#big congrats to the guy who did that thing and missed it

[cliophilyra]

when you're tastin' what he's drinkin' (are you thinkin' 'bout me?)

I went and did a jealous Sal past-saltommy thing. I hope you like it! Thank you to everyone on discord for being awesome 🫶

He’s not really looking at the crowd when he turns away from the bar. He’s got drinks in both hands, raising them over his head because the place is elbow to elbow right now and he’s just focused on getting back to the booth without spilling the beer that took him twenty minutes to get. It’s Friday night, which doesn’t always mean as much in a badge and ladder bar where not everyone gets their weekends at the weekend, but tonight it definitely seems to mean something.

His team are at their usual table. He’ll get the first round like he always does, hang out for an acceptable amount of time then bail so they can complain about the boss if they want to. Sometimes he kind of misses just being one of the team, one of the ones getting to do the complaining, which is ironic after he spent so long chasing this job.

He’s not even the one who notices first. “Sal!” The voice is right by his ear and his head snaps around so fast he’s amazed he doesn’t pull something. Tommy is next to him, holding two beers in his hand as he steps away from the bar. Sal’s eyes widen as he takes him in as best he can in the crush. He looks so good; dark jeans, grey henley with the buttons undone, tight sleeves pushed up, hugging his biceps and forearms. His curls are freer than usual, a little more grey flecked in with the soft brown now. The laugh lines around his eyes are deeper. Something in Sal’s stomach twists just looking at him. His fingers twitch against the cold glass, wanting to reach out.

“Fancy meetin’ you here,” he says, aiming for lightness. “Don’t see Harbour in here much.”

“Not with them tonight,” Tommy jerks his thumb back towards a table on the other side of the bar. “I’m with the guys from the 118 would you believe.”

Sal raises his eyebrows. “Oh?” He did not expect that. “Havin’ a reunion? My invite get lost in the mail?” He means it as a joke but he hears the note of bitterness he didn’t mean to show.

(Read more below or on AO3)

Tommy’s gaze slides away from his for a split second, darting over to the table. Sal follows his look and sees Hen and Howie and the new guys he knows only by reputation, laughing amongst themselves.

“Nope, not a reunion. Well not an official one anyway,” Tommy says with a shrug. He looks back at him and Sal catches his glance dart down to his hand and the ring he’s not wearing. “You look good,” Tommy says after a moment and Sal almost laughs out loud. “How’s the 122? Heard you made Captain? Congrats man.”

Sal nods and clears his throat. “Yeah thanks, ‘bout fucking time.” He grins and takes a mouthful of one of the beers in his hands because words are crowding up against his lips and he can’t say any of them. His hand only shakes a bit.

Tommy grins. “It’s good to see you Sal,” he says, a bit softer. He reaches out and claps a hand on his shoulder. The warmth bleeding through his t-shirt takes Sal by surprise. He looks down at Tommy’s big hand on his arm and his throat is suddenly parched despite the beer. For a moment everything in his world zeroes down to that touch and the memory of the last time he felt those rough fingers on his shoulder and sliding up his neck. How he hadn’t known then that it was the last time.

Tommy’s fingers twitch and jump away, as if Sal’s arm is scalding, which is ironic because to him it feels like ice the moment Tommy’s hand leaves his shoulder.

“Yeah you too,” Sal says roughly.

Tommy nods. “You…uh…you guys have a good night,” he says.

Sal nods back and presses his lips into a tight smile, doesn’t trust himself to say anything more.

Tommy smiles back and walks away to the table across the bar. Sal stands frozen in place and watches him go until the crowd swallows him up.

Sal walks back to the table where the rest of the 122 are chatting, telling the same old war stories. He smiles distantly, hands people their drinks, sits down at the edge of the booth and lets the idle chatter wash over him, chasing beer with whiskey and more whiskey and drifting until he’s somewhere he hasn’t been in a long time and all the memories are right there waiting, just under the surface. He’s on his knees in the showers with water running down his face and the salty warmth of Tommy’s cock on his tongue; moaning into Tommy’s mouth in the locker room as he fucks into that huge hand; in a soft bed, leaning over that solid muscular body, his hands gripping thick thighs as he buries his cock inside him and leans forward to bury his tongue in his mouth, moaning against his lips. He can almost feel Tommy’s hands running up his back, digging into his muscles as he pants against his sweat-soaked skin; wrapped around him, holding him against his chest in the warm morning sunlight that spills over his bed. He closes his eyes for a second against the ache in his chest and when he opens them the crowd has miraculously parted like he’s the Moses of drunken firefighters, giving him a clear view right to the table where the 118 sit, and to Tommy with his head thrown back mid-laugh, nose wrinkling in the way that makes Sal smile despite himself.

Sal half rises from his seat, body drawn forward before his brain is even consulted. Tommy has started to get up too, lowering his head as he does so to speak to the man next to him. The other man puts his beer down and looks up. Sal recognises Evan Buckley - who according to the grapevine is second only to Chim in the disaster-prone stakes - just as the kid gives Tommy a blinding smile that lights up his whole face, and then kisses him. On the lips. In public. In a fucking crappy badge and ladder bar on a packed Friday night.

Sal’s whole world grinds to a halt.

Tommy is kissing him back and the rest of the table are hooting at them and Howie is throwing peanuts, but there’s no malice behind their faux-grimaces and teasing eye-rolls. It’s no different to how it would have been back in the day if he’d kissed a woman at the bar. Tommy grins as he pulls back from Buckley’s lips and shakes his head with a laugh as he walks off towards the mens room. Sal mutters something about hitting the head and follows Tommy without even thinking about what he plans to do, driven by fury and a pain like a fire burning a hole through his chest.

He finds him in the corridor that leads to the mens room, leaning against the wall as he waits for the always busy bathroom. The fire door stands open next to him, letting in the warm night air that smells of Jacaranda blossoms and trash cans. Sal walks up to him, grabs his wrist, drags him out into the parking lot and shoves him against a wall.

Tommy stumbles, yelping in surprise. “What the fuck?” He exclaims, yanking his hand back.

Sal grabs his t-shirt instead and crowds against him, until their lips are millimetres apart. He can smell the bitter hoppy scent of the beer on Tommy’s lips. Tommy’s eyes widen. “Do you remember?” Sal asks. “You remember, baby? When you’re stickin’ your tongue down his throat? D’ you taste me?”

“Fuck Sal you’re drunk,” Tommy hisses.

“How ‘bout when you suck him off?” Sal bites out, furious and bitter. The emotions crawling up his spine, down his fingers, tangling around his tongue are nothing he’s ever felt on a conscious level before. Hate and rage and scouring pain. “He taste as good as me? You love his cock as much as you loved mine?” He whispers harshly, “Remember how you used to beg for it? Beg me to make you choke on it?” Tommy’s breath is coming in short pants against his face. “Has he fucked you on that asshole Nash’s desk? Does he make you scream his fuckin’ name Tommy? Make you cum all over yourself? All over him? Does he let you cum on that pretty face? Fill up that pouty little mouth?”

