#Not my bag but it definitely did something to bring Fandom to the spotlight.

[ineedthesons]

[nxrthmizu]

Second Place ; Miya Osamu.

fandom | haikyuu!!

pairing | miya osamu x fem!reader

w.c | 2.2k

genre | fluff

warning(s) | slightly suggestive, implied sexual content

author's note | i've been wanting to write this for a while! so here it is <3 it's not beta read and I didn't use a lot of metaphorical filling so it's not that poetic but eh Idc bc ✨ self indulgence ✨

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Once upon a time, Miya Osamu swore that he would never settle for second place again— He was never going to let another Miya score first place while he stood in the shadows. The twins had split paths after graduation, stepping onto stages where they'd never have to compete against each other for the spotlight again.

... Okay, who was he kidding. He'd be compared to Atsumu for his whole life— It wasn't like a different career would change that. Besides, his aunts were way too bored to not spin up something about him and his brother during family gatherings.

"Atsumu's making more money, isn't he?"

Well duh, he was a professional volleyball player, of course he made more money— Osamu wanted to roll his eyes in front of his aunts to make sure they understood that he heard their hushed whispers— But then again, he was an adult now, and he knew better than to stoop that low.

The comforting grip you had on his wrist also helped.

Things did get slightly better for him, though.

"Atsumu, your brother's already married," Osamu overheard his second aunt say to his twin during his wedding reception, "When are you going to settle down?"

The grey-haired Miya couldn't help but have a grin on his face for the entire night. Granted, the fact there was a silver ring on your finger also helped. You were absolutely radiant that night, and Osamu couldn't have been happier to finally be able to introduce you as his spouse.

Osamu's marriage did tilt more pressure towards his twin's way, because not more than half a year later, Atsumu caved in and found a sweet little thing to share his life with. The setter had had a couple flings here and there in his earlier years— But none of them ever lasted that long, and Atsumu had never introduced them to his brother, which is how Osamu knew that his twin really cared about the girl when the golden-haired man visited Onigiri Miya with her hanging on his arms.

If he didn't have the decency to help his brother maintain a good image, Osamu would've straight-up snorted at how tense his twin was when he served onigiri up onto their table, the shop empty with the exception of one table. It was almost like Atsumu was seeking Osamu's approval— Which was hilarious enough without the fact that the setter was nervous about it.

At the end of the night, it was as if the weight of the world was lifted off Atsumu's shoulders. Kaoru— The name of Osamu's potential sister-in-law— Got along wonderfully with you, who kept the shy-but-bright woman entertained as Osamu dragged his twin into the kitchen to make fun of him.

"Oh, go easy on him," You elbowed him lightly as the two of you closed up the shop for the night, wiping down the tables and tucking the chairs in. "Atsumu genuinely cares about her, he's making an effort!"

Osamu let out the snort he had held in for most of the evening. "I wouldn't be his brother if I didn't make fun of him."

"Boys." You muttered, just loud enough for him to hear. You had been around to catch the tail-end of some of Atsumu's previous relationships, so you could tell that Kaoru was different; In a way, Atsumu looked at her the same way Osamu eyed a nice piece of mackerel in the grocery shop.

"I heard that! C'mere," Osamu grinned, tackling you from the back. A smile burst across his lips when a giggle erupted from your lips, a cloth rag smacking him in the face when you tried to wriggle away from his hold. "You aren't getting away, pumpkin. Save your energy for later."

He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively, yelping when he was smacked with the rag again.

"There won't be a later if you keep that up." You warned, laughing when horror instantly swept over his expression. His protests echoed in your ears as you thought about how this marriage was something you'd never regret. Yes, it was rough because his business took off on a rocky road, but you knew there was no gain without pain, so you hung on and saw him through to the fruits of his labour.

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The next family meeting was graced with the presence of Kaoru, who, in turn, had been graced with your advice.

"Dress decently, do not wear black," You had warned her the night before on the phone, grimacing at the memory of your first Miya family dinner. No one had aunts more judgemental than the Miya twins. "I would suggest going with a dress. Oh, and it might help to bring a gift. A bottle of Ginseng Wine might be a good idea."

"We're here," Osamu parked the car outside the family home, subconsciously wincing at the sight of his aunts' vehicles. "... Ah. They’re here."

"I see they turned up early," You grimaced, "Atsumu and Kaoru-chan are going to have a brilliant night."

"Yup." Your husband grinned slightly at that, earning a smack for smiling at his brother's suffering. "Oh, he'll be fine. We'll mention that when Atsumu really needs saving." The wink he sent your way made your stomach butterflies flutter, but the warm touch of his fingers on your hand made them settle. "We'll be fine," Osamu's eyes softened as he met yours, reassuring you. "You've got me, remember? Worst case scenario, we'll just high-tail out of there and say we need to work tomorrow."

"Right," You released a breath of relief, interlocking your fingers with his. "Ready?"

"To see Atsumu suffer?" Osamu quipped. "Hell yeah."

And suffer did Atsumu. Kaoru wasn’t spared (of course she wasn’t—) and was judged from head-to-toe by the Miya's critical aunts. From the way they were eyeing her, you'd think they were the judges of Miss Universe instead of potential aunt-in-laws. Despite that, Kaoru braved the storm and stood strong through the whole night, her resilience shining with her determination to be with the other Miya twin— Osamu nodded his approval at that.

After dinner, the family gathered in the living room, with the elderly seated on the cushioned couches while the twins were squashed together on a bean bag (that you had to convince them to share, because apparently they were adamant about pushing the other off of it). Kaoru and you managed to snag a small corner of a couch, stifling your laughter at the sour faces of your respective significant others.

"So, Kaoru-san," Four heads collectively flinched when the aunt opened her mouth, "What's your job? Yearly salary?"

"Um, I'm... I'm a newspaper editor," Kaoru fidgeted with the strap of her bag while you resisted the urge to snap at her to look as confident as she could if she didn't want the interrogation to go on for the rest of the night. A shy, nervous thing like her would only make the predator's lick their lips at the sight of easy prey.

"Oh! That makes sense," The woman sneered, Osamu's mother not-so-discreetly turning up the volume of the television in hopes that the conversation would be drowned out. "You definitely dress with the salary of an editor."

Offence flashed across Atsumu's face like lightning, but before he could start a fight to defend his girlfriend's honour, Osamu dragged his brother back onto the bean bag and stood up.

"Excuse me, everyone," Osamu put on his practiced customer-service smile flawlessly, capturing everyone's attention instantly. "Y/N and I have an announcement to make." His eyes met yours, and you nodded, a smile waltzing across your lips.

"Mother, father," You begin, addressing your in-laws like you addressed your own parents. Encouragement swirled in your blood as Osamu interlocked your hands and squeezed your fingers. "You're going to be grandparents."

It took a while for the news to kick in.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Osamu's mother cried out, rushing to envelop you in a hug that you gracefully accepted. "Do you know the gender yet?"

"Of course not, mother." Osamu rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "We're not that far along yet."

"That's amazing! Congratulations!" Kaoru beamed brightly, not having picked up on Osamu's timely intervention.

"Thank you." You replied warmly.

"Well then, are you going to stop working?" The first aunt shot at you, smirking, coy as ever. She knew that you weren't the type to drop your job just because of an incoming child.

"Of course not." You replied easily, "What kind of spouse would I be if I couldn't help carry the financial burdens with my husband?"

She shut her trap instantly, huffing in fury. Osamu had never looked prouder.

The family rejoiced for a little longer, and from the tip of your ears, you heard Osamu gloating slightly about having reached another milestone earlier than his brother.

"I love you," Your husband murmured into the crook of your neck as the two of you cuddled in the warmth of your bed, too far for his aunts' sharp words to hurt you. "And our little boy in there.”

“How do you know it’s a boy?”

“... Father’s instinct.”

Months flew by in a blur, and so did doctor appointments, Sunday shopping trips with Kaoru as you left Atsumu to help Osamu in the restaurant. The pair would drive the half-an-hour trip from Osaka to Hyogo every weekend. This arrangement elicited a couple silly arguments between the twins, of course, but once you taught Kaoru the stern look that would make the two settle like guilty puppies with their tails between their legs— Those arguments became simple matters to handle.

“Have you thought of names yet?” Kaoru asked you while the two of you sipped on coffee.

“I have a couple in mind,” You smiled. “Osamu won’t stop going on about how he was right. The baby’s a boy.”

“Boys will be boys,” Kaoru rolled her eyes. Then, her expression changed to a wistful one. “This might sound odd, but… I just find myself thinking, sometimes… One day, I want what you and Osamu have.”

“... A happy marriage?” You raised an eyebrow, “Honey, you’re already on your way to one. Atsumu looks at you the same way ‘Samu looks at a bowl of gyudon. Or the way I look at a bucket of mint ice cream with peanut butter…”

Kaoru made a concerned look. “The baby sure craves some odd things.”

“You’ll experience this one day.” You returned pointedly. “Logically, I never would’ve thought of eating mint chocolate ice cream with peanut butter slathered on… But cravings are cravings. And it was surprisingly nice.”

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After nine long months of waiting, Miya Tomohito was welcomed to the world. Osamu cried (Atsumu made fun of him for it before getting smacked by Kaoru— She was learning a lot from you). Both yours and Osamu’s parents wouldn’t stop gawking at your baby boy, with his little tuff of dark hair, his tightly-fisted hands and the slight cherry-red flush of his cheeks. You never thought you’d fall in love at first sight— But your son was living proof that you were wrong. From the first moment you held him in your arms, you had already given a piece of your heart for him to hold in his tiny little hands.

