#and Adam driver just kept out-acting them

[itspileofgoodthings]

when Rey heals Ben and he’s struggling to catch his breath and then he turns to look at her and Driver is doing exactly nothing on the surface with his face but just that one turn is this full blast of love and attention and questioning and he’s just saying everything in the entire world to her while saying exactly nothing at all. makes me go INSANE

[bruhhhh-huhhhhh]

if you could by chance, feed my obsession with some graves fluff, anything you want just something fluffy.

my obsession is out of hand, thank youu. <3

Anything for you boo thing <3

Coming Home

It had been a long few months for the both of you. You'd both be sent on missions by Shepard, a man you hated ever so dearly.

The worst part?

You weren't sent on them together.

You both didn't see each other, and when you did you had to act like you didn't know each other. It was nothing short of torture.

But you pushed through. The mission was simple enough. Get info and deliver it safely. It only took four months of sleeping alone in a safe house far too big for just yourself.

When you got home, you wanted nothing more than to see your boyfriend. But the house was eerily silent when you opened the door, and you knew that you had gotten home before he did.

So, ever so carefully, you sat your bag down in your shared bedroom and walked back out to the living room. You plopped down onto the couch, and started mindlessly scrolling through your phone that you had only just gotten back a few hours ago.

It took Phillip two hours to get out of the base and back to your shared home. The whole time he was nervously itching at his pocket, making sure his gift for you was still there.

When he finally got home, the sight of you on the couch made his heart leap into his throat. He missed you so much.

Graves sprinted to the couch, diving onto you and pulling you into the longest hug ever.

"Fucking hell, Phil," you complained, smooshed into his chest.

He just shushed you and placed a kiss onto your forehead. "I missed you," he confessed.

"I missed you too, but you don't see me jumping over the couch onto you."

"I didn't jump over the couch! I jumped from the side of the couch and... oh." It took him a minute to realize that he had, in fact, jumped over the couch. "Oops."

You just sighed and kissed him.

He, regretfully, pulled away and stood up. You went to follow suit, but he just pushed you back down. "No, no. I have something to give you," he explained.

You were curious as to what it was, but he was adamant on getting dinner and then giving it to you. Phillip ordered from your favorite restaurant and had it delivered to the house.

While the two of you waited, you cuddled on the couch and told each other everything that had happened while you were away. Graves got up and got the food from the driver, insisting that you stay sitting, and brought it over to the couch.

He placed the boxes on the coffee table and the two of you kept talking while you ate. Four months is a lot of time to be gone, after all.

When he was sure that you both were done eating, he cleaned everything. When you complained that you wanted to do something, Phil just shook his head and pressed a kiss to your cheek. "You deserve to be treated tonight. I don't want you lifting a finger."

With an eye roll, you let him keep doing whatever he wanted.

When Phil came back, he looked a little more nervous than before. Carefully, ever so carefully, he pulled something out of his pocket and got down on one knee.

"Y/n, I've loved you for a long time. I've known that I wanted to marry you for just as long. I planned on waiting just a little longer for the right moment, but after that mission we just had I couldn't. It was paining me not to have you with me at night. To not hear your laugh, your sarcastic comments. To not see the way you smiled when I told you I loved you or to see you roll your eyes at my jokes. I want you to be my husband so that I can argue when Shepard tries to seperate us. Will you marry me?" Graves asked, his eyes hopeful.

You couldn't help the smile that split your face, and you jumped off the couch and into his arms. "Obviously yes! God, I've been waiting forever for this!"

Phillip smiled and kissed you, tears springing to his eyes.

The two of you stayed like that for a minute before he pulled away and slipped the ring on your finger. It was beautiful, made with all your favorite colors and gems.

Graves picked you up and took you to your shared bedroom and laid you down in bed before getting in himself. He held you close to him, not wanting to let go.

He never wanted to let go if he could help it.

[emeraldspiral]

I never watched any Star Wars, why is Reylo problematic? Is incest or what?

It's really not problematic at all. The films go out of their way to show that Kylo Ren takes it easy on Rey compared to other opponents and never actually tries to kill her. If you look at how their fights are choreographed he clearly has multiple opportunities to cut her down but doesn't take them because his goal is to turn her to his side, never to kill her.

Some people really, really wanted Rey to be the daughter of Han or Luke or one of their other favs as wish fulfillment and kept insisting on it even though there were clips out there of Daisy Ridley saying stuff like "Rey's parents aren't important" and "Have you seen the movie? Clearly, I wasn't (the daughter of Han Solo)" before The Last Jedi even came out and made it explicit that Rey and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo weren't related and the romantic tension between them wasn't in the fans' heads. The scene where they hold hands was literally described as "the closet thing to a sex scene in Star Wars" and people still act like them kissing at the end of TROS was "forced" or "out of nowhere".

People just had a massive hateboner for the ship because it was more popular than their ships, because they thought Adam Driver was ugly, because he killed their fav, because he wasn't a self-insert Gary Stu fanchild who was totally stoked about being related to their heroes, or because they projected an idea of Ben as a stand in for their toxic exes or white supremacists or incels or whatever group they despise the most. But in actuality, Ben is so soft inside being evil makes him miserable. The only reason he does it is because he's looking for approval from a toxic paternal figure who groomed him his entire life and took advantage of the generational trauma he inherited and even then he still can't help but empathize with Rey, long before she sees any good in him.

[punchandspade]

We collectively would put them through misery and I love it.

From the notes, we have:

-The free fall: Leo clinging to a branch for dear life, a fall of 50m waiting for him if Adam doesn't get to him in time. I like this idea, it could also be from the roof of a building after a chase.

-Leo getting shot: oh yes. Definitely yes. I mean, it could happen so easily. Now, sick twist: Adam is actually the one who shot him. Not on purpose, of course, but somehow, the guys who they're after managed to confuse him. MORE GUILT. MORE TRAUMA. Good food.

-Adam going berserk: the feral spark in his eyes? Yes, it leads to that. He's ready to raise hell and burn everything down.

-Leo doubting Adam would even come to save him: poor Leo, drowning in his own sorrow. But they didn't part on good terms after all. Adam lied to him so now he's not even sure Adam actually cares about him… Would he really care more about the money? Leo sure believes it for a time. But then see point above: berserk Adam.

-Alternative version: Leo knowing Adam WILL come get him out of this and acts like an insufferable bitch. The more they punch him, the more he knows it'll make Adam completely mad. It'd be a bit ooc for Leo but hey. Why not.

-A hospital scene: you talk to my soul with that. If the show stays boomer friendly, then no kiss between two main characters I guess, but a "you look like shit" is good with a soft smile? Of course. But also, fingers finding each others, gently hooked by the tips. Like a soft kiss but they can't do that. *basic background piano music*

I would add:

-Car crash: the bad guys ram into their car on the driver's side. Leo is driving and is seriously injured. Adam just has some scratches. Why? Because it's his fault. The guys are after the money and all this shit is happening because Adam kept it. So Leo has to be the one injured (for the sake of drama, we love you Leo, we promise).

-Leo is kidnapped and slowly bleeding to death. Leads to: berserk Adam.

-Adam goes too far and is bleeding to death (it can't always be Leo). Now, drama scene: Leo tells him "Please, don't leave me again" through tears because he's soft and we love him soft. Please never change, sweet boy.

-Both of them fight the bad guys, one of them is injured but hides it until he can't anymore because he lost too much blood. They're bickering like an old married couple because "why didn't you tell me before?!" but they also need to find help. Of course they're in a remote location because who are we if we don't put them in an impossible situation where death is just around the corner? We're here for the drama, we're here for the pain.

If we don't get a near death situation in the next episode, I'm gonna implode.

[oevidius]

so i'm rereading the raven cycle (surprise, surprise) and as i was doing so, i found a very interesting parallel.

so we ALL know the quote of how ronan felt when he first saw adam walking his bike up the hill to aglionby and sending a prayer to god that was just one word: please.

anyways... that was obviously a desire on ronan's part. he wanted to know adam, to see him more, and then when adam was introduced to gansey and ronan, he wanted adam even more..

but as i was reading the raven boys, i came across the moment that adam had finally decided to go to aglionby:

he was at the grocery store, checking out, and his mother's card got declined. however, in the next check-out over to him, he saw a boy. with an aglionby sweater, nonchalantly swiping his card. this boy, however coincidentally had a buzzed head.

now, it says right after that adam knew it wasn't ronan because he wouldn't have been of age to have his drivers liscense yet... but adam had always associated that boy WITH ronan once they met.

the reason why i call this a parallel is because each of them encountered a "desire" when they saw each other (obviously the adam situation was a little different). but in general, they both had a realization in those moments. and these moments of want, desire, whatever you want to call it, were directly influenced by each other in some way.

for ronan, it was that he wanted adam. whether it was friendly at first (which it might have been i don't really think so, but whatever) and sending that prayer of please to god to be able to see adam again. and then that initial, passing want, turned into desire for the other. initially, we see how ronan acts towards adam: very standoffish and hostile. this is most likely due to ronan not being able to come to terms with the fact that god had answered his prayer. also it could be because of the fact that that was his sort of coping mechanism for hating himself for liking adam. as we see later on, ronan doesn't fully accept he has these feelings until opal says "why do you hate you" and then obviously ronan replies with "i don't." this leads to ronan being a little bit more obvious about his feelings. so for ronan: when he saw adam in passing, the realization came to him that he wants to be able to love himself by loving someone else (this is just my interpretation, i don't think it was straight off the bat with that mentality when he saw adam, just when he met him again in full).

for adam, it was the realization that he would do ANYTHING to be able to be one of those boys who were able to swipe their card and drive off without a second thought. he saw this ronan doppelgänger and wanted so badly to be like him. that want turned into a desire for academic achievement (he wanted to prove himself that he could be like any other aglionby boy). when he met ronan, he saw that stranger in the grocery store and had fueled that desire even more. he saw ronan as a rival. we hear that besides in latin, adam is at the top of every class he takes. he sees ronan as a threat to his future and even so far as to say his scholarship. when adam breaks up with blue, they start hanging out more and this makes adam come to terms with the fact that ronan isn't as bad as he thinks he is (which is cliche, i know). the truth is, is that adam has always thought of himself against the world, even to his friends. when adam saw that boy in the grocery store, he thought of that as just another challenge (to get into aglionby) but one that he felt would get him ultimately closer to his desired future.

ANYWAYS that's all i have to say, uhhhmmmm i literally kept this in my mind for so long and so i finally decided to actually put words to it?? and try explaining what i was thinking?? but yeah :)

[whisker-biscuit]

The Birds, The Bees, and The Bottles

Fandom: Psychonauts

Rating: T for mild language and discussions of underage drinking

Summary: Two teens are caught trying to sneak into a bar. Bob finally has a conversation he’s held off for far too long.

Because herbaphony is not the only thing that runs in the Zanotto family.

-------------------------------------

Bob’s phone rang at two in the morning. Judging by the jolly ringtone of Helmut singing Strawberry Fields Forever, it was his personal phone instead of his work one, and that was the real tip off to things being very, very wrong.

He woke up and groggily pulled out of his still-slumbering-husband’s arms to answer the little thing going off on his nightstand.

“H’lo?”

“Bob!” Truman’s voice came out far too loud for the time of night, and far too stressed. “Bob, I’m so sorry to wake you, but something happened with Lili. I need you to pick her up for me, please.”

The older man sat up, much more awake as worry and fear immediately rolled in his gut. Helmut finally began to stir beside him, sensing his partner’s agitation.

“Truman, what’s going on? Pick Lili up from where?”

“The city’s police precinct on Abbey Avenue. She – she called me, but I’m out of state and I wouldn’t get there for hours at least even if I left this instant. She’s not in danger!” He added hastily, hearing the concern before Bob could even voice it mentally. “She didn’t get hurt! She’s just…”

The way he tapered off, the way he hesitated, said more than words could.

“She just got herself into some trouble, and she needs someone to go get her.”

Helmut was sitting up now, and Bob felt the question cross their mental link.

 What happened?

 Truman needs me to pick Lili up from the police station.

“I’m up, I’m on my way right now,” He responded to his nephew verbally, heaving himself out of bed. His husband followed suit despite still looking extremely puzzled, bless him.

“Thank you so much, Bob. I’ll make it up to you as soon as I can, I promise.”

“Don’t worry about it.” The older man waved a dismissive hand even though Truman wasn’t there to see it. “Family is s’pposed to do that for each other anyway.”

“Did I hear that right? Our peppy petunia had a run-in with the law?” Helmut asked as soon as his partner hung up. He paused, and in a lower tone – “she didn’t kill anyone, did she?”

“I don’t think it’s that serious,” Bob said, pulling a coat on over his sleep shirt. “But something tells me we still have a few things to worry about. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Ohohoh, no, don’t even think about hoofin’ it without me. We both know I’m the better driver.”

“Neither of us are very good drivers, Helmut.”

“Exactly! That little bit makes all the difference!”

The herbophanist sighed, charmed despite himself and the situation. “Alright, alright. Let’s not keep her waiting.”

The police precinct was nearly dead at this time of night. While it would’ve felt eerie to anyone else, Bob was grateful for the lack of people, and not just because he was still an introvert of the highest degree.

Two teenagers awaited them in the lobby, sitting on a bench together. One was hunched over and burning a hole in the ground with his downcast eyes. The other sat straight up, defiant, holding a glaring contest with the officer standing over them. When Bob entered the room first and met his great-niece’s eyes, her self-assuredness wavered for a brief moment. She hid the slip-up behind a wall of indifference.

“Lili,” he said softly. Then, just as softly but with a gruff tinge of surprise; “Razputin.”

There was no accusation in his voice, but the former scowled harder and the latter looked like he wanted to employ his invisibility. Bob studied them both a moment before his husband appeared and broke the tension with his mere presence.

“We’re here to bust you out, kiddos!” He announced with spread arms, cheerfully ignoring the looks he received from every person in the room.

“Are you Truman Zanotto?” Asked the officer who finally broke his gaze away from Lili to give them a disapproving once-over.

“No, I’m uh, I’m Bob Zanotto, and this is Helmut,” came the awkward reply. “Truman called me to pick Lili up. She’s my great-niece.”

A few seconds of silence passed as the officer made no move to do anything with that information. Bob cleared his throat.

“We’re, uh, listed in her emergency contacts for school?”

“I see. If you can just fill out some paperwork first, we can release her into your custody.”

The herbophanist watched the way Raz seemed to sink further in his seat at the mention of family contacts. The Aquatos were also out of state right now too, if he remembered correctly. Perfect timing for two minors getting up to mischief.

Well, up until they were actually caught.

“And…Razputin, too?” He asked, catching the teen’s startled gaze and giving him the mental equivalent of a thumbs-up.

The officer raised a brow. “Is he related to you, too?”

“Well, uh –”

“Yep!” Helmut interrupted, strolling right up to Raz and giving him a merry clap on the back. The teen had a physique comparable to most adult Olympic athletes, but even he nearly toppled forward from the force of such a big man. “He’s my third cousin, twice removed. Big family. Very close. Holidays are an experience, lemme tell ya!”

“Fine,” the officer pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine, okay, I’ll make sure he gets cleared for release too. I’ll be right back.”

He stalked off, muttering something about it ‘being too damn early for this’, and the older couple turned to face Raz and Lili. Helmut steepled his fingers together to rest against his mustache.

“So! Now that Officer Spoil-Sport is gone, are we allowed to know what heinous crime has been committed in the night by my favorite pair of mischief-makers?”

The two glanced at each other. Raz was the one to break their silence.

“We, uh…got caught sneaking into a bar.”

Cold heat rushed through Bob’s core. Helmut blinked once, twice, then let out a boisterous chuckle.

“That’s it? Jesus! From the way you two were acting I thought you’d robbed the First National Bank.”

“…Helmut.” His husband murmured. The psi-king lost his mirth as he caught Bob’s eye.

“Ah…w-well, y’know, while I’m certainly glad we won’t hear about a righteous homicide in the news tomorrow, forgery ain’t exactly a humble hobby either.”

“It was just two IDs,” Lili muttered under her breath. “Not a big deal.”

The ice in her great-uncle’s heart turned frigid, but before he or Helmut could say anything to that, the officer was back. He shoved a handful of forms under Bob’s nose and the herbophanist fumbled to grab them before they all tumbled to the floor.

“Uh, uh, thank you.”

“Alright, we’re putting the pause on this conversation to make you free citizens again, but don’t think that means we’re done with it.” The Psi-King gave the teens the sternest look he could manage. “As soon as we get in the car, you two will have a lot of explaining to do.”

“O-Okay.”

“Uh-huh.”

------------------------------------

No one spoke a word as they got in the car and started the drive back.

Raz seemed content to continue his efforts to blend in with the background of his seat, still not meeting anyone’s eyes, and Lili stared out the window with her chin in her hand, leaning against the car’s backdoor and letting the lights of the city bathe her in neon sickness.

Helmut, bless his soul, dutifully kept the radio going while he drove, changing the station to something more mellow whenever a song started getting a little too upbeat for the collective mood of the vehicle. Bob sat in the passenger side with his arms folded awkwardly. His brain was buzzing, dreading the inevitable conversation he needed to have with his great-niece and trying to figure out how he was going to go about it.

It surprised them all when Raz spoke over the music.

“It was my idea.”

The two adults glanced at each other, then through the rearview mirror at the fidgeting teen.

“Your idea to go looking for a drink? Or to sneak into a bar to do it?” Helmut asked, turning off the radio.

“Both.”

He still wasn’t meeting their eyes. Bob sighed through his nose.

“I don’t believe you.”

Razputin’s head finally snapped up to stare at him in shock for the fast call on his bluff. “I’m telling the truth!”

“I think you’re only telling part of it, kid.”

“No! I’m telling all of it.”

“Razpu-”

“Oh, come off it, Raz,” Lili snapped a little too loud, making the whole car jump. “Quit trying to take the fall for me. It was my idea to try the stupid fake ID thing, okay? Happy now?”

“Wh – uh, who said anything about being happy about it?” Helmut asked, legitimately confused.

“Look. Neither of us had anything to do tonight, and we were bored, so Raz suggested getting a drink somewhere, but Adam and Lizzie are out of town so we couldn’t ask them.” She crossed her arms and spoke without any inflection. “So, we went out but no one would let us do anything cause we’re minors. I thought that was stupid, because we’re agents same as any of you, so I came up with the sneaking-in part. We only got caught cause one of the bartenders recognized Raz from a show.”

There were a lot of loaded things to parse through from that explanation, but Bob’s mind stalled on one particular detail.

“Adam and Lizzie give you two alcohol?”

“Not…often,” Raz admitted. “Just once or twice, when we asked.”

“Do you mean like, a literal once or twice, or a…an estimated once or twice?”

“Did Dad put you up to this?” Lili shot back. “It was just a few times, like he said. What’s with the inquisition?”

“…Lili –”

 “Raz.”

“Okay!” Helmut proclaimed as he slapped his hand against the steering wheel in boisterous aggression. “Who wants some ice cream?”

Everyone stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Cause I’m really feeling some chocolate-vanilla swirl right now. Basic bitch style. Right? Who’s with me?”

Silence.

“Great! Look at that, open Dairy King right there, better take advantage of this opportunity before it slips through our fingers like the melting ice cream we’re all gonna have in about five minutes!”

The psi-king swung into the parking lot in a frenzy and herded the car crew inside before any of them could come out of their shock long enough to protest. It was only as Bob was staring up at fifteen flavors of oversaturated sugary goodness that he realized what had just happened.

He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief over his husband’s diversion. The tension that had been boiling over was cooled significantly by the sudden non-sequitur, and while the teens were rather half-hearted about picking out their sweet treats, there was no longer a risk of an explosion happening.

Metaphorically and literally.

Helmut caught his spouse’s eye with a meaningful look at Lili the moment all of them had their orders in hand, then slung his arm around Razputin’s shoulders and steered him away. “C’mon my lad! Nothing like the cool night air of three in the morning to keep your Hurricane ™ properly chilled!”

The poor boy had no choice but to let himself be pulled outside, leaving the two Zanottos standing awkwardly in the dingy restaurant. Bob gave a nervous scratch at his chin under his beard.

“How about we, uh, find a seat somewhere?”

Lili couldn’t fully cross her arms while holding ice cream, but she did a good job of making it work anyway. “Sure.”

