#before the elections when bad did something forever didn’t approve of they had a cute little mini divorce over it and then made up

[petrichormore]

I think when q!Bad says that he wants to kill the president, or that he wants to overthrow q!Forever - he knows that President Forever and regular Forever are the same person. He knows.

When he says “I trust Forever, but not President Forever” what he means is “I trusted Forever when the power balance in our friendship was manageable and not ridiculously skewed to one side.”

What he means is “I don’t want to have to be worried about Forever throwing me in prison, and I liked my friendship with him better when I didn’t have to be concerned about that.”

What he means is “It was easier to trust a Forever without power, and I want to trust Forever again.”

[incognitoman1-2-3-4]

Observations - A K18 Short Story

A/N: To celebrate this blog turning three years old, I wanted to revisit an old Krillin & Eighteen story I had written some time ago and publish it here on my Tumblr with some minor improvements. If you would like to read it, I sincerely hope you enjoy it. Feedback is much appreciated! 

K18 Forever ❤️

The serene ocean tide crawled ever closer towards Eighteen as she patiently roamed through the latest issue of her favourite weekly fashion magazine. Enjoying her mid-morning reading session, she mentally noted what items of clothing she pined to purchase and which ones she wished she could erase from existence.

“Seriously, who would want to be seen in that?" She vented to herself, squinting her eyes in disdain at the eccentric patterns on the outfit.

She flicked over to the next page, carefully readjusting her sunglasses. Well, they weren't exactly her sunglasses. She had successfully snuck them out of Krillin's bedroom while he was resting. It was a good thing that he was such a heavy sleeper, as well as being extremely generous with his belongings.

Little did Eighteen know that Krillin had awoken from his deep slumber and was now standing by the porch of Kame House. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the refreshing summer air before deflating his chest back to normal size. A content smile gradually etched itself across his dry lips; Krillin's infatuated eyes admiringly mused over Eighteen.

Sitting alone by the ocean's edge, she appeared as angelic as ever. Her face emitted a unique elegance unrivalled by any other. Krillin attentively observed Eighteen's subtle body language; her relaxed posture was a rare, yet pleasant sight. He decided to make his presence known, promptly advancing towards the shoreline.

The sound of Krillin's muted footsteps instantly caught Eighteen’s attention. Choosing to cast her magazine aside, Eighteen flicked her sunglasses to the bridge of her nose, fervently chewing on her bottom lip; he looked as fine as ever.

Despite his initial protests, she was so glad that Krillin acquiesced to her relentless insistence that he should grow out his jet black hair. Better yet, since the summer weather had come around, sightings of him without a top were becoming more and more frequent, permitting herself to gaze upon his well-toned muscles in all their splendour.

Sadly for Eighteen, Krillin had clothed himself this morning with a t-shirt that she had bought for him on their most recent trip to the mainland. Regardless of whether her little monk was topless or not, she didn't care what anyone said or thought about his appearance. To her, Krillin was simply stunning.

"Finally decided to get out of bed, uh?" Eighteen cordially greeted Krillin as he rooted himself on her left side. He retaliated swiftly with a kiss on her warm cheek.

“Well, you know me. If I ever get the chance to have a lay-in, I'll take it." He assuredly replied, spotting that his sunglasses were loosely hanging off of Eighteen's ears, "I see you've stolen my sunglasses again.”

"Hey!" Eighteen asserted, raising her arms in defence, "I didn't steal your sunglasses. I'm just borrowing them.”

"I ain't complaining." He then proceeded to straighten his sunglasses up for her, before adding, "You actually look kinda cute with them on.”

Without saying a word, Eighteen showed her appreciation of Krillin's kind comment with a habitual gesture. A gesture he didn't see all too often. But when he did, it meant the world to him.

"I've noticed you do that from time-to-time.”

"Do what?" She tentatively asked, feeling as if she had suddenly entered a "deer in the headlights" type situation.

"Don't worry. It's nothing bad." Krillin reassured her with a warm timbre in his voice, "I've just noticed that whenever I give you a compliment or if you see something you like, you have this tendency to needlessly brush your hair aside.”

Eighteen eyes immediately darted up to where her right hand was currently placed. It was exactly as Krillin described. She instantly felt the soft blonde tangles that ran between her fingers. In an effort to combat her self-consciousness, she instinctually moved her hand unto her lap.

"Have you seriously never noticed?" He enquired, watching Eighteen's face grow slightly perplexed.

"Not really, no. But if it's weird, I'll stop.”

"Weird?" Krillin answered calmly, pulling his knees up to his chest, "Take it from me. That hair thing you do is far from weird. It's just a quirky habit you have. That's all.”

“Habit?"

"Yeah. Everyone has them." Krillin added, lifting his eyes to the cloudless blue sky above him.

