#It's good to see Sandy finally getting some screen time

[pompomqt]

Journey to the West Chapter 53

Welcome back to this week's chapter of Journey to the West with @journeythroughjourneytothewest. And as you can probably see from this week's meme, it's *that* chapter this week. So lets get into it shall we?

We begin this chapter where we left off last time, with someone calling out to the Pilgrims. Turns out it's the local mountain gods, and they still have the rice Monkey left with them. They kept it warm and everything. Tripitaka is touched by this, and thanks Monkey, and even says that he should have listened to him and not left the circle. Monkey just says, that he's the one who suffered most for leaving the circle, because he then ended up in someone else's circle anyways. When Pigsy tries to ask what he means by that- Monkey just snaps back that he knows this whole situation was actually his fault. Which- agreed. Anyways Tripitaka say's he'll listen to him next time, but I think we all know that that promise isn't going to last long. Still the pilgrimage is able to have a nice meal together before setting off again on their journey.

Now that we have finally wrapped up last week's adventure, it's time for a new one, let's see what kind of mountain or river demon they have to deal with next. They travel for a bit without incident until spring arrives, and in return they arrive at a small idyllic stream. Surprisingly they don't even need to fight a demon this time to get across, they just call over the local ferryman, who actually turns out to be a ferry woman. Monkey tries to ask why a women is doing this job, but she just smiles mysteriously. That's not ominous at all. Either way however they get to the other side without incident.

They pay the ferry woman, however before they can move on, Tripitaka decides that the water looks very appetizing and asks Pigsy to get him some. Remember kids- don't drink water directly from rivers- especially if there is a village just a few paces away that you can get water from. However I guess this logic didn't exist back then, because Pigsy gets him some river water and also drinks some himself. After that Tripitaka once again mounts his horse and they continue on their way.

Half an hour into their journey though, Tripitaka and Pigsy start having terrible stomach aches, and their stomachs even start to swell. Since they can't continue on like this, Monkey stops at the local inn, and tells Tripitaka that he'll get him some hot liquid and ask if there is an apothecary around. So Monkey approaches the first friendly old lady he see's, and tells them about their situation. However once the old women hears that they drank from the river she starts laughing and even calls for others to come and see the latest town gossip.

Now as much as Monkey might appreciate some fun and games- he does not appreciate everyone poking and laughing at his master rather when there is something seriously wrong with him. So he grabs the old women and demands that she give them some hot water or else. The old women then shakily explains that boiled water won't help them now. As the old woman goes on to explain, they are in the country of women, where no men live. So when a woman wants to have a child, she drinks some water from the Child and Mother River... the very same river that Pigsy and Tripitaka drank from.

So Tripitaka and Pigsy start freaking out about the fact that they are pregnant, especially since they are both men and physically can't give birth. Meanwhile Sandy and Monkey make sure to crack some jokes at their expense. Anyways Tripitaka asks the old woman if she has any medicine that will fix this, and the old woman says that although typical drugs don't work on this type of pregnancy there is a way. They just have to go to Male-Undoing Mountain, and enter the Child Destruction Cave and drink water from the Abortion Stream. All real names I pulled directly from this translated book by the way, I am not making this up.

Unfortunately getting the water won't be so easy as simply going to the mountain since last year a daoist immortal named True Immortal Compliant moved into the cave and started charging exorbitant prices for even the smallest glass of water. Which will be impossible for monks like them to pay- or at least it would be if Monkey ever paid for anything in his life. So Monkey borrows a large porcelain bowl from the old woman who tells him to try and bring back as much as possible for emergency. Then after leaving Sandy in charge, Monkey takes off with his cloud somersault. This has the added effect of impressing old women so much, that she is sure to take extra care of Tripitaka in the meantime.

So Monkey arrives at the indicated mountain and spots the abby, and a young daoist hanging out outside of it. So Monkey politely greets the daoist, and explains why he's here. When the Doaist asks where all his offerings are, Monkey says they are monks so they don't have anything like that. The Daoist tries to shoo him away until he comes back with offerings, but Monkey insists that the Daoist should just tell his master that Sun Wukong is here to see if that will change his mind.

So the Daoist goes in and tells the immortal that a 'Sun Wukong' is here to get some abortion water. Unfortunately, saying this, seems to have worsened Monkey's case, since the Immortal comes storming out hook in hand and demands to know where this 'Sun Wukong' fellow is. Monkey claims the name, and even insists that he's the real Sun Wukong when the Immortal asks. Which fair enough- I'm not sure who would be crazy enough to try and pretend to be Sun Wukong. Well... maybe there is one person but that's a story for another day.

Anyways turns out that this immortal has a bone to pick with Sun Wukong- surprising I know. For once though this isn't about his rampage through heaven- it's actually about the 'Great King Holy Child' Aka Red boy. Aka, the Demon Bull King's son, who had the power of the true fire of Samadhi who is currently working for Guanyin. Anyways, turns out that that Red Boy is this Immortal's nephew, and he isn't to happy about what happened to Red Boy. Monkey tries to insist that working for Guanyin is a great position, while the Immortal argues that it's better to be a King then someone else's servant.

Anyways the two begin to fight, and Monkey is clearly the superior fighter. So soon enough the Daoist retreats back into his Abby. Rather then chasing him down to try and attack him again, Monkey just heads to the well, only to see that the Daoist is guarding it. And while the Daoist can't beat Monkey in a fair fight, he seems perfectly capable of preventing him from drawing water from the well. After some back and forth, Monkey ends up fumbling the bucket and dropping it into the well. Since plan A failed, Monkey decides it's time for Plan B, aka get someone else to get the well water while he distracts the immortal.

So Monkey leaves to go get Sandy, and comes back to the village to find Tripitaka and Pigsy still groaning in pain. Sandy asks if Monkey was able to get the water, and Monkey explains the situation, and that he came back to have Sandy help him. Tripitaka is a bit worried about both Monkey and Sandy leaving while him and Pigsy are so indisposed, but the old women assures him that she will take good care of them, and won't hurt them. While Monkey wonders how any of these old ladies even could harm them- the old woman explains that while she and her cohorts are to old to be interested in men anymore- the same doesn't go for the younger ladies. Who would probably rip them apart in their eagerness. And on that ominous note- they borrow a bucket and some rope from the old lady before heading off again.

Once they arrive back at the mountain, Monkey tells Sandy to hide himself until Monkey provokes battle, and once the Immortal is sufficiently distracted, Sandy can grab the water. Plan in place, Monkey approaches the door and demands that the immortal open up. The Immortal isn't to eager to fight Monkey after Monkey kicked his ass last time, but his Doaist follower hypes him up, saying that Monkey may be able to win in a straight fight, but the Immortal was able to keep him from the well. So that means they are completely evenly matched!

Now filled with unearned confidence the Immortal goes out to fight Monkey again. While those two duke it out, Sandy heads for the well, but is stopped by the young Daoist. However Sandy doesn't play no games, and when the Daoist tries to stop him, Sandy breaks his arm. Better that then his neck I guess. With no one left to stop him, Sandy successfully draws water from the well. After that he calls to Monkey and tells him that they've got the water, so he can stop pretending that his is anything close to a fair fight now.

So Monkey says he'll spare the demon for the Bull Demon King's sake, as long as he stops blackmailing the women here out of their water. However I guess Monkey didn't kick his ass hard enough, because the Immortal tries to use his hook to swipe Monkey's legs again, only for Monkey to take the hook and break it into four pieces. Now that the immortal has been thoroughly beaten, Monkey and Sandy take their leave.

So Monkey and Sandy return, and the old woman is delighted with how much water they've brought back. Pigsy threatens to drink the whole bucket of course, but the old woman says that if he does that his intestines will probably dissolve. Which is enough to convince even Pigsy to stick to the recommended dose. So Tripitaka and Pigsy both drink some of the water- and after they... ahem... 'evacuate their bowls' the two are no longer pregnant. After that the old woman is kind enough to prepare a bath and dinner for them, and asks that Monkey leave the rest of the water with her. Since apparently the cost of the water will be enough to pay for her funeral expenses. Fun. And on that note it is once again time for the pilgrims to continue on their Journey to the West.

Current Sun Wukong Stats: Names/Titles: Monkey, The Stone Monkey, The Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong (Monkey awakened to the void), Bimawen (Banhorseplague), The Great Sage Equal To Heaven and Pilgrim Sun. Immortality: 5 + 94,000 years Weapon: The Compliant Golden Hooped Rod Abilities: 72 Transformations, Cloud-Somersault, Ability to transform his individual hairs, super strength, Ability to Summon Wind, Water restriction charm, and the ability to change into a huge war form, ability to duplicate his staff, ability to immobilize others, the ability to put others to sleep, and the Fiery eyes and Diamond Pupils, intimidating horses, churning large bodies of water, sleeplessness, seizing the wind, enhanced smell, discerning good and evil within a thousand miles, Spirit Summoning, lock picking, object transformation, distance reduction, vanishing in a flash of light, super healing, transforming others, and Invisibility Demon Kill Count: 9+ Unknown Number of Minions Human Kill Count: 1009 God's Defeated: 23 + Unknown number Defeats: 6 Crime List: Robbery, Murder, Mass Murder, Arson, Theft, Coercion, Threatening a Government Official, Resisting Arrest, Assault, Forgery, Employee Theft, False Imprisonment, Impersonating a Government Official, Treason, attempted murder, failure to control or report a dangerous fire, desecrating a corpse, breaking and entering, trespassing, violating Tree Law, looting corpses, trading counterfeit goods, criminal threat, animal abuse, Assisting or Instigating Escape, Damage to Religious Property, contaminating a substance for human consumption and Identity Fraud. Cry Count: 8 + 3 fake cries Mountains Trapped Under: 4

Current Tang Sanzang stats: Names/Titles: River Float, Xuanzang, Tang Sanzang, Tripitaka and the Tang Monk Abilities: Curing Blindness, making branches point a certain direction (allegedly), reciting sutras, pretty privilege, memorization, Heart Sutra and Meditation. Cry Count: 27 Tight Fillet Spell Uses: 31 Paralyzed by fear: 5 Bandit Problems: 2 Kidnapped by demons: 8 Falling Off Horses: 8

Current Bai Long Ma Stats: Names/Titles: Bai Long Ma (White Dragon Horse), Prince of the Western Ocean, and third prince jade dragon of the dragon king Aorun Abilities: Transforming into a human, a water snake, and a horse, eating a horse in one bite, flight, Magic of Water Restriction, Singing, and Sword Dancing. Cry Count: 1 Crime List: Arson, and Grave Disobedience. Contributions to the plot: 2 Kidnapped by demons: 1

Current Zhu Wuneng Stats: Names/Titles: The Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds, Zhu Wuneng (Pig who is aware of ability), Zhu Ganglie, Pigsy, Idiot and Eight Rules. Weapon: Rake Abilities: 36 Transformations, parting water, fighting underwater, cloud soaring, size enhancement and CPR Demon Kill Count/Kill steals: 2 Kidnapped by Demons: 4 Human Kill Count: 1 Failed Flirtation/romances Attempts: 3 Cry Count: 2 Crime List: Sexual Harassment, Murder, Kidnapping, arson, defamation, Damage to Religious Property, contaminating a substance for human consumption, Identity Fraud and Theft

Current Sha Wujing Stats: Names/Titles: The Curtain-Raising General, Sha Wujing (Sand Aware of Purity), Sandy and Sha Monk Weapon: Monster Taming Staff Abilities: Fighting underwater, Cloud soaring, and fetching water from a well. Demon Kill Count: Unknown number of minions. Kidnapped by Demons: 3 Human Kill Count: 1 Crime List: Breaking a Crystal Cup, murder, desecration of a human corpse, Damage to Religious Property and contaminating a substance for human consumption

[incognit0slut]

Right Kind of Wrong (19)

She never thought she’d be involved in a murder investigation and encounter her one-night-stand again, the awkward guy who isn’t exactly that good in bed—Or is he? Offended by the sentiment, Spencer is determined to prove her wrong… But as he gets tangled with the beautiful stranger, he realizes there is more to her than what meets the eye.

Part Summary: Spencer finally takes her out on a date. Part Warning: 18+ explicit content (Public fingering) A/n: I did not forget this series, I've just been distracted I'm sorry!! I also apologize if there are any inaccuracies in some random facts, I am not as smart as him, I can only do a quick research from Google.

Other parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

"SO, HOW DO I LOOK?"

She spun in front of the mirror, showing off the dress she had picked out that afternoon on an impromptu shopping spree. The garment had looked stunning on the store mannequin, and now, in the soft glow of her bedroom, it was more appealing.

The spaghetti straps delicately framed her shoulders, and the lavender fabric accentuated her curves. The bottom of the dress, hovering just below her knees, gave a playful vibe with a teasing slit inching up her right thigh. And the neckline, with its very low plunge, offered a glimpse of her cleavage she couldn't help but wonder whether it was showing too much skin.

"Like you want to get laid," a playful voice called.

Her laughter echoed through the room as she turned to face her phone and realized the dress was hugging her ass quite snugly. "It's too much, isn't it?"

"Not at all," Sandy's voice echoed through the phone again. She glanced at the screen, seeing her friend's smiling face. "You look gorgeous."

She grinned, the reassurance from Sandy making her feel more at ease. "You think so?"

"Absolutely."

She reached for a sparkling necklace and dangling earrings, holding them to the camera. "Necklace or earrings?"

"Hmm." Sandy squinted at the screen, studying the options through the video call. "Go with the earrings. They'll add a touch of glamour without stealing the spotlight from the dress."

She nodded in agreement. "Earrings it is, then."

As she carefully slipped herself into the accessories, Sandy couldn't help but muse her thoughts. "I don't think I've ever seen you wear purple."

She cleared her throat awkwardly. "What do you mean? I've worn this color before."

"Your wardrobe either consists of black or gray. You had to go out shopping to buy this dress."

She laughed nervously, caught in the act of her predictable wardrobe choices. "Alright, fine." She pursed her lips together before letting out a sigh. "I may or may not have asked his friend what his favorite color is."

"You sly fox," Sandy laughed with a huge grin. "So you do want to get laid."

She blushed, adjusting the earrings. "I mean, if the occasion arises..."

"You've got this all planned out, huh?"

"Well, not exactly, more like... strategically considered?" She tilted her head and observed herself in the mirror again. "Does it make me look desperate?"

"Of course not," Sandy reassured. "It just shows you're putting in effort. Besides, confidence is attractive. You look hot."

She blushed at the compliment, but before she could respond, the distant hum of an engine reached her ears. Her eyes widened, and instinctively, she moved towards the window and noticed a car pulling into her driveway. It wasn't the usual sleek, black government vehicle; instead, the car looked like it had seen better days, although it held a vintage charm that caught her by surprise.

Then reality finally kicked in—he was here for a date, not because of his job. They were actually going out for a nice dinner he had prepared.

She suddenly felt sick.

"Sandy, he's here," she whispered, her voice betraying a touch of panic.

Somehow Sandy still managed to hear her voice from across the room. "You'll be fine! It's not like you haven't spent time with him before."

"Not when my life wasn't on the line." She was met with silence and walked over to her phone, picking it up to find Sandy's disapproving glare. She sheepishly smiled towards the screen. "Too soon?"

Sandy shook her head with a sigh. "Only you would joke about your near-death experience."

"Spencer told me it's a coping mechanism."

"You've joked about it to him as well?"

She nodded. "He's not a fan either." The sound of the doorbell ringing brought her back to the present. "I need to go."

"Wait!" Sandy's urgent voice echoed through the phone again. She watched as her friend's expression softened. "How are you feeling today?"

A warm smile graced her lips, moved by Sandy's ongoing concern. Ever since they reunited at the hospital, Sandy couldn't stop apologizing for what had happened, even when it wasn't her fault to begin with. Her friend consistently checked in on her well-being.

"I'm actually feeling pretty good. Nervous, but good."

Sandy nodded, her smile carrying reassurance. "Good. Now, go enjoy your date."

She reciprocated the sentiment with a blow of a kiss towards the camera. "I'll call you later," she promised before ending the call. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself, slipping her phone into her purse as she descended the stairs.

Spencer was waiting at the door when she opened it, all cleaned up and undeniably handsome. His well-fitted suit accentuated his strong shoulders, and the crisp white shirt beneath complemented the subtle purple tie he wore. The fabric of the suit, in a rich charcoal shade, seemed to bring out the warmth in his hazel eyes.

A nervous smile played on his lips, only enhancing his charm and giving him an endearing quality that made her heart skip a beat. His eyes, however, spoke volumes as they assessed her, taking in the way her dress hugged her curves. Spencer couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sight before him.

He was so mesmerized that without thinking, he stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, catching her by surprise. In an instant, he leaned down, his lips meeting hers in an unexpected yet tender kiss. The warmth of the moment enveloped them, and for a brief instant, her worries seemed to fade away.

Her initial surprise transformed into a soft smile as she reciprocated the kiss, savoring the way lips moved against hers, and when he finally pulled away, he looked into her eyes with a mixture of admiration and affection.

"I couldn't resist," he admitted, his nervous smile now replaced by one of genuine warmth.

She couldn't help but smile, feeling a flutter of excitement in her chest. "I'm certainly not complaining."

As they exchanged smiles, she noticed a smudge of her lipstick on his lips. She burst into laughter, breaking the moment with a lighthearted touch.

"You've got a little something right here," she teased, reaching up to gently wipe off the lipstick with her thumb.

He simply gazed into her eyes with a sincere smile. "You look beautiful."

Blushing at the compliment, she smiled appreciatively. "Why thank you. You don't look too bad yourself," she replied with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Come on," Spencer urged, gently tugging her arm, and she willingly followed him after locking her door.

As they walked down her driveway, she felt Spencer's hand on her lower back, a gesture that added an extra layer of comfort to their connection. Unable to contain her surprise, she couldn't help but comment on the unexpected sight of his vehicle.

"I never pictured you as someone who owned a car," she commented, her tone teasing but filled with curiosity.

Spencer chuckled, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "It may not be as sleek as the government vehicle, but it gets the job done."

She laughed, finding his revelation endearing. "Well, I'm impressed. It suits you." Her eyes scanned the vintage-looking car. "It reminds me of you actually."

"What? Old and worn out?"

She shook her head, smiling. "No, not at all. I meant classic, with a certain charm."

His smile widened at her response. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Spencer graciously opened the car door for her, and she beamed appreciatively, slipping into the vintage car's comfortable interior. The soft glow of the dashboard highlighted the nostalgia-infused details of the vehicle, making it clear that Spencer had a penchant for classic styles beyond his usual government responsibilities.

As he closed her door, he circled to the driver's side, sliding behind the wheel. The engine hummed softly and as she watched him, she felt a certain warmth traveling through her body.

In the soft glow of the car's interior, she couldn't help but notice how attractive he looked. His features were highlighted by the dashboard lights, casting a subtle yet captivating glow. Before he could pull away from the driveway, a spontaneous impulse surged within her.

"Wait," she said, her voice breaking the quiet ambiance of the car. Without overthinking, she reached over and gently grabbed Spencer's arm, tugging him back for a moment.

He looked at her with concern. "What's wrong?"

She smiled, feeling a surge of boldness, and leaned over to him. She closed the distance between them, her lips meeting his in a more passionate kiss than before.

He responded with a mixture of surprise, yet his hand gently found its way to the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. His lips moved in sync with hers, and when she softly sighed in contentment, he pushed his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her ever so slightly as his other hand found its place on her thigh.

But when his hand inched under her dress, she laughed and gently pulled away. "I don't think we'll be eating anything if we continue this."

He looked at her sheepishly. "Right," he murmured, readjusting himself in the driver's seat. "Sorry."

With a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, she settled back into her seat, fastening her seatbelt. "So, where are you taking me, Handsome?"

His lips curved into a smile as he finally pulled away from her driveway. "It's a surprise," he said. "You'll see."

It wasn't really a surprise. Spencer had already mentioned wanting to visit this place and the big sign saying 'PLANETARIUM' at the entrance was already a dead giveaway.

However, the unusual quietness that enveloped the space caught her off guard. With only a handful of staff present, the vastness of the empty lobby echoed the click of her heels.

The atmosphere shifted when he gently urged her to close her eyes. Suspicion mixed with curiosity, she couldn't resist teasing him as she followed his instructions. "What do you not want me to see? I already know where we are."

A secure arm wrapped around her waist as Spencer guided her through the darkness. She could sense a grin in his voice as he replied, "Sure, but the location isn't exactly the surprise."

"What is then?" She asked. The echo of their footsteps persisted, creating a rhythm in the quiet space of the planetarium.

"The experience," he simply answered. "Keep your eyes closed a bit longer, we're almost there."

"This is kind of making me nervous," she admitted. "You're not going to kidnap and murder me secretly, are you?"

His steps faltered briefly before she let out a sigh, urging him to continue moving. "Sorry, that sounded way better in my head."

There was a heavy silence before he replied, "We should do something about you joking on that matter."

"It's called dark humor."

He softly hummed. "There's actually a psychological explanation for dark humor as a coping mechanism. It's a way for people to navigate and make light of challenging situations."

"You've mentioned this before."

"I know," he confirmed. "I just want to remind you that every time you think you're being morbidly funny you're using a well-established psychological defense mechanism."

"And what do I have to do with that information?"

"Well, for starters, you can appreciate your brain's attempt to keep things light." He gently squeezed her hip. "But maybe try to cut yourself some slack for the occasional dark joke."

She couldn't help but smile, even with her eyes still closed. The subtle squeeze on her hip added a reassuring warmth to his words. "I still don't get why your boss wants me to see the therapist you guys provided when I already have you."

Spencer chuckled and pulled her closer. "Because one, I'm not a licensed therapist. And two, my therapeutic techniques might involve a bit too much intimacy for the average counseling session."

She laughed. "You mean sex?"

"Sexual intercourse," he corrected, still not wanting to say the word, which she nudged her elbow into his side in response.

