#and no one can tell me that wouldn't be cute

[robertsfloyd]

Sidekick

your friend, ex teammate, needs help with his new 'sidekick'

joaquin torres x reader

"i need a favour."

hearing those words from sam wilson always had you pulling a face. it always had you denying him, telling him you wouldn't help, and eventually agreeing.

it was sam, how could you say no?

for the first time since steve went back in time, you told sam where you were. you'd been helping remotely since steve left, not quite willing to jump back into super hero life. but you still did what you could to help.

you told him where to find you and waited. waited in your garage kitted out for super hero training. even if you weren't willing to jump into superhero life, you were ready for it.

you watched as the truck pulled upon your driveway. living in the middle of nowhere, it could be nobody else but sam.

"you're late," you called, arms folded over your chest as you looked at him.

sam raised his hands as his passenger climbed out of the car. "traffic," he called, his usual smile on his face.

you rolled your eyes, stood up and accepted the hand sam offered to you. "it's good to see you, cap," you mumbled as he wrapped his arms around you.

"good to see you too, kid."

you stepped away from him, looked at the young man just past him. your eyebrows went up, eyes moving to sam. "is this it?"

you didn't mean it like that, but it was the same thing you'd said when tony stark brought peter parker to you. you knew what you were doing.

he was cute, dark curls and muscular arms. not bad to look at, actually. but you weren't looking at him in that way. you were looking at the amount of work you needed to do.

"he wants to be the next falcon," sam said, a chuckle leaving his lips.

your poses were matching, arms folded over your chests and legs just slightly parted as you looked at the young man. "what's your name?" you asked, nodding towards him.

his smile was enough to light up your garage. "joaquin torres," he answered, starting towards you. his hands were clasped together, eyes shining like stars as he looked at you. "it's an honour to meet you, ma'am."

you laughed, shaking your head. "none of that ma'am shit," you mumbled. "makes me fee old."

striding towards him, you look in every inch of him. military, you just weren't sure what kind. army, navy, air force. he was bound to be one of them.

"so, you wanna be a superhero," you said as you circled him, a predator observing its prey. you wouldn't strike, not until you'd readied him to strike back.

"i can work with this," you said. it was more than tony stark had given you in peter parker. "hands up, soldier. show me what you've got."

joaquin raised his hands. fists at the ready, protecting his face. he looked at you, waited for you to do the same.

you swiped his legs out from beneath him. a yelp left his lips as he crashed to the mats beneath his feet.

"lesson one, don't just guard your face."

it was a simple lesson, one that shouldn't need to be taught. but you knew superheroes. fighting them, beating them, training them to beat you.

you offered him your hand, pulled him to his feet. even though you had sent him crashing to the mat, he was still smiling.

his hand was warm as he got up and brushed himself up. "ready to go again?" you asked.

he opened his mouth to reply, but you swept your legs out form beneath him once again. he gasped as he went down, but he grabbed your leg, pulling you down with him.

"hey!" you cried, unable to stop your fall. but you couldn't deny that you were impressed.

"let me guess," he said, the both of you still on the floor. "be ready for anything?"

"be ready for anything," you echoed.

but, suddenly, you were on top of him, keeping his arms pinned with your legs. he tried to move, tried to flip you off of him, but he couldn't. he could have used his legs, could have driven his knee into your side to dislodge you, but he didn't.

"lesson three, if you go down, don't stay there."

"got it," he said, voice squeaking.

finally, you got off of him. turning away from him, you walked towards sam. "kids got potential," you mumbled, folding your arms over your chest.

footsteps on the mat, that was the only way you knew he was coming towards you. you turned quickly, drove your elbow into his chest before he could get to you.

he went down, gasping for breath. "shit!" you cried, hands covering your mouth. "shit, don't do that!"

he raised his thumb as he tried to get control of his breathing. "got it," he gasped and took your hand when you offered it to him.

***

it had been weeks of this arrangement. eventually, sam stopping bringing joaquin by, he just came on his own.

he strode in, jacket on his body. he didn't look ready to get his ass handed to him.

"falcon," you said as he strode into the garage.

his usual bright, pretty smile came onto his face. shrugging off his jacket, joaquin dropped it into the corner of the garage and stepped onto the mat. "not too sore today?" you asked as you copied his pose, both of you ready to strike.

you'd transformed him. where he once was a lamb, he was now the lion. "ready to go," he replied, still grinning.

you grinned right back.

he got the first hit in, but you blocked it. hit after hit, you blocked all of them, but he backed you up until you stepped off the mat. his eyes travelled down, enough of a distraction for you to knock him to the floor.

joaquin pulled you with him. he hooked his leg over your body, keeping you on the floor as he climbed on top of you. joaquin's chest heaved as he sat on top of you, trapping your arms under his legs. "do i win?" he asked with a grin.

you tipped your head to the side, a hum leaving your lips. "maybe," you replied and drove your knee into his side.

joaquin fell to the side and you rolled on top of him. "no," you said, sitting on his stomach. "i win."

his hands were on your hips. his arms and legs were free, he could have dislodged you and taken the win for himself. but, instead, he placed his hands on your hips, his thumb rubbing over the exposed skin above your shorts. "you win," he echoed.

he pulled you forward slightly. your hands met his chest as you stared down at him. "what're you doing, falcon?" you whispered.

you could have moved, could have climbed off of him if you were uncomfortable. but you weren't uncomfortable, not in the slightest. you had been in this position several times since sam first brought him to you, but it had never been like this.

but you weren't complaining.

"i think i wanna kiss you."

his hands travelled up, settled on your back as you leaned towards him. your hands travelled from his chest to the mat on either side of his head. "i think i wanna kiss you, too."

he kissed you and you kissed him. it didn't matter who made the first move. his grip on you tightened, holding you close. but the two of you kept things sweet. eyes closed, no tongue involved.

you pulled away from him, sat back and stared down at him. his hands travelled back down to your hips as he grinned at you. "i win," he said, this thumb moving again.

"wrong again, falcon."

