#I work 9-5 tomorrow then I’m going to a concert at 7

[worm-in-a-trenchcoat]

Tomorrow is Black Fae day and I’m gonna miss it again 😭

[ladykailitha]

If I Rescue You, Will You Rescue Me, Too? Part 15

I am seriously enjoying how much you all love my Mrs Harrington. She is so fun to write. And while we aren’t there yet, she absolutely will go for Mr Harrington’s jugular. She’s been building a case for five years. She’s going to bury him. :D

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

***

Steve sat at the fanciest restaurant in town in just his jeans and a polo shirt. He felt a little out of place, but he knew if it really bothered him, he could change in the restroom.

“I’m sorry, Steven,” Mrs Harrington began. “I had been finding out so many horrible things about your father over the last few years and to learn that he kept your injuries from me as well? That was the final straw.”

Steve grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You didn’t know. Hell, I didn’t know either. I think he was trying to keep us apart.”

Mrs Harrington sighed. “You’re probably right. Because if we compared notes...” she trailed off.

“Then we would be able figure out what a douchebag he was sooner,” Steve agreed.

Mrs Harrington laughed. “So your father was telling me you were seeing someone new.”

Steve blushed. “Yeah, it’s very new. We went to a concert in Indy last weekend and ended up realizing we both felt that same.”

“That’s so sweet,” Mrs Harrington cooed. “What’s her name?” Steve blushed harder and deeper and she cocked her head knowingly. “Or his?”

Steve’s head shot up and his jaw dropped. “What?”

She covered his hand with her other hand. “Darling, your father might be an ignoramus but I am not. I was one the few DAs in the state that were fighting to get rid of the sodomy laws in Indiana.” She tilted her head and smiled. “Plus you clearly had a crush on John Travolta.”

Steve sputtered. “Really?”

“Oh yes,” Mrs Harrington said. “You had to have your hair just like his in that musical he did with Olivia Newton John.”

“Oh god,” Steve muttered. “I do remember that. And here I was thinking it was a new thing. Something that only came about because of him.”

Mrs Harrington smiled warmly at her son. “Tell me all about this boy.”

And so Steve did.

“He sounds wonderful my darling,” she said once he was done. “Would you have gone to his house tonight if I hadn’t joined you?”

Steve nodded. “Or my best friend Robin.”

“Boy or girl?” Mrs Harrington asked.

And so Steve launched into Robin, which of course led to the kids and then still being friends with Nancy and Jonathan.

“Sounds like you were building a life for yourself,” she said gently, “while I was building a divorce case against your father. I’m sorry I wasn’t there, love. But I promise to be from now on.”

Steve nodded, fighting back tears. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too.”

They finished their dinner and Mrs Harrington paid the bill. “Do you mind if I borrow your car for tonight until I can get mine out of storage tomorrow?”

Steve shook his head. “I don’t work tomorrow so that should be fine.”

She smiled brightly at him. “Where would you prefer I drop you off, Eddie’s or Robin’s?”

Steve blushed. “Would–would you like to meet Eddie?”

“Yes!” she said jumping up and down. “Of course I would!”

Steve jutted his thumb at the payphones. “I’m going to call him so you don’t give him a heart attack.”

“Fair enough.”

Steve waited as the phone rang, his heart in his hand. His mom wanted to meet his boyfriend.

“Hello?”

“Eddie?” Steve asked.

“Stevie!” Eddie greeted. “Hey, you need me to come get you?”

“No, but I will need a place to stay,” Steve explained. “Can I stay at yours?”

“Of course you can,” Eddie agreed. “I’ll just make the bed in the spare room.” He paused for a second. “Steve...I have a spare room...”

Steve’s heart soared. “Yes, you do, babe.” He chuckled when he heard his boyfriend giggle on the other end. “Uh...there is one thing you should know before I get there though.”

“What that, sweetheart?”

“He kicked both of us out,” Steve whispered.

“Both?” Eddie asked. “...Your mom, too?”

Steve nodded even though he knew Eddie couldn’t see. “Yeah, um... apparently he didn’t tell her all the times I got hurt.”

“Holy shit. Does she need some place to stay too? I mean you can share my bed and she can have the spare room.”

“That’s sweet of you, Eds,” Steve said. “But she has some place to stay. She had been planning on divorcing my dad for a while so...because she’s Allison Harrington she had a escape route ready.”

“Wow.”

Steve took a deep breath and let out slow.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Eddie asked. “Are you okay?”

“She wants to meet my boyfriend.”

There was silence on the line for so long that Steve worried the line went dead. “Eddie?” he said, his voice starting to quiver.

“Boyfriend,” Eddie repeated. “She knows it’s a boy?”

“Yeah, she guessed when I told her I was seeing someone,” Steve admitted shyly.

“Wow,” Eddie breathed. “And you told her about me?”

“Of course I did,” Steve said with a sigh of relief. “So would it be okay if you met her?”

“Yes!” Eddie said. “Of course, Stevie.”

“I’ll be there soon, love,” Steve said.

“Bye, babe.”

Steve hung up the phone and went out to meet his mom.

She cupped his cheek. “Everything all right, sweetie?”

Steve nodded. “It was just a shock. When I speak of you and dad, it’s, it’s not...”

“Flattering?” she asked softly.

He shook his head. “I mean it’s most Dad and I did use you as a reference for both my jobs, but...”

“But I haven’t been around.”

“Yeah.” Steve hung his head.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” she said. “I understand. Besides it’ll be more fun this way.”

Steve looked up at her in confusion.

“I get to surprise them!” she said gleefully.

Steve laughed. “You’ll certainly do that.”

*

The drive to the Munsons’ new house was filled with laughter and stories.

“He thought it was a regular dog,” Steve was saying. “Until it ate his cat.”

“Oh no!” Mrs Harrington said through her giggles. “That poor cat.”

“Yeah,” Steve agreed, a bright smile on his face when they pulled up to the house.

“There’s going to be boxes and shit everywhere because they’re still moving in,” he warned her as they got his luggage out of the trunk.

She smiled brightly. “I’m in no place to judge anyone’s housekeeping. As they have one and I don’t. Well, not yet anyway.”

They walked up to the door and knocked.

Uncle Wayne opened the door. “Won’t you come in?” As he led them to the front room, he called, “Eddie! Your boy is here!”

Steve blushed. Apparently Eddie had already told him about his mom knowing about them.

Eddie came thundering down the stairs. He had clearly put some effort into his appearance. His hair was a little damp from a shower and his clothes were clean. He still wore his ripped jeans and the band t-shirt from last weekend. His feet were barefoot but it was his own house.

“Stevie!” Eddie said happily as he bounded into the room.

Steve went over and picked up his boyfriend and spun him around. Eddie giggled.

“Put me down!” Eddie shrieked.

Steve let him slide down in his arms and gave him a deep kiss. “Hey, sunshine.”

“Hey, sweetheart,” Eddie murmured and kissed him softly. “Do you want to introduce me to your mom?”

Steve let him go, but grabbed his hand as they walked over to her.

“Mom,” he began shyly. “This is my boyfriend, Eddie Munson and his uncle, Wayne.”

Mrs Harrington smiled. “It’s nice to meet you both. I’m Allison Harrington.”

“She’s pretty,” Eddie said. “Now I know where you get your good looks from.”

Steve and Mrs Harrington laughed.

She shrugged. “Eh, his father’s good looks was his only redeeming feature. But thank you.”

Eddie laughed. “At least he has one.”

“His only one,” she agreed. “And his biggest curse, unfortunately.”

“Would you like a drink before you go?” Wayne asked. “I don’t think we’ve got much other than beer if you want something stronger than soda or water.”

She shook her head. “I really need to get going. I have so much to do and not a lot of time to do it in.”

Mrs Harrington kissed Steve on the cheek. “We’ll meet up for lunch and I’ll give you the car back then, okay?”

“Sure thing, Mom.”

As she turned to leave, she called out over her shoulder. “Bring Eddie and your best friend, too. I’d like to meet her.”

Steve laughed. “She’ll be there!”

She waved and was out the door.

“Holy shit,” Eddie breathed.

“Holy shit,” Steve agreed.

*

“Edmond Joseph Munson,” Robin said, coming to a dead stop about fifteen feet from the table Steve was waiting for them at. “Why is the most beautiful woman in the world sitting with Steve?”

Eddie chuckled. “Isn’t she just gorgeous? Come on, so you can meet her.”

Robin opened her mouth to say no, but squawked when Eddie grabbed her wrist and dragged her over to the table.

Eddie leaned over a pressed a kiss to her cheek. “It’s good to see you again,” he murmured and sat down next to Steve.

“Oooh,” she said gleefully. “I like this one. So polite. You can keep him.”

Steve laughed. “Was going to happen with or without your permission.”

She cocked her head to the side and then nodded. “Good.” She smiled up at Robin who had gone completely red. “You must be Robin. Steven has told me all about you. Every word not spent on Eddie is spent on you.”

Robin smacked Steve. “What do you mean I’m second? I deserve better than that! I’m your Platonic soulmate with a capital P. One week. One week is all it took for me to replaced.” She sighed dramatically.

The woman leaned forward and stage whispered, “Is she always this exuberant?”

Steve laughed. “No.” Robin preened. “Sometimes she’s worse.”

“Hey!” Robin protested. She sat down in a huff.

“Robin this is my mom, Allison Harrington,” Steve said with a small smile.

“Oh!” she said. “Wow, yeah. Hi.” She looked over at Steve. “You never told me your mom was gorgeous.”

Steve cocked his head to the side. “Doesn’t every little boy think his mom is the prettiest woman in the world?” Allison blushed. “I don’t think you would have believed me.”

Robin thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “Fair.”

They got talking and everything just clicked. Steve watched as his favorite people in the world got on like a house on fire. He didn’t think he would have this. Hell, he didn’t think he would survive the final push against the Upside Down, either.

He had a future. And wasn’t that just grand. 

***

Part 16 Part 17  Part 18  Part 19  Part 20    

Tag List: @anaibis @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @thedragonsaunt @chaoticlovingdreamer @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666  @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @justforthedead89 @whalesharksart @nburkhardt @snapshotmaestro @shrimply-a-menace @theotalksalot @child-of-cthulhu @bookbinderbitch @cr0w-culture @punctualhowell @obliosworld @eddiemunsonswife @sharingisntkaren @dididisrespectyourbridgegoatman @lillemilly

[the-freespirited-princess-trope]

15 questions, however many people

thanks for the tag @galwithalibrarycard

1. are you named after anyone? my answer is, not to be creepy, literally word for word the same as the moot i was tagged in this by lolol. middle name is my grandma’s

2. when was the last time you cried? i was shaking and overheating when tomorrow x together tour announcement dropped two nights ago, not sure if i actually cried. last time i’m 100% sure i cried was watching Crazy Rich Asians last week with my mom and friend (was i emotional about ending my vacation or do i just love Astrid? hard to say)

3. do you have kids? chronic mom-friend, all my kids are also in their mid twenties

4. do you use sarcasm? not at work with students! (a very very hard habit to break, i might have to cut more of it out of my daily personal use to effectively kill it from my professional communication)

5. what's the first thing you notice about people? are they making eye contact with me when i make eye contact with them? oh god am i making a creepy amount of eye contact?? too much? not enough? or are they the weird ones??? also. i’m not proud of this but....whether they are still wearing their mask in public

6. what's your eye color? blue-gray, and, as a devotee of the Annabeth Chase generation, I often dress to bring out the gray. Her Impact TM

7. scary movies or happy endings? happy endings 100%

8. any special talents? memorizing song lyrics (an ironic skill for a kpop fan, i know), and i can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious backwards two different ways. also i bake well enough to trick someone into falling in love with me if i’m not careful

9. where were you born? a hospital 

10. what are your hobbies? my non-media-consumption hobbies are extensive journaling in multiple formats (including book reviews), baking, friendship bracelets (i don’t have the patience for actual like...crochet rn), and convincing myself i’m going to handsew stuff in this window of time before i purchase my own sewing machine. oh, and going to concerts/ obsessing for months over what i’m going to wear to said concerts. also kitchen dancing (it counts)

11. do you have any pets? none that live with me where i actually pay rent, but i consider my sister’s retriever and my parent’s husky to be My Own Flesh And Blood

12. what sports do you play/have played? i don’t actually think ballet dancing is a sport but as close as I have to an answer to this question is that i was a ballet/jazz/tap/modern dancer

13. how tall are you?  5′9″” :)

14. favorite subject in school? English and math. and social studies. my favorite class content-wise i ever took in school was AP Human Geography

15. dream job? Woman Of Leisure and Travel. actually my current job is my dream job but the dream part is School Librarian -- But With A Manageable Workload And Ample District And Administrative Support And Trust So I Can Actually Focus On The Students And The Collection And The Learning And the Collaboration Instead Of Fighting For My Life. also in my dream life i would get to take three weeks off in october to switch jobs with people who get to rake leaves. 

tagging my favorite mutuals, one of whom i know for a fact has a little bit of free time rattling around @definitely-a-vampire    also @raspberryzingaaa

[prqltothesql]

Day 2 of my 12-Day Magical Mystery Tour

Day 1 - Odessa rehearsal Day 2 - Snarky Puppy concert Day 3 - MAPS Finals + NJPW Capital Collision show in DC Day 4 - GMU rehearsal Day 5 - GMU rehearsal Day 6 - GMU rehearsal + Chantilly sendoff Day 7 - drive to Dayton Day 8 - WGI Prelims Day 9 - WGI Semis Day 10 - WGI Finals Day 11 - drive home from Dayton Day 12 - Odessa rehearsal

Snarky Puppy concert was excellent. Opener was Nate Wood, who I know as the second drummer from those Knower live sesh videos. He was amazing. The set was fantastic from Snarky Puppy. 10/16 songs from Empire Central, all great. Then they closed the set with Shofukan and the encore was Lingus. Everything was amazing. 

Everytime I see them, I’m impressed with a new member of the band. The first time it was Larnell Lewis and Bobby Sparks. The second time it was Justin Stanton. This time it was Bob Reynolds and Nate Werth. Just amazing.

I’m glad I went. I didn’t get everything done at work that I wanted to, which means I’m going to be burning the candle this weekend to try and finish the work by Monday. And with so much band and driving and stuff to worry about, it could have been a poor decision, but I think it was a great decision because it was a great show. Let’s see if I feel the same way after tomorrow’s marathon day.

[keenexpressions]

Faith Jimenez

1. Name, Year, & Major

Faith Jimenez, 4th Year, Cognitive Science

2. If you were a luxury brand, what would it be and why?

If I were a luxury brand, I would want to be Dior. Because Dior.

3. Who is your personal hero and why?

My personal hero would be my mommy, she’s taught me a lot that’s shaped me to be who I am today. Alongside, my father helped me get to where I am today.

4. How do you react after a conflict occurs, and why?

After a conflict occurs, I wanna say communication but that’s also still a work in progress. Communication is key, woot woot!

5. If you were granted 3 wishes, what would it be?

Brendan

Brendan

Marrying Wonwoo

6. What would you Google about your life?

I would probably google my happiest time in my life. I could reminisce about it or look forward to it in the future.

7. What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

My favorite thing about myself would probably be

8. What's your toxic trait?

A toxic trait of mine would be that I’m really good at procrastinating.

9. Would you visit the future or past?

I would probably visit the future, just to see the differences from how it is currently. I would like to try and do better after visiting.

10. What are the biggest differences between you today/now and five years ago?

I was introduced to Korean Pop boy groups such as Seventeen and Tomorrow by Together. In 2022, I was able to breathe the same air as these beautiful people. I made eye contact with both of these groups. I got lucky and got floor seats to both amazing artists. I remember sitting in the Shields library in the Tomorrow by Together ticketmaster waiting room while facetiming Sabrina and Eva. We were unlucky at getting tickets during the presale. For Seventeen, it was a spontaneous yet unforgettable experience. I was in Davis for summer session and decided to take a look at any last minute tickets. I bought two floor seats and booked it to Oakland. Soobin and Huening Kai high-fived me. All I got was a back view of Beomgyu, Yeonjun looking the other way, and Taehyun waving away. I was a few feet away from 13 talented men, what a memory. I Aju-niced with them for ten minutes. Some advice I would give myself is go to as many concerts as you can.