As their footsteps finally ceased, Spencer gently urged her to open her eyes. When she complied, her eyes widened in astonishment at the breathtaking sight before her—a vast array of galaxies projected onto the ceiling of the planetarium. The cosmic display painted the dark expanse with hues of celestial beauty, leaving her momentarily awestruck.

Yet, what surprised her even more was the scene at the center of the room. A table setting, elegantly arranged, caught her eye. The table was adorned with flickering candles, casting a soft glow on the carefully arranged dishes and the gleam of polished silverware.

She stood in awe. "Spencer, this is... incredible." Her eyes swept over to him. "You did all this?"

"Well, technically the staff prepared this." He guided her further into the room. "But I pulled some strings."

"Some strings? I think you pulled all the strings." She threw him a grateful smile as he pulled her chair, urging her to sit down. "This must cost a fortune."

"Don't worry about that," he assured her, settling in the seat opposite her. "I just want you to enjoy the night."

As she took her seat, the soft glow of candlelight accentuated the contours of his face. She felt a flutter in her chest, realizing she was falling even harder for him. It wasn't just the fancy setup; it was the thought behind it that got to her.

Fate truly had a peculiar way of guiding her to this present, bringing Spencer into her life. It was a bit surreal knowing that the worst things she'd been through somehow brought her to a moment like this.

Maybe, she pondered, there's a silver lining, a reminder that good things can sneak up when you least expect them. And now it was worth focusing on those good things.

So she savored his company, the easy flow of their conversation, the delicious meal he had prepared, and the soft music playing through the stereo. She also enjoyed being close to him moments later when they finished their dinner. The warmth of his presence felt comforting as they lounged in the viewing seats, gazing up at the scene above.

"Do you see the seven bright stars forming a distinct pattern?" he asked, gesturing toward a shimmering formation.

She followed his guidance and nodded. "They look like a tiny ladle or a dipper."

He smiled, appreciating her observation. "That's the Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Dipper. And the North Star, Polaris, is at the end of its handle."

"The North Star?" She repeated.

"It's a crucial navigational star. Sailors and travelers have used it for centuries to find their way. It remains relatively fixed in the northern sky, making it a reliable reference point."

"Hmm," she hummed. She then pointed to another set of stars. "What about that one?"

He followed her gaze and smiled.

"That's the Orion constellation," he said. "It's one of the most recognizable and has a lot of myths around it. In some cultures, it's a hunter chasing various prey across the sky."

"And what's the story behind that?"

He leaned in closer to her. "Well, in Greek mythology, Orion was a mighty hunter who fell in love with the Pleiades. However, fate had different plans, and he ended up among the stars, forever pursuing them."

Her gaze remained fixed on the celestial display, captivated by the tales woven into the stars. "So, he's like a romantic?"

Spencer chuckled. "In a way, yes. Myths often carry themes of love, tragedy, and destiny."

"Like human nature."

He nodded in agreement. "Like human nature."

There was a moment of silence before she turned to him. "How do you even know all of this?"

"We often travel outside the city and the skies are pretty clear in remote areas. Sometimes you can see a few constellations."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me you're a secret astronomy enthusiast while solving crimes?"

A bashful smile played on his lips. "When I have the time," he admitted. "There's something fascinating about the stars. They offer a sense of perspective."

She smiled. "It's nice to know even a man of logic and facts finds magic in the sky."

His gaze softened. "Magic has its place in the world, even for a man of logic." He suddenly reached out to the back of her ear and retrieved a dollar bill out of thin air. "See? Magic."

She couldn't help but laugh as she took the bill from him and examined it, tracing the edges. "I remember you doing this trick the first time we met."

He leaned back, a contemplative look in his eyes. "It feels like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?"

"Considering everything that happened since then, yes," she replied. "You know, I never asked why you were at that bar in the first place."

A subtle blush painted on his cheeks. "I was... enjoying a drink." When she gave him a deadpanned look, he raised his eyebrows. "What? Do I not seem like the type to be hanging out alone at a bar?"

"You stood out like a sore thumb." She gave him back the dollar bill. "I remember you barely touching your beer."

Spencer sighed, taking the money and placing it back in his pocket. "I was supposed to hang out with the team, but they ditched me."

She arched an eyebrow. "They ditched you? Why?"

He shrugged. "Apparently something important came up."

"So they left you hanging at a bar?" When he nodded, she tilted her head in mock sympathy. "Well, it certainly worked in my favor."

He watched her, the flickering memory of that night flashing before him. The first time he kissed her, the taste of her lips, the sensation of holding her naked in his arms. Then his eyes raked down her collarbone, pausing slightly at the swell of her breasts before looking back up to meet her gaze.

"It worked in my favor too."

She noticed his gaze lingering, a subtle heat spreading across her cheeks. The air suddenly shifted as he leaned closer, creating an intimate space between them. There was a magnetic pull, and she felt her breath catch in anticipation. He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lightly grazing her skin.

"Tell me what you remember that night," he said, a low timbre in his voice.

She felt the warmth of his breath against her ear and she met his gaze with a flush coloring her cheeks. "I remember seeing you sitting alone at the bar."

His reply, a mere whisper, reverberated dangerously low. "What else?"

"You came up to me and did that magic trick." A faint smile played on her lips as she reminisced. "I was amused, and we sat together."

His eyes lingered on her mouth. A subtle tension lingered in the air, each exchange building upon the last. "And then what happened?"

"We talked," she breathed, the word lingering in the air like a shared secret as he leaned closer. "We laughed." She felt his breath brushing against her lips.

"Then you kissed me," she confessed, and in the heartbeat that followed, he leaned in, his lips meeting hers gently. She let herself sink into his touch as he held her face, keeping her in place while he continued to taste her all over again.

His lips fit perfectly and she kissed him back as eager, letting his tongue glide into her mouth so effortlessly. She held onto him, slightly pulling him closer as if he wasn’t close enough even when he was practically pressing his body against hers.

When he slowly pulled away, she suppressed a moan. "Like this?" He asked.

"Like that," she murmured, the taste of him lingering on her lips as they shared the space between breaths.

The warmth of his lips traveled down her jaw, leaving a trail of soft, lingering kisses that brushed over her skin. "What else do you remember?"

His lips trailed further down, and she shivered. "We..." Her voice wavered, breath hitching, as his hand slid down her arm before his fingertips began to faintly stroke her skin, grazing over the hem of her skirt. "W-We went back to your place."

"Go on," he urged the words hanging in the air. She felt his fingers glide over her inner thigh, stopping abruptly as he reached the middle.

"You..." She let out a small, shaky sigh as he dragged his fingers up, stopping just before the rough pads of his fingers brushed over her panties softly. "...you touched me."

He began carefully moving his middle and forefinger in a gentle circular motion, rubbing her teasingly through her damp panties before, without warning, they were pushed aside, the hot pads of his fingers finally making direct contact with her clit.

"Was it like this?"

Her hand wrapped around his forearm, trying to stop herself from moaning aloud, her eyes fluttering closed as he began to play with her clit, his fingers skillful as he rubbed in small circular motions, his eyes fixed on her. She looked over at him, her mouth going slack as she felt the sensation in the pit of her stomach.

She didn't seem like herself, and although she didn't mind public displays of affection, she wouldn't let it go beyond a kiss. She wasn't the kind of person to be intimate in public, but here she was, letting him touch her when any of the staff could walk in. Heck, she wasn't sure he was the type of person who would do something like this.

His fingers moved from her clit, dragging down her slit and collecting her arousal, briefly plunging them inside and curling upward, pressing firmly against her walls. She looked down to see his fingers gently pumping in and out of her cunt. Her legs were so wide from him that her knee was practically resting against his thigh.

"Tell me," he whispered, "Did I touch you like this?"

Her chest began to heave, her hips unconsciously bucking against his hand as he worked over her casually. "Yes," she breathed out.

Soft whimpers escaped her as she bit her bottom lip, trying desperately to be as quiet as she could manage. The fire in her stomach burned hotter with each expert glide of his slick fingers. Her legs opened wider and wider for him which seemed to please him judging by how fast his fingers began to pump into her cunt.

A strained whimper filled his ears the moment he circled her clit with his thumb, the added stimulation did nothing to help her sanity, and moans began to spill from her lips, mouth parting in pure bliss.

"Spence," she whined, voice so unsteady and breathless, she couldn't control her volume anymore, desperate moans mixing with the sounds of her wetness dripping between her thighs.

"That's it," he encouraged, speeding up his fingers. "Let go for me."

The pressure of his fingers was making her impending orgasm loom dangerously close as her back arched from her seat, hand gripping around his wrist. Her eyes flew over to him as she reached her peak, body shivering and writhing as she pushed her hips down against his fingers, feeling them slide from her pussy before circling her clit in rapid motions.

With a final gasp, she lost all control, her mind growing numb, feeling him wildly as wave after wave of pleasure pulsed through her entire body. She cried out silently, calling his name over and over until she grew too weak while she desperately clung to him.

When he finally pulled away, she felt her arousal dripping down her legs. She stared at him wide-eyed as he fixed her panties back in place before brushing her dress over her legs. When she kept looking at him in a daze, he softly laughed and leaned down, brushing his lips over her cheek.

"Are you okay?"

"I..." she was gasping for air, a hand-tossed over her chest. "Did that actually happen?"

He chuckled, his warm breath tickling her ear. His fingers gently traced the outline of her jaw as her face flushed—lips delicately swollen, eyes glazed with a mixture of desire and surprise. The aftermath of her climax painted her cheeks in a captivating shade.

"Come on," he said, extending a hand and gently pulling her up.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice still carrying the traces of her orgasm. His gaze met hers with an intensity that spoke volumes, revealing an unspoken hunger that mirrored her own desires. His intention was clear.

"We're going home."

>> NEXT PART

a/n: it did not occur to me the possibility of CCTV cameras in a planetarium lmao please excuse me. Also, the plan is to write one last part and an epilogue to wrap it all up.

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Don’t forget to interact with the story!

[quitealotofsodapop]

Pigsy's a grown hog demon with a physically-demanding job, boy can probably lift 300 on a bad day. So a pregnant monkey demon (who hasn't really been training the last few hundred years) really feels like *nothing* to him.

Pigsy sees Wukong (his glamour and cloud "glitching" due to his symptoms) during the DBK vs MK fight and just;

...books it out of there towards the truck. No time to ask questions! This is an active battlezone!

Sandy is on it too, he flips the truck right-side up so Pigsy can store their new passenger inside for safety reasons.

Pigsy was willing to beat the crap out of Red Son when the team busted on into the fight. If some poor bystander had gotten hurt, Pigsy would have directed all his rage upon the Demon Bull Family so much that MK would have to call him off.

And as the gang cheer their win and walk back to the truck, they finally notice the blue-screened look on the "bystander's" face.

MK: "Wow! Monkey King! You made it! But I thought you said your powers weren't working so good?" Wukong, still very confused: "They aren't." Pigsy: "MONKEY KING?!" *panics, realising just who he's carrying like a bag of potatoes* Tang: *fanboy-spluttering* ヽ( ★ω★)ノ Mei: "He's fluffier than I expected! Super adorbs tho!" :3 Sandy: "That's because he's pregnant." The LMK gang: "The Monkey King is pregnant!?" MK: "Now you guys know why he couldn't come with me!" Pigsy, feeling awkward: "Sorry there Mr uh... King?" Wukong, already comfy: "Nah, you're good. Haven't been picked up by someone in over 500 years, so this is nice."

Eventually it disolves into the gang bringing Wukong back to the noodle shop for post-battle celebration noodles (same as regular Pigsy's noodles but with the sweet taste of victory)! Even with the king weakly protesting the treatment.

Wukong is still worried that his Egg may decide to draw it's energy from others around him...

But it doesn't;

The Egg recognises the gang as "Troop". Like the smaller monkeys on the island, and the pilgrims many years before. Troop don't get their dao eaten to a fatal extreme. Wukong breathes a cautious sigh of relief.

Wukong does however scarf down like eleven bowls of noodles to satisfy his and the Egg's cravings. Also the warm home-cooked meal is super appriciated. Wukong starts crying emotionally when he sees that Pigsy made him a bowl without the king asking.

[gumballavocadoharry]

Estrangement (follow up) 1:

Posted. My new post to my blog 'Go Getter' was already finished and was sent in for the public to enjoy. My feet dangled slightly off the soft cushiony magenta swivel chair I had invested some money into. For comfort this good, especially when spending long grueling hours staring at a vivid screen, it's obligatory to have congeniality. I propelled myself up; stretching my aching back and ruffling my ombre hair that had a color of caramel tracing the ends, and my natural sandy brown that I darkened led more towards my roots.

I clenched my hands into fist before straightening them wide out as if I were falling from a building and my hands were spread, desperate to grab on to something. After stretching every muscle in my body from my protracted writing shift, I rambled downstairs for a cup of tea as a token for another post well done. 

The kettle bubbled as I waited patiently in my favorite living room chair, that rocked back and forth and had the coziest backing to it. It wasn't until my phone started ringing loud enough to startle me half dazed that my eyes vaulted open and darted themselves to my telephone. I purposely waited until the answer machine came on and the caller would be revealed.

"Hey Kaitlin....it's yn, your mom. I was just checking up to see how you were doing and if you're alright," Her voice ricocheted with unease, culpability and inquisitiveness. "It's been 3 years since we've last seen you and.....oh well it's just a mother's intuition. Maybe I'll see you around...bye." Click!

I tortured myself, making myself bitterly fatigued in holding back an eye roll that I fruitlessly achieved. "Mother's intuition?" I pondered loudly. Ha! What a joke! I don't need a mother like her....I don't need a mother at all anymore...like I ever had one. How did she even get my number?  The thought of my mom having my home number in the first place was beastly. Afterall, I meant it when I promised I wouldn't see them again. The hissing of the kettle interrupted my deep engrossment in how in the world mom even knew someone who had my number. I quickly turned off the stove, and raced back into the living room to call and have my number changed again.

Chances are, if mom has it....so does dad, and that was a BIG NO-NO.

I sighed a sigh of relief when my number was changed. I spent the next hour texting everyone important my new number, but it was worth it. Only then did I feel alleviate enough to enjoy my hot tea....that I heated in the microwave. I plopped the black tea bag into my vehemently hot water filled mug and watched it bleed through as the water sizzled it in. I scooped in a couple sugars before sauntering in my kitchen nook. I couldn't quiver the tragic thought of myself reconnecting with my family, or should I say parental units. I contemplate on my siblings from time to time, especially Kira. She should be 10 years by now, in fifth grade with her favorite baby blue and yellow backpack with the anime faced crescent moon.

Maybe Kameron and Kristopher are famous or established athletes, Kimberly has her academics, so that lands her as a teacher or professor possibly, Kylie loves art so maybe a painter for her....so that just leaves mom and dad. I haven't heard much particulars on any of them, but I finally came to terms that it was requisite with all the calamity that I had escaped at the hands of my parents. I accepted that they were living their lives with acclimatization of me being a couple miles away, and that I myself have finally become the same with my own; even to the point of adding an addition to my 'world of fun'.

Angus. He was a couple feet taller, standing lanky with black messy hair that was occasionally brushed into a shaggy mop cut, where his bags flowed neatly above his eyebrows. His piercing grayish blue eyes would confine my hazel ones, daring as to not look to his mauvelous tiny kitty lips. Adrenaline drumed the more my mind would recapture the moments I had with him over the summer, a few short story posts that were marginally mirrored off him. I could die with his bulky arms wrapped around my waist and my head pillowing his shoulder blade. A goliath to me, but a gentle giant that would run through hail and fire just to see my face or to hear about my derisory day on the computer. 

I beat myself to a pulp if I feel like I'm not giving my half of the invisible agreement to Angus because of my loveless background. He's the first person besides Kira who showed me an authentic side of life....one filled with laughter that causes your sides to ache, that makes your cheeks sting whenever he smiles at you, holding flowers or a new teddy bear behind his back like fingers crossed and one that makes you burn an internal promise to cherish every waking moment with him like it's the last time you'll ever see his smile, or his laugh or his heart.

I had finished my tea faster than anticipated. That was it? I thought before taking the cup to the sink and pressing my back to it. Sunlight gashed my back with it's florid rays, as it was indeed powerful enough to sneak around the daisy patterned sink curtains I had hanging up, and flash me with it's thick amber radiance. I licked my lips before draggin my bare feet across my hardwood upstairs to my bedroom. Maybe I needed answers, maybe I needed closure. The thought came as a shrug to me, like if someone shrugged their shoulders in an unsure manner like they couldn't be certain of the consequences that follow. I flopped in my swivel chair and conducted a internet investigation of my own, looking up every members name and what their profile was connected with. 

Kimberly was now engaged to someone named Pete and as theory, she worked as a professor in "Limbgere's instutite of learning." Kylie was an art curator, studying to become an established artist, Kristopher was a sports doctor; inspired by basketball injury that took him out for the season, he decided to take his course in medicine, and Kameron was a professional soccer player. Kira, being the youngest was still in school and mom and dad.....dad still worked as a professor and mom was the typical homemaker like she was when I left home.

I swallowed a little stupefy as to how much of everyone's life was left from me. It was my decision of course, no one else's but mine. But I guess it still pierced that everyone seemed to forget about me so easily. Kimberly's engaged and I had no idea, so I guess it's no surprise the aftershock started kicking in. I mean I'm sure they've seen my Instagram posts; boyfriend posts, awards I've won for bestselling blogger. And my short stories that have won special achievements. In fact....Kristopher follows me. I only noticed this a few months back despite him being one my loyal followers for years. So it perturbed me on his silence. He was one of the ones I could bear my heart out when I reached a breaking point, and he returned it with chill hug and "You'll get through this."

My unsettled thoughts began to make me feel queasy. I wanted to scream, cry and swear at the top of my lungs, cursing everyone down to the big white house and my medium sized bedroom that I haven't even dreamed of in 3 years and 30 blocks away on the other side of town.

Ding! My melodramatic rumination was intervened with an email. 

Dear Kaitlin,

You are invited to the 55th annual publisher awards this Friday! You have been nominated for 'Best short story' and 'Best blogger/ Writer!' We hope to see you there! Congratulations!

Sincerely,

The Publisher Foundation 

A lump that was sheltering in my throat was finally released with a excited exclaim. Hair, makeup, nails, dresses all ran through my mind anticipatory. I couldn't believe I was nominated and let alone invited! This was a highly exquisite ceremony and words couldn't express my gratitude for such an acknowledgement!

Angus, being the first person I shared this invigorating broadcast with, took a delightful share in the rousing engagement I had. "Kaitlin, I've gotta rent a tux and arrange a special dinner for afterwards," My cheeks turned a deep crimson at the thought of being completely spoiled on the night of a special ceremony, that had already taken dominance in my mind. "Aw Angus, you don't have to do that,"

"I wanted to. After all, you've done so much and I need to make it up to you. Especially with this job that's been taking up too much of my life." Angus had inquired a job that he was planning to retire from due to the harsh elongate work and the smothering of the periods it occupies during the week. Angus would come to my house with achy numb fingers and languid shoulders that led his back into a slump. I was glad he was going to quit this nugatory job, as it was killing him in front of his very eyes.

After our conversation, I immediately arranged for fancy dress and heels that would match the jewelry I would adorn myself in. I laid out the prepossessing ocean blue ombre dress on my bed, admiring the painting like cloth that I would be wearing in a couple days. The realization sent a exciting chill through my spine. I could picture it; rouge colored lipstick, silver diamond earrings with a matching bracelet and silver heels. And of course my hair was to be styled in a beach wave bun with a french braid trailing itself around my head. 

It was all set. I was officially ready.

I had just put the finishing touches on my eyelashes. I curled the fake hair into the perfect curve, that brought extrinsic to the silver and blue mixed eyeshadow and black velvet eyeliner to my hazel eyes. My heels clicked modishly against ligneous pavement that was a straight path to the bedroom door, that would lead me down the stairs to open the door for my escort. "Hello Angus," I greeted him, sashaying my hips as if to bring heed to how my body hugged the dress and how I modestly glistened to his appeal. "You look stunning! That color...." Angus was tongue-tied in his astonishment. "You're gorgeous." He simply stated, in a matter of fact like there was no question about it.

I returned his plaudits, and allowed our arms to twine together as we walked to Angus's silver van and drove off the ceremony. The dem yet bright lights were what flashed my eyes first besides the cameramen flashing their cameras towards the upcomers who were all competing for the special achievements being given tonight. I took a few pictures, did a couple interviews before finding my seat and joining Angus in sitting down for a little while.

Although, it bored me to death seeing everyone mingle, and a few attendees had asked to meet me, so I excused myself from my boyfriend and joined in the chatter before the show. "Kaitlin, you look rather beautiful tonight," Tiffany, the girl who owns the fashion blog who I occasionally allied with was looking stunning in her sparkly cream gown that she donned a matching shaw with. Although despite her formosity flashy dress, her strawberry red lipstick is what I noticed first besides her dangling diamond earrings. "I should say the same for you too Tiff! That shaw and those earrings!"

Even through her thick blush, I could see her beaming flattery cast itself beyond the artificial makeup. While glancing over her shoulder, I noticed familiar green eyes revert themselves in my direction before turning away. It shook me. I remembered those eyes, emerald colored ones that garmented brumal distant looks, and repugnant stares. Manly eyes that only one person I knew could wear so boldly around me. 

Dad.

My sandpapered throat swallowed only drops of my internal distress. I couldn't bare to be in a room with that man despite my earlier curiosities. The minute Tiffany turned her attention to another guest, I darted as far away from that area in the large auditorium hall as possible. My heart banged loudly, as the thought of such nightmares could return to me on my night. How did he get here? Why is he here? How, just how? I didn't think this could get worse but.....on my luck, anything was possible right? "Kaitlin?" I turned to see Kameron standing there in awe before he raced to me and embraced me into his much thicker arms than when I had last seen him. "It's been so long." 

I hugged back, looking over his shoulder and seeing Kim and Kylie following shortly behind and....Kira. The little girl who saved my life. Tear bubbled over as I greeted my siblings with tight hugs. "Katie!" Kira wrapped her little arms around my neck that I returned feeling fondness growing thickly in the form of of lump in my throat. "Kristopher's with mom and dad." That icy feeling hit again. It pinged hard enough to arouse vigilant protection on myself and Angus. "They're here?"

