#NOPE THIS GUYS SO PILLOW SHAPED

[cyberchaniclove]

He's here.

[luveline]

i’m addicted to ur hop stuff omg!! no one writes hop fluff like u do 🥺🥺 could u do smth like a slow morning w hop!! ft el if u feel like it xx

“Why are you still in bed?” 

You stir at the question, but are quickly settled by a hand on your back so much bigger than your own. “I don’t want to wake her up.” 

“You say sleeping the morning away is a waste of time.” 

“I let you sleep in all the time.” The big hand rubs a circle into your back. It takes you a few moments to orientate yourself without moving. Your face is in someone’s lap, your arm hugging strong thighs. “She’s still not used to staying up that late to watch Miami Vice.” 

“Twenty three hours isn’t late.” 

“Eleven o’clock is late for people who work all day, El. Can you keep the noise down until she wakes up by herself?” 

“You’re with her.” 

“I mean when she wakes herself up. No intervention.” 

“Okay. Do you want me to make breakfast?” 

Hopper’s smile is audible. “Yeah, kid, okay. You can make breakfast. Don’t burn yourself on the toaster, okay? You remember? It gets hot all over.” 

“Hot all over,” El repeats. 

Quiet is restored for a while. You sleep some more, dozing on a loving lap, likely dribbling a patch into pants. The big hand never stops moving, not once to what you can tell, scrubbing circles into your skin until you feel numb to his touch, almost ticklish. It makes you squirm.

“About time.” 

“What’s about time?” you mumble, forcing your face further into his leg. 

“You’ve been sleeping for hours.” 

Your head tips back, intent on meeting his eyes and proving you’re not the slovenly creature he seems to think you are, but your eyelids are heavy and he’s warm in your arms. “Good morning,” you say affectionately. 

Hopper can pretend to be as much of a hard ass as he likes, he hears your scratchy morning voice in tandem with your saccharine greeting and obviously melts. Even half-asleep, you can sense it, and as his arms slide under your arms and he leans back against his pillows, you force yourself to open your eyes and see his chuffed smile. 

He’s grinning like he won something, hugging you to his chest. 

“Good morning,” he says quietly. 

You press your face to his front. 

“I heard El,” you say. 

“She’s making breakfast.” 

You’d been worried about staying the night because El’s still young, and Hopper’s bedroom is just a section of the cabin’s living room; if she needs to pee at night or if she wakes up before you, she is forcefully presented with an adult relationship. Which isn’t to say you’d risk being inappropriate with Hopper somewhere she could see, it just means that intimacy comes in all shapes and sizes, and El is unfamiliar with so much of it, and, more importantly, Hopper’s her dad. She hasn’t had to share him before. 

But El’s loving, and she hasn’t minded you being here. She doesn’t falter when she comes upon you and Hop tangled together in the morning, she just asks for toast or tells Hop he needs to come and open a window for her. 

She brings breakfast for you all on a tray and sits on the end of Hopper’s bed. It’s a frankly audacious amount of undercooked waffles and toast, a maple syrup bottle sticky from abuse laying side down with the knives and forks. 

“Thanks, baby,” Hopper says quietly. “This is perfect.” 

“Why do you guys hug so much?” she asks, spearing a waffle with her fork. 

You, having pulled yourself from Hopper’s lap just long enough to come around, don’t have the wits to answer. Hopper clearly hopes you will, and deliberates for a long time before he says, “It’s comforting.”

“Like you’re upset?” she asks. 

“Nope. Just, it makes me feel better to– to make sure she feels happy.” 

You yawn. “It’s like making breakfast, honey. You made everyone breakfast and now we’re all looked after. You feel good because we appreciate you for doing it, and we feel good because somebody did something nice for us.” You yawn again, your jaw clicking formidably.

El likes this answer, eating the majority of her portion before she talks again. “Thanks for staying up to watch Miami Vice,” she says. “Mike says it’s a waste of time.” 

“Mike’s a waste of time,” Hopper says, not quite without heat. 

“I like Miami Vice,” you say, trying to bat crumbs off of the sheets before Hopper notices them. 

Hopper grabs your hand. He’s laughing already, tugging you toward him, muttering, “God, you’re so messy,” as you lean in to be kissed on the cheek. 

“Not that messy,” you say, making eye contact with El hopefully. 

“Super messy,” she says. 

[trickphotography2]

D-Day by TrickPhotography | Chapter 17

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x female!reader

Word count: 3.1k

Synopsis: After finding out his girlfriend is pregnant, Jake is ready to move in and get married. The last thing he expected was to be hit with a six-month deployment at sea and missing the birth of his first child.

18+, minors DNI

Chapter 16 | Series Master List | Ao3

---------------------------------------

Chapter 17

A knock on your office door drew your attention, and you looked up from the computer to see Payback standing there. “Hey!”

“Hi,” he said. “Coyote and I are going to the food court in twenty. Did you want to go?” 

“I’ve already got lunch plans with my team. Sorry.”

“No problem, just wanted to check. You feeling okay today?” Smiling, you pushed back from your desk and touched your stomach.

“Pretty good. Tired, but good. You?”

“Same. Ready for the weekend. Got a date lined up.” 

“Oooh, really?” you smirked. He grinned and told you about the woman he was meeting up with for coffee. You couldn’t help but think back to that fateful day Jake had crashed your coffee date. After a few minutes, he glanced at his phone and grimaced.

“Coyote’s ready. Sure you don’t want me to pick anything up for you?” When you declined, he nodded. “Alright. Oh, and Bob wanted me to tell you that he’s going to stop by tonight to mow the lawn.” 

“What?” you frowned. “He doesn’t need to do that.” In all honesty, the yard did need to be addressed. Jake had mowed it shortly before he left, but it was getting out of control. You told yourself that you’d take care of it every weekend but never got around to it. 

“We got a schedule set up, and Bob’s up first. Said he’d be by after work.” 

“Reuben,” you sighed before pressing your lips together as tears sprang to your eyes. “You don’t - ”

“Nope,” he cut you off. “Just expect one of us every other week. We should have already done it.” Sighing, you pushed out of your chair and crossed the office, throwing your arms around him. 

“You guys are the best.”

“Just looking out for our own,” he shrugged, squeezing you tightly. 

Bob indeed showed up after work and borrowed Jake’s keys to move the truck from the garage and retrieve the lawnmower. While he zigzagged across the yard before making his way into the back of the house, you ordered pizza. It took only the slightest bit of arm twisting to get him to accept the thank you dinner, but he eventually yielded.

It wasn’t until you were walking back to the truck later that weekend after a trip to the grocery store that you noticed the yellow sticker on the back window.

Baby on Board. 

“This is my favorite thing ever.”

“Ever?” Jake smirked.

“Ever,” you sighed, wiggling to get more comfortable and closing your eyes in contentment. “It’s never leaving our bed. You’ll have to bury me with it.” Chuckling, your husband rolled his eyes fondly at the sight of you cuddling your pregnancy pillow.  

“Not gonna leave a lot of room for me with that thing.” Lazily, you waved your hand.

“You can sleep in the guest bedroom.” At that, he laughed as you tried to suppress a smile, opening one eye to see his grin. 

“I see how it is - I’m gone for six weeks, and you’re already moving me out permanently.” 

“It’s not the you being gone that’s getting you kicked out - it’s the you doing this,” you correct, placing a hand on your stomach. At twenty weeks, you were undoubtedly feeling less comfortable. After cruising some parenting boards and talking to your coworkers, they’d suggested getting a pillow to support you while you slept and to get it so you were used to it when it would be harder to get out of bed. So, after some research, you’d splurged on a huge U-shaped pillow. In addition to helping the bed feel less empty, having something curled around you was comforting - with the added benefit of helping with your ligament pain and heartburn.

“That was both of us,” Jake replied. His expression softened, and he let out a sigh. “It sucks that they rescheduled your appointment.” 

Pressing your face into the pillow, you shrugged. “I know, but only two more weeks until we find out if we’re having an Oliver or Sloane.” 

“And your mom wasn’t able to change her ticket?”

“No,” you sighed. “But it’s fine. We’ll work on the nursery or something.” Once you’d told your mother the date of the scheduled anatomy scan, she quickly booked a plane ticket to be by your side. 

“You shouldn’t be alone for that,” she’d said, brushing off your weak attempt to talk her out of it. “Dad would come too but he’s going to be in Huntsville that week covering for another shop.” He sometimes went to other sites as a contractor to help with coverage and staffing shortages. Mom had let slip that he turned down a trip to England to make sure he was stateside when you gave birth. 

“What’s wrong with the nursery?” Jake asked. He’d set up the crib and changing table before he left, and you’d turned down his offer to paint. 

“Nothing, just want to get it cleaned up and organized. It’s become a catch-all for everything, and Mom wants to go shopping, so I have a feeling that we’ll be getting a lot more stuff.” It was his turn to groan as he scrubbed a hand down his face.

“Tell her she doesn’t need to do that.”

“Oh, I’ve tried. But you try talking her out of it,” you scoffed before adopting a mocking tone. “‘Oh, it’s my first grandbaby! I’m allowed to spoil them!’” He chuckled, and you sat up, raising an eyebrow at the laptop camera. “Speaking of - Lina called me.” 

A weary look crossed Jake’s face at the mention of his sister. “Yeah? What’d she want?” 

“Apparently, your mother isn’t happy about the lack of updates she’s getting about the baby. I’ve gotten a request to send her an updated picture every week.” 

“Damn it,” he grumbled. He’d finally gotten around to calling his parents the weekend before. His mom had pestered him for information about the pregnancy, and he’d sent her a few pictures you’d shared to keep her happy. Now, it seemed like she was ready to push in more, especially if she was enlisting Lina. “No. If you don’t want to, don’t do it.”

“I don’t know. I don’t… I mean, my parents aren’t getting a picture every week, but I talk to them all the time so they know what’s going on. I have your mom’s number so I can text her an update every once in a while. But they’re your family, what do you think?”

While he knew that his mother wanted to be involved, the idea of having you be the one in contact with her made Jake anxious. The last thing he wanted was for you to be more stressed because of his family, especially when he wasn’t there to step in. “Lemme…lemme think about it,” he said after a long moment. 

“Okay,” you replied, giving him a soft smile. “I love you.”

“I love you too, darlin’. I’ve gotta get back to work in a minute, so let me talk to the baby.” Heaving an exaggerated sigh, you lifted the arm of the pregnancy pillow and slid across the bed. Propped against the pillows, you set the laptop on your legs and angled the screen so your stomach was the central picture. Jake grinned at the sight. “Hey, Sloane - ”

“Oliver.”

“Sloane. I love you, baby girl. I can’t wait to see the new pictures of you soon. Keep bein’ nice to Mama.” 

“Your daddy’s going to call you Sloane for a little longer, Ollie,” you chuckled, placing a hand on your stomach. “I promise, Mama’s gonna make him eat his words for being wrong about you.” 

“Daddy’s gonna try not to rub it in Mama’s face when he’s right.”

“Good thing we’re not going to have to put that to the test since you aren’t going to be right.”

“I’m sorry,” he smirked, “I’m trying to have a conversation with my daughter.” 

“Whatever. We’ll know soon enough just how wrong you are.”

“More like how wrong you are, darlin’.” 

“Wanna bet?” you challenged, tilting the screen so you could see one another better. 

“What are the terms?”

“If he’s a boy, I want…” your gaze drifted to the side of the bed as you chewed your lip. Aware that he was in a public place again, even with headphones on, you wanted to be coy. “I want to use my favorite thing on you three times, whenever I choose. Wrists and ankles.” 

Heat flared in Jake’s gaze, and you squirmed, thighs pressing together at the memory of him held down by the restraints tucked under the mattress. He lifted his hand slowly and ran his thumb along his lower lip before licking it. After clearing his throat, he nodded. “Since I know I’m right, I’ll accept that. And I want a video when I’m right.” 

“A video?”

“With the present I sent you.” His voice was low and rough with barely restrained lust. It was your turn to blush. When you came home from work on Monday, there’d been a box on the front porch. Inside was a vibrator with clit suction, with a note from your husband saying it would have to do until he got home. You thoroughly enjoyed your gift once it was charged and you found a battery for the small remote. It may have been a bit unkind to send him a picture of you after using it, a blissful expression on your face after months of subpar orgasms, as a thank you. 

“Deal.”

“Hangman - mail!” Fritz said, shoving a cardboard envelope into his chest as they stood on the flight deck for the steel beach picnic. Jake quickly clapped a hand on the envelope, nearly dumping his plate with his burger and potato salad. 

“Thanks,” he grumbled, shifting the envelope under his arm and moving through the line. After grabbing a beer from the giant cistern, he made his way to where Mav and Rooster were sitting on the railing between the cornhole station and where some of the officers were hitting golf balls off the ship. The other pilots they’d been training with milled about, chatting and sipping their drinks. After two months at sea, the higher ups had chosen to throw a morale day for the carrier, knowing that they would soon be drilling down for the war games. 

“What’s that?” Mav asked, spying the package tucked under his arm as Jake set his drink and plate beside him. 

“No idea. Wasn’t expecting anything,” he shrugged. At the sight of your name on the return address, he frowned. 

“Divorce papers?” Rooster teased, and quickly jerked his leg out of the way when Mav moved as though to kick him. “Kidding, kidding. Damn.” Shaking his head, Jake tore open the tab and glanced inside to see a white envelope.

