#best blenders for protein shakes

[theemporium]

[11.6k] when in desperate need for a date to your friend's wedding, the last person you expected to step up was nico hischier. then again, he didn't step up as much as he was thrown into the mess by jack.

inspired by 'the spanish love deception' by elena armas

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“Come on!”

“When I said a favour, I didn’t mean this!”

“You said you would do anything!”

“Yeah, like help change a flat tire. You know, the normal things!”

“Do you even know how to change a flat tire?”

“Well…”

“Jack.”

The boy let out a noise mixed between a laugh and an exaggerated groan as he threw his head back. He was just fresh out of the shower after practice, hair still dripping and cheeks flushed red, when you found him by the trainers’ kitchen grabbing a protein shake. 

Your friendship with Jack Hughes was one made through the bond of joining the New Jersey Devils together. He was newly drafted and feeling the pressure of being first pick, whilst you were freshly entering the real world on your own two feet with no real plan in your head. It was by chance that a friend of a friend had managed to pull you a job with the hockey team. And it was by chance you ended up befriending the new hot-shot player in a sport you honestly didn’t know all that much about. 

Still from the first day, after a very awkward meeting on both parts, you and Jack Hughes had been the best of friends—which was exactly why you thought he would help you out on being your plus one to a wedding. 

“I don’t get what the big deal is,” Jack whined, leaning against the counter that displayed all the blenders and ingredients for the players’ protein shakes and smoothies. “Isn’t it your friend’s wedding? Why do you need a plus one, it’s not like you won’t know anyone?” 

“That’s not the point,” you huffed out, feeling like a disgruntled child as you crossed your arms over your chest and resisted the urge to pout. 

Jack raised his brows. “So, what is the point?” 

“I—” You paused, something bitter and nostalgic twisting in your chest before you shook your head. “Can you do it or not? It’s not like you are running off to the Bahamas on your week off. You said yourself that you were free.” 

“The Bahamas sounds better than a wedding in South Carolina,” he grumbled, his lips twitching upwards when you knocked his shoulder with your own. He looked like he was about to say something else before he paused, his eyes brightening. “So, you really need a date to this thing?”

You shot him a look. “Did the last twenty minutes of me begging not give it away?”

His grin widened, something quite unsettling in the smile. “So, you’re desperate?” 

You frowned. “Well, I wouldn’t say desperate—”

“Nico is free this week!” Jack announced loudly, his grin reaching scary levels of taking over his face before his eyes glanced over your head. “Aren’t you, cap?”

Your eyes widened a little as you whirled around, finding the Devils captain standing a few feet away from the two of you. He was dressed similarly to Jack, in a team-branded hoodie and sweatpants, with his wet hair tucked under a beanie. He looked a bit caught off-guard as he glanced between the two of you, though his eyes lingered on Jack.

“Uh, yeah,” he cleared his throat, standing a little taller. “I guess. I didn’t have any plans—”

“Brilliant!” Jack clapped his hands together. “Nico can be your fake boyfriend to your friend’s wedding.”

Your head snapped around to glare at your friend. “I just needed a date—”

“Yeah, your date is your boyfriend,” Jack retorted.

Your glare hardened. “And I asked you—”

“And I’m busy,” Jack said with a shrug, almost as if he was saying ‘what could you do?’. “But Nico is free and you know each other. It should be an easy solution, right?” 

You finally had the courage to face Nico, who looked a bit stunned himself. If it were any other day, you would have laughed at the fact that the captain looked so lost and unsure of himself, so unlike himself. But right now—with the tightening band around your chest that felt like it would crush your ribs—you couldn’t find yourself to even smile.

“You don’t have to,” you said eventually, when you finally found your voice again and your thoughts were coherent. “Jack is just—”

“I’ll do it,” Nico blurted out.

You blinked.

“I mean,” Nico paused, looking a little flustered at his own sudden announcement. “If you need someone, I can help out. I don’t mind, really.” He paused again. “We’re friends, right? This is what friends do.”

“Yeah, friends,” you repeated, clearing your throat a little before giving him a strained smile. 

And just like that, Nico Hischier—captain of the New Jersey Devils—was your wedding date.

…

You decided that after this wedding was over and done, you were going to kill Jack Hughes.

In your mind, Jack would have agreed to help you out with your predicament, you would have gone to the wedding and had a laugh together. This would be one of those memories that you two would joke about for years to come, like when he almost burned down your kitchen making boxed macaroni cheese or when you called him sobbing because of a spider in your bathroom. 

You didn’t think he would throw you under the bus like this.

And maybe that was a bit dramatic, but it felt necessary after Nico left the room with the promise he would message to sort out the details of your plans.

Your issue wasn’t with the fact Jack didn’t want to do it. If that was the case, you would have understood. Your nagging and begging was mostly just a bit of friendly banter, and you thought he was reciprocating. 

He was reciprocating. 

But then, instead of being a normal human and telling you he didn’t want to do it so you could find someone else to help you, he just threw a solution at you. 

An—in the kindest way you could put it—unwanted solution.

It wasn’t that you hated or even disliked Nico Hischier. Not at all. Your relationship with the captain was just…non-existent, in a sense. Very superficial, if you were being honest.

When you were new to the team, you didn’t really talk all that much to any of the players. Jack was the exception, someone who was just as lost as you—though his extroverted personality hid it far better. But weeks passed and slowly you began to see some of the players beyond friendly acquaintances. 

But Nico just…never really left that label. 

It wasn’t like he was rude or mean to you, quite the opposite. Even though he was the captain to only the team, that caring and kind personality extended to everyone who worked for the Devils—you included. 

He was a good guy. He was sweet and thoughtful and loyal and kind. He cared more than any person should. He was the kind of person people write in books and movies. 

And it was intimidating, in a weird way. 

There was no logical explanation for it. But something about Nico Hischier felt too perfect for your shit show of a life. He was confident and put together and everything you weren’t. 

Jack knew that. Jack knew how you felt. Jack had laughed about it more than once before reassuring you that there was more to Nico than you realised. 

You just wish you could’ve discovered that side of him during a team night out rather than at your friend’s wedding out of state. 

And because Nico was the perfect guy, it was no surprise when he messaged you that the two of you could take his car down to Charleston, South Carolina with him taking the first shift. 

“I thought you’d be sick of being on the road,” you said to him as you stood outside your apartment complex, bags in hand as you walked towards where Nico had parked his car. 

“It’s a part of me now,” he joked as he reached for your bags, not giving you a chance to say anything before he placed them in the back with his own. “I go crazy if I’m not locked in a moving vehicle for more than three hours.” 

You snorted, turning your face away so he didn’t catch the way your cheeks burned in embarrassment at the noise. 

“I’ve also never been to Charleston,” Nico continued, shrugging his shoulders. “Thought it would be a nice chance to take it all in if we drive.” 

“I really don’t mind driving the whole way,” you said, chewing on your bottom lip nervously as you eyed his car. “You’re already doing me a favour, the least I could do is—”

“It’s a long drive, I wouldn’t want you getting tired behind the wheel,” Nico said, his brows furrowed together. “It’s fine. I promise.” 

“Okay,” you relented and took your spot in the passenger seat for the first stint of the drive. 

…

It was around two hours in when the small talk shifted into something deeper. 

“So, what’s the deal??”

You glanced over at the boy in the driver seat, your lips still wrapped around the straw of your slushie you bought at the last service station. Nico had gaped at you being able to drink something so sweet and cold so early in the morning, but you just grinned and shrugged. You didn’t get much of a chance to say anything before he was paying for it anyways, along with the coffee he got for himself. 

Sensing your confusion, he continued. 

“With the date,” he said, risking a glance at you before his eyes returned to the road. “You just seemed…”

“Desperate?” You supplied.

His lips twitched. “I was going to say insistent,” he corrected. “But yeah, desperate works too. Is it really such a bad thing if you go to your friend’s wedding alone?” 

“Well,” you started, still hesitant to say your thoughts out loud when you knew it sounded immature. “Not really. Lucy wouldn’t care if I brought a cactus with me, she would just be happy I was there for her big day.”

Nico huffed out a laugh. “So, why am I here instead of a cactus?” 

“I’m not a big fan of pricks,” you joked and, to your credit, he did smile. But the look he shot you told you that deflecting wasn’t going to get you very far. “My ex will be there.”

Nico didn’t say anything for a few moments. “And you’re…still in love with him?”

“What? No!” You quickly shook your head, your face scrunched up in a grimace. “God, no. Not at all. Never again.”

“Oh,” Nico murmured, though there was still a look of confusion on his face. “What’s the big deal if he’s there then?”

“Our breakup was…messy,” you confessed, wincing a little as the memories you tried to block out returned like an unwanted slap to the face. “It was ages ago and I’m over it. But the last time I saw a lot of these people was just before the breakup and I just wasn’t in a good place.” 

Nico didn’t say anything, letting you continue. 

“He cheated on me.” you said eventually because there didn’t seem like much point in beating around the bush, especially when Nico was helping you out despite being thrown into the deep-end unwillingly. “It got messy within the friend group and I ended up moving away after we broke up to get a fresh start. Not just because of him, but it was nice to get away from all the mess and drama.” 

“So you came to New Jersey,” Nico finished. 

“So I came to New Jersey,” you confirmed with a nod.

“And having a boyfriend when you see these people will…” he trailed off, his brows furrowed together once again. It was the same expression you saw on his face during games, when he was trying to work out plays in his head before they happened.

“I was originally planning to come myself,” you admitted to the boy. “But then I was on the phone with Lucy and she kept asking if I’d be okay with everything and I just imagined everyone asking me the same thing and,” you paused and shrugged. “I just ended up blurting out that I was using my plus one.”

When you turned to look at Nico, you were surprised to find a sympathetic smile on the boy’s face. 

“If you showed up alone, nobody would’ve thought you moved on. But if you came with someone, people would believe you were actually okay,” Nico finished for you, and it should have been unsettling how well he understood. But his empathy and insight were one of the many traits that made him captain.

“It sounds stupid but I just wanted to come here and enjoy my friend’s wedding,” you said with a dry laugh. “The pitying looks were bad enough the first time around, I don’t need them again.”

Nico hummed, nodding his head. “So, what’s our story?” 

You turned to him, frowning. “What?”

“Our story,” he repeated, a kind smile on his face that made your chest feel tight. “You know, like how we got together. Surely people will ask, no? We should have a plan.”

Your lips twitched upwards. “Can’t keep away from the strategies, can you?”

Nico laughed, smiling. “Guess you can’t take the captain out of the man or whatever the saying is.”

You snorted, shaking your head before you settled back in your seat. You thought about his point for a few moments, contemplating your options. 

“I don’t think we have to overcomplicate it,” Nico said, interrupting your thoughts. “You have that look on your face that says you’re scheming.”

You raised your brows. “How do you know that?”

“It’s the same look on your face you get when you plan a prank with Jack,” he responded, smiling a little wider at your shocked look. “Neither of you are subtle. Or quiet.”

“I was just trying to think of an interesting story,” you defended, narrowing your eyes at the boy. “We can’t just have a basic co-workers to lovers situation, that’s boring.”

Nico laughed. “Boring?”

“Yeah!” You laughed back. “We have the chance to make up the craziest love story ever, why not take it?” 

Nico shook his head. “What do you suggest then?”

“A puck was flying at your head and I saved you,” you joked. “Full on spidey sense moment, just caught the puck with my bare hands and you were lovestruck after that.”

The full belly laugh Nico let out made your smile widen. “Caught the puck?” 

“Bare hands,” you nodded. 

“I am sure everyone will believe that,” he teased.

