#baxter ward mention

[moonsplit]

cove x derek

imagine derek’s crush on mc fading only for him to realize he likes cove

mc would be with baxter in this i think

mc and cove helping each other with relationship advice cause they’re the bestest friends ever

double dates

the world needs more derek x cove

✰ "Don't tell him, please-?" ✰

pairingミ☆ cove x derek word count ミ☆ 1,067 tagsミ☆ getting together, jamie last, mc and cove are the best even just platonically, I'm in love with them all, pictionary double date, cove's easily embarrassed & it's actually really cute

notes ミ☆ okay agreed though, they're such an underrated duo and I hope and pray I did them justice!! I'll be using "Jamie Last" and they/them for the MC because it's not a reader focused post, but feel free to replace those with your own MC/yourself!

Okay to start

Derek didn't know who to tell

So, naturally, he told Jamie

Who nearly spit out their drink because ?????

That was unexpected to them

He made them promise not to tell Cove until he was ready

And uh oh

They could see where this was going from a mile away

"Okay, just to be clear, even if I find out he has a crush on you, and he makes me promise not to tell you, I can't tell him?"

"No! Please- I mean- please Jamie?"

They groaned. "Alright, alright. No telling Cove no matter what happens. I reserve the right to set you two up if I have to though."

"That's fair! Thank you so much- so much."

Jamie smiled, snickering a bit. Still, they knew exactly where this was gonna go, if media told them anything. This was gonna be a long and grueling few years.

Cove's the last to know about his crush on Derek

This partially includes Derek himself

Partially.

Jamie snickered to themselves about this constantly, and talked to Baxter about it very often

Listen, the hell of watching these two do an annoying tango around the bush that was their feelings? They couldn't do it alone

Baxter wasn't the closest with Cove nor Derek, but even he was invested in if or when the relationship would happen

And when Cove finally realized his feelings and almost yelled his realization to Jamie, they fully laughed

Not at him, not at his feelings, just- they half thought he knew??? How could he not

Then again

They were the most autistic friendship this world has ever seen

So really, with as dense as they both were, it should not have been a shock

"IthinkIlikeDerek," Cove blurted out in one quick breath, having called Jamie at the prime time of- midnight? Jesus Christ, Cove. Jamie has insomnia, what's your excuse?

It took them a few moments to process what he said, but when they did they laughed. "You're realizing this at midnight on a Wednesday?"

"Why are you acting like you knew?"

Silence.

"Did you know I have a crush on him before I did!?" Jamie's laughter told him all he needed to know, and they could almost hear the embarrassment in his tone. "Was I really that obvious to everyone else?"

Yeah, so, Jamie proceeded to play matchmaker

With Baxter's help, because there was no way in hell they were doing it alone

The two would never do it unless they were pushed, though

So while Jamie painstakingly tried convincing one (or both!) of them to confess, Bax started scheming up a backup plan

Unfortunately for him, Jamie actually succeeded in convincing Cove

Which was

Honestly a fucking miracle, have you seen the guy?

"Fine."

"Wait, actually?" Jamie was instantly ecstatic, grinning up at their too-tall friend.

"If you promise not to make fun of me for crying after it happens."

"'Course not! You're the best sentimental crier I know," while not a lie, Cove was also the only person Jamie knew who cried so often. "I'll have celebratory or depression treats ready for you."

Cove smiled, face flushed red from the whole discussion. "Thanks Jamie- you really think he feels the same?"

"I know it."

Of course, to no one but Cove's surprise

Jamie was right!

Cove and Derek were officially together

Now, I could write their first date

But frankly I don't want to right now (anyone reading can feel free to rq it and I'll make a oneshot or hc set though!)

Derek somehow got even brighter after they got together

And found himself making the way down to Sunset Bird far more often than before

He practically lived at Jamie's house, having sleepovers with them only to go visit Cove while they talked hours away with Baxter

When Jamie brought up the idea of a double date, Derek was immediately on board

Baxter agreed quickly too, partially because he loved Jamie and partially because he wanted to see the end result of the pining Jamie had spent years agonizing over

(Slow burns seemed to be a running theme in this group, looking at his and their relationship. But I digress, this isn't about them)

Cove agrees, a bit hesitant but happy to spend time with his closest friend, his boyfriend, and- whatever Baxter was to him, friend?

The four of them end up going out to dinner together and playing Pictionary at Cove's house

Cove is... horrible at it

He tanks his and Derek's points when he has to draw

But on the bright side!

Derek was good enough at doodling quickly that they got points that way

Jamie and Baxter were both decently good artists, but Jamie cracked under the pressure of the time crunch and could usually not get their sketch out properly

and Baxter's were so bare-boned that Jamie had trouble guessing until his time was almost up

Derek and Cove won pictionary against the artists, it's a miracle!

In his excitement of winning, Derek kissed Cove

Jamie almost cheered, because holy shit finally

And Cove

Was almost dead on the ground with how flustered he was

I think they're a really sweet couple

I mean, obviously, right?

From quiet nights on the couch watching movies together, to actually going out and doing things together, they just love being in each others' company

There is rarely a time you'll see them together but not touching

Usually it's subtle, hand-holding or wrapping an arm around each other

Other times, it's almost sickening how sweet and affectionate they are

It flusters Cove 24/7

But especially when they're in public and Derek decides to shower him with kisses

Derek will fumble to make up for Cove's bluntness and try and teach him how to be more situationally-aware/polite

It doesn't go well but hey, he tried

And Cove appreciates the effort, he really does, even if he does feel a little silly for not really getting it

Why would someone want you to be polite over being honest? Wouldn't you rather know what he really thought?

And Cove is adamant that Derek's not annoying

Any time Derek apologizes or backtracks or quiets down, he's encouraged to keep going on his rambles

"You're not annoying me, I just don't have anything to say" with a soft little smile that makes Derek's heart melt

I love them, they're so cute

[akiacia]

multi-step shenanigans

[bamb-procrastinates]

Inspired by this post by @/differenteagletragedy where Xavier reminds Baxter of an MC with pink hair.

