#Not to mention the movie is about real people who went through hell and had to make extreme choices to survive

[dasakuryo]

the way some gringxs engage in sm with LSDLN and Enzo Vogrincic having a resemblance to A//d*m Dr//*ver to be specific is just... ugh. I get it, Enzo has said he's flattered to be compared with a Hollywood actor and that he likes his work but...can you all recognise him for the fantastic work he has done and the superb actor he is on his own right? Why is it so hard for some people to appreciate Latin American actors and their talent without being (redacted)

[cherryflavoredwords]

I Saw Her For the First Time

I saw her for the first time, and I was lonely for the last time

Pairing: modern!ellie williams x reader

Summary: you’re practically the girl of her dreams. it’s a shame her friend saw you first.

Author’s note: HELLO i’m back at it again with pure fluff. i didn’t know exactly how to label this one so i just put modern ellie but it has a little bit of guitarist ellie and also nerdy ellie. hope you like it !

Photo creds: elliesxgun and vamp4r3 on pinterest :)

I stand with Palestine, you should too.

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• • • •

ellie was absentmindedly playing a made-up melody on her guitar, softly strumming away as she listened to the conversation her friends were having. lisa, her roomate and vocalist of her band, was telling everyone about the new girl she had been talking to. it was the first time she heard your name.

"she's hot,” was dina's final veredict once she was done scrolling through your profile. she passed the phone to jesse, who immediately agreed.

“i know. she’s really cool and funny but she’s really into comics and fantasy movies and i don’t know shit about that.”

"so, she's a nerd."

"basically, but a pretty one. it’s just that ninety percent of the time i don't know what the hell she's talking about." lisa's complaint was followed by a tired sigh as she threw her head back on the couch. then, she looked to her side, where ellie was. "she reminds me of you, actually."

she instantly frowned, "are you calling me a nerd?"

“i mean…” jesse trailed off before dodging the water bottle ellie threw at him.

"you like all those things, right? maybe you could help me with her."

"help you how, exactly?"

"well, i kinda already told her i like all of what she mentioned so whenever that comes up you'll take over and say whatever makes me look cool."

"what's in it for me?"

ellie sat emotionless as her friend began listing everything she could do for her in exchange for her help, such as deep cleaning the apartment or buying her favorite snacks every day.

she let out a low whistle, “someone's desperate.”

“dude—”

“why can’t you just talk to her about something else?”

“because i already told her i liked all of that stuff! keep up.” lisa rolled her eyes. “tell me if it’s not worth it.” she quickly typed in your instagram username and passed the phone to her.

ellie’s eyes almost widened at the sight of you, but she managed to mask her reaction just in time. she silently scrolled down your instagram profile, clicking on the posts that caught her attention the most.

"so, what do you think?"

"uh, she's alright."

you were more than alright.

"you have such high standards,” dina huffed.

yes, and you apparently met them all.

lisa snatched the phone back from her hands as the group began discussing a new topic; ellie’s picky taste in women, even when they practically threw themselves at her. it had been a while since her friends last saw her on a date or even having a crush.

ellie threw her head back with a groan as she stood up from the couch, “are you going to keep talking about me or are we gonna rehearse?”

their band was a regular on friday nights at one of their town’s most popular bars. over the time they had been playing there, they had gathered an audience of people that went to see them. ellie would hate to disappoint them, or maybe she just hated when the conversation was centered around her.

“i think we’re gonna keep talking about you,” dina joked as she picked up her bass.

once rehearsal was over, lisa practically ran to her phone to check if she had any new messages from you. apparently, she had asked to go on a date next week and you had said yes.

“you’re gonna to have to teach me everything you know,” lisa mumbled to ellie with her eyes glued to the phone as she quickly typed her reply to you.

“great, just how i wanted to spend my free time.”

even though ellie had no real interest in doing that favor to her friend, she stuck to her word. whenever the “nerdy topics”, has lisa had called them, came up, she took over the conversation. that part of the plan wasn’t awful, in fact, ellie secretly enjoyed the moments she got to talk to you, but she had to keep reminding herself that you weren’t actually talking to her, but lisa.

it had been a confusing last couple of days.

“just try to not let those topics come up in the conversation and if they do, just agree with everything she says,” ellie advised lisa, because not even her intensive teaching could help the poor girl to memorize anything. “re-read the conversations i had with her. that could work. especially the one we're having right now."

“you’re trying to sound like me, right?”

“sure, i’m making some spelling mistakes and everything.”

“fuck you,” lisa laughed from the bathroom. “alright, tell her i’m on my way.”

“remember to read the last few messages in case she brings them up.”

“thanks, el. see you later!” and with that, she was out of their shared apartment.

ellie sighed, dramatically plopping down on the couch. she swept her gaze over the living room in hopes to find something to do to keep her mind occupied, but nothing seemed appealing enough. she used her phone for a bit, but she couldn’t fully concentrate on what she was seeing.

after tossing and turning for a while, she ended up falling asleep. it wasn’t until two hours later she was suddenly woken up by lisa’s voice mixed with somebody else’s. the sound of the door shutting closed was what made her fully open her eyes, instantly setting them on the two people that had just entered the apartment.

“sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up,” lisa apologized, but ellie didn’t even acknowledge her. instead, she looked past her friend to the person behind her.

you were standing there, an apologetic and slightly embarrassed look on your face. “i didn’t mean to intrude, i’m sorry.”

ellie sat up straight, her fingers combing through her short hair in an attempt to make herself more presentable. “it’s fine, don’t worry.”

an adorable smile formed on your lips, “you’re ellie, right?”

you didn’t wait for her confirmation and proceeded to introduce yourself while she thought about how crazy it was that you didn’t know how many times you two had already spoken.

ellie remained silent, watching you smile shyly at her. then, she realized she hadn’t said anything in a while and it was probably really weird. “it— it’s really nice to meet you.”

“i’m going to the bathroom, i’ll be right back,” lisa said before gesturing you to take a seat on the couch.

hesitantly, you sat down next to ellie. there was another moment of silence in which you looked at her with uncertainty, fearing she might be uncomfortable with your presence. you didn’t know if it’d be best for you to talk to her or to just wait for lisa to come back, not wanting things to get even more awkward.

when ellie returned one of your quick glances, you decided to say something.

“sorry about coming here without letting you know first. i can’t go home yet, my roommate has a guy over,” you admitted with a grimace.

ellie nodded, laughing softly at the reason you were there. “i don’t mind, really.”

“thanks, anyway,” you grinned.

“so, how’d the date go?”

“uh, good.” your answer wasn’t completely honest, ellie could tell. she narrowed your eyes at you, not wanting to pry but at the same time dying to know.

“are you sure about that?”

“you’re her friend, i can’t gossip about her with you.”

“we’re actually not that close.”

you playfully bumped your shoulder into hers before your eyes set on her for a few seconds. she tilted her head as she returned your gaze, silently trying to convince you to talk.

“i don’t know if you’re very persuasive or if i’m just too weak.”

ellie’s smile widened as you sighed, giving in.

“i had a great time,” you began, searching for the right words to say, “but we didn’t hit it off as well as we did through text.”

“that’s weird.” her mumbled words were followed by an awkward chuckle.

“yeah, i know. don’t get me wrong, though, she’s great, but it felt like i was hanging out with a friend. that spark, i guess, you hope to feel on a first date just wasn’t there.”

ellie nodded as she took your words in. “i’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

“oh, it’s fine. we talked about it on the way here. it’s all good. actually, she invited me to see you guys play on friday. you’re the guitarist, right?”

“yeah,” ellie smiled proudly, sitting more comfortably on the couch. “we’re really good. well, you’ll see for yourself. don’t wanna get your expectations too high.”

“it might be a little too late for that,” you replied just as lisa came back.

there was a smile on her lips, she had managed to hear the last bit of the conversation. “we’re great, actually.”

you hummed, “we’ll see.”

“hey, want me to show you the records i was telling you about?”

“can you tell me where the bathroom is, first?”

“sure, it’s the door at the end of the hallway. come to my room afterwards.”

“got it.” you nodded as you stood up from the couch, ellie’s curious eyes following you.

she looked away just in time, because lisa’s gaze fell upon her the moment you were out of sight. “what do you think?”

“she’s cool. plus, she friendzoned you so i gotta give her more points for that.”

“she did not friendzone me!” she protested in a hushed voice. “we friendzoned each other, it was a mutual decision.”

“sure, lis, whatever you say.” ellie went to her room immediately after that, not giving her a chance to defend herself.

she was feeling strangely happy about the outcome of lisa’s date. her friend had always been a player, taking advantage of her ‘rockstar’ status. ellie had done that, too, but lisa loved to be involved with multiple people at the same time. with the short interactions ellie had shared with you, she knew you deserved better than that.

ellie opened her bedroom door as she hummed a melody, not expecting to have company. you were by her bed, closely inspecting one of her action figures. she stood under the doorframe, momentarily frozen at the sight. then, a soft chuckle escaped her lips, alerting you of her presence.

“i’ve been meaning to get this for a while—” you began saying, stopping yourself mid-sentence once you looked up and realized that it was ellie the one standing there and not lisa. “oh, hey. what’s up?”

ellie just smiled as she made her way to her bed under your confused stare. “nothing much,” ellie casually replied as she threw herself on the bed. “just love the comfort of my room, y’know?”

your eyebrows rose slightly, immediately leaving the action figure where you found it, “your room? i’m sorry! there were stickers on the door of lisa’s favorite characters—”

ellie laughed as you kept apologizing. she propped herself onto her elbows, waiting for you to be done with your rambling.

“i promise i didn’t touch anything else.”

“it’s okay, i don’t mind,” ellie answered with a half-smile.

“so, this stuff is all yours?” you asked, sweeping your gaze around the room. it was decorated with a bunch of fantasy movies posters and, on the shelves, there were different book collections as well as many other action figures of, coincidentally, most of your favorite characters.

“uh, yeah.”

“i see…” you hummed before your eyes met hers again.

ellie swallowed hard, her confidence quickly fading away. “lisa and i have practically the same taste,” she was quick to explain, hoping you wouldn’t catch the pathetic quiver on her voice.

“right… okay, i’ll see you friday, then?”

“yeah, see you friday.”

you gave her one last smile before stepping out of her room. it wasn’t until she was alone that she became aware of her racing heart. she laid back on the bed, bringing her hands to her face as she let out a heavy sigh.

that night, ellie fell asleep trying to convince herself that you hadn’t figured out she was behind some of lisa’s texts, that you hadn’t been capable of reading her that well after that short conversation.

ellie woke up the next day ready to avoid thinking about the issue as much as she could, but the universe seemed to conspire against her.

the band was having a break from rehearsal, each of them sprawled around jesse’s garage. ellie had taken her friend’s place behind the drums, absentmindedly playing a beat that faltered when dina brought up your name in a conversation she wasn’t even participating in.

“she’s coming to see us play even after you fucked up the date? woah, maybe i underestimated you.”

“i didn’t fuck up the date.” lisa rolled her eyes.

ellie snickered from her place, “then why were you back at the apartment at, like, 10 p.m?”

“whatever. we both decided it was best for us to stay as friends.”

“i believe you, don’t worry.” jesse gave her a pat on her back before mouthing ‘i don’t’ to ellie and dina, who secretly laughed. “okay, ladies, let’s get back to work. we don’t wanna make ourselves look bad infront of lisa’s new friend, right?”

“yeah, she’s got pretty high expectations,” ellie mentioned as she picked up her guitar. the smile on her face didn’t go unnoticed by her friends.

“you talked to her?”

she looked up at dina’s question, who was staring at her, intrigued. ellie frowned, her guitar pick between her teeth as she tied her hair up in a short, low ponytail.

“yeah, why? i’m not some antisocial freak, y’know?”

“every time i take someone home you lock yourself in your room until they leave,” lisa snorted.

“this time i was caught by surprise. i wasn’t expecting you to come back so early,” ellie chuckled at the last part.

“fuck you, ellie,” lisa complained. “y’know what? let’s just get this over with before i stick this microphone up your—”

“okay, fine, fine. calm down.”

rehearsal went by smoothly with the four of them behaving as profesional as they could, sometimes jesse went off beat to annoy them or ellie would zone out in the middle of a song. still, they had mastered their set and they were definitely ready to play, but there was a deep, strange feeling inside ellie.

it took her a while to figure out she was nervous about the upcoming show. it had been a while since that happened to her, so it was extremely weird for her. the anxiety stayed with her until the following day, and it had actually gotten worse.

ellie ended up going on stage with that horrible feeling still present in the pit of her stomach. she tried to remind herself that it was just another show but, at the same, she knew it wasn’t. knowing you’d be in the audience had definitely affected her, but she didn’t want to look further into what that could possibly mean.

maybe she didn’t come, the thought came to mind in an attempt of calming herself down. perhaps if she repeated it enough she’d fool herself into thinking it was actually true.

she was obviously wrong.

you were there, tapping your fingers against the drink you had ordered. just as you were taking a sip, the lights dimmed and the loud chatter became whispering voices that were soon interrupted by the sound of a guitar.

four spotlights shone brightly on the band and you quickly recognized the other two members you had yet to meet. dina on the bass and jesse on the drums. lisa was at the front, she moved confidently on stage, but your eyes inevitably fell on the girl behind her.

ellie was bobbing her head to the beat of the song, eyes glued to the floor. your mouth opened slightly at the sight, it was hypnotic seeing her play. you inhaled deeply, unable to tear your gaze away from her.

it wasn’t until the ending of the second song ellie first looked up. it was only a quick glance at the crowd, but her eyes coincidentally landed on you, making her do a quick double-take. her eyebrows rose, not expecting to find you so soon.

ellie unconsciously licked her lips as she took you in, trying her best not to mess up the song. she forced herself to look away from you and swept her gaze around the place, searching for anything else to focus on. it was in that moment when a girl waving frenetically at her from the side of the stage caught her eye. she was a regular, friday after friday she’d tried to make ellie look at her for more than five seconds but she never succeeded.

your eyes hadn’t left her, so you had been watching the interaction with immense curiosity. you tried to see who that other girl was, but you lost sight of her. when you looked back at ellie, you met her eyes again. there was an amused, teasing grin on her face, which made you laugh.

ellie played the rest of the set practically on autopilot, because she had her full attention on you. to her, you were the only person on the audience. she was performing for you, proudly showing off her skills and with her nerves long forgotten.

your experience wasn’t much different than hers. to you, ellie was the only member in the band worth watching. not that the others were bad or anything of the sort, but there was just something about ellie that made it hard for you to look away. she was too entrancing. the slight smirk she had while playing, the way her hands looked and the prolonged eye contact that she broke from time to time only to close her eyes and get lost in what she was playing.

your world went silent once they got off stage, even though the sound of the people talking around you was incredibly loud. with your head still buzzing, you decided it was best for you to go outside to get some air.

you didn’t mind how cold the night was. you stayed there for what it seemed to be an eternity, getting too caught up in your own mind to realize it had only been a couple of minutes.

your peace was interrupted with the sound of a notification. it was lisa, asking you where you were. outside, you replied and waited for her to come out.

you didn’t expect her showing up with the rest of the band.

lisa was the first to appear in front of you, the huge smile on her face as she went to hug you caused a smile of your own to form. dina and jesse were next, greeting you with nods of acknowledgment and friendly smiles.

“hey! what’d you think?”

“you guys were great!” the compliment left your lips just as your eyes settled on the person who had stayed behind. “hey, ellie.”

her head shot up at the mention of her name, seemingly surprised you had chosen to address her. “hi,” she said before quickly looking away.

before you had the chance to read into ellie’s awkward response, lisa spoke up, drifting your attention away from the guitarist.

“wanna come to our place? it’s movie night.”

the invitation was definitely tempting, but you weren’t sure if dina and jesse would be okay with it. even ellie could be opposed to it, judging by the way her eyes appeared tone avoiding you at all costs.

“uh, i mean, if you guys are okay with me being there—”

“of course we are, c’mon,” jesse immediately replied, placing an arm around your shoulders. “now, tell me all about how you friendzoned lisa…”

you chuckled lightly as you let him guide you to the car, briefly glancing over your shoulder hoping to meet ellie’s eyes. she didn’t look at you once, which made a feeling of uncertainty creep up onto you.

dina, jesse and lisa were the ones who talked the most during the ride. their lighthearted conversation helped to put yours’ and ellie’s racing minds at ease, at least for a bit.

you were still wondering why ellie was avoiding you so blatantly. you were so incredibly caught up in your own thoughts that you failed to notice the pair of green eyes that were watching you through the rear view mirror.

from her place on the copilot seat, ellie’s gaze flickered from you to lisa before looking back ahead.

she could easily ignore you, right?

once you arrived af the apartment, everyone quickly settled on the couches and browsed different streaming sites in search of a movie to watch and criticize.

“this looks shitty enough, what do you guys think?”

“i already watched that,” ellie spoke up for the first time since you were there.

“you have to much free time on your hands, el. i’m sure not even the actors in it watched it.”

the (already poorly done) plan of trying to act normal in your presence quickly fell apart when the sound of your laugh made her look at you and, oh, how she wished she hadn’t.

“i’ve watched it, too. it is pretty shitty, by the way,” you said, not noticing her stare.

ellie’s lips slightly parted as she looked at yours. the same feeling that had taken over her on stage came back to her and she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from you.

god, she was fucked.

“ellie, go bring some blankets and pillows,” lisa told her from the comfort of the biggest couch, waking her up from her trance.

“why don’t you go?”

“i’m too tired.”

“i can help, if you want,” you offered, your eyes meeting hers for the first time since your awkward interaction outside the bar.

ellie was going to tell you that you didn’t have to, but she accepted your help before her mind could catch up with her mouth. you silently followed her to her room. it was the biggest one, so, therefore, she had the biggest closet where they stored a lot of stuff, including extra blankets and pillows.

“here you go, this is the warmest one.” ellie handed you a blanket. “if lisa tries to take it from you, just tell her to fuck off.”

you chuckled, “got it.”

you took the liberty to look around as she searched for the rest of them. her room was definitely a glimpse of who ellie was, you instantly could tell she was an artsy person combined with a nerdy side. various sketches were laying on her desk, as well as books about astronomy and many, many books about dinosaurs. she had a pile of them stacked on her nightstand.

you walked towards them, leaving the blanket on top of her bed.

“you like dinosaurs?”

well, she couldn’t ignore you when you were alone. that would be just plain rude.

“everybody likes dinosaurs,” she replied, standing on her tiptoes to reach the last pillow. she didn’t know why she had put them so high.

“to this amount?” you picked one of the books and glanced through the pages. ‘The Great Dinosaur Debate’, it read on the cover.

ellie walked over to you, “is it my fault that they’re interesting?”

you looked up from the book, a playful grin on your lips, “you’re a nerd.”

“look who’s talking.”

“how would you know if i’m a nerd?”

“lisa talks.” and we have, too, actually. several times, she completed the sentence inwardly.

you rolled your eyes, “at least i don’t pretend to be cool on stage.”

“i’m not pretending, i am cool. the best of both worlds, right?” she gloated with an arrogant smile.

you left the book back on the pile and grabbed another one, “you know, i’ve always wanted to learn more about dinosaurs. maybe learn from someone who knows a lot would be nice,” you casually mentioned, hoping ellie would take the hint.

