#and now it’s time for my next special interest

[mahojelly92]

The Camcorder

Hellooo! This is my longest fic to date! I wanted to write a special Schlatt fic that incorporated my love for Christmas. Hope y'all enjoy!

Also, I'm thinking about opening requests soon, anon included. Please lmk if you are interested! I'm not guaranteeing that they'll be this long lol, but I can do my very best for you!

Word Count: 3k

18+ for explicit content. MDNI!!!

Fem reader and rpf. A little fluff here and there but mostly smut ;)

Tagging @burdenandacrop + @jschladderall 💕

Christmas day winded down as your family dispersed throughout the house, playing with their gifts and trying on new clothes. The afternoon sun creeped through the kitchen windows as you sat at the table with Schlatt, your hand resting on his knee as he fumbled with the new camcorder you got him. He's grinning from ear to ear as he turns it on, pressing the buttons and flipping the screen in his hands. The santa hat on his head bobs and sways as he plays with his new present. His red Christmas sweater hugs his body, the hem stopping just below the waistline of his blue jeans.

He excitedly rambles on about the camcorder’s features as he tests it out in his hands. He's so cute when he gets like this, all happy and curious, just like a little boy.

“Thanks for this, babe! You're the best!” He exclaims. You smile and peck his cheek, admiring his curly brown locks peeking out from under his santa hat.

“Of course. I know you've wanted this for a while.” You say proudly, beaming at your giddy boyfriend.

His hair was getting a little long, but he insisted on just trimming his face for the holidays this year. Yesterday you pouted and stuck out your bottom lip before leaving for your parent's house.

He stood in the doorway of the bathroom, razor in hand, glaring down at you. “C'mon, toots.” He ran his other hand through his thick strands, showing off his hair length. “Don't be acting like that. You love it long. Besides,” he pointed to his face dramatically, “your parents don't wanna open the door to find a caveman with their daughter, do they?”

You snort laugh as he goes back to delicately shaving his chops, a stupid grin plastered on his face. “Okay, okay. I guess you're right.” You walk into the bathroom and wrap your arms around his neck, giving him a smooch. A few stray hairs stick to your lips. You frantically blow out puffs of air, crinkling your nose. Jay smiles and chuckles, muttering, “Just like Jambo.” His eyes gleam down at you lovingly in the bathroom light.

You and Jay have been together for five years now. How fast they've flown by with him. He's been the best thing that's ever happened to you. Schlatt’s made your life brighter, fuller, more fun and colorful. You were working a dead-end job when you met, tired and miserable from life's shortcomings. He helped you regain that spark he always knew you had. Eventually he brought up the idea to start streaming with him. You spent a lot of time together streaming and gaming, learning more about him and getting closer. And before you knew it, he was confessing to you at your favorite pizza place.

The amount of love and support he shows you, in his own stupid ways, makes you thankful for him every day. It can be stressful at times, with all the fame he's gotten from his YouTube channel and all. But, you'd take that any day over the life you had before he came along.

“You think Jambo will like this?” You ask, holding up the stuffed mouse.

Jay nods in approval, smirking and taking the toy from you.

“Yeah, definitely. That little shit will probably hide it in my sock drawer, though. We better be careful.”

He inspects the toy some before going back to his camcorder, staring at the screen intensely while adjusting the settings. He hits play and brings it up to his face, squinting and pointing it at you. “Say hi, doll!”

“Hey! Merry Christmas!!” You smile and wave, bringing the mouse next to your face and swinging it from side to side.

“What was your favorite present from today? And you better not say the Sephora gift card ‘cuz I get you that every year.”

“No, no. Probably that cozy blanket your mom got me. I know I'm gonna use that a lot.” You chuckle, setting the mouse in your lap as you look into the lens.

All of a sudden, Jay lowers the recorder, eyes widening as he mutters, “Oh, shit. There's one more present I forgot to give you.” Before you have time to react, he stands up and takes your hand, pulling you up with him. He makes his way to the stairs, squeezing your palm tightly and looking back at you with a mischievous smirk.

“It’s in your room. I'm glad I didn't put it under the tree last night. That's would've been a show.” He chuckles and lowers his head as you pass your mom and dad in the living room. You give them a smile and Jay glances at them as you make your way upstairs into your bedroom. When you get inside, you don't notice him locking the door behind you.

“Alright, toots, get ready for this one.” He sets down the camcorder on your nightstand and dramatically rubs his hands together, leaning down and searching under the bed. He pulls out a small white box wrapped neatly in red ribbon.

“Awww! Baby! That's so sweet!” Your face lights up as you take the box, feeling the smooth silky texture in your hands. “You did a great job with the bow.”

“Well,” he says in a low voice, “it's ‘cuz this one's extra special.” He places his big hands around your waist, squeezing at your sides as you start to untie it. You steal glances up at him, noticing his bottom lip tucked under his teeth as you wonder what it is. Suddenly you understand, your face flushing instantly as you open it up and see a pink vibrator. You gasp, feeling your whole body tingle with warmth as you look up at Jay. His face is red now, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he grins down at you.

There it is. That million dollar smile that just makes your heart melt. “Merry Christmas, baby. I love you.”

You can't help but giggle, reaching up and tugging on the puff of his Santa hat. Your hand traces his jaw, feeling the roughness of his newly-shaved chops. “I love you too. How'd you know I wanted this, big guy?” You tease, your voice trembling. God, it's been five years and he still makes you this nervous.

“Oh, it wasn't that hard, sweetheart. Have you seen your search history lately?” He smirks confidently, leaning his head down and searching your face for any apprehension. “You like it?”

You nod sheepishly and purse your lips together, painfully aware of the heat rising in your belly. “I do. I really do.” Grinning, you take the vibrator in one hand and throw the box on the floor with the other. Your arms snake around him as you press the smooth silicone against the back of his neck, staring into those big brown eyes.

“Good. ‘Cuz we're gonna have some fun with this.” Jay chuckles, but he furrows his eyebrows, seemingly lost in thought. “But your family…” he starts, “they might hear us, doll.” He presses his nose into the crook of your neck and breaths in your scent. He moans softly, sending shivers down your spine. You're suddenly aware of your family laughing downstairs.

“Well,” you sway him gently in your arms. “We'll just have to be quiet, then. You think we can do that, love?”

Jay sighs and nods, planting a kiss on your skin and continuing to run his hands along your waist, raising the hem of your Christmas sweater up. “Mm-hmm. Though I can't make any promises. I want you, sweetheart. Right now.”

A whimper escapes your throat as you press your body into his. You feel Jay's cock hardening through his jeans, making your knees weak. You want him too. You want him so bad.

You smile up at him tenderly and sit on the edge of the bed, pulling on his sweater, begging him to join you. “Come kiss me, Santa.” you bite your lip hard as he crawls on top of you. He sets the vibrator down and throws his Santa hat on the bed. He takes in your small frame laying under him, all eager and ready. He can't help but smile at your bashfulness.

Your hands find Jay's chest, feeling the soft cotton between your fingers. He kisses you gently, moving his head with yours. He takes his time tasting you, drinking you in. Savoring every moment.

You caress his torso, moving your hands under his sweater and feeling his stomach. His abs contract at the coolness of your touch. He lets out a shuttering moan as you explore his chest, running your fingers over his hard nipples.

“Fuck. You're killing me.” His breath quickens as you tug at his shirt. You can't help but think about all the things he could do with that vibrator, making your pussy soaked with desire. Your heart races as he takes his sweater off, throwing it to the ground. You lean up and kiss him passionately, digging your nails into his bare back and lifting your knees up to touch his hips. He grunts and brings his waist down to meet yours, grinding against you slowly. You wrap your legs around him, fanning your hot breath against his neck.

“I need you, Jay.” You moan into his ear, trying your best to stay quiet. His hips continue their sensual rhythm, making you wetter by the second. He sits up and takes your sweater off, lifting your back up and unclipping your bra in one smooth motion, tossing it onto the floor.