At that split-second, Eighteen's concerns morphed into curiosity. Now that she gave it some consideration, Krillin did have some fairly odd traits of his own. Realising this, Eighteen violently crashed her hands together with excitement. The resounding clash of her hands drew Krillin's eyes away from the empty sky and unto a far more captivating sight.

"You know, you sometimes start to laugh nervously when I stare at you." Eighteen astutely remarked.

Shaking his head from side-to-side, Krillin firmly disagreed with a great amount of confidence, "Erm- I believe you're imagining things because I'm pretty sure I've never done that before, babe." His confidence, however, was misplaced.

Eighteen silently folded the arms of Krillin's sunglasses, delicately resting them on top of her magazine.

"W-what are you doing?" His query reeked with diffidence.

Eighteen purposefully ignored him, electing to silently close the gap between them instead. Krillin dared not move, especially since Eighteen developed a kittenesque sheen in her eyes. She fearlessly pounced on him; Krillin willingly collapsed unto his back. The space between them was now non-existent. What quickly followed was inevitable.

"Ahh, damn it." He humbly admitted, "I guess you're right.”

"See," Eighteen gloated with raised eyebrows. She remained on top of him, resuming her point with a velvety inflexion, "and I think you laugh because you don't know what else to do when I have my eyes set on you.”

Krillin could provide no reply as strands of Eighteen's hair lightly tickled his besotted face. Her strong emphasis on the word, 'you' drew forth another excitable chuckle. Now that she had brought it to his attention, he couldn't stop himself. Nor did he want to.

Satisfied by the result, Eighteen distanced their proximity, if only by the smallest of margins. This gifted Krillin the chance to not only wipe off the soft sand from his back but also reveal another fascinating observation he made about Eighteen.

"Here's a good one!" Krillin's child-like enthusiasm gripped Eighteen, staring back him with a sense of anticipation, "You always make sure that the TV or radio volume is set at an even number.”

"You're kidding, right?" Eighteen answered him with a doubtful snicker.

"I am 100% serious. There have been times where I have deliberately set the volume at 19 and then I catch you changing it to 20 or 22-“

"Or 18?" She noted with a sense of irony.

“Exactly!"

"I can't say there's a valid explanation for it.”

"The only thing I can think of is that because of your name, you naturally prefer even numbers." Krillin's off-the-cuff reasoning technically made sense.

However, Eighteen wasn't fully convinced, logically stating, "If that's the case, then maybe my brother likes his volume set to an odd number.”

"That's gotta be true." He firmly agreed, "You should ask him the next time you see him.”

"Speaking of my brother, you two share a habit.”

"No way!" Krillin exclaimed with great elation, 'What is it!?”

"I wouldn't get too excited if I were you.” Eighteen warned him, hinting at the fact that this habit wasn't exactly a positive one, "You and Seventeen need to learn how to eat without talking at the same time.”

"Huh. I never would have imagined your brother doing something like that." Krillin remarked bemusedly. Even though he didn't know much about Eighteen's twin brother, he was relieved to discover that they did have something in common, even if it was as trivial as talking with their mouths full.

"Believe me, he's almost as bad as you." Eighteen slyly teased, sneakily resting her head on Krillin's shoulder. Sticking to the subject of her brother, she casually suggested to him, "Perhaps on my next visit to Seventeen's place, you could come with me.”

Eighteen almost lost her balance due to Krillin's sudden jolt. She fixed her eyes on him, studying the agitated expression which had rapidly overtaken him as he paced back and forth in front of her.

"D-do you think that's such a good idea?" Krillin responded apprehensively. This wasn't the first time the topic of Krillin meeting up with Seventeen had occurred. Whenever she mentioned it to him, he would quickly change the subject or brush it off with a fake smile. She decided it was time to tell it to him straight.

"What, so you don't want to meet him then?”

“N-no, I would like to meet him." Krillin unconvincingly replied.

Eighteen candidly returned with a stern tone, "Really? Because your face is telling me something completely different.”

Krillin halted in his tracks as Eighteen's words escaped her mouth. Disappointment followed her as she looked away from him, turning to face the transparent ocean.

Sitting back down on the sand, Krillin hoped he could clearly convey his anxious thoughts: "I really do want to meet your brother, Eighteen. I guess I'm just afraid that he’s gonna think that I'm not good enough for you. Or maybe we won't get along with each other.”

Eighteen's face perked up at Krillin's response. She could understand why he felt apprehensive towards her brother. Nevertheless, she desired to put his concerns to rest.

Taking a hold of his shaky hand, she sincerely reassured him, "Honey, you have no reason to be nervous. Seventeen is fully aware that we've been dating for a little while now and he seems pretty chilled about it. I mean even if he wasn't, I don't need his approval, or anybody else’s for that matter. I just think that we've been together long enough to pay him at least one visit from the two of us.”

"So, I don't have anything to worry about?" Krillin asked with a hint of courage in his voice.

Eighteen strongly shook her head, “None whatsoever. Besides, worst-case scenario, I’ll kick his ass and make sure he doesn’t even think about messing with you.”