“You clearly haven’t seen me in the net,” you mused. “I have insane reflexes.”

“I’ll let the team know the next time we need a goalie,” Nico retorted. 

In the end, you decided to go the ‘boring’ route. It felt safer to stick with almost-truths, it prevented any possible slip up if the two of you were interrogated separately. And, much to your surprise, there was something quite fun about fabricating a fake relationship with the captain you barely knew. 

…

You arrived in Charleston, South Carolina just after seven o’clock.

The address Lucy had given you was for a massive house by the beach she was renting out for the week. It was gorgeous, over three storeys high and looking like it had been plucked straight out of a postcard. The beach house was slightly secluded as well, far enough from the closest neighbours for all the main wedding party to park their cars outside with no bother.

It felt a little surreal. 

You didn’t even get a chance to step out of the car before the front door swung open and Lucy came running out, squealing as she opened her arms and wrapped them around you. Your chest tightened at the closeness, at seeing one of your closest friends in person after so long of being apart. 

“You’re here!” She exclaimed as she pulled back, her bright eyes finding yours with an understanding shining in them. She missed you as much as you missed her.

“And you’re getting married!” You retorted, watching as her grin—somehow—widened. 

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Lucy murmured before she brought you into another hug. And you let yourself sink into the embrace, to forget everything else until your friend let out an intrigued hum. “And I’m guessing this is your plus one?” 

Your eyes widened a little when you remembered Nico standing a few feet behind you and quickly pulled back, glancing back at him before turning to Lucy. Something deep in your stomach twisted at the idea of lying to your friend but there was no going back now. 

“Nico, this is Lucy. Lucy, this is Nico,” you said as you gestured between each other, hesitating for a moment before continuing. “My boyfriend.” 

Lucy’s shock was clear. “Boyfriend? You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend! You just made it seem like your plus one was a friend over the phone!”

You gave her a shaky smile. “Surprise?” 

Nico, seeming to somehow pick up on the way the guilt was starting to take over you, stepped in and offered his hand to your friend. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. And congratulations on the wedding. It’s an honour to be here, even just as a plus one.” 

Lucy’s brows raised in surprise, her eyes briefly finding yours as she shook his hand.. “Wow, you are a…gentleman.” 

“I guess I upgraded,” you joked, wincing a little when you saw her face scrunch up in guilt. 

“Are you sure it’s not weird that he’s here? I know Tom wanted him here but—” But you didn’t give her a chance to continue as you shook her head, reaching out to grab her hand and squeeze softly. 

“It’s fine, Luce, I promise,” you said, though you weren’t totally sure if she believed you or not. In an attempt to solidify your point, you turned back to glance at Nico with a smile. “I’ve moved on. I’m happy. And I want to be here with you to celebrate your wedding. It probably won’t even be that awkward, it’s been years since everything happened.”

Lucy nibbled on her lower lip. “You’re sure?” 

“Positive,” you nodded.

“Okay,” she said before smiling. “Well, I’ll let you two settle into your room. You’re on the top floor but I can get Tom out to help with your bags. Let me go get him!”

You didn’t get a chance to say anything before Lucy ran back inside but you were hit with a sudden realisation that had you turning to face Nico, an apologetic look painted on your face.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry,” you blurted out, your cheeks warming as he gave you an inquisitive look. “She asked if I only wanted one room and I said yes because I thought I’d be with Jack and it wouldn’t be that bad, but I forgot to tell her it’s changed. We don’t have to stay here! We can get a hotel nearby or—”

“Hey,” Nico stepped forward, his hands placed on your shoulders to ground you for a moment before you started pacing. “Take a deep breath.”

You let out a shaky breath in response. 

“It’s fine,” he told you, and you could hear the sincerity in his voice. “It would have been weird if we were in separate rooms anyways.”

“I can take the floor,” you suggested.

Nico shot you a look. “I’m not letting you do that.”

“But—” 

Nico’s look hardened. 

“Fine. No floor,” you grumbled before you flashed him a sheepish smile. “I really am sorry though. I feel like you have just been thrown into this whole thing and—”

“I wouldn’t have come if I didn’t want to be here,” Nico assured you, squeezing your shoulders before nodding towards the house. “C’mon, we should go inside and freshen up. Then you can tell me everything I need to know, starting with who Tom is and if we like him.”

And that was enough to make you snort, momentarily ignoring the problem of the one bed for now. 

…

You didn’t bump into your ex until later that night.

In retrospect, you should have expected to see him sooner rather than later, but a stupid part of you was still in denial about having to spend the week with him living under the same roof as you. Another part of you was also hoping he just wouldn’t show up, that he would bail on the whole event or maybe even just show up on the day of the wedding. 

But you knew that would have never been the case. Because as close as you were with Lucy was just as close he was to Tom, Lucy’s future husband. In fact, Lucy and Tom had met because of you two, because of the fusion of your friendship groups which now just felt like the biggest joke ever. 

At least someone benefited out of the relationship.

You weren’t even expecting some big confrontation or horrendous outcome when you expected to bump into your ex. You were just expecting to be a little more prepared, to have time to put yourself together. You knew you would see him at dinner that night, that much was inevitable. But you thought you could at least have the upper hand by walking into the room, hand in hand with Nico. 

What you weren’t expecting was to see him for the first time in years when you were waiting by the stairs for Nico (since being the gentleman he was, he had let you go refresh in the bathroom first). 

“Look what the cat dragged in!”

You hated the way your body instantly tensed up at the sound of his voice. You hated the way he was smiling at you like the last time you spoke he hadn’t shattered your whole world. You hated the way you felt so caught off-guard, so unprepared for a meeting you were expecting to have the upper hand in. 

“Jackson,” you managed to grit out as you gave him a strained smile. “Nice to see you again.” Lie. Lie. Lie.

“Yeah, it’s been a while, huh?” He said, so lighthearted and casual and dismissive. 

You had to bite your tongue when the urge to say something a little more snarky came up, but you would hate yourself if you created a scene. You were doing this for Lucy. You were here to celebrate a momentous moment in your friend’s life. You weren’t here to get petty revenge on something that happened years ago—at least not in the form of bitter remarks. 

“A couple of years or so,” you answered with a shrug of your shoulders. 

“I was surprised when Lucy said you were coming,” Jackson told you.

You frowned. “Why would that be a surprise? She’s one of my best friends.”

“Yeah but,” Jackson waved his hand like that explained everything. “You haven’t visited since you left.” 

And the underlying words went unspoken. 

You haven’t visited since everything that happened between us. You haven’t visited since you had your heart broken. You haven’t visited so people just assumed you were still hurt and inconsolable after we broke up. I thought that was why you never came back.

“My job keeps me busy,” you stated simply, swallowing the acidic taste in the back of your throat. “Lucy knows that.” 

Something quite like amusement shone in his eyes. “Ah yeah, Tom mentioned something about you working in some ice rink in New Jersey. That sounds super busy.”

You bit your tongue. He was goading you again. You knew that. But fuck, you just wished you could have—

“I would hardly call The Rock just some ice rink,” a voice spoke from behind you and you turned to find Nico settling into the spot next to you, his face remaining very…neutral. 

Jackson stared at the boy, his lips agape as recognition clearly hit him. He blinked and then turned to you. “You work for the Devils?”

“Last time I checked,” you said, a twinge of satisfaction sparking inside you at his disbelief. 

He puffed his chest out a little. “When Lucy said you were bringing a plus one, I didn’t think she meant a co-worker—”

“She didn’t,” Nico interrupted, a look on his face that reminded you of his post-game interviews after the team lost. Before he continued, he wrapped an arm around your waist, making sure the boy saw the movement. “I’m her boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend,” Jackson repeated. 

“Yes, that is a word Americans still use, no?” Nico retorted. 

“Of course, man,” Jackson said with a laugh, but it felt forced and strained. He tore his eyes away from Nico to look back at you. “Well, I should be heading back. I’ll see you two down there.” 

He didn’t wait before he turned around, heading down the stairs to the dining room where the rest of the wedding party were probably starting their dinner. A few moments passed between the two of you before Nico finally broke the silence. 

“So, that was your ex,” he said.

You snorted before you winced. “I was blinded by young love.”

Nico laughed at that. “I didn’t realise blondes were your type,” he admitted, something different in his voice that he couldn’t quite work out.

You rolled your eyes before you sighed. “They usually aren’t, to be honest. But Jackson was…Jackson.”

Nico seemed oddly pleased with the response. 

“And he’s a hockey fan?” He questioned, his brows furrowing together like Jackson was a rival team’s game strategy he had to study. “He knew who I was.”

A slow grin spread across your face. “His family are from New York.”

Nico raised his brows before he laughed. “Islanders or Rangers?”

“Rangers,” you said with a proud look on your face. 

“That’s why you originally asked Jack,” Nico mused. “You wanted to rub it in that little more.”

“You bet them in the playoffs, I just thought he would like a nice reminder,” you retorted with an innocent look.

He laughed—that full belly laugh once again—before shaking his head in amusement. Before you could say anything more, he was intertwining your hands together and starting to make his way down the stairs Jackson had disappeared down a few minutes ago.

“C’mon, they are probably waiting for us,” he said. 

And honestly, you couldn’t find it in yourself to pull your hand away. 

…

Dinner was uneventful, though you did enjoy watching Jackson bitterly stew from the other side of the table. 

A sense of familiarity and nostalgia washed over you as you sat at the dinner table, enjoying a meal as you laughed and chatted to a group you once saw daily but now hadn’t properly seen in years. It felt so easy to slip into old dynamics, to laugh at old jokes and tease each other as Lucy and Tom were the first to take such a monumental step from the lot of you.

Nico fit in so well, it almost made your chest feel tight if you thought about it too hard. He didn’t seem to mind the countless questions thrown at him about his job and the team. If anything, you thought he was milking his answers a little just to see Jackson squirm—especially when asked about playoffs. 

Eventually the day-long drive finally caught up with the two of you and you wished everyone goodbye before returning to your room on the top floor. Despite trying to play the gentleman card again, you allowed Nico to go to the bathroom first and tried not to stare too hard when he came out in a tight shirt and flannel pyjama bottoms. 

It took an embarrassing few minutes to hype yourself up in the bathroom mirror before you finally headed back to the room, only to pause at the doorway when you saw Nico lying on the ground by the bed with a pillow under his head and blanket over his body.

“What are you doing?”

Nico frowned a little. “Uh, sleeping?” 

“Why are you on the floor?”

His confusion growed. “Because that’s where I’m sleeping?”

“You’re not sleeping on the floor, Nico,” you sighed as you shook your head, walking into the room until you paused by his feet. “You’ll fuck up your back. Let me take the floor.”

Nico smiled softly. “My back will be fine. Take the bed, schatz.” 

You ignored the way the nickname made your stomach flutter. “I’m not the one who needs to stay in good shape for hockey, captain. The fans will murder me if you can’t play because you have a stiff back. Now take the bed.” 

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Would you have made Jack take the bed?”

“Yes,” you answered instantly before wincing. “Well, I probably would have shared the bed with him.”

“You would?”

“Yeah, like a sleepover,” you said with a shrug. 

“Then we can do that.”

You blinked. “Huh?”

“We can share the bed like a sleepover,” Nico said as he stood up, failing to hide his groan as he stretched his back (and ignoring your pointed look). “We’re friends, right?”

You swallowed. “Yeah.”

“Then we can share,” Nico said simply. “Either you take the bed alone or we share. It’s your choice.”

“We may be friends but I am also doing this because the fans scare me and I don’t want to know what they would do to be if I broke their captain’s back,” you said with a pointed look before you climbed into the bed, ignoring the way your heart was thumping as he settled on the other side.

