#alex and emily are best friends and I am here for it

[snowysosturn]

Speeding Car - Matt Sturniolo

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Finale

Pairing : y/n x Matt Sturniolo

Summary : After six years with your boyfriend Alex, you start to mentally check out. At a UCLA party, Alex reconnects with his childhood friend Emily, who proposes a double date with her boyfriend Matt. Your attraction to Matt grows as he pays you the first real attention you've had in years, sparking a complicated emotional journey.

Warnings : MDNI, drinking, angst

a/n : This is my first ever piece of writing so please go easy on me. Since it is my first time writing and it is a series please be patient with me! I do intend of posting parts frequently, but I am also going on a 2 week holiday this weekend so i’ll try my best <3

‘Y/n are you nearly ready?’ My boyfriend shouted from the bathroom.

‘Almost’ I replied, shoving one of my gold hoops in my left earlobe piercing.

We were going to an ‘End of summer’ party on the UCLA campus. One last blow out before the new school year began. My boyfriend, Alex, was in his junior year of school there, majoring in Economics. I decided college wasn’t for me within the first couple months of my senior year of high school, so following Alex wherever he went and picking up a shitty retail job for the foreseeable seemed to be the most logical thing for me to do at the time.

The sound of laughter and music filled the air as we stepped onto the packed UCLA campus. The summer heat was still present, even as the sun dipped below the horizon. I walked hand in hand with Alex, a touch I haven’t felt in a while. It felt nice to be shown off for once. Alex and I have been together for six years, but somewhere along the way, the spark that once defined our relationship had dimmed, atleast in my eyes. I had been feeling a sense of detachment, it had been growing in my chest for months. It was a weird feeling, being present and absent at the same time. Being exhausted from trying to get what I knew I deserved out of the relationship and grieving the way we were in the beginning, hanging onto the thoughts of what could’ve been. We never went on dates, the flirting had stopped, getting a compliment was very few and far between. The only time we would spend together was watching Netflix on the couch, so being invited along to this college party tonight struck me as effort on his behalf. I had begged him for months to make more of an effort with our relationship. So tonight, I promised myself I would try. For him, and for us.

“Want a drink?” Alex asked as he turned back to me, shouting over the music.

“Yeah, a vodka lemonade please ” I replied. He nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. I stood near the door, pulling up the waistband on my high waist jeans out of awkwardness, scanning the room for a familiar face but recognizing no one.

As I took in my surroundings, my eyes caught a girl with dark brown hair, who seemed to be making her way towards me. She had a wide smile that seemed oddly familiar. It made me question myself if I had ever met her before. Before I could piece it together in my head, Alex reappeared with two red solo cups, handing one to me.

“Oh my god? Alex!” the girl called, her voice slightly screeching. Alex turned, and his face dropping before lighting up with a mix of surprise and joy.

“Emily?!” he exclaimed. They embraced in an enthusiastic hug - more affection shown to a random girl in 3 seconds than I had received in 3 months. A slight irk of jealousy hit me.

“I knew it was you! What are you doing here?” Emily gushed, pulling back to look at him while both wrapped in each others arms.

“Wow, it’s been what, eight years?” Alex replied. “I’m majoring in Economics, what are you doing here?”

That’s when the penny dropped. Emily was Alex’s childhood best friend. I had heard multiple, multiple, stories about her over the years. They lived next door to each other since they were 3, until Emily and her family moved to Austin when they were 14, two years before Alex and I started dating. From this point on, I knew the relationship between them was strictly platonic, more of a brother/sister type of love.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! I’ve just transferred to here from TSU, I’m majoring in Economics too! she wept with joy. “And who’s this? Is this the girl you post sometimes on Instagram?” Emily said as she pulled her focus on to me, my eyes nearly twitching at the word sometimes.

“This is y/n, my girlfriend, we’ve been together six years now” Alex introduced us, as I flashed a smile.

“Nice to meet you, Emily,” I said warmly, extending a hand. She shook it, giving me a sweet smile. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“All good things, I hope,” Emily joked, as I took a sip of my drink. It was stronger than I expected, “Definitely,” I laughed while slightly wincing at the pungent wave of alcohol in my mouth. “Alex and I go way back. We were practically inseparable in elementary and middle school”

I nodded, as I knew I was about to listen to a relay of information i’ve already heard before. He had spoken of her often, his childhood best friend, lost to time and distance. Eight years apart, yet their bond seemed untouched. I watched as they fell into easy conversation, reminiscing about old times. Emily’s presence seemed to revive a part of Alex that I hadn’t seen in years. He was ecstatic, almost with a new sparkle in his eye, and his laughter seemed genuine. Although I knew they were friends it confused me how he couldn’t give this type of attention to his girlfriend.

I poured myself another drink as the two had made their way over to one of the couches in the living area so the pair could continue on their catch up. I sat physically on the arm of the two seater couch they were sharing. They shared memories about one of their middle school dances while I sat mentally in my own thoughts. I was really hoping tonight would rekindle a relationship of some form, not realising it wouldn’t be ours. Maybe i need to be a liiiiiittle more specific with this whole manifesting thing.

Eventually, Emily’s eyes met mine again. “y/n, why don’t you join in, tell me one of your favourite memories with Alex!” she called out, trying to get me involved in the conversation. “I should have invited my boyfriend, Matt, he’s quite quiet like you too, you’d get on like a house on fire!” Emily exclaimed.

“Sorry the alcohol has gone to my head a bit faster than I thought it would” I said, trying to come up with a valid enough excuse to cover up why i’m not speaking. I’m happy for Alex, I really am. I just wished this could have happened at a coffee shop or something, not when I’m trying to see if I can salvage something from our relationship.

Emily looked back to my boyfriend. “Al maybe you should get y/n home if she’s feeling too drunk right now, we can organise a double date sometime this week to continue our catch up and we can introduce our partners to eachother!”

"That sounds like a great idea! I’ll DM you sometime tomorrow on instagram" Alex suggested. I forced a nod. Somehow, pretending to be too drunk to get myself out of this situation has only landed me further into it. The idea of another couple entering our dynamic is both intriguing and daunting, maybe their relationship is like ours where it’s almost fizzled out? but what if I see they have an amazing relationship and it makes me resent mine even more.

Alex ordered us an Uber and we said our goodbyes to Emily, promising to arrange that double date soon. We weren’t walking hand in hand like we did when we entered the party. It made me feel as if there was something wrong with me. We both walked around separate sides of the Uber. I opened the door for myself and slid onto the back seat, leaning my head again the car window. Suddenly my phone lit up as I received a notification.

“Emily Johnson (@emmyjohns) has requested to follow you.”

I waited until we got home to accept the request, you know, trying to cling onto the whole too drunk to function act I had put on. Alex held my hand while walking up the stairs to our apartment, he must of fallen for my act too, since I was now getting attention again. "Wasn't that great? I can't believe we ran into Emily," Alex says as he unlocked our front door. “Yeah it was great to finally put a face to the name” I replied while I walk into our room to change into my PJs, leaving Alex in the kitchen. He pours me a glass of water and sets it on my bedside locker before he gets into our bed. “Come join me” Alex whispers, gesturing at the free space beside him. “Let me brush my teeth first” I replied. If it’s one thing about me drunk, fake drunk or sober, my teeth are being brushed before I get into bed. Alex rolled his eyes at my response and by the time I finished in the bathroom he was out cold. Shocker.

I turned off the lights in our room and slipped into bed beside him. I picked up my phone to check the time before I noticed a message on Instagram that came in 10 minutes ago.

“Hey girlie…”

a/n : sorry i’ve left a cliffhanger lol, we’ve met the idea of Matt but he’ll be fully introduced in the next chapter. I’ll post chapter 2 tomorrow bc I don’t want to leave it too long before properly introducing him.

taglist : @muwapsturniolo @anitahunt333 @sturnfannn @chrissfavhoe @jayde510

[hiramaris]

Kiss It Off Me

CHAPTER 1

Summary:

A story revolving around the newly arrived resident farmer in the eyes of the personified perfection, the sunflower of Pelican Town herself, Haley. Or. When Haley finally met the person that caused ripples in what was once a stagnant town, and she didn’t know how to handle such massive change.

Pairings: Haley x Fem!farmer

Notes:

Haley's heart events are just soooo wifey, especially after marriage. Her character development is well written off but I just can't help but notice that something is missing, like the heart events are just not that connected in some way. Stardew is an absolute gem don't get me wrong. I'd like to try and connect what I think is missing which is the reason this fic is created. P.S. Second try in making fanfiction. I apologize for any future grammatical errors or whatever. English is not my primary language.

Disclaimer:  I do not own Stardew Valley or any of the related characters. Stardew Valley is created by and owned by ConcernedApe. This fanfiction is intended for entertainment only. I am not making any profit from this story. All rights of the original Stardew Valley story belong to ConcernedApe.

Warning: None so far? Just Haley being her usual self

Gif from reddit.com

Winter 25

Immobile.

Stagnant.

Bland.

What words could possibly do justice to describe this sleepy town? Pelican Town had its charms sure. It’s peaceful, the air is fresh, and would never choke you on your sleep plus it gives a really nice tan so Haley wouldn’t really complain. 

But it was just so... boring. Was that the right term?

The people are meh, nosy, and just as bland but they are good neighbors though don't get her wrong. They look after them— her and Emily when their parents can’t. 

Ugh.

Them again. Thinking about them just makes her angry— blood boiling and all that, and well… sad which is infuriating.

How can you just leave your kids just to go follow your own dreams and travel? And then act like you care just by sending some half-hearted letter? Sending a letter now and then was hardly enough to make up for their absence. How low could that be?

Emily doesn’t think so. But what does she know? Her cooking was as bland as the town, and her obsession with crystals and hippie clothes was just plain ridiculous. She knows nothing. 

Her sister is anything but pessimistic. She saw the light in everything whereas Haley ever saw them through the lens of her camera.

Capturing a single moment in a photograph was a thousand times more vivid and alive than the bleak and colorless reality she was currently living in.

She should be in college right now, pursuing her dreams, being the center of attention, and having boys falling over themselves to impress her. Or she would have been running her own photography studio by now in a city that never sleeps, schmoozing with some famous photographers and carving a niche for herself in the cut-throat world of photography.

But no, because here she was, stuck in a six-mile drive from the nearest city, life as directionless as the people in here.

Why am I even staying here? She wonders.

Oh, yeah— grandma.

This house is hers. Her house is the only thing that made her feel that Grandma is still here, with them. Even though Haley is talking big about leaving this town, she knew to herself that she doesn’t have the strength to just leave it just like that. Which is why they both tried to keep it tidy and well... avoiding it from falling apart.

Aside from that, there was nothing to do here. The only things keeping her sane were her camera, her phone, and the clothes she ordered online.

Oh, and of course, her best friend, Alex.

He's the only one— aside from Emily and of course, the Mullner residence, Granny and George are good people even though George is grumpy all the time,  that she's able to have a decent conversation. She and Alex are, after all, not the sharpest tool in the shed, and shared almost the same brain cell.

He’s that typical jock boy, ripped as hell but in terms of brain, well… meh. Not like Haley's any better so who is she to judge?

They went to the same school, belonged to the same clique, and were both popular, of course. He’s here to practice his grid ball or whatever but Haley knew better.

Alex, despite being the dungus that he is, has a lot on his plate already. He needs the peace this town can offer.

And maybe, maybe I need it, too.

Maybe being away from the city has a good cause, despite her constant complaints, this town has been her home for the past six years after all.

But she just really couldn’t help but dwell on this stupid thought of hers of being stagnant and directionless at this time of the year.

Winter.

