#and i also think that the older ponies just look better but that might be nostalgia talking

[hinamie]

10 years later

[winstonsns]

Hii I was wondering if you’d write gang when it’s your birthday? I think it’s be really cool since my birthdays the 27th!! (your inbetween pony and Johnny age wise)

the gang on your birthday (request)

pairings: ponyboy x reader, johnny x reader, sodapop x reader, darry x reader, dally x reader, two-bit x reader, steve x reader (separate platonic)

warnings: cussing

authors note: i won’t be posting anything friday to monday, im going camping! sorry about that, happy birthday! i hope you enjoy 💗

word count: 0.8k

PONYBOY CURTIS

pony looks up to you because you’re a bit older than him and probably the best role model out of the gang

as he can’t get you much because he doesn’t have a job and he doesn’t have money, he’ll somehow get you a book and write you a poem or letter

writing things is like his love language, if he gives you a note or writes a poem or a letter for you, he wrote it with his whole heart

he doesn’t really think much about getting you food or bringing you somewhere, it’s more about giving you something he took time to make

JOHNNY CADE

johnny can’t give you much because he doesn’t have money, will probably steal something from a store or restaurant for you

but he’ll talk with you late at night at the lot, feeling sorry he can’t get you much

you appreciate that he risks getting in trouble just so the two of you can talk for longer, doesn’t necessarily do much for your birthday though

instead of giving you a lot of items and money for your birthday, he talks to you a lot throughout the day about how old you are

SODAPOP CURTIS

on your birthday, soda gives you a cute letter and bakes you cupcakes or a small cake only for you

probably arrives at your house and wakes you up just to say happy birthday, a rainbow party hat on his head and a party horn

makes it everyone’s deal that it’s your birthday, takes you to do crazy stuff in restaurants and gets you food for free because ‘it’s your fucking birthday’

also makes you feel like you’re the most special person in the whole world on your birthday, basically gives you nearly everything you want because it’s your day

DARRY CURTIS

darry probably makes you chocolate cake or cupcakes with his ingredients, although whenever you come over, you have chocolate cake, it feels special when you have it on your birthday

because you’re young, he’ll rant about how you should cherish your days, it won’t be soon before all your time is gone and to take advantage of being young and having fun

sometimes his family would go out and get food for him and his brothers birthdays, so he gets you food or a little snack

he’ll get you a letter too, it says something like how you’re a good kid and and you can come to him if you ever need to

DALLAS WINSTON

dally hardly even celebrates his birthday, so if he gets you something or remembers, you’re lucky

he probably swipes you a gift from your favorite shop, he doesn’t care enough to pay for it and is more focused on getting to you than how he got the item

he might get you a letter if your relationship is truly important to him, writing only a few words, believing it’s the thought that matters

tells you that you better appreciate it, if you voice that you don’t, he’ll say something about his parents never getting him anything for his birthdays

TWO-BIT MATHEWS

two-bit tries to make you as annoyed but as happy as you can on your birthday, also making it everyone’s business

tries to get you as much as you can just by telling people ‘oh, yeah, it’s her birthday. how old are you turning again? wow you’re super old!’ even though he’s older than the seniors as a junior

swipes you a ton of random shit, brings you to the drive in just to mess around with some socs

he either babies you or treats you like an adult just to make you annoyed, he’ll do whichever one gets you ticked off, telling you, “soon enough, you’ll be able to drink beer! man, i’m gettin’ old.”

STEVE RANDLE

steve gives you some money so you can get something you want for your birthday

doesn’t really do much for your birthday, he might give you a letter or a note of some sort but very few words

at most, he’ll take the day off to hang out with you on your birthday

or if you really want to you could hang out with him at the DX and take a lot of free stuff, he lets you because it’s your birthday

[eyesxxyou]

Hobie Headcanons

↳ ❝ [mix of sfw and nsfw because I've been thinking alot] ¡! ❞

❝ sfw ❞

Hobie is Jamaican British and you can't change my mind. He uses Jamaican slang in the movie and some of punk culture takes from Jamaican culture. When he feels very big emotions, his accent definitely comes out whether he wants it too or not.

Did all his piercings himself. Has a keloid behind one of his ears because of it. It's a miracle most of his piercings haven't been infected or rejected.

His starter locs were terrible. He thinks it's the most embarrassing part of his loc journey. The length was uneven and he had to start over 3 different times. For a while he did have regular locs before letting them do their own thing and become freeform.

Has siblings. Two sisters, one older, one younger, and he loves them to death. Would go to hell and back for them. They're partially the reason why he's so comfortable in himself and his own masculinity. Why he's all "fuck Capitalism, patriarchy, and society in general" because he wants to live in a world where this sisters and every woman can walk down the street feeling safe, get paid equal to men in their jobs, etc

Undiagnosed autistic and I say this as a unofficially diagnosed autistic. His special interests are politics, punk bands, and My Little Pony (blame his sisters).

Gets matching nails with his s/o. Let's you paint his nails and do nail art and all of that. Let's you do his make up too, a full face beating if you want. A little bit of a simp

Definitely has a type. Earthy spiritual black people who wear crystals in their hair, wear layers of necklaces and bracelets, flowy ankle length shirts and tube tops, gold rings and waist beads layered on top of each other (definitely not saying this cuz it's an exact description of me) love a black woman from infinity to infinityyyy

❝ nsfw ❞

Has a dick piercing (and no he didn't do that one on his own). Either a Prince Albert or a magic cross. It was a haphazard decision he just decided on and BOY was it painful but he feels cool as fuck now and it makes you feel all the better.

Has nipple piercings too. Just thought they looked sick. Only downside is that they took a long time to heal and wearing a shirt for the first few weeks was literal hell.

LOVES giving oral regardless of sex. Adores the sounds he can draw from you with just his tongue and his fingers. Has you cumming in minutes. His fingers are perfect for it, long and slender, and his tongue is godly (he also has a tongue piercing).

His moto is save a horse, ride a cowboy. Loves getting rode, watching you bounce on his cock however you'd like with your hands on his chest for support. He'll hold your hips, trace patterns on your skin while praising you. "Ya look so pretty, luv. Keep goin', jus' like tha'."

Loves eye contact during sex at all time. "Keep ya eyes open fa' me, luv. Can you do tha'? Yeah, tha's righ'." He likes the intimacy of it, makes the act more special.

Might be a controversial opinion but I think Hobie's polyamorous. Or at least open to the idea of an open relationship. He doesn't get jealous easily and trusts you wholeheartedly so he's be okay with something like that. If that's not what you want, he's totally okay with that as well. On the up side, threesomes ;)

[rambleonwaywardson]

Clegan Olympics Headcanons

Some headcanons I have about Buck and Bucky as Olympic athletes, initially inspired by this post by @brotherwtf and my replies to it with @impalachick. I just felt like fleshing these ideas out a bit more. Anyone feel free to add to it!

John as a gymnast and Gale as a horseback rider:

First of all, Bucky is a gymnast. it's easy to imagine him as a rower because of Boys in the Boat, but hear me out... LOOK at those thighs, those shoulders. He's a bit tall but shhhh it's fine, he'd excel at men's gymnastics. Especially rings and floor.

He's been doing gymnastics since he was little -- just imagine a tiny sassy Bucky tumbling around and doing handstands. He's always been good, but when he hit puberty and put on all that muscle, wow.

He definitely has strengths in certain events, but he's an all-around gymnast with a tendency for pushing boundaries. He's known for the raw power and strength he shows in his events. I don't think this is his first Olympics either, since gymnasts tend to be on the younger side. He's been on the map probably since he started college.

He's just getting better with age, though. People don't pay as much attention to men's gymnastics as they do women's, but man they talk about John Egan (it helps that everyone is a little in love with him).

I've decided to indulge myself and imagine Gale as an equestrian. He does eventing (jumping, dressage, and cross-country)

He didn't grow up with any fancy horses or trainers or tack. He wore hand-me-downs for years and trained green horses from the ground up and worked tirelessly on farms in exchange for ride time. He worked for every inch of what he's accomplished, always for the love of the animal and of the sport.

The equestrian athletes tend to be older, so this might be Gale's first Olympics. He's the new young hotty on the equestrian team that everyone wants to watch. Maybe in this way John kind of helps him navigate being an Olympian.

I don't know how or when they first meet, but one of the first things John notices about Gale (other than how beautiful he is and that voice and those eyes) is how deeply he cares for and loves his horse, who is his partner in this crazy sport. I imagine Gale as an animal-lover, and he values his horse more than anything else in this world (except, eventually, maybe John)

John has next to no experience with horses. He's not scared of them, but appropriately wary perhaps. And Gale's horse is tall, which doesn't help. He's nervous the first time Gale takes him into the stables but tries to act like he's not. He wants so badly for Gale's horse to like him (she does).

Also I feel like Gale rides a mare -- they're sassy and opinionated and so so loyal for the right person (vague parallel to John??? lol)

They start learning about each others' sports and try to watch every event the other is in, becoming each others' biggest fans even if they only half know what's going on. John is always a little terrified watching Gale ride, especially during cross-country. Gale thinks he's crazy for this because he can barely watch sometimes when John is flipping through the air so high off the ground like that.