It quickly became a regular sight for frequent customers of Onigiri Miya to see Osamu walking around the shop, a sleeping baby boy strapped to his back. The two were inseparable. Once, you walked in on your husband having a full conversation with Tomohito, who was sucking on a spoon.

“I’m thinking of adding a twist to my tuna onigiri recipe,” Osamu said, as if he were talking to an adult and not a three-month old baby. “Do you think adding a squeeze of lemon juice will make it taste better?”

“Gwa.” Tomohito replied intelligently.

“Great suggestion, Tomo.”

“Mmm.”

“I see. We could go to the grocery store later to get some tuna and try that recipe tonight.”

“Ba.”

“You’re a genius, Tomo.”

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“I can’t believe you.” Osamu looked helpless. “You’re not… You’re not seriously doing this to me.”

“I’m completely serious.” You said firmly, having put your foot down with no room for argument.

“You’re really choosing him over me?” Your husband’s jaw dropped when you nodded solemnly. “I’m your husband!”

“And he’s my son.” You shot back instantly.

“You’re kicking me out of our bed for our son?”

“He’s sick!” You refuted. “I need him to be as close as possible to me. His fever hasn’t gone down completely yet and I can’t let him go back into his cot tonight. Besides, you might get sick if we all sleep in the same bed. Who’ll take care of the shop then?”

Osamu drooped visibly. He couldn’t believe what was happening— He had lost to a Miya once again— Now his son instead of his brother. “Fine.” He mumbled sadly. “Make your poor husband sleep on the couch.”

“It’s only for one night, ‘Samu.”

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Tomohito's name is written as 智仁. '智' means intelligence and '仁' means compassionate. I have a friend named Tomohito.

Also, when I was writing this I reminded myself to make sure I made the reader gender-neutral. That is, until I realised that I made the reader pregnant. I am an idiot.

haikyuu!! gen taglist: @haru-senji @hikari-writes @whootwhoot @folkloeren @definitely-yours @rirk-ke @animegirlweeb @cemeiia @haikyuushuffle

[migleefulmoments]

So... Abby responds to her family's intervention by obediently telling them she'll stop (ie. lying to them). She then immediately tries to find ways to keep the blog in secret, hiding behind various usernames, lurking on her coven's blogs, more time deleting posts from both blogs we know about. Meaning, instead of getting help, she spends even MORE time online engaging in more batshit crazy crap to cover her ass. Yeah, sure, that doesn't signal dire need for mental health intervention AT ALL.

It looks like that is what is happening.  We will have to see what the future holds. What does Abby do? 

So far the fandom is flailing. Cassie got a couple of anons- one that reads like those anons Abby used to send herself as it covers all the issues they are most upset about so perfectly well (My comments in parenthesis and italicized:: 

Anonymous asked: Even if I am unsure about CC itself, I don't buy M*arr*n. I just don't. And the other side is using doxing and the fact that you and others say things they don't like about M as an excuse to do so and as a way to detract from the fact that their couple goals have some pretty big, glaring plot holes in their love story. I've not seen anyone on this side of the fandom out or dox anyone publicly as a way of humiliation. M gave up her privacy by dating D, but Abby didn't and they were wrong. Period. 

cassie1022 answered: Nonnie, I swear every time they diagnose us as mentally ill or say we’re bitter hags, an LGBTQ angel gets his or her wings. We all know my beliefs, but there are MANY people that are like you and don’t know for sure about CC but sure as hell know Miarren isn’t a normal, healthy relationship. (Funny thing, I don’t remember anyone diagnosing Cassie as mentally ill. Cassie is alwasy the wallflower that nobody wants to dance with and she tries so hard to be part of the fun people. Last week she was sad because I hadn’t sent her a “hate” message (See comment in last post below) 

Even if I remove D from the situation, I would still think M is a lazy, spoiled toddler with no discernable work ethic coupled with a superiority complex that rivals the Cheeto in Command of the US.

You are absolutely correct. Our fandom just wants to be left alone. We don’t send hateful asks to the other side. We don’t have to. They feel they have the right to dox CCers because they don’t like what we say about M, a woman that would light a cigarette from the flames engulfing them and not call 911 to help them. I mean, honestly, it doesn’t get much lower than mocking someone’s death. Plus, as you correctly said, M put herself in the spotlight “dating” D. If she didn’t want that attention, she would have stayed in the background. There are plenty of celebrities married to non famous people and we don’t see them at every event like we do M. (It is BAFFLING to me that they can’t comprhend something as simple and obvious as the reasaon they “see Mia everywhere” is because they fucking stalk her and they hyperanalzye every photo Darren is in looking for her. If they started stalking Ben Feldman they would see his wife just as much as they see Mia).    

Bottom line is what they did to Abby was deplorable, but, just like their kween, they feel justified in doing whatever they want. This isn’t the first time they’ve crossed a line with regards to my friend, but it was the worst.

notes-from-nowhere Anon, they love to throw the guilt of their actions on our shoulders, it’s how they justify what they do to themselves. They need us to be the bad guys otherwise what is the only option left? (I never know what the hell Notes is trying to say- throw the guilt of our actions on their shoulders? I’d love an example of that. I can’t imagine what guilty action I put on their shoulder. As for needing them to be the bad guys or what do we have left? OMFG are you kidding me? We critcize the cc fandom for being misogynistic, homophobic, bullies who attack  Mia, Darren, Ricky and their own Nonnies. They have viscioulsy attacked people in their own fandom who dared to question them. But the biggest reason we push back is because THEY LIE. All the damn time. So what do we have left? Being on the right side, being correct, not lying, not needing to lie, and the joy of watching Darren live his best life)   

Leka got a couple of asks but her answers were weak, confusing and pointless. It’s clear she isn’t ready to take over as their leader. She repeated Abby’s main talking points, tried to use big words to sound smarter and basically ended up not making a lot of sense:

Anonymous asked: I could be wrong, and I hope I am, but I think the character on the HW poster holding the girl is D's character, it would fit if you look at the other guys on the poster, maybe this is already the first hint to show D's character is not gay and so technically not breaking the no more queer roles rule his team set for him. It won't make it any better because it's still a career on the bag of LGBTQ+ people with it's teams but it's technically not a broken rule. I just really need for things to change, I want them to so bad, it kills me seeing someone so kind in a situation like that, and I truly believe D is one of the kindest people in that horrible town. He deserves better than M, I wouldn’t even mind if he goes onto another beard but she and RR just need to go. I really think it’s crazy people still think everything HW is real and PR relationships don’t exist, I wished that place was just better and had a moral compass, people deserve more it kind of shows just how jaded this situation has made me, I can’t even enjoy amazing promo material without directly twisting it into something negative, I don’t want to be this way and if I feel like this I can’t even imagine how D must feel. He is stronger than I’ll ever be living through hell every day, even if he’s not ok he’s still here and holding on, I don’t know if I could in his position. Sorry for the long message and the unneeded negativity, I guess I just had to vent a little

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

Leka answered: So let’s look at the way HW is described:

“Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood’s Golden Age, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day. Provocative and incisive, HOLLYWOOD exposes and examines decades-old power dynamics, and what the entertainment landscape might look like if they had been dismantled.”

I do consider this the very intriguing thing about the news. (And it just goes to show that believing everything you’re sold is being utterly and completely ignorant.) Let’s say you’re right because ofc it’s possible. How does R/aymond fit in here? Given the excessive way team shit has pushed that article, a technicality won’t be good enough. There has to be a better plan. This doesn’t match what’s been said in his name.

What I think is this doesn’t necessarily have to mean much. You know very well what you see doesn’t have to be the (full) truth. That doesn’t just apply to the real HW. Especially considering the time period of this show. And let’s not forget the pap pics we got at a gas station. This doesn’t rule out SB as an inspiration. I would advise anyone to read up on him. We don’t know at this point. As we keep saying, the best thing to do is to wait and see. I’m certainly interested in finding out more.

As time goes on, the danger of this situation keeps becoming even clearer to me. D deserves much, much better. He’s incredibly strong, but the most toxic person in his life needs to go and she’s more than welcome to take the jumping jackass with her. That’s definitely the most important thing right now. (I’m curious what the danger of Hollywood is?)

awesome-fanfictionada: @leka-1998I’m just wondering - it must have been D who got himself this job on HW, right? Couldn’t this have been done on purpose to counter that ridiculous statement - which wasn’t even accurate, if the source was that interview where he stated that he wouldn’t want to be a casting director? Could in this case RM be a friend?

leka-1998:  @awesome-fanfictionada Yes, he did that himself. Again. And he said the show’s been sold late in 2018. According to an article that came out later, it happened in February 2019. Not true.

HW has been a thing before that statement was made, which is indeed very different from the answer D himself gave during the interview. That’s what makes the article seem like sabotage by team shit. And standing in RM’s way is never a good idea. So while I will obviously never like him, I’m reserving judgment on his current role until we know more.

Anonymous asked: The underlying issue in general is really that social media has made it so people think they get an accurate glimpse into the lives of celebrities, when in reality social media, like everything else that is publicly released about them, is used as a marketing tool. People are actually more inauthentic than they've ever been because they feel pressure to maintain a certain image for social media at all times. So anyone who decides D is living honestly, it's because they want to believe he is.

Leka: True, nonnie. Just look at the text lines that are becoming more popular again. Not nearly as genuine as people want to believe. In D’s case, what has to be brought up? M. Oh Halloween and her amazing shopping skills praised on SM. The work fam honeymoon pic promoting the place they stayed at. Coa/chella for the H&M ad. Mardi Gras posted shortly after the mockery to promote the designer. I could obviously go on. Most of what we see on SM shows the person the 10 year crew wants him to be. And what looks like a split personality if you compare certain posts. Which brings me back to ‘they want to believe’, as what you’re saying clearly isn’t a secret. Anyone can choose to ignore it but at this point, if that’s the case even though you’re more or less paying attention, it’s really a conscious decision.

