that.

bakugou bids your girlfriends good night, watching from the front door as they all gather into their car. he waves them off as they drive away, the friend that knocked on his door being the designated driver to take the others home. he shuts off the porch light and locks his front door, already knowing the drill of what you want when you’re this drunk at this hour.

“tsuki, i’m hungry and i want-“

“macaroni and cheese with fries. i know baby.” bakugou finishes your sentence, kneeling down to take off your high heels first and then holds the palm of his hand up, watching as you carefully peel off your fake eyelashes and you place them in his hand. “you gonna clean these or toss them?”

“toss.”

into the trash your lashes go and bakugou brings out the boxed macaroni and heats up the air fryer. you go into the bathroom where your makeup remover and all your skincare is already laid out for you, taking in a breath as you gather all two brain cells you have left to clean your face and at least do a body rinse in the shower.

food is ready by the time you exit the bathroom but you haven’t sobered up quite yet. while you eat your usual drunk-past-midnight meal bakugou comments, “i like your friends.”

“yeah, they’re great aren’t they?” you agree with a nod before munching on a crinkle fry. “they like you too. they say i should marry you.”

“really?” bakugou chuckles, “and here i am thinkin’ that my girl is gonna leave me to elope with her girlfriends instead.”

“they’re gonna be my bridesmaids when we get married.”

your words bring a fuzzy, sentimental feeling bloom in his chest. he knows that you’re drunk still and you possibly won’t remember this conversation, but he wants to hear more of what you have to say. “is that so? you talked about our wedding already?”

in drunken detail and while eating your food at the same time, you go over how each of your girlfriends will help support you in planning your supposed future union with bakugou. he listens, not bothering to hide the smile on his face as you go on and on. you talk more about how your friends will be involved rather than you and him but bakugou likes it. he likes how your friends like him and that they’re the most supportive group of girls he’s ever seen.

“you’re gonna wear a orange tie, mmkay? and we’re gonna have a mango cake!” you start to go off about what kind of food will be served at the wedding as bakugou cleans up the plates before you abruptly declare, “katsuki, you’re the only guy my friends like. the only one so don’t fuck this up, okay?”

“i won’t sweetheart, not with your gals ready to hide my body if i break your heart.”

you don’t remember the conversation the next morning when you wake up with a pounding hangover. but bakugou does. he remembers it as he gazes at you with a drink hand, wearing the orange tie you told him to wear and little bites of mango cake having already been fed to him by you. he watches how you hug your bridesmaids, your best friends, the girls who carried you home when you got too drunk and supported your relationship with him.

bakugou remembers how he waved off the girls that night as they drove back to their houses, and now they’re the ones waving you off as you and bakugou get into your car together to head to the airport for the honeymoon.

“you know my girls told me that i should marry you?”

bakugou plays dumb to the question, just only to hear the story from you again how he earned the seal of approval from your closest friends. he owes a mountain of gratitude to them because you and him probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.

they were the ones who told you to go up to him after all.

[adrixivy]

I can imagine the Avengers playing UNO one day for game night and after that day, everyone is extremely petty, stingy, extremely aggressive or has an attitude to someone and it’s all because of something that happened that one day they decided to play UNO.

(I played UNO with my family earlier and I was constantly screaming. I got +16. SIXTEEN. So this was what inspired this post)

Clint, throwing dirty looks at Tony everytime Tony walks into the room: *glares and rolls eyes at Tony before looking away*

Tony, sighs exasperatedly: Is this because I plus 20 your ass that game night?

Clint, mocking him: iS tHiS becAuSE I pLUs 20 yOuR aSs- YES. YES IT IS.

Tony being Tony ‘Money is my superpower’ Stark: I bought your kids everything on their Amazon wishlist yesterday. I bought Ms Barton’s wishlist too. And your new trick arrows are restocked and some upgraded

Clint, smiling politely and in the kindest voice possible: Thank you very much, I’ll tell you Peter’s cards from the vent the next time we play UNO

Peter with his advanced hearing: MR BARTON NO!-

——————

Bucky purposely walks away from Steve everytime Steve is trying to go up to him for a kiss or hug or just be close to him (Yes I’m a stucky fan)

Steve sighs and wipes a hand down his face: Is this because I changed the color when you were on one card during game night?

Bucky nodded and dramatically said: You betrayed me-

Steve, screeching: IT’S JUST A GAME?!-

Bucky, screaming back: YOU DON’T LOVE ME-

Steve, dumbfounded because UNO is making his lover hate him: WHAT-

———————

Peter flips onto the ceiling whenever Tony enters the room, renames all of his protocols, purposefully gives Tony the wrong tools and messes up Tony’s clean set-up of tools that it drives Tony up the wall because he thinks Peter is going through some rebellious phase before he notices Peter being kind to literally everyone else except him

Tony, tired and stared at his kid hanging upside down as he plays Dress to Impress with Ned and MJ on HIS personal starkpad meant for his work: Get down from there, kid. I need the Starkpad.

Peter ignores him and he tries remembering what he did before he scoffs in disbelief as he realised what Peter is annoyed about

Tony: Is this because I kept skipping your turn during game night? I told you I didn’t have the colors and those skip cards were the colors I drawn!

Peter: I had ONE card but because you kept skipping my turn, MR BARTON WON! MR BARTON-

Tony, sputtering: IT’S JUST A GAME-

Peter, screaming back: IT’S UNO!-

Tony on the verge of tears: I’M SORRY DON’T HATE ME-

Peter immediately jumps down, puts the Starkpad away and hugs Tony. The two share a hug and Peter forgets everything that what Tony did to him in game night

——————

Natasha throws a dagger that just barely misses Steve and Clint everytime they enter the room. Steve is wondering where she keeps those daggers and Clint knows where but knows she won’t stop because she’s incredibly petty. Extremely so.

Clint: Nat, my no.1 friend, my sister from another mother, I swear you gotta stop this-

Steve: I really don’t appreciate those daggers being thrown-

Steve is immediately cut off as Clint shoots a look at Steve that says ‘You’re an idiot!”. Nat simply stares at them blankly and Clint immediately grabs Steve and yanks him down to take cover as Natasha pulls a gun out of nowhere and shoots where they previously stood

Clint, knew it was coming but is still afraid as the two just narrowly dodged the bullets: I’M SORRY WE KEPT CHANGING THE COLOR BUT IT WASN’T THAT DEEP-

Steve, panicking and worried for their lives: JUST BECAUSE OF UNO?-

Clint, can’t believe Steve is asking an obvious question: YES JUST BECAUSE OF THAT!

Steve: I TOLD YOU IT WAS A BAD IDEA-

Clint, the one who told Steve to mess with Nat together and is regretting he ever did and is genuinely sorry he made the reluctant Steve join him: I’M SORRY I DRAGGED YOU INTO THIS-

It took Natasha a few hours to calm down and it was just because Clint summoned Peter ‘Puppy’ Parker to calm her down. Nat still gives slight nasty looks but she isn’t so petty about it anymore which was an absolute relief for the two

—————

Sam is glaring at Peter everytime and Peter sticks his tongue out to annoy and piss Sam off. The two always had somewhat of a small beef but it amplified more after game night. Probably because Peter was purposely aiming to attack Sam by always adding plus cards when it’s Sam’s turn next. It sucked more for Sam when Peter actually won.

Sam, sending Redwing to shoot small nerf darts at Peter: Take that you midget-

Peter, huffing and shot a web at Redwing which immediately made the small robotic bird stuck onto the ceiling: *sticks tongue out before giggling*

Peter laughs harder when he heard Sam screaming ‘MY CHILD’ with his advanced hearing

——————

Wanda and Peter teamed up during UNO and sneaked some cards to each other when one needed a certain color. And the entire team is always dumbstruck whenever one of the two kept winning for 5 rounds straight, not knowing Wanda is reading their minds on what color they have and their secret way of communicating

Wanda wins three times in a row and her and Peter is giggling. The whole team is confused af because how are they doing this-

(They totally forgot about Wanda’s abilities during the game. UNO is a serious game where all your remaining braincells is used on the game and nothing else matters)

——————

Rhodey joins for one game and is immediately done because his cards somehow stack all the way to 30 cards. He just needed a blue and he kept drawing cards until FINALLY he pulled a blue and Tony’s turn was next so imagine how furious he was when Tony placed a blue reverse and out of his 30 cards, he didn’t have a SINGLE reverse or power card. He tweaks and the whole team is laughing at him as he grumbles and complains about how they’re ganging up on him and UNO is a completely unfair game. Tony kept laughing till there was tears. He always found it fun to annoy tf out of Rhodey.

Rhodey, fuming as he fails to get one blue card: WHO THE HELL SHUFFLED THIS CARDS-

The whole room erupts into laughter at the sight

——————

Thor is the only one that doesn’t seem affected by the game and isn’t petty at all because there’s probably worse games in Asgard and he had dealt with way more petty people when it comes to games. Honestly, he probably imagined it as a game with Loki. Loki was always petty with games and everytime Thor won, he deals with attitude from Loki for weeks. UNO was basically child play for him.

——————

Bruce doesn’t ever participate in UNO and the team believes its for the best because if he joins, the big guy will come out and play for him instead (He’s smashing everything. Not as in the game. Literal smashing)

It’s literally impossible to not get mad at people in UNO.

Best believe UNO is a game that’s banned from game night forever after that day as the amount of attitude and danger in the tower increases by tenfold.

[gguk-n]

Can you please write enemies to lovers with Lando where they have their first kiss accidentally using the following prompt :

"Is this some kind of game to you?" She asked, anger in his words. "Are my feelings nothing but a silly little game to you?" He shook his head, the sensation of her lips on his still lingering on his skin. "Never," he told her. "I've been wanting to do that since we first met."

Pit Lane Rivals to Race Partners (Lando Norris x Engineer!Reader)

{Reader's POV}

I knew what I was getting into when I signed the contract with Mclaren as their engineer. Since I had freshly graduated with very little experience I was mostly going to be assisting the other engineers and learning from them. I had been in love with cars since I was little. I remember taking apart the toy cars and trying to put them back together only to be scolded by my mother since my siblings were crying because I broke their toys. Seeing how destructive I had gotten even for a 4 year old, my dad decided I needed to release my energy else where and took me karting. It was the most exciting and the best thing I had ever done. Learning how the machine worked and how to control it as I grew older was my biggest passion in life.

That was what led me to karting races. I was an aggressive driver and anyone who got in my way would feel my wrath. I made sure not to cause a lot of physical or collateral damage. But I did cause one boy a lot of emotional damage. Both of us were fiercely competitive and neither of us liked to lose. Our races always ended with Lando behind me and he could never really take it. I had a good laugh but all of this turned sour when we had a huge fight after a race crash and he pined the entire blame on me when he too was trying to run me off the track. Both our dad's had to intervene and that's how I ended up hating Lando. But I was 11 years old. Right now, I'm older and more mature and I don't really hate anyone, it a strong word. I might dislike people but I don't hate anyone. And the incident with Lando is a funny memory at best.

Lando went up to become a Formula one driver while I had to cut my dreams short since there weren't a lot of opportunities for female racers. I instead took the more academic route and got my degree in automobile engineering and strived to become a race engineer or racing principle one day. So, when I was able to apply for Mclaren which was well on it's way to become the best car on the grid, I couldn't say no. I also thought about Lando, and how I expected to have a bit of a laugh with him about out 'karting rivalry' now that we were older. What I didn't expect was that the boy who's eyes I almost gauged out was still as petty as ever.

It was the first race of the season, in Bahrain and we had flown in a few days before the drivers to get everything set up. So on the day Lando came up to the garage, all the new recruits were introduced to the drivers. Oscar was a sweetheart and even offered us words of encouragement since we were on the same boat. Lando greeted everyone but me properly. He ignored my hand when I raised it up to shake his. I was shocked and my mouth was left hung open. If he wanted to be petty, I can be petty. I made sure to avoid him like the plague and the times we interacted were filled with sarcastic remarks.

Oscar and I had grown pretty close and shared a sibling dynamic. Whenever Lando saw us interacting he would have a scowl on his face. And then a couple months later, Oscar stopped talking to me other then exchanging a few pleasantries. It hurt a little when Oscar ignored me and walked away. I thought we were friends. I felt like I had lost another friend since I joined Mclaren. The first one being Lando, since I imagined that we would've been friends since we karted together but it turns out I was completely wrong. Honestly, he was my first crush too, so it hurt a little more.

