#and we all know Andrew pays more attention than he lets on

[exy-shmexy]

Some more wholesome Twinyards for you

Aaron is alone at the library in the (very) late evening studying for an upcoming biochemistry exam. It's a random Tuesday. Aaron is startled by Andrew quietly dropping down on the chair in front of him. He blinks, wondering what the hell his chronically-allergic-to-libraries twin is doing here.

Andrew silently reaches into his backpack—an old discolored black thing Nicky got him when they started high school—and gets his own books out of it as if it were the most normal thing. He pushes Aaron's laptop slightly to the side with a corner of his textbook.

Aaron is too stunned to say anything.

He just watches Andrew splay an array of annotated papers in front of him, settling into his own homework session.

"What are you doing?" Aaron finally manages to ask after a long stretch of silence.

Andrew lifts his head, usual boredom plastered on his face. "Studying."

"You never come here."

Andrew shrugs. Aaron knows it's the end of the conversation because Andrew lowers his head and begins scribbling more notes down as he goes through his set of mandatory readings. Aaron stares, frowning. He tries to get back to his own biochemistry notes, but his brain has decided to stop working.

Andrew should be with Kevin and Neil for their usual evening practice session.

But then it hits him.

"You were listening?" he asks. Andrew looks up again, one eyebrow raised. "The other night, when I was talking with Matt," Aaron continues. "I told him Katelyn would be away for the week with the other cheerleaders. You heard us?"

Andrew sighs in what Aaron is now certain is feigned annoyance. "You don't like studying on your own, you can't focus if there isn't someone else with you."

Aaron blinks. "So you came here to... keep me company?"

"Neil and Kevin are being intolerable Exy junkies together. Nicky is out with Matt and Dan. Renee is... busy with Allison. Unless you made some friends on the football team no one knows about, which is highly unlikely considering you punched one of them—"

"He deserved it."

"—then I don't think there was any other option. Don't overthink it. I just couldn't stand the stickball fanatics a minute longer." And with that Andrew dives back into his coursework.

Aaron is smiling so big it's actually embarrassing. He clears his throat, knowing perfectly well Andrew didn't mean the last part of his statement because he never does anything he doesn't want to do. Andrew is with him because he knows Aaron can't stay focused ifhe doesn't have someone to study with. Usually it's Katelyn, but Katelyn isn't there.

Andrew is.

Aaron goes back to his intercellular communication notes. He loses track of time, and quickly forgets how long they stay in the library together. Once Aaron declares he's done for the night (having noticed Andrew had been done for a whole half hour and was busy getting ahead of his notes), he asks him if he wants to go to the sandwich place close by. His gift. Andrew accepts. They go together, and spend another hour together. They don't talk a lot, but the shared companionship is enough.

When the next Tuesday arrives and Andrew shows up again instead of Katelyn, Aaron is more than happy to clear up some space for his brother at the desk.

When he learns about this, Neil secretly tells Katelyn to give them one evening together away from everyone every week and she graciously accepts

[palmettoshenanigans]

HERE'S WHY I LOVE ANDREIL SO MUCH

Their main language - one no one else seems to speak (except maybe Renee and Bee?? which would explain why Neil finds their vibes off putting and why they're the ones able to get close to Andrew like that) - is the language of Technicalities and Semantics. But here's the thing: when you speak Technicalities and Semantics, its all in the subtext and the text. But you don't assume everyone is going to be literate in text and have the wherewithal to also delve into the subtext! You can't! Because people don't really do that, at least not with the level of intention that Andrew and Neil do.

Example: "I should hope so."

Imagine this, pretend Riko is alive. He gets into a car accident, and he survives unscathed. His car takes the brunt of it. Someone during a press conference relays this to Neil and says, "But Riko is okay!"

Neil smiles, exercises the bare minimum of his PR training and says, "I should hope so."

But, notice. He said he should hope so. Not that he would hope so.

"I would hope so" means I'm suppose to hope that this person is okay according to moral standards, and I do

"I should hope so" means I'm suppose to hope this person is okay according to moral standards, but I don't

God forbid someone asks further questions about his feelings on the matter. No one would take "Technically I said-" seriously because people don't normally play that game. The technical differences between 'would' and 'should' lack relevant meaning in this context because that's a meta-level conversation and no one has time for that kind of tit for tat - except Andrew.

Let's do another one: "Did you need something?"

Someone comes up to Neil and he says, full of suspicion, "Did you need something?" They say yes and tell him their needs, then he directs them to someone who can fulfill them. But - they argue - they were asking him for help and he offered!

"No," he says, "I asked if you needed something; never said I'd be the one to do anything about it."

And that's why (in this hypothetical) Neil specifically said "Did you need something?" and not "Can I help you?" because he wasn't going to help you anyway so why offer it, even if you'd never meant to ask? Because just like he can trap someone with his words, someone else can trap him with his own words.

And as a writer whose Special Interest is Language and how it can be manipulated, I LOVE THAT!!!

An aspect of why and how Andrew and Neil fell for each other was because they both speak this language. Technicalities and Semantics. That's why Neil understood more about Tilda than Aaron. It's why Andrew understood the weight of 'Abram'. It's why "Nothing" and "I hate you" spoke more volumes to them than any soft words ever could have. It's why "Stay" was able to bring Neil back from the brink. It's why what they don't say is just as important as what they do because "never said yes" == "no" and "never said no" =/= "yes" are obvious to them but not to others!

And its why they throw their words back at each other from past encounters! Because "we both know what you said and we both know what you meant, and we both know that this applies here too and i'm going to prove it by quoting you directly, check mate now kiss me hypocrite" is their fucking LOVE LANGUAGE FIGHT ME RIGHT NOW

Listen to the actual words coming out of their mouth, pay attention to their technical meanings, and be willing to also parse the subtext, and you will be fluent in Andreil forever.

[tcoaal]

EDIT: i made a few small edits since i posted this

hi i might be beating a dead horse but this rant has been building up since seeing the first comments on reddit. spoilers under the readmore + i didn't want to eat your entire dash

you're all free to like or dislike or love or hate The Coffin of Andrew and Renee mod all you want but something that's been driving me absolutely bonkers in criticism of it is people saying Renee was wholesome or loving in it. i have a lot of mean words about it actually but i want to keep it civil and just say: you are absolutely completely incorrect in every capacity.

the key difference between canon gravecest and Andrew's and Renee's relationship in this mod is Renee's abuse is completely different than Ashley's. the mod is quite arguably a LOT more fucked up than the source material when you pay attention to it!

(and also one of the mcs is a milf yada yada)

this mod at the end of the day is a fanfic. it's an AU fanfic you get to play. it's a really well written fanfic! not the same as the original, and there's definitely parts that are weaker (the first half of the 303 lady scene after the summoning was really weak before it became my favorite part of the mod) but it does a decent job at exploring this story with a major plot of divergence years before the canon start of the game and how that's affecting Andrew.

Andrew is considerably more submissive when things get rough around Renee than he is with Ashley. the thing about gravecest is that it's codependent. Ashley doesn't really force or make Andrew do anything: Andrew desperately wants to blame his problems on Ashley but deep down he's just as, if not even more fucked up than Ashley actually is. this is something we could debate and discuss for hours but: this dynamic is lost with Renee, and for good reasons.

Renee was the one that forced Andrew to be the one who raised his sister. and then Renee forcibly separated them and told him if he ever had problems come to her.

Andrew is dependent on Renee in a way Renee clearly is not in the mod.

Renee's life has kinda gone to shit. getting Ashley locked up didn't magically solve her problems: her life is actually worse than in canon. her doormat husband finally found the balls to leave her, Andrew clearly resents her deep down, she's locked in an apartment and her tie to Andrew is literally the only thing she has left. and boy is Andrew infinitely worse off for that! Renee actively controls every aspect of Andrew's life one way or another, and while I dislike the first half of the Room 302 scene the ending shows that contrast.

Andrew basically mentally shuts down whenever Renee gets serious about weaponizing his dependency. Renee is somebody who forced him to raise his sister, then forcibly ripped that person from her to make herself the one he's dependent on.

this scene was really fucking haunting to watch because she actively weaponizes using what she did. she was the one responsible for letting shit get so messed up when he was a kid. and then he uses it to hurt him: and then continues to weaponize the fact she "saved" him to make him back down.

"And... maybe I said some things that weren't called for myself."

^ the exact line that sold this characterization of Renee to me. this is immediately after her exploiting his trauma, trauma she is very much directly responsible for. this isn't a happy scene. this isn't a wholesome scene. look how tired Andrew looks compared to his mother.

even when she's blatantly, clearly in the wrong she won't admit responsibility. it was Andrew's fault for acting like a child. it's his fault for lashing out when his trauma is exploited by Renee and she has to further manipulate and abuse the trust she forcibly installed into him to make him back down. but maybe she said a few bad things too. she didn't mean it though. Andrew should know better though.

anyone with half a brain can tell this is horrifically fucked up and a very different kind of control and confrontation Ashley uses: Ashley just likes to get in his face and initiate a verbal argument regarding Andrew's hypocrisy more other than not and then said arguments run their natural course. Renee repeatedly uses textbook abuse and gaslighting tactics to force the person dependent on her to back down. Anderw is not naturally "a dutiful son," as the mod describes him, Renee made him become that and regularly abuses that fact.

Renee is a lot more gungho about being a cannibal and is extremely attached to a story about a monster that eats everything that threatens her child because Renee has lost everything else of value in her life and is forcing Andrew to be close to her, constantly picking needless fights at the idea of her own son leaving her side and leaving her alone, and emphasizing that he owes it to her to stay by her side and actively controls him to ensure he doesn't leave.

like, you can feel however you want. i've seen some people hate it. i've actually seen some people who like it more than the actual game itself. i certainly have a few criticisms of it, mostly tied to its format inherently, but i'll defend it unless chapter 2 drops the ball.

but every time i see someone comment "Renee is really wholesome and loving in this mod and that's really OOC for her," or when the criticisms mostly boil down to the art style i think i die inside a bit and i cannot take that person's complaints regarding this mod seriously in any capacity. anyways thanks for listening to my insane rant if you read this far manifesting chapter 3 soon my crops are dying

[jtl-fics]

Fluent Freshman - Part 06

PREVIOUS

Andrew is dragging FF across campus towards where he parked his car and he is kinda of concerned that FF is just like fully letting himself be dragged across campus. I’m talking full on Andrew has a grip on the back of his hoodie, FF is just staring up at the sky, FF’s feet don’t even attempt to stop Andrew from pulling him where he wants to go, and when Andrew looks back FF’s face is just :I

Which even Andrew can admit is kind of weird.

