#also it is very late and not a lot of people are gonna see this

[rintarosluvr]

𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐊

• Sylus × Reader

Topics: Y/n being dense, unresolved romantic tension and flirting, Y/n teasing sylus, Zayne, Xavier and Rafayel mentioned!

Note: Probably slow updates because classes started again

Word count: 3k

Chap.2

Chap.3

"I've been thinking a lot lately" you say

"About what?" Davina asks, glancing up from her phone as she scrolls through details about the trip your class and some other classes were going on for a project

"You guys might be right" you admit, sighing as you close the suitcase

"Finally!" Leanne exclaims "Took you long enough. So when are you going to confess?"

"What? No!" you shake your head "I'm not even sure he has feelings for me. I'm just going to figure it out during the trip"

"And if he does have feelings, you'll confess?" Leanne presses

"I never said I have feelings for him" you point out, raising an eyebrow

"Is she making sense to you guys?" Leanne asks turning to your friends

"She does" Vanessa says, nodding in agreement

"Yeah, totally" Kaori chuckles, leaning back

"So how are we gonna room?" Davina asks, reading out loud from the trip details "It says four people per apartment but there's ten of us"

"I'm not rooming with Amari, I still remember his snores" Kaori says dramatically, clearly haunted by the memory

"Yeah, I'll pass on rooming with Eydis or him. Knowing them, they'll be out all night and come back drunk" you add

"Fair point" Vanessa agrees with a nod "Maybe we should call them in case they've already picked their roommates"

"Smart" Leanne says

"Y/n, call Sylus" Davina says, suddenly

You raise an eyebrow "Why him specifically?"

"He always picks up when you call. The other guys have their phones on do not disturb all the time" Kaori explains

"Fine" You roll your eyes picking up your phone and call Sylus, within a second, he answers

"You called?"

You immediately frown "Why are you acting like I'm interrupting something?"

He chuckles "What's your question?"

"Do any of you already have roommates for the trip? We're trying to figure out who's with who" you explain

"From what we know, Mar and Roy paired up with Xavier and Zayne" Eydis says, leaning over the back of the couch next to Sylus

"So, who are you guys rooming with?" you ask, already sensing trouble

"The two of us are obviously a duo" Eydis replies casually

"Continue" Leanne prompts

"Also" Eydis says, grinning mischievously "I already submitted who we wanted to room with"

"You did what?!" Davina exclaims

"Uh yeah" Eydis continues "Y/n and Vanessa are rooming with us"

"What the fuck?" Vanessa mutters under her breath as you abruptly hang up

"That just pissed me off" you groan, tossing your phone aside

"I was really hoping we'd all room together" Leanne sighs, clearly just as annoyed

"That probably wouldn't have worked anyway since there's five of us" Davina points out

"Doesn't make it less frustrating" Vanessa says, crossing her arms

"Right" you mumble

Kaori sighs "Well, at least we're in the same building. We'll just have to spend most of the time hanging out in one place"

"So are you excited about rooming with Sylus?" Davina asks

"Please don't remind me" you groan, sinking back into the couch "Wait, if he has a crush on me, why hasn't he confessed? He's such a direct guy?"

"Maybe he's waiting to see if it's mutual?" Vanessa suggests, shrugging

"That would make sense" you mumble, the idea settling uncomfortably in your mind

"Or maybe he's just enjoying messing with you" Kaori teases

"Very helpful Ri, I already know that" you deadpan

"Hey, I'm just saying. Sylus is definitely not the type to make a move without knowing he has a shot" she adds with a knowing look

You sigh grabbing a pillow and tossing it at her "I don't need this kind of analysis right now"

"Too late" Leanne chimes in "You brought this on yourself the moment you started overthinking"

[The Next Day]

"You really not speaking to us?" Eydis asks, leaning over to catch your gaze as you turn your face away, arms crossed, you don't respond still pointedly ignoring him as everyone lounges at the airport, killing time before the flight

"You guys really fucked us up" Vanessa says glaring at Eydis and Sylus "Why us tho?"

"Yeah" Davina chimes in, equally annoyed "You could've added Kazu and asked Rafayel to join you or something"

Sylus shrugs, unbothered "Wouldn't one of you still be forced to room with three random people? There are five of you?"

"We would've figured something out" Kaori says "But now Kazu is stuck rooming with us"

Kazuo shrugs "I've done it before. Don't mind it"

"Yeah, because last time we didn't want to room with strangers" Leanne points out

"You should be mad at them" you mumble, still refusing to look at Sylus or Eydis

Kazuo laughs and casually throws an arm over your shoulder, squeezing your cheek affectionately "We'll both survive. Don't worry"

You groan "You wanna switch? Please say yes"

He chuckles shaking his head. "Nah, I'm good. Rooming with them is hell"

You let out a dramatic sigh, tilting your head to the side until it rests against his chest "You could save me, but instead, you're just letting me drown"

"It's all love" he teases, patting your you head

"Liar" you mutter, tossing Kazuo's arm off of you as you make your way over to Amari and Leroy

"So when we get there, we're gonna find something to smoke" Amari says, grinning as you take a seat next to him

"For sure" Leroy nods, turning to you."You joining us?"