“oh, i have a lot of books i could lend you. these guys know everything.”

she didn’t.

you tilted your head to the side, unable to erase the smile off your face. it was difficult to believe the ellie standing in front you was the same ellie who was on stage an hour ago.

“sure, i’d love that.” with that, you grabbed the blanket ellie had given you and a bunch of pillows and went back to the living room. ellie followed you closely, throwing each of her friends a blanket.

they had finally decided on a movie, so once you and ellie were back they pressed play.

it was a cheap movie about the end of the world and the actors were almost as bad as the special effects. ellie would‘ve found it hilarious if she had been able to focus on it.

you were sitting on the floor with your back against the couch, wrapped up in the blanket she had given you. from where she was, ellie had a perfect view of your side-profile and, even though she felt like a creep, she couldn’t help her gaze from falling on you. especially when you laughed at her friend’s jokes or chimed in with one of your one.

it was practically torture.

once the movie ended, she felt like she could finally breathe again. dina turned the lights back on and, naturally, the first thing ellie did was look at you. it surprised her to find that you were already looking at her.

“i thought you had fallen asleep. you didn’t talk once.”

“i was just too caught up in the movie.” she averted her gaze from you to her shoes, knowing damn well she couldn’t tell you what the hell the movie was about.

unaware of her white lie, you nodded as you continued folding the blankets everyone had left on the couch. “want me to help you take these back to your room?”

“uh, yeah— yes. sure, let’s go,” ellie pathetically tripped over her words before leading the way.

you followed closely, your mouth curving into a small smile at her answer.

silence enveloped the two of you when you entered her bedroom for the second time. you handed her the neatly folded blankets and watched as she stored them.

“i didn’t get a chance to tell you how well you played tonight,” you spoke up, making her glance back at you for a second.

“you think?” she smiled before putting away the last blanket.

you hummed, “couldn’t keep my eyes off you.”

ellie’s heart skipped a beat at the memory of your eyes following her every move. it was a miracle she had her back facing you and you didn’t witness the way an obvious flush spread across her face. “i take it i exceeded your expectations, then?”

“yeah, absolutely.”

sending you a coy smile, she clasped her hands together behind her back. “told you so,” she said as she walked past you.

you went back to the living room, where you found the rest of the group vivaciously talking about something that, apparently, didn’t concern you or ellie by the way they went quiet when they saw you two approach.

“guys? i think i’m gonna go. it’s getting pretty late—”

“ellie will drive you home,” jesse quickly said, making the aforementioned look up at him, disoriented.

“huh?”

“yeah?” you looked at her, lips pulling into a small smile.

who could say no to that face?

jesse threw ellie the car keys, mouthing ‘you’re welcome’ while you hugged dina and lisa goodbye. she frowned, silently inquiring what did he mean by that before setting her gaze on you.

“you ready?” ellie asked from the doorframe, waiting for you.

the cold breeze from the night hit the both of you the moment you stepped outside. given how late it was, the neighborhood was deadly quiet. the only thing interrupting the silence was the sound of your footsteps.

ellie held the passenger’s door open for you and gifted you a smile when you thanked her, slightly touching her arm. she let out a shaky breath before getting in the car herself.

after giving her your adress, she started driving in silence. her knuckles were turning white due to the tight grip she had on the wheel.

trying to be as discreet as possible, ellie glanced at you from the corner of her eyes but, once again, she met your gaze.

“what?” she couldn’t help but ask, a smile slowly forming on her lips.

you laughed softly, taking your eyes off her and looking down at your fidgeting hands. “oh, nothing.”

“right…” ellie set her eyes back on the road as she turned on the radio.

the quietness of the night got interrupted by the sound of ‘i want to know what love is’ by foreigner. both of you instantly looked at each other when you recognized the song and burst out laughing.

“woah, setting the mood?”

it surprised you when her sheepish tone changed into a slight teasing one, matching yours, “i don’t know, is it working?”

“maybe, maybe.”

the laughter gradually quieted down, letting the cheesy song’s chorus fill the silence. you shot ellie a quick glance, smiling to yourself as you listen to the lyrics.

“it is great song, though,” you commented.

“classic,” ellie added, eyes on the road.

“absolutely.”

you arrived at your place not much longer after that, since your building wasn’t that far away from hers. ellie turned off the engine and looked at you just as you turned your head to her.

“thank you for driving me and for giving me the warmest blanket. especially for the blanket.”

“you’re welcome.” the smile that ellie sent you back was a little too sweet for you to be able to function properly.

you forced yourself to look away from her, not wanting to look like a creep. unfortunately, you appeared to be destined to embarrass yourself that night one way or another. when you tried to unbuckle your seatbelt, it got stuck. you struggled in silence for a bit before giving up and looking at ellie, who had obviously noticed what was going on and was staring at you amusedly.

ellie leaned over, laughing softly at your helpless expression. “i told jesse a million times to sell this piece of crap and buy a new car,” she murmured, shaking her head.

she was close, way too close. your eyes automatically placed on her, as they always seemed to do ever since you met her. a small smile appeared on your lips when you heard her mutter a series of curses under her breath.

“there.” she returned to her seat, giving you the space you needed to regulate your breathing but, at the same time, the space you didn’t want. you happened to like having her close.

“thank you,��� you grinned, but your smile faltered a little when you realized that you had to leave. maybe you were being overly dramatic, but you didn’t know when you were going to see her again, so you couldn’t help but feel disappointed that the night had come to an end. “see you around, ellie. thank you for driving me.”

“see you.” her voice was barely above a whisper.

ellie waited for you to be inside your building before leaving. you waved at her one last time, making a smile appear on her lips.

she didn’t put on music on the drive back home. it was just her alone with her thoughts. it was funny, they all seemed to revolve around you.

she went to sleep that night feeling guilty. it wasn’t right for her to be thinking about you that way. it didn’t matter it hadn’t worked out, lisa had liked you first. you were off-limits.

so the world kept spinning, time kept passing, life kept going, and ellie kept trying to forget about you. it wasn’t an easy task, since you had managed to infiltrate even her most random dreams. if that weren’t enough, you started hanging out with the group more often. jesse and dina had both taken a liking in you, too. she obviously couldn’t blame them.

ellie started making up excuses to miss said hangouts, which made her feel bad but she figured some time away from you would help dissolve whatever feelings were brewing inside of her.

she considered she was doing a pretty decent job, but that was until she ran into you on the street.

“ellie!”

you looked as radiant as always, maybe even more since your beauty seemed to be heightened by the fact she had tried so hard to forget about it. it hit her harder than she imagined.

“hey! uh, what’s up?” her reply came out in pathetic stutters, but you didn’t seem to mind.

“oh, nothing. just on my way home. doing some grocery shopping?” you pointed at the bags ellie was holding, to which she nodded.

“yeah, yeah. we were out of sugar n’ stuff.”

“i feel like i haven’t seen you in forever. you missed movie night at dina’s.”

“yeah, i know. i’ve been busy.”

the hectic sounds of the crowded street didn’t hide the fact that a deafening silence followed ellie’s short answer. you stood there, waiting for her to say something else, or even look you in the eyes.

“listen, um, i gotta go. i’m late for… something. see you around?”

stunned, you watched as she hurriedly walked past you. you tried to make sense of what had just happened, trying to recall if you could have possible done something to upset her, but nothing came to mind.

ellie turned around the corner cringing at her own behavior. she felt awful and spent the entire walk home trying to shake off the embarrassment.

lisa, who was already at the apartment, curiously observed her friend as she helped her put away everything she had bought.

“you okay, dude?” she asked her once she caught ellie staring a little too long at the wall.

“yeah, why?”

“are you sure? you’ve been acting weird lately.”

she sighed, “i’m good, i swear.”

“really? because a little bird told me you seemed off today.”

ellie shot her friend a glance, knowing that little bird was you. “oh. yeah, about that…”

what was she supposed to say? that she practically ran away from you because she couldn’t handle being around you without feeling fucking butterflies in her stomach and that it made her feel terribly guilty and the same time it scared the shit out of her?

“it’s nothing, lisa. i was just in a hurry—”

“do you have a problem with her or something?”

“what? no, of course not.”

“then why do you keep running away from her? you never hang out with us when she’s there.”

“i already told you it’s nothing.”

“we honestly thought you liked her. maybe we’ve been wrong this entire time?” she asked more to herself than to ellie.

ellie let out an awkward chuckle, “i do. she’s cool. why wouldn’t i like her?”

“no, me and the guys had this theory. we thought you liked her as in like her, as more than friends.”

ellie averted her gaze from lisa to the floor, “what?” she asked in a high-pitched voice. “no, i don’t.”

“oh my god, i knew it. you were so making eyes at each other when she came to see us play—”

“we weren’t—”

“—then, i told the others and they noticed the same thing. that’s why jesse told you to drive her home.”

suddenly, her friend’s behavior started making sense and she could not be more mortified. had she been that obvious?

“y’know, she asks me about you all the time, then she plays it off by asking about dina and jesse too, but i know she doesn’t really care about them.”

ellie’s stomach fluttered at the new information, but she shook her head. “that doesn’t mean anything.”

“is that why you’re acting weird? you like her but you don’t think she feels the same? cause let me tell you, she obviously does,” lisa told her, searching to meet her eyes. seeing ellie stayed silent, she spoke up again. “i don’t mind, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“lisa…”

“ellie…” she mocked her, unable to hide her amused smile. “so that’s what happened? you were worried i’d get mad if you liked her?”

ellie nodded, finally looking at her. “i felt bad.”

“aw, aren’t you a big ol’ softie underneath that permanent scowl?” lisa laughed, making ellie roll her eyes. “if i knew that was the thing holding you back i would’ve told you to go for it a long time ago. i just didn’t want to pressure you, i know you don’t like to talk about that stuff.”

“it’s not the only thing that’s holding me back,” ellie mumbled as she scratched the back of her neck, gaze cast downward.

“ellie she likes you, i mean it. when we were on stage she didn’t look at the rest of us once. not even when i fell, she probably didn’t even notice.”

“you fell?”

“exactly. you two were in your own little world. it’s cute, actually. so, if you’re really interested, ask her out.”

it was painfully obvious how interested ellie was but, even with lisa’s blessing and words of reassurance, she wasn’t entirely convinced you liked her back. there was the possibility you were too nice, that’s all. so, she decided to do something she never thought she’d do.

ellie left it to the hands of fate.

no matter the outcome, the universe would send some kind of signal if she should ask you out. what she didn’t expect, was that the universe would act so quickly.

only two days passed before ellie saw you again.

for some reason, she had decided to walk home after band practice. she was too caught up in her own world to notice anything happening around her, but the sound of a familiar voice snapped her back to reality.

you were talking to a dog that seemed to be attentively listening as if he understood what you were saying. “you can’t pee on strangers. or anyone, for that matter.”

a short, soft laugh escaped her lips at the situation. ellie put her hands in her pockets, a wave of nerves suddenly washing over her at hesitation grew within her. letting out a small sigh, she gathered all her courage and straightened her back. ellie began approaching you with a determined look on her face.

“hey.”

your head shot up, the corners of your lips tugging up in a smile as soon as you saw who it was. “ellie, hi!”

the dog beside you immediately jumped at her, attacking her with several kisses as his tail moved at an impossibly fast speed. ellie chuckled as she kneeled down to pet him.

“oh, i’m sorry!”

“it’s okay, i don’t mind.”

“he must really like you. he doesn’t let strangers pet him.”

“yeah?” ellie smiled up at you before returning her gaze to the dog in front of her.

eh, not really. he’s actually the friendliest dog to ever grace the earth but you’re pretty and you make me nervous. “yeah,” you grinned.

“what’s his name?”

“chip. he’s my niece’s, actually. i’m just talking him for a walk while she’s at school,” you explained, trying not to look to affected by her presence. it was hard.

ellie hummed, deep in thought. suddenly, she looked up at you again, “want some company?”

her question took you by surprise, especially after your last encounter. “uh, yes, i’d like that.”

the two of you began walking at a slow pace, sometimes stopping to wait for chip who got distracted by something that caught his attention. ellie asked how your day was going, and once you were done telling her you asked how hers was. it was a calm conversation, the total opposite of how you two were feeling inside.

“i wanted to apologize for leaving so quick the other day.”

“oh, you don’t have to. it’s fine, really.”

“no, it’s not. i’m sorry, it’s just— um, have you talked to lisa?”

you glanced at her, “not recently, why? did something happen?”

“no, no. i was just wondering.”

“you were wondering because…?”

ellie chuckled awkwardly, realizing what she had gotten herself into. she could play dumb and avoid the conversation, but that would be not listening to the universe and that would be a very dumb thing to do, wouldn’t it?

“you’re just friends, right?”

you gave her another quick side-eyed glance, “yes, why?”

“you don’t like her that way and she doesn’t like you that way either, right?”

you let out a short laugh, “yes, ellie. our date wasn’t what we expected so we decided to just stay friends. i already told you that.”

“then let me show you how it’s done.”

you whipped your head around and stared at her as your surprised expression began to morph into a giddy grin. “what?”

“let me take you on a proper date. are you free tomorrow?”

“really?”

“if— if you want, of course.”

in that moment, ellie knew she had made the right choice and internally thanked the universe for pushing her to do so. the way your face lit up at her words was priceless, and it was also a sign that you were as interested in her as she was in you.

you gleefully accepted her request with a warm smile, one that almost knocked the air out of ellie. she promised to text you so she could tell you the details, and she stuck to her word because once you arrived home there was a message from her waiting for you.

you began texting right away. more precisely, you sent hundreds of voicenotes throughout the day and she happily listened to them, replying with an equal amount of texts and lame reaction pictures (which you loved).

“you’re okay with this, right?” ellie asked lisa for the hundredth time as she was about to leave for your date.

her friend, who was sitting comfortably on their couch, rolled her eyes for the hundredth time, too. “ellie, i swear to god if you ask me again—”

“alright! alright.”

“have fun, dork.”

“yeah, yeah,” she muttered as she grabbed the keys to jesse’s car, who had kindly let her borrow it for the date. “don’t wait up, i know how to keep a girl entertained.”

“fuck you!” ellie heard lisa say before she closed the door behind her. she went snickering to herself the whole way to the car, but soon her cockiness evaporated and, instead, a feeling of uncertainty replaced it.

she began second guessing every decision she made the closer she got to your house. was her outfit nice? was her hair okay? was the bouquet of flowers too much? was the date idea she had planned the most nerdy thing ever thought? the answer to that last question was probably, but there was no time to change it, she was already waiting for you outside.

she shuffled her feet as she moved from side to side, her grip on the stems of the flowers tightening. once she heard someone coming, her head shot up. her lips instantly curved into a smile when she saw you. you had the biggest grin on your face as you approached her. ellie’s smile widened even more when she noticed what you had on your hands.

flowers.

“we’re too cheesy, aren’t we?” you scrunched up your nose, slightly tilting your head to the side as ellie laughed. you proceeded to exchange bouquets, your fingers briefly brushing hers. “these are beautiful, thank you.” the compliment left your lips in a tone so sweet it had ellie melting. “alright, should we go?”

“you’re not gonna leave them to put them in water or something?”

“that’s for when i get back. i wanna show them off first. unless the super secret date location isn’t flower-friendly?”

“oh, no, you can take them. it’ll be fine.”

ellie’s chosen date destination was the museum. it was nerdy but, fortunately for her, you were thrilled once you found out. you kept telling her how excited you were while you waited in line, swinging the flowers around as you gesticulated.

there was a small smile on her lips as she attentively listened to you talk about your first experience in a museum and how you’ve always wanted to go to one again, but never got around to it.

it was strange to think about when ellie first saw you in a picture. you caught her attention right away. now, you were in front of her, gifting her your presence and your kind smiles.

everything was going great, but the constant reminder that she wasn’t being completely honest with you caused a persistent feeling of guilt to set on the pit of her stomach.

“i have to tell you something,” ellie said after a moment of silence.

your eyebrows instantly scrunched together at her tone. “everything okay?”

“you said lisa seemed different in person than through text. she probably knew nothing about the movies and characters she said to like when you talked about it on your date, right? well, that’s because it was actually me behind those texts. just when those topics came out, you know, it wasn’t me always. so, basically, i feel really bad about not telling you sooner. you probably think this is weird, right?” ellie let out an awkward chuckle after her (way too long) rambling.

you stared at her in silence, processsing the great amount of information she had given you in just five seconds. suddenly, you laughed.

“it really threw me off when lisa said she loved anakin and legolas’ friendship. then i saw your room. i knew something was fishy, though i never would’ve have guessed i actually talked to you and you weren’t just telling her what to say.”

ellie hid her face behind her hands, laughing at lisa’s huge mistake. “i can’t believe she got aragorn and anakin mixed up.”

you chuckled, “yeah, and that wasn’t the worst one.”

“oh my god,” she groaned. “wait, so, you knew?”

“kind of. i didn’t ask lisa about it because i didn’t want her to be embarrassed or anything, so i just assumed something like that had happened.”

“and you’re not mad?”

“i wouldn’t be here if that were the case, but thank you for telling me,” you said, smiling sweetly at her and reaching for her hand to give her a quick little squeeze. “c’mon, we’re holding the line.”

much to ellie’s dismay, your hand slipped away from hers. she couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed at how brief the contact had been. still, having told you the whole truth, ellie was practically floating behind you.

“by the way, i wanted to tell you something, too,” you started, making her look into your eyes. “going on dates with two different people in such a short time is not like me, y’know? especially if those people are friends.”

“okay…”

“i just don’t want you to get the wrong idea of me.”

“what, that you’re homie hopper?”

“ellie!” you laughed in disbelief.

“i’m kidding,” she playfully rolled her eyes. you watched as her teasing smirk turned into a soft smile.

ellie had never been an affectionate person. in fact, having someone constantly touching her wasn’t something she craved and seeing couples that were too into public displays of affection made her sick. then, she met you.

standing so close to you was torture. every fiber of her being screamed to get closer and, for the first time, she initiated contact. seeing you two were next in line, she took that opportunity to grab your hand and lead you into the museum. she didn’t turn around to see your reaction, but she didn’t have to. you squeezed her hand and intertwined your fingers, indicating that you wouldn’t let go.

you walked side by side at an unhurried pace, taking the time to soak in everything you saw. the rest of the world could have disappeared and neither of you would have cared. in that moment, all that existed were each other and the hushed conversations you shared. the both of you were so caught up in your own little bubble that often forgot there were people around and you had to apologize every time you laughed a little too loud.

ellie knew a lot about everything, you were in complete awe of her. you were certain you could listen to her tell you a million random facts and never get tired of it. the best part was when you finally reached the section where everything dinosaur-related was displayed.

“you said you wanted to learn about them, didn’t you?” she asked with a playful smirk. “you still have time to want to take it back, because i will not be able to shut up once i start.”

you shook your head, smiling fondly at her. “i will listen to every word.”

and you did. sometimes you asked her questions, leading her to talk even more than she intended. it worried her that you could get annoyed, but she could see the genuine interest in your eyes whenever she looked at you.

time flew by much faster than you would’ve wanted. many conversations were shared throughout the whole date. some were meaningful and some weren’t, but each and every one of them would stay engraved in each other’s memories.

you would always remember ellie’s biggest regret, her favorite candy, the first time she fell in love, the age she learned how to ride a bike and how much she hated reality shows.

she would always remember the first time someone broke your heart, that you preferred tea over coffee, your favorite cartoon growing up and your irrational fear of mannequins.

both of you would always remember the comfortable silences you shared during the art section and the way both of you giggled whenever you caught each other’s eyes.

now, standing outside of your building under a starry sky, you already felt nostalgic about a night that wasn’t even technically over yet.

