#and then a couple asking me about bus tickets

[depoteka]

why is it always when i'm really sleepy early in the morning that tourists ask me for help in english

[gguk-n]

Your brother's Oscar Piastri? (Oscar Piastri x Reader)

I've had this idea in my head since I found out Oscar's sister is a K-Pop stan.

{Reader's POV}

Getting tickets to a K-Pop concert got exponentially more difficult as their popularity rose. It took so many attempts and almost losing the hair on my head before I got tickets to the TXT concert in town. I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as the confirmation email rolled in.

On the day of the concert, I might have gone all out and dressed up but everyone dresses up for the concert and it was the most exciting day I've had in a while. I love that I get to spend my adult money on stuff I enjoy. At the venue, I got to meet some people I had connected with online and made some new friends.

There was a girl next to me in the seating, who I ended up vibing with. We had a lot of fun as we sang along to all their songs; our voice went hoarse by the end of the night. As we walked out while talking about the concert, "Ugh, my mum won't answer my calls" the girl next to me, who I was introduced to as Hattie groaned. "Is there an issue?" I asked. "My mum's supposed to be my ride back and she won't answer my calls" she whined. "I could drop you" I suggested. "Oh, no. That would be too much to ask for" the girl shook her head to avoid causing any inconvenience . "It'll be fine. We're part of the same fandom so it makes us family" I laughed. She seemed to mull over my suggestion before nodding her head, "OK, but I'll pay for the petrol" she suggested. "Done. Let's go" I said pointing to my car.

The drive to her house was entertaining as we got to know each other better and sang along to the songs. We become concert buddies after that. I didn't really have many friends I could drag along to concerts anymore; having a friend made things much more exciting. She was a joy to have around and we shared the same bias for most groups we liked so it made stuff even more chaotic then they already were.

This went on for a couple more concerts until the latest one where I took the bus to the venue since my car broke down and a non-functioning vehicle was not about to stop me from seeing Enhypen. I met Hattie at the entrance who had been waiting for me. We hugged and grabbed some stuff from the stands outside and walked into the venue. The show was great, the fan service at K-Pop concerts was unmatched.

Hattie knew that my car had broken down and offered to drive me home as a pay back for the favour I had done at the start of our friendship. We were waiting outside for who I assumed was Hattie's mum but instead I was greeted by a tall pale Australian man, I knew more as Oscar Piastri, Formula One driver for McLaren. My jaw almost hit the floor before I caught myself and greeted the man before entering the car. "Hi, I'm Y/N." I said while climbing into the back seat while Hattie sat shot gun. "Hey, I'm Oscar" he said giving me a smile before he started the car.

Hattie kept looking back at me every time I sent a message. As soon as she read the last message, "Oscar, Y/N loves you" she laughed. Man, I hate the friends I have sometimes, I thought. Before my mind could react my body did, "No" I shouted. Oscar turned around to look at me, "no?" he asked. "I mean yes" I stammered. "yes?" he quizzed. "I mean, I love Formula One and since you're a Formula One driver that's why I asked her to ask if could get your autograph" I rambled. If the earth swallowed me whole, I don't think I would mind right now. I could hear Hattie snickering in the background.

The rest of the car ride had me sweating. Oscar dropped me off in front of my building; I bolted out of the door. "Don't you want that autograph?" Oscar shouted. I stopped dead in my tracks with slumped shoulders; if I'm going to embarrass myself, let's leave no stone unturned at this point. "Yeah, sure. I have some merch in my house you could sign" I mumbled walking back to the car. "Maybe you would like to join me for some tea" I offered. Hattie nodded along from inside the car and the three of us headed up. My house, I must've forgotten was not clean enough to be seen by anyone but me; I had to literally stop them, throw everything in the nearest closet and then open the door. I ran a kettle for hot water and asked them to sit on the sofa while I grabbed the Oscar Piastri hat and shirt I had bought recently. He graciously signed it for me and I handed them the cup of tea. "Your house is lovely" Hattie commented while looking around, "I don't see any of the albums or merch" she continued. "they're in my room" I said. "Must be fun explaining to the guys who come over" she spoke more to herself. "It's hilarious watching their reaction" Hattie added at Oscar's quizzical expression. "If you guys are done, would it be harsh to ask you to leave, I have an early shift tomorrow" I asked nervously. "No, thank you for the tea. We'll be leaving" Oscar said while lifting Hattie up. "I'm not leaving yet. I haven't seen your room" Hattie whined trying to get free from Oscar. "You know where she lives, come over at a more acceptable time." Oscar told her and dragged his sister away, "Good night Y/N" he called out as I closed the door.

Thank god she didn't see my room, I don't know how I would explain the Oscar Piastri poster I had above my bed and in my closet. My life got interesting to say the least.

Hattie and I weren't able to meet after since there weren't any concerts for a while but there was a Formula One race in a week. Hattie called me asking if I would like to join her family. I was more than grateful to be going because I got to see the race for free. God knows my saving's are crying.

I got dressed for the race and met them at the venue. It was the race day and the hustle and bustle at the paddock had adrenaline pumping through me. Hattie greeted me and introduced me to her family, 2 sisters and her parents who were very kind and welcoming. "It's nice to finally meet the girl who's accompanying our daughter to concerts and the subject of my child's interest" Nicole chimed extending her arm out. "It's so nice to meet you too Mrs Piastri" I said while shaking her hand. "You make me sound old, call me Nicole" she said. "What did she mean by the subject of my child's interest?" I whispered to Hattie. "Nothing" Hattie answered quickly. We walked in to McLaren to be greeted by Oscar and Lando. Starstruck was an understatement. After exchanging pleasantries and me asking for Lando's autograph and a picture with him and then tripping over the wire on the floor almost discharging vital piece of equipment found my way back to everyone and decided to sit in place. Oscar did ask if I was okay but I couldn't really focus on that since I keep embarrassing myself in front of him, of all the people.

The race ended with a pretty decent finish for Oscar that had all of us cheering. He came back to meet everyone after all the formalities and celebration. After a while we started to pack up to leave; "you should help Oscar pack up" Hattie said while making a quick exit with the family. "What? Why?" I asked but was ignored while everyone left. "Hi" a small voice came. "Hey, Oscar. Great race" I said trying to making things less awkward. "Thanks for coming" Oscar said. "Hattie said you guys had extra tickets and plus I couldn't say no to a race" I rambled. "Umm" he scratched the back of his neck, "there were no extra tickets, Lando lent me one of his so I could invite you" he said. "What? I'm so sorry for the trouble" I apologised. "What? No I mean, I wanted you to come...so I asked Lando for the extra ticket" Oscar corrected me. "You wanted me to come" I repeated. "This is so stupid" he muttered to himself. "Let's go, or we'll be late for dinner" Oscar said packing his stuff. "What dinner?" I asked. I was so lost, what was going on? "We're going out for a family dinner" Oscar stated. "You're going on a family dinner, I'm going home. I'm sure they must be waiting for you in the garage." I said grabbing my stuff. "They're not" Oscar lamented running a hand through his hair.

"I could drop you there if you would like" I offered. "No, I...ugh" Oscar sounded frustrated. "Is something wrong? Maybe I can get help" I suggested. Oscar looked at me with the softest puppy eyes, "I got tickets for you, specifically even though I didn't have one, I was ready to not have one of my sisters attend so that you could have a ticket" he said now staring at me. "I don't" I began. "Fuck, Y/N IthinkIlikeyou" he mumbled. "Oscar, I don't know what you said" I said. Lando peeped in, "This is getting frustrating, I thought it would be fun to watch but it's not. That muppet means he likes you, go out with him." Lando chimed. "You like me?" I asked shocked. Oscar just nodded his head slowly. "Put the kid out of his misery and go out with him. I don't think I can take pining Oscar any more or watch him stalk your Instagram profile" Lando quipped. "Can you shut up Lando?" Oscar glared. "I would love to go out with you Oscar" I cut them off; "really?" Oscar asked. "Yeah, I mean you are my favourite driver on the grid" I stated. "Really" Oscar shouted making me and Lando jump. "Let's go now" Oscar said while holding my hand and dragging me out.

[wintersoulwitch]

Stage/Fright second viewing - changes/things I noticed

Right finally home after that epic cross-country slog via National Express! Currently feeling like I never want to leave my house ever again... but we all know I'm checking the box office website every day in case another decently priced Saturday ticket appears... And now thinking that other events (eg BFI screenings) that I'd previously written off as impossible are more attainable than I'd thought.

Anyway, enough about me. You're here for Stage/Fright deets.

This time I was in the Grand Circle, so way up at the top. I was able to see the whole stage at once, unlike during my first viewing. And I could see that there were bronze hare ears poking up from one of the boxes!

The violinists were in matching sequined gowns - they looked sort of plum-coloured? And when they played the intro to act 1, there were shadows projected onto the red theatre curtain, like the chair with restraints that is used in act 2.

This time I noticed that Toby (Reece's understudy) came on stage first, then left and was replaced by Reece. That totally passed me by during my first watch, and I think it was because I was just so excited to recognise/realise that they were doing the "theatre audience" material, and then once Reece was in front of me my brain short-circuited and wiped all thoughts apart from "omg he's so beautiful."

I don't know if this is a change, or if I wasn't able to see them clearly last time, but I noticed spotlights being used to highlight people at various points. Like, when R&S did their opening talk to the audience after the intro there was a large spotlight on the both of them when they were centre stage, and it split into two smaller separate follow spots when they moved apart.

I spotted a couple of differences/tweaks in the BCDR/Kidnappers section in the first half - I'll do a separate post about that.

During the Elements Song this time I saw that different jars and bottles on the shelves lit up as Reece pointed at them: "And iodine 💡 and thorium 💡 and thulium 💡and thallium 💡"

They've changed the wheelchair that Reece uses in Act 2. During the first night preview (which I didn't attend), Reece was brought on to the stage and then restrained in the chair. In the show I saw last week, he was already in the wheelchair, and it was this big wooden thing. This time, it's a smaller and simpler metal wheelchair. And it makes the leg-cutting illusion look better, honestly! Much harder to see where Reece might be hiding his real leg.

They’ve changed the script a bit at the end before the final song and dance number - now instead of the bus joke, Reece hurries Steve off stage and says "you’ve got a really quick change." And then walks to the front of the stage, picks up the fallen light that "killed" Steve and says "it’s time for some light entertainment."

And some stuff that people asked me to keep an eye out for... R&S touching each other. They don’t touch in the opening section, and then in BCDR it’s just when Len smacks Tommy on the arse (and Tommy goes "ooh hoo!" and does a little jump). The most touching is during the bit in the 2nd act when Steve breaks character and hugs Reece. The hug goes on for a while and when Steve pulls back he leaves his hand on Reece’s chest/holding on to the cardigan Reece is wearing for a moment like he doesn’t want to let go. During the song and dance at the end, at the bit where he jokes "Reece Shearsmith stole my diary," Steve does put his hand on Reece’s shoulder/back of neck in that way he does. And then during the final curtain call they hold hands before the bow. Just R&S at first, then they hold hands with the rest of the cast.

Oh and after Reece says "maybe every ghost story is really just a love story" and there's that long pause... they are staring into each others' eyes the whole time. And the carnations... There's been a change! During the final song and dance the men have different flowers in their buttonholes. They were definitely carnations the first time I saw them - and I assume real ones otherwise they wouldn’t have changed them - but the flowers this time were more like floofy white puffs of silk in a flower shape.

I also wanted to note that they seemed much more comfortable with the song and dance routine this time. They weren't awkward before by any means, but they've definitely relaxed into it and really seem to be having fun. I think giving Steve a bit more time to change has helped (the first time I saw them, Steve's shirt front rolled up a bit to show his black top underneath). We all know Reece is a mover (he could have won Strictly, you know! And not just as the comedy one!) and it was super lovely to see him getting into it and doing all his little leg kicks and hand waves. He really seemed to be enjoying himself.

Finally at the very end, when they do the final "laughter is my memory of you" they now start off like they're going to point at each other, then pause and spin to the audience instead. Which is a really nice touch!

[starsomens]

Omg hi!!! I saw your requests are open and I got excited, do think you think you could do headcanons on what would noah be like as a boyfriend?? Have a lovely day/night💕

Disclaimer❗️: THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION!!! Please do NOT take this literally or spread false information, this is a work of what my thoughts on this topic is!!

Note: hello (: hope you enjoy

For me I see him as someone very dominant, but also soft about it!

It’ll be like, say someone who was clearly into you sits next to you a hit too close he’d probably tell/ask you to switch seats because he knows it’s for the better good in the situation

A hoodie boyfriend for sure!

Will complain about you taking them but loves seeing you wear them

Will either game with you or have some kinda of physical touch on you on you while he games. So you feet in his lap or sitting in his lap. Once he sees you’re asleep he’ll quiet down or just get off game completely and just get you to bed

He has a habit when he’s writing songs. Hell do it around you and look to you for visual inspiration. Describing physical appearances that being in lyrics to him

“What are you smiling about?” You would ask

“Oh nothing” he’d always response and just finish a lyric . And if it’s not included in music he’ll just keep them in a notebook (:

Will definitely have some kind of gesture he does while on stage when he knows your watching. Might a hand gesture, or a word, something that is significant to you that he’ll do on stage. A way of tributing his work to you 

Big on forehead kisses!

Despite what google says I KNOW this man is a good 6-6’3. I’m 4’12 and I can tell a 6 footer a mile away. Hence, with that height he loves to kiss the mom first contact of skin your forehead or even the top of your head

Either just some pecks on your head or he’ll tilt your head up more towards him so he can plant a good on with lots of emotion and love

If he’s out in another state or even country touring and feels lonely, will email you a plane ticket for you to get there

“Noah why do I have a flight booked for tomorrow at 6 am?”

“….I won’t have my morning wake up WIRH you”

Honestly would hate the start of a tour because it meant saying goodbye to you (sometimes!) the last one to get in the flight/tour bus because he’s saying goodbye to you

I can picture him to be someone who’s like clingy with you, but more when he knows he won’t see you for a while.

GETS GIDDY AND EXCITED WHEN YKU SURPRISE HIM AT CONCERTS

Afterwards he’s just all smiles

Would definitely let you do make up on him and criticize it afterwards 💀

“The eyeliner isn’t even”

“What?? Yes it is you’re looking at it wrong”

“NUH UH-�� I’m sorry

Will wear matching animal ear headbands to do skincare with you .