"Why not" you shrug

"You smoke?" Sylus's voice cuts in as he sits down nearby

"Yeah" you say, like it's common knowledge "Here and there"

"Since when?" he asks, his brows furrowed

You shrug again "Don't know, like a few years now"

Before Sylus can respond, Leroy stands up "We're gonna hit the store. You guys want anything?"

"Yeah, grab me a drink, whichever is fine" you say

"I'm good, thanks" Sylus adds

Both guys nod before heading off, leaving you and Sylus alone

"So why'd you agree with Eydis's stupid plan?" you ask, turning to Sylus even though there's a seat between you two, eyeing him suspiciously

"I didn't really have a choice" he shrugs "He went ahead and did it himself"

"But you didn't stop him" you point out, narrowing your eyes

He smirks leaning back in the seat "Why would I? I don't mind rooming with you"

"Oh, how generous of you" you say, rolling your eyes "Did you ever think that maybe I mind?"

"Nope" he replied "You get to spend quality time with me. Sounds like a win"

"Quality time?" you scoff "Please, I'd rather room with Mar and Roy"

"Sure you do" he teases "You wouldn't last five minutes before begging to switch back"

"You wish" you fire back, narrowing your eyes at him "You'll be the one regretting it when I cockblock you whenever I can"

Sylus raises an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips "Oh, really? You're that dedicated?"

"Absolutely" you say with confidence

Sylus leans forward, practically daring you to keep going "You'll just end up cockblocking yourself"

You blink in confusion, still processing his words "Wait, what? You can't just say stuff like that and walk away"

Sylus flashes a grin, clearly amused by the reaction he's gotten "Sure I can" He picks up his phone and steps a few feet away, clearly intent on ignoring you now but you can still feel your body heat up from his teasing

"You're so annoying" you mutter under your breath

But it doesn't stop you from wondering what he meant and part of you hated how easily he managed to get under your skin

"What did he say?" Davina asks siting down, her eyes narrowed in curiosity as she watches you

"What?" you ask still processing the conversation you just had

"You were shocked, why?" She presses

You let out a deep breath "I told him l'd cockblock him for rooming with me and he said that l'd end up cockblocking myself"

Davina's eyes widen and she leans in, lowering her voice "He wants to fuck you" "I thought he meant he-"

"Nope, you thought wrong" she interrupts, You roll your eyes, clearly not in the mood for her teasing "Why do you look so happy about it?"

She places her hand on your shoulder, giving you a knowing smile "Because he wants you, Y/n. Stop acting so dense and accept it"

You scoff, shaking your head "Never"

Davina leans in closer "You lowkey want him too"

“Believe what you want”

"You've been staring" Vanessa says, glancing at you with a small smile

"I'm not" you reply quickly, not wanting to admit it

"So you haven't been staring at his thighs?" she adds, raising an eyebrow

You let out a dramatic sigh throwing your head back in frustration "I hate Davina"

Vanessa chuckles "She was right" "Yeah, I figured" you mumble, feeling your body heat up

"We're ready! You guys ready to explore the city?" You hear Eydis call from across the room, snapping you out of your flustered state

"We've been ready for the past thirty minutes" Vanessa says, crossing her arms and looking at the guys "But guess you pretty boys have to take all the time to get ready, huh?"

You chuckle standing up and grab your small bag "Right"

"So you're admitting I'm good looking?" Sylus says, joining you as you walk toward the door

"You're sounding delusional. Never said that" you say, pulling out your lip gloss and knocking on the door next door

"You did agree with Vanessa, so you do think we're pretty boys" Eydis states, throwing an arm over Sylus's shoulder as you apply your lip gloss

You roll your eyes "Living in a world with delusional men is exhausting"

Eydis grins while Sylus just watches you, his gaze lingering on your lips as you finish applying the gloss and put it back in your bag

"Get out!" Kaori mutters as she opens the door, trying to push Leroy out of their room

"I didn't do anything!" Leroy protests

"Farting is something" she snaps, glaring at him

You frown "You guys ready?"

They both stop, mid action. Kaori was still pushing Leroy out while he clung to the door knob

"Your first mistake was letting them in" Vanessa says, glancing at the three other girls approaching you.

"We came to ask if we're going to the karaoke building we saw" Amari says, giving you a hopeful look.