Jay explores your chest, kneading your soft breasts in his hands. He sits up and digs his hips into yours while firmly massaging you, his back curling as he thrusts his body. His dick aches against his jeans as you moan and throw your arms above your head on the bed. You push yourself forward with your legs, begging to feel more of him, to feel all of him.

“I've been thinking about this all day, babe. I'm gonna fuck the shit out of you with that pretty little toy of yours. How's that sound?”

You nod and squeeze your eyes shut, praying your family won't hear the slew of moans coming from you.

Suddenly you feel a hand gently grasp your throat, making your back arch.

“I said, how's that sound, beautiful? Answer me or I might just have to make you scream.” Jay growls in your ear, “and we wouldn't want that, now would we?” One hand squeezes your breast as the other tightens its grip on your throat.

You nod, croaking out, “perfect, my love.” He smiles triumphantly and pulls back his hand.

“Good girl.” You gasp and breathe for air as he runs his hands down your chest and to your leggings, pulling at the waistband.

“This okay?” he leans down and nips at the supple skin on your tummy.

You whimper and nod, lifting your hips as he pulls down your leggings, underwear and all.

“God, so fucking perfect.” Jay exclaims, admiring your pussy for what seems like an eternity. He finally gives in and lowers his fingers in between your folds, gently massaging them and getting absolutely soaked in your heat. He presses his two middle fingers up into your core while his thumb rubs circles around your clit. You buck your hips instinctively, pleasure shooting up into your brain with every touch. You whimper and moan, bringing your hands down to grip his hair. You shove your face in his soft curls to drown out your whimpers. God, this felt so good. You didn't want it to stop.

He looks up from your pussy and stares into your eyes, smirking and laughing softly. “Enjoying this, toots?” You smile and nod, furrowing your eyebrows with pleasure and biting your lip. He knows you can't think straight when he plays with you like this. It's all just too damn good.

A symphony of moans escape your lips as he continues to pleasure you, making you squirm under his grasp. Soon enough you're close and whimper, silently screaming his name as your jaw goes slack and dizziness takes over. Waves of electricity course through your legs. Your orgasm is just on the horizon, begging to be released.

Jay pulls back abruptly, removing his wet hands from your core and sucking on them. You slump back down on the bed and grunt disapprovingly, your edge lost as he satisfies himself. He laughs, smirking down at you.

“Mmm. You taste so good.” His eyes glimmer with mischief. Oh, he knows exactly what he's doing, and you hate it. You grunt and adjust your gaze to his free hand reaching for the vibe. He turns it on effortlessly and places it on your abdomen. You squeal and grab his forearms, scraping your nails against his skin. He laughs and throws his head back, obviously enjoying this.

“You okay there, gorgeous? Did I startle you?” He smirks with the corner of his mouth and inches the toy down your belly.

You whine and nod, pouting. “You can't just do that to me, Jay. I was so close!” He chuckles again and watches as your hands move from his arms to his zipper in protest. He catches them quickly and clicks his tongue.

“Not yet. Gotta make use of this first, doll.” He pushes the toy harder against you as it rumbles just above your opening, making you rustle your legs on the bed sheets. Your toes curl and tighten. God, this was torture.

“Fuck babe, please.” You beg, clenching your fists as he holds your wrists in his hands. The vibe relentlessly taps your clit, making you see stars. Jay observes your reaction and holds it in that sweet spot, knowing how much you love his teasing.

“That's it, sweetheart. Take it for me.” He bites his lip as you move feverishly against the toy, your hips spazzing uncontrollably as you begin to reach your climax. Jay takes your wrists and places them above your head, his other hand holding the toy in place on your pussy. He marvels at your body, your noises, your movements. And he loves you all the more for it.

When you're close, Jay unzips himself, taking his hard length and rubbing it against your folds. Before you can scream, he presses his hand on your mouth and sticks a few fingers in. You suck and whine mercilessly, the pressure building from head to toe as you find sweet release.

The dual sensations of the vibe and Jay's dick intensify your orgasm. You bite down hard on Jay's fingers, desperately moaning as your pussy releases all over his cock. He moans with you, relishing in your high as you come undone. He kisses your face with fervor, muffling your moans and pressing into you again gently. He takes the toy off of you and throws it somewhere on the bed. With careful hands, his arms wrap around your waist, lifting you up to rest against his chest. He guides your head to his neck, then pulls your legs around his waist as he settles you in his lap. You feel his dick soften as you lean into him and hug his wide shoulders.

You're still light headed and buzzed from your orgasm, soaking up every moment from your high.

You love this right here, the way he kisses your temple and rubs your back gently as you come to. It's all so perfect. Once you gain your surroundings, you lift your head and chuckle, your eyelids heavy as you stare at him.

“That was so amazing, Jay. I love you so much.”

He smirks and picks up the Santa hat, placing it on your head.

“I love you too. So much, toots. You have no fucking idea.”

You smile and rest your chin on his shoulder, closing your eyes briefly to hug him. When you open them, you catch a red dot blinking on your nightstand.

On your …. Wait. Oh Shit.

“Jay…” you tap his back rapidly and sit up straight, mouth agape in disbelief. He turns his head to see what you're looking at.

“Oh my god.” His face turns pale as you both realize the camcorder is still recording.

You and Jay stare at each other as you process this, utterly shocked. A moment passes and you both completely burst into laughter. There was nothing else you could do, really.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Jay curses. Tears spring to your eyes as you grip his arm and flail around on the bed, unable to contain your laughter.

He reaches over and stops the recording, flipping the screen and grinning.

“Welp…” he starts before letting out another chuckle.

“Jay, we have to delete that! What if my parents find it?” You sputter, holding your cheeks as the embarrassment begins to set in.

“Nah, babe, we gotta keep it. It's too fucking good to throw away!” He blushes and winks at you, grinning from ear to ear. You smack his arm, taking the camcorder and rewinding the video. Sure enough, it captured everything.

Fuck.

Your mind races on what to do when suddenly Jay remembers he put an SD card in the damn thing before setting it up.

He takes it out of the slot and checks the camcorder for any remaining footage.

The video is nowhere to be found.

Thank fucking god.

“Merry Christmas babe! You're my filthy little pornstar, aren't you?” Jay exclaims proudly, pinching your red cheeks. He shakes the SD card triumphantly next to his face, showing it off to you as he wiggles his eyebrows.

You can't help but giggle and shove his face playfully, rolling your eyes. “Yeah, Merry Christmas, you big perv!"

[amoeganism]

UNFORTUNATELY INTERESTED michael kaiser

That weird regular with blond and blue hair stopped showing up to the cafe you work at and coping by watching every clip you find of him online isn't enough. Lucky for you, he's also a weirdo freak who missed you.

tags: birthday special!! crack, loser x loser, ness doesnt ask questions, ness third wheels, ness STAND UP, mentions of circumcisions if you dont fuck with that, reader is a freak, michael is a freak, it cancels out (no it doesnt), 2.6k words of slop, i'm lazy and am going to nap now

A man named Michael orders two drinks from your cafe each morning at seven. It’s a simple order of a mug of hot black coffee and a to-go order of black tea. He sits down at a table farthest from the entrance but still next to a large window pane, sipping on his coffee until it’s gone. Then, he’ll place the empty mug on the shelf with all the other dishes to be washed and take his tea with him, disappearing until the following morning. He isn’t the only morning regular that you encounter but the blond and blue mullet along with the tattoos of intertwining blue rose vines are intriguingly beautiful; every person has a uniqueness intangible by another but Michael’s haunting blue eyes leaves you with uncomfortable curiosity that’s seemingly impossible to be satiated. 

He stops showing up three months after his first visit. It kind of freaks you out since you had just come to terms with how you’ve been anticipating his appearance every morning for you to observe him like a scientist observing bacteria under a microscope. Part of you assumes it’s because he caught onto your weird staring and finally rationalized that there’s a creepy barista that’s a little too interested in his ritual of blowing his piping hot coffee four times before drinking or how they’ve caught onto the way he delicately trails his fingertips around the ceramic rim of the mug between every sip. Fortunately for your pride, your question as to why he disappeared was answered by a viral post on your social media feed of your more interesting customer shirtless and calling a group of teens dumb, ugly pieces of shit or something like that. You laughed at the clip before realizing that you really did look forward to seeing him again. 