Eventually, Lando had gotten a little bearable and he had stopped passing snarky remarks whenever I would suggest a strategy or an upgrade. Each snarky remark and not having a proper friend after losing Oscar too, was starting to get to me. After the DNF in Austria and how pissed Lando was, not many people were willing to confront him; me included. If he hated my guts on a regular day, he would tear me apart today, I thought.

At the end of the day, as were packing up, I ran into Lando. I decided to extend my condolences. "Hi Lando" I said as I almost bumped into his shoulder while stacking up the papers. He looked at me and just nodded, as if to acknowledge my presence. I decide to let it go, since it was bad day for him. "You did pretty well today" I said cautiously. He let out a forced laugh, "ha, you must be so happy. Watching me fall apart" he retorted. "What no?" I replied shocked. "You've always hated me, since we were kids. You left no stone unturned to make me feel like shit. You weren't even a good sport" He spat out. "Ok, Lando, I get it. You had a bad day, it was a bad day for us too. But that doesn't give you the right to say whatever you like." I replied trying to keep my breathing constant. "You were a spoilt sport and always got what you wanted. It must your life's joy watching me struggle" he seethed. "Listen here mister, don't you dare direct your anger towards the one person you see right now. Whatever happened was a race incident and you need to put your big boy pants on and deal with it. Stop being a spoilt brat and taking your anger out on others." I replied calmly. If that asshole said anything else, I was about to slap him. Lando stepped closer, trapping me in between the desk and him. "You think you are so mature and above everyone else don't you" he sneered. Okay, I've had it with him. He has made my life difficult since I set foot in Mclaren. Before I knew it, my hand touched his cheek with a harsh sound.

His eyes were wide open. Before I could say anything, I felt a pair of warm lips on mine. I quickly pushed him away. "Is this some kind of game to you?" I asked, anger in my words. "Are my feelings nothing but a silly little game to you?" He shook his head, the sensation of my lips on his still lingering on his skin. "Never," he told me. "I've been wanting to do that since we first met after so many years." It was my turn to laugh. "You don't say" I chided. "Believe me Y/N I really like you. And I'm sorry for the way I've behaved. I really needed that slap to set me straight" he said while massaging his cheek. "Don't fuck with me" I replied with tears in my eyes. "Then why did you Oscar stop talking to me?" I croaked. "I got jealous" he replied, head held in shame. "I'm sorry. It's just I couldn't stand you laughing at his jokes. I wish I was the one making you laugh." he mumbled. "I wanted us to be friends when I first came here, you were the one who pushed me away." I replied sternly. "I was a stupid kid and I didn't know how to react when I saw my childhood crush." he muttered. I was shocked.

"Give me one chance, I'll repent for my sins and wrong all my rights." he begged. Honestly I wanted to kiss Lando before he started being an ass to me when I first saw him after so many years; maybe I should let my intrusive thoughts win. I pressed my lips against him while my hands found his neck. For a moment, he was still, there was no movement and within seconds I felt his lips move and his hands find a place on my waist. After we pulled away, "I had a crush on you when we were kids too. But I wasn't an ass when we met after so many years." I remarked, "but I'll give you a chance, prove me that you've matured and maybe I'll start thinking about that crush I used to have on you." Lando smiled, "Okay, yes, I'll prove how much I like you" he said while almost hitting the chair on the way out. "Dinner date at 8, I'll pick you up, tomorrow" he called out as he ran off making me laugh.

[ivivenus]

My Checklist for Helluva Boss Season 3!

This list consists of all my theories that I have for season 3. I've been seeing people share their predictions, so I wanted to share mine!

♡ Barbie Wire's reappearance: I have a strong inkling that Blitzø may run to her while he goes to Sloth to pick up Stolas's meds. I don't think Barbie would mention Blitzø almost getting executed but I would love it if it does.

♡ A Pro Choice Storyline: I want Millie to feel that she has the right to choose whether she wants to keep the baby or not and not let the pressure from society keep her from making a choice. I also want this storyline to align with Stella's backstory where it shows what's it like to have a child you don't want with a man you don't like.

♡ Verosika's Healing Journey: All I really want is for Verosika to at least go back to rehab to help her alcoholism. After Apology Tour and Mastermind, she seems to be doing slightly better.

♡ Tilla & Cash Buckzo Flashback: I have a theory that Blitzø and Barbie's parents are similar to Stolas & Stetlla, where Tilla stays for the kids, while Cash was abusive. I also want this to be a way to help Blitzø connect with Via, since they've never really interacted.

♡ Loona & Octavia Interaction: I want it to be opposite of Seeing Stars, where it's not a calm conversion. I just want to see Loona passionately open up to Via about having the first 17 years of her life with no parents in an adoption center while Via had the best childhood that anyone could wish for.

♡ More Fizzarolli: I just like the clown twink.

♡ The Divorce is Finalized: The divorce was initiated in S2E1 and by S2E4 Andrephelus was talking about compensation for Stella. Then S2E8, Stolas says that he won't dwell upon the divorce, and in S2E11 Andrephelus refers to Stolas as "horny ex husband" to Stella but as her "husband" during the trial. I don't think the divorce was ever finalized. With this I want Blitzø to find out what kind of wife Stella was to Stolas.

♡ Striker vs. Blitzø: I don't have a prediction on how this'll happen but I would love to see Blitzø get angry for Mastermind and Western Energy. I also want Striker to say something petty like "Didn't you say it was a transactional fucking?" (S1E5).

♡ Barbie joins IMP: I don't think she'll stay long but it would be cute to see Blitzø help his sister out.

♡ Stolas's Weight Gain: To me, I feel that Stolas struggles with body image and self confidence. Stella literally called him "scrawny" and a "twig" in S2E1, and I feel like his eating habits are not healthy. It's literally cereal and absinthe. I would love to see him try Blitzø's cooking and explore new food items where he gets a bit heavier (and his thighs get thicker).

♡ Moxxie & Stolas Interactions: They are great characters but I want them to have friends outside of their partners. Stolas can sing with Moxxie and they can eventually watch musicals together. I really just want them to have a friendship like Blitzø and Millie does.

♡ Stolitz Cheek & Forehead Kisses: I'm still not over the fact that Stolas was unaware that Blitzø kissed his cheek in Mastermind. Also, they've seen each other's holes already so they deserve to be soft with each other.

♡ Andrealphus Failure: I've had this theory since the end of Mastermind where hell would basically freeze over to an apocalyptic wasteland because Andrealphus doesn't know how to use the Grimoire or do any of Stolas's duties. It can be easily forgotten (because we don't see it really) that Stolas is like a tarot reader/astrologer and he curses the moon during the Harvest Moon Festival so that the farmers can grow crops. Andrealphus is a peacock that has ice powers do geometry.

♡ Octavia's 18th Birthday: After that Sinsmas fight, I don't think Andrealphus will just let Via have Stolas's possessions. He'll most likely do anything to get rid of her and keep the power. I can see him trying to marry her off to someone and Blitzø and Stolas find out. I would love to see Blitzø slip up and call Octavia his daughter when he's trying to save her. I can see this being the finale and Season 4 is the aftermath.

♡ Stolitz Conversation: Eventually, Stolas and Blitzø are going to have to finally talk all that happens between them. I really just want them both to apologize and Blitzø drops that he loves Stolas. I've been waiting for these two talk it out for three years!!

[ohmybueckers]

Never Strangers: Chapter One

Word Count: 5.7k

Warnings: drinking, author who is terrible about being consistent with tenses, incredibly down bad main characters (be gentle with Paige and Maya guys, the first love WLW situationship breakup is ROUGH)

Authors note: Not sure exactly how I feel about this chapter, but I feel like it gives a decent amount of context. Prepare for more flashbacks next chapter. Also this is highkey not proofread so … approach with caution there.

August 26, 2023

The drive from Stamford to Storrs is about two hours, traffic permitting. My mom waits approximately 20 minutes before she begins the inevitable interrogation session into the state of my life. More specifically, the train wreck it has become.

“You know, I really think you should consider rejoining mock trial. You loved it for so long, and look how many friends you made.” She rambles, her eyes never leaving I-95. “You probably would have never met Brooke if you hadn’t joined mock trial.”

Brooke and I met as co-counselors at a mock trial summer intensive for high schoolers at Yale the summer after my freshman year of college. Turns out trying to keep track of a bunch of hormonal fifteen year olds is a bonding experience like no other. She quickly became my formerly long-distance best friend and very soon-to-be roommate. 

“I told you, I’ll check it out when I get there.” I say, half telling the truth and half just trying to get her to change the subject. Clearly, my attempt was failing.

“I just want to make sure you’re making the most of college. I know University of Minnesota was not your thing, but I want you to find your why when it comes to Connecticut.”

I sighed. One of the perks of having a therapist as a mother is that you always have someone to listen to your petty problems without judgement. The downside is that she’s always trying to dig deeper, even when I really do not want to. “My why is being close to you. Plus, UConn is close enough to New York.”

“And close to Paige.” This remark nearly makes me choke.

“Mom!”

“Sorry, sorry!” She quickly apologizes, though knowing her she knew damn well what kind of reaction she would receive. I never told her full details of what actually went down between us - maybe because I thought it would be too embarrassing, or maybe because I knew that if she ended up in my mom’s bad graces, there was no coming back from that. All she knew is that at one point we were friends, then we were more than friends, and then things got messed up and we don’t talk anymore. She also knows that I really don’t like talking about it with her. “Does she know you’re coming?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know, I didn’t tell her.” 

The last text I had sent Paige was shortly after the basketball player announced she tore her ACL. Despite the tension between us, it felt wrong to say nothing in these circumstances. Basketball was Paige’s world, and I couldn’t even fathom the grief she must have felt. I received a “thank you maya, i hope you’re doing well. miss u” in return. It took everything in me not to call the blonde after reading the last five letters. 

Thankfully, my moms line of questioning ends there, and she returns to the driving playlist we made together the night before, an eclectic mix of 80’s hits with the occasional R&B ballad. Occasionally I hear her sing along, letting the crack of fresh air from the car window flow through her almost-black hair. Some people say I’m basically her twin: same dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin, and short stature. I just wish I got a fraction of her curves.

The rest of the car ride, I alternate between reading the newest Emily Henry book and messaging Brooke, who has been sending me updates on our new apartment. She moved into a couple of days ago while my mom and I were still on our girls trip to New York City, and her texts ranged from “ill give you the room with the ensuite bathroom if i can have the bigger room” (deal) to “our neighbors are FINE” (knowing her taste in men, doubtful). 

After what feels like too long in the car (maybe I never actually got over my tendency to get carsick), we pull into a lot. there it is: My new apartment, a small building surrounded by others similar to it and tall trees, still wrapped in vibrant green hues untouched by the incoming fall. I hear a yell from across the lot as I step out, but I’m so overwhelmed by the new sensations in Storrs that it takes my brain a moment to process that the tall figure running across the lot with a truly impressive speed was my best friend.

Brooke barrels towards me, wrapping me in a hug that nearly tips me over. “About time you got here!” She grabs my shoulders, her white acrylics a comfortably familiar sensation on my skin, before turning to my mom with her award-winning smile. “It’s so good to finally meet you! I’m Brooke. Wow, you could have convinced me you two were sisters. You’re gonna have to give me your skincare routine before you leave.” She gestures to my mom, who giggles. I can tell that her day has been made.

I will never fail to tell Brooke Jones that she is perhaps the most charismatic person I have ever met. When I’m in Mock Trial, I will fight to make my voice heard. Outside of the courtroom, however, I tend to lean on the more reserved side. On the first day of counselor training, it was as if she could sniff out how nervous I was and made it her personal mission to befriend me. And one thing about Brooke: she will make you talk. Somehow I don’t mind it as much when I’m with her. 

So it’s a great sight when Brooke and my mom trail ahead of me, hands filled with various decor items and chatting (I think I hear one of them mention bringing out photos of me in seventh grade, an action I know I will have to intercept later for my own sanity).  

About three hours later, with the hard work of the three of us supplemented by SZA’s discography, my space is set up just enough to where I can sleep comfortably for the next few nights. Brooke pulls my mom in first, after getting her phone number “for emergencies”. Next, it’s my turn. 

“Alright, you know what I’m about to say.”