"Should be fun. Why not?" Eydis grins

"Be aware, there are some people that are tone deaf, so your ears might start bleeding" you warn, glancing at Sylus

"That was aimed at Sylus" Leanne adds with a chuckle

"It's that bad?" Davina asks

"Terrible, actually" you mumble meeting Sylus's eyes

He gives you a small smile, clearly enjoying your teasing "Glad you're paying attention" he says

"Sure you do" you reply and follow Vanessa, who's already being pulled along by Davina

You feel an arm slip over your shoulder "This trip is gonna be funny, isn't it?" Eydis says, pulling you closer as he wraps his other arm around Sylus's shoulder

"Don't forget about the project we have to make while we're here" you remind him

"Such a buzzkill you are" Sylus mutters, You roll your eyes at him

[5:54PM]

"I'm honestly disappointed. I wanted to hear Sylus sing" Davina says, finally putting her phone down

Amari shakes his head "You guys didn't even give us a chance to sing. Mic hogs, the lot of you"

"I thought they were great" Leroy cuts in as he leans forward "You girls should seriously consider being a girl group. You've got the vocals and the moves"

"Yeah, I agree" Kazuo adds, finishing off his drink "Especially considering how you all used to dance back in the day. You've got the talent, it wouldn't be bad at all"

Vanessa shrugs, sipping her soda "Doesn't sound like a terrible idea"

"If you're serious, I know some people who could help you out" Sylus says casually

Kaori nods "We'll keep that in mind. Could be worth exploring"

You reach across the table to snag a few of Sylus's fries without asking, a habit you've had since high school

He doesn't even flinch, letting you grab as many as you want

Leanne, catching your quiet amusement, turns to you "What about you? What do you think?"

You pause, mid reach for another fry, blinking as all eyes turn to you "Uh... sounds fun" you say, shrugging "I mean, younger me always wanted to be famous. Maybe it's something I've always lowkey dreamed of"

"Same" Davina agrees "It's giving childhood dreams, for sure"

"Us all being in a girl group? Absolute chaos. But honestly, it'd be amazing. You can't tell me we wouldn't crush it" Vanessa says

You feel the brush of Sylus's legs against yours, making you stop mid motion, narrowing your eyes as you glance up at him

Without saying a word, you pull the tray in front of him toward you, raising an eyebrow in question

His expression doesn't falter, unreadable as ever "What?" he asks, his voice calm but there's a flicker of amusement in his eyes

You don't respond, instead slowly sliding the tray closer to yourself as if daring him to make a move, His legs stay where they are, practically caging yours under the table

He leans back in his seat, resting an arm lazily on the chair next to him "Don't look at me like that. You're the one stealing my fries"

"And you're the one being invasive" you shoot back, though you don't move your legs either

He smirks "You're not moving them, though"

You roll your eyes grabbing another fry off the tray to avoid addressing his comment. Sylus just chuckles, leaning forward to steal a fry from the tray you just claimed

"Touché" he murmurs, his smirk widening when you glare at him

You slide your feet out of your sandals under the table, brushing them lightly against Sylus's bare legs

The sudden contact makes him pause, his eyebrow arches, an amused challenge flickering in his eyes

In response, you flash him a sweet almost innocent fake smile, as if daring him to call you out

"Oh, so we're doing that now?" he asks, his tone low enough that the others at the table don't notice

"Doing what?" you reply, feigning ignorance as your foot trails higher against his calf

His smirk deepens, but he doesn't move away "You've got some nerve, stealing my fries and starting something you can't finish"

"Who says I can't finish?" you counter, still maintaining your mock innocent demeanor as you grab another fry from his tray

Sylus leans forward, lowering his voice so only you can hear "Careful, Y/n. I might just call your bluff"

The heat rising to your face betrays you "Try me"

The tension lingers for a beat too long before Sylus shifts slightly, his hand brushing under the table

Without warning, he stops your foot from going even higher on his thighs, his fingers wrapping lightly around your ankle

You tilt your head, a sly smile spreading across your lips "I win" you say simply, your tone dripping with confidence

He raises an eyebrow, his thumb grazing your ankle in a way that sends a chill up your spine "You think so?" he asks

"I know so" you counter, leaning back, satisfied with your small victory

Sylus smirks, leaning closer across the table as if to close the distance between you "Games like this can backfire" he says, his grip loosening just enough to let your foot slip free

You shrug slipping your foot back into your sandal with deliberate slowness "Only if you're not good at them"

Taking a long sip of your drink, you try to ignore the flutter in your stomach, the way the tension still hangs between you like a taut wire

Sylus eyes never leave yours. The corner of his mouth quirks up in that maddeningly smug expression that makes your heart race and your irritation flare in equal measure

This wasn't over and you both knew it

"Alright, let's head back. We gotta start with the project" Kazuo says, standing up and stretching

"Yeah, I agree" you say, your tone breezy as you finally break eye contact with Sylus, sliding your bag onto your shoulder

"I still haven't read the email the professor sent" Amari admits, rubbing the back of his neck

"Which isn't shocking" Davina chimes in, You chuckle shaking your head "You're always unprepared"

"Hey, I like to keep things exciting" Amari grins

Chap.4>

[dammit-neal]

WTF

I'm about to be unfollowed by all the Ravi stans, but how many ways can I say HELL TO THE NO?!?!?