It freaks you out a little bit when a different man shows up at seven in the morning ordering the exact same thing Michael did: a black coffee and black tea but this time, they’re both to-go. He gives his name as Alexis and you can’t help but think his face looks rather familiar. As he waits for his order, he scrolls on his phone and furiously types something before perking up when you call his name.

“Thank you!” he chirps, putting his phone into his pants pocket. “My teammate really likes it here. He asked me to get this for him because he can’t make it. Uh, his name is Michael?”

Your mind clicks into place at the mention of your former customer’s name. The man in front of you is Alexis Ness, the funny little guy that Michael, or rather Michael Kaiser, would exclusively pass to on the field. You’d rather die than admit that you spent a little too long stalking any and all videos of the man you could find—his awful personality was oddly entertaining. “Yeah! He used to come by every morning before falling off the grid.”

You were tempted to ask about Blue Lock, but you didn’t want to expose yourself as a freakish stalker that does background checks on their customers as a hobby. Before you can fall victim to temptation, Ness pushes the glass door open with his back and leaves with a short “have a nice day!”, leaving you with a new guy to dig up info on. 

The next morning at seven, you expected to see Ness return to order drinks for Michael, but you were greeted with two men instead of one. One of which, being Michael himself. His hair was put up with a gold claw clip rather than let down and he mindlessly nodded along to the nonsense rambling of Ness. The shirt he wore was loose around the collar, exposing a blue rose tattooed onto his neck and collarbone, a painful yet beautiful placement. Each line and stretch of color was beginning to bloom into his skin as it settled and spread, leaving slightly blurred edges as a result of aging. You had read that he was the same age as you, nineteen, and that made you wonder when he had gotten it done.

“Good morning,” you greeted with a small smile, standing in front of the register with your hands in front, ready to take their order. Directing your attention to the blond man, you attempt to start some kind of small talk, “It’s been a while since you’ve been here. It’s good to see you back. Black coffee here and black tea to-go?”

“I’m impressed that you remembered my order,” he teased, reaching into his pocket for a black wallet and pulling out a credit card. “Have I really made such a big impression on you?”

Slightly irked but also amused, you take his card to slide on the side of the register. “You came here every day for months straight. I think it’d be embarrassing for you if I didn’t remember who you are. It’s not often someone like you comes around and stays.”

“Someone like me?” Michael asks with a raised brow. 

“Y’know, tatted up and choppy, dyed hair. You kinda remind me of a peacock; I fuck with it.”

“Nice to know someone appreciates it,” with an exaggerated sigh, he combs his fingers through a loose lock of hair framing his face. “It’s a shame people tend to be so boring and unappreciative of what I bring. Peacocks you say? When I cut my hair, I can put the scraps together and make a custom peacock feather just for you.”

“Oh…I’m so glad to hear that you’re creative and confident? I think this is why you’re a soccer player and not a business owner…or pickup artist…or a customer service worker…or a respected individual.”

The mention of his athletic career catches Michael off guard for a brief moment, ignoring everything else you said like a guy stuck in delusion limbo with selective hearing, but he was quick to recover from the initial shock. “You know about me? I never knew you were such a fan. Do you want me to sign a napkin for you? I don’t offer this to just anyone.”

“I’m good, you can leave my napkins alone. And I think it’s reasonable to see what happened to my former superfan.”

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, I was here for the superb drinks, not you.”

“Ouch? Be careful what you say, I’m the one making your order.”

As Michael laughed at your interaction, you suddenly remember that Ness was still there, having long been done with reading the menu. Whatever embarrassment you had was replaced by judgement with how Ness was perfectly content and joyful about being left out like a cuck. Athletes are weird, you conclude. 

“What can I get for you?” you direct towards Ness, opening up a new order.

“Um, I’ll get a cold brew to-go.”

“Sounds good! Cash or card?”

Shortly after, all three drinks were made and you called both Michael and Ness to the pickup area where Ness grabbed a straw and found a table for the two to sit at. Michael, however, stayed behind, not even bothering to touch his two drinks before talking to you. 

“What time does this place close?”

“Six in the afternoon every day except for some special holidays where we either close early or don’t open at all. I can never remember which is which so I bother the owner for every one.”

“Is it just you who takes the opening shifts?”

“Yeah, I work the first hour alone and then my coworkers come in. I get off at three so it’s not too bad ‘cause I get the afternoons and evenings to myself.”

“That’s nice,” Michael muses, slowly nodding to himself. He slides his coffee over to himself and looks at you with a sly smile. “So if I were to take you out for dinner, it wouldn’t be a problem?”

“If you’re gonna kill me? Yeah that’d kinda suck, but if you’re talking about a date…sure,” you laugh at your unfunny joke. Thankfully, Michael either also shares a bad sense of humor, or laughs at you and is mocking you. If it’s the latter, you’ll find a way to get back at him (and it doesn’t have to be ethical). “Um, do you want my number or…?”

“That’d be wonderful, thank you.”

You quickly grab a ballpoint pen and scribble your contact information on a napkin from next to the sugar and sweetener packets, handing it to Michael. His slender hand brushes yours, sending goosebumps down your arm from his cold skin. Outwardly, you don’t show your surprise at the unexpected sensation but the rush it brought made you embarrassingly giddy. 

His sharp blue eyes crease along with a teasing smirk on his smooth lips. “And here I was thinking I’d be the one signing a napkin for you. How nice of you to prove me wrong, love.”

“Already starting with the pet names? That’s bold.”

“Should I stop?”

“Do whatever you want. It’s kinda funny how eager you are to be with me.”

“I can’t deny that.”

Michael carefully folds the napkin with your phone number, placing it in his wallet and meets Ness at the table he chose, bringing his beverages along with him. It didn’t take long for the pair to finish and leave, but not without Michael sending you a sly wink your way. The gesture was kind of goofy and if it were anyone else, would give you second hand embarrassment from its corniness. From how your heart skipped a beat, you silently cursed him out for bypassing your bitterness and working his way into managing to fluster you. 

—

“Hey, a customer asked for my number this morning,” you tell your coworker, Yui, as she ties an apron around her waist. Her brown eyes lit up at the news as she whipped her head around to face you. One of the first traits you learned about her was her nosiness and although it could easily become aggravating, you had always found it entertaining, making her one of your favorite people to work with. Her schedule, unlike yours, alternated between working morning shifts and afternoon shifts, making you see her a couple days a week. Yui finishes her uniform by putting on a baseball cap with the cafe logo on it, something you learned that she would take off within an hour from how sweaty it’d make her.

“Who?! Did you give it to them?! Did they text you yet?! That’s so exciting unless they're creepy and weird and in that case, I hope they get pushed in front of a subway,” Yui fires at you, her eyebrows raised with intrigue. “Well?”

“It’s the soccer guy that I told you about. The one who used to come here every day and then dropped off the face of the Earth.”

“Oh! Michael Kaiser? Wait—he asked you out?! Holy shit. That’s insane! Did you say yes? Did he text you yet? You should text first—wait you can’t because he’s the one with your number.”

“I guess he technically asked me out? I mean, he just said ‘hey, what if I took you out for dinner’. If he doesn’t text me I’m going to kill him.”

“Fair, fair.”

You got a notification from an unknown number on your way home, asking you if you were the barista at your cafe. Relief flooded your body, overriding the tension you didn’t know you had. After shooting a text back, confirming your identity and asking if the message was from who you think it is, it takes five seconds too long for him to reply and in that time you consider buying a pair of scissors for a surprise circumcision. 

MICHAEL: How do you feel about 6 P.M. tomorrow?