I had to draw it hehe :D

[burplewrites]

thoughts | cove james holden

𓆉 | fandom: our life: beginnings & always

𓆉 | characters: cove holden, reader

𓆉 | word count: 1,547 words 8,375 characters

𓆉 | a/n: this has been in my notes for so long i got disgusted by it and i wanted it gone (the ending sucks i cant make conclusions)

from a young age, y/n has experienced happiness. they had loving parents, even though they were adopted. their older sister, who was a brat when they were younger, loved them unconditionally. they had amazing relatives and friends and were always surrounded by positivity since they were a child. although from a young age, they always felt like this feeling would be temporary.

their moms wouldn’t love them anymore, cove wouldn’t care, derek, terri, and miranda wouldn’t care, baxter…. well, they were right about baxter. but baxter left, making everything they thought would happen a reality… that terrified them.

normally when it was just thoughts, that’s all it was. thoughts. their mind was fucking with them, making them feel horrible for no reason. but it’s been those thoughts that have been brought into the world, that possibility was a real one. baxter had left three months ago and y/n was still stuck in that moment when he closed the door to their relationship.

no calls, no texts, no anything. y/n saw the signs, they were right in front of their face. baxter always thought of his stay here as temporary. but it didn’t have to be. they could have remained friends. but he chose to cut contact with everyone in sunset bird, with them.

maybe baxter was different, a messed up variable. they had only known each other for a summer, but if he could do it, what was holding everyone else from doing that too? what is everyone waiting for?

when was everyone going to leave them too?

it was a summer fling, just a short little thing. nothing too serious. that was said from the beginning. y/n felt hard though, which made it hurt even more. what was that whole relationship to him anyway? did he truthfully like it, did he like them as much as they liked him?

he had always been so distant, a barrier was always there, separating them from really getting to know the real baxter ward. if they knew the real him, would they still have been attracted to him? would everything be the same? would they still have entered that fling, would baxter be willing to ask them out, would they accept… what would be the outcome, the reactions, how would life be right now, three months after that summer?

y/n laid in bed, their mind taking all the energy that would otherwise be used to go do random stuff with their family and friends. their eyes were closed, with the cover over their head as they tried to control their breathing and get out of this spiral they were trapping themselves in. they didn't even notice when cove came into their room.

their window was always left unlocked due to cove's unwarranted but not unwanted visits, so he was never locked outside on the side of the building.

"y/n, it's like 1 pm." cove said gently before sitting on the side of their bed. y/n sat up, and faked a yawn, before smiling at cove. they didn't want to burden him with their thoughts again. they did that the day baxter left, and even though cove didn't seem to mind, they didn't want to put him through that again. "y/n, what's the matter? you can't lie to me with that fake yawn. i know you better than that, and i know you know that too."

"it's nothing, i was just thinking. don't worry." they got out of bed and stretched, not registering how upset they looked, or how their mannerisms were so drained. from the bed, cove was watching them do random things, like pick things up, and put them away in a completely different place, arrange their desk, all while trying to start a conversation with cove. they gave up midway though, and just started humming a song under their breath.

cove didn't know what to do. he realised that something was upsetting y/n, it was clear to see, but he didn't know what. he didn't know what he could say or do to help them feel better, since they weren't talking about it but cove could tell it was eating at them. so he did the only thing he thought of in that moment. he stood up and engulfed them in a hug. y/n's body tensed up in shock before relaxing. their back was to cove's chest, and cove was holding them tightly.

"ok space cadet, what's up with this?" y/n said with a chuckle. "you know back hugs barely count, right?"

cove sighed and loosened the hug, which gave y/n the chance to turn around and be engulfed in a normal hug. y/n knew cove wanted to say something, and was prepared to stay in this hug until he did. it was a thing they came up with that happened randomly.

"y/n, you're still upset about baxter, aren't you?" cove said softly. y/n's breath hitched, which was an answer in itself as they sighed.

"i- was it that obvious?"

"no, i just know you. we're kind of connected, remember?" cove chuckled before pulling away from the hug. he pulled y/n back to the bed before sitting beside them. they made eye contact, and cove began.

"talk to me y/n. let me lend an ear."

"it's fine cove, i'm getting through it. you don't have to listen to this." y/n said with a smile, betraying the tears building up in their eyes.

cove stared at y/n softly, before holding their hands. "i know i don't have to, but i want to. i want to be there for you y/n, because you're someone that i truly about and that's never going to change, so let me be there. let me carry some of your worries."

at those words, the dam opened. tears started dropping from y/n's glossy eyes, and more came as they tried wiping them. their breathing shallowed as they sobbed on the side of their bed, cove holding them, offering the comfort he could at that moment.

"it's not supposed to hurt that hard. we barely knew each other cove. we dated for the summer, i'm supposed to be focusing on the future, not remembering this!" y/n started, more tears bubbling up with a pause in their words. "but he left. he didn't even care, he just dismissed it, and i'm trying to understand but it hurts so much."

y/n cried in cove's arms a little, not caring how messed they looked. cove was one of their rocks. a constant. yes, they doubted it sometimes, but it was hard to find even the smallest part of cove wanting to abandon them. cove was always there, cove was family. y/n always felt the safest when he was there by their side.

"i knew it wouldn't last forever, but it set everything in stone, that everyone is going to leave and i'm just going to be stuck here, without anyone. miranda and terri, derek and you… moms, liz.. everyone is just going to leave. they wouldn't need a reason to stick by me anymore. i wouldn't mean much to them anymore, and i-"

y/n was spiralling, and cove squeezed them hard in the hug to get them to snap out of it, without 'interrupting' them. y/n turned to look at cove with a confused look and cove looked at them wiping his own tears from his aquamarine eyes.

"we aren't going to leave you behind. we never would do that. we love you, i love you. i can confidently speak for miranda, and terri, and elizabeth, and your moms, as well as myself. we would never even think of abandoning you. you have such an important effect on out lives y/n, and we wouldn't change it for anything."