100000% you’re the FIRST person outside of the band to hear a song when it’s complete. And takes your comments to better his music

Pet names: babe, baby, princess, sweet

For some reason he says stink for cringy/joke

Let’s your paint his nails (:

Will tease you to no end! He knows how much of an effect he has on you and will use it to his advantage. If he’s in his tank top around the house he’ll do the doorframe lean and just stare at you with a smirk and he LOVES seeing you get flustered

I think he also LOVES when you do his hair. So buns, just brushing it, braiding it, just anything from you to his hair

Will secretly try and match your closet so you can be a cute matching couple. But won’t say it as if he planned it

“Oh look we’re matching! Cool!” And just keep on with his day

Jolly is defiantly one to tease him about how much he loves you. And he’ll do it at least twice a day if he sees you

“He always wants to be the cool, and tough guy, but we all know he’s head over heels for you”

Or he’ll tell you how he smiled at his phone today cuz you were calling him

I think he may be the type to have a symbolic tattoo on him for you if it was a very solid and long term relationship

Over all a 1000/10 boyfriend :)

「✨taglist✨」 -

[berenwrites]

Always and Forever - Stranger Things - Steddie - G

Rating: G | cw: none | tags: fluff, very light angst, Corroded Coffin, rockstars, touring

Prompt: Love is going out of your way to do something you know will make them happy (@forgottenkanji)

A/N: Written for @steddielovemonth day 29. Sorry I disappeared from this challenge halfway through. We lost one of our kitties (she was 14 ½) and I just kind of lost the impetus, but I figured I had to write something for the last day at least. No beta today because it was a last minute thing.

Also on AO3 soon | All My Other Stranger Things Fic

Always and Forever: Love Finds a Way

Steve stared at the phone for a long time after he put it down with the usual ‘I love you’. He spoke to Eddie every day after he got home and before Eddie was due on stage with the rest of Corroded Coffin. The three-month tour was nearly over, and it had done so much for the band’s popularity. Usually, Eddie sounded excited on the phone, even though he professed to miss Steve as much as Steve missed him.

Tonight, hadn’t been like that.

All Steve had been able to hear was the strain in Eddie’s voice. Oh, Eddie had tried to cover it with his usual exuberance, but Steve knew his boyfriend far too well. Something was wrong.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he picked up the phone again. He rang through to the band’s hotel, but this time he asked for a different room number.

“Hello,” came the rather disgruntled answer after a couple of rings.

“Gareth, what’s wrong with Eddie?” Steve asked without beating around the bus.

“Steve?” Gareth asked, although Steve was pretty sure it was just a stall.

“Gareth,” Steve said in a tone that usually had the not-kids-anymore kids jumping to do whatever he was telling them to.

There was a sigh from the other end.

“He’s having nightmares again,” Gareth finally said after a few moments silence.

“What? Why?” Steve asked.

“There was an incident at one of the venues,” Gareth revealed. “Nothing major, just some fans managed to get backstage and thought it would be hilarious to try and scare the big bad metal band. They had these demon masks and party poppers and hid in the green room. Security got rid of them, but it spooked all of us a bit.”

“If I ever get my hands on those assholes, I will fucking kill them,” Steve growled out, mind jumping to the nail bat he still kept under the bed.

The Upside Down was closed off, there hadn’t been any trouble for three years, but he could never quite shake the need to have a weapon to hand. He could only imagine what it was like for Eddie on tour in strange places. After all, Eddie had nearly died.

“They were just stupid kids,” Gareth did his best to sound soothing, but Steve was pretty sure they were actually in agreement.

“Why didn’t he mention it to me?” Steve asked.

“Probably because he didn’t want to worry you,” Gareth replied. “We’ll make sure he’s okay, Steve,” Gareth promised. “We love him too.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Thanks. Don’t tell him I called, okay? He’ll only worry about me worrying.”

“No problem,” Gareth replied. “Sorry, I have to go, the van’s waiting downstairs.”

“Knock ‘em dead,” Steve replied, “and thanks again.”

“See you in a couple of weeks,” Gareth said, and the line clicked off.

Putting the receiver back in the cradle, Steve stared at the phone for a little while longer. It was as he picked it up for the third time, he realised he had made the decision before he had even put it down the first time.

He didn’t stop moving until he was in sitting on the plane. He’d let Robin and Dustin know he was going and asked them to pass on the information. Robin had told him to ‘go get his man’. He’d packed a bag and called a taxi to the airport, barely pausing to make sure he had anything but his wallet. Luckily the girl on the ticket desk had taken pity on him and found him a not completely terrible flight across the country. Staring out the window, all he could think about was Eddie.

By the time he reached the hotel it was the early hours of the morning. He didn’t need to ask reception because he already knew the room number, so he headed straight up. When he stepped out on the right floor a guy in a black suit lurking in the shadows gave him a look. Apparently, someone was taking security seriously now. Corroded Coffin was what some publications liked to call an over-night sensation, even though they had been working hard for several years that didn’t seem to count. You couldn’t turn on a rock station without them coming up. They deserved to be looked after.

Also apparently, someone had briefed the security guy well, because he glared at Steve for a few moments and then appeared to relax. How security knew what he looked like he decided not to ask.

Walking quickly along the hall he got to Eddie’s door. The first thing he noticed was the sound of an acoustic guitar. Not really a surprise after what Gareth had told him. When Eddie couldn’t sleep, he always retreated to his music.

Lifting his hand, Steve knocked.

The guitar playing stopped.

Steve knocked again when no one answered the door.

A second later, the door was yanked inwards, and Eddie was staring at him as if he didn’t quite believe what he was seeing.

“Steve,” Eddie said, eyes big and round.

“Hi,” he replied and gave Eddie a little wave.

“Am I dreaming?” Eddie asked and sounded just a little afraid Steve wasn’t real.

“Nope,” he said, reaching out and touching the side of Eddie’s face.

Eddie almost clocked himself on the side of the head with his guitar, clearly forgetting he was holding it as he tried to cover Steve’s hand with his own. At which point, Steve took the guitar and gently shepherded Eddie back into the room. Once the door was closed, he put the guitar down, dropped his own bag and crowded into Eddie’s personal space.

“Missed you,” he said, taking Eddie’s face in his hands.

The were dark circles under Eddie’s eyes and his skin was pale, but he was just a beautiful to Steve as always.

“Missed you too,” Eddie replied, a tiny smile quirking his lips as he drank Steve in with his eyes. “How?”

“Need you to be happy, Eds,” he said, leaning forward so their foreheads were touching. “That’s all that matters.”

“But…”

“No buts,” he interrupted. “Need to hold you and chase the nightmares away.”

“Who told you?” Eddie asked, but there was no heat to his tone even as he wound his arms around Steve.

“Twisted Gareth’s arm,” Steve confessed, wrapping Eddie in a tight embrace. “Knew something was wrong on the phone earlier.”

“Not as good an actor as I think I am, huh?” Eddie said into his shirt.

“Only to me,” Steve assured him, “and well probably Wayne.”

That startled a laugh out of Eddie, but he didn’t move from his position in Steve’s arms.

“God I love you,” Eddie said.

“Me too,” Steve replied, “always and forever.”

When Eddie had gone off on tour it had seemed like such a big thing, the first reality of the rockstar lifestyle. Steve had worried it would pull them apart, but what he’d realised during the earlier phone call, was it was all irrelevant. All the mattered to him was Eddie. Everything else was just details to be worked out.

He didn’t have a plan. Hadn’t had more than the sure and certain knowledge he needed to get to Eddie. He would work out what to do next when he woke up in the morning with Eddie in his arms. That was the important part.

All My Other Stranger Things Fic

[dragoninthetrees]

Zhou Shen in London

How I would have loved to title this post as ‘Zhou Shen's London Concert.’ How lovely it would have been to write about what listening to him sing live for the first time was like, and what is was like meeting fellow fans to celebrate his first overseas solo concert in one of the largest venues in Europe.

Sadly, that is not the post.

More below cut - it's long. It's both personal account and some thoughts that I wanted to get out of my system. I doubt I've said anything that others haven't said, but it's mine and I started it and I wanted to finish it.

A bit of background seems appropriate. I started listening to Zhou Shen in 2021 early on when I was beginning to learn Mandarin. The hows and what's are a bit much to go into now, so the short story is 大鱼 (dayu - Big Fish) got me interested, Memory and 达拉崩吧 (dalabengba) impressed me, and the (definitely underrated and not mentioned as much as it should be) 相思 (xiangsi - Lovesickness) finally hooked me. His voice is beautiful, his range astounding and his versatility in performance stunning.

(And the Little Prince costume for his C929 concert? That too.)

Since then, Zhou Shen has been a constant presence in my life. The time I spend on him waxes and wanes, but he's there somehow. My daughter knows about him - she calls him Go Hen because at two years old, she still can't quite say her ‘j and ‘sh’ sounds (it's an upgrade on her previous name for him - Dough Hen). Her favourite video of him is this one below of 小美满 (xiaomeiman - Little Bliss) - though I think that's due to the animated dog running around in the background - she often asks for ‘Go Hen's dog.’

It would be years, I assumed, before I could get to see him live. So of course, the overseas fandom were beyond delighted when we learned he'd be taking his 9.29Hz tour internationally. First stop: London, O2 Arena, Friday 14 February 2025. The day the presale hit, I gave my daughter chocolate and plonked her in front of the TV so I could be sure to get a ticket without distraction (terrific parenting right? 😅). The process was surprisingly smooth though exciting with the waiting rooms and countdowns.

The anticipation, the excitement!

With that in hand, I booked a hotel room. I'd already discussed with my husband that he'd look after our daughter for the time I'd be in London. This would be the first night I spent away from my daughter since she was born. I booked annual leave for the whole of Friday so I could get to London early enough as I don't live too far away. Everything was set.

14 February arrived. Things changed - we'd had a difficult January with our 15 year old cat being ill, and them we took the sad decision to have her put down, a choice which meant I had to rework my leave plans. I now was working the morning and leaving directly from the office. I slept poorly that night, waking at around 4am fretting about what not to forget as I was bringing. I didn’t get back to sleep. Looking back at it, the fact that this was my first solo, overnight trip in just over two years was probably getting to me more than I realised. But when I got up, I got everything I needed and wanted packed and left the house at my usual early time. The day was chilly. That line from Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’ - February made me shiver - has been apt for this month.

The work day was busy, and then at lunchtime I made a mad dash down the road to catch the bus from work to the train station (cheered on by a couple sitting on a bench) - only to find potentially big delays to reach London. Luckily for us a train to get to King's Cross was found relatively quickly.

Then I was in London. King's Cross had some check-in stops on the advertising boards, and knowing they'd be the only ones I'd have a chance to see, I made sure I stopped and took pictures.

Someone else was taking pictures at the same time. We smiled at each other but didn't speak - nice though to connect briefly with a fellow fan.

I navigated the tube system to get to my hotel. The staff had left a single rose stem and a little Valentine’s Day message print out on the table. The O2 Arena was in clear view from my window. I think I relaxed for the first time that day, just for a few minutes. It was close to 3pm by that point, and I wanted a shower, and I was frantically trying to finish a couple of little crochet whales I wanted to make for two 生米 (shengmi - the name of Zhou Shen's fans) - ZhouShenSpotify (who you should definitely follow for updates on his Spotify stats) and Rockster929 (translator extraordinaire of Zhou Shen interviews) - I knew from Twitter/X who I was planning to meet up with later.

Whales in waiting, with the Valentine's Day wishes and the rose

So I showered, tried to do my hair with fancy curls but ended up settling with an 80s hair metal band look, and I finished the whales, hooray!

Then I checked Twitter and saw this:

I’m one of those people who in times of shock leaps straight to the denial. I think my first thought was “That’s not funny. This has to be a joke, right? RIGHT?”

However, the link was straight to the Zhou Shen Studio Weibo. It couldn’t not be true.

I wasn't quite right for the rest of the afternoon and evening. The lack of sleep, the (self-induced) stress of travelling down to London, the nervousness as well of being both a non-Chinese member of the audience and one whose Mandarin is so basic - and then the cancellation so close to the ‘curtains up’. Everything else after was a bit of a waking dream.

The announcement said that he’d come out to speak to the audience at 8pm. I didn’t even consider not going - the thought just didn’t cross my mind. And also the chance to meet other fans is always worth it and I wanted to see both ZSSpotify and Rockster929.

I finished getting ready and left the hotel for the single tube stop it would take to get there. Once on site, ZSSpotify and I found each other inside. Both really happy to meet each other in person and also in shock. After a bit of thought we figured we may as well start queuing.

We had a lovely chat in the queue. ZSSpotify told me a lot that night about things which I would have had no way of knowing with my level of Chinese - her knowledge of the industry and how things worked and also about Zhou Shen was wonderful to hear and I'm grateful for the time she took telling me all about it.

Everyone was lovely - a couple of fans (I'm guessing ones more involved in organising fan events) came up to us to tell us about plans to sing 小美满 at the end of his speech to support him, and kindly said to me I could clap along if I couldn’t sing the lyrics (true, I can’t!), and thank you for supporting our Chinese singer.

I had a look around the crowd. Of course most people were Chinese but I was by no means the lone non Chinese there. I saw someone university aged with their parents (probably?) and another lady in front of us in the queue.

Around 6pm I rang home as I'd been placing to anyway to say goodnight to my family. I told my husband what had happened. My daughter was on the video call too and I tried to angle the phone so she could see Zhou Shen’s picture in entrance area.

Security made an announcement about cancellation and handed out a print out of the statement that had been emailed and first appeared on Weibo. They let us in about ten minutes before planned entry - the promised/threatened security delays were thankfully minimal. ZSSpotify and I were in separate sections so planned to meet up afterwards. I queued again for my section then got to my seat. The view was good for the distance I was at and I had leg room. It would have been a decent seat for the concert (and assuming a next time - I just might save up a bit more and aim for a floor seat!)

The mood in the Arena was quiet and a little sombre. The PA system played his album Shenself (反深代词 - fanshendaici) - it was an interesting experience hearing his music in public and not in my earbuds or in the house. There were blue envelopes on our seats - though for some reason they had missed my spot and the ones around them. Someone who got muddled about what seats they were in, initially on my row but then found her spot on row in the front, shared the letter that he’d written with me. (The staff eventually came around to deliver our own envelopes).

Looking at the audience, I could see a wide range of people. An elderly couple a few rows ahead took pictures of themselves with the stage behind. Lots of women in their 20s and 30s. A couple of wonderfully gothy girls sat in the row in front of me. A number of families with young children, some of whom I'd seen being carried. There was something really nice about seeing an artist who attracts such a cross section of society. There might well be a stereotypical 生米, but there isn't a stereotypical Zhou Shen fan.

The O2 Arena, obligatory selfie.

I occupied my waiting time with Chinese flashcards and checking Twitter, but there were no delays: 8pm came and the stage lights grew bright.

Then Zhou Shen walked out from backstage. Muted but encouraging cheers. He wore a long black puffer coat, a grey sweater and scarf. As I said, it was cold. It was good to see him keeping warm against the London chill.