Oh btw, there’s a HW IG account now and it already has a D follow. Imagine that. R/oyalties co-stars, anyone?

Flowers didn’t get any asks. Amazing since she has more followers than I do and she bragged about getting more “notes” than me.  She did answer azscc who posted an odd rant that baffles me.  Who the fuck is azscc and who is posting anything about her? I realize I am not the only person in this fandom posting about ccers But I just checked all the blogs that I know of and nobody is talking about her; 

azsc  its so weird how chillarrens call me a bully while i only say something rude towards them if they write bullshit towards me. and its just ironic how chillarrens go around calling people bullies while they are the reason why tons of cc accounts use their accounts private or don’t post their opinions and etc. the real threat to the fandom are people like you. so instead of going around throwing shit on people and calling them “mental, delusional...” get a life. no cc believer goes around hunting for chillarren pics and insult the account owner so why don’t you all grow up and realize no one has to agree with your opinions. every crisscolfer blog/twitter page/insta acc basically stan accs never asked for your opinions on their pages so why don’t you just let it go? no one cares about what you all say or do so why are you forcing it this much?

call me a bully i am pretty much okay with that. its obvious that people are unable to understand basic sarcasm and irony and i am not judging because to actually understand what people say you have to at least have an average IQ level. and if you don’t have it, it’s okay but that doesn’t mean you can twist people’s words and post them all over the internet. but its lowkey really funny that i only had my instagram acc for something like 4/5 months and i received over 300 hate/insult/blackmail/death wish messages and etc. and who are you people to call us bullies? (Nobody is a Chillarren. Darren and Mia are married and Chris and Will are in a long-term relationsihp,  Nobody has to “ship” them in order to believe they are together. In America, we accept that when someone introduces their wife or their boyfriend they are telling the truth. It is customary to address that person as their wife or boyfriend respectively. The crisscolfers on the other hand, must use a fandom ship name because they are shipping two people who are not in a relationship and never were. All evidence indicates Chris and Darren are no long friends; they are nothing more than former co-workers-friendly and polite when they see one another but no longer involved in one another’s lives. Chris and Darren both have denied (more than once) that the were ever in a relationship).  .   

flowersintheattic254 I have never in my whole time here posted an anon to a Miarren account. I have no desire to. I’m confident in my beliefs.

The interesting thing for me is that I’ve been here for about four years now and in that time I’ve seen the head of the fandom disappear, other people disappear because their families have been doxed, established long-term cc blogs with a wealth of history deleted without warning. I myself have had my daughters threatened.  This sort of stuff doesn’t happen anywhere in the fandom but here here. If we are a bunch of delusional crazy middle-aged women then this shouldn’t happen. (Who was doxed? Who dissappered? It’s all “liar liar” with everything ccers say. In the last 4 years Abby has been the only leader of the cc fandom. Michelle left between 4 and 5 years ago because her outrageious cc comments threatened her ability to raise money for her little Klaine-fanfic rip-off movie. I vaguely remember someone asking flowers how her daugther’s would feel if they read what she writes- hardly a threat. If there was something more she never posted any proof. As for blogs being deleted- so was D-Criss News.  It happens. The only cc blog that I know of that disappeared was DisneyPrincessModelWorld’s original blog which had was a hot mess of lies and catfishing. She visciously bullied Mia. Hardly someone to mourn their blog being deleted). 

It’s shocking that an actor may lgbt causes such drama. (HUH?)

Flower’s comment is so disingenuous. While it is technically true -she hasn’t sent me anons, she HAS instead publically ridiculed me and frankly, I can’t see how that is any different? I’d say it’s worse because they wanted their followers to see what they wrote and the only way to ensure that is to post it on their blogs. Flowers and Abby posted many public “Michy” posts.  Here is her most recent: 

flowersintheattic254Oh and I guess Michy sent us all some hate today.

I guess I have way more followers than you and only about 4 that send hate. You haven’t for ages.

I think I have over 70,000 hits currently to my blog. I must be saying something interesting.

He’s been married allegedly for a year and people still doubt. That’s gotta hurt you. Anyway......

✌️

ajw720 Michy told me today today that the outing couldn’t possibly be promo, because JS was only cast in September!  What a moron who clearly doesn’t know how HW works.  Sweetheart, it was ANNOUNCED in September;)

I was waiting for a few more months, but in 4 years, since i have been tracking, i have almost a million! (976,695 to be precise).

It is amazing that so many people care about what us bat shit crazy, irrelevant, psychologically unstable, threatening, hateful tin hats have to say!  And that does not include people reading on their dash or that hit you on the app!  So yep, Michy, clearly what we are saying is being monitored by someone.  And clearing making people think!! But you keep wasting your time writing for your audience of 4:)

cassie102 I feel left out, Michy didn't come at me today. Must hurt like hell knowing you're a joke that perpetuates a bigger joke.

leka-1998 Birds of a fake feather flock together. When the right person says tomorrow’s Christmas, tomorrow’s Christmas. Get ready, everyone.

If I narrow it down to the last six months, about 10,000 btw. Hm strange.

flowersintheattic254 @ajw720 the number of hits you have give me oxygen. If Michy thinks they are haters then she is delusional. People know when they are being sold something fake and they look for answers.

[iluvsexyvoltageguys]

Bad Romance - Part 9

Fandom: Scandal in the Spotlight (Love 365)

The days following your fight with Iori sucked. There was no other way around it. You felt so stupid, wondering how you ever let yourself believe that Iori actually cared about you. Most of all, it hurt. It really fucking hurt.

To make matters worse, Kyohei was suspicious. You went totally MIA for a few days, needing time for yourself. As much as you loved the guys, they were tied to Iori and you just didn’t want that reminder. Eventually, however, you answered their calls because they were getting worried and you didn’t want to totally freak them out.

“Did something happen between you and Iori?” Kyohei asked. You were grateful this was happening over the phone so you didn’t have to regulate your facial expressions.

“No, why would this have anything to do with Iori,” you lied, curious if Iori had told him what was going on. If he did he was going to fucking hear it from you.

“I don’t know, I thought things were getting better with you two and now…” his voice trailed off.

“No Kyohei it’s not like that,” you sighed.

You were trying not to get annoyed, but these were exactly the questions you didn’t want to answer right now. You knew that Kyohei was coming from a good place, and you appreciated his concern, so that kept you from snapping at him.

“It’s just I- it was a guy I was talking to. I thought we were on the same page but we weren’t and he’s a total ass. Just kinda been nursing a broken heart I guess.”

That was kind of true, you supposed.

“Do I know this dude? Because I’ll kick his ass for you,” Kyohei replied, making you laugh.

Yeah he’s your fucking roommate, you thought bitterly.

“No,” you replied, “Just some idiot I met through a friend.”

“Well shit I’m sorry _____,” Kyohei said, “You deserve better than some shitty guy. It’s his loss.”

“Yeah that’s what I keep telling myself.”

“Good because it’s true,” Kyohei affirmed, “I’m not a broken heart expert, but I think a night out with friends could help. What do you say? Come out with us tonight?”

“I don’t know Kyohei,” you replied.

If he was going out, Iori was coming with him and you were not ready for that.

“Come on _____,” Kyohei playfully whined, “Iori’s out of town this weekend and I’m going stir crazy over here.”

Iori wasn’t going to be there? That made things different, and a night out would be fun…

“So it would just be us?” you confirmed.

“Well I was gonna invite Nagito too, if that’s okay?” Kyohei asked.

“More than okay, it will be good to see Nagito again,” you replied, as a smile found your lips for the first time in a while. Leave it to Kyohei to make you feel better even after the shittiest of times.

Later that evening you met Kyohei and Nagito outside a club they frequent. You were feeling better - getting dressed up did wonders for your self esteem. You looked good and for the first time in awhile you felt good. Plus, the way Nagito was looking at you didn’t hurt either.

You got a drink inside, vowing to yourself it would be your only one. The last thing you needed right now was to get hammered and word vomit what’s been going on the last few weeks to Kyohei and Nagito.

“Man whatever guy hurt you is a dumbass,” Nagito said, joining you at the bar. He looked you up and down, in the least weird way possible. It didn’t feel creepy or anything, it was nice to have someone openly compliment you.

“You could say that again,” you muttered into your drink.

“Seriously though,” Nagito said, slinging his arm around your shoulder, “I’m really sorry some guy was a total dick to you. You don’t deserve that. I’m sure Kyohei already offered but I will totally beat him up for you if you want.”

You chuckled, if only Nagito and Kyohei knew the person they were so eager to beat up was their friend.

“It’s all good,” you replied, “He’s not worth the time or energy. I appreciate the sentiment though.”

“Of course,” Nagito flashed a goofy, but adorable smile, “So would you wanna dance with me or is it too soon?”

“Definitely not too soon,” You smiled.

However, just as the words left your mouth, a familiar face caught your eye.

Iori.

Nagito followed your eye, smiling brightly at his friend. “Iori!” he exclaimed, grabbing his attention. You wished you could run away, but it was too late. He’d already seen you and you were wedged between Nagito and the bar.

“Hey Nagi, _____,” he greeted casually.

You rolled your eyes, not bothering with a response.

“I thought you were gone for the weekend?” Nagito asked.

Iori shrugged. “My brother wasn’t feeling good. Didn’t wanna risk getting sick,” he explained.