Them exploring Paris together when they're not competing!!! Imagine the general shenanigans and romance and cuteness of them galivanting around the city together.

They definitely get some attention as a sort of "it" couple during the games and pictures start circulating of them together. An unlikely pairing across sports, especially because Gale and John have such different personalities and reputations. The attention makes Gale a little uncomfortable, so John starts making a point to obnoxiously block any photos reporters try to take of them together. This ends up just making Gale laugh and he tells John to stop.

When they're home, they try to teach each other basics of their sports. Gale gives John a pony ride on his Olympic sport horse who is worth thousands and thousands of dollars and tries to teach him how to ride by himself. John is clumsy about it but only falls maybe once, and he's determined to please Gale so he keeps trying. John tries to teach Gale how to do some basic tumbling but Gale, while strong in his own right, just does not have that type of strength, coordination, or flexibility and repeatedly falls on his ass before adamantly refusing to ever do it again (I love those videos of olympic athletes trying each others' sports)

Totally did not mean to build on this so much and don't intend to do anything with it but I'm gonna be thinking about this a lot I think.

[johnnycakesswitch]

What are some of your purly headcanons?? I just got supper obsessed with them lol

Yesss we love purly in this household here we go:

• they’ve been friends since they were pretty little just because they’re the same age, both greasers, etc. Even if they weren’t always super close, they kinda had each other’s backs like if Curly saw someone messing w Pony he’d give him a “fuck off or see what happens” kind of look or if Curly’s getting into some trouble Pony would try to distract him because school is no fun if Curly is suspended

• as they get older though, they become more friends, like proper friends who hang out and get up to stupid shit. Darry and Soda don’t love that Curly is who Pony chooses to hang out with, but at the end of the day, they’ve all done stupid shit too, and as long as Pony doesn’t get arrested or break his curfew, there’s not much they can really say

• how they got together was a very slow, unofficial progression. One day Curly asks if they should practice kissing on each other so they can be ready and Pony’s like yeah that sounds smart. So they’re each other’s first kisses and they continue to practice on each other so they can get better and better 😭

• one day Pony’s like “so have you kissed anyone else yet” and Curly’s like “nah you?” “Me neither” and it’s quiet for a few minutes before Pony goes “I like when we do tho” and Curly’s just like “yeah same” so they just keep doing it then

• I feel like they don’t really call each other boyfriends, but everyone that’s important to them knows they’re together. If we’re being realistic, they wouldn’t be able to act like more than friends in public so that plays a big role in it, but they don’t really mind because they’re not pda people at all and if they know they’re together, that’s what matters

• Curly uses anything but Pony’s real name. Baby Curtis and Ponybabe are probably the most frequently used

• when they’re not in public, they’re not super like affectionate, more just handsy. Always arms around the waist or on the hips when they’re sitting together or walking somewhere. They don’t hold hands that often but Pony likes linking pinkies. They like to lay in each other’s laps and argue over whose turn it is to do so 😭 Pony likes to do it while they watch tv bc Curly will rub his back or head and he looooves that. Curly likes to wrap his arms around Pony’s waist and bury his face in his stomach and take a nap like that

• making out all the time. Every single one of the gang, Tim, and Angela have walked in on them making out. It’s a canon event in their lives, could not be avoided. Curly and Pony have the audacity to not even be embarrassed they just go somewhere else to continue 😭

• Angela and Pony actually get along super well and whenever Pony is over Curly will yell at her for trying to steal him 💀💀💀 Angela is like bruh I do NOT want him

• then as soon as Pony leaves Angela has to listen to Curly just talk and talk about this kid like she cannot catch a break

• Tim likes Pony because Curly tends to stay out of trouble more now and also he just thinks Pony is a good kid

• overall Purly might not have the most conventional relationship but they love each other and at the end of the day that’s all that matters

[juniperss]

I loved your baking stories 🥺 could I request a platonic sister reader where she's the youngest curtis and she gets nightmares like pony? Just some big brother comfort?? Soda is my favorite btw lol

*sits down and scooches my chair in so I can speak into my imaginary microphone* So....I had some ideas about this and then I mentioned this request to my bestie @a-libra-writes (who you guys might remember from my diner au) and we got to talkin'....for over 2 hours about little sister Curtis.....I have so many thoughts that I'll be posting a part II to this later that's purely just random headcanons about her! I hope you enjoy LOL and thank you for the wonderful request and the ideas!!

edit: here's part II to "little sister curtis"!!!

Curtis Brothers Comforting Their Sister:

(she/her pronouns used. TW/CW: talk of parental death, nightmares, themes of trauma and grief)

Being the youngest sibling would mean that she's at least 13 when the start of the book takes place and so that’s the age I’m gonna use! 

Ponyboy says that his nightmares are ones that he woke up screaming from almost every night for a while after his parent’s car accident, and even though he couldn’t remember what happened in those dreams they were the scariest thing he’s experienced. Now that’s fucking terrifying and one of the worst feelings because at least when you remember nightmares there’s the chance of logically working through them or talking them through. But not remembering what happened in them that caused such an intense reaction is maddening. 

Your nightmares started around the same time as Ponyboy’s ended. Your brothers aren’t sure why yours started after Ponyboy’s stopped, maybe it had something to do with you no longer feeling like you needed to look after your older brother when he was having nightmares? 

Regardless of why or when they started, they’re bad. You remember bits of your nightmares. Just fragments, pieces that you struggle to hold onto while you try to put together the bigger picture. You wake up crying and shaking, hardly able to get your breathing right and stumble towards Pony’s room next door

By this time Soda is now sleeping in Ponyboy’s room, having practically moved in during the previous rounds of nightmares, so you crawl up from the end of the bed in between the two of them. Pony is the one who wakes up first and he kicks Soda until he also notices that you’re there. 

You can’t tell them what happened, you’re still crying and scared, so Soda wraps you up in a hug and tells Ponyboy to grab Darry. Soda’s good at making anyone feel better even if he talks too much sometimes , but right now you don’t mind it. He’s just talking about everything; about work, about the girls who came in trying to flirt and asking you what you think about that. 

You don’t think you’ve seen Darry walk so fast as he comes down the hallway, Ponyboy trailing behind him, and eventually you’ve been passed around like a hot potato until you’re sat in between Soda and Darry, with Ponyboy sitting in front of you all on the small bed. 

Soda is still yapping away and soon Ponyboy has joined in. They’re trying to get your mind off the bad dream. But Darry’s got an arm around you trying to soothe away your shivering by rubbing your arm and Soda is tugging on your hair gently like he’s done since you were a toddler. Even if you’re closer to Ponyboy in age and usually go to Soda for comfort when you’ve hurt yourself or had a bad day, Darry is the one you’ve always gone to when you’re scared. 

Darry isn’t sure he wants to ask about your nightmares, is it the right thing to do? To see if you remember them and make you think about it again? He’s trying to recall if that’s what his mom did for him when he had bad dreams and if that’s what she would do for you. Eventually he settles for, “Wanna talk about it?” and waits for you to shake or nod your head. He won’t push it either way. 

Soda tells you stories about when you were little, about how Mom and Dad loved you. Because even if you can’t remember everything about the nightmares, he knows that it was about them being gone. Soda’s always been good at knowing what’s wrong when it comes to you. So he makes sure that you know you aren’t alone and that even if Mom and Dad are gone, they haven’t really left. 

Ponyboy grabs one of the books off his shelf and starts reading out loud to you. You’re not sure what the story is about, only half listening because you’re still shaken, but between Sodapop making comments about the characters or plot, Darry shushing him, and Pony’s steady narration, you do feel a bit better. 

The four of you stay on the bed like that until you fall asleep. Soda is the first to pass out, his head on top of yours. Ponyboy follows after and is spread out across the end of the bed. Darry stays awake til he feels your breathing even out and your full body weight is holding Soda upright, your head on his shoulder.

[pumpkinsy0]

Ok this might seem stupid but hear me out, perhaps we could get some headcanons of papercut in the events of the book but instead of Johnny it was Curly who stabbed the soc and him and Pony had to run away together? It would also be cool to see what the Curtis AND Shepard gangs reactions are

this aint stupid,,,,ur onto something here,,,,

•ok look, not REALLY related but curly woulda loved that white trash w mustangs and madras line, this white on white violence gotta STOP💔💯

•ANYWAYS, i think he’d put up more of a fight, he’d try to get to pony but they were outnumbered so he gets cornered, HOWEVER, he always carries some weapon on him, or maybe he picked up a coke bottle, POINT IS, bob still died lmao

•i dont think curly and pony would stay around that area as long as johnny and pony did, curly would want to leave as soon as he could so nobody could see them, so ponys forced to just get it together in under like 2mins so they could leave, so ponys disassociating badly

•theyd go to tim, curly doesnt like dally and tim IS his older brother, then tim would tell dally, and they still end up at the dirty ass church</3

•now curlys shaken up too, like hes not trying to show it to look tough, but hes never done THAT before, never flat out hurt someone that badly before, but he still doesnt regret it bc it was to defend pony, however considering hes black in the 60s in TULSA, hes so certain a judge will not gaf that it was outta self defense, so actually hes disassociatin too, they both a lil fucked up rn

•back at home, dally didnt tell darry or soda where they were but tim sure as hell did, he gets what darrys goin through cause theyre both older bros worryin over their younger bros, darry doesnt know HOW to react at all to it, he doesnt tell soda nor johnny, or anyone really, when two bit says he’ll go to texas (i think it was,,,) to look for him, darry says not to bother, so they all feel like darry knows where pony is and they dint know wether to be happy or terrified bc why isnt he tellin em or getting him??