Ugh. It’s stupidly cold outside and there’s no way she’s walking in six-inch snow just to get a quality photo, which isn’t much considering the lighting outside does not satisfy her at all. The only, and probably one good thing about winter is peppermint coffee. It's hot, minty, and makes her feel warm while making her mouth worthy of being sucked on— err... that's a want that cannot be sated as of the moment.

The bachelors in this town suck for real. They are not even worthy of a single glance. Apart from Alex, of course, but he's a friend so... no.

And what's made it double suck is that she ran out of peppermint coffee. Pierre is out of stock and there's no way she'll let herself be caught alive inside that creep manager's store that runs Joja or whatever. 

Now she's stuck sitting at the table, devouring a massive pink cake that could feed an entire family, enduring a coffee so bland it makes her want to try and drink tea.

She hates tea.

Oh yeah, she's also holding a note and a sunflower in her other hand. 

She doesn't want to read the letter but considering the gifts she just received, it’s probably just the same lame-ass apology about being unable to be here on her birthday this coming Spring 14th. Not that it mattered anymore; it had been two years of absence, and she had grown used to it by now.

With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the note onto the table, debating whether to toss it into the fireplace or tear it to shreds or whatever.

If it's just another excuse, she doesn’t want to hear it.

"Haaaay!" And there's a familiar voice. 

"If you don't have peppermint coffee with you I swear to Yoba—"

"What's the case, long face?" he quipped. "And no, I don't have anything with me."

She looked up from her cake, finding Alex strolling in their kitchen with one of his shit-eating grins, hair covered with a concerning amount of snow. She grimaced. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm friends with you."

He feigned a hurt expression. "I thought you loved me though."

"According to gossip, maybe but really, I don't," she deadpanned. 

He cackled at the mention of that. At the center of the gossip mill passing down from Marnie, Jodi, and Caroline, maybe Robin, too, and probably all the yoga club, is he and Haley dating. Which was absurd, to be honest.

"No, really, Hay." He finally turns serious. "What's up? What's got your face looking like that?" 

"It's just the stupid climate." Haley tried to lie. She didn't want to stir up drama at the moment. Alex frowned, catching up with her lie almost immediately. He caught sight of the letter Haley threw earlier. "Alex don't—"

Too late. He already got it. He sat down next to her as he read the contents of the note, his brows furrowing in what she assumes is annoyance. "Parents, huh? Same old, same old?" He raised an eyebrow.

Haley huffed and snatched the letter away. "Yes, the usual."

"Well." Alex propped his elbow on the backrest, a sly grin returning to his face. "I just got the perfect news that might take your mind off things."

Haley arched a perfect eyebrow, curious. Gossip wasn't his usual forte.

"Spill." 

"A new farmer is coming to town."

Haley's fork paused in mid-air. "Uh... I'm not sure how to react to that, and what's so great about it?"

His smile widened. "I heard she's from Zuzu City."

"I'm sorry, what?" 

"Why? Surprised another Zuzu native is coming here?"

"No, you dungus." She slapped his hand attempting to take a slice of her cake. "I heard you correctly, right? You said the farmer's a she? A girl is taking over that farm?"

"Yes," Alex confirmed, finally snagging a bite of cake. Haley makes a scrunched face in mock disgust. "The farmer's a she. Old man Railey's granddaughter actually. What's the problem though?" he asked in mouthfuls.

Haley stood up to grab another spoon. No way she's getting his imaginary cooties. Alex doesn't seem to mind; it only further encourages him to eat some more.

"Because it’s weird," she said as she sat down. "Farming isn't exactly a girl's job, especially for a city girl like her. I bet you she wouldn't last a month."

"Not all girls are like you, Hay— ow! What's that for?!" He rubbed his ribs where Haley just nudged with her boniest elbow of all time.

"As I was saying before being rudely interrupted." She rolled her eyes. "Farming is all dirt and nasty, smelly clothes. That farm was barely run by old man Railey before he died. What could possibly a city girl like his granddaughter could do with that rundown farm? I bet you it’s already smoldering by now."

"Good point," Alex said as he continued eating. Haley swear to Yoba all this idiot does is eat and relax in here.

He has a diet, right? So does she, and they're like eating a fat block of sugar right now.

Whatever. Pink cake has always been an exemption from all her seasonal dietary plans.

"But I guess we'll have to wait and see; don't you think so?" Alex turned to her after a few moments of silence. "I heard she's around our age. If it's true that farming is as difficult as they say, the least we can do is make her feel welcomed."

Haley barely nods in acknowledgment. 

This town is like a pond, where everything that enters stays and everyone already there remains. The city is a raging storm with ocean waves ready to swallow you if you go against the flow. A lot of people there has a sense of direction, one Haley aspires to have, and what Pelican lacks. You can't, at all costs, be still and unmoved and some people just couldn't do that.

And those people who couldn't stand the pressure, come here, like a moth drawn to a flame, seeking the mundanity Pelican Town could offer them. Perhaps they have grown weary of the constant hustle and bustle. Maybe city life has been too much. Maybe modern life has been too much for this farmer.

Who knows?

But one thing Haley doesn't like, and what keeps her unmoved and still, is change. Adapting, and adjusting isn't meant for her. It took years before she could finally settle a lifestyle in this town, and another two years of adjustment when her parents decided it would be a good idea to abandon them and go travel. She knew where to go, where townspeople go just so she could avoid interacting with them, she accustomed herself to their culture, and the perfect spots for taking pictures. She has it all memorized and planned out perfectly.

And this farmer will be an anomaly to her perfectly (not as perfect as she thought) crafted routine. New face, a new attitude, and just an overall new person she might be obligated to talk to for the sake of introduction.

Pelican is a stagnant pond, yet this farmer, this alien to her world, she's not yet even here but she is already starting to cause ripples.

