#also while I’m venting I might as well throw it out there because I’m after 2 bottles of wine

[eabhva]

.

[xhoess]

Rivals in the Spotlight

Yunho!dancer × fem!bod singer

Masterlist

Y/N is a passionate singer determined to secure a scholarship, often feeling overshadowed at her performing arts school by Yunho, a confident and popular dancer, dreams of becoming a professional dancer while managing the pressure from his family's legacy. When they are cast as the leads in the school's musical, their well-known rivalry escalates, leading to strong disagreements in during the rehearsals. Will they get over their little rivalry and put up a good show?

Wc: I think around 4k

Genre: enemies to lovers, smut, fluff

It is 8 am, and I am currently riding the bus to school. Today is the day I find out who will get the leads in the new school play. I don’t know a lot of people who are participating, but I definitely know one person: Jeong Yunho. That son of a bitch always knows how to get on my nerves, especially when I’m already in my worst mood.

I feel stupid writing this down, but I’ve been doing this for so long that I feel the need to keep this stupid diary updated. Even though it’s 40 percent me complaining about Yunho, it still is a good way to express myself, I think? I look out the bus window as the familiar scenery of my neighborhood blurs past. My thoughts keep circling back to the audition. What if I actually get the lead? What if Yunho gets it too?

As I walk into the school, I feel eyes burning into my back. That only means one thing: the names are out. My heart races as I rush to the performing arts hallway. A group of people is gathering around a piece of paper on the wall. Yunho is there too. Of course.

I push through the crowd, my palms sweating. I quickly find myself standing in front of the paper, and now I get why people have been staring. Me and Yunho need to play the two leads in the play. The worst part is that we need to play a couple. I play Alice, the female lead and yunho plays Jay the male lead.

"No fucking way... I thought you would be a background singer or something," Yunho says, standing next to me, also staring at the paper.

"Shut up, Yunho. You’re as tall as a tree, might as well play one," I snap before walking away.

The rest of the day, I try my best to avoid talking to people and head straight home after school. My best friend Rina calls me as soon as I get home.

"Can you believe this?" I vent, flopping onto my bed. "Of all people, I have to play opposite Yunho. This is a nightmare."

"Maybe you can be so miserable to him that he’ll quit," Rina suggests.

"I wish," I sigh. "But he’s way too competitive to just quit."

The next morning, I wake up with a knot in my stomach. I can't avoid Yunho forever. Rehearsals start today. I arrive at the auditorium early, hoping to get a moment alone before the chaos begins. The large, empty space feels oddly comforting. I stand on the stage, looking out at the rows of empty seats, trying to imagine myself performing without wanting to throw up.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around to see Yunho walking towards me, his usual smirk replaced with a more serious expression.

"Hey," he says, surprisingly without a hint of sarcasm. "We need to talk."

I cross my arms defensively. "About what?"

"Look, I know we don't get along, but we have to make this work for the play's sake. It’s important to both of us, right?" His voice is calm, almost sincere.

I’m taken aback by his change in tone. "Yeah, I guess."

"Let’s just try to keep it professional," Yunho suggests. "We can hate each other offstage, but when we’re up here, we need to be convincing."

I nod, still wary. "Fine. But don’t think this means I’m going to make it easy for you."

He chuckles. "Wouldn’t expect anything less."

The sun is setting, casting long shadows through the tall windows of the rehearsal room. Once everyone is ready for rehearsal we start. Because this is the first rehearsal we only needed to learn the first few pages.

I see yunho get in character and that reminded me that we are going to be lovers in the end of the play.

"Okay everyone, get in place for the first scene" the director said.

I stand across from yunho and did some last warming up.

"3.. 2.. 1.... and go!"

"Alice did you hear what happened" yunho says.

The rehearsals go on for a little more, but I keep forgetting a few words in some sentences. I can feel the tension growing.

"Buy Jay, you never know what happens when you say no" I say, I realize the sentence is wrong. And yunho does too.

"You're impossible, you know that?" Yunho snaps, slamming his script onto a nearby table. "Do you even care about this play?"

I cross my arms, matching his glare. "Of course I care! But you’re not the director, Yunho. Stop acting like you know everything and let's just continue"

He steps closer, his eyes blazing with frustration. "Someone has to take charge when you keep messing up your lines!"

My fists clench at my sides. "I wouldn’t mess up if you weren’t constantly trying to outdo everyone. This isn’t a solo performance, Yunho. It’s a team effort."

Yunho scoffs, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "You just can’t handle that I’m better at this than you."

"Better?" I laugh bitterly. "Your ego is so big, I’m surprised you can fit through the door."

He narrows his eyes, his jaw tightening. "At least I put in the effort. All you do is complain and act like a victim."

My blood boils, and I take a step forward, refusing to back down. "You think you’re so perfect, don’t you? Always criticizing everyone else to make yourself look good."

"Maybe if you spent less time whining and more time practicing, we wouldn’t have these problems," he shoots back.

I feel my face flush with anger. "You’re such a jerk, Yunho. No wonder no one likes working with you."

For a moment, there’s silence, the words hanging heavily in the air. Yunho’s expression falters slightly, a flicker of hurt crossing his face before it hardens again.

"You don’t know anything about me," he says quietly, his voice trembling with barely controlled rage. "You’re so wrapped up in your own little world, you can’t see past your own nose."

I open my mouth to retort, but the words catch in my throat. We stand there, breathing heavily, the room suddenly feeling too small, too stifling.

Finally, Yunho breaks the silence, his voice cold. "If you can’t handle this, maybe you should quit."

I swallow hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. "Maybe I will," I manage to say, my voice shaking. "At least then I wouldn’t have to deal with you."

We stare at each other for a moment longer before I turn on my heel and storm out of the room, slamming the door behind me. My heart is pounding, a mix of anger and something else I can’t quite name. As I walk down the empty hallway, I can’t help but wonder if things will ever get better between us.

Yunho is left there standing, regretting some words he said.

The cool evening air hits my face as I storm out of the auditorium, my anger still simmering beneath the surface. I find a bench near the entrance and collapse onto it, trying to catch my breath. The sky is tinged with the pinks and purples of twilight, but I’m too wrapped up in my thoughts to appreciate the beauty.

"Why does he have to be such a jerk?" I mutter to myself, kicking a small pebble with my shoe.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. It’s a message from Rina.

**Rina:** Hey, how did rehearsal go? Any updates?

I hesitate before replying, not sure how to put my frustration into words.

**Me:** It was a disaster. Yunho and I had a huge fight. Again.

Her response is almost immediate.

**Rina:** Ugh, that sucks. Want to talk about it?

**Me:** Maybe later. I just need to cool down right now.

**Rina:** Okay, just remember, you’re amazing and you can handle this. Don’t let him get to you.

I smile slightly at her words, feeling a bit better. Rina always knows how to make me feel better.

The next day:

The cafeteria is buzzing with activity as I navigate my way through the crowd, holding my lunch tray. I spot Rina at our usual table and make my way over, sliding into the seat across from her.

"Hey," she says, giving me a sympathetic look. "You look exhausted."

I sigh, poking at my food. "Didn’t sleep much. Just kept thinking about everything that happened."

She nods, taking a bite of her sandwich. "Yunho really knows how to push your buttons, huh?"

"Yeah," I agree, feeling the frustration bubble up again. "I don’t get it. One minute he’s trying to be all professional, and the next he’s tearing me down."

"Maybe he’s just stressed," Rina suggests. "This play is a big deal for everyone."

"Maybe," I concede, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. "But it’s like he enjoys making me miserable."

Before Rina can respond, I hear a familiar voice behind me.

"Can we talk?"

I turn to see Yunho standing there, looking unusually serious. Rina raises an eyebrow, but I nod, getting up from the table. We move to a quieter corner of the cafeteria.

"What do you want, Yunho?" I ask, crossing my arms defensively.

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Look, about yesterday... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for things to get so heated."

I blink, taken aback. This is not the Yunho I’m used to. "You’re... apologizing?"

"Yeah," he says, looking genuinely uncomfortable. "I’ve been thinking about what you said, and you’re right. I’ve been acting like a jerk."

I stare at him, trying to process this unexpected turn of events. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

He shrugs, looking away. "I guess I realized that we’re stuck with each other for this play, and if we keep fighting, it’s going to ruin everything. For both of us."

His words make sense, but it’s hard to let go of the anger so quickly. "So, what do you suggest?"

"Truce?" he offers, holding out his hand. "Let’s try to make this work. For the sake of the play."

I hesitate for a moment before shaking his hand. "Truce."

At the Rehearsal Room, Late Afternoon:

Back in the rehearsal room, there’s a noticeable shift in the atmosphere. Yunho and I still have our differences, but we’re making an effort to be civil. Our scenes start to flow better, the tension easing with each passing day.

One evening, after a particularly grueling rehearsal, I find myself sitting on the edge of the stage next to Yunho. We’re both exhausted but there’s a sense of accomplishment in the air.

"You know," I say, breaking the comfortable silence, "I never thought I’d say this, but we’re actually doing pretty well."

Yunho smiles, a genuine one this time. "Yeah, who would’ve thought?"

This new feeling was brewing in my chest, it wasn't hatred, it was far from that.

"You know I never meant to be harsh the other day" yunho says, looking down at his shoes that are hanging off the side of the stage.

"Its okay, I said some mean stuff to you too." You lift your shoulders a little while saying. "I really need this play to go well so I can have a higher chance of getting a scholarship. That's why I was getting pissed off by you" I say.

"My parents always expect the best of me, just because they were the best in their days doesn't mean I am. I guess that's why I got so angry at you for saying I wasn't a team player." Yunho sighs ".. I really try to be but sometimes my parents just get into my head and make me forget this is not a contest"

I frown at his story, it's sad that he can't express his passion the way he wants.

I stand up and hold my hand out for yunho. He looks up confused but grabs it, I pull him up and say "you need to enjoy this yunho, talk to your parents about it. It is your life and it should be fun while you're here" I say with a soft voice, not realizing that our hands are still together.

He suddenly pulls me into a hug which caught me off guard. "Thank you y/n. You're not so bad after all" I hear him whisper.

The morning of the play:

"Ahh! How are you feeling? Today’s the day!" Rina exclaims, practically bouncing with excitement as she walks next to me.

I can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. "I’m feeling really good about all this. Not only will this improve my chances of getting a scholarship, but it’s also helped Yunho and me forgive each other."

We turn a corner, and my heart skips a beat when I see Yunho standing there, talking to one of his friends. I’m about to wave when I catch his words.

"I don't know, man. She is so annoying. I can't handle it any longer. I'm happy this act is all over after tonight."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. Tears well up in my eyes. How could he say that after everything we’ve been through? After the connection we shared the other night?

Rina notices my change in demeanor immediately. "What’s wrong?"

I swallow hard, trying to keep my voice steady. "I just heard Yunho saying he can't stand me and he's glad this is all over after tonight."

Rina's eyes widen in shock, then narrow in anger. "What? That can’t be right. That son of a bitch"

I nod, biting my lip to keep from crying. "I don’t know if I can go through with this tonight, acting like everything is fine. This play has done nothing but be stressfull, I'm done"

Rina takes my hand, her grip firm and comforting. "Listen, I know this hurts, but quitting now isn’t the answer. You’ve worked too hard to let this ruin it. Just hold on a little longer, don't say or do anything you will regret later" she said "I'll be right back just don't do anything okay?"

I nod, trying to take comfort in her words, but the ache in my chest remains. I steal another glance at Yunho, who’s laughing at something his friend said

Later that day in the school's hallway:

“That jerk,” she mutters, clenching her fists. “I can’t believe he said that about you after everything you two have been through.”

I shrug, trying to act indifferent, but the hurt is clear in my eyes. “It’s fine, Rina. Let’s just get through tonight.”

“No, it’s not fine,” she snaps, standing up abruptly.

Before I can stop her, Rina storms across the hallway, heading straight for Yunho. My heart races, and I quickly follow her, catching snippets of her angry muttering.

“Rina, wait!” I call out, but she’s already reached Yunho and his group.

“Hey, Yunho!” Rina’s voice cuts through the chatter, silencing the group. Yunho looks up, surprised.

“Rina? What’s up?”

“What’s up?” she repeats, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’ll tell you what’s up. How dare you talk about Y/N like that behind her back?”

Yunho’s brows furrow in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Rina spits, crossing her arms. “Y/N heard you this morning, calling her annoying and saying you’re glad this is all over after tonight. How could you, after everything you two have been through?”

Yunho’s face pales, realization dawning on him. “Wait, that’s not what I—”

“Oh, save it!” Rina cuts him off, her anger palpable. “She thought you were friends, that you understood each other. But you’re just a two-faced jerk!”

By now, a small crowd has gathered, watching the confrontation unfold. I feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment and hurt, but I don’t stop Rina. She’s saying everything I wish I had the courage to say.

“Rina, please,” Yunho tries again, his voice pleading. “You’ve got it all wrong. I wasn’t talking about Y/N like that.”

“Then who were you talking about?” Rina demands, her eyes blazing.

Yunho takes a deep breath, looking around at the crowd before focusing on Rina. “I was talking about the director, I was talking to my friend about how I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by her, she has been on my toes the last few rehearsals. And plus if I had to say something mean to y/n I would just say it to hee face, I've done it the last few years.”

Rina’s anger falters, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face "Oh, well this is awkward" she said while laughing awkwardly.

That evening:

A buzz of excitement fills the air as students, teachers, and parents take their seats in the auditorium. Backstage, the cast is a whirlwind of activity, making final adjustments to costumes and props. My heart pounds in my chest, a mix of nerves and exhilaration. I peek through the curtain and see the audience settling in. This is it. Months of hard work, late nights, and overcoming differences have led to this moment.

Yunho stands next to me, adjusting his costume. He looks at me and smiles, a warm, genuine smile that sends a flutter through my stomach. "You ready?"

I nod, trying to steady my breath. "Ready as I'll ever be."

The romance scene is next up —the moment where our characters, after a series of misunderstandings and conflicts, finally confess their love. The lines have become second nature, but tonight, something feels different. There's an electricity in the air, a deeper connection that wasn’t there during rehearsals.

As Yunho and I move through our lines, the world around us fades away. It's just the two of us on stage, our characters’ emotions mirroring our own unspoken feelings. Yunho steps closer, his character's confession blending seamlessly with his own emotions.

"I've been thinking a lot about us," he says, his voice steady but filled with emotion. "And I realized something important. I can't imagine my life without you."

My heart races as I respond, my own feelings bubbling to the surface. "I feel the same way. You’ve challenged me, pushed me, and made me better. I’ve never felt this way before."

Yunho takes my hand, and the touch sends a spark through me. He looks into my eyes, and for a moment, it’s as if time stands still. "I love you," he says, I know it's just his character speaking. But it's feels a little too real.

Tears well up in my eyes, and I whisper, "I love you too."

The curtain falls, and the audience erupts into applause. We take our bows, the adrenaline still coursing through our veins. Backstage, the cast congratulates each other, but all I can think about is Yunho.

I find him in a quiet corner, away from the chaos. He looks up as I approach, a soft smile on his face "hey"

"Hey" I reply

"That was... incredible" He says, stepping closer.

I could smell his perfume, he was standing so close. It made My heart beat a lot faster. "It really was..."

He looks down and meet my eyes, we don't say anything but we both feel what's about to come. "Would you like to go somewhere private..?" He asks, his voice low.

I nod, "I would like that"

He grabs my hand and we walk towards the drama room. The place where it all began. The room is quiet and dark, the only source of light is the moonlight that is shining through the tall windows.

Yunho closes the door behind us, and the click of the lock seems to tighten the tension even more. We stand there for a moment, just looking at each other in silence.

He moves closer, his hand moving away a piece of my hair.

