#Sorry it got a bit angsty

[today-in-the-bunker]

Today, Castiel finally admits to needing help with something. Slightly embarrassed, the angel pulls Dean aside to ask for his assistance in grooming his wings. They had grown difficult to maintain after they were singed in Hell, but the fall from Heaven had really put the final nail in the coffin. His back will now twinge in pain when he attempts to reach the remaining feathers scattered amongst the further expanses of his wings. Dean immediately agrees to help, attempting to disgiuse his care and concern under a thin veil of (not so) sarcastic flirting and faux annoyance. Cas mentally lets himself melt into the comfort. He thinks he's beginning to understand that touch can be used, not only to attack, but to soothe.

[risetherivermoon]

evan is as crazily obsessed and possessive with barty as he is with him, and i need to see this shown more

once theyre dating evan starts giving everyone who even looks at barty in any kind of way a hard death glare, and barty just goes feral over it, evan will insult someones entire bloodline because they flirt with barty and bartys just giggling and kicking his feet

evan gets jealous and he does it in a way where there's something so clearly wrong but hes just like "what?? really?? its fineeee." (newsflash, it isn't) where as barty will get jealous and he'll just be like: "im jealous, i want to kill that guy"

evan with his arms around bartys shoulders from behind while bartys talking to someone, him trying to explode people with his mind,

because evan has had to watch barty be with people and not see him for so long even though he was right in front of him this entire time that he will lose his mind if thats ruined

[pokimoko]

The One-Way Waltz of the Moth and the Wild Flame (and the Incident of the Authorial Intrusion) - A Good Omens Fic

Written by pokimoko

Chapters: 1/1

Word Count: ~25K

Fandom: Good Omens (TV)

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Crowley & Muriel (Good Omens), Crowley & Nina (Good Omens), Crowley (Good Omens) & Original Character(s)

Characters: Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale (Good Omens), Muriel (Good Omens), Original Characters, (who is technically not an original character but I've got to keep some secrets ;) ), Nina (Good Omens), Background & Cameo Characters

Summary: A story in which Crowley does not prevent forest fires, a radio sends out thoughts and prayers, an angel misuses the emergency contact, the local duck population invents socialism, trees are threatened to varying degrees of success, a waltz is indeed played, and an author considers the nature of tragedies.

Tags: Ineffable Divorce | Aziraphale and Crowley Break Up (Good Omens), Post-Break Up, POV Crowley (Good Omens), Emotional Hurt, He/Him Pronouns For Crowley (Good Omens), They/Them Pronouns for Muriel (Good Omens), Crowley & Muriel Friendship (Good Omens), Angst and Humor, Crowley-centric (Good Omens), Canon Continuation, Post-Season/Series 02, Post-Episode: s02e06 Every Day (Good Omens), Pre-Season/Series 03, No Aziraphale Slander Here but it is also Crowley's POV so expect at least some Thoughts, Angry Crowley (Good Omens), Running Away, Both in the Emotional and Literal Sense, Because You Don't Have to Deal with Your Romantic and Personal Issues in Washington State. Obviously, (incorrect: you very much do), Crowley is a Mess (Good Omens), (even if he won't admit it), Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), (another thing he won't admit), Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), They're just being stupid, Not A Fix-It, References to God(s), Romantic Angst, America, United States, Fire Lookout, Remember Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires (Unless You Are Anthony J. Crowley), hey is it healthy to repeatedly relive a past trauma to deal with a breakup? asking for a friend, Scene: The Bookshop Fire (Good Omens), Fire, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Isolation, When You're Trying to Cope Badly in the American Wilderness but People Keep Talking to You, Radio, Inspired by Firewatch (Video Game), Character Study, Crowley and the Woes of Being In a Narrative That Won't Let You Go, (Fleabag voice) This is a Tragedy, But oh? What's this?, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ambiguous/Open Ending

[luimagines]

Okay, it's almost 4 am and the creative juices are running high!

Imagine right! The chain land in wild's Era and he's just excited, because they're near hateno and he can introduce some people that he knows to the chain. Of course the chain get curious about the building on the hill and while running towards it also the beach.