•when it comes to the shepard gang, tim did tell some of em whats going on, only his trusted guys tho, theres basically nothing they CAN do to stop word from spreading about it bc the socs who were there already went to the cops, so they all have to lay low for a while, stay in line cause tim quite honestly cant handle anything more rn

•angela’s pretty much losing it too, shes drinking more, way more irritable, if one of the shepards is gone, ALL of em r losing it dawg

•in the church, curlys trying to act like his normal self but u can tell that he’s damn near close to losing it cause this could mean prison or the death penalty, hes so sure hes done for and pony wants to reassure him but holy fuck it aint lookin too good, they do their normal banger but u can feel this somber tension between the two as if this is gonna b their last moments together

•curly is NOT talking about turning himself in at all, he’d rather kill someone else to NOT go actually, on top of that tims telling him to stay hidden, dallys tellin him to stay hidden, so thats how he knows hes GOTTA stay there

•NOW THE FIRE, just like dally, curly dont care that much bout those kids im ngl, but bc ponys running in there, now HE has to help, boooooo👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽

•curly aint like johnny, hes grabbing those kids and pushing them out, whatever injuries they get outta that they gonna have to deal w later, its better than them being dead id think, when the church falls, honestly??? i think my main man curly gettin outta there in time, he lowkey DID push pony out the window cause he was taking too long and then jumped out bit aye, hes livin

•its either that or he risks it and takes the longer way out if like, the wood fell where the window was

•he aint livin without some injuries and scars tho, he did definitely break SOMETHING and got some burns on his hands and wherever else, but hes relatively fine, a part of the reason y is bc he wears a leather jacket, unlike johnny who wears a jean jacket, and jean jackets r more flammable, and as seen w pony, the leather jacket did help him a bit in that fire, he still is banged up tho

[batidochokolat]

The Outsiders // Pro Ice Skating AU ⛸️❄️

- Ponyboy and Curtis brothers centric (for now)

- If you have any idea how any more characters of The Outsiders would behave or react to this AU please let me know.

- So first, Ponyboy is all about ice skating, like how he's into sunsets, books, and movies. It's his thing, even though the gang doesn't really get it. His mom, though, she's his biggest support, staying up late sewing his outfits and taking him to practice and tournaments all the time.

- But then, when his parents pass away, he takes a break from skating. One day, Darry finds him and says like, "I was looking through some of mother's things and I found all your medals, accomplishments, all that, Pony. She loved you, more than she loved anyone. You can't keep dying in your own greave, sobbing all night. You have to get back out there and make them proud."

- So, Ponyboy throws himself into training like never before. But now, it's not just about having fun; it's serious pressure. Especially with Darry taking charge, pushing him harder. You have to remember Darry was this big football star back in high school, had a shot to leave Tulsa and all, but then their parents passed, and now he's dead set on turning Ponyboy into the best ice skater in the country.

- But Ponyboy feels like Darry doesn't get him. They clash a lot because Darry's always reminding him that skating's alway been for the rich kids, not greasers like them. And the judges and other skaters don't make it any easier, they don't understand his DIY outfits and background, giving him low scores in presentation and seeing him as a greaser who skates like a girl, basically he's making a mockery of the "elegant" art of ice skating.

- Ponyboy, he thinks (like in the book) Darry sees him as a total annoyance and burden, always saying he can do better. It's like he's constantly walking on thin ice, trying to live up to Darry's expectations while dealing with his own doubts and insecurities and all that.

- But even then he doesn't care what other people think, he knows he's talented and he won't be apologizing for being who he is. He will prove EVRYONE just how wrong they are about him.

Ponyboy

Pretty much like in the book he is a little angsty and has to deal with a little too much at a young age, but he's still that guy who loves reading books, watching movies and ice skating. His drive here stems from a desire to prove his worth, sometimes leading to a touch of obsession in seeking the perfect embodiment of his artistry and a score that silences all the people who think he can't make it.

Darry

I know Darry sounds like a total asshole but I belive he's giving everything he has for pony and tries to push him like how his coach used to do when he was in high school. Despite being barely older than a teenager, He's under so much pressure and stress all the time that he might be setting some into his younger siblings.

Sodapop

I personally think Sodapop might not be super into ice skating as a sport, but he's always been there to cheer on Ponyboy, especially after their parents passed. He decides to attend one of Pony's tournaments, but he's taken aback by how intense Darry is being. He's like, "Don't you think you're pushing him too hard?" But Darry's all like, "I know what I'm doing. I'm making him a star."

Sodapop also may try to be with Ponyboy more, inviting him to hang out and take breaks from all the practice, but Pony keeps turning him down. (Steve's obviously happy that Pony isn't always tagging along anymore lol)

As time goes on, Sodapop starts feeling a bit distant from his own family. With all this new attention on Ponyboy and the constant tension at home, he starts feeling really alone. He still cares deeply about Pony and is proud of his achievements, but he just wishes things could go back to how they were before, with their family all together.

Rest of the gang?

Idk, I thought this AU yesterday over discord. What would Johnny's reaction be to all of this?

(Gif is relevant because this AU came to my mind inspired by the Tonya Harding story and a bunch of Yuzuru and ice skating tiktok edits.)

Extras

I will probably be adding more to this AU later on the week 🫶

[wutheringmights]

Off anon, Long ask ahead.

Serious: When my friend first sent CTB to me, I read the first two chapters. Then I abandoned it. A long while later. I remembered I never read it. Thought, “Well let’s give it one more chance, it might surprise me.” Man, oh man did it. I got to the Ear-piercing scene and was hooked. The dread I felt throughout the past sections. Just knowing Something terrible was going to happen and they were going to stop being friends, brothers. When Spirit discovered Warriors had been lying about the light spirits. I thought that was it. But Then It Wasn’t. and that was so much worse. In a good way. Defying expectations. The neck scene. Changed the whole game. Went from, “I’ve got stop projecting onto these characters. Obviously, the author didn’t mean for me to interpret it like That.” To, “Holy Shit I am So Awesome and good at subtext.” Very good. I did not notice the underlining theme about hands until it was Too Late. Went back and looked at previous chapters. Oh my god it was so obvious. Of course, now I am intentionally looking for foreshadowing. Which might also cause problems. I am noticing Drowning coming up A Whole Lot. So, worries. Went back and reread the first two chapters after I finished reading and was punched in the face by how much I missed. I was mainly compelled by the past sections. In part because there were fewer characters and thus it was easier for me to understand. The first time the present sections really got me was when Warriors found Wind with the journal. I was so scared for him. And the next chapter did not disway my fears. I cannot properly explain the way I felt when reading. Every so often I would feel the most amazing sense of dread while reading. And it compelled me. You wove such complicated feelings into this story. I so desperately wish I was better at explaining emotions, just so that I can tell you how I felt while reading. But god. I can find myself in some way in Spirit, The child, and Warriors. It’s so incredible.

The dread I felt during Scenes like, the entirety of chap 14 or the build up to The child’s departure. Is rivaled only by the Horror I felt when the Minish showed up in chapter 16. I actually had to stop reading for a moment because I was so scared. I don’t know why.

Silly: Don’t worry, I’ve already ‘fought’ my friend. When the name twilight came up, I genuinely thought it was twilight sparkle from my little pony. I very quickly scrolled back up to look at the character tags (I did not look at any of the tags before reading, big mistake.) when the minish first came up, I felt such a primal sense of fear. I can’t even explain it. I thought I was getting by fine. Then A Creature showed up and my gosh. I had to stop reading for a minute and prepare myself because I was just SO scared. Though I have to say that by far the scariest moment when reading, was the slow dreading realization that every single character was blonde. Horrifying. I keep getting Wind and Wild mixed up. It’s causing problems. It took me so long to realize Time was the child. I was so dead set on the theory that Time was an older Warriors. It made sense at the time. Speaking of Warriors. I keep thinking of him with facial hair. which is funny because he is constantly described with a clean-shaven face. And I kept forgetting. I have to wax him in my brain every few minutes. Legend is flipflopping in my brain from, I think I know what game he’s from, to, emo teen. I no longer know how old any character is. I do not trust my perception of age. I thought 'old man' Time was in his Sixties, I thought he had fully gray hair. NOPE! Another blonde boy! I knew of exactly two legend of Zelda games. Original legend of Zelda, and Tears of the Kingdom (and super smash bros. if that counts???). I think perhaps this is causing problems. When Lana got mad at Warriors for spreading rumors about her and Time. I remember thinking, “That’s kind of an overreaction.” And then I went back and reread that that chapter and GET HIS FUCKING ASS LANA. I am now a Lana apologist.