Tommy lets out a groan, eyes flickering closed for a moment, then his hands are on Sal’s arms and he’s shoving him away. Sal stumbles back, head spinning. They stare at each other in silence for a moment, still panting for breath.

“What the fuck are you doing Sal?” Tommy asks after a second. His voice sounds hoarse and Sal is bitterly pleased as he watches Tommy struggle to regain his control. ‘What the fuck was that about?” Tommy’s expression is somewhere between fury and pity and it’s that last one that hurts.

Sal shudders. He doesn’t know what that was about. Doesn’t know what he’s doing. He just wants…he wants but he’s afraid so instead he just hurts and he wants Tommy to hurt too. Wants to know it was…something.

“Fuck!” Sal swears, spinning on his heel, kicking at the gravel under his feet. He knows he fucked up. Again. Another one in a long line of fuck ups. His head is still spinning and he stumbles slightly as he turns again.

“Does he hold you when you’ve had a shit day?” he asks quietly. “Does he make you laugh when you’re bein’ a moody asshole?” He stops, his throat suddenly burns and his chest isn’t working quite right. He swallows around the lump in his throat. “I hope he does.”

Tommy’s face softens and Sal can’t meet his eyes. Tommy pushes away from the wall and walks up to him, runs a thumb over his cheekbone then leans in and wraps his arms around him. Sal chokes against his shoulder and hugs him back, fisting his hands in the back of his shirt.

“Fuck I miss you so much baby,” he says, barely audible.

Tommy sighs and rubs his hand over the back of his head, smoothing his hair. Sal closes his eyes and lets himself feel five years of regret and anger and self-loathing boil over and run down his face. All the blame he has heaped on himself. Telling himself if only. If only. If only he was brave. Not just reckless, daring, heroic - brave where it matters.

“I’m sorry Sal, I’m so sorry sweetheart,” Tommy murmurs and something cracks in Sal’s chest. Some light radiating at the edges. He swallows hard.

“Wasn’t your fault baby,” he says, and he takes a deep breath because he knows that’s true and so is this. “Wasn’t my fault either.”

Tommy nods and squeezes him harder against his chest. “It was never your fault. I just wasn’t…we weren’t there yet.”

“You there now though?”

Tommy laughs, a huff of air against Sal’s shoulder. “I’m think I’m getting there.”

“Good. Got any directions for me?”

Tommy laughs.

Sal smiles and thinks maybe he can see light up ahead.

[mystery-star]

Those of you that know Mystery, Alaska surely remember that 'word poem' John does for his wife.

Now I need you to take a close look (click image to make it bigger)

Anyone see it?

Floodgate. Dear John forgot to black out the word floodgate and it's sending me.

[stressforu]

♯ itoshi rin — 'you know how to ball, i know aristotle'

a trend perfectly describing you and rin .

note : proplayer!rin x fem!reader

home page . . .

' ITOSHI RIN , a renowned soccer player from Japan have been rumored to attend a graduation ceremony just recently.''

The headline in big bold fonts are highlighted in an article, with a stolen shot (blurry if not with his recognizable dark green hair) of rin holding a bouquet of flowers in his left hand while holding his phone in the right, looking like he's texting someone.

Comments flooded the article, almost everyone is reluctant to know what is the famous striker doing at a university?

anon1028: guys, maybe he has a gf?

➜ anon5027: that's impossible, if he did have, it would've been rumored.

However, there was one thing the world already knew, Rin Itoshi was careful with the media. He's meticulous when he goes out, the paparazzi can't even get a single piece of information out of his private life. (The world turned upside down when a stolen shot of him was sent to the media.)

Though Rin Itoshi was meticulous with hiding, he didn't want to miss your graduation ceremony. Seeing you bask in the joy of graduation with friends and batchmates.

He was proud of you, even though he always scolded you when you didn't have enough sleep, forcing you to eat real food because you've been on noodles since last month.

He was willing to give up his private life in order to watch you give your speech as a valedictorian. (wow ...)

And as you ascended into the stage, the speech you wrote you held in your left hand, and the dainty 'clack' of your heels echoed the silent crowd.

You thanked the dean, the professors, and the staff welcomed the graduating students like you, and wished them a happy graduation.

As you near the end of the speech you want to give acknowledgment to a special someone.

"As the speech comes to an end, I want to thank someone very special who has been there for me throughout this journey. Their constant support, encouragement, and belief in me have always given me strength and inspiration. Whether it was studying late at night, feeling unsure, or celebrating achievements, their presence made a big difference."

Rin felt his eyes becoming teary, his face in a blushing mess, and that tight-lipped smile he'd always wear when he's happy.

You continued,

"To my partner, thank you for your endless patience, love, and for always believing in me, even when I struggled to believe in myself. This achievement is as much yours as it is mine."

You bowed, and the crown erupted into claps, awed by the heartwarming speech you had given on this day. You went down the stage to thank your professors and celebrate with your friends. However, you failed to notice Rin, your lover, walking into the crowd with a bouquet in his hand.

The crowd gasped, and someone pointed out shouting, "LOOK IT'S THE ATHLETE !" getting your attention. You gasped, it was Rin.

He walks towards you and hands out his bouquet with your favorite flowers. Congratulating you, and wishing you a happy graduation.

"y-you came..."

"how could I miss my girlfriend's graduation? congrats, baby ..."

@/itoshi_rin has a new post .ᐟ

———

@/itoshi_rin : love you.

➜ tagged @/yn_tiredofstudying

1728 comments

—> @/sae_toshi : am i dreaming?

notes : UHHH i dunno what to feel about this

[dumbseee]

gentleman.

in which nothing is easy for a woman in a "man’s world."

carlos sainz jr x journalist!reader.

fc: danna paola.

note: inspired by this. sorry for the typos and mistakes :(

liked by lissiemackintosh, lilymhe, charlottesiine and 109 000 others.

y/n: living lil y/n’s dream ☁️

_

charlottesiine: missing you love!

liked by y/n.

lissiemackintosh: you’re going to kill it y/n!

liked by y/n.

fan1: i want to be her so bad

fan2: she’s living my dream

fan3: so beautiful!

fan4: good luck y/n!

fan5: what does she knows about f1?

fan6: another clout chaser… i wonder which driver will be her first victim🤣

view all comments.