Meanwhile FF is just like ‘The ground hasn’t really gotten cold yet so I’m sure Captain Neil and Andrew could really go to town on the hole they’re going to bury me in. I wonder what gave me away? It was probably the fucking Russian Literature book. I didn’t even like the plot twist in that one anyways. Can’t BELIEVE I’m gonna die due to my love of trashy literature. Thanks Grandma. Wait I’m sorry grandma, I didn’t mean to be rude-“

“Hey Granny Smith! I’ve been looking for you!” A most loathed nickname coming from a most loathed voice. Andrew doesn’t stop towing FF because why the hell would he? FF has never been so grateful to be dragged to his death! Now if only Andrew would break his long standing and well-known absolute refusal to do anything more than walk at a brisk pace.

He sees his step-brother jogging up to him and FF almost turns to Andrew to ask if he could just kill him HERE so he doesn’t have to deal with his step-brother and THEN get stabbed to death in the forest? He can accept that he should have told Andrew and Captain Neil that he knows Russian and the death sentence that rightfully comes with that but like C’MON having to deal with his Step-brother is just cruel and unusual punishment!

His step brother catches up and in a way maybe all the mental torture he’s gone through since coming to Palmetto is a good thing! He really was a novice at the poker face before and now he’s a grand master champion of staring at something that’s gonna SUCK and pretending like he has no idea that it is.

“Whoa there Granny.” His Step brother grabs his arm and tugs him out of Andrew’s grasp. Andrew really had not been paying attention to whatever jack off had been yelling something about apples. So FF getting yanked out of his hand was actually his first indication since FF didn’t say or react at all before. “You’ve been dodging all of Dad’s calls y’know. You still haven’t sent anything that we asked you for, got any excuse for that?!” His step brother demands.

FF looks heavenward because this is, like, so embarrassing. He can feel people stopping and staring at them.

(They were staring before his Step-brother showed up because he was getting visibly dragged through campus by ANDREW MINYARD. Some of his friends who had seen it were already planning a memorial service and candle vigil)

“Nope.” Because he has nothing to say about whatever the hell his step brother is talking about.

“Mom’s heartbroken you know! You haven’t reached out to her once!” he says. 

“I’ll get on that.”

“Are you going to get the stuff we asked you for?! We are family aren’t we? We’re not asking for a lot. Just for you to get tickets to your games for Dad’s colleagues, some autographs from your teammates, and a good word to that bleeding heart coach that we all should get the free ride you’re getting. That’s not too much right?!”

Andrew hasn’t intervened yet but now Andrew is under the impression that FF stopped hanging out because the kid’s family has been harassing him with calls and maybe this isn’t the first time they’ve come in person to campus. That’s why FF has been fading into the background. Andrew’s now under the impression that FF’s family has wanted him to use the Foxes (tickets, autographs, scholarships for his step brothers) and FF had just been pulling away so his asshole family wouldn’t bother the rest of them. That FF may not have been able to cut off contact completely because of a grandparent he was close to.

These are, in fact, the WRONG impressions of the situation at hand. The truth of the matter is that Wymack helped him get a new phone and phone number within 24 hours of getting to Palmetto, it was the one extra that he asked for in his contract and Palmetto is paying his phone bill now. The phone with the number his ‘family’ had just sits charging in a drawer on silent in Wymack’s desk because Wymack is INFINITELY petty when it comes to the things his Foxes are running from.

The other truth of the situation at hand is that Fluent Freshman’s grandma is the only member of his family he talks to regularly and he talks to her almost every single day of his life, she is the only person he can be completely honest with because she knows what a wimp he is and loves him regardless. 

His Grandma is just an EXCELLENT actress. So when his ‘family’ comes over for answers she’ll sigh, stare longingly at a framed photo of FF, and look out the window with a single pre-staged tear in her eye. She wouldn’t give them his new number no matter what.

He loves his grandma even if it was her teaching him Polish, her native tongue, that lead to him getting interested in the other slavic languages that lead him down the deadly path to Russian.

ANYWAYS.

Andrew is under some very wrong impressions but he is also under one very correct impression and it’s the impression that’s the most important anyways.

Fluent Freshman’s family is what made him a Fox and Fluent Freshman’s family are therefore the enemy.

Except FF doesn’t give Andrew the time to pull out his knife, “No, I don’t wanna do that. Bye Greg.” He says, pulls out his student ID, slaps it on a nearby scanner for a STUDENT ONLY building and power walks inside leaving Andrew and his Step Brother alone.

The door shuts behind FF with a distinctive lock and Greg looks at Andrew his face purpling from anger, “You’re going to let me in there and-“

Andrew now has plenty of time to pull out his knife. “You’re going to what?”

Greg swallows and in a show of excellent survival instincts runs the fuck away.

Andrew watches him run before he turns back to the STUDENT ONLY building and heads in himself. He finds FF just inside the doors and he looks tired sitting there against the wall. FF doesn’t say anything to Andrew, doesn’t even acknowledge that he’s there. Andrew takes a spot on the wall across from him. People give them weird looks but Andrew is fine with waiting.

He doesn’t mind just sitting in silence with FF again even if the circumstances aren’t what they usually are. So they sit.

FF has blue-screened. The stress of his impending death, of his step brother showing up and saying crazy shit, he blacked out a bit from the stress of being between Andrew and Greg and has no memory of what he said before he walked into this building and then there’s the fact that he just WALKED INTO SOME RANDOM CAMPUS BUILDING (oh god he’s probably not supposed to be in here but Greg is definitely still loitering outside maybe security will be gentle if he just sits right by the exit so they don’t have to go far to kick him out? Maybe he should move near a Different exit so Greg doesn’t see him get tossed like yesterday’s trash? Well he already sat down so now it’s embarrassing if he gets up to just go SIT AT SOME OTHER EXIT.)

So he’s taking a moment to reboot.

Unfortunately his ability to have internal conversations and recognize that someone is there with him is one of the last things that loads.

“It’s fine. I’ve always been the leftover kid. I don’t care that they don’t care. I don’t care either.” He says and it’s a mantra he’s repeated for almost a decade now.

It is definitely not something he thought he was saying out loud in the presence of Andrew Minyard and it is also definitely not something he was SAYING to Andrew Minyard but how the hell would ANDREW MINYARD KNOW THAT WHEN FF IS STARING STRAIGHT AT HIM WHEN HE SAYS IT.

So Andrew thinks it’s the explanation FF is offering about his step brother / family. If there’s one thing Andrew knows the feeling of it is being the ‘leftover’ kid.

The one-sided kinship grows while FF is working on rebooting his vision and getting his heart rate down to a BPM that wouldn’t have medical doctors concerned.

Finally, FF blinks his vision has returned back to him, sees Andrew Minyard across the hall from him, and, by the grace of GOD considering his fried nerves, FF does not flinch.

Andrew doesn’t make any move to grab him and FF decides to take this momentary reprieve that his executor is granting him to shoot off a text to his grandma. “I am so grateful for all the love you have given me throughout my life. I think I’m going to see Dad in the next few hours so please let me know if there’s anything you want me to say to him.” Is what he sends.

(This grandma has gotten almost this exact same text when he had an oral presentation last week. Her grandson is a wimp but she loves him.)

“Are we still going on that drive?” He asks his affairs settled. It’s nice that Andrew let him have a breakdown here and even let him text his grandma his final thoughts. He was willing to use his blood to write out the message but where would he get the paper?

“Yeah, we can go on that drive.” Andrew gets up and offers his hand to FF who looks at it for a long moment KNIVES. THOSE ARE KNIVES. HE USUALLY CONCEALS THEM BETTER? IS THIS HIS WAY OF SAYING HE’S GOING TO BE REALLY MESSY WITH MY DEATH? OH GOD HE’S NOT READY.

(Andrew didn’t really take the time to put his knives back in his arm bands properly because he figured he needed to catch FF before the kid disappeared again. He didn’t think he’d find him just inside the door.)

FF pushes himself up onto his feet.

They get to the Maserati and FF was AWARE that Andrew had a nice car but he hadn’t pieced it together that he’d be doing his last ride in such a nice car. He briefly pauses by the trunk wondering if he should just save Andrew the trouble and climb in himself?

Andrew sees FF pause at the car and figures he’s just being polite not touching Andrew’s stuff without Andrew’s permission. FF is just that kind of guy.

“The passenger seat is available.” Andrew says and alright cool Andrew wants to threaten him first that makes sense.

Except Andrew doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t drive them to a remote location. He’s just driving around Palmetto and FF does not think that Andrew is planning on crashing the car to kill him (He has unfortunately heard Aaron and Andrew have a fight in German when he was waiting for his own appointment with Betsy so he also Is aware what happened to their mom no matter HOW HARD he tries to forget that he knows.)

It’s just actually kind of a nice drive?

“He called you Granny Smith.” Andrew states. (Wondering if THAT is the elusive first name)

“I’m close with my Grandma. My last name is Smith. They’re not that creative.”

“Hm.” (Dammit)

Andrew watches as FF’s shoulders eventually relax until he’s almost falling asleep in the Mas and decides that the drive has done it’s job.

Eventually Andrew parks in front of the tower, tells him to respond to his texts from at least him and Neil, and he is released feeling very much like one of those animals that were released back into the wild after being tagged.

He texts his grandma later “NVM it wasn’t that bad.”

NEXT

Per your requests:

@i-have-three-feelings @blep-23 @dreamerking27

[amathslutsguidetofandom]

Infinite Solutions - 1

PAIRINGS: Law!Professor!Andy Barber x Math!Professor!Reader

SUMMARY: MIT is famously known for its high level of education. What happens if it's not only filled with knowledge? What if it is also filled with confusion? Confusion of a new, hard-working Mathematics professor? A professor who might be falling in love with her fellow co-worker? What if that co-worker was in the Law faculty? What if that Law professor is Andrew "Andy" Barber?

WARNINGS: Swearing (if you squint).

WORD COUNT: 1,905

ENJOY!

"Shit!" You feel the puddle soak your new, expensive black slacks. Swearing at your recklessness, you ignore the mishap and continue to walk on the cobblestone. The Massachusetts chill is cooler than usual, and that’s why you have your coffee in hand. The sip you take instantly warms and floods your entire being with comfort.

You see students sitting on the lawn with textbooks and papers surrounding them like an iron fence; you lightly smile at the reminder of how you were in their exact position and place when you were in your undergrad.

MIT is filled to the brim with students as they walk to their respective classes. You see the building of your destination, and you trek towards it. The feeling of your wet pant leg sticking to your skin is something that you were not really into, but at this point, you really don’t care. You were going to be late if you pay any more attention to that mistake.

You push open the doors and walk in and make your way to an office you used to frequent back in your young adulthood.

-------

"I must say, that when I got your application, I was quite shocked," Schmidt says from his seat with a light smile on his face. You give him one of your downwards smiles, “I can assure you, Mr. Schmidt, sending my application in was something I thought I never had to do. I mean, it was an arbitrary decision; I wasn’t really thinking about it when I sent it in.”