Nico huffed out a laugh. “I wouldn’t let them hurt you.”

You rolled onto your side to look at him, your eyes narrowing slightly. “You better not move to the floor when I fall asleep, Hischier.”

Much to his dismay, he blushed at your words. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“I know.”

You let out a sigh, allowing yourself to stare at the boy for a little while longer before you rolled over to fall asleep.

“Thank you for helping me,” you whispered.

Nico’s soft smile returned. “It’s what friends do.”

“Goodnight, Nico.”

“Goodnight, schatz.”

��

It took a solid thirty seconds after you woke up to realise you were practically lying on top of Nico Hischier.

As your body started to wake up, you realised how warm and comfortable you were. You snuggled further into your pillow, into the warmth and hoped your body would just fall asleep for a little longer. 

It took longer than it should have to remember that pillows weren’t warm before you opened your eyes and found yourself settled on Nico, your legs tangled together and one of his arms loosely wrapped around your waist. 

You didn’t give yourself a chance to live out a waking nightmare and risk waiting for him to wake up in the next ten seconds, so you pulled yourself away from him and then hid in the bathroom for fifteen minutes freaking out.

By the time you came out, Nico was awake and sat up against the headboard. His hair was ruffled and dishevelled, his eyes still hooded and a sleepy smile on his lips that made you want to turn on your heels and have another bathroom freakout. 

Instead, you smiled back and told him the two of you had to be outside in the next hour for the brunch Lucy had planned before both wedding parties went off to do their last fittings. 

Thankfully, no more bathroom freakouts were required. 

The brunch Lucy had set up looked like something straight out of a Pinterest aesthetic board. It was set in the house’s back porch with a stunning view of the beach and morning sun beating down on the sea. The table was set with plates of pastries, fruits and other brunch dishes, all topped with the morning mimosas Lucy demanded was a part of the experience.

Nico barely gave you a chance to settle down in your seat before his hand reached for the leg of your chair, dragging you closer to him until his arm could settle along the back of your chair comfortably. From the corner of your eye, you could see Jackson watching the two of you. Nico had noticed too.

If anything, it just made him smirk. 

One by one, everyone had made their way from their rooms to settle down at the brunch table like you all had done the night before. However, unlike yesterday, you noted an empty seat next to Jackon that hadn’t been beside him last night. 

Before you could even ask, a high-pitched voice shrilled from inside.

“I’m here! I’m here! I promise I’m not late.”

You turned to look at Lucy, your eyes widening in response but your friend only mouthed an apology before she turned to the door just in time for a redhead to wander out onto the porch. 

“Bryce! Happy to finally have you here!” 

You watched the two of them hug but your whole body had locked up, an unwanted flurry of memories washing over you. And just like that, it felt like another situation in which you should have been prepared for but didn’t get the chance to. Another rug pulled from under your feet. 

“What’s wrong?” 

You could feel him lean closer, hear the concern in his voice. And yet, you couldn’t tear your eyes away from the redhead talking to Lucy a few feet away.

You knew. You knew Jackson had a plus one, it was the whole fucking reason you showed up with one of your own because you didn’t want to look like the loser who hadn’t moved on. You had been warned that he was bringing someone else. 

You just never assumed it would be her.

“That’s the girl my ex cheated on me with,” you managed to mumble under your breath to Nico, managed to finally turn your head to look at him. 

His expression was some mix of surprise and anger and, honestly, you would have laughed at the seriousness on his face if it weren’t for the fact you felt the exact same. You didn’t care about your ex and you had moved on, but it was still a bitter sting to know he was still with the woman he cheated on you with all those years ago.

You tried to relax your shoulders and act as unaffected as you could as Bryce rounded the table to take the seat next to Jackson—the seat across from you. But any hopes of the brunch going as smoothly as the dinner yesterday went out the window when her eyes landed on you.

“Oh my god,” Bryce let out a laugh and smiled at you, a smile you were sure was meant to be friendly but just made your skin prickle. “I didn’t know you would be here! Luce didn’t tell me.”

Luce. That was your nickname for her, not Bryce’s.

“I guess we are both surprised then,” you replied with a strained smile.

Nico couldn't help but snort, not even trying to hide his reaction.

Her eyes snapped over to him, calculating. “And this must be your plus one. Your friend?” 

“Boyfriend, actually,” you corrected.

“Hm, how sweet.” 

You still felt on edge as the brunch continued. Nico’s arm around the back of your seat was a comfort but it didn’t help the fact Bryce’s gaze on you felt like daggers against your skin. You ignored both her and Jackson for the most part, listening to the stories exchanged amongst the group and Lucy raving about the final dress fitting later that day. It was easy to zone out until the conversation seemed to focus back onto you and the boy by your side.

“So,” Lucy grinned as she glanced between you and Nico. “What’s the story? How did you meet? When did it happen? I want details, I can’t believe you’ve been holding back on me!”

You flashed her an apologetic look. “You were busy with the wedding, I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Well, you can tell me now,” she retorted with a wink. 

“It’s really not that interesting,” you said, shifting in your seat when you felt everyone’s eyes on you. As much as you joked about having an insane love story, the idea of even saying the boring one right now with everyone’s attention directed on you made your skin prickle with discomfort.

But even if everyone else was oblivious, Nico wasn’t. 

“To her, maybe,” he spoke up and everyone’s focus shifted to him, even your own. But he was used to this. He was used to many eyes on him and attention directed towards him. “I still get teased about it by the boys.” 

Lucy’s smile softened. “Really?”

“Oh yeah,” Nico laughed, his eyes briefly looking at you before his gaze returned to your friend. “I had a huge crush on her when she joined the team. Like, embarrassingly huge. Jack used to tease me all the time on how I seemed to forget how to speak English around her.”

Your stomach dipped and, for a quick second, you almost believed him with everyone else.

“She always did play a little hard to get,” Jackson mused and something visibly changed in Nico’s expression. 

“And she was worth every second of it,” Nico retorted, the same camera-approved smile he gave the journalists during interviews. “Unlike some people though, I have no plan to lose her.”

Jackson clenched his jaw. 

“How long have you been together then?” Bryce jumped in, her narrowed gaze glancing between you both.

“A few months,” you and Nico replied at the same time.

Bryce’s eyes gleamed. “And how long is a few months?” 

“Six,” Nico answered simply before he turned to smile at you. “Best six months of my life.”

Your face warmed in response. “He’s a little cheesy.” 

“You mean romantic,” Lucy teased, but there was something approving in her expression. It warmed your heart a little at the idea that she would have approved of Nico if he really was your boyfriend. “She isn’t used to that.”

Jackson stiffened. 

Nico’s grin widened and before you could even realise what he was doing, he was taking your hand in his and placing a kiss along your knuckles. “I’m honoured to be the one to spoil her, then.”

Thankfully, Jackson and Bryce didn’t say much for the rest of the meal.

…

You felt like you were in an odd routine over the next few days, but you found that you actually quite enjoyed it. 

The wedding frenzy was in full effect but there was something grounding about having Nico by your side for it all. 

Every morning, you woke up first and found yourself tangled in bed with the boy. It also meant the bathroom freakouts had become a part of your routine, but it was worth it to wake up and enjoy the warmth of Nico Hischier’s hold for a few minutes. You two would end up lounging in your shared room, just trying to fully wake up before Lucy dragged you into last minute wedding nonsense. 

But even at night, you found yourself settled into a routine with the boy. He would go first to the bathroom and you’d go second, and then the two of you would be settled against the headboard, rambling away until one of you yawned and the other one turned the lights off for the night.

It almost made you laugh that there was ever a time you were intimidated by the captain—even when that time was just last week.

And yet, for the first time since you arrived in Charleston, there was nothing for you to do. The rehearsal dinner was tomorrow, the wedding was the following day and it was like you were facing the calm before the storm took over your lives. And it was the first time you could all enjoy the beach without a deadline looking over your head.

“C’mon, it will be fun!” 

Lucy snorted. “For you, maybe.” 

Tom grinned down at his future wife, lightly tugging on her hand but she remained sat on the deck chair. “It’s just a friendly game of soccer. Boys versus girls. Come on.”

“Football,” Nico corrected under his breath, making you snort.

“That is hardly fair,” Lucy argued. “You’ll have a professional athlete on your side!”

“Nico is a hockey player!” Tom retorted.

“Same thing,” Lucy waved off and Nico’s expression was enough for you to snort again. “Fine, we play but with mixed teams.”

Tom contemplated for a moment before agreeing. “Deal.”

“And I get Nico on my team,” she added, watching in delight as her fiance gaped.

“But—” He paused, lifting his head to find your gaze. “You’re on my team then.”

“She’s my best friend!” 

“You took the athlete, I get your best friend. That’s the deal.”

“Do we get a choice in this?” Nico murmured to you and you just laughed, shaking your head.

After more arguing and bickering and negotiating between the future married couple, the teams had been decided. Goals had been marked in the sand, a ball had been acquired and the game began. It was stupid and harmless and it was meant as nothing more than a little fun. 

But Tom and Lucy were more competitive than they let on. And it certainly didn’t help the fact Jackson seemed to have it out for your boyfriend before the match even began.

“Think you can handle tackling your boyfriend?” Jackson asked you. 

“I don’t think it concerns you how well I handle him,” you retorted, feeling the weight of Nico’s gaze on you from across the makeshift pitch like a comfort.

“He doesn't seem like your type,” Jackson continued, always sticking close enough so he could keep talking.

“My type is none of your business,” you stated bluntly.

“I mean, a jock? Really?” Jackson shrugged. “Just didn’t think you went for the airhead.”

You snorted, unable to help yourself. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing when I considered what I saw in you.”

He huffed. “You—”

“Don’t want to continue this conversation, Jackson,” you shot him a look. “I’m happy with Nico. I don’t care what you have to say about it. I’m here for Lucy, not you. Don’t get it twisted.” 

“You’ll never have what we had with Nico,” he said. 

“One can only hope.”

…

You were stupid to think Nico wouldn’t be competitive in a friendly game. He was a professional athlete. It was literally written in his DNA.

And honestly? You felt bad for anyone who played against the Devils because you couldn’t imagine how intense Nico was to play against in a proper game when this was how seriously he was taking a stupid football match that meant nothing.

“NEXT GOAL WINS THE GAME!”

The group had been playing for the last hour, the game was tied and you knew that you would have to head back into the house for lunch soon. But neither team wanted to leave the game until there was a clear winner.

Any semblance of friendliness went out the window as the last leg of the game continued. You weren’t too bothered, more than happy to watch Tom and Lucy mostly fight over the ball and constantly try to tackle each other. 

But your stomach dipped a little when you saw Lucy kick the ball back to Nico. And the feeling only got worse when you saw Jackson making a beeline towards the boy, determined to tackle it out of his hold. Before you even knew it, you and the rest of the party were watching the two boys race down the makeshift pitch.

However, no matter how hard he tried, Jackson could never match Nico’s speed. 

You watched as he kicked the ball, right through the makeshift goal that had been created in the sand. The group broke out into a mix of groans and cheers alike, people clapping and whooping as Nico ran back towards you with a massive grin on his face. 

You barely had a chance to react before he was right in front of you, crouching down enough for his arms to wrap around your thighs before he hoisted you over his shoulders. 

“Nico!” You let out a noise mixed between a scream and laugh.

“We won, baby!” He cheered and your cheeks burned at the nickname. 

Your hands tried to hold onto him for balance but a part of you knew he would never drop you. You patted his back and Nico seemed to catch the hint as he slowly dropped your back to the ground, though his arms remained wrapped around you to keep you close.

