#To join the conversation about the last winner I need to have some background

[kotikaleo]

Hey can some traffic life/life series fans inform of the symbolism behind space objects?

Like I know that Grian is Sun, Pearl is Moon, and Scott is a Star(?? I think????) Who are the rest? And why? (you can also tell me why they are sun moon and the star, I am very interested 👀)

[formulaes5]

nothing in my system (feeling what i feel for you)

He tastes like cherry and vodka and Mark might actually fucking cry if he doesn’t get to kiss Sebastian Vettel like this forever for the rest of time. In which team celebrations are overrated and Mark finds God at the back of Seb's throat.

☆ 3.3k, E, ao3 ☆

It’s loud, nearly unbearably so. The club is packed to the brim with Red Bull team members; engineers and officials alike, all celebrating their Monaco one-two finish like their lives depended on it. The music was loud, the booze was on Red Bull’s tab, and Mark was relatively sure that it was Christian he could hear over the thump of the music, off in a corner booth, loudly explaining the ins and outs of his job to a handful of bemused looking employees, clearly less intoxicated than their boss. He got up from his bar stool with a snort, abandoning the last dregs of his beer on the bartop and walking off in search of a quieter spot to enjoy his victory from. It felt good to get one over his teammate, and Mark wasn’t going to let shitty top one hundred songs ruin it for him.

The crowd was surging now, moving with the beat in an uncoordinated mess, and Seb was using it as the perfect excuse to push through the throng towards Mark in confident strides, a beer and some fruity monstrosity of a cocktail clutched in hand and moving to the beat of whatever bass-heavy track was blaring in the background. He had forgone his usual horrendously ugly plaid shorts for a pair of jeans that hugged his legs all the way down, paired with an equally tight white tee that really left nothing to the imagination. Mark was a lot of things - he would admit to that - but one thing he wasn’t was a damn liar, and right now he could admit that Seb looked downright edible, all blond curls, big smiles, and the kind of firm round ass that was, in Mark’s professional opinion, just downright begging for a smack.

Mark rolls his eyes as Seb finally sidles up to him, pressing a beer into his hand with a big grin. “For the race winner”, he says jovially, not waiting for Mark’s response before taking a healthy swig of his own drink.

Mark thinks about refusing the beer, just to be contrary really, then decides that he doesn’t feel like playing their usual games. He won today, he felt great; he was going to take the damn beer.

He took a sip, shooting an obligatory “cheers mate” in Seb’s direction before realising with a start that Seb had picked up his preferred beer. He certainly hadn’t ever mentioned it to Seb. Interesting.

They struck up a decent conversation, discussing the race, their favourite parts, the highs and the lows and the notable incidents. Mark is vaguely aware of Seb placing his hand on his arm, moving it idly up his forearm as their conversation becomes more animated. He should probably have a problem with it, he thinks to himself absentmindedly. He should probably tell Seb to stop, or at least try and subtly move his arm away, try and discourage whatever Seb thinks he’s doing now. At the very least he shouldn’t like the way Seb is moving his hand along his arm.

They’ve definitely spent far too long huddled in the corner together avoiding the limelight at this point, but Mark couldn’t really find it within himself to care about external appearances this late into the night, his internal feelings on the matter of how touchy-feely Seb had been lately an entirely different matter. He doesn’t even know what they’re fucking talking about, and he suspects neither does his teammate, but all of a sudden Seb is bursting out into infectious peels of laughter, and Mark can’t help but to join in, doing a far larger amount of giggling than he would like to admit to as Sebastian stabilises himself by grabbing onto Mark’s shoulder for support, giggling the whole way through at what was no doubt an awful reference to classic British comedy or a highly circumspect and off colour joke not suitable for public broadcast.

“Air. I need some air,” Seb gasps through his giggles.

“Okay, okay mate,” Mark manages to get out between his own, “let’s find some air.”

They push their way through the crowd still laughing, Mark holding onto Seb’s hand and pulling him along by it so as not to get separated in the crowd as they work their way towards a back exit door, abandoning their finished drinks on a table they pass on the way out.

The door bangs against the wall as it opens and again as it closes, shattering the quiet of the alley they had emerged into. Mark takes a few steps and leans back against the wall, taking in the crisp night air and Sebastian’s slowly petering out giggles as he gets himself back under control and makes his way over to Mark. Seb stops next to him, suddenly quiet, with a look in his eye that Mark can’t quite parse.

Seb licks his lips and stares up at Mark as it all clicks into place. Hunger - that’s what the look is. If Mark wasn’t sure about where this was going before they got outside, he sure as fuck is now. That look was a perfect combination of predatory and desperate and they’re both tipsy, but nowhere close to drunk as Seb rocks up on his toes and plants his hand against Mark’s chest, pushing him back into the rough brick. Mark can’t even get a second to think; to work out if he’s interested, to react to whatever the fuck is going on here out the back of a Monaco nightclub, of all places, before Seb connects his lips with Mark’s in a messy approximation of a kiss, enthusiastic if a little sloppy. Mark could get on board with sloppy.

Fuck it, he decides. In for a penny. He kisses back just as sloppily; wet, messy and insistent. He presses his tongue forcefully into Sebastian’s mouth, tangling his tongue with Seb's. He tastes like cherry and vodka and Mark might actually cry if he doesn’t get to kiss Sebastian Vettel like this forever for the rest of time. He twists the fingers of one hand into the collar of Seb’s tight little shirt, pulling it taut around the back of his neck as he hauls him in closer to press a thigh between Seb’s own.

Seb rocks his hips down into Mark’s thigh, whining needily into his mouth as he does so, feeling sparks shoot up his back as a large hand presses firmly into his lower back, rucking up his shirt to rest against bare skin and dipping down to tuck his fingers into the waistband of Seb’s jeans. The kiss is downright filthy. It’s deep and electrifying and fucking fantastic and Seb had never enjoyed kissing anyone this much in his life.

Mark just can’t get over how much Seb seems to want this; want him. A part of him in a dark crevice of his mind somewhere is livid. Seb’s enthusiasm - demonstrated by the way he seems to be trying to crawl into Mark via his mouth - implies that he could have had Seb like this ages ago. He’s sure that he’s going to be pissed off if he finds out later that he could have had his tongue down Seb’s throat from the beginning of the year rather than waiting for them to get a third of the way through the season. That can be a problem for Future Mark, he decides as Seb does his level best to swallow down a particularly embarrassing gasp from Mark as their crotches rub up against each other in just the right way. Seb is giving everything he has to this kiss; it’s sloppy and perfect and if Mark doesn’t de-escalate the situation fast, he’s going to have bigger problems on his hands.

He pushes gently at Seb’s chest, encouraging him to pull back for air, parting from him with a shaky gasp.

Mark is at war with his own mind, battling over doing the correct, gentlemanly thing, or just saying fuck it and diving right back into those oh so enticing, deep pink lips, “Not that I’m not a hundred per cent on board with this,” Mark starts, trying to regain his breath as he runs a hand idly down the front of Seb’s shirt, “but you’re a bit drunk, aren’t you mate.”

Seb shoots an indignant scowl at him, but Mark pushes on while he still has the self-control for it. “Maybe we could pick this up later?”

He sounds ridiculous - his heart just isn’t in it. He knows it. Seb knows it. And to top it all off, Seb knows that he knows that Seb knows. It’s a hollow charade of decency that neither of them are really interested in playing out, and they both know it too. Good form can be so fucking overrated sometimes, and the sceptical look Seb is sending his way is just the icing on the cake.

Fuck it.

He slams back into Seb with all the finesse of a crashing car, and the shocked little squeak Seb lets slip could single-handedly fuel Mark’s wank bank for the next five years. He tangles his hand in Seb’s lovely blond curls and kisses him like he needs it to live, hard and fast and utterly indecent. He trails his lips from his mouth to kiss along his jaw and down his neck, relishing in the rasp of Seb’s stubble on his own. He makes his way back up to his mouth, crushing their lips together firmly and biting down on Seb’s bottom lip before pulling back, keeping Seb’s lip trapped between his teeth as he moves back to elicit a drawn-out moan from Sebastian as he pushes his thigh further up into his crotch to make up for the loss of his mouth against Seb’s.

He groans and closes his eyes hard, tipping his head backwards into the brick as Seb grabs at his crotch, pushes his hips forward, mindlessly pressing into Seb’s tiny fucking hand palming at his rapidly hardening length. Then Seb is moving, sinking downwards out of his line of sight and all of a sudden Sebastian Vettel is on his knees. Seb is down on the ground on his knees, and he’s on his knees just for Mark.

He looks down and Jesus Fucking Christ Seb is staring up at him from his knees, big blue eyes behind lovely blond lashes and if Mark doesn’t at the very least get some skin-to-skin contact with him he’s going to implode. He watches Seb bring his hand up to his belt buckle and Mark knows he’s fucked beyond measure as he sees him deftly unbuckle his belt and unzip his jeans in one swift motion. He’s fucked. Absolutely fucked.

“Seb”, he gasps, still not quite believing what he’s seeing with his own two eyes.

“I’m definitely sober enough to suck your dick… Unless you don’t want me to?” he asks teasingly, the little shit. If Mark wasn’t so turned on right now, he’d be thinking about strangling him. Seb’s still looking up at him with that shit-eating grin as he palms at his crotch. Mark has no fucking clue what he would do if Seb stopped but it certainly doesn’t bear thinking about.

Seb slides his hand into Mark’s boxers, confidently wrapping his hand around his hard cock and giving an experimental tug, smiling sweetly as Mark lets out an appreciative sigh at the contact, before pushing his boxers down and out of the way. He looks up at him coyly and moves that little bit closer to bring Mark’s aching cock to rest tantalisingly against his kiss-bitten lips, placing gentle little kitten licks on the head of Mark’s cock as his hand finds a home fisted in the soft curls at the back of Seb’s head. He keeps kissing at the tip, gently sucking on it before pulling back and flattening his tongue against the underside of Mark’s cock, licking a long stripe up to the tip of his cock and taking him into his mouth, wrapping his lips around Mark’s cock and bobbing up and down a few times, letting himself adjust to the stretch of his lips and jaw around Mark’s girth. The hand on his head presses down gently, encouragingly almost, helping Seb to move down onto his cock and pick up a decent rhythm.

“Fuck, that’s it,” Mark murmurs, “that’s it baby, good job.” He’s not even sure what he’s saying, just focused on making sure Seb keeps doing exactly what he’s doing, moaning around his cock and picking up the pace.

He moves his hand from where it was gripping Seb’s hair, stroking it back and forth over the hinge of his jaw and stretching his thumb out to touch the corner of Seb’s mouth as he moves on his cock, “Yes, you’re doing so well sweetheart, taking me so well.”

Mark rocks gently into the wet heat of his lips as Seb clutches at the denim covering the back of his thighs, humming in appreciation at the feeling of Mark’s cock hitting the back of his throat. And fuck, he’s actually in his throat. He’s got his cock down Sebastian Vettel’s pretty little throat and Mark can finally die a happy man. The head of his cock is pressed up against the back of Seb’s throat and he’s taking it like a fucking champion, hollowing his cheeks around the thick length of Mark’s cock and tightening his lips at the base, shoving his nose into the neatly trimmed hair of Mark’s pubes. He moves his hand from Seb’s jaw and back to his head, holding him there with a sturdy grip, briefly thrusting further before releasing his grip on Seb’s hair.

Seb pulls off him with a gasp, leaving just the tip resting on his tongue as he regains his breath. He’s got spit all over his mouth and tears in his eyes and he’s the most beautiful thing that Mark has ever seen in his life. The way Seb is suckling at the head of his cock feels like borderline torture at this point, and he knows that he won’t last much longer when Seb dives back down onto his length, intensifying his ministrations with a single-minded focus as he moves progressively faster up and down Mark’s cock.

“Oh fuck,” Mark tapped urgently at Seb’s jaw, trying to pull away, to give Seb the option, but he wasn’t taking it, “Seb, baby.”

He barely gets a second to react to the building heat in his gut before it snaps like a rubber band and he comes with a strangled curse, right into Seb’s enthusiastic little mouth, still bobbing away on Mark’s cock, milking him for everything he had and swallowing enthusiastically around him.

Seb looks lazily up at him as he pulls off his cock, still connected by a thin trail of saliva running from the head of Mark's cock right to Seb's mouth. Seb swipes his tongue across his lips, breaking the connection and grinning smugly, obviously proud of himself.

It's just about the hottest thing Mark's ever seen, and he'll probably make some tentative plans to address that with himself later, but at the moment he has more pressing concerns.

“Fuck," he grits out, "get up here baby.” He pulls Seb roughly up to him, zeroing in on a leftover drop of come under Seb’s lip. The speed with which he rushes to lick it off of Seb’s face is probably indicative of a larger problem, but Mark doesn’t have time for problems now as he licks his way almost ferally into Seb’s mouth, chasing the taste of himself on Seb’s tongue and moaning at the thought of it. The power with which his orgasm had crashed over him had perhaps knocked some brain cells loose in the process.

Seb kisses back just as aggressively, pressing his hips insistently into Mark’s thigh, reminding him that he wasn’t the only person that needed to get off in this situation. Mark generally liked to hold himself to a high standard of performance when it came to pleasuring his partners in the bedroom, or the alleyway in this situation, and leaving Seb hanging simply wouldn't do.

He reaches down and undoes Seb’s belt, roughly pulls his jeans halfway down his thighs with a shaky hand, then he’s shoving his hand into Seb’s briefs and wrapping a large hand around him, producing a filthy, pornographic moan from the man in question as he finally received the long-awaited attention he had been craving. It didn’t take much, clearly having been on the edge for so long had put Sebastian on a hair trigger. Mark strokes his hand down Seb’s cock once, twice, and he’s gone, coming with a cry of Mark’s name, splattering his release onto the ground as he leaned his head in to rest on Mark’s shoulder, panting hot heavy breaths into Mark as his orgasm swept through him.

Mark gave him a minute, then placed a finger on Seb’s chin, gently tilting his head up and leaning in to plant a soft, closed-mouth kiss on his swollen lips. They stand there for a few minutes trading soft kisses before Mark decides to take the initiative. He tucks Seb and then himself back into place, pulling up zippers and tightening belts in the quiet of the night.

“You good?” he asks Seb quietly, stroking over his cheek and checking for anything that might look out of place if they were to reenter the club, finding nothing except his shockingly pink lips, which could hardly be fixed now.

“Ja,” Seb chirped happily, pressing his face into Mark’s hand with a distinctly sleepy hum, “alles gut.”

Mark lets out an amused huff at the fact that English had seemingly abandoned Seb in the moment. He stroked his thumb over the corner of his jaw, leaning in to kiss one corner of Sebastian's mouth, then the other, before placing one last kiss squarely on his lips, loving the way that Seb hummed with clear appreciation in his tone as he kissed him back.

All of a sudden their quiet moment was viciously interrupted by a loud bang. Mark whirled around as the door slammed against the wall, instinctively parting from Seb and dropping his hand from his face, positioning himself half in front of him as he turned to face the source of the noise..

“There you are!” cried Christian with barely disguised relief colouring his face, clearly oblivious to what he had just stumbled across his two drivers doing. “We’ve been looking for you!”

Taking stock of the situation, Christian peered back at Seb with concern. He turned to Mark to check, “Is Seb okay?”

Mark affected a nonchalant grin before responding to his boss, who would no doubt be decidedly not thrilled to learn that Mark had just had his prized driver on his knees sucking his cock like it was his greatest passion in life. “Yeah mate, no worries. He just had a bit much to drink so we came out for some air.”

The worry cleared from Christian’s face. Obviously, Seb had just overdone it a bit and Mark was looking out for him.

“Y’know how it is with lightweights,” Mark chuckled, shooting Christian a conspiratorial look as he jerked his thumb back at Seb dismissively.

“Am not a lightweight!” Seb chimed in indignantly from behind him, suddenly slurring his words in a way he certainly hadn’t been before they came outside. Mark was concerned for all of five seconds, worried that maybe he had misjudged the situation and taken advantage, before cottoning onto Seb’s dastardly plan. He shook his head to clear his worry, feeling a little foolish. Seb had the situation all under control here.

Mark turned to face Seb, shooting him a wink. “C’mon then mate,” he said, “let’s help peel the team off the floor in there shall we? Then we’ll tuck you into bed for the night.”

Seb let out a little snort before following Mark and Christian back inside the club, feeling extremely satisfied with himself as he reached out to pinch Mark’s ass on the way in, laughing when Mark jumped in alarm and reached out behind him to swat at Seb in protest.

He could certainly get used to this.

[girl-of-many-fandoms]

I was wondering if you'd consider doing a Hotch x plus size reader? Totally fine if you're not up for it! I have this idea where the reader is a tech person like Penelope & she's around the same age. On a number of occasions she'll stay later to finish her work and it's only her & Hotch left. So she starts this cute little friendship where she'll make him coffee before she leaves. That turns into a crush, then she begins to avoiding him cuz she's shy, then he confronts her saying her likes her.

Late Nights

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x PLUS!Reader

Warnings: None

WOWWW this is a long one hope you guys enjoy it 🤗💜

MASTERLIST

-----

“You know, working this late should be against the law for single parents” walking in Hotch’s office I shut the door behind me 

“You’re working late again?” he looked up from the file on his desk smiling at me 

“My stupid systems chose today of all days to act up, I had to upgrade the software and all the fun stuff” placing the extra coffee cup on his desk I plopped down in the chair opposite me

“It’s taking a while to get back online but hopefully I’ll be out of here in the next hour or so” 

For the past couple weeks Hotch had been working late nights and I thought that I’d stay back also in case he needed someone to talk too. As a profiler he sees and deals with a lot of gruesome things that would keep a normal person up all night. At first it was innocent, I’d pop in to check in on him to distract him for a bit or make him his coffee when he insists on staying in the office later than usual  but as we grew closer he started opening up more to me. He started talking about the things they saw and did on the case the team had worked on and then we started talking more about Jack and how he’s doing at school, more personal topics

“I know I’m not the most open when it comes to expressing feelings but I just want to say thank you” Aaron took a sip of his coffee before placing the cup down, eyes glued to my frame

“What are you thanking me for?” he smiled and I couldn’t help but swoon a bit. Aaron doesn’t smile much or show us his soft side so it’s nice to see him this relaxed around me

“For being a friend, for working late nights with me and all the coffee” my stomach fluttered as he went on

“The coffee is good” chuckling I brought my cup to my lips and took a sip in order to help hide the blush that heated up my cheeks

“It is, oh I forgot to ask you, Jack has a soccer game this weekend and he insisted that I asked you to be there” he fiddled with his fingers waiting for my reaction

“Of course, I’ll be there”

------

“Of course, I’ll be there. That’s what I told him, oh God what if I’m reading into this too much” 

I’m currently pacing the floor of Penelope’s bat cave as we waited for the coroner’s report to come in. My phone buzzed for the tenth time today, looking down at the screen I sighed letting it go to voicemail

“Hotch again? You know he doesn’t smile nor opens up so easily to anyone besides you, I wouldn’t be surprised if he likes you” Penelope got cut off by the ringing phone on her desk

“Speak and be heard oh mighty one” 

“Garcia I need you to dig deeper into our victims background” Hotch’s voice filled the room and I immediately sat down 

“Sure, anything specific I’m looking for sir?” she started tapping away at her keyboard doing exactly what he said

“We need to find the connection between all three of them”

“Okay sir, I’ll call you back when I have something” 

“Penelope wait, don’t hang up” she paused with her finger over the end button looking over at me

“Is Y/N with you?” I frantically motioned for her to say no and thankfully she caught on 

“No sir, want me to pass on a message?”

“No, no, uh thanks Garcia” he sounded so defeated and that only made me feel even more guilty. For the past three days I’ve been avoiding Aaron for as much as I could ever since the night in his office, I realized that I was setting myself up for heartbreak. The call ended and she glared at me

“You are hurting that man”

“I know and I feel terrible but I need to put some distance between the both of us”

“He’s in Nevada with the team right now how much more distance do you want?” she deadpanned looking me in the eyes 

“It’s complicated alright”

“It really isn’t” she turned back to her set and started working on the case ending our conversation 

-----

“Welcome back my heroes!”

Garcia held a box of cupcakes up welcoming the team back as they stepped off the elevator. I stood a few feet behind her smiling at them as they grabbed a cake and filled into the bullpen. I was about to follow behind them when a hand held on to my wrist keeping me in place

“Is everything alright?”

Aaron

“Yeah, everything’s fine, why would they be?” I started rambling removing my hand from his hold, avoiding his gaze 

“You say that but I don’t believe you, let’s talk in my office” he opened the door for me and we headed straight to his office. I saw Penelope shoot me a small smile before I entered the room. I took a seat on the sofa as he moved to his desk.

Aaron dropped his go bag on his desk and removed his jacket before joining me on the sofa. He stared into my eyes trying to get a sense of what’s going on, profiling me 

“Is there a reason why you’ve been avoiding me?”

“I haven’t been avoiding you sir” I couldn’t help but pick at my fingernails as nervousness washed over me

“Sir? Y/N, it’s just the two of us and yes, you haven’t even returned any of my calls or texts” I wrecked my brain trying to come up with an excuse but I couldn’t

“I know that there isn’t any other way to say this but, the other night when we were in here I had to tell you something but I didn’t know how you were going to take it, I still don’t-” he rambled scratching the back of his neck

“Aaron” placing my hand on his knee I cut him off, he took my small hand in his gently brushing the back of my hand using his thumb

“I like you” he blurted and I froze, my heartrate sped up the longer we sat here staring at each other

Say something idiot!

