#because at my heart I’m a cliche teen Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[peach-pot]

nothing kills my desire to do something more than my mom. sorry mom. there’s nothing wrong with her I love her dearly but whenever I think about how she’ll react to something I don’t want to do it.

[getalittleclosey]

under 10k larry fic rec

hi! i’m becca and i read...so much fic. these rec lists are an accumulation of fic that i’ve read or reread and extra loved from 2016-now. there’s a wide range of stuff here and i think there’s definitely something for everyone!! i divided them up by length so you can check out all those categories below!

please make sure to read tags and warnings on all these fics!! the only things i think i can guarantee is that these are all larry, there’s no non-con, no age play, no eating disorders, no mentions of bg, they end happy, and they’re mostly aus. oh and they’re all on ao3 and some are locked so you’ll need an account! anyway i hope y’all enjoy!!!

under 5k

under 25k

under 50k

under 100k

100k+

☆ colors of the rainbow (shine so bright) by whisperdlullaby 9k

Louis' a popular skateboarder who's out to ruin Harry's life, and sometimes Harry just likes to wear nail polish and panties. Or alternatively, the one where Harry absolutely does not have a diary.

note: there’s a part 2 that’s 6k

☆ day 3: tossed salad by missandrogyny 5k

Harry sighed. “Lou,” he said, as Louis pressed kisses onto the skin of his neck. He gripped at the edge of the washing machine as Louis nibbled lightly at a spot below his jaw. “I’m doing the laundry."

note: this is part of a series by multiple authors but imo can be read on its own as a pwp

☆ jealous of the moon by objectlesson 10k

This is how he dies, Harry Styles saying I want you in me when Louis can’t possibly fulfill that request in a reasonable or safe way.

☆ string theory by graceana 10k

au. louis buzzes with something and glows with another.

The last few players are trickling off the bus when Louis looks down at his hands to see that he is pretty simply put, glowing gold,” Aww what the fuck is this shit. Is it that noticeable?” He whines, doesn’t even make a big deal out of it like it’s a normal thing that should be happening right now.

aka. a cliche soulmatey-fate thing.

☆ you’re like a sponge (abrasive and colorful) by ladylondonderry 7k

Harry LOML Styles: Hey, can you recommend your fav shoe stores? Heels Abroad is closing and I know you know some good places

Butterflies have erupted in Louis’s stomach. This is the first time Harry has ever texted him. He glances down at the beat up old Adidas he wore for his run this morning. Harry thinks Louis knows some good places? He trusts Louis’s opinion on something?

Louis gulps, and then coughs up toothpaste, hastily spitting into the sink. Everything depends on this. Harry - Harry Styles - has texted him! Louis can’t mess this up. He has to be perfect. He has to have great shoe store recommendations. He feels giddy. This is it! A turn in their friendship! The toothpaste-y grin firmly on his face, he picks up his phone again just as another message comes through.

Harry LOML Styles: Sorry, wrong person

Oh.

Or, Louis's flirts look an awful lot like insults.

☆ rated r by cherrystreet 8k

Louis gifts Harry with a surprise sex tape, and it accidentally makes its way into Harry's family Christmas party. Ridiculousness ensues.

☆ stars and boulevards by cherrystreet 6k

They’d been friends for years, had known each other throughout middle school and into high school, meeting in a music class on a sticky September morning. They hit it off instantly, falling into one another immediately, never looking back. Their friendship was comfortable, genuine, safe, always there, achingly present and solid. Harry never felt uneasy confiding in Louis, their one year age gap making Louis somehow seem more worldly, more experienced, and even when Harry had to look down at Louis, he still looked up to him. They spent the quickly passing school years making each other’s homes their own, Harry’s mom calling Louis her honorary second son, Louis’ mom giving Harry a similar title, and everyone knew that if you wanted to find Harry, you had to find Louis first.

☆ in retrospect by ologist 9k

In retrospect, messing with time travel probably wasn’t the best idea George has ever had, and if that’s not the most ironic thing he doesn’t know what is.

note: this is from george shelley’s perspective so there’s quite a bit of union j!

☆ just you wait and see by orphan_account 7k  

In which Harry mistakes Louis' flirting as an attempt to steal his job.

  ☆ i wanna be yours now by justalittlelouislove 8k

“Look, I’m not saying that it’s for sure a serial killer.” Pressing the end of his cigarette to his lips, Zayn takes a short pull and speaks through the exhale, blowing smoke out of the side of his mouth and up towards the sky. “All I’m saying is there’s a good possibility it’s a serial killer.”

Someone is sending Louis flowers. Everyone suffers until Louis gets answers.

☆ come on over tonight by dinosaursmate 6k

As Louis reached Harry’s front path, he spotted something curious on the grass, near to Harry’s wheelie bins. Louis frowned in consternation. Was that…? He crouched down to look at the item a bit closer. It was a snowglobe. Not only was it a snowglobe, it was a Winnie The Pooh snowglobe. A rather large one. A Christmas themed one. - A friends with benefits au where Louis finds out there's a bit more to Harry than an insatiable sexual appetite.

☆ like vines (we intertwine) by turnyourankle 8k

The "Roswell" AU where Harry is an alien, Louis is not, and they've both been pining after each other for far too long.

☆ i was getting kinda used to being someone you loved by werebothstubborn 8k

His hand clamps down over Louis’ mouth as firmly as he can manage. “What do you want? C'mon, you have my full attention now. What. Do. You. Want.”

Louis manages to look apologetic as he licks slobbery circles around Harry's palm until he lets go. “Pretend to be my boyfriend,” he says, dramatically gulping in as much air as he can breathe.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“This bloke just came up to me, said he’d give us fifty quid to be in his music video.”

“And you said what? ‘Sure, just let me coerce my friend into it with uncomfortable amounts of PDA and blackmail’?”

or

Louis has a brilliant idea. Harry begs to differ. Until he doesn't.

☆ can’t you see the glow by supernope 8k

Four times Harry tries and fails to tell Louis he's pregnant, and the one time he (accidentally) succeeds.

☆ i’ll know my name when it’s called again by pukeandcry 9k

Louis wakes up in Harry's body. This is a problem for several reasons.

☆ make you never wanna leave by fairytalelights 9k

“But that's fine?” Now Louis just looks confused. “There are so many ways you can have fun sex. Wetness is helpful but not a requirement.” Harry can feel his face heating up. The way Louis said fun sex, like it's that easy, like he has all the experience. He might be a year older than Harry, but Harry's not quite sure if age is the only factor at play here. He doesn't know why the thought of Louis having sex makes his heart start to race again and he especially doesn't know why the next thing he blurts out is, “You could show me.”

or, Harry is an omega teen who has trouble getting wet even when he's turned on, Louis is his omega best friend who helps him experiment. In a completely platonic way, of course.

☆ i’ll show you magic by kingsofeverything (fullonlarrie) 5k

Louis didn’t mean to go home with a Muggle, and he didn’t mean to sneak out of his flat in the morning. He definitely didn’t mean to wind up in that same flat a month later, attempting to steal a magical object before the Muggle gets home.

☆ streetwise hercules by bottomlinsons 7k

“I said,” Louis’ voice is venomous, “who the fuck is this?”

Right.

This is Harry’s part.

(Uni AU, where Louis pretends to be Harry's boyfriend to scare away his one night stands.)

☆ a fully armed battalion (to remind me of my love) by mediawhore 6k

“He was flirting with you by the way,” Niall says casually once he’s finished saying goodbye to Louis and he’s joined Harry outside.

“No he wasn’t,” Harry replies automatically, feeling his heart clench at the thought. Was he?

Niall simply raises a mocking eyebrow in response before wrapping his scarf twice around his neck.

“Not that it matters!” Harry says quickly, eyes widening. “I wouldn’t care even if he did because he’s awful and the worst.”

Everyone at Hogwarts knows that Professor Styles and Professor Tomlinson absolutely despise each other. It's too bad that they're in love.

☆ we found love (right where we are) by dea_liberty 7k

Harry Styles hadn’t meant to come back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a celebrity. Except, somehow – by accident - he sort of had. Now he can't go anywhere without someone (or a lot of someones) screaming hysterically and or trying to charm him into falling in love with them. To make matters worse, he couldn't even eat anything he found just anywhere because it might be laced with a love potion. The absolute kicker though was the fact that the one person he'd been trying to impress when he'd apparently impressed the whole bloody world was probably the only person whose attention he hadn't managed to catch.

☆ dreaming of you by orphan_account 10k

It’s as he’s smoking on their shitty little balcony that it really dawns on Louis. These thoughts he’s having are about Alex’s boyfriend. His brother’s boyfriend. Louis is an awful person. He’s always been the kind of person to want what he can’t have and while he’s never wanted anything like this, he can’t stop thinking about it now. How small he’d look next to Harry. How he could easily pin Louis to a wall. How good his long, thick fingers would feel on him, in him . He feels his dick twitch and leans against the cold glass door leading back into the house.

[or; Louis falls in love with his brother's boyfriend.]

☆ won’t you love me? by halos_boat 6k

Where Louis is Spider-Man, Harry is oblivious, Liam has a problem with communicating his feelings, Zayn is frustratingly handsome and Niall has a pet turtle.