After spending some time on the beach and the chain meeting Purah, purah asks wild if he has introduced them to zelda and scolds him when he says he hadn't yet (not his fault for once).

This let wild to finally be able to herd the group to his home (which he brags about that he bought it and renovated it himself). Before he can open the door the chain hears a little laugh behind it.

The door opens to reveal an old lady who is really happy to see wild, but also playfully scolds him for making her wait so long to be introduced to the group. That's when wild does finally introduce her. She's Zelda. The calamity hasn't been kind to her and it sucked out almost all her magic that it made her unable to get her age reversed. She's living her best life though.

Zelda and wild are still really close with each other and openly joke that they're the same age.

Though for the chain it finally, really struck what a tragedy wild's adventure was.

OOOOOooo!!!!

While I fully bet they're the same age and they make light of it all the time, how much are you willing to get that Zelda uses a bunch of older saying on Wild that he has no control over?

"When I was your age-"

"You'll understand when you're older."

"Respect your elders, young man!"

"Age before beauty, sir."

And over all poking (gentle) fun over how young he looks because baby face. <3

[thatcrazycrowgirl]

I don't know if you're still going on the Jacob frye gush but. I see Jacob as the kind of guy to kiss hands.

Young, he's got that charm and tends to lean down when doing it. Mostly teasing or getting his flirt on with someone he fancies or whatever.

Older, I see him more of the standing up type when doing it. More respectable or gentle, he dosen't kiss it as much. Like brings it up close and bowing his head slightly, but dosen't make contact.

Hey, I am almost always low-key up for having an excuse to gush about Jacob, so by all means, y'all are welcome to send me your thoughts anytime! ^_^

Also, YES. I can absolutely see Jacob as that sort.

When he's younger, in addition to what you said, I can also see him peeking up from under his dark lashes and giving a cheeky, little wink right after brushing his lips against someone's knuckles, grinning when he notices the blush he gets from them in return. Even as he continues to court his beloved and gets past the initial "politely kissing the hand as a greeting" stage, he never stops doing it. He loves doing it so much, in fact, that even if he's doing something ordinary like taking a stroll or having dinner with his significant other, he'll just link his hand in theirs and bring it up to his lips to leave a lingering kiss, smiling against their skin with happiness in his eyes.

As for when he's older, I can totally see him doing the other thing you suggested, as well - his soft breath making the contact against that person's skin as he just barely glosses his lips over their hand, especially more so in public. In private, I can also see him being the sort to gently kiss his beloved's palm, when they reach to touch his cheek, just basking in the comfort and present warmth radiating from their hand. Those different types of contact, no matter how subtle, are just what he needs to bring himself back to the present - especially after the tragedy of 1888 - and get a good, daily reminder of how much he is loved and how in love he is with the one he is with.

[hatwcc]

Angel and Huxley as Twins

I have always had this thought of Angel and Huxley being like non-identical Twins(I'm gonna turn this into a fic, but it will probably be masc Angel, I’m keeping this gender neutral though)

This is kind of long so heads up!

When they were younger, both of them being attached to the hip and it was almost impossible to get the two of them to separate from each other even just for a few minutes 

Both of them having a really big love for nature and hanging out in the forest behind their house a lot.

Huxley and Angel spending a lot of time in their backyard, planting things in the garden.

Both helping the other study for school from elementary to high school.

Angel meeting Michael and becoming a little distant from Huxley and their parents.

Huxley and Angel still being close until their senior year of high school, when Angel ran off with Michael to Dahlia without a word and cut contact with Huxley and their moms.

Huxley being really sad because he misses his Twin, and hopes everyday that they come back but they never do.

Angel wishing they never went with Michael after they realized they needed to get out of their relationship with him, missing their family within the first week they left.

Angel leaving Michael and wanting to move back home. But thinking they cant because they left without saying anything, and thinking that their family wants nothing to do with them.

Huxley celebrating his birthday without them and wishing every birthday that they find their way back to him and their parents.

Huxley moving to Dahlia to start a new life and meeting the D.A.M.N squad, Finally happy with his life since his sibling left.