The thing about Ravi: He's adorable. And that's it; perfect side-character potential, good for the occasional gag. Aside from that, he has no personality, no real character development unless you count the retcon turning him into a real estate bro (I don't, that was some bullshit). Frankly, I just don't care about him. Like at all. When a corner of this fandom was clamoring about giving Ravi his own Begins episode, I was firmly in the camp of "that's a waste of screentime that would be better dedicated to characters I give a shit about."

Sorry not sorry, I don't care about Ravi. The core cast of 9-1-1 is already crowded, the screentime spent on core characters has been impacted by the overcrowding, not to mention the lower quality writing and unbalanced obsession with Buck at the expense of basically everyone else. I'm already feeling cheated, for the love of crap, please don't try to Make Ravi Happen. I think ScreenRant kinda disproved their argument in the title of their own article: "A Forgotten 9-1-1 Character" eh? So you agree he's forgettable?

Arguing with the article's points a bit: "Ravi will breathe new life into the 118." No he won't. He didn't do it when he was there before, and he's not about to find a way now. Ravi as a character isn't very interesting, and hate me for saying this if you must, but the actor playing him? Is dull. No "It Factor," nothing captivating about him, nothing that makes me think "If only this actor had more screentime and more material to work with!" He's boring. Sue me.

"Ravi Has untapped potential" See above, no he doesn't. Boring character, played by an unengaging actor. Maybe it's because he doesn't have dynamic chemistry with any of the core cast? He could thrive in a 9-1-1 spin-off maybe. "Everything that happens to Ravi is harrowing enough for a full episode, but he’s been confined to the sidelines." Yes, he has, and rightfully so. A character doesn't become great in TV or Film because of random plot points thrown at them by the writers. They're a good character because the actor playing them engages me as a viewer, whether they're dangling from a cliff or walking and chewing gum. There are actors who can take a nothing line "Here's your coffee" and make people want to see more. It's a sparkle in their eye, an instant chemistry, an interest. Ravi's character has been handed a LOT of juicy potential plot threads on paper, but I could care less to pick at those threads because the actor who plays him doesn't turn in a performance that makes me sit up and pay attention.

AND THEN THIS: Eddie Diaz, played by Ryan Guzman. I'll be the first to agree that Ryan isn't gonna win an Oscar anytime soon, but something about his performance as Eddie is interesting. He isn't any more or less good looking that Anirudh Pisharody (they're both gorgeous, the difference between them I think largely comes down to personal taste) so it's not a looks thing; it's an It Factor thing. Ryan is more interesting to watch on screen than Anirudh.

As a character, Ryan handles Eddie's rich character development well, and because he's been there for years, his character hasn't just been through plot points; he's affected the lives of other core characters deeply, and they his. He's also beloved by a good portion of the 9-1-1 fandom (and specifically hated by a random lil group of folks who seem to have it out for him specifically? Whatever, I guess). Eddie has great potential for more story, and I'm actually quite excited for a separation, because it means we'll finally get to see Eddie's story OUTSIDE of Buck's perspective, which is what it's been falling into lately. I want Eddie's perspective on Eddie's life, I actually want to get to know his family. I want to see him grow in this challenge (even though the way he got into it with more Shannon bullshit still has me rolling my eyes 360 degrees).

I hope they give Eddie's story a chance to play out. And I hope they give Ravi his 5 minutes (divided between a couple episodes) and then call it quits. I know this will upset people, and I want to be clear, I'm not writing this in order to upset people. Feel free to disagree with me, out loud if you want. But I'm tired of feeling like I can't speak my mind about the favorite squeegee character of the month, so here ya go. Eddie's a great character and I want to know what happens to him in depth. Ravi can kick rocks. I said it.

[lollytea]

Imagine if Willow sprinkles Hunter with pixie dust, and she's about to explain he needs to think happy thoughts to fly, only to see he's already floating off the ground.

"Whoa, what happy thought were you thinking?"

"Well, nothing really, I was just listening to you."

Her just being there is his happy thought.

[Now on AO3]

"It doesn't work on me," He claims, like the Know-It-All he is.

Willow is already coaxing a daisy into existence as he says it. It pokes through the forest floor, unusually exuberant for dusk hours, dimly illuminated by a fairy's magic touch.

"Are you calling my dust faulty?" She scoffs, plucking the flower out of the ground and twirling it teasingly beneath her chin. "How presumptuous."

"No," Answers the pirate. If you could even call him that right now. He's shed his immaculate gold coat and that large and ridiculous (but oh, so funny) hat of his.

He's taken every measure to be as inconspicuous as possible. Nobody aboard that ship can know about his little late night rendezvous with a fairy. Especially not if he doesn't intend to bring her back in a jar.

He has long since retired that ambition.

"It's no different than any other fairy's dust," He says, slow and cautious. "The crew has....obtained it a few times in the past...."

Willow doesn't say anything but her presence still makes him squirm. She already knows what becomes of fairies that pirates get their hands on.

"And it doesn't work on me...." He concludes.

"You sound disappointed."

"I'm not."

He's a liar, among other things.

Willow opts to not mention how transparent he is in his longing to get tangled up in the stars, to test the feel of foamy cloudstuff in his hands, to soar the way the Lost Boys do.