Swiftly rising to his feet, Krillin boldly proclaimed, "Alright then! We better get going!”

"Go? Go where?”

"Well, I said that I wanted to meet your brother, didn't I?" Krillin clarified cheerfully, offering his right hand out towards Eighteen.

Gladly accepting Krillin's outstretched arm, she arose from the ground, asking with an ebullient expression, "You want to meet my brother right now?”

"Sure!" Krillin confirmed confidently, "I wanna do whatever makes you happy, Eighteen!"

His elegant blush was infectious; Eighteen's cheeks were being painted with an identical rose coloured hue. She tenderly caressed the sides of his face.

It simultaneously occurred to both Krillin and Eighteen that their impromptu decision to visit Seventeen was going to be a big step in their relationship. It was a step that neither of them could have even imagined taking when Eighteen first stepped foot inside Kame House. But they were so grateful that they had each other to take it.

As their bodies gently swayed, Eighteen inquisitively inquired, "Why are you so good to me, Krillin?"

The man in question instinctually released a nervous chuckle, before answering with a heartfelt resonance, "Because I love you.”

Neither of them knew for certain who exactly initiated the kiss. But one thing was obvious: neither of them cared. Their hands crawled around each other's bodies as their kisses grew more and more intense. It was a good thing Master Roshi and Oolong weren't around to see this. Krillin and Eighteen rarely got to physically express themselves since their housemates always stood around like vultures.

As Eighteen's fingers stealthily crept underneath his shirt to dance around the surface of his stomach, Krillin passionately pecked her neck, leaving little imprints of where his lips had been. It was yet another adorable idiosyncrasy Eighteen so dearly treasured about Krillin.

Soon enough, they carefully rested their foreheads against each other, leading them to stare intimately into each other's eyes. The exhilarating adrenaline which had thrust them into the moment was gradually settling down. Their pounding hearts were left playing catch up.

"Hey, Krillin?” Eighteen softly uttered, effortlessly attaining his gaze, "Before we leave, I just wanted to say thank you for doing this. You have no idea just how much this means to me.”

Little dimples appeared on Krillin's cheeks at the sight of Eighteen's signal of satisfaction.

"You just did your hair thing again.” He eagerly noted.

Eighteen embraced her little quirk proudly, "I know.”

"So, should we get ready to leave, babe?” Krillin asked, reaching down to grab Eighteen’s magazine and his sand-covered sunglasses.

"Hold on a second! I think I’ve forgotten something!”

“Huh? What did you forge-" Cutting off Krillin's sentence, Eighteen boldly pressed her lips onto his. She simply couldn't resist the alluring taste of Krillin's sweet kiss any longer. He gladly welcomed the interruption; he didn't mind being silenced if this was his reward for doing so.

Practising a rare instance of self-control, Eighteen gradually withdrew from their brief kiss, playfully stating, "Okay, now I'm ready.”

With every passing day, it seemed that Krillin and Eighteen managed to discover new things they adored about each other. From big gestures to small habits, each one brought them closer together and caused their love to deepen.

Taking flight to the endless blue skies above them, they joyously marvelled to themselves at where exactly their relationship was taking them. Their desired destination excited them. But the journey to arrive there excited them all the more.

THE END ❤️

[leveragingliberty]

To The Christian Who Is Sick of Politics

Over the past five years, I have ridden a rollercoaster of emotions regarding the somewhat scary state of American politics.

From my conversations with fellow believers, I would wager many of you have been passengers on a similar emotional journey.

Does any of this sound familiar?...

During the last presidential election, I am emboldened, impassioned, ready to speak my opinion. The stakes are high, and I am not going down without a fight.

When the election is over, win or lose, I am ready to breathe a heavy sigh of relief, hoping to return to normalcy and civility, ready to think about anything but what went on in the oval office.  

As time goes on, and it becomes apparent that peace is not in the cards, my passion dims and is replaced by frustration and disgust.

When my phone buzzes about twelve times a day, announcing another knock-down, drag-out, fight between grown men wearing suits and ties, I consider calling my cell phone company. Did they offer an insurance policy for screens that were cracked in fits of anger? Because if I see one more fake news notification I would not be responsible for my actions.

I decide to stop watching the news because it is bad for my blood pressure.

When I open my mouth to speak my opinion, I am shot down before I can finish my sentence, labeled a “bigot” because of something I don’t believe and didn’t do. I make a pact with myself to never speak of anything political in public ever again.

-I watch in helplessness as everything I stood for was mocked and belittled, dipped into deep, agonizing sadness as evil is paraded around as good.

-This time, as I go to open my mouth, I hesitate. I can either keep talking and get hurt, or I can go quiet and numb, let someone else speak for me.

I convince myself this is ok because no one is listening away.

-The talking heads keep shouting and fibbing and throwing dirt and it’s all just so jumbled and contorted and wrong I want to throw my hands over my ears and scream.

