#I’m not a people person so I’m okay not spending loads of time with people but everyone at home keeps badgering me about it

[interrogatethecat]

I hate this so much

[scottiexmariee]

Hiii 💜 can I request LAD short for the boys with a reader who gets arrested (for something stupid) and calls the boy to bail her out? Please and thank you!!

How the boys would react to you getting arrested <3

Characters: Xavier x Reader | Zayne x Reader | Rafayel x Reader | Sylus x Reader |

Word Count: 1.4k

Masterlist

Warnings: Slight violence mention

“This is a free call from Linkon City Corrections Facility from inmate: (Y/N). To accept this call, please press 1.” 

☆Xav would definitely come get you ASAP

☆This man trusts your judgement and knows you wouldn't end up in jail without a good reason, so he wouldn't even question you until you're safely in his arms

☆ He'd get there in record time so you didn't have to sit too long

When Xavier answered his phone at 2am, he hadn’t even looked at the screen to see who was calling. He knew you were out with your friends tonight, so he was already by the phone waiting for you to let him know you’d made it home safe. However, he expected your voice on the other end of the line, not a robot telling him that you were currently calling from Linkon City jail. 

Xavier blinked rapidly, trying to make sure he’d heard the automated message correctly. The message repeated itself when no button was pushed, confirming that he had definitely not been mistaken.

Xavier immediately pressed 1, listening to another spiel from the robot before the call finally connected. His shoes were on before he even heard your voice.

“(Y/N)?” 

“Xavier,” You began, “I promise I’ll explain everything but I need you to come pick me up. Please.” 

He’d already been planning on it, but the pleading tone in your voice would have had him folding regardless. 

“I’m coming,” He assured you, already halfway out the door.

On the other end of the call, you breathed out a sigh of relief. “I owe you my life,”

The second you get released from custody, he's giving you a hug and telling you to discuss it when you're ready.

When he found out that the reason you were arrested was for clocking a man square in the jaw for being unable to keep his hands to himself, he almost took a turn in a jail cell for the night.

"Xavier, it's okay," You insisted, cupping his face with your hands. "I already took care of it. Can we please just go home?"

"I can assure you it will be handled twice if I see him anywhere,"

❅Zayne definitely comes to get you, but he’s not even gonna pretend that he isn’t a little irritated 

❅Imagine working a grueling 16 hour shift as a surgeon, and when you finally sink down into your couch, ready to relax, your phone rings and it’s a a call from jail

❅because that is zayne’s reality and he is STRESSED 

❅#ringring #helpiminjail 

❅He’d cool off on the drive there, but you’re definitely still getting scolded (absolutely a ‘make better choices’ talk)

❅definitely shows up with heavy ‘disappointed but not surprised’ vibes

You'd gotten arrested for the dumbest thing on the planet.

While out on a walk, your Hunter's Watch notified you of a nearby metaflux fluctation, so you sprang into action without second thought.

You located the Wanderer pretty quickly and gave a good chase, even hopping a fence to put and end to it before it caused any severe damage. Unfortunately for you, the fence you'd hopped just so happened to belong to a private government building. You were very swiftly apprehended and loaded into the police car. The officers refused to hear any of your excuses, charging you with Criminal Trespassing.

You were not going to spend the night in jail over this, so you called the only person you thought might still be awake.

Zayne.

Zayne who, unfortunately, had just gotten home from a horrendously long shift not even an hour before your call came. When the Caller ID popped up for Linkon City Jail, his stomach twisted uncomfortably, already having a pretty good idea of who could potentially be calling him of all people. Initially, he was a whirlwind of frustration and annoyance. Not to mention stressed. His lovely partner, currently sitting in jail like a criminal. He'd leave right away, and most of his frustration would dissipate on the drive to come collect you.

Zayne greeted you with crossed arms and a deadpan expression, waiting until the pair of you got in the car before demanding an explanation. After you explained, his frustration was no longer directed at you, but more so at the absurdity of the situation.

Once you two were parked at his house, Zayne cupped the side of your face in one hand, gently resting his forehead against yours in a much needed gesture of affection.

"Please just try to be a little more careful," He said, his tone surprisingly soft. "I'm going to get grey hairs by the time I'm 30 if I have to keep collecting you from jail,"

❀ let’s be honest Rafayel is probably the reason you’re in jail anyway 

❀ probably trespassing to get a material for rare paint or something 

❀ he’d be mad at you because how are you supposed to protect him (miss bodyguard) if you’re getting arrested?

You felt your jaw tick as your name was finally called for your one free phone call. Of course, you were going to call Rafayel and make bailing you out his problem, since it was his fault you were here anyway. "If you aren't doing anything, I have a quest for you, Miss Bodyguard,"

"I'm out of a custom color for this painting. It's in a suuuper easy spot. You can do it, right?"

Unfortunately for you, Rafayel had failed to mention that his stupid 'custom paint color' was located in an area that was restricted to the public. Maybe he didn't even know. It was hard to tell with him. Either way, you'd gotten busted trespassing and whisked away in a police car.

When Rafayel's voice connected on the other end of the line, he was already running his mouth before you could say anything.

"'Getting materials for my paint' doesn't exactly sound similar to 'end up in jail.' How did you get them confused?"

"You're not a very good bodyguard. How are you supposed to protect me if you can't even dodge the police?"

"Wait. Why are you even in jail? Don't tell me you like...punched a baby or something,"

When he finally shut up for long enough for you to explain yourself, he laughed the second you finished talking.

"Really? That's it?"

"It's not funny, Rafayel. Come get me out of here!"

"Oh, relaaax. I'll be there in 20," Turns out, that plot of land actually belonged to Rafayel. He'd bought it when he realized he could get specific (rare) paint colors from the resources. The police, however, weren't aware that he'd send anyone other than himself to get anything from there, so when they just so happened to see you as they passed by, you really didn't stand a chance.

Rafayel was absolutely not going to let you live it down, either.

Now, in addition to your 'Miss Bodyguard' nickname, you had a less appealing one.

'Miss Criminal.'

⟡ Sylus is genuinely amused when he gets the call

⟡ "You don't typically hear of kittens allowing themselves to be caught,"

⟡ He knows you had a damn good reason for whatever you did

⟡ He'd come get you and lowkey bully you about it on the way home

⟡ any trace of you being in jail mysteriously disappears from the system less than 24 hours later 

Sylus almost didn't answer the phone call.

When the unsaved number popped up on his screen, he instinctively reached to dismiss it. He didn't give his personal cell number out often, so he was well aware of who had this number. There wasn't a single person worth his time that would realistically be calling from an unsaved number.

However, a split second later he realized that he hadn't heard from you for a bit longer than usual.

He cracked a grin the second the robot started speaking, informing him that he was receiving a call from his incarcerated lover.

When the line connected, he spoke first.

"Having a good time, sweetie?"

You could hear the smirk in his voice through the phone, which only added to your annoyance. "Sylus. Please come pick me up,"

"Of course,"

When he arrived to retrieve you, he learned that it was an assault charge. You'd beat up a man nearly twice your size, apparently, and a witness had described you as a menace.

As the two of you exited the building, he looped an arm around your shoulders, asking the only question he cared to ask: "Did he deserve it?"

"Absolutely," You responded. "I'd do it again, actually,"

He chuckled, shaking his head with a fondness reserved for only you. He knew that you were the type to stand on business, and he loved that about you. He was honestly a little proud, even.

"Let's not make this a habit, though." He said, gently tugging your motorcycle helmet over your head. "Stick with me more. You wouldn't have gotten caught,"

[corroded-hellfire]

Prompt Day 16: Struggling

Word Count: 658

Rating: T

CW: Langauge

Summary: A letter from Eddie to you. Yes, YOU.

@corrodedcoffinfest

Hello Fellow Freaks,

So, it’s come to my attention that things have been a little rough for you lately, huh? Shit, I know all about that. I’d recap some of the misfortunes I’ve had in my life, but seeing as you read and write about me, I think you’re pretty up to speed. In fact, some of you have written me struggling as a way for you to feel better about your own. And I don’t mind that at all. That’s what I’m here for, anyway. I belong to you. I’m for you. 

You all bring me to life every time you click on a new story and choose to take an adventure with me. The fact that you want to spend time with a freak like me blows my mind sometimes. 

You know I was never cool or popular. Maybe you weren’t either. I honestly never gave a shit because I had the most metal people around me. I hope that you do too. But even if you don’t, you’re more than welcome to share my friends. All us lost sheep know what it’s like to struggle. 

And if you’re struggling right now, there’s something I want to let you know. It’s okay.

It’s okay that you’re struggling right now. We all do it and we all need it sometimes to help mold us into whatever we’re supposed to be. Sometimes struggle makes us work harder. Sometimes it makes us curl up in a ball and want to hide away forever. The curling up part of that is okay, but the hiding away forever isn’t.

You’re stronger than you think you are. Wondering how I know this, are you? Little known fact is that I’m actually a pretty smart dude. Occasionally. Anyway, here’s the answer: you’re here. You’ve overcome all the struggles of your past to be where you are now. And if you could do it then, you can do it again now and in the future. That strength is inside of you. I promise. Sometimes it just takes some effort and patience to find where it’s stored. 

Know what else is awesome? Not only do you have me when you’re struggling, you have the others who write and read stories about me. Because even if it doesn’t seem like it, they’re struggling with something too. Carrying the burden isn’t as heavy when you’ve got someone to shoulder it with you. Help ease one another’s loads. I’m trying so hard not to make a cum joke right now. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re in pain, so you want to write me in pain to cope, or if you want to read about me taking care of you and helping you through it. It’s beautiful how I can be there in any way that you need me. I’m there with you to celebrate, cry, laugh, heal, and even some spicier stuff I will not get into here. Even if I enjoy it very much.

No matter how hard life tries to make you feel like you’re isolated, you’re not. Hell, I hid out in a vacant house for a few days where not a single person knew I was. Lonely? Yeah. Very. There’s only so many cans of Chef Boyardee you can look at without wanting to start up a conversation with the guy on the label. And yeah, it did get to me at times. I felt that there was no one out there who would believe me or see my side of things. Goddamn surprise to find out I had way more people in my corner than I ever would’ve guessed. I just didn’t know it yet. That group of people is there for you, too. Even if you don’t know it yet. 

And I’m one of those people. If you ever forget that, all you have to do is start a new story, and there I am. 

From

Signed

Your Dungeon Master

Love,

Eddie

[kitthepurplepotato]

Chapter 6 - Crimson Riot?!

Summary: Eijirou is too busy fawning over Crimson Riot.

Warnings: Swear words, Eijirou makes one kinky comment

First Chapter Ko-Fi Master List

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

She’s so close. Oh my god. She’s so pretty. Those plump lips, the slight blush on her cheeks… how is he supposed to resist?

He knows Y/N said this was a date but he’s still sure she’d meant that as a joke. It was just teasing. She still called Kirishima her homoerotic buddy by the end of the day, so clearly, he’s still in the hubby zone.

He should be happy for getting a kiss on his cheeks. He should be thankful…

Okay, Y/N is clearly aiming for his lips but maybe, that’s just his wishful thinking.

He’ll just… wait it out, he guesses. He slowly closes his eyes, letting faith choose the path for him and certainly, it does; Y/N’s door opens up from the inside. Kirishima respectfully almost shits his pants.

“Did you forget how to open your own door, you silly sausage?” A cheery old man with Crimson hair crackles teasingly. “… oh. Oh!”

Well, that’s what Kirishima’s also thinking. Oh. This relic is a bit too big to fit into a box; Kirishima thinks as he looks at the man in front of him who looks 100% like Crimson Riot.

Kirishima’s also sure it’s illegal to keep people in boxes. Except if they want to be kept in a box. But why would they live in a box willingly?

“What the fuck are you doing here, Uncle?!”

Oh, it’s just her uncle. The loaded one who owns the flat. It makes sense. Crimson Riot was one of the best heroes of his era so he certainly managed to get his hands on enough money to keep him and his family well fed for as long as he lives and probably even after. Makes sense indeed.

Makes… sense.

Okay, wait. So this man, possibly Crimson Riot himself, just opened Y/N’s door and she called him her uncle. That means…

“Crimson Riot is… your uncle?!” Eijirou yells and there is a palm on his mouth the second after.

“Don’t fucking yell, you himbo!” Y/N sighs, clearly aggravated by Kirishima’s stupidity and to be honest, Kirishima is quite used to get this look every day so he doesn’t even flinch. He’s a bit dumb. He knows it. He’s okay with it. “Why the fuck are you here, uncle?! You just ruined my plans!”

“Ahh, honey, I’m sorry to say this but I’m quite sure the mood is ruined anyway so we might as well have a little chat. I’m quite sure Red Riot-kun is more than happy to tell me what does he want from my one and only niece I’m willing to kill for if I need to.”

Kirishima’s blood freezes in his veins. This is too much to take in for his little bird brain. Okay, let’s focus. One thing at a time. One thing… at a time.

“Are you really…” He lowers his voice into a whisper. “Crimson Riot?”

Y/N facepalms herself. He has no idea what he had done wrong this time. Like, bro… can you really blame him for that question? He was already all over the place thanks to the fact that he was on a not-a-date with his new favorite person and now that favorite person turns out to be Crimson Riot’s niece? Eijirou is having an out of body experience. He swears he can see his soul leaving his body as he stares at the old man he’s been worshipping for decades now.

“Yes… I was Crimson Riot when I was a hero. Now, I’m just uncle Riot. Okay, son?”

Kirishima cries manly tears. This is the best day of his life.

