#When We Weren't Looking para

[jade-escobar]

When We Weren’t Looking | Para

Featuring: Jade Clark with mentions of @rodrigo-esc , Clover Wilson & Jeanette Shapiro Location: San Francisco, CA Time Frame: Sun. to Mon. April 23/24, 2023 Notes: Some Jadrigo cuteness! And Jeanette. 🙄

Jade had been her happiest she could recall feeling over the past month. Her professional and personal lives were both in marvelous places. Not only had Fresh Start Catering been thriving and nearing the debut of its food truck, but she had a solid, reliable and talented crew supporting her and the business. Adding to that, the pure bliss of her being in love for the first time and Jade was moving a bit lighter, smiling more genuinely and enjoying her days more.

When it came to her happiness and her being in love, it didn’t take long for her crew to pick up on it. She’d been a bit coy and evasive during the first week of their relationship. The next week, however, during Spring Break when Rodrigo spent the week at her apartment and the two of them had been texting each other often, her discretion had gone out of the window. Rodrigo’s visit toward the end of her work day on one of the days just added to it with Andrea giving a playfully sung, “Ooooooo” with the heart eyes the new couple was giving each other. Of course she was actually happy for the two of them.

With Hamilton now closed, Jade enjoyed the overnight stay at her boyfriend’s place. She hadn’t really been there before, but she knew from a previous photo in their texts that she loved Rodrigo’s bedroom. She’d talked to him some more about the many books he had shelved. At some point, she noticed a few cat accessories stored a little bit away with no cat, which led to a brief mention of Julia. Gleaning it was a bit of a sore subject, Jade moved away from it and asked him to show her the rest of his place within the home.

It’d been late by the time they were done walking around Rodrigo’s part of the home. They were both a bit wired from the show when they’d arrived, but both of them had to be up early and had to get ready for bed. Jade went through her nighttime routine and with her phone charging for the night on a portable power bank, she’d pulled up a playlist of some easygoing R&B and soul songs. Cuddled face-to-face in Rodrigo’s bed, she lightly traced her fingers along his hairline and the shell of his ear, all while sharing some tender pecks on the lips with him until sleep overtook affection.

-   -   -   -   -

By the next morning, Jade had quietly gotten up and ready for the day, trying not to wake Rodrigo. Her work days almost always started earlier than his. But she’d had herself fully dressed in her typical catering attire with her box braids pulled back in a low ponytail. Her make-up was done in natural tones across her face and a pale pink shade of gloss on her lips. Once she had her belongings collected in her bag, she bent over Rodrigo on his side of the bed and whispered, “I love you. I’ll call you later.” She kissed him on his temple and turned to go, only to gasp and feel herself being tugged backward by the hem of her jacket. Jade recovered from the surprise and let out a small squeal at Rodrigo’s arm snaking around her and pulling into the bed.

Jade laughed a bit when he lazily kissed at her cheek and neck. “I have to go to work!” she lightly whined, not even fighting him. In fact, she’d been grinning and let out a happy sigh at first, but eventually, after a few returned kisses that left some lip gloss-stained impressions on Rodrigo’s face, Jade had to insist that he let her get going. “I’ll see you later, sweetheart.” And with that, she’d left with  smile on her whole face.

Her work day ended up being busy, working with her crew on existing orders, taking in new ones, and scheduling interviews to hire two more employees for the addition of the food truck. She took a break to call Rodrigo during his prep period, keeping the call as brief as possible so not to disrupt his work day too much. At that time, she’d also made sure to drink plenty of water and consumed a granola bar and a small garden salad in the tiny office space where she handled the logistical side of the business. Towards the end of the day, Jade frosted and decorated a sheet cake for a company celebrating an employee’s retirement. She and Andrea were the last to leave for the day, locking up and bidding each other goodbye with promises to see the other the next day.

Upon arriving to her apartment complex, Jade brought her overnight bag and a brown paper bag with some extra pineapple coconut scones for Rodrigo and Clover. Before she reached the stairs leading to hers and Clover’s unit, however, she saw Rodrigo was there and her smile returned immediately. While she knew she would be seeing him after work, him being there ahead of her had been a pleasant surprise. And the fact that he’d been waiting outside of the complex told her that Clover wasn’t there to let him in. That, or he was simply waiting for her.

The butterflies started up inside of her again at the thought of the latter.

Jade walked right up to him, letting her tote bag drop to the ground as soon as they were in front of each other. As soon as Rodrigo bent to accommodate her petite height, she stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck--one hand still gripping the bag of scones. She kissed him full on the lips and then let him know that she had some leftovers for him and Clover. She’d started to reach for her tote that held her overnight items but Rodrigo picked it up before her and gave her an affectionate bop on her ass once she led the way up the stairs. Jade giggled a little and shook her head at him, all the while wondering how much she loved this man.

-   -   -   -    -

Throughout the entire exchange at the bottom landing of Jade and Clover’s apartment, it seemed that both Jade and Rodrigo were blissfully unaware that they were being watched. In fact, a few minutes prior to Jade’s arrival, Rodrigo was being watched but was of little concern until Jade showed up and walked right into his arms. It was at that point that several bells and alarms went off, photos were snapped from a distance, and a phone call was made.

“I didn’t really know what you were wanting me to watch for but did you know that she’s seeing someone now?”

On the other end of the line, there was a beat of silence, followed by the sharp, single response of Jeanette Shapiro reacting, “What!?”

“It’s unmistakable. She and this man had their arms around each other and were kissing each other. And then they went up to her apartment together.”

“Who is he?”

“I don’t know. He doesn’t look like anyone whom you or I would know. Jade certainly seems comfortable with him.”

Another beat of silence. This one seemed to stretch on longer than the last before Jeanette asked, “What, exactly, does he look like?”

“I’d say somewhere between five-ten and six feet, Latino, short black hair, close-trimmed facial hair. Ears stick out a little but not much. Not like Will Smith. I have a picture but I don’t think it would be enough to identify him.”

Jeanette remained silent for a little while longer, but it seemed that she was waiting to receive the photo. Once she spoke up again, her voice seemed tighter, icier. “I know exactly who it is. Who he is.”

“You do? Okay...so... do I need to do some digging on him or something? Do you want me to continue watching Jade’s apartment?”

“No, don’t waste your time. Now that I know who she’s seeing, I can take care of things from here. She will not embarrass me.”

[luveline]

If you have any interest, how about a Spencer blurb where he's off on a case and gets or misses a late night call from the reader and is super worried, only to call them back and find them drunk and missing him. And of course the team rags on him after.

thank u for ur request! fem!reader

Spencer looks down at his phone and goes ghostly white. 

"What?" Emily asks. "They had a sale at Waterstones and you missed it?" 

Spencer clicks a bunch of buttons on his phone and brings it to his ear, crushing limp hair to his neck. "Seventeen missed calls," he says. 

Derek comes to the rescue, though the lightness in his voice is slightly forced, "Don't panic, wonderboy. Who wouldn't be eager to talk to you at… two AM?" 

"Is that the time difference?" Emily asks, leaning forward in concern. 

Even Hotch puts down his pen. The team listens to the phone ring. It loops, loops, loops, and everybody breathes a sigh of relief when you finally answer. If something happened to you Spencer wouldn't survive it. Nor after everything he's already been through. 

"Hey?" he says. There's a gap of silence. "Y/N, are you there?" 

"Spencer!" 

Spencer turns away from the table they've congregated at and looks through the open window at the parking lot, police cars roaming in and out of spaces. "What's wrong?" 

"I miss you so much." 

Spencer's nose wrinkles of its own accord. "Yeah? You sound odd. Are you– are you drunk?" 

Derek laughs. Like marionettes held tight with strings suddenly cut, the team stop their stressing and send each other knowing, amused looks. 

"Just a little bit!" you promise, clearly lying. Your voice catches on the syllables like they're coated in sticky honey, the slightest slurring tripping you up at the end. "We went for– to Chilli's. I had a blooming onion and seven margaritas!" 

"I can tell." 

"I'm really sorry, Spence, I know I'm not s'posed to call when you're away," you begin. 

Spencer glances back. Rossi and JJ have returned with coffee and a late dinner, neither of them bothering to act as though they aren't listening to the conversation. 

"No," Spencer says, turning back around and hunching inward, "that's the opposite of what we talked about, isn't it? You can call whenever you want to, but I can't, you know, always answer. I thought something bad happened. Maybe next time you could text me?" Rather than call almost twenty times and give him a heart attack.

Laughter echoes from behind. They team act like a teasing family sometimes, Spencer their teenage son who's never dated. 

He would fluster if you weren't talking to him in loud but loving tones, "I can barely walk, texting wasn't happening. I'm para-spelgic." 

"You're not," he says, firmly at first. "Are you? Who's with you? Is Rebecca there?" Rebecca being your best friend. Spencer trusts her to take care of you.

"She was, but she said that I– uh… She said I talked about you too much and made her nauseous. I feel kinda sick, too, but I just needed to talk to you, Spence. I miss you. I miss you, are you home soon?" 

"Is Rebecca really not there?" he asks. He thinks about the room full of special agents he's standing in and drops his voice to a murmur. "I miss you too." 

"She's making toast or something." 

"That's good. It'll soak up the margaritas." 

"I don't want toast, I want you! Please come home safe, angel. I really wish you were here to do that thing with my ear." 

Spencer has to give in. You're speaking so loudly it's impossible the team hadn't heard it, but he can't find the will to be embarrassed any longer. You're drunk and ridiculous and all you can think about is him.

"I wish I was home, too. Do I need to worry about you? Make sure you're drinking water, okay? Alcohol makes you dehydrated, you'll get a bad headache." 

"It makes me miss you," you whine. 

He smiles fondly. "There's no cure for that." A door opens over the line. "Is that Rebecca?" 

"Yeah." Murmurings. "She says sorry for letting me get so drunk, but she didn't let me do anything. It's like you always say, Spence, I can do whatever I set my mind to." 

"And you set your mind to getting drunk at Chili's." 

"Exactly!" 

You talk a little more before he hangs up. He knows you're getting taken care of. 

A gaggle of smiling faces greet him as he turns around. "Everything okay, 'angel'?" Derek asks. 

Spencer puts his phone in his pocket. You'll text him in the morning with a hankering for Tylenol and sore eyes, but you'll be fine. "Everything's great." 

[dyns33]

Flufftober2024 - 1 Moon Knight

Heeeey ! I did my best (and I'm not done actually) to write a mini story per day until Halloween about my fav characters !

As also, it will be a longer story on Sundays. We are starting with dear Marc, Steven and Jake !

"No. Steven, I said no. Jake, stay out of it."

Y/N couldn't hear the debate that was going on between Marc and his two alters, but it was obvious that they didn't agree. She first imagined an important, dangerous mission that required a plan.

Until more details were revealed, which forced her to stop herself from snickering.

"We're not kids anymore, there's no way we're finding a disguise, and if I agreed to find a disguise, it wouldn't be a guy from Ancient Egypt."

"Oh, you don't agree on your choice of costume ?" she teased gently.