They sat in a booth in the farthest corner from the front counter. Both great-niece and great-uncle stared at their respective sweet treats as if they could teleport them out of this situation. Bob glanced out the window and saw Helmut and Raz standing outside of the car. The former was on one knee with his hand on the teen’s shoulder, speaking earnestly but inaudibly, and the latter was scuffing the toe of his sneaker against the asphalt.

“Are you going to lecture me?” Lili finally cut through the silence.

Bob turned back to her. “No. Not really.”

“No?” She broke her gaze away from her ice cream just a little bit, eyeing him with surprise. “Then why did Helmut take Raz and leave us alone?”

She was so perceptive, so smart. And yet, still so young.

“Well, I… I still want to talk to you about what happened. I’m just not very, good, at this kind of thing.” He took his spoon and absentmindedly began drawing a flower in his soft-serve. “You already know what you did wasn’t a good idea, right? So I don’t think a lecture would help things any on that front.”

She didn’t respond. He continued.

“It’s less about the fake ID and more…the reasons you made the fake ID. Does that make sense?”

“I guess so, but I know what I’m doing, Uncle Bob. I’m not going to drink irresponsibly.”

The herbophanist shook his head. “But you’ll do irresponsible things to be able to drink in the first place.”

“That’s not –” Lili didn’t have a good rebuttal. She folded her arms and grumpily started eating her cherry chocolate delight. “Whatever. It’s two different things, anyway.”

Against his better judgement, Bob began picking at his own food as he thought about how best to bring the subject back up without making the teen defensive again. Spoons clicking against teeth was the only sound between them for a solid minute.

Finally, an epiphany.

“Did Truman ever…tell you anything, about your great-grandma?”

The girl paused with a bite halfway up to her mouth. She frowned, confused. “Grandma Tia? Not much. Just that she died when he was a baby.”

“Yeah. Yeah, she did.” He ran a tired hand over his face. The ache in his heart might have long-since healed into a scar, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt when pressed. “She passed away when I was nineteen. The doctors told me it was liver failure.”

He didn’t have to say anything else. Lili’s mouth thinned and she put her spoon down, uncomfortable.

“When I…found out the reason behind her death, I was horrified by it. It didn’t make sense to me why she would willingly do something that hurt her so badly, especially when I was right there to love her and help her. It felt like a betrayal that she never got help or made herself stop. I was…disgusted by the mere thought of doing anything like that.”

Bob took a moment to breathe and wipe his eyes. He wasn’t crying, but better safe than sorry.

“It sounds pretty hypocritical when I say it now, doesn’t it?”

His great-niece only gave him a hesitant look.

“Anyway, uh, where was I…” He worried his lip. “Oh, right. I told myself that I’d never touch the stuff after that. I was angry at what she’d done, and I was determined not to have the same ‘weakness’, so to speak. As you know, it, uh, it didn’t last long. I was at a college party barely a year later when I was invited by some friends to drink with them. I didn’t make human friends very easily back then – actually, I still don’t – so I was a little desperate to keep them. It turned out to be pretty hard whiskey, so I got hammered.”

The man leaned back in his seat, staring at the patterns in the booth table.

“Back then, no one really knew how alcoholism could run in a family. Everyone thought it was a personal choice to keep drinking. It wasn’t even classified as an addiction yet. So I didn’t know how susceptible I was, or how careful I had to be. I’d spend months not having a single drink, thinking I was fine and could handle myself, and then I’d get plastered for a week at parties and bars and God knows what else, and it would take me even longer to get myself to stop again. It was like that even when I was with Ford and his gang. It wasn’t until I started dating Helmut that I started trying to change those habits. I’d never met anyone who loved me so unconditionally that I wanted to be a better person for them, until him. And it worked for a while.

“Well, barring our wedding, of course. I got shitfaced at the reception. It was embarrassing afterwards, but Helmut told me it made our cake-eating ceremony a hell of a great time.”

Lili snorted, and it was accompanied by a tiny upturn of her lips. Then it dropped as her expression became solemn. “And then…everything with Maligula happened, right?”

“Yeah. I think you know the rest of that story.”

“Uh-huh.”

Great-niece and great-uncle sat together for a while, just thinking about it all.

“I know I have to be more careful drinking than a lot of people, Uncle Bob,” Lili finally said at length. “My dad warned me about it when I was old enough to ask.”

“Truman is a good dad,” he murmured in response.

“The best dad.”

“Definitely the best dad.”

More silence.

“I didn’t mean to worry you and him,” she continued. “Or scare you. I know it was dumb to do what we did tonight.”

Bob looked at her, and she gave a conceding sigh.

“Okay, it was dumb to do a lot of what we’ve been doing with this stuff. That doesn’t mean I’m not being careful.”

“Kid, it’s not always just a matter of being careful. I thought I was being careful. I thought that for years and years, and when I finally realized I wasn’t, I convinced myself I could stop any time I wanted to, and kept up the same patterns anyway. That’s what I’m trying to get you to understand. I just don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did. I’m just worried about you.”

Lili closed her eyes with a grimace. “I know. I’m sorry, Uncle Bob.”

“Hey, kiddo, look at me.” He waited until she did so. “I’m not mad at you. I’m not disappointed, either. That’s your dad’s job. I get it, is what I’m saying. It gives you a buzz, and it’s fun and exciting, and you just wanted to have a good time with your, uh…”

Bob leaned in a bit, and dropped his voice to a stage whisper.

“Is Raz still your boyfriend?”

“Wha –” her cheeks went red. “Yes, he is!”

“Alright, sorry, I’m just always out of the loop. No one ever tells me when these things change or not. Anyway,” he continued before she could get brighter than the cherries in her ice cream. “I’m just saying that you gotta be more than careful with this kind of thing. Everyone should be, really, but especially people like us. Plants aren’t the only thing that runs in the Zanotto family, unfortunately, so we just have to be aware of it and act accordingly.”

The teen turned this over in her mind. He could practically see the gears moving. When she looked at him again, it was with a slow, contemplative nod.

“No more late-night bar-hopping?” Her great-uncle asked.

“No more late-night bar-hopping.” She answered, sincere.

“Good.” He looked outside. Helmut and Raz were both lying on the front of the car, pointing out stars to each other. The sight made him smile. “Come on, we’ll work on that whole thing about Adam and Lizzie giving you alcohol another time, when it’s not three in the morning. For now, let’s rejoin our boys again and go get some rest, okay?”

“Okay.” Lili slid out of the booth and tentatively took her family member’s hand. His fingers squeezed hers in reassurance. “And...thanks, Uncle Bob.”

“Well, what can I say. Us weird Zanotto plant people hafta look out for each other, right?”

“Right.”

They walked out together, hand-in-hand.

------------------------------

A/N: I knew from promotional material that we'd be going into the mind of someone struggling with alcoholism, but Bob's Bottles punched me hard in the gut. It's probably my favorite mind in the game, both because it's visually gorgeous and because it hit a little close to home with some of the themes, like generational alcoholism and how the addiction can make someone a shell of themselves.

I wrote half of this three weeks ago and then found myself really struggling to finish it because it brought up a lot of old feelings I thought I'd sorted through a long time ago.

Psychonauts, man.

[oreosmilkshakes]

Hello its your friendly neighbourhood supernatural enthusiast. I love your vamp/were!Reader fic. I've never seen the tables turn before like this for x readers! It was refreshing and so damn good.

My questions are these. Are you willing to do either werewolf!Sebastian or Vampire!Sebastian and the reader is another supernatural and they just end up bickering but secretly like each other? I've read the Mercy Thompson series and the idea of reading something with Seb having the same kind of changed rivalry Adam has with Mercy is 🥵 but also could it be gender neutral? Thanks! ❤

Title: The Fire Within Summary: The story of how a werewolf soothed a fiery demon over the years Pairing: Werewolf!Sebastian Vettel x Demon!reader Word Count: 2.6k Warnings: None A/N: You requested it, you got it! Seb as a werewolf pretty much explains his scruffiness. This story doesn’t follow canon races past and present (only some bits). It’s very rare that I write GN! Reader but here it is! I hope you like it! Taglist: @adlerslut

--------------------------------------------

No one knows how the rivalry between Sebastian and Y/N started. The earliest memory Y/N had of this rivalry was back in 2010, where both Sebastian and Y/N drove for Toro Rosso. While Sebastian chased for a championship title, so did Y/N. Imagine their extreme unhappiness when Sebastian got what he wanted while they had to suffer the same fate in 2011. After the events of 2011, Y/N left Toro Rosso for Ferrari where they drove for Ferrari with Fernando Alonso.

A whole season of fighting side by side with Sebastian and the man was crowned a two-time champion. His reign ended in 2013 when Lewis Hamilton took the crown from him.

Y/N could not remember how many crashes they have had with Sebastian in 2014.

“Oh! That’s a big crash for Sebastian Vettel and Y/N Y/L/N!”

Y/N pushed themself out of the car, shoving their helmet off their head. They threw it down, storming over to Sebastian who was doing the same.

“How the fuck did you not see me coming from behind?” Y/N shoved Sebastian on the shoulder, the werewolf’s eyes were burning red from anger. He bared his fangs at them. “You were forcing me off the track! What else was I supposed to do?”

Y/N snarled, forcing themself to not act upon their anger as the marshalls ran over to the two. Sensing the tension, the marshalls held both parties aside, keeping a good distance between the two. The medical cars arrived shortly after, bringing both drivers back to the paddocks. When the medics offered to check up on Y/N, they simply growled at them and stormed back into the garage.

That was one such incident. Of course, there were many others but there were too many to count.

So, try to picture Y/N’s reaction when they realised that Ferrari had signed Sebastian for the 2015 season. What was worse was that Maurizio had informed them at the last minute.

“Y/N, this is the reason why I did not want to tell you earlier,” The werewolf rubbed his forehead in exasperation as Y/N threw a fiery tantrum, literally. The demon was all ‘horns and wings out’ sort of anger. It took her PA and trainer to calm the demon down. Maurizio sighed heavily, shaking his head. He knew what he was going to have to face. He prayed that this situation would not worsen.

Boy, was he wrong.

--------------------------------------------

2015

Belgium. Lap 25. Sebastian was leading the race with Y/N right behind him, fighting for pole position. They had kept a good and consistent 8-seconds gap between themself and the third driver behind. Closing up on the Kemmel straight, Y/N was picking up pace and closing the gap between themself. Just as they were about to overtake Sebastian, a loud pop vibrated the track. Rubber flew in Y/N’s way, blocking their view and crashed into the back of Sebastian’s car. Debris covered the track as both cars crashed into the barrier. Y/N knocked their head on the steering wheel, lightheaded from the impact. Y/N struggled to absorb what had just happened, a hand pressed to their helmet. Slowly, they came to be. Unlocking the steering wheel from the dock, Y/N climbed out of the car, stumbling away from it to take a look at the mess. But, a sudden sharp pain struck their back. A cry of pain and they hunched over, almost losing their balance. Just before they did, a pair of hands caught them before they could. Y/N knew who it was but they were too sore to even push him away. The marshals came running and a medical car arrived on the double. The medics plucked Y/N off Sebastian, the look in their eyes was burning orange with pure anger. They tried to move their tail, crying in pain. The faeries medics took Y/N away.

On the very same day, Y/N was admitted to a hospital. Sebastian ran down the halls, trying to catch wind of Y/N’s scent but it was faint. He ended up seeking help from a nurse, who brought him to their ward. Maurizio stood behind the door with Y/N’s PA by their side.

Before Sebastian could knock, the older werewolf swung the door open. He stepped out, closing it behind him. “Sebastian,” “Maurizio, are they alright?” The older werewolf sighed. “They’re alright. Are you alright?” “Just a sore neck but nothing worse,”

Meanwhile, Y/N caught Sebastian’s scent in the wind. Sitting up slightly, they peered through the little window but Maurizio was blocking it.

“What’s wrong?” Alma, Y/N’s PA, questioned.

“I smell Sebastian,”

They felt the burning heat in their heart grow again but there was something cooling it down. It was the fact that Sebastian had taken the initiative to visit them despite their rivalry. Y/N swallowed, the orange in their eyes died down. Their brain would not stop repeating the same lines over and over again. ‘Sebastian had come visit me, Sebastian had come visit me,’

Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck, popping it. Maurizio placed a hand on his shoulder.

“What did they suffer?” “A little strain on their tail but nothing too major,” Sebastian let out a quiet sigh of relief. Nothing too bad.

“Look, Maurizio, what happened today was-,” “Was neither of your fault. Things happen, you know? Pirelli is looking into it as we speak,” Sebastian nodded.

“Thank you, Maurizio,” The older werewolf nodded, Sebastian left shortly after.

Maurizio stepped back into the room. “That was Sebastian, wasn’t it?” Y/N asked quietly. Maurizio nodded and they sighed. They leaned back, not knowing what to say next. However, they felt really grateful to Sebastian.

--------------------------------------------

2018

Monaco. Opening Lap. Y/N was starting 7th place and Sebastian was starting on the 2nd. Their hands gripped the steering wheel, feeling the tension as their eyes stared at the starting lights. As soon as the red lights were off, their foot was on the throttle and off they went. They followed behind Fernando, slowing down as turn 1 came about. The adrenaline was rushing and as Y/N entered turn 2, the situation took a drastic turn. It was worse especially when one is driving at over 265 km/h. It all happened too fast. Hulkenberg was right on Y/N’s rear. He made an attempt to pass. However, it turned badly. The front right wheel of Hulkenberg’s car struck Y/N’s rear left, sending the Ferrari into an unstable drive and straight through a barrier with a loud bang. Within that same second, a huge fire broke out. Surrounding watchers ran for their lives as the fire grew around the Red Horse.

Meanwhile, Sebastian’s engineer came on the radio.

“Red flag. Slow down,” Sebastian looked through the mirror to see thick, black smoke in the air.

“What’s happened?” “Y/N crashed,”

Sebastian tensed.

“Fuck! What happened?” “Standby. The instruction now is for all cars to pit. All cars to pit,”

Sebastian growled in frustration, following behind Checo. His grip tightened on the wheel, heart racing as he prayed hard that Y/N was alright.

Y/N felt the familiar warmth of home surrounding them. They slowly opened their eyes, the heat was intense but to Y/N, it was warm. They had both hands on the car, trying to push themself up but a piece of metal was pinning their foot.

“Fuck..Fuck!” They hissed. Unable to reach for the metal, they had to move their feet. The pain was biting and they were unable to move their tail. Once again, they pushed themself up, trying their best to wriggle their broken ankle out. They roared out in pain, the crackle and blaze of the fire drowned out the situation happening outside of the fire.

Sebastian watched the screen, Alma and Maurizio were by him. The emergency teams were trying their best to fight the roaring fire and Sebastian had his claws digging into his own palm.

“Come on..Come on..,” He muttered. As a demon, Sebastian knew that fire doesn’t affect Y/N. But it was the impact that he feared. The G force from the impact could kill a regular person, especially at that speed. Sebastian watched as the helicopter viewed the entire scene. The car was practically nothing now, just bits of big chunks of the rear and little scraps of metal.

Y/N breathed in hard, nails dug into whatever was left of the car and pushed themself up.  A loud roar escaped their lips, successfully getting their ankle out. They slowly moved to the broken barrier.

Everyone in the paddock was tense, distraught and vulnerable even. Y/N emerged from the fire.

“They’re alive!” One yelled, grabbing onto Y/N and carefully pulling them out of the fire. Y/N gripped on tightly to the man, the medical car was already waiting.

“Wait..Wait..,” They slipped from the grip of the man but another was quick to catch them. Exhaustion overcame Y/N. One assisted to push the helmet and balaclava off their face.

“Ambulance.. Ambulance. I’m okay,” Y/N wheezed out, concerned about their broken ankle and tail. They were also sure that they broke about two fingers on the right hand.

Paramedics carefully laid Y/N down on the stretcher, careful of their limp tail. It was these moments that Y/N thanked her father that they were impervious to fire.

As Y/N laid on the stretcher, they felt tears steaming their cheeks. They never thought they would see Sebastian or their best mates again.

Sebastian hugged a sobbing Alma tightly as the Ferrari crew hugged one another when they saw Y/N emerged from the fire. All drivers had gathered in Ferrari’s paddock, hugging one another. The drivers were all pack despite some being different species. They were family, they were pack. Max, a shapeshifter, clung onto Daniel, a fellow werewolf, so very relieved that his best mate was alive.

“It was a miracle,” Charles, a daimon, sighed softly, clinging onto Esteban, a vampire.

Y/N did not know how long they were out for but the clean smell of a hospital struck their nose. Slowly, they came to be, squinting slightly from the bright light. A heavy scent lingered in the air. Someone familiar. Sebastian.

Y/N carefully sat up, wincing slightly as they turned to see their casted tail and foot.

“You’re awake,” Sebastian sat up, rubbing his eyes slightly.

Y/N hummed in response, moving a hand to try and sit themself up.

“Let me help,” Sebastian offered, grabbing another pillow and wedged it between Y/N’s back and the second pillow. “Thanks,” They muttered.

The silence between them was comfortable but tense.

“Who won?” Sebastian chuckled in disbelief.

“You are injured and you are more worried about the race?” Y/N rolled their eyes. “Well, of course,” “Daniel Ricciardo won. I was second and Lewis was third,” Y/N nodded.

“Congratulations to Danny and Lewis,” Y/N refused to look at Sebastian.

“No congratulations for me?” “Fuck no,” Y/N hissed, glaring at Sebastian. This ignited anger within the German’s chest.

“After all that you’ve been through, why are you still being difficult?” “Because my problem is seeing you here! My rival,”

Sebastian growled.

“That’s not my fucking problem. I could have left you alone here but I didn’t. So take that into consideration,”

“Fine!” Y/N hissed, accidentally moving their tail. Crying out in pain, Y/N laid back down in pain, Sebastian jutted forward to help Y/N. Tears pooled their eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of it,” Sebastian sighed softly.

“It’s fine. Years of anger and rivalry does this to someone,” Y/N allowed their shoulders to slump, cheeks red. Years of fighting, something deep within their heart always knew that they had fallen for the German werewolf. And Sebastian reciprocated that feeling.

“Look-,”

“I-,”

Both interrupted one another.

“You first,” Sebastian smiled.

Clearing their throat, they glanced up at the werewolf’s eyes.

“I just wanted to say that.. I..uh..I’m sorry for everything. And I mean everything. All those times I tried to jeopardise your races. I used to have this immense hate for you because you were just so damn good at everything and I envied that a lot,” Y/N swallowed.

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t actually..desire..you,” They trailed off.

Sebastian stared dumbly at Y/N. The demon tensed, swaying slightly to see if Sebastian would follow.

“Seb?” Sebastian tensed. That was the first time he has heard his shortened name coming out of the demon’s mouth.

His stoic expression broke into a smile. Moving his chair closer, Sebastian gently took one of Y/N’s clawed hands in his.

“I would also be lying if I said I did not feel the same,” Y/N’s cheeks redden.

“When did you know?” “Well, let me ask you that question first,” Y/N thought back to the memories they had of Sebastian. There were some good among the bad.

“Red Bull. Definitely your Red Bull era. But what nailed my feelings was Belgium 2015. When we crashed into one another? I..knew you came to see me and I was, well, I was very surprised. I thought you hated me but I was starting to think you didn’t at all. It was just our rivalry and our tension that made us this way. I really want to start over with you, Sebastian,” The demon’s eyes glowed a light orange, one filled with adoration rather than the usual deep orange ones that were filled with anger.

Sebastian’s eyes glowed a light red, lacing their fingers together.

“Yeah, I think I want that too, klein dämon,” Sebastian moved closer to Y/N, resting his forehead against the demon’s and stayed that way for a good few minutes.

This was definitely the turning table for both drivers as they both went on to dominate the rest of the season together after the demon was off hospitalisation (Kimi took over during the time that Y/N was in the hospital). Y/N did their best, helping Sebastian with getting his wins. Of course this surprised everyone in the pack, especially the grid and the press. This new side of both Ferrari drivers was something no other drivers dared to mess with.

--------------------------------------------

2021

New season, new set of drivers. Sebastian was now racing under a rebranded Racing Point now Aston Martin. Y/N drove for McLaren with Daniel Ricciardo. Despite being away from Sebastian, the two kept a close (but intimate) relationship by sneaking behind their teams’ back and spending time with one another. It was a good secret kept for three years until both decided to come clean with the pack, only to find out that they knew earlier.

(“Oh we knew. We even made a bet with each other on who would be the one to announce your relationship,” Lando said. “Yeah, you guys can keep this relationship thing from your teams and the press but not us. We’re pack after all,” Lewis added and Y/N had never been so embarrassed in their whole life with Sebastian laughing at their reaction.)

