#aj's mate? yeah him

[ophernelia]

a cute boy and a cute home.

[rose24207]

Simp sessions and sliding into DM’s

Summary: Y/N openly simps for Lando Norris during a Beta Squad video, and he surprises her by sliding into her DMs.

Genre: humor

TW: filly (?)

A/N: English is not my first language. I hope you enjoy it though! Requests are open and welcome!

Masterlist

The Beta Squad filming day was already off to a chaotic start, as usual. Cameras were rolling, the boys were bantering, and you were doing what you did best: keeping them in check while simultaneously embarrassing yourself over Lando Norris.

You were the heart of the group—a mix of sass, sarcasm, and too much energy. But when it came to Lando? You couldn’t help yourself. The guys loved it, though, because your relentless simping made for prime content.

“Alright, next challenge,” Sharky announced as the crew prepped for the next scene. “We’ve got trivia, and the loser has to wear this ridiculous chicken suit for the rest of the video.”

“I am not losing this,” Chunkz said, crossing his arms.

“You better not,” AJ quipped. “Because we already know Y/N losing the second we bring up Formula 1.”

You rolled your eyes but grinned. “Listen, I might fail general trivia, but if the question’s about Lando Norris, I’ll ace it.”

“Of course you will,” Kenny teased, smirking at the camera. “You’d probably marry him if you could.”

“Who says I wouldn’t?” you shot back, flipping your hair dramatically. Then, looking directly into the lens, you added, “Lando, if you’re watching this, hi. I’m single, funny, and an excellent cook. Call me.”

The room erupted with laughter as the guys doubled over at your boldness.

“You’re shameless!” Niko said, wiping tears from his eyes.

“Don’t act like you’re not jealous,” you retorted, pointing at him. “Lando’s a catch, and I’m just shooting my shot.”

The filming continued, but the Lando jokes didn’t stop. Every time a question remotely related to racing or McLaren came up, you’d light up like a Christmas tree.

“Which F1 team has won the most championships?” AJ read aloud during the trivia round.

“McLaren!” you shouted.

Chunkz groaned. “It’s Ferrari, you muppet.”

You pouted, ignoring the laughter and leaning into the camera again. “I tried, Lando. I swear I did. Don’t judge me.”

Unbeknownst to you, Lando was watching.

Ever since Filly introduced him to Beta Squad’s videos, he’d been a quiet fan. At first, he watched for the laughs, but after seeing you roast the boys with razor-sharp wit and your constant jokes about him, he became... intrigued.

“Mate, she’s proper funny,” Lando had told Filly after a particularly chaotic episode.

“Yeah, Y/N’s a legend,” Filly said with a grin. “You should DM her, bro. She’d lose it.”

“I don’t know,” Lando had said, trying to play it cool. But secretly, he couldn’t get the idea out of his head.

Back at the Beta Squad shoot, you were sitting on the sofa during a break, scrolling through Instagram. The guys were busy setting up for the next segment, but you were glued to your screen, giggling at Lando’s latest post.

“What’s so funny?” Chunkz asked, leaning over your shoulder.

“Nothing,” you said quickly, turning your phone away.

“Bet it’s Lando,” Sharky teased, walking past.

“Of course it is,” AJ said. “She’s been staring at her phone like it’s a picture of her future husband.”

“Leave me alone,” you said, laughing. “It’s not my fault he’s perfect.”

“Perfect at crashing,” Niko said, and you threw a cushion at him.

“Say that again, and I’ll fight you,” you warned, grinning.

Just then, Sharky’s phone buzzed, and he let out a surprised laugh. “No way.”

“What?” Chunkz asked, curious.

“Lando just posted a story. He’s watching our video.”

Your eyes widened. “Wait, what?”

The guys crowded around Sharky’s phone, and sure enough, there was Lando’s story—a clip of you dramatically declaring your love for him, with the caption: “I’m flattered. Trivia next time?”

You froze, your face burning. “Oh my god.”

“Y/N, you’ve made it!” AJ shouted, shaking your shoulders.

“Wait, this is big,” Kenny said, laughing. “What are you gonna do?”

Before you could answer, your phone buzzed. You picked it up hesitantly, and your jaw dropped.

@landonorris: Followed you.

The room went silent for about three seconds before the guys erupted into chaos.

“He followed you?!” Chunkz yelled.

“This is better than any prank we’ve ever done,” Sharky said, grinning.

“Alright, everyone, calm down!” you said, though you were anything but calm. Your heart was pounding as you opened Instagram, and sure enough, there it was—Lando’s name sitting at the top of your followers list.

“DM him!” AJ urged.

“No, wait,” Kenny said, smirking. “Let’s see if he DMs her first.”

As if on cue, another notification popped up.

Lando Norris: Hey, Y/N. Love the videos. Also, I’m offended you got the McLaren question wrong.

You let out a strangled laugh, holding up your phone. “He DMed me.”

The guys lost it again, shouting and cheering as you stared at the screen in disbelief.

“Reply!” Niko said, practically shoving you back onto the sofa.

Taking a deep breath, you typed out a response:

You: In my defense, I panicked. But thanks for watching! Let me know when you want to collab on trivia.

His reply came quickly:

Lando Norris: Deal. But only if I get to be on your team.

You couldn’t stop smiling, and the guys teased you relentlessly for the rest of the day. But for once, you didn’t care.

Because maybe, just maybe, your shameless simping was about to pay off.

Thank you for reading!

[texasagocarafe]

01. Bloom | NIKO OMILANA

word count: 1k +

warnings: n/a

a/n: for the niko gworls, happy reading 📜

Your day was marked by the crisp of the evening warmth and the hubbub of your friends who – stationed in front of you – were competing in a game of volleyball. Throughout the ruckus, some sand managed to be lodged in your direction.

“Sorry mate!” Aj yells from the distance in front of you.

You yell in feigned fury and massage the corner of your pinky toe that the sand lightly grazed.

“Well now you’re just being dramatic,” Aj jests.

You were being dramatic.

Asshole! You thought. And then you agreed. Then you laughed.

Aj laughs along before continuing his game.

“What are you doing laughing with him? Laugh with me.” Your gaze falls upon your boyfriend who currently lays his head on your thigh, an arm loosely draped across both your legs.

You and Niko along with your friends needed a break and you all agreed on the leisure activity of a beach day. You’re now sitting in the comfort of a tree’s shadow, trying to cater to the needy koala attached to your leg.

“Well make me laugh, then.”

“You’re a little wisecrack, huh?” Niko pinches your inner thigh – not rough enough to hurt you, but rough enough to elicit a yelp from you. Your boyfriend haughtily laughs at the look of disbelief displayed on your face.

“You idiot, I said, make me laugh, not you.”

Niko smiles at you, “I’m sorry, love,” he plants a small kiss on your thigh, his fingers playing with the string of your bikini.

“It’s ok,” you softly assure him; your hand instinctively reaches for his hair as you massage his scalp, turning your gaze to your friends once again.

Sharky yells at the both of you to join the game, and you’re not too sure if that was a question or an order, but you both get up anyways.

Adorning your mini skirt, you head on over to your friends’ direction; but not before your boyfriend grabs your upper arm and leans down to your ear, declaring that he’s going to “whoop your butt” in Volleyball. You raise an eyebrow and ignore the nagging thought that the sunlight enhanced the beauty of your boyfriend’s face tremendously. Sarcasm paints your smile as you pat his butt before running off to your team. You giggle and ignore the flustered calls of Niko’s.

Both teams stood at a tie, and your team’s win depended on this very round. You catch Niko's eye, and he winks at you.

Bemused at the punk’s attempt to fluster you, you wink right back and get in position to strike the ball that Kenny set from the back.

“Aww, dear, why so serious?” You feign a pout and poke at your boyfriend’s chest.

You’re both strolling alongside the shops that border the beach, enjoying ice cream cones; and you, specifically, revelling in your boyfriend’s loss during the volleyball game.

Niko glances at your playful pout and rolls his eyes, a slight smile threatening to break out on his face. “I’m not, you little bug.”

“Yeah, you are,” you drag out the ‘Yeah’.

Keeping his gaze straight forward, Niko raises the back of his hand and tips your cone back, the ice cream caking your nose.

“Bastard!” scandalised, you hop and fling Niko’s ice cream cone.

The entire ice cream cone falls flat onto the road.

You and Niko stare at the flattened ice cream cone in disbelief.

The dread on Niko’s face evokes a snort from you, to which your boyfriend looks at you unimpressed.

“Here—” you extend your hand that holds your ice cream cone - albeit melted, but nonetheless - “—you can have mine.”

“Thanks, but no. Let’s go buy a new one.”

“All the way back there?!” You turn your head back, mourning your future self’s legs at the sight of the long journey back to the ice cream shop.

A huff eludes from your boyfriend, before he hoists you up into a bridal carry.

You are more than comfortable in this position, licking your ice cream as you enjoy the view of the face of your carrier.

In the store, Niko sets you down on a chair. An accusatory finger is pointed directly at you. “Stay.”

A mumble akin to ‘sodemandingsheesh’ leaves your mouth, but you comply nonetheless.

Niko overlooks the ice cream flavours, eventually figuring out the one he wants. At the thought of you, he turns to ask, “Love, do you—”

He finds that you’ve not only left your seat, but that you seem to have found a lot of comfort in the sidewalk across the street which overlooks the ocean.

He smiles, endeared by your antics. Niko turns back around to the employee. “Make it two, please.”

“That’s entirely unfair, you were making fun of me!” You and your boyfriend are sitting back at the beach, under the same tree, the sun’s gleam ever so mellow; debating where things went wrong before the Incident.

“Well, you’re the jokester, I figured you could take a joke,” you defend your mockings from earlier.

“She’s not wrong, Niko,” Chunkz validates your point and you nod your head at him in acknowledgement.

“Chunkz, shut your mouth.” Niko wasn’t actually mad. He enjoys the banter a lot. Like. A lot. He thrives off of it.

“Rude body,” you shake your head as you tut at the man sitting across you. “Also, it’s your turn.”

Niko moves his knight to G3. “Your turn.” At the sight of a stray hair, he tucks the strand behind your ear. You look up at him, a questioning smile adorning your face.

What’s his strategy?

Sensing your thoughts, he rolls his eyes at your paranoia and clears up “That wasn’t a strategic move; can’t a man love on his girlfriend?” You don’t fail to see Niko’s smug smile.

You realise your boyfriend’s priority of flirting left his Queen in a vulnerable position. “First of all, don’t ever say ‘love on his girlfriend’ ever again — ” you move your knight, “Second of all; checkmate.”

Your laughter reverberates and your friends break out into celebratory song and dance; and Niko can’t help but smile at the joy exuding from you.

“I’m sorry for making fun of you.” You interlock your fingers with his and kiss his hand.

“It’s ok,” Niko assures you.

Sitting on the deck while overlooking the sunset, you and Niko enjoy the sight in each other’s presence.

“I love you.” You utter.

Niko stared at you and couldn’t figure it out. Maybe it’s the warmth of your skin. Maybe it’s the way the late evening sun’s gaze appreciates the rich brown of your eyes. Maybe it’s the way you physically react to an intense moment in the books you bury yourself in. Maybe it’s the elegance and unapologetic kindness you emanate. Maybe it’s the warmth of your soul. Maybe it’s all of this. Maybe that’s why he is in love. Who cares, really? That much he can't deny. He thinks of little else but you. And when you turn your head to meet his gaze, he thinks he’s fallen in love all over again.

“I love you too.”

[cheriladycl01]

Why are you an Uber Driver? - Liam Lawson x Teammate! Reader

Plot: Liam Lawson finally gets a seat in F1 signing with Audi Formula Racing in 2026 along with you the fiery new rookie, when you get a sponsor with Uber and have to shoot promos what happens?

A/N: I have taken some of these moments from Darren Levy, some of them are just random crap i've thought off! This is supposed to be short and silly and feel like your almost watching the video or like watching a tiktok compellation!

Credit to umflowers for the GIF

In a YouTube Video:

"Hey guys so today Liam and I are here with Audi and we are happy to announce one of our new sponsors is Uber!" you say looking at the camera a massive smile on your face.

"Today we are partnered with Uber to get you guys to your destinations" Liam adds swinging an arm around your shoulder.

"We've kindly been gifted an Audi RS E-tron GT to use as our Uber car. Its one of the fastest models in Audi and all electric its a beauty" you explain as you walk over to the car with Liam following behind you.

"Black car" Liam says pointing to the car jokingly after your detailed explanation.

"Whose driving first! Me or you?" you ask turning to him.

"Mmmm definitely you" he says before running round to the passenger side of the car and hopping in.

"Okay, so Audi have been very kind an set up a profile for us called Li/N (Liam and your name mixed) and used this awesome picture of Y/N and I" he says showing off the Uber profile that was on the phone.

"Okay, lets pick up our first person" you smile working out how to accept a ride.

"Bobby Knight, we are coming from you!" Y/N giggles excitedly pulling out the large overhead carpark they were in. She had one hand on the wheel and one hand on the gear stick. She follows the directions and eventually pulls into a quiet side street.

"Hello, for Bobby?" the man asks getting into the car flinging his briefcase the the other seat of the car.

"Oh i thought the guy was the driver. I guess you do it together ... cute" he says briefly looking up from his work phone. You took it a little slower just testing the waters, making sure before you pulled out that you knew where the destination was.

"Look, I'm going to a business meeting. Can you just make this a quick job" he sighs looking over at you. Before he can blink, your driving the car how it was built for, obviously safely and within the speed limits but still driving quicker than most Uber's would.

"Jheezus, you can drive" he says laughing a little making a chuckle come from Liam beside you.

"I mean, its my career. You'd expect me to be" she says smugly knowing that if he wasn't a fan he wouldn't actually know what she was going on about.

"Here you go sir" you say pulling up outside the building you requested and he thanked you before hopping out quickly.

"Okay lets switch" you say before it cuts to you and Liam in the opposite places in the car.

"Okay next ride we are picking up Abbey" Liam says having accepted another ride. He quickly drives there while you mess about with the radio finally connecting your phone to the Car Play. Ladbroke Grove by AJ Tracey started playing and you and Liam both started rapping and you drove through the busy streets with the window rolled down.

"Hey babes, got some mates with me yeah? Going to the Xidao Bar?" she says as she comes up to the window the was rolled down. Her and the two mates clamber into the back all squishing in.

"I love you dress, looking like fire girl" you say swinging round looking over the brunette in the middle. She blushed lightly, thanking you before both her friends start to tease her in the back.

"So you girls got a good night ahead?" you ask looking at them in the rear view mirror.

"Yeah, going pub crawling!" the blonde exclaims before whipping out a mirror and lipstick.

"Oh my gosh" the brunette in the middle exclaims her head shooting up.

"You guys are F1 drivers right?" she says looking at the both of them.

"You drive for Audi"

"Yeah!" you laugh. She asks for a picture and you offer her one once you pull up to the club, she gives you a hug and leaves with her equally confused friends.

"Switch"

"Oh my lord and jheez is that two people shaking up in that car? In the middle of the day?" Liam exclaims looking out the drivers side window, past your concentrated head. You look onwards to see what he is exactly looking at.

"Holy shit my eyes!" you cry looking at the intrusion.

"Damn that wild, he is going at it" Liam observes making you slap your hand over his eyes.

"Don't look Liam!"

"It's the middle of the god damn day Y/N its hard to miss"

"No awareness of their surroundings at all" you complain laughing along with Liam.

You reverse out the space, putting your arm round the back of Liam's seat turning the steering wheel with one hand.

"Oh for fuck sake that's going to be in one of your edits, all over tik-tok" he laughs, looking at the position you were in currently driving.

"Okay we have another ride"

"Corey?"

"This is far too nice to be an Uber car" he says getting in the back carefully as you look at the destination which was a 12 minute ride away.

"Yeah, its a company car mate, wish she was mine" you offer, while keeping your eyes on the road.

"Y/N you don't need a company car you're rich, you have an R8 and a vintage Audi at home" Liam laughs before the guys gives you both a strange look.

"Oh my god, your both F1 drivers!" he exclaims.

"That we are sir" you beam looking in the rearview at him.

"Nice race in Spain by the way!" he smiles.

"Thanks! We are both very excited!" you exclaim happy that you were having a conversation with a fan.

"So why are you guys Uber driving?" he asks.

"Well, we have a sponsor with Uber and we thought this would be a funny promo video!"

"That's pretty cool, I'll actually be in Silverstone actually" he says showing Liam his tickets.

"Ohhh, well on behalf of Audi, ill get you a paddock pass for being a 5 star customer today!" you offer and he gasps in shock.

"Thank you so much!" he exclaims before you hand him contact details for where he can get his pass from on the day of the race.

"Your welcome have a nice day" he exclaims and before you know it you and Liam have switched again and he's back to driving.

"I'm getting kind of hungry, Maccas drive through on the company card?" Liam grins cheekily making you nod vigorously. You were starving having not eaten since the morning and it was now rounding late afternoon.

You pull up to the drive threw and the voice sounds out.

"Hello, what can i get for you today" the bored yet youthful voice says behind the order board.

"Hi so I'm going to get a Medium Bic Mac meal, with chips and ermmmm I'll get a coke" he advises before looking at you. You just shove your phone in his face, asking him to say it for you.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, erm A Garlic Mayo Wrap meal with Carrot sticks? Carrot sticks really? Who the fuck goes to a McDonalds and gets Carrot Sticks, erm and an Oasis please" Liam finishes shaking his head at you in disagreement.

"Anything else"

"Yeah a medium chips and a nugget sharebox" he informs and you look at him in shock, he just shrugs his shoulder pulling forward to the next window.

"What I'm hungry, the nuggets are to share and the chips are for you" he smiles.

You both make a little tray in the middle of the car so you can eat without being messy.

"So, on a scale of one-ten how strict are you parents" you ask after biting into your wrap and chewing the contents.