"There won't be a costume. Steven, no !"

"Let me guess. Mister Marc is an adult, with a soul as black as the coffee he drinks, allergic to fun and therefore refusing to celebrate Halloween. Steven wants to take advantage of the occasion to show his love of Egypt. And Jake doesn't care, but he wants to please Steven and annoy you, so he ganged up on you."

"Bingo…"

"Why don't you want to celebrate Halloween ? It's fun. And it will be mostly Steven, you can sleep while he struts around."

"I said no, it's no. It's for the kids, we have better things to do. Could you be on my side, please ?"

"Well, I could, but spending time with you, disguised too, is tempting."

"You often see us as Moon Knight, it will be the same."

Really, Y/N didn't understand why Marc was so stubborn about such an innocent subject. He often got angry when Steven, Jake or even her suggested that he change his habits.

Most of the time, Marc ended up giving in, because the requests weren't that bad. He was even happy with some changes, even if he was too proud to admit it. He also wanted to make sure that his alters were okay.

Jake didn't ask for much. Even wilder than Marc, he had lived in hiding for so many years that it seemed strange to him to ask for something, rather than taking it in secret. It annoyed the others a little, but since the protector would never put them in danger, they could trust him.

Steven had a lot of requests. Often adorable, easy to do, like having vegan options in the fridge or vanilla-scented shampoo. His happiness was a priority for the system. Sadly enough, Marc stepped aside to give him as much space as possible.

So for once he was giving his opinion, strictly refusing something, it seemed important. Even if it was about Halloween.

A party for kids, he had said. Kids.

As the argument continued, Marc growling at his reflection, Y/N came closer to hug him. That stopped him dead in his tracks, and probably his alters too.

"We won't celebrate Halloween if you don't want to."

"… Really ?"

"Yes. If you really don't want to. I understand."

As always when he received a little affection, Marc panicked, knowing very well what she meant, and immediately Steven took his place, a bit lost and disappointed that she was depriving him of his Halloween.

Even when Y/N offered to watch the movie he wanted, he continued to sulk.

She didn't know how to make him understand the heart of the problem. Luckily for her, Jake seemed to have caught on, catching Steven's attention, who relaxed a bit as he looked at the mirror.

"Oh. Is that why ? Marc, why didn't you say ? I didn't think it reminded you of… What ? There's no need to be rude, Jake. I may not speak Spanish, but I figured those were bad words."

"Jake, be nice to Steven."

"He said, 'Vale, cariño, pero sólo para ti, porque el pequeño Stevie es realmente estúpido en este momento'. No idea what that mea… Thanks for the translation, Marc."

"Is he feeling better ?"

"I think so, they're laughing at me together now."

"If we watch a horror movie, would that make you all happy ?"

"Hmm. Marc agrees. Jake says 'Stevie se va a asustar, pero me gusta la idea de que estés pegado a nosotros.'… Hey ! I'm not going to be scared of a movie !"

The question of disguise was then forgotten, because it wasn't that important after all. They were going to have a good time together, hugging each other in front of the television while eating chocolate, until Khonshu came to ruin this moment as always.

And then, Moon Knight would put on his ridiculous costume, like Marc had said.

[sanguineterrain]

it shall pass | miguel o'hara

Summary: Miguel isn’t alone, not anymore. Sometimes, he needs to be reminded of that.

Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x gn!reader (some Spanish endearments are female-gendered, but other than that, no gendered descriptions.)

Word count: 1k

Content desc: bathing together, Miguel has a tough day, insecurity, established relationship. Lots of fluff bc he deserves to be taken care of!!!!

A/N: hi guys! I’m back with more Miguel <3 as usual, it’s not anyone’s responsibility to correct my Spanish, but I always appreciate corrections, if offered. Also, I try to use Mexican slang only, since Miguel is Mexican, so if something is off with that, please feel free to let me know. 

Translations: 

Hola, cielito - hi, sweetheart

Mi amor - my love

Estoy sucio - I’m dirty.

Solo para que pueda sentirte - Just so I can feel you.

¿Puedes hacerlo frente a mí, por favor? - In front of me, please?

No es nada - It’s nothing.

Tonto - fool/idiot 

Yo no sería nada sin ti - I’m nothing without you.

Es verdad - it’s true.

If you enjoy, please let me know through comments/reblogs ♡

the divider

Even after eight months together, Miguel enters your apartment like a cat burglar. Like he should not be here. 

You'd told him, at first, to stop that and used the truth as your reason: because he didn't need to. This is your home, but it's his too, and it puts pins in your heart every time he comes in like he's doing something wrong. Like he's waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

Then you'd tried humor. You scare the soul out of me when you do that, Miguelito. Maybe we should put a bell around your neck.

It hadn't done anything. He still acts like he's not allowed to jingle his keys in the lock and leave his shoes by the door and help himself to your shampoo and orange juice. 

So when you hear his footsteps at the door and you can track him as he heads for the kitchen, you’re worried. You rarely hear him coming. Miguel always finds you immediately, even if you're a block from the house. You'd asked him once how he knows it's you; he told you it’s because you have a distinct step. 

You might find that a little unnerving if you weren't so damn enamored with him. 

"Miggy? That you, sweetheart?"

He appears like you've summoned him, hunching in the doorway of the kitchen. You turn from the chopping board with a smile. It dims as you take in his appearance. 

"Hey," you say, putting down the knife and walking to him. 

"Hola, cielito," he says quietly, gaze downcast. 

You reach your hands up and Miguel bows his head slightly so you can cup his face. Your thumbs brush over his smooth jaw, caressing up and down in a pattern. 

"What happened, mi amor?"

He shakes his head. Miguel isn’t small, but you learned early on that he holds the most weight in his eyes. Every shard of guilt, every worry, every fear, they all sit in those crimson eyes. 

“Just—” He clears his throat, swallows. “Just a hard day.”

He brushes your hips with the pads of his fingers. You make a small noise, encouraging him.

“Touch me,” you say. 

He opens his mouth and maybe it’s because you’ve known him for so long, but you hear the words before he dares to say them. I don’t deserve to.

“I want you to,” you say before he can speak. 

“The dinner…”

You shake your head. “Don’t worry about it, Mig. We can eat later.”

He’s still in his suit. You try to scan him for scratches or bruises, but the technology repairs itself, which makes it impossible for you to detect anything. 

“Estoy sucio,” he mumbles, still not touching you.

You think for a moment. Then you lace your hand with Miguel’s and tug him towards the bathroom. He follows, brow crooked in confusion but he trusts you. You know he does.

The bathtub had been a special installation. A treat, for you and Miguel. He doesn’t use it on his own; only at your prompting. But you’re glad for it anyway. 

You kneel and turn on the faucet, plugging the drain. You look up at Miguel, tilting your head at the tub. 

“What soap do you want?” you ask.

“The one you use,” he says.

You smile and take the honey and cloves bubble bath: one of the few things you allow yourself to indulge in. Miguel tightens his hands into fists. 

“Will you join me? Not—solo para que pueda sentirte,” he clarifies. 

You soften immeasurably, reaching to remove your shirt. 

“Yeah, baby,” you say quietly. “Of course I’ll join you.”

His hands relax. 

You stand to slip off your shorts. The tub fills quickly, and it’s only another minute before you have to turn it off. The water is foamy. Steam rises, and all the mirrors fog up. Miguel silently removes his suit. You watch his back muscles shift as he gracefully steps into the water. His shoulders are strung with tension. There’s a quickly fading bruise on his right shoulder and another on the side of his ribcage. You can’t do anything except let them heal.

“Want me to wash your hair?” you ask as he settles in the water, barely sloshing any.

“Okay,” he murmurs. 

You start to climb in behind him, equally bare, but Miguel stops you with a hand on your thigh. 

“¿Puedes hacerlo frente a mí, por favor?”

He looks up at you. A dark curl has fallen out of place, sitting over his eyebrow. It makes him look so young. He is young. You forget that sometimes. 

“Sure, honey,” you say, changing your position. “Sorry.” 

He shakes his head. “No es nada.”

You take the little cup you keep on the edge of the tub and scoop water. You shield Miguel’s eyes as you wet his hair, pushing the water back over his scalp. Then you take the shampoo, lathering some between your palms. Miguel bows his head forward so you can reach. His hands creep to your waist again, more solid in their hold this time. You can feel the blunt divots where his talons rest in his fingers. They trace tiny circles on your skin. He’s trying to ground himself.

“Do you remember when we first met?” you ask.

Miguel snorts. “How could I forget? I was such a tonto that day.”

“You were not!” you insist, smiling. 

“I was. I can’t believe you agreed to a date with me.”

“Well, I don’t know why that’s so hard to believe. I was very charmed by you, O’Hara. Still am.”

You fill the cup with water and cover Miguel’s eyes again as you rinse the shampoo out. You gently scrunch definition back into his waves. His hand slides up your back and Miguel pulls you into him, so your chest is against his. He rests his chin lightly on your shoulder. You wrap your arms around his neck in response. 

“I missed you,” he says into your skin.

“You saw me this morning, mi amor.”

“I know.”

Miguel is warm and all-encompassing. You lightly massage the base of his scalp, nose pressed to his hair. He smells like the both of you. 

“Yo no sería nada sin ti,” he says.

“That’s not true,” you say, squeezing his shoulder. “Not true, Miggy.”

“Es verdad. You make me better.”

“We make each other better,” you correct. “And I have a year and a half of proof.”

Miguel sighs and it sounds a little wet. You hug him tighter.

“I got you.”

The water turns cold. Neither of you feel it, wrapped in each other.

[reneesghostinthelivingroom]

eii, i LOVE your fics your writing is like SO GOOD.

Também tenho um pedido, vocês poderiam fazer um leitor Poly! Plastics X onde a leitora tem TDAH mas não faz nenhum tipo de tratamento porque os pais dela não levam o diagnóstico a sério então em algum momento ela começa a ficar sobrecarregada e brava consigo mesma por não conseguir se concentrar e por pensar demais então ela acaba se afastando um pouco da Plastics para não ser um fardo e isso fode um pouco a cabeça dela, nisso a Plastics vai percebendo aos poucos e correndo para fazer uma intervenção e ajudar a leitora.

Desculpe se fui muito específico, eu meio que me identifiquei e queria um pouco de conforto :/

Searching for Quiet

|| poly!plastics x fem!ADHD!reader

(i myself am poly)

|| Warnings; reader struggling with ADHD (descriptions of what she's going through), short drabble

|| Summary; when reader's ADHD becomes too much for her to manage on her own, she distances herself from the plastics. Not wanting to be a bother to them. The plastics don't let reader get away with that, though.

Requests open!