Angel meeting David and seeing a better future for themselves, and having hope that they will reunite with their family.

Angel attempting to find out their parents and brothers numbers after getting in contact with an old friend.

Huxley who hasn’t seen his sibling in 7 years getting a call from an Unknown person claiming to be his sibling.

Huxley agreeing to meet up with them at a local café. 

Angel and Huxley reuniting and hugging each other like one of them is going to disappear again. 

Angel apologizing for leaving, and telling Huxley that they regret their choice the first week they were gone

Huxley telling them that they don’t need to apologize and that he’s just glad they came back, and that they needed to tell their parents

Huxley and Angel calling their parents and basically having a mini reunion through call

Huxley who is going to hang out with the damn squad that weekend, inviting Angel to join them

Angel accepting the offer and promising to keep in contact with him.

Huxley going home to Damien and telling him about his reunion with his twin.

Damien being happy for Huxley and telling him that he would love to meet his twin. 

The weekend comes and Angel meets all of Huxley's friends, and has a great time, and when everyone is leaving Angel invites Huxley to meet their boyfriend and friends to which Huxley agrees.

Huxley finds out from meeting their boyfriend(Mate) that Angel knows about the empowered world and tells them about him being an earth elemental.

Angel being fascinated and asks for more info about being an earth elemental and Huxley being happy that they accept that part of him

Ofc Huxley meeting some of the pack and recognizing a lot of them from the Inversion, catching up with them.

Overall Huxley and Angel having a very close sibling bond

[happi-tree]

Hey Happi!! :D <3 Hope you're having a nice day/night and for the ask meme: 👗❤️‍🔥 for Henry and Mercedes (clothes headcanon + romantic headcanon)

Hi, there, Countless!!! Tysm, I'm doing pretty well. Hope you are, too 💚💚💚!

Hencedes my ABSOLUTE beloveds this is going to be so much fun

👗 A headcanon about their clothes

Henry: Okay I think I've mentioned this once or twice, but in my mind, Henry definitely knows how to make his own clothing. Growing up in Oakvale, I think the fashions there were pretty circularly developed - you had the entire process, from getting the raw materials to finishing touches and clothing trades - sourced entirely within the village, especially since Barry placed so much importance on isolation and self-reliance. Everything was made by hand (perhaps with the exception of things like mending spells and such), and for the most part, everyone knew at minimum how to patch things up. I'd like to think that Autumn, back before things went from bad to worse, taught Henry a bit of her knitting skills. Barry allowed it, since he figured it was something of a meditative task that might help his son to focus and channel his energy. I'd like to think perhaps he also got a bit into embroidery as a teenager (rebelliously, since Barry saw Henry's tiny stitched flowers as childish, ornamental, and unworthy of anyone's time). This habit stuck with him even after he got transported and memory-wiped, and he found himself embroidering plants he didn't recognize along the edges of the bandana he was customizing for his girlfriend, Mercedes.

Mercedes: Roughly 75% of her wardrobe is hand-me-down clothing. I feel like Mercedes has a pretty large extended family, and growing up, she got a lot of cast-offs from her older cousins and relatives. And some of those relatives very enthusiastically allowed her to shop their closets when she was first figuring out her gender (trans Mercedes is REAL to me, ok) so that she could experiment with any style she wanted without committing too hard. She's also a very big clothing thief, and she has pieces from college friends and past lovers that she "forgot" to give back. She's a very thrifty sort of person and just adores the look and feel of pre-worn clothing - it's got character to it, and more often than not it tends to be very soft <3

❤️‍🔥 A romantic headcanon

Henry: I think Henry loves dancing with Mercedes to the songs on the radio. Mercedes is by far the better dancer, but Henry has a pretty good sense of rhythm (I mean. Glances at the Rocks Rock album), so they manage to not step on each other's toes (most of the time). He just adores picking his wife up by the waist and spinning her around on their kitchen floor, even if his back ends up hurting afterwards. His moves are a little dorky and awkward, but it never fails to make Mercedes smile, which is a mission accomplished as far as he's concerned. When they get back from Faerun, one of the first things Henry does is ask her to dance with him after the boys are put to bed. He twirls her around their kitchen, the familiar surroundings that he very nearly lost, the love of his life finally in his arms again, and he thinks that maybe, everything really will be alright :')