His lips meet mine, it starts of soft but quickly deepens. His arms wrap around me, pulling me closer until there is no more space left between us.

We pull away, stading there breathlessly. And yunhos eyes search mine. A silent question hanging in the air. I nod, giving him my answer without him having to ask it.

He leads me to the small couch in to corner of the room, we sink down on soft cushions, his hands move gently over the curves of my body. I lay one of my hands on his bicep, he tenses up under my touch and his muscles tighten.

Yunho reconnects the kiss again, this time it's with hunger and passion. He slowly slides his hand under my shirt, cupping one of my breasts. The warmth of his hand tingling on my skin.

I gasp when he pulls my shirt over my head and throws it on the floor. Exposing me to the cool air. He lowers his head and starts to kiss me all over my body "you're so beautiful" He murmurs against my skin.

I blush, my hands start to unbutton his shirt revealing his chest. He shrugs himself out of the fabric and I move my hands over his skin.

We're now left in our underwear, Yunho's hand moves down, his fingers teasing the edge of my panties before slipping under the material. When his finger enters me, a groan escapes my lips, muffled by our kiss.

He takes my reaction as encouragement, adding another finger and moving in and out in a steady movement. The sensation of his fingers moving in and out of me sends waves of pleasure through my body, and I arch my back, pressing closer to him.

"Yunho," I whisper, my voice breathy and filled with need.

He breaks the kiss, his eyes locking onto mine, dark with desire. "Does this feel good?" he asks, his voice husky.

"Yes," I moan, my hands gripping his shoulders for support.

Yunho's free hand trails up my side, his touch light and teasing. He kisses a path down my neck, his lips leaving a burning trail on my skin. As his fingers continue their rhythm, he takes one of my nipples into his mouth, his tongue swirling around it. The combined sensations are almost too much, and I gasp, my fingers digging into his shoulders.

"Yunho, I need you," I manage to say between ragged breaths.

He looks up at me, his expression a mix of tenderness and desire. "I need you too," he whispers.

With a final, lingering kiss, he pulls his fingers out and helps me out of the last of our clothing. We pause for a moment, just taking in the sight of each other, the intimacy of the moment deepening our connection.

Yunho gently lays me back on the couch, positioning himself above me. He takes a condom from his wallet, and with a quick, practiced motion, he rolls it on. His eyes meet mine, seeking one last confirmation.

I nod, my heart pounding with a mix of nerves and anticipation. "I'm ready."

He aligns himself with me, and as he slowly enters, we both gasp at the sensation. He moves with care, giving us both time to adjust. Once he’s fully inside, he pauses, our foreheads touching as we share a moment of stillness

Yunho starts to move, it's slow at first but once I wrapped my legs around his waist he couldn't hold back any longer. A groan escaped from his lips and he fastened his pace.

His hands roam over my body, caressing and teasing, driving me closer to the edge. I can feel the tension building, the knot tightening inside of me.

"Yunho I'm close" I whisper against his neck.

"Me too" He says, his voice strained with his pleasure.

The sound of our breathing is getting heavier and faster. With a final trust I feel a wave of pleasure wash over me, yunho throws his head back when he feels my juices spilling over his cock. That is enough to send him over the edge too. Our moans filling the silent room.

We collapse together, yunho holds me close. His breath warm against my skin as we come down from the high.

"I think I like you y/n" yunho said, pressing a soft kiss against my forehead.

"I like you too yunho" I whisper back.

We lie there for a little longer, wrapped in each other's arms. And that's when I realized that this moment was the beginning of something beautiful.

[presleyhearted]

Plot Twist! | a One Shot

pairing: 70s!elvis x female reader

genre: humor, angst, fluff.

summary: After ranting to your best friend about the most cruel break up of your life, you fall asleep. You awaken in the presence of 1970s Elvis Presley himself. You vent out to him about your messed up love life, because well, this must be a dream anyways. He can't actually be real, right? Right?!

word count: 5.3k

author's note: Hello darlings! It's been a while. This year has been one of the hardest years of my life, and so it was hard to come back to writing. But this concept has been in my head for a while. I thought it might be an interesting, sorta lighthearted fun concept. I hope you enjoy it! please comment. all feedback is appreciated. I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors, I wrote this out quite fast <3

warnings: cussing, a cruel breakup, tears.

“I’m like the main fucking character to a romcom, except there is no good guy!” You laughed humorlessly, taking a spoonful from the tub of strawberry ice cream in your hand. 

Your best friend looks at you with sympathy. You should apologize for bursting through her apartment a mere twenty minutes ago. But your best friend being who she is, knowing you since you guys were practically in diapers, knows that there has to be something major going on. There has to be a reason. And she was right, it only took her simply asking you ‘What happened?’ that made you burst into a puddle of tears and your knees give out on her carpeted living room floor. 

Your boyfriend of two years broke up with you - over text. And not only that, he also took back the necklace that he got you as an anniversary gift. It should’ve been a blissful Saturday morning. But waking up in your bed and finding the spot empty next to you, to then receiving a text from him. Starting the cliche line of ‘it’s me, not you.’ and ending it with ‘It was a bet. I’m sorry.’ To then a follow-up text of how he took off the necklace around your neck, with no sense of remorse whatsoever. 

The realization of it all didn’t hit you all at once. First, it was a wave of shock. Eventually, that shock was like the key to unlocking a myriad of emotions that felt like life had slapped you right in the face. It is crazy how much a heartbroken heart can render you physically drained. You didn’t even know how you managed to drive to your best friend’s house. You were moving, but you didn’t feel anything of what was happening was real. 

And so here you are, tears practically painting your face as your best friend consoles you for what you think must be the hundredth time.  

“That asshole! I’m gonna throw hands, I swear Y/N.” Your best friend said, face in a fit of anger once you spilled the entire story to her. 

“I am such an idiot!” You sobbed, grabbing a tissue from the box beside you. You could barely taste the flavor of the ice cream anymore. It feels as though all the energy has been drained out of you. 

You were in no condition to drive home, so your best friend set up the guest bedroom which you were so grateful for. Even speaking seemed like such a task. You set your phone down on the nightstand, as you lied down on the bed with the covers over your body. Unfortunately, you feel that your mind won’t stay quiet. Sighing in frustration, you grabbed your phone off the nightstand and shuffled your ‘calming music’ playlist. 

It appears to be proven effective, as the voice of Elvis Presley lulls you into the land of dreams. 

“E, I don’t-”

“I got this, Jerry. Go.”

Voices lead you to stir awake and when you do, you are wide awake. 

Because who wouldn’t when the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll himself is staring at you? 

You let out a giggle, “Okay, hi, Elvis.” 

This dream is a product of your exhausted and heartbroken brain. Really, you had nothing to complain about. It is a blissful dream to escape from the nightmare of your reality. 

Elvis is amused. Well, he was also confused. But amusement seemed to triumph over his emotions. He just finished his second show of the night, and usually, he would invite some people back to his suite to hang around for a while. But tonight, he didn’t have the energy to do so. Walking back to his suite with Red and Jerry beside him, they didn’t expect to find a woman right in front of his hotel room door. Eyes closed. Your chest was rising and falling. Alive. So they concluded that you were in a deep sleep. Now, Elvis has come across all sorts of encounters with fans, he is not immune to being surprised every now and again. But this was definitely not a familiar situation for him. He saw your face - your cheeks appeared to be stained with tears. Elvis’ heart ached at the sight. You were beautiful and just. . . sad. There was no other way to word it. 

Elvis was not the most reasonable person in the world. But he doesn’t why, or how, but he has this gut instinct that you were perfectly harmless. That you needed saving. He can’t just shake you awake and tell you to run off. He’s not that kind of guy. 

Red and Jerry approached and were about to ask him if they should be calling security. But Elvis shook his head and told them to stay quiet about this and to not tell anyone a word. Red and Jerry shared a look and warned Elvis that he did not know you. That you might be ‘a crazy fan.’ They were just doing their job after all. But Elvis was determined and carried you into his suite. Red walks off and Jerry, being brave enough, tries to reason with him again - but Elvis does not sway his choice. With a sigh, Jerry walked off and closed the door. 

Elvis placed you gently on his bed and whilst in the midst of taking off your shoes, he felt your body move. You were waking up. He just hoped that he would have a chance to defend himself, hoped that he doesn’t scare you. Fan or not, he knows that any logical person would be terrified waking up on the bed of a man that they don’t personally know. But he wouldn’t hurt you. Once he makes sure that you are okay, and in good condition, he has no objection to you going on your way. 

Which leads you to this moment. With him staring down at you, his eyes meeting yours for the very first time. His head tilts to the side once he hears you giggle and hear your voice, his lips pulling into an amused smile. Oh, so you are a fan. 

But then he doesn’t fail to notice the puffiness of your eyes, the cruel gift of a woman who has cried her heart out. Elvis’ eyebrows furrow in concern and he tuck a loose strand of hair behind your head, softly asking, “What’s your name, honey?”

“Y/N.”

“Y/N, do you remember what happened?”

“Unfortunately. I mean, my heart still feels it. Or whatever is left of it, I guess. I must be terribly heartbroken to have you show up in my dreams like this. It’s like someone took a knife and pierced it right through my heart and twisted it. It was probably my own fault, really. I was the one who fell first. Scratch that, I was the only one who fell. Since, you know, the whole thing was a bet.” You tried to laugh as if it was the funniest joke in the room. But it ended up sounding more like something between a pained cry and a forceful attempt to be comedic about a devastating situation. 

Elvis was confused. It was obvious that you were incredibly unhappy about something, but your sentences were going by like a bolt of lightning. He couldn’t keep up. 

You sat up and looked at your surroundings, “Is this your room? Like your hotel room?” You asked all of a sudden. 

Elvis was a little thrown aback by your question, as he was still in the process of trying to make sense of what you were saying. He nodded, “Yeah, how-“

You flung the covers off your body and walked slowly, taking in your surroundings. He went from kneeling beside the bed to standing up and observing you. He was prepared to catch you,  having a feeling that your knees might give out all of a sudden. You were in a fragile state and he couldn’t help but feel an immense protectiveness over you. 

“Hmm. So this is what my brain with broken heart conjure up as Elvis Presley’s hotel room.” You find yourself rushing over to the floor-to-ceiling wide window, “Gosh, even Las Vegas looks so detailed. I must be some kinda designer when my life is falling apart. Huh.” 

“You an architect, honey?” Elvis scratched the back of his neck,  still insanely confused as the minutes go by. 

You giggled, “No. But my mind seems to be.” You winked at him. 

He chuckled at your quick switch in the mood. 

You then wander away from the window and practically run over to him, his eyes widen, thinking that you are going to jump onto him. You merely giggled at his reaction. Once you stood right in front of him, inches away from his face, you tilted your head and said, “You are so tall. Sit.” Before he could have a chance to utter any response, you placed your hands on his shoulders pushing him to sit down on the bed. 

“Okay, honey, calm down.” He chuckled at your forwardness, putting his hands up in defense. 

“Oh my gosh, you even sound exactly like him!” You exclaimed happily, clapping your hands. 

“Like who?” 

“Like Elvis, you silly goose!” You rolled your eyes playfully, “My mind is not much sometimes. But sometimes, it does its thing. And this is one of those.” 

Elvis let out a loud laugh, unable to resist it. His head was thrown back, a kinda laugh that echoed off the walls. 

“Darlin’, you just made my night.” 

“Hmm, what shall I call you then? Whilst this therapeutic dream lasts. Oh! Maybe. . . dream Elvis? Mind Elvis? I mean, I know time is not really a thing in dreams. So, I don’t really know how long it lasts. But, I mean, I guess my subconscious mind knows me too much - the only way to heal from being heartbroken is by designing Elvis, who is literally the love of my life - in such good detail. I ain’t complaining, but I am just in awe. Oh, I do love my mind sometimes.” You sighed dreamily, cupping his cheeks in your hands. 

Then it clicked. It clicked in Elvis’ mind. You thought that you were dreaming. That this is a dream. You were heartbroken over someone, and thus, thought that you were dreaming this all up. It explained a whole lot. Your switch in emotions, your mood switches. All a product of broken heart. Heck, he couldn’t even find any reasonable excuse for why someone would break your heart. It was incomprehensible to him. You are beautiful and had such a unique character, something captivating. Who would dare shatter such a precious being? Elvis thought. 

“Gosh, you are insanely good-looking.” You said, hands still cupping his cheeks. Elvis didn’t make the move to remove your hands from him. Instead, he rather found your touch comforting in a way. There was that gentleness in it. 

“I mean, the resemblance is uncanny.” You removed your hands from his face, an action that let him sigh in dismay. 

Elvis couldn’t take it anymore. No matter how cute you were being. He had to correct you. He was prepared for the realization that would ensue - the chaos of it all. 

“This is no dream, honey.” Elvis shook his head, smiling kindly at you. Trying to gauge your reaction to the words he just let out. 

You simply giggled. “Yeah, right.”

You didn’t believe him. Heck, you really thought you were in the land of dreams. 

“You don’t believe me, sweetheart?” He bit his bottom lip, curiously looking at you. 

“I know you are trying to trick me, mind of mine. But I am not that heartbroken. Not too heartbroken to believe that you brought Elvis back. So, no, you can’t be real. Elvis is gone. You are a product of my imagination. “ You sighed, with a sad smile on your lips as tears started to pool in your eyes again. 

Elvis freezes at your words. Sure, he has met so many fans over the years since his fame catapulted in the world. Met some pretty interesting characters and heard all sorts of crazy stories. But this? With that expression on your face and that sheer pain in your voice, once you said those words - believing that he was gone off the face of the earth? No, Elvis has not encountered this. Not ever. 

“Nothin’ like that, darlin.’ I’m right ‘ere with ya, ain’t I?” His thumb strokes away a tear that rolled down your cheeks, as his hands find yours. His thumb gently caresses the back of your hand. 

You nodded, “Can I- , can I hug you?” A blush crept into your cheeks, a shy side to you showing itself. 

“Of course, c’mere.” He opens his arms wide, which you gladly accept and practically sink into his arms. It was comforting and strong.

Your heard was buried in the crook of his neck, and you noticed sweat glistening on his neck and hair. 

You hummed, “So soft. Almost like the real one.” 

You still believed he was your imagination. Elvis sighed. He knows that the hug was supposed to be a comfort for you since you requested it. But he felt he needed it as much you did, if not more. He felt your hands comb through his hair, still sticking to his skin from the performance he just finished. 

“Even the sweat. You must’ve just finished a show, hm?” You asked, finding yourself playing along with this dreamland. This dream scenario that your brain put together, a temporary break from your reality. Might as well play into it. 

Elvis found himself growing hot in embarrassment, “I-uh, yeah, s-sorry, honey. I didn’t get a chance to change when I found ya.” 

You put your head up to look him in the eye, “I don’t care. It’s sexy.” 

Elvis raised his eyebrow in disbelief at your comment and looked away with a blush creeping up his cheeks. You were proving to be the most fascinating person he has ever met as minute by minute goes by. 

“Oh, uh, actually honey - lemme change.” 

You nodded, untangling yourself from him and getting up from his lap. Yep, you didn’t realize you were on his lap when you pulled yourself in for a hug. 

“Okay.”

“Don’t go anywhere.” He said, before disappearing into the bathroom of the suite. You found yourself wandering around the room again, inspecting the entire setup. The telephone is hooked onto the wall. The TV screen. Some books piled in the corner. To name a few things. 