~•🪨•~

“So now that we are settled, can you please tell me what are your plans with my little girl?”

Uncle Riot asks. Well, that’s easy.

“I…” Nevermind. It’s not.

What are Kirishima’s plans with her? Honestly, not much. He knows he’ll never have the balls to confess to her. He knows he’s not enough for such a perfect woman anyway, so… “I like spending time with her. She’s the manliest woman I’ve ever met.”

Uncle Riot rolls his eyes and looks at Y/N questionably. She sighs.

“We were on a date and if it’s not for you he would be my boyfriend by now, so fucking thank you for the cockblock.”

Okay, what the fuck. Kirishima has no idea what’s going on and why is Y/N lying about their relationship but if that’s what she wants, he will just roll with it. He doesn’t even need to lie to be able to do that.

“To be fair, I was about to kiss her goodbye in the doorway, then you opened the door and… well… not like I mind, sir! I’m actually so thrilled to meet you, can I ask a few questions?” Kirishima rambles, embarrassment already forgotten.

“I thought you want to have some alone time?” Crimson Riot smirks knowingly but Kirishima is too excited to even think about cheeky things.

“That can wait!” He spurts out and he can’t even finish the sentence before he gets a fist in the stomach.

“Oi!” Y/N yells, clearly offended. Kirishima gives her his best apologetic face, puppy eyes and all, and Y/N only sighs at that. “Only if you stay for the night.” Y/N whispers into her ears, and oh boy, his whole face must be as red as his hair. Stay… for the night?! Like a sleepover? With the prettiest angel in the whole universe?! Kirishima is so fucked.

“Uhm… okay?”

“Good boy.” Y/N kisses his temple with a smirk and Kirishima descends to another planet. He really liked being called a good boy. Is that weird? Kinky? His little fella between his legs says it’s the latter. Oh no.

~•🪨•~

You are so done with this bozo. Yes, you said you are okay with Kirishima staying over to talk to your uncle for a while but it has been hours, you need to go to bed in a few minutes and the red headed idiot - the younger one - can’t fucking shut up. Even your uncle looks uncomfortable at this point, probably having PTSD from all the times he’s been interrogated before. Yet here is the himbo, his non-existent tail wiggling from excitement as he asks questions after questions like it’s his fucking job.

By the look of it, you’ll go to bed alone. You are actually about to cry from how disappointed you are.

“I’m going to bed. I have an early shift tomorrow.”

Your voice is so lovelorn it’s actually ridiculous.

It’s just… you had this all planned out. You wanted to kiss him in the hallway then ask him to come in, cuddle on the sofa then maybe… share the bed after. You can’t believe it’s almost midnight and none of your attempts to kiss him worked. Is he even interested in you? You really thought it’s obvious that this was a date. He gave you a ring and promised he’ll be yours, yet here is, fangirling over “fucking old man Crimson Riot” instead of being with you. It just… hurts.

“What’s wrong, Angel?” Red asks and your stupid heart almost leaps out of your chest from the pet name. Your uncle takes one good look at you and slowly makes his way to the door with an apologetic smile on his face.

“I… just remembered something. I need to go. Sorry, son! I’ll see you soon, I’m sure of it.” That stupid old man winks at you as he sneaks out of the door. There was no fucking need for that. No fucking need.

“There is spare bedding in the chest of drawers next to the sofa.” You mutter and make your way towards your bedroom and for your surprise, Eijirou doesn’t even bother to come after you.

You take a deep breath and grab your pajamas from the bed then make your way to the bathroom to shower and brush your teeth. When you are done you take a peek to the sofa; Eijirou looks so fucking sad you start to feel terrible for being an absolute bitch to him just because he didn’t give you all his attention for once.

“Hey, himbo.” You half-whisper into the silence and Eijirou looks up right away.

“I don’t know what I did wrong, but I’m sorry.”

Oh my fucking god, how can he be so cute?!

You move closer the sofa and crouch down in front of him. You are done with this game. Just… done.

“You’ve done nothing wrong. I just love to be in the center of attention.” You admit sheepishly, your hand caressing his cheek, because you can’t behave yourself. Eijirou melts into the touch and pushes his cheek into your palm then turns so he can leave a kiss on your fingers, slow and so-so loving it almost makes you cry.

“Crimson Riot is the only person who can steal my attention from you.” He admits, and you can’t help but giggle at that.

“That was a really backhanded compliment, Ei.” You smile as your thumb caresses the skin under his eyes. There’s a lot of tension in the air but not the unpleasant kind; it’s like you are both waiting for something, but none of you know how to actually make the first step. “So what do I need to do to gain your attention, Red?”

“Don’t tease me…” he looks down into his lap with tears in his eyes. It breaks your heart.

“Ei… I’m not teasing you.” You stroke his cheek again. You can’t help but take a peek at his pretty lips, slowly closing the remaining distance as you speak. “I want to know. I don’t want you to take your eyes off me. I’m being selfish.”

“You can have all my attention. All of it.” Eijirou whispers, so close to your mouth it lips actually tingle from his breath. Fuck it. Just fuck it.

“No, it’s not enough.” You finally close the remaining distance and kiss him right on the mouth. You stay there for a few seconds, savoring the taste, the texture, the softness, then move away with your heart in your throat. You did it. Oh my god, you kissed him. And it was amazing. Oh god, you are so in love with this himbo. “Good night, hubby. See you in the morning.” You smile at his dumbstruck face. Red Riot.exe has stopped working, clearly. “I put a new toothbrush out for you. The red one is yours.” You can’t help but barge back for another little peck before you run into your room with a massive blush on your face.

It’s done. It’s official. You made your intentions clear as a day and he didn’t say no. You make a new note in your calendar for today called “anniversary” then you yell into your pillow, like a proper adult.

~•🪨•~

“So she tried to kiss you several times during your DATE.” Katsuki mutters.

“That’s not what I said!” He retorts right away but his best friend does not listen.

“Then you proposed with a ring from the vending machine and she said yes.”

“I didn’t propose!”

“Oh sorry, you told her you’ll marry her.” Katsuki looks at Kirishima with pure incredulity. “Then she invited you to her flat and told her uncle you two are a thing.”

“You are not listening, Katsuki!” Kirishima yells with a red face. “Why are we not talking about Crimson Riot?! He’s the uncle! Crimson Riot! Katsuki! Focus!”

“You focus! She fucking kissed you on the mouth TWICE, Shitty hair, what the actual fuck is wrong with you?!” Katsuki is absolutely out his mind by now, he’s yelling like a maniac, his eyes dark and menacing, and you swear there are fresh claw marks on his desk where his hands are right now.

“She’s not my girlfriend! I swear!” He’s about to cry. What does he not understand?! Yeah, she kissed him. On the mouth. But maybe Y/N is just really affectionate with his homosexual buddies (hubbies). There are some countries where people kiss on the mouth. Or at least he thinks.

“No, she’s fucking not, because she’s your fiancé, you absolute idiot!”

“Eijirou, I love you to death but you are an absolute himbo… a himbo with a fiancé.” Katsuki’s girlfriend looks up from her paperwork. He can’t believe these two.

“She’s blood related to Crimson Riot! That’s just… inappropriate! No! I’m done with this conversation!”

“She made you a home-made fucking bento at 5 fucking AM in the morning! The carrots are fucking heart shaped!” Katsuki continues to yell, but Kirishima is done with this conversation. “HEART SHAPED, KIRISHIMA!”

No one understands him. No one.

~•🪨•~

It has been a week since you and Eijirou became a couple. You wear the ring every day, showing it off proudly, especially, when customers try to chat you up. You love how their face pale when you tell them that you are actually engaged.

He comes to see you every single morning, buys his usual coffee and gets a little kiss on his mouth as a bonus. Eijirou barely kisses back but he’s a shy boy, so that’s fine; he’ll eventually get used to it - You’ll make sure to kiss him loads on your date, and maybe by the end of the night he’ll actually kiss you back… and maybe, he’ll stay the night and kiss you even more. Ahh, a girl can dream. Eijirou has no idea how absolutely gorgeous he is but that’s why you like him so much; he makes you feel like a teenager again, naive and lovesick and well… he also makes you feel really hot in inappropriate places.

No one can blame you, though. Red Riot has the body of a god and he’s sweet and so innocent you just want to ruin him until the monster in him comes to the surface and devours you in whole, but it’s too much too soon so you try your best to behave yourself and keep the kisses chaste because there is no fucking way you will be able to stop once that kiss deepens.

It’s quite silly how stressed you are about being proper when it comes to this thing even though you are literally engaged to the guy.

Having sex after the first date? Hell no.

Getting engaged on it? Hell yes.

If this keeps going this way you’ll end up having your first night after the wedding.

Hell, maybe you’ll get eloped in a random chapel on your second date.

The weirdest thing is, that you wouldn’t even mind doing that.

You feel really silly to call something so fresh “love” but you are old enough to know the difference between a crush and pure, wholehearted affection. Eijirou is everything you’ve always wanted in life; he’s kind and genuine, a person who’s not ashamed of having emotions, who’s not ashamed to cry, to be angry, to be unapologetically himself, even if people laugh at him for being like that. He’s kind to a fault but that’s even more reason for you to stay by his side; you’ll make sure that no one can break his fragile heart, you’ll make sure he’s the happiest himbo in the whole wide world.

“I can hear the wedding bells!” Your boss teases with a smile, but you can’t even get mad at her.

“Me too, boss, me too.”

The silence speaks volumes.

… Next Chapter!

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

TL: @porusuniverse @sixxze @unofficialmuilover @cheesenmax @readingfan @sammmm29 @pwinglez1 @happydragonfrog @magicalhandsherringclam @lovingnightharmony @theequeenofcurses @kirishima-eijirock @nerinefy @selfindulgenthoe @fierysplash213 @woofwoofwolf @touyasprettydoll @confused-smol-fan @themultifandomgirl @dark-witch-bitch @lotusstarr

[leeofthevoid]

Cold-blooded Beings - Part 3

Farleigh Start x Reader

a/n: Hello guys! I promise this chapter was hard to write because I might be advancing to Saltburn at the next one. A little less confident this time around but would love to hear your thoughts! Please always remember that Y/N is rich so her dialogue can be very tone-deaf. Keep safe everyone!

Warnings: Sex, Nudity, Alcohol and Alcoholism, Language, Applied Stalking, Death, and Drugs

Word Count: 2354

|| Part One, Part Two

Pity and Power

“I just don’t get it you know? I’ve always tried my best to please Felix and I even studied harder in case he would ask me something.” Annabel scowled while eating a handful of loaded chips from your plate. At this point you figured no one knows what personal space is at all and what is yours is theirs. “Look, Annie, you shouldn’t try so hard for a boy. He barely does anything for you and he’s…Felix. You know?”

Clearly Annabel didn’t know when she groaned in frustration and ate more of your food. “So easy for you to say, you and Oliver have him wrapped in your fingers.” You gave her a confused look and scooped up some of the food you were supposed to eat alone. “Look bitch, he makes time for you and Oliver, but me? “Oh fuck you Annie I’m too busy for you.” But then he turns around and it’s “Oh Ollie, you need me? Okay hold on I’ll make time.”” This conversation is getting too heated and annoying for no reason that you just had to take out a pack of cigarettes to clear your head. Annabel doesn’t know shit about Felix or Oliver.

You turn to look at Annabel with a genuine expression and gave her a comforting smile, “You know Annie, you’re a hot girl. Felix is just a stupid boy in a sea of stupid boys. You deserve way more than that. Oliver is just…A new friend that he wants to impress?” Annabel laughed at you and held her stomach with how much she was bursting out. “Oh god, You? Babes you’re also part of the Oliver fan club. Always making Oliver’s life be ten times better than what a scholar snot should have.” You pressed the butt of your cigarette on the concrete thinking hard on Annabel’s accusation. “He just needs help sometimes Annie, stop being a bitch…” Annabel scoffed and rolled her eyes, “He’s poor babes, not handicapped. Quit being a savior.” You sighed and leaned against the pillar behind you.

Your phone buzzed in your pockets breaking the silence between you two. You checked and it was Farleigh, “Hello?”

“Hey pretty lady, can I steal you so I can hangout with my favorite people?” You chuckle, earning a confused look from Annabel that you later dismissed. “Depends. What am I needed for?” He chuckled, a little too deep and too hot for your liking. “An eye-candy would certainly take away from the boredom.” You breathed out and laughed softly. “Alright then. Where is my presence needed?”

“Roof top. Be a doll and drag Felix along.” He said goodbye with some kissy noises then ended the call without another beat. Annabel waved her hand for you to go without a word and you simply gave her a kiss on a cheek, thankful that she didn’t ask any questions.

Dragging Felix out to the confines of the chilly night was the one of the most awkward experiences you’ve had. You were waiting outside his dorm when you could hear the lewd sounds and the bed squeaking from out the hallway. Truly a horrific way to spend your Friday night, especially after listening to Annabel talk about her problems with him. “Umm…Fee are you in there?” You heard colorful lines of curse words and a lot of stumbling around. After a few minutes of waiting outside hearing scuttling, Felix finally opened the door.

Two girls dashed out of the room holding on to their dresses for dear life while Felix leaned against the door, half naked, still sweaty and flushed. “Any reason why I’ve been interrupted?” You look unimpressed, crossing your arm over your chest. “Get dressed. Farleigh told me to fetch you.” He rolled his eyes but went back into his room to grab a shirt, took a few seconds before he was walking out of his dorm with no snide remarks, waiting for you to lead the way.