That was a lie, you just knew it. It was something about his dad, but that wasn’t any of your business. Nagito nodded though, either buying the story or knowing better than to question it.

“Kyohei was looking for you Nagi,” Iori said, his eyes on you.

“Did he say what he wanted?” Nagito asked.

You got a sense he didn’t wanna leave your side and you weren’t too keen on that either.

Iori shrugged, “Didn’t say, but he’s back there somewhere.” He pointed back to the crowded part of the club.

Nagito sighed, “I’ll be right back ____.” His hand lingered on your arm before heading off.

Iori stepped over in his place, trapping you.

“You and Nagito?” he asked, trying to sound casual, but he was tense.

“Are friends. Not that it is any of your business,” you answered, taking a sip of your drink. You were gonna need that to deal with him.

“Listen I know I w-”

“Save it Iori,” you cut him off, “I have no interest in what you have to say. You know, I really convinced myself you weren’t that bad of a guy, but boy was I wrong. You’re the asshole I always knew you were.”

Iori’s face shifted as you spoke. Maybe you shouldn’t have been so aggressive, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. You’ve felt like absolute shit the past few days all because of him, so his feelings weren’t your top priority at the moment.

“So that’s how it’s going to be?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“What? You thought you could treat me like a punching bag and come back and fuck me again? You’re fucking delusional. Do me a favor and fuck off,” you spat, returning your attention to your drink.

“You don’t know me. You have no idea wh- you know what never mind. You don’t give a fuck and neither do I.” He must have stormed off because the talking stopped.

Thank god. Just moments later, Nagito returned.

“Where’s Iori?” he asked.

“Who knows, who cares,” you mumbled.

“Kyohei didn’t even wanna see me, what a little shit,” Nagito joked.

“You could say that again,” you said under your breath. Then you remembered what Nagito had asked you before. “I’m ready for that dance Nagi.”

“Yeah, okay,” he smirked as you grabbed his hand dragging him to the dance floor. Dancing with Nagito was fun, he wasn’t afraid to be a little goofy with it and the way he smiled at you made your heart skip. You almost forgot about Iori… until you saw him chatting up another girl.

His eyes met yours and you looked away quickly, but it was too late. He knew you saw him and now he was going to make a show of it to piss you off. Well two could play that game. As he wrapped his arms around the girl, you pulled Nagito closer to you. Iori’s hands ghosted over her boobs, you tilted your head back letting Nagito kiss your neck. You were each trying to one up each other by getting more and more intimate with your partner.

Finally Iori went in for the kill, kissing the girl. He kept his eyes opened, locked right on you. You weren’t about to lose, you grabbed Nagito, pressing your lips to his. So there you were, in a stare down with Iori across a crowded club as you both made out with someone else.

Wait what the hell am I doing?

You suddenly snapped back to reality. It was hitting you how much it sucked to see Iori kiss another girl even though you wanted so badly not to care. On top of that, you felt like a total ass for kind of using Nagito.

You jumped back abruptly, “I have to go.”

“Wait I’m sorry I didn’t me-”

“No it’s not you I-” you were struggling to find the right words, “Fuck I’m sorry I just have to go.”

You ran out without another word, refusing to look at Iori again. You didn’t know what would be worse to see: his cocky triumphant grin or him still kissing that girl.

That night you didn’t sleep well. You kept seeing Iori kissing her every time you closed your eyes. It was torture. You just wanted to forget everything that ever happened with him. Of course, it couldn’t be that easy.

A knock at the door pulled you from your sulking the next morning. You wondered who could possibly be at your door that early in the morning. Okay it wasn’t that early, but early enough that it seemed bizarre. Part of you wondered if it was Iori trying to pull some shit after last night, so you braced for the worst.

You were met with a surprise, however, and a nice one at that. It was Nagito, and he brought flowers.

“Hey,” he said shyly.

“Hey,” you replied, relaxing against the door, “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I know I’m sorry. I don’t know, I just kinda felt bad about last night,” Nagito explained.

“Nagi, I should be the one apologizing to you. I ran out on you like a crazy person,” you replied.

Nagito shook his head, “I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. With everything that happened with that guy. I pushed you too fast.”

“I’m pretty sure I kissed you,” you teased, “But seriously, you have nothing to be sorry for. You probably won’t believe me, but I did enjoy it.” It wasn’t a lie, Nagito was a good kisser.

“I’m happy about that,” he flashed a soft smile, “I guess I just wanted to make sure we were going to be okay… I meant if there even is a we I don’t mean to b-”

“Kiss me,” you cut him off.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah Nagito, kiss me. I won’t run this time, I promise,” you replied.

You needed to know if there was anything between you two or if that was just a one time thing. Nagito didn’t need anymore convincing. He stepped into your place, dropping the flowers to wrap his arms around you and pull you in.

Okay, it definitely wasn’t a fluke. Kissing Nagito was nice. It was easy for things to escalate. One minute his hand was sliding in your hair in the door way and the next he was sliding down your pants on your bed. It all happened so quickly, yet you kind of felt like you were moving in slow motion.

Is this really happening? Am I really sleeping with Iori’s friend.

The answers to both those questions were yes. And it was good, Nagito was really good. He made you cum three times before letting himself get off. God and the fucking smile he gave you after. Like he liked you, really liked you. It was certainly different from your hook ups with Iori.

But a good different? You didn’t really know. Yeah, it was great sex, but… something was missing. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it but it just wasn’t the same. Maybe it was because you were just so used to the hate sex that anything else was throwing you off. It was a good enough excuse for yourself now.

It was nice enough that you were interested in more. It could take a little time to get Iori fully out of your system, but you thought Nagito could help with that. He was always so sweet to you, giving him a chance couldn’t hurt.

“You know I didn’t just come over here for sex,” Nagito nudged you, pulling you from your thoughts.

“Could have fooled me,” you teased, nudging him back.

“I know we did this a little backwards, but I’d love to take you on a date. If you want to that is,” Nagito replied, nerves peaking through in his voice. It was sweet.

“I’d like that a lot,” you smiled, giving him a quick kiss.

“Awesome,” he beamed, “I gotta run to the studio, but I’ll text you.” You nodded, walking Nagito to the door.

You picked up the flowers he had dropped, thanking him again for them, before saying goodbye. You pressed your back against the door, breathing in the sweet scent of the flowers and desperately trying to ignore the mess you surely just created.

SITS Masterlist

[marquis1305]

Silk and Steel Ch 4

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 

AO3 Link

Rating: Mature

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)

Relationship: James “Bucky” Barnes/Reader

Additional Tags:

Slow Burn, Reader-Insert, Florists, Reader is an Enhanced Individual, Nick Fury Knows All, SHIELD, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. References, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Bucky Barnes Feels, Protective Steve Rogers, Hydra (Marvel), enhanced!reader, Reader’s Brother works for SHIELD, POV Female Character, James “Rhodey” Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Rhodey is skeptical, Vision is curious, Tony feeds good behavior with blueberries, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Blueberries, backstory incoming, The Winter Soldiers - Freeform, Fragmented Teamwork, You like making quips as much as the next person, Tony Stark’s Nickames, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, That whirring sound it makes

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

Chapter 4: The Plan

Time to figure out what you are doing next, but with two super soldiers, an ex spy, and a billionaire play boy philanthropist all looking to you for answers... what happens when the only one you have is something you hadn't wanted to consider in the first place.

There are several moments where everything has gone deathly silent. Your gaze meeting icy blue, enough tension to ensure that the other’s did not dare interfere. This was not their battle. 

Setting your coffee mug to one side, and pushing yourself up from your seat. Forcing the former Winter Soldier to make space for you or risk having your face be pressed to his, surprise rising at an alarming rate across his features. Not that you allowed him to back up too far. Following as he half stumbled against the table. Refusing to back down. “He would have done what was necessary for the mission. Are you saying you would have done anything less?”

“I wouldn’t have gone to a known Hydra double agent.” He finally straightened, towering over you once more. Not that it made you back down. The rest of the team circling about you, watching carefully. 

“Babushka is the one who got us out. She’s kept an eye on us since we were kids, made sure we didn’t get into any trouble or bring down any spotlights. She’s helped keep us hidden for years.” You respond more softly. Asking for understanding. Your gaze searching his for any sign of it, for any break in his sudden defensiveness. Trying to piece it together.

Letting out an irritated sigh, he shakes his head, lifting his hands and taking a clear step back. “So, we trust the crazy old lady. Not like it can get any worse.”

You chuckle at that, almost caught by surprise at his easy sarcasm. “Well, now that you’ve said that the worst is definitely going to happen.”

And with that, the tension breaks once more. The rest of the team trying to subtly retake their seats, bringing mugs of coffee closer, loosening up with shared smiles. 

Stark snorts a laugh. “Right, so bunny can face down a rogue assassin without flinching, add that to the report Friday.”

“Of course, Mr Stark. Shall I include the time it took to diffuse a potentially disastrous situation?”

“Why not? Maybe she can talk Hydra into submission, bat those pretty eyes at them.” Tony smirks, winking to you and causing a soft blush to rise to your cheeks. 

“I dunno Tony, if it was that easy they would have fallen for your charms years ago.” Natasha replies with a dry humor. Though her gaze hasn’t stopped switching between you and Bucky, cause you to blush further still. It had been a situation, you understood his concern. Now it was handled, nothing more. Right?

“Well, if this Babu- Baba-” Steve frowns slightly over the word. Only to be met with a resounding chorus of “Babushka,” from every single other person at the table. “That… Is our best lead, then how do we find her?”