☆ feels good on my lips by phdmama 8k

When Niall harasses Harry into returning to Vermont for their fifteenth high school reunion, Harry is really not sure he wants to go. High School wasn't the most fun for him, but when it turns out that Louis Tomlinson, his former best friend and current star of the silver screen is going to be there, Harry agrees. The road to reunion is never easy.

☆ like you hate me by krisstylinson 7k

“You have poor taste for someone with the last name Styles,” he says, turning to show the back of his pants to Harry—the pants Harry had just stitched his name across last night to keep this type of thing from happening again.

Of course, he’s accomplished nothing but indirectly making himself pop a stiffy over Louis fucking Tomlinson.

☆ call me a thief by moodlighting 9k

AU. Of all the people on campus, the one person Louis can’t seem to stop running into is Harry fucking Styles. And he keeps stealing all of Louis’ shit.

[fairycosmos]

I don’t want to unload, but I’m struggling rn & I would appreciate a listening ear. I just finished a conversation with my parents and they appear to lack empathy & understanding regarding my mental state. My dad made fun of me self-harming & wanted me to go away. My mom thinks I’m faking depression, & that I’m repressing angry. She ridiculed my personality & whatnot. She also thinks that suicide attempters are cowardly. I have nobody who understands me & I’m just crying rn. I’m a teen.

hey angel. jesus, i'm so sorry you're in this situation right now and i can't even imagine the extent of how hard it must be. any anger or resentment or sadness or disappointment you're feeling is totally justified, a natural reaction to not being listened to. while it's all so painful to initially process, it's alright to let these emotions wash over you. cry if you need to, write it all down, accept it an hour at a time. as long as you're trying your best to keep yourself safe, which i recognise is unbelievably difficult when your mental health is not in great shape, but just attempting is honestly good enough. listen, your parents are completely fucking out of order and honestly disgusting for ridiculing the very real problems that you're facing at the moment, and i don't blame you at all for being hurt. mental illness is serious and so is harming yourself, and those factors should not be treated lightly. unfortunately, because they are your parents, i think it will always be difficult to think about them being so willfully ignorant. it's something i struggle with too, and a LOT of people do, you're truly not alone. which is cliche i guess, but it couldn't be more true. any way my point is that there comes a moment when you're growing up where you just realise that your parents are literally wrong and there's nothing you can do about it. it's not your fault that they don't take mental illness seriously, there is nothing you can physically do to make them see sense. which is awful, and you deserve better, but it's also kind of freeing to just see the situation for what it really is. their behaviour, while it impacts you, is not shaped by you. it's obviously very natural to look to your parents for guidance and support, but if they're not capable of giving it that's on them and it doesn't mean you're not deserving of help, or that you won't find it. your parents have shown that they know nothing about what you're going through or the seriousness of self harm, they have shown how shallow minded and egotistical they truly are. so what's the next logical step? you seek what you need else where. no matter how much you don't want to. this is about what you need, and there is maturity in that distinction.

i want to make it clear that i'm not saying you're not allowed to be devastated by your parent's response, or that it's easy to just move forward from something like this. it's not. it takes a lot of time and energy and personal growth, and it may be something you learn to manage over the course of your life as opposed to a singular hurdle. but that really is okay, there's no rush. getting better isn't linear. i just think you're so so capable of asking for help even if your mind is not allowing you to see it, because you were able to send this ask, you were able to talk to your parents even if they didn't choose to hear you. i'm not sure where you live or what the situation is, but as a general rule here are some resources you could try:

mental health hotlines esp ones that specialize in teenagers, there's loads of them.

school counselor/trusted teacher.

a support group in your community.

your doctor (i understand you'd have to make an apt through your parents but if that's a possibility, take advantage of it.)

any youth crisis/community center in your area.

self help/self care coping mechanisms tips you can find online.

i know that your brain will likely have a natural aversion to all of these ideas, and maybe it seems impossible to actually picture yourself reaching out for support in those ways. but i'm telling you straight up that that is just another part of the self destructive cycle and doing something different to break it, to begin changing the belief system that is causing you to self harm in the first place, is vital. yes, it's scary. yes, it's a process. and yes, some days are not going to work out the way you want them to. but for now just considering these alternatives could do wonders for your quality of life, if you give it the chance to. your parents are obviously fucked, but you get to live the rest of your life with the knowledge that you are a better person than them and that you are going to see and do wonderful things, divorced of their influence and opinion. i mean, i can't stress that enough dude. i'm assuming you're very young, and with a combination of natural development and positive reinforcement, your perspective is going to change so dramatically. you're not hopeless, you're not trapped. your mind will spend hours doing mental gymnastics to try and convince you that you are but it always comes back to reality, and the reality is that there is always a way forward. and that everything you're thinking and feeling right now is so temporary, so unbelievably temporary. talking to someone is going to allow you to see that from multiple perspectives, and getting things off your chest can make a massive difference in and of itself. all you have to do is seriously think about it at the moment. recognise your self destructive patterns for what they are, and then do what you can to subvert them. maybe it won't work every time, but trying is better than nothing. you truly do not need to take on the burden of trying to make your parents understand when they're so set on misunderstanding. you know? and someday, sooner than you think, you will be old enough to curate your own healthy and happy environment, especially when you're in total control of your own choices and health. it'll happen so much faster than you realize. please please try to stick around and take it a day at a time until then. you're a wonderful person, and it is okay to act on that basis. it's okay to help yourself in whatever way you can, even if it just begins with doing so 2 or 3 days a week. anyway, i'm sorry this got so long. i know how lonely it is, but i'm rooting for you with my whole heart and if you ever need a friend or someone to rant to, i'll be here. we can figure it out together. hit me up anytime.

[fromageinterrupted]

21 - Kiss on a dare combined with 64 - Being Unable To Open Their Eyes For A Few Moments Afterward for plance

Hooo boy! This prompt possessed my soul and made me churn out 3,000 words just so the babies could kiss.  @hailqiqi I hope this does justice to the prompts. I love you and your amazing writing ability! 

You can find me on AO3 fromageinterrupted.

Fair warning, it does get somewhat T rated.

                                                   STB

This was was stupid. The whole thing was completely ridiculous and Pidge wanted none of it. The dumb town had lost their mind.

“Do I have to, Hunk?” She whined. She wasn’t much of a whiner, but the whole thing was getting out of hand and Hunk had her backed into a corner.

“Nu-uh. No way. You are not getting out of this. You AGREED to my terms and now you must pay the price.” He held their agreement over her head like some malevolent angel sent to deceive the desperate.

“Maybe we could alter the terms of our agreement? I’m sure I can come up with something else besides this.” She shoved her phone into his face, but he pushed it out of the way.

He grabbed her shoulders. “I got you the goods, now pay up.”

“God, they were just brownies, Hunk. Regular brownies at that. Not even frosted.”

She wanted to pretend that they were ordinary, but she knew better, everyone knew better. Hunk’s brownies were the literal best dessert in town. Everyone wanted them, but he insisted he had to be in the right mindset to make them and he had to love the person he was making them for, thus making them a sought-after and rare commodity. Pidge had to agree with this faulty logic because,one time she had one of his brownies he was coerced into making for their home-ec class-- a class Hunk could have taught with both hands behind his back-- and they were terrible. Though, she suspects he did that on purpose so the teacher would leave him alone the rest of the semester.

Pidge had needed his brownies. Hundreds of them. She was going to go to the summer program at Caltech if it killed her and she had to raise the money for the final payment somehow. All her spec work had dried up, so her mom suggested a bake sale. Pidge couldn’t bake to save her life, but Hunk was an angel (albeit an evil one-she knows this now) sent from heaven who agreed to offer his services for free...except one thing. She had to do whatever he wanted her to do for whole day. Which, at the time, seemed a pretty fair price.

The day had gone swimmingly; they hung out at his place, planted the starters for his summer vegetable and berry gardens, did some homework, then ended up at Shakes, a candy colored building with a giant spinning shake on the roof, a beacon of socialization for much of the town’s teen populous. Inside offered raised booths surrounding groups of tables that could be arranged in any configuration, some more quiet nooks off to the side, and a long counter with stools where the patron not traveling in a pack could order a darn good burger and shake, any flavor imaginable. Pidge and Hunk had taken up residence in one of the raised booths, offering them a full view of the daily drama that a collection of teens can bring, as well as shielding them from being front and center to the drama.

She had been lulled into a false sense of security that a good burger and a great shake could bring;  her trust in her friend was too great apparently.

“You’re going to do it, and you’re going to enjoy yourself. Sometimes Pidge-” Hunk sighed as if the burden of his friend’s singleness was too great,”- I think you’re made of stone.” He pinched her cheek and winked at her. His hand shot out to point suddenly  “Look! There he is now!”

Pidge swung her head over her shoulder to see where Hunk was pointing, her stomach dropping when she saw him. Lance McClain, resident co-captain of the swim team and the lead in all the school drama productions. He was as cliche as they come; tall, dark, and handsome. Or hawt-- “H. A. W. T. Won’t McClain Please Look at Me!?”--as the fanclub liked to say.