"Hmmm, well my parents have always been pretty chill! They push me when it comes to racing but other than that they are supportive but in a good way" he smiles.

"So answer the question" you comment looking at him with an 'are you fr?' attitude.

"Oh so like a two, no really that strict at all"

"What's been the best meal of you life"

"This right here with you" he smiles genuinely and you cant be sure if the cameras pick up the light blush that is grazing across your cheeks.

"This crappy McDonalds, in an expensive Audi is your best meal?" you tease back, taking a sip of your drink.

"Mmmhhh" he mumbles smiling.

"Okay, what about your favorite place in the world?"

"See this one is hard, because I move around so much as a driver. You know for most of the year I'm going from country to country driving in one of the most competitive sports. New Zealand has a special place in my heart, but at the same time England has become extremely special to me" he smiles again.

You guys finish up the food, and you end on a group of fan boys who all asked to get pictures with the both of you and the car. Liam drove down the motorway and they were all squealing like little girls by the time you dropped them outside of Stamford Bridge Stadium.

"Enjoy the match boys" you shout.

"Have you ever been to a English Premier League game? We should go. I know Mason Mount, he could get us in" you wiggle your eyebrows.

And that's how you and Liam Lawson ending up watching a Chelsea FC match very very last minute.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc @mirrorball-6 @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover

[thenightshadowqueen]

Livestream thoughts

This is largely just stream-of-consciousness (and it’s very long) and was written mostly for me, but I figured I’d share it because I always love reading these from other people

Sam’s London Eye bit during the intro is amazing

“One hit, it’s in the hole” I heard your fucking double meaning, Tom

“I’m really French. And because of that, I’m going to surrender immediately.” Who else thought of, “We are French. We are very good at surrendering.”?

“You clutched my foot and stood on my nipple” Sam immediately trying to make that position???

“Now look at me” and then Sam moaning is just so on brand for him

Tom and AJ just almost kissing between scenes for no reason came out of nowhere

Is Angel Station always closed? Because they’ve brought that up in multiple shows now

“I’m still wet—and not in the good way” Sam

Sam fucking with the way Letters works killed me—honestly, I think they should play that way again, because it was great; it was kind of a combination Letters and Timewarp

Also the overstimulated public transport user? Very relatable.

“Oh, it’s one of those letters” got me so badly

The weird incestuous direction of the letter was concerningly not surprising

The immortal economy brothers??? are amazing

“I don’t think you want to say it, do you? But I think I might have to insist at this point. And once I’ve insisted, I might regret it.” I adore it when they break character to fuck with each other

“We get a shovel and a high-quality camera, and we dig up the Queen” Sam is on fire today oh my god

“We’ll do a sepia filter” why????

“Well, I don’t see any problem with that” brilliant, Tom

Nonbinary parrot!

“I’ve never been able to walk ever since” oh my god, AJ, way to raise the fucking stakes

“Next Christmas” TOM

Sam getting to correct Tom’s English? What reversed alternate universe do we live in?

Watching this the same day I finished the second season of Interview with the Vampire, and when Sam is raising Tom from the dead in Puppets, all I can think about is that line about how no one ever asks Lazarus if he wants to be resurrected (I don’t know why this is what went through my mind, but it is)

“I kind of want to see how karaoke goes” Sam’s fucking face oh my god

The sapphic exes in Book Game????

Also Tom third-wheeling the sapphic exes in Book Game (“this is really hot”)

AJ’s character smashing a glass and Sam moaning is, again, so not surprising at this point

Also what British Prime Minister was nicknamed “pretty fanny”????? I feel like I’m missing some context as an American

“…Daddy” SAM fucking hell

“~Funky~” the way he said that????

“I will miss your nipples pressing into my nipples” what the fuck

“You wanted to join the Nazis” Sam “edgy joke” Russell, everyone

Sam standing there with his hand on AJ’s head and laughing before he could get his joke out was phenomenal, but AJ going, “don’t—shut up” killed me

AJ making the bald joke for them never gets old

“There’s a new handhold here” good god, Tom

AJ just jumping on Sam… I’m honestly not surprised at this point

“Listen, Luke—” honestly I really want to know what AJ was going for

“It’s salty” TOM oh my god

“I will give you Sexy Mates” I mean, I’d watch that (I’m so sorry; the joke has to be made)

I so seriously thought they were going to reveal they’d met before in the first scene of the longform

“I’m not good at social interactions” me neither babe

“I’m a mortician” that was so out of pocket

“I’m embarrassed to say this, but what is that?” I feel like that was a genuine question

Sam, I’m pretty sure morticians do not determine cause of death

I feel like Sam was going for his character being a killer at the beginning, which is interesting in the context of the full play

“You’ve not said anything funny yet” damn, Sam

“You remembered my name!” “Yeah.” “I didn’t!” AJ remembered a name that Sam didn’t???

“Why does this always happen?” Tom elaborate????

Tom just having to lie there behind the curtain sends me

“I go inside a lot of dead people” ah, there’s the necrophilia joke we were all expecting

“You make my life better” babe you just met

Sam killing AJ with his horrible French pronunciations took me out

Monsieur Pamplemousse, the Swiss waiter

“I’m just a rat” I love Tom

I love Sam just refusing to help Tom by playing the second driver

Gay train driver husbands!!!!!

Sam pushing the Scottish accent down reminded me so vividly of Caravan

I love AJ not knowing what to name himself

I love Sam forcing Tom to continue talking and then immediately regretting it

“Two sides of the same coin” AJ AJ AJ AJ YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO MY MERTHUR HEART do you have any idea the way I choked when I heard that

The power of Scotland! (Moist and Magical flashbacks, anyone?)

There’s been a lot of audience singing in recent livestreams, hasn’t there?

“Title of the play I don’t remember” SAM

Also okay so this play was amazing but it had absolutely nothing to do with the title

I had an amazing time as always

[mariahalexxuss]

out with the old and in with the new (part 1)

summary: the complete history of liv morgan and dominik mysterio

(lowercase intended.)

sometime between march and april of 2022 - a conversation between liv 4 brutality

“Dominik is so cute.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes! You don’t think so?”

“No, he’s not really my type.”

“I think he’s really cool!”

“You have some kind of crush on him or something?”

“I mean yeah?”

“Have you ever even talked to him before?”

“Well no, but we follow each other on social media! He seems so genuine and down to earth. I wanna get to know him, but he’s dating his high school sweetheart. I don’t wanna be disrespectful. That’s why I haven’t made a move.”

“You have a crush on Dominik Mysterio.”

“Uh, yes.”

“Huh. Interesting.”

———————————————————————————————

april 18th, 2022 - monday night raw

Liv really doesn’t understand how it all went wrong. She doesn’t get it. They were doing so well! How is it Liv’s fault they lost! They are a tag team! It’s supposed to be both of them! Liv and Rhea. L4B. But now. Now it’s just Liv. Rhea threw everything they had in the trash. For nothing. Yes they were only a team for a month. But they were friends. Maybe even more. And now. Liv would get her revenge.

“Hey, are you okay?” Liv looked up from the crate she was sitting on to see Dominik Mysterio looking down at her, concern in his eyes. “Do you need to see medical?”

“N-No I uh, I..I saw them already.” Liv was star struck. She didn’t know what else to say. She was already stuttering like an idiot. Dom nodded. “I’m sorry about what happened with Rhea. What she did was uncalled for.”

Liv stared at him eyes wide. “T-thanks.” She could t believe he was even talking to her. “No problem. Hey, listen don’t let the rage consume you. Things will get better. If you ever wanna talk I’m here.”

Liv’s lip started to wobble and tears pooled in her eyes. He was so fucking sweet, he didn’t even know her and yet… “Thank you.” She whispered and bit her lip to try and stop the tears.

Dom smiled and Liv’s heart almost burst out of her chest. “Anytime blondie.”

———————————————————————————————

june 5th, 2022 - hell in a cell

“Well that did not go according to plan” Liv says as Aj, Finn, and her walk back to their locker room. Losing was never ideal. Finn had this look on his face. Liv knew it was his plotting face. He was planning something and Liv could tell it wasn’t gonna be good. “Liv! Finn! Aj! Wait up!” They all stop and turn around to see Dominik Mysterio running up to them.

“Oh! Hi Dominik” Liv responds while putting her hands behind her back and swaying back and forth, smiling up at him. His eyes go wide as he blushes and gives her a goofy grin. “U-um hey” Liv chuckles and stares at him intensely, smile still plastered on her face. Finn and Aj roll their eyes at the obvious flirting. “I just wanted to say that I watched your guys match. And even tho you guys lost I think you all did super well and looked so cool as a group.”

Liv’s heart fluttered and her smile grew as she chuckled. “Hehe thanks Dominik. That really means a lot coming from you.” Liv felt her cheeks heat up as her and Dom locked eyes and gazed at each other for thirty seconds. Dom’s cheeks grew red as Finn cleared his throat to get their attention. Liv shook her head as she fell out of her trance. “Thanks Dominik” Aj said.

“Yeah we appreciate it mate.” Finn clapped him on the back. Dom smiled big and met Liv’s eyes again before looking away and speaking. “Anyways I-i have to go! See your guys later!” Liv waved as he walked away. “Bye Dominik.” She said in a sickly sweet tone.

“Your cheeks are gonna be stuck like that if you don’t stop soon.” Aj said as him and Finn laughed. Liv’s smile dropped and was replaced with a deep frown. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said turning back around to once again head to the locker room.

“Liv ask him out already.” Aj said. Liv’s heart sank. “I can’t. He has a girlfriend. They’re high school sweethearts. It doesn’t matter how much I like him. I’m not a home wreaker.”

———————————————————————————————

june 6th. 2022

———————————————————————————————

july 18th, 2022 - money in the bank

She did it!! She cashed in on Rhonda Rousey!! She was the NEW Smackdown Women’s Champion!! Liv was crying as she got congrats from the officials and other superstars waiting in the guerilla. She was led to go take another set of renders, now with the championship instead of the brief case. She thanked the photographers and started walking to her locker room. When she was almost there she heard yelling coming from one of the other locker rooms. Just as she stopped one of the doors opened.

“¡Jefe! ¡Déjeme en paz! ¡Necesito estar solo ahora mismo! ¡Te veré en el hotel!” Liv looked up and saw Dominik Mysterio emerge from the locker room no longer in his ring gear. He pulled his suit case through the arch and adjusted his backpack as he slammed the door shut. In his rage he wasn’t paying attention and almost bumped into Liv. “Oh hey Liv! Sorry, I didn’t see you there.” He looked sheepish.

“Hey Dom! It’s fine. Are you okay? Sorry about your match.” Liv said trying to show her sorrow for him. He gave her a half smile. “It’s okay, thank you tho. But hey congrats to you!! The belt looks good on you!!” He blushed.

Liv smiled and looked down at her feet so he wouldn’t see her blush. “Thanks” Liv liked to think they could be considered friends now. They texted a lot, liked each other’s photos on social media, and they interacted when they saw each other in passing. The last time they saw each other tho was the day of the draft. His girlfriend had been there to support him.

That was the one and only time she had ever seen Marie. She seemed really nice and she was gorgeous too. “Hey um..how’s Marie?” Liv asked trying to make small talk. She really didn’t want to talk about Marie, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say. Dom stiffened. Liv noticed the shift in his body language and looked up. He had a grimace on his face and he wasn’t meeting her gaze. “She…uh…we broke up three months ago.” Liv’s eyes widened.

“Oh my god Dom, I’m so sorry. Sorry for brining it up!!” Shit. Now she felt bad. “No it’s okay, you didn’t know. We haven’t really told anyone.” He looked so upset. She reached out and grabbed his hands in hers. He looked down at their hands and then at Liv. “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here for you.” He smiled. “Thanks güerita. Might have to take you up on that.”

Güerita. Liv blushed. He’s so cute. She was brought back by the sound of her phone going off. She let go of his hands, moved her title to one shoulder and checked her phone.

“Oh, sorry Dom one sec! Hello?”

“GIO!!!!! CONGRATS GIRLIE IM SO PROUD OF YOU!!” Bayley screamed into her ear causing Liv to move the phone away from her ear. Dom chuckled and Liv smiled at him. “Hi Bayley thank you!!!”

“WHERE ARE YOU?!” Liv moved to put the call on speaker.

“Uh still at the venue, just finished taking my new renders with the title. I was about to go change but I ran into Dominik so we started talking. Why?”

“OOOOO OKAY WELL WE’RE ALL GONNA GO OUT AND CELEBRATE SO YOU BETTER GET YOUR LITTLE BUTT READY AND MEET US IN THE FRONT! MERCEDES RENTED A PARTY BUS!! AND BRING DOM WITH YOU!”

And the call ended. “How did they get a party bus on such short notice?” Dom said shocked. Liv laughed. “I have no clue, but it’s Mercedes so I’m not surprised.” Dom laughed.

“Hey why’d she call you Gio?” Liv looked up at him. “Oh Gionna is my actual first name. Olivia is my middle name, I just go by that for the fans cause it’s easier.” Dom gave a little ‘oh’ noise and nodded his head. “Gionna’s a really beautiful name.”

Liv blushed hard. “T-thank you. A-Anyway, you wanna come?” Liv moved a piece of her hair behind her ear and Dom watched the movement. “You can get away from your dad for a while and just party.” Dominik stared at her as she adjusted the title on her shoulder and flipped her hair behind her.

“Are you sure that’s okay? I wouldn’t wanna intrude.” He said scratching the back of his head. “You heard Bayley, she said to bring you, and I’d really like it if you came. We’ve never really got to hang before, plus we’re on different brands so we barely get to see each other anyways.” She looked up at him hopefully. Fuck. She is so gorgeous. There was absolutely no way Dominik could say no to her.

———————————————————————————————

july 25th to august 1st 2022

august 8th, 2022

———————————————————————————————

september 3rd, 2022

Liv walked into the guerilla after her match against Shayna on cloud nine. She was honestly not 100% positive she could beat Shayna, but she did and she’s ecstatic. And then she wants to throw up because Rhea Fucking Ripley and the rest of the judgment day are right there. Getting ready to go out for their match. Rhea sees her and she can see the steam coming off of her. Liv gives her the finger. Priest holds Rhea back as she tries to pounce on Liv. Bitch.

Then she locks eyes with Finn. She grinds her teeth together and scowls at him as he gives her a pleading look. Her only reply is a roll of her eyes as she walks away. As she leaves the guerilla area she sees dom, rey, and edge heading towards it. Dom looks lost in thought. A smile breaks out on her face. “Dom!” She yells and he snaps out of whatever trance he was in and sees her. His eyes widen and he stiffens but she doesn’t notice this. Instead she runs to him. “Mijo, Edge y yo seguiremos adelante. Nos reuniremos contigo allí.”

Edge and Rey walk away and Dom focuses back on Liv. The white gear she had on right now looks so good on her body. She looks fucking gorgeous. “Congrats on retaining. I knew you could do it.” He says smiling. Liv notices it doesn’t quite reach his eyes like his smiles usually do. “Thanks!! I’ll be watching your guys match too! I wanted to wish you good luck!”

Dom frowns. “I’m not in the match.”

“Well I know that silly, but you’re gonna be out there supporting your dad and edge!! I can come with to help keep Rhea in check if you want!” Dom’s eyes widen. “No! Uh no that’s okay. I-i know you must be exhausted. I can handle it.”

Liv frowned, caught off guard by his outburst. “Well okay, I’ll go then.” She’s about to walk away but makes a split second decision that she hopes she doesn’t regret. She pulls Dominik into a hug and holds him tight, squeezing her eyes shut as she does so. Dom stands frozen for a few seconds before he wraps his arms around her. “Good luck” she whispers into his ear before she kisses him on the cheek and turns to walk away.

Dom catches her wrist. “Wha-” She gets cut off by him pulling her back to his chest and kissing her full on the mouth. Liv stands wide eyed for a full five seconds before she melts into the kiss. Her arms wrapped around his waist and his hands holding her face. He pulls away after a minute and they rub their noses together before resting their foreheads together. “I’m sorry.” He whispers. Beefore Liv can ask why he’s sorry, he pulls away and walks towards guerilla. “Dom!” She calls after him but he just keeps walking and doesn’t look back.

Later, she watches as he betrays edge. As he betrays his father. She sees the judgment day laughing. Sees Finn laughing. She doesn’t think he’s acting anymore. She’s pretty sure he’s fully in the darkness now. She doesn’t know what to do now. She understands why he apologized after their kiss, and her heart cracks.

———————————————————————————————

november to february 2023

On Raw, she watches as he comes out to confront Edge and Rey. He looks so…different. So not Dominik. She honestly doesn’t recognize him anymore. And that bitch is all over him. “I’ve made him into a man.” Yeah right.

He won’t answer her calls or texts anymore. He doesn’t like her posts either. She watches him and Rhea, and each thing they do together causes another crack in Liv’s heart. Rhea doesn’t even like him. She’s doing this to hurt Liv, she knows this for a fact. Before initiating any sort of pda, Rhea always looks to see if Liv is there and if she’s watching. Obviously she plays it up for the fans. But Liv knows the truth. She hides sometimes so Rhea doesn’t see her, and she watches as Dom tries to hug her or hold her hand and Rhea won’t let him. She won’t let him initiate anything. Only Rhea’s allowed to do that. And the way she talks to him behind closed doors. It’s terrible. Liv doesn’t get why Dom stays with her. Why he tries so hard to get her approval. Why he needs it so bad.

She’s finds Dom alone in catering one day and she tries to say hi. She waves at him and smiles when he meets her gaze. He gives her a deadpan look, devoid of any emotions. He just looks like a hollow shell. He gets up, walks towards where she is and brushes right past her. Tears start to form in Liv’s eyes and she bites her lip to stop them from falling.

———————————————————————————————

march 3rd, 2023

Rhea won the rumble. She’s been coming to smackdown because she’s challenging Charlotte Flair at Wrestlemania. Rhea and Liv had a match today. Rhea used the prism lock to tap her out. Dom just stood there and watched. Cheering Rhea on. Liv’s heart fully shattered during that match. Why did he kiss her if he was just going to break her heart?