Started; september 24th

Finished; september 25th

~~~

The classroom felt overwhelming. Everyone was talking while they worked on their assignments. Everyone expect you. You couldn't focus on the paper in front of you. Your foot tapped impatiently, the noise around you feeling impossibly loud and overwhelming. Making your skin crawl. Even though in reality, it wasn't quite as loud as it felt. It was more of a casual buzz of conversations; but the way they mixed into each other and overlapped was not helping you.

As you continuously tapped your foot, you clicked your pen at the same rate. Usually repetitive motion of some kind helped your ADHD to focus on what you're doing and not the rest of the world. Today apparently wasn't the case. It was all too much.

Too loud.

Too crowded.

Regina, Gretchen, Karen and you all sat around the same four desks, you could hear your girlfriends talking with one another but couldn't pick up on what exactly they were saying. You did however focus on the gum in Regina's mouth, the tapping of Gretchen's nails on the desk, the subtle rocking Karen did in her chair.

You flinched as you thought of everything around you and that was your last straw. You needed to get out. Go somewhere quiet. Anywhere that wasn't here. Maybe under a staircase or the library if a class isn't in there.

Before you knew what you were even doing, you were out the door. The teacher had called your name but you didn't hear. Even if you had, it wouldn't have stopped youz

Taking off at a light jog through the halls, you rounded a few corners until you were at the library door.

You slowly opened the door and peeked your head in, only to find a class there so you closed the door again and headed to the nearest stairwell. The stairs were open underneath, so that's where you decided to hang out until you weren't overstimulated.

Settling down against the wall, you took a deep breath and sighed. Burying your face in your hands. You were there for maybe ten minutes before you felt a hand on your shoulder; causing you to flinch.

You were met with Gretchen's worried gaze," Y/N?" Her voice was soft as she sat with you and you relaxed a little in her presence," you okay, baby?"

You shook your head and leaned against her. You weren't as overwhelmed as before but you weren't 100% either.

"What's wrong?" Her voice was soft as she held you, trying to be as soothing as possible as the door to the stairwell opened. Regina and Karen ran over and relaxed when they saw you. Which made you confused so you looked to Gretchen for an explanation," we got worried when you ran out of class and searched the whole school for you."

"Do you need a hug?" Karen asked with a small smile, arms stretched out.

You couldn't help but smile as you nodded and stood, getting your hug from Karen who kept you close.

Regina stood off to the side, arms folded as she watched you and Karen while Gretchen stayed seated where she was.

"So. Gonna explain what all that was about?" Regina asked. Trying to seem annoyed to mask the worry she felt.

"I just- was overwhelmed by everything. I was frustrated and didn't want to worry you guys so I left." You explained in a mumble, burying your face into Karen's neck. You heard Regina sigh.

"That's stupid."

"Regina-!" Gretchen frowned.

"Ugh, not like that. I mean it's stupid you wouldn't just talk to us. We were right there. We could have helped."

You took in what she was saying. They could've, but there were so many things that held you back from asking for their help.

"It's just something to work on!" Karen said with a smile as her hands went to your shoulders, you looked into her eyes," right, baby?" She asked.

"Yeah... we- I'll work on it."

Gretchen got up and gave you a hug from behind while Karen wrapped her arms around you again. Then held her hand out to Regina, who rolled her eyes but came and joined the group hug.

Yeah. This helped. You made a mental note to try and start asking for help when you need it.

[atlafan]

You fucked up again. Just when Harry thinks you've learned from your mistakes, you go and do something ten times as devious. Which is why he's giving you that same glazed over look, the one where he's concocting severe punishments. It's not anger, it's almost exhaustion. It's giving, "how many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man" from Spongebob. But unlike last time when you accidentally pushed him too far, this was purposeful.

Harry has a grueling job. He works a lot of long hours, he has to deal with idiots all day long, and he cannot stand the other partners at his firm. You were his saving grace. You, who was working as a para-legal just to support yourself while you ran your online jewelry store, started assisting Harry. You'd pull the files he needed. You could type more than 100 words a minute. And you had been so innocent. Not naiive, not a prude, but you were blissfully ignorant, and Harry found that to be very cute. So, when you inevitably started hooking up after one too many long nights together, he opened your eyes to a whole new world of kinky sex. He was so serious about it, explaining that he needed someone to be rough and mean with, but also craving to take care of someone and spoil them with affection. And because he had made you come so hard you cried, you were hooked on him, so you went with it.

You've been together a year now, you live together, and you're thinking of maybe getting a dog soon. You don't report directly to Harry anymore, though. You assist another person in another department. It was the only way you two could date without it being a big deal for the firm.

Tonight is a big night. They're announcing the new junior partners, and since Harry is a senior partner, he gets to pin the two people he's been mentoring. He's actually pretty excited about it, or he was until he saw you step out of the bathroom and back into your shared walk-in closet. He's standing there, half dressed, frozen with fury as he watches you pick out which rings and bracelets you're planning to wear. You double take after seeing the look on his face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" You asked innocently.

"I told you not to wear that dress." He responded lowly.

"You asked me not to wear it, and I never agreed or disagreed. You can't tell me what I can and can't put on my body, Harry."

"You're making me sound controlling, that's not what this is about. You know you look stunning and sexy in that goddamn red dress, and you know it drives me insane because I know for a fact that you're not wearing anything underneath it. That's why I asked you not to wear it. I saw you eyeing it the other day, I should have known."

"I can't wear underwear with this, the fabric is too clingy and I hate having panty lines. It's just a dress. Show some self control."

And that's when the look changed. You swallowed hard and tried not to falter under his gaze. He slowly stalks toward you, still half naked, his abs and other chiseled features fully on display.

"I have plenty of self control." He said as he hooked his arm around your waist, pulling you into him. "And you know better than anyone else that I love showing you off and letting everyone around us know that you're mine and mine alone and that they'll never know you or have you the way that I do." He brings his fingers up to squish the sides of your cheeks. "You have plenty of other dresses. I'd like you to go put a different one, and save this one for my eyes only."

"No." You say through your puckered lips.

"No?"

"No."

"That's final answer?"

"It took me forty-five minutes to get ready, I'm not starting over. The hair and the makeup go with the dress. I'm not changing."

He looked you up and down, smirked, then let you go. You watched him carefully as he pulled his shirt and suit jacket on. You weren't sure what he was going to do, but you're standing your ground on this.

"Babe?" He calls to you from the bedroom, so you leave the closet with your ruby clutch in hand and meet him by his dresser.

"Do you need help with your tie, sweetheart?" You ask ignorantly.

"No, I'm not wearing a tie tonight. I'm doing the open button thing, but thank you for offering. Pull up the skirt of your dress for me."

You furrow your brows but does as he says. He gets down on one knee and starts kissing up your leg. He pulls something out of his jacket pocket and your stomach drops. He hears you gasp, and he looks up at you wickedly.

"I'm going to put this inside you."

"Harry, please, this is a work event, I can't have my come dripping down my legs."

"It won't be come because you won't be coming. I'm going to do as I please with this tonight." He turns the little egg-shaped vibrator on and holds his phone up next to it to pair to the Bluetooth. "Perfect. Alright, spread 'em." He looks up at you, his features turning softer. "Do you need your safe word? It's okay if you'd rather wait until we get home to be punished. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"No." You smile softly down at him, gently caressing his cheek. "I'm okay, daddy, go ahead."

He kisses the inside of your knee as he works the toy inside of you. He stands back up and taps one of the settings in the app to give you a test vibration to make sure it's working properly.

You're in for a long night.

What puzzled you most was that Harry hadn't done anything to you yet. He didn't turn the toy on in the car. And you've been at the party for an hour already, and he still hasn't done anything. The anticipation has been killing you. Maybe that was his plan all along. You see your boss and roll your eyes as he stuffs his face with shrimp from the raw bar. You hate him. Part of you wanted to wear your red dress tonight because you wanted to show that sweaty hog that he could look all he wanted, but he'd never be able to touch you.

It's when you're taking a sip of your martini while talking to some of the other paras that you feel the toy kick on. It's starts off with little pulsations, then moves along to steady vibrations. You pinch your thighs together as discretely as you can. You're starting to sweat, and you're starting to let little noises out. You're covering them with coughs and whatnot, but after ten minutes of this, you're starting to get uncomfortably wet. It's all so torturous because as good as it feels, you're not getting any external stimulation, which you need in order to come, so this is all just edging. And you love being edged, so even though it's torture, it's also the absolute best.

Harry knows this. He can see it on your face. You two lock eyes, and you pout at him, pleading. He can't resist you for long, not while you're wearing that dress. Before he can get to you, your boss approaches you, which makes Harry stop short. You had mentioned how he had been such a douchebag lately. He wants to watch the exchange.

"You look incredible." Your boss grinned.

"I know." You snap.

"What are you doing wearing a tight thing like that for? It leaves little to the imagination."

In your head, you don't see how that's true. It's a mermaid style halter with an open back, and the front is separated so you can just see the outline of of the inner parts of your breasts. But because it's a gown, there's an air of class to it. Your hair is up, plenty of pieces out in the front to frame your face. You look stunning. There are plenty of women at this party dressed similarly.

"Don't look at me too much, then." You respond after taking a careful sip of champagne. You're sweating while having that stupid toy inside you. You have to grit your teeth and pinch your nails into your palms to stay composed.

"I'm afraid that's impossible. I think you wore this to get my attention, not that you need help in that department."

"You're being inappropriate. I wore this for myself. I like the way I look in it. It's also one of Harry's favorites, so-"

"I can't believe you're still with that guy. He's like a lump on a log. He's only charismatic with his clients, you know?"

"We live together, so I'd like to think I know him pretty well."

"You deserve to be with someone that can make it so you never have to work another day in your life."

"I like working."

"No one likes working."

"I just said I like working."

"You like making jewelry. Wouldn't you rather do that full time?"

"I-" Your breath hitches when you feel the pulsations start to work in tandem with the vibrations. You're going to kill him.

"Are you feeling alright?" Your boss takes one of your hands, but before he can do anything else, Harry comes up and puts his arm around your waist.

"Bill, she really doesn't like it when you touch her. Look at her, she looks like she's going to be sick, so instead of continuing to make her more uncomfortable, why don't you just walk away. You get away with too many things here, but not for much longer."

"Is that a threat?"