Yeah Ooh, ooh-ooh Ah-ah-ah-ah

[Verse 1: SOOBIN, YEONJUN] 헤어짐부터 반대로 흐르는 화면 너와 내가 끝난 장면에서 영환 시작돼 널 따라 걷는 이별의 build-up 사건을 되감는 opening sequence (Ah, ah, ah) 익숙한 이 pain

[Chorus: TAEHYUN, SOOBIN, HUENING KAI, YEONJUN] 기억 속의 네가 보여 Dance with me, dance with me, dance with me Take one more chance on me, chance on me, chance on me I’m bleeding painfully, painfully, painfully 빛바랜 필름 속 너 나를 지운 네 시선 Stay for me, stay for me, stay for me I can't get used to it, used to it, used to it 반복돼 잔인하게 견딜 수가 없게 I cry-y-y-y-y-y, ooh, yeah

[Verse 2: BEOMGYU, YEONJUN] Why’d you laugh? 보여, 미소 짓는 너의 환영 뒷걸음질 치는 달력은 날 더 미치게 해 (해) 수많은 추억이 fade and dissolve 누가 좀 멈춰 이 opening sequence, no It’s running through my head

[Pre-Chorus: SOOBIN & BEOMGYU, BEOMGYU] 이제서야 난 깨달았어 그림자 속 많은 복선들 (복선들) 너와 약속한 세계의 끝 (Yeah) "That's so cliché"

[Chorus: TAEHYUN, SOOBIN, HUENING KAI, YEONJUN] 기억 속의 네가 보여 Dance with me, dance with me, dance with me Take one more chance on me (Chance on me), chance on me, chance on me I'm bleeding painfully, painfully, painfully 빛바랜 필름 속 너 나를 지운 네 시선 Stay for me, stay for me, stay for me I can’t get used to it, used to it, used to it 반복돼 잔인하게 견딜 수가 없게 I cry-y-y-y-y, ooh, yeah-yeah Ooh, oh Oh, yeah Oh, yeah

[Outro: TAEHYUN, SOOBIN, HUENING KAI, YEONJUN] 뭣도 할 수 없어 그저 Blame on me, blame on me, blame on me 너와 내 tragedy, tragedy, tragedy 가득해 슬픔이 슬픔이 슬픔이 날 가둬버린 이 scene 영원 같은 그 sequence Stay for me, stay for me, stay for me I can't get used to it, used to it, used to it 반복돼 잔인하게 견딜 수가 없게 I cry-ry-ry-ry-ry-ry, ooh, yeah

[boomerang109]

update it’s 3:00 and i had a tiny bowl of cheerios and did all my dishes because my roommate asked me to (valid, i hadn’t done dishes in like a week 🫣) but now i’m completely off schedule. i think new plan is

3:00-3:20: shower

3:20-3:30: gather belongings

3:30-3:50: get gas and drive to coffee shop

3:50-4:30: finish goddamn science lab. stop being a perfectionist. just turn something in.

4:30-5:00: look over comm draft, start thinking about what topic i want to settle on

5:00-5:15: go for walk

5:15-6:00: work on comm draft. likely won’t have enough time to finish. if so, consider emailing professor since it’s over two weeks late and you haven’t communicated with her

6:00-6:30: go buy roommate flowers

6:30-7:15: go have dinner at dining hall

7:15-7:30: maybe pick up other roommates, otherwise just go right to choir concert

7:30-8:45: choir concert

8:45-9:00: congratulating roommate

9:00-9:15: go home and get in comfy clothes have a snack

9:15-9:30: look over what’s due and decide a plan for tomorrow (set multiple alarms for tomorrow morning)

9:30-10:00: decide if going to bed early or doing more work. DONT JUST STAY UP DOING NOTHING

1:15-1:45: bath time!!

1:45-2:15: breakfast!

2:15-2:30: drive somewhere to do homework (don’t forget to get gas on the way!!)

2:30-3:00: finish goddamn science lab. stop being a perfectionist. just turn the goddamn thing in

3:00-4:00: similar advice. but comm. must settle on a topic and just fucking write!! rough draft was due two weeks ago at this point. get something in!!

4:00-4:15: go for a walk

4:15-4:30: go on phone or whatever else for break

4:30-5:00: keep working on comm paper if draft has not been turned in. if it has go look at bioethics paper

5:00-5:30: bioethics paper

5:30-6:00: go buy roommate flowers

6:00-7:00: dinner! (go to dining hall)

7:00-7:15: go home and get ready for roommate’s choir concert (make sure you don’t forget both sets of ear plugs!)

7:15-7:30: drive to choir concert

7:30-8:45: concert!

8:45-9:00: give roommate flowers, congratulate her, etc

9:00-9:10: drive home

9:10-9:30: pajamas and a snackie

9:30-10:00: relax before bed

10:00: early bed?

[dari-ede]

In the Middle of the Night: Chapter 18 (M)

Chapter 18: "Loving Me Might be Dangerous"

Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30

MASTERLIST

Summary: As Bangtan prepares for a new chapter in their lives, they head to their private property in the forest for a songwriting workshop. As a songwriter and producer they have worked with for years, I’m asked to tag along. I was ready for the heavy workload and small amount of sleep during the workshop week. However, I wasn’t ready for the storm that came that changed my friendship with Namjoon forever.

Pairing: Idol!RM/Namjoon x OFC

Genre: Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Smut

Trigger warning/spoilers: talk of trauma, implied abusive/toxic relationship, implied sexual abuse/assault

Rating: M (explicit language, scenes)

Status: COMPLETE

AN: Sorry for the later-than-usual post (once again). As I was editing this week, the first half of this chapter went through a HUGE revision. The chapter was already done but as I did my final edit, I noticed it needed a whole rewrite. The closer we get to the end of this story, the more I need to go back to revise some things. We are closer to the end than we are to the beginning, everyone. Thank you so much for staying with me!

Warning/spoilers: oral sex, swallowing, breast play, multiple orgasms

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Weeks Later-

Overnight bag in hand, I arrived at Namjoon’s front door, knocking excitedly late at night.

The door flung open no more than a couple of seconds later, deep dimples welcoming me.

Once inside, Namjoon took the bag from me and pulled me in for an open-mouth kiss.

I kicked off my shoes as the door shut behind us. My tongue welcomed the intrusion as I let out a deep moan.

The tension between the two of us the entire day had been intense. Due to the online concert taking place tomorrow, all week long, we hadn’t seen much of each other. The most we had seen of one another was today at rehearsal. But because of the dozens of eyes and cameras surrounding us, we were forced to keep a distance. We stole a few glances at each other but ensured we didn’t get too close. For hours we were around each other but had not touched or spoken much. Suffice it to say, the spark between us continued to ignite and felt like it would explode at any moment.

At the chance I had to leave the stadium, I did Namjoon’s text came no more than a minute after I announced I was leaving.

MONI: Be at my house in two hours. If I don’t answer, use the code. No nightwear. Just you.

I must have read it at least dozens of times, imagining his deep, demanding tone in my ear. My pussy had been wet ever since.

I hadn’t fully listened to his instructions, though. I did bring an overnight bag with me that contained any necessities I would need. I didn’t intend to come back home before the concert, so I would be getting ready at Namjoon’s place tomorrow. However, I did listen to him and brought no nightwear. I fully believed him that there would be no need for clothes tonight.

Namjoon began to walk us toward his room. I wasn’t good at walking backward, so I held onto his shoulders and jumped onto his chest. I had climbed on him enough by now that his body had learned to catch me nicely.

Our lips did not detach the entire walk to his room. He set my bag down somewhere and softly set me down on the bed. It was much smoother than the first time he had placed me on his mattress weeks ago.

“What’s so funny?” he asked between kisses.

Damn, I hadn’t realized I was laughing. “Nothing,” I lied. “Just keep kissing me,” I pleaded, not wanting to ruin the magic. We had gone so long without touching; I didn’t want this to stop.

“Did you get a nap in?” he asked, his hands taking hold of my shirt and pulling.

I knew what he was implying. “Don’t worry. Your cock is a good source of dopamine,” I said as I pulled his pants, my hand making its way to his thickness.

He let out a grunt as he pulled off my pants and panties at the same time. His long fingers took a handful of my ass and squeezed. “Your mouth has gotten filthier.” He pushed us further into the bed, making me settle in the middle with him between my legs.

I let go of his cock and felt it move on its own, pleading for me for attention. I pushed up against his chest to sit up. “You complaining about my mouth?” I questioned as my mouth took hold of that space between his neck and ear. The spot I learned drove him nuts.

He let out a groan, a hand of his reaching up to take hold of my tit to squeeze. “Only because it’s not around my cock right now.” He dived in and took a mouthful of me. His tongue darted out to run circles around my nipple.

I let out a squeak, scratching at his back when I felt his teeth lightly graze my skin.

Namjoon wasn’t much of a dirty talker with me. Around his guy friends, I would overhear him and make nasty jokes, but around girls, he was always mindful. He had loosened up around me in the last couple of years, but since we had become an item his language was getting dirtier. It was definitely a turn-on.

He was in the middle of worshiping my breast when I surprised him and rolled him off me. I settled myself on his lap, his cock standing straight up.

I reached between us, taking his member and navigating it to where I needed it. “I’ll do it once it tastes like us.” I descended on him before he could ask what I meant. My pussy stretched and slightly burned at the sensation. His cock was still too big for my pussy to take without foreplay.

His hands came to my hips, helping me take and gripping me tightly. “You’re tight.”

Maybe I should have stimulated myself before taking him in or at least used lube, but it was too late for that, he was already inside. And while I felt slight discomfort, the sting felt also incredible. I took a breath, looking down at the glorious creature underneath me. The dragon eyes were staring up at me, the sweat dripping off his body felt too delicious to be coming off a normal human, and the grip holding me felt more like claws. This was the kind of sex that got me off the most; the kind that I tended to prefer when I was in deep need of release: the wild kind. And judging by the look of pure ecstasy coming from Namjoon’s face, he needed to tap into that wilder part of himself.

His hands came to the swell of my breasts and traveled down to my nipples. He took each of them into his fingers and rolled the buds, sending quivers right into my pussy.

I used my knees to move, going slow at first. My body needed to get used to him before I could go at my preferred pace, which tended to be rough and fast. Thankfully, the discomfort quickly faded and all I could feel was pleasure. I quickened my movements.

Namjoon’s hands were still on my hips, supporting me more than controlling me. “You look damn good riding me, girl.”

My movements only became more erratic with his praise, feeling my orgasm approaching.

He sat up, his mouth coming to my tit again. He slurped and feasted on it like a starved man. I had no milk to give, but I believed if he continued the way he did, some would appear.

His hips came up to meet mine, his thighs slamming into mine. I could see a vein appear across his neck. He was getting close, but I didn’t want him to.

“Not yet,” I said breathlessly, my fingers scratching at his chest. “Me first.”

He took a deep breath to still himself. Then moved one of his hands between us. His thumb touched my clit, pushing me to the brink. I let out a cry as blackness came over.

As my orgasm took over, Namjoon’s thrusts continued, but at a slower pace.

“Close,” his husky voice let out once my body had settled against his.

I pulled out of him, quickly, and made my way down his cock. My lips engulfed his thickness, and I could see his eyes roll back once he was in my mouth.

The taste of my tangy sweetness combined with his salty, sour goodness was enough to make me want to cum again. I controlled myself and focused on bringing him to his peak. Keeping eye contact with him, I pulled back, pulling his cock out of my mouth with a pop. “We taste fucking good,” I mumbled and went back to dining on his gorgeous cock.

He let out a moan, the vein in his neck coming back. “Shit. I can’t hold it.”

I took him in both my hands and pumped him. “I want to drink you,” I said desperately.

He looked ready to lose it. I stroked him faster and reached underneath him to squeeze his jewels. He let out a grunt and pushed into my throat, his stomach hitting my nose. I let out a gagging sound and the noise seemed to do it for him. A warm, fuzzy liquid jetted down my throat. I drank as much as I could.

Namjoon let out a grunt, pulled back, and pushed in a little at my mouth once more before falling back onto the bed. His massive cock exited my mouth and a copious amount of my spit mixed with some of his milky cum pulled out as well. The string of spit connected his dick to my mouth. I used the mix of liquids to stroke his cock. He twitched a bit at the overstimulation.

“You’re gonna kill me,” he let out, taking deep breaths in trying to calm himself.

I giggled and crawled my way up his body, my body craving cuddles.

Usually, after sex, we shared a calm moment before starting up again, but Namjoon’s kisses and caresses were bluntly telling me he was ready for round two.

He was needing to blow off steam. It wasn’t just about needing my body or the stress of the online concert, but something else was bothering him. I wasn’t shy about sex and used it plenty of times myself as a stress reliever. I didn’t mind him using my body to release some of my pent-up emotions. Especially when he made sure I was always left me plenty satisfied.

His palms took hold of the back of my thighs, bending them until they reached my shoulders. My legs were spread before him, allowing my pussy to be in full display for him. His mouth came down on my cunt and ate me like a starved man.

This was going to be a long night. And I was going to fucking enjoy every moment of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The woodsy scent in the air was the first thing I caught on to as I woke up. The scent was too powerful so I knew I wasn’t in my own home. I had slept in this room a handful of times already to know I was in Namjoon’s bedroom. Last night had gone for hours. It had taken a few hours for Namjoon to have quenched his thirst. While I was fully taken over desire along with him, in the back of my mind, I knew Namjoon was dealing with something—news he must have gotten after I had left.

As I opened my eyes, I found Namjoon was not in bed with me. This came as no surprise. Artists rarely got a full night’s rest right before a show.

I rolled out of the bed, my body feeling a little sore from the night’s events. I walked towards the full-length mirror to witness the aftermath. Even with the poor light, I could easily detect small bruising along my thighs and hips. My breasts were slightly red and a bit swollen.

There was nothing about last night that I hadn’t enjoyed, but I knew this was going to be a heavy topic this morning. I mindfully got myself ready.

I went over to my overnight bag and pulled out a fresh pair of panties and then looked around to see what I could put on since I hadn’t brought any nightwear. I found one of Namjoon’s many Fear of God tees and slipped it on.

Once clothed, I made my way out of the room in search of him.

I spotted him in his dining room, sitting in his reading chair which was surrounded by dozens of books. He was deep in thought reading when I found him, not hearing me come in. He was hunched over, elbows laid on his legs, reading a heavy book. He was sporting his thick, reading glasses that made him look the perfect combination of adorable and hot.

I wanted to just stand there and absorb him, but when he began to roll his neck around and stretch out his neck, I instinctively walked over. His neck and shoulder problems would always be an issue for him but he would never want to make a big deal out of it.

It wasn’t until he felt my hands on his shoulders that he noticed me.

He jumped, startled, but quickly settled. “Ah, you scared me.”

“Sorry,” I said, continuing my massage. “How long have you been up?”

Namjoon closed his book and settled on the chair, giving in to my touch. “Too long.”

I found a nasty knot. The moment I applied the right amount of pressure on him, he let out a grunt. Yeah, something was definitely up. “Want to talk about it?”

“What do you mean?” he asked with some hesitation.

He needed honesty. “Your body is a bundle of stress. We hardly spoke last night. Not to mention, while I enjoyed every bit of it, you were a little rougher than usual.”

At this Namjoon’s entire body snapped towards me, his eyes frantically searching my body.

I had slight regret in admitting this but knew that if I wanted Namjoon to be honest with me, I needed to be as well. There was no way he was going to let me in unless I gave a little.

“I’m fine,” I said once he spotted a large bruise right below the hem of the t-shirt. When he didn’t turn away and looked to be remorseful, I took his chin in my hand and forced him to look up at me. “You did nothing I didn’t enjoy.”

He opened his mouth and looked to say two words I really didn’t want him to.

I stopped it with a gentle kiss. “If you want to make it up to me, you can talk to me about what’s going on.”

He let out a sigh and settled back onto his seat.

I let go of his hand and walked over to the armchair adjacent to it, one closer to the kitchen.

“We’re doing a few shows in Vegas in April,” he said.

Immediately, I felt thrilled about the news. It was something the company had been aiming for, some of the guys had shared the possibility of it some weeks ago with me. They had been excited about it, so I was puzzled as to why Namjoon didn’t look over the moon.

I didn’t say a word, however, allowing Namjoon plenty of time to voice his thoughts to me. After a moment, he seemed to be ready. “We have four shows here in Seoul, but I wanted to do more. Maybe some in Busan, but higher-ups want to wait until after Seoul to see if regulations were to lighten up. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy we’ll be going to Vegas, but….” He stopped himself, looking guilty.

I finished it for him, “But it’s not home. You want more shows here.”

There was a small and shameful nod. “Am I being ungrateful?”

“No,” I said instantly. “I think it’s normal to have conflicting emotions about everything. There’s the excitement of shows, but also the disappointment that things aren’t speeding up the way you need them to. You can feel multiple things at once.”

He gave a nod, but his eyes told me there was something more. His shoulders were still sagging from carrying a heavy load he didn’t want on him.