_

"hi carlos! first of all, congrats on p3, you did amazing!" you smiled, your mic in hand, shaking a little and trying to stay composed as carlos stood in front of you. he smiled at you, and you swore that you could faint right now. but you had to stay professional. "thank you…?" he said so you could tell him your name. "y/n l/n, it’s my first day." you smiled again and he smiled back, handing out his hand, that you obviously shook. "i have a question for you before letting you rest, how are you going to prioritise or how is it going to work with you to test everything, do you think it will be a game changer or not?" you asked, handing him the mic, he took it and started thinking. "good question! you have great questions y/n." carlos answered first before getting cut by someone behind you. "ha! mate, if you want her in your bed, no need to lie to her." another journalist said, and you could feel your heart fall in your stomach.

you knew that kind of thing was going to happen to you during your career. because it was well known that formula one was a man’s world and women had no business in it. you took a step back and bit your lower lip to stop the tears from falling. you knew you were qualified, you knew that you worked hard for it, it was your dream! but you felt utterly disrespected and embarrassed, you couldn’t even look at carlos anymore as you tried to back up to leave. but carlos wasn’t having that, he grabbed the mic you were still holding, which surprised you and pulled you back where you were previously standing. you looked up at him and was surprised to see how pissed he looked, his warm eyes were now cold and dark, his jaw clenched and his hand flexed against the mic which showed his veins.

"how dare you call yourself a man and talk to a woman like that?" he called out, the journalist turned bright red and struggled to find his words. "she heard the disgusting words you had to say about her and it hurt her, so you better apologise right now, and loud enough for the entire paddock to hear you." the man mumbled some apologies before running away, pushing some people out of his way which made the others people surrounding you laugh. carlos looked at you and smiled, putting his hand on your shoulder. "you have a bright future ahead of you, y/n. i’m looking forward to your interview in silverstone." he winked and finally disappeared, leaving you blushing and completely lost.

carlos sainz was definitely a gentleman.

liked by charles_leclerc, charlottesiine, lissiemackintoch and 890 009 others.

carlossainz55: amazing race for us! another podium for me and charles, thanks for the support guys! we must stay focus for the next race!

_

charles_leclerc: well said!

scuderiaferrari: proud of you boys!

fan1: YAAAAAAY

fan2: p2 and p3 for ferrari, i used to pray for times like this

fan3: who’s the girl on the fourth pic?

fan4: @.fan3 a random journalist

fan5: @.fan4 idk about random tho, that’s y/n l/n, the journalist carlos stood up for in autria

fan6: is that y/n l/n??

view all comments.

_

"congrats on p2 carlos!" you said with a big smile, you weren’t pointing a mic at him, you were actually heading back to your car when you bumped into the ferrari driver. he looked surprised to see you, but smiled back. "y/n! i was expecting you during the post-race interviews, where were you?" he asked, he was still wearing his race suit, tied up to his waist which had to be the sexiest sight you’ve ever witnessed. "i was feeling sick so i asked lissie to do them for me. i watched you- i mean, i watched you and max and charles of course!" you added, flustered and suddenly turning bright red. carlos laughed and patted your head which made your heart skip a beat. "haha! don’t worry cariño, i hope you’re feeling better, i need you to be there to interview me when i finally get to be p1." you smiled and nodded. "i promise to be healthy to interview you!" carlos smiled at you before walking to his car, you watched him leave and felt your cheeks getting hot when he turned around to wave at you before hopping in his ferrari.

carlos sainz was successfully playing with your heartstrings.

liked by lissiemackintosh, charlottesiine, carlossainz55 and 345 010 others.

y/n: happiness is a butterfly.

_

comments have been disabled.

[colie-nne]

i-c-o-n-i-c part 1

pairing: lewis hamilton x fem!reader | instagram au

summary: what it feels like to be the most iconic yet controversial couple in the paddock.

warning: implied age gap, other than that none.

requested: yes | no - REQUESTS ARE OPEN

a/n: so uhm this is part one, planned to post the whole thing but it came to be too long so i'm separating this into two. Hope you like it!!

yourusername added to their story

(caption: hello, monaco🇲🇨)

Daily WAG updates

158,219 likes

Daily WAG updates Lewis Hamilton's new girlfriend, Y/n L/n, was seen entering the paddock for the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying sessions, three months after confirming their relationship. (photos are from Twitter and y/n's latest story: yourusername)

view all 503 comments

user a lewis girl, it's been so long omy!!!🤍

user is it true that she's younger than him

user yes! people say she's only in her early twenties user i heard she was... user OH WHAT?

user another one using the drivers for fame 🤮🤮🤮

lewishamilton

liked by georgerussell63, mickschumacher and 1,540,965 others

lewishamilton Great race today, experienced a few mishaps but everything ended up good. Nice work coming from the team, who's always giving their best. Felt real support and love this weekend. Merci, Monaco 🇲🇨. (28/05/2023)

view all 5,978 comments

yourusername always the greatest ❤️

lewishamilton 😘 user i can't believe she got lewis to use that emoji, so cute!!! user the support he's missing has arrived

user and he has posted her....

user wanna bet that he'll drop her in a few weeks? user you do know they've been together for almost a year before going public right?

yourusername

liked by lewishamilton, mercedesamgf1 and 67,920 others

yourusername Thank you for the experience, Monaco. See you!

also, lewishamilton can i have your number? 🫣

view all 3,022 comments

lewishamilton nope, sorry ❤️

georgerussell63 no, he's already with me yourusername oh ok❤️ user not george fighting for lewis 😂

user his smile !!! and that last pic, they're so cute

user don't you guys find it weird that she's closer to george and mick's age, yet she's dating him?

user she's an adult, she knows what she's doing. user yeah, she knows how to spend his money😒

mercedesamgf1 we can give you his number in exchange for those cookies you brought last time.

yourusername sure!! great, thank you!!😊 user i like how his team likes her with lewis

Daily WAG updates

99,073 likes

Daily WAG updates Y/n L/n spotted shopping around Monte Carlo with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton (02/06/2023)

view all 745 comments

user and there goes his money

user her family is known in the business industry and that y/n herself is a businesswoman, i don't think she needs lewis' money tbh

user what a golddigger at such a young age

user Y/n's so pretty!! i see why lewis is with her

user yeah, she's also very sweet, cause I happen to be there when they were shopping and when I asked lewis for a picture she asked me if she could take it instead!! she also gave me that cookie his team was raving on about

user their age difference still bothers me... he's like 13 years older than her

user but they did say they met when she was 20 so nothing's wrong user i still think it's too big of an age gap

lewishamilton

liked by carlossainz55, georgerussell63 and 1,875,289 others

lewishamilton Silver in Spain 💥💥 Great work from everyone as always. Congratulations on a good race to georgerussell63 as well. Felt the support and love this weekend as well. Thank you for the team and yourusername❤️ for being there !! Some post race and after party pics (04/06/2023)

view all 4,092 comments

user the heart!!! the heart oooooo!! congrats to lewis and george!!

user the are the it couple!! very very iconic, always serving

yourusername i will always be there for you, my heart

lewishamilton as i to you user this is so sweet it's making me sick carlossainz55 now show love to my bucket hat

user the support and motivation y/n gives lewis is phenomenal, she should attend the races so we can see our man be p1 again

user why is she always with lewis?? all she does is pose around the paddock

user uhm because they're together? user they should really break up at this point. i also can't see lewis settling with someone much younger than him user are we really still talking about the age gap or you're just saying that to throw hate on y/n??