I am disgusted.

I am defeated.

I want to throw a rock at the television.

I am tired.

I am so, so tired.

This is the word I have heard repeated more than any other in regards to this election cycle-tired.

We are tired of the games.

Tired of the name calling and bullying that substitutes for proving your point.

Tired of the loss of logic.

Tired of struggling to know what’s actually happening.

Tired of the lies, lies, lies, told to us with smiling faces and smug, eyebrow raises.

To be honest, I’m tired of trying.

As I have heard a thousand times in the past few months, “I’m just ready for it to be over.”

But as I go to boycott the news, unfollow half my friends, and drown my sorrows in cute kitten videos, I hesitate.

Because this is what I thought four Novembers ago…“I just want it to be over.”

If this past four years has taught us anything, it’s that evil doesn’t give up.

“Win” or “lose,” darkness keeps gnawing away like a cancer, keeps eating away at the foundations of liberty.

And I am a fool to believe that the battle will be over when the last ballot is counted.

What is happening in our culture is so much bigger than a presidential election. This is about a clash of kingdoms. I am not here to discuss the merits of either party’s candidate, this would miss the point.  

I am here to remind myself that whether or not I choose to tune out the news, and disappear into my own little world, America has reached a breaking point.

Whether or not I want to believe it, or ignore it, the decisions of the talking heads behind the screens directly affect my ability, not to practice my faith, but whether or not I am able to publicly share my faith in an unhindered manner.

No matter how politically incorrect this sounds, and how many people stop reading after this sentence, the progressive left aims to systematically strip American believers of the ability to publicly express their faith. They want to label the Gospel, the ultimate expression of love, as hate speech. This is not my “bias” speaking, this is simply true.

We can see it happening right now as Supreme Court hopeful Amy Conan Barrett, is under fire for her Christian beliefs. Her faith may, “hinder her decision-making abilities,” rendering her “unfit for office.”  

If we think hiding in our little corners and ignoring the plight of our sister in the limelight, will save us from the same fate, we make a devastating mistake. (one that has been repeated throughout history with horrific consequences.)

The left has been pounding down the door to religious liberty for years now, hacking into our own back pockets with constant imaging rolling across our phone screens, making court decisions here and there, that may seem far away and inconsequential, but lay the groundwork to flip the legal system in their favor.

Whether or not we are given a four-year extension, someday that door is going to fall. The crushing jaws of globalism are closing in, and no matter how hard we try to wriggle free, one day they are going to shut.  

I ask myself, why does this even matter for me, as a Christian? Hasn’t the church always thrived under persecution? Shouldn’t I be excited to suffer? Ultimately, I am not a citizen of the United States of America. This is not my home. I belong to a separate Kingdom in a totally separate world, to a King who will never let me down.  

Shouldn’t I be justified in closing my curtains, cuddling on the couch with my babies, and watching “Andy Griffith” reruns until Jesus comes back?

It matters because God says it matters.

No, religious liberty is not required for the Kingdom of God to flourish, BUT Paul says something in 1 Timothy that gives me great pause and perspective on God’s view of government.

The Apostle Paul, possibly history’s greatest example of thriving under persecution, specifically commands Christians to pray, “For all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth.”

God is not interested in American democracy because He is very patriotic and wants His children to be able to relax and enjoy life without fear of imprisonment. As John Piper explains, “God approves of our prayers for peace and tranquility because He approves of the advance of the Gospel. Peace is not the main thing; salvation is the main thing. Tranquility is not the goal, the knowledge of the truth of God, that’s the goal.” https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/pray-for-kings-and-all-in-high-positions

Liberty is precious because it is an opportunity. Whether or not we have been taking advantage of this privilege, religious liberty provides an incredible and unique outlet to spread the Gospel. We should desire and seek religious freedom not so we can live comfy lives, but so that we can leverage that freedom to reach as many people as possible for Christ. Before the jaws “shut” and He comes in judgment against this fallen planet, God wants to bring as many people as possible into the Kingdom that will last forever.

So here’s my question for the Christian sick of politics…

 How are you currently leveraging your freedom for the Gospel’s sake?

In your disgust of the current cultural crisis have you inadvertently shut yourself off from the very people you are here to reach?

If you unplug, and go silent now on purpose, you may regret it when you are forcibly silenced by someone else in a few years.

So go..

Speak while you can. Tell that friend who’s been on your heart, talk about Jesus when you’re standing on the sidlelines at your son’s soccer game.

Post while you can. Share that verse. Reshare that link. Type out your testimony.

Do whatever you can WHILE you can!

“Make the best use of the time because the days are evil.”

Aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t give up when your darkness got too disturbing? When taking your sin got a little too messy?

God, give us the courage, in a time where we would rather throw up our hands and walk away, to roll up our sleeves and dive into the hard work of evangelism.