And Haley doesn't know what to think of it.

~~~~~

Next

Notes:

The title was inspired by Cigarettes After Sex' Kiss it off me. Their songs are such *chef's kiss* and whilst I was listening to this song, it kind of, sorta, reminded me of how my farmer sees her wife. Thus kabooOm this fic is born

Edit: Because I'm procrastinating and I made sure to finish off my other story first, I decided now to transfer this story from Ao3 to Tumblr

[aconites]

happy 2024! as it's a new year, i thought this was the perfect time to post a plotting call for those who might be interested in writing with me!  if you want to do threads with someone who will message you at the crack of dawn with random headcanons, musings and create graphics (manips, gifs manips, crackships, etc​ )  for our characters — look no further. i also have no triggers, am sm.ut friendly and i love to do multiple plots with the same partner. bellow the cut you’ll find a list of wanted faceclaims, opposites, ships and plots that i would love to do and if anything catches your interest please give this post a like and i’ll message you. this is for mutuals & non mutuals, so feel free to like this even if we have threads/plots happening already!

faceclaims i’d love to play! * melissa barrera** * greta onieogou* * ana de armas* * phoebe tonkin* * margot robbie* * camila queiroz** * sydney sweeney* * ayca aysin turan * hande ercel * alycia debnam-carey* * simone ashley * melisa pamuk* * adria arjona* * olivia cooke * grace van patten * jessica alexander* * madelyn cline* * madison bailey * priscilla quintana* * meghann fahy * benedetta porcaroli * camila morrone * riley keough * suki waterhouse* * adelaide kane* * florence pugh * sophia bush * ester exposito * lily james * lily collins * gabriella wilde* * sofia carson * josephine langford * danielle rose russell * danielle campbell * abigail cowen* * halston sage * camila mendes * brianne howey * gemma chan * eiza gonzalez * lindsey morgan * zendaya * sabrina carpenter * candice swanepoel * elsa hosk * jasmine tookes * emily ratajkowski

faceclaims i’d love to play against!

* all the ladies above * pedro pascal** * ben barnes** * joseph quinn* * joe keery* *christopher briney* * henry cavill * ricky whittle * casey deidrick* * jd pardo * jamie dornan * adam demos * richard madden * sam clafflin * carlos miranda * scott eastwood * garrett hedlund * drew starkey * clayton cardenas * jonathan bailey * jeffrey dean morgan * rudy pankow * felix mallard * dj cotrona* * charlie hunnam** * sebastian stan* * alex fitzalan * dylan o’brien* * nick robinson * manny montana  * chris evans* * harry styles * jacob elordi * boyd holbrook

some ships i’d love to do! * any of the above fcs combined tbh. ( m/f or f/f ) * click here for full list since tumblr has a text limit.

plots id love to do! * this unhappily married dad/babysitter plot. * * this angsty/fluffy my best friend is having my baby plot. * * this zombie apocalypse/last of us inspired plot* but also any za plot. * celeb plots! especially this one. something like two super famous actors hiding their relationship or famous person/non famous plots?* * single dad/nanny plots! give me something cute and angsty. * * escort/client plot where she breaks the most important rule… don’t fall for your client* * grumpy ceo/soft assistant plots.* * royal plots! bridgerton esqued plots! * * f/f socialites plot… blair/selena/upper east side inspired muses but make it gay* * college professor/teacher’s assistant plot.  * college professor/student plot. * crimey plots? sons of anarchy inspired? or maybe m.afia/m.ob/gang stuff?* * bodyguard/client plots bc i’m a sucker for them* * soulmates plot. i have a whole lore i’ve been wanting to write out for ages so * sugar b.aby / sugar d.addy plots *  * best friends to lovers plots ( gimme angst) * WHEN THE M.OB PRINCESS MEETS THE M.OB PRINCE: forbidden love is always angsty so why not do that and add rival g.angs to the mix?  muse a is the daughter of the head boss of the local g.ang and is sick and tired of having her life controlled by her overprotective father. so, to rebel against his wishes after an argument, muse a decides to go to a nightclub that her father had always forbidden her to attend. unknown to her, the club is run by the rival g.ang’s boss’ son, muse b, and not knowing who she is, can’t stop looking at her on the dance floor. they eventually bump into each other and after having a few drinks, end up at muse a’s apartment and they hook up. i was thinking they both never brought up their families and their true professions and maybe start to hang out/go on dates and then bam, the truth comes out and drama begins. especially when they can’t stay away from each other.

* MY BEST FRIEND IS A ROCKSTAR: (tw: death) muse a & muse b have been best friends since they were kids and grew up together. throughout their childhood, muse b had always told muse a about his plans to become a famous musician and as he grew older, became more and more determined to make those dreams come true. when they both hit their teen years, feelings eventually grew and the two were head over heels for each other but neither of them was ever able to admit it. they were both terrified that the feelings would be unrequited or that it would ruin their friendships so just imagine the angst of them seeing each other with other people and FGHDFG. anyway, when muse b finally turns twenty-one, he decides to move to hollywood to make his dreams come true, and muse a stays in their small hometown. they keep in contact with one another but as time went on, muse b becomes a huge rockstar with his band and their contact start to drift but they always had each other in their thoughts, wishing they were closer to one another. a few years pass and they still speak but it’s not like before. muse b was hugely successful and enjoyed the life he was now living but always felt like something was missing. that someone was missing… it’s not until he gets a distraught call from muse a telling him that her mother died does he rush on a private jet and comes home to her. after helping her arrange the funeral and being there for her through her grief, he suggests that she comes on tour with him and the band. wanting to run away from everything and everyone in her small town, she agrees. queue cute ass moments on the tour bus, traveling the world and falling in love like they did when they were young. add drama, angst ( because they’re both still dumb and won’t admit to their feels) stadium tours, TENSION!!!, groupies, etc, etc. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE BC TUMBLR HAS A TEXT LIMIT.

[darcyfangirlsfrequently]

Darcy Analyzes Luke and His "Replacement" of Morgan and how What the Writers Tried to Pass Off as a Replacement is Actually the Farthest Thing From - an essay

People I am tagging in this essay: @a-potato-wearing-plaid, @beelmons, @jacquiebethelina44, @fangirl-criminalminds-garvez because you guys were all in the original thread that inspired this, @snailsandpuppy-dogtails because I am interested to see what you have to say and I know you'll have something because you love calling out poor writing (as you should), and @hey-dw because it's about Luke Alvez

You can find the original thread here

Word count: 1270

At his introduction, it's obvious that Luke is supposed to be the character "replacing" Morgan. Now, in most other "replacements" on the show, it has just been a new character coming in and filling an empty space, and it has always been someone original and nothing like the old character. For example: Emily replacing Elle, Jordan taking over for JJ on Mat Leave, Alex replacing Emily, Kate replacing Alex, and Tara replacing Kate. The only outlier is Ashely replacing JJ, but that's a story for another time. The main difference here is that Morgan was on the show longer than all of these people (at least consecutively, Emily "leaving and coming back every other season" Prentiss I am in fact looking at you) and his absence left a more notable hole. He played a very particular role within the show and excluding that completely would leave a void in the show, so yes, the very base of Luke's character shares similarities with Morgan, because that was the smart course of action.

The base of his character reflects Morgan in two ways. The first way is the obvious physicalities. He's the big strong pretty boy who kicks down doors and manhandles the unsubs. Not that Emily, Tara, and JJ aren't completely capable, they are some scary badass women (and we know Luke agrees) but that was the kind of character Morgan was and it was the kind of character Luke started out as, and a skill he has throughout his entire run of the show. His other similarity is his unique (and flirty) relationship with one Ms. Penelope Grace Garcia. But this is also where we run into the first big difference.

Morgan and Garcia's relationship and Luke and Garcia's relationship could not be more different. With Morgan and Garcia, yes there was always flirting, but it was always interpreted as a joke. Even if there were feelings on one or both sides (and there were) they were never explored, and it was an unspoken understanding that they never would be. Friends were the best thing for them to be. With Luke and Garcia, however, it is completely different. Her one big issue with Luke is that he is not Morgan. She feels like falling for this man who is supposed to be "replacing" her best friend is a betrayal to that friendship, and Kirsten Vangsness said that Penelope hated herself for this crush for that reason. Adam Rodriguez has also said that, at the beginning of his run of the show, as much as his scenes with Kirsten/Penelope were his favorite to film, they were also the most nerve-wracking because he knew the audience was missing the Morgan/Garcia dynamic, but he hoped they had been able to come up with a special dynamic of their own, which I definitely think they did, I think we can all agree.

The best thing the writers did with Luke and Penelope's dynamic was to not make it a cookie-cutter of her dynamic with Morgan. There's always a hint of... something under the flirting and never, not once, is it passed off as platonic or joking. In fact, multiple times, (cool hand Luke, are your ears burning, worship at my throne) the flirting makes her so flustered she hangs up the phone, something she never did with Morgan. Fans wanted Morgan and Garcia to end up together, so when Luke was created and his and Penelope's dynamic was created, it reflected that because he is not Morgan. She and Morgan never could have worked, but she and Luke absolutely could, and, as I have said, there is a romantic tension, or even just a tension of something more that underlines all of their interactions and this is entirely because Morgan and Luke are different people. It's very much a same-person-different-font situation. Things never would have worked between Penelope and the original font but once you put it in italics and make it bold... well now you're talking.

Another thing I have mentioned before is the difference between how Morgan and Luke handle their feelings for Penelope. And if you try to tell me Morgan never had feelings for her... did we watch the same show? The thing is, Morgan would never ever confess his feelings to her. He was way too scared. I think the closest we got see him get to telling her was after she was shot when he said, "I love you, you know that?" and after he almost got blown up in that ambulance when he said, "You're my god-given solace." He absolutely loved her but decided to never tell her and eventually that love shifted into the strong platonic love they share in the later seasons. Luke, on the other hand, has never been shy about it. He openly admits that he wanted to make her like him and was willing to resort to bringing in his dog to do so. He was trying to make her jealous from their first on-screen interaction, he was always the most tactile with her, and he made it abundantly clear from the very beginning that he would always be there for her should she need him. The way he spoke to her has never been platonic, you can see a major difference in the way he spoke with her vs. literally anyone else he interacts with. Even Lisa.

And yes, let's talk about Lisa. The doctor. We've already established that Luke originally started as Morgan's replacement and shared similarities with him, but as the seasons progressed he became his own character. And then for seemingly no reason, we're thrown this new relationship (with someone he barely has any chemistry with... like I'm sorry that relationship was pretty dry) and she's a doctor. Just like Savannah. This feels like a deliberate attempt to make him more of a cookie cutter of Morgan, because we know these writers hate to let Luke be his own thing. I honestly believe Lisa's sole reasons for existence were to provide an excuse as to why there couldn't be Garvez - and maybe deter people from shipping it, which didn't work though. Again, writing. They kept writing Luke as having feelings for Penelope and Adam kept playing him as having feelings for her, - to try to mirror Morgan, and to provide drama in 14.6 "Luke," since without Lisa, Luke would have automatically assumed Ramos was heading for Phil and probably would have ended up beating Ramos to Phil and therefore saving him.

As @beelmons mentioned in the original thread, "it's also so stupid because the whole beef with Penelope is the fact that he would never be Morgan? He was also not Morgan coded at all because even when the base of the character was similar he was personality wise quite different its like it naturally deviated from that and they still tried to force it." I've tried to touch on all of this throughout this essay. Yes, the base of Luke's character is similar to Morgan's, it has to be, but it grew into something different and unique because he is a different person, and when they try to force those similarities again, it just makes for something really awkward that no one really enjoyed. Once Lisa was gone, at least physically, Luke started to be himself again, and his differences from Morgan make him and interesting character, make him who he is, and we happen to love who is. All in all, the writers really seem to hate him for some reason and can never let him be his own person.

[olympusfarm]

You open the well-worn journal. the cardboard front-cover is severely faded. the yellowed pages protest as you open it up. the first page is blank but the second page is filled with cramped cursive handwriting.

Winter 20, Year Two

I really don't know what to put in here. I found this journal in my mailbox this morning, with no real explanation.

So I guess I'll start at the beginning.

