#Ryan Carpet Cleaning

[gallavichsreddie1128]

What if Y/N had the powers and Homelander didn’t?

Y/N was the leader of the seven, she was the most powerful member and the world’s favorite one as well. 

She had a husband named John Gillman who was just an ordinary everyday guy. 

They had a son together named Ryan who they loved very much. 

John would attend all the parties and red carpet events with his wife. 

 “She is such a strong and powerful, amazing, lovely wife and I’m so proud of her success and to see her saving the world.” 

John was like a housewife. He kept the kitchen and house clean and he always made her dinner. 

On stressful days after shooting a Vought movie or saving someone, John always ran a bath for her or gave her a massage. 

Y/N loved her job but it was sometimes exhausting. John was always there to help her relax. 

Y/N loved the seven and the members well…except for Stormfront. Stormfront took a liking to John when she first met him and Y/N knew right away. John was oblivious and just thought she was being nice but Y/N saw right through that Nazi bitch.

Stormfront wanted John and tried to get him to leave Y/N. She would constantly show off her body to him and try to tempt him but it always failed. 

“I’m sure she’s just being nice.” “No babe, she wants to fuck you.” 

When all the stuff about her being a Nazi came out Y/N wasn’t shocked. She was happy that the bitch got exposed. 

“I always knew she was a bad person. I mean after she tried to fuck you? Yeah it was pretty obvious.” 

Y/N tried to keep John away from her work as much as possible. But it was hard when he brought her lunch every day and kissed her cheek before he left. 

Starlight was in awe of the relationship and wished that it could be her and Hughie some day. 

When Billy found out you had a husband he managed to kidnap him to lure you to him. 

“Why the fuck did you kidnap my husband?” “Knew that you would come looking so listen luv, We need your help.”

Taking down Vought was a good but terrible idea. Y/N wanted to laugh in Billy’s face but she had the power to do so when the time was right. 

“So he only kidnapped me so you would help him take down Vought?” “I guess so.”

John supported you on the decision to help, especially after hearing that you weren’t born a supe but Vought made you one. 

It was hard for you to hear that your parents betrayed you like that but John was there for you and helped you through it. 

Soldier Boy constantly flirted with you. He didn’t care that you were married. 

“So he’s a puny human.” “Well I love him.”

John was annoyed that Soldier Boy flirted with you but the man was a supe so what could he do?

That was until Billy got his hands on Compound V and took it.

Y/N was hurt that Billy took it but more hurt that he convinced her husband to take it. 

“Why would you inject that into your body?” “I wanted to beat Soldier Boy, he can’t have you.” 

Truth be told you did find it hot seeing him with powers. But it had to be a one time thing! 

“It was a one time thing, right?” “Yes but you have to admit it was pretty fun.” 

Y/N and John were the dream couple and that wouldn’t change 

[theghoulboysblog]

My Top Ten Favorite Moments from Ghost Files in Dallas Texas starting at the funniest:

1. Shane and Ryan getting into a brief argument over the Sally House flashlights and Ryan saying, “We are NOT going to rehash a six year fight!” and then making a comment along the lines of, “We’re like a married couple!”

2. After someone clarified that Shane stole Goatman’s Bridge first, Ryan agreed and said that it indeed was *technically* Shane’s bridge and that Shane deserves all of the credit. In response to that, Shane said that after he claimed the bridge from Goatman, he added Ryan’s name to the deed, so therefore IT IS IN FACT Shane and Ryan’s Bridge that they have joint possession of :) And Shane wasn’t being teasing about it AT ALL. He wasn’t saying, “Ha, Goatman’s gonna get BOTH OF US NOW.” He was being painfully genuine in a “i want this to be a thing you and me share” kinda way. 😭

3. Shane saying that he will more than likely finish the Hotdoga someday and that he has the ending roughly planned out in his mind! :D He also explained that he stopped due to the work load, leading Ryan to say, “He made the Hotdoga to annoy me, but then he was like ‘Damn, this is a lot of work!’” 😭 (Also someone made a comment on the dead look in Ryan’s eyes at the mention of the Hotdoga and said, “It took me back!” and Ryan sadly responded, “Me too.” Haha!)

4. The Shaniacs teasing Ryan about the evidence he caught / the evidence that he found compelling enough to include in the live show. Some person yelled nonchalantly, “FAKE!” and Ryan teased them multiple times through the show. Another person put air quotes around the word “evidence” while talking to Ryan and Shane took his hat off for a second in respect, and another person brought a laser pointer to help Ryan point out the evidence cause it was so hard to see and Ryan was so flabbergasted 😭 BRO WAS GOING THROUGH IT!!! (It was all lighthearted respectful teasing and Ryan was a good sport about it all!)

5. A person, dressed HEAD TO TOE as the professor, politely tossed some jelly beans at Shane, Meredith, and Ryan. Shane then dropped some of said jelly beans and proceeded to eat them off the ground, claiming that since they landed on the white carpet under their feet and not the stage that they were fine. Ryan and Meredith were NOT pleased in the slightest. Ryan did however take a clean green jelly bean out of Shane’s palm and Shane let him happily and then politely offered one to Meredith (she said no haha.)

6. SHANE ALMOST FALLING WHEN HE GOT UP TO DO THE ESTES METHOD LMAOOO!

7. Shane and Ryan talking about the episode they discussed the possibility that the man who died playing piano pooped himself and then revealing that they had to cut for like five minutes because they cried laughing so long. Shane, while reminiscing about this moment, said, “Very sad but GOD DAMN was it funny!” 😭 He also revealed that there have been MANY times him and Ryan have laughed themselves to tears together and I thought that was kinda sweet.

8. Meredith and Ryan thought there was a ghost backstage, and then Shane and Ryan lied to Meredith and said the ghost started acting up again when she left, resulting in Meredith believing that the ghost was just racist.

9. A fan asking Shane a question about a certain clip and saying, “When that ghost called you daddy-” and Shane, COMPLETELY misunderstanding what they said, yelling confusedly, “WHEN THAT GHOST FUCKING DIED?!?!?!? 🤨🤨🤨”

10. And lastly, Ryan calling Steven their “Delicate Steven Lim” and teasing him for the last few minutes of the show haha 💛 The best part of it was when Ryan was talking about him and Shane taking Steven ghost hunting years ago and stating that Steven had said he found his calm. Ryan, remembering this moment, said, “He didn’t find calm, he TALKED TO GOD!!! FOR FIVE MINUTES!!!!!” 😭 and the exasperation in his tone was so damn funny.

Bonus. This person came up to ask a question holding an empty nacho box and Ryan was weirdly extremely fixated on it 😭 He was pretty much like, “Did that hold nachos??? Cool. It looked like a nachos kind of box. Cool, cool. You looked like you enjoyed them? The nachos?” I literally have NO CLUE what that was about but I think he might have been hungry for some nachos idk?!?! 😭😭😭

(Other honorable mentions are Ryan being upset the ghost called Shane daddy and not him, Shane yelling that he’s “GOT PUPPETS TO MAKE!”, Ryan getting a little anxious when people weren’t cheering for his evidence and being like, “NEVERMIND I DON’T THINK IT’S COMPELLING ANYMORE I SWEAR-“, Shane blasting “Mamma Mia” before the show, and Shane taking amazing care of a doll someone gifted him and putting it between him and Ryan!!!)

The show was AMAZING, the episode was SO great, (NO SPOILERS BUT YOU GUYS ARE IN FOR A TREAT!!!), the people there were so accepting, and the Ghoul Boys were so UNBELIEVABLY NICE TO EVERYONE. If you have the money and time for it, I honestly recommend buying a ticket to one of the shows because I had SUCH A GOOD TIME. (Also, LITERALLY DON’T BE SCARED TO ASK THEM A QUESTION OR GIVE THEM A GIFT CAUSE THEY WERE SO GRATEFUL, PATIENT, AND KIND, ESPECIALLY TO PEOPLE WHO WERE OBVIOUSLY ANXIOUS TO TALK TO THEM.) I honestly have NOTHING bad to say about my experience. It was a dandy time and I plan to go to another show in the future if they ever tour again.

[whocaresaboutdecent]

Is It About Me?

Rated: Teen And Up Audiences | Read on Ao3

The first thing Dylan noticed when he stepped into their room at Harbinger Motel was the disappointingly wide gap between the two single beds that were shoved into opposite corners of the room. Only then did he take in the rest of the interior, the old-fashioned curtains and the run-down carpet someone had worried a trench into elicited a slight frown. The furniture looked like it was right out of a museum and the lamp dangling from the ceiling only managed a dim, pale light, painting sinister shadows rather than illuminating the room.

At least the place seemed clean enough, and no matter how shady everything may appear, a rundown motel room decidedly gained in appeal after their night of horrors.

Dylan dropped his bag at the foot of the bed next to the dusty window and shot a glance at Ryan behind him. Mock disappointment crept into his voice as he quipped, “Oh no, I was hoping you got us a double room.”

The silence that followed felt suspiciously like an eye roll. Dylan had grown accustomed to Ryan's silences over the past two months, and the fact that he could tell the difference between annoyance, speechlessness, and embarrassment without even looking at him spoke volumes about how hopelessly infatuated he was.

Behind him, the door slammed shut. Dylan flinched, spinning around with fists raised, braced for a fight. His heart raced, but then his frantic gaze settled on Ryan—just Ryan, giving him an apologetic look. Dylan forced himself to breathe evenly, and dared to unclench his fists. No werewolves. No mad hunters. Just Ryan. Everything was okay. They were safe.

“Sorry about that,” Ryan muttered, dropping his bag next to the bed Dylan hadn’t claimed, and raked a hand through his hair.

Dylan grinned in an attempt to mask the embarrassing wave of shock that had just shot through his body.  “Glad you would’ve preferred shared beds as well.” He feigned nonchalance, pretending not to know the real reason for Ryan’s apology. But the slight tremble in his voice betrayed him, and he cursed the crack in his usual cool demeanor. As if last night hadn’t already ruined his reputation.

“I didn’t …,” Ryan began, but caught himself just in time. “Oh well, never mind.”

Dylan felt a pang of disappointment. There had been a time, back at the beginning of the summer, when Ryan would at least stumble over his flirtations, looking adorably flustered. Now, he seemed to have decided to meet Dylan’s teasing with stoic indifference.

For a moment, silence filled the room. Dylan fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, his fingers moving restlessly, while Ryan paced back and forth, deepening the already worn trench in the carpet. If Dylan was honest with himself, this was the perfect setting to tell Ryan what he’d wanted to tell him for several days now. He had never found the courage or the privacy to do so, and when he didn’t do it now, then it would be too late for … well, for whatever it was he hoped them to have together. He inhaled deeply.

“You need a distraction,” Dylan declared, trying not to let on how much he needed it himself, the images of the night threatening to sneak up on him. He rummaged through his bag, pulled out his phone, and raised it in the air triumphantly. Without allowing for objection he threw himself on Ryan’s bed, grinning up at him expectantly.

Ryan stopped pacing, his gaze narrowing as he took in the sight of Dylan sprawled out on his bed.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Ryan’s voice didn’t betray any emotion, but there was a flicker of something—annoyance, maybe?—in his eyes. Definitely not the reaction Dylan had hoped for.

“I thought we’d listen to a podcast together,” Dylan explained, the playful edge in his voice sounding more forced than he wanted to. “And I’m pretty sure your earbuds can’t stretch across the tragically wide distance between our beds.”

A flicker of amusement crossed Ryan's face, his lips twitched as if he was resisting a smile. “You know, we could just use the speaker. No one’s here to be bothered by it.”

“Oh come on, that’s not the same! And, as I recall, you promised me shared earbuds,” Dylan retorted with half-earnest indignation, patting the empty space next to him in invitation.

Ryan rolled his eyes but made his way over to the bed with a resigned sigh. As he lay down next to Dylan, their shoulders brushed, sending a pleasant tingle through Dylan’s entire body. He bit down a smile as Ryan fought with the earbuds, trying to untangle them, and took the one Ryan finally offered to him without a word.

“What do you want to listen to?” Ryan asked as Dylan connected the earbuds to his phone.

“It'll ruin the surprise if I tell you,” Dylan teased, though his fingers trembled as he scrolled through the podcast episodes, searching for the right one. He stole a glance at Ryan and waited until he was fully settled before pressing play, his heart thudding louder than he would like. 

“Welcome, everyone, to our new episode of Rainbow Youth, the podcast that discusses the realities of queer teens all over the US. Today, we welcome our guest Dylan. Hello, Dylan!”

“Hi, it’s great to be here.”

“Dylan, please tell us your pronouns and how you identify.”

Ryan’s eyes widened as he recognized the familiar voice sounding from the earbuds. “There really is a podcast about you.”

Dylan chuckled at Ryan’s expression and quickly pressed pause, not wanting Ryan to miss the upcoming, crucial moments of the episode. He smiled, amused by Ryan’s disbelief.

“Yeah,” Dylan said, nodding. “Did you think I was making fun of you?” He caught Ryan’s appraising look and raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, forget I asked.”

For a moment, Dylan hesitated before hitting play again, suddenly questioning his decision to tell Ryan about himself this way. Wouldn’t it be better to share something that personal in a face-to-face conversation? But the mere thought of saying those words while Ryan was looking at him made his palms sweat. To buy himself a little more time, he added, “I was a special guest on this queer youth podcast, you know. They invited me to talk about my experiences.”

“Cool,” Ryan replied simply, glancing at the phone in Dylan’s hand, clearly expecting him to continue. Dylan took it as a good sign, Ryan signaling interest, but his nerves refused to calm. With a heavy swallow, he hit the play button again.

“Okay, so, my pronouns are he/him, and I identify as a gay trans guy.”

Dylan kept his eyes on Ryan, searching for any hint of acknowledgment, any sign of surprise or shock or disbelief, or any of the other painful scenarios he had painted in his mind for the last couple of weeks.

But nothing came. Ryan remained focused on the host’s questions, his expression neutral, listening intently as if Dylan hadn’t just shared something that —at least to him—felt monumental. Dylan had been bracing for this moment for two months, and it had taken werewolves and near-death experiences to finally give him the push. And Ryan said nothing?

Dylan hit pause, forcing Ryan to finally, finally look at him.