“What else?” I pushed a little.

He let out a restless sigh. “There’s something I haven’t yet told you.”

“What?”

He avoided my eyes. “The seven of us have decided to make a deal with each other. We’ve been talking about it all summer long and it’s honestly one of the reasons why we’re letting go of the dorms. It’s not so much that we’re needing space—which definitely is part of it—but it has more to do with what we’re planning for the future.”

I held my breath, my heart hammering hard against my chest. In the pit of my stomach, I knew what this was in regard to. Every time I thought about this, I got sick to my stomach.

Namjoon’s eyes moved up to meet mine. The beautiful irises that could make me to mush and could turn up my desire were now tearing at my heartstrings. He looked so defeated. “We’re giving it until the summer for the government to figure out what they want to do about our enlistment. If things are still up in the air, Jin-hyung wants to just be done with it and enlist by the end of summer. He’s done waiting—done making noona feel like she’s walking on a tightrope. And the rest of us want to follow him.”

There it was, my heart sinking and getting stomped on. I felt the tears appear, but seeing Namjoon already crying, I held it together. There could only be one of us in shambles at the moment. Two being fully emotional did no one any good.

“Would it be the same time as Jin?” I asked, my voice slightly shaking.

He shook his head slightly. “We would leave in less than a year of him.”

I nodded, inclining I understood. An image flashed in my mind of going an entire day without communicating with Namjoon. The simple thought made me feel like vomiting. I couldn’t remember the last time I went longer than 24 hours without hearing from Namjoon. Especially since we had gotten together. We didn’t go more than 24 hours from seeing each other. To have to go longer? It seriously made me sick to my stomach.

And as bad as I felt on the inside, Namjoon looked much worse on the outside.

My best friend was someone who was fully in touch with his emotions, never allowing himself to be closed off. It was one of the many things I adored about him. How he could feel so much all at once and hold no shame or guilt or shyness for it was admirable.

“I know we just started out,” he let out, his voice shaking but still in control. “But it just makes me angry. And I then feel ashamed for feeling angry.”

I went over to him, crouching in front of him and taking his face into my hands. “We got plenty of time.”

He shook his head but allowed himself to fall into my touch. “I think last night that’s all I kept thinking about. Not being with you. And I guess my body just took over.”

It made sense. If I knew my days were numbered before my freedom was taken away for eighteen months, I would have craved to do it as much as possible. I would want to make every experience count.

“I’m sorry for hurting you,” he said, his eyes watering with guilt.

I stood myself up and settled on his lap. The chair was wide and fit us both, but only with my legs right above his own. “I have zero complaints about last night.”

His hands were on my back instantly.

I leaned in, claiming his lips. “Please believe me when I say you didn’t hurt me.”

“You sure?” he asked, his emotions settling.

I nodded. “I’d kick your ass if you ever did something I didn’t like,” I said half-jokingly.

It got him to at least smile a little.

“And as we’ve said before, we’re taking it slow. There’s no need to rush. Whatever happens, happens in due time,” I said gently, my hands stroking his cheeks. “We have plenty of time.”

“You’re leaving next month,” he said almost bluntly, a hint of sourness in his tone.

“Only for two months; I’ll be back by the end of January.”

He pulled me closer, taking a deep breath as if to take my essence into his scent. “Promise?”

I held up my pinky. He brought up his large hand and used his own slender pinky to wrap around my much smaller one.

He let out a giggle and scrunched up his face at seeing my tiny pinky. “Cute!” He maneuvered his thumb to press against mine, locking the promise.

Normally, I would argue against his description of me, but seeing his scrunched-up face made me act out in cute aggression myself. I took his cheeks into my hands and pinched them. “You look so good. I could eat you!”

I dived in and took his lips in mine.

At that moment, there was an odd sound that seemed to come from my stomach. Simultaneously, we both moved our heads toward the sound with a look of confusion.

My stomach churned again, and this time it was followed by an ache.

Namjoon let out a chuckle. “Sadly, it’s not enough to quench your hunger. Let’s get something in that stomach of yours.” He moved a little, tapping my thigh so I could move off.

A big part of me wanted to continue staying where we were, but now that I was aware of my hunger for food, I couldn’t ignore it.

“I could order something for us,” Namjoon offered.

“How about I just cook,” I offered. “I’ve been wanting to since you made us dinner on our first date.” I looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

“Good luck finding something in there,” he warned.

I lifted off him. “Shower first?”

He gave me a suggestive smile. “Together?” He came closer to me.

I pulled away from temptation. “We’re gonna end up in the same situation as last night if I join you and we gotta leave in a few hours,” I reminded him, keeping my eyes on his face.

“You make a good point.” He turned away and headed to his bedroom. “I could take the guest shower if you want to take mine.”

I agreed, simply because I was used to his already.

I was about to step away so I could start my shower, but Namjoon's hands on my tee made me stop. He had a look on his face as he stared down at me.

"What?" I asked, looking down to see what it was that had him looking aroused. All I saw were my bare legs.

"I like you in my clothes," he mumbled. His hands made their way under the material, his slender fingers feeling like hot coal against my skin. "Put this back on after you shower." He turned and left before I could answer.

A smile appeared on my face at the knowledge that I learned something else that Nmajoon found attractive.

We met in the kitchen not too long after, both feeling refreshed. As per Namjoon's instructions, I put his t-shirt back on.

Namjoon entered the kitchen and let out a small groan as he came behind me. He rubbed my backside as he asked what he could help with. I fought back a smile as I gave him instructions. I scrambled the eggs as he chopped the onions next to me. I could see he was dicing them, even though I had asked him to slice them. I smiled but didn’t correct him.

“What are you humming?” he asked as diced away.

I hadn’t realized I was singing the melody in my head out loud. “It’s been stuck in my head these last couple of days. Can’t seem to shake it off.” I took the eggs off the heat and stirred.

A loud clunk came from where Namjoon was. “Aghhh.”

I immediately turned and went towards him. “What happened?”

He was holding his finger as he had a look of pain on his face. “I think it’s a splinter.”

But he had been cutting onions, how in the hell did he end up with a splinter? I looked down and took notice of the knife handle. It was wood. I let out a sigh. Only Namjoon would have the bad luck of getting a splinter from a knife handle. “Can you see the splinter?”

“I think so,” he said, examining his finger. He wheezed as he seemed to push on it.

“Ok. Please, don’t do anything. Let me go get some tweezers.” I rushed out of the room, hoping he would listen.

I was back at his side in less than a minute and the look on his face told me he was more than uncomfortable. Thankfully, he had listened and hadn’t touched anything.

I maneuvered us closer to the window for better light. Using my tweezers, I was able to pull it all out in one go. “How does it feel?” I asked, looking up at him.

“Stings a little,” he said with a face. “But it feels like you got it all.”

I brought his finger to my lips and kissed it. “Now?” I asked with a smile.

He let out a chuckle. “Much better. Here I thought I was going to need a painkiller, but that cured it easily.”

“I’m your personal painkiller,” I said teasingly as I began to clean his area. “Are you still up to cutting the onion and kimchi?” I asked.

He nodded and went back to chopping with a new cutting board, knife, and onion in hand. After a while, he started humming my melody. “You’re my painkiller,” he sang.

It sent me into laughter. I turned on the stove, ready to finally start cooking. Namjoon continued to create lyrics to the melody I had come up with. It wasn’t long before I started making up lyrics alongside him. He sang off-key but kept with the beat.

We continued cooking our breakfast as we created this song together. At one point, Namjoon took out his phone and recorded us singing. The songwriter in him was always alert.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours before the concert, I found myself sitting in my dressing room for the concert. Since I was a guest and the only female, I had my own room. Hair and makeup had finished with me and had left to assist the dancers. I wasn’t fully dressed yet since my part in the concert was come late in the show.

The guys had finished soundcheck and getting ready themselves. Bored by being alone, I sent a message to the guys to see their whereabouts. Tae immediately answered.

WEIRDO: Namjoon-hyung and I are in a dressing room together. I was about to head to the green room. You can have your privacy…. 😉

ME: Thank you 😏

MONI: thanks, bro

GLOSS: Be sure to lock that door….

I made it to the dressing room in record time, knocking on the door without waiting.

The door opened and I was greeted by Taehyung and one of the makeup artists. He gave me a knowing grin. “Hi, noona. What are you doing here?”

I wanted to kick him, but the makeup artist was looking at me as well. He was lucky I was quick on my feet. “I need to discuss one of the tracks for the new album with Namjoon.”

Taehyung rose his eyebrows, looking impressed with my quick response. “Lucky for you, we’re heading out.” He and the makeup artist made their way out, Tae limping while doing so.

I suddenly remembered what occurred during rehearsal. “Tae, how are you feeling?”

“It’s a sprain. Can’t do any choreo.” Taehyung gave a sad shrug, his mouth turned downside.

I closed the distance between us and gave him a warm hug. He leaned heavily in as I rubbed his back. “I know you’re disappointed. I’m sorry, jagi.”

He gave a nod, hugged me tight once more, and pulled away. “Thank you, I’ll see you in a bit.” He and the makeup artist made their way out.

My heart squeezed as I watched my friend leave. It was going to be a tough performance for him, but he would be fine. His health had to come first.

I pushed the door closed and turned back around. There, in front of me stood a tall, gorgeous man. “You look handsome,” I said as I walked over to him.

He frowned and looked down at himself. “I’m in a t-shirt. I haven’t even started hair or makeup.”

“And?” I reached for a kiss.

He leaned the rest of the way and after our peck, he took hold of my hand and walked us to his chair.

Once he sat down, we were almost at eye level. I reached over and traced my fingers across the shaved strips on his head. “Do you think you’re going to keep the look?”

His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer. “No. It’s mostly for promotion,” he answered. “Why? Do you like it on me?”

I placed my forearms on his shoulders, steadying myself. “I like every look on you.”

“Liar.” He laughed. “You didn’t like the mullet,” he teased.

“How much alone time do we have? You’re going to have to meet up with the guys, right?” I asked, trying to sway the conversation elsewhere.

“Plenty,” he said as his large fingers traveled to my backside. He had a look in his eyes.

“Namjoon-ssi,” I warned, but my body still melted against his touch.

“I missed you at lunch.” His voice was low as he pulled me in, his lips coming to my neck.

I let out a moan. I had missed him, too. “Will you be able to spend the night?” I asked without thinking. We had already reached our weekly limit of sleepovers.

He let out a grunt. “I would love to but my parents—”

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a knock at the door.

I immediately pushed off Namjoon. Stupid me hadn’t locked the door.

“Yeah?” Namjoon called out as he straightened up in his chair.

“Jooni, it’s us,” came a deep kind voice from the other side of the door.

I knew the voice well and it only hiked my anxiety.

“Come in. The door is open.”

I put some more distance between us and took a breath to calm myself. The door opened and a good-looking older couple walked into the room, bright smiles on their faces.

I greeted them in a polite form. While I had gotten close to Namjoon’s parents in my time living here, I always acted in my best behavior around them. “Hello, eomeonim, abeonim.”

Eomeonim greeted me with a warm embrace. “Maiwa, where have you been? We haven’t seen you in so long.”

Abeonim’s embrace was a shorter one. “Is Jooni keeping you all to himself?” He turned over to Namjoon and gave his son a playful smile.

Namjoon made his way over to his parents. “Shouldn’t I get hugged first?”

Eomeonim wrapped her arms around her son. “We saw you several days ago. We haven’t seen Maiwi in months. When are you going to bring her around?”

Namjoon took a breath. “Eomma, we’ve been busy.”

“You can’t spare us two hours? We would like to have dinner with the two of you.” Eomeonim reached out for my hand and gave it a squeeze. “A celebration to your relationship. When Namjoonie told us, I was ecstatic! I’ve been rooting for the two of you—”

“Yeobo, let the girl breathe,” Abeonim said as he rubbed his wife’s shoulders, trying to calm her. “Jooni has asked for space. Let’s honor his wishes.”

I was grateful for Abeonim. I was starting to get slightly embarrassed.

“Eomma, we’re taking it slow. Plus, we’re both booked back-to-back until the Los Angeles concert. I don’t get to see her as much anymore.” Namjoon’s voice was respectful but stern. I knew he didn’t want to disregard his mother but seemed to be creating boundaries.

Eomeonim let out a breath. “Alright. I get it.” She turned to me with a sweet smile. “I miss having you over. You haven’t been around in months now.”

I felt a pinch of guilt. “My apologies. I’ll message you. I promise. It might not be until after the Los Angeles concert that we don’t get to hang out. I’ve been talking to Sissy on the phone and we’re already making plans to shop around while the guys are in LA. Want to join us?”

“Oh yes! That will be wonderful!”

With Eomeonim settled, I made some excuse of needing to leave to get ready.

I gave them each a hug before I headed out and gave Namjoon a small smile. I adored his parents, but I was feeling my nerves tipping close to the edge. I wanted to make sure the next time we spoke, I had enough time to mentally prepare myself. They had sprung at us a little too soon for my liking.

I made my way toward the green room, where the rest of the guys were. It was a good walk in the sense that it was enough time to allow me to calm myself.

The closer I got to the room; I heard the amount of noise coming from the inside. I made my way in and noticed most of the guys were there.

Yoongi was on his chair staying perfectly still, phone in hand while being handled by hair and makeup. Jin sat a few feet in a similar position. Jimin and Jungkook, on the other hand, were being loud and rowdy while their poor makeup artists tried to get them ready.

Taehyung was the one to immediately notice me, “Where’s Namjoonie?”

“With his parents,” I said simply, making my way over to a deserted seat, which was close to Jimin and Jungkook.

Behind me, I could hear Yoongi giggling.

I turned, feeling as if I knew what he was thinking about.

“What’s with the laugh?” Jin asked, sure instigating.

“Oh, I left my phone unlocked. I had some private things I wanted to keep hidden. Has that happened to you lately, Maiwa? Have you left your phone unlocked and someone walks in to find some compromising things?” Yoongi held complete eye contact with me.

“Maiwa has a tendency of never locking things, so I imagine people walking in and finding some stuff on her phone,” Jin added. He had the same sadistic humor as the old man sitting next to him.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem as if any of the staff was picking up on their Morse Code. When I knew none of the staff was looking, I sent the two oldest members of the group the finger.

As Yoongi and Jin shared a laugh, Jungkook and Jimin began to do vocal warmups. Jungkook invited me, which I did.

Their warmups differed from the ones I used but we tried each other’s techniques. It had been a while since performing on stage and I mentioned to the guys how I had started to take vocal lessons to prepare for the show.

“Did you really take vocal lessons for this?” Jimin asked me, looking surprised.

I nodded. “My voice needed work. It was a bad idea to stop the lessons in the first place.”

“But your voice is great,” Jimin said, not understanding.

I wasn’t going to deny it or pretend to be humble about it. I was proud of my vocal abilities. I struggled with many things in my career, but the one thing that came naturally was singing.

“Not as great as it is when I take vocal lessons,” I said.

“Jungkook doesn’t really take them,” Jimin said, motioning to his teammate next to him.

Jungkook turned away from us and to his phone.

It was a disagreement Jungkook and I typically had: how often to take vocal lessons. I decided to give Jimin my point of view. “I get and respect Jungkook’s opinion on why he doesn’t take too many vocal lessons. I know he wants to be as authentic as he can with his voice and create a tone and style that is completely his own. However, in my opinion, going without a vocal coach can be detrimental to your chords in the long run. Even Celine Dion, who is one of the best vocalists, takes vocal lessons regularly. I think it depends on the vocalist.”

Jungkook nodded in agreement to my last statement.

Jimin gave a short nod and looked to consider my words.

I knew Jimin struggled with his voice and wasn’t satisfied with it. He had past baggage with his voice. Those who cared about him were sensitive around him about it. I wasn’t sure if it was my place to give my opinion to so many people around us, so I kept my mouth shut. I reached over to my water and took a long gulp.

Jimin looked around at seeing me drinking. “I’m thirsty, too,” he mumbled as he spun around the room, trying to find his own bottle.

Jungkook was in the middle of sipping his own water, his lips not touching the rim of it. Wordlessly, Jungkook extended his bottle to Jimin.

Jimin took it, placed it directly on his lips, and drank the water quickly. “Thanks,” he said as he offered the bottle back to Jungkook.

But Jungkook didn’t move to retrieve it. “Did you put your mouth right on the bottle?” His face looked slightly appalled.

Jimin let out a nervous laugh, recognizing his mistake. “Sorry.”

All the guys were cautious when it came to their drinks. They hardly sipped from the rim of bottles. To them, it kept things sanitized and each other safe, just in case.

However, I never understood this practice with them. “What does it matter if you two swap spit?” I asked.