He bowed in all directions to the audience. Then walked out along the cat walk and did the same. Only when he got back to the main stage did he raise his ever-present blue mic to speak.

When he first began (after a few tries to start) - honestly, I thought one of the tech crew was doing a mic test or something. His voice sounded so low, so rough. He could have stopped there and frankly that would have been fine - this wouldn’t have been a lightly made decision, but it anyone wanted proof that he couldn't possibly perform, there it was. Zhou Shen however spoke for about ten minutes. I understood…. well. Very little. A few words and phrases, and of course the most repeated word: 对不起 (duibuqi).

The instructors in the Mandarin course I’ve signed up with explained that 对不起 literally means ‘unable to rise.’ As in I’m so ashamed I cannot rise to face you. Yet this is what Zhou Shen did. Rose from his bows, faced his audience, his 生米, and apologised again and again and again. He was devastated. His voice cracked from both its physical condition and his emotions. He cried right along with many people in the audience. I'm a bit of a delayed reaction kind of person, but I found myself trying to hold my phone up - a Chinese fan on twitter asked if I could but frankly my recording was rubbish - and be very still at the same time, as if trying to hold space for him.

Then he finished and was guided off the stage. I'm not sure of he could have gone on for much longer and was surprised that he spoke for as long as he did.

The planned singalong didn’t happen exactly as intended - because after he let the stage, the band and backup singers performed 我以渺小爱你 (Woyimiaoxiaoaini - Loving you in my humble way) and 小美满 - so everyone who could got to sing anyway. As sweet as it might have been to have sung it directly to him, I wonder if he’d have just completely broken down on stage if it had happened.

By the next morning, Vivi on Twitter had translated the speech. Thank you. Screencap of the start of the thread and pictured linked to whole thread below:

Link to thread

And since then, the North American Zhou Shen Fan Club have provided this video, which captures also what the audience were saying and other details. Thank you to them as well.

I wrote on Twitter/X at the time, before he came on stage, that it felt like we the audience were there to support him regardless of how things had turned out. That was truly the case, especially when he started speaking. Despite what had happened, it felt right being there. Something of a privilege too. To see someone be so vulnerable at a difficult time is something to both respect and cherish.

Afterwards, I met with ZSSpotify and Rockster929 and her family, and we went for hot pot together. All a little stunned still by what had happened but in good spirits - and hungry, due to the latest of the hour! Everyone was very generous with their time in the cooking and explaining (and also the paying!) I'd not been to hot pot before - though you can't not hear about it if you watch any Chinese content for long enough. I'm incredibly grateful for the experience and the company.

I do wish I’d not been so dazed - I would have loved to have talked more and for longer - especially asked Rockster929 more about how she does it and thank her properly for the hard work she puts into getting his interviews translated and subtitled and available so quickly in English for the fandom. ZSSpotify and I took the tube back together - she kindly took this picture of me in front of one of his posters before we left the O2 site.

Unfortunately I didn’t sleep well that night either. The lateness of the hour, still muddle headed, I just couldn’t get to sleep until far too late. I had breakfast at the hotel, and left swiftly to be home for just after lunch. It was always going to be a flying visit. I got home. My daughter had apparently missed me a lot and there had been a bit of crying that morning. My husband looked a little wrung out. We settled into the rest of the day though. It had been something of a break from normal life - not the one I'd hoped for but it had happened nonetheless.

I showed my daughter a video of him speaking. I can't quite recall if I told her he was feeling sad or if she noticed it herself. I tried to explain what happened in terms a two year old would understand, and also that I was feeling a bit sad too.

Then later that evening, unprompted, she said, “Mummy Go Hen sad.”

“Yes, sweetheart. We're both sad.”

It was only that night after my daughter was in bed that I had a proper cry. Delayed reaction, being comfortable at home and safe, and just processing it.

Now, over a week out - I'm sad it didn't work out as planned, but given the people I met and what we all bore witness to that night, I have no regrets whatsoever.

*

Three days after and the compensation plan was released.

See Rockster929's post for details, Weibo link, and screencapped translation

Wow. I mean wow. He's under no obligation to do so. Ticket refunds, sure. Travel and hotel? This is going to cost him and his studio a small fortune. All to do what he believes is the right thing. I went and saw friends this week who all knew how much I'd been looking forward to the concert. I gave them the details, and one of them said that Zhou Shen was a ‘class act’ to have both come out on stage and for offering the compensation package.

And these two articles (thank you as always Rockster929) are an excellent summation of what happened and why, from the perspective of the music industry, this was quite something. I didn't appreciate just how poorly audiences can be treated by the industry and artists alike.

Link to thread

Hong Kong Economic Journal - screencap plus translation

Not Zhou Shen though. It isn't just his talent the draws fans - it's his character. It's his dedication and commitment not just to musical excellence but also to the highest levels of professionalism and to his relationship with his fans.

It's taken me over a week to write this all down - work has been busy, parenting is always busy, and we're about to go on a longish holiday overseas to see my family. And wanting to be sure I've caught a lot of what happened. Trying to give a sense of how it was. A few things happend since: Zhou Shen posted a selfie on Weibo (see below) and his team have a general update on his health. No performances (very rare for him but understandable) and one new song but two pieces of news have come out: that four of his songs have been selected for inclusion in Chinese school children's music books, and that Shenself was, in 2024, the 11th best selling album across the globe. This is all marvelous and I hope provided Zhou Shen with some moments of joy over the last week. Us fans were certainly pleased on his behalf. And plans are still going ahead for the rest of his world tour - Las Vegas is now days away (he might well be winging his way there already) and the dates and venues for his Australian stops have been released. Crushing as this was, what was meant to be his first solo concert outside China, his career is still going very very strong. We have plenty of reasons to be happy as fans and for him.

The way I want to conclude is with some reflections on the events - I wrote these fairly soon after and they still stand.

That night as he spoke, many people called it to him meiguanxi, 没关系。It doesn't matter, it's ok. His response: “I know it matters.” Naturally we want to say this when someone do sincerely apologises, especially for something that wasn't fully in their control. The urge to reassure is strong. But I think he's right. Of course it matters. So much effort was made on all sides - from his crew, the musicians, the dancers - the amount of organisation that a huge event takes and the multiple working parts that have to all come together to make it happen. From the fans, who had to arrange and pay for flights, trains, hotel rooms, visas, and asking for time off work, arranging caring duties for dependents, and a host of other things that I’ve not considered when making plans to get to see and listen to someone you love, you adore. And for Zhou Shen himself, who would have put his all into preparations, planning, rehearsals, encouraging him team - and then at the end to go through all those medical treatments to try and pull through so he could perform for us. It absolutely matters. Our shared sadness and disappointment matters.

And (important that it's ‘and’ not ‘but’):

What matters more is that Zhou Shen is ok. That he looks after not only his voice, his precious instrument that brought us all there that evening, but also his own heart and mind. What matters more is that he looks after himself so he can sing again - both for his fans, and also for his own sake. This is a young man who has battered off ‘what would you do if weren’t a singer’ questions with what essentially amounts to ‘the alternative is unthinkable’. While we're all disappointed - Zhou Shen I believe most of all - after all that effort, the disappointment is for the circumstance, not in Zhou Shen. Not one little bit. On the off chance he ever reads this, he needs to know that he has nothing to feel guilty about. That’s my biggest fear for him. That this will haunt him far longer than it should. We all know this was the right decision. We all know he tried so so hard, threw every treatment the doctors could think of. If he could have made it work, he would have. But Zhou Shen has to protect his voice. The alternative would have been truly unthinkable.

And:

There are worse things that happen. The train delays I mentioned above were due to a death on the train line. I’m 90% certain it was suicide - they’re sadly common on the line I use. Someone and their loved ones had a far worse day than any of us. When I woke up the next morning in the hotel room, I read a diary article from of one of the climate change protestors who has been landed in prison for 4 years, writing about conditions that don’t read like they have a place in a just and fair society. And you just have to read the news to know that there are far far worse things.

And:

It still matters. Zhou Shen has been the soundtrack to so many people’s lives and has inspired and support and helped people pull through challenging, difficult times. He himself is an inspiring human being who so many, including me, look to as a role model. This whole incident is surely an example of that.

And:

While we were sad for ourselves, our hearts were right there with Zhou Shen, who bravely stood in front of us to tell us why he made the decision. As others have since pointed out, he could have just made a video. Instead, he came in person, in a cold London night while unwell and let his voice stumble and croak while he cried his way through it all. Not many people could do that.

But:

That's who he is.

So, in conclusion, and on the off chance he ever reads this:

Shenshen, look after yourself. Please rest and recovery fully. May we meet again. Best of luck for the rest of your tour. 加油！

[longliveblackness]

What Happened When A White Man "Became" Black In The 1950s America?

John Griffin had previously served in the U.S. military, where shrapnel caused him to go temporarily blind. However, in 1959, Griffin would do something even more trying: He would live for six weeks as a black man in the South.

It was blindness that inspired John Howard Griffin, a white author and journalist from Dallas, Texas, to write about color in the United States. In 1956, Griffin, blind at the time, sat in on a panel discussion in Mansfield, Texas about desegregation. Unable to tell the speakers' races from their voices, Griffin began to see color anew.

Under the supervision of a New Orleans-based dermatologist, Griffin would spend a week under a sun lamp, up to 15 hours a day, soaking up UV rays. He would also take Oxsoralen, a prescription drug meant to treat vitiligo, which would aid in expediting the darkening of his skin.

With darker skin, and a shaved head and arms, Griffin set out to the American South - starting in New Orleans and ending in Atlanta. Griffin had a few rules for this journey: Namely, that he would stay at black-only hotels, eat at cafes run by African-Americans, and travel with African-Americans. If anyone asked him what he was doing, he would be honest.

Just as his skin color changed, so too did the treatment he received from others. Describing what he called a "hate stare" he received in a bus station lobby, Griffin wrote:

"I walked up to the ticket counter. When the lady ticket-seller saw me, her otherwise attractive face turned sour, violently so. This look was so unexpected and so unprovoked I was taken aback.

'What do you want?' she snapped.

Taking care to pitch my voice to politeness, I asked about the next bus to Hattiesburg. She answered rudely and glared at me with such loathing I knew I was receiving what the Negroes call the hate stare'. It was my first experience with it. It is far more than the look of disapproval one occasionally gets. This was so exaggeratedly hateful I would have been amused if I had not been so surprised."

John Griffin wrote a book called Black Like Me about his experience. The book was published in 1961 and was later translated into 14 languages and a film. The harrowing stories within its pages, coupled with Griffin's own transformation, generated strong public responses.

•••

¿Qué sucedió cuando un hombre blanco "se volvió" negro en los Estados Unidos en la década de 1950?

John Griffin había servido previamente en el ejército de los Estados Unidos, fue aquí donde la metralla le causó ceguera temporal. Sin embargo, en 1959, Griffin haría algo aún más difícil: por seis semanas, viviría como un hombre negro en el sur.

Fue la ceguera lo que inspiró a John Howard Griffin, un autor y periodista blanco de Dallas, Texas, a escribir sobre el color en los Estados Unidos. En 1956, Griffin, quien se encontraba ciego en ese entonces, se sentó en un debate sobre desegregación, el cual fue llevado a cabo en Mansfield, Texas. Al no poder determinar la raza de los oradores basándose en su voz, Griffin comenzó a ver el color como algo nuevo.

Bajo la supervisión de un dermatólogo de Nueva Orleans, Griffin pasaría una semana debajo de una lámpara solar, hasta quince horas por día, absorbiendo rayos ultravioleta. También tomaría Oxsoralen, un medicamento recetado que es para tratar vitiligo, lo cual ayudaría a acelerar el oscurecimiento de su piel.

Con piel oscura y con la cabeza y brazos rasurados, Griffin se dirigió al sur de Estados Unidos, comenzando en Nueva Orleans y terminando en Atlanta. Griffin tenía un par de reglas para este viaje: se quedaría en hoteles para personas negras, comería en cafeterías operadas por afroamericanos y únicamente viajaría con afroamericanos. Si alguien llegase a preguntarle qué era lo que estaba haciendo, sería honesto.

Así como cambió su color de piel, también cambió el trato que recibía de los demás. Describiendo lo que el llama “una mirada de odio”, la cual que recibió en la recepción de una parada de autobús, Griffin escribió:

“Me dirigí hacia la taquilla. Cuando la mujer que estaba vendiendo los boletos me vio, su rostro, que de otro modo sería atractivo, de una manera abrupta se volvió amargo. Esta respuesta fue tan inesperada y sin provocación alguna. Me sorprendió.”

“¿Qué es lo que quieres?” me preguntó de manera grosera.

“Asegurándome de mantener la voz en un tono cortés, le pregunté cuando saldría el próximo bus a Hattiesburg. Me contestó de manera grosera y me estaba viendo con tanto odio, simplemente sabía que estaba recibiendo lo que los negros llaman “la mirada de odio”. Esta fue mi primera experiencia con ella y es más que la mirada de desaprobación que le dan a uno de vez en cuando. Esto estuvo exageradamente cargado de odio y me hubiese divertido si no hubiese estado tan sorprendido.”

Griffin escribió un libro sobre su experiencia, llamado ‘Negro como yo’. El libro fue publicado en 1961 y luego se tradujo a un total de catorce idiomas y se hizo una película. La historias desgarradoras y la transformación de Griffin, causaron una fuerte respuesta pública.

[mochie85]

Wanderlust

Part 1 of the Wanderlust Series.

Wanderlust Masterlist | Complete Masterlist

Summary: You try to convince your best friend to go on a long road trip with you. Pairing: Bucky x Female Reader Word Count: 694 (a drabble, really) Warnings: Fluff. ALL fluff. A/N: This is for @the-slumberparty June Monthly Challenge: Summer Vibes. I picked a tent (can the VW Bus be considered a tent?) and the Road setting. I don't know if I should continue with the story. I mean, I have some ideas, but I don't think there's an actual plot...lol. Edit: It's decided...it's now a series...I hope y'all are happy!

The one thing you wanted to do before you started your new job was to visit the national parks in your state. You graduated with honors and had multiple job offers in the tech industry because of the algorithm you created for your senior project.

Tech careers were unpredictable and oftentimes fleeting. But you were confident that your innovative program would help kick-start your career and cement your position in the company that you chose for a long while.

That’s why you wanted to go out and travel. See nature! Just before you commit to a desk and computer for the rest of your foreseeable future.

“Do you know how big California is?” Bucky asked you agitated.

“Yes, I do,” you answered back with a cheeky grin.

“California has the greatest number of national parks!” he pointed at the map.

“Yes. Nine! And that doesn’t include the monuments and the trails and the memorials-”

“No!”

“Well, I’m not asking for your permission.”

“I still say, ‘no.’”