The rooftop was chilly, and weirdly when you arrived you only saw Farleigh sitting by himself with a ton of bottles next to him. “Finally, you two took too long. What happened? Did Felix fall into a hole? Spoil me, Love.” You can’t help but laugh while you sat down on a spot beside Farleigh, Felix following suit while grumbling under his breath. “Our dear Felix fell in two holes.” You said in a scandaled manner. “Would it be too mean to assume one of those holes was Oliver?” You guffawed and looked back at Felix clearly unamused as he uncapped one of the wine bottles. “Farleigh. I already told you how I feel when we talk about Ollie. He’s a nice kid so…Tone it down, Mate.” Farleigh sighed loudly and draped his arm over your shoulder, mouthing boring while looking at Felix.

“Oh yeah, would I be boring if I asked dad to cancel your Veyron order now, Farleigh.” Felix snagged you away from Farleigh and used you as a headrest. “I wonder what Elspeth would think if she found out you kissed an ugly bitch at the bar, Felix.” Farleigh stuck his tongue out at the boy who was using your lap as his pillow. Chuckling at their childish banter while you played with his hair, chugging down more alcohol.

“Hey Fee, Oliver has been asking about you…I don’t know what to tell him. Kind of weird hanging out with him when he just looks for you.” You mentioned passively.

“You still hang out with him?” Felix asked.

“Well…Yeah. Why?” Felix and Farleigh both look at each other which was both endearing but annoying thing you’ve witnessed. “What. Come on guys what did I miss?” Farleigh just shook his head and looked back at you. “Nothing. Let’s just enjoy our time together, no?” You let it pass and stole Felix’s wine bottle. You three ended up enjoying the company, dare you say that it was a needed moment of solace. Talking about your life in Switzerland and their life in Saltburn the years after you.

You even talked about Venetia and what goes in her life without the three of you. It was nice knowing how she was, knowing she was a little bit more isolated from the group due to her two-year age gap from the rest of you. In a way you empathized with the pressure and the burden of being the oldest daughter. You even dwelled into your sex lives because of Farleigh’s incessant teasing over Felix’s failed threesome. My, these boys haven’t been the most pure, but then again so were you.

You forgot how you got to your dorm room when you woke up the morning after, just glad that you were able to sleep enough to be a sane person for the rest of the day. Felix and Farleigh both sent you some messages and some photos that you don’t remember taking from last night. You lay down with a huge smile on your face, content with your life before the hellish exams start to eat at you.

A few weeks go by when you were out in the field talking to your friends, actually, complaining to them about how stupid the term was and what possessed your professors to fuck with all of you. You were immersed in the conversation when random goosebumps engulfed you out of nowhere. You realized Oliver’s piercing gaze directed at you.

You excuse yourself from your friends and walked up to Oliver from across the courtyard, alone and awkward. “Hey Ollie! How was the exam week for you?” Oliver awkwardly nodded his head, looking down to his shoes. It was a little weird that he changed so fast just because you were near him…Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing type of weird. “Um…How was it?” He finally looked up at you with those lost eyes, pursing his lips. “It was alright. I studied pretty well. What about you guys?”

“I mean…We all managed in a way.” There was an awkward silence in the air and you disliked it so much. “Walk with me?” Oliver nodded the same way and followed you down the path of the courtyard, you were careful to make your steps smaller than usual so he could keep up. “How’s Felix?” You looked back at Oliver, watching him play with the hem of his shirt while walking behind you.

“Felix? Pft well he’s okay I guess? Being a dick and a dumbass at the same time.” He looked so small. So fragile that it unnerved you. It was disturbing but you can’t let Felix and Farleigh’s words eat your own opinions. He was still your friend, you had to give him a chance too. “How have you been, Ollie? I’m sorry I wasn’t able to reach out to you these last few weeks. Been very busy with other T.A. Stuff and it was draining.” He gave a small smile and walked a little faster to keep up with you, “It’s been alright. Carrying small baggage but it’s been good.”

“Oh? Baggage you say?”

“His face fell a little when you asked, “Yeah my mum she uh…She’s a bit of an alcoholic.”

You stop in your tracks to look at him. Truly look at the whole him. He looked meek and fragile and you had conflicted feelings over it. It isn’t real, a part of you say. “Oh. I’m so sorry to hear that, Ollie. No child deserves that kind of parent.”

“My…My father he’s in the hospital and I just…It’s so hard right now especially after the holidays. He tried to look okay but deep down I knew he was struggling. Keeping himself together for me while my mum was wasting away in alcohol.”

It felt weird making a sound, even to just breathe. It felt rude and perhaps disrespectful? Oliver is going through a lot and you were doubting him like the asshole your parents told you not to be. You saw tears run down his cheeks and instinctively reached out to offer your handkerchief.

He took it, quickly wiping his tears away.

You opened your mouth to say some comforting words when some of Farleigh’s friends greet you and hogged around you. You weren't sure if they purposely pushed Oliver out of the group while they dragged you away to compliment you but it was likely. You watched as Oliver looked at you with disappointment as he walked out of your line of sight.

“You look amazing, darling what did you do to your hair?” His name was Mercutio, from what you remembered. He slowly yanked off the ponytail you had and let your hair spill to your lower back. It caught you off-guard but you were careful not to show. “Silky and smooth like feathers.” He said as he ran his fingers through it. You smiled at them while trying to register who they were, there was Mercutio who was descended from an Italian Monarch. Elise, daughter of a powerful family from East Asia. Then there was Leon. He was new money rich and Farleigh made sure you remembered that.

They always said New money burns faster than the jewels that lasted centuries.

They took you to a restaurant to eat dinner together. It wasn’t unusual for people to pull you out to eat with them, people have been doing it way more now that the Catton boys were known to be close to you at a chance to impress you. You didn’t mind the dinner or how they made you pay in the end too. You actually admired how thick-faced they were. It was just another inconvenience that you wanted to get out of the way.

You didn’t tell Farleigh about the encounter but you guessed that they did when he decided to sit you down after a party with Felix, who called for a meeting between his inner circle because of what Oliver told him. The same story about how his father was very sick, dying almost, and how his mother was dealing with it. Felix even told you about how he invited Oliver to Saltburn for the summer to cheer him up.

It started off as bouts of bad mouthing towards Oliver from Farleigh to making you spill what happened between his friends. “Why did you let them take advantage of you like that?” You looked up at him while you cradled your bottle of Champagne. You were at the back alley of the bar, trying to sober up and get away from the head-throbbing music they put on. “It’s nothing Farleigh, they were just being nice.”

“Nice my ass. Those snakes are pathetic liars who can’t fuck off. Did they really think that being all buddy-buddy with you would make them earn a spot to go to Saltburn?” He took a drag of his joint and sat next to you. “Now I hear Oliver gets the pity poor boy card and go to Saltburn because Felix was being a fucking saint.” You snicker and get a shove from Farleigh, hard enough to jolt you.

You rest your head on his shoulder while looking up at him. “What can I do to ease your mind off of it?” He leaned back and looked down at you with a smirk, “I don’t know baby, what can you do?”

You smiled up at him as your faces move inches closer from each other. No wasted moments later, when you felt the warmth of his lips on yours. How soft it felt just like when you made out in the club a few months back. It was too delicate for a guy with a sharp tongue like his. He sneakily snaked his arms around your waist and at the back of your neck, pulling you closer to him. His tongue slowly swiped at your lower lip when suddenly…

“Love! Where are you!” India slurred as she walked out of the club. You pulled yourself away from Farleigh and giggled, giving him a kiss on the cheek to tend to your friend. He exhaled loudly while you walked away from him, leaving him alone again.

Previous | Next

[schrijverr]

Wake Me Up Before You Go 3

Chapter 3 out of 6

5 times Buck falls asleep on someone + 1 time he wakes up by himself

On AO3.