"Yeah, remember? Dad always had been a part of the publishing foundation because he would offer books and other important reading material to them." I hit my forehead with my hand mentally. That's why! I remember coming here faintly because of his connections to the program and with other professors of the publishing foundation!

"Oh right!" "Look how much times have changed, now you're here and you're nominated for two awards!" Kylie added. "She is?"I turned around to be met with those green glacial eyes again. Some things never change. Dad looked stunned and dumbfounded as him and Kristopher walked side by side to the rest of the group. I nodded almost bombastic. "Yep, they nominated me for best blog and best writer and blogger."

"That's amazing!" Mom had now showed up to this family reunion. "You deserve it." I swallowed pride and thanked my mother for her guilty compliment. Things hadn't changed. "You look so beautiful honey, I didn't know you added ombre to your hair. How's things been going?"

I flinched a little when she said "honey." "Oh very well thank you, you?" "It's been good. You know Kimberly's getting married and Kira is on her last year of elementary." I smiled wide of Kira. She has come so far and I couldn't be more proud of the little girl who I had to bitterly say goodbye to. 

"That's great! Congratulations both of you!" I pretended to not have cyber stalked them. "Who's Angus?" Kristopher brought up. Of course he would know, as he became friendly with my Instagram over the course I've been running it. My parents head perked like a they had just seen a mysterious flash. I cleared my throat of a chagrin position. "Angus, he's a friend...my boyfriend." I don't understand why I mentioned that last part. Maybe a piece of me wanted to give a small insight to my life to the outsiders looking in. "Well that's great, is he here?" I kicked myself internally, regret was already sinking in and drowning me. "Yeah, but I think he's in the bathroom." I patted myself for my competent lie. 

"Alright ladies and gentleman, let's get started." I heard the announcer say. I trollied to my seat that was next door to Angus, who was sipping champagne. "Tonight is the night of the Internet awards, where we celebrate bloggers and writers who gift us with wonderful content on their personal websites or a public one that's filled with tons of other writers. So tonight we honor these ones with awards. You've voted and so now we will tell the winners of our favorite writers."

My stomach did leaps as I thought about the awards. How shiny they looked, how sophisticated the design looked and how well it would display itself on my office shelf. I glimpsed over to my father who was also anticipating the ceremony. It would be preconception of me to think my father didn't deserve such achievement for his life's work. After all, the last time I stepped foot into the college he labored at, his speech and assignments to the students were exceptional. His precision and timeliness were astonishing. The high society professors cavalier whenever dad's speeches ring through their connections.

But without downgrading myself, I at least tried to be good writer. I don't know exactly how dad felt about me being nominated or being blogger in the first place, but that doesn't change anything. I swallowed my abhorrent thoughts and put on a number one smile for the show.

The announcer announced the nominees and then the winners; show going on faster than expected. It only picked up when dad was invited on stage to give a speech.

"I know tonight is very important, we're all dressed fancy for this special evening. Writers are what make the world and blah blah blah," I tuned him out and just sipped my champagne. I got up to use the bathroom, and as I stood up, my father's eyes met with mine. Those icy ones had now turned into hesitance and downhearted. Almost scared with my reaction to the turned tables. But I was simply excusing myself to the lavatory on an unbiased notice. I looked in the mirror, staring hard at myself with candid orbs. My eyes; fresh, my smile; unalloyed, my face.....guiltless. I didn't have to hide behind a facade of a sugary persona to be accepted again or to dismiss everything that's happened in my life.

I put on a more aplomb face and goose stomped myself out to my chair. Good job lieutenant.

Dadhad finished his speech and excused himself to his seat. I shifted my eyes quickly to the man who had tormented me for all my life, to see him shift his attention to me. He gave way to puppy dog eyes that hinged on predicted disappointment from my 'shallow' escape to the bathroom. I reverted my eyes back to the stage and continued my attention there until they would announce my category. "The nominees for best short story are, Maya Tutwell, Kaitlin Styles, Ruby Hoffman, Lance Griffin and Parker Deseto," Hepulled the ticket out of the envelope.

"Kaitlin Styles!" A hyper amount of adrenaline raced through my body like electric bolts. I zipped on stage, not caring that my dress was trying to introduce my cleavage to the audience, although I did adjust myself before turning to the crowd. 

"Thank you all so much! I would never be here on this stage if it wasn't for any of you. When I first wrote this story, I had just moved a couple miles away from home, into a new apartment and I had just started my job as a blogger and I had no idea it would lead to this. The story was inspiration off of a personal experience in life and in love and it was difficult for me to convey at first. But I did it and I published it into the story you all know now. I wanna thank my boyfriend Angus for his limitless support and adoration, my friends and fans who made this possible for me tonight. Thank you, I love you so much!" I wiped the faint mascara tears and watched as I stood beyond the crowd, yet a second time since my graduation. I could see Angus who was clapping and whistling with immense pride, a few friends who clapped the loudest among the thousands of crowd goers and my family who clapped with confusion and botheration. Except for my siblings who were delighted at my second wind.

Mom tried to stand for a ovation but, It wasn't necessary....so I exited the stage with that thought. I didn't win best blogger, but I didn't care. I won something and that was enough for me. Angus kept continually kissing my cheek as we left. I had my new beautiful trophy in my hand as I walked arm in arm with my guy. In the corner of my eye, I saw my dad headed my way.

He approached me before I could take an escape route to Angus's car. "Hey Katie," I slightly narrowed my eyes to dads. I looked at him distrustful of what he was planning and I knew he could sense that. "Could I talk to you for a minute?" I signaled for Angus to excuse himself, as he took the award and ventured to the car. I turned my attention back to dad. I raised an eyebrow to signal to for him to explain what was the reason he pulled me aside. "Kaitlin, first I wanna congratulate you on winning best short story tonight....I'm very proud of you."

I nodded, just pondering on where this conversation was going. "Look, I won't be coy in the way I was when I last saw you. I know you hate that, especially from me. I miss you, your mom misses you, we all do. It's so painful to know that when you left, you wanted nothing to do with this family, and you changed your number, we didn't know where you lived and it's been years since we've last spoken. But that's not what I wanted for us, to end on such a grim note. It hurt to see you have a boyfriend, be in a successful career and just accomplish so many things, without us being there to see it all. I mean we are all proud but.....we just miss you. We love you Kaitlin and......could you ever find it in your heart to forgive us for everything so we can be a complete family again?"

I looked down. "If I'm being honest, I don't know. What you and mom did was disgusting and no one should be treated with such repugnance. I mean the only reason you say that is because I made a name for myself without the credit of your professor status, without Kameron's soccer career, without anyone's help and maybe that's a kick in the shins to your pride. No, I don't regret not speaking with you or mom. Maybe everyone else, but not you. Mom called only a couple weeks ago with the same speech of how she misses me and all that except I didn't pick up the phone, I let it go to voicemail before changing my number without any closure of how she got a hold of it in the first place. And besides, you have your children, Kylie, Kameron, Kristopher, Kimberly and Kira with all their successes. Why should I be the missing puzzle piece? My life is complete."

I could tell that last sentence shook dad, hard. His eyes welled up with tears that broke into an out loud sob. "I'm sorry, Katie, I didn't mean to hurt you. Why didn't you tell us before?" I squinted my eyes at dad before huffly walking off. But not before turning around and saying: "You figure it out. You've got your whole life." And then I joined Angus in the car.

Part 2???????

(Ha, I'll do it anyway!)

[wafflebloggies]

Fever

(The latest Captain Disillusion video, for a bit of context)

It was a quiet day at the beach stand. The day was too hot, the waves were below par and there was an annoying sandy breeze, and even now in the best hour of lunch the tourist trade was slow. Sandwiched comfortably between two coolers and a serviceable fan, the operator and sole proprietor of the beach stand, otherwise Claude, was in the best possible position to watch the figure approach.

It drew attention, the only changing thing in an otherwise serene landscape. The palms swayed gently in the breeze, the sun blazed, the waves rolled on, the striped blue-white sail banners for the surf school rippled and flipped back and forth up by the road, but the figure went from a small dot to a dark shape against the white sand to a recognizably human figure to a guy, tan shorts and a white shirt and a slow trudging pace, drawing closer under Claude’s vaguely interested eye.

When the guy finally got close enough, he stopped at the edge of the parking lot and stood looking across the heat-hazy road behind the beach, or at least where it could be seen through the thick screen of pitch-apple. With his mouth slightly open, gazing in all cardinal directions, he looked as if he was trying to spot something in particular. Claude thought the guy was probably good for an Aquafina at least; he looked a little fried and not much like someone who was particularly enjoying their beach walk. He didn’t look much like someone who’d prepped well for one either, with his bare feet and hot face.

As he caught his breath, the guy’s vacant gaze wandered eventually around to the beach stand, the counter, met Claude’s mildly curious sunglasses, bounced nervily away. Eventually, with a manner on him that seemed to not want to commit to anything decisive, he came closer, not very sure-footed on the hot tarmac and ribs of sand that had drifted up across the lot.

“Hi, uh, sorry, can you- do you know what that street is?”

Claude looked in the direction indicated.

“That’s Seventeenth, down there.”

The guy nodded a few times, but didn’t exactly look enlightened. Claude could understand; walking aimlessly down the beach for any length of time was apt to get anybody turned around, especially tourists.

“She’s El Danio,” he said, running his finger along the pitch-apples, to indicate the long avenue ranging north-south behind them. “That’s the casino, up at the lights.”

The guy seemed to gather up a desperate resolution. “Is this Miami?” he asked.

This was a lot less understandable, as was the peculiar blend of hope and horror in the question, marked in the guy’s face. Claude had only been wondering if he was on vacation or just lost, but now other questions started rising. There was nothing markedly threatening here, nothing to really alarm or set him reaching for the bat under the counter, but you never knew, and if trouble was going to happen on this fine afternoon it wasn’t difficult to see it coming from some shoeless weirdo who didn’t seem to know what city he was in.

“Fort Lauderdale,” he said, cautiously, but this only elicited a completely different kind of peculiar look, a mingling of momentary relief, agitation, calculation and quiet despair, aimed into the middle distance. The guy nodded, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, rubbed the pinkening bridge of his nose.

“Oh... alright. Thanks.”

“Sure. You okay? We got water, soda…”

Claude usually would have called it as a pretty sure sale, since if anybody looked in dire need of a cold drink, it was this guy. However, he only gave the cooler a longing glance, and didn’t reply. Instead, he shielded his eyes and squinted up at the sun, high and nearly dead overhead, then pointed down the beach in the other direction, the way he’d been heading.

“Miami’s that way?”

Claude nodded. The guy nodded back in a sort of resolute, unhappy echo, set his shoulders, and headed off.

*

The walk took almost five hours.

Alan had put up with so much at this point that just quietly taking whatever ridiculous scenario was hurled his way- or that he was hurled into- had become second nature to him. What really hurt, if he’d been able to examine it at all just then, was knowing with chilly clarity that this stupid, wretched situation, all this pain and trouble, could have been so easily avoided with just a single thought.

A single, simple, momentary impulse of care.

Finally reaching home in the gathering evening, weary to his bones, he had just enough energy to limp up the small strip of green alongside his apartment and crack the trick window, heave his weight up onto the sill, and haul himself up and over. After the long, long walk, the energy this cost him felt like the absolute last reserve he had left.

His apartment was dark, the air cold on his arms and face, though the night had felt suffocatingly close just a little while before. He crawled into bed, dragging off the unfamiliar sand-filled clothes along the way, and slept.

Shallowly, restlessly. The night passed, the morning, most of the day. He dreamed he was still walking, heat and sand and a hundred unfamiliar streets. He woke shivering, with Leica nudging at his side. He pulled on a shirt, fed her, changed out the water in her fountain as she followed his slow painful steps like a small shadow, with something more than her usual alacrity. She seemed to know, as far as a cat could know, that something wasn’t right with him. He wished he could tell her he was okay, but he had a sneaking suspicion that if she’d been able to understand that much, she would probably also understand that he was lying.

He tried to apply himself to making food for himself, but found his body too sore and stiff and mind too dazed to make any sense out of the few things left in his fridge. Connections between thoughts moved sluggishly, failed to hook up at all. His feet were cut and blistered and almost too painful to stand even after he tried to patch them up, and every muscle in his legs felt strained. Vaguely aware he didn't feel okay, vaguely aware that most practical approaches to a solution involved his phone and his keys, he gave up, and crept back to bed.

Slept, shallowly, restlessly. Woke, with a cold shaking fever on him. He couldn't get a fix on the room- the walls and ceiling ebbed and wobbled nastily in an ashy twilight that could have been dawn or sundown. Time slid or crawled, it was dark, rain drummed on the glass, the sun was hazy through the gap in the curtains. The little gap tormented him, the thin slant of bright light it let in inching across the room with a mechanical inevitability that was somehow unspeakably distressing. The concept of getting up and closing the curtain properly seemed completely beyond him, out of his hands.

Some chunk of eternity later, with a titanic effort, he got to the bathroom. He drank a little water, retched over the sink, threw up nothing. His stomach ached, but the idea of this as a fixable issue was buried somewhere under the haze, and he couldn't pin it down. One foot, or both- an inseparable entity of foot- throbbed dully with his pulse. He had no clear memory of making his way back to bed. Somebody- not him- did it in slow pieces; endless hallway, an icy expanse of living-room tiles, sticky-prickly bedroom rug.

The fever turned hot a few times, but for the most part he was miserably, teeth-chatteringly cold. The gap in the curtains was still his nemesis, until night took it away. Alan could feel its hot, harassing, exacting stare even then, no matter which way he turned or how he tried to shut it out with blanket or pillow or fingers, drilling into him like a baleful yellow eye, measuring his small human worth. He couldn’t ever satisfy it, and the strain of trying to was killing him by inches. He tossed and turned, beyond exhausted, unable to rest. His forehead was clammy and his mouth felt like a dried-out drain, a storm canal somewhere, foul and parched. Was it possible to be too tired to sleep?

Through a dark swamp of fever and incoherent worry, through a hundred unreadable to-do lists and an overbearing weight, he struggled as he was fighting over a beach turned to quicksand, a heaving formless mass that clung and tried to suck him down. Towards dawn, twisting away from the angry eye in the curtains as it brightened, he gave up. He let it take him, a thick sea of black shivering oblivion closing over his head, filling his mouth, his eyes.

After a long incoherent gap, he thought he heard a sound, then several sounds. He thought he heard voices. Fighting open a sticky eye he saw his bedroom wall, the yellow shade of a light he hadn't turned on. Shadows moved. He tried to ask a question, but his throat point-blank refused. Shuddering, he tried to blot out the shapes with his hands, only for someone to lean over his bed, and gently stop him.

"Hey, it's okay," said a voice, quietly. He knew it, but could only manage a sort of eroded croak.

"Yeah," said Ellie, despite the noise only resembling her name on the loosest of loose construction. She squeezed his hand. "We're here, you're gonna be fine."

She brought the scent of sunscreen with her. He couldn’t see much, apart from her dark curtain of hair and concerned eyes. She put his arm gently down at his side and moved back, and now he saw Blair behind her, a tall thin shadow.

He tried to tell them how grateful he was that they’d come looking, that they’d even noticed. Somewhere along the way he lost himself, and the restless sea churned over him, but not quite as deep as before.

How long this time, he didn't know. When he woke up, he felt a little better, shivery and weak, and Blair was sitting by his bed, reading, with Leica a tricoloured comma dozing on his lap. When he realized Alan was awake, he put the book down and smiled.

"Well, we have our instructions," he said, as Leica stretched and spilled lazily down from his knees. "You’re to take two of these," and he set a small bottle on the nightstand, with a short dry skittering sound within, like a distracted rattlesnake, "but you need to eat something first, and keep drinking as much water as you can- slowly. I'll get something uncomplicated. How does oatmeal sound? Or eggs?"

Alan hadn’t heard much, after a certain point. His stomach lurched, and the orange plastic bottle with its printed label seemed horribly big in his wavering focus. "Blair, I can't- I can't aff-"

Blair's smile went away. "My doctor," he said, firmly, "came over, as a favour to me, which is quite besides the point. More importantly, he said you're severely dehydrated- amongst other things. He gave you an injection for that, and another one for your foot, he's sending over some antibiotics for that as well. He took out a bit of glass, I think."

Alan said, shakily, disconnectedly, "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Blair looked down, brows pulling sharply together. "I should be apologizing to you. After you stopped answering your phone, I told Ellie you were likely just- busy. If I'd listened to her in the first place, we'd have been here much earlier. Somehow I always manage to forget she's the one with all the common sense."

He paused.

"We still can't find your phone. It seems to be on, but calling it-"

"I don't know where it is," mumbled Alan. "It was in my jeans."

"Where, ah... where are your jeans?"

"Space."

He had closed his heavy eyes, but he could hear the silence. It lengthened, maybe confused but definitely not surprised, before Blair threw it off with a cough. Alan felt the long, thin hand press his own, briefly, the rustle as his friend stood up.

“When you’re feeling up to it,” he said, “I think we’re both interested in what happened.”

“Nothing happened,” Alan croaked. “Just, you know, work stuff.”

“Work stuff,” repeated Blair. “Yes.”

He was standing at the window now, by the direction of his voice. Most likely with one arm lightly in the other behind his back, in a way that would look ridiculously pompous and archaic on almost anyone else but with Blair just looked natural, and he was probably looking out at the truncated view of electrical boxes and scrubby trees just as he would have gazed out of the window of his workshop or across any marvellous panorama of the Bewilderness, seeing the same things wherever he chose to look, the same wild sweep of potential. Just now, he sounded as if he was studying an annoying tangle, a knot without a good end to snag.

“I’ll see about those eggs,” he said, gently. Alan heard him open the door, the soft click as it closed.

As dull-headed and empty as he felt just then, Alan still struggled with the feeling that something- something rested leaden on him as he let his friend go. Guilt was at the forefront, that he hadn’t tried to explain further, to make it seem right. It somehow seemed to always be his task to try to make things right, to make the inevitable fallout seem reasonable and okay, but the difference was that it usually felt as if there was a point in trying, at least. Just now, he found he could only think about how it never seemed to fall on the Captain, the one who could talk, who was good at talking, explaining, being convincing. The Captain never even appeared to notice this too-familiar sinking something, in any form, not Blair’s chilly sideways looks at his back that penned whole essays, not even Ellie’s hesitation when hesitation was so unlike her. It always seemed to fall wholly on Alan to try to deflect these things, and now- at least for the moment- the point was gone. He couldn’t deflect or control their reactions this time. Whatever the consequences would be, he was finally too tired to try.

*

It took a little time- it took several days- for Alan to recover enough to face the closet, the simple slatted wooden door that opened on one side to his quiet apartment hallway and on the other to the humming blinking corridor of the ship, to creep like a trespasser back to his station in the edit bay and the intimidating build-up of everything awaiting him there. He could have handled any kind of workload- it was the confrontation he really dreaded.

When it did catch up with him, though, it wasn’t at all the kind he expected. The Captain had other things on his mind.

“I am not just imagining things!” The Captain was pacing, never a good sign. Alan watched him warily, feeling somewhat trapped in his chair, a defendant who hadn’t even realised he was on trial. “This radio silence is completely out of character. Look, I linked her to this video of a capybara yesterday, and- nothing! You know she loves capybaras! It had a little hat on and everything. See?!”

His phone was extremely close to Alan’s nose. He leaned back a little. “It’s very cute, sir.”

“And- some guy delivered my stuff this morning! Some random guy!”

Alan blinked a few times. It was hard to know how to field this. “Well, I mean, SpaceJunk probably has a lot of couriers, it’s not always gonna be Ellie-“

“No, it is always Ellie! Always! Except this morning, when it was some random guy!”

“Well, okay, she probably just had a different route…“

“No. No, there’s something going on, and it’s not just her, either- look, look at this.”

He jabbed at his phone a few times, held it up like it was something to stop traffic with. Alan was quite relieved to have a reason not to look at the Captain for a moment, and instead focused on the screen as it rang out, beeped a short, single note.

“The person you are trying to call is unavailable. Please try again later."

“Blair doesn’t always- remember about phones, Captain. He might just- wait,” he said, raising a tenuous finger to the phone as the Captain snatched it away, “did that say you’ve made forty-seven attempted c-”

“It’s all adding up, Alan! Maybe you’d have a better idea of what’s been going on around here if you hadn’t decided to vanish on me- don’t think I didn’t notice-”

“Wh- you- sir, I-”

-but at this point there’s only one possible explanation.” The Captain drew in a deep, bristling breath. “They’re avoiding us.”

In the pause that followed, Alan shifted uncomfortably in his chair. In the moment, he felt closer to trying to make a point, trying at least to say something, than he ever had before. The reality of his injured foot, the itchy remains of his sunburn, his lingering aches and pains, everything pushed him to speak. He wanted to say, do you have any idea what you did? He wanted to say, there’s a beach like a quarter-hour from my place. I could have gone there. You could have put me there, zapped me over there instead of some random place five hours away, and I guess I’m lucky it was just Fort Lauderdale, not Malibu or New Zealand or Mars. And that’s not even the point, you could have put me anywhere, if you’d only thought to bring me back.

Not trusting his face, he looked at the floor, then sideways, like someone feeling slowly along a rope, and so back to the safety of his monitor screen. It didn’t stay safe for very long, because the Captain appeared above it, all indignant eyebrows, not about to be put off.

“Hey! Are you even listening? I said-”

“No, I heard you, I- I just don’t think that’s really all that... likely?”

The Captain looked at him, pityingly. “The power of denial,” he said. “Never ceases to amaze me. Well, you do what you want, I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”

He stomped out, already dialling again. Alan watched the doors hiss shut behind him and started to let out a relieved sigh, biting it sharply in half as the doors swished open again to admit the Captain’s head.

“Don’t literally do what you want; do the rest of the annotations. The file’s on Gamma drive.”