Elvis quickly returns and is now changed into a simple pair of blue silk pajamas. It suits him, you think. Seeing him look so relaxed and comfortable. And just like that, Elvis lies back down on the bed and proceeds to ask what you were heartbroken about. You giggled at the scenario. Other people have diaries they rant to or speak to themselves while they drive. But you? You have Elvis Presley - well, your imagination’s Elvis - lying down gazing at you like you are the most important person in the world. And the thing is, he really did listen. Responding every now and again and nodding his head or shaking his head. Even the switch in his facial expressions - from disbelief to pure anger as the story of your relationship with Carl unraveled. He listened to, you so intently, as if you held the secrets of the universe. You were pacing back and forth as you told the story. He saw you walk through the thousand emotions - pain, regret. Frustration, and last but not least - anger. All throughout this, yes Elvis listened to you and offered his comments, but he couldn’t help but find himself completely enamored by you. Your hair was down and it flip back and forth as you paced, your eyes so striking and expressive. Impossible not to be entranced. You were beautiful and even from your state of emotional hurt, the way you articulated your words - sure, it was frantic, but it was intelligence-coated. He loved hearing you talk. 

Eventually, Elvis asked if you were hungry. In the blink of an eye, there was knock on the door and two soda cans and two hamburgers were delivered. You sat across from him on the bed, letting out a moan as you took a bite out of the burger. A sound that Elvis found himself wanting to replay. 

“Heartbreak is so fuckin’ exhausting, thanks for the food.” You said after you both finished eating and were sat next to one another with your backs against the headboard. 

“Say, never heard a woman cuss as much as ya!” 

You grinned at his reaction and shrugged, unbothered. 

“Hey! This is my dream, so just go with it, Presley.” You pouted at him. 

Elvis cannot help but find the action adorable, and shake his head at your belief that this is still all a dream. 

“I’m gonna need you to repeat somethin’, honey,” Elvis said eyebrows furrowed. 

“Hmm?” 

“Are you in college?” He asked. 

“No, why do you ask?”

He seemed even more confused at your response, “ Just ‘cus you said this guy called it quits over textbook? I can’t make no sense of it, sweetheart.”

You cannot help but burst out into laughter at his question. My god, your imagination of Elvis, is proving to be insanely detailed. Like even with questions like this, as if you were actually in the 1970s. The years when texting was not a thing. Of course, he would be confused. But unbeknownst to you, this was not a dream and you were in fact actually in the 1970s and it was in fact THE actual Elvis Presley asking you this very question. 

“Well, in 2024, you know - the future - there is a thing called a text message. Hold on! My phone must be here somewhere, I can better explain it to you that way.” You shot up from your sitting position, and look around the room. With luck, you find your phone on the carpeted floor underneath the bed. 

“Aha! Found it.”

You hold it up and return to your position beside Elvis, with your back against the headboard. 

“The hell is that small brick doin’ under my bed?” His blue eyes were wide, looking at you like you’ve gone mad. 

You chuckled, “Elvis, no. it’s my phone.” 

He narrowed his eyes at you and pointed at the telephone hooked onto his wall just next to the TV, “Nah, honey, that over there is a phone.” 

You shook his head, “Look, I’ll show you. “ You tap it and the lock screen lights up, with the photo of Elvis from the ‘68 Comeback Special as your lock screen. You type in your passcode and unlock your phone. You spend the next ten minutes going through the various apps on your phone, and then lastly, your text messages - actually in disbelief yourself on how your dream is so clear. Then you showed him your contact list and the fact that you can call without the phone being connected to a cord. 

Elvis was in pure amazement and disbelief. Like a child opening their Christmas gift. You really are different because heck, you are from the future! There is no way.

He had your phone in his hand as he read through the break-up text sent by your boyfriend, well, ex-boyfriend. 

“That damn son of a bitch,” Elvis muttered under his breath, which you caught on very clearly.

Elvis kept his control, he was so close to throwing your phone at the wall after reading that cruel text message from your ex. He couldn’t believe that someone could say such cruel words, how could he say this to you? So sweet, kind, and beautiful? It made no sense to him, and if he was right in front of Elvis now, he wouldn’t have any chance, for Elvis really would’ve punched him square in the face. No excuses. 

You shrugged, seemingly numb to it all now, you ran through all the emotions so many times now. Now, nothing is left. Exhaustion yes and a sense of relief. 

You take the phone away from him and shuffle your playlist on Apple Music before playing the phone on the nightstand. Elvis is not surprised when it’s his voice that floats through your phone, for you showed him Apple Music and explained it to him. 

“He’s all in the past now, “ You sighed, “It’s my fault. I was such an idiot.” You were lying down on the bed now. Eyes closed as your hand was covering your eyes. 

“Honey, no, none of that. “ He wraps his hand around your arm, to stop you from hiding. 

“He did you wrong. Not you. “  Elvis said softly, you opened your eyes to look at him. You found him now lying down as well, his body facing yours. You turned to face him. 

Before you could register your actions, you lifted your hands up and felt your fingers traced over his facial features. First his eyebrows, nose, cheeks, and lips. Elvis found himself sighing and closing his eyes to your touch. 

“You were too precious for the world, Elvis. I hate how it all happened to you the way it did, you deserved better. So much better.” You said, voice quieter now, and there was that look in your eyes again - sadness for him. 

You spoke in the past tense, that was something that Elvis caught on very quickly. 

He chuckled, trying to break out of being serious, “I’m still here, honey.” 

You nodded, “Sure.”

Your response unsettled him. He shook his head and decided to change the topic of conversation, “How’d you become a fan of mine? 2024 sounds far from here. . .  people remember me? ” He asked.

You smiled and Elvis felt like giving you anything and everything right there. Anything you want. A simple smile and he was a goner. 

“Of course, you are remembered. People still love you and celebrate you. How did I become your fan? Well, I listened to your music since I was a kid and it was a comfort for me. Still is. I found you so true, sincere, and unlike anyone else. You are quite easy to love, Elvis.” You said, voice so soft. Elvis felt a blush creep up his cheeks at your statement.

“Y-You beli- believe that, darlin’?” He stuttered, a glimpse of that shy boy inside of him pouring out. 

“I do.” 

You chuckled all of a sudden, “I actually believed that I would somehow marry you. Well, before I found out that no such thing was possible. You were gone way before my time. When I started learning more about you. Through the books and some documentaries, I think that was when I felt my heart shatter for the first time. You were my first heart break, Elvis.” You sighed deeply. A sad smile across your lips, and those tears pooling in your eyes again but you managed to blink back the tears.

Elvis felt his heart ache at the sight before him, he took your hands in his and gently caressed it. 

“Why?”

You shook your head, “You didn’t deserve any of it. You had all these people around you, but I felt none of them really tried to pull you out of it all. Your heart is so pure and you just wanted to make people happy. But what about you? Who is looking out for you, asking you, and making sure that you are okay? And the Colonel being who he is. That sad excuse for a human being. It infuriated me. He used you. Treated you like an object. I thought, if I was alive in your time, of course, I would love to see you perform as much as the next fan does. But first and foremost, you are a human being before you are an entertainer. It’s okay to step out of it for a while and prioritize yourself first. You belong to no one but yourself. Only yourself. You had so much passion, so much potential, so much life left to live. You should’ve done what you wanted. Not what anyone else said. Should’ve made the movies you wanted. Toured the world like you did, but of course, the Colonel didn’t want you traveling abroad, because he wouldn’t step foot back into the US. I, just, I was so angry and sad once I found out about the entire thing. You are Elvis Presley, but, sometimes you can take the mask off, you know? Just be the you before the world defined who you should be.” You finished speaking, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden for speaking so much.

Your gaze met his and tears were running down his cheeks. He was biting his bottom lip, as he shook his head. The more words came out of your mouth, the more he couldn’t help but squeeze your hand tighter. There was passion and honesty in your voice, there was no denying it. He has encountered fans, but he never encountered someone who practically urged him to step away from his image if he wanted to. Who wanted him to do what he wanted, regardless of what anyone thought. Who wanted him to feel okay. Who cares about his well-being. 

Who saw behind it all?  Behind the image. You, who validated his emotions, and saw that being grateful and being tired can co-exist. 

You saw the humanity in him. 

The long silence made you believe that you said far too much, and so you began to profusely apologise, “I’m sorry. I sa-”

“Darlin’, please, can I kiss you?” He interrupts, and your eyes widen. 

You nodded, words unable to be formed. His lips are so soft once they meet yours, and the kiss was not rushed or blazing with hunger. It was sweet and gentle and the tears that were rolling down his cheeks were melding into the kiss. He has never come across anyone like you before. He broke up apart from the kiss and before you could say anything, he buried his face in your neck - his body practically on top of you. You wrapped one arm around his and the other was gently brushing through his hair. 

“No one. . . no one ever asked me. “ He said, his voice choked up in a sob, “Only cared about Elvis the entertainer. Not me. Never had someone care ‘bout me this much. I-” He broke into sobs, body shaking, “It gets lonesome.”

His arms wrapped themselves around your body, holding you tighter and tighter. The position and the warmth of his body and his emotional state - you sighed deeply and did not make any move to break away. This dream appears to be proving to be healing to you and this imaginary Elvis. So much so, that it almost doesn’t feel like a dream anymore. 

You remove your hand from his hair and Elvis’ head turns to you, feeling the sudden lost of contact. 

“Honey, whatchu doing?” 

You pinch yourself. First your arm and then your waist. It’s the number one go-to so you can tell if you are dreaming or not. 

“I’m still here,” You whispered in disbelief, your eyes searched for a clock in the room. That’s the next thing that people do. In dreams, the time on the clock does not exist. You will not be able to read the time, at least that’s what the internet says. You find a clock hanging right above the TV. It reads the time : 4:05AM. You read it perfectly. 

Your heart speeds up crazily. Suddenly, it all adds up but you cannot bring yourself to believe how it can all be real. There is no way. 

“But that’s impossible,” You mutter to yourself in shock. 

Elvis hears you, “Somethin’ wrong, Y/N?”

“No, no. I-I was just. . . . this is real, isn’t it?” You sighed, “I’m not dreaming, am I?”

Elvis, even with eyes puffy from crying, found himself chuckling. He smirked, “Give me ya hand.”

He takes your hand in his, unbuttons the first button of his pajama top, and places your hand right on top of his chest. Where his heart is. You can feel his heartbeat through the palm of your hand and feel yourself breathing even more deeply now. 

“Feel that?” 

You nodded, “Oh, shit. Holy shit! I rambled so much on how much I love you and you are actually YOU! Oh, the universe must hate me. I made an absolute fool of myself in front of my crush. This is so so embarrassing. I-I’m so sorry, Mr Presley. Forgot me. I-I’ll go now, I’ll find a way to get home. This was NOT the plot twist that I saw happening at all.” You gently removed him from you to sit up, your heart hammering so fast. 

Elvis did not like the lost of contact at all. Did not like you distancing yourself all of a sudden. You were adorably embarrassed, but the mention of you leaving was the red alert in his brain. No, he can’t allow you to leave him. No. He quickly grabbed hold of your hands, “Honey, breathe. Please, breathe. You ain’t goin’ nowhere.” He said softly, but voice firm. 

“I- Mr Presley, you must understand. I don’t know how and why this happened. But please, you can go back to your life, before I came crashing it-”

“Thank God you crashed it, sweetheart.” His words made you freeze. 

“I wasn’t meant to. I’m literally messing up the past, this is dangerous. I have to go.” 

“Okay, I’ll go with ya.” Elvis said as if it was the most natural and simple thing in the world to do. 

You shook your head, “You can’t, you belong in your time. Here.” You sighed. 

“Then stay. Please, honey. “ He pleads. 

“If i stay, I’ll be making more of a mess-”

“On who’s rules?”

“I-”

“You ain’t messing anythin’, sweetheart. You. . .  you are doing me the opposite.” He said softly, bring your hand to his lips and planting a kiss. 

“Mr Presley-”

“None of that, Y/N. You been callin’ me Elvis this whole time. “ He raised an eyebrow at you. 

You groaned in frustration, “Before I found out that you were real! I openly said I wanted to marry you. This wins as the most embarrassing and most reckless moment of my entire life. I swear.” 

Elvis smirked, “You are so cute, honey.” 

“Elvis-”

“Stay with me. I need you, please.” 

You look at him and his beautiful blue eyes staring at you in hope and apprehension at your response, “Stop doing that!”

His lopsided grin appears, “Doin’ what?”

“That look! Your eyes!”

Elvis sighed dramatically, “I’m not doin’ nothin’, honey.”

Practically puppy dog eyes. 

You sighed. He isn’t taking no for an answer. You basically already broke like several rules of time travel. There is no going back now. 

You think for a moment. There are a hundred reasons why this is a bad idea. You don’t need to be a scientist to know that going back in time and changing the course of events will change the future. It’s just logical. And Elvis? He was one, if not the most, central figure in American history. But, the fan in you, the one who would sometimes to be wishfully thinking that you could go back in time and save him. This is it. You didn’t think that the universe would actually play this move on you. So, with that in mind, you breathed and let out your response. 

“Okay, I’ll stay with you.”

Elvis breaks out into a smile of relief. 

This is THE plot twist of your life.  

[no-see-um-incorrect]

Ok soooo im having a really fucked day mentally…….. so here’s how my favorite ASMR boys would help you during your mentally fucked days 

Seth🏕️

He’s been there. He knows how it is. 

He’ll pick you up throw you over his shoulder, grab the softest blanket in the house and a whole box of your favorite cookies/comfort snack. He puts on your favorite playlist/movie/TV show

Put you on his lap with the blanket over you and hold you close. gently kissing your neck and shoulders. He doesn’t say much. he doesn’t have to say much. he’ll listen, he’ll nod. But rarely will any words be spoken unless prompted 

Charlie🍕🐭

He knows you. You guys literally grew up together, trying to hide it from him is pointless. 

He’ll walk up to you and give you a big hug. (as big as the skinny bitch can muster) and he won’t let you go until you are willing to sit down and talk about it.

“it’s OK Casper”

“let it out……I’ll be here when you’re ready”

“Your not a burden babe… you’re never a burden”

After you’re done talking, you lay in bed together and cuddle until you both asleep

Milo🐾

We already know how good Milo is at this kind of thing.

Provided that you’re not already in panic zone. Milo can always tell when his sweetheart is not doing well.  he goes up behind you and wraps his arms around your waist.

(provided that you have the same reaction as me that would make you cry right then and there.)

He listens, he holds you close, he makes it better.

You’d think he was taking lessons From caelum for how quickly he makes “the knots” go away. Sure some knots will always be there and he knows that. But he will try his hardest to make you feel safe and loved.

If I do caelum I just might cry While typing this

Sam❤️

(What is it with broken southern men) Sam. much like Seth also knows what it’s like.

“I got ya darlin’….you’re safe here”

Sam holds you close to his chest. And just lets you vent while he softly rubs your back. He’ll use his flannel sleeve to wipe off any stray tears.

You can ask if you’re being too much. You can tell him you didn’t want to be a burden. 

But he won’t have any of it.

“darlin do you think it’s a burden when I share my sorrows with you?”

“No.” (If you say yes. f@ck you)

“then why do you think I’d be burdened with hearing yours?”

Once the vent session is done, and your tears are dried. He’ll give you all the kisses, and whisper all the sweet nothings. And get you back to feeling like you’re on top of the world. 

 Auron📚

(Didn’t think I was gonna bring him out did ya)

We know that he’s not the softest guy in the world, but when he is it’s good.

He realizes that you’re not acting your normal self and will request a meeting with you (whilst also clearing the next two hours of his schedule)

He sits on the couch in his office (he’s loaded He has one) you sit down next to him, and he pats his lap.

“come here. rest your eyes rook” you lay your head in his lap, and he  runs his fingers through your hair. He won’t push you to talk. He’ll just wait until you’re ready.  but if he feels that you’re not telling him because you don’t want to bother him. He’ll reassure you.

“we may be on work hours,  but I want you to know i’m still here….. you can interrupt me at any time of the day or night if you need anything”

The rest is up to you.