“We’re not going to throw a party, I know you’re worried about the security deposit.” Behind my mom’s shoulder, I could see Brooke’s brows furrow as she mouthed don’t promise that. 

“No, I meant have fun. Take risks. Find your why,” She grabs my shoulders at the last word for emphasis, and it’s hard to believe that this is my real life and not some after school motivational special. 

We embrace one last time. Despite her cheesy moments, I am reminded just how much I’m going to miss seeing my mom every day. After three years of being in closer proximity to my dad, it was nice to spend the summer in Stamford, my days filled with NYT crossword games by the water and day trips into New York City. This summer solidified that it didn’t even need to be Boston - I was just happier on the east coast. 

“I like your mom, she’s sweet.” I hear Brooke say as we watch the white Toyota leave the parking lot from our third floor window. Our view is perfect, and I picture what it will be like to watch the leaves change from it as the semester goes on. It makes the last few hours of lugging furniture and suitcases up flights of stairs worth it.

“I love her when she’s not trying to psychoanalyze every decision I make,” I chuckle, moving to continue unpacking some miscellaneous items in the kitchen.

Brooke follows me. “Is that what that whole ‘find your why’ thing was about?” 

“Got a whole interrogation in the car. Everyone in my family thinks I’m having some sort of crisis,” I place a stack of plates (a gift from my mom’s boyfriend) in a cabinet. “She even suggested I came here for Paige.”

Brooke stands there, her lips falling into a flat line. She is taking far too long to respond for my preference. My jaw falls, eyes widening. “Stop.”

Brooke lifts her hands in surrender. “Ok, I would be lying if I said it hasn’t crossed my mind.”

My head falls into my hand, fingers pinching the bridge of my nose as my eyes shut. “I swear to god, why does everyone think I chose to go to UConn because of Paige?”

“Maybe because other people definitely have.” Ok, Brooke does have a point. While I have done everything in my power to not think about the blonde, everyone else has been increasingly trying to get in her orbit. I’ve even seen a handful of edits made for her in the past few months as people anticipate her first season back from her injury.

I shake my head. “I’m not that dumb. I’m here for-“

“In-state tuition and to be closer to me and your mom, I know.” Brooke finishes, coming around to wrap one arm around me. It’s her way to both apologize and check in on me. While I appreciate the gesture, a small part of me feels guilty - like I have gotten use to people extending pity to me for one reason or another: my parent’s divorce, the move to Minnesota, Paige, transferring schools. It gets to a point where I just want to win at something.

I lean into her embrace, smelling the citrus in her hair product. “I know I was down bad for a while, but I promise I’m fine.”

I feel Brooke nod above me. “Good, because she’s kinda everywhere on campus. Even if you don’t run into her, people don’t shut up about her.” This was to be expected, a fact I have been preparing myself for months for. I decided it’s just something I’m going to have to get used to, like many things in life.

“Well, why don’t we shut up about Paige and order some food. I’m starving,” I exclaim, moving towards my phone to pull up Doordash. Perhaps my first win can be proving to people that I can thrive at UConn and absolutely not fixate on Paige Bueckers. 

“Okay, okay. You good if we invite my cousin Adria to come over too? She’s chill I swear.” I remember Brooke telling me about Adria last summer, how she was entering her freshman year at `UConn at the time. I nod in agreement, excited to host my first get together in my new space. 

////

Just an hour and a half later, the three of us are sat in the sparsely furnished living room, eating pad thai surrounded by a large collection of boxes. Upon one look at Adria when she stepped through our front door, I could tell her and Brooke were related: both had the same long legs, clear deep complexion and white smiles that looked like they belonged on billboards. Where they differed was in dress: while Brooke wore the same blue sweat set that she helped me unpack in, Adria was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a boho white tank top, a cascade of black and blonde braids down her back and an “A” necklace around her neck. 

Adria is only a sophomore, and yet from the first hour I have known her she appears far more put together than I was at this time last year. It’s evident in the way she talks about her pre-professional sorority, or in the way she talks about getting ahead of internship applications for the next summer. It would almost be irritating if she wasn’t also so charming.

“So what brought you to UConn?” Adria asks me from the other end of the couch. 

“Well, I tried U of M. My dad and his new girlfri… new wife,” The correction felt bitter on my tongue in a way that made me feel guilty. “They live out there, so I got in-state. It just wasn’t for me. I decided to transfer here just in case I still want to go to law school, since my mom lives in-state and I don’t want to go further in debt than I need to.”

“What do you mean if you still want to go to law school?” Brooke questions, her face incredulous. “Wasn’t that your whole plan since you were in, like, fourth grade?”

I love Brooke with everything in me, on the deepest platonic soulmate level there is. I tell her everything - except for the fact that I don’t know if I still want to practice law outside of college. I guess if I said it out loud to her, the girl who I once dreamed of going to law school with, practicing in the same city with before opening a shared practice, it would become more real: that I was seemingly blowing up all I’ve known with no plan B. She already thinks me dropping mock trial is some sign of an incoming mental breakdown.

“I’m just… exploring all of my options.” I muster, though from the furrow in Adria’s brow it must not be as believable as I would have hoped. Judging by the way Brooke’s shoulders appeared to relax, however, it at least worked on her. Eager to switch the attention off of myself, I turn to the younger girl once more. “Adria, what are you studying?”

“I’m kinesiology, trying to become a physical therapist. Maybe do some athletic training?”

Brooke chokes back a laugh, waving her hand. “She’s just saying that because she’s fucking someone on the basketball team.”

If there’s one similarity between Adria and I, it’s the way both of our jaws drop at Brooke’s candor. Her cousin seems particularly taken off guard, throwing her hands up with a, “Jesus Christ, Brooke!”

I can’t help but laugh at the dynamic. “Who is he?”

“She’s on the women’s team.” The word she rings in my ears as my cheeks get hot with embarrassment. I’m literally a lesbian, I thought she was above assuming sexuality based on looks after having it done to me throughout the summer by daddy’s money frat guys in Stamford.  Adria scratched the back of her neck, her cheeks flushing. “Um, KK Arnold?” 

I’ve only seen the name in passing, during a late night scan of the women’s basketball roster that I would never admit to. KK was the new recruit from Wisconsin to my memory … or was it Indiana? 

“She got a job with athletics over the summer. Somehow her and KK crossed paths and they’ve been hooking up since.” Brooke took a bite of her noodles between sentences, filling in the gaps that Adria left. 

“We haven’t even had sex, chill.” Adria held a hand up to her sister, but the shy look never left her face. “KK’s nice though. I think I could really like her, which totally sucks because basketball players aren’t exactly the relationship type.”

“Looks like you both have the same type.” Brooke says through another bite.

Silence falls on the room, followed by a confused “What?” from Adria. 

A part of me wants to be frustrated with Brooke for bringing it up - the last thing I want is to be known at UConn as just a girl who got with the basketball star. However, Adria seems like a kind person, and she did just confide in me about KK. Part of me feels like I owe her an explanation in some sick way. With a sigh, I give her the context. “Brooke is giving me shit because a long time ago, in high school, I kinda had a thing with Paige Bueckers.”

The younger girl looks at me for a beat as if she can’t believe the words that just came out of my mouth. Once she gets a minute to reboot, she explodes “Like Paige Bueckers Paige Bueckers?Holy shit!”

“Don’t say anything, it was a really, really long time ago,” I plea, recognizing that she was acquainted to one of her teammates. Oh god, the last thing I need is KK telling Paige that her … whatever Adria was … told her that her sister’s friend is still hung up on her or something.

“I won’t, I promise.” Adria holds both hands up, a move that must be genetic. “You’re not gonna hit her up now that you’re on her campus?”

“Yeah, I’ll pass,” I say, taking a bite of my own food. I try to ignore the way my stomach flips at how Adria claimed the entirety of University of Connecticut as belonging to Paige somehow. As if there was no room for me. “She may be great at basketball, but that girl does not do emotions.”

“Well, I’m not exactly surprised.” Adria shrugs. My head snaps back up, and Brooke shoots her cousin a pointed look.

“What do you mean?”

Adria continues, “I mean, its not a secret Paige kinda has a reputation here.”

So much for not fixating on Paige Bueckers. My mind races as I ask, “What kind of reputation?” although based on her tone and the context, I can make my own educated guesses. 

“She just gets with a lot of girls on campus.” Adria speaks slowly, her expression somehow guilty. “My freshman year roommates friend got with her. Said she slept with her one night and never talked to her again.”

It’s not like I had no clue that Paige had no issue moving on from me once she got to Storrs. For one, she didn’t seem to have an issue doing such a thing when we were together in the first place. She had also heard rumors through the grapevine at school during her senior year, with people saying that they knew someone whose sister was friends with someone who got with Paige or some outlandish connection like that. Hearing confirmation from someone in Storrs somehow made it more confirmed in my mind. That all Paige wants is to kiss as many girls as possible, touch as many girls as possible, fuck as many girls as possible. Maybe that’s why she started acting so cold and things fell apart. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t enough for her, I can’t help my mind from thinking bitterly. 

“Can’t say I’m surprised.” I force myself to breeze past the conversation, knowing that I cannot dwell on the past again. After a year or two of trying to figure out where everything went wrong, I have long since realized that there is nothing else to decode. I preferred to think of Paige as a painful memory that I’ve locked far, far away - it was just easier that way. “Who wants to watch a show?”

“You good, Maya?” Brooke asks, a small smile on her face. I know she feels guilty for bringing it up in the first place. But really, I have no reason to be mad: I was the one who ended things, and years ago at that. Being hung up over Paige Bueckers was ridiculous at this point.

“Yeah.” I answer, my voice more sharp than I intended. Fuck. Shaking my head as if to shake off any sort of doubts in their mind, I smile as I stand and walk towards the kitchen. “Believe me when I say I do not care what that girl does. She can do what she wants, and so can I. And what I want right now is to drink some prosecco and watch the Bachelorette.”

The sight of me pulling out the bottle of wine seems to strip Brooke of her doubts, because she agrees with a “Hell yeah, lets do it.”

Thankfully, once the TV is on we all settle into a groove of gossiping about strangers on our TV, not the very real people in our lives. Brooke in particular is enthralled, even though I had to beg her for weeks last summer to give the show a try. Even Adria chimes in as the two contestants cry over these men with a yell of “stand the fuck up!” I am quickly reminded in this moment that these two girls are, in fact, related. At one point in the night, Adria whips out her phone and snaps a photo of Brooke and I, grinning under a pile of throw blankets with our wine glasses in hand, an act I fail to question. After all, she had been checking her phone sporadically throughout the night.

Soon enough, we catch up on the past two episodes, our heads buzzing with the wine we consumed and our eyes struggling to stay awake as we say our goodbyes for the night. Adria pulls me into a hug, my head surrounded by the scent of her vanilla perfume as she whispers, “I’m so sorry about saying that stuff about Paige. You should know you… you absolutely did not deserve that shit, whatever she did. For the record, I think you’re awesome and that its completely her loss.”

I smile, happy to hear her words even if this is just a wine happy trail of thought. “It’s okay, Adria, I promise. It was so good to finally meet you.”

Brooke walks her out, and I can barely make it through brushing my teeth and washing my face before collapsing on my bed. The mattress is not the best quality and Amazon still says my mattress topper won’t be here for a few days, but I drift off easily, my thoughts filled with nothing except gratitude for my first night in Storrs and eager for my new start.

It’s safe to say this feeling does not extend in the morning, when I am awoken by the sun blazing through my window. My mouth is dry as I reach for my phone, eager to check the time and groaning when I see it is only 7AM. My groan is not audible for long, though, as I am quickly silenced by my most recent notification. One that has been awaiting me since 12:37AM.

Paige (DO NOT CALL): You go to UConn now???

August 26, 2023

“Go, go, go… Let’s fucking go Dorka!” I yell, watching as my old teammate scored in a game against the Liberty. It’s the Saturday night before the start of classes, and while the streets of Storrs are filled with people on their first night out of the semester, my teammates and I have all been moved into our current apartments for a little over two months. When your summer breaks are filled with workouts on campus mixed with brief vacations or visits home, that first night out doesn’t exactly carry the same novelty.