I came to Stardew Valley almost two years ago now. I guess I would say my life back in Zuzu city was a comfortable one. After graduating college with a bachelors degree in botany, I got a job as a bartender at a club near my apartment. my apartment was small, but I liked it enough.

It always felt like something was missing, though. When my grandfather Uranos died and left the farm in my name, I decided it was worth a shot. I might as well use my bachelors degree for something.

Life here is good. I quickly became friends with Linus and Rasmodius. Linus has always been nice to me, and I know Rasmodius cares, even though he doesn't show it much. I don't often have time to visit them anymore, but I try to visit them when I have time.

The farm is doing well, and the community center is slowly getting restored. The fish tank and bulletin board have been giving me some trouble though. I've made it to the bottom of the mines and am trying to get to level 25 of skull caverns for Qi. My animals are doing well, I have two chickens named Helen and Hypnos, a duck named Hector, a cow named Helios, and a goat named Pan. I don't worry about money for the most part and I redecorated my cabin recently. I like how it looks.

Other than Rasmodius and Linus, I've been getting closer with some of the townspeople. Abigail is slowly becoming one of my best friends along with Alex, I've come to learn that George is not as mean as he makes himself out to be, Pam really cares about the town when she's not drunk, Emily is very caring and kind, Leah is super talented, Harvey is shy, but cares a lot about the well being of everyone, and Maru is probably the smartest person out of everyone in town.

Shane is the only one I have yet to figure out. Even though I give him tons of gifts and he seems to like them, he still acts so mean to me. He doesn't make any sense. I know there's a sweet side of him down there somewhere.

Regardless, I feel more at home here than I have ever felt.

I think I can really make a life for myself here.

-D.O.

You close the journal delicately and place it in the backpack you brought. You could read more, but it's getting dark and you should head back to Pierre's, where you've been staying for the time being. You'll read more later.

Next ->

[deepautumncolors]

Book Review

I decided to get this book from the library after I finished a different one by the same author. It wasn't on the shelf where it was supposed to be, but I found it on a display when I was walking towards the front desk to ask a librarian for help finding it. So I grabbed it and checked it out!

Poppy Wright and Alex Nilsen didn't have much in common when they first met in college at the beginning of their freshman year. Poppy is vivacious and loves to travel, whereas Alex is reserved and still lives in the small town where he grew up. Despite their differences, they became best friends and started taking a vacation to someplace different every summer for the past decade. However, something happened on their trip to Croatia that caused them to stop speaking to each other. Two years later, Poppy decides to try reconnecting with Alex and they plan a trip to Palm Springs. Poppy is determined to fix their friendship during their vacation over the next week. The moral of the story is that you can travel all over the world and meet all kinds of people, but sometimes home is the person who has always been right in front of you.

The book is set up with dual timelines that alternate between the present and flashbacks to each trip they took, beginning with the first one eleven summers ago and leading up to the present summer. I didn't find the structure too confusing, but I wonder what it would be like to read it in chronological order by reading each past vacation chapter first and then reading all the present vacation chapters in a row instead of switching back and forth. The other tropes are friends to lovers, opposites attract, slow burn, one bed, and miscommunication. If they had just admitted how they felt about each other, it would have been much shorter. But maybe sometimes people don't do that in real life, either.

I kept wondering what happened in Croatia throughout the whole book, but we don't find out until almost the end. I was expecting something really dramatic, but it was predictable, anticlimactic, and glossed over in just a few pages. It would have been more interesting if they had been dating other people when it happened, but they were both single so I didn't think it was a strong enough reason to stop talking for two years. (SPOILER ALERT: They made out. Big deal.) I am not sure it was totally believable that Alex agreed to go to Palm Springs with Poppy via text message after not seeing or talking to her for two years - wouldn't you want to have a conversation about your relationship first? But I loved Poppy's sense of humor and the banter between her and Alex. And I liked Poppy's heartfelt speech to Alex at the end, but I didn't like that it was in a bar while other people were eavesdropping. Why couldn't they have gone someplace private to talk?

Overall, I enjoyed it a lot. It reminded me of Happy Place because they both had dual timelines and the same message that home can be a person you love as opposed to a place. You can read my review of that one here. After reading two of Emily Henry's books in a row, I am going to take a break from her and switch to a different author for a while. Also, I just joined GoodReads recently so let me know if you want to be friends on it!

[indecentpause]

Aces In Spades: A Black & Blues Playlist

This playlist is for Sara, Kris, and Austin, my beloved aroace qpr :)

afi - cruise control // onsid - heterosexuality is a construct // girl on fire - not broken // less than jake - all my friends are metalheads // cher loyd feat. becky g - oath // afi - i wanna get a mohawk (but mom won’t let me get one) // reel big fish - i want your girlfriend to be my girlfriend too // owl city - when can i see you again? // blink 182 - going away to college // will jay - never been in love // queen - you’re my best friend // alex day - good morning sunshine // the baseballs - umbrella // douglas hodge - i am what i am // jermaine stewart - we don’t have to take our clothes off // jetty bones - no lover // becca - i’m alive // austin moon - not a love song // the handsome devil - guys are gross // i fight dragons - the geeks will inherit the earth  // zoey van goey - you told the drunks i knew karate // the aquabats! - hey homie! // skull puppies - d&d and asexuality // barenaked ladies - smile // the mowgli’s - i’m good // mika - emily // the aquabats! - bff! // veronica falls - starry eyes // mo - nights with you // acid house kings- are we lovers or are we friends // the buddy system - platonic pairs // garfunkel and oates - i get to do it with you // kimya dawson - loose lips // daisy the great feat. ajr - record player //randy newman - you’ve got a friend in me // sabrina carpenter - seamless // tiger trap - super crush

[listen here!]

General taglist:  @ohsugarfoot @abalonetea @only-book-lovers-left-alive @poore-choice-of-words​ @leadhelmetcosmonaut @jasperygrace @drippingmoon @viskafrer @thelaughingstag @athenswrites @kaiusvnoir @magic-is-something-we-create @fictionalbullshitter

Black & Blues taglist: @winterandwords​ @lynnedwardswrites​

Let me know if you want to be added or removed from either list!

[unbecomingsposting]

ANON WHO WATCHED PACIFIC RIM FOR THE FIC-- I JUST READ CHAPTER NINE AND IVE LOST MY MIND. ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS ALEX DYING YOUNG AND KELLEY HAVING TO DEAL WITH THAT AND THEN SEEING EMILY AND ROSE DO THE SAME THING AND GETTING PROMOTED TO A JAEGER PILOT AND *SCREAMS* I COULD LITERALLY WRITE AN ESSAY ON THIS FIC ITS SO GOOD "Something about that sentence hits Rose the hardest. The idea of Kelley watching her friend die, treating someone else’s kid like her own. The image of Kelley buying a big, loud toy for someone she loves. The knowledge that this little girl is out there somewhere already missing Alex and Kelley is here, getting ready to step into the cockpit of a jaeger. It’s not fair." IM SICK TO MY STOMACH

also I'm trying to think of who could be her drift partner and so far I'm gonna guess tierna? MAYHAPS? I don't want her to go through that though god. this fic has ruined me. I am dead. deceased. in the best way possible.

jfkshfjs i’m so glad you’re enjoying it hahah

interesting theory on her copilot! we will find out next chapter!! and rose’s pilots as well

[lingeringscars]

?? give me

send ❔ and i’ll list a couple muses that i’d like to throw at yours! / always accepting

maya & mariana/stef/layla/spencer. gay is all i know.

mason & shane. i do think they'd be neat. also maybe finch but I would have to think about that.

link/amelia & one chicago. crossover of my dreams.

amber & everyone is unhelpful but hello??? callie. mariana. vanessa. idk everyone.

alberta & gigi/sonya/mal/june. some guardians and sonya.

callie & harper/thea/christian. :')

daisy & logan. i cannot remember if we talked about them but i want it so bad. the parallels. the not being able to control powers and it overwhelming them. daisy just deserves to help so many people with learning to control their powers.

angeline & harper. thank u. also luna?? and lydia. i think they could all help her in different ways. sydney is currently bribing people to tutor her, so maybe spencer too. shauna!!!!!!!!!!!!! needing to adapt to society.

deborah/tasha & jacinda. moms doing their best for their kids and also mechanics. jacinda is also a cook.

mermia & june. we haven't really talked about them. i also think lydia here too. thank you.

mikhail/sasha & valerie. i'm thinking about sibling duos and val being protected from the supernatural and just. lots of thoughts.

tasha & prue. they deserve to be in love that is ALL. i have been saying you have been saying we agree. i think even dax has been saying. we're RIGHT. i also think any of my ouat muses could be fun to play with. valerie. taking care of someone who is closeish to your age after parents deaths. val & hayden have a v ozeraesque relationship. it'd be a lot.

octavia & finch/stiles/ruby. i'm right. also octavia & eden/june/mal but like. t/100. at least until i can figure out how to v/a eden (unless i u know. have. in our messages at some point.)

simon & sonya/lydia. i'm literally so curious about this. spirit users with someone who was manipulated by spirit. lydia who was held captive... sonya who turned ... what we talked about w/ lydia & bellamy. i am LITERALLY so curious.

claire & eden. my little geniuses working together. jake. tell me they would not be besties i dare you. reina. the things you do for knowledge. lydia. knowledge is power but also lydia as a mean girl turned someone who helps. lydia and miranda both having similar powers and it giving credence to things that are happening.

eve & lydia. i think. they should date? i just care a lot about the transformations is all. also see above about lydia and miranda. mariana. i'm not sure but i do think similar energy. spencer. spencer said eve is my favorite barista. marian & jacinda can also work with her.

kara & spencer/serena. they should hook up at some point.

malia & finch/ruby/logan. struggles with powers. struggles with society. struggles fitting in. rachel/shauna/fatin. having horrible things happen to you and needing to readjust to society once you return. christian. murdering parents who try to kill you, too.

allison & christian. hello we could do something so fucking hot here with allison coming back and christian's parents... june. being manipulated by the people close to you about the deaths of the people close to you. inej. knife wife and bow gf. thea. not having any hobbies. moving around and not having friends. pleasing parents. hehe so much there. faran. intensity about your own thing.

alex & june. i am sooo right about them. i can't explain this outside of like becoming weapons. fighting from the inside. learning about corruption. using your wealth and power. losing your families because you were betrayed by someone you trusted.

liars & glass house. i just know that they would all hang out thanks. specific: hanna & stiles like we have been saying. aria & peyton/jess. emily & gigi. they can work together at the brew. alison & ryan. ryan giving her a chance when she returns. mona & layla. something about layla & carrie and layla giving mona a chance in season 3 because she was sick and needed help and they aren't so different. caleb & tyler. they would be so fascinating.

echo & alina. not having a home. being manipulated by someone in power. not having an identity to hold onto that can really be yours.

hayley & jacinda. and vanessa. yaaa. whew okay for jacinda like she gives up her daughter because she believes it is the best thing for her, and I think it would be such an interesting dynamic.

jo k. & jacinda. mom friends. i also think emma s. i think they could really help each other. sylvie. more friends.

isabella & layla/bellamy/spencer/rachel. this is about parents. this is about mental illness. this is about not being trusted.

josie & harper. that arc when josie leaves the school and goes to a regular hs. i think they could get into loads of trouble. i think it would be loads of fun.

lizzie & lydia. also aurora and lydia. i think these could be a dream come true for me.

nicki & elsa. maybe their medical student runs overlap idk. they have such different personalities i think it would be very interesting to see. theo. i see no reason why they wouldn't overlap sometimes because hospital/first responder stuff.

laurel & lydia. i don't know i'm just right. but god valerie. younger siblings who have died and come back. protectors. caretakers. maybe ironically val decides to go to law school once she and hayden move.

sam & fei. they/them icons. doing what you can to protect your family. loving your family intensely despite their flaws. supernatural worlds.

scott & hope m/kaitlyn/finch/glass house. in the spirit of supernatural creatures coming together and forming a pack. in the spirit of trying to save people and failing. in the different perspectives and mindsets.

[snowysosturn]

Speeding Car - Matt Sturniolo Part 8

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29

Pairing : y/n x Matt Sturniolo

Summary : After six years with your boyfriend Alex, you start to mentally check out. At a UCLA party, Alex reconnects with his childhood friend Emily, who proposes a double date with her boyfriend Matt. Your attraction to Matt grows as he pays you the first real attention you've had in years, sparking a complicated emotional journey.

Warnings : MDNI, mentions of physical fight, swearing, hospital, stitches, injuries to ribs and wrist, mentions of thoughts of cheating (i don’t condone), guilt, angst, characters under the influence of alcohol.