"If you want to take it as one, be my guest." His grip on your hip tightens and you can't help but whimper. "Excuse us." Harry's hand moves to the small of your back to lead you out to the coat check room. He gets you in and locks the door behind you. "Are you alright?" He cups her jaw and looks you over."

"Yeah, th-thank you for getting me - shit - away from h-him." You grit your teeth and pinch your eyes closed, bracing your hands flat against Harry's chest. "Please, I can't...I can't take much more of this, it's been almost two hours."

"I know, and you've done so well for me. I'll turn it off and take it out if you tell me why you wore this even after I asked you not to. I know you can put whatever you want on your body. I just like it when you save certain things for me, for us."

"I hate my boss." You say, still bracing yourself against him. "He makes passes at me all the time. I just wanted to torture him a little, to let him know he'll never know what's underneath all this fabric."

"Sweet girl." He tilts your chin up so you'll look at him. "If Joe was being that big of a prick, why didn't you say something to me?"

"I don't want to run to you to fight all my battles for me. I need to be able to lean on myself."

"If he's sexually harassing you, then you should come to me so I can go with you to HR. You know they don't listen unless someone of higher rank complains. It's fucked up, but that's just how it is. I want the culture to change, but it's slow going."

"I know." You cry, almost feeling ready to drool from how worked up you are. "You're not one of the cogs in the machine, and that's one of the many things I love about you, Harry. I'm sorry I upset you by wearing this because I know you're only upset because you just want to rip it off with your teeth"

"That's right." He backs you up against the closest wall, not caring about any of the coats hanging up being knocked to the floor. He kisses you hard and hot, bending at the knee a bit to get a hand under your dress. He moans into your mouth as he slides his fingers through your folds. "You're soaked, beyond soaked."

"Please, daddy, please." You say breathlessly as he plays with you.

"You sound so good when you're begging. Keep going." He nips at your earlobe before licking and sucking at your neck.

"Please, take it out, daddy. Then you can fuck me in here and I'll do whatever you say."

"You'll need to be quiet. I'll have to stuff the toy into your mouth." He brushes your bottom lip with his thumb and you nod. "Need your safe word?"

"No, god no."

He smirks and pulls the toy out of you, pressing down on the button to turn it off. He whimpers when he feels so much of your slick drip out. He puts the toy inside his own mouth first, moaning at the taste of you, then he puts it into your mouth. He hikes your dress up and immediately gets his middle and ring fingers inside of you. You whine around the toy and clutch at the lapels of his jacket as he pumps his fingers in and out of you, beating into your g-spot. The heel of his palm works to ground down against your clit, making your head roll back. He sponges kisses to your throat as you tug at the hair on the back of his head. Your eyes burst open when you feel yourself start to get close. You're going to explode, and you're all of a sudden worried about ruining the jackets in this closet.

"Don't you dare hold back on me. Fuck the jackets, baby, make a mess." He growls, pounding into your harder.

You're moaning uncontrollably around the toy. You start gushing with his fingers still inside of you, and he doesn't let up. You're coming hard and it feels like it's going to be never ending. This is why you like being edged. You'll take a solid sixty-second orgasm over a ton of little quick ones. Harry slows down his pace, weaning you off of him, before taking his fingers all the way out. He sucks them into his mouth as he fixes your dress. He takes the toy out of your mouth and stuffs it into his jacket pocket while you take his fingers to lick and suck on.

"My good girl." He coos, caressing her cheek. "My good, fucking girl." He catches a glimpse of his watch and sucks his teeth. "Shit, we need to go back to the main room. The pinning is going to start soon."

"Okay, just, let me catch my breath." She says. "Daddy, is my makeup all fucked?"

"Only a little." He wipes under your eyes for you. "Still gorgeous as ever."

"Thank you." You wrap your arms around his neck and hug him tight. He holds you close, giving you gentle kisses and whispering sweet words into your ear. "Thank you." You whisper. "Can we go home after the pinning?" You ask as he opens the door and you walk out of the coat check room.

"Eager for daddy's cock?" He grins.

"Always."

[flwoie]

TABLE TENNIS — KIM DONGHYUN

☆ when vandalizing your seat by writing how you’re done with love creates more vandalism by a response the next day in blue sharpie.

STARRING ≻ schoolmate! leehan x gn! reader (guest star : danielle of nwjns) GENRE ≻ romcom small angst hs au heavily inspired by that one scene from ‘para sa hopeless romantic' (PLEASE U GUYS SHOULD WATCH IT, ITS SO GOOD) CONTAINS ≻ vandalism (duh) so many timestamps and im sorry abt it WORD COUNT ≻ 682 (not proofread im sorry i gave up on using grammar checkers)

🗯️ sona's back with the weird ass titles??? dont know a slick about bnd but here i am. hope you’ll like this anon 😊

You're done with love.

This is the fourth time you've gone on a date with some weird guy. They keep getting worse every time. Your first date couldn't stop talking and not letting you say a word, followed by your second one, who didn't want to pay for his food, and your third one, well, he couldn't stop calling you insecure—when you weren't. If your friend sets you up on another one, you might as well just go for the first one.

She shows you Instagram profiles of other boys who find you interesting—from what she's heard by others. You interrupt her and slightly push her phone away from your face.

"Y/N, trust me, they're not going to be as bad as the others!" She urges.

"You said that last time. I'm done, Danielle." You clicked on the top of your pen and started jotting words down on your wooden desk.

'I'M DONE WITH LOVE!'

You pointed out your writing on the table to Danielle, making her roll her eyes.

'Wow, emo. Are you heartbroken?'

Those were the words that were written below yours in blue sharpie when you walked into class the next day. You pulled out a pen and wrote down your response next to theirs.

'Not really. Men just irritate me. Speaking of which, are you a guy?'

Danielle walks in and sits next to you, observing that you're not only writing on your table but also smiling ear to ear.

"What's got you smiling now?"

"Look," you say, tapping on the ink engraved on the table, "someone replied to my vandal." She leans in to read your messages.

"Very modern," she sarcastically remarks. "Who knows, that could be the love of your life."

"You're crazy. What 'love of my life' are you talking about? We don't even know anything about them."

She nudges your arm after she puts her notebooks on her desk. "But, Y/N, admit it. You're excited," she teases.

Leehan eagerly walks into class as it is about to start and quickly sits down in his seat to look at your response. He grins and looks around to see if any of his classmates saw him.

He waited for everyone to leave after his class ended. His friend urges him to leave with him so they'll do their project, but all he replies is that he'll follow along. As his friend left, he popped off the cap of his sharpie and replied to your message.

'Not all men, I'm different from them.'

You looked at the message and started writing your response as you waited for your teacher to start class.

"What if we skipped our next class? So we can see who's answering your messages," Danielle suggests.

"No way. We're going to be absent from our next class just because you're curious about who's answering."

"Nuh uh, it's for love."

From there, your conversations continued, with more of yours and his other friends being invested in this so-called love series.

'So you're a guy. Well, I hope you're different from them.'

'Hah! I'm a good boy :)'

'Really now?'

Danielle grabs your pen right after you finish writing, continuing your message with her writing.

'Really now? Do you have a girlfriend?'

'Nope. I don't think anyone would want to date me. What about you?'

She squeals at his response, lightly pushing you back and forth. "He's single, Y/N, he's single!" You scoff and ignore her antics.

'Me neither. My friend won't stop setting me up on dates.'

Leehan hasn't replied to your message since. He's afraid that this might be his last chance at love. He's been rejected by so many girls, all for the same reason.

He just wasn't good enough.

You thought the conversation ended there. It's been days since you last wrote that, and the ink is starting to fade. Danielle lost hope as well until the end of the week.

'Maybe she can set us up together?'

"Hurry up and ask for his name. I might know him!" she exclaims as you quickly write an answer.

'I'd love that. I'm Y/N.'

'Leehan :)'

masterlist

[juneberrie]

SIEMPRE

leo valdez x fem!reader

author's note oh em gee u guys when i say i had an epiphany,,, i mean it!!! this fic better not flop jshjhs xo

word count 0.4k

warnings fem!reader, leo being smooth mf, spanish, petnames, mentions of forgetting a date & fights, like one swear?

ᥫ᭡ little romantic gestures ; helping you wear your necklace and kissing your neck softly

you came into bunker nine alone, but the mirror in leo's makeshift bedroom reflection held two people.

"corazón."

"leo," you said. you didn't take your eyes off of the charm on the necklace you were trying to put on. the clasp just wouldn't, well, clasp. you saw him reach up to the necklace and gently take it from your hands.

"im sorry, cariño," he whispered. as his hands worked the clasp onto the chain, his brown eyes met yours in the reflection. "i know you were looking forward to trying that new restaurant."

" 's fine, leo. you were busy." the last word came out harsher than you expected, and you saw leo's face fall ever so slightly. leo had promised to take you to dinner and a walk through the strawberry fields after, but he bailed because some ares campers needed him to fix their spears or whatever. the night had ended in an argument, when you, all dolled up and ready for your date, had barged into bunker nine to find leo in old sweatpants and a stained camp shirt, his face and hands covered in dust and grease.

"no, its not fine, amor". his head dipped into the crook of your neck and he started pressing kisses to your skin, working his way up to your jaw. the necklace was cold against your flushed skin. "i should have told them that their stupid spears to wait until tomorrow." his breath was hot against your ear when he whispered, "te quiero para mal o para bien. esperaría por siempre y para siempre."

since being with leo for almost a year, you've picked up some spanish. the words whirred through your (short-circuiting) mind for a few moments before you turn to him, lips almost touching, and say, "did you just quote taylor swift at me? in spanish?"

"maybe," he grinned. "did it work?"

"oh, you ass," you laughed, swatting him on the shoulder. his grin widened and he grabbed your waist, picking you up and spinning you around.

"no sabes que tanto te amo, quierida," he said, putting you down. "oh, and you look great in that dress," he added, winking and waggling his eyebrows.

you groaned and grabbed his wrist to check his watch; 8:46 pm.

"we're leaving in four minutes," you said, pointing a finger at your boyfriend's chest. "i'm going to put perfume on and then we can leave, okay?"

"okay," leo replied, stealing a kiss before gently pushing you towards his bathroom. at nine, you still hadn't come out. leo poked his head around the corner and saw you touching up your makeup and hair. "weren't we supposed to leave at nine?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"just wait!! i have this baby hair and its bugging me," you huffed, trying to pat the non-existent hair down.

leo smiled. "siempre." that was how long he'd wait for you.

[futurecorps3]

I saw your Hobie x latina going going to the club para perrear and I loved it😭🤞🏼😩

BUT

Imagine Hobie going to a cantina with a mexican reader and just drink and hear corridos tristes (el video del vato que dice "porque que te quiero" y le meten el micrófono a la boca😭💀) or rather going to a cantina goes to her house and her family is making carne asada and drinking beer and there's literally a band in the party (soy norteña perdoname😭) and he is like "this food is bussing bussing" because he is British and their food is just "no good💖". At first he is nervous like he doesn't know what to do and at the end he is somehow riding a horse or he is playing with the band, he just loves it, the vibe and the food