He's so enraptured with winged creatures, she notices.

This boy wants to fly. This boy wants to become Lost in a way that matters on this island. And the only thing stopping him is his own stupid heart.

He's my uncle, he had whispered the last time she begged.

"I refuse to believe you're immune to dust," Declares Willow. "You are no different from any Lost Boy."

She means that in more ways than one. He even looks like one tonight. Young and sloppily dressed, his bare hairless face spotlighted by the fat silvery moon hanging overhead.

It bothers him that it's so difficult to grow a beard. It makes her heart sink a little every time he laments how impatient he is to grow up.

"I'm nothing like a Lost Boy," He retorts for the billionth time.

If she felt a little more argumentative, she'd ask him to state their exact coordinates on the map. And he'd flounder for an answer, because he's never been in this part of the island before. Willow led him into the depths of the forest by the hand in the dead of night.

He's a boy.

He's lost.

It would make him all mad and huffy if she pulled that on him. Which would be funny. But she doesn't want to make him mad and huffy right now.

Willow shimmies closer, rustling the leaves underneath her. "I think you just never learned the trick of dust. It's not like fairies to give the secret away to just anyone."

He's not looking in her direction. Which is annoying. She could get drunk on how it feels to have his eyes poring over the sight of her.

It was once an impish sort of delight. A delicious satisfaction that he found her such an irksome creature yet he was unwillingly attracted to her shape, to her smile, to her eyes.

It's different now. Less unwilling on his part. And at some point or another, she found herself blooming pink roses beneath the skin of her cheeks when he looks at her like that.

She likes being looked at. But she now understands that she likes being looked at by him. She wishes to hear the thoughts in his head as his eyes hang off her bare shoulders.

"So..." Willow croons, her fingers finding the sharp bend of his jaw. She brushes the skin, gingerly avoiding the sensitive edges of his scars.

"How about...." her palm connects to his cheek and she still marvels over how perfectly fitted her hand is for cupping his face. She guides his gaze towards hers. The eyes that she finds pretty to settle on the face that those eyes find pretty.

"You trust me on this...." Her soft spoken utterance is emphasized with an affectionate rub of her index finger on the sweet spot behind his ear.

He likes being touched there. She found out back when he was trying very hard to not like her.

Once his eyes are set on hers, confused but hopelessly soft, Willow lifts the daisy to her lips and blows.

A string of glowing pollen rises from the buttery pistil and drifts in his direction. It's as though it already knows tonight's assignment is proving a Know-It-All wrong. It's the only way to needle a big pretty smile outta him.

Willow is gonna get that smile, whether he likes it or not. She's a rascal like that.

Dust clings to his cheeks, spilling down his neck and sinking under skin.

"I promise you're not immune to dust," Says Willow, because she won't allow him to be. If he wants to fly, he'll fly.

He's staring at her with wild eyes now, every blink an agonizing interruption of his beholding.

She hasn't realized until now just how close their faces are. Nose to nose.

Feeling the tickly heat of his breath makes her smile.

"All you have to do is..."

He gasps.

Willow gasps.

They are no longer nose to nose because he is jerkily rising off the ground.

Amusingly, once he's a few inches into the air, he awkwardly tips forward and his feet continue to ascend. He's floating upside-down now, startled and confused yelps erupting from his throat. Willow stands up, trying to swallow her giggles as he desperately stretches his arms out to claw at the ground for some sort of anchor.

He's wobbling further and further away from her now and with a flutter of wings, she rises to meet him by the heads of the trees.

"Hiiiiiii~" She singsongs in an imitation of something he said to her so very long ago when things were so very different.

His flipped body has caused his shirt to hitch. It hangs in a baggy pool at his armpits.

Willow cannot help herself. She pokes his bare belly with a silly sounding "boop!" making him squeak ("Willow!") and scrabble to yank the fabric back over his figure. His legs are kicking erratically, attempting to put himself to right.

She doesn't indulge in the antics for much longer, instead opting to take pity on him. Lost Boys are like this sometimes too. But only in those first few minutes before they realize that they're perfectly safe, just a little inexperienced.

"Don't you worry," Says Willow, taking him by the waist and flipping him rightside-up. "You just haven't got your sky legs yet,"

She lets go of him once his position has been righted but he is not having it. Willow lets out an embarrassing noise herself as a pair of arms awkwardly throw themselves around her. His breathing rattles in her ear, his heartbeat a thick pound against hers.

Willow blurts out the first thing she can think to say. "First time?"

"Obviously!" He snaps, though there's a tremor to his tone.

She laughs to hide her brain's stubborn fixation on how defined the arms around her are.

"Hey now, I gotcha," She says comfortingly. With a bit of effort, she manages to rearrange their entangled bodies so it's not so...so much.

They now float at the respectful distance of any two teenagers having their first dance, complete with his arms loosely looped around her neck and Willow's hands rested against his hips.

Hm. Well. It's no longer so much but...

Now it's not enough.