Go and love your little patch of darkness into light. Shout into your microphone until it’s ripped from your hand!

And when the hammer comes down and the door to religious liberty splinters on the floor of our nation’s capital, you’ll already know how to fight. Your sword will already be in your hand.

Let’s not waste our liberty, only to discover what a precious thing we had when it’s taken away, “The night is nearly over, the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”

Before we can blink, the sound of evil knocking on our doors is going to sound a little different. The believers are going to be feasting with the King and the world is going to be pounding on the doors in desperation, begging to come inside.

And the King will say, “I never knew you.”

When He returns may He find us on the streets, dragging in the lost to the Feast before it’s too late.

So for Heaven’s sake, go vote! Pray for our leaders! Let’s seek to preserve religious liberty for as long as possible.

DO SOMETHING WITH IT while you still have the chance.

Whatever happens in November, don’t disappear.

[misssophiachase]

A while back the lovely @megansarah11 asked for a Klaroline drabble prompt inspired by Sybil and Tom from Downton Abbey (modern-day version). Apologies I never got to it love but I’m so excited about the movie coming out tomorrow so thought I’d finally write something : ) Hope you like it. Lyrics by Tracy Chapman.

He’s an Uber driver she wants to hate, she’s the daughter of an influential person he wants to hate but a mutually beneficial arrangement might change all that. 

Fast Car

You got a fast car, I want a ticket to anywhere

“Five minutes late,” she muttered from the backseat, stabbing at the buttons on her cell phone. “And one less star for lack of decorum.”

He’d picked her up outside Columbia University but given it was peak hour and hundreds of students milling around campus he’d struggled to see her even if it was her responsibility to place his license plate first. 

Glancing at the impressive looking college in the distance while he waited, Klaus wished he could afford to study there. His GPA was impressive so too his SAT scores during high school but he couldn’t afford college and scholarships were few and far between. 

Klaus Mikaelson didn’t drive an Uber for fun, in fact, he only drove because he needed the money to support his family not rude commentary from passengers mid-trip. 

This type he’d seen before, the epitome of a spoiled princess, although Klaus had to admit she was easy on the eye; blonde waves, porcelain skin, pink lips and legs for days encased within that leather mini-skirt. Daddy’s little girl had obviously decided putting the Uber driver out of business would be a fun distraction on the way out with friends. 

“Five minutes late is reasonably good for New York traffic, although I’m sure you know that already, but what exactly is wrong with my decorum?” He asked, probably against his better judgment but Klaus was bored and needed some entertainment to pull him out of his Friday night funk. 

“Lack of decorum you mean and last time I checked that was none of your business.”

“Well, if you’re going to review my services aloud, it’s a little difficult to ignore,” Kaus offered, looking at her in his rearview mirror curiously, noting those expressive blue eyes widening in shock.

She didn’t respond immediately, obviously thrown off by his reply. Instead, she proceeded to punch at her cell with more vigor and Klaus knew he’d lost at least another star in the process. He wasn’t phased and decided he’d much prefer music than her thoughts anyway.  

“What the hell is this?” She growled, finally finding her voice as the music reverberated loudly through the speakers. 

“It’s called music, sweetheart.”

“I’m aware it’s music,” she growled, “and don’t call me that.”

“It��s the Clash.” 

“Well, the name seems fitting given the lack of musicality,” she shared. Before she could eviscerate him again via review Klaus replied. 

“I should have known I suppose.”

“Should have known what exactly?”

“That someone so uptight and privileged wouldn’t understand punk rock.”

“I understand it perfectly,” she huffed. “In fact, I admire the way the genre has pioneered political messaging over the decades.”

“Really? You do?” He inquired, not expecting that response from the princess in his backseat. He decided she must be taking a few political electives and thought she knew everything.

“Yes, and, while we’re at it, everyone knows the Clash. I didn’t think you’d be so easily fooled.”

“Well, excuse me if you don’t look the type.” 

“You got me,” she admitted, his crimson lips curved into a smile knowing he’d won the argument. “I’m actually more of a Ramones fan if I’m to be completely honest.”

“Figures, you’d pick the band with the conservative guitarist.”

“I was more of a Joey fan, not Johnny if you must know. I ought to really address your judgmental tendencies in my review.” Klaus had to admit she knew her punk rock and the fact brother Joey was far more liberal than his older brother Johnny. 

“Well, given that, my tardiness and lack of decorum at least I’m consistent, love.”  

“I’d be curious to know just what your other passengers think about typecasting their musical tastes and political beliefs. And, by the way, you’re down to one star, buddy.”

Klaus could tell by consulting the rearview mirror she hadn’t bothered to look down at her phone once and a sly smile was tugging at the corners of her mouth. 

She was enjoying this and Klaus had to admit he was too. It also didn’t hurt just how cute she looked twirling a blonde lock in her fingers and biting the right corner of her bottom lip either. 