“I’ll go with or without you, Buck. I just thought you should know my plan.”

“Do you know how dangerous it is out there? Especially if you’re alone.”

“I can take care of myself. I did take that self-defense class for a couple of months,” you reasoned.

“Why can’t you go somewhere that has- Look, Nevada! Nevada has one national park. The Great Basin. And hey…we could even hit up Vegas while we’re there!” Bucky pointed at the map.

“Oh, ya cuz I would really be safe from creep-o’s in Vegas!” you rolled your eyes at your best friend.

“Ok. What about Hawaii? Hawaii has two national parks! And it’s HA-WA-II!”

“Do you know how much that plane ticket would cost? I haven’t started my job yet. Besides, who would watch Smokey while I was away?”

“You’re bringing the dog?!”

“Of course, I’m bringing the dog! Smokey goes where I go.” And as if he was called, your large greyhound came over licking your hand under the table. “We’re gonna have so much fun in our Bus-Bus, aren’t we, Smokey?!”

“And another thing?! How sure are you that the rusted piece of metal you call a car will actually take you around California? You’d probably break down before you get south of Oakland!”

“I had my mechanic look at it! Sid said it was in good shape! Plus I can call a tow if I need to.”

Bucky just looked at you defeated. He knew there was no convincing you out of this hair-brained plan of yours. You had always been a person to stick to your guns as soon as you planned it out. ‘No Regrets,’ you had always said.

No Regrets, Bucky repeated in his head trying to decide what to do. Nine parks! Nine! It would take you a month and a half to finish that round trip. And that’s only if you decided to stay at each park for a couple of nights, not the week you were planning.

“All right. All right. I’ll go with you.” Bucky relented, placing his head in his hands.

“I didn’t ask you to, Buck,” you chuckled, trying to hide the relief on your face.

“Bullshit! You knew I was going with you the moment you told me about it.” He called out your bluff. You shrieked and held your arms out to Bucky’s neck, embracing him in a tight hug.

 “You and I are gonna have so much fun! You’re not gonna regret this.”

“Ya, ya, ya.” Bucky relished in your warm embrace. You smelled like sun-kissed fruit on a lazy afternoon. You felt like a cool breeze that just wafted into his life unexpectedly and decided to stay. Erupting his life into chaos.

You pulled away looking into his deep blue eyes. He narrowed them as if he saw something in you that he had never seen before.

“Ok, we leave right after graduation! And you can’t take it back now Barnes. You’re in this with me till the end!” You smiled at him. Your cheeks were puffy and red, carrying a dimple that he wanted to caress.

“Lord, help me.” He whispered under his breath.

⬅️Wanderlust Masterlist | The Redwoods➡️

🏷️ My "ALL" Taglist: @emarich7 @michelleleewise @coldnique @vickie5446 @psychospore @mukagentropy @lokisgoodgirl @silverfire475 @fictive-sl0th @springdandelixn @wheredafandomat @goldencherriess @peaches1958 @salempoe @thomase1 @kkdvkyya @a-witch-with-words @mischief2sarawr @sarawr-reads @vbecker10 @peachymallow @irishhappiness @cakesandtom @simplyholl @here4thefanfics @tallseaweed @holdmytesseract @immersed-in-mischief @joyful-enchantress @lovelysizzlingbluebird @lokisninerealms @kikster606 @glitterylokislut @loz-3 @slytherclaw1227 @chantsdemarins @the-lady-amphitrite @eleniblue @km-ffluv @lokidokieokie @n3rdybirdee

[seraphdreams]

hi i was wondering what do you think about rockstar!baji?? let me hear your thoughts 🥺 (only if you want)

i have so many thoughts on rockstar baji i don’t even know where to start !

i just think of meeting rockstar!kei at one of his shows, you’re sitting front row because your friend insisted on getting good seats since he’s apart of her favorite band . . . she’s too focused on the main vocalist to even notice the sexy raven-haired male playing the drums . . he’s just too mesmerizing you can’t take your eye off him . the way his hair clings to his forehead with sweat from how hot the stage lights are, or his occasional chants into the microphone clipped to the drum set, his voice is so deep !! she’s lucky enough to have scored such good tickets because you’re even awarded a meet ‘n greet with the members . . . and you go straight for baji, asking him to sign one the albums you just bought . .

he usually doesn’t get much attention from fans but he’s taken a liking to you just as you do to him. you start showing up to more of his shows, and he recognizes you too . . . thinks you’re the prettiest in the crowd so of course he lets you come back stage with him after some time. he just wants to get to know you, that’s it !!

who would’ve thought getting to know him meant lying face down ass up in the tour bus with his bandmates just a couple few feet away. he’s so in love with the way your cunt continuously sucks him in and how you’re creaming all over his cock, your essence dripping down to his balls . you’re the cutest thing he’s met! wants to keep you all to himself . . !

it goes on like this for a while until you’re both ready to make things official. he takes you everywhere with him — to practice, to mic tests, even introduces you formally to his bandmates. they already know your name, it’s hard to forget when baji’s always groaning it in the back of the bus 🥺

[inkinmyheartandonthepage]

The Long Road Home

Day 24 of flufftober and the prompt is Comfort Food. I hope you all enjoy and you can read it here on Ao3.

“If everyone could gather around.”

Evan Buckley stood among the passengers of the bus that had left El Paso six hours ago. They had pulled into a rest stop for a bathroom break and a stretch of their legs. The rest stop was one of the nicer ones, a couple of cafes and fast-food options available as well as a petrol station to refuel. There was a small garden area too where a dog was currently sniffing around.

Buck had used the opportunity to stock back up on snacks and another drink for the remaining six hours they had left on the trip until they reached L.A. The bus wasn’t Buck’s usual mode of transportation. Normally he would be in his Jeep his sister had given to him at nineteen, cruising down the highway as he searched for the next place to call home.

L.A had been the longest he had ever stayed in a place, finally feeling settled in the role of firefighter for the LAFD. For the first time, Buck had found a job that he was passionate about and something that he was good at. Station 136 had been good to him, and he found himself spending more time there than he did at the share house he lived at. Well, he had, until a fire truck landed on his leg, and he had been off work for months.

Between PT and rehab, Buck didn’t have a lot to do with himself so when an old friend had asked for a favour, Buck had jumped on a plane to El Paso to help on a job. He could have taken a flight home, but that would mean more of the endless time he had off work trying to find something to do and so Buck had opted to take the long way home, booking a bus ticket.

“My apologies everyone but it appears that we have broken down.”

Buck was starting to regret buying the bus ticket.

A series of groans came from the gathered passengers and their bus driver shifted nervously at the foot of the bus.

“I apologise again. Another coach is already on route to us to pick up but I’m afraid they are at least an hour and a half out.”

Buck let out a breath, his shoulder’s sagging as more groaning and protests rose around him. Buck glanced around the crowd, watching them warily as the annoyance steadily grew. He really hoped that a fight didn’t break out. It was hot and his leg was stiff from being cramped up for so long.

“If everyone could please collect their belongings and make their way indoors. On behalf of the company, we will provide any food and drinks that you would like from any of the venues,” the bus driver continued.

Buck stepped back, leaning against the side of the bus as the doors opened and everyone pushed their way onto the bus. As he watched, he looked to the small boy in the bright striped, yellow t-shirt and shorts sway on his red crutches. His eyes looked comically wide behind the lenses of his red glasses as he waited for the other passengers to disembark the bus.

Buck had seen the kid when had first gotten on in El Paso. He had sat alone by the window, a book spread out across his lap, his backpack on the seat beside him with his crutches propped up against him. Buck had thought the that the couple who sat in front of the kid had been his parents, but as the hours passed by and they didn’t acknowledge the boy, Buck wondered if he was travelling alone.

Buck had all but confirmed it on their first rest stop when he had watched the kid make his way to the bathroom by himself, none of the other passengers acknowledging the boy or offering to help him. Feeling uneased that nobody else seemed concerned that a young boy was travelling by himself, Buck had introduced himself.

“Hey! I’m Buck,” he had said as he held the bathroom door open for the boy to pass through. “You’re on the bus with me.”

Chris had squinted up at Buck. “Yeah! You’re reading the book on – on space!”

Buck hadn’t realised that the boy had taken any notice of him. “Yeah, I am. And you’re reading Percy Jackson, right?”

Chris had looked delighted that Buck knew about his book. “Yeah! I’m Christopher.”

“Nice to meet you, Christopher,” Buck said.

When they had been to the bathroom, Buck had walked Christopher back to the bus, the two of them falling into easy chatter. As they made their way to their seats, Buck made sure Chris was comfortable, his crutches stowed so they wouldn’t get in the way, but before he could go to his seat, Chris had stopped him.

“Do you want to be my – my bus buddy?” Chris asked, blinking up at Buck with such a hopeful expression that Buck’s heart had melted.

“Absolutely I do,” Buck had grinned. “Let me get my stuff.”

And for the next leg of the journey, Buck had sat next to Christopher. Buck hadn’t had this much fun since his work injury. Buck had always loved kids, most of his work crew saying it was because he was a big kid himself. And Chris was one of the coolest kids he had ever met. He was funny, curious, kind and he asked Buck the best questions.

“Do you live in L.A?” Chris had asked, looking at Buck curiously.

“I do. I’m a firefighter with the LAFD,” Buck had answered, ignoring the way his stomach twisted at the words. He hadn’t been a firefighter for months since his injury. He still had another month of PT before he could take his recertification test to join his team once again at the 136. If he passed. Buck tried not to think about if he didn’t.

“My dad’s a fire- firefighter too!” Chris had all but shrieked, looking at Buck with delight.

“Yeah?” Buck’s smile grew. He knew Chris didn’t belong to anyone on his team. He would have met him by now. “Do you know what house your dad is with?”

Chris nodded. “The 118!”

“Is that who is meeting you on the other end?” Buck had asked carefully. He hadn’t wanted to push Chris, not wanting the young boy to clam up on him. It had been gnawing at Buck ever since he had seen the kid. If Buck pushed too hard, he may lose Chris’s trust and he would hate to see anything happen to the boy. He was already Buck’s favourite person, other than his sister.

“Yep,” Chris said, popping the ‘p’. “Do you know my dad?”

“What’s his name?” Buck asked. He was familiar with some of the crew from the 118. Mostly their captain, Bobby Nash, and Hen Wilson.

“Eddie Diaz,” Chris said promptly.

“I haven’t met him yet,” Buck said carefully, the name dimly ringing a bell. A flash of a name on the back of a turn out coat at a scene. “But if he’s half as cool as you, then I can’t wait.”

“Buck?”

Buck blinked down at Chris, jolted from his thoughts. He offered Chris a smile as the kid looked up at him, a worried look his face.

“Yeah, buddy?”

“Are we going to make it to L.A?” Chris asked, lower lip wobbling slightly.

“Course we are buddy.” Buck shuffled closer, reaching out to ruffle Chris’s hair. The kid swayed under his touch, nose scrunching up adorably. “We will just be a little later than what was planned.”

Chris nodded but the worried look remained on his face. Buck’s heart clenched at the sight, and he squatted down in front of Chris, catching his eyes.

“Hey. I promise I will get you home to your dad.”

Chris swayed into Buck, wrapping his arms around Buck’s neck, crutches, and all, and hugged him tightly. “Thanks Buck.”

“I got your back,” Buck promised, hugging Chris back. He let Chris end the hug, steadying him with a hand on his waist. “Do you have a phone? Want to call your dad?”

Chris looked away. “I don’t have one.”

Buck frowned but bit down on the flood of questions that he wanted to ask. In the pit of his stomach, he had a suspicion that there was something else going on with Chris that he hadn’t shared, but Buck didn’t want to push, not when Chris was all alone, and he was all he had looking out for him.

“That’s okay,” Buck said. “Do you want to borrow mine?”

Chris didn’t look at Buck, simply ducked his head down further.

Another group of passengers disembarked the bus, leaving it now empty.

“Hey,” Buck said gently. “Why don’t I grab our stuff and then we can head inside and get something to eat while we wait.”

“Okay,” Chris said quietly, still avoiding Buck’s gaze.

Standing with a small groan, his leg aching at the move, he patted Chris on the shoulder and quickly made his way onto the bus. Between the two of them, they didn’t have much, and so Buck was off the bus again in a couple of minutes and leading Chris back towards the café they had picked some snack from before.

They got a table outside under the shade of an umbrella. A bubbly girl, whose name tag read Mel, took their order of two chocolate milkshakes (because they were Buck’s favourite and always brought him comfort after a bad day) and two toasted sandwiches, and promised it would be out soon.

Buck sunk down in his chair, stretching out his bad leg as it gave a dull ache.

“Is your leg sore?” Chris asked, tilting his head curiously at Buck.

“A bit,” Buck nodded. “I hurt my leg a while ago.”

“What happened?” Chris asked.

“It got crushed under a ladder truck,” Buck explained. Buck mentally cursed himself when he saw Chris’s eyes go wide and his mouth drop open. He probably shouldn’t have told Chris that, but he didn’t want to lie to the kid. He found Chris very easy to talk to and he tried to ignore the fact that it seemed easier than talking to his crewmates.  

“That must have been scary,” Chris said.

“It was,” Buck agreed. “But my team was there, and some nice citizens helped too. I had crutches like yours for a while. You seem way better at them then me though.”

“I have CP,” Chris explained. “So, I’m use – use to them.”

“Wish I had met you sooner,” Buck grinned. “You could have given me some pointers! I kept bumping into everything.”

Chris giggled and Buck grinned at the sound. He was happy to have Chris laugh at his expense if it meant that the kid was looking at him again.

“It’s ‘coz you’re so – so tall!” Chris crowed.

Buck laughed loudly, shaking his head. They were still giggling when Mel came back with their milkshakes and their toasted sandwiches. While they ate, Buck told Chris some more child friendly stories of his rescues and in return Chris told him some of the stories his dad, Eddie, had told him.

By the time they finished their lunch and milkshakes and had taken a little stroll around the garden area that had been made to stretch their legs, another bus had arrived to take them to L.A. They hit the bathroom one more time before Buck led them to the new bus and got them settled in their seats.

“Can you read me some of my book?” Chris asked as the bus pulled back onto the road.

“Sure,” Buck said, taking the book Chris handed him.

He read for a bit, smothering a smile when Chris lulled into his side. Buck continued to read, putting his arm around Chris and his heart tripping in his chest when Chris rested his head on Buck’s chest, his breathes slowly evening out.

Chris fell asleep and Buck tucked the book back into the kids backpack before he closed his own eyes. He must have drifted off because he found himself jerking awake when the person behind him kicked his chair.

Scrubbing a hand down his face, Buck pulled out his phone and blinked at the time. It had been a couple of hours, leaving them with another four left before they made it to L.A. There was a couple of messages from his sister and a few Instagram notifications, but Buck ignored them for the moment.