Ships: Can be read as pre-slash Buddie, but Ana mentioned

Warnings: none

~~~

3. Christopher

Buck is worried, Chris knows that. He can see how Buck doesn’t laugh like he usually does and he spaces out sometimes, always looking tired even though Chris can hear him snore. It’s weird and Chris doesn’t like it.

He wants to enjoy spending time with his Buck. Normally he’d be overjoyed that Buck is there permanently, but his dad isn’t here and Chris isn’t allowed to see him and Buck is worried about him, because he’s been hurt.

Chris worries about his dad, because his dad is the person he can always count on. Dad came back, dad stayed. He isn’t allowed to leave Chris now. Buck says that people leave, but they can come back, dad has to come back.

Buck says be believes dad will come back to them, Ana calls him about how dad is doing and he always looks a little bit like he ate something sour, but he keeps assuring Chris every day that dad is alive and getting better, just still asleep.

He is happy Buck is with him though, instead of Ana. He likes his dad’s girlfriend, his former teacher, he knows her and she spends time with him, but she isn’t Buck. Buck has been a constant since they got here and he has never once left Chris, not like Ana when the year was over. She came back, sure, but she still left. Carla left too when the lockdown first happened, but Buck never did, he only had a short time where they couldn’t talk.

So, Buck is still there and while he is worried, he is here with Chris and that makes Chris feels loads better, even if Buck is still worried.

They’re trying to keep it as normal as always, but movie night isn’t entirely the same without dad there too.

The popcorn they share is perfect since dad had no hand in it, but Chris wouldn't have minded burnt popcorn if that meant he could share it with his dad. However, Buck lets him pick the movie, so they’re watching Finding Dory and cuddling on the couch, maybe both holding on to the other a little tighter than they usually do.

Chris doesn’t know exactly when Buck falls asleep, but halfway through he starts snoring, disturbing the movie.

Usually Chris would be annoyed, but it’s not usual. Dad isn’t here and Buck can’t make it through the movie even though he usually argues with dad to let him stay up later while dad nods off. It’s all wrong and Chris misses how it usually is.

In his sleep Buck hugs him closer and Chris lets that be a comfort, burrowing closer to Buck as he watches the movie by himself. He hopes he’ll never have another movie night like this.

Before the end of the movie Buck startles himself awake, looking around with big frantic eyes, before they fall on Chris. Then they soften and he asks: “Hey, buddy, did I miss much?”

“Practically everything,” Chris informs him, resting his head back against Buck’s chest.

Buck squeezes him. “I’m sorry, Superman.”

“It’s okay, we’ll watch it again when dad gets home,” Chris answers.

Next to him Buck lets out a breath, before he clears his throat. “I’m sure he’d love that,” Buck agrees. He doesn’t let go for the entirety of the movie nor the next one.

Chris stays up way too late and the two sleep on the couch. Buck has a crick in the neck the next morning and Chris feels it during his PT exercises that they do together, but neither of them would change it. It’s nice to lean on each other until dad gets back so they can lean on him, divide the load more evenly.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

hello can i request a jack the ripper x male reader who is basically sherlock holmes who is his husband.

like the reader would have been the most well known detective in history that stopped a lot of serious crime's like human trafficking groups/operations, serious murders,very dangerous gangs, Drug rings ect. and always gets into near Death experiences, From getting stabbed, poisoned,shot, almost getting assassinated and many more. but by pure luck they always survive as well as making a full recovery

but the twist is that jack doesn't know that his husband is doing a very VERY dangerous job but he does know that his s/o is a detective but he didn't know that his husband was doing a very Very dangerous one he thought that they were only doing investigations of not so serious crimes like robbery's or something getting stolen in the neighborhood

so imagine his surprise seeing his husband on the news finding out that he stopped a well known gang by disguising himself as a gang member giving the police information on the group but he did get shot and stabbed but made a full recovery.

but even so how would jack react to finding this out? i sure he would be VERY VERY against it, i mean how could you not?

-Jack never could have imagined himself being married to another man- especially the man who is regarded to be the world’s greatest detective.

-However, that is what he loves so much about you- you know who he is- the real Jack, not Jack the Ripper as he claims to be. Initially you were perturbed that Jack killed other killers, but he always left the innocents alone, and while this was getting dangerous and evil people off the streets- he still killed them.

-You turned a blind eye, as long as he wouldn’t get caught, something you told him, which he agreed to, and he adored that you kept his secret.

-The two of you were an adorable couple, playing off each other’s energy- you were a morning person while Jack was a night owl, but you both always made time to spend time with each other.

-Jack would spout poetry to you, showing you how he cares, making you delicious meals, while you would surprise him with flowers, cute dates- you were both so stinking adorable!

-Jack knew your profession as a detective was a dangerous one but he believed that you were just an investigator- you weren’t going to be in any danger.

-Ding dong Jack was wrong!!

-Imagine his surprise when he turned on the news and saw you being loaded up into a gurney after you had infiltrated a local notorious gang and managed to get them captured, but you had been stabbed and shot at least once!!

-Jack never ran so fast- full speed power sprinting to the hospital the whole way, skidding to a halt as he made it there, running inside, looking for you.

-You heard the running footsteps and you braced for impact as the door slammed open and you saw your husband there.

-His eyes were wide and you managed to lift your one good arm, smiling brightly, “Hi hon- oof!” he crossed the room in the blink of an eye and threw himself into you, holding you tightly, one hand behind your head and the other around your neck, clutching you tightly.

-Your eyes had gone wide at the embrace before you smiled softly, relaxing and you lifted a hand to his silvery hair, “I’m okay Jack- I’ll be okay.”

-He inhaled deeply and you were prepared for a vicious tongue lashing as he pulled back, only to shock you as you saw unshed tears in his eyes, nothing but worry in his features.

-He was mad with you- once he got back the upset part, “I almost lost you! I didn’t know you did such dangerous things! Why didn’t you tell me?! And don’t tell me that you didn’t want me to worry!”

-You had no answer, because that’s exactly what it was- and he scolded you a second time, reminding you of what he does and that he knows danger and wants to know if you’re in danger, “You’re the only one I have- I can’t lose you too!”

-You murmured apologies into his hair as he hugged you, calling you an idiot, which you took- knowing that you had been the foolish one.

-You only had to spend two days at the hospital, luckily your wounds weren't serious and you were discharged into your husband’s loving arms, as you were now on leave to heal from your wounds.

-Jack basically grounded you- you weren’t allowed to go out without him, and he didn’t allow you to do anything- he became a mother hen, not letting you lift, bend, or do anything without helping you.

-However, you let him, you knew that you had upset him, and he was doing this to remind you of that- so he could help you heal. You did like teasing him sometimes, holding out your good arm, “I’m lonely without you cuddling me!”

-He turned so red, scolding you for being so shameless while you couldn’t help but grin- he was so cute. Jack knew you were intelligent- so he knew exactly what you were doing, teasing him.

-He held you close, giving in to your request and you hugged him with your one good arm, sighing softly and he couldn’t help but melt into your embrace, “You’re a brat I hope you know.” You pressed a kiss to his temple, “I know- but I’m your brat!”

-The swat to your thigh was worth it as you laughed warmly as he snuggled down, hugging you close.

[cjsoleil]

Taking My Time On My Ride (Changbin x Reader)

Summary: Neither Changbin or Y/N thought they would meet their soulmates on a roller coaster, but they’re glad they did.

Authors note: This short work is inspired by my friend’s love for Changbin, my fear of roller coasters and that one skz code episode. @bbchangbinnie24

When Wooyoung suggested that Yeonjun and him should go to an amusement park together, Changbin thought nothing of it. Spending time with the two boys is fun. All until Yeonjun pointed towards the biggest roller coaster at the park.

“Yeah let’s go.” Wooyoung agrees enthusiastically and Yeonjun looks to the other with them.

“Will you be okay Changbin?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” The two stare at him.

“Oh I don’t know.” Wooyoung shrugs, “Maybe because you get scared.”

“I do not.” He protested, shaking his head. He isn’t scared, he just doesn’t love roller coasters.

“Right.” Yeonjun says, “Let’s get in line then.” Changbin was most definitely not dreading going on the ride.

‘I hate them.’ Y/N thinks as she sits down in the seat in front of her friends. She’s with two other people, and each seat of the roller coaster only fits two people. Unfortunately, she’s the one left alone.

“Sorry Y/N.” The girl doesn’t turn around, but does hold up her middle finger to the two. They only laugh in response. How dare they leave her by herself when she didn’t even want to go on the ride in the first place. More people are loaded onto the ride, and Y/N isn’t surprised when someone is told to sit next to her.

What is surprising is how gorgeous the man who’s sitting next to her is. He has super muscular arms, and a cute soft face to contrast. Really, the best looking person she’s ever been physically close to.

Catching her staring, he smiles at her.

“Hi.” He says and her eyes widen.

“Hi.” Y/N looks away for a few seconds before she starts to speak, “Let me guess, odd one out?”

“Yep.” The man laughs, and gestures to the cart in front of them.

“Me too.” And Y/N changed her mind, she loves her friends for leaving her by herself.

“Just so you know, I’m terrified. So sorry in advance if I scream so loud it deafens you.” The man grins at her.

“I won’t be much better. Why are you here if you're terrified?”

“My friends paid me to not be a coward.”

“Good reason.” The bar that keeps them secure is brought down, signaling the ride will start soon.

Unconsciously, Y/N wraps her arm around the man’s muscular one before realizing what she’s even doing.

“Oh- I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He lifts and playfully flexes his arm, “Hold onto me.”

“Really?”

“If it brings you any comfort, go for it.” Y/N smiles and wraps her arm back around the man’s. She feels him flex against her arm.

“I got you.” Before she can respond, the ride starts to move. Both of them grab onto the bar tightly as they start to move across the track.

‘Oh my god oh my god-‘ Y/N repeats in her mind as they start to go up. The part she’s been dreading, a drop. ‘I’m gonna die, die next to a pretty man who I don’t know the name of.’

“My name’s Changbin.” The man next to her shouts, making Y/N jerk her head towards him.

“Fuck I said that outloud!” She exclaims and speaks so fast Changbin just barely made it out, “Hi Changbin, My name is Y/N. Nice to-“ her words are cut off with both their screams as they go off the edge of the tallest part of the ride. She almost doesn’t register the feeling of Changbin’s arm tightening around her own.

“I hate this!” He yells next to her as the ride slows down slightly, “I hate this!” She turns to look at him and sees a few tears streaming down his face. If she was less petrified, it would have been funny to see such a strong guy cry because of a rollercoaster.

“Oh you’re crying.” She tells him, gasping for air.

“You are too.” The ride starts to speed up again and they both scream, “I can’t do this!”

When the ride is finally over, the two are quick to get out and onto the ground again. Both have seemingly forgotten about the existence of their friends.

“That was horrible.” Y/N pants out, looking at Changbin. He’s shorter than she thought he would be. ‘Cute’ she thinks as she wipes the tears off her face.

“Wasn’t even scary.” Changbin comments as he wipes his own.

“Oh yeah, you were really stoic out there. With the screaming and crying.” She gestures to her arm, “I think you squeezed me so tightly I bruised.”

“I’m sorry-“

“No no, I’m just kidding.” Y/N looks away from him for a second, blood rushing to her face, “Thank you, for letting me know hold onto you. And keeping me company.” The man smiles sweetly and hesitantly lifts his hand. When he sees Y/N nod slightly, he pats her hair down, fixing it.

“No problem.” Changbin smiles, “You’re pretty too.”

“What?” Y/N feels her face get warmer, to the tips of her ears.

“On the ride, you said I was pretty. You’re very pretty too.” He says bashfully, looking over to the side and seeing Yeonjun and Wooyoung staring at him.

“I should probably-“ “Do you want to-“ They start at the same time before stopping.

“You go first.” Changbin insists.

“I was gonna ask if you wanted to get, um, ice cream or something with me? But you go with your friends.” The man hums.

“You said you're here with your friends too. They won’t mind me stealing you away?” The girl looks to her friends, seeing them staring at her and making shooing motions.

“…Trust me. Me being with a guy is probably the most entertaining thing that’s happened all month for them.” She looks back at Changbin, “Will yours?”

“Please. They’d be mad if I didn’t go with a pretty girl.” He winks, “You said ice cream?”

“Ah yes. The way to a man’s heart is the stomach. We can go on a ride that’s more our speed too. Carousel?”

“Sure. You want to hold my arm again?” He teases, and she’d be lying if she said no.

“Maybe later.”

Exactly three years later, the two find themselves at the same park. On the same ride where they met, waiting to move.

“Are you going to cry again, Binnie?”

“That never happened. I can distinctly remember you sobbing and hugging my arm like a stuffed animal though.” Y/N flicks his cheek and kisses it after he whines.

“Liar.” The bar is brought down and Y/N taps her fingers on it.

“We haven’t been here in a while. Think it will be less horrible.” Changbin nods, grabbing her hand.

“Yeah. We have grown and this ride will not scare us. Not that it was scary the first time.”

“Oh okay tough guy.” Y/N laughs and lets go of his hand, “You’ll let me hold onto you?”

“Anytime babe.”

“Oh my god no!” Y/N screams as they speed up.

“It’s worse, how is it worse!” Changbin yells.

“Bin if i die know i love you!”

“I love you too!” It isn’t until the ride slows for the cart to go up. Changbin takes a deep breath in before saying,

“Y/N.”

“Yeah?” Changbin gulps and she looks to see the tears in his eyes.

“I knew you would cry-“

“Will you marry me?” Y/N eyes widen.

“What-“ They go over the edge, and they both scream out.

“What!”

“Marry me Y/N!” Changbin yells again as they speed up, “Be my wife!”

“Yes!” Y/N cries out right before the ride slows down. In a minute the get off and on the ground Changbin kisses her harshly before pulling away and wrapping his arms around his waist. “Seriously? You’ll marry me?”

“Of course I will. I love you more than anything. ” Y/N hugs Changbin close.

“I love you too. I’m so happy.” He cups her face, wiping the tears on her face, “Sorry, it wasn’t that romantic. I didn’t plan on proposing like that. I was going to do it at home, at the end of the day. But I guess I couldn’t wait”

“Wasn’t romantic?” Y/N repeats tilting her head, “We met on this ride years ago today. It’s where our relationship started. Sounds romantic to me. Not traditional, sure, but I like being unique.” Y/N leans forward and kisses the man’s lips softly, then his slightly damp cheek.

“Tears of happiness right?” Changbin scoffs.

“Why else would I be crying?” Y/N laughs, and pats his face lovingly.

“No other reason. Let’s go home, celebrate our engagement.“ She feels giddy just saying the word.

“Actually I kind of want to go on the ride again.” He jokes, but doesn’t laugh when he sees the expression Y/N is making.

“Really?” She leans in, whispering in Changbin’s ear, “Because I know a ride I would rather go on.” She taps her index finger against his bottom lip, and it makes his heart beat even faster than it was on the actual roller coaster.”

“Let’s go!” Changbin exclaims and Y/N grabs his arm so he can pull his fiancé along.

“Should we get married here too?” He teases, and his laugh could probably be heard from across the country when she frantically shakes her head.

“God no.”

[d1strxct]