———————————————————————————————

april to july 2023

She gets drafted back to raw. She wins tag team gold with Raquel. She’s doing okay. She still thinks about Dom and Finn. She still texts them sometimes. They don’t reply. Raquel is helping her heal. They date for a bit. They’re better off as friends. Liv just isn’t really in a good headspace for dating right now.

The next time she gets involved in business with Rhea is four months after their last match. She’s defending her title against Nattie and after she wins she continues to brutalize her. Liv and Raquel run out to save her. Rhea slips out the ring before they get there.

She did tell them to stay out of her business. They should’ve stayed out of her business. She attacks Raquel and Liv back stage. They’re supposed to defend their titles against Sonya and Chelsea tonight. Rhea took out Raquel’s leg. So Liv defends the titles herself. And she loses. Later that night, Liv goes out to the ring while the judgment day is having their tag team title shot and attacks Rhea.

They next monday they get scheduled to have a match. Liv is nervous, but she’s hoping that if she can win then maybe she can have an opportunity at the title. That isn’t gonna happen tho. Rhea attacks Liv on her way to the ring. Rhea tears Liv’s shoulder apart with a steel chair. Officials and medical personal rush out to help Liv. Rhea pushes through them and stomps on her arm with the chair again.

The doctors say she needs surgery. They say she’ll be gone for seven months. Seven. Fucking. Months.

When she gets a hold of her phone, she finds messages from all her friends. Wishing condolences. There’s one from Finn too.

There’s one from Dom too.

Rhea Ripley was going to fucking pay. She took her brother away from her. She took the guy she liked away from her. She took her best friend away from her. Now she took her fucking arm and seven months of her career. This was the final fucking straw. Liv was gonna get the surgery, she was gonna go to therapy and work her way back to being in ring ready. And when she came back?

She was gonna take everything from Rhea Ripley. Every thing Rhea loved would be hers.

to be continued…

pt 2 (maybe, we’ll see.)

[rainbowbobatea]

Chapter 1

“You’re always with me in my head, never out of my mind.” — Unknown

[The Jackman Base, North-West Colorado]

"You're a dead man, Hugh Jackman."

Howie growls, his breath hot against Hugh's ear as he presses the gun into Hugh's mouth. The cold metal of the gun barrel slides between Hugh's teeth, flooding his mouth with the acrid taste of iron and gunpowder.

Death has a flavor, and this is it.

Hugh winces, holding back a gag as he tongues the barrel into his cheek. His words come out muffled, but defiant.

"And you're a short man, Howie D."

A kick to the shin. Worth it. Hugh's eyes water, but he doesn't flinch. Across the dim warehouse, the echoes of his empire being dismantled reach his ears—barrels rolling, guns clattering. The Backstreet Boys strip the place bare, just like they've stripped him. His golden pendant, his tailored suit, his dignity—all gone.

Howie yanks the gun from Hugh's mouth, pressing it to his forehead.

"¡Cállate el carajo! One more word and I'll—"

"What? Throw a Napoleon-sized fit?"

Howie's finger twitches on the trigger. Hugh braces for the bang, but it doesn't come.

"Yo, Howie!" AJ's voice bounces off the dank walls. "Quit playin' and help with these loads!"

Brian, hefting a crate, chimes in. "Yeah, man. Hugh's goons could show any minute."

Howie doesn't budge, eyes locked on Hugh. "No. Someone's gotta watch this pendejo."

"He's tied up tight," Brian counters.

"Ten years," Howie snarls, pressing the gun harder against Hugh's skin. "Ten years since we last saw each other face to face. Your organs'll fetch a pretty penny."

Hugh shrugs, feigning nonchalance. "What's the going rate? Two million aussies? Three million aussies?"

"This ain't Australia, jackass."

"True," Hugh smirks, eyeing Howie's disheveled appearance. "And here's another fun fact—your shirt's on backwards, mate."

Howie's face contorts in confusion. "What—"

Bam! Hugh's forehead collides with Howie's nose, a sickening crunch echoing through the warehouse. In a flash, Hugh wiggles out of his restraints and snatches the gun, his bound hands fumbling but determined. He fires wildly, the shots ricocheting off metal and concrete.

Chaos erupts. The Backstreet Boys scatter like startled pigeons, ducking behind crates and machinery.

"Shit!" AJ yells, diving for cover. "He's loose!"

Kevin, crouched behind a barrel, glares at Howie. "Great. Because Howie decided he wanted to make a speech like a pastor instead of helping us, Hugh's escaping."

Amidst the mayhem, Hugh spots a glint of gold—his mafia necklace, worth millions, sitting on top of his clothes. With a grunt, he lunges forward, snatching all his stuff before scrambling towards the exit.

Brian emerges from behind a forklift, gun drawn. "Don't let him—"

Too late. Hugh, finally free of his bonds, sprints across the warehouse floor. His eyes dart around, spotting a row of cars. Without hesitation, he smashes the window of a sleek Chevy, hotwiring it with practiced ease.

The engine roars to life as Nick emerges from the warehouse, face pale. "Oh, come on! That was my Chevy!"

Aaron, runs out behind him, a grin splitting his face. "Yay, he didn't steal mine!"

Nick whirls on his brother, blue eyes blazing. "Shut up, Aaron! This isn't funny!"

The Backstreet Boys scramble to their vehicles, tires screeching as they peel out of the lot. Brian, gripping the steering wheel of his SUV, shouts over the engine's roar, "We can't let him get away! If he warns his crew, we're toast!"

As Hugh tears down the Colorado highway, his mind races faster than the stolen Chevy. How the hell did his rival gang find him here, of all places? He had hundreds of territories across America and Australia, a vast empire built on extortion, smuggling, and countless other crimes.

Yet somehow, after so many years, they'd bumped into each other this very morning.

"Bloody hell," Hugh mutters, swerving around a slow-moving minivan. He’s half naked while speeding down a packed highway.

What a way to start the day.

He'd promised Ava and Oscar he'd get them McDonald's breakfast. Despite having maids to whip up gourmet meals, his little kids still craved those greasy hash browns and loved the cheap plastic toys.

But first, daddy had business to do.

He'd only meant to check on some orders, but instead, found himself in this mess when he bumped into the Backstreet Boys outside the hidden warehouse.

Ah, shit.

In his rearview mirror, Hugh spots the convoy of cars in hot pursuit. He floors it, the speedometer climbing past 100 mph. In Brian's SUV, Kevin suddenly turns green.

"Pull over!" he gags, hand over his mouth.

Brian glances at him, alarmed. "What? We can't stop now!"

But it's too late. Kevin leans out the window, retching violently. The contents of his stomach splatter across the side of the car.

"Oh, come on!" AJ yells from the backseat. "That's nasty, man!"

Up ahead, traffic grinds to a halt. Hugh curses, abandoning the Chevy and taking off on foot. A couple of cars honk and women whistle as he runs through the sea of cars, half naked. His bare chest and abs get assaulted by the cool, autumn breeze.

“Ah, shit.” He shivers, trying to wiggle into his suit and tie again.

Suddenly, while getting dressed, fhe expensive pendant slips from his grasp, clattering far away from him into the pavement. But before he can retrieve it, a woman nearby bends down, scooping it up. Her face lightens up; she looks at the object in awe.

Oh no.

No, no.

Hugh's hand flies to his concealed weapon, ready to eliminate this unexpected complication. But as the woman looks up, looking around, he freezes.

She's... beautiful.

Stunning, really. Her brown eyes, contrast to the light pink sweater she's wearing, looks wide and curious. They blink, locking into his for a millisecond.

For a moment, Hugh forgets how to breathe…

The black woman looks around and shrugs, oblivious to the danger, and continues walking. Hugh watches her go, gun still in his pocket, unfired.

He never hesitates to kill.

So why now?

Transfixed, Hugh observes as she strolls away, hips swaying hypnotically beneath her skin tight jeans. She's humming softly—he strains to catch the melody. "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid, he realizes with a start.

Hugh stands rooted to the spot, amazed by her kindness... and, if he's honest, by how magnificently curvy she is.

Hugh feels his cheeks flush, his pulse quickens, and he tears his gaze away. He's seen a lot of things—brutal beatings, cold-blooded murders, you name it. But this woman's simple act of charity has him rattled. She seems so…kind.

Innocent.

His hand trembles as he lowers his gun, his eyes glued to her retreating figure. Usually, he'd have no qualms about taking what he wanted, but something holds him back. Perhaps it's those full, kissable lips, curved in a smile that reaches her big brown doe eyes.

Get a grip, man.

Hugh shakes his head, berating himself for his hesitation. He's a mafia boss, for crying out loud! A powerful, feared figure in the criminal underworld. Yet here he is, tongue-tied and flushed, like a lovesick teenager over a woman he barley knew for 10 minutes.

With a forceful exhale, he strides after her, his eyes scanning her curves appreciatively.

As she walks, the hem of her sweater rides up, granting Hugh a glimpse of smooth, chocolate-colored skin. He imagines what lies beneath—lacy lingerie, perhaps, hugging her voluptuous curves?

The thought sends a rush of warmth through him, and he curses under his breath.

"Focus," he mutters to himself.

He debates whether to confront her, demand the mafia chain back. Or maybe he could be a bit more... persuasive. A nudge here, a whispered threat there—he's an expert at getting what he wants.

Yet, despite his usual assertiveness, he finds himself tongue-tied, unable to disturb this woman's serenity. What would she think of him if he did? The disappointed look on her face, the fear in her eyes…

He can't bear the thought.

So he lingers at a distance, his eyes never leaving her. With each step, he notices more about her—the way her hair falls in cute curls, the graceful sway of her hips, the confident bounce in her step.

His heart skips a beat every time she glances over her shoulder, as if sensing his gaze…

---

Meanwhile, back at the traffic jam, the Backstreet Boys bicker in their stalled vehicles.

"This is all your fault, Howie!" Nick shouts from his car window.

Howie, nursing his bruised nose, fires back, "My fault? If you hadn't insisted on taking that shortcut—"

"Oh, don't start with that again," Brian interjects. "Your 'shortcuts' always end up taking twice as long!" His eyes widen worry as he sighs. "Leighanne is gonna kill me if I don't get back in time for our date night."

"Yo, but if Hugh rallies his crew, then he'll kill you too," AJ shakes, his voice tinged with worry. "So either way, you're dead tonight man."

"Ah, shit."

Kevin, his usual reserved demeanor giving way to concern, adds, "We need to find him, now."

"Yeah," Aaron pipes up, "and we gotta get back Nick's poor car back!"

Nick whirls on his brother. "Nobody asked you, Aaron! Why are you even here?"

As the arguing intensifies, Kevin stumbles out of Brian's SUV, still looking queasy. "Guys, can we please just... not? I think I left my stomach about three miles back."

"Damn, speaking of stomach's—mine is growling," AJ groans, patting his shirt.

Brian nods in agreement. "Yeah, man. All this chasing and arguing's worked up an appetite."

"Let's grab some grub," Nick suggests, already pulling out his phone. "I know a great steakhouse nearby."

He dials Outback Steakhouse, tapping his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel as he waits for someone to pick up. The others watch expectantly, their mouths already watering at the thought of juicy steaks and loaded baked potatoes.

Finally, Nick's face lights up. "Hello? Yes, I'd like to make a reservation for—" His expression quickly falls. "What do you mean no more room? It's the middle of the afternoon!" He listens for a moment, his frown deepening. "Fine. Thanks."

Nick angrily jabs the end call button and hurls his phone onto the dashboard.

"Shut the fuck up...bitch!" he yells at the device, startling the others.

"Whoa," Howie says, eyebrows raised. "What's got you so worked up?"

Nick runs a hand through his blond hair, frustration evident in his voice. "They're fully booked. Can you believe it? On a Tuesday afternoon!"

"Now what?" Aaron asks, peering out the window. "I'm starving!"

Just then, Brian spots a quaint little establishment tucked between two larger buildings. The sign above the door reads "Belle's Books & Brews" in elegant, curling script.

"Hey, how about that place?" he suggests, pointing it out to the others. "Might as well go in, right?"

The group exchanges glances, considering the option. It's not their usual type of hangout, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"I don't know, man," AJ hesitates, looking down at his tattoo-covered arms and ripped jeans. "Should we change? We look like a mob gang."

There's a moment of silence as they all take in each other's appearances—leather jackets, dark sunglasses, and an overall air of intimidation.

Brian snorts, breaking the tension. "Well... we are one."

"True B-Rok," Kevin concedes with a shrug.

With that settled, they try finding a space to park their vehicles and make their way towards Le Festin, drawing curious glances from passbyers.

Meanwhile, back at the Carey-Cobain household, chaos was unfolding that morning too…

In the living room, twins Roc and Roe engage in a heated tug-of-war over a shirt.

"It's mine!" Roc insists, his small hands gripping the fabric tightly.

Roe yanks back, her pigtails bouncing with the effort. "No way! Mom bought it for me!"

Their squabble provides a discordant backdrop to Ariana's high-pitched vocalizing. She prances around the house, hitting impossibly high notes as she warms up her voice.

"I'm like a bird, I'll only fly awaaaaaay!" Ariana trills, twirling dramatically.

Sophia, bleary-eyed and clutching a steaming mug of coffee, shoots her sister a withering glare. "For the love of God, Ari, it's too early for this. Shut up!"

Ariana pauses mid-note, pouting. "You're just jealous of my angelic voice, Soph."

"More like demonic," Soph mutters, taking a long sip of her coffee.

In the kitchen, Mariah bustles about in her silk robe and fuzzy slippers. The aroma of bacon and pancakes wafts through the air as she flips flapjacks with one hand while stirring a pot of grits with the other. She sighs, secretly glaring at her husband, Kirt, for sleeping through all of the chaos.

"Frances, honey," Mariah calls out, "can you go wake up Shar? Breakfast is almost ready."

Frances nods, padding down the hallway to Shar's room. She raps gently on the door. "Shar? You up?"

"Uh, yeah…" Shar is already awake, but the noise is enough to make anyone want to stay tucked away in the comfort of their room. She creeks the door open, flinching as Ari’s voice fills the air.

“Oooo yeahhhh!”

"Tell mama that I’m gonna take a walk," Shar tells Frances, carefully sneaking out as she puts on her airpods. She quickly dons a sweater and heads out, shitting the door and breathing in a big gulp of air.

“Ugh, I needed this.”

The crisp air tingles her skin, sending goosebumps down her arms, as she hits play on her phone, 'Rock Your Body' blasting into her ears. It's one of her favorite tunes, and she can't help but bounce along to the beat.

Autumn is Shar's favorite season. To her, summer is unbearably hot, spring damp and buggy, and winter just too darn cold. But autumn? It's perfect.

The breeze is just right, the leaves paint the town with color, and who can resist a pumpkin spice latte? Plus, she gets to wrap herself in cozy sweaters.

What more could a girl ask for?

As she strolls, kicking the occasional crunching leaf, she feels a sense of peace in the quiet town. It's so safe here that if you left your wallet on a park bench, someone would likely return it before you even realized it was missing. No crimes, no robberies, none of that stuff…

Screech!

Pop! Pop!

She pauses mid-step, her eyes snapping open at the sound of commotion. Did she just…hear gunshots? Shar's heart skips a beat, but she quickly shakes off the notion.

Nah. Nothing bad ever happens in their quiet Colorado town.

Besides, her mind is on something else entirely as she continues her walk—the glint of something shiny on the pavement. She bends down to pick it up, her eyes widening at the sight of a gold necklace with a weird symbol.

"Wow," she breathes, "this is gorgeous."

Shar turns it over in her hands, the pendant sparkling in the sunlight. It looks expensive, maybe even custom-made. She smiles, taking it as a lucky sign.

Maybe today will be a great day after all!

As she walks, continuing to listen as her playlist switches to disney songs, a chill runs through her. For some very odd reason, she can't shake the weird feeling that someone is following her.

She stops and turns, her eyes scanning the area.

But there's no one there.

“Huh.” Shar sucks in a breath, her eyes scanning the area. Slowly, she continues on her way again, her heart still hammering in her chest. As she nears home, she realizes how worked up she is, and can't help but laugh at herself.

"Girl, you've been listening to too many crime podcasts," she shakes her head.

With a final glance over her shoulder, Shar heads back inside, ready to change and face the day. Unaware of the man just outside her bedroom window, hiding underneath the shadows of the tree…

—

Okay, enough ogling around:

Hugh has to get that pedant back before someone mistakes her for being a part of the mafia too.

But, how?

The pretty girl he'd been watching disappeared into her house, and what's he gonna do now—knock on the door and pretend he's a delivery man? A pizza guy?

Hell nah, that wouldn't work with his fancy suit 'n tie. He needs to be strategic, come up with a plan…

But all of those thoughts fly out the window the moment he walks by her open bedroom window because, honestly? Who can think about anything when this beauty is in front of him, giggling, trying on cute outfits, fixing up her hair…for him?

No, nonsense.

This woman hasn't even met him, but yet—the thought of this her getting ready for him, trying to look pretty for him, turned him on…

So. Badly.

Hugh swallows. He continues to secretly stare at the woman, until the peaceful afternoon turns chaotic—the bedroom door bursts open, and a tiny toddler goes flying inside. She's got wild, uncontrollable curls, big brown eyes, and a mischievous grin.

"Goya on the loose!" a voice shouts from inside the house.

Hugh watches, amused, as the little girl zigzags through the room, her laughter ringing out. He pictures how this woman would play with his kids—Ava and Oscar—and smiles at the thought.

She’d probably make a great mom…

As abruptly as the chaos began, it settles. The woman reappears, back in the bedroom... and his breath catches as she starts to undress. Her movements are leisurely, deliberate, almost as if she's performing for him…only him.

No one else but him.