“thank you for today. it totally exceeded my expectations, and they were really, really high, by the way.”

“yeah?” ellie smiled widely before biting down her bottom lip.

“yeah.” you nod, grinning. “i had a lot of fun.”

“me too.”

you kept staring at each other, unable to erase the dumb smiles off your lips.

“did i score a second date?”

“you even scored a third one.”

ellie laughed at your answer, momentarily looking down at her shoes. when she met your gaze again, she felt time slowing as well as her breath. you were the one who took the first step, quite literally, standing closer to her whilst she seemed to be completely still.

your eyes met for a brief moment before you finally closed the gap between you and enveloped you two on a very eagerly awaited kiss. the contact made ellie come back to her senses and she reacted almost instantly, making you smile against her.

you had been waiting for that moment to come since beginning of the night and, yet, you still weren’t ready for the way it made you feel. it was overwhelming, in the best way possible.

“i’d invite you over but, unfortunately for you, i’m a lady,” you murmured as your fingers intertwined on the back of her head, the bouquet of flowers hanging upside down on her back.

ellie grinned against your lips before giving you one final kiss. “goodnight.”

you had said your goodbyes. the next step was for ellie to leave, but she found herself glued to the floor. your soft smile quickly became a teasing smirk when you realized she had no intention to move.

“did you forget how to walk?”

her next move pleasantly surprised you. she raised one of her hands to the back of your neck and pulled gently to draw you into another kiss. it felt so natural, so right.

“i think it’s time for our second date,” she mumbled, smiling dazedly.

“now?”

she was still so close.

“please.”

you weren’t sure how it was possible for you to hear her whispering voice over the loud beating of your heart.

“let’s just— let’s drive around and see where we end up.”

you grinned, immediately nodding at her proposal.

who could say no to that face?

[kelperine]

I just saw thunderbolts and I have many thoughts

Spoilers ahead ‼️‼️‼️

1. Taskmaster dying was so pointless and honestly kind of disgusting. I tried seeing if it’s was an actor issue but apparently the writers took her out to show that “the stakes are high and anyone can die” which is a convoluted way to say nothing because we know none of the other team members are dying through cast leaks and plot armor. It rubs me the wrong way that a movie centered around character redemption threw out the girl who went through the same mercenary pain as them and got not sufficing redemption in black widow or thunderbolts. Rip Taskmaster you are special to me and I would never have done that to you. We lost a girlie today 💔

2. I liked Ghost alot in the ant man movies and honestly forgot as her character became quickly irrelevant because let’s be real ant man is no one’s favorite series. She didn’t do much in this movie, no one seemed to really connect with her and holy shit what was that bulky ahh suit 😭 I’d kill to have the white suit back from her first appearance, that was so cool. Also every move she made got fucking countered immediately. If your character can be countered by a jbl speaker blaring fetty wap then maybe she’s not a great addition to the team.

3. I thought the Bob/Yelena/Walker camaraderie was pretty solid, they all had good banter and seemed to genuinely care about each other. I don’t want to glaze Walker but I liked seeing the small ways he showed affection like shifting from calling him Bob to Bobby, and even picking the fruit for Yelena and Ghost. Hell he even took that one hit for Bucky and hauled his ass back to the elevator. I’m not sure why he was suddenly a team player but it was nice to see. That being said we lacked a whole group connection, obviously Walker cared for Ghost but Ghost didn’t seem to connect with anyone else, nor did Bucky really talk past his circle of Walker, or Alexei with his circle of Yelena. I would have liked to see a better full team moment like the Avengers shawarma scene. Everyone was pretty solid by themselves but I don’t really think of them as a group, just people who have their person if that makes sense.

4. I was going to complain that Bucky wasn’t in the movie enough because he’s my favorite and I saw it just to see him on the big screen. I was originally worried that he was going to be put through mcu hell again after his redemption in tfatws but I honestly think it was smart to distance himself from the thunderbolts team. It gives everyone else a chance in the spotlight because Bucky has already overcome his trauma and serves as a sign that they can too. I always kept him in mind during the void episodes knowing that reliving hydra must have been awful, but he’s at a point right now where he was able to blow it off and even joke to the others by remarking sarcastically that his past was great. I love seeing him in a place of healing <3 That being said I know my boy is struggling being in a team where 2 people are a stark reminder of Steve rogers. Like If I was in a team where two people looked like my dead boyfriend id throw hands every second, walker and alexei I would be out for blood 💀 Not to mention Sam who is very much captain American but it probably still hurts Bucky to see that red white and blue even when the proper person displays it.

5. You are telling me there is arguing in my sambucky household?? Marvel don’t piss me off. My one little Sam Wilson mention is Bucky arguing with him about some avengers bullshit?? Marvel I am going to run these ones. I was expecting a little call at the end like “honey you won’t believe the day I’ve had” NOT A DIVORCE.

6. Sentry was a bit confusing, he felt like a weird character to add in the timeline right now in that way that he’s pretty similar to Adam Warlock. He felt like a weird combination of Warlock x Homelander if that makes sense lol. Towards the end the movie started to feel like The Boys lmao, I thought Valentina was about to become the head of Vought and had to remember what universe we were in. Don’t get me wrong I love Bob and I part of me hates that I’m buying into the “lol so random XD name” kind of character but he was pretty chill, I know my boy is gonna love Johnny Storm just wait.

7. Where is Yelena’s Guinea pig?? I was hoping to see him in the back of the tower with a fancy set up but alas… Outside of showing the fact that Yelena doesn’t lack humanity through her rescuing if it, it is also a symbol of what they’ve all been through as Guinea pigs are commonly test subjects. I know it’s right on the nose but I think it’s still a nice touch

8. The end credit “avengers” suits were so fucking ugly ima be real 💀 Bucky what are u wearing go find a Henley

9. Fight could have been over in ten minutes if Walker and Bob kissed 🤷‍♂️ Fellas is it gay to slam a man against a wall and stare lovingly into his eyes?? Walker, first Lemar and now this? Buddy I cant defend you. Also you can’t tell me Bob and Yelena wouldn’t be the most fire lavender couple you’ve ever seen. If u want Bob u gotta go through Yelena and Walker, that’s their bbg 😤

[jupitersfall]

Friends to Lovers | L. Matthew Headcanons

Lottie who, in third grade, came up to you and cautiously asked if you’d like to kick a soccer ball with her. When you said yes, the two of you played for the entirety of recess, and then everyday after.

Having sleepovers at her house all throughout your childhood. Going swimming during summer, playing tag around her house every time her parents were gone.

The two of you were inseparable, to the point that if someone saw you alone, they’d ask where Lottie was.

Middle school was when the two of you began to grow crushes. Gushing to Lottie about different people, even though you knew you’d never try anything.

Lottie would get unreasonably upset when you’d mention liking another girl, though. She didn’t wanna lose her best friend!

Middle school was also when Lottie tried out for Soccer. She was good, really good. She’d always ask you to go to her games, and you’d joke about how she didn’t need to ask because you’d want to go to all her games in the first place.

Lottie who started to secretly wish you’d wear her jersey number while you were in the bleachers.

Every time she did anything remotely cool looking, she’d search for you in the crowd to see your reaction. And of course, you’d always be cheering for her.

High School, things had gotten a little more complicated. You knew you liked Lottie, because you’d get that same butterfly feeling in your stomach that you’d get with all your other crushes.

It didn’t help that Lottie was so touchy. If you couldn’t be hugging, you’d be holding hands. If you couldn’t be holding hands, you’d be linking pinkies. Not like you were complaining.

Lottie who was also your first kiss. The two of you had wanted to get it over with, because all your other friends had been kissed.

“It’ll be just a quick one,” Lottie said with a reassuring smile, her hand gently rubbing your shoulder, “And it’s not like it means anything.”

When Lottie got into her first relationship, you thought you’d have gotten over your crush but it only made things worse.

Instead of spending everyday together, it was every other day. Then, every two days, until you’d only ever see her some weekends.

It’s not like Lottie liked that. She missed you like hell, but her partner was a little possessive, that’s all. It didn’t help that you and her were always rumored to be dating.

“They’re jealous, y’know,” Lottie said, “Like, they probably think we’re making out right now. Isn’t that funny?”

“Yeah. Real funny, Lot.”

But when she got dumped, she was running back to you. All teary eyed, knocking on your door. She looked small, and all you wanted to do was take her into your arms and hold her until she felt better. So, that’s exactly what you did.

She sniffled a little, head in your lap while your fingers ran through her hair. Watching reruns of twins peak, and friends.

You were thrilled, though you wouldn’t admit that. Of course, you felt bad. But now, somebody else wasn’t gonna be kissing her, which was awesome.

Lottie had spent every day with you for weeks, ‘making up for lost time’ as she’d put it. And about a month after her breakup, she’d asked you to come with her to a movie.

So, of course, you went. Lottie had spent several minutes debating what candy to buy, and what soda flavor to get, and whether she wanted a large popcorn or a medium.

Lottie who was incredibly nervous for some reason, rambling about how she’d seen advertisements for this movie, how she’d heard it was really good and she thought you’d like it.

She was so stiff in her seat, barely eating any of the popcorn. Halfway through, she’d gotten the courage to hold your hand.

Which seemed a little weird to you because if she’d wanted to hold your hand, she could’ve. It wasn’t like you hadn’t done it before.

Lottie had kept your hand in hers the whole time, until after the movie was over and the two of you were outside.

“So,” Lottie said, hand gently squeezing yours to get your attention, “did you like the movie?”

“It was pretty good. The soundtrack was cool.”

Lottie hummed a little, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, totally. I missed hanging out with you, you know. I was thinking…maybe, you know…dinner, or something. Like, after my game next friday.”

“Dinner?” you questioned, trying to push away the excitement that was beginning to bubble up inside you, “I mean, sure. We’ve never gone out to dinner before.”

Lottie looked a little sheepish at that, shrugging as nonchalantly as she could. “Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I know. But, like, it’s good to try new stuff.”

So, the two of you went to dinner. Lottie had done her makeup, though she had tried her best not to make it obvious that she was doing good for you.

It was a little awkward at first because neither of you were sure what to talk about, but once the two of you had begun eating, conversation started.

Lottie who, near the end of your dinner, had reached across the table and took one of your hands in hers. Cautiously mentioning how she’s been thinking about your friendship for awhile now, and how she’s cared about you a lot.

And to be honest, you thought she was about to say she didn’t want to be friends anymore.

But then the words ‘I want to be with you’ left her mouth and the two of you were staring at each other for at least fifteen seconds. Pure silence, except for the clinking of silverware on plates, and soft chatter coming from the other people in the restaurant.

Not even bothering to reply, just leaning over the table to kiss her.

Being incredibly annoying after that. Like, touching 24/7 and kissing and giggling to the point that your guys’ friends would tell you get a room.

Lottie lowkey being romantic as hell…if you pass by a store, and you happen to eye a shirt for a second too long, best believe it’ll be in your room, wrapped in a nice package by the next day. She can’t help it, she’s a giver! It’s her love language! Not to mention, her dad has so much cash that he wouldn’t even notice if she was blowing it on you.

Planning fun dates together. Going to the aquarium, or the arcade, or renting a bunch of movies and just hanging out at one of your houses. Blasting music throughout her house and singing along at the top of your lungs (even if you’re not very good, Lottie doesn’t judge) and dancing together.

Anyways! Lottie would be a 10/10 girlfriend. Like, super sweet, and super understanding. If you’re having a bad day, she’s having a bad day. If you’re mad at someone, she’s mad at them. If you made a new friend, she’s made a new friend.

And she definitely stays up late, gigging to herself while daydreaming about your guys’ life together.

[jikooklove9795]

What's your personal input of like crazy?

Is it related to jikook any way?

Before we get into the discussion I wanna remind you that whatever I'm gonna share here are my own observations and thoughts.

Now let's start, shall we?

Jimin himself has mentioned that he got the inspiration of his song, Like Crazy from the movie Like Crazy.

Like Crazy is a romantic movie which tells the story of Jacob and Anna and how the rules and laws of a country keeps them apart, poses a threat to their love and holds them back from having their happily ever after.

Now let's come back to Jimin. He's in love with a man in a homophobic country. Just like how in the movie the laws of the country are against the love of the lead characters Jimin may feel he's in a similar situation cause his country is against LGBTQ relationships. I think this is the main concept from the movie which inspired him. However, he doesn't want to give upon his love for Jungkook even if he knows the consequences cause their love is crazy like that. He knows this is his greatest chance at love and will not be able to feel what he's feeling for Jungkook with anyone else. This is clear from the line "Forever you and I" in the song. He wants his forever to be with Jungkook.

Now let's get to the MV. I'll speak about LC and a little bit about SMF pt2 and Letter here.

I think in LC Jimin is talking about a much younger version of him. The young Jimin who realizes that whatever he's feeling for Jungkook goes way beyond friendship. He knows the consequences. But he doesn't want to hold back. He's tempted and he takes the plunge.

You can see how thrilled Jimin is in 2015 when he notices Jungkook showing a romantic interest in him. He enjoys it, he's happy about it. But that doesn't mean he's not afraid of the threats which could break their love. So, he chooses an escapism to be removed from the real world and to live in the moment with the person he loves ( Jungkook). There's references to alcohol and sex in the song. And I think these are his ways to stay removed from the reality. We all know about his drinking. And there's sex. Don't get the wrong idea. Its not with other people but with Jungkook. Cause again he's stressing about exclusivity in the song using the lyrics "Forever you and I". He's not ready to give upon his love for Jungkook even if he knows its something frowned upon in their society. So, instead he chooses escapism to disconnect from the real world and stay in the bubble with Jungkook. The bubble he refuses to come out from.

We all saw how Jungkook promoted the hell out of Jimin's solo album, FACE. But there's a difference in his approach to LC and SMF pt2. He knows LC is about Jimin's struggles. Being the bf he must have had a hard time watching Jimin struggle. And I think he was constantly by Jimin's side, reassuring him that they'll be fine. There's this conversation at the start of LC which can be read as a conversation Jungkook and Jimin already had in their real life.

Jungkook: I think we could last forever

Jimin: I'm afraid that everything will disappear

Jungkook: Just trust me

(This is just an example and not the real conversation between Jungkook and Jimin)

From this conversation we can assume that Jungkook is the one who is reassuring Jimin whose afraid about the threats to their love. I think LC reminds Jungkook of the dark times Jimin went through. But when it comes to SMF pt2 its clear he's a fan of the song. Why?

Cause SMF pt2 is about Jimin finally setting himself free. I think in SMF pt2 Jimin's talking about a later version of himself who is embracing the real him. The society can't hold him down. He's not afraid anymore. I think this is why SMF pt2 is Jungkook's favorite song. He's happy seeing that Jimin has overcome his struggles and proud to see his bf being brave.

Now there's Letter. I think here Jimin's talking about the recent version of himself. Through this song Jimin is conveying his feelings for Jungkook who stood by his side and held him while he was struggling. It felt like he was answering the conversation at the start of LC. Here, Jimin's the one saying that he has trust in their love, he will hold onto Jungkook's hand, wants to give back the love he received, asks him not to be afraid and reminds him that they'll always be together.

But is LC all about Jimin talking about his relationship with Jungkook? Not really. As Jimin said FACE is autobiographical. Its about himself. I think through LC he wanted to talk about the real him and also about his love life. Both are intertwined.

Let's see how through LC Jimin expresses the real him. This analysis makes great sense to me:

We all have noticed how queer coded the MV for LC is. Jimin's choice of makeup for the MV is also interesting. There's this scene in the song where he comes face to face with a girl and then the screen pans out to a bathroom where Jimin is facing his own reflection thus making it clear that the girl is a reflection of himself.

This becomes more clear in the dance video where Jimin and the girl are mirroring each other.

We all remember this video right?

And also the other times when he's questioned what is it to be masculine and portrayed in that way.

I have another interpretation to LC. This is mostly about how he was struggling during the pandemic when he couldn't perform for the audience like he's used to. He uses alcohol and sex (I repeat not with other people but with Jungkook) as an escapism. Jungkook is there by his side watching him struggle, trying to help him.

I think Jimin has layered LC using the 3 interpretations I stated. However, if Jimin hadn't mentioned anything about the movie my only interpretations would be 2 and 3. And again both interpretations 2 and 3 very well leads into SMF pt2 where he talks about overcoming his struggles.

As I said earlier these are my own views and opinions. You may have a very different interpretation. Thats the beauty of art. Jimin did a marvelous job with his album. The way he captured the emotions and delivered it beautifully was amazing.

Credits to the owner of the video

[sweetadonisbutbetter]

hiii, could i request general blitzø x reader content?? honestly anything, i’m begging for crumbs at this point, there’s like no content for him 😭

OMG YES UGHHHH BLITZø MY BELOVED AUSB i have a few other prompts of him (that aren't ask) and he is jushfgshg i love him reader is implied to be an imp but can be read as any type of hellborn

He makes me laugh | Blitzø x GN!Reader

Relationship: Romantic Warnings: Mentions of NSFW but nothing too serious

Blitzø couldn’t understand how he got so lucky. His tail flicked behind him as he watched you interact with his daughter. Loona, who normally snarled at people to back away, was engaging in a conversation with you about a shared interest. Shockingly she was the main one talking, as you listened. That was possibly his favorite thing about you, that you lent an ear to those who believed that they didn’t have a voice. 

You were his most healthy relationship, by a long shot. Being patient with him, picking up the shattered pieces of his shell,  and helping him back together, no matter how many cuts you received. If he could compare his relationship to anyone, it would be M&M, which was a just compliment in his mind. You looked at him from the corner of your eyes, before smiling at him. 

Blitzø swears that if he was capable, he would have exploded. He let out a soft purr as his tail flicked harder. He was so caught up in staring at your perfectly hand-crafted face, that he didn’t notice that a client had walked in, standing in front of him while waving their hands. It took Loona yelling his name for him to snap out of his thoughts. With a slightly embarrassed look, he took the client into his office. Loona huffed and turned to you.

“Seriously, what do you even see in him?” She asked, propping her paws on the table. She began to scroll on her phone as you plopped right onto the table and looked at the office door, trying to think of a way to answer her question. The real answer was what he didn’t see in him. 

You had met him through horse riding lessons, being the teacher. Though you normally dealt with kids, be it their parents who paid for the lessons or a school trip, there was always the odd adult who wanted to say they rode a horse once in their life. Though Bliztø was far from the regular adults, his excitement reached that of a child. Throughout his lesson, you both talked and it led to him walking away after his lesson, overjoyed to have ridden a horse and your number in his hand. 

Though it took him a couple of days, he did get back to you, inviting you to hang out with him. You agreed, thinking ‘What the hell,’ and gave it a shot. Safe to say, you woke up the next morning sore, and your clothes were everywhere. 