He laughs at your response before taking a sip from his coffee. "And please, call me Tobias," the German mathematician replies kindly before gathering some papers on his desk and standing, and you follow suit. "Let me show you to your office; I heard it has one of the greatest views," he opens the door and lets you go ahead first.

The halls of the building were old and gave you some sort of idea of how much mathematical knowledge has soaked into its walls over the years. You used to walk these halls all the time, use some of their empty classrooms all alone, and solve the most complex problems on their blackboards.

Now, you’re here walking beside your boss, the Dean. But in a previous life, that was your bachelor's, he was your first-year Multivariable Calculus professor.

The little journey to your new workspace isn’t long, but it consisted of you and Tobias chatting in the first half. “If I may, may I ask what happened over there,” he points at the wet splotch on your pant leg. You shake your head and wave him off, “a long story you do not want to listen to, I assure you.” The rest of the walk is just the two of you recollecting about your time back when you were an undergrad.

“You used to send emails at 3 am,” he says with a throaty chuckle. You widen your eyes as you remember what type of student you were. “Oh dear, I did, didn’t I?” You both share a laugh until he stops in front of a dark oak door.

"Well, here we are," he smiles warmly and unlocks the door with a key before handing it to you. You nod your thanks and follow him inside when he opens the door.

When he mentioned that the view was going to be gorgeous, you thought he was overstating it. But now that you are here, and you are looking out of the window with your eyes. You are stunned.

“And I know how much you love the blackboards, so I recommended them to book this office, specifically, for you,” he states before setting the papers he’s carrying on the, your, desk.

You look at him confused, then see the blackboard attached to the wall opposite your window. God, you think you could die at ease now. Your desk sits in the space between the window and the blackboard.

There are metal drawers at two corners of the room, and lamps situated on top of them illuminating the room in a decent glow. “This—” you scoff shockingly, “this is amazing, it’s literally more than I could ask for.” The 50-something man chuckles and smiles at your reaction. “Welcome to the School of Mathematics, Professor.”

-------

You type furiously at your keyboard, the monitor taking in your input as you type the last of the lecture notes for week 5. Finally, you click on the period.

Sighing, you lean back and stretch your arms. Your back tenses as you finally straighten your posture from the hunched position you were in.

The clock above your door shows that it's half to midnight. You do a few finishing touches to your notes before posting it on the website so the keener few of the students can get their studying done.

At the end of it all, you shut down your desktop and get your stuff packed. Your phone pings as you receive messages from friends and family congratulating you and liking your post on Instagram.

The picture you posted was of the view you had from your desk, and it really was Pinterest-worthy, so you decided why not and post it on social media.

You leave your office and lock it before exiting the building and returning to the Cambridge chilling weather.

-------

You're nervous.

Really, really nervous.

It’s the first day of classes, and students are already starting to file in. You thought there would only be a handful at your 8 AM class, but here you are, seeing that the whole class is full.

The hand on your watch strikes 8 AM, and you look up and see all the different types of students waiting for you to start the class.

Taking in a deep breath, you adjust the microphone that’s clipped on your navy silk blouse and switch it on. Then you rub your hands together before walking to stand in front of the blackboard.

“Morning everyone!” You start with a bright smile on your face. “I’ll be your professor for this unit, for this semester.” You tell the class your name and what title you prefer to be called. “You really don’t have to call me Professor; you can call me by my first name. I’m not that much of a pain in the ass,” the majority of the class chuckles at your swearing.

“Welcome to Multivariable Calculus (ADVANCED),” your grin widens, and you rub your hands down your thighs. “It really isn’t for the faint-hearted,” you state with a slightly serious expression.

“But you can push through if you put in the hard work. Mathematics is a beautiful subject; it’s one of the few technical subjects where you can actually express your creativity and think in so many different ways to come to one answer,” you talk with your hands as you talk about the subject you're most passionate about.

“So, really do not be scared. Just put in the hard work, and if you do feel like you're falling behind, please, please, please contact me or the TAs that are assigned to this unit. We are here to help you with any mathematical problems you have,” you smile reassuringly, and you smile even wider when you see some of the students nod at your words.

“Alright, before we get started, do any of you have any questions about the unit or in general?” you ask before crossing your arms and adjusting the microphone a bit.

A lanky, you assume, first-year student raises his arm immediately after you asked that question. You look at him with a smile. “Yes?”

“Um, you are—” he says your full name in a questioning tone, as though waiting for you to correct him. You furrow your brows a bit but maintain a small smile. “Uh, yeah, that would be me.”

His eyes brighten a bit, and he asks a follow-up question. “You worked for NASA for three years, right? You were the main mathematician that calculated the landing trajectory and coordinates of the latest Mars rover.”

You are speechless; you thought that you’d be able to leave that life of yours behind you. “Uh, yeah, th-that’s true,” you answer with a pursed smile.

“Alright, any other questions?” you pointedly try not to look at the same student, and no one raises their hand. You clap your hands. “Alright, let's get started.”

-------

You look at your watch and see that two hours have gone by quickly. “Alright, I think I must wrap up in a minute. So, just a few late things,” you pause and look back at everyone and face your back to the used blackboard.

“Please do the practice questions; they really are helpful. And if you do have any questions, please either email me or any of the TAs, and we will reply. Just give us at least twenty-four hours to reply,” you smile and cross your arms.

“Ok, I think that’ll be it for today. Have a good one, y’all,” you nod and smile as you see your students start to flood out of the lecture theatre.

A few students line up to ask you a few questions about today's content, and you happily answer them and make sure that your explanations are detailed and clear for them to understand.

Soon, you are packing your stuff and wiping your writings off the blackboard. You switch off all the electronics, then finally the lights, before walking out of the classroom.

-------

It’s the end of the workday; you taught a total of three classes. And for each of them, you were equally enthusiastic about enlightening the minds of everyone present in the room with you.

You do your final routine of closing your office. You are quite happy with how today turned out; a few students took advantage of your office hours and asked you a lot of advanced questions, which tickled your brain in a really fun way.

You finally lock the door of your office and adjust the strap of your messenger bag over your shoulder.

You exit the building and head down the stairs. As you do, you hear someone call out your name.

You stop in your tracks as you sort of recognize the voice. You turn and see a 6’3 man jogging to catch up to you. His hair is the same since you first met him, his beard is much fuller, and his eyes. His eyes have always been the bluest you’ve ever seen.

But he's broader, stronger, and much taller.

“Oh gosh, it really is you, Hey! I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, you look different, but the same,” he chuckles as he pulls you into a hug. You hug him back, but you’re still in shock.

It’s been years since you both have seen the other.

“God, the last time I saw you, you were on TV,” he scoffs and laughs at the same time. “You were wearing the NASA uniform and giving that speech about your work,” he smiles at you so brightly; you think it’s the most gorgeous thing you’ve ever seen.

When did he get so handsome?

You just nod to whatever he’s saying; you seriously don’t think you can speak right now.

“How are you?” he smiles, gripping harder onto his briefcase as he waits for you to answer. And you smile.

“I’m well, Andy.”

🎀🎀🎀

TAGLIST <3: @sarahdonald87 , @yiiiikesmish , @jamneuromain

Here we are babes, with the first chapter of Infinite Solutions.

Took a while, but we made it. 😌😌😌

Again, if you want to be tagged, please comment so I can keep a list my loves.🤗🤗🤗

Till' then

Stay Coquette-y,

Anya 🫶🏽🕊️🎀

[parkermunson]

Picture Me

Summary: Peter Parker's shy in most things, until he's behind the camera. [1.6k words]

T/W: smut [18+ only, minors away!!], exhibitionism, f+m masturbation

A/N: My first Peter fic/smut! Tbh this can be any Peter you want, but I had Andrew's in mind while writing. As a photographer myself, I fell in love with Spider-Man's camera savviness, and clung to it since Tobey. Kinda upset we never saw that part of the character with Tom. Divider by @silkholland.

Tagging @corrodedcorpses for supporting this <3

Peter was different than any person you've ever dated. He was shy, timid, and extra sweet. He second-guessed himself often, even when you assured him he was perfect. The only time he never questioned himself was when he was behind his camera, snapping shot after shot of whatever caught his eye through the little lens. His confidence soared when you complimented the finished photos, boosting his self-esteem beyond comprehension. But when the camera was away, those self-esteem issues crept back in, clouding his brain in self-deprecating thoughts.

The two of you had only been dating a few short months, but your friendship had spanned years. All it took was one drunken night for feelings to be shared, and bodies to be explored, to change everything. Peter was by no means shy in the bedroom, but it was obvious he was holding back. The little things gave him away– the clenched fists during a particularly messy blowjob, or the lip bite when you slowed your bouncing on his cock. You tried everything to push him past that line, but it proved much more difficult than anticipated. He was simply afraid to let that side of him out. That's what caused the genius idea to hit you so hard it had your thighs clenching under the table over dinner.

Peter sat across from you, talking about his woes as a journalism photographer, trying to make ends meet on the bullshit excuse of pay. You're half-listening, half-drowning in the idea of Peter taking you over the table right now, throwing the dishes to the floor or letting them fall off the table with every hard thrust of his hips.

"I want you to photograph me," you interrupt. Peter glances up at you from his plate, pausing his movements.

"I've taken photos of you before," he replied, placing his fork down. He's confused, a bit worried even. You seem serious, and haven't been able to give your full attention to him since you sat down.

"I want you to photograph me... naked." The last word leaves your mouth in almost in a question. You're not sure that's what you even had in mind. But it's the first thing that came out.

Peter's mouth hangs open while you wait for an answer. He's not sure he heard you correctly. This can't be real. You can't be real. This was one of his biggest fantasies, to have your gorgeous body photographed by him, to have you captured on camera in your most intimate way. Of course, this fantasy always ended with a photo of your fucked out face covered in his cum hiding in his wallet. He'd print photos of your pussy swallowing his cock and keep them hidden by his bed for a lonely day. He'll even print a photo of your tits covered in deep purple hickies.

But how could he do that to you? You were delicate, unassuming. You weren't aware of his crime-fighting alter ego and you've never even gotten kinky in the bedroom. He didn't want to lose himself and accidentally reveal he was Spider-Man. You'd be at risk with that knowledge.

"Y/N... I don't know." He folded his hands in his lap and stared down at them, doing everything to avert from looking at you. You were silent, hurt from his answer. Why wouldn't he want this? Wouldn't anyone want the image of their partner naked? Did he not like that part of your relationship? Of you?

You stood from the table, and walked to the bedroom, making a point of grabbing his camera off the living room table on your way. Peter sat there frozen, his brain telling him not to follow, his cock twitching at the thought of you sitting naked next to his camera. His internal battle was halted when your sultry voice called his name from your room. "Peteeeerrrrr." It was almost like a moan and a demand at the same time. Your own personal mating call, just for him.

