#I loved Nick being a little more awkward and Luke being a little confident I love my sons <33< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[peachhcs]

Love Languages

Pairings Luke Patterson x reader

Summary Luke asks the reader what love languages are. 

Warnings none but fluff :)

Word Count 1.8k (short I know but I'm working on it)

I haven’t really written on Tumblr before so don’t judge too harshly because there’s some insanely talented people on here who might judge hahaha. (hopefully not though) I don't know what the boy’s love languages are so I kind of just assumed based off of what we saw but I did see somewhere that someone said Luke’s was touch so I just went with it. 

Gif is not mine so credit to the owner! I don’t know if anyone has done this idea before but I kind of like it because it popped into my head last night. Anyways, enjoy!! :) p.s. I sort of left this on a cliff hanger but idk if i’m going to continue it or not hahaha

PART 2

* * *

You were seated peacefully on the couch as you worked away on your laptop while listening to Julie and the guys practice a few songs for this weekend’s upcoming gig. You always loved listening to them practice, they sounded like absolute angels and you would never get tired of listening to them. However, Luke thought you should be doing your homework somewhere else because he didn’t want them to be distracting to you but truthfully, you really didn’t mind. If you were being honest, it actually helped you focus and the music didn’t let your brain wander. 

You glanced up at the group after realizing they had stopped playing. Julie met your eyes with a warm smile, already reading your mind,

“We’re just taking a break. I got to catch up on some homework.” Julie explained to her best friend. You nodded in response, smiling slightly as she went back to work. The boys were talking amongst themselves over by the piano, using hushed voices so whatever they were talking about you or Julie couldn’t hear. 

By some weird magical notion, you were able to see the boys even when they weren’t playing like Julie could. They haven’t been able to figure out why yet, though. Why you could see the guys but their other best friend, Flynn, couldn’t. Or why Luke’s parents couldn’t see him either but you still could. It was all just one big mystery they were all still unravelling. They had a theory that it had something to do with their unfinished business and the connections they all shared with one another, but that was yet to be explored with you and the boys. Julie and the boys sort of figured out how they were connected, but they hadn’t gotten that far with you yet. 

Julie made an attempt one time to suggest that maybe it was because you were so close with Luke ever since you guys met, the connection just helped you see all of them, but you chose to deny that theory. Especially when Julie threw the word feelings into the mix. Julie knew all too well about your “little”crush on the lead guitarist. There was no doubt that she caught on to it right away when the pair first met and hit off right away. From there, she proceeded to question you about it once they went back to her room. Of course you denied, denied, denied, but after awhile you finally gave in and agreed to your best friend’s observation. Julie saw all the looks that you two exchanged and she knew very well about the boys talking about you here and there. It was just a matter of time until one of you finally broke and admitted your stupid feelings for one another.

“Hey..Y/n?” The cautious voice made you glance up from your computer, first looking at Julie thinking it was her who called your name but then turning your head to the boys who were glancing at you with quizzical looks. 

“Yeah?” You ask glancing at Luke since he was the one who spoke up. You watch as the boys exchange a glance with one another and you push your eyebrow up in confusion. You meet eyes with Julie for a moment who was now looking between the boys and you just as confused as you were. 

“We have a question.” 

“Well, Luke does, but we’re curious too.” Alex cut in before you could respond. You chuckle slightly at their visible nervousness about what they wanted to ask. 

“Okay, shoot.” You gave them your full attention, pushing your computer screen down and a small smile sat content on your lips. Julie also gave them her full attention too, because she was equally as curious as to what they could possibly be asking you.

“What..what does love languages mean? We heard you and Julie talking about it yesterday..” Luke’s asks softly. Oh. That was what they were asking..Your face goes a little red at the thought of them hearing your conversation yesterday since it started out as band schedule and then led into your crush per usual. You glanced to Julie for help who only shook her head with a quick shrug.

“They asked you, not me. Take it away, sister.” Julie laughed and your face went even redder. It wasn’t an inappropriate question or anything, you just didn’t really know how to describe it. Or because it meant talking about feelings and relationships which was something you didn't really want to get into with them, especially Luke. 

“Uhh.. well.. I guess it’s a certain way somebody likes to express their love for someone. There’s different types of love languages like um, touch, words, gifts, spending time with that person, and doing nice things I guess..” You trail off slightly while scratching the back of your head, feeling a little flustered. 

“What do you think my love language is?” Alex asks excitedly, not really to you but just to anyone who would answer him. 

“I see yours being affirming words or something like spending time with them. You always love it when someone compliments you and reassures you if you’re having too much anxiety about something.” Julie cuts in with a smile and Alex points to her to say she was correct. Julie chuckles and you do too. 

“Reggie, yours would definitely be gifts or like spending time with people. You always like to hang around Ray and stuff.” You say glancing at Reggie who smiles warmly at your statement. 

“What about me?” You met eyes with Luke who was softly looking at you. You avoided Julie’s burning gaze into your head and Alex and Reggie’s small smirks as they waited for you to answer. You flushed again, looking to Julie for help who only shrugged. They both knew you knew the answer, that was what you guys had been talking about yesterday. 

“I’m..I’m not really sure..” You lied and you hated the small hint of disappointment in Luke’s eyes. You quickly looked away and started to reopen your laptop.

“Hey, I’m hungry, I’m gonna grab some snacks. Y/n do you wanna come with?” Julie asks making an escape for you to avoid the now awkward tension in the room.

“Yeah. Yeah.” You were quickly nodding your head and jumping up from your laptop. You didn’t even wait for Julie as you made a beeline for the garage doors and pushed them open, hurrying up the pathway to Julie’s house. 

Julie exchanged a knowing glance with the boys, reading Alex and Reggie’s glances before following after you saying you’d be back in a minute. You were pacing around on the patio when Julie finally got to you. She raised her eyebrows slightly trying to read your thoughts. 

“Y/n, why did you lie? That could have been the perfect opportunity to tell him how you feel.” Julie says and you shoot her a small glare. 

“Julie, he doesn’t like me like that. I just didn't want to embarrass myself but I guess I embarrassed myself even more by saying nothing.” You admit, slowing your pacing to look Julie in the eye. She lets out a small laugh.

“I don’t think you embarrassed yourself. You were just flustered which is understandable, but I say go for it. You never know what can happen. The Y/n I know doesn’t back down from a challenge either.” Julie puts a comforting arm on your shoulder and you were thankful for it. You squeeze her hand in response.

“Thanks. I don’t know, I guess I’ve just never felt this way about someone before..” You trail off and Julie squeezes your shoulder even tighter,

“Look, I get it, it’s scary, but you can do it. Think of this as me encouraging you to talk to him like you did for me and Nick. Just go for it. Have some confidence.” Julie winked at you and you chuckle at her actions. 

“There’s the Y/n I know. Now come on, we still need to get snacks. I gotta make my lie somewhat believable.” Julie nudged your side before making her way inside as you followed after he with a laugh. 