It didn’t take long after that for you to start falling for the imp; however, through the late-night talks you had with him anytime you two either slept with one another or you had a casual sleepover, a relationship was the last thing that he needed. So instead of rushing into one and possibly blowing the thing up, you decided to be his rock, what kept him grounded. By being there for him, you could ensure that he was able to have someone to lean on. While you had no way of knowing if you were truly helping, you could for sure count on his actions to tell you.

It started small, with Blitzø holding your hand when you went you both went out. Then it slowly escalated to small kisses, first being played off as platonic, nights in which you two would just enjoy each other's company and ended with Blitzø asking you out. While your first date with him wasn’t fancy, it was the fact that you and Blitzø had spent the night with each other, cooking and watching movies. Of course, that night there was a serious, yet open and honest conversation about your relationship moving forward. You both had put on the table that you wanted a relationship, however, Blitzø wasn’t entirely sure about the idea of it, given his track record. You were the one to propose an open relationship, which could work with the proper boundaries. Explain it as a way for him to test the waters without necessarily being tied down. He agreed to it, though he was slightly reluctant that he would do something to screw it up.

It had been a couple of years since that conversation, and you both met more people. Blitzø took you to the adoption of Loona, you were the one to break out Blitzø and Moxxie, and you were there when the I.M.P opened for business. Of course, Blitzø had his off days, where he would shut the world off and retreat into himself, but you stayed. You couldn’t leave the very demon that brought you joy and leave the little found family that was started all by him. With your answer, you look back to Loona who was scrolling on her phone. You smiled softly and said,

“He makes me laugh.”

sigh...i love u blitz...wanted to include stolas in this but i have plans for him...

[1toreyouapart]

The Lies We Tell

***FANFIC THAT INVOLVES REAL PEOPLE. 18+ ONLY. MDNI. DO NOT READ IF YOU DON’T LIKE FANFIC THAT INVOLVES REAL PEOPLE***

Summary that tells you nothing: Sometimes everything you ever wanted has been right there, within reach, all along.

CW/TW: Angst, fluff, swearing, friends to lovers, jealousy, smut, fingering, PinV, pet names, friends with benefits, mental health (past attempt mentioned), oral (f receiving), multiple orgasms, more to come as I actually get things written out.

A/N: 4.2k words. I got a little carried away. Smut below the cut. 🫡

Masterlist

You Smell Like Victory

Silence filled the room while she scrolled through Netflix, the titles of shows and movies a blur. Noah worked silently at his desk, responding to a few emails. Something had changed in the kitchen earlier. Such a quick kiss she thought she had imagined it at first. Then the extra touching. Like he was finding every excuse imaginable to have his hands on her. On the small of her back, his hand on her thigh as they sat together on the couch. How when he had passed her to head up here he had grabbed her hand to get her attention, not letting go until she had followed him all the way into his room. The way his hands lingered longer than normal.

The bed shifted as Noah laid next to her, his own gaze fixed on the ceiling. Cautious she glanced over at home, noting the way his brow furrowed slightly. Something was clearly on his mind. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was thinking of the same things she was.

“Find a movie yet?” He asked, keeping his eyes locked on the ceiling.

“No.” Quinn sighed. She hadn’t been able to focus on any of the titles.

“What about ‘The Nun’? You love that one.”

“You hate it, though.”

“So? You love it. Put it on.”

Quinn arched her brow as she stared down at him. Noah never let her just put on what she wanted without a fight. He was being weird. She wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it.

“Alright. Who are you and what have you done with my Noah?”

Noah laughed, finally tearing his gaze away from the ceiling. His warm eyes traveled over her face, pausing ever so briefly on her lips before meeting her eyes again.

“Is it so impossible to believe that maybe I’m just being nice?” He chuckled, nudging her side with his elbow. “Put your stupid movie on.”

Quinn eyed him warily, unsure whether this was one of his pranks or not. Noah always gave her shit about that movie. Was always teasing her every time she jumped, regardless of how many times she had seen it. With a roll of her eyes she shrugged, turning her attention back to the TV.

“Your loss, I guess.” She pushed play.

“Hardly,” he muttered, getting up.

Frowning she watched him grab a pair of sweatpants and head towards the door. Where the hell did he think he was going? The deal was always that they watched the movie and then he changed after. Something was off with him tonight. Then the light shut off.

“Noah! What the fuck?”

“What? Too scared to be alone for two minutes?” He laughed, walking out the door.

“Asshole!” She called after him, his only response laughter as the bathroom door shut behind him.

Quinn’s eyes went back to the TV, heart in her throat. As she watched the two Sisters she sat up, scooting as far back from the TV as possible, like Valak could reach through the stupid TV and grab her. She loved this movie purely because Valak terrified her. Something Noah clearly didn’t understand.

Right as the Sister sacrificed herself, Noah returned, the click of his bedroom door shutting startling her. Her hand clutched at her chest as she turned toward him, wide eyed.

“Noah! You asshole! You left me alone with Valak.”

Noah chuckled, shaking his head as he deposited his clothes into his hamper. She tried really hard not to notice the way his sweats sat low on his hips. Something he couldn’t really help. It was always hard for him to find clothes that fit his tall frame. But still. After the way he had been towards her all evening, it was hard not to notice it. Almost like it was on purpose. The shirt he usually wore for bed was definitely noticeably absent. Tattoos and the abs he had been working so hard on in the gym on full display.

“You’ve seen this movie a thousand times. I think you’re fine.” He motioned for her to scoot forward. “Scoot. Assume the position.”

Quinn followed his direction, scooting forward. Felt the bed shift as he slid into his usual spot behind her, his legs on either side of hers. His long arms wrapped around her, pulling her back against his chest. They always watched movies like this. Usually far more dressed than this, however. She couldn’t help but notice how bare her legs were as his hand landed on her thigh, resting there.

“Hey. Together we make one whole outfit.” Quinn laughed nervously, the movie completely forgotten at this point.

“Strange that both items are actually mine. Are you ever going to give my shirt back?”

Her eyes stayed focused on the hand on her thigh, watched as he started to trace little patterns on her the inside of it. Such a small, simple thing he had probably done countless times over the years, yet tonight it had a dull ache forming right at the apex of her thighs. Quinn swallowed, trying to keep her breathing even.

“Weird way to say our shirt, but okay.”

“You’re a menace, you know that?”

Noah sounded so normal. So nonchalant. Like he wasn’t currently driving her absolutely insane. His fingers trailed just slightly closer to her center and she had to fight to keep any reaction at bay. This was normal, right? He was just being his usual kind of touchy self. Just normal Noah. She was the one being weird.

“If you say so.” Her voice was quiet, just barely above a whisper. She didn’t trust it at this point. Didn’t trust that speaking normally wouldn’t give away exactly what was going through her mind.

His hand slid up her thigh just another fraction of an inch and she sucked in a breath, holding it. Noah’s low chuckle behind her brought her attention away from his hand on her thigh. He knew exactly what he was doing.

“Noah?”

“Yes?” he asked, his lips right by her ear.

“What, uh,” his hand inched closer. “What’s up?”

Quinn kicked herself. What’s up? What’s up?! Was she stupid? Jesus Christ.

“See, things have been a little tense like, the entire time I’ve been home. My fault, really. And I think the only way to fix it at this point is to fuck about it.” His hand moved, cupping her through her panties. “Don’t you think we should just fuck it out, Quinn?”

Quinn gasped as he massaged her, using the palm of his hand to apply pressure to her clit. Her hips jerked slightly, a quiet whimper escaping her as liquid heat surged through her body. Helpless she nodded her head, hands gripping the hem of his shirt she wore. Like she had ever had a chance in hell of saying no. Part of her had known the second he led her up here, tossed the shirt she’d worn the night before at her before turning his back so she could change, that this was exactly where things were headed tonight.

“Words, baby. Use your words.” His voice was low, just barely loud enough for only her to hear.

“Y-yes,” she stammered, rocking her hips against his hand.

Noah rewarded her by slipping his hand inside her panties, one long finger rubbing slow, languid circles around her clit. Her back arched, a low groan slipping out of her. Teeth scraped over the side of her throat, his fingers plunging inside of her, curling, stroking, as his palm now pressed against her, massaging her clit as he worked. His free hand slip up her shirt, nails scraping over her belly, tracing a path up to her breast.

Pressure built low in her belly, her heart beating erratically in her chest. She was on the edge, and she wasn’t sure she could stop her impending orgasm even if she tried. Even if she wanted to. He had slowly, systematically worked her up to this point all evening. His fingers captured her nipple, pinching slightly as he tugged, and the pressure in her belly burst, her body tensing as she came, breath hitching as she fought to stay quiet.

“Jesus Christ, Quinn.” He groaned, his fingers still slowly pumping in and out of her as he eased her down from her high. “You’re so fucking sensitive.”

Body trembling she collapsed back against him, trying desperately to catch her breath. She could feel every hard inch of him beneath her, and she couldn’t help the slight hesitation. If what she felt was correct, she was in trouble. Jesus Christ. How the hell did he expect to fit? Did everything on him have to be big?

“And whose fault is that, exactly?” She sighed, running a still trembling hand through her hair. “Teasing me all fucking night. And you call me a menace.”

“Anybody ever tell you that you’re incredibly fucking mouthy?” He laughed, dropping a kiss on top of her head. “You good?”

“Yeah.” She nodded, wincing as he pulled his fingers out of her.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Like you said, I’m sensitive.”

Quinn sat up fully, lifting her shirt and tossing it off to the side. While she appreciated him taking the time to check in with her, she needed more. Needed to get him inside of her. Even if, by her judgement, it would hurt. She trusted him. Knew he would be gentle with her.

Noah brushed her hair off her shoulder, pressing his lips to her skin. Quinn sighed, letting herself relax against him just slightly.

“How do you want to do this?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…” He trailed off, his hands going back to her thighs, tracing soothing patterns once more. “What position would be most comfortable for you?”

Quinn thought about it, picturing every position she could think of. She imagined him behind her, and while her favorite position, wasn’t something she was sure she could handle right now. Most of the men she had been with were average sized. He felt much larger. Which meant being in top would be a struggle.

“No one’s ever asked me that before,” she mused. She felt his body tense behind her. “I suppose you on top?”

She didn’t wait for his direction and moved to lay beside him, watching as his head turned to follow her. He made no immediate move to follow her, just watched her as she laid back, holding her hand out to him.

“That’s something we’re going to unpack later.”

Noah moved over her, taking her hand in his. Carefully he pulled her arm up above her head, his eyes raking over her before locking with hers.

“You’re absolutely sure?” He asked, his voice trembling. “You can say stop at anytime and I’ll stop. Like, full stop. You’re the one in control, Quinn.”

“Noah. I’m sure.”

His lips crashed into hers, needing no further encouragement. Her free hand cupped his cheek, hips rocking up against his, desperate to feel him there. Noah’s free arm wrapped around her waist, holding her body against as his lips moved over hers, his own hips rocking against hers, hitting just the right spot.

The two of them moved together, neither in a rush to get to it. His tongue traced her bottom lip and she parted her lips, her soft sigh as his tongue slipped inside her mouth swallowed up by him. While gentle in his exploration of her mouth his hips rocked against hers harder, pressing her down into the mattress. The sensations were at war with each other, nearly driving her over the edge once more. He was everywhere and still not where she needed him.

Noah pulled back, releasing her hand from his. He pulled his hand down to her cheek, running his thumb over her bottom lip, tugging slightly. With a smirk he brushed his lips over her cheek, across her jawline, down her throat. Quinn shivered, breath shaky as he reached her collarbone, the swell of her breast, before pulling her nipple into his mouth, the other one caught between his fingers. Electric waves scorched through her, straight down to her core. She felt his lips curve into a smile as he rocked his hips again before switching sides. With a curse she shifted beneath him, her one free hand tangling in his hair and tugging.

“Noah. Please,” she pleaded, hips lifting against his.

Noah lifted his head, glancing up at her. The sight of him like this, perfectly between her breasts, that lazy grin of his she loved so much on his stupidly perfect face was enough to knock the breath right out of her. He looked like an unsupervised kid in a fucking candy store.

“Do you know how often I’ve tried to picture your tits? Jesus fucking Christ. This is a dream come true. I could die right now and I would die happy. Have you seen these things?!”

Quinn couldn’t help but laugh. She never knew he was this easily pleased. If she had known she might have let him see them a lot sooner. Probably would have saved her a lot of time arguing with him, too.

“Noah. I see them every day. They’re kind of attached to me.”

Noah cleared his throat, still unable to hide the unbridled joy on his face. Boobs. They were just boobs. And he was acting like it was Christmas morning or some shit.

“Right. Back to business. But I have got to play with these more often. Holy shit, dude.”

“NOAH.”

“I’M SORRY!” He laughed, burying his face between them.

Quinn couldn’t help but join in his laughter. It had been just a little too long since she had heard him laugh like this. Months. All over a pair of boobs. He was downright giddy over it. And she loved every second of it. This was her Noah.

Noah pressed his lips in the valley between her breasts, his laughter dying down. She propped herself up on her elbows, watching as he slowly made his way south, stopping to pay extra attention to the spot just under her bellybutton, pressing his lips extra firmly against the scar there. The one her first boyfriend after she had met Noah left. Tears burned her eyes as she watched him drift lower, stopping on her hip, right at the edge of her panties.

“You good, Quinn?” He asked, his voice so gentle she almost forgot what they were doing.

“Yeah.” She nodded her head, forcing the memory away before it could take hold.

Noah slowly hooked his fingers in each side of her panties, his eyes on her, watching her for any signs she wanted to stop, slowly sliding them down her thighs, over her knees. Down around her ankles. And suddenly she was totally naked before him, illuminated only by the light from the movie still playing. The movie she had only watched a couple minutes of so far.

If it had been anyone else watching her so intently she would have been nervous. But it was Noah. The Noah who had seen her at her worst and still stuck around. The one who always took care of her, whether she wanted it or not.

Quinn watched as he stood at the foot of the bed, scrubbing his hand down his face as he looked at her, fully exposed now. Watched as he removed his pants, her eyes going wide when she saw him. There was no way he was going to fit. Oh, fuck.

“Uh, Noah? You could’ve warned me first. I-“ she swallowed. “I don’t think it’s gonna fit.”

Noah chuckled as he knelt between her legs, propping an ankle up on his shoulder. Nerves settled in her stomach, the reality of the situation hitting her. She was about to have sex with her best friend. And while she trusted him whole heartedly, she didn’t quite trust that she would be able to walk afterwards. She was either about to have the most incredible sex of her life, or it wouldn’t work and they would both end up frustrated even more frustrated.

“It’ll fit.” A soft kiss on the inside of her ankle. “Just gotta relax.”

Time slowed to a crawl as he trailed his lips up the inside of her leg, pausing mid thigh. She was about to ask him what he was doing when he attached his mouth to her thigh, sucking a dark mark there. He was marking her. Making sure she didn’t forget this any time soon. Anyone else and she would have been pissed. Instead, for him, her hips lifted in an attempt to urge him closer to where she wanted him.

Noah turned his attention to her other thigh, leaving another mark, this one higher up. Quinn looked down, cheeks flushed when she saw him paused at the apex of her thighs, his own eyes on her as he breathed her in. His impossibly long arms wrapped around her thighs, spreading them further apart than she thought possible, pinning them down. She didn’t think she had ever seen something so beautifully erotic in her life. If this was the only time she got to see him like this, she wanted it etched in her memory forever.

Quinn couldn’t look away, watching as his tongue flicked out, delicately tasting her. Felt his breath on her as he exhaled on a groan. So slowly she was borderline frustrated he traced every part of her with his tongue before completely burying his face in her, slipping his tongue inside of her.

“Fuck,” she gasped, attempting to move her hips against him. “Noah,” she whined, finding herself unable to move.

“Patience, baby. Gotta make sure you’re ready.” He sighed, circling her clit with his tongue. “Just a little taste. I promise.”

Quinn all but leapt off the bed as he pulled her into his mouth, shockwaves of pleasure racing throughout her body. Little taste her ass. He was devouring her, all lips and tongue and teeth as she writhed beneath him, another orgasm racing towards her. Another one she was helpless to stop, her body trembling as it slammed into her, knocking the breath from her lungs, his name leaving her lips on a broken cry.

Noah pulled back, dropping a soft kiss on her. Lips pressed to each of her hips, her bellybutton, as he moved up her body, giving her time to steady herself once more. Shaking she closed her eyes, willing her breathing to slow down. He was set on ruining her. She was sure of it.

“Still good?” He asked, peppering little kisses over her face.

“Absolutely,” she laughed weakly.

“Eyes on me, Quinn.” Slowly she opened her eyes, nodding her head. “You’re absolutely sure you want to do this?”

Noah’s eyes searched hers, his brow furrowed slightly, looking for any hint she wanted to stop. Any sign of hesitation. Her hand reached up, fingertips slowly tracing his features, committing him to memory. Things were about to change forever, and she wanted to remember him as he was now. Just her Noah.

“I’m sure.”

Noah shifted, lining himself up with her entrance, and for the first time she saw just how nervous he was. He knew this was going to change everything just as much as she did. And neither of them knew how.

Slowly, gently, he started to ease himself inside of her, their eyes still locked together. Just as the stretch became a little too much he pulled back slightly, dropping his head to press his lips to her shoulder as he pressed forward again, moaning into her skin. It burned slightly as he filled her a little more, but more than that she needed more. Needed to feel him all the way inside her.

“Noah,” she whimpered as he pulled back again, before thrusting into her, nearly completely filling her this time.

“Breathe, baby.” His shook as he lifted his head to look down at her. “Almost there, okay? Just a little more.”

This time he didn’t pull back, instead opting to slide his arms underneath her, pressing her body to his as he surged forward that little bit more, knocking the breath from her lungs. She had never felt this full before. It was somehow too much, yet not enough. She wanted to slow down for a minute, as she knew she should, give herself time to adjust, but needed him to start moving.

“Fuck. So fucking tight,” he groaned, his grip on her tightening. “Good job, baby. You did so good.”

Noah lowered his lips to hers, muffling her moans as he rocked his hips gently, testing her. Her hands clutched at his back, hips lifting to meet his, silently urging him on. It hurt, but only slightly. He moved again, keeping her pressed against him, holding her in place.

“Noah, please,” she pleaded, driven only by the intense need filling her. She needed him to properly fuck her more than she needed oxygen at this point.

“Just don’t wanna hurt you.” He shuddered as she clenched around him. “You’re okay?”

“Yes. Just, please, Noah,” she begged. “Fuck me.”

Noah withdrew painfully slow, before surging forward again, driving into her. Quinn clung to him, burying her face in his neck as he moved, desperately trying to muffle the ungodly noises she was making with every stroke. Sex had always been fun. Great, even. This was different. The way he angled his hips, hitting that spot inside of her every thrust, the feel of him filling her so completely she could feel every little ridge of his cock. The way he didn’t hold back and moaned and spoke directly into her ear. Telling her over and over how it felt being inside of her. She wasn’t going to last long. And from the sound of him, neither would he.

“Fuck, Quinn.” He cursed, his hips moving faster. “Need you to cum, baby.”

His hand slipped between their bodies, thumb pressing against her clit, rubbing frantically. Her teeth sank into his shoulder as she exploded around him, everything going dark briefly. Unable to hold on any longer, her body totally spent she dropped her head back, limbs falling to her sides. With unfocused eyes she watched him, studied the way his lips parted, how his breath hitched as his movements became sloppy, erratic, before he pulled out at the last second, releasing onto her stomach.