“Ummm …”, Dylan began, his voice reflecting every bit of the insecurity he felt. “Did you hear what I just said? On the podcast, I mean?”

“Yes.” 

Silence followed, heavy and uncomfortable.

“And …” Dylan’s throat tightened, the words barely leaving his mouth. “What do you think about that?”

Ryan glanced at him, his expression unreadable. “It’s okay.”

Oh well, that could mean anything from casual acceptance to hurtful indifference. But somehow, despite the ambiguous reaction, Ryan’s deep, steady voice soothed Dylan’s nerves. It almost felt like he was deflating, all of the built-up tension that had gripped him for weeks leaving him at once. But the feeling of doubt kept nagging.

“It’s okay?” he echoed, cautiously glancing at Ryan from the corner of his eye. He wasn’t sure what reaction he had been expecting, but it certainly hadn’t been a simple, steady affirmation.

“Um … yeah?” Ryan replied, his voice still calm, though the way he smoothed his palms over his thighs and the faint crease in his brow betrayed the unease Dylan’s reaction caused. “Why? Did you … expect it to change something?”

“No,” Dylan hurried to reassure him. After a short hesitation, he frowned. “I mean, no, I didn’t want it to,” he specified, “I just thought maybe it would.” He stopped himself before delving into how it so often had. Now was not the time to spiral into an account of his past experiences, not when Ryan was still sitting next to him, even leaning in ever so slightly if Dylan could trust his perception.

“Well, it doesn’t,” Ryan stressed, more firmly this time.

Dylan managed a small smile of relief, but it faded as soon as another thought forced its way into his head, a thought he hated but couldn’t brush off again.

He whispered, “Because you don’t … like me in a way where this would even be relevant?” His fingers tightened around his phone.

There was a moment of silence. It wasn’t like any of Ryan’s other silences Dylan had spent so much time cataloging over the summer. It was heavier, almost stunned, the kind of silence that made Dylan’s heart sink.

“What gave you that idea?” Ryan asked at last, his voice sharper than usual, cutting through the tension.

Dylan shrugged, trying to adopt his usual nonchalant tone, though every fiber of his being felt like it was trembling. “You didn’t kiss me when you had the choice. So, I figured...”

“Ah.” Ryan fell silent again, and each passing second felt like torture. Dylan’s mind raced, imagining all the ways Ryan could reject him, each scenario more painful than the other.

When Ryan finally spoke, his words caught Dylan off guard for a change. “You like me, right?” 

Dylan sat up, staring at him in disbelief. “If I didn’t make that clear, I should probably refine my flirting abilities.”

“You flirted alright,” Ryan said, his voice softer now. “I’m just ... I’m just not great at figuring out if you’re serious or just making fun.”

Well, Dylan could probably congratulate himself on this one.

“I’m serious,” Dylan said, after hesitating briefly which had nothing to do with his feelings for Ryan and everything to do with his own insecurity. “Very serious, actually.” He squirmed slightly under Ryan’s intense gaze. “I guess… I wanted to leave myself a way out, you know? So I could say it wasn’t that serious, in case you weren’t interested.”

He glanced sideways at Ryan, heart pounding. “Are you? Interested?”

“I am,” Ryan replied simply. And then there was silence again. Dylan waited, but his patience was stretched thin by the confusing thoughts swirling in his brain.

“I still don’t get why you kissed Kaitlyn instead of me,” he blurted out. The memory stung, though Ryan’s hand resting next to his thigh now, its weight calming and reassuring, eased the pain a little.

“I didn’t kiss you because I didn’t want it to feel like part of a game. A kiss with everyone watching, something that could be brushed off as a joke.”

Dylan’s chest tightened at the realization that he hadn’t been the only one fighting insecurity. 

“I won’t say it’s a joke,” Dylan reassured him softly, and without overthinking it any longer, he did something he had wanted to do for the last two months: he took Ryan’s hand in his, squeezing it gently, tracing soothing patterns on the back of it with his thumb.

They sat in silence for a while, with Dylan struggling to find the right words to convey just how much Ryan’s calm acceptance of his identity meant to him. His affection for Ryan had deepened to an even more unsettling level, and the fact that Ryan seemed to feel the same way was almost surreal. But, Dylan was still Dylan, and it wasn’t long before the urge to break the tension with humor took over. He lifted their joined hands slightly.

“I’m so glad you didn’t cut it off, you know. So much more flexibility for holding your hand.”

Ryan groaned, though a smile tugged at his lips. The glimpse of it made it more and more difficult for Dylan to keep his distance.

“So …” Dylan finally dared to ask, leaning in just a little, “do you want to kiss me now? Totally un-jokingly?”

“Yes.”

Ryan’s response came without hesitation, as calm and certain as his earlier it’s okay.

Dylan smiled, his hand sliding to the back of Ryan’s neck as he gently pulled him closer. They filled the silence that followed with tentative touches, fingertips brushing warm skin, lips meeting softly. Dylan happily filed this silence away alongside all the others. It was his favorite by far.

“Admit it,” Dylan whispered, his forehead resting against Ryan’s after they reluctantly broke apart. “You didn’t kiss me in front of the others because you were too scared of damaging your cool and mysterious image by looking utterly smitten once I was done with you. Like right now.”

Ryan chuckled, a sound Dylan would do everything in his power to hear again and again and again. 

“Maybe,” he replied vaguely, tugging Dylan closer as if wanting to effectively shut him up for now. And Dylan wasn’t about to argue.

[iron-magee-giant]

Rolling Out The Tattered Carpet || Ratt

Cleaning out an abandoned, blown up science building was definitely much harder than they both could’ve expected. However, they also both knew that the campus had little to no hangout spots where they could let loose, have a little fun without the stress of supervision over them. We’re they missing the point why they needed that supervision in the first place? Of course they were, but that didn’t let it stop them from coming into the lot a few hours for the past couple weeks to get it looking nicer slowly but surely. Today, it seemed like they finally hit their mark. “How’s this look?” Ryan asked after doing some hard labor and moving a couch he found into one of the less torn up classrooms with greenery around it.

@little-ikea-waldo

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Real World Nightmares - Ryan!Ken X GN Reader

Title: Real World Nightmares

Ryan!Ken X GN Reader

Additional Characters: N/A

WC: 2,365

Warnings: Yelling, nightmares, crying, hurt/comfort, slight angst, and fluff

The sun shone down upon Ken, warming his face and chest as he groaned slightly, stretching his arms. Squinting his eyes, he lazily sat up, the soft comforter pooling in his lap. Yawning, he blindly ran his hand over your side of the bed, craving to feel your skin against his, but you were missing. Eyes flashing open, he looked over, and you were indeed gone. Frowning, Ken paused, smelling the wonderful scent of sizzling bacon. A small smile slowly slipped onto his face as he shuffled out of the bed. 

Dragging his feet against the soft cream carpet, Ken followed his nose straight to the kitchen, where you were making breakfast at the stove. Ken's smile immediately widened upon his ocean blue eyes meeting your figure. You looked so beautiful in the morning light that shined through the kitchen window as you hummed quietly to yourself. Ken felt his heart skip a beat, his cheeks flushing as he watched you pour the flour into a large mixing bowl; making pancakes or waffles it seemed.

Adorably waddling over, still a bit hazy with sleep, Ken stood behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist; nuzzling his nose into the back of your head, smelling your shampoo, like he usually did in the mornings. But, before he could do or say anything more, he heard you screech abruptly as you stepped back, Ken's arms falling from your waist from the sudden movement. Ken's grin immediately dropped when you swirled around, a large frown on your face, eyes narrowed dangerously up at him. 

"Are you freaking serious, Ken!?" You cried out, gesturing to your shirt and the kitchen counter, covered white in spilled flour. "It's everywhere!" You continued, angrily brushing the flour from the front of your shirt; small puffs of white fluttering in the air. Ken felt terrible, reaching out to try and help, but at your sharp glare, he froze. "Why do you have to ruin everything?"

At that, Ken staggered back. Ruin? You had never spoken to him like that before. Never yelled at him. Never had Ken ever seen the hate that you held in your eyes as you glared at him. It wasn't very comforting. Your voice sounded cold, distant even. His brow furrowed, eyes wide, mouth parted slightly. He stared at you, stunned and silent, a slight burning behind his eyes from unshed tears. 

You quickly turned away, beginning to clean up the mess, cursing under your breath. Ken felt a sudden pain in his chest and his heart began to pound wildly, his stomach churning uncomfortably. He didn't know what to do.

Swallowing thickly, his throat feeling terribly dry, he tried to reach out to help once more, wanting to help you, make you happy again, see your smile. But, as soon as he reached out, ready to lend a hand, you whipped around; Ken's eyes widened as he found himself staring directly into your blazing ones. The fire was there; burning inside your gaze.

"You're not helping," You stated bluntly, turning away again. "You'll just make things worse. Like always." You bit back.

"But-" Ken croaked out weakly, unable to form any further words. He wanted to hug you and apologize. To hold you, kiss you. He wanted to tell you it would be okay, that you would both get through this. 

"I wish I never met you." You growled, hands pressed tightly against the counter as you stared down at it, "I regret having ever met you."

Ken held in an agonized sob at your words, eyes brimming with tears, "But- But, Y/N-" He wanted to reach out, his hand stopping at your arm, pausing, he hesitated before dropping his hand back to his side. 

You turned back around, "I wish you stayed in Barbie Land, I wish you never wished to become human, I wish I never ran into you, and I wish I never met you."

"P- Please, Y/N-"

"I wish I never fell in love with you." And with those words, Ken saw his world shatter into pieces. He felt like he couldn't breathe like his insides were being ripped out piece by piece. Tears streamed down his face as his heart shattered all over again. But his completely heartbroken appearance didn't stop you from continuing, "I don't know why I loved you in the first place. You are always around me, I hardly have space to myself. If we go out, you practically hang off of me, being all clingy. You honestly embarrass me whenever I go out or when we have company. I always end up taking care of you, like a baby! What is wrong with you? Can't you see how much trouble you're causing me? How much trouble are you causing everyone?!" You seethed, finally breaking eye contact to glare at the floor instead.

Ken blinked, trying to process what you said. What had happened? What had happened that made you so cruel? Maybe you were right... Maybe he did spend too much time with you... Maybe he should stay away from you... But... You still cared about him, right? That's what he thought... At least, he hoped he believed it. Ken didn't realize it until now, but he had been standing there, frozen in shock and horror, for quite some time. 

"I- I didn't mean to." He muttered out, shaking, "I'm sorry..."

But you weren't listening anymore. Turning back around to face the stove, you scoffed. "Don't worry. I've already packed your stuff. Don’t bother coming back." With those words, you left Ken alone in the kitchen, in shock. You packed his bags with the ease of someone who knew exactly what they were doing. Turning his head to follow you as you left, he noticed the packed suitcase sitting near the front door. Ken was as hurt as he was confused, he hadn't noticed that when he woke up. 

You were planning on him leaving. 

Where was he going to go? Back to Barbie Land? He'd have to...

"Ken?"

He didn't want to leave the kitchen, he felt like his feet were super glued to the floor. 

"Ken."

Why would you say all of those terrible things? He loved you...

He loved you...

"Ken!"

Sucking a deep breath, Ken jolted, sitting upright. Eyes shooting open, he rapidly blinked the tears from his eyes, feeling them slip onto his already wet cheeks. Confused, he looked around him, seeing the dark bedroom, and you beside him. Upon seeing you, his chest felt tight, his breathing picking up speed. He gripped the blanket tightly, fingers digging into the fabric, sweat dripping down his temple.

You reached forward, your fingers just brushing his arm, making him flinch. You frowned, dropping your hand, clearly worried. You watched as Ken quickly shut his eyes, tears still cascading down his cheeks as he curled up upon himself; his knees coming up to his chest. Clearly, the nightmare that he had, had really spooked him. 

"Ken..." You muttered, your heart breaking as Ken flinched at the sound of your voice. "Ken... You had a nightmare." You spoke softly, sighing as Ken shook his head, digging his chin further between his knees and heaving chest. 

"You hate me..." He whimpered out, your heart-shattering at his voice, "And I... I can't..." Ken trailed off as he pulled the blankets closer to his body, burying his face into his knees. Your eyes softened, watching as Ken buried his head into his knees.

"Hey, no, baby. I could never hate you." You whispered, "It was all a bad dream. Whatever happened in that dream didn't happen... It's not real... Okay?" You tried to reassure him, taking a chance and scooting closer to him. "It's one of the worst things about being human, having nightmares. They may seem real at the time, but they're not, okay? You're safe. You're home." You waited, hoping that he would calm down enough to listen to you. But, it seemed like he wouldn't.

Ken didn't know who or what to trust anymore. Whatever had happened was terrifying. His worst fears had come true, and now, he didn't know where to turn. What to do. He could barely think straight. Everything was spinning. His whole world had been turned upside down. He didn’t know what to think anymore.

Upon seeing that his breathing was becoming rather quick, you immediately became more worried, seeing all the signs of an oncoming panic attack. "Ken." You shuffled closer, "Ken, I need you to breathe for me, sweetheart."

"You... Said... You said you hated me." He exclaimed, his voice muffled, sounding so defeated. 

"I would never say that, Kenny, you know that." You insisted, scooting in front of him, sitting upon the back of your thighs as you slowly reached out, gently taking his hands that were wrapped around his legs. "Ken, look at me, please." It took a moment, but soon Ken slowly looked up, staring at you with the saddest blue eyes that you had ever seen. Shoulders dropping, you felt like crying yourself. "There, okay. Ken, I need you to calm down, okay? Just try and breathe." You urged him gently, looking at him, waiting patiently for him to comply. "Breathe, please." You pleaded quietly, squeezing his hands in yours gently.

After several moments, Ken closed his eyes, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, his eyes remaining squeezed shut. Taking that as a good sign, you began to rub up and down on his arms as you continued to wait; soon enough, Ken opened his eyes once more.

"It wasn't real?" He asked, his voice soft and hesitant.

"No, it wasn't real. Not everything in the Real World is… Well, real. You were just having a bad dream." You smiled softly, reassuringly, as Ken nodded, his grip loosening slightly as he sighed softly.

Reaching up, you gently wiped the tears from his face, your thumbs brushing against the apples of his cheeks. "Okay..." He murmured, leaning into your touch, shutting his eyes once again. "It felt so real... It- It-"

"It wasn't." You interrupted him, "Do you want to tell me what happened? I know it sometimes helps."