The two of you walk back into the garage a few moments later where the boys met your glances. Luke was now moved onto your spot on the couch while Alex and Reggie hung around by the piano still. You rolled your eyes that Luke took your spot but at least he was gracious enough to move your computer. You walked over to him where he smirked as you made an attempt to move him out of the way. 

“Get out of my spot.” You tease trying to move Luke out of the way again but he didn’t budge and instead kept holding that smirk on his lips. You rolled your eyes so you instead took a seat beside him and grabbed your laptop from the coffee table. 

“I’ll move if you tell me what you think my love language is.” Luke says and you quickly met his eyes. You glanced at Alex, Reggie, and Julie for a moment where they only shrugged. You huffed under her breath knowing you had no way out of this now. 

“I don’t know.” You say simply trying to get off of the topic but Luke kept pushing. He leaned in closer towards you and you could feel his breath on your neck. 

“I think you do..” Luke says and you meet his gaze again. You purse your lips together before glancing back at your computer for a moment. 

“Touch.” You say plainly and simply. You refused to meet Luke’s eyes as you furthered your answer, “I always noticing you touching Alex or Reggie in one way or another. Whether it’s something small or a hug or just a reason to touch them. It’s sweet.” You finish a small smile on your lips as you opened the tab you had been working on previously. A comfortable silence filled the room and you felt pretty content with your answer. It wasn't as bad or as embarrassing as you thought it would be. Luke was silent beside you and you were afraid to look at him so you just kept her gaze on your computer. 

You didn’t actually know if you could touch the boys, you just assumed you couldn’t because Julie was the only one with the real special powers. You had just been randomly gifted parts of them somehow. You all just walked around each other because the guys found it slightly weird to just walk through people they knew. Luke stared at you beside him and he wanted to at least try. If anything, his hand would just fall through like it did with everyone, so slowly and carefully, Luke reached out to turn your chin so you would look at him. The guys raised his eyebrow at his movements and then, he touched you. 

You felt his hand under your chin and you both did a double take. Luke quickly pulled his hand away in surprise that you actually felt that. The two of you exchanged a wondering and surprised glance. 

“We just touched..” 

[bluefirewrites]

Not sure if it's considered a head cannon but if they were to do a Willex kiss in a future season I feel like it could have similar vibes to the Peter and MJ kiss in Far From Home. Like a little awkward/nervous but clearly they care a lot about each other?

Oh. 

OH. 

I know that you were only comparing them (I am a huge Spideychelle shipper btw), but here me out:

Spider-Man AU where Alex is Spider-Man and Willie is MJ. 

The vibes are there. 

Like how drumming helps him become a more confident, less of an anxiety-ridden person. That’s what being Spider-Man would be for him in this AU.

And Willie is like MJ, pretty chill, resourceful, and down to help (his hijacking of the MudSlide tour bus is like MJ wielding the mace.)

But getting back to canon. Or canon-ish while I’m coming up with how a Willex kiss would go down... 

It could be set at HGC, the aftermath of a very intense battle against some big ghost baddie connected to Caleb and soul snatching. Everyone’s checking in on each other, and Alex’s first thought was: ‘Oh no- Willie’. 

Too weak to poof, he’s darting around the place, searching amongst the ghosts who have recently gained their souls back for that familiar brunette mop. 

He finds him on the balcony overlooking the dance hall, near the entrance. He’s slumped over against the railing and Alex almost misses him. 

Willie is battered and bruised, having had gone up against Caleb earlier in the night before being flung across the room Alex comes to find out. 

Alex yells out his name, helping the boy rise to his feet. Once upright, Willie finally notices it’s Alex, and lunges at him, encasing him in a tight embrace, relieved.  

“A-Alex, you’re ok,” He pulls away and gently cups the blonde’s face, “You’re ok, right-?-” he asks while searching for signs of injury. 

Alex tenses from the sudden contact and Willie seems to realize his mistake, immediately retracting his hands and transferred to holding onto the bannister. 

“Um...” Alex clears his throat, remembering the situation at hand, “Forget me! Look at you! I didn’t think ghosts could even get hurt.” he gestures to the bruises tattooed up Willie’s arms. 

The skater waves it off, “Ghost magic. But I’ve had worse injuries. Don’t worry,” 

“But I do,” he says, “Worry that is. About you,” Alex runs a hand through his hair, “I don’t think I’m going to stop being worried about you,” 

Willie stares at him, “...really?” he barely whispers. 

His eyes widen, “Oh, I mean. Like in a healthy way. In a totally not overbearing way,” he starts to ramble, “I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m angry. I mean I am. I’m mad at myself. I came too late. I had to help Julie find the amulet to stop Caleb. But look at you. If I had been here, then maybe you wouldn’t have gotten hurt, you wouldn’t have-”

Alex’s words are stopped short by Willie’s lips on his. 

It happened quick. Barely a second, with the skater looking abashedly on the ground. 

It takes a second for Alex’s mind, his body, to catch up with what just occurred. He doesn’t know what to do. In a case of madness, he laughs in disbelief, the laugh itself coming out in short, shaky intervals. 

“You...” he draws out slowly, “You kissed me.” 

Willie nods, “Yeah.” 

“Why?” 

“Because...” 

“Because?” 

Willie finally raised his head to look at him, “Because I care about you, Alex.” 

Hearing that brings Alex back to the night outside the Orpheum, after Willie told them what Caleb had done. The words were had weight to them then, but feel heavier now. 

“I care about you too, Willie,” He responds. 

“...” 

“...” 

“... you know I mean like, more than a friend-” 

“Oh thank god,” Alex doubles over, hands on his knees, letting out a sigh of relief, “We’re on the same page.” 

This causes Willie to laugh, now more at ease, “I mean, wasn’t it obvious?” 

“From running me over with your board and you calling me ‘Hot Dog’- no. It wasn’t,” 

“Yeah...” Willie scratches the back of his neck sheepishly, “I’m not good at this.” 

“Me neither,” 

“Maybe we can help each other through it,”

“Sounds good to me...” Alex draws closer, his hand hesitantly reaching to frame Willie’s face; the other boy doesn’t resist. He drapes his hands over Alex’s, staring at him intently. 

“You know also sounds good right about now?”

“If you say hot dogs, I swear to God-”

Willie raises an eyebrow, “You’ll what?” 

Alex only smiles before closing the gap, their lips meeting for longer this time. He angles his head to deepen the kiss and he could feel Willie get caught off guard before getting with the program. Alex’s heart skips a beat upon feeling his partner’s lips transform into a smile against his. 

They break apart, but not before Willie chases after him, stealing another quick peck. They laugh, resting their foreheads against each other, catching their breaths. 

“Um... I think I’ll be making a lot more hot dog jokes now if this is my punishment,” 

“I was trying to go for the thing in the movies, like when the person is like ‘shut up’ and the other person goes ‘why don’t you make me’?” 

“But neither of us said those things,” 

“I... know that now,” Alex groans, “Like we were bantering, right? That’s what I was getting at.” 

“Yeah no. I got that.”

“I’m a dork,” 

“And I love that,” 

“So...” Alex starts. 