His legs were carrying him to your room before he even processed the action in his brain. You controlled him now. You sat cross-legged on the edge of your bed, smirking at his frame in the doorway. His camera perched next to you, waiting. He approached slowly, already looking wrecked without anything even happening. The idea was enough to send the man in a fit. You placed the camera in his hand gently, and sat up on your knees. "Direct me, Mr. Photographer." He looked dumbfounded, lost in his thoughts. "Peter... where do you want me?"

"Uh.. o-over here," he pointed half-heartedly to the corner with a chair and a light above. You smiled and reached out a hand to him, which he took to help you off the bed. Sauntering over to the chair, you made a show of wiggling your hips with each step. Peter was practically drooling already.

You sat down and looked up at him with wide eyes. It took a moment, but eventually he understood to start taking pictures. You began unbuttoning your jeans, making sure he got to see the pretty lace of your panties hiding beneath your pants. Sliding the jeans off your legs, you bent over, giving the camera a nice view of your cleavage over your low-cut top. You then moved onto removing your shirt, sliding it over your head so your hair bounced behind you.

Peter fell to his knees, wanting to be on the same level as you. He was snapping away on his camera, not missing a beat. In just your panties and bra, you turned on the chair, sitting on your knees with your back to him, glancing over your shoulder with mischievous eyes. You smiled as your reached around and unclipped your bra, holding the cups to your chest. The strap slipped from your shoulders. Snap. You slid the garment off your arms, covering your chest in one arm, and holding up the discarded bra in your other. Snap. Dropping the bra to the floor, you turn back to face him, still covering your chest. Snap. You drop your arm and lay it on the armrest of the chair, relishing in the confidence you possess. Snap.

A tent is starting to form in Peter's jeans, but he doesn't even notice. Not when a supermodel is stripping right in front of him, for him. You stand up, turning to face the wall so your back is to him. Your fingers play with the lace on your hips. Snap. You spread your legs slightly, bending over. Snap. The lace glides over your ass swiftly, revealing the soft skin beneath. Snap, snap, snap. Peter can smell your arousal with your ass directly in front him, inches from the lens of his camera. Your underwear pools at your feet and you kick it off toward your bra. You sit back on the chair and spread your legs. Snap. Peter's starting to notice the uncomfortable bulge in his jeans, pulling at the fabric for a better placement and immediately focusing his attention back on you.

You lick a long stripe up your palm and slide it between your legs, rubbing slow circles on your clit. Snap. Your other hand pinches your nipple, pulling at it with a hiss. Peter moans behind the camera, losing control over his composure. You place a leg over the armrest and pull your other knee up so your heel rests directly on the edge, spreading yourself out so he has the best view in the house. Your fingers dance lower on your clit, playing with your entrance. Sliding a finger in to the first knuckle, then back out. One glance up to Peter and you instantly melt. He's palming himself over his jeans, his bottom lip pulled tightly under his teeth, and his camera held lazily at his side.

You stop your ministrations, "nah-uh. Keep shooting." He breaks from his trance, putting the camera back to his eye and snapping away. You insert one finger fully, your head falling back from the new sensation. Your other hand leaves your nipple and slides down to your clit, rubbing circles the same speed. The pleasure was good, but it wasn't enough. Inserting another finger, a loud moan leaves you, causing Peter's hand to reach back onto the tent in his jeans. He's still taking pictures one-handed, while palming himself. The visual causes your hands to speed up, throwing you closer to the edge. Peter unbottons his jeans and slides a hand in, his hips bucking at the touch of his fingers. The coil in your belly tightens when you realize how desperately he's watching you. Then you hear it, snap. You're sent over, your body convulsing against the chair, your breathing turned ragged as your eyes hit the back of your skull.

You're floating in that heavenly feeling until Peter's pulling your hands away. Snap. He zooms in on your fluids leaking from you, moaning at the sight. Snap. Then he's looking up at you with a devilish smile. "My turn."

[coff-in]

hellooo!! :333 can i request the graves siblings with an older sibling (could be an older brother or gn idm!!) who refuses to participate in any of the weird incest-y bs andy and leyley have going on? i’d imagine growing up and raising them, reader initially had a sense of familial love for them which lead to ashley and andrew also being attached to them (and not in the family love kind…).

and when the whole shitshow that goes down in the game, reader is just like ‘oh hell naw…. 💀’ outright rebuking their siblings’ actions and saying how they’re embarrassed to even be related to them. trying to separate themselves as far away from their siblings. i wonder how the siblings would react with the stark change of their older sibling and kinda wanting their bond back and it turns into something yandere, obsessive thing especially with andrew and how he’s co-dependent towards reader isnfskkfskfkkf

thank u ❤️❤️

notes from coff-in: hellooo!! :3 oh this is so delicious, thank you 'nonnie for this meal! i saw the words 'yandere' and 'obsessive' and a part of my brain just started barking and running all over the place.

[masc] reader-insert, [reader] is about two years older than andrew

[reader] would have such a fucking time taking care of these two freaks, haha! he'd work together with andy taking care of leyley but at the end of the day, mrs graves lets them both know that if they want something they have to ask [reader]. their childhood is pretty cute for the most part. i'll leave it to you guys if you think [reader] gets involved with the nina incident. i personally think he might since he's the oldest, he has to accompany his siblings to make sure they're safe. they bury nina's body and he has to make them promise to NEVER speak of this again. "we don't know where she was or where she went. we never saw her today or yesterday." (maybe he participated in the blood oath, i'll leave that up to you guys)

andy and leyley love him as a familial love but i can also see how it becomes a more romantic love too. [reader] and andy are leyley's only friends to who actually care about her while andy appreciates the shared burden they carry that is taking care of leyley (not as in she herself is a burden but as in taking care of another person) and maybe andy likes the feeling that is having someone older looking out for him. idk how [reader] is able to be like... normal in this family, it's truly an accomplishment

i could also see the dynamic being shifted a little too? ashley is still a scapegoat used whenever something morally bad happens but the blame would/could then be transferred towards [reader] for not stopping ashley, since he's the oldest sibling and should be watching over her and andrew. it could give andrew some space or room to act up a bit since a majority of the siblings' responsibilities aren't shoved onto his shoulders anymore. just food for thought i guess

once quarantine happens, i think everything would be more of less the same? [reader] would let andrew into his bed because he genuinely wants to help andrew with his nightmares (something i think neither andrew or ashley really want to happen. nightmares give ashley leverage over andrew and they give andrew an excuse to cuddle and sleep (literally) with his siblings). the romantic comment andrew makes while starving will confuse [reader] a bit, "i guess it can be seen as romantic... being forever intertwined and such... but-- but that won't happen to us! i'll make sure of it, so don't worry." he has to pay extra attention to them when they're on the balcony now...

there are incestuous undertones throughout the entire game, but when episode 2 starts up [reader] is like "what 💀" HAHAHA!! look man they were raised to know better, not be better hahahaha! ah, sorry sorry. sexual comments or innuendos or slips are caught on by [reader] (or maybe even flat our ignored by him so he could pretend that everything's fine) and are sort of corrected? like "okay, calm down ashley" or "bloody hell andrew, fucking control yourself" with a face palm.

just thought about this. ashley also has leverage over [reader] since ever though he didn't actively participate in killing nina, he did "let it happen" and helped hide the body.

i lost track of time here, oops. once they get to the graves' house [reader] has a talk with mrs graves in the basement. he hates them, hates them. for having to raise his siblings when he was only like, 9 years old. do you know how hard that must be? being a single dad at fucking 9 years old with two children to take care of? IT FUCKING SUCKS and honestly FUCK MRS AND MR GRAVES FOR JUST SHOVING ANDREW AND ASHLEY ON TO HIM! "we can make this all go away" "I WANT YOU TO GO AWAY!" [reader] loves his siblings and yelling at his tied up parents feel very cathartic ngl.

assuming this is a burial route thing, [reader] would be fucking disgusted :3c i doubt he would leave andrew and ashley... since he also needs a new identity too but he does try to separate himself from their sibconnery. tries to avoid being all touchy feely and probably doesn't give that many praises or compliments to them anymore either and it makes andrew and ashley worry (whether or not they siblings fuck [reader] is also up to you guys)

like the burial route is about having trust in each other and exploring EVERY aspect of a bond and relationship, so [reader] rejecting that idea and even like, shying away? from it would raise some panic in the siblings, and i could see them trying to coax [reader] into degeneracy with them, you know? why give a fuck about what society thinks? look at how well it's gone for them; neglected, starved, hunted, CORNERED. they don't need society's approval or good graces or whatever the hell else. they just need each other, no?

(whenever i get better, bet your ass yandere graves' is going to be hard)

----

coff-in

[nanatsuyu]

I feel like it’s not talked about enough that early in the books Kevin is the only person we see Andrew initiating any type of physical closeness/touch with at all … also thinking about how they’re described physically with each other in Son of Nefes like. so much tenderness (@ your tags about how Andrew carries himself around Kevin and Neil)

I definitely think their closeness in the beginning gets overshadowed a lot by how close Andrew and Neil get later in the series. And that's not a diss on andreil! I think it's important to Andrew's character to see that while Neil played a very large part in letting Andrew explore his boundaries and grow comfortable with physical affections, there were others that helped in that healing along the way too.

One of my favourite scenes is the one where Kevin takes his glove off for Andrew to inspect his hand for any damages. It's written in such a way that implies they weren't paying any attention to the rest of the world around them. Matt had been carded, the play was over and a fight had broken out, and during that sliver of time, either Andrew had hailed Kevin over or he'd gone of his own volition to the goal for Andrew to give his injuries a one over. Kevin knew he was going to get swapped out, and they both turned somewhat surprised when Dan called out to Kevin, as if the game being in play was an afterthought. (Which, considering it's Kevin, seems somewhat ooc since he always knows what's going on on court).

And, although we don't have the exact words regarding Andrew's deal with Kevin, it was implied in the most basic terms that Andrew would protect Kevin from Riko. (There's obviously nuance here given Andrew's bodyguard tendencies when Kevin gets into later spats with people, but for the sake of how vague most of Andrew's deals are spoken aloud, I think it's safe to assume he promised to protect Kevin from his big bad not sibling in the same way he promised to have Neil's back). All that just to say... It wasn't really in their deal for Andrew to protect or look after Kevin outside of his affiliations with the Ravens. And yet, even after threatening to break his own hand before all this, because Kevin annoyed the piss out of him so much, here he was, inspecting Kevin's hand and putting the game on hold to do so.

This injury has nothing to do with Riko or the Ravens. So, in terms of their deal, he didn't really need to dote on Kevin like that. And yet.

And yet.

And this is really only one instance of them being glued at the hip. Andrew does a lot of redirecting of Kevin's person in the same way we see him do later with Neil. Like you said as well, Kevin's the only one for some pages that we see Andrew physical with that isn't necessarily reactionary or defensive. I know Andrew was still on his meds at the time, but this line came across to me as him literally shoving Andrew down court who didn't seem to take much issue with the it:

He doesn't make much mention of it, but if I had to wager a guess, these moments of familiar contact are not a new thing upon Neil's arrival.