The tension between Matt and I hung in the air, a lingering echo of what had almost happened, but it was quickly replaced by a sinking feeling as I unlocked my phone. My phone had one notification - a text from Jess.

“Hey, are you okay? Alex got into a fight..Call me when you can!”

My stomach twisted, and I felt my heart drop. Why am I only hearing this from Jess? Why has no one else tried to contact me? Alex wasn’t the rowdy type, so for him to get into a fight at a nightclub, I knew it was bad.

Matt was already reading his own texts, his brows furrowed as he processed the information. “Shit.” He muttered, glancing at me with concern. “Alex got into a fight with one of his teammates. They’re saying he’s hurt.”

Panic set in, “His teammate?” I thought as I tried to piece together what could have happened. I rang Alex’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. My heart pounded in my chest, every worst case scenario flashing through my mind.

“We need to go,” I said, my voice trembling as I stood up. “We have to find him.”

Matt nodded, already grabbing his keys. “Emily said they’re at the hospital. Come on, I’ll drive.”

The drive to the hospital was a blur, my mind too consumed with worry to register much of what was happening around me. Matt stayed focused on the road, his grip on the steering wheel tight. I could tell he was worried too, even though he was doing his best to stay calm for my sake.

When we finally pulled up to the hospital, I spotted Emily standing outside, her phone pressed to her ear. She was pacing, looking more annoyed than worried, and the sight made my stomach turn. I knew Emily wasn’t perfect, but seeing her so detached at a moment like this made me question everything.

The closer we got to Emily, I realised she was just as drunk as she was at the party and it wasn’t the time for another one of her outbursts.

“Matt what took you so long, I’ve been here for ageeeeeesss.” Emily said, crossing her arms while stumbling her balance to one side. “They won’t let me see Alex yet. They’re still checking him out or whatever.”

Matt’s expression tightened, but he kept his voice steady. “Let’s just go inside and wait. I’m sure they’ll give us an update soon.”

We walked into the hospital together, the smell of sanitizer hitting us immediately. The stark white lights made everything feel even more surreal. The waiting area was half empty, a few people scattered around, their faces etched with worry. We found a quiet corner to sit, the tension between us palpable.

“Do you know what happened Emily?” I asked.

“I have no idea, one minute we were all dancing, the next thing punches were been thrown.” Emily replied, visibly upset.

As we waited, Emily kept glancing between me and Matt, her suspicion growing with every second. “ Wait, did you two come here together?”

“Yeah,” Matt said quickly, his voice steady as he lied. “I picked her up on the way here, figured it would be easier since Y/n needs to be here too.”

I glanced at Matt, grateful for the quick cover, but I couldn’t help feel the tug on my heart. I wasn’t too sure if she believed what Matt said, but before she could press further, a nurse approached us.

“Are you both here for Alex too?” she asked, her eyes on Matt and I.

“Yes,” I said, standing up quickly. “Is he okay?”

“He’s stable.” the nurse said, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “The doctors are finishing up with him now, but he should be able to go home tonight.”

I nodded, relief washing over me. “Thank you. Can we see him?”

“Just one of you for now.” The nurse said, glancing between us. “You can all go in once he’s moved to a recovery room.”

“I’ll go! I’ve known him the longest.” Emily said quickly, as she jogged down the hallway bare foot, her high heels sat on the chair next to us.

Matt and I exchanged a look, but I couldn’t bring myself to argue. This was Alex, my boyfriend - the person I was supposed to care about more than anyone. So why am I not the one walking down that hall right now.

We sat back down, the silence between us heavy with unspoken thoughts. I couldn’t shake the image of Alex, hurt and in pain, and yet my mind kept drifting back to the situation with Matt earlier, and the way we’d almost… I shook my head, trying to focus on the present.

“Are you okay?” Matt asked, his voice soft as he reached out to place a comforting hand on my arm.

I nodded, “Yeah, I’m just worried. I can’t believe this happened.”

“Alex is tough. He’ll be fine,” Matt said, but there was something in his tone that made me wonder if he was trying to convince himself as much as me.

We lapsed into silence again, waiting for the nurse to return. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I didn’t have the energy to check it. Instead, I leaned back in the uncomfortable ER chair, my thoughts spinning in a million different directions.

What had happened to Alex to make him snap like that? And why did I feel so guilty sitting here with Matt, even though I knew we hadn’t done anything wrong?

Shortly after she ran down the hall, Emily came back, looking more irritated than concerned. “Alex said he wants you in the room with him instead.” she said with a sigh. “Well I would like to think my own boyfriend would prefer me to be with him.” I thought to myself.

I nodded, standing up again. “Okay, I’ll go see him.”

As I went to walk down the hallway Emily had come from, the nurse reappeared, motioning for us to follow her.

"He's ready to be discharged, you can all come in." She said with a gentle smile.

Emily, Matt, and I exchanged a brief glance before we trailed after the nurse down the quiet hallway. When we reached Alex's room, I felt a strange mix of emotions - relief that he was okay, but also a deep unease right in the pit of my stomach that I couldn’t quite shake.

Alex was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, his wrist wrapped in a sling and bandage covering the cut on his forehead. His face lit up when he saw us, a crooked, drunken smile spreading across his lips. Despite everything, he looked like a little kid who had just been given out to but was happy to see all of us.

“Thereeee she issss.” He slurred, his voice thick from the painkillers and the alcohol still infused in his system. He tried to stand but swayed slightly, prompting the nurse to steady him. “My dream girl, I’m so glad you’re here.” Alex said as his gaze landed on me. He reached out and pulled me into a hug, his arm wrapping around my shoulders.

“Of course, Alex,” I said softly, stepping back slightly as he released me to sit back on the edge of the bed. “We’re just glad you’re okay.”

I knelt down beside him, my heart breaking at the sight of him so vulnerable. “What happened?”

He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear as he murmured, “Got into it with one of the guys. So stupid, it shouldn’t have happened.” He pulled back slightly, his eyes glassy as he tried to focus on me. “You’re the best, you know that? The best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

He leaned in to kiss me, his lips finding my forehead. I couldn’t help but notice how Matt’s expression darkened out of the corner of my eye. I glanced at him, catching the tension in his jaw, the way his hands curled into fists at his sides.

After letting us have our moment, the nurse gave us a rundown of Alex’s injuries - a Grade 2 wrist sprain, a few bruises ribs and a small cut on his forehead that required stitches. Recovery time is 4 weeks. They’d given him something for the pain, which explained his current state, and informed us after a bit more paperwork, we were free to leave.

Matt kept focus on us despite Emily yapping in his ear. “4 weeks recovery time? Thank god you’ll be good as new just in time for Barcelona!” Emily exclaimed in relief.

Matts eyes were dark with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. He seemed to snap out of it when Alex turned to him, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

You’re a good dude, Matt,” Alex said with a grin. “Thanks for getting her here. Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Matt nodded, his face plastered with a neutral look, though I could sense the tension beneath it. “No problem, man. Just glad you’re okay.”

The nurse handed Alex his discharge papers, and now that everything was finalized, we could leave. Matt stepped forward to help me get Alex to his feet, his arm gently sliding around my boyfriend’s back to support him making sure he wasn’t putting pressure on Alex’s ribs in the process. As they stood, Alex winced, so I moved closer, ready to catch him if he fell.

“Thanks, Matt,” Alex mumbled, his head lolling back against Matt’s shoulder. He turned his blurred gaze to me, a dopey smile spreading across his face. “I’m so glad we’re all here. Together.” He reached out, his hand brushing against my cheek before he pulled me in and leaned in to kiss my forehead again. “I’m so lucky to have you.”

The kiss, meant to be tender and affectionate, felt like a sack of rocks sitting in my stomach. I’m standing in a hospital room, holding my boyfriend up, with someone who I had thoughts of kissing tonight. The whole scene felt surreal, like we were all playing parts in some fucked up drama that none of us had signed up for.

Emily took Matt’s keys off his waistband and walked ahead of us all, ready to unlock his car and open all the doors for us. Emily took the passenger seat as I sat in the back with Alex. As we drove back to our apartment, Alex’s head laid back against the seat, his eyes half-closed. Emily was asleep with her head resting against the car window. I sat in silence, my thoughts racing, trying to make sense of everything that had happened tonight. God if Alex had have just come home everything would be different. Everything would be fine.

When we finally pulled up to our building, Matt helped me get Alex inside while Emily trailed behind, groggy from her 20 minute nap. As soon as we got him to our bed, Alex was out cold, his breathing deep and even. Emily sighed, brushing a hand through her hair, clearly exhausted.

“We should get going,” she said, glancing at Matt. “I hope you’re okay Y/n. I’ll check on him in the morning.”

Matt nodded, his eyes meeting mine briefly before he looked away. “Yeah we should get going. You should get some rest Y/n.”

Emily gave me a quick hug, her perfume lingering in the air as she pulled away. “Take care of him, okay?” she said, her voice softer than before.

“Yeah,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t worry, I will.”

As Emily left to walk back to the car, Matt lingered in the doorway, his eyes scanning the room before settling on me. “If you need anything… you know where to find me.”

“Thanks, Matt,” I said, offering him a small, tired smile. “I appreciate it. For everything.”

He nodded, hesitating for a moment as if he wanted to say more, but then he turned and walked out, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a sleeping Alex. I looked down at him, his face peaceful in sleep. I had almost crossed a line tonight. But for now, all I could do was focus on the present. I pulled the duvet over Alex and lay down next to him. I checked my phone, remembering I felt a notification while I was sitting in the hospital. It was from Jess again, but the message had been deleted.

a/n : this isn’t proof read properly, it’s 8am and i’ve been working on this since 5am with 3 hours sleep <3 jet lag is reallllll i’ll fix anything that needs to be fixed later

taglist : @muwapsturniolo @anitahunt @sturnfannn @jayde510 @chrissfavhoe @babyalliah-777 @v33angel @urmom69lol @willowrites @ribread03 @2muchofaslvt @sturnsaver @sleepysturniolo @jcsturniolo11 @jessie-essie @hoeforchrizz @mynbbys @sturniolopanini @mattsturnxoxo @delicatechrry @t77te @sturnsyaper69 @hotdismylife @maggot3647 @ivysturnss @noplaceissafeanymore @mattssgf

*can you pls lmk if you actually got tagged in this, this shit isnt tagging most ppl idk why

[ninjastormhawkkat]

Jenkins seemed to ponder Gene’s words a bit as he began to think of something. “No offense Gene, but are we sure it is super powered beings that this mysterious person is going after?” Jenkins questioned. Gene and the others looked surprised at Jenkins’ inquiry. “What do you mean?” Gene asked. Jenkins felt a little nervous with everyone’s eyes on him as he didn’t like being the center of attention, even with his friends. He took a deep breath before explaining his inquiry. “What I mean is…if this person was after super powered beings, then Joe or Matthew would have been taken before Alan and Alex would have. Gene your pops is powerful but he is also old which would give this kidnapper some leverage. Also Joe has been in and out on his own a few times before and during all of this yet he has come back home just fine. My boyfriend is tough but he isn’t as powerful as Tristan, Alex, and Alan. And another thing, when you said you thought Alex was messing with you earlier in that alley before he was taken away, but Alex had no clue what you were talking about when you confronted him about it. What if…this mysterious person was after you but then Alex came so they went after him. It sounds like you were a target as well even though you don’t have powerful abilities. They probably took Alex since he was more powerful than you and would give them a difficult time if they still decided to take you. I don’t know sir but this is starting to sound like a personal vendetta rather than just a regular kidnapping.” There was a moment of silence as everyone processed Jenkins’ explanation. Gene’s eyes widened. “That makes…a lot of sense actually.” Gene spoke in a stunned tone. He was feeling a mix of horror, shock, and fury. Horror and shock that someone was targeting him and his family, and fury at the audacity of the person doing it. “But if someone is targeting Gene and his family, who would be doing this? No offense but there are probably a lot of people out there who have grudges against you guys.” Archie pointed out. “That is true but we have dealt with a lot of them. Even those that are left, not all of them have superpowers and even less have the capability to deal with skilled heroes like Alex and Alan.” Victor pointed out. Gene nodded in agreement. “If this is a personal vendetta than what I said still stands. We need to keep Tristan and Becky safe and under surveillance.” Gene spoke in a determined tone. He wasn’t going to lose another person he deeply cared about. Carl placed a gentle hand on his youngest child in reassurance. Despite his lack of sleep and running on fumes, Hugh was still amazingly aware of his surroundings, especially of the smug man still sitting in the chair. “I’m sorry to change the subject here, but why is the lawyer who tried to ruin Patricia’s life here anyway? What did he mean by waiting to speak to his son and son-in-law?” Hugh inquired aloud as he leveled a slight glare at the man. Corbin only smirked wider back at Hugh. Again eyes were back on Corbin from the others. “That’s what I am still wondering.” Victor spoke. “I’m also wondering about what you implied, saying that you should have expected trouble from someone like me.” Victor rephrased Corbin’s choice of words from earlier. Corbin just let out a chuckle. “Very observant kid. Unfortunately I decline to say anything right now as I suspect your dad here doesn’t want me to let the cat out of the bag too soon until Matty comes here. I know all too well about your supernatural ability to tell when people are being honest or not. I gotta watch what I say around you.” Victor’s eyes widened as he turned to his dad who was still glaring at Carl. “Dad, what is he talking about?” Victor asked. He was afraid that his parents somehow got tangled up with this creep. Carl let out a sigh. “I’ll explain everything to you Victor, though he is right. It is best to wait until your father comes back. We also need to call Emily as well. This is something that concerns you all.” Carl explained @dualnaturedscientist