[mashtatosworld]

hiii can you do a top x jiyong sis fic?? where top lowkey (but highkey) admires her from a far but scared on how jiyong will act! bonus on jiyong being a possessive bro to his hyung bandmate lol! i think it would be fun and cute to read ! 🫶

make you mine

summary: in which he's your brothers best friend

warnings: alcohol

Jiyong’s birthday had started like every other YG celebration - loud music, endless drinks, and a VIP section packed with industry faces. The air was thick with cigarette smoke and laughter, Seunghyun sat comfortably nursing his wine while the younger members got progressively more reckless.

Then you arrived.

G-Dragon’s younger sister.

You breezed past the velvet ropes, already in conversation with a stylist, looking so at ease in their world despite technically not being part of it. You had that same effortless presence as your brother - that same magnetism.

Seunghyun had spent years admiring it from a distance.

So when you approached your brother's table, cocking a brow at the cigarette in his hand, he found himself watching closer than he should have.

“Give me one, Ji,” you said, holding out your hand.

Jiyong scoffed loudly. “Not a chance.”

You rolled your eyes. “God, you’re such a hypocrite.”

Jiyong just took a slow drag, exhaling in amusement. “Go get a drink or something.”

You huffed, muttering something under your breath before disappearing back into the club.

And Seunghyun?

He should have let it go.

But later that night, after another round of drinks and laughter, he found himself outside, cigarette in hand, leaning against the cool brick wall.

And then you appeared.

Your heels clicked against the pavement as you exhaled, rubbing your arms from the chilly night air.

He glanced at you. “Cold?”

You shrugged. “A little.”

Seunghyun hesitated for only a second before holding out his pack of cigarettes. "Helps to warm you up."

You raised a brow, smirking. “Oh? And here I thought you were a rule follower, Choi Seunghyun.”

He huffed a soft laugh. “Just don't tell Jiyong.”

You stepped closer, plucking a cigarette from the pack. "There's many things he doesn't have to know."

He swallowed and flicked open his lighter, watching as the warm glow illuminated your face.

You inhaled, exhaling a slow ribbon of smoke before looking up at him through your lashes- something playful, teasing.

“So what do you actually do?” he asked, eyes flickering toward you. “Besides hide things from your brother.”

You grinned. “I study art.”

His brows lifted slightly. “Art?”

“Mm.” You leaned back against the wall, tapping your cigarette. “Fine art, mainly. Sometimes sculptures. A little photography.”

Seunghyun took a slow drag, exhaling as he tilted his head. “That’s... unexpected.”

You smirked. “Why? You think all I do is crash industry parties and ask my brother for cigarettes?”

He chuckled. “Well, you certainly know how to make an entrance.”

You shrugged, gaze flicking up toward the night sky. “I like making things. Always have. Jiyong’s talent was always music. Mine was art.”

For some reason, Seunghyun found himself intrigued.

You weren’t just Jiyong’s little sister. You had your own world, your own talent, your own mind.

You took another slow drag. “You like art too, don’t you?”

He blinked. “What?”

You smirked. “The museums? The galleries? You’re always posting about them.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s peaceful. A time for myself.”

You hummed in amusement. “So you wouldn't want any company then?”

Seunghyun stilled.

For a moment, all he could focus on was the way the smoke curled around your lips, the way your voice was effortlessly confident - so sure of yourself.

“I- ” He cleared his throat. “I mean, yeah, if you’re interested.”

You smirked, dropping your half-burnt cigarette to the floor, stepping on it with a stretch of your exposed leg. The movement captured his attention. “If you bring me flowers, I'll consider it a date.”

And fuck.

Seunghyun’s grip tightened around his cigarette.

If your aim was to stay in his head all night, you definitely knew what you were doing.

𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪

Weeks passed before his phone lit up one evening.

y/n: if you were serious about the exhibition thing, i have one coming up

He didn’t hesitate before replying.

Seunghyun: Where?

When you sent the details, he assumed you meant an art gallery.

So he bought flowers.

But when he arrived, he quickly realised - this wasn’t some fancy exhibit in a museum.

This was a student showcase.

And it wasn’t just any exhibition - it was yours.

Your paintings, bold and expressive, lined the walls alongside the works of other students. He stood frozen, taking it all in.

And then he saw you - laughing, radiating energy under the dim gallery lights, so utterly in your element.

For a man who spent his life surrounded by talent, he had never been this impressed.

You turned, spotting him through the crowd.

A slow smirk spread across your lips as you eyed the bouquet in his hands.

“So…” You stepped closer, voice teasing. “It’s a date, huh?”

He swallowed hard, his grip tightening around the stems.

Before he could answer, a voice cut through the air.

“Hyung?”

His stomach dropped.

Jiyong stood a few feet away, frowning, eyes flicking from him to you to the flowers.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Seunghyun had never been so aware of the weight of a bouquet before.

Your response was easy. “Calm down, Ji, you're not security. I invited him.”

Jiyong’s expression darkened.

And Seunghyun? He was already planning his escape route.

𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪

Later that night, after your university friends had whisked you away for celebratory drinks, the boys gathered at their usual bar.

Seunghyun was drinking like he was trying to drown a secret.

Every time Jiyong’s suspicious gaze flicked toward him, he took another shot.

By the time you texted that you were on your way, he was completely wasted.

So when Jiyong finally brought up the flowers, Seunghyun made his fatal mistake.

“I just don’t get it,” Jiyong muttered, swirling his drink. “What were you doing there?”

Seunghyun, too drunk to filter his thoughts, exhaled and mumbled,

“She’s just… really pretty, you know?”

Silence.

Jiyong’s gaze snapped to him.

“…Who?”

Seunghyun blinked.

Then, horrifyingly, he realised he had said that out loud.

He swallowed hard.

“…Your sister.”

The table went dead silent.

Jiyong set his drink down way too carefully. “I’m sorry, my what?”

Daesung nearly choked on his ice and Taeyang looked like he was about to start praying.

"Hey, Seunghyun!" Your voice suddenly called out from the bar, where you had immediately headed after arriving moments ago, bouquet in hand. "Want to do some shots with me?"

Seunghyun - trapped, cornered, doomed - looked to his startled bandmates for help.

Taeyang just sighed, avoiding eye contact. “I’m not saving you, bro.”

Jiyong’s chair scraped back, his glare lethal.

And Seunghyun felt his soul leave his body.

Because this was it.

He was going to die.

And the worst part?