“How much longer?”

Buck jerked at Chris’s voice, blinking down at the kid. He had thought the boy still asleep, but Chris was squinting up at him, eyes opened and blinking blearily.

“A few more hours,” Buck said, voice cracking with the edges of sleep. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, trying to stretch as much as he could. “You doing okay little man?”

“Yeah,” Chris said, voice sound tired. “I’m a little sore.”

Buck winced, feeling sore himself. “I’m sorry buddy. I am too. We should have one more stop soon and then we’ll be in L.A.”

Chris nodded before he let out a loud yawn. He slumped back against Buck, wiggling under Buck’s arm until he was comfortable.

“Hey Buck?” Chris asked quietly.

“Yeah?” Buck hummed.

Chris picked at the hem of Buck’s t-shirt. “When we get to – to L.A, can you take me to – to my dad?”

Buck suddenly felt wide awake, the blood in his veins turning to ice. “Your dad isn’t picking you up?”

Chris fiddled with Buck’s hem; a stray thread caught in his fingers. “No. I wanted to surprise him.”

“Chris,” Buck said softly. “Does anyone know you are coming to L.A?”

Chris let out a big sigh. “No.”

Buck swallowed thickly. He glanced around at those sitting around them, but nobody was paying them any attention. He looked back at Chris, shuffling him so that they were sitting almost face to face.

“Chris, buddy. Who were you staying with in El Paso?” Buck asked.

“My Abuela and Abuelo,” Chris muttered. He looked at Buck with a big pout on his face. “They wouldn’t let me see my – my dad! I want to live with him again and they – they said no!”

Buck’s heart plummeted in his chest as tears welled in Chris’s eyes. “Oh Chris.”

Chris sniffed. “It’s not – not fair! I miss my dad!”

Buck pulled Chris into a hug, soothing a hand up and down his back. Chris sniffled into Buck’s chest and Buck felt his shoulder’s hitch with a sob.

“It’s okay,” Buck said quietly into Chris’s curls. “It’s okay, Chris. Everything is going to be okay.”

He let Chris gather himself, the kid pulling back far enough to swipe at the tears that ran down his cheeks. Buck brushed away a stray tear and gave Chris a small smile.

“You’ve been really brave, huh,” Buck said. “How did you get a ticket?”

“My Tia gave me some pocket money,” Chris admitted. “And when we went – went to the shops today I went to the bus – bus stop.”

Buck was impressed. It was obvious that Chris had been planning this for a while, clearly missing being with his dad. “This was a big trip to make by yourself,” he said, rubbing Chris’s arm in a soothing motion. Buck was even more impressed that Chris had made it this far without being caught.

“I wanted to see my dad,” Chris said. “He said he missed me and I – I missed him too.”

“Well, I know your dad is going to be really happy to see you,” Buck said. He could only imagine how relieved Eddie would be to see his kid safe and sound. Buck is sure that he would know by now that his kid was missing – at least, he hoped that Chris’s grandparents had passed on the message. Buck didn’t want to think about if they hadn’t.

“I think,” Buck continued. “We should call your dad and let him know you are on your way. I bet he’s been really worried about you.”

Chris looked up at Buck with big wet eyes. “Will he be mad?”

Buck shook his head. “Nah. I bet he’s going to give you the biggest hug you’ve ever had.”

“Whoa!” Chris breathed and then let out a small giggle. “Dad always gives me big hugs when I see him.”

Buck smiled, an old wound aching at the thought. He couldn’t remember the last time his father had given him a hug. He quickly shut those thoughts away, pulling out his phone.

“Do you know your dad’s number?” Buck asked, opening the phone app.

Chris’s shoulders slumped. “No. I always use my Abuela’s phone to call him.”

Buck nodded. “That’s okay. I’m sure we can find another way to contact him. In fact –“ Buck pulled open his contacts and scrolled until he found Athena Grant’s number. “I happen to know your dad’s captain and his wife. I bet they can get a hold of your dad.”

Chris perked up. “Really?”

“Yep. How about we give Athena a call now,” Buck said. “Would that be okay?”

Chris nodded, shuffling until he was leaning back against Buck’s side. “Yes, please.”

Wrapping an arm around Chris again and tucking him into his side, Buck pressed Athena’s name and brought the phone to his ear.

Buck had met Athena multiple times on a calls. The two of them had a rocky start early on in Buck’s probationary years but the two of them had gotten past their differences and Buck looked up to the sergeant and they had become friends. She always spoke to Buck on calls and had even come to visit him when he had been in the hospital. Buck would never admit it, but he saw Athena as a paternal figure he never had growing up. There was no one he trusted more, other than his sister, to help him figure out what to do.

“Hey Buckaroo,” Athena greeted, and Buck could hear the tiredness in her voice. In the background he could hear the familiar sounds of a firehouse and Buck’s heart kicked in his chest, a pang of longing aching in his chest.

“Hey ‘Thena,” Buck said. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” Athena said. “How are you going? How’s the leg? Did you have PT today?”

“Uh no, tomorrow,” Buck answered, stretching his leg out. He winced, knowing he would definitely need it tomorrow after the long journey he had made today. “And it’s doing okay.”

“That’s good to hear,” Athena said, and Buck could hear the smile in her voice. “Listen, I’m sorry to cut this short but I have a bit of a situation that I’m neck deep in.”

“Wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with an Eddie Diaz and his missing kid, would it?” Buck asked, glancing down at Christopher.

“And how do you know about Eddie’s missing kid?” Athena asked, her voice going curious.

“I happen to meet the coolest kid ever,” Buck said, tickling Chris’s side, earning him a giggle. “On a bus who goes by the name of Christopher Diaz.”

“You with him right now?” Athena asked, her voice going into Sargent mode.

“Christopher? Is that – do you know where he is?” Buck heard a frantic, picnicked voice in the background.

“Yep,” Buck said, winking down at Chris. “We’re coming from El Paso to L.A. Should be there in a few more hours.”

“And what are you doing on a bus from El Paso?” Athena asked, her voice going firm. “Buckaroo, you better not have been doing something you weren’t supposed to on that leg.”

Buck shifted guiltily in his seat. “No.”

Athena hummed with disbelief. “We’ll be discussing that later, Buckaroo. Is Christopher okay?”

“He’s fine,” Buck said. “He missed his dad. Wanted to surprise him.” Buck smiled down at Chris.

“Never have I been more grateful for you disobeying doctors’ orders, Buck,” Athena let out a loud breath. “I’ve got Eddie, his father, with me. Can you put Chris on the phone?”

“Sure thing,” Buck said. He switched the phone to speaker, hovering it in front of Chris. “Go ahead, Chris.”

“Christopher?” Eddie’s panicked voice floated over the phone and Buck squeezed Chris a little tighter.

“Dad!” Chris cheered. “Hi dad!”

“Mijo,” Eddie breathed on the other end. “Sweetheart. Hi! You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice.”

“I miss – miss you dad,” Chris said, pouting at the phone.

“I miss you too, mijo. So much,” Eddie said, and Buck could hear the thick emotion in his voice. “I can’t wait to see you.”

Chris grinned. “Me too! Buck said – said you would give me the biggest hug ever!”

“I will,” Eddie promised.

“Can I stay with you, dad? Please?” Chris asked, pouting at the phone. “I don’t want to – to go back to El Paso.”

“Oh mijo,” Eddie said, voice cracking. “You can stay. I promise, sweetheart.”

“Good,” Chris nodded. “I miss you.”

“I love you so much,” Eddie said, and Buck’s heart clenched at the wetness he heard. “Are you doing okay?”

“I’m okay,” Chris nodded even though Eddie couldn’t see. “Buck’s my bus buddy! He’s – he’s a firefighter too!”

“Really? That’s great, mijo.”

“He’s taller than you!” Chris added and Buck couldn’t stop the snort that passed through his lips. He heard laughter on the other side of the phone and grinned, winking down at Chris.

“Tell him about the voice’s I do too,” Buck added, nudging Chris.

“Yes! Dad! Buck does the voices for my books!” Chris cheered. “He does them better than you.”

Buck barked out a laugh as Eddie made a choked noise on the other end of the phone.

“Mijo, you really going to call me out like this?”

Chris gave a cackling laugh.

“Chris, Athena would like to speak to Buck again,” Eddie said, sounding very reluctant. “But I’ll talk to you again really soon, okay?”

“Okay dad,” Chris said. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Eddie said. “So much.”

“Bye!”

Buck pulled back the phone and took it off speaker, bringing it to his ear. “Hello?”

“Buck.” Athena was back, in full sergeant mode. “Are you able to share you location with me?”

“Yeah, I can do that. Hang on.” Buck pulled the phone away and quickly manoeuvred his way to his settings. With a few clicks he shared his location with Athena and then brought the phone back to his ear. “You get it.”

“Got it,” Athena said. “Thanks Buck. I’m going to be at the bus station waiting for the two of you.”

“Awesome,” Buck said, and he winked down at Chris. “Saves us getting an Uber.”

“I know you did not just call me an Uber,” Athena said, deadpanned.

Buck winced. “Nope. I didn’t. I would never.”

Athena huffed out a noise that sounded like a laugh. “What would you like for dinner? Bobby is going to cook you boys something.”

Buck licked his lips. He had heard the stories about Captain Nash’s cooking and had even managed to taste some of his mac’ n ‘cheese he had made for a community day at the park where the 118 and the 132 had been to spread safety information and to fund raise. It would also be the ultimate comfort food after the day they had both had.

Buck looked at Chris. “You like Mac n’ Cheese, buddy?”

Chris cheered.

Athena chuckled in his ear. “Guess the legends of his mac n’ cheese have reached the 132.”

“It’s reached all the stations,” Buck corrected. “My team is going to so jealous.”

“I’ll be waiting for you at the bus station,” Athena promised.

“Hey, uh, can you give Eddie my number?” Buck asked. “That way he can keep texting Chris. You know, so he can check in on his kid whenever he needs too.”

“Yeah,” Athena’s voice went soft. “I can do that.”

“There are a few games they could play together,” Buck added. “If Eddie downloads them. If he wants to.”

“I’ll ask him,” Athena said. “Thank you, Buck.”

“No worries,” Buck said, ducking his head, feeling his cheeks go warm. “Is, uh, is Eddie, okay?”

“He is now, thanks to you,” Athena said. “Thanks for calling, Buck.”

“I would have sooner,” Buck admitted, voice low. “But I didn’t –“

“I know,” Athena said, cutting Buck off. “You did the right thing. We’ll talk more back at that 118.”

“Okay,” Buck said. “Uh, I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Talk soon, Buckaroo.”

Buck hung up the phone and slumped into his seat. He smiled when Chris snuggled in closer, hugging Buck around the waist.

“Thanks,” Chris said.

“You’re welcome,” Buck said. “Athena is going to give your dad my number so you guys can text and play some games together.”

Chris wiggled in his seat. “Thanks, Buck!”

Buck chuckled at Chris’s enthusiasm, grinning brightly. “Any time.”

Buck’s phone buzzed with a new message from a number he didn’t recognise. He opened the message, a smile coming to his lips when he read the message.

This is Eddie Diaz. Athena passed on your number. Thank you, Buck -ED

Buck saved the number, creating a new contact for Eddie and quickly messaged back.

No worries. Here’s Chris -EB

The last leg of the journey to L.A went quickly. Buck and Chris spent the remainder of the time texting Eddie and playing games with him. When they started pulling up to the L.A bus station, Buck sent Eddie a text that Athena would have them soon and pocketed his phone.

Buck made sure that Chris had everything he had brought with him before they came to a stop. They let everyone else disembark first before Buck stood, giving his body a quick stretch. He looked at Christopher, melting as the kid shuffled tiredly towards the aisle.

“You right to walk?” Buck asked.

Chris hesitated as Buck pulled down his crutches from the overhead shelf. Buck waited, wanting to give Chris the option.

“Could you carry me?” Chris finally asked, looking up at Buck with big, pleading eyes.

“Of course,” Buck said softly. Slinging his duffel back over one shoulder and Chris backpack over the other, he carefully lifted Chris into his arm. With the crutches clutched in one hand, Buck carefully made his way down the aisle and down the steps, finally stepping out into L.A.

“Hello boys,” Athena greeted them, a smile on her face. She was still in her officer’s uniform and Buck wondered how far away the cruiser was.

“Hey ‘Thena,” Buck said, hefting Chris tighter into his arm.

“Hi,” Chris gave a small wave, his face partially tucked into Buck’s neck.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Christopher,” Athena smiled, placing a hand on the back of Chris’s spine, and giving it a small rub. “I’ve heard all about you from you dad. It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

“You too,” Chris said before he broke out into a yawn. He smacked his lips together, blinking tiredly at Athena. “Is my dad here?”

“I’m going to take you to that fire station where your dad is waiting for you,” Athena promised. “If that’s okay?”

Chris nodded before tucking his face back into Buck’s neck, the strength of his grip slowly relaxing around Buck’s neck.

“Lead the way,” Buck said softly.

Athena took the crutches and Buck limped as he followed her to the police cruiser that was parked right out the front. Putting the bags in the boot, Buck then placed Chris in the back seat, carefully sliding in beside him. He made sure that Chris was buckled in before clicking his own seat belt into place.

Looking up, Buck caught Athena’s gaze in the rear-view mirror. She gave him a smile and a nod before starting up the car.

As they pulled out into the L.A traffic, Buck watched as Christopher lost the battle with sleep. Buck smiled as he watched Chris’s head lull to one side, his glasses sliding down his nose.

“He asleep?” Athena asked quietly.

“Yeah,” Buck chuckled softly. “He dozed a little on the bus, but it was a long trip. Not surprised he’s fallen asleep again.”

“And are you okay?” Athena asked. “How’s your leg?”

“Stiff,” Buck admitted at Athena’s stern gaze in the rear-view mirror. “I’ve got PT tomorrow. It will be okay.”

Athena gave a little hum. “You take your meds?”

Buck pulled out his phone, looking at the time. “Not yet. I will when we eat.”

Athena nodded and they lapsed into silence. The traffic was, as usual for L.A, heavy and Buck dozed lightly as they made their way to the fire station.

“Buck?”

Blinking opened his eyes, Buck scrubbed a hand down his face and shifted more comfortably in his seat. “Hey, yeah?”

“We’re nearly there. Do you mind waking Christopher?” Athena asked.

“Yeah, I got him,” Buck said. He reached over and gently shook Chris’s shoulder while calling his name.

Fondness swept through him as Chris grumbled, shifting away from Buck.

“Hey, come on kiddo. Time to wake up so you can see your dad,” Buck said.

This had Chris blinking open his eyes. “Dad?”

“Yeah, nearly there, Superman,” Buck smiled.