Heart of chaos

A year had passed since the B.E.A.W Labs organization had fallen. Since all the events had taken place. Becky being taken along with Bob. The poor girl being experimented on by a cruel scientist who had no love for anyone but himself. Matthew had broken out of the facility with her, Carl and Steven. Gene's true identity being revealed along with losing his Dr.Two-Brains persona. Shocking revelations unfolded. Betrayals and redemption. Things had calmed down significantly since but that didn't mean life had been dull. It certainly wasn't for Fair City. Especially with the villains, heroes and its eccentric inhabitants livening up the city. Becky had been making a wonderful recovery. Though she still wasn't at her full recovery Becky was still making so much more progress than the year prior. Gene still had identity issues, dealing with the loss of Squeaky. Though he didn't go through it alone. The still mad scientist had his family and friends help him through everything. Matthew and Carl took up residency within the city. A house that wasn't too far from their sons. Life in this place was definitely lively and peaceful in comparison to the hellish place many innocent souls were imprisoned in. Matthew was less exhausted than before. Relaxing within the living room in his son's house, watching whatever was put on the television. Matthew felt his eyes beginning to droop. Sleepiness hitting him out of nowhere. He simply allowed himself to doze off, not fighting it. Knowing that he was safe there. It wasn't until he felt weight on him that Matthew opened his eyes. Usually a dog or cat would be the cause for this but Matthew met many eyes. Fluffy had snuck into the house yet again. A small warm smile spread across his facial features, patting the spider on its head. Fluffy leaned into Matthew's hand, making soft happy noises. It was funnily cute to him. Though he understood as to why Gene was so afraid of him. Even Carl was squeamish around the giant spider. “Aw, who's a good boy? You are! You're a good boy!” Matthew couldn't help but baby talk the arachnid. He looked up, wriggling his chelicerae in response. As to say ‘Me! I'm a good boy!’ He chuckled at that, giving Fluffy gentle scritches. It was like a huge puppy in a spider's body. Though the peacefulness was interrupted by a sudden shout. “NO! WHY IS IT HERE AGAIN?!” Gene was in the doorway of the living room. Looking quite terrified at the huge arachnid. Fluffy instantly moved around on Matthew's lap to look at Gene. Excitedly jumping off of the supervillain's lap in favor of his son. He bolted right for the mad scientist, causing him to yelp loudly and make a run for it. “SOMEONE KEEP THAT ABOMINATION AWAY FROM ME!” Matthew gave a small laugh. “Can't help but feel abit rejected there.” Archie, who was quiet until then, responded. “I know that feeling.” This caused Matthew to jump up startled. “Don't do that! I'm old. Also I could accidentally blast you.” Archie blinked in confusion. “You didn't notice me? I came in with Fluffy. He got loose and snuck into the house. I just came to bring him back before he got to Gene. Too late for that now.” Archie frowned. “I can't help but be jealous at how much Fluffy loves him. Though Gene is terrified of him. That spider just won't listen to me when it comes to his favorite person.” He shook his head disapprovingly. “You want me to help you?” Matthew was being genuine with his question. He didn't want his son dying of fright from the giant arachnid. “That would be greatly appreciated. I have to take him back home. He can't avoid taking his medication this time.” Matthew got up, stretching first before doing anything else. This earned him a strange look from Archie. “What? I said I'm old. If I don't stretch I'll pull a muscle.” The hero shrugged. “Let's go get him soon. I have to look after Charlotte as well.” Archie always had the brightest smile when Charlotte was brought up. Either by him, Sunshine or anyone else. It was sweet. “Alright, alright.” They were completely unaware of an enemy observing them. Waiting.

Miss Power growled in frustration at the display she was witnessing through a window to the Boxleitner or rather the Woods household. A display she thought was very disgusting. How badly the alien conqueror wanted to charge right in their and obliterate everyone in her sights. She couldn't do her usual tactics and tricks right now, not after what she learned after coming back. She was still ticked off after that little alien brat Wordgirl and her parents dupe and tricked her into leaving the planet in defeat. There was no way she could go back to her planet and face her people with such a shameful stain to her otherwise brilliant record. Fueled by revenge and hatred, Miss Power spent her time preparing, training, and waiting so she could exact her revenge against those who wronged her, against the little hybrid girl and her freak of a family that humiliated her. Sadly when Miss Power and her loyal sidekick Colonel Gigglecheeks did decide to return, they were not prepared for the recent changes that had happeend in their absence. Miss Power did not care much for this Darius person or B.E.A.W labs, she had seen those like them a dime a dozen before on other worlds. The alien wished she could have congratulated the person who tortured and dehumanized Wordgirl and her sidekick. If it was up to her, Professor Ross Moran would receive high honors among her people for his actions. She did give her condolences at his unmarked gravestone. While the recent trauma Wordgirl and her sidekick have suffered gave Miss Power an opportunistic advantage, the alien conquerer unfortunately could not risk using it especially with her grandfather around. Miss Power was amazed at hearing about the past and recent exploits of Maddrix the Malicious. She was shocked that someone so bloodthirsty and powerful was the father of that scientist who used to have a mouse brain attached to his skull as well as a weird cheese obsession. To her disappointment, Miss Power could clearly see the man was too human and had regretted his actions in the past. Actions that would have made him highly respected among her people despite him being human. Still Miss Power wasn't going to risk striking back while that old coot was still alive. Age did not always equate to weakness according to what she had been taught. Even though he was old, Maddrix was clearly still powerful. It was likely that her and Gigglecheeks would wind up dead by the man's hands before they could claim revenge and victory. A chittering sound snapped Miss Power out of her musings. She turned her head to see her sidekick give her a concerned look. He chittered again and asked 'So what are we going to do?' Miss Power smiled and scratched her sidekick's head which he enjoyed. "Don't worry Colonel Gigglecheeks. We'll get our revenge soon. We just need to learn more about Mr. Malicious and what weaknesses he might have so we can use it to defeat him." Miss Power cooed. She then took her sidekick and flew off without anyone being the wiser. Miss Power was brash and bold and could be tricked sometimes, but she was no fool. The alien conqueror learned long ago that the best way to win your battles was to be prepared and know your enemy more than they know themselves. Carl sighed with relief and slight exhaustion as he sat down in a comfy chair. He had just finished sweeping the floor of his and Matthew's home. Now all he had to do was sit and relax until his husband got home. Carl wanted to try a nice 'mom and pop' owned restaurant that one of Gene's friends, Chuck, had recommended to the man. Carl had been itching to get out and do something more and more recently. If he had to be honest, he was getting bored. In the past, Carl had his job and work as a scientist to keep him occupied along with spending time with his husband and kids. Unfortunately after his 20 year imprisonment, Carl couldn't step in another official science lab ever again without a severe anxiety and panic attack @dualnaturedscientist

[themetaphorgirl]

I wrote this drabble earlier about Spencer spraining his ankle while Emily was supposed to be in charge

so here’s part 2!!!

once again. it’s a lot longer than I planned. I hope you like it though!!

(more about the boarding school babes)

----------

Spencer wrapped his arms tighter around Hotch’s neck and rested his chin on his shoulder. It was a long haul to get up to the seventh floor, and even though he was still attempting to prove to the older kids that he wasn’t a baby, he was grateful that he didn’t have to walk it. And if he was being truthful, he was glad that Hotch was carrying him instead of Emily. He loved Emily, he did, but Hotch was a lot stronger and bigger, and a lot less likely to drop him.

“Listen, Hotch, it was just an accident,” Emily pleaded, trailing behind them on the stairs.

Hotch pressed his hand against Spencer’s narrow back. “I don’t care if it was an accident, Prentiss, it was stupid,” he said sharply. “Stupid and childish. You’re seven years older than him, you should fucking know better.”

He couldn’t quite see Emily’s expression, but she slowed her pace, falling far back behind them. “Hotch, she didn’t do it on purpose,” he said quietly. “It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have done it.”

“We’ll talk about you later,” Hotch said. Spencer bit back a sigh. 

Alex was pacing in the seventh floor common room, her arms folded over her chest, still wearing the nice blue dress she’d worn for the senior’s seminar. “Oh my god,” she said, her arms dropping to her sides. “Spencer, are you okay?”

“It could be worse,” he offered. 

“That’s not reassuring.”

Hotch set him gently down on the couch, careful around his injured ankle. “It’s a bad sprain, but it’s not broken,” he said. 

“He hit the ground so hard,” Derek said. 

“Yeah, I definitely heard a crack,” Penelope added.

“I’m so sorry, Spencer,” Alex said. “How bad does it hurt?”

He shrugged. “Not too much,” he said, offering her what he hoped was a winning smile.

Her eyes narrowed. “Really?”

“Uh-huh,” he said.

Alex made a face at him and started signing instead. Are you lying to me? 

He squirmed and signed back a no.

Be honest, she signed. How bad?

Spencer sighed heavily. An eight, maybe?

His ankle really did hurt, the numbness from adrenaline long worn off, but he didn’t want to say anything that might make Emily feel bad. But he’d learned the hard way that it was impossible to lie to Alex; she was the only one who could see right through him every time.

Alex’s expression softened. “I’m sure you’ll feel better soon,” she said, smoothing his hair back. “But you have to rest, okay? Actually rest. No getting up and walking around and saying you’re fine when you’re not.”

Hotch tossed Spencer’s favorite blanket at him. “What she said,” he said. “You’re not moving until classes on Monday morning. And even then, if you’re not doing better, you’re not going to class.”

“But I have a history paper due Monday!” he protested.

“I’ll stop by your class and turn it in for you,” JJ offered.

“See? There you go,” Derek said. “And we’ll pick up all your homework for you.”

“I’ll be able to go to classes on Monday, I know it,” he said.

“Rest first, then we’ll see,” she said. “Don’t pout.”

“I’m not pouting,” he said, his lower lip dropping. 

Hotch tapped his chin. “Stop that,” he said. He propped his injured ankle up on a pillow and draped an ice pack over it. “These are the consequences of your reckless actions. Have you learned your lesson?”

“Yes,” he grumbled. 

“It wasn’t his fault, I...I kept teasing him,” Emily said. 

Alex didn’t answer her. “Did they give you ibuprofen or anything at the infirmary?” she asked. 

“Yeah, and I can take more in a couple of hours,” he said. 

Penelope leaned over the back of the couch. “It’s my turn to pick for movie night, but do you want to pick, Spencer?” she asked. 

“No, don’t let him pick again!” Derek said. “I am not in the mood for Star Wars.”

“I don’t always pick Star Wars!” Spencer said. “Besides, there’s eleven films and a holiday special to choose from. That’s a lot of variety, right? More if you include the two Ewok films.”

“Spencer, don’t you dare make us watch the holiday special again.”

“Fine,” he said. “I want to watch Singin’ in the Rain.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “I thought if Penelope wasn’t gonna pick, I wouldn’t have to watch a musical,” he said. JJ smacked his arm. “Hey!”

“All right, all right, cut it out,” Hotch said. “Who’s getting snacks tonight?”

“I’ll order pizza,” Emily offered. “It’s been a while since we’ve done that.”

Derek pumped his fists in the air. “Yes! Okay, I have some requests,” he said.

The other kids immediately started squabbling about pizza toppings. Spencer reached out and tugged lightly on Alex’s skirt. She turned around in confusion before looking down at him. “What’s wrong, Spence?” she asked. 

“Can you sit with me?” he asked quietly.

She blinked, a little puzzled. “Of course I can,” she said. She tilted her head to the side. “Are you all right? Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“No, I’m okay, I just…” He gave up midsentence and shrugged. He wasn’t sure how to put it into words. But Alex seemed to understand. She sat down on the couch beside him and he leaned against her shoulder, huddling under her arm. 

“Okay, you guys, enough! Stop fighting!” Hotch said. He picked up JJ around her waist and forcibly moved her away from Derek and Penelope. “We’re going to get what we usually get. Derek, if you really want that abomination of a pizza that badly, you can pay Emily back for it yourself.”