There were at least 12 seniors in his group. They had pulled together several tables and were lounging around them in one position or another, pretty girls in cheerleading outfits sitting on some the guys’ laps, other ones leaning over their burger baskets, their elbows on the table, fully invested in their dinner, one guy was doing the thing with the knife. He looked a little less than thrilled to be there and Pidge suspected his presence had everything to do with the girl he was sitting next to. Lance was sitting on the end, his chair turned sideways along the table, his long legs sticking out into the space left when they grouped the tables together. He was popular and well-liked and Pidge was....well...not. Popular that is. Sure she had a name for herself among the academic crowd, but she was persona non grata around the rest, no reason to get to know one of the teacher’s nerdy children.

Lance suddenly looked right at them, a smile blooming on his face when he spotted Hunk, then started waving. That’s right, Pidge remembered, Hunk was pretty popular and well-liked too.

“Hey Hunk! Hey Pidge!”-Huh?-Maybe not as unnoticed as she assumed. To be fair, he was good friends with Hunk, and Pidge had been around them several times during study sessions. Hunk waved backed, a crooked grin on his face. Pidge nodded at him over her shoulder and turned back to face Hunk.

He flipped her phone over, face up. “Turn it on Pidge. It’s time”.

She stared at it like it was a pen at a scantron test. “No Hunk. Please….”  She couldn’t do it. She was not brave enough.

As if he could read her mind Hunk responded, “You’re one of the bravest people I know. Besides, your brother made the app. Think of it as supporting your family.”

“My brother can go die for inventing that app. It’s ridiculous. Look around:” Everyone in the place had their phones face up, a colorful digital spinner visible on many of them. When they went dark, someone would get up and find someone else and they would kiss. Most of it was pretty vanilla, but they were teens and pretty hormonal. Pidge rolled her eyes.

“Spin the Bottle? Come on Hunk. Why is this popular? Why doesn’t everyone just use tinder?”

Hunk laughed, “Really, Pidge? Tinder? That’s for hooking up you know. STB is for fun. Just a little non-committal lippage among friends. Mostly harmless and a whole lot of fun.”

“Says the guy who has girls pretending the ‘bottle’ landed on you.” her food had come mid conversation so she took the opportunity to stuff a bunch of fries in her mouth in disgust.

Hunk chuckled, “And who am I to turn them away? I’m not in the habit of breaking girls’ hearts. Anyway, turn the app on Pidge.” He tapped her phone again.

Pidge wiped a hand across her mouth. “Alright, fine. Gimme.” She grabbed her phone and turned it on. The app already open on her phone, Hunk having started it up when they got to Shakes.  Lance’s name and current location displayed. Pidged shivered.

Matt had made a pretty good app actually. He developed software that could vet those who wanted to use the app, making sure high schoolers only met up with other high schoolers and so on. He’d made it for his senior project and school prank all in one. Spin The Bottle. Simple, easy to use, and it spread like wildfire. Everyone she knew had the app, and most everyone would open it during lunches at school and when they were hanging out at Shakes.

It worked like this: you would spin the colorful wheel on the screen, it would cycle through anyone signed up on the app and signed in at the time in the radius you choose at that time. Then, when it lands on a person, you find them and kiss them. You can always deny the kiss, but there was a leader board for both amount of kisses and time spent kissing. And, being the hormonal teens they all tended to be, the competition was strong.

Even though it was her brother’s creation, Pidge did not play STB. She was not “dtk” or whatever everyone said. Now Hunk’s evil design had placed her squarely in the game and she was...well..nervous. She had never kissed anyone before and this was a most public way of checking that off her list. Not to mention, she was already a wreck around Lance usually anyway. Where other’s flirted with people they liked, Pidge ignored them or made kind of mean comments. Both things she’s directed toward Lance numerous times.

She folded her hands in plea. “Please Hunk. Pretty Please. I can’t do this.”

Hunk stared her down. “You can and you will. Not only do you owe me for the brownies, but--and I’m sorry to bring this up-- you still owe me a dare.” A smug look of triumph crossed his face. Pidge could not believe this.

“I owe you a dare? How does that?...That doesn't even make sense Hunk!” It was ridiculous. “You can’t owe someone a dare.”

“Uhuh. Back in fifth grade, at Stinky’s birthday party, when we were playing ‘Truth or Dare’. Your mom came and got you before I could give you a dare. It’s time to--”

“-Don’t finish that.” She glared at him.

“Pidge, I dare you to kiss Lance McClain. Now get up. Get on with it.”  He had stood up, pulled Pidge to standing as well, placed her phone in her hand, and pushed her forward. She almost fell off the raised platform. “Wait!” her heels dug into the floor. “I. I have french fry breath. I can’t kiss-” Hunk cut her off.

“Open up.”

Her body must have decided to do it’s own thing regardless of her brain cause she opened her mouth wide. Hunk took the opportunity to dump quite a number of Tic Tac into it.

“There. Now chew those on the way over and you’re golden.” he gently shoved her off the platform.

Pidge stumbled forward before straightening herself up. There was no use in fighting it. If she was going to follow through on a dare from fifth grade and her promise to Hunk, she was going to do it right.

The Tic Tacs melted quickly leaving her mouth feeling cool and hopefully smelling nice as well.

Pidge held her phone in her hand, Lance’s name flashing as she came closer to him. His own phone was in his hands, his attention fully on the screen as STB alerted him to Pidge’s proximity. Everyone at the table fell silent as she stopped next to his outstretched legs. He looked up at her, a question in his pretty blue eyes.

“Katie?” Crap! She forgot Hunk signed her up using her real name. A million thoughts were running through her head as she contemplated her next move.

“Pidge? Your real name is Katie?” he kind of laughed “it’s cute, it suits you.”

Some of the initial nervousness left her stomach, replaced by the feeling of butterflies. Her cheeks warmed. “I..yes. I’m Katie.” real smooth Pidge.

Lance titled his head toward her phone, “Looks like we’re paired up on STB. You ready to do this?” Pidge though she saw something like hope in his eyes. Could he want to kiss her? Seems unlikely but here they were regardless. She looked over at Hunk in the distance, he gave her a thumbs up.

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s do this McClain.” He straightened up and Pidge moved herself between his open legs. He was so tall (and she was, admittedly, very short) that Pidge wouldn’t have to bend down too much to align her lips with his. She leaned forward.

“Hold on Pidge.:” Lance pressed a button on his app accepting the STB pairing and reached out and did the same on hers. “We still have to find out how long this is going be.”

That’s right, Pidge forgot the length of the kiss was randomly generated by the app. Most everyone got 10 to 30 seconds, some 1 minute, and very few higher than that. The most time a couple could get was 5 minutes, but, she’s heard, that was very rare. Their apps flashed 3:00 in big red numbers. Dang! Three minutes? That seemed like a lot to Pidge. As someone who’s never kissed anyone before, this was daunting. Lance however seemed elated.

“WooHoo! No one ever gets over one minute. This is awesome.” He made some sort of look at Pidge, she assumed it was meant to be flirty and seduce her all at once. All it actually did was make her laugh a little. She responded with a bravado she did not possess. ‘“I don’t know McClain, think you can handle kissing me for three whole minutes?” She stared him down, judging his reaction.

He put his hands on her hips, pulling her toward him. “We’re about to find out, aren’t we?” The timer on the phones beeped signalling the start. Lance moved one hand to the back of her neck and pulled her head down toward his.

Pidge didn’t know what she had been expecting. Two people’s skin touching each other shouldn’t feel like this. Objectively, she had known she wanted to put her face on Lance’s face for some time even though she had no frame of reference for having this want.

She didn’t move for a moment. Lance’s lips were soft and warm as he moved them . He kept placing tiny kisses on her lips, barely any suction at all, and it felt incredibly good to Pidge. His next kiss pulled her bottom lip out just a little, and, as it snapped back into place, something other than Pidge’s brain took over.

Her lips did their own thing and she went with it. She started to repeat whatever Lance did. Soon the kiss became more intense. Lance had shifted both his hands back to her waist, his fingers sliding just under the hem of her shirt, barely grazing the skin there. She moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, sliding her hand through the hair at the nape. She pressed harder, tilting her head. Lance seemed to enjoy that because he pressed back, the time between their lips losing contact becoming nonexistent.  

A beep from their phones indicated a minute had passed. If felt like the fastest minute of Pidge’s life. She didn’t want three minutes to end. No amount of imagining kissing Lance had prepared her for how good it felt, how the butterflies in her stomach bloomed into something else entirely, some energy that flowed through her veins and warmed every inch of her. She wanted more from him, more from this kiss. Lance apparently did too because the next thing she knew his tongue had begun to trace the seam of her lips.

Pidge was no dummy. She had read a lot of source material, she knew french kissing was merely a part of kissing as a whole, but again, she was not prepared. She followed suit however, opening her mouth a little, giving unspoken permission to Lance to do his thing.

Which he wholeheartedly did. His tongue swept into her mouth, moving along her lips and running along her tongue, Pidge felt the overwhelming drive to reciprocate moving her tongue along his, astounded at the intimacy of this kiss.