“Why me?”

Dear God, you should’ve stayed quiet

“What do you mean why you?”

“I’m not your type Aaron”

“What’s my type then?”

“Someone like Emily, brave, courageous, can actually shoot to save herself, skinny, gorgeous” I mumbled the last two hoping he didn’t hear them but he did

“You don’t have to be skinny to be gorgeous and besides, you are perfect, you’re funny, sweet, caring, determined, charismatic, I could go on” he smiled giving my hand a gentle squeeze as we held each other’s gaze

“Most importantly, you make me feel safe” my breathing hitched as we sat here, neither one of us wanting to break the moment 

“I like you too Aaron” 

------

The referee blew the whistle ending the soccer match and Jack jumped with glee with his team as they were the winners. I cheered and clapped happy for the little boy who scored one of the winning goals as he ran directly to his father. Smiling I made my way over to the Hotchner boys and Jack broke free from Aaron’s arms and rushed over to me

“Good job buddy, you did so great!” wrapping my arms around the child I kissed the top of his head 

“Did you see me score?” he pulled back enough to look up at me and I cupped his flushed cheeks in my palms

“I did and that was an excellent bicycle kick”

“Jack!” one of his teammates called him over for a group photo and he ran off. A pair of arms snaked around my waist pulling me flush against the owner, Aaron

“You did great with them” spinning around I wrapped my arms around his middle 

“I did the best I could with a group of ten year olds” 

“Thanks for coming it means a lot to me and I know it does to him too”

“No need to thank me, I had a good time listening to chatty Cathy to your left go on about how hot you look in those shorts” he laughed pulling me in closer to him

“Join us for dinner tonight, it’s been a while since he’s seen you and it’ll be good to have you around more”

“Sounds like a plan” pushing myself upwards I kissed him and he immediately responded. I swear I was about to explode from the electricity that flowed through my body from having his lips on mine

We were so wrapped up in our moment that we had forgotten about the crowd of people that surrounded us until they started wolf whistling and cheering us on. Breaking apart my face became heated from the blush that overtook my cheeks. Aaron looked down at me with a boyish grin clearly enjoying the moment

“How’s that for our first kiss?” 

“Not quite what I was expecting”

“C’mon let’s head back to my place” taking my hand in his he called out to his son and we headed to his car. The both of them quickly fell into conversation and I must admit, seeing Hotch domesticated has got to be the hottest thing ever 

The bond that these two have is very special and I can’t wait to share more moments like this with them

------

HEY GUYS PSA!! If any of you lovely readers would love to tagged in my fics let me know and I’ll gladly add you to the list ❤️

Tag list:

@calm-and-doctor

[hypnomicimagines]

☂️Rainy Day Blues☂️[Nurude Sasara]☂️

Oh, how tragedy loved to strike Sasara when he least expected it.

He had been walking to your house with an extra pep in his step, the fresh bouquet he’d picked up along the way only lifting his mood. He was stuck in daydreams even before he reached you, thinking about how lovely you’d look that night and how he couldn’t wait to do the little things like hold your hand as you were on the way to your date destination. He thought that nothing could possibly dampen his happiness, that him finally confessing after years of being in relationship purgatory had made him see the brighter side of any situation, but it seemed he still had blinders on in some aspects. His parade was about to be rained on.

Literally.

Sasara didn’t know where the icy rain had come from but it hit him like a sack of bricks, goosebumps rising on his skin as his leisurely walk turned into a marathon run as he made his way to your apartment complex. He hadn’t checked the weather forecast, who did that anymore? Clearly Sasara’s hubris had upset the weather Gods as he caught sight of himself in a window, no longer looking like your handsome suitor but a sad clown that had just walked through a door with a bucket of water precariously balanced on top of it. The bouquet is just as pathetic as he is, and hey, aren’t flowers supposed to like water? Why were they drooping like that? You’d probably laugh in his face when you saw them.

You did.

He had to get you back somehow for laughing at his plight despite the fact your laughter had quickly washed away every negative emotion he’d previously been feeling. He had to get you back somehow and decided to show you his best ‘wet dog’ impersonation, shaking his hair out in your doorway and giving you a little preview of what it was like outside. The rain had only started to come down harder, thunder and lightning being added to the mix, meaning it was unlikely the date would continue as planned. Not to mention his hair which he had spent an entire three minutes and seven seconds on was now a poofed out mess due to how he chose to dry out his hair, not that you seemed to mind. You laughed again at his saggy bouquet, telling him you loved it no matter how pathetic it looked (he hoped that was the last time he ever heard that).

“We can just spend the night in. Why do you look so excited that I said that? Did you think I’d tell you to walk home?”

“I’d never accuse you of something so cold-hearted!”

“Good, I’m glad to see the rain hasn’t washed away your remaining brain cell. Come in and change your clothes, too, as much as I love seeing you be a complete eyesore, I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

“Shouldn’t you stripping me of my clothes wait until after dinner? Not that I mind.”

“You know what… Maybe walking home in the rain is just what you need. Maybe you’ll get struck by lightning and have some sort of epiphany that’ll make you funny.”

“Now you really sound like Rosho,” Sasara sighed out, fighting the smile that wanted to break out on his face so he could keep up the ‘hurt’ façade he was putting on, “To think that the person I love most would say such things to me… I’ll go back outside to hide my tears!”

“Bye.”

You closed the door behind him as he stepped into your apartment, heading straight to your bedroom and thinking about how he had essentially done a speed run of the date. He hadn’t suspected he’d be here until a little bit later but he couldn’t say he was complaining as you joined him, digging through your drawers for some spare clothes that he had left behind the various other times he’d stayed over on a whim. He purposely left his clothes with you just so you’d always have something to remember him by, weaseling his way into your heart first and now your home, hoping that he might even get a whole draw just for his stuff one day. His apartment was certainly the winner with its scenic view but since you had yet to talk about the whole ‘moving in’ thing, he decided he’d get you used to the idea by leaving random things of his behind so you were used to it when it finally did happen.

“Here you go.” You set the clothes down on the counter, taking a second to admire how cute he looked with a wet mop of hair on his head, reaching over to run your fingers through it just for good measure, “I’d say take a shower but I don’t actually want you struck by lightning.”

“But you seem to like my hair so much… It could become a permanent fixture with the help of electricity.”

“I do like it,” You confirmed, smiling as you stroked his hair fondly, Sasara’s heart pounding loudly in his chest, “Almost as much as I like you. Get changed while I try to find some candles. I can’t imagine we’re going to have power too long so…”

You spoke the unfortunate lightning strike into existence that completely knocked out anything electrical in the apartment building and part of Sasara wonders if you had spoken the rain into existence, too. Had this been your plan all along? Had you wanted to just trap him in your room from the get-go, using him for your own needs and then discarding him afterward? Sasara considered suggesting that type of supervillain roleplay on a less romantic night but for now his head was still in the clouds, wanting to do simple things like hold your hand and cuddle against you, sucking the warmth out of you as he had no spare warmth to give at this point.

“Y-You’re cold!” Sasara had reached out to touch you when the lights had first gone out, wanting to assure you were still there and okay first, “Just be careful as you get changed! I’ll be right back!”

You’re only gone about ten minutes but it’s so painfully lonely in the bathroom without you, Sasara already thinking about the letter he’d write to you if you had gone off to war. He would be the lonely maiden waiting by the window, longing to see their love again, dramatically falling to the ground as he received the news that you had passed away. He was already thinking about how he’d meet your ghost in the afterlife to confirm he never fell in love again when you entered the bathroom, face highlighted by a small candle that he’s almost positive he had gifted you.

“Come on, come on! It’s a little better in the living room and the blankets are all out.” You moved the candle to one hand and reached down to grab his, fingers lacing together without words having to even be exchanged. “I don’t want you getting lost.”

“The only place I’ll get lost is in your eyes, beautiful.”

“Have I ever told you that you’re lucky you’re cute? Because you’re sooo lucky you’re cute!” He can tell from your tone that there’s a wide smile on your face, the one that made him feel like the most successful comedian in the world. Getting you to laugh was no easy task and you had never been one to show him even a dollop of mercy when it came to his material but it made it all the more worth it when he got to hear you laugh. Every time you laughed an angel grew its wings, that’s how the saying went, right? It doesn’t matter as his brain is entirely centered around you and only you, especially as the two of you seat yourselves on your ridiculously comfortable couch.

“I don’t know what we’ll eat… It’s gonna be cold and sad.”

“As long as we’re not cold and sad, it’s fine, right?”

“Fair enough.”

His arm wrapped around you as you threw your legs across his lap, the blanket quickly following suit as you curled up into his side. You wondered how many people would be surprised that Mr. Tragic Comedy was not only a total romantic but a stage five clinger, unlikely to give you a moment alone now that you had both finally settled in together. Sasara valued his privacy from time to time but when it came to you, it seemed his social battery could never run out; he wanted to be around you, to be with you, to be touching you and talking to you as much as he possibly could.

“What should we do?” Sasara quickly grew uncomfortable with the silence and you felt bad for your boyfriend, knowing his anxiety tended to spike in the silence. You wished you had something to act as white noise in the background but it seemed all you could do to distract him was talk, or listen to a slew of jokes that would have you standing in the rain rather than being in your own apartment if they were on par with the normal puns he liked to deliver.

“Tell me about your day before you got here. Did you talk to Rosho about your birthday plans?”

Sasara is grateful for the conversation starter as once he’s begun to talk, he’s adept at not shutting up again.  

It was going to be a long, rainy night, but at least you got to spend it together.

[killian-whump]

Game Night! [Liveblog #4]

I’m gonna try to finish up the last game and the end of the video in this post, so we better get right to it!

The last game they’re going to play is called Quiplash. Okay, they’re going to be given a prompt... and whoever finishes the quip in the funniest way wins. Kat warns that she’s a master at this and that everybody’s going down. Colin seems impressed by her bravado, but incensed to win nonetheless. “Here we go,” says Sam unenthusiastically 😂

AND THE GAME IS ON!!!

...or it’s meant to be on. Sam’s not joined the game yet. Seems to be having some sort of technical difficulty. “You scared of losing, Sam?” Colin asks helpfully. “All the rest of us got in pretty easy...”

Sam has joined. His name is now Colonislosin 😂 It’s hard to see exactly how it’s spelled. I don’t think any of them can see it that clearly, either. Sam has to tell them what it says.

“We’ll see,” Colin says. “We’ll see.”

The game begins. “It’s more like Col-on is losin,” Sam says. “Col-on.”

The audio is breaking all up in this segment, and Josh even comments on “Low internet signal. We’re doing great.” Hmm. I paid $10 for this, you damn well better find a stronger internet signal.

ROUND 1! The first quip is: We can all agree that... The two answers are: “Covid sucks” and “Josh... is... hairy” “Covid sucks” wins ~ and Colin gets all the points.

The second quip is: A terrible name for a funeral parlor. The two answers are: “Happy Times Palace” and “We put the Fun in Funeral” “We put the Fun in Funeral” wins ~ and Kat gets all the points.

The third quip is: “Knock Knock” “Who’s There?” The two answers are: “Me DUH” and “Get the fuck away from my door” “Get the fuck away” wins and Josh gets most of the points. Colin gets some too, I think, for his answer, because Sam voted for it.

The fourth quip is: “Something that would make a creepy replacement for the horses on a merry-go-round.” The two answers are: “Mini Josh’s” and “Creepy Princes” AREN’T THOSE THE SAME THING?! 😂 “One and the same,” says Sammy. “You don’t want to sit on a mini Josh, do you?” Sam ponders. Josh forgets to even vote, and Sam gets points for “Mini Josh’s”

At the end of Round 1, Sam is in the lead, with Kat and Colin tied for second.

I wanna take this moment to apologize for how BORING this post is so far. During the games, all five people (the three stars, Josh, and Sammy the producer) are in these miniscule windows on the far right of the screen. You can barely even see them. And during this game, there’s little to no conversation going on between/during the quips. As much fun as this game might be to play, it’s not a lot of fun to watch. The last one was better, but even that tended to DRAG for the audience at home. Josh really needs to work on the games he’s having stars play if he plans to keep charging $10 a month to watch this stuff. Also, the audio keeps breaking up in this segment, so even when they talk, some of it’s hard to decipher.

“I respect that Colin is doing this instead of reading bedtime stories to his children tonight,” Josh says as everyone’s entering in their answers for Round 2. “[That’s] how committed I am,” Colin replies. Kat says something that is so broken up, I can’t even begin to figure out what it is. Something about bedtime stories and Colin’s kids. It’s probably funny. 🤷‍♀️ I’m getting mad about my $10 gift card being gone again.

Alright. Round 2.

Quip #1: It never ends well when you mix ___ and ___. Answers: “poo and oatmeal” and “Sam and Josh” Okay, that second one is gold. Who did that? Apparently Colin did “poo and oatmeal” and Kat did “Sam and Josh”. Bless her. Colin gets the points with more votes, though.

Quip #2: The worst car feature that ends with “holder” Answers: “penis” and “diaper” Sam is just blinking rapidly. Now he’s laughing. “How does that work?” he asks. No one answers. “But I wanna know,” he says. “How does it work?” Josh wins the points with his “penis” answer - which Colin voted for, by the way - but no one cares now. “Does it move?” Kat asks. “Or does it just-” “Don’t ask too many questions,” Josh says. “What kind of size is it?” Sam asks. “Is it stationary or is there a motor feature?” Kat asks. “Maybe it’s a good idea...” Sam concludes, as Josh laments the kind of dreams he’s going to have now.

The third quip is literally happening in the background now, as everyone talks about the penis holder. Colin is noticeably silent on the topic XD

Quip #3: Something upsetting you could say to the cable guy as he installs your television service. Answers: “you smell like fart” and “want to see my murder room?” I’m sitting here going, “don’t be Colin, don’t be Colin” while simultaneously knowing 100% that Colin absolutely typed “you smell like fart” into his phone and... Yeah. Yeah, I’m right. That was him 😂 And he got 0 points. “Oh, boooo,” says Colin. Honey... Honey, I’m sorry, but that was bad.

Quip #4: The name of the reindeer Santa did not pick to pull his sleigh. Answers: “ohdeer” and “tipsy” Neither of these are very good. I hate this game. Kat gets the points with “tipsy”.

OH WOW, YOU GUYS. The final points are tallied and...

WHAT IS THIS TOMFOOLERY?! Colin is LOSING?!?! I mean, I know “you smell like fart” was bad, but this is unbelievable! I call shenanigans!!!

Colin is literally sitting forward in his chair now, lmao. The determination is intense, you guys. I once again cannot handle him right now. I wish he wasn’t in the teeny tiny window so I could show you guys better, but look at him getting his fucking game face on:

This man is a peanut and I love him with every fiber of my being. Look at him being a competitive little somesuch in last place. I can’t, you guys. Bury me here, etc, etc, I’m just a goner for this ridiculous man.

O’DONOINTENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Round: Quip: Strange side effect to hear during a drug commercial. Answers: “cream cheese will come out of your butt” “seeing double horowitz” and “the screams of baboons” - there’s only three because Kat didn’t get her answer in before the time was up. Aaaaaaand the sound’s breaking all up again 😣 Josh is wondering what the point is of voting, if all you’re doing is giving points to your competitors. “Do you have to give all three votes?” Colin asks. “See,” Josh says. “Colin is thinking strategically, like me.” “Well, I’m not entirely sure the other two, I think, deserve any more than one point.” But it’s... it’s the WAY he says it, OH MY GOD, lol. Lemme... I gotta... Okay, I screen recorded it for you guys.

That O’Donosass is actually almost worth $10, you guys.

Which is good, because the audio is getting worse and worse on this and it’s starting to piss me off. Anyway! Everybody’s got a lot of points, because those were ALL good answers (Colin’s was “the screams of baboons” which I quite like). Let’s see the final tally...

Josh is the winner! But Colin managed a come-from-behind close second, so I’m really proud of him :D Sam mentions how Josh invited them all there to play games and then BEAT them. Josh is closing out the show, saying he hopes everyone enjoyed it... “I enjoyed it,” Josh says "But maybe that’s just 'cause I won at the very last second.” “No, well, you won ONE,” Colin cuts in. “You won ONE game.”

SERIOUSLY. BURY ME RIGHT THERE 😂😂😂

“Colin won the first round,” Josh says.

“...and then we have these two other people.”

Incidentally, I wish everyone’s webcams were as clear as Kat’s.

Anyway, now there’s some sweet summing up... and Josh hawking everyone’s current projects... (gee, it’s like this is promotional content or something) and the show closing down and-

“Can I win next time?” asks Sam Heughan.

~ The End ~

I hope you guys had fun reading this. I gotta say...  this one video isn’t worth $10. I can see if you’re a huge fan of Josh’s or really into celebrity culture, $10 a month might be a fine price to pay for a bunch of this kind of content... but for a one-time video when your fave happens to show up on his channel? Nah. He really should have a “one time access” fee available for individual videos that’s a LOT less. Like, I’m talking, like... $1 or 2. This is literally a zoom call... and as such, the quality’s only as good as his guests’ webcams and audio and everyone’s internet connections. Also, I found the game format enticing... but ultimately boring due to the games chosen. The Would You Rather was the most fun of the three, because we actually got to hear from the stars and get some banter going. The games relied too much on the stars interacting with their devices instead of each other or anyone really engaging the audience. Honestly, if it was any of my faves other than Colin in this video, I might not have even watched the whole thing. Colin’s adorable competitive streak and eagerness to win play games is what kept me watching. The idea is cute, but it needs some work. And the price is too high - especially with the audio issues in the last ten minutes or so. That’s my final verdict.

[randomfandomimagine]

Reunion (Cloud Strife x Reader)

Characters: Cloud Strife, Zack Fair, Tifa Lockhart (feat. Jessie, Biggs, Wedge and others)

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

Tags: Reunions, crossdressing, angst with a happy ending

Warnings: Mentions of death, spoilers for Crisis Core

Word Count: 4k words

Requested by anon: could you do a ficlet with a fem! reader for a Platonic!Cloud? my idea is where the reader was in SOLDIER (disguised as a guy) and when Hojo found out they kicked you out (quite violently). You were really close with Cloud and Zack, but once you were gone they thought they killed you. In other words I just want an angsty sweet reunion when he finds you working for avalanche back at the Seventh Heaven. (Points if you’re close with Tifa too). Thank you! I love your work so much! Ur a blessing ♡ 

A/N: I have never beat the original FFVII and I’m not sure what happens in canon with Cloud’s memories, so I took some artistic liberties to write this. Hope you enjoy!! Please please please give this some love, I worked so hard on it!!

Cloud Strife x Female Reader

_

[ B/N: Boy Name ]

.

Many terrors haunted Cloud. There were too many things he had lost, too many people he missed and too many burdens he carried. However, no matter how much he tried to forget them all or how tangled his mind was, one seemed to stand out: you. He had befriended you during his SOLDIER days, an unlikely friend in a strange place.

He vividly remembered you: the way your eyes twinkled when you spotted him, your shy smile and your gentle expression, the playfulness in your voice when you teased him. He thought of you fondly, one of the few things in his past that weren’t tainted by evil. Even then, you had still turned into a bad memory. Your mere existence made him sad because of your early demise. You had only ever been kind and still your fate was cruel and undeserved. Your only crime had been lying, and even that he wouldn’t blame you for. Others, however, found that sin to be unforgivable and punished you for it. With a sentence of death.

“Cloud?” Tifa called his name, bringing him back to reality. “Still with me?”

“Uh… yeah” He straightened up, surprised upon realizing how crestfallen he had made himself with his own thoughts. “Lead the way”

“I’m excited” His friend smiled, leading him to the Seventh Heaven. “We finally get to meet our new member. Everyone has been so secretive about them”

“Why?” Cloud focused on trying to follow the conversation, even if his thoughts pulled him back to the past.

“They’re Avalanche’s secret weapon”

“Hm…”

Tifa, not really catching his disinterest, continued talking.

“Apparently they have some serious military training”

“Uh-huh…”

Her voice became a dull background noise as his thoughts drifted without remedy. Even if she kept speaking, he had stopped listening.

He had dreamt about you again last night, and his mind betrayed him by dwelling on your memory. Inevitably, he drifted off to past thoughts, to his SOLDIER days when everything seemed exciting. He felt insecure and unworthy, but he was willing to improve. He was prepared to work hard and make his way to 1st Class. Zack was constantly by his side, taking Cloud under his wing. You completed the trio, and he couldn’t help but to think back to when he met you.

A tall boy with dark hair and sky blue eyes stood in the training room, crossing his arms and watching how the new recruits finished their exercise. He noticed how one of them struggled more than the rest and was more than happy to give him a little hand.

“Hey, newbie” He walked over to a specific soldier who just then finished with the squats. “Need some help there?”

You shook your head, completely breathless after the exercise, and leaned back on your butt until you were sitting down. Joining SOLDIER had been your dream for a long time, wanting to become strong enough to be able to help people. You knew it wouldn’t be easy, just didn’t imagine it would be this hard and exhausting.