DO NOT OPEN BEFORE CALLING ME was written across the front of it, and when he flipped it over, he saw more writing across the seam. I DON’T CARE WHAT TIME IT IS, CALL ME ASAP

Glancing at his watch, he quickly did the time conversion - Saturday at 1:25PM for him would be just about 8:30PM Friday night at home. He’d already been planning on giving you a call as soon as he was done eating, so the cell was in his pocket. When he turned it on, he could see that the wifi extended onto the deck. “Be right back,” he said, stepping away from the two men and lifting the phone to call you.

You answered on the second ring. “Hey!”

“Hey, darlin’. Just got the letter you sent that I’m not allowed to open without calling you. Everything okay?”

“Oh my god!” you squealed. “Finally!” He could hear people in the background and smirked.

“Where are you?”

“Javy’s - I told you he was having us all over tonight.” 

“That’s right, I forgot. So, can I open this letter?”

“Wait, I need to see you open it. Can you do a video call?” 

“It’s, uh, a little loud on the flight deck, but I can manage it.”

“Okay. Is there someone there who can hold the phone for you?” 

“Darlin’, what’s in the letter?” Jake asked, turning back to Mav and Rooster. Rather than answer, he heard the phone beep and pulled it away to see that you’d started a video call. He quickly answered, grinning at your flushed face. “Hey, Mama.”

“Hey,” you beamed. 

“Hangman!” Coyote yelled, throwing his arm around you and waving. “Long time no see, man. How’s deployment?”

“Later, Javy,” you said, quickly brushing off the other man. “I love you, but I promise you, this is more important.” The aviator held up his hands and chuckled, and Jake could see his friends in the background - Bob, Phoenix, and Payback were lounging on the couch. 

“Why’s this envelope so important?” Jake asked, holding it up. Your eyes widened and you took a deep breath.

“So I wasn’t exactly honest with you a couple weeks ago. The anatomy scan wasn’t rescheduled - Mom and I went to the appointment on the original date.” 

Jake felt his heart stop as his eyebrows shot up. “Y-you went to the anatomy scan already? It’s not this week?”

“I had Mom record the whole appointment, and I promise you that I will send it to you as soon as we’re off this call,” you said quickly.

“So you know what we’re having?”

“No,” you grinned. “I have no idea and it’s been killing me for the last two weeks. I had Amanda put the ultrasound pictures and the gender in that envelope instead of telling me. We went right from the doctor’s office to the post office to mail that because I wasn’t going to be able to keep myself from looking at it.” Words failed him as came to a stop in front of his friends, mouth hanging open. As the silence dragged on, your smile began to falter. “Baby, are you mad? I thought - ”

“You’re letting me find out the gender first?” he finally asked.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Jake heard someone shout in the background, and you whipped around to see Phoenix standing, arms thrown out to hush the other men. “Are you finding out if you’re having a boy or a girl right now?” 

“What?” Rooster demanded, perking up at the sound of his best friend’s voice. Jake watched as you turned back to the camera and smiled shyly.

“Why does this feel like an impromptu gender reveal party?” 

“Sure seems like it is,” he grinned. “Mama, you seriously don’t know what we’re having?”

“I seriously don’t know. I closed my eyes when Amanda was doing that part of the scan.” 

“I fucking love you, darlin’. You okay with lettin’ these assholes listen in?”

“I am if you are.”

“He is,” Payback quickly answered, stepping up behind you. 

“Here, I’ll hold the phone so you can open it,” Mav offered, standing and holding out his hand. Jake met the man’s gaze and grinned, pushing his sunglasses to the top of his head. 

“Gonna give the phone to Mav real quick. I love you.”

“I love you too. I’m going to record this so we can send it to our parents. Now hurry up!” The older man greeted you when he was handed the phone and quickly flipped the camera, giving the young father a thumbs up when he was in frame.

“Ready when you are, Hangman.”

Taking a deep breath, Jake stared at the camera and grinned. “Alright, here we go.” The envelope tore easily in his hand, and he quickly unfurled the ultrasound pictures. He drank in the newest images of his baby, seeing their little fingers and nose. 

When he reached the last picture, he felt tears pricking his eyes as his heart soared. Unable to stop himself, he threw his arms up in the air and crowed, pumping his fist as he took a few steps away from the group. He knew he was drawing attention but couldn’t care. He could hear Rooster and Mav laughing as he turned on his heel and quickly made his way back, grabbing the phone.

Jake watched as you laughed and wiped tears from your eyes. As soon as the camera flipped so he was in frame, you spoke at the same time.

“We’re having a girl!”

“It’s a girl!”

He was vaguely aware of getting slapped on the back, and his friends laughing behind you, but Jake only had eyes for you. “Mama, we’re having a little girl.”

“Sloane Elizabeth,” you said through tears, placing a hand on your stomach and pressing against your daughter. “I guess you were right.”

“I told you aviators have daughters,” he beamed. “Wish I was there with you, darlin’.”

“Me too, babe.”

“Thank you, for letting me do that. I…” Emotion clogged his throat and he swallowed hard. 

“I know, Jake. But we both know you’d be here if you could.” 

“We’re a third of the way done, darlin’.”

“Two down, four to go.” 

True to your word, you sent Jake the video of the appointment as soon as you hung up. He smiled, beer bottle dangling from his fingers, and watched as Amanda the ultrasound tech pressed the probe against your stomach and pointed out Sloane’s features. He had to wipe away tears when he heard his daughter’s heartbeat.

And, just like you’d said, when it came time to find out the gender, you’d thrown an arm over your eyes to keep from peeking. 

Don’t forget our bet, Mrs. Seresin, he texted a few hours later when lying in his berth after watching the video for the fourth time. The ultrasound pictures were carefully folded and resting beside him. He’d already picked out the one he’d be putting up in his jet, right next to the picture of him carrying you across the front yard after the wedding, his hat perched on your head as you kissed him. 

A few minutes later, his phone vibrated with your response. A bet’s a bet, Tex. Any requests?

Want you in my service dress jacket

Blue or white?

Surprise me

Yes, sir 🫡 

----------------------------------------------

Author's Note: They're having a girl! That was what the poll I put out about a month ago landed on, and I'm happy to say that it was in line with the original idea. The image of Jake finding out that he was going to have a daughter while on the carrier was actually the first thing that made me want to write this fic.

I also really love Bob putting the Baby on Board sign on Jake's truck. Wonder how long it'll take him to notice it when he gets back 🤔

Read Chapter 18

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[goatyuuji]

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[euphor1a]

Bewitched (ii)

↬ pairing: bad boy!yeonjun x good girl!oc

↬ characters: loner bad boy!yeonjun, heartthrob!soobin, best friend!beomgyu, female oc (can be read as f!reader too) + a few supporting characters.

↬ genre: college!au, bad boy!au, slow burn, drama, strangers to lovers, smut, a bit of unrequited love.

↬ summary: After starting college, you never really imagined that you’ll cross paths with Choi Yeonjun — the loner bad boy with influences. But life is full of surprises, ain’t it?

↬ rating & word count: 18+ ; ~2.8K

↬ warnings: profanity, explicit description of f!masturbation, minor fainting.

↬ disclaimer: this is fictional and doesn’t reflect any of their actions or personality!

↬ previous 𓍯 series masterlist

↬ a/n: my apologies because it’s actually been ages since i posted the part one. thank you so much for your patience! we’re back <3

Lying flat on your bed, you gaze at the ceiling, watching the fan rotate tirelessly. It keeps going round and round. Unironically, it resembles the thoughts churning inside your head somehow. But, you’re not some machinery, and it’s draining you out.

Inhaling a deep breath, you close your eyes for the first time in a while, tilting your head sideways. It would be so nice if you could just turn off your brain. You let yourself sink into the mattress and pillow as your hands turn into loose fists.

It’s been five days. 5 freaking days, 120 hours, 7,200 minutes, 432,000 seconds since you last saw Daniel. Maybe you sound obsessed, crazy even. But isn’t it his fault? No cause, how dare he barge into your life like a tornado and flip every unsaid rule you used to follow? It doesn’t even end there. 

You feel intoxicated. You can’t get the thought of him out of your head, for the love of God. The soft crinkles on his face when he smiles, how his eyes sparkle, the enticing smell of his cologne, his hands all over your body, how his tongue felt against your core, the way he devoured your mouth—

Gosh, you need to stop. Catch a fucking break. This is getting way out of your hands. You’ve never been so distracted your whole life. And you hate the fact that he has so much power over you. He, who is just a random guy you met twice on the same day coincidentally and crossed a few lines with. Just?! Why?! Can’t?! You?! Get?! Over?! Him?!

You open your eyes, your eyebrows furrowed and lips tugged down in a frown. As your eyes mindlessly wander towards the ceiling fan once again, the events of that damned day start playing in front of your eyes. Was it really a coincidence? Or maybe a sick joke your life played with you? 

After he dropped you to your home that night, you had hoped to see more of him. But instead, Daniel just simply vanished into thin air. You’ve been trying to find him everyday in your breaks, sometimes even missing classes. Unbelievable, right? Too bad that it’s the very unfortunate truth.

But did that help in any shape or form? Nope. If he’s been around, you’d have definitely noticed!! As much as you hate to admit it, he’s insanely handsome. Daniel’s striking features will stand out anywhere, and in your case — it’s literally imprinted on your mind.

With a sigh, you close your eyes. Not to sound like a hopeless romantic, but a part of you hopes that he’ll be here to meet you soon. Like, he literally has your address!! But, on the realistic side of things, that is very unlikely to happen. 

Soon enough, the thought of Daniel envelops you in a warm feeling, your heart racing faster, your mind starting to play tricks with you. You briefly remember how his clothed bulge felt against your core, a soft whimper escaping you. Oh, how badly you needed to feel him deep inside you at that specific moment… 

You shake your head immediately, trying to clear your mind. What the hell are you doing? Fantasizing about a guy who just suddenly appeared one day and then vanished? You curse inwardly, feeling pathetic for being wrapped around his little finger. 

You hate this Daniel guy. Just one day and your feelings are all over the place. You barely spent a few hours with him, and you’re already so damn whipped. 

With a groan, you sit up, reaching for your phone that’s charging on the nightstand. You’re shocked to see several messages from Beomgyu… Did something happen?

Gyu: haiiii 🥰 

Gyu: bestie?! 👁️👄👁️ 

Gyu: HELLO?!?!?!?!?!?!? 

Gyu: OMFG, ____ R U OK 😭 

Gyu: :( 3 hours… you never take so long to reply 🥺 

Gyu: did i upset you in any way? 

Gyu: won’t tease you anymore… pls talk to me :( imy :( 

A sigh escapes you. Even though a part of you wants to be irritated, you really can’t. Because as you look at the time, you realize that you’ve been zoning out for nearly four hours. Of course, he’s worried, you’d be the same if you were in his shoes. 

____: Gyu 😭 no ofc not! Why would I be mad at you? 

Gyu: THANK GOD YOU REPLIED, I PANICKED NGL 

Gyu: ahem… anyway, why weren’t you responding then? 

____: Sorry, I was busy with smth :/ 

Gyu: really? for 4 hours? 🤥

____: … I was working on an assignment

Gyu: right… but you already submitted the one you had and no one assigned anything new

____: WHY DO I TELL YOU EVERY FUCKING THING GODDAMMIT 

Gyu: watch your language, princess 🤨

____: 🙄

Gyu: anyway lol, since you won’t tell me, let me take a WILD guess

Gyu: daydreaming about that mystery stranger again, are you? 🤡

____: …..

Gyu: yeah, ik 

____: You don’t understand….. 

Gyu: what???? 😩

____: Nothing…

Gyu: 😐

Gyu: see, this is the problem! you won’t even tell me his damn name! how am i supposed to help you out? 🤷‍♂️

____: It’s complicated 😭, I’d tell you otherwise :( 

____: You know that I’d never hide something from you if it’s harmless, right?

Gyu: WAIT 🤯😱

____: ????

Gyu: is he…. like a mafia? 😳

____: Aight imma just head out 

Gyu: sorry…

Gyu: umm it’s pretty late so have some good sleep and let’s meet on monday 🥺

Frustration bubbles up in your chest and you drop your phone by your side. A nap? Sleeping in this state? Fuck no. You need to ease yourself somehow.  

After debating what you should do for a while, you slowly take off the oversized sweatshirt you’re wearing. Starting to caress your sensitive skin, you whimper, your hands brushing on your inner thighs, your sides, your neck… anywhere it can reach. Once you feel the material of your cotton panties dampening up, you grab the vibrator from your bedside drawer. 

Because you’ve been thinking almost too much about Daniel and everything that he did to you, it’s very easy to picture him all over you. The device hums to life, and you waste no time to place it over your clothed clit. You jolt a little at the contact, overwhelmed by the sensations immediately. 

You wish it was him. For some reason, you just know that Daniel would love to use a vibrator on you, watching you cry and whine pathetically, begging for him as you fall apart quickly. You tweak your nipple with your spare hand, heat blazing through your body as you inch closer to a release. 

“Look at you, making a mess of yourself while thinking about me. Aren’t you cute?” His voice drifts in your ears, a whimper rumbling in your throat. “Just a little more, angel, you’re so close. Doing so well.” 

You unconsciously scream out ‘Daniel’ in relief as the orgasm finally hits you. With shaky hands, you turn off the vibrator, falling back on the bed. Your breaths are uneven and quick, thighs shaking from the aftermath. It takes you a while to regain composure. 