"so why did he leave, cove? why didn't he want to stay friends, why didn't he want to keep in contact with me? am i that unlikable and unlovable-"

cove shook his head, making y/n's face wrench with more tears, as their head faced the ground.

"i don't know what was going through his head, but him leaving does not make you unlovable and unlikable. he liked you enough to want to be your friend, he liked you enough to want to start dating you, he liked you enough to help you out, to form memories with you, and to be there with you for as long as he could. i couldn't tell you why he couldn't stay friends, but i can tell you that he's probably going to regret losing someone like you in his life." y/n smiled a little and leaned their head against their best friend.

"thank you cove.. i love you too."

"i know." cove said gently, reaching over and passing y/n some tissues. "y/n anytime you need to talk, anytime you have doubts about anything.. you have to tell me about it. or your moms, or liz, or our friends, but don't just keep it locked inside. isn't that what you taught me?"

y/n chuckled.

"yeah, i guess i'm just not good at following my own advice."

"i can see that." cove teased, making y/n glare at him playfully. cove sat there, as a pillar for y/n letting them lean against him, as they sniffed and calmed down, giving them all the time they needed.

[iwrite-sinsandtragedies]

"The start of / the end of — a movie I've seen... before." [prev.]

Step 3 is finished ..•ᐠ.˙( ੭˘ ³˘)੭~`.•ᐟthank˙ .❤•˙. god ｡ﾟ･ﾟ✧˙..

Background below:

[CW: anxiety, depression, eating disorder, PTSD, survivors guilt, Attempted Suicide and Depictions of Self-Harm]

Song: Lizzy McAlpine - ceilings

—

Like a pearl, Ai grows into something preciously beautiful and refined with each passing day. She is not perfect, not as strong as you would expect, but there is something of a quality in her so fine that she is still coveted by those that have found her.

There's an air of grace and confidence in how she moves and acts, learned in part from all her passionate years of dance. Her voice is like crystal chimes, an instrument of music and always two steps from another sweet and tinkling laugh. She's warm and bright with stars in her eyes and love in her heart, influenced through the years in all the very best ways by her family and friends.

And she's not perfect. It's something that has to be said because many people like to think that she is - that the refinement of her self at this blossoming age has been something she never had to work for - but those people simply don't know Ai one bit.

After 13 Ai went through some of the hardest years of her young life. Learning to let people love her (that they could love her - that she was someone to love) learning to let herself change and fail without the fear that it would destroy everything she had grown to love as well. There were still things she had never expressed to her family, likely never would. They still didn't know about the full story of the car crash or why it affected her so, it was something she wouldn't even tell her therapist, and it put a lot of delay on her growth as people struggled to find the source of her ever present anxiety and guilt at simply existing in a world that her first family did not.

But there were lights to guide her: Only Cove, Cliff, Derek and Lee at first - sometimes Ma, when Ai was desperate, eventually mom and Liz as years moved on - but eventually Miranda grew, stubbornly, into the garden of her life and Terri and Jude quickly came with her. They curled around her walls like ivy, surrounded her lonely tower with life and beauty and wonder. With love.

And time passed, and Ai grew with them.

It was Jude that first heard the full tale of the car accident (Miranda was having a sleepover and he found Ai alone, crying in the kitchen after an especially terrible nightmare, he sat there with her all night - listened to her - made her feel safe). The next person to find out was Cliff, who had helped her moms go searching for the girl after an especially terrible fight (they sat in the grass, Ai tucked tightly under his one arm as she cried into his chest. Despite all her beliefs that he wouldn't - Cliff stayed. He said he would always stay). Surprisingly, she was never able to tell the story to Cove. Despite being her dearest, closest everything, Ai was always too afraid for his gentle heart to burden him like that. And so, with her world just a little more wider, a little more brighter, she continued to grow.

When her 18th summer came, Ai couldn't tell you what she had been expecting of it, honestly. Despite all her hard work, all her scholarships and diplomas and good grades, despite the money she'd saved and the plans she'd made. Despite the friends and family she had gained and, most of all, despite all of her growth - Ai suddenly found herself feeling like she did way back then.

Like she was 6 years old all over again.

Her world was suddenly so big and scary and irreversibly about to change before her very eyes and there was no promise she wouldn't be alone again when everything stopped spinning. She hated it.

So, she clung tighter to what she had grown and built. Pulled close everything she cherished, dug her nails in until it bled. She wouldn't expand on her plans when asked, she didn't want to think about them anymore. She just wanted to see tomorrow come and go as it had gone every other day before.

She didn't want to lose everything again.

And so, a Mr. Baxter Alexander Ward was - as he so often would be in her life - the wrench that completely shattered all her plans.

And she loved him.

That first day, that first moment, when he appeared in her life on a quiet sunny street - Ai couldn’t have known what Baxter was going to become to her - but what she did know, as she wrapped him up tight in that warm and welcoming embrace, was that she didn’t want to let him go. That she wanted to hold him close. That he was precious.

That feeling grew with each new day. It was as terrifying as it was exhilarating. He was new, he was change but he wasn’t a bad change. Baxter, like a memory - like a step in a dance she had almost forgotten to take - fit perfectly into a part of herself that she hadn’t thought to still exist. He was her fire, the spark of wildness of her youth that had her take chances and risks that would add gray hairs to her mother’s heads had they only known about it. He looked at her with that smile and all she could ever do was helplessly smile back, only ever take his offered hand at each and every single chance.

They danced and danced and danced until she was dizzy from the spinning and laughing and completely irreversibly in love with him.

And when he faltered, she was there to catch his hand and lead him back.

And they danced.

Into the ocean shallows, into the sprinkle damp grass. After the jingle of summers tune or wrapped up in his clothes, under sparkling night skies. They danced. In early mornings and late evenings, half asleep or a bit tipsy. Stumbling over a creek or on a ship at sea. They danced. Smelling of midnight sweets, dressed up classy or silly or comfy and warm. They danced.