Mercedes: Mercedes records voice memos of Henry semi-secretly whenever she can, simply because she loves the sound of his voice. She has about 20 different clips of him laughing alone. This ended up serving her well when her boys all vanished for months on end - she would play the clips over and over, just to be sure she wouldn't forget his voice, wouldn't forget the man she was fighting so hard to rescue. It gave her something to cling to, even if some nights the sound of his voice trapped in time and filtered through her phone speakers drove her to tears.

[acacia-may]

Leopold Vermillion? 🎂🎈🔥

Thanks

Hi Mitsuki! Thank you so much for the request! I always love the opportunity to get to write about Leo (it doesn't arise very often so thank you so much for this!). The second ask you had sent in confirming this one also included the 😍 prompt so I've answered that as well at the end!

Headcanons are below the cut! I hope you like them! 🧡

[Questions are from the Birthday Headcanons Ask Game 😊]

🎂 — What’s their favourite kind of cake or other birthday treat?

As much as Leopold loves cake and is the type of person who would really be content with any dessert, his favourite birthday treat is Baked Alaska. It was a tradition in the (fire) Vermillion household to have the flambéed ice cream cakes in lieu of more traditional birthday cakes, and from a young age, Leo was fascinated by the dessert--very much in awe of how the meringue coating protected the ice cream and cake inside and prevented it from melting even when the dessert was set ablaze. Little Bitty Leo definitely thought of it as something of a magic trick, and though he understands the mechanics of the dessert much better now, it still never fails to bring out that childlike wonder in him. He very rarely ever has a Baked Alaska outside of his birthday so it is always a very special treat for him.

Images from: Saveur and The Food Network

🎈— What’s one of their fondest and/or best birthday memories?

On Leo's 9th birthday, both Mereoleona and Fuegoleon surprised him by showing up for his birthday party. Mereoleona had been off training in a strong magic region for months (entirely off the grid, with no way to contact her), and Fuegoleon had been away on a mission, protecting Clover Kingdom's border with the Diamond Kingdom, so Leo hadn't been expecting either of them to be able to make it home to celebrate his birthday. Fuegoleon had actually sent him a letter with his apologies that he wouldn't be able to see him on his birthday on account of his mission, though he promised that they would celebrate it together as soon as he returned home.

Though Leo was a little bit disappointed, he understood why his siblings couldn't be there to celebrate with him. However, the Crimson Lions completed their mission early, and Fuegoleon traveled all night to make it home in time for Leo's birthday. Shortly after Fuegoleon arrived at Vermillion Castle and surprised his brother, Mereoleona appeared riding a magical beast she had tamed in the strong magic region in which she had been training. Leo was so surprised and had never happier, especially since both of siblings arrived just in time for Baked Alaska! 😊

🔥— What would they wish for when they blow out their birthday candles?

Leo's birthday wish would be to grow stronger and to make his family proud. He might also add in a second wish to get to spend more time with his older brother and sister. 🥰

😍 — What's their favourite birthday gift they've ever received?

When Leo was very little, Fuegoleon and Mereleona (with the help of Sister Teresa who took them to the store) got Leo a stuffed animal lion cub with soft fur and little button eyes for his birthday. Leo named the lion "Sparky," and it soon became his most beloved and treasured toy as well as an imaginary friend. Little Bitty Leo took "Sparky" everywhere with him and couldn't fall asleep without it. Even when it grew tattered and worn (and had to be sewn back together multiple times), he refused to part with it, and though he began to outgrow it, he still kept it with him because it helped him feel close to his older brother and sister when they were away on their Magic Knight adventures.