YOU: fine with me

YOU: where should we meet

MICHAEL: I can pick you up

MICHAEL: Consider it a surprise

YOU: can you even drive

YOU: are you going to kidnap me

MICHAEL: NO

MICHAEL: PLEASE GIVE ME A CHANCE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

YOU: omfg you want me so bad

YOU: [address]

YOU: https://www.wikihow.com/Neuter-a-Dog (this is a warning)

An alarm indicating you have ten minutes before Michael picks you up blares from your phone but you stay put, stupidly blinking  into your vanity mirror as if it’s going to do anything to your appearance or do anything to turn your phone off. The gum you were chewing served as a stress reliever and something to make sure your breath wasn’t rancid but it quickly turned into garbage bin gunk as soon as you bit your tongue. Everything was starting to piss you off and you suppose you’d start with silencing your phone. 

Even though you’ve worn this outfit before, you twirl around like a dog chasing its own tail, trying to find any uncut tags or a seam that magically broke in the few minutes it spent putting it on. Several stabs to your ego outweighed the taste of blood in your mouth as you realized you were losing your cool over a guy named Michael so in an attempt to calm yourself down, you disregard any advice of breathing exercises and imagine Michael picking his nose while loudly grunting as he takes a shit. To your utmost horror, you don’t get the ick.

Exactly one minute before the clock hits six, you get a text from Michael saying that he’s outside your apartment. You stumble to get your keys, making sure your bag and everything you need is with you. Despite not spending any time wondering what his car would look like, the obnoxious electric blue car had you blinking several times and pinching yourself to confirm if what you’re seeing is real. One part of you feared that the literal beacon would attract a violent mob of paparazzi or creepy fans and it’ll end up in all your private information being leaked with a box of shit on your doorstep but another self-absorbed part of you thought the gesture was flattering and that deep down, you were thoroughly enjoying the attention. Match made in hell or whatever. 

“Nice car, you planning on totaling it anytime soon?” you ask, sliding into the passenger’s seat.

“Not yet, unless you’d like me to. I can put a blindfold on and press the gas as hard as I can if you ask,” he gleefully fantasizes. It’s a little cute how smug he is talking about ways he would cause a car accident for you. Maybe chivalry isn’t dead or maybe you’re both doing the world a favor by going off the market. “I’m a man of many talents, after all.”

“Wow. I’ve never been more attracted to a man in my life.”

You don’t know if Michael’s playing along to your deadpan comment or if he’s choosing to ignore it with the way he drives all the way to the restaurant with a smile on his face. The sight of him with such a proud expression on his face combined with the misplaced confidence is embarrassing but endearing. If you were to ask yourself why you decided to smile along with him, you’d tell yourself it’s because you’re making fun of him in your head, but in your heart, you know it’s for a different reason—one you’re too stubborn to admit. 

To spend months observing Michael Kaiser only for him to disappear without a trace, leaving you longing for a reunion you thought only you would anticipate is more shameful than admitting to yourself you had fallen for him first. As Michael parks his car and extends a hand out for you and opens your door, extending a tattooed hand out for you, you suppose you’ll share your affections with him the same time you share it with yourself. 

[honeygrahambitch]

"And I told Jack that if I left no one would work on the profile and do you know what he said?"

"What did he say, my love?" Hannibal asked as he was working on the gingerbread dough, trying to give it the perfect consistency.

"Fine, Will, then leave. And do you know what I did?"

"Enlighten me."

"I left. I came here instead. And he called me four times so far." Will added as he put his phone on the counter next to Hannibal's bowl.

"He called me twice but my hands were busy with this. I was hoping nothing bad happened to you." Hannibal explained as he handed Will the wooden spoon he had used. "I am happy you came to me."

"For me?"

"Yes, I am done with that spoon. Knock yourself out, love."

"Thanks. This is amazing."

"Enough cinnamon? Sugar?"

"It's perfect." Will said as his attention shifted from his previous discussion with Jack to the delicious dough on the spoon. "But you already knew that."

"Since this is a special batch for you only, it's your opinion that I am interested in." Hannibal said as he rolled out the dough.

"Do you have funny shapes for it?"

Hannibal pointed towards a box on the counter to which Will headed curiously.

"I found a dog."

"I made sure there would be at least a dog in there. What else?"

"Can we only use the dog?"

Hannibal loved that will used the word "we", implying that the gingerbread was now something they did together.

"Definitely. It would be a shame to use the others."

"Is that frosting?" Will asked as he looked into a different bowl.

"Yes. I can hand you a spoon..."

"This is delicious." Will said as he already used his finger to clean the edge of the bowl.

"...or you can use your finger, of course."

Hannibal smiled. Will looked less tense than before.

Will looked at the thin dough, over Hannibal's shoulder. He inhaled his fancy and too expensive aftershave and left a tender kiss on his cheek, making the older man shift his attention from the dough.

He turned to Will properly and kissed him properly, cupping his face.

"Your hands smell like cinnamon." Will laughed in between kisses.

"Is that a complaint?"

As Will was about to reply, his phone buzzed again, Jack's name popping up on the screen.

"We are not giving Jack any gingerbread."

"No, of course not."

[edinaanin]

Shit Stirrer: A great cause with a dash of irony

Jumping into my first blog post with Nicola!

Looking fresh, well rested, gorgeous and Christmas ready from - I'm assuming - her family's Galway living room, Nicola posted a photo of herself today wearing 1 of 8 specially designed "Saltburn Insults" t-shirts. These limited edition t-shirts were created by Carey Mulligan and Emerald Fennell (director) to both celebrate one year since the release of the movie Saltburn on Netflix and, more importantly, to help raise funds for War Child UK's "Emergency Christmas Appeal" fundraising efforts. War Child UK's single goal is to ensure a safe future for every child affected by war. This is a cause we know Nicola stands firmly behind! If you're interested in supporting this important cause, follow this link for the t-shirt Nicola is wearing... or scroll to the bottom of the Everpress page to see the other 7 "Saltburn Insults" t-shirts on offer: https://everpress.com/warchild-x-shitstirrer#more-info

So what, you ask, did I mean about that dash of irony?

Look at the angelic look on her face. Nicola, a shit stirrer? Shady Whistledown herself?! Maybe, perhaps sometimes 😉

Over the last week the Lukola fans in my chat groups as well as those sharing thoughts in my live streams, or those sending me DMs, have been expressing the same thing: exhaustion! They (heck... me too. We!) are tired and feeling a whole lot of frustration. Some quotes:

"I feel like we're all here trying to defend Nicola and Luke, trying to fight off all the negative propaganda being put out by the Jakolas and trolls, and all the while Nicola is the one feeding much of the {front facing} narrative. I'm tired and discouraged." "I believe they're together - 100% I do - but I'm tired of not knowing for sure and it's annoying to spend so much time worrying about a couple that may only come clean years from now, or if they get papped." "I'm sick to death of breadcrumbs. I want the whole loaf now!"

Yet we also laughed at the ironic humour in Nicola as a "Shit Stirrer"; the primary distributor (and organizer of other distributors, with Shonda's & JVN's help sometimes) of breadcrumbs, morsels and golden nuggets! The breadcrumbs are so much fun to find, and they can also be confusing and frustrating! Shit stirrer indeed. Xx

Nicola also has ruffled some feathers because of her political and social beliefs (support of the LGBTQ community [Gay Icon!] and abortion rights in Northern Ireland), humanitarian work. From my perspective, GOOD work! To others who perhaps have a vested interest in the status quo? Shit stirrer indeed. Xx

Yes, we Lukola fans know that Nicola and Luke don't owe us anything and that privacy is their right. We also know that Tomdaya took years before they acknowledged their relationship publicly. We should be prepared for the long haul, yes? Yes. 🥴 Le sigh.

As we enter into a new year I know the question for me will be how much of my time, energy and heart will I place into all things Lukola? Over the next week or so I'll think about the wonderful connections I've made in our Lukola community (and the angst I've experienced because of divisions)... I'll think about how fun breadcrumb speculation is, how I relish the hunt for golden nuggets (those solid truths that are ballast for our ship)... and of course the enthusiasm (and agony) that I feel for the ongoing watch for launch.