He chuckled as Chris perked up considerably. His smothered the laughter that bubbled up as Chris practically pressed his nose against the window. Buck could feel the anticipation growing the closer they got until finally Athena was pulling into the station’s car park.

Buck got out of the car, groaning a little as his leg protested the new movement. He limped around to Chris’s side of the car, while Athena opened the boot.

“Ready, Superman?” Buck asked as he unbuckled Chris.

“Yeah!” Chris cheered, giving Buck a cheesy grin.

“Let’s do it then,” Buck said. He helped Chris out of the car, holding his hand to keep him steady as he shut the door behind them. “You want to walk?”

“Yeah,” Chris nodded.

Athena handed Chris his crutches, watching with an eagle eye as Chris slipped them on. She had Chris’s backpack over her shoulder, and she handed Buck his duffel back. When the boot was closed and the car locked, they made their way into the station.

As they entered the station, Buck managed a quick glance of his surroundings before his attention was drawn by a loud shout.

“CHRISTOPHER!”

“DAD!”

Buck and Athena both stopped as Chris started moving faster towards his father. Buck’s heart kicked in his chest as he watched Eddie Diaz run to his son. He swept Christopher, crutches, and all, into his arms, spinning him around, earning a loud laugh in return.

Buck felt himself tearing up, a grin stretching his lips.

“Are you crying?” Athena asked, peering up at Buck.

Buck swiped at his eyes. “Reunions, Athena! They get my every time!”

Athena laughed, rubbing Buck’s arm. “You big softie.”

Buck grinned at Athena before he turned to look at Chris and Eddie. It was really sweet; Eddie’s forehead pressed against his son’s, quietly murmuring words that had Chris giggling and smiling brightly.

“If it isn’t the hero of the day.”

Buck looked away from Chris and Eddie and bulked as he saw his sister Maddie approaching him. She was still in her dispatch uniform, her hair loose around her shoulders. There was a half playful glare on her face, but she was smiling proudly at Buck.

Buck shot Athena an accusing look. “You called my sister?”

Athena gave him an unimpressed look back. “Your sister took the 9-1-1 call and co-ordinated with the El Paso dispatch.”

Buck winced, ducking his head. “Ah. Sorry.”

He accepted the hug his sister pulled him into, and Buck felt some of the tension he hadn’t realised he had been holding seep out of him. He hugged her back, ducking his head a little further so that Maddie could press a kiss to his birth mark.

“You may be a hero, but you have a lot of explaining to do as to why you were in El Paso without telling me.” Maddie pulled back from the hug; eyes narrowed.

“Maddie,” Buck whined. “C’mon!”

“Well, I am very grateful that you were.”

Buck turned to see Eddie had drifted closer. Chris was settled on Eddie’s hip, arms wrapped around his dad’s neck and resting his cheek against Eddie’s.

Eddie’s cheeks were flushed, a smile lighting up his face as he held Chris close to him. His eyes were sparkling, and he was looking at Buck with an expression that had Buck’s cheeks flushing hot and his stomach fluttering. And although the moment didn’t call for it, Buck could stop but admire how hot Eddie Diaz was. His LAFD t-shirt was stretched tight across his chest, pants that clung to the muscles of his legs and thighs.

“I think I was the lucky one,” Buck said, grinning at Chris. He hoped his cheeks weren’t too red and that nobody could see his thoughts plainly on his face. “Don’t think I could have had a better bus buddy.”

“Yeah!” Chris cheered.

“I bet you are both starving.” Captain Bobby Nash came up beside Eddie, placing a hand on the shoulder Chris wasn’t tucked up against. “I have dinner waiting.”

Buck stomach growled and Maddie laughed. “You’re always hungry.”

“We’re growing boys!” Buck cried out, winking at Chris.

“Yeah!” Chris cheered.

Buck held out his hand for a high-five and his smile grew wider as Chris slapped his palm against Buck’s.

Maddie looped her arm through Buck’s, rolling her eyes fondly. “Come on. You need to take your medication.”

Eddie’s team started moving towards the loft, surrounding Eddie, and Christopher as they made their way up the stairs.

Buck followed behind with Maddie and he felt a pang of longing for his team when he saw the 118 gathering close. He missed being a firefighter so much and just being back in a firehouse felt like coming home. He pushed those thoughts aside when they reached the bottom of the staircase and he paused.

Maddie squeezed his arm. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Buck said, eyeing the stairs.

“You pushed yourself too hard, didn’t you?” Maddie guessed. “What were you doing in El Paso?”

“A friend needed some help for a job,” Buck said. “I was careful, Maddie. I swear!”

“Why did you take the bus?” Maddie asked. “Why didn’t you fly home?”

Buck shrugged, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “Didn’t see the need to rush home.”

“Oh, Evan,” Maddie sighed sadly. She squeezed his arm again. “I’m sorry.”

Buck shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m just a little sore. I’ve got PT tomorrow.”

Maddie nodded. “Let’s tackle these stairs and then get you your meds.” Another squeeze to his arm and she propelled him forward.

With the railing on one side and Maddie grip tight on his other, he made it up the stairs. By the time he had, everyone was already seated around the large kitchen table. The rest of the crew were scattered around the loft and Buck realised that Eddie and his team must have come off shift while waiting for Christopher.

Buck’s leg nearly buckled at the sense of longing. He wished that his team were as close as what the 118 seemed to be. But most of all, he just wished he could be a firefighter once more.

“Come and sit next to me, Buck!” Chris cheered.

From the table, Eddie flashed Buck a bright grin. “Come on, bud. You two get to be served first.”

As Buck limped his way to the table, the scent of Bobby’s Mac n’ Cheese washed over him. The 118 fussed around him, making him comfortable and fetching him a glass of water so that he could take his medication. And as Buck sat around the team with his sister, a small thought popped into his head. Maybe he wasn’t done being a firefighter just yet. That while Chris had been trying to find his way home, maybe Buck had been too.   

[fizzigigsimmer]

My fave ballet tube channel out here feeding me plot bunnies for Harringrove Ballet School Au. Just imagine, Billy arrives on campus. Spitting mad cause his dad made him take the bus. Cheapskate wouldn’t even spring for a plane ticket when it’s Billy’s financial aide filling his pockets. He decided halfway there he’s not going to stay. He’s going to hop on the first bus back to Cali as soon as he can raise the money and that’s what he tells Madame Harrington. She may have bought Neil but she can’t buy him. Nobody can force him to stay here - which is true. He’s hoping she won’t want to deal with a runaway and a bad attitude, that she’ll just revoke the scholarship and end this farce for him. Neil will beat his ass black and blue but what else is new. At lease he’ll still have home and the beach.

Madame Harrington doesn’t look happy but she doesn’t get angry either. She makes Billy promise to sleep on it. Sit in on a class, have a real think about what he’s about to throw away. Billy’s not stupid, he knows she’s hoping he’ll see other kids dancing and make some friends and suddenly want to change his mind. It’s not going down like that. And it doesn’t. The class she takes him to is tier one, the advanced class. It’s mostly juniors and seniors but Billy spots a few younger kids and a couple of absolute shrimps who look like they haven’t left the seventh grade. They’re good though is the thing, doesn’t take more than a few steps to see why they’re in here dancing with the big kids. A redhead catches him watching in the doorway and gives him the stink eye.

And then whatever combination they’re doing ends and everyone is clapping, and the instructor calls out that it’s time for their soloist. “Be the swan, Steven. No spaghetti arms!”

The energy in the room just changes, the chatter lifting in anticipation as the students drift back to the edge of the room as a solitary figure steps forward. He’s got good shape. Strong legs - so long - and lean arms. Those fucking tights love him - holy shit. Billy can be forgiven for missing the first few steps he takes while he blinks away the after image that bulge has burned into his fucking retinas. But when he’s capable of seeing beyond it again, he sees this kid - this Steven - floating across the floor in some of the prettiest lines he’s ever seen. He thinks the number from Swan Lake. Thinks Steve-o is gorgeous when he’s not fucking it up, playing to the crowd and losing focus. It’s only a wobble here or there, just minor imperfections.

It annoys the shit out of Billy.

“Who’s the diva?” he asks Madame H. under the sudden swell of clapping and cheering as the boy’s solo comes to an end.

She smiles, a twinkle entering her eye.

“That would be Steve. My son.”

Her son? Wait! That’s Steve Steve? The kid he used to penpal and trade basketball cards with. That’s Steve Harrington?

“Oh yeah?” Billy sneers, hoping to hide how dry his mouth has gone. Challenges with an arched brow, “Teachers son thinks he’s hot shit huh?”

But Madame H. seems unperturbed. She doesn’t tell him off about his language or take offense for her kid’s sake, just keeps smiling at Billy with that little glint in her eye that’s too fond for comfort.

“He’s been best in his age group since he was eight. Makes it hard to keep him challenged. I was hoping that would change with you here now, but if you’re set on leaving I guess I’ll have to come up with something else.”

It’s so stupid. Some reverse psychology bullshit, but damn it it’s working because Billy isn’t as keen on leaving as he was when they walked in.

“You sure that’s what you want?” He asks, barely waiting for the perplexed look to form on her face as he shrugs off his duffel bag. He strides into the room like he owns it, feels the heads turn towards him as his sneakers thud hollowly on the hard floor. The chatter dies as he calls out, “you call that a dance?”

His eyes lock with the boy in the center of the room.

Billy will show him a dance. He’ll show them all.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Am I the asshole for telling my friend what our former mutual friend said about them?

This is a bit long but the backstory is relevant:

Some years ago, my friend (B, then 21/22) and our then mutual friend (E, then 20/21) were in a minor car accident. E was driving B’s car (B was in the passenger) and they crashed into a fence. No one was hurt thankfully and the owners of the fence weren’t mad and were more concerned if they were okay.

When the police arrived and asked what happened and B told them what happened because E was in shock and couldn’t speak.

What B told them was that E was driving and the turn was too sharp and they both went through the fence, but it was B’s car so they’d need to get the insurance information from B.

This unfortunately meant that E got three tickets: failure to stay in proper lane, going too fast for conditions, and driving without a proper permit (E had a learner’s but didn’t have it on their person)

B offered to help pay for the tickets but E had a family member pay for them in full

This obviously put a damper on the friendship and we ended up losing contact with E for various other reasons unrelated to the car accident but up until then I was in more contact with E and we still hung out occasionally.

But during this all E would talk about was how they were calling themself Regina George because B threw them under the bus and how B should have taken the fall for them.

At first I didn’t say anything because I knew the waters were still testy and I didn’t want to start stuff but a couple of years ago the incident came up in conversation and I told B about what E was saying.

My mom told me I shouldn’t have brought it up because it would just be gossip at that point and it wouldn’t do any good to bring it up years after it happened. Of course B was a little pissed when i said what E had been saying (there were other things but I can’t remember) but mostly at E for getting the Regina George analogy wrong.

But ultimately it didn’t cause any drama until they got into a fight a year after my conversation with B, and E, ironically, tried to throw me under the bus for “agreeing with them” (I didn’t. I just sat in silence while E ranted because I’m not good at confrontation) and now we no longer talk to E. AITA?

TLDR: my former friend crashed my other friend’s car and FF kept badmouthing OF to me because they told the police thar FF was driving and I didn’t tell OF until a few years later. AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[no6secretsanta]

From: @sci-fangirl

For: @skiesinlove

Happy holidays!

The sounds of supplies being scrambled into bags and students beginning to chit chat filled the room as the professor called out his last minute reminder.

“Remember, two full pages analyzing Aristotle’s ‘On Slavery’ due next class!”

Shion zipped his backpack closed and turned to Nezumi, a compulsive smile spreading across Shion’s face. Nezumi had packed up an hour ago. He’d popped ‘Macbeth’ open as soon as Aristotle entered the lecture.

“How’s the King of Scots?” Shion asked, rising to meet Nezumi.

“Murder crazy, as always.” Nezumi tucked the book away and the two walked out of the classroom. “Still not as bad as Titus Andromedus though.”

Shion wrinkled his nose a little and his smile turned to a smirk. “I know college is the time to be pretentious, but do you ever worry you’re going overboard?”

Nezumi scowled, taking a deep breath before letting it out in one ranting breath.

“At least I don’t force people to read Aristotle. Seriously, the man was a classist, racist, misogynist who never got anything right. He’s better forgotten if you ask me. Socrates, Plato, or Diogenes would be both more informative not to mention more fun to talk about.”

“Which one was Diogenes again?”

“He’s the one who heard a man defined as a featherless biped and responded by bringing a plucked chicken to the next discussion.”

“‘Behold a man.’” Shion remembered, adding a little drama to his voice.

“That’s the one.”

Shion hummed. “Wasn’t everyone in Athens a classist, racist, misogynist back then? According to this class, anyway.”

Nezumi rolled his eyes. “There have always been people who stood against the problematic status quo, this teacher just doesn’t seem interested in talking about them. And regardless, Aristotle was an idiot who happened to have been taught by a decent thinker and had no filter. He wasn’t even a fun menace!”

“He’s a philosophic nepo baby?” Shion suggested.

“He’s a philosophic nepo baby!” Nezumi grinned back at Shion, bringing a little pink to Shion’s cheeks.

“At least the term’s almost over.” Shion laughed. “After this class you can stay far away from ancient Greece for a while.”

He fished his bus pass out from his bag. Nezumi continued grumbling as he did the same. They found seats at the back of the bus, legs pressed together so they could keep talking.

“You’re closing tonight, right?” Nezumi asked.

Shion nodded.

“I’ll walk you there.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Of course I don’t. but if I have to write about Aristotle I’ll need the caffeine. Might as well use the employee discount.”

Shion leaned against him a little, smiling softly. Nezumi had a tendency to make excuses for spending time together. They lived, worked, and took the occasional class together because it was “more convenient”. “The restaurant had a discount for couples”, Shion would “make an interesting museum guide”, he’d “accidently bought a second ticket for a movie and didn’t want it to go to waste”. The fact that the restaurant was Shion’s favorite, or that the museum had a new exhibit Shion had been excited about was all pure coincidence.

He’d gotten better about it recently, but if Nezumi felt like he was being too clingy he’d slip back into making excuses. Walking Shion to work just because he wanted to when they’d already spent most of their day together was overbearing, another reason had to be logged. Shion didn’t really mind. Nezumi was an excellent liar, but his excuses for spending time with Shion had always been flimsy at best. They stopped by their apartment to drop their school things before heading to the coffee shop they worked at.

Shion waved at Inukashi as they entered. They started to wave back from their place behind the counter only to stop and glare when they spotted Nezumi. “What’re you doin’ here? Shion, you’re not stickin’ poor Safu with this bastard are you?”

“Goodness Inukashi, imagine if your manager heard you talking about a customer like that.” Nezumi smirked.