Which is why some of us were sat in Nika and Azzi’s living room, game on the TV as the two hosts prepare whatever alcoholic beverage they are subjecting us to from the kitchen separated by a counter. Three of our freshmen sit in the room with us: Ashlynn is on the floor, Ice is right above her on the couch with Aaliyah and Aubrey, and KK is next to me, typing hurriedly on her phone. Being one of the oldest players this year, I feel it’s especially important for me to get to know them - not just how they play, but who they actually are off the court.

“If UConn gets me playing like that,” Ice gestures to the TV, “I’ll know I made the right decision.”

“No turning back now.” Aubrey clapped her on the back, an over exaggerated grin on her face, which Ice responded to by shoving her off playfully. Ashlynn giggles, but doesn’t respond beyond that. It’s not abnormal for her to be quiet - what is abnormal is how silent KK is, her phone apparently more interesting than any of us. Aubrey seems to notice too, because she calls over to her.

“Hey KK, what did you think of that play?” No response. The typically extroverted girl has her chin in her hand, still staring at the screen in her other hand. Ice grabs the nearest pillow to her and throws it at the girl, prompting a jolt and a startled “What?” from KK and a “Ay, cut it out!” from Nika across the counter as she stirs a pitcher of God knows what.

“Bruh, KK, you’re not even watching,” I roll my eyes.

“Probably busy texting her girl,” Aaliyah mutters, although clearly she wasn’t trying that hard to be quiet. Hold up … her girl? Now the entire room quickly turns away from the game and to the freshman, who sits up from her slouched position with a death glare.

“I told you that in private.”

“Yo what? KK, you’ve been on campus for, like, five seconds,” Nika pops in the room.

“Clearly that’s all she needs,” Ice shrugs, earning her the same pillow thrown right back at her.

“Y’all suck,” KK slumps back into the couch, crossing her arms with a slight pout. I feel bad, wondering if we’ve been too hard on the teasing.

“Ok c’mon, we’ll stop. Let’s see her.” I gesture her to bring her phone closer to me, an act that she ignores for now.

“She’s not even my girl,” she mumbles.

“Do you want her to be?” Nika asks, eyebrows raised as she steps closer. All of us watch as KK bites her bottom lip, looking down at her sneakers. Hold on… she’s blushing. I may have only known the girl for two months, but i’ve never seen her do that before.

“Holy shit,” Nika exclaims. “KK’s a lover girl.”

“Nothing to be ashamed of, just surprising is all,” Aaliyah clarifies, “not many freshmen are too into settling down.”

I notice Aaliyah, Nika, and Aubrey turn to face me, their stares deadpan. “What are you lookin’ at me for?” I exclaim, pointing at my chest. The heat rising to my face reveals that it’s no secret, even to me.

“What do you think?” Azzi calls from the next room. I sigh.

It’s no secret among the team (or anyone, really) that I had a pretty… entertaining first two years at UConn. Once COVID restrictions began lifting and the team was able to see other people outside of other players, some of the older players made it their mission to show the younger ones what they had been missing, one of those things being who they were missing. Honestly, it’s what I thought I needed at the time: being trapped in my dorm the majority of the time I wasn’t in practice gave me a lot of time to think, and with thinking came regret. More than once I jolted up in my bed in the middle of the night, dreams of dark hair, tanned skin, and that laugh replaying in my mind. It was torture.

Being in a different girl’s bed every weekend silenced it, just momentarily. Some people viewed me as a player who got off on getting any girl she wanted. The guilt of it finally caught up to me at the beginning of my sophomore year, when I thought about all of the girls I hurt, the ones who thought I wanted more than just one or two nights. It just reinforced my worst fear about myself: I was a womanizer who was incapable of caring about anything aside from basketball. 

“Aight aight,” I surrender, shifting my attention back to KK. “We not talking about me right now. Let’s see her.”

KK unlocked her phone, typing a username into the search bar before handing the phone off to me. Nika and Ice were quickly at my side, craning their necks to see a peek. The girl (Adria Taylor, I discover from her bio) is tall, with deep skin and long braids going down her back.

“She’s so pretty!” Nika gushes, and I would have to agree.

Ice, unable to resist the pink circle surrounding Adria’s profile photo, taps on the waiting story before KK can protest. The phone illuminates with a photo of two girls smiling on a couch, captioned “first night back” with a heart and a couple of mentions, presumably her friends handles. I don’t even need to take a look at what is written, however, because my eyes seem to have zeroed in on the girl further from the camera, and my mouth seems to go dry. It can’t be, but it is.

Because the girl in the photo is Maya. 

“Holy fuck.”

I don’t even realize I’ve said it until the three girls turn to look at me, confusion laced in their faces. “What?” Nika asks, concern evident. My heart is racing at a million miles an hour and my hands suddenly feel impossibly sweaty, but I refuse to reveal myself to them. 

I fake a cough, covering it with one hand while the other goes to scratch the back of my neck. “Uh, nothing. Thought I saw something but um,” Suddenly the sight of my lap clad in Nike tech sweats is the most interesting sight in the world. “She’s cute, KK.”

Almost like some sort of angel sent to save me, Azzi appears with a tray full of drinks that are a bright pink color and look entirely too sweet. “Drink it slowly guys, I’m not really sure I measured correctly.” She looks embarrassed at the admission, passing them around the room. Upon my first sip, I wince. Yep, definitely not too sweet. Will I still drink it? Yes. It would be a shame to let a perfectly good drink go to waste, and I now have something to run from tonight.

We continue watching the game, or at least I am. During commercials I spark conversations with anyone who will listen, including asking Ashlynn about some country concert she went to with her parents over the summer. I don’t even really listen to country, but it was nice to see the typically shy girl light up over something. Plus, it gave me an excuse not to think too hard.

Truthfully by the end of the night I was fucking hammered, not bothering to keep track of how many shots I chased down after whatever concoction Nika and Azzi made. Everyone in the room knew it too, to the point where Nika took it upon herself to walk me back to my apartment once the game ended, even though I only lived one floor down and KK and Aubrey were both still at her apartment. 

After I promised her I would chug some water before bed and take the pain reliever she laid out for me in the morning, she agreed to leave and let me go rest. I collapsed in my bed, which suddenly felt like the most comfortable place I had ever been. My brain, on the other hand, was providing anything but comfort running at around 100 miles an hour. Unable to resist, I look up Adria’s profile on my account, clicking the story. Sober me probably would have thought about how it would look if I showed up in her profile views, but drunk me clearly didn’t care enough. 

Sure enough, she’s sat there with a glass of wine in her hands. My heart jumps as I realize that she’s still just as beautiful as she was when I first met her, just more grown up this time. Her face is all defined cheekbones, glistening eyes, and a smile - God, that smile, that never failed to brighten my day if it was directed at me. It’s been a while since I’ve glanced at her profile - though we still follow each other, she barely ever posts and I don’t remember the last time she’s interacted with anything I’ve posted. Viewing her profile is reserved for nights where I’m filled with just enough delusion to convince myself it’s a good idea. Nope, never is. 

The girl next to her (Brooke, I assume from the tag) is leaning into her slightly in a way that makes my stomach flip. She’s not entirely unfamiliar to me - I’ve definitely seen her in a photo dump by Maya last summer. A part of me wonders if that’s the next girl that gets to treat her the way I should have. What if she came to UConn for her, I think. Nope. Can’t do that. Maya hasn’t been mine, not for a while.

The urge to reach out has died down through the years, going from entirely unbearable at times to more of a constant dull itch that I feel as though I can’t ever scratch. Her texting me after my ACL tear last summer provided temporary relief. I mean, it had to say something that she cared enough to show that she cared. A person that hates me wouldn’t do that.

But then, she never responded to my reply. A person that hates me would do that.

So yeah, there is nothing I want more in this world than to text Maya one last time, just to tell her I’m sorry. That I still think about the way I treated her, and how I’ve been too afraid to be with another girl since I’m worried I’ll do the same thing. That I know I don’t deserve her, not even platonically, but feelings aside I miss being around her. I wish we could be friends again, or acquaintances who occasionally text each other on birthdays and holidays, or something. At the very least, I want her to know I’m sorry.

But beyond everything, I want her to be happy. And if me not talking to her makes her happy, as stated the last time I saw her physically where she stated she “just needed time”, I was willing to suffer through that.

Somehow knowing she could be anywhere right now, even just a short walk away, made the suffering unbearable right now, in a way that I hadn’t felt since freshman year. 

Blame it on the alcohol, or the picture, or whatever you like. Doesn’t change the fact that I opened my contacts in search for one particular one. Doesn’t change the five word text I sent that took an embarrassingly long time to think of. And it doesn’t change how my fingers pressed send before any other doubts could enter my brain. Putting my phone on do not disturb, I plug it in and turn off my lights, deciding that chugging water can wait until tomorrow. For now, I need to sleep off everything I’ve seen tonight and the memory of what I just did. 

[annisassintchaska]

Waking around madly, Lewis went from one garage to the next searching for his former lover. The 5’2 Jamaican woman seem to have disappeared the moment he left his motor home.

Searching left and right, he finally found her chatting away with her “partner” in the Redbull garage as they conversed about the car. Walking in pass the security, Lewis headed right up to the couple; stopping their conversation. “Y/n may I please be speak with you in private?” He asked respectfully, giving her a chance to make their interaction civil. “No, anything that you have to say can be said right here” Y/n sassed at him which made the situation worse, seeming that he had given her the benefit of the doubt.

In one swift motion, Lewis swung the woman over his shoulder as she started hitting his back to no avail, then started making his way out of the opponent’s garage, when Y/n’s boyfriend blocked his path. “Dude you can’t just come here and take my lady away! Put her down!” He demanded yet Lewis looked at him pathetically before letting out a hearty laugh. “You really think you’re doing something? Please allow me to pass?” Lewis asked politely to which Y/n’s boyfriend pushed him, making him stumble and almost hitting Y’n’s head into a wall (HUGE MISTAKE!!).

Lewis became infuriated as he placed Y/n’s now tired form onto a chair. He turned to the man who had pushed him, smiling softly before laying a jaw breaking punch to the man’s face as the entire garage went silent upon hearing the man’s jaw break. The man stumbled back, blood coming up through his mouth as his eyes watered, yet Lewis payed him no mind as he turned to recollect the girl, only to realise that she ran out into paddock.

Chasing Y/n through the paddock, Lewis managed to catch her right in front the Mercedes garage after a few of the mechs blocked her way. Picking her up, he swiftly walked to his driver’s room, having Angela close the door from the outside.

“What is your problem?! You always come back to ruin anything that I have going on for myself!! Why are you so destructive?!! You just won’t leave my life!!” Y/n ranted angrily as she repeatedly hit his chest. Lewis allowed her to vent before he started speaking.

“Sweetheart, I never have never hurt you. What you are referring to as me cheating was not the case. I went out to a hangout with a couple of friends when she joined and so we accommodated her. She wouldn’t leave so we took her with us. I promise you that nothing happened.” Lewis explained as he held her weak and crying form. He could see clearly that she was deeply hurt from his past actions, which was why she immediately got up and let after the video was released.

Sitting own for a while, Lewis had been off for an hour in a meeting; he just returned to find Y/n deep in thought. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusion. It’s just that you’ve hurt me so much and I thought that you wouldn’t change. I feared that if I stayed, you’d continue with the wildness you had before we met” Y/n explained which broke his heart.

“You shouldn’t be sorry, I was the one who caused the distrust. I should’ve been clear when we last spoke but instead I decided to play petty. I am deeply sorry love. Please forgive me?” Lewis pleaded as he rubbed his face along her skin, asking for forgiveness.

Y/n slowly calmed as she hugged him tightly, sniffing in his scent and rubbing her face into his chest as a form of forgiveness. Later when everyone spotted the two walking out towards the car park together hand in hand, they knew that their favourite couple was back together and the so called boyfriend was out of the picture for good.

[impala124]

Bad Buddy Ep 5

My thoughts on Ep 1 | Ep 2 | Ep 3 | Ep 4

Me, at the end of this episode:

Well, @starryalpacasstuff, I understand why you were excited for me to get to this episode, because it was a lot. So, here we go:

Pat definitely isn't beating the puppy allegations with his propensity for sniffing everything.

Don't be a lying liar now, Pran; you think Pat's face is the epitome of cuteness. I know they are going to hurt me because they opened this episode with this domesticity.

Ok, I need 3 business days to process my feelings about Pran's doodles of their interactions. Pran, my beloved, is a top-tier yearner.