𝑨 𝑻𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓

𝑵𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒏 “𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓“ 𝑷𝒓𝒖𝒌𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒆 𝒙 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

an: a silly little lifeweaver fic that no one asked for (i want him so bad). enjoy!

You tiredly staggered into your small apartment and let out a deep sigh. Finally, you were back home from what seemed like the longest work shift ever. Your feet ached and your mind was frazzled by the overwhelming amount of rude people. Dealing with ignorant and disrespectful customers was not your strong suit.

You tittered on the edge of a migraine and rubbed at your temples while hastily kicking off your shoes. Making your way to the couch, you wanted nothing more than to relax and enjoy the night.

And who a better person to spend it with than him.

Niran quietly walked into the living room, coming from the bedroom to investigate the sudden noise. He chuckled softly when he saw you laying face down on the couch, one arm hanging off of the cushion. A warm smile painted his face as he stepped towards you, his footsteps lightly pattering against the carpet.

A gentle and warm hand touched down on your back, landing flat and rubbing up and down soothingly.

“Rough day at work, dear?”

You nodded against the cool surface of the couch, sighing contentedly as Niran’s hand rubbed out the knots in your lower back. You turned your head to peek up at him, half of your face smushing into the cushion. He wore a pretty grin that made you tiredly smile up at him.

“I’ll go make some tea, love. You lay right there and look beautiful.”

And that’s exactly what you did.

Almost ten minutes later, you were still laying on the couch. Your eyes were half closed and you were about to succumb to sleep when the sound of light footsteps brought you back. You slowly opened your eyes and watched as Niran set down two cups of warm tea on the table in front of you.

“Sit up, love. Tell me about your day.”

With the help of your lovely boyfriend, you got into a comfortable sitting position next to him. He leaned forward and carefully grabbed your cup, handing it to you. You took it from his hands and blew on it before taking a small sip. The warmness of it made you significantly more awake and you smiled to yourself. One of Niran’s arms wrapped around you and you rested your head on his chest.

“Alright, now what happened at work today?”

You sighed and closed your eyes for a second, the memories of today's events flooding into your mind. Your tea sat comfortably in both hands as you started speaking.

“Well, two of our registers shut down at the same time. Tons of people were waiting in each line and half of them wouldn’t stop complaining. Not to mention there were only four of us working at the time. This lady threw a fit like it was our fault they went down. I was on my feet the entire time and my back was aching from carrying heavy loads. It was hot and humid and exhausting and I-“

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. It’s over now. You got through it.”

You hadn’t noticed your voice growing louder with each passing second until Niran stopped you, rubbing your arm delicately. You took a deep breath and let it out, calming your mind and listening to Niran whisper sweetly into your ear.

“Customer service isn’t for the weak, darling. It takes a lot of mentality to do that, and because you’re so strong, you get through it. Ha, I could never work in customer service. I’d give them the same attitude back and get myself fired. And hey, it’s the weekend now, so you don’t work! We can sleep in and relax all day tomorrow.”

He placed a small kiss on your forehead and affectionately squeezed you closer to him. You chuckled and tilted your head to give him a hearty smile. He always knew just what to say to make you feel better, and you couldn’t be any more grateful.

“That would be lovely, Niran. Thank you. Ugh, I’m starving now. I’m gonna go get my leftovers.”

Niran didn’t say anything, slowly unwrapping his arm from around your shoulders. You sat your tea on the table and patted his leg affectionately, giving him a small smile before standing up. You walked into the kitchen and made a beeline for the fridge, where the leftovers from last night’s dinner awaited you. Opening the refrigerator door, you set your eyes on where you had put the container last night.

Except the container wasn’t there anymore.

You narrowed your eyes slightly and made a confused face before looking around inside. Maybe it got moved around somewhere? Niran must’ve put it in a different spot and you just weren’t seeing it yet. But after almost a minute of searching, you still didn’t find the leftovers. Shutting the refrigerator, you turned around to call out to Niran.

“Hey, love? Where are the-“

Turning around, your eyes landed on the kitchen table, where a container stared back at you, empty. You stopped midway through your sentence, standing lifeless in the middle of the kitchen. Those weren’t your leftovers, were they? Upon closer look, you saw a fork laying next to it, and what appeared to be little crumbs of yesterday's dinner.

You entered the living room again, your face expressionless and dark. Niran sat on the couch still, looking anxious with a nervous smile. A guilty smile. The two of you stared at each other for a moment, before you slowly opened your mouth. You spoke calmly, but it was monotone and quiet.

“Niran, did you eat my food?”

He recognized your blank expression and quickly jumped up, putting his hands out in front of him defensively.

“I-It isn’t what it looks like! I swear!”

That’s all you needed to hear before you lunged for him.

“Niran Pruksamanee, you are so dead!”

As soon as you took a step forward, he yelped and clumsily took a step back, almost tripping over his own two feet. He quickly rounded the couch, standing behind it while you were in front of it. His throat bubbled up with nervous giggles, the smile growing wider and guiltier looking. His eyes pleaded for forgiveness on their own, but you were having none of it.

You shifted towards the right side of the couch and Niran moved to the left side, keeping both of his hands on the end of the furniture. You stared intently at him, your gaze fierce and sparkling with a sense of mischief Niran had seen before. And it usually didn’t end well for him.

“Wait wait wahahait! Please, l-let’s just talk about this!”

“Ohh no no no” you started, “you’ve said enough.”

Instead of chasing Niran around the couch and going back and forth, you got the idea to jump over it instead. When Niran was standing behind the middle of it, you quickly leaped over the couch. With a shriek, Niran pivoted around the couch and took off down the hallway. You had to contain a laugh from his girlish scream and quickly ran after him.

Since the apartment was small, there wasn’t much space to run around everywhere. You were able to use that to your advantage and catch up to him pretty quickly. He made a beeline for the bedroom and just before he could reach it, you jumped onto his back. He yelped and lurched forward. One of his hands came up to make sure you didn’t fall. He was already in enough trouble and didn’t want to add fuel to the fire if you got injured.

You wrapped one of your arms around his neck, careful not to choke him, and put the other one around his torso. Your hand rested on his hip and felt him tense underneath you. Niran poured out pretty giggles and shook his head, trying to walk toward the bed. You smirked and brought your lips close to his ear.

“You can speak in laughs for me, pretty boy.”

Deciding not to waste any more time, you instantly went in for the kill. Your thumb latched onto his hip bone and pressed in, your other fingers sneaking to the back of his side and mercilessly squeezing. Niran was in hysterics immediately and let out beautiful laughter. You knew that this was one of his worst spots, and you also knew that he deserved no mercy.

You already felt him crumbling underneath your hip squeezes and watched as his knees buckled. He slowly fell to the ground and you used this as an opportunity to get him onto his back. You quickly got off of his back and fought his defending hands to get the upper hand.

With a few more squeezes to his waist, you managed to lay him on the floor face up and straddle his waist. You gathered his wrists in your hand and held them above his head, basking in the giggles that spilled from his mouth. Now that he could see your face, you put on your best angry look and narrowed your eyes at him.

“Any last words, thief?”

“I hahahave to admit, it was pretty gohohoohahaHAHhaha!”

Your fingers landed on his side, rapidly pinching up and down. He threw his head back against the floor with a bright smile, laughter barreling through his chest. His arms tried to crash down against his sides, but you managed to keep them up. Behind you, his legs kicked out uselessly and he stomped his feet against the carpet.

“I can’t believe,” you pinched his hip, earning another squeal, “that you would eat MY leftovers. I mean who does that?!”

Niran shook his head through loud and hiccupy laughter. You watched as he scrunched his nose and crinkled his eyes out of reflex. It took everything in you not to show the big smile that was hiding behind the ‘bad cop’ facade. His laugh was as sweet as gold and glazed in honey. His small hiccups and wheezes were only one of your favorite things about it. You wouldn’t trade it for the world.

And what a perfect opportunity to hear it in all its beauty!

“Nohohohahahaha! I’m-hah! Ihihi’m sahahahahaharry!”

You shook your head and tsked, bringing your hand up to his ribs and prodding in random spots.

“Nuh-uh. It’s too late for apologies. You should’ve thought about that before you decided to steal”

Niran squirmed around like a fish out of water and squeaked at each prod to his lower ribs. His lower ribs were more sensitive than his higher ones and you made sure to take your time to find each sensitive spot. You were methodical and fast-paced as you dug your fingers into each bone, watching his reactions intently.

Usually, when you and Niran got into playful attacks, you started slow and teasing. You would lightly trace his waistline to make him giggle and move to his sides to get a few squeals out. Those fights had a ninety-nine percent chance of ending with you on the ground a laughing mess, as Niran was always one to seek revenge right after.

But you made sure to change your tactics tonight. Starting with hip squeezes always made him a crumbled mess on the floor. Boisterous and bubbly laughter flowed out of him like an open ocean. His wide smile was bright enough to light a thousand rooms. You enjoyed the way you could make him squirm beneath you with a simple prod to one of his most ticklish spots. Continuing on the rougher side would tire him out quicker, so your chances of ending up in his spot were slim.

“Ihihihit’s nohohot stealing if Ihihihi mahade it!”

“Okay, fair point. But it still doesn’t give you the right to eat it without even asking!”

Niran was lost in laughter at that point. Your fingers skittered up to the backs of his ribs. He tried turning his body to the opposite side, but your wiggling fingers followed, not once letting up. You noticed him trying to form words and quickened your fingers. A snort escaped him and you couldn’t help the small smirk that formed on your lips.

“Hmm? What was that you were trying to say, thief?”

“IHIHIhihi’m sahahrry! I’m sorry, pahaha-please!”

“Please what, huh?”

Before he could get anything else out, you climbed your fingers back down and spidered them onto his stomach. He sucked in a breath, and you felt him tense underneath your hand. His laughter dropped to high-pitched giggles and you thought this was the perfect time for some teasing.

“You know, I’ve had a very stressful and long day today. I couldn’t wait to get home and eat my oh-so-delicious leftovers and relax with my oh-so-beautiful man. But come to find out, you had eaten them all! Do you not love me anymore? Are you against me somehow?!”

He was about to giggle and wheeze out a response when you shushed him, giving a squeeze to the side of his stomach. Any words about to come out of his mouth were quickly replaced with a bark of laughter.

“Ah ah, I said no apologies. Looks like I’ll just have to find something else to eat. I could really go for some fruit right now. Do you know what kind, Niran?”

His eyes almost shot out of his head at hearing your words. He blabbered out pleas’ and scrambled to pull his hands down. In his giggly and weakened state, he wasn’t able to get far in bringing them down and laughed louder in anticipation. You smirked down at him and tried not to laugh at his nervousness. You stopped skittering your nails against his stomach and slowly pulled his loose shirt up until his stomach was fully shown. You watched as it quivered underneath your fingers and smirked down at him.

“I could go for some raspberries! And I see an oh-so-beautiful man,” you trailed your eyes down to his stomach and gasped, “with an oh-so ticklish tummy all for me!”

“No no noho no! Pla-plehehease! Nahahaha, Ihihi CAHAhahahn’t!”

Niran’s laughter got more frantic as his squirming increased. Instantly, you lowered your mouth to his stomach and blew a raspberry. He screamed and threw his head back, falling into a never-ending pit of never-ending laughter. His legs kicked and hit the floor repeatedly. You blew raspberry after raspberry until his laugh was barely audible, his smile threatening to split his face in half.

You decided to give him a break when you saw the darkest shade of maroon paint his cheeks and tears form in his eyes. You sat up and smiled down at him, keeping your grip around his wrists. He sputtered out giggles with a big grin and took in deep breaths, his chest heaving up and down. Your hand came up to his face and he flinched, giggling even louder and attempting to move his head away. You cooed and teased him.

“Aw, did you think I was gonna tickle you again? Stop giggling and hold still!”

Niran relaxed a little when your hand wiped the small tears from the sides of his cheeks. You caressed your thumb against his face and booped his nose, earning a tiny giggle as a reward. You grinned and lowered your hand to his neck, fluttering your fingers against the side of it. He squealed and twisted his head, trying to evade your ticklish touches.

“You’re just too ticklish for your own good, Niran. Look at how flustered you are!”

“Stahahahap teheheasing. I ca-ahahaha-can’t!”

“Can’t what?”

“Ihihi cahan’t tahake it!”

Your fingers moved back to his stomach and lightly skittered all across it, keeping him in a state of airy giggles and squeaks. The smirk on your face never faded.

“Awh, you can’t take the teasing? Or the tickling? Maybe both? Either way, I think you can! And I think you deserve it too.”

Niran shook his head and babbled out protests again. You giggled innocently and prodded his side a few times, basking in the precious laughter it gave you like he was the sun. Slowly and teasingly, your hand spidered up his side, making sure to hit all of his sensitive spots on the way up.

He sucked in a breath through his teeth and squirmed around. You smiled and brought your fingers up to his armpit. Niran squealed at the feeling and giggles escaped his mouth. They raised in volume when he noticed the evil look on your face and he shook his head wildly, his eyes begging yours not to continue.

“Ohoho gohohosh. Plehehease nohohot there!”

“Where? Here?” You poked his armpit with a single finger. “Or maybe here?” A squeeze to his ribs. “Or what about here?” A skitter of fingers on his neck. You left him a giggling mess on the floor. He was squeaking and squealing like a child and you loved every second of it.

“Ohh, you meant here!”

Quickly, you let go of Niran’s wrists and shot both of your hands into his armpits, scribbling your fingers into the hollows. Niran outright screamed and threw his head back, diving headfirst into cackles and snorts. His arms crashed down by his sides and his back arched before falling back down. He tightened the space between his arms and his torso, trapping your wiggling fingers further in his armpits.

“NAHAHAnohoho! Ohohohhoho my gahahahad! Stopstopstahahahap!”

His torso shook with mirth as you deepened your fingers, making sure no sensitive spot went untouched. You switched between digging in and lightly skittering, keeping him on edge the entire time. You poked, prodded, and wiggled your fingers wherever you could. Niran made it easier for you by giving you no room to take your hands out. You giggled with him (and at him) and leaned down to blow a raspberry against his neck, getting a shrill squeal out of him.

“IHIHIHI’M SAHAHORRY! I’m sahaharry! Nohohoho mohohohohore!”

“Are you really sorry?”

“YEHEHEHES! Mehehehercy!”

You stilled your fingers and hummed in thought, looking down at him curiously. Niran gasped for air and let out tiny hiccups of laughter. He slightly relaxed and you felt his arms loosen, so you flexed your fingers. He squealed and squeezed them to his sides again, giggling up a storm and breathing heavily. You laughed and maneuvered your hands out of his armpits, receiving a few squeals and chortles.