Sebastian sat down beside Y/N, admiring the view of Baku from the rooftop of their hotel. Their tail wrapped around Sebastian’s waist, head resting on his shoulder.

“How far we have come,” Sebastian inhaled deeply, turning his head to nose the demon’s neck and rubbing his scent all over them.

Y/N laughed slightly, ticklish from Sebastian’s gesture.

“How far we have come indeed,”

Truly, a happy ending for the couple.

[ghostadventuresstuff]

Zak Bagans (Vampire) x Reader

Y/N

You never did have the best track record when it came to being safe, it was as if danger and near-death followed you everywhere you went but your boyfriend Zak was mysteriously always there to save you. He'd make you drink some homemade medicine which would have you feeling brand new in a day or two. It cut down on hospital bills.

You and Zak were returning back from a date when your car was smashed into by a large truck, running you off the road and with enough force you're ejected from the car. You can hear Zak shouting your name as your vision starts to blur, he sounds fine but that's impossible because the two of you had just been in a car crash.

Sleep overcomes you and closing your eyes seems like a good idea, however before the darkness takes over you feel something wet on your lips. It was probably blood from a head injury but something inside you told you to part your lips slightly and swallow. It was as if you could hear Zak's voice in your head. Then the darkness overcame you.

*2 DAYS LATER*

You slowly start to open your eyes, you remember very little from the accident but you were adamant your injuries should have killed you. You sit up in bed, yours and Zak's bed to be precise and notice there's no sign of injury on your body.

On the bedside table is a glass of Zak's homemade medicine, you drink it without hesitation as you always did. Though this time you taste something metallic, you bring the glass up to your nose and sniff. Blood, that's what you can smell. But why would there be blood in the juice you just drank?

You needed to find Zak and get some answers because you were seriously starting to freak out. Carefully you climb out of bed only then noticing that Zak had put you in one of his shirts which reached your knees. What exactly happened after the crash? Zak should have been injured just like you.

Walking down the staircase you get to the bottom step where a patch of sunlight seeps through the front door window. The second the sun makes contact with your skin your foot starts to hiss and you jump back as you feel the skin on your foot blister. What was wrong with you? sunlight didn't normally burn people like that.

'Zak,' you call out.

You get no reply. Carefully you edge your way around the patch of sunlight on the stairs and edge your way into the living room. The curtains are wide open and sunlight floods the room, you instinctively cover your eyes with your hand which is odd because you're never normally sensitive to light like this. A stray beam hits your hand and you hiss in pain before jumping back into a patch of shadow by the bookcase.

You started to freak out, what was going on with your body? You'd never felt this weak before, back in bed you felt fine because the curtains were closed but now you felt the energy leaving your body. You begin to sob silently and sink to the floor clutching your hands over your knees. Maybe Zak can offer an explanation.

*EVENING*

Zak hadn't returned home all day leaving you trapped in the small shadow in the living room. You were unable to reach your phone, by now you had cried all the tears out of your body and had begun shaking uncontrollably. Then suddenly you hear the front door open and Zak casually drops his keys into the pot, he was whistling.

'y/n are you up?'

You try to stand up but your body is weak and you collapse back to the floor. You manage to knock over a book which causes Zak to run into the living room, his eyes scan the room frantically before they latch onto you. His face drops as he darts beside you in a second.

'What are you doing down here?' he speaks frantically.

You gasp, fighting for breath 'I woke up and you were gone. I came downstairs but the sunlight hurt me, I've been trapped here all day because the sun kept coming through the windows. Why did the sun hurt me?'

Zak glances over at the open curtains and curses under his breath. He examines your hand and foot which still has slight burn marks on them.

'I'll explain everything to you, babe, after you drink this.'

Next thing you know his eyes have turned black and his canines have extended and he's biting into his wrist. Your eyes bulge at the sight of blood trickling from the wound. You believed in the supernatural world, but Zak couldn't possibly be a vampire as he showed no signs. He was obsessed with Dracula but you simply thought it was a quirk.

'I never should have left you, I thought you'd take more time to heal. Come on drink up, it will make you stronger,' he says with urgency in his voice.

He brings his wrist up to your mouth and as much as you find the idea of drinking his blood repulsive, something inside you stirs and suddenly you're craving the crimson liquid.

You pull away after a minute or so and already you feel strength returning to your body. Zak stands up and brushes the dust off his trousers before bending down and scooping you up bridal style. You should have been more scared by the monster holding you in his arms, but he still looked and acted like the man you fell in love with.

'Let's get you back upstairs love,' he speaks softly.

Before you know it you're back in the bedroom and Zak is placing you back in bed, however, he doesn't leave this time. Instead, he climbs onto the bed next to you and rests your head on his chest as he starts to play with your hair.

'If you haven't already guessed it by now y/n I'm a vampire.'

You nod in understanding, 'yeah I kind of conned onto the whole black eyes, extended canines and blood. How old are you? And why did you lie to me? Oh yeah, and what the hell happened last night?'

Zak chuckles, 'I'm 150 give or take a few years, after a while vampires stop counting birthdays. Now the reason I lied to you is that I didn't want to lose you. That night when we met in the club I was at one of my lowest points where I craved blood and would kill anything with a pulse. I saw you sitting at the bar and as much as I wanted to drink your blood, I couldn't bring myself to physically harm you. When that creep was hitting on you I was jealous and protective, I did kill him by the way. But once I got to know you I knew I'd found the reason to switch my humanity back on.'

He sounded genuine, and it made you feel warm inside that he was jealous of another guy hitting on you.

'I'd just lost my job that day and was looking for a little adventure. Then you came along and I got to have my adventure, give or take a few times you talked me out of things for fear of my own safety,' you joke.

Zak sighs, 'It takes a lot to kill a vampire y/n, whereas humans are easy to break.'

It was your turn to chuckle, it felt like you were having a normal conversation with your boyfriend who just happened to be a 150-year-old vampire, 'we were in a pretty bad crash last night. What happened? Because my mind is drawing blanks after I passed out.'

'We were hit by an oil tanker, the driver was over the limit and unfortunately didn't die but chose to do a runner. You were thrown from the car and I fed you my blood to heal you, however, if a human dies with vampire blood in his system then they start the transition into becoming a vampire.'

That explained the weakness to sunlight and the weak body, Zak had turned you into a vampire because he didn't want to watch you die. However, you were curious about the transition and what happened to the driver.

'What happens during the transition?' You ask, genuinely interested and a little scared.

'You have to drink blood from a human. That glass I left you earlier which you drank contained the blood of the driver. He had no regard for your life and chose to run instead of calling an ambulance so I took his life to save yours.'

Okay so that explained what happened to the driver, his blood was in your system and that was turning you into a vampire. But you had so many more questions. Zak seemed relatively calm and willing to answer, after all, he had made you immortal without your consent.

'How can you walk in sunlight whereas it burned me?' you question.

Zak shifts himself from under you and pulls something out of his jacket pocket. It's a small black box, 'vampires can only walk in sunlight if they have a ring made by a witch, luckily I know a friendly witch who made mine. Here give me your hand y/n.'

You lazily lift your hand up while Zak pops open the little black box, inside is the prettiest ring you've ever seen. You can tell it was handcrafted and looks like it's been through the ages.

'Zak the ring is gorgeous,' you gasp.

Zak smirks and slips the ring out of the box, 'this was crafted by my father 170 years ago, he gave it to my mother and then my mum handed it to me and told me to only put it on the finger of the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my days with. I had the witch spell it so you'll be able to walk in sunlight, will you do the honours of marrying me y/n?'

Your mouth drops open, those were the last words you expected to come out of his mouth. Was this why he was out all day? You should have been flattered that he'd waited 150 years to find the right person, and you couldn't believe that person was you.

Ever since you were a little girl you'd always planned how you were going to get married. Maybe to a vampire wasn't the initial plan but things change, you were both vampires and that meant he'd be stuck with you for a very long time.

'Yes, Zak I will marry you.'

You've never seen a bigger smile on Zak's face than right now, he slides the ring onto your finger before pulling you in for a kiss. You smirk against his lips and pull away slightly.

'You do know you're now stuck with me, Zak.'

He chuckles, 'I think I can handle you y/n.'

[lokifantasies]

The Trial PART 1

Summary: The long awaited trial against Evan Nichols has started, and the foundation of the case against him has been laid out.

WARNING: GRAPHIC TORTURE AND SEXUAL ABUSE EXPLAINED.

Character(s): Loki, Thor, Jade, & Evan

Read the Mischievous Life series here!

Follow Jade, Loki, and Reader!

Join the Discord here!

Taglist! (click here to join a taglist!)

Strikethrough means I can’t tag you for some reason.

@1marvelnerd3000 @agentkinghorn @angeldarkness95 @arypesanchez @chaotic-neutral-queen @donttouchmylaevateinn @emerald-alone @eyesbluelikethetitanic @fa-me @ferriswheel97 @geeky-politics-46 @holdmytesseract @iris-shihabi @itsybitchylittlewitchy @jeongadelarinia @lokistoriesblog @lougy @melianisnothere @mqrvelbvnch @mm2305 @mortallythoughtfulgurl @nms224 @prettysbliss @shraddhadeveshvikram @xoxoloverb @you-will-find-peace-someday

The trial is here. It's the day that your family has been waiting for since this whole nightmare started. Unfortunately, Loki and Jade are both adamant that you remain on bed rest for the sake of the growing baby, and you ultimately end up losing the argument when you try to force them to let you come. Loki assures you that he'll be by her side for the both of you – supporting her the entire time.

In the back of your mind, you know the stress of hearing and seeing the evidence would be too much for you, and no one wants to see anything happen to your baby. Thankfully, Thor also appears to support his niece and brother – sitting on Jade's right as Loki sits on her left.

"I don't wanna see him," Jade mutters – looking down to the floor when Evan walks into the courtroom with his parents.

The teenager looks like he's injured – his leg has a slight limp, and his eye is swollen and dark. However, the seventeen-year-old has a smug smile on his face – his ego being stroked when he sees the television cameras on him. He takes his seat in between his lawyers, and they group together to discuss something quietly. Loki, Thor, and Jade try their hardest to hear what they're saying, but they're speaking far too quietly.

"I don't understand how he could have a defense," Thor says to you and Loki. "How can anyone deny that he did what he did?"

You shrug. "I don't know, Uncle Thor. I just want this to be over with."

The prosecution begins their opening statement by laying out all the facts of the case and making it clear what Evan Nichols is being tried for. His charges are as follows:

- 1st degree aggravated kidnapping

- 1st degree sexual assault (with forcible penetration)

- 1st degree sodomy

- Conspiracy to commit a kidnapping

- Conspiracy to commit a felony

- Felony stalking

- Harassment

- Attempted murder

- False imprisonment

- Assault with a deadly weapon

The first few witnesses to testify are the first responders who saved Jade from the small space she was being held in.

"Could you please state your name for the court and how you became involved in this case?" the prosecutor, Mr. Jeff Bards, began to question the officer.

"Brian David Wilson. I'm an NYPD SWAT officer who responded to the 911 call to 4892 E Graves Road," the witness explains.

"What happened upon arriving at the address?"

The officer took a deep breath before speaking. "We, the SWAT team, forced our way inside the house, and we started searching. I began to hear some muffled pleas for help, and when I followed them, I came across the fake wall in the home's basement. After removing the fake wall, I discovered that there was a small crawl-space type room."

"Can you confirm what the photo on the screen is?" Mr. Bards asks – a photo of the tiny, dark space where Jade had been held showing up on the screen.

"Yes, that is the crawl-space," he confirms

"And where was Ms. Lokisdottir located?"

"She was located in the back corner of the crawl space. She came out from hiding when she saw me, and I pulled her out of the space," officer Wilson stops to take a deep breath and gather his thoughts – trying to push his feeling aside. "Afterward, I carried her out of the house and to the ambulance that was waiting outside."

There's silence as the officer exits the witness stand – looking towards Jade and Loki as he goes to take his seat in the rows. The other officers testify – stating similar things to what the first one did. Then, everyone hears the fateful words.

"The prosecution calls Jade Pandora Lokisdottir to the stand, please."

Loki and Thor wrap their arms around the shaking sixteen-year-old – remind her that they're right there, and if she needs to, just look at them and they'll help her.

"You can do this, my love," Loki says softly. "Just pretend you're having a conversation."

"Okay," Jade nervously breathes out.

Thor hugs his niece close before she stands up. "You are so strong, Jade...just like your parents. You got this."

Jade exhales and nods – trying to walk up to the witness stand without falling. On the way, she refuses to look at the defense's side of the courtroom – disgusted as to how anyone could defend Evan.

Oh well, everyone has a right to a defense.

For a moment, Jade looks towards Evan. A smirk appears on her face when she sees his injuries – wondering who she needs to thank for the revenge. Before Jade turns her attention away, Evan takes the chance to blow a kiss towards her – excited to watch the goddess relive the nightmare he put her through.

"Could you please state your name for the court?" the prosecutor asks – looking directly at Jade.

"Um," Jade's voice is soft against the microphone. "Jade...Pandora Lokis-Lokisdottir."

"And can you tell the court how you came to know the defendant?"

Jade takes a deep breath and exhales – looking towards Loki and Thor for support. "Ye-yes. Um, we met at the mall when my parents took me shopping before the school year started. That weekend, we went out on a date, and then we started dating."

"Were you and the defendant ever sexual?

"Not...really," Jade answers. "Um, we only ever had oral sex, but that's it. I wa-wasn't comfortable with ever going any further than that."

"So, there was never any consensual sexual intercourse?"

"No."

"How long were you and the defendant dating?"

"Four months."

"During that time, did the defendant act inappropriately towards you in any sort of way?"

Jade exhales. "Yes. The last night we hung out together, he tried to force himself on me, but he ran away and drove off when I yelled for my dad."

"Ms. Lokisdottir, can you walks us through the day of September 3rd?"

Jade shakes her head and exhales nervously – looking towards Loki and Thor for their support. This is the first time she's ever spoken about what happened to her, and hopefully, it'll be the last.

"I was...at school, and Evan told me he wanted to speak with me privately, so I followed him out into the parking lot to smoke marijuana and talk in his car. When we got to his car, though, he locked the doors, and he took off from the parking lot." Jade swallows hard before continuing. "Um...I begged for him to stop and turn around – just let me go back to school, and I wouldn't tell anyone. But he didn't. He kept driving – pulling a knife from under his driver's seat and holding it to my throat. I tried to do as he said – hoping that he'd let me go, but he never calmed down. When we arrived at his house, no one was home. H-he led me into the basement and pulled a dresser away from the wall. It was a secret room behind the wall, and he made me...uh...he made me take all of my clothes off, so I was completely nude. He put a collar around my neck, and he connected it to a bolt in the floor so that I couldn't move much. He left for, I guess a couple hours, and he left me in the dark room. I remember how cold it was. It was freezing...especially since I didn't have any clothes. When he came back, he started to...do things."

"Could you explain what things were done to you by the defendant?"

Jade's eyes begin to tear up – her breathing becoming staggered as she thinks about how to word the horrific abuse she had been put through. The looks of support from Loki and Thor, however, give her a strength that she didn't know she had.

"There was...a metal bar," Jade begins quietly – biting her bottom lip to keep her thoughts going. "He had a long lighter with him, and he started to heat the bar up. He was laughing when he pressed the hot metal to my thigh – smiling at me while I screamed in pain as my skin started to burn. There's still a burn scar on my left thigh. When the bar finally cooled down, he threw it to the side. He grabbed me by the chain leash and forced me down to my knees. With his other hand, he...took his penis out of his pants and pried by mouth open. He grabbed the back of my head and used my mouth to get himself off. No matter how much I cried, and begged, and pleaded, he didn't stop. He found it entertaining. It turned him on." Jade looks out to see Loki and Thor becoming angrier by the second, but they're trying their best to remain calm for Jade's sake – knowing that they need to be her support. "After he was...finished, he uh, forced me to lie on the dirty floor. I tried to keep my legs closed, but he punched me in the face, which caused me to jump. Before I could try to close my legs again, Evan had them spread, and he began to...force his mouth...on me. I felt his teeth bite me, and I knew I was bleeding, but it seemed to turn him on even more. H-h-he reached over and grabbed the metal rod again, and h...I'm sorry...can I just...a moment?"

"Take your time," the prosecutor assures Jade – maintaining a professional composure.

Jade exhales deeply – closing her eyes and trying to gather her courage to continue.

"H-he began to use the metal rod to...assault me. He shoved it inside me – giving me cuts and bruises. I was bleeding, but he continued to thrust it in and out of me until he was satisfied. I thought he would finally be done, and I thought he'd take me home, but then I felt him begin to...insert himself...his...penis...into me. I tried to kick him off, but he held my legs as tight as he could to stop me from moving. It...I'm pretty sure he was trying to cause me pain. Finally, I stopped fighting – wanting him to just hurry up and let me go. I tried to stop crying because I didn't want him to be anymore satisfied with himself, but when I felt his fingers start to go into...the other side, I started fighting again. He pulled me up by the chain, and he forced me to look into his eyes. I remember he said that I was now his slut, and he was going to break me until I learned to love it. After a couple of minutes...he...ejaculated into me, which later resulted in a pregnancy. Evan was still wanting more though, so he turned me over and held my face to the floor as he entered my backside. Again, ignoring my cries and screams for him to stop. I lost track of how many times he did this...I think I may have blacked out or something, or maybe my brain made me forget in order to protect me from the memory, but the next thing I remember was being alone, redressed, and I heard the police officers calling out for me."

"Thank you, Ms. Lokisdottir," the prosecutor says with a proud smile.

[hamphobicbasil]

Could u elaborate about the dsmp story being bad? Not a rabid/brain dead fan, just genuinely curious and I enjoy reading people's rants lolol

oh you dont know the floodgates you just opened

a few things:

1. despite not liking the creators of the dsmp anymore, I don't actually hate most of them. [the ones that are particularly unsavory fall outside of this of course] so all that I'm saying i truly mean in a critical sense towards the story, its also just all purely my opinion as someone who enjoys fictional and fantasy stories and who like criticizing works to see what it does well and what it doesn't do well

2. for clarification I'm going to use the c![name] to indicate when I'm talking about the characters. Don't get me wrong, I think its annoying too but its the only way I'm gonna be able to write this thing without getting something across the wrong way yknow?

3. I stopped watching the streams after November 16th, [save for one Techno one but I closed out after a particularly bad story beat lol] and so all information coming afterward is all second hand from either me seeing people on twt talk abt it or people dming me. All i really know is up to dream's imprisonment and some stuff past that.

4. This is mostly aimed towards the "main" story, so stuff abt the badlands, eggpire, and whatnot are briefly mentioned.

anyways uh, i'll try to be brief but also include enough information to get why i feel the way i do on some stuff across

A. Performances Alright obviously these people are all streamers, so obviously they might not be the best actors, and hell no one is even asking that of them. However, when you're telling a story that's based on the audio with the visuals kinda coming to a second, it's gotta be pretty strong. I will say, some of the best actors in my opinion are Wilbur, Tommy, and Tubbo. I would include Ranboo but I never watched any of his story bits or story streams so I can't say much. Wilbur and Tommy are excellent in selling their character's emotions and feelings, when I watch the stream I don't feel like I'm watching an rp but an actual thought-out story yknow? And one of my favorite Tubbo examples was in the Hog Hunt video whenever Techno attacked him, he sounded genuinely afraid and I believed everything his character was feeling.

However, unfortunately, not everyone is gonna be that good. And I'm gonna say it; Dream and Techno have to be the worst out of the entire cast. I understand Techno's whole character is this monotoned badass, however, when really emotional moments hit I feel like he never lets that fall, and a lot of intense moments just ring hollow. And I'm sorry but Dream's attempts at being intimidating leave me laughing whenever I watch them. It feels like he watched that one scene from The Marriage with Adam Driver and Scarlett Johannson and said "Oh this is what good acting looks like! Just yelling." His whole "I don't give a FUCK about Spirit!" speech isn't as great as people keep making it out to be. And whenever he tries to act coy when being a villain it feels like a guy reading the script for the first time, a bit like he's trying too hard. I have more problems with his character but his portrayal certainly doesn't help.

Everyone else is fine, and I don't feel strongly either way about a lot of them.

B. The "Lore" Okay first off, I can't be the only one who thinks it's silly that people are calling the dsmp's story "lore" when it's not, it's the fucking story. Lore indicates backstory to either the world or the characters, which a lot of the streams don't really pertain to. This is a really petty section but god it's a weird pet peeve of mine.