Jungkook looked at me in disbelief. “I don’t want his germs.”

“You guys share lip balms,” I pointed out. “You feed each other constantly—meaning your chopsticks touch someone else’s lips or your fingers go into someone else’s mouth.”

“That’s different,” came a voice.

We turned and found Namjoon walking over to us. His lips twitched as he looked at me. He wanted to get a rise out of me.

And like an idiot, I took his bait. “How is it different?” I challenged.

“The amount of saliva that comes out when you’re drinking out of water is substantially more than when you share lip balms,” he countered.

“It’s still spitting, is it not?” I demanded. “So if one of you is sick, whether it’s a lip balm or water, you got each other’s germs regardless.”

“But it’s also that some of that water makes it inside of your mouth and then back into the bottle. Some of that liquid has swirled all over your mouth. It would be like kissing each other,” he tried to rationalize.

“You guys share food,” I pointed out. “You put your mouth into that food to take a bite, do you not? Wouldn’t that be the same as kissing?”

“But the food doesn’t make it past the teeth because I would bite it off. It’s still not that much saliva that would be shared. Now, when it comes to liquids, some of it makes it past the teeth and deeper into the mouth.” His eyes twinkled as he said this, clearly knowing he was making a stretch.

I called him out on it. “You are so full of shit.”

The room filled with laughter.

But he refused to accept defeat. For the next few minutes, we went back and forth. Namjoon coming up with bullshit counterpoints and excuses about the whole water bottle thing. His answers became so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. He couldn’t hold it together himself either and eventually laughed at his own reasons.

The guys went back and forth between prepping for the show and goofing off. Before we knew it, it was time for the guys to head to the stage.

All seven of them, along with their team and me, made their way. Right before stepping out, the guys gathered together, did their huddle, and walked up the stage. Namjoon was the last to disperse and took a look back as he did so, catching my eyes. He sent me a blink-and-you-will-miss-it wink and hurried out.

How did that man make me into a puddle of mush when no more than an hour ago, I wanted to wring his neck?

I watched them backstage, admiring how great they performed but at the same time anxious for my time to join them.

My tia Jia sent me several messages of encouragement. And on the few times that I felt myself starting to psych myself out, I would reread them. I had been on stage more times than I could remember, but I could never get rid of the butterflies right before I went on. And the closer I got to perform, the sicker I felt.

A warm hand pressed on my side. Eomeonim appeared next to me, a smile on her face that was striking to Namjoon’s—minus the dimples. My anxiety stilled a little. “All of you singers are the same. Always so nervous right before going on stage.”

I gave her a nod. “Yeah.”

“There’s no point in telling you that everything is going to be alright. It doesn’t help does it?”

“Sometimes,” I lied, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

She gave me a look that told me she didn’t believe me. I instantly felt a heat on my cheeks. I had never felt so uneasy around Namjoon’s mother. But things were different now. However, her warm smile came back. The one that always put me at ease. “I meant it when I said I’m happy about the two of you. You’re a great friend to him. He’s always in such good spirits when he talks about you. He says you understand him in ways he can’t understand himself.” A brightness came to her eyes and I was certain there was a tear in there.

It made me worry. “Eomeonim, what’s wrong?”

“He’s been having a rough time. And he won’t tell me why.” She gave me a look that silently asked me a question.

I looked down, not able to answer her. It wasn’t my place to tell her about Namjoon’s stress. I wasn't sure what he had shared with her. I made a mental note to talk to him about this. I didn't want to accidentally spill something he didn't want his mother to know. They had a good and trusting relationship, but I knew Namjoon at times kept some things from his parents until he was ready to share. He liked to think things through first.

Eomeonim accepted my silence. “Can you be sure to look after him? I know you already are, but can you take extra care of him?”

I nodded. “Of course.”

“Thank you,” she said softly, clutching my hand.

“Maya-ssi?” someone called out to me.

I turned and found a staff member looking at me. “You’re almost up.”

Eomeonim and I shared a hug and I made my way out to the stage.

Even though it was an online concert, the fact that millions of people were watching still made me nervous.

I got into position, waiting for my cue. As soon as I was given it, all my nerves left me on that stage.

---------

MASTERLIST

Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30

[love-archon]

A Day With The Genshin Characters: Liyue Edition

Today's going to be a busy day! Check your planner for who you'll be meeting with- as one of the esteemed members of the Liyue Qixing, you cannot afford to be late to any appointment. 

• 6:00, Ningguang: Morning Tea 

Although you say you love your job, waking up at un-archonly hours has to be the part you like the least. Even getting up at five in the morning, the hour when tigers prowl, is still not enough time to prepare for a meeting with the Tianquan. You rush around frantically choosing the best outfit, fragrance, and hair arrangement to present yourself to Lady Ningguang, and you're halfway out the door when it hits you- you forgot to bring a gift with you!

"Right on time," Ningguang says, pleased. You smile, hoping she won't hear your heart beating from anxiety. "And what a lovely present, too... is there any doubt you were appointed as one of the seven Qixing?" (You can't tell if it's her rare praise, or the sheer altitude you're at within the Jade Chamber, that's making your head spin).

• 7:00, Keqing: Business Meeting 

You barely have time to rest before Keqing whisks you away to Yuehai Pavilion. You're very close friends, and you admire the girl for her tenacity and diligence. The conversation flows easily as you walk to your destination under a cloudless sky. It's a wonderfully sunny moment, but the moment the doors lock, you mean business. In the next two hours, you conquer matters that would normally take days to resolve, and the two of you exchange grins. 

"There we go!" Keqing breathes a sigh of relief, pushing away the last stack of papers. She holds up her hand, and you high-five. "You know, I like how easily you keep up with me. You even caught mistakes I would have missed... things like this make me even more certain Liyue is better off in human hands."

• 9:00: Check In With Ganyu

With such a hectic schedule, Ganyu is your saving grace. It's always important to check in with her, just to make sure nothing you have planned catches you by surprise, and sometimes you wonder why others rarely do the same. She's quite lonely, and often mentions how nice it is that you speak with her every day and bring her gifts to help with work. It may be part of your job to be courteous, but... it does help her feel less lonely and conflicted with herself. 

"Qingxin flowers? Thank you so much." She accepts them gratefully, smiling at you with warm eyes. "I still have that new stationery you gave me, too. You're so kind for remembering the things I like!"

• 9:30: Talk to Beidou

The tea in the Jade Chamber was just a front for Ningguang to spring a request on you- meet with the captain of the Crux Fleet to discuss her... recent smuggling habits. But Beidou merely laughs heartily when you arrive. A crewmate tosses her a sack of Mora, and she slits it open, letting the payment shower over you in a spray of gold. And then, before you know what's happening, you're roped into helping them find a treasure rumored to be lost beneath the waves. 

"So, Ningguang though sending her star diplomat would get me to let up, huh!" You blush, wondering how you could be so easy to read under her ruby eye. "I was impressed by your words, and how well you fought by my side. But the annoyance of the Liyue Qixing is of no concern to me."

• 12:00, Tartaglia: TEACH HIM A LESSON!

As the member of the Qixing that oversees diplomacy and foreign relations, it's you that must meet with the Fatui Harbinger. He's quite good at playing pretend- all your underlings believed he was a naive, careless young man, and easily manipulated, too. And all of them ended up suppressing the urge to break something after they were done conversing with him. On your honor as one of Liyue's seven stars, you vow to not make their mistakes. 

"You're asking why I don't try to drive you mad?" he said, setting down his fork. You'd caved in and given him one after watching him struggle with chopsticks for far too long. "You're the only one who isn't a bore to talk to, that's all-" so this was on purpose?!- "and besides, I want to challenge you to a fight afterwards! Your vision's getting quite dusty from neglect, comrade. Let's fix that!"

• 2:00, Yanfei: Discussion of Legal Matters

Yanfei's counsel is an invaluable treasure. Especially when dealing with an opponent as vicious as Snezhnaya's Fatui, who deserve to have her wrath unleashed upon them. You walk to her office with a gleam in your eyes, and are delighted to see an equal fire already blazing in hers. For the next few hours, you two take the "suggestions" Tartaglia passed on from the Northland Bank and scheme on how to best tear them to shreds with the law.

"That man-childe's been giving you trouble again, huh," she giggles. "What did he come up with this time~? I've been waiting for an excuse to bring out the latest edition of my lawbook!" And with that, Yanfei slams it down, and the sheer weight of it nearly cracks her desk. "He won't know what hit him!"

• 4:00: Free Time

Of course, "free time" simply means that you have no meetings scheduled for this hour, which lets you adequately prepare for the next day's events. Tomorrow is your appointment with the Feiyun Commerce Guild, which you already know will require great patience and strength of mind. Because the head of the guild, and his eldest son, the future head, are- to put it mildly- not very bright... it's fortunate, then, that the second son Xingqiu has a good head on his shoulders.  

"Tomorrow, you should go straight to me instead," Xingqiu informs you cheerily, handing you a popsicle. Apparently, he keeps them around for his friend Chongyun, who's off to complete another exorcism. "I'll be sure to set everything in order." His eyes gleam. "And then, I can tell you the latest developments in 'A Legend of Sword'!"

• 5:00: Catch Xinyan's Concert!

Liyue's one and only rock musician isn't hard to find, thanks to the designated performance spots scattered around the city. You stop by at the raised platform where she's rocking out, where other people are listening as well. Xinyan strikes a peace sign in the air, and her vision glows with energy before the stage erupts with pillars of fire; her audience bursts into cheers and applause, and she's beaming as she leaps down to meet you. 

"Wait, seriously? You really changed up the rules a lil' so it'll be easier for me to hold concerts here?" Her eyes shine as they scan the papers- one of the many results of your work today in Yuehai. "Thank you so much! Wait-" she picks up her guitar again, giving it an experimental riff. "Let me think up a quick song for ya as thanks- I insist!"

• 6:00: Wangsheng Funeral Parlor 

Lately, you've been sent particularly determined requests from the other nations about allowing tourists to observe the ancient funeral rites. You already know the answer's gonna be a hard no, but the laws written by Rex Lapis state that you must check with the director anyway. She's not there when you arrive, so a consultant, Zhongli, brings you tea while you wait for her. You sit together in the fading sun, waiting for Hu Tao's familiar song to rise above the hill. 

Zhongli takes a quiet sip from his cup, closing his luminous eyes. "Although it was Rex Lapis who created the laws, they are not meant to be set in stone. Humans must revise the contract as they see fit, so that it will not erode with the passage of time." Something makes you feel as though it's more significant to him than you know. Then, he smiles slightly. "But, just looking at the people leading the way in his absence, like you... there's no need for me to worry."

• 8:00: Dinner; Request Chef Xiangling

The Wanmin Restaurant, run by Chef Mao and his daughter, is a breath of fresh air. While the rest of Liyue is divided between the "Li" and "Yue" styles of cooking, Xiangling pays the conflict no mind. Instead, she's not afraid to be daring and experiment, blazing ahead without worrying about what others think. You can see some similarities between her and Keqing, but it's best not to mention it after that disastrous banquet they organized together... 

"Had a rough day, didn't you?" Xiangling asks, her golden eyes twinkling as she hands you the steaming hot bowl. "Well, for you, I made sure to prepare your favorite dish! I hope you don't mind if I added a lizard or two this time- I'm kidding!" she adds quickly, upon seeing alarm flash across your face. 

• 9:00: Return Home

After everything that happened, you're eager to collect the reports from your subordinates and head home to draft new revisions for Tianquan Ningguang to look over (and then, hopefully, get some rest). But as you're walking on the path to your neighborhood, you spot a little girl sitting in the grass, clutching her head. Alarm rises in your chest as you rush over to see what's wrong, and why she's alone- only to realize with a start that she's the child that returned from the dead.  

"Thank you for taking Qiqi back to Bubu Pharmacy," she says, reading solemnly from her notebook (where the entire thank-you script is written). Even when you set her down, she's still reading the pieces of paper. "Will you tell Dr. Baizhu where I got lost? Please and thank you, again."

• 10:00: Sleep

In the end, you never did get to those revisions. You can hear your fellow Qixing scolding you in your head, but at least you got plenty of other things done; the well-oiled machine that is Liyue will still keep running on thanks to the tasks you accomplished today. Someday, even the adepti will have to acknowledge the ability of humans... you turn in your bed to feel the coolness of the other side. Speaking of adepti... the night air coming in... reminds you of... "Xiao..."

"I thought you were in danger," the adeptus huffs. The moment you said his name, you'd finally fallen asleep, but it still brought Xiao to you- balanced on the windowsill, hair waving in the breeze. "Still... I'm... glad that you're alright," he admits, glancing at you to make sure you're not awake to hear. "Rest well, bright star of Liyue." And then, with a sound like a sigh- or was it the wind?- he's gone.

[seventeenlovesthree]

“Shall we go together?” (1/24) | A Taishirou Christmas drabble countdown

Just a little Taishirou-centric Christmas fic I’ve been meaning to write all year long, so here we are. The plan was to post 12-24 drabbles to complete telling the story and the Christmas spirit succeeded in the end.

🧡💜

Chapters: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

Characters: Mimi Tachikawa, Sora Takenouchi, Jyou Kidou, Takeru Takaishi, their Digimon partners (mentions of the other Chosen Children)

Main POV: Mimi Tachikawa

Genre: Friendship (& romance)

Rating: K

Wordcount: 945

December 23rd, 07:15 PM

~

„Awww, are you really telling me nobody else is coming?! Unbelievable…”

With a disappointed pout on her lips, Mimi reached for the straw of her milkshake to blow up a few bubbles. The rest of the group around the table at the café they had agreed to meet at – Sora, Takeru and Jyou, plus all their partners – gave her sympathetic looks.

“It can’t be helped, Nii-san is still all wrapped up in practice for tomorrow”, Takeru explained while Patamon was emptying his own cup of cocoa. Sora, who was sitting on his right, nodded before returning to take a look at her tablet. Both of them had spent the day helping to prepare the decorations for Yamato’s annual Christmas Eve concert and she was very intent to ensure that nothing would be left forgotten.

“And the Yagami siblings are held captive by their mother”, she eventually added with a bright grin on her face. Jyou tilted his head in confusion.

“They’re what?”

“It’s Yuuko-san’s annual tradition to make her children bake as many Christmas cookies and cakes as possible.”

“Aaaaah, yes, I remember…”, Mimi replied, obviously intrigued. “That’s why Daisuke-kun still ends up complaining each and every year because Hikari-chan has cookie bags for everyone, right? I should take note of that…”

Sora still grinned at that – having known Taichi and Hikari for the majority of her life, she was more than familiar with their baking traditions and was definitely looking forward to her own personal portion this year.

“Taichi always pretends it’s torture to bake all Christmas Eve long, but I’m pretty sure he’s actually having a blast, even if they’ll be spending all of today buying ingredients. It’s his personal ‘I can bake more than my sister’ challenge.”

“Such a dork…”, Mimi giggled, already seeming a little bit less bitter than before, yet she couldn’t suppress a deep sigh. “Still, it’s a shame they’re not here. Since we can’t spend Christmas Eve together and all, with me flying to America tonight and Jyou-senpai spending all week in Hokkaido. Koushirou-kun said he wanted to come today, but changed his mind last minute…”

“Oh, he did?”, Jyou asked.

“Yeah, he didn’t tell me why though. He seemed in a hurry...”

The bitterness on Mimi’s face returned, so Takeru was quick to change the topic again.

“It really is difficult to keep everyone together, huh. Hikari-chan and I will at least uphold our annual tradition to celebrate with Daisuke-kun and the others.”

That actually seemed to have worked, as Mimi’s attention was immediately drawn to the new subject. “So you won’t see your brother’s concert?”

“I would love to, but the greatest Christmas present I can make him is to not tease him about being a cheesy younger version of Bon Jovi, you know…”

“Heh, point taken.” With a light giggle, Mimi patted Jyou’s shoulder appreciatively, as he was sitting next to her. “So in the end, you’re still the most reliable of them all, Senpai. At least that has never changed.”

“Don’t make me blush”, he said, actually blushing a little and rubbing his neck in a bashful manner, which caused Sora to look up from her tablet again, also giving him an encouraging smile.

“I’m sure you’ll enjoy the spa week with your brothers.”

“I guess that’s what I get for overworking all year long, if I said no, they probably would have kidnapped me. Gomamon has been talking about nothing else this week – and that tells you something if Christmas is just around the corner…”

“Hey!”, Gomamon protested, “It’s just that I personally enjoy hot springs more than Christmas presents! … As yummy as they might be…”

“I can imagine!”, Palmon giggled, with Piyomon joining her, before turning her head towards Sora, curiously looking over her arm and onto the tablet herself now.