To right that wrong this instant, Willow hums mischievously. "After all...."

Those respectful hands slide up his sides,

"I finally got my diabolical little fairy hands on a pirate."

They linger on his ribs.

His breath gets caught.

"I'm not gonna let him go."

They travel back down to his hips.

He's frozen in the way he tends to freeze, but it doesn't deter the heat. It blotches his face, his ears, even seeping down his neck.

He used to slap her touch away when she got playfully handsy with him. That stopped a lot time ago.

Instead, his grip around her tightens, though his gaze falls bashfully.

Willow grins.

He liiiiiiiiiikes it.

"How does flying work?" Asks the pirate.

"Well, it basically means not being on the ground," Answers Willow intelligently.

"No. I mean....why am I flying right now?"

Oh.

Right.

She had forgotten that he went blasting off before she could even explain the trick of it.

He looks troubled, a little bit on the scrunched up side. She expects that the reality of his situation will sink in sooner or later but...he needs answers first.

He's wanted this. He's wanted to fly. But it isn't like him to be satisfied without knowing the How and Why.

"Well," Says Willow. "What were you thinking? Before you began to fly?"

His eyebrows shoot up. "I-I wasn't thinking anything specific."

He's out of his depth and it's making him panic.

"Why? What was I supposed to be thinking?"

She smiles. "Your happiest thought."

"Oh...."

"Why?" She asks, leaning into his space. "What were you thinking?"

His brain is bizarrely shaped and she's obsessed with the idea of rummaging around in it.

She likes it when he allows the makings of the contraption to sputter out through his lips.

What are your happy thoughts, pirate?

But he never gives her an answer.

He doesn't need to.

What that boy does instead is give her a look. It's a strangely quiet look for such a loud face.

She can't gather together the words to describe that look because it feels too much like a secret. What she will say is that it's hers. It's all hers.

Her secret pirate.

His secret fairy.

"Oh..." She doesn't like how her voice shakes but what can she do?

He makes her feel so very fragile sometimes.

It's happening.

Aw thorns, it's happening.

Willow's wings speed up without her say-so and the two bodies shoot higher into the sky, the pirate howling in surprise.

She laughs. What else can she do but laugh?

But now that she's laughing, it's very difficult to stop. It's getting to the point of hysteria.

She's his happy thought.

She's his happy thought.

She's his happy thought.

And you know what? He might be hers too.

The sudden lift has made him lose his grip on her and he's now paddling through the sky, reaching out his hand to hers.

Willow takes it.

And while she's at it, she takes his other hand and gives him a giddy twirl.

He's accustomed enough to the weightlessness by now that he doesn't react with horror. But rather, it surprises a giggle out of him.

Terribly encouraged by the bubbling sound, she spins him again and he laughs harder.

He makes those dumb snorty noises.

She's going to spin him unconscious if he keeps doing this to her.

It's in his eyes now, she can see it. Something is beginning to kindle, the realization that this is it.

He can fly.

He can fly.

He can fly.

His smile is gold.

She never would have taken the air above the forest for a dance floor but there's nothing conventional about anything she does with this boy.

Their bodies rotate across the stars, like the little dancers in that music box she found once.

They try to imitate the grown-ups in those books he likes to show her. It's his idea.

Two hands, one small and round with short fingers and a cushiony palm, and one long and narrow, fingers all lean and knobbly. They find each other and the mismatched fingers intertwine.

Willow's other hand is on his shoulder while his is on her waist. It's loose, no longer fearing his life up here.

He can't dance while standing on the ground, so he certainly has no footing in the sky. But that's alright, floating and touching is enough.

He tells her stories.

She listens.

She flirts and she jokes.

He blushes.

Sometimes he responds with something just as immaculately phrased.

She blushes.

Her cheek is resting against his chest when she utters the words. "Guess what..."

"What?"

"There was a fairy ball tonight."

She wasn't supposed to tell him that.

The subsequent silence leaves her to wonder why she told him that.

"So why are you here?" He asks, which is even worse.

Willow doesn't give him an answer.

She doesn't need to.

It's her lips buttoned in an pointed 'You know why' sort of way that spells it all out. As wrung tight with nerves as she is, her lips quirk up with amusement as that heart of his begins to riot against his ribcage.

"Oh..." He says.

"Oh..." Willow responds.

The night dances on. The stars observe with indifference.

Neverland itself doesn't care if a fairy waltzes with a pirate.

Its only those with a pulse that take issue.

He doesn't say the words. Not exactly.

Instead, he says "Willow. I think...I think there might be a problem...."

The warmth of his body is soaking into her. It's making her sleepy.

"And what's that?" Willow asks, looking up.

After a moment of contemplation, she adds "Hunter,"

The pirate's name is Hunter.

She likes that his name is something that's allowed on her tongue.

She feels his shoulder stiffen beneath her hand at the mention of that name. It seems to tangle up the words he already had on the tip of his tongue.

She squeezes the spot she's holding, hoping to relieve a little of the tension.