He disappeared. This time Alan waited a while longer, just to make sure, then limped carefully across the edit bay and hid himself behind a bank of servers while he pulled out his own phone. He still didn’t have a lot of energy to spare, and his head was starting to hurt. He peered through a gap in the humming racks, phone to ear and eyes ranging anxiously towards the door in a little ocular waltz of paranoia as he listened to it ring.

“Ellie?”

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Nothing, um-”

“How’s your foot?”

“It’s fine. Are, uh, are you working today?”

“Yeah, just heading back from the Triangulum. Everything okay?”

“Yeah…” Alan swallowed, poking a messy loop of cable back into the server cage. “That’s your normal route?”

“Yup.” It could have been purely imaginary, but Alan felt there was something just a bit too definite about this yup. It was a very clear, very quick yup of premeditated purpose. Possibly. “Hey, let’s get lunch.”

“It’s-” He glanced at his bare wrist, took a couple of panicky swipes at his phone, failed to get it to show anything other than the call, picked his way gingerly back across to check the computer. “It’s kinda late…“

“But you haven’t had lunch?”

“No, I’ve- no-”

“I’ll be like an hour, if you can last out. Mango Tree?”

“Well-”

“Okaycoolbyeeeeee!”

Alan looked at nothing in particular for a moment or two, then sat down slowly at the workstation and tried Blair. Two rings, and then Blair’s clear voice, sounding like he usually did- like the phone couldn’t be trusted to pick up his voice unless he spoke as if he was trying to hail someone across a fairly large room.

“Hello, Alan. Did you know it’s National Lighthouse Day today?”

Alan had to take a moment, after this beginning, to pick up the scattered card-house of his thoughts and put it back into a semi-ordered pile. “No, I… actually didn’t.”

“There’s seven hundred and seventy-nine of them in the United States. We might visit some today. Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m- I’m fine, are you-”

“How’s the foot?”

“It’s fine.” Alan took a breath. “Is there something wrong with your phone?”

“Oh, well, you know I don’t really understand these things,” said the Dreamfinder. Alan could hear, didn’t have to imagine, the smile in his voice. “I think I heard it made some noises a while ago. Always beeps and bings, these gadgets.”

“Uh… huh.”

“That’s the party line, anyway.”

“Was that… was that a pun?”

“Well, perhaps... I was fairly sure of a good reception.”

“I don’t know, it sounded kinda like you were phoning it in…”

And it was stupid-simple, how easy it was to talk, sometimes. Alan listened to his friend describe a little lighthouse on an island near Boston, a hundred years old before Blair had even been born, and then he told Blair about the light at Daugavgrīvas, destroyed six times by fire, war and storm, always rebuilt. There were a few more phone puns, and a lot of illumination-based and nautically-inspired puns, and he hung up smiling, with Blair’s quiet laughter in his ear, and only realised after about a minute and a half that he hadn’t managed to really ask him anything he’d meant to at all.

Nearly half an hour had slipped by since he’d kind-of-not-really agreed to meet Ellie, and he was sitting with a half-written text, trying to figure out what to tell her to cancel, when in the space between ‘Hi,’ and ‘Sorry’ a strange impulse struck and he decided to just... not.

Instead, he scrabbled around in a drawer for a marker, wrote ‘AT LUNCH’ on a bit of electrical tape and stuck it at a decisive slant across his monitor, then fled before the sight of what he’d done frightened him enough to try to peel it off.

Under a dim glow of blue and red, his abandoned workstation idled quietly. After a while, the monitor flickered once or twice, bright under the strip of tape, then went dark.

[beautouslysandy]

Dirty Kisses

Chapter 4

By- Sandy

Rafe Cameron x F!Reader

Warnings: Language, not proofread, love-sick Rafe scenes, and is intimate

______________________________________________

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You were on your patio blasting Eminem from the the outside speakers and dancing around with a fresh cool glass of pink lemonade in your hand. You had a hot pink bikini on and your hair was dripping wet. You haven’t hung out with anyone in a while, it really hasn’t occurred to you that some of them might be worried, most importantly Rafe. Rafe was beginning to think you were avoiding him, he wanted to see you so badly. Wrap his arms around you, pull you into him, and never let go. Your phone broke at the party so it was in the shop, you had no idea your phone was blowing up. 

Lulu starting jumping up and down with you, you threw your head back laughing. You were so happy with your life and yourself, you were having the time of your life. Rafe not so much. 

The front door of your house, was getting knocked on, each knock getting louder and louder. Jamie opened it having to pause his Transformers movie. 

Rafe was behind the door, “Jamie.” he said looking around in the house as Jamie let him in. 

“She’s out in the back having a dance party with Lulu.” Jamie said bluntly returning to his movie. 

Rafe nodded, he tried to figure out the way around your house. He stumbled upon a family portrait and separate photos.  In the family photo was your dad in a white collar shirt with cargo pants his arm wrapped around the waist of your mom he was looking at her with a wide smile his other hand on your shoulder. Your mom who was wearing a bright yellow flowy dress, she had that same true and inviting smile. Her hand placed on Jamie’s shoulder and her other hand on your dad’s cheek who she was looking at. You were in front of your dad wearing a white sundress, the same one you had worn when you met Rafe, he gulped, you looked so gorgeous with your hair down and your bright smile and he loved that sundress on you, you your arms wrapped around a puppy golden lab who he could only assume was Lulu. Jamie was next to you, he was laughing, a true laugh, he was wearing a blue collar shirt with white cargo pants. He held a Transformer in his hand he was holding it up to Lulu who was licking it. 

Under the photos was a coffee table and there was a photo of you when you were younger, he picked it up and chuckled. You were in a swimsuit with floaties and your googles were upside down. You were holding a butterfly, you looked in awe and had this sparkle in your eyes. There was another, he put the baby photo down and picked up the more recent one. You were wearing a tennis skirt and a white tight fit top, you had your hair up and you had a visor on. You were playing golf, you had this face that you get when you get concentrated, you had a sparkle in your eyes as well. Rafe’s heart melted, he had a soft smile. 

He quickly put them back when he heard a screen door opening. He ran into you, he was ready for the worst. You smiled and pulled him into a kiss. He was shocked at first then put his hands in your soaking hair. You pulled away, you looked into his eyes. You had that sparkle in eyes, the same one you had in your baby photo and golf one. He put his forehead to yours, his hand placed on your cheeks. You smiling, your smile always lit up the room. He kissed you again, then you brought him out into your backyard. Eminem was still loudly playing,  pink lemonade filled cups scattered around various tables. Lulu sleeping a top a sun like yellow sectional couch with white and a range of colors of blue pillows. 

“You having a party without me?” Rafe teased, intertwining his hand with yours. He finally noticed you were in a bikini, “You look good, sunshine”.

You looked at him with a smirk your face had the faintest hints of coloration from the compliment, “ I try my best” you teased as he pulled you into a kiss. One of his hands rubbing up and down your back while the other is placed softly but securely on your waist, your hands in his blond hair, surely messing it up. He picked you up still in the kiss. You giggled, he sat on the yellow sectional couch with you in his lap. 

Your lips parted ways, yet still wanting more. You looked into each others eyes. 

“Your so gorgeous.” He said, he sounded like looking at you was taking his breath away. A smirk creeped up on his lips, as he was getting a reaction out of you.

You had looked away, rubbing the back of your neck, your face was completely flushed. You looked back to see him still looking at you with that smirk of his. His hands traveled up your thighs to your waist then back to your thighs. You hit him teasingly as you weren’t used to this kind of attention. 

“What? Can I not touch you?” He said whispering in your ear.

You pressed your lips together trying to push down a smile, he made you so unbelievably flustered even when he wasn’t even trying.

“Huh?” He whispered again in your ear, his hands traveling up your body passionately but softly. 

This time you couldn’t hide your smile, you looked at him. Shoot. Now you were full all smiling, teeth and all.

“God dammit, Y/n….” Rafe said muttered incoherently looking away with his red and heat invaded cheeks.

You took your hand and forced him to look at you. His eyebrows arched and a small grin appeared on his lips. You kissed him, well more so a french kiss. Rafe caught on quickly, you could feel his smiling against your lips. His hands traveling to your bikini top, he almost unclipped it, but you pulled away with a gasp. 

“Rafe!” You said with a playful scoff

“What?” 

“You were about to unclip my bikini top!”

“Well you can’t kiss me like that, and not expect something.” He said with a playful smirk

You rolled your eyes, he began to kiss your neck. You covered your face with your hands. He stopped almost instantly.

He put his hands on your uncovering your practically tomato red face. “Are you okay, am I making you uncomfortable?” He asked trying to find your eyes. Once he found your eyes, you shook your head with sheepish smile. He kissed your hand, and your nose. Putting his hand on your cheek, he said “I know this might be rushing but I love you, like I love you a lot. More than probably humanly possible.” He did not breaking eye contact, his eyes were sparkling yet looked completely serious. Your stomach awaked the butterflies, you covered your face agian, your not typically this shy and easily flustered but somehow when your with Rafe you are

He chuckled slightly at your antics, he attempted to kiss your forehead but ended up kissing your fingers. He whispered, “It’s okay if your not ready to say it, I understand. It’s a big feeling to have for someone.” he sounded so patience and understanding. You separated your index finger and middle finger enough to see Rafe looking at you with pure awe and he looked so very love-sick it made your face only more pink. 

“You’ve infected me, Rafe Cameron.” You whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

“What?” He said, he sounded a little worried.

“You’re making me so flustered, what did you do?” 

He chuckled and pulled you to his chest, you moved your hands off your face, “Does me loving you make you blush?” 

You felt heat rise on your cheeks, he looked down and smiled, this was going to bump up his ego you thought in the back of your mind. “Good, it should.” He said but his voice sounded almost relieved.

“Wanna stay the night?” You asked, then regret your words, please say yes is all you could think. 

“I was hoping you would ask.” He said, kissing your hair. 

You hummed and kissed his neck. You closed your eyes, nothing could make you happier at this very moment.

••••

Rafe woke up before you, he has never really seen your room.  He looked at you, he smiled softly and pushed a loss strand of hair away from your face. He kissed your forehead ever so gently as he wanted you to get your rest. There was a scrapbook on the left side nightstand. Ever so quietly he grabbed it with a grin.

On the front it read “Its Summertime, Bitches!” in big white yellow letters. It was a bulky filled yellow photo album. He looked through it, it had photos of your old friends and you. One photo caught his eye in particular, it was you in a tight yellow dress and heels, an arm wrapped around your waist which belonged to a tall brunette with a nice smile and as much as Rafe hated to admit it was not terrible looking. Before he could investigate any further, he heard your groggy voice say “That’s Lincoln, my ex, he cheated on my that night.” Rafe looked up to see you, your face completely unfazed. Rafe kissed you on the lips, then looked back at the photo he wanted to punch that guy in the face so bad, for hurting you.

“We dated for three years and he cheated on me my best friend of eight years.” You said snuggling into Rafe, he wrapped his free arm around you whilst the other held your homemade scrapbook.

“Dick.” He muttered, glaring into the brunette’s eye even though it was just a photo.

“That’s one word. Any ways, I am making one for this summer! Wanna see it?” You said trying to change the topic.

“I would never do to you…” He muttered but not loud enough for you to hear.

Rafe was still trying to get used to the fact you have dated other people (boy thinks he is your first and last lover). 

“Yeah.” He said placing the old scrapbook on the nightstand. 

You pulled a pink photo album out, it was almost half way filled. It read, “Best Summer Of My Life!” it had a photo of you and Rafe eating each others ice creams, and another of you, Sarah, and Kiara. He smiled at the photo of you and him. You handed it to him, he looked through it but stopping at two full pages of just you and Rafe, there were words written on the pages. You gasped and then hid under the covers, you cursed under your breath. You forgot about those pages and that there were more, mentally slapping yourself.

Rafe’s curiosity rose, looking back at the scrapbook, he traced his finger on the first photo cut into a heart, it was a photo you had taken on him and Lulu when you took her on a walk one night. You took the photo without him knowing, next to the photo it read “This man is killing me!” 

He smirked, he found this adorable. The next one was of him and you, you guys were at the park on the swings. You both were cackling at something someone said. Next to the photo said “My eight year old self finally has a swing partner and he’s cute, not her squealing inside…”

He looked at each photo and read each and every word you wrote more then once. He loved this, you looked from under the covers to see Rafe looking at the pages with a grin on his face. 

“Sunshine?” He asked not taking his eyes off the photos.

“Yeah?” 

“This is…the sweetest thing.” He said making eye contact with you.

You let a breath out you hadn’t realized you kept in, Rafe wrapped you into a big hug, he kissed your hair on repeat for a good solid minute. Then when you looked up he kissed you for six whole minutes. 

You drive him crazy. He is so in love with everything about you, he is going to go mad.

••••

You and Lily were at the country club with the boys, you were wearing the same outfit that you were wearing photo on the coffee table. Rafe couldn’t stop staring at you, especially your ass, that skirt was almost showing it and as much as Rafe liked it, guys were looking at you in a way that he only can. 

“Rafe? Earth to Rafe?” Topper called waving his hands in the air.

“He’s staring at Y/n he’s long gone.” Kielce commented staring at Rafe in “disgust”. 

Topper groaned, “Dude! She isn’t going anywhere!” Topper yelled. 

Rafe ignored him as you were laughing at something a waiter said. You took the appetizer on the tray , the waiter, was holding. He walked away, looking back at you but you’re attention was back to a conversation with Lily. Rafe felt a fury in his chest, his heart was hurting. All he could think was that you were flirting with someone who wasn’t him and he wasn’t the only one who noticed. 

“Lily, the waiter wasn’t flirting with me…” You said taking a bite into some fancy appetizer that looked good.

“Yes he was, and you might have not meant to but you flirted back.” Lily said staring at you with faintly sad smile.

“What…I didn’t.” You said baffled

Lily nodded, looking at the boys, you looked in that direction. Rafe was standing there, looking at you in disbelief and hurt. When he caught your eyes, he went back to focusing on the game. You bit your tongue, you didn’t mean to. You looked back at Lily who was waving her hand at Rafe trying to signal for you to go and talk to him. You nodded and headed in that direction, you bumped into that waiter, he handed you a piece of paper, you felt Rafe’s eyes on you. Without hesitation you shook your head and walked over to Rafe who was still looking at you. 

“Rafe…” You said, looking at him with apologetic eyes.

He kissed you, not soft and sweet but rough and passionately like it was the last time his lips would ever meet yours. You moaned quietly once Rafe heard it and he only kissed harder. His hands wrapped around your waist and yours wrapped around his head pulling him into you. You pulled away to meet a grinning yet hurt Rafe until you said those words, “I love you so much, Rafe Cameron.” 

His face lit up and he was smiling like there was no tomorrow. Completely unworried about the audience you guys have already caught, he dropped his golf club and picked you up bridal style and ran to his car. You were laughing and your face was yet again flushed. He put you in the passenger sit and went into the drivers. He sped and went over the speed limit multiple times as he pulled up to his house, he brought you to his room and closed the door. He wrapped his arms around you and you put your hands on his head running your fingers through his hair. 

“Say it again.” He said putting his forehead on yours, his smile hadn’t broken.

“Say what?” You asked playful now smiling

“Should I say it first,” he said waiting for a response but before you could get a word out, “I love you so fucking, Y/n, that I think my heart is gonna explode.” he said kissing you then pulling away so you could say something.

You looked at him, “I love you so so much, Rafe Cameron, that I get butterflies just hearing your name” you kissed his forehead. 

He began to play with your hair, his index finger wrapped around a piece of hair. “You sound so sexy  saying it, like I want to rip your clothes off you right this very mintune, and kiss you everywhere you can imagine.”

You pushed Rafe playfully, you felt like your face was a furnace. 

Rafe did just as he said, kissing everywhere you could imagine.

Note- writing up what might be the last chapter

[archer-kacey]

Introduction/ The Illusion of Living

Introduction

To clarify, there are two pages of the actual "Introduction", followed by a section labeled "The Illusion of Living," which is ANOTHER introduction. I'm crying.

The FIRST Introduction is all fluff, Joey yaps to his cab driver (just known as "Simmons") and sees a Borzoi, and immediately typecasts it as a villain OC to go up against Bendy. That's it. Next section.

The Illusion of Living [The What]

Joey does a horrible job at giving a simple explanation of the Illusion of Living, but not for the reason you'd think. At first it seems to boil down to "the art of lying" or "joey caps for five years," if you will. He also, unsurprisingly, thinks he's a genius and that his philosophy is a gift to mankind.

"It is a life philosophy, but unlike some of our great past thinkers, I did not come to any conclusion through thought and careful meditation. Instead it was born within me. My whole existence has been shaped around this concept. It just took some time for me to learn how to articulate it to others."

"I've always believed that we can communicate to even the simplest person. Communication is everything."

"We are all dreamers at heart, and I want to make sure that all of your dreams will indeed come true thanks in no small part to my unique insights."

But then Joey says something interesting for once, and it seems to imply that the Illusion of Living is a two-way street. Joey believes that reality is also fiction, but it seems to work in reverse as well.

"So in the briefest of explanations: The Illusion of Living is the art of mimicking real life on the big screen."

Real life ---> Big Screen. So not only is fiction reality, the two are interchangeable.

Illusion of Living [Bendy]

"I am a very self-aware person."

Joey goes on to talk about Bendy, but there's...another aspect I'll be sure to bring up before we close on this section.

"I am not offended that he is first in your heart. He is, after all, first in mine. He was my very first creation- one could even call him my firstborn."

"Bendy is my muse. He is also my messenger. He tells the stories of our lives in absurd, hilarious ways that put all of it into perspective. He reminds us that what we truly need in this world is joy and laughter. Money doesn't matter, power doesn't matter, not when we acknowledge the Illusion of Living."

Nathan adds a footnote here that the Illusion of Living wasn't the only thing important to Joey. He knew the value of a dollar and was a good businessman. So apparently, the money did matter after all. Are we shocked that a Capitalist required money to achieve his goals and aspirations?

"He isnt' real others might argue. Such a ridiculous argument "isn't real." We can see him, we can touch him, kids snuggle with their stuffed Bendys at night. He has more fans than the Marx Brothers! What is real if he isnt'?"

"I tell people that Bendy is the perfect example of my philosophy. He is its manifestation. Or as I like to say, "Dreams come true."

Joey isn't entirely wrong here. We see movie franchises IRL that have a huge influence on pop culture all the time, and we see fandoms and cult followings spring up from said media. The impact is real, if not the characters themselves.

"Your dreams can come true. Because, as I've explained, illusion and reality are the same thing."

Again, the Illusion of Living is an insistence that reality and fiction are one and the same.

I'm going to swap a line from the end of the Bendy section to here, because I want to touch on something I noticed afterwards.

"Now I'm getting ahead of myself. I get excited and tell the story too fast. That's what editors are for I suppose."

Nathan adds a footnote here that IOL went through three different editors, finally landing on the desk of Sandy Pommel (another rando), who opted to put back in a lot of the remarks in order to 'truly capture Drew's charm," as Nathan puts it. (My girl wanted that edit credit so bad lmfao)

ANYWAY, let's take a look at these little slices of IOL I've been saving for last.

"I tell people that Bendy came to me in a dream."

"No, what I had to do was want the dream in the first place. To know that I needed a creation so perfect, so accessible to so many people, that it would help me change the way the world saw itself. That was my dream. I was awake, I knew what I wanted; I made it happen."

He mentions wanting to "change the way the world saw itself" through bendy. Wanting to create a character that was "accessible to so many people." Later in IOL, we see Joey discuss with Abby what he wants Bendy to be like. Not Satan, he specifically clarifies, but an imp-like character, someone mischievous. We know Joey believes reality and fiction can be swapped out for each other, so that could be the world change he was talking about, but I think he also wanted people to recognize their own impish nature- getting into trouble and laughing every once in a while. Or maybe, just maybe, I've been reading the words of Joey Drew for too many hours.

"Only then did Bendy appear to me. Only then did I start working with other artists to make him a reality. But you see, I first made my dream. And then I made my dream come true.

Working with other artists, eh? Like who, Joey?

Also, note the insistence that he created Bendy first, directly after that sentence. As if trying to convince himself that Henry had no part in creating Bendy, and trying to keep his story straight in the way he wants it portrayed to the public.

(This facade later crumbles on page 154, with Joey pretending not to miss or need him at the studio and failing horribly.)

Things get really interesting when Joey describes Bendy's creation. He sees it as his big dream being fully realized. To him, this is also the"birth" of his son, or at the very least, the creation of his muse, messenger, and avenue to tell his stories. "I tell people that Bendy came to me in a dream" is a coverup of course, some smoke and mirrors to convince people that he had an epiphany and came up with Bendy himself, but he also clearly sees it as a wonderful event.

We know Henry created Bendy, of course. We know it wasn't Joey's hand that ultimately struck paper. However, that doesn't make Joey's feelings any less real.

During Bendy's creation, there are two truths happening at the same time to make the full picture. Henry drawing, and hell, maybe Joey bouncing a couple ideas off him. The process takes just minutes, but it feels like hours. Bendy is created, and Joey is there to witness it. And to Joey, it's the most perfect creation in the world. And he's going to share this creation with Henry, this dream with Henry.

I am not being hyperbolic when I say that, to Joey, Henry created his son.

TL;DR The Illusion of Living is Joey's philosophy that reality and fiction are one and the same. Joey wants his OC to be real so bad. Joey views Bendy as his actual son and Henry created him and also Joey was there for his creation so what I'm saying is Henry created a son for his business partner and they were just gonna chill like that until Henry left and broke his heart or something

[freakadr0id]

Rewatching Season 4 and Talking About Tang to Avoid Losing My Mind Over the Special

Welp, now that I have some free time and I'm finally back home, it's the perfect time for me to obsess over LMK again. That being said, I'm not going to talk about the Chinese release of the special as I'm waiting for the full English release (I've been spoiled on things, but I still haven't seen it).