“No, it’s fine, you guys get whatever you want,” Emily said. 

“Well, in that case, I-”

Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose. “Somebody just put in the movie, okay?” he said.

“I got it, I got it,” JJ said.

Spencer shifted around, trying to get comfortable as she started the movie. Even without an eidetic memory, he could probably recite the whole thing backwards and forwards. It was one of the movies his mother had on constant rotation when he was little, background noise while she graded papers- so, overall, mostly good memories. 

By the time pizza got there he was actually hungry- unlike lunchtime, when he was so focused on keeping his hurt ankle a secret that he couldn’t possibly eat. JJ brought him his plate, and Hotch took off the mostly-melted icepacks to check if the swelling had gone down at all (t hadn’t, and purple bruising had crept above the line of the bandages) and gave him more ibuprofen and a glass of water with strict instructions to drink all of it.

When the first movie was over, he let Penelope choose the second one, which turned into another squabble, but eventually she picked something else. He watched quietly, still leaning against Alex. Every so often he flexed his left foot, trying to see how much effort it took to move his ankle. 

Alex tapped his knee. “Stop that,” she chided gently. 

“I’m just testing it,” he said.

“You’re not a science experiment. Stop trying to see how much it hurts.”

“I’m okay.”

She lifted him onto her lap. “Nope, no more,” she said. “Sit still.”

“I’m not a baby,” he protested as he tucked his cheek against her shoulder. 

Alex wrapped her arms around him. “I know you’re not a baby,” she said. “Now what did I say about resting?”

Spencer obeyed, curling up against her and hugging his blanket to his chest. He had gone a long, long time without anyone willing or able to take care of him- or allowing anyone to take care of him, for that matter. It was kind of nice to have his friends fuss over him. And Alex cuddled him without making a big fuss about it, or making him feel stupid or childish. 

He was almost asleep by the time the second movie finished, his breathing deep and slow and his head resting heavily on Alex’s shoulder. But he was still awake enough to hear Hotch whisper-scold the other kids as he switched off the TV, telling them it was late and they needed to go to bed but they better not wake Spencer.

“Emily, wait here for a second,” Alex called softly. 

Spencer kept feigning sleep as the other kids filed out of the common room and Emily sat down heavily on the other end of the couch. “All right, Miller,” she said. “Go ahead. Tear me a new one. This is all my fault.”

“No, I’m not going to tear you a new one,” Alex said. “You’ve been beating yourself up all day already, I’m not going to make it worse.”

“God, can you just not be so perceptive for once?” Emily said. “Just yell at me and get it over with.”

“I’m not going to yell. I don’t want to startle Spencer,” Alex said. Emily snorted. “And besides, I don’t want to yell at you.”

Emily groaned. “I deserve to be yelled at,” she said glumly. “Hotch is right, I should have known better.”

“I mean...yeah, technically,” Alex said. She ran her hand lightly up and down Spencer’s back. “But...okay. This is going to be kind of blunt. When have you ever had someone to be responsible for? Somebody to care about?”

Emily was quiet for a moment. “Well, I mean...my mom…”

“Emily. I’ve heard you talk about your mom. You call her the Ambassador. She enrolled you in first year French because she didn’t remember you were fluent. She makes you call her every Sunday, but half the time it goes to voicemail because she’s busy.”

A longer silence. “All right, so my mom isn’t the best,” Emily said. “What does that have to do with me being an idiot and getting Spencer hurt?”

“My point is that you’ve never had to worry about anybody but yourself before,” Alex said. “You’re a good person, Emily, you’re a really good person. And I know you care a whole lot about all of us. You’ve just never had to learn how to take care of anybody.”

“Okay, now you’ve passed regular perceptive and into super perceptive,” Emily said, but Spencer could hear the hint of a smile in her voice. “Yeah, I guess...I guess you’re not wrong. I hadn’t thought about that before.”

“You’re getting there, though,” Alex said. “I mean, you were the one who took care of Spencer when he got hurt, before you could hand him off to us.”

“That’s true.”

“And in the meantime, you don’t have to be so tough and pretend like you don’t care about anything. You don’t have to act like nothing bothers you.”

“Nothing does bother me, Alexandra, what are you talking about?” Emily teased. Alex poked her in the side. “All right, all right, fine. Jesus. I guess you’re right, at least about some of that.” 

“I’m right sometimes, about some things,” Alex laughed. “And besides, let’s be real. All of these kids are kind of a handful. Especially this kid. This could have happened with any of us in charge.”

“I haven’t spent any time with a ten-year-old before Spencer,” Emily said. “So they’re not all like this?”

“Oh, god, no,” Alex said. She reached over and squeezed Emily’s arm. “Really, Em, I know you didn’t mean for him to get hurt. And he knows too. If he wasn’t pretending to be asleep, he’d tell you that too.”

“He’s faking? How can you tell?”

“He’s not snoring.”

Spencer opened one eye. “I wasn’t faking,” he protested, struggling to sit up. “I was sleeping. And I don’t snore.”

“No, yeah, you kind of do,” Emily said. “Cute little kitten snores.” He rolled his eyes, but she took his hand in both of hers. “Can you please tell me you’re not mad at me?”

“I’m not mad at you, I promise,” he said. “A mild sprain can heal in one to three weeks. Maybe six weeks for a moderate sprain. I’ll live.”

She squeezed his hand. “Okay, cool, can you tell that to Hotchner?” she said. “I don’t think he’s quite so willing to forgive me.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Alex promised. “He might hold a grudge, but I’ll get over it, I promise.”

Suddenly Emily leaned over and pulled Spencer into a hug. “You know I love you, right, babe?” she said.

“I know,” he said, startled. The hug was definitely a little too tight, but he had the sneaking suspicion that, just like him, she wasn’t used to having people care. “I love you, Em.”

She kissed him on the cheek. “Just wanted to make sure,” she said, letting go and pulling back from him. “It’s late, you probably need to go to bed.”

“I’m not tired,” he said.

“Yes, you are,” Alex said. “Come on, let’s go.”

It was slow going for him to hobble to his room and change into his pajamas, and by the time he was done he actually was kind of tired. Hotch stuck his head in his room as Alex was helping him climb into bed. “Everything okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” Spencer huffed as he fell back against his pillow.

“How’s your ankle?”

“Also fine,” Spencer said. Hotch didn’t seem convinced. “I’ll stay off it all day tomorrow, I promise.”

“Yeah, you’d better,” Hotch said. “Goodnight, kid.”

“Hey, Hotch?” he called, and Hotch doubled back and leaned in the doorway. “Can you be nice to Emily, please? She already feels bad about everything. She didn’t mean it.”

“I make no promises,” Hotch said. “But...I’ll try. Goodnight, Spencer. Get some sleep.”

“You think he’ll actually be nice to Emily?” Spencer asked.

“We’ll see,” Alex said. “Lie down.”

He obeyed. “Goodnight, Alex,” he said as she tucked him in snugly.

She swept his hair back and kissed his forehead. “Goodnight, darling,” she said. “Sleep tight.”

He snuggled under the covers. His ankle didn’t hurt as sharply as it did earlier, and his favorite blanket was soft and reassuring against his cheek. Alex switched on his little nightlight, and he was asleep before she closed the door.

[damagecompiilation-a]

tag dump - movie muses

captain amelia (treasure planet)

billy hitchcock (final destination)

jack frost (rise of the guardians)

harry hook (disney descendants)

megan ramsey (fast and furious)

brian johnson (the breakfast club)

alex le domas, emilie le domas (ready or not)

will hunting (good will hunting)

fawn, vidia (disney fairies)

shoya ishida (a silent voice)

addison corday, allison kerry (saw)

[glowingspence]

"Garcia will you just be quiet for once?"

“Garcia, will you just be quiet for once?” Rossi speaks up, adding a sigh immediately after saying it, knowing snapping at each other won’t help the team now. 

“That wasn’t nice” Spencer whispers to him as the older man continues to inspect his arm. He is sitting on a bench at the side of a forest after doubling over with his bike. 

The team had planned to travel on their bikes to Jack’s and Henry’s football tournament when Jack dorve a curve and hit first his father and then drove in front of Spencer who to his own nighmare hit the kid with his bike which started terribly screaming the moment it happened. 

“It’s okay, I will apologize later” Gently Rossi turns Spencer’s head, making sure he is keeping his eyes on him and not on the screaming kid. From their unprofessional first impression it was still clear that the Jack’s arm must be broken or something similar must have happened. 

“Help will be here in a few minutes its okay” Hotch tries soothing Jack, holding him in his arms, ignoring his own pain in his knees from falling when his son hit him, “It will be over soon, its okay”

JJ is kneeling down next to them, her hand on the kid’s head as she tries soothing him, trying her best to not look at the arm while Will is comforting Henry, who had distaughtly looked at his best friend before Garcia guided him away.

“She is just anxious, tell her it's okay” Spencer scolds him, looking at Rossi who sighs and waves her over, 

“Sit down next to Spencer, it’s okay” He tries comforting Garcia, noticing her trembling as she wraps one arm around Spencer who knows not to complain even if the last thing he wants in this warm weather is to be touched. “I am sorry I snapped” Quickly he kisses her on the forehead before adding, “We will talk later, I promise I am not mad” 

“It’s okay” 

Lightheaded Spencer looks into Jack’s direction, just for Garcia to block his view, cupping his cheek with her free hand, “Don’t look there, darling” 

“My head” He whispers as he feels someone sitting him up straight again, “Make him stop screaming”

“You hit your head pretty hard on your way down, someone is going to take a look real soon” Rossi tries soothing him while Emily keeps concerntly glancing where the ambulance is, “Stop moving so much”

“I am sorry”

“I know, just a few minutes and someone will tell you how you can” Rossi tries comforting him, he knows Spencer can go for a disturbingly long time masking his stims but the time does not get interrupted by running over your friends kid with a bike and being in immense pain, “You can use your mouth, come on”

“Spencer, honey, try humming, its okay, we will get you something better in just a second” Garcia tries when she catches Spencer’s glances going over to Jack again who is still sobbing, 

“I didn’t mean to”

“It's not your fault” She assures him as Rossi sees the ambulance arrive, 

“I am going to be with you the whole time okay? Just let these people help you” 

“First Jack” 

“Of course” The medics seperate, one going over to Hotch and Jack while the other comes over to them, 

“Can you tell us what happened?” The man asks while kneeling down in front of Spencer already getting ready to get something from his bag to stop the bleeding on his arms, 

“I hit Jack with my bike” Spencer tells him with tears in his eyes, his lips wobbling as he tells the medic, his body posture full of shame, “I didn’t mean to”

“I am sure you didn’t” The men tells him, his voice sounding softer now that he realized how upset Spencer is by this, “I am Alex can you tell me your name?”

“Spencer”

“Alright, Spencer. Can you tell me where you are hurt?” He questions but when Spencer doesn’t answer he looks at Rossi expectionally, 

“We aren’t sure either, he hit his head on the floor thats for sure, he has a hard time identifying pain, he is autistic and has poor self perception when it comes to those things.”

“Okay, can you tell me how he felt?” 

“The kid drove in front of his bike, he slammed the brake so he went over the handlebar and hit the concrete with the side of his head. It all went fast and he scrambled immediately to get away from the kid, we couldn’t keep him still”

“We will definitely need to take him to the hospital, we need to check out his neck” 

“What about Jack?” Spencer asks the medic, slightly flinching away from him, 

“We will take you both” Anxious he keeps on looking at him for a moment before hesitantly looking up to Rossi, seeming to stuck in the confusion of not knowing where Rossi could come along, 

“Can you do that? Can you drive to the hospital with Jack and Hotch?” Rossi asks and Spencer wants to get up from his seat just for all three of them to jump up to stop him, “The man will get the stretcher for you, you are not moving any more then necessary”

“Why?” Terrifeid tears gather in his eyes again, 

“We don’t know what your injuries are yet, you could cause more damage”

“I am okay”

“The last time you said that you were shot in the knee” Rossi scolds him and he can see the silent shook in the medics eyes for just a moment, “We are with the FBI”

Jack’s sobs had turned into sniffles as the woman helps him into the ambualnce next to Spencer while Hotch walks to the front of the truck to get situated there, “Aaron wait”

“What?” He snaps nervously at Rossi. 

“Are you sure you can get in there?”

“I have done worse” He spits back and pulls himself up the steps, the pain is to his credit masked pretty good but Rossi can tell, “Just be there quickly”

“We will” 

“My name is Natalie, I will be with you two till the hospital, I’ve got already Jack’s name how about you?” She asks Spencer while whiping some hair out of his face, wanting to make conversation to him, 

“Spencer and I can sit, why is Jack not laying here?”

“Jack is doing fine with sitting there, I promise you it is safe” 

“I am safe too”

“Laying down you are” She tells him with a smile and keeps on distracting them but realizes quite fast that she got two shy people in there who won’t speak even a sentence without getting animated to do so. At least until they reach the hospital and Jack gets transfered to s stretcher as well and with that seperated from Spencer, “It’s okay, he is with his father, he is going to look out for him.”

“Hotch”

“Is that his name?” The nurse taking over asks, 

“Hotch” He whimpers agian and the man turns around and leaves Jack out of sight for a quick second, “I am sorry”

“I know, it's not your fault, I promise its not”

“I am sorry”