The two minute beep sounded and Lance’s kisses became intense. He had pulled her so close to him their whole bodies were touching. His arms were holding her tight which Pidge was very thankful for, because what he was doing with his tongue and lips was leaving her weak in the knees. Somewhere in her mind she was chiding herself for being so cliche, but the rest of her was screaming for more. The game required the kiss be lip to lip, but she couldn’t help wanting him to kiss her neck, her ears, down her jaw, the possibilities were endless.

He made a noise, low and rich, that sent shivers through Pidge and made her toes curl. Their tongues were moving in unison now, their breathing getting faster. She was getting light-headed and overwhelmed. She was sure whatever was going on between them was something more than two acquaintances exchanging spit. Hunk may have been the better person at chemistry, but her and Lance were creating an explosive formula that seemed to be working very well.

BEEEEEEEP! The three minutes were up. Pidge tried to slow down, her task completed, but Lance didn’t stop, he kept slanting his lips over hers again and again. Then the whole restaurant started cheering and whooping. Reminded of their audience, Pidge pulled back abruptly, embarrassed by the show they just put on.

Lance however still had his eyes closed. His lips were puffy and red, his cheeks were flushed against his tan skin, his chest was rising and falling with rapid breaths. His tongue flicked out and licked the corner of his mouth. Pidge couldn’t help but want to kiss the spot his tongue had just been in. She shuddered.

Finally Lance opened his eyes. His lids still half lowered like he was coming out of some dream. Pidge could only assume the look on his face was one of desire because all she knew at that moment was how much she desired him too. He reached over and touched the “completed” button on the app.

“That was….” He stared at Pidge, his hands back on her hips. “....amazing. You...you want to hang out?” there was a note of unsurredness in his voice, Pidge didn’t understand why he would be remotely worried she wouldn’t say yes after that whole kiss, She pulled the words out of her fog of emotions. “Sure….maybe we could go sit with Hunk?” She glanced at Hunk in the corner booth, beaming at her. “Ooor…” She hesitated when Lance didn’t respond right away.

“No..that’s...fine. I mean..good. Maybe after we eat we can go somewhere?” His eyebrow raised in question.

Pidge flushed. “Sure. Let’s..hang out more.” She hoped she was conveying that she wanted to make-out with him more, but also get to know him better at the same time. That darn kissed had unlocked something in her and all she could think about was kissing him again. It wasn’t the point of the game, but somewhere along the way the game had been forgotten.

Lance stood up. Pidge had forgotten how tall he was, she had to crane her neck to see his face. She started doing calculation on how to remain in places where she could easily kiss him without serious calf exercises and high heeled shoes. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they went to meet up with Hunk.

“See you later guys..” He finger-gunned at the group, the knife guy rolling his eyes at him.

Hunk was stifling his glee when they got to the booth. Lance and he high-fived. “Nice work there buddy, though I would have saved that for a more private location. “

Pidge grimaced, Lance responded “Thanks, Pidge deserves my best work. Next time I’ll keep it less public.”  

“Next time?” Pidge asked him in a slightly threatening way. Sure she absolutely wanted a next time, but she wanted him to ask, not assume. He rubbed his hand on the back of his head. “I mean..that is..if you agree to a next time.” It made Pidge’s stomach do flip-flops to see him squirm and ask her. “Yeah. Next time let’s not be so public.”

“Yeah!” Lance gave a triumphant fist pump to the air and sat back in the booth, patting the spot  beside him. “Have a seat Pidgey. Your food is cold, it’s my fault so I’ll get you more. “  

“First I need to go use the bathroom. I’ll be right back guys,” Pidge turned to leave, Hunk was still going on about Lance’s “moves”. They probably thought she couldn’t hear them. The last thing she heard Lance say before she was too far to make out their words was “Thanks man, that was totally worth helping you make hundreds of brownies.”

[meme-sauce]

Hi! I’m an awk teen in high school and having a hard time coming out to my family. Also having a hard time trying to find a SO that’s not an asshole. Do you have any advice? Please thanks! :)

Hi! High school sucks ass, I’m sorry.I’ll give you as much advice as I can, just please remember I might have my own bias/unfamiliarity with the situation. I want to give you something to think about, but ultimately, I can’t tell you what to do. (i.e. if I give shit advice I apologize.)1) This can be tricky depending on how you feel about coming out, and their level of homophobia. Ultimately what I’ll tell you is: nobody, not even family, is entitled to know your sexuality. If coming out will put you in danger, or even make you uncomfortable, you don’t have to do it! People tend to convince queer people that their identity isn’t valid until they tell their family, and that's just not true.You know who you are, and how many people know or accept you does not invalidate your identity. That being said, I understand the want to tell people, and how it can feel like your constantly telling a lie, especially in terms of gender identity and presentation. I know a friend who set himself a deadline, and had to tell his family by that date. Another one of my friends made dinner for their family and that helped her be more comfortable and break the tension. Essentially, if you choose to tell them, be prepared, and be comfortable. It’s stressful, so having an action plan helps! (My mom found out I was gay by reading my texts, and no one was able to prepare for that. It was a mess of emotions.) Whatever you choose to do, and whatever their reaction is, I just really want you to remember that you deserve love and respect, because your identity is valid. 2) This might sound cliche, but in terms of finding an SO, time is the only thing I can recommend. I dated seven people before I found Josephina, and while every single one of them broke my heart, I’m glad they did. I choose to believe that things happen for a reason. If I wasn’t brutally dumped however many times, I would still be in a shitty relationship, and wouldn’t have found Jo. People in your life who fuck you over serve as lessons, and help you grow. By the time you find the right person, you’ll be ready. Another thing with finding a partner, you won’t have to worry about it. I know that sounds weird, but hear me out. My favorite quote is “Those who mind don’t matter, those who matter don’t mind.” Essentially, if you meet someone who loves you for you, they wont mind every weird, gross, unique thing about you. People who turn up their nose at you probably don’t deserve a spot in your life anyway. Wait until you find someone you can be uniquely yourself around, because settling for anyone else would be a disservice to yourself. It might take a while, but I promise it’s worth the wait. This accidentally turned into a novel I am very sorry. I hope I was able to help in some capacity! Best of luck

[not-rotting]

hey

Reply: Wow… thank you, @fakejokeanon, for taking your time to make an account just for this <3 I’m so honored to be one of those writers who got you out of the norms to read.  I’ve been thinking about how I wanted to reply to this - even with that a/n, i wanted to write like a whole essay to reply but no lol. Relationships are certainly irrational, and I’ve learned a whole lot about it while taking Sociology. Relationships, especially, divorces can definitely make one feel like there’s a disconnection between two individuals - and if one doesn’t meet the other one’s needs… the balance isn’t there anymore. But enough of sociology haha.  And you’re right about your mother (and I’m so sorry). Divorce doesn’t happen ‘just because’, you know? It never really does. There’s always an on going problem that can’t be solved by just talking, so they resort to something that’s more… for the lack of better words, traumatic. For Elsa, it’s simply just that with Anna doing so much for her and not leaving a single thing for Elsa to do because she’s always left being satisfied, finally leaves Elsa in a very empty state. Yeah, it can also be about the lack of pleasure (hence her cheating), but the balance between the two is completely different. Anna’s on top of the world, and Elsa is rock bottom - which led me to say that it’s why Elsa is always urging for Anna to say ‘no, no, no’ to her because without any sort of discourse, what is a marriage?  I may be wrong because I’ve never experienced my parents being divorced, but in reality, a divorce doesn’t always mean ‘oh, you cheated, let’s divorce’. It’s not just with a snap of a finger. There’s always the question of ‘why’ they cheated. What did they do wrong for them to cheat? To lead to a divorce? Or more like… how did it lead up to this? You’re constantly asking about one’s morals because at first, Anna feels humiliation because Elsa committed adultery. Then there should’ve been anger but there is none because she’s so passive. She goes towards the very end, which is acceptance. It sucks because�� in a way, Anna knows that it’s also her fault for letting this happen when it shouldn’t have. Why? Because she does everything to make Elsa happy, but in the end, ‘happiness’ and ‘everything’ don’t always go together. 

Hi rotting! Not really sure how tumblr works but I saw your author’s note in the latest chapter update for Learn to Love Again. Wanted to make an account to say thank you for responding, I appreciate it. :)

I just read the new chapter, which is out of the norm for me actually. I haven’t kept up with a fic as it updates in a long time (since the EiS/Tempest/SiS/You Are days probably). Normally I’ll just read what’s there and then come back months later and binge again. Your writing is definitely worth breaking that habit though.

I think your A/N makes a lot of sense. Relationships aren’t rational, by definition. Even more so when the problems are so bad that divorce happens. That’s what draws me into LtLA, it feels like a real world relationship, with really tough problems that aren’t easily solved. A lot of fics that attempt this sort of “modern AU” drama have to rely on petty differences or miscommunications to construct their angst. And it ends up feeling hollow. Not so here.

As I said in my review, I have a lot of sympathy for both women, I see where both of them are coming from. My parents separated when I was in my early teens and while it’s been a while, I still remember a lot about that situation. I never quite got that cliche feeling of “self blame,” maybe because I was old enough to separate myself from the arguments (which weren’t really about me or my siblings). I did hang out and eavesdrop on the yelling though, natural inquisitiveness there.