Niran hugged his torso and looked up at you with a face as red as an apple and a smile as bright as a star. His chest heaved up and down as he caught his breath. You rested your hands on his hips and scooted down to sit on his lower legs, spreading them open slightly. Your hands traveled to his thighs and stilled on top of them, massaging them gently to calm him down.

“Y’know, I’m not sure you’re really sorry. I think you need one last bit of convincing.”You smirked down at him and lowered your voice. “After all, you always have to make sure a thief is punished properly.”

Without letting Niran fully process what you said, you found vacancy on his inner thighs and squeezed rapidly and mercilessly. Niran almost ascended into the heavens with how hard he started laughing. He squeezed his eyes shut tight and threw his head back, kicking his legs out like a fish out of water. You knew how much of a bad spot this was for him and you had no shame in using it to your advantage.

Niran’s hands raced down to grab yours, but since he was so weak with laughter, he didn’t attempt to slap your hands away. Boisterous laughter turned into hiccups and shrieks the longer you continued. You kept one hand on his inner thigh to skitter all across it and brought the other one lower to his knee, where you repeatedly squeezed the top of it. The different sensations made him fall into silent laughter and you could tell he couldn’t take it for much longer.

“Do you promise not to eat my leftovers ever again?”

Niran nodded slowly, tears threatening to fall down his face again. His stomach ached from laughing so much and his cheeks were sore. His entire face was painted red and he barely attempted to squirm around, telling you he was at his limit. You grinned and stopped your merciless squeezing to lightly spider your fingers across the tops of his thighs.

“Are you one-hundred percent positive you will ask for permission next time? And not steal them?”

“YEHEHEhehehes! Just-ahahaha-stahahahap! Plehehehahah-“

You hummed in triumph and stopped tickling him for good. You got off of his legs and sat beside his head, running your fingers through his hair while he caught his breath. Residual giggles spilled from his lips and you giggled too, gently getting the knots out of his tangled hair. The two of you sat in silence for the next minute or so, the occasional giggle escaping him. When he could finally function again, he tilted his head up to look at you.

“Thahat was ehehevil and sadistic. I didn’t you hahad it in you.”

You shrugged your shoulders and chuckled, smiling proudly.

“I had to teach you a lesson didn’t I, love?”

“Yes, you did. And I promise I learned it!”

“Good, because you’re making me dinner now.”

Niran sighed with a soft smile on his face and nodded. You giggled and booped his nose before standing up and reaching a hand out to him. He took it with grace and you helped him off the ground, keeping a hand on his arm in case he got too dizzy. Once he stood up, the two of you made your way back into the living room. You took a seat on the couch and relaxed while Niran walked into the kitchen, starting dinner for the two of you. You turned on the television and got lost in a show playing.

About thirty minutes later, Niran walked into the living room with two plates full of your favorite food. He sat them down on the table in front of the couch and you excitedly sat up, bringing the table closer to you so you could eat. It smelled delicious and you couldn’t wait to dig in. You looked up at Niran with starry eyes and smiled.

“This looks amazing, love. Thank you.”

He grinned and sat down next to you, instantly starting to dig into his food. You did the same and moaned in delight at the taste. Niran grinned and put his fork on your plate, trying to sneak a piece of your meal onto his. You quickly grabbed your plate and moved it away from him, narrowing your eyes and smirking.

“No way, Niran! This is all mine.”

He laughed and held his hands up defensively.

“Okay, okay! I’m not allowed to take any of your food. Noted!”

After the two of you finished dinner and cleaned up the table, you both laid back on the couch together and watched the television. Niran wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you closer to him. You rested your head against his chest and brought your legs up to lay out on the couch. You felt so warm and safe around him, as he was like a big teddy bear.

A little while later, you two were still cuddling on the couch. Your focus was completely on the show, so you were distracted for the most part. A yawn from Niran broke you out of your focus and you looked up at him, a smile on your face. He softly grinned at you, tiredness evident in his eyes. You patted his chest and made a move to get up.

“Let’s go to bed, love.”

He nodded and brought a hand up to stifle another yawn. You chuckled and slowly started to break out of your cuddle with him, only to be gently pulled back down by a firm hand on your waist. You looked back at him with an eyebrow raised and noticed the small smirk on his face. He pulled you in closer so his lips were right beside your ear and he tiredly whispered.

“You’re lucky I’m too tired to get you back right now. You’re in for it tomorrow morning, darling.”

[a-bit-too-much-of-a-zelda-fan]

What’s the evidence for SS/BOTW/TOTK/ST Zelink being the most canon? I firmly believe in all of them myself but I like hearing other’s takes on this topic so I’m just curious

Ooh, yeah, I'll get into this.

Skyward Sword: This is such a slam dunk. It's as explicit in the text as it can be without Zelda saying "Link, you are my boyfriend, I love you." Groose is jealous of Link for his closeness to Zelda. Throughout the series, Link has gone through hell and back to save the people he cares about, not necessarily love interests (his sister in Wind Waker, the Ordon kids in Twilight Princess, etc). However, consider what Zelda says to Link when they talk in the Sealed Temple:

"I knew that if it meant saving Zelda, you would throw yourself headfirst into any danger, without even a moment's doubt."

She groomed him to be the chosen hero by baiting him with the person he loved most. Then, later:

"While it's true that I am Hylia reborn, I'm still my father's daughter and your friend... I'm still your Zelda"

She does say "friend," but this is the fledgling start of their romance. After the wing ceremony and Link and Zelda are flying together, she was a hair's breadth from admitting her true feelings for him. That's right there in the text. And come on, tell me "I'm still your Zelda" isn't loaded with deeper-than-friendship meaning. This is the kind of language that is absent in most Zelda games.

BotW/TotK: This is the next biggest slam dunk. Zelda could not for the life of her awaken her divine powers through prayer and practice. What finally activated them was a moment of desperation to save the person she loved: Link. Further, her journal details how close the two are personally. Closeness does not necessarily mean romance, but it is conducive to it. Link is comfortable enough are her to actually speak, which was originally nearly impossible from the trauma caused by the pressure to be her appointed knight and the Hylian Champion. Let's also not forget the look she gave him after he saved her from the Yiga assassins.

Now, that's all just in BotW. TotK easily cements it. Link and Zelda live together. They're in their early 20s living in the same house, a house with only one bed. Come on. That's solid proof right there that at the very least, SOMETHING is going on.

Spirit Tracks: This is less solid than the other two but still more explicit than the other 18 games in the series. The very first time Link lays eyes on Zelda, he blushes and audibly gasps. He is straight up taken aback by how attractive she is. He also blushes later when she hugs him. Oh yeah, the hug. The first thing she does once she has her body back is hug him. Then at the very end, as they watch the Lokomo depart from Hyrule and ascend to another realm, they hold hands. The devs specifically modeled hands for Zelda so they could hold hands. Come on. Confirmed.

If anything, I feel more strongly that other Zelinks aren't likely. Note that these are predicated on the idea that Link going to great lengths to save her is not necessarily indicative of romantic feelings. Skyward Sword is different because Hylia targeted Link for it. Anyway:

The Legend of Zelda: Zero chemistry. They only meet at the end.

The Adventure of Link: Zero chemistry. They only meet at the end.

A Link to the Past/Oracle of Seasons/Oracle of Ages: Barely any interaction, no indication they're more than acquaintances or, at best, friends.

Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask: Okay, this is maybe the strongest case here. Link does spend a fair deal of time with Zelda/Sheik. In Link's later interactions with the Sheik persona, he actually tries to chase after her. Is this because he simply wants a friend? Or has he developed feelings for this mysterious young man? Man, OoT is startlingly sparse on textual evidence for Link's feelings. The writers get closer to establishing something in MM, what with Link and Zelda spending several months together following his return to his home era.

But I headcanon it a specific way, largely because of a particular video essay. In this interpretation, Link is desperate for companionship from someone who truly understands who he is and what he's been through. That's why he goes to such lengths to find Navi. She was his sister in arms and the only one who witnessed his heroism. Zelda was the closest thing to someone who understood, but not quite there. So, less than likely.

Also, they're 10. I was interested in romance when I was 10, but I still consider my first serious relationship, at 19, as the beginning of my true understanding of romantic love. I don't attribute much value to the *very* young love 10 years may have for each other, no matter how traumatized and mature for his age one of them is. That actually raises another question. Is Link mentally 17 by the time he slays Ganon? Or was he mentally a child the whole time? Because the 17/10 thing actually does make a difference here. Um. Moving on.

Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass: There is also something to be said here in that Link and Tetra actually do have chemistry. She's seems to be a bit older than him, just enough that she initially looks down on him as a stupid kid. Then again, at 14 and even to an extent 13, I did see most 12 year olds as being much less mature than me. Then again then again, I was a very pretentious preteen. Okay, so maybe Tetra is initially just as pretentious in that sense. Anyway, she does view him as an equal by the end and fights alongside him like a badass. Hm. Right so there's some stuff here. Like how Link goes to such lengths especially in Phantom Hourglass to save her. At that point they aren't playing parts in a legendary conflict, he's just trying to save her. But once again, that doesn't really mean romantic love.

Four Swords: No chemistry seen, barely any interaction. That's a nah from me.

Four Swords Adventures: There's a TINY bit more here, because Link and Zelda are childhood friends. Still not much here. The Minish Cap: Barely more than FSA. Childhood friends, more interaction, but still not much chemistry.

Twilight Princess: Okay this might be my hottest take here. Not only do I not think it is evidenced by the canon text, I actually don't like this one. Even ignoring that Link has infinitely better love interests in Ilia and Midna, he has no chemistry with her at all. They barely interact. On top of that, and this is the biggest thing for me, she is 20. He is 16/17. A three year age gap at that point is uncomfortably large. I've dated people three years younger than me, but we were both adults. It's just a little icky.

A Link Between Worlds: I feel like a broken record. Barely any onscreen interaction, no chemistry. Just ain't there.

Echoes of Wisdom: Not to get too into spoilers here, but I agree with that post going around that Zelda probably has a big crush on Link. But that's just a headcanon and not really evidenced by the text.

All of this said, I don't think you're wrong or bad or anything for liking more Zelinks than I do. These are just my opinions and frankly I'm too old to be engaging in shipping wars. Then again, hey, you asked for my opinions. Oh yeah, and sorry for taking so long to respond. Whoops.

[lulutaylorsimaginarium]

The Chain

Summary: When the guys get stuck in a situation and hunted down by a drug lord. Frankie makes a call he really doesn’t want to make to the only person that can help them

Words:1430

Warnings: “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the right age to handle mature themes. We handle our own triggers with kindness and grace

AN: Mind any grammar mistakes even though the story has been checked. The author is dyslexic and it is the wonders of her brain.

THE CHAIN MASTERLIST

Chapter Sixteen

To say the next week was chaos may have been a bit of an understatement. They brought a Camaro and a VW Golf, because who suspects the VW Golf?

It felt weird to be spending money to be moving money, but it was what had to be done. Gabby had never really had money. She didn’t know how to handle it, but she also wanted the guys to have as much as they could have at the end of all of this.

 Gabby hated waste but was also allergic to luxury.

Maybe that’s why she never thought about keeping any of it for herself. She didn’t want it.

She just wanted to get the guys to safety.

It was different now.

When she first got off the plane, she only needed Frankie safe. Of course, she knew Benny and Santiago, but Frankie had been the main priority.

How time changed things.

They were getting better, Frankie and Gabby. It was dare she say, civil, bearable, even? 

But they still weren’t themselves, it felt strange to both of them and the others.

No one could fix it

Gabby didn’t know how.

She didn’t know what he wanted, and he refused to tell her.

Santiago and Will were taking off to find a transit van so they could move more money but the people selling it was pretty far away, which was good in a sense because it was less suspicious, but it also meant that they were going to be gone at least overnight and Benny was making the first trip over the border. Which left Frank and Gabby alone in the cabin together.

She was nervous about it

All over it

Even being away from Santiago.

She had always been on her own. Always needed her own space. Never afraid of the quiet. Why was it that all of a sudden, she felt co-dependent.

Something that she had never been in her whole life.

She had never been that girl who needed to be with her boyfriend, every second of everyday.

Ugh

God, was that what Santiago was?

Her boyfriend?

Just the thought made her shake her head and shutter a little bit.

Who the heck was she right now?

To even be thinking these things.

When she woke up the next morning feeling like she hadn’t slept at all.

Her body was heavy, and her mind was full. She knew herself well enough to know that she had crashed. She didn’t change out of her sweats but did  grabbed a hoodie, that she was fairly share was an old boyfriends’, although she couldn’t say which one.

Which actually said a lot about her life.

Gabby was always talked about, behind her back of course, but talked about none-the-less. When would she settle down? Surely, she couldn’t keep living her life so carefree without any ties to one place.

She was used to the whispers. She played into it, to a certain extent.

Gabby just kept on living her life

She was running on empty, but she wouldn’t change a thing. She needed these guys safe; she didn’t care about the money. She cared about the guys, but she also felt like crap. So today at least.

Things needed to stop

Will looked up to see her as she walked towards the stairs. Her hood over her head and not her usual sassy self

“You okay?”

“Nope. Tired. Dizzy. Sleepy”

“Maybe the reason we’ve been telling you to stop and slow down for the past few days”.

“Too much to do”

“Go park your butt in front of the TV and take a load off, would ya?”

“Ok” she said softly not quite ready to admit defeat but also liking the idea of being a couch potato.

Before she knew it there was a blanket and he handed her a cup of tea. Gabby looked up at Will and smiled.

“How are you still single?”

“I’m secretly a nightmare”.

“So am I” she whispered playfully.

Will went outside and left her with a quiet house. Gabby fell back asleep before her tea could get cold.

#

The night had been more peaceful than they were all used too. Rain falling lightly outside. Thunder rolling in and out. And back again. Good food, laughter, a warm fireplace, and a good movie.

Dare anybody say, normal.

So normal in fact, that Gabby fell asleep with her head on Benny’s lap without taking any of her new meds.

Even the guys had a quiet day given it rained for most of it. Everyone was rested, feed and more importantly, happy to be around each other. There was the feeling that the worst was over. After the night went well into the morning and the guys decided to pack it in for the day and everyone made moves upstairs.

Benny looked over at Santiago and asked

“Leave her here or carry her upstairs?”