Other than the misusage of "lore" vs "story", the actual lore and world-building of the world are so lackluster that new elements can be introduced whenever and it often feels cluttered or not well thought out at all. And here's the thing, I feel like if the writers sat down just for a few minutes to establish world rules and general history, a lot of this could be solved! but so much is made up on the spot that it starts to feel like they're grabbing at straws to keep people invested, trying to reach that next high and intense story beat without actually earning it.

C. The Egg / Eggpire This is a pretty minor note since I was only invested in the Egg storyline for a little bit, but god it's so underused that it's almost embarrassing. Bad has provided this super interesting antagonistic force that's infecting the SMP, can control people, and who one of our main character is immune to, and it's just never used or even talked about again? Now I understand if he wanted to keep it to a side storyline only, however, to introduce this borderline eldritch creature and force within the world and then never have it dealt with is so weird.

D. The Writing Oh boy this is. kinda a big one. Now I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty obvious I have a bias for the Wilbur writing over the current team [that consisting of Dream, Quackity, and Tommy mostly]. I don't this his writing is perfect by any means, the characters constantly bringing up traitors got obnoxious after a while, and writing Hamilton but in Minecraft really isn't the modern Shakespeare or anything. However, I think his exploration of characters and plot progression was a lot more thought out and well planned, like he actually had two brain cells behind the story yknow? The current team I think fails to be as emotional or even impactful, things happened too fast and my god was everything drowned in angst for so long.

Don't get me wrong, you gotta have your characters face hardships to make them reach their goal believable, but some of the shit they put the characters through just felt like too much. From c!Tubbo's constant comparison to c!Schlatt [who btw, fucking ordered his death and kept him from his friends in a nation he felt trapped in] and on a side note, i kinda really fucking dislike the "c!Schlatt dad!!" au's or the au's where c!Tubbo inherits some of Schlatt's features, it would be like c!Tommy getting a c!Dream mask after his exile, it's feels so weird yet people eat that shit up for some reason.

But god, did c!Tommy get the brunt of it all and in retrospect after his final death, it kinda feels really fucking gross. Now obviously, I'm not trusting any of these people to write decent mental health representation, but c!Tommy's PTSD and how it was explored was just degrading. [Specifically the scene in that one Techno stream where he saw the final control room from the first war, and had a flashback / panic attack where he started calling out for c!Dream. I understand this is an actual thing people with PTSD will experience, but it felt so fucking stereotypical it got on my nerves. I actually had to close out of the stream because it made me feel sick, fiction shouldn't leave you feeling that way.] And don't get me started on how they basically reused the formula from the previous arc. [Problem introduced -> Tensions rise as things start to fall apart -> Big confrontation -> Exile -> Return from Exile -> Blowing up L'Manberg, again.]

And speaking of characters-

E. Character Arcs, or the lack of them In my genuine opinion, some of these characters' arcs are so disappointing. Especially c!Tommy's. I'm not one to believe that he was a "selfish" character or anything, however, his goals were simply set on his discs and maybe c!Tubbo, he didn't have much outside that. However, L'Manberg gave him something to care about, he gave up his discs for it and he fought for it tooth and nail, I think it taught him to open up to others and trust more. It was a great character arc for him to have, seeing him still fight even after his first exile alongside c!Wilbur, to return safely to the nation that he and his found family had built.

But then his second exile happened, and I feel like all of that was undone.

c!Tommy's exile genuinely pisses me off for so many reasons. It's not that characters can't have their low points after reaching a major change or feeling like they've "completed" their arcs or anything, but it's more of the fact that it seems like he's never going to heal that feels like a spit in the face, especially to people who might have had setbacks like that before. Progress isn't linear, sometimes things happen and you get knocked back down, it can take a while to get back up, but I don't think c!Tommy's character is ever going to be allowed to get back up. From c!Dream, who pretty much was a constant abuser in his life, killing him then reviving him, and his still fractured relationship with c!Tubbo, which by the way I have a had time believing they would still be friends after all that happened, it feels like he can never get a win and it's generally kinda a shit way to treat your characters who have been abused. Of course, not all abused characters are going to get happy endings, I'm not trying to dictate that they all should, but c!Tommy deserves one and the fact that it's so obscure feels shitty.

Side note: we still don't have a canon reason to give a shit abt the discs. Like I'm sorry but without some sorta connection to the MacGuffin why should we give a shit about him getting them other than "he wants them lol". Like hell, I would even accept the classic "they were the last gifts from his parents" or something, but we still don't have a reason.

c!Tubbo also lacks a fulfilling arc as well, from someone who started out as a yes man, he has progressed a bit into having his own interests first, but besides that sometimes his character makes me so. depressed. He's easily one of the most pushed around and hated characters within the story, all for being a kid who didn't know what to do and he's in the same vein as c!Tommy; these kids can't get a break. Also, his anti-violence beliefs morphing into the "lets kill c!Techno lol!" bit was so out of place and without proper build-up it was like. what. And now he's building nukes?? god c!Tubbo makes me so sad because he's kicked around constantly and never given a chance to grow.

Another small note, I also don't really enjoy c!Techno at all. Besides the previously stated reasons of lack of emotions when they're really needed, I find his character to be weirdly pretentious. He talks as if he's constantly been betrayed and hurt but I personally, don't see it? Like, I think one of the main examples was the Pogtopia vs. Manberg war, yknow he wanted to end the government but they just reinstated it after they won = c!Techno upset. But this doesn't make sense to me because why did he think otherwise? The entire time c!Tommy had talked about taking back their nation and starting again, so the fact that c!Techno suddenly thought there would be a sudden change is, to put it bluntly, kinda fucking stupid. I don't want to say that he "plays the victim" or anything because that feels a bit harsh, but his character feels so far up his own ass that I can't enjoy him.

I have a major grip with c!Dream as well, but that's getting it's own fucking section.

F. L'Manberg This is a quick note before we get into the, forgive me for this, endgame, of this entire rant, since the next two sections are tied together. But god, L'Manberg makes me upset because it feels like they gave up on it.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that it is supposed to be c!Wilbur's "unfinished symphony", the thing that destroyed a once charismatic and widely loved man, his attempt at power that utterly ruined him. But the fact that it just got blown up in the end after everything and left to rot felt like such a waste of time. From the first war, to Pogtopia, to even c!Tommy's exile, it all felt fucking worthless in the end, and the story is actively closer to how it was when it started now more than ever. I wished it was actually allowed to exist and continue to be a peaceful place in what is a chaotic world, but no it was just snuffed out because why dedicate to this concept of finding others you can band together with and feel safe. fuck that noise apparently?

G. The Villains Now villain-wise, I'm only talking about c!Dream [during the first war], c!Schlatt, and c!Wilbur. And believe it or not, this is actually mostly positive.

Now I'm not gonna lie, c!Dream as a staring antagonist wasn't bad actually, he posed a genuine and threatening opposition to L'Manberg, even if we didn't know his real intentions or motivations as to why he was against it. He's lucky in this sense because he didn't have to be good, he had to be passable. If anything, he felt more like an anti-hero than a tyrant or traditional villain, and my god do I wish he kept this theme going forward.

Now quick disclaimer, I don't like JSchlatt as much as the next guy, he's an adult man who should know better than to joke about some sensitive topics and act the way that he does. But the one thing I'll ever give him is that damn, was he a good actor for his character.

Now here's the thing, c!Schlatt wasn't particularly deep at all. He had no real motivations behind his exile of c!Wilbur and c!Tommy other than getting competition out of the way, had no reason to act the way that he did and yknow? that's fine. The reason why he worked was from his performance alone, he was actually intimidating. When he came onto the stream and was doing his typical bad guy stuff, it was actually intense to see what he would do. Whenever he would almost catch c!Tommy back in Manberg, whenever he would begin to pressure c!Tubbo, it put you on the edge of your seat and it felt like everything would change at the drop of a pen. He's a villain to be a villain, and this works out because he's just charismatic and well put together enough to make it interesting, even without the backstory or motives.

c!Wilbur however, is much more tragic, and the best villain of the story. He essentially was the "mentor turned evil" trope and it felt terrible watching him descend into madness, unable to trust barely anyone except for c!Techno and c!Tommy. Hell, in the end I think he still cared about them both, despite losing everything. Sure, he blew up L'Manberg, but there was still a smidge of the old c!Wilbur in there made everything he did feel melancholic. His death at the hands of his father after achieving his final wish was chilling, and something I still think about.

Until yknow, Ghostbur came back way too soon to let people feel his loss as a character within that world. And then he got revived, pretty much-undoing everything that moment meant for his character lol.

And then there's the worst one:

H. Dream. I'm going to be completely honest, c!Dream is one of the main reasons why I dislike the current dsmp stuff so much. Outside of his actions as a person, the way Dream decided to write his character as this overpowered madman of the dsmp really just. destroyed any intrigue that he could've had. Perhaps this is from my growing dislike towards him, manifesting into a bias towards his character, but god I cannot fathom why people try to insist he's interesting when he has as much depth as a fucking puddle.

And here's the thing, I'm not even entirely against c!Dream being a villain, hell I think he would've been great as an anti-hero if anything. Make him sympathetic but not through c!George to get your precious "DNF" points or anything, but show him actually caring about the people within the dsmp, including c!Tommy and c!Tubbo. This would make his rival status with them just a bit more complicated, sure they're enemies, however, he doesn't want to hurt or kill them, and there's still a level of friendship there that keeps them bonded when things get super bad. This could've been super interesting to see, the first villain of the story receiving a sorta redemption arc then descending into madness as he started to fixate on being a god. This is all how I feel personally, but god do I feel like it would've been better than his current character, and hell would've worked with how he was during the Pogtopia arc, before the war that is. I'm not trying to tell Dream how to write his own character, but there are so many other ways he could've done the madman seeking to become god rather then. whatever the hell we got.

Because instead, we got this power-mad asshole who does things... because he can? And that's one of my major issues: he tries to surround his character in mystery to make him "intriguing" but it's kinda like c!Techno, it comes off as pretentious. Not only that, but you cannot keep waving around this mystery of a backstory without ever actually revealing it. I know the story isn't over, but c!Dream is effectively at his lowest point, now would be the time to reveal his backstory. But no just keep it in the dark and keep everyone guessing, that's totally fun and not at all tiring and annoying. (sarcasm, if anyone needs it)

And back to his performance, he doesn't sell this aloof, cynical and strategic warrior that has perfected the blade or some shit, he comes off as some angry guy yelling on reddit. which i don't need to tell you, isn't intimidating. It feels like he's trying to have c!Schlatt's intimidation combined with c!Wilbur's depth, but instead he's like a little brother who's trying to hard to mimic his older brother and is kinda embarrassing himself.

but other then that i dont feel too strongly abt the dsmp lol

but seriously, these are the main complaints I have abt the story tbh, I could probably talk about more but I wont because man. this is probably gonna get me in trouble if any of the hyper-dsmp fans actually read it.

[twilight-love-nochu]

BTS Reaction to neglecting your family while away (Maknae Line)

JIMIN (Park Jimin)

*im going to name the kids here because it’s more understandable than saying Y/S/N as there are two sons in this reaction*

“Okay, everyone in the car!” You shouted while struggling to get every school bag, lunch box as well as your own things that you’d need for work and holding your youngest daughter in your arms. You ushered your 3 kids out of the house and into the car as fast as possible to get them at school on time. You put the things into the trunk while your sons got into the car on their own. You were so thankful they were quite independent already when it came to certain things at 7 and 5 since you also had to take care of your 3 year old. As a Semi-single parent that was very helpful and you couldn’t help but thank God for that.

You hurriedly closed the trunk and went to the backseat of the car to put your daughter in her car seat and checked if your sons put their seatbelts on right. When you were sure they did, you carefully closed the car door and slipped into the driver's seat.

“Done!” You thought while closing your eyes and letting out a sigh. A grin stretched out on your face when you then realized what always followed the hectic morning.

“You know what time it is?” You turned to look at your children in the backseat still grinning and you could see the same thing happening on your children’s faces.

“CARPOOL KARAOKE!!” You heard the voices of your eldest son Adam and your daughter booming inside the small space you were in, even though you weren't entirely that the little one even really knew what was happening. Your 5 year old, Yeonwoo, didn’t say a thing and simply looked through the window. You found that weird because usually he was the one who was most excited about the karaoke session you had almost daily. You shrugged it off and blamed it on him not getting a good night of sleep last night after having a nightmare.

Your husband and you started to do those carpool karaokes ever since your eldest son started kindergarten. One day, your husband and you just put on some music in the car on the way there and sang your hearts out and you saw how excited your son was on the backseat, which surprised you because he would usually be in a bad mood and pouting before going to kindergarten. Seeing that it put your kids in a good mood and woke them up, made them actually excited to go to school and was a great bonding time for your family, Jimin and you decided to make it a tradition.

You were singing songs that were playing on the aux at the top of your lungs with your son and your daughter was also trying her best to sing the songs right but the only voice you didn’t hear was the one from your middle child. So when you arrived to a red light, you turned to him and said: “where missing your beautiful vocals, babe”

“Yeah you need to sing with us to practice for our band, Yeonwoo” Adam added to his brother, which made you chuckle. Yeonwoo was not laughing though. In fact he didn’t react to anything you said and kept looking out of the window. He started to worry you. Usually, even if he was tired, the karaoke would help him wake up and excite him. You sighed but couldn’t do anything in the moment as you had to continue driving again.

You dropped Adam off at his primary school and sent him off with a kiss before making your way to the kindergarten to drop off the other two. Without Adam’s singing, the vibe inside of the car became a little weird though, since you were the only one singing, with your daughter's cute rambling, but you didn’t want to stop and make everything even weirder. Plus, you had a little hope that Yeonwoo would soon give into the singing.

To your dismay, he kept silent until you got to your destination. You brought the too inside and helped them take off their shoes.

“Kissy” you turned to your daughter. She gave you a kiss and skipped inside with the educator.

You then turned back to Yeonwoo who was getting up to go inside, too.

“What a second, kiddo.” You knelt down and made him turn to you but he kept his gaze on his jacket. “Are you okay? If you don’t want to go to kindergarten today, you don’t have to, you know? We can go get some ice cream or go home and sleep some more?” You were never a fan of forcing your kids to go to school. If they really didn’t want to go, there would be a good reason for that.

“I’m okay, mommy. I need to go inside now. See you later.” He said without a lot of enthusiasm in his voice but he nevertheless gave you a kiss and went inside.

You watched him worriedly until he was out of sight and got up with a sigh to make your way to your job.

The whole day long, you couldn’t get your son out of your head. What was wrong with him, today? He was usually so cheerful. Was it maybe his nightmare? That was the only reason he could have for being so down, so that must be it. When he came into your room hiccuping, you asked him if he wanted to talk about it but when he shook his head vigorously, you let it be. Now you wished you had insisted more so that you would know how to help him now.

When you picked your kids back up from school and Yeonwoo was still not his old self, you decided you had to talk to him. So you sat him down with you after dinner and started asking him.

“Kiddo, what has been up with you all day? You look so sad it makes mommy sad too” you told him slightly pouting to lighten the mood a little.

“I already told you this morning that I’m fine, mommy. There’s no need for you to be sad” he stood his ground. You looked at him and decided to change your tactic and ask directly. You sat him down on your lap and asked: “Does it maybe have anything to do with the bad dream you had yesterday?” You felt him tense a little and look look down but he stayed silent.

“Mommy?” He shyly looked back up at you.

“Yes baby?”

“Does…. does daddy hate me?”

What?

To say you were in shock was an understatement. Why would he say that?

“No he doesn’t baby, don’t be silly. Why do you think that?” You asked full of concern. So that’s what his dream was about? No wonder he was that upset.

“Daddy's never here, doesn’t call and when he does, it’s only for a short amount of time. Is it because of me? Does he not like me?” His voice wavered and his eyes filled with tears making you almost cry with him.

“No, honey, no. Daddy loves you very much. He loves us all, so don’t you ever think otherwise. Daddy is just a very busy person, you know? It’s true he’s away a lot but trust me if he could be with us everyday he would.” You could tell he was having a hard time believing you so you did the only thing that would make him believe. You pulled out your cell phone and FaceTimed the man in question.

“ You know what? Let’s call daddy and you’ll see” you felt your son getting anxious on your lap but you were set on sorting this out as soon as possible.

“Hey babe!“ the familiar voice of your husband boomed through your phone.“ I know I haven’t called much lately, I am so sorry. I swear I am trying but I can’t seem to find the time, I’m so sorry“ Jimin started to ramble as soon as he answered. You chuckled. You knew he was trying his best so you didn’t put it against him.

“It’s OK babe, that’s not why I am calling. I’m calling because this little guy here” you pointed the camera at said little guy who now had his head hidden in your shirt ”put the silly idea into his mind that you don’t love him. I tried to tell him that that was not true but I can’t convince him, so maybe you can.” as soon as you said the words you saw your husband‘s face fall.

“Yeonie? Hey look at me kiddo.”You could literally hear the heartbreak in his voice. Your son slowly turned to look at his father on your phone. “Why would you think that?”

“You said that in my dream. You said that you didn’t love me and that was why you 're always away.” He fidgeted with your shirt tears starting to fall from his eyes.

“Yeonie, listen to me. That was just a dream. That was not reality. Trust a bad dream. OK? I love you more than anything else in the world. You along with your siblings and your mother. You are everything to me. Me being away so much has nothing to do with any of you. Because of my job People from everywhere in the world want to see me. And if I wasn’t doing this job I wouldn’t be able to bring back all these awesome toys, would I?” Jimin added playfully. When you heard Yeonwoo giggle for the first time today, you couldn’t help the relieved sigh that left your lips.

“By the way, you won’t believe what awesome toy I found for you this time!” At this point it looked like Yeonwoo had completely forgotten about his nightmare and the tears on his cheeks.

“What is it? What is it?” He bounced up and down on my lap in excitement.

“That’s a surprise” your husband laughed. “You’ll see we’ll have sooo much fun with it.”

“Okay, come home soon daddy!” Your son said slightly disappointed that he had to wait to know what his toy was.

“I will. I miss you very much Bub. And I love you, and you too Y/N.”

“Love and miss you too” your son and you said in unison and ended the call.

“Feel better babe?” You asked the child.

“Yeah. But I want to know what my toy is.” He pouted which made you burst out laughing relieved that your son was back to normal.

V (Kim Taehyung)

Taehyung’s biggest dream next to becoming an idol was to found a family. Have a beautiful wife and have a lot of children with her. Everyone knew that, it was pretty clear when you saw the way he acted with children. Each time he would see people with their children in the streets or when he played with his younger relatives his desire to finally achieve that dream would get bigger and he would get more and more impatient to get there.

He would most likely make a great father too. He always had his father as an example and wanted to be just like him: an amazing father to his kids, who didn’t miss a step of them growing up, who was always there when they needed it and did his best to give them the world.

When he met you, he knew instantly that he was a step closer to his dream. He made it his mission to make you fall in love with him -which happens pretty quickly considering his outstanding looks and charming personality. Fast forward 3 long years later he popped out the question and you two got married. Taehyung was the happiest person alive at this point. Not only did he achieve half of his dream but he was married to the most wonderful person he had ever met. But something was missing for him to be completely satisfied.

So he didn’t waste any time and you two started trying for a baby. And after 3 even longer months of trying and desperation you finally saw the two bars on your pregnancy test. You stayed frozen on the toilet trying to process the information. You were pregnant. You were going to be a mother. Happiness and relief washed over you.

But your reaction was nothing against your husband‘s reaction.

You got out of the bathroom and into your bedroom where Taehyung was pacing back and forth from one end to the other obviously anxious over the results of the test. He was so caught up in his thought that he didn’t even realize you were standing in the room until you called out his name. As soon as he saw you he rushed to where you stood and asked what the results were. You didn’t trust your voice so you settled with just showing him the test in your hand. He looked at it and after a few seconds he looked back up at you in disbelief. “Does...does it mean you’re...you’re…” he was choking up and couldn’t form a correct sentence in fear that he understood it wrong and it was yet again a failed attempt. That was until you nodded your head with a soft smile and tears starting to brim your eyes.

In the next moment Taehyung fell to his knees in front of you and sobs ripped through the quiet room. He was so happy. Pure happiness. After so many years he finally did it. He had gotten everything he had ever wanted in his life. And that was the moment he realized it.