“You won,” you corrected. “We are on different teams, remember?”

Nico shrugged. “My win is your win.” 

You snorted. “That was cheesy.” 

“Didn’t like it?” He teased, and your cheeks burned warmer. 

“You make it work,” you admitted, the band around your chest tightening when you saw his face brighten at your words. 

“Yeah?” 

For a moment, you forgot that you were surrounded by people. For a moment, it was just you and Nico stood on this beach, smiling and laughing and alone. For a moment, you could have sworn his eyes dipped down to your mouth. For a moment, you thought he was going to kiss you.

A big part of you wished he did. 

“C’MON, LOVEBIRDS! LUNCH IS READY!”

You blinked, tearing your eyes away from the boy right in front of you and instead turned to look at the others. Some of the group were already making their way back to the house, but a few lingered on the beach. Lucy was grinning at you like a madman with Tom looking equally as happy. However, it was hard to focus on them when Jackson stood a few feet away, glaring at you and Nico.

You cleared your throat, hoping your smile seemed normal as you turned to Nico. “Ready for lunch?”

“Hm,” Nico hummed, looking like he wanted to say more but ultimately just nodding. “Yeah, I’m starving.”

“Scoring the winning goal really does knock you on your ass, huh?” You joked.

Nico just laughed, throwing his arm around you before the two of you began to make your way back to the house. “Running in sand is much harder than skating.” 

“Didn’t stop you from achieving the win.”

“I’m a winner, baby,” Nico grinned. “I don’t like losing.”

…

The football game had sucked the energy out of most of the group, so it was no surprise everyone started to head to bed before the clock had even reached ten.

You were dragging your feet as you followed Nico to your shared room, doing everything in your ability to stay awake as he went into the bathroom first. Every one of your moves felt lethargic and sluggish and you wanted nothing more than to curl up under the duvet to sleep forever.

It was like a cruel joke from the universe that the second your head hit the pillow, you couldn’t fall asleep. And it took a solid ten minutes of twisting and turning before Nico spoke up.

“Are you okay?”

You froze before letting out a heavy sigh, settled on your back as you stared blankly into the dark room. “Just can’t sleep.” There was a pause. “Sorry if I woke you up.”

“I wasn’t asleep yet.” he assured you before he shuffled in his spot until he was facing you, even if he couldn’t really see you in the dark. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

Your lips twitched upwards and maybe it was the exhaustion, but you couldn’t even stop yourself from letting out a laugh that echoed through the room.

Nico let out a noise of amusement. “What?” 

You shook your head, feeling oddly giddy as you spoke. “Nothing, it’s just,” you paused for a few seconds. “I just remembered Jack telling me how the team joked that you took on the role of the therapist before you became captain. That after bad games, you went out of your way to ask them how they were doing and being the shoulder they needed to cry on.”

Nico frowned a little. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Not at all,” you answered as you turned to look at him, imagining the features on his face even if you couldn’t see him. “It’s just funny that I knew what you were like this whole time but still…it took me experiencing you to realise how stupid I was.” 

His confusion grew. “Stupid for what?”

“For thinking you were scary,” you admitted in a whisper.

Nico didn’t say anything before he let out a laugh. “You thought I was scary?” 

“Well, not scary,” you corrected, but you couldn’t help but laugh with him. “Just…intimidating.” 

“Is that why you never spoke to me?”

“I spoke to you,” you argued.

“Hardly,” Nico mused. “I don’t think we had a proper conversation until you had almost been with the team for a year. I had to ask Jack if I had done something to piss you off because you seemed to get on with everyone else but me.”

You couldn’t hide your surprise. “You asked Jack?”

“I wanted to apologise if I had done something I didn’t realise upset you,” he confessed, and something in your chest tightened at the thought.

“Oh god,” you murmured, letting out a groan as you raised your hands to cover your face. “Now I feel like even more of a dick.”

Nico huffed out a laugh before he reached over, his palm warm and comforting as it rested on your arm. “It’s fine. We are friends now, right?”

You sighed. “Yeah but—”

“Hey, don’t feel too bad about it, okay? We were both being stupid,” Nico’s words washed over you, his thumb gently rubbing soothing circles on your skin. “And without that, you could have been here with Jack or someone else instead and I would have missed out on a pretty fun week.”

“You’re having fun?”

“Of course I am. I’m here with you,” he murmured, voice thick and full of sincerity. It made your heart race in your chest to the point you almost swore he could hear it. “Plus, it’s pretty funny seeing how pathetic your ex-boyfriend is.”

You snorted. “Not my finest decision in life.”

“As much as I wish you never experienced that kind of pain, I’m glad it happened,” Nico whispered, his hand lightly squeezing your arm. “It meant you moved to New Jersey. It meant that I—that the whole team got to meet you.”

Your cheeks burned but you smiled, even if he couldn’t see it. You placed a hand over his and squeezed back. “I’m glad I met you too. All of you.”

“Bet you wouldn’t have had this heart-to-heart with Jack, huh?”

You let out a breathless laugh. “No, he probably would have fallen asleep before I even left the bathroom.”

Nico laughed but didn’t disagree. 

You don’t remember exactly at what point you fell asleep that night, but you spent a little longer in his arms the next morning. 

It was a risk but you had lost time to make up for with Nico Hischier, even if it meant making up those moments tangled in bed with him.

…

The rehearsal dinner was where everything really hit you.

It had been running smoothly, though you expected nothing less from Lucy. You knew she probably had the day planned down to the minute, and even if the plan deviated, she would have five back up plans that were ready to go. It was just the kind of person she was.

It was held outside on the beach, the slowly setting sun casting the skies orange and pink over the venue. The tables were set to perfection, the fairy lights decorated across the borders and you had truly never seen anyone happier than Lucy and Tom in that moment. Your heart soared at the idea of the two most deserving people finding the happiness they earned.

It was gorgeous. It was perfect. It was the last fucking time and place you should have been hit with the fact that you were maybe, kinda, most definitely falling in love with Nico Hischier.

Lucy had just wanted a calm, laid back rehearsal dinner. The wedding party was just meant to practise walking in and out, before eventually sitting down to enjoy the nice meal set for the occasion. It was nothing intense, nothing high-stress or extreme. 

It was meant to be fine.

And it was, all things considered. Everything ran smoothly, everyone stood where they were meant to stand and there wasn’t a doubt in anyone’s head that the wedding itself would run smoothly. 

But it didn’t feel fine in your head. 

You had taken your place in the line of bridesmaids, waiting for your cue to start walking down the makeshift aisle. You had stepped out right on beat, you kept your gaze forward, you stood on your marked spot and then you turned to wait for Lucy to make her way down the aisle. 

Except your eyes shifted away from the bride and found Nico’s gaze. 

He should have turned his head to look at the approaching bride-to-be like everyone else was. He should have been watching the ceremony, enjoying the love shared between the happy couple you were all here to celebrate. He should have been looking the other way.

But he was looking at you. 

He was looking at you with a soft smile—one that only widened the second he realised you were looking right back. The skin around his eyes crinkled with his smile, his chain was peeking out the open collar shirt and the soft breeze was making strands of his hair flutter down onto his forehead and—

Fuck. 

You were falling for Nico Hischier. 

The realisation hit you hard and fast, it almost felt like you were winded by the thought. It was a small blessing that everyone was focused on Lucy, that they were far too preoccupied to watch the way you stumbled slightly in your spot at the weight of your sudden realisation. 

Well, everyone except Nico.

He frowned a little, a crease forming between the brows and you could see the concern in his eyes even with the large distance between you. You could see the way he tilted his head slightly, the silent question hanging between you as you just flashed him a small smile and nodded your head. 

You had to tear your eyes away from him before your lungs caved in or your heart burst out of your chest. You had to force yourself to remember to smile and focus on the rehearsal dinner. You had to force yourself to remain normal.

Because he was Nico Hischier. 

He was captain of the New Jersey Devils. He was your colleague. He was your newly-made friend. He was here doing a favour after Jack practically threw him in the deep-end. He wasn’t here to witness your sudden and mind-boggling realisations. 

So, when the dinner was starting to be served and he found your side again, you didn’t hesitate to lie through your teeth. 

“I’m okay,” you told him, a kind smile on your face that you hoped was believable. “Trust me, Nico, I’m fine. Just got a little dizzy, must have low blood sugar or something.” 

Because you were here for your friend’s wedding. And he was here to help you out. 

There was no place for your newfound feelings.

…

To absolutely nobody’s shock, the wedding went through without a single hitch.

The ceremony ran through smoothly with pretty vows and sweet kisses exchanged between the newly married couple. As the reception rolled around, speeches were given, laughs were shared and dinner was served as the guests all enjoyed the union of Lucy and Tom and their love. 

It was sweet. It was perfect. It was everything your best friend deserved for her wedding.

It didn’t take long after the dinner for the first dance to commence, a soft smile in place as you watched Tom and Lucy softly sway to their chosen song. They looked lost in their own world, so caught up in each other like they forgot everyone else existed. 

A pang of longing hit you but you shoved it away. 

It was somewhere between your third and fourth glass of wine when Lucy found you, dragging you towards the dance floor with some halfhearted rambles about wanting to get pictures of all the bridesmaids and groomsmen dancing before you all got shit-faced drunk.

It was your unfortunate luck that the photographer paired you with Jackson before you had the chance to disagree, to escape the way Bryce was glaring at you like you had chosen him.

“She isn’t you.” 

You tried to keep your eyes anywhere but his face, to try and focus on something other than his hands on your waist. You thought you could zone out and that maybe the song would pass quickly, but the universe had other plans for you.

“It’s not like how it was when I was with you,” Jackson continued. 

“What do you genuinely think this conversation is going to achieve?” You asked him, gaining the courage to lift your head to look him in the eyes. You kept your voice down to avoid attention, to avoid creating a scene. “We’re done. We were done years ago when you chose to throw our relationship down the drain. I’ve moved on, you should too.”

Jackson shot you a look. “Tell me you haven’t felt it this week. Tell me you don’t feel the pull—”

“I don’t,” you stated bluntly. “And I have no interest in what you’ve felt this week. I don’t care.”

He frowned. “Because of your lil’ hockey player?”

“Little isn’t the word I’d use to describe him but no,” you answered honestly. “Not because of him but because of you. You ruined things, Jackson, and I moved on with my life. Accept that.” 

Jackon’s frown only deepend. He opened his mouth and you could only imagine what he was going to say, could only imagine what bullshit he was about to pull out of his ass. But before he got the chance, a firm hand landed on his shoulder to halt his movements. 

“Mind if I cut in?” 

Jackson glanced over his shoulder to see Nico standing there, smiling like nothing was wrong, like he wouldn’t happily put Jackson in his place if he disagreed. And maybe your words got through to him or maybe Jackson accepted it was not worth arguing with a man over fifty pounds heavier and four inches taller than him. 

He turned to look at you, saying nothing as his jaw clenched in response before he wandered off. 

Nico hardly wasted any time in taking up Jackson’s spot, one arm wound around your waist and tugging you close whilst the other intertwined with your hand. He looked down at you, eyes full of concern, fondness and something else as he noted how tense you were.

“You okay?” His voice soft and quiet but, fuck, it was exactly what you needed to hear. “He didn’t say anything, right? Because I can—”

“I handled it,” you assured him with a soft smile, squeezing his hand to punctuate your point. “But thank you for being my knight in shining armour.”

“Selfishly, I wanted to do it the second the dance started,” Nico admitted, and if he hadn’t been drinking all night, you would have assumed the pink flush to his cheeks was a blush. “I mean, you’re my date after all. Surely first pick dancing rights go to me, no?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “First pick in the draft, now in dancing…you’re quite the man, Hischier.”