“Leave her down here. If she wakes up now. She’ll never get back to sleep”

Santiago put another log on the fire and Benny covered her up with a blanket. Before both disappearing for the night.

No one noticed the footsteps on the porch. Slow, soft, precise. No one noticed the face peaking through the windows looking inside the only place that they had found peace in weeks but they weren’t the only ones there.

The stranger walked around the perimeter of the house and in the shed, looking at all the cars. The stranger found the storm shelter and tried the padlock, but it was too thick, and the sound of the chains echoed loudly on the wind of the thunderstorm.

So he abandoned his expedition and walked back along the lake the same way he came.

#

Shortly after Frankie had gotten comfortable in his bed, slowed his mind of thoughts of his child and the woman unbeknownst to him who was sleeping on the sofa below him. He heard something on the lake. The water seemingly moving on its own. It may have been the wind. It was probably the storm, but Frankie couldn’t help but take a look out of the French doors of his balcony.

It was too dark to see anything but he couldn’t shake that feeling. Something was wrong. He hopped out of bed and got dressed back in his clothes before making his way back downstairs. Will was snoring behind his door. Benny’s music softly pumping behind his. Frankie always wondered how the heck Benny could sleep through it, but he always did. Then there was Santiago, sleeping in his own room. Which had been a rarity since Gabby and Pope decided to do whatever they were doing.

Gabby’s room was empty. Frankie frowned into the darkness. Confused, concerned oddly feeling cornered for some reason.

He hated the way things were, even though he was the one to create the mess in the first place. Fighting or arguing. Even not agreeing wasn’t something that Gabby and Frankie did. They had conversation with a glance and  always backed the other up, even if that person was in fact wrong.

They had lost that, and he hated it.

He couldn’t quite say why he was acting the way that he was.

He just felt uncomfortable.

He walked down the hall and saw her on the couch, out to the world. The light of the fire glowing throughout the room. So bright, that it guided his way to her. He sat on the coffee table and watch her sleep for a few seconds. Touched the back of his hand to her forehead. The fever that she had this morning was now gone and she seemed more peaceful.

Frankie couldn’t leave her down there.

He knew that she never moved when she was like this. A whole night on the couch like this and her body would be screaming in the morning and for some days to come. Frankie gently pulled back the blanket covering her and noticed she was clutching something to her chest within her palm.

He softly pried her fingers away and saw that it was the lighter that had belonged to Sebastian.

Frankie knew that his death was affecting her more greatly than she was letting on but the sight of Gabby clinging on to the last thing she had of his, was a sight and a thought that Frankie just couldn’t take.

He placed the zippo lighter carefully on the coffee table and scooped her up in his arms before carrying her into her bedroom.

Frankie needed to fix this and fast.

[faithst]

BUS STOP ༄ TK

synopsis after hanging out with keita, you decided to go home only to see that it’s pouring and you’re now stuck at the bus stop with him

pairing keita x gn!reader

genre fluff

notes this was honestly so cute, thank you for requesting and i hope you enjoy this <3 i miss seokeita too :(

masterlist<3

laughing at keita’s jokes and catching up was a great way to spend your weekend. after the laughter died down, he leaned back into the bench “i’m so glad the weather is great today!”

you nod in agreement as the sun shone giving you both a golden tint as birds chirp in the distance. wouldn’t it be such a shame for something unpredictable like bad weather to ruin your planned out day with keita?

as you saw the sun setting, you figured it was time to bid your farewells. “time flew so fast.” keita spoke up, gazing at the beautiful sunset. maybe it was true that time went by quickly with the people you love, when you’re truly in the moment. he got up, offering a hand indicating it was time to walk back to the bus stop. you grabbed his hand, standing up and wiping invisible dust off your clothes.

as you walked back together, there were still loads of stories keita had to tell and he wanted to make sure you got to hear them in person. so he used the periods walking to tell them. they were fun bursts of energy as expected from keita; neverending enthusiasm which you loved.

though you were walking rather leisurely, the day slowly sunk into night and to your luck, you missed the bus. watching in the distance as it drives off. you try to chase it but it already went far.

keita pat your back, thinking of other solutions. but as the light bulb on his head lit up, the sounds of light drizzle became audible. soon, the drops painted the pavement around the small and covered bus stop.

this wasn’t so bad, right? well, none of you had brought an umbrella and was now stuck there. checking your phone to call up an uber, it didn’t turn on as it had ran out of battery earlier. keita looked at you with an empathetic smile, a bit of guilt because he delayed you.

but it was okay, the person with you wasn’t some rando. it was keita, and you’d do anything to spend more time with him. even if it were tricky situations like this. all you could do now was wait another hour or so in darkness, the only lights illuminating were the ones covering the bus stop. though you weren’t alone.

as the temperatures decrease and the moon took over the sun, overlapping the coldness given by the rain. you were freezing, both of you were absolutely chilled to the bone. as much as keita wanted to do a romantic gesture such as wrap his jacket around you; he didn’t have a jacket with him.

all he was wearing was a sweater that you gave him for his birthday a year ago, he cherished it alot. maybe it was his favourite item in his closet, always reaching out to it whenever he could. as an attempt to keep eachother warm; he grabbed your hands, rubbing them with his to spark some heat. you smiled, it wasn’t much but it was something.

the temperature got worse as the rain started to pour even more, causing you to hug yourself in attempt to get even the slightest bit of warmth. keita saw this and was absolutely heartbroken. maybe it wouldn’t happen if he told the story faster or walked a bit quicker.

he wanted to apologise for making you miss your stop and for making you wait in the cold but his mouth was numb. pulling the sleeves over his hands in shapes of sweater paws, he continued holding your hands. it was a bit better than without the sleeves.

he saw your quivering lips, moving his sweater paws now to your cheeks, cupping your face. flushing a cute tint of pink upon his action, using the weather as an excuse for your red face.

yes, it wasn’t the most ideal situation but it was a situation that made you closer to keita. as you wait, head on his shoulder and bodies huddling together to make sure you both got enough warmth and away from any drops of the rain. you’re glad you missed the bus to this.

© keiwook | 2023

taglist @bruhiamistake @trashhdez @chxrrymxxnlight @haesunflower @big-uwu-stan @gnwookie @yjhcloud

here, if you want to join the taglist !

[arkrys]

Okay, so I have about 700 hours on ARK but I dont know SHIT about the story. I just watched the animated series, but I want to know everything about Meiyin, Helena, and Diana! From my understanding Meiyin has dated both? Please give me the lore!!!!

hi!!! you have come to the right address for this! i absolutely love the lore and have for years. the lore is told through the explorer notes on each map

lore: meiyin and helena meet on the island and after a little while they become really good friends. but they’re not in a relationship. they both complete the island as they win from the overseer. but where helena gets sent to scorched earth, meiyin gets sent to aberration. helena meets some new friends here like raia. meiyin spends some time alone in the caves but eventually shes helped out by a team when she’s in trouble. this is where she meets diana. so they have loads of bonding time and a mutual admiration for each other but eventually they both start to feel more for each other, the notes are so cute. diana makes a necklace for mei, mei calls diana after a tangerine etc. so we get to extinction. in the mean time meiyin and helena reunite and also have loads of great moments but it’s still friendship. there are people who ship them from the lore tho. but helena is going to ascend around this part of the lore. eventually diana dies BUT she comes back and then she and meiyin kiss and officially become gfs and they start unraveling the mysteries of the arks together

show: diana isn’t here yet. i’m not sure if the show will do a season on scorched earth/aberration but me personally i think so. because at the end of part 1 of the series they show bob coming back, he’s laying in the desert with a jerboa which hints at scorched earth. which is where helena goes. so they might also do aberration along with that.

helena and meiyin meet in the show and immediately hit it off which is really cute. but you watched this so no need to explain. my point is basically the show isn’t an immediate translation of the lore. they’ve changed a lot of things but keep the lore as a guide. in this case meiyin and helena are together instead of waiting for diana to arrive in the show when they’re on a different map (if they even will introduce her. but i think they will since they are also introducing santiago. he has worked with diana)

OKAY so i don’t know every detail from the top of my head so i am really sorry if there are any mistakes. if someone wants to add anything, please do!! and for more questions ur always welcome:)) and obviously i love talking about them with others! thanks for your ask:)

[all-eyes-lead-to-the-truth]

All Eyes Lead to the Truth | Emily (5x07)

He doesn’t remember much after he hits the floor. The FBI agent yelling his name, something about not using his gun. Confusion, regret, fear. There were fleeting moments of lucidity: being loaded into an ambulance, being hooked up to machines and IVs. He doesn’t know what happened, he doesn’t know what’s wrong with him. He can’t remember any of it, really. 

But he remembers her.

He moves in and out of consciousness as the doctors explain what happened (or attempt to), but he isn’t listening. He thinks of her, wonders about her. More now than he did yesterday. Funny how that works.

His eyes open slowly, painfully, and although there’s sunlight streaming through the hospital window he has no earthly concept of time. But she’s here at his bedside, finally. In the flesh. She’s standing over him with concern painted across her beautiful features.

“Detective Kresge,” she says, a relieved smile on her face. He realizes it’s the first time he’s actually seen her smile since she arrived in San Diego.

“Scully, FBI,” he replies weakly.

“How’re you feeling?”

He groans. “Like the precinct coffee that’s still at the bottom of the pot around lunchtime.”

She grins. “Well, you look better than I expected.”

“That’s a relief.” Her expression doesn’t indicate as much, and he presumes she’s just being kind. Damn , he should’ve just asked her out before all of this happened, when he maybe kinda sorta had a shot. 

“My partner tells me you were really put through the wringer.” 

Partner. Everything had happened so fast back at that house where he’d followed Dr. Calderon, he hadn’t even had time to put it together. Of course that guy was her partner.

“You never told me your partner was in town.”

“Yeah, well…” she shrugs. “I was off duty. Technically.”

“Would have been nice to get a heads up.”

She says nothing. Her reluctance to explain, though, has his head spinning. Sure, he’s irked by the omission, but even after all of this, he realizes that what he actually wants to know is if her partner —that really good-looking guy she must spend every waking hour with— might be more than just her partner.

“He, uh… tried to warn me. Not to use my gun.” He wants to ask her what the fuck happened. His doctors’ explanation was basically a non-explanation; they had no idea what had caused his injuries. He could only be grateful they hadn’t been fatal. But she’s a doctor too, and she’s smart. Smarter than most of the people on his squad.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to ask. “You were exposed to an unknown contaminant,” she explains. “Mulder was once exposed to the same thing. What he told the doctors may have saved your life.”

Dammit. Now he can’t even hate the guy.

“And… the little girl?” he then asks, but immediately wishes he hadn’t. Dana looks down at her lap. She doesn’t have to say anything. He knows how attached she was to that child. 

Fuck. The things he sees, the things she’s seen… sometimes he really hates this job.

“I’m sorry, Dana.”

He wants to reach out and take her hand, something to give her comfort, but he can’t help but feel like it’s not his place. She looks down at him, her eyes glassy. He recognizes her toughness, her resilience. The very thing he’d fought against at the start is exactly the thing that makes her a good agent. But in this moment he can see her humanity, something he knows makes her a good person, too. He wishes he’d had the chance to get to know her better.

“I’ll be okay.” She regards him for a moment. “I’d better get going. You should get your rest.”

He nods. He knew this visit would be brief, considering she hasn’t even sat down. He can only hope she’s here out of desire rather than obligation. “Okay.”

“I, uh…” she stops, collecting her thoughts. She glances out to the hallway, where he can see her partner milling around on his cell phone. So he’s here, too. “I just want to thank you for your help on this. For letting me turf your case.” She gives him a wry grin.

“Any time.”

But then she looks him directly in the eyes. “And… for believing me,” she says emphatically. “We wouldn’t have gotten as far if you hadn’t.”

“You’re welcome. And if you’re ever in town again and need a break from holiday time, give me a call.”

She smiles back. “I’ll do that.”

They look at each other, and for the first time in her breakneck pace since he met her, he can see her take a pause. Really consider him. He wonders if maybe, in another time, another situation– in another life – this could have really been something. And he could just be imagining it, but for a split second he thinks that maybe she’s wondering the same.

“Take care, Detective Kresge.”

He gives her a weary salute. “So long, Scully, FBI.” 

She turns to go, giving him one last tiny smile at the door. And when she walks through, she leaves it open a crack. He doesn’t believe in signs, but he takes this as one. He hopes she meant it. Maybe he’ll see her again someday.

He turns on his side to get more comfortable; he really could use some rest. In his periphery, however, he sees Agent Mulder out in the hallway, hanging up his phone and stepping close to her, concern etched onto his face. He puts a hand on Dana’s shoulder and she bows forward, falling against his chest.

He knows what this means. The emotion she’d held at bay in here with him is overflowing out there, with him .

Something about this gives him comfort. Because it isn’t his face, or his rank, or the fact that he lives three thousand miles away. None of that matters. Because Detective John Kresge never actually had a shot.

Read the rest of All Eyes Lead to the Truth on AO3!

@admiralty-xfd

[demonfox38]

Completed - Costume Quest

…Dad?

I was worried that my generation would ruin Halloween like my grandparents ruined Christmas. You know what I mean? In the love of the holiday, Christmas became an overblown mess, with family mandates and stress over gift-giving sapping the quiet affection one could experience on a dark winter’s night with their family. I thought Millennials would go too far with Halloween, put up one too many giant skeletons, spend hundreds of dollars on candy and booze and get blasted into oblivion all in the name of having a good time.

I can’t say that I saw a worldwide pandemic burying it. Could have seen Stranger Danger doing it in, though. Maybe it would help if my neighbors ever participated in handing candy out. Or, if a bag of good candy cost less than $20.00 a pop. Or, if it was ever over the freezing threshold here on Halloween.

The point is, Halloween in Iowa has become a raw deal. You should probably pray for all of the Iowa City college girls with their butts hanging out the bottom of their costumes. At least, if you are the praying type.

Is it too early to think about Halloween? Wal-Mart doesn’t think so. Neither does “Costume Quest.” As I was cycling through my Steam library, trying to pick what to work on next, it managed to boot itself up and go, “LMAO, loading drivers, idiot.” Which, fine, whatever. I’m behind on my quota of games to beat in a year. Might as well knock an eager one out.

“Costume Quest” is a turn-based, button-prompt style RPG set on a nostalgic Halloween night. Ya know, the kind of magical night where simple pieces of junk turn a child into a gigantic missile-launching robot or a vampire or a unicorn or whatever this sentient fry monster thing is.