With a sigh, you get up and head straight to the bathroom, discarding your panties that are entirely ruined, drenched in your arousal and release. As the mildly warm spray of water finally hits your skin, you close your eyes, a plethora of emotions bubbling up in your chest. A lone tear trails down your cheek, followed by numerous ones that get lost within the water coming from the shower head.

Shame. You feel ashamed.

On Monday, 

You manage your way through the crowded cafeteria, looking for your friends. Some acquaintances beam and wave at you, but you barely offer them a small smile and a nod. You aren’t feeling your best today either, running on a very small amount of sleep and mood swings to top it off. Dealing with yourself is pretty tiring, especially when your emotions are all over the place.

A sudden feeling of someone’s gaze behind your back makes you halt. You turn around, letting your eyes roam over the tables behind you. Everyone seems to be minding their own business, as they should. Taking a deep breath, you go back to finding Beom-binnie. 

“____! Here!” Gyu’s voice takes your attention, a genuine smile blooming on your face automatically. You jog across the room to where they’re sitting, both of them standing up to wrap you up in a hug. You cozy up a lil’ in the comfortable warmth of them, the loud beating of Soobin’s heart surprising you. Is he… nervous? 

You pull away first, looking at Soobin strangely. Beomgyu touches your forearm in a worried manner before speaking up, “Hey? Everything alright? Don’t tell me that you’re falling for the heartthrob.” His tone is playful as usual. 

Soobin blushes heavily, his ears turning red as he avoids eye contact with both of you. On the other hand, Gyu bursts out laughing, holding onto his stomach. Cute, you think, amazed by these two polar opposites that are somehow attached at the hip. 

You roll your eyes, smacking Beomgyu jokingly. He immediately scrunches up his face in ‘pain’, earning a glare from you. “Shut up, crackhead! I was just wondering why Soob’s heartbeat is so fast.”

Beomgyu throws his friend a knowing look. You quirk your eyebrows at their shared look before enquiring, “Are you two hiding something? No cause, what was that? Literally!” 

The tall giant stutters for a bit, but Beomgyu is quick to cover for him. “He’s meeting someone today.” 

“A date?” You tap your chin thoughtfully. Wondering what exactly it could be.

“No, no!!!” Soobin interrupts, coughing, clearly embarrassed by his sudden outburst. “I’m meeting the devil himself today… It’s been a while since our last meeting, so I’m just nervous, haha.” 

You blink at him, throwing your hands up. “Can we sit? My leg hurts.” Both of the guys nod, Gyu sliding beside you whereas Soobin sits on your opposite. 

“So? Who’s this ‘devil’?” You wiggle your eyebrows, trying to extract some juicy information.

Beomgyu looks at you, his eyes dark. “Yeonjun. Choi Yeonjun.” 

“Oh–” You know this name. You’ve heard people gossiping about this irresistibly charming ‘bad boy’. But you’ve never seen him in your life. 

“Soobin? Why do you need to meet with him?” You ask, slightly worried about your friend. Your impression of bad boys isn’t the best. 

“He’s… um– I need his help.” Soobin mumbles. 

“Why?” You press further.

“He’s a senior. He can help.” He answers, avoiding details.

“Oh yeah! No need to flex on us. Go meet with your cool seniors and stuff, me and ____ will be here.” Gyu chimes in, disrupting the heavy tension between you and Soobin.

You sigh, giving up. He clearly looks unwilling to talk about this more. “So when will you be meeting him?” you ask nonchalantly. 

“Near four pm, before leaving.” Soobin licks his dry lips, offering you a shaky smile.

You frown upon hearing the time, grumbling, “But… but we are supposed to hangout today!” 

Beomgyu pats your back, “Yeah, we were talking about it before you came. Soobin, tell us what you’re gonna do. If you’re not gonna come, then I’ll take her. She’s been sad lately.” 

Soobin’s face falls, his hand gripping yours as he talks in a gentle voice, “What happened, ____? Is everything alright?” 

You look at your joined hands, a pang of anger causing you to pull away. “Everything is fine. I don’t need anyone to worry about me.” 

“____...” Soobin sighs, looking at Beomgyu for help. 

“Hey it’s okay, shhh.” Gyu pulls you in his arms, your head resting on his shoulder. 

A long, uncomfortable silence stretches, the buzzing of the cafeteria fading away as you three stay trapped in the situation. 

“Okay, listen.” Soobin speaks up, his eyes focused on you. “Wait for me outside our favorite spot. I’ll be here… maybe a bit late but I’ll be there for sure.” 

Beomgyu smiles, “Good idea. No harm done, right miss universe?”

You pout at him, nodding and pulling away from his embrace. Your gaze finally meets Soobin, the hope glimmering in his eyes almost making you feel bad. 

“Mhm.” That’s all you say. 

In the evening, you find yourself with Beomgyu, walking together by the side of the quaint river. The streetlights illuminate the paved path as you take small steps. He’s the first one to break the silence. 

“So? Still thinking about that mystery guy?” 

You look up at him, your lips parting as a sigh escapes you. “... Yeah. You can say that.” 

“Can you at least tell me why you are thinking about this guy? Are you like, interested in him romantically?” 

You nod silently, looking at your feet shyly. Beomgyu claps your back, a smirk on his lips, “Great going, huh? Behind our back? So please tell me more about him. And, don’t stress it. I won’t ask his name if you’re that uncomfortable sharing.” 

You hesitate a bit, reaching out to squeeze his hand in gratitude. “I don’t really know… he has a fancy race car, and uh… ” You trail off, unsure what to say.

“Don’t tell me that you’re interested because of his car.” Gyu snorts, laughing at his own joke.

“No! It’s his vibes actually… he makes me feel, you know… things.” You can feel the blood rushing to your cheeks.

“Ooohhh.” He throws you a meaningful look, but you smack his forearm in return. 

“Pervert! Can’t you think straight?” A huff leaves you, and Beomgyu almost falls down laughing.

“Oh– oh my god! I meant it in the most innocent way possible! Holy shit, did you two… get down to business??” 

The thought of his mouth on your pussy comes back to you, and you hide your face in your hands instinctively.

“Ooof, that sure answers my question! Get it girl! My girl got laid, gosh I’m so happy!!” He hoots, and you swear you just want to strangle him. If only he wasn’t that much taller—

“No! We just kissed! Get your head out of the gutter!” You insist, not the biggest fan of Beomgyu’s enthusiasm about your sex-life. 

His smile falters. “Ehh... Boring. Just a kiss? Nothing else? Are you sure?” 

Before you can even mentally prepare yourself to fight him, the sound of a loud motorbike engine catches both of you off-guard. You turn to the side quickly, pulling Beomgyu with you. 

“Thank you once again, I really appreciate it!” Soobin’s voice makes you look back at where you were just standing. There he is, several feet away, talking to the stranger who just dropped him off here.

“Whoa… who’s this with the scary looking bike?” Beomgyu whispers in your ear, pointing towards the guy wearing a helmet. 

You shake your head out of uncertainty, watching them as Soobin hands the person the helmet he was wearing. 

“Thank you! Will meet you soon again!” 

The stranger nods, but then, he looks to the side, finally spotting you and Beomgyu. 

Color drains from your face, the person’s gaze meeting yours through the glass panel of helmet. You’re taken back to eight days before, those same eyes looking into yours, sparkling in the moonlight before he leans in for a kiss. 

Your heart skips a beat, and you feel yourself getting dizzy. Beomgyu, standing by your side with no clue, catches you before you can fall down. In the back of your mind, you can hear the sound of the bike fading away.

Your eyes flutter, consciousness slowly coming back to you. “Oh, I think she’s waking up,” you hear, opening your eyes to find yourself in Soobin’s arms. Beomgyu dabs your face with a wet paper towel, tension melting away from his handsome features when your eyes meet. 

“____! Thank god you’re up! Are you okay?? Should we call an ambulance?” 

You wave your hands, motioning him to stop. There’s a throbbing pain on your head. But still, you slowly sit up on the bench they had laid you down on, clearing your throat. After all, you have much more important things to take care of. 

“Soobin?” You whisper, your voice cracking. 

“Yeah?” He tucks away the messy locks behind your ear, his eyes so gentle that for a moment you forget your question. 

“Who was that guy with you? Do you mind sharing his contact info with me?” 

Soobin looks as if lightning struck him, his jaw dropping. “I’m sorry but are you mad?? What are you gonna do with Choi Yeonjun’s contact? I don’t have it either way but what the hell are you saying?” 

You gulp nervously, Beomgyu’s worried gaze trailing over your face. “That was… Yeonjun?” 

Beomgyu cups your cheek. “Well yeah. Why, ____? Is everything alright? I noticed how shocked you were when Yeonjun looked at us.”

A cold shiver runs down your spine. “It’s… nothing.” You murmur, actually starting to feel sick. 

end of part ii ↺ next

˗ˏˋ꒰ 💌 end notes ꒱

thank you so much for reading! i hope it was enjoyable! 🥺💙 sorry for any mistakes left in there!

as always, reblogs and comments are highly appreciated! your support keeps me motivated 🌺🌟 you can also send feedback through asks <33

[see-arcane]

What horror movies would each of the crew enjoy? Who dislikes them?

Mina is at the front of the line for scary stories and horror movies alike. She's a bit of a classic ghost story fiend, so the original The Haunting and The Innocents would be her top picks. She'll also re-watch adaptations of M.R. James' ghost stories every December.

Jonathan may have a soft spot for Shakespeare's theatric scares, but straight horror is not for him. The closest he'll come is the type of 'horror' that really amounts to a romance with scary elements painted over it. He knows it doesn't count, but he quite likes The Shape of Water and, he will very hesitantly admit, Only Lovers Left Alive.

Lucy also doesn't consider herself a big horror fan, but will make exceptions for juicy character dramas dipped in corn syrup blood. She considers The Craft a favorite and--so long as she isn't watching it alone--Carrie.

Jack pretends Psycho is his favorite for Classic Cinema Appreciation cred. It's really Ex Machina. No comment.

Arthur is just Not a Fan of Horror. Full stop. His eyes water every time the pet inevitably gets killed off. He cries outright over sympathetic monster stories. Anything more harrowing than a stop-motion Henry Selick flick will have him hiding behind a pillow, and even then he needs to have someone's hand to hold. (The Rhino in James and the Giant Peach gave him nightmares for a week.)

Quincey isn't really a movie guy, period. He is sadly one of those types to hear rave reviews of such-and-such movie or series, swear he'll check it out, and then immediately forget or ignore it into oblivion. The one exception was Jordan Peele's Nope, which Jack and Arthur herded him into. They all thought it was just a sci-fi modern western-adventure movie. Jack staggered out of the theater afterward. Arthur just passed out. Quincey saw it two more times in the theater and now watches it at least once a month at home.

Van Helsing is also not much of a movie guy, but will watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and The Thing (1982) around Halloween. A bit of a masochistic selection, considering the subject matter, but the stories are too well-done to let the 'conscripting body horror' of it all overwhelm him.

Renfield is fond of telling Jack his favorite is Silence of the Lambs--no guesses why--but if he's being honest, he's a shameless sucker for the type of escapist monster media where the protagonist goes 'Oh no! I've been bitten/cursed/otherwise transformed into a supernatural super-powerful-cool monster who kills all their problems away! Oh nooo~' ...But then, he doesn't consider any of these horror movies. Honest answer? The Fly (1986). He'll never say why.

BONUS:

Dracula watches 30 Days of Night whenever he needs a laugh. He'll binge the entire Hannibal series in...other moods. His roommates know to avoid him when he brings out that particular box set and to pointedly Not Mention a certain soliciting someone for the duration.

The Weird Sisters watch fun old romps like Audition, Fatal Attraction, and both versions of Suspiria for a cozy evening. They only watch The Hunger (1983) when they're feeling maudlin.

[xxchaosjojoxx]

A gift for you - White's day (penguin x reader)

A/N: second part is up. Hope you will like it. Dunno when I can find the time to write my other ideas. But I will try to do them within the next week.

It was March 13th. One month ago you gave Penguin such a thoughtful and sweet gift for valentines day. The relationship between you didn’t change much. You two were still hanging out, joking around. The only difference is, you two were shy and blushing when you guys were alone. Penguin groaned while throwing his pillows and blankets all over the floor.

“Dude, what’s wrong?” Shachi asked while reading the comic in his hand.

“Every idea in my mind is not good enough for y/n.”

Shachi sighed before standing beside Penguin and watching his sketch ideas.

“Maybe you could do this one.” He pointed at one sketch.

This was Penguin’s favorite one as well. “I tried to do a small version of this, but it wasn’t perfect enough. Did you buy something from the store back there as well?” He asked but his best friend shook his head. “Nope. Ikkaku, Bepo and I wanna bake some cookies for her in an hour. Just join us. Maybe we can help you with your special gift for you lovely y/n.”

Penguin’s face was red. “She gave me something special as well. Plus I would do it for anybody… I guess.” He mumbled.

Shachi was laughing. "Come on dude. You have a crush on her and it’s ok. Y/N is a good match for you. So what are you two right now? Friends with benefits? Lover?”

Penguin was smacking his head with another pillow. “We are friends. Nothing more.”

“But you wouldn’t mind being something more right?”

The blushing man was hiding under his hat and was dead silent.