You were so close yet so far.

𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪

awweeee i loved this request!

taglist: @petersasteria , @mirahyun , @allthoughtsmindfull

[casscainmainly]

Hi, I'm here to ask for your expertise :) I saw a post that implied Duke and Tim like each other a lot and view each other as brothers. You're a person I trust has enough knowledge and good judgment to tell me if that's correct. Because, truth be told, I believed they're more like coworkers. They're fine with each other, but they'd never go out for lunch just the two of them. They'd save the other's life, but if Tim is moving he wouldn't call Duke for help – he'd call Cass and she'd show up with Duke in tow because they planned to hang out that day and didn't want to reschedule. Or something. Am I way off?

Tim and Duke are a bit hard to argue about because they don't interact much, but I am completely on your side. I just think of all the Robins - and arguably the whole Batfam - Tim is the person Duke has the least interest in.

I made a post about how they are basically opposites, with Duke's 'Robin doesn't need a Batman' inverting Tim's 'Batman needs a Robin'; I think these philosophical oppositions would make them not eager to be that close. Besides that, Duke would have no interest in being close to Dick's number 1 fan, just like Tim would have no interest in hanging out with one of Jason's favs. The only person they have in common is Cass, and I do not think she would be able to hang out with both of them at once - she is nowhere near a good enough mediator. So I think Tim and Duke would just avoid each other outside of missions.

Of course they do respect each other, and they can work well together (see Tim's cute 'we are Robin' in Urban Legends #9). Essentially they're coworkers who trust each other not to eat their food in the fridge, but once they clock out they are not thinking of each other at all. I just don't see the basis for an interesting relationship with them, though that could change with time.

(Also Duke knew the weird N52 Tim first, then Tim dies while Duke is being inducted into the Batfam, so all around Tim and Duke have had very little time to know each other. One of Duke's first experiences of Tim is him being KO'd by Damian in one punch so there's that too.)

[jcollinswrites]

How would the Ros react to Mc dressing up for them,baking a cake, and decorating their room with rose petals for their birthday? Bonus if the RO has been busy all day that they forgot/their birthday was the last thing on their mind coming home.

Narmer's birthdays are nation-wide events, so it would be hard to forget lol but I can imagine that maybe the celebration is postponed to a different day for some reason, so the actual day is free for him. If he comes home after work and that awaits him, he would probably just stand there dumbly for a few minutes. He would be so surprised he wouldn't even know how to react haha.

If Qenna is very tired, they may not even notice those things at first, they would just crawl under a table or something, and if MC goes to get them, Qenna would be like... "Huh? What...? What birthday? It's my-? Oh. Oh!" And then they would crawl out and check the things MC did.

Zaia wouldn't think that all this fuss was for them, so they would just float in, sit on a bed, and sulk. Until MC approaches them, and tells them what's up. Then Zaia would be shocked into silence for a bit, until they look at the cake, and then they would laugh. "I'm pretty sure that cake is not for me. You made yourself a cake for my birthday? Cute."

Tabiry would freeze for a moment, taking everything in, and then she might end up tearing up a bit when she realizes what's happening. She would walk up to MC and squeeeze them into a giant hug, and probably gave so many kisses that MC will have to escape her eventually.

Ahmose's birthdays are also quite a big deal, so the situation would be similar to Narmer's. When they go in and realize what's happening, they would smile ear to ear, and catch MC into a big hug. They would try the cake straight away, and after a bit of chatting and eating the entire cake in one sitting, Ahmose would say, "You know what? I think I prefer this over the big parties."

Thanks for the super cute ask ✨

[stormblessed95]

Tbh I'm a jikooker, but I find it incredibly difficult to fit a healthy long-term relationship into the same timeline as all of jimin's solo work. It's not the pronouns or taking one lyric very literally, its the entire thing, plus comments from him and his producers. To me, you'd have to do some serious olympic level mental gymnastics to make that make sense. I don't doubt that jikook have a special bond, I've definitely seen things between them that definitely look like sexual attraction to me and things that surpass friendship boundaries, but I can't in good faith say that they're together in some official long-term way if I actually listen to jimin and his work.

I've seen some jikookers think they broke up for a while, but I have to question if those people have ever been through a breakup because the little bit of distance/separation/awkwardness we did see from them during chapter 2 is nothing compared to the type of tension that would be there if a relationship that intimate and intertwined had separated, especially considering the dark feelings jimin was feeling. He wouldn't have been cutely commenting on jungkook's lives and jungkook wouldn't have been asking to hang-out or getting excited to see jimin in his comments.

Idk, I'm sure someone could twist everything a certain way and only take certain things at face-value and then make everything else abstract, etc. to make the case that they are together, but I don't really see it. You look at face-off, alone, and just his general dark feelings during Face, then look at the creation of Muse and how him and his producers said he couldn't relate to the love-dovey beginning songs, which is how they ended up making Who (despite the fact that jikookers try to distance him from the song since he doesn't have writing credits even though he sat in the recording room telling them what he wanted and saying it felt like reading his diary). I think jimin could have very well gone through a pretty awful breakup along with the inner turmoil he was going through post-covid, but I don't think it was with jungkook if he did. I still enjoy jikook's bond either way at the end of the day, but yeah I don't really get how anyone can take an honest look at jimin's work and his words and think he was in a long-term healthy love-of-his-life relationship during that time or into chapter 2.

Not trying to change your opinion or anything, honestly I don't really see it discussed much in jikooker spaces (besides bad-faith stuff like tkkers stirring up shit over pronouns in lyrics which is just dumb) and when it is, some jikookers are pretty pick-and-choose about what they deem to be true to jimin's feelings and what isn't. Which I get being nuanced, but sometimes it does feel like a "well this fits my beliefs so clearly this is true to jimin and this doesn't so it means nothing because he didn't write it" or whatever. I honestly get annoyed with the bad-faith arguers because it prevents being able to have actual discussions about some of this stuff in our little jikooker corner of tumblr. Like "he said her, he's clearly straight! he danced with a girl, straight!" stfu.