Ken thought about it, taking a deep, shaky, as he pouted. "It was about you."

Your chest tightened as your frown deepened, "What about me?"

"You- I woke up... I accidentally spilled flour... You yelled at me..." Ken felt more tears gather in his eyes, unable to look up at you, his voice quiet and broken. "You told me you regretted meeting me. That you..." He felt sick, "That you regretted loving me. You told me to leave you."

Eyes widening, you felt your bottom lip quiver, "Oh, Ken," You sighed, scooting impossibly closer to the broken man before you, your hands remaining on his cheeks; one hand slipping away to brush the sweaty hair from his forehead before again resting softly back his cheek. "Ken, sweetheart. I do not regret meeting you. And I definitely do not regret loving you. And I would not make you leave. You're everything to me. I love you oh so much." You pressed your lips against his forehead, heart fluttering as he shivered beneath your touch.

"Really?" He managed to choke out, looking up at you with those beautiful blue hues that you adored so much.

"Of course." You breathed out, "I would be crazy not to love you. You are so incredibly kind and generous. You always make me laugh and smile, even when I’m sad or have had a bad day. You make me feel so loved, from the way you look at me, to the things that you say and do. When you smile, I'm sure that the world stops. When you kiss me, my stomach does so many summersaults. You lighten my heart, my soul, with just a simple brush of your fingertips or just a simple glance. You're perfect, Ken. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you. So, so very much." You smiled sadly, holding his face in your hands tenderly; your own cheeks began to warm as you spoke.

His lips quivered slightly as he bit his lip, blinking back more tears that threatened to spill over. "I'm- I'm not too- Too clingy?" He asked in an uncertain tone. "I don't bother you too much? You don't find me annoying?" He added hesitantly.

"Too clingy? I think I'm the too clingy one. I could hug you for hours, days even." You chuckled a little, eyes raking over his face briefly before looking into his eyes, "I don't think you're clingy. I love how much you show affection. I love the random kisses, hugs, hand-holding, everything. And you are absolutely the opposite of annoying, Ken. Never annoying. Never." You assured him, your thumbs brushing against his cheeks subconsciously.

Ken felt like his heart was about to burst, as his bottom lip trembled again. A few stray tears rolled down his cheeks as he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around you tightly. Ken felt a surge of emotions rush through his chest and veins as he pulled you into his lap, hugging you tight. Closing his eyes, Ken breathed deeply, trying to steady himself, but he couldn't stop the smile from forming across his face. The warmth and comfort that radiated from you as you hugged him made him feel safe and secure. He held you close, pressing his nose against your neck. 

"I love you," Ken mumbled against your skin, "I love you so much..."

"I love you more... More than anything... More than anything else in the entire world." You murmured, peppering kisses to his temple gently, stroking his hair, your nails softly dragging across his scalp.

As if it wasn't already comforting to hear your words, Ken felt even more comforted by your touches. As he held you tighter, he couldn't help but let out a sob. It was all a nightmare. All just one big bad dream. He couldn't help the feeling of overwhelming relief, happiness, and love that flooded his body. He couldn't help but feel soothed. He felt warm. He felt safe. He felt loved.

---

Main Masterlist | Barbie Masterlist

[mayson-jarz-artz101]

Umbrella Academy Rewrite

Episode one: The World We Knew (Over and Over)

April 5th, 2019

The Hargreeves family have just arrived in the brand new timeline. They argue on where to go, with Viktor saying they should try to stay together. The siblings eventually all go their separate ways and the camera fades to black with text appearing on screen saying February 17th, 2028…9 years later.

The camera pans over the city and then shows the siblings living their daily lives with “The World We Knew (Over and Over)” by Frank Sinatra playing.

Luther has a closeup shot when a pencil floats past his face. As the camera pulls away and turns around, he is shown to be floating upside down and wearing a blue suit with a NASA symbol.

A closeup shot of a police badge moving back and forth. The camera zooms out to show Diego running in a police uniform. He then catches up to a criminal and he tackles him to the ground. He places his hands behind his back and handcuffs him. Diego forces the criminal up and puts him into the back of a police car.

Allison is shown on a red carpet, flashing lights everywhere. She then turns and faces the camera, holding a bottle of laundry detergent. She puts on a fake smile and starts talking, doing an ad read.

Klaus walks out of a room and the camera focuses on a plaque that says “Dr. Ryans, psychologist.” It cuts back to Klaus putting on a new pair of blue surgical gloves and a new face mask. He then walks down the street and into another building where the camera leaves him to focus on a sign saying “Alcoholics Anonymous.”

Five is sitting in a car, fixing up his suit and tossing a folder into the glove box. The folder is shown to say “CIA: Confidential” written on the front. He picks up a picture of his husband and three kids. He smiles and puts the picture into his coat pocket. He gets out of the car.

Ben is wearing an orange jumpsuit and sitting down at a table with other inmates, playing cards.

Viktor is playing the violin in a bar called “White Violin.” The song fades out into a violin cover and then stops.Viktor sets the violin down and thanks the patrons for coming tonight. Viktor gets down from the stage and goes over to the bar where his wife, Bella, serves him a small glass of whiskey.

———————————————————————————

Bella: Good job tonight, babe. Everyone’s so happy..

———————————————————————————

She smiles as Viktor chuckles

———————————————————————————

Viktor: Yeah..it feels good seeing everyone smile..thanks for..encouraging me to play again. I kind of missed it..

Bella: Well, of course..you needed something to take your mind off everything else for a bit.

Viktor: “Everything else?”

Bella: Yeah..I see you staring at the picture of you and your family when we went to Five’s wedding. I know you miss them..

Viktor: Yeah..I guess I do. We just don’t see each other as often as we should..we all live in different places and we’re always so busy. But…as long as they’re happy. I think we deserve it after everything..

———————————————————————————

A phone on the bar started to ring. Viktor gets up and heads over to the phone. He answers.

———————————————————————————

Viktor: Hello?

Luther: Hey, Vik! I was wondering if you were gonna head down here for Grace’s birthday party…I know you’re all the way in Canada but…It’s been awhile since the family got together. It..It would be nice if you came.

Viktor: Oh..I-I don’t know if I can, Luther. I mean, I’ve got the bar, we’re still cleaning up after Valentine’s Day..I don’t think I’ll be able—

———————————————————————————

The phone gets ripped away from Viktor.

———————————————————————————

Bella: We would love to come, Luther. Send us the details and we’ll be there. See you soon, big guy. Bella hangs up the phone.

Viktor: Bella!

Bella: What? It’s been 9 years, Vik. Your family wants to see you…and I’m sure Grace wouldn’t complain about seeing her Uncle Vik, hm?

Viktor: I-I guess not. I mean, I don’t think she remembers me. Diego probably doesn’t talk about me a lot.

Bella: Quit being cynical and go start packing. I’ll close for the night.

———————————————————————————

Viktor sighs

———————————————————————————

Viktor:…Alright. I’ll trust you on this, Bella.

———————————————————————————

We cut to the outside of an arcade when a white minivan pulls up. Lila gets out of the car and opens the trunk. Another car pulls up behind her and starts honking. Lila freezes in place. She marches over to the car and knocks on the window. As the woman rolls the window down, Lila leans in and looks her directly in the eyes.

———————————————————————————

Lila: If you touch that horn one more time, I’ll disconnect your brain stem.

———————————————————————————

Lila then reaches into her pocket and pulls out a party hat. She puts it on the lady’s head and says with a strained smile “It’s my daughter's birthday. Have fun.”

———————————————————————————

She goes back to her car and pulls out some grocery bags and a cooler. Her eldest daughter, Grace, gets out of the car with her younger twin sisters and an older Stanley, who is on his phone. They all run into the arcade. Lila struggles to close the trunk but manages to do so. She walks inside and sets the groceries on a table. At that moment, Diego walks in, still in uniform. He walks up to Lila and goes to hug her.

———————————————————————————

Lila: Woah, Daddy Pig, Why’re you still in uniform? I thought you said you were going to be in “civie” clothes.

Diego: Sorry, a 10-31 came up..Dude kept running but I caught him. I had to drop him off at the station..I didn’t have time to change over. But hey, I look cooler in the uniform.

Lila: Yeah, well, your fly is down, cool guy.

———————————————————————————

Diego looks down only to see it is in fact, not down.

———————————————————————————

Diego: Hey—

Lila: Made you look.

———————————————————————————

Lila chuckles

———————————————————————————

Diego: Oh, whatever, you.

———————————————————————————

He chuckles and shakes his head.

———————————————————————————

Diego: Say, did you get the piñata? No party is complete without one.

Lila: Yes, I got the damn piñata..it’s over there, I haven’t hung it yet..

———————————————————————————

Diego looks over. That isn’t the piñata from the store he had asked earlier.

———————————————————————————

Diego:…Is that the one from the east side store? I told you the ones on the west side are better…that one is basically impossible to destroy.

Lila: well…the east side store was closer. It’s fine, it’ll still get the job done.

———————————————————————————

Lila walks off.

At that moment, Luther walks in with his wife, Mallie, and their five kids. Luther walks up to Diego and they bro hug.

———————————————————————————

Diego: Hey, bro! Good to see you again, glad you could make it.

Luther: Oh, yeah! We were really excited to come here. Y’know, Dimitri loves hanging out with Grace so..we wouldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Diego: I can’t remember all of your kids, man. You need to lay off Mallie. I turn around for a second and suddenly there’s two more kids.

———————————————————————————

Luther smiles happily.

———————————————————————————

Luther: Well..What can I say? We’re happy. Maybe we should have two more…bring up the next Umbrella Academy.

Diego: Oh, god…an Umbrella Academy full of Luther’s. I think I had a nightmare about that once.

Luther: Shut up. Anyway…Look who I got out on a day pass.

———————————————————————————

The camera panned over to Ben leaning against the wall, as far from the party as he could.

———————————————————————————

Diego: Dude…you brought that asshole to my kids birthday party? He’s a criminal! He’s…He’s not even our Ben. He’s like the..shitty knock off Ben.

Luther: Hey, Hey..Dad—

Diego: Luther. Don’t.

Luther:…A certain man adopted all of us. Even if it's a different timeline…He’s our brother, in a way. He deserves a chance. Plus…it’s not like he killed someone. He got arrested for doing what you used to do.

Diego: What I did was different. I actually trained. I was an actual hero. Not some diva thinking I was.

Luther: Diego, come on. Let him. Lila was a crazy spy..yet here she is.

———————————————————————————

Diego sighs and rubs his eyes.

———————————————————————————

Diego: Fine. But he stays away from my kids. And the alcohol. It’s my booze. I paid for it with my legal money.

———————————————————————————

Diego walks away. Luther heads over to Ben and hands him a canned soda.

———————————————————————————

Luther: Hey, Buddy. Having fun?

Ben:…Don’t talk to me like I’m a child.

Luther: Sorry…you kinda get used to it after doing it for so long. But, seriously…you having fun?

Ben: Prison is more fun than this.

Luther: Well..tomorrow, you get to go back.

Ben: Either way, you’ll still find a way to bother me.

Luther: Of course, I’m your brother..it’s what we do.

Ben: You’re not my brother. My brothers are dead. The only one here is Jackson and it’s not even him.

Luther: well..yeah. I get it…you’re not our Ben either…but you’re still our brother.

———————————————————————————

Ben scoffs and rolls his eyes.

———————————————————————————

Ben: Whatever…

———————————————————————————

Ben walks away and the camera cuts over to Five walking in with his family.

———————————————————————————

Five: I’ll try to stay as long as I can, Jack…I just got a lead in my case.

Jackson: I know, but your niece doesn’t see you that often and I’m sure she’d be happy to. Also…these are your siblings.

Five: I know, I know.

———————————————————————————

Five kisses his cheek and walks over to Diego. He leans over a railing.

———————————————————————————

Diego: Five, good you could make it…hey, did your boss get my resume?

Five: Uh…I wouldn’t know. I’m not his file keeper.

Diego: I’m telling you, he’s not gonna regret it. I’ve been awesome as a cop.

Five: Yup…so I’ve heard. Y’know how the others have been?

Diego: Well…I’ve seen Allison on tv. Seems like she isn’t doing too bad. Klaus…Jesus, that guys rough. He was an alcoholic druggie…an alcoholic druggie cult leader…a sober idiot…now he’s a massive germaphobe.

Five: A germaphobe?

Diego: Yeah, big time. He lives in Allison’s basement…I don’t know how Beatriz handles it. He’s got a kid now, too.

Five: I’m sure that kid will be just as sane.

———————————————————————————

The camera cuts to Klaus walking in, pushing a stroller. Next to him are Beatriz and Claire. Klaus stops and looks around. He takes out a box of gloves and masks and replaces the ones he’s wearing.

———————————————————————————

Klaus: Hang on, Claire-bear, let uncle Klaus get situated…arcades are known to be the filthiest places on earth..next to dive bars and movie theaters.

Claire: I..don’t know where you get your info from, Uncle Klaus. It’s gonna be alright…I’m…sure your brother knows how weird you are. So he’s prepared.

Klaus: yeah, I suppose so…here, don’t forget your hand sanitizer..and your mask. And gloves! And remember, stay and arms length—

Claire: —away from everyone, I got it..don’t worry.

———————————————————————————

Claire walks away and goes over to Grace and gives her a hug. Klaus panics a little bit but Beatriz pats his back and tells him it’s okay.

Theon walks in with Emme, the Swedes and Fei. The Swedes set some gifts onto a table and Emme walks off, going over to Stanley.

Viktor walks in with Bella. Viktor gives Diego a hug and they start chatting away about life.

A montage starts playing of everyone having a good time at the party.

Stanley and Emme put mentos into peoples sodas, running off and laughing.

Lila goes outside to get something from the car. She notices Allison and heads over, noticing her smoking. She takes it from her and takes a smoke, smiling. They talk a bit before going inside.

Luther helps the kids hit the piñata.

Ben is still standing against the wall, but Five joins him and they have a small talk.

Klaus is happily talking with Lila and Theon’s family, with Theon sitting next to them, clearly embarrassed.

Diego brings out the cake but Luther accidentally bumps into him, causing him to drop the cake. Diego looks up at Luther and stares at him. As Grace lets out a scream of “MY CAKE!”, Lila appears, holding another cake.