Quietly and closely in the night as they kissed - they danced.

And she loved him.

And it broke her heart.

Song: Lauren Aquilina - Forest Fires

Unbeknownst to Baxter, when he left, he took much much more than just Ai’s 18th summer with him. Much more.

It was as if that fire he had set in her had spread to the very tower in which she lived. All the love and comfort and growth, all the work and hard won progress through every difficult year, all of it went up in a sickening black smoke. All of it burned away like car oil and ash and left her exactly as she had felt on that day when her world had terribly changed.

And Ai broke.

In the following months, the girl everyone had grown to cherish and love became a shell of her former self. The first weeks were the worst - having to watch her waste away with each missed meal and nightmare that kept her awake. Cove slipped through her window nearly every single night, only sleeping in his own bed when she was slipping through his window instead.

Though worried, her friends initially kept their distance on the request of her parents, who worried about her fragile state and wanted to give her time to process and heal. The moment Jude found out about this, he showed up at Ai’s front door and gave everyone a piece of his mind (ultimately, this was the day that the rest of the family found out about the full story behind the car crash). Now, more than ever, was the time they needed to be there for Ai.

The sudden reintroduction of all her dearly loved ones seemed to help things. She started eating, eventually even started to smile again. Found her long lost laugh. The mom’s stopped hearing her nightmares. With each day the world seemed brighter - better - like things might almost be back to okay.

Ai was smiling again.

And so no one expected her attempted suicide.

It was Cove who walked into the kitchen this time. He wasn’t as lucky as Elizabeth - Ai hadn’t missed the artery this time. He had never seen her covered in so much red.

It was little comfort that, while he tried to save her life, Ai's own eyes looked as terrified as his.

But she didn’t die.

No, she survived. She always survived. As little as she wanted to, as little as she believed she deserved to, Ai was still alive.

And she wasn’t alone. That was the part that surprised her most.

Despite the fire - the flames of Baxter’s light that still burned her alive - the world around her tower once again started to grow. Because her mother’s held her as they cried, and her sister wouldn’t let her go. Because Cliff and Cove did exactly the same, because they stayed and would always stay - despite everything they stayed with her. And everywhere she looked, she found another hand and another face that loved her (in Derek and Miranda and Jude and Terri and Lee and more) and the ivy that they planted stubbornly clung to her, and refused to let her go.

Continued to grow.

Ai was never quite the same after Baxter left. She never shone as bright, never laughed in that sweet and tinkling way that they all remembered - but Ai was alive. And maybe she was a bit more quiet now, and maybe she hid behind her hair most of the time, but she was still Ai.

Not perfect. Not as strong as you would expect. Yet still so so endlessly precious to all those who have ever found her. And loved.

[mochidreambubble]

I got smol beans 💖For the power of cute and probably ship memes if I ever get to doing any of them-

🎨from moonyistired ✨

[sunbloomdew]

losercore

he cant open a box (・ε・`*) …

[aruban-spaceshuttle]

Just completed the Happiness moment from Step 3 DLC with my graphics on high 💪😎 (I went to the aquarium on a field trip)

[mariocki]

Night Key (1937)

"Now, listen, Steve. Twenty years ago you robbed me of the patent rights of the system that you're now using. Perhaps there was some excuse for that: because it gave you wealth, success, position, all the things that tempt one man to rob another. But now that you have everything and I have nothing, what possible reason is there for you to do this to me again?"

[minthe-drawings]

So who wants a little Baxter Ward Event to countdown up to his birthday? ✨

Announcing BaxterMC Week!✨📢

A whole week dedicated to Baxter Ward and MC!❤️

Please read the guidelines below⬇️

Guidelines:

1. Please use #BaxterMCWeek and tag/mention me in each BaxterMC Week related submission.

2. Please indicate which prompt your submission is for in each post.

3. You can make your submission NSFW, but keep in mind that I will refrain from sharing explicit works.

4. Any Baxter enjoyer can participate! Fan artists, fic writers, etc.

5. I reserve the right to not share any submission that I find to be too inappropriate, hateful or discriminatory, for any reason.

6. Have fun and do not stress!! It’s ok if you can’t do a submission for every day.  Late submissions will still be shared until June 19th!

[milomarigold]

Baxter Ward Can Cook

You're just in time. Dinner is ready!" - Baxter

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Baxter learns to cook in Step 4 :D! Not to mention, that GB Patch said he may be the best cook out of the 3 bachelors. So, I couldn't resist making a drawing of such.

Honestly, I struggled with this one, choosing a color palette for instance. I wanted a limited palette, and eventually I had the most fun with pinks. Hope you like Baxter and his fish dinner, bon appetite!

P.S. thanks reblogging💕!! Have some dessert 🍰🍨🍫

[differenteagletragedy]

swap au: the boy across the street is Baxter, the boy who lives far away but is still your friend is Cove, and the boy who comes for but one summer is Derek.

When I tell you the powerful and immediate urge I had to rewrite the entire dang game with this ... this is so much fun, thank you!!!

You could hear the new neighbors moving in at your spot behind your house. You'd thought about taking a peek to see what kind of people they were like, but decided to stay out of the way, watching clouds on the poppy hill instead. With how nosy your moms had been after the "for sale" sign disappeared, you'd be learning about them soon enough.

After a while, the clouds stopped holding your attention and you stood, looking for a new activity. Before you knew it, you were making your way to the shore -- there was always something to do there.

When you arrived, the typically empty beach wasn't quite as empty as it usually was. Up near the path, away from the water but still on the sand, was a boy. He looked to be your age, maybe a little older. He hadn't heard you approach, and was instead staring straight ahead at the ocean.

"Hi," you said, and you quickly broke whatever spell he was under. "I haven't seen you around before."

"That would be because I just moved here," he said. He pulled on the hem of his shirt, then smiled at you, extending a hand. "My name is Baxter Ward."