“Fuck…” His gaze rakes over her luscious curves as she peels off her clothes, piece by piece, and honestly? He can't help but leans closer to the window, eyes devouring her. She teases him without even knowing it, running her hands seductively over her body.

Then, to his surprise, she picks up a small pink toy and lays on the bed, legs spread wide as she—

Oh.

Hugh's eyes widen as his cock twitches in his pants. He can almost hear her soft moans above the whirring of the fan, imagine the sultry look on her face as she loses herself in pleasure. One day, she's going to look like that as he touches her body…

Her hips…

Breasts…

Smooth, soft skin…

Ring, ring!

“Huh?!” Hugh flinches. The sudden shrill of his iPhone startles him, and he curses under his breath. He freezes as Shar's head snaps up, her eyes scanning the room. She hasn't seen him, has she?

He hopes not.

Hugh quickly ducks behind a tree, pressing the phone to his ear as his beating heart begins to calm down. “Hey, Ryan."

"Hey! Good morning—"

"Cut to the chase."

"Woah, woah, woah. Sheesh," Ryan says. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Cranky 'cause you still haven't gotten laid yet?"

Hugh groans. "Just cut to the chase, mate."

"Listen, heard one of our warehouses got busted by another group. Everything okay over there?" Ryan asks, his voice laced with concern.

Hugh's mind is still half on the woman in front of him, but he manages to respond, "Yeah, yeah, everything's fine. Just—"

Ryan launches into a nonstop tirade as Hugh's gaze darts back to the window. Shar is still there, her eyes closed, her body arching slightly.

He bites back a groan, torn between the call and the tempting vision before him. Finally, Ryan winds down, leaving Hugh to fumble for a response.

"Uh, yeah. No, that sounds good. We'll figure it out. Thanks, mate," Hugh stammers, his attention still very much on Shar.

As Ryan's voice fades, the woman's movements slow. She settles back onto the bed, a smile of satisfaction on her face, her chest gently rising and falling. Hugh knows he should leave, but he's transfixed by the sight of her, post-orgasmic glow and all. It’s so fucking beautiful, more prettier than the sunset before night. He's captivated by the way she runs her hands over her body, fingers lingering on her soft curves...

Suddenly, she hops off the bed and heads into her washroom, shutting the door shut. He blinks, taken aback by her sudden disappearance.

Now's your chance. Your chance to get it back.

With a final, lingering look, he hoists himself into Shar's bedroom through the open window. His eyes scan the room, taking in the cozy space filled with fairy lights, books, and pop funkos.He spots the pendant on the bed and reaches for it when two text message pops up on her phone.

Ding! Ding!

Usually, he minds his business—never caring to snoop around other people’s stuff unless it benefited him with money or power.

But, today?

He can’t help but wanna know more about her, this mysterious woman that he saw today. Any information about her excited him, so it wasn’t surprising when he found himself absentmindedly reaching for her phone, eager to see who had access to her. He prayed, hoping he wouldn’t see any male names in the notifications.

And thankfully, he didn’t.

'Mish: Gyal! You too down bad!"

'Lizzie: Ready to start your shift at Le Festin?’

Shar. Shar…Shar, Shar. Shar. Hm…

Such a pretty name.

But it's going to sound even prettier once she's on top of him, grinding against him, making him moan out his name as he reaches ecstasy in bed—

Shar…

Shar.

A soft sound startles him from his reverie. He freezes, his eyes widening as he realizes someone has entered the room.

Oh, crickey.

It's the little girl from earlier, "Goya." Her big brown eyes regard him curiously, and he offers a cautious wave. She seems unfazed by his presence, simply waving back before toddling off, her chubby legs carrying her away.

"O-oh, okay. Well, then…bye, I guess."

Hugh exhales a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He's faced off against dangerous criminals, stared down the barrel of a gun, and yet this little girl had him on edge.

For goodness sake...

Eager to head out, he grabs the pendant (and the toy Shar was using) and pockets both items. He hops back out the window. As he walks away, he glances back at the bathroom door where she was probably showering, soaping up that body, just for him.

Getting all ready, just for him.

"I'll see you soon…Shar," he murmurs to himself, kicking a few leaves. “At the cafe. I can't wait for you to get to know me better…”

He takes one last look at the house before walking off, taking out the toy from his pocket, pressing it against his lips. Her scent still lingers. Hugh smiles.

“…I think we’ll get along just fine.”

{A busy afternoon at Le Festin}

An hour into her shift and already?

Things are a disaster. Ugh.

The bustling café feels more like a battlefield to Shar, who's doing her best to keep up with the onslaught of orders. Every time she thinks she's making progress, another customer steps up to the counter, their order more complicated than the last. She feels like a stretched out wad of gum as she runs around, trying to serve orders:

"I'll have a pumpkin-spiced Matcha latte, with soy milk and an extra shot of vanilla, please."

"Do you have avocado toast? But can you add tomatoes and make sure they're ripe, not too squishy, but also not too firm..."

"Two slices of banana bread, warmed up, and a chocolate croissant, but I want the flaky kind, none of that soft crap."

Shar feels like she's drowning, and the cherry on top of this stressful sundae is her phone blowing up with texts from her Mama Mariah, asking if she's eaten, reminding her to drink enough water, and texts from her sisters to bring back muffins, pretty please?

As if on cue, Lizzie approaches with a harried expression, saying, "Shar, honey, I need you to handle Table 12. They've been waiting a while, and they're getting antsy."

Shar bites back a groan. "Sure thing."

With a deep breath, she steels herself and makes her way towards the group of men, trying to keep her smile from looking too strained.

"Hi! Welcome to Le Festin. Wanna know what's new on the menu today?"

The men, deep in an argument, don't notice her presence until she's almost at their table. It's only when AJ, mid-gesture, catches sight of her that the arguing stops abruptly, like a record scratch.

"Well, hello there, sweetheart," AJ drawls, flashing a heart-stopping grin. His lighthearted tone immediately changes the atmosphere, and Shar feels a flutter in her stomach.

"Are you on the menu?" He winks, and Shar feels her cheeks heat up. She can't help but laugh, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Uh…not today, I guess." Shar rolls her eyes, playing with her pen.

While AJ's charm works its magic, Howie sits frozen in his seat, his face a brilliant shade of red. He opens his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is an unintelligible mumble. His eyes, wide and awestruck, dart everywhere but at Shar, as if looking directly at her might cause him to spontaneously combust.

Damn. That woman is gorgeous.

Kevin, still looking slightly green around the gills, clears his throat. "Excuse me, miss," he says, his voice strained. "Where's the restroom? I'm not feeling too hot."

Shar nods sympathetically, pointing towards the back of the café. "Of course! The restrooms are just past bookshelves—"

"Thank you!"

As Kevin rushes off, Nick leans in, trying his best to appear casual.

"Hey, quick question," he says, his voice lowered conspiratorially. "You haven't seen any car with a broken window around here lately, have you…?"

Shar blinks, caught off guard by the odd question.

"Uh…like a robbed one? No, can't say I have," she replies, her brow furrowing. "Though, now that you mention it, I did hear some weird noises earlier. Like…gun shots?"

At her innocent response, the playful atmosphere at the table evaporates. The men exchange worried glances, their easy banter replaced by an awkward silence. Shar, oblivious to the sudden tension, continues to smile brightly as she jots down their orders.

"Alright, so anyways—I'll be back with your order in no time!"

Shar rushes back to the kitchen, heart sinking as she realizes how long the line has gotten while she was away. The cacophony of impatient customers, clinking cups, and whirring machines fills the air, creating a symphony of chaos.

More chaotic than her home this morning.

Shar's head spins as she tries to juggle it all. She grabs a tray piled high with steaming mugs of coffee, her hands shaking slightly under the weight. As she turns to deliver the drinks, her foot catches on a loose floorboard and—

"Oh!"

Time seems to slow as Shar feels herself falling…

Falling…

Falling.

The tray tilts, hot liquid sloshing dangerously close to the edges of the mugs. She closes her eyes, bracing for impact, the mess, the hard floor…

But the crash never comes.

Instead, Shar feels strong arms wrap around her, steadying her just inches from the ground. The tray miraculously rights itself, not a drop spilled. Shar opens her eyes, ready to thank her savior, only to find herself staring into the face of a man she's never seen before.

…Oh?

“You okay?” He says, his hands resting on her waist.

Shar opens her mouth, no words coming out as she stares. He's tall, impeccably dressed in a sharp suit that screams 'important business,' and devastatingly handsome.

And yet…cute, like a puppy?

Two round brown eyes that focus on her. Shar's breath catches in her throat as she takes in his chiseled jawline and the hands still wrapped around her.

"I... uh..." she stammers, suddenly very aware of how close they are. "T-thanks."

The man smiles, a crooked grin that makes Shar's heart do a little flip. His arms move up to her arms, helping her balance the tray.

The other hand? It lingers on her waist, ever-so-slightly caressing it…

"No problem at all," he says, his Australian voice deep and smooth. "Though, I think your shirt might need some attention."

Shar looks down to see coffee stains spreading across her once-pristine white blouse. She groans, mortified.

"Hey, it's okay," the man assures her, his voice calm. He brushes a hair lock from her face. "I'll handle this. Go grab a clean shirt in the back."

“But I—“

His finger silences her, before he gently tilts her chin up at him. “Go on. I got this, alright.”

“Oh…okay.”

Boy, is this guy really touchy. Blushing, Shar nods gratefully and hesitantly turns to leave, disappearing into the back. A disgruntled voice pipes up from the growing line of customers.

"Hey! What about my order? I've been waiting forever!"

Hugh watches Shar close the back door before whirring around, his easy smile replaced by a look that could freeze lava. He locks eyes with the complaining customer, his voice low and dangerous.

"Yell at her again," he says quietly, "and I'll rip out your fucking vocal cords from your throat.”

…..

Silence.

The customer's face drains of color. He stammers a quick apology and retreats to the back of the line, suddenly very interested in the menu board.

Meanwhile, Shar returns, freshly changed and still a bit flustered. She finds Hugh calmly wiping drops of coffee from the floor.

"Thank you so much," she says, smiling shyly. "I don't know what I would have done without you. Oh, I'm Shar by the way."

The man grins, his boyish smile making her heart do another flip. "Hugh," he replies. "And it's my pleasure. Always happy to help a pretty girl out.”

Shar laughs, feeling her cheeks heat up again. "Thank you" she rubs her neck shyly. "But seriously, how have I never seen you here before? Are you new?"

Hugh’s heart skips a beat. His mind works overtime to come up with something—anything, besides a “Yeah, I work as a mafia boss in this part of town.”

"Actually, I've been working at this cafe for a while. Maybe you were too busy on your phone to notice."

Shar gasps in mock offense, but can't help giggling. "I'm a bad girl," she admits. "Always checking my phone during shifts."

Hugh swallows hard, his eyes darkening for a moment at her words

Bad girl? Oh…you're dirty, yes you are.

The moment is broken by a crash from across the café. Shar flinches, quickly remembering her duties. "Oh no, I still have to serve that big group of guys," she groans.

"I can help," Hugh offers immediately, already reaching for a tray.

"You sure?"

"Yes. You go deal with the line while I serve this for you. Deal?"

A burst of relief floods her aching bones. She smiles, grateful for his help. "Deal."

Before Shar can protest anymore, Hugh strides towards the table where the group of men sit. As he approaches, his confident stride falters. His eyes widen in recognition, and the tray in his hands begins to shake ever so slightly.

Oh. Shit.

He screwed up.

The reaction from the table is instantaneous. All five men jump to their feet, chairs scraping loudly against the floor. Howie, his earlier shyness forgotten, lunges forward and grabs Hugh by the collar.

"You!" Howie snarls, his face contorted with rage. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Hugh's heart races as he stares into the furious faces of the Backstreet Boys. The cafe's ambient chatter fades away, leaving only the sound of his own rapid breathing. He tries to maintain his composure, but his hands tremble slightly as he holds the tray.

He hopes Shar isn't around to overhear…

Howie's grip on Hugh's collar tightens, his knuckles turning white. "I asked you a question," he hisses through clenched teeth. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?"

"…Serving you food?"

"Oh, cut the crap."

The other members of the group fan out, effectively blocking any escape routes. AJ's earlier charm has vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating stare. Nick's hand hovers near his waist, ready to draw a concealed weapon if necessary. Brian and Kevin exchange worried glances, their eyes darting between Hugh and the oblivious cafe patrons.

Boy, it would be so easy to get rid of them with the trigger of his hidden gun—but there’s no way he would do it in front of Shar…not when he just gained her trust.

Hugh opens his mouth to respond, but before he can utter a word, a familiar voice cuts through the tension.

"Stop!"

Shar rushed over, her heart beating out of her chest. "What are you doing? I won't let you get angry at my co-worker!"

All heads turn to look at her, and for a moment, the entire cafe seems to hold its breath. Howie's grip on Hugh's collar loosens as he takes in Shar's presence. Her eyes are wide with concern, her chest heaving slightly from her sprint across the cafe.

Even in her regular cafe uniform, she's breathtakingly beautiful.

Howie's throat goes dry. "I... uh..."

Shar places her hands on her round hips, her expression a mix of determination and disappointment. "I don't know what's going on here, but this is unacceptable behavior. I'm going to have to ask you all to leave."

The Backstreet Boys exchange bewildered looks. They're not used to being ordered around, especially not by a petite barista.

"But-" Nick starts to protest, but Shar cuts him off with a stern look.

"No buts. Out. Now."

Reluctantly, the group begins to file out of the cafe. They all grumble, mad at Howie for ruining their brunch as the door closes behind them. The cafe erupts into hushed whispers.

Shar turns to Hugh, her eyes full of concern. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry about that."

Hugh straightens his collar, trying to regain his composure. "I'm fine, thanks to you," he says with a grateful smile. "You were amazing."

Shar blushes at the compliment, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh, it was nothing. I just couldn't stand by and watch those random customers treat you like that."

Random customers.

Ah, it's so cute how Shar has no idea that she just yelled at a group of dangerous mafia leaders. She’s so innocent. So very clueless.

Hugh's smile widens. The way she defended him made him wanna award her, so reaches into his pocket, pulling out the golden necklace. "Speaking of not standing by... I believe this belongs to you."

Shar's eyes widen in surprise. "My necklace! But how did you...?"

Hugh's mind races, quickly formulating a lie. "I saw you drop it on my way to work this morning. I was going to give it to you earlier, but things got a bit... hectic."

Shar beams, holding up the pendant to catch the light. "It's beautiful! I can't believe you found it. Thank you so much."

Hugh’s fingers brush her skin as he puts the necklace around her neck. His mind flashes with thoughts: one day, her neck will be decorated with other necklaces. No not just jewelry, but hickeys. His love bites. He'd suck on her smooth, chocolate skin as he thrusts into her and she’d be all his. His, his, his—

Bzzz, bzzz.

Her phone rings, shattering the moment. She giggles, her cheeks flushing as she fumbles to answer it.

"Sorry, I should take this," she says, stepping away slightly.

“Ah, alright.” Disappointment weighs him down as Hugh watches as Shar talk on the phone, her face lighting up with each word. He strains to hear, curiosity getting the better of him.

It's a man's voice on the other end, deep and warm.

His blood boils almost immediately.

Please, he thinks desperately, let it be a brother, a cousin, an uncle... anyone but a b-

Shar ends the call and turns back to Hugh, her expression sheepish. "Sorry about that," she says, tucking her phone away. "It was my boyfriend."

Hugh's heart plummets, the word echoing in his mind. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. He struggles to keep his expression neutral, even as he feels his world crumbling around him.

"Oh," he manages to choke out, his voice strained. "That's... nice."

"Well…more like a new guy I’m starting to see. He said he won't be able to make it on time for our date tonight…"

Shar starts to drone on, talking about what she'll have to do now that her boyfriend can't come to her date. But, oh…honestly?

Even if ber boyfriend able to go, Hugh was going to make sure it never happened.

"Don't worry, Shar," Hugh thinks, staring down at the curvy, petite black woman with newfound fondness.

"I'll make sure that this is the last day you're ever disappointed…it’s time to get rid of some trash.”

[garebearandnan]

Love Island: EP16 Aftersun 2

At the VIP table is Gary's Nan, Helen.

Gary's nan, Helen: I’m pretty sure if any of us had a camera on us 24/7 at 20-23, there’d be some pretty damning footage.

Helen: I reckon when he gets home, I'll send him to the freezer for a bit.

SUMMARY: Love Island: Aftersun is filmed at BT Studios in Stratford, East London with a live audience. It airs live every Sunday at 10pm for an hour and five minutes, straight after the main show. The show consists of interviews with dumped Islanders, friends and family members and also features celebrity guests.

HOST: O.M.G. with an extra-G. What a week our Islanders have had! There’s been some spicy drama, from Operation Nope to secrets revealed, dumpings, dates, a recoupling, and new bombshells. But before we get into all of that, tonight we have a S1 Love Island legend behind the bar. Give it up for Talia, everyone! And keeping those barstools warm, we’ve got Henrik and Rocco, who will be giving their first interview since leaving the villa. And at our VIP table, we have Gary’s nan, Helen, and his best mate, Dickie.

New Bonue Chapter on A03 and wattpad

TEASER SCRIPT- read full script on A03 or Wattpad. Links above.

The camera pans to Talia, behind the bar and the two ex-Islanders sitting at the bar, who all smile and wave. And at our VIP table, we have Gary’s nan, Helen, and his best mate, Dickie.

Audience: CHEERING and APPLAUSE

Caroline: While 3 may be a crowd as far as Hope is concerned, but for us, it’s the magic number. Please welcome my naughty trio; it’s our panel: Superfans AJ Odudu, HRVY, and Mollie King.

CLIP PLAYS:

Chelsea: Oh my goodness! I’m on my way to the Villa. I can’t believe I’m actually going in there. I’m just so excited to see the villa and meet everyone. Gosh, they all seem so lush.