All of this is just like okay fine whatever. Here is your platform for these opinions. You don't really want me or my thoughts, you want my platform and my validation. Here ya go. (Mostly a general you here for all the asks I get in a similar nature to this, sorry)

I'm really only posting this because I'm tired as fuck of people going just look at face off, alone, all his dark feelings, how could he be in a happy lovey dovey healthy long term relationship? Which I'm paraphrasing anon, I know, but this was the gist of your point in that section.

When I'm living breathing proof that it's possible.

Personal time: I have the best partner in the world. I love him with my whole being. I have been with him since I was a teenager. We have gone through all sorts of changes and self discovery together. I also STILL occasionally struggle with self harm and wanting to kill myself. In fact, the only reason I'm still alive and not actively TRYING to off myself is because I don't want to traumatize my children and husband. I have crippling depression. I related to some of those darker feelings from FACE immensely. So you are inadvertently invalidating my own relationship by saying this, which I do kinda take offense to. And anyone who struggles with their mental health, all their relationships too.

So that's all. I just really needed at least one person to realize what an unfair and unnuanced take that part is. Everything else, sure. Agree to disagree friend. I'm all for it. You think Jimin is single but still love Jikooks bond, that's literally all I care about and I can coexist with you happily in a Jikook/bts bubble. 💜

(sorry this maybe got dark and triggering. I promise I'm working on dealing with my shit)

[obsessivestar]

'What If It's All A RomCom?' a Ted Nivison x Reader

{{-When you reach the end of this chapter, I'd love to know: who do you think is at fault? Do you think it's evenly split? 30/60 one way or the other? Completely someone else's fault? I'd love to know!-}}

//General Warnings: 18+ fic (MINORS DNI), Reader implied to be afab and under 5'5, She/They pronouns generally used.

//Chapter Warnings: HARSH language, loud arguing, pure angst. Lyrics from Tommy Hanks by Jakey used. This was pain.

Word Count: 5.1k

☆▪︎▪︎▪︎Taglist!▪︎▪︎▪︎☆

@k-k0129 , @callsign-scully , @schlattandcompany & @limecorpse

☆Love You To Death!☆

Chapter 21: All These Lies.

Friday turned to Saturday, which turned into Sunday and by this point I know Ted won't be telling me anything. He isn't gonna tell me shit, and that frustrates me more than the actual secret he's been hiding. I haven't been nearly as chatty and sarcastic with him like I normally am, but he hasn't really shown to be suspicious. I can't tell if he feels the difference, I know I certainly do, but that's not a secret to me.

That's honestly what I don't get, all the secrecy. Sure, I get why Joe didn't initially tell me the truth, he had made a good point about it. No one was expecting Ted and I to actually get together so Joe didn't think it was important to share. That, and I was literally there for that event, I was there when it happened. I was right up on the stage while Ted was escorted out of the venue. I just don't remember it being HIM. That's just...so strange.

Because I didn't want to come off as suspicious, I would still be sleeping in Ted's bed with him every night, having his arm draped around me from behind or with my head laying against his shoulder. As I lay there Sunday night, knowing that Ted's time limit was coming close to an end, I couldn't help but wonder what it would've been like to meet him at that wedding or anytime afterwards. It wasn't technically the first time we were at the same event, we've attended the same cons and are friends with some of the same YouTuber's and yet it took Tanner's final assignment to bring us together. How different would everything be between us if Ted had been able to approach me at the wedding? Would I see back his drunken state and become curious? There would be no secret for him to hide, but considering his girlfriend had just left him that day, I more or less would've ended up a rebound. I don't wanna think about that.

Above all else, I just...I want this to work. Yes, I'm hurt that he's been hiding this and I'm even more upset with how easily he's been able to lie to my face, but there's also a small part of me that...kind of gets it. Not the lying part per se, but I keep thinking back on Ted and Joe's conversation and I can recall how anxious Ted sounded. I get not wanting to bring up old memories, I get wanting to get rid of that wasted first impression, I get wanting to start over and move on...but at least give us that option, right? At least let me decide how I'm going to feel about it. Who knows, I probably would've thought it was funny, it could've become a cute inside joke between us, an old mistake being used to strengthen our bond, but he wouldn't let me have that; let us have that. That's what's fuckin' bothering me, that's what I don't get. Why couldn't he tell me? Why couldn't he let me in?

I have a hard time sleeping that night, knowing that when the morning comes, Ted's time will be over. I know this limit was set by Joe, I don't have to be following it, but we're all packing up and officially leaving on Friday. That's less than 4 days at this point and I wanted to end the project on a high note. I don't want to wait for Ted to choose, not when he's had plenty of time. I'm not about to ruin this project because I'm anxious from all the fuckin' waiting. I still have to pretend to be falling in love with his character.

I manage to get at least some sleep, waking up to Ted's alarm as usual. I move Ted's arm off of my side and sit up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. This would usually be the part where I turn over to Ted and give him a kiss, but I just can't muster it up this time. I feel awful, like absolute dog shit. To my surprise, Ted notices that I've broken a pattern. For the first time since the weekend started, he's noticed a change.

"You feelin' okay?" Ted speaks up, his voice a little hoarse from just waking up, sitting up to lean back against his pillows. I don't really want to lie to him, but I'm not about to be like 'No, Joe told me you kept hitting on women at his wedding and I didn't sleep well', so I just cut that in half.

"I didn't sleep well.." I mumble, moving to stand up off the bed. One thing I'm lookin' forward to after this project is no longer waking up at 5am. I can't believe I've been as consistent with this as I have. I guess it's just been that fun. It was that fun...

"Oh--shit, is that my fault?" Ted asks with a slight frown, beginning to feel his bare chest and under his arms. I furrow my brows at him in confusion, watching as his hand lightly smacks around his body, feeling for...something.

"No, I just..." I pause, my confusion growing as I watch him. "...what are you doing?"

"I'm feeling for sweat. I sweat in my sleep sometimes. I sweat, like, all the time." Ted admits with a small shrug, returning his hands to his sides. "I thought maybe I had sweat on you or somethin'."