At the time, you thought it was weirdly formal, something grown-ups did to greet each other, not kids. But over time, as you got to know him and all his quirks, you looked back at the moment fondly.

That summer, he became your best friend.

You took to each other immediately, and if you had it your way you would've have spent every waking minute together. Sometimes Baxter couldn't hang out though -- he didn't talk about it much, but he seemed sad sometimes when he talked about his parents, and the few times you spoke with them you got the feeling they didn't like you very much.

But Baxter, as oddly formal as he was, wasn't afraid to break rules. And after a meeting between his parents and yours that didn't seem to go so well, your moms were quick to welcome him whenever he wanted to come over. You were able to get close.

By the time the summer was over, you could hardly remember what life was like before he came into it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Five years later, you were 13, and Baxter was still your best friend. He went to a private school while you went to the public one, and from what little he told you about it, he didn't really have friends there. It was a boring place to be, he told you, and he'd much rather be spending time with you than with those spoiled rich kids.

He never bothered noting that he was also a spoiled rich kid.

One day, the two of you were in your bedroom, wasting away a day together. He was lying comfortably on your bed and you were sitting at the foot of it, leaned against the window he regularly used for secret visits -- when he didn't want to hear his parents complain about him spending so much time with you, he found it easier to just slip away unnoticed.

"There's a boy coming over today," he mentioned, ending a comfortable silence. "I think you'll find him interesting."

"If you think he's interesting, then I'm officially scared," you teased.

He smirked in response. He was proud.

Over the past few months, Baxter had started getting more experimental with his fashion. He'd always dressed a bit preppy, and that hadn't changed much, but now he was moving towards clothes that were only black and white. He'd shown you a few more alternative pieces he'd ordered, things that matched the color scheme but were a little more out there, but he hadn't had the nerve to wear them out yet.

"He's the son of a business partner of my father's," he explained of the mystery boy. "I've met him a few times before, he's very shy."

"Then why do you think I'll think he's interesting?" you asked.

"He's also very cute."

You blushed, and he laughed.

You'd had a crush on him for a while, and you couldn't tell if he knew, or if he might like you back, but it was certainly clear that he enjoyed teasing you about anything even remotely related to dating. It always flustered you, but he enjoyed that, too.

He opened his mouth to say anything else, but before he could, the door to your room opened and Liz popped her head in.

"Some kid is at the door asking for you," she told Baxter. "I didn't realize you'd officially moved in."

"Thank you for the warm welcome, sis," he said easily, then stood and looked at you.

"Let's go," he said. "That would be the boy of the hour."

He held out a hand to help you off the bed, and, blushing again, you took it. There was that smirk again, but this time he chose to let it go.

When you went downstairs and to the door, you saw the boy had retreated back towards the street, looking uncomfortable. He was tall and gangly with bright green hair and glasses, and Baxter had been right -- he was cute.

"Cove!" your friend called out brightly, leading you over for an introduction. The boy, Cove, held up his hand in a slight wave. He was nervous.

But as awkward as Cove was, he managed to work his way into your cozy little friend group of two, turning it into a trio.

At one point during the summer, you and Cove had exchanged phone numbers. His father -- his parents were divorced and he lived in another neighborhood with his dad -- was much more easygoing than Baxter's parents, so you were able to visit him quite a bit.

You were even invited over for a sleepover, which Baxter had been surprised about. He'd reacted strangely when you told him about it, it seemed -- you weren't sure if he was upset that his parents had never let you stay over, or if it was something about you getting close to Cove. But in the end, he'd put on his old friendly smile and told you to have fun.

When your moms dropped you off at Cove's house, he greeted you at the door and invited you in, as awkward as the day you had met.

"It was my dad's idea, to ask you to stay over," he explained as you made your way to his room to hang out. "Not that I don't want you to stay over! It was just his idea is all."

"Why would he want me to stay over?" you asked.

He turned to face you as you came to a stop in his bedroom, but he kept his eyes down. He started rubbing his arm, a nervous tick you'd picked up on pretty quickly.

"I don't ... I mean, I don't really have many friends, I guess," he said. "My dad wants me to have more. I think he worries about it."

"Why didn't you ask Baxter?"

"My dad doesn't like his dad," he said.

That made sense to you. You didn't like Baxter's dad either.

Cove didn't live in your neighborhood, but he still lived near a beach. You walked there together and spent most of the evening there, and when you went back, his dad had cooked you dinner.

Throughout the day, he had loosened up, but when it was time for bed, he started getting shy again. His father had laid out two sleeping bags side by side on the living room floor, and after you both got into them, he didn't say a word.

"Cove?" you asked.

He didn't say anything. You turned to face him, sure he hadn't been able to fall asleep that quickly. In the faint light coming in from the kitchen, you saw his eyes wide open, and maybe a tiny bit of color on his cheeks.

"Are you all right?"

He turned his head toward you slightly, not enough to make eye contact, and said, "Yeah."

It wasn't very convincing.

It was your turn to stay quiet -- you weren't sure what to say. Then, without further prompting, he turned to face you too. He met your eyes.

"I get nervous around you," he said plainly. "More than other people. That's why I don't say stuff sometimes."

"Oh," you replied. Then, "Why?"

He shrugged, a decidedly non-romantic gesture, but it still tugged at your heartstrings.

He ended up changing the subject, and you laid there together for a long time, whispering about what you'd done that day and what you wanted to do tomorrow, what you wanted to do with your lives. It was nice, and when you finally fell asleep, you thought maybe you could see Cove being in your life for a long time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Five more years went by, and more big changes came with them.

Baxter was your best friend and still your neighbor -- for the time being. You'd graduated high school and were now adults, and you knew he was desperate to get out of his parents' home.

Cove was still important to you, though you'd been seeing him less and less. His father had cut professional ties with Baxter's, and there was a bit of bad blood there. He'd also decided he wanted to go to college to study marine biology, which was no big surprise, but it did mean that a lot of his free time went to studying.