———————————————————————————

Lila:…What? This family is a disaster, I planned for this.

———————————————————————————

Diego laughs and he takes the cake from her, setting it on a table. He puts candles on it and Grace blows it out. He helps Grace cut into cake to give everyone slices.

As the night goes on, the party slowly comes to an end, with everyone saying their goodbyes and giving hugs.

Five goes over to Jackson.

———————————————————————————

Five: Hey…sorry, but I can’t head home after this. Something came up with the case…

Jackson: Alright…just be careful, Five. I don’t want you to die in your god awful disguise.

Five: What’s wrong with my disguise?

Jackson:…the fake mustache. The name. “Jerome”…come on, anything is better than that.

Five: I’ll run it by you next time, then. I’ll see you later tonight, okay?

———————————————————————————

Five kisses him and walks out to his car. He gets in and he puts on his disguise. He drives to a building and walks in, looking around.

A woman walks up to him and grabs his shoulder.

———————————————————————————

Lila: Hey, big boy.

Five: Li—

———————————————————————————

He noticed her name tag, “Nancy.”

———————————————————————————

Five:…What are you doing here?

Lila: I’m interested in what they have to say. Aren’t you?

Five: Whatever. Just…stay out of the way.

———————————————————————————

Five leans in and whispers.

———————————————————————————

Five: I don’t need you compromising my mission.

———————————————————————————

Lila leans in too, whispering.

———————————————————————————

Lila: Nor do I.

———————————————————————————

She smirks and takes him over to some seats. They sit down and the lights dim. A projection appears on a screen, showing a picture of an open upside down umbrella being held by a sparrow.

Five looks at the screen, slightly confused. How do they know about the sparrows? The umbrellas?

As he ponders, a man and woman walk onto a small stage and stands in front of a podium.

———————————————————————————

Woman: Welcome to our weekly meeting…it’s so good to see all of you here. We’ve got some old faces…and we have some new ones. For the new friends, my name is Jean…and my husband is Gene Thibadaeu. We study various possible timelines. Now, please, give a round of applause to our newest members, Nancy and Jerome.

———————————————————————————

Applause fills the room and then dies down.

———————————————————————————

Jean: Lovely to meet you both..

———————————————————————————

She gives a warm smile. Lila leans over to Five and whispers.

———————————————————————————

Lila: She seems like a sweet old lady.

Five: So did the handler.

Lila: Touchè…

———————————————————————————

Gene clicks a button on a remote, changing the slide.

———————————————————————————

Jean: As many of you know…we have been collecting relics for a very long time. Relics of other timelines. Most people don’t believe us…they think we’re crazy. But as you see here…Carriages with umbrellas and birds. Little figures wearing similar uniforms and masks, one of which has tentacles coming out of his chest. Two masks, a blue bear and a pink dog.

———————————————————————————

Five whispers to himself

———————————————————————————

Five: Hazel and Cha-Cha…

———————————————————————————

Gene presses the button again.

———————————————————————————

Jean: There have been no records of any of these existing. Anywhere. But today…me and my husband bought a new piece. Some of you may know the movie “Love on Loan.” A romantic comedy, nothing special..but the one we bought stars a different actress. A woman named “Allison Hargreeves.”

Gene: You heard her right. The very same Hargreeves who owns half of this city. We checked all official records…this man has no known children or family, nor does his wife. And this Allison woman doesn’t exist either. So…who is she? Why was she replaced?

Jean: Good question, Gene. We believe…she was from another timeline. One that was destroyed in “the cleanse.”

———————————————————————————

Gasps are heard around the room. Five and Lila look at each other. Five whispers to Lila.

———————————————————————————

Five: what’s “the cleanse”?

Lila: hell if I know, I just got here.

———————————————————————————

Jean coughs and looks at Five and Lila.

———————————————————————————

Jean: Very chatty, Nancy and Jerome. Perhaps you’d like to share?

———————————————————————————

Five stands up.

———————————————————————————

Five: Yes, actually. I’d like to know what this “cleanse” is. I’ve never heard of it.

Jean: why…it’s the very cornerstone of our little group here. We believe that at some point, every timeline that exists…is destroyed. And each timeline will collapse until we are left with the perfect one.

Five: And what is the perfect timeline?

Gene: Not this one, if that’s what you’re getting at. You and I won’t be around to see it…but our other versions will be. They are. They’re living their lives right now, not a care in the world.

Five: How do you know?

Gene: We’ve seen it, boy. Visions…we can’t deny it. And the cleanse is coming…and it’s coming soon.

Five: I..see.

———————————————————————————

Five slowly sits down again. Jean and Gene continue their presentation. As time passes by, the presentation ends and everyone begins to leave the room. Lila and Five look at each other and get up to leave. Gene steps in front of them.

———————————————————————————

Gene: Good to have you two here. So..inquisitive. That’s good around here. Questions give you answers and answers give you satisfaction. I hope we’ll be seeing you at the next meeting…

Five: You will. Don’t worry.

———————————————————————————

Five walks past with Lila and goes to his car. He sighs and gets in. Lila gets into the passenger seat. Five looks over.

———————————————————————————

Five: What are you doing?

Lila: Hitching a ride. I walked here, y’know. Ooh, let’s go to a cafe, I’m starved. There’s a good one just up the road.

Five: No. I need to go home, Jackson’s probably worried…

Lila: It’ll be fine. Just go!

———————————————————————————

Five sighs and says “Fine.” He drives to the cafe and they go inside, order food and sit down.

———————————————————————————

Five: so..wanna say why you’re really here?

———————————————————————————

Lila has her mouth full.

———————————————————————————

Lila:…because I’m hungry?

Five: No! Why you were at the meeting. You’re…a mom.

Lila:…and you’re a dad? What’s the difference?

Five: Just answer the damn question.

Lila: I was bored, alright? Can’t just “be a mom”…I was something before…at the commission. It’s hard now…I’ve got to do everything for my family…I’ve got no time to myself.

Five: So…you're using it as an escape. I see…well…you should stop. This mission is bigger than you. I’ve got the resources…this is my actual job. You’re playing pretend. You should go back home before this all falls apart..

Lila: Says you. You’ve got your kids and Jackson..

Five: I know. Sometimes I regret taking the job…but it ensures he lives the life he wanted. And that’s all that matters.

Lila: I guess. Well, I’m done…perhaps I’ll see you next week, hm?

———————————————————————————

She smirks and gets up. Five watches as she leaves. The camera pans out to reveal Diego parked in front of the cafe, watching Lila. He narrows his eyes, angry. At Lila. At Five.

Five gets up and walks out to his car. He noticed a little note on his windshield with the number 5 on it. He takes it and opens it. Written on the note are two numbers. What could it mean?

End of episode one

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Love Rises From The Ashes 🔥 | Natasha ‘Phoenix’ Trace Imagine

Takes place after the events of TGM

TGM Masterlist

Characters & Pairings: Lt. Natasha ‘Phoenix’ Trace x male rockstar!reader (romantic), Lt. Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x reader (past romance), dagger squad x reader (platonic)

Content Warnings: fluff, profanity, light angst, mentioned of implied suggestive content| Male!reader (he/him) | wc: 7.1k

Premise: High school sweethearts don’t always get a second chance at love. Natasha Trace and Y/n L/n surely didn’t think they would. With Natasha becoming one of the best fighter pilots the Navy has ever produced and Y/n sealing his name as rock music’s resident bad boy, the two couldn’t be on opposite sides of the spectrum. But fate seems to work in mysterious ways.

requested 📨 yes/no (rules for requests)

Note: to the anon who requested this I hope you enjoyed it! So sorry it took awhile, I had to deal with dropping a class and things came up so I hope I delivered with everything you imagined. Thank you so much for your patience ! I had so much fun writing this and loved every second! ♥️

Songs headcanon for rockstar!reader: “Giving Up the Gun” by Vampire Weekend, “Where I Come From,” by Passion Pit, “The Antidote,” by St. Vincent, “No Control,” & “Girl Almighty” by One Direction, “These Streets,” by Bastille, “Beggin’” By Måneskin.

February 2023

“Hello I’m Ryan Secrest and we are live from the red carpet at Crypto.com Arena at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards! It’s the biggest night in music with all the stars here tonight—Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Bad Bunny and Beyonce have been spotted. Hip-Hop celebrates 50 years with a stellar lineup in tonight’s tribute as well as honors to music legends Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy. Everyone’s buzzing about the upcoming performance—Bad Bunny is rumored to be opening the show and rock n roll bad boy Y/n L/n will be sharing the stage with icons The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Stay tuned or tap into our livestream happening on YouTube as we greet music's biggest stars as they walk the red carpet.”

Fixing the collar of his neon green Versace suit, Y/n smiles when he feels Natasha take his hand as the limo approaches the entrance of the carpet. Dressed in a stunning black gown with neon green poking through the sides and the iconic Versace paperclips attaching them together, Nat was a goddess. Her makeup was similar to his, light with black eyeliner to accentuate her eyes with neon green graphic detailing to make it pop. Only Nat’s was clean and sharp whereas Y/n’s was smudged. A glossy nude painted her lips.

“How are you feeling?” She asked softly, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. “Nervous?” It didn’t surprise him that Nat could tell what he was feeling. They’d known each other for so long it was easy to pick up on cues from one another.

“You would think I’d be used to this by now,” Y/n chuckled, flipping his hand so his palm encased hers. “After so many years….but still the carpet part has me sweating.” Briefly thinking back to one of his first red carpets, Y/n internally cringed as the image of him not knowing what the hell to do and talking to so many reporters in a short amount of time. Nowadays he’s had no filter and will say whatever shit comes to mind. The media loves it obviously…except when it’s directed at them.

For the rockstar, he only liked showing up to award shows for the show itself. He looked forward to sitting in the chairs with fellow musicians, watching performances, and the thrill of excitement when he won whatever he was nominated for.

Personally he could do without the red carpet. But unfortunately it came with the event. It was the fucking Grammy’s after all.

Nat patted his hand, pulling him from the memory, “You’re a pro at this, babe. Patty and I will be there every step.” Patty was his publicist, who really made it easier for him on carpets by telling the interviewer to keep it fast and quick. “And if you feel overwhelmed or want to get out of there quickly just squeeze my hand and we’ll book it.” The offer makes Y/n laugh, kissing Nat’s hand as he brings it to his lips.

“What would I do without you, Natasha Trace?”

“I like to not think about that,” she teases with a smirk, “But you’d probably try to find a backdoor to sneak into the stadium.”

“Yeah…I definitely would.”

As the limo came to a stop, Y/n mentally prepared himself to face the dozens of cameras, screaming fans, and vulture reporters. He wondered where the guys were going to be seated. Knowing Rooster they probably got the floor beside the stage reserved for fans or front rows of the stands on the side. Either way, he was gonna search them out once they got inside.

Cheers met Y/n’s ears, ringing as he gave a brief wave when stepping out of the vehicle. Turning he held out his hand to assist Natasha, her diamond engagement ring sparkling under the daylight. The cheers seemed to increase at the sight of her, the woman blushing while Y/n smoothed out the fabric of her dress. With a kiss to her cheek, he took her hand and led her onto the carpet, both waving to the many supporters calling out to them.

“Y/n, I love you!!!”

“You look gorgeous, Natasha!! You guys are so hot!!”

“Good luck tonight—it’s your year!!”

Then you had the photographers shouting over them.

“Y/n, Natasha, over here!!”

“Can we get a glimpse of that ring, Natasha?”

“When’s the wedding—are you two having it in San Diego or New York?”

“Over here, Y/n, over here!”

“Y/n, are you excited to perform with the Red Hot Chili Peppers tonight?”

“Yes I am,” he replied over the noise, making the guy give a smile of victory he got acknowledged. “It’s gonna be epic, I can tell you that.”

Soon it came time for the interviews. And God was there a lot. E! Network, Access Hollywood, MTV, ABC, EXTRA, Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Tonight, & The Insider….and those were just the major ones. Smaller networks were present as well, but thankfully Y/n’s publicist only scheduled him for the big ones.

“Y/n, Natasha, lovely to see you two here tonight,” the lady from Entertainment Tonight greeted them with a smile, “you two look stunning—who are you wearing?”

“These are custom pieces from Donatella Versace herself,” smoothing a hand down his chest, Y/n gave Natasha a twirl to show off her gown. “It’s the Grammy’s so you know we had to roll in nothing but the best.”

“As you should—we love to see it. Let me be the one of many congratulations on your recent engagement,” the couple grinned, thanking her while the camera panned to Nat’s ring. “You two have been together for four years, correct?”

“Going on four this year. But if you count when we were teenagers then about seven,” Winking, Y/n sees Nat blush once more, the reporter lovin the juicy details.

“That’s right, you two were high school sweethearts. How was it when you guys rekindled, did it feel like it was back then or sorta fresh?”

Natasha answered this time, “A mix of both really. We had been good friends as kids that blossomed into young love before fate took us separate ways. When we reunited it was almost like meeting a different person while also feeling the sense of familiarity within them. If that makes sense,” she laughs at the end.

“I agree, but then again I know not to disagree with this one,” Y/n teases, tickling Nat’s side to make her giggle. The reporter and cameras were eating it up. Y/n brings his fiancée closer to him, “We gotta thank our buddy, aka my old flame turned bestie, Rooster, who brought us back together. That’s not his actual name by the way,” the rockstar laughs at the perplexed expression of the reporter, “He is not named after a male chicken.”

“Old flame?” She hums curiously, “by that do you mean your ex?”

Y/n feels his publicist tap him on the shoulder, signaling it was time to go to the next interviewer. Squeezing Nat’s hand, he smirks to the camera, “He prefers to be called, ‘long-term booty call,’.” With that he spun on his heel to escort Nat away, chuckling at the lady’s jaw dropping at the answer. Beside him, Nat playfully tsks, “Bradshaw’s never gonna forget that.”

“Oh he loves it.”

If you asked the 36 year old rockstar that his once fling with a hot asipiring Naval aviator would lead him to his teenage love, Y/n would’ve told you, “This ain’t a fucking romance story. But I love the optimism.”