The core of the problem was similar to the one you’ve constructed between Anna and Elsa. My mom was not feeling the love & spark from my dad anymore, she needed more romance and he was the type to work late and come home and do kid stuff or TV and sleep. During the counseling/arguing stage he tried to improve, brought flowers a few times and such. But I think you’ve realized this too, the kind of changes that come from hearing the partner say “I want you to do more X” can end up superficial or temporary. And then it’s back to the status quo, because that change didn’t originate from the source.

Elsa needs Anna to be more active in their relationship, to have more of a personality and to challenge her own feelings and actions. Telling Anna that straight out is nice from a communication standpoint, but if Anna starts trying to change her “outward self” without *truly* understanding why Elsa had a problem in the first place, it’s not going to fix the problem. Eventually things are just going to backslide.

Not that Elsa is blameless, even if it might seem like I’m taking her side unconditionally. Cheating often feels justified at the time, but it’s always a betrayal of the trust of your partner. If she had moved on first and *then* started a new relationship I would have more sympathy. As it is she basically broke Anna and that’s not defensible. Poor Anna, it’s going to be hard for her to heal enough to grow beyond the misery she’s in right now. I’ve been where she is.

Hence the drama! And that’s why this fic is pulling at my heart so much. It feels very real and I can’t wait to see what you do with it. I don’t see a quick solution happening, this is going to be very painful for both of them before they work it out. This feels trip is going to be a bumpy one. I’m confident that you will bring us a great story though, can’t wait! Also, that kiss scene was amazing!

-anon

p.s. If you’re wondering what happened to my parents in the end, they divorced and my mom moved out, leaving us kids with my dad. It’s unusual but he raised us. Both of them love us immensely, so my mom made the sacrifice to allow dad to keep the kids. It’s what he really wanted to do, more than he wanted to still be married to her or love her romantically. She has since remarried a great guy, and we visit her regularly (all adults now). The two of them still have problems, but not enough that they can’t talk at weddings or whatever.

[moonprincessx]

92 truths tagging game
rules: once you’ve been tagged you’re supposed to write 92 truths about yourself. i was tagged by @triangleankle

last: 
 [1] drink: agua [2] phone call: mom [3] text message: leslie [4] song you listened to: keep me
by khalid [5] time you cried: uh like a few months back??
other
[6] dated someone twice: na [7] been cheated on: na [8] kissed someone and regretted it: kinda [9] lost someone special: my hamster,
my sister and brothers hamsters and my mom’s dog [10] been depressed: 24/7 365 days [11] gotten drunk and thrown up: i’ve gotten tipsy but never drunk lmao
 list 3 favorite colors: 
 [12] yellow [13] pink [14] green 
 in the last year have you:
 [15] made new friends: not really but i wish i had i want more friends lmao [16] fallen out of love: nope [17] laughed until you cried: yeah [18] found out someone was talking about you: if they did i honestly don’t care [19] met someone who changed you: nope [20] found out who your true friends are: i found that out years ago [21] kissed someone on your facebook list: i deleted my facebook years ago so no 
other: 
 [22] how many of your facebook friends do you know in real life: none, don’t have a facebook [23] do you have any pets: yes 5 [24] do you want to change your name: no but i get annoyed with the “haha like angelica from the rugrats” or when the mispronounce it [25] what did you do for your last birthday: ate pizza and hung out at home because i have no friends [26] what time did you wake up: today my fat ass woke up at 11 [27] what were you doing at midnight last night: watching friend trying to fall asleep [28] name something you cannot wait for: um to see harry’s bitch ass in concert [29] when was the last time you saw your mother: like 25 minutes ago when she came to tell me to go to sleep [30] what is one thing you wish you could change about your life: there a lot of things i wish i could change i can’t pick just one [31] what are you listening to right now: 8TEEN by khalid [32] have you ever talked to a person named tom: yeah my boss’s husband when he comes through my line to buy stuff he’ll tell me about my boss’s dog [33] something that is getting on your nerves: white people, the “president”, littering, animal testing and a bunch more [34] most visited website: instagram [35] elementary: what about it?? my experience?? it was good [36] high school: same?? um i hated it i wanted to throw myself from the flight of stairs [37] college: don’t go but i wanna [38] hair color: right now it’s brown with faded green but natural it’s black [39] long or short hair: short [40] do you have a crush on someone: na i ain’t got time for that, next [41] what do you like about yourself?: nothing [42] piercings: my stretched ears and second ear piercing [43] blood type: idk [44] nickname: um so like i never tell anyone because i’ve never been asked but my whole life everyone has
called me helos [45] relationship status: single [46] zodiac sign: sagittarius [47] pronouns: she/her [48] fav tv show(s): bob’s burgers, unbreakable kimmy, the office, parks and rec and many more [49] tattoos: a moon and tombstone [50] right or left handed: right 
first:
 [51] surgery: my ears because apparently when i was younger or born my mom said i was like on the verge of being deaf?? idk [52] piercing: ears [53] best friend: cynthia a friend from my childhood [54] sport: none [56] pair of trainers: idk what that isn [57] eating: food [58] drinking: water 
other:
 [59] i’m about to: go shower [60] listening to: american teen by khalid [61] waiting for: my fat ass to get sleepy so i can knock the fuck out [62] want: to die [63] get married: no thanks miss me what that dumb shit [64] career: i’m very indecisive about this 
your type:
 [65] hugs or kisses: hugs [66] lips or eyes: both [67] shorter or taller: taller [68] older or younger: older [69] romantic or spontaneous: both [70] nice arms or nice stomach: idc [71] sensitive or loud: loud i’m already the sensitive one we good [72] hook up or relationship: uuuuh?? [73] troublemaker or hesitant: both
have you ever: 
 [74] kissed a stranger?: no [75] drank hard liquor?: na [76] lost glasses/contact lenses?: i lost my glasses when my fat ass was younger and i’ve been blind ever since [77] turned someone down?: na if anything it’ll probably be the other way around lmao i’m ugly [78] sex on first date?: na [79] broken someone’s heart?: nope [80] had your own heart broken?: yeah [81] been arrested? : nope [82] cried when someone died? : i don’t like showing emotion so no [83] fallen for a friend: no 
do you believe in: 
 [84] yourself?: lmao na [85] miracles?: ?? i guess?? [86] love at first sight?: na as cliche as this sound this literally only happens in movies that’s where it’s so romanticized [87] santa claus?: when i was little [88] kiss on the first date?: i guess [89] angels?: i don’t wanna say no because when i say that to my mom she’s like “síguele y vas a ver se va a aparecer ” 
other: 
 [90] current best friend’s name: i don’t have one..?? na lmao it’s leslie ilu bitch i ain’t ever gonna stop loving u, bitch [91] eye colour: brown [92] favourite movies: biiiitch kiki’s delivery service is my shit and so many more lmao i fucking love movies

i forgot to copy and paste the bottom half omfg i hate my dumb ass self but if i’m supposed to tag people i tag @faeves @e-lizards @1chiquita @bluesoupie and whoever wants to do this i’m sorry i suck

[angstymarshmallow]

Being Together is Enough Part 3 - Zig x MC Fanfic

[A little note: Man, I didn’t think I’d be doing another one of these but an awesome follower of mine requested it - so viola, here we are! It’s my first actual request and I am super nervous about posting I hope I don’t disappoint you. I know you were interested in a little more backstory with regards to MC and unlike the ones that aren’t a part of this series - these are nowhere canon.This MC has a special place in my heart. Anyway, for those of you who actually read the whole thing because it is super long and I am sorry to put you through this. I hope it’s enjoyable! ]

[Summary: As MC and Zig reach another milestone in their relationship, MC realizes she can’t keep hiding behind her walls anymore. Not at the rate that Zig tears them down. ]

Love.

What a concept.

Not tangible by any means, and yet that had never stopped anyone before from searching for it. It certainly doesn’t stop most people from spending their whole lives trying to find it. Trying to figure out if there was at least one person in this entire universe that could understand. A single person that could make them feel like they matter.

Except unlike the rest of the world; she had always been under the impression that she wasn’t most people. In fact, she spent years believing she was different and had cultivated an attitude to match. She found comfort in meaningless entanglements; few nights with strangers were usually all she needed to sate the loneliness inside her heart. It was just enough; she decided and went as far as cutting herself off from anyone that had ever wanted more. Unlike most; she never entertained the possibility of love. 

She spent years building a wall so high that it kept most people at bay. And for those who dared to climb its treacherous depths had often found it too steep for a gentle fall. Usually, most people gave up trying.

And for a long time - her strategy worked. Her walls had kept her safe through her teen years, while the rest of her friends were busy mending broken hearts after summer flings. Hell, she had started freshman year with the same rigid structure and avoided nearly falling for someone else by the skin of her teeth. She liked things fun, and easy - at least until spring. 

Spring had brought him to her - and suddenly she was like everyone else. 

Since the moment their eyes met across that overcrowded cafe, she knew he was trouble. The kind of trouble her mom and brothers made her avoid; the kind of trouble she never thought she’d find. Yet it hadn’t stopped her from wanting to, the warning bells had gone off but for the first time she ignored them. He was irresistible in some cliche kind of way - and before she knew it, he’d begun climbing the same walls she’d spent years building. And with every step he took, they crumbled a little bit more; allowing him to carve his way inside her heart.