(Love how you write 😭💖)

Hobie Brown meeting latina!reader's family <3

Masterlist <3

Ay hermana, soy chilanga we don't have horses up in this bitch😭 I tried to make it more general like Bee meeting your tías and primos but def adding the whole carne asada deal. (For my non-mexican readers, we call people from the city "chilangos" and northern people "norteños" and while we're from the same country, our experiences can be very different!). Also, tysm my dear, hope u like<3

-First off

-Giggling and kicking my feet 🤭

-Bro was persistent in meeting your family, and while you weren't exactly reluctant, you did have to warn him

-"Why not!? I want to meet your uncle Luis or- or Saúl!" He exclaims, recalling the stories you've told about your family members. "I'm not saying no, mi amor. I-It's just-" "What?" He grins, knowing you don't really have a solid argument. He kisses your pout and walks over to your room to get ready as you sigh, defeated by your pretty once more.

-Of course you wanted Bee to meet your family! But we all know how it can get at those big family gathering.

-One thing was meeting your parents, (which went by spectacularly, by the way) but him hanging out with your older tíos and younger primos was a whole other deal

-They aren't bad people, you love them dearly. It was the soft (hard and relentless) teasing (borderline bullying) you were worried about.

-It was easy to understand their humor when you grew up with heavy jokes, but Hobie would be new to all this. Plus, he was the first official boyfriend you'd introduce to the family! They were protective and honestly not afraid to show it.

-"Buenas tardes, Hobie Brown. Mucho gusto" you say slowly as you're both on the way to your tío's house, he repeats after you with a horrible accent. "Roll your r's!" You giggle, looking at him intently while softly showing him how to pronounce.

-He's really trying for you bestie </3

-Yeah he went blank after your aunt opened the door and dismissed his polite handshake with a bone-crushing hug.

-"Ay mija! He's so tall, I can barely hug him right. Pásenle, pásenle, Luis is in the garden with the kids. Welcome Hobie!"

-Bee just smiles and it widens when a horde of kids comes running down the hall and bolt towards you, saying hello to their favorite aunt and the strange bato she brought along.

-"Tía Y/N/N who is this?" Luisa (the youngest) asks, eyeing Hobie up and down with the sass of an old lady, making him suppress a laugh "Es tu novio?" now questions one of the boys, looking up at him amazed. "Hello brats" he smirks, high-fiving each and every one of your nieces and nephews excitedly.

-"You didn't tell me you were a tía already..." "Some of them will be by the age of sixteen, so I'm no rare event."

-Hobie is hard to lose on a crowd; all spikes, leather, chunky boots, and piercings

-Your nephews are thrilled.

-Asking all around about what his pins mean, if he finds it hard to walk with those boots, if he's not too hot with his jacket... you know, the type of questions kids ask.

-You laugh at him, trying to answer one question at a time patiently, and walk over to the table outside where your tíos, tías, primos, primas, cuñadas and some sobrinos were.

-"Y el novio mija?" Asks one of your tíos, already in a deffensive tone "He's inside con los niños, tío. Ahorita viene" you smile and promptly, Hobie walks through the door after the kids.

-The smokey scent of the carne asada filled his nostrils as soon as he walked outside, widening his eyes at how good it smelled. You walk over to him, grabbing his arm and smiling widely at your family

-"Les presento a Hobie, mi novio" you beam and your tíos can tell he truly makes you happy. "Yo no te di permiso, Y/N" one of them jokes, making everyone laugh and Bee follows after you translate for him.

-And he didn't like it but he really cared about their opinions

-He didn't give a single fuck of what other people had to say, but this was your family!!! He knew he was close and for the first time, strived for perfection

-The next few minutes were him trying really hard to memorize all the names, having a hard time pronouncing your aunt Rocio and Rosa's names.

-Everyone laughed at his attempts

-You sit between everyone at the large table, one of your tíos approaching you as you're too busy catching up with one of your cousins. Bee squeezes your hand to catch your attention, but you don't turn back to look at him, instead just squeeze back.

-He nervously places his hand out, and contrary to before, your uncle welcomes it. "Buenas tardes, Hobie" (oubi😭con acento mexa) "Buenas tardes, señor". God, did he rehearse that on the way...

-Your uncle seemed to appreciate him at least trying to talk to him in your mother tongue. He gave him kind of a smile and asked "Wanna help me with the asador over there?"

-Oh this was a test

-"Sure thing" he nods confidently even though he's shitting himself at the moment

-When he saw the carne asada let me tell you

-His mouth watered, heart eyes all over and he swore he was about to do that floating thing he's seen spider pig do

-Your tío taught him how to turn the steaks at the right time, after some aceite jumped and burnt him a bit :( your uncle could tell he was trying hard so he took it easy on him

-Personally? You fell in love all over again when he contained his tears the best he could at the smell and spice of the chiles floating so close to his nose <3

-You slapped his ass playfully when serving the food and he just smirked as your uncle side eyed you HARD

-“Bloody hell this shit is fucking amazing babe!” He almost moans when he bites into the taco of asada you made for him

-Your family might or might not know english but they know how bad words sound lmao

-They couldn’t blame him tho, not after he proved to love asada as much as them with the eight tacos he ate ☹️💕

-Him playing with the babies of your family bro :(

-He's so good with kids too

-I'm talking playing with them, having full conversations no matter how silly they got, following their train of thought and even making sure they weren't up to some stupid shit

-Girl, if you don't rail him stupid after that-

-He got along with your older cousins too!!! After all, they shared a similar taste in music and films so there was plenty to talk about

-Your tías chismeando with you about how handsome he is

-Let’s wrap it up, I got carried away and this is too damn long 😭

-He’s talking to one of your tías when the banda arrived at around 9 p.m

-My man is so confused please help him

-His spidey sense went off before the whole fucking commotion started lmao

-When he realized it was a live group playing and singing traditional music he lost his shit

-Asked you all about it!!! “What is that piano thing!?”, “What is he singing about?”, “Can I learn how to play that?”<3

-Eventually (and with no alcohol needed since he refused to risk doing some stupid shit with your family) he ended up dancing with your tía, her patiently teaching him how to move

-He had a hard time with his big ass boots but somehow managed!!

-Hobie was so happy when you went home ☹️ almost asking when you could come back and if you could cook some carne asada the same way your uncle (his best friend, he called him) did

-“Yo te amo mi amor” He smiled big, kissing you softly before falling asleep “Thanks for letting me meet your family… meant a whole lot y’know?” “‘Course corazón, seeing you there with everyone filled my heart with a joy I have rarely experienced”

-And with that you fell asleep, Hobie dreamt of asada and banda<3

[pablitogavii]

Can you do one where the reader doesn't know any Spanish and Gavi is trying to teach her?? Like, I think he'd be very impatient at times but also very cute when she messes up and he corrects her 

Good Student

"Vivo cerca de la calle principal.." you read off the page to Pablo who nodded his head smiling at how cute you looked seeking his approval.

"Muy bien, linda. Let's try talking in Spanish now.." he said but you weren't sure if you could really keep up but didn't want to disappoint him so you nodded.

"Adónde quieres ir para nuestra cita?" Pablo said too fast and you gave him a pouty look which made him giggle and repeat much more slowly.

"Um..me gusta..un..restaurant?" you said completely forgetting the word and feeling bad about it but Pablo grabbed your hand kissing it lovingly.

"Un restaurante princesa" he said and you nodded chuckling that it was so similar and you still forgot it.

"Si..y tambien..la palícula?" you added and he nodded pulling you closer and nodding his head while kissing the top of yours.

"Que película te gustaría ver amor?" he said while your head was laid in his shoulder and he was playing with your hair gently.

"No sé..um..como se dice 'can you choose please'?" you say looking up at him and he thought it was the most adorable thing that you were asking him to teach you more.

"Puedes elegir por favor porque eres el mejor novio del mundo Pablo?" Pablo said smirking a little when you giggled knowing exactly what that last part meant.

"Eres el mejor?" you smirk and he nods his head proudly leaning down and kissing your lips passionately.

"We both know I'm the best princesa!" Pablo winked and you giggled into the kiss blushing a little when you felt his strong arms envelop your body and pull you closer.

"You're getting so strong Pablito" you touch his flexed biceps and he smirks feeling proud that all of his hard work is starting to show and that you liked it. Bulking not only made him feel stronger but also proud to be able to protect you from everything.

"How do you say strong en Español amorcito? Huh?" he said letting you touch his arms but you just couldn't get the word to come to your mind knowing that you've learned it a few days back.

"Um..I know it..it's right at the top of my tongue.." you tried really hard but couldn't remember looking up at him and shaking your head.

"Fuerte amor! I've taught you that yesterday! How did you forget?" he said and you nuzzle your face into his neck feeling bad that you didn't remember it thinking you disappointed him.

"I'm sorry Pablito.." you whine and he kissed the top of your head moving a little and placing his hand on your chin raising it up to look at him as he smiled.

"It's alright mi amor..learning a new language isn't easy and you're doing so well..you're such a good student" he said kissing your forehead and you smile.

"Mm maybe you can teach me something else mi novio fuerte..?" you smirk kissing his neck and he takes the hint chuckling and grabbing your thighs and making you straddle his lap while pulling you into the kiss.

"Mm maybe I could?" he smirked into the kiss standing up with your in his arms and walking towards your shared bedroom while you both giggled kissing.

[pablogavisgirl]

Broken Love

read part five ➸ here

"Te amo." Gavi blurrted out. (I love you.)

"Que?" (What?) You were well aware, of what he said. Two months ago you would have been over the moon to hear those words come out of his mouth, but now you felt nothing.

You felt numb, staring at his eyes. The same eyes that once gave you butterflies, now made you feel nothing.

"Te amo." (I love you.)

"Para." You said. (Stop.)

"No, Y/n, Te amo, y sí, me llevó mucho tiempo darme cuenta, pero cuando vi esas fotos tuyas y de Pedri-" (No, Y/n, I love you and it took me a long time to realize it, but when I saw the pictures of you and Pedri-)

"Que? ¿Qué fotos?" You asked.

"Las fotos de los dos en la playa". (The photos of you two on the beach) He replied, "No se mostró tu cara, pero vamos, hemos sido mejores amigos desde que nací, sé cómo te ves, sabía que eras tú cuando vi las fotos". (Your face wasn't shown but come on we've been best friends since birth I know what you look like I knew it was you when I saw the pictures.)

"Y joder, me dolió, porque te amo y siento haber tardado tanto en darme cuenta, pero.-" (And fuck, didnit hurt, because I love you and I'm sorry it took me so long to realize but-.)

"Pablo, Por favor, para". (Pablo please stop.) You whispered, "Si solo dices esto por celos, no es agradable". (If you're just saying this because you're jealous, its not nice.) you whispered.

"Lo digo porque es la verdad". (I'm saying this, because its the truth.) He said grabbing your hands guiding you inside your apartment, closing the door behind him.

"No." You choked out sinking into your couch. "No."

"Si, te amo, por favor mirame". He pulled you closer, trying to get you to look up at him.

"Estás siendo malo, Pablo, no juegas con los sentimientos de la gente". (You're being mean, stop Pablo, you don't play with people's feelings.)