Dazed she laid there as he sat back on his heels, his own unfocused gaze falling on her belly. Slowly his eyes lifted to hers, and holding him there she reached down, swiping a finger through his cum. Noah’s jaw dropped just slightly as he watched her bring that finger up to her lips, popping it in her mouth so she could taste him.

“That. You. Fuck.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Can’t even speak. Sexiest thing you could have done right now.” He ran a hand through his hair, studying her a moment longer. “You okay?”

“Fucking fantastic, actually.” Quinn nodded her head, soft smile curving her lips. “10 out of 10. Highly recommend.”

Noah laughed, climbing off the bed to pull his pants back on. She watched in fascination as he kept glancing over at her, that boyish smirk back on his face. Almost like he couldn’t believe he had a naked girl in his bed. One currently covered in his cum, and probably looking absolutely wrecked. If his mission had been to ruin her for other men tonight, she was fairly certain he had accomplished that. Nothing would ever compare to what had just happened.

“I’ll be right back. Gonna grab some stuff so we can get you cleaned up.”

Quinn watched him walk out the door, tossing one last glance back at her. Her eyes fell to the TV to find the movie was long over. She propped herself up on her elbows, studying the mess on her stomach. Jesus, that was a lot.

The door clicked shut again and a warm rag dropped onto her stomach, another pressed between her thighs. Noah gently wiped her clean, tutting at her when she winced, flinching.

“Don’t even,” she grumbled. “You would be tender, too, if you’d just had your body split in half like that.”

“I wanted to be gentle.” Noah chuckled as he tossed the rag he had used between her thighs at his hamper, quickly cleaning up the mess in her stomach.

“Somehow I feel like that wouldn’t have mattered.”

“Hungry? Thirsty?”

Quinn shook her head, flopping back on his bed. All she really wanted right now was sleep. A soft blanket and sleep. She was spent. Exhausted. No energy left.

“Sleep. Just sleep.”

Noah shifted, moving her body around as he pulled the blanket back, laying beside her before pulling the blanket up over them. His arm slid under her, pulling her into his chest, one hand stroking her hair as her eyes closed. His lips pressed against the top of her head as she wrapped an arm and a leg around him, settling into her favorite position to cuddle him in. Whatever the consequences of what they did could be addressed in the morning. For now, she was happy and content.

Tags: @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard @mrscevans @supersquirrel1996 @alwaysfightforwhoyouare

[classicanalyzer]

What If Season 3 - What If... Agatha Went to Hollywood? Thoughts

"Everyone has a story worth telling. Even two lost souls on the wrong path. But sometimes, all it takes is a trip to the movies to remind you that anything is possible, even a happy ending. Then again, who doesn't love a cliffhanger." Uatu

This episode goes so hard. I really love the dynamic between Agatha and Kinko. Howard and Jarvis are a comedic blast. It's such a fun episode playing around with three diva characters who would've been around by this point of the timeline. The episode is also a love letter to cinema and the history of 1940s Hollywood with little details sprinkled out. This is What If at its best.

I love how this AU results from Agatha learning of Tiamut's existence. I also can't believe and love how What If also connects to Agent Carter since Howard did try to become a movie director (with mixed results to say the least). I think they also brought back Bernard Stark when Jarvis was trying to shoo away a flamingo from the set.

The dance choreography goes so fucking hard. I love musicals, so to see a musical dance number in the MCU is pretty great. The Hollywood and Bollywood dancing and music styles meshed really well in this episode. It was a pretty smart idea to acknowledge Agatha's power absorption powers would make it relatively easy for her to take the Eternals' powers. The real goats are the dancing teams of Agatha and Kingo for improvising so well during their fight lmao. Howard mentioning the Hinderberg is pretty funny since Agatha All Along said Agatha was suspected of causing the Hinderberg's destruction.

Agatha is amazing. Kathryn Hahn really loves playing this character and you can tell it. Whoever had the idea of pairing her up with Howard, Jarvis, and Kingo deserves a raise. I really love how she really leans into the actress role so much that she loves it by the end. Her Celestial design is simply beautiful. Her costumes are also great. Agatha becoming a Celestial would've been so in-character for her if she knew about them like we saw in this universe. There's something funny and cathartic about Arishem the Judge calling Agatha, a witch who lived through the Salem period, a heretic, then Agatha proceeding to beat the shit out of Arishem, that was a great historical joke.

I really love Kingo in this episode as well. While the Eternals was flawed, it had a great cast and worldbuilding. I love how Kingo was able to reach out to Agatha by appealing to an empty void inside of them until they did film. I really love his speech to Agatha. Stories whether that be film, games, etc inspire other people like me and I really connected with what he meant. It just reminds you that Kingo has a lot of depth to his character. I will say Kingo turning on Arishem in exchange for a three-picture deal is pretty hilarious (and other requests including his friends being freed). All the Eternals had to do was offer him that lmao. Kumail Nanjiani did an amazing job playing this character.

Jarvis eventually accepts the insanity and chaotic nature of the cast, which is pretty funny to see. He's such a comedic riot in the episode alongside the rest.

This episode really is one of the best episodes. This really showcases What If using its premise to create stories we never thought we needed until now.

"At some point, somewhere in our lives, the world made us feel small, so we set out to show them. But, Agatha, you never needed all this power. Because you've always had the only magic you'd ever really needed to leave your mark on the world." Kingo

"Uh-huh, uh-huh. And what magic is that?" Agatha Harkness

"The movies. The movies are magic, Agatha. Hell, they're better than magic. Because they change the world by changing people. By making them feel something real. And with that kind of power, you don't have to be feared. Because you can be adored." Kingo

"You can't possibly understand how long I've worked for this." Agatha Harkness

"Well, I've been on Earth for thousands of years, so I kinda do. And if you're anything like me, maybe all this time, you've just been looking for the right collaborator. So, what do you say? Wanna change the world? For real?" Kingo

[oceannote]

The Space In Between

Note from author: Hello, my lovely people. As I said last time, new day, new fic 👀. This is extra special because it really got me into a crazy writing mood. The scenario is not as complicated as it looks, but it might be a bit disappointing for those expecting a Yoongi fic. I promise it is coming, but for now we will focus on Mrs. Jeon for a bit. XoXo YK

Summary: As a celebrity personal trainer, your inner circle was always filled with very popular idols. But what happens when one of your closest clients wants to become more than your friends, even though you are dating his group member?

Warnings: Characters are fake and are a result of fiction, mentions of cheating, explicit content and swear words. Do not copy, translate or remake the story.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “I am absolutely exhausted,” I groan, dramatically collapsing into the car seat like I’ve just run a marathon through hell. I fiddle with the seatbelt that’s currently trying to slice my hipbone in half. “This thing is literally trying to kill me. Who designed these?”

From beside me, Hoseok chuckles, giving me a thumbs up like we’re in a buddy-cop movie. “Hey, we really appreciate you coming, though. The guys are probably dying to see some familiar faces before they rejoin the chaos that is real life.”

He flashes me that signature Hobi smile, the one that could make flowers bloom in winter.

In the front passenger seat, Jin turns halfway around, bracing himself on the back of my chair like he’s about to deliver some divine prophecy. “I bet you're counting down the minutes until Yoongi’s back, huh?”

I shrug, fiddling with the fuzzy cat-shaped keychain dangling from my bag, a mini version of Mochi, our shared white menace. “It’s not too bad. He’s in public service, so his schedule's been flexible-ish. But yeah… I haven’t seen him since May 1st, so I’m definitely ready for some in-person boyfriend energy again.”

And if it wasn’t clear before, yes. Min Yoongi is my boyfriend. That Min Yoongi. The mysterious, effortlessly cool, slightly terrifying BTS rapper that millions of people would sell their soul to share a coffee with? Yeah. Him.

How did that happen? Great question.

Let’s rewind.

A few years ago, I got hired at HYBE as the main personal trainer and pilates instructor for idols. I know, plot twist, right? And in a shocking turn of events, not running my mouth for once actually paid off. My client list exploded. At this point, 80% of the idol industry had been trained under my guidance. HYBE artists in particular were my speciality. So naturally, when I met Yoongi at some swanky corporate event, I was already neck-deep in professional idol land.

And yet, Yoongi was… different. Quiet. Sharp. Inappropriately funny when no one else could hear. We went from polite conversations over buffet shrimp to full-blown dinner buddies within a month. And then, of course, came the romantic disaster waiting to happen.

We started dating while he was already enrolled in his military duties, which probably sounds like the least ideal situation. But honestly, it was kind of perfect. With the other members scattered in different stages of service, we had room to just be. No cameras, no pressure, no “oppa” nonsense.

It was all going great, until it didn’t.

Yoongi, in a moment of boyfriend brain malfunction, meant to send me a cute post-nap selfie of us snuggled in bed, our heads barely peeking out from under the covers like two sleepy dumplings. Adorable, right?

Except he accidentally sent it… to the BTS group chat.

Yeah. That group chat.

I’ll never forget the chaos that followed. Namjoon apparently dropped his tablet. Taehyung’s response was, “Omg hyung???? 😳💀💀💀” Jimin just sent thirty-seven skull emojis and the words “I KNEW IT.” And Jungkook? He texted me separately: “So… you and hyung? For real?”

Lucky for Yoongi, I already had a decent rapport with the members. I was especially close with Jimin and Taehyung through training. And Jungkook… well. Jungkook and I were very close before Yoongi and I ever started dating. Practically work besties.

So now, here I am. In one of two black vans crawling toward the military base to pick up Jimin and Jungkook, who are finally, finally wrapping up their last hours of service. My makeup is doing its best to hide the exhaustion, my heart is low-key sprinting a marathon, and I’m trying very hard not to overthink seeing Jungkook again for the first time in months, after going ghost mode on him.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Jin asks, eyeing me with raised eyebrows and an annoying amount of insight.

“Ready for what?”

“For the moment, Jungkook sees you again and possibly bombards you with questions regarding how you completely forgot about your friendship since you started dating Yoongi.”

I scoff. “He’ll be fine.”

Hoseok laughs so hard he almost chokes on his iced coffee. “You keep telling yourself that, Y/n. You keep telling yourself that.”

And somewhere in the back of my head, I hear a familiar voice.

‘So… you and hyung? For real?’

Yeah. This is going to be fine.

Right? The car slows down as we approach the entrance of the military base, and the first thing I notice, unsurprisingly, is the crowd.

Dozens of cameras are already positioned in front of the gates. Lights are flashing even before we fully come to a stop. Reporters are lined up like they're waiting for royalty to arrive. Honestly, it feels a bit surreal, even though I should be used to this by now.

“Yep… media circus is in full swing,” Jin mutters, peeking through the front window with a sigh. “Didn’t even give them ten seconds of peace.”

“They probably camped out here overnight,” Hoseok says, shaking his head. “They always do this. Every time someone is discharged.”

I lean forward slightly, catching a better glimpse of the chaos outside. “I think I should stay inside,” I say quietly, pulling back just as a blinding camera flash hits the window. “The last thing they need right now is someone new in the frame for people to speculate about.”

Jin turns back toward me, his expression soft. “Good call. It’s already going to be overwhelming.”

“Yeah,” Hoseok agrees. “Better to let them have this moment with the cameras before they get a chance to breathe.”

They both nod at me once more before slipping out of the van, their faces already composed for the media. As the door slides shut behind them, it feels like someone just opened floodgates, camera shutters go off like rapid gunfire, and a wave of voices erupts all at once.

I quietly shift toward the back of the van, climbing over to the end bench and settling in as comfortably as I can. This… is going to take a while.

From my spot, I can see just enough through the tinted windows. The crowd is thick. Security is barely keeping the reporters behind the rope lines. The energy is loud, chaotic.

About ten minutes pass before the large steel gates finally open.

And there they are.

Jimin and Jungkook step out side by side, wearing their uniforms with a quiet pride that’s impossible to ignore. Even from here, I can tell something’s changed. Their posture, their expressions, there’s a gravity in the way they walk now. More grounded. More sure of themselves.

They’ve grown.

Literally too.

Jungkook was muscular before, but now he looks like he could lift Jin and toss him over his shoulder like a gym bag without breaking a sweat. His shoulders are broader, his jawline sharper, and his walk, confident, steady. Even the way he scans the crowd is different. More focused. Controlled.

And Jimin… god. His dancer’s build has shifted. He still moves gracefully, but there’s a solid strength in him now. His arms, his back, even through the uniform, you can see the lean muscle sculpted from daily drills and constant training. He looks like someone who’s been through something and came out the other side tougher.

I watch as they walk toward the others. The moment Jin and Hoseok spot them, they break into a run.

“Jimin-ah!” Hoseok calls out, arms already wide.

Jimin barely has time to react before he’s being wrapped in a full hug, and then Jin’s joining in, slapping Jungkook on the back so hard it actually makes Jungkook laugh.

“I can’t believe it’s really over!” Jin says, eyes already glassy. “You two look like you came back from a drama shoot, not the military!”

Jungkook grins, pulling him in for a tight hug. “Hyung, you’re gonna make me cry.”

“You’re not allowed to cry before me,” Jimin chimes in, his voice soft but teasing. “That’s the rule.”

Reporters are shouting questions now, microphones shoved into the chaos from every angle.

“How does it feel to be discharged?”

“Jimin-ssi! Jungkook-ssi! What are your plans now?”

“Is BTS planning a comeback soon?”

Neither of them answers right away. They’re too busy taking it in, hugging their members, greeting staff, exchanging quiet words that don’t carry over the noise. Hoseok hands them each a bouquet, classic white roses wrapped in blue ribbon, and Jin tries to snap a selfie while the camera flashes nearly blind him.

I stay still, tucked into my corner of the van. Watching. Taking it all in. My heart’s racing a little faster than I’d like, but I can’t help it.

This is a big moment, for them, and somehow… for me too.

And then it happens.

Jungkook turns his head slightly. His eyes scan the crowd, casual at first. But then he pauses. Looks past the cameras. Past the noise. Toward the van.

Our eyes meet through the tinted glass.

Just for a second.

But he sees me.

And I know it. After about twenty more minutes of interviews, camera flashes, and a seemingly endless stream of questions from the press, the atmosphere finally begins to shift. Hoseok and Jin stand off to the side, quietly admiring the way Jimin and Jungkook handle the attention with that familiar polished ease, half-practiced charm, half genuine relief to be back.

The crowd starts thinning, the PR team begins giving signals, and finally, someone calls out, “Alright, let’s wrap it up here. Let’s get the boys to the vans.”

From where I’m sitting, I can just barely see through the tinted glass. The four of them start to split, Jimin and Hoseok walking toward the first van, deep in quiet conversation. Jin follows a few steps behind Jungkook, who’s moving steadily in our direction.

I feel my heart drop straight into my stomach.

The sliding door opens with a mechanical hiss, and then…

There he is.

Jungkook steps in first, followed closely by Jin, and the moment our eyes meet, it’s like the world pauses. His gaze lands on me like a weight, pinning me in place. It’s not surprise on his face, not exactly. It’s something deeper, recognition, warmth… longing?

I blink, but before I can even say his name, he moves. Without warning, Jungkook launches himself over the bench separating us, throwing his arms around me in a hug that’s more relief than greeting.

“I haven’t seen you in forever,” he says, voice low, face buried against my shoulder. I feel him inhale, and it’s clear he’s taking in the scent of my hair like it’s something he’s missed. Like it’s something he’s needed.

I laugh, soft and stunned, and glance at Jin with wide eyes. “Uh… hey to you too,” I say, tapping Jungkook’s back a couple times in the universal please release me now signal.

Jin raises his eyebrows, clearly just as taken aback as I am. “Okay, dramatic reunion noted,” he says lightly, though there’s an amused smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Jungkook finally pulls back, eyes bright, cheeks slightly flushed. He climbs over the bench and settles into the seat next to Jin, but his eyes don’t leave mine. They’re shining. And not just with happiness. There’s something else there, something heavier, more personal. And I don’t want to name it.

Not yet.

“Ahh, Jungkook,” Jin says, squeezing his shoulder with a brotherly warmth. “Can’t believe you’re actually out. You made it.”

Jungkook nods, exhaling like he’s been holding his breath for months. “Yeah… I still can’t believe it either. It feels unreal. I’m excited, but it’s… weird too.”

He turns to me again. “And Y/n. Seriously, thank you for coming. It means a lot.”

I smile, sitting forward slightly so I don’t have to talk over the seats. “No worries. I figured it might be my last chance to see you before you get swallowed up by schedules and rehearsals again.”

“That’s exactly what’s about to happen,” Jin says with a chuckle, leaning back against his seat. “Ten days from now, Yoongi’s out, and after that, poof, Y/n belongs to him again. This might be our final moment of freedom.”

I laugh at the joke, light-hearted and warm, and Jin joins me. But Jungkook doesn’t laugh.

His expression doesn’t shift right away. He just stares at the space between us, jaw tight for a split second before he smooths it into a smile. But I saw it, the flicker of something real, unfiltered, just beneath the surface.

Because for Jin, it’s a joke. But for Jungkook, it’s not.

He knows this moment, me, sitting here, waiting for him, sharing space, smiling like old times, it’s temporary. Once Yoongi’s out, this soft in-between space we’re in disappears. And he won’t have moments like this anymore.

Not like this.

Not with me.

Jin leans his head back and closes his eyes briefly, rubbing at his temples. “God, it’s already starting. Schedules. Emails. I’ve got fifteen unopened messages just from the stylist team.”

“I haven’t even turned my phone back on,” Jungkook mutters.

“You’re in for a lovely shock when you do,” Jin replies.

Jungkook glances at me again, then speaks a little softer. “Did Yoongi… know you were coming today?”

I hesitate. “Yeah. I told him. He said it made sense, that you’d probably want people you were close to there. He was fine with it.”

Jungkook nods, but doesn’t say anything for a moment.

“You were always there,” he says after a beat, almost like he’s not talking to me directly, just stating a fact. “Before. During. Even when you couldn’t visit often. I felt that.”

I don’t know what to say to that. So I just look at him. And he looks back, like he wants to ask something he knows he can’t.

Jin breaks the silence with a yawn. “Okay, this van better stop at a convenience store or I’m going to collapse. I need real food, not protein bars and cafeteria rice.”

That makes Jungkook laugh, and the tension finally cracks. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

We drive off a few minutes later, the mood lighter again. But as I stare out the window, I can still feel Jungkook’s eyes on me, watching, remembering.

And maybe, just maybe, wishing things were different. 10 months ago — 11:12 PM

Private bathroom, second floor of the gym

“Don’t touch me, Jungkook.” My voice is sharp, more out of panic than anger, as I swat his hand away from my shoulder and storm into the private bathroom.

The door creaks shut behind me with a heavy thud, but it doesn’t stay closed for long. He follows quietly, but with purpose. Click. The lock turns. The silence between us now is suffocating.

“Stop yelling,” he says lowly, shutting the door behind him and leaning against it, arms crossed, his chest still heaving from the workout, and now, from this confrontation. “Please.”

I turn to face him, still brimming with fury, my heart pounding in my ears. “You’re out of your fucking mind,” I snap, voice lower now, but no less sharp. “Do you even realise what you’re asking me?”