Spirit is just continuously playing the “Hate” monologue from, “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream,” in his head (Me, projecting again). This is very disjointed. Thank you.

Going into this story with nothing but Tears of the Kingdom, the original LOZ, and Super Smash Bros to guide you is a feat. I have friends who are more well-versed in Zelda lore, and they do not understand what is going on.

I am both impressed and terrified. I still think you should fight your friend.

Nonetheless, I'm really happy that you enjoyed the story-- especially the past sections. The past is always the hardest to write, and it's really nice to know that you were so deeply invested in it. I'm really happy that you found it compelling and dread-inducing. Truly, thank you <3

Also, Spirit having the hate monologue on loop in his brain is the funniest take on the character. No notes.

[doodlebugdraws]

For Eternity - Small Hours

“Is she asleep as she should be?” Gaia asked the nanny as she stepped out of the room.

“Oh the girl is as stubborn as ever!” The nanny griped, stomping a hoof. “She INSISTED on staying awake until you returned! No wonder she hasn't healed from her ailment yet!”

The monarch smiled warmly. “I figured as much. You are excused, Madam Throw. I shall put her to bed.”

Gaia tapped on the doors three times, then gently pushed them open. “Proving your mischief once again, Little Serene Remedy? You ought to know better by now!”

“Eve!” The filly on the bed exclaimed, kicking her hooves under the covers in eagerness. “Gosh! You took FOREVER! What did that Oracle pony have to say?? Are you going on a grand dangerous quest? If so, can I come?!”

“Oh I wouldn't think somepony in your condition would make such a journey if there was one. Little fillies like you are already long asleep.” Gaia calmly lectured, dragging the blanket back over Remedy.

“Isn't that what you love most about me?” Remedy tilted her head curiously. “That I'm not like most other fillies?” she kicked the blanket back off.

Gaia giggled “Well, absolutely! But you're also notorious for these sick bouts, and you need your rest.” This time the monarch tucked the comforter under the mattress.

Remedy groaned. “Awwww! I can't sleep now! You GOTTA tell me what the Oracle pony said!”

“That can all wait until tomorrow, young lady.” Gaia scolded, turning to pick up a small bottle. “Now, I see you have not taken your medicine yet.”

The filly scrambled under the covers. “Noooooo!”

“Come now. Do you enjoy feeling so under the weather?”

“....no.”

“Then be a big girl and come out.”

“....fine.” Remedy obeyed, crawling back up.

Gaia took a spoon, and floated it over to the filly. “Say ‘aaaaaaaaah’!” She made a silly face.

“.....aaaaaaaa–EUGH!” Remedy soured. She locked her own mouth shut with great effort, trying hard to not spit it out.

Gaia shook her head. “Such a dramatic filly. What are we going to do with you? Now get some rest.”

“Eve, wait.” Remedy grabbed at her hoof on the bed. “Can you tell me what the Oracle pony looked like at least? Were they super mysterious?”

The older pondered. “Well…yes. They were. But they were no pony.”

“Huh?”

“It was an Abyssinian Catfolk.” Gaia explained.

The little filly’s eyes sparkled in intrigue. “A catfolk?! How tall were they? You can't leave with just that!”

Gaia sighed. “I shall tell you all the details at the crack of dawn. Is that a good middle ground?”

Remedy pondered. “I suppose that's fair…can we walk in the garden? I want to see the flowers bloom.”

The monarch chuckled. “Sounds wonderful.”

——————————

Queen Gaia Eve spent the rest of her night on her balcony, motionless and waiting for the sun to rise, wondering if it really might be for the last time one day soon.

“It's funny to hear how the life you know will end. It was so ominous, so mysterious, so vague….” She wondered to herself.

Not a day went by as the years rolled on the Oracle's message didn't ring in her head.

But she couldn't let it dwindle for long inside

Gaia had her royal duties to carry out.

Little Remedy grew up fast--before Gaia knew it she made plans to travel.

But Gaia stayed here in the castle….awaiting her future.

[lemon-sugarcoats-nothing]

🐝 TMI Tuesday: What inspired you to create your OCs?

🐝 - alright so this is a bit of a history lesson but not a super long one hopefully.

Lets start with the oldest of the characters, both in actual age and in creation date.

Kai - He started as a love interest for Mocha in the RP, he was a charming, wolf bad boy with a fresh face, pale skin and dark hair. Mocha wanted him to be edgy, some of that will be explained later in Shade's section. For the pony Kai, his inspiration is simply the current day version of his character; Our tall older brother, who looks after his siblings, partners and kids, and wants only the best for them, inspiration for such is taken from general older siblings in cartoons and anime that take care of their siblings when parents are out.

Shade - So for context, Mocha ( Mod for @cinnavanillamelody ) and I have a separate, non-pony rp world; Thats where most of our pony characters have their roots. In this world, Kai started as a werewolf vampire mix, then later just werewolf; He appeared more like your standard anime wolf boy but certain things with were more werewolfy than they are now. So his species changed to just Wolf. This is important for Shade's history, because Kai used to be a lot more violent as a character when full moon came around and he went all wolfy. Kai's violent wolfy side was later separated out into a separate state of consciousness (an alter but NOT in the DID or OSDD sense) and later got his own body. He was first named wolfy but later got renamed Shadowclaw, with Shade as his main nickname everyone used for him, after he got married. I later renamed him to Nightshade because I think it sounds better.

TL;DR: he started as a more violent version of Kai that later branched out into his own person and in a later reboot, a separate character altogether.

He still has some of his roots of being "wolfy" though, in that he can get violent when his family is being threatened. Like Kai, his and Lucious's pony forms are basically just inserts of their current day characters in the other rp! His design specifically though might change to look more like him in the normal rp, with a lighter coat, so that i can actually give him the eyeshadow looks he has normally. Some inspirations for him are Kpop and anime edgy boys in general, and manhwa's eyes.

Lucious: This one has a more straightforward answer, thank goodness. He again started as a love interest for Mocha, and doubles as Cinna's love interest in the pony world. His species in the normal world is inspired off of succubi/incubi and are considered a distant subspecies of Lust demon known as Love Bat. Mocha also requested he have a little Yandere to him, which is a side of him that only ever shows up when his lover(s) are directly put in harms way, or in an extreme case in AUs ONLY, during a messy break up. This translates pretty directly into his pony form, except instead of being a subspecies of demon, its just a different species of Bat.

Inspirations for his character are:

-Succubi/incubi -concepts of love and heartbreak and what happens when you pull them to extremes -Demons and the seven deadly sins -Yandere characters like Ayano (from the cursed simulator game), and more directly, Monika. -Boy bands (appearance and hobbies)

Last we havvee

Al - This one is the only one of the bunch to have started in the pony rp world! Also was Mocha's first, and the pony inspired the normal world version this time. Im not sure what her initial inspirations were, I think he started as a scary looking unicorn studying advanced magic and was either mistaken as a villain, or was the villain and kidnapped someone. If he WAS the villain, that concept has since been turned into mistaken for a criminal when he's innocent.

My contribution inspirations: -Twilight, starlight glimmer and sunset shimmer a little bit -Stories of the culture inside prison and how that can really mess a person up -personal research into the affects of abuse, neglect and abandonment, in part how that can lead to issues with substance abuse and addiction. -Personal family history of addiction and my older brother -And stories, both real and fictional, about how making the right connections can set someone on a brighter path in life and help them battle addiction and mental health issues. -For visuals of his usual design, japanese and korean webcomics.

I hope this is the type of thing you were looking for! 🐝

[faarkas]

15 questions for 15 mutuals

tagged by the lovely @rosebarsoap to do this lil game and I'm trying to be better about doing my tags sooo.

saying that I am already late and everybody has been tagged so. I shan't tag anybody my apologies,

1. are you named after anyone?

Naur but I have a middle name that is also my aunts middle name. :3

2. when was the last time you cried?

Like PROPER cried??? genuinely no idea. I used to cry really easily but for a long time its been literally 3 tears and then the rest just suck back up. I get choked up really easy but no tears allowed. On that note the latest season of queer eye has been hitting so hard. everybody go watch.

3. do you have kids?

no and I don't ever want them. I love kids I feel a drive to protect them and I'll babysit any day but I would be an absolutely terrible mother I'm too anxious and like. hot headed to have one of my own. Also a lot of my health issues are genetic and I wouldn't want to put anybody through that.

4. do you use sarcasm a lot?

uhhh maybe?? probably?? idk ask nat. or my mother. I try to be sarcastic in a dry funny way and not like an overly mean way. does not mean i always succeed tho :/

5. what sports do you play/have you played?

I've worked with horses for... 18 years?? so. heh. didn't want to or have the money to do anything else after i got involved with them.

6. what’s the first thing you notice about other people?

Like. body language. and then eyes. theres so much u can learn about people just by the way they hold themselves yk

7. eye colour?

brown. >:)

8. scary movies or happy endings?

happy endings. i need joy in my life. I like Some kind of spooky movies the older I get but largely I just want something chill. the like 1995-2012 romcom era is my heaven. CAN WE START RLY BRINGING THOSE MOVIES BACK PLEASE!