“I’m amazed I still have one star,” he teased, realizing he had nothing to lose at this point. “Daddy must hate that his daughter is a Democrat.”

“You have no idea, not that I’m trying to entertain your stereotypes at all,” she mumbled, laying her head back, her blonde waves fanning out across the seat. “I think he’d disown me if I wasn’t his only child.”

“Well, then I’m sorry I judged you,” he offered, his eyes meeting hers briefly. “I definitely deserve that review.”

“Well, there’s still time to prove yourself,” she smiled deviously. “How about we make a detour and you can make it up to me?”

Maybe we make a deal

“You brought me to Central Park?” Klaus shivered, trying to ignore just how frozen his toes were and hoping it didn’t spread to other much-needed regions. 

Klaus had been unable to help himself, offering his jacket to his passenger who was less clothed and insisted they visit the Bethesda Fountain. It was empty given the season and this time of night.   

“If this is a frostbite competition, I give in,” he chuckled whilst trying to battle the chill. 

“This is my favorite place in the city,” she shared, looking upwards. The sky was clear tonight, the moon barely visible but multiple stars twinkling in the distance. “I like to come here when no one else is around.” 

“Well, you certainly chose the optimal time.” He agreed, hoping she’d get to the point sooner rather than later. As a driver, it wasn’t his role to get out of the car but for some reason, she’d enticed him into the cold. Klaus decided to blame it on his need for a good review, well in case anyone asked. “Don’t you want to meet your friends?”

“Maybe later,” she replied, taking a seat on the edge of the fountain and patting the spot next to her. Klaus wasn’t one to come on command but he’d long abandoned his usual routine when she’d jumped into his car. “I’ll pay extra and up your stars, promise.”

“It’s not about the money or the review,” Klaus admitted, probably too quickly. “I just like all my appendages working at full capacity.”

“Looks pretty good to me,” she shot back, a cheeky smile crossing her features as her eyes grazed his crotch. Klaus thought he’d pegged her when she jumped into his car but was finding it difficult to concentrate given just how unpredictable she’d proven.   

“You were not what I expected at all.”

“I have that effect on people,” she grinned. “My father doesn’t like it all that much, usually has one of his drivers take me around the city so as to avoid anything untoward.”

“And that’s not a nice, fatherly thing to do I assume?” 

“He does it to spy on me,” she growled. “It’s like I’m eight years old all over again and he’s chasing Liam O’Neil out of my treehouse.”

“What exactly were you doing in said treehouse?”

“We were playing doctors and nurses,” Klaus smirked knowingly, causing her to jab him in the ribs. “Get your head out of the gutter it was all above board. If anything it made me realise just what a bad nurse Liam made.”

“So, why no driver tonight then?”

“I snuck out before he arrived,” she admitted. “I wanted to spend my night my own way.”

“My curiosity is piqued, who exactly is your father?” 

“Republican Congressman for the 2nd District,” she murmured. “Talk about a total buzzkill. He has this tendency to put a dampener on my life in general and not just because of his choice of political party.”

“Wow, that was not who I was expecting at all when we started our discussion.”

“Oh, is that what you call it? From memory, it was all about you questioning my musical tastes and insulting my beliefs.”

“We haven’t even scratched the surface of a real political debate and you know it, Caroline.” For some reason that made Klaus smile in anticipation of a rematch.

“You said my name,” she smiled. “And here I thought I’d forever be known as love or sweetheart or whatever you call all the women you pick up.” Klaus didn’t miss her double meaning. 

“Assuming I pick up all these women, love,” he smirked flashing his dimples, noticing her creamy skin flush a cute shade of pink as he did. 

“So, any chance you’d consider driving me around?” His eyebrows shot up curiously wondering how they’d moved from pick-ups to fully-fledged driving.  “Urgh not in that way,” she groaned, jabbing him again. Klaus had to admit he was quite enjoying throwing around double entendres especially if it warded off the chill. 

“What? You mean like a chauffeur? It’s not really my thing and I’m not sure your father would approve,” he whistled. “We don’t exactly run in the same circles.”

“He doesn’t need to know that. I just need more space and this arrangement could be mutually beneficial.”

“And what do I get exactly?”

“You get money and I get freedom,” she shot back. “Seems like the perfect arrangement.”

“Except for the obvious,” he said, “Your father probably has the most stringent vetting process in place for the position of driving around his only daughter.”

“Just leave it to me.”

“Why does that worry me?”

“Because for the most part, and not that I want to prove your earlier assessment correct, my father does most things I ask. It’s either because he loves me or doesn’t want me to make a scene. Either scenario works I suppose.” Klaus could tell by the hurt in her voice that she cared about what he thought more than she liked to portray. “You’re English, surely we can sell you as some Margaret Thatcher-loving Tory who came to America to discover his dream.”

“Of being a chauffeur?”

“Of being a chauffeur who is saving for college to become a lawyer at a private equity practice in Washington DC and then the next Attorney-General in a Republican White House.”