“So...” Willie repeats, still unsure how to proceed. 

“So...”

A third voice cuts in. They turn their heads to see Julie, Reggie, Luke, Flynn, Carrie, and Nick, in various stages of dishevelment, staring at them. 

it had been Luke who interrupted. He’s sporting a toothy grin whilst crossing his arms and playfully bumping into Reggie who’s giving him a thumbs up. 

“So you dating or what?” Carrie finishes off. 

Alex and Willie share a look. Then they grabbed each other’s hands, making sure their friends could see, “I guess we are.” 

“Finally!” Flynn exclaims while Julie tries to usher everyone else away to give the new couple some privacy. 

She slaps an overzealous Luke upside the head as he lingered to applaud the two. He begrudgingly leaves with everyone else down the stairs. 

“I’m sorry about them,” Julie shakes her head, “You two just... carry on. We’ll go clean up I guess. Help afterwards. Please?”

“You got it boss,” 

“And thanks, Julie,” Willie expresses, “For everything.” 

“No problem. But you take care of that soul now,” 

“Will do. I’m not making any more deals,” 

Julie gives him a pointed look, “I wasn’t referring to yours.” and she winks at Alex, causing him to blush. 

And with that she waves them goodbye, leaving them alone once more.  

Willie sighs, “I need to go and check on everyone. Make sure their souls are back,” 

“Right. And I should go back to Julie and the others,” 

“We’ll definitely talk later,” 

“Yes,” 

“See you,” 

“Bye,” 

The two move to leave in their opposite directions. They both made it to about a couple feet away before they’re rushing back towards each other. 

“One more for the road?” Willie asks. 

“Duh,” 

And they kiss quickly before parting for good. 

Alex may have skipped down the stairs on his way to his friends

(And maybe he pretends to not have heard Willie let out a whoop once he rounded the hallway). 

Yep, they’re both dorks. 

[sidekicksdreams]

Continue from here

@holdittighter​:

Having a quiet Reggie was disturbing in Luke’s mind. He doesn’t know what is making his friend so sad or hurt. Because he totally is. He can just feel it inside his being and it hurts a little. He had tried to distract him a little by talking about random things, which was a main reason for his Nick subject. Even if he felt like he needed to explain to Reggie that Nick is a perfect boy for their little Julie. He shrunks.

“Oh, okay.” Luke smiled excitingly at the confession. “Oh, right! I’m the one who have seen him. You can come with me in my ‘Follow-Julie’s-Maybe-future-boyfriend’ operation, if you want. And join the ‘Julie’s-bros-protective-squad’ too! Just… don’t tell Alex? He’ll probably tell Julie on us and we or just me will get scolded by him, her or both.”

He looked at him questioning what is going on with him. Reggie is usually good with words; better than him any ways. This is getting a little weird.

“Reggie, are you okay?” he asked.

Now this laugh is something that screams Reggie, but something was off about it. It should like a sad, nervous laugh or something. Luke decided that he only likes Reggie’s happy laugh. Then he talked about the chemistry.

“What are you talking about, why is Julie ag-” He stops adruptly, like he finally get something. His eyes widened dramatically, then he asked, almost carefully. “You - you. You thing that I am in love with Julie?”

He looked at him for a few seconds then he said, with more confidence and a certain heat inside his heart and eyes. Why would he have thought that. Luke has lost words until he could speak.

“Reginald, what the hell. I’m not!” Luke has a sort of flame inside his eyes as he said that. He doesn’t want Reggie to misunderstand him. “Julie’s like a sister! And to be clear, I have way more chemistry with another person.”

He sighs as he takes the bridge of his nose by the tips of his thumb and index fingers. To maybe conceal the ghostly headache. Or to conceal the tears. Probably the latter.

He felt Reggie’s hands on his skin and felt his body shiver at the touch. He finally looked at him. He was met with red eyes, which must rival his own red eyes. Damn his emotions at this moment. He was going to cry. At his words, he laughed slightly, not really a happy laugh, but not a sad one. He believes Reggie, of course he does. But he isn’t sure if he is strong to hold the tears for longer. He nodded and answers slowly, using a soft voice too.

“And me you. You are the person I trust the most.”

He slowly put his hand on His cheek, trying to make him look at him. Needing it. He waited until he got his attention, even if he looks away.

“You are not. Reggie. You are the strongest and softest person i’ve meet.” he bit his lip and looked at him, the tears on the corner of his eyes, ready to fall. “Tell me, Reg. You can telle me everything. I- I need to know.”

He looked at him, still. Intensively. And then he added a soft, whispered ‘please’ as a single tear rolled out from his eye to his his chin.

Luke talks about Julie and Nick. He even offered him to join the squad for following Julie’s future boyfriend, probably because he wanted to keep an eye on him to prevent him from becoming Julie’s boyfriend. Or Reggie thinks so. Luke asks him again if he’s fine. He really doesn’t want to worry Luke. Anyway he can’t help him. IT would just be awkward and worse.

“Don’t worry Luke, I said I’m fine!”

He smiles at Luke, really trying his best to look reassuring. Pretending everything is ok.But Luke completely freezes as he starts asking about Julie. And Reggie worries. Did he said something? Because Luke seems frightened, or at least shocked. He doesn’t like that. But Luke seems to have understand something. He just asks he Reggie thinks he love Julie. Well. That was really obvious, he doesn’t think, he knows. Or he thinks he does.

“Isn’t it... obvious?”

He tries carefully, raising an eyebrow, trying to not making Luke panic. He knows but that’s not like he’s not going to be supportive, but... But Luke spoke again. And this time, that Reggie who stopped, really confused. His eyes widened a little. Ok, so Luke doesn’t love Julie. Not like that. He loves someone else. No he said he has more chemistry with someone else, and here Reggie was completely lost. He doesn’t sing with anyone else than Julie. So who could them be? But Reggie feels really bad, because he really has upset Luke, so he gives him an apologetic look.

“Oh... I’m...”

He can’t even think of something to say, he really messed up this time.

“I’m really sorry I don’t mean to upset you Luke... You’re not... mad at me?”

He finally tries to reassure him, but he sees the red in Luke’s eyes, and this is probably what’s hurt him the most. Because it’s his fault. He’s such stupid that he makes Luke cry. Good. He’s the worst. And even with that, Luke can still tell him that he’s the one he trusts the most too. Reggie heart missed a beat at that. He’s really glad Luke feels that way. It makes him feel a bit better, or it would if he doesn’t feel that guilty. Reggie confesses that he’s not strong enough, but Luke takes his face in his hand. Reggie cheeks reden even more. And now they’re both crying. Luke was literally begging him to talk to him, and Reggie can’t resist those eyes.

“Well ok, fine.”

After a few seconds of Reggie thinking, trying to compose, he steps back a bit, looking away, losing the feeling of Luke’s hand on his face, but he needs to right now, or he will never be able to tell him. He takes a deep breath, if he doesn’t say everything, he would probably say nothing at all.