Today I'm feeling tired and at times, discouraged. My plan is to relax, reassess and come to 2025 with a fresh mindset. No obsession... just patience and fun will be the aim... and keeping up with this blog too.

Will you be on the ship with me in 2025? Or will Nicola and Luke launch before the New Year and save us all from the misery?! Ha!!

Cheers to Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Seasonal Celebrations... and to my fellow Commonwealth Countries, Yay for Boxer - I mean Boxing - Day (Dec 26th)!!

P.S. Best doggos in the whole wide world! Convince me otherwise ;-)

[bcacstuff]

It’s the end of an era: Sophie Skelton has starred as Brianna in Starz’s Scottish historical fantasy drama, Outlander, for 10 years. How does she feel about it all coming to an end? Mixed emotions, from the five stages of grief to feeling positive about ending on a high. For us viewers at home, however, there’s still plenty of time to say goodbye: the season 7B finale will air on 17 January 2025, while season 8 is slated to air in the second half of 2025. We sat down with Sophie to hear all about it – plus what the actress will star in next.

Interview: Sophie Skelton

Hi Sophie, how’s life going at the moment?

Good, thank you. I’m still processing 10 years of the end of an era! Caitríona [Balfe] and I have been talking about it for a while, because you go through the five stages of grief a little bit when you finish something like this. It’s such a rare occurrence for TV to go that long, and there’s no manual of how to deal with the end, so I think it was quite a roller coaster of, well, the grief process. But we’re both feeling quite at peace now. I for one feel like I’m in a good place – just winding down for Christmas so I can hit the ground running in 2025!

It’s the end of an era! How did it feel when you kind of got the news that Outlander season eight would be the end?

I think originally season 7 was going to be the end, and I’m just speculating here, but maybe part of the reason they split it into two is because they knew that season 8 was going to come. Maybe they were trying to bridge a gap with the strikes… I don’t know! But I feel like Brianna is in a really good place. I feel like I’ve done everything I can do with that character. She has been through more than most people would go through in multiple lifetimes. 

I think it’s always good to tap out while you’re ahead and not to milk something, so hopefully we’re ending on a high. Season 7B is great, but season 8 is honestly the best season – so I think it’s good to leave it there.

Are you all wrapped on season 8, too, then?

Officially, yeah. We were holding on by an emotional thread for a while, because we were sort of finishing, and then there was a second unit going, and then we had press, and then we had reshoots. But we are officially done. I think we’ve all had three wrap days, but the last one was really sweet. Caitríona wrapped and then she came in for my final scene, and then she hugged me, and that made me break down crying. Then she and I went to the next stage over for Sam [Heughan]’s final scene, which was the last one. Then we had a little hug, the three of us, so it was a really nice way to close it off. It felt very peaceful in the end. 

How would you describe Outlander season 7b?

For Brianna, honestly, quite lonely. It was an interesting season for me. We shot it about two years ago, so thinking back, I spent a large amount of the time with the kids. As they say, acting with animals and children are the two most challenging bits, and on Outlander we have a plethora of that going on! In terms of storyline, it’s one of the sides of Brianna that I really admire. She’s really come into herself as a mother, and seeing her click into action mode and the lengths she’ll go to to save her children is really admirable. Sometimes when she has to defend herself, she’s not as brazen, but as soon as it’s for someone else, especially her children, we see a side of Brianna that we haven’t seen before.

Rosa Morris (“Mandy”) and Sophie Skelton (“Brianna Fraser MacKenzie”) in Outlander season 7. (Starz)

You’ve played Brianna for a decade now. Is there anything special you do to get into character?

One thing we’re lucky with on Outlander is that the sets are so magnificent and vast. Whether we’re on location or they’ve built a fake village, as soon as you’re on set, you feel halfway into it. It’s the same with me having an American accent and the wig and the clothing – you’re halfway in already, so that does a bit of your prep for you. I know Brianna inside out now, so honestly, it’s quite easy to just stream into set. But to stop myself from coasting, I do research. And there were a lot of things I felt I could channel from my own life into Bri this season, so that helped.

Is there anything in season 7B you’re really excited for people to see?

I really enjoyed the scenes with Chris [Fulton], who plays Rob Cameron. That was a really fun dynamic. And as I say, because I spent a large amount of the second part with the kids, it was nice to have some adult energy. I really like his way of working. He’s quite similar to me in that you just don’t know what you’re going to get, and every take could be completely different. We really bounced off each other, and it kind of felt like being in a play, especially because some of our scenes were quite physical. There are a few more modern day action sequences from Brianna, too, which was a different form of stunts than we’ve done before. So I’m sure people will enjoy a little injection of 80s fight scenes.

Is there anything you can tease about Outlander season 8?

As ever with Outlander, there will be some reunions. There are probably going to be some deaths. The heartstrings are going to be a little bit torn… One of the most exciting things about it is that you’ve got so many old and new faces back. It just feels like a really big ensemble, and I think that that’s such a magnificent way to go out. It’s like a big bang.

Any standout moments from rehearsals or filming?

It’s quite rare that a lot of us get to do scenes together, so the dinner scenes where we have a large amount of the principal cast together are really fun. It always feels quite sentimental because they’re rare, and we never know if that’s going to be the last one. That wasn’t necessarily different, but season 8 had the extra layer of upcoming loss. But they’re always just lovely because Outlander is heavy, you know! We work in really tough weather conditions. We do long hours, we do long weeks, and we’re pretty much just in the dark, wind and rain of Scotland all the time. So when we get these indoor scenes where it’s really intimate, there’s candles, it’s all of us together, they’re really fond moments. It feels like you can really just relax and enjoy the day a little bit more, as opposed to battling all the elements constantly.

Are there any locations from filming that have stood out as a favorite, or anything that you would go back to in your own time?

The Clava Cairns are so beautiful. When you go there, honestly, it sounds quite corny, but you can feel the weight of the land. The air is dense. Not in a heavy way, but you can almost feel the energy of the history there. And the land is just so quiet. There’s always a beautiful moon or a beautiful sunrise. We actually had one scene there where the moon looked too fake. The real moon looked too fake! They had to blot it out and put a fake moon in, because they were like, ‘no one will believe this is real’. It’s always windy and icy cold and it’s brutal, but it’s absolutely stunning. Especially when we do night shoots there, the calm and the quiet and the stars… It’s just surreal.

Outlander is coming to an end, but the universe is going to continue in a different series. Are you excited to watch it? How did you feel about that when you heard the news?

It’s a funny thing with the prequel coming out, because we were on our final season when they filmed, so it was very different energies, having the two side by side. They’re all coming in fresh, whereas we’ve done 10 years of this. We want to make sure that we see it through and do it justice. We really wanted to make sure that our attention wasn’t split, so I don’t know too much about the prequel. 

I know that there are rumors of some other spin off series, too, and I know Diana might have written some other spin off books. It’s one of the biggest shows in the world, so I’m sure that those series will do super well. It’ll be exciting to see if there are any mini Briannas that spin off. It would be very interesting to see who takes her over at some point. 

Sophie Skelton (“Brianna Fraser MacKenzie”) in Outlander season 7. (Starz)

Looking at future projects, are there any genres you’re craving?

It’s not necessarily about genre for me; I think it’s more that I’m looking for completely different characters. A different accent, a completely different time period for a while, let’s get rid of the corset for a bit! But honestly, loads of different things. I started in musical theater on stage, so to do something in that realm would be amazing. I also love really gritty dramas – psychological stuff. Something like Black Swan would be the perfect merge of everything.

Have any of your other projects stood out to you as a career highlight?

I just finished quite a tricky shoot during the strike, a small independent movie called Row. It’s about the first team crossing the Atlantic Ocean, and semi based on a true story before it goes a lot more thriller-y. I’m playing this blonde hippie-ish girl from Surrey and filming was going to be in Malta, so I was like, ‘Yeah, cool, this is different to Outlander. Different accent, I’m on a boat in the middle of nowhere, but it’s Malta, great!’ There’s one scene where she’s in a bikini on the boat. Sounds fantastic! Then a couple of weeks before shooting, they said, ‘because of the strikes and everything else, we’re actually going to film it in John o’ Groats’ – which is pretty much the most northerly part of the UK. We had super bad weather – 100 mile per hour winds – so we had to stop shooting a lot and we got behind. We were just on a rowing boat in the middle of a water tank right next to the ocean on a cliff. It was intense. But honestly, I think the film is going to be beautiful. It looks really gritty. It’s so fun to play something different. I’m excited to see it.