"I..." The hand holding hers is damp. She can feel it tremble. "I don't think I can get down,"

"Is that so?" She teases with a tilt of her head.

Like she's forgotten. He's her happy though. It's so cute she almost wants to let loose an undignified squeal.

But the lines of Hunter's face only tighten. Every worry etched into his features is naked underneath the moon's glow.

"I don't think I can ever get down again," He states, simple and soft.

His eyes are on her and they burn like always. She doesn't know what kind of fire Hunter was born in but his eyes never stop burning.

Willow's mischievous smile dips as his words pierce her through with the viciousness of a dagger, yet her stomach doesn't fill with blood, but warm liquid gold.

You don't fall in love in Neverland.

You don't fall at all.

You fly.

[jackredfieldwasmyjacob]

idk if it's because my mum worked in a tv magazine or what but all the media wars and backstabbing and stuff happening behind the cameras is so so interesting to me

[hypmicdaydreams]

is anyone still in the mood for a hypmic imagines blog these days lol

[theyreinsensibleshoes]

im so scared. i'm so so so fucking scared.

[front-facing-pokemon]

[sonknuxadow]

jesus christttt im not surprised at all to hear that the knuckles series focuses on wade and other human characters a lot i saw this coming a mile away with how almost all the news we were getting before the trailer came out was about the human characters/actors and not about knuckles (or sonic or tails or any other animated characters) but the fact that somebody calculated how many minutes of screentime knuckles has and it came out as LESS THAN HALF OF THE ENTIRE SERIES' RUNTIME when the series is NAMED after him is ridiculous. after this show comes out wade will likely have more screentime and overall plot relevance in the entire scu than tails does. did they actually think wade is a popular enough character for people to be down with this. what the fuck

[llitchilitchi]

Your watercolor piece is so BEAUTIFUL!!! its so hard to see fanart of traditional media and you absolutely *ate* with that one 🥹 the colors are so delicate and i love all the white space you left in between

aaaaa thank you!! always happy to see people be excited about traditional art :D

[highwaydiamonds]

[buckleyseddie]

...

[lemon-wedges]

....

[inbabylontheywept]

i did wrestling in middle school. on one hand, i was actually quite good at it, which was nice. being good at any sport was a new achievement for me. on the other hand, i was bi, and i was trying very hard not to notice that i was bi, and getting folded into knots by very kind, very muscular dorks made that task somewhat difficult.

adding fire to the problem was that my parents and my grandparents wanted to watch my matches, because they were very proud that their Gangly Nerd Son was actually Sporting, and they wanted to cheer me on. which would've been sweet and all, but if there are four people you do not want there during a key part of your Burgeoning Sexual Awakening, it is your mom and your dad and your grandma and your grandpa.

right? i mean, imagine some guy's got your head in his armpit, and you're going you know, old sweat smells bad, but fresh sweat has a sort of and then you make eye contact with your grandpa in the stands and you remember you're swearing spandex so if you pop a boner people aren't just going to be able to see the outline, they're going to be able to count the veins, and the only way you will be able to restore your family's honor after that would be by moving to siberia and renouncing joy, forever. that, or lift your entire body up by your kneck then twist 180 degrees without paralyzing yourself.

it’s a lot of pressure, is what i’m saying.

still it did motivate me to win my matches really fast. because i was so tall and skinny, i was stupidly good at the double leg takedown, and then once someone was knocked down, i'd just do the half nelson and kind of flip em over for the pin. then the ref would count to three and i’d win. EZPZ.

i had one match where that went great. won in the first ten seconds, sat back down, and prepared myself for a good hour or two of doing fuck all. didn't even feel bad the parents/grandparents were gonna be bored. the matches went up from me in 5 pound increments (i was in the 115 lbs division) and it was going great until we got to the 145 lbs division. the other school's wrestler stepped onto the mat, and she turned out to be a girl so our guy flipped, because for straight guys, wrestling a girl is not a pleasant experience.

i'm not entirely unsympathetic. my experience wrestling dudes was definitely a little traumatic. but also, i dealt. guy could've dealt too. instead, he refused to wrestle, and the coach went - fine. not even worth fighting over.

so he went to the 140 pounder, and that guy said, nosir, my mom said mormons can't wrestle girls. next guy down, 135 pounder, now he knew he could pull the same card and thus did. 130 pounder, 125, both tapped out. he got to the 120 guy, and that guy was catholic, but he said he was considering being mormon, and thus would have to pass. as a precaution.

coach blew up a little at that. he said "is there anyone - anyone - on this entire goddamn team that is willing to wrestle a girl?" and then he pointed at me and said "YOU. MAT. GO."

and i'll be real, if i'd been paying more attention, i'd have pulled the mormon card too, but i'd just been putting all that audio into a buffer file because i was reading, so i was halfway across the mat before i even processed what had been said and by then it was too late to turn back.

still i had a plan. and my plan - my beautiful, perfect plan - was to do what i'd always done. tackle, flip, pin, win. sit down. read. bore my family to death. move on.