Guy🍕

It doesn’t matter if you are the best at hiding it. if literally nothing in your demeanor changes, if you’re just the same as you always are,

he knows 

“Honeyyyyy~ what’s wrong”

Hide your emotions all you want you’re gonna end up talking about it. he’ll kiss all over you, Whispering little praises, make extremely lewd comments. you know guy being guy just a lotmore than usual. and somehow even he’s confused about this. It makes you feel better. 

Sorry if this sucks, my hands were shaking the entire time and I still don’t have my glasses fixed. Love y’all, and I wish you well 





[darklydeliciousdesires]

Lost & Found - Chapter Twenty Two.

Well, guys, here it is. Sorry it's a few days late, but as you all know I have so much going in my life at the moment, but I made an effort to get this to you timely, the final chapter of our story. Thank you all for your continued readership, you honestly mean the world to me :)

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty Twenty One

Words - 3,533

Warnings - 18+ content throughout, Minors DNI. Recounts of kidnap, child trafficking, physical/verbal/sexual abuse.

“My stomach is hungry, but I’m not.” Turning to look at him, she pulled a half-scrunched face. “Is that weird?” 

“Can’t relate. Whenever my belly is demanding I feed it, I gotta do it. You know how hangry I get.”  

He made quite the valid point. Guero was like a bear emerging from hibernation when in need of food; very much motivated towards eating, and somewhat aggressive if couldn’t get his hands on what he required. “Mother fucking Mary, I do!”  

Her giggle brought a little light to her face that had been all but extinguished in the time they’d lain on the bed, Emma battling with her emotions surrounding the fact that Rocco was no more. Just then, her phone beeped, Guero passing it to her as she sat up, pressing the message icon, her heart skipping a beat.  

‘Will call you soon, darling. So relieved you’re alright. It’s all over now. Love you all the world. Mom xxx’ 

Her bottom lip wobbled, her throat pinching tight. “Oh my god.” She got that Marie was perhaps a little too distracted at present, having to play the part of the frantic wife whose husband was missing, explaining it to the kids and her family, so calling might have been difficult. A text was enough, though. It also showed Vincent’s intentions clearly. He was living up to his promises.  

“As far as mafia bosses go, he seems pretty fair,” Guero remarked, after she’d shared those thoughts with him. “I know he’s only been at the helm for like, a couple hours, but yeah. At least we don’t have to be doing nothing for him we don’t wanna be.” He paused to let her speak, but her words were halted when his stomach let out a very audible growl.  

“Somebody needs feeding,” she commented, arching an eyebrow as they both shared soft laughter. 

“Yeah, I guess I do.” 

Shifting herself up, she kissed his chest, reaching to stroke his face. “I’ll go put that pizza in the oven. Just because I don’t feel like eating, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. I can always nibble at a slice, if you don’t inhale the entire thing in three minutes.” 

Getting up, he followed her through to the kitchen. “How well my woman knows me.” 

While Emma went about jazzing up the frozen pizza with a little extra in the way of meat, cheese and olives, Guero stood and observed, handing her a tequila shot she sank in one. 

“Keep ‘em coming, baby.”  

He grinned. “As I will with you as soon as I’ve filled my stomach. If you want me to, that is?” He was mindful that perhaps sexual gymnastics might not be too high on her list of priorities.  

Leaning to kiss him, she gave his cheek a playful nibble. “it’ll be the perfect thing to take my mind off of it all.”  

It proved to be perfect for just that, Emma falling asleep soon after she’d been thoroughly ploughed into the mattress. In the coming days, though, it all whirled around her head like a small tornado, trying to find her balance and return to normal, yet one thing hung over her like a fog. She hadn’t heard back from Marie.  

Two days passed, Emma feeling confused and hurt, throwing herself into her work to deal with what she assumed to be some kind of rejection, venting all to Lee.  

“I wouldn’t worry, sunshine,” her friend began, handing her a can of lubricant to assist in loosening a rusted exhaust clamp. “She’s probably got a lot on, liaising with the police, reporting Rocco as a missing person, all the while dealing with the fact that he actually fuckin’ ain’t missing at all. I bet she’s had a lotta emotions to process, just like you have.”  

Lee’s words made a lot of sense, Emma realising that perhaps it was a little selfish given the circumstances, for her to expect Marie’s immediate attention when she too had so much to process in the aftermath. “I think you’re right, yeah. I’ll give her time on it.”  

Time. It was only natural that Marie needed some, she assumed, kicking herself a little for thinking selfishly. Of course, she had much to deal with and just because she wasn’t at the epicentre of it didn’t mean she cared any less. “You’re thirty, a grown woman. You can deal with your mom not calling you right away.” she thought to herself while returning to her work. 

Come the following afternoon, though, Emma discovered that time moved a lot quicker than she’d envisioned it would, seeing a large, white vehicle driving slowly through the yard, coming to a stop in the space between the clubhouse and the workshop. When the door opened, she could barely believe her eyes. There, looking way too glamorous for her surroundings, stood the one person her heart had ached for since her escape. 

She should have known the woman who folded her loving wings around her for nineteen years would never abandon her, now she could safely find a way back to her again. 

“Mom?” She could scarcely believe it, but there she was. There was the woman who had loved her and tried so valiantly to keep her safe all those years. Pulling off her gloves, she shot out from the workshop, running with tears pooling her eyes towards the loving, open arms that awaited her. “Mom!” Reaching out, she flung her arms around her, Marie clasping her tight, breathing in her scent, sobbing hard into her hair with relief.  

Even the most hardened of men who had exited the clubhouse to witness the scene felt their throats pinch, watching the women reconnect, the bond they had incredible. It was borne of love and loyalty, victims of similar circumstance and because of such, perhaps even stronger than that of DNA and blood.  

“Emsy, oh my god. Oh, I missed you so, so much!” Marie cried, stroking her hair, holding her in a tight embrace. 

“What are you doing here? I thought you were gonna call! Are the kids with you?” she gasped, Marie rocking her in her arms, pulling back a little to look at her.  

“No, I couldn’t take them out of school, so they’re with friends. And I was gonna call, but it didn’t seem enough. Besides, had to show my face in the interests of looking concerned about my husband going missing out here. Nobody needs to know it was my daughter who I really came to see.”  

Emma’s bottom lip quivered, Marie smoothing her hair and clutching her close again, soothing her as she began to sob. “Love you all the world, my darling. It’s over now, baby girl. All over. Shhh, it’s alright.”  

“I feel... I... so much guilt, and I don’t feel like I should be relieved... and I,” she gasped, her chest heaving with the force of her sobs, Marie soothing her. “Mom, I can’t... I don’t... I...” 

“Shhhh, my darling. You’re losing it a little, deep breaths, come on.” She began to breathe in deeply, holding Emma’s eye contact, watching as she mirrored her and began to calm. It was an exercise she’d done with her since she was ten, to calm her panic attacks as a result of what Rocco routinely inflicted on her. “You wanna go someplace to talk, just you and me?”  

“Um, yeah. I gotta check with Lee first. And, well, there’s somebody I want you to meet.” Turning to the clubhouse, she smiled, beckoning with her hand. Guero walked over, returning the wide smile Marie greeted him with. God, Rocco had really been punching. She was in her early fifties, but still an absolute knockout. “Mom, this is my boyfriend, Guero.” 

“Oh, what a nice name,” Marie began, opening her arms. “I’m a hugger, you gotta bring it in, mister!”  

He laughed softly, obliging. “Good to meet you at last, Marie. She’s missed the hell outta you, you know.” 

“Very mutual! But mother Mary, I was so relieved she was safe. So, you been looking after her, huh?” 

“Yeah,” he nodded, wrapping an arm around Emma. “Always will, too.”  

Her smile was fond, reaching an elegantly manicured hand to stroke his cheek. “Mind if I steal her a while? I think we need to reconnect.” 

He shrugged, shaking his head. “No problem.” Emma kissed him, going over to Lee to both clear it with her, and introduce her mother and best friend, Lee a little stiff at being hugged, but polite all the same.  

They headed off in the rented white SUV, Marie turning the air con back up to full, bemoaning the heat.  

“Mom, this is nothing. You should try a summer here, holy Christ, it’s like hellfire!”  

Marie smiled, turning the car around to drive back out. “Remember that summer when you were thirteen, and Rocco had gone away to Atlantic City for a long weekend? You turned into a prune from the amount you were in the pool.”  

The memory warmed her, much like the sun had upon that beautiful July day, Emma remembering the taste of freedom as she gave Marie directions. “Left here. And yeah, yeah I remember it. You always tried so hard to give me little pieces of normalcy, in a situation that was anything but.” 

“Wish I could have done more, darling.” The sad smile widened when Emma reached to squeeze her arm, Marie’s hand covering it in a soft clasp, continuing through the streets until they reached the coffee shop. Parking the rental car up, they walked down to the location, Marie going in while Emma took a table outside.  

When she returned, she sat in silence for a few moments, tears filling her eyes as she reached to stroke her face in her hands. “Jesus and all the saints, look at you, my girl,” she gasped softly, marvelling at how well her daughter looked. “All tanned and happy, and these tattoos! My god! Are you going to have your entire arms covered, or just to the elbows?” 

She shrugged softly, turning her arm so Marie could examine the underside. “I’m not sure yet. I was considering getting something across my upper back, because I’ve been bitten by the tattoo bug well and truly. I know you always hated them, so I expect to get an earful of protesting.”  

Her eyes were kind, shaking her head softly. “Nope, Emsy. It’s your body, you do to it as you please. Just because it isn’t my thing, it doesn’t mean it can’t be yours, baby. Besides, they really suit you. Tell me about them, what’s this tree lady looking one here all about?” 

“She’s a dryad.” Emma began, before explaining to her all about the mythology behind it, Marie listening with interest. All the way through, she marvelled to herself at just how alight Emma looked, how she was seeing so much of her character sparked into life, the person she only ever revealed when it was the two of them alone.  

As for Emma, she was revealing the details of her job when suddenly, her voice quivered and she paused. “I’m sorry, I just... I can’t believe we’re back together. I thought I’d never see you again, and you’re right here. I love you, mom.” 

Marie fanned her face, taking a deep breath as her eyes swam with tears. “Love you too, Emsy. I can’t believe it either, darling girl. Look at us. We’re free.”  

“What’s your plan, going forward?” she asked, composing herself, taking a big sip of her coffee.  

Marie widened her eyes a little, pushing the crumbs from the brownie she’d eaten into a small pile upon the plate before her. “Play the part of the heartbroken widow after they find his remains, head back to New York, and put that damned prison he kept us in straight on the market. Too many memories, none of which I want to keep. It’s time to start afresh for us all, isn’t it?” 

Indeed, it was. In the months that followed, the plan devised by Vincent and the club ran its course with perfection, nobody any the wiser that Rocco Lombardi hadn’t been mauled by a bear after the scant pieces of his remains were recovered within the forest. With him gone, Emma was able to exist as a person, Marie was able to move on with her life, a life that included leaving New York behind for a fresh start.  

There was also one little part, or rather now not so little, that Emma could finally reconnect with, too.  

Driving up the tree lined street, Emma’s memory of the place bloomed into full colour, the memories from her childhood all coming back to her. She recognised the houses, some different, some exactly the same, her face breaking into full joy at seeing the huge guy who looked like a quarterback standing outside of the one that definitely hadn’t changed much.  

He looked just like their dad had at twenty-seven. 

Guero had literally only just braked when she flung the door open, jumping from the car and running up the bank of grass outside her grandparents' home, Dylan covering the ground just as quickly, his arms wide. It was an embrace twenty years in the coming, the siblings overjoyed to see one another again after so long, the emotions flooding out as they held one another, laughing and crying.  

“Oh my god, oh my god, look at you!” she cried, holding his face in her hands, stroking his tears with her thumbs. “You look just like dad.” 

He nodded, pulling her close again. “And you look just like mom.” Their hug was near unbreakable, Guero standing back and letting them reunite, leaning against the rental car with a smile. “Gran’s just getting her shoes on.” he then added, turning to see his tiny grandmother ambling as fast as she could, Emma sobbing as Bea held her arms wide.  

“Oh, sweetie pie!” she gasped, Emma falling into her soft hug with a sob. “I never thought I’d live to see the day! Welcome home, welcome home. Heavens, we missed you so much!”  

Dylan moved to assist their grandpa, Wilf waving his hand as he struck his walking cane into the ground. “Ahh, with your fussing, boy! I’m fine!” Reaching Emma, he suddenly stood straighter than his sore back had allowed him to in years, holding his arm out. “Give me some cuddles, babe. God, I missed ya!”  

Snuggling against her grandpa’s shoulder, she wept all over again, his lips pressing a kiss on her forehead. “We got her back, at last we got our gal home. I just wish your mom and pop could be here to see it, too.”  

All four of them stood in a loving huddle for what felt like a very long time, Emma finally calling Guero over to introduce him, where he was embraced just as warmly. They went inside, her grandpa immediately picking up his phone.  

“Family photo time! Now, where in the heck did I put my selfie stick?” He began to rummage, her grandmother rolling her eyes. “Bea! Where’d ya put it?” 

“He’s found Instagram and decided it’s his thing,” she explained, moving to reach behind the couch cushions and retrieve the errant selfie stick. “And he even does those tic-tac videos!” 

“That’s Tik Tok, gran,” Dylan softly corrected, giving Emma a nudge with his elbow. 

“Bah! I don’t know all this new aged, newfangled internet stuff! Disney Plus is about as up to date as I like to get. Now, everybody get in, come on, Guero, you too!”  

Five smiling faces were captured, a moment in time none of them would forget, a family reunited and joined by the person who had found the little lost bird, eventually returning her to the flock from where she’d came so many years before.  

The flock that now surrounded Emma was made up of three different groups, all of them her family, one born into, one taken into, and one found. Merging them was something she looked forward to, but with a little apprehension when introducing her family to the woman she called mom.  

Marie’s move from east to west coast had not been an easy decision to make, but with her only sister already out there and her parents sadly both passed, she had very little to remain on Staten Island for. She was also long done with the stigma of being a now deceased mafia bosses’ wife following her around. It was time for a change. 

It meant her children leaving the only place they’d called home and their friends behind, but her eldest was quick to remind her just how fast children adjust. Getting to run into the arms of the girl they’d thought to be their nanny, who Marie now said they should think of as their big sister definitely helped their relocation, though, when Emma met them at the airport upon their arrival.  

It would be a further three months before Emma’s flock all came together, Marie wanting to throw a housewarming dinner, inviting everyone she was close to from the club, as well as her grandparents and Dylan, plus his new girlfriend. Having explained everything that had happened to her, her family were not in the dark over the bond she and Marie had formed, yet nerves still riddled her as she paced the lounge area of the spacious Orange County abode, Guero right behind her, rubbing tension from her shoulders. 

“Why you bugging?”  

She halted, turning to rub her hands over his smooth arms. “I don’t know, I really don’t! I mean, gran and grandpa were fine about it all, Dylan too when I explained it all to them. I guess I’m just nervous about calling her mom in front of them, don’t wanna upset them or make them think I’ve forgotten Cassie mom when I never will.”  

It had been an emotional moment, back when Dylan had driven them out to the cemetery in Spokane so Emma could visit their parent’s final resting place, the siblings cuddling one another tightly as the elder had cried for all she’d lost.  

Guero was just about to reassure her that he didn’t think that would be the case at all when a call came from the front door, Emma seeing Marie moving to greet her guests in the form of her grandparents themselves. Walking over to do the same, she was presented with a truly heartwarming sight.  

“Beatrice, Wilfred, welcome to my home. I’m so delighted to have you both here,” Marie spoke cordially, offering her hand. Immediately, Bea shook her head. A nervous lump rose in Emma’s throat, for all of two seconds. 