"There's nothing wrong with rewearing clothes." Pat is a sustainability king.

Ink, are you a PatPran shipper? If so, please join Pa, who is waiting for you in the corner with snacks.

Pat, tell me you didn't bring Ink to the place where you had your first date with Pran. You did? The betrayal! I guess I'll have to forgive you because you yourself weren't aware that you were on a date with Pran.

Pa's in the house, guys. Reason has entered the chat. I love that she encourages him to know if his feelings for Ink are genuine or not.

I hope we get to see more of Ink and Pa together, even if it's just them being friends.

Oh, this is interesting. Pat is subconsciously realizing that he sees Pran in a different light. What exactly? He doesn't know. I do feel bad for my confused son, though.

Pran saw Pat and Ink on their date at the mall. Why is the world conspiring against my boy to only cause him pain?

So, we're going the jealousy route now, aren't we?

Not Pat asking Pran if Wai ever spent the night in the dorm 💀💀. And Pran, totally unaware of Pat's emotional turmoil, answered that Wai in fact did sleep right where Pat did.

These flashbacks are killing me. Pran was really soft-launching a confession by saying that he wanted to compose a song that conveys the sense of 'born to be together.' AHHHHHHHH.

Something about Pat asking Pran if he would like him if Pran were Ink and Pa telling Pat that she would confess her feelings to Ink if she were Pat is making me wanna chew on glass.

Pran asking Pat if Ink is at the contest venue and saying that she should be there to support Pran😭😭😭😭.

NO. HE DID NOT. Pran, bestie, tell me you didn't belt out the song that you wrote with your high school 'friend' in a competition against him. You did! Is it petty? Maybe. Petty Pran is in the house and I AM LIVING. I support him 100 percent.

Ink, the woman that you are!!! "You don't seem to be afraid of heartbreak." She was spitting nothing but facts here. Now that Pat knows where he and Ink stand, I hope she remains being a great friend to him because my boy's a mess, and he can use all the help he can get while sorting out his romantic feelings for Pran. I don't think his friends are going to be of any help in this matter. He has Pa, but I think Ink can be more objective when it comes to Pran.

Pat is jealous that his 'friendship' with Pran is a secret.

Pat really went from saying, "I'm not your wife," to acting like a jilted wife in this episode.

Pran, the philosopher that you are. I have half a mind to write about his "Nothing means nothing" to Wai regarding his relationship with Pat.

I'm not really feeling Wai here, guys. Pran asked him to not interfere, but why did he still hit Pat? Thank God that Pran, haver of all brain cells, told him to go home.

Was it only in Ep 2 that Pat wanted to meet the person who was crushing on him on the rooftop? We sure came a long way from there.

Pat is very open about his feelings. He doesn't know why he is feeling what he is feeling, but he still is trying to explain them to Pran.

If we're not enemies, do you think we can be friends? Why? Do you want us to be friends? No.

Can I get this etched onto my soul? Please and thank you.

THE KISS. God, the emotional weight it carried!! Their reactions after they part from the kiss are very telling—Pat has a smile on his face, and Pran is crying and not with joy. After Pran leaves him alone on the rooftop, I think it dawned on Pat as to what all just happened.

Side note on jealousy vs. envy:

Jealousy: to get upset and angry because someone you love seems interested in another person. Envy: to wish that you had something that another person has.

Pat is jealous when he sees Pran and Wai together. Pran, on the other hand, was envious of the person who was on the receiving end of Pat's affections. Jealousy wasn't what Pran had experienced till now when it came to Pat, because he never imagined that he had a chance with him. This is where we see the differences in their personalities and the reason for Pran, with tears down his cheeks, leaving Pat behind on the rooftop after their kiss. Pran has made peace with the fact that he'll be a yearner forever where Pat is concerned. Pat, my beloved, is a bit impulsive and wants to throw caution to the wind and see where things land, unlike Pran, who is a planner and enjoys structure and order in his life. Just because Pran had feelings for Pat for all these years doesn't mean that he thought about how he would deal with them if they were reciprocated. Classic yearner mindset!!

Tagging the usual suspects: @shortpplfedup, @incandescentflower, @starryalpacasstuff, @7nessasaryevils, @greenteadumplings, @grapejuicegay, @madworld-bbs, @usodeshou. If anyone wishes to be tagged in the future, let me know.

[daisynik7]

Win a Date with Takada-Chan! Part I

Pairing: Aoi Todo x f!reader

Rating: Mature

Word Count: ~4.6k

cw: reader described as having hair, reader has curves, suggestive dialogue, sexual tension, explicit language

Summary: You win a very exclusive contest to join in a group date with Takada-Chan! You’re able to bring a guest, but Sara is busy that day. Who else can you ask? None other than your fake boyfriend Aoi Todo. 

Author’s Notes: Here’s chapter five, enjoy! Thanks for the support on this so far, I really appreciate it. Divider credit to @/saradika. 

Previous Chapter | Masterlist | Next Chapter

After recounting to Sara all that was said between you and Todo, her first response is, “What the fuck?!” She grabs your two braided pigtails to twirls the ends in your face. “This was all said right in front of me and Yuji?!” You nod sheepishly to confirm. The two of you are waiting at the bus stop, heading back to your place from Club Coffee. After seeing Todo pull you forward to whisper in your ear, your best friend is naturally very curious at what was said. 

“I told you he was a perv, but I guess you are too. Naughty girl,” she teases, still tugging on one of your braids. 

You cover your face with your hands, embarrassed. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You liked that he was checking you out! You like him!”

“I don’t like him!” you protest. “I don’t even know him!”

“But you’re attracted to him. You can’t deny that.” She stares at you with a brow raised, waiting for you to confess. God, you hate it when she’s right. She always rubs it in your face.

In a quiet voice, you mumble, “Yeah, I’m attracted to him.”

Sara snaps her fingers as if she just solved a case. “I knew it, I fucking knew it! You were in such denial the other day. Now you can drop this stupid act and just fuck already!”

“I don’t think he’s attracted to me.”

“He was staring at your ass all day. And he told you he likes it rough and wants to show you. What do you call that?”

“He was only saying those things to mess with me since I was messing with him! Also, I’m sure if someone put a mini skirt on an inflatable banana, that man would still check out its ass.” You pause to take a deep sigh. “Also, you’re forgetting the most important thing: He’s in love with Takada-Chan. I mean, the dude is already planning their wedding.”

Sara snorts, rolling her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re attracted to this guy.”

You groan loudly. “I know! What is wrong with me?!”

“Well, it’s pretty clear he’s whipped for Takada-Chan, so there’s nothing that can be done about that. We’ll have to think of something else.”

“We don’t have to think of anything else. It’s not like I’m in love with him or anything. I’m just attracted to him. That’s it. I’ll just have to get over it eventually, which I probably will as soon as he opens his big dumb mouth the next time I see him.”

“Look at you, already looking forward to the next time you see him,” Sara says, smirking. 

You can’t believe your sudden feelings for him. Can you even call these feelings? It’s just physical attraction, right? Sure, his confidence is sexy, despite how annoying he can be most of the time. And you know he’s loyal, given his dedication to Takada-Chan. That is something you can respect. You remind yourself that this man hasn’t really done anything nice for you. All the interactions you’ve had together have been argumentative and combative, constantly trying to one up each other. Were there hints of sexual tension here and there? Maybe. But at the end of the day, there isn’t a reason for you to have feelings for Todo, besides your physical attraction to him. You barely know anything about him. 

Whatever this is, you decide the best way to move forward is to drop this silly back-and-forth you constantly have with him. Today, he was mature enough to apologize and call a truce, but you decided to take a little bit of revenge anyways. It was petty of you to make suggestive comments in an attempt to embarrass him. It also didn’t work since he landed the final blow. 

The next time you see him, you make a promise to yourself to be nice, as you normally would. Maybe your feelings for him will become clearer.

~~~ Todo walks beside Yuji towards the train station, hands in his pocket, reflecting. There’s a fluttering in his stomach as he recalls his rival, basically whispering sweet nothings into his ear. I’ll keep the skirt on while you show me how rough you like it.

Holy shit. His cheeks burn red just thinking about it. Todo never surrenders, but in that moment, he had to. He was so tempted to grab her by the hand and take her up on her offer. No woman has ever said anything like that to him. The few he has been with never engaged in dirty talk. Is he realizing just now how much he’s into it? Because damn, he is really into it. His imagination runs wild with thoughts of her straddling him in that fucking mini skirt, her braids bouncing with every movement, giggles and moans escaping from that cute smile of hers.

Holy shit, seriously, he needs to calm down.

“Today was fun!” Yuji’s voice snaps Todo out of his extremely inappropriate subconscious. 

Todo chuckles. “Yeah, it was.”

“You and your rival seem to be getting along better,” Yuji says, with a smirk. 

“Yeah, I guess.”

After a long pause, Yuji asks, “So…are we not going to talk about how you were totally checking her out?”

Todo scoffs. “What’s there to talk about?”

“I don’t know, Todo. You seem pretty smitten.” His brother tries his best to hold in his laughter. 

“I’m not smitten. Don’t be so stupid, brother. It’s not that deep.”

“I just haven’t seen you gawk at someone like that in a while. Other than Takada-Chan, of course.”

Todo whips her head towards Yuji and glares at him. “Now you’re really sounding ridiculous, brother. You know I only have eyes for sweet, precious Takada-Chan.” Yuji chuckles and doesn’t press on the matter further. Todo continues to contemplate in silence. 

It’s not like he is truly committed to Takada-Chan the rest of his life. He may be eccentric and delusional, but he’s not an idiot. He knows deep, deep down that the pop idol and him will never be together. Just as he knows that she never rejected him and that they never even went to middle school together. Deep into the abyss of his being, he knows this is all a fabrication. But he likes living in his little fantasy world of his. He needs it. It gives him something to look forward to, even if it is all pretend. It’s something hopeful. Something positive. Being a Jujutsu Sorcerer is a dangerous job. He knows he puts his life at risk every mission. The reality of his world is harsh, what harm is it to play pretend and hope for something fun in his life? 

He's never had long term relationship. Sure, he’s hooked up with a few different women here and there. It never led to anything serious. Is that even something he wants? A serious relationship? What does that even mean to Todo? 

The biggest cause of stress for him is boredom. Maybe he values a relationship that keeps him on his toes. He likes a woman who can keep up with him. And he isn’t the type of man that is easy to keep up with. When he thinks about his “rival”, he realizes that all their interactions are never boring. He likes her fiery attitude towards him. She doesn’t back down from a fight, even if she knows she’s outmatched. Todo can be an intimidating person, though it doesn’t seem to faze her. 

He knows she’s capable of being nice. She put on the whole act of pretending to be a couple to get Takada-Chan’s attention. Because of her, Todo’s dream of meeting the idol and getting her to know his name came true. She also gave him the signed poster. He still wonders why she did all of that. Is it because she cares for him? A stranger? A stranger who has always been an ass to her? That would be crazy, right? 

Today, he’s seen her naughty side. He knows she said those things to provoke him, but holy shit. It was hot. And it wasn’t just because of the outfit she was wearing. The confidence in which she said it was enticing. The way she touched his thigh, knowing it would rile him up. It’s like she knows what gets him going. 

And what compelled him to whisper those parting words to her? We’ll just have to reschedule. He wanted to get the last say, he wanted the upper hand. But that’s not all it was. Part of him meant it, wanted it. Maybe he still wants it.

She can be naughty, and she can be nice. He’s seen a little bit of both those sides of her. It intrigues him. He likes it. He wants to see more. 

~~~

A week after Takada-Chan’s birthday, the pop idol’s official website releases details on a new contest: Win a Date with Takada-Chan! There will be five winners selected and they can bring a guest. The “date” consists of a party bus ride with Takada-Chan from a predetermined meeting spot to a studio location. At the studio, the lucky guests get a behind the scenes look at an official Takada-Chan photoshoot. After the photoshoot, Takada-Chan will treat her guests to an exclusive private dinner at her favorite sushi restaurant in Tokyo. 

It all seems too good to be true. A whole day with the Takada-Chan? Incredible.

To enter the contest, you must submit a photo of yourself showing how big of a fan you are. Then you must write a little blurb about why you would love to win the contest. You decide to submit the photo of you, Todo, and Takada-Chan doing the Taka-tan Beam in her dressing room. In your description, you write about how much you admire Takada-Chan for her talent, confidence, and overall bright persona. 