Who has been your favourite actor to work with in the past?

I worked with Nick Cage ages ago, which was great. He was so lovely to me; that was a good shoot. On Outlander, working with Tobias Menzies was amazing. It was great to work with quite a lot of seasoned actors like Maria Doyle Kennedy, too.

Which co-star did you learn the most from?

Caitríona is amazing. She knows how to fight for her cast and crew, she will make sure that everyone’s looked after. There’s often a lot of hierarchy in TV and film. She’s number one, and she could easily stomp that around, but she doesn’t. She puts everybody on a level playing field and treats everyone the same. I really respect that.

Do you have a dream role?

I love biopics. I love going down a rabbit hole of research and having to perfect little tics that the real person has. I was thinking about La Vie en Rose the other day, the Edith Black one with Marion Cotillard. Something along that route would be really cool. And hey, if there’s ever an Audrey Hepburn biopic, I would love to do that.

Who is a writer or director you’d love to work with?

Jesse Armstong and the Duffer Brothers. I think their writing is just so smart. It flows beautifully, and it’s just so gritty.

How do you find balance in your personal and work lives?

Not sure if I’ve mastered that yet! I’ve always been a very hard worker. Even as a kid, I’d be in ballet every day, and 1000 hobbies. I’ve always managed to fit more in a day than most people. I’m not very good if I’m not busy, so I am trying to manage the shut off between the two now by writing music, doing art and playing piano.

How can we all live a little bit better?

Do small acts of self care for yourself all the time. Someone said it to me recently, and I hadn’t really realised it was a thing. They were like, ‘you’re very good at doing little things that set you up for success for your future self’. It sounds so silly, but it’s the smallest things, like putting stuff away the night before so you don’t wake up to a dirty kitchen in the morning, or just biting the bullet sometimes because you know that it’s going to matter more to your future self than it might do now. Small acts of kindness to yourself. Career wise, it’s so easy now to look on Instagram, for example, compare yourself and just feel shit, frankly. I just have this daily reminder: put on your blinkers and win your own race.

Sophie Skelton Recommends…

I’m currently watching… Shrinking

What I’m reading… The Best Minds by Jonathan Rosen

The last thing I watched (and loved) was… Poor Things

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… Gladiator II and Conclave

Favourite film of all time… Good Will Hunting and Uptown Girls

Band/singer I always have on repeat… Taylor Swift

My ultimate cultural recommendation… Talking to different cultures about how they celebrate the festive season.

Cultural guilty pleasure… Going to the pub for a roast every Sunday – the bottle of red with it is the guilty part!

[sugdenlovesdingle]

Happy Christmas @strandnreyes !! Here is your very late gift from your secret santa!

I had a plan, it was going well, and then I wrote myself into a corner and couldn't figure out how to fix it... and went with plan B at around 6PM yesterday. But I'm pretty happy with the result and I hope you are too!

written for @tarlos-santa for the prompt: roommate’s best friend AU

---

Strickland holiday special (AO3)

“December 24th, 7pm, dinner at my place. Bring yourself and your holiday spirit.” Paul announced when he sat down at Carlos’ table in the bar they’d agreed to meet for a catch up after work.

Carlos was thrown off guard for a second but then shook his head.

“Can’t. Nochebuena with the family. My mom will kill me if I miss that.”

“And you don’t want to spend the holidays with your best friend?” Paul asked, fake hurt, and took a sip from the beer Carlos had ordered for him.

“You’ve met my mother... and she likes you now… but if you keep me from coming to mass with her and the rest of the family, she’s going to put you on her naughty list for next year.” Carlos replied, only half joking. He wasn’t especially excited to spend the holidays with his entire extended family, but it usually was nice to catch up with cousins he only ever saw at birthdays and family gatherings.

Only this year he also had to avoid his sister and her interest in his love life ever since she set him up with a friend of a friend a few months ago.

“Ah but if I promise to feed her boy, even Andrea Reyes will forgive me.” Paul told him and Carlos had to admit to himself he was probably right. “Come on man, it’s just dinner with some friends. Some people from work, and you’ll get to meet Asha for real.”

“I’ve already met her!”

“Outside McDonald’s in the middle of Saturday afternoon shoppers doesn’t count.” Paul argued. “Come on, you know you want to say yes. I’ll make my famous chilli.”

“Well in that case I’m definitely not coming, you chilli heathen.” Carlos joked and Paul good naturedly rolled his eyes.

“If I allow you to assist me in the kitchen, will you come? I’ll even let you disgrace my chilli with your nachos.”

Carlos laughed.

“Ok, fine, you can be my sous chef. Maybe I’ll even let you stir something.”

“You keep telling yourself that, Reyes.” Paul replied and clinked his beer bottle against Carlos’. “Oh and my roommate can help us out too.”

“Roommate? Since when do you have a roommate?”

Paul shrugged.

“A few weeks. The new guy at work I told you about.”

Carlos frowned, trying to remember any new guy Paul had mentioned.

“Tyler. From New York. He’s not going home for the holidays and he doesn’t really know anyone in Austin yet.” Paul clarified.

“Right. And you take in strays now?”

“He was living in some shitty backpackers hostel! I couldn’t let him stay there. The place is a health hazard. And I have a spare room anyway.” He shrugged. “It’s just until he’s found a place of his own. He’s a nice guy. Cleans up after himself. A lot of wrong opinions about pizza though. Come to think about it, you two would probably get on great. You can be wrong about food together!”

“Are you trying to set me up with your new roomie?”

“No, but you might like the guy. You both could do with some new friends.”

“I have friends!” Carlos protested and pointed his bottle at Paul. “I have you.”

“And if you and Tyler hit it off you could have two friends!”

Carlos shook his head and took a sip of his drink.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Oh no. No, I know what ‘I’ll think about it’ means in Carlos Reyes speak. It means ‘no but I don’t want to say it to your face.’”

“No, it means I’ll think about it. I might have plans… with Marco.”

“Oh the boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Carlos insisted. “We’ve only been out a few times… I barely know him. Luisa set me up with him.”

Paul nodded.

“I remember. And you like him?”

Carlos pulled a face like the thought of admitting anything of the sort to Paul was causing him physical pain.

“I don’t know… He’s alright… He keeps asking about my job.”

“That’s what people do when they’re getting to know each other don’t they?”

“Well… yeah… but it’s all he talks about. I don’t even know what he does for a living.”

“So ask him.” Paul said simply and Carlos gave a huff in reply.

They spent the rest of the night talking about Paul’s party plans, and carefully avoiding the topic of Carlos’ love life. Which he was more than grateful for.

By the time the 24th came around, Carlos had struck a deal with his mother. He’d promised her he’d go to midnight mass with her and the rest of the family, and then spend the entire Christmas at the ranch with them, so he’d be able to go to Paul’s dinner party and help him cook in the afternoon.

They’d decided on a menu together, agreeing to stay away from any controversial dishes and just focusing on putting a nice meal together for their friends.

Carlos had managed to wrangle the guest list out of Paul, and he knew most people that would attend. All but one. The mysterious Tyler.

Paul had mentioned he’d be helping them prep and Carlos was curious about the guy. Apparently he’d moved to Texas after a break up, but Paul either didn’t know the details or didn’t feel like it was his place to share and hadn’t told him anything more.

Not even a last name, which meant Carlos couldn’t even casually run him through the system.

He parked his car outside of Paul’s building and grabbed the supplies he’d picked up from the backseat before making his way to the front door. He tried to shift the bags in his arms so he could ring the doorbell without dropping anything when someone jogged up to him.

“Wait, wait, wait! Let me get that for you.” The person said and reached around him to open the door with a key.