“No, sweetie pie. We’re family, and family hug.” She watched Marie sink happily into the offered embrace looking like she was breathing a sigh of relief, her gran continuing. “Thank you for looking after our precious gal, doing what you could for her, being a mother to her. I’m so sorry for everything you went through because of that man, but I am so grateful to you for trying to make it better for Emma while she was there.”  

“Of course, of course,” Marie tremored, a million memories flashing through her mind’s eye. Secret cuddles, secret gifts, secret cake, secret love. She no longer had to hide any of it.  

Wilf beamed, opening his arms to her next. “You’re a good gal, Marie. I echo everything the wife just said, and this place you got here, holy moly! Is than one of those infinity pools you got out back there?” 

“It is,” she confirmed, kissing his cheek and moving to welcome Dylan and Evie, his girlfriend.  

“Well dang it, I should have brought my trunks, shown off this body of mine to all you ladies!” His joke had everyone in soft fits, Wilf flexing his non-existent biceps with a grin. “What are you laughing at, boy? I look better than you!” he then directed at Guero, who was as usual totally taken by the hilarity of his girlfriend’s grandfather. 

“That’s why I’m glad you didn’t bring the trunks, man. I can deal with that kind of competition.” His statement only provoked further laughter, Marie ushering them into the house to offer further introductions. Emma stood back with Guero to watch it all, this band of people all so different, from so many walks all life, all brought together because of her. Family. Her family. There they were.  

“What you thinking about?” Guero asked, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, resting his cheek against hers as she leaned back into him.  

“Just how I’ve gotten everything I ever wanted at last. It doesn’t look like I thought it would, but that’s one hell of an amazing family I have right there in all those people.”  

He kissed her cheek with a smile. “You got a really amazing immediate one right here, too. You, me, and this little one.” As he stroked the small, rounded swell of her pregnant belly, she couldn’t agree more. Six months later, their first child joined them, a daughter.

They named her Cassie Marie.  

The End.  

[saiyanandproud]

“Hey, Mari—“ Gamma 2 fumbled to correct himself before he let that diminutive slip out; he was already anticipating a cold reception, better not push his luck any further. “—ko.”

“Your new pal, that ‘Atlas’ guy… “ This conversation was already proving even harder than he’d been imagining. All he could think of doing was just blurting it out, but that probably wasn’t going to work. He stood there, hands on his hips, trying and failing to look calm.

That lasted for about a second before he was throwing his hands everywhere, emphatically gesturing.

“He’s OBVIOUSLY a supervillain! He’s got it written all over him- the way he looks, the way he talks, and I’m pretty sure Gamma 1 told me about an old robot just like him that used to go around blowing up power plants like— how long ago did he say he was made?? He could be the same exact guy!!”

He was right expecting a cold welcome; Mari-ko's eyebrows furrowed as soon as Jiro -- no, Gamma 2 approached her. She folded her arms and stared at him, a cold, mute invitation to speak, and maybe she'd listen.

And listening she did and -- oh boy -- before she could even understand what he was speaking about, Gamma 2 began flailing, yelling, gesticulating incoherently while talking about... Nonsense. At least, that was what it sounded like to Mariko's ears. Utter, complete, idiotic nonsense.

She inhaled sharply, arms tightening against her chest as she waiting for Gamma 2 to be done speaking. When he was, her tone was stern and cold. Eerily similar to Hit's tone when he was tired of her tantrums.

"You know, of all the things you might have hidden from me, I never thought shallowness would be one of those. Clearly, I was wrong."

She unfolded her arms and they fell stiff by her side. She lifted her chin, frown deepening.

"I can't believe you're saying all of these horrible things about Atlas just because of what he looks like. I thought you were better than this. But maybe, I was expecting too much from you once again."

There, a sour smile curved her lips ever so slightly. A quick snort, a mock of a laugh, escaped her nose.

"Or maybe-- You know what? I think you're jealous," she said. "What, you were hoping to be my favourite android around? You're missing me gushing about you, being all head-over-heels about whatever you claimed to be and do? You're missing the attention?" And there, her smile stiffened in a bitter grimace.

"Well, let me tell you something: I'm tired of people realising the miss me once it's too late," she said. "You, Takuma, my parents-- Everyone does this to me, all the time! And this is exactly why I like hanging out with Atlas: he knows very well how it feels, being given for granted."

"In fact, I'll tell you more-- he also knows how it feels being constantly told what to do, and how irritating, unfair, enraging it gets!" She went on, voice raising as she clasped her hands in tight fists. "Because that's what I am to you all, am I right? Someone -- no, something that people expect to stay put, to never do anything, to always act according to their expectations and never take any initiative on her own, because god-- what a nuisance would I be if I ever wished to do something with my damn life while I'm stuck here with you all!"

"Atlas is the only one who hasn't treated me like an issue, a ticking bomb, or an idiot who can't take care of herself. And I don't care if your damn hero complex needs to convince me of his bad intentions just so you can feel useful around me once again, so I can make you feel amazing and heroic once more. This is just your problem! Not mine!" She concluded, her breath short. "... Not anymore at least."

And with that, she diverted her eyes from Gamma 2 and walked away, fists still clenched and a thick knot in her throat. She thought she'd feel better after venting out all of that on him. Oddly, whatever had weighted on her chest so far, it only felt as if it had just double in its size.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Hey. I’m not sure if i need advice or if i just need to vent but i’m pretty angry and you’re really good at listening to random people talk abt their problems. (Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes)

So i had to to work the evening shift both days this weekend, and because of my particular brand of anxiety, i cant really do anything leading up to my shift. Like i get super nervous that i’m going to forget abt my shift if i do anything other than scroll through my phone or stare off into space. And then i found out that i’m also working the Monday and Tuesday after this weekend after school. At this point i’m pretty tired and knowing i wont even have a break after school is even worse. So, for my mental health I decided to skip school this Monday.

This is where the issue comes up. My mom was super against me skipping and we had a whole argument abt it. Basically i shouldn’t skip bc i’m “technically” truant, meaning i’ve skipped more than 11 days since school stared and they COULD either send me to court or have me pay a fine. Ik that sounds bad but they almost never send anyone to court or even make them pay any fines and most of my absences are from the first semester so i actually haven’t skipped in a while. Also half of those absences are my mom’s fault bc she forgot to email the school that i was sick or send them my doctors note which accounts for about 5 of my absences. And as long as one of my parents excuses the absence (which my dad is always willing to do) it doesn’t even count towards my truancy. When i tell her this she immediately pivots and says that well if she has to go to work then i have to go to school. Now i’ve always been really big on independence, i’m only an 18 year old senior in l Highschool but i KNOW thats bullshit, She works from home all the time and i was planning to do basically the same thing where i do the majority of my work at home and catch up on sleep until my work shift in the evening. So far this is pretty normal for my arguments about with her. Until i put my foot down and tell her that i’m old enough to have the right decide these types of things for myself and that i don’t think its fair for her to just decide for me. Usually she would relent but this time she threatened to CALL THE POLICE ON ME. I’m not exaggerating the escalation from a regular argument to a full screaming match was insane.

I was just so upset and it felt like she didn’t even see me as person who just needs a break sometimes. I was too scared to see if she would really call the police so i went to school. So, here i am silently fuming in class. I don’t even know if i’ll get through school with how mentally exhausted i am. Thats basically it. Just tell me if i’m in the wrong or over reacting or if i’m in the right. I’m such a mixture of angry and exhausted that none of this might make sense, but whatever. Thank you so much for listening.

Hi!!!

Well, I think there are separate parts to this:

Your mom isn't listening to your emotions. This happens a lot with parents, and it's frustrating. Even though she was making a valid point with the truancy, threatening to call the police and throwing her own (irrelevant) work in your face wasn't the way to do it. I've always wondered why parents think kids are going to listen if they aren't given the respect of the acknowledgement of their feelings.

The entire argument is difficult because, there are layers here. from what you're telling me, your mother is some of the reason you have some of these unexcused absences, because she hasn't done the paperwork. But I also am wondering, how can you even be considered truant if you're 18? And, at age 18, isn't it your decision? I'm confused on the laws here.

Given all of this...would I personally risk skipping school if I was risking truancy? Probably not. But I've always been afraid to get in trouble.

But I feel like that's not even the biggest issue. Can your mom not send the doctor notes to school to get some of your previous absences excused?

Also...the petty part of me is like...your mom is saying she has to go to work...but you have to go to work and school. so that's not an argument.

I feel like your mom didn't handle this well, to be honest. I know she's trying to prevent you from getting in trouble, but there were other ways to do it. I hope that makes sense?

Also, I hope work is going well! I'm naming you school anon.

[mythicalmyles]

honey i’m so sorry that’s happening. i was going through the same thing a while ago. it’s okay if none of those things work. just “taking a bath” doesn’t work with depression. some meds didn’t work for me either. it’s important to remember that meds don’t work for a lot of people. it’s okay to try new ones and switch them. i tried like three different ones and dosages before finding one that worked for me. it takes time to heal and im sure these people reminding you of your problems don’t make you feel any better. it’s okay to feel upset. i probably can’t make you feel different about yourself but i can say i’ve gone through that. so many people have and you are not alone. it’s very very hard to believe but it does get better. i’m sure you’ve heard that millions of times before, but it does.

as for the nicotine, it’s hard to get off that kind of stuff. habits are hard to break. i understand that. i was the same with sh. i don’t have much experience with that kind of addiction, but i can recommend nicotine gum and patches.

one thing that helped me when i felt like i was going to do something was remind myself how many people would miss me. how my dog would stand by the window wondering where i went because she didn’t understand. how my parents and friends would mourn me and miss me.

it’s okay to reach out for help and you’ve done so much already by getting a therapist. it’s okay to switch therapists. i had to go through about four before i found my right one.

you are doing amazing by letting these feelings out and it’s okay to feel this way. so many people care about you. i know it’s hard to believe but it will get better. it may take days, months, years, but it will. i know it’s frustrating and i know none of this might help but i want you to know there are people like you out there who are going through this.

additionally, you should add the suicide hotline to your phone, i did it and it’s a good emergency plan. one thing you can also try on tumblr is kokobot, it’s anonymous and it’s a whole bot about venting.

you’ve got this love. stay strong<33

Ive been on so many meds im not qualified to get weed legally in the uk i lost count of how many ive been thru and these ones do good.. but they dont always work and my drs just keep upping my dosage im on 350 quitiapine and 150 sertraline along with 100mgs of instant activate quitiapine and honestly if it werent for my bf and the animals i wouldve dipped a long time ago but ik no one will look after them as well as i do

Unfortunately im allergic to nicotine patches and i cant actually have chewing hum due to my tmj i tried the spray but it instantly made me throw yp everytime i tried it so i packed it in and it was our first day i felt shitty bc we went straight into my trauma (first person ive ever told what actually happened) so i was dealing w that after along w flashbacks shes rlly sweet though and was really kind to me it was just a heavy session

And funnily enough i have tried two hotlines and both hung up on me so that was gucci mane 💃 but thank you i really appreciate it and i hope you have a great day

[your-local-grubdog]

Together in the Storm Chapter 1: The Stowaway

Story description: Olimar is back home once again, ready to rest and recuperate from everything that had happened. Yet the universe keeps throwing unwanted surprises his way, making rest difficult. He just wants to make his (now rather large) family believe that he'll be okay. Because he is, for he has to be.

Chapter description: Charlie finds a little trouble maker during the trip to Hocotate.

New startouched fic :3 another multichapter one! Starting off with what may be a familiar face to some readers hehe. Hope you enjoy!

Read on Ao3 here!

“AAALLLPH!”

The sudden call spooked the engineer, causing him to bolt up and hit his head on the metal floor above him. “Owww…” In seconds someone was by his side, urging him out of the Drake’s maintenance corridor. He rubbed his head as he crawled back out, looking over to a rather worried Louie. “I’m alright, I’m alright.” They were now on their way to Hocotate, straight from PNF-404. Alph still wasn’t sure how he felt about ‘404, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on it - Captain Olimar had to get to a Hocotation hospital sooner rather than later, and now the Drake was making funny noises. It’s why he was down here - trying to find the cause and hopefully fix it.

“Y-You sure?” Louie asked, voice quiet.

“Yeah, yeah I am.” Things had gotten off to a rocky start with Louie and his crewmates still didn’t care for him. Alph, however, had decided he rather liked the younger man. He was nice, and willing to help him out with repairs. Poor guy was just worried about his father, he couldn’t blame him (though Alph was surprised that Louie was allowed to be part of his father’s crew, wouldn’t that result in blatant favoritism?). Alph looked up through the repair hatch, ears twitching. “That sounded like the captain.”

“... why not use his comm device?” Louie muttered.

“I’m sure he has a good reason - I’m going to head up there. Want to come with me?

Louie was quiet for a moment before slowly nodding. The two of them then climbed up the ladder and into one of the many storage units in the Drake. This one was home mostly to the tools that would be used in the maintenance corridors and crawl spaces below. After shutting the hatch, he and Louie entered the main room of the Drake where Brittany and Charlie were huddled close together. The captain then looked up at him, sighing with relief. “There you are. Sorry about not using our comms, I… forgot to charge mine, and Brittany can’t get to hers with her arms full. Anyways, we found what’s been making all those noises, but now we have a whole new problem.”

Alph’s ears wiggled. “Oh?”

Charlie waved them closer, and so they followed. In Brittany's arms was an annoyed and wiggling…

“... how did a pikmin get on board?!” Alph squeaked at the same time that Louie let out an equally surprised "A pikmin?!"

In her arms was a yellow pikmin, with a light patch on its belly alongside rather long "gloves" and "socks" that were also a lighter yellow. A fairly typical looking pikmin.

“We were hoping you might have an idea.” Brittany sighed. She then adjusted the pikmin in her arms. “No, bad. Stop wiggling.” Of course, it didn’t stop.

“While you were investigating the maintenance corridor I heard the noise again, in a vent. I decided to open the panel and saw it crawling around. Thankfully, I managed to catch the lil’ thing.” Charlie rubbed his forehead with one hand. “So, it was making all those noises. But… what exactly do we do with it?”

Alph crossed his arms, brow furrowed. “Hm, well… we can’t take it back, not now. Not with Olimar here, he should have been sent to a hospital already." Louie flinched at that, looking away. "We can’t waste any time.”

“How is he holding up - stop wiggling!” Brittany asked, then snapped. Finally, the yellow pikmin stopped wiggling, its arms crossed.

“He’s stable. About as good as he can be without professional aid. We can’t afford to waste anymore time though.”

The trio then went quiet for a bit, all trying to think of something. Eventually, Charlie sighed and held his arms out. “Hand it over, please.” Brittany nodded, handing the yellow over to the captain. It made a face at him, before poking his nose. He simply sighed. “We’ll just have to bring it with us, at least for now. Once we get the food to Koppai, we can see about getting it back home. Which means also bringing it to Hocotate.”

“Would it do okay in Koppai’s caverns, though?” Brittany asked. “I’m not sure if the artificial lights are enough for it…”

"It - it should be. Uh, for a little while, at least." Louie mumbled. "Dad and I have… have spent days down in caves with - with the pikmin. I donno how long they can go on for, though… y-you'd have to ask dad."

Charlie was quiet for a few moments before nodding. "Alright. If he's up for it, we'll ask him when he's awake. In the meantime, I’ll try to keep this little rebellious one under control.”

The captain’s description got a snort out of Alph. “Ah, good luck with that, Sir.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Charlie grumbled. “You're dismissed; I think I'll pikmin proof my room and keep it in there."

"Let me know if you need help." Brittany offered.

Alph nodded along. "Same here. And Louie n' I will talk to Olimar when he next wakes up."

"Alright, sounds good to me.

---

"How are you feeling, Sir?" Alph asked as he handed Olimar a fresh cup of water.

Olimar took the glass and quickly downed it before answering. "Mph, the same."

"Ah, I-I see. We, uh, had a question about the pikmin, if that's okay."