"Dijiste que no me amaba, dijiste que solo somos amigos, dejaste de tratar de contactarme, te rendiste". (You said you didn't love me, you said we we're only friends, you stopped trying to reach me you gave up.)You began to ramble all your surpressed feelings coming out.

"Me di por vencido porque no estabas respondiendo a ninguna de mis llamadas o mensajes, no abriste la puerta cuando llamé, pero eso no significa que no te ame, nena por favor, dime que aun mi amas." He begged, his voice slightly cracking. ("I gave up because you weren't answering any of my calls or messages you didn't open the door when I knocked, but that doesn't mean I don't love you. Please tell me you still love me.)

"Pablo te tengo que decir algo..." (Pablo...i have to tell you something...)You whispered not daring to look at him in the eyes. You couldn't look at his face when you broke it to him.

"¡Chica, tienes que empezar a cerrar la puerta con llave! Nunca se sabe quién podría entrar, siento haber tardado tanto, ¡pero bueno, traje pizza!" Isabella's voice ringing throught the apartment. ("Girl you have to start locking your door! You never know who could come in, sorry I took so long but hey I brought pizza!")

"¡Chica! ¿Onta-" Isabella's words stopped as she entered the living room, staring at both you and Gavi.

"Oh, lo siento, no sabía que ibas a hablar con él hoy" She said, slowly backing away an awkward smile plastered on her face. (Oh i'm sorry I didn't known you were going to talk to him today.)

"¿Quieres la pizza?" (Do you want the Pizza?) She said trying to difuse the tension,

"Isa."

"¿Qué? Puedes cortar la tensión con un cuchillo, pero si no quieres la pizza, me la llevo" She laughed. (What? You can cut the tension with a knife, but if you don't want it I'll take it)

"Isabella." You said giving her a stern look, that now was not the time for jokes.

"Ok, vale, sé que cuando no me quieran me iré , y estoy cerrando tu puerta ya que me preocupo por ti y te amo y no quiero que te secuestren". She yelled from the hallway hearing the door click. (Ok ok I know when I'm not wanted I'll be going now, and I'm locking your door since I care about you and love you and don't want you to get kidnapped.)

Gavi laughed at you rolling your eyes, "¿Tenías que decirme algo?". (You had to tell me something?)

Your face dropped, "Si." (Yes)

You bit your tongue, how exactly were you supposed to tell your bestfriend that you're supposed to be in love with that you kiss his bestfriend twice?

"Tu silencio me está asustando." Pablo spoke. You looked into his eyes, they were so pure and innocent, you couldn't tell him, it would destroy him.

"Lo siento". You brought your head down to your hands. (I'm sorry.)

"Hice algo malo, no debería haber dejado que sucediera". You said not daring to come out of the comfort of your hands that were hiding you from his gaze. (I did something bad, I shouldn't have let it happen.)

"Joder Pablo, lo siento." (fuck Pablo I'm sorry.)

"Que paso nena?" He asked growing worried. (what happened?) "Háblame, sabes que puedes decirme cualquier cosa". (talk to me you know you can tell me anything)

"Me vas a odiar". You said bringing your head up to face him, light tears rolling down your cheeks. (You're going to hate me.)

"Nunca puedo odiarte". He said, wiping off your tears. (I could never hate you.)

You took deep breaths, trying to calm yourseld down. Why was this so hard to say? Why was this tearing you apart so much?

You looked into his eyes, his beautiful brown eyes. "Pedri y yo...nos hemos besado dos veces". (Pedri and I...we've kissed twice.) You closed your eyes, not daring to look at his.

He felt his heart drop. Maybe he heard you wrong?

"¿Qué dijiste?" He asked his voice trembling scared for your answer. You lifted your head up staring at him. (What did you say?)

"Pedri y yo nos besamos... dos veces." You repeated, this time he closed his eyes. Not daring to open them, he was scared that once he looked at you he would break.

The silence was eating you up, he just kept his eyes closed. His leg began to bounce from the nerves, the anxiety he was getting.

"Estás mintiendo". He mumbled, his voice cracking. His two bestfriends, the two people closest to him betrayed him.

But could he be mad at you? Of course not, he broke your heart, he denied your feelings, he broke you in any way shape or form.

And Pedri? He was there to fix what he broke. He put you back together, he was the light at the end of a dark tunnel for you. A dark tunnel that Gavi caused.

He was stupid, he truly was, if he would have realized sooner, if he would have realized sooner that he loved you this could have been avoided.

The heartbreak he put you through the heartbreak he's currently going through could have been avoided.

"Dijiste que me amabas." He choked out, staring at the wall. (You said you loved me.)

"Y lo hago, pero también me gusta Pedri" You admitted hesitant, "No era mi intención enamorarm de él, pero él estaba ahí para mí y.-" (And I do, but I like Pedri. It wasn't my intention to fall for him, he was just always there for me and-)

"Para. No quiero oír más". He was mad, mad at himself. He didn't want to hear how you fell for his bestfriend. And it was his fault that you did. (Stop. I don't want to hear anymore.)

He was to blame.

But he's just a dumb kid, an eighteen year old kid that doesn't know how to to cope with his feelings in the right way.

And now he was paying the consequences.

"Lo siento, de verdad." You sighed. His eyes never meeting yours, "Pablo te amo pero-" (I'm sorry, I really am. Pablo I love you but-)

"Si me hubieras amado, no lo habrías besado". He stood up, walking out of your apartment. The instant flashbacks of the last time he was at your apartment came rushing back. (If you loved me you wouldn't have kissed him.)

The hurt, the pain, the betrayal you felt, instead this time it wasn't you who was feeling it. It was him.

This time it was you feeling what he felt two months ago. Guilt.

Now you wish you would have kept the pizza Isabella bought to give you comfort right now.

Gavi was known for having a bad temper on the field, at training he was more on the calmer side.

But today the rage he felt on the field during a match was taking over him. Everytime he saw Pedri he clenched his jaw, bit his tounge, balled his fist up anything to prevent himself from exploding on him.

Pedri on the other hand was calm, he wasn't aware that Gavi knew. The fact that he could act like nothing happened between him and Y/n and still look Gavi in the eye and pretend to be his bestfriend was sickening.

Every chance he would get he would let his teenage hormones get the best of him and shove Pedri. Hard. Enough for him to realize something was wrong. But not enough for him to realize that Gavi knew.

They had split up into teams, about to play a mini scrimmage. Gavi and Pedri on opposing sides.

The match started off easy, Gavi using this as a way to distract himself to get his anger out.

Fútbol was Gavi's safe place, it made him feel happy, safe, and protected. It might sound dumb to an average person but this was his life. This is something he gets lost in so easily. It's an escape from reality, and that's exactly what he needed right now.

The peace didn't last long however, Pedri stole the ball from him, laughing while he was jogging away with it, "¡Vamos, hermano!". (Come on brother!)

That was what set him off, that was what brought the rage back. It was stupid but at the time it justified what he was feeling, betrayal.

He took off after Pedri, diving for the ball making Pedri loose his balance and go rolling over the field.

Pablo stared as the other players went to see if an aching Pedri was ok. He felt satisfied. He felt satisfied seeing his bestfriend clutch his ankle in pain.

He didn't feel sad, he didn't feel bad, he didn't feel remorse. He felt good, so good in fact he let out a laugh.

A limping Pedri, shooting his head to turn back when he heard the laugh. "¿Cuál es tu problema?" Pedri shouted, limping over. (Whats your problem?)

"Tu." He blurted out catching the attention of the players and coaches. (You.)

"Que?" Pedri laughed confused. (What?)

"Sé lo que hiciste". He raised his voice. (I know what you did.)

"¿Qué hice?" Pedri laughed confused. (What did I do?)

"No te actúes como un tonto, la besaste dos veces". He yelled in frustration, everytime he thought about his lips on yours it set a fire off on him.

"¿Cómo lo sabes?" Pedri asked his eyes going wide. (How do you know?)

¿Qué te parece? Ella me lo dijo. ¿Cómo pudiste hacerme esto?" Gavi stepped closer to Pedri. (How do you think? She told me. How could you do this to me?)

"No te hice nada. Te lo hiciste a ti mismo". He spat limping towards Gavi. "Le rompiste el corazón, ¿crees que se iba a sentar y esperarte? No, ella tiene derecho a seguir adelante." (I didn't do shit to you. You did it to yourself, You broke her heart, you think she was just going to sit and wait for you? No she has the right to move on)

"Pero, ¿por qué tenías que ser tú? ¿Por qué tuviste que besarla?" He yelled. ("But why did it have to be you? Why did you have to kiss her?")

"Ni siquiera me jodas, ella me devolvió el beso". Pedri said. Gavi and Pedri were face to face the anger being radiated off of them was crazy. (Don't even fucking she kissed me back.)

Gavi snapped, he grabbed Pedri by the collar, "Cállate, joder". His voice rose. (Shut the fuck up.)

¿Qué? Es verdad, hermano, y joder, le gustó, No me estaba deteniendo ni siquiera cuando empecé a besarle el cuello". Pedri laughed. (What? It's true brother, and fuck did she like it she wasn't stoping me even when i started kissing her neck.)

"¡Eres un hijo de puta!" (You son of a bitch!) Gavi screamed his anger taking over him, his fist collided with Pedri's face. Pedri stumbling back falling loosing his balance from his ankle being swollen.

Gavi being pulled away by Ferran and Ansu, he wasn't done he was no were near done. He wanted to beat the crap out of him, he wanted all his anger to unleash on him.

Gavi was being yelled at by Pedri profanities being heard, Xavi yelling at both of his star players threatening them that they won't be able to play if they keep acting liks this.

But Gavi didn't care, he felt good about punching Pedri, fucking his ankle up. He let out a smile anger seeping out of it.

He wasn't sorry. He was anything but sorry.

His friendship was already ruined, he couldn't care less.

[kairiscorner]

WE NEED MORE MIGUEL W FILIPINO READER HCS RAHHHHH🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭

SIYEMPRE FOR YOU ANONNNNN

miggy x filipino reader headcanons (in your tito/tita era with tito migil)

ok, but imagine, tito migil. (ay miguel)

HE WOULDN'T BE LIKE TITO PETER AND SPOIL THE KIDS, instead he's the guy you half-trust, half-really don't trust with kids for two reasons: 1) he's scary, 2) he's strict.

i like to think that you and him, as magjowa or a married couple, you'd be more of the sweeter, more open and nice tito/tita, and he's the scary/intimidating one who you don't wanna approach at first 😭😭😭

tbh miguel isn't an irrationally angry tito, he's just... masunget most of the time :> HE'S PISSED OFF WHEN KIDS DON'T LISTEN AT FIRST KASI, ayaw niya ng paulit-ulit ok 😶‍🌫️

but...... you're the counter to his kasungitan with your patience and love, kahit masungit ka rin, YOU ARE LESS MASUNGIT THAN THIS MAN OK

if his pamangkin wanted to ask him to take them to jollibee or buy them ice cream or wtvr, at first, he'd be like, "who do you think i am? sino ako sa tingin mo !!!!!" HE MEANS IT IN A NICER WAY, I SWEAR, AYAW NIYANG UMIYAK YUNG BATA

pero if the kid cries, miguel would, reluctantly, do whatever the kid wanted without question, para lang wag nang umiyak AAAAA tas he'd get a little more fatherly and open around the kid when they say "salamat po tito !" for doing what they wanted and giving them what they wanted :DD

LIKE BRO,,, IF THE KID ACCIDENTALLY CALLED HIM "PA", HE'D DIE INSIDE AND NEVER WANNA LEAVE THE KID. he'd want to play with them, take them to the mall, go to the park with them, treat them to dinner, buy them toys and carry them when they fall asleep in the car and admire how cute his pamangkin looks 😭😭😭

he'd have mixed reactions at the kid calling him "pa" though, like if the kid's parents were around, he'd laugh awkwardly and correct them. kaso if they weren't... no harm in indulging diba? :>

HE'D READ THE KIDS FABLES TO GET THEM TO SLEEP, AND WHEN HE GETS SLEEPY HE STARTS MUTTERING IN SPANISH AND THE KID LAYS ON HIS CHEST WHILE HE SLEEPS AND YOU HAVE TO SCOOP THE KID OFF HIM WHILE HE DOZES OFF

OH AND the kids always turn to you for spoiling when you're around, and miguel is always the mediator 😭😭😭like if he knows the kids' demands are getting out of hand, he'll use his iron fist and say straight up "no, uuwi na tayo."

HE'S THE TYPE TO SAY, "AH, LALABAN KA HA?"

but if he makes the kid cry he folds and gives the kid what they want anyway (again)