“I’m consistent,” he retorted, tugging you that little bit closer until you had the excuse to rest your head against his chest. 

And for a moment, with your cheek pressed against his shirt and his presence engulfing, you let yourself pretend this moment would last forever. You let yourself enjoy the last day Nico Hischier would pretend to be your boyfriend and imagined a world where it wasn’t really pretend at all.

…

Lucy wasn’t happy that you had to leave early the next morning, but she understood that both of you had to return to New Jersey.

It was dreadfully early—far too fucking early with how late you stayed up the night before—to start an eleven hour road trip, but Nico had just smiled and told you to nap the first few hours whilst he drove the first stint of the journey. 

You knew he was right, that you should have rested and gotten a little sleep but you couldn’t bring yourself to stay asleep for long. You felt like you were wasting time, you were wasting precious hours in this little bubble you had created with Nico that would burst by the time you both returned to Newark. 

So, you did what every normal and sane person did and stocked up on coffee and energy drinks at the next service station stop to keep you fuelled through the drive.

It was no different to the drive down to Charleston except for a shift in the energy. It was easier, in a sense. On the way down, Nico was essentially a glorified stranger to you that you had only shared a number of conversations with. But it felt different now, it felt like you actually knew the boy in the seat beside you. 

And it was bittersweet in that sense, too.

Because you loved this. You loved how easy it was to talk to him. You loved how you got to see the side of Nico Hischier that enamoured the fans, the team and the league. You loved that you got your own special version of him in the last week. And you didn’t want to lose that, you didn’t know if you would ever see this version of Nico again once you reached New Jersey. 

And as the hours passed and the closer you reached your destination, it felt like Nico realised the same. The car was tense and thick with tension, one that went unspoken but reeked of longing and the desire to cling onto the bubble the two of you created over the last week.

It was there, lingering and stewing and, yet, neither of you said anything about it once you reached your apartment complex.

“Thank you,” you said for what felt like the millionth time that weekend, but it was necessary. It had to be said. It meant so much more.

Thank you for coming with me this weekend. Thank you for backing me up. Thank you for being a good friend. Thank you for showing me who you really are even if it’s going to fuck with my head for the rest of my life. Thank you for being you.

“Any time,” he said, the words just as heavy as yours. You wish you knew what he meant by them. “Do you need help with your bags? I can—”

“I’ve got them,” you assured him.

His brows furrowed together. “Are you sure? I—”

“I’m sure,” you said, clearing your throat and finding the courage to finally look at him. You pushed away the stupidest and strangest urge to cry. “Well, see you on Monday then?”

Nico frowned a little but nodded. “See you Monday.”

It felt harsh being so blunt, so straightforward and direct. But you knew you needed to get out of that car as quickly as you could. Because you had spent the last week with Nico by your side the whole time, basked in the warmth of him as a person, and you knew all it would take was a few more moments alone with him for you to blurt out something stupid.

You knew you needed to get out of there and just be alone. To lock yourself in your apartment over the next twenty-four hours before you had to return to work, to attempt to wrap your head around the flurry of emotions bursting inside of you. You knew you needed to get behind that door before you had the urge to run back down to his car.

You couldn’t even bring yourself to look back at his car, to see if he drove off, as you reached the door of your apartment complex. You forced yourself to keep your gaze ahead, to put one foot in front of the other until you reached your apartment. You felt your body moving on autopilot as you unlocked the door, stepped inside and dumped the bags you had dragged up. 

And then, the overwhelming realisation and memories of the last few days washed over you. 

Fuck. You were in love with him. You were properly in love with him. You were going to have to go into work on Monday and see him there and pretend everything is normal. You are going to have to pretend for the rest of your life or until your feelings go away. You were going to—

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

You paused, the heel of your palm pressed to the centre of your chest as you tried to regulate your breaths. You had half the mind to ignore the knocks, to hope the person on the other side of the door just left you alone so you could curl up onto your couch with a fluffy blanket and a tub of ice cream.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

But you had a nagging feeling this person wouldn’t leave.

You avoided the mirror in your hallway as you headed back towards your front door, twisting the handle and pulling the door back with the full expectation of seeing one of your neighbours on the other side. 

Instead, it was a panting and breathless Nico.

“Nico?”

“I can’t pretend anymore,” he blurted out, beyond the point of caring whether he was too blunt or straightforward. “I can’t pretend because I have spent the last few years pretending and I’m tired of it.”

Your brows furrowed together. “What are you—”

“I wasn’t lying when I told your friends,” Nico continued, his eyes never leaving yours. It was almost like he was afraid to look away. It was like he was scared you would disappear if he did, or he would lose the confidence he had to say what he had been feeling since he first saw you. “I had the biggest crush on you when you joined the team years ago.”

Your lips parted in surprise, but no words came out. No words were needed as Nico continued.

“And Jack knew. Everyone fucking knew how I felt about you,” he admitted with a laugh, one that was a little dry and self-depricating. “They knew how I felt about you before you even spoke to me. And then Jack saw the opportunity and he tried to help me but it just made everything worse.”

Your heart twisted at his words.

“Because it showed me what life would be like if I was actually yours,” Nico whispered, voice cracking and emotions raw. “It showed me what it would be like for you to hold my hand and call me your boyfriend and introduce me to your friends like I’m this huge part of your life. And now it fucking sucks that it’s not true, that it’s over. And I can’t just keep going on in life and seeing you at work on Monday and acting like I’m still okay with pretending—”

You kissed him.

He was standing at your doorstep confessing a million different things at once, confessing things that had your head spinning and your brain racing to catch up with. But he was standing there and he felt the same way and you just couldn’t help yourself but to grab his face and kiss him.

Nico sunk into the kiss like it was what his body was made for, like an instinctive reaction to grip your hips and pull you closer. Your arms slowly wound around his neck, tugging him down to deepen the kiss as every racing thought in your head stopped and there was just him, him, him.

“I don’t want to pretend either,” you murmured against his lips because you genuinely didn’t have it within you to pull away properly, to put any more distance between you.

You could feel him smile against your lips. “No?”

“No,” you swallowed harshly as you lightly nudged his nose with your own. “I don’t want to go back to the way everything was before the wedding. I don’t want you to become a stranger in my life.”

“Never, schatz,” he murmured softly before leaning down to press his lips against yours again, slow and purposeful. 

You let him slowly lead you back into your apartment, listened to the way he kicked the door shut with his boot as he led you towards the coach in your living room. You could feel his smile against your own as you fell back onto the cushions, his body a comfortable and familiar weight on you as memories of your mornings together flashed through your mind.

“Oh god.”

Nico pulled back, holding his weight on his elbows as he looked down at you with a frown. “What?”

“Jack is going to be so fucking smug,” you grumbled, playfully groaning whilst the boy on top of you just laughed. 

“You’re something else,” Nico murmured with a grin.

You raised your brows. “Good something?” 

“Best something,” Nico corrected before he leaned down to kiss you again. 

.

[pixelglam]

15 Best Mods for Realistic & Aesthetic Gameplay by Amelie

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Protein Shake Blender

Cereal Jar

Coffee Maker/ Home Barista

Five Minute Journal

Sul Sul Weather App

Homebody Preferences

Air Pods Replacement

Self Manicure/Pedicure

Social Bunny Overhaul

Hungry Plumbobs Delivery

Cute romance

Mega Romance Interactions/The One With All The Romance

Toothbrush Override

Towel After Shower

Bed Cuddle Mod

[rotten7rat]

Batfamily + Cooking

Alfred:

He's the main cook, and has been since taking the job as the Wayne's butler. Classically trained in the culinary arts, and thankfully stillvery much enjoys it, though not as much as he used to. He likes baking more than cooking, and has gotten more of a sweet tooth as he's gotten older. Leans more on your classic British dishes, but is always happy to try a requested recipe. Prefers to cook either alone or with competent help.

Bruce:

No. Cannot even be trusted to make a grilled cheese, he always burns them.

Barbara:

Pretty good. Very much a 'throw something together at 7:30, eat at 8' kind of person, but everyone is always happy to have what she cooks. If it takes hours to make then its not worth it. A teacher suggested once that being raised by a single father, she must do most of the cooking and cleaning, and after that she refused to learn how to cook out of sheer stubbornness.

Dick:

An excellent cook. I think it comes naturally to him, he didn't spend much time cooking growing up but once he taught himself the basics he can pretty much throw anything together. Its by no means a passion of his, but he does enjoy it. However, he doesn't cook often due to being too busy and/or tired, so he gets a lot of takeout or just has something quick or microwavable very often. But if he's cooking you best be there. Anything can be a social occasion and he happily accepts help in the kitchen. Not great at baking though, he always manages to over-cook or over-mix.

Cassandra:

I'm sorry but she will throw rice, water, and and an unseasoned chicken breast in the rice cooker and call it a night. Either that or she'll have a protein shake and seven eggs.

Jason:

Quite good. Unlike Dick, it doesn't come naturally to him, but he is a fast learner and picked it up mostly from Catherine, Alfred, and YouTube. That being said, would he prefer tortellini en brodo or four boxes of Kraft mac and cheese? Tamales or something quick and greasy from Bat Burger? Its always the second option. I think he often cooks as a distraction or just something to do, and just gives it to the single mother across the hall or throws it in the freezer to eat a week later.

Stephanie:

Decent. She'll see a recipe on TikTok and will try it instantly, and she's always excited to try something new. Works best with a recipe but decides just to wing it mostly. Cooking with her mother has become somewhat of a bonding activity. Really good at baking, especially things like brownies and cookies. However, she will also throw pickles, peanut butter and ice cream in a blender and swear it tastes fantastic. Is learning to cook more because everytime she sees Cass eating a boiled chicken breast she takes psychic damage. Trying to sneak meat alternatives into Cass without her noticing. It worked once.

Tim:

Not great. Will follow the recipe to the letter and will somehow still fuck it up. He mostly sticks to simple recipes that are hard to mess up, and also just doesn't have the desire to spend heaps of time in the kitchen. He does make a mean sandwich though, every time someone tries to replicate one its just never as good.

Duke:

Doesn't particularly enjoy cooking but he's fine at it. Not as bad as Cassandra, he will season his food, but prefers it to be quick and not complicated. Loves heavier foods like pastas and other carbs but doesn't have the patience or desire to make them from scratch so he uses jar sauces, frozen potatoes etc. Will put taco seasoning on everything.

Damian:

Good eventually. Doesn't cook a lot now, but when he was younger he had a kind of 'well obviously its not difficult, its just cooking' mindset. He was humbled. By Dick. I think when he's older he is much better. Will still follow a recipe so it is perfect every time. It isn't a hobby, just a task that must be completed, but he'll be damned if he's eating bland food, he will spend an hour preparing vegetable tagine. Nobody can help of even be in the kitchen with him while he is cooking, because they are breathing all the kitchen air and taking up all the room. Get out.

[goldenherc9]

A Herculean Transformation

Hercules, a 26-year-old British man with a flair for the flashy, strutted into the gym wearing his signature outfit: shiny gold Nike tracksuit pants. He loved the way the fabric gleamed under the fluorescent lights, announcing his arrival like a king in his court. In one hand, he carried a blender bottle filled with his secret weapon: a protein shake he'd bought online from a questionable website that promised "unimaginable gains."

As he sipped the concoction, a strange sensation surged through his body. His muscles started to bulge, veins popped out like overinflated balloons, and his skin darkened to a rich bronze hue. He looked into the mirror and gasped—or at least tried to, because his jawline now resembled a cement block. Hercules had transformed into a hulking, dumb version of himself, now resembling an Algerian Arabic bodybuilder with an IQ seemingly traded for biceps. His old self had been erased and he has become Hamza.