Daily WAG updates

263,259 likes

Daily WAG updates After being inactive for weeks, Y/n has made her account private. Lewis has yet made a statement after the hate thread the two has been receiving. (28/06/2023)

view all 3,178 comments

user i feel so sad for her, the fact that they had to hide their relationship for almost a year and the time they chose to public you've doubled up on the hate train. ya'll just jealous of her at this point.

user oh no!!! people be calling themselves fans of Lewis but will make his love ones go on private because of your delusional asses.

user FINALLY!!! Now, i just need the announcement that they broke up. it doesn't need to be today, tomorrow, or next week i just need it to happen.

user girl... are you sick? user no you guys are cause that girl was obviously using lewis and his money for her own gains user you guys literally bullied the poor girl into hiding.

user i wonder what lewis have to say after all this... i'm deeply sadden by the suddent course of this, nothing like i expected.

user so this is the reason she hasn;t been posting lately... hoping she'll come back when she's ready, i'll miss seeing her posts with lewis they're adorable.

[charmedbystars]

Hii can I request 1610 Miles x f-reader who both go to different schools and she doesn't know he's Spiderman. So on the night of her graduation, Miles didn't show leading to an argument and spilled hurtful words. But Miles confesses who he is and comforts her best he can :(

(Got dumped on grad lol🫠)

pairing: 1610! miles x reader

summary: it's your grad night and the person who said they wouldn't miss it for the world, misses it.

content: angst and fluff

a/n: i am sososooo sorry you got dumped on the day of ur grad. that's such a mean move and they def don't deserve you :((( i hope you're doing better and just know you got this <3 congrats on ur grad tho! u worked so hard to get where you are remember! ( i did not proof read this since i wrote it at two am ;()

it sucked going to different schools as your boyfriend. knowing that you guys won’t be able to see each other as often and missing even doing the most mundane things, such as just walking to class, you made it your priority to build your relationship on communication. it was all going well and you guys would try to fit into each other's schedule the best you could… up until recently. miles has been showing up late to all dates recently, or just completely canceling at the last minute. sometimes, miles makes it up to you, but it still hurts. you don’t want to make a huge deal out of it, especially since you are both graduating soon and going to college. being the optimist, you try to think of the future with miles, maybe schedules clearing up before college and maybe even choosing college classes that’ll allow time slots to see each other in between. 

although right now, you aren’t focusing on the future. it’s graduation day. it’s supposed to be perfect. celebrating a milestone, a moment where you are congratulated for everything you’ve worked for over the past years. all your family and friends are there, beaming with pride. all except one person – miles. 

you had been waiting for this day forever. planning what you were gonna wear to walk across the stage weeks before. giving out tickets to who could come and save seats to watch you. it’s all you and miles talked about recently. him being excited for yours and his graduation. he double pinky promised that he’d be there when you asked him to check a hundred percent that he’d be there. miles responded verbatim, “i wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

and you believed him. 

so when it was time for the ceremony to begin and miles wasn’t answering the texts you sent over an hour ago, you started getting anxious. 

sitting among your classmates, waiting to line up, and eventually walking across the stage, you eventually collect your diploma with a smile and a handshake. 

mingling with your friends and taking tons of pictures, you kept your composure well, but your heart wasn’t in it. the person who promised you was absent, casting a shadow over everything. you were so confused as to why he wasn’t there. 

cap and gown hung up and diploma up on display. you were home. 

dinner went well and your friends were there to distract you. although when your parents asked where miles was, the bubble that you were in popped, not knowing how to respond and just shrugging your shoulders. your parents understood and didn’t bring it up. 

so you’re in your pajamas and getting ready to climb into bed, when you hear tapping on your window. walking over you see miles in a big jacket and eyes downcast. you wanted to just leave him outside but you wanted to hear what he had to say, so you slid open the window to let him in. 

“i’m so so sorry, my love,” he started, but you quickly cut him off. 

“sorry? that’s all you have to say?” you snapped, voice trembling. “you promised miles! you promised you’d be there and wouldn’t miss it for the world! do you know how embarrassing it was to keep looking around for you? even my parents asked for you!”

he looks at you with a pained expression. “i know, and i can’t tell you how sorry i am… but something important came up. you need to understand.”

“i need to understand something more important than my graduation? huh?” you shot back. “what could possibly be so important that you couldn’t even send a text?”

a pause or two went by. his silence was deafening. tears of frustration and sadness well up in your eyes. “you always do this miles. you just disappear without a trace and i’m left here wondering what’s going on. do you even care about me? about us? or whatever is left of this one sided relationship?”

the words were harsh as they left your mouth. any other day, you would’ve regretted your words but you were so hurt today that you didn’t care. 

miles was left stuttering and choking a response up. “i… i do care,”

“i care more than you know, but things are so hard right now and you know i hate keeping things from you.”

confusion was written all over your face. “miles, what are you talking about?”

“this is going to change everything, but know that none of this was to hurt you.” he said as he slowly took the big jacket he had off, revealing his suit beneath. 

seeing the spider emblem in the middle made your eyes widen in shock. 

“i’m spider-man,” he softly said. “that’s why i wasn’t there tonight or the other times i cancelled… just know that i wanted to be there for you so bad, but i have a responsibility to the city too.” 

hearing those words made the world tilt as you tried to process his words. spiderman. miles is spiderman. your miles is spiderman. and slowly all the pieces start to fit together. the disappearances, the excuses, the exhaustion in his eyes.

“miles… you’re spiderman?” you repeated back, still trying to wrap your head around it. “why didn’t you tell me?”

“i wanted to,” he said, stepping closer. “but i was so scared. scared of putting you in danger, scared of what you’d think of me. but i’m so sorry, my love. i never wanted to hurt you.”

tears fell out of your eyes, anger subsiding with understanding but still hurt. “i just wish you told me sooner. i thought you didn’t care.” 

more tears started falling and he took the final step to pull you into a tight embrace. you both clinged onto each other, feeling the weight of everything at once. “i care about you more than anything,” he whispered. “and i promise, from now on, no more secrets. i want to figure this out together.”

as you both held each other, a sense of relief washed over you two. it wouldn’t be easy overcoming everything and he still broke his promise, but at least you knew the truth now. you could now face everything together.

he took a step, leading you both to the bed and wrapping yourselves under the covers. miles threw an arm around you and you leaned into him, resting your head on his chest. his heartbeat was steady, a soothing rhythm assuring you that he was there. 