9. any special talents?

?? idk ig I know how to pull hay and get it off wagons quickly. I can look at like a solid wall of hay bales and go Yeah THATS the one that needs to come out and then either I or my friend will pull it and it'll bring half the wall down. we call it hay jenga but the goal is to get as much down as possible as fast as possible

10. where were you born?

west coast canada. do not live there anymore tho i swapped coasts :(

11. what are your hobbies?

writing, gaming, modding, sewing, giffing, baking, bothering all my mutuals, riding,,,,I am a jack of creative trades

12. do you have any pets?

two ponies, a big ass dog, and 4 cats. two of which are maine coons so. big ass cats. when u see me crowing about eric and iris in the tags of a post...i am talking about them :))

13. how tall are you?

5 foot. maybe 5'1". tiny. literally on saturday one of the moms at the barn bought a new western saddle cover and was like hilary u could fit in this jump in and i honestly think I might have been able to.

14. favourite subject in school?

i really did not enjoy school tbh im rly not an academic but maybe history.

15. dream job?

the answer to this question has evaded me for nearing 24 years. at one point in time (age like. 4-11) i would have KILLED to be a thoroughbred jockey but nowadays...idk man. if I could do something with horses that would be great. thats my one true skillset baby but mein health....

[pastj-futurej]

A Divide

I feel divided between two worlds sometimes. I feel it's most obvious in my bisexuality, where while I am as a whole bisexual, I am attracted to men, and women, (and everyone else), and in that way I am "too straight to be gay", and "too gay to be straight".

This is not a new observation, I think it's something every video I've ever watched about Bisexuality has ever said. But where I want to take this is an observation about other divides in my life, and whether or not my bisexuality had any subconscious influence on them.

Gender is weird. I guess that's probably why the term Genderqueer exists. Throughout my life I felt pulls towards masculinity and feminity, that go beyond the normal ones that everyone experiences, (this may also be due to my extended contemplation sessions of myself staring in a mirror analysing all of my imperfections). When I was a small child, I had long hair. I didn't get my first haircut until I was 2, and at that time I donated the hair, if I remember correctly. But there was many times that people would think I was a girl, and apparently I would pipe up, and loudly tell them that no, I wasn't a girl, I was just a boy that had long hair, and that the same went for Josiah too. Even Past-er J was so secure in his gender at the time. I think gender is one of those things that for me, changes over time. As I grew older, I had more instances of pulls towards traditionally feminine things, I felt jealous of my younger siblings forcing each other to wear dresses, I wanted to watch My Little Pony, and tried to convince Avrah to watch it with me so I would have a cover (they did not want to watch it with me, and so to this day is still haven't seen past the first 13 or so episodes). I felt a traditionally masculine sex drive, feel comfortable in traditionally masculine clothes. I grew my hair out again, this time not stopping to correct people who say I'm a girl. I've come to the conclusion through this that likely I'm genderfluid of some sort. Sometimes I'm scared to diagnose myself as anything more feminine than that, because that would be a lot of struggles that I don't want to go through, and also where I am at now is fine. I want to be skinnier, clean shaven, softer, and have long hair; none of these require being a women. I want to wear suits and ties, and have gay sex; none of these require being a man. This is an interesting divide, that has gone on many tangents oops. But also, gender is a complex experience and to simplify would not do it the justice it needs. This divide has allowed me to look back and forth, again existing in another liminal space.

Let's rapid fire a bunch of other divides! My parents are divorced, and I tried to stay neutral on it; my job is both white and blue collar, seeing as it's a desk job on the production floor, being looked down upon by elitest office workers, and the manual laborers doing twice as much work as I am; I'm don't really get energized by social situations or being alone, it's more nuanced than that, and I consider myself abiverted; I'm a Christian who is highly critical of the church; I live in a rented room that's not really a house, but also not an apartment complex; I know enough about the internet that I could be famous, but I don't have the motivation to grind that hard; I'm smart but I never did amazing in school.

I don't know what any of this means. It might mean nothing. It might mean that humans are very good at seeing patterns, and are even better at hindsight. It might mean something though, that my life has been filled with divides making me feel like an outcast.

July 23rd, 2022

[sonknuxadow]

I care :)

do you really want to hear my thoughts on plastic horses for toddlers. do you. well my hot take is that the g1 and g3 mlp toys are really good, g4 started out good but progressively got worse, and i dont really like the g5 stuff so far

the main thing that i think the old toys did better was having more variety with the characters. the older gens had hundreds of different ponies to choose from, there were a few ponies who got released more than once but it was fine because there were still so many others to choose from. there were plenty of toys that had animated counterparts which was cool but there were also a lot of characters who only appeared as toys which added more variety.

g4 started like that too, but eventually they just. stopped. and started releasing the same characters over and over again. which sucked for kid me because the whole appeal of my little pony was collecting a bunch of different characters, i was satisfied with just one toy of each pony that i liked. i honestly wanted the random background ponies or toyline only ponies way more than i wanted the newest pinkie pie re release that was covered in glitter this time or whatever. i didnt need or want 5 twilight sparkles but i still to this day have like 5 twilight sparkles because they kept re releasing her packaged with other stuff i actually wanted

the variety thing isnt the Only reason i think this and i also have Thoughts on the playsets not just the ponies themselves but im gonna stop here because i dont want this to be too long </3

[blissfulparker]

Sugar and Spice Pt.1→Dad!Mob!Tom

Parings: single!dad!tom x baker!reader

Warnings: none yet! Mafia!Au so future mention of guns, death, drinking, sex, smoking

Summary: Tom is one of the youngest Mobsters known to London, youngest and most successful he seems perfect to people, feared by people. But his deepest secret is that he’s been raising a son all by himself. No one to be with since the birth of his son until he walks into the small bakery last minute for his sons birthday and meets you.

A/n; so obviously this is more of a part one to a series(I know I always start series and then get really distracted with life) but I wanted a fresh idea and a fresh fic to start off the new year. I love mob!tom and I love dad!tom and I was hoping I could mix the two💗💗(also I have no idea how to do read more on mobile I’m so sorry😭)

Secrets. Everyone had secrets. Tom Holland, one of London’s richest, youngest, most successful mobsters, Had a son.

He had a beautiful boy named Riley, he raised him with only the help of his best friend and brothers. He was the smartest little boy he knew, charming and innocent. A little boy who didn’t know any of the dangers of the world just yet.

That was his secret. At age 20 he was rushed into life with the beautiful boy and one of the most stressful and dangerous jobs to manage. He did everything he could for the boy, it was always his boy before his work. Stressful days where he could put a bullet into anyone who walked in on him turned better when his son came home from school with stories.

It had been six years since his little secret was born and it was his best and hardest secret to keep.

And now he had forgotten his sons birthday cake. He was turning six years old today and Tom promised the best Spider-Man cake with iron man, hulk, all of the avengers in the flavor chocolate. Now he had to find a baker that could do all of that in the time span of six hours.

After endless calls, endless hunting, he found a small bakery in the smallest corner of London that was willing to make his son's wild fantasy come true on his special day.

Suit and all, rushed from work, Tom had walked into the small bakery. Ready to pick up the birthday cake and make his sons birthday the best one.

He was greeted with the smell of sugary frosting and warm baked goods. A career so diffrent from his as he was a man with blood on his hands and the people working here were the ones with the flour.

“Can I help you?” Your voice is soft and takes him by surprise. Not the voice of the older women he spoke with on the phone.

You’re covered in flour, chocolate frosting wiped on your apron and you rinse your hands in the sink. But you have a soft face, one that calms him just by looking at. As if you never saw a day of anger, of pain, of anything. You were simply a poem he wanted to read.

It takes him a minute to come back. He hadn’t gotten with anyone seriously since the birth of his son. Overwhelmed with his work and his son, he also had feared the idea of no women being good enough for his son.

Although his son longed for a mother, he could tell. He could tell the stories at bedtime weren’t as good as if it were a mother’s, every Mother’s Day was missed and he knows deep down that every nightmare would be better if he was cuddled up in a mother’s arms. Tom could give him everything except a mother.

“I’m here to pick up a cake.” He clears his throat. You notice the watch, the expensive suit and his scent, a deep wood, an expensive scent. He had money yet of all the bakeries he chose it was the nearly dying one. “It’s Uh, it’s my sons birthday and I’m here to pick up the cake. My name is Tom. I spoke on the phone earlier...with someone…” he stuttered nervously as if you might not have it ready. Laughing softly you find his order on the computer. Even your laugh was angelic.

“Sophie? The older women?” You ask and he nods.

“Yes, yes!” He didn’t know why he was nervous, awkward even. He shoved his hands in his pocket to keep calm.

“Avengers cake…” you look up at the man and he has a red tint to his cheek.

“My son, he’s turning six.” He didn’t spark you to have a dad look, you had seen fathers come in and out of this bakery. Most of the men in their 40s and stressed over possibly a my little pony cake or cookies for a last minute club meeting to make their kid smile. Most fathers had the same look though, tired and worn out in possibly old sneakers and a wrinkled shirt. This man had a different look.