“You’re going to be a dad, Tae.” You said softly to him as he hugged your belly while he whispered sweet promises of a good life to his chilled growing in your belly.

Over the next 9 months Tae was extra protective of you, he was not going to let anything happen to you or your child. He’d scold you every time he saw you do some kind of effort - potentially dangerous or not -, he’d do most of the chores that you usually did even though you assured him over and over again that you could do it, he’d accept every moody attitude that you had and buy everything you needed for your cravings and even try the weird dishes with you, although that was just because for his curiosity. He even renovated one of your spare rooms into a newborn room with the other bang tan boys without you knowing. You were kind of upset about the fact that he didn’t let you help but at the same time you were quite happy with the result. The room looked dreamy.

Taehyung even assisted to the birth of your beautiful baby girl and was the first one to hold the new main character of your life. Later that night he held her tight and watched her sleep and you also asleep in the bed next to him and realized that this was the start of the most beautiful moments in his life.

And that’s how it was for the first few months. While balancing his work life and his private life he tried to spend every moment he had with her and you and he did a great job at it as he did not miss one of her firsts.

That was until the impossible happened.

A world Tour.

Over the past few months Tae had almost forgotten that he was not only Kim Taehyung but also BTS’s V and that V also had responsibilities.

Now Taehyung obviously loved tour. He did. He loved it at any other moment that now. Of all the other times it could have happened, it had to happen during the most important time of parenting. He knew he was going to miss a lot which visibly broke his heart. You saw that and tried lifting up his mood by reassuring him that you were going to call each other as much as possible.

But that promise was harder to keep that you had thought. Of course you two tried to talk everyday but a lot of factors were playing against it. Schedules, time difference, exhaustion, flights… it just wasn’t working.

Your daughter’s first birthday was coming up soon and Tae was still on tour. You knew that he would never forgive himself if he missed such an important day with her and you were worried that you two would not be able to call each other again on that day. So you came up with a solution.

You were going to go to wherever he was on that day. You planned everything and made arrangements with his manager to see if it would be alright, which luckily it was.

That‘s how you found yourself 5 days later in the airport on your way to Germany to surprise your man with your daughter.

Your phone was going off for the third time this morning and it was Taehyung again. He was trying to reach you to talk to your daughter since today was her birthday and you felt bad for not answering but you knew you had a bigger surprise to make up for it.

And you were a little relieved when you went into the plane and had to turn your phone off for the flight as you didn’t have to go through the temptation to answer your husband’s calls.

The plane took off and you looked anxiously at the 1 year old on your lap waiting for her to start crying but to your surprise she was fast asleep. You sighed in relief and decided to take an example on your girl and took a nap, too.

Several hours and only one tantrum from your daughter later you arrived in Berlin and found the boys‘ manager who was here to pick you up.

„Did you have a good flight, Y/N“ Sejin said while hugging you and then pinching the cheek of the sleeping girl in your arms.

„Long but okay, thank you.” You replied. Sejin was like an older brother to you by now so it was nice to see him again.

He took your luggage and led you to the car to take you to the rehearsal place the boys were currently at. You had to say that you were kind of nervous after not answering his calls but you were more excited to see his reaction and to see him. You arrived in the blink of an eye and you got out of the car.

“They’re practicing right now, let me take you there.” Sejin told you as you got out of the car.

You ran a hand through your hand and took a deep breath before following the tall man into the practice room, your daughter in your arms just starting to wake up.

The familiar sound of ‘Black Swan’ got louder and louder in your ears and soon enough you saw your husband and his 6 brothers dancing their hearts out with their backs to you.

Your heart was pounding in excitement but you tried to contain it and not run up to the love of your life right then as you didn’t want to disturb their dance practice.

The music came to an end and all the boys fell to the floor in exhaustion and you couldn’t help but worry about if they were getting enough sleep. Tour was tiring as it was so pair that with the boy’s perfectionism, your worries were definitely not for nothing.

You were caught up in your thoughts when your daughter started babbling incomprehensible words and when you lifted your gaze back up to look at the boys seven pairs of eyes were looking back at you in pure surprise. ‘Way to ruin the surprise’ you thought to yourself

“Surprise!” You said sheepishly with a grin on your face.

Taehyung was the first to stand to his feet. “Is this real or is the exhaustion making me hallucinate?” You giggled as you saw him Blick in disbelief.

“No hallucination, babe. I couldn’t let you miss Y/D/N’s first birthday.” You reassured him and in the next moment he was sprinting over to you two.

“Y/D/N!!! My princess Daddy missed you so so much!” But as he reached to take her in his arms, she did the unthinkable. She flinched away and hid in the crook of your neck.

Oh no.

You could see the exact moment Taehyung’s heart broke. He dropped his arms slowly and his smile did the same thing “ She-“ he gulped “ Does she not remember me?”

“She’s just sleepy” you laughed nervously “she just woke up. You know how she is when she wakes up.” You tried to calm him down but you both now that was not the reason for her behavior. Let’s face it. She just turned one and her father had been away for a few months. You honestly couldn’t expect her to remember him. At least not right away.

By now the rest of the boys were also beside you watching the scene unfold in front of them. Tae took a deep breath and tried reaching for her again. “ Princess it’s me, your Appa.” He said softly, partly to not scare her away but also because he was sure he would break down if he spoke any louder. But the tears came anyway when she shook her arms out of his gentle grip and started to cry.

You didn’t know what to do. How do you make your child remember their father? You racked your brain for something while the boy tried to comfort your husband. Screw it, you told yourself as you resolved to just talking to her.

“Baby, will you look at mommy” you cooed. When she looked at you hiccuping you were relieved at the small win. “ Look over there! It’s your Appa” you said overly enthusiastically but she wouldn’t look. “Princess you love Appa, don’t you remember?” She looked up at you again at your words a little confused but interested and you could see Tae’s desperate look from the corner of your eyes. “Yes! You don’t remember talking to him on the phone? He always sings to you.” And that’s when it hit you. “Tae! Sing!” The confused look on his face mirror the one your daughter made earlier but when he saw your encouraging smile he started to sing.

His beautiful deep voice filled the room as he sang your daughter’s favorite song and for a moment you just stood there and took in how nice it felt to be back with Tae and be able to here his voice in real life.

And then you looked at your daughter anxiously. Out of a sudden she’d turned her head to look at her father. Did she recognize him?

“Appa?” She said in a small voice and relief washed over you and you could tell the same happened to your husband.

“Yes. Yes Princess, it’s Appa.” He said eyes slightly moist as he took a tentative step toward you.

That’s when your daughter’s face finally broke into a big smile. “Appa!” She shouted, making grabby hands towards him. Sighing in relief Tae took her in his arms and hugged her tight, a few tears now rolling down his cheeks. “I missed you so much my little Princess. Happy birthday.” He whispered to the now excited bundle of happiness in his arms and planted a few kisses across her face, making her giggle.

You reached up and wiped the tears that were resting on Taehyung’s cheeks away and he turned to you. “Hi” he said and you giggled “Hey.”

“Thank you for doing this.” He pulled you in for a family hug.

Suddenly you heard a voice from behind Taehyung. “ I’m not trying to ruin your moment but Y/N did you maybe bring a cake? I haven’t had any sugar in way too long.” Jungkook pouted and everyone in the room bursted into laughter.

Jungkook (Jeon Jeongguk)

“Whatever. I have to go.” He ended the call before you could get another word in.

Were you really being too clingy? It’s not like it was the first time you had to go through this type of situation. You two had been separated for far longer than this time so why were you like this?

“Mom are you okay?” You suddenly heard a voice at your bedroom door. You looked up to see your son watching you with worried eyes.

“Yeah I’m okay.” You mustered up a smile. “Why do you ask.”

“Because you’re crying.” He said his frown getting deeper. Immediately your hand went to your face and sure enough tears were streaming down your face.

“O-oh” you tried to dry them as fast as possible “I’m okay, puppy. Don’t worry.” You replied with a soft smile but he didn’t seem to believe you as he came in, took a seat next to you on the bed and pulled you in for a hug.

Naturally your tears started falling freely when you realized your son’s hug felt almost the same as Jungkook’s which only made you miss him more. He was 16 now and definitely resembled what his father looked at the same age.

“Mom, please tell me what’s wrong.” He asked again. You didn’t want to tell him because you didn’t want him to worry about you but maybe not telling him would only make him worry more you pondered. The sobs ripping through you wouldn’t let you speak even if you wanted to anyway.

“Is it dad?” Y/S/N asked tentatively. Oh fish were you really that obvious? Finally calming down a bit you pulled away and looked at your son.

“You got me.” You chuckled, wiping at your tears. “I’ve just been missing your father a little more than usual lately. It’s silly. Really Y/S/N, don’t mind me.”

He didn’t let up though. “ You have every right to miss him mom. I mean when was the last time he’s even called. Seems like he’s forgotten he has a family here.” The scowl on his face changed from worried to angry at the thought of it. Slight panic settled inside of you. You couldn’t let him be mad at his father because of you.

“Don’t say that, pup. You know your dad loves us more than anything. He is just really busy right now. I’m sure he tries to call as often as he can.” You reasoned partly trying to convince yourself.

“Right but then he argues with you when he does call?” You froze. Had heard you two fight? “Being busy is not a reason for treating you like this, mom. You’ve been nothing but a loving wife and an amazing mother. When he’s not here you take care of us and the house all on your own while he’s having fun all around the world.” You could hear the concern and disappointment in his voice which broke your heart.

A sigh left your mouth. “Y/S/N look at me.” You waited until his eyes met yours before continuing. “I’m fine, okay? Your father and I are fine. Yes we did fight but that doesn’t mean anything. What couple doesn’t fight, hm? But that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love us or appreciate me. I probably wouldn’t have been crying if I hadn’t been stressed with work and tired, so it’s not all your dad’s fault.” You forced a smile to convince him. It didn’t seem to work so you added “In fact, I’ll take a nap now and when I wake up all be completely alright again.” You said beaming.

“Alright” he said rolling his eyes but a small bunny smile on his lips “But if dad makes you sad again I won’t forgive him.” He added as he stood up from your bed to make his way outside.

“Look at you, protecting your mother.” You teased “My baby boy is all grown up” you wiped at a fake tear.”

“Whatever.” Your son laughed with a slight blush on his cheeks as he walked out of your room.

“I love you!” You said before he shut the door completely and you heard him shout it back from the hallway.

You could always count on your children to make you feel better, you thought to yourself as you lied back down on your bed. You weren’t lying when you said that you were tired because of work so you decided to actually take a nap.

In his room Y/S/N couldn’t stop thinking about his conversation with you. He knew that you were defending his father because you loved your husband and because you wanted to protect him from any problems between them two but he also knew that his father was in fact neglecting his family - be it on purpose or not - and that it was taking a toll on you. He could let his father get away with that. What kind of son would he be if he did?

So he took out his phone and called the man in question and to his surprise he did actually answer.

“Hey kid. Can I call you back later? I’m in the middle of practice right now” the familiar voice in the end of the line said making him roll his eyes. Typical he thought to himself.

“No, actually. Because I know you are going to forget and not call and this is kind of urgent.” He said before his father could end the call.

“Urgent? Did something happen?” He could hear the slight panic in Jungkook’s voice.

“Yes. Your argument with mom happened.” The worry on his dad’s face quickly changed to disinterest to which his anger grew.

“Y/S/N don’t mind it. This has nothing to do with you. Your mom and I are fine.” Y/S/N could tell that his father was about to end the call.

Wow is he serious? How could he be so insensitive after hurting her like that?

“You might be fine but she is not, dad” at this point he wasn’t even trying to hide the anger in his voice. “Mom does so much and you take her for granted.”

Jungkook could hear how affected his son was and that was definitely not his intention. But he really had to go back to practice right now so he tried to calm him down as fast as possible “ Buddy listen-”

“No you listen to me, Dad” his son’s dedication surprised him “When you’re not here, Mom has to balance work, taking care of the work, taking care of us and she does it without ever complaining. Even when it gets hard and she misses you she keeps to herself to not upset us and to be strong for us because we miss you too. But then when she needs you, just to talk to you, for you to make her feel better and to give her strength to go through all of this you snap at her and make her cry?” At this point your son was getting a little emotional.

It is only when Jungkook heard those words that he forgot all about practice and started to realize what he was doing “W-wait what? She cried?”

He didn’t know? Your son thought to himself. He thought he knew he made you cry and just didn’t care, that’s why he was so mad.

“I thought you knew.” He saw his father frantically shake his head on the screen of his phone.

“I would have never ended that call knowing she was crying, Y/S/N. If I knew I had upset her that much I would have talked it out with her.” Although his anger died down significantly the 16-years-old was still quite mad at his father because no matter if he knew it or not he made you upset. “Is she okay? Is she still crying?” Okay so he does care. Good to know.

“She’s fine now. I comforted her.” Even though that is supposed to be your job. He wanted to add but decided against it because he could see that his father genuinely felt bad. “I think she just misses you a lot, Dad. You’ve been gone for months and when’s the last time you called?”

Jungkook knew he hadn’t been the best husband and father for the past months and the guilt fell on him like a brick. “Let me talk to her.”

“She’s taking a nap right now. She has been overwhelmed with work for the past weeks.” Your son shook his head.

“She has?” Jungkook ran his hand through his locks in frustration for not knowing “Gosh I’m such a fuckup.” He frowned.

“Yes but your lucky Mom loves you. She kept defending your actions earlier even though you’ve obviously been an asshole to her.” Jungkook was so absorbed by the thought of him not deserving you that he didn’t even notice his son insulting him.

“Y/S/N please tell me when your mom wakes up. I need to talk to her as soon as possible but I don’t want to wake her up. She probably really needs the sleep.” He said and his son nodded. Jungkook was set on making things better with you. “Thank you. And I love you. And I love your mom. Please don’t ever doubt that.” Jungkook said with the most serious look on his face. The last thing he wanted was for his son to question his father’s feelings for his mom.

“I know. That’s why I called. I know you will make it better.” He finally smiled at his father and his father mirrored it.

They said their goodbyes and Jungkook was left to find a worthy apology.

Tags: @eviardashian

[blueinkjpeg]

Yang birthday that means it’s time to drop the favorite Yang hcs

• She got a slight Brest reduction after volume three and before volume 4

• Yang is overprotective of her hair because it was her and Summer’s thing. Summer always cut her hair for her, she never saw a professional barber. Summer would braid it or put it up in pinktails, yang never did it herself. For a year or so after summer’s death, yang refused to let anyone else touch her hair. To this day, Yang feels sentimental anytime she has to get it cut.

• Along these lines, she was the one who cut Ruby’s hair the way it was for the first few volumes. Ruby wanted Summer’s bob cut but moved while Yang was in the middle of cutting it and it came out lopsided. :/ Ruby loved it anyway.

• At Beacon, she went to bed late and woke up stupid early. She went to clubs at night fairly often, but also did her workout routine at the asscrack of Dawn

• her love language is acts of service

• She figured out she liked Blake during the Beacon dance, but actively decided not to do anything about it because she assumes 1, Blake didn’t feel that way about her and 2, she should focus more on huntress stuff than this

• When she bought Bumblebee, she attempted to do the paint job herself. She failed miserably and had to get it done professionally.

• In the 2016 Austria RTX panel they mention Yang is good at karaoke and is the best singer in their team after Weiss. I imagine she says “I can sing :)” and then goes up to the mic and SCREAMS because all the songs she likes to sing to (that have lyrics, to not the club ones) are heavy metal. She also enjoys country but cannot imitate a country accent so she can’t sing any country songs.

• the Yellow trailer took place during a college tour of beacon when Yang slipped away from their tour group. Tai was not happy about that

• Yang jokes about her trauma. Too often. Not about her recent trauma (Adam/ arm/ Blake), but about summer dying and having to parent Ruby at a young age. Others are concerned by this at first but usually get used to it pretty fast.

• she thinks Coco Adel is just the coolest

• one of the reasons Yang fixated on finding Raven when she first found out she existed was because she missed having a mom, and saw this as an opportunity to have another one

• Yang got Ruby her cloak for her birthday when she was young, sometime after summer’s passing

• Yang can Bake, but she cannot cook. She will burn kitchens down trying to make pot roast, but she had her own recipe for cobbler. She knows a handful of baked goods off the top of her head, she has all of Ruby’s favorite deserts memorized. If tai was ever unable to cook dinner, Yang turned to heating up Dino nuggies or leftovers. Or ordering in.

• In the same 2016 Australia RTX panel barb mentions that Yang found out her semblance by stubbing her toe. Hc that she then punched the wall she stubbed her toe on in frustration and punched a hole into it. She then had to explain the situation to Tai.

• in canon she had a friend group at signal who went to beacon. They grew apart pretty quickly. Yang dated one of the girls in that group, and she looks astonishingly like Blake- sporting a black bob cut and bangs.

• some adult told her when she was a preteen that blond hair usually gets brown as a person gets older and Yang was afraid for years

• after figuring out Blake can draw, she bugged her to draw Yang. She never did.

• Yang felt equally guilty and excited to go to beacon once she was excepted. Guilty because she had never left Ruby behind before (and she doesn’t want to be the abandon-er) and excitement because she was ready to live a life of surprises.

• yang was an early bloomer, and because of this, grown men have hit in her as early as middle school

• Idk how tall she is in canon but I think she’s 5’8 or taller

• She has tried in the past to read some of the books Blake is always talking about but is never able to get through them

• Yang enjoys shopping, but she LOVES thrifting. She was astonished and offended Weiss had never done it before and took her thrifting at beacon

• Yang is naturally gifted at a lot of things. Fighting, good reflexes, and surprisingly, a lot of school related things. She is able to skip classes or zone out but still get good grades. Weiss hates this. Yang has never studied a day in her life

• Yang thought she liked men for a while. Like a while. She’s always been aware she liked women but she thought she liked men too. But then she caught actual feelings feelings for Blake and realized she had never felt this way about a man and never wanted to

• When Ruby was little, Yang would joke around or make a fool of herself to make her feel better whenever she was sad. This carried out in a much more subtle way all the way to present day. She tries to do the same things for Weiss and Blake, but has found that talking to Blake about emotions honestly (instead of turning them into jokes) works better for her

• Yang had to take her drivers test three times because she kept speeding

• Yang is canonically Asian coded, but I like to think she and Ruby are mixed. Tai is Chinese and the branwens and Summer are white. Because Yang looks much more like her dad then her mom, she looks more Chinese than white, though she is both. Ruby looks much more like her mom, and is much more white passing. This farthers the confusion when they say they’re related

• along these lines, Tai gave up teaching yang and Ruby about Chinese (or the remnant Chinese equivalent??) culture after Summer died so Yang doesn’t know as much about it as she would like, including the language. But she knows more than Ruby. She knows some, but took Chinese classes at signal to know more. Some of it stuck, but Tai jokingly makes fun of her when she gets it laughably wrong

• Yang is really smooth when she doesn’t care, but a total mess when she does. This is practically canon

• she played volleyball in grade school

• she still has nightmares sometimes, but they’re less frequent than they used to be

[paus-corner]

"Parenting beef and some teenage feelings" 1/?

"Woah, woah, woah- Someone's angry" Kojiro announced one he saw the teenager coming in through the back door. He had learnt how to interpret the kid's expression over the past two years, which wasn't really that difficult.

"I'm not, old man"

Kojiro raised an eyebrow to the kid, wasn't he just like Cherry? Kojiro thought to himself as Miya sat down on his table ready to start doing his homework.

"Did you argue with Takashi?"

Miya's head shot up to face Kojiro, he really knew him didn't he? His frown turned into a slightly sad expression. The man sighed and let his hand rest on top of the teenager's head. "What about?"

"He wants me to take him to S!" Miya exclaimed in a exasperated whisper. Joe blinked at him for a few seconds awaiting for the kid to explain more. "And I don't want to because it's dangerous. Like, i don't even know where did he hear about it"

"Awh, are you worried? That's cute, Miya" Fondness and teasing where noticible in the man's voice. He earned a glare from the green eyed. "Okay, okay! But was it a bad argument? "

"I don't know, he walked me here, though"

Kojiro smiled widely at the kid, which Miya found rather creepy and meaningless. But the man was happy for him. Even after arguing both boys kept their routine untouched, and Kojiro knew that was one of Miya's biggest concerns; that he'd mess up and lose his friend again.

After that, the man had to go back to the kitchen and Miya started doing his homework peacefully. He still worried that he would make Takashi angry and that everything would go south, but there should be hope.