Poor Sparky is worse for wear these days, but he still keeps watch over Leo from a shelf in his room at the Crimson Lions' Headquarters. When Fuegoleon was seriously injured in the attack on the Royal Capital, Leo pulled the plushie down from the shelf for the first time in years and finally was able to fall asleep clutching onto it. If Leo ever had children of his own one day, he would want to pass Sparky down to them (though he should probably take the poor toy to a seamstress first). 🧡

[honestmouse20]

Ninjago fics I will, eventually, get around to writing lol

-Lloyd ending up with the Mega Weapon. (maybe a rewrite of an episode or just imaginary season) and the team going from being worried he’ll evaporate from touching it, to tryign to figure out how to finish a battle with a half conscious kid. 

-Lloyd going through being possessed by Morro and All that entails. Plus maybe a fix it cause I didn’t like how he Immediatly had to go and fight. even though it was shown how much being possessed affected him

[frostbite-the-bat]

remembering old fandoms and rps and aus i had and im realizing this isnt the first time an au version of frostbite interacted a lot with someone who at least in text had a quirk that does something to the letter s which is ironic considering their name

[bluecoolr]

🖊 Darrell because (if you'll allow me to get specific) is there be a type of situation where he felt/feels way over his head? It could be any scenario, work, murder, military, honestly whatever. I'm just curious about his stress response

(Feel free to ignore btw)

Hi Plent! 💕

Darrell was always very soft. He's like those toys that go splat! -> the kind you throw and they retain the shape

But he was taught to control his feelings and act rationally in the military. He works well under pressure and manages to hold out when he's stressed. He has a tipping point but it takes a while to get there.

At times when he works for 3 days straight - when he can feel the exhaustion in his bones - he breaks down. He cries because he's so frustrated that he can't shirk his responsibilities. He cries in the gas station bathroom, washes his face, and goes back to work.

In the military, people looked up to him because he was tough. He was a good leader and urged the privates under his command to carry on despite the losses. But he moves away, hides behind wreckages or vehicles and cries for the men he lost. He hates feeling powerless.

[allylikethecat]

also can we get a hint on what the one shot is about 🥹

Wellll I'm going to start off by saying that it's only around 2,000 words and 10/10 not my best work, it is very subpar BUT I am excited to have finished something that wasn't part of a series or a chaptered fic and am therefore going to aggressively and enthusiastically share it on the internet 😂 It's just a little angsty oneshot about Fictional!George taking care of Fictional!Matty during the bad times and I am so sorry for hyping it up so much I know you're just going to be let down I was just excited and am also a little sleep deprived 😭

Thank you for sending in this ask though and I hope you do enjoy it tomorrow!! Thank you so much for reading and for your support! 🥰 I hope you have a fantastic night!

❤️Ally

[vapormage]

you can make fandom posts for a niche game, but Watch Out

[angstigone]

hey dearest besties,

just wanted to say that if you ever want to chat me up or send me an ask or tag me in tag games or such, pls do.

one of the reasons why I mostly joined this social media is to make friends for the fandoms I am in, so I am always glad to interact with y'all!

[mestos]

Being an oshi of your own OC is so tough when u want a specific piece of art ur oc to exist but have no means to make it happen

[writersdrug]

no thoughts just waitress!reader showing up for shifts like nothings wrong after the date situation

just keeping it calm and professional. working her shifts efficiently and no longer bantering/flirting with ghost, who would rather reader melt down and tear into him than putting up the walls around herself hehe

Ok I'm combining some asks here that had some different ideas - I got so many of you guys demanding reparation for making reader cry 😭 here's the comfort chapter! (Still a tad angsty at the beginning)

Ghost had finished your tips for you that night. He had half a mind to slide a hundred in your payout folder as an apology for ruining your date... but what good would that do? That would make you quit for good, if you hadn't already.

He lays in his bed, eyes stuck to the ceiling, still in his jeans and black shirt. He wishes he could snuff out the guilt that sits heavily in his gut. He wonders what you're doing - probably crying, possibly making a half-assed voodoo doll of himself and stabbing his chest with a dull steak knife, because that's all he feels right now.

He gets up early the next day after a rough three hours of sleep. He lumbers down the stairs to the office - Price is there, sorting out cash and working on the next supply order. He looks at Simon, who's rubbing his eyes and looking worse for wear.