Every time he crossed her mind there were a dozen reasons why she’d fallen for him. A dozen reasons to stay. A trouble she didn’t mind thinking about – especially at the moment; as she sat by the window in her dorm and daydreamed about the barista boy that had captured her heart.

Love had a funny way of making all her earlier reservations look, well stupid.

Shaking her head clear, she shifted her thoughts back to the laptop in front of her. Its usual glare had darkened and she barely scrambled forward in time; pressing a random key in order to bring the screen back to life. She frowned when she saw the time. Fifteen minutes of daydreaming had gone by without her noticing. 

Damn, she thought to herself. She swore inwardly as she rubbed her temples. She dreaded the idea of checking how far she was in the middle of the month. She knew that time was ticking and everyday she wasted weighed at the back of her mind.  She kept telling herself the words would come in their own time; there was no reason to rush them. Inspiration usually struck her when she least expected it. However, she couldn’t ignore the sense of urgency that filled her as she stared anxiously at the time again.

She thought about what she had on the line if she didn’t finish. Her grades. Her scholarship. Her friends. Her boyfriend. They were all things she wanted to hold onto, things she wanted to keep for as long as possible. She could easily imagine it all and wanted to hold onto that dream for another three years.

Her fingers idly brushed several keystrokes as she hummed quietly to herself. Minutes passed by like this; typing unintelligible jargon until she finally grew impatient. Writers block weren’t supposed to last long, and weeks have flown by with her having little interest in writing her own experiences.

Sighing, she averted her eyes from her screen again. She just couldn’t focus. It was no use dragging it out until it drove her drove her crazy and she knew she’d get there if she kept staring. 

Almost involuntarily, her eyes traveled towards her window. She watched the lazy grey clouds and droplets of rain as they began pouring. The pitter patter sound it made across the rooftop dampened her spirits even further. As if she wasn’t in a foul mood already, now she had rain to contend with. When she adjusted herself inside her chair, she glared at laptop screen before slamming it shut. She was finished agonizing over it.

She stretched her stiff shoulders and yawned inside her seat. Absently, she reached for her phone. The vibration inside her hand caused her to glance down at it. A smile stretched across her cheeks as she saw a message flicker seconds before she recognized the number.

Hey babe, you free?

She glanced at her laptop in disdain before retreating her attention back to his text. Not anymore she was. 

Depends on what you have in mind.

She quickly typed back. It didn’t; not really - she always looked forward to seeing him, no matter the occasion. But she wouldn’t tell him that, especially since she had just spent the last twenty minutes being aggravated at herself.

His response was nearly instantaneous. Just a walk before my shift starts. You in?

His answer surprised her. 

In this weather? She wanted to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. She peered out of her window just in case as she waited for his response. Maybe some sort of miracle happened in the short minutes where she’d given up on writing. Her excitement was short-lived however; the rain hadn’t cleared up and the clouds in the sky were still grey.

Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little rain ;).

Immediately as if by reflex, her fingers began typing a response to match her streak of competitiveness; a cultivation she couldn’t help on her part. Being raised with a bunch of brothers often meant fighting for everything. You wish. I’m always game for anything.

She could almost picture him chuckling after reading her message. He knew how stubborn she could be; and he knew exactly what buttons to push. She only had to wait a minute before he answered.

Cool, I’ll come by in a couple minutes. 

She smiled, feeling elated at the prospect of seeing him. It was the second time this week - not that she was counting or anything. Already she could feel her day becoming brighter at the thought. She dropped her phone inside her bag before she rushed to change.

-

She dressed in a matter of minutes; yanking on a pair of fresh jeans and whatever else she managed to throw together in a limited amount of time. A simple tank followed before she slipped into a comfortable jacket and grabbed her umbrella from her closet. 

If he was going to be serious about this walking thing - a girl had to be prepared for the worst. 

She was tugging on her rubber boots by the time she heard the door. Quickly, she weaved through the hall and only stopped to greet some of her suitemates that were still home. 

Abbie and Tyler were on the couch; bundled together inside a familiar looking blanket along Kaitlyn who sat across their resident lovebirds.  

“I got it!” She yelled quickly before any of them could rise from their seats.  She saw them exchange curious glances from the corner of her eyes as she planted herself at the front. She turned back to point a finger at them. “Not one word.” She said crisply.

Kaitlyn’s eyes twinkled with a mischievous glint. Both Tyler and Abbie laughed. “Hey – we won’t say anything.” Tyler threw up his hands in mock surrender.

“Other than the fact that you’re completely whipped of course.” Kaitlyn grinned cheekily, earning her a high five from Abbie. Kaitlyn went as far as making a whip sound and her hands followed suit; imitating with exaggerated emphasis. 

“Sssh!” She uttered, making a face at them. “I’m not!” The indignation inside her tone only convinced them to chuckle harder. She supposed she wasn’t very convincing but didn’t like being reminded of how smitten she was. She glared at them a moment longer before bringing her attention back towards the main entry. Hoping he didn’t hear their exchange, she cleared her throat before opening it.

Her eyes traveled slowly to his face. She never got tired of looking at him. She smiled in appreciation at his nearly identical get-up, before stepping aside. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself.” He smirked. He didn’t waste any time in greeting her with a proper kiss. He looped one arm around her waist and the other across her back, gently tugging her into him. He leaned forward until their lips met. His tongue flickered out to coax her mouth open and she had quickly acquiesced; delighted at every opportunity to kiss him. She was only dimly aware of gripping the back of his neck as she explored his mouth.

A clear of someone’s throat reminded her that they weren’t alone.

“Get a room you two.“ Abbie mumbled as Zig released his grip on her waist.

“Preferably one outside of here. We all know how thin these walls are.” Kaitlyn leaned back to knock on the wall behind her for emphasis. Then she gave Abbie and Tyler a meaningful look.

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?!“ Abbie sputtered, cheeks flushing furiously as she glared at Kaitlyn. Abbie threw a pillow at her.

“You and I both know what I mean.” Kaitlyn stuck her tongue out at Abbie and dodged her attempt at thwarting her. “But this isn’t about you.” She waved a hand dismissively, “I’m just letting our friend here know that in case she ever wanted to invite Zig for a nightcap, we’d definitely hear– ”

“Okay!” She interrupted her friends before they could divulge anything further. Frankly, she didn’t know why she thought they would have behaved differently. She wouldn’t have wasted an opportunity to tease them if situations were reversed. “I think that’s enough roomie bonding for tonight.” Grabbing Zig’s hand, she tugged him in the direction of the entrance.

His lips curled into a smile as if he was trying very hard not to laugh. His dark eyes were a mix of affection and amusement. “And miss all of this?” He managed to look offended by the idea. “I think we should consider sticking around and listen to the rest of Kaitlyn’s advice.”

“Nope, we’re leaving. You wanted a nice walk in this crappy weather, remember?” And there was no way she’d let them keep embarrassing her – not if she could help it anyway. She didn’t wait for him to respond as she shoved him out. “See you guys later!” She yelled behind her before slamming the door shut.

They stayed silent for a few minutes as they walked along familiar paths across Hartfeld campus. His strides were usually longer than hers but today he made an effort to keep a steady pacing with her. The gesture alone warmed her heart.

There wasn’t a lot of people out and the weather was starting to take a turn for the worse. She kept wondering if she should turn back and suggest they spend the rest of his break snuggling someplace safe but he didn’t seem particularly worried. And she was stubborn - she wasn’t going to chicken out. She held her umbrella high in between them but still low enough for her other hand to find his.

“So, you’re whipped huh?” He was grinning at her cheekily from out of the corner of her eyes.

Her cheeks grew hot. “Oh my gosh! You heard all that?” She had never felt so mortified, especially since she thought he hadn’t. She could barely ignore the urge to drop her umbrella and cover her face.

He laughed. “Yeah, but I think it’s cute. I think you’re cute.”

“There’s nothing cute about that.” She bit the inside of her cheek. “You know, the gentleman thing to do is to pretend that you hadn’t heard any of it.”

He brushed his thumb over her knuckles. “That might be true, but you know I can never resist the urge to tease you.” The smile reached inside his eyes, “Especially when you blush like that. Seriously, very cute.”

She made a strangle of noises under her breath but otherwise said nothing.

He grinned. They kept walking in companionable silence until his eyes turned somber as they glanced down at her. “Besides, it’s nice to be reminded every once in awhile.”

“Every once in awhile?” She echoed.

He shrugged, “You don’t exactly say how you feel on a regular basis.”

“Neither do you.” She countered. The words fell out of her mouth before she could stop them.

“Why do you do that?”

Do what?

She wanted to ask; but she didn’t. She knew it would escalate into a fight if she did. They both had scorching tempers that made them argue over less. So, she kept silent. She stared mutely ahead and didn’t speak even as she felt him stiffen beside her. Even when she had a thousand different angry remarks that were practically dying to seep out of her. Feeling petulant, she tried to pry her hand away but he didn’t let her.

His jaw clenched as he tightened his old; almost too tight to the point where it hurt. “I wasn’t trying to point fingers at you.” He muttered, releasing an aggravated breath. “I just meant that not everything has to be a fight.” He loosened his angry hold.