You weren't sure what exactly you wanted to do, but at the beginning of the summer, an opportunity for a quick adventure before diving into real adulthood presented itself, almost literally on your doorstep.

Gossip spread easily in Sunset Bird, and your moms had heard that the newly vacant condo next door to Baxter's house had been rented. They were eager to see who was coming into the neighborhood, but because they had to leave for work before anything happened, they asked you and Baxter, who was almost always over, to keep an eye out.

Baxter agreed before you could say anything. He'd always done anything your moms asked. You thought it was because he was thankful that they'd unofficially adopted him as their third child.

The two of you settled outside on your front step, waiting and chatting idly about some nonsense he'd made up about who the new neighbor would be. He was really getting into the details when a cab pulled up across the street, and a guy who looked to be about your age stepped out.

"This is not what I expected," Baxter whispered to you before letting his mouth hang open.

You watched as the newest resident of your tiny town moved to the back of the car, opening the trunk and easily pulling out a suitcase. He was all muscles and tan skin and had such a big smile as he tipped the driver. The cab left, and the stranger must have felt your eyes on him, because he turned to you then and smiled even wider.

"Hey, neighbors!" he called out, sounding as friendly as he looked. He started making his way over, and you saw bright green eyes twinkling at you.

Baxter stood, sticking his hand out to help you up. You took it, and he used his other hand to smooth his black and white hair.

"My name's Derek," the guy said holding out a hand to you the same way Baxter had when you first met him ten years before. You shook it, and he smiled directly at you before moving to shake your friend's hand as well.

You and Baxter introduced yourselves, then Baxter asked, "So, Derek, what brings you into our tiny neck of the woods?"

"I'm on vacation," he answered. "Well, kind of. I play college soccer, and there's a coach in the city that's really good, I'm going to work with him this summer. My parents wanted me to have an actual vacation too though, so ..."

He finished his thought by gesturing to his condo.

"I see," Baxter said, and you could hear it in his voice already -- he was turning the charm on. "Well, you know what they say about all work and no play. If you ever feel the need to play, don't hesitate to find us."

Ten years of friendship, and Baxter could still make you blush. If Derek was taken aback by his forwardness, he didn't show it -- instead, he laughed openly.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said. You thought you saw him sneak a glance at you as his smile turned smaller, but you weren't sure.

You learned quickly that Derek was serious about his work. He left for long stretches to go into the city for his private training, and you frequently saw him out for runs around the neighborhood.

But he also, it seemed, had taken a liking to you.

One evening, he knocked on your door. You were home alone, so naturally you were the one to answer, and he was there, as always, with a big grin on his face.

"Hey!" he said. "I totally get if you have plans, but if not I thought I'd come check to see if you wanted to hang out?"

"I'm free," you told him.

"Cool. Do you wanna come over?"

When you paused, he quickly continued, telling you, "Oh no, I'm not ... I'm not trying to ... do you like video games?"

A few minutes later, you were sitting next to Derek on his couch, starting up a game of MarioKart.

His composure regained, he said, "I hope you know I'm not going to take it easy on you."

"Why would I think you'd take it easy on me?" you laughed, looking at the tv to choose your character.

"Pretty people always think they can get their way."

That stopped you in your tracks. You glanced over at him, and he was smiling at you.

"You would know," you replied, trying to return the compliment.

As you played, you both found little ways to get closer to each other. Once he scooted over to show you which button to press to do a certain move, and soon after you'd done the same, pretending like you'd forgotten.

After a particularly intense race, it happened -- you finally beat Derek. He'd stayed true to his word and hadn't taken it easy on you, beating you time after time, but now, you'd bested him.

You stood up enthusiastically, cheering for yourself, and ever the gentleman, he stood up as well to cheer along with you.

The next thing you knew, he had his strong arms around your waist, and yours had gone up around his neck. He leaned in a bit, then paused.

"I like you," he said softly, "and I think it would be nice to kiss you. But I'm going back to college in a couple of months, and --"

"A couple of months is enough for me," you told him.

He smiled again, then kissed you. It was gentle and sweet, and over far too soon.

"I'm thinking I should probably make a little bit more time this summer for playing," he said, giving you a smirk that could almost rival Baxter's.

[kunimilktea]

This picture of kori in the last post is sending me

She looks so silly dkkskskdkd.

Speaking of kori (also hey I had an mc called cori that's cool!) when do her and cove get together? Is it in the step 2 epilogue with the confession or during the charity confession?

Also unrelated to Kori but what do you mind going more into depth on your thoughts for both Derek and Baxter dlcs? I love discussions around their dlcs I wish people would genuinely talk more about itz going into depth into the themes of the dlcs and how they affect Derek and Baxter as characters, but then again I'm someone who loves analyzing the media they consume so djdkdkjd. General discussions about these things drive me crazy (I think is worth mentioning that I'm autistic so djdkdk)

Your art is also very lovely I loved watching your doodles, you're one of the artists I always look forward to to get a notification from 🫶

THATS ALOT OF QUESTIONS YOU GOT THERE BUDDY,,,,

Im kidding tho it's appreciated nonetheless ^_^

SO FIRST OF ALL THANKS FOR LIKING MY ART 🥹🥹🥹 i try my best to make time for drawing my silly our life doodles despite being busy in college and i appreciate anyone who rlly enjoys my dumb doodles of my ol mc shenanigans

Answering the confession question, they confess at the end of step 3 cause i thought the slowburn was fun 😇

I actually drew their first kiss right here

Now with the derek and baxter dlc question,,,

So fun fact! With how i played the the dlcs over all me and my friend Lo (@/oiulse) would choose which boy to play the dlc and stream it on call, so Lo picked Baxter and i took Derek, it was really funny cause casual constantly played in our heads during the Baxter dlc (bless lo btw for gifting me both dlcs labyu oomf 🫰)