Instead, I'm going to watch through season 4 again since it's been a while. It’s just a silly little thing I like to do during hiatus and such. Oh, and I really only talk about Tang because he doesn’t get enough love and, well, I have a brand to maintain.

So, let's start with Episode 2 - New Adventures:

~-~

Getting a bit full of yourself there, aren’t ya, glowy boy? Geez, you make an insanely strong power-up sigil that covers half the globe one time, and suddenly, you think you're all that.

...Okay, maybe his overconfidence is a little bit justified. Only a little bit, though, since the last time he was this full of himself was, well… *looks at Dumpling Destruction*

On a side note, it's interesting how Sandy says "newfound powers" since that implies a relatively short timespan between seasons 3 and 4. My guess is around 1-2 months, but I honestly don't know.

At least Tang has Pigsy to bring him down to Earth. Nice to see a bit of their salty/sassy banter back again.

I've mentioned this gif before but Idk I still love it. Mei totally goes full Ash Ketchem and just throws him out there. I asked a while back which Pokemon Tang would be and some people replied with Ninjask, a Cicada inspired Pokemon, which yeah. 10/10, A+ pick.

Oh nooooooo Tang... I love you, but noooooooo *More Dumpling Destruction Flashbacks*

Told ya. Hubris gets you nowhere.

Talk about being in the shadow of your former self, am I right?

I never turned on subtitles for this scene before so I had no idea what ink Tang Sanzang said up until this rewatch. Now that I know what he says, this line is SUPER interesting if you ask me.

This line stands out as it doesn't seem to be feeding directly into his insecurities, as is the case with every other ink creature encounter we see. Instead, it seems like a confirmation of Tang's arc throughout the season. Tang can't use his powers here because he has more to learn, both with his powers and as a character, and this is the writers deliberately saying as much. Yeah, Tang's journey isn't complete, and the audience, and perhaps, Tang himself, knows it.

Yeah, I'm cheating here since it doesn't really have Tang in it, but it doesn't matter because it's still Tang's glasses -plus this is just a darn good shot. It's so quick, but it does a great job of establishing a feeling of dread and tension in this scene. It definitely got me the first time I saw it. It's on-screen for only a second, but damn if it isn't effective.

~-~

Not a ton of Tang in this episode, but that's okay because it still does a TON of legwork in setting the foundation for his character arc this season.

To be honest, I didn't mean to mention Dumpling Destruction that much in this post but that's really what came to mind the first time I saw this episode. And honestly? I think that was completely intentional on the writers' part.

Tang was horrendously overconfident and, one could argue, arrogant in Dumpling Destruction. He was undeniably annoying at times (to put it in the kindest way possible) and even I, who absolutely adores his character, has a hard time watching Dumpling Destruction because of that. I get a similar feeling watching Tang in this episode, but that isn't a bad thing this time.

Despite my dislike of Tang's arrogance and his (often) unfounded overconfidence, I'm glad it came back in full force this episode. After season 3, I was a little worried that was all we'd get for Tang's character development. We saw almost none of his arrogance in season 3, which, along with the exploration of his insecurities, made it seem that they just wanted to ignore those character flaws tat were more prevalent in earlier episodes. It seems silly in hindsight, as it's clear that season 3 merely kickstarted his arc and wasn't a completion of it.

This episode was precisely what Tang needed for his character development. Despite expanding his character in season 3, his character flaws are still very much there at the start of season 4. He has yet to overcome his flaws and shortcomings at this point in the show, but without a reason to change, he never will. So how do you develop a character rife with overconfident and occasionally arrogant tendencies? Humble the hell out of them, of course. Unfortunately, he needed to be brought down to Earth before he could build himself back up, and that's just what the writers did in this episode.

~-~

Ha! Didn't expect a rant at the end of this, did ya? Yeah, neither did I. Sorry about that.

I'll do the rest of the season soon, especially with how Tang-heavy the next couple episodes are.

[x-just-another-fanfic-writer-x]

Chapter 6

It took all of your willpower to resist going to the bathroom to text back. Your mind wandered to Justin’s message throughout the first half, which as always was very long. As soon as the lights came on for the interval, you whipped your phone out.

“What do you mean?” you texted back, but the message didn’t send. You watched it fail to send three times before you stood up and quickly made your way towards the bar.

“Eager for a drink, are we?” your cousin Tom, teased as you shuffled past.

“No, the loo,” you lied. You wanted the signal. You beelined to a free window, and your phone finally connected.

Justin replied within seconds. “I bumped into him in the hall. How’s the show?”

“The show is good. What did you say to Bucky?”

You waited, refreshing your phone numerous times as the minutes counted down. Nothing came through.

“Enjoying the show?” Aunty Sandy startled you, her eyes flitting down to your phone in your hands. You locked the screen and put it in your pocket.

“Yeah, it’s good, just as always,” you smiled. 

“I tell you what, that Marius is giving Michael Ball a run for his money. And the soprano notes on Cosette!” she said, opening her programme and peering close into it “Trained at RADA. Gosh look at her previous work, Phantom, Cats-” she continued, but your phone buzzed, and you zoned out of the conversation. You quickly fished it from your pocket, and read the notification from Justin.

“We just had a little chat about you.”

The tannoy dinged.

“Jess? Did you hear what I said?” Aunty Sandy asked as the tannoy announcement began.

“Can everyone please make their way back to their seats, the show will begin in 5 minutes.”

You looked up to her, then back at your phone, then back up to her. 

“Jess?”

You cleared your throat and nodded. “Yeah, no, I heard. Phantom, Cats…”

“Everything alright? You seem a bit distracted,” she asked, pursing her lips.

“Yeah I’m just being umm…” you trailed off, then shook your head, and plastered on a smile. “Come on, I’ll see if I can get you an ice cream before the lights go down,” you said, linking your arm in hers, leading her towards the counter. You were overthinking, is what you told yourself repeatedly until the lights went down for the second act. This half was much shorter, and you distinctly heard some sniffles coming from both your cousin Lucy, and Uncle Terry. Even you felt some wetness in your eyes during the epilogue. By the time you joined in giving the cast a standing ovation, you’d almost forgotten about Justin’s texts.

You had a brief post show discussion with your family as you exited the auditorium, then bade the foursome goodbye in the foyer. You headed one direction down the street towards the tube, and they headed the opposite, towards the train station. The wind was bitingly cold as you walked amongst the crowds. Just when you were about to text Justin back, your phone died. You groaned quietly, and shoved the thing back in your pocket.

You hated using the tube without anything to distract yourself with. It made you all the more self conscious of anyone looking at you and made you feel pressured to actually look back. But the journey was quick, with surprisingly no delays, and the walk to your building was free from any random weirdos approaching you in the night. When you finally made your way to your corridor, you paused, glancing between Bucky’s door, and your own. You still owed him for letting you stay in his flat the previous week. You sighed gently as you put the key in the lock, and entered your apart-

Holy hell did it smell.

You glanced around, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. You could hear Justin laughing in the living room, the sounds of Fifa on high volume. You groaned. You doubt Bucky the neighbours wanted to hear him playing with his simulated footballers at half eleven at night.

“Hey,” you called over to him. He didn’t reply as he scored another goal, cheering at the screen. So it was your turn to be blanked. You walked into the room, the strange smell still lingering, and plopped yourself onto the sofa. “How’s your day been?”

“Fine,” he said absentmindedly, more focused on the game. “You?”

“Yeah, fine,” you replied just as nonchalantly. “So…”

“So…?” he asked, looking slightly uncomfortable.

“What did you talk about? With Bucky?”

“Oh that,” he replied, his shoulders relaxing. “I saw him in the hall, decided to introduce myself.”

“Did his eye look-”

“You’re still going on about that?”

“I just wonder-”

“He didn’t have a black eye, Jess.”

“He literally di-”

“He didn’t, Jess. I don’t know why you’d think that.”

“Whatever,” you muttered, already getting pissed at the way he just cut you off three sentences in a row. “What did you say then?”

“He asked if you were in, I said no, then made a joke about him missing you. He just stared at me. Then I joked you have a crush on-”

“You did WHAT?!” you shouted, and Justin chuckled.

“Relax, he knows I’m joking.”

Does he?!

“Why would you do that!”

“Why are you getting so defensive over it, babe? It’s just a joke.”

“I’m- for god’s sake Justin! You’re such an arse.”

“You love me really,” he retorted. You bristled at the comment, not in the mood for that sort of banter.

“What’s that smell?” you demanded.

“What smell?”

“The smell so strong there’s no way you’d not be able to smell it right now?”

“Think someone’s been smoking weed on our floor. Wondered if it was Bucky, to be honest,” he commented, then cleared his throat.

“He’s not like that.”

“How would you know?”

“He doesn’t seem the type, his flat was too bare and he’s never smelt of-”

“Wow, you’ve been sniffing him?” he teased.

“Will you stop cutting me off!” you snapped.

He continued to chuckle to himself, starting up another match. “Time of the month?” he quipped. You clenched your jaw and stood up. “Was the show good?” he called to you as you marched to the bedroom.

“It was,” you said scathingly then slammed the door behind yourself. 

You immediately opened the bedroom windows then flopped onto the bed, curling up onto your side under the duvet.

He’s such an arse!

You took your clothes off under the covers, plugged your phone in to charge, then closed your eyes.

Sleep surprisingly found you easily. You woke up the next morning, the room cold, but with a distinctly warm body beside you. Wait, not just beside you, touch- touching you.

“Justin?” you murmured, shifting position. His fingers retracted from pinching your exposed nipple, but he wrapped his arm around your waist and rolled you to face him. You had only a second to contemplate if he’d been touching you in your sleep before he pulled you in for a kiss. The mint on his breath is unexpected, but you fall back into the familiarity of the kiss. The touches. The moans.

In the heat of the moment though, you noticed what looked like dirt on his arm.

“Have you showered?” you blurted out, pausing your movements as you sat on top of him.

Justin frowned, “Way to ruin the mood, Jess.”

“No I just- there’s dirt. On your arm,” you replied as you reached out to wipe it away.

“I dunno, Jess. Just ignore it.”

“But how would it even get there?”

He sighed impatiently, grabbed onto your hips, then deliberately thrusted deep. “Stop. Asking. Questions,” he punctuated between thrusts. It felt good enough to make you re-focus.

Once you’d finished and were in the shower, you tried a different tactic.

“So what did you get up to yesterday?”

“Not much. Fifa, pizza, went for a walk.”

“You never go for a walk.”

“Felt like getting out of the flat for a bit,” he muttered.

“Was it a nice walk?”

“Yeah,” he said vaguely.

“Where did you go?”

“What’s with the 50 questions, Jess?” he practically snapped.

“Okay fine! I give up,” you retorted, turning the water off aggressively. You stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around yourself, not making eye contact with Justin as you walked past. You got ready for the rest of your day in silence. At least in your head, because Justin decided to put his music on loud as he showered. And ans along. Off key.

Once you were ready, you walked over to him sitting on the sofa, mid Fifa match.

“Okay well I’ve got to go now.”

“Okay,” he mumbled.

“Lunch with my friends.”

“Okay.”

You clenched your jaw so hard it hurt one of your teeth. “Have fun,” you said passive aggressively before leaving the flat.

You sighed deeply in the corridor, and looked longingly at Bucky’s front door. 

“This isn’t normal,” you muttered to yourself as you stomped down the stairs. You wondered if Bucky would treat a partner like that. If anyone would? Was it normal? Maybe it was… 

As you stepped onto the bus, you rationalised that maybe it wasn’t that bad. It’s just quarrels. Lovers quarrels. And you shouldn’t be fantasising about Bucky anyway. You have a boyfriend who you love, very, very much. Things could be worse. Bucky was insanely attractive to you now, but you love Justin. 

As you opened the door to the pub, you decided maybe you’re just making a big deal out of nothing.

[heartate]

@umbane sent : "I'm sorry. About what I said." His voice is low and dragging in the message he left on her phone in the early hours of the morning, like he just woke up or, more likely, didn't sleep. "I was angry. And scared. I wanted... Fuck, I don't know what I wanted." A rustle of fabric, like he's adjusting his position. "I don't hate you. I could never. I... I want you so badly it terrifies me. That's why I have to go." And then, so quietly it might have been a breeze, he says, "Sleep well, Ahri."

ahri's long since lost track of how many times she listened to kayn's message. she held the phone close to her chest at first, as though that'd bring him closer to her, then held its speaker-end against her ear in a desperate attempt to flood her ebbing mind with the sound of his voice. he was hurt, she knew that. so twisted and broken and mangled to where ahri didn't have the faintest idea where to start putting the pieces back together. more than anything, she didn't want to lose him — not just from her life, but she could see him disappearing into himself and the porcelain shell he created.

it was like watching a ship careen against jagged, unforgiving cliffs in the endless mist and watching helplessly from the sandy shores as it sinks into the deep ocean blues. the broken pieces of the wreckage floats to the shore with the incoming tides eventually, waterlogged with the stench of the sea and kelp. she felt helpless, crying out over and over again for the damn ship to not sink, but what good was it?

she was losing him. had been, for a long while, now. she watched as he faded fast between her fingers, until his touch felt foreign and cold and the distance in his eye was as cavernous as the deepest trenches in the sea. ahri tried so hard to pull him out, but kayn slipped again and again and again. at some point, she has to tell herself that a part of him has to want to climb out, and it's as bitter of a pill for her to have to swallow, too. still, the idea of giving up on him is crueler, one that leaves a tight knot in the pit of her chest, one that unraveled with hardened, serrated edges that pierced her from the inside out when they fought, when they ended things.

it's what was killing her the most, she thinks, knowing just how much pain he is in, just how terrified he is, but still trying to manage the hurt he's been carving into her flesh, too. ahri is endlessly terrified for him, but there has to come a time where she can't allow herself to suffer either. and god does it make her feel absolutely selfish. it's so deeply and utterly agonizing, like razor-sharp talons digging into her skin down to her bone. she listens to his message again, another dozen times over and maybe a thousand more, kayn's voice drowning out the early-morning bird songs and cars passing in the street as the rest of the world awakened. he's apologizing, and ahri would throw everything off a cliff to forgive him and take him back, but it's the follow-up that pierces straight through her rigid heart that seems to have forgotten how to beat in anguish.

that's why i have to go.

ahri doesn't realize she's been silently crying until she rubs her eyes and stares down at the wet backs of her hands. her tails curl softly around her atop her plush blankets, but they feel as stiff as her hands until they start trembling in her frantic attempts to call kayn back. she can hardly see the screen through her tears, but she finally gets through and breathes in a sharp breath as she dials, and places the call on speaker so that she can wipe her tears away, and—

" we're sorry, you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. if you feel you have reached this recording in error, please check the number and try your call again. "

she blinks. it doesn't register at first, not really. ahri calls kayn again, and is immediately met with the same message. his number is saved under " ♥ kayn ♥ " and she knows there isn't an error there. when ahri calls for a third time, she drops her phone and slumps over, pressing her face into her messy clump of tails. her breath is trapped tight in her throat until she finally chokes on a violent sob crawling out in an unrecognizable sound.

she never should have allowed herself to fall asleep, not when they left things the way they had. she knew him. she knew him. she knew his tendencies, knew his habit of keeping himself up late into the night gnawing on every passing moment that went wrong. she should have expected his call. she should have been there to answer it.

ahri collapses further in her bed, falling onto her side and sinking into the well of the abyss, and unravels her legs. it'd only been a few hours. how could his number already be disconnected? like he'd never been there, erased out of existence with only his lingering voice crackling with the roar of thunder in her mind to remind her of what had been.

he doesn't hear her. there's no way for him to hear her, now, but she manages a scream through her sobs like it'd reach through the heavens and find him.

" you don't have to go anywhere, kayn . . . you— you didn't need to leave. " quieter, this time, like she was afraid of breaking down even more than she already is, " i— i needed you to stay. "

[galraluver]

This fic is the fifth and final part of this post

_________________________________________

During an archeological trip in Egypt a young woman named (Y/n) (L/n) was getting herself ready for the day in her tent; the group she was with was there to study hieroglyphics in the pyramids which she enjoyed quite a bit. She'd studied ancient Egyptian culture in college and actually getting to see hieroglyphics was a dream come true for her. There wasn't much to do near the site that day since the rest of her crew went to the nearest town to get food and supplies, meaning she would finally have some alone time for a while because she was put in charge of keeping an eye on everything. One camel had been left behind in case something happened, that way she could go get help or escape. After feeding the camel and giving her some water (Y/n) planned on watching some episodes of Voltron Legendary Defender she'd downloaded, it was her guilty pleasure.

Her ultimate favorite character in the series was Gyrgan, the original yellow paladin; he seemed like a great guy and he had a sense of humor, if (Y/n) could meet a man like him then she'd definitely consider marrying said man. Being out on an archeological trip didn't really give her time for dating, not that it would do any good since hardly anyone showed any real interest in her. (Y/n) made sure to put plenty of sunscreen on before she went outside, not wanting to risk catching skin cancer from being out in the heat for too long. She fed the camel who was waiting in a temporary stable, gave her water and spent time with her since she enjoyed receiving affection. After spending time with the camel (Y/n) went back to her tent and turned her phone on, quickly navigating to her downloaded videos so she could watch the episodes of Voltron since there wasn't an internet signal.

She was on season eight, the final season and there were a couple of episodes that included Gyrgan; she thought the series would have been better if he had more screen time, unfortunately he didn't and finding fanfics where Gyrgan was the main character were rare. About halfway through the second episode of season eight (Y/n) noticed how the wind outside seemed to be picking up, if a sandstorm was coming then she would take the proper precautions and get to safety. A crack of what she thought was lightning seemingly above her tent startled (Y/n), it wasn't often lightning storms showed up out of the blue like the one outside did. It wasn't a storm, though; what was going on outside was a phenomenon that never happened in the real world because there was another factor at play. (Y/n) tried not to worry too much when the wind blew faster outside or when the lightning continued to crack loudly in the sky, she'd definitely never heard a storm like it, anywhere.

While the young woman remained in her large tent something amazing yet frightening was going on outside, a portal had opened up in the sky during a certain battle that took place in an alternate reality. The remaining four paladins of Voltron were fighting off Zarkon and Haggar who came back from the dead and intended on getting revenge for the destruction of Daibazaal. During the fierce battle Haggar opened up a one way portal and sent a certain paladin through, not even she knew where he would end up. The storm in the real world only got worse before it started to get better and not until the paladin, Gyrgan, had been sent through the portal and landed on the sandy ground outside before getting partially covered with more sand. After the portal in the sky disappeared the storm slowly dissipated, only leaving minimal damage behind.

(Y/n) had paused the video on her phone when the storm outside started getting bad, ready to go out and do what she had to, although she was confused when the wind died down and the lightning stopped. She waited for a while before she put her phone down and put her boots on, ready to go see what got damaged during the very unusual storm. Thankfully there wasn't very much damage to anything where she and her group were camped out, although then she spotted a strange lump partially buried in the sand several feet away; she couldn't tell if something got unearthed or if the lump was a person, so naturally she went to go check it out. Upon landing on the ground after being sent through the portal Gyrgan went unconscious, the large man completely unaware of where he'd been sent. As (Y/n) got closer and saw who was laying on the ground she gasped in disbelief; there was no way he could be there, but when she knelt next to the armor-clad yellow paladin and felt him she knew that she wasn't going crazy.

"No way. How did you get here? Did you come here during that storm? Hold on, let me get you to my tent." (Y/n) spoke frantically when she saw that Gyrgan, the original yellow paladin, was laying in the sand; she quickly dusted him off with her hands so she could somehow get him to her tent.

Gyrgan couldn't give her an answer, of course, because he was unconscious, although he could still hear her. (Y/n) knew that she had to hide him in her tent so no one else would find out about him, if any government found out that a very large alien man fell through a mysterious portal then they would want to take him apart and study him. Dragging Gyrgan back to her tent wasn't as easy as (Y/n) thought it would be, he was huge compared to a human which meant he was far heavier as well; since he was unconscious anyway she rolled him the whole way, she would tend to his injuries once she had him in her temporary home. She could hardly believe Gyrgan was in the real world, (Y/n) didn't know how such a thing was possible but she had a feeling it had something to do with the storm that came out of nowhere and went away soon after. Until he woke up (Y/n) would make a comfortable bed for him to sleep on and get something for him to eat.

__________

(Y/n) knew that the rest of her crew wouldn't be gone forever and she hoped Gyrgan would wake up before they came back, otherwise there would be the risk of them actually finding out about him. While the large man was unconscious she took the opportunity to remove his helmet and the upper part of his armor, only unzipping his bodysuit halfway so she could check him for any injuries. There were only a few bruises on his torso which was lucky, especially since his armor cracked during the fall, although he had a cut on the left side of his head that she cleaned and bandaged so that it wouldn't get infected. (Y/n) rezipped Gyrgan's bodysuit so that when he woke up he wouldn't think anything suspicious happened, but she didn't zip it up before admiring his muscular torso. The large rygnirathian man wasn't handsome by the usual human standards, but (Y/n) personally thought he was the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on.

(Y/n) wasn't entirely sure how much time passed since she brought Gyrgan to her tent, but at some point he finally started to wake up. She had a cup of water ready for him and she had a bag/box with her favorite snack in it, she didn't mind sharing it with him. After what he'd been through in his universe Gyrgan was surprised to find himself in what looked like a tent; one minute he was fighting against Zarkon and Haggar and then the next he'd been sent through a portal. Gyrgan looked around the homey tent and his gaze ended up on (Y/n), he felt even more confused when he saw her. (Y/n) smiled softly at him when he looked at her, hoping that she didn't come off as threatening.

"By Willow, what- What happened?" Gyrgan groaned when he attempted to sit up only to end up feeling dizzy, feeling the bandage on his head when he touched it.

"I'm not exactly sure what happened before, but I found you laying outside, partially covered with sand. I'm (Y/n), by the way." (Y/n) replied to the best of her ability, introducing herself first so he knew her name.

"The last thing I remember is being shoved through a portal. My name is Gyrgan." Gyrgan responded in confusion prior to introducing himself, even though she already knew who he was.