"Mornin'." Price says, turning back to the monitor. Ghost grunts in response, dropping himself onto the couch behind Price. His head aches from the lack of sleep, thoughts circling in his mind about how to apologize to you. He can imagine you won't want to talk to him - or, if you do, it'll most likely be profanities wedged between insults. He'd love for you to berate him right now, and make him feel like he got what he deserved.

Price sighs. "You sleep alright?"

"I've had better."

"Nightmare?"

"... yea, somethin' like that."

Price huffs. "I'm workin' front of house today." He says, grabbing the bag of tips and standing up. "Goin' down to drop these in the safe, then I'll help you stock up."

Simon opens his eyes, looking at Price with confusion. "You?"

Price nods. "Dove called out sick. Sounded like she's got the lurgy."

That delivers the final blow to Simon. He knows you're not sick - you're avoiding him now. All plans to apologize are now out the window, and the more time passes, the harder it'll be to do it.

"You've only got yourself to blame, Simon." Price says, heading down to the restaurant floor.

He curses under his breath as Price leaves. How he heard about what happened - he could only assume it had been from Soap. He drops his arm over his face and groans. He wants to call out himself, but then they might as well shut down the entire pub for the day.

Should he try phoning you? Would you answer, let alone allow him to get more than five words out? What would he say? "Sorry I ruined your date, I was jealous tha' ya got a life outside of the pub." There is no variation of an apology that feels like it would be enough. He made you cry, for fucks sake. That was a punishment in and of itself, but he still had to own up to what he'd done.

He sighs loudly; his body feels heavy as he drags himself off the couch, trudging down the stairs. He still has a bar to run.

It had to have been the longest shift of Simon's life, and he even wrapped things up a bit earlier than usual. He didn't have the gift of your incessant chatting or being able to tease you to make the time pass. Price was a solid companion in front of house, but there was hardly a conversation to be held - even with the usual bar crowd. The patrons had a look of confusion for the majority of the night, wondering why Soap wasn't popping his head out of the kitchen to chat every once in a while - and why the hell the owner was serving tables, and not the chipper, spunky waitress.

When Simon had locked up for the night, he noticed your bike was no longer in the alley. Johnny must have dropped it off on the way back to his place.

Today isn't much different - at least, not for Simon. He's still suffering from a lack of sleep, he's irritable (he had a spat with Johnny in the morning, over something he can't even remember), and his work ethic is suffering. He's not worried about slicing bar fruit; it'll give him something to do later, when he needs it. Maybe the rush will kick him back into shape.

He stares at the dishes on the edge of the bar - they're all in need of a good polish, but he finds himself stuck on staring at the bar fridge. There's nothing else he needs to stock up on - it's packed completely full with wine, champagne, and cans of beer. He gently kicks the side of it with his boot. He should be checking the to-go boxes, helping Soap with setting up the condiments and soups, making sure the tables all had full salt and pepper shakers. That's what you would be doing. But, you're not here, and neither is Price. He can only hope tonight isn't as busy as the previous night, otherwise he'll have to close some tables. Which would make customers mad. Which would make Price mad. Which would-

Suddenly, he hears three loud bangs against the back door. He freezes, the sound triggering a Pavlovian response. He immediately looks up to the kitchen window - Soap opens the door, and you come jogging inside. You greet him with a smile. He asks how you're feeling, and you say "much better".

He doesn't know what to do with himself, but he just stands there like an idiot as you hang your bag and jacket on a hook. Stands there as you push your way into the restaurant, barely sparing him a glance as you scurry by him. Stands there as you run up the stairs, two at a time, diving nose-first into your chores so you can avoid Simon.

He can't speak. Should he? What can he say? "I'm sorry," for starters, but it isn't that simple. He thought you might have quit, and was preparing his heart for the worst. But now, here you are, running back and forth through the pub and setting up your tables - and it feels like you've never been farther away from him.

In all honesty, you can't bring yourself to talk to him either. You're feeling just as ashamed with your behavior two nights ago as he is about his own. Why the fuck would you expect someone - let alone your boss - to do your chores so that you could run off and have fun on a date? Not only that, but you'd made a scene; you felt like you had half-assed the ice bins in your scramble to get them cleaned, and then you sobbed in the middle of the restaurant. The cherry on top, however, was when you called Price yesterday and told him you had a cold, calling out of your shift. It was a cowardly thing to do, and you could tell he wasn't buying your story.