“Like you count!”

Shion slipped behind the counter, calling over his shoulder to Nezumi, “Just give me a minute to clock in and I can make you a drink, okay?”

“Thank you. I wouldn’t trust your dear coworker not to spit in it.”

“You–!” The door to the backroom swung shut, muffling Inukashi’s response.

~

Most other stores had had their Christmas decorations up as soon as Halloween was over, but the owner of this shop insisted on waiting until December first. Whoever closed the first night of the month had to stay late to decorate. This year Shion and Safu were scheduled for decoration duty.

Shion liked closing with Safu. She was the most efficient when closing out the registers and never found it weird that Shion actually enjoyed mopping. Deciding who would decorate what also came easily. Shion pulled out a step stool so he could tape the shiny, silver strands of garlands around the top of the room. Safu crouched to tape snowman cut outs and paper snowflakes to the front of the counter. There would be a tree by the window too, but that would be the morning crew’s problem when the owner brought that in tomorrow.

Shion was about halfway done with the garlands when Safu stood, stretching her legs and taking a last glance at her work. “I’ll go bring in the patio stuff.”

“Want help?”

She shook her head. “I’ve got it.”

Their routine for the night was pretty locked in at this point. Clean the floor and counters, bring in the patio furniture, lock the doors, put away dishes, lights out, go home. With Safu as his closing partner, Shion could tell you the exact minute to minute schedule. Tonight their routine was thrown off, but they were doing their best to help each other out and finish quickly. As Safu brought in the last of the chairs, Shion knocked his roll of tape to the floor. Safu spotted it, scooping it up and handing it off as a man came into the shop.

“Sorry, we’re closed.” Shion said, stepping off his stool, toward the man..

The man pulled a knife out of his pocket and pointed it at them. “Empty out the registers and leave the money on the counter. No one has to get hurt.”

Shion glanced towards Safu who had nervously shuffled back a few steps. “There’s nothing in the registers right now.”

“Where’s the money then? Get it and hand it over.” The man snapped.

Safu took another step towards the back.

“The fuck are you doing? Stay there!”

“Sir, all of the money is in the back.” Shion tried to keep his voice calm.

Safu nodded. “Please, there’s no need to escalate things, we’ll cooperate.”

The man looked skeptical, eyes shifting between them. “All three of us are going then. Stay where I can see you.”

He herded them through the door, knife out and ready to strike. When Safu started for the safe he snarled, “You stay put. Boyo’s gonna get it out.” She swallowed, stilling.

Shion opened the safe revealing the tills readied for the morning and the small deposit bags Shion hesitantly reached into the safe, grabbing the deposit bags and looking back, afraid of setting this man off. The robber suddenly lunged at Safu, knife first. Safu let out a small screech as she shrunk mostly out of the way. Shion dropped the money and jumped on the man.

A sharp, burning pain bounced along his rib before jumping to his forearm. Shion pushed hard, hoping to get more space to swing a punch. The man took advantage of the space first, landing a kick to the newly burning place on Shion’s side. The robber scrambled away and bolted for the door, money forgotten.

“Shion!” Safu knelt next to him. “You’re– I’m calling an ambulance.”

Shion pressed a hand to his side. A cut ran parallel to his ribs, shallow but about six or so inches long. Another, deeper cut sliced about an inch of his forearm. More a stab than a cut really he thought to himself as he attempted to put pressure on both wounds.

“I’m okay.” He scanned Safu for injury. Her sweater had a cut near the shoulder, blood staining the sleeve. “You’re bleeding too.”

She frowned. “He just nicked me.”

“I’ll go to the hospital if you do.”

Safu gave a little huff. “I’ll call the owner first.”

~ Safu and Shion ended up in the hospital thanks to the shop’s owner. He arrived quickly to the coffee shop, insisting that they both get checked out while he submitted a police report. Safu was fine, the nick on her arm probably could have been taken care of with the first aid kit they’d had in the shop. Shion, on the other hand, needed stitches.

Nezumi was relegated to the waiting room, fingers tapping on the arm of the plastic chairs. He leapt to his feet when he spotted Shion, lurching forward to meet him.

“I’m okay.” Shion said quickly. His fingers trembled as he gripped Nezumi’s sleeve. “Can we please just go home?”

Nezumi pulled Shion’s hand off and laced their fingers instead. “Okay.”

They didn’t talk on the way home, but Nezumi refused to let go just in case Shion was weak from blood loss, he explained. Shion leaned against him and focussed on not falling asleep. Nezumi finally released Shion when they were in their apartment with the door locked. Restless, Nezumi swept into the kitchen. “Hot cocoa?”

Shion gingerly perched on the couch. “Sounds good.”

“Laying down would be more comfortable.”

Shion slowly lowered himself onto the cushions. It was quiet again, save for the sounds of mugs clinking and the fridge door opening and closing. Shion’s eyes slid closed, the painkillers he’d been given at the hospital making his eyelids heavy. Shion tried to focus on the sounds from the kitchen, so he could make room for Nezumi when he came back. The noises faded to quiet, though Shion couldn’t get his eyes to open. A hand ran through his hair, gentle and slow, pulling him closer to sleep.

“Wake up, Your Majesty.” Nezumi crooned.

Shion whined softly, eyes still sealed shut.

“Just for a minute, then you can sleep again.” Nezumi reassured.

Shion managed to peel his eyes open.

Nezumi was leaning over him. “There you are. Come on, I’ll help you to bed.”

Shion nodded and shoved himself upright. A small flare of pain radiated from his arm and woke him up a bit more. “Weren’t you makin’ cocoa?” Shion mumbled.

Nezumi wrapped his arm around the sleepy boy’s waist, gently urging Shion to lean on him. “We can have cocoa tomorrow, it’s bedtime.”

Shion nodded as they stumbled to his bedroom. Nezumi helped Shion change into pajamas before tucking him in.

Shion grabbed Nezumi’s wrist. “You work tomorrow?”

“I’m supposed to.”

Shion tightened his hold, a stab of worry waking him further. “Call out?”

Nezumi gave a dramatic sigh and sank onto the bed next to him. “As it pleases, Your Highness.”

Shion smiled a little and shifted closer. “Stay with me?”

Nezumi pressed a kiss to Shion’s hair. Nezumi slipped into bed behind him, arms wrapping carefully around Shion.

“Go to sleep, Shion. It’s alright.”

Shion pressed his thumb against Nezmi’s wrist feeling his pulse as he finally, truly dropped into sleep.

[misc-obeyme]

OKAY I'M WRITING THIS ON THE BUS TO WORK I'VE GOT 40 MINUTES AND PRAYING NO ONE LOOKS OVER MY SHOULDER.

Hello it's been over a month since the last part 😭 I've lost the groove. But uhh remember how I said Dia is a sponsor for the tour? He definitely ropes Belphie into attending some shows for promo pics. Belphie is going to attend the very first concert stop that night (there's maybe like four before the show in their city or something)

I'm thinking Lucifer is checking in on Mammon when I burst into the shop, running late but still making a stop for breakfast. Mammon slides my order towards me, waving his hand when I try to pay. Cue me glaring at him and stuffing a $20 bill in his tip jar BECAUSE HE CAN'T KEEP TRYING TO GIVE SOLOMON AND I FREE FOOD.

And he scoffs because I know I don't carry cash, BUT NOW I HAVE TO BC I GOTTA TO PAY HIM !! SIR !! YOU'LL GO OUT OF BUSINESS !! Lucifer is watching this all with a raised eyebrow. (He definitely makes his family pay. Luke is the only other one to get free stuff.)

anyway when I'm reaching for my drink he grabs my wrist impulsively because he notices I'm wearing new bracelets ??

"The hell are these?"

"I made them for my concert! Y'know, the one I keep talking about? Where I didn't come for a while because I had no money? It's in a couple days !!"

of course he knows about the concert. he knows about it, but Solomon and him kept forgetting the exact date. He also forgot to ask beg Lucifer to ask Dia for tickets.

"Why're ya making bracelets?" At the same time Lucifer asks "Concert? What concert?" because he did NOT know I was attending. He was actually planning to stop by after finishing checking on Mammon to present me with tickets.

"Fall Out Boy! My favorite band ever? The one I'm always playing in the shop? They're coming here! And I bought tickets so long ago and I'm so excited because it's my first concert and they're my favorite band ever and *wheezes for air* AND I GOT FLOOR SEATS TOO AND THEY'RE LIKE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE AND I CAN'T WAIT AND TO TRADE BRACELETS- ohmygod I'm even more late now okay bye guys!"

And Lucifer is kinda sitting there shocked. He doesn't know why he didn't expect me to buy tickets. Now he must recalculate.

"Hey Lucifer..." With the tone he used to use when he wanted to borrow money before starting the cafe. "I'm not bailing you out of bankruptcy for giving away food to your crushes." "C-CRUSHES? W-WHA? WHO SAID THAT, I AIN'T SAY NOTHIN LIKE THAT-" "Mammon." "Damn it, Lucifer, that ain't what I was gonna ask! I was gonna ask... Diavolo's sponsoring this thing, ain't he?" "And what of it if he is?" "...Ya think he has two extra tickets? I'll pay for 'em no problem. I just don't want her going alone, ya know?"

And Lucifer stares at him for a long time. So long Mammon is getting nervous, wringing a rag in his hands. And it clicks for Lucifer how he'll save this.

"Find out what seat she's purchased and let me know. I'll ask Diavolo and see what I can do. No promises, Mammon."

And Mammon practically beams while letting out a big breath. He nods enthusiastically and texts Solomon 'I need to find out what seat that ticket she bought is' to not forget, because he knows he'll be texting Solomon later anyway and will see the last message he sent, so he's sure to not forget. Foolproof plan.

"You need just two tickets, or three seats together?"

"...Three seats together. I said two tickets because she already has one, don't she? One for me, one for Solomon."

"Interesting. I'll let you know."

"Eh?! What is that supposed to mean?!"

okay uhh next part is gonna have beel and belphie i think at the cafe visiting mammon!! im happy to be writing this again. I did make bracelets when I attended this concert but I only made twenty the night before 😭 I had procrastinated so long and debated because I was too afraid of going up to people to hand them out. But I did get to trade !! I still have all the one's I got.

Um umm I had other things to say I'm forgetting. I looked up from my phone and panicked because I thought I missed my stop o(-( nah it was just construction making everything unrecognizable

have i named my mc before? i can't remember. i just keep avoiding using her name akwkwjd oops

OKAY BYE HAVE A GOOD DAY, MANAGED TO FINISH THIS BEFORE GETTING TO MY STOP

- ✨

MC NAME REVEAL, READY GO~

LOL but seriously, I have not heard her name and now I wish to know it! I know YOUR name of course, since I have stalked your blog a bit since you came off anon~ ah sorry if that's creepy~

But anyway!!

Lucifer to the rescue!!! What a guy, he's so nice in this story but still totally himself I love it~

Mammon giving away food to his crushes ;asldkfjdf and OF COURSE the only other one who gets free food is Luke that's so cuuuuuute!

I also LOVE the detail of Mammon texting Solomon something so that he'll remember it. It tells us so much about Mammon (ADHD lol), but it also speaks volumes about his relationship with Solomon at this point, too. Because if you know you're going to be texting someone that often, then they must be pretty important to you. And also you must feel comfortable with them if you're texting them little reminders for yourself. I just think this is a really cute detail~

Anyway, as always, I'm here for this sweet story!!

[sin-cognito]

Rarepair New Year 2024 ch12: Sans/Horror, Pen pal

SFW

Wordcount: 3468

hello pen pal

READ ON AO3

hello pen pal

     my name i'm my name is sans. i'm a skeleton and i'm 10. miss toriel said we have to write letters for people in the hospital. miss toriel is my teacher and she's very nice. i go to school every day and my favorite is maths and i don't like sprots. i leave live with my daddy and my little brother who is taller than me but i'm the older brother. his name is papyrus and he's very cool. for gyftmas daddy bought me a teloscop so i can watch the stars because i love space. i watch documentaryies about space and i can name more than 50 stars. my dream is to become an astronot one day.

i wait for your reply sans

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Horror rubs his hands together, trying to warm himself up. It's better here in the bus than outside, but he's still very much underdressed for the weather. Today is a snow day and despite the cold, Horror can't help but smile as he watches the white scenery go by. He leans his skull on the window, careful not to let his wound make contact with the freezing glass. It's freshly healed and still sensitive. He tugs his beanie down a little.

Horror checks his phone. He's got one message from his brother that he quickly replies to. Everything is going well for now, his train was on time and now he's on a bus, on his way to the outskirts of town. He checked the route so many times over the last few days that he's confident he's not going to get lost.

He hopes.

Well, he's got his phone and it's still over 75% charged, so there's no reason for him to get anxious about it.

He has a goal today.

He's going to deliver his most precious letter to a very special person.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

yo pen pal!

     i had my 12th bday last week, we had a pool party in the garden, it was awesome. we played so hard that i fell asleep before dinner and didn't wake up. i was so hungry the next morning, no joke!

     paps lost his last baby tooth, so we made him a cake with dad. he said he didn't care for the taste, so i convinced dad to make it a lemon cake because lemon cakes are the best, right? i helped dad bake it and it was super good. one day i'll make you one too.

     you said in your last letter that you were about to have another surgery, how did it go? do you have some cool scars? i have a scar on the back of my skull from when i fell when i was a kid. everyone at school thinks it's cool. but i can't see it myself so that's too bad.

k i gotta go, waiting for your next letter! bye

sans

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Horror got off the bus a couple stops too late, so now he's stuck either walking back or waiting for the bus to come from the other direction. According to his map, he's not that far that he could just walk the distance himself, but he knows he'll feel silly if the bus passes him by and he's not riding it. Kinda like waiting 10 minutes for the elevator and giving up then going down the stairs right when it finally arrives.

Plus it's still snowing.

Horror crosses the road and checks the printed timetable. The next bus is in 20 minutes, which isn't that long, but in the cold Horror knows he's going to suffer. He buries his hands in his pockets and realizes with dread that his wallet is gone.

He pats himself over, searches his jacket and his pants pockets, but can't find the damn thing anywhere. He doesn't think anyone stole it, the bus was pretty empty. He must've dropped it.

Either way, that means that he's going to have to walk. He'll try to call the bus company later to ask for his wallet, or at least to get a ticket so that he can go home.