“Thanks…” Carlos mumbled and walked into the building, up to the elevator. The person followed him and pushed the button for him.

“What floor are you headed?” the guy asked when they stepped into the elevator.

“Uh four.”

“Me too. Do you need a hand with those bags? I can carry one for you.” The person offered. “I promise I won’t run off with them.”

Carlos chuckled and shifted one of the bags so the person could take it from him. He hadn’t been able to get a good look at them yet, just a flash of a silver grey jacket and brown hair, but when he moved the bag out of the way, he came face to face with easily the most beautiful man he’d ever seen.

“Thanks.” Carlos managed to say and the beautiful man smiled at him, making him even more beautiful.

“No problem. Do you live in this building too? I only moved in a couple of weeks ago, I don’t really know the neighbours yet.”

“Oh uh no… I’m just… visiting my friend.” Carlos stammered, mentally kicking himself for not being able to keep his cool around a cute guy. “He lives at number 425.”

“No way.”

“Uh…”

“You’re Carlos!” It was a statement, not a question.

“Uh…”

“I’m TK.” The beautiful man said as the elevator doors opened and they walked onto Paul’s floor. “Paul mentioned you would be coming over to help prepare for tonight.”

“I… oh… you… you work with Paul…” Carlos stammered.

“Yeah, and he lets me crash in his spare room until I’ve found my own place. You don’t happen to know of any apartments for rent that don’t cost a small fortune, do you?”

“No… sorry.”

“That’s too bad.” The beautiful man stopped outside of Paul’s door and put his key in the lock. “Hey, look who I ran into downstairs.” He called out to Paul when he walked into the apartment.

“Oh, great, you’ve already met. Saves me the introductions. Now let’s get to work, this meal won’t cook itself.” Paul said, clapping his hands to spur his friends on.

Carlos was put on chopping duties and did his best to focus on the task at hand. The three of them chatted a little while they worked, with mainly Paul and TK swapping work stories.

“Chicago FD could take NYFD.” Paul insisted and Carlos had no clue what they were talking about. “Hell they could take NYFD and AFD.”

TK laughed.

“Sure, sure.” He popped an olive into his mouth and Carlos was absolutely mesmerised by him. The way his eyes sparkled with mischief, the smile that never seemed to leave his face, the curve of his lips… the way they would feel against his own… the –

“Ow! Shit, shit, shit, damn it!” Carlos swore and sucked his finger into his mouth. “The knife slipped.”

TK wiped his hands on a dish towel and carefully pulled Carlos’ hand away from his mouth.

“I’m a paramedic.” He told him. “Let me see.”

“I’ll go get the first aid kit from the bathroom.” Paul announced but neither man even so much as acknowledged him.

“It’s nothing.” Carlos insisted.

“I’ll be the judge of that.” TK told him and guided him over to the sink to run his hand under the tap. “I don’t think it’s very deep.” He said after taking a closer look at the cut.” “I think a simple bandage will do.”

“Right… ok.”

“One first aid kit!” Paul said a little too loudly, dropping the box onto the kitchen table. “It cost me a small fortune so it better have everything you need.”   

TK nodded and grabbed a paper towel, pressing it to the cut in Carlos’ hand.

“Keep pressure on that while I get some gauze to wrap it up.”

“You really don’t have to go through all this trouble for me… it’s just a small cut. It’ll be fine.”

“Reyes will you just let the medic treat that damn hand instead of bleeding all over my kitchen?” Paul sighed. “Your boyfriend won’t be happy if we let you bleed out on the onions.”

Carlos winced and he saw TK freeze up for a few seconds.

Damn it.

“You have a boyfriend?” TK asked, trying to sound casual, not looking at him but digging through the med kit instead.

“No!” Carlos said, a little louder than strictly necessary.

“Oh no, we’re not allowed to use the B word.” Paul said, exasperated. “They’ve just been going on dates for like three months. That’s not boyfriend behaviour at all.”

“We broke up.” Carlos blurted out, almost desperate to see TK’s reaction.

“Oh, I’m sorry man.” Paul replied, giving him a sympathetic look.

“It’s fine. He… I… we uhm… it just wasn’t working. We wanted different things.” Carlos told them. He didn’t want to go into detail, but at the same time needed TK to know he did not have a boyfriend.

“Well at least you found out now and not during a romantic dinner with an engagement ring in your pocket.” TK said, removing the paper towel from Carlos’ hand and carefully putting a gauze pad on it.

“Y-yeah.” Carlos agreed, sensing there was a story behind TK’s comment but not wanting to pry.

TK wrapped up Carlos’ hand with the care and precision of someone treating an arterial bleed, when they both knew a simple band aid would have done the trick.

“How’s that?” he asked when he put the last piece of tape on the bandage. “Not too tight?”

“It’s perfect.”

They managed to get through the rest of the afternoon without any more injuries, and Carlos had managed to compose himself and function more or less like a normal person by the time the other guests started to arrive.

He knew most of them through work and in Nancy’s case from high school math and science. He enjoyed catching up with them but still his eyes were constantly drawn to TK.

And maybe he was imagining things, but it looked like TK was looking at him too.

“Hellooo, earth to Carlos.” Nancy waved a hand in front of his face. “I asked you a question.”

“What? Sorry… I kind of zoned out for a minute there.”

“Uhuh, I noticed. I was talking about the red vs blue baseball game.”

“What about it?”

“Are you playing? Who is on the APD team? I’m trying to scope out the competition.”

“I don’t know. It’s months away.”

“She’s got a whole file with stats on everyone on the FD team on her computer.” Marjan cut in. “And she’s trying to find out who’s playing for PD so she can put together the same kind of file for them.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being prepared! I just want to win next time.” Nancy argued. “TK, do you play baseball?”

“I was in little league. I was pretty good.” TK replied. “Well according to my mom and my step dad anyway.” He laughed a little and took a sip of his drink.

“Good enough for me. We’ll have to get you to the batting cages in the new year so I can see you play.” Nancy decided.

“Who died and made you coach of the FD team?” Paul asked and the two of them got into an argument that snowballed into a debate where somehow Paul’s girlfriend Asha ended up as some kind of referee.

Carlos however could only focus on TK. He was sitting on the other side of the table, leaning back in his chair, drink in hand and an amused look on his face. He’d gotten changed before dinner and he was wearing a dark sweater with stripes across the chest and a diamond stud in his ear.

Carlos’ mouth had gone dry at the sight of him and he’d felt severely under dressed in his simple button down shirt and jeans.

“Who wants dessert?” Asha asked the group, trying to steer the conversations to a safer topic.

“I’ll get it.” Carlos said quickly, happy to be able to escape the madness for a few minutes and get his head together.

“I’ll help.” TK said, getting up from the table too and following him to the kitchen. “How’s your hand?” he asked as Carlos started pulling bowls from the kitchen cupboard.

“Oh, it’s fine.” He flexed a few times. “I barely feel it.” He smiled. “You’re a great doctor.”

“Paramedic.” TK corrected him. “It’s not the same. But thank you.”

Carlos desperately wanted to keep talking to him but didn’t know what to say. He tried to scoop some ice cream into one of the bowls but barely managed to get anything out of the container and only ended up bending the spoon.

“I guess we should have remembered to take it out of the freezer earlier.”

“Yeah… I guess so.” TK agreed. “If you run the hot water and hold the spoon under it, it’ll be easier to scoop with.” He suggested. “Or… we could just wait.”

He stepped closer to Carlos in the tiny kitchen and his eyes flicked between the other man’s eyes and lips.

There was laughter coming from the living room and someone, probably Paul, had put on some music.

“Yeah, we could… do that. I don’t think they’re really desperate for that ice cream.”

TK smiled.

“I don’t think so either…”

The two of them stared at each other for what seemed like hours until they suddenly moved at the same time.

TK grabbed a fistful of Carlos’ shirt, while Carlos’ hands were on TK’s neck, pulling him into a desperate kiss.

He felt TK’s tongue running along his lips and Carlos happily opened his mouth for him.