(Also it's been a hot minute since I skimmed through son nefes (the ec and I are on cherry picking terms most days) but I know Renee saw it too.)

Like it makes me insane to think about how their deal didn't have to incorporate all that closeness. It didn't require Andrew to become intertwined with the rest of Kevin's life and daily going on's. He could have agreed to keep him on a leash from getting dragged out of the fox den by the Ravens and called it a day, but we can see clear as day that Andrew treats his relationship with Kevin far more delicately than that. In terms of canon, the best friend (platonic soul bond or whatever title floats your fancy) behaviour jumped out of Andrew so fast, I'm shocked how anyone could overlook it.

And I haven't even touched on how Wymack views their relationship, or Kathy's show, or the role Andrew plays as Kevin's other half post Evermore, or the first genuine smiles are the ones they give each other, or the pseudo threat of the butter knife scene, or whatever they had going on here:

Like, there are certainly motions that can be considered varying levels of tender, but I do think it's important to remember that Andrew's gestures should not be measured with the same scale as say someone like Renee. We can obviously see in later chapters that Andrew can be incredibly gentle (ie the hip kiss that ruined my life), but I think it's a disservice to Andrew's character to understate how close he and Kevin are through the series, both physically and emotionally.

[otdiaftg]

The Raven King - Chapter Seven

Day: Thursday, October 5th Time: 11:30 PM EST

"I mean literally soft. Too many curves, see? I feel like my hands would slide right off. It's totally not my thing. I like..." He drew a box with his fingers as he searched for words. "Erik. Erik's perfect. He's a total outdoors junkie, rock climbing and hiking and mountain biking, all that awful bug-infested fresh-air stuff. He's stronger than I am, and I like that. I feel like I could lean on him all day and he wouldn't break a sweat." "Funny," Nicky said. "That didn't used to be my type. None of the others I crushed on growing up were anything like that. Maybe that's why none of them could help me." Nicky turned his hands palm-up on the table and considered them. "My parents are kind of crazy, you know? There's religious and there's super psychotic religious. Me and Renee, we're the decent sort, I think. We go to different churches and have some different ideas, but we respect each other anyway. We understand that religion is just an interpretation of faith. But my parents are the black-and-white crazy kind. It's only right and wrong with them: hellfire and damnation and judgment from on high. "For some reason I tried coming out to them anyway," Nicky said. "Mom was pretty upset. She locked herself in the bedroom and cried and prayed for days. Dad took a more direct route and shipped me off to Christian gay camp. I spent a year learning that I was infected by a disgusting idea from the devil, that I was a living test for every other good Christian on the planet. They tried using God to shame me into being straight. "It didn't work," Nicky said. "For a while I wished it did. I went home feeling like an abomination and a failure. I couldn't face my parents like that, so I lied. I pretended to be straight for the rest of high school. I even dated a couple girls. I kissed a couple of them, but I used my faith as an excuse never to get further than first base. I knew I just had to keep it together until graduation. "I hated my life so much," Nicky said. "I couldn't do that, you know? I couldn't live a lie like that day after day. I felt trapped. Some days I thought God abandoned me; sometimes I thought I failed Him. Halfway through my junior year I started thinking about suicide. Then my German teacher took me aside and told me about a study abroad program. She would set it all up for me, she said, if my parents would sign off on it. She'd handle admissions and get a host family and everything. It'd be expensive, but she thought I needed a change in scenery. Guess she knew I was that close to the edge. "I didn't think Mom and Dad would go for it, but they were so proud of me for my so-called recovery they agreed to let me go my senior year. I just had to last another semester and then I could go. I was so desperate to get out of there I didn't even really pay attention when Aaron and Aunt Tilda moved to Columbia that spring. All I cared about was keeping it together until May. I know now I should have tried harder, but I would've been no good to him how I was. "When the plane took off from Columbia, I was scared to death," Nicky said. "I was so relieved to leave my parents and everyone I knew, but I didn't know if being in Germany would change anything. When I landed, my new host brother was waiting for me in Arrivals. Erik Klose," Nicky said, sounding it out like he was saying it for the first time. "He taught me to believe in myself. He showed me how to balance my faith and my sexuality, and he made me okay again. I know it sounds dramatic, but he saved my life." Nicky flipped his hands over and laced his fingers together. The look he turned on Neil was as reassuring as it was worried and made Neil want to edge away. "That's what love is about, see? That's why Exy isn't ever going to be enough, not for you or Andrew or anyone. It can't hold you up, and it won't make you a stronger or better person."

Art used with permission by Kurra. Thank you @kurra !

[royalwriteroftheuniverse]

Holiday party with Andy

Mostly fluff tiny bit of angst some anxiety Andy Barber slightly older than his girlfriend and fluffyness but 18+ just incase

Comments & reblogs welcome no reposting or publishing

Special thanks to @cevansbrat0007

"Hey sweetheart you don’t have to be nervous look-"

"It’s not that I just I want to make a good impression on them"

"I don’t give a shit what they think from a 2 hr party with an introduction that lasts 3 minutes. I’m not going to break up with you just because someone goes 'I don’t like her.' Because  I love her and that’s all that matters beautiful" he kisses my head. 

He said he loved me he never said that before I wonder if he realizes he just said that 

“Hun you hear me.”

“Yea,"

 "If you don’t want to go you don’t have to go.”

“You kidding let all those women and men around you with alcohol in their systems and their work guard down. Hell no. I gotta steak my claim.”

"You steamed your claim"

"Um not to them. Now either I go or I give you a giant hicky"

"Either, or can't be both?" 

"Andy"

"What? It’s a valid question."

I roll my eyes.  

"Ok pants or dress"I swear I can see his eyes darker. "That’s not why I asked  I meant and that’s not happening."

"Spoilsport"

"You need to stop watching "The Good Fight." 

"Pants I know you feel more comfortable than the dress even though I like it better." 

I get a kiss on my hair. 

"Yea but it's cold"

"He smiles you can wear your velvet one."

He hasn't seen me in the velvet one it barely covers my butt, but then again slightly tispy jealousy Andy is fun to play with, "Hey we're taking a Lyfy tonight, right."

Yea why?

 "Just wondering"

Why plan on getting drunk on eggnog? 

I roll my eyes 

"One time it was one time and didn't it didn't taste like alcohol how was I supposed to know-"

"Mhm This is not a trial Missy." He grabs my hips bringing me close to him. 

"Don't missy me," I pout "I don't like being made fun of."

"I'm sorry babe you know I love you," he says wrapping his arms around my neck giving my temple a soft kiss. That's the second time he said he loved me in an hour. 

"Ok red velvet dress it is. Only cause you asked so nicely. " But if I get sick-" I point at his. 

He throws his hands up in surrender 

"I will take days off and nurse you back to health."

"Good boy" 

"You trained me well."

We get to the restaurant and I am suddenly regretting my choice of outfits and why does everyone here look so old i mean I know late 40s and 50s but they look like… God I can hear the jokes now about me looking young i feel bad about the jokes they might make to Andy about him and me being a good digger there's only a few years That's not fair its not his fault I look young he shouldn't have to-"

"Hey what's got you so worried Princess? Your coat."

"Oh yeah," I shrugg it off. "Are you sure I can uber home I mean they everyone is and I'm and you don't deserve."

"Hey relax no one is going to make a joke  and if anyone teases you you come get me and ill fire them." 

"K." I can't help but smile "But then who wouldn't want to make up an excuse to try to get you to dump me and date them?"

"Well it wouldn't work." He kisses me.

I give him a smile and then another piece of anxiety hits my brain. 

"I dont know any people he works with what if I seam so stupid and they just think I'm clingy and  I-

"Hey no one is going to think you're stupid. And I like having my arms around you as long as you do"

"Wha- did I say that outloud?"

"No you have different faces for different anxieties."

I groan as he wraps his arms around me. 

"I only noticed cause I pay attention sweetie  and- did that- was that dress always that short?"

"Yes I was wondering why you wanted me to wear it."

"You are not picking up anything this whole night."

"Andy if something falls-"

"I'll pick it up"

"Andrew you started this" 

He pulls me in front of him in a tight hug and then leans in and whispers "and I'm going to finish it." I can hear the smirk. All I want to do is crawl onto bed and sleep. 

"Well if it isn't the love birds."

I relax seeing Duffy.

"Hey nice to see a familiar face."

"I was hoping you two were going to make it. That's a short dress. I don't want to be arresting anyone tonight."

"It was Andy's idea."

"I didn't know the dress was that short." He says with an honest tone his voice raising up at the end defending himself. "But as long as no one touches her there won't be a problem." He says very matter of factly.

"I get a bit of a shiver  and move my shoulders forward at that mention

"Sorry sweetheart i didn't mean to-"

"No its my fault Andy I'm sorry. I "

"It's fine, I'm just glad I have Andy here and you if he gets out of line. " I wink. " plus I don't know anyone besides you two. You should come over soon for dinner."

"I'd love to."

"Do you like steak? Andy bought some for some cookout this fall that we never did and we need to use them or their worthless. I meanz God. didn't mean it like that. Sorry."

"No its fine and I absolutely do love steak."

"Next week?"

"What day?"

"Friday? 7?"

Still in his embrace I look up at Andy who nodded.

"Friday sounds great."

We part ways and we go to get a drink. 

"Oo eggnog."

"No." He laughs

"Why what's in there?"

"Vodka probably."

"I like vodka."

"I know but your migraine meds-"

I took them early afternoon so I don't take them tonight so its not an issue. And its just a cup. 1 cup Andy.  I know you mean well sweetie but trust me I got this." 

"Ok I trust you."

He gets me a cup and he holds my hand or my waist as we talk to people and by we I mean him because I am really really nervous and know no one. I end up playing with his hand a lot.

"Be right back sweetheart I have to go to the bathroom" I not as he says it into my ear and then kisses my temple. 

I intended to go straight to the bar to sit but I get intercepted but 

"Hi I'm Niel"

Andy's fried turned arch nemesis. He's ikier looking in person.   I introduce myself with the kindest I hate you smile I can muster. 

"I haven't seen you around  the office.Are you new?" 

This is his best lines ugh. 

"Uh no I'm here with my boyfriend."

"And he left you alone thats not very boyfriendly."

Neither is hitting on someone like this And I'm getting major creep vibes. 

"Well he-" 

Someone knocks into Neil and the drink accidentally spills on me a bit 

"I am soo sorry" a genuinely-genuine reaction forms on his face and  like a kick almost he changes attitudes to appologize 

"It's fine I'm fine " I back away before he can get napkins and I back into Andy. I know thst body anywhere.  I sigh and close my eyes for a moment of relief knowing he's there. I'm ok and he'd kick ass if I needed.  