"A portal? That must have been that storm earlier." (Y/n) said mostly to herself in realization, it only made sense for him to have come from a portal, one of which sounded like a storm to someone who didn't look outside.

Gyrgan didn't know what to think or how to feel, he'd been transported to an alternate reality with no way back, he felt as though he abandoned his friends when they needed him most even though he didn't exactly have a say in the matter. (Y/n) offered him the food and water and he graciously accepted them, he wasn't too hungry or thirsty during that moment in particular, but he didn't want to seem rude. He drank all of the water and ate some of the (F/s) from the bag/box, leaving the rest for his kind hostess who went out of her way to take care of him. They sat in silence for a while since there was a lot to think about, Gyrgan could never return to where he came from and it was a lot for him to take in. He didn't know what dangers the reality he found himself in had, although he tried not to think about it too much so that he wouldn't stress himself out.

"I know that this is a lot to take in, but you can live with me if you want." (Y/n) said after a few minutes, offering Gyrgan a place to stay since he didn't have anywhere else to go; it would be an adjustment, but she couldn't just not give him a place to live.

"That's very kind of you, thank you." Gyrgan thanked (Y/n) for her kindness; he couldn't go home and she seemed nice, he knew that she would keep him safe.

(Y/n) smiled at him, happy that he accepted her offer for him to come live with her in her own home, although until then she would have to keep him secret from her crew. She began telling him about where they were and what she was doing there in the first place, he seemed to enjoy hearing about the things she'd learned thus far. Gyrgan thought her research sounded interesting and occasionally asked questions when he thought something was particularly interesting, he'd never met an archaeologist like her before. After (Y/n) finished telling him a little about herself and her job Gyrgan told her about him being the yellow paladin and some of the adventures he had, ones that were never shown in Voltron. (Y/n) eventually told him about how she knew him, luckily he took it well and they had a great time talking to each other.

[kokonoisgf]

Reaction to you wearing crotchless panties ft. TR boys

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

+ characters : Shinichiro Sano, Kokonoi Hajime, Kazutora Hanemiya, Chifuyu Matsuno 

+ tw:  fem reader - sexual explicit content, degradation kink, praise kink, fingering, oral, cursing. and to be clear these are all TIMESKIPS well besides for shin LMAO

+ this was requested by anon <3 initially either for Chifuyu or Shinichiro- so I did both and added Koko and Kazu mwah <3

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

✻ Shinichiro  ✻

Tongue dipping between your folds, the hot muscle collects some of your nectar - He hums, long fingers digging into the plush of your bare waist. He’s pussy drunk, living and thriving between your legs, refusing to stop eating your pretty cunt out- why would he when you were sprawled out so prettily under him. Utterly bare under his gaze, aside from the crotchless panties you had opted for wearing this morning, Shinichiro devours you whole. Eyes glued to the way your pretty little cunt drips with cum, a bead rolls down your fluttering hole, almost hitting the satin bedsheets before Shinichiro’s skilled tongue catches it. “Taste so good baby” He can't get enough of you, with each passing minute buried into your pussy, he feels himself unravelling, needing more, more of you. “Wearing these just for me, hm? My perfect girl” A broken moan of his name slips past your lips, chest heaving as he tore another orgasm out of you with pure words. Snickering, he delves back in to aid you with your high, Fingers leaving crescent moon indents into your skin. “That's right pretty- Cum for me, All mine” He blabbers mindlessly, mind solely focused on making you feel good. Your moans pierce the night, head thrown back as you cum for the 4th time in Shinichiro’s mouth. Dark locks stuck to his forehead, sterling chain glittering under the dim light of his bedroom and lust-filled gaze never leaving your clenching hole. “So pretty” His voice isn't above a whisper, as he looks back at you, chin slick with your juices, his usual grin on his face: “Can my pretty girl take it, one more time?”

✻ Koko ✻

Soft palm hits your rear, contrasting with the pure harshness of his slap - tearing another moan from you. “Dirty slut” Sultry voice slips past his lips, dark sterling eyes flickering between the crimson imprints of his hand on the subtle skin of your ass and your exposed cunt on display for him. “Wearing such things-” He pauses, one finger collecting the slick that was oozing out of your cunt, bringing it to his mouth. He hums, lashes fluttering, feeling his auburn dress pants become incredibly tighter. “That desperate for my attention hm? Want my cock that badly, you whore?” You whine and plea on top of him, shaking your ass slightly, as if to entice him to finally give you what you want. He clicks his tongue, dark gaze zeroing on your pussy, sliding one long digit inside drawing the softest mewl of his name out of you. 

“What's wrong pretty” He coos, angling his finger just - perfectly, so that he teasingly graze against your gummy walls. “Cat got your tongue?” Even if you wished to answer, you mentally couldn't - your mind hazy, building up with the thoughts of Koko granting you another orgasm. You knew damn well those agile fingers could work pure magic between your folds, pulling orgasms after orgasms out of your body. “So wet” His voice resonates in the room, you sprawled on his thighs. Curling the tip of his digits, he angles them just right to make you see stars - feeling your cunt flutters around him. “Cumming already? Pathetic” Koko’s body betrays his words, biting down on his lips to stop any moan from escaping his lips, his own cock twitching against the material of his underwear. “Cum now, before I change my mind” His voice is sultry, like the sweetest melody as it rings through your ears. Mindless chants of his name slips past your lips as you let go, creaming around his long digits. Your juices dribble coating the soft material of your crotchless panties, which almost stirs a moan from Koko. Riding out your orgasm, by fucking yourself on his fingers, his gaze never leaves your cunt gripping him so tightly, breath coming out in short pants. It’s not long before he has you up, straddling him, grasping your hand to put it on his clothed dick : “Now, be a good girl and ride me.”

✻ Kazutora  ✻

His face is flushed, tinted with a scarlet hue as his sandy-orbs zeroes on the picture you just sent him - your pretty cunt on full display for him, adorned by peachy crotchless panties. He gulps, mouth agape as he stares and stares, cock hardening against his loose sweatpants. His mind goes blank, thinking about how badly he wished to rearrange your insides, moulding you to fit his cock. To have you cream all around him, pussy fluttering as moans of his name cascade from your mouth like a waterfall - that is, until his ringtone stirs him out of his daydream. “A-Ah!” He gasps, fumbling with the touch screen before answering, embarrassment washing over him. Your voice is sultry asking him what took him so long, mindlessly telling him how badly you needed him; needing his tongue, skilled fingers and most importantly his cock. “Baby I-” He's flustered out of his mind, gaze flickering between his alarm clock showing a 11:45pm in red neon color and the keys to his motorcycle laying by his bed. “Want me that badly, angel?” He questions voice husky, even though the answer is written in the stars. Cock deliciously aching against the thin material of his pants, one of his hand rubs himself a bit, a long-drawn-out sighs escaping his parted lips. Your moans on the other end of the line stirs a gasp from your lover, who knows damn well your fingers are buried deep within your cunt, imagining it to be his cock. You plea and moan for him to help you, begging for his help to cum, to cream all over his cock. “Need me to cum pretty?” You mindly chants a series of “Yes”, as Kazutora’s breath hitches, hips bucking against his palm. Your sweet lover isn’t one to refuse you, not when you’re literally craving every centimeter of his being. Getting up, he grasps his keys: “F-Fuck baby, Ill be there in 10” 

✻ Chifuyu  ✻

A lock of the door was all it took for Chifuyu to pounce on you; like a predator cornering its prey. “Fuck baby, didn’t know you had that kind of stuff” His voice is sultry as his large hands slowly slithers up your thighs, a digit collecting your slick, wasting no time into rubbing circles unto your pearl with it. The pet shop had just closed, when you had opted on paying a surprise visit to your boyfriend as he counted his cash for the day. When you bent down for him, picking a coin that had slipped from his grasp, that's when Chifuyu lost it. Those crotchless panties, your cunt so deliciously on display for him, it was like a switch clicked inside him. 

“ Naughty little thing” He coos, pressing a serie of kisses down your neck, making quick work of lifting you up on the counter, dropping to his knees. Face now at eye level with your core, he snickered, opal eyes flickering up to yours. “Already so wet” He remarks, quick to burry his face into your slick, tongue darting out to lick a clean stripe. He clicks his tongue, noticing your leaking arousal on the counter, “Dirtying everything- who's gonna clean this mess hm?” His body obviously betrays his words, cock aching and throbbing at the thoughts of taking you right there in his shop. You mewl and beg for him to eat you out, hands tangling into his raven locks, earning s chuckle from him. He shots you a small earnest smile, pressing a chaste kiss unto your clit: “ you dont even need to ask, princess”

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

back to masterlist? 

[mandy-asimp]

An interview online

pairing: sandra bullock x reader

warnings: FLUFF!!!

summary: during the pandemic, y/n and sandy decide to move in after a few years of datings. and what better time than a pandemic. with their relationship hidden from the world, a single shadow could finally bring light to them.

a/n~ im like married to sandy atm. like more than normal. like this just some slight •3•

“Funny story! I was watching that movie this morning actually.” Her voice came from the study. She sat at the desk, the sun hitting her skin perfectly.

“Were you really?” Ellen’s voice came through the speakers.

Y/N had knowledge of the interview. And with the pandemic, it was a weird way of doing things. But, she never minded as it was just her job.

“Yeah, I was laying on the couch and a scene had happened and it made me realize how lucky I was!” She smiled. Y/N infiltrating her mind. Making the smile grow wider and more natural.

Ellen picked up on it as well. “Seems like theres a somebody we haven’t heard of?” She teased.

“Nope, just little old me in this house alone.” Sandy dismissed.

Y/N heard the knock at the door. Grabbing it so it wouldn’t interrupt. Revealing the mail man with a package. Grabbing it as it was handed over.

The brown box had Sandy’s name. So, Y/N walked it over.

“So tell us about your new lifestyle,” Ellen struck up a conversation.

Y/N came in from the other side of the room. Not noting how the sun was blocked, casting a shadow.

“Who’s that?” Ellen curiously asked. Watching as the shadow quickly stopped moving. “Thought you were all alone?”

Sandra looked behind the computer. Then back to the screen. “Nobody. Just a cloud passing by.”

Y/N bit back the laugh. Getting the look in return. Making the smile drop quickly.

“You give clouds the look?” Ellen teased. Laughing hared when the brunette couldn’t make out any words. “So do we get to meet your stay at home buddy?”

“Only if they want to. It’s all up to them.” Sandy said. More so speaking to Y/N.

“Only if you want to. I mean it’s your interview,” Y/N softly spoke. Inaudible to the other end if the computer.

“Are we ready for the world yet?” Sandy questioned. A sense of worry rushing on her. What if its all bad response? What if they weren’t ready for the public eye?

“I mean, we’ve been together for almost three years. A little peak of me wouldn’t hurt.” Y/N felt ready. More than ever before. “But, maybe I’ll just hide behind you?” The shyness Sandy fell in live with showed.

“Ok, I’ll turn off my camera and you can come hide behind me.” Sandy agreed. Clicking the button that turned off her screen. Letting her lover sneak in behind her. Hiding behind her head and only showing the eyes. Watching as it clicked back on.

“Oh! Well hello!” Ellen welcomed. A soft wave being returned. “So the pandemic was your opportunity to move in together I take it?”

“Well, I was gonna wait till our three year anniversary to ask, but because the pandemic, I asked sooner than later. So now we celebrate three years in person.” Sandy answered. Focusing in her screen as Y/N smiled and the creases appeared.

“Three years?!” Ellen sounded shocked. Never once had anyone heard of this lover. “So you’re a good secret keeper!”

“Only pictures of us posted together were on their instagram. Which was limited down to just family and close friends.” The brunette hummed.

“Well, it was lovely having you, and lovely meeting you! Will we ever see the full face?” Ellen questioned.

Y/N shook their head. “Maybe in another time. Can we go finish our movie now?”

“Of course, my love. Thank you for having us. Hopefully we can have a face to face interview again.” Sandy smiled. Waving away as she ended the call. Tilting her head back to meet Y/N’s eyes. “You just made headlines.”

“As long as I’m with you, it doesn’t matter.” Y/N placed a kiss to the other’s lips. Quickly dragging her away to the couch.

The two fell to the couch. One on top of the other. Playing the movie and enjoying the presence of their relationship.

“Y/N?” Sandy quietly grabbed the other’s attention. A hum being the answer. “You know I love you right?”

“Everyday it’s implied. And I love you just as much,” Y/N held on tighter. “Now shush! The best part of the movie is coming!”

“You are such a dork,” Sandy laughed.

“But I’m your dork,” Y/N giggled.

The two spent the rest of the day watching movies. Just like the other days in their quarantine.

[lumosinlove]

Vaincre

~

It’s here!! Thank you all for the support of this universe, it truly means so very much to me. Every time I get a comment, or get to read the fan fiction you all write, see the art you create...it just fills me with so much joy. I’m so excited to share the Sweater Weather sequel with you, Vaincre! Go Lions!

cw: brief mention of past injury and past abuse

~

part i: July

I’ve been holding my breath

I’ve been counting to ten

~

The media wasn’t kind. There were network shows and blogs. Magazines and papers and podcasts. Not to mention Twitter.

Remus had heard his name on all of them, even if he wasn’t listening. It was part of Alice’s job to make sure he knew what was being said about him. It was his job to tune most of it out. Some outrage. Some elation. Some confusion.

This is my question, one podcast asked. I mean, I’m happy for Black. Lupin, too. I’m happy for the hockey world to have this happen, it’s about time, I mean, tune it, come on, and all that.

I’m confused about the, you know, ‘let’s put the PT on the roster.’ I’ve seen college clips, like, those have been released, we know that he got injured, we know all that. He’s fast, we know that, too. But a lot of guys are fast.

Just…what a move by Coach Weasley. A good move? I don’t know. I really don’t know.

Remus had always loved to run. It cleared his head. It had been one of the forms of exercise he had been able to do first once his shoulder had healed, before weights or any sort of strength training. His therapists had recommended it. Endorphins, they had said.

But Remus liked it because it was the closest he had been able to get to gliding on the ice, even when he still couldn’t stand to even look at a rink.

A good move? I don’t know. I really don’t know.

Remus was used to not knowing. He was beginning to think he thrived on it. Would he play hockey again? Would he ever find love? Would Sirius want him?

Was this really happening?

He didn’t think of dreams as coming so late, but, then again, why should dreams be put on any sort of time schedule?

Now, he banged out the screen door and onto the rickety, well-loved porch of the lake house that had been passed down through his family for years. His mother and her brothers split it up in the summer, overlapping for a week or so, and there were always little gifts left behind for each family at the trade-off. A bottle of the best maple syrup, or some of the local honey. They were small, but Remus smiled when he saw what his uncle and aunt and cousins had left for him and Sirius after his parents and Julian had given them the month of July with the house to themselves. A little flower arrangement with two hockey sticks, carved out of wood, sticking up in the middle.

Sirius had plucked one from the dirt, twirled it over in his fingers, and smiled.

“Your family will never stop surprising me.”

Green Lake was deep, prime for fishing, and gorgeous. The smell of the water, of the soil and sweet summer air was as good as home to Remus. He breathed it in now as he bent to lace up his sneakers. He could smell the fire pit that they had lit last night, one that he and Julian had roasted thousands of marshmallows over.

“I showed Jules how to roast the perfect marshmallow here,” Remus had said that first July night, leaning back against Sirius’ chest.

Sirius had blew out his burnt-black one. “Like this?”

Remus had scoffed. “No, you heathen.”

Sirius looked good here, surrounded by the woods and rusty cabin, wearing the old fleeces that never seemed to leave this place for when the sun had yet to warm the chilly mornings. Some mornings, they’d make their coffee, tangle their socked feet together on the small couch until the sun began to get high and they’d strip it all off in favor of swimsuits and sunscreen. Other mornings, Remus would rise, pressing a gentle kiss to Sirius’ sleeping face, and take to the dirt road that ran around the lake.

Sirius, just off of the hard won playoffs, needed to rest. Remus needed to train.

A good move? I don’t know. I really don’t know.

They would leave in two days for Pascal’s Cup Day celebration, and then to meet Remus’ parents, his little brother Julian, and Regulus back in Gryffindor for Sirius’ Cup Day. And August training. Remus stretched his hands to his toes and closed his eyes. A strange type of adrenaline filled him whenever he thought about practicing with the team, about the fitness tests that would come first. He’d have to prove himself again and again. He wanted to. But part of him wondered what would happen if he couldn’t.

The screen door squeaked open and shut again, and Remus jumped, looking up to find Sirius, still sleep rumpled, standing there in running shorts.

Remus laughed, reaching up to trace a pillow crease in his cheek. “You’re supposed to be sleeping in while you can.”

Sirius let out a grumbly sort of yawn and gathered his hair, long from the summer and just brushing his chin now, back into a small half-up bun.

“I can’t believe you do this before coffee.”

“Too acidic. Gives you running stitches.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sirius sighed, and threw his arm around Remus’ shoulders as they walked up the steep driveway to the road.

Remus kissed his wrist. “I’ll miss being here with you.”

Sirius smiled. He was tan from the summer, hair dark as ever and his skin sun-kissed.

Remus leaned into his shoulder. “I mean look at you. I like seeing you this relaxed.”

Sirius bit his lip as the rounded a bend, waving at Mrs. Barrow, who was tending to her garden.

“I don’t think I knew I could be this relaxed,” Sirius admitted. “It was always train, train, train, you didn’t get a Cup, try harder.”

Remus was familiar with the notes that appeared in Sirius’ voice now from years of Sirius’ small slips in conversation, even when, to Remus, Sirius had only been they youngest captain in the league, cold and reserved from even more years of his father’s abusive, relentless attitude towards hockey and Sirius’ skills. Even when Remus had only been the team’s physical therapist, closeted, crushing on Sirius, and surprised by the cracks Sirius showed when he had gotten his ankle smashed by Severus Snape, Captain of the Slytherin Snakes—the Gryffindor Lions greatest rivalry. Pain, it had seemed, and fear of never stepping on the ice again, had given Remus his first glimpses into a different Sirius beneath it all, a boy who was filled with much more than just a need to win, but for whom the want of winning only made him love his sport, and his team, more.

“And now that you have a Cup?” Remus asked. “How’re you feeling?”

They came to the road and Sirius balanced on one foot, stretching his thigh. “Now that I have you,” he said. “I’m feeling just fine.”

Remus snorted. “Yeah, the Stanley Cup Champion part has nothing to do with it.”

Sirius laughed, but took Remus’ face between his palms. “If I didn’t have you, and I had only a Cup, all I would be doing right now is thinking about another Cup.”

Remus put a hand on his chest, fingers finding the number twelve pendant that rested there.

“Now, there’s more,” Sirius said simply, and leaned down for a tender kiss. “Like your mother’s peach pie.”

Remus punched him in the arm as Sirius laughed loudly.

“You’ll have to beat me if you want a slice of that!” Remus called as he took off.

Sirius made a wounded noise, but sprinted after him until they were side by side again.

~

“I don’t think I can leave this beach,” Leo mumbled into the lounging cabana they were spread out beneath, and Logan looked down at him from where he was reading—trying to read—one of the books Finn had given him. He didn’t know how many books Finn had tried to get him to read over the years, but he knew he never made it through more than a few pages without looking up, getting distracted, or having to go back.

“Non?” Logan asked.

Leo shook his head. “The sun. The sea. I’m in heaven.”

“What about hockey?”

“Brr.”

Logan laughed and settled back into the pillows, setting the book aside and rolling towards Leo to feel his sun-warmed back and leaned down to kiss his temple. A private beach definitely had its perks—and so did three hockey salaries.

“We’ll just stay here, then.”

They’d had a good summer. Leo’s Cup Day, Finn’s, his own, all in their hometowns and accompanied by large parades and fanfare. Logan had finally gotten to take Leo home to his sisters and parents for the first time. It had been nice to see Finn around his family again, too, after what felt like eons of avoiding him in that small gap between being at Harvard and then them both making it to the NHL, and to the Lions.

Leo’s sleepy smile up at him melted Logan like ice in the sun.

“Okay, good,” Leo said, then his eyes went behind Logan. “There’s the ghost-on-toast with our drinks.”

Logan snorted and looked up to see Finn—and Finn’s tiny blue swim shorts that he insisted weren’t see-through—walking towards them through the sand from the resort bar with a tray of drinks in his hands.

“Hey, lover-nuts,” Finn said as he set the tray down in the shade. “Got us some snacks, too. That bar tender loves me.”

“You are so pale,” Leo laughed. “I love you, though, please put more sunscreen on.”

“Keep your sandy feet off my towel,” Logan nudged Finn’s foot with his own as he reached for his drink. Finn just smiled and nodded at the book.

“How is it?” Finn asked.

Logan just looked at him.

He laughed and ran a hand through Logan’s salty, damp hair. “I know. I’ll read it to you later. I just thought you might want something for the beach!”

Logan held up his cocktail. “I have something for the beach.”

They settled back under their cabana, the thin, white linen curtains fluttering around them in the three o’clock breeze. Maybe Logan, as he closed his eyes between Leo and Finn, Leo’s hand still on his thigh, Finn’s arm pillowing the back of his neck, never wanted to leave this beach, either.

“Back to Gryffindor tomorrow,” Logan said.

“Group chat says most guys’ll be back this week,” Finn said, squinting at his phone over his sunglasses. “We gotta be back for Dumo’s, and then Cap’s Cup Day. That’ll be nice, man.”

“I like that they’re bringing it to Gryffindor Pride,” Leo said, rolling onto his back. “Should have thought of that. Or, I guess…” Leo trailed off and Logan frowned. They couldn’t do that. Not yet, at least. Leo caught Logan’s expression and rested a reassuring hand on his thigh. “I’m glad we get to go, even if its for them on the surface. That’s real thoughtful of them, you know?”

Logan nodded. It was thoughtful. When Remus and Sirius had brought it up to them, he’d found himself getting a little choked up.

“We want you guys to be able to experience that, too,” Remus had said. “If you want. No matter what you decide to do public-wise in the future.”