“First please don’t be mad, I don’t want to ruin everything between us. I don’t want you to understand, you don’t have to, I just don’t want to lose you Luke.”

He finally took the courage to look at him, looking very bad, he was crying and almost panicking. He felt his heart beating too fast and he was shaking and his voice wasn’t calm or steady at all.

“I love you Luke. I’ve loved you for a long time now, but I can’t pretend anymore, it’s too hard. But I just want you to be happy, so please just... Just forget it, it will pass. I told you I’m fine.”

He looks back again and runs his hand in his hair, as he starts to walk in the room to calm himself. He said it. And now he’s about to lose him. And really, that’s hurt so much. Anyway, things are going to be really weird.

[uncloseted]

To that person that said Series 6 was left unresolved or on an awkward note…I agree. That's why when I rewatch generation 3, I only watch series 5. Series 6 made no sense; a lot of their personalities were not aligned with series 5. Also, where was Grace's mother when Grace was in the hospital? How did Nick fall in love with Franky all of sudden? Also, what seemed weird was the whole Matty/Franky argument that led to her running off with Luke. Also, since when did Alo became so confident after

(Cont'd) after sleeping with Mini one time? Why wasn't Alo supportive when Rich was having trouble with Grace? Rich destroying Professor Blood's home? None of it made sense. Also, I also find not plausible that Franky would be okay with being sexually active, either. It seemed as if she liked the idea of it but was afraid due to some past trauma or something. I wish we could have seen Jess Britian's s6 instead.

Agreed.  I think there are a lot of questions that series 6 presents and not a lot of answers.  A lot of the things that happen could be believable if they were given more buildup (Alo’s storyline especially- I could totally see him finding confidence in himself and that inspiring him to go after Mini), but we weren’t given any explanations, so it all felt a little off.  But what’s so disappointing about series 6 is that it’s not a result of different directors or show runners or writers.  It was Jamie Brittain and Brian Elsley, like usual (although with the addition of Jess Brittain, which I believe was a bad move).  I think they were angry with the fandom for not appreciating series 5 enough and had sort of given up on trying to make something good, so series 6 was phoned in.  And that feels so much worse than what happened with the costumes, where the person who was doing it left and the person they replaced him with wasn’t as good.

[cloudydamage3]

The Handmaid's Tale Recap: Silver Ring Thing — Plus: Nick's Secret Revealed

RELATED STORIES

The Waterford household (past and present!) goes on a trip to Washington, D.C., in this week’s The Handmaid’s Tale, which gives us the answers to these tantalizing queries:

* What, exactly, would the United States’ capital look like if Nazis took over?

* What is an even more horrifying way to enslave women than the methods we’ve previously seen?

* That new commander totally wants Fred’s action, doesn’t he?

Read on for the highlights of “Household.” (And make sure to read our mini oral history with Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski and executive producer Warren Littlefield about the episode.)

A CAPITAL IDEA | June walks by a bunch of marthas, kneeling in the snow and praying for Nichole’s return, on her way home from whatever mind-numbing task she’s been doing. The site comforts June. “If they’re praying, then she’s still safe,” she voiceovers. “I pray that their prayers go unanswered.” She also prays that Serena will find her way back and will get Fred to stop trying to reclaim the baby, “or may they both get hit by a f—king truck. I’m honestly down for either.” (Heh.)

At home, Lawrence instructs June to pack, because the Waterfords want to borrow her for a week of public prayer in D.C. Fred has orchestrated a big media shebang to exert pressure on Canada to give Nichole back, and having his whole household there is important for optics. June perks up slightly upon learning that Serena will be in attendance, as well, and goes upstairs to get her things together.

June, of course, doesn’t ride with her former commander and mistress during the trip. She and Aunt Lydia are relegated to a separate car; while the older woman is sleeping, June pulls back the red curtains covering her window and is shocked to see that Gilead’s holier-than-thou Powers That Be have transformed the Washington Monument from an obelisk into a cross. Similarly, the new train station is dark and looks like something straight out of Soviet Russia. June muses that the old one, Union Station, was so beautiful. “It was designed by a heretic,” Lydia chirps, adding that the building was destroyed for the greater good. (Side note: That seems rather short-sighted for Gilead, no? Why not just powerwash the place with holy water, string up a bunch of crosses and use what you’ve got rather than rebuilding such a massive — and pivotal — transportation hub from scratch?)

A giddy Aunt Lydia prattles on that she’s “pumped,” and asks June if she feels the same way. June, who’s busy noticing that the local handmaids wear red scarves around their mouths in addition to the regular uniform, absently replies, “Oh yeah. I’m pumped, Aunt Lydia.”

MEET THE WINSLOWS | The Waterfords retrieve June from what amounts to a human baggage claim (keep it classy, Gilead), and Rita and June quietly say they miss each other. But Rita is a little more #TeamSerena than she used to be, and June picks up on it when Rita mentions that having a baby is “the only thing she ever wanted” and seems a little irked that June is so against a reunion.

They’re driven to a grand home belonging to High Commander Winslow and his wife, Olivia. Fred has heard the family is “very down to earth” and sees the visit as “an opportunity.” Serena gives him the eyebrow. “For whom?” she wonders. “Us. All of us. Nichole,” Fred sputters, trying to land on an answer that will de-incense his wife. When they finally meet George Winslow (hi, Christopher Meloni!), things are a little awkward — when the high commander reminds Fred that Gilead has to be “judicious about the images we release to the world, it almost sounds like Fred has already messed up even though nothing has happened yet — but the weirdness is broken when Winslow’s children race in to say goodnight.

There are roughly 300 of them (OK, closer to six, but STILL), and Fred and Serena are taken aback by the sheer number of little ones that flood into the study. Olivia Winslow (hi, Elizabeth Reaser!) follows, holding the youngest, whom she passes to Serena. Serena, of course, immediately starts salivating over the infant. While all of this is happening, June and Rita slip out, unnoticed. June’s surprise over seeing so many kids in one family — remember, most commanders are lucky to have one child — is quickly eclipsed by her horror at finding out what’s underneath the D.C. handmaids’ mouth coverings. When she wonders why the Winslows’ handmaid is so quiet, the woman removes her scarf and reveals that three metal rings are holding her mouth closed. The visual, like the thinking behind it, is horrifying.

JUNE’S INTERNATIONAL INCIDENT | The next morning, Fred, Serena, June and a few local handmaids are practicing for the giant media moment that’ll take place later on. Nick surprises everyone by stopping by; he’s still heading out to the front in Chicago soon, but hasn’t gotten his orders yet. “Would you mind standing in for me? Just for this shot?” Fred asks. C’mon, Commander, we know that you know that Nick doesn’t mind stepping in for you — in pretty much any situation. Nick takes his place next to June and whispers, “Nice girl like you in a place like this?” She lights up, smiling as they surreptitiously touch hands.