Barnes glances to you, then settles his gaze back on Steve. “Hate to make this sound cliche, but you don’t find her. She finds you… And right now, we have exactly one person she might be willing to speak to.” 

It took only a moment before you felt the weight of all their gazes once more. 

“So… Does this mean I should tell the shop not to open for the next week?” You offer almost weakly, huffing a soft laugh. 

“I think this means that you need to return to your life, but start making yourself a little more available.” James said, his tone almost apologetic. As if he hated that you had to be dragged further away from normalcy. Further into schemes. 

“Mop head is right- Oh don’t look at me like that, I know you own a comb, use it- we need you.” Tony reached over, taking your hand between both of his. Suddenly coming off as more fatherly than you thought was possible of a playboy philanthropist. “We aren’t going to let you do this blind, but you seem to be our best bet of finding your brother. If she can lead you to where he went, we can track you the entire way. You won’t be out of our sight.”

“But what no one is saying is that we are all a little too well known. If we get too close, it will blow your cover, make it more obvious that we’re trying to find him.” Natasha chimed in. 

“And that means that they’ll be more likely to make him disappear.” Steve finished her thought. Stating what had been becoming increasingly more obvious. 

Swallowing softly, you looked between each of them. Having to wet your lips before you could force yourself to nod. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

Steve offered a bright smile, warm and welcoming you to the team. Natasha a quirk of her lips and approving nod. Tony patted your hand before leaning back in his chair once more, as though it had never been in question. 

Only one person didn’t look happy about your decision, or the decision of this plan at all. His brow furrowed, and those brilliant blue eyes settled on you. Trying to convey some message you weren’t able to decode. 

Not yet. 

“You had Friday send for me, sir? This better be important, I was in the middle of some securty debriefings.” Happy strode up to the table, glancing over the crowd with a huff. “I thought we had stopped trading with criminals.” “Right, Happy, meet Energizer Bunny.” Stark pointed you out to the former body guard. “This is your new assignment, same as the kid. Just keep her from fighting anything bigger than her and we should be okay.”

“You want me to babysit another one of your projects, that’s why you pulled me off my assignment?” Happy was obviously anything but. You really didn’t want to deal with this if you were going to be working with the team long term. 

“No.” Your eyes widened, head popping up as you turned to face the source of the voice. “He’s a liability.” Barnes spoke once more, arms crossing over his chest. 

The whirring of his metal arm was only slightly distracting and you refused to acknowledge that line of thought. 

“What, are you gonna do it then?” Tony rolled his eyes. Picking up the previously forgotten bag of blueberries. 

“Actually, I am. Because I’m the only one here who actually knows what she is about to be put through. Unless you want to argue that Fury’s files give you enough intel to know how Hydra is going to react to the possibility of a fresh super soldier.” Sitting up a little straighter, you can’t help but notice that Barnes seemed to be flexing. Could super soldiers flex? Was that a thing with how bulky they were already? “Bucky…” Steve started softly. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“Yeah, can’t help but worry that those magic words might rub your lamp the wrong way again.” Tony offered the blueberries to you even as he snarked. 

“I want… Wait, do I call you Barnes, or?” Turning your gaze to him. Ignoring the looks passed between the rest of the team. “I want you to check in on me. You know the risks the best. You know their methods. I barely remember anything about them. I want you.”

Barnes seemed just as surprised as you had felt by your decision. His mouth falling slightly open before offering you a crooked grin. “Haven’t been called Barnes since I was in the army, my friends call me Bucky, doll.”

You can’t help the soft flutter in your stomach at the sight of his smile. Matching it a little more slowly, a little more hesitantly. “Bucky…”

“So does this mean I can get back to what I was doing?” Happy broke the moment, jerking his thumb to point over his shoulder.

“Suppose so. Alright Bunny, let’s get you settled in then.” Standing, Tony offered you a somehow more strained smile. Though you could tell he was doing his best to still be kind. Turning your gaze away from the Sergeant to follow Tony. “It’s going to be a long weekend, so you can stay here. We have a room open. Cap, you still have your room, same with you Tasha. Sergeant, you’ll have to double up or take the room across from our Bunny here.”

“I’d rather have my own room. Suppose I’ll follow you then.” 

“No no, Cap can show you the way.” Tony said with more than a little force, despite the supposed humor. “I want to talk details of some of the tech I intend to use for the mission.”

You look between them a moment before offering Tony a gentler smile. “I’d like to hear about it, thank you. But I also need to call in to let my employees know I won’t be in this weekend then. I can tell them I caught a flu or something.”

“Sounds like a plan.” 

[cathygeha]

Release Tour for There’s More To It by Allie York

Workaholic Sebastian Keller wasn’t expecting to adopt the kid he befriended in his building, but now he’s invested and he will do whatever it takes, even if that means faking a relationship with Stevie Summers. She's down on her luck, he's trying to become a father, together, they can help each other, but can they stop themselves from falling in love? Readers will love this fake romance featuring a swoony adoptive dad. Fall in love with your next book boyfriend with There’s More To It by Allie York, the next book in the Single Dad’s Romance series.

 Read Now!

 Amazon → https://amzn.to/3gwCCsM

I’m Sebastian Keller and I’m a workaholic.

Multi-million-dollar companies don’t run themselves and I work hard to keep mine at the top. Befriending a kid was never on my agenda, but the second I set foot into my new apartment, he’s there to show me the ropes. When his foster family can’t keep him anymore, my choice is clear. The only thing I need to make him part of my life is something money can’t buy. A girlfriend.

I’m Stevie Summers and I’m barely scraping by.

I was on the right track. I had a fiancé, a job, and a degree. Until my fiancé cheated, and my mom died. Now I’m back at home scrambling for work and trying to pay my dad’s bills. I can forget about my love life entirely. Until a blast from my past comes into my life with an offer, I’d be stupid to refuse. Play his girlfriend. In return, he pays the bills. I’d be stupid to say no, and even stupider to fall in love.

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REVIEW

There’s More To It by Allie York

The Single Dad’s Romance #4

 This book reminded me of being twelve and falling for someone in my class. He would call in the evening and we might have held hands one time. That first budding romantic feeling is memorable just as it was for Sebastian Keller and his neighborhood friend Stevie Summers. They never did more than contemplate the “what ifs” of holding hands or sharing a kiss BUT the memory of their friendship and that first feeling of “more” lingered for years. When they suddenly meet serendipitously years later…well…you won’t want to miss this feel-good, happy-making story!

 What I liked:

* Stevie: loving daughter, hard worker, has three jobs, would love to work in the field she majored in, big-hearted, loving, caring, still remembers Sebastian.

* Sebastian: workaholic, successful real estate mogul, generous, loves his family, kind, caring, no time for relationships, still remembers Stevie.

* Grant: 12 year old foster child, intelligent, moved around a lot, worried he will soon be shunted off to someone else, really REALLY liked him.

* Stevie’s father: he loves his daughter and he made me laugh…

* Sebastian’s family: loving, supportive, his brother was SUCH a brother with the teasing and also the support he provided, they remembered Stevie well and are happy to see her again.

* Reading a new-to-me author’s book that I highly recommend

* The smiles and feels and happiness I experienced.

* The quality writing and way I was drawn in

* All of it really except…

 What I didn’t like:

* Knowing that so many children end up in foster care and that it is not always a stable loving permanent placement.

* Knowing that three are others, like Stevie, trying to do what is right and finding it difficult to make ends meet.

 Did I like this book? Definitely!

Would I read more by this author? Without a doubt!

 Thank you to the author and Indie Pen PR for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 5 Stars

   Excerpt

 Copyright 2021 Allie York

I have to look like a freaking fish, opening and closing my mouth over and over. Brown hair, hazel eyes, that face that not even time can make me forget. “Holy shit! Sebbie?” Talk about a blast from the past. I look the man in front of me up and down. The last time I saw Sebastian Keller, he was eighteen, gangly, and had acne, and I was madly in love with him. The Seb in front of me is definitely not a kid anymore. He’s at least six-foot with a chiseled jaw for days and is rocking the gray sweatpants like a porn star. There’s definitely dick print there. And I’m not unimpressed. Oh, my god, stop looking at his junk.

“Stevie. Wow.” He breaks our mutual silence, and my eyes snap up from perusing his body. Face. Yes. Focus on his face. Hazel eyes, a little stubble, a swoop of dark hair on his forehead. Yup. Still Seb standing there. I take stock of the features one more time just to be sure and come to the same conclusion. Sebastian is my delivery, and time was good to this man. He grew up real nice. He’s checking me out too, but like a gentleman: he’s staring at my face, those eyes I know so well searching my face for something. I think back to right before I got out of my car and try to figure out what he sees right now. My eye makeup was on point at the beginning of the night, but I’ve worked a whole shift at the coffee shop and delivered ten meals since then. My hair is… I probably shouldn’t think about it. The ponytail it started in is probably lopsided and messy, but nothing I can do about it now.

“I take it this is your dinner since you’re in front of the only penthouse I see?” I offer the food and hold it between us. After way too long, he takes it very slowly like he may spook me if he moves too fast. The way my heart is hammering tells me this might be true.

“Yeah. Thanks.” His hand wraps around the bag, and I scope it for a ring. Nothing. Interesting. We keep staring at each other, and my hand falls uselessly to my side. “Do you want to come in?” As soon as he says it, Seb’s brows furrow like he’s surprised himself.

“I, uh, no. I don’t want to bother you.” I shake my head and take a step back. I am not emotionally stable enough for this, and I’m not wearing lipstick.

“Right. You’re working. Sorry.” Seb winces, or tries to smile, I can’t tell.

“No, you’re it. For now.” Good job, Stevie, now you don’t have an excuse to leave.