“Come on” He held his hand out for you to take. “We all need help sometimes”

With a sigh, you took his hand in yours and let him pull you up. Once you were standing on your feet, you leaned your hands on your knees. It was hard to catch your breath. Despite how athletic you were, this was on a whole new level.

When you dared to look up at the boy, you found him showing you a wide friendly grin. Beside him now was a blond guy, with kind blue eyes that went along with his meek expression.

“It’s okay” The blond muttered. “It takes a bit to get used to”

You nodded your head, managing a tired smile in appreciation. The other one observed you in a mixture between amusement and sympathy and patted your back.

“You did well for the first day” He told you. “What’s your name?”

“Uh…. B/N” You carefully watched his reaction, and your heart began racing in anticipation.

“B/N? Nice to meet you” Unaware of your nervousness upon introducing yourself, he offered you his hand. “I’m Zack, this is Cloud”

You shook his hand, and waved with the other one at his blond friend. He timidly reciprocated with a small wave.

“Tell you what, kid” Zack put his arm over your shoulders, and you tensed up. “I’ll keep an eye on you and help you out”

An irrational fear took over you, as it was the first time someone got so close to you. Even if you had managed to push your way into SOLDIER without arising any suspicions over yourself, you were afraid they would know. Your secret was far too important to air it out, and it could get you in trouble. Big trouble.

While you appreciated Zack’s offer, you feared his friendship too much. What if he found out who you really were? How would he react? Would he still be friendly if he knew? Would he give you in to the authorities to have you punished for daring to deceive everyone?

“Don’t overwhelm him….” Cloud bashfully defended you, definitely noticing your awkwardness.

“No worries, Cloudy” Zack brushed it off. “B/N here just needs to get out of his shell”

“We…” The other one added. “We can help you train if you want”

“That would be nice” You replied, purposefully making your voice deeper.

“That’s the spirit!” The dark-haired boy chuckled. “And relax, man, you’re so tense!”

You lowered your shoulders, which were almost up to your ears. Still, even if you were trying to act natural you couldn’t relax, you couldn’t stop being tense. Because what would happen if anyone at SOLDIER realized you were a girl?

-

You nervously tapped your foot against the ground. Although you had joined Avalanche a bit ago and were starting to get used to it, you still got jittery. Even after the mission was over, the nerves still conquered your stomach.

“I swear, Y/N!” Jessie tugged at your hand, making you look at her instead of that far off point that you were staring at without seeing it. “You’re gonna love him!”

“Am I?” You smiled at her, pretending not to be restless still.

That recent mission reminded you too much of SOLDIER. It was ironic that Shinra, the very thing you once were a part of and now were trying to escape, had become what you were fighting against, confronting it head-on. It seemed to haunt you even as you adamantly tried to bring it down. 

To make matters worse, Barret had announced to the group that they were calling their mercenary contact for the next mission. You hadn’t been with them long enough to have met him, because in those couple of days you had barely even grown accustomed to their company. 

Barret didn’t talk to you more than necessary, even if you could tell he was a big softie, especially when you saw him with his daughter Marlene. Biggs and Wedge had been kind and welcoming while still trying to give you some space. Jessie was the most outspoken, and clearly the one more determined to make you feel at home. It painfully reminded you of someone else whose personality was bubbly and extroverted that you had met in the past.

“For sure!” Her very voice snapped you out of your nervous thoughts again. “Cloud is the best, even if he likes to pretend like he’s a tough guy”

You tried not to wince at the mention of his name. How cruel was it that you ran into someone else called Cloud? A part of you had hoped it was the same Cloud you befriended in SOLDIER, but it just wasn’t possible. He must have become a SOLDIER, 1st Class like he wanted to. Who knew? You might even have fought him with Avalanche without realizing, unaware that his spiky blond hair and kind blue eyes were hidden under one of those helmets.

You shook your head. No. It just so happened that there was another Cloud in Midgard. It was too painful to get your hopes up for a sweet reunion… even if you had daydreamed about it countless times. Cloud and Zack had been so important to you… Fondly looking back at them, you hoped they were doing okay.

Zack’s laughter was contagious, and you couldn’t suppress a smile as you triumphantly stood up and towered over Cloud. Pouting a bit, he averted his gaze and didn’t move from the spot, sitting on the ground and leaning an elbow on his propped up knee.

“And the winner is… B/N!” Zack took your arm and lifted it up. “I knew you had it in you, kid”

Cloud still didn’t speak. His cheeks were a deep shade of pink, and you couldn’t tell if it was because of the squats you had beat him at or because of the embarrassment. Maybe both.

“Okay, Zack” You playfully pushed him off you, moving towards Cloud. “Stop torturing him”

“I’m not torturing anyone, he did great” Zack leaned down to pat his friend’s shoulder. “You just did better”

Even if you wouldn’t admit it out loud, a sense of pride bubbled in your chest. Boys were generally stronger than girls, but you had bested one of them after training hard for weeks on end. Still, you felt bad for Cloud and offered him a hand.

“No hard feelings?”

“Sure”

He smiled at you as you pulled him up, wobbling because of all his weight. Zack chuckled as he put his hands on your back to stabilize you.

“Who would have known a skinny guy like you would become such a good SOLDIER?”

The comment might have offended you when you first met him, but you knew Zack meant it as a compliment. After all, you would never forget the day you first met. You had felt helpless and not capable of making it in SOLDIER. You were shorter and smaller, but you didn’t let that stop you. Now you were stronger and resilient, even more so than some of the boys there.

The three of you gasped, startled, when the door to the training room suddenly swung open. In came Sephiroth, Hojo and Lazard, seemingly very angry and determined.

“No…” You uttered, with a nasty feeling in the pit of your stomach. What if…?

No, you had been very careful. It was impossible. You had disguised yourself to the point that not even Cloud and Zack discovered you despite being so close, despite spending so much time together. You had even found a way to avoid Hojo’s tests, knowing he would discover your identity if you got too close. They had no way of finding out… right?

“That’s her” Sephiroth pointed a finger at you, bearing no expression.

“Her?” Zack repeated, taking a step forward. “What’s going on?”

“B/N is an imposter!” Hojo accused, scowling at you. “She is a woman”

“What?” Your friend shook his head at them. “There must be a misunderstanding”

Terrified of what they might do, you took a few steps back. Cloud stood behind you, and you stepped right into him. His hands protectively fell on the small of your back, and when you looked up you found with his gentle blue eyes. They were so expressive. There was confusion in them, but also alarm and concern and fear all at once.

“Get her” Lazard said, and just then two soldiers appeared from behind him.

“No!” You screamed as they approached you. “Please!”

In your panic, you retreated more into Cloud and pressed yourself against his chest. You felt his fingers hold on to the fabric of your shirt.

“No, don’t touch him!” Zack insisted, helplessly watching as the soldiers reached you. “You’re making a mistake!”

You exclaimed as the soldiers reached you and took ahold of you. Cloud didn’t hesitate to hold on to you, tightly grabbing you by the arms.  The four of you struggled, but the soldiers were stronger.

“Stop that!” Zack begged them still, wincing at the sight of you.

Tears streamed down your face, knowing what awaited you if they took you. Now screaming, you were calling anyone for help. Cloud was your last hope as you tightly clung on to him, but they separated you from him.

“No!” He joined Zack in his attempts. “Stop it!”

“Lazard, please! I’m sure B/N isn’t-“ The brunette’s words were suddenly interrupted.

“Then what’s this?” Hojo showed them a picture, and everyone grew silent.

It was you in the photo, without a doubt. Before you cut your hair, before you hid your breasts and took all necessary precautions to pass as a boy. 

The chaos that had erupted in the room suddenly came to a halt, replaced by a heavy awed atmosphere to replace the previously frantic one.

“What…?” Cloud uttered, watching you in astonishment.

“You’re a girl��” Zack said as well, even though is voice was a mixture of sadness and understanding. 

“Don’t just stand there!” Hojo urged the soldiers, who came back to their senses.

“Take her” Lazard insisted when his subordinates turned to him for confirmation.

Shaking from head to toe, you let yourself be grabbed by them. Your mind was racing, frozen with the reminder of your friends faces. They weren’t angry, they didn’t feel betrayed. They were only surprised. You had been too scared to tell them, but now you realized you could have. How could you have doubted them?

“Wait…” Cloud stuttered as tears reached his eyes. “Wait, don’t… don’t hurt her!”

“Sephiroth…” Zack desperately called. “Sephiroth, do something! Don’t let them take her!”

The 1st Class Soldier didn’t say anything. He only turned around as you were dragged away from your friends. Sephiroth glanced down and faced his back to them.

You tensed up when you heard a cry full of rage, followed by Zack throwing himself to them. Cloud made to move, wanting to support his friend, but he was still too taken aback by the situation to act.

Obeying a gesture from Lazard, two more soldiers entered the room and intercepted Zack. He struggled against them, fighting to return by your side and save you.

“Don’t!” You pleaded, letting yourself use your natural voice for the first time in months. “Don’t do this, Zack”

“I don’t care if you’re a boy or a girl, I won’t let them-”

“Let me go” You shook your head, trying to put an end to his endeavor. “Don’t get hurt because of me”

You quickly glanced at Cloud behind him, noticing how his eyes were drowned in tears. He was still frozen in place, prey of an overwhelming shock and uncertainty. The sight made your own tears overflow, staining the track that the old ones left again.

“Take care…” You whispered to him, trying to memorize his face. A last comfort before you met your end.

Cloud parted his lips, but they only shook as no words left them. A tear rolled down his cheek, and it was too painful to keep looking at him. Glancing at Zack, you realized he was now just as heartbroken. He had given up, understood that it was impossible to fight for you.

Accepting your fate, you began moving. You exited the room and heard the door loudly closing behind you. A ruckus broke out inside it as Zack still fought against them. A second person had joined him in his outrage, and you sobbed knowing it was Cloud.

You walked directly behind Sephiroth, who walked beside Hojo and Lazard. As you were taken with them, Sephiroth’s long silver hair and his broad back was etched in your memory. It would be one of the last things you’d see. Just like the voices of your dear friends would be one of the last things you’d hear as they called out for you, by the fake name they knew you by but still begging for your life.

Even if you trusted them, you had been too afraid to completely expose yourself to them. What would have happened if you did? What would have happened if you told them you were a girl? A part of you had always known the answer: they would have protected you. Zack and Cloud cared about you, not because you were a boy or a girl or anything else… they cared about you because they were your friends... because you were their friend.

You hadn’t trusted them with your secret. You had been too afraid to tell them. And know they would have to live with your death.

-

Everything seemed oddly silent, as if the usual sounds had dimmed slightly. There was the murmur of voices inside the bar, but no loudness. Cloud’s boots seemed to echo as his feet moved over the wooden steps that led to the entrance. Even Tifa, who seemed so talkative, had grown quiet. Cloud brushed that feeling off, assuming it had more to do with his thoughtful mood. Everything was normal.

When he came in, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Barret played with Marlene, Biggs and Wedge talked and laughed, and Jessie was high-fiving someone she was talking to.

“Hello!” Tifa cheerfully greeted everyone, gathering their attention.

You looked up to find out who that mysterious merc was. The sun behind him shadowed his slim figure as well as the curvier one that accompanied him. Mildly curious, you kept your gaze glued to them as they walked in. Once the door closed behind them, your eyes grew used to the light and you could see them properly.

The woman was slightly familiar, but you didn’t pay mind to her as she walked behind the bar. It was the man who you were more interested in. When you took a good look at him, your heart skipped a beat.

That merc, that man allegedly called Cloud, walked in without noticing you. His eyes had fallen on you, but there was no recognition in them. Barret was telling the newcomer something, but you didn’t hear.

Surely, your mind was playing tricks on you, and that man looked more like Cloud to you than he actually did. Of course, it wasn’t him. It was an amazing coincidence that on top of the name he also had spiky blond hair, but that was the only similitude with your memory of Cloud. This man before you was cold and rough, nothing like the sweet, meek and shy boy you knew. His eyes were also greener than you remembered. Still, the more you stared at him, the more you realized… it was Cloud. Despite the change in his demeanor, in his eyes, in the way he carried himself, in his entire persona... it was Cloud, the one you knew years ago. The one whose face you had tried to memorize as you resigned yourself to your death.

Destiny was capricious. You had survived and you had escaped. He had too. And now you were together again. You both had followed similar paths.

“Y/N?” Biggs called you, gently shaking your shoulder. “You okay?”

“Yeah, you just got very pale” Wedge’s words seemed to alarm the rest as well.

Everyone turned to you, but you only had eyes for one of them. Your feet moved on their own as you approached Cloud with determination.

“What the hell?” He whispered, frowning as you directly went over to him.

“Cloud” You threw your arms around his neck, feeling too happy and relieved to see him to realize his reaction. “It’s so good to see you!”

“What’s going on?” He spoke up, his voice sounded annoyed as his arms lifted a little trying to avoid touching you. “Do I know you?”

“You…” Slowly pulling away, you stared into his eyes. “You don’t recognize me?”

Cloud hesitated, and so did you. His voice was so… deep, so irritated and so harsh. He really felt nothing like the boy you had known. What had happened? He changed so much…

Your vulnerable expression seemed to snap something in him, because his eyes suddenly grew wide. His mouth fell agape, staring at you as though you were a ghost.

“B/N?” He uttered, recognizing your features despite never having seen you as a girl. Except that one time in that picture, when he thought it would be the last. “You’re alive?”

“B/N, is that really you?” The woman who had walked in with him uttered from behind the bar. It finally clicked why she was so familiar. If that was indeed Cloud, that had to be…

“Tifa!” You ran to each other, colliding in a warm hug accompanied by breathless tearful chuckles.

Despite not being close, you had known Tifa through Cloud and Zack. She had always been kind and friendly and you were so glad to see her, comforted by her familiar face and warm demeanor.

“You look good as a girl” She joked, breaking away to take a good look at you.

“Thanks, I-“ You began to say, but were interrupted by a deep voice.

“B/N” Cloud said, staring at you as though you were the only person in the room. Despite the emotion in his eyes, his expression remained neutral. “That’s not your real name, is it?”

“No…” You whispered, suddenly feeling a lump in your throat. “It’s Y/N”

“Y/N…” He repeated, nodding his head in deep thought.

The temperature of the room seemed to fall drastically. Something in his tone was ice cold. The silence was absolute, only interrupted by the noise coming from the windows, a reminder that life went on outside of the bar.

“Um… you’ll explain everything later” Biggs muttered, standing next to the pinball machine. “Seems like you need a moment alone”

“Yup, leave you guys to it!” Jessie awkwardly said, sinking into the secret room. One by one, all of her friends followed until you were alone with Tifa and Cloud.

“We have a lot of catching up to do” Tifa sweetly smiled, returning behind the bar. “I’ll prepare some drinks”

You and Cloud stood before one another. His eyes never once left you, looking you up and down as though trying to make sure that you were actually there, that you were real and not one of his many dreams.

“Well…” You awkwardly said, needing to break that suffocating silence. “Where’s Zack?”

Cloud suddenly grimaced, groaning and clutching his head. Concerned, you were about to lean in and put a hand on his arm, but ultimately decided not to do it. You still weren’t sure he wasn’t mad at you. After all, you kept an important secret from him. You lied to him and pretended to be someone you were not. All of this was something you didn’t know he could forgive and you were too scared that he would push you away.

“B/N… I mean, Y/N?” Tifa called, and so you glanced at her. She only shook her head.

The air suddenly left your lungs as you understood what that somber gesture meant. A sob got caught in your throat at the realization. You had been lucky enough to reunite with Cloud, but you would never be able to see Zack again.

Turning back to the blond, you wondered the impact this had on him. After all, he and Zack had been very close and when you left, believing you were dead…

“Oh!” You gasped when a force suddenly made you stumble.

Confused, you paused to notice Cloud’s arms wrapped around you. They urgently pressed you against his chest. An invisible weight seemed to be lifted off your chest as you accepted and treasured his embrace with a sigh of relief.

“I’m glad you’re okay…” He whispered, and in his voice you recognized that softer tone you had been used to. The old Cloud seemed to be shining through the cracks as the new fake Cloud fell apart.

He was breathing heavily, squeezing you against him so tightly that he was hurting you. In spite of it all, you didn’t have the heart to complain. You almost couldn’t breathe, but it could have been because you were starting to sob.

“You too” You cried against his shoulder, now bawling your eyes out as you clung on to his shirt and he held you still.

Tag list: @call-me-harley-quinn​ / @wonderlandfandomkingdom​ / @anxiouslyreckless​ / @xionroxas​ / @dancewaterdance02​ / @little-faerie-artist​ / @x-joie-x​ / @honeybunhanbin​ / @legallyblindgamer727​ / @lotsoffandomstoimagine​ / @imaginealllthefandoms​ / @fandomatakeover18​ / @goodmorningawfulbye​ / @trunks-kiwi​ / @lostiintheocean​ // If you want to be added or taken off the tag list for these fandoms or characters, send me an ask!! // Reblogs and comments are appreciated!

[thebrotherssalvatore321]

Keeping Secrets Ch. 24

Keeping Secrets Masterlist

Dear Diary,

I thought when I got all of my memories back that I would feel different, that I would be different, like who I was in my first life and who I am in this life would somehow mesh together and create this new person. But I feel…like me, just with more knowledge. It’s weird, I thought my taste in things would change, but I like everything around me as much as I always did. I still love my friends and I still love Damon even though I’m mad at him. The one thing that has changed though, is that now I know that everything I’ve been feeling for Elijah is completely founded and rooted in truth, not magic. The spark that his touch always sent thought me wasn’t Fiona’s spell, it was what I felt before I had her cast it. Her spell just made it so that we would always be able to feel and find each other. Knowing that what I feel for Elijah is real… scares the shit out of me. I hated Damon for loving me and Katherine at the same time. Now I’m no better. It feels like my heart is a hunk of metal stuck between two high powered magnets labeled Elijah and Damon. It’s ripping me apart. I know Elijah is dead and I could just manipulate my way into the boarding house and pull that dagger from his chest, but a part of me wonders if Elijah and I would even make it in this day and age. Back then I was just a lonely housewife with a son to raise. Now I’m a vampire caught in the middle of this business with Klaus trying to kill Elena to unlock his werewolf side. I don’t know how strong my relationship with Elijah would be, but I know how strong mine and Damon’s could be if he would just stop lying to me...and if I could let go of Elijah.”

She had put down her pen and was closing the book when she heard a knock on the door. So she threw on a robe over the comfortable clothes she had put on when she got home from school and headed down stairs. When she pulled the door open the faces of her three friends came into view. Caroline held a small pink igloo cooler with a handle out to her. “I raided Damon’s stash for you.”

“You’re awesome.” Katie laughed and took the cooler from her.

“Get dressed.” Elena told her with a wrinkled nose look at the old robe she was wearing.

“We’re having a girls night at Elena’s.” Bonnie added as Katie stepped aside and let the girls inside.

“We thought about having it here, no adult supervision and all, but we assumed you wouldn’t have any real food in the house.” Elena told her as she went into the kitchen that could be seen from the living room and opened the pantry revealing a bunch of empty shelves and a few canned goods. “Just as we thought. Plus we want to catch Aunt Jenna and real her in for some cheering up.”

Katie scratched the back of her head and frowned. “No.” Caroline told her with her finger pointed at Katie. “Don’t try to back out of this. You have been mopey all week because of Damon and Elijah and we are not going to sit back and watch you spiral.”

Katie deadpanned at her. “I’m not spiraling.”

“Really?” Bonnie asked. “It’s three in the afternoon and you’re wearing pajamas.”

“Go… get dressed.” Caroline barked and pointed to the stairs. Katie rolled her eyes but obeyed. “And put on some make up!” she shook her head.

“Remind me why I let you boss me around all the time?” Katie asked from upstairs.

“Because if I didn’t you would be a hopeless mess.” Caroline answered then Katie heard Elena ask who she was talking to.

“Thanks for the pep talk.” Katie mumbled clearly not thankful.

“Hey, you asked, I answered.” Caroline replied, making Katie laugh.

TVDTVDTVD

“So are you ever going to talk about it?” Caroline asked Katie as they stood in Elena’s kitchen pouring chips into bowls.

“About what?” Katie asked playing stupid.

“The fact that you’re in love with two guys, one of which is a very old original vampire.” Caroline said with a smirk, not looking at Katie.

“I have talked about it and I’m over it.” Katie answered as she wadded up the chip bag and put it in the trash can.

“You’re over it?” Caroline asked with a confused shake of her head. “You don’t just get over something like that Katie.”

“Can we please just…not talk about Elijah? He’s dead, for all intents and purposes, and that chapter of my life is over.” Katie answered, getting aggravated with her friend.

“So what about Damon, are you still mad at him?” Caroline asked, still prying.

Katie let out a stressed sigh and placed her hands on the counter top. “Because I know you won’t stop prying until you get some kind of answer I will tell you that I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him since that disaster of a dinner party.”

“Don’t you think you owe it to him to hear him out?” Caroline asked, making Katie frown because she was right. Thankfully Elena and Bonnie walked into the kitchen saving Katie from the conversation. “So, Chinese food or pizza?” Caroline asked.

“Like you have to ask.” Elena answered as she grabbed one of the bowls of chips.

“I will look it up.” Caroline said as she grabbed her tablet and started to search for the nearest pizza place, but she stopped when she saw the picture of her and Matt from founder’s day that was her background picture.