“Ahh,” you search for a ring but don’t see one. A single, young dad who looks to have everything together. A book. He looked like a character from a book. “I’ll be right back with that.” You smiled before turning to the back. Leaving the man alone, in the lobby of the bakery.

“Quite the last minute cake.” You came out with the large cake done beautifully. Done with red and blue frosting and on top was all the small figurines that you had to search for. But nonetheless, it was gorgeous.

“Your wife must be lucky to have a man willing to run out and surprise their kid so last minute.” You sparked the conversation in hopes that you would see if the man is single or not.

“Oh, no, just myself.” He pulls out his card ready to swipe and you press down on your lips. Maybe he didn’t want a girlfriend, he was young but he looked to have his hands full with a six year old and a clearly good job.

“Well, then he’s lucky to have such a great father.” You tell. He tries to hide his red tinted cheeks again but you notice.

“Your boyfriend must be lucky to have someone who must always smell like cakes.” He flirted back.

For the first time in years, Tom had flirted back with a girl without the intentions of sex. He flirted back without needing a drink in his hands and to be at a bar. He flirted back not hiding that he had a son at home that could potentially turn away a girl looking for fun.He flirted back as just himself. And so far you had seemed to like that.

“No boy.” You laugh softly.

Your eyes flicker and stare into his. They are light brown, light brown laced with a sort of mystery. A light brown laced with charm, lust and a secret.

“Well then,” was all he could think of. His game was off, he’s realized that. The dangerous mobster got nervous around you.

“Well then.” You repeated.

It’s a mistake. He will be making a mistake if he falls for you. The mistake of ruining your life as he doesn’t know how far he could go protecting the ones he loves. Riley’s life was in danger every day and he hated that, he hated the women he once loved for leaving him all alone but was also given the best gift of a son.

Although the nappies and endless nights of screaming were hard, he would do anything to protect his son. And if he were to find the future mother of his son, he would do anything to protect her but her life would be just as risk as his.

Maybe it would be you making the mistake. He would be selfish to go after you.

“I hope your Riley has a happy birthday.” You say and he’s taken aback. He doesn’t know how you know it until he looks down and written in black frosting in cursive is ‘Happy birthday Riley’.

“Well, with the best decorated cake i think I have ever seen in my life, I’m sure he will not forget this birthday. I might not either.” He smiles at you one last time and you look down trying to hide the burning smile that wanted to spread across your face.

Once he leaves the building you turn and rub your hands over your face, finally letting yourself grow a smile that has been hiding the entire time.

For the first time in awhile, a man has made you smile.

-

“Happy birthday to you.”

Smoke from the candles filled the room. Six years, Tom had offically spent six years of his life raising his son. Being a single father as well as the youngest Mobster, Tom had his struggles.

“A girl at the bakery?” Harrison, Toms best friend, smirked as the two of them washed up dishes while the kids played in the backyard after eating their cake.

“It’s nothing Haz. I’m busy, remember?” He scrubbed too hard at the plate as he placed in into the dishwasher.

For a man who had maids most days, he wanted it to just be family and friends in the house on his sons birthday.

“Yeah. But Riley isn’t.” He commented looking over to the boy who laughed with his friends from school he had invited to celebrate the special day.

With a silent sigh and a stubborn mindset, Harrison was right. Tom was busy but Riley was a child who needed a mother.

“See? I’m right. Once again. Why don’t you go back and get your number so you can get your dick-“ his best friend started but Tom didn’t want to hear the rest of it. Rolling his eyes and turning off the water, he walks over the ruined cake and places it on the counter.

No words leave Toms mouth and Harrison lets out a sigh. Coming over to his best friend, his best friend who seemed to have the world on his shoulders only at the age of 25.

“Tom, this isn’t just about Riley. This is about you as well. This is about you finding someone and finally having some peace because your life right now is simply just working and at the end of the day being a father. Sooner or later, Riley will realize his dad is always locked up in his office and maybe a women can change some things.” Harrison placed his hand on his shoulder before walking off.

“Daddy!” He hears the excitement of his sons voice come into the room.

“Hey Bubs!” He lifts up the boy. He plants a kiss on his cheek and he holds his new Spider-Man toy in hand.

“Can Jasper sleep over? He says he has a Spider-Man too and that we can play together. Can he please?” He pleads. For Riley, Harrison’s words echo in his head about the women.

Tom sighs, if he had a mother who wasn’t apart of a mafia like him. He would simply not have to deny his boy sleepovers and simple things.

“Sure.” He sighs thinking of how he will have to move his 8am meeting to the afternoon.

His best friend was right. He needed someone and maybe that someone would be you. Maybe he should for once take the leap and go for you.

Please leave feedback it helps me out and let’s me know if you want another part!

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[prouvaireafterdark]

Casual Affair

AKA the “Anti-Forlex Smut”

Technically not a cheating fic, but it kind of has that vibe for a while so if that’s a dealbreaker for you then you might want to skip this one. If you’re looking for unrepentant filth, though, I’ve, uh, got you covered.

Also on AO3!

***

Open Mic Night at the Wild Pony tends to draw a crowd of all sorts: rowdy undergrads from the local community college, older folks trying to recapture their youth with some spirited karaoke, and even soulful academic types like Forrest looking to share their angsty emo poetry. Tonight, as Alex soon discovers, it’s also drawn in Michael Guerin.

Alex doesn’t need to look to know Michael’s staring at him. He can feel his eyes on him like a caress, heavy on the side of his neck before it slides hot down the length of his chest to settle low above his belt buckle. If it wasn’t for the blue-haired historian sitting next to him he’d already have done something about it.

He takes a deep swallow of the beer he’s been nursing for the last ten minutes and tries to ignore him. Maybe if he pretends the restless energy thrumming through his whole body isn’t there, it’ll go away. 

Luckily, he’s got a decent enough distraction; A pair of tone deaf townies are currently massacring “Under Pressure” on stage, a spectacle awful enough to hold his attention like a six car pile up. Alex takes another drink and tries not to laugh behind the rim of his bottle. 

The performance—if one can even call it that—is over in minutes and as the next musician takes the stage, Alex’s gaze finally wanders over toward the bar. Through the crowd of people drinking and laughing with their friends and partners, he catches sight of Michael immediately.

He’s sitting at the bar, but he’s facing out toward the crowd and Alex can’t help but notice how good he looks. With the way his elbows are tucked behind him and resting on the bar top, his chest hair is on proud display through his indecently buttoned flannel and the worn denim of his jeans is pulled tight over his spread thighs. He’s even got his fingers wrapped suggestively around the neck of the beer bottle in his hand—non-alcoholic, Alex registers with no small amount of pride as he catches sight of the label. However messy and complicated things are between them now, he’s glad to see that Michael is making some better choices these days.

Michael notices him staring, because of course he does. He cocks his head and smirks, not subtle at all about what he wants. That look cuts right through him, sending heat down Alex’s spine.

Alex takes a deep breath and turns to face the stage, desperately hoping whatever top 40 hit the new girl on stage is singing will calm his growing erection. Its mindless beat helps him relax, but not enough that Forrest doesn’t notice something’s up.

“You okay?” he asks him, moving his hand off the table to rest his arm along the back of Alex’s chair. Alex tries not to flinch when his fingers comb through the hair that curls along the base of his neck, long enough now that it’s not quite regulation anymore.

“Yeah,” Alex smiles encouragingly, hoping Forrest doesn’t see through him. He shifts in his seat, leaning forward until Forrest’s fingers slip away from his collar. “You want something to drink?”

“Uh,” Forrest starts, looking at his half-empty beer before shrugging. “Yeah, I’ll have another.”

“Great,” Alex says, already standing. “Be right back.”

He makes his way across the bar, trying his best to ignore the way Michael smirks and spreads his thighs a little wider where he sits perched on the edge of his barstool.  

“You’ve gotta stop looking at me like that,” Alex chastises him once he’s close enough. He slides into the space at the bar beside him, facing forward with his elbows on the bar top. He catches Michael’s easy smile out of the corner of his eye, and he’s relieved he isn’t hit with the full force of it.

“I’ve been looking at you like this for over ten years, Alex,” Michael replies. “I’m not gonna stop now.”

Alex tries to ignore the way that makes his heart feel somehow light and heavy at the same time where it beats frantically behind his ribs.

“Why are you even here?” Alex asks, chancing a glance at Michael’s face. 

Like the demon that he is, Michael chooses that moment to bring his non-alcoholic beer to his lips and take a long sip. Alex watches his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows and tries desperately not to think about how fucking tight his throat had felt the last time he’d gotten Michael on his knees. 

He doesn’t quite manage it and either it’s written all over his face or Isobel’s taught Michael some new tricks because he can see smug satisfaction in the way his eyes sparkle in the neon glow coming from behind the bar. 

Alex shifts his stance, dutifully ignoring the tightness in his jeans, and tries again. “You hate Open Mic Night.”

“You don’t,” Michael shrugs, like that explains anything. 

Alex kind of hates that it does.