Finn clicked his phone off and chucked it to the side. “Hey, don’t take me off island time yet. We’ll order to the room, eat on the deck, hike up and stargaze…”

Finn rattled off the perfect list, tilting towards Logan until their lips met.

“And then we’ll go win another Cup.”

Leo and Logan punched him at the same time.

~

Thomas sat in the shade with Kasey as they watched Alex try to take on Natalie and Noelle at pool basketball.

“I really think they’re going to accidentally drown him,” Thomas said thoughtfully.

“He probably thinks that, too, and is just too competitive to stop,” Kasey replied.

Thomas laughed, and held out his beer to cheers.

“This is a nice house the O’Haras have, man,” he looked at the sparkling ocean beyond the steps and fence, and at the pool with the grill and lounge chairs. They’d only come up for the weekend, between training and visiting their own families, and before returning to Gryffindor for the season.

“Tell me about it.”

“Cheating!” Alex spluttered from the pool as Natalie put all of her weight on him to dunk him under the water. Alex pointed very seriously to the foot marker on the side tile. “We agreed from that to Thomas’ chair, I was too far away!”

“Too bad!” Noelle shouted as she made another basket.

Thomas didn’t think it was the alcohol that made him feel a little fuzzy at the edges as he looked over her in her swimsuit. She was all curves of tanned muscle, softened the summer around her stomach and arms. Thomas was a goner. But she seemed pretty gone, too, so he guessed it was all right.

“This moment’s always rough,” Kasey said softly from beside him, and when Thomas looked at him questioningly, he gestured vaguely with his beer. “The end of July. One more month, but not really. Alex’ll go back for training, you know? It’s like a trick. I always think, I get three months with these two. But it’s more like two and the first week of August.”

Thomas nodded. “I know. Noelle, too. Her training camp starts on the eight. I’m just…”

Kasey sighed in sympathy.

“At least you have Nat, you know?” Thomas said. “Not that I’m saying you have it easier, I just…”

Kasey shook his head. “I know. Believe me, I’m thankful for that every day. But…when you miss someone, you miss someone.”

Thomas nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, exactly.”

Last season hadn’t been too bad. His relationship with Noelle had been new. They only really knew FaceTime dates, and squeezed in weekend flights that sometimes left them more exhausted than sated. They had been taking it slow. Thomas had been kissed by Noelle—a lot. Enough to make him dizzy with it. Only, then she’d met him at the airport in Quebec, they’d spent a month with her family in France…

And Thomas wasn’t sure he knew how to do just FaceTime anymore. There was a new yearning, knotted just below his heart. He knew what her skin felt like under his hands now, knew what she looked like right when she waked up, even her skincare routine before bed. It would feel like being away from the ice for too long, the knot pulling tight. He thought this year was going to be harder. Maybe he knew it, but if he did, he was pretending it might be easy still.

“T,” Noelle called, floating on her back, dark hair fanned out in the water. “C’mere!”

Thomas smiled, setting his drink down. He would come, whenever she called. Wherever.

~

Cole Reyes didn’t know if Adele Dumais staring at him the way she was was a good thing, or a bad thing. He was nervous enough without the seemingly disapproval of Pascal Dumais'—the Pascal Dumais of the Gryffindor Lions, oldest player in the league—teenage daughter.

“Don’t you talk?” Marc, one of his sons, asked.

Cole blinked. “Uh. Yeah. Yeah.”

Adele waved her brother off. “They’re always super nervous at first. Remember Sirius?”

Marc scoffed. “I was a baby.”

Cole let out a breath. Now they were casually talking about Sirius Black, who had lived in the very room Cole had been sleeping in for a week now when he was a rookie, too. It was the same with Logan Tremblay. He felt like he needed to keep the room pristine, like he was living in some Hockey Hall of Fame museum that he had not earned the right to be in yet.

“You’re still a baby,” Adele shot back.

“Kids,” came Celeste, Pascal’s wife’s voice from where she was setting the table. “Come on now.”

“Sorry, maman,” Marc said softly.

“Sorry,” Adele sighed more reluctantly.

“Go help your father with the grill, you two,” she said. “Everyone will be arriving soon.”

Katie, Celeste and Pascal’s youngest daughter, perked up from where she was sitting beside Cole, drawing. Not Pascal, Dumo—Cole kept having to remind himself that he could call Pascal by his nickname now, that it was all official, that he was a Gryffindor Lion, too. Katie hadn’t left his side since he arrived a week ago to billet with the Dumais, and he still wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Even the Cup?” she asked.

Celeste laughed. “Oui, ma cherie. Cole? Would you mind going to get the flowers for the table? They’re on the kitchen counter, just inside.”

“Oh, sure, Mrs. Dumais,” Cole nodded, glad for something to do. The thought of the Cup arriving gave him the chills. He’d have to be careful not to touch it. He was scared to even look at it, to be honest. His mom would be laughing at him right about now. He wanted to call her afterwards, tell her everything.

“Call me Celeste, I told you, please,” Celeste smiled. She was lovely, with her dark hair twisted and clipped up and a summer dress as green as her eyes, silky against her olive skin.

Cole flushed, but smiled. “Celeste.”

Cole made his way through the sliding door from the back yard and through the dining room. The kitchen was one of the biggest rooms in the house—and it was a big house. Beautiful copper pans hung shining above the island, along with some herbs that Celeste grew and dried herself. It looked like something out of a magazine to Cole, and it was nice, but it wouldn’t beat his mom’s kitchen in the small apartment they shared in Boston. The small space would fill up to the brim with the smell of spices, or cobbler. The thought sent a pang right to his heart. He missed home, that was for sure. After being away for so long, for so many hockey camps, he’d hoped he would be more used to it by now.

The flowers were right where Celeste had said they would be, and he was reaching for one when the back door that led to the garage dinged open. Cole froze, sure that he was about to run into captain Sirius Black completely unprepared, when a girl stepped through instead. She was dressed in denim shorts and a white tank top, had dark brown skin, and a Gryffindor College hat over her hair, which was plaited back into many small braids.

She smiled when she saw him. No sign of surprised, or of the nervousness Cole felt when he met basically anyone.

“You must be Cole,” she said.

Cole nodded. The girl was gorgeous. Cole was a mess of nerves already. He didn’t need the stare of the teenage daughter of one of his idols, but he especially could not handle a beautiful girl right now.

“Yeah,” Cole said. “No, yeah, um. Yes.”

The girl strode forward, setting her bag down on the counter, along with a water bottle decorated in stickers. He caught a few Lions ones. She offered her hand, which was slender and had two golden rings on it. “I’m Layla. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Cole took it, trying to place her. “Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, I babysit for the Dumais family,” she said in explanation, then waved her hand. “Well, this year, at least. I’m actually—we’re going to be working together.”

Cole blinked. “You mean the Lions?”

She nodded. “I’m in the middle of my undergrad for physical therapy. Dumo’s amazing and he got me an internship under the new PT. You know. I’ll probably get you stick tape or something,” she laughed. “Congrats, by the way.”

Cole tilted his head and she raised an eyebrow.

“On making it to the NHL?”

“Oh,” Cole laughed. “Oh, I, yeah, thanks. You, too—or…yeah.”

Cole was going to stay in his room in the basement and never come out.

“I gotta—Mrs. Du—Celeste wants these flowers outside,” he said, picking the vases up.

“Sure thing,” Layla smiled.

“Layla,” came a shriek, and a moment later Katie Dumais came sprinting into the kitchen and wrapped herself around Layla’s legs and smiled at Cole. “This is my new hockey player.”

Cole couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t have a lot of experience with kids, but Katie sure was cute.

“Yours?” Layla gasped as she smiled at Cole. “He’s all yours, is he?”

Katie nodded. “Like Tremzy and Sirius. His name is Cole, like when Santa Clause doesn’t like you.”

Again, with the casual mentions of Logan Tremblay and Sirius Black.

“Oh, of course,” Layla laughed. “Well, I’m sure Santa Clause has never not liked you, babes. Let’s go let your mom know I’m here, okay? Your new hockey player can come with us, too.”

“He’s yours, too!” Katie insisted. “You’re here all the time, so he’s yours, too, don’t worry.”

“Oh, good,” Layla said. “I was worried.”

When Katie looked at Cole expectedly, Cole managed, “I guess everyone does need a hockey player?”

“Exactly!” Katie squealed, and Cole could only follow them outside, heart pounding.

~

It was good to be back in Gryffindor. Remus and Sirius had dropped their bags in Sirius’ entryway, said hello to Regulus, showered, and then hopped right back in the car to get to Pascal’s house.

“You two look disgustingly happy,” Regulus said, leaning forward from the back seat.

“We are,” Sirius grinned at him in the review mirror. “I am also happy,” he stroked the leather steering wheel of his Range Rover. “To be back with this baby.”

While Sirius’ hair had grown longer, Regulus had shaved his short. The curls were barely curls at all anymore, but Remus was happy to see that his seemingly ever-present dark circles had receded some.

“Why, thank you, Regulus, you look happy, too,” Remus snorted. “When do you leave for NYU’s orientation?”

“August 23rd,” he said. “Been texting with my housemates, too. They seem cool.”

“Maybe one of you will pull a Finn and fall in love with each other,” Sirius said.

“Twice,” Remus laughed, and Regulus did, too.

“I think I’ve had enough romance drama to last me a life time, thanks,” Regulus smiled. “But, yeah. I’m just…I’m focused on friends right now, I think. Normal, non-hockey creatures like you two. But that’s not to say if something came up…or I guess someone. Who knows.”

Sirius’ smile was softer this time. “Focus on whatever you want, Reg. You deserve it.”

Regulus just grumbled something about hockey gods, and then they were pulling up to the Dumais’. There were silver and white balloons lining the driveway and the fence to the backyard where, as Remus slammed his door, he could already hear laughter. A zing of excitement shot through him.

“I missed this team,” he sighed as Sirius took his hand.

Sirius pressed a kiss to his temple. “Your team.”

“Our team.”

“Jesus Christ,” Regulus said, and gave them a shove forward.

Thomas gave a loud woop when he spotted them coming out to the backyard. Regulus immediately made a B-line towards Leo and the Cubs.

“Yes! The Captain!” Thomas said and pulled Sirius into a hug. “Missed you, man.”

“You, too, T,” Sirius said. “Ready to tear it up?”

“You know it.”

Remus smiled as Thomas hugged him next. “I forgot you two train together before pre-season.”

“You two?” Thomas raised an eyebrow, the small gold hoops in his ears glinting in the sun. Remus noticed he’d shaved three stripes into one side of his head. They were a little wobbly. Maybe Noelle had done it. “You’re not coming with us?”

“You know how this one is about his routines,” Remus said, wrapping an arm around Sirius’ waist. “Wouldn’t want to mess anything up.”

“Please,” Sirius said. “I want you there more than I want a second—”

Remus and Thomas punched him at the same time.

“I know you weren’t just about to say that,” said an accented voice from behind Remus, and they turned to see Pascal standing there. He looked as he always did, smile lines around his eyes, gray streaks at his temples. He wore a white t-shirt and had Katie on his hip. She was definitely getting too big to be carried around like that, but Remus couldn’t see a time when Pascal would ever refuse her. He’d probably carry Adele around like that, too, if she’d let him.

“Dumo,” Sirius smiled, and took the two beers he was holding out, handing one to Remus. He kissed Katie’s forehead. “Good summer?”

“The best,” Pascal laughed, and nodded towards the edge of the yard. “Especially with the promise of seeing that thing again.”

Remus followed his gaze, and his breath caught, just as he knew it would. The Cup stood there, its guards near by with drinks and plates of food in their hands. It sat proudly on a table, surrounded by white tulips—no doubt Celeste’s doing.

“I’m excited to see you two bring it to the parade,” Pascal said. “That will be a wonderful day for everyone.”

Remus glanced at where Logan, Leo, and Finn were standing with Kasey Winter, Gryffindor’s goalie, and his partners Natalie, with her long blonde hair, and Finn’s brother Alex, who played for Tampa Bay.

Sirius’ smile lit up his face. “It will be.”

Remus peered around him. “Is that our rookie?”

Sirius scoffed. “A rookie can’t call a fellow rookie rookie, rookie.”

Remus blinked. “What did you just say?”

“That’s Cole!” Katie said. “I love him.” Then she turned and shouted his name again. He looked up from where he was standing quietly beside Jackson Nadeau, another player, and Remus suppressed a smile at the way his eyes widened when he saw Sirius.

“Oh, here we go,” Sirius mumbled.

“Oh, hush,” Remus said, and sounded far too much like his mother to himself. “You’re going to be throwing hands for him the second someone gets close, and you know it.”

“I don’t know how to tell rookies I’m just a person!” Sirius whispered as Cole began to make his way over. “They act all…”

“Star struck?” Thomas offered.

Sirius just glowered at him.

Cole Reyes did not look as young as he was. Even at 19, he was jacked, and tall, with light brown skin, green eyes, and a stripe shaved into one of his eyebrows. His hair was shaved at the sides, but longer on the top and in tight curls.

Remus glanced somewhat self-consciously down at himself. He could only put on more muscle healthily so fast. He thought he’d been doing well, but looking at Cole…

“Hello,” Cole said hesitantly and Pascal set Katie down and clapped Cole on the shoulder.

“Reyes, meet Sirius. Sirius, meet the boy who is a much better billet than you ever were.”

Sirius snorted, and Cole laughed—nervously.

“Hi, Cole,” Sirius said, and held out his hand. “I know we spoke briefly over the summer, but it’s nice to officially meet you.”

“You, too,” Cole said, smile slight. “Thanks for the call. My mom freaked out. I mean—well, me too, but my mom…” Cole stuttered out, wincing.

“Loves me?” Sirius laughed. “I get that a lot.”

“He’s so humble,” Remus shook his head jokingly. “Hi Cole, I’m Remus. Welcome to the team.”

“You too…?” Cole said hesitantly. “Well, the roster, I guess.”

“Cole,” Katie said, taking his large hand in her small one. “Come meet Tremzy. He’s my best friend.”

Sirius feigned a pout. “What about me?”

Katie smiled sheepishly, throwing herself at Sirius’ legs, “You, too!”

“Always one-uped by Tremblay,” Thomas laughed, shaking his head. “How’s it feel, Cap?”

“Wonderful,” Sirius said dryly and then looked down at Katie, petting her head. “Go on, go show Cole your best friend.”

They watched her lead Cole through the crowd for a moment before Sirius huffed.

“See?” Sirius whispered to Remus. “It’s like he’s scared of me.”

“I’ve never heard you use the phrase spoke briefly in my life. Who are you, Alice?”

“I was trying to be professional!”

Remus laughed. “Why?”

Sirius just rolled his eyes and dragged him over to stack their plates with food.

The party went well into the evening, the sky pink and blue in the setting sun. There were lanterns floating in the pool where Evgeni and Jackson were playing chicken with a delighted Marc and Louis, or sometimes one of Coach Arthur Weasley’s boys, on their shoulders. Logan was sitting with Cole and Finn, cradling a sleepy Katie against his chest, Leo and Regulus laughing with Kasey and Alex.

Remus found Sirius again standing alone in front of the Cup. His hair was falling into his face, the curls gentled by the evening breeze and the Cup’s silver surface reflecting the silver of Sirius’ eyes. Remus went to stand beside him, and neither of them spoke for a moment.

“I’m nervous,” Remus broke the silence.

Sirius nodded. “I know, mon loup.”

Remus sighed, resting his head against Sirius’ arm. “Yeah?”

“Of course,” Sirius switched his drink to his other hand so he could run his fingers through Remus’ hair. “This is…big.”

“It’s what I’ve always wanted,” Remus whispered. It felt dangerous, to say the words aloud. “It’s everything that I lost. Last time.”

Remus could still feel Fenrir Greyback rip at his shoulder, even if it was years ago now, while they were still at college. Being in the NHL meant that Remus would have to play against him again whenever they met Vegas.

Sirius turned towards him, hand on his cheek.

“You will have this,” he said earnestly, and then smile, reaching into his shirt for his necklace, the one Remus had gifted him last Christmas. He brought it to his lips. “Loops.”

Remus smiled at the now familiar sight, touching the pendant when Sirius’ let it drop.

“You know,” Remus said. “You’re everything I’ve always wanted, too.”

Sirius’ smile was one of Remus’ favorites, and he tucked him against his side. Remus followed his gaze to find him looking at Cole again.

“I’m not happy with the way it happened,” Sirius said softly, and Remus knew he was thinking of the pictures that someone had leaked of them kissing. The pictures that had upturned their entire lives. “But I’m glad I get to hold you like this in front of new faces. I wasn’t thinking about trades—I try not to—but getting Reyes, if things had been different, would have meant we were back to square one at parties like these.”

Remus nodded, taking a drink. “And he seemed okay with it. With us.”

“I was thinking we should invite him to train with us. With me, you, and T. Maybe Dumo would join, too. I know he usually goes with Sergei, but Sergei might be with Kuns and Nado, even though they usually like it just them. The Cubs—”

“Okay, Captain, okay,” Remus laughed.

Sirius pressed a hand over his eyes, laughing. “I just don’t like it when they’re nervous around me. Like Leo was. It’s so much better now that we’re friends.”

“You’ll get there with him,” Remus said. “Yeah, invite him to train with us. The more the merrier.”

Secretly, Remus wanted to see how Cole trained. He couldn’t shake the analytical side of him, the physical therapist side. Cole was built for such a young age.

“If I didn’t know better,” Sirius said softly, mouth close to Remus’ ear. “I’d say you were checking him out.”

Remus spluttered. “I’m not! I want to know his routine!”

Sirius cracked up. “This is your superstition, isn’t it? Cracking other player’s codes.”

Remus just shrugged, smiling into his cup.

“Have you cracked my code?” Sirius asked in the low voice he used that made Remus not want to be surrounded by people.

Remus looked up at him. “Maybe. It certainly has nothing to do with a piece of toast at five o’clock.”

“My pre-game toast is very important to me.”

Remus leaned up to press a quick kiss to his lips. “No, you just like honey and cinnamon.”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “Okay, I’m going to talk to Reyes now.”

“Catch him if he passes out.”

Sirius just glowered over his shoulder as he stalked across the grass. Remus looked around at the back yard, at the team, together again. His team.

[beautouslysandy]

Beach Day

Chp.2

Rafe Cameron x F!Reader By- Sandy Warnings: Language and not proofread Note- thinking about adding a love triangle with you, Rafe and JJ. Where both Rafe and JJ have a thing for Y/n???

______________________________________________

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You and Rafe have gotten quite close, you and Sarah were good friends but you clicked with Rafe more than Sarah. It’s been about a month or two since you move to the Outer Banks and school was gonna be out in a week. It was currently a beautiful Saturday morning, you planned to go with Rafe and his friends to the beach. You didn’t get along well with the girls in Rafe groups partly because they didn’t say so “accept” you as one of them which you were completely fine with, it was just that you didn’t wanna hang around guys all the time but Kelce and Topper were cool. You were lying in bed on your phone as you were comfortable where you were, you were scrolling through instagram when you received a text from Rafe.

Rafe (bolds is other, your italics)

Where are you?

At home

Why?

Because it’s my home

I am at the park waiting for you so we can head to the beach together like you asked me to. Oh, I forgot

Yeah no shit

Calm down

Shut up and just get over here before I leave without you

Rawr

Idoit

Ass

Couch Potato

Hey! That’s inaccurate by far!

Ha

Seriously though hurry up or I am gonna leave

You laughed and got up from your cozy bed. You went into your closet and got changed into a deep blue bikini and jean shorts, you grasped your favorite pair of white gas station sunglasses and put on a random pair of flip flops. You washed your face and brushed your hair and teeth. Grabbed your beach bag and headed downstairs in a dash. Left your house and bolted to the park. “Finally.” A familiar snarky voice said as you arrived at the park you and Rafe planned to meet at

“Oh shut up, I forgot.” You said with a sigh, you looked over to see Rafe who clearly has been working out more in short light blue swim trunks with whales on them (like Vineyard Vines, yk?). You guys walked to the beach next to eachother, Rafe kept catching glances at you. You were so gorgeous to him, he pushed that feeling down though, you deserve better and he wasn’t it. Your phone rang, you pulled it out and a photo of Kelce popped up with his name across the screen. You answered it with “I know we are almost there.” Before you could say anymore, Rafe grabbed the phone and said aggravated into it “Don’t call her again, you ass.” and hung up. You looked at him with a look. He looked over at you and smirked. “What was that for?” You asked as Rafe handed you your phone back. “Just wanted to it.” He said with a laugh as yall walked onto the beach. “Y/n!” Kelce’s distantive voice called which was followed by Toppers annoying voice yelling “Rafe!” You looked over to see the two guys waving, behind them were a good sized patch of boys and girls. You could make out the three that hated you for some odd reason. There was Tessa who is a brunette she was 17 like you, then May who is a blond and was 18 you think she has a thing for Rafe, and then Penelope who is a ginger and is 16 who had a thing for Kelce. Topper was currently dating a girl named Lily who was the nicest to you. You were walking over when all of the sudden someone picked you and swung you over there shoulder. “Thought you needed some help, princess.” A familiar voice said with a laugh. “JJ!” You said with a laugh as he twirled around. Rafe was watching you and JJ laughing and it was killing him. You were new to the island, fresh meat so all the guys had a thing for you. It was normal. Why Rafe was now feeling this way was beyond him. “Okay JJ, put me down.” You said with a smirk, JJ did as told and then winked at you and kissed you on the cheek. “See you later, princess.” He said flirtatiously as he walked away towards his friends. Your face got cherry red, as you made way to Rafe who was right where you left him after JJ “stole” you. “You okay?” You asked with a smile, that smile of yours never failed to make Rafe blush a bit. “I should be asking you.” He said with a scoff looking at JJ who’s eyes were lingering towards you. “Aw, you were worried about me…is someone a little jealous??” You said playfully but deep down you were hoping he was in fact jealous. “What no!” He said faking as if he was shocked by those words but he was jealous just as you hoped but he never would say or let on so.