“I’ll do it.” Bonnie stepped in and gingerly took the tablet from Caroline.

“Do you believe that Jonas is being sincere?” Elena asked Bonnie as she set some cups out on the counter.

“I don’t know what to believe. I think he’s at a loss…not sure who to trust.” Bonnie answered.

“Join the club.” Elena sighed and Katie nodded.

“Well what are we going to do about this movie situation?” Caroline asked to change the subject. “What about the notebook?”

“Caroline, how many times have you seen that movie?” Elena asked, making the other girls laugh.

“That is so not the point.” Caroline argued.

“Well, yeah I mean…” Elena trailed off when Aunt Jenna walked into the room. “Hey…” she drew out the word awkwardly.

“What’s going on?” Jenna asked as she set down the coat that she’d had over her arm.

“Girls night.” Elena answered as she sat down in one of the bar stools.

“More like a pity party. We’ve all pretty much had a crap week.” Katie elaborated.

“You’ve all heard about my fight with Rick.” Jenna observed.

“He feels terrible.” Elena told her.

“Is this some sort of disguised attempt to cheer me up?” Jenna asked.

“No,” Elena answered, “this is about us girls hanging out and you know…we’ll be here if you happen to want to talk or…”

“Because I am a winner at successful relationships.” Caroline chipped in. Jenna and Caroline started talking about whether or not Alaric should tell Jenna about his past with Isobel. When things fell awkwardly quiet between them Caroline broke it. “You know what we need?” they all just looked at her. “Dancing. There is a band at the grill.” She looked at her friends for their thoughts.

They all said they were in then looked at Katie. “When was the last time you let loose and had real fun?” Bonnie asked.

“Fine. I’m in.” Katie answered with a roll of her eyes.

TVDTVDTVD

Katie was sitting at a table that her friends stood around, talking to Caroline about her situation with Matt, when Caroline took off her jacket and headed up on stage where the band had finished up a song. “Caroline can sing?” Katie asked Bonnie and Elena when Caroline said that she was going to sing. Bonnie and Elena watched as Caroline compelled the band to let her sing. “Whoa, she’s really good.” As Katie watched Caroline laying it all out on the table for Matt all she could think about was Damon and Elijah. Feeling on the verge of a panic attack Katie whooshed outside unseen by anyone

She had been bottling it up, not really letting anyone know how screwed up she felt inside. While she had been angry at Damon for his lies and secrets and angry at Elijah for doing this to her she hadn’t let herself feel the grief of losing Elijah or feel the hurt of Damon’s actions. It all came out a wave of tears as she pressed her back against the side of the building in the alley way. She was so wrapped up in her grief that it took a minute for the screams coming from the building to register. She was on her way to the back entrance since people were pouring out of the front one when she heard Elena calling her name. Not knowing what was going on she sped over to where she heard Elena to see that she was with Damon. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain later.” Damon told her and she just looked back and forth between him and Elena.

“Jonas is in there and he’s after me.” Elena told her so Katie nodded.

“What can I do to help?” Katie asked Damon with wide eyes.

“Jonas doesn’t know Elena’s out here with me. Katherine’s in there pretending to be her. You need to get in there and make sure he stays off our trail.” He told her in a rush.

“Will do.” Katie nodded then ran into the building to find sparks flying off of the busted stage lights and the bar was on fire.

“Matt no!” Caroline’s scream caught Katie’s attention and she whooshed over to see that Jonas had stabbed him in the neck with a broken bottle. She didn’t bother stopping Jonas when he ran out of the bar. Instead she went to Matt’s side across from Caroline. “Caroline, look at me.” Caroline looked up from her hand that was pressed to Matt’s neck showing the veins that were popping under her reddening eyes that mirrored her own. “Breathe. Can you do it or do I need to?”

“I can do it.” she nodded so Katie jerked her head down to Matt. Caroline made a pained sound as she bit her wrist then pressed it to Matt’s lips. “I’ve got him.”

“Are you sure?” Katie asked with wide eyes and Caroline nodded as the veins disappeared. “I’m going to go make sure the building’s clear.”

“No, the fire’s getting too big. We both need to leave now.” Caroline stopped her as she picked Matt up from the ground.

“Fine, then let’s get out of here.” Katie said with a wave to the door

TVDTVDTVD

After Elena and Katherine were switched back and things calmed down, Elena texted Katie letting her know that Jonas was dead leaving Bonnie without her powers. Katie had gone home, but after thinking about it for a few minutes she decided she could no longer suffer in silence.

So with a deep breath she threw her cell phone into her shoulder bag and headed to the boarding house. She didn’t bother knocking and let herself in to find Damon’s bedroom door open. Katherine, wearing a black negligee and an open black robe was laying on the bed with Damon. Katie watched as Katherine crawled up Damon like a seductress out of a romance novel. Damon grabbed her face as she was attempting to kiss him and a jealous green bubble grew in the pit of Katie’s stomach. “Katherine, there are six other bedrooms in this house. Go find one.” he shoved her face, throwing her off of him.

Damon was about to return to the book he was reading, but his eyes found Katie as she walked into the room glaring at Katherine. “Get out.”

“I turn you, and save your friend and that’s the thanks I get?” Katherine asked as she slid off the bed with a cocky look on her face then crossed her arms.

Katie hadn’t seen Katherine since she killed her and the anger that welled up in her was almost overwhelming. But she decided to be the bigger woman and walked over to her with murderous eyes. “Okay.” Katie put on a fake smile as she said, “Thank you for playing a game of switch-a-roo with Elena tonight.” She let her smile fall and went back to glaring at her. “But no matter how many good deeds you do you will always be the manipulative, skeezy bitch who took my human life and killed my unborn child.” Katherine cocked her head to the side as she glared back at Katie as if she were about to rip her head off. “Now get…out.”

“You’re lucky I like you.” Katherine told her as she pointed at her then dropped her hand as she walked out of the room.

“I like jealous Katie.” Damon told her as he set the book to the side and sat up.

“Do you have any idea how hard it was to not break her freaking neck?” she asked, making a twisting flick motion with her hands as she walked over then flopped down on her back across the foot of his bed.

“I’d pay to see that.” He commented making Katie smirk over at him, but she remembered that she was still mad at him and turned her eyes to the ceiling. “You still mad at me?” he asked, his face turning serious.

“I don’t know. You kept your plan to kill Elijah a secret from me, flat out lied to me, and in doing so caused Elijah to do exactly what he warned you he would do if you crossed him. Now the first, first love is laying in your basement with a dagger in his chest and my second first love hurt me so bad that it took my friend being in danger to even be able to look at him.” she looked over at him to see him frowning with wide eyes. “What do you think?”

His eyes turned apologetic. “I’m sorry.” Katie pursed her lips and pulled them to the side. “I knew if I told you about the dagger you’d try to stop me from using it.”

“But you didn’t know that.” Katie sat up and leaned back against the sturdy footboard. “You once again just… assumed that I would react a certain way and you once again assumed wrong.”

“So you wouldn’t have tried to stop me from killing Elijah?” he asked doubtfully as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Before that failure of a dinner party?” she asked as she bent her knee up and rested her am on it. “No.”

“And now that you have Hannah’s memories?” he asked.

She dropped her eyes to the plush comforter and started picking at her cuticles, something she noticed she never did as Hannah. “Now I want to go down to that basement, pull the dagger out of him and kiss him.” she looked up at him, fighting her emotions that were so much more powerful now than they were when she was human. She bit her lip and shrugged not knowing what else to say.

“So what’s stopping you?” he asked with a frown and a glance at the door.

“You.” she answered and her voice didn’t waver, but Damon saw tears pooling in her eyes. “I heard Elijah when he told you that I’d forget all about you if he gave me my memories back. Obviously that’s not true…” She looked back down at her hands and started picking at a loose string in the stitching of the comforter, “Because I’m here.”

“But?” he asked and she looked up at him to see that he looked worried about what was about to come out of her mouth.

“But you and I…” she bit her lips closed and shook her head as she shrugged, “We seem to be in this cycle of I trust you…you break it, I forgive you and for about two seconds we’re happy then something happens and you break my trust again. I realize that’s over simplifying it and leaving out the elephant size mistake I made with Elijah, but…we are going to have to be a team, on the same page 24/7 or kiss our relationship goodbye.”

“Fine, then let's get on the same page.” He told her as he slid from the bed and headed for the door. “I’ll go first.”

“Where are you going?” she asked, not moving from the bed.

“I need a drink.” He answered as if it was obvious. “You comin’?”

“Yep.” She hopped off the bed and followed him to the study. He poured two glasses of bourbon then handed her one. Her eyes slid shut at the taste of the amber liquid and when she opened them as she swallowed she saw Damon smirking at her. “What?”

“Have I turned you into a bourbon girl?” he asked with a look at her glass.

“Maybe.” She answered coyly with a look down at her glass then back up at him. “You said you’d go first.”

He had opened his mouth to say something when Katherine walked in and between them to the table of decanters they stood at. “Don’t let me interrupt.” She sighed as she started picking through the crystal containers. Katie gritted her teeth and looked at Damon agitatedly. He jerked his head back toward his room. Katie grabbed the decanter of bourbon out of Katherine’s hand. “Um, hello.” She complained as Katie walked around her.

“Um, goodbye.” Katie mocked her tone. As they headed back to Damon’s room Katie refilled her glass then handed the decanter to him and made herself comfortable on his bed with her back leaned against the headboard and her bare feet crossed at the ankles. “Now…shoot.”

“I didn’t just want Elijah dead because of the whole Elena sacrifice thing. I wanted him dead because you wanted him.” he told her then took a drink.

“I told you that I didn’t want him.” she argued.

“And we both know that was a load of bull.” He argued back, making her look down at her drink. “If you didn’t want him you wouldn’t have kissed him.”

“So when I called you and you said that you weren’t mad at me for kissing him and that you understood because you’d made mistakes too…what was that? Lie number one?” she asked with creased brows.

“No I was never mad at you. I was mad at him for having so much control over you with his stupid linking spell.” He told her and she looked down at the glass in her hands that rested on her outstretched legs. “John came by after you left for the sleepover and gave me the dagger and I knew what I had to do to get you out from under his spell.” He kept placing all the blame on Elijah.

“Damon…there’s something you need to know about the linking spell.” She started, staring at her drink then paused to finish it. She looked up at him as she swallowed. “Elijah isn’t the one that had Fiona do the spell…I did it. He didn’t know that we worked the spell until Klaus killed me. If he did know he never said anything to me about it.” she slipped from the bed and refilled her glass. “So, are you still not mad at me?” she asked as she walked back over to the bed but didn’t sit down.

“I don’t know.” He answered with a far off look in his eyes. She gave him a few minutes to think about it, but when he never said anything she walked over to where the decanter was sitting on his dresser and put her glass down next to it. she was reaching for the doorknob when he whooshed over, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him. “I am not going to lose you because of a decision you made over a hundred years ago.” He told her with a stubborn look on his face as he stared into her green eyes. “You’re not walking out of this room until we are back in a good place and I’ve heard the words I forgive you come out of your mouth.”

“You think we can accomplish that in one night?” she asked knowing it was already really late.

“Yep.” He nodded and let her go.

“Okay.” She grabbed her glass and took a drink. “Then I’ll tell you that I’m sorry I didn’t tell you exactly how much of an effect Elijah had on me before the whole…makeout session behind a building thing.”

“You said you kissed him not made out with him.” he pointed at her with the hand that held his glass. “Which one was it?”

“Now you’re just trying to torture us.” Katie complained but Damon just rolled his eyes and gave her a look that told her to answer the question. “Fine if you want to know specifics…” she set her glass on the dresser and pressed her back against the wall and motioned him over with her finger.

He walked over with a smirk on his face that showed off one side of his smile lines. “What are you doing?”

“Answering your question.” She said with a shrug as she grabbed his shirt and pulled him into her. “In a way that’ll make it a little easier to swallow, so to speak.” Without warning she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into her, kissing him with the same genuine hunger she had felt when kissing Elijah. After making out with him for a few seconds she jumped and his hands that were already holding her by her hips pressed her harder into the wall holding her up as she wrapped her legs around him. She tilted her head to the side giving him the subtle hint that she wanted him to kiss her neck. He took it and kissed down her jaw line to her neck. If Damon had been wearing a button up shirt she would’ve started unbuttoning it, but he was wearing a black t-shirt. So instead she grabbed it and pulled it over his head. She took her hands off of him and moved her arms out to the side, pressing her palms into the cold wall behind her. "This is when I stopped him, but you are more than welcome to keep going." She whispered as the bourbon and lust mixed together to create a fun cocktail within her bloodstream.

"You're drunk." He told her between kisses.

"I’m tipsy and I've missed you." She confessed as she slid her hands up his torso then held the sides of his neck. "Going a week without sex as a vampire is excruciating."

"We're getting off topic." He sing-songed as he slid his hand down to hold her thighs making her sigh from his touch.

"Or did we find a better one?" She countered and he growled as he stepped back and let her go. "Damon." She drug out his name with whine as she watched him walk over to the bed and flop back on it, laying across the middle of it.

"You made out with him..." he complained.

"And I'm sorry." She told him as she walked over and sat down on the bed next to him. "If it makes you feel any better I hated how out of control and not myself I felt when it was happening." She told him with a hopeful tone and a cringe of a smile. He just cut his eyes over at her. “Oh and I didn’t take his shirt off. I just undid a few buttons.” She added.

“It doesn’t.” he told her then turned his eyes to the ceiling.

“Of course it doesn’t.” she sighed and fell back with her head at the head of the bad and her legs draped over his hips.

“We can’t trust each other.” He said still looking up at the ceiling with a frown on his face.

“No we can’t,” she replied looking up at the ceiling as she crossed her arms over her chest. “but I want to.” Neither of them said anything and thanks to the fact that she had abandoned her bourbon glass she was starting to sober up and she figured he was too. She thought about why Damon killed Elijah and kept the dagger a secret from her. It was selfish of him, killing Elijah so he could keep her for himself, but she was also being selfish for wanting Elijah to stay daggered so that she could be with Damon without the linking spell constantly putting stress on their relationship. “I forgive you.”

Damon looked over at her with furrowed brows. “What?”

“I forgive you.” she repeated herself.

“Are you just saying that so you can leave?” he asked and she shook her head.

“No.” she told him with a small shake of her head. “And I hope you will one day forgive me for what I’m about to say.” Damon sat up and looked at her with wide worried eyes. “This link…will always be there. Even if we get back together…somebody is bound to pull that dagger out and when they do the switch will get flipped and once again old feelings will resurface and we’ll just end up right back where we are right now.”

“So you’re just gonna give up on us?” he asked with a frown.

“No…I’m saving you from a lifetime of misery…from always wondering if I’m going to be drawn back to him.” she argued then slid from the bed and headed for the door.

He whooshed in front of her. “Not happening.”

“Damon.” She sighed and dropped her eyes to the floor.

“We’re stronger than any magic link will ever be and I refuse to let you walk out that door.” He did his eye thing with a flick of his brows as he said the word refuse.

“So what?” she asked with a shrug of her shoulders. “We just forgive each other, get back together and pretend that we trust each other?”

“No. We get back together and learn to trust each other.” he told her with eyes that bore into hers. “Because I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose this.” He grabbed the back of her head and pressed his lips to hers, catching her bottom lip between his.

She knew it would be pointless to try to walk away from Damon. No matter how dysfunctional they were, they kept ending up together. So she jumped and wrapped her legs around him. He held her face in his hands, kissing her as he carried her over to his bed and laid her down.

TVDTVDTVD

“So did I miss anything in my week of moping?” Katie asked from where she laid under the comforter with her head on Damon’s shoulder.

“We figured out how Elijah and his witch buddies were planning on killing Klaus.” He answered and Katie rolled onto her stomach and propped her head up with her elbows and hands to look at him. “He was looking for where a bunch of witches were burned. If he found it he was going to have Jonas absorb all the power they left behind and take Klaus down while he was weak.”

“Do we know where they were burned?” she asked curiously.

He nodded his head yes, but sighed and said, “nope.” He grabbed his phone out of his pants on the floor and typed a message. “I found in a Gilbert journal that Emily was burned where those witches were burned. I know where Emily was burned.”

“Well that sucks.” Katie sighed and rolled back over, playing along because Katherine was probably listening in.

“Yep.”

[mapache-lector]

Coffees & Cactus. (Part 5 of 5)

Rating: T Pairing: Ben Miller x chubby!fem!Reader. Summary: Reader and two friends are owners of a café, Benny comes in and finds more than the perfect gift for Maria, Frankie’s daughter. (I hate doing this, sorry) Words: 1480 (oops!)

Warning: I think I wrote Reader pretty much general, but the characteristics I mention are that she’s chubby, has a genderless wardrobe and she’s dealing with depression and anxiety (the way I do, which I know it’s not the common stuff… or maybe yes?). So, have that in mind.

Author’s notes: Introducing Maria and Franklin the plant! Author’s notes.2: I will be forever grateful (and not to be dramatic) to @de-profundis-ad-astra​, to you Miranda, because this made me incredibly happy. I could connect with a part of me kinda forgot. I could write fanfiction again! ❤

Author’s notes.3: Hello, yes, it’s been a while since I wrote a fanfiction. It’s -not only the first one I write in a while- but the first in English! So, bearing in mind that, feel free to point mistakes and let me know!

•·················•·················•

He was so excited for her agreement of going out with him, that the grin went first forward that the rest of his body on his exit. Brit teased her about those minutes of heaven in the back, but she was happy for her friend. Both of them were.

She wasn’t the type of putting much effort in clothes, her wardrobe pretty much basic, casual and comfortable… and not for dates. She never went out on dates.

This is not a date.

Pants, jeans, shirts, sweaters, jackets. Black, dark blue, dark green, dark red, little details in gold, silver and white. Her clothes showed her genderless style and she knew she was being judgmental, but her style and type was not the one for Ben to like.

Watching her wardrobe open like it was the devil itself, let out a chain of curses and rushed to the bathroom to shower.

For a change, she was trembling with nervousness as she approached the bar Ben and she agreed to meet that afternoon.

•·················•·················•

Ben was at the door of the bar waiting for her. He came a little bit earlier to book a small booth, a bit far from the rest of the tables, and to make sure this place was comfortable to her, glad of the low music in the background and the quiet chatter flowing in the air; the dim light was a touch he wasn’t expecting but was welcome.

He was looking at both sides of the street like a hawk, swinging back and forth and sometimes pacing the street. Then he saw her, walking towards him, looking at the numbers of the buildings; his heart skipped beats when she spotted him and grinned brightly.

 “You look amazing, sweetheart.”

 “Same as you, fighter.” Her curious eyes were fixed in his shirt and he looked down to the two little pins Maria gave them for good luck.

 “Oh, Maria let me borrow them, you know, charms. This is Alice,” pointed to a cactus, and then to a plant. More glitter around them. “And this is Franklin.”

They sat at the booth and chatted about nothing till the waiter came, both ordering beers and fries.

Ben listened to her with his full attention, teasing her about trivial things and being total serious when the situation required it. Her big eyes were on him with curiosity every time he spoke about the MMA world, and for once, someone was not horrified by the subject. She asked about rules, championships and all the stuff she didn’t know because that was a world she knew nothing about. She asked about his brother, his friends, the times in the Army. Whatever he could tell, she listened with attention.

One beer after another came and passed, the fries were eaten one by one, and the topics of conversation never ran dry.

“Shakira before Piqué was the best!” She stated. They forgot the initial space between them and were seated close, facing each other and sometimes forgetting they weren’t alone, shouting and bickering out loud.

 “No way! She was suffering all the time.”

“Santiago or Frankie translated the songs to you? Those lyrics were the best and she had love songs too.”

 “The video clips? Weird.” He was trying to win the argument and was so sure of himself, he pointed her with the bottle of beer before taking a sip. “Like the one she’s a cartoon?”

 “Where the boob deflates like a balloon?” He almost spills over her trying to suffocate a laugh. “I give you that! I give you that one! That clip is weird. But, she-was-best-there- and that’s a hill I will die on.”

 “Oh yeah?”

 “Yeah, I’ll fight you on this.”

 “I bet ya would! Let’s make it official. Ask your friends and I’ll ask mine. The winner decides the next date.” Her breath got caught on her throat. 

They wrote the same text and sent them, and waited for the answers. Of course, she won.

 “IN YOUR FACE, MILLER!”

 “Please, bear with me, don’t you listen to the new songs and they lift your spirit?”

She tried not to respond to that, winning time sipping the last of her beer. “I… Yeah, yeah, yeah okay, but in lyrics–“

 “OOOOH YOU’RE BETRAYING YOURSELF!” He yelled. “Betrayal! Betrayal!”

They both laughed out loud, and Ben fell in love a little bit more. He was so proud he could manage to get her relaxed and carefree, throwing her head back to laugh and squinting her eyes. Once, in a rapture of laugh, she put her hand on his thigh and he almost fainted of emotion.

•·················•·················•

They didn’t want the night to end, so went to buy one more beer and walked through the city, the long way round to her building, still chatting, telling stories about their childhood and teens. Every time they passed some group of guys or someone Ben thought was dangerous, he would throw an arm around her shoulders to protect her and then slide it off. Until one time he did and never retired it, and she walked more close to him. He was so warm, solid beside her; at this moment she wanted to plug herself in him and disappear, fully enjoying the wonderful warmth of him.