He doesn’t flinch. “Then tell me. What exactly am I asking you?”

“You’re asking me if I’m in love with you,” I say, voice trembling slightly, though I try to steady it. “Knowing that I’m with Yoongi. Knowing he’s your friend. Your brother. What the hell is wrong with you?”

His jaw clenches, and he runs a hand through his damp hair, breathing hard. “Then just answer the question,” he says, stepping forward, pointing toward the door. “Say it. Say you don’t have feelings for me, not even a little, and I swear to God, I’ll walk out of here and never bring it up again.”

I blink at him, stunned. “You’re insane.”

“Maybe,” he says, voice dropping as he takes another step forward, closing the space between us. “But you’re not trying to convince me that I’m wrong. And that says more than anything.”

“Jungkook…”, I warn, pressing my back against the cold tile wall near the sink. “Don’t do this right now.”

“Why not now?” he snaps. “Why is it always the wrong time with you? We’ve been circling each other for two years. I know you. I know how your mind works. I know how you pull away whenever things feel too real.”

He pauses, breathing shakily, his eyes scanning my face like he’s looking for permission he already knows he doesn’t have.

“I watched you run away from this,” he says, quieter now. “From us. Every time I tried to show you there was something more than just ‘friendship’ here, you shut it down. And then, suddenly, you���re with Yoongi. Just like that.”

I say nothing, because there is nothing to say.

“You took the safe option,” he continues, his voice cracking slightly. “You knew he was steady. Predictable. He wouldn’t mess things up. But me?” He laughs bitterly. “I scared you.”

“You didn’t scare me,” I whisper.

“I still do,” he replies.

I close my eyes, feeling the air shift around us. There’s barely any space left between our bodies now. I can smell the post-workout scent of him, clean sweat, faint cologne, something that’s always been him.

“I care about Yoongi,” I say, barely audible. “He’s good to me. He’s never made me question….”

“But does he make you feel like this?” Jungkook interrupts, eyes locked on mine. “Do you lie awake at night thinking about him the way I think about you? Do you stop breathing when he walks into the room? Does it hurt to not touch him when you’re this close?”

I inhale sharply, turning my face away, but he doesn’t let me hide.

“You’re not just hurting me by pretending this isn’t real,” he says. “You’re hurting yourself.”

His hand lifts gently, almost unsure, like he’s giving me time to pull away. But I don’t. His fingers touch my cheek, warm and trembling slightly. I meet his eyes. There’s a storm behind them, but also something softer. Something aching.

And that’s when it happens.

I move first.

The kiss is hesitant, painfully slow, like we both know it’s a mistake, but neither of us can stop. His lips meet mine like he’s afraid I’ll disappear. Like he’s been holding this in for so long, it hurts to finally let it out.

We stay like that, lost, for just a moment. But it feels like the world pauses.

When I pull away, my forehead rests gently against his. Our breaths are short. My hands are shaking.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper.

He doesn’t speak. His eyes close, and for a second, I swear I feel him nod, just once. Like he already knew this would be the end before it even began.

Because that kiss wasn’t a promise. It was a farewell.

A final, selfish second in a world where we could’ve been something else, before I walked back into reality, into Yoongi’s arms, and left Jungkook behind. —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “So, Y/n,” Jin says suddenly, turning in his seat to face me with that mischievous glint he always seems to keep tucked behind his polite smile. “Are you going to join us for dinner tonight? Taehyung and Namjoon are coming too. Should be a good time.”

I lift my gaze from my phone, a little surprised at the question. “Dinner?”

“Yeah,” he says. “Little welcome-back thing. Nothing fancy, just the usual suspects and too much food.”

I glance toward Jungkook beside him, but he’s staring out the window, fingers absently tapping against his leg.

“I can’t,” I say, giving Jin an apologetic smile. “I have a late training session tonight, with some of the Twice girls. Their schedules are tight this week.”

Jin gives me a small, understanding nod, but Jungkook reacts more slowly. His eyes flick toward me for a moment, then back to the front of the car.

“Oh,” is all he says.

That single syllable lands heavier than it should. There's a subtle shift in the air, like the temperature dropped a couple of degrees.

I glance back at my phone, suddenly wishing I hadn’t mentioned Twice by name. Not because I’m hiding anything, but because Jungkook knows them, too. He trained at my studio with them once or twice. And now I wonder what he’s thinking.

No one says much after that. The silence is… comfortable, but not effortless. A little too still.

Ten minutes later, the van pulls up behind my apartment building, the driver easing us into the private back entrance like always. A familiar routine. No flashing cameras, no curious glances, just the quiet hum of returning home.

“Well,” I say, unclipping my seatbelt and grabbing my bag from the floor, “it was really good seeing you both again.”

“You too,” Jin says, smiling softly. “Don’t be a stranger.”

Jungkook just nods. Brief. Almost too brief.

“Bye,” I offer, pushing open the van door and stepping out into the cool evening air. “Take care, yeah?”

Another nod, and I give them one last wave before slipping through the revolving doors and into the lobby of my building.

I’m halfway down the hall toward the elevator when my phone buzzes in my pocket.

Jungkook: Is there any way I can convince you to come to dinner tonight?

I stop walking for a moment, staring down at the screen. My thumb hovers over the reply button as a slow sigh escapes my lips.

Of course. Of course, he wouldn’t let it go that easily.

I lean against the wall near the elevator and begin to type.

Y/n: I really can’t, Jungkook. The session runs until 9 pm, and by the time I’d be done and showered, it’s too late. Plus, my car’s still in the shop. I don’t feel great taking the train that late by myself.

His reply comes faster than I expect.

Jungkook: I’ll come pick you up.

Followed quickly by:

Jungkook: And I’ll drop you off. You won’t have to worry about anything.

I pause, jaw tightening slightly.

Y/n: Jungkook… I don’t think that’s a good idea.

The dots appear. Then disappear. Then reappear. Then finally:

Jungkook: Don’t worry. It’s not like that. I’m bringing my girlfriend to the dinner too. I just hoped… maybe we could go back to being the friends we were. You know. Before.

I reread the message. Then again. Then again, just to make sure I didn’t misread it.

Girlfriend?

My heart stutters for a moment. Just a beat, small, subtle, but it’s there. I feel it in the way my hand tightens around my phone. In the way my thoughts scatter like startled birds.

Since when?

A strange weight settles in my chest. Not jealousy, exactly. Just… something close. Something hollow.

He has a girlfriend. That should be a good thing. It is a good thing. It’s what people do. They move on. They find someone new.

But I hadn’t realised he had.

And I hadn’t realised how much that would make me feel like I’d just missed a step on the stairs.

I type, then delete. Then type again.

Y/n: Okay. Sure. I’ll be ready at 9:30.

His reply is instant.

Jungkook: Great. See you later.

I slide my phone into my pocket and step into the elevator. As the doors close in front of me, I lean my head back against the wall, eyes drifting up to the ceiling.

Friends.

Just friends.

Right. —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Try to stretch it out, and when you dance, try to use some tape under it,” I tell Momo as she waves me goodbye. It’s a little past 9 PM, and the gym is finally quiet.

The last echoes of Twice’s chatter have faded into silence, the sound of their laughter replaced by the soft hum of the air conditioning and the faint scuff of my sneakers against the polished floor. I’m alone now, wiping down the weights section with practised speed. My body’s aching and my eyelids feel like they’re being held open by sheer willpower, but I’ve still got one more thing to do, get home, change, and somehow make it to dinner in one piece.

I toss another used towel into the laundry bin and grab a fresh one, crouching to wipe down the last bench. That’s when I hear it, the familiar ding of the front doorbell. It startles me for a second. No one else is scheduled this late.

I turn, expecting maybe a staff member who forgot something. Instead, standing casually just inside the entrance is Jungkook.

He’s in his usual off-duty look, an oversized black t-shirt that nearly reaches his thighs, ripped jeans, and those chunky sneakers he always says are “surprisingly comfortable.” His hair’s a little tousled, like he ran his hands through it one too many times, and he’s got that same unreadable expression he always wears when he’s thinking too much and saying too little.

“Oh. Hey,” I say, straightening up and tossing the damp towel in the bin. “What are you doing here?”

He gives me a lazy half-smile and leans his weight against the leg press machine like it’s home. “Figured you’d be finishing around now. I remembered your car’s still in the shop, and thought you might end up taking the metro. I was nearby, so I thought I’d drive you home, save both of us some time before dinner.”

I blink, caught slightly off guard. “You really didn’t have to. I was going to take a taxi.”

“Well, I’m already here,” he says, eyes following me as I cross the room to shut down the speaker system. “Might as well follow through.”

He says it so casually, like it’s nothing. Like it’s normal. But the way his gaze tracks my every move… it’s different. It’s not quite intense, not quite soft. Just… observant. Like he’s searching for something on my face, but isn’t sure what.

I glance at him briefly over my shoulder. “Didn’t you have to pick up your girlfriend, too?”

He doesn’t flinch. “Minjeong’s taking an Uber to the restaurant. It’s easier that way, with the press and everything.”

I pause for a second, the name catching me off guard. Minjeong.

Something clicks.

Wait. Minjeong. Winter.

“So… you’re dating Winter?” The words slip out before I can stop them, a little sharper and more surprised than I meant.

He lets out a small chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. “Isn’t it kind of weird to call her by her stage name?”

“I mean… yeah. Sorry.” I turn back to the laptop, pretending to focus on logging out even though my hands are suddenly colder than they were a second ago. “I guess I just didn’t know. That you two were… together.”

“It’s not a secret,” he says, a little more gently now. “Just new. Kind of recent.”

“Oh.” I close the laptop softly. “Still. Surprising.”

He walks a few steps closer, still giving me that unreadable look. “Is it… a bad surprise?”

I hesitate, then shake my head. “No. Just unexpected. That’s all.”

He watches me for another beat, like he wants to say something more but decides against it. Then, as if sensing the air's shifted, he shrugs it off.

“Well. You ready to go?”

I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder. “Yeah. Just give me a second to turn off the lights in the back.”

As I walk away, I can feel the weight of his gaze still on me. There’s nothing inappropriate in it, nothing dramatic. But something about the way he showed up tonight, the way he mentioned Minjeong like it was just a passing note, and the way he looked at me when I said her name… it all sits heavy in my chest.

Not quite tension. Not quite confused.

Just something unspoken.

And maybe that’s what’s bothering me most of all. His car is parked in the underground garage, right next to the service elevator reserved for staff and VIPs. One of the many perks of working at a gym designed exclusively for idols: privacy was taken seriously. No paparazzi. No fans lurking outside. Just a quiet, dimly lit basement and a sleek black G-Wagon that looked like it hadn’t seen a speck of dust in its life.

I pull open the passenger door and slide inside. The familiar scent hits me instantly, something like bergamot, leather, and the faintest trace of his cologne. Jungkook doesn’t say anything right away. He simply taps the start button, shifts into drive, and the car eases forward with a low hum.

It’s quiet for a moment, the kind of silence that feels heavy instead of comfortable.

“I didn’t know you could tint your front windshield,” I say, peering through the darkened glass ahead of us. The entire car is blacked out, almost like we’re in a cocoon detached from the outside world.

He glances over at me, the corner of his mouth curving up just slightly. “Well, when you’re an idol, you learn that there are ways to make certain things happen. Privacy becomes more like a… necessity than a luxury.”

“I can see that now.”

A short pause.

“You know,” he says after a beat, eyes still on the road, “I did miss you.”

I stiffen slightly, the words landing in the space between us with a weight I’m not ready to carry.

“Jungkook…” I start, voice low. “I don’t think we should….”

“I don’t mean it like that,” he cuts in quickly, glancing at me before returning his focus to the street. “Not like that, Y/n. Don’t worry.”

My grip on my bag loosens, just a little. I look out the window as we turn down a quieter street, my street. “Then how do you mean it?”

He exhales slowly, like he’s been holding something in for too long. “I mean it like... I missed my friend. We used to hang out almost half the week. Random late-night ramen runs, movies at your place, gym sessions that turned into therapy appointments.” He smiles softly. “Then I went into the military, and everything just… stopped. We barely talked. Except that one time.”

I swallow and look over at him, finally meeting his eyes for more than a second. “Yeah. That one time.”

He nods slightly, pulling into the parking area behind my building. He puts the car in park but doesn’t make a move to get out.

There’s a silence again. This time, it’s loaded.

“It’s really good that you got a girlfriend,” I say, still watching him. “I’m really happy for you, Jungkook. I mean that.”

His eyes flicker with something I can’t quite name, surprise? Gratitude? Maybe a bit of both. “Thank you. Yeah… I am. It’s still new, but it feels good. Peaceful.”

“That’s all anyone can hope for,” I murmur, then add quietly, “I mean it. You deserve to be happy.”

He watches me for a second, his expression softer than I expect. “And you?”

I blink. “Me?”

“Are you happy?”

The question catches me off guard, and I hesitate before answering. “I’m... trying. With Yoongi, things are solid. We’re figuring it out, even with the distance. It’s just... you know. Life doesn’t pause for any of us.”

Jungkook nods slowly. “No, it really doesn’t.”

I take a breath, then speak before I can second-guess myself. “Can I ask you something?”

“Always.”

I look over again, carefully. “Can we please just put what happened that night behind us? I don’t want it hanging over us anymore. I miss having you as my friend.”

His face softens, and without hesitation, he replies, “Of course, Y/n.”

A quiet smile passes between us. No tension, no hesitation, just mutual understanding. Maybe even relief.

We both open our doors at the same time, stepping out into the soft hum of the quiet back alley. The air is cooler than I expected.

I turn, surprised to see him locking the car and casually making his way to the building entrance. “Wait, you’re coming up?”

He gives me a look, eyebrows raised. “I hope you didn’t think I was just going to wait in the car like your personal chauffeur.”

A short laugh escapes me. “Honestly? I wasn’t sure.”

“Well,” he says, already halfway to the back door, “you invited me. And also, I’ve been dreaming about your coffee ever since the army started serving whatever that was in the mess hall.”

I shake my head, following after him with a smirk. “You’re impossible.”

“I missed being impossible with you,” he calls back, and even though the words are light, there’s something real underneath them. We step out of the elevator, trying to move like two shadows rather than two fully grown adults returning from a military base reunion. I keep glancing over my shoulder as we make our way down the hallway toward my apartment, silently praying we don’t run into Mrs. Ko from 502. That woman has eyes like a hawk and the energy of a detective on her fifth espresso.

“Could you walk less suspiciously?” Jungkook murmurs behind me, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. “You’re going to draw more attention like that.”

“I am not suspicious,” I whisper back. “I’m just being cautious. The last time someone saw me bringing a man home, I got a passive-aggressive note on my door about ‘maintaining the moral purity of the hallway.’”

He lets out a low chuckle. “Still haven’t moved out of the drama-filled retirement building, huh?”

We reach my door, and I unlock it with a sigh of relief, stepping inside and quickly ushering him in. He slips off his sneakers and gently pushes the door shut behind him.

“Wow,” he says, looking around the living room. “Your place hasn’t changed at all. Same plants. Same little bookshelf. Even the same candle that smells like vanilla and… what is that, regret?”

I laugh under my breath, tossing my gym bag onto the entry bench. “It’s vanilla and cedarwood, thank you very much. But yeah, not much has changed.”

He walks in further, taking in the room with that quiet curiosity of his. “It feels… emptier, though.”

I glance around, noticing what he means. The missing stack of coffee table books, the second yoga mat gone from the corner, even the cereal boxes that used to fight for shelf space. “Well, yeah,” I say, pulling a towel out of my gym bag. “Half of my daily stuff is at Yoongi’s now. Toothbrush, charger, extra hoodie. It just made sense.”

He nods, but doesn’t say anything. Just flops down on the couch and unlocks his phone, the screen glowing in his eyes. I watch him for a moment before heading toward the bathroom.

“I’m gonna take a quick shower,” I call over my shoulder.

“Go ahead,” he replies without looking up. “I’ll just be here, slowly losing circulation in my legs from your stiff couch.”

Fifteen minutes later, I step out of the bathroom, clean and wrapped in my favorite robe, hair damp and clinging to my shoulders. I go through the motions of skincare on autopilot, but my brain is somewhere else entirely. I pause in front of my open closet, arms crossed, staring at the overflowing hangers like they personally wronged me.

I press the robe tighter around myself, tugging the belt like it's going to give me divine fashion wisdom. Nothing looks right. Everything feels either too formal or not enough. I’m stuck in that weird in-between zone, wanting to look like I didn’t try but also like I magically look amazing by accident.

“You good?” Jungkook’s voice cuts into my thoughts, and I jump a little.

He’s peeking into the room, one hand on the doorframe, the other still holding his phone.

“I have no idea what to wear,” I admit, still staring at the closet like it might grow legs and walk away.

He opens the door a little wider and steps inside cautiously. “Well, considering we’re just going out for late-night barbecue and possibly over-ordering every side dish on the menu, I’d say... jeans and a T-shirt?”

I glance at him over my shoulder. “That’s it?”

“Comfy, simple. You’ll thank me after your second plate of pork belly,” he says with a small grin, walking a bit further in. “Also, your closet is terrifying. I think it just sighed at me.”

I huff out a laugh and grab a slouchy pair of jeans from the pile that’s half-folded, half-chaos. Then I pull out a fitted black T-shirt that always makes me feel slightly more put-together than I actually am.

“This okay?” I hold up the combo toward him.

He nods. “Perfect. You always look good in black.”

His tone is casual, friendly, but there’s something in the pause afterward that makes me glance at him more closely. He meets my eyes for a second, then looks away.

“Would you mind?” I ask, motioning toward the door.

“Oh-yeah. Sorry.” He steps back quickly, pulling the door closed behind him with a soft click.

Once alone, I sit on the edge of the bed for a moment, letting out a long breath.

It’s weird, having him here again. In my space. It used to be normal, before everything changed. Before Yoongi and I became official. Before Jungkook left for the military and things between us… shifted into something quieter.

I shake the thought away and start getting dressed.

Outside, I hear him clear his throat, then say, almost too casually, “So… are you still nervous about seeing everyone next week? When Yoongi’s officially discharged?”

I pause, pulling the shirt over my head.

“I don’t know,” I call back. “Part of me’s relieved. Part of me’s worried. Everything’s moving so fast again.”

There’s a beat of silence before he responds. “You’re not the only one who feels that way.”

And somehow, that comforts me more than it probably should. —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “If it isn’t the woman of the hour,” Namjoon announces as soon as Jungkook and I walk into the private dining room tucked away in the back of the restaurant.

He rises from his seat with the grace of someone who’s had just enough to drink to feel both charming and unstoppable.

I laugh, stepping into his open arms for a quick hug. “I missed your dramatic entrances, Joon.”

“They missed you too,” he says, smiling down at me before letting me go.

I make my way around the table, greeting everyone one by one, familiar faces, warm smiles, casual teasing. This group has always had a way of making you feel like you’ve been gone a day, even when it's been months.

I take the empty seat next to Jimin, who scoots over to make room for me. Jungkook settles in beside me, at the very end of the table. His presence is quiet, but his shoulder brushes mine briefly as he sits, and for some reason, I feel my breath catch for just a second.

“So, Y/n,” Jimin says, nudging my shoulder with his, “scale of one to ten—how much did you miss hanging out with us?”