"No, I'm...I'm okay." I can't help the small chuckle that escapes me. "You haven't sweat on me.." It's weird to be speaking to him normally. It makes me nervous, making me subconsciously place my hand over my stomach. Anytime I hear his voice, it's a constant reminder that he's been lying to me, keeping something from me. I'm reminded that he's capable of lying to my face. I'm reminded that he's a coward, but then...I don't like keeping him at a distance, either. That nervousness turns into anxiety and I just feel cold and lonely. I'm not just sleeping in his bed to keep the act up, I'm sleeping in his bed because I need to be next to him. I need to feel his body heat next to me. I need to hear his steady breathing as he falls asleep. I need to feel his arms around me, need to see him smile, need to see him gaze at me with those warm hazel eyes. He needs to tell me. Please, God, Ted, just fucking tell me. It's Monday, you need to tell me.

I can see that Ted is still waiting for his kiss, quirking his brow at me with a small smile after he moves out of bed. I know I should probably kiss him, I don't want to take away affection all because I'm upset, but...I just can't.

"See ya downstairs.." I give Ted a little smile and a wave instead before I open his front door and head for my own room to get dressed. I don't even wanna imagine the look that washed over Ted's face in that moment, but at the same time, I hope he's disappointed. If he's finally starting to notice that things are different after a whole weekend, maybe it'll coax him into being honest with me. I don't know how much extra time today I'm gonna give him, but I've just woken up and I'm already getting frustrated.

I know what we're doing today, in fact I know what we're doing for the last 4 days of production. We officially only have 2 more scenes to film and they're both for the fabled ballroom dream sequence that's been hyped throughout this entire trip. I have no idea how it's going to be edited exactly but I know why we're shooting it twice. Ted and I will be slow dancing together, doing one version in our casual clothes with the living room as it is, and one version dressed up in our 60's Era formal wear with the entire living room switched up to look more vintage and old. I've been trying to picture how the final product will look in my head, but Tanner hasn't been giving me much to work with. He's been purposely vague about his plans for this scene and claims it'll be much more impactful that way when we all see the final product on the big screen. I trust him on that.

After I get dressed, I head downstairs to do the usual. I grab some breakfast, chat with Dan, Tanner and Joe and then head to the makeup corner to get all dolled up. I hear Ted come downstairs after a little bit and hear him chatting up the guys as well. He doesn't sound particularly sad or low, but I guess he knows how to hide it. I'm not doing a half bad job at doing that either. I can be secretive too.

No I'm sorry, I'm not gonna let this go. It's constantly running in my head, even now as I'm just sitting here getting my makeup done. My head is spinning. I've got a giant hamster running on a massive wheel in my head right now, I don't fucking know, I'm just getting madder and madder about this. I don't give a fuck that he got too drunk, I don't give a fuck that he was headed my way, I don't fucking care that he spilled wine on Joe's mom or his husband's mom or whoever's mom. He didn't have to lie to me about it. I'm pissed. I can't get over this.

I'm snapped out of my own thoughts when I hear Tanner calling for Ted and I, realizing that the makeup team had finished me up almost a full minute ago and I had been sitting there, staring at myself in the mirror in silence. I let out a soft sigh and move off the chair, moving into the living room to join Ted, Tanner and a few members of the wardrobe team who would be acting as extras. We had a different set of actually hired extras during the first week of filming, yes, but everything that's done is done on purpose, according to Tanner. You're supposed to not recognize anyone in the background. For reasons Tanner won't spill, it's intentional.

God, I don't really wanna slow dance with Ted right now, but I'm doing this for Tanner's project. The second we get some sort of break, I'm bringing my frustrations up to Ted in private. That's how I want to do this.

The first bit of today's scene is done in relative silence. One of Ted's hands rests on my hip while the other takes my free hand, holding it out at our side. I rest my hand on his shoulder, glancing down at my feet to make sure I'm not about to step on him. We have some basic music playing to give us a beat to sway to, but Ted and I are not told to talk at all, everyone's meant to be silent as a moving camera runs around the entire living room, slowly circling us. Ted's warm eyes never leave mine. I can tell that he's not acting here, he is gazing at me with real infatuation and adoration, his soft smile genuine and affectionate. For a moment, I become...lost in his gaze, a small smile creeping up along the corners of my own lips.

'What if it's a rom-com? Baby, we could get away

Be my Meg Ryan and I'll be your Tommy Hanks

I know people die young and your friends fade away

But I'm your Jakey Matthews, Christensen, McConaughey'

I feel Ted let go of my hand to bring his hand up to my face, lightly brushing some of my hair out of my face, his affectionate smile stretching his lips out more. He slowly caresses the back of his finger down the side of my face I...I don't think I've ever had a guy look at me the way Ted is right in this moment. Not ever. I wish the only thing I could feel right now were the butterflies in my stomach and the warmth in my heart, but the burning realization that he's been lying to me with those same eyes creeps right into my soul. I can't let my feelings for him push away my anger.

Tanner gets a few good shots with all of the expensive cameras in the room. He decides to do one more slow go around, encouraging everyone in the scene to talk to each other, claiming it'll add some 'natural-ility' to the scene. That's not a word, Tanner, but I get what you mean. He says we can talk about anything as long as we're a little quiet about it, so after a bit of adjusting, we return to slow dancing. I can immediately hear the room be filled with quiet conversation between the extras, once again keeping my eyes on Ted. I must've made a face at some point between scenes because Ted's no longer looking at me with infatuation. He looks visibly confused, maybe even a little conflicted.

"Are you okay?" Ted whispers to me, his smile faltering slightly with concern. "You've been...different." Okay, so he has noticed a difference and he's waiting until now to bring it up? How has he not connected the dots at this point? We didn't even film yesterday, he had ALL DAY yesterday to tell me the truth, he had ALL DAY yesterday to ask if I was okay, if we were okay. He can't possibly be this ignorant, can he? I can't fucking do this anymore.

'I could be the ten days that you never wanna lose

Be the ten things that they hate about you

It don't gotta be this way, Just rewind the tape back to the meet-cute

View it from the top anytime that you need to, babe'

"No.." I admit in a quiet tone, letting out a soft huff. I know this isn't the appropriate time to talk about this, but I need to get it off my chest. I can't wait for break. "I know, Ted.."

Ted clearly doesn't understand what I'm referencing at first, shaking his head ever so slightly. "I figured you'd know if you were okay or not, princess." Ted gives a quiet scoff, a soft smile once again crossing his blush-toned lips.