 “You’re silent, everything all right?” He sounded worried, and she kept her head down.

 “I’m fine, just walking beside you.”

 “You’re as stiff as a plank, sweetheart. What’s happening?”

 “The next block is my home, let’s talk there.” She couldn’t bring him upstairs because her friends were in the flat, but could sit in the stairs of the front. “Look, I want to be direct with you, because you’re a good guy and I really like you.”

She hated how her hands started to shake, her whole body was trembling and not because of the chill night. She tried to even her breathing; Ben’s leg started to bounce.

 “We are balls of anxiety.” She joked and he chuckled, trying to calm him too. “I’m not the dating type, Ben. I never do this because I’m a mess of a person. I’m not even a good friend.”

 “Yes you are.” He retorted firmly.

 “Stop being the flirty himbo you are and listen to me.”

 “The what!?” He faced her with a surprised smile.

 “Flirty himbo.” She repeated and explained “I’m trying to make a serious argument here and you’re canting your hips with that playful smile.”

 “But I’m sitting!” He laughed and it was really difficult not to join him. “And you are a good friend! I’m being serious. You are a good friend and have good friends too. You are easy to be with, you’re warm, radiate a kind energy; always so helpful with others, trying to bring happiness to everyone around you. Even if you are in pain, your friends didn’t want to tell me but I noticed.”

She tried to get a grip of the tears in her eyes, but was a lost cause.

 “Thank you, Benny…” she whispered and sniffed. “But it’s hard to be with me: I have a lot of insecurities, with my mind, my spirit, don’t get me started on my body; I have anxiety and I’m depressed. I tend to disappear for weeks, it’s extremely rare for me to text first and I can’t get a conversation going for the life of me. Most of the time.” Explained herself because she saw his movements of protest. “And,” she put a hand in his chest to keep him quiet and dared to look at him in the eyes, “you’re the most handsome, incredibly hot and most kindhearted guy I have ever met. I–I couldn’t bear to know I have made you suffer or mad.”

They sat in silence, facing the street, barely touching one another. She wanted to throw herself in the middle of the street, wanted to run upstairs and hid in her bed till next week. Every person that complimented her for being “too mature for her age” should be burned in Hell. Emotionally she was a child, didn’t know how to react, what to do–

 “Hey…” He called softly and saw, by the corner of her eye, how he approached slowly and hugged her shoulders. “Are you scared?”

She leaned in his embrace and confessed, “Scared as hell.”

 “I will respect your decision, but lemme tell you I like you too, a lot. If you want me to go, I’ll go. If you want us to be friends, I’ll be your friend. If you want time, I’ll give you all my watches.” She giggled and relaxed between his arms. Ben kissed her forehead, winning a gasp and she lifted her face to look at him in the eyes again. “I understand you and your illness, I truly do. I will be honored to be by your side and going at your pace, to comfort you whenever you need it.”

Her heart grew a few inches of love, her breath faltered and she looked at her hands –that were resting in his thigh, reuniting the courage to ask “Would you like to kiss me?”

 “I’d love to.”

[thoughtfullyyoungduck]

Broken arm

A/N: This was requested by anon, I hope you enjoy! please let me know what you think! Also this is like my worst fear, like that sounds dumb but breaking something sounds absolutely disgusting to me. In movies if they do like sound effects of bones breaking and I know it’s coming, I mute the sound. 

summary:  i was wondering if you could write a reddie x daughter where the losers club all go out and the daughter gets hurt (maybe breaks an arm) so they all freak out and take her to the hospital, and it’s just rlly cute at the end. i just feel like i could image richie and eddie just freaking out abt what to do and not actually doing anything so the rest of the losers have to step in

warnings: mentions of a broken arm and surgories (not graphic), mentions of throwing up (but also not graphic) and some curse words and your mom joke

At least once a month, all the losers have a reunion that usually either takes place in Ben and Bev’s lake house, or in their boat. The reason it does, is because Ben and Bev combined have enough money to restore any damages that may or may not occur during these times, more often than not Richie fault.

This time however, by some unlucky draw of the hat, everyone agrees to meet up in Richie and Eddie’s home, because their daughter Alexa isn’t feeling too great, and Richie not Eddie felt comfortable relocating with her for a few days.

She had nothing major, just a stomach bug that causes her to throw up from time to time, but Both Eddie and Richie were more than ready to postponed the losers’ meeting. Alexa insisted that all the plans continued on as normal despite her feeling unwell, since she loved spending time with her uncles and aunt any time she could, and when she showed signs of her health improving, nobody cancelled anything.

With the first knock on the door, Alexa jumps up, rushing to welcome whoever has made it to their house first, ignoring how her stomach was protesting the flash movement, and she’s greeted by the sight of her best-loved aunt, which happened to be Aunty Bev. Six months into the pregnancy made Bev look bloated and tired, but her eyes lit up as soon as Alexa opened the door, bending down as best as she could to hug her back twice as hard. She’s alone, Ben had had a meeting over in Portland, and agreed to meet Bev here.

‘How’s my favorite girl doing?’ Bev asks with a huge smile on her face, her hand resting on the top of her belly softly rubbing up and down.

‘I’m okay’, Alexa insists, even though her face still looks a little pale. Eddie, who had joined the two of them at the front door, rolled his eyes begrudgingly. Insisting that she’s fine even though she isn’t must be a trait she picked up from Richie.

Staying silent however, he brings Bev into an embrace, an; ‘hey Bev’ falling from his lips in the process.

‘Richie’s out back, come in, I’ll go get him.’ Before Eddie has the chance, the next guests arrive, in the form of Patty and Stan. Stan was holding a stuffed animal, a bunny in his hands, smirking as if he already knew that he was going to be the ‘chosen’ one today.

Eddie laughs out loud, watching as his daughter’s eyes grow bigger and wide, and she excitedly begins the bounce up and down, seemingly forgetting about the sickness for a little while. In his mind, Eddie is already praising Stan, for the few moments of rest this allows his daughter to have. Sleep is nothing something that has come in large doses to her in the last two days, every single waking minute of the day being consumed with sitting next to a toilet bowl, and brushing her teeth afterwards.

Eddie also praises Stan for basically knocking down the competition before the rest of them even have a chance.

At two years old, Alexa figured out how to play her family like the harp she later maintained she wanted to practice, giving up after only two lessons. She used to go around the room and beg her uncles and aunt to play a game with her, any kind, and when they relented, the first person who did would be her go to person for the rest of the evening.

Endearing everyone’s heart, but also resulting in a rivalry, where many presents were tossed around, and Alexa was in danger of becoming a bit spoiled. Now at twelve, she’s stopped crowning anyone as her winner, yet the losers still  arranges bets on her, as if their daughter is something to bet on.

It’s all in good fun of course, and Richie himself joins in on the gamble from time to time, but for whatever reason he never guesses correctly, but Eddie has a burning suspicion it has something to do with manipulating Stan to lose. Not that his schemes work, Stan is much too smart for that.

In rapid succession, Ben follows Stan and Patty, and after him Mike emerges, and finally Bill and Audra appear from the end of the streets. A loud and ugly snort forces its way out of Eddie, when he sees the exact some bear clutched to Bill’s chests, the annoying, cocky smirk on his face he mirrored from Stan, the same one that vanishes as soon as he steps through the door, and lays his eyes upon Alexa, clasping Stan’s gift.

Richie, who had since joined the rest of the group, could not contain his laughter, finding in Bill the perfect victim to tease throughout the entire night.

Rice and chicken were on the menu tonight, a light meal that was decided in light of Alexa, but nobody complained. Despite popular belief, Richie was a very good cook, and when he prepared any meal, it was guaranteed that it would taste delicious.

Alexa ate a bit, more than she had eaten in the last few days, and Eddie sighed a breath of relief.  Years of conditioning that any sickness was going to get him killed did not disappear off the bat, so he was immensely glad his daughter was starting to feel better, even if he knew her ailment was not that serious to begin with.

After dinner, the group resides to the living room, watching a movie that Alexa had her mind set on viewing, and secretive adult talk concealed in a child appropriate package so she wouldn’t notice, making a way across each other. A normal reunion like any other.

At nine pm, unsurprisingly, Alexa got up from her seat. ‘I’m going to bed dad,’ she explains, her hand stroking Bev’s baby bump one last time, and then waving at everyone. The spot next to Beverly, the one that Alexa had claimed, so she could discuss her new best friend as she lovingly called the new baby that was yet to be burn, remains achingly open. A weird feeling creeps up the back of Eddie’s neck, ridiculously.

The losers club just doesn’t seem complete without her, even if she has only been there for twelve years. Her bedtime was around eight, but when they go on a trip, she is allowed to stay up as long she want, the fact that she turns in for the night so early, is a testimony to how bad she suffers.  

Richie started to make his way up from the sofa too, ready to tuck her in, as he did every night, but she shook her head. ‘I can go to bed alone, Pops, don’t worry.’

She gave him a kiss on his cheek, and then scampered off to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Bill chocked on his drink in laughter when he saw the fallen look on Richie’s face, disappointment coating his expressions in a grey attire.

When he dejectedly resumed his place next to Eddie, the latter patted him on the arm in sympathy. ‘It’s just because there are others here Rich. You know how ashamed she gets of you.’ The smirk cannot be contained when the words leave his mouth, even though he means nothing but lies with them.

‘And they say my jokes suck? Spaghetti, come up with new and innovated humor, like mine. Thank god she’s got some of my qualities-‘

‘she’s adopted.’

‘- don’t interrupt me Eds that’s just bad manners. I’m so sorry your mom was to busy teaching me the way around her body to teach you how to be polite but-‘

‘Beep beep asshole.’ A murmur of agreement rose up from the group, Richie flipping them the bird.

‘Whatever, you losers have no taste at all.’

Deciding to check up on her after about fifteen minutes, Eddie settles back in his seat, joining in on the conversation to his right, where Ben and Stan discuss the different plants they have in their garden, listing a bunch of flowers Eddie will never know the meaning off.  

The movie clutters on in the background, almost like a lullaby, and Eddie yawns significantly. Richie’s hand presses in the small of his back, a grounding warm signal that he was safe, even though he doesn’t mean too, he zones out, not asleep, but also not as awake as he should be.

That happens to be a mistake when he hears something slam on the floor above them, the sound of the toilet being flushed a second after. He makes eye contact with Richie, both of them realizing that that is probably the result of Alexa throwing up again.

‘Dad, Pops’, and then a loud bang, proceeded by a few thuds that can be relocated to their stairs, and a pained yell.

Richie and Eddie scramble up faster than they have ever done before, even more hurried than when Pennywise was chasing them in Neibolt. Stan, Bill and Bev scurry alongside them, to the place of the accident, every single one of them in a panicked haze.

It only takes a second to get there, in their haste, and no other sounds emerge anymore, until They run into the hallway.

Alexa is spread out across the bottom of the stairs, her arm bend in a weird position, her legs propped up as she looks around the space dazedly, as if she’s not sure what just happened.

Her faces goes through a couple of emotions, intensifying when she takes a look at her arm, but not yet crying.

Eddie is the first to reach her, and when she sees him, her lips open slightly and a wail falls out. It proves to him that she is in real, and agonizing pain. Back when she learned how to ride her bike for the first time, she had fallen many times, as kids do, but if she cried, Eddie refused to indulge her. He wouldn’t let leave or abandon her, but he would tell her that everything was fine, and that it only stung a little, and there was no need to cry.

He mostly did this to stop himself from becoming like his mother, and to allow Alexa to discover her own boundaries and which one hurt enough to actually ask help for. He never shamed her for crying either, he just tried to teach her the difference between actual pain, and being shocked from a fall.  Ever since, is she saw Eddie walk towards her, her tears stopped if it barely stung, or begin to cry if help was needed.

Now she sobs, heavy and with snot, hiccuping to catch her breaths. It only takes a look to tell Eddie everything he needs to know, she is suffering from an open fracture. The bone is not stuck outside the skin, but the bump is visible from the outside, in the same way that his bone was when he broke his arm.

All previous training flies out the window when it’s his daughter that is the one who is harmed, nothing of the medical terms he surrounded himself with in his childhood sticking, like liquid dropping from his head.

He stands there, blankly as he gazes upon his daughters still laying form, until he gets pushed back by Bill. Richie too stands frozen, trembling from head to toe, but Bev and Stan launch into action, dropping down next to Alexa, each on opposites sides.

‘What do we do, what do we do?’ Richie inquires frantically, pushing against Bills hands, to get to her, trusting Eddie for guidement. Eddie subconsciously reaches for his inhaler, and curses once he remembers that he threw his placebo away.

‘Fuck, fuck, Eddie should we snap the bone back in? It worked last time right?’ Richie reflects Eddie’s frantic, ignoring Bill’s pleas to calm down, the cries of Alexa deafening their ears, and making their heartstrings cave in.

‘What? What the fuck asshole no. That was a terrible thing to do, and you were lucky that my arm got back to normal, are you fucking kidding me you absolute moron?’

He doesn’t mean to snap at his husband the way he does, but the mantra of; this is your fault, she’s going to die, get her to a hospital now, more careful, you should force her to be more safe, in a voice that sounds an awful lot likes his mother hisses in his mind. The panic is very nearly all consuming.

‘What the fuck was I supposed to do then huh Eds? I was fucking twelve.’ Their panic-stricken words grow louder and louder, until even Alexa’s cries of agony sound quieter than theirs, they’re so consumed with worry, being oblivious to notice what Beverly and Stan are so desperately trying to convey.

‘I don’t know, not that. And you’re 43 years old, by now you should now better dickwad.’

‘Stop it’, Bill yells in the same determined leader voice that lured them into the house on Neibolt street, effectively silencing them and focusing their attention on him.

‘Your daughter needs you right now, so shut up, and do what we ask you too okay. Richie get her cloths, Eddie retrieve anything she has that helps calm her down. Alright? Okay go.’

Richie hurries to get the car as fast he can, but Eddie hesitates when he gapes at Alexa. He doesn’t want to leave her without her parents. ‘Hey’, Bill places on of his hands on Eddie shoulder, ‘we’ll take care of her for a minute okay?’

Her cries have turned into loud whimpers, her face hidden behind Stan’s body, which stops her from seeing Eddie anyway. Bev is calmly shushing her, on the phone with what must be the hospital, carefully checking her arm. Stan is trying to distract her, his cardigan being discarded towards Bev, who uses is to carefully cover the injured arm.

It looks painful, and Eddie can’t stand to think of her in pain, so he too complies with Bill’s demands, searching for the plush toy she got as a gift, and her soft blanket that she sleeps with during the winter.

When he comes back, he hears the blaring sirens of the ambulance stop outside their door, and his stomach falls when he realizes that a few hours ago, Alexa was standing in that exact spot, excited for the night.

Audra and Patty lead the paramedics into the home, apparently they had been waiting outside to help, Patty grabbing Eddie’s arm to steady herself, and maybe even Eddie, who is swaying dangerously from side to side.

He’s been through all of this before, in a way, but that seemed somehow less scary than it is now. Back then, Eddie had been glad none of his friends got hurt, so it didn’t matter that he did. Now, it’s different, but if he could somehow switch places with Alexa, he would do so in a heartbeat.

They insert an IV line and administer pain relief, Eddie assumes, since his ears seem like they’ve been stuffed full of cotton. He vaguely registers Richie’s hand in his own, all his attention pointed to watching Alexa’s face for any discomfort.

She’s placed upon a trauma board, Stan and Ben aiding to help her jolts as minimal as possible, before they carry her to the ambulance as fast as humanly possible. Eddie hopes to god, something he hasn’t believed in since he started dating Richie, that the medicine she has received knock her out, just so she’s painless the rest of the ride.

‘Dad, pops’, she wails, extending her uninjured arm to reach for the both of them. Next to him, Richie cries too.

Eddie speed walks to be by her side, grabbing her hand and pressing a kiss to it. ‘It’s okay, sweetheart, you’re going to be fine.’ He can’t help the way his voice cracks as he tries to keep his own tears at bay.

Richie also hast himself to get to her, brushing away her tears as best he can, but new ones continue to leave wet rivers on her cheeks.

After consideration, Eddie says to Richie; ‘You need to go with her,’ his words lacking any really conviction.

Richie gazes up to him in surprise. ‘Eddie?’

‘I can’t be in there, in a hospital or ambulance, but I would feel so much better if you were with her.’ The trauma lingers around Eddie like a bad stench, and he hates himself for the fact that he can’t be with his daughter. He knows Richie will keep her safe though, so if he were to go with her, maybe the grip guilt has on him will loosen.

Richie says nothing and stares for just a split second, before one of the EMT’s says they need to hurry. Then he nods, climbing on board with Alexa, but pressing his lips against Eddie’s quickly before his does.

He’s trying to convey Eddie into believing everything will be okay, but Richie isn’t sure if he believes it himself.

They have to leave then, and Eddie stares as the ambulance disappears into the distance. When he can’t see it no longer, he allows himself five seconds, and he uses those five seconds to cry upon Mike’s sturdy statues the waterfalls flowing from his eyes like they’re a rives. He can sense the others coming closer, each laying a hand on a part of his body, their silent way of telling him they’re here for them.

He feels bad for making Richie having to be the one to hold it all together, since he can’t break down in front of Alexa, but Eddie honestly didn’t have any resolution left to sit in an ambulance.

When his five seconds are up, he begs someone to drive him to the hospital, ignoring his next door neighbor who comes to check up on the commotion that was happening.

He ends up driving with Stan and Patty, in the middle backseat, where he can feel their worried gazes on him. In his mind, he is trying to recall any information about what he had to go through with his arm, but all he really remembers is that he had to have surgery.

As predicted, that is the first thing Richie tells Eddie when he finally gets to the emergency room, Richie waiting near the entrance, his hands trembling when he reaches forward to pull Eddie against him in a tight hug.

‘She needs to have surgery Eds, you have to come quick. They’re about to put her under.’ Richie informs him when he pulls back, this time reaching for his hands and pulling him in the direction of the room Alexa is in. Eddie wants to say something to his friends, but he’s already whisked away, and he just figures he’ll tell them later.

Upon entering the room, Eddie can smell the disinfected in the room, the whole room is drenched in it, but he refuses to let it deter him, so he pulls through, pulling a chair to the side of the hospital bed, resting his hand on Alexa’s shoulder. Richie goes for her hand on her good arm, his thumb sweeping the back of her hand back and forth.

‘hey, honey, how are you?’

Alexa lets her head fall sideways, her eyes dropped with exhaustion, she hasn’t received any anesthetic, so Eddie assumes that it’s the adrenaline that has worked off.

‘I’m scared dad,’ she tells him truthfully, squeezing Richie’s hand tight while not looking him in the eyes.

‘It’s okay to be scared baby,’ Eddie soothes her, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. ‘I had to same thing happen to me when I was little.’

Her lips tug upwards in a faint smile. ‘I know, pops told me.’

‘It wasn’t that scary anymore. Not when getting into the hospital. I just fell right asleep, and when I woke up, the pain was dulled.’

‘I’m not in so much pain right now though, can I not avoid the surgery?’ Eddie’s heart breaks once again, and he wishes so bad he could heed his daughter from this, but it has to happen, there’s no other option.

‘That’s cause you’re on a lot op pain medication kiddo, but as soon as they’re worn off, you’ll feel it again.’  Richie heavily admits, the lines on his face have turned more prominent, the night taking ten years of their lives away from them.

‘Like I said, you’ll just go to sleep, and when you wake up, we’ll be here.’ Eddie tries to convince her one last time, and with a heaved sigh, she relents.

Just in time, for the nurse sticks her head through the door, her smile apologetic.

‘Alexa Tozier-Kaspbrak? I’m sorry, but we really have to get her upstairs now.

‘You’ll be fine bucko, We won’t be fare okay?’

‘And remember we love you okay?’

‘I know dad, Pops, I love you too.’

When they wheel Alexa away in her hospital bag, the other losers wave at her from behind the glass door, sticking their thumbs up in good luck, while Alexa waves at them as best she can.

‘She’ll be okay’, Richie insists as he pulls Eddie close to him by the waist, pressing his nose in his hair to comfort himself.

‘I really hope so Rich, I’m scared.’

‘Don’t be Eds, she’s your kid, she’s so strong, this is just a minor setback. I love okay, we’ll get through this together.’

‘I love you too.’

Later, when Alexa is back in her room, falling asleep on her own this time, and Eddie watches Richie’s lanky from twist in half to rest his head on the bed, the rest of his body in an uncomfortable hospital chair just to be close to their daughter, he thanks whoever is listening that he got this family; He would never trade them for anything in the world.

He’s mumbling to the both of them, a stupid story about Richie and his childhood, because Alexa had once told him she slept best with some background noise. Twirling the same piece of hair over and over again, he presses another kiss to her head, thankful that’s okay. 

He nearly thinks of his mother, and how much he would have loved to see her face if she ever saw him like this. Gay, married, with a child and in a hospital. But then he banishes her to the back of his mind. She is not worth any ounce of his thoughts. 

 Alexa shifts in her sleep, relaxing into the movements, and Eddie can’t do anything but mumble out in pure adoration; ‘I promise, I’ll never be like my mom, I love you and your pops too much for that.’ 

[thisweekingundamwing]

This Week in Gundam Wing June 28 - 4 July 2020

Here’s this week’s roundup!

Remember to give your content creators some love! And join in on the events at the bottom!