With how i feel with BOTH dlcs

For my boy Derek Suarez

When i played the first moment from dereks dlc my voice started like acting up from how long THAT specific moment was, maybe its just me but the first moment in particular felt really long, I get it though its the first time ur meeting the suarez family and in no way did i NOT enjoy it, but there were indeed moments where im like DAMN ITS STILL NOT OVER cause of how tired my voice was getting LMFAO, all the other moments were rlly fun my favorite one from the dlc was where u hang out with liz on daddy day and there was an option to gift a card to cliff 🥹, his step 4 was also a bunch of fun i loved the family bonding get to do with the suarez brothers (u can just tell that i love family aus) and getting to hang out with derek made me love him more as a chr, HIS STEP 4 VOICE IS STILL A JUMPSCARE TO ME FROM HOW DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT IT IS (no hate to the va btw) STILL VERY FUNNY THOUGH HAHAHA, i made it so that Derek, kori and cove get to be neighbors before the both of them get married so now they hang out LOTS

With THE Baxter FUCKING Alexander Ward

I heard from another friend that the baxter's dlc was gonna be angsty and i was like oh hell fuckin yeah i love angst! AND THERE CERTAINLY WAS ANGST ILL TELL U THAT MUCH, since i was watching lo play through the Baxter dlc i will admit there were a few times where i spaced out cause ANOTHER fun fact, we played the dlcs like really late on my timezone so i was either drawing while Lo was playing or i was in the brink of conking the fuck out, i was able to know what was going on overall i think the ONLY moment i like fully spaced out on was when the mc and baxter were like out drinking or smth and there was this entire thing with the bartender and the singer, that specific scene in particular i was fully focusing on smth else and it wasnt till later that when i played the baxter dlc for myself that i knew what was finally going on, since me and lo have our castaways au to think abt while playing these dlcs we were building aus upon aus of what lo's mc would do when meeting with baxter again after 5 years its fun lo has never been the same since and neither have i, the angst was good soup and i can see why baxter's dlc was more expensive than derek's LMFAO

But ironically enough the dlc that made me cry was DEREKS DLC,,, that moment on the step 4 epilogue with the brothers having a heart to heart is going to be MY ROMAN EMPIRE, I FUCKING LOVE FAMILIES BRO GAUGHHHH

Anyways sorry that was unnecessarily long i could have organized my thoughts more but i dont have the patience for that so i hope u dont mind that all my thoughts and feelings were all over the place hahaha

In conclusion the dlcs was a nice content buffet 👍

[lvndrptchwrk]

Hi! If you have request , Could I request Baxter Ward with a reader whos a model? Step 3 or 4 are cool!

((omg thank you for the request ! i just finished the baxter dlc the other day so i've been itching to write him and this seems like the perfect scenario ! ))

baxter ward with a model mc

step 3/4 baxter x gn! mc 

spoilers for baxter’s dlc ahead! 

🔲 you’ve always had a particular taste in fashion and always loved dressing up, so it’d make sense that you would find a part time job at a modeling company after you graduated

🔲 meeting baxter for the first time, you two instantly clicked about your tastes in fashion

🔲 colorful wardrobe: he is your exact polar opposite with his black and white wardrobe, but you two loved to compare the differences in taste, and see if there's any similarities

🔲 black and white wardrobe: he is enamored about how similar your wardrobe is to his and you two talk about the similarities and how bad of an idea it is to wear black in the heat 

🔲no matter what your wardrobe is, he simply loves seeing the kinds of outfits you wear for different occasions, from casual hang-outs to fancy nights out

🔲 you two would try to coordinate your outfits to match when possible ! esp if you have a colorful wardrobe yall would be true polar opposites ! and with the matching black and white outfits you guys would fr be twins 

🔲 if you take part in a fashion show or photoshoot, he would definitely attend or want to see the photos

🔲 seeing your photos or watching you model clothes has him blown away, you are in your element and truly the star of the show in his eyes

🔲 during sightseeing, mountain and drinks, he would offer to take pictures of you throughout your time together so you could post them to social media and enhance your portfolio

🔲 leaving when summer ends is probably the hardest thing he’s done, he truly loved seeing you and you’ve impacted his life more than he ever imagined 

🔲 “as much as staying would benefit both of us, it simply isn’t meant to be . as you say, the show must go on . ”

🔲 gives you his iconic black and white eye button up as a souvenir of him

🔲 “you would find use of this when you model . plus, i can always buy another one”

🔲 after he leaves, he finds you on social media and watches as your modeling career takes off 

🔲 always likes your posts of professionally done photos and videos of you on the runway 

🔲 has cried when he saw pics of you modeling in his button up (and made it his wallpaper on his phone)

🔲 if you're contracted to model for a clothing company, he would definitely buy a couple of articles of clothing that you’ve modeled in (if its black and white of course)

🔲 if you start a blog of fashion tips, he would follow the blog and take some of your tips to heart, learning what colors would work best for him

🔲 would also take these tips for his clients, offering them colors and themes that would make them pop out at the wedding

🔲 if you ever appear on the cover of a magazine, he’d buy a couple copies just because you're on the front page

🔲 if he’s also bought posters and prints of you as well, that’s definitely for him to know and no one else to find out (he has a poster of you hanging in his office at work) 

🔲 when it’s time for jude and scott’s wedding, you were in charge of ensuring everyone’s outfits were coordinating and all the decorations matched

🔲 jude and scott definitely mentioned you were in charge of outfits but since they never mentioned you by name, he was floored when he realized you were the one helping for the wedding 

🔲 “it all makes sense, looking back at it . only you could make everyone look as divine as they are tonight, truly the work of a model”

🔲 you instantly hit it off right away a second time, you both simply could not not talk to each other, whether its about modeling or the wedding or fashion in general

🔲 he eventually reveals he follows you on social media and could not stay away from you and your work (the poster in his office was a partial giveaway)

🔲 when you two start dating again, he starts coming to all of your shows/photoshoots when he can 

🔲 if you lived far, you would definitely convince your work to let you move closer to baxter so he’d be able to see your shows or take constant trips out to model near the area

🔲 loves when you coordinate clothes with him, loves it even more when you wear his clothes

🔲 has modeled with you once or twice in his freetime, and was elated to see his face alongside yours in the final product

🔲 you both are so photogenic so obviously photographers constantly love you two together in photos

🔲 your fanbase goes feral over seeing you two together, they simply can't ignore how good you both look

🔲 he however is your number one fan and makes everyone aware of it 

🔲 “hi yes im baxter ward, wedding planner and mc’s number one fan”

[sugar-omi]

okay so i met him. AND OMI. LET ME TELL YOU. SARO WAS NOT KIDDING WHEN HE SAID THIS MAN WAS FORWARD.