"Babe what happened? You ok?" He looks up 

"Niel" he girts out 

"This is your boyfriend-"

"Yes I'm her boyfriend. What happened here? Neil."

"It was an accident." 

"It really was Andy."

"Niel." He growls out.

"Okay. Now that introductions are done. Andy, sweetie" and nope can't break their eye contact so I step in front of him. Bringing his eyes back to me "Why don't you come with me to the bathroom and help me get this out ok." 

"Yes lets." He takes my hand and then I see him give one last menacing look at Neil. 

I go into the women's bath. 

"Hello, anyone here my boy friends helping me with a stain."

No responses so I lock the door."  With a sigh as I lean back on it.

"Hey hey what happened what did Neil say ?"  his voice is soft but his eye furrow and its slits but I can still see his hands being forced out of fists by his own mind. At least he's trying. 

"He was just being a creep and someone bumped into him and thats why it spilt but-"

"How creep did he get?"

"The normal I'm used to. nothing I can't handle but I just, I missed you. The minute I bumped into you I knew everything would be ok "

"You knew that was me?"

"Honey I know your chest anywhere."

"What a coincidence I know yours anywhere too." I smile and laugh as my head drops down but when I look back up 

He is still looking at me with sad eyes he knows I'm not telling him everything but he's not pushing. 

"Honey any level of creep is not something you should be used to." His finger brushes my cheek softly.

"He was just hitting on me claiming you weren't being very boyfriendly enough." 

I think I said too much. 

"I'm fine." 

He sighs and wraps his arm around me.

"Are you sure. We can leave."

"And miss out on all that good food?" 

"Anytime you want to go I'll nick Neil out."

"Oka-wait what?"  I laughed. He kissed me and brought me in for a hug. I snacked my hands around his waist. 

"I love you sweetheart" 4th time today makes me smile "I love you too Andy."

He didn't even blink…."You calm enough?"

"Me. Yes?  You. What about that stain?"

"Oh it'll wash out."

I somehow get in a conversation with some wives and he makes sure I'm ok before he goes off to a different conversation himself.  We are ever so in tune and overprotective of each other, probably him more than me knowing I'm nervous we give each other little nods to signal the other is ok.  

When my group breaks up I find Andy immediately even though his group moved a bit.  its like this weird spidy-sense  we have for eachother. I wrap my arms around his waist and he puts his hand over mine. Its the little things that mean the most with us. The little touches the little glasses the little sift kisses.

"Sorry doll this is a private conversation don't think you'd under-."

"Excuse you but my girlfriend is welcome."

"And I just so happen to well  practiced  and versed in constitution law  and since it is a free country with the right to congregate you  can't discrimination against me being a woman as I was invited to the party."

It takes everyone in me not to roll my eyes at Andy who I know is beaming that  A) I remembered my constitutional law class from forever ago and b) the talented way I spin my words i said I was well practiced and verses. Not that it was my job.

A few minutes later I feel a hand slide down my hip I look at Andy and then I follow gaze and to the side of us Neil is in a conversation but obviously staring at my ass. 

"Doesn't he know I'm with you. "

"You ok with my hand there?"

"I didn't move it did i?"

"I love you. I really do. Love you. I don't know if you heard me the last 5 times."

"Actually this was the 5th time."

"So you did hear me," he teases."

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[topguncortez]

The Mighty Have Fallen | Prologue

Masterlist | next part

synopsis: Sports & Boys had been the only thing on your mind until everything changed in an instant.

word count: 900

warnings: cursing, description of gruesome injuries, car crash

The rain seemed to be coming down in sheets, which was a rarity for Los Angeles. Y/N was hardly paying attention, sitting in the back seat of her parents SUV, texting rapidly on her cell phone. She was half pissed that the softball game got canceled because of the rain, but she was more mad that her parents wouldn’t let her ride home with her boyfriend, Jesse. 

“Bun, I know you’re-” 

“Don’t call me that,” Y/N huffed, cutting her father off. He was going to try and play the good guy, give some justified reason for not letting her go home with Jesse. He would probably even use the rainfall in his favor, since ‘california teens don’t know how to drive in the rain’. But he was wrong, her mother was wrong, they were both wrong. Jesse grew up in Oregon, and certainly knew how to drive in the rain. Y/N had turned 18 two months ago, and was set to graduate high school in less than six weeks. She had already signed to go play division one softball at the University of Texas in the fall.  To Y/N, her parents seemed to be struggling with the fact that she was no longer their little girl. She was an adult, and hell she wanted to be treated like one. 

“Leave her be, Frank,” Y/N’s mother, Miranda spoke up, “She wants to act like a brat about not leaving with that delinquent.” 

“Jesse is a good guy!” Y/N argued. 

“Then why have you been skipping practice!?” Miranda turned in her seat to look at her daughter. Y/N narrowed her eyes at her mother, and crossed her arms over her chest, sitting back in her seat. She knew the next words out of Miranda’s mouth was going to be about how hard they both worked to put her through St. Andrew’s, pay for all the softball necessities, and take time off of work to go watch her play. It was the same spiel every time they fought. 

Miranda and Frank did work hard to be able to provide the best for their daughter. They came from next to nothing, growing up in a small, desolate town in the midwest. They had met when they were both at CalPoly, Miranda studying nursing and Frank studying journalism. Frank currently worked for the Union Tribune as a sports writer, and Miranda at the local hospital. Frank took Y/N to as many baseball and softball games as he could, making her fall in love with the sport even more. 

Their family wasn’t extremely wealthy by any means, but they lived comfortably. Y/N had been lucky to get a scholarship to St. Andrew’s Preparatory School, which had one of the best softball teams in San Diego county. It put her one step closer to achieving her dream of playing D1 softball. 

“Miranda, I think she’s allowed to be upset about the game,” Frank spoke and his wife  huffed, sitting back in her seat and crossing her arms over her chest. Poor Frank, he had gotten lucky to get a daughter who was almost exactly like her mother, from the looks to the attitude. He sighed, “This dang rain! It just will not let up!” 

“Do you think we need to pull over?” Miranda asked. It seemed as though they were the only car on the road at this point in time. 

“No! I just want to get home!” Y/N yelled. 

“You are not the one driving, young lady, so can it!” Miranda scolded her daughter. 

“Ugh! Does anyone ever listen to me!” Y/N threw her hands up. 

“Alright, I have about had it-” Miranda turned in her seat again, as Frank shouted. 

“Miranda, turn around, please- Shit!” 

Miranda had barely turned in her seat as Frank swerved from hitting something, no, someone, in the middle of the road. Y/N put her hand on the seat in front of her to brace herself from hitting it. The breaks squealed as the car spun out from the rain, and into the lane of oncoming traffic. Miranda let out a scream, as Frank tried to correct the spin and stop the car. Something that sounded like a cry for Jesus Christ filled the car, as Y/N’s eyes locked on the headlights coming towards them. 

— — — 

Y/N couldn’t remember much as the car finally came to halt after what seemed like forever. Glass covered her body as she blinked her eyes open. Her cheek felt cold and wet, and her hands reached out, feeling hard metal beneath her. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but she realized the car was upside down, and she was laying in the spot where the sunroof was once at. Her breath started to pick up, as the sound of a blaring horn filled her ears, and the coppery scent of blood filled her nostrils. It made her nauseous. 

“Mom? D-Dad?” She called out to them, seeing two bodies in front of her, neither one moving, “Mom! Dad!” Y/N cried louder, and tried her best to reach for them, but something had her body pinned, “Mom!” Her voice cracked, “Oh my god. . . Oh my god!” Y/N looked around the car, trying to pull herself free from whatever had the left side of her body pinned. She couldn’t feel her left hand, she wasn’t even sure if it was still there, “Help! Help me! Someone!” 

The crunch of footsteps on the glass caught her attention. She looked up the best she could as black boots stood in her line of sight. Y/N jumped a bit as the person put his hands on the ground, and then laid himself down on the ground. 

“H-help?” Y/N said softly. There was a chuckle, and the last thing Y/N could remember seeing was a pair of red eyes looking right through her.

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[mischivana]

Letting You Go Was the Hardest Thing I had to Do.

Will Solace x Sibling!reading

Requested by anonymous.

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I looked out the window again, it was English and again I wasn't paying attention. My mind was elsewhere, on something, someone, more important. I watched as the pairs of late siblings ran to the school from the parking lot or ran out of minivans being scolded by their mothers.

I thought about my brother again. My half-brother. How much I missed him and how mad I was that he chose not to be here. I knew it wasn’t his fault though, it was his dad’s. Yep we have different fathers. But it’s more complicated than that.

My name is y/n Solace, my half-brother is Will Solace. The thing that sets us apart though, he’s a demi-god. His father is Apollo, yep the sun dude. I'm not a demi-god, pure mortal blood right here. It never got in the way of our brother-sister relationship though, not until now at least.

During the summer Will goes to this camp, Camp Half-Blood I think he called it. It's basically a safe haven for demi-gods, a place where they can train and be safe from monsters. Yep monsters, they’re real. One almost killed me and my brother one time. I think he called it an Empousai?

Usually he only goes during the summer, hence the name SUMMER camp. Which was nice, he would go to camp and then spend the school year with me. Sure I couldn’t be with my best friend for 3 months but I’d wrather he’d be alive. But this year he decided to stay at camp, which means I won’t see him for another year. Mom says it’s because he's the head of the Apollo cabin and their best healer. Makes sense, still hurts.

I was too busy thinking about my brother to notice my name being called. “y/n? y/n? Y/N!” my teacher yelled. I quickly turned to the board and saw a couple people snicker. I ignored them and said “Yes miss?” I didn’t know what she wanted but I knew it wasn’t good. “Since you seem to be so distracted, you must know the topic already? Care to answer the question on the board?” I looked at the board and answered quickly. “The subject is referring to a place so the correct form would be ‘there’ not ‘their’” I said. She looked at me for a second, pleased with my answer, before turning and continuing her lecture.

I looked back towards the window when I heard a ridiculous scream followed by the sound of running footsteps and hooves on the epoxy floor. A scream that I had unfortunately recognized. For some reason my half-brother, William Andrew Solace, was at my school with a satyr screaming at the top of his lungs. Without thinking I ran out of the class room and saw Will, a satyr, and a younger girl who I’d assumed was a recently discovered half-blood, running down the hall. I looked back and saw three snake women climbing the stairs and started running with them. Before I knew it I was right next to them.

“HEY WILL!” I yelled at him. “HEY Y/N! WAIT Y/N? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” he said as we all turned a corner. “I GO TO SCHOOL HERE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? AREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE CAMP?” I yelled, biting back my anger. “IN HERE” the satyr yelled. We rushed into the supply room and barricaded the door quickly.