At that moment, Louie entered the room with a plate of scaly custard. He silently handed it to his father, who began to quickly eat as he nodded along. "Go on, I'm more than happy to talk about the pikmin!"

"How long do you think they can go on artificial light, like what we have in Koppai’s caves?”

Olimar paused then, leveling Alph with an odd expression. “I… er, well, I’m not familiar with Koppai’s cave lights. I’ve only ever been on the surface of your world.”

“They usually are enough to support most plants… then again, most plants are not also animals.”

“Why are you even asking this in the first place?” Olimar then grumbled. “S-Sorry, I don’t mean to be snappy, it’s just... why?”

Alph nervously looked to Louie, who also just stared at him. With a sigh, Alph answered “A pikmin snuck on board before we left. We found it, and will have to keep it on Koppai for a little while until we can bring it home.”

Olimar paused then, staring at Alph for the longest time. After a few stunned moments, he managed out a quiet "What?"

"I don't know how, or why, but it's here now. So we just got to make sure it'll be okay in the caves. And the ship too, now that I think about it…"

"... We've spent days with them down in pitch black caves. Er, pitch black for most, we were able to see fairly well regardless. So I'd wager that it'll be okay under your special lights for longer. How long, I can't say. Keep an eye on it for any abnormalities, I'm not sure what a sun-deprived pikmin would look like so you'd have to tell me what that looks like."

Alph nodded. "Alright, I'll let the captain know. He took it upon himself to take care of it."

"Hmmm…" Olimar paused. He and Charlie hadn't exactly talked at all since he'd come on board. In fact, their only interaction was on that first day when Olimar (understandably) got angry that Louie had been tied up. Alph wasn't exactly sure about how Olimar must've felt about his captain as a result. After a few seconds, Olimar sighed. "Alright, I'll have to trust him. After I'm done eating, though, could I see the pikmin? I may be able to give Charlie more advice."

Alph nodded. "Sense you're almost done, I can go get him now."

"Fine by me."

Alph nodded before turning to Louie. "Keep an eye on him for me. Okay?"

Louie nodded as Olimar groaned a bit. "I'm not going anywhere, you know."

"Hmm, sounds to me like he's plotting an escape!" Alph winked as he spoke, getting a chuckle out of Louie. "I wish you luck in controlling that one."

"Oh, now you're just being a brat."

Alph giggled a bit as he left the room, waving Louie off as he went. He then hummed as he made his way through the Drake. They really were going to bring a pikmin to Koppai, then… it would be under Charlie's care, so he'd make most of the calls, but he couldn't help wondering what the best thing to do for it was. Would the media want to see it? Almost certainly, actually. Was that a good idea though…?

He reached the Captain's room before he could dwell on it too much. He hit a button to the side of the doorway, a faint buzz sound being heard from the other side. The two halves to the door then slid apart from each other, Brittany right on the other side. "Hey Alph. We just finished pikmin-proofing Charlie's room. Or as pikmin-proof as we can get it."

Alph stepped in, looking around. Charlie was sitting on his cubby bed, watching the yellow pikmin use spare blankets and pillows to build its own nest. Inside, he could see it already had a toy - a plush duck of sorts. "Ah, where did it get that?"

"Turns out our captain can sew." Brittany teased, smirking at said captain.

Charlie flushed a bit before crossing his arms. "Mom taught me to care for myself, that's all. Really, I normally mend clothes… had to make that thing on the fly based on what little I know."

"Ah, for once you're being humble about something, and it's actually fairly impressive." Alph began to tease as well, causing Charlie to huff and look away. The young engineer giggled before kneeling down to the pikmin and stroking its stem. "Hello, trouble." The pikmin cooed and purred as it leaned into his hand, soon grabbing onto his arm so he couldn't move it. Alph giggled more before looking up at Charlie. "I talked to Olimar. He said he wasn't entirely sure, just repeated that pikmin survived for days in caves with no light at all. So it should last longer under our UVB lamps. He also said to keep an eye on it, as he doesn't know what a sun deprived pikmin looks like."

"Hmph, I suppose it's something at least."

"He also asked to see the little one and talk to you. He didn't know much about the lights, but he seems certain that he can give advice in other areas. So, uh, I'm actually here to get you, if you'll come. And if this pikmin decides to free my arm." He looked down at the pikmin which had now latched its arms and legs around his arm, rubbing its cheek against him.

Charlie paused for a moment before nodding. "Sounds good. I'll talk to him then. You, uh, may have to carry the pikmin in though. Once it's set on doing something it very much is set on doing said thing. Only the Stars know what it wants half of the time, though."

Alph snorted. "You learned all of that in, what, the past hour or two since we found it?"

"Oh don't get us STARTED, Alph!" Brittany then exclaimed. "So much has happened in those two hours. So much. So much."

Alph raised his brow at the captain, who slowly and eerily nodded. Oh, Stars.

He slowly and very carefully detached the yellow pikmin from his arm before holding it. It squeaked and whined, but eventually leaned into him.

"Oh, sure, act like a doll now that Alphie is here. Uh-huh, yeah, okay." Brittany poked the pikmin where its nose would be if it had one, earning a squeak from it.

"If it being mildly annoying is it acting 'like a doll', then I'd hate to see it when it's actually causing problems."

"Again, do NOT get me started Alphie."

Alph giggled a bit more as he looked over to his Captain. "Alright, we shouldn't keep Olimar waiting."

Charlie nodded again as Brittany let out a quick "Wait, let me come too!"

With yellow pikmin in tow, the three of them headed back to the med bay. Olimar had finished eating, his plate gone - Louie must have brought it to the kitchen. Now the two were just quietly discussing something, though they went silent as the group entered the room. Olimar's eyes then went wide as he smiled, arms reaching out. "Ah, let me see it." Alph handed the yellow pikmin over, who sort of just stared at the captain. "It must be a younger one you guys grew. It doesn't seem to recognize me."

"You mean all pikmin don't just immediately love you unconditionally?" Louie teased in a quiet voice.

Olimar snorted at that. "No, they seem to have the most affection for whomever plucked them. At least, for a time. I do think the pikmin talk and gossip, based on what I've seen. And grow to have different preferences."

The group chuckled again, though soon Brittany asked "Actually, is that why it was behaving better for Alph? Because when he walked in, it calmed down."

"Hm, maybe. Or maybe it thought it could cute its way out of things. Which, look at it, it absolutely can."

"Oh, Stars above can it." Charlie laughed a bit. "But, I was told you could help…?"

"Ah, yes! Pikmin care, well, I used to keep them on my ship. Started to let them on one day and then they just kept letting themselves on board. Couldn’t exactly tell ‘em no, they’re too cute! … And there were too many.” He began to laugh a bit. “Tip one, they have a high prey drive." He then pointed at his torn ear. "This happened when a yellow pikmin went chasing a flying bug in my ship and said bug landed on my ear."

Alph winced a bit. A pikmin did that? Well, he supposed he saw them do arguably worse things to larger creatures. But still, nearly the entire lower half of his ear was just gone.

"Hmm… so play could keep it calm, in theory?" Charlie asked, reaching over to pet the pikmin a bit. It purred, then seemed to pout when he stopped. With a sigh, Olimar began to pet the pikmin instead, resulting in it purring loudly and snuggling up into him. "Yes! In fact, if you know anyone who has experience raising or caring for Hocotation toddlers, they'd be perfect for tending to a pikmin. Pikmin and our tots are very similar, which is to say both are very cat-like." Olimar began to laugh hard then, even bouncing in place a bit from how excited he was. The pikmin squeaked then giggled as it, too, was bounced in turn.

Charlie snorted a bit, but nodded. "I know someone, then."

"Hmm… what else…?" Olimar hummed a bit, finally calming down from his excitement. As he calmed down, though, he groaned and leaned back a bit. The pikmin squeaked as he leaned back, instinctually reaching up to touch his forehead.

“D-Dad-?!?” Louie stood up then, stepping closer.

“I’m okay, I’m okay… I think I got a little too excited there. Ugh…” he held a hand to his head. “I’ll talk more later, I think I just need to rest.”

The three Koppaites exchanged nervous glances, watching as Louie gently touched his father's arm. There was nothing more they could do for Olimar, though. With a sigh, Charlie gently reached for the yellow pikmin and held it close. It whined and looked at Olimar before snuggling against Charlie.

"L-Let us know if you need anything." Brittany managed out in an uncharacteristically meek voice.

"Mph, I will. Probably will get my son to do it first though, heh." Olimar chuckled a bit before groaning and holding his head.

"... alright, let's let him rest. I think his son can handle him." Charlie ordered. Brittany slowly stepped out, Alph following only after he got another nervous look at Olimar. Charlie turned back to the other captain. "Rest well, please."

---

Charlie wasn't entirely sure why his body was stirring already. He looked up at the ceiling of his cubby bed, trying to fall back asleep. Seemed sleep just wasn't coming though. With a groan he sat up, stretching. His ears then wiggled as he heard a quiet thump! It was soon followed by scratching sounds, another thump, and the squeaking of an annoyed pikmin. Oh boy. I'd better see what it's up to… he pulled the curtain of his cubby bed back, triggering the automatic lights to slowly fade on.

The yellow pikmin looked up and around, confused, before spotting Charlie. It then chirped excitedly before scrambling over to the Captain, pouncing on him and knocking him back. He groaned a bit, but he could hardly be mad at the excited creature who was now looking down at him. "Mornin', trouble." Charlie teased, petting its stem back. It immediately began to purr at the touch, though soon jumped off anyways. This time, as Charlie sat up, he got to watch it slide against the metal floor of the Drake and gently bump into a wall. It immediately flung itself again just to slide across the floor and bonk against the other wall. "Hm, excited?" Charlie began to chuckle as he watched the little pikmin scurry about. He then sat on the floor, sliding his hand side to side in front of him. Because this is a good idea.

The pikmin soon saw the hand movements and went wide eyed. It stared at his hand, watching it move side to side, before leaping over and pouncing on it. Charlie yelped a bit as he, unsurprisingly, got scratched in the process. The pikmin then squeaked in worry, reaching out to see his hand.

"It's not too bad." Charlie assured. "See? No blood."

The yellow pikmin still hugged his arm, ears drooping. Charlie gently pet it before reaching for the small duck he made for the pikmin. He tossed it behind the pikmin, causing it to dart away and pounce on the small plush.

Olimar sure wasn't kidding about comparin' them to cats and Hocotation toddlers. It's so cute… as the creature bat around its toy, Charlie then got an idea. He remembered hearing about a test to see how intelligent an animal was… he knew pikmin were incredibly smart, but they were also so so stupid. Nor was he sure if they were animals or people. Everytime he started to think one way, he'd see the pikmin do something that convinced him it must actually be the other. This wouldn't answer that, of course… but it'd be funny.

He grabbed a thin sheet blanket from the foot of his bed. Once the pikmin's back was turned, he tossed it on it. It squeaked in surprise, before immediately being able to get the sheet off of itself. It then leveled Charlie with an unamused expression.

The captain just shrugged. "Sorry…?" Well, it passed the sheet test with flying colors!

Charlie then yelped as it pounced at him again, sheet in its hand. The both of them ended up covered under it, the little critter giggling in delight. Oh, he couldn't help himself. He began to laugh hard as well, holding the little one close.

He then heard the entry-request buzz sound from his door before someone immediately entered his room anyways. Most certainly Brittany.

And oh, he was right. After a few moments of silence he heard her voice ask out "What in the Stars' name are you doing?"

Charlie managed to get the sheet off of him, the pikmin still latched onto his shirt. "Ah, I woke up and the pikmin was pretty wired up. So I was playing with it."

That got a snort out of the pink haired woman. "Oh, I see. Well, I want you to know you looked absolutely stupid. Still do, actually."

The captain just shrugged as he smiled goofily. "Anything for the little one."

That got a soft, genuine smile from Brittany as she leaned against the door frame. "Well, we're both awake. Others are still sleeping. Want some breakfast? I'll put some aside for them."

"Ah, sounds good to me."

---

It wasn’t much longer until Alph stirred awake, quickly heading for the kitchen. Louie joined him part way there. Brittany was already there, as usual, though Alph was surprised to see Charlie up so early as well. Then again, maybe he shouldn't have been - the yellow pikmin sitting on Charlie's shoulders was most certainly the reason he was already awake.

"Morning captain. Morning Britt. And morning, Louie." Alph hummed.

Brittany smiled and waved at him, though it faded when she saw Louie. "Your rations are right here. In a second, I'll also get Olimar's food."

"T-Thanks…" Louie mumbled, though he got no response. Alph quietly patted his arm before getting their drinks, handing Louie his.

"So, how's the pikmin doing?" Alph asked, hoping to keep the mood light.

"Well! It woke up early this morning, was super playful… woke me up too." The captain then laughed a bit. Ah, so Alph's theory was correct. "Gotta say I'm getting awfully attached to the critter. Will be sad to see it go home…" As if on cue, the little pikmin began to giggle and nuzzle into Charlie's hair.

"Awww… it is adorable. Can't blame you." Alph chuckled a bit before taking another drink of his juice.

"Yeah…" Charlie sighed then, reaching a hand up to the pikmin. It nuzzled against his hand instead, now purring.

The crew soon finished breakfast, the pikmin eventually climbing down off of Charlie (a process which made the captain wince a few times). Alph grabbed a glass of juice for Olimar and reached over for a plate of scaly custard, but the little pikmin began to climb up his side. With a sigh, Alph used his free hand to lift and hold the pikmin against him. "Mind if I take the pikmin with me for a bit, Charlie?"

"Go right ahead; it has chosen you this morning." The captain answered before finishing off his own cup of juice.

"Ah, I am the chosen one." Alph teased, nuzzling the yellow pikmin. The little one purred at that, snuggling in even closer. "Louie, may you get the plate of food for Olimar?"

Louie silently nodded as he lifted the plate up. Alph said a quick thanks to his crew again before leaving for the med bay with Louie.

"Thanks for the help, Louie. Very hard to say no to a pikmin." Alph chuckled as he nuzzled said pikmin again.

"Ah, y-yeah… anytime." Louie mumbled a bit.

Alph smiled wide as they entered the med bay, turning now to Olimar. The captain was also awake, thankfully, though… he seemed rather tired, actually.

“Olimar? We got you breakfast - you feeling okay?” Alph nervously asked.

Olimar slowly turned to him, not saying anything for a moment. Eventually he sighed and admitted “N-Not really. I do want food, though.”

Alph nodded, frowning a bit as he set a glass of juice down. Louie then handed Olimar the plate. As Alph expected, Olimar focused on the plate of (somewhat) solid food over the fruit juice. “Y-You let us know if you need anything, okay?”

Olimar nodded slowly. “I see you have the pikmin with you.”

“Huh? Oh - yeah, it chose me this morning.” Alph then giggled.

"Mm, I see." The captain then smiled warmly, looking over the little yellow pikmin. "May I see it?"

Alph nodded, gently handing the yellow over to Olimar. He tucked it under an arm as he ate, watching as it cooed and purred. The group then stayed quiet for a blissful moment, simply watching the little creature as it now crawled away and began investigating Olimar's cot.

"Ah, pikmin, you gotta love them." Olimar sighed. "They're rather adorable, and very loving themselves. I don't know where I'd be without them - well…" he suddenly got quiet then, looking away as his ears pinned back.

"... well, what?" Alph asked, his own ear flicking a bit.

Olimar didn't answer for a few moments. Eventually, he just shook his head. The yellow pikmin was now scanning the entire room over from the top of Olimar's cot, which was slightly elevated.

"D-Dad-"

"I'm alright kiddo, I'm alright." The captain answered rather quickly before offering Louie an uneasy smile.

Louie just frowned in response.

"... we're in a similar boat." Alph eventually spoke. "We, well… the pikmin were really the ones who saved Koppai. Without them, we'd be doomed."