For now he just shrugs and starts walking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

hey yo pen bud!

     remember red? i sent you a pic of him. well this asshole got himself a girl, and now he's always ditching our plans to take her on dates or what. it's annoying. we're 15, we're supposed to have fun and play video games all summer, but instead he goes to the mall and buys clothes and actually pays for his movie ticket. and hers too, what a loser.

     i still got paps to hang out with. he's the best. you know what he said the other day? he wants to write to you too! isn't he the best? he reads your letters over my shoulder, fudge he's so tall and i'm so small i hate it, when i receive them and he's around, and he read the part where you said the hospital was lonely and you wanted more letters from me. he said he could write to you too. but you know, i'm going to write you more so you'll have to write me back more, and maybe you won't have time for him.

     i'll add some stickers with the letter. i think you'll like them, it's cats. there's a sheet with food stickers too since you said the hospital food is so disgusting. you can stick them to the food to pretend it's not as bad. but don't eat them. the stickers.

     i got a ton of homework since i got into the advanced program at school so that's all for today. don't worry i'll find the time to write you more, i promise.

your good pal, sans

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Horror trudges through the snow, his breath disappearing into white puffs in the midday sun. His stomach growls. He was hoping to be done with his errand by now and grab a quick bite before going home, but with the bus issue he doesn't know when he'll get to have lunch.

Oh well, it's not like he's never gone hungry before. He still remembers the horrible hospital food and how he used to skip every meal possible, until the nurses had to sit him down and explain that if he wanted his skull to heal properly, he had to eat. Even then Horror knew this was bullshit. His skull was broken, the damage was done, and no amount of eating the flavorless food of the hospital would make it better.

The wound did finally heal, no thanks to his meals, but he still has difficulties with most everyday things. For the most part, he can manage. As long as he doesn't need to think too hard or for too long, he's good to go. What he could go without though are the headaches and the forgetfulness. He tries his best to remember things, but sometimes they just stay right out of his grasp, nagging him.

There's nothing he can do about that though, so he's reluctantly learned to live with it.

And it's not like he forgets everything anyway. Just the trivial stuff.

He won't forget about his brother for example, who has been his rock in his recovery. He won't forget about the accident either, when he lost his father and got his skull broken in half.

He of course won't forget about Sans, his pen pal. And crush.

And the reason he's presently trudging through the snow in an unfamiliar city.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

hello friendo, what's up!

     dude i have to tell you something. you're the first one i'm saying this to, even though by the time this letter reaches you i'll have told red too. but you're still the first, technically. remember alphys? i told you about her, she's in the same year as me, she's a dino monster and she's cute as fuck. so i got her number the other day, and she told me she got invited to this big ass party and she was too shy to go alone. so you know what i did? i said i'll go with her and we went and we got drunk and we went back to her car and she said it was hot and she removed her shirt. dude she removed her shirt and i saw her breasts and she's chubby you know and those are motherfucking badonks like i shit you not actually watermelons. and this guy here got to touch them! for real i'm not kidding you, she let me grope her tits and then i said like we should kiss, i don't know, i don't remember but i scored and dude, fuck that was the best sex ever like you have no idea it was so good and not gonna lie her foofoo kinda was like slime but warm. so yeah i'm a man now and then she was like asking me if i want to be her boyfriend and i said yes but i played it cool because red said you got to play it cool with girls. dude i drove her home and it was so awkward at school on monday but i kissed her again and i asked her if we can make love again and she said okay but we have to wait next weekend and i'll go to her house this time. so yeah we're going to do it in a bed this time. the car wasn't very comfortable and i had sore bones the next day but maybe you know it's just because i got to have sex i don't know.

she's texting me so bye sans

ps: i'm including candies with the letter, they're from miss muffet's where i get donuts. she makes candies now and they're so good, i wanted you to have some. the blue ones are my favorite, they're blueberry flavored. i know you like cherry the most so i bought more of them. okay bye now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Horror looks at his phone again, pulling out the map on the tiny screen. He has to squint his remaining eyelight to make sense of it, but he smiles in victory when he recognizes the park that's in front of him. It's the little green dot on his phone, and as he runs the tip of his finger across the screen, he can see that his destination is very close now.

He turns around a couple times to make sure that he's heading in the right direction and then off he goes.

He walks through the park, watching fondly as he passes by a group of kids playing in the snow. They're throwing snowballs at each other or making snowmen while others are lying down on the ground, flapping their arms and legs around to create snow angels.

Horror never got to do any of this as a kid, but he doesn't feel like he missed much. He's been exchanging letters with Sans for a little over a decade now, and his pen pal has written all about his adventures in such great detail that it's as if Horror has lived it all himself. So sure, it's not the same since Horror hasn't really done anything himself, but it's better than nothing, and Horror owes Sans a big deal for sharing his life like this with him for all these years.

That's why Horror is here today. His last surgery was very successful and he got discharged 2 weeks ago, after 11 years in the hospital. He hasn't told Sans yet, and he wants to surprise his best friend with a hand delivered letter. He's known Sans' address for a while now, and while he's not expecting to actually meet Sans, since he knows the other is most probably at work at this time of the day, he's very excited about his plan to deliver his next letter himself.

It's a special letter too. In it, Horror confesses his crush on Sans and goes into detail about how much the other means to him. He's not expecting anything out of the confession, it's just important for Sans to know that Horror loves him.

His cheeks red from the cold, Horror pulls his beanie further down as he keeps walking. He finally reaches a building that matches the address he got. He comes up to the door and realizes that he can't enter the building itself as he doesn't know the door code.

The problem is that the mail boxes are inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

hi horror, how are you doing?

     how did the surgery go? i checked your last 3 letters and you tell me about surgeries in each one, you're going under the knife a lot lately. i'm worried about you, i really hope it's going to work this time. will you let me visit you if it does? i know you always say no when i ask but i want to meet you, you're my best friend you know? and it's important to have support when going through health stuff so i could keep you company while you recover. i have a couple books i bought for your birthday that i haven't gotten to sending you yet because i'm still waiting for one more secret thing to arrive. i could read them to you.

     in other news, i got accepted in ebott university! i'm so happy! i still can't believe it. i'm moving out next month, it's going to be so weird living alone, but my dad found a good apartment near the university. i saw pictures and it looks huge so i can invite red over to play video games, or paps when he's on holidays. i told dad i wanted to find a summer job to help pay for it, but he told me to focus on my studies. i didn't insist too much! when i told my boyfriend, he got pissed that i was moving out of town and told me to go to community college with him instead so i told him off and we broke up. i'm not sad about it anymore, i think i would've broken up with him anyway. both red and paps didn't like him, that was my first clue. it's not bad to start university single i guess.

i have a ton of stuff to do so i stop here. i'll send you my new address in my next letter.

have a quick recovery. i think of you. sans

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"yeah, no, don't worry paps, it's just a little cold, i promise you," Sans rasps into his phone. Stars his throat hurts. "yeah, i'm almost home, i bought meds already and i fully intend to spend the afternoon resting, don't worry. no, i promise i won't work on my thesis. i'll rest. yeah okay, bye. love you."

Sans hungs up and sighs, setting off a nasty coughing fit. He woke up with a sore throat this morning but decided to go to the university anyway since he's been making really good progress on his thesis lately. Unfortunately, by the time he got there, he was dizzy enough to get his temperature checked and was told to go home and rest. After a quick visit to the doctor, he's now on his miserable way home. He already took some meds right after his visit to the doctor and at least most of his headache is gone now.

As he shuffles along, he notices a silhouette standing in front of his building entrance. A skeleton about his age looks defeatedly at the glass door, staring at the mail boxes. Sans immediately realizes that he's far from being properly dressed for the weather and shivers just thinking about how cold the other must be. At least he's wearing a beanie to keep his skull warm and as Sans keeps staring at the other, he realizes that he knows that beanie.

It's the one he bought a few months ago for…

"horror?" He asks out loud and to his surprise, the skeleton whips his skull around, finally noticing him.

"sans," the other simply says, his left eyelight widening like a cat's pupil.

Momentarily forgetting about his sore throat and his headache, Sans feels himself smile dumbly at the other, quickly crossing the couple steps to Horror. He carefully grabs his friend's shoulder and yes, he's real, Horror is really here. Sans' smile stretches to its limits.

"oh my stars, what are you doing here? it's really you, i can't believe it!"

Horror turns to face Sans and with a small, fragile voice, he says, "i was discharged a week ago. i wanted to give you this."

He presents Sans with a letter and that's when Sans realizes how desperately white and stiff Horror's fingers are. He wraps his hands around Horror's to warm them up before pulling the other inside the bulding.

"come here, buddy, let's get you warmed up first."

He leads his friend inside his appartment and sits him on the sofa while he makes some hot chocolate. He adds a handful of marshmallows to Horror's drink, knowing the other loves sweets. Horror thanks him for the drink, which he gulps down gratefully and with gusto, putting another smile on Sans' face.

It's been a while since he's seen a picture of Horror, so he didn't know his friend had grown up to be such a handsome monster.

Once Horror seems warmed up enough, Sans takes a look at what he brought: there's the letter, but also a little box decorated with a bunch of food and cat stickers that look familiar to Sans but he can't quite place them. He opens the box and his eyelights sparkles as he takes in the bunch of candies inside. Lemon and lime candies, blueberry cookies and lemon bars, it all looks so delicious. Sans loves lemon and blueberry.

He shakes his skull and focuses back on Horror, grabbing the letter.

"so you made it all the way here to give me this? you could've sent it you know?"

Horror nods.

"yes i know, but it was importantfor me to hand deliver it to you. i wrote a confession in it, so it's important," he explains.

Sans tilts his head. "a confession?"

"yes," Horror nods and what he says next has Sans' SOUL do a backflip in his chest. "a confession of my feelings for you. i like you, sans."

Sans finds himself staring wordlessly at Horror. He can't believe what he's hearing, and he feels himself starting to blush hard.

Sans has had a big crush on Horror ever since he realized he was bi. Sure he's dated other guys since the epiphany, but that was because he lived too far from Horror to be his boyfriend. But no guy (or girl for that matter) has ever been able to compare to Horror in Sans' mind, and so many times he's wanted to drop everything and go pay him a visit. He's known where the other was hospitalized since they were kids after all. He never went through with it because Horror always turned down his requests to visit and Sans was respectful of his friend's wishes not be to bothered while he was hospitalized. He knew that it wasn't because Horror didn't want to meet him, he just didn't want Sans to see him in that state and while it was frustrating to not be able to visit his best friend (and crush), Sans understood.

So to be told that Horror went all the way here to personally give Sans a letter when he confesses he has feelings for him… To say that Sans is filled with emotion is the understatement of the year, and Sans has to blink back tears.

Sans carefully opens the letter and reads it. Horror's letters have never been long in the first place, but this one is particularly brief. It's just a handful of words, really, where Horror makes it clear how important Sans is to him.

When he's done reading, Sans goes to sit next to Horror on the couch, smiling at him fondly.

"horror, will you be my boyfriend?" He asks simply, and struggles to keep a chuckle in at the surprised look on the other's face.

Horror doesn't look to believe it at first, but he must be able to read on Sans' face how serious he is, and he nods timidly.

"erm, yes. i really want to."

Sans wraps his arms around Horror and hugs him tight.

"if i didn't have a cold, i'd kiss you," he declares happily, but with a touch of frustration.

Horror giggles.

"i lost my wallet and can't go home anyway. i have all the time in the world to wait for you to get better, like you waited for me to heal."

"guess you're stuck with me for a while then."

"i don't mind."

[stabbyfoxandrew]

kevjean and 14 would kill me i think

14. A kiss to the stomach

Riko smashed Kevin’s hand yesterday. Since it happened, Kevin has not said a word to anyone. He has done nothing but stare at his hand. The bones had come out of it. And he hadn’t had the stomach to push them back in. They’re hiding because bandages now and his hand is completely numb. Like it was never there. 

He’ll never play again. He’ll never play again. He can’t even write his name. He will never play again. Ever. 

For the first time since his mother died he is missing practice. It would do him no good to go. Because his hand is destroyed. He’ll. Never. Play. Again. 

He is useless. 

Useless things do not last long here in the nest. Kevin knows that. He’s seen what happens to useless things. He never expected to become one. His eyes flick to the clock on the nightstand and he’s got about thirty minutes before practice ends. Everyone else thinks he’s sick.

Kevin too sick to play? That’s never happened before. Surely they must know it’s a lie. But even if they figure it out, what could they do? What could they say?

The doorknob starts to turn and Kevin’s nauseous. No. No, he’s got time to get himself together before Riko comes back—

It’s not Riko. 

It’s Jean.

He sucks in a harsh breath when he sees Kevin. “I knew it. I knew you weren’t sick.”

Kevin merely blinks at him. He has no words.

“What has he done?”

“I’ll never play again,” Kevin says, his voice monotone and lifeless and dead. Like he will be soon.

Jean’s eyes leave Kevin’s hand to search his face. “The doctor said that?”

“I haven’t been to one.”

“What?”

“Riko wouldn’t let me go.” Kevin swallows thickly. “He gave me an ace bandage and a bottle of Ibuprofen. Told me to deal with it.”

“You have to go.”

“I can’t.”

“You must.” Jean kneels in front of Kevin. “It can heal if you—”

“He said no.”

“Then you have to leave here. Get away from him.” Jean says, as if that’s a possibility. Kevin scoffs. 

“And go where? Straight to the morgue?” Kevin asks. “It’s a little early for that.”

“To your father.” Jean says and it’s clear from his expression he isn’t joking.

“How the hell could I possibly get to South Carolina—”

“The southern banquet is tonight, it’s only a couple hours away in Virginia,” Jean supplies. “You get there. You tell Coach Wymack you need help. He will help you.”

“I can’t—”

“You don’t have to tell him everything. Just that you need help,” Jean says, standing up to grab Kevin’s school bag. He empties it onto the floor before cramming in some clothes from the dresser on Kevin’s side of the room. Kevin can only watch and try not to throw up. Jean can’t be serious. “You’ve got one of the team's credit cards, correct?”

“Um. Yes?” It’s in his wallet. And it’s only for emergencies. 

“Use it at an ATM to take out a few hundred, buy a bus ticket that will take you to VU, find your father.”

“I can’t—” Kevin repeats and Jean kneels in front of him again.

“If you want to live you will.” He says, then he grabs one of Kevin’s shoes and stuffs it onto his right foot. Then the other on the left. He sits back on his heels for a moment then puts his arms around Kevin, places a kiss against his clothed stomach. Then he rises, pulls Kevin to his feet, and sets his backpack on one shoulder. “Everyone is at practice now. No one will know you’re gone until it’s too late.”

“Jean—”

“Goddamn it, Kevin, go.”

“I want you to come with me.”

Jean freezes at that. Blinks several times. “And you know I want to go. But both of us, it’s impossible.”

“He’ll kill you.”

“He’ll never know.” Jean says. “The Master told me to get out of his sight. As far as they know I’m in the locker room.”

“But Jean—”

Jean pulls Kevin close, careful of his hand. He presses a kiss to his temple. “Now get the hell out of here. Call me when you can. Let me know you’re alright.”

“I will.”