Once the door was barricaded I turned to face my brother, who was on the ground from exhaustion. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? I THOUGHT YOU COULDN’T COME BACK THIS YEAR! YOU CHOSE TO STAY AT CAMP?” I yelled at him, all the anger in my body finally releasing. “Calm down, I swear I can explain-” he started to say but I cut him off. “EXPLAIN? EXPLAIN WHAT? THAT YOU LIED? YOU TOLD ME YOU COULDN’T COME BACK HOME BUT HERE YOU ARE! AT HOME!” I yelled at him, tears starting to form in my eyes. “Y/n LISTEN!” he yelled.

I shut up quickly and stared at him. “I did have to stay at camp, you're right,” he paused, “being head counselor of the Apollo cabin and head of the infirmary required it, at least for the first year” he looked at me with a sympathetic look, like he didn’t even like what he was saying. But why didn’t he at least tell me he was coming here?

“That doesn’t explain why you’re here though!” I told him. “I'm here for her” he said and pointed at the young girl, “she’s a demi-god and a rather powerful one, maybe a big three kid. They needed to send a cabin head to get her” he explained. “Why didn’t they send Nico? He’s a cabin head and a big three kid right?” I questioned. He sighed and said “Nico is in New Rome right now representing Hades-” “Pluto” I corrected “-Pluto, whatever it is and I was the only cabin head at the ready” He said, it made sense but still.

“Why didn’t you warn me?” “If I had more notice I would have, trust me, but I was told about her 10 hours ago!” he said. I looked at him for another second before attacking him with a hug, he hugged back and got warmer. He was glowing, he did that when he got happy, I thought it was funny, I knew his boyfriend Nico thought so too.

After we let go we were able to explain to the demigod, who I learned was named Hannah, what was going on and who she really was. It took her a while to believe it, but Will told me it always does. The satyr, who was named Oakly, told us we needed to leave as soon as possible. The only problem was that the monsters were still out. Slowly and quietly we unbarricaded the door and Will crept out, quiver on shoulder and bow in hand. We closed the door again, I was scared for my brother but before I knew it he’d opened the door covered in golden dust.

We made it safely out of the school and back to the “Delphi Strawberry Service” van they’d taken here. I saw Argus, the hundred handed guy in the driver seat. My brother may be a demigod and it may have gotten me face to face with all sorts of monsters but I would never get used to that guy.

I gave Will one more hug, and almost crying I said “So I guess you’re leaving again? Probably pretty easy for a demigod”. He let go of the hug, his hands still on my shoulders, and said “staying at camp? not being able to see my sister? Leaving you for camp was the hardest thing I ever had to do, and It’s harder the second time” now we were both about to cry. “Make sure to tell who claimed her, be safe glow stick” “you too homegirl” I gave him one more hug and cried into his shirt before letting him go. I watched the van drive away, wiped my tears and headed back into the school for lunch.

*a few days later*

I woke up, it was saturday which meant no school. I ran outside and checked the mail for any word from Will. I saw a yellow envelope with a wax seal with the image of the sun on it. I grabbed it, ran upstairs, and ripped it open. It said next to nothing.

“Hades

Glowstick :)”

I smiled again. My brother had made it to camp safely and Nico had a sister.

[horsetailcurlers2]

YET ANOTHER long and obnoxious stream of my thoughts while watching grey’s anatomy for the first time (season 14 because i’m still hanging on by a thread)

-why did megan hunt have a fresh coat of mascara and some lip gloss on when she got flown in with her gaping abdominal wound LMAO

-teddy!!!!!

-i absolutely think they should tell megan about meredith and riggs and let her make an informed decision on whether she wants meredith to be her surgeon. this is greys anatomy, of course there’s gonna be a conflict of interest. they’re making this more complicated than it needs to be.

-somebody tell me when the show stops being worth watching. so far i’m hanging on bc i’m mildly interested in how jo and alex turn out, i want teddy and amelia to interact, and i’ve warmed up to arizona since she broke up with callie. obvi i love meredith i just don’t know how much more they can do with her before i just want her to take a warm bath and retire to somewhere far far away with her children.

-did amelia relapse offscreen???? wtf is going on???

-okay she has a tumor i guess. sure, okay, whatever. !!!!

-she put a gun in her !!!!!!!!! for a man???

-i don’t love the way they’ve introduced the new intern class. they set it up as if we already know them, whereas i feel like with every other class of interns we’ve gotten eased into it a bit more before we’re just tossed into this unfamiliar dynamic

-okay but wait i do like that in this ep w the roller coaster (and the people who are supposed to be baby cristina, george and izzie) they referenced the old intro. i think the writers knew they needed a little nostalgia to hook people back in at this point. jury is still out whether or not it’s working on me.

-maybe i’m stupid but why in the fuck would they have so many important things dependent on one networked computer system. why on earth would cardiac monitors be hackable?????

-idk about maggie/jackson…. seems too incest adjacent

-the casual gaslighting and manipulation with paul stadler is so well written

-“jackson avery, you are such a disappointment, i thought you were woke!!!”

-genuine question: do they just not do chemistry reads on this show when they cast romantic interests???

-*choked up*”right before she died, she told me i should be more slutty. and i just wish i could call her and tell her how slutty i’m being” i really do love maggie

-maybe i missed it but why does carina have an italian accent but andrew doesn’t?

-i like the development of jo and meredith’s relationship

-i think meredith and this firefighter woman should kiss on the mouth

-i like april better now that she’s kind of a mess

-OOH wait does helm have a little crush on meredith bc i’m kind of obsessed with that

-if there’s one thing greys usually kills it with its casting younger versions of characters for flashbacks

-i miss joe the bartender :(

-oh my god he gives them fake cancer so he can charge them for fake chemo?????? what the fuck

-too much of an emphasis on these lesbian cookies…. suspicious

-okay yeah that makes sense. i love this

-nurse olivia!!

-olivia of course has a right to still be upset but it’s a little weird to assume alex didn’t change at all in the past ten years. not to mention it’s weird to act morally superior about it now when she cheated on george with alex

-“if you wanna rebuild you have to tear it down first” bingo

-did i miss amelia getting her own place or is she taking this girl to meredith’s house??

-okay i guess she’s just moved in with owen again. i need to pay better attention lol but so much keeps happening and it’s a lot of mush to sift through

-“meredith grey is straight” “ever hear her talk about cristina yang?” LMAO

-PREGNANT?

[fanfics4all]

Home Screen

Request: Yes / No Hi. I would love some Archie Andrews fics. And anything would be fine. Please and thanks. @12joeywheelerfangirl

Don’t be shy, request things! <3 Have a nice day/night

Archie Andres x Fem!Reader 

Word count: 866

Warnings: Just some cute fluff!

PLEASE DO NOT STEAL MY WORK, I WORK HARD ON MY FICS AND IT’S NOT COOL TO STEAL SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK! 

If you want to be on the tag list for anything (My series fics, specific character fics, or just all of them) All you have to do is send me an ask and I will add you! 

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If you enjoy my work, you could also show support by buying me a coffee! 

(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

Archie and I had always been close, best friends, even before we understood what friendship meant. Somewhere along the line, I started feeling things that were way outside of ‘best friend’ territory. I never said anything, though. I wasn’t about to risk the friendship for a crush. 

Today, we were hanging out at Pop’s like we usually did, grabbing milkshakes and talking about nothing in particular. At some point, my phone died and I left my charger at home. 

“Can I borrow your phone real quick?” I asked, reaching across the table. Archie looked up surprised but nodded. 

“Sure.” He said, digging into his pocket and handing it over without a second thought. 

“Thanks, I just need to check…” My voice trailed off as I unlocked his phone, only to see myself staring back at me. It was a picture of me laughing, probably one he took when I wasn’t paying attention. 

“Uh…why am I your home screen?” I asked, my heart racing as I looked up at him. Archie’s cheeks turned a shade of pink that even the dim lights of Pop’s couldn’t hide. He stammered, glancing around like he was searching for an excuse. 

“I…uh…well, I just…like having my best friend close, I guess.” I stared at him, a smile pulling at my lips. I could tell there was something more behind his words, something he was holding back. It was one of those rare moments when Archie Andrews didn’t have his usual confidence, and it was kind of adorable. 

“So…” I said, keeping my voice light. 

“...do you make a habit of setting all your friends as your background, or am I just special?” He let out a nervous laugh, running a hand through his hair. 

“You’re special, okay?” He finally admitted his voice was merely a whisper. 

“I didn’t mean for you to see that. It’s just…you make me happy and I like seeing your face every day, even if it’s just on my screen.” My heart did a little flip. 

“Archie…” He finally looked up, his eyes meeting mine. 

“I know we’re best friends and I never wanted to make it weird, but I can’t help it. I like you. I mean, I really like you.” I couldn’t speak, too stunned to believe he was actually saying what I had only dreamed he might. But seeing the nervous look in his eyes, I reached across the table and took his hand. 

“Archie, you could’ve told me ages ago, because I really like you, too.” His face lit up, his smile brighter than I’d ever seen. We sat there, holding hands across the table, both laughing a little at how ridiculous we were for waiting this long. 

Archie’s fingers tightened around mine, his thumb brushing softly over my knuckles. He grinned at me, and for a second I thought he might even be a little choked up. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to tell you that.” He said. I laughed, feeling both nervous and happy. 

“So what was stopping you, Andrews?” He let out a soft chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. 

“I don’t know, I guess I was scared. Scared of messing things up, of losing you if it got…complicated.” He looked down at our hands, his expression turning thoughtful. 

“But then I realized I would rather risk it all than keep pretending I was okay with just being friends.” The intensity in his gaze made my heart race. 

“Well…” I whispered back. 

“...looks like you’re not the only one who’d been holding back.” His grin turned softer and leaned across the table, his face a few inches from mine. 

“Can I kiss you?” He asked, his voice low. I felt my cheeks heat up and nodded, barely able to breathe. 

Slowly, he leaned in, closing the distance between us until his lips brushed mine. It was soft and tentative like he was still processing the fact that this was real. I could feel his warmth, the way his hand cupped my cheeks as if I might disappear if he let go. It was just him and me, exactly where we’d both wanted to be. 

When we finally broke apart, he rested his forehead against mine, his fingers still laced with mine. He looked at me, his eyes sparkling with that familiar warmth, but there was something more, something deeper. 

“What now?” I whispered, feeling like I was in some sort of dream. He smiled, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. 

“Now? Now we take this one day at a time. But, I think first… maybe I owe you a real date.” 

“A real date, huh?” I teased, trying to mask how completely thrilled I was. 

“Where do you plan on taking me, Andrews?” He laughed, pulling back just a little to meet my eyes. 

“Anywhere you want, but I promise, wherever it is, it’ll be the best date you ever had.” I laughed, feeling the weight of years of friendship mixed with this new electric spark between us. 

“You better deliver, because I have high standards.” Archie’s eyes gleamed with that familiar confidence I loved. 

“Oh, trust me, I’ll make sure of it.” He winked.