Olimar was silent for a few moments before managing out a breathy "Yeah…", his voice barely above a whisper.

Alph's ears leaned back then, reaching an arm out to offer support. He stopped himself, though, unsure of Olimar's comfort levels or even what to do, really. He then spotted the yellow pikmin out of the corner of his eye, turning to see it reaching for Olimar’s glass of juice. "H-hey, don't tou-" Alph began.

He was cut off, however, when the pikmin struggled to keep a grip on the glass and dropped it on the floor, shattering it and sending juice and glass shards everywhere. The pikmin squeaked and quickly crawled backwards.

Alph flinched hard, ears leaning back as he stepped away from the pikmin. He then made eye contact with Olimar for a brief second, who had that same look of terror on his face. Alph felt his stomach twist. Olimar quickly looked away then, shaking hard.

Charlie then entered the room, looking around. "What happened, is everyone okay?"

The pikmin immediately began squeaking loudly, reaching for Charlie. Alph frowned a bit and looked at the captain. "The pikmin, it-"

"GET OUT!" Olimar suddenly snapped, still shaking hard. "NOW." Alph flinched from the shout, everyone going silent. Even the little pikmin stopped its insistent squeaking, looking at Olimar with wide eyes. After a few moments the captain covered his face, curling against a wall. "I - I'm sorry… just…" his voice sounded choked up, like he was fighting back tears. "... please go."

Alph gently lifted the pikmin up, handing it to Charlie. He looked over to Olimar, frowning, as the captain continued to tremble. Louie gently reached out to him, only for his father to harshly recoil away. Ears leaning back now, Louie looked at the others. "I'll clean this up." He whispered, though that too still caused Olimar to flinch.

Alph decided it best to simply nod to Louie, before quickly leaving the med bay with his Captain.

---

The three crew members were now in the kitchen, the furthest point from the med bay that wasn't a bedroom. The pikmin was sat down with a small plastic cup, slowly drinking fruit juice as if it were nectar.

"Guess they need alternative forms of nourishment if they don't have access to the sun." Brittany sighed, watching the little pikmin. "It's awfully silent though… what happened earlier, after it dropped the glass?"

Alph shifted his weight between each foot. "Olimar was… overwhelmed, probably. He’s already not doing the best, after… whatever had happened in the Oak. The glass shattering seemed to spook him. The pikmin began to squeak loudly and then Charlie came in to talk to me, and I began talking. Then Olimar snapped for everyone to leave the room. He apologized, of course, but Louie couldn't even whisper without it making Olimar flinch."

Brittany frowned a bit, now gently petting back the yellow's stem. "He must be getting worse. He was already in enough pain… how much longer till we get to Hocotate, Alph?"

"Another day or two."

Charlie sighed. "We'll have to do our best for him, then. Much as I hate to say it, hopefully he'll sleep through most of this."

Alph nodded. "He needs the rest, anyways."

"What did that golden monster even do to get him to this point?" Brittany asked, ears flicking. "Other than keep him trapped for… Stars know how long."

"Long enough to partly starve him." Charlie grumbled. "Hocotations can hold out longer than us Koppaites though… he may have been there for weeks."

That made the other two go quiet.

Eventually, Alph asked "But did it do anything else…? He was, well… you saw how he was when we first got him to the ship."

Charlie just shook his head. "I don't know. There's no use in guessing, though. We just need to hurry him home and… hope for the best."

Alph and Brittany quietly nodded, the woman still petting the pikmin as it had finished its drink. They'd be at Hocotate soon. They could only pray to the Stars that Olimar would be okay. Though, questions still ate away at Alph. He was beginning to think that, maybe, things were worse then Olimar was making it seem to be. In fact, all of PNF-404 seemed off, between their and Louie’s freak crash-landings, strange artifacts they had found, and the wraith… Alph also got the sense there was yet more he didn’t know about.

He had to get to the bottom of this.

[flockofdoves]

i think its important to retain compassion and make sure when i actually talk to her i am open to listening to whatever she has to say. obviously thats important even just on purely a level of wanting communication to go well and for her to be receptive to solutions. but also of course there needs to be space kept for me and my gf to vent our frustration on our own time bc just bc pretty much almost everyone can always have some sort of personal justification for why they did something within their constricted circumstances obviously that doesn't mean people hurt by that dont still have reasons to be upset or resent the situation. and i'm trying to be good and healthy in how i balance these two things. 

i'm not always the best at conversations i can be a bit conflict avoidant and i have given up on talking about any of this for a while after my last half assed attempts at communication about this stuff failed (even if i think to be fair to myself some of it very clearly goes beyond what i'd imagine the scope of any misalignment of expectations from past experiences in different living situations could cause. like sure ok maybe you've used other peoples dishes in the past but i cant imagine it takes communication (which i did w this actually!) to know that if you've then let those dishes mold for a month throwing out that persons dishes after they ask you to wash them after they see them outside is not an acceptable next step) but i’m really trying to expend the effort to be better at communicating

but every time i’ve tried she avoids it somehow. and i keep trying harder in more direct but still not aggressive ways and i’m sure theres still more i could do but its just so so frustrating having it continue on this way. 

i feel like theres no space for me to even healthily balance my frustration with not letting that boil into any actual opportunity to talk because its just like a constant situation of having to hope that she’ll actually not avoid things this time and i need to emotionally prep myself for conversation so that i won’t unproductively just come across as angry (or just like. so shaky i cant talk lol) and because i’m just like fucking constantly having to put myself in that state theres not even a healthy space to even be properly mad during me and my gfs time when shes not around

i’m just so so so sick of this i’m so constantly stressed and sad about all of this this is the worst roommate situation i’ve ever been in even when just like. in fun conversations before she was avoiding us and that i still overhear w her friends i really enjoy my roommate. like thats really saying something when i’ve had a homophobic passive aggressive roommate before and a roommate that always turned the thermostat up to 90 degrees!!! but this is still (even after her wayyyy lowballing the utility bills “at their worst” looking back lmao) like the cheapest place i’ve seen around here with this fucking housing crisis happening around my college and at this point itd literally be too late to find anything good for when this lease ends i don’t know what to fucking do i was panicking about housing this time last year and it felt like it might fall through at like any moment once we did secure this apartment last august and then like so soon after that everything started to gradually get more and more stressful as more things happened with our roommate so its been like a fucking year of housing stress about stuff but we didn’t even start early bc it cost so much to furnish this place so our room wasnt just so deeply stressful to live in with the amount of unpacked boxes for months that we only just finally had all the furniture and storage to actually put away that we kept being like well i’m sure if we just communicate better it can improve because we really want to keep living here and dont want to go through All That with apartment applications and moving again any time soon but also jesus christ what if it just doesnt fucking change im in fucking limbo

[penname-artist]

“So, I went beyond...pluuuuuuuus ULTRA” (And other updates)

(Warning: unintentionally long)

Okay, but in all seriousness, I finally feel that I’ve progressed just far enough in the show to state that I got into My Hero Academia. Technically, I’d watched season one and like the first 2-3 episodes of two before, but I didn’t finish it, and now I’m trying to. At the moment I’m about halfway through season 2 and making steady progress. Side note: You SPOIL shit near me and you’re a DEAD MAN! Let me watttttch >:(

Honestly I am fucking loving the series right now, I think aside from Deku, my favorites are definitely Tsu (Froooooggie) and, well, Shoto. You saw that coming, I can understand why he’s an overrated favorite. Feel bad for the kid though, like damn, boi you got some serious daddy issues, would you like a popsicle?

And, having started back up on MHA, I’m getting *cough cough* ideas *cough* for potential AUs and such.

Which actually segues this into another thing, just general life updates.

We had a pretty bad freeze lately, but thank God we didn’t lose our entire state power grid this time around, so it was smooth sailing. Unless you count the fact that we had to go out because I needed to be at work while the roads were slippery as snot. Which, was only one day. So we’re fine.

I also had a fix on the house which has FINALLY deterred the Mystery Creature from showing up at night and disturbing my sleep. After months of restlessness, we found out that it was coming in through a vent outside under my bedroom, and we had it covered. That seemed to do the job, thank goodness.

For mental health and productivity, I can’t really say much on the case; things have been about as steady as they can be, but in that it hasn’t really gone anywhere up, and I’m afraid I might be teetering on top of another depressive slump. Which, at the very least I’m prepared for. I honestly thought it would have been sooner, I had a REALLY bad attack a couple weeks ago and I felt sure it was going to be lasting, but by some miracle, though the attack itself was horrendous, I managed to recover in a record time. The only big downside is that my trauma response seems to have “manifested” (for lack of a better word) into very severe body tremors and shaking. I can control it...somewhat...but it drains a lot out of me. Still, I suppose it’s become more manageable, in a tangible sense. I’m a little less worried about how I react mentally to triggers and more worried about how I react physically. That’s a much easier hurdle to take on, overall.

Though, mental barriers are just as much an issue, if for a slightly different reason, at the moment. I’m honestly really stuck, writing-wise. I have so much I want to work on and so much I try to work on, but just a few paragraphs in I get skeptical because the piece will become jarring and choppy, and hard to maintain. I’ve re-started the same baseline to a Clutch and Tyker fic about four times now.

I’m actually considering doing a deep-clean, throwing out concepts too old and too untouched to really go any further with. I will, of course, keep the important ones, and the pieces that are ongoing, but a lot of the stuff I have in the wings that hasn’t been released is just so fucking dead in the water, I either need to put it in the waiting room or drop it completely. So, not sure where that’s going yet.

Actually, come to think of it, the semi-annual is also coming up.

Been doing this for a few years now but as a re-reminder, I try to take social media times down significantly or else entirely 1-2 times a year, one in the spring and one in the autumn. April and September-October have been my best time frames for these, as they’re not only good distances apart, but they’re in relatively trauma-ey time periods that I need to focus on getting through rather than pushing past. Plus, it’s a great excuse to work on large scale projects and not feel any sort of production-line pressure I put on myself to get them out, because they’re all gonna get stacked in a corner to wait until my return.

So! In recap: I’m probably gonna stick around until April 10th (I wanna at LEAST get to have my 21st birthday in the company of my people) and then probably do a week or two heavily away from things, and then extended time kinda by the seat of my pants as needed. That’s still a ways out, but better prepared sooner than later!

That’s all the updates that I can think of for the time being, for now I’m kinda just trying to Vibe where I can. I want to work on things but my body is giving me a very big “no”, so. Sidelines week it is!

Hopefully you all have a relaxing and/or fun-filled weekend, and until the morrow!

[gallifrey1sburning]

An incomplete list of things that have gone wrong since my move to a new apartment and city two weeks ago:

Moving truck and car both ran out of space and we had to throw out a bunch of shit we didn’t intend to (this is on us for underestimating how much we had accumulated in six years)

The super didn’t leave us the elevator key to lock it for the movers to use

The city didn’t provide the promised “no parking” signs to reserve space for the moving truck in front of the building on a narrow, one-way street

The movers dropped and left a massive hole in the back of one of my bookcases

The movers also broke the Edison bulb in my floor lamp off in the socket and lied about it, so I was just convinced I bought the wrong size replacement bulbs. Twice. Before noticing the fucked up corpse of a lightbulb base in the lamp and removing it with needlenose pliers (thanks, crafting!)

In unpacking, found that the beautiful wool cable knit sweater I spent an entire year knitting in college and was very proud of was infested with some sort of insect and had to throw it out.

All frustrating but manageable, yes? BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

No hot water for the first FULL WEEK we were here

When they sent a plumber to fix the hot water, he saw that the air conditioning unit was flooding the utility room, so we had to turn it off. It’s been four days and it’s not fixed because they need access to something on the roof but…

…they can’t get to the roof because the key is gone and no one in the building or management company knows where it is

(PS the hot water fix is a workaround because it ALSO isn’t venting properly through the roof)

To keep the air circulating while the water heater is borrowing air from the apartment while its roof access pipes are blocked or whatever (I am not a tradesman, I am relaying what the professionals have told me), we are supposed to keep a window cracked. When we tried to do so, we found that the double-hung windows were installed incorrectly, and if you try to open them, the entire top pane drops violently. There is no screen on the top portion of the window.

(This is notable because there are A LOT of insects flying around in this area right now, none of which you would want in your apartment)

The dishwasher is broken

The drains are not draining

We partially moved here so I could start working hybrid, and today, for what would have been my fourth in-office day, well, let’s just say that I did NOT make it in, and that might have something to do with what the New York Times referred to as a “doom loop for NJ commuters” with delays in ALL types of transit into Manhattan ranging from one to four hours. People were jumping out of buses inside the Lincoln Tunnel. I opted to work from home in my unairconditioned apartment, where the thermostat was registering 84 degrees. Which could technically be worse, but certainly wasn’t pleasant.

Took a break from work and decided to run an errand locally; went to the garage to find our car straight up GONE - after several hours of panicked calls with the management company and reporting the car stolen (because the management company said they didn’t call a tow truck on us), turns out we’d read our move in packet wrong and were in the wrong spot, and instead of calling the super or building management to ask us to move, our neighbors CALLED THE COPS and had us TICKETED AND TOWED. Which they are very much not supposed to do by building standards but isn’t technically illegal, just shitty behavior. And since we hadn’t driven in 9 days because we’re trying to use public transit as much as possible (when it’s running, anyway), the car had been held by the tow company for 5 days by the time we saw it was gone and it cost us $500 to get it back, plus $56 for the ticket.

And the most horrendous thing about all of this? I’m still happier than I’ve been in YEARS, because New York and I have been in an on and off abusive relationship since 2007 and she is one of the epic loves of my life.

Oh, also our rent Is fucking ASTRONOMICAL. Welcome home to me.

[f-oighear]

Hi! :3

4, 14, 18 for the excerpt ask?

Heyyyy! Thanks for the ask!

4. with dialogue i'm proud of

I'm thinking about Defense Attorneys in Air Vents because it's... funny.

There is silence for an instant. A long, painful instant. Diego Armando stands up. He flashes a cocky, confident grin. As if he didn’t just try to bolt. As if he didn’t just drop from the vents. As if everything was positively and flawlessly going according to plan. This might work in a courtroom, but not here. No one in the room is fooled, and certainly not Lana. “Mia Fey and Diego Armando,” Lana says. The two defense attorneys smile awkwardly. “Hi Lana.” Mia nudges Diego. Diego simply keeps grinning in silence. “Are you lost?” Lana asks calmly. “Aren’t we all?” Diego says. There is silence and then there is heavy, you-could-hear-a-pin-drop silence. This is one of the latter. “Yes,” Mia admits after the long, painful silence. “Yes, we’re lost.” Jake snickers and tips off his cowboy hat, “Why don’t I escort you to where you were trying to go, bambina?” “Excellent,” Diego says. “You and I can have a cup of coffee while we wait for them, Detective Skye.” “I want nothing less than this, Armando,” Lana says. “I’d love to have coffee,” Bruce says, and everybody in the room knows he means it. It makes it ten times worse. The room is silent for seconds that feel longer, until Angel addresses the elephant in the room. “Is no one going to question why two defense attorneys just climbed down the air vents?” Angel says. “I’m going to,” Lana says. “Why did you enter the police station through air vents?” “Why not?” Diego replies. “We didn’t enter the station through air vents,” Mia says. “We entered very normally.” “I did not see either of you get in and my office is right by the main desk,” Angel says dryly. “Ok,” Mia says in a sigh. “We entered by the roof.” “Normally,” Diego says. “How did you even get on the roof?” Lana asks in a sigh. “Some questions are better left unanswered,” Diego replies. “We climbed up.” “Kitten, if you want to stand in court again, you have to work on your sense of suspense.” “How did you even…” Lana decides not to finish her sentence. She pinches the bridge of her nose and shakes her head. Defense attorneys. You don’t make more desperate and more ready to throw all dignity out the window than defense attorneys. But even for defense attorneys, this is too much. “We won’t hold you off any longer,” Diego says as he grabs Mia’s shoulders and attempts a swift escape. “We know you’re all very busy.”