The gym-goers stopped and stared as he attempted a deadlift, accidentally ripping the barbell in half. "Strong! Me so strong! Look at me!" he shouted, his British accent completely obliterated by an inexplicable, booming Algerian drawl.

"Bro, you okay?" asked a concerned bystander.

Hercules now Hamza—or whatever he had become—grinned widely. "Okay? Me best! Me lift heavy, look shiny! Like golden banana!" He flexed his muscles so hard that his gold tracksuit pants shredded at the seams, revealing thighs the size of tree trunks.

By the end of the session, Hamza was sitting on a bench, staring at a protein bar wrapper like it was a complex mathematical equation. "Dis... go in mouth, make strong, yes?" he asked, scratching his head.

As the gym staff nervously approached, Hamza pointed to the shake bottle. "More shake! Me want to be biggest... and maybe learn math later."

Hamza joins his brothers @zayed-gold87 and @polo-drone-001 for more golden arabic workouts and to keep growing like the golden brothers they have become together.

Huhu come join da Gold brahs and become a better u like me did huhu message @goldenherc9 or @polo-drone-001 2day bruuuuhs

[legendofmorons]

Sick day (Twilight)

This is the second place prize of my 300 follower event for @mickleloaf

Pairing: Twilight x Reader, chain & reader

Rating: G

Summary: You've under the weather, so of clothes the boys take care of you as best they can.

Warnings: being ill,

Other: If I missed anything please let me know! And mickleloaf of this isn't what you envisioned please let me know.

-------

You leave the doctor's office with a packet that contains your diagnosis, symptoms, and how to care for yourself. Thankfully, your hyrule has free healthcare, so all you've got to do is go buy some over the counter meds and try to take it easy.

And also find a way to eat your food in a liquid form if possible. Maybe a blender or protein shakes?

Definitely soup.

Possibly smoothies?

You'll figure it out.

You find Twilight and Time waiting for you outside the building, both men having their arms crossed as they lean against it. Their conversation is quiet, but you can tell it's pleasant.

Twilight sees you first and flashes you a smile. "Hey, darlin'."

You wave, deciding it's not worse trying to use your voice again if you don't have to. It's so hoarse it's hard to hear anyway. Not to mention that it hurts.

"Are you feeling worse?" Time asks, pushing off the wall and closing the space between you.

He sets the back of his hand on your forehead. "You're warm.... You can have another dose of fever medicine in about an hour. We should get you back."

"He's right. Did the doctor give you anything to help?" Twilight asks, reaching out to take your hand gently.

You hold up the packet in answer.

"Oh- I can't read that. Does it have instructions?" Time asks, squinting at the words.

You nod, cracking a smile as you watch both him and your boyfriend try to read the words through sheer power of will alone.

It's sweet that they're ignoring the several severe changes to the language since their time.

Also, very silly.

But it's just very them. They are always taking care of people. Especially their loved ones.

"Can- well... Maybe Wild can help." Twilight suggests after a pause, "His time is the closest to yours in language and all."

You nod again. Hopefully, Wild can tell the others what to do. Even if it isn't perfect, he should at least get the jist.

"Let's head back. Wild's making your favorite soup." Time says, "We'll ride this 'bus' again."

"Time you sound so old." Twilight says with a grin, "Just say bus."

"I did."

"Okay. Let's just get (Y/n) to a bed. Poor thing could use some rest." Twilight says, squeezing your hand in affection.

You rest your head against his shoulder for a moment before straightening back up. Now, the task of getting two ancient heroes back to the hotel you're staying at by using modern transportation. This is fun.

You pass the packet to Time and grab your phone to pull up the bus app with the schedule, route plotting, and your digital prep-aid card.

They follow your lead and restrain themselves from outright gawking at all the things they're unused to.

Every few moments, one or both of them will look to the packet again, brows knitting.

-------

Once you've navigated through the trials that public transportation brought, you finally make it to the room you're sharing with Twilight, Wild, and Wind.

You collapse onto the bed you're sharing with Twilight, thankful that Time is handling, giving the packet to Wild. You just want a break.

"You want some water, love bug?" Twilight asks, watching you with sympathy as he shifts his weight.

You nod. Water is good. Even if swallowing hurts, it's better than being dehydrated on top of all of this.

Twilight goes and grabs your water bottle before filling it and bringing it back to you. "Here you go, darlin'. Careful now. I don't want you to spill it, I know you don't like wet clothes."

You nod, flashing him a thankful smile. You take the bottle and uncapped it before taking a swig.

You wince as you swallow, but it's over quickly. You know this is just how it is for right now.

You readjust to be sitting under the covers, eyes roving the pastel walls of the hotel.

"Alright. So this says (Y/n)'s got - two things real wrong with their throat. I think it says Tonsil-pain? Anyway, their voice might be hard to use. They might run hotter than usual, and their throat is going to hurt. A few other things I don't quite know... oh, and a list of medications that will help are on here." Wild explains, brows knitting as he puzzles out the words a little further.

The others all share a look, and then their gaze shift to you. The way they all seem worried is touching- but you know that with modern medicine, you'll be okay.

They don't seem to understand that, though.

"I'll see if I can't ease the pain, at least." Hyrule says, "They look ready to keel over if they weren't sitting."

"Good idea." Wild says with a nod.

"You need more blankets." Legend says firmly, pulling a comforter out of the room's closet. "Take this."

You blink at him. You're a little chilly, but this is not what you had expected. You'd expected playful teasing.

You do appreciate this, though. It's sweet and it's very nice to know he cares.

Legend and Twilight each take a side of the new blanket and spread it over you gently.

Twilight presses a kiss to your temple while he's bent down.

You smile at him as he straightens back up.

"I made tea." Hyrule says, bringing over a chamomile based tea.

Hyrule has fixed it, so you will at least drink it. If you like tea, he's made it how you like it. If you don't like tea, he's made it taste bearable.

"Thank you." You manage to croak, throat thoroughly protesting use.

"Save your voice." Time says gently.

Hyrule smiles at you as he hands you the tea. Knowing he's used Faerie magic to make it better for your throat. Short cuts to healing and all that.

"Anytime, (Y/n)." The traveler says, pressing a hand to your shoulder before falling back to sit on the other bed.

Twilight sits down on the empty side of the bed, paying special attention to make sure he dosen’t jostle you too much.

"Wild and I aren't going to find the medications your doctor recommended." Warriors says from where he's been watching over you.

"Be careful." Twilight calls as he watches both knights leave.

You just look around, taking another sip of the tea. It's- nice to be taken care of. The way the boys all come together to make sure you're okay is- well, you wouldn't call them anything but family now.

"Do you want anything else?" Wind asks, legs swinging from where he sits on the room's dresser.

You shake your head. You don't want anything else, really. Two of the boys are out to grab you some medicine. The others are all here watching over you. And Twilight is holding your had gently.

Of all the ways to be sick- there are certainly worse.

Time just starts cleaning up from tea and such, making quick work of any mess.

"Would you like to watch something?" Sky asks, sort of aware of television and how it works. But the concept still seems to confuse him.

You nod, giving a grateful smile. They're all so considerate.

Time brings you the remote and goes to start figuring out how the shower works here - this is the first shower tub combo he's seen in the modern world.

You pick your favorite channel and turn the volume to your preferred sound level.

After you set it up, you take another drink of tea before settling in for a more permanent position.

The boys settle around the room. Wind stays on the dresser while Time and sky take the couch. Four, Hyrule, and Legend take the other bed.

Twilight's just squeezing your hand in his gently.

When you look at him, he looks so soft- so genuinely in love. It's amazing.

You take a slow, deep breath and take this moment in. The whole thing.

And yeah, you still feel gross. Your throat still hurts. And the exhaustion still rests in your bones. But, you aren't alone.

And between the tea, the warmth in your heart, and the careful care of your friends- you know you'll get better.

-------

You are asleep when Warriors and Wild retrun with the medications that your doctor had suggested. Which leaves someone the task of waking you.

Which no one wants to do - you seem so peaceful as you sleep.

But Twilight takes the role, gently shaking your shoulder as he says, "(Y/n)? C'mon darlin'. You gotta get up."

You open your eyes, giving a soft rumble of displeasure. Which unfortunately does agitate your throat.

"We have your medicine." Warriors says, holding up a bag from the drugstore nearest to you guys.

You nod, pushing to sit up in bed.

Wild gives you the medicine, figuring you'll be able to give yourself the proper doses since he can't quite figure it out.

So you take your medicine before passing it back to Wild and taking the offered bowl of your favorite soup from Time.

Twilight presses a kiss to your cheek, "I hope you feel better soon, (Y/n)."

[atplblog]

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[shallowstories]

"Rawr."

After Peace of Mind, Dean & Cas have a little too much fun at Sam's expense.

///

After the Charming Acres case, Sam’s depression is still a heavy weight around his neck. But he he sleeps soundly for the first time in weeks. Maybe Cas’s pep talk about honoring the AU hunters’ memory, and not failing Jack and Dean, had actually helped.

When they get back to the bunker, even the good-natured ribbing from Dean n' Cas about the cardigan (and the glasses and the ponytail) is kinda soothing.

It's almost enough to distract him from the shame of failing everyone.

///

Weirdly enough, Sam remembers everything “Justin Smith” did, from pulling on the buttery soft cardigan in the morning, to demanding a martini from “Cindy,” (who, by the way, actually turned out to be a high-powered lawyer named Megan from Chicago).

He chuckles to himself, recalling (a little wistfully if he's honest) their Stepford-decorated house, her throaty purr, and his matched, painfully awkward, “Rawr.”

But then, Dean’s grating voice drives a knife through the not-fantasy.

“Dude, seriously? When did you get that?”

Blame it on the lack of sleep, but Sam nearly jumps out of his skin. "Get what?”

“Uhh, the blender, Martha Stewart.”

Sam looks down at the bowl in his hands (chopped papaya, mango, banana, cucumber) and over to the new Ninja blender sitting proudly on the counter.

“Uhh, yesterday, dude.”

“Yesterday.”

“Yeah, Dean. Yesterday.”

Dean looks overjoyed, but it’s in that mean-spirited, you’re-never-gonna-hear-the-end-of-this kinda way.

“Is that…dairy? I thought you were all rabbit foodin' it lately.”

Sam curls his arms around his vanilla protein powder, just as Cas trudges into the kitchen. “It’s rice milk,” he hisses, willing them both to go the-fuck-away.

Cas blinks at the ingredients, looks to Sam, then looks back to the ingredients. He slowly breaks into his crooked, sideways smile. Sam doesn't like it.

“Sam," Cas says, too-politely. "Are those ingredients to concoct a milkshake?”

Understanding slowly blooms on Dean’s face. “Oh, my god, Sammy. Milkshake!”

Busted. Sam sighs and continues measuring out the nutritional powders he's planning on adding.

And then, Cas pokes a little more, “I assume it’s your take on ‘Harrington’s famous townie' milkshake?”

“Oh, my god, Harrington's," Dean echoes, like they're doing the world's most annoying comedy-duo Bit. "Like the one from your fake hometown in bumfuck, Arkansas? That Harrington's?”

“It’s just a protein shake, Dean.”

Sam tries not to sull' up, but he knows that's probably what he's doing.

“Kay, Smoothie King.”

“You know,” Cas says, faux-lightly. And despite his careful expression and flat tone, it's clear that he's enjoying himself at Sam’s expense. “At first, we thought the 1950s 'craze' was a spell transmitted through the milkshakes. Sam seemed very bewitched by them, at least.”