“Ok ok sorry for that man. I mean you two are so obvious it’s hilarious.”

He sighed. “She’s not interested in me.”

“DUDE! Are you dumb?” Pen stood up. “I dunno. Maybe she is interested. Maybe she just wants to be nice. Anyway I don’t want your help, sorry Shachi. I have to do this alone.

Shachi was punching his shoulders lightly. “Cheer up, Pen. If you need help, you know where to find us.”

After dinner, Penguin was still in the kitchen trying to make this as perfect as he could. Law was standing behind him. “Penguin, they all look good. Come on now.” Law was annoyed. “Why do I even agree to sit here for hours just to watch you working in the kitchen?”

Penguin looked at his captain with a sheepy smile. “You are a perfectionist. So your opinion is very dear to me. Just tell me how to make the perfect chocolate please.”

Law was furrowing his brows while groaning. “Like I said earlier. They are all good.”

“Good isn’t perfect, Captain.”

Law was pointing at one of those different shaped chocolates. “Here. This is the most beautiful and perfect thing in the world….happy?”

Penguin ignored the sarcastic tone in his voice as he held the piece in his hands with a smile on his face. “Then this will be it. Say captain, did you manage to organize the other stuff for me, perhaps?” Captain Law nodded. “Yeah I just deposited it in your quarter a while ago.” Law was friendly, patting my shoulder with a rare smile on his face. “I’m sure y/n will love it. Go get her but don’t make out.”

A giant blush creeping on Penguin’s cheek. “C-Captain what are you implying…?”

Law smirked at him. “At least wait for it after your duties and in private.” And with that he left the kitchen, leaving his blushing crewmate alone in the kitchen.

After your sleep you looked at your calendar with a wide smile on your lips. March 14th. You wonder if you will receive one or two gifts as well. With new energy you dress yourself up. Today you guys had a day off to explore the island you docked on yesterday. So decide to wear a simple but yet pretty outfit.

The smile never leaves your smile as you wander around the polar tang.

Suddenly you felt a big hug. Ikkaku was hugging you. “My dear y/n. I hope you will enjoy this white’s day.” She was grinning and holding a bag with cookies in it for you to take it.

“Oh Ikkaku you didn’t have to do this.” You smiled and felt happy tears forming in your eyes. “Don’t cry dear. Not even happy tears, ok? So how about a little treasure hunt today?”

Ikkaku asked and you tilted your head. “O…k?” You asked confused but nodded.

“Nice so here take this. The treasure awaits you at the end of the ship.” She said and gave you a white rose. “Something white for white’s day.”

You continued your way through the polar tang. You met Bepo and Shachi who were giving you a big hug while giving you some cookies and two white roses as well.

“Thank you guys. Did you see the rest? It’s so quiet.” You asked and Shachi opened his mouth. “This is a treasure hunt y/n. You have to be patient.”

“Wait everyone is involved?” You asked and Bepo hugged you again. “We were sorry y/n. But we hope you will like it.” After 10 more minutes of hugging your two crewmates you decide to go further. You met your other teammates, receiving chocolates and a white rose. Some of them hugged you, some of them just showed you a smile.

On the deck you saw Captain Law talking to Jean Bart. As you closed the door they turned towards you. Both of them hand you a white rose as well. “Room. Shambles.”

Law suddenly said and all of your bags of chocolates and cookies were gone.

“They are in your room. Don’t worry. We have a flower vase for you downstairs.” Law was giving you a rare smile while patting your head. “Have a lot of fun today, y/n.”

Jean Bart said, grinning at you. Both of them looked at you with a happy look while you searched the deck.

“If you are looking for Penguin. He isn’t on the Polar Tang.” Jean Bart said and was pointing at the dock. With a quick “Thank you” you left the Polar Tang. On the Dock was a big box with a ribbon and the nametag “Y/N” on it. The vase was next to it so you placed all the white roses you received in it, while taking the box in your hand and opening it.

You were surprised and speechless.

In the box was white chocolate. But no ordinary chocolate. It was shaped as two penguins holding hands while walking on a heart. Underneath the chocolate was a hat and as you took it out you got a closer look on it.

It was identical to Penguin’s signature hat. It even had a penguin on top as well. The only difference was, there was no name on it. You had tears forming in your eyes. You didn’t even think that you would receive such a meaningful gift at all.

“I wasn’t sure if you want a matching hat with your name on it.” You turned around as you heard Pen’s voice. He was standing with casual pants and his black tank top in front of you, smiling. God how you loved this smile of his.

“Are you kidding me? I LOVE IT!” You shouted and sat the hat on top of your head proudly. “We can write penguin 2 on it…oh or maybe Penguin girl” You exclaimed happily and didn’t see that Penguin was blushing.

He stepped a few steps towards you, a heavy blush covering his face. “We can do it if you want. Say..” he said and you looked into his eyes. It was hard to find his eyes with that hat on. He cleared his throat. “Say, did you give me the special chocolate out of pity because of the punishment?”

You held his hand and were beaming at him. “NO I did it because you always helped me, since I joined the crew and because..I kinda like you.” You said while you barely whispered the last part. “What about you? You organized this treasure hunt and these amazing gifts out of pity for the new girl?”

He shook his head frantically. “Well I kinda like you too and ehmm… maybe we can ehh hang out..today? If you are free and have some time to spare?” He asked you nervously while stumbling over his words.

You grinned. “Like a date?”

He nodded. “YES!” He shouted but quickly lowered his voice. “I mean no. I mean uhm whatever you prefer.”

Penguin was so nervous and cute so you decided to be bold and give him a quick peck on the lips to seal the deal. “Then it’s a date.”

[bellysoupset]

Halloween Part 2 - Lucas

Halloween was Bella's favorite time of the year. She started shopping for it early, often buying things that she had no intent on using to "spook" people, but just as regular decor year around. So it was much to her pleasure when she got a text from Wendy asking if she could tag along the latest Halloween haul.

"Jon said what?" Bella asked, lazily pushing the stroller around wallmart and browsing through the spooky themed pillows.

"That I have to throw a Halloween party for Leo," Wendy repeated, hurrying up to catch up. This always happened whenever they went shopping together, Bella walked far too fast.

"Leo's birthday is in April," Bell frowned, then grabbed a pillow shaped like a pumpkin, throwing it inside the cart.

"It's not a birthday party, it's just... A costume party. He's upset that they don't get trick or treaters in their neighborhood."

"Okay, so Jon could throw a party, no?" Bella shrugged, continuing to walk, "it's not like they don't have the space. Way more than you do, to be honest."

"Leo can't know it's for him," Wendy rolled her eyes, "look, it's just Jon babying Leo. So are you gonna help me or not?"

"Sure, sure, no need to get harsh," Bella giggled, inspecting some cute mugs covered in skulls, "what do you need from me?"

"Well first off, to help me buy the decor-" Wendy dug through her purse, then raised a black credit card, "Jon's paying."

Bella let out a whistle, "alright, now we're talking!"

Wendy chuckled, putting the card back inside the purse, "and I need a band, you're the biggest music nerd I know... Can you get us a band?"

"What type of band?" Bella turned around, resting her back to the bar of the cart, "metal? Grunge?...Pop?" Her voice dripped with disdain at the last word and Wendy snorted at her unbiased reaction.

"Well, something people can actually dance to, Bella," Wen poked her side, "alternative rock?"

Bella wrinkled her nose in distaste, turning back around and starting to push the cart again, "let me think."

"Okay... Oh this is very cute," Wendy held up a plug-in lantern, with little ghosties drawn on the side. Bella agreed, barely paying attention now that she had been put on a mission.

Wen was right, she was a music nerd and participated enough in the local music scene to know bands...But an alternative rock band?

"Oh, I know that guy..." She mumbled, fishing her phone out of her jacket's pockets, "what's his name..."

Wendy raised her eyebrows, watching Bella go through her contacts list, with a laser focus, "that guy?"

"I only saw him play once..." she wasn't paying attention, "he had this long, super pretty hair..." Bella gestured to her own head, mimicking a long flowy hair, "he had a tattoo with his band's name... Something -shee..."

"Do you remember the name of the party you met him?" Wendy asked, pulling her own phone out. Bella thought about it for a second, before shaking her head.

"No, but I must have the post saved here..." she clicked around quickly, scrolling through multiple posts and then lighting up, turning her phone so Wendy could see the screen, "here!"

"On A High Note," Wendy read out loud, typing the name in her own instagram and going to the concert's page, "let's see... Cipher of Lies?"

"Nope," Bella circled her, so she could see the poster Wendy was reading the names from, "no, it ended with a shee..."

"Inferno Banshees?" Wendy guessed, clicking on the profile and then scrolling down. The main guy had long hair, like Bell had described, black with red tips.

"Yeah! That's him!" Bella pointed at the screen with such force that Wendy accidentally liked the post. She rolled her eyes, deleting the heart.

"And he's any good?"

"From what I remember, they were decent. Here, listen to this-" Bella scrolled up again, until they landed in a video post of the band performing. Wendy frowned, they were good, indeed. More than "decent", but she guessed Bell's ear was more nitty picky than hers.

"They're probably preeetty expensive to book," Wendy worried, as they moved further inside the candy aisle and she started to load up the cart. Bella let out a scoff.

"Don't worry about that," she fumbled with her own phone, checking the guy's name again in the insta bio, before switching to her texting app and Wendy squinted, noticing there was almost no text history there. Before she could say anything though, Bella was pressing the little mic icon, holding the phone close to her mouth.

"Hi Julian, it's Bells from the High Note party, do you remember me? I forgot my wallet in your room and we had lunch at the Pavillion?" she released the icon, sending the message and Wendy let out a huff.

"So he's an ex-hook up," she deduced and Bella's cheeks turned red as she shrugged.

"Don't look at me like that," she pouted, "you saw his hair!"

"I did," Wendy snorted, chuckling, "are you sure about this? I mean Luke-"

"Is a big boy and he knows I had hook ups while we were on break. Hell, I bet so did he-" she cringed at her own words and Wendy grimaced too. She doubted Lucas had slept around, "besides, that's not the point. We're married, he's an adult, he'll be fine."

"I guess," Wendy shrugged, agreeing, "but maybe tell him before hand-"

They were interrupted by Bella's phone buzzing with an income voice message and she smiled smugly, clicking on it. Julian's voice was deep from sleep, despite it being late in the afternoon, "oh hi ginger, you completely ghosted me, that wasn't nice," he said playfully, "what can I do for you, beautiful?"

"Beautiful," Wendy repeated in a mocking deep tone and Bella elbowed her side, bringing the phone back to her mouth.

"I might have a gig for you."

--------------

Lucas was not feeling well. He was having a pretty shitty week - his supervisor for Poli Sci had asked him to rework the last 30 pages of his thesis, he had to hand in extra credit in one of his History classes if he wanted to graduate alongside his class and the team had flunked hard the most recent game. It didn't disqualify them, yet, but it made their odds pretty bad for the future.

So it had been already on a very shitty mood that he had gotten the news that the lead singer of the band that was going to play in Wendy's Halloween party, the one Luke knew damn well was more of a Wendy-and-Bella shenanigan, was Bell's ex-hook up.

He had already been sulking during lunch, jamming his fork in the food while Vin and Leo chatted, but he had practically sent his filet flying when Leo said "I don't think I'd be cool if it was Jon's ex playing tonight, that's all."

"Jon doesn't have any exes," Vince rolled his eyes, "you're the only lunatic willing to date him."

"You mean I'm the only lucky one to land him," Leo squinted at Vince and Lucas glared between his two best friends.

"Whatever are you talking about? Whose ex?"

"Bells, duh-" Leo's face suddenly turned red and he cringed, interrupting himself, "oh shit, you didn't know."

"Bella doesn't have exes," Luke rolled his eyes, ignoring the throbbing behind them. He dropped his fork back down, glancing up in time to catch Vince glaring at Leo, as if reprimanding him for speaking up, "what?"

"Nothing!" Leo squeaked, still red as a tomato, "so uhm, what's gonna be your costume tonight...?"

Luke let out a huff and turned to Vince, levelling him with one cold glare, "who said Bella's ex is playing tonight? Wendy?"

"I don't know anything," Vince shrugged, refusing to meet his eyes, "ask your wife."

"Jonah and I are gonna be matching," Leo continued to speak, attempting to change the subject. Lucas let out a scoff, turning his attention back to his plate.

If he was already thinking of ditching the party, his desire now all but doubled. A wish that was promptly squished when he arrived home five hours later and found Bella already hunched over the bathroom sink, doing her makeup while sporting just panties and a strapless bra.

"I thought you said you'd be home sooner today," Bella pouted, spreading grey body paint all over her face, "get in the shower, I still need to do your makeup."

"I don't wanna go," Lucas leaned on the bathroom door, crossing his arms to his chest and scowling. Bell raised an eyebrow and he realized she had painted them a dark brown, almost black.

"Why not?"

He shrugged, not quite managing to put into words the fact his head was throbbing and his humor was soured by the prospect of her ex being the lead singer and Bella not telling him.

"I just don't wanna go," he repeated and Bella rolled her eyes, grabbing the thin eyeliner and leaning in so close to the mirror she was almost touching it, drawing fake stitches on the side of her face.

"You can't be serious, you know it's my party as much as it's Wendy's," she said, squinting to her reflection as she focused on the drawing, "get in the shower."