“It’s fine.” She said stiffly. An automatic response that they both knew meant the opposite.

It wasn’t fine.

Silence hung between them as they crossed a street.

A part of her wanted to take back her words but it was too late. Now there was this uncomfortableness that clung in the air. She thought she made a fair point but now she wasn’t so sure. Maybe she should try that apologizing thing. It would be another first for her. “I’m sorry, okay?”

She could tell by the way his eyes narrowed that she hadn’t sounded sincere.

She paused and tried for patience. This wasn’t making things any better. “This is just new for me,” She murmured softly. “Having feelings for someone, I mean. And I –” She blew out a breath as she searched inwardly for the right words.

His eyes met hers but he didn’t say anything. They only narrowed as he waited for her to continue. He wasn’t going to help her out of this one.

“I just don’t want to screw it up, that’s all.” She finished lamely.

His eyes lost some of its flare and she felt a surge of relief inside her chest. “Well, I think you’re doing a pretty good job so far.” He said, squeezing her hand affectionately.

“Good.” She released a long breath. She was afraid she had made it a hundred times worse. She looked down at their joined hands and studied their different complexions – she was marveled by how perfectly they fit together. “I’ve never felt vulnerable before and…being with you does that. It’s scary and exhilarating but it also makes me feel…a little…invincible. Like as long as I have you, I can conquer anything, do anything – even finish this godforsaken novel.” She laughed shortly to herself, “Does that make any sense?”

The wind was beginning to pick up and her umbrella nearly fell out of her hand. Zig’s reaction was quicker, grabbing it just in time before it could escape her fingers. He maneuvered it to his free hand and kept her hand tightly inside his. “I get it. It’s like that for me too.”

She could feel the cold air biting her cheeks. But she didn’t care, not when they had moments like these to keep the rest of her warm. “So I’m curious – why a walk?” She grumbled, changing the subject. “Especially on a day like this.” She gestured to the angry clouds above them for emphasis and stepped past a puddle by the last second.

“I don’t know.” A wistful sigh. “There’s something about rain that calms me.”

“It’s soggy, and wet.” She pointed out. “There’s nothing calming about it.”

He chuckled, “Maybe it’s because you’re seeing it the wrong way, like an enemy.” He smiled at her, “It’s a lot like us - angry at first and unrelenting when it’s bad, but when it isn’t - it’s calm. Almost peaceful.”

Feeling flabbergasted by his sudden explanation she thought about it before nodding. Then she rolled her eyes, “That’s all fine and good - but couldn’t we admire the rain from the safety of your car? Hell, even your motorcycle.”

“But then we’d miss out on the experience.”

She snorted. “I wouldn’t have mind and I think my leather jacket would be much happier.” She grumbled. There was no way she’d be able to salvage it if she continued to stay out here and yet even as she complained – she didn’t really mind. She loved being able to just talk with him, soaking in each other’s company.

“I didn’t expect that from someone who knows her motorcycles as well as she knows her jackets.”

“I’m also a girl.”

He shook his head ruefully at her as they crossed another street.

The rain had picked up in a flurry of activity. Most of Hartfeld students had pretty much disappeared into different faculty buildings and the few stragglers were rushing past them to get inside. They must have looked strange to the rest of them – two people walking as if they had all the time in the world, with the rain beating against their umbrella.

“Speaking of which, you never told me how you knew so much about motorcycles. It’s just it’s rare to find a girl can tell them apart.”

She hadn’t answered him, not right away. There was suddenly panic inside her chest and it made it difficult for her to say anything. She waited for the panic to pass as her older brother’s blue eyes and charming smile flashed inside her head. It had been awhile since she thought about him.

He must have noticed the expression on her face. He grimaced and tried to apologize immediately. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to – ”

When she could finally speak again, she shook her head. “No, it’s okay.” She whispered softly. The panic had subsided and it wasn’t so hard anymore. She kept her head down until she felt his arm on her shoulder.

She hadn’t realized she’d stop moving until he brought his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. “You’re not okay.” He said slowly, “And I’m not going to push you.” He said firmly, “Consider it dropped.”

His words warmed her. More than that – they gave her courage. “You’re always telling me about your family,” She muttered, “How much they shaped the kind of person you are – and it’s not fair that I’ve barely spoken about mine.”

“Dia you don’t have to –”

“My brother taught me how to ride.” She blurted out abruptly before she lost her nerve. It felt like she’d been waiting forever to say it even though she had never thought she’d find the right person to say it to.

“He was the oldest of us –  Me, Bradley, Jax and Harley.” A ghost of a smile touched her lips as she remembered the amount of time they spent together, from their secret hideouts, to their garage shenanigans and even the little parties she snuck when they weren’t looking to join. She was always trying to fit in with them. For the most part they let her; until their mother reminded them that she was a girl and couldn’t do everything they did. But that hadn’t stopped her from trying and even when Bradley and Jax managed to ignore her – Harley didn’t. He always treated her like one of them – and not the little girl everyone had always thought she was. “We spent a lot of summers fixing up old bikes because of his job at a dealership back in Northbridge. He taught me everything I needed to know about cars and bikes. The types of fancy ones I should watch out for, from changing oils, to tires – comparing brands and their quality; which bikes had more grit.” She stopped short as she looked away from him; blinking back tears.

He didn’t interrupt her. He didn’t even ask. He just kept listening to her, dropping his hand from under her chin as if he knew even without her saying it. He drew her inside the safety of his arms and she listened to his even heartbeat as she pressed her face inside his chest.

She took a few seconds to remind herself to breathe. She focused on the smell of his aftershave, finding comfort in it. It was enough to keep her going because once she started talking about Harley – she couldn’t stop. “We got the call late one night. Motorcycling accident. Some drunk dickhead fell asleep on the wheel and crashed into him.” She wedged her eyes closed as the memories washed over her. She had been sixteen at the time, barely old enough to care about anyone except for herself. If she could go back to that night; she’d have done it differently. But it was too late and she’d never forget. She had been on the phone with a friend when she heard her mother scream. She remembered hanging up and rushing to the edge of the stairs just in time to see an officer deliver the news. Harley had been in accidents before but nothing life -threatening. It wasn’t until she saw the look of horror inside her mother’s eyes before she started crying. Then her father’s slumped shoulders as he hugged her mother. Jax had been out at the time and Bradley had poked his head outside the room until he realized what was happening. He sat beside her on the top of the stairs. He didn’t say anything, he just dropped his head on her shoulder before she felt his tears on her skin.

They all heard it.

“He was the best damn thing in my life.” She didn’t want to cry, she told herself she wouldn’t. She was supposed to made of stronger stuff but she could feel the tears coming and she could barely keep them from falling.

“I’m sorry.” He murmured softly into her ear.

The words were simple but they lifted something inside her. She leaned into him, grateful for his understanding, for his support, for his touch.

The umbrella had been forgotten. They were pressed up against a wall with barely enough shade to cover them. She shivered inside his arms but otherwise didn’t feel the cold. Talking about it was hard – but not saying anything had been harder. “I didn’t even go to his funeral. How fucked up is that?!” If he wanted to say something, to offer some level of comfort – he didn’t.

He simply held her tighter and pressed his lips into her damp neck.

“I was too angry at him for dying to get my sorry ass out of the house. I was too angry at that drunk driver – wishing he died instead of him. Harley deserved better.” She choked the words out. “He was going to open his own business. He was supposed to save me dinner on Friday nights at his new restaurant. Not die young because of someone else’s stupid mistake…” She trailed off before shaking her head in disbelief, “My mom even went upstairs to yell at me about it that day. I remember the shock in her face when I yelled back..I said some pretty awful things. I told her I didn’t care. I told her what was the point when he was dead?” She laughed bitterly. “I’m pretty sure his fiancée still hates me.” She squeezed her eyes shut again. Saying the words out loud had eased some of tension inside her – some of the hurt, some of the pain but it hadn’t given her the peace that she thought it would have.

He pulled back and waited until she opened her eyes before he spoke. “That doesn’t make you a bad person. You were young. You were angry. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”

She shook her head. The droplets of rain that fell across her cheeks as she stepped away made it easier to conceal her tears. “I haven’t been able to visit him. Not once.” She couldn’t believe how stupid it sounded out loud. What was she always so afraid of? It’s been five years and I’ve never been there. I don’t deserve to.”

His jaw clenched, “Quit punishing yourself. It’s not your fault.”

“I didn’t tell him goodbye.” She said numbly, sinking into old memories again. They shift and circle inside her brain. Now that she was talking about it, she couldn’t shove them away anymore. “No one blames me but they should.” She shook her head angrily, “I was stupid. Young and stupid.”

“You should visit him.” He muttered softly, interrupting her thoughts.

She jerked her head up in surprise as if she hadn’t heard him correctly.

“You should visit him.” He repeated but more firmly this time. “You need to let go of all that anger and hate.”

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Easy for you to say.”

“Trust me I’ve been there.” He could laugh about it now, but she knew a part of him would always be bitter about it. Always be resentful. “Maybe it’s not the same – but I had a dad once remember? The same dad that hurt my mom too many times before I threw his ass out.” He almost sneered the words. “I know what it’s like to lose someone; but you can’t stay there.” He lifted her chin again until she could see the sincerity behind his eyes, “It’ll consume you.”