“Sounds exactly like me,” he joked. “It seems like you’ve offered this position to others before me.”

“No, that’s just pretty much every guy my father has tried to set me up with since I was eighteen.”   

“I think that will be a tough sell, love.”

“But just think about all the money you could make, Uber driving would be peanuts in comparison.” 

Klaus wasn’t motivated by money but given his mother’s health problems he knew the extra cash would make a difference with her treatment. He’d be stupid to pass up an offer like that and if it meant more time to discuss politics with Caroline Klaus certainly wasn’t complaining. 

Maybe she needed more freedom and maybe he needed more money but for some reason, there seemed to be an underlying reason neither had verbalized. 

It was as if she wanted an escape just as much as he did.

Maybe together we can get somewhere, any place is better

[atlafan]

The Game: Part 6

Rucas au multi-fic. Lucas and Riley have been best friends for as long as they can remember. They finally tell each other how they feel, and are able to get together, but some friction occurs when Riley’s Uncle Shawn introduces everyone to his new wife and daughter.

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five

Lucas woke up around two in the morning and realized he fell asleep in Riley’s bed. They had some light kisses that night, and must’ve fallen asleep. He looked at his sleeping girlfriend. She looked so peaceful, he didn’t want to leave her, but he knew they’d get in trouble if he stayed. He kissed her on the forehead and headed out the bay window.

Riley woke up for school a few hours later, a little confused. Last night felt like a blur. When she thought of her little makeout session with Lucas she felt butterflies in her stomach. She still couldn’t believe how lucky she was that they felt the same way about each other.

She took a quick shower, put her hair up in the perfect messy bun, a pair of light blue jeans, and a black top. Something simple for her second half day of senior year. Riley went into the kitchen and saw Auggie sitting, eating some cereal.

“How come you’re already awake?” She asks, making herself a bowl of cereal.

“Couldn’t sleep...also I wanted to catch you before you left.”

“What’s up?”

“About the arcade-”

“Auggie, I’ll take you, it’ll be fun. Besides, I owe you one.”

“I actually don’t want to go. It was great coming home yesterday and being able to do whatever I wanted. I took a nap, made frozen pizza, and got to watch whatever I wanted on TV.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing.”

“Relax, I just mean I kind of liked not having to share. We both have full days tomorrow, so I was kind of hoping whatever you did yesterday that made it so you didn’t come home until five, could you do it again today?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, sometimes even I need some quiet time.”

���Okay, sure.”

“What were you doing, exactly?”

“Oh, I just went to the bakery with my friends. And then I went over to Lucas’ for a bit.”

“You’re not being scandalous are you?”

“Scandalous? Auggie I am not talking to you about that kind of stuff. You’re too young.”

“I just want to make sure you’re not doing something I’d regret covering for you for.”

“Oh, no, everything was totally PG.”

“Cool, so we have a deal.”

“Mhm, but you call me if you need anything.”

Riley puts her finished bowl in the sink, grabs her backpack, and heads out the door. She bumps into Maya on the subway, and they end up sitting together.

“Hey.” Maya says with a half smile.

“Good morning.” Riley replies.

“So, I uh sent you a friend request last night.”

“Oh you did? Must not have gotten the notification.”

“Right. So because you don’t like me, that means your friends can’t?”

“What?”

“Well, I sent them requests too, and no one responded.”

“Maybe no one wants to be your friend, did you think about that?” Riley took a deep breath. “Okay, that was really mean, and I’m sorry. I don’t want to become some bully, that’s not who I am. You’re just so abrasive, it’s unnecessary. I don’t think you’d fit in with my group of friends. Farkle and Smackle are brainiacs, Lucas is a jock, and I’m overly cheerful.”

“So don’t you think you could use someone like me? You’re missing the brooding, misunderstood asshole.”

“Nope, I really think we’re all set. Look, I don’t mind being some type of acquaintance to keep things civil, but as far as us being friends, I really don’t see it happening.”

The train stops where they need to get off, and Riley is practically the first one out the door, leaving Maya extremely confused.

Lucas is waiting near Riley’s locker when he sees his beautiful girlfriend walk down the hall. He notices that she’s not in a great mood.

“Morning beautiful. You just as tired as I am?”

“Nope, I slept great.” She says opening her locker door. “Of course, I didn’t have to get up at two in the morning to drive home.” She puts a few things in and closes it to face to him. “Try not to make a habit of that on school nights.” She gives him a light kiss on the cheek.

“How about on weekends then?”

“Lucas.”

“You just said school nights. It was so nice to fall asleep with you. You’re so cute when you’re sleeping.” Lucas takes a step forward to be a little closer.

“Careful, my dad could hear you. What if he walked by?”

“You’re right, sorry. So are we taking Auggie to the arcade today?”

“No, actually, he wants the alone time at our house. So we can do whatever we want again.”