Back at the Winslow home, Serena and June watch the children play. “Serena, I know you don’t want this,” June says, seizing the opportunity to try to change her mind about getting Nichole back. Mrs. Waterford replies that seeing the baby “changed everything for me,” and they’re both crying a little as June points out that “seeing her changed you. It didn’t change this place. She deserves better. Our girl deserves better. And I know you know that.” Before anything else can be said, Fred arrives to announce that the Swiss have agreed to act as a neutral party in Gilead’s bid to get Nichole back… and they want to talk to everyone in the household.

That’s how June winds up talking to some Swiss officials, without the Waterfords or any other observers in the room. “I am the child’s mother, and I want Nichole to stay in Canada,” she says, adding that Fred isn’t the baby’s father — which they know already, having somehow gotten wind of the tape she made for Luke. So if the Waterfords have no biological tie to the kid, easy peasy, right? Well, no: Gilead has a lot of military strength and weapons, and Canada has no desire to tick off its nutty neighbor to the south. So the Swiss float the idea that the more info they/Canada can glean about Gilead — which is a huge question mark to the rest of the world, remember — the more they might be able to do. June offers up Nick as a source: As a commander and former Eye, he’d be an information goldmine. The Swiss are wary that he’ll cooperate. “I’ll persuade him,” June says confidently. So she shakes hands on a deal to help protect Nichole and leaves feeling rather good (relatively) about the future.

HE REALLY PUTS THE ‘MAN’ IN ‘COMMANDER’ | Back at the house that evening, Fred and George Winslow play pool, drink liquor and generally celebrate being male and in charge. Is it me, or does Winslow seem to be putting his tush in Fred’s personal space as much as possible? “Here’s to your bright future, perhaps in D.C.,” George says, which makes Fred blush like a shy teenager whose crush just asked him to prom. But then George places his hand on Fred’s shoulder, rubs it a bit and then keeps it there: Oh, he WAS putting his tush in Fred’s personal space as much as possible. Gives new meaning to “two ball in the corner pocket,” no? Fred freezes, but then one of Winslow’s daughters runs into ask them to a tea party, and they go.

In the playroom, Olivia tells Serena, “I know this is a bit taboo, but I really loved your book.” We learn that she and George both were corporate lawyers in their pre-Gilead life, then Fred comes over with a stuffed lion and does this playful little bit about asking to borrow some sugar. Serena laughs. I scream, “HE CUT OFF YOUR PINKY.” When one of the children reclaims the toy, Fred faux mopes, “I lost my lion.” Serena can relate, because SHE LOST HER PERSONHOOD.

Later, June is in bed when a martha creeps in to tell her she has a visitor outside. June smiles, like, “Yep, still got it.” Of course it’s Nick, and she runs to him in her nightgown with her hair unbound. They kiss, then she tells him about the deal she made to keep Nichole in Canada. He’s… not psyched. “They’re politicians. They have their own agenda,” he reminds her, but she’s undeterred. “This is your one chance. This is it,” she says. “This is your chance to be a father to our daughter. How many of those do you think you’re going to get?” He relents and agrees to go to the meeting.

SAY IT AIN’T SO, NICK! | Of course, this is Gilead, so everything’s gotta go terribly wrong at some point. And that point arrives when a member of the Swiss delegation shows up at the Winslows’ to tell Fred that they’re recommending the continuation of discussions about getting Nichole back. In a moment alone, June asks the Swiss woman what the heck happened, and she says that they can’t do business with Nick. “I don’t think you know who Mr. Blaine is, or who he was. He is not to be trusted,” the woman says ominously, mentioning that Nick has shipped out to Chicago.

June gets Serena alone for a moment to ask what Nick did before he was a driver. “He was a soldier in the crusade. We wouldn’t be here without him,” the blonde says. And then, because she will not NOT be a raging jerk, she twists the knife by adding, “All this time you spent together, and he never mentioned anything?” Indeed, we cut to Nick on a military transport, and all of the men snap to attention and salute as he walks down the line. Interesting….

SCARF ON, GLOVES OFF | As a wrung-out Aunt Lydia helps an even more wrung-out June get ready for Fred’s big media moment. “Do you want us all to be silenced?” June asks, referring to the D.C. handmaids’ rings. “No, no I don’t,” Lydia replies, also crying. They hug, and Aunt Lydia tells her how she tries to focus on “the good I can still try to do in God’s world,” but then she’s gotta get June strapped into her brand-new mouth scarf and ready for the event.

Then we see June at the Lincoln Memorial, except the statue’s been severely damaged. It’s missing a head and an arm, and is generally a sad visual representation of the state of the ruined union. Serena approaches, and they get into an argument when Serena says she can’t wait until she and Fred are settled in D.C. and can be “free” of Serena. “You will never be free of me until both my children are safe,” June growls at her. There’s some back and forth — Serena is mad that June didn’t accompany Nichole to Canada, June is mad that she can’t trust Serena — and then June launches into a verbal evisceration of her former mistress.

“You can’t love! You don’t know how!” she yells. “You built this whole world just so you could have someone. But it didn’t work. You’re small. You’re cruel. And you’re empty. You will always be empty.” Serena quietly cries. “I should’ve put a ring in your mouth the day that we met,” she responds. But nope, Mrs. W: June’s gonna get the last word this time. “I should’ve let you burn when I had the chance.”

Afterward, it’s time for Fred’s moment. As June walks out to where the Waterfords are standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, we see a zillion handmaids amassed on the plaza and on both sides of the reflecting pool stretching toward the former Washington Monument. When the pageantry begins, all the ‘maids kneel when June does, and Fred begins to pray in front of the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration a public appeal, period, both in person and around the globe

Now it’s your turn. What did you think of the episode? Sound off in the comments!

Source: https://tvline.com/2019/06/26/the-handmaids-tale-recap-season-3-episode-6-household-washington-dc/

[junker-town]

LeBron James knows how to play all the NBA’s games

Welcome back to the Sunday Shootaround.

BOSTON -- LeBron James figured out an essential truth years ago: The quietest place in the storm is the eerie calm of the middle. He’s grown so comfortable amid the maelstrom surrounding him that it may as well be his second home.

On Thursday morning, the center of the storm was the far baseline at TD Garden where LeBron was surrounded by the usual semicircle of microphones and cameras that hang on his every word. Mere hours before a trade deadline that saw a record number of deals, it was just another day at the office for James. When he had fulfilled his media obligations, LeBron chatted amiably with a handful of familiar reporters while the other Lakers finished up their routines.

By 3 p.m. two of his teammates — Michael Beasley and Ivica Zubac — would be gone. The other Lakers would still be there after the deadline was over, including the young core of players who have had their names front and center as part of a pursuit of Anthony Davis that ultimately proved futile.

That effort was led by AD’s agent Rich Paul — who also happens to represent James and is one of his closest confidants. Paul’s mission was to orchestrate a trade, preferably to LeBron’s Lakers. When that looked more and more like a nonstarter, LeBron’s teammates found themselves cast as pawns in what some believe was a campaign designed to strike back at Paul’s attempted coup.