“you know,” you tilted your head up, “you still have to make it up to me. i don’t just graduate everyday.” 

he chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest. “i know. i’ll try my hardest for you.” your eyes caught each other before he ran a thumb against your cheek. “i’m so sorry, but know that i am so proud of you.” he said, voice filled with sincerity. 

you shifted closer to his face, giving him the softest kiss. his fingers gently traced patterns on your back, lulling you into a state of peace. the weight of the night’s emotions melted away, bringing tiredness to the couple. 

“thank you for telling me, miles.” you murmured, eyes growing heavy. 

“no, thank you for understanding.” he replied, pressing a kiss to your forehead. 

as sleep began to claim you, you felt a sense of contentment. despite the events and surprises, you were happy that you had miles by your side. with him, you could face anything. 

as he held you close, you drifted off, feeling safe and loved.

(PLEASE LMK IF THERE'S ANY MISTAKES)

[galazry]

Finally... a glance...

pairing: best friend!scaramouche x gn!reader genre: modern au; friends to lovers; unfortunately, this is not angst; semi-crack? tbh i threw away all my logic while writing this. content: he finally confessed his feelings... at the worst possible way. before you could even answer, scaramouche had already run away. now you're left alone to wonder... how much of an idiot are you? cw: you get to learn how stupid both scaramouche and the reader are, also kazuha is here and is so tired with how his friends are acting. word count: 2K (I had a bit too much fun while writing this haha...) a/n: sequel to "Look at Me!". tbh i was planning to make a sequel that leads to an angsty ending. Don't worry, I'm not bamboozeling you guys this time 🫶 ALSO I'M SORRY THIS TOOK A LONG TIME I WAS SO BUSY 😭😭😭

It's been a week since Scaramouche confessed his feelings for you. Your aloof best friend for 5 years confessed that he had been harboring affection for you for the longest time. To be honest, you were quite baffled once those words poured out of his lips. Never had a single thought of him being infatuated with you crossed your mind. Hell, you even thought that if you were the last person on earth, he wouldn't even catch any feelings for you.

Oh, how you were proven wrong.

It's been too long since you've seen his figure. Seven days too long. None of the messages you've sent had been read, nor did he pick up any of your calls. His classmates knew nothing of his whereabouts, nor did he attend any of his classes. You even tried to go over to his apartment as you were sure he would be in there, but your knocks were met with silence.

The rest of your friends and classmates noticed how the usually lively atmosphere around you had gone gloomy. Currently, you were in the cafeteria, twiddling with your spoon, food untouched. You didn't really have an appetite as a heavy sigh left your lips. A week had pass and you were still trying to process everything that he had said; how Scaramouche had done everything to gain your attention, but all his efforts didn't bear fruit. You thought that all the things he had done were normal since you both had been best friends for a long time. Maybe it was why you didn't suspect him harboring feelings for you–

"Hey, [Y/N]. May I sit here?"

You begrudgingly lifted your head to the source of the familiar sound that had interrupted your thoughts. Kazuha. You nodded and your friend sat across from you.

"You seemed down in the dumps lately. Not only that, Scaramouche is nowhere to be found. Did you both had an argument of the sort?"

Leave it to Kazuha to sense the change in the atmosphere around you. You let out a sigh as you kept poking at your food. Not wanting to tell him the full truth, you only answered him briefly.

"No... No, we didn't."

"Ah, I see.”

You both continue to eat your food in silence – well, specifically, it was Kazuha who was eating his food, while you kept twiddling with your utensils. After a bit, you decided to break the silence. After all, this was Kazuha, one of your closer friends who, more you would sometimes confide in. Not as much as you did with Scaramouche, though.

“Actually… I guess we kind of did…? Scara kind of…” You take a deep breath, before muttering, “confessed to me…”

“Oh? Congrats to you both then. He finally had the courage to confess to you after harboring his feelings for you for so long. I don't see the reasoning for you to be so down in the dumps.”

Kazuha smiled, as if the words you said wasn’t a surprise to him. You, however, had your eyes as wide as saucers with the reaction he had given you. How did the platinum-blonde knew that Scaramouche liked you? The look on your face tells him that he was missing a big chunk of the story. Putting down his spoon, he leaned closer towards you and asked, “[Y/N], you did accept his feelings… right? This is what you have always wanted, no?” You slowly glanced away, not wanting to answer his question. Suddenly, to you, the trees outside looked that much more interesting as it swayed with the wind.

“[Y/N].”

“Look, I was shocked, alright?! The fact that the feeling was mutual was a complete shocker to me! And before I could process everything and answered him, he bolted right off!" You groaned, finally starting to spill the beans towards your friend, who suddenly felt his shoulders getting heavy.

“Oh dear…” Kazuha sighed as everything finally clicked into place. Even without you telling him the full details, he could already guess what had transpired between the two of you. He had always thought you both were a pair match in heaven and the event that had transpire prior really sealed said fact.

“This is why I told you to stop discussing your so-called ‘crushes’ in front of him.”

“Well…” After telling him the full story of what had happened that day, your friend could only let out a long and tired sigh as you fiddle with the hem of your shirt—the way you kept talking about the people, he knows you don’t have crush on in front of Scaramouche, and the way the indigo-haired confessed to you—he could only form a rueful frown on his face. “You know I’m stupid with these kinds of things and I thought if… you know…”

Kazuha knows. He knows how you thought that if you discuss your so-called 'crushes' with Scaramouche, you could discern if he has feelings for you as well. In addition to that, you also thought by making him jealous enough, your best friend would confess to you — which he did, though it didn't really end like how you wanted it.

"[Y/N]... Why couldn't you just be straightforward and confess your feelings for him...?"

"And look like a fool and possibly ruin our 5 years of friendship if the feeling wasn't mutual?!"

Kazuha massages his forehead as he remembers the conversation he had with Scaramouche weeks prior before the incident. He too had asked the indigo-haired why he didn't went up and be straightforward with his feelings. Scaramouche was, after all, infamous for speaking what's on his mind. In spite of that, Kazuha got the same answer like the one you gave him...

"There's no way I'm ruining my friendship with [Y/N] if the feeling wasn't mutual! Only an idiot would do that!"

To concur, you both really were a match in heaven— being total idiots oblivious to each others feelings and poor Kazuha was stuck in the middle. With a sigh, ruby orbs looked at you.

"So... What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know... Scara wouldn't even open the door for me-"

You stopped mid-sentence and stared at Kazuha. Before he could get a word out, you leaned towards him with a glint he knows so well. This can't be good...

"Kazuha... Your apartment is next to Scara's... right?"

A week.

A week long he had taken absence from attensing any of his classes. Scaramouche felt like his world crashed into him the minute he ran away from you. That wasn't how he wanted the confesion for you to go... There should have been flowers, or homemade cookies, anything.

The indigo-haired layed on his unmade head, constantly and silently cursing himself for his cowardly actions. He was about to mope some more when he heard a faint knock. At first, he ignored it, thinking that it was either you or Kazuha. Although, the knocks grew louder and louder, and even more desperate that, with a sigh, he got out of bed and walked towards the door.