“Great, I was thinking we could go out to lunch. That new Mexican place opened up a few weeks ago and we haven’t been yet.”

“Oh yeah, that would be great.”

Right as they’re about to kiss, the bell rings. Riley grabs Lucas’ arm and tugs him towards the classroom. A few people were already in homeroom waiting for everything to start. Cory was sitting at his desk shuffling through some papers.

Lucas and Riley go to their seats. Farkle and Smackle follow in, and go right to their seats to greet their friends.

“So, have you made a decision about the friend request?” Smackle asks.

“I don’t know. I had a conversation with her this morning, and it seems like she does want to be friends. I told her I wanted to be acquaintances at the most.”

“It’s just a stupid Facebook friend request. I feel like we’re spending too much energy on this.” Farkle says.

“Fine, then approve the request then.” Riley says. Farkle doesn't move. “Well, there you have it. I just don’t want her snooping through my profile, but at the same time, I don’t want her to feel like an outcast. Okay everyone, phone’s out, lets approve.”

The four friends take out their smart phones, and simultaneously accept Maya’s friend request. At that moment Maya walks in and sits in her seat. Her phone goes off, and she sees the Facebook notifications. She has four new friends. She looks over at them and smiles.

After Cory gives the second day spiel, the bell rings, and they all go to their separate classes. These would be the classes that they would normally have in the second half of the day.

They all had one elective together, and that would be the last block of the day with Cory. Technically now they were off to their fourth period class. Lucas had an English elective that was required. He walked in the class and saw Maya just sitting down. He sat in front of her.

“Is this an okay seating arrangement, I wouldn’t want your girlfriend to get mad.” She whispers to him.

“You know”, he turns around half way, “if you didn’t make remarks like that, she might actually want to be friends with you.”

“Well what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Do you have a grudge against me? I mean let’s be honest, she doesn’t like me because she feels threatened.”

“And why would she feel that way?”

“Because I openly made it clear that I was attracted to you, and she’s always gonna be scared that someone could take you away.”

“No offense, but short, blonde, and attitude isn’t exactly my type.” Lucas turns back to face the front.

“Then why did you sit in front of me when you could have sat anywhere else?”

“Because I was trying to be nice, but clearly that was a mistake.”

A few more people come in, some baseball players spot Lucas and they sit around him, which means they’re sitting around Maya.

“Dude, you and Riley are finally together?” A boy on the team named Mike asks.

“Yup.”

“You must be stoked, you’ve been waiting forever to get with her. Man, if you two hadn’t had that like unofficial thing I would have tried something with her a long time ago. She’s an absolute smoke.”

“Yeah, maybe not talk about her like that to me.”

“Right, my bad, what I’m trying to say is, way to go.”

“Thanks, it does feel pretty great to actually be dating her.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, a bunch of us were wondering, is she like a prude or has she been climbing you like a tree.”

“She’s definitely not a prude, but I can tell she wants to take things slow, which is fine with me.”

“How could you be fine with that? You’ve been dreaming of tapping that ass for two years.”

“Yeah I know, but I want her to feel comfortable. Plus I’m a guy, it’s different. If she said hey let’s go do it in a garbage can I wouldn’t even hesitate.”

“Friends to lovers. Hey, you should totally right about that in this class.”

“We’ll see. This class will probably get minimal effort from me.”

The bell rings and the teacher tells everyone to settle down. She explains that it’s a creative writing course, and what that will entail. They will do a lot of free form writing, and will need to pass in a portfolio by the end of the semester. Since the class period was only a half an hour long due to the half day, the teacher let the students chat amongst themselves for the last five minutes. Maya made sure to keep listening in to Lucas and Mike.

“So, what are you doing after school?” Mike asks.

“Oh, Riley and I are going to grab lunch.”

“Nice, then what?” He wiggles his eyebrows.

“Cut it out, that’s not gonna happen, at least not today. I don’t want her to think I only started going out with her is because I wanted to get into her pants.”

“But isn’t that basically why you finally decided to make the shift in your relationship? I mean, you were friends for so long, and you were fine with that, and then you see her in a pair of short shorts in Texas and now you’re obsessed with her.”

“I had just never really looked at her that way. That was the first time I really thought she was sexy. Then I had to go through all of junior year not knowing what to do. I just wanted to grab her and do stuff to her, but still only be friends, but I knew she’d never go for that.”

“What changed your mind?”

“Prom. When I saw her step out in her dress, all dolled up, that was when I knew I wanted her on my arm as my lady. Then she came to Texas again this summer for a few weeks. I thought I was going to lose my mind. I couldn’t do it anymore. So a week before school started I asked her to be my girlfriend, and I’m so glad I did because she’s amazing. She’s my best friend, and I don’t want anyone else to have her.”

The bell rings and the boys get up and leave. Little did they know Maya recorded the whole conversation. She sent it in a text to Riley.

“Let’s see how she deals with this.”