“Sora, you’ve been all distracted, what are you even doing there?”

Looking a little guilty now, Sora immediately put the tablet down once again.

“Ah, Koushirou-kun set up an app for me to keep track of all my appointments properly – and I’m adding the concert and everything else to the list.”

“Shush!”

“So responsible…”, Mimi whistled, nudging Sora across the table before taking a bite from a cupcake. “Juggling with all your responsibilities is your personal challenge, huh, Sora-san?”

Without teasing Sora further – and making her blush harder –, Mimi eventually finished her cupcake and looked out of the window. “I really wonder what Koushirou-kun was up to though… He will be there with Taichi-san and you tomorrow, right?”

“Yes… But I wouldn’t worry too much. I’m sure he will be alright.”

Listening to these words, everyone at the table turned to Sora.

“Why do you say that, Sora-san?”

“I think… He’s facing his own little challenge this Christmas”, she said calmly, making Jyou and Mimi exchange a curious look.

“Suspicious, seems like you know more than you claim to.”

“Not at all”, Sora smiled, still completely unshaken. “But if he was in a hurry one day before Christmas Eve, he might have a few more errands to run.”

A little snickering sound could be heard from Takeru and Mimi just gave her a questioning look, still not buying it, but too fed up to ask even further, so she leaned back in her chair and stretched.

“Haaaaaaah, young love must be tough…”

“M-Mimi-kun, you don’t know that it’s about that…”, Jyou scolded her, but more hesitant than usual, obviously not fully convinced himself, so Mimi winked at him – and raised her milkshake.

“Doesn’t mean that it’s not about that! And now let’s toast to us being the last remaining beacon of loyalty tonight! To us!”

[evenmoregreener]

Questionnaire of Laruku from B-PASS magazine (March. 1995)

Another translation of a translation from Russian. This "interview" was translated for Russian l'arc fan-club in 2018. I haven't found any other English translations on the net, so I decided that it will be interesting for you to read something like this. All credits are down below, big thank you to the original translator, what a great woman! 

The original Russian text has some typos plus English isn't my first language, that's why text might seem a bit of strange. About special signs: (translator's note) - notes of an original translator; "*" - my own notes; (?) - neither me nor the original translator understood the context. Please, enjoy!

1. Date of birth Hyde: 13th of Friday Tetsu: 3 of October Ken: 28th of November, Sagittarius Sakura: Secret 2. Blood type Н: Color of the blood - red Т: А or 0 К: АВ S: The hot blood of a man runs in my veins 3. Place of birth Н: Jelsarem's Rod Т: Kansai К: Alaska’s native S: Kingdom of Nerima (Nerima is a ward in Tokyo, where Sakura was born - translator's note) 4. Height, weight, shoe size, visual acuity Н: “?” Т: Small, light, 24,5 – 25 cm К: 178 cm, 56 kg, shoe – 25,5 cm S: 5 feet 8 inches, 120 feet, 10 inches, about 1,0 and 1,0 5. Body size Н: As in the previous Т: I don’t know К: I prefer В 85, W 58 H 88 S: “Nice body” 6. Which musical instruments and how many years do you play? Н: I've been playing guitar for 9 years Т: 11 years on bass К: From about high school S: Secret 7. Where did you work? Н: Mister Donats Т: At the record store К: Jewelry store, tutor S: Secret 8. Skills Н: Shaolin martial arts, second dan Т: Calligraphy К: Youth baseball S: Secret 9. Hobby and special abilities (besides music) Н: Bite Т: Radio controlled models К: Tetris S: To make people do something

10. Philosophy of life Н: Do not stick sticks into the rice Т: I sleep today for tomorrow, tomorrow I sleep for today. (a phrase from manga - translator's note) К: Hurry slowly S: Live today 11. Real name Н: Jiji Т: Teppi К: Jakenosuke S: Sakurajima Samuel Tarot

12. Favorite musicians Н: Depeche mode Т: Me К: The The (an English new wave band — translator's note) S: Ishihara Yūjirō (Japanese actor, singer, film producer - translator's note) 13. Favorite celebrity Н: Takeda Tetsuya (Japanese singer and actor - translator's note) Т: Me К: Isshiki Sae (Japanese actress — translator's note) S: Saburo Ishikura (Japanese actor - translator's note) 14. Respected people Н: Yoshitada Hirai * Т: Me К: Professor Ichinose S: Takakura Ken (Japanese actor - translator's note) 15. Favorite films and films that you’ve recently watched Н: The Omen. Recently watched Jurassic Park. Т: Favorite film – The Outsider, recently watched “Cría cuervos” (Spanish film of 1976 - translator's note) К: Perfect World, cried when watched, although usually I don't cry during films S: Jingi Naki Tatakai (Battles Without Honor and Humanity) 16. Favorite books (including manga) and books that you’ve recently read Н: Stephen King. Recently read compilation that’s called Night Souls (?). Pretty interesting. Т: «Harper’s Bazaar», Vogue Italia, recently read Matsumoto Hitoshi’s “Isho”. К: «Kirin», about motorcycles, novels for men. It’s a bit of awkward, but I buy Young Rose which I love to read for a long time. S: I can't list everything. 17. Alcohol and tobacco Н: Both, about 10 years already. Alcohol – a little, tobacco – one piece. ** Т: I don’t smoke. Alcohol – yes, except sake, I drink rarely though. К: I love Kassis, always have it at home, drink 2-3 times a week. I don’t smoke right now. S: Any alcohol, I can drink a lot. Per day I smoke more than two packs (Seven Star) 18. Do you love animals? Do you have any pets? Н: I do, but I have allergy. Т: I do. I had 5 dogs and one cat, now I don’t. К: I love obedient and loving. S: More than pets I love girls. 19. The concert that left the strongest impression Н: GASTUNK in EGG PLANT (legendary club in Osaka of 80’s - translator's note) Т: Shiki-Yakou (the name of tour Dead End of 1985) К: In Aichi Kinrou Kaikan (concert hall in Nagoya — translator's note) S: Radio concert Anikies (Dankon Anikies – fictional band that was made up by ken, sakura and kyo (Die in Cries), when ken and sakura were guests at kyo’s radio program «kyo MIDNIGHT　ROCK　CITY» on 9th of December, 1994 - translator's note) 20. Three most beloved albums Н: Some Great Reward of Depeche Mode, God’s Own Medicine of The Mission, La Vie En Rose of D'erlanger*** Т: Laruku’s new album, Tierra, Dune К: Black Sabath – Heaven & Hell; Cure - Disintegration; Kisugi Takao (Japanese singer and composer - translator's note) - Best collection S: Secret 21. Recently bought CDs and your impressions of them Н: No Т: Second Coming/The Stone Roses К: Suede (Britpop band - translator's note) S: Secret 22. Concert that you visited recently Н: Haven't been on the concerts for about a year, but sometimes before Shibuya live watched Modern Choki Chokies (a Japanese pop band from the early 1990s - translator's note) Т: Echobelly (a British rock band — translator's note) К: kyo-chan’s solo S: Secret 23. TV shows that you often watch and radio shows that you often listen to Н: Doramas and MIDNIGHT ROCK CITY Т: TV – BEAT UK, I don't listen to radio К: Yoru-ni dakarete (dorama of 1994 - translator's note), though it has already ended. I don’t listen to radio, since I don’t have one S: I’m interested neither in TV nor radio 24. Favorite dish, favorite color and flower Н: Japanese cuisine. Monochrome color. Flowers that grow well in an apartment, even if they are not watered Т: Sushi, tillandsia, cacti, I like all of the colors К: Favorite dish – ice cream, caviar, sushi. Favorite flower – orchid. Favorite color – silver S: Anton rib (dish that was mentioned in Kinnikuman - translator's note), sakura, black 25. Musical instruments that you can play and ones that you want to learn to play Н: Guitar, bass, acoustic guitar, would like to learn to play flute. Т: Several guitars and basses К: Guitar, bass, synthesizer. Would like to learn how to play saxophone S: Variety which you can find in stores 26. Thing that you want the most right now Н: Hot blood of some girl. Т: Sharp Zaurus P1-5000 К: Onsen, pool S: “?” 27. How do you spend your weekend? Н: Sleep Т: Vacantly К: Go back and forth S: Stay under the waterfall 28. What do you do when you are all alone at home? Н: Sleep and writing lyrics Т: Play the guitar, listen to music К: Watch TV… S: Drumming Japanese drums 29. A dream that you have seen lately. Н: Back at night souls of dead sheep were hurrying through the window, I was worried where they are going. I told Sakura: when the sheep will come back, let’s go after them, but they didn’t come back. Т: A dream where I somehow ended up eating sushi in America. К: Relocation S: In loincloth and a bandage on the head I wandered in a stormy sea. And that was awesome! 30. Most attractive feature Н: Compact, compact and compact Т: “?” К: Ankles. Strong side: strong legs. Weak side: often catch cold. S: 31. Role in the band. Н: Probably, bringing everybody together Т: President К: Am-group (?) S: Educator of the head of singing monkeys 32. Describe in one word what Laruku is Н: Cloudy sky after heavy rain Т: Rock band К: Rainbow S: Soul of a man 33. What do you expect from the other band members? Н: I’d like everybody to stay as healthy as they are now Т: Perfection К: Rainbow! S: Soul of a man 34. Where do you want to go abroad? Н: Paris Т: To America К: Any countries where I could live. To drive back and forth S: Country on the shore of the Japanese Sea 35. Where have you been? Where have you recently traveled? Н: During the vacation in September traveled to Nagano to visit Osamu's house four years later, I would like to live calmly in the district of Karuizawa station. Т: To Okinawa. It was beautiful. К: Morocco. It was hot. S: In Morocco I saw the waves of the Atlantic Ocean 36. What do you recommend to see in your hometown? Н: On the roof of Nisshou haitsu Т: A lot of yankees. К: The view on the fast stream S: Secret 37. Enjoyable things that you like during tours (except for concerts) Н: Food Т: Except for concerts, nothing (laughs) К: You can overeat S: Meet different locals with the soul of a man 38. What do you definitely do before the concert, what do you pay special attention to? Н: I am in a deep thought Т: I listen to Metallica at full volume К: Going to a toilet S: Warm up and stretch of the muscles 39. What do you pay special attention to before the interview? Н: I find out the topic Т: So as not to be late К: I try to be serious S: Worried about whether I can express and tell about my masculine soul 40. What do you carry with you all the time? Н: Watch and two bracelets because I like them Т: Nothing К: Bracelet, necklace - I feel uncomfortable without them S: Pants 41. Memorable thing Н: The bracelet that I bought when I first came abroad. I really wanted it, but pretended that I am not interested, and bargained. But since there is no set price, I don’t know if it’s cheap or not. Т: No К: Various guitars, they are associated with different memories. S: Secret 42. Three biggest news in the last six months Н: 1. Motoka’s wedding. 2. The house in front of my window was demolished. 3. Because of the house, which has now been built, the lighting has become worse. Т: Promotion trip; creation of an official fan club; award from the director! К: Couldn't go to the sea. Swam in a pool in Morocco. Was in onsen. S: Secret 43. Plans for the end of the previous year and the beginning of the new Н: Composing music and lyrics Т: Car driving and karaoke К: Continue visiting onsen. S: Polish my masculine soul 44. Your personal plans for 1995 Н: Enjoy work Т: Become an artist № 1 К: Necessarily swim in the sea. Master the butterfly S: Gain a soul of a man 45. Music that you listened to this morning or last night Н: Laruku’s new song T: Morning call from the manager K: Maribeth S: Pink Floyd 46. Dish that turns out well when you are cooking Н: Chinese cuisine Т: I can't cook К: Ikuradon S: Sashimi 47. The image of the ideal woman Н: An optimistic and domestic woman Т: No К: Fujiko-chan S: That looks like Shiraishi Hitomi (Japanese actress - translator's note) 48. Favorite sport Н: No Т: No К: No S: Judo 49. If I were born again... Н: I would like to become an astronaut and fly into space Т: I would like to be genius К: I would like to be a dolphin S: I would like to be a woman, in order to live and not talk nevermore about the "soul of a man" 50. Goals in life Н: Enjoy the rest of the years Т: It’s a secret К: Live a long life S: Soul of a man 51. One word for readers of our magazine Н: If you're not careful, I'll bite you! Т: Nice to meet you К: Hello, this is Ken. I'll continue in answer 52 S: Life in a loincloth and headband 52. Free theme Н: Woof Т: Nowadays Laruku are fully different! К: In 1996 I want to perform a lot at concerts. That is why we definitely will meet, so look forward! S: And this year there will be Anikies!

* Marked in credits to HYDE’s “Roentgen” album as an art director and designer. ** Probably he meant one pack. *** Was covered by HYDE in D’ERLANGER TRIBUTE ALBUM ~Stairway to Heaven~.

Translation from Japanese: Liubov Chachanidze aka Diana_ Translation into English by me (The Green Explosion inc.)  

Original: https://diary.ru/~l20arc-en-ciel/p216393417_anketa-iz-zhurnala-b-pass-za-mart-1995-goda.htm

[sapphire374]

Soy Sol: Chapter 11 (The Cut that Burrows Deep)

Wattpad Link

Ch.1 / Ch.2 / Ch.3 / Ch.4 / Ch.5 / Ch.6 / Ch.7 / Ch.8 / Ch.9 / Ch. 10 / Ch.12 / Ch.13 / Ch.14 / Ch.15 / Ch.16 / Ch.17

Ámbar feels like every step she takes, the more she can feel her heartbeat. It’s like she’s carrying it in her arms with nothing to guard it, out in the open alone. She opens the cold rusted handle of the entrance to the restaurant. There she is, her biological mom trembling while drinking a glass of water. Ámbar sums up all the courage inside her and takes the chance to approach her. When she grabs the seat in front of her, Sylvania can’t help but stare in shock. “Wow Ámbar, you truly have grown.” Ámbar may have brought all her walls down for the people she loves, but she puts them back up with this stranger.

“You can’t say that since you were never there for me. That’s no fair,” Ámbar chided. Sylvania chokes up and avoids eye contact. “Look Ámbar, I now know after everything that has happened the big mistake I made, but at the time it felt like the best option for you. I was young and didn’t have the means nor felt ready to take care of a child. I thought Sharon would’ve been a better parental figure instead of a young girl like myself. I later on regretted it and that’s something I shall have to carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Ámbar grips onto her purse trying very hard to hold back all her tears. She wonders why did this lady chose Sharon specifically and why did Sharon try to keep it a secret for so long? “I understand you were young, but I know that’s not the whole story because I have memories being in a different house that was NOT Benson Mansion. You saw me, you knew me, and didn’t like me enough to keep me,” Ámbar rebuked. Sylvania is showing tears now, she’s choking up with every word as her hand trembles just to take a sip of water. “It wasn’t like that at all Ámbar. I tried, I really did try to see if I was capable of taking care of a child. I noticed my arms weren’t so comforting for you. Sometimes when you love someone, so much, you have to let them go because you care,” Sylvania responded. Ámbar doesn’t know whether to believe what she’s saying or not. She wishes she can get out of these tornadoes of lies that always come chasing her. She’s sick of it all. She wants the truth. Is that too much to ask for?

Silence crowds the room, they’re breathing the same air but can’t even look at each other. Sylvania speaks up again. “I know this feels hard to believe but why do you think I came back? It was for that reason, I thought Sharon would be a better parent than me and would take great care of you. I realized I was sadly wrong.”

“Sharon? Of all people? What made you think that a woman who put a place on fire because she was jealous of her own sister would be a perfect parent for a child? Do you know she never showed me affection or love? I had to learn it all on my own. She only showed any signs of care when she needed me part of her plan that only benefitted her. You left me to a person who only cares about themselves,” Ámbar fumed.

“It wasn’t like that at all. I had no idea about her being the cause of the Benson fire and she had already adopted you before that even happened. When I met her, she was a kind woman, I was friends with Lili from work, so I had already knew the family. I assumed that Sharon had a good heart just like Lili, even though she was seemingly different. The whole time I would interact with her, she was always nice and seemed to really want a child because she always felt alone. It all just felt fitting.” Ámbar is trying to put together all the puzzle pieces in her head with Sylvania’s story. Part of her doesn’t believe it but…. It does kind of make sense. For her it justifies nothing even though she has hope.

Before she gets up from her seat, she leaves a wad of cash. “Ámbar where are you going? We haven’t even ordered yet?” Sylvania asks. “I’m not feeling hungry anymore, here’s some money for dinner.” Ámbar heads out the door with no remnants behind other than the tears that fall to the floor.