The winners are announced two weeks after. Miraculously, you are one of them. You cannot believe your luck. The pop idol gods have blessed you, indeed. 

You tremble with excitement as you speed dial Sara on your phone. 

“Hey! What’s up?” she answers.

“You’ll never believe it. I won the contest!” 

“Are you serious?! Holy shit! Congratulations!”

“And I get a guest! You’re coming with me!”

“Sounds good. When is it?”

“Next Saturday.”

“Next Saturday?”

“Yes!”

“Dude, we’re hosting a huge party at the restaurant. I won’t be able to make it, I’m serving.”

You frown to yourself. “Aw man. Okay. I guess I’ll have to find someone else.”

You hear your best friend snickering in the background, but she doesn’t say anything.

“What are you laughing about?” you ask. 

“You know exactly who you should bring.”

“No. No way.”

“He’s your fake boyfriend, don’t you think Takada-Chan will be suspicious if you don’t bring him?”

“I mean, I’ll make up some excuse. I’m not going to ask Todo.”

“Why not?! We’ve already established that you’re attracted to him. This will be another good opportunity to get to know him better! Or at least gauge how you really feel about him.”

You let out a loud sigh. “You really can’t make it?”

She laughs. “No, I can’t. Just ask Todo. Maybe you two can finally become friends and go to Takada-Chan events together instead of dragging me and Yuji to them.”

“Gasp. I’m hurt. I thought you loved going to Takada-Chan events with me!” you tease. 

“The reason I go to the events is because I love you. But Todo might be the answer to all my prayers. Who would have thought that giant mountain of a body would be my saving grace?”

“Ha ha, very funny. Fine. I’ll ask him,” you say, begrudgingly. Then you add, “And for the record, I love you too.”

You can hear your best friend smile through the phone. “Yeah, I know. Now go get your man.”

“Sara!”

~~~

Todo is in the middle of eating ramen when he looks at his phone to see a notification. It’s a text from someone named “Rival”. Why is she texting him?

He opens their message thread. Besides the new message he just received, the only thing on there is their photo with Takada-Chan. He almost forgot how cute this picture is. 

Rival: Hey, are you free next Saturday?

He drops his spoon in his soup bowl, reading the text slowly. His heart starts racing faster as he types out a response.

Todo: Yes. Why?

He sees the 3 dots. After a few more seconds, she texts back.

Rival: I won Takada-Chan’s date contest. Sara can’t make it, so I’m asking you. 

The contest! Win a Date with Takada-Chan! He entered that weeks ago and never got any response back. He assumed he wasn’t picked. She won?! He’s too excited to text. He presses the phone icon to call her. After a few rings, she picks up. “Todo?”

For some reason, hearing her say his name makes his heart skip a beat. His breath hitches for a millisecond before he responds, “Hey. Yeah, it’s me. You won the contest?”

She chuckles. “Yeah, I did.”

After a few moments of silence, Todo asks, “And you want to take me?”

“Well, Sara can’t make it. So, I figured the next best option would be Takada-Chan’s #2 fan.”

Todo grumbles. “I thought we were past this.”

She giggles. “Yeah yeah, I know, I’m just teasing you. So, are you down?”

“Hell yeah, I’m down. Just text me the details.”

“For sure. I’ll see you next week.”

They hang up and Todo completely abandons his ramen. He’s too thrilled to continue eating. A date with Takada-Chan? It’s official. All his dreams are coming true, minus marrying the pop idol. But he can live with that for now.

It was all thanks to her. His rival. Or maybe he should start calling her his acquaintance? Or friend? Were they even friends? All the thoughts he’s had of her these past two weeks have not been appropriate of someone intending to be just “friends”. It’s safe to say that Todo has not forgotten any part of their interaction at the café. It’s even safer to say that the memory of her outfit that day combined with her flirtatious demeanor lives in his mind rent free. 

Whatever these feelings are, he must contain them next week. All his attention will be on Takada-Chan, and that’s it. He’s determined not to be distracted by anything, or anyone, else. 

~~~

The day of Takada-Chan’s big group date finally arrives. The outfit you decide to wear today is simple: A lilac purple sweetheart dress that ends just right above your knees and white espadrille sandals. You wear a gold necklace with two interlocking circles. Sara has the exact same kind; you bought it as a matching set to symbolize your unwavering friendship, as cheesy as that sounds. 

The meeting location for the group date is about a 20-minute bus ride from your house. You texted Todo the location last week, right after you told him the news. You’re absolutely thrilled to spend the day with Takada-Chan, but also a little apprehensive being on the date with Todo. You’ve replayed your last encounter with him many times over in your mind. You haven’t been able to go a day without thinking about him. When you talked to him on the phone, it was normal. As if you two didn’t exchange sexually charged comments with each other just the other week. What will it be like today? 

You take a deep breath as the bus approaches your stop. Are you more nervous about seeing Takada-Chan or Todo? You can’t even tell. 

From the stop, you walk about five minutes to the meeting location. It’s an empty parking lot. From your understanding of today’s agenda, a party bus with Takada-Chan will pick you up at 1:00 PM. Currently, it’s 12:40 PM. 

The 4 other winners are already there with their plus ones. All of them are men. You laugh to yourself as Sara’s voice plays in your head. “Sausage-fest” is what she would say. 

You check your phone. 12:45 PM. Should you text him to see where he is?

A few minutes later, Todo arrives. He’s wearing a dark purple t-shirt with black joggers. The shirt hugs his body tightly, accentuating every muscle and ab on his rock-hard body. 

Wow, you think to yourself. This is the first time you’ve noticed his attire. Has he always worn outfits like this? He looks good. Really good. 

You swallow the drool that is currently pooling in your mouth as he approaches you. His expression is neutral when he first greets you. You catch him scanning up and down your body, observing you. Then he smirks. “You look good.”

There’s a tingling right below your belly. You take a deep breath before saying, “Thank you. You too.” 

He continues to smirk at you as you look directly into each other’s eyes. You gulp loudly, feeling shy. But you don’t want to look away from him. 

Suddenly, someone approaches you two. It’s one of the other winners of the contest. The rest of the winners follow closely behind him. “Hey.”

“Hello,” you respond. Something about the way they look at you doesn’t seem friendly. 

“Are you the ‘couple’ that Takada-Chan brought into her dressing room?” He puts air quotes around the word “couple”.

Todo steps closer to him, intimidating. “Yeah. What’s it to you?”

The guy smirks, then looks back at the other fans. “See guys, I knew it was all a fraud. Pathetic.”

You scowl at them and ask, “What the hell do you mean by that?”

The annoying guy lets out a malicious laugh before saying, “It’s pretty obvious you two aren’t a couple. You might have Takada-Chan fooled, but not us. We just think it’s pathetic that two fans would stoop so low.”

You hear Todo growling beside you. Not wanting the situation to escalate further, you say, “And what makes you think we aren’t a couple?” You link your arm around Todo’s, glaring at the asshole in front of you. 

“We’ve had reports from other fans saying they’ve seen you two at other events, just bickering and arguing with each other. Sometimes barely even speaking to each other.”

Todo snorts, snarling, “You guys are a bunch of nerds. I don’t give a shit what your ‘reports’ say. Stop harassing me and my girlfriend.” His use of the word “girlfriend” makes your heart skip a beat for some reason. Control yourself, woman! 

You tighten your grip on Todo’s arm and add, “Besides, you act like regular couples don’t fight and bicker. News flash: they do.”

“Well how come nobody has ever seen you kiss or hug like normal couples do?” Some of the guys behind him nod in agreement. 

Todo lets out an even louder snort and laughs. “Is this dude for real?”

This idiot was right on the money about you and Todo pretending to be in a relationship, but you would rather eat shit than admit it. At this point, you’ll do whatever it takes to convince these losers that you’re right and they’re wrong. If it’s a kiss they want, then so be it. 

You grip Todo by the collar and pull him down towards you. “If you perverts want to see a kiss, then fine. What do you say, baby?”

Todo seems taken aback by your sudden action. You desperately try to communicate to him telepathically. If you’re not cool with this, it’s okay, we don’t have to do it! But if you are, let’s prove these assholes wrong!

You see that familiar smirk on his lips as he says in that sexy low voice, “Yeah, let’s put on a show.” He leans down as you get on your tippy toes to close the gap. 

His lips are soft against yours. Not what you expected from a meathead like this. The kiss starts closed mouth, but then suddenly his tongue slide against your lips, begging for entrance. You part your lips just the tiniest bit to feel his tongue swirl around yours. You let out a small moan, involuntarily. 

You break the kiss immediately, Todo’s tongue still sticking out. His eyes are half-closed with a dazed look on his face. You turn away from him, face hot, and say to the crowd, “There. Are you losers happy? Now leave us alone.”

The group of men look at you, ashamed. You hear some of them grumble, “Sorry” as they turn to face away from you. The idiot who did the accusing grimaces at you, muttering, “Whatever.” What a fucking prick. 

With perfect timing, you see a black bus drive into the parking lot. Takada-Chan has arrived. 

You glance at Todo, who now has rosy cheeks. How cute. In a hushed voice, you say, “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know how else to get those bastards to leave us alone.”

He doesn’t say anything. You can tell he’s trying to find his words carefully. Not wanting to prolong this awkward silence, you say, “Let’s just enjoy this date with Takada-Chan, okay?” You grab his hand and lead him in front of the black bus, which has just parked. You fall in line behind the other fans, not wanting to see their annoying faces. Todo’s hand is still around yours. You’re basically holding hands. 

Peering up at him, you whisper, “What are you doing?”

He clears his throat and whispers back, “We have to keep acting like a couple, right? Couples hold hands.” 

You look at him with a bewildered expression, but don’t argue. He’s right. You have to keep this whole act going. For those idiot fans, for Takada-Chan. That’s all it is, right? Just an act.

You adjust your grip so that you are interlocking fingers. This is more convincing. It’s more intimate. His hold around you is firm, his hand massive compared to yours. Oh, the things he could do to you with these hands…

The door to the bus opens and a security guard pops their head out. There’s a clipboard in his hand, presumably to check the list of winners and confirm their identities. Each winner and their guest steps into the bus, one by one. You hear squeals of joy as each fan enters and Takada-Chan greets them. When it’s your turn, the guard, who you now recognize as the same one at the Handshake Event and Meet and Greet, looks at you and Todo holding hands. He smiles and says, “Go ahead.” He didn’t even check for your ID. 

As you set foot in the bus, you see purple mood lighting on the ceiling and hear Takada-Chan’s music playing through the speakers. The pop idol is seated at the far end in her own booth. Two security guards surround her. When she sees you and Todo, she jumps up with excitement and walks towards you. “You’re here! When I found out you were the one selected, I got so excited!” She gives you a warm hug, which you return with your free arm. Todo still has a steady hold of your hand. You expected him to let go as soon as he saw Takada-Chan, but surprisingly, his grip has not loosened one bit. 

“Todo! So glad to see you here with your girlfriend!” Takada-Chan gives him a one-armed hug, which he returns silently. 

You can’t help but wonder what’s going on in his head right now. 

Takada-Chan leans in closer to whisper to you, “I wish you two could sit next to me, but these other fans sat there first. We’ll catch up later.” She gives you one last smile and a wink as she walks back to her seat. 

You and Todo sit in the free spot closest to the entrance of the bus. It’s a bit cramped with the two of you sitting side by side. Suddenly, Todo lets go of your hand and swings it around your shoulders, pulling you in closer to his body. Maybe he thought this would be a more comfortable position. 