••• Its been a hour or two since you and Rafe arrived. May was glaring at you constantly as you were sitting right next to Rafe. Lily came over and sat next to you with a smile. “May really doesn’t like you…but it’s okay she hates me too.” She said jokingly with a laugh, this made you laugh as well.

“I have never even spoken to her well maybe once when I introduced myself.” You replied with a smirk “Oh my goodness, same thing here!”

You both laughed and talked for what seemed like hours, you felt Rafe looking at you every now and then but thought nothing of it.

“Y/n?” Rafe asked

“Hm?” You hummed turning to look at him and then getting splashed by water. You heard the evil laugh of Rafe.

You started to laugh and sighed. “Rafe Cameron!” You said with a fake gasp. This is one thing he admired about you, you had the ability to laugh at yourself. You felt May’s hateful eyes on you as she walked up to your little group of Topper and Lilly next to you and Rafe. Kelce had ran off with some tourist girl. “Rafe, your so funny!” She said laughing and trying to make conversation with him but all he did was snicker. Topper and Rafe started a dry conversation with her. Your phone pinged it was a text from Sarah.

Sarah

Wanna come hangout with us, we are like 10 feet away from y’all :)

Oh my god, yes! Rafe just threw water on me and now May is trying to flirt with him and she isn’t doing well.

I hate May! She is so stuck up! Come hangout with us! JJ wants to see you ;) And tell Rafe to fuck off, he won’t react because it you.

You ignored the comment at the end as it didn’t make since to you.

May is quite stuck up and why do you keep insisting JJ is into me, he is just flirting.

Because we need to get you an island boy ;)

You need one because your to pretty to be single

I am coming no need to praise me

I am being honest!

You turned your phone off and got up. You felt Rafe’s eyes on you. “Bye Lily!” You said with a soft smile.

“Bye Y/n!!” She said with a bright smile, she is so cheery, it’s nice to be around someone who is typically happy.

As you walked off you heard footsteps behind you, you turned around to see Rafe practically pouting which you never see him do…ever.

“Where are you going?” He said with that accusing tone of his that he only brings out when he is pissed off or not interested.

“Going to hangout with Sarah and her friends!” You exclaimed as you had never gotten formally introduced to them, you only knew JJ because you have run into him around the island a couple of times. “Why?” He asked but more so stated, he was staring into your eyes trying to figure out why you would rather hangout with them then him. I mean he was clearly the superior choice.

“Sarah invited me?” You said now questioning your decision to go over and hangout with Sarah and her friends.

You felt someone put their arm around your shoulder. “She is hanging out with us, Rafe.” You turned your head to see JJ.

You looked at Rafe to see angry in his eyes as he grabbed you and brought you next to him. “Back off, pogue.” Rafe said coldly

“I am not doing anything.” JJ said with a scoff

You felt a lot of tension between the two of them and you weren’t liking it. “I was thinking of going home, anyways.” You said shyly and clearly uncomfortable. You were completely lying as you wanted to stay out but would do anything to get out of this situation.

“No!” Both of the guys said loudly which caught you and them off

Your phone began ringing and Rafe removed his hand from your arm

“That thing has been going off all day.” Rafe groaned

You chuckled slightly as you answered the phone, it was your mom. “Hey, sweetie.” Your moms familiar comforting voice greeted.

“Hey mom, what’s up?” “What time do you think you will be home or are you planning to stay at the Cameron’s or are you going to a party or something.” She rambled on

“I am not sure, I might stay at the Cameron’s, it depends but don’t wait up for me. I will probably have dinner out here.” You replied

“Okay! Love you, and be responsible!” She said with the same reminder as she always gave you when you were out and about.

You laughed “I will, love you too mom!” You said as she hung up.

“Was that your mom?” Rafe asked

“No, it was the president.” You said sarcastically as you turned your phone off again for the tenth time today “Ah, same thing.” He said with a smirk

Rafe and JJ went back to glaring at each-other. ••• You ended up with Sarah and her friends leaving a pissed off times ten Rafe. “He is so possessive of you, it’s crazy!” Sarah exclaimed with frustration as she could barely spend any time with you, y’all were close. I didn’t say you guys weren’t best friends I just said that you and Rafe really clicked.

“It’s just his thing.” You said shrugging it off as you looked off into the ocean.

You were finally introduced to the rest of the group which consisted off Kiara, John B who is dating Sarah and Pope. Along with JJ and Sarah, of course.

“He totally has a thing for you.” Kiara said

The group got quiet and then Sarah said “Rafe doesn’t have the ability to form those feelings.” Your heart sunk a little at this comment.

“I don’t know, he acts different around her, just putting it out there.” She said honestly and adding that part at the end after earning a glare from Sarah.

Everyone looked at you to see what you thought of Kiara’s thought. You shrugged and on cue you heard Rafe’s voice behind saying “Y/n, I am gonna head out. You coming?” You looked behind you to see a hurt Rafe and this made you feel terrible, he had this way of twisting your emotions. If this were anyone else you wouldn’t feel the need or almost want to go with them but this was Rafe Cameron. “Uh, sure why not.” You said as you picked your stuff up, this made Rafe grin and then glare at Sarah, she stuck her tongue at at him and he did that back to her.

“You guys are toddlers.” Pope commented laughing at it with JJ but JJ was looking at you hoping you would decide to stay. “Wanna sleepover, Y/n?” Sarah asked with a smile.

“Yeah, sure!” You said waving to everyone as Rafe put his arm around your shoulder which made you blush.

“Told ya.” Kiara said with a smirk as a dumbfounded Sarah stared at the sight of her older brother, Rafe Cameron, hitting on his best friend.

“Why did you leave them to hang out with me?” Rafe asked softly with his arm still around your shoulder.

“I didn't leave you, I just went to hang out with other people.” “That's practically the definition of leaving.” “Rafe. My friends cannot be limited to you, Sarah, Topper, Kelce, and Lilly.” “That sounds fine to me.” He said and muttered something under his breath. You stopped, “What did you just say?” as you thought he muttered something bad about you. “I just said I don't like seeing you around Pogues especially that damn blond Pogue who is always flirting with you.” He said stopping and looking at you in the eyes. The sun was setting and he looked so handsome you felt butterflies fluttering in your stomach and your heartbeat quicking.

“It's not your choice.” You replied looking at the ground and then back at him. He gulped and then looked at you coldly “I got to you first.” “What?” You said with a scoff “I am not an object, I am a human being just like you.” “I never said that you weren't-” “Saying that you ‘found’ me is implying that I am some type of object or as I have an owner. I am not an object that can be owned.” You said with frustration and did air quotes as you said the word found.

“I am just saying that he is bad news and I don't like seeing you around him.” He says, now regretting his words. “No. You are saying that you want me to be around you and your hateful and snobby friends, twenty-four seven and I am not okay with that. I am allowed to have other friends and JJ is my friend and you don’t have a choice in the matter.” You say this as you walk off in frustration, you hear Rafe call after you but you ignore him. Maybe Sarah was right, he was being possessive of you and you wouldn't stand for it. You feel tears roll down your eyes and you walk into your house and into your room. You shower and change into comfortable clothing. Your mom texts you. Mom

Is everything okay? I thought you were staying at the Cameron’s...did you get into an argument with Sarah or Rafe?

Just tired and we changed the plans, nothing to worry about :)

Okay, let me know if you need anything

Will do

Love you

Love you too, mom

You then receive multiple text from Rafe

Rafe

Y/n, I am.sorry about what I said Can we talk? I am truly sorry I shouldn't have acted like that I am sorry, just talk to me when your ready. I will be here.

You shut your phone off and then without even being able to lie down your phone pinged again and this time it was a text from JJ.

JJ

Hey! You and Rafe seemed like you guys were arguing is everything all good between you two? Yeah just a little disagreement, nothing too big. Thanks for checking in, I appreciate it :)

👍

You shut your phone off and turned off the ringer and went to sleep. Leaving your problems for the future you of tomorrow.

[restapesta]

Piercings. 5+1 ficlet, but with piercings. I have a problem.

1.

Ian thought he knew pretty much everything about his husband. He knew him, inside and fucking out.

How could he not? Ian's pretty much been with him for a better part of his life, and they've had enough late-night talks to share all their demons with each other, however hard it may have been. They knew each other.

There was no doubt about it.

But, well. Ian should have known Mickey kept secrets.

He also should've known that one of those secrets was bound to put him in the grave one day with the inscription on his tombstone saying that he died from horniness.

Because one of these days, he would. There was no doubt about it.

It wasn't the most conventional way to go, but Ian didn't mind it.

Because, holy fuck, Mickey just admitted he used to have his ears pierced.

"Sorry," Ian balked at his husband who was standing in the bathroom, eyeing himself in the mirror, a pair of black studs in his right hand. "Did you just say you had your ears pierced?"

"I probably still do." Mickey grabs an earring and places it against the healed-up hole that is so faint, Ian needed to come impossibly closer to see it. Mickey had pointed it out to him after he initially said he was getting his ears pierced again. Right after Ian was left with his mouth wide open, staring widely at him, not trusting he heard him right. "And if not, I'm just gonna reopen them."

How did Ian never notice it? How did he never see Mickey, the love of his life, with earrings in his ears? With little patched-up spots of skin that were so plainly visible to the eye, now that he really looked at it.

Mickey grimaced as he pressed the needle against the hole, pushing and prodding against the uncooperative entrance. He eyed Ian in the mirror, eyes narrowing. "What are you staring at?"

Ian was stunned speechless. Of course he was. Of fucking course Mickey was about to bust out some crazy thing two years into their marriage that would make Ian finally break. Like having his ears pierced, making every single yet-undiscovered fantasy come to life.

He couldn't help but imagine Mickey with a nose ring, now. Tongue piercing. Eyebrow piercing.

Nipples.

Holy fuck.

Blood was rushing straight to his dick, and goddamn it, this was it. Ian was about to die.

Because holy fuck, the earring went through.

So did the other one.

And now, Ian was staring at Mickey, who was sporting black studs in his ears. Two dark diamonds that were obviously fake but could've not been, because this wasn't Mickey anymore. This wasn't the Mickey who rolled his eyes at anything gay—except getting pounded, obviously.

No—this was Mickey with earrings.

Ian's mouth was dry. It was dry as Mickey turned away from the mirror to face him. He stood in front of him, a determined look on his face as if waiting for Ian to call him out. Him, in all his fucking glory.

"Did you, uh," Ian finally stammered out. "sterilize the needles? I don't want you to get an infection."

"That really all you gotta say?"

Ian swallowed. "How come I never saw you with," He pointed at Mickey's ears, unable to even say the word. "those?"

"I was really young. I got 'em pierced when Mandy did. Took them out fairly soon, 'cus, you know." He shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

Ian knew.

He gripped Mickey by the shoulders pulling him closer. His eyes were on Ian's, but Ian's were on the earrings, and Ian never really knew he had a kink for jewelry.

Well, there was the wedding ring, but fuck, this had nothing to do with their relationship, and yet Ian was still sporting a raging hard-on Mickey had yet to notice.

"I love them." He said truthfully, mentally noting to get Mickey real studs once he got the chance. Not the cheap grocery-store ones, but actual diamonds that he wouldn't mind spending money on. Not when they would look so good on his husband.

Mickey blushed, pushing Ian away immediately, not getting away far, arms practically out so Ian could pull him back in. And he did, squeezing him tightly against his chest, careful not to place too much pressure on the newly-reopened piercings.

Mickey mumbled something against Ian's shirt, incoherent.

"What? I didn't hear you"

"I love you."

Ian smiled. Pulled Mickey away so he could stare into his eyes.

"You know you gotta let me fuck you with those on. Pretty sure it will be the best orgasm of my life."

Mickey only smirked, eyes lighting up immediately at the suggestion. He looks fucking amazing, Ian thought.

"Lead the way, hotshot."

Ian was right. With the earrings and the smugness—

It took him less than a minute.

2.

When Ian saw the photo, he was pretty sure he was going to die.

No, not pretty sure. One-hundred percent sure. Death was awaiting him now, ready to pull him in. He was already feeling faint, ready to just slip away into unconsciousness. He was going to die, for sure.

Or maybe it was just the loss of all the blood that was heading way down south that was making him feel this way, because holy shit.

Holy shit.

When Mickey took the earrings out after a few days of usage, claiming how they sucked, Ian thought that was it. Mickey was never going to do anything that reminded him of being gay ever again. He had probably been embarrassed and wanted to take them out, and Ian was feeling at such loss when he saw his ears vacant that he was ready to throw hands.

But, oh God.

Ian was now staring at a picture of Mickey—a picture he posted on goddamn Instagram for everybody to see—and it was him.

Him with a fucking nose piercing.

Ian checked the comments first. It would've probably been saner to call his husband and ask if he actually got a nose piercing and if he was ready to be a widow because Ian won't be lasting much longer, but there were a bunch of comments on the photo, and fuck if Ian wasn't going to leaf through them all. This could be a joke for all he knew.

Some sick joke to get Ian's hopes up, just to get them crushed down until he never had any hopes in life ever again.

Mickey with a nose piercing. Mickey with a nose piercing.

Carl said it looked 'fuckin' sick'. Lip was putting 😲 emojis all throughout the chat, sometimes even adding the 😏 one, probably a reference to Ian (at least Ian hoped it was). The other comments were just about how good Mickey look, which was really no surprise, but holy shit, did that mean this was real?

Mickey was out running some errand. Said he had some shit he needed to. That sneaky bastard. Ian didn't care if he was in the middle of the goddamn line at the Costco aisle or in the middle of a drug run.

He facetimed him.

When Mickey's face came into view, the nose ring present and very much real, Ian was lost for words. Mickey was biting his lip to keep from smiling and once he noticed Ian was just going to continue and stare, he scoffed.

"Man, it's just a piercing."

"No," Ian said. "This is much more than 'just a piercing'."

Mickey chuckled. "Well, I figured since I didn't really like the earrings, I could do this. It felt right."

This was the Mickey Ian knew and loved. The Mickey who wanted to try new things, get to know his own style. Mickey, who was finally confident enough in himself, and hopefully comfortable in their marriage, that he didn't even consider this a big deal. Ian was filled to the brim with emotions, and he was ready to explode.

"You need to come home now."

They met each other's eyes through the screen, blue glimmering in mischief. Mickey smiled. "Why?"

"Because."

"This piercing shit really gets you going, huh, Gallagher?"

It did.

It really did.

"If you're not home in ten minutes, I'll get the whip. So better be fucking home." With that he hung up, getting up to ready the supplies.

Mickey was home in eleven.

Ian knew it was fucking intentional.

3.

Ian might've been getting used to the fucking hotness that Mickey Milkovich with a nostril piercing was, but that didn't mean others were.

In the end, it probably didn't even matter that Ian was one million percent down for any types of piercings Mickey wants to get—he might have even been pushing him for a nipple piercing, but the why of it was for another time—what would eventually decide whether or not the earring stayed in was the reactions of somebody other than Ian.

It was unfair, really, that others would be able to affect Mickey's decision to finally do whatever the fuck he wanted to do, despite his ever-growing confidence. Still, Ian had a way of making sure that nobody made him feel shitty for doing something he wanted to do. Something for himself, without fearing the judgment of others like he had his entire life.

He was an arsonist, for fuck's sake. Let them try and eye his husband the wrong way.

Ian perhaps expected it from old, batty women at the grocery store who didn't have a clue what century they were in or Karens who were homophobic pieces of shit—but he never would be guessed it would be his own family poking fun at something that probably took guts to do. Because it took guts to actually get something like a nose piercing if you were a Milkovich with a past of growing up in a homophobic household.

"So, uh, you gone full gay now, Mickey?"

"Watch out, Ian, I think he might out-twink you."

"You look like Sandy now. Don't be surprised if I jump you."

"I think you look cool, Mickey."

"Uncle Mickey, what's that in your nose? Can I have one?"

Mickey didn't seem to really care about the Gallaghers' opinions. It was mostly just him flipping Lip off at the twink comment and winking at Franny for that last one. Ian, on the other hand.

Ian was the one who was getting fucking offended.

What if Mickey decided that all the teasing and sideways glances aren't worth it and he takes the nose ring out? What if Ian's deprived of sexy, liberated Mickey because of assholes like his own siblings?

It didn't matter how selfish it sounded. There was no way in hell Mickey was ever going to feel conflicted over something he didn't need to feel conflicted about.

So, the second Mickey was out of the room, and the Gallaghers were still unrelenting at the teasing, Ian knew what he had to do.

"Okay, that's enough," He said simply after the eight-hundredth joke about how the ring looked like a booger in his nose—what the actual fuck, Lip?—his voice stern.

"Come on," Lip said, despite the others clearly relenting, palms going up with sheepish expressions on their faces. "We're just joking."

"Well, enough jokes. You could be more like Liam. Tell him he looks good."

Lip snorted. "And why would I do that?"

"Because I asked you to?"

"He knows it's all jokes. He doesn't even care."

"I do." Ian narrowed his eyes. "I care whether or not he feels like he's done the wrong thing because you won't shut the fuck up after the joke's not even funny anymore."

That was what made the smile on Lip's face thin. He lowered his head sightly, as of bowing it down in shame. Ian knew he had finally caught on. Finally understood that, sometimes, even jokes could hurt people's fucking feelings.

Maybe Mickey wasn't at all touched by this. Maybe he really didn't give a shit about what Lip or some old-ass grandma at the store thought. Maybe it was only Ian who gave a shit.

But fuck it, he could give enough shit for the both of them.

If it meant Mickey would always feel comfortable in his own skin, then fuck yes he could.

"Okay," Lip said simply, and Ian smiled at him, thankful.

And when Mickey reappeared with a slight frown on his face and a, "what, no more jokes?" followed by a wide smile, Ian knew he had done the right thing.

Because Mickey looked good.

And the ring stayed on.

4.

"What is it with you and the goddamn nipple rings?"

Ian bit at his lip. Okay, he may have gone a little overboard. With all the research and the reference photos and all the places you could get one... But fuck, he had a fantasy, and he needed to see it come true.

Mickey with nipple rings.

Mickey with nipple rings.

Come the fuck on.

"Babe, listen," Ian started, moving so he was positioned against the headboard of their bed. It was almost midnight—what better time to lay it down on Mickey that he would look really fucking good with piercings in his nipples and that it would be Ian's dream come true. "They'd look so good."

"Then why don't you get them?"

Ian made an incredulous face. "Because they wouldn't look good on me. They would look good on you."

Mickey swiped at his nose, diverting Ian's attention once more to the perfection that was his black nose ring. How could Ian not see all the possibilities with multiple piercings when Mickey looked like that with just one?

"Come on," He said again, the image in his head even more vivid than before. "I googled it. It doesn't even hurt that much."

"I have a feeling like that is a very obvious lie."

Ian rolled his eyes. Okay, maybe it was.

He pushed himself back down onto the comforter, shifting so he could have access to Mickey's chest. He trailed a finger from his neck, then slowly down so it rest in between his nipples, laying out his palm so it could feel the beating of Mickey's heart.

"Imagine the sex," He whispered, trying out a new technique. Seduction. It had to work.

"Probably not until it's healed up and stops hurting," Mickey scoffed. "Also, I really don't think I'd like it. I'd look like a bull."

"You'd look like a very sexy bull. Oh, by the way, septum piercing." Ian wiggled his eyebrows. "Don't you see it? Don't you think it'd look awesome?"

Mickey looked like he was on the verge of either laughing or punching Ian straight in the dick. "I think," He began. "that I've created a monster."

"A monster who is extremely horny for your ass."

"Why do you have to have a kink for this? Ian, out of all the things. Just look up porn with a bunch of jewelry on the guys if you need to get off."

Ian frowned at the imagery. "It's not the jewelry, Mick. I've had hookups who wore a shit-ton of jewelry and it never made me all hot and bothered."

Mickey smiled at the hot and bothered part. "Dork. Then what is it?"

"Well, fucking obviously it's you."

Mickey's face lit up. "It's me?"

"Ugh, Mickey, we've been together for a while. Don't make me feel shy over this."

The exasperation made Ian's cheeks pink. Suddenly, Mickey was leaning in and pressing his lips to the heat, smiling all the way through it.

When he pulled away, there was a wide grin stretched across his face. Ian was a sucker for that grin. That grin was everything he needed in life. Nothing more.

"I won't get a nipple piercing."

Sadness. All Ian felt was sadness.

"But maybe we can check out other options." It was Mickey's turn to wiggle his eyebrows. "Tongue piercing float your boat too?"

Happiness. All Ian felt was happiness.

5.

Eyebrow piercing. It ended up being an eyebrow piercing.

And God. Ian was done. He was completely done with everything. This was it. This was all he ever needed to see in life. Now, he could die peacefully.

He was married to the hottest man alive. Ian could pride himself in that fact. Mickey truly was the hottest person Ian had ever laid eyes on.

Especially now that he had a nose and eyebrow piercing at the same fucking time.

Ian knew there would never be another man to get his attention again. Never anybody else to make Ian feel like he need to avert his gaze. Not when all eyes went to the Mickey with the hot body, amazing ass, great face, and perfect piercings.

"Maybe you should get some piercings, too," Mickey said as they sat together at the table, munching on cereal. "I mean, if you act this way over my shit, who knows how I'll act over yours."

Ian smiled. "I can't pull anything off like you can."

"Bullshit. You're hot as fuck."

Ian's cheeks pinked. "Shut up."

"No seriously," Mickey said as he got up to get more coffee. "Hottest guy I know."

Ian licked his lips, slowly running his eyes down his husband's body. "Well then, guess we both got lucky."

Mickey smiled and the piercings come into view again.

Ian really was a complete goner.

+ 1

"No," Mickey said once he saw Ian come into view. "No. No. No."

Ian grinned widely, tilting his chin slightly so he could showcase the tiny diamond—actual diamond—studs in his ears. "You like it?"

Mickey knew then that this was what heaven felt like.

He barely stopped himself from tackling Ian onto the floor.

Oh, who the fuck is he kidding.

He didn't stop shit.