"So it was your idea to hire your ex and not tell me?" Lucas blurted out and Bella was so surprised by his bitter line that she missed a line. She let out a frustrated groan, putting down the eyeliner.

"What are you talking about, Luke?"

"Your ex," he repeated, "the guys told me."

"You mean Vince told you," Bell rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "I don't have exes, you know that, babe. It's just some dude I hooked up with, it's not impo-"

"Why didn't you tell me? It was fucking humiliating to realize Vince and Leo all knew about this before I did," Lucas glared at her and he knew his headache was exacerbating his temper. He wanted to shut up, but he also just really didn't want them to go to this damn party.

"Honestly I didn't think it was important and I kinda forgot," Bella's voice had an icy undertone, "it's literally just some dude, Lucas, c'mon. You're not the jealous type, what's up with you?"

He rubbed a hand over his face, "I don't know, I don't like you lying to me."

"Lying to you," she repeated, brows raised, unimpressed, "okay, I don't know what the fuck is going on, but there was no lying. Now, I've been looking forward to this party and you know it, so if you wanna sulk home over some random ass guy I hooked up with once, then be my guest. I'm going," Bella turned back around, once again starting her make up.

Luke snapped his mouth shut, rubbing his neck. He really didn't want to go anywhere, but the prospect of Bella going alone was even less appealing. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, he simply didn't want her there at all.

"Fucking hell," he grumbled, entering the bathroom and stripping his shirt. Bella didn't spare him a glance, but she did let out a pleased noise at getting her way, which only annoyed him more.

He was not gonna let her paint him like a clown, Luke decided, when he shut the shower off ten minutes later, the hot water having dulled the headache just a bit, but the quiet minutes only making him more annoyed.

Bella was now in their bedroom, putting on the stockings that were covered in fake stitches. Her hair was down now and Luke did a double take, noticing her curls were all gone, flat ironed away.

"Alright, your costume-"

"I'm not wearing a costume," he interrupted, grabbing a random array of black items in his closet and throwing them on the bed, "this is good enough."

Bella's eyes, decorated with purple eye shadow, scanned him up and down, "you cannot be acting this childishly over a hook up," she said slowly, "we are literally fucking married, Lucas, grow up."

"I'm already going to the stupid party, I'm not gonna dress like a clown too!" he rubbed at the side of his head as the throbbing started back again and Bell rolled her eyes at him.

"You can be such a dick when you want to," she said quietly, grabbing the patchwork dress that was stretched on the bed and putting it on, "I'm leaving in ten minutes, if you're not dressed, I'm going without you."

"And I'm the dick," Luke scoffed, slipping on the black track pants.

They didn't talk at all during the fifteen minutes long drive to Wendy's place. Twice Lucas opened his mouth to apologize, twice he snapped it shut when he noticed Bella with her arms crossed and glaring out of the window.

The party wasn't in her apartment, but in the last floor of her building, where there was a conventions ballroom. Lucas had to give it to both Wendy and Bella, they had done a spectacular job decorating. It was fancy and beautiful, Wendy's job, but still spooky, with a fog machine and bats glued to the windows. All Bella.

"Looks nice," he said, hoping it was apology enough, squinting at the blue and purple lights of the room. Bella let out a scoff, ignoring his compliment.

"Bell!" Wendy rushed to her, skipping from across the room. There were some people already inside, people Lucas did not recognize at all. Other med students, maybe?

Wendy was dressed in a green mini dress, with wings coming out of her back and Bella let out a giggle, "oh hello, Tinkerbell!" she teased, pulling the shorter woman into a half hearted hug, "you look great!"

"Not as great as you do!" Wendy smiled brightly, covered in glittery body paint, "It's from that Tim Burton movie, right?"

"Nightmare Before Christmas," Bella grinned, turning around to show off her outfit and Wendy nodded in approval, then turned to Luke and frowned.

"And you are... No, let me guess, Jaso-"

"Not in the mood," Lucas cut her off swiftly and Wendy raised her eyebrows, taken back by the curt manners.

"Alright, Debby Downer himself," she rolled her eyes at him and Luke was about to snap something he knew he was going to regret, but was luckily interrupted when someone wrapped an arm around Bella's waist and twirled her around, causing her to let out a squeal.

A man dressed like a vampire put her back on her feet, smiling at her, "give me your bloood," he said in a creepy voice and Bella chuckled, stumbling back on her feet.

Luke started to feel a steady, lancinating pain behind his right eye, "Isabella?"

"Hi, sorry-" she snapped her head, then gestured between them, "Lucian, this is Luke-"

"Her husband," Lucas interjected, forcefully, offering a hand and Lucian pouted at Bella.

"Uhm, it's Julian, beautiful," he said, squeezing Luke's hand, before doing a double take, "oh wait, husband?"

"Yes, beautiful," Lucas mocked and Wendy let out a snort, planting both hands on Bell's shoulders.

"Awkward... Anyway, bye guys, we have party stuff to figure out. Julian, I need you on that stage in twenty minutes. Where are the rest of your buddies?"

"Fuck me if I know, Tink," Julian shrugged, eyes glued to Bella, so Lucas squeezed his hand a little harder in his.

"Well, figure it out and get them on that stage," Wendy said, then proceeded to push Bella forward, mixing them with the small crowd of strangers and introducing her around.

Julian dropped Lucas' hand hastily, mumbling a "excuse me," and vanishing into the crowd too, although in the opposite direction.

"Great, just great," Luke sighed, walking towards the bar.

He was nursing a lukewarm drink and trying to ignore the painful pulsing behind both his eyes, when the microphone let out a feedback noise and then Julian's voice came in, "good night, everyone," he said, smiling, "we are the Inferno Banshees, let's rock this place."

"I fucking hate musicians," Luke whispered, chugging the rest of his drink and then flinching when the alcohol hit his stomach at the same time the band started to play and the noise made him feel like he had just been punched.

The drummer was going all in and Luke could feel every beat of the song. It didn't help that the lights were strobing now, flickering between red, blue and UV lights. He let out a loud groan and scanned the crowd in search of Bella.

More people had arrived, half the football team and a bunch of people Lucas hadn't ever seen. He squinted, tugging at the roots of his hair, the vague pain doing barely nothing to distract him from the migraine.

It took him a moment to find Bella, the lack of her signature curls making him completely miss her even when she was directly in his line of sight. She had her back pressed against a blonde girl's, whose long blonde hair was styled in a voluminous blow out, clad in a sequined jumper.

Vaguely he recognized her from somewhere, he just had no idea where. Luke stumbled forward, feeling dizzier the closer he got to the loud noise. It didn't feel like music was playing at all, but rather someone stabbing him right in the temple.

"Bell," he grabbed her wrist and she looked up, blue eyes sparkling for a second, a tentative smile springing up. She thought he was going to apologize? No way.

"I'm leaving, I'm not feeling well!" he yelled over the music and Bella frowned, getting on her tip toes, not hearing him.

"What!?"

"I said I'm going home!" Lucas repeated and she frowned, pulling back.

"It's not even been an hour!" Bella yelled, just as Julian started a guitar riff and the lights all flickered red, "at least try to have some fun-"

His stomach churned, the lights throwing him for a spin. Lucas rubbed a hand angrily over his face and shook his head, "stay, I don't give a crap," he scoffed, even though he did give a crap. He really didn't want to go home alone, not when his head hurt this much, not when the singer on stage kept looking at his girl like she was his next meal.

Bella's frown deepened, "you're acting like a teenager," she said calmly, leaning in and not bothering to raise her voice, so he had to really strain his ears to hear, "I'm not leaving."

"Suit yourself," Lucas groaned, turning around and stumbling over his feet. It was getting difficult to make out which way was up and his stomach was making known just how done it was with this whole night.

He wasn't gonna make it to the bathroom, Luke realized quickly. Instead, he made a detour to the balcony area of the party, stumbling towards the railing, only to slam against someone.

His stomach jumped to his throat and as Vince exclaimed "Hey, don't run me over!" Lucas let out a sick belch and bent in half, bracing against his knees and throwing up on the space between them. He missed Vin's black boots by a couple inches, the man jumping back.

"Jesus, Luke!" Vince exclaimed, circling him and it was a good thing he did, because Lucas swayed forward and only his best friend grabbing him by the arm stopped him from face planting the puddle of sick.

"What the hell did you drink?" Vince asked, thumping his back and Lucas let out a whimper, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Nothing... Migraine," he groaned, closing his eyes and leaning against Vin's side. The other man let out an unhappy noise.

"Can you sit here for a second? I'm gonna get Bella-"

"No," Luke reached out blindly, squeezing Vince's coat. He blinked, trying to situate himself. Vin was dressed as Captain Hook, with eyeliner and all, "I don't want Bell."

Dark eyes measured him up and down and Vince let out a huff, "you two are fighting over the stupid fella? This is ridiculous..."

"Can you just drive me home?" Luke sighed, leaning in and planting his forehead to Vince's shoulder. At least he managed to conceal the lights, but that did very little to his raging migraine. Lucas knew he had only a couple more minutes sounding coherent in him and he was too proud, he really didn't want Bella now.

"She's going to tear me to shreds," Vince groaned, but then tugged on Luke's hoodie, looping one of his arms around his neck, "okay, keep your head down."

He could've cried from relief at the change of tone in Vin's voice. Luke buried his face on his best friend's shoulder and allowed him to be steered around, feet stumbling over each other, Vince's arm around his waist the only thing keeping him from keeling over.

They stumbled outside the party area and Lucas muffled a sob, swallowing against the persistent nausea, "m'hday"

"What?"

"M-head..." he groaned, pressing his forehead with more force against Vince's chest, feeling the impatient vibrations of the other man tapping his foot as they waited for the elevator, "grends"

"Green?"

"Nuuh-" he squeezed his eyes, "grenade."

"Oh," Vince let out a sigh, a hand coming to shield Luke's exposed ear, further muffling the noise, "you'll be lying down soon..."

Lucas let out a heavy sigh through his nose, gulping down the bitter spit pooling in his mouth. He was starting to feel detached from his body, head too heavy to lift it up even when the elevator stopped on their floor and Vince shuffled inside, stumbling a little with his weight.

"Mgonuke..." Lucas whined, daring to open his eyes and staring at Vin's black leather boots, "sry..."

"What?" Vince pulled back and good thing he did, because Lucas gagged again, unable to stop the mess. A dribble of bitter, watery vomit fell on the space between them and Vin let out a scoff, "are you hell bent on fucking up my boots, dude?"

"Sorry..." Luke groaned, swaying on his spot, "I'm- I'm sorry-"

"I'm joking," Vince pulled him back in, wrapping both his arms around him, mess on the ground be damned, the fact that he knew everyone in this building be damned. His best friend was hurting. Lucas sank into the hug, muffling a sob against his shoulder and Vin bit down his lip, praying the elevator came to a stop sooner.

As soon as it stopped, Luke undid Vince's hold on him, staggering forward and collapsing down with a heave.

"Luke!"

A retch answered him, followed by a whimper and more sobs. Vince closed the small distance between them, crouching down next to his friend and rubbing his back in a reassuring manner, "hey, breathe, man..." he whispered softly, supporting Luke's forehead with a hand, "take a deep breath for me."

Instead of breathing in, Lucas fell back on his heels, ass meeting the cement of the parking lot and then he slammed his fists to his forehead, causing Vince to let out a surprised gasp.

"Luke, don't do that!" he whisper-yelled, rushing to grab Lucas' wrists before he could try punching himself again, "this isn't gonna help, bud."

"Hurtsssss," Lucas cried, eyes bloodshot and his nose all congested.

"I know, I know, c'mere-" Vince grabbed his arm, pulling Luke up, "Uhm- Ah fuck... Okay, do you have your keys?" he didn't expect to get an answer and he didn't. Vin let out a heavy sigh, shoving his hand in his friend's pockets and praying he had his car keys with him, otherwise things would be tricky.

His bike was parked next to Wen's pink car, but her car keys were upstairs in her own apartment and well, he didn't feel like leaving Luke...

"HA!" Vince let out a victorious shout when he managed to fish out Luke's keys from his hoodie' front pocket, only to make the other man whimper and curl on himself, "sorry, sorry, sorry!"

He carefully maneuvered them around, getting to Lucas' green car and forcing him on the passenger seat. No sooner he had shut the door, he rushed to the driver's side and got in just as Luke was once again thumping his head, hard, against the window.

"Luke, you're going to give yourself a concussion on top of the migraine," Vince berated him lightly, pulling him away from the door, "close your eyes."

"I feel sick," Lucas answered instead of obeying, not bothering to muffle a sick belch, "Vince..."

"Shhh, eyes closed, c'mon," Vince pressed his hand over his best friend's eyes and felt him lean forward with more force, "deep breaths."

"It's like I got fucking shot in the head," Lucas slurred, before a new heaving fit caused his tears to start back up. Vince flinched in sympathy.

"I really think I should go get Bell-"

"Nuhhgh..." Lucas mumbled, bracing against the dashboard, "no, fuck no. Let her be with the fucking vampire."

"You are an idiot," Vince sighed, starting the car and keeping a hand on Luke's nape, "lean back, you'll just make it worse."

It took him a second, but then Lucas' obeyed, leaning back with a sigh, eyes squeezed shut. He wiped the tears off his face, sniffling again, "thanks, Vin."

"Don't thank me, I still haven't decided if I'm not just gonna drive you to a hospital."