“I’m not performing tonight,” Alex tells him. 

“No, you’re not,” Michael agrees, and then adds a beat later, “but your boyfriend is.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Alex bristles. Sure, he and Forrest have been hooking up now and then, but he isn’t—he’s not—

“Does he know that?” Michael asks skeptically, interrupting his thoughts. 

Alex rolls his eyes, uninterested in explaining the intricacies of his not-relationship with Forrest. He doesn’t really see how it matters now, after everything they’ve gotten up to in the last few weeks.

Michael just licks his lips and gives him that infuriatingly sexy grin before he leans in and says, “Well, if he’s not your boyfriend, then why don’t you meet me in the bathroom in five?”

Heat once again rushes through Alex at Michael’s proposition, pooling low in his gut. He turns to look at him in disbelief, but Michael’s smile just grows more smug.

“See you soon,” he whispers, and stands up from his seat, his drink left abandoned on the bar.

Alex resolutely does not stare at Michael’s ass as he saunters off toward the bathroom. It’s a good thing too—the bartender steps in front of him not two seconds later.

“What can I get you?” he asks, drying off a clean pint glass with a checkered dishtowel.

Alex clears his throat before he places his order and fishes a twenty out of his wallet. 

He lays it on the bar with every intention that this time he will stand his ground, get his drinks, and rejoin Forrest at their table, but the next thing Alex knows, he’s pushing his way through the crowd and into the small, dimly-lit bathroom. 

He finds Michael leaning against the sink, arms folded across his chest. He smirks when he sees Alex enter, but Alex doesn’t give him long to gloat before he’s crossed the distance between them and has the front of Michael’s soft flannel bunched up in his fists.

Michael’s eyes flash to Alex’s mouth, his tongue peeking out to wet his own lips in anticipation, but he doesn’t make a move to kiss him. He won’t—not while Alex is obviously out with someone else. It’s an absurd line to draw at a moment like this, but Michael told him once that if Alex wants him, he can come and get him, so it’s Alex’s move now. 

Alex thinks it’s more complicated than that, that they still have a lot to talk about before they try to do this thing for real, but what he thinks more is that he wants to remind himself what Michael’s mouth tastes like.

He surges forward to kiss him, slotting their lips together easily. Michael pulls him closer the moment Alex lets him know he can, blunt nails biting softly into his skin as he slides his fingers under the edges of Alex’s shirt. Alex deepens the kiss almost immediately, Michael’s teasing leaving him desperate and wanting. Michael opens for him so sweetly when he licks along the seam of his lips, just as eager for more as Alex slides his tongue into his mouth.

They kiss like that for what feels like ages but can’t be longer than a minute, Alex losing himself for the moment to the scent of petrichor in the air around him and the taste of it on his tongue. He isn’t sure who pulls away first, but the next thing he knows both of their chests are heaving as they gasp into the narrow space between their mouths. 

He opens his eyes to see Michael looking back at him, his pupils blown wide, lips red and wet. He’s so fucking beautiful Alex’s heart aches in ways he can’t describe.

“Mm,” Michael hums low in his throat, nudging his nose against Alex’s cheek. “What would Forrest say if he knew what you were up to?”

“Fuck you,” Alex grumbles, more on principle than anything else.

“Not tonight, baby,” Michael drawls. “It’s your turn.”

With that, Michael spins them around so it’s Alex with his back against the sink and Alex is fairly certain that it’s only by the grace of Michael’s telekinesis that he doesn’t trip over his own feet. He groans when Michael presses in close, as his thigh nudges its way between Alex’s legs for him to grind his hard cock against.

Michael watches him with singleminded focus, his hands on Alex’s hips encouraging him to keep moving against him, until Alex threads his fingers into Michael’s riotous curls and pulls him in for a kiss. It’s desperate and hungry, filled with every ounce of longing he’s felt for Michael just about every fucking day for the last eleven years. 

Michael meets him in the middle, his hands on Alex’s hips tightening their grip hard enough to bruise, and in that moment Alex doesn’t even care if Michael leaves a mark so long as he doesn’t stop touching him. Michael rocks against him as they kiss, grinding their hips together through the rough denim of their jeans until the tease is too much to bear. 

“Fuck, I want you,” Alex gasps when they part, wishing he was steadier on his feet so he could wrap a leg around Michael’s body and pull him in closer. 

“Good thing I have lube then,” Michael says, dipping down to mouth along the sensitive skin of Alex’s neck, careful not to leave a mark. He reaches into his front pocket and pulls out two single-use packets of lube.

Alex’s cock throbs as he stands there, consumed by the thought of Michael working him open in a goddamn public bathroom where anyone—including Forrest, fuck, he’s a terrible person—could hear them. 

Alex is turning around in Michael’s arms and grinding his ass back against the bulge in his jeans before the part of his brain still capable of higher reasoning registers that there’s something missing from Michael’s hand.

“Wait—condom?” Alex asks, eyebrow raised at Michael’s reflection in the mirror in front of him—not that Michael can see it where he’s reattached himself to Alex’s neck, his hands dipping low on his belly now that he’s left the lube on the edge of the sink.

Michael shakes his head with a low hum. “All out. We used my last one yesterday.”

“Already? Fuck,” Alex whines, unable to hide his disappointment. Michael just keeps kissing his neck, seemingly unperturbed by this revelation. “We really need to stop doing this.”

That gets a reaction from him. 

Michael’s grip on Alex’s hips tightens instinctually, but his voice is carefully light as he retorts, “You don’t mean that.” 

God help him, he doesn’t.

“Well then you need to learn to stop at fucking CVS before you make a promise you can’t keep,” Alex argues.

“Who says I can’t keep my promise?” Michael purrs in his ear.

Alex’s breath catches in his throat as he realizes what Michael is suggesting and Michael’s grin widens as he watches Alex start to flush in the mirror.

“You sure seemed to enjoy yourself the last time I fucked you raw,” he continues, voice low and rough as gravel. “You remember?”

Alex huffs an incredulous laugh. Of course he fucking remembers—He’d been twenty two, fresh off his first tour, and just impatient enough to say fuck it after Michael told him he was out of condoms when he showed up at his Airstream unannounced. He came three times that night; twice on Michael’s cock and once more on his tongue when Michael decided he wanted to clean up the mess he’d made himself. 

Alex wouldn’t necessarily call it his finest moment of judgment, but it had been terribly, unspeakably hot.

“So, what do you say, Alex?” Michael asks him when he doesn’t respond right away, grinding his hips suggestively forward. “You gonna let me fuck you?”

It’s a terrible idea. Alex knows this. Michael knows this. It’ll be messy for one thing—What’s Alex supposed to do when they’re done, go back to sit with Forrest while Michael’s come leaks into his underwear?—not to mention unsafe, even with how regularly he gets tested and that Michael’s alien biology makes it extremely unlikely that he could catch or transmit anything.

But even in the face of all the reasons Alex should say no, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t fucking desperate for it.

In the end, he lets out a shuddering breath and nods, “Yeah, fuck, do it.”

“That’s my boy,” Michael whispers, and Alex tries not to whimper as Michael dips down once more to press a tender kiss to the edge of his jaw. 

Without another word, Michael’s hands slide that little bit further down Alex’s front to find his belt. He makes quick work of the buckle and drags the fabric down his hips to the middle of his thigh. 

Michael’s hands are surprisingly gentle as they encourage Alex to turn around to face him, and once he does, Alex rests his lower back against the sink, hands braced on either side of it. Michael presses a soft kiss to his mouth before he drops to his knees, and when he looks up at him through that thick mop of curls, Alex wishes he didn’t look so goddamn pretty down there. 

His eyes stay on Michael’s flushed mouth as he leans in toward his bare cock. He watches Michael roll his tongue over the head, already sticky with precome, watches his eyes flutter closed as he groans at the taste. There’s a rapturous look on his face as he softly begins to suck him, the way there always is when Michael goes down on him, but, as good as it feels, they don’t exactly have the time to indulge Michael’s oral fixation right now.

Alex releases his hold on the sink to thread his fingers through Michael’s curls, gripping just tight enough to tug gently on the loose strands.  

“We have to hurry,” Alex reminds him. “Forrest’s set starts soon.”

Michael rolls his eyes. He looks like he’s about to complain, but then he’s opening his mouth wider to take him deeper and Alex sort of loses the plot after that. 

Lost in the wet, sucking heat of Michael’s mouth, Alex distantly hears the crinkling of a wrapper as Michael tears open the packet of lube and spills some onto his fingers. He doesn’t waste time warming it before he nudges Alex’s legs as far apart as he can and slips his hand between his cheeks.

Alex jumps at the chill as slick fingers find his hole and the corners of Michael’s mouth curl upward around his cock. Alex tightens his grip on his hair just a little in retaliation.

Michael rubs his finger over Alex’s hole, massaging it gently before he tries to breach it with his finger. He slips one inside him as he works his throat around his cock, and it’s not long before Alex’s rim is stretched tight over three of Michael’s fingers. 

“Fuck,” Alex keens as Michael crooks his fingers just enough to brush his prostate, his cock throbbing where it sits on Michael’s tongue. 