Dean's cheeks dimple even more.

"Really? And how were the milkshakes, Sammy? Did they, yanno, bring all the boys to the yard?"

Sam rolls his eyes so hard it makes him a little seasick. "Yeah, Dean. They were good milkshakes."

Cas chimes in with a strange, incredibly dorky vocal intonation of the original Justin Smith, " I believe it was, 'They're the best.'"

It's spot on. He even swings his arms into plucky, swaggering fists as he says it.

Dean snorts, and Cas continues.

“I had a strawberry milkshake. There was a cherry on top."

"Ohhh, a cherry." Deans crows. He sways way too close to Cas, and Cas takes a sudden step back, right into Sam's space. Sam hisses, 'watch it' and moves his bowl of fruit outta the way, before they knock it over.

"Didja poppa cherry? Huh, Cas?"

Too proud of himself for the stupid joke, Dean follows that up with a weird, throaty purr. Sure, it sounds a little like Jim Gaffigan, or a fourteen-year-old boy making his first dirty joke, but strangely, all Sam can think of is Cindy.

Cas’s eyes rocket to Sam, and Sam draws himself up into a full-body cringe. Cas probably doesn't remember that exchange.

Sam hopes he doesn't remember.

Then, Cas narrows his eyes, grins triumphantly at Dean, and lift his hand up, clawlike, in the the exact same way Justin-Sam had done to Cindy.

“Rar.”

Dean puffs a bark of laughter. Then, he lowers his eyes...and he does the embarrassing throaty purr again.

“Rar,” answers Cas, overly simply.

He's totally pokerface about it, almost like he’s daring Sam to say something.

"Try it like this," Dean insists, and he purrs again and waggles his eyebrows. "Or you could do it like this: 'Ralllwwwr'." (When Dean does, it, of course, it has a perfect trill.)

Cas just deadpans back.

"Rar."

“Come on, Cas. That’s awful. At least roll the 'r'!”

Dean gets up in Cas's face again and does another particularly pervy-sounding purr. Cas tips his chin up, like he's thinking about trying harder, but:

"Rar."

They're so fucking stupid.

Sam notes that Cas's foot is totally in foot-stomping territory. If Sam wanted to, he could stomp on it.

He kind of wants to.

The Charming Acres jokes are getting fuckin' old, after all.

Cas cants his eyes to the side. “Of course, maybe Sam can show us how it's done?”

Dean scrunches up his face in confusion. "Sam can what?" His face continues to run through a thousand expressions, and Sam doesn't care to decode any of them. “Uh, am I missin' something?”

Cas actually snickers. “Or maybe Sam cannot. Maybe it was a purely a ‘Justin,’ thing.”

Dean blinks stupidly. "Wait. Wha-?"

“If my memory serves me, and it almost always does, I recall ‘Justin’ rawr-ing at his ��wife.’”

Dean finally gets it. Then, he looks like Christmas has come early. And he bends double as he howls with laughter. He wags his finger at Sam.

"S-so you not only did the ponytail and the glasses and the cardigan, you--you--AHAHAHA!"

Sam picks up his bowl and violently shoves the rest of his ingredients into the blender. When Dean's cackles pitch higher, Sam stabs his finger at the Puree button, and the blender roars to life.

Dean keeps on laughing, and Cas's mouth stays all twitchy, like he's barely holding back.

///

Even when the shake’s done, Sam purposely revs the blender motor whenever Dean or Cas open their mouths to speak. After awhile, Dean reaches over and unplugs it with a victorious, Ha!

But Sam keeps on ignoring them as he pours his delicious creation into a large single-serve glass. (No way in Hell is he sharing. Not even if Dean paid him a million dollars.)

"Oh, come on, Sammy. Don't be like that."

Cas raises a brow at Dean. "Maybe we should...'skedaddle.'" At that turn of phrase, Dean looks like he's having the time of his life, like he's a seven year old on his first roller coaster.

Dean makes the purring noise again. "Oh, you. Love it when you talk all stupid n' old-fashioned like that."

If Sam were in a better mood, surely he could find some way to get back at them, or turn it around on them. Instead, he drinks his shake too fast and winds up with a catastrophic ice cream headache.

So, he shoots Cas the bird with his free hand. Because this is mostly Cas's fault for telling. Like the universe is punishing him, the headache gets more intense in his throat. He set his glass down on the counter to press a warm palm against his neck.

Cas looks back to Dean and feints a sultry, distinctly-Justin-Smith-like, "Oh, you."

Dean must pick up that it means something at Sam's expense, so he parrots it back, but even more syrupy. "Oh, you."

Then, Dean does the lameass purr sound again.

(Sam tries to turn on the blender but belatedly remembers that Dean's already unplugged it.)

What happens next is the strangest thing so far.

Cas sets a hand on Dean's shoulder and fires Dean's purr back at him. This time, it's no "rar" but a perfect mimicry of Dean, even rolling his 'r's. The humor drains from Dean's face for some reason, and then Cas's voice drops even lower, towards something like a real growl.

It's maybe too much a shade of non-human, more like a special effect than goofing off. It's kind of scary, to be honest.

Dean drops his eyes to the floor, maybe uncomfortable with how animalistic it sounds? Then, to Sam's surprise, Dean gets a funny little smile on his face and turns the general color of an overcooked lobster.

Wonderingly, Sam thinks he finally has a chance to play the upper hand, but--

"Sam?"

It's Jack, hesitantly standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

Everything comes to a weird standstill as Jack stares blankly at all three of them. Cas doesn't let go of Dean.

Then, Jack asks, like he's not even phased by the awkwardness of it all, "I-is there any more smoothie?"

And instead of seizing the opportunity to warp Dean's playfulness into something that would undoubtedly humiliate someone...

...Sam finds himself hurrying to scrounge up more milkshake ingredients.

[womanofwords]

STEM Kids Shenanigans (Chapter 5)

Chapter 5: Trinkets

Angelo Riva woke up to the feeling of his little sister weakly pushing him with all her three-year-old might. “You gonna go to school,” she said.

Angelo’s blood ran cold while he frantically scrambled for his phone to see the time. When he saw that it was 10 AM, he almost passed away. But when he saw that it was Saturday, he was relieved. “It’s Saturday. I don’t need to go to school today,” he told the three-year-old. “Who told you I had to go to school?”

“Santo,” Mirella replied.

“Oh, he said that to you?” Angelo asked. Mirella nodded. “OK. I’m gonna talk to Santo. You just stay here, got it?”

“OK,” Mirella said.

“You’re a good girl, Mirella,” Angelo said, messing with her hair and leaving her in his room. The soft tone in his voice faded when talking to his older brother. “Santo, what the hell?”

“Watch your language, Mirella might copy you,” Santo taunted. The duvet he’d wrapped himself in looked comfortable, so Angelo took it. “Hey!”

“Why do you keep telling Mirella to wake me up for school when it’s Saturday?” Angelo said.

“Because it’s adorable to watch her try and it’s funny to watch you freak out,” Santo replied. “Simple. Now give me my duvet back.”

Angelo pretended to think about it. “No.”

“Fine. I’ll just take you and the duvet.” Santo pulled on the duvet, sending his little brother flying forwards. The duvet Angelo was holding onto now became the material that swaddled him. “So, how do I correct this attitude before it gets worse? What should I do with you?” He spied convenient pockets in the way he’d wrapped the duvet around his brother and grinned. “Oh, I think I know now.”

Angelo raised an eyebrow. “Am I gonna get beaten up now or something?”

“Oh, you wish,” Santo grinned, as he plunged his hands into the pockets and prodded at his brother's ribcage, playing him like a piano.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Angelo howled. “NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE MAHAHAHAHAHAKE IT STOHOHOHOHOHOP!”

“Depends. Are you gonna be really nice to your big brother?” Santo punctuated each word by squeezing Angelo's sides. Angelo's squeaks and squeals alerted Mirella, who rushed in and saw Santo sitting on her big brother.

“Leave big brother alone!” she yelled, punching Santo. It wasn’t a very hard punch, considering that she was three.

“Ow,” Santo groaned. “And what do you mean by big brother? I’m your big brother too, remember?” Santo groaned.

“Angie is my big brother! You leave him alone! He’s tired!” Mirella yelled.

“Mimi, Santo is your big brother too,” Angelo explained.

“No, he's not.”

“Yes, he is,” Angelo told her.

“No, he's not.”

“Yes, he is.”

“What is this?” Angelo’s mother asked, looking into Santo’s room and seeing all three of her kids. “Why are you all in Santo's room?”

“Santo mean to Angie!” Mirella yelled.

“Santo, be nice to your little brother. And all of you go downstairs for breakfast,” their mother ordered, leaving the room. Angelo began the process of extracting himself from the duvet, grumbling all the while.

“Santo is such a pain,” he grumbled. Halfway through the extraction process of removing himself from the treacherous duvet, Mirella hugged him.

“I protect big brother from Santo,” she said.

Angelo smiled and picked her up. “Yes, you did. You’re the best baby sister.”

(PAUSE)

Angelo prepared himself and Mirella two bowls of chocolatey cereal while the whirring of the blender confirmed the making of Santo’s protein shake. “I regret buying you that stuff,” their mother sighed.

“I’m just glad you remembered breakfast,” their dad said, reading a book on the couch. “And it’s better they eat it instead of wasting it, I guess.”

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and they are starting off their day with junk!”

“We can hear you, Mama,” Angelo said, draining the milk out of the bowl. “And it’s not even a school day.”

“With that blender, I’m surprised that you can hear anything,” their dad mused as Santo turned it off and poured his beige protein shake into a cup.

“Is it supposed to look like that?” Angelo asked, tilting his head with confusion.

“I said that about you when you were born,” Santo taunted.

“SANTO!” their parents chorused.

“I’m kidding, I promise. Angelo knows I’m kidding.” He crouched down to look at his little brother. “Right, Angelo?”

“I’d like some space, please.” Angelo got up and went up to his room. “We’ll talk when I get back.”

“Angie!” Mirella whimpered. Angelo smiled, turning around to stroke her hair.

“I’ll be back in a few hours, OK, principessa?" he soothed, before going up to his room. He needed his space and his board.

(PAUSE)

The best thing about skateboarding, according to Angelo Riva, was how he felt at peace with air rushing past him and no floor underneath. He felt like he was flying as he performed flips and turns. And even when he was resting with his board at his side, he could watch the other skaters and smile. He was practicing a spin when two young men came up to him. They looked to be around twenty. “Who are you, little guy?” the one in front asked, a toned and shirtless guy with a silver dog tag necklace around his neck.

Angelo looked up at the large boy, gulping nervously. “Angelo,” he said. “What do you want? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, little guy, you’re awesome!” he said, the other agreeing. “How many tricks do you know?”

“Only a few,” Angelo admitted. “The basics. Ollie, sliding, stuff like that. I try to learn more, but my parents don’t like when I stay out too long.”

“What trick are you trying to learn, little guy?” the other guy said, a slightly shorter guy who had a shirt.

“360 spin,” Angelo admitted. “But I keep failing at it.”

“Oh, that's OK,” Dog Tag said. “You have to suck at something to get good at it. Now, how about you demonstrate and we see where you’re going wrong?” Angelo nodded and got onto his board, skating towards the ramp and trying to turn all the way. He fell hard. The two older skaters came running. “You OK, little dude?”

“I’ve had worse,” Angelo grunted, getting up and dusting himself off. “I have knee pads underneath this, so no bleeding.”

“Good. Now, you’re trying the spin too early and it throws your balance off,” Shirt Dude said. “How about you try again? And once you figure this out, we’ll show you a few more tricks.”