“Easy,” I say, leaning into the nudge, “a hundred.”

“That’s not a scale, that’s cheating,” he grins.

“But it’s true,” I say, glancing around at all of them. “You guys have been weirdly hard to replace.”

“I bet you’re counting down the days until Yoongi comes back and saves you from us,” Taehyung calls out from across the table, smirking.

Everyone laughs, and I shake my head with a smile. “You have no idea. He’s the only one who doesn’t try to force me into drinking games.”

“That’s because he’d lose,” Jin says casually. “Yoongi plays the long game. Strategic retreat.”

“Or he just pretends to sleep when he’s had enough of our nonsense,” Hobi adds, already halfway into a glass of something amber.

Conversations start branching off again, Jin and Namjoon are comparing notes about the menu, Taehyung is busy showing something ridiculous on his phone to the guys on his end. It feels… easy. Familiar. But the seat beside me grows suddenly lighter as Jungkook gets up.

“I’m gonna go grab Minjeong. She’s here,” he says, not really to anyone in particular.

I glance up just in time to see him walking out, already scanning the hallway beyond the private room.

Jimin shifts beside me, then leans in slightly. His voice is quieter now. “Hey… you wanna switch seats?”

I blink. “What?”

“I figured it might be a little awkward,” he says carefully. “Being right next to them. Especially if you don’t know her.”

I hesitate for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. Yeah, that’d be great actually.”

We do the subtle shuffle, me sliding out, him slipping into my old seat, and now I’m between Jimin and Hoseok, while Namjoon sits directly across from me. The air feels lighter already.

“You good?” Hoseok asks under his breath, his elbow brushing mine gently.

“Yeah. Thanks,” I reply. “This is safer territory.”

“Safe zone unlocked,” he says, mock-serious, and gives me a tiny toast with his glass of water.

A few moments later, the door creaks open again, and we all instinctively glance toward it.

“Hello, everyone,” a soft, polite voice says.

There she is, Minjeong. She’s standing in the doorway, smiling a little uncertainly, and behind her is Jungkook, his hand hovering at the small of her back like he’s not sure whether to guide her or just let her take the lead.

“Nice to see you again, Miss Winter,” Namjoon says with a half-grin, raising his glass with exaggerated formality.

Minjeong laughs lightly, a little surprised but clearly amused. “Nice to see you too, Namjoon-ssi.”

Hobi leans toward me and whispers, “He’s definitely already tipsy.”

I stifle a laugh. “That explains the sudden British accent.”

Minjeong and Jungkook walk over to the table, and she takes the seat Jungkook had been sitting in earlier, close to my old seat.

I catch it, the tiny flicker in Jungkook’s eyes as he realises I’m no longer beside him. He glances toward where Jimin now sits, then to me across the table, brows furrowing ever so slightly in a way that says, Wait, when did that happen?

He doesn’t say anything, though. Just slides into the chair next to her, carefully casual. But I know him well enough to recognise that micro-expression. Confused? Maybe. Disappointed? I can't tell. Not yet.

Across from me, Namjoon has resumed his storytelling mode, but I can’t focus. I catch glimpses of Minjeong as she starts talking with the others, her voice light and clear, her laugh practised but genuine. She’s beautiful. Composed. Polished in that way people who are used to being looked at tend to be.

And Jungkook? He listens to her, nods at the right times, and even smiles when she touches his arm during a story. But once, just once, his eyes flick to me again.

And I look away. “Okay, so,” Jin starts from the opposite end of the table, raising his glass slightly like he's about to make a presidential announcement. “Should we just say screw it and get absolutely wasted tonight?”

A chorus of groans and laughter follows, and Jimin, sitting beside me with one arm casually slung over the back of my chair, raises a brow. “Only if you’re paying, hyung.”

Everyone else at the table nods in enthusiastic agreement.

Jin grins like he’s been waiting for that. “Consider it done.” He whips out his card with unnecessary flair and hands it to the amused waiter, who chuckles as he walks away.

“You didn’t drive here, did you?” I ask Jimin, eyeing the way he’s already halfway through his third drink.

“Nah,” he says, sipping again without pause. “But we’ll probably call the drivers to bring the vans once we’re done. I can drop you off, don’t worry about it.” He flashes me that familiar, easy smile, the one he gives when he’s just trying to be thoughtful. But something about it feels a little too light, too casual.

Across the table, I catch Jungkook looking at me. His gaze is heavier than usual, unreadable, and lingers too long. The buzz of conversation around us seems to dull slightly in the background.

Jimin must sense it too, because a moment later he leans in, shielding his mouth with his hand like he’s whispering state secrets. “The hell is up with him?”

I intend to focus on my cocktail. “Definitely not enough alcohol.”

Jimin snorts into his glass.

As the night wears on, our table slowly descends into that comfortable kind of chaos only old friends can pull off. Plates are stacked high with whatever fried food survived our attack, and drinks keep appearing as if summoned by some tipsy magician. Laughter gets louder. Stories get longer. Voices overlap.

At some point, Namjoon pushes his chair back with a low groan. “I should go before I forget how doors work.”

He gets up, clapping Jungkook on the back and giving me a warm smile. “It was great seeing you, Minjeong. And you too, Y/n. Glad you came out tonight.”

“Drive safe!” Hoseok calls out as Namjoon disappears out of the room with a little stumble that earns a round of snickers.

By the time the clock hits 1 a.m., most of us are winding down.

“Should we call the vans?” Hoseok asks, checking his phone. “It’s getting late.”

“I’m going to drop Y/n off,” Jimin says, already typing on his phone. “Anyone else want to ride in the same van?”

Before anyone answers, Jungkook suddenly speaks. “Us.”

His voice is calm but firm, and it draws all attention to him.

There’s a pause, just a beat too long.

Hoseok blinks. “But Kook, wouldn’t it be faster if you came with us? Your place is, like, ten minutes from mine.”

Jin points at him with the last of his drink. “Yeah, Jimin and Y/n live on the other side of the city. That’s a detour and a half.”

“I know,” Jungkook says, eyes not leaving the table. “But Minjeong lives in that part of town too.”

Minjeong, who’s been quiet most of the evening, perks up slightly. “Wait, I thought you were staying over at mine?”

The air shifts. Not dramatically, but enough for me to feel it. Something twists in my stomach, subtle but undeniable.

“Right,” Jungkook says, hesitating for half a second. “I just figured it’d be easier to head over together.”

Jin hums into his glass, raising his eyebrows slightly but saying nothing more. Hoseok glances at me, then at Jimin, but stays quiet.

Jimin doesn’t look at Jungkook, not directly. Instead, he nudges me gently with his elbow. “You good to ride with me?”

“Yeah,” I say quickly, forcing a smile. “Of course.”

But my eyes meet Jungkook’s for a split second across the table.

And in that moment, just that breath of silence, I see something I don’t expect. Regret. Or guilt. Or maybe both.

Then it’s gone.

He looks away, and the conversation moves on. Plans are confirmed, checks are signed, and people start standing up and stretching after hours of sitting and drinking. But the knot in my stomach stays. And I can’t help but wonder what exactly it is that Jungkook regrets.

[nosebleedsturn]

Prolouge

words: 3,225

she's cool, she's rich, and she's a little bit of a bitch. vega renee veloz has been through a lot that's for sure. and even though it's defining her current life, she's still maintaing all her goals and getting her shit done. she's a full time social media content creator, full time student, and full time best friend. recently she's moved from her tiny home town of new york to the city of angels, los angeles. moving was supposed to be the beginning of her career, but there's a few more life changes that are going to be thrown at her. is she going to continue to let her past struggles with relationships dictate her life, or will she set aside her fears and finally love again?

warning: nosebleeds does contain some physical, mental, and emotional violence. drug usage, mentions of sex and sexual relations, as well as sexual abuse.

vega knew who she wanted to be from a very young age. 

when she was in elementary school, her auntie had paid for her to attend a few figure skating classes. she quickly became very good at it. it was on the ice where she had met her two best friends, malerie rae and camille swan. 

as she grew older, she realized how much she adored going out in new york, seeing all the people, the honking horns and flashing lights. she always wanted to look for the thrills in life, even the small ones. she was categorized as an organized tornado. vega brought a certain light to the crowd. you'd see her walking, and everything she did was so captivating. it was a magnetic pull. the life of the party.

and then she turned fourteen years old. on the cusp of graduating middle school, she had been invited to a graduation party. it was a real huge even thrown by the high school seniors, and unfortunately some of the siblings of those teenagers had invited their own friends. vega and malerie had found themselves at this party. camille didn't go to public school until she was a high school freshmen, so the trio didn't see each other much anymore, plus camille was a year younger than malerie and vega and wouldn't even be allowed to attend a party of that nature anyway.

it was at this wild and ridiculous party where a certain brunet boy named daniel flores captivated vega's attention and reeled her in. daniel was very similar to who vega was. always going out, always doing something cool, unique, different. but daniel was also very different from vega. while the young teen was care free and spontaneously wild, daniel was mean and harsh. daniel hadn't ever really cared about anyone beside himself. his mother had been a prostitue, selling out her body to make sends meet, whereas daniel's father had been a popular gang member at the time. he knew what he wanted, and he was going to take it. in the three years they spent together, daniel had managed to get vega to cut off all her friends. she went out less and less and eventually was known as a shy, sweet, girl rather than her usual chaotic whirlwind. since daniel had grown up surrounded by robbery, murder and crime, he needed everything to be perfect. he preferred order,  and when vega couldn't do that, she was in a hell of a lot of trouble. he got possessive, making vega stay home every single night, he picked her outfits, deleted her friends phone numbers and all her social media apps until vega was completely isolated from everyone around her.

it was december  of vega's junior year when daniel was caught by the police and brought into jail to be tried for prison after getting caught in an armed robbery. he had gotten away with many other charges, but this one was far to big for him to get away with this time. for the first time in three years, vega was free from her shackles. when her mother had found out what happened behind closed doors, that the bruises on her arms weren't from ice skating (which she had stopped going to, and was lying about that as well), that her being exhausted wasn't just from staying up all night and watching movies, that the countless hours of her spending too much time with her boyfriend wasn't in any way friendly, she just about had a fit. 

her father wasn't much better off either. it was typical of father's to want to protect their daughter's, especially as they age and grow into dating boys. every true man's biggest fear was their daughter dating a horrible man behind closed doors, who presents himself as a good man to everyone else. vega's father armando believed he let his daughter down and struggled with coming to terms with it.

vega's mother eleanor decided vega needed to go to therapy. there had been a lot of thing's after daniel going to prison that happened. nightmares, vega crying all the time, even more sleepless nights. eleanor was not going to sit around and watch vega sit in this pain. the therapist quickly gained an understanding of how vega's brain was working and how she truly believed all her friends hated her, they were jealous of her. the therapist noticed that vega staying in so often led to vega being bored and suggested she try finding something to do with her time that wasn't surrounded by people. her figure skating was a great way to do something, but being around a bunch of people stressed vega out a lot. something easy like crafting, listening to music. basically, just distracting her from the outside world and putting her focus elsewhere.

vega thought long and hard about that. she stayed up late into the night, searching on pinterest for thing's to do that didn't cost a lot of money, didn't involve a lot of people, and something that would take up a lot of time. she came up with nothing. all throughout the next week, vega could hardly focus on her schooling. she was slowly smiling and waving at her old friends, a lot continued to ignore her, vega wasn't the only one who was being bothered by daniel. only two out of vega's whole friend group actually cared enough about vega to stick around and watch the girl heal: camille and malerie. 

camille had quit figure skating and decided she wanted to be a ballerina instead, she understood that sometimes, the thing you love the most will hurt you. whether that be a person, or your own sport. camille grew up with a lot of people commenting on her body. she needed to eat more, she needed to eat less. she needed to stretch more, she needed to bulk or cut or this or that. similar to the way vega was being treated. but camille chose to live that lifestyle, vega was forced into it. there were thing's daniel constantly asked her to change about herself. her hair, her clothes, even when she could cut her hair. of course, like any bad relationship, there were always the good times. like when he'd buy her lunch when she didn't eat or when he'd tie her hair back when she was sick. when he'd spend hundreds of dollars on new clothes (approved by him of course), or got her nails done.

the other girl, malerie, was the complete opposite of camille. she was loud like vega used to be, she loved a party. wore eccentric clothes, had a loud mouth and was very opinionated in every way. malerie and vega were each others first best friend, they were the definition of 'if you do it i'll do it' in their younger years. now that their friendship was being rekindled, vega and malerie were both hoping that the girl would regain some sense of her old self, find the light and follow it until she was healed. vega was a bit different now though and mal saw it. vega was mean, uptight, bossy, and a little bratty. malerie hated watching her friend deteriorate, watching her rainbow colored personality dull and grey. but she understood that this could be undone, it would take time. after all, this was just vega's way of protecting herself from being hurt again. if no one liked her because she was mean and bossy, then no one would notice her. if no one noticed her, they'd never try and hurt her.

it was an early december morning, the anniversary of daniel being locked in prison and malerie thought it was a day to be celebrated. there had been a lot of progress in the past year, undoing everything daniel had done to vega's brain. she was still an incredibly bitch though. the trio of girls decided to find a party, attending some quiet underground teens club in the heart of new york. their sweaty bodies danced and twirled under the neon glowing signs. boys and girls alike all dressed and partying, sipping on fruity non-alcoholic drinks, flirting, and just being teens.

vega, camille, and malerie were all dressed for this occasion, hoping to flirt and maybe get a few free drinks. vega didn't mind flirting, just as long as guy's didn't think they were going to be getting lucky, she swore up and down that she'd never date again. men gave her the most disgusting ick, even the celebrities she had a crush on in her teenage years, she felt nothing for now. you can never tell who the good men are from the bad men because they all look the same. even if there were good men, vega wouldn't ever believe them anyway. men were all dirty liars.

it was an early december morning of the girls senior year right before winter break. mal had picked up vega and cami to grab coffee before school, driving out of their town to the one right next to it and ordering their drinks. vega, sitting passenger seat, glances up from her phone to see the most beautiful graffiti art she had ever seen. her jaw practically dropped as she looked at it. it was a picture of angels, flying around a white orb. the angels wore crowns and silk robes, carrying harps, mouths open as if they were singing.

when they were done clubbing, they had ordered an uber to pick them up and bring them back to camille's place. on the drive back home to camille's huge farmland mansion, they were sitting in traffic. camille was squished in the middle, malerie and vega sitting on either side of her. vega stared out the windows, watching as the glow of screens illuminated new york city, making it look like it was still day time. and then she saw it, the most beautiful graffiti art she had ever seen. her jaw practically dropped as she looked at it. it was a picture of angels, flying around and into a white orb. the angels wore crowns and silk robes, carrying harps, mouths open as if they were singing.

the image of the graffiti art was stuck in vega's mind all week. heading to the store on a random weekend with camille and mal, vega trudged behind them as usual, listening to music in a rather more depressed mood than usual. she had no idea what to do with her life, and the winter seasonal depression was hitting her hard. her therapist had really been bugging her on taking up some sort of extracurricular activity. she tried writing, but there had been no inspiration, and she was urged to not write about her experiences with daniel since her therapist warned that there might be memories locked away that vega trauma blocked and wouldn't want to re-open, at least not without the proper help. she tried singing, but was terrible at it. she even attended a ballet class with camille but her skills weren't quite up there, and it was too expensive for her anyway.

the trio walked into the art store to grab some more supplies for malerie's youtube channel. she had recently decided that she was going to start making her own clothing. her family was incredibly poor, and everything malerie liked in fashion was far too expensive. she wanted to get out of new york and was using youtube to help push her fashion content out into the world. malerie was a diy fashion girlie, posting the occasional vlog, and she had run out of cloth paint for a new project she was working on. while mal and cami walked a bit ahead of vega, she stood back, glancing around the store she had only been in twice before. when the colorful wall, locked behind glass caught her eye.

she stared up at the multi colored wall. "you interested in purchasing anything?" a voice asked from beside her. she glanced over, a young boy, around her age asked with a monotonous voice. his hair was long, swooped to the side and dyed red and black. "maybe." vega replied just as monotonously. "well i'll tell you, my favorite brand is this one." he used his key, unlocking the panel and showing vega a clean white and silver bottle. she eyed the can in his hand and he waved it. "'s not gonna bit you, take it." she grabbed the can, studying it in her hand and nodded. "how much?"

"these ones are ten, but if you buy ten bottles it's fifty percent off." vega nodded in understanding, glancing back toward her friends in the arts section. "i'll take them. red, orange, yellow," vega listed off all the colors she wanted the guy to ring up." she swiped her credit card and then glanced back at her friends once again." what time does the store close?" vega asked instead of taking the full plastic bag from the guy. "today we close at 9:30."

"can i pick these up at nine?" the guy looked between vega and the other two girls he saw her walk in with and shrugged. "fine, but if you don't come tonight to pick them up, you won't get your money back." vega nodded and the cashier put the bag down on the floor under the table. just then, cami and mal walked over, smiling happily at vega. vega returned the smile and slid to the side letting malerie pay for her paint.

back at malerie's house, cami had already left to go to a ballet practice. the two girls were planning on going to a party, but vega had another idea of trouble the girls could get into that night. of course she would have loved for camille to be there with them, but camille had always turned down their troublesome fun, her father would kill her for getting into trouble of any kind. 

 "instead of going to the party..." vega started, standing behind mal as she curled her hair. mal hummed, wanting her to continue. "what if we did something else tonight?" vega asked cryptically. malerie waved her hand and vega backed away with the curling iron. mal put down her blush brush and turned in her chair to look at vega. "why? alex is going to be at the party tonight and i've wanted him for months now." mal said eyeing vega up and down. "well it's just..." vega rocked back and forth on her heels nervously. vega was never nervous. "what did you do?" mal's eye's narrowed, arms crossing over her chest as vega continued to get more and more nervous. she fidgeted a bit, flexing her fingers and messing with the second ear piercing on her right lobe. something she always did when she was nervous or anxious. mal's head shifted to the side egging vega to spill.

"alright! i bought spray paint earlier in the art store!" vega spilled. mal looked to the side for a moment. "and?"

"and what? that's all i did!"

mal breathed in a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. "you're freaking out cause you bought spray paint?"

"no, i'm freaking out because i wanna go spray paint something... like graffiti it."

mal shrugged, grabbing her cellphone from the charger and fluffing out her hair a bit. "alright we can do that."

within the hour, both vega and mal were standing outside a random building as they spray painted random shit on the side. it was dark and the winter air wasn't forgiving on their party-dressed bodies. the two shivered together as they stayed hidden in the dark alleyway. mal's main job was to be lookout, keep people away from the alleyway or call out to vega in case there was a problem. sometimes she'd turn back to vega, giving her some pointers and ideas.

the sound of the clanking and the occasional spray was therapeutic for vega. the adrenaline coursing through her veins, her heart beating rapidly in the mix of nerves and the feeling of being free. there's a commotion, seemingly coming from the other side of the block and vega and mal hear it at the same time. vega pushes her supplies behind a dumpster and the duo start jogging in the opposite direction. vega glances back at her doodles for a moment and smiles softly.

the sirens are getting louder and the two break into a run. their heel boots smacking against the concrete sidewalk as the run in the direction of where mal had her car parked. just before they get to their car, vega trips, falling flat on her face. mal stops, whipping around to help vega get back on her feet and wincing as the blood gushes from her nose. "fuck." vega groans, a hand coming to touch the blood gushing from her nose.