Jam and Roller

“Eyyy amigo I’m so happy for the release of your new music video!” Gastón exclaims to Matteo. They’re both drinking smoothies while watching the Youtube countdown from Matteo’s phone. These are the special moments Matteo loves to share with Gastón since he’s always been his pal for the longest. He also loves sharing it with Luna too, but they sadly haven’t hit it off as well for a while. Matteo is hoping Gastón’s plan will work for the upcoming days.

Simón heads to their tables with a fresh batch of popcorn. “Wow, how exciting! It’s even more special since you get to enjoy it here at the Jam and Roller with us!” Simón states. Matteo grins but it slowly fades when he sees Luna walk into the cafeteria and completely ignoring him. “What happened?” Simón asks when he sees Matteo’s vivid expression abruptly change. “No nothing, I just wish I got to share this moment with another person too.” When Simón turns his head and sees who Matteo is staring at, he realizes what Matteo meant.

Nina pulls out her purse and hands her phone to Luna. “I know you’re trying to pretend you don’t care but you do. Watch the video, it’ll get rid of all your curiosities.” Luna shakes her head in disapproval. “Nina, the least I want to do is watch a music video of the one I love flirting with a girl who has a huge crush on him as well. They’re practically soulmates, meant for each other,” Luna exaggerates. “Oh c’mon, I know it’s complicated, but you know that’s not true. If you’re not going to do it for him, then do it for yourself. You deserve to see why he arrived late to your date.” Luna glares at Nina and decides to take the phone.

Once the music video is out, everyone begins to cheer for Matteo. Luna sits even more depressed seeing at the ‘amazing’ chemistry Matteo and Viviana had in the music video. She can’t help but doubt herself even more when all the comments from his fans say they ship him with Viviana. “Nina, I’m not feeling so good. I think I’ll just head home.” Nina nods and Luna begins to get up from her chair and head out. Matteo notices and follows her out.

“Luna! Luna, wait up! I need to tell you something,” Matteo yells out. “Matteo not now, I’m not in the mood. Congratulations of your video, it was very nice. I just don’t feel so good okay.” Matteo catches up to her and stands in front. “Look Luna, I don’t know if you’ll listen to me now but please go to tomorrow’s concert I’m having. My manager is having me make a concert to promote the single, but it wouldn’t be the same without you. Please Luna. You never miss any of my concerts,” Matteo begs. Luna gradually smiles. “Really? You still want me there?”

“Of course, I do Luna.” Luna now can’t help but blush. “Matteo, of course I’ll go. Even though I’m still a little upset at you calling me jealous, standing me up on our date, and not believing or listening to me, I still care. Since you want me there, I’ll be there.” Matteo is surprised by Luna’s comment and begins to graciously smile too. It was a moment for them, they hadn’t had one like this in a long time. It felt needed.

Nico is in the rink sitting on one of the chairs, he seems to be working on something since he has his notebook open with his pen. Jim enters and sees him alone. “Hey there, what are you working on?” Jim asks. “Oh just a few verses, I’m trying to get ahead on the Roller Band song for the competition, but nothing seems to come into mind,” Nico says. Jim heads to the seat beside him. She sits down and carefully glances over his blank page. “Oh yeah you do seem to be having some trouble,” Jim chuckles. “If you’d like I can help, I’m use to writing songs with Yam.” Nico turns and faces Jim, “Yes of course. I need all the help I can get; it’s been a while for me since I got to write a song with the Roller Band.” They both laugh together and get working on the song.

Jazmín dashes to Delfi holding a small slip of paper. “You won’t believe what just happened?” Delfi carefully places her books into her locker after seeing Jazmín rush to her. “Is it something new for the Fundom or for your blog, Ja Jazmin?” Delfi predicts. “Nope, you’re very far off. Look at this,” Jazmín hands Delfi the note. The more she reads it, the more her eyes grow like a flower blooming in the season, keeps opening. She’s in plain shock as Jazmín nods from her amusement. “Right! I have a secret admirer!! I have to post about this on my blog!” Jazmín frantically grabs her phone from her pocket but right when she’s about to film, Delfi stops her. “No Jazmín, this is something special. Honestly, I think this is something you should keep for yourself, every celebrity likes to keep their personal life separate from their work life,” Delfi advises. Jazmín thinks for a second and says, “Nahhh I’ll still post it, plus this can even help us discover who the anonymous writer is!”

The Restaurant

Yam is wearing her golden shimmery dress that Jim helped her pick out. She’s very anxious about her date with Ramiro, she wants it to go out perfect since this was something she had been dreaming of for a while. He puts down the menu and slips his hand under hers to her surprise. He gives her a shy smile. “I had been dreaming of this for a while. Before, I would always try to move on, but I just couldn’t. My mind just couldn’t forget about you,” Ramiro admits. Yam begins to tear up. “I felt the same way for so long but never said anything worried you didn’t feel the same way. I’m so happy about this moment. I don’t care how long I had to wait, it was totally worth it.”

Throughout the whole night, Yam and Ramiro shared college stories and even old memories of each other. How Yam never stopped writing songs about him and how Ramiro would skate imagining about her. Everything went smooth till dessert came. A random man with a suit and tie approached their table and faces Yam. “You look familiar, are you Yamila Sanchez from that Ja Jazmin blog?” Yam stays startled and stutters, “uhhh yes why?” The man quickly pulls a card out of his pocket. “Hillside Records, I’m the owner. I would like to set up a meeting with you for a chance at a record deal.” Yam immediately glares at Ramiro for a response. He shows his approval and gestures for Yam to respond. “Yes I would love to!” Yam exclaims. “Great! I’m available tomorrow at 5 pm. There is one important detail I have to tell you,” the man says. “Yes, what is it,” Yam asks. “The record company is not in Buenos Aires. It’s in California.” He proceeds to hand her the card. “Think about it, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He leaves and Yam shows her disappointment to Ramiro, she couldn’t believe how such an exciting offer can turn to something so depressing. If she took this offer, that means she would have to leave her family, her friends, and her chance at being with Ramiro.

“Look I know this is hard to think about but just follow your heart. If this is something you truly want go for it, I can wait longer,” Ramiro grabs her hand and holds it. “I don’t know what to say. I never knew me pursuing a music career would mean I have to leave everything and everyone I love,” Yam gradually lets her tears fall onto her glittery dress.

[ladykailitha]

If I Rescue You, Will You Rescue Me, Too? Part 13

Hello!

I didn’t have time to work on the Shovel Talks AU today so I thought I’d give the part of the concert series that I’ve been sitting on for a couple of days.

And I have more of this done, too, so that’ll be fun.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

*

They arrived at the hospital and were almost immediately brought back. Dr Hathaway looked over Eddie’s wounds, changed the dressing and took his vitals.

“Everything looks good, Mr Munson,” Dr Hathaway said. “You are free to go home. I will have a nurse come in in a few minutes to go over care for the next couple of weeks. And then be sure to make an appointment with me at the receptionist’s desk before you go. I want to see you in two weeks to remove the stitches.”

Eddie nodded.

Steve gave his shoulder a squeeze. “I’m just going to radio everyone the news, and I’ll be right back.”

Eddie smiled and nodded again.

When Steve came back, the nurse was going over his outpatient care. He helped Eddie to his feet and stood by as Eddie made his appointment.

They drove in comfortable silence, a smile on both their faces.

When Steve turned into Loch Nora instead of driving out to Wayne’s new house, Eddie frowned.

“Are we going to your place, then?” he asked.

Steve’s soft smile turned into a grin. “You’ll see.”

When they turned onto Steve’s street, Eddie could hear something like... cheering?

“What is that?” Eddie asked, but like Steve had all weekend, Steve had remained silent.

A head of them on Steve’s lawn, Eddie could make out signs and balloons.

“Steve...” he whined.

“Yes, babe?”

Eddie buried his head in hands. “You’re going to kill me. That what this is. You have decided that Vecna couldn’t do it, so you are going to finish the job by killing me in the cruelest way possible. KINDNESS.”

Steve laughed. “Just wait.”

Eddie tilted his head back and rolled his eyes. “You can’t keep doing this to me, man. I haven’t had so much outpouring of love my entire life. Like sure, I had friends, and my Uncle Wayne. But camaraderie and quiet affection are nothing like the sheer amount of love you have shown me over and over again this weekend.”

Steve stopped the car for a moment and turned to face him. “If this is too much, I can call it off. I can take you home and we can have a nice quiet afternoon and we can do this some other day.”

Eddie took a deep breath. And then another. He buried his face into his hands as he struggled to get his breathing under control.

“I mean it, Eddie,” Steve said, rubbing circles into his back. “I will turn this car around and we will go somewhere quiet and safe.”

Eddie let out a long shuddering sigh. “No. I think I’m okay now. I want to see our friends too.”

“If it gets too much, just go up to my bedroom and I’ll make your excuses, okay?”

Eddie nodded.

Steve pulled into his driveway and paused before opening the door. “Just one more thing. We don’t have to tell them about the change in our relationship today, tomorrow or ever, if you want. I leave that entirely up to you.”

Eddie gulped. “But it’s about you, too. Why are you leaving it up to me?”

“Because if it was up to me,” Steve murmured, “I would put it on every billboard, marque, and in every newspaper in town.”

Eddie’s eyes went wide. “You would?”

“But I’m new to this whole gay relationship thing,” Steve continued. “I vaguely have an idea what could happen if I did that. But no real experience. I’m guess you do.”

Eddie bit his lip, but nodded.

“And that’s why you’re in charge of who knows and when,” Steve said. “I know Wayne already knows, and Robin would be fine with it because she helped me with this weekend. So other than her and maybe Nancy, no one knows that the real plan for the weekend was to woo except those three. So if you want to wait about telling everyone else. Or in small batches, that’s fine, too. I want you to feel comfortable about us being together.”

Eddie took his hand. “Me too, sweetheart.”

Steve gave it a squeeze and then opened the door. Eddie scrambled to get out the car.

“They aren’t going to jump out and scare me, are they?” Eddie asked, sheepishly.

“If they do, you’ll have to help me hide all the bodies,” Steve said with a wink. “Because I’d murder them.”

Eddie laughed and followed Steve into the house. There wasn’t anyone in the foyer so that helped Eddie relax a little.

“You see that room at the top of the stairs?” Steve asked. Eddie nodded. “That’s my bedroom. If it gets too much, head straight there. Okay?”

Eddie nodded again. Steve wrapped him up in a big hug and Eddie clung to him for a moment.

Eddie took a step back. “Okay, I think I’m ready now.”

Steve nodded and opened a door on the side. It led to a large room with lots of large couches and a TV with huge sound system.

There were also a shit ton of people there too. His Uncle Wayne, his friends from Corroded Coffin. Dustin, Mike, and Lucas, Erica, too. Max was still in the hospital, but it was still nice to see the other kids there. Robin and Nancy were there too. But there were a couple of new faces he didn’t recognize. Two boys and a girl.

Eddie vaguely recognized the shorter of the two boys, having gone to school with Jonathan Byers. Which meant that the other boy must be his brother Will. You would have had to have been living under a rock to not know who he was. But the kid had certainly shot up like a sprout, though. Holy hell, Eddie was almost sure the kid was taller than he was.

Which left Supergirl. The one they had hoped would kill Vecna and had. Steve may have hauled his ass out of hell, but there wouldn’t have been anything left to save if she hadn’t have gotten to Max in time.

There were welcome home signs for both Eddie and Steve. Steve blushed.

“Come on, guys,” Steve muttered, “I’ve been out for a week.”

“Yes,” El said, glowering. “And it was a miscarriage of justice that Eddie got a welcome home party and you didn’t.” She glared at Nancy and Robin in particular, who looked away bashfully.

Eddie blinked at her and decided. Yup. He liked her. She was his new favorite.

Will nudged her with elbow and whispered something in her ear. She smiled sweetly at them which actually might be worse than the glaring.

But it broke the dam and suddenly everyone was coming up and welcoming them home.

Eddie grinned over Dustin’s head at Steve who was getting just as many hugs as he was.

Steve blushed harder and Eddie cackled.

The two of them were ushered over to sofa to sit down as they were brought food and drink. There was laughter and good times.

About half way through, Robin came over to sit by Steve while Eddie was engaged in conversation with about a campaign he wanted to start now that he was out.

She bumped his shoulder. “She was right you know. El, I mean.”

Steve looked over at El as she chatted excitedly with Dustin about his latest experiments.

“Yeah, she was.”

Robin looked down at her hands. “You were only in the hospital for like a day, but you were still hurt and needed to be celebrated too.”

Steve covered her hands with his. “Sometimes I think I’m like glass to them.” He jutted his chin out to the rest of the room. “Completely see through and only thought about when I’m useful.”

She wrapped one of her hands on top of his, their hands completely intertwined. “I know it can feel that way sometimes, but none of these people would be here without you.”

“It is my house,” Steve deadpanned.

Robin bumped his shoulder again. “Not like that, Dingus!”

He chuckled.

“They love you,” she whispered.

Steve nodded, fighting back tears.

Eddie leaned over just then and whispered, “That thing you offered me? That’s good for you too, sweetheart.”

Robin looked at them quizzically. “What does that mean?”

“It means, fair Birdie,” Eddie said with a grin. “That if either one of us is feeling overwhelmed, we can take a breather and the other one will cover for us.”

Robin tilted her head. “Count me in, too. In case both of you need a break at the same time.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Both boys blushed.

Dustin came over and pulled Steve to his feet, dragging him away from Eddie and Robin so that they could chat with El.

“You should meet Jonathan’s friend, Argyle,” El said in lieu of greeting. “He’s nice. He helped us get across country and he didn’t have to. But he didn’t feel like it was appropriate to crash a party for people he hasn’t met.”

Steve rubbed her head. “Is that a bid for a pool party, Supergirl?”

“Please don’t touch my head,” she whispered.

Steve pulled her in for a hug. “It’s because they shaved it again, huh?” She nodded. “Then I won’t do it until it’s grown back some, okay?”

“Thank you for respecting my boundaries,” El said.

He kissed the top of her head. “Anytime, Supergirl.”

She giggled. “And of course it’s a bid for a pool party. When it gets warmer.” She shivered. “There wasn’t much to like about California, but it being warm all the time was nice.”

“I’m sure it was,” Steve said. “And when Max wakes up, you can tell her all about it.”

“I did tell her over the phone,” El said with a frown.

“Sure,” Steve agreed. “But I’m sure she’d love to hear it again all the same.”

El cocked her head. “I’m not sure I understand, but Hop and Joyce has both said the same thing, so I will do so.”

Will pulled Eddie and Steve aside when most of the crowd had thinned out and gone home. It was El, Will, Jonathan, Robin, and Wayne that were left besides Steve and Eddie.

“I didn’t want to give you these in front of everyone,” he began. “Mike would have flipped his shit.”

Eddie and Steve looked at each in confusion.

“Give us what?” Eddie asked.

He handed one rolled canvass to Eddie and the other to Steve. “I was talking to everyone and they were saying how amazing and awesome you guys were in helping take down Vecna, so I painted these.”

Steve unrolled his first. There was Steve, but a more badass barbarian version of himself in leather armor ripping a demobat in half.

“Wow, Will,” he murmured. “This is awesome!”

Eddie looked over his shoulder and whistled long and low. “That’s about what it looked like to be honest. Only this idiot was barefoot.”

Will turned to Steve in shock. “Barefoot?”

Steve blushed. “I had been swimming like seconds before that, so yeah. No shoes.”

Will shook his head. “You never cease to amaze me.”

Eddie unfurled his. There was Eddie as a medieval bard on top of a mountain, playing guitar. He put his hand over his mouth to stop them from quivering. “Oh.”

Steve looked over at it. “I don’t quite understand what he’s supposed to be.” He blushed from embarrassment expecting Will and Eddie to dogpile him the way Mike and Dustin did.

“He’s a bard,” Will explained. “They’re like warrior musicians. Most of them sing, but instruments are a big part of what makes a bard.”

Eddie smiled. “And big part of what a bard does is called bardic inspiration. It gives everyone able to hear their song, boosts to their stats.”

Steve nodded. “That’s definitely Eddie.”

Eddie blushed, shoving his hair in his face.

Will cocked his head to the side. “Wait...are you two...like together?”

Eddie and Steve shared a slightly panicked glance.

Will smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.” He looked down at the floor. “I mean not all the rumors about me are wrong, so...”

Steve and Eddie frowned for a moment trying to remember all the bullshit that had been thrown around by bullies.

Eddie hit on it first. “You’re gay!” he whisper yelled.

Steve’s jaw dropped. “That makes sense. I’m bisexual myself. But yeah. Your secret is safe with us, too.”