MAGALING SIYA SA PAGLAMBING NG BABIES.

HE CAN MAKE BABIES SLEEP AS HE CRADLES THEM CLOSE, HE HUMS THEM LULLABIES, HE LETS THEM DROOL OVER HIS CHEST OR SHOULDER WHILE HE CARRIES THEM AND TELLS THEM TO HAVE SWEET DREAMS AS HE KISSES THE SIDE OF THEIR HEAD OR FOREHEAD AND SITS NEXT TO THE CRADLE AND WATCHES THEM UNTIL THEY FALL ASLEEP OR HE FALLS ASLEEP.

a/n: i want tito miggy, i am your tita kairi <33

tags !! @binibinileonara (time to worsen your brain rot.)

[redcreekfm]

[ 🕵️‍♂️ 𝑹𝑬𝑫𝑪𝑹𝑬𝑬𝑲𝑭𝑴'𝑺 𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐊 𝟎𝟏 : are you guilty or innocent ? ]

        𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐊 who are intimately familiar with the sheriff's department and its dingy fluorescent lights ( perpetually flickering , no matter how many times bulbs are changed ) , the shitty automatic coffee machine in the waiting room you only make the mistake of drinking once , the cool metal of the interrogation chairs that leave your back aching for days to come after sitting in them for too long , and the buzzing silence only ever interrupted by the rare phone call ( but more likely the hoarse cough of a deputy , no doubt a product of the ever freezing temperatures the building is kept at ) . and then there are those who can't remember ever stepping foot inside and padding down the worn linoleum floors , past the bulletin board that once only displayed posters for lost pets and community grievances about stolen car parts or broken fences ( the very same board now plastered with the familiar smile of daniela estrada , her image one locals have learned to avoid eye contact with as the months drag on ) , and into the almost comically tiny interrogation room that looks straight out of a depressing movie set . whichever category they find themselves in , all of red creek can agree the underfunded department doesn't exactly incite hope at first glance ...

in relation to the events that transpired on halloween night , residents taylan yalçınkaya ( @ofvolatile ) , juniper ridley liao ( @bittenmoths ) , angela estrada ( @enternights ) , azizi badr ( @desbvndar ) , vikram shah ( @brntout ) , kieran talbot ( @gorebound ) , and emilia sanchez ( @ofmighty ) have been asked to come in for further police questioning . the following interviews were conducted at the red creek sheriff's department between the dates of november 1st , 2024 to november 3rd , 2024 . all interviews were recorded and later transcribed using the tapes provided by the sheriff's department on november 5th , 2024 .

              𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 …

can you state your full name and age , please ?

are you aware of why you're here today ?

when was the last time you saw or spoke to alaina price ?

what was your relationship with the victim ?

were you aware of anyone who would want to hurt the victim ?

can you describe your whereabouts on the night of october 31st , 2024 ?

is there anyone who can corroborate this ?

did you see and or hear anything unusual on the night of october 31st , 2024 ?

              𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 …

this is our FIRST MINI TASK for those muses involved in suspicious scenarios on halloween night , or those with noteworthy relationships to red creek's latest victim , alaina price . note that this is only the first round of police interviews that will be conducted as our plot progresses , and eventually all muses will find themselves being questioned by our sheriff's department as we move forward , so please don't feel left out if you weren't selected . this task is completely optional , although we highly encourage you to participate ! you may answer the questions in any format you want , whether it be purely dialogue responses , or in more of a para form . we encourage you guys to get creative , weave in as many ( or as little ) of other muses as you want in your responses , and be as honest or serious as you think your muses would be . have fun with it , and don't forget to tag your posts with redcreek.task so we can keep track !

[gemsofgreece]

So when i look on viewership numbers on Greek series especially from afternoon till late night i see the majority of them being roughly 16-19%

That means 1,6 million out of 10 million Greeks watch series in that time.

But Para Pente when the last episode aired it had an estimated 66% which translates to 6,6 million! Greeks saw it! That's an astonishing number that comes once in a blue moon.

My main issue is that greek productions don't let good quality tv being aired to the point people stick to see foreign countries instead which is a shame

I think it has to do with the 20 years gap too though. Para Pente aired in 2005, a time were the international OTT platforms weren't a thing and even internationally popular shows had not yet become huge productions like proper movies (basically Game of Thrones started this in 2011), so there was nothing else to compete with domestic TV for in-home entertainment. Nowadays, no matter how incredible Para Pente was, it would never be able to pull off the same numbers, because people have gotten used to premium ott and on demand services. It certainly does not help that after the lack of good content during the crisis, people are now too hesitant with Greek TV, especially young people. It is definitely partly influenced by the internalised anti-Greekness post-crisis. Hope this is over soon because Greek TV is really trying to make a comeback and we should help it. For one, I watched 10 freaking Greek shows last year which is an all-time record for me and I enjoyed most of them and this year I am watching the four which have new seasons (Η Μάγισσα: Φλεγόμενη Καρδιά, ο Γιατρός, Έρημη Χώρα and Maestro) and I am loving it so far.

[salty-an-disco]

For ParaCold... Pre-Relationship 6, General 6, General 13, Love 11, Love 13, and/or Domestic Life 12? (Yes I am asking a lot, feel free to only answer one of these if you'd prefer! I just love your thoughts on them always~)

(I freakin' knew you'd come at me with the asking sheet lol /aff /pos)

Ship Questions Redux

Pre-relationship 6. What was their flirting stage like?

Veeeeery awkward. At least from Paranoid's perspective; the moment she started consciously flirting, she felt like a shelf full of glass jars constantly shaking and dropping everything onto the floor. She'd go out of her way to compliment Cold's additions to any convo or their appearance, all while sweating bullets and feeling like a giant fuckin' buffoon.

Cold, meanwhile, never registered anything he did as 'flirting', but when they saw Para actively flirting, it found the sight very amusing, and started going out of its way to compliment her back and even say some suggestive lines (cue Paranoid.exe stopping working and going into overdrive)

General 6. How do their personalities complement each other? How do they clash?

I mean– we already talked about this at lenght like aikskdmdjdmd

Cold is uniquely equipped to help Paranoid calm her nerves and look at situations with a more pragmatic view, while Para can make Cold consider being less reckless if only for other sakes, how they can read each other, the way their actions often clash but also helps them grow– aaaaaaaagggghhhh

General 13. Which one thinks they aren't good enough for the other, if at all?

Oh, they both have their own form of Imposter Syndrome.

Para knows she can unlikable to others, with how intense and inquisitive she can be, and she knows it's hard to approach her when she's already expecting the worst from others. And that's fine!! She can live like that, it's safer if others don't even try to approach cuz she seems a bit too prickly. And she often wonders if Cold would've felt the same if they weren't born from the same being–

Cold knows it's difficult. Knows others find it unsettling or menacing. And it's fine with that, really, it's a flattery that so many people think of it as an uniquely evil being. And Paranoid is no exception, she was definitely afraid of it in multiple occasions, but she still puts it aside to try and work with them. They're sure she wouldn't want anything to do with it if it didn't insistently follow her and got into her personal space, but it selfishly wants her attention. And if they're evil and scary and dangerous anyway, why bother if it's being a little selfish too?

Love 11. What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

I like the idea of Cold calling Para 'Dots' cuz of her plumage patterns. A cuter way to look at the markings that triggers Paranoid so much. She was very taken aback by it when it was first used, but didn't mind it and even came to like it.

I think Para definitely calls Cold some of the many nicknames the others gave her to tease her. 'Cool Guy' is one of her favorites for this. Avoids names like 'heartless' tho, cuz she noticed how those seem to actually get to Cold (it's very subtle, but she learned to read him at this point).

Love 13. How do they make up after an argument? Who is the first to apologize?

Depends on the argument, and how much one was at fault over the other. Para definitely apologizes as soon as she realizes she was being unfair/going a bit too far. Cold doesn't verbally apologize– almost never, but it does change its behavior when they notice how it upsets others and tries to make up for their actions through other ways.

Domestic Life 12. Who likes to dance with, or sing for, the other?

I know many have Cold with good singing voice hcs, but personally, I think he'd rather whistle than sing. And they have a very haunting but weirdly beautiful whistle, and can make many melodies with it. Para finds it weirdly comforting, so Cold will sometimes whistle for her.

[paperboy-pb]

"A Very Special Day" [Life Story]

[TW for: ableism against kids, internalized ableism, and mentions of suicidal ideation.]

9 years ago today, in the state of New York on September 5th, was my second day of 6th grade. Being a Special Ed kid, I was upset; my school, a K-8 that I had been with since the start and stayed with until the end, had always treated us so differently. And the world around me had promised that things would change once middle school began. But they hadn't. In fact, barely anything was new at all.

Same old baby talk from adults who saw me every day, but willfully ignored how big I had grown.

Same old bullying from my peers, disabled children who spent their days as pots calling kettles black, because no one had any intentions of teaching us better.

Same Adapted Phys Ed, getting ready to interrupt my morning reading every Monday, Wednesday, Friday; even though they'd promised to let me play in Gym with the rest of my class years ago by now.

Same old kids from the neighborhood filling up the rest of my grade, coming in smiling and laughing and oh so free in their new groups of 30. 30-something of them. 12 of us.

They'd even gotten some new kids from the K-5s around town. All of which seemed really nice. Man. Lucky them. Meanwhile, everything was so same-y that I'd considered running away from the school bus when it pulled up.

September 5th, 2014. Still kinda hot in Brooklyn. Sunny out there.

The day had gone bad. My classmates were talking FNAF, and being mean about things I don't remember. They flicked food at me during lunch while I tried to read and mind my own business. We weren't allowed to change seats, even though the rest of our grade got that privilege. It was supposed to be for all of us middle schoolers, but when I'd asked the day before, our lunch aide had no idea what I was on about. She suddenly insisted it was never a thing! While the rest of our grade was splitting into cliques behind her back, paying us no mind, knowing they'd somehow earned it and we didn't.

10-year-old me couldn't wait to go home.

By the end of the day, I was drained like no other. Head down on the desk and all. I was thinking, 2:20-something. Just a few more minutes.

God, why are things like this? Is it gonna get better later this year? I hope so, it's only the second day. Maybe it just starts bad!

Man, I miss summer already. I wish I spent today home all day eating onion ring chips again and playing Animal Crossi--

"Alright guys, listen up!" Said Mrs. Z, who would pretty much be our only teacher this year. (Meanwhile, everyone else got to have different people for different subjects.)

I don't remember her exact words. But she held up a white booklet with a bunch of kids holding hands and awkwardly smiling at us from the mostly-white cover. She said something about it being very important. And she ended her little stanza with, and I quote, "DON'T read these, alright? It's for your parents."

I think that one line changed the trajectory of my life.