Jakub: I’m buzzing to get into the villa. These guys have been here for like ten days. Obviously, they’re a bit comfortable, but you know, hopefully when I come in, they’ll get a bit of me stepping on a few toes, which I am used to. I got really big feet. (He laughs.)

CLIP ENDS.

Caroline: Well, he did say, HRVY, that he’s willing to step on toes. Whose toes do you think he'll step on?

HRVY: Yeah! I’m going to curveball. I think he’s gonna step on Noahs.

AJ: Let’s just be honest. I mean Jakub makes the rest of the guys look like preschoolers. 

Caroline: AJ, what were your first impressions of Chelsea?

AJ: I like her and her high-energy! She’s bubbly and sweet. I think she’s gonna do really well.

Caroline: Just when one drama calms down, along comes Chelsea dropping the news about a secret kiss. Let’s remind everyone of that moment when she dropped the truth bomb.

CLIP PLAYS:

Chelsea: Lottie, I thought you were supposed to be the loyal one?

Lottie: I am!

Chelsea: Then how did you end up snogging Gary when you knew that Grace had something going on with him?

Grace: What the hell! So, that night, when Gary had to choose between Marisol and Hannah at the recoupling, Lottie cracked on with him!

Marisol: Wait, you kissed Gary when we’d only just couple up?

CLIP ENDS.

Caroline: Well, tonight we have two people who know Gary very well indeed. Please welcome his nan, Helen, and best friend, Dickie. 

Caroline: I got to ask: What’s on everyone’s lips. Helen, is your Sunday roast as good as Gary says?

Helen: I am a good cook. My roasties are up there. I think Gordon Ramsay-

~~~~~

Caroline: Do you feel there is any hope for Bobby and Lottie in the romance section? The girls keep saying he’s a nice, sweet guy, he’s certainly attractive.

AJ: I like Bobby. He has such a playful and boyish energy. I think he still has a crush on Grace. Maybe Priya too.

HRVY: I think Bobby has good chemistry with several of the girls, and after a night in the hideaway, maybe something a little bit more than that with Lottie. He’s still trying to figure it all out.

~~~~~

S1 Talia at the Bar

Caroline: Talia, You know what it's like to be in there at the start. Especially if you haven’t found the right person. Is it important to lay it on thick and pick one person quite quickly or should you be holding back and waiting?

Talia: I think, early doors for many Islanders still, it’s good to keep your options open. If you put all your eggs in one basket, it can be very difficult and it can end up shooting you in the foot.

Caroline: What are your thoughts on Bobby and Lottie?

Talia: I think now it’s very much a friendship vibe. He does seem to care about her well-being. I like seeing that fun side of her when she’s just chilling with him.

~~~~~

In The Beach Hut

Caroline: Live from the Beach Hut, it’s Gary, everyone!

Gary appears on the big screen sitting in the wicker chair in the Beach Hut.

Caroline: How is life in the villa treating you?

Gary: Oh, amazing. I can’t moan can I? I’m in paradise. It’s probably gonna be one of the best summer’s of my life, to be honest.

Caroline: So, we thought we’d play a quick game of Rate Your Mate, since there seems to be a lot of bromances this year. Are you ready to spill the tea?

Gary: Yeah, I’m up for it. Let’s do it.

Caroline: Who is the messiest?

Gary: Me.

LAUGHTER

Caroline: Gary, who has the best banter out of the boys?

Gary: Er, the best banter has got to be Bobby. I feel like he’s been my favourite on ‘ere.

Caroline: Who has the best gym bod?

Gary: Erm… Jakub, the lad’s a beast.

Caroline: Moving on. Tell me, who takes the longest to get ready?

Gary: Oh. (he groans) Aw, mate! I’d say probably Lucas. All the hair gel.

~~~~~

Caroline: What do you think about Marisol and Lucas?

AJ: I think they make an attractive couple. They're both attractive and intelligent, but I think that’s it for commonality. I don’t see any chemistry between them. I think they're both place holders for each other.

Caroline: Ouch!

~~~~~

Caroline: It’s Henrik and Rocco!

Rocco: I didn’t think I’d be going today, to be honest. I was meant to be making Marisol breakfast tomorrow morning.

Henrik: I think I was supposed to be having a bubble bath with Lucas tomorrow.

Caroline: I know, it's not even been a week, but as you said, it feels like a long time. People already have connections. You’ve kinda got to be Mr. Steal Your Girl.

Henrik: Mm-hm. Some were pretty closed off, so it was definitely hard. It’s tough to come in and try to make an impact. You know, a few started to crack a little bit towards the end. But nonetheless, I had a lot of fun and still did what a bombshell should do.

Caroline: All right. Rocco, you were getting to know Marisol. Are you disappointed that you didn’t have more time to explore that further?

Rocco: Yeah, definitely. Time is always so fleeting when you don’t want it to be. Hopefully, I’ve given her something to remember me by. Our spirits are really aligned, like, cosmically.

~~~~~

Caroline: Alright, let’s get back to our couples. Obviously, tonight we’ve seen things kick off between Hope and Noah. But let’s go back a couple of days and talk about ‘Operation Nope.’ AJ, you want to start?

AJ: It's Love Island. You don't have to make excuses to graft! Just admit you’re into Noah and own your shit.

HRVY: And poor Ibrahim! He's just sitting there, like, "okay.” 

AJ: I was truly baffled by Bobby's underlying motivation for doing this. He seems to be close with every girl, so it could be that he is simply showing his support for her.

~~~~~

Caroline: Just wondering, does anyone fancy another quick trip to Mallorca? We have a special treat now. Welcome to Aftersun, Chelsea and Grace!

Both girls wave both hands excitedly and smile brightly.

Caroline: Chelsea, you’ve settled in really, really well. How have the Islanders made you feel welcome?

Chelsea: Yeah. Oh, my God, they’re all diamonds. Honestly, straight away, I feel like I’m just part of the weird family.

Caroline: Let’s find out how well you know your fellow Islanders. Are you ready?

Caroline: Jakub’s worst habit is biting his nails. Is that true or false?

Caroline: Lottie… had a Justin Bieber poster under her bed. Is that true or false?

Caroline: Hope’s secret talent is playing the guitar. Is that true or false?

~~~~~

Caroline: it’s time for another week of quickie with our islanders.

Chelsea: What is your biggest guilty pleasure?

Lucas: That’s top secret! We have to maintain some mystery. 

Bobby: What superpower would you choose?

Chelsea: I’d wanna read minds, so totes. Think of the gossip you’d hear! I’d love to know what goes through peoples heads.

Bobby: Invisibility—imagine all the cool pranks you could do with this, like pretending to be a poltergeist.

~~~~~

Caroline: There seems to be another love triangle forming between Noah, Hope, and Priya. The latest challenge led to some saucy revelations. Priya revealed Noah is considering choosing her at the next recouple, leaving Hope and Noah questioning their relationship. Hope and Noah are on the rocks at the moment.

AJ: Yeah, it’s the moment Priya goes, “Your relationship is falling apart. Noah and I would be a better couple, and she’s gonna fight for that to happen." War declared. The moment those words come out, savage.

Caroline: It’s like the Battle of Noah, isn’t it?

HRVY: It’s great telly, innit it?

Caroline: Talia, what is it like in there when tensions are running high? Can you escape it?

Talia: You can’t escape it. You can’t get out. Literally. But, me, personally, I would just go to the daybed. Get my favourite snack and just ignore people.

Caroline: Unbothered queen. That’s why we love you.

~~~~~

Caroline: Our Islanders are having the summer of a lifetime in their very own sun-kissed paradise, and no two days are ever the same. This season, a separate villa called Casa Amor will be introduced. Existing couples will be temporarily separated, and the Islanders will have the opportunity to form connections with the new arrivals. 

The screen flashes to six new attractive boys and six new beautiful girls.

Audience: CHEERING and APPLAUSE

Caroline: After a few days, there will be a recoupling ceremony where they will decide whether to stay loyal to their original partners or switch to a new Casa Amor connection. Will the Islanders stay loyal, or will their heads turn?

HRVY: I think it’s gonna be an issue for a few people.

Caroline: Do you think our Islanders haven’t really been tested enough, Talia?

Talia: I think this type of separation will test all their loyalties and might dredge up prior relationship baggage and trust issues.

[matthew-gray-gubler-lover]

October 29th Halloween Party

Matthew and I decided to throw a Halloween party this year. We are going to invite his friends and former cast mates from Criminal Minds.

We are so happy that everyone has agreed to come our house is already a haunted Wonderland, so it was already perfect for a Halloween party.

We went to the store and bought lots of goodies for the party.

And now, today, the party is finally happening, the theme for the night is to come dress up as a movie character Mathew and I are Beetlejuice and Lydia from the movie Beetlejuice.

one by one the guests arrive, starting with Kirsten i open the door and see her dressed up as Glenda from the Wizard of Oz.

Oh my gosh, you look amazing, Kirsten i tell her before hugging her hung her as best as I can with the fluffy dress.

Thank you. And so do you, my dear Lydia. I see

Yes, I am Lydia And Matthew is Beetlejuice

Very nice and how much you two love that movie.

When Thomas comes to the door, he is dressed up like Keanu Reeves character Neo from the Matrix films.

Joe was Marlon Brando's character character Vito Corleone from the godfather.

Adam came as Indiana Jones.

Aisha came as Tiana from the Princess and the Frog.

AJ came dressed up as Marilyn Monroe's character called the girl from the movie The seven-year Itch.

Pageant came As Morticia Adams of the Addams family

Then Daniel came in dressed up as Dracula from the movie Dracula

"Wow, a classic Daniel that is such a good costume because it's such a good movie for Halloween" Matthew tells him

"Well, thank you. I like your Beetlejuice costume too".

"Thank you", Matthew says

i come out of the kitchen with a whole tray of food mini bagel pizzas mozzarella cheese sticks, a veggie platter, A large bowl of potato chips with three different kinds of dip ranch, onion and veggie. Along with some fresh fruit strawberries, grapes and apple slices that has chocolate dip and caramel dip. A cheese platter with all different kinds of cheese cubes, the crowd favorite Deviled eggs, tortilla chips and salsa, guacamole and hummus, and several different kinds of crackers to put the cheese and hummus on. The food is on Halloween platters we have a assortment of canned sodas that are poured into Halloween cups the platters of food are placed on three large party tables have Halloween tablecloths on them the room is also decorated with Halloween balloons and streamers, and banners that say Happy Halloween, the guacamole is in a cauldron that says Witches brew

Matthew then comes out with a tray of champagne flutes filled with sparkling apple cider.

Everyone looks at all the food and oohs and ahhs at the food as well as the decorations.

"Wow, when you throw a party, you really go all out, don't you?" Adam said, picking up a plate and looking at the large spread of food

"Yeah, it almost looks like one of Rossi's parties", Joe adds

Everyone eats and has a good time. This hocus pocus plays in the background everyone stops doing what they're doing and sings along to I put a spell on you at the end of the party. 

Then we come out with the tray of special made cupcakes that Matthew and I made together everyone admires them before eating them and saying how good they are

at the end of the night Matthew Award everyone with a little plastic trophy for best Halloween costume along with a goodie bag filled with candy.

[soliloquyepistolary]

In the dream, I went to a cake shop which was owned by an Asian family, I think Chinese and they had some display cakes and cupcakes around their shop, I could see novelty ones around that were supposed to be funny or meme-like. I asked the man who probably owned the shop, if there was any cupcakes left. There wasn’t but he was being polite and talking to his wife to try and organise something for me, I think they were about to give me a cake that was either there just for display or someone else’s order but I could see what was happening and stopped it. I politely declined and left.

In the dream, we were in a classroom just waiting for something, I'm not sure what. I had my friend on the left of me, who was female (it might have been Anita or Agnes), and AJ on the right. We were sitting on desks. I felt very emotionally and energetically connected to him, and had most of my body facing him and him to me. At one point my body touched him. We seemed to have a psychic connection which we always kept open while sitting next to each other. We were talking intermittently, exchanging a few phrases about nothing really important, but it felt really nice. It felt just like how we were waiting for class to finish yesterday, the impatient feelings but also enjoying each other's company. I don’t know where the teacher was, I couldn’t see them and it didn’t feel like they were around. Kind of similar to yesterday as well with how our pruning teacher kept disappearing. I couldn’t see anyone else or feel anyone else, only him.

AJ had a pet turtle in a cage and it wasn’t eating the two snails he had left for it. The turtle seemed lethargic and withdrawn and lifeless basically and I asked him if it was okay and he said yeah it should be and his cage is just temporary, after a few days he and his friends are going to build a rainforest for the turtle. But then all of a sudden a snake appeared on the cage on the corner, it was a shiny black snake, with evil energy emanating from it and he said oh no don’t feed (on his pet), fear struck all of us and I jumped up and screamed. The snake was slowly slithering toward its' prey and AJ bought out a stick which he used to try to lead the snake away from the turtle and he managed to picked it up with the stick while absolutely terrified. He went to turn away from the cage with it but he was facing toward me accidentally and the snake lunged and seemed to fly in the air right at me, it hit me right in the back, and then I woke up. I was so scared of it. All of this happened in mere seconds.

Fruit trees in someone’s front yard

I was with my work mates, we went into a bubble tea shop who said they were closed or something like they had no ingredients left to make us our drinks... but then they took our order anyway. I was quite confused but I thought maybe they had made an exception for us. But after waiting, what we ended up receiving was empty plastic cups with straws in them and the staff kind of acted as if this was normal and nothing was amiss to give us basically nothing. We didn't say anything and left.

[ajastor]

"Better you don't know then, mate." Evidently, it must be called something else stateside. AJ wishes daily he'd never heard of Primark, and it's notoriously cheap fabrics and likely made labourisly by something problematic. But Astor's not there to talk fast-fashion with the guy. Even if there's a lot the man can do in the way of fixing the man's entire kit. He'd been right; man doesn't have a place here.

The wrench tells him that he must be some kind of repair guy. AJ's praying (for the bellboy-not-bellboy's sake) that he isn't about to be told the elevator is out of service. He doesn't remember the last time he's ever had to take the stairs to his own penthouse suite, probably never. And it probably didn't end well for the hotel.

"Are you gonna use the tip to get a shirt that's post 2006?" Honest question, that AJ might care less for the answer than he does to just have his bags moving into the building already. He's waving at him, almost dismissively for him to gather the bags despite the knowledge that this guy is not part of the reception team.

The guy will get his tip, providing he doesn't sweat all over the cases. "Yeah, cart up, would you? My time is expensive."

Other than the movie theater and the bowling alley, it turned out there were still a few machines in the basement of one of the nicer hotels in Port Leiry. Rich kids apparently really loved their Pac-Man. A specific wrench had been missing from his toolbox when he finally was ready to open up the machine, and he'd made the long trek back to his truck to look for it. The tool had fallen into the bed of the truck without him realizing, and he grabbed it before heading back to do his work.

Only he was stopped by a guy with an accent, who seemed to think he worked at the hotel. Well, technically right now, Kevin did, but not in the way this man was obviously thinking. He wobbles backwards slightly as a hand reaches out to tug at his shirt, and Kevin is unable to get a word in edgewise.

Otherwise, he would have tried to explain that he didn't actually work at the hotel and he needed to find something else, but now Kevin was questioning his wardrobe as he looked down at his shirt and shoes. "What the hell is Primark?" he asks before shaking his head, realizing that question was unimportant.

"But yeah, I'm not the dude you're looking for, my guy." He waves the wrench in his hand lightly to signify his line of work. "But I mean... if you're willing to tip, I can grab a cart."

[starlitangels]

Headstone

Pups AU. It’s been a bit. This one also draws heavily from my “Not-Yet Alpha, Not-Yet Mate” short story featuring David’s parents. Enjoy! 1.6k words

CW: discussion of previous canon character death

—

David had been silent for the last few minutes of the drive. The moment we’d crossed into the cemetery, he’d stopped talking completely. He claimed it was because Dahlia’s cemetery was big and complicated—which was undoubtedly true—but I knew it was because this place made complicated feelings rise up.

We got to the narrow road closest to our destination and David did his best to park on the edge of it. This time of day it was mostly empty anyway, but these roads weren’t made for cars.

“Daddy, where are we?” Natalie asked, craning her neck to try to see out the window, but her carseat wasn’t quite tall enough.

“We’re at the cemetery,” David replied, unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the door.

“Why?”

Yup. She was in that phase.

To be fair, she’d been in the why phase since she was about fifteen months old. Or so it felt. She wanted to learn. David and I didn’t fault her for that, but sometimes the endless stream of questions was mildly exhausting. I always told Davey he was better at being patient with her than I was, and he always said it was because he had plenty of practice with Asher and Milo growing up.

He opened the backseat door behind his and started to help her out of her carseat.

“Because there’s something I wanna show you here,” he answered.

“Okay,” Gabriel said as Natalie opened her mouth again. Probably to ask why again.

I got out and helped Gabriel out of his booster seat. He wrapped his arms around my neck and his legs around my waist once he was free. He was plenty big enough to walk on his own, but the kid never turned down even an extra opportunity for cuddles.

Natty clung to her dad’s neck too. David always said the kids got their “touchstarved need for cuddles” from me. Our children were very much not touchstarved in any way, shape, or form considering how much cuddling they already got—from me and the rest of the pack in general—but that was the joke he liked to make.

Davey and I carried our kids carefully through the maze of headstones. Gabriel narrowed his eyes at a few of the ones we passed, and I could hear him sounding out last names under his breath, trying to read each one. Natalie—who had inherited my tendency to be loud—half-shouted for all of Dahlia to hear her asking why there were “weird marks” on one of the headstones. After David’s patient explanation that it was written in what appeared to be Arabic and different languages had different writing systems, she seemed to understand.

Ducking under the somewhat-unkempt branches of a spruce tree, Davey set Natalie down. I put Gabriel on his feet just behind her.