TBC

[ninjadeathblade]

Moulin Rouge Discotrain AU (part thirty)

Summary: (Post-game canon) The Conductor and DJ Grooves agree to finally work on a movie together. They come up with 'Moulin Rouge', a musical drama filled with romance. Over time the two directors grow closer and discover that maybe they don't hate each other as much.

Beginning | Previous | Next

Word count: 658

Warnings: None

Author's notes: This would've been out sooner but I had to post Frozen Heart. But I bring you the gay birds once more! So here, take these gay birds.

Conductor squinted in the darkness, panicking slightly.

He didn't recognise the shadowy figures around him.

He scrambled backwards, letting out a curse as he fell on the floor.

“Connie?”Conductor sat up as the lights flicked on, looking around.

He was on the floor next to the sofa at Grooves house, a swathe of blankets and pillows strewn on the floor.

“Are you okay?” Grooves asked, standing in the doorway to his room, squinting at the owl.

“No glasses,” Conductor said dumbly, looking at the penguin.

Grooves nodded, eyes still narrowed as he looked around.

“Yeah, I don't sleep with them on,” Grooves replied factually. “Should probably get them though, I can't see without them.”

Conductor stared after the penguin as he disappeared and reappeared.

“Since when did you have prescription glasses?” Conductor questioned as Grooves reappeared.

He was wearing different glasses to usual, plainer, with a square shape, clear lenses instead.

"Since forever? I've had bad eyesight since I was little,” Grooves explained, picking back up the pillows and blankets and depositing them back on the sofa.

Conductor climbed back onto the sofa, embarrassment heating his face. “How did I never know that?”

"It's not exactly like we ever talked about that kind of thing.” Grooves shrugged, sitting down beside Conductor.

He pushed a couple of the blankets towards the owl.

“Well then, let's talk about that kind of thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ask me a question. Somethin’ you want to know about me,” Conductor instructed, resting his head on top of his folded knees.

"What's your favourite colour?” Grooves asked.

“Purple.” Conductor smiled sheepishly. “I think it's really pretty.”

Grooves chuckled.

“My turn. What was yer favourite movie to work on?” Conductor asked.

Grooves' feathers ruffled and he looked away shyly, mumbling a reply.

“Don’t be embarrassed.”

“Probably Moulin Rouge,” Grooves admitted, looking back over at him.

“We haven't even finished workin’ on that though,” Conductor replied with a chuckle.

Grooves gently placed his flipper over Conductor's hand. “But we wouldn't be here without it. And it's pretty fun to be honest.”

Conductor turned his hand over, holding onto the penguin.

“Yeah. I'm glad I agreed to work on it with you,” Conductor admitted, chest warming.

Grooves rested his head against the sofa, watching him.

The two of them jumped as Grooves' phone rang.

The penguin leaned over to the table, picking it up.

"Hey! How's it going?” Snatcher asked, voice distorted over the phone.

Grooves set it down between the two of them.

“Pretty good thanks. How's the Subcon?” Grooves offered.

Silence stretched out.

“We phoned to ask about coming round tomorrow,” Empress' said, sounding groggy and tired. “Technically later today at this point.” Her words turned into a grumble about not getting sleep.

“Oh, haha, yeah, that. We wanted to know about maybe having a games night,” Snatcher continued. “So yeah, are you guys free tomorrow? Empress basically shut down the studio for the weekend.”

“What?! You don't have the authority to do that!” Conductor argued.

“Oh shut it. I'm trying to give you two some romance time,” Empress sighed, sounding a tad more awake than before.

Embarrassment surged through Conductor and he refused to look at Grooves.

“Sure, you guys can come over tomorrow evening. Guess I'll clear out the guest room,” Grooves said.

“Wait, Conductor isn't using the guest room?!” Snatcher laughed.

“Nope, he fell asleep on the sofa and I didn't want to move him. Let me know when you're near my place tomorrow, okay?”

“Will do. Night Grooves,” Empress responded, and the phone beeped as the call ended.

“Better get what sleep we can then,” Grooves commented, standing up. “You'll be fine to get back to sleep?”

Conductor looked over at him, expression softening at the concern that filled Grooves' eyes.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Grooves leant over, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

“Night love.” The words slipped out Conductor's mouth.

Grooves pulled away, feathers puffing up again.

“Night.”

[apuckishwit]

Steve is handling this SO well

Previewing chapter 26 of Rolled a 1 on the Check, Rolled a 20 on the Save, by APuckish_Wit

All things considered, Steve thinks he deals with the realization that, yeah, he’s apparently not as straight as he thought he was his entire life, and it looks like he is going to deal with that right now pretty well.

That is to say, he promptly nopes right out of any thoughts about Eddie, grabs the entire six pack he bought for the week out of the fridge, and starts slamming them back like he’s at one of the ragers he threw in high school again, and spends the next six hours scrolling through anything on TV that’ll distract him. He ends up slumped on his couch, dead drunk, groaning at a competitor on Chopped because they tried to make a risotto for the main course round. Rookie mistake.

He wakes up on the couch the next morning with a pounding head, a crick in his neck, and the cold, merciless truth that Mike Wheeler, of all people, made him realize he’s got undeniable, inescapable, completely-non-heterosexual-in-any-way-shape-or-form feelings for the man who has become one of his best friends over the past few months.

He texts Robin and asks her and Vickie if they want to come over for—he checks his watch—lunch and maybe go shopping for a new couch for their apartment.

Then he screams into the throw pillow that gave him the crick in his neck.

Then he drags his ass to the shower, and, feeling marginally more human, looks into his fridge, deciding on BLT’s for lunch.

Yup. Definitely handling it pretty well.

It’ll take the girls at least an hour to get over here, and the bacon won’t have to go in the oven (who knew baking your bacon was the key to getting it perfectly crispy every time? Not Steve.) until about twenty minutes before they arrive.

So.

With nothing better to do until he can talk to Robin and Vickie, he sets his laptop up on the breakfast bar and, very calmly (see, he is handling this so well) Googles I think I’m bisexual. Pauses. Adds a question mark with a satisfied nod. So well. The top hit is an article from a national health organization that seems to be aimed at people who are ‘questioning.’ Okay, that sounds promising. Seriously handling this so well—just calmly looking up resources so he can maybe have some questions to ask the girls when they get here, just to clarify some things. Not having any of those big panics like he’s seen in movies or on TV. He's positively nonchalant (word of the day a while back—after almost a month of radio silence, his mother had called him. He had just stared at the number for a moment, and then very deliberately declined the call and blocked both of them. He hadn’t even had to think about it, debate about it…he doesn’t need them in his life, doesn’t want them.) about the fact that guys do it for him as much as women.

Or maybe…not?

He reads through the article, stomach tightening at the way he keeps going, “Huh. Huh. That makes sense.” Then he clicks through some of the related links in the sidebar, and kind of falls down a rabbit hole. Wait—it doesn’t have to be, like, 50/50? There can be a, a what do you call it, a sliding scale? It’s normal if you have preferences towards one or the other? Plenty of people get well into adulthood before it even occurs to them to question themselves? He somehow ends up on some forums, reading personal testimonials and he feels like the breath has been punched out of him at some of the stories. It…it makes sense. He feels like he’s reading about himself and…oh, holy shit. Holy shit.

He's not handling this well. He’s not handling this well at all.

But it’s not, like, bad? This isn’t—this isn’t shame or fear or denial churning in his gut, making his throat feel tight and his eyes burn. It’s not a bad thing…how could he think it’s a bad thing when he loves Robin so much it feels like he’s been waiting his entire life to meet her? How could he think it’s a bad thing when Vickie threads her arm through his with a dazzling grin every time the three of them go out somewhere where there’s dancing? How could he think it’s a bad thing when Eddie’s voice is one of his favorite sounds in the world? No, it’s not bad. It just feels so…big. Big in the same way leaving Hawkins was big, big in the same way that Nancy leaving him was big, big in the same way that applying for college was big.

His whole self has just been rearranged, and nothing is ever going to be the same. And yet, it also feels like something is slotting into place, something he didn’t even know was out of joint until it wasn’t anymore. He feels like he knows himself better than he did last night.

Why hadn’t he wanted to examine this more closely? What was he so afraid of?

He’s not handling this well. But he’s not panicking either, he’s not backpedaling, he’s not running. He needs to figure out what this means for him, what the tangled, bubbling mass of feeling that erupted in his chest once he let himself truly think about Eddie means for him.

He forgets to start the bacon for the sandwiches. But it doesn’t matter, because as soon as he lets the girls in, he says, “I think I need to talk about what happened at that club we went to,” and Robin, because she is his best friend, his other half, his fucking (platonic) soulmate immediately sees how shaken he is—not scared, not sad or angry or anything else, but it’s almost too big to feel, this realization—and flings her arms around his neck and leads him to his couch.

“Then let’s talk about it,” she says, steady and rock solid and sure, and Vickie shrugs out of her jacket.

“I’ll handle food,” she says, striding into his kitchen like she owns it. She starts ransacking the cabinet where he keeps all the snacks for the boys and then goes for the one where he keeps his bottle of good wine, as well as the glasses he bought especially for their movie nights. “Booze or no booze?” she calls. And he’s only just barely crossed back into not hungover territory, but he thinks his liver is just going to have to forgive him for this one.

“Booze,” he says, and Robin ruffles his hair. In a matter of moments he’s surrounded by snack cakes, chips, beef jerky, expensive wine, and two of the best friends he’s ever had in his life.

“Spill,” Robin orders, while Vickie pats his knee encouragingly.

He does.

[that1fangirrl]

Angel- Chapter 5

When the girls first moved into their apartment, Jenevieve picked up a strange habit of going outside, climbing her fire escape and sitting on the roof of the building. She found it to be her comfort area where she could read, meditate, pace around, and more. Her mind was constantly racing, so having the rooftop made her feel more calm. Tonight was no different. After she finished crying in her bath, Jeni decided to clean herself up and head up to her favorite place with a couple of beers, the softest blanket she could find, and a new book she had been dying to open. Jen walks over to her favorite spot. There’s a giant floor pillow on the ground and the moonlight always tends to shine on it just right. She takes a deep breath as she takes a seat, opening her one of her beers. As she takes a sip, there’s a small sound that comes from her right. Her head turns quickly. She quietly gets up to check out the sound. “Maybe it’s just an alley cat or something.” The closer she gets, a red spec comes into view. “What the fuck is that?” She takes her glasses off, cleaning them a little. “Hello?” The figure turns around. They both jump a little. It’s a person… in a super suit? “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay?” The figure speaks getting up. It has a devil shaped mask that only covers the eyes. His nose is bleeding slightly. “Um. I’m fine. Are you okay? Your nose is bleeding a bit. Do you need help or something? I can… I can help if you need.” “Oh, this is nothing. You should see the other guy.” He laughs a little. She smiles. “Okay. Is there a reason you’re up here? I mean, I guess heroes need a break too, right? You are a hero, right?” She starts to back away. Her heartbeat picks up a little. “I don’t necessarily think I’m a hero, but sure. I’m Daredevil.” “Sorry… Who?” “Daredevil. Man in the mask? Devil of Hell’s Kitchen?” She shakes her head. “Nope. Doesn’t ring a bell. To be fair, I’m not from this area. I only just moved here a couple of weeks ago.” “Oh. Well, anyway. You never answered earlier. Are you okay? You sound a little sad.” His face softens. She grabs his gloved hand and pulls him towards her area. “Have a seat first. Do you want a drink? It’s just some beers.” “Well, he seems fine. Maybe it would be better to just get it all out.” She decides. He shrugs and holds his hand out. She hands him the bottle. “I’m Jeni by the way. And, to answer your question, I’m fine. Just have a lot going through my mind, I guess. There’s just been so much shit happening around me. It can be a bit too much to take in at once.” He nods while he listens to her speak. “Do you wanna talk about it some more? I’m pretty much done for the night. I can stay- if you want me to, of course.” “That would be nice.” She smiles at him. 

Jenevieve decides to tell this man that she’s only met a mere few minutes ago more about her current situation. After a while the two start to talk more about other things. Like the book Jeni is reading, what she’s doing in Hell’s Kitchen, how he became a “hero” and whatever else the two could think of at the moment. Of course Daredevil decided to keep some details to himself, but still wanted to make her feel a sense of comfort and trust. Jeni found herself becoming a little attached to the man in front of her. He seemed like such an interesting guy. She wanted to know who he was under the mask. But she knows that most heroes like to keep their identities to themselves, which she respected. It felt as if time had stopped and they were just sitting on a cloud together. She had never talked to someone so long in her life. The night carried on with her getting a little closer to him. Her head was on his shoulder as sleep started to slowly take over her body and mind. He looks down at her, stopping his story about the robbery from tonight. “Am I boring you now?” She laughs a little. “Oh definitely not. I was just listening. I guess your voice is just so soothing that I started to get sleepy. And maybe the beer helped too.” “I guess I should leave you be then.” “Yeah. I have court in the morning anyway. As if court isn’t boring on its own.” She pauses as she gets up with her things in hand. “Is there a way for us to meet again? I hate to admit it, but this was really nice.” He feels her cheeks heat up. “I’ll know how to find you. I promise, I’ll come by more often for you.” He leans in towards her ear, holding her with his gloved hand. “Don’t overthink too much tonight. Give your mind a break. Goodnight Jeni.” Jenevieve’s eyes grow big as he kisses her cheek and gives her small hand a little squeeze. She watches him walk off to the end of the roof. “Goodnight. Whoever youare.” She whispers the last part to herself, even though he still picks up on it. He smiles to himself, finally leaving the alleyway. 