"No, Ted..." I shake my head back at him, keeping my voice quiet, but firm. "I know, Ted. I know."

Any and all affection and happiness is completely washed off of Ted's face and his expression slowly drops. His mouth hangs open slightly and his eyes widen. The camera is currently behind him so it doesn't catch his shock, but I do. I get to witness the exact moment of realization on Ted's face. I get to see him grasp the fact that I know he's been lying to me, all while still mindlessly swaying to whatever music we've drowned out.

"...How did you?--" Ted tries to speak up first, but I immediately cut him off, already knowing that the question was coming.

"I overheard you and Joe arguing about it Thursday night.." I cut him off to answer him, my tone cold and serious. "And I made him tell me Friday, around lunch.."

Ted let's out another scoff, not as friendly this time, and he looks away. He gives a slow shake of his head, poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue. He looks upset. He doesn't have a right to look upset. "Okay..." He mutters under his breath and turns to look at me once more, giving me an expression I could only describe as...unamused. "How much did he tell you?.."

"Everything you didn't." I admit bluntly, trying to look relaxed just in case the camera circles back around to show my face. "That you got drunk, talked around with the girls, spilled wine on someone and was escorted out.."

"...Okay.." Ted repeats with another slow nod. He can't even look at me anymore, not directly. Not even 5 minutes ago he had no issues gazing at me, all with the knowledge that he was purposely keeping secrets from me. Now that the cats out of the bag, and he can't look at me? All he can say is 'Okay'?

"Okay? Okay?" I repeat back at him mockingly, still keeping my voice down. It's hard not to look angry. I certainly feel angry. "That can't be all you have to say.."

"Well I-I thought--" Ted let's out another scoff, blinking his eyes a bit more. "I thought I'd have more time.."

"More time?" I repeat, furrowing my brows ever so slightly. "Joe gave you until Monday, I heard all of it. Have ya checked the calendar lately?"

"I was going to tell you, (Y/N).." Ted frowns a little. "Eventually, I just...I'm sorry."

"When? Thursday? Friday?" I scoff. "Over the phone when I'm back in Washington, maybe?"

"No, just--I-I just needed time, I--"

"Time? We didn't even film anything yesterday, Ted. We filmed nothing."

"And?"

"You knew Joe had given you until today to tell me, that would've been the perfect day."

"Oh yeah, right before filming this? Real perfect."

"You had a full fucking day, Ted. That's plenty of time."

"It's not that easy, (Y/N)."

"Not as easy as lying to me, huh?"

"I wasn't lying the whole fuckin' time, princess. I didn't know--"

"Stop calling me that, I'm serious."

"What, did you want me to prepare a speech?"

"Guys?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you want a poem written in cursive, too?"

"Guys--"

"Oh fuck off, Ted, that's not fair."

"I don't know what want from me."

"I wanted the truth."

"Guys!"

It takes Ted and I way too long to see that our argument had disrupted the scene. At some point during the exchange, everyone had stopped and just stared at us. It was Tanner that had started calling out to us, a concerned frown on his face. "What's going on?.." Tanner speaks up again now that he has our attention, anxiously crossing his arms in front of his chest. "What happened?"

"Nothing.." Ted speaks up before I can, giving Tanner a dismissive wave. "It's nothing."

"No, it's not nothing." I step up in a frustrated tone, placing my hands on my hips. "Can we take 5? I need to talk to Ted."

"No, I'm not taking 5. We can finish the scene." Ted huffs, shaking his head at me before gesturing to Tanner again. "How much did you get before you stopped?"

"L-Like half.." Tanner stutters a little, the growing tension in the room causing him to look visibly uncomfortable. "Look, if you guys need to...work something out, we can--"

"We can work it off after you film the other half, right?" Ted asks, glancing over to the camera's. No, I'm not letting him get out of this. I don't care if he's a fucking director. "Just start from back there." Ted instructs the camera man, completely ignoring me at this point. "It's all good."

"No, it's not all good." I strengthen the tone of my voice, moving around Ted to stand in front of him once more. "We need to talk about this."

"We will, when we finish the scene." Ted insists.

"No, you've had all weekend. We're talking about this now."

"It's one fucking minute, princess."

"I wouldn't care if it was 5 seconds. I'm not finishing the scene until we discuss this."

"What is there to discuss? You know now, and I said I was sorry."

"Two words aren't gonna cut a week of lying to me, Ted."

"Are you really doing this here?"

"You won't do it elsewhere!"

"I just wanna finish the fucking scene, (Y/N)."

"I'm not fuckin' touching you until we talk."

"(Y/N), you're not gonna ruin a whole day of shooting when we've only got 4 days left, alright?"

"I'm not trying to ruin anything! I fucking love Tanner, he and Joe are like my brothers! You know this!"

"Yeah? And this is how you treat them?"

"Oh, like you were any fucking better to them at Joe's wedding?"

"I was drunk! I don't even--"

"All because you got dumped?"

I hear a few quiet gasps from some of the wardrobe team from that drop, but my focus is on how pale Ted's face becomes. He looks even more shocked than he did before, and he's not the only one. Dan is covering his mouth with his hand, Tanner looks distraught and Joe looks anxious, but disappointed.

"You what?.." Dan speaks softly, like he's trying to be quiet as to not set anyone off. "That's when she broke up with you?.."

"(Y/N)..." Joe frowns and pinches the bridge of his nose, lowering his head in shame. "Shit.."

"Wait, what? That's-That's not--" Tanner stammers over his words, completely stunned. "That's not what you told us..."

I'm finding it difficult to read the room, furrowing my brows as I look over everyone's astonished faces. I understand why the film crew might look surprised, but why are Tanner and Dan so perplexed?

"What? What?" I shrug my arms out, turning to look at Tanner. "What, like y'all didn't know that?"

"No." Tanner admits with raised brows, shaking his head a little at me. "That's not when he said it happened.."

"No, he said after." Dan admits, nervously clasping his hands in front of his face. "He said it happened a week after the wedding."

So I guess at some point last week, Tanner had asked Ted about his ex alongside Dan, the one that had left Ted at the wedding, but even when it was just the 3 of them, Ted had once again told a lie to save his own appearance, and I just completely spilled the truth out for everyone to hear. Not just in front of our core friend group, no. Everyone. The entire film crew, makeup, wardrobe department and all just heard me air that out.