Using the power of imagination and their smart mouths, protagonists Wren and/or Reynold (whichever you pick) sets off on a mini-journey around their suburban hellscape while their sibling (dressed as a candy corn, of all the indignities) is kidnapped by goblin-esque creatures. They pick up two additional teammates who also manage to get into trouble by their own personalities (being too brave and being a little science nerd, respectively.) Along their way, they discover how and why these monsters invaded their little town, as well as the motivation for all of their candy thievery. You know. When the adults aren't just freely handing it out, mindless of who is at the door.

In addition to the main game, a DLC bonus story called "Grubbins on Ice" is included with the game. This takes place a few months after the original adventure, following up on the twitterpation of Wren/Reynold's party members and the homeland/culture of aforementioned monsters. It mostly serves as a teaser for "Costume Quest 2" (and an ad for "Stacking", if you find it), but it does tack on a couple more hours of gameplay, for what that is worth.

Am I glossing over a bit with the writing? Probably. "Costume Quest" isn't on par with something like "Psychonauts", in terms of depth or ingenuity. It's not to say the game is entirely without charm or a few chuckles. It's just exactly what you'd predict for a story like this. Some Halloween nostalgia, lots of modern era cracks at mid-century suburban living, adults being unobservant dingdongs. That kind of stuff.

The gameplay systems are relatively standard as well. Most of your exploration boils down to knocking on doors, seeing if you are going to get treated (receive candy) or tricked (get into a monster fight.) Equipped costumes affect what attack styles and special abilities a character has in combat, to mostly predictable consequences. Except for the fry monster. That's definitely unique! Additionally, some costumes allow you to take special actions while exploring, like using a plastic lightsaber to light up dark areas, skating over ramps with roller blades, or luring people to new destinations using the scent of…french fries.

Look, the fry thing was really creative, okay? Maybe it's not the most impressive costume, but it is super unique. I'm trying to give credit where it's due. That, and using the power of liberty to restore health.

The nearest thing I can ballpark that to is "Parasite Eve"'s Liberation mode, and even that is in name only. (Although, someone should really have a deeper talk with these kids about the underlying and disturbing implications of "Manifest Destiny"…)

In terms of input style and numbers, this is very much a "Paper Mario" / "Mario & Luigi" style of RPG. Your health and levels will seem low-capped, although that is not without some humor as well. (Your max level is 10 in the main game and 14 in the DLC, which corresponds well to ages that kids often stop going out for Halloween. At least, that seems like the joke to me, at the risk of ruining it via dissection.) You will also have to time button presses, tap madly, or wiggle sticks to maximize both your offense and defense.

One to three hits are enough to take out members on either side of the field. So, don't be too surprised if your kids drop like flies early on. You can always bolt on a battle (even final ones), if you don't feel prepared to tackle it. Any time you exit a battle, you will fully restore everyone's health. So, get aggressive. Get cowardly. Do whatever works with your flow!

“Costume Quest” isn't the most complex of games. Like, I completed the game and its DLC within 8 hours, and that was including leaving the game idle while taking dogs out. The reason for this may be… not shocking at all, if you hang around the same circles of gaming journalism that I do. To make a short story shorter: AAA publishers suck; Double Fine needed some fallback game ideas for when their more lucrative deal fell through; an idea jam session resulted in the creation of a couple of games (including "Costume Quest.") So, this game didn’t have the kind of budget more renowned Double Fine games might have had. It was more born out of a need to do something small to keep the lights on. Which, hey. Understandable. Respectable, even.

Having said that, a little polish on the game’s levels could have been helpful. I’m not running the most cutting-edge gaming machine known to man, but it’s more than strong enough to handle games from over a decade ago. There feels like several spots where the game is lagging due to what I’m assuming is bad level occlusion or excessive detail rendering (I’m thinking tree leaves.) Additionally, some of the side quests are redundant, particularly the apple/eyeball bobbing mini game. I can’t say I was enraptured by the music at any point either, but that’s a matter of taste. The battle victory/defeat music could have wrapped up a little faster though. Like, chop chop. We’re out of that mode. Let’s go.

As of writing this evaluation, the Steam price for this game is hanging around $9.99 USD, which…Sure? Am I gonna be that picky on the price? If you catch it under $7.99, that’s probably a little fairer to you, but I’m not the person to tell you how to spend your allowance. I guess it’s at least cheaper than actual Halloween candy. And it’s coconut free! That’s a point in its favor!

Sometimes, friendship and/or civilization is all about finding the people that like coconut and hate almonds so that you can trade with them and make both of your lives better.

[hannahssimblr]

Chapter Twenty-Four

Life after Cyprus really isn’t all that interesting. In fact, I spend most of my time thinking about Cyprus, remembering Cyprus, reliving moments from Cyprus and pretending I’m still there, especially on those drizzly spring days when I look out the little Mezzotint studio window over the slick grey Dublin streets. I wonder just how much more interesting would my life be if I was in Cyprus right now? 

“Oi,” Simon snaps his fingers in front of my face, “Earth to Evie, you’ve been daydreaming all morning. Don’t you have… something to do?” He seems unsure about what exactly it is that I’ve been working on, which is understandable. Sometimes it’s cards, sometimes it’s windows, murals, signs, really, it could be anything. It just happens to be a poster for an art exhibition this time. Dull. 

“I’m working as hard as I can,” I tell him, which is true, because the most work I can manage is none. I wonder what Jude is doing. When we texted forty minutes ago he was in his studio working on his project, which is a collection of masks inspired by his travels in Asia, and before that he got a coffee in a little cafe near his university. I’m riveted by the idea of what he might be doing now. I text him again. 

Not you again…

He texts back, and I smile, no, beam to myself. 

Joking, I’m eating a pretzel. 

Oh, cool. 

I’m thrilled to know about the pretzel, and even more thrilled to receive a photo of said pretzel seconds later. It’s a salt and pepper one half wrapped in a serviette on his lap, and he’s wearing blue jeans and those green and white runners I’ve always liked. 

Miss you

I text him. 

Miss you too, Evie. Loads. Can’t wait to call you later.

I respond with a barrage of emojis, heart eyed, sparkling hearts, kisses, winky faces, flowers, moons and suns and stars. I should be completely embarrassed of myself , but I mean it all in a partially ironic way. Sort of, and really, I don’t care so much about the horrifying ordeal of sincerity anymore. It feels good to be mushy and emotional, earnest and obsessed with this gorgeous person who puts up with me, and it’s not like anybody is going to read our texts…

“You done talking to your boyfriend?” Simon is right behind me now, and I can tell that he’s trying to sound as annoyed as he can but he’s not really managing it. He’s smirking. Smirking because he saw my stupid emojis, and now I am humiliated. 

I stuff my phone back into my pocket, “I’m sorry, I’m so distracted. I’ll get back to work now, I know with this deadline and all…”

“End of day, Evie, I mean it. The client wants that poster by Wednesday, and if you have me panicking at the last minute trying to get it to the printers on time I’m not going to be happy about it.”

“Okay, yeah, I’ll stay late if I have to.”

Gabriel makes a huffing sound when Simon goes back to his seat, “He’s no fun, girl. Text your sexy boyfriend all you like.”

“Can hear you from over here,” Simon comments. 

“He thinks he’s so scary and serious,” Izzy chimes in at volume, “But he’s absolutely not. Don’t let him intimidate you into staying late.”

“If the three of you don’t shut up I’m going to implement a no phones and no speaking rule, and it’ll be all Evie’s fault.”

I catch Izzy’s eyes and she rolls them, but indeed, we say nothing else, and for the rest of the day I do my level best to ignore my buzzing phone, and work on the boring, unsexy poster until it’s time to go home. 

“Do you think I’ll need a jacket at all when I’m in Sydney?” Claire takes an army green coat with a fur collar from the discount rail at a clothing shop and holds it up to herself in the mirror. 

“How cold does it get there in the winter?”

“I’ve no clue,” she sighs, “I’m unprepared, I don’t even actually know what goes on in Australia. Do they like Irish people?”

“Probably.”

“What do you think of this coat?”

“Everyone has that same coat, Claire, it’s too trendy, and I bet they have, like, other kinds of coats in Australia. Maybe you should just wait and see when you go.”

She strokes the faux fur collar lovingly, “It’s fluffy…”

“Look, you’re going in the early autumn, which for them is…” I tilt my head and imagine I’m upside down, “…early spring, so you’ll be going into the summer, and you definitely won’t need a coat, in fact, doesn’t it get so hot there that it bursts into actual flames every few years?”

“A coat is like a safety item though, I can’t imagine being in a place where I won’t need one. Is this the end of cosy winters for me? It feels like I didn’t appreciate the one that just passed, and actually, I complained about how cold and rainy it was the whole time, and I didn’t think about the fact that it might be my last real, cold winter for years and years and…” She’s clinging very tightly to the sleeve of this coat, chest heaving, tears springing to her big, blue eyes, and I immediately reach for her as though I can somehow prevent the imminent breakdown. 

“Claire,” I say in my best soothing voice, “You’ll have cold winters. You’ll come home for Christmas when you can, right?” 

She relaxes a millimetre, “Yes, yeah I will, you’re right, my parents would be devastated if I didn’t, it just wouldn’t be right, and God forbid Shane Healy isn’t home with Eamonn and Caroline on Christmas Day, God, no they wouldn’t hear of it…”

“Right, and I know what this coat symbolises,” I try to gently pry it from her clutches, “But you’ll take up too much space in your suitcase if you pack something like this, and look,” I put it gingerly back onto the rail, “You can always get your mam to send a package over at some point, you know, if you find that the winters are actually cold and you need something heavier, you have loads and loads of nice coats, don’t you?”

She nods. She’s got that thousand yard stare in her eyes. 

“Try to think of this as an exciting adventure.”

“I do think about it like that, I just… I’m an Irish girl, Evie,” She says with conviction as though she absolutely needs me to understand it, “I always, always thought that I’d just live here forever and I’d be glad about it, I had no interest in living abroad, I was just never bothered with any of that, J1 visas and all of that craic, I just can’t believe that I said yes to Australia,” She grabs my arm tightly. “You can’t go further than that without coming back around again.”

“You’ll like it, and if you don’t you can come home.” The truth is that I don’t want her to go at all, I don’t want Shane to go at all, actually, and I’m ashamed of the fact which is why I won’t say it. Having to be the one that holds it together during this conversation is hard for me when all I want to do is cling to her and cry and beg her not to leave me. Doesn’t she know that I have trauma about that kind of thing? Why would she do this to me? “I’m sure you’ll like it there, it’ll be amazing,” I reassure her, “think about Bondi Beach and stuff, and, I don’t know, whatever else they have there. Kangaroos.”

“I don’t care about the kangaroos really,” She frowns, “That’d be something Shane would like, probably.”

“I was kind of joking about the kangaroos.”

“Oh right, well, yeah, so you think I should think more about summer wear?” She pivots to the new season rail, “More bikinis, I suppose, I’ll be having two summers in a row, that’s exciting.”

“That’s the spirit,” I say, “Who wouldn’t want nine straight months of summer?” And I help her to rummage through the rails. 

When we come home from town later that evening she’s in a much brighter mood. She’s in the mood for a full on girls night, and is going on and on about getting dressed up and doing each others hair (Which translates to her doing my hair, because I’m relatively clueless about it, while not allowing me to lay a hand on hers, understandably) and then finding a bar that serves fancy cocktails and staying out until town shuts down. 

I don’t tell her that I was excited to call Jude, actually, because that’s what I do every night now that he’s away, and I know that he’s in an especially amorous mood because for the whole walk home with Claire he’s texting me the kinds of things that make me have to angle my screen away from her.

I’ve discovered that I like this kind of thing, even if my Catholic Shame is scratching at the door when I get up to the things I get up to when Jude is on the phone. He mostly talks about what he wishes we could do with parts of his body and parts of my body, and I don’t really know how to reply or to say any acceptably sexy things back to him, but I’m more than happy to lie there and listen with shocked delight as he speaks absolute filth over the line to me. Tonight is not shaping up to be one of those nights, though, so I regretfully text him while Claire chatters about this bar and that bar and who does what drinks and for what prices. 

Sorry, I think I’m having a girls night out.

Aw, damn.

I think this is when you’re supposed to tell me that you’re happy for me and that I should absolutely spend as much time as possible with my best friend before she moves 15’000kms away from me. 

You should do that, that’s what I meant. Going out with Claire sounds a lot better than listening to me. 

Hmm… I’m not so sure. 

Have fun, Evie. I’ll call you tomorrow. 

I’ll probably drunk text you in the meantime. 

Please! I love it when you do that. 

Claire and I spend two hours getting ready once we’re home, and I love every minute of it, because she has this incredible way of making me look like the best, hottest, most spectacular version of myself. Sometimes when she does my makeup I think back in horror to what I used to let Kelly do to my face. She was dangerous with an eyeshadow brush, and as Claire carefully applies layers of exquisitely blended shimmery gold to my lids I suppress a shudder at the thoughts of what I looked like on my dinner date with Liam all those years ago. I recently uncovered an old photo from a digital camera SD card of myself, awkwardly standing by the flimsy door of Kelly’s mobile home bedroom with eyes rimmed in black kohl liner and a circle of orange foundation around the collar of my top. I don’t know how I wasn’t mocked relentlessly.

“I didn’t notice those things,” Jude said to me when I sent the photo to him, “Maybe it was just too dark out that night, I don’t know, but I remember thinking you were really pretty when we were on the quay.”

“Yeah right, I was a ghoul,” I told him. 

“A pretty cute ghoul, and by the way, didn’t you see my haircut? I definitely looked worse than you.”

Of course he didn’t, he always looked cute, but I never bother to tell him things like this, because he always denies them for the sake of being humble, or at least the pretence of being humble. I’m never quite sure which.  

Before I go out I make sure to send a photo of myself to him so that he can remember that I can look good if I try, with help from Claire and about sixty euros worth of beauty products slapped onto my face, just in case I’m stricken down by a bus tonight and that awful teenage picture is the last image he has of me.

Bring a stick with you so you can beat the guys away from you

He says, which is total projection. It’s him that probably gets swarmed by the opposite sex in bars so he probably thinks that’s what happens to everyone. But not me, never me, except for the odd time, usually in dark corners of bars when I’m a little bit too drunk, and usually by the calibre of men that Claire would deem absolutely unacceptable to make eye contact with. 

“Come on, Evie,” she’s saying now, and I realise that I’ve been staring at my reflection in the black window while she’s been zipping herself into her lightweight jacket. “Jaz and Serena are already there.”

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