After her little encounter with the “Devil”, Jenevieve went straight to sleep. She wished the night had been longer, so she could find out more about him. Her interest in him had even transferred to her dreams. Her mind was now clouded with thoughts full of him. Even as she walked to work in the morning, she couldn’t help but let her thoughts drift to him. It wasn’t until Foggy had walked up to her, that Jenevieve realized she didn’t know how she had even gotten ready this morning. Let alone walking through the door of the firm. She blinked a few times, blushing in embarrassment. “Sorry, were you asking me something?” Foggy laughed a little. “Not really. I was just coming to check on you. You walked through the door looking like a zombie. I was worried you hadn’t gotten any sleep. Is everything okay?” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Oh I’m perfectly fine. I just zoned out a bit this morning. Sorry about that.” He lets out a small laugh. “Okay, good. Well, Matt should be here soon. Once he gets here, we can all head over to the courthouse. Sound good?” She nods looking down slightly. Foggy nods back, walking away towards his desk. 

“Good morning Jenevieve. How was your night?” Matt asks, giving her a small smile. She looks up from her thick folder of papers. “It was… pretty good. How about you? No offense, but you look a little worn out.” She stares in concern. Foggy looks over at the two, silently tuning into their conversation. “Yeah. I- I just had a rough night. I’m usually like this before court. No need to worry.” In reality, he had spent the first half of his night taking care of the city. The other half was him enjoying his time with an unknowing Jenevieve. “Okay. Hey quick question. Have any of you heard of some guy named Daredevil?” Jenevieve watches as everybody else shares a look, before they all shrug. Foggy speaks up, “Kinda. He helped us a couple of times, but we mostly hear about him through the paper. Why do you ask?” She looks down, stuffing her hands in her sweater sleeves. “No reason. I kinda met him last night. Just wanted to know if you guys knew anything else about him. Anyway, I should probably get everything ready for later.” They all nod at each other as she walks out of the room. Karen watches Jeni fully step into a different room and out of earshot before she turns back to the boys. “You spoke to her last night? What happened to keeping a low profile?” She folds her arms looking towards Matt. “It’s not like I went searching for her. I was out patrolling and could hear her crying, so I stayed to make sure she was okay. I wasn’t exactly expecting her to come on the roof and find me there. But y’know she was having a rough night, so I decided to keep her some company to make her feel a little safer. Nothing wrong with that.” Matt finishes looking a little upset at the questions. He just wanted her to feel comfortable around him and if that meant masking himself then, so be it. “Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with that, but what happens if she finds out who you are under the mask? Remember how everything went to shit after I found out. It was horrible.” Foggy rubs his forehead before putting a hand on Matt’s shoulder. “Look. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with what you did. But I do feel a bit awkward and bad for lying to Jeni like that. It’s not fair to her, even if she is new here. She seems like she keeps to herself. Maybe you should just come clean now. Less mess in the future if you hold it in for any longer.” Matt nods, “Maybe I could tell her after the charity event. I want her to at least try to have a good time. No need to put added stress on her. Her family already has that job down perfectly.” On cue, Jenevieve walked back into the room. “Okay, I’ve got all the papers. Court starts at 1 and it is currently 11:26. We could get some breakfast and coffee at Silk Joy, on me. And then start walking towards the courthouse. How does that all sound?” She looks up at everyone, biting her lip slightly. Matt could tell she had been biting it a couple of times throughout the morning. It was starting to form a bruise under her light rosy lipstick she had put on earlier that morning wanting to look more “professional and mature.” “That sounds… absolutely great. Your mind is always in the right place, Jeni. ” Foggy goes in for a fist bump. She fist bumps him back with a light laugh. “Glad to know I’m appreciated.” She smiles. 

[girlreviews]

Review #382: Currents, Tame Impala

Yet another album coming up on ten years old that forces me to reckon with the fact that I too am also almost ten years older than when it came out. They took five years to put out another! By the time they did that we were in the throes of a pandemic. So a lot happened. I had a lot of different haircuts. A lot.

It’s another breakup album. It came out the year I got married. I’m now divorced. It’s been pretty interesting revisiting this record, because my ex-husband and I were super into it. Everyone was, at least everyone who liked alternative music and wore flannel and tiny hats. Whatever iteration of hipster was hanging around East Nashville in 2015, they were playing it in every bougie coffee shop and thrift store. So it fell out of favor for me after a while, I got a little sick of it.

I had actually just seen them live a few years prior, right before moving Stateside. In Australia of all places, where they are from! At a festival called Groovin’ the Moo, in Canberra. I was there on a WILD ride, with a guy I met in London at a NYE party at the Ukrainian embassy (????) through a mutual friend who was dating my bestie. He and I hit it off, stayed up all night doing drugs, talking mad shit, and having a great time. Mans is moving back to Australia in three days. Oh well. Never mind. Nope, four months later I’m there visiting him. This was quite literally bananas, but really fucking fun — also a fucking disaster. It was like we were falling in love, getting together and breaking up all at the same time. The absolute fucking antics we get up to on this trip. We are invited to a house party, and are so drunk before arriving we accidentally break into THE WRONG house trying to attend. We wake up one morning in our room with the bed completely wonky, two legs snapped on it, potato chips absolutely fucking everywhere, all over the bed, floor, surfaces, and there’s just a pug dog snuffling around eating them all. Do not know whose dog it was to this day. Attend this festival, remember absolutely nothing about it other than seeing Tame Impala, return to the UK with a gnarly sunburn, a powerpuff girls pillow bought as a forget-me-not and a plastic frog table marker stolen from a pizza joint. If it doesn’t sound romantic, it’s because it shouldn’t. But we were in LOVE! It was a fucking disaster and it ended quite badly and I arrived in America a broken hollow shell of a woman. This honestly cracks me up. This is exactly the kind of bullshit you’re supposed to pull in your twenties, everyone. And Tame Impala is the exact right soundtrack for it, psychedelic pop rock weirdness. It was their prior album Lonerism that scored that particular moment, with the most prominent track for me being appropriately titled It Feels Like We Only Go Backwards. Teehee.

Anyway, it’s a few years later, I have my shit together a bit now, I’m getting married or already am, and here comes Tame Impala with Currents. It seems like Kevin Parker maybe had some love adventure of his own and he’s gotta get it off his chest, he’s got some feelings. Here’s what I love about this record, and it’s gonna sound like I’m ripping on it, but I’m not. The lyrics, they’re really pretty… What word am I looking for here. They lack sophistication and depth. Man really just says what he would say to his bros when he’s trying to say how he feels about his relationship ending. They’re simple. They’re rudimentary. They’re clumsy. But they’re perfect. Are we poetic when we are messy in a breakup? Do I sound like I was poetic in any shape or form on potato chip pug hangover day? No. It is what it is. There were multiple different KINDS of potato chips, guys. It’s like we thought we were sowing potato chip seeds to grow a little garden. The pug got his head stuck in a bag for a hot second. You can’t make it what it isn’t. It’s a damn mess. But you CAN make the music and sound emote. And that he does, magically and wonderfully, carrying the lyrics. It works together so well. It’s a journey.

Let it Happen, first of all, I challenge you to run to this. It’s almost eight minutes and is great for keeping pace (I have mentioned my running playlists are wild and I’m not kidding). A friend pointed out to me this past weekend that something I tend to gravitate towards in songs — and they’re right — is ones that evolve and take you on a trip. The end of the song is unrecognizable from the beginning. I love that. This is one of those. It also just fucking slaps. Great start.

Eventually and Less I Know The Better are prime examples of the sonic mastery and lyrical lacking just sort of working. They’re also the most obvious breakup tracks and those simple words are what make it so god damn relatable:

“She said it’s not now or never

In ten years we’ll be together

I said better late than never

Just don’t let me wait forever

Don’t let me wait forever”

Past Life. FUCK, this song is so fucking good it’s so fucking DIFFERENT. Can’t even speak on it, just go stick it on and vibe your ass off, okay?

Disciples is my absolute favorite. For a few reasons. I also love me a short track. But this one is SO fun to sing, and it’s so chirpy and upbeat for a song that’s basically about telling someone you used to care for that they’re a shitty person now (“now it’s like the world owes you, walking around like everybody should know you”). By the way, have you ever done that, told someone you loved that you officially think they suck now? Interesting experience. Not sure whether I recommend it or not to be honest, maybe one of those things that you’ve gotta try on for yourself to see if it’s for you. But anyway, also there’s just some really great steering wheel slap moments of bass and percussion that make me want to DIE and ASCEND from this mortal plain to wherever this song was born from. I said what I said.

If not for Disciples, there’s no question that my favorite track would be ‘Cause I’m a Man. I still remember driving my friend Brittney home in my Lincoln LS, and she was like, you gotta hear the new Tame Impala track. I honestly was not impressed. But she was so animated, and made me listen over and over until I got it. This is a rare song for me, because even now I like it more with each listen. It’s not a surprise, since it’s about his own self reflection on how shitty men are, how they’re always just making sad little excuses for why they don’t measure up to women, and are always letting us down. He does a good job, he really does (“Cause I’m a man, woman, I’ll never be as strong as you”). But, throughout the song he makes these kind of lazy, semi-sexual “uh!” noises and they’re honestly hilarious. They just really add something. I can’t explain why. It’s sort of a nice touch of self depreciation that I truly appreciate.

It’s a one of a kind record, really. It was different from their previous, and their follow up didn’t match it. They have a new single out with Justice and I’m told it’s very good. I saw them again in 2022 at a festival in Barcelona, much less wild and drug fueled than my previous go around (I’m in my thirties now, who has the energy). The sound was bad and my feet hurt, BUT Kevin Parker did us all a solid and covered Last Nite by The Strokes which cheered us all up, because they got COVID and pulled out last minute. Ah well, Julian’s a creep anyhow and could never write something as self aware as Currents. He’s still hitting on teenage girls in his late forties. Kevin Parker, I better not find you pulling the same shit or I will be coming for you and it will be ugly.

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

246 of 2023

What’s the latest youtube channel you’ve discovered and binge-watched?  

Long time ago, Molly Burke and Nik Nocturnal. Also some local, Dutch language channels.

What’s one thing that makes your shoulders hurt? 

Sleeping on the wrong pillow.

Does it snow where you live?

Rarely. We’re usually above zero, so even if it snows, it doesn’t stay for long.

Do you think your hair looks better long or short?

I don’t care, I prefer it short now. I used to have long hair in the past.

Do you look best with or without bangs?  

Lol. No bangs for a guy okay?

What stereotype would you say you fit the most?  

None. I’m a bit of hip hop, a bit of metalhead, a bit of goth. It’s hard to say, there’s alwaqys a twist.

Do you enjoy editing photos on your phone?

No, I have a proper computer software for that.

What’s your favorite thing to do on your phone? 

Browsing the internet, but even this is better on the computer.

Which season do you wish would last longer?  

Summer, definitely.

Do you like the name Eliana?  

I prefer Elaine.

Do you know anyone named Claire? Veronica? Cescily? Marcella? Miranda?  

I used to attend kindergarten with Veronique, but not any others.

Haw many outdoor birthday parties have you had? 

One, I think.

How much taller or shorter are you than your mom? 

10 cm taller.

Who is your favorite sibling?

My sister by default, I don’t have any other siblings.

Do you have neat handwriting?

Not really, but at least it’s legible.

Do you enjoy journaling?

I do. I love making handwritten notes and writing important dates and events in the calendar.

What is your most recent new favorite food you’ve discovered?

I can’t remember. I usually stick to the same foods. But I’d go with mini pizzas/mini burgers from Lidl.

Do you like sushi? 

Yes, I do. Too bad it’s that expensive :(

Have you ever tried seaweed?

I think so, in sushi.

How often do you wash your hair?  

Every two dayds. Washing hair every day is not healthy.

Do you have an actual pig-shaped piggy bank? 

No, and I never did. They’re so tacky.

Would you rather hike a mountain or dive into the sea?  

Dive into the sea.

Would you rather grow wings or a tail?

Lol no, thanks.

Which Barbie doll was your favorite?

I’m a guy lol.

Do you prefer cheetah or zebra print? chevron or polka dots? paisleys or plaid? stripes or stars?

Jeez, this all is so tacky. I would never wear it, even if I was a woman.

Do you like your natural hair color?

Nope, it’s so boring.

What is your natural hair color? 

Brown.

Did you dream of becoming famous as a kid?

Kind of, but as I was growing up, I liked the idea less and less.

What show did you want to be on?

None.

Have you ever been to a gynecologist?

Is there any reason why a person who is male should go to one?

Do you use the Bitmoji app on your phone?

No, I don’t even know what it is.

Do you get on facebook every day?

I don’t even have Facebook and I don’t intend to have.

What is your Instagram screenname?

Here you go.

Do you remember the very first episode of Spongebob when it first came out?

I’ve never watched this shit.

Did you watch the Kids Choice Awards when you were a kid? 

No, I had better things to do.

What was your favorite girl group when you were growing up?

None.

Would you ever consider naming a child after a family member?

I was kinda named after my grandpa, so I like the idea, but there’s one problem, I don’t want to have kids.

List three names that sound similar to your name. 

Can’t think of any, except for alternative spellings of my own name.

List three spelling of your name that you are glad you don’t have.