Hidden under the drooping branches of the tree was a single headstone. “Shaw” was written in large capital letters at the top in the middle. Directly underneath, “Married April 3, 1991,” was carved into the dark grey stone. In a box of lighter-colored granite on the left was “Gabriel Richard—December 18, 1966-September 3, 2017.” The box on the right said, “Annalise Jean ‘AJ’ Hendrickson—November 14, 1967-July 1, 1997.”

Below both names was the simple phrase, “We’ll see.”

“Is this… Grandma and Grandpa Shaw?” Gabriel asked, looking up at David while wrapping his hand around as many of my fingers as he could. David crouched and nodded.

“Yeah. This is where my parents were buried,” he said. “That’s Grandpa Gabe, and Grandma AJ.” He pointed to each name. “Grandma AJ got sick when I was younger than Natty and she passed away when I was about three. Grandpa Gabe got in a car accident when I was in my mid-twenties.”

“Gramma has the same middle name as me!” Natalie announced.

“Mmhmm,” David agreed. “We gave you her middle name to honor her memory.”

Natalie blinked owlishly at him, but for once didn’t ask any questions about what he meant. “Why does it say, ‘We’ll see’?” she asked instead, kneeling in front of the headstone and tracing the letters with her tiny five-year-old fingertip.

Her kindergarten teacher had been very impressed at how well she’d already been reading back when school started. I’d been quick to give David the credit, given he’d read to her almost every night since she was born, and often taught her how to read, if just a little bit, himself. Because she wanted to learn. And she’d inherited his stubbornness and wouldn’t let him leave until he’d taught her a little bit.

David sat cross-legged in the mostly-dead, patchy grass that couldn’t get enough sunlight around the spruce tree’s needles. “Because that was what my parents always said to each other. One of them would make a guess about their future together, and the other would always say, ‘We’ll see.’ Grandpa Gabe told me they were the last words Grandma AJ said to him before she passed. He said he hoped she’d be waiting for him on the other side and she said she was ‘planning on it, but we’ll see.’ So, when she passed, Grandpa Gabe put that on the headstone.”

David blinked tears out of his eyes—and didn’t protest when Natalie stood up so she was eye-level with him and wiped them off his face. He gathered her to his chest and held her there, squeezing tight, but not too tight. She made a strained little groan, but didn’t squirm or yelp for release like she would have if he was hugging too hard.

“Grandpa picked this plot under the tree because he said he and Grandma loved sitting under the tree in the backyard of their house and watching me, Uncle Ash, and Uncle Milo chase each other around when we were toddlers.”

Gabriel stepped carefully closer to the headstone and brushed a few loose spruce needles off the top of it. “You miss them.” It wasn’t a question.

Davey gave our son a sad smile. “I never really knew Grandma AJ. It was hard to miss her. But I miss Grandpa Gabe very much. He taught me everything I know about being a dad. And all I’ve ever been able to hope for was that he taught me enough that I can keep being a good dad to you and your sister.” He kissed the top of Natalie’s head, right on the part between her pigtails.

“You’re the best, Daddy,” Natty said confidently, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on as tight as she could. David sighed with a quiet relief and gave her another hug.

“Glad you think so, baby girl,” he whispered.

Gabriel let go of my hand and carefully approached the headstone, sitting down in front of it and looking it over. He carefully traced the carved letters with his own fingertip, head tilted slightly to the side. He twisted and looked back at me. “You never got to meet even Grampa, right?”

I shook my head. “No. He passed before I met your dad,” I replied.

Gabriel frowned and his eyebrows tilted in sadness. He had more empathy in his little finger than a lot of adults did in their whole bodies. “Sorry,” he said to David. And me.

David ruffled Gabriel’s hair. “It’s okay. If I hadn’t met my mate when I did, I don’t know that we would have ended up here—with you two.” He met my eyes. “They helped me heal from my grief and the walls I put up to protect my heart that were only hurting it more.”

Natalie leaned back from where she’d been hugging David to meet his eyes. “How did you carry the walls with you all the time?”

I couldn’t help it—I burst out laughing. David chuckled too. “Not real walls, Natty,” he said. “Figurative walls.”

“Figura… what?”

David thought for a moment. “Pretend walls. In my head. They made me grumpy all the time.”

Natalie stuck out her bottom lip. “Don’t be grumpy, Daddy. Being grumpy is no fun.”

David chuckled again and met my eyes over our daughter’s head. “Gee, I wonder who she sounds like,” he said.

I smiled. “I’m so proud,” I replied.

David tugged lightly on the end of one of her pigtails. “How about you and your brother sit here and be good, and I’ll go with my mate to grab our lunch out of the car?”

Natalie nodded. Gabriel did too when David met his eyes.

He stood and held a hand out to me. I took it and we headed back for the car to grab the cooler.

—

Natalie glanced over at the tree trunk, smiling as a familiar head of pink curls quickly ducked behind the trunk out of her view. “I know you’re there!” she whispered—loud. Gabriel was reading the headstone again, intently, and didn’t notice.

Caelum poked his head out from behind the trunk again and pressed a finger to his lips. He grinned and giggled. Natalie copied his gesture, nodded, and giggled herself.

“What are you doing here?” Her whisper was quieter this time.

Caelum snuck out from behind the tree. “Making sure you and your family are happy,” he whispered back.

He popped a kiss on the top of Natalie’s head, the way her dad had done, and disappeared as he took a step back.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

OMG EXACTLY!!!! She's leaving Ericsons to travel with a kid that essentially replaces AJ and meets a group of teens at a ski lodge or some shit!! It's EXACTLY like TFS even with friendships, enemies, and romance! What about Louis?!?!? And AJ, who let's not forget, was the reason Clem fought so hard to get him back and find a damn home, which she did both!!! WHHHYYYYYY?!?!?!? This is BEYOND out of character for Clem. You know, I was kinda looking forward to the comics just to see her again, but now THIS?!?!? And again... Louis is her one true love, her damn soul mate. I REFUSE to ship her with anyone else!!!! FUCK this. She should not be separated from Louis or AJ or anyone else at Ericsons. This isn't Canon,I refuse to accept it. She stays at Ericsons and that's final. PERIOD. THE END.

Okay, I'm done sorry.

Yeah, I feel ya, anon.

I guess I'm just baffled that this is what they chose to do. There are so many possibilities for this universe and characters to bring back... and they just had to bring Clementine back even though the people who worked their asses off on TFS [y'know, the people at telltale who worked on the series as a whole over the years and then ended up losing their jobs and almost didn't get to finish TFS?] to give her a good send-off.... like I dunno how to describe it.

Listen, TFS isn't perfect. Y'all know that I'm not one to shy away from critiquing it or the people who worked on it, but I'll always be thankful to them for doing what they could for Clementine and her story.... so having skybound push all that aside in favor of bring her back and telling a story outside of the games that fucks with their canon, and they just expect us to accept it?

Not only that, but the story of Clementine traveling with some kid to a group of teens stay at a ski lodge sounds so similar on paper that I can't help be feel like "....so you're throwing out TFS but replacing it with a knock off it?" It doesn't make me feel great.

And ugh don't even get me started on Louis.... like I'm already on board with declaring these as fancy fanfiction.... but if it does come out that Ericson fell and Louis is dead, I'm not gonna just be annoyed anymore. But it also doesn't help that because it feels like Clementine is just leaving everyone behind, which means she's leaving him behind, too.... Clementine leaving both AJ and Louis behind? Sorry, but no. That's an insult to her character if you think she'd just do that, and if you're gonna play it like that, you better have a damn good reason.

I dunno, anon.... all I know is I don't want it. I will stick to the games and fanfics, and unless these graphic novels end up turning around and blowing all of our minds in a good way, I will not be taking them seriously and I definitely will not be taking them as any sort of canon.

[samwilsonshandsandass]

A Thank You To The Wilsons'

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x the Wilsons’

Summary: Bucky wants to thank the Wilsons’ for everything, and finds something special for them.

Warnings: none

Word count: about 1.7K

Bucky was happy. But he also had one worry. He worried about how to show his thanks to the Wilsons’ for everything they did for him.

To Sam, who just had to know about even the small and especially gruesome details of his past, who despite his initial skepticism of his person, trusted others and Bucky himself enough to help him. The first person he could always turn to with just about anything, even when Bucky had ignored him and Sam still tried and tried and tried. How he had really put the ‘tough’ in ‘tough love’ and knew that was exactly what he needed.

To Sarah, who not only accepted him from the start despite probably knowing who he was but also reminded him of who he once had been and would have stayed of the universe or whatever higher power had allowed him to. She didn’t even shy away from putting him in his place. And then, some time after school had started again, she had allowed him to pick up AJ and Cass from school. She had taken him with her and had him meet all the teachers and the principal.

To AJ and Cass, who immediately accepted him. The first time he visited, they looked appropriately weirded out by their mom flirting with someone and were suspiciously looking at this more-or-less stranger on their family’s boat. They had known not to touch the shield, let alone play with it, but what were they supposed to do when Uncle Sam just left it laying around? But Bucky didn’t tattle on them. That was the first time they thought about giving him a kind of honorific. Then, when school started again, after some weeks they asked their mom if Bucky could pick them up. He could. That was also the time, they started using him as their personal jungle gym.

Then, Bucky turned up at the cook out. With a store-bought cake, but the gesture was what counted and frankly, Cass said to AJ, he probably couldn’t cook more than an egg. Well, that not only would, but would have, to change should Bucky not leave Delacroix right the next day. And then, Bucky announced he’d like to move in, if they’d let him and if Sam learned to share.

In the fall, Bucky finally, officially, moved in with the guest room made into his permanent room. He learned sailing, fishing, preparing the seafood for selling. He learned which kids needed some more food when coming to the soup kitchen.

One night, when Sarah came into the kitchen, exhausted from a day’s work, the stress of trying to revive a failing business in a post-Blip world.

“Usually, I love what I have. And what I do. But there are days I just want to sleep” She mumbled, sitting down and rubbing her face.

Bucky sat down across the corner from her. “Just in general, or did something happen today?”

“The bank that told us they could help us. You know the one where my big brother made a fool of himself? They just called and told us how they’re so very sorry but they couldn’t help us now.”

Bucky went quiet after that and only hugged her tight.

---

The next day, after he had brought Cass and AJ to school, he drove to the bank. He asked for the exact employee that had Sam made a fool of himself and Sarah so exhausted.

---

Another day later, Sarah had to take an important call right in the middle of the family breakfast. Just as Bucky, and today also Sam, were ready to take the boys to school, she came back into the room and announced: “We got the loan! And the conditions are even better than what they first offered us!”

There was a quick Wilson-Barnes hugging pile, although Sam had to run one or two red lights to get the boys to class on time. Every few minutes during the car ride, Sam looked at Bucky from the corner of his eye. Bucky seemed deep in thought.

In the evening they all celebrated and AJ and Cass were allowed to stay up longer than usual, even for a Friday night.

The next morning, Bucky heard clattering in the kitchen. Earlier than he thought he would. ‘Maybe it’s Sarah and the sleeping rhythm of a mom never changes back.” He slipped down to the kitchen with the intention to surprise her.

“You’re not getting any closer!” Sam growled as he spun around with a batter dripping spatula in hand.

“I thought you were Sarah!” Bucky exclaimed, more shook than he thought he should have been.

“Did my hair get that long?” Sam stroked his head.

“What are you doing there?” Bucky nodded to the spatula that now dripped a yellow-y batter on the floor.

“Pancake batter.”

“This early?”

“The perfect batter needs patience, time and passion!” Sam was indignant.

“But you’re letting me have coffee, right?”

“Because you asked” Sam did that half-smile of his.

As Bucky was finishing his coffee, the other three Wilsons’ came down.

“Pancakes!” AJ called out.

“Pancakes!” Sam confirmed.

“Pancakes!” Cass yelled, coming down after his brother.

“That’s a useful big brother” Sarah smiled.

“You, too.”

“So, what do we all want? One serving of pancakes with berries and chocolate syrup-“

“Yes!” Cass grinned.

“-one serving of pancakes with jam in between each one-“

“That’s me!” That came from AJ.

“-one serving of pancakes with berries, chocolate syrup and jam on the side, specifically to be used for dipping. Gross” Sam chuckled.

“You keep telling yourself that” Sarah retorted.

“And Bucky?”

There was a chorus of three voices, all going “Ohhhhh!”

“Huh? What about me?” Bucky looked like what Sarah would later describe as ‘the confused puppy’ look.

“What do you want with your pancakes?”

“Uhm, uh…”

“There areplums in this kitchen” Sam grinned at Bucky.

“Could I get them with plums and berries and chocolate syrup in between?” With each word after ‘plums’ Bucky got quieter and redder.

“I think I got that.”

One serving after the other, Sam carefully and lovingly made the pancakes, and only after everyone was already tucking in, did Sam get some pancakes for himself. Bucky couldn’t help but notice how there was only one dollop of jam on the uppermost of his pancakes.

The breakfast and weekend went down peacefully. Playing in the backyard with the boys, the shield being used as an over-glorified frisbee, trying to teach Bucky some more cooking. Through all of it, Bucky was quieter than usual. Especially Sarah and Sam continued to shoot him looks, wondering what was up with him.

During the next weeks, everything went back to normal. Bucky brought the boys to school and picked them up, sometimes with Sarah, sometimes with Sam. The boat began to shine in new splendor without glossing over its history to the family and the community. The boys complained about school work, raved about other things that happened and brought up one or two school mates who very visibly sidled up to them just because now their uncle had somehow been accepted as a national symbol. Although Bucky had no reason to be proud of them, after all he didn’t have a hand in raising them, he still was.

During Christmas Break, Sarah approached him.

“Buck, could you and maybe Sam, watch the boys for the day?”

“Yeah, of course! Did something come up? Can I help?”

“That’s sweet of you, but it’s just wash day for me.”

“Hey, I can do the laundry! I’ve gotten better at it!” Bucky responded eagerly.

“No, no, it’s-“ Sarah chuckled quietly. “It’s my hair. It needs quite the pampering now, especially after the last weeks.”

Bucky’s eyes went wide.

“Buck? You okay?” Sarah seemed worried.

“Yep. Yeah. Just had a thought. Don’t worry about it” He reassured her.

She nodded. Bucky gathered Sam and the boys and when they went out, Sarah went up to the bathroom. Bucky had a moment to look at the back of her head. During the day, the playing and getting the lunch, he looked at the three Wilsons’. He really looked at them and especially their hair. Their hair that was so very different from his own.

At home, dinner made by Sam was a quiet affair on Bucky’s part. AJ and Cass retold everything that had happened, from Sam faceplanting, Bucky getting them all the food they wanted to Sam and Bucky chasing them around and then the other way round.

After all the Wilsons’ were asleep, Bucky started researching. He looked up everything he could. Quite some time later, he ordered four things and went to sleep himself.

Three days later, AJ and Cass were in school, Sarah was on the boat and Sam had been called away for some promotional thing but according to him this time it was something even Sam Wilson, and not only the symbol of Cap, stood behind.

Bucky arranged the four single parcels on the kitchen table, wrapping them in paper and ribbons. He sat down and tapped his foot anxiously. He didn’t stop until Sam came in with the boys and Sarah.

AJ was first to ask. “Uncle Bucky? What is that?”

“it’s, uh… a little something. To say thank you.”

“For what?” Sarah cocked her head.

“Uhm, uh. For… well, everything.”

“Well, what is it? Cass implored.

“Go on, open them!” Bucky pushed the two smaller parcels to AJ and Cass, the middle one to Sam and the biggest one to Sarah.

“Is that really?” Sarah looked at Bucky, then down again at the fabric peeking out from her half-opened package.

“Bucky, are these bonnets?!” Sam looked at him in disbelief.

Bucky rubbed his neck. “Yeah. I, uh. Just thought it’d be a nice way of thanking you all. Something that’s not just something superficial, that actually is of use for all of you.”

“Thank you, Bucky. Thank you so much” Sarah whispered and trailed her fingers over her long bonnet.

“You’re very, very welcome” He grinned.

The boys had already put their bonnets on and hugged Bucky’s waist. Sarah hugged him on his other side and Sam put his left arm around his nephews and the right one around Bucky’s shoulders.

“We’re never letting you go now, you know that, right?” Sam said.

“You’re also not getting rid of me, you know that, right?” Bucky retorted.

[ericsonclan]

Pirate Island

Summary: The Ericson pirates travel uncharted seas, unsure when they will find land, when suddenly Willy spots an island.

Word Count: 7292

Read on A03:

Louis tilted his head back and let the warm sun pierce his skin as he took a deep breath. The smell of the sea, there was really nothing like it. It symbolized the endless potential of adventure. Today, Louis was sure, would be an adventure. It always was with the Ericson pirates whether that be through the many shenanigans on Ol’ Kickass or when they arrived at a port town.

Louis glanced out towards the sea; he hoped they’d find some sort of port town soon - their produce wouldn’t last much longer. Not only would that lose them precious ducats that they could spend on important things like sea shanties but it would also make the lower deck reek. The smell would linger for days and soon they would forget about all the dirt and grime they had on themselves and be overwhelmed by how it smelled like fruity death down there.

With a deep sigh Louis walked back towards the ship’s wheel where Marlon stood. His best friend’s eyes were focused ahead, his stance solid and his shoulders set. He was sure to ensure it was smooth sailing as long as he was in charge. He was so focused in fact that it wasn’t until Louis strolled up the stairs along with Rosie that Marlon even glanced over. Once he did, a warm smile appeared on his lips. “Hey there, Lou,” Marlon’s smile faltered when he saw the look deep within Louis’ eyes that he was trying to hide beneath a smile. “What’s wrong?”

“Hmm? Nothing, just thought I’d check on my first mate! I even brought the ever so lovely Rosie!” Louis gestured to the pitbull who barked happily. Trotting over, Rosie began to claw at Marlon’s leg for some attention. With a small chuckle Marlon obliged and gave some pats to the pitbull along with some scratches behind the ear. But soon the blond pirate’s focus returned to the sea.