“Then come in for a second. I’m starving and need to sit down after that run. I can’t believe you’re here.” Then I get a real smile and know for sure that this sexy man in front of me is the same Seb from my childhood. That smile does the same thing now that it did fifteen years ago. My face gets hot, and I chew my bottom lip.

“Yeah. Okay. Just for a second.” I nod, trying to figure out why I just agreed to this. I smell like fried food, dogs, and coffee. Not a good combo, and I’m sure I look as tired as I am, but my stupid feet don’t get the memo, and they do the opposite of what my rational brain is saying. Seb tips his head for me to follow him in.

About Allie York

 Allie is a mom and domestic canine appearance technician by day and an author by night. She loves all things nerdy, strong coffee, and cozy mysteries. If there’s a fandom to be in, she’s probably in it and has a soft spot for happily ever afters.

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  About the Single Dad’s Romance Series

 Seven single dads, all from different walks of life and doing the best they can to raise their children - are ready to make you fall in love.

 From the celebrity dad just trying to protect the ones he loves from the spotlight...to the silver fox who's out to prove it's never too late to have a family of your own - this single dads collection guarantees to bring you a whole lot of love and of course, a happily ever after.

  Look no further, your next book boyfriend is here!

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This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

[rosymiz]

Like A Rose, CH 1: Unseen

Title: Like A Rose By: ArisuChanSenpai (Visit my blog for AO3 link!) Fandom: League of Legends Ship: Jhin x Sona

Hiding—nay, “blending in” as he would rather put it—had become almost enjoyable. Almost. He hated crowds. They took away from his performances when they would yell and scramble around. But the thought of tainting these beautiful buildings with red tempted him. Such beauty couldn’t be seen by anyone else but he.

But alas, Jhin had to stay at the table. A plate of freshly-made dumplings sat in front of him, the steam still rising out of the green leaves wrapped around them. Oh, and they were in a neat arrangement of four. Perfection. Wouldn’t want to waste them.

Crowds of people walked by the restaurant he was in. Families, couples, children, and the elderly went past without a single eye batted towards him. With the way Jhin looked, many would think he’s like any other middle-aged man who’s come to enjoy the festival. How uninspiring.

Jhin stifled a dark chuckle. If only they knew the Golden Demon was among them. Screams of terror as he shoots Whisper into the crowd, his aim precise and seeing the beautiful artwork his performances create—one, two, three—

No, no, not yet, Jhin decided. It wasn’t time. His hands instinctively touched the bag next to him, when a waitress stopped by his table.

“How are the dumplings, sir?” a waitress asked.

“Quite delightful, thank you,” he replied in a quiet, but hoarser voice than his own.

“Is there anything else you would like?”

“A cup of green tea would be nice, thank you.”

“Right away, sir.” The waitress rushed back to the kitchen to retrieve his order.

He ate the last of his dumplings and took his time to drink the tea. It was still late in the morning, about to be noon, but Jhin had already seen everything this small festival had offered. He enjoyed the all form of arts: acting, poetry, dancing, calligraphy art, and many others. But this was a small city in Ionia. Homely, yes, but not much to it.

But being out here had its benefits. He wasn’t constantly being chased by Shen and Zed, who were after him since he was freed by those corrupted old fools. It was a shame. He couldn’t give them the performance they deserved that night at the Blossom Festival.

After paying the bill with a tip, he got up to roam around the village. Perhaps there was something he missed. He arrived at the city square, where a crowd seemed to form at the center. How curious. He patiently waited nearby until there were less people, listening to conversations.

“I never would’ve thought she’d come here for a performance!”

“Isn’t she famous for her music?”

“Yeah! I heard that the way she plays just tugs at your heartstrings!”

“What do they call her instrument again? Something with an e…”

Music? Heartstrings? An instrument? Where had he heard those words before? Realization struck him. It couldn’t be. He found himself leaning in closer.

“An etwahl! It’s so beautiful!”

It was. Sona Buvelle, the Maven of the Strings, had come to this city to perform. He felt a smile creep up to his face, a glint in his eyes. What an unexpected surprise, he thought.

Perhaps he can give these people a true performance after all.

And yet, she was nowhere to be found. Jhin knew Sona would never go anywhere without her etwahl. She would be hard to miss. While he did spot Lestara Buvelle enjoying a snack in a restaurant, her mother was of no interest to him.

Could she have gone outside of the city?

“Pardon me, sir,” Jhin called out to a local and smiled politely. “I do apologize for interrupting your time in the festival, but are there any other attractions in this city? It’s quite beautiful, and I wanted some inspiration for my next work.”

The man gave his question some thought. “Hmm, are you looking for landscapes? Because we have a grove of spectacular cherry blossom trees in the outskirts of the city.” He pointed to the entrance of the city. “Just head outside and look to your left. You definitely can’t miss it, since they’re in bloom right now!”

“Excellent. I’ll make sure to go visit.”

“You an artist?”

Jhin’s smile widened. “Of the sort.”

“Well, good luck! A good, long stroll should give you something to work with!”

“Thank you. Enjoy your festival.” Jhin tipped his hat and turned to go back where he came from. It wasn’t a long walk to the city gates, and it was still noon. Once he exited the city, he looked to his left. There it was. A grove of cherry blossoms trees with a brilliant pink that stood out from the teal colors of Ionia. He wondered how he didn’t see it the first time.

He noticed that his pace picked up as he got closer to the grove, his mind keeping at a rhythm with his steps. This wasn’t the biggest grove of trees, but it was big and far enough muffle the sound of a gunshot. His steps got quieter and quieter as he walked through the grove, as Sona’s hearing was keen to pick up on any sound.

At that thought, he stopped to consider his options. He was wearing a modest outfit, so he couldn’t hide Whisper in his clothes like he can with his knives. Oh well. That’s what the bag is for. He set it down, his eyes scanning the area while he took out Whisper and loaded four shots.

Normally he would fully assemble Whisper in its true beauty, but this shouldn’t be a difficult performance.

As Jhin got closer to the heart of the grove, he began to hear plucked notes of Sona’s etwahl. Ah, so she’s here, he thought. The music grew louder and louder as neared. He couldn’t help but make a face of distaste.

To someone who studied and appreciated the arts as much as Jhin, Sona’s music was lacking. She was always taking the spotlight from him with her little harmonies, when his work was terrifyingly beautiful. He stifled a grumble.

Sona was delicately plucking strings on her etwahl, most likely practicing for her upcoming performance. She looked up at swaying cherry blossoms, petals flying around the surroundings like a flower storm. She plucked a few strings and played a lovely melody that sounded like laughter.

Jhin kept his eyes on her. He kept his distance, but that was never a problem for his artistry. Sometimes, art was meant to be viewed from afar. He hid behind a large tree with his gun in hand. He had to play this right, or this performance was going to be a disaster.

He took aim, his finger on the trigger. Sona’s back was to him. All he needed was a little something to catch her attention and watch her face as he shot the bullet into her. He envisioned it so well. Her blood pooling like a bed of roses, white fire coursing through her skin, smoke rising like butterflies with her last breath…

Sona suddenly played a song on her etwahl. It stopped him in his tracks.

The finger that was on the trigger was shaking. What? Jhin felt something in the back of his mind. Like something was tugging at him, almost holding him back. But from what?

This was beyond unexpected.

He couldn’t bring himself to shoot.

Was this Sona’s power? Has she caught on to him? Not wanting to stay around any longer, Jhin decided to retreat. He couldn’t afford to be stopped here by Sona of all people. Especially not with a gun in his hands. He lowered Whisper and quietly slipped away from the grove.

A misstep.

Rustling of fallen petals.

The melody stopped. Sona turned her head to the source of the sound, angling her ear towards the area. She couldn’t hear anything. Hopefully it wasn’t a fan who had found her. Maybe it was a small animal that was scurrying by. Suspicious, her fingers plucked a tune but with her magic combined. If someone was in the range of her magic, they would be compelled to speak up.

…

…

Nothing.

Maybe it was just a squirrel.

Sona happily turned her attention back to her instrument and resumed her song.

At that point, Jhin had well been out of her earshot and near the outer grove. He shot a glare at the speck of Sona’s aqua hair flying in the wind. How? How was she able to stop him? Did she even know he was there? The feeling in the back of his mind was gone, and all he could think of was his finger shaking on the trigger.

A case of stage fright? Yes, he always felt nervous before a show, but he felt it necessary. But this was different.

Jhin took a deep breath. He packed Whisper into his bag and went back to the city. He was going to attend Sona’s performance tonight, much to his distaste. But what happened at the grove made him curious. He had to know what held him back.

For once, there was a feeling at his core that he had felt was… new.

Dusk fell onto the city, painting the buildings orange with the setting sun. Jhin had made his way to the back of the crowd, should he need to escape. For a small city, the crowd that gathered for Sona’s performance was big. He couldn’t understand how Sona’s music could bring forth such numbers.

Well, he’s had more grandiose performances. But with her stealing his spotlight, the impact of his work was always diminished. Cast away as another murder. Oh, but the look on the faces of people who has seen his work… That was always satisfying to see.

Jhin looked at the crowd before him and held his bag closer. His fingers were itching to hold Whisper and make his grandest work yet. What a slave he was to this passion.

But his vision was shattered when the crowd began to applause and cried out in joy. Ah, Sona had made her appearance on the stage. Her etwahl levitated beside her as she gracefully stepped into the spotlight. Lady Buvelle followed behind her and stood next to to Sona.

“Good evening, everyone. My daughter and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving us the opportunity to perform here.” The Lady and Sona bowed, earning an applause from the audience. “Sona, dear, would you like to say a few words?”