"hey ladies!" a black and white cop car pulls up to the two girls, a blonde older woman sits inside. mal's eyes fall shut for a moment, before she turns and smiles softly at the woman in the car. "hello."

"i got a call about some troublemakers out here, you seem them? they were illegally spray painting a building a few blocks away. both girls shake their heads in denial of having seen anything and the woman nods. staring at vega a moment too long. "you okay there?" vega nods, wiping away at her bloody nose. "what are you two girls doing out here anyway. aren't dressed for winter."

"we were at a party, got hurt and decided to leave." the officer nods. "well.." the woman scratched the top of her head before nodding. "you should probably get that checked out... huh..." the cop stared at vega more. "kinda looks like the graffiti." the cop suddenly straightens up and waves at the two girls. "you just be safe out there tonight girls."

"thank you, have a good night!" mal says waving at the cop while simultaneously unlocking her car. "that was so close." mal sighed. the two got into the car sharing a look. "did you hear what the cop said at the end?" vega asked, being handed tissues by mal, who hummed in response. "i think she said my bloody nose was similar to the graffiti."

the two girls thought it over, thinking of the spray paint that was vega did. "well let's go find out." mal started the car, driving off back in the direction they came from. the two girls got out quickly, vega finding her supplies where she left them and carrying them over to the art she had just finished. "it's a little... uhm bad."

"well, all artists don't start off creating the starry night by van gogh. you gotta.. gotta start with the foundation and finding your style." the two girls stood before the 'art piece', staring at it like high class critics and buyers. "i think i've found it."

the two shared a simple look, a half smile before staring at the markings on the wall again. vega pulled out a red can of paint and drew on the word nosebleeds right under the work, vega's new signature. "come on, let's get out of here." mal said tugging on vega's arm pulling her away.

NEW CHAPTERS EVERY MONDAY AND FRIDAY AT 7:00 PM

N O S E B L E E D S

[futurephdowner]

(no shade to any artist or movie mentioned, I truly love them all)

What's particularly interesting this year at the Grammy's, besides women taking over the nominations and the quality of the songs and albums nominated, is the general reaction online to AOTY. It seems like people are forgetting that the Grammy's are not supposed to give awards based on current popularity. Saying "THIS or THAT artist was listened to by 1.5 billion people on Spotify and had their song used the most on Tik Tok, NOT HER so BEYONCE DOES NOT DESERVE AOTY" is as ridiculous as saying "BARBIE had a bigger opening weekend than any other movies nominated for Best Movie of the Year SO IT SHOULD HAVE WON". Was Barbie a good movie ? Yes. Was it culturally important ? Also yes. Did it spark interesting debates surrounding capitalism and feminism colliding ? Hell yeah. But was it a better movie than the other movies nominated ? Not necessarily.

Also, people who stan artists who have won NINE or FOURTEEN Grammy's over their 15 years career span, spitting on Beyoncé and pretending that they have never heard a single song she has made over the nearly THIRTY years of her career ? Be for fucking real. (I'm a Swiftie and I love Billie Eilish's album don't come at me)

But if you wanna talk about Popularity and Musical Impact, let's do that :

I am...Sasha Fierce had ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SONGS WORLDWIDE (everyone knows the Single Ladies chorus and hand movement)

Her Self-Titled album, a visual album you had to buy as a whole, changed the game when she dropped it out of the blue on a Friday instead of promoting the hell out of it single by single

LEMONADE was THE most artistic, cohesive (VISUAL once again) album of the year (Adele was the only other person who could have won so I'll let it slide), featuring duets with accomplished artists (Kendrick Lamar, Jack White, The Weeknd and James Blake), songs exploring different genres and a political message sent through several songs among which had a music video with the mothers of some of the victims of police brutality (cause of course her being systematically snubbed for AOTY has NOTHING to do with racism.......... They could have given it to Sabrina Carpenter this year given their love for any white artist)

Renaissance was extremely crafted and, despite the legit debate it sparked when she went to Dubai during its promotion, an homage to the Ballroom culture. Plus, CUFF IT was ALL OVER TIK TOK (since that's all that matters)

Cowboy Carter was a response to the racism she faced when she performed with the Dixie Chicks (you know just the band blacklisted after they criticized Bush and his invasion of Iraq, no big deal) and a way to reclaim the country genre as a Black woman, and featured a few legends of country including THE Dolly Parton, AND featured one of the best songs of her career (Daughter) in which she sings OPERA but it wasn’t a single so I guess those who haven’t taken the time to listen to her album have no idea it exists

So yeah, she's not culturally insignificant, she's just not your type of music (which is totally okay but we're all adults here so let's stop acting as if "I don't like it" = "It's not good"). Just like you can dislike Leonardo Dicaprio's movies but can't deny he's a fucking good actor.

Even HARRY STYLES won AOTY like BE FUCKING SERIOUS FOR A SECOND NOW. (Love him but did this album deserve AOTY even though it was good ?)

Now, am I mad that she won for one of her least infallible albums just a year after her husband had to whine on stage about her never winning, even more given that said husband is involved in an absolutely terrifying case (and yeah, she might be as well but as long as she's not explicitely mentioned in legal documents, we can only assume) ? HELL YES. (After all, they might have given it to her now so she can be cancelled later, who knows)

[abubblingcandle]

Augusnippets Day 24 - Bear Trap - Ted Lasso

cw mention of traps from the Saw franchise

Roy comes home to the aftermath of one of the Greyhound film nights and doesn't do the greatest job at managing his team's fears

A day late but still counts!

Here on AO3 @augusnippets

"What the fuck are you two idiots up to?" Roy growled, pushing Jamie backwards to flop over the arm of the settee. He landed with a little sharp exhale and flopped to lie across Dani's lap. 

"We're never sleeping again," Dani proclaimed, holding a screwdriver firmly in white knuckles fists up in front of him. 

"Why ... no I don't care. Go to bed," Roy huffed, pointing at the stairs. In the coaching courses they don't teach you that footballers in their twenties are idiots and you'll spend most of your time parenting them. It should at least be a seminar. 

"Nope, can't sleep. Researching," Jamie nodded, rolling off Dani only to shoot back up and burrow into his side. 

"That can wait until the morning," Roy raised his eyebrows as they both shook their heads in unison. 

"What is he comes in the night?" Dani whispers. 

"We need to know what to do!" Jamie waved his iPad in Roy's direction that was showing a video about escaping from bear traps. 

Roy sighed, massaging his temples. He had just done yoga. He should be calm, refreshed, centred not frustrated, annoyed and tired. 

"One of you. Speak. Full sentences. Now!"

Jamie and Dani both looked at each other, nervous flickering eyes. 

"We went to movie night at Isaac's with the team and he showed us the most horrible of films. The man who comes and takes people and puts their head's in increasingly awful situations," Dani rambled. 

Roy groaned, "why were you watching Saw at a team film night?" They should not be watching films like that without adult supervision. 

"Isaac said it was gruesome but in a fun way!" Jamie protested. "And now every time I close my eyes I think the puppet man is coming for us so I ain't closing my eyes for nothing!"

Roy prayed to anyone and anything that was listening for strength to get through this conversation. "The film isn't real. No one is coming to kidnap you and especially no one is coming to kidnap Dani and put your heads in a bear trap," Roy sighed. 

"Why is Dani less likely?" Jamie yelped, snatching the defensive screwdriver from Dani's hands. 

"Your whole personality," Roy replied blankly, fully prepared to have to dodge a flying screwdriver. 

"Now I'm definitely not sleeping," Jamie nodded, turning back to the iPad. 

"Fucking hell. Even if, which it won't, it does happen. You'll just get the key or ..."

"Wedge the bars shut and try and break the spring!" Dani supplied helpfully. 

"There you go," Roy waved his hands in exasperation. Maybe finally they'd go cuddle in bed like the little idiots usually did. 

"But what if there isn't anything to wedge it with?" Jamie supplied unhelpfully. 

"Then I'll avenge your deaths. I have plenty of saw trap ideas," Roy replied with a shrug. Time stopped, both Jamie and Dani froze eyes wide open in panic. 

"Dani run!" Jamie screamed, diving over the back of the settee with Dani in tow in an uncoordinated mass of limbs. They both screeched as they clattered up the stairs and Roy heard the guest room door slam shut and click locked. 

Ok maybe that was a mistake. 

Roy: I am going to kill you

Isaac: I'm sorry! Jamie said it would be fine and then it was too late

Roy: You never believe the idiots

Isaac: I know, it’s captain 101

Isaac: But in my defence Jamie said he had been meaning to watch it but then they ran screaming about sharks???

Roy: Think about it pretending to be Jamie

Isaac: ... I don't think I get it

Isaac: Oohhh I got it ... Jaws 

[tarynisbunhead]

Man, CGI has really ruined Hollywood.

I've said how much I hate CGI in the past. How at this point I can't see the movie but just CGI blobs, or how about the fact that CGI takes away jobs like Make-up artists and costume design? "Hey if the computer can do it, why bother to wear the costume at all?" This is why corporations now turned to AI, and it's backfiring.

So why even bring this up? This summer I decided to watch Young Indiana Jones Chronicles again. I watched the first half of volume one, so far the first four adventures follow 10 year old Indiana Jones as he travels the world with his parents and tutor. Eventually the series tackles what happened to Indy's mother and the bitter relationship between father and son but as for right now Professor Jones is traveling and lecturing. This series was released in 1992 and as a kid when this series was released I didn't miss an episode, it was one of my favorite shows - why the fucking hell is Hollywood stupid now? This isn't some crummy nostalgia trip because I have the set and watch it on occasion, in the last 20 years Hollywood has given us reboots and self inserts, I'm not entertained watching someone's fan fiction play out.

This show starts off with a monologue explaining how Indy got to be an adventurous kid, and how he ended up with his dog. It then slides into how the family started their trip around the world - their house is a Victorian style house so you know the rest of this will be shot on location. Even as a kid I loved the location shots and costumes, I wanted to go back in time and wear Mrs. Jones clothes, I thought she was so pretty.

Okay now first of all, Professor Jones. George Lucas had to know after releasing Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, and having Sean Connery as Indy's father, that wasn't going to be easy. The actor, Lloyd Owen, not only has the look but his acting style follows Mr. Connery. Right down to saying "Junior!" almost exact.

Shoot on location or green screen? I understand budget, but if you were given the money to show off the beauty of a country, why destroy it with computer generation?

I mean even the silent film Phantom of the Opera, that music hall set was designed using sketches. People thought that scene was filmed in an actual music hall. Lucas filmed on location in several episodes, using props that fit the time period, with 10 year old Indy the journey began in 1909.

Props and costumes really make a difference in transporting the audience back in time.

But even at that, through the series Indy meets several historical figures. Some show up several times like T. E. Lawrence and Howard Carter, so of course they had to look like the person they were portraying but what about Sigmund Freud? Tolstoy? Even a young Norman Rockwell?

This is the first episode, Carter and T. E. Lawrence are at a digsite. The crafty thing about Lucas is the characters mention King Tut so yeah you're gonna see these guys again

Here's a young Norman Rockwell

Here's Puccini, the opera composer who gave us Madame Butterfly. I watched the episode last night and didn't realize just how much it showed the actual Puccini - in the episode he went after Indy's mom, the real Puccini was a womanizer so there was no holding back

You can say I'm nostalgic and defend 2024 Hollywood but look at Who Framed Roger Rabbit that was released in 1988

Or how about Dick Tracy, released in 1990

Then there's Rocketeer in 1991

And then the same year that Young Indiana Jones Chronicles was released to TV, there was Newsies - 1992

Can we go back to movies and TV shows that look like the time period they were set in?

[preservationofnormalcy]

Hey, figured I'd send this because! why not! I've never been able to see anything extra normal. I grew up being told that the whole magic supernatural stuff was fake. the things you'd only see in movies. I believed they were real, not because of any evidence but because I wanted it to be real. fast forward to college and guess what! the magic stuff IS real but I've never seen it. Ever. I went to a doctor and stuff but, nope I'm completely normal. I just physically can never see or interact with any magicy stuff. Dragons have always been something I love thinking about since I was a kid, could you... tell me about them? even if I'll never get to see one, I'd like to know just. something.

You must’ve had a recent extranormal experience that let you see this helpline. I know you probably have a lot of questions, so in general I’ll point out the wide array of PSAs and orientations the Office has available for new people in the community. Hello!

Specific to dragons, though, hmm. I’ve mentioned it before, but dragons are fairly rare. Only a few hundred on earth at any given time, and even then ETCetRA is their main point of contact with humans.

I guess one thing that’s well known about dragons is their tendency to hoard. They’re pretty proud about that - dragons tend to see an excess of one chosen thing as a point of success. It’s not a collection, to a dragon their hoard is more than that. It represents power, wealth, attention to detail and methodical planning. It’s a reflection of who you are as a person, whether your hoard is neatly organized and alphabetical or haphazard and personal. And in this day and age, it’s sometimes not gold or gems.

Mr Farrow, of Leviathan LTD., hoards stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments and assets. His wife, I hear, hoards fine art. I’ve known of hoards of pony figurines, decorative pillows, comics. I know of one particular dragon who hoards books.

It’s hell when a dragon wants to move realms, of course, and not just for the customs they’ll have to go through if they come here, but they put up with it.

[ladysomething]

Hello! Back with more thoughts! I can already tell this is going to be way too long, I am so sorry in advance, dont feel like you have to respond!! But first of all, I saw an ask where you said you liked Taylor Swift and since you were at the AUS GP, I must ask- did you get to go to the Eras Tour in Australia? I will be incredibly jealous if you did!! Anyways, AHHH THIS CHAPTER!! I have so many thoughts, I wish I could share all of them, but that would actually turn this ask into a real essay and this will already be too long lol.

I LOVED the new things we learned about the Dreyma Ver-öld!!! So interesting that people still feel pain there, but in a lesser way (does the same thing apply when sensing emotions through a bond, like Max can do with Charles now?) and so interesting that they don’t visit it while in heat/rut. And very very interesting that injuries received in there exist in the real world too!! I am DYING to know what Max’s is like, since I get the feeling it’s not quite the safe space that Charles’ is.

THE COLLAR?! I’m seeing everyone freaking out about it, but not going to lie, I burst out laughing when I read that part. OF COURSE Max would be *that* petty and throw Charles’ comment back in his face like that. I am obsessed with them and the way you write them. And the collar is awful and humiliating, but I am also excited for its reappearance ���

I was so excited for a Max POV last chapter, but I semi-take that back now because knowing both of their perspectives and seeing wildly wrong they both are about each other just makes me want to lock them in a room and barricade the door until they figure out what a communication is. I’m frustrated as hell now, but also absolutely living for the angst while I wait for them to figure out what words are!!

I think Charles is incredibly stupid for thinking Ferarri is going to care about him starving himself. And Charles clearly isn’t caring about himself beyond just trying to get away from Max right now, so it feels incredibly twisted that Max is kind of the only person who is knows what is going on with Charles and cares about Charles (even if he seems to care in an incredibly weird and fucked up way right now). 

LOVE how susceptible you’ve made Charles is to alphas and how that fucks up the power dynamic EVEN more (the way he reacts to Pierre now???, the way he said that if Max had used his alpha voice, he would have been out for HOURS????!!!!) I have a feeling that this is a big reason that Max isn’t letting him go anywhere, and that this will become veryyyyy relevant (perhaps with a certain Mercedes mechanic 👀) later????

There’s SO much more I want to say but this is WAYYYY too long (sorry!!!), so super quick honourable mentions: 

happy dance when I saw the fic title in the chapter!!

“Maybe it’ll come to fruition as soon as the Monaco GP” I am suddenly TERRIFIED for what you have planned for Charles’ home race

Pierre becoming visibly worried in response to Charles getting a maniacal little grin and coming up with an awful plan had me absolutely rolling I love the way you write everyone

Eek it was all so good!! I am so excited to eventually get to the point in this fic where we start getting answers instead of more questions but I LOVE this suspense you’re building!! Thank you for sharing <3

you've triggered me very deeply, because I did NOT GO TO THE ERAS TOUR. I COULDN'T GET TICKETS. I stg I cried for like 3 days when I missed out lol. and then also had a weep when I watched the movie. I will forever rage at people who went to like 5 nights because how the FUCK did they get those tickets!!!!

I'm so glad you like the dream world so much. there are some reallllyyyyyy fun scenes planned for that place.

zipped lips re the alpha voice!!!! but it's also going to be coming back!!!

Pierre thought "does Charles not remember that the last time he thought he had a great plan he got bought by Max" and you know what??? that was very real of him

I think the answers are going to start trickling in pretty soon!! I think? Well, I think so at least haha. the next Max POV gives some pretty good insight into a couple things.

[fancylala4]

Why Flynn rider is a terrible character

His backstory is poorly written and underdeveloped. He grew up in orphanage, grew up to hate his name because of some stupid reason, and wanted to be an adventurer. That’s it. Why the hell did he become a thief? Especially since he sucks at being one and was implied to be ashamed of it in the camp. Was he forced to do it because place he grew up in was poor? Was he just lazy to get a job? Why didn’t he just get a job to pay for all the stuff, or just become an adventurer? You don’t need money for that shit, you can just live off the land. It’s like the writers tried to copy Aladdin for Flynn’s backstory and character. However, Aladdin as a character made sense. We know why Aladdin couldn’t get a job because the town he grew up in was poor and harsh. He couldn’t get a job and he stole only food to survive. What’s Flynn excuse? Also, Aladdin was actually a good thief and he was smart. Flynn, on the other hand, was an idiot and a terrible thief.

Another reason why his backstory fell flat was because they didn’t show it to us. He just tells it to us. Can you imagine if Ariel told her dad that she almost got eaten by a shark, or that Cinderella just told the mice that the fairy godmother give her the dress instead of showing us those scenes? No because that’s lazy, and it’s better to show the audience these scenes. If they showed us Flynn’s backstory, we could have understood his character better and see how hard life was for him. But the creators thought it was better to have Flynn tell us his boring sob story.

We don’t know anything about him. How long has Flynn been stealing? Is he from white land or some other place? How many places has he been to? Why is he going to get killed for stealing an ugly crown? The movie doesn’t answer that or make any mention of it. We also don’t even know his real personality! We have been told that the Flynn Rider thing is all an act because he had low self-esteem or something. However, the movie never showed us his real personality or scenes that hinted to us that he’s faking. No scenes where he’s alone and lets his real personality shows through to the audience. We can only assume that his real personality is as bland as the golden age Disney princes.

He got away with the messed up things he did. Nobody called him out on being manipulative to Rapunzel when she was having a breakdown and bring her to a bar filled with criminals! Flynn was even enjoying seeing Rapunzel freaking out and uncomfortable with the bar. People praise him for protecting her when things went wrong in the bar, but he was the one who got them in the situation in the first place. He also stole a crown that belonged to a kidnapped baby and betrayed his team. When the twins got back at him for the shit he did, I’m supposed to feel bad for him? Plus, Disney stans attack princes of color like Aladdin for lying and Naveen for being a jerk. Yet they praise Flynn even though he did worse things than those two.