Peering through the peephole he saw no one, yet the knocks kept coming. There was even a voice that kept calling out his name where was—

Indigo orbs dilated when they say your figure, on his balcony, pounding on the glass door, calling out his name. Without missing a beat, he immediately pulled you into his apartment. "Are you crazy?! How did you get into my balcony?!"

"From Kazuha's balcon-"

"FROM KAZUHA'S BALCONY?!?!"

He didn't gave you any time to reply as he began to check for any bruises or injury you may have suffered as you did your irresponsible stunt. All the while, he kept running his mouth, saying how you could have gotten hurt, and that he would have a talk with Kazuha for letting you do said stunt. Once he was sure that you did not suffer any injury, his hand immediately pinched your cheek. "[Y/N] [L/N]... What gave you the right idea to jump from his balcony to mine, hm?" Scaramouche asked with a smile, effectively sending chills down your spine. With a gulp, you answered him with as much confidence as you could muster.

"You kept avoiding me. My text, my calls, my knocks. Every time I try so hard to reach out to you, you constantly block out my efforts. So I had to do what I had to do. Even if the risk was great, as long as I get to talk to you that's all that matters." It was his turn to advert your gaze. Dropping his hands from your cheek, he then rubbed the back of his neck. Was it from shame? Or was the fear of you rejecting him now back to gnaw at his heart? The indigo-haired didn't know.

"Look, I know what you're going to say; That you have no feelings for me, I get it. No need for this whole stunt just to reject me," He let out a sigh, still holding onto the illusion that you never once hold any feelings for him. It was now your turn to prove him wrong, and to apologize for the misunderstanding that almost rift your friendship and potential relationship apart.

His eyes went as wide as saucers when your lips brushed against his. Soft. That was the only think he could think off once you pull away, the smile he had always adored and cherish now on your face. "I have feelings for you too, Scara." Suddenly, the dullness of the world around him became vibrant and colourful. The fluttering of the butterflies in his stomach could definitely cause a storm. This must be a dream, there's no way, in his mind, that this was all real. Or maybe it was some sort of cruel joke the heavens is playing on him.

Seeing the confusion reflected in his eyes, you explained to your best friend — how you actually had fallen head over heels for him; how you faked all your crushes to instigate a reaction from him; how you wonder if his aloofness was a sign that your feelings weren't reciprocated, but never did you once gave up. You wrapped everything up with an apology, that you could have done things better, and that you were ready to face a rejection from him. "After all," your hand cups his cheek, caressing it gently with your thumb, "this whole thing started because I wanted to make sure that you did have feelings for me. So, if your feelings for me have faded away, I would understa-"

"Idiot." He intercepts you mid-sentence, pulling you in for a hug. "You're stupid... Can't believe that you are a total idiot... Maybe this is the reason why you could never beat my scores... Always taking the most difficult and strangest route of them all." You were about to complain and ask about the correlation about academic scores and your current situation. However, the rare smile on his face as he looked at you as if you're his entire world completely shuts you up.

"But... I guess you're my idiot now, huh?"

.

.

.

You finally finished telling the story of how both you and Scaramouche started dating. The children, that you both were babysitting, had happy smiles on their face as your lover groans in embarrassment at the story. To the man, it was a cringey story, yet he never did once try to stop you from telling the kids about how your relationship with him started. He loved seeing the smile on your face, and if he had to endure hearing the same story over and over again, so be it.

Scaramouche wouldn't admit that he too, at that time, had been an idiot, for causing such a scene. Well, in the end, you both still got together and that's all that matters. Not to mention, you both have a fun story to tell to everyone as an added bonus.

Once the children's parents picked them all up, you both then snuggled on the couch. A soft humming filled the room as you gave Scaramouche a quick peck. "Hey," you started off and he immediately knows where this conversation is going. "One day, love. Right now, I want to savour these quiet and tranquil moments with you before this home of ours becomes lively and we have little spawns running around." He let out a small chuckle, holding your hand as his thumb traced the ring on your finger.

[goldfades]

🍁 for luke?!

congrats again on 100!! 🫶🏻

AAAAAA TYSM LOVE !!!!!! enjoy this blurb lmao, i love lukey pookie <3

he's so 1989. idk why but he just gives off that vibe. OKAY. HE'S VERY 'how you get the girl' (he for sure got the girl in this one lmao)

luke doesn't know how the hell he ended up at your house.

it was a 11:30 on a random tuesday, he knows you're asleep but he can't, even though he knows he has early morning practice tomorrow and a whole day of classes. his mind is racing, but so is this heart.

it was raining and he's still in his pajamas, too. his new jersey devils pj's really fit the whole mood. he rolled his eyes at himself ─ why didn't he change?

it had been six months since you two had broken up. well, not exactly. tomorrow morning, or in 20 minutes time, it would be exactly 6 months since you two had broke up. he knew this because he had been anxiously counting the days until your break-up was official.

ever since luke was little, jack would always tell him that break-up's weren't official until the 6 month mark which basically gave them a 'grace period' to get back together. and even now, as a whole adult, he applies it to everything.

he doesn't even know why he was here. he knew you had moved on ─ he saw all those guys you were with at the bar the other night, you weren't hurting anymore. still, that stupid rule made everything so much worse. knowing that after this period, you wouldn't even be thinking about him anymore made him sick.

he decided, an hour ago, that he was gonna get you back that night. he finally let out a big exhale and closed his eyes, getting out of the car and into the rain, walking up to your driveway and to your front door.

he quickly rang the doorbell twice ─ it was your guys' inside joke, knocking twice or ringing the doorbell twice was some kind of code for one another.

he heard some faint footsteps and he straightened his posture, letting out a loud exhale before you opened the door.

your eyes widened at the sight. your ex, luke hughes, standing outside your door in the rain, a few minutes before midnight. he could see the grogginess on your face and suddenly felt a tinge of guilt.

his curly hair was soaking wet and so were his pj's and you almost cringed at the sight. then you saw his face, his cute, stupid face. your heart fluttered at the sight, like it always did when you saw him, even when he was being a fucking asshole.

"luke, what are you doing here?" you shouted over the rain, that was starting to become more than just a midnight shower.

"i-i..." he didn't even know what to say. he let out a loud exhale before speaking again. "i miss you, y/n. i really, really miss you. i can't sleep, i keep repeating that fight over and over again and every time, i wish i had said something different. anything else would've been better."

your heart broke again at those words as you were transported back to that night. you shook your head, you didn't wanna relive that after you'd tried so hard to get over it all these months. "oh, you can't sleep?" you said, sarcastically. "i have repeated that night over and over again too, trying to figure out where it all went wrong. for a while, i even blamed myself─"

"it's not your fault, it was mine!"