All eyes are on us, Ted and I. Well, this isn't my fucking fault. How was I supposed to know all of the lies Ted has told? I didn't mean for it to turn into an argument. I didn't mean to disrupt the whole scene. I didn't mean to spout out his stupid secret. All these secrets. All these lies. All these rumors and whispers and eyes. I look at Ted one final time and he hasn't moved from where he's standing. He looks ashamed and pale, like all of the brightness and color has been sucked out of him. I don't care. I can't do this. I can't fucking take this. I need to breathe.

Without addressing anyone else, I grab my phone from the kitchen counter and start marching towards the front door. I ignore any and all calls to me, anyone saying my name, anyone telling me to come back. I put my shoes on and head right out the front door and I just walk. I just start walking forward.

I pass by everyone's parked cars in the roundabout driveway, I pass the fence that acts as a sort of archway into the property, I step onto the sidewalk and I just keep fucking going. I'm not even thinking about where I'm going or how far I'll be going, I'm just huffing and puffing as I stomp across this sidewalk. I take in the fresh air of the midday, wondering if any entitled suburban families are watching me stomp by their house through the front window. I can't fucking believe this. I can't believe it went this far. I didn't want to fucking argue like that. I didn't want to have a spat in front of every single fucking employee of that project. I didn't want to air out Ted's dirty laundry like that. I'm not that kind of person. I don't hurt people like that. I don't use secrets against people. I'm better than that. I'm better than this...

...but he didn't give me much of a choice, did he? Ted didn't want to fucking talk about this, he didn't want to tell me the truth. He told me the truth about his fuckin' girlfriend dumping him but didn't think to tell me to keep that to myself? Or is HE the only one allowed to keep secrets? I don't get it! What did I do that made him think he could treat me this way; that he could lie to me? Was I too easy? Was I too short? Too small? Too innocent? Too infatuated? Too biased? Christ, I know I've only known the guy for less than a month, but he never seemd the type to pull THIS shit. Joe and Tanner trusted him, they had so many good things to say about him, Joe practically gave us his fucking blessing. Joe said we looked good with each other, we were good for each other, we were good together! What the fuck happened?

I can feel my phone buzzing in my pocket but I just keep fucking walking. I only deter away from the sidewalk when I come across an empty park that's always in the middle of these family-centric complexes. It reminds me that I should probably find a place to sit, I don't want to go too far in case I don't come back until the sun starts to set. I turn into the empty park and plop myself down on one of the low swings, rocking myself up and down with my feet against the chipped ground. I put my phone on the ground so I can hold both of the rusted chains with both hands and I just...sit, think and breathe. I genuinely can't stop feeling frustrated about this.

There's a part of me that wants to keep finding reasons to blame myself, that this all happened mostly because of how I was or how I acted. Maybe if most of it is my fault, we can move past it easier and stay together. I have no issues with apologizing, I can make up for what I did.

But there's another part of me that wants to put this 100% on Ted. He got me high under false expectations, he lied to my face multiple times throughout the week and he refused to talk to me in private unless it was under HIS conditions, like that fucking worked out the last time. Every step of the way, he was trying to avoid this. How else was I expected to react? How long was I expected to handle his dodging and weaving calmly and rationally?

I don't know how long I sit at this park. By the time I had sat down at the swings, my phone had stopped ringing for a little while. The longer I sit there, taking in those deep breaths, the calmer I start to become. I start to feel ridiculous for coming out here, for storming out of the house the way I did. All I did was walk straight for like 10, 20 minutes. It wouldn't take long for anyone to find me if they came looking. I just...I don't know what to do. I don't know what I should be feeling, how else I should be handling this. I've been trying to get him to communicate with me, we were doing so good before all of this shit, I don't want it to be over. So what if he flirted with a few girls 2 years ago? That's not what I'm hurt over, I'm hurt over the secrecy and the lies. I need to understand why he was so okay with lying, why he felt the need to lie. I just want the truth. I just want to talk to him.

...Damnit.

I put my head in my hands, leaning forward while still on the swing. I'm no longer moving back and forth, completely stagnate. What do I do? How do I fix this? This can't be the end, it can't be. Ted gets a little too drunk and spends the next 2 years essentially waiting for me, and it's gonna end with one argument? If we really, truly can't work this out, that's fine, but...I just need some damn answers. I want to talk to him. I need to talk to him, need to see him. I take in one last deep breath before pushing myself off the swing, grabbing my phone off the ground, then walking back to the sidewalk to return to set. I don't know what time it was when I left so I truly had no idea how to gaugue how long I'd been gone.

...Until I actually got back.

The first thing I notice as I approach the driveway is that most of the cars are gone, including Ted's Tacoma. None of the upstairs lights are on and I can't see any cameras in the windows or anything, despite the curtains being wide open. I take in another deep breath before sheepishly opening the front door, relieved that it was unlocked since I hadn't grabbed my keys. The only people I see right away are Tanner and Joe in the kitchen, looking almost...scared as they gaze down at their phones. The cameras and lights that had been set up earlier hadn't been moved since I've been gone. As I close the door behind me, Tanner and Joe look up from their phones with wide eyes, shuffling out of the kitchen to head to me.

"Did he find you?" Tanner asks with a worried frown, clenching his phone anxiously in his left hand. "Where is he?"

"What?" I give Tanner a confused look, shaking my head a little. "Who? Who's gone?"

"Ted. He left right after you." Tanner admitted, his frown deepening. "He's not with you?"

"No, I came back alone." I admit, slipping my shoes off. "I was just down the street. Why? Where did he go?"

"We don't know." Joe let's out a heavy huff and shrugs. "He just left."

"What do you mean you don't know?" I ask with a scowl. "He didn't say?"

"No, he literally just...grabbed his keys and went, like, a couple minutes after you.." Tanner replies, anxiously scratching the back of his head. "He's not answering his phone. He just...left."

Ted's...

Ted's just gone?

'It's the middle of the night with the morning dew

605 or the 212

Even after I'm gone, what if it's all a rom-com?'