Traveling back in time while he goes through the many reporters and photographers, Y/n could still picture the once young 15-year old smitten with the girl next door who was his best friend. What was supposed to be a pact between the two of each other’s first kiss, turned into something more than was once a fantasy to them. Both harboring crushes without saying anything until the feelings after the kiss became too much and they were spilling the confessions at the same time.

“I like you—.”

“I like you—.”

“Wait—what?”

“You serious right now?” Cue a passionate kiss seconds later. The two over the moon in what could only be described as a teenage dream happening before their eyes. Endless nights of sneaking out without their parents knowing to cuddle and skateboard down the quiet streets, exchanging kisses while the stars danced above them. Stares from their peers in school were envious on both ends. Girls jealous that Nat was with the resident bad boy they all desired to have while guys couldn’t believe Y/n pulled the girl of their dreams.

They were complete opposites.

Y/n with his gages, ripped 80s band t-shirts and chains with highlights in his hair. Kids would call him names because he liked makeup, painted his nails and often wore large shirts as dresses with heeled boots. He wasn’t afraid to call people out on their bullshit even if they were figures of authority and was open about loving people regardless of what rested between their legs. While he was smart he didn’t care much for school but still did what he had to do though it was half ass.

Then you had Natasha, captain of the color guard and member of the JROTC drill team. Every year she was elected the president or VP of the class’s student council, claiming student body president of her senior class. Popular wasn’t the right term for her. Nat was well known throughout the school by name but she wasn’t someone who surrounded herself with a lot of friends. Not to mention she wasn’t the typical stuck up bitch people associated with popularity. Kind and nurtured, Nat was the type to welcome new students and offer tutoring to those in need. She was the top student in all her classes, rumored to be the Valedictorian when she graduated and crowned homecoming Queen.

Two sides of a coin, while Natasha was the one everyone saw making it big in the world, people believed Y/n would be a lost cause in the world. His grades were the bare minimum, test scores lacking when it came to college applications and showed no interest in pursuing higher education. Really the only thing he enjoyed was music class and showed talent in English when they were in poetry lessons. His teacher once said, “These are like songs, Y/n. I’m amazed with how lyrically beautiful they are,” she reads over the lines before handing the paper back to him, “Have you ever thought of going to music school?”

“I would if my family could afford it and if it was a guarantee my work would make it big. But it’s not so why waste my time and money.” Was always his answer.

His girlfriend on the other hand had every teacher offering to write letters of recommendation. Her ACT and SAT scores were exceeding, qualifying for Ivy League schools like Harvard and Princeton. Any university Nat applied to was met with an acceptance letter, the one bringing her most joy from the Naval Academy.

It was already common knowledge to Y/n that Nat wanted to be a pilot. Ever since they were kids she was talking about planes and flying. She was one of those kids who loved going to the airport when her family went on vacation that required them flying. One time she even asked to see the cockpit and was captivated by all the controls the pilots were telling her about. Then the local air show took place at the nearby naval base, securing the dream for Natasha she was determined to achieve.

So when the summer after graduation ended, both knew what was coming.

“We’ve got each other on MySpace,” her voice is soft, keeping her eyes on him while her family finished packing up the car with her belongings. “We can write letters and send emails. Maybe even plan a visit some time?”

“Yeah,” Y/n agrees, matching her tone. Hands in his pockets, he tries not to show how heartbroken he is. It was a mutual breakup so it shouldn’t hurt too much, but when it’s your first love you’re saying goodbye to the impact is lasting. “Even if we fall off, Nat, just know I’m always rooting for you. You were made for something more than this shitty place.”

“So are you,” she counters. “You act like you have nothing going for you now that school is over, but Y/n you have so much talent. You should really try to find a band or intern at some label—no matter how small. Maybe someone will see your work. I’m rooting for you too, you know?”

“I know, Natty. I’ll think about it. You just focus on becoming the best damn pilot the Navy has ever seen. We’ll see what fate has planned for me.”

Off to the Academy, Nat shed tears as the image of her now ex-boyfriend got smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror. She could only hope they would stay in contact, or cross paths in the future, but for now she had a mission to do.

Out of school and with little to his name, Y/n packed up everything he owned and moved to New York City. There he found an ad for a roommate with a bunch of guys who attended Pratt Institute, which just so happened to be above a music store. Quickly he secured a job at the shop and worked as many days as he could to save up for equipment to start making his own music.

Unfortunately he and Natasha did fall off like he expected. It pained him to admit he wasn’t surprised, but when the two of them were on completely opposite sides of the spectrum and lives going separate paths, it was bound to happen. All he hoped was for her to be having a great time at the Academy. That she would have all her dreams come true. From the sidelines he was her cheerleader.

After a couple years of working at the store, however, the shop owners Y/n had become close to eventually allowed him to borrow some instruments they had that were not for sale—so long as he did not fuck them up. Originally Y/n planned to make mock music videos for his songs and upload them to the buzzing video sharing website YouTube.

What he didn’t plan for was his boss contacting a buddy of his who happened to work at Def Jam Records after Y/n showed him his demo for ‘Giving Up The Gun.’

“Y/n, come here real quick,” Alan called him over from behind the register, the 21-year-old noticing he was with a man in a suit. The man appeared to be the same age as Alan, shaking Y/n’s hand when he introduced himself, “The name's Dale Kingston. You must be Y/n, Alan has told me a lot about you.”

“Hello, Sir,” he politely replies, glancing over to Alan with a raised brow. “Forgive me, but he’s never mentioned me to you.” The two men lightly laugh.

“Nah I wouldn’t put it past him too. Old man likes to keep everything about him mysterious.”

“I don’t who you’re calling old,” Alan quips back playfully, “Anyway, Y/n. Dale and I go way back—we were roommates in college actually. And while I made a career of sharing the art of music by opening my businesses, Dale ended up making a career of looking for the next best talent in the industry. He’s an exec at Def Jam Records,” Y/n felt his bulge open, flickering to Dale who nodded as Alan’s lips rose to a smirk. “And I sent him what you showed me. Hope you don’t mind, but Dale would like to talk to you if you’re alright with it.”

In just one hour of conversing, Dale left Y/n with his business card and a meeting with his team at their headquarters in Manhattan that weekend. Bursting through the door of his apartment, Y/n’s roommates flinched at the sudden sound, “Get up motherfuckers we’re going out tonight!!!” At the popular gay bar just up the street from where they lived, Y/n and his roommates celebrated with drinks and made out with strangers while dancing to Rihanna and Lady Gaga blasting through the speakers.

“Yo, Y/n/n, that hottie in the Hawaiian shirt is totally eye fucking you right now.”

“Well hot damn,” he hummed in delight, making eye contact with said hottie in a Hawaiian shirt. ‘Oh I’m going home with him tonight.’

The hottie in the Hawaiian shirt was named Bradley Bradshaw. A total stud, he rocked the 80s pornstache like no other and a body Y/n wanted to lick sugar off of. He was a native of Virginia who was visiting New York with some of his friends to celebrate his impending entrance to the Naval Academy.

Y/n found this as they basked in the afterglow of their hot session following the bar, “Wait, you’re going to the Naval academy? This fall?”

“Yup,” Bradley proudly states, “It sucks though cause I’ll be the oldest in my class. I’m about to be twenty-two and I’ll be surrounded by eighteen and nineteen year olds.”

“Why is that?” At Bradley’s changed expression, Y/n quickly takes the question back. “Nevermind, don’t tell me if you don’t want to. Shit, I just made it awkward.”

“No-no-no,” Bradley chuckles, placing his beer down on the nightstand. “It’s okay—just I am still bitter about it as you can tell. My uh…the guy who was like a father to me after my dad died pulled my application when I initially sent it in high school.” The confession has Y/n frown, feeling the wave of sadness and resentment radiate off of Bradley.

“That fucking wasn’t right. Did he ever tell you why?”

“No. He wouldn’t when I confronted him,” he rubs his jaw, “I haven’t spoken to him since.”

Switching things up so as to not further upset Bradley, Y/n asks, “What are you going for?” This brings light to the man, a smile coating his face.

“Aeronautical engineering.”

Something in Y/n’s stomach flipped, “Oh wow…are you wanting to be a pilot?” Surprise now takes over, Bradley raising a brow as asks how he knew. Y/n lights a blunt, taking a deep inhale to prepare him for explaining. He would’ve offered Bradley it but now knowing he was going to a military academy it was best not to.

“My ex girlfriend is there for the same. In fact…she should be graduating next spring,” he sighs out the smoke, feeling the ease fill his veins as memories of Natasha play in his mind. “Being a pilot was all she ever dreamed of. It’s why she worked so hard in school to meet the requirements for the program. Valedictorian, Cadet Colonel of the JROTC unit—we had Air Force not Navy though,” he specified at Bradley’s tilt of the head of the ranks. “We broke up just before she moved into the dorms. It was mutual, no hard feelings at all. She was going places and at the time I wasn’t.”

“And now you’re going places?” Bradley wondered aloud. Lips lifting in a smirk, Y/n simply replied, “Let’s sure fucking hope so.”

The rest of the night was filled with small talk and discussions about each other’s hopeful future. Y/n filled Bradley in on his dreams of music and how he was meeting with execs from Def Jam. Bradley was leaving back to Virginia soon but they promised to meet up again and keep in touch. They continued to hook up a few more times after that night and even went on a few dates, but after a couple months they realized they were better off as friends. Just like with Natasha, Y/n didn’t want to tie Bradley down or expect something serious when he was just starting his Naval career.

Plus, his own dreams were just getting started.

“That was ‘Giving Up The Gun,’ by an upcoming artist from Def Jam Records, Y/n L/n. The twenty-one year old from Scottsdale, Arizona seems to be giving a new voice to rock music, throwing in elements of pop and techno that we’ve gotten lucky to hear from his newly released EP. Critics and fans have already started labeling him the next David Bowie due to his colorful hair and outfits while not being afraid to wear glitter eyeshadow and lipstick. For those of us in the studio, we’re looking forward to what Y/n has to offer the music world.”

An EP became an album. One that hit the top of the charts in its first few weeks and established Y/n as the next rock n roll bad boy. Winning Best New Artist at the VMAs and AMAs, the early 2010s had Y/n’s name written all over it. Appearances on Good Morning America and the Ellen Degeneres Show. New York became his base of operation and soon Y/n embraced the high life he was getting from making it big. Rooster and him met up often to celebrate each milestone, the two growing closer as the years went on.

The next big break came in 2011 when Y/n was offered features on the Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 2 soundtracks. ‘Where I Come From’ & ‘The Antidote’ were huge successes. He couldn’t believe he was walking the red carpet of a Hollywood premier when the film was released. And Lord was Robert Pattinson a sight for sore eyes. Kristen too. The soundtrack went on to receive a Grammy nomination with Y/n winning at the Teen Choice Awards the next summer. A world tour shortly after, Y/n fell in love with the road and meeting fans every night from across the globe.

And he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the fan casts people made of him. Anytime it was announced a book was getting an adaptation, he was always what people pictured as the bad boy/sexy villain.

But acting wasn’t something Y/n was interested in. Personally he felt like he couldn’t act for shit and wouldn’t handle 12 hour work days or having to move every few months for a new project. New York was his home, with L.A being his second, and music was his life.

By 2016 Y/n had really made a name of himself in the music world. He was featured on more film soundtracks like Fast & The Furious 7 and Deadpool. Rock music got a new wave of fans. Y/n even changed it up a bit by collaborating with pop artists and rappers. ‘These Streets’ was well received by critics and fans, earning Y/n his third Grammy nomination that he had yet to win.

“You’re gonna get this year, Y/n/n,” Rooster assured him, passing a beer as they sat on the lounge chairs overlooking the beaches of Virginia. “If you don’t then they’re fucking out of their mind. Your hits this year were amazing—top of the charts and platinum in weeks! I’ll boycott them next year if they don’t give it to you.”

Unfortunately Rooster would have to make due with that promise for a few years.

Y/n didn’t want to say he cared about winning a Grammy. But truth be told he did wish he could say that of the nearly seven nominations he had received by 2019, he got a win. Whether it was Record of The Year or Album of The Year, it seemed the golden trophy was out of his reach. Whenever it was brought up in interviews he would brush it off saying, “I’m honored to have been recognized just from my nominations, but I don’t believe it should dictate how I am as an artist.”

One day he hoped to be standing on the stage, holding the award and thanking his loved ones and team who were just as much of winners as he was. But only time would tell.

Speaking of time, it seemed to work in mysterious ways.

A phone call from Rooster in December of 2019 had Y/n clad in a stunning suit appropriate for a Military ball and on his way to meet some of the pilots colleagues. It was to be a celebratory event to commemorate the group of Top Gun alumni in their successful mission stopping a uranium enrichment plant from becoming operational. Y/n had been very worried when Bradley informed him of the assignment. He was overseas finishing up his tour so one could imagine the anxiety he felt at the possibility his best friend could die.

Bradley picked Y/n up from his hotel in San Diego, the two having a quick pregame before arriving at the venue to the shell-shocked faces of the officers. Mickey, who was introduced as Fanboy, could barely make out words. Javy and Jake were looking at each other with expressions that read, “what the actual fuck?”, while Payback took a moment to be like ‘woah’ and proceed to act like Y/n was just a regular person.

“So how do you two know each other?” Jake was the first to ask what everyone was thinking. It wasn’t everyday one learns their rival-turned-friend was casually best friends with one of the best modern rock stars of their generation. Then he choked on his beer when Y/n simply replied, “We used to hook up.”

The questions rolled off from there.

“Wait, you two were together?”

“And you stayed friends?”

“Hold the phone, I need some details.”

After taking time to answer the questions, Rooster takes the moment to ask, “Where’s Phoenix and Bob?” This has Y/n raise his brow, not knowing who either were. Rooster had only briefly mentioned his colleagues to him, but never really explained who they were or how they met. He liked to keep his work life separate from his personal life.

Payback answered, “they’re on the way. I think Bob mentioned his Dress Blues were lost in the cleaners so he had to scramble to get a tux.”

“Damn. Well let’s get some drinks ready for when they get here.”

To say Y/n’s jaw about hit the floor when his eyes landed on Lt. Natasha “Phoenix” Trace was an understatement. In fact he had to rub his eyes just to make sure it was really her he was seeing. The same could be said for Natasha, who’s own eyes were bulging from her skull.

“Nat?”

“Y/n/n?’