As the rumored demands emanating from New Orleans became more and more outrageous, the message being sent was that the young Laker core simply wasn’t that compelling. It all bubbled over in an embarrassing loss to Indiana on Tuesday that served as the largest of LeBron’s career. Being able to handle the chaos that follows James is a job requirement, and the young Lakers have thus far proven less than worthy.

“I don’t know, that’s a question for those guys,” James said when asked if the pressure of the deadline was bothering his teammates. “It’s just all part of the business, and when you truly understand that, and you truly know this is a business, but you give 110 percent to whatever situation you’re in, then you’re able to live with it. But I know this has to be tough on guys that for the first time in their career, especially if you’re a young guy, to hear your name in trade rumors when you’ve been somewhere for a few years.”

The deals the Lakers did make spoke to a subtle course correction. Having spent the summer loading up on playmakers at the expense of shooting, the Lakers added the kind of veteran shooters in Reggie Bullock and Mike Muscala that should thrive playing with LeBron and the still vital Rajon Rondo.

The Bullock deal was a nice one. He’s young and has come into his own as a role player in Detroit where he and Blake Griffin made an artform of dribble handoffs. The Muscala move was more curious as it came at the expense of 21-year-old Zubac who has admirably held down the center position. Yet, now there’s a sliver of shooting to put around LeBron where before there was little.

While Bullock and Muscala are solid additions, they’re hardly the kind of stars one needs to compete for championships. The Lakers have been unable to land a second star to complement James, and not even Paul’s considerable clout was enough to make it happen. An uncomfortable question lingers at the heart of LeBron’s LA story: If not AD, then who?

Paul George happily re-signed in Oklahoma City over the summer rather than return home to play with LeBron. Whispers that have turned into screams have Kevin Durant likely headed to New York. Kawhi Leonard appears to have eyes for LA’s other team, the Clippers. Even with the caveat that no one knows what the hell Kyrie Irving will do, a reunion with James seems unlikely.

If their reluctance to cast their lot with LeBron isn’t an outright refutation of his preeminence, it’s at least a declaration of their desire to forge their own path. The irony is that this generation of stars are merely following the blueprint that LeBron introduced years ago.

To be a star in this league is to have power, but only if you choose to utilize it and only if you are prepared to deal with the fallout. The outline is simple: Trade a modicum of contractual security for freedom of movement and leave yourself as many options as possible. And if that fails, stare down your current team until they blink.

Unfettered star movement has fueled the league’s ascent from pleasant winter diversion into a 365-day trending topic driven by trade talk and endless free agent speculation. The run-up to the trade deadline became such a focus of activity that it even overtook the mighty NFL during Super Bowl week.

“We’re all actors in a soap opera,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr noted. “We really are. And we have to deal with that part of it.”

Dealing with it has proven far more difficult than LeBron makes it appear. Rather than take control over their situations, KD and Kyrie spent part of the last week railing at the media rumor mongering they could have quashed with a few bland quotes.

Appearing for the first time since his trade demand was made public, Davis appeared uncomfortable and awkward. For his part, Kawhi remained an enigma, his silence speaking volumes about his disinterest in yielding to the larger forces at work. An effective, if unsettling, strategy for his current team in Toronto.

LeBron, meanwhile, blithely went about his business understanding that it’s all a part of the game that he played a large role in creating. He also understands better than anyone that the only power he could possibly concede at this point is to let others craft his narrative for him.

“There’s nothing I need to get in this league that I don’t already have,” James said, not incorrectly. “Everything else for me is just like icing on the cake. I love the process of everything I go through to be able to compete every single night and put teams in position to compete for championships. But there’s nothing I’m chasing or feel like I need to end my career on.”

So, what now? If you squint hard enough, you can still see the contours of a good Laker team that combines youthful energy with veteran savvy. They were in fine position before James missed 18 games with a groin injury and there’s no reason they can’t regain that status before the end of the season.

Against the Celtics later that night, Kyle Kuzma rained down 3’s while Brandon Ingram played inspired defense against Irving. When the game threatened to get away from them late in the second quarter, LeBron morphed from vaguely disinterested bystander into full on freight train.

The Lakers erased an 18-point lead and built an edge heading into the fourth quarter. They rallied again down the stretch with LeBron leading a furious comeback that ended when Tyson Chandler smartly kept a loose ball alive where it found Rondo’s oversized hand for the game-winner at the buzzer.

The former Celtic soon found himself engulfed by the very team that seemed on the edge of a breakdown just 48 hours ago. Their sense of unbridled joy only added to the feeling of relief.

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

“I don’t want to say, ‘needed it,’” embattled Laker coach Luke Walton said. “But winning helps.”

Winning solves most problems in this league and in the wake of Thursday’s deadline activity, the Lakers have a path back to postseason contention. It’s not a clear path with three teams vying for one spot, but it does exist.

While the Clippers traded their best player for little more than cap space, they still have enough DGAF vets to make a creditable run. The Kings are the opposite: young, hungry, and fortified by the addition of Harrison Barnes. The Lakers have LeBron and it’s not hard to remember him emerging from an equally unsettled mess just last season with Cleveland.

“If I’m healthy and we’re a connected group, I think we can make a push,” he said. “That’s all it’s about.”

For now, anyway, that is all it’s about. It didn’t go unnoticed that LeBron’s first three picks for his All-Star squad were Durant, Irving, and Leonard, free agents all. And with his first pick of reserves, he chose Anthony Davis.

THE LIST

Consumable NBA thoughts

In the words of a scout, the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs is, “Going to be a motherf---er.” Milwaukee, Toronto, and Philly all loaded up at the deadline while the Celtics did what they needed to do to position themselves for their long-awaited pursuit of Anthony Davis. Let’s recast the Eastern contenders in the wake of the transactional flood.

MILWAUKEE

With a top-five offense and defense translating into the best point differential in the league, the Bucks were the odds-on favorite to come out of the East even before the deadline. Adding a true stretch-four in Niko Mirotic to the mix only strengthens that view. Milwaukee needs space for Giannis Antetokounmpo to wreak havoc. Mirotic provides superior shooting along with a bit of rebounding and all the positional versatility you could want for the Bucks’ giant front line. The deer were already to be feared. Now they’re the hunted.

TORONTO

Marc Gasol may have lost a step from his All-NBA days, but he’s still a force. While acquiring him took a chunk out of Toronto’s depth, the cost wasn’t prohibitively expensive for a player of his caliber. You could say that the Raptors went all-in, but they already were after acquiring Kawhi Leonard over the summer. The trick for coach Nick Nurse will be juggling frontcourt rotations featuring Gasol, Pascal Siakam, and Serge Ibaka. As always come playoff time, expectations for the Raptors are in the eye of the beholder.

PHILADELPHIA

In the midst of a career season, Tobias Harris is exactly the kind of rangy, hyper-efficient stretch four the Sixers needed to flesh out their already formidable offense. Still, that’s a lot of dudes who need the ball and with Harris, Jimmy Butler, and J.J. Redick coming up on free agency, it’s a lot of dudes who will also be looking for new contracts in July. Philly GM Elton Brand is betting on talent and it will be up to coach Brett Brown to forge a cohesive unit in a short amount of time for a group that was already searching for an identity. But man, that’s a lot of freaking talent.