____________________________________

He was right to hope for things to go right. Their friendship had gotten even better lately, they skated together after school until they reached Sia La Luce. There Takashi would take a different way after giving Miya a soft punch on his shoulder. It was a new routine or more like an addition to Miya's usual one.

One day, Takashi didn't leave, he came in with Miya and met Joe. Takashi had been amazed with the food, he said that his uncle also loved italian food but his partner didn't so they usually didn't eat it. Miya remembered that Takashi had moved with his uncle a few months ago as his grandma couldn't take care of him that well.

That wasn't the only time that Takashi stayed with Miya at Sia La Luce. Kaoru got to meet the boy as well, he greeted him with a polite smile then proceeded to ruffle Miya's hair and to insult Kojiro discritly. The kid, with now messy hair and red cheeks, shushed the adults away, he didn't want to be embarrassed furthermore.

"They are really cool, are they dating?" Miya choked on his bread and looked at Takashi. "Sorry, it's just-"

"No, I was just surprised that...I don't know, that you are cool with it" Both boys stared at each other uncomfortably, so Miya decided to answer the question. "They aren't, but I wish they would. They are pinning idiots"

Takashi had smiled and then proceeded to steal some of Miya's food. They bickered as they fought for the food, somehow they were pretty good at keeping it discreet without bothering anyone in the restarurant.

"I like annoying you" Takashi confessed once they put an end to their fighting. And Miya, who had seen how Kaoru and Kojiro acted all the time, flushed and threw a pencil at his friend before he said "Just do your homework, dummy"

Sia La Luce was a great place to learn more things, from how amazing italian food is, to how a certain skating trick worked, to just knowing more about someone else.

It was all about learning new things. And that's what happened after a few weeks, just like normal, right?

"My uncle said he's already outside" Takashi announced, the restaurant was closed already and it was just the two teenagers plus Cherry and Joe. Takashi's uncle had told him that he'd pick him up if he wanted to.

"Great, let me walk you out" Miya said, god he wished he hadn't.

When the door opened before them, a black car was on the front of the restaurant. And on the driver and passenger seat Miya recognised Adam and Snake. He stopped dead on his tracks making Kaoru bump against him as he tried to get out as well.

It wass like a domino effect of surprised faces, from Miya's, to Tadashi's, to Cherry's, to Ainoske's and, lastly, to Joe's. The five of them freezed in place as a very confused Takashi stood there watching.

"Your uncle...Is fucking Ainosuke Shindo?" Miya was the first one to speak.

"I- well, he is not Shindo, but you are right at the fu-" Takashi was cut off by Kaoru, who stepped forward. "What the actual fuck are you doing here?"

"Picking my partner's nephew, pinky" Adam answered with a frown.

"Oh my god...Why can't we have a normal month" Kojiro lamented.

And that was the start of it. How, even if no one had said so, Miya's and Takashi's friendship felt like it was some forbidden thing. Because let's be honest, having your parent figures hate each other...That's not something anyone would enjoy.

Romeo and Juliet who?

I hope there aren't any spelling mistakes but I wrote this on the car so...

[arabian-bloodstream]

I saw ‘Annette.’ I haz thoughts.

This movie was brilliant. I can't wait to watch again because the brilliance of it didn't really truly hit until the final scene. It was in that final scene when it all came together. Leos Carax didn't waste a single frame, a single line of dialogue, music, etc.

There are MAJOR SPOILERS!!

The performances were brilliant all around. Adam was fantastic. Simon Helberg's stand-out scene with his solo was absolutely stellar,  at turns funny and heartbreaking. Marion Cottilard was beautiful and haunting. Devyn McDowell as the (finally) human Annette was wonderful, holding her own against Adam Driver while singing!

Henry McHenry truly is a monster. I mentioned above that Carax didn't waste a line. Henry mentioned in his comedy act early on that he became a comedian to say things he could say without being hated/judged. He says awful things. And there are so many little things that point to that he IS a monster so that...

* When Ann dies it's a little ambiguous. There *is* a storm. He is drunk. He isn't in full control of his facilities. * When Baby Annette begins singing, it's less ambiguous, he *is* using her, but it's still a miraculous thing and Simon Helberg's character, the Conductor, is in on it because sharing the miracle of Baby Annette with the world is amazing. * When Henry finds out that the Conductor could likely be Annette's father and that the knowledge of it could take away his free ride, he murders him. Yeah, no ambiguity there.

So after Henry has been outed and is in prison, Annette comes to visit. Up to this point, Annette has been varying aged up freaky looking puppets (like a female version of Chucky, but less malevolent like).  Henry points out she looks different, the puppet-Annette sitting in from of him agrees, but the voice comes from across the room and lo and behold! It's an actual little girl standing there.

The rest of the scene continues between Henry and this real girl and I was astounded. Everything fell into place. Annette told him it was good he was in prison because he couldn't kill anymore. She also told him he couldn't love anymore. He tried to tell her he could love her. But she wouldn't let him love her. They began to sing. She wanted to forget, couldn't forgive both of her parents. He didn't want Ann blamed. It was a back and forth, beautifully done. Young Devyn held her own so well opposite Adam. He again tried to tell her he could love her, but no, no, she would not let him.

What was so incredibly powerful about this scene, how this scene and how it ended once Annette left  -- which I will not describe  -- is that it brought the entire film into focus. Everything made sense. Prior to this scene, Annette was a puppet because the entire film up until this scene was from HENRY's POINT OF VIEW.

Remember when I said that at the top that "Leos Carax didn't waste a single frame, a single line of dialogue, music, etc. " That's where this really comes into play.

The film begins with the director, Sparks, cast and crew singing "So May We Start," let's break a few things down in there. First of all, Adam is the first actor who sings, and more importantly the first character that is addressed is his character, Henry McHenry... meaning it is HIS story that we're watching unfold.  And almost every single scene includes Henry, focuses on Henry, but if you look at the scenes that don't... ah! That's when the latter scenes come into play and show that, yes, it's ALL from Henry's point of view indeed.

The Conductor's solo scenes has information that, again, in retrospect we know that Henry must have known from Ann. Henry knew, Henry absolutely knew...

All of Ann's opera scenes focus on her dying because Henry's jealousy grows and grows until he's ready to take her out, and his love for her becomes twisted into monstrous hatred. And in retrospect, no, her death was not ambiguous, he meant for her to die, absolutely.

Then there is Ann's #MeToo dream, why that? Well, again, Henry's point of view. Take that scene paired with Henry's later scene when he's surrounding himself with all of the different women. Ann's dream was foreshadowing Henry's treatment of her, and paired with his callousness towards women in the latter scene, how he has always used and manipulated people.

Which brings us to who Henry is as a user and a abuser. Someone who used everyone as puppets. He manipulated everyone, using them to do what he wanted, to make him happy, to give him what he wanted, to thrill him, to give him a high. His back-up singers. His audiences. Ann. The Conductor (who didn't even have a name, he was just "my conductor friend"), and then, of course, Annette. Annette was literally a puppet.

Annette was LITERALLY Henry's puppet until the final scene when he was locked away and he could use her no more. That is when she was finally able to be a real girl, when she broke free from him and it was no longer Henry's story. She was no longer his puppet.

Aah, so brilliant. So beautiful.

A few random comments...

- The song "We Love Each Other So Much" that I didn't think much of when I listened to some of the soundtrack, I remember remarking that I hoped it worked better in the context of the film. It does. It DOES SO MUCH. It's absolutely perfect in the context of the film, and then is a sucker-punch when it's true origin is revealed later.

- The courthouse scene was the first (but not the last) time I teared up. Henry desperately searching for, singing to the sweet Ann, but in the end, the vengeful Ann found him. So, so well done.

- Now why was Ann always eating an apple? Because of Eve. Eve ate the apple because she was tempted by the devil. Henry is the devil. Henry is evil, a monster. That's why we saw Ann always eating an apple. And in her solo song, she was describing the sweet, innocent girl--the voice of an angel, a good girl, who was used and abused by men when she came into her beauty. At the end of that scene, then who showed up when she had Annette protectively with her? Henry, looking quite malevolent indeed.

- The mark on Henry's face  -- which one critic was like 'wtf? is up with that? random!  -- appeared after Henry killed Ann and kept growing. Was it an outward reflection of Henry's guilt over what he had done to Ann? No. Henry always had that mark on his face. We just didn't know that until the final scene because prior to that it, we'd only seen Henry's version of himself, not the REAL Henry. Think of it, Annette was barely older than we'd last seen her before he was jailed when she went to see him in prison, but Henry looked SO different. Why? Because that was the REAL Henry McHenry. Not the stylized, romantic version of himself that we'd seen through his eyes.  After he killed Ann we started to see him look more and more like the real Henry. In prison, that was the real Henry.

Again, this film was just absolutely magnificent. I simply can't wait to watch it again. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

[houseof-harry]

Love You Too | G.D.

Part 4 of Hate You Too!

A/N - Surprise!!!!! I know I haven’t been active at all, and I’m sorry for that but here’s the final part of hyt!!!!! She’s here, she’s ready (if you missed pt 3 click here), and I hope you enjoy! Lmk thoughts!

Word Count - 10k (jinkers)

Warnings - a good ole pull at the heart strings, that’s it!

You couldn’t remember the last time you were this nervous. Sweaty palms, butterflies in your stomach kind of nervous. You did your best to relax your face and smile in the mirror while you put the finishing touches of your makeup on, but it didn’t take long for the crease between your eyebrows to return with a matching pout.

“You gotta chill out, girl,” Kacey reminds you from her spot on your bed, where she sits watching you get ready.

“I know,” you sigh.

You lean back in your chair to examine your final look. If you were being honest, you actually looked really good. You kept your hair down, your face framed by the pieces closest to your hairline. Your makeup looked pretty as well, and you’re shocked you were able to steady your hand enough to not get your mascara on your eyelids, but you somehow pulled it off. You were even a fan of your outfit. The white flare jeans accentuated your body, the sheer pink long sleeve shirt on your top popping more from your glowing skin.

You stood and turned to Kacey, raising your brow and holding your hands out as if you were presenting yourself. “How do I look?”

She looks up from her phone, her mouth falling open as she finally sees the completed look.

“Y/N…”

You watch her eyes go from your face all the way down, slowly coming back up to meet your gaze again. You give her a sheepish smile.

“I’m sad I’m not the one going on a date with you.”

You laugh, shaking your head as you loosen up a bit. “Yeah, whatever.”

“No, I’m serious,” she defends herself, standing up to follow you out of your room and into the living room once you grab your shoes. “You literally look stunning. He’s gonna cum on sight.”

Your jaw drops as a breathy chuckle leaves your body. You turn to face her, walking backwards until you’re almost up against the front door. “He better not, I’m fucking hungry.”

Before Kacey can respond, your phone is buzzing. You both give each other a look, before you lift it to see a text from Grayson waiting for you.

here

You swallow thickly, turning your phone off and putting the shoes down beside your feet. “It’s go time.”

Kacey nods, kneeling down to help secure your heels on your feet. “You’re gonna have a great time. It’s Grayson Dolan bringing you to eat yummy ass food. There’s literally nothing that could go wrong, not with everything you’ve already been through together. You guys both deserve this, it’s gonna be a night to remember. This might even be classified as the best first date in history.” She stands when she finishes her pep talk, brushing her thighs off before clapping her hands with a wide smile. “Ready?”

“No,” you whine, getting your bag and double checking you have everything. “My heart won’t fucking calm down.”

She grabs your arms so that you’re forced to look at her. “You have everything you need. There’s nothing else you have to do right now besides walk out that door and enjoy a fabulous evening with your mans. Three deep breaths,” she prompts, and you follow her lead. She takes in three big deep breaths, and you let the air fill up your lungs as you watch her chest rise. You release each breath along with her, some of the tension finally leaving your body. It helps a bit, and you can feel the blood stop pumping through your ears so loudly.

You give her a small smile. “You’re right. Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

She nods. “E and I are gonna have a beach day, I’ll text you when we head out for you guys to join if you want.”

You bite your lip, the thought of you and Grayson going to hang out with them stirring up even more nerves inside of you. Hell, this was the first time you guys would be out in public together. Alone. On an actual date, as two people who like each other. Doing normal couple things with other couples? Would he want that?

“Oh my god, shut your brain off for, like, three seconds and just fucking go down there before he thinks you’re not going at all.” She reaches around you, opening the door while giving you a gentle shove so that you’re out in the hallway.

You pout, slowly starting to walk away. “Am I gonna be okay?”

“You’re gonna be way more than okay,” she reassures before waving and stepping back into the apartment.

You sigh, realizing she’s right. You’d survive the night no matter what it brought. You always survived.

When you walked outside, your eyes immediately found the bright blue porsche. He was standing by the hood, arms crossed over his chest as his neck strained back to look up at the sky. You could see his adams apple bob when he swallowed.

His arms were bulging out of the tight black t shirt on his upper body, his silver chain hanging against his defined chest. A Louis Vuitton belt hugged his hips, holding the green pants to his lower half. They were cropped, allowing for you to see the tattoos that littered his ankle and lower calf, his air force ones kicking the pavement below his feet.

He snaps out of his daze when he hears you walking towards him, and when he finally lands his eyes on you it feels like his breath has been snatched away from him. He takes in every inch of you, trying to memorize everything he’s seeing just in case you disappear.

“Hey,” you practically whisper, lifting a hand to wave at him as you get a bit closer.

The sound of your voice pulls his gaze back to your face, and he finally can get a quick breath in as his huge smile spreads across his face. “Hey.”

He relaxes a bit in your presence, his arms first falling to his sides as you stand in front of him now, one hand gripping the handle of your bag while the other clenches and releases in a fist as you try and keep it together.

“Hey,” he says again, this time a bit louder and more present. He stands up straight, his hands now reaching out to hold your elbows. “Hey.”

You giggle, taking a step closer so that there’s only about an inch of space between your bodies. You tilt your head to look up at him, and his bright smile is quickly able to make your own lips turn up wider.

“That all you’ve gotta say to me?”

He just continues to smile at you, shaking his head a bit as he pulls you against his chest. You easily give in, wrapping your arms around his middle and letting his warmth envelope you despite the already relatively high temperature. You didn’t mind, though.

“Until I can form a fucking sentence to tell you how amazing you look, yeah.”

You giggle against his chest as your cheeks blush from the compliment. You go to release him, but he keeps you tight in his grasp without any room for you to move.

“Gray,” you mumble, grabbing his sides to try and get him to move away from you.

“Just a few more seconds.”

You sigh dramatically, but the butterflies go crazy in your stomach at the thought of him not wanting to let go so soon. It made you wonder if he thought about being close to you when you weren’t together as much as you did.

After a few more moments you feel his grip loosen on you, one of his hands coming to grab your own so he can guide you to the passenger side of the car.

“So are you gonna finally tell me where we’re going?”

He opens the door for you, guiding you around so you can start to get in. The smile on his face widens at your question.

“Nope.”

You roll your eyes, settling into the seat as you buckle. He closes the door and quickly makes his way to the driver’s side. He slides in rather smoothly for such a big guy getting into a small car.

“Are you at least going to tell me what type of food it is? Or if I’m underdressed?”

He chuckles, shaking his head as he starts the car. “It’s good food, and you’re dressed just fine. Perfectly, even. Stunning. Really fucking pretty if I’m being honest.”

“Oh god,” you huff, resting your chin in your hand while your elbow finds leverage on the center console as Grayson starts driving. You do your best to keep your smile at bay, but you can’t completely wipe it from your face.

“What?” He asks, looking over at you for a second before he puts his eyes back on the road.

“You’re gonna being cheesy as fuck tonight, aren’t you?”

A pout forms on his lips as he reaches his arm out to grab your knee. His fingers press into the material of your pants as he rubs his thumb side to side. You can’t help but look down at his movements, the warmth of his palm spreading through you like wildfire.

“Course I’m gonna be cheesy tonight. It’s the first time I get to take you out. Plus, no matter how much of an act you put on, I know you love it too.”

You take in a big breath as your cheeks flush again, your eyes still stuck on his fingers. You know he’s right, and you don’t feel like fighting it, either. You deserved a night together just to enjoy being with one another.

You only look up again when you hear Grayson groan in frustration. You’re met with a bunch of brake lights and soon you feel the car come to a complete stop in the middle of the highway.

“Fuck,” he mumbles as he grips your leg a bit harder.

“Let me check how bad it is,” you offer as you pick your phone up from your lap. You open up maps only to find a red line stretching for miles on the current stretch of highway you and Grayson were stuck on. “How far are we going on here?”

“I don’t know. Ten miles?”

You nod, biting your lip. The red line definitely stretches beyond the ten miles you need to go.

“How far does it say it’ll be?”

“I can’t be sure, but it looks like it’s pretty backed up for a while.”

“Like past ten miles?”

You nod, reaching over to show him your phone. He looks at the map and his face falls when he sees how bad it is.

“Fucking LA man. Shit.”

You turn your phone off, putting it back in your lap as you sigh. “It’s okay, we’ve still got, like forty minutes until our-”

Before you can finish your sentence, your back is being pressed into the leather seat as Grayson floors it off the exit ramp.

“Grayson!” You grip his wrist, his hand still holding on tight to you as he maneuvers off the highway.

“We’re taking back roads.”

“Do you even know where we are?”

“I’ve lived in LA since I was fucking 15, Y/N. I learned to drive here. I know where the fuck I am and where to go.”

You nod, not letting going of his wrist as you watch him continue to drive through the streets now. He was tense, you could tell. His shoulders were raised, his jaw tight and you swear could see the vein on the side of his neck pulse every few seconds.

You decide to turn the volume of his music up after you resituate in the seat, more comfortable with the speed he’s driving even if he’s still a bit reactive. You force your fingers in between your thigh and his palm so that you can hold his hand. He responds quickly, his hand gripping yours tightly. You can feel the clamminess of his palm against yours, and you give him a reassuring squeeze.

The corners of his lips turn up at the feeling, and you watch his body physically relax a bit. He takes a breath in, leaning back as he gets more comfortable again.

Watching the world pass by you while you and Grayson sit in your own little bubble, music playing as you enjoy each other’s presence without any worries is a feeling you could get used to. You feel so calm, like you couldn’t want or need to be anywhere else other than in his passenger seat as he drives along, his thumb rubbing the back of your hand whenever you guys were at a stop light. You somehow simultaneously also feel electricity from where you’re touching, that feeling of new romance taking over what seems like the whole car. You hope he felt it too, the butterflies, because this was a feeling you never wanted to give up.

That doesn’t stop the anxiety that slowly creeps up inside of you the longer Grayson drives around. You’ve been in the car for an hour and a half, and as far as you could tell there were no nice restaurants in sight; hell, there were no restaurants at all.

“Gray?”

He grunts, keeping his eyes on the road.

“Are we close?”

At this point you could hear your stomach growling, even over the music. You didn’t care if you sounded like a kid, you would even settle for water. You just needed something in your stomach.

He bites his lips, taking in your surroundings as he continues to coast along the road. After about a minute of watching him do that, you break.

“You have no fucking clue where we are right now.”

“Yes I do.”

“Then how much longer?”

He taps his fingers against the wheel as he reads the road sign, finally letting out a defeated sigh.

“Yeah I have no idea where we are.”

You clench your jaw in temporary frustration, reminding yourself that it’s the hunger that wants to be mad, not you. “Can you tell me what the restaurant’s called so I can look up directions?”

He reluctantly gives you the name, pulling over on the side of the road to wait for your instruction.

You suck in a breath when you see how far you are from the restaurant.

“Two hours.”

“We’re two fucking hours away?” You can hear the genuine frustration in his voice as he lets go of your hand to throw his arms up in anger before letting his face hide in his palms. He lets out a muffled, “shit,” while he shakes his head slowly.

Your hand feels cold without his to hold onto. Between that and watching him slowly devolve, you feel your heart sadden for the first time since he walked into the bathroom a few days ago. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles, his face still in his hands.

“Hey.” You reach over to rub his back. “It’s okay. We can just go somewhere else.”

He groans as he finally lifts his head to look at you, his shoulders still slumped forwards. “No we can’t. It was supposed to be special, that restaurant is special. You deserve something special.”

Hearing the thought and effort he wanted to put into tonight for you made your heart swell. You couldn’t help the smile that spread across your lips despite his somber face.

“What?” He asks.

You shake your head, bringing your hand to his cheek so you can stroke the soft skin there. “You’re just really sweet.” His frown turns more neutral at that, but you can still see the disappointed clouding his eyes. “Plus, anything we do together is special. You could take me to a fucking dump and it would be special.”