~Mod Hel PS. So, I’m really bad at checking my email... I really need to get better at it. Some of these (which I’m sure will be new to a lot of you) are from long before this last week... whoops.

Fanfiction/Snippets/AU Ideas:

@bobo-is-tha-bomb​

Five dates with Mister Handsome https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622383229580771328/five-dates-with-mister-handsome

1xReader (gender unspecified)

reader-insert, second person POV, fluff, romance

He was sinfully good looking and he had agreed to five dates with an idiotic drunk who claimed one single kiss was worth five dates. You couldn’t help but wonder why.

@coffeetailor​

Emergence (Ch. 11) https://archiveofourown.org/works/13322880/chapters/60710743

Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy

Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Quatre Raberba Winner, Trowa Barton, Chang Wufei, Sally Po

Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, borrowers fusion but don't call them borrowers, disturbing themes like people trafficking from the bad guys, Size Difference, Will probably be a series, alternate canon events, Macro/Micro

When the war ended, things went a little strange. First, Duo vanished after never having let them see him in person. Then, years later, a tiny race of people are discovered. And that's just the start of things.

Fun Curses with Catboys https://archiveofourown.org/works/25047898

Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell

Chang Wufei, Duo Maxwell

magic transformation, Size Difference, catboy, Anal Sex, Post-Canon, Magic, wufei's a wizard, thar be porn

When Wufei leaves the Preventers, Duo goes snooping and finds out some things about his favorite (crush) loner. Like his hobbies in gardening, rare book collecting, and… magic? Probably shouldn’t have touched that, Duo. Good thing it’s a fun curse, and there’s a sexy wizard around to help out.

@chronicwhimsy​

Strangers (Ch. 6) https://archiveofourown.org/works/24357013/chapters/60473569

Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell, Background Quatre x Relena, Background Heero x Trowa - Character

OC - Oliver McGann

Long Lost Twins, this was meant to be hijinks but then I got reminded these boys have Issues, Pining, Duo is a stressed-out jerk who needs a holiday, Post-EW, Frozen Teardrop can do one, sex in later chapters because this is me who are we kidding

If you said the word "brother" to Duo Maxwell, he'd think of the other pilots.

If you said, "no, your long-lost brother" to Duo Maxwell, he'd think of Solo and be very confused.

If you said, "no, your twin brother you were separated from at birth, and he's now working with the Preventers as a lawyer" to Duo Maxwell, he would go and punch his doppelganger.

Duo Maxwell isn't good at dealing with things, but unfortunately this particular thing isn't going to go away that easily.

@destinysblackrose​

It Takes a Legend... https://archiveofourown.org/works/25012021

Relena Peacecraft/Heero Yuy, Relena Peacecraft & Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell/Hilde Schbeiker

Heero Yuy, Relena Peacecraft, Trowa Barton, Duo Maxwell, Duo Maxwell Jr., Hilde Schbeiker, Chang Wufei

Angst, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Slice of Life, Duo's going to have his ribs broken, Gundam Wing children, #fatherhood, Fatherhood, Father's Day, Crass Humor, teenaged boy humor

“Listen, I can’t possibly imagine what it’s like to be you. You never had a childhood. And you never had a father—” 

“No,” Heero shook his head. “I didn’t. I trained to fight, to kill from…as far back as I can remember.” The visible side of his mouth, from Aidan’s vantage point, turned down.  

“It’s why,” he paused and picked up a wrench from the open drawer. “It’s why sometimes...I’m, I’m at a total loss…” He dropped the hand holding the wrench to his side. Aidan could see his knuckles change color where he throttled the metal implement.  

“Your mom is so much, better at these things… At being there for you.”

@doctormegalomania​

Introspective https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622202012283584512/introspective

Implied 1x2, implied 3x4, implied past 2xH, past 1xR

self-exploration of gender identity and sexuality, reference to past sexual situations (non-explicit), candid conversations

Heero gives some thought to his sexuality.

Your Body’s Poetry (Ch. 20) https://archiveofourown.org/works/20438891/chapters/60737623

Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei/Original Female Character(s), Relena Peacecraft & Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell/Original Male Character(s)

Characters: Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei, Sally Po, Relena Peacecraft, Lucrezia Noin, Zechs Merquise, Hilde Schbeiker

Past Relationship(s), Slice of Life, Post-Break Up, Slow Burn, Developing Relationship, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence

Long after the wars, long after peace is established the Gundam Pilots discover one immovable fact: Relationships are hard work.

@duointherain​

Beneath: All Those Sounds https://duointherain.tumblr.com/post/622765434690781184/beneath-all-those-sounds-11

Notes: The boys are 35. They are married and they live in Seattle. Heero is a physician and a research scientist. Duo is a stay at home dad and a best selling novelist. They have twins who are spending the holiday with their grandmother Maureen and their godmothers, Rey and Precious. 

It didn’t take much. Neither of them said anything. The fireworks exploded outside their house, somewhere down by the water, far enough away that it was just a soft little press against the windows, against their souls.

Left on Read https://duointherain.tumblr.com/post/622787629087440896/fic-left-on-read-1

Duo Maxwell had decided, several years before, that he didn’t much like Preventers. At the time, he hadn’t know what he did like either. The therapist that Quatre had talked him into seeing had told him this was normal. Trauma would leave a person with little self, especially if the trauma had happened early and consistently. He had said quiet loudly, that day that he had plenty of self, everyone thought so! He was loud and brash and brave and drank too much, and had more lovers than she’d probably had in her whole boring life

@lemontrash​

The Morning Brightens https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622390770875465728/the-morning-brightens

4x5

established relationship, coming out fic, fluff

After a night of not sleeping on it, Wufei discusses something important with Quatre.

@lifeaftermeteor​

Pride https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622300166716833793/pride

1x2

pride parade, slice of life, fluff, asexual duo

Duo has only recently come to terms with his asexuality. It took him a long time to understand it, and even longer to embrace it as inherently part of himself. To celebrate, Heero takes him out onto the streets for New York City’s Pride.

@relenaforpresident​

Just Love: Queerness in Gundam Wing https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622292634598293504/just-love-queerness-in-gundam-wing

No ships but reference to both 1xR and 1x2

non-fiction, personal essay, self-reflection, gender, queerness, fandom

A personal essay on how the Gundam Wing series and fandom community helped me change my personal beliefs on love and gender.

@simulacraryn​

Donguri https://archiveofourown.org/works/24733540

General Audiences

Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Heero Yuy, Odin Lowe

A short piece about Odin Lowe and his young protégé. This is an excerpt from a longer (discontinued) 2009 fic I once posted on ff.net ("Kaifuku"), but it can be read as a standalone piece.

Heero’s Inheritance https://archiveofourown.org/works/24658531

General Audiences

Heero Yuy, Odin Lowe

Illustrations, Headcanon

Just a short headcanon about Heero's past. Illustrated work.

TheManwell

A Season for Vengeance (Ch. 10) https://archiveofourown.org/works/22508074/chapters/53785717

Explicit

Trowa Barton/Duo Maxwell, Solo/Heero Yuy

Trowa Barton, Duo Maxwell, Catherine Bloom, Cathy's son (OC), Cathy's husband (OC), Heero Yuy, Zechs Merquise, Quinze (Gundam Wing), Solo (Gundam Wing), Nichol (Gundam Wing), Lucrezia Noin

dude in distress, Trowa for MVP, things that go boom, Backstory things, modern day AU, Sequel, alternating pov, Trowa POV, Duo POV

It's been over a year since Duo and Trowa escaped the pain and betrayal and danger of their pasts, went off the grid and started building a new life together. But when Duo's birthday comes and goes without a single obnoxious message from his older brother, they know something is wrong. It's time to break cover and check in. The only problem is that Duo's brother works for a powerful government agency, so making that call will put Duo and Trowa on their radar...

Fanart/Crafts/Photo Manips:

@antarespromise​

https://antarespromise.tumblr.com/post/622394387634257921

Quatre Raberba Winner, fanart

@bettertasting​

https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622198278449168385/title-proud-artist-cindy-bettertasting

Gboys Pride Banner, @wingqueero​, fanart

@bobo-is-tha-bomb​

https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622296415384764416/title-in-the-name-of-justice-and-love-artist

Pride Leo “In the name of Justice and Love”, @wingqueero​, gunpla

@coffeetailor​

https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622303966073683968/title-special-delivery-artist-coffee

Duo/WuFei, @wingqueero​, fanart

@daddywarbats​

https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622213395485229056/title-just-gals-being-pals-or-not-artist

Hilde/Relena, @wingqueero​, fanart

@deathscythehell​

https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622209566153818112/artist-tami-deathscythehell-description-one

Duo/Quatre (best dads), @wingqueero​, fanart (comic)

@deejayers​

https://deejayers.tumblr.com/post/622482172907077632/and-wing-is-complete-talk-about-a-monster-this

Wing, gunpla

@gundayum​

https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622439861179351040/hi-all-gundayum-here-im-gonna-try-and-not-make

Important Thank You, and some partied out WuFei, @wingqueero​, fanart

@gwfrozentears​

https://gwfrozentears.tumblr.com/post/622495742005772288/por-siempre-mi-pareja-favorita

Heero & Relena

https://gwfrozentears.tumblr.com/post/622493743305621504/he-comenzado-a-dibujar-nuevamente-inspirada-en-el

Heero

https://gwfrozentears.tumblr.com/post/622494840371970048

Heero

https://gwfrozentears.tumblr.com/post/622499630050066432

Heero

https://gwfrozentears.tumblr.com/post/622548456296300544

Heero

https://gwfrozentears.tumblr.com/post/622507185094721536

Heero/Relena

@lokineko​

https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622205797731123200/title-quiet-happiness-artist-lokineko

Trowa/Heero, @wingqueero​, fanart

lotopauanka

https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622288883271467008/title-just-married-artist-lotopauanka-social

Heero/Duo, @wingqueero, fanart

@oekakimemo​

https://oekakimemo.tumblr.com/post/622350648656134144/20200630-traditional-painting

Relena Darlian/Peacecraft, fanart

@page-of-wands11​

https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622379476560609280/title-colourful-kiss-artist-page-of-wands

Heero/Duo, @wingqueero, fanart

@seitou​

https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622394541550534656/title-pride-walk-artist-seitou-seitou-social

Pride Walk, @wingqueero, fanart

@tatakaumono​

https://tatakaumono.tumblr.com/post/621743027371819008/happy-24-day-pride-dont-tag-as

Quatre/Duo, fanart

@theboringbluecrayon​

https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/post/622387009366982656/title-family-pride-wip-artist-blue

Trowa/Quatre & Family, @wingqueero, fanart

Photosets/Gifsets/Screenshots/Manga Pages:

@bobo-is-tha-bomb​

https://bobo-is-tha-bomb.tumblr.com/post/622708372721025024/never-though-they-would-come-in-but-here-they

GW OST CDs, photo

https://bobo-is-tha-bomb.tumblr.com/post/622456639940919296/always-nice-when-the-mail-man-stops-by

gw artbooks, and other merch, photo

@cuteciboulette​

https://cuteciboulette.tumblr.com/post/622269950937186304/another-extract-from-the-cover-of-the

Heero/Duo, doujinshi “Toki no suna” by Sango Show cover

Fandom Discourse:

@2pcb has created a wonderful discord for gw artists who would like monthly prompts to get those creative juices flowing! DM them if you’d like to join!

@hanryuu would like to know whether anyone has translated the Blind Target drama cds. If you have any information on that we would be grateful!

Quotes:

@incorrectgundamwingquotes​

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/622379465062924288/duo-why-do-bigfoot-hunters-try-to-lure-him-with-a

Duo, Trowa, & WuFei

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/622560690151047168/wufei-we-can-talk-about-normality-until-the-cows

WuFei, Heero, Trowa, & Duo

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/622470062887075840/heero-run-thisdoesntbothermeexe-brain-file

Heero

Calendar Events:

@gwcocktailfriday​

Cocktail Fridays!

Post responses on Friday, during Happy Hour between 3 & 5 pm in your own timezone.

Here’s the prompt for Friday, July 10th! https://gwcocktailfriday.tumblr.com/post/622719166375493632/raspberry-mango-sangria-yield-1-pitcher-prep

In need of FALL/AUTUMN prompts!

@gwoc-october​

GW OC October 2020!

Help pick out prompts!

https://gwoc-october.tumblr.com/post/621130082429337600/hello-gundam-wing-folks-thats-right-gw-oc

@seasons-of-gundamwing

Voting Results: https://seasons-of-gundamwing.tumblr.com/post/622566396369485824/looks-like-well-be-doing-a-hilde-week-thanks-to

Summer of Hilde!

In need of prompts! https://seasons-of-gundamwing.tumblr.com/post/622567839387271168/summer-of-hilde-prompt-call

@wingqueero

Gundam Wing Pride Party 2020

Come check out all the amazing works! https://wingqueero.tumblr.com/

[johnboothus]

EOD Drinks With Garrett Oliver Brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery

In this special episode of “End Of Day Drinks,” VinePair’s editorial team is joined by Garrett Oliver, brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery. Oliver is a man who wears many fancy hats, but the past year has seen him stuck inside like the rest of us. This, he explains, led to the launch of the Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing & Distilling.

Oliver tells us how 2020 events sparked a realization that being Black and “seen” isn’t as good as actively bringing others into the fold. He sees formal education as the key to long-term careers for BIPOC in beer and spirits.

Listen online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the conversation here

Cat Wolinski: Hello, and welcome to VinePair’s “End of Day Drinks” Podcast. I am Cat Wolinski, VinePair’s senior editor, and I’m joined today by VinePair’s editorial team including Joanna Sciarrino, Katie Brown and Emma Cranston, and Elgin Nelson. Our guest today is Garrett Oliver, who many of us know as the brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery. He’s also the author of “The Brewmaster’s Table,” editor in chief of “The Oxford Companion to Beer,” a James Beard award winner, and lots of other things. Garrett, welcome to the show.

Garrett Oliver: Thanks for having me.

C: I really appreciate you calling in today. I know it’s not as fun as having you in the office over some beers or some cocktails, which I think you also tend to enjoy.

O: Hopefully pretty soon. I’m fully juiced up with Moderna. I’m so happy to actually see people again.

C: I am very excited for everybody who’s getting their shots, so congratulations! There are a lot of things that we would like to hear from you about today, from the Michael J. Jackson Foundation, the Museum of Food and Drink exhibition, and the Brooklyn Brewery, of course. The new beers, the continuing growth abroad, including in Chile. Now, what I really like to start with is: What does a day in the life of Garrett Oliver look like? How has your role as the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery changed over the course of the last year through the pandemic?

O: Well, I would say that thankfully, I have not been ill at all. I haven’t even had a common cold. Outside of that, my wife might have been more radically changed, I would say, than most people, because my normal year would have included about 10 countries and meeting thousands of people. It’s certainly bizarre to go from that to being stuck inside your own house. I was actually traveling so much that, even though I didn’t really complain about it, I actually wanted to spend more time at home. Watch out for what you wish for, because I got a lot more of it than I was bargaining for. I tried to, as everyone has, make the best of it, but it’s been a bizarre year.

C: Yeah, I was going to say I can’t imagine how a globe-trotting, dinner-party-hosting man of mystery like yourself has been operating in these circumstances. I know one of the big things that you were able to accomplish this year was launching the Michael J. Jackson Foundation, and you recently announced the first five award recipients. I would love to hear more about the foundation, how you created it, and how these scholarships will honor the legacy of your good friend.

O: Oh, well, thanks for that. I didn’t lose 10 pounds, I didn’t learn French or read the great book if I ever had the time. In the wake of the social movement that we saw last summer, these were plans that I already had. But with the globe-trotting part, came a difficulty in focusing on a task this large. It’s a strange thing. It gave me the opportunity to actually focus on the founding of the foundation. Now, what the Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling does is actually pretty simple. We provide funding. Let me go back, I will say we award scholarship awards for technical education in brewing and distilling. I was just being interviewed about this today by some folks from Brazil, and they were asking about what the American brewing industry looks like. Even though various racial groups that are not of European extraction are nearly half the country, they make up only a couple of percent altogether of people working in brewhouses and distilling houses. There are lots of historical reasons for this. People tend to think that this is because African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, and indigenous people are not really into craft beer, which is not true. This was something that people made up. Not true at all, number one. Number two, there are a number of reasons why this has happened. Many of us in the industry have actually participated in the perpetuation of this situation, even without intending to. I think what we’re doing with the foundation is simply moving one toggle. One of the barriers is that you need to either have experience, or you need to get an education, a technical education, if you want to work and have a future in brewing or distilling. Education is very expensive. It is worthwhile but very expensive. African-Americans, for example, have 10 percent of the family assets of European Americans in the United States. I want to repeat that. Ten percent. People find that difficult to believe but it’s true. I’m not talking about income. I’m talking about money that you might put your hands on to pay for something. Ten percent. So when you have a course that costs $10,000, $16,000, this becomes a nearly insurmountable barrier for the vast majority of people of color in the United States. You will also hear this barrier of wanting somebody with two or three years of experience. Well, where are you going to get those? If there’s nobody there, then nobody can have two to three years of experience. If you can’t afford the education, you can’t get there. This means perpetuating the situation essentially forever, so we’re looking to break that cycle.

C: Yes, and you’ve awarded some really interesting and inspiring individuals who you can talk more about, if you like.

O: They’re inspiring and amazing people. We are expecting that in future years, we’ll get to a point where we are going to be able to take people who don’t even have a foot in the door of the brewing industry or the distilling industry and bring them in at this early stage. We’re starting with people who have a foot in the door. Maybe they’re even doing well, but they don’t have a technical background that will give them a career. It’s similar to working in a kitchen. You can become a good cook in a kitchen being taught by the chef, by rote. If nobody ever took you through all the backgrounds of things and how to make all the foundational sauces, it is going to be hard for you to advance and become a great all-around chef. It’s possible to be a great cook without actually having the training to be a great chef. Now, it’s not the only way that you can become a great chef, professional training, but it is one path. It is the professional training path that we are facilitating for people.

Joanna Sciarrino: Hi, Garrett, this is Joanna. I was wondering what the process was like in finding these recipients?

O: First, we put it out, and we did it entirely over social media. They went out in two rounds, so when people got in touch with us, then they were let through a gate to a place where they could upload all sorts of stuff. We tried to lower the barriers so it wasn’t a complicated thing to do. People could upload videos that would then go into a file for us. We have nine board members. We actually spent hours and hours reviewing every one of 100 or so applicants that came in. It came down to about 14 finalists and we interviewed all of them. Then, there were just many hours of discussion before we arrived at five individuals. It’s also important, I think, to note that I hope I’m going to be able to live up to and we will be able to live up to this as an ambition. If people did not get this particular scholarship at this time, we don’t view that as the end of the process of trying to work with them. As I was saying, there are many paths. There are other scholarships. There are people we know who are offering internships. There are all sorts of things that are going on, and what we’re looking to do is to use the access and connections that we have to help out anybody who comes in front of us and is serious. Even if someone did not win the scholarship, that does not mean they won’t hear from me next week with three other opportunities that are not directly through the MJF. I regard the work that’s visible as being the 20 percent of the iceberg above the water in the cliché, and the 80 percent is below the water. The 80 percent is actually the bulk of the work which is not the part that people are donating money for, which is paying for technical education, but it’s at least as important. We have already, well before this, gotten people jobs where they have been offered equity as brewers in new breweries. That is at least as important as what we’re visibly doing.

C: Yeah, it seems there are more of these internship opportunities. We had Beer Kulture working with several organizations. We had Tiesha Cooke and the Bronx Brewery on the show recently with these technically focused training opportunities, which is certainly a barrier. It makes sense to me, too, coming from the Brooklyn Brewery, as a much larger organization and one that is focused on future thinking in terms of quality control and learning those basics. The rules that you can’t break and then the ones that you can, in order to become successful in these fields.

O: Yeah, and there are a lot of people who came up as I did the old-fashioned way. Some people start as the dishwasher or they are behind the bar or they get an opportunity to work in the brewhouse. They show some aptitude and work their way up but possibly when the time comes and someone says, “OK, I would like you to change the recipe so that it’s much more bitter, the color goes this way, and it’s slightly less sweet.” That person may or may not know what to do, because they’ve been taught how to brew, sure, but they haven’t been taught the underlying science. One way or another, you need to fill all that in if you’re actually going to have a career rather than a job. Jobs are great, but we are hoping to help people build careers, and the people to whom we’ve given these scholarship awards, we expect to see them in positions of influence where they are going to be able to hire other people. Eventually, I hope, we will see tasting rooms and taprooms that actually look like America. Because right now, we all know that they don’t. As I’ve said to many people, “OK, imagine this. If you are a person of European extraction, suppose you love natural wine and you’re really into it, or you love cocktails, craft beer, but every time you wanted to have these things in a public setting, everybody in there was Black. You were the only white person in the whole place, every time. How would that be for you?” If the answer to that is, “Oh, that would be fine,” one, you’re probably lying and two, you’re a bizarre person. No, it’s not normal. It doesn’t look normal, it doesn’t feel normal. That’s the world that people of color live in this country and in this business. When we walk in, we’re often the only one in the room, and it’s bizarre.

C: I am heavily nodding my head, but you can’t see me. Yes, that does sound super uncomfortable.

O: Yeah, when you reverse it, people say, “Ohhh.”