BOSTON

The Celtics opened up a roster spot by ridding themselves of Jabari Bird. That will give them the chance to utilize the mid-level exception on a veteran free agent for the stretch run and possibly serve as a salary piece of an Anthony Davis trade. With AD still in play, Danny Ainge will get his chance to swing a blockbuster deal. That was the C’s best case scenario, but the strange part of the equation is that they’re also trying to compete for a championship with the very players who will be part of an AD package. That has the potential to serve as either a unifying force or the element that tears them apart.

INDIANA

When the Pacers lost Victor Oladipo to a season-ending leg injury, they also lost their best shot at breaking into the top four in the East. Still, you take this team lightly at your peril. Nate McMillan’s defensive-minded squad is smart and connected, traits that will serve them well the rest of the season. Indy was quiet at the deadline, but adding Wes Matthews on the buyout market was a coup. Just one more savvy veteran to make someone uncomfortable come playoff time.

SAY WHAT?!

“Now y’all piling on me because I don’t want to talk to y’all about that. I have nothing to do with the Knicks. I don’t know who traded (Kristaps) Porzingis. That got nothing to do with me. I’m trying to play basketball. Y’all come in here every day, ask me about free agency, ask my teammates, my coaches, rile up the fans about it.” — Kevin Durant.

Reaction: The only thing more insufferable than blaming the media is the backlash. Still, KD’s obliviousness to the reality in which he exists would be absurd if it wasn’t so strange.

”We’re trying to win. We’re going to end that talk right now. We’re trying to win. If we don’t get that pick, lose it, we can get it back another way. There’s not been one mention of that.” — Clippers coach Doc Rivers.

Reaction: This is why it’s a good idea to separate your coach from long-term decision making. All credit to Doc, who’s reminding everyone what a fantastic coach he is, but the long view is a front office requirement. The Clippers have set themselves up exceedingly well for this summer.

“To get the players that you would want – or that extra star – we don’t have that flexibility; it’s not happening. We’re starting it; these are smaller moves on the sides but we again don’t have that flexibility to get another star to go alongside Blake [Griffin].” — Pistons general manager Ed Stefanski.

Reaction: The Pistons have been wandering in the wilderness of mediocrity for a while. Before he can even address Detroit’s lack of talent, Stefanski needs to clean up the mess leftover from the Stan Van Gundy era. Seriously, don’t let your coach be the GM.

“We had been looking for an opportunity like this. We, like the rest of the league, thought very highly of Markelle at the draft and we were just very happy when it turned out to actually be there for us to execute.” — Orlando GM Jeff Weltman after trading for Markelle Fultz.

Reaction: You won’t find anyone in the league who isn’t rooting for Fultz to get his career back on track. Orlando should be the perfect environment.

“That was definitely awkward. Boo? OK. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m going to go out there and play basketball. But hey, that’s life, man. Some people are not gonna like me. I’m just happy to be back on the floor playing the game that I love.” — Anthony Davis after returning to a mixed reaction from the New Orleans crowd.

Reaction: The next few months are going to be exceedingly awkward for everyone involved. The fallout is only beginning.

[iwanttowriteyou]

All I Wanted; C.H. 30

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10**, part 11*, part 12*, part 13, part 14, part 15**, part 16, part 17, part 18, part 19, part 20, part 21, part 22, part 23, part 24, part 25, part 26, part 27**, part 28, part 29

A/N: Hello lovely people,

This is the last part of All I Wanted. I had a blast writing this and I want to thank you all for the kind words regarding this story (or any other of course). It’s been a fun way for me to make fun of my disastrous love life and I’m glad you’ve accepted me with such open arms.

Enjoy the last part,

Lots of love,  L. xox

“I’ll see you later love.” I smile into the receiver as I bid Calum goodbye. Calum didn’t want to end things, but that didn’t mean that Meredith had let things go. Two, almost three weeks had passed and I hadn’t heard from my best friend since. I would feel betrayed too, but I would appreciate it if she could at least try to be happy for me. She said so herself – Calum had changed since we started hooking up, and it had only gotten better now that I was his girl.

“Of course, babe. I’ll phone you later.” Calum answers before I hear the click and the annoying tune, indicating our telephone conversation had ended. I slide my phone back into my pocket as I let my gaze wander back to the make-up articles in front of me. I had decided to treat myself with a little shopping spree and my first stop was new eyeshadow and lipstick.

“Y/n…”

I freeze in my spot when I hear her voice, clutching the eyeshadow I had taken off of the rack in my fist. I slowly turn my head and raise my eyebrows when I see a nervous Meredith staring at me with the tiniest of smiles of her lips. “Uh, hi?”

“Hi. Uh – it’s been a while.” She mumbles and I refrain myself just in time from scoffing as I avert my gaze from hers. It hadn’t been my choice to let it ‘have been a while’. I wouldn’t go all out and say I wasn’t in the wrong because I clearly was, and I was aware of that, but Meredith not answering any of my calls or texts was a ball that was in her court.

“Yeah, I guess.” I mutter back, dropping the eyeshadow back in its original place while I focus on another part of the aisle, hoping to get away soon before we’d starting fighting again.

“Do you – uh, do you have time for a chat?” I turn completely, my whole body facing hers as I watch her rather tentative posture. Normally Meredith was filled with confidence – a bit too much if you asked me, it leaned more towards arrogance sometimes – but now she was a trembling mess. I guess it had done her worse than it had done me. On the other hand, I had Calum supporting me whenever I had a mental breakdown about this friendship.

“Now?” I am kind of perplexed to run into her here – although the city wasn’t that large, you never ran across someone around here. And I know Meredith had purposely been avoiding me these past days. I cross my arms across my chest, still not quite sure what she desires of me – and right now I wish I could call Calum and ask for his advice.

“Okay look, I’m sorry Y/n. I overreacted I know that and if you decide to not be friend anymore that’s fine by me, seems a bit impossible though with all the –“ I scrape my throat to stop her rambling. She takes a few seconds to recollect herself before she speaks again. “Let’s talk this out, please? Over a cup of coffee?”

“Okay, fine.” The nerves have slowly dissipated knowing that she isn’t here to yell furiously at me some more, but rather to talk it out among friends. That doesn’t mean all of the nerves are gone yet though, seeing as how this could easily turn out into a complete disaster – something that had happened multiple times in our friendship over the years.

***************

I had laid my cards out on the table, telling her everything that had happened in the past three months, skipping on some of the passionate details but emphasizing how I felt about Calum from the start. I wanted her to know that this wouldn’t be some fling that would tear our friendship apart. If Calum and I ever decided to part ways, I wasn’t planning on staying away from the Hood residence all together. Meredith was still my best friend and I wasn’t planning on changing that anytime soon.

“So… It was you Calum asked me advice about?” Meredith questions for the second time since our first cup of coffee and this conversation started. It had gotten a lot better than I expected and I weren’t one to complain.