__________________________________

Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6 (smut) || Chapter 7 || Chapter 8 || Chapter 9 || Chapter 10 (smut) || Chapter 11 || Chapter 12 || Chapter 13 || Chapter 14 (smut) || Chapter 15 || Chapter 16 || Chapter 17 || Chapter 18 (smut) || Chapter 19 || Chapter 20 || Chapter 21 (here) || Chapter 22 || Chapter 23 || Chapter 24 || Chapter 25 (final) ||

[strawberryjackie]

Straight off the dome Yellowjackets S3 E3 thoughts (SPOILERS)

Sooo....what the fuck did I just watch???

Shauna's hallucination-ouch. Mega ouch. Her son screaming at her from the shore while she tries to swim toward him but can't, I can't even do this anymore just someone kill me.

Jackie's face was BEAT wow

Akilah :( my perfect princess don't let anything happen to her pls. Also when the llama started talking I almost screamed.

Van's vision is interesting, I definitely think she knows something about the fire, or maybe she will use the vision (and the fact that Ben just saved her life) as a reason to defend him from the fire-starting allegations

Not the cave diving. I was so stressed during that part that I can't even articulate it.

Mari and Ben are literally dumb and dumber they were making me cringe so hard and then laugh so hard and then almost cry. I get why Mari sucks but she made me so emosh when she talked about her cousin, and Ben was too. He doesn't deserve this, guys, bring him home. (I think maybe instead of dying, his fate is to stay in the wilderness forever, he's the one who seems to actively hate it.)

Two PERFECTLY REASONABLE adult Shauna crashouts this episode, if I were her I would have punched Lottie in the face (again) for giving Callie that necklace.

Lottie still shoplifts, amazing. Also teen her is still freaking me out! Stop trying to drug people against their will!

Teen Shauna is such a bitch but I love her utterly. I can tell she and Melissa are about to have the most toxic relationship of all time.

Adult TaiVan dynamic this episode...yikes. It's weird to see Tai be into all the weirdo wilderness stuff and Van is the one having doubts, but honestly, the fact that the roles were reversed in their teen years makes it more believable that Van wouldn't be immediately running for the hills. Also, the power of lesbian love literally killing a man to sustain itself is incredible.

Teen misty was so cute in this episode, she only had one line but she was so sweet with Mari. Also Nat and Travis had like ten seconds of screentime total but they both looked AMAZING. Travis, what conditioner are you using out here?

Mari is a bitch for telling everyone where Ben is.

Alright, see you next week for more disorganized rambling!

[swkbiggestdefender]

Me when someone makes a "what if jttw never happened" au but they don't doom wukong by his destructive behaviour like that's probably the biggest part of his character

But seriously I feel like people just ignore how destructive wukong was like if jttw never happened he would've just gotten worse and worse because no one can make him better bc no one is stronger then him even macaque was the closest person to wukong but he never listened to him he only stared becoming a better person bc someone can bring him down to earth (tang sanzang) without that he would've gone a dark path for power and the fact that no one explore that is wild to me like the au's are cute but you can't convince me that wukong wouldn't fuck up his life and relationship to full that void that even 7 times immortality didn't full

(not telling people what to do btw you can do your au however you want I just like to light this prospective)

[auduux]

Coughs

I'm writing a shadowvanilla fic so who wants ramblings on the storyline and relationships between cookies?

Edit: It's out!

[silusvesuius]

in drawing heads purgatory

[radiantmists]

binged both chalice of the gods and the hidden oracle in the last few days and tbh i don't care if zeus would blast me to bits, if he were real it would be on sight

[green-tea-lemonade]

omg pls draw johnnep they are so cute together

Ask and ye shall receive, anon! JohnNep is indeed quite adorable and could probably melt even the strongest of hearts. It's pretty easy to imagine John will quite literally pull the dumbest shit just so he can hear the cute kitty-troll laugh. The fact she snorts when she laughs too? Even better. Nep would 100% percent get John in on her silly roleplay interactions because while he does think it's kind of weird and just a little dumb at first, seeing the kinds of adventures she would end up bringing him on would be pretty worth it at the end. These two would be absolutely perfect in a "you're my first matesprit/partner ever so please be patient as i figure out how relationships work" deal. Even the first hand hold is just a little intense for them as they stumble through the first few dates. It doesn't take them long to get the other to open up fully though since they're both really goofy and love one another's company. 10/10 ship and a big thumbs up for such a good suggestion

[nobodybetterlookatme]

Wait I think I missed something in this incredible saga. Are you going on a date with the coworker??? I swear the last thing I saw was “no I would never” lmaoooo. If so, I (like the rest of snzblr) are anxious for updates about your love life. You’re one of the top snzblr couples now, enjoy 🤙

I did say I would never and I was a fucking liar apparently 😔 it's not technically a date tho bc I never told him it was bc I need to be so casual and mysterious ahdkaksk but it's a date To Me lmao. It's tomorrow tho bc we're still at work rn and it doesn't look like we're leaving anytime soon so at least I have that to look forward to I guess lmao

[bam-monsterhospital]

i'm impressed and so intrigued by xmen 97 ending with scott and jean about to go on the 'the adventures of cyclops and phoenix' storyline. whaaaaaaat. people who know the comics???? and who give a fuck about characters other than wolverine?!? and know what lies at the core and history of xmen and how it functions?

like i've posted/tagged before, there's soooooo much to talk about in xmen97 and i want to discuss it all.

[perilegs]

i’m sooo brave for not mauling 2 coworkers to death after i said we have a friend (bug) at the office and they asked me if i needed something to squish it with

[kakusu-shipping]

Do you think Detective Pikachu x Captain Pikachu would be a fun ship?

I, unfortunately, am Pathetic and a Coward and cannot ship characters who have not canonically interacted in source material in some way.

Crack ships are fun for some people I'm sure but I simply Cannot put two unrelated guys next to one another and say Kiss. Like physically. My brain can't do that.

So seeing as Captain and Detective Pikachu have not only not interacted but are from drastically different sources, I can't say if I'd like the ship or not. I've seen it a bit in Cap's tag but it doesn't feeeeel like Cap or the Detective in those artworks, to me at least fjdhdfjgdf

If YOU think it's a fun ship though more power to you honestly. You crack shippers are so cool and powerful. I could never. Keep on keepin on and all that.