i got the first part right. she was bigger than me, but she wasn't taller. just an incredibly stout woman. god built me like a snake with glasses, just as he built her like a combat cube. the problem was the half nelson. soon as she was down, i tried hooking my arm under hers from behind and for both genders, the defense for this move is just clamping your arms really fucking tight against your sides. if you're a guy, that's whatever, but if you're a girl - especially if you're god's chosen combat cube - that pins your opponents hand right against your boob.

so, i got the hook in, she clamped, my whole arm pressed against something soft, my coach was yelling THE HALF NELSON. BABYLON! JUST FINISH IT! FINISH THE HALF NELSON! and i was just trying to press hard enough to finish, when then my brain went

...oh.

and i flipped out. of course i flipped out. i like girls, and touching a boob is an elemental experience, and i was not ready. i was not prepared. i had not committed the sacred rites. i recoiled like i'd just brushed my arm against the surface of the sun, stood up, and backed away. nobody in the room knew why i'd given up. all they saw was me, right about to win, suddenly flailing around and scrambling. so everyone started screaming at me to just get the half nelson again, and i couldn't really yell back there's a fuckin' boob in the way and it was very distressing, and the only way i could think of to make them stop was just doing it over again the right way.

so i did.

i hunkered down and prepared myself for Wrasslin' Attempt #2: The Sequel.

i knocked her down again, EZPZ. i went for the half nelson again, but she knew what i was about to do so she super clamped, and i knew she was gonna super clamp, so i wound my arm back like a pop-eye cartoon punch before swinging my arm through the gap between her bicep and her side, but the amount of time i spent winding back super signalled what i was about to to do, which gave her time to clamp even harder, which somehow redirected the entire force of the popeye punch to the bottom of her bra.

it spat out a single boob the same way an action hero might spit out one single tooth after getting a solid crack across the jaw. as if to say:

*ptooie.* "that all you got?"

i did not actually see this. my experience was that first there was an arm, then there was a bit of boob, but i was braced, i was ready, forward at all costs, tatakae motherfuckers, and then the boob went away, and i didn't know where it went but my team, and the audience, and everyone who was in front of me, they all gasped like i just kicked them in the stomach. except for my coach. he was behind me, and thus one of the four people in the room who did not see the boob. now my mom, my dad, my grandma, and my grandpa, they all got flashed but nooooooo, coach thunderbutt was behind me, and he didn't see shit so he was still yelling NOOOOOO BABYLON WHAT ARE YOU DOING JUST FINISH THE NELSON! GO FOR THE KILL! BABYLON! BABYLON!

but i did not go for the kill. i stood up and she stuffed her boob back real fast, and we just kind of circled each other awkwardly until time ran out and i won on points. that's not technically allowed, but the ref had some mercy on me.

my coach did not.

i barely had time to sit down before he strode over to the bench to chew me out.

"babylon," he said, in that very calm way people get when they're too pissed to yell. "why didn't you pin?"

and i didn't know how to say well coach, i tried, but there was a boob, and it kept getting in the way, and my mom was watching, and so was my dad, and so was his dad, and his mom, and god (like bible god) and that's a can of worms because i'm pretty sure he was already mad at me, and i'm wearing spandex, and i think i might have to move to siberia, so instead i said

"i uh. i forgot how to do the half nelson."

which is actually impossible. forgetting how to do the half nelson is like forgetting how to swallow your spit.

and he looked at me, like i was the dumbest person in the entire world, and i looked through him like i'd just survived my 250th day in a trench at verdun, and he said: fine.

fine.

but we're all going to practice it for an hour tomorrow because you forgot.

and then he left.

and my buddies had the gall to be salty about it. i got so many comments saying "dude, why didn't you just tell him the truth?" and i said "you can if you care so damn much. you could've wrestled the girl too. maybe someone else should do the hard thing today."

but they didn't. so the next day, we did an hour of half nelson drills, and i spent a decent amount of time getting thrown around the mat, and it was pleasant in exactly the way that i hated and the year after that, to the surprise of everyone but myself, i quit wrestling and joined the trivia team.

and if you want more reasons to love my mom, my grandpa joked after the match that i might have to talk to my bishop about it, and my mom told him he would be allowed to make jokes after he stood in front of a crowd of 110 people in spandex underpants while wrestling a woman that was not his wife.

he paused for almost five seconds after that. then he said: aw. hell. sorry babylon.

and i'd have preferred my apology from god, but getting it from him was pretty good too.

[gregmarriage]

it’s so hard being a lesbian, bc it’s in our nature to bring out the u-haul immediately, but also, i have a really bad habit of rushing things in an unhealthy way, and losing myself. so now i’m trying to take things slow with ppl (it’s…difficult 🙂)

[yume-no-miya]

look i love making sae be the one who's so in love and showering hajun with so much love and affection but it's much more fun to think that HE fell harder than her

[colorful-horses]

Well, I didn't like Sinsmas

New Helluva Boss episode came out and it's like a switch has been flipped in my brain. Because it is incredibly good