“I guess so, that I don’t know. If it were anyone else he wouldn’t have gotten a second chance, let alone a third one.” I laugh wickedly, finishing off with an awkward ‘ah’ at the end as our conversation falls back to silence. “Well, if we’re being honest with one another…” Meredith starts off and I feel my eyes widening as I bite my bottom lip.

“I think if Luke and I didn’t talk, I wouldn’t have spoken to you ever again.” Meredith starts stirring her cup absentmindedly as she tries to avoid my gaze. “Luke caught us, I didn’t plan on him knowing.” I start defending myself, but Meredith shuts me up with a sigh.

“I know. He told me. He also told me you both seemed smitten about each other and I would be a bad friend and a bad sister if I at least didn’t support two of such important people in my life.” I smile when I realize it’s the first time she has voiced her approval of me dating Calum.

“I’m glad you’re not pissed at me anymore. I really need my best friend to gossip with.” I laugh as I grasp Meredith’s hand and give it a firm squeeze. “I missed you too.”

“Are you seeing Calum today?” Meredith asks as she waves at the waiter for our check. I still feel kind of awkward answering any question about her brother but she really seems like she wants to keep being my best friend, so I have to be honest with her like I was before.

“Yeah, I was supposed to meet him later.” I push a few coins towards Meredith to cover my drinks and get up to put on my coat. “Oh, we should hang out later, I’ll ask Michael too.” I am reluctant to agree, but if I want to keep these charades up there is nothing else I can say besides “Oh, okay. That sounds great.” My smile is not genuine and I think she notices, but her smile is even more forced that I imagine mine displays. “I’ll see you later then.” I press my lips against her cheek and walk out of the bar.

*****************

“What a surprise to see you here so soon.” Calum grins at me, clad in only his boxer shorts as he leans down to greet me with a kiss. The kiss is shortened as I pull away and push past Calum to be indoors. “I ran into Meredith right after I spoke to you. We talked.”

“Oh?” Calum smiles as he closes the door and lets his arm snake around my waist. “You don’t seem surprised.” I state, absentmindedly dragging my fingers along Calum’s exposed arm, pressing my back against his solid chest. “Not really, no.”

I hum, turning around in his arms as he starts kissing my neck again. “Calum…”

“I saw her in the morning. We talked things through. It would be a nick of time before she spoke to you too.” Calum hums contently as he pushes me backwards, towards the stairs, while I struggle against him. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I wanted to talk to you about this personally, not over the phone. Now…” Calum grins as he presses his lips against mine feverishly, my eyelids immediately fluttering closed. I enjoy the moment, Calum’s hand roaming along my back before they rest on my bum, which they give a firm squeeze.

“Calum?” Our make-out stops when we hear Meredith’s voice from the kitchen. We part ways and step aside when the kitchen door opens and reveals Meredith, Michael behind her.

“Oh hey. Didn’t know you would be here.” Meredith smiles awkwardly, a grin we reciprocate. It’s quiet for just the longest second and I breathe a sigh of relief as Michael speaks up. “Hey, wanna hangout? I brought my guitar.” He motions to the large pack on his back and I know it’s more towards Calum but I’m thankful he decides to break the tension. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had no clue what was going on and how badly he had helped us out just now.

“Yeah, of course, I’ll get some pants on.” Calum grins at me before he jogs up the stairs and leaves me there to awkwardly smile at Meredith as Michael disappears from sight. Meredith turns around and motions for me to follow her and I do so without a word.

“Want anything?” She motions to the fridge and I shrug my shoulders, indicating I didn’t mind whatever she gave me. I’m handed a beer and follow her outside, Michael already soaking up the cool spring sun.

Calum joins us soon after and takes a seat beside me. He doubted at first, clearly contemplating if it were okay to sit beside me with his sister around. He settles for his hand on my knee, a completely ignorant gesture but something so huge to where we came from.

It’s awkward, and even that’s an understatement, but I have absolutely nothing to talk about. The last few weeks had been revolving around the guy beside me, and I wasn’t going to tell my dirty little secret to Meredith – in hopes of reconciling, of course – with the male of said stories right beside me.

“I’ve invited Luke as well; hope you don’t mind.” Michael states absentmindedly, tweaking the strings of is guitar. My eyes are glued to the neck of the musical instrument but inside I’m grinning brightly. I could talk to Luke, my new found friend, and this awkwardness would all go away.

It were a few quiet, very quiet six minutes. As I hear the fence click, indicating Luke’s arrival, I almost want to fly out of my seat and go greet him up front – almost. Calum’s hand on my knee is the only thing stopping me right now. It would look quite weird if I were so giddy to meet my boyfriend – it still tastes sweet on my tongue – his best mate.

“Hi guys, what’s up!” Luke yells as he appears in sight, stopping in his tracks as he feels the tension. The air is thick and I won’t deny it. I really want this to work though so I hope Luke plans on being my glue.

“Why are you looking like that Luke? I know.” Meredith smiles coyly as she gazes from Calum’s outstretched arm to Luke’s I-am-trying-to-be-stoic-features. I jump as I hear her voice and hold in my breath as Luke gazes from me to Meredith and back to me before his mouth opens.

“I know that you know. You thought this hiding shit from everyone was bad for you? How do you think it was for me? I am such a blabber mouth; my cat knows everything!” Luke stammers hysterically, pointing at Calum and I, drawing laughs out of all of our mouths.

Thank you for being my glue. I mentally thank Luke, smiling brightly at him as he winks at me. “Glad it worked out for you, little one,” Luke ruffles my hair and drops down beside me, “Although I am disappointed in you two. You could show some more love, I know you have it in you!”

You would think Luke would make things awkward again, but Meredith grins brightly – genuinely, not forced this time – as Calum gazes from her to me. Calum leans over to press his lips against my cheek and Luke ‘ooh’s like a little girl, clapping his hands like a retarded seal.

“I am so happy we’re done from keeping shit from our friends.” Luke sighs as he takes a swig from my beer, a loud scoff passing my lips as he does so. He is right. I’m elated as well.

“You’re right.” Meredith grins and lifts her glass, ushering us to toast. I look around and see Luke smugly grin as he holds my beer up to the middle of the table, a pout present on my lips. “Well I don’t have a drink to toast with, not anymore at least.”

Calum’s arm winds around my waist and easily slides me from my seat at the table onto his lap, pushing his beer into my hands as his hands rest on my waist. “Use mine.” “One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life; friendship.” Luke grins, probably amazingly proud that he came up with such a sophisticated quote.

“Isn’t that love instead of friendship?” Meredith grins as she raises an eyebrow at a non-suspecting Luke who starts chuckling loudly after. “Laughter is the shortest distance between people.”  

I slap his shoulder lightly as I shake my head, “Stop it!”, rolling my eyes before I let them scan over my friends. He had a point there, though. Laughter brings people together and maybe without knowing, maybe not, Luke had glued one of the first little pieces of this back together. A nice set of friends, a loving boyfriend and my best friend back at my side. I guess I got all I wanted.