He feels like a giant teddy bear, except he’s rippling with hard muscle. You’re so close that every time you breath, you inhale his scent. He smells like clean linen and ocean breeze. You turn your head slowly to face him, and to your surprise, his gaze is already on you. 

~~~

When she turns to face him, Todo can’t help but stare down at her lips, hungrily. He wants to continue where they left off. He wants to kiss her again, taste more of her on his tongue, make her moan once more against his mouth. She’s so close to him, he can smell the intoxicating scent of the shampoo in her hair. He’s about to go feral if he doesn’t try to contain himself. 

He swore to himself he wouldn’t let anybody distract him from today. But he didn’t expect to kiss his pretend girlfriend in front of all those dweebs. He also didn’t expect to like it. And boy, did he like it. 

His arm is still wrapped around her, holding her close. She looks so good today, in her little purple dress. The neckline plunges just enough to tease him, leaving the rest to his imagination. Her collarbones are titillating, he wants to plant wet kisses all over, marking them as his. She wears a dainty gold necklace, giving her a look of innocence that seems to turn him on even more.

She stares at him with wide eyes. Her mouth is moving but isn’t paying attention to what she’s saying. All he can think about is how sweet her lips are. He just has to lean down a little bit closer to get a taste. 

“Hey Todo, are you listening to me?” She raises her voice, which awakens him from his trance. 

“Huh?”

“I asked you if you’re okay. You look out of it.” There’s genuine concern in her eyes. She’s so cute. 

He smirks. “Yeah, I’m great. Are you okay?”

She smiles softly and rests her head against his chest. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Fuck fuck fuck, she’s so fucking cute. 

After a while, she looks back up at him and says, “Whatever we’re doing, it’s working. Looks like those idiots aren’t even paying attention to us anymore. As long as Takada-Chan still thinks we’re a couple, we should be in the clear.”

His heart sinks. He responds with a simple hum as she lays her head back against his chest. This is all just part of their elaborate scheme to get the pop idol’s attention. It’s nothing more than an act, right?

The ride to the studio is only fifteen minutes. She spends the whole trip leaning on his body. He prays that she can’t hear or feel his heart racing in his chest. Todo glances over at Takada-Chan, who is chatting away with the fans closest to her. She looks adorable as usual, but something feels different today. Not with her, but with the way he looks at her.

Takada-Chan has always been a silly little fantasy. Now he sits here with an actual reality laying on his chest. Someone interesting, someone he respects, someone tangible. 

She’s better than a dream girl like Takada-Chan. She’s real. 

Todo likes her. That’s the conclusion he comes to. He doesn’t want this to be pretend anymore. He wants to hold her, kiss her, get to know her better. He wants all the aspects of being in a relationship without it all being part of an act. 

He knows she might not feel the same way. She still thinks it’s all for show. Tonight, he’ll tell her how he feels. If she doesn’t feel the same way, then they’ll end this strange arrangement they have and he’ll leave her alone forever. Will it crush him? Maybe. But Todo is strong. He always bounces back. Plus, he’ll always have Takada-Chan. 

He really, really hopes there’s a chance she feels the same way. He doesn’t want to go back to fantasy.

[gilverrwrites]

Can you write some more Captain boomerang, fluff head cannons I loved your last one, and really would love some more 🥺🥺🥺

Abso-friggin-loutly! Fluffy/domestic HCs P2 [P1 Here]

CWs: Jealousy, guilt tripping. None graphic mentions of unrination. Rating: General

On days off from work (I use the term work, lightly) he is such a lazy git. He’s lounging on your couch in nothing but his undies and socks, both of which are ridden with holes and thoroughly stained ‘but they’re still good tho, here, have a whiff of that’ drinking beer and watching mindless action films or guilty pleasure sit-coms. 

If you join him, he will happily spend the whole day there, unmoving until one of you has to eat or pee. 

I hope you like physical touch because he will not keep his hand off you the whole time either. Playing with your hair, stroking your skin, sneakily trying to tickle you in order to force you into a more provocative position. 

He also loves to be touched in return. Likes it when you trace your fingers over his tattoos, play with his hair. Scratch his scalp and he’ll start twitching his leg like a dog when you hit just the right spot. 

Use a pen to play dot-to-dot with his freckles and he’ll get the result tattooed permanently.

Absolutely hates doing chores, and will try just about any underhanded tactic to get out of them. 

Oh sorry, love, I forgot. I know you did ‘em yesterday, and the day before that, but I swear if you do them tonight we can do that thing you like. But you’re just soooo much better at it than I am, I always do it wrong.

No weaponised incompetence, I swear down if he fucks it up, it's because he genuinely is that dumb/has never been shown how to do it. 

Claims to be outdoorsy, but if you ever take him camping or hiking he will complain the whole time that his feet hurt (because he’s wearing inappropriate footwear) and there’s dirt on his (already filthy) coat. 

He would never admit it but he’s more reliant on his creature comforts than he lets on. 

Does, however, genuinely enjoy playing sports together, mainly footie or frisbee boomerangs. 

Can say some pretty nasty stuff during an argument. He will almost instantly regret it but is too stubborn to be the first one to apologise. Instead, he’ll do everything but say sorry until you say it first or you come to an unspoken agreement that you’ve both moved past it. 

I did the dishes, an’ I went down to that food place you like and bought back dinner. Come on babe, don’t be like that, you can’t stay mad at this face, I know ya’ can’t.

Is very much the petty jealous type, doesn’t mind you having friends/being close with people, but takes it as a personal insult when you compliment them.

Funniest person you know, I thought I was the funniest bloke you know, remember that time I made you laugh so hard your drink came out of yer nose?

I’ve got a shirt like that, you never say I look good in it. Yes, I did, I said… Oh, well I don’t remember that.

But when the shoe is on the other foot, he’s such a hypocrite, he loves it when you get jealous. Especially if he’s still stinging from his own envy, he will actively try to make you jealous. 

Loves kissing you, all the time. Got his arms wrapped around you while you’re trying to get stuff done, planting kisses up and down your neck, on any piece of skin he can reach. 

You’re not allowed to go to a different room without giving him a quick kiss before you go. Even if he isn’t in either of the rooms. 

Oi, I’ve got a bone to pick with you, you left the bedroom to get a drink and you didn’t kiss me on your way. You weren’t in the bedroom or the kitchen. Yeah, and?

He’ll take whatever kisses he can get but his favourite are the sloppy ones, tongue halfway down your throat, saliva leaking, noisy kisses. 

Brags about you constantly. Every criminal, law enforcement officer, cashier, random lady at the bus stop way more about you than they ever should. Stories are often accompanied by many candid photos of you, photos you would cringe to see if he ever revealed them to you. Man wonders why he’s so easy to find by the law, when everyone from here to Sydney knows what you look like, what you do for a living, your favourite places to eat etc. 

He also keeps polaroid pictures of you, they’re always either loose in his pockets (cause he never carries a wallet) or pinned to the wall of whatever prison cell he’s locked up in. Many of which he’s drawn on. Some doodles are pornographic but most hearts, stars, halos, and speech bubbles with illegible writing that’s supposed to say things like ‘I love you Digger’ or ‘Miss you every day’.

He doesn’t really know how to convey it but he really does cherish you.  

[insipid-drivel]

To All Those That Have Reached Out

It's been a very bad few weeks, and I haven't exactly tried to be subtle about it on tumblr lately. I've gotten tired of bottling up the persecutions and backhanded slaps from my brother and sister from the entire world, and tumblr is one of the few platforms I'll vent about them on.

Sincerely, thank you to those people - mutuals, followers, and outright strangers alike - who reached out to me over these past awful few weeks. I haven't had the ability to get back to everyone yet because my health is taking a nosedive again and I haven't been able to expend the kind of emotional energy to communicate and get back to everyone quickly without risking another backslide. I need surgery soon, and I'm trying my hardest to lower my stress levels and focus on my health. I'm autistic, so overshooting my social energy can really be bad for my general health.

From offers to doordash groceries to my house, to offers just to listen, I've wept over the amount of concern and compassion that I've received over the past days. I am not exaggerating, to those who have sent me a message, that your shared sympathies, concerns, advice, and care have been above and beyond anything I've received from my siblings in over 10 years. Backdraft is a helluva symptom when you've been taught from childhood to believe your very birth was the cause of your older sibling to hate and abuse you. My sister resents me for being born and taking my mom's attention away from her (she has openly admitted this to our mother), while my brother resents me for my mental and physical disabilities and has taken to taking his angst and childish pettiness out on our mother as a way of punishing me. I've been ashamed of the little brother I spent so much of my life devoted to bringing up well that I barely recognize him anymore.

I was recently taught the phrase, "Never hold water for your oppressors, because they will never let you have a drink," and I've been taking it to heart. I hate to think of my brother and sister as oppressors or anything but people I want more than anything to see how much I've sacrificed, changed, endured, and given up out of love for them, but staying on the island they've marooned me on will only result in a sad end when I have the opportunity to set my own sails for other waters. Even my mother has washed her hands of my siblings, feeling just as used and taken advantage of by them as I've felt unfairly persecuted and judged. My siblings are extremely myopic, self-centered, and selfish people that never deserved the time and effort I put in to showing them how much I loved and cared for them.

I'm thankful to have grown up as part of one of the generations that celebrates found family, because it's made it impossible for me to feel completely hopeless about the future.

Opening up to one of my best and only friends of over 10 years has resulted in what may turn out to be a happy change. My mom and I would benefit from another person in the house, and after several tense and nerve-wracking talks with him, my best friend will be visiting for a couple of weeks soon. Given that he's queer and his is one of the states that flipped red this past horrifying election while I live in Washington, it just seems to make sense that we at least meet up in a safe state and see how we go together and if he likes it here.

My mom is thrilled to the point of practically flying to him herself and carrying him piggy-back here overnight. She's an incredibly stoic person in the face of abuse, but I know my brother's disrespect and outright rudeness to her recently has been hurting her.

I can't wait for when my friend visits and if he finds he wants to settle here, either as a housemate or in his own place (although real estate prices are skyrocketing in WA right now due to a rush of former red-staters fleeing here in the wake of November 6th's election results). We met here on tumblr not long after I first joined the site to promote and work on a webcomic series I was involved in at the time, and our friendship turned out to outlive the comics. I'm very excited for the opportunity to see him and spend face-to-face time with someone I've loved like another brother for years.

Things are still bumpy, and if you haven't heard from me after messaging me, please know that I've probably seen your messages and taken them to heart. My dark spells still come and go, and there are times where I still get trapped in feeling hopeless and lonely, but I'm working on it.

[annie-creates]

Finally home

Pairing: Abby Anderson x reader

Genre: fluff

Words: 1400

Note: So this is my 30th fic and it's also the first day of spring so I wanted to put out this little thing that's been living in my head rent free lately. It is far from the fandoms I normally write for but here we are. I'm warning you the events of the game are kinda switched around to fit the story. I hope you'll like it anyway.

Life hasn’t been easy on you. From the moment your mother sent you to a Firefly base when you were still just a child, you had to fight and fend for yourself. Earning everything you had, contributing to be fed, helping to have a place to sleep, growing up has been tough. And still you could thank heavens you were placed with the Fireflies who protected you and took care of you in the apocalypse. You imagined the worst thing that could happen to someone was to be left alone. You had friends amongst the other children, adults who brought you up, and Abby.

Abby was never too close nor too far from you, having closer friends but always keeping an eye out for you. You were inseparable back in the Salt Lake City, and even when your group disbanded, you followed her anywhere she wanted to go, your next refuge being the WLFs. You never questioned her, never doubted her decisions. Not until she killed Joel Miller. You understood, Abby’s dad being the closest thing you had to your own, but even after she leveled the score, the hunger for revenge didn’t settle. The more ruthless she became the more you drifted apart.

All the tension or fondness was lost in the days and weeks she spent away hunting down members of Ellie’s group. If you were once friends, now you were hardly two people who used to know each other. Yet you never lost your hope in her, believing she’ll come to her senses and actually live her life focused on herself and not the blood of others. The rumors of Fireflies regrouping gave you hope. You’d finally find a home again together.

“Abby please, fuck this WLF shit and let’s just go back.” You reasoned with her, when you met by luck after another few months not hearing from each other.

“I still have shit to do here.” She argued unwavering in her stance.

“Like what? We both know Isaac’s plan is trash.” You furrowed your brows at her.

“Just because you’re not at the top of the game doesn’t mean everyone else is dumber than you Y/n.” She scoffed at you.

“Excuse me, I don’t give a shit what ranking he gave to anyone!” You folded you hands over your chest.

“Yeah yeah, just because you’re low. Don’t pretend you wouldn’t like being a commander.” She taunts you.

“Now you’re just being mean. You know I don’t give a fuck about that.” You weren’t going to let her off that easily this time.