(also, real quick, to that one anon; apologies for bursting your bubble, but the derek of this story is already my best friend AND spoken for...funny enough, his name IS derek (last name NOT suarez), so maybe i am living through olba LMFAO)

so let me put this into perspective for you. the first couple days of class, we were allowed to sit where we wanted so our professor could get a feel of everyone's dynamics with each other and decide our seating chart. and today was the day when the seating chart was implemented... ON THE SAME DAY THAT THIS GUY CAME AROUND.

and saro, being the ta, was allowed to make some input on where certain students that the prof was having trouble placing could go. and he happened to mention that she didn't know this new guy yet, but miss ximi was oh so affable and personable, surely she could help him feel welcomed in case he was the shy type...

so i get there and i make my way to my assigned seat, and i end up sliding in next to this downright GORGEOUS mf. when i tell you bro is literally STUNNING? if he's supposed to be baxter ward in this situation then the black and white biohazard has some competition bc no way can a mf this dazzling exist. every time he talks i imagine those flowers and sparkles surrounding him like in the manhwas

so i sit down and he turns around to look at me, and the way his face LIGHTS UP? I WAS ALMOST BLINDED SIR. and i smile at him a little nervously, take a split-second glance behind him - AND THERE'S SARO GRINNING LIKE AN IDIOT BEHIND THAT STUPID SEXY CLIPBOARD. HE KNEW. HE KNEWWWWWW.

more in the next ask... all of this CANNOT fit in the one, istg

STOP IT. YPURE LITERALLY LIVING EVERYONES DREAM RN, SHUT UP <//3 WHAT DRAGON DID YPU SLAY TO ATTRACT ALL RHESE CUTE DAZZLING MEN???? HUHHHH???

ALSO WHAT IS SARO SMIRKING FOR... NO WAY.....

omg okay what did Mr. dazzling say 😭

[ohemgeeejay]

2k3 Shredder and why he fucking terrifies me 💀

I’m having some intense ass 2k3 tmnt brain rot rn, and I need to talk about this Shredder. This bitch is horrifying. Note that I am only about half way through s3, and this is my first time ever watching the show in full, so there is a lot I haven’t seen yet. All of my knowledge and opinions are based off of the first 3 seasons.

Onto the why!

First of all, this mf has been an intergalactic war criminal for hundreds of years. Based on all the shit we see going on across this universe, you gotta have done something pretty damn horrific to become a war criminal. Like this lil’ freak can easily be considered a terrorist. Even if we disregard that, he’s still the leader of a gang that borders on being a cult.

He has killed so many people? Using people as a broader term for any intelligent, sentient life forms- so humans, Utrom, etc. We don’t have a kill count or anything, but he’s probably directly killed over 100, and indirectly killed thousands more. Thousands may seem like an unrealistically high estimate, but when you really think about it, it’s not. Saying he’s indirectly responsible for 1000 deaths is a generous underestimation. Think about it, all the people his Foot Clan goons have killed, all the gang wars and violence he has incited, all the buildings he had destroyed, livelihoods of innocent people he completely demolished, and everyone who died for him. Not to mention how any and every person who died in the Triceraton/Federation invasion of earth only died because of a millennia long chain reaction resulting from this evil little flesh sack stranding the Utrom on Earth.

Even without all the actual deaths he caused, the things he is shown to be willing to do to others are nightmare fuel. He has no morals whatsoever, no compassion for any living thing other than himself; there is no line he is not willing to cross. He brutally killed Hamato Yoshi, he was willing to leave the turtles & co. locked in a fridge, in a burning building, with a gas leak, and a bomb ready to go off. He inflicts life altering injuries on his “employees” to punish them for not accomplishing his impossible goals. He regularly threatens death on those he views as lesser, and is perfectly content to go through with it.

A perfect example of his sadism is Baxter Stockman. Stockman was just your average corrupt, greedy tech CEO. Shreddy-boy saw the chance to exploit that, recruiting Stockman to be his robotics guy. Every time Stockman failed to do what Shredder demanded of him, he lost a part of his body. He was dismembered and tortured and taken apart like a fucking LEGO set. I mean, he got so mutilated he was literally nothing but a brain, a spinal chord, and an eyeball in a tank. Shredder destroyed every part of Stockman that wasn’t useful to him, which was everything but a genius brain. With all of his body gone, Stockman didn’t have the choice to leave the Foot, he physically couldn’t leave the Foot because he would die. If he ever dared to stop serving the Shredder, he would inevitably die, whether the Shredder ordered it or not.

Which segues into my next point, his manipulation. The way this ugly ass quishy tissue blob manipulates everyone around him is sickening. The way he treats Karai, someone who sees him as her father, is nothing other than abusive. He lies so easily. He almost convinced Leonardo to join him by pretending to be some benevolent ninjutsu master. He views every life other than his own as expendable, and he sees himself as a being above death, a god above God.

Which brings me to my final point. THIS MF JUST WILL NOT DIE. Every single time the turtles seem to have defeated him, every time it seems like he’s finally dead, THIS BITCH JUST COMES BACK. The mental anguish and paranoia that would cause anybody once it happens over and over again is enough to land you in a psych ward for eternity. And it seems like every time he returns he returns more powerful, more evil, and less human than ever before.

So yeah. 2k3 Shredder fucking petrifies me and I am not at all ashamed to admit that. It’s a pretty reasonable fear imo.