Now everyone was looking between the two. “You two know each other too?”

Y/n couldn’t help but laugh, “Well if this isn’t a small world, then I don’t know what is.” A sudden feeling he couldn’t describe washed over him. He turns to Rooster to whisper under his breath, “You remember my high school girlfriend I once told you about?” Now it’s the pilot whose eyes are wide.

“Nat’s your high school sweetheart?” The exclamation could pretty much be heard through the entire venue, the daggers all showing faces of shock.

“Yup,” Y/n pops the ‘p’, adjusting the collar of his shirt. “She sure is.” Facing Nat, he bites his lip and says, “Uh, how have you been, Nat? It’s been like….I wanna say ten…fifteen years?”

“Just about, yeah,” Nat blushes, unsure how to respond. But how does one respond when they’re faced with their high school sweetheart who was a best selling rockstar? “I’ve been good. I would ask the same, but I’ve been following your career since you debuted.”

“You have?” Y/n was surprised by this. “Wow, um thank you. I see you were just as successful in your endeavors.” It comes to his mind that Natasha was the person Bradley always referred to as Phoenix in his stories. “Bradley’s told me a lot about you…but I never thought to ask what the name of ‘Phoenix’ was. Possibly I would've reunited with you sooner if I did.”

Nat takes the drink Y/n hands to her with a thanks, “You know when he mentioned he was good friends with someone named Y/n that he used to be involved with, I just assumed it was someone who shared a name with you. I didn’t think to ask further.”

“Eh, I don't blame you. I felt the instant awkwardness at the realization you and him share an ex.” Gesturing for the two to sit at a table away from the others, Y/n shared a look with Bradley and saw him biting back a laugh at his words. Nat on the other hand appeared a little flustered.

“How long were you together?” She cringed at how awful the question sounded. Why the fuck did she need to know? Her and Y/n had been broken up for years. It’s not like they were going to just pick things back up where they left off.

“Oh only a couple months. We realized we were better off as friends—especially since he was going off to the Academy and I had just been signed. To be honest,” Y/n paused to sip his beer, “it was mostly just the physical attraction we needed to get out of the way. It was great while it lasted but it never felt like it could become something more.” He made sure to not add the tiny fact he still had feelings for Natasha at the time.

Well maybe he still did. Lord knows being next to her was giving him those schoolboy feelings again.

The two talked almost the entire night. And then when the ball was done and the team migrated to The Hard Deck, they continued to stay close to each other. Nat told Y/n all about her years at the Academy and making it to fight school. Becoming one of the few female aviators and an alumni of the prestigious Fighter Weapons School before ending with the details about the mission she did with Rooster.

“It was the most intense thing I had ever been a part of,” she explained. “I’ve seen some crazy shit in all the years I’ve been flying. But this mission was beyond my limit—I-I still can’t believe we managed to pull it off.”

“I’m really proud of you, Nat,” Y/n’s smile was genuine, filled with sincerity. “Rooster told me about what he could, and hearing your side just makes me so grateful you guys came home.”

Y/n gave Nat all the juicy details of his high life in the music industry. How his boss was friends with an executive from Def Jam and was basically the reason he got discovered. He couldn’t help but laugh when Nat admitted she bought his albums and would watch the award shows he attended.

“I’m just so happy for you!” She defended with a playful shove. “After I heard you made it big of course I was going to support you anyway I could. You were also featured in Twilight and I happened to be obsessed with it when it came out so I was very excited to see you were featured on the soundtrack. Call me biased but ‘The Antidote’ and ‘Where I Come From’ are my favorites you’ve ever released.”

By the end of the night…or nearly morning because the time was pushing 4 am, Y/n and Nat parted ways with the promise of meeting up for coffee that weekend.

Neither went into things expecting anything to happen. As adults they simply wanted to see how things played out and if being friends could be possible. They didn’t end on bad terms which was good in itself. So why not try to make a friendship?

Well when a global pandemic hits when you and your ex are hanging out that results in you two having to go through quarantine together….close proximity can result in things neither planned for.

It first started out with simple compliments and the two watching movies together. Then it progressed to acts of service where Y/n would bring Natasha lunch or coffee when she was remotely working from home. For weeks this happened with both battling feelings beginning to resurface. Natasha tried to brush it off like a teenage crush. That she was being a hopeless romantic at the thought she and Y/n could possibly date again.

Would it be different now that they were adults? It’s not like they were kids again. Both were in successful careers that they worked hard for. Both were financially stable and would live comfortably when they retire in thirty or so years. Nat was a Lieutenant, and likely had a promotion lined up within the next year. And Y/n was working on new music so there was nothing he was too worried about.

After almost three months of dancing around feelings, one night the two were having dinner when the topic was brought up.

“Nat,” Y/n starts with a sigh. “I don’t know how much longer I can put up with this.” Her face falls to a frown, looking away as her heart picks up pace.

“Put up with what exactly?”

“Pretending like I don’t want to hold you in my arms. Like I don’t want to kiss you on the forehead before you fall asleep or tell you how you’re the most important person in my life. Since I was fifteen I’ve loved you and the reason no relationship I’ve had after has worked is because I’m so hung up on you.”

When he contemplates if he made the mistake confessing, he’s suddenly around the kitchen island to bring Nat into a searing kiss when she says, “What if I told you, you don’t have to pretend anymore?”

Their love felt natural. They already had a taste of it as teenagers. Now as adults it was busting like a rocket ship. That deep, immense feeling of love one can’t even begin to describe. Like the person was their air and kept them to the Earth.

Bradley was over the moon when they told. Really he was the first to find out the second they decided to make it official. He was Y/n’s best friend after all and Nat was the closest he had to a sister. Although he and the rockstar had history, Rooster would never let it be an issue and supported the two wholeheartedly. “It’s about damn time!” He yelled over the FaceTime call. “I’ve been waiting for this to happen since the night of the ball!”

It didn’t take long for the world to find out the resident bad boy of rock music was off the market. Hearts broke but many were happy for Y/n. Lots of fans actually thought it was the most adorable thing that he was back with his high school sweetheart after fifteen years of being apart. Natasha became well loved among his supporters and although she didn’t have much of a social media presence, she was always met with positivity. Anytime there was a rude ‘fan’ she would just block them without giving any attention.

“I’m a fucking pilot,” she rolled her eyes at the comment of how she was only with Y/n for money and his status. “They act like I didn’t make something for myself or have a career.”

“You tell ‘em, babe,” Y/n praises from the side, causing Nat to playfully roll her eyes.

2021 and 2022 were met with several milestones. Natasha was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and Y/n released his fifth studio album. Planning to go on tour in the summer of 2022, the couple went on a much needed vacation to celebrate their two year anniversary and relax after constant nonstop work in their lives.

“I could get used to this,” the pilot hummed in content, feeling the warmth of the sun's rays on her skin. The gentle sound of the ocean waves was soothing to her ears. Beside her Y/n laid on his stomach with a book in his hands while music played on the speaker. “Maybe I’ll just stay here while you go off to see the world.”

He snorted, “I’ll be jealous if you do.” Patting her thigh, he closed the book and threw it to the side. Cracking open two bottles of beer, he handed one to Nat, clicking the glass with her, “Happy anniversary, baby.”

“Happy anniversary to you, mister. Thank you for this.”

“Anything for my baby.”

The tour was a success and Natasha even managed to fly out for a few shows. Fans loved it when she did because she’d stand in the crowd to sing and dance with supporters rather than be in the VIP section or just off the stage. It was almost as though Natasha was the star of the concert rather than Y/n. Every show she attended the camera would be put on her at some point so the rockstar could dedicate his song, ‘Girl Almighty’ to her. He had written it just shortly after the two got back together, the woman instantly tearing up after she first heard the final product.

Fans would go crazy during the set, mostly because Y/n would come to where Natasha was at and get on his knees to sing the line, “I’d get down, I’d get down, I’d get down on my knees for you.” Then he’d hold a cup of water in the air, the crowd doing the same with their own drinks, for, “Let’s have another toast for the girl almighty. Let’s pray we stay young, stay made of lightning.”

Oh and let’s not forget about ‘No Control’…..a fan favorite that had Natasha blushing mad red like a tomato when Y/n wrote it. “I cannot believe you wrote that!”

“You love it, don’t lie.”

She really did though. It was a catchy beat and of course it made her heart skip that Y/n’s work was influenced by her and their relationship. It only made her love him more.

“Stained coffee cup. Just a fingertip of lipstick’s not enough. Sweet (ooh), where you lay (ooh). Still a trace of innocence on the pillow case.”

The audience of his shows would be in a frenzy. Nott a single person was not on their feet belting out the lyrics to the chorus. And Natasha was at the center with the most energy.

“Waking up. Beside you, I’m a loaded gun. I can’t contain this anymore. I’m all yours, I’ve got no control. No control! Powerless, and I don’t care, It’s obvious. I just can’t get enough of you. The pedal’s down, my eyes are closed. No control!”

Birthdays and holidays passed and before they knew it they were ringing in 2023. It wasn’t just a celebration of the new year and the release of Y/n’s single ‘Beggin’’, but also what the future would hold for him and Natasha after the rockstar got down on one knee and presented the love of his life with a gorgeous ring, “Baby, you know I’m not one to believe in superstition where fate works in mysterious ways. But when I look at how life took us apart only to bring us together, I can’t help but wonder if it truly exists. Fans like to call us ‘twin flames’ and honestly I think they’re on to something. Natasha, you’re my best friend. My one true love. The person I was meant to be with. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

They announced their engagement just before the Grammy awards. All over the news the story was being covered, fans buzzing with excitement for the couple.

@ badboy_Y/n: My favorites are engaged!!! Natasha’s ring is so beautiful omg I can’t wait to see the wedding!

@ onmykneesforyou: Natasha and Y/n are the reason I believe in love honestly—I’ll ascend to heaven if they ever break up.

@ SelenaGomez✔️: congratulations to my lovely friends @badboyY/n and @IAmPhoenix on their engagement! So so happy for you two!

@ MTV✔️: Stop my parents are getting married. I am screaming right now!

The night of the Grammy’s Y/n was filled with nerves. He usually was when it came to award shows, however this was different because he was up for Record of The Year, Song of The Year, and Album of the Year with a performance with the iconic Red Hot Chili Peppers. Thankfully Natasha was there to help ease it. She hadn’t attended many since their relationship started due to her job, but the ones she did made it a hell of a lot easier for the rockstar. Getting the red carpet and interviews out of the way, the two made their way inside. There they greeted several of Y/n’s friends and took pictures with celebs they admired. Nat had to hold back fangirling a bit when Ariana Grande and The Weekend approached.

“You look amazing!” Ariana gushed, taking in the stunning outfit Nat wore. “It’s so nice to finally meet you—I love your weekly newsletter you do about all the books you’ve read and places you’ve visited. I think it’s so cool what you do.”

Nat struggled to get words out. Here was THE Ariana Grande, world renowned popstar complimenting her and saying what she did was cool.

They took pictures with Ariana hoping to catch her at the after party before it was time for everyone to take their seats. The whole time Y/n held Nat’s hand or placed his on her thigh, only letting go when it was time to clap. Physical touch was his love language and it never failed to make Natasha feel loved and appreciated.

When it came time for Y/n to perform Beggin’ with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Natasha was on her feet and dancing like she was the only one in the room. Hell, even Taylor Swift, Lizzo, and Harry Styles were dancing with her. “That’s my man!!” She yelled over the cheers when Y/n finished, blowing a kiss when they made eye contact. “I love you!!”

About two hours into the show, it finally came time for the big three.

Y/n cheered when Lizzo won Record of the Year….and about shit his pants when his name was called for Song of The Year.

“Wait, what?” He literally said as Nat jumped up from her seat with a scream, pulling him up to embrace. “Did—did he just say—.”

“You baby! You!”

Artists around him were on their feet, Harry Styles whistling against the uproar of the crows. His heart was racing and tears threatened to fall. It felt like a haze for the rockstar, a slight tremor in his hands as he took the award being handed to him. Then when he faced the crowd he was met with a standing ovation. Fucking Beyoncé was applauding with a grin. Y/n was absolutely speechless at the realization.

For the first time in nine nominations, he finally had a Grammy.

“Holy shit,” were his immediate words. “Wow.” People were still screaming so Y/n took the time to connect eyes with Natasha. She was in visible joy, wiping away a stray tear before clasping her hands together in front of her mouth.

“I don’t even know what to say. I’ve been dreaming about this moment for years it seems like—a-and I didn’t really think it was possible,” he paused briefly to glance at the trophy. “First I want to thank the Recording Academy for this honor. To everyone at Def Jam Records and those who’ve been with me since the start of my career—I can’t thank you enough. Shoutout to you Alan if you’re watching. You are the reason I’m standing on this stage—thank you for believing in me and to Dale for giving me the opportunity to share my music with the world. To my family back home and my friends, your support through the years is what’s kept me going.” Y/n smiled, thinking about Rooster and the guys, wishing he could see their reaction.

“And lastly, to the woman who’s my partner in crime. My muse. My best friend since ten years old and the love of my life. Natasha,” he connects eyes with her teary face, noticing how a cameraman had moved closer to her. “I love you so much. Thank you for your love and support. For believing in me and being my shoulder to cry on when the days get tough. You are everything a man could ask for and I’m so blessed to have the honor of being your fiancé. I can’t wait to marry you and see where life takes us. This award is for you, baby.”

Blowing a kiss to Nat, who blows one back, Y/n quickly ends with, “Thank you to everyone here tonight and at home who’s listened to my music and played ‘Beggin’’. Much love to you all—thank you thank you!” He finished just in time when the band started to play to signal his time was up. Y/n was met with open arms from Natasha when he returned to his seat, the rockstar lifting her in the air causing her to burst into giggles.

“Congratulations, baby,” she kissed him on the lips, careful not to ruin his lipstick. “I’m so proud of you—you deserve everything, Y/n.”

“Thank you, my love,” he kisses her again, then gives a wink. “Can’t wait for us to celebrate tonight.” He smirks at the blush that takes over her face.

Together they cheered for Harry after he won Album of the Year and after one last performance the show came to an end. Y/n, Harry, and Lizzo all posed for pictures and Y/n was hauled away for more interviews post ceremony. Finally they were set free to the after party, where the two basically stole the spotlight.