Lol at this survey. One thing is certain, I’m glad to be Joeri.

What were you almost named? 

Joris. It’s actually the other version of my name (and that’s what my grandpa was named), and I like it as much as *my* version.

Do you like your name?  

Very much so. Even though it’s very common where I live.

What are your top three favorite girl’s names? boy names?

Laura, Sylvie, Monica; Joris, Adriaan, Damiaan. (all the Dutch spelling)

What is something you always wanted to do that your parents never let you?

Go to parties. I was going anyway.

Do you have any symptoms of COVID-19 right now?

No, and Europe doesn’t give a shit anymore. Our lives came back to normal.

Have you made your own mask to help prevent the spread of the virus? 

Does anyone still believe in this bullshit?

Do you know anyone who has the virus?

Plenty of people, even my husband. Spoiler alert: none of them died. Only two were in the hospital. 95% had minor symptoms resembling cold. At this moment, no one has it. But as I said, Europe doesn’t care anymore.

What was the last grocery store you shopped at? 

Albert Heijn.

Name three countries you would like to visit.

Finland, Sweden, Spain.

What does your name mean?

It’s a variant of George, so look it up.

Are you proud to be an American? (if applicable) -

Thankfully I’m not American, and if I was, I’d be rather ashamed.

What countries have you visited?

Belgium (lol), Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland.

Do you have any regrets?

No, it’s pointless. The past is the past.

Do you ever wish you had someone to hug? 

I do have someone to hug.

Do you ever sleep on your bedroom floor? 

Why would I? Our bed occupies all the space.

[occasionalsurveys]

Survey 7?

Tell me about the first five photos you have on your phone or camera: They are saved pictures from my sibling-in-laws.  They were sending pics of their kids during their Christmas vacation

Have you got any half or step siblings? Nope, only full blooded siblings

When was the last time you were disappointed? Last night but it was one of those “disappointed but not surprised” type of things ugh

When was the last time you had wet hair? Yesterday

Do you like kids’ movies? Yeah but it depends, mostly kid movies from when I wad a kid. I haven’t seen any new kid movies in the last couple years

Have you ever known someone online and then met them in person? If so, which website did you meet on? I did! I met them on MySpace lol (obviously this was a long time ago!)

Have you ever been to the beach? If so, tell me the name of the beach you last went to and when. I've been to many beaches in the US, Mexico and Bahamas. And I lived in several FL cities that are pretty close to the beach. Most recent was Sanibel Island in May 2022 but wont be back there for a while as it got destroyed by Hurricane Ian :(

When was the last time you were sick and what illness did you have? I had a really bad cold in November

When did you last wash your hair? Yesterday but I’ll be taking a shower here pretty soon

Who did you last speak aloud to and what did you say? My co-worker - I’m off work today and tomorrow but she was calling about an account we were working on and had a question about something that needed to be done today for the client.

Do you know anyone with a serious anger management problem? Not that i know of

Do you have a calendar in your room? Yes, but not like a typical calendar.  I have a calendar in my bullet journal that I update every couple days.�� When we’re in our house, I will definitely have a calendar hanging on the wall.

What color is your wallet? Its beige

Did you get swine flu? No

Do you know anyone from Alabama? I dont think so

How bright is it in the room you’re in? Medium I'd say.

What can you smell right now? Nothing in particular.  Coffee maybe?  I have my cup right next to me.

Have you ever bought a game from a site like Big Fish Games or Shockwave? Yes, from Big Fish! And fun fact - my husband and I actually used to work at Big Fish about 10 years ago! Literally the reason we moved to Seattle in 2012 lol So odd to find the company mentioned in a survey!!

Have you ever had a snow day? Never!!! Even growing up in the Midwest, we never got snow days.  I was always so jealous when other schools nearby had snow days or even delayed but my school was NEVER closed.  

Have you seen all the Lord of the Rings movies? Yes, many times! We want to do a whole all day marathon once we’re in our house - all the Hobbit movies followed by Lord of the Rings.

Do you have an unhealthy obsession with colored furry throw pillows that are different shapes and sizes? No?  I don't care for decorative pillows and wouldn’t typically buy them.  I do have a few but only because they’re very special ones: We have a Meat Pillow (bought from a ComicCon years ago from a Monster Hunter booth)  I bought one for my husband that has ChaCha and Kuyumba from Monster Hunter print on it.  Another one of the Going Merry from One Piece (just its head though), and my mother-in-law MADE me an adorable Owl one for Christmas this year.

How often do you change your underwear? Everyday

Doesn’t it bother you when guys in your family / household leave the toilet seat up so that you wind up almost falling in when you’re sleepy and dazed at 3:00 AM and need to pee? That actually doesn't happen here!

Approximately how many books do you have in your house? There are a TON of books in this house. My Mother-In-Law and I constantly read, although we do not have the same interest in books

Have you ever had to call the cops on someone else before? Yes, a domestic issue at an old apt we used to live at (not us, for a neighbor)

Have you ever been to court for something other than a traffic ticket? Yes, I had a huge issue with one of my roommates not paying the rent/pocketing money from another roommate.  We had to go to court to settle the issue between my roommates and our landlord. Its a long story but the short version is - never move in with someone/sign a contract with someone you don’t know/fully trust.

Don’t you hate it when people suddenly love a celebrity when they die? Meh, don’t really care.

What type of math are you the best at? NONE.  I am HORRIBLE with math and just do not understand numbers at all.

How’s the weather? Much better - like 60′s?  It was in the 40′s a couple days ago which was great for Christmas (I miss the cold/snow for this time of year) but now that the holiday is done, it needs to get back to a normal FL temperature lol

[surveysandthings]

8.

Tell me about the first five photos you have on your phone or camera. The 1st is a calendar I made, the next 3 are pictures/videos of my dog loving the new bed we got her, and the 5th is an anniversary picture of my husband and I!

Have you got any half or step siblings? All my siblings are half siblings but I don’t have any step siblings, thankfully.

When was the last time you were disappointed? A couple days ago, I invited my mom to see an artist we both loved when I was a kid in concert and she declined for reasons I knew were a lie, which was extra disappointing because she’s going out of her way to see my little sister’s favorite artist that she doesn't even like. 

When was the last time you had wet hair? Thursday night I think.

Do you like kids’ movies? Oh yeah!

Have you ever known someone online and then met them in person? If so, which website did you meet on? Yes, my husband! And I met one girl off Bumble BFF but it didn’t work out.

Have you ever been to the beach? If so, tell me the name of the beach you last went to and when. I have! We went to Santa something island in Florida wayyyy back in 2012.

When was the last time you were sick and what illness did you have? I had a cold back in April.

When did you last wash your hair? ...Thursday night.

Who did you last speak aloud to and what did you say? My husband, he was asking me which game he should play.

Do you know anyone with a serious anger management problem? My family for sureeee.

Do you have a calendar in your room? Nope!

What color is your wallet? Black.

Have you ever been to Manhattan? Newp.

Are you wearing any jewelry right now? What are they? I’m wearing my wedding rings on my left ring finger and then a super thin little gold chain ring on my right ring finger.

Did you get swine flu? I did, actually. It was fucking awful and to this day, it’s the sickest I've ever been.

Do you know anyone from Alabama? Not personally!

How bright is it in the room you’re in? We have a massive living room window and it’s daytime with the curtains open but it’s overcast outside so it’s perfectly lit but not blinding or anything.

What can you smell right now? Nothin!

Have you ever bought a game from a site like Big Fish Games or Shockwave? I think so!

Have you ever had a snow day? Oh yeah. They were more frequent when I was a kid but we had a huge blizzard in April and we were snowed in for days.

Have you seen all the Lord of the Rings movies? I think so actually.

Do you have an unhealthy obsession with colored furry throw pillows that are different shapes and sizes? Mmm, no.

How often do you change your underwear? Every day to every other day, depending when I put them on the previous day. Does that make sense?

Doesn’t it bother you when guys in your family / household leave the toilet seat up so that you wind up almost falling in when you’re sleepy and dazed at 3:00 AM and need to pee? My husband always puts the toilet seat down and I never wake up in the middle of the night to pee.

Approximately how many books do you have in your house? Um...less than 10 for sure.

Have you ever had to call the cops on someone else before? I called the cops because it was like 90 degrees and someone had left their dog locked in their car.

Have you ever been to court for something other than a traffic ticket? I got married in a courthouse if that counts.

Don’t you hate it when people suddenly love a celebrity when they die? It’s weird but whatever.

What type of math are you the best at? Addition I guess?

How’s the weather? It’s cold but not as cold as it usually is this time of year. Supposedly there's a blizzard on its way here this week but it could miss us so we’ll see.

[crowborn666-writes]

Hi there! I really liked your Drabble of the reader playing with hawks feather while he was at an interview XD I could imagine it all and it was very cute and funny.

Anyways, I hope your day/night is going well! I was wondering if I could request something? A Hawks/keigo takami x female reader where the reader is his girlfriend, and she’s super shy, even around him, but she’s been a bit better with it. This is because she’s never dated before and hawks thinks it’s just so adorable. But I was thinking she ends up staying awake all night waiting for him cause she’s worried and he gets home kinda ruffed up, but nothing terrible. He notices right away she stayed up all night and its not her first time. A bit of a scold and he thinks it’s so cute that she stutters a bit to tell him how worrried she was.(this was during the time hawks was a spy for the league of villains)

I am so sorry this is super long😖thank you so much in advance if you do write this!

Worry

(Hi! So glad to see you liked Riled! It was fun to write ^^ and I hope your day/night is better than my last few days have been. Being sick isn’t fun.)

Hawks × F!Reader

Genre: Fluff, Romantic

Summary: Hawks’ late-night work was beginning to worry you, so you stay up late to be there when he comes back.

~~~~~~

You were honestly surprised a guy like Keigo gave you the time of day. With how shy you were, you were convinced he wouldn’t even look your way. But here you were, spending a night at home curled up in his muscled arms, a cheesy romcom completely forgotten in the background as you focused on the heartbeat under your ear. Keigo’s wings draped over you like a blanket, his hands firm and grounding against your back, thumbs brushing shapes into your skin.

He had said some extra work would be coming up soon, so he offered up a date night at home to spend time together before he had to go.

“You gonna be fine on your own? I can ask Endeavor to house you at his agency if needed.” He mumbled, one hand tucking a few locks behind your ear.

“I’ll be okay. You said it was just for one day right?”

“More or less.” You could hear the soft smile in his voice, one hand leaving your form to grasp the TV remote.

“You looking for the nature documentaries?” You asked, smiling as you watched him flip through the channels.

“Nope.~” Keigo chirped, clicking on a show about lizards.

You stirred from your slumber at movement and a disappearance of warmth at your back. Your hand naturally caught ahold of Keigo’s sleeve, his hand grasping yours a moment later to gently loosen your grip.

“Hey lovebird, I gotta get goin’.” He breathed into the early morning darkness, his lips brushing your forehead.

“Mkay…” you mumbled as you rolled over, smiling as he tucked his pillow into your arms, the scent wafting into your nose, “Be safe, Kei.”

“I will.”

Another few kisses to your forehead and cheeks, you heard your boyfriend slip off into the role of Hawks.

You’d awoken a few hours later, having no alarm to wake up to. You grumbled at the light shining through you window, sitting up and taking a few minutes to wake before pulling yourself out of bed.

As you made your way to the kitchen for breakfast, you took note of the lack of red feathers you’re used to seeing. You figured Keigo needed all of his feathers for what he had planned.

You made some pancakes for yourself, if only to pass some extra time, quietly eating while watching something on your phone.

You didn’t text Keigo that day, knowing he was busy with his important work. Anxiety creeped into your mind that day, hissing about what horrible things could happen if you tried texting him and have it be the wrong place, wrong time.

You shook your head to dispel those thoughts. If Keigo got worried, he would text you, then you’d know it was the right time.

Even still, you found your attention gravitating to news websites and news channels more often, anxious to hear of anything, whether good or bad. The hours passed by slowly it seemed, news of pros saving lives and villains being captured but none about Hawks.

The anxiety was keeping you up, the clock reading half past ten but here you were, wide awake and waiting.

It went on to midnight, and still no sign of your boyfriend.

You were constantly checking your phone for any texts or calls you may have missed somehow, too worried to notice the thunk of boots on the back patio.

“(Y/n)?”

Your head snapped up, seeing Keigo in the doorway, a few bruises and scrapes visible on his skin. “What are you doing awake?”

He naturally gravitated to you and your outstretching hands, letting you cling to his jacket and bury your face into his chest.

“I-I got worried, and-and I didn’t want to call or text in case it got you int-into trouble and I was hearing anything from your or-or the news and—”

“Hey, I’m here.” He cut you off, gently pushing you from his chest so you could see him, “A bit roughed up as you can see but nothing too bad! If anything I should be the one worried about you, staying up like this isn’t good for that pretty face of yours.”

You sniffled a bit, your nerves finally settling down as a smile broke out. Keigo pressed kisses to your cheeks, gathering you up into his arms to carry you to the bedroom.

In a half-asleep haze, you watched as he slipped into the bathroom on the opposite side of the hall from the bedroom with a set of night clothes. In just a few minutes he was back, laying down next to you with a fresh set of clothing and the worst of his scrapes patched up. You pulled him closer, resting his head on your chest so you could watch him and so his weight could settle the last of your nerves.

“Love you, Kei.”

“Love you too, (Y/n).”