Michael hums and sucks him harder, sending Alex’s eyes rolling back into his skull.

“Michael, stop,” Alex whines, fingers tightening in his curls again. As much as he would love to chase his orgasm in the heat of Michael’s mouth, he’d rather do it on his cock. “M’ready, come on.”

Michael pulls off of Alex with a pop and gently removes his fingers from his ass before he gets up off his knees.

“Turn around,” he says, voice low as he fumbles for the other packet of lube on the sink without taking his eyes off Alex’s face. The intensity of Michael’s attention makes Alex’s heart race with anticipation and he’s helpless against the impulse to surge forward and kiss him again, quick and dirty—just long enough for him to get a taste of his own precome on Michael’s tongue before he’s turning around on unsteady legs and bracing himself against the edge of the sink.

Michael doesn’t make him wait for it. In seconds, he feels the insistent press of Michael’s cock against his hole, slick with lube and precome. Alex bears down on it, gasping as the thick head of it finally works its way passed his rim. 

“That’s it, baby, let me in,” Michael murmurs against his ear as he pushes in deeper, his palm charting a soothing path along his flank as Alex tries to relax into the stretch. 

Michael’s cock feels so hot inside him without a barrier of latex dulling the sensation, and Alex can’t help but let out the whimper building in his throat as he presses back against it, encouraging Michael to sink in deeper.

“Fuck, ‘Lex,” Michael moans into his neck as he bottoms out, his hips flush against Alex’s ass. “You always feel so fucking good.”

Michael lets Alex adjust for a moment, dotting his skin with soft, wet kisses until he feels him start to shift his hips restlessly. Taking the cue from Alex, he pulls out halfway and snaps his hips forward in one quick movement. 

Alex gasps again, pleasure lighting up his spine, and arches his back for more. Michael is all too eager to give it to him, increasing his thrusts in power and speed until Alex is a panting mess, bent over and mewling quietly as his hips bump against the edges of the sink.

Alex doesn’t even realize his eyes have slipped closed until he hears Michael whisper, “God, look at you.”

Alex opens his eyes and catches sight of his reflection in the mirror. He can see every ounce of pleasure he’s feeling reflected back at himself, his brow drawn tight and beaded with sweat, his eyes nearly black with how blown his pupils are. A sudden, sharp moan bursts from his parted lips as the thick head of Michael’s bare cock brushes over his prostate and his eyes jump to Michael’s face in time to watch his mouth spread into a smug grin.

“Right there, huh?” Michael teases, angling his hips to hit that spot again a little more intentionally. Alex groans, his white-knuckle grip on the sink tightening even more. “Bet that feels good, doesn’t it? You want more?”

Alex nods his head, not trusting his voice as he pushes back to meet him thrust for thrust. He’s so close already, and when Michael starts moving faster, his hips slapping against the swell of his ass, Alex has to bite down on his bottom lip to keep from crying out. 

“Your boyfriend fuck you this good, ‘Lex?” Michael asks him suddenly, something harsh and maybe a little bitter creeping into his tone. When Alex doesn’t dignify that with a response, he continues, “I bet he doesn’t. You wanna know how I know?”

“Michael,” Alex warns, not wanting to hash this out now, but Michael doesn’t listen, only leans in close until Alex can feel his breath puff against his cheek.

“‘Cause that All American Reject is out there on stage right now,” Michael pants into his ear, “and you’re in here, fucking yourself on my cock like you’re dying for it.”

Alex feels a heady mix of shame and arousal as the garbled sound of Forrest’s spoken word registers distantly in his ears, but he can’t bring himself to care, not when Michael is reaching between his legs and wrapping his hand around his cock. He slowly drags his thumb over the sensitive head, through the precome dripping steadily from his slit. It’s a dizzying counterpoint to Michael’s frantic thrusts and Alex finds himself on the edge in a matter of seconds. 

“Oh god,” he moans, the back of his head connecting with Michael’s shoulder as he throws his head backward. He can feel it building inside him, his gut coiling tight with pleasure. “Shit, I’m gonna come.”

“Me too,” Michael gasps, the rhythm of his hips growing less coordinated as he desperately chases his own release. “Where do you want it?”

“In me, fuck, Michael, don’t stop,” he replies, too strung out to give a fuck about the consequences. 

“Fuck, ‘Lex, I—“ Michael cuts off suddenly as he comes, and it’s the feeling of Michael spilling hot inside him, groaning low in his ear, that sets Alex off, whimpering as he makes a mess of the cracked tile beneath their feet. 

As he’s coming down, Alex slumps forward and tries to catch his breath, his forearms braced on the sink in front of him the only thing keeping him from melting into a puddle on the floor. Michael stays a warm weight against his back, as if reluctant to put even an inch of space between them, and Alex can’t say he minds one bit.

Just as Alex is admiring Michael’s sated reflection in the mirror, applause suddenly breaks out from beyond the bathroom door, signaling the end of Forrest’s performance. The two of them flinch back into reality, the spell around them bursting like a bubble. 

Alex feels the brush of Michael’s lips against his temple before he stands up straight and slowly begins to pull out. With the high of his orgasm now dissipated, the sensation of Michael’s come leaking out of him when he does is deeply unpleasant and Alex is quick to clean himself up.

By the time Alex refastens his belt around his hips and turns around to face him, Michael is still trying to tame his chaotic curls—a futile effort after all the tugging Alex did when Michael was blowing him. Alex can’t find it in himself to be anything other than charmed.

Michael catches him looking and abandons his work with a smile as he pulls Alex into a kiss, soft and sweeter than Alex is expecting. 

Alex sighs into it, his fingers catching Michael’s jaw to keep him there a heartbeat longer, even as he murmurs, “I should go,” when they part, his face still a scant few inches from Michael’s.

Michael lets out a deep, ponderous sigh that Alex feels against his mouth. “You don’t sound like you want to.”

“Do I ever?” he asks before he can stop himself.

Michael pulls back enough to look at Alex’s face. He stares at him for a long moment, eyes searching for something, and Alex feels exposed, like Michael is looking right through him. 

“What are we doing, Alex?” he asks at last, voice no louder than a whisper.

Alex looks away, cowed by the question. 

He was trying to give Michael and himself space while they figured out who they were now and what they really wanted from each other, but that went out the window weeks ago now, the second a narrow escape from a Project Shepard black site drove Alex to Michael’s doorstep, a USB full of classified research on alien technology held tight between his shaking fingers. 

One moment of weakness had turned into many, many more, but with Michael still on the road to sobriety and Alex still running himself ragged trying to take apart the rest of Project Shepard, it just didn’t feel like the right time to try to chart out their future together. They agreed that keeping things casual and non-exclusive was the safer option for now, that they could give each other something of the closeness they craved without adding in the pressure of being in a real, committed relationship just yet. 

But even as he has that thought, Alex can’t help but hear how ridiculous it sounds. There’s nothing casual about the way Alex brings Michael dinner when he knows he’s too wrapped up in an experiment to remember to feed himself, or the way Michael fixed the automatic setting on Alex’s temperamental espresso machine last week so he could get a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning. They might have told themselves they weren’t ready for a relationship, but, if he’s being really honest with himself, they’re already halfway there. 

And as Alex looks at Michael once more and sees the twin hope and trepidation in his whiskey-toned eyes, he can’t help but think, What the hell are we waiting for?

“Alex?” Michael asks again, head cocked to the side, still waiting for his answer.

“I don’t know,” Alex tells him honestly. “But… I think I’m ready to have that talk now.”

Michael takes his meaning immediately. “Really?” he asks, his eyes lighting up. 

“Yeah,” Alex answers, and the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth is quickly smothered when Michael surges forward to kiss him again. Alex is happy to let him, his heart swelling in his chest with emotions he’s no longer afraid of feeling. 

“Just not here, okay?” Alex continues when they part. Public bathrooms really aren’t the best place for long overdue love confessions and Alex is pretty sure he’s got an angry not-boyfriend to deal with outside. “Meet me at my place in an hour.” 

“An hour?” Michael pouts dramatically. It’s unfairly adorable.

Alex laughs in spite of himself before pulling Michael closer. “We’ve waited eleven years for this,” he reminds him. “I think we can make it another sixty minutes.”

“If you insist,” he sighs, but he’s smiling as he presses another kiss to Alex’s cheek. “I’ll see you there.”

Alex watches him leave, nerves buzzing in his stomach as he anticipates the conversation he’s about to have with Forrest.

His worrying turns out to be for nothing, though—When Alex finally exits the bathroom, Forrest is nowhere to be found. A little asking around tells him he put his drinks on Alex’s tab and left as soon as his performance was over. 

Alex can’t help but feel a little bad about hurting him, but as he pulls up to his house twenty minutes later to see Michael’s truck already parked in his driveway, the man himself perched on the edge of his tailgate with his feet kicking restlessly at the air, he knows he’s made the right choice.

Because so what if he wakes up in the morning to a few angry texts from Forrest? He’ll also have the love of his life snoring softly beside him and another thirty minutes to kill before his coffee is ready, and Alex is determined to never take either of those things for granted ever again.