“You’re just jealous. Go run back to the Fireflies where you’re cared for like the lost puppy you are and leave the real job to the big girls.” She levels you with a look of cruelty and disdain.

“Fine. But don’t run back to me when you get lost again.” Shaking your head you leave to pack your backpack so you can have a head start for when the WLF finds out you’re a traitor.

You didn’t give a shit anymore for any one of them, you didn’t want to join any petty fights for territory of supplies. You wanted to live as close to a normal person as anyone could and maybe, just maybe try and help save the world somehow, or make it just a little bit better. You couldn’t do that at the WLF, but with the Fireflies you could at least try. They weren’t saints, but in comparison to the WLF and Seraphites they were your safest option. Maybe it was finally time to let Abby go her way after the countless times you tried to save her from the fate she was choosing for herself.

As you’re packing to leave, you hear Abby in an argument with Mel. You didn’t want to eavesdrop, but you simply couldn’t help yourself. “You’re a piece of shit, Abby.” Is all you can make out before Mel slams the door and you leave in fear of being discovered watching their moment. You didn’t agree, but you couldn’t argue against it either. The more time passed on the more questionable choices Abby was making. The last thing you wanted to do was abandon Abby, yet that’s what she was continuously forcing you to do. Maybe you needed to listen to your own advice and start focusing on your own life instead of others.

While she runs off to do god knows what with god knows who, you travel to the Catalina Island alone. It was a loose thread, but it was still a better shot than nothing. Plus it wasn’t like you could turn back and crawl back to the WLF begging for their forgiveness, if there even was any WLF anymore. And to your luck, the Fireflies excitedly accept you back, happy to regain one of Anderson’s medical students you used to be back in Salt Lake City before your mission to save the population and find a cure went to trash. For months you watched out for any rumors of tracks of Abby but all the leads run cold. The group couldn’t contact her even when she made a contact with them some time after you joined, promising to arrive in a few days. But few days turned into months and Abby Anderson was considered lost and dead, even though no one talked about it or mentioned it.

Until you found her. She and one of the new boys she met, Lev, in a boat arrived at the island in a pitiful state of barely living. Being part of the medical team now, you treated their injuries and took care of nursing them back to health. While you left Lev to be watched over by the team, you couldn’t stand leaving Abby in such cold and unwelcoming place unknown to her. So you took her to rest in your own apartment not too far away, laying her down on your washed out pillows but in warm sheets and clean duvets none the less.

“Y/n.” She states with a horse voice she clearly hasn’t used for some time.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you now.” You assure her cleaning her bleeding wounds.

As she falls back into her delirious dreams you treat her injuries dressing them up in a clean white gauze, finding many new cuts and bruises, some of which you could hardly imagine what caused them. Even her face was littered with wounds deep enough to leave a nasty scar. She lost a noticeable amount of muscle and her once toned arms seemed weaker now cover in blood. Her dirty blonde hair you often braided for her were messily cut off too short and covered in layers of dirt and soil.

“Hey, you need to drink something.” You carefully wake her up to get her started back on some fluids as soon as possible.

“Hmh...” She clearly wanted to say something but she hardly had the energy to even stay conscious.

“Don’t, it’s gonna be okay. Everything’s going to be okay.” You pacify her after you half force some water into her.

“Don’t leave!” She catches your arm weakly with the most scared and vulnerable look you’ve ever seen on her.

“I won’t.” you assure her as you lay down in bed next to her, careful not to touch any of her wounds to not cause her any more discomfort or pain.

“Just hold me.” Abby pleads with you, but she didn’t have to ask you twice.

“I’ve got you. You’ll be okay.” You comfort her as you stroke her short hair and hold her shivering shoulders. “Everything is going to be fine.”

“I’m sorry.” Abby whines halfway unconscious again.

“Don’t be. You’re home. You are cared for.” You whisper to her as you rock her weakened body back to sleep.

You give her a little kiss into the crown of her hair. She was still the most beautiful and precious thing to you, no matter her crimes and punishments. It will grow back eventually. Her injuries will heal, and all of this will become just a faded memory over time. You’ll help her fight off any scarecrows and demons of her past, in her dreams and in the reality. She was finally back, and you won’t ever let her leave again. You both already lost too much in your hunt for revenge and justice. You finally found your home.

[blingblong55]

Blood- John Price NSFW

Based on a request:

Can I make a request of Mafia AU with a hint of enemy to lovers and smut please? Mafia King Price x Mafia Queen Fem reader, who are rivals. Both tend tends to rile each other up whenever they have a mafia council meeting and everybody can sense the sexual tension between them. Thank you !! ❤️❤️🫶🏻

F!Reader, mafia au, enemies to lovers?, mafia queen!reader, smut, 18+, mafia king!Price, rivals, sexual tension, P-in-V, unprotected sex

"R/N, the meeting will begin in twenty minutes." Your brother said. You found it absurd, having to go to meetings with people like John Price, who gave a shit if everyone wanted a treaty. He messed with your family and for that, he will pay. "I'll be there, okay?" You say, not looking at him once but rather out the window of your penthouse, the city living a normal life, whilst you and a handful of mafias would decide to either join the other or let hell loose.

In the meeting, Price sat there, other leaders and advisors near. Suspension at its highest. Price and your family have been rivals for decades, never letting the other rest, blaming killings and failed cargo on the other. You walk into the room, heels filling the void the silence had created. The men all stop and look at you, Price rolls his eyes, "Of course, you had to make an entrance."

"Quit talking, John." You do not once look at him. Everyone leaves the room, only those that had to converse stayed behind. From Mexico, Italy, the U.S.A, Brazil, Russia, England and Asia, all gathered and ready to talk. You never trusted Price, he is a narcissist and a horrible liar. Always talking shit but you always brought hell upon him. "Let's start, so, Russia and Mexico, I see you two want to become friends, what's the reason behind that?"

"Ayuda commercial de nuestra mercancia," the man spoke.

"It will benefit not just us but you, R/N" the other Russian man spoke, earning a nod from you. The meeting went smoothly, except for when the reason for the meeting was brought up. "Now, what about us all joining forces?" The asian man spoke, you look at him, waiting for someone to say a word. Except, in this, you were the key to either make all mafias strong or make them crumble. "Well,I wouldn't oppose to it, except, I don't think I would want to work with John."

"You know damn well it wasn't my fault!" His fist coming into contact with the table. The other men don't dare question you and your motives for not working with him. "You know damn well it was your fault!" You growl. "It was never the intention of my father-" he tries to excuse the issue. "My father and mother are dead John! All because your family was petty and shady over work!" You bite back.

The men around the room stay silent, tension fills the room. "Now, if we make this deal, I will need either all to side with me and together our groups will be powerful or I'll make sure each one crumbles to its ruin." You lean back in your seat, knowing you had the upper hand in this. John scoffs and leans back, watching the men that he was having drinks with last night side with the woman he despises. Common friends, common hatred. What a perfect match made in hell.

"We, will make that partnership, R/N, but you must ensure those feud you two have will intervene with our plans." The asian man says. "I'll make sure of that, now if you excuse me I must go." You stand up and the other men do too, they all shake your hand except Price. You nod and walk away, your team waiting for you on the other side of the door. Hours later, your brother walks into your beautiful home, "R/N, what the fuck did you do at that meeting?!" He was clearly annoyed at something you had no clue on.

Eventually he explains that the other mafias have parted ways with Price and have only made an alliance/treaty with you and each other. You were unaware of this, making sure to contact them all and set the record straight. Price walks into your home, pushing past guards and eventually finding your office. "R/N, we must talk."

You nod at your brother and he leaves. "What is it?" you sit down and pour yourself a glass of scotch. "Why the fuck did you leave me and my people in the shadows! We had a goddamn agreement, we stop the feud and make his arrangement." He leaned forward in his seat, veins becoming prominent and his voice hoarse. "I told you years ago John, I will not let you rest, not after their deaths!"

"THEY ARE FUCKING DEAD, THIS IS OUR FUCKING PROBLEM NOW, US NOT THEIRS!"

"Your father killed my parents, put them on display at my 20th birthday, my dead fucking parents for all to see!" You stand up and look at him, "If you want feud between our people and the arrangement to also have you added, then you apologise and accept my terms."

But that wasn't easy on him, he'd had to give up the western border, 63% of the income from the easter border would go to your people and he'd have merge your and his people, something that made you still the head of command. All of what his grandfather worked for down the drain for you to own and have, he sighs and looked at your hips then lips. You drink the scotch, unaware of the stare he was giving you. "You look hot when you're mad." he comments. You roll your eyes and point at the door, "out."

Days after that encounter, one of your corporation buildings was attacked, Price got the news seconds before his plane took off, he stopped the pilot and was escorted to the building. You were talking with your men when you spotted him, "Did you fucking do this?" you accused him as you walked to him. But that was the thing, he wouldn't do this, he was a grown man who knows the best way to fix issues is to talk. "R/N, don't you think I'd be a dick move if I did so? For fucks sake, we are about to be the largest mafia in the country, I don't want to ruin our stuff."

He noticed a blood stain on your shirt, "what happened?" he held your arm, looking at the stain. "Nothing." you answer. "C'mon, let's go." He dragged you to his car, told the driver to get off and you and him were on the way to his private home. "Why are you doing this, John?" You turn to him. "I am not going to give a reason but I will make sure you get checked out for any potential injuries." His eyes on the road the whole time.

Once at his home and after he made sure you had no injuries, he sat you down, "Look, I know we don't have the best history-"

"Damn right we don't." you cut him off.

"-but I wouldn't do that, not to you." he finished.

You stay silent, his hands at your hips, gaze fixed on you. "I'll find the bastard that did that and kill him." it was not just because of the building but because your life was a risk and lately he hated how much he has been looking out for you. Why does he care? Because for some reason, he wouldnt want you to be hurt. The day you parents' dead bodies were displayed as an act of vengeance from his father, he was the one who cut the lights off, making his guards escort the bodies elsewhere.

You have been so filled with hatred and the thirst for revenge that you have been blind to not notice all the small acts of kindness he has done for you. "Dad, you didn't have to do that!" he told his father. "They deserved it." his father responds. "Maybe, but it was her birthday dinner, you have set war on, you killed her parents and you paraded their dead bodies for not just her but everyone to see!"

Years later, Price still hates that day, how her saw you change from a happy and free woman to who you are today. If only things were different, he and you would be off into an arranged marriage and he would enjoy it. All along, he has felt something for you that no one else can compare.

"R/N," his hands tracing circling on your hips, you look at him, both of you leaning in. "I have been wanting to do this since we were young." he cups your face and kisses you. It was so gentle and sweet, like a first kiss that will be felt for years to come. It wasn't John Price in that kiss, it was Johnny, the boy you had a crush on as a little girl. Your legs wrapped around his waist, he holds you close, carrying you to his room and not once breaking the kiss.

He lays you on the bed, kissing your neck, pulling your shirt. Hands on your chest, letting them feed on your warmth. He nibbles on the soft skin, earning a satisfied noise from you. By some point and some laughter, your clothes is on the floor. He wanted this moment to be more than special. He parted your legs, fingers teasing your wet cunt, his spit mixing with your cunt, making his scent known. He looks up at you, flushed face as if he was your first. His kisses trail back up, making sure to be delicate.

Slowly, he slides himself into you, you moan and grip his back. "fuck," you say before he hushes you. "Just relax and open for me okay, love?" His voice so soft. You nod and moan more as he slowly increases the speed of his thrusts. Getting used to his size was not an easy task, he was bigger and thicker than any of the other men you've been with. You shut your eyes and let the passion, lust and pleasure fill the room. He kisses your lips, tongue encoring your mouth, wanting to not leave a corner of his new heaven untouched. He bites into your neck but not enough that he breaks the skin.

A hand on his back as the other grips the sheets. You moans become louder, his hips thrusting faster, his cock deeper in you. Pre cum leaking from him, he wants to last longer but as his fantasy is being fulfilled it's impossible to last long. His thrusts become more aggressive, skin contact echoing on the walls of the room. Scratch marks on his back to prove that what you two have is better than any relationship he has ever had. You might be his enemy but in that moment you are the drug to keep him alive.

Moans and groans from you both, letting the walls understand it's not a cat fight but rather a pleasure. Hours of pleasure turned to you leaking him warm cum from you. He smiles and looks at you, "you are such a good girl for me, look at that." he touches the cum with his fingers and brings it to you, making you lick it. His fingers in your mouth, making you savour such taste. You smile and kiss him.

Soon after the once rivals, wanting the other dead, now lay in bed, making plans for the long run. From kids to adults, enemies to lovers, friends to husband and wife. It is known you are the perfect match made in hell.