It already had.

For most of her life she’d avoided motorcycles, high end cars, hell even dealerships – anything that reminded her of Harley. It had caused a rift between herself and her family.

Until him.

He pushed her boundaries; made her want to change. He made her want to be better. “When I got on that bike with you; it was the first time since his funeral that I’d ever been on one.” She searched his eyes, “That’s how much you mean to me.”

Her admission stole his breath. It made his eyes widen in surprise until love had replaced shock. He bent his head low until their foreheads touched. They felt the rain’s pitter patter movement across their skin. “Even if you hadn’t wanted to I would’ve understand but I’m so happy you trusted me enough to try again. I could tell you missed it.” He smiled tenderly at her, “ Thanks for telling me about this - I know it wasn’t easy for you but I never give up on people I love.” His eyes stared at her with so much intensity that she couldn’t look away. “And I really love you.”

Her heart didn’t feel as if it was inside her chest anymore. It lurched and threatened to burst; so full with absolute certainty and love that she didn’t think she could hold all of it. She had never felt as vulnerable as she did right now; standing in the rain - nearly soaking wet but it wasn’t the weather that made her feel so vulnerable. 

It was as if he had peeled every layer of her, shredding what little secrets she had left between them. “You’ve done what most people couldn’t. You took one look at my walls, the armor I wear to keep everyone else away – and you climbed them. There might be spikes every now and then – moments where we think we’ve lost each other but you never give up.” She reached up with a hand to brush his lips. “I love you too, Zig.” She said simply before she felt his lips on hers.

They tasted of the dewy rain and coffee.

They tasted like the first good thing in her life that was willing to stay.

_

[sabishisa]

tagged by the waifu

THE LAST 1. DRINK: Sam’s cola (we cheap and buy the off brand) 2. PHONE CALL: Tatsie...  she had to go pee in Walmart and then we played phone tag to find each other 3. TEXT MESSAGE: Tatsie probably.  Or Tim.  Maybe my mom.  I’m not sure. 4. SONG YOU LISTENED TO: Whatever Tatsie was playing in the car on the way home. 5. TIME YOU CRIED: Watching We are X.  T_T 6. DATED SOMEONE TWICE: Never.  Once is enough. 7. KISSED SOMEONE AND REGRETTED IT: Not really, no. 8. BEEN CHEATED ON: Nope. 9. LOST SOMEONE SPECIAL: Of course.  There was a guy in my past when I was teen that was a friend of the family and he took up a little time with me and talked with my mom and grandmother and just got us all on the same page and really helped mend some damage between all of us.  I never got to tell him thank you for being so understanding and giving.  I was suicidal before meeting him.  He saved my life and I never got tell him how much he did for me.  One of my biggest regrets.  I try to make sure people know exactly how I feel about them now.  (that’s not always a positive thing, btw) 10. BEEN DEPRESSED: Pretty much all the time -_- Fucking bipolar. 11. GOTTEN DRUNK AND THROWN UP: No.  I hate throwing up soooo much.  I can’t even remember the last time I did it.

3 FAVORITE COLORS: 12. Purple 13. Teal 14. Black

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU: 15. MADE NEW FRIENDS: Yeah 16. FALLEN OUT OF LOVE: Nope, she’s stuck with me XD 17. LAUGHED UNTIL YOU CRIED: Yeah, I’m sure.  Tatsie and Tim will kill a bitch. 18. FOUND OUT SOMEONE WAS TALKING ABOUT YOU: Yep. 19. MET SOMEONE WHO CHANGED YOU: No 20. FOUND OUT WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE:  Uh, what?  As in found out someone I thought was a friend was an asshat?  In that case, no. 21. KISSED SOMEONE ON YOUR FACEBOOK LIST: Yep, my lady~

GENERAL 22. HOW MANY OF YOUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS DO YOU KNOW IN REAL LIFE: Most of them.  Facebook is mostly for family and super close friends. 23. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS: Pickle & Shinya (cats), Donnie (pupper), and Morty (the wife’s chinese water dragon) 24. DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR NAME: YEEEESSSSSS.  There’s whole traumatic story behind why but suffice to say, I have a really good reason why I don’t go by my real name. 25. WHAT DID YOU DO FOR YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY: Cheesecake factory and in a few days I’m going to a concert ^___^ 26. WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP: About 10:30 27. WHAT WERE YOU DOING AT MIDNIGHT LAST NIGHT: Playing Skyrim, probably. 28. NAME SOMETHING YOU CAN’T WAIT FOR: BOSTON COMIC CON. WE’RE MEETING TIM CURRY <3333 (leaving in the wife’s answer cause yeah, that) 29. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR MOM: When we got the fuck outta there in mid December last year 31. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW: Chopped and my wife’s commentary on it 32. HAVE YOU EVER TALKED TO A PERSON NAMED TOM: HAH.  Sure if his name is Tim.  (inside joke, sorry) 33. SOMETHING THAT IS GETTING ON YOUR NERVES: Having to fucking work out >_<  I just wanna be lazy and eat snacks. 34. MOST VISITED WEBSITE: Facebook maybe?  No wait, Google Docs.  That counts, right? 35. HAIR COLOUR: Black 36. LONG OR SHORT HAIR: Long.  I look terrible with short hair. 37. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON SOMEONE: My wife is pretty damn cute, you guys.

38. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF: uhhhh....  I dunno.  I’m not an idiot so that’s good. 39. PIERCINGS: Currently just my ears.  Used to have snake bites, tongue ring, and a clitoral hood ring.  Lost the tongue ring at the reccomendation of my dentist, the clit hood ring was waaaaay too much to deal with on a day-to-day basis, and I don’t remember why I lost my lip rings... o.O 40. BLOOD TYPE: O+ 41. NICKNAME: Sabi 42. RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Murried. 43. ZODIAC: Gemini 44. PRONOUNS: she/her 45. FAVOURITE TV SHOW: Of all time?  Maybe OZ?  I hate picking favorites because I always forget a super obvious one. 46. TATTOOS: None yet.  We’re working on that. 47. RIGHT OR LEFT HANDED: Right. 48. SURGERY: I had my bladder enlarged when I was like 5 or something. 50. SPORT: Nope. 51. VACATION: I wish I could afford a vacation. 52. PAIR OF TRAINERS: Just my day-to-day shoes.

MORE GENERAL 53. EATING: Had a cheese danish (I cheated on my diet -_-) 54. DRINKING: Didn’t I answer that already?  Yep.  Still working on it. 55. I’M ABOUT TO: Join the YWCA so we can go swimming 3 times a week.  Its the only exercise I don’t mind.  I love swimming! 56. WAITING FOR: Up-coming concert and con. 57. WANT: OMG I WANNA SNACK SO BAD RIGHT NOW TT___TT 58. GET MARRIED: Been together 13 years, married 2, and engaged 7.  So I’d say I’ve got it covered. 59. CAREER: I can’t seem to hold down a job T_T  My wife is way too understanding.

WHICH IS BETTER 60. HUGS OR KISSES: Um, depends.  From just anyone, neither, don't fucking touch me.  If I know and like you a LOT then a hug is okay.   61. LIPS OR EYES: Liiiips~ 62. SHORTER OR TALLER: I don’t really care.  Taller is helpful cause I’m a short fuck. 63. OLDER OR YOUNGER: Don’t care.  Age is not necessarily an indication of maturity.   64. NICE ARMS OR NICE STOMACH: Dunno.  I’d say stomach by my idea of a nice stomach is probably not most people’s idea of a nice stomach.  I like the soft ones <3 65. HOOK UP OR RELATIONSHIP: Relationship for sure.  I can’t do random hookups.   66. TROUBLEMAKER OR HESITANT: I’d say troublemaker cause that’s more me but I tend to gravitate towards the hesitant type and get them in trouble XD

HAVE YOU EVER: 67. KISSED A STRANGER: Probably not. 68. DRANK HARD LIQUOR: Yeah. 69. LOST GLASSES/CONTACT LENSES: Nope.  I’m almost legally blind without my glasses so if I lose them I really can’t fucking see.  Sometimes when I wake up I can’t find them and I have to have my wife get them for me. 70. TURNED SOMEONE DOWN: I’m sure I have. 71. SEX ON THE FIRST DATE: Nope. 72. BROKEN SOMEONE’S HEART: I don’t think so.  Most of my break ups were pretty mutual. 73. HAD YOUR HEART BROKEN: Not really. 74. BEEN ARRESTED: Haha yeah.  It was bullshit. 75. CRIED WHEN SOMEONE DIED: Yeah.  I don’t usually cry at funerals though...  too public. 76. FALLEN FOR A FRIEND: My best friends is my wife.  Not to be cliche but she really is.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 77. YOURSELF: Sometimes. 78. MIRACLES: Not usually. 79. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT: No. 80. SANTA CLAUS: No. 81. KISS ON THE FIRST DATE: Yeah.  How else you gonna know if you hit it off?  A kiss is like a green light to keep trying. 82. ANGELS: No.

OTHER: 84. EYE COLOUR: Brown. 85. FAVOURITE MOVIE: Argh, I hate these.  Uhhhhh, Kill Bill.