“I’ve known you long enough, Lou. You don’t have to hide anything from me,” Marlon gently turned the wheel left to guide the ship away from a pile of rocks a fair distance away.

Louis looked surprised by his friend’s words for a second but his smile soon returned. “Damn, I thought I could pull a fast one on you,” He leaned on the rail in front of the ship’s wheel.

“Have you ever been able to pull a fast one on me?” Marlon gave a grin that made Louis chuckle.

“I don’t know, maybe when we were ten,” Louis turned his body around and glanced up at the upper deck of the ship. Brody was working on fixing the riggings along with Mitch. Every so often the two would hold hands for a moment before slipping them away from each other. It was obvious based on their giddy expressions and being overwhelmed by the smallest thing that this was the first serious relationship either of them had had.

The captain’s eyes continued to wander and paused when he saw Clementine happily sparring with AJ. Both of them were absolutely exhilarated by the chance to spar together. It was clear from the soft thwack that appeared every few seconds from their wooden swords colliding and the confident auras that both of them radiated. Both of them were trying to use smack talk to get the upperhand in the fight by throwing the other off their game. Neither of them were any good at it but they didn’t seem to mind and the rest of the crew seemed to enjoy the unique insults they were hurling each other’s way.

While the two of them were caught up in the joy of sparring together, Prisha and Aasim were busy gushing over things only the two of them seemed to care for out of the whole crew: cartography. Both of them spoke animatedly as Aasim held out a map, showing his friend the vast seas they had yet to explore. The pair were especially thrilled to head out towards the northwestern seas next. Soon the two of them passed Ruby and Tenn who were busy making sure medical supplies were set. The redheaded pirate spoke clearly and concisely as a wide smile pulled on her lips, happy to have an apprentice of sorts in terms of healing. Tenn mirrored Ruby’s smile although his smile was quieter as he nodded along to her lessons.

Louis took a deep breath and glanced back at Marlon. “Our produce is about to go bad and while the crew seems happy, I bet all of them want a break from Ol’ Kickass,”

Marlon nodded along to those words. “Yeah, it would probably be best if we found a port town to aim for and spend a few days there,”

“Yeah. I just remembered, last time I talked with Aasim he said we were heading into uncharted seas. I told him that that's where the adventure was waiting and didn’t think twice,” Louis lightly laughed at his own choice as he spun his pirate hat in his hands before placing it back on his head.

“Don’t go kicking yourself, Lou. I’m sure we’ll find land soon enough,” Marlon smiled reassuringly. Louis returned it, although his smile seemed less genuine.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” Louis sighed and turned his focus on Rosie as his friend continued to steer the ship.

As luck would have it Marlon did turn out to be right. After half a day more of sailing Willy called out from the crow’s nest that Violet was squished in as well, clearly there because of Willy’s incessant begging.

“Marlon, we got a weird-looking island far out on the starboard side of the ship!” Willy cupped his hands, creating such volume that both Violet and Garbage seemed to be hissing at its force.

“Knowing Willy it's probably another island filled with squirrels,” Marlon sighed as he looked over at Louis.

“I don’t know, Squirrel Island was kind of fun,” Louis offered and noticed Marlon’s frown.

“Those squirrels were little terrors,” Marlon took a deep breath then called back to Willy.

“Alright, I’ll steer the ship towards there! Keep an eye out if it looks dangerous!”

“Aye, aye!’ Willy gave a toothy grin then went back to his story he was sharing with Violet while he held Garbage in his arms. Marlon and Louis shared a look then chuckled before Marlon set course for the island.

Soon with Louis’ instructions, Willy and Violet’s mixed directions and the teamwork of the crew they arrived at an island. From one glance it was clear this was no ordinary island. Palm trees grew everywhere around the entrance surrounded by white sands and rocky shores where dark blue waters crashed against a shipwreck that stood out proudly. On the shipwreck were nearly a dozen skeletons, all dressed as privateers with their deep blue coats and special hats. It was made in the sort of mocking way that made it obvious that those kinds weren’t welcome here.

Erupting from above the palm trees was a large cream-colored building where a black flag with crossbones and a skull flew proudly. This was pirate land. That became even more abundantly clear when the rowdy sounds of pirates filled the air as Ol’ Kickass anchored right by the docks. After making sure the anchor was placed and the sails were safely secured the crew gathered around Louis.

“Alright, crew! Here’s what we’re going to do. Prisha, Aasim, and Omar will go sell our wares along with me. The rest of you get a gist of the rules of this place but as of now, no fighting and no adventuring. Today is just a chore day,”

Those words made Willy and AJ groan loudly.

“I know, I know, boring,” Louis shook his head sadly.

“I think chore day is actually fun,” Aasim mumbled and readjusted his cravat in annoyance.

“But we gotta make sure this place is safe enough for us to rest for a few days and our fruit is this close to stinking up the place,” Louis held his fingers barely a hair’s breadth together. Everyone seemed to agree with their captain’s words and soon they were off doing their respective tasks. Louis led the way after he stole at least a dozen kisses from Clementine. Prisha, Omar and Aasim followed behind him. Ruby, Tenn and Brody headed out to search for medical supplies and as for the rest of them, save for Violet and Mitch who stayed behind to guard the ship while having spitting contests, they went searching around for any information they could get on this piratey island.

It was a fairly straightforward day. With Louis’ charm, Omar’s calmness and Prisha and Aasim’s ferocious need to barter they got great deals on their wares. Ruby, Brody and Tenn were able to find thread and needles as well as other medical supplies and alcohol that was sure to clean any kind of wound. Violet won the spitting contest which turned Mitch into the grumpiest pirate amongst the crew that day and as for the rest of them, they learned a few things about this island. It was an island where only pirates were allowed and there were no rules besides those that pirates abided by.

When the crew all returned to Ol’ Kickass they discussed whether to stay or not and after some long debate they decided to go for it. The news seemed to make Willy and AJ particularly happy. The two young pirates were beyond excited to go adventuring tomorrow, while listening to the words and rules of the older pirates of course.

Soon the night melted into a new day and the crew was ready to go exploring. Willy gave a mighty pirate call, swinging from one of the ropes and landing harshly onto the docks.

“Willy, don’t break anything!” Violet called out to the rambunctious pirate.

“Yeah! Not without me!” Mitch grinned at Willy and the glint in their eyes made it clear they wanted to find something explosively fun to do.

“Just don’t blow up part of the ship again,” Brody walked forward and stood beside Mitch.

“I won’t,” Mitch grumbled then added in a quieter voice, “I promise,” His fingers reached out for Brody’s and they soon intertwined.

“Good,” Brody smiled up at her love before pressing a kiss to his cheek which made it turn bright red.

“Damn, I didn’t know we had lobsters on our ship,” Louis teased Mitch, his arms wrapped around Clementine.

“Whatever,” Mitch flipped off the captain as he walked off the ship with his love but soon received some scolding from Brody for his action. It didn’t take long for the two of them to move past it though and soon they were lost in the excitement of exploring the island and their new relationship.

Louis hugged Clementine a bit tighter then planted a kiss on her cheek with a loud ‘mwuah’ sound. “Shall we go, m’lady? I think adventure and fun awaits!” He smiled at Clementine who immediately returned it.

“An adventure with you? Sounds perfect,” Clementine pressed a kiss to one of Louis’ hands which made him grow flustered. He couldn’t focus on it long though as Clementine held his hand and led the way off the ship.

“Ready, my treasure?” Aasim asked Ruby as his thumb brushed against the top of hers.

“I sure am! I heard from Marlon yesterday that he’d heard some pirates talk about a tavern that has the most divine dinners,” Ruby swung their joined hands as they casually strolled down the dock.

“Well then I will make sure you get the best food on all of this island,” Aasim stole a soft kiss from Ruby and the two were quickly in the middle of the pack. Behind them was Marlon who gave Rosie a special treat in thanks for her staying behind as watch before jogging forward to talk with Omar. AJ was behind them, talking animatedly with Tenn about how many cool pirate things they could draw here when suddenly Louis scooped up AJ.

“Wanna have a better view, little dude?” Louis placed AJ on his shoulders then handed up his pirate hat for the youngest pirate to wear.

“Yeah! This is awesome!” AJ shot out his hands and almost lost his balance but soon regained it by grabbing Louis’ dreads. “Oops, did I do a bad?”

Louis shook his head, only in part to shake off the pain of his dreads being yanked on. “Nope, little man. It’s all good,” He gave a thumbs up then returned his hand into Clementine’s.

Prisha and Violet led the back of the pack, casually talking about what they looked forward to doing on this island knowing that there was no risk of guards or privateers getting them. Both of them seemed absolutely lost in each other’s eyes when suddenly Garbage’s frantic hissing made them look back to see the pirate possum scampering forward. After a minute Garbage had successfully found Willy again and crawled up on his shoulder, leaving a few scratch marks along the way. Willy didn’t seem to mind though and eagerly chatted about his potential adventures with his favorite pirate pet.

The crew all walked happily together, quickly getting hit with the sounds of sea shanties which made the captain’s eyes sparkle with joy and he excitedly spoke to Clementine and AJ. The sea shanties that they were hearing along this particular stretch of the island all seemed to center around alcohol. A set of three pirates were singing All for Me Grog while a group of five across the way were belting out Whisky Johnny O’ .

“We definitely gotta pick up some sea shanties here!” Louis beamed over at Clementine who smiled and gave his hand a small squeeze.

“Sounds good to me,”

As the group continued forward they reached the inner workings of the island where life and chaos were happily coinciding. Pirates of all genders were flirting amongst each other, trying to impress others with their feats of strength while other pirates seemed to be itching for a fight and decided to pick it with the closest pirate they could find. The Ericson pirates steered clear of those types of pirates but were still enjoying their time there.

All of them were happy to finally be back on land, especially a piece of land that didn’t have people out for their heads. Their footsteps were lost amongst the lively sounds of life around them when suddenly Louis’ ears perked up when he heard the wonderful harmony of a hurdy gurdy, flute and some sort of percussion instruments. As he led the way he saw that the three pirate musicians were happily playing a tune so that any pirate could dance in the square to their heart’s content.

“Oh! We have to do this!” Louis ran forward with Clementine along with AJ on his shoulders. The captain soon took the center of the square while the majority of his crew watched. Placing AJ down, Louis did a quick bow with his hat. “M’lady, would you do this captain the honor of a dance?” Louis’ eyes looked up into Clementine’s eyes with a playful love within them. Before Clementine had a chance to say yes, AJ had grabbed her hands and pulled her towards him.

“I wanna dance with Clem first!” AJ smiled over at Louis who returned it. Within seconds AJ was spinning around with Clementine happily.

“Oh no! Whoever will I dance with now?” Louis placed the captain’s hat dramatically over his heart and waited until the music began to swell. With a mischievous grin he dashed over and grabbed Aasim’s hands. “I pick you!”

“Wait a minute!” Aasim protested but it was too late; he was thrown into the dance circle where Louis danced and spun him around.

“It’s time to let loose and dance, captain’s orders!” Louis teasingly told his crew who all waited to see who would make the next move. Prisha smiled over softly at Violet and was about to ask for a dance when Willy suddenly snagged her one good arm.

“Come on, Prisha! Let's dance!” Willy gave a toothy grin and Prisha couldn’t help but agree. Soon Willy was leading the way, dancing in his unique style as Prisha’s light laughter filled the air. Garbage bounced around on top of his head, fearfully hissing before the young pirate stopped abruptly. “You too, Mitch! Dance!”

“No fucking way!” Mitch waved a hand and tried to act cool when suddenly Brody pushed him into the circle. He gave a frown but soon was swept up in the dance circle.

“Let’s boogie!” Ruby grabbed Omar’s hands with a laugh and pulled him into the circle. The two danced around, kicking their feet together and laughing as the lively, heartwarming song ensued. The music continued for some time when all of a sudden Marlon began to clap to the beat and quickly got Brody to join the dance circle.

“Wanna dance, Vi?” Tenn looked up at Violet who gave a soft smile and a shrug.

“Sure,” Violet held Tenn’s hand and the two quietly joined.

Different members of the Ericson pirates began to clap to the beat as they danced in a circle, kicking feet with their partners before hooking arms and switching. Ruby and Brody laughed as they danced together, both on a mission to steal back their loves while Prisha kept trying to reach Violet but every time she got close Willy surprised her with another dance.

As the song reached its last section the different couples were determined and moved at a faster pace, working with their dance partners to reunite with their loves. Twirling around and using light footwork the couples got back together one by one and spun around again and again until the song stopped and the Ericson pirates all stood in the center. The crew caught their breaths, their chest heaving as their smiles grew. Moments like this together were absolutely priceless and they couldn’t wait to make more memories on this island.

After the dance, Willy quickly got distracted by having a palm tree climbing contest with AJ. Both of them threw large declarations that they were the best climbers before trying their best to prove it. Meanwhile Ruby and Aasim were happily sharing a quiet moment together off to the side as Aasim spoke words of affection and poetry to his fiery love. Prisha and Violet were sitting side by side sharing a few soft kisses. Violet then proceeded to place her head on Prisha’s shoulder. The taller pirate pressed a kiss to the top of her love’s head then rested her head on top of hers. Prisha looked out and watched in amusement as Mitch and Clementine were getting competitive.

“I can kick way more pirate ass than you!” Clementine stood up and got close to Mitch who looked shocked for a moment but a competitive grin soon pulled on his lips.

“Ha! Maybe when I’m eighty you’ll finally kick more ass than me!” Mitch smirked when he saw how annoyed Clementine was getting.

“Oh yeah? Let’s make a bet. Whoever can get the most ducats from pirate duels wins!” Clementine quickly spit in her hand and held it out. Mitch laughed and spat in his hand, slamming it into Clementine’s and giving it a firm shake.

“Deal. Winner gets all the ducats won,”

“Deal,”

“You got this, Clem!” Louis appeared from behind Clementine and surprised her with a kiss. That seemed to melt away the intimidating exterior of the pirate who soon returned the affection.

“Good luck, Mitch,” Brody gave her love a quick kiss on the cheek. Mitch grew incredibly flustered at that and Clementine saw her chance.

“Ready, set, go!” Clementine was off like a shot, already on her way to her first duel.

“Hey, wait! Fuck! That was cheap!” Mitch yelled and sprinted off with an angry cry as he tried to find his first opponent.

The competition lasted for quite some time and after a while Clementine and Mitch both collapsed onto the ground.

“I won, you little-” Clementine wheezed. “Shit,”

“”Fu-” Mitch gasped for air “Ck!”

The rest of the crew gathered around giving congratulations to both of them while Clementine flaunted her ducats and immediately bragged about how she'd spend them: half on dates and half on a new badass blade. A few minutes passed and the crew all decided to go grab some food at the local tavern. Clementine tried to get up but immediately felt her legs turned to jelly.

“Don’t worry, my darling!” Louis swept her up and carried her bridal style. “I’ll carry you!”

“Louis! Wait!” Clementine grew flustered but it was too late. Soon the others followed them with Mitch and Brody leading the back.

“I think you were pretty badass,” Brody gave Mitch’s hand a small squeeze. Those words made him smile and he immediately wrapped her up in a hug before pulling away quickly.

“It was no big deal,” The taller pirate tried to play it cool but Brody could see how much the words meant to him.

It didn’t take long for them to find the tavern where they supposedly had amazing food. Louis went about ordering the drinks and meals while the rest of them secured a few tables. Once they sat down Marlon noticed the wanted posters on the walls, placed there as a sign of pride for all the chaos the pirate captains and their crews had caused. Amongst them were pictures of all the Ericson pirates drawn in the usual inaccurate fashion.

“Wow, that Louis one is super accurate,” Violet commented, drawing the crews’ eyes to the wanted post which displayed Louis with a large evil smile and what looked to be a giant spider as his hair.

“Hey! I don’t look like that!” Louis huffed. “My hair looks even more spider-like in person,” Louis rolled with the joke and soon the others found the other wanted posters and pointed each out. Marlon’s looked like he had giant spikes on his head while Omar’s looked like he didn’t have any eyes. Willy’s wanted poster had him looking like a small gremlin pirate which the whole crew including him agreed was accurate.

Before they could spot all of the posters and talk about them though the food had arrived. Steaming plates of the finest seafood were brought before them along with fresh rolls. As AJ grabbed a roll he tore it open, revealing the soft, white, fluffy bread. Grabbing some butter he slathered it on the roll. The butter melted in an instant, soaking into the bread and enhancing its flavor.

While Willy and AJ chowed down on the rolls the rest dug into their seafood. The freshness of it was apparent in every bit as the flaky fish melted in their mouths. The crab was a particularly delicious choice as its subtle flavor tempted the palate to eat more and more. Garbage was just as happy with her food of choice: a simple apple that Willy had sliced for her. The possum licked the apple with happy hisses. Their time in the tavern was a simple joy. The crew talked, ate and drank happily without a care in the world when suddenly the tavern doors burst open.

In walked a man of alarming height. His outfit and demeanor made it clear he was the captain of his crew who all entered with wicked laughs, telling tales that left bad tastes in the Ericson pirates’ mouths. Behind them all was a curvy girl of average height. Her brown eyes peered from below her short black hair and seemed to hold a world of kindness in them. Kindness that was clearly not given to her as she struggled to carry around the crew’s treasure for seemingly no other reason than as a show of their wealth. The girl placed down the treasure and nearly fell over, a large bead of sweat trickling down her face.

“Wench! Get us drinks! Or else you may wish you sank with that ship that we saved your sorry hide from!” the captain shouted and his men laughed. The girl nodded and soon left to get the rum. The Ericson pirates watched on, all of them feeling their emotions roil due to the injustice they were seeing. The girl soon appeared back with drinks and the pirates heartily drank.

“Perhaps she can dance for us!” one of the pirates suggested and the others cheered in agreement.