Dancing to the previous year’s hits and songs of the nominees, Natasha and Y/n partied like they were young and wild and free. They did shots with Adele, danced with Ariana Grande, sang with Lil Nas X. It was the time of their lives.

When it all ended Y/n escorted Nat to their ride, her right hand in his left while his right carried her heels, the two giggling like children as they ran down the hallway. Before they exited the venue Y/n brought Nat into a passionate kiss, dipping her slightly causing her to laugh. “I love you, Natasha. So much, you know?” His tone was filled with so much love it nearly took her breath away.

“I love you too, Y/n.”

Yeah fate was something not everyone could agree with. But one thing was for sure when it came to Y/n and Natasha. Like the Phoenix, their love rose from the ashes.

……………..

TGM Tag List: @avaleineandafryingpan @caitsymichelle13 @poppyalice2001 @cutelittlepotatofry @luckyladycreator2 @americaarse @elenavampire21 @back-tooo-black

[vengeancevixen]

Panic Fact: Let’s talk about some misinformation regarding Dallon. It seems people are confused about his contributions. Dallon joined Panic as a touring bass player after Ryan and Jon left in 2009. Panic was opening for Blink 182 and Dallon & lan played those shows with Panic. It was NOT finishing the Pretty Odd tour. That tour had ended before Ryan and Jon left.

Brendon & Spencer were working on Vices & Virtues. Dallon did not become a member of Panic until after V&V was done. He did do the album cover art, however.

Brendon & Dallon then cowrote on TWTLTRTD. This would be the only album Dallon contributed on. I see people saying Dallon wrote most of this album and that is also not true. Let's just celebrate that they made a great album together and stop with trying to discredit the other.

Also, this rumor that Dallon was so poorly paid by Panic he had to clean carpets, let’s dig into it. First, Dallon was about ready to give up on his musical career altogether until the call from Panic came in. He was already working as a carpet cleaner. When he joined Panic as a touring player, it was for a limited number of shows opening for Blink. I don’t imagine any touring musician playing that few shows as an opening band at that time wouldn’t have other gigs lined up or second jobs. It’s a tough business. Anyway, here is Dallon talking about it:

Also, this notion that everyone hates working with Brendon is complete nonsense made up by fans. He has worked with pretty much the same people throughout his career and has remained good friends with them until today.

As far as the original lineup, he is best friends with Spencer still today. He and Ryan last spoke (that we know of-and if they’ve spoken since, I doubt they’d want this crazy fan base to even know about it) in 2017. They joked with each other on Twitter well after the split. The one thing that hampered their friendship was the Panic catfisher situation. They aren’t close anymore but they would definitely talk if they ran into each other, as they did in 2017. That time in Panic I am sure feels like two lifetimes ago to both of them and they have all moved on… a long time ago. I think they are proud of what they all accomplished together. Jon has always remained positive about Brendon and Panic.

The current band that’s been with Brendon, Dan, Nicole & Mike absolutely rave about their time in Panic. They truly are a family and had a blast together!! They have all spoken very highly of their time in Panic. From producers to the crew, they all say how great Brendon was to work with.

I’m sure I will add more to this but I can’t stand the misinformation! If you love a band, an artist, go support them. If you have to drag one to boost the other, there’s something very messed up about that.

# Add tags to help people find your posts

[bucketspammer4life]

☆ the boxers at a escape room ☆

did this because i felt bad about not posting, will post a weekly update during the weekend + some art hopefully, ive had this on my shoulders for a while, this is so cringe fail

Build-Up

Okay so i made up lore for this escape room:

It's an abandoned hotel, decorated all fancy, theres old couches, fake rotary phones and a bunch of weird symbols used later in the puzzles.

It's really colorful but the theres barely any lightning because the vibes need to be settled, theres a lot of puzzles, including: puns, math and the weird symbols mentioned

The lore starts as a hotel shutting down after a serial killer takes over & goes on a massacre, theres a time limit of 2 hours, when the time is over the game is done & a dude with a really bad voice effect says "the killer has got you" Before the doors open

When theres only a few minutes left, a buzzing sound effect plays

Theres a lot of "fake" spiderwebs with cryptid texts too so enjoy that

Glass Joe

- struggling with the puzzles, his brain is melting

- "we have to turn on the TV for clues i think"

- "or a baking show"

- "either way im watching"

- hes not taking this seriously, at all

- keeps using a prop phone like its real & talking on it, ended up getting into a argument with the air

- laying down on the decorative couches "draw me like one of your french girls.." style when hes tired

- "we're gonna die, is the killer hot at least?"

Von Kaiser

- complete opposite with Joe, hes taking this seriously, too serious

- "I WILL NOT LET THEY EVIL HOTEL MAN KILL US ALL. NO!"

- acting like the evil hotel man will actually get him

- doing really good with the math puzzles, hes a natural

- dialing 911 on the fake rotary phone

- runmaging through everything, no chair left un-thrown, no couch left un-turned, no drawer left closed

- when the 10 minutes notice ringed in he screamed like a goat

Disco Kid

- Just bored, he got dragged along and doesnt feel like doing anything

- "does the TV have anything interesting on it"

- "Disco we are being chased by a evil serial killer i dont think you should be so calm"

- escape rooms dont have enough charm for him like haunted houses

- doing cartwheels across the room, accidentally knocked over a bookshelf and revealed a clue

- hes already done with this shit, let him out

King Hippo

- doesnt have any idea whats going on, hes just confused

- doesnt know whether to help kaiser or laugh with Joe

- thinks the argument between Joe and the air is real

- hes so lost

- "mom i frew up" pose while watching everyone do the puzzles

Piston Hondo

- calmly trying to do the puzzles

- trying to help kaiser calm down

- laughed at disco toppling over the bookshelf for a solid 20 minutes

- hes SLAYİNG the puzzles

- "Joe did you take your meds?? You're arguing with the air"

- "wait i got too caught up"

- He isnt taking this seriously but isnt fucking around like Joe either, hes doing his best to have fun, not too much fun

Great Tiger

- also messing around with Joe, both of them are hysterically laughing at everything knowing damn well they dont know whats going on + cant solve a puzzle to save their lives

- "whens the baking show coming on??"

- reading the books on the bookshelf disco kid rko'd

- He could be helpful but he refuses to because seeing everyone go batshit is hilarious

- keeps tripping over the carpets

Bear Hugger

- him & hondo are peacefully doing puzzles while everyone else is going apeshit, hes having fun

- re-organized the bookshelf disco kid slammed down on, he knows damn well they dont get paid enough for this bs

- cheering Joe on his fight with the atoms

- cleaning up behind everyone because hes a decent person

Don Flamenco

- very confused, he thinks theyre all stuck in a silly room for nothing, cannot do puzzles & cannot be silly at all

- Just wandering around & looking for clues

- hes concerned, not only for the boxers but the employees

- thinks the decorations look great, taking notes for his room

Aran Ryan

- doing his evil gremlin thing, chucking stuff, sneaking around, rolling on the floor, hes simply thriving

- scaring people for fun

- hysterically laughing at everything because the lightning is shitty & that makes everything funnier for him

- saying the dumbest shit

- got inspired by disco kid wrecking the bookshelf and decided to throw a couch across the room

- laughing at the wall

Soda Popinski

- Really confused along with King hippo

- hes just following everyone around like a sick puppy

- sad that he cant bring his soda but understands because he has spilled soda multiple times on his stuff and suffered the consequences

- awkward shrugging anytime someone asks him whats going on

Bald Bull

- also hysterically laughing with aran, bad lightning with cheap horror music fits too well for him

- him & aran are cackling at kaiser knowing damn well they both need therapy

- Just having fun

- He doesnt give a shit about anything right now, this is one of the only times he can maniacally laugh at thin air and not get stared at

- was the one to convince disco kid to do a cartwheel

Super Macho Man

- pretending to understand whats going on, Just as confused as soda

- Really bored

- not much to say, hes just.. neutral

Mr Sandman

- Really calm & carrying the entire team

- concerned for aran & bull since he was the only one to notice them maniacally cackle at thin air

- suprisingly not ready to punch someone out into orbit

- extremely worried for disco's bones because no one throws a entire bookshelf onto themselves and walks away fine

- brought a camera to get some real gems

- keeps coughing like hes on life support because of the ridiculous amount of dust

Extra

They made it out suprisingly thanks to hondo & sandman (barely)

Don realized he has some problems with his lungs after that trip because holy shit he was fighting for his life

Sandman convinced aran & bull to go to therapist (somehow)

Joe enjoyed taking out his anger out on a cheap fake rotary phone

Disco needed to go to the hospital after the bookshelf incident, no one is letting the fact that he broke his back thanks to a bookshelf go

Piston Hondo & bear hugger do sudoku together now since they realized they both enjoy math puzzles

Great Tiger still laughs about the bookshelf incident at night when trying to sleep

[maidservicetoday902]

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[magxit]

Here is kind of a weird connection, but I just found out that Justin’s publicist is or was Pia (Travis’s ex publicist) lol. If she is still his main publicist, she needs to do something to clean up this PR mess. I have seen people on tik tok claim Blake “hi jacked” the movie….but she is SUPPOSED to be the main character. A lot of people on tik tok just love to hate on Blake and Ryan. But if Justin was upset about it turning into Blake’s movie, that still doesn’t explain Colleen and the rest of the cast unfollowing him and Jenny Slate’s weird answer when asked about him on the red carpet.

or his own co-podcast host not tagging him in posts or interacting with him at the premier.

[avocado-frog]

hey! this is chance & here’s the prompt for week 6. what are your oc's bedrooms like? messy? neat? carefully designed? or a collection of their favorite things? you can verbally describe or use photos, whatever you think is best.

Hii this came a little earlier than i expected. chance jumpscare

(cw for implied alcohol at around leo's part)

Logan- He isn't big on decorations, and he's a little too busy to make his room look nice, but he tries. He has a desk and a swivel chair, and a PC. He keeps pens and paper and other assorted items- gifts from the others, little photographs, etc etc- on the desk as well. He also never really was comfortable decorating it, since he kinda stole the house from the triplet's dead mom

Leo- Gray sheets, maybe one blanket, but an atrocious amount of pillows. She has a collection of VHS tapes, a radio, and a bookshelf full of dozen of little dumb trinkets. Tarot cards, board games, books, matchboxes, yeah. She has stuffed animals hidden somewhere. Five unfinished puzzles on the floor

-Dahlia Leo- She wasn't expecting Ryan to go with her after her fight with Jaxon, so she didn't bring enough stuff for the both of them. Because of that, and being a lil guilty for kinda kidnapping her brother, she let Ryan have the air mattress, as well as her blanket. She sleeps in the room across from Ryan in the school, the second-grade science classroom. She sleeps on a pile of clothes, using her backpack as a pillow. She never bothered to buy anything new for herself or Ryan, while they were missing. A lot of empty cans of. ""soda"". She stole a baseball bat from a dumpster nearby, which ends up coming in handy when Dylan and Ryan and Elliot possess everyone

-Rosemary Leo- White floor, white ceiling, white walls. The door is metal, and doesn't have a knob to open. The windows are opaque, and can't be broken. The bed has a metal frame, with white sheets and a foam, rectangular pillow. There's a white bookshelf, with only a few books, and a stack of papers and crayons. On the opposite side of the bed, there's a TV and remote, it only has a few channels and it doesn't work very well. There's a circular table in the corner with one chair. Leo still hasn't finished her puzzles

Cass- Fairy lights are strung up on the walls, wrapped around those fake vines. Light green bedsheets, matching curtains. Plants line the windowsill. She has a bowl of candy beside her nightstand with her lamp and hand sanitizer. Very cozy :)

Kai- He keeps his room very neat. Painted dark red, he's got a beige carpet. One wall is just a big bookshelf. He has a canopy bed and a chandelier and a bed for his cat Muffin

Lily- Painted pink. She has a white, shag carpet on the floor, and those sequin decoration pillows that kinda hurt to sleep on. A lot of little plants. Fairy lights hang from the ceiling. She has a lot of family photos on her desk. She's got a vanity table. A lil messy

Jaxon + Dylan- Very messy on account of Jaxon never cleaning and Dylan firmly believing that, at this point, it's a health hazard to touch anything. Life forms are prob growing under their bunk bed. Jaxon has the top bunk, and I'm looking in chapter 7 because I described their room there. His bed looks like it hasn't been made since he was nine years old. He keeps empty chip bags there. Dylan's is much neater, lot of blankets and stuffed frogs. There's two bean bags in front of the television, one green for Dylan, one blue for Jaxon. Eventually, Leo gets a red one. Posters from various cartoons and video games overlap each other. Also, Jaxon has a hamster on their desk

-Rosemary Jaxon- Small. Around the size of a walk-in closet. The floor is just straight up dirt, and the walls are concrete. It's dark, one, dim light in the corner of the room, and a metal bench held up by two chains. There is also a rat named Jeremy

Marcy- Kind of like Leo's, but a bit more purple-themed. She's got an electric guitar hanging up, with some band posters covering the walls. Her room is painted gray

Ryan + Sam- They have a bunk bed. Ryan's is the bottom, with his bed covered up with stuffed animals of various sea creatures. Sam has a little less stuffed animals, but the wall and his ceiling, where he can reach, are covered in stickers. Sam's green army men and Ryan's plastic bugs are scattered on the floor, which is great for them, terrible for anyone who tries to get into their room. Sam has a lot of Hot Wheel sets along the walls, Ryan's got a lot of Legos that are in immediate danger of being broken by his brother

-Dahlia Ryan- The kindergarten room of the small school he and Leo were staying at. The paint was scratched, the lights were broken, but Leo let him have the air mattress she was planning on keeping for herself, as well as her blanket

-Dahlia Sam- Ryan's got him locked out of his room for the first two chapters, so he has the last remaining guest bedroom, and he couldn't really get any of his stuff. He steals Elliot's nightlight. The picture Leo found in forget me not is on his floor. He couldn't stay in Ryan's room after he left, so he kept the guest room. He's got his sports equipment in an orange bag

Elliot- Solar system rug covers his floor, colored lights hang from the ceiling, keeping the room usually purple. His toys are kept up on shelves hammered into his walls. He and Dylan painted styrofoam spheres to look like planets, and the two of them hung up glow star stickers to look like constellations, and they spent a while hanging them up. He's got a telescope by his window, and neon signs In Rosemary, he shares this room with Ryan, Sam, and Dylan, with Dylan's mattress closest to his bed, Ryan's next to theirs, and Sam's next to his

[rockislandadultreads]

Libby Spotlight: Have a Good Laugh 

The Office BFFs by Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey

Receptionist Pam Beesly and accountant Angela Martin had very little in common when they toiled together at Scranton's Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. But, in reality, the two bonded in their very first days on set and, over the nine seasons of the series' run, built a friendship that transcended the show and continues to this day. Sharing everything from what it was like in the early days as the show struggled to gain traction, to walking their first red carpet—plus exclusive stories on the making of milestone episodes and how their lives changed when they became moms—The Office BFFs is full of the same warm and friendly tone Jenna and Angela have brought to their “Office Ladies” podcast.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Back in America after twenty years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. The AT offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes—and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings.