Sona placed a hand on her cheek, thinking. She then played a few chords in an ascension to express her gratitude to the people.

How pretentious, Jhin thought. She uses her etwahl for everything, doesn’t she?

“My daughter has been practicing and trying to create new music for everyone to enjoy. In fact, she even prepared a completely new and original song for you all to listen to.” Lady Buvelle smiled as the audience shouted in excitement. “Shall we get started?” She gave Sona’s shoulder a gentle pat and walked off-stage.

The stage grew dark. It began with a quiet melody that slowly progressed into louder crescendo until she struck a chord that almost lit her entire being with green, like grass dew sparkling in the sunlight. The spotlight came back on, and her song continued with a fervent melody.

The audience cheered with the occasional enthusiastic whistle from a fan when she hit the chorus.

Jhin quietly listened to her song. It was strange. Now that he had thought about it, he had never heard Sona’s music in-person before. He’s only heard of her and her concerts by word of mouth, but he’s never attended one until now.

Something was stirring within Jhin with every note being played. There was that feeling in his core again. It wasn’t as strong as when he had approached her in the grove. But it was there. What was it?

Sona finished her song and bowed. She was tuning her etwahl to prepare for another song, trickling her fingers across the strings for a chord she found perfect. With a nod, she took a breath and started playing in staccatos.

This was a little too upbeat for Jhin’s taste. He preferred more traditional songs. His favorite were the ones that kept to a rhythmic beat of four. Times were changing, but he knew his work was ahead of his time.

This was like a modern version of a traditional song. A little catchy, he bitterly admitted.

He wondered, what kind of sound would Sona make when she dies? He didn’t know. His thoughts stopped there. He couldn’t envision her death.

Impossible. Did she have the power to stop thoughts and make her audience listen to her music only? It was a phenomenon to Jhin. He looked up at Sona, who was ending her song with a refrain.

Lady Buvelle came back to the stage, looking satisfied. “We are just about to end this performance, folks! But not without her finale!” She stroked her daughter’s hair. “She’s been working hard on this song alone, and not even I have heard her play it. I’ve been anticipating this for the longest time.”

Sona plucked a few notes that sounded like laughter.

“Ready, Sona?”

She nodded in response. She seemed almost excited to finally debut her new song. As her mother left the stage, she tuned her etwahl again. The audience leaned in closer. She smiled and played.

Jhin immediately recognized it. This was the melody Sona was playing earlier in the grove. He perked up and stared in disbelief. Her song felt light and carefree, as if the notes carried him like a petal in the breeze.

Any thought and visions of his performance with Sona disappeared like smoke. He looked at the people around him, who were listening intently with similar expressions. It’s not that this feeling was holding him back. He no longer felt the tugging of his passion, the desire to see the beauty in death, the urge to kill.

He felt… at peace.

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Author Spotlight: Black John Lennon day 2

Day 2: Recs!

Please recommend 3 - 5 of your own fic.

Born to Be Mild

A lot of my fic is inspired by things going on in fandom. Sometimes it’s wank, sometimes it’s meta, sometimes it’s fanon that I disagree with. Sometimes it’s anger and I write what  my fandom friends call “spite fic”. This definitely isn’t a “spite fic”. This was inspired by a lot of talk during season 5  and the hiatus (though I can’t remember which one, there were so many) about Blaine needing to experience New York separately from Kurt and how Kurt had so many experiences when he was there, and for Blaine to move in straight away, he wouldn't get to experience New York. And so I thought, not what if Kurt felt that way, but what if Blaine thought he did.

I had a lot of fun writing this. At the time I had a little “Committee” of fandom friends that I’d bounce ideas off of. I’d be in our Kik convos asking “what kind of tattoo would Blaine get”? and stuff like that.

What i love about this fic is that Kurt really could not care less that Blaine is this huge nerd. He doesn’t want a “bad boy” and I loved playing with their relationship, what they think about each other, and what their friends may think. I love writing Blam’s friendship, and I had fun bringing back stripper!Sam. Sam is a character that despite his relationship with Blaine and the fact that he once lived with Kurt, really doesn’t get used very much in fic.  

My favorite part is actually a Hummelberry scene. I laughed out loud writing it because this is the Hummelberry that I miss. Rachel who’s going a mile a minute and Kurt who is just as bad. When they play off each other’s ridiculousness is when that friendship shines.

So he talks to Rachel about it.

“I don’t think Blaine’s been acting that weird, he’s probably just getting more used to being in New York. This city changes you Kurt, you know that. I was waiting to see what kind of effect it would have on Blaine. It was just a bit delayed,” Rachel says, sipping her tea.

“Rachel, weren’t you worried when he took two hours to go down to Duane Reade?”

“No. Sam texted me to tell me he was there,” Rachel says quickly, not looking at Kurt. Kurt raises an eyebrow at her.

“Excuse me? And you didn’t tell me?”

“I forgot! We were drinking and then when I remembered to tell you they got here, so I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

Kurt rolls his eyes, “Yes, but Rachel, when they got here they just sat at the table drinking and drawing and Blaine got way drunker than normal. And he took his shirt off.”

“Why are you acting like you’ve never gotten drunk and taken your shirt off? And he gave you a lap dance, why are you complaining?”

“Because, I know Blaine and he’s being weird. He’s been working out like crazy with Sam. And he’s been using baby oil in the shower, it’s slippery. And I don’t know, I know my fiance and something is up with him.”

“Well, Kurt, you could just ask him,” Rachel says simply.

“It’s not that simple, Rachel. What if it’s me? What if I’m the one who’s boring? Santana’s right, look at all the stuff we did before he got here. It’s his first year after high school and he’s shacked up and engaged. What if he’s going through a weird phase and he wants to open our relationship or something? I got to date Adam, he never got to date anyone else. What if he’s preparing himself to start going out to clubs and meet someone else? I can’t -”

“Kurt, you need to calm down. Blaine is not trying to be with someone else. Trust me. He’s just getting used to the city. He’s probably helping Sam prepare for this thing he’s doing.”

“What thing, Rachel Berry what do you know?”

Rachel leans into Kurt, “Okay, you can’t tell anyone, because it’s a secret, but Sam’s competing in a dance competition to win some extra cash to take… someone he met out to dinner and a show. It’s actually really sweet, that he’s going to perform competitively to win this girl’s heart, I think it means that she’s important to him and -”

Kurt cuts Rachel off, “So Sam’s entering a strip contest so he can take you on a date?”

Rachel stops, shocked.

“Whatever. You don’t think Blaine would- nah. Blaine? Strip? Blaine would never,” Kurt shakes his head and takes a sip of his tea, but chokes at the same time Rachel catches his eye.

“Blaine entered the stripping contest, didn’t he?”

Rachel nods.

Take It Home

One of my favorite tropes is Klaine through other characters eyes. Another favorite trope of mine is various characters walking in on Klaine hooking up. I don’t know why, but it makes me laugh. As most people know, I really, really loved the season 4 newbies and their friendship with Blaine and I always felt that Kurt would get to know them because they’re Blaine’s friends. What better way to introduce those guys into the fold than to have them being the ones to find Klaine in various states of undress while the older kids are rolling their eyes.

At the time, I was writing a lot of the New New Directions and very little Klaine. I was just so happy to see Blaine with a group of friends that I was obsessed with writing about that group, they made me so happy, which I know is an unpopular opinion. What surprised me though, was how much fun I had mixing the old group with the new in this fic. And how i liked kind of imagining the original group threw these younger, newer characters’ eyes.

My favorite part:

“Didn’t need to. They’re here. They’re just busy humping like bunnies in the back of Blaine’s car,” Unique rolls her eyes in amusement before opening the bag and pulling out her wig.

“Are you friggin serious?” Tina asks rolling her eyes, “I know they’re engaged and have spent like a bunch of months apart, but this is just ridiculous.”

Marley frowns, “Did you see anything?”

“Child no. Once I saw the Prius was a’rockin and the windows were fogged up, I had the good sense to back away and come inside. Let them get that out of their systems now before they get in here. I’m not trying to see it, or hear it.”

“I know this is supposedly “normal” behavior for them as far as you two are concerned,” Kitty says gesturing to Tina and Mercedes, “But excuse us if we’re a little confused, because the Blaine we’ve gone to school with this whole year was an uptight little dictator with a stick up his butt most of the time. So sorry if we’re finding his exhibistinist kink a litlte surprising.”

“Gentlemen in the streets, freak in the sheets, lord bless him,” Unique says.

"Oh please, he probably lit candles in the car and put on the smooth jazz station. And I bet he has a timer set to make sure the sex lasts exactly sixteen minutes and forty-seven seconds so that they can get in their approximately three minutes and thirteen seconds in the afterglow. Then he can brush his teeth, with exactly two hundred strokes, rinse his mouth out for thirty seconds and then reapply an entire jar of hair gel so no one knows he’s been humping his fiance in his douchey hybrid.”

“Okay, you’ve put way too much thought into that,” Mercedes says.

“You know what? No. They promised us cheesecake and gourmet sandwiches and I’m not gonna sit up here waiting and starving to death because they can’t keep it in their pants. I’m not afraid to just open the door and pull them out!” Tina starts to storm out of the room and bumps into Kurt and Blaine.

“Relax Tina, we’re here. We just had a last minute stop to make,” Kurt says as he and Blaine come into the room with their bags.

“Mmm hmmm,” Unique says as she watches them get comfortable in her room, “sure you did.”