The girl stood frozen in her spot, her hands by her side slowly curling into fists. “No,”

Her soft voice made the pirates glance her way.

“What do you mean no, girlie?” The captain spoke in a low tone. In an instant he grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward. “I spared your life! Out of the entire ship only you lived, so show some fucking gratitiude or else,” His voice was filled with warning.

Violet felt her stomach twist. While she couldn’t see clearly she was sure what the implications of those words meant. The other members of the crew soon noticed some bruises on the girl’s arms; the anger in their hearts grew.

The captain chuckled and pulled her chin towards his. The pirate’s breath reek of old fish and alcohol. “I hate being disagreed with.”

All of the Ericson pirates wanted to stop this, to make a move and get that girl away from this awful crew. Violet’s fists curled tightly but she wasn’t the first to make a move. Instead that honor went to Ruby who slammed her tankard down onto the table hard, causing a thin hairline crack to appear along the side of it.

“Get your filthy hands off of her,” Ruby warned and the captain as well as his men looked over her way.

“Hmm? Something to say, wench? Care to join her as one of my servants?” The captain held a twisted smile on his lips. “You two match well,”

“How dare-”

Aasim was cut short as Ruby slammed her fist on the table, her eyes burning with anger. “I’d rather make you eat your teeth!”

Ruby’s words made the captain frown before he burst out in laughter. “What a fiery wench you are! Alright, I’ll humor you with an arm wrestling competition. If I win, you apologize to me and if you win-”

“I’m fine with the satisfaction of kicking your ass,” Ruby strode forward, looking small in comparison to the captain of this crew. His crew laughed in amusement and before any of the Ericson pirates could say otherwise Ruby was seated at a table across from the captain. Rolling up her sleeve, she positioned her arm and soon the captain did the same. Once they were all set one of the captain’s crew counted down.

As soon as the countdown was done Ruby’s eyes took on a threatening glint and with all her strength she slammed down the man’s hand. That action alone would be impressive but the fiery short redheaded pirate had gone a step further. Her strength had set the man off his center, causing him to tumble over with the force of the move and crash into a chair, smashing it to pieces. Both crews stood there in shock until Mitch spoke up.

“Fuck yeah! Fuck ‘em up, Ruby!” Mitch pumped his fist in the air.

“You little bitch!” The pirate captain coughed as he rose. With a mighty swing he tried to hit Ruby but she dodged it.

The fiery pirate curled her fist and sent it crashing into the captain’s stomach. “Better be ready, I’m about to whoop your ass!” Ruby slammed her fist into her open palm. Aasim felt himself at a loss for words as he stared at his love in all her glory. She was amazing.

This wasn’t a funny joke or game anymore. The opposing crew soon charged to take down the pirate that had made their captain look bad.

“You won’t touch her!” Aasim charged forward and swung his fist, breaking teeth and sending a pirate flying back.

All bets were off now and soon the tavern erupted into chaos. Pirates charged at the table with mighty cries. Mitch and Marlon shared a smile and lifted up their tankards. Clinking them together, they downed their drinks then used the empty tankards to smash in their enemies’ faces.

“This is what you get for being shit!” Marlon slammed his tankard once more into a pirate’s face.

Prisha backstepped, dancing around a pirate’s attack before she unsheathed her blade. Using the hilt of the sword, she jabbed it into the man’s gut repeatedly before proceeding to knock him out as he keeled over, her sword’s hilt colliding with his face and smashing his nose.

Violet stood on the table to get away from all the chaos of the tavern and have a decent chance at fighting. It wasn’t longer until an opponent arrived. Cautiously Violet dodged attack after attack until she grabbed a chair and with a heavy hit shattered it into pieces on top of the pirate’s body. Prisha was in absolute awe of her love’s strength and Violet looked over with a proud smile when suddenly she noticed a pirate sneaking up on Prisha.

“Prisha!” Violet called out and gave a signal to Prisha. Prisha immediately held out her arm and wrapped it around Violet as she landed. With a secure hold on Violet, Prisha swung her love to her side where Violet proceeded to knock out the enemy with her foot. After Prisha placed Violet down the two shared a quick smile then continued their fight.

AJ, Willy and Tenn worked together, tag teaming pirates left and right. With harsh punches from AJ to their weak spots in between the legs, brutal foot stompings by Tenn and slingshot attacks from Willy, any pirates who faced them were doomed. That was before accounting for the ferocious Garbage who hissed as she scampered about, crawling up pant legs and biting down on the enemies’ noses. Omar used the plates on the table as makeshift weapons, weakening the enemies with kicks before breaking dinnerware over their heads.

“I’ll pay for all the plates I break!” Omar called out to the tavern owner who was still processing what was happening.

The girl was overwhelmed by the sudden chaos but that didn’t stop her from getting some good punches in, knocking out a few of the pirates that had made her life hell. She was about to lash out again when Louis pulled her out of harm’s way at the last second.

“That was close!’ Louis smiled at the girl. “I’m Louis, and you are?”

“Nurgul,” the girl gave a soft smile. “Thanks,”

“Think nothing of it! Just an ordinary day for the Ericson pirates!” Louis grinned then used his sword to cut a tankard in half that was aimed for Nurgul’s head. “Hey! Don’t be an asshat!” Louis proceeded to beat the pirate who’d thrown the tankard in a swordfight then kick his butt into a nearby barrel. He gave a smile back at Nurgul then looked over to see Clementine weaving through an enemy pirate’s attacks, outmaneuvering him then using her peg leg to crush his toes. When the pirate cried out Clementine grabbed a bottle and harshly cracked it against his head, knocking him out.

“Whoa,” Louis whispered. An instant later he joined his love in fighting off the remaining enemies.

Brody dodged an attack then another before grabbing the man by the collar. With a harsh jab her knee collided with his crotch. The auburn pirate refused to give him a moment to recover and with a heavy slam she crushed his face into a table, cracking it slightly.

Mitch gave an impressed whistle. Brody may have called him a badass earlier but that move right there made it clear that she had him tied in that regard. He swore his love for her grew in that moment but he couldn’t stay in the moment long because all of a sudden another attack came his way. Mitch was about to counter when the booming voice of the tavern owner made everyone stop.

“Alrighty! That's enough, you scurvy dogs!” The tavern owner stood in between the captain and Ruby right before they were about to exchange blows, blocking both of them. “I won’t have you go and ruin my tavern anymore! In fact, one of you sorry lots is gonna have to pay for all the damage that was caused!” The tavern owner looked over at the Ericson pirates then at the other crew. “We’re gonna settle this the way we always do here on this great island. Get ready, ye about to have a pirate duel!”

The captain of the crew gave a hearty laugh. “I’m fine with that! In fact, I challenge your captain!” He pointed at Mitch who gave a scowl his way. “A fight to the death, winner gets to skip out on paying for this fine mess and gets the lass of their choosing from the opposite side,”

“You have a deal!” Louis’ voice rang out across the tavern as he stood on a table, his hands on his hips. “Except it won’t be a fight to the death, not on my end,” His eyes were level with the captain’s and his jaw firm. He was obviously still upset about how they had been treating Nurgul and on a battle high from the tavern fight. “When I win, you’re gonna regret ever treating Nurgul badly!”

“Who?” The captain scrunched his nose. “That don’t matter, what I’m confused about is that you out of all your crew is the captain. Are you pulling me leg?” He glanced back at the Ericson crew and saw that they were all upset by his accusation against Louis. He was their captain after all. The captain paused for a moment, his eyes glancing over at the wall of wanted posters. “Well, sink me! You lot are the Ericson pirates!” He began to laugh, holding his sides. “I suppose you have a bit more fire in ya than me and the other crews thought you did. Still, you’re a bunch of lily-livered wannabes who claim to be pirates when you all haven’t even done half the things a pirate should do,”

“We do the right thing. We follow our own pirate law,” Louis stared down at the man.

“Is that so? Well then I hope that my blade doesn’t rust from cowardly blood when I gut ya tomorrow,” The captain laughed then harshly pulled Nurgul forward, urging her to lead the way. “Till tomorrow, ‘captain’!” The captain gave a mocking, obscene gesture then left.

“Louis!” Clementine hurried forward and looked up at her love. “What are you doing?”

“The right thing,” Louis met his love’s gaze and Clementine could see he wouldn’t budge on this decision. There was only one thing to be done.

Clementine and the rest of the crew worked to make sure Louis was the best equipped and well-trained he could be for tomorrow’s duel. The sunlight bled through the sky at a rapid pace and before they knew it night was upon them that soon shed away when the sun rose once more. Hopefully all their work had been enough.

As they made their way to the dueling pit they heard the overwhelming cheers of pirates heartily drinking grog as they waited to see the bloodshed of the fight. The crew was soon guided over to an area for viewing. As they passed they noticed Nurgul standing at the sidelines of the fighting pit. Louis was left alone at the entrance of the arena with Clementine. His eyes focused on the tiny crabs that scattered about the soiled sands of the pit, mindless to all the noise around them.

“Louis, be careful,” Clementine held her love’s hand and tried to get him to look at her.

Louis remained silent for a moment. “Everyone is continuing on me so I gotta be. Can’t be the normal screw up that I am. One wrong step...” His voice faltered out as he continued to look off into the distance.

“Louis, you’re not a screw up. You’re a great captain and fighter. You’ll win,”

Those words made Louis glance over his love’s way. “I don’t know about that,” He took a deep breath and turned to face Clementine. “Alright, I need you to slap me. One good slap to make sure I can focus,” He tried to stand strong in front of her, his eyes pressed shut but every few seconds he’d peek out at Clementine, his head unconsciously flinching backwards. Clementine stood there, knowing that she wouldn’t hit him but she wasn’t sure what the right choice was. After a moment she decided to go with her heart. Getting up on her tiptoes and wrapping her hand behind his head she captured his lips in a soft kiss. Louis seemed surprised by this before his shoulders relaxed and he melted into the kiss, if only for a moment.

The dreadlocked captain pulled back from the kiss, his eyes filled with shock. “I... can’t tell if I feel more focused or less,” His lips pulled into a smile that Clementine immediately mirrored. The pair stood there, becoming lost in each other’s eyes when suddenly the announcer called for the two pirates to get in the pit. Louis was about to step forward when he felt Clementine’s hand grab his.

“I believe in you. So does AJ and so do the rest of the crew. There’s a reason you’re our captain and it's for choices like this,” Clementine gave a smile, hoping that it would find its way to Louis.

Louis returned the smile then kissed the top of her hand softly. “I gotta prove you and the others right then,” He slowly slipped his hand free of Clementine’s and stepped forward into the sunny arena where his ears were pierced with the cries and cheering of the pirate crowd.

Louis tried to show his charisma and held up his blade with a big smile. He rotated in a circle, catching the eyes of all the different sections of the crowd until he saw his crew. He could tell they were nervous but he also noticed the trust and belief in their eyes. He would win today.

After a moment or two the duel was set to begin. The signal was given and the captain of the other crew unsheathed his double shell guard cutlass. Not waiting a moment he slashed it down towards Louis’ face. Louis immediately lifted up his rapier, blocking the attack and causing the sound of metal colliding to ring throughout the arena.

“Let’s see how long you’re gonna last before you end up as shark bait,” The captain kicked up dirt, aiming it directly at Louis’ face. The young pirate coughed sharply and tried to regain his sight when suddenly he felt something slashing against his back. The cold feeling of metal slid across his back once more and Louis dodged a third strike before proceeding to block a fourth. His hand held up his blade as the captain smirked down at him. “Not long at all I’d wager,”

Louis felt his nerves rising but he knew that if he let them consume him he’d wind up dead. Studying the man’s legs he noticed that he was heavily favoring his right one. So Louis decided to take a page from his love’s book and with a mighty kick he forced his opponent off balance. Using the moment of uncertainty Louis hooked his blade with his opponent’s and with a well-timed twist forced the man to disarm. His cutlass flew through the air and landed in the sand beside Louis.

“Don’t count me out just yet,” Louis pointed the sword at his throat but the captain soon slapped it away and elbowed Louis deep in his gut. The young pirate gasped loudly, a thread of saliva falling from his lips and onto the dirt. He tumbled to the ground, dirt flying up the air and clouding the pit.

The captain laughed loudly and leaned over to pick up his blade when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his left foot. Looking down, he saw Louis’ rapier embedded there.

“You’re not keeping that girl and you’re not gonna get any of my crew!” Louis grabbed the sides of the man’s head and headbutted it sharply. The action stunned the man but it also made Louis’ head ring. He couldn’t let that stop him from focusing on this fight though. With a wild cry Louis took his blade out of the man’s foot and used the hilt of his sword to pummel the man’s chest. Each hit brought him one step closer to winning and each made his opponent weaker. His hilt soon found its way to the bridge of the captain’s nose and with a mighty slam Louis shattered the man’s nose. The captain’s head swayed with the movement, his eyes stinging with tears due to the hit as blood slipped down his face.

“You little brat! I’ll be sure to send you to Davy Jones’ Locker myself!” he yelled, dodging an attack and sweeping up his sword. He immediately sliced his cutlass through the air, his blade colliding with Louis’ rapier. The two pressed their entire body weight into their blades, their feet digging into the dirt and sliding with the force. Neither of them were willing to lose an inch in this attack.

The captain once again tried to kick dirt into Louis’ face but the younger pirate danced around the attack. The sudden movement caused the man to slip forward and Louis decided to use some of the techniques he had tried to pick up from his crew. Aiming for the spot that Violet usually did with her iron knuckle studded gloves, he dug his fist into his opponent’s chest, cracking a rib. Soon he backstepped, changing towards Marlon’s stance of being well balanced with defense and offense, but leaned into a sturdy defense like Brody held. He carefully studied the captain’s movements, wanting to spot his weaknesses and exploit them the way that Aasim always did during his fights.

It took some time, precious time in which Louis worried his energy would flag and fail him, but at last he spotted the pattern the captain fought in. Louis cautiously backstepped, taking a page from Omar’s patient fighting style. He slowly dodged and parried each strike until he saw the shift in the man’s right leg. Not wanting to miss the moment, Louis feigned an attack, forcing the man to put all of his strength into a counterattack that would miss before he kicked out the man’s right leg once more and sent the hilt of his rapier crashing against the side of his head. With a loud thud the captain collapsed onto the ground. The pirate crowd grew silent as Louis’ chest heaved until suddenly a proud voice started to cheer.

“WOOO! That’s our captain!” AJ cheered, doing his signature happy dance. His sudden outburst made the other members of the crew cheer and holler, filling the entire arena with the overwhelming volume of their voices.

Louis took a shaky breath then grinned at his crew, thrusting his arm that held the rapier into the air. The action gained more cheers as the pirate audience applauded a fight well won. Louis’ eyes were entirely focused on his crew though, noticing how happy and proud they were of him. He returned their kindness with a bright smile then looked over towards Nurgul. “You’re free,”

[bilgisticallykosher]

Fast Timmy!

Oh yeah, the werebear. Man, still love this opening, still sick. No, I think Terrance is right. Part two recap. Rofl! Can I respond to this. I fully expected him to say "I volunteer Roman to go first." Oooh creative fighting.

AJ, yes!!!! We all want to see Roman launch himself. Gotta figure out new math. WOW, Youngblood with the bad rolls. JAW??? Roman's bad rolls are contagious. Just enough to hit. OH??? Oh I had no idea what a dirty twenty was, but I figured it out, nice. Wow what a time for a nat twenty. Aaaand there go his rolls. Oh, items, right, they grabbed candy.

Vicious mockery. "Na na na boo boo. You furry." Oh, no, his is funnier. Omfg. Also that scene they acted out. Haha "Youngblood at the well" Insulting a child.

BITCH! I'm crying, that's amazing. AHAHA I should not be laughing so hard at "Henderson's dead" he's not, right??? "Shouldn't have dangled me over a well, asshole" 😂

Didn't have a plan past the bear. "Take you out" awwww. This interaction is amazing. I love. Oooh, person? That's. A lot of detail about the plaid. Took my pants! I love Fast Timmy. Especially the accent.

Feet. :)

They stole hard candies from Patty, that's it??? Rofl built the fortress. Mel doing the neck thing. Aww, I hope they can work together. So he doesn't get up to three days of punishment. WORKING TOGETHER!!!!

Oh that's large. Sorry about your head. Oh my! Chicken Dino. He's just. Talking without knowing. Quite literally. Oh, nets, nice. Damn, Youngblood with the spells, nice! Mating call oh my gosh. That's a great plan, Roman! Daaaamn, magic. "Lighting my thing afire." Burning damage nice. Achilles, more like a-kill-es, am I right?

AJ dying. Took a man's pants. Oh my gosh the acting when they're arguing. Oh hey, they're fast, after all. Net! Oh my gosh, Youngblood!!!! So much magic stuff! I love it, I want that ability. Rofl, before I hit it on the head. Haha, that was easy. I don't want to be seen. Little late for that, dude.

I love the kids! "Well, they didn't do shit" Immediately takes all the credit. Love Fast Timmy and gang. Oh! Aunt Patty! Aww, she's been nervous. But supportive! Hello, friend! "Apprentice to me-" ">:|"

He says wink out loud yes that is my humor. Patty is just everybody's aunt. Riker not as fast. I'm snorting at Riker. Ooooh? "Well, I'm gonna always stay for the night" Terrance dying. A place, yes, good. Bard college in the sky. Oooh Riker has A Thing. OH! WAIT! Is that why Roman doesn't know singing!

Ohh! Youngblood's home! Why, why does she have that. Family tradition hahaha. Ohhh, she's giving her blessing that he can leave. Aha, Reston. With an o. Aunt Patty spelling it out. Oh they're so friends by now! Rofl is this a paid position. I joke! I love Terrance, omg. Roman fangirling over adventure.

She's just going to heft the hook horror over her shoulder isn't she. They bond over insulting Fast Timmy. Epic music! Ahhh so cool! Got in a bunch of fights with bards. I made the "We can dance if we want to" joke with him. Triple peace out!!