14. that was out of my comfort zone

I've replied to this one over there! But I'll reply with another one hehe.

Blue Hours was also a bit out of my comfort zone. I tried something else with the narration and agonized over it, soooo here's an excerpt:

Waiting is never peaceful. It sounds peaceful, though. You just have to stand by calmly. Wait it out is only a different way to say be quiet, it’ll sort itself out eventually. But Mia knows more than anyone else how excruciating waiting is. It’s minutes that stretch for hours, it’s a lifetime encapsulated in senseless, arbitrary units. Seconds, hours, days, months, years; they start losing meaning after a while. One day doctors say it’s been three months and it feels like yesterday. Another day they say it’s been three months and it feels like an eternity. Waiting is never peaceful. It’s crushing. It’s violent. Time laughs at you when you wait, and you can’t strike back. Because they’re right: why are you waiting? Your life’s passing you by. How much time are you going to waste? Waiting is never peaceful, but sometimes, it’s your only option.

18. from that one WIP everyone has that has no plot, just vibes

fhkhjsfd I have this bit that is literally just dialogue for now. The Bulls go rope climbing. It goes well.

“This is not natural,” Finral said. “Bipedes don’t walk vertically.” “I understood about half the words you just said,” Magna said. “Just climb!” “He’s gonna do it, give him time,” Vanessa told Magna before turning her attention back to Finral. “You’re doing amazing, sweetie!” “I can’t go higher.” “But you can.” “No, no, no.” “Look up. There’s a big and pretty red hold right there, it looks perfect to grab.” “But it’s much, much higher up.” “But it’s so red and shiny… you want to grab it.” “What do you think I am? A cat?” “A cat would have grabbed the hold already. Come on, Fin’, I know you can do it!” “I can’t.” “Ok, let’s consider it another way…” Vanessa said. “ARE YOU CUTTING SOME SLACK?” “Barely.” “DON’T! VANESSA, HOLD— ROPE! TIGHTER! THE ROPE! VANESSA DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE!!” “You’re not going to fall, even if you did, with how tight I’m holding the rope right now, you’d barely fall. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t even feel it.” “VANESSA.” “Get the big shiny thing.” “Or?” “Or I continue cutting slack.” “You wouldn’t. It’s dangerous.” “I’m not known for being reasonable.” “VANESSA.” “You wouldn’t be hurt, you’re not even a meter off the ground and Magna proved the mats work! Now grab the red thing.” “YAMI!” “Oh no, you’re not calling Yami!” “Ok kids, what’s happening?” “She won’t hold the rope tighter!” “He won’t climb. It’s a small, amicable threat.” “Vanessa, don’t threaten Finral for starters, he’s sensitive, and second it’s dangerous. Finral, climb.” “But I’m scared!” “You’re barely fifty centimeters up the ground.” “Fifty centimeters too high.” “Finral. Get that red thing and I’ll let you get back to the ground.” “…promised?” “Yes. Unless you feel like climbing a bit more.” “NO.”

[lesbianogecharlie]

Hi so sorry to vent but I kinda gotta get this off my mind rn cuz it’s really effected me badly. Warning ig: this mentions sh and sa. So, a little backstory. I have this friend, who we’ll call Mike. Me and him were friends for a while, but we kinda just stopped talking, but we reconnected a lot last year. I guess I’d consider him one of my best friends now, and I’ve helped him thru a lot of hard stuff. He’s also really a parent pleaser, and my dad has been very open and thinking he’s a good person and one of the best ppl who are my friends. Now, I have this other friend who we’ll call James. He’s been one of my very best friends for a few years now, and we always talk to each other abt our problems. Also, he’s trans and just started to transition. James and Mike have been bffs for a few years now. Anyways, one night, it’s around 10:00. I’m just chilling on my phone when I get a text from James. He says he’s rlly wanting to cut. Of course, I text him the usual strategies that I use to help myself not, that ppl don’t hate him, and that he can talk to me if wants to. He says he rlly doesn’t wanna talk Abt it cuz he wants to get his mind off of his problems, and he thanks me for being a good friend. After that, we talk ant random stuff for a while, until he says he wants to get to bed. I say “ok gn, but srsly get some rest”. He says ok. A few minutes later, he texts me “I hate the beach”. I ask him why. Although, this is kinda suspicious cuz during the summer, he and Mike took a trip to the beach together. Oh also, James has a bf, who we’ll just call Matthew. Anyways, he says “first: I hate sand, I’m scared of the ocean, and some thing that I don’t rlly wanna say happened.” We talk a little more (mainly abt how I’m also scared of the ocean) when he finally says “ ok promise you won’t tell anyone this, and you’ll act totally normal around him?” I promised. I swear tho, what he told me made me wanna throw up. Apparently, when James was sleeping, Mike sexually assaulted him. He apparently touched him and removed clothing. I wanted to throw up. I know a lot of ppl that are afab that are friends with him and now I’m rlly worried Abt them. Also, James knew this because he has baby cams in the rooms, since he sleepwalks a ton. (One time he nearly walked into the road cuz it, turned out he had a brain tumour but he got it removed.) also, for the record, James has had a lot of past trauma with men, which Mike knew damn well about. Hell, one time me him and a few other ppl were having a sleepover when we were hanging outside and James thought that one of his past rapists cars had parked in front of my house (it wasn’t but we were all rlly terrified for a while.) here’s the thing: we are planning to have one of these sleepovers soon, and Mike is always invited. He can never spend the night tho, thank god. We both know that if I didn’t invite him, my parents and Mike might suspect something, which could make this all worse. We’re thinking that we’re gonna have to invite him (nobody else knows), but there’s gonna be a ton of other ppl there. If anything happens, we’ll all protect him. But I’m mainly worried abt my other friends. I don’t even care what gender they are, he’s pan so I’m worried abt all of them. I also have this friend, we’ll call her Jessica. She and Mike are really close, and I’m pretty sure they’ve had tons of sleepovers. There were a ton of rumours that Mike had a thing for her. I’m rlly scared for her. Anyways, if you’re reading this, thanks for even knowing about the absolute shit that is happening in my life rn. I really don’t know what to do, and I’m really scared. But I can’t act different around him at all, because that risks everyone going even more to shit. So thanks for listening to the shithole that is my life, and if anyone can give advice, thanks

[jamesyofukashi]

The first story I ever wrote: Autumn leaves

The autumn leaves drift by my window. The red and gold of maple leaves swirl in a beautiful dance, tempted by the music of the wind. It’s only October, but it’s most definitely starting to get cold, the days growing longer yet somehow simultaneously shorter with melancholic mundaneness. Summer feels like a butterfly dream, like a reality that has come and gone only for the dreamer to wake up. In short, I like it warm.

“You good, Baker? Your eyes look dead again.”, asks blankly Luca while thoughtlessly tending to the fireplace. He pokes the burning oak, which is gently sparking away at itself. I forgot he was even there, honestly.

“Yeah, just lost in thought a little”, I nonchalantly respond, still looking out the window. The leaves have ceased their dance.

I continue looking out the window. The fire’s still gently crackling, sending out the slight smokey and earthy sent of a warm summer’s night.

“Nothing’s up, just thinking”

“Dude, I know you, you know me. You can pick my brain about this kinda stuff.”

I continue looking out the window. He adds some wood to the fire.

“Well, are ya gonna say somethin’ nah?”, Luca says in a impatient tone.

“It’s honestly nothing though. Im just thinking about summer ending, is all. After Halloween it’s going to be all November Rain and dead looking trees, Im just not here for it.”

“That again? Y’know what I’ve had it ‘till here with you being like this every time it even a single leaf falls off of a tree! And yes, I know it’s more than just the change in seasons, you’re a terrible liar!  You think Im gonna buy it when you reference a rock band while you vent! Why can’t I be in on it? Because I wasn’t here over the summer?”

“Whatever”, I say visibly irritated. 

He turns towards me, I don’t. Luca turns his back on me again, throws some more wood into the fireplace, then slams the wood stove shut. I turn towards him. Can’t have this idiot breaking my fireplace. He takes his eyes off the sparkling flame, which now blooms into a cacophony of red and gold. His eyes dart around the room. First into my eyes, his familiar greenish blue irises staring straight into mine, then takes my line of sight and stares out the window for just a moment before going back to the fireplace, which now only emits a subdued crackling through the heat proofed glass barrier.

“You’ll tell me once you get over the fall thing, right? I’ll just convince you and then you’ll tell me what’s up”, he proclaims me in a huff.

“Doubt it, Alexandre”, I respond wryly grinning.

“The hell you using my middle name for?!”, he demands, turning red with embarrassment.

“Because you always react when I do. Come on, it’s funny, admit it”, I lie. I know that his middle name has always been a sore spot for him. 

He storms off. I know exactly where he went but know not to follow. When he gets heated, he simply needs to cool down. I continue looking out the window, leaves lethargically reviving their dance, tumbling through the wind, until I can’t hear the fire spark anymore. It starts to rain, slowly. I turn towards the wood stove and open it again, summer smoke wafting through the room. The oak is still hotly burning. I continue watching the fire blankly. Now I notice it, the scent being more powerful than before: The room smells like her. Before I know it, I’m swept back into my butterfly dream, the current reality clashing with the realness of the summer, and I have to wonder: Was it just a summer fling? Were the sunburnt hands I used to hold not mine, were the lips, the summer kisses, that I can still feel now as well? The days, oh so long yet going by so fast I might blink and miss some, were they just part of a dream, a fantasy, a delusion that only I ever partook in? Why do I ruin everything? I look into the fireplace. The red embers look like her hair. It was just as real as the current moment. I can’t take it back now, most definitely can’t ever forget, but also can’t accept it and move on. What is an idiot like me to do? Go to cool down.

I walk into Luca’s house, letting some cold inside along with myself. I’m fully drenched, looking miserable, but I don’t care about that anymore. He stands in his atelier, a trail of paint tubes and brushes on the floor. The whole place is full of canvases, though there is also the odd statue lying around. One of the canvases catches my eye, one of his finished works displayed. I think Luca called it… what did he call it again? It depicts a luscious landscape on a mountaintop, where you would expect snow. In the center stands a beautiful woman, though she is depicted in weak hues of yellow and brown, compared to the landscape, which is filled with popping colors. In fact, the difference in his coloring choices was so great, the woman doesn’t seem to emit any color at all. While the grass was as green as could be, filled with lilies as white as snow and dandelions as yellow as the sun, the woman is depicted in a pale brown, almost grey, with barely blonde hair. I don’t like this painting very much. The coloring puts me off this otherwise beautiful painting. He still hasn’t noticed me.  Whenever he takes up the brush, he locks himself into a focus so deep, not even my standing directly behind him and shouting his middle name can get his attention. Him always listening to music also helps. He mixes his colors, white, blue, silver, chrome into a swirl of different shades which he uses to color in a blank part on his newest work. On it, there are two trees, juxtaposed and intertwined, though there are all but the same. He places every stroke and line one at a time, switching brushes all of which I couldn’t name. And I just stand there. I can’t take my eyes off of this painting in the making, can’t help but be fascinated by my friend, an expert partaking in their craft. I knew he painted long before this, saw all of his works even, but this one is different. I can see what painting means, now seeing it happen right in front of my eyes. My oh so impulsive friend, enthusiastically drawing every stroke along to the melody he was most likely listening to. I never saw him like this in my life. And so, I stood there mesmerized by the sight until it the work was finished. It now depicted a silver and a golden tree, with a person resting under the golden one. The golden oak rained ember red leaves, though it also sported budding blossoms on its sparce mane of leaves. The man is leaning against the trunk of the tree, resting. He is painted in normal colors, without any striking details. The silver sycamore sports leaves that are a mix of sky blue and the yellow of the sun. You can see the original colors in some of the leaves while others are completely green. Half of it doesn’t have any leaves at all. I think I’m beginning to understand. Luca takes his headphones off and turns to start moving around the room, when he spots me.

“What the hell, Baker!”, he gasps, shocked at my being there.” How long have you been there!?”

“A bit.”

“No, you haven’t”

“Ok, ok …I don’t know how long.”

“And why are you running in my atelier soaking wet?”

“Because I didn’t think to bring an umbrella. I’m going back to the fireplace at my house. You ?

“Not going until I hear what’s up.”

“Had it then fumbled. Happy?”

“No, imma drill you on details by the fire.”

“I’m not escaping this, am I? I like this one, what do you plan on calling it?”

“’Preciate it. Don’t know yet, something with leaves maybe? Does it matter?  I’m feeling cold just looking at you. You got any sycamore, Baker?”

“Yeah, but just to inform you, sycamore doesn’t smell like oak at all, not as pleasant by a longshot”

“So? The oak gave me the idea for this, I wanna test some stuff out now.”

“Why are you so obsessed with hard wood all of a sudden? Highly sus behavior, my guy”

“Fuck you”

I thought it was kinda funny. Whatever.

We walk out of the atelier.

[unfinshedsentec]

a/n: this is a request from Wattpad soo, yes, I’m finally getting requests done

random Taiju headcanons

Taiju might be ooc

there are minor manga spoilers here too, so beware~

this also takes place past the black dragons arc, so he’s not so….y’know

character pairings: taiju shiba x reader

tw: cursing and commitment issues

o   TAIJU IS DEFINITELY A TSUENDERE

o   Seriously, Taiju will totally be they type of person who pretends who doesn’t want any love, and “pushes” you away but the moment you stop he gets angry

o   Well, that applies any other time than when he’s getting ready to go to sleep

o   When he’s just about to fall asleep, he’ll cling onto you like you’re about to leave him, and whisper all kinds of sweet nothings in your ear

o   And trust me when I say he won’t let you, because you’d definitely have a big Taiju clinging onto you for the rest of the night

o   He also often has nightmares, especially about his family and loosing you

o   When he does have those horrible nightmares, you have to give him all the hugs and kisses you have, because he needs them

o   You also have to keep in mind that Taiju feels very guilty about everything he’s done to his siblings, so often times, he’ll vent to you about his frustration, guilt, and anger over what he’s done. It’s also because of that, that he’s very scared of hurting you. To him, you’re really fragile, so when I say that he’s careful with you he’s CAREFUL

o   Taiju also, obviously, hates it when people threaten/hit on you. He will absolutely destroy someone at ONE foul look (it’s nice protection for you!)

o   The same goes with the cat you guys have. Taiju is very gentle and caring with it and most other animals, but the moment another cat threatens your cat, he chases it away (obviously he won’t hurt a cat)

o   He works out A LOT He’s got this daily workout routine that he HAS to stick too, and he swears by that one workout routine (he makes you work out with him because of it)

o   He’s terrified of bugs

o   You’d never thing that such a big, brave guy would be so terrified of a spider, but he is

o   The moment he see’s a spider he screams, you come running, and end up throwing the spider outside while Taiju pants like he almost got killed

o   It’s funny, really

o   He’s also scared of hamsters

o   He’s afraid he’ll crush them, and their beady, empty eye’s sort’ve freak him out (weird, right?)

o   He’s just, overall, strangely afraid of the weirdest, small shit

o   I feel like Taiju is much more of the dominant one of the relationships, and he’s not used to being soft, so, you have to teach him how to be soft, and that it’s okay to be vulnerable!

o   Overall, Taiju is a work in progress

o   He’s not used to being a boyfriend, and if he was honest, he’s quite scared of the commitment and vulnerability that’s in a relationship

o   But he has the potential to be a great boyfriend, he just needs your help and love!

o   So, you better give him all the love in the world, after all, he needs it!

//end!

———

I know it’s a little short, but I really wanted to posted something while I’m wringing some other things☺️