Will blushed.

“We aren’t the only ones either,” Steve said with a wink. “Let’s just a birdie told me there is a lesbian in our Party too.”

Will mouthed the word birdie a couple of times before his eyes went wide. “Oh!”

Eddie and Steve cackled.

“Hey Robs!” Steve called out. “Can you come here for a moment?”

Robin broke off from talking to El and wandered over. “What’s up, Dingus?”

“Will was just saying how hard it was to find other queers in Hawkins,” Steve explained.

Robin snorted. “Dude, you landed among three of the biggest queers in the whole state.”

Will’s smile lit up his whole face. “Duly noted.”

“Hey, Will,” Jonathan said. “I’m ready to leave. Are you?”

“I’ll be there in a minute!” he said and then gave all three of them a hug. He hesitated a moment and then joined El and Jonathan. They all said goodbye.

That left Wayne, who was leaning against the door frame and Robin.

“You staying the night, Ed?” Wayne asked. “Or are you coming home with me?”

Eddie looked back at Steve, nervously.

“You haven’t been able to spend much time with your Uncle, Eds,” Steve murmured. “It’s okay if that’s what you want to do.”

Eddie’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Yeah. Yeah. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Steve smiled softly. “It’s a date.” He winked and Eddie blushed.

He pulled Eddie in close for a gentle kiss. “I love you, sunshine.”

“Love you too, sweetheart,” Eddie whispered back.

Eddie and Wayne were almost to the door when they heard Robin squeal.

“You better tell me everything!”

***

Part 14  Part 15 Part 16 Part 17  Part 18  Part 19  Part 20    

Tag List: @anaibis @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @thedragonsaunt @chaoticlovingdreamer @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666  @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @justforthedead89 @whalesharksart @nburkhardt @snapshotmaestro @shrimply-a-menace @theotalksalot @child-of-cthulhu @bookbinderbitch @cr0w-culture @punctualhowell @obliosworld @eddiemunsonswife @sharingisntkaren @dididisrespectyourbridgegoatman @lillemilly

[quickspinner]

Indelible - Ch 3 Scratch

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | AO3

Tour life was crazy. Luka had stumbled around the first week, constantly in everyone’s way and the subject of many conversations that cut off when he came into earshot. Finally he’d gritted his teeth and thrown himself into the chaos, intent on working hard enough to earn his place no matter what his relationship to Jagged might or might not be. 

It was working, and he’d slowly been proving he belonged here, but it didn’t leave time for much else. He didn’t even notice he had a voicemail until hours after the timestamp, and after he’d listened to it, it was several hours still before he could steal a moment—and it felt like stealing, on a show night—to return the call.  

Luka wedged himself between some equipment backstage and smashed his phone against his ear, barely able to make out the ringing over the noise around him. The ringing stopped but he wasn’t sure anyone was on the other line. “Marinette?” he shouted, covering his other ear.

Just at that moment the song playing on stage ended. That was good, because now he could hear even with the lead singer talking to the audience, but also not so great, because it meant he was almost out of time. 

“—glad you called, can you hear me?” 

“I can hear you,” Luka said, relieved. “Hey, is everything okay? Your message was—” 100% Marinette-brand spazz. “—vague.”   

“Yes! It’s fine. Great actually. I’m sorry for making it sound so urgent,” Marinette said sheepishly, and he could almost see her pacing in her room, tugging on a pigtail. “It’s just, when Adrien’s involved there’s always press, and I didn’t want you to find out from the tabloids, and it seemed like a weird thing to text, and—” She stopped her ramble and took a deep breath. “Um. Adrien and I are dating.”

“That’s awesome, Marinette,” he said without hesitation, though his brain didn’t feel connected to his body anymore. “You finally told him?”

“He asked me out, actually. Sort of. It was—well it was awkward and complicated, actually, but we’re together now, and that’s what matters.”

Luka raised his eyebrows. “Okay. I’m not really sure what that means but I don’t have time to stay and get the details right now. Just—are you happy?” 

“I’m so happy, Luka,” she breathed, and she sounded it, and he smiled despite his own pain. 

“That’s great, Marinette. I’m really happy for you. I gotta go, but I’ll text you tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure,” Marinette replied. “I know you’re about to go on stage. Knock ‘em dead, okay?”

“Always,” Luka chuckled, and had to clear his throat after. 

“Luka…” Marinette hesitated. “Are we...are we still okay? Are you okay?” 

“Of course, Marinette,” Luka told her, trying to put all of his sincerity in her voice. “Of course we’re okay.” The band started back up and he was grateful for the excuse. “I really gotta go,” he shouted, not sure she could even hear him anymore. “Bye, Marinette.” He hung up the phone and slumped against the equipment.

He was happy for her. He was. But he was allowed to have just this moment at least, right? To hurt. To wonder if anything would have been different if he stayed.

Probably not. He knew that. She’d been in love with Adrien forever. It was kind of dumb to even be upset about this news. He knew she loved Adrien, had known it from that first concert on the Liberty. She loved Luka too, just...not like that. Luka was sincere in his well wishes; he did want her to be happy. Just...would there be any room for him now? For the kind of friendship they had? He lifted his shirt briefly and looked down, but he could barely see her name at all in the dim backstage lighting. Luka shoved the shirt back down, feeling stupid, and took a deep breath, blinking as he looked up at the ceiling. He couldn’t ruin his eyeliner now. He only had the rest of this song to get himself together, and then he’d be called to the stage. 

“After,” Luka muttered to himself. After, he’d give himself a night to fall apart. 

Right now, the roar of the crowd and the feel of his guitar and the exhilaration that always came with performing alongside Jagged, who, whatever his faults as a person and a maybe-father, was still a legend in his field, was just what the doctor ordered.  

[blouisparadise]

Here are some great bottom Louis fics that were posted or completed during the month of May. We really hope you enjoy this list. Happy reading!

1) Louis Punishments | Mature | 1759 words

Just a bunch of punishments Harry has given to Louis.

2) Hoping To Discover A Certain Kind Of Lover  | Explicit | 2353 words

He knew the basic idea of what was supposed to happen. It was the entire point of the film Zayn was working on. To match up unmated alpha and omega strangers and to film them as they kissed for the first time. The two of them shuffled awkwardly back and forth, unsure of what to do.

Enough was enough. “I’m gonna just go for it, yeah?” Harry suggested, and Louis nodded quickly, already leaning closer to him.

Everything was hesitant at first. Tender lips met, and all of it was soft and new, neither of them wanting to overstep. A little zing of anticipation and something unfamiliar shot down Harry’s spine as he swallowed the tiny sound of surprise Louis made. Neither alpha nor omega were pushing, but that was the point of all of this, wasn’t it? To see what happened when people let go and let themselves be? Harry figured he would try. For the sake of the experiment, of course.

Gently, so, so gently, Harry slid his hand up the side of Louis’s throat, cupping his jaw to hold him as close as he could. Their lips finally, finally, finally parted, and Harry could taste the hint of tea and honey lingering on Louis’s tongue. Suddenly and all at once, he couldn’t get enough.

3) Irresistible | Mature | 2380 words

Louis goes into his first heat at school and no one is able to resist him. Harry - who's been in love with him since forever - fucks and bonds him in the toilets.

4) Signed, No Name | Mature | 4647 words

Harry doesn’t know Blue, he just knows that he leaves random notes in the corners of the books he checks out, and he’s head over heels for him.

5) It Could've Been Worse | Not Rated | 4949 words

The one where a pandemic happens, harry is obssessed and louis hates apps made for 15 years old.

6) Take Me To The Stars | Explicit | 5840 words

Staring at his darling daughter, in the middle of the pasta aisle, Louis found himself on the edge of a neurotic breakdown.

"It’s your birthday tomorrow! And your papa better not do anything to muck it up! Because your dada worked very hard to organise it! And all of your aunties and grannies and granddads and friends will be there!” Louis continued in a sweet sing-song voice that seemed to get increasingly frantic as he continued. “And if your papa is in rut, then what? What’ll we do, honey girl? Your dada will be too busy! And your papa will be too horn-”

“Louis,” Harry interrupted, touching Louis’ arm. “I’ll be okay. It’s probably not even my rut. I can appreciate you… all of you… even when I’m not in rut.”

Louis looked at him skeptically, imagining the shitshow that would be Harry in rut, surrounded by family and friends, at their child’s first birthday party. “I hope you’re right, H.”

7) Kiss Like Fire | Explicit | 9093 words

Harry watches as his uncle's new omega walks around the backyard, serving canapés and drinks to all of the family members gathered. Harry is surrounded by his cousins, all sat together, too young for the adults but too old for the kids and teens. He lifts his beer to his lips and takes a sip when the omega crouches down by one of Harry's younger cousins and hands her a small cracker, sending her off with a sweet smile.

He watches as his uncle comes out of the house, sliding the patio door shut behind him and quickly making his way over to his omega. The omega looks up at him when he wraps an arm around his waist. His pretty lips move with soft-spoken words. Harry has to fight to keep his alpha in check when his dirty old uncle's hand dips down, grabbing at the omega's ass and making him jump.

"Dude," one of his cousins says, "Uncle Darron's new omega is such a milf."

8) Waking Up Alone | Mature | 10060 words

"Nothing makes you hurt like hurting who you love"

Love shouldn't hurt, loving somebody with everything you have shouldn't make you feel like you're dying. Louis feels like he’s drowning. He should have known where this was going from the start, he should have been prepared. Now he’s waking up in an empty bed, some days he doesn’t want to even wake up again. There's a hole in his heart; it's in the shape of Harry. Nothing he does can fill it. Drugs, alcohol, pouring out his heart into songs that Harry probably won't ever hear. When Louis is with him, he feels like he’s in heaven. Being alone, that's what he feels he deserves, at least Harry can be happier without him.

Maybe if they met at a different time, under different circumstances, he could have saved them. Louis had to do what was best for Harry, but it kills him a little everyday. Louis sees his smile everyday, but he knows it's no longer for him. Someone else makes Harry happier, but Louis wanted it to be him. They could have had forever. Louis would have given Harry everything.

"Forget what I said, it's not what I meant" Harry had tried to say, but Louis knew that wasn't the truth. After everything they’ve been through, Louis still loves him.

9) To The Beat Of My Own Drum | Explicit | 10285 words

A collection of drabbles.

10) Alone Too Long | Explicit | 10371 words

By the time The Temptress finally reached bay, the Captain only had one thing on his mind, and that one thing was Louis Darling.

11) Straight Boy | Explicit | 12251 words

Young, brunette and handsome, Louis attracts unwanted attention in prison. When his cellmate offers him protection, Louis accepts the offer, even though he doesn’t trust the guy. Little does he know how much it will change his life.

When he’s released from prison, Louis finds himself needing and wanting things he shouldn’t want. Louis is straight. He is. He has a girlfriend. What happened in prison stayed in prison—or so Louis tells himself.

Until he meets his former cellmate again. Harry. The guy he hates and craves.

12) Beautiful Crime | Not Rated | 13282 words

Note: This fic contins no explicit smut but since it’s a/b/o we’ve decided to include it in this monthly roundup. 

Louis is keen to defeat the one and only Alpha Harry Styles who has a notorious reputation in the entire country for his ruthlessness but a turn of events brings them on crossroads which deviate from their havens of war.

13) Anticipation | Explicit | 14156 words

Louis' a stripper. Harry's the new club owner. Louis decides he wants to get in his new boss' pants fairly quickly, but it might take more work than he thought to do that.

14) Strong Enough | Explicit | 20787 words

“So…” Liam starts, and Louis instantly knows where this is going. He’s actually glad it’s Liam that's dragging the subject out from the shadows and into the light. Louis turns to face him, mirroring his position on the couch and nods, ready for him to continue. Liam takes a deep breath. “Have you spoken to Harry recently?”

Five years after Vertigo goes on hiatus, the band comes back together for a benefit concert. Can Louis and Harry work through their complicated past, or are some wounds too deep to be healed?

15) Alpha and Omega | Not Rated | 22270 words

Note: There is no smut where someone bottoms in this fic, but it contains omega Louis, so we’ve included it in this monthly roundup. 

Louis finds a new sense of self when the son of the werewolf leader, Harry Styles, comes to town to quell unrest in the Chicago pack and inspires a power in Louis that he never felt before.

Not my own work but rather a reimagination of the book Alpha and Omega with Harry and Louis.

16) Amazing Grace | Mature | 24290 words

Harry’s a dedicated pastor who's happily married, Louis is the troubled youth that stumbles into his life.

17) A Trail Of Honey Through It All | Explicit | 27083 words

The boy in front of him, well really, the man in front of him, was like something out of a confusing wet dream. Built, tall, tan and muscular, his skin glistened with sweat after a long day of working outdoors with his hands. He was wearing a cut up old American football shirt, the bottom hem was torn and the sleeves were cut off to the point where the t-shirt was really just a loose tank top. The shorts he had on had clearly been full length jeans at one point, and were now just crudely cut off above the knee. His white socks were pulled up too high on his calves, and the brown work boots he had on were old as fuck, the leather peeling along the edges of the soles. Curly brown hair stuck out from the edges of his backwards snapback, and there was a smudge of grease wiped along his brow bone. The smattering of hair along his jaw proved that he hadn’t shaved in a week or two, the hair growing in thicker across his upper lip and around his chin. His sinfully bowed mouth was pink and plump, and Louis was suddenly hyper-focused on the way that he chewed at the toothpick stuck between his lips. He looked like he needed a shower. Louis wanted to lick him.

18) Just a Bit Twisted | Explicit | 30548 words

Professor Harry Styles is hated and feared by all of his students. Strict, reserved and ruthless, he doesn’t tolerate mistakes and has little patience for his students.

Louis Tomlinson is a twenty-year-old struggling to provide for his younger sisters after the death of their parents. On the verge of losing his scholarship, Louis becomes desperate enough to go to Professor Styles.

Everyone says Styles doesn’t have a heart. Everyone says he’s a ruthless bastard. Louis finds out that everyone is right.

He strikes a deal with Styles, but unexpectedly, the deal turns into something so much more.

Something all-consuming and addictive.

Something neither of them wants.

19) Like It's A Game | Explicit | 32223 words

There is little harry hates more than truth or dare.

20) We'll Be the Fine Line | Not Rated | 32474 words

“…Hey, Harry. It’s Louis…… um, yeah. Listened to the album tonight. It’s real good mate. Um, yeah, just real, impressed. I was kinda putting it off, ya’know, didn’t know if I wanted to listen to it. Saw you went on James and, uh, Saturday Night Live. Couldn’t watch you, have a hard time watching you on these things……. Anyway, mate, just thought I would drop a line. Don’t need to call me back. Alright.”

Louis listens to Fine Line, and, drunk, he leaves a voicemail for Harry after months of not speaking. This reminds Harry of a time before everything fell apart, slowly, painfully, a time when the two of them were still in love. And he desperately wants to go back.

21) The Space Between | Explicit | 33074 words

Living in East Verona was a privilege. One Prince Harry only found out when he decided to cross the borders into The Zone looking for entertainment, a temptation, a distraction, anything that would allow him to escape his boring, mundane life of luxury.

But what he found was something he never could have expected - poverty, destruction, chaos, but most importantly, a blue-eyed boy.

Together, they embark on a journey plagued with hazards and risks and twists and turns.

Can these two star-crossed souls fight for their freedom and keep each other safe at the same time?

22) Yes, Daddy, I Will | Not Rated | 33510 words

Where Harry is a dom and Louis is his cute little sub.

23) Last Blues For Bloody Knuckles | Explicit | 34241 words

Styles was a name everyone knew. It had evolved into something of a fairy tale, a far away problem that normal people didn’t have to deal with. Louis never thought he’d find himself falling in love with him. When he finds himself pregnant with Harry’s child, he knows he has to leave the life, and Harry, behind. For her sake.

He never expected Harry to show back up on his doorstep five years later.

24) Before We Knew | Explicit | 39593 words

Or Louis has been skeptical of soulmates for years so it seems like fate when he finally bumps into the owner of the obnoxiously large signature printed into his skin since age sixteen: Harry Styles, a human rights attorney who is firmly against soulmates.

25) Hit Me With Your Sweet Love | Explicit | 39690 words

Powerful people only end up with powerful people. The rest are just playthings in their lives. Louis Tomlinson was many things, but he wasn’t anybody’s plaything.

26) Stole My Heart | Mature | 51343 words

Louis doesn't want much. A warm bed, and people who care about him.

Harry has everything he needs, despite his mother insisting he needs a mate. Money, status, and any omega he wants, why lock his heart down.

Until Louis comes along, and steals it.