This gets a small chuckle out of him, which prompts you to relax a bit. You were glad you could still get some type of positive reaction from him.

“Thought you didn’t want cheesy tonight.”

“Shut up,” you giggle, pushing his shoulder lightly.

His next movements are quick, and you have little time to react. He leans over and grabs your chin, pulling you closer to his face as his lips meet yours. The kiss is slow, and to your benefit, so that you can move your lips harmoniously with his as the hum of the engine and the melody of the music fade farther away as you get more and more into everything the kiss is making you feel.

All too soon, though, he’s pulling away, his face still staying close enough to yours that you feel his warm breath on your face as you slowly open your eyes. The frustration is gone from his gaze, replaced with something you’d never seen before. You weren’t sure what it was, but by the way he’s smiling you assume it’s a good thing.

“What was that for?” You whisper. You’re scared if you talk too loud that you’ll ruin the little universe Grayson has seemed to put you in.

He shakes his head bashfully as his thumb rubs against your jawline. “Just wanted a kiss.”

Your smile grows impossibly wider at the idea of you being able to kiss Grayson whenever you wanted. You didn’t just have to dream about it late at night, or act like you hated it every time. There didn’t have to be a reason why. And he’d want to do the same to you.

“Look up restaurants nearby.”

You hadn’t even noticed he had situated himself back into the driver's seat as you had zoned out. He still had a slight smirk on his lips while he got the car back on the road.

You lean back against your own seat, taking your phone out and searching on google for literally anything close to you guys that served food.

“There’s a place called BJ’s five minutes away. Looks a little sketch in terms of vegan food, though.”

He laughs, looking over at you. “Give me directions.”

He manages to pull up in front of the small building labeled BJ’s Diner not long after that. The ‘r’ on the sign is out, the outside looking a little run down. It looks like it was in its prime 50 years ago.

“Ready to eat at BJ’s?” He asks.

You laugh, unbuckling your seatbelt. “Guess so.”

As you both get out of the car, you let your short moment of silence be a little prayer that the night isn’t totally ruined.

And when you see Grayson waiting for you, hand held out to take yours in order to walk inside together, you think your prayer has been heard.

Your hope for the night drops the second you walk through the door, though. It smells like old wood and grease, the yellowed tiles are chipped at various points on the floor, the musicians pictured on the wall all died before the 80’s, and there’s a beaten jukebox in the corner. A part of you feels like you literally walked through a time machine, but the other can’t stop seeing how much everything has aged. The servers all seemed to be older as well, all having gray hair and wrinkles adorning their skin.

“You guys can pick any spot you want,” one of the cute old ladies interrupts your spiraling fears as Grayson turns to look at you with a raised brow.

You start walking to the booth in the corner farthest from the three other people sitting around the place in hopes of some type of privacy. They were all there alone, sitting at their respect tables without a word to anyone else. The only sounds ringing through the place are the music playing and the sounds of food being cooked in the back behind the little window you could see through behind the bar.

You’re not sure you’ve ever actually been to a diner that’s been so old, just ones that try and recreate the vintage vibes. But as the laminate of the booth cracks beneath you while you slide in, you conclude these booths have been sat in for longer than you’d been alive.

“I feel a bit overdressed,” you mumble as you pick up a menu.

Grayson chuckles as he takes a look at his own menu. “That’s okay. You said we were gonna have a special night no matter what. And this is, uh...” he looks up and around inspecting your surroundings again.

“Let’s just stick with special. Sounds nicer.”

He nods in agreement as he begins to search the menu. As you look over your own, you realize there’s much he can eat here. You’re not surprised with how old the place seems, but that doesn’t stop the slight frown that makes its way onto your lips.

“What?”

You hum, barely acknowledging his question as you continue to search for literally anything vegan on the menu besides french fries.

His fingers are soon blocking your view of the worn words on the menu as he pushes it down to see your face. Only then do you make eye contact with him. His brows are furrowed in confusion, which brings your own look of misunderstanding to your own face.

“What’s wrong?” You ask.

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve got a pout on. There’s no pouting tonight. So what’s wrong?” His tone is light, almost as if he’s joking but you know he’s just trying to feel you out, understand what’s going on inside your head.

“There’s nothing vegan here,” you sigh as you pick the menu back up. “You can’t eat french fries for dinner.”

A warm smile spreads across Grayson’s face at your explanation as he watches you continue to look for something else he can have.

“Hey,” he interrupts you again, grabbing your menu and placing it alongside his at the end of the table. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll eat french fries for dinner if it means I still get to be out with you. It’ll make things more special.”

You giggle, nodding your head. “Special is definitely the word of the night.”

And that rang true the rest of your time in BJ’s. Between the busboy spilling water all over your pants making them semi see through, Grayson’s fries being cold (along with your burger), and being overcharged, it seemed like everything was going wrong.

But that didn’t stop you guys from laughing together the whole night. It almost made it impossible to believe you two were constantly at each other's throats for so long, never realizing that maybe your animosity had secretly come from the fear of falling for each other. You were grateful that fear was out in the open now, though, so that you could explore it together. Because now that you’ve had your taste of Grayson Dolan, you weren’t sure if you could ever give it up.

You guys made up for the shitshow of a dinner with your ride home. You blasted music, singing at the top of your lungs, not caring how bad you sounded. Your cheeks hurt from smiling all night, and you couldn’t help watching Grayson sing while he drove. He looked like he was glowing, you’d never seen him seem so genuinely happy and at peace.

When he finally pulled into a guest spot at your apartment he turned the music off while turning to look at you. You were both out of breath from the last song, and you could see a bit of sweat on his forehead from his intense singing.

“I never sing in front of people,” he admits.

“Me either.” You rest your elbow on the center console much like before, putting your chin in your hand as you smile at him.

“Think we could be a famous duet if we tried.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “I think people would pay to make us stop singing, actually.”

He laughs with you, letting go of the steering wheel as he turns to face you. You meet his eyes and find yourself trapped there in his gaze, both of you unable to look away from the other. There was just something so captivating about the way he would give you all his attention, his pupils almost completely blown out whenever they met yours. You could zone out looking into them for days, you’re sure.

“Gonna let me kiss you goodnight?” His soft voice carries through the car and pulls you from your thoughts.

You shrug. “I guess I should.”

He chuckles while leaning closer to you, his lips softly meeting yours. It’s sweet, much less intense than any other kiss you’ve shared and you think you can get used to the way his lips smoothly move against yours.

But before you let yourself fully indulge, his words actually hit you.

You pull back from him suddenly, and when you open your eyes you can see he’s a second behind you. When his finally open, he’s giving you a questioning look.

“You good?”

“Are you leaving?”

His brows only pull closer together at your question. “What?”

“You said a goodnight kiss. Are you not gonna come up?” You can feel the anxiety pooling in your stomach as you wonder if he doesn’t want to spend the night after being with you for so long.

“You never really struck me as someone who wants to fuck on a first date,” he chuckles, but soon stops when he notices you’re not so amused.

“Not with people I haven’t already fucked, no. I mean if you don’t want to that’s fine, I’ll just-” You grab your bag, opening the car door.

“Wait!”

You ignore his plea, stepping out of the car and shutting the door before you had a chance to look back at him.

“Y/N,” he calls out as he climbs out of his seat to follow you along the sidewalk. “Hey!”

His hand on your arm stops you, and you decide that you don’t have it in you to fight him. So you turn around while doing your best to keep your face neutral.

“I didn’t wanna push any boundaries you might have. I’m not gonna pressure you into having sex after a date just because we’ve fucked before. I’ve never felt anything for anyone like I do for you, and I don’t know what the rules are. I don’t wanna mess this up, even just tonight I’ve had such a good time and I-”

“So you weren’t sick of spending time with me?”

He looks almost offended by your question as soon as it leaves your lips. “What?”

You shrug. “I don’t know, we’ve never really spent that time with each other without fighting or fucking. I guess I thought you wanted a break or something.”

He shakes his head in disbelief. “No. I spent almost six months acting like I couldn’t be in the same room as you and I fucking beat myself up for that shit. I just assumed you wouldn’t wanna do that shit so soon.”

“And I just assumed you’d get annoyed with me after a while.”

“So then let’s stop assuming and get the fuck upstairs.”

You laugh at his sudden eagerness, relief starting to wash over you. You turn to start walking towards the entrance as you talk over your shoulder. “Gonna show me how special I really am?”

You hear the signature lock of the porsche followed by his loud footsteps as he does his best to catch up.

“Where’s Kacey?”

“Told her to spend the night at yours with Ethan.”

“Fuck.”

You giggle as you turn to walk backwards after opening the door, your hips swaying as you watch him take the entirety of you in.

“Special doesn’t even begin to do justice to what I’m about to do to you.”

You laugh as he charges towards you, squealing when he picks you up off the floor.

“Grayson! I can walk myself upstairs.” Your grip is tight on his shoulders as he keeps one hand under your thighs while the other presses the elevator button repeatedly.

“See how long that lasts.”

Your giggles fade as the implications of his words settle at the pit of your stomach. That’s when you knew he was really gonna make you feel special.

***

A month.

You and Grayson made it a month running around together, only seeing each other (and poor Ethan and Kacey). You were having the time of your life, honestly. You and Grayson got along really well now that you had your guards down more. You tried your best to appreciate that without the overwhelming guilt that took over when you reminded yourself of how you treated him before.

But things were getting complicated. When you hung out with your friends, they asked why you were suddenly so busy. You were able to pass it off as work at first, but after the first week they wondered what project could be so time consuming. It was getting much harder to lie.

You and Grayson also avoided going to any of the same things. You knew you wouldn’t be able to hold up the facade like before if you were in a room with him, and it would totally blow your cover.

That was getting difficult too, though. At this point you shared the same close friends, and you were both sad you were missing out on things.

So Grayson finally prompted you to come to something they were hosting at their house with your friends. It was a casual hang out with your typical dinner and night swim. Nothing intense, super normal.

That didn’t stop the nerves running through you as you walked into their backyard with Kacey, though.

“Everything’s gonna be fine,” she mumbles, giving your arm a squeeze before leading you to your group of friends. “Y/n!” Jas exclaims when she finally spots you. Kacey had quickly run off to Ethan, leaving you standing alone in the middle of the deck.

You give her a tight smile as you put your bag down, walking over to the edge of the pool she was hanging on to.

“Hey.”

She pouts, watching you get comfortable as you sit down beside her hands. “You okay?”

You nod, letting out the breath you hadn’t realized you were holding onto. “Yeah. Just work stress. You get it.”

She rolls her eyes, resting her head on her folded arms. “Sure. If work means boy, then I 100% get it.”

You scoff, shaking your head. “Why does everything have to be about boys all the time? Why can’t it be possible for an independent ass woman to have issues unrelated to men?”

“Oh it totally is,” she admits. “But I know your work stress. This is not work stress. You haven’t looked so troubled since you broke up with Ben.”

The bringing up of your last ex makes your face immediately scrunch up, like you have a bad taste in your mouth.

“Fuck that kid.”

“Now listen, you don’t have to tell me who’s causing you shit and taking up all your time. But you’re gonna have to break at some point if you keep him around. I mean, everyone’s getting boo’d up. Even Mila’s been shooting her shot,” she chuckles, her eyes going from your face to behind you.

You turn to see Mila standing next to a shirtless Grayson. He looks like he’s explaining the workout equipment to her. He’s clearly super into the conversation, and it’s even more clear Mila is into the way his face looks.

You’re not sure how you feel. You do your best to quell the immediate anger bubbling up inside of you because Mila has no idea you guys are together. But shouldn’t Gray be doing a better job at trying to stop her heart eyes?

“How long has that been a thing?” You ask as you keep your eyes on them.

“Only a few weeks. She was convinced Grayson was into you for literally, like,” she lifts her head to count on her fingers while she thinks. “Like three months or something. But the past few weeks you and him have just been radio silent so she’s taking her chance. Was that even a thing after Malibu or is he more of a hit it and quit it kinda guy?”

“I have to pee,” you mutter under your breath as you stand back up. You don’t even look back at Jas when she calls for you, keeping your eyes on the door. At this point Mila’s got her hand on Grayson’s bicep as he continues to ramble about who knows what, totally oblivious to her true intentions. Or, he’s into it and that’s why he hasn’t told her to stop.

Either way, you needed to get out. You knew being here would be hard, but you didn’t expect it to be like this. Maybe to have to throw some fake jabs, flip him off and figure out a way to stay after everyone left without people noticing, sure. But Mila trying to get with Grayson? That was not something you anticipated as one of your first hurdles.

Also the fact that this has been going on for weeks and Grayson’s said nothing? There’s no way he’s that stupid that he has no idea what she’s doing. Why wouldn’t he say anything?

Before you can reach the bathroom, you hear two voices behind you from the kitchen.

“Hey Y/N!” Mila’s now seemingly annoying voice rings through the house, causing you to turn around and face her and Grayson. He’s busying himself with getting some glasses of water as Mila motions for you to come closer. “I haven't seen you in, like, ten years!”

“Been busy.” You take a few hesitant steps closer to the pair. You watch Grayson’s eyes move to look at you a moment before he’s focused again on his task, totally silent.

“With what?” You can’t tell if it’s your anger that’s making everything about Mila almost unbearable, but her stupid smile isn’t sitting right with you.

“My boyfriend.”

Mila’s face turns from a smile to a look of confusion as Grayson pauses at the fridge.

“You have a boyfriend?”

“Mhm.” You nod, a bit more confident now. You make your way closer to the kitchen, closing the gap between the two of you. “Been busy fucking my new boyfriend.”

“I love that for you! What’s he like?”

At this point you’re not even looking at her. Grayson had turned around to watch the whole interaction happen with a raised brow. You watch him over her shoulder as you open your mouth to talk again.

“He’s tall, hot as shit, a bunch of tattoos, wears a chain, you know the type. A fucking dick when he wants to be but he’s nice to me most of the time,” you describe. By now Grayson’s smirking, his arms crossed as he realizes why you’re being the way you are: jealousy.

“That’s so good! You deserve it.” She pats your arm before turning to Grayson. He’s quick to go back to tending to the two cups he was grabbing before. “When do we get to meet him? Bet Grayson’s just dying to meet the guy who finally stole Y/N Y/L/N’s heart.” She sounds a bit bitter when she says it, but you can’t be bothered to care. She doesn’t know half of how Grayson feels about you.

He pauses again, slowly turning back to face the both of you. He looks between you and Mila, unsure of what to do.

You’d been the one who wanted to keep everything under wraps. It took you so long to finally admit how you felt about each other, and you wanted to appreciate the time you had alone before bringing everyone else into it. You loved your friends, but fuck were they all overly involved in everyone’s life.

“Bet he would.”

With that you leave, going back outside. Maybe a swim in the pool would help you cool off a bit.

The rest of the night goes relatively smoothly, everyone just enjoying each other seeing as it had been difficult to get everyone in the same place lately.

But holy shit were you ready to drop kick Mila.

She couldn’t be away from Grayson for more than five minutes. Of course your plan had been to not really talk to him to avoid any suspicion so it wasn’t like she was taking time away from you or anything, but she wouldn’t leave him alone.

“Has it been this bad for a while?” you whisper to Kacey. You were all sat in a circle, just talking after eating. Everyone was kind of having separate conversations meaning you would finally be able to get some fucking answers, even if it wasn’t from Grayson.

“She’s actually being pretty good tonight. When she’s drunk she literally is on top of the poor guy.”

You can’t help but look over at them now. She sat closely to him (she didn’t have much of a choice due to the fact that she weasled her way between him and Jas), just staring and listening as he spoke to Austin. He was leaning away from her, but every time he moved, she moved with him.

You could feel your anger bubbling up again, but you looked back at Kacey to calm yourself down a bit.

“Why didn’t anyone fucking tell me?” You do your best to keep your volume down. Ethan was on the other side of Kacey, so you didn't care if he heard but you had no interest in anyone else knowing what you guys were talking about. You weren’t the jealous type typically, but when you’re powerless it somehow has made the whole situation escalate quickly.

“I mean he’s so obviously not into it, we didn’t think it mattered?”

You scoff. “You and Gray have talked about it?”

The name of his brother makes Ethan turn his head as he tunes into the conversation.

“What?”

You cross your arms as you lean back in your chair, looking straight ahead now. You couldn’t look to your right because you didn't want to watch Mila drool over Grayson, but looking at Kacey would make you mad too.

“She’s mad we didn't tell her about the whole-” she looks around to see if anyone else is listening, lowering her voice significantly before she speaks again.  “Mila thing.”

“Why?”

You raise your brow at him. “You fucking knew too?”

“Y/N, literally everyone knows.”

“Not me!”

At this point you’ve caught almost everyone's attention. You and Kacey never fought, especially not in front of everyone. You were two peas in a pod. And not to say this was a fight, you were literally the only one who wasn’t speaking at a whisper. But you couldn’t help but feel betrayed by the both of them for not telling you. The three of them had decided what was best without even considering if you’d want a say.

You look around the table at all the eyes on you and bite your lip, sinking back into your chair and closing your cardigan on your body tighter.

“So tell us more about this boyfriend, Y/N,” Mila prompts as she laughs awkwardly to try and break the tension. Little did she know her bumping her shoulder against Grayson was only causing more tension.

Kacey gives you an eye, confused as to what Mila was talking about. She fit in with everyone else, though, because they all seemed a bit lost, too.

“A boy?” Jas asks, a smirk on her face.

“It’s not important,” you mutter. When you look at Grayson, you see a bit of hurt in his eyes.

“Why not?” Mila pushes.

“Come on Kace, you definitely know him. Is he hot?”

Kacey sputters, not really sure what to say.

“Oh my god he’s ugly!”

“That’s why you won’t tell us, you don’t want to have to show us pictures!”

“You’re, like, a totally ten Y/N. Definitely don’t need to be with an ugly dude.”

“He’s not fucking ugly!” You sit up, the frustration clear in your voice.

“So then why did Kacey-”

“She can’t call her boyfriend’s brother hot.”

Complete silence takes over the entire group as they look at you, and then Grayson. His eyes are a bit wide and totally locked on you.

You stand abruptly, the sound of the chair scraping against the concrete the only noise that echoes through the backyard. Mila’s stare is burning through you, but you don’t look anywhere but the door as you make your way towards it.

“What the fuck, guys?” Grayson asks as he stands up.

“Are you really her fucking boyfriend?” Mila scoffs, looking up at him.

“Holy shit, yes.”

He leaves as everyone watches him follow you. He doesn’t care that Ethan and Kacey are going to have to deal with the aftermath of that, he just needed to know if you were okay.

He goes through the house, going to his closed bathroom door and knocking.

“Holy shit, can I be left alone for three fucking seconds? What if I actually need to pee or-”

“It’s me.”

You pause as you feel the anxiety fall from your body quickly. You rush to open the door, the tears in your eyes threatening to fall.

“I’m so sorry.”

He gives you a confused look as he enters the bathroom, moving you back so that he has room to shut the door behind him. “Sorry?”

You nod. “I know we weren’t gonna tell people but then I saw Mila all over you and when I found out that’s been happening a while I don’t know what took over and then when everyone was trying to force Kacey to talk I didn’t know what to do so I just fucking told them even though we weren’t gonna tell them and we didn’t talk about that and we didn’t even ever talk about if I’m your girlfriend and you’re my boyfriend but now I said to everyone that you’re my boyfriend and I just-” You take in a big breath as you rub your eyes.

“Hey,” he mumbles, rubbing your arms. You let your hands fall and you’re happy to see he’s much less distraught than you. “Let’s just breathe for a second.”

You nod, following the slow breaths he takes in and out, letting the feeling of his hands on you ground you a bit. Once your breathing has evened out he grabs your hands.

“I’m sorry,” you mumble out again.

He shakes his head, a quiet chuckle leaving his mouth..

“Y/N, baby. Stop with the apologizing. The only reason we weren’t telling people is because we didn’t want them in our relationship. Not because I don’t want people knowing we’re together. We’ll deal with them, even if they’re annoying as shit,” he chuckles and you crack a small smile. “And in terms of you calling me your boyfriend, I told my mom I have a girlfriend. I thought we kinda just were that, and we didn’t have to talk about it.”

“Lisa knows I exist?”

“Yeah,” he nods.

You take in one more deep breath before pulling him into a hug. He wraps his arms tightly around your torso, keeping you close to his chest.

“Mila’s gonna be devastated,” you mutter against his chest.