But: bills need to be paid, rent is due, and you can't lose this job. So you sucked it up and came in today - Simon is easy enough to ignore, separated from you by the bar.

At first, the quiet bartender was relieved that you had showed up for your shift - he wouldn't have searched for a new waitress if you had quit, instead choosing to deal with the consequences of his actions. But he's quickly getting more and more irritated with the silent treatment you're serving. You only talk to him when necessary: a simple "thanks" when you grab your drinks and run them to your tables. You busy yourself between rolling silverware, (over)stocking napkins and condiments, and even going so far as to spray the menus down and scrub them with a rag. You spend more time in the kitchen with Soap; each peal of laughter shared between the two of you is another arrow in Simon's chest. He's stuck behind the bar, listening to woes spilling from drunken lips, forced to watch you flit around and pretend he doesn't exist.

You can't keep this up forever.

Still, you do for most of the night. Even when your shift is coming to an end, the kitchen closed while you close the tabs for your remaining tables, you don't cave and sit at the bar with Simon. You sit at the farthest table from him, the farthest chair, in fact, skimming over your tip receipts - and talking to Soap (who was only able to sit with you since you had helped him knock out his tasks).

Simon's never been as angry with Soap as he is now - and the worst part is he knows it's not justified. He's watching from behind the bar, polishing glasses so hard they might wane into cups. He wants to talk to you. He will talk to you before the night is over. He doesn't expect forgiveness, but he expects that you'll at least let him offer an apology.

One of the regulars at the bar looks to whatever Simon is glaring at, chuckling quietly when he sees you. "Trouble in paradise?"

"Stuff it, Mike." Simon grumbles.

Meanwhile, you walk back from closing out your last table, plopping back in the booth with Soap. "What are you doing after this?"

"Sleepin'." he replies instantly, tossing back an onion ring. "Been dealin' with a grumpy bawbag since early this mornin', and I'm beat."

You glance over at the bar; Simon's back is facing you as he organizes the beer glasses. You really should apologize to him... you just couldn't figure out when the right time would be. He'd still be working by the time your shift ends, and you don't even know if he wants to speak to you at this point.

"Is he mad at me?" you ask, tapping your pen on the table.

Soap sighs. "I'm not goin' t' be the middle man, Bonnie." he says, looking at you intently. "If ye feel like somethin' needs to be said, go talk to 'im."

You groan, leaning back against the seat. "It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"It just isn't! He's already pissed at me, and he probably thinks I'm a slacker. What good is an apology?"

"Ye won't know 'til ye talk to 'im, hmm?"

"What if he fires me?"

Johnny barks with laughter, and you frown. "I'm being serious."

"He'd never fire ye." he says, getting up out of the booth. He stretches both arms above his head and lets out a grunt. "In fact, he was throwin' a fit yesterday n' today 'fore ye came in. Bitch took it out on me."

You winced. "I'm sorry-"

"Save it fer 'im." Soap interjected. He left you at the booth with the onion rings and your tips, disappearing into the kitchen. You huff, hunching back over your tips and scribbling through them.

Deep down, you know Soap is right. If anything, you could just apologize to Simon. If he chooses to be grumpy about it, so be it. You've got tough skin... still, you can't stand the thought of him being upset with you - not because of your work ethic, but because you liked him. A lot. And you wanted him to like you back, even if it was in the most platonic way.

But that didn't change anything. An apology was due, and you were going to give him one before you left tonight.

You grabbed an onion ring and popped it in your mouth, grimacing when you realized they were cold. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Simon making his was across the floor to your booth.

Great. Guess the apology is coming now.

He stops at the edge of the table, wiping his hands in a rag. You pretend to punch numbers into your phone's calculator, but they're all random - you just want to look like you're busy.

"May I sit?" he asks, tucking the rag into his back pocket.