For a start there’s the gloriously out-of-shape Stephen Katz, a buddy from Iowa along for the walk. But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson’s acute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America’s last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is a modern classic of travel literature.

Adulting by Kelly Williams Brown

If you graduated from college but still feel like a student... if you wear a business suit to job interviews but pajamas to the grocery store... if you have your own apartment but no idea how to cook or clean . . . it's OK. But it doesn't have to be this way.

Just because you don't feel like an adult doesn't mean you can't act like one. And it all begins with this funny, wise, and useful book. Based on Kelly Williams Brown's popular blog, Adulting makes the scary, confusing "real world" approachable, manageable—and even conquerable. This guide will help you to navigate the stormy Sea of Adulthood so that you may find safe harbor in Not Running Out of Toilet Paper Bay, and along the way you will learn:

What to check for when renting a new apartment—not just the nearby bars, but the faucets and stove, among other things.

When a busy person can find time to learn more about the world (It involves the intersection of NPR and hair-straightening.)

How to avoid hooking up with anyone in your office—imagine your coworkers having plastic, featureless doll crotches. It helps.

The secret to finding a mechanic you love—or, more realistically, one that will not rob you blind.

You Can’t Be Serious by Kal Penn

You Can't Be Serious is a series of funny, consequential, awkward, and ridiculous stories from Kal Penn's idiosyncratic life. It's about being the grandson of Gandhian freedom fighters, and the son of immigrant parents: people who came to this country with very little and went very far—and whose vision of the American dream probably never included their son sliding off an oiled-up naked woman in the raunchy Ryan Reynolds movie Van Wilder...or getting a phone call from Air Force One as Kal flew with the country's first Black president.

"By turns hilarious, poignant, and inspiring" (David Axelrod, New York Times bestselling author), Kal reflects on the most exasperating and rewarding moments from his journey so far. He pulls back the curtain on the nuances of opportunity and racism in the entertainment industry and recounts how he built allies, found encouragement, and dealt with early reminders that he might never fit in. He describes his initially unpromising first date with his now-fiancé Josh, involving an 18-pack of Coors Light and an afternoon of watching NASCAR. And of course, he reveals how, after a decade and a half of fighting for and enjoying successes in Hollywood, he made the terrifying but rewarding decision to take a sabbatical from a fulfilling acting career for an opportunity to serve his country as an Obama White House aide.

[bowtiesnmusicals]

Here is my recap of The 13th Member of the GLEE Club (Andrew Mitchell) episode of the podcast.

Andrew Mitchell was the A camera Steadicam operator for Glee.

There is no Glee without Andrew Mitchell.

He was an integral part of the musical numbers.

Andrew is a skater.

The Steadicam weighed 65lbs. He made it look very easy. They filmed on 35mm film.

Zach and the directors would remind the cast that Andrew wins if they collided with him.

During Highway to Hell, Andrew collided with one of the girls from Vocal Adrenaline. She hit the floor.

Andrew missed only 5 or 6 performances.

They shot the original Don't Stop Believing over two days.

During a single day Andrew was operating 3 different cameras. A regular camera, Steadicam, and the crane.

When they shot the pilot episode Andrew had already been working for 11 years.

He worked on High School Musical 2 & 3.

The cast that would be sitting behind Andrew would mess with him. They would tickle and poke him. They would answer his walkie talkie too. They had a fun time.

Everyone that worked with Ryan loved working on Glee because it was so different then what he usually does. It was a break from the dark. It was light and fun.

The cast kept each other in check by reminding each other that the crew were here before them and left after them. That they had families and would like to go home.

Glee is the most demanding show Andrew has worked on.

Glee was a career making show. Andrew won an award.

The rehearsal studios were called the tin shed and the power house.

There were 2 instances where Andrew felt like he was on a juggernaut of a show. The first was when he went to the Grove and saw giant posters for an episode launch. The second time was when they went to New York and seeing all the fans swarming to see the cast.

Kevin said it was cool seeing the crews reaction to all the fans in New York.

As people rewatch the show Kevin and Jenna are getting noticed again. It feels like a time warp.

Andrew's children and friends are watching the show now.

Everyone loved the craft service truck. Andrew's children called it the jelly bean truck.

Jenna is a sucker for a deviled egg.

Telly got Kevin hooked on eating an avocado cut in half with olive oil, salt, and pepper. It made him feel like he was eating healthy. Kevin liked going to craft services and making sandwiches and things.

There was talk after season 1 of getting the cast a really cool trailer to hang out. It would have made wrangling the cast easier. A lot of things were proposed and never happened.

Andrew's favorite of Kevin are My Love Is Your Love. He also enjoys Safety Dance.

Safety Dance was shot in a real mall. Kevin's mom and sister were there.

For Jenna, Andrew loves I Kissed A Girl. Another favorite is True Colors.

Some of his other favorites were Thriller and Scream, Rocky Horror, Singing in the Rain,

Rocky Horror was hard. It was long day.

Andrew only got splashed one or two times filming Singing in the Rain. They had carpet over the water tank so the cast didn't slip. It had been shampooed and not all of it was removed. They had to use hot tub anti bubble stuff to keep the water from getting bubbly. Kevin mentioned Ryan's story of them adding the water too soon and it created gross fungus film. He then probably had them clean everything causing the soap bubble issue.

Kevin was just sitting in water during Singing in the Rain. At the end of each take the casts rainboots were filled with water. It is a great number to watch but not such a great number to film.

Andrew had nicknames for everyone. Jenna's was bubbles because of her costume in the Lady Gaga episode. Matty Fresh for Matt, Princess for Dianna, and Mark was Saw. The only person he didn't have a nickname for was Lea.

There wasn't a lot of turn over in the camera department. They enjoyed working on the show and didn't want to leave.

Any sectionals or regionals was difficult to film with the steadicam. They were long numbers without stops.

Bohemian Rapsody was longer than the film reel and could not be done in one take.

Cory saved Andrew's life several times. He almost fell into the pit at least one time.

Andrew fell filming going through a doorway at the Long Beach Expo center. He was filming a sign and he had to move fast. He caught his foot on the door jamb. Cory pulled him aside after and told him he was going to tell him to be careful before that take.

For the 400th number Andrew wrote all the songs on ping pong balls and dumped them on Zach and Brooke.

Kevin got 18 slushies during the Super Bowl episode. He had to shoot that scene twice. Brad Falchuk directed that episode.

Andrew told one of the cast to throw the confetti right at him.

The very first slushie that Rachel got was done in one take.

When Jacob Artist (Jake Puckerman) was being slushies they got the genius idea to put a camera in one of the cups and filled it with a thick slushie. It didn't work the first time and the second time the cup left Andrew's hand and hit Jacob in the face. They didn't try it a third time.

Andrew would have a lollipop in his mouth during most performances. It was a way to get a quick boost of energy and then it became like a good luck charm.

Andrew doubled for Kevin during Shooting Star.

Andrew loved Kevin in the STD outfit. There was a scene in that episode where no one was doing their lines and got yelled at because they couldn't get it together. Kevin got annoyed that no one could get their lines right.

Andrew said that Adam Shankman was fun to work with as a director.

Eric Stoltz is a favorite. Paris Barclay was great.

They loved working with Alfonso Gomez-Rejon. HIs episodes looked beautiful but the process was challenging.

They flew Andrew in to film the close ups during the Glee Tour.

What is the feeling Glee leaves you with when you think about the show? He steals the Lilian Adler quote that says by its very definition Glee is about opening yourself up to joy. He said his memory isn't very good but he always remembers how he feels like when he meets someone or works on a project. At the end of Glee it felt so good but also felt like this can't end. It was hard.

Glee is warmth and joy. A ton of good memories. It was like they went to summer camp for 6 years.

Jenna said it was like a really long summer camp that you never want to end.

Andrew asked Jenna and Kevin two questions. He forgot the first one. The second was metaphorically at the end of the show if you had taken anything from the set what would it have been. They were allowed to take one thing. The crew wasn't allowed to take anything. Jenna took the clock off the wall and Kevin took the wheelchair. Apparently he wasn't supposed to take it. Andrew would have taken the lamp on the piano and the banner from when the Glee club won it's first Nationals.

Where did the shot they would do going off the fingertips and sweep up to the light come from? Andrew said it was a career making shot. It was something he tried and everyone loved it. It became a staple of the show.

Kevin and Jenna still keep in touch with a lot of crewmembers. Kevin said they need to have more of them on the podcast.

They both enjoyed when Andrew flipped the table and interviewed them.

[walkswithdave]

So I just made use of the AIs to do some writing that I could have spent time on, I guess, but didn’t really want to, and it, after I tried a couple different prompts, gave me exactly what I wanted. I changed and/or removed maybe 10 or so words / punctuation, but this was about perfect (including a clever line at the end).

My email to Eric:

“Reading the script, I just thought of a little funny bit you maybe can do in one of these vacuum videos: the Nerdy Science Moment (or some such name). When suction is mentioned, Ryan can recite, in a overly stilted way, with some science affectation (like holding a beaker, or whatever): "Actually, there's no such thing as suction..." Something like:”

My prompt to AI:

Explain in overly stilted, somewhat goofy terms that "suction" created by a vacuum is an illusion, and that it's really the earth's gravity creating air pressure that makes the vacuum head seem to stick to the floor (use an example of a plunger pushed against the wall and it sticks, the higher air pressure outside (due to gravity) PRESSING the plunger to the wall - not anything "sucking"). Explain this as a host on a funny science TV show would.

The AI’s writing:

It's time to get science-y about a common misconception: Suction! You see, when you run the vacuum over your carpet, it may seem like the machine is sucking up dirt and debris with its powerful suction. But, in reality, it's not!

The true culprit behind this phenomenon is none other than our old pal, gravity! Imagine if you will, a plunger pushed against a wall. It seems to stick because of suction, doesn't it? But it's not suction holding it onto the wall, it's because the air pressure outside the plunger is higher than the air pressure inside, and this pressure difference, caused by the pull of gravity on the air, presses the plunger against the wall - pressing, not sucking! [I added these three words]

And it's the same principle with your vacuum cleaner. The machine creates a low-pressure area inside the vacuum head, and the higher air pressure outside, caused by gravity, pushes the air - and any dirt and debris - into the vacuum. So next time you clean your floors, don't be fooled by the illusion of suction! Give a shoutout to gravity for doing the real heavy lifting!

[ryanhillgroup]

2626 Wingate Ct, Aurora, IL 60502 | Home for Sale

This is your chance to own one of the most charming townhomes in Aurora IL

Discover this end-unit townhome, where comfort, privacy, and modern updates come together to create the perfect retreat.

This lovely home features newly refreshed interiors, carefully chosen upgrades, and a spacious layout that makes every room feel welcoming.

Whether you're starting fresh or simply looking for a cozy space to call home, this property invites you to explore and imagine your life here!

A living room that will leave your guests impressed

Step inside, and you’re greeted by a bright and expansive living room, with fresh vinyl flooring and wood blinds that allow for just the right amount of natural light.

This space offers versatility, whether you’re hosting a cozy movie night or entertaining guests. With its generous size, this room offers ample space to arrange your favorite furniture, creating a cozy and inviting spot for relaxation.

Convenience meets sophistication in this beautiful kitchen

Just off the living room, the kitchen combines functionality with style. This 18x9 eat-in kitchen features classic painted oak cabinets and easy-to-maintain laminate countertops. A two-sided stainless-steel sink makes clean-up a breeze, and the hardwood floors add warmth to the space.

The kitchen is perfectly set up for casual dining, with space for a breakfast nook where you can enjoy your morning coffee. It’s an area that feels inviting, whether you’re preparing a big dinner or grabbing a quick snack on the go.

On the main level, you'll also find a powder room that adds convenience for you and your guests, along with a laundry closet housing a full-size washer and dryer for easy household chores. A utility closet contains a reliable Bryant furnace and AC unit, providing year-round comfort.

Restful evenings are guaranteed in these cozy bedrooms

Upstairs, you’ll find three freshly painted bedrooms, each with brand-new carpeting and thoughtful details designed for comfort and relaxation.

The 14’x12’ primary bedroom includes a ceiling fan, blinds, and a spacious walk-in closet for all your wardrobe needs. You’ll also appreciate private access to the hall bath, offering convenience and a touch of luxury in your daily routine.

Bedrooms 2 and 3 also come with ceiling fans and blinds. These rooms offer a range of possibilities, from cozy guest rooms to a home office or hobby space. Each room is a blank canvas ready for your personal touch!

The best townhome for outdoor enthusiasts!

This Aurora home’s brick patio offers a peaceful retreat.

Perfect for outdoor dining, gardening, or simply soaking up some fresh air, this patio space is ideal for enjoying summer evenings or adding a small herb garden.

Being an end-unit, this home gives you a bit more privacy and outdoor space, adding to your enjoyment of this quiet neighborhood.

A stunning property set in a sought-after location

Nestled within the renowned Naperville 204 School District, this home is perfect for anyone looking for top-quality education options in the area. 

And with easy access to I-88, commuting to nearby cities or exploring all that Aurora and Naperville have to offer is simple and convenient.

This move-in-ready townhome at 2626 Wingate Court truly has it all: spacious rooms, modern updates, and a fantastic location.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to make this gorgeous townhome your own! Call Listing Agent Teresa Ryan or Broker Mike Loewer today for more information at 630-718-0424. Listing courtesy of Ryan Hill Group (Century 21 Circle - Naperville).