The vibrations of his laughter ring through your ear as he drags his hands up and down your back.

“She already is.”

You lift your head to look at him. “When were you planning on telling me about that, by the way?”

You feel him tense against you, which causes you to pull away in order to look up at him.

“I, uh, I don’t know.”

You nod, letting going of him completely in order to turn and fix your face in the mirror mindlessly. “Why weren’t you going to tell me?”

“I never said I wasn’t.”

“But there was no plan to.”

“I guess not,” he sighs.

“Why not?” You turn back to him again, doing your best to keep your face serious. You weren’t sure how much you were willing to let him see of you being an absolute emotional mess tonight.

“Because,” he shrugs, folding his arms and rubbing his hands against his biceps. “We’ve been so good, Y/N. So fucking good. I thought that shit would somehow make things worse.”

“Not telling me at all definitely made it worse.” You can visibly see him swallow as his now panicked eyes search your face for any tell of how mad you are. “You’re not into her, right?”

He scoffs. “Dude, no. Even if we weren’t together, she’s annoying as fuck. But especially now that I have you?” He chuckles, grabbing your arms to pull you flush against him again. “There’s absolutely no way in hell I’d entertain that shit. Or anyone else. If someone tries to pull that shit again I’ll tell them my hot ass girlfriend will beat the shit out of them.”

“Oh jesus christ.” You roll your eyes, but you can’t help the small smile that works its way onto your lips. “I don’t hurt people.”

“They don’t have to know that.”

“You’re gonna give me a bad rep, Grayson Dolan,” you mumble, going up on your tippy toes to move your face closer to his as your hands grip his sides to keep your balance.

“I’m worth it, though,” he mutters through a smile before finally letting his lips meet yours.

***

“God, you’re like a lovesick puppy.”

You look up from your phone for the first time in an hour, the comment from Kacey coming from where she sits across your living room.

“How do you think you were when you and Ethan started dating?”

“No, this is different. You guys are going through the initial infatuation phase while already being in love. That’s, like, double trouble.” You turn your phone off completely at her assumption and sit up to look at her better.

“In love?”

She raises an expectant eyebrow as she watches you. “Do you not know you’re in love?”

You chuckle. “I think I’d know if I’m in love.”

“Oh my god,” she laughs, gripping the blanket across her lap as she folds over. “Oh- I can’t - you - Y/N, come on,” she huffs out, continuing to laugh as she shakes her head. “You guys are both so fucking in love with each other. You were more in love with Grayson before you even started dating than you ever loved Ben.”

“Did I ever truly love Ben or did I just like the attention?”

“Come on, Y/N. This is not the time to try and reflect on how healthy your feelings were. I’m telling you you’re fucking in love.”

You scoff, throwing your hands up. “How do you know I’m in love if I don’t even know it.”

She rolls her eyes. “You know it, just like you always knew deep down the only reason you acted like you hated Grayson was because of how much you liked him. It’s your defense mechanism to not let people in.” You bite your lip as you consider her words.

Kacey called it your sixth sense. Whatever you wanna call it, your gut was reliable. From the second you met someone you could tell what type of role they would play in your life. You just liked to say you were good at reading people.

But you pushed that down most of the time. Because no matter how bad the person was, they always stuck around to teach you some overarching life lesson. So you would let life happen naturally, doing your best to ignore your intuitions.

And maybe when Kacey had first told you about her and Ethan you could tell he was gonna be around a long time. That was a good sign, a much better sign than any bad feelings. It was only when she would tell the occasional story about Grayson that your gut went whack.

So you avoided them like the plague because no one had made you have any type of intuition just from secondhand stories before. You’d never even met the guy in person before. But you couldn’t control the feeling you got when you talked about him or saw pictures of him or Kacey made you watch their videos.

Maybe your hatred for them was your way of trying to control a situation you really had no control over.

And you’re totally aware, deep deep down that Kacey is totally right on all accounts. You just weren’t ready to confront those feelings today.

“Earth to Y/N?” A piece of popcorn hits you in the face and brings you back to reality.

“What if I’m just infatuated with him and only love the idea of being with a guy I feel like is unattainable?”

Kacey deadpans.

“Okay fine maybe I love him a tiny bit.”

“Oh honey, it’s a lot a bit. But that means we get to be sister-in-laws one day!” She gets up and squeals as she dances around.

“Dude chill, I’m not gonna tell him. We’ve been together for literally three months! And-”

“You’ve been in love for literally so much longer but keep going.”

You roll your eyes but continue your original thought. “First, he would have to love me back, and-”

“He’s been in love with you since before you even met but continue.”

You give her a serious look and she sighs, calming down a bit as she moves to sit with you on the couch.

“We are literally so early on in this relationship. And in life! Who says I even want to get married, or if he does-”

“He totally does.”

“Kacey I will literally strangle you.”

“I’m sorry!” She pouts as she grabs your hands. “I’m just happy for you. You deserve it, the happiness and all of that. I promise I won’t joke about marriage for a while, but let yourself be happy that you’re in love with someone who also loves and cherishes you. He literally is head over heels for you. Like, doesn’t shut up about you ever kinda love.”

That news should make you feel good. Secure, even.

But instead it makes you even more anxious. Because the further you become invested in each other, the more you have to lose. And you’re not sure if you have it in you to lose him.

“You’re spiraling. Oh god why are you spiraling?”

You turn and lean over so that you’re practically laying on top of Kacey at this point. She wraps her arms around you as you try to quell the rising panic.

“It’s gonna hurt so bad when it ends.”

You can feel her tense up for a moment before she starts rubbing your back.

“What makes you say it’s gonna end?” “All good things end, K. At least in my world.”

“Well, Grayson’s better than good. He’s amazing. What’s your gut say?”

You shrug. “For the first time, I actually can’t tell.”

***

It seemed that the harder you pushed your love for Grayson down, the more prominent it became. It was harder to breathe the minute you would see him, but as soon as he was touching you in any way, all of your anxieties flew out the window. No one had simultaneously made you feel so alive and electric, yet so relaxed and calm at the same time. Loving Grayson was fun and easy.

And that made you terrified.

You know Grayson knows something is up, your poker face is shit. But you can’t help but get in your head every time you’re around him. You hear Kacey’s voice telling you to just be honest with how you feel, but your fear of fucking everything up shut that idea down fast.

That didn’t change the distance growing between the two of you, though. Going from seeing each other everyday to a few times a week, picking up your phone every time there was a lull in the conversation rather than asking about something else or just staring at each other until you started laughing. Things were changing quickly.

“Can we talk?”

Another change.

You’d never heard Grayson so serious before, or so quiet and timid. He almost sounded like a wounded animal, calling out its last cry for help.

You nod as you sit up on the couch to make room for him. He walks over to you, sitting sideways on the cushions so that he was facing you directly. His arm rests on the back of the cushion, his fingers against your shoulder prompting you to turn and face him as well. You oblige, sitting criss cross and tucking your feet underneath you as you played with the fringe of the pillow in your lap.

“I, uh, I don’t really...I just - fuck,” he covers his face with his palms, already frustrated with the way he can’t seem to verbalize his thoughts.

His anxiety makes your own anxiety creep up from within you as your chest tightens and your ears start to ring.

“Are you breaking up with me?”

You didn’t intend to sound so fragile, but at this point you had little control over anything. You were gripping the pillow to your chest so hard you felt like you could rip it in half.

His head whips up so that his eyes can meet your sad ones. “No. Shit - ” he shakes his head as he squeezes his eyes shut. “I feel like you’re gonna break up with me.”

“What?” You can’t help the laughter that starts to bubble up and out of your mouth as you lean forward a bit. “Are you serious?”

“I don’t know! You’ve been - how do I… different. Distant.”

You take in a breath, your lips pulling together as you watch the way his eyes almost turn down.

“I’m sorry.”

“No,” he shakes his head. “I don’t wanna talk about it to make you feel like you have to apologize for something. I just need to know what’s going on, why you’re less...interested.”

It feels like a knife is being pushed into your chest the minute he finishes his thought. Sure, you’d been a bit distant because of your internal battle that seemed never ending, but you’d never intended to make him feel like you were less into him. Hell, the whole issue is that you’re too into him.

“Gray,” you shake your head, loosening your grip on the pillow and moving to grab one of his hands. He lets you hold it, but doesn’t give you the reassuring pressure of squeezing you back that he always does. “Grayson,” you say more seriously so that his eyes focus on yours. “That’s not what’s happening. I…”

He raises a brow at you expectantly, but you just sigh and let your head fall back on your shoulders. You think if you look up that maybe the tears gathering along your waterline won’t fall down your cheeks.

“Y/N.”

“Hm?” You hum, now closing your eyes to try and trap the tears there.

“What is happening?”

You bite your lip as you shake your head, slowly lowering it again and opening your eyes. As soon as you do so the tears you tried so hard to prevent cloud your vision and slowly stream down your cheeks.

It breaks Grayson’s heart to see you so conflicted and emotional, even if he doesn’t know why. He gives your hand the squeeze you’d been waiting for.

That action is what pushes you over the edge, and you begin to cry. You fold forward over the pillow as your free hand comes to cover your eyes. You let it all out, the stress, the anxiety, the fear, through every shaking sob that leaves your body. Grayson sits there watching, never letting go of your hand.

You guys stay like that until you’re finally able to take in a full breath. His thumb rubs gently over the skin of the back of your hand as you wipe your eyes with your free palm.

“I’m sorry,” you sniffle.

“No,” he mumbles out quietly, his voice a bit hoarse. When you lift your head, you see the tears lining his eyes. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“I do though.” You take in one more big breath before squaring off your shoulders as you prepare to tell him the truth. “It’s my fault you’re sad, and you’ve literally done nothing wrong. You’ve been doing everything right, actually,” you admit. “I’ve been acting all weird and shit because I…” He raises his brows as he waits for you to finish your sentence. You sigh, preparing to say the words that ran through your mind every time you looked at him.

“I love you.”

For some reason, despite your voice being muffled from the hoarseness of your throat, those words seem to echo through the whole room, the universe, even. It’s the only thing you can hear reverberating off the walls because Grayson stopped breathing the minute they left your mouth. And the quieter the echoes get, the more room there is for anxiety to grow inside of you.

Thankfully he doesn’t leave you hanging too long, and as he opens his mouth you can’t decide if you’re grateful he’s able to collect his thoughts so fast or terrified of the rejection you’ve been anticipating since your conversation with Kacey.

“Holy shit.”

Holy shit?

“Holy fucking shit.” He starts laughing loudly, the words repeatedly falling from his mouth through each borderline scream that now replaces the silence in the room. His free hand comes to his chest as he tries to catch his breath, and you watch him in a mix of amusement and horror, completely unsure of what to do.

“Grayson?”

That seems to get his attention, and he’s able to quiet himself a bit. But instead of trying to talk like you expect, he lets go of your hand to bring both of his palms to your cheeks. Before you can comprehend what he’s doing your noses are bumping against one another as he brings his lips to yours. You can barely even call it a kiss because you can feel the way his lips are still turned into a smile as he continues to chuckle into your mouth. He does his best, though, giving you a few quick kisses before he pulls away again with his stupid grin still spread across his face.

“That’s the best god damn thing to ever come out of your mouth.”

You let out a breathy chuckle of relief, still not totally sure what’s happening but just happy he’s not running for the hills.

“We’re getting fucking BJ’s tonight,” he declares while standing, rushing around to find his keys. You sit there still in shock, not sure what the fuck happened and still trying to process his reaction. While he slips his shoes on, he pauses when he notices you still completely unmoved on the couch. “Are you not hungry? It’s our spot, you always want BJ’s.”

“No, I just…” you shake your head, standing from the couch much slower than he did. “Is this a good thing?”

He looks at you confused. “Is what a good thing?”

“That I love you.”

“Baby.” He practically jogs over to you. “It’s the best thing. Can’t top it, honestly. Well, unless you tell me you’re pregnant, then-”

“Hold up.” You bring your hand up to stop him in his tracks. “No to me being pregnant anytime soon you psycho.” He rolls his eyes but he lets you continue as he rests his hands on your hips. “But does that mean…”

As soon as he connects the dots of your unspoken question, he almost appears to physically melt in front of you.

“Of course.” He leans in, leaving kisses along your cheeks, going up to your forehead and ending at the tip of your nose before brushing his lips over yours. “With my whole heart, I love you too.”

[corie-the-writer]

Ignite - Chapter 5

Chloe had decided to ride with Severide back to his apartment, leaving her jeep at work, since Kelly would be dropping her off the next morning on his way to work. Stopping by her father's house, Chloe had packed an over night bag for her stay at Kelly's, making sure to grab clothes for work the next day. Once they had gotten to the apartment, Chloe and Kelly had disappeared to shower together. A simple intimate act after a long day, Kelly had gotten out first, drying off and putting on a pair of briefs and sweatpants that hung low on his hips, and headed to the couch with take-out food. Kelly had watched as Chloe walked out a few moments later in a pair of panties and one of his firehouse 51 shirts and climbed on the couch next to him. "Why do you always look better in my clothes?" Kelly questioned as she reached for the beer sitting out for her. "It's a gift." Chloe smiled behind the beer bottle taking a drink before reaching for a carton of food. Chloe and Kelly had agreed on the way to his apartment that they would not discuss the events of today with the texts, flowers and calls. Instead they would focus on relaxing and spending time together since they had been dead tired from their jobs. Once the two had ate in silence, Kelly had leaned back into the couch with a beer in his hand while Chloe had leaned into his side, resting the un-injured side of her head against his shoulder. "How's your head?" Kelly questioned, his hand going up to allow his fingertips to rub her head gently. "Hurts, but I'll live." Chloe mumbled, stiffling back a yawn. Kelly had to admit ever since the night he had rescued Chloe from her apartment he had been on high alert with what he had felt for the dark haired woman. The feelings that he had felt for so long only intensifying for him. Neither of them had time to speak about what had happened over the past few days with everything that has gone on, but he knew that he was going to make sure that nothing happened to the woman he cared so deeply for. The firefighter knew that he had wanted to find the right time to talk to Chloe about becoming official, but she had been so busy since that night with cases, and his work that he couldn't figure out when the right time would be. "You fall asleep on me?" Kelly questioned quietly noticing how still Chloe had become against him and he looked down to see her eyes shut, her face relaxed and he chuckled to himself.   He finished his beer and gently moved to put the bottle on the large coffee table and moved to stand up, then reached for the woman, lifting her in his arms with ease, carrying her to his bed. Kelly was grateful that his bed had been unmade as he laid her on the black sheets, pulling the black comforter over her legs and up to her chest, and he had moved to his side of the bed and climbed in, pulling the covers up to his stomach and turned to face her, ducking on arm gently under her pillow and the other arm wrapped around her stomach, holding her close. Kelly was content the moment she relaxed against his hold, allowing him to drift to sleep within a few moments. . . Kelly groaned as the sound of his alarm stirred him awake. He blindly reached for the alarm clock and turned it off. He felt the movement of Chloe next to him, her leg draped around his lower stomach, her face buried into the curve of his neck, and her arm draped across his bare chest. His arm was wrapped under her neck, and he lifted his forearm to give her a gentle squeeze. Kelly waited for a moment before turning on his side facing her, and used his free hand to cup her cheek, using his thumb to brush against her soft skin. The handsome man blinked his eyes open to see Chloe fluttering hers open to stare back at him for a moment. Kelly noticed the bruising around her throat and frowned for a moment before leaning in to kiss her. The kiss was soft and gentle at first then turned passionate extremely quick. Before Kelly could register anything that was happening, he was on top of the naked woman thrusting into her, his hands locked with hers. His mouth kissing against the skin of her neck, jaw and lips. Kelly let go of Chloe's hand and grabbed ahold of her hip as he continued the deep thrusts into her, feeling her tighten around him. Her free arm lacing around his shoulders, her leg hooking around his lower back. "Oh god..." Kelly groaned at the depth he was going feeling her walls starting to tighten around him, "Chloe..." Kelly moaned through clenched teeth, being sure to not wake his friend. "Kelly..." Chloe moaned loudly and Kelly moved his mouth to cover hers as they came undone together, grasping at each others bodies with everything they had. . . Kelly watched in amusement as Chloe rushed around to put on a pair of black distressed jeans, a black t-shirt and kept falling over to put her white sneakers on. They had been running late for work after showering together that morning which led to a second round of sex. "Not funny Severide." Chloe grumbled standing up and piling her hair into a bun and securing it with a hair tie, then reaching for her badge to hook it on her jeans, and then holstered her gun. Kelly stood at the entrance to his bedroom with two large coffees in to go cups, and handed one cup to Chloe as she approached him. Kelly grinned as Chloe stomped past him and towards the front door with him following. . . Pulling up in front of the Chloe's work building, she had leaned over to kiss him as Adam Ruzek waited for her outside the double doors, "Be careful today, yeah?" Chloe commented and Kelly gave her a nod then kissed her back. Chloe moved out of the mustang and rushed towards the stairs to greet her partner, letting him hold the door open for her. Chloe walked into the building to run straight into her father because she was too busy listening to Ruzek speak behind her. "Sorry..." Chloe smiled. "Don't bother going up." Hank stated to the pair, "Get going on finding any security cameras around your apartment building." Hank stated in a stern voice, "I'm heading to firehouse 51 to see if they have anything we can work with." Hank explained as he walked past them. "Good morning to you too dad." Chloe commented earning a glare from her father as he looked over his shoulder, then turned her attention to Ruzek, "Looks like another fun day at the office." Chloe mumbled as Ruzek sighed and turned to walk back down the stairs. . . Chloe and Adam had went through four businesses to look at the security footage to see if anything had stood out. They had come up empty, and had decided to stop for lunch before finishing up with the last three buildings around her apartment building. As Chloe was finishing her sub sandwich, her cell phone had dinged indicating that she had a text message. Glancing to the screen that was lit up, Chloe noticed a photo of Kelly from an unknown number. Reaching for the device, Chloe noticed that Firehouse 51 was at a fire, and the person who had been texting her was there, "We gotta go." Chloe quickly pushed herself up from the seat and headed to the door with Adam quickly following and tossing him the keeps to her jeep as soon as they stepped outside. Chloe was immediately on the phone with the dispatcher for the firehouse to find out where they were, telling the woman it was police business. Adam had turned the lights and sirens on and headed into the direction of the fire. . . The entire fire house had not had a moment to breathe since clocking in for shift change that morning. It was like the bells were repeatedly going off as if it were a full moon. Kelly had been in the midst of fighting a fire with his team that they could not get under control. Kelly, Matt, Otis and Cruz had searched the entire upstairs before realizing the home had been abandoned. Kelly and Matt had sent Otis and Cruz back down stairs, while they searched quickly for anything that could have started the fire. When they realized the source of fire was coming from downstairs, Matt went down the stairs first, followed by Kelly. Kelly was aware of Chief Boden telling them to evacutate, and just as Kelly's feet hit the bottom of the stair case, a beam from the ceiling came flying down. Kelly instantly launched himself to the floor, landing on his left shoulder, hearing a sickening pop and feeling something tear. His mask flew off from the impact and he watched in horror as the beam trapped him, his siren going off to alert the others. . . Chloe and Ruzek pulled up on the scene. Chloe immediately looking to the bystanders watching to see if anyone looked suspicious. Her eyes scanned the entire area three times before she heard Chief Boden shout Kelly's name. Chloe turned to look to the house fully engulfed in flames. The dark haired woman's heart began beating quick in her chest, the blood rushing to her head as her feet carried her towards Chief Boden, to see Matt pulling his mask off for a moment and looking directly at her, before remasking and running back in with two others. "SEVERIDE ANSWER?!" Chief Boden shouted into his mic and Chloe's hands began to tremble. "No..." Chloe whispered to herself listening in horror as there was no response. "Chloe..." Chloe heard the sound of Adam's voice approaching, his arm going around her shoulder to keep her steady as Matt and the two other men carried an unconscious Kelly Severide out of the flames. Chloe stood in shock as he was laid on the stretcher, Sylvie and Foster immediately working on him. Adam held Chloe up as they watched the EMT's rip open Kelly's suit and then begin CPR. Chloe felt the tears building in her eyes as she watched both women work as hard as they could to get a pulse, and the moment they did, they were rushing him into the back of the bus. "Come on..." Adam pushed Chloe to the jeep, ushering her into the passenger seat and then running to the drivers side and jumping in. Adam quickly manuvered through the crowd to give the ambulance an escort as Kelly's team quickly jumped into their truck to follow.