You mumble out a "sure", still not looking at him. You hear his large frame slide into the seat across from you, polyester squeaking underneath his weight. You continue to do random equations on your calculator, letting a thick blanket of tension settle between the two of you. You can feel his stare burning into your head, his arms folded over his chest... and you notice that his mask is in his hand. You finally look up at him.

It's not the first time you've seen his face - you've caught glimpses of it when he smokes in the alley, or when he eats whatever Soap throws under the warmer for you and Simon. But this time, he's not taking it off to be convenient. And, dear god, you're just now paying attention to how scarred, rugged, and handsome he is - but now's not the time for those kinds of thoughts. You feel like he's reaching out an olive branch, showing a possible vulnerable side to himself. So, you place your pen on the table and lean back.

He stays quiet for a moment longer, trying to figure out how to start this. He wants to make sure that you know he's here to apologize, not to ask for forgiveness. From his silence, you assume he's waiting for you to go first.

"I'm sorry about Tuesday night." you say, eyes dropping to the table. Simon's astounded that you're the one apologizing, but you continue. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did, and I'm sorry for trying to dump my job on you."

He feels worse, now. Was that even possible? He was expecting anger, insults - a detailed, frustrated explanation of what you did last night since you did not go on that date. But you're the one saying sorry? You think you're to blame for all of this unspoken aggression? Oh, you really do confuse him, sometimes...

"You don't need t' be sorry, luv." he says, gazing at you with a softness you'd never seen before, not in his brown eyes, at least.

"No, I do." you say, nearly pleading with him to let you be apologetic. "I was being a brat, and whether you usually do the ice bins or not, I shouldn't have expected you would do them without asking." You push your pen on the table, doing your best to convey your feelings. "And yeah, I was late for my date, but... well, he sounded like a dick, anyways."

Simon chuckles, watching you stare at the table. "Well, I owe you an apology, too. I jus'..." he sighed heavily, running a hand down his jaw. "I don' even know. Guess I was bein' lazy, or... I got jealous tha' you've got a life outside of this pub. Feels like you belong here."

He immediately regrets saying that - it sounds way too possessive and... just straight up weird. But you smile, taking comfort in the fact that he still wants you here. That this was the whole reason behind the mess.

"Soap called you a bitch. Said you were an asshole all day."

Simon scoffs. "Yea... 'm pretty sure Price would tell ya the same. And he wants ya back, too. Couldn't stand waitin' on tables, he was tryin' t' trade places with me all night."

You laugh. The world seems alright again - not perfect, but good enough. It might take a night of sleeping the tension away before you're fully back to your normal self, but this is a leap in the right direction. You look at Simon, into his brown, steady eyes, as they stare right back at you.

He breaks the silence. "I really am sorry for ruinin' your date."

You smile softly. "Thank you, Simon. I forgive you."

And just like that, the weight of his guilt is lifted away. The lingering sourness remains, a reminder that he had made you cry. But you had forgiven him, which was more than he was hoping to get tonight.

"Are we better?" you ask timidly.

He nods once. "Better."

You smile - you slowly slide your stack of receipts to him, biting your lip. "Cool - can I have my money?"

Just like that, his smirk drops - but you know it's all in good humor. He huffs, snatching the stack from the table and scoots his way out of the booth. "Always got money on the mind, eh?"

"I've always got rent on my mind." you retort, following after him with the bowl of onion rings. You plant yourself at your usual spot on the end of the bar, right near the POS where Simon cashes out your tips. He tries to hurry up, assuming you want to dip and go home after such an intense conversation. He slides the mask back over his face and punches his code in, trying to edit your tips into the system as quickly as he can.

"Simon?"

"Hm?" his response is instant, turning around to look back at you. You've got your phone on the bartop, and your back and jacket on the unoccupied seat next to you.

"Can I stay for a drink?"

He's melting on the inside, only held together by his own skin. He sets your receipts down and opts to do them later, right before whenever you decide to leave. He won't miss on an opportunity to have you stay longer.

"Course, luv. What's it gonna be?"

"You know how to make a cosmo?"

He chuckles, grabbing a glass from the shelf behind him. "Sure do."