27) No Going Back | Explicit | 56102 words

Sales reps Harry and Louis are bored with their jobs and their lives. After meeting at a conference in Cardiff they hook up, have a few too many drinks, and jokingly apply to become remote lighthouse keepers. Six months, just the two of them, looking after the southernmost lighthouse off the bottom of Australia. It’s not like their applications will be accepted. Right?

This is the story of how one choice - a left instead of a right, a go instead of a stop, a yes instead of a no - can change the future forever and that sometimes, taking that leap of faith, is worth the risk.

28) Royal Desires | Mature | 66207 words

When Prince Louis falls into an early heat, his new personal guard Harry Styles is brought in as his heat partner for the time being until Louis finds a suitable royal prince to bond and take the throne with. The only problem is that Harry is everything Louis wants but can't have. Freedom, tattoos, individuality...and quite possibly love.

29) How To Break A Heartbreaker's Heart? | Teen & Up | 67447 words

Harry is straight.

Louis is gay.

Harry happens to be homophobic.

Louis has a dark past.

Harry had a dark childhood.

Will Louis and Harry unite and defy their past? Or will homophobia win for the umpteenth time?

30) Lavender Dreams | Not Rated | 77888 words

Louis is an outgoing person that goes to school for educational psychology and Harry is a biology major who happen to run into each other... a lot.

31) Be My Omega | Mature | 138372 words

It all started when the alpha laid eyes on the short curvy omega and he knew at that moment that his life would never be the same, in a good way of course.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

You can find other monthly roundup fic rec lists here.

[toomanysurveys9]

[100 Truths by thev0iceofreas0n]

Lasts: 1. Last Beverage? Milk with dinner. 2. Last Phone Call? My mom. I was afraid we weren’t going to have enough chicken for everyone but we did. 3. Last Text Message? Also my mom. 4. Last Song You Listened To? I don’t remember. It was on Pandora. 5. Last Time You Cried? This morning. I tried waking Jacob up at 6:50, but he evidently didn’t get up until 7:30, but since he usually ends up sleeping downstairs I didn’t know that. But he yelled upstairs saying he needed socks and I said I gave him some when he was laying down and then he got yelled something I don’t remember and also yelled at me because it was 7:30 which is when he was supposed to be at work, not waking up.

Have You Ever: 6. Dated Someone Twice? Yup. It was dumb. Lol. 7. Been Cheated on? Yup. When Jake and I first started dating. There was a thing with his ex before me. But never happened again. 8. Kissed Someone And Regretted It? Nope. 9. Lost someone special? Too many times.

10. Been Depressed? Lol, I have depression so pretty often. 11. Been Drunk? Yeah. List Three Favorite Colors: 12. Black. 13. Light blue. 14. Light purple. This Year Have You: 15. Made New Friends? Not this year. 16. Fallen Out Of Love? Nope. 17. Laughed until You Cried? A few times. :) 18. Met Someone WHo Changed You? Not yet. 19. Found Out Who Your True Friends Were? You could say that. 20. Found Out Someone Was Talking About You? Yeah, kind of. 21. Kissed anyone on your friends list? Not on Tumblr. 22. How Many people on your friends list do you know in real life? No one on here. 23. Do you have any pets? Two dogs (Phe and Cocoa), two rats (Kore and Loki), and one cat (Arlo). 24. What did you do for your last birthday? Just hung out at home and had cheesecake. 25. What time did you wake up today? 6:45 to wake up Jacob and then fell back asleep until he yelled and then I fell back asleep until I had to get up at 8. 26. What were you doing at midnight last night? Laying in bed. 27. Name something you CANNOT wait for? Ultrasound tomorrow! 28. Last time you saw your father? Tonight. He lives with us. 29. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life? Finances.  30. What are you listening to right now? Eliana and Jacob are both watching videos.  

31. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom? Yeah. That’s Jacob’s stepdad’s name. 32. What’s getting on your nerves right now? Jacob’s attitude. Almost prefer him working two jobs... he recently quit his second job at papa john’s. You 33. What is your real name? Marlina. 34. Zodiac Sign? Virgo. 35. Male or Female? Female. 36. Elementary School? The one I was supposed to. 37. Middle School? ^^^

38. High School? ^^^^

39. Hair Color? Medium brown? It’s not especially dark, but not really light either. 40. Long or short hair? My hair is currently short. 41. Height? 5′3″ or something. 42. Do you have a crush on someone? Nah. 43. What do you like about yourself? I’m usually a good mom. 44. Piercings? None besides earlobes these days. 45. Tattoos? I have three. 46. Righty or Lefty? Righty. Firsts: 47. Surgery? I had a couple teeth that had to be removed. Aside from that... I had my gallbladder removed after I had Wyatt. 48. Piercing? Ears. I was weeks/months old. 49. Tattoo? A matching flower with my mom. 50. Best Friend? Alyson. 51. Sport you joined? I never joined any sports. 52. Pet? My parents had a cat when I was a baby that loved me. 53. Vacation you remembered? Our Florida trips to visit my mom’s foster family. 54. Concert? I don’t remember. 55. Crush? This boy named Cooper. Lol. 56. Alcoholic Drink? Alcoholic root beer float with Leslie. Lol. Right Now: 57. Eating? Nothing. We just had dinner. 58. Drinking? Nothing but probably going to get water. 59. I’m about to.. Get a drink and warmup Jacob’s dinner. 60. Listening to.. Nothing. . 61. Waiting for… Tomorrow. :) Your Future: 62. Want kids? I have two and pregnant with another. We’re done. 63. Want to get married? I already am.  64. Careers in mind? Hopefully a marriage and family therapist. Which Is Better with the opposite/same sex? 65. Lips or Eyes? 66. Hugs or Kisses? 67. Shorter or Taller? 68. Older or Younger? 69. Romantic or Spontanious? 70. Nice stomach or Nice arms? 71. Tattoos or Piercings? 72. Sensitive or Loud? 74. Trouble Maker or Hesitant? Have You Ever (2): 75. Kissed a stranger? No. 76. Drank hard liquor? Many times. 77. Lost glasses/contacts? Sunglasses. 79. Broken someone’s heart? I guess so. 80. Had your heart broken? Yup. 81. Been arrested? Nope. 82. Turned someone down? Yup. 83. Cried when someone died? Yes. So much. 84. Liked a friend that is the same sex? Nope. Do You Believe In: 85. Yourself? Not as much as I should. 86. Miracles? Nope. 87. Love at first sight? Yes. 88. Heaven? Nope. 89. Santa Claus? Nope. 90. Kissing on the first date? Depends on the date. 91. Angels? Nope. 92. Sex before marriage? I had sex before marriage sooo. 93. Life on other planets? Yeah. 94. Life after death? No. 95. Only being with one person forever? Hopefully but it doesn’t work for everyone. Answer Truthfully: 96. Is there one person you want to be with right now? I’m okay. 97. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfrend at one time? Nope. 98. Do you believe it’s possible to remain faithful forever? Well, yeah. 99. What’s the one thing you cannot live without? My kids. 100. What’s one secret you have that not many people know? I don’t know.

[emy-loves-you]

Wrong Numbers and Useless Gays Chapter 4

Sad Boys and Fun Facts

Patton’s a sad boi but Virgil has a distraction

Chapter 3 | Masterlist | Chapter 5

Three weeks had passed since Virgil had first texted Roman. In those three weeks, Virgil had learned a lot about his new friends.

First, there was Patton. God, did that man love puns. Virgil also loved puns, but he preferred reading Patton’s puns over making his own. Remus had caught Virgil blushing at his phone and made a comment about his new “friends with benefits” (Virgil had been unable to respond. He was too busy trying to hold back his giggles from one of Patton’s pun tangents). Patton also made it clear that he was the “Dad Friend” of the group. Virgil couldn’t type a single self-deprecating comment without Patton threatening to physically fight him. It was rather terrifying, really. He also made sure that everyone was taking care of themselves. Once they learned that they were in the same timezone (They hadn’t shared cities yet. Friend or no, Virgil was telling where he lived in that quickly) Patton made it his goal to check in and make sure that Virgil ate at mealtime. One last thing about Patton was his… struggle with technology. He tended to send almost everything directly to the group chat instead of private messages. Logan said that he tried to teach Patton how to do so, but the lessons never seemed to stick.

Speaking of Logan, the nerd had his own quirks. He didn’t type much, usually only responding when someone required everyone to respond. The other time that he typed was during debates. Nine days into their friendship, Virgil had mentioned saying “you too” to a cute barista and claimed that he ruined any chances with his new crush. While Patton and Roman offered words of encouragement, Logan remained silent. Virgil had assumed that Logan agreed with him but didn’t want to upset his boyfriends. As soon as their conversation ended, Virgil received a private text from Logan, requesting to debate. They argued over cognitive distortions for a whole hour before they reached a compromise. Logan had called the debate “lit” and asked if they could debate again in the future. That was another thing about Logan. Apparently, he had vocabulary cards for slang words. When he was talking out loud, he would hold the card up so the others knew what slang word he was attempting to use. When texting, he would put quotation marks around the word. It was adorable, in Virgil’s humble opinion.

Then there was Roman. Princey was known for his dramatic flair and Disney references. When he was feeling especially Extra™ , he would use “thees” and “thys” and call people peasants. He also had a love for nicknames. Patton had very few personal nicknames, with most of them being terms of endearment like “honey” and “amor.” Most of Logan’s nicknames pertained to him being a nerd, such as “pocket protector” and “Microsoft Nerd.” He seemed to have a limitless number of nicknames for Virgil, with most of them referencing his emo-aesthetic (how Princey had discovered that so early in their friendship, Virgil had no clue). He never repeated Virgil’s nicknames; the only exception was “storm cloud,” which he tended to use at least once every conversation.

Virgil had become extremely close with the trio over these three weeks. That wasn’t the only thing he did, just the thing he did most often. The Dark Sides had finalized their contract with Thomas, who set up a tour almost immediately. Virgil really should have seen that coming. Their band had become extremely popular over the past few years, and they had only done one tour before this. Performing across the country would help boost their popularity even further. Virgil sighed, his anxiety spiking at just the thought of seeing all those faces in the crowd. That was why he used the persona Anxiety. Anxiety wasn’t afraid of anything, he was fear. Being Anxiety allowed Virgil to be confident and suave without worrying about judgment. They judged Anxiety, not Virgil. The case was similar for Janus and Remus. Deceit was elegant and mysterious, while Duke was loud and over-the-top. They didn’t have to be rejects wanting to fit in with society. No, they were Rockstars. Society wanted to fit in with them. And Virgil was just fine with that.

Bzzz

Vigil glanced over at his phone. He was in Los Angelas right now, around halfway through his tour, which put him 3 hours behind his new friends. He glanced over at his clock, 9:45 PM glaring at him through the dark. He turned back to his phone. Why are they up at 12:45 in the morning? I know Logan keeps them on a rigid sleep schedule.

P- (9:45 PM) Ro? Are you still up?

V- (9:45 PM) Pat, why are you still up?

P- (9:45 PM) Why are you still up, kiddo? It’s almost 1 AM! Don��t you have a hangout with your friends today?

Virgil sighed, thinking of the concert he had tomorrow. He glanced over to his sketchbook. Patton had been really impressed with his sketches, so he had been practicing less gory drawings to show him. It had evolved into something almost therapeutic. Knowing how he worked, Virgil would probably sketch until around 2 in the morning, then sleep until 8 AM. The concert wasn’t until 7 PM, so he had enough time to sleep in if necessary.

V- (9:46 PM) First of all, you know I’m in California right now. It’s 9:46 for me. Second of all, we’re not hanging out until tomorrow night, so I can sleep in if needed. Third of all, you’re avoiding the question: What are you and Roman doing up at 1 in the morning? I thought you guys had work in the morning.

P- (9:47 PM) We do. Roman got a burst of inspiration at around 10, and he usually refuses to sleep until he writes it all down. He probably fell asleep at his desk, that silly billy!

V- (9:47 PM) That doesn’t explain why you’re still awake. And why didn’t you get up to check on him? I thought you guys lived together.

P- (9:47 PM) We do! I just couldn’t fall asleep tonight. And the bed’s too warm to get up!

V- (9:48 PM) Well, Princey’s probably being a “sleeping beauty”

Virgil frowned at his phone. Patton hadn’t responded to his text. Sure, that wasn’t a very good pun, but it was still a pun. Patton laughed at every pun he saw, or at least followed it up with another pun. He could be asleep, but didn’t he just say that he had trouble sleeping?

V- (9:50 PM) Pat?

P- (9:50 PM) Yeah, Kiddo?

V- (9:50 PM) Are you okay?

V- (9:52 PM) Patton?

V- (9:52 PM) I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Just because you didn’t answer my pun doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with you. I’m sorry that I sounded like an asshole.

P- (9:52 PM) No, Sweety. It’s fine! It’s nice to know that someone cares about you!

P- (9:53 PM) I’m just a little sad today.

V- (9:53 PM) Do you wanna talk about it?

P- (9:54 PM) I’m fine, Kiddo! This just happens sometimes. No need to worry!

Virgil sighed, thinking about how much Patton reminded him of Janus. Janus grew up neglected, and was taught to convince everyone that his life was perfect. By the time Virgil had met him, Janus was 19 and a compulsive liar. Virgil wasn’t much better, having just gotten kicked out of the foster system. Virgil lived with Janus (and soon Remus) until The Dark Sides had enough income for Virgil to live on his own (technically Janus had more than enough money for that- his parents were loaded. But Virgil wanted to have something that he earned. He wasn’t just some charity case). When they first lived together, Virgil could never tell what Janus was actually thinking. It took a lot of time and trust to separate Janus from Deceit. Now, he was still heavily sarcastic, and he tended to close himself off when he got upset, but Janus had come a long way.

Virgil looked back to his phone. Patton didn’t seem to have it as bad as Janus did, but you could never tell. At least he acknowledged that he wasn’t okay. There is the chance that something really is bothering him, but Virgil had to trust Patton on that note. It is entirely possible that Patton is just feeling down today; God knows how many times Virgil would question why he should get out of bed. He bit his lip. What helps me when I feel sad for no reason? He smiled, remembering when Remus would spout the most obscene things to distract himself from his own negative thinking. A distraction.

V- (9:56 PM) Did you know that giraffes can clean their ears with their own tongues?

P- (9:56 PM) What?

V- (9:56 PM) “Rhythm” is the longest word in the English language that doesn’t have a vowel.

V- (9:56 PM) Elephants are the only mammals that cannot jump.

P- (9:57 PM) More like Elecan’t!

V- (9:57 PM) Haha :)

V- (9:57 PM) Without food coloring, Coca Cola would be green.

V- (9:57 PM) A 3-year-old boy was elected as mayor in Dorset, Minnesota

P- (9:58 PM) No way!

V- (9:58 PM) Yes way! His name was James Tufts.

V- (9:58 PM) 7 different dogs have been elected as mayors in the US.

P- (9:58 PM) I love dogs! They’re such good boys!

Virgil smiled, adding Loves Dogs to his mental list of Quirky things I like about Patton Morale. They continued to talk about dog mayors for a while until Patton ended it abruptly.

P- (10:14 PM) Why are you doing this?

V- (10:14 PM) Doing what?

P- (10:15 PM) Why are you going out of your way to try and cheer me up? You should’ve stopped talking to me 20 minutes ago. Instead, we’re laying here at 1 AM talking about dog mayors! I would have been fine on my own. Why are you wasting your time on me?

V- (10:16 PM) Pat, if you tell me that I’m wasting my time talking to you, I’m going to have to physically fight you. You are my FRIEND. I care about you. When you’re sad, I WANT to cheer you up. When you’re happy, I WANT to laugh along to your punny jokes. Because I know, at the end of the day, if I was sad and needed someone to cheer me up, you would do it in a heartbeat. You, Lo, and Princey are amazing people, and my time spent with you will NEVER be a waste. I swear.

Virgil sighed, dropping his phone on the bed. He might’ve been too forward with that last text. But it was true. While the four of them weren’t nearly as close as Virgil was with Janus and Remus, he still cared about them a lot.

P- (10:18 PM) Thanks, Virgil. That really means a lot to me

P- (10:18 PM) I’m gonna try and get some sleep now

V- (10:18 PM) Alright Patton, Goodnight

P- (10:18 PM) Goodnight

The next day, Virgil saw a postcard in the window of a gift shop. It had a puppy with sunglasses on the beach, with cartoonish letters saying “Having A WonderFUR Time!” He took a picture and sent it to Princey.

V- (1:08 PM) What’s your address or PO? I wanna send this to Patton.

R- (1:09 PM) Say no more, Hot Topic!

V- (1:09 PM) Aw, you think I’m hot.

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