They kissed, and kissed, and kissed and neither of them wanted to stop.

Carlos’ hands were firmly in TK’s hair, and TK had managed to undo some of the buttons on Carlos’ shirt. They were both breathless by the time they had to come up for air.

“I’ve wanted to do that all day.” TK admitted. “I was gutted when Paul said you had a boyfriend.”

“Don’t have one of those.” Carlos insisted. “I’m very single.”

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely.”

“How would you like to change that?”

[cherrysurf]

Tall blonde and evil! | Katsuki Bakugo x f!reader

chapter 6; stupid interview

Today was the interview for the 2024 hottest man event. It was really important to bakugou whether he said it or not. You woke up really early to get ready and prep yourself just in case you get bombarded by the paparazzi or news reporters that linger around by the studio,

You groan “how can he still be rude even he’s probably nervous and maybe that’s just provoking his angry more” you think as your in the cafe waiting in line, you get his order and rush out the cafe into the car and tell the chauffeur to get bakugou now you text him telling him you’ve arrived, he walks out looking composed but you can’t tell if it’s a facade or not the way his face showed no emotion. He gets into the car and you hand him his breakfast you hear him murmur a small thanks as he starts eating, while you are replying to some emails on your laptop “you eat?” he says looking at you as he sips on his coffee “yeah woke up early enough to do so” you say eyes still focused on the screen in front of you “shocking” he said taking a bite of his food, you simply throw him a him a confused glance and then ignore him, you definitely didn’t want to argue or create unnecessary drama between the two of you, these next two days are going to be hectic so for now it was a mutual understanding that it was going to be more so getting through this calmly and professionally than the way you two have been acting as of late “you nervous” you asking him as you two pull into the studio “eh nah i’ve got this.” he says looking out the window “i’d hope so” you say, as you come to a stop to get out the car bakugou opens his door just as you were about to do the same it catches you off guard than rather him walking to the entrance he walks around to your side to open the door, you shocked try to compose yourself as fast as possible before the press get the wrong idea. as you get out and say thank you to him he shuts the door and starts walking ahead of you not wanting to be bombarded by the press as you walk all you hear from the press and new ladies “wow what a gentleman” “he’s so gonna win hottest man award” “i want to be his next manager for sure.” you try to hide your annoyed expression after hearing those stupid remarks because they don’t understand how difficult he is. As you walk into the studio you come to find out bakugou is already whisked away to hair and makeup, you find a seat near the cameras to watch everyone prepare for the interview, bakugou soon walks in and takes a seat, he finds himself looking through sea of cameras and stage crew to see you there seated waiting for this to take place, the show host soon finds a seat herself already gawking at the fact that bakugou is near her, you just let out an eye roll at the fact that she’s head over heels. “Okay everyone, we're starting in 3 ... .2 ... .1 and action!” the producer says “Hey folks today i’m here with special guest katsuki bakugou, welcome to the show.” she said, giving him and a small round of applause “thanks for having me i appreciate it” he said in a neutral tone “so tell me everything bakugou! How does it feel to be nominated for the award?” she says giving him the biggest doe eyes “it’s good i mean i'm not surprised i appreciate my fans for it.” he says looking at her with little to no emotion “i know you definitely have my vote” she says laughing “anywho so as of recently we’ve heard that your manager is the longest one you’ve had in a while, How does she do it?” the lady asks with a hint of coated jealousy “well she just competent i guess, that’s what the others lacked” he said shrugging which made you face palm at his response, “mmh interesting, well what about your love life?” she says with a bit more happiness “i don’t have time to date or silly flings. I take my career seriously, and very much dislike false rumors about myself” he said with a hint of annoyance in his voice “we love a man focused on himself, okay last question before we run out of time.” she says “what’s the one piece of advice for your fans out there or people who want to pursue modeling like you” she continues “grow a backbone and be humble, don’t forget where you started from.” he said looking at the camera “wow so inspiring” the lady said holding her hands together.

“well that’s all the time we have folks hope you enjoy and don’t forget to vote bakugou for this year’s hottest man award!” she said “CUT” the producer yelled, yet you're still in a trance after hearing those words come out of bakugou's mouth you’ve never heard him say something so meaningful? dare you say, it was like a side of him you haven’t seen or met before shocked that it was there. You snap out of it when he thanks everyone and gets up to leave, you quickly stand up and follow along. When he’s stopped by the host “hey do you possibly need a date for the event?” she asks batting her lashes at him, you almost wanting to vomit a the sight “no thank you im not interested in a scandal with some host respectfully.” he said in a stern tone and walked away you wanted to laugh at the sight but figured you’d laugh about it once you got home. The car ride back home was silent, you were still shell shocked after his words though, “did i do good?” he said looking at you, you snap out of it once more and nod while saying “yeah really good actually” with a sincere voice “i knew it” he said laughing in an ugly yet funny way “im the best” he said gloating. For once you didn’t feel the need to fight him back on it, at least not right now all you could do was smile a bit.

when you got to his place you bid him a farewell “see you tomorrow night don’t look ugly, i don’t want people to think my manager sucks people know i need to have the best of the best” he says waving a lazy goodbye “right. bye bakugou.” and then he turns to look at you “oh by the way i’m picking you up tomorrow so. Don’t worry about that.” he said and turns to walk away. leaving you with a flush red cheeks “gosh what has he done to me.” you say.

going to try to speed run this fic rn guys 🙏🏻 after this and the event chapter im going to be doing the new years special so stay tuned for that!

taglist; @kalulakunundrum @sweetadonisbutbetter @rednicotine @ikissfade @bakugouswh0r3 @allurearia @themultifandomgirl @junehasnotbeenfound @darhinadadragon @kodzubaby @harryzcherry @sahrii @kholethecutie @s4ikooo1 @babylambdietcoke @lover-no-lover61 @sikuthealien @homeless-clown @bookaholicfangirl4life @idexmids

[desktopmermaid]

Would you still love me if I made lesbian train gijinkas

[catmask]

it is insane how normal i am medicated like. you mean this was an option the whole time. what

[puppyeared]

isnt it great when u take your adhd meds and instead of using that brainpower for stuff like ASSIGNMENTS. AND PROJECTS. your brain decides the next 6 hours will be brainstorming ponysona names and making oc playlists

[laniidae-passerine]

I’m finding that the laziest moments of Doctor Who’s writing are the ‘retroactive twists’ - when the show runner reveals something happened way back over there, in the past, before they were even running the show. And we swear it happened, way over there, far back, and you didn’t see it because of reasons but it’s definitely been happening! And it totally makes sense and I absolutely didn’t just pull it out my ass to justify my paper thin plotline! All this kind of writing does is make me miss self contained season length plots. We’ve had people complaining that Moffat was guilty of the “this thing is big and scary and it’s going to happen, oh god it’s showing up, we’re going to discover what it truly is….. next season!!!!!!” plotline (and yes. he was. twelve is my fav doctor but yeah Moffat loved a mysterious horse and a big stick) but now suddenly when RTD gets out his own mysterious horse and a big stick, it’s got to be genius! everything is eventually going to make sense! and we’re absolutely not being had by a man who used to be able to write this show and is now a hack!

[vanweezer]

very very personal, just insight into where im at w my family and things that bother me/have encouraged me to move out

"i know youre moving out so im just gonna say no ones kicking you out and if you feel like this is something you have to do then ok"

thanks! i know im not being kicked out! but yknow i kinda yet a weird vibe when your out of touch husband takes me to a cemetery to yell at me, tell me im just like my father/dont give my father "the time of day", and that im "mean to people who care about me" in front of his dead mother's grave in a poor attempt at guilting me out of speaking my mind. but no yeah thanks for stating the fucking obvious that im leaving on my own terms

[effervescent-fool]

.

[katyobsesses]

I think my glee obsession is returning in full force

[sangrenfreude]

i love cj!evelin they're so gender

[mqonlighting]

real talk in the tags for a second because i have a crush on a girl and i. a hehe. ahehehe.

will be burying this in reblogs and never touching on it again