C: Exactly, then you notice.

O: Yes, you notice. If you’re white, you never noticed that there was only one Black person in the room. You’re there with your friends. You’re doing what you’re doing. Why would you notice that? It is the truth of what goes on, especially at the higher end of food and drink and whatever else in the United States. It’s not that people aren’t interested, it’s not that they don’t have the money, in many cases, to at least afford a beer in these places. It’s partially that there is this vibe being given off that you’re not welcome in here. Part of that vibe is not actually hiring anybody or having people in the business who might bring their friends and relatives to your business and spread the love of what’s supposed to be going on in the world of drinks.

C: I totally agree. It’s something I found really interesting with some of the biggest leaders around racial equity and equality in beer over the last year. We heard this with Marcus Baskerville from Weathered Souls around the “Black is Beautiful” campaign. You didn’t know you’d end up an activist. You start looking into your own experience and then realizing you have this role or job where you didn’t face that much adversity personally. Then, you realize there are so many reasons behind you being the only one there in that room. Is it accurate to say that you had a similar feeling around the time you launched the Michael J. Jackson Foundation?

O: Absolutely. I have to say that to a certain extent when people would talk about intersectionality, I didn’t really understand what it meant when I read the word, but I didn’t really understand a lot of parts of what it truly meant in real life. Look, there were times when I was poor, where they came and turned the lights and gas off. I mean, poor poor. But by and large, for most of my life, I grew up fairly middle class. Yes, I had teachers say and do racist things to me, but I grew up in the ‘60s. We powered our way through a lot of situations.

C: Wow. Did you grow up in New York?

O: Yes, I grew up in Queens, New York. Growing up, I had parents who really drove home the importance of education. I saw many people who were every bit as smart if not smarter than me, who had wonderful families that got shoved to the wayside by the tremendous drag forces of this society trying to put you down. Just because I managed to claw my way here is not in some way indicative. It’s like people saying “Oh, well, things have changed, Obama has been president for eight years.” Well, look around. That has not done anything for the average person walking up and down the street. It was awesome, but it hasn’t fundamentally changed people’s lives. I came to realize that representation was not simply being there and being visible. It’s great to be visible, but that does not mean that we’ve done anything for anybody.

C: You can still be doing very much and inspiring people. Obviously, you accomplished many things in your 27 or so years at the Brooklyn Brewery, but yes, it’s also looking at how you can bring more people in.

O: You get to a point where you have political and social capital of some sort. I watched, over the past year or so, people who have a voice out there, like Tom Colicchio, whom I’ve known for 25 years, speaking out on social issues. I would say to myself, “Well, if I have a platform and people are going to listen, then what are you going to do with it beyond being able to get yourself into reservations in places that are tough to get into?” The fact that the chef will take your phone call is awesome, but are you actually using that only for yourself, or are you going to do something for somebody? It became important to me over this last year that whatever position I might have achieved becomes meaningful beyond me. Michael Jackson, who we’re talking about — obviously, your listeners will know that we are not talking about the pop star. A lot of people don’t really realize at that point, years on from his prime, what a massive figure he was in food and drink in the 20th century. Craft beer as we know it worldwide almost certainly would not exist without his writings. He sold about 15 million books in 20 languages. Nobody came anywhere close to him. I don’t know whether the old wine writers of the day like Hugh Johnson ever sold that many books, but I doubt that they were that influential, but they were big names in their day. Michael was very distinctly and noticeably anti-racist, and he did things about it. Sometimes it shocked people, including in 1991 or 1992 when he almost single-handedly put me on a panel of six people to choose the Champion Beer of Britain. You had a bunch of people sitting there in that room in London, a room where no Black people had ever been, and you had a young Black guy from Queens. “Who is this guy and why should he be here to choose champion beer of Britain?” At the time, Michael was basically a deity. He would say, “Garrett is the guy.” It was things like that, the wind in my sail, that helped me get to where I am now. The American ideal of the self-made man is a truly corrosive and ugly thing. It is not true, it’s a lie. It’s always a lie. I think that we should be relying on one another because we have to.

Katie Brown: Garrett, this is Katie. I have a question that relates to this. I was wondering what you think that breweries and beer drinkers can do to follow in those footsteps and be anti-racist. This past year, there’s been a lot of beer collaborations and there have been ways to donate. What do you think are the most helpful ways and the best things that people are doing to help?

O: Well, I don’t know who it was that said it, somebody a lot smarter than me, but they were talking in this case about Black people. You can apply it to whatever group you want to try to bring some benefits to. What they said is, “OK, whatever it is that you’re doing, you feel like you’re doing, if Black people can’t use it to get a job, eat it, drink it, spend it, or live in it, then the person for whom you were doing this work is you.” When you think about that, you understand that things are not tangible. For example, the notion of “Oh, I became president, I did this. I did that.” Yes, I went to a couple of marches, too. I’m not saying people shouldn’t go to marches, but don’t fool yourself into believing that is direct action if nobody can do anything with it. Then, you are not bringing the benefit that you thought you were. When I went to approach this, I said what would be actually effective? What would actually change somebody’s life? What would actually put them in a position of power within this industry where they could affect change? The MJF has turned out to be very streamlined in its focus, and we are not at all saying that this is the only path. There are 20 different paths. We’re just choosing one because to say we’re going to do everything is, one, a function of the ego because you’re not going to save the world. You’re not going to do everything for everybody. Why don’t you just try to do one thing as well as you can? That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to mostly do this one thing as well as we can, and we think that it will make some difference. Then, you will have 20, 30, 50, or 100 other organizations who will make some difference, and together we’ll all get something done.

Elgin Nelson: Hi Garrett, this is Elgin. This is a perfect segue to what I wanted to touch on, which is mainly about the Museum of Food and Drink. For our listeners that are familiar, the museum uses exhibits to change the way people think about food and drink. I know the museum holds exhibits that highlight African-Americans in culinary, brewing, and distilling. Much to that effect of the National Museum of African American History and Culture that serves the same way with the Museum of Food and Drink. Can you speak on your experience and your role with that?

O: Well, it’s certainly been exciting preparing for that exhibit, which is called African American: Setting the Nation’s Table. We were just about to open that exhibit at the top of Central Park on Fifth Avenue and that’s when the pandemic struck. We had just about finished the exhibit when the pandemic prevented us from having our opening gala and then, of course, from opening the exhibition at all. Now, what the exhibition is about is the largely untold history of African-Americans and American food. People tend to think that, “OK, the African-American contribution to the American food world is in soul food and barbecue,” which is absolutely true. What people don’t know is that even haute cuisine was brought into the United States, practiced, taught, promulgated, and developed entirely by Black people. If people have this idea like, “Oh, some dude must have come over from France in 1790,” no, there was no French dude. It was James Hemings, who when he arrived back — still enslaved to Thomas Jefferson after Thomas Jefferson’s stint in Paris as our ambassador — he had been put through all the major kitchens of Paris and came back as by far the most accomplished chef in the United States. Then, he started to pass that down, and then it moved up through the hotel systems, which is where haute cuisine comes from in the United States, including the Grand Hotel, which basically had an all-Black staff. That input is something that came to us entirely through African-Americans, and we have been cut out of the story that we actually told. The same is true in brewing, where African- Americans did almost all the brewing in the United States up through the Civil War. Who do you think was actually brewing the beer? Every single African society in the South, East, or West, traditionally, is centered around brewing. Brewing is central to all African societies. Yet beer is seen as European. We have a partial history told in so many things. This is actually not only an inspirational but fascinating history, because people have been told that they were not part of and their families, were not part of something that they were, in fact, integral to. The Museum of Food and Drink did a great job telling the story of Chinese food in America, which is totally fascinating. That story was also tied up in racism, politics, etc. A lot of people had never heard of the Chinese Exclusion Act until they came to an exhibit that was ostensibly about Chinese food in America. Then, they were reading about how we ended up having Chinese food as a major American food to the extent that it is the most popular type of restaurant in the United States. People will look at it, and say, “Well, wait a minute, that’s interesting, how did that happen?” Somehow, Asians disappeared personally from this scene. You go back to the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s when you can start to hear about great chefs, and you don’t know any Chinese people. Almost nobody does. They became the top propagators in that type of restaurant in the United States, and nobody ever heard of them. That’s what America does. It wipes out a lot of people’s histories. Part of one of the many things the Museum of Food and Drink is doing is telling people the truth. That truth — which is often fun, interesting, sometimes disturbing, but always enlightening — about their food.

Emma Cranston: Hey, this is Emma. I just want to circle way back really quick and ask one last question for the listeners at home. Especially for those looking to learn about beer and brewing through the internships or programs you’ve discussed. I’m curious about how they can study up at home or outside of a brewery. I read that you’re the editor-in-chief of “The Oxford Companion to Beer,” so how can people harness that text, whether they’re beginners or pros at home? What role does the text play for both those who are essentially self-taught, as well as those who may be training to be cicerones? Also, how do you feel that text influences the larger beer world?

O: Well, thanks for the question. I’m certainly gratified by my first book, “The Brewmaster’s Table,” which came out in 2003. That book is still in print and sells more than it did 10 years ago. I think that speaks to the development of craft beer in the United States and people’s interest in it. The fact that what we used to call the gas station beer list, where they have had a few of the major brands, which you would see in top restaurants, is no longer the beer list you’re going to see. It may not be as developed as it should be, but you’re going to see some good stuff on almost every restaurant list which you didn’t use to see. Both of those books, “The Brewmaster’s Table” and “The Oxford Companion to Beer” are widely used, which is great. There are a number of other great books that are out there. We’re reading Randy Mosher’s “Tasting Beer” and a number of other ones. Cicerone is doing a great job of basic education all the way to advance education for people, especially those who are going to be on the serving side of the equation of beer, which is, frankly, where the rubber meets the road. Having young people in the restaurant and sommeliers as well, understanding the world of beer. I think these days people tend to think that a sommelier is a wine waiter. That’s not a sommelier. An actual sommelier is not a wine waiter. The sommelier is somebody who’s supposed to curate your experience of drink. That includes beer, wine, and cocktails. Real sommeliers like Roger Dagorn, who was at Chanterelle in those major years. Eric Asimov and I went there once about 15, 20 years ago, and Roger took us through the most amazing tasting of sakes. At the time, I didn’t really know anything about sake. I drank sake, but he was taking us through sweet, dark, and aged sakes. He knew all about these, plus he could talk his way around beer and knew his way around a cocktail. That’s a sommelier. You don’t see those as much as we used to. Juliette Pope was another one when she was at Gramercy Tavern. A real sommelier. I think that these books are helpful when it comes to building that culture back into the drinks culture. There are so many online resources as well. We’re just learning the basics at home. The great thing about beer is that, frankly, your entry level is about as easy as it possibly could be. You can have a good article, go to Whole Foods, spend $20, and get yourself a good beginning education in four, five, or six different beers, and understand style. The great thing about that is if you understand a little bit about beer, what it tastes like, what the various types are, and how you might want to do stuff with them and with food, your life will become slightly better every day for the rest of your life.

C: Oh, so true!

O: Isn’t that the best you can possibly do? There are many things in your life that are going to make things a little bit better everyday. You discover jazz, and your life becomes a little bit better every day for the rest of your life because now you discover jazz, whereas maybe a few weeks ago, you’d never really listen to jazz. Things are better. That is the critical thing that we’re able to do is learn something brand new. When I discovered fermented fish sauce and I really discovered how to use it at home and cooking, it changed my life.

K: It is such a game changer.

C: Oh, my gosh. All very true words.

O: Beer is the secret sauce.

C: Beer is a secret sauce to all things. That’s a really great way to end our conversation. Thank you, Garrett, so much for sharing these pearls of wisdom. I hope — and I know that the rest of the team hopes — that we can share a beer with you sometime in person soon.

O: Absolutely. Thanks for all the great work you guys are doing at VinePair. I’m reading your articles and stuff online all the time. It’s great to see people out there doing the work, because Lord knows, we need it.

C: Thank you so much. I really appreciate that.

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of “EOD Drinks.” If you’ve enjoyed this program, please leave us a rating or a review wherever you get your podcasts. It really helps other people discover the show. And tell your friends. We want as many people as possible listening to this amazing program.

And now for the credits. “End of Day Drinks” is recorded live in New York City at VinePair’s headquarters. And it is produced, edited, and engineered by VinePair tastings director, yes, he wears a lot of hats, Keith Beavers. I also want to give a special thanks to VinePair’s co-founder, Josh Malin, to the executive editor Joanna Sciarrino, to our senior editor, Cat Wolinski, senior staff writer Tim McKirdy, and our associate editor Katie Brown. And a special shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, VinePair’s art director who designed the sick logo for this program. The music for “End of Day Drinks” was produced, written, and recorded by Darby Cici. I’m VinePair co-founder Adam Teeter, and we’ll see you next week. Thanks a lot.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article EOD Drinks With Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/eod-drinks-garrett-oliver-brooklyn-brewery/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/eod-drinks-with-garrett-oliver-brewmaster-at-brooklyn-brewery

[plantvenuss]

Avengers XBlack!reader - Is snow supposed to do that?

[ CHRISTMAS EVE SPECIAL ]

[ If you’re interested in more of Plantvenuss’ Christmas Series, Click here ] 🍒!

Summary: It’s a calm christmas eve in the avengers compound, there’s no base to infiltrate, no mission reports and no briefings. Everything is going as smoothly as it can, the Avengers set up the christmas tree, play board games and even sing to some christmas songs that Steve and Bucky have no idea about. But what happens when the “snow” starts to pour?

-

“No, Idiot the star doesn’t go there.” 

“well where the hell does it go then? since you know everything.”

Sam sighed, yanking the the star from Bucky’s metal hand, he gave him a look of disgust. Bending his neck so he could look Bucky up and down intimidatingly.

“You haven’t been around for like 79 years, so yeah,” He paused, placing the Star at the top of the tree. He climbed down from the ladder, a smirk plastered on his face as he took a final look at the masterpiece he had created. He turned to bucky his joyful expression turning to that of a sour one, like Bucky had stabbed his family right in front of him. “I do know everything.”

Annoyed, Bucky slammed the ladder shut, the noise echoing throughout the room. He tucked the ladder under his armpit, making sure the ends of the ladder poked Sam in the stomach. 

He huffed, then walked away, storming to the storage room. Sam nodded in appreciation before turning to Wanda, who was sat on the carpet resting her elbow on the couch, engaging in deep conversation with Vision.

“Wanda?” He asked, she turned her head, her ginger hair flowing around her. It was her cue. She held up a finger, asking him to wait, he whined and she used her hands to push herself up after excusing herself.

“Alright, fine.” 

She moved her hands the way she always did when she was doing something special. Sam squealed beside her as she worked her magic. Using the fake snow tony had provided to create the Christmas look sam so desperately wanted this christmas.

As the scarlet aura died down from the tree, the faux snow settled, each branch lightly covered in white blankets.

“Will you leave me alone now?” She laughed from over her shoulder as she walked to Vision again, resuming the conversation.

And then you walked in to join the rest of them, with a tray of hot chocolate sat on your palm. Walking past to place the steaming cups of chocolate you glanced at the tree, A mischievous smile plastered across your lips.

“The tree looks like shit.” You slyly commented. Standing up after you bent down to place the drinks on the coffee table. Thankful murmurs buzzed around the room as everyone grabbed a cup. 

“Fuck off, (Y/N). The tree looks good and you know it.” He joked, placing his hands on his hips while he faced the tree, his back turned to you. You stood beside him, resting your palm on his shoulder and nodded.

“Yeah, not gonna lie it does look good.”

“I know.”

The music that was playing softly in the background slowly ceased, the noise of chatter replaced the sound of music and Tony stood in the center of the room, Pepper sat by his foot laying out what seemed to be Uno cards. 

“Game-time!” He announced, everyone groaned, the familiarity of the annual ‘Game-time’ dawning on everyone. No-one liked to loose and that’s why the Avengers worked so well together on the field. But when It came to competition the Avengers were sore looser’s. And everyone knew it was hard to compromise with sore looser’s.

“Let’s spice it up a bit.” Clint suggested as he took a seat beside Natasha, who’s eyes were already darting the room, looking for a victim she was going to target first.

“Okay, how?” Steve asked, taking a seat beside you, who was purposefully trying to get Natasha’s attention, you wanted a challenge, and a challenge you would get.

“Whoever wins get’s to choose a car from the garage to drive for a week.” Tony proclaimed. Grumbles subsided his suggestion, people started getting up, the idea of riding a fancy car not really intriguing them. His shoulders slumped and he thought harder.

“A month?” 

“A year?” 

He huffed out, reaching for the keys in his back pocket. He knew what they really wanted. It had been a topic since the beginning.

“Whoever wins gets to ride my private jet, anywhere. For a month.”

Suddenly people began sitting back down again, eagerly waiting for Pepper to hand out the Cars. Natasha’s eyes locked onto yours and you were finally, fully invested in the game.

“Now that’s what we’re talking about!”

-

None of them lasted very long. You had been so close to winning twice but every time you got close it’s like Natasha had a +4 card waiting for you.

The game was intense, right now it was You, Natasha and Bucky who surprisingly picked up the game very quickly, the three of you were reduced to three cards each, seeing as no-one else could win, the rest of them; very grumpily tapped out.

Natasha had a +4 card waiting for you, but you had two waiting for her.

Bucky put a number five, green down very slowly Natasha’s eyebrows quirked up, a settling smile forming on her lips.

Just as she was about to slam the +4 card clint yelled out, and everyone’s heads turned to his direction, he was facing the window the Snow pouring down from the nightsky. A christmas Miracle.

Except it wasn’t.

“Is snow supposed to do that?”

He asked, turning half of his body before facing the window again. The patter against the window becoming harsher. Everyone scurried behind him to see what kind of prank he could’ve been pulling, but he wasn’t lying.

The “Snow” was coming down as shards, very sharp shards that pushed through the ground and creating a crack through it, an eruption of screams filled the area.

“No. I don’t think it is.” Steve said, his authoritative captain America tone seeping through, your shoulders slumped and you tilted your head back, annoyed.

“Watch this man tell us to suit up.” you complained re-adjusting your head so you could see everyone scramble towards their closet.

“That wont be necessary.” Tony held up a hand, tapping on his watch making his A.I come to life.

“F.RI.D.A.Y? what’s the weather like outside?”

‘Clear skies, Boss. But there seems to be a sudden alter in altitude.’

Wanda’s eyebrows furrowed, she pushed past everyone and pressed her nose against the glass, looking down.

“So we’re going up?” Sam asked Tony and he nodded, lost for words.

“You’ve gotta be shittin’ me. We’re going up?” Clint sighed, “Just when I was going to retire again.”

“Cap?” Natasha asked, placing her cards face down “what do we do?”

The whole room turned to Steve, he looked down as the ground seemed to become thinner and thinner. 

“We find out what the hell is going on.” 

-

“So this is basically like Sokovia again?” you asked, adjusting your combat boots.

“Basically.” Tony confirmed, his Iron suit already on him. “Except this isn’t a whole city. It’s just the compound.”

“Weird.” Natasha said, going through the surveillance, to see who was behind this, but the feed was buzzed up and smashed to pieces. 

“And the longer we stay here,” Tony pointed at the floor of the briefing room, “The quicker we loose oxygen.” 

Steve nodded, facing you and Tony. “So let’s move out.”

-

You weren’t surprised at all when you saw Loki on the field of the compound. Waiting with his legs crossed.

At first you were all confused, you didn’t know who was behind this, didn’t know where to start, but when F.R.I.D.A.Y said there were heat signatures on the field, Steve sent You, Wanda, Thor, Hulk and Tony to go and see what it was about, while the rest waited to see if there was any back-up needed.

And there he was, sitting patiently. Staff sat beside his leg.

“Took you long enough.” He said, smiling and opening his eyes, rolling his shoulders back.

“Let’s end this madness, brother-” Thor began, trying to reason with his brother, but he was quickly cut off when you stood in front of him, placing your hand on his abdomen to push him back.

“Nah, nah nah fuck that, why the hell are we going up 80 miles per hour?”

“And why are we the only ones?” Tony added, his repulsor flickering with temptation.

“If you’d let me explain.” Loki stated, standing up and grabbing his staff swiftly.

“I have something planned for new york, again. And I don’t need you getting in the way. 2012 I was unprepared. I was a child.” 

“But now,” he continued. “Now I have my plan, now my plan will succeed, and the Avengers will be no more.”

“And what is your plan?” Wanda asked, clicking her fingers.

“I’m not falling for that again.” He smiled, the tip of his staff lighting up when Tony’s repulsors brightness increased.

“Well maybe, you’ll fall for this.”

-

You brought Loki back to the compound on his knees. Halfway through the fight; when he realized he couldn’t win. He yielded and offered to release the compound from it’s altitude.

Thor had made sure that Loki was locked away for good this time in Asgard and was under heavy surveillance every second of everyday.

You and Natasha stayed up playing uno until the morning rise, you both started to argue when you realized that both of you had fallen asleep mid-game and therefore did not know who the winner of the game was.

“Why don’t we just check the camera’s?” Bruce asked as you and Natasha glared at each other across the room.

The smirks grew on your faces and you locked eyes.

“Nah.” 

[fanficshiddles]

His ray of sunshine, Chapter 6

Keira was happy now she had a brand-new sketchbook. Whilst she had lost some of her older work, it wasn’t all bad. Considering there hadn’t been much and the only sketches she did have was from back in the city.