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[natalynsie]

Boyfriend (Noco Oneshot)

Read full on ao3: Boyfriend - natalynsie - Total Drama (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own]

Preview:

“How could you think she's not hot?” Cody asked.

Cody, Noah, Izzy, Eva, and Owen were walking back from their English class and headed to homeroom. Noah was getting quite sick of Cody's blabbering, but put up with it.

“I mean, Cody's right, she is pretty hot,” Izzy stated, putting a hand on Noah's shoulder.

“What about me?” Owen asked.

“You're not hot, you're cute!”

“And me?” Eva asked.

“Oh, you're hot as fuck.”

Eva smirked and Owen rolled his eyes.

“Back to the topic,” Owen began. “I don't think Gwen is hot.”

“You're too gay to be a part of this conversation,” Noah joked. “But I agree.”

“I shouldn't have to keep repeating myself! I'm not gay!”

“Noah, you're gay too,” Izzy said. “Don't think I don't see you staring at Cody's ass.”

Noah had to take a moment to process that. Noah had never stared at Cody's ass. Except for that one time but that was once. “What?”

“I'm kidding,” Izzy reassured. “Sort of. You aren't in the ass-staring phase. Yet.”

“Izzy, I'm not into Cody.” Noah usually enjoyed Izzy's observations, he found them quite entertaining, but he found this one strange. Noah didn't like Cody. He thought he was cute, but not much more than that.

“I think Gwen is not hot, Cody is insane, and he's been quiet ever since Izzy started calling Noah gay,” Eva stated.

“Something bothering you, Cody?” Izzy asked, turning back to Cody.

“Oh no, nothing, I don't care. I just didn't know what to say,” Cody informed.

“Okay, we keep on getting off topic,” Izzy noted. “Cody, what are your sexual fantasies about Gwen?”

Cody's face erupted into flames. “WHAT?”

“Good lord, let's keep this PG,” Noah sighed.

“Okay… Cody, what are your non-sexual fantasies about Gwen?”

“I'm not sharing that information with you,” Cody said. “All you guys get to know is that I'm crazy about her.”

“Yeah. We already know. Let's move on,” Noah complained. “Personally, I think Gwen is a bitch and you should stop obsessing over her.”

“What makes Gwen a bitch?” Cody asked. “She's super nice.”

“Yeah, what gives Noah?" Izzy questioned.

Noah took a breath in. “Well for starters, the way she broke up with Trent was terrible. Then she went and kissed Duncan. You don't just do that.”

“Courtney and Duncan weren't even dating!” Cody exclaimed. “Everyone keeps treating her terribly for that as if it were her fault Courtney was crazy!”

“Yeah, but Courtney's her friend. You don't kiss your friend's ex.”

“That's true,” Eva responded.

“Well yeah, but everyone's entitled to a few mistakes,” Cody said.

“She made more than a few.” Noah folded his arms.

“You're just mad he's not into you,” Izzy accused.

“I'm not into him!”

The group walked into Ms. Andrew-O’Halloran's homeroom and sat down at their table just as the bell rang.

“Well, unlike Noah, I think Sierra's in her ass-staring phase,” Izzy stated, glancing over to Sierra’s table

“Please don't tell me these things,” Cody replied.

“Okay. Question. Are you in your ass-staring phase with Gwen?”

“No. I don't stare at girls' asses.”

“Respectful. Reasonable.” Eva nodded.

“Yeah, real respectful of me not to be as low as Sierra,” Cody said sarcastically.

After that, the group decided to talk and rather do their English homework. Noah was writing an essay about themes in the last play they’d read, Macbeth, he was getting distracted by his thoughts.

Why does Cody like Gwen so much? Noah wondered. I just don’t get it.

Noah truly believed Cody could do better. He was cute, but Noah believed not everybody saw Cody the way he did. Noah tended to only pay attention to appearances once he’d met a person. If he didn’t know someone, he wasn’t able to really tell his opinion on their appearance. Along with that, personality always seemed to taint his opinion just a little. He thought Heather was a little prettier when he’d first met her.

But what Cody also had to offer was his personality- he was clever, and loyal, and dedicated. He truly tried to make people happy, no matter who they were to him. He was open-minded that way.

Cody even treated Sierra nicely. If Noah was in Cody's shoes, he would've told Sierra to screw off first thing. But Cody was still nice to her.

Noah may not have finished his math homework, but he got to do some thinking.

Noah headed to his Spanish class and sat down in his regular spot next to Gwen. Believe him- it was not his decision. If it were up to him, Noah would be sitting alone or with Cody. But, unfortunately for him, his Spanish teacher was insane and gave them a seating chart in high school.

So, he just had to put up with Ezekiel behind him, Courtney at his table, Bridgette and Geoff making out in the back row, and Trent and Gwen always passing notes to each other behind the desks. All he got to do all class was give Cody, who sat next to Trent a row back, bored glances.

The last class had been dedicated to speaking assessments, which would be continuing all week. Noah had finished his packet yesterday right before his own assessment. Figuring there was nothing better to do, he simply watched Gwen over her shoulder while Cody's table was out for assessments.

After a minute or so, Gwen turned to face Noah. “What do you want?”

“Nothing,” Noah responded blandly.

“You clearly want something.”

“I'm just thinking.”

“About?” Gwen asked. Courtney had moved tables, sitting with her friends in another section of the classroom working on science.

“The fact that Cody likes you is crazy.”

Gwen gave Noah a confused look. “Huh?”

“Well, you know he likes you.”

“Yeah no duh. Why do you think it's crazy.”

“I think it's crazy because he could do better.”

Gwen seemed to be holding back a laugh. “Look, Noah, as much as I love Cody, not in that way by the way, I don't think he could score very high. I'm not hot stuff, but Cody is probably worse.”

“Yeah but his personality is definitely better.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“You know.”

“Are you talking about the thing with Duncan? Because it's not my fault Courtney's so insanely overprotective.”

“Courtney is your friend. Or at least she was. You could have treated her better.”

“Courtney sees me more like a statistic than a friend. That's how she treats all her friends, if you haven't noticed.”

Noah shrugged. “Either way, Cody is better than you. At least he's loyal.”

“I don't know if you're trying to make me mad, but it's not gonna work.”

“I'm not.”

“Then what are you doing?”

“Just saying.”

Gwen smirked. “You just wanted an excuse to talk about Cody, didn't you?”

Noah felt heat rise to his cheeks in embarrassment. “No. I just wanted to call you out.”

“Oh come on Noah, you aren't fooling anyone. You just went on a rant about how he could 'do better'. That's basically code for telling others you have a crush on someone.”

“Is not!”

Gwen giggled. “You're so oblivious to your own crush, it's hilarious.”

“I’m not oblivious, I don't even like him!”

“You trying to prove you don't like him is just making it worse.”

“Whatever,” Noah turned to the window. It was a bland view of the brick building over, but currently anything was better than looking at Gwen.

Noah figured Gwen was just being crazy today. Like Izzy that morning. Noah was no way in the world into Cody.

“Are you jealous that he likes me and not you?” Gwen asked.

“This conversation is over.”

“I'm gonna take that as a yes.”

Cody's group returned from assessments, and Cody once again returned to his table as the teacher called out Bridgette and Geoff.

“Hey, Noah, do you by chance have the answers to the packet?” Cody asked, and Noah turned to face him. He was doing his typical pleading eyes, which Noah usually gave into for non-gay reasons. But today was not one of those days. Noah couldn't risk Gwen thinking he was into Cody.

“Uh, no,” Noah responded, and Gwen snorted.

“What's going on?” Cody questioned. “By the way, Noah, I saw you finish that packet.”

“Um…”

“You two are so funny to me,” Gwen stated.

This statement just seemed to confuse Cody more.

“You should shoot your shot, man,” Gwen said. Who she was saying that to, Noah was unsure, but it definitely didn't help the red in his cheeks.

“Oh, fine,” Noah handed Cody his binder. “It's in the first pocket on the inside.”

“Thanks?” Cody responded.

“No problem.”

Noah returned to staring out of the window and not talking to anyone. He thought about what Gwen had said, and officially decided that she was crazy. There was no way he liked Cody. Absolutely no way.

[aiqingdemeimiao]

How long have Ben and kadiff been dating? Last I heard ben was going through a divorce with mark which seemed pretty sudden and strange. I've always thought they were cute together. I really wanna know what went wrong and at the same time I'm so happy for Ben rn cause he seems really comfortable happy and I'm dying to know about all the details in regards to his new relationship with kadiff

putting this under a read more to save the normal/non-nosey parts of the fandom from seeing this slightly stalkerish post

tbh with you, the break up wasn't strange or sudden, you're just normal so you weren't paying attention to the minutia of a celeb's life the way losers with hyperfixations were. i'm very happy for you, really.

anyway, the break up happened in three stage: The Separation (2019), The Split (2020), and The Divorce (2022ish).

ben and mark had already been living separately for 6 months when the pandemic came along and forced them back into the same household as a lockdown bubble. (idk how long you've been in this fandom, but at the time we were all soooo shocked they went into lockdown together because we thought The Separation™️ was a split lol). The Split™️ happened pretty shortly after that. by october that year ben was no longer hiding the break up in interviews, but didn't want to talk about it other than saying "i survived it".

idk what caused the initial separation, but during the separation period there were a few rumours circulating in the uk theatre scene about mark' cheating 's behaviour (whether or not things like rumours/blind items are legit is another convo i think lol). "i survived it" does deffo make it seem like it wasn't a happy break, as well as a later interview where ben's asked about his marriage and instead deviates to talk about james & kerri and how unselfish their marriage is (with the implication being his marriage was selfish).

but let's be real, unless ben has a personality transplant and starts doing personal life interviews we'll probably never know for certain haha. mark certainly isn't talking about it.

ben and kadiff were already industry acquaintances (they were both in queers [2017] and met at the table read) and move in the same social circles thanks to overlapping friends like andrew. i'm 99.999% certain they started off as just a fun no-strings fling, then got a little more serious in that little window of non-lockdown in summer 2020 💀💀💀 which is why they were so on-and-off and messy to begin with (we don't talk about the 2019 era, let my boy have his slutty rebound era in peace!!!). they had a few stops and starts like that before starting Dating Properly after they filmed TIGTH in 2021. they didn't go official (or as near to official as ben ever gets without his agent putting out wedding press releases) until after the daily mail broke The Divorce™️ news, at which point kadiff stopped hiding ben on his own social media. now we get the occasional exciting flash of elbow, or hair, or the back of ben's head. hooray!

for example:

but yeah, you're completely right that they seem really happy and ben's a lot more laid back these days. idk whether it's aging or the relationship or what, but he's clearly a lot more comfortable in his own skin compared to like 2017. i don't think people new to the fandom realise just how much of a big bag of neuroticism he used to be sjfhsjhfs. it's nice to see. i feel like a proud mother (ignore the fact i am a childless lesbian in my 30s).