As our para handed them out, my bookworm ass couldn't help but furrow my little brows. I'd had teachers assume certain books were "too hard" for me when they weren't, and get upset at me whenever I summarized the plot of them correctly. I'd had teachers tell me not to read other books during class, which was fair enough, I guess. But a teacher telling me not to read something at ALL?

Now THAT'S a new one...

It felt plasticy, not like paper. It's a packet, not a book. Six kids in a row, but none look like me, as usual. The cover said, "Family Guide To Special Education Services for School-Age Children. A Shared Path to Success." ...I don't think a title should be that long. Why not parentheses that end bit?

After that, we were dismissed. Me & some peers headed into the hallway down to the first floor to wait for our bus, and we chatted about it a little bit?

One was like, "Is this a report card or something?"

Another was like, "I guess?"

The first boy skimmed it, though, and saw nothing about him. Which eased his nerves.

A third asked me what I thought it was since I was the only kid who'd hit a Z-reading level. They figured I could make sense of it. And my first thought was boring adult stuff, or some sort of... after-school? Program? Thing? But I didn't really answer. I was too preoccupied with what Mrs. Z said.

What kind of teacher tells me not to read something? Give it to my parents is one thing, but specifically, "don't" read this? Dude! What doesn't she want me to see?

Everyone else had tossed the damn thing into their bookbags and zipped 'em up by now. We headed downstairs, and I couldn't help but notice that our 6th grade class was on the third floor; with a lot of grades 2-4 around us.

Meanwhile, the rest of the big middle school classes came down from higher up. It turns out that they all had their classes high up on the top floor. A bunch of bright minds floated down from above like they were that summer's fireflies, and we were the tips of night grass. Or maybe even worms, burrowing into the dirt and calling it a day.

...

By the time the bus was moving, I still had the packet in my hands. I was wondering why they all got to be up there and we didn't. We lived pretty close to Coney Island, after all: it must be cool seeing the parachute jump from the hallway window on your way down every day.

I barely had time to stuff the packet in my hands once we pulled up to my apartment.

If you've ever wondered what Kid Jonah was like, imagine some sort of hybrid between a miserable little nerd & the most optimistic goody-goody you've ever met. Like, yeah, I'd been in a few fights by this point, broken some rules behind their backs, but I was also... 10. And known for being "THE good kid" in front of teachers. I didn't like to defy them, you know? Even if they did always make me feel weird, or on-edge, or like I was a part of something bad.

So when I made a beeline for my room, I was like, Oh my God, I'm actually gonna do this...? And I didn't tell my parents a thing. I've kept the packet all this time and they STILL haven't read it!

But I did. I think I hesitated, but I remember opening it on my bed.

"Welcome.

Dear families, we've come a long way since our special education reform initiative, A Shared Path to Success, was launched citywide in 2012... we've also been changing hearts and minds as our core belief- that special education is a service, and not a place- has taken hold in our schools...

Section 1... Children learn at different speeds and in different ways. Some children have physical and/or intellectual disabili..."

WHAT?!

...

It was a really dense packet for a kid. Long, boring, seemed endless. But I understood the words. Especially that D one. And at the time, 10-year-old me knew it was a bad one.

I'd crossed the point of no return by then. I kept reading. And I didn't dare skip a word. "Intervention," "Special," "Disability," "Meeting," "Evaluation," "Eligibility," "IEP,"-- Hey, I know that word! IEPs are the dense things stapled to my report cards!

I remember the anger flaring in my heart, out my nose, widening my eyes once I got to the Eligibility bit. I thought, and I quote, "THEY THINK WE'RE DISABLED?!" I don't think words can articulate how insulted little 10-year-old me was!

...I don't think I can articulate how sad that is now, either. How do you instill such heavy ableism into a little boy like that? How do you live with yourself?

But I couldn't throw the book at the wall or take one of my mom's lighters to it like I initially wanted. Because I realized pretty quickly... Oh my God. This is it. These are THE ANSWERS! THIS IS WHY IT'S ALL HAPPENING!

I couldn't believe my eyes as I took it all in. The 13 disabilities that landed me and my friends in this mess, some of which matched up with certain kids I knew right away. But what really caught my attention were the services. Terms that I KNEW about. Things I engaged with. Things I... hated.

"Occupational Therapy." That nice older lady who takes me out of class every few days so I can play memory games, or play with this hand-gripper, or yank pegs outta this bright green putty.

"Paraprofessional Services"; those weird second-teachers that annoy us and only us, but never anyone else in the other classes. They're so stuck-up sometimes! And they never really seem to know how to leave us alone. Especially certain kids.

The stories I could tell about them all now... good fucking lord.

Physical Therapy; That's the one where the lady is always making me feel bad about things and do sit-ups or run drills in the hallway and stairwell... and do embarrassing stretches like people aren't walking by.

And she got upset with me because I brought a lunchbox every day for years; she told me, "You'll never be a big kid if you keep bringing food from home, Jonah!"

And I told her, "But my mom doesn't even make the sandwiches anymore! I make them for myself!"

And she was like, "But still!"

She also measures her footstep, saying it was a foot of distance. Like, 12 inches. But nuh-uh, it was never a foot! Her sneakers aren't that big. Rulers are longer. Why didn't she just get a measuring tape? What's this lady's problem?

The one that sunk my heart, though, was Adapted Phys Ed. The packet said it was "A specially designed program of developmental activities, games, sports, and rhythms suited to the interests, capabilities, and limitations of individual children who may now safely or successfully participate in the activities of a regular physical education program."

And I thought: ...That's the watered-down gym class I do three times a week.

The one where we do "challenges" like stepping into each hole of an agility ladder mat and doing a squat before moving to the next.

The one where we never play sports like everybody else gets to do.

The one that makes the gym teacher sit me out on the bleachers by myself, and watch literally everybody else I know have fun. And when I ask why, nobody tells me anything.

The one where I ask how I can improve in order to go play with everybody else, but nobody tells me anything.

The one where Mrs. D keeps promising me that I'll get to play with the rest of my class soon... but it never comes true.

This is why everybody acts so weird around us.

This is why we can't even talk to the rest of our grade.

This is why nothing ever changes...!

It all made sense. 10-year-old me couldn't feel the floor or the bed anymore. The back of my mind buzzed like shaken soda, fizzling against the back of my skull. I didn't cry. I didn't have tears. But I did sink down, down into the depths of I-don't-even-know-where.

I went time-traveling back to May of last school year, where a Special Ed kid the grade above me was saying to his classmate, "We're all just the kids nobody wants." But I didn't have context. Was this the context? He sounded like he was about to cry.

I went back to 4th grade when I headed into the bathroom and saw two kids from my grade walk by with papers promoting the talent show to everybody. I saw the text written on them clear as day! And I got excited; Our school's having a talent show? COOL! We must be getting those later today, too!

The papers never came.

I went back to 3rd grade, where paras would hover over our class during lunch, but nobody else's. They always stood tall above and between us, like they were a scarecrow keeping the birds of our grade away.

And there was so much. More. Than that.

...

I still wonder why Z didn't want me seeing that. Maybe she knew I would spiral or label myself. But at the same time... that's a learned behavior. Ableism is a hatred, and hatred is learned. From ADULTS. One that she and the rest of the school could at least try to curb if she noticed.

Z wasn't a bad lady. I think she was trying to protect me? But... we already knew we were being treated unfairly. Why would keeping this secret protect me?

The anger only lasted a little while. Because something else dawned on me.

I can't stay here.

This place had been upsetting me for YEARS. And now I knew that it was happening for a reason. A shitty one, but still... a reason. It's not just bad luck. And that it wasn't going to change unless I removed that reason from their minds.

I had to leave. Sound familiar?

The next day we had school? I was completely shaken up. Kinda surprised no one noticed. I was finally seeing just how deep this all went. The teachers smiling in my face, baby-talking, getting reallll close while having this sense of disgust in their eyes.

The staggering difference in numbers between "normal" classes and ours.

Our class locations.

I even found this board on the first floor that had a picture of every teacher and what they taught. Sure enough, "Special Education" was specified in the label for every teacher I'd ever had. I was even able to find the next teachers I'd have for Grades 7 & 8. And my blood went cold because I knew those two particular ladies were pretty mean.

My school was DEFINITELY failing that, "Special Ed is a service, not a place!" shit the state allegedly wanted to accomplish. It was a place. And I... was trapped.

And I couldn't stay trapped. Because as far as I knew, education was everything. I was a very academic little boy back then. And I didn't know what staying in a place like this could mean for my education later down the line.

I didn't want to find out.

I also didn't want my social life restricted like this. Especially since there weren't many kids who treated me well. I wanted freedom. I wanted independence. I wanted a chance to actually find real friends!

And this is sad, but... I was already very depressed by that age. Due to the nature of Special Ed at school. Had been since 8. And so... I made a plan in my bedroom the same night I found the packet:

I can't carry this environment with me into high school. I have to do anything-- EVERYTHING I can to get outta here by the time 8th grade starts! And if I fail... I can't finish 8th grade like that.

The Verrazzano Bridge and the walkway by the water, the one with the short fence that I can get right over, are only a fifteen minute walk from home. If I don't get out of Special Ed by 8th grade, then... I have to go out there and throw myself off. I have to kill myself. I have to...! Because I know for a fact I just can't. Stay. Here.

And I was serious. Dead-serious. Because I thought about it every day for the next 2 years straight.

...

That packet started it all for PB. And as sad as it is that I technically had to go behind adults' backs just to learn something about myself and where I was, I'm extremely glad it happened. Because it's also what kickstarted my interest in disability topics. My journey in learning who we were, what we were, and what we do & don't deserve.

It led to the first drafts of PB just under a year later, which set my life on a completely new path. Paperboy would not EXIST if it weren't for that day. Hell; I don't even know if my OTHER projects (like Weirder Than Usual) would, either!

That wasn't right. None of that was right. But it did give me a story to tell. One that you guys are finally starting to see!

And one that I'm very, very proud of.

Disability conversations are extremely important to me now. I don't think I'm the beacon of anti-ableism or anything like that. I know I've fucked up as I grew up, especially in my younger years. But this entire situation showed me how hush-hush the world likes to be about it. And while it's better now than it was in 2014, it ain't great yet.

And I think I owe it to 10-year-old Jonah to change that shit. Because when he googled "Special Ed makes me feel bad," he barely found anything.

It was definitely an experience I will never forget. And as you saw above, I still keep that packet with me to this day, and I always will, because of just how heavily it changed my life.

I have no idea where or who I'd be if it wasn't for that.

Happy 9th birthday, SpEd packet. Can't wait for the 10th!