Now she could just start again with all the beautiful scenery there was out in the countryside.

Lucy was kept pretty much held up inside the cabin for the rest of the duration of her stay. She knew she had majorly messed up pushing Keira into the lake.

One dinner time, they were all eating down on the decking again. Apart from Lucy, who was still banished to the cabin. They took turns watching her, so it wasn’t just one member of the pack that was stuck with her all the time.

‘Just two more sleeps before you can claim Keira for your own.’ Michael said to Tom while they ate.

Tom nodded and looked over at Keira, she was sitting with Jeremy and Luke. Tom smiled fondly at her. He couldn’t wait to have her as his omega. To have her living in his cabin with him.

He watched her conversing with the other two Alphas, they made her laugh and Tom was totally hooked as he watched her. Her laugh was the most beautiful sound, so carefree and genuine. It didn’t seem like there was a bad bone in her body at all.

Luke and Jeremy started bickering with one another, making everyone laugh.

Aside from Ben, he had his eyes on Keira too. Tom wasn’t the only one watching her. And Idris noticed this.

‘Ben.’ He called to get the Alpha’s attention. Ben turned to face him. ‘It’s your turn to go and watch Lucy for a while.’

Ben did not look pleased at all, but he didn’t argue and went up to the spare cabin.

‘I wonder when he is going to challenge Tom.’ Michael asked the group.

Keira looked confused.

‘It’s no secret that Ben has his eyes on you, too. He can challenge Tom for you at any time.’ Tilda explained to her.

‘Oh.’ Keira said sadly and Tom caught her eye.

He smiled at her softly. ‘Don’t worry. Ben doesn’t stand a chance.’

‘Yeah, look at these guns!’ Luke rushed over to Tom and held his arm up, squeezing his bicep.

‘Get off!’ Tom pulled his arm away, chuckling slightly.

‘Tom is the strongest known Alpha in the country. Ben is foolish for even thinking about challenging him.’ Idris said.

Jessica returned and fell onto a seat with a sigh.

‘What’s wrong?’ Michael asked, putting his hand on her knee.

‘Lucy is… un-bearable.’

‘What is she doing now?’ Tom asked with a sigh, not entirely sure he wanted to know.

Lucy had been causing some trouble in the cabin. Constantly trying to get out, just making it difficult in general.

‘She tried to climb out the window in the bathroom. We need to put a bloody leash on her!’

Tom shook his head in despair. ‘The sooner Saturday comes around, the better.’

-

The following day, everyone could clearly smell a high level of testosterone coming from Ben’s cabin.

‘I think today is going to be the day.’ Jessica told Keira over breakfast.

Keira felt her stomach swirl in slight fear. She didn’t want Tom to get hurt, even though she knew that he was really strong. It was still worrying. What if Ben by some miracle actually won? The vibes she got from him, she really didn’t want to be his omega.

They’d not long finished breakfast when they heard Ben shouting from outside in the middle of the green. Going out to investigate, they saw Ben stood in the middle with his shirt off. He was shouting for Tom.

‘TOM! COME ON OUT HERE! I CHALLENGE YOU FOR LEADERSHIP AND OWNERSHIP OVER THE OMEGA!’ He shouted.

Everyone else emerged from their cabins first, aside from Lucy, and they all walked to the green, Keira wasn’t really sure what to do. So she stuck by Jessica and Tilda.

The pack gathered at the top of the green, on front of Tom’s cabin. Showing they were on his side, not Ben’s.

When the door to Tom’s cabin opened, Keira looked and gasped. He was topless too. Having heard the call from Ben, he was prepared.

Keira was really able to see just how strong he was. His clothing was rather deceptive. He had all the right muscles in all the right places. Her mouth was watering and her hormones ran into overdrive.

Tom walked down the steps towards them all. Keira copied the pack when they bowed their head in respect to their Alpha leader.

He walked down past them, eyes locked on Ben. He stopped a few metres away from him.

‘Are you sure you want to do this, Ben?’ Tom asked.

‘Yes. For leadership of the pack… and for the omega.’ He growled low, eyes looking over Tom’s shoulder at Keira.

Keira felt scared, really scared. She huddled in against Tilda’s side and Tilda slipped her arm around her for comfort.

Tom looked round slowly and looked at Keira, his heart melting upon seeing the worry. He then turned back to Ben.

‘Very well.’ Tom agreed, holding his head high.

‘Let’s get on with this.’ Ben snarled.

Tom took a deep breath, then he took a few steps closer. Ben did the same.

Idris went down and stood at their sides.

‘You both know the rules. Fight to the death, or until one surrenders. Whoever wins, shall win leadership of the pack and Keira, the omega.’ Idris announced loudly.

Tom and Ben both bowed their heads towards one another, signalling the understanding of a fair fight. Idris gave the signal and told them to start. He’d barely moved back out of the way when Ben ran in towards Tom, aiming a punch.

Tom ducked and swung his leg out, knocking Ben off his feet to the ground. He attempted to get up quick, but Tom punched him square in the jaw that knocked him down again. Then Tom pounced on top of Ben and grabbed his arm, twisting it behind him painfully.

Ben quickly shouted that he surrendered, knowing he had absolutely no chance at all. To the relief of the rest of the pack, who started cheering.

Keira was in utter shock at how quickly and easily Tom was able to take Ben down. She had been expecting some fight that was going to last ages.

The rest of the pack didn’t look even remotely surprised. All of them knowing that Ben didn’t stand a chance. Even though he had been trying to work out every day since Keira arrived, to prepare for the fight. But he didn’t have long enough, there was no way to get the body prepared in such a short amount of time.

Tom stood and it took a few minutes before Ben got up to his feet. He spat to the side, spitting blood. Then he wiped his mouth and glared at Tom.

‘You know the rules, Ben.’ Michael called out. ‘Get your things and get the hell outta here.’ He snarled.

Tom stayed silent, just staring back at Ben. Waiting in-case he decided to try and pull anything else as a surprise attack. Even though it wasn’t lawfully allowed. It wouldn’t be the first time Ben tried to do something illegal.

‘Oh, so we are abiding by the rules, are we?’ Ben sneered and looked over the pack.

‘Enough, Ben.’ Tom growled having a feeling he knew where this was going.

‘Why don’t we get the authorities here anyway, they can oversee another fight. And also investigate the little matter of unlawfulness happening in the pack while they are here.’ He said, looking at Jeremy and Luke with a wicked smirk.

Tom didn’t bat an eyelid, even if Jeremy and Luke did share a worried look.

‘Yeah? Go ahead and call them then. I am sure they would love to hear all about Chantelle.’

Ben’s eyes widened in surprise.

‘Yes, Ben. I know all about her. Did you really think I didn’t do a background check on you before allowing you to join my pack? I thought giving you a chance to redeem yourself was worth the risk… Evidently, I was wrong.’ Tom said with a clenched jaw.

The rest of the pack looked slightly confused, not knowing what he was on about. Apart from Michael, who knew exactly what Tom meant.

Ben glared at Tom and then the rest of the pack, who were obviously backing Tom one hundred percent.

‘Fine.’ He snarled and wiped his mouth, then he turned and went to go pack his things.

Keira was still in shock and complete confusion at what the hell had just happened. But also her body went into overdrive for want over Tom now. Two Alphas fighting for an omega often did that to the body, especially when she was already into the winner…

When Tom turned and walked to the rest of the pack, everyone started cheering.

‘Knew he wouldn’t stand a chance, mate.’ Michael chuckled and patted Tom on the back.

‘Still surprising how quickly you took him out, you’ve clearly been working out harder than ever!’ Jessica said.

‘It’s best to be prepared, always.’ Tom looked at Keira. He went over to her, and could sense her heartbeat racing. He could also smell the slight arousal pheromones coming from her.

He reached out and cupped her face, his thumb brushing across her bright red cheek.

‘One more night, little one.’ Tom smiled and Keira smiled brightly back at him.

Tom went back to his cabin to shower, the rest of the pack also went to do their own thing too.

‘What was that about, when Ben said about something illegal going on?’ Keira asked Jessica.

‘Nothing you need to worry about, I promise.’ Jessica assured her with a smile.

Keira nodded, not wanting to be nosey and push for more information. She trusted her new pack.

‘I don’t know what information Tom has on Ben though. But whatever it is, it must be serious if it was enough to make Ben back down the way he did.’ Jessica said. ‘Anyway, why don’t you get all your things packed so that you’re sorted for moving in with Tom tomorrow?’

‘Oh, yeah. I forgot about that!’ Keira rushed through to her room to pack everything.

She wasn’t really sure what to expect with moving in with Tom tomorrow. What it would be like being alone with him too… She had not really been alone with him yet as such, aside from the morning run they had once. But to be in his own personal space twenty-four seven with him.

It was going to be something else entirely.

[bettyannbutterworth]

Asleep - Chapter 5 (After the rain)

Tom finishes preparing two tea mugs of strong, milky tea and joins her at the table.  He smells like he had a shower as well, and he wears a very nice grey jumper with fresh dark jeans, not a tear or hole in sight.  The top could be cashmere, it looks very soft and warm. So does he.

[...]

“Yes, that was the goal.  To tire Toby out.  Let me put your things in the dryer.”

Alex holds her trousers, shirt, and smaller wet items to her chest.

“Just tell me where it is?”

She ignores his amused smile and follows the directions to the appliance, 30 minutes should do.

Returning to the living room she can hear soft music in the background, it sounds dramatic but pleasingly so.

“What’s that playing?”

“The score to a movie called Conquest of Paradise.”

“It’s nice.  I rarely go to the cinema and I don’t own a TV.  Does it bother you that I’m clueless to your… prominence?”

She is honestly curious.

Tom chuckles, “No, not at all.  Believe it or not, I like it…I’m enjoying it.  All too often, when I meet new people, the conversations center around my job, the perks, that kind of stuff.  I like that I can talk with you about anything but that.”

Alex sips her sweet tea and considers.

“My circle, which admittedly is not as exciting as yours must be, might be also rarified.  There are so few of us who specialize successfully, that one might consider me a celebrity of sorts.  Being the daughter of a world-renowned scholar, having extensively researched and published myself…” She laughs, “though to most people, it probably wouldn’t compare.  But I like that you share my passion about my field of interest and at the same time it’s refreshing to talk about other things, do other things.  Maybe even learn new things.” She looks over to the snoring Toby.

Both start to say something at the same time, Alex gestures for Tom to go ahead.

Tom pauses for a moment but Alex insists. She isn’t sure if she should really voice what’s in her head, the mood that has been created in the last hour and now by the homely setting, almost an intimacy, is unfamiliar to her, making her feel soft and vulnerable.

“Well, I was still wondering about the things you told me while we were walking.”

Tom waits, watches to see if she understands that he is not trying to pry, that it’s up to her whether to continue or stop.

“Yes?”

“After the loss of your mother, how long did you stay in France?”

“A little over a year. Grand-mère was 80 already at the time and her health was deteriorating and the doctors wanted her back at her home in London.  She said, ‘there is only so much that France can heal, some things simply need time and the love of a father’.’  And she was right.  Even though I was terribly sad to leave Severine, I missed my dad and home, so we returned.”

Tom would like to keep asking, to dig deeper, remembers that he had interrupted her.

“What did you want to say before?”

Alex is debating what to do but finally gives in to the urge to be candid with him. Also, she has the weird feeling Severine is standing behind her, nudging her on, giving her a thumbs up.

“I just thought. Well. We had mentioned our… occupation and the things that might come with it. I meant to add that I have to admit, it threw me a bit when I looked you up online.  Obviously, there’s the fact of your success, your,” Alex can’t think of a better phrase and makes a face, settling for “fame.  But what really surprised me, was how different you do look in person to me from some of those pictures. I know actors, the good ones anyways, are like chameleons, but honestly, even if I had seen you in a movie before you walked into the shop, I’m not sure I’d have recognized you.”

Tom snorts and shrugs his shoulders, “The short version is, I’m a lazy bastard.  Contact lenses dry my eyes, shaving is a hassle and to be honest it irritates my skin, so I only do it if I really have to. Make up obviously helps… does the hair bother you?” He jokingly strokes an imaginary Gandalf beard. “I’ll take it off immediately, just say the word!”

Alex laughs, “No, I quite like it, actually.”

She doesn’t add that it helps her to not get too distracted by his intelligent eyes, but it’s a close thing.

“Is that right?” Tom asks, as if hearing her thoughts and although she is aware that she might be crossing the line from innocent teasing, she feels compelled to speak about what's been on her mind since Wednesday, when the search engine had corrected her spelling of his last name and offered  ‘Results for Tom Hiddleston’.

“You must have thought me naïve, for not knowing who you are.  And I felt naïve, if not embarrassed later because I did what a person that loves reading as much as I do, should know better than to do – I judged the book by its cover.“

“You took one look at my hairy self and drew the conclusion I was a tortured, suffering artist? A poor scholar?” Tom raises his eyebrows jokingly.

“No. I mean, maybe, yes, a little. And just for the record I was fine, with you being any of these things. But I’m referring to later on, the moment I saw pictures of your... actor persona, the man in a £4000 suit. The award winner. Posing.” She presses her lips together for a moment. “I judged. And assumed.”

She tries to say it without bias, even smiling, and Tom interjects that not all the suits are that expensive and posing in them is, well, required, but she can see he understands that she is serious. She continues with a small voice and Tom has to lean in to hear her properly.

“You are obviously an attractive man, inside and out, but these pictures…Beauty, or what is perceived as beauty, can be a distraction.  It can be used as a cloak to hide behind and I admit, I was once deceived by it.  And hurt.  I take responsibility for my actions then; I wanted to believe that inner ugliness could not be hidden under outer elegance, that outer beauty must be a reflection of what is inside.”

Alex stares into her cup, apprehensive to look up at a silent Tom. She finishes her tea and her line of thought, “However, I learned, that it’s mostly a mask, a superficial disguise to hide something, and to tell you the truth, I thought, when I looked you up and found this other facet of you…that I had discovered yours.”

Tom remains still and when she finally gazes up at him, he gives her a tiny wistful smile.

“I’m afraid you have, Alex.  I am an actor and I have perfected so many disguises that I sometimes don’t know any more who the real me is.  People do judge books by their covers, and people in turn by their looks.  I would be lying if I didn’t admit to doing the same at times.  I too have my experiences with confusing perception versus reality.  Sometimes, Alex, I even encourage it, preferring to wear a mask – however, when I do, it’s not to hide what’s inside, but rather, to protect it.“

He takes a deep breath, “Your, as you call it, naivety is actually a superpower.  It made you immune to my deception, and I have to say I am grateful for the moment when you looked up at me with unclouded eyes and ordered me to leave my damn cup at the shelf.  You gave me the chance to be myself, and you have no idea what a joy that is.  As is finding out,” he smiles, “I like who I am when I’m with you.”

[inadaydream99]

Just friends, or maybe more? (Part 9)

Mind games

Ateez (all members) x reader

Fluff

———————————————————————

You wake up the next morning to your phone going off from multiple messages. Groaning in frustration you reach out to grab your phone from your bedside table and look to see what is happening.

Your phone lights up to reveal a spam load of messages from San and one from Seonghwa.

[7:02am from San] Good morning (Y/N)!

[7:03am from San] Are you awake?

[7:03am from San] I’m sorry if I have woken you up. I miss you!

[7:10am from San] Ok I guess you are still asleep.

[7:10am from San] phone me when you wake up!

You smile to yourself as you read through the messages, San’s clingyness making you feel warm inside. Before calling him you decide to read Seonghwa’s message.

[7:08am from Seonghwa] Hi, just wanted to tell you to be over for lunch, we are all going to spend the afternoon together before the end of the bet.

You quickly type a responce to Seonghwa to let him know you will be over and then press the call button to phone San.

He answers after the second ring and you chuckle under your breath at thinking he must have been waiting for your call.

“Someone’s finally awake. How did you sleep?” San sassily answers the phone.

“Hey! It’s only twentie past 7, you haven’t had to wait that long for me to reply. And I slept very well thank you.” You laugh back and shift around in bed to sit in a more comfortable position.

“You’re still in bed aren’t you?” San sassily remarks as he hears the duvet move around in the background.

“Nooooo.” You try to cover up the truth and San responds with a laugh.

“Anyway, I have some very important information to tell you.” San suddenly becomes serious and you hum to let him know you are listening.

“So I overheard Hongjoong and Yunho talking last night after you left about a plan they have to win the bet. I didn’t catch all of it but I heard something about tricking you into loosing.” San explains and you feel a lump form in your throat from nerves, a gasp leaving your lips in responce.

“So that’s why they were both so cocky yesterday! I knew something was off I just couldn’t put my finger on it.” You state in slight annoyance at not noticing sooner.

“Yeah, I could sense something was going on but I didnt click until I overheard their conversation. Which is why I have a plan, so when you come over later we’ll discuss it.” San informs you and you smile at knowing he is on your side.

“You’re gonna help me? But don’t you want to win with the guys?” You question in slight surprise.

“I’m always on your side cutie. And I’m also gonna get Mingi to help us out too.” San adds softly, you can practically hear his soppyness through the phone.

“Ok, well I’ve got to start getting ready. I’ll see you later.” You conclude before San says goodbye and you end the call.

You huff as you stay sat in bed for a minute thinking over all the information you have just found out. Today is going to be very interesting.

~~~~

The front door to the dorms swings open to reveal an excited looking Wooyoung.

“(Y/N)!” Wooyoung exclaims as he pulls you into a hug.

“Hey Woo, whats got you so excited?” You giggle as you are released from his hold.

“Can’t I just be excited to see my favourite person? Speaking of, I’m yours right?” You playfully roll your eyes at him but decide to humour him anyway.

“Uhuh, sure.” You say and pat his head affectionately before walking past him into the dorm.

As you enter the kitchen you find Jongho and Yeosang sitting at the table while a stressed looking Seonghwa rushes about preparing lunch.

“Hey guys. Seonghwa do you want any help?” You ask in slight concern at his flushed face.

“I’m actually almost done, but thank you for the offer.” Seonghwa reply’s quickly, his focus on the food never faltering.

Just as you are about to join Jongho and Yeosang at the table you are engulfed in a back hug, slightly making you jump.

“(Y/N), you’re here!” Mingi says happily and you giggle as he lets go of you and drags you by your arm out of the kitchen.

You are pulled into his bedroom where San is already sat on one of the beds waiting for you both.

Upon seeing you, San stands up and approaches you, his arms instantly landing on your waist as he greets you with a warm, affectionate smile.

“Hey.” He beams down at you. You stare back up at him, a soft “Hey” sounding back.

“Ugh. Can you guys stop being so mushy and focus.” Mingi whines as he falls back on his bed dramatically.

“Fine.” San rolls his eyes as he lets go of you and ushers you to sit down next to him.

“So what’s your plan?” You question as you look between both boys, devilish smirks on both of their faces at just the mention of revenge.

“Well, we thought it would be a good idea to beat them at their own game. In order to do this you need to figure out who they think your favourite is and then trick them.” San explains and you nod, multiple questions forming in your mind.

“But what if they are wrong in the first place?” You ask with a puzzled look as Mingi chuckles.

“Well I did some snooping around and found that they both think your favourite is either San or Jongho.” Mingi looks at you in amusement and you only blush in responce.

“Interesting.” You mumble feeling San’s gaze from your side, a deep red covering your cheeks.

“Awe look, (Y/N) is blushing.” San giggles as he takes your hand in his and intertwines your fingers.

“So how are we going to trick them then?” You finally meet San’s eyes.

“We have to make them think they are wrong. Which means mind games.” San clarifies.

“Well Seonghwa said that he thinks my favourite could be Mingi so maybe we could play on that?” You suggest thinking back on your coffee day with Seonghwa.

“Oh we are ahead of you already. This morning we put step one in action.” Mingi confidently informs to which you become confused at once again.

“We told the guys that we overheard you talking on the phone about the bet and that you know they will never guess it’s Mingi.” San fills in the gaps, sensing your confusion by Mingi’s lack of explaining.

“And that worked?” San nods with a chuckle at your surprise.

“Yeah, Hongjoong looked really confused. So now is time for step two of the plan.” San answeres you.

You feel a little nervous as to what you’re going to have to do, but you are putting all your trust in the hands of San and Mingi. You just hope it all pays off.

~~~~

After having a lovely meal prepared by Seonghwa you decide to get on with the next part of the plan.

Step two is about to begin, all you have to do is try and be convincing enough that Mingi is your favourite.

As you walk into the living room you spot Yunho slouched across the sofa intensely staring at his phone.

“Ready to loose tonight?” You put on a confident expression as you gain his attention.

“No, I’m pretty sure I know you’ll loose.” Yunho retorts with a sly smirk your way.

“I don’t think you really know. You see, my favourite isn’t as obvious as it seems. I mean, think about it. Do you really think I would get myself into this bet if I thought it would be easy to loose?” You sassily question as you stand up and leave the room before Yunho can speak.

Yunho looks a little stumped at your words, unvoiced questions floating around in his mind as you walk away. Now you have him exactly where you want him. You smile to yourself as you head to find San and Mingi. Ready to start the final step of the plan; the end of bet.

———————————————————————

A/N - Hey, I hope you enjoyed part 9! The reveal of the winner and who is (Y/N)’s favourite will be revealed in the final part! 😁