Angelo agreed immediately. “Cool.”

(PAUSE)

Angelo got ambushed by Mirella the moment he came home. “Big brother!” she squealed, hugging his legs. Angelo smiled and picked her up.

“What’s the problem, honey?” Angelo asked.

“Want big brother,” Mirella whined.

Angelo laughed and spun her around, listening to her squeals and giggles. “All right. Is there anything else you want?”

“My Little Pony!” Angelo steered her to the TV and turned the channel from the news to magical unicorns. Once the theme song was blaring and Mirella was engrossed in the TV, Angelo snuck away to the basement.

The basement was Angelo's favourite part of the house, second to his actual bedroom. Unlike his bedroom, the basement has a key that he could lock from the inside or outside, meaning that he could keep other people out when he had to. He could also take part in his favourite hobbies: inventing new things and collecting interesting trinkets. He kept his trinkets in a large plastic bin that he occasionally took out and looked at. His trinkets included, but were not limited to:

A small silver skull charm that looked like it had fallen off a gothic charm bracelet.

A unicorn hat that Mirella had put on his head to make him the unicorn princess.

His old Willy Wonka costume that he went trick-or-treating with when he was eleven before he got the growth spurt that transformed him from a scrawny kid to a big dude. He had the purple Gene Wilder version, although he did like the goggles on the hat that Johnny Depp's version had.

His old roller-skates that he grew out in terms of both size and the hobby itself.

The toy toolkit that he got for his fifth birthday.

He’d collected these things for ages, things that meant a lot to him. His inventions ended up on shelves, but he put his trinkets in the box on the floor, for the sake of easier access.

“Angelo, time for dinner! We got pizza!” their mother called. Angelo stopped reminiscing about the past and dutifully went upstairs.

A hand clamped over his mouth.

“I knew you'd come if you thought there was food,” Santo said triumphantly, holding up the audio recording device on his phone.

“A recording of our mother’s voice? Seriously?” Angelo asked.

“Hey, it worked,” Santo said. “Anyway, I need to make sure that Mum and Dad know that there’s nothing bad between us.”

“But there is none.”

Santo studied his little brother’s face. “Really? Are you serious?”

“Of course I’m serious. I have to be; I’m a terrible liar.” Angelo smiled awkwardly up at his brother. Santo wasn't buying it.

“Nah, I should probably make sure, just in case.” Angelo was dragged into Santo's bedroom and subjected to tickles. “Poor little inventor. Nobody’s going to help you. Dad’s asleep, and Mum is shopping.” He went to squeeze his brother’s knees to make the inventor go weak with laughter, and he found a strange hardness. “Are you still wearing your knee pads?”

“Oh, I forgot I had those on," Angelo said, removing them with ease as his older brother looked at him with horror.

“HOW?!”

“I think it’s somewhere between muscle memory and obliviousness.”

“For you, it's definitely obliviousness." Santo took the time to grab his knee and squeeze cruelly, listening to his brother squeal and attempt to squirm away.

“Please don’t do this when my friends come over,” Angelo begged, through his giggles. Santo paused.

“Friends?”

Angelo gave his brother a weird look. “Yes. When Mum and Dad come back, I’ll ask them if my friends can come over to study.”

“Of course you’re all studying.” Santo rolled his eyes.

“Normally, we’d do this in school, but we keep getting hounded by this school prefect.”

“Oh, really? Who’s this prefect person?” Santo sat and nodded in all the right places as Angelo explained who Melanie Sainsbury was, the times that she’d burst into their meetings to catch them doing something wrong, and the accusations she'd levelled against them. “She sounds like a nasty piece of work.”

“She is. Something about us makes her angry, and I don’t know what.”

“I bet Mum and Dad will totally say yes,” Santo replied.

“I’ll ask them,” Angelo said, pulling out his phone.

Angelo: Can a few of my friends come over on Wednesday afternoon?

Dad: You never told me you had friends.

A: I made friends at school. They're called Dante, Layla and Yujin, and we need a place to study that is away from school.

D: Sure, so long as their parents know and give permission for them to be there.

A: Thank you.

“He said yes,” Angelo told Santo.

“Never doubted him for a second,” Santo muttered. “Now, where were we?”

And the torturous tickles began again.

Italian translation

Principessa: Princess

To read the other parts of this fic, see Masterlist.

[ostomyeducation]

I saw that you post a lot/reblog about smoothies and nutrition! What is your favorite combo of things for dehydration and nutrients?

Smoothies are easily my favorite way to stay hydrated while getting the nutrients I need. The blades of the blender are like an extra set of teeth (weird image, I know) that help the tired intestines absorb nutrients without the extra work.

Everyone's needs are different, and as you stated, dehydration and malnutrition are two of the biggest problems. Fruits and vegetables that have a large percentage of water weight - like strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, celery, and zucchini - will help with the absorption of necessary fluids. Fruits and vegetables that have a high concentration of nutrients like electrolytes or vitamins, such as bananas, spinach, mangoes, and blueberries, will help combat chronic malabsorption and malnutrition. Don't be afraid to add vegetables to a smoothie - the natural sugars from the fruit will hide any "veggie" taste! (Kale puts up a strong fight, though).

Another staple found in my pantry is a vegan protein powder and raw meal powder. The choice of vegan powder versus animal-based is based on my personal preference and allergies but there are many options available for people of all food preferences! I typically add protein powder to most all of my smoothies. When I am having a particularly rough "flare" day where my illness is exacerbated, I like to add raw meal powder as a meal substitute in the event that I am unable to eat a solid meal. Both the protein powder and raw meal powder can also be added to a simple glass of milk (cow's, almond, oat, you name it!).

I hope this helps! Always remember - a shake is better than skipping a meal. A bite or a sip is better than no attempt to eat at all. You need protein, water, and nutrients for your body to heal. If your pain and/or nausea are holding you back from completely nourishing yourself, your best attempt will always be good enough. Keep up the good work.

[thekadhai]

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[bandofchimeras]

here are my contributions, I've got sensitive stomach*** dairy free, try to avoid wheat, autistic and need consistency, but also try to eat fresh, etc:

splurge kitchen items disclosure:

quality olive oil. it just makes everything taste better + extra calories

balsamic vinegar, doesn't have to be quality but instant sour + umami tones to flavorless food

honey or maple syrup

good knife + bamboo cutting board

decent blender (thrifted is fine)

slow cooker or instant pot or rice cooker

-----

I splurge on flavoring things and try to keep a decent stock of random canisters of dry goods like beans, lentils, soup mix, chia seeds, quinoa, oats, rice, flour, or whatever things you feel necessary for a basic pantry setup and spices.

------

LEGUMES VEGETABLES MEATS

refried beans - if you're dedicated, you can make your own (whole process, traditionalky involving lard) but the cans are cheap and honestly few things are as filling. as a gross broke college student I would eat straight beans with chips or crackers.

miso soup packets or just a container of miso - great for warming the stomach esp if you've not eaten all day! I drink it like tea and it's surprisingly filling

for exhaustion purposes I like to buy those bags of baby potatoes - wash and toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika, maybe a splash of balsamic if you have it, bake on 425 until cooked thru- food of the gods. no peeling needed. tender. crispy.

chickpeas. chick. peas. aka garbanzo beans. drain and heat these bad boys up with some margarine or butter on the stovetop, salt and pepper - delicious. can also be transformed into a chickpea sandwich with some basic condiments like bbq sauce, mayo - or a lettuce wrap if you're gluten free.

If you really need to save money, they can be bought in bulk, soaked and boiled. but canned is usually affordable enough to cut out the middleman.

bonus if you can afford fresh tomatoes, cook them down over med heat on a cast iron with some olive oil, splash some green tea, pasta water, any suitable flavored liquid, and add to the chickpeas. it beats tomato sauces w high sugar content anyday.

yellow dal - you can find super cheap lentils at most Asian markets that carry Indian foods. or even at the store. These are those orange or yellow split lentils, throw them in a slow cooker with an onion and a tomato and some chana masala (cheap bulk spice mix also @ the Asian market) and salt l, ginger if you can afford- learned this from an Indian slow cooker cook book. one of the best tummy soothing meals out there.

apples and bananas are gut soothing for most people - bananas can combine with some protein shake powder or even just peanut butter, oat milk, cocoa powder, frozen berries, for a super filling morning smoothie.

bonus is most food banks carry them.

frozen berries - you can get them relatively cheap sometimes, if not freeze berries when they're in season. delicious refreshing instant dessert or "I need vitamin c help" boost. Blend with milk of choice for instant refreshing summer treat.

you can make your own banana milk or oat milk as a milk alternative pretty easily with a blender.

carrots - get the bulk unpeeled ones, they're cheaper. to store longer you can chop them into quarters and store in water.

blend chickpeas with some tahini (if you buy a bottle it will last years in the fridge) and voila hummus to dip carrots in.

make your own stocks! like they said above, boiling chicken carcass is one way but you can also get cheap soup bones and make beef stock, or collect and wash vegetable scraps to make vegetable stock, and freeze it. pasta water can also be saved to thicken soups and stews.

chicken hearts, chicken feet! WAY cheaper than any other meat. sometimes a package of them is barely over a dollar. fry chicken hearts in oil with salt and lime or Tajin until they're crispy. also works great in soups and stews.

BEETS. I cannot praise the beetroot enough. packed with vitamins, antioxidants - they will save your ass in the winter, and are fairly cheap. you can make a mean, cheap borscht soup with homemade beef or vegetable stock, beets, potatoes, carrots,.onions, cabbage, some vinegar and dill. meat if you have any handy. freeze it if you have extra. it's healing to the soul and body.

Or you can fry the beets diced in margarine with salt and some herbs. sweet, tender, not everyone's taste but so good for you.

shred with carrots and add to plain lettuce or use as a salad alternative w vinegar and dill as dressing.

cauliflower is usually cheap and you can cut the heads like "steak" and marinate/season and bake them! or "rice" your cauliflower florets by crumbling, grating, or blending and then lightly saute in oil.

tilapia tends to be the cheapest fish in my area and most grocery stores carry bags of boneless filet that are easy to slide right out into a pan with some salt, lemon, herbs (I like fennel) and a splash of balsamic. fuckin impeccable dish.

cabbage is a great soup filler. you can also cook it with milk or milk alternative for a yummy German dish.

quinoa is a bit expensive sometimes but once you get a big canister of it it's endless. expands rapidly. you can mix it after cooking with eggs salt and mustard to create "patties" if you're vegetarian. they'll keep you stuffed.

canned tuna - can become tuna wraps, sandwiches, salad - I used to mix with hardboiled eggs celery and pickles and some dill. it's surprisingly versatile esp if you pair with veggies. or mix it into mac n cheese. for dairy free, frozen peas and tuna in pasta with some margarine and salt - pretty damn good.

-------

Grains based:

if you can afford plain yogurt, overnight oats or muesli is also incredibly filling. add dash of maple syrup or honey.

rice rice rice rice. use leftover chopped veggies and your cheap meat to make fried rice. eggs and rice in morning. rice with fish. rice with soy sauce. rice is the extender of meals, the filler of stomachs. bless rice.

get discount fruit from fruit stands or bruised fruit at the food bank, cut up the good parts and put em in a dish with some butter/oats/brown sugar mixture - filling and quick dessert.

***something to note is that most people's tolerance for specific foods will be tied to their genetic heritage and ancestry (mine is mostly German and Eastern European). if a lot of foods bother your stomach leaning into what your ancestors might have eaten is a good place to start. not a universal rule ofc

I have $24 to last me til Friday, what should I buy with it?

[gevi12]

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