“Rossi will be with you in no time until then listen to those nice people here, okay? They only want to help you.”

“I am sorry” He cries out again, trying to shake his head in order to stim but he is being stopped, “I am sorry”

“Shh, its okay, you will be okay” Hotch assures him before hurring after Jack, catching up with him before he disappears into the depths of the hospital corridors. 

Anxioulsy Spencer stops moving after a nurse yells at him, making himself as small as possible silently crying and not acknowledging what they want him to do until Rossi is back, speaking soothing words and helping him through the different stations of testing to find out that he had been lucky compared to what could have happened. 

“He looks exhausted.” Penelope whispers as she watches Spencer laying in his hospital bed, they had finally allowed him to fall asleep but wanted to keep him there to monitor his concussion while Jack is waiting for surgery in the next room and Hotch being the luckiest with just scraped knees although they aren't sure yet if he isn't maybe hiding another injury insake of staying with his son. 

“You should have seen him fight the doctor on letting him check his rips, he probably is” Rossi tells her sitting in a chair next to Spencer’s bed, “Listen, I shouldn’t have snapped at you earlier, we know you tend to ramble when things get stressful”

“I should have kept quiet there was already so much going on I overwhelmed him probably even more”

“No” Rossi presses, “You would have deserved to be able to self-regulate just much as he did but I needed to cut you off in order to be able to concentrate on Spencer- I should have done it more nicely.”

Thank you for your request!!💗

[pink-sparkly-witch]

Soulmates: Chapter Twenty-Seven – Goodbye, Supernatural! (Part 2) – Finale

Summary: On November 19th, 2020, Supernatural aired its last episode. Ava takes to social media to publicly say goodbye and thank the cast, crew, and fans who changed her and her husband’s lives.

Characters: Jensen Ackles x Ava Ackles (OFC)

Warnings: Language, fluff

Word Count: 1.8k

A/N: Well, this is it, guys! The final part of this saga. If you’ve got this far, thank you for sticking with me and reading through to the end! I hope you enjoyed it! The picture used is taken from Pinterest. This hasn’t been beta’d, and all mistakes are mine.

You can catch up here!

My Masterlist     AO3    Ko-Fi

November 2020

Liked by jensenackles, jaredpadalecki, genpadalecki, bigbaldhead, misha, officialbrianab, hilarieburton, jeffreydeanmorgan and 647,389 others

avaackles This is the first ever photo of Jensen and me. It was taken during my week on the Supernatural set in June 2005. That 24-year-old girl had no idea the 27-year-old boy standing beside her would become her whole world.

Over the next year, these young, clueless kids became best friends or, more accurately: partners in crime. The summer and fall of 2006 saw a shift in their relationship, and they became more. So much more. Lovers, partners, soulmates. If someone had told me the day this photo was taken where we’d be in 15 years, I’d have died laughing.

When I left SPN in 2010, it was as 29-year-old Ava Broussard. When I filmed my last ever scene as Hannah Singer on September 10th, 2020 (see @jensenackles post to see the last photo taken of the two of us on set), it was as Ava Ackles, wife of ten years, mother to four wonderful children who was exactly one week away from turning forty… How the fuck did that happen??

This entire ride has been totally and utterly life-changing. It’s been humbling and elating. It’s also been overwhelming and terrifying at times. But none of that compares to how blessed and honoured I am to have been a small part of this phenomenal journey. To still hold a place in the hearts of you, the fans, after a DECADE away from Supernatural (minus a few pop-ups here and there!) completely blows my mind. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the love and support you have given me, my family and, of course, my husband. 

So many families have been born from this modest show. Including those of the two leading men! But the friendships? They are something special and will stand the test of time. The crew are one of the best in the business, and I’m a lucky woman to call so many of you a friend. None of the past 15 years could’ve been possible without your dedication. Special mention to Eric Kripke - I mean this wholeheartedly when I say I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for you and our dear and deeply missed friend, Kim Manners. All it took was one conversation with you guys in line at the WB’s studio café about The Bachelor and Jeopardy for you to invite me to audition for a role I honestly wasn’t sure I could give justice to. I’m glad I did Hannah, and you proud. I am floored by the kindness and compassion you have always shown me and everyone else who’s ever had a part, big or small, in the cast and crew of Supernatural.

Mark P, Mark S, Kevin, Matt, Ruth, Felicia, DJ, Emily, Alex, Briana, Kim, and Sam. I haven’t even worked with most of you, yet you are some of my closest friends. So, to you and the many others I know I’ve forgotten to mention, I extend my thanks for keeping my boys safe and happy. I hope our paths cross someday on a set somewhere. Until then, we’ll always have the Con circuits!

Jason, Rob, and Richard. Man! You made Cons super fun! They’re already fun, but you guys know how to throw a good karaoke party and Saturday Night Special! I should probably leave being a rock star to Jensen but hit me up if you want to record anything. Another duet with @officialbrianab, anyone? 👀🎤👯‍♀️

Jared. What the fuck can I say about you, Sasquatch? Words fail me. They really do. You are the brother I never had (or wanted!), and you mean so much to me. Thank you for not only being my confidant but my husband’s too. You are good and pure, and I love you so much. I am proud of you. The dedication in you, the strength you have, the sacrifices you have made, and the unyielding faith you have in everything you do shows what type of person you are under all of that ridiculous floppy hair. I love you, Texas! My adorably dorky little brother from another mother! Always Keep Fighting, Bitch.

To my screen dad, Jim: you are a gentleman of epically mega proportions, and I am truly blessed to know you. I’m a better person for having you in my life. Taking me on as a surrogate daughter is one of your most selfless acts. And trust me - you have done so many things that make you the epitome of a selfless man! You taught me so much about so many things, and I will forever be in your debt. I remember when I first met you, we had a very long and heartfelt conversation that had us spilling our hearts out to each other. Because of that, and because of you, I found the courage to turn the young girl in this photo into the woman she became and still is today. Thank you, Jim. I am so lucky to have your unconditional love, and you will always have mine. You have no idea what you truly mean to me and I can never repay all the compassion you have shown me.

Misha. Misha, Misha, Misha! We have a saying, us Bostonians, you know the one I’m talking about - you know you’re one of the good guys when we use an insult instead of your name. But the name I gave you when we met in 2008 is not repeatable on social media or anywhere! But know that it’s still true, and that’s still your name on my phone! Thank you, Misha. For everything. But especially for keeping your promise to take care of my boys upon my departure as Hannah. You did good! You are a great friend and a beautiful human being. When you said you wanted to be open-hearted, kind, and true like Castiel - you don’t need to fret, Mish. You already are.

Alright, I thought I was lost for words with Jared! Well, I’m even more lost when it comes to his better half - Genevieve. We formed our never-ending, always strengthening bond over pitchers of margaritas and extra greasy burgers in a sports bar during a Pats game. Despite the extremely unladylike horror I subjected you to, you still wanted to be my friend. Thank you for that - I know it wasn’t pretty. You are my guardian angel. Before we left the show together, we talked for hours about how we would stop each other from falling apart while we tried to figure out what happened next. We talked about every scenario we could come up with, but boy - we were so wrong and unprepared for it! We knew what being a part of this show was like. We lived it as actors and then later as wives. Still, it didn’t make it any easier to make a home and have a family when our husbands worked away for nine months of the year, so I thank you for being there for my kids and me. Always. No questions asked, no matter the circumstances, the reason or the distance between us. I will always be there to do the same for you. I adore you and your beautiful family.

I’ve saved the best for last - Jensen. Love of my life. My light in the darkness. My one and only. My person. My North Star. My home. The better part of me. Thank you for everything you do for our family. Thank you for giving me a family. I love you. So, fucking much, baby. The professionalism, dedication and sacrifices you have given to this show and its fans over the last 15 years stun me. I am in awe of you. Always have been and always will be. You carry yourself with grace and dignity, selflessly helping others in any way you can. Even if it’s in the smallest way. You care about everyone you meet, and your heart is so big and filled with love for what you do and for the people who love what you do. You are the most extraordinary man I know. Never change, Cowboy. Ever. Your love and support for me and our family knows no bounds, and I am truly the luckiest woman on the planet to be able to call you mine. You are the best husband and an amazing father, and I often wonder what I did to deserve you and our perfect babies. I won’t pretend it’s always been easy, nothing worth having ever is, but the shit we’ve been through has only served in making you stronger, making me stronger and making us stronger. We can conquer anything together, and I know I can take on the world because I have you by my side. I’m so blessed to be able to spend my life with my soulmate, and I cannot wait to start this new chapter with you. Time to Supe up, baby! 🦸 

I can sit here and say that I was ready to watch the series finale tonight. But I wasn’t. It’s over, and I’m still not ready. This show, these characters, and the fans have been a massive part of my life and my family for 15 YEARS! It’s a long damn time, and although the end has been in the making for 18 months, I just can’t find it in me to say goodbye. That word is too final, and I don’t think anyone in the SPN world is ready for that; yet. So, I sign off with arrivederci and leave it at “until we meet again”.

Family don’t end with blood. It never has. And to all the people I’ve mentioned in this long-ass note (sorry!), I’ve shown that. And trust me, there are so many more people in my family that I’ve privately thanked. I love you all ❤️

View all 4,196 comments

jensenackles Wow! You got me right in the feels there, baby girl! I love you more than words can ever say. You are an inspiration to me, and trust me, it’s me who’s the lucky one because you chose me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unfaltering patience, infinite understanding, unyielding support, and unconditional love throughout this journey. I couldn’t have done any of it without you by my side, Princess! Oh man, where did all this dust come from? Making my eyes water! I love you, Ava. Always and forever xx

jaredpadalecki You always had a beautiful way with words, Boston! I share Jensen’s sentiments about this dusty room aggravating my eyes! I am a better man because I know you. Thank you. I love you!

genpadalecki Ava, I love you girl! I’ll always love you! You don’t come out the other side of watching a Pats game with a superfan and just throw someone so passionate and loyal away! Thank you for walking right by my side through this crazy ride, even as you embarked on an even crazier one 🧟‍♂️

officialbrianab Uhmmm, another duet with you? WHERE DO I SIGN UP???

misha I can’t even right now. Your words have hit me hard and deeply. Once I’ve composed myself better, you’ll be hearing from me, Mrs Ackles! I love you, Ava.

THE END

Jensen / Dean Tags: @akshi8278 @deanwanddamons @siospins2 @sexyvixen7 @leigh70

Soulmates Tags: @deans-baby-momma

[maximoff-pan]

gia’s flufftober 2021 masterlist

Hi everyone! I’m excited to announce that I am going to be participating in flufftober 2021! Below is a masterlist of what's to come in the next few weeks based on the prompts this year :)

Each post for this event will be tagged with #flufftober2021 and #giasflufftober

I’d also like to note that some of these may be altered depending on how my inspirations change, so none of the characters are fully cemented for each prompt. These may also not be posted exactly to the schedule because it’s a lot to write in such a short amount of time for me, but I’ll try my best to keep on track! (if it starts getting overwhelming, I’ll probably stick to posting every other day)

*the orders of the days are also subject to change, meaning that prompt one may not be posted on day one - it could be posted on day fifteen for example. Basically, the order you see here may not exactly apply, it’s just for the sake of the challenge and the masterlist.

I hope you darlings enjoy!

• • • • • •

Prompts

1. winning a teddy for the other - steve rogers: carnival fun - 900+ words

2. sneaking out together - sirius black

3. lazy sundays - lance sweets

4. sparklers & fireworks - fred weasley: my heart goes kaboom for you - 800+ words

5. watching the sunrise - tenth doctor: earth, wind, & fire - 600+ words

6. fireman’s carry - merlin (bbc)

7. meddling friends - spencer reid: meddling kids coworkers - 1.9k words

8. cooking lessons - dean winchester

9. text messages - sam winchester

10. pillow fight - peter maximoff

11. love notes - bucky barnes

12. sleepy kiss - harry potter

13. pillow talk - steve harrington

14. slow dancing - charlie weasley

15. silly traditions - emily prentiss

16. falling asleep together - peter parker

17. domestic fluff - joey tribbiani

18. costumes - penelope garcia

19. flowers - neville longbottom

20. secret crush - james potter

21. knuckle kiss - benedict bridgerton

22. flirting at work - derek morgan

23. hold me in your arms - draco malfoy

24. caught in the rain - remus lupin

25. cuddling & snuggling - alex summers

26. new hobby together - stiles stilinski

27. “I’m cold” - “Here, have my jacket” - poe dameron

28. soothing baths - chandler bing

29. up against the wall kiss - aaron hotchner

30. fall asleep in my lap - hermione granger

31. holiday traditions - george weasley