Inhale, Exhale With My Flow

The inspiration behind this is that I really like smoking weed. I don’t do it often, but I do enjoy it. And I don’t think it’s taboo and I don’t think it’s bad. And the thought of these three characters high made me laugh, so I wrote this. I loved the Blamtina relationship at the end of season 5. The way they play off each other, the way they give each other a safe space to be as weird as they each are. And when you add weed to that, of course the results would be hilarious.

Kurt’s only in this briefly, but his part was fun to write because I don’t think Kurt is exasperated by Blaine’s weirdness or his friendship with Sam and Tina, I think he’s affectionately amused by it, and probably gets a lot of phone calls while Blaine is with them that make him smile. I feel sometimes, fandoms goes more for Kurt being too cool for the room and making him eye rolly at Blaine’s odder traits, but I never saw Kurt that way. Kurt’s an odd duck himself, so I don’t think he’d be annoyed at finding out that this seemingly put together fiance is just as odd albeit in completely different ways.

My favorite part:

“Blaine, your pants are making music.” Sam says.

“Yeah they are,” Tina says and immediately starts laughing. Blaine reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone.

“Aw, Kurt’s calling me. I was thinking of him and then he called me.” Blaine smiles at them, puts the phone down and smiles.

“You should probably answer it.”

“Maybe he shouldn’t. Guys, I’m so high right now,” Tina says, “and you’re also so high right now. If Kurt finds out we’re so high, he’s definitely gonna get all Kurt like and he’s gonna be all “Blah blah about it.”

Blaine’s phone starts ringing again.

“He has to answer it or else Kurt is gonna get like extra Kurt and be all mad and his eyebrow are gonna do that thing. Then Blaine’s gonna be all freaked out and sad and I can’t deal with sad Blaine, Tina, I’m too high.”

“Fine, Blaine, answer your phone, but try to not sound like you just smoked a lot of weed.”

Blaine’s eyes widen in panic, “But how?”

“I don’t know!”

Sam grabs Blaine’s phone and answers it.

“Um… hi Kurt. Blaine’s right here. Hold on…” Sam says really slowly. He then puts the phone on speaker.

“You put the phone on speaker, right Sam?” Kurt asks.

“Hi Kurt!” Blaine says brightly.

“What’s going on over there? First you sent me that text that was pretty much indecipherable, and then you don’t answer your phone. I was starting to get worried.”

“There’s nothing to worry about Kurt, Blaine totally didn’t find Brett’s weed stash and bring it to Tina’s house and we definitely did not smoke it,” Sam explains nervously. Tina attempts to glare at him.

“I’m sorry, what?” Kurt then starts laughing, “Oh my God, where did you find Brett’s weed?”

“The craft room. You’re not mad? But I think I forgot my words,” Blaine tells him.

“Aw, sweetie, you’ll get them back, I promise. And be careful what you eat when you give into the munchies, the resulting stomach ache is as bad as any hangover. Trust me. I think I ate everything at Taco Bell.”

“Wait, you’ve totally done this before!” Sam says, pointing at the phone.

“Once. With the band. And I hated it. I had thoughts, but I couldn’t communicate them well and my throat burned and even though Elliot made us a filter with dryer sheets, the apartment needed some serious Fabreezing the next day. Not for me. But sweetie, seriously, I thought you’d butt texted me while being ax murdered, so if this does become a habit, turn your phone off. I can’t handle that kind of stress right now.”

“I’m sorry, did I use any actual words in that text?’

“No honey, not really. I’m gonna let you guys get back to that. And remember our agreement. Call me in the morning.” Kurt hangs up and Blaine smiles at the ceiling.

“What’s your agreement, Blaine?” Tina asks.

“What agreement?”

“You guys have a sex agreement, don’t you. Did Kurt give you permission to have sex with Sam?”

Slow to Warm

I am obsessed with Kurt and Blaine as Dads. It’s always been a trope that I’ve enjoyed, but now that they’re canon Dads of a little girl, I can’t stop writing about it. One of my favorite ideas to think about is what their kid’s temperament will be. If Rachel is the Bio Mom, will the baby be anything like her? Nature vs Nurture, meaning, regardless of who the bio Dad is, the kid is going to pick up traits from both of them. I’m a huge fan of writing them with babies and toddlers because that time can be both difficult and memorable, and well babies are cute.

And babies are picky. And they don’t like everyone. The idea of one of their friends not bonding with the baby right away was interesting to me. And the idea of that friend being Tina who would take it the most personally is also interesting. And well Kurt and Blaine are the first friends to have kids, so of course everyone is going to be passing the baby around and wanting to be the on that the baby likes.

My favorite part, of course inolves the big group together, probably making too much noise at a diner.

When they arrive at the restaurant, heading towards their usual huge table, Tracey lights up as soon as she sees Sam and Mercedes.

“Sam! Sam! Sam!” Tracey calls excitedly from her stroller, she waves her arms at him as he approaches.

“There’s my favorite God Daughter!” Sam says as he pulls her from her stroller. He blows a raspberry onto her cheek and she laughs and claps.

“Donald Duck, Unca Sam, Donald Duck!”

“You want me to talk like Donald Duck?” He asks in a perfect impression. Tracey throws her head back and laughs as her Dads fold the stroller and take their places at the table. When Sam sits down, Mercedes reaches over and takes Tracey from Sam.

“How’s my baby! Did you have a fun birthday?”

Tracey nods, “I got toys.”

“Yes you did, probably too many if I let your Daddys tell it.”

Artie and Tina walk in, Artie rolling straight over to where Mercedes is holding Tracey, holding a glass of orange juice to Tracey’s mouth.

“There’s my favorite baby girl!” Artie says, he puts his hand up and Tracey gives him a “high five”.

Tina follows Artie to their seats, she smiles at Tracey who looks at her with a confused frown on her face.

“Hi Tracey!” Tina says. Tracey stares at Tina, same confused, look on her face. Blaine goes over and grabs Tracey from Mercedes, sitting down with her next to Tina and turning towards her.

“Say hi to Auntie Tay Tay!” Blaine says, kissing Tracey on the cheek. Tracey just shakes her head and turns back to Mercedes.

“Cedes!” Tracey whines, reaching out for Mercedes. Blaine looks at Kurt panicked as he can see both Tina and Tracey getting upset.

“What’s going on?” Sam asks looking between his upset goddaughter and Tina.

“She hates me!” Tina says, bursting into tears.

“No, Tina, no. NO CRYING!” Sam says. Tracey looks at Tina and starts whining.

“Give me my God Baby back, I have no idea what’s going on, but my baby is getting upset. Come here sweetie.” Mercedes says, taking Tracey from a clearly panicked Blaine.

“I told you she hates me! I told you! Why would she hate me?”

“Because she’s half Rachel,” Santana says as she and Brittany approach the table, “I don’t know what I just missed, but apparently baby Klainchel here is already making weaker beings cry. She’s a baby after my own heart.”

“Santana, stop,’ Kurt hisses at her. He turns to Tina, “She doesn’t hate you, she just doesn’t know you. You and Artie have been making your movie, and then you guys went on vacation, then you had your press junket and awards season, she’s seen you twice since she was born.”

“Kurt’s right! She’s just not sure who you are,” Blaine says, rubbing Tina’s back.

“And she knows Sam and Mercedes? They don’t live in New York, how often does she see them?”

“We skype with them once a week and she talks to Sam on the phone all the time, he reads her stories and does impressions of her favorite Disney characters,” Mercedes says.

“And Artie? She doesn’t hate Artie.”

“It’s because he looks like he’s in a stroller too,” Brittany says.

“Brittany’s right, I’m closer to her eye level, so I’m not as imposing and threatening.”

“Seriously, Tina you need to calm down. She’s a toddler, who cares what she likes, she probably eats off the floor, she has no taste. Now lets order, because I needs to get my waffle on.”

“I resent the implication that my child has no taste,” Kurt mumbles taking his seat.

5. Everlasting Words

So writing Blaine has always been easier for me because I find it easy to get into his head. I haven’t really found Kurt that easy. But one thing Kurt and I have in common is loving Blaine. And sometimes, I think Kurt is written as so cold towards Blaine and it really hurts my heart. Kurt loves Blaine so much, and I wanted to put a spotlight on all the ways and reasons that Kurt loves Blaine even if he doesn’t always openly express it, so this fic was born.

I wanted to make sure that I was writing about why Kurt  loves Blaine, not why I love Blaine. And I really enjoyed exploring that, it was a challenge, but I think I was successful.

My favorite part, I used to work at Build a Bear Workshop, so writing about Klaine in there was fun.

Sometimes Blaine is just the cutest human being to walk the earth, and in those moments Kurt doesn't even know what to do with himself, so in awe of how any person could be that joyful over something so simple.

Like the time they were in the mall and happened past a Build a Bear Workshop.

"Kurt, oh my God Kurt! It's a Chewbacca. I can build a wookie!! Omg they have his voice and bowcaster too! We have to go in. Ooh, maybe I can make Sam and Han Solo bear for when he can't sleep." Kurt watched as Blaine made his way through every station in the store, making sure Han and Chewie were fully equipped, even recording a message for Sam doing his best Han Solo impression. But the thing that stopped Kurt short was Blaine and the kids in the store. He kneels down next to a little girl struggling to get a shoe on her Princess Bear.

"Are you a princess too?" Blaine asks while he puts the shoe on the bear. He spends five minutes letting the little girl explain the made up story of her bear's kingdom.

When they leave, one Chewbacca, one Han Solo and a very well dressed bear Kurt made himself, the employees pretty much force a job application into Blaine's hand as he puts his Chewbacca into a backpack to carry with them the rest of the trip.

"You are such a cutie, you know that?" Kurt tells Blaine, taking his hand and kissing his cheek on the way out.