"yeah, i know that now." you spoke bitterly at the boy, who was now shaking from the now, heavy rainfall. "i wish you had said something different, too, luke. but now we both have to live with the conseque─"

"fuck, y/n!" he grunted in frustration. "i'm so mad at myself for letting that happen, i'm so sorry for doing that to you."

you let those few words sink in. luke hughes was not one to ever apologize, you knew that. that was one of the reasons why you two had ended things and hearing those words come out of his mouth felt somewhat therapeutic. "luke─"

"y/n, please just let me talk!" he shouted over the rain. "if i could go back in time i would. if i could just... erase all of it, i would. but i can't. and i know i'm selfish for even asking this but i want you back. no one compares to you and no one ever will, y/n. i've tried, i really have. but i lost you once and i'll be damned if i lost you again if you just gave me another chance.”

that whole monologue sounded like it was right outta a movie. you didn't know how to feel ─ or how to react. you felt so many emotions wash over you and you took another good look at luke.

his curly hair, his soft skin, his entire face just took you back to when you two were together ─ the good times, too. summer at the lake house with his family, late night car rides for drinks, sunday night dates because he insisted that saturdays were for the boys, and especially, his soft touch.

luke's heart was beating out of his chest and he knew he was going to catch a cold because of how long he'd been standing outside, but all of that wouldn't matter if you just took him back. he watched your expression change and he swears he felt like a million tons had just been lifted off his chest as you opened up the door for him to come in.

"alright, luke. fine, one more chance. one, and if you fuck up, it's over and it will be over for the rest of our lives, got it?"

that sweet smile graced his lips for the first time tonight as he walked into your home, exhaling deeply. "got it."

you both stared into each other's eyes, your heart beating fast as a smile plastered on your face as well. then, luke smashed his lips against yours and pushed you against the door. "won't make you regret it, princess."

MY 100 FOLLOWER CELLY!

[chrissdollie]

”what would you do if jess proposed?”

a/n: WARNING: i wrote this late and it’s mostly dialogue. also it’s not really a romantic jess x reader it’s a very causal thing. but i promise i’ll edit it soon to make it cuter. wc: 2.6k

paul anka barked at the door where a knock was heard. you and your mom lorelai were sitting on the couch watching a movie. “just a minute!” she yelled, picking up paul and handing him over to you where you held him in your lap, petting him slowly. you looked over your shoulder to the front door, wondering who it was.

lorelai opened the door to reveal rory’s current boyfriend of three years, logan. “oh hey!” she greeted. “hey.” logan replied blandly.

“oh, you just missed rory. she’s on her way back to school.” rory had left back to yale after visiting at home to study for her finals.

“i know, im actually here to see you and y/n.” his voice shook slightly. he seemed nervous, which was weird because from the few times you met him, he was a very confident and down to earth guy. “oh, okay. come on in.” she invited.

“thank you.” logan stepped inside and walked over to where you were sitting in the living room. “do you want, um, any food or drink? we ordered way too many fries.” lorelai asked, inviting him to sit on the couch. you smiled and muttered a small “hello” to which he nodded back and sat down next to you.

“no thanks, i’m all good.” you moved over slightly so lorelai could squeeze in next to the two of you. “um, so how was your trip?” you asked kindly, trying to rid of the awkwardness.

“oh, it was really great. actually that’s what i wanted to talk about.” he folded his hands as he manspread. you raised your brow so only lorelai could see. she looked at you and then back to logan.

“oh, god. i know nothing about that world. uh, apple, ibm, microsoft, im out.” she joked, making logan chuckle. his face then turned serious again. “well, i’ve been offered a position with an emerging internet company.” he informed before pausing.

“wow, that’s great!” you congratulated, grinning. “yeah, congrats.” lorelai agreed. “thanks, it’s pretty similar to what i was doing in new york, but actually, they’re willing to make me a full partner i’ll be getting in on the ground floor.”

you had no idea what the ‘ground floor’ was, but you nodded and continued to smile like you did know. lorelai seemed at a small loss for words too. so she settled with “that’s exciting!”

“it is. it’s gonna be a lot of long hours and an incredible amount of work building the company, but i really feel this ‘venture has a bright future. i mean, these are serious people.” he grinned softly.

“and you’re a serious guy.” lorelai complimented, her eyes softening. a serious guy? you weren’t totally sure about that, but you stayed quiet. “look, you don’t have to convince me. i voiced my concerns, and you told me your plans. we had pie. i’m cool.” she sweetly told him.

“thank you. i appreciate that. that means a lot to me.” he thanked. this was getting weird. you wanted to know the reason that he came here. god, would he just hurry up already??

“you’re welcome.” lorelai hummed back, her face falling to a frown. logan cleared his throat. “so, the thing is.. well, as the you guys can imagine, i’m pretty excited about all this.” 

“yeah, of course, i mean it’s really cool.” you spoke. “but it-it does mean a move to san francisco. palo alto, actually.” he dropped the bomb. he’s moving. poor rory, she was going to be devastated! your mom’s face fell into an ‘O’ shape and your face saddened at the thought of him breaking up with rory.

rory was your best friend (besides from your mom, of course) and she loved logan deeply. you would hate to see her get hurt, but it has to happen. it’s not like she can move with him. oh. 

“that’s big. that’s funny, rory didn’t mention it. did she say anything to you?” lorelai questioned turning the spotlight to you for a minute. “nope, not a thing.”

“well, i haven’t told her yet.” he said, voice shaking slightly again. “and you’re here because you want us to tell her for you?” lorelai asked, trying to get the point across. logan chuckled again.

“no, no, i’m gonna tell her. i just, um, i wanted to talk to you guys first about it.” he took a deep breath while looking at the floor before speaking. “look. i love rory. she means the world to me and i want her to come with me to california.” oh no. now he’s dropped the bomb.

you saw lorelai close her eyes and take a breath before opening her eyes again. “oh.” was all she had to say. you shook your head. “but, not just as my girlfriend.” he said deeply. “which is why i’m here. i’m here to ask for your blessings. to ask rory to marry me.”

“chris, hi.” lorelai picked up the phone. you were standing next to her because rory was talking to some DAR ladies. you excused yourself and followed your mom away from the two women you were talking to. you saw chris standing outside and that was your cue to leave them alone and walked towards your boyfriend who’d finally arrived

“hi, honey!” you greeted. jess smiled and kissed your cheek. “hi, i’m sorry for being late. work was right up my as.. hello emily.” he greeted your grandmother who came up to you two. “hello, jess. hi, y/n.” she smiled at you before kissing your cheek.

your grandfather richard came over and quickly greeted you before turning to emily.

“emily, i think now is a good time.” he mumbled. “oh, excuse us.” emily and richard walked to the front of the room next to the grand piano. emily tapped a glass with a fork to get everyone’s attention. richard straightened his shoulders and held a piece of paper.

“ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen. first, let me thank you for coming to celebrate my granddaughter rory’s graduation.” he spoke clearly. emily walked up next to him and pinched his arm. “ouch!” he winced. “oh i-i do beg your pardon. celebrating our granddaughter rory’s graduation.” he corrected himself, making you and rory giggle quietly standing next to each other. you also waved quickly to your dad before turning back to richard.

“i can’t let him take all the credit, have you seen her? can you blame me?” emily joked, making the crowd laugh. you and rory gave each other a look almost to say ‘she’s been drinking.’ 

“so, when my wife and i sat down to write our toast,” he continued. “we ran into something of a problem. all of our words sounded too mundane, too insignificant to mark such an auspicious occasion, as rory’s graduation from yale. so, instead.. maestro.” richard turned to the pianist.

rory’s head turned slightly and furrowed her eyebrows. you were just as confused as she was. “please excuse us. we are not singers.” emily somewhat nervously apologized. “never let them see you sweat, dear.” richard soothed. 

lorelai turned to her daughters, raising a brow causing you three to chuckle. your grandparents raised their papers in front of them and stood tall. richard began the song as the pianist played a joyful tune.

you’re the top

you have graduated

you’re the top

your grandparents are elated

newspaper editor, phi beta kappa WOW!

you’re a relegation, a huge sensation

you should take a bow

you are done

no more school for you

there is nothing now that you can’t do

you’ll make us proud, we’ll sing it loud

it’s true cause now rory, you’re a bulldog through and through!

you clapped loudly, laughing with your sister. the crowd applauded and “aww”’ed at the sweet song. logan yelled out a “yeah!” before rory ran up to her grandparents and gave them both a hug. “oh, thank you, thank you. wow!” she smiled.

“we meant every word in that song.” emily cooed. “we certainly did. even the ones we sang off key.” richard agreed. rory thanked them again before expressing her love and appreciation for them. you loved that rory went to college, even if you didn’t. she had begged you to go with her so she wouldn’t be alone, but this experience had given her a new pov of the world.

chris’ phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. “oh, it’s the babysitter calling to see if g.g can watch an hour of television.” he said aloud. “i don’t think she’s ready for ‘the pussycat dolls yet’.” you teased, causing chris and lorelai to grin. “i’ll be right back.”

but before he could leave to answer the phone, logan stopped him. “actually, would you mind waiting?” he jumped quickly. chris’ head turned up to look at logan for a second before nodding. “sure.”

“thanks. trust me, you’ll want to stick around for this.” he dismissed himself and walked to rory. “okay.” he replied shortly. your face fell and you could see lorelai’s did too. “is he gonna..” chris pointed towards him. you’re assuming your mom told chris about logan wanting to propose.

“not here. not now.” lorelai shook her head in disbelief. you really hoped he wouldn’t do that to rory. especially in front of everybody. what if she says no? truth be told, you didn’t want rory to get married and leave to san francisco! she was only 22 and you wanted her to stay with you and your mom for a little while longer.

she can’t just up and leave. she won’t. she’s been away at college while you’ve been working and things will finally get to go back to normal after her graduation. you mentally shake of these thoughts and focus on the present.

“if i could, i’d also like to say a few words about my girlfriend of the past three years.” logan began. you had also told jess after you’d found out logan wanted to propose. but he still looked appalled. rory was like a little sister to him, you knew. 

logan turned to look rory in her big blue eyes. “you amaze me, rory gilmore, every day, everything that you do, everything that you are. this past year, i realized that i don’t know a lot more than i thought i knew if that makes sense. i’m sorry, i’m a little bit nervous. didn’t think i’d be.” he chuckled shyly. 

“what i’m trying to say is that.” he sighed softly before taking a quick breath. “i don’t know a lot. but i know that i love you. and i want to be with you.. forever.” he sighed again and pulled out a velvet blue box from his pocket. rory’s eyes widened and she realized what was happening. you wish you knew what was going on in her head.

the crowd began to murmur. your eyes widened in anticipation. emily’s mouth was wide open with joy while richard’s happy face contorted to an serious one. “rory gilmore.” he opened the box, still looking at her. “will you marry me?”

that’s it. the question was asked and out in the open. it was silent for a few moments. “um..” she muttered and turned to you and lorelai for a moment. she looked back and struggled to find words. “um, wow.” she chuckled breathily. “i- wow..” 

“is there a yes in between those ‘wows’?” logan asked eagerly. the crowd laughed lightly. “um, im just, im so.. surprised. i-i just, um, would, um..” she ran her fingers through her hair quickly before grabbing his hand. “w-will you come talk to me outside?”

“sure.” he walked as she led them outside. “yeah, okay,” she stumbled quickly out the door. emily ran to the pianist. “play something now.” she demanded before looking out the window.

“my poor girl.” you pouted as jess wrapped an arm around your shoulders. emily walked over to where you and lorelai were standing. “well i don’t know what to do! should i continue to stagger the hors d’oeuvres or just tell the kitchen staff to send everything out?” she cried.

lorelai shrugged. “i don’t know.” she mumbled. “why didn’t she just say yes?” emily threw her arms down like a child, clearly upset. your eye twitched for a moment. “i’m not sure she wants to marry him, grandma.” you tried to make her understand. but who are you kidding, this is emily gilmore.

“that’s ridiculous, he’s a huntzberger. an offer like this doesn’t come around every day.” emily whined. “it’s a marriage proposal, not a sale on linens.” lorelai folded her arms as richard approached, handing a drink to his wife. “clearly, rory was caught off guard, all of us were.” your phone rang as richard spoke.

you pulled your cellphone out of your pocket and answered. “i’m sure she just needs a moment to get her bearings-“ you cut your grandfather off to speak. “hi, ror.”

you motioned for lorelai to follow you, removing jess’ arm from you quickly. “did she say yes?” emily called out as you and lorelai exited the house. “we’ll be right back.” lorelai told chris and jess.

you two found rory and your eyes widened. “is that a carriage?” you laughed. “wow, how romantic!” you cheesed jokingly. “get in, now please!” rory pleaded. lorelai went in first, rory followed second, and you last.

the horses began to walk and rory turned to you. “i just kept saying ‘i don’t know, i’ll have to think about it’ and it was awful! and he was obviously disappointed and upset.” she began ranting. “well that was kinda on him. imagine if you said no in front of all those people!” you thought.

the girls agreed silently. “you know, he made all these plans about the house we’d live in and the avocado tree in our backyard.” she continued. “you do like guacamole.” lorelai threw in. “i-i just had to explain to him how it if the blue this is. like super out of the blue! the deepest, darkest, naviest blue. and why are you so calm by the way?”

“we knew. he came by the house to ask for our permission.” you told her. “we were dying to tell you!” you whined. lorelai jumped in after you. “and she almost did, but i threatened her to no more sleeping in on weekdays.” she said. “you sleep in on weekdays.” “that’s not the point.”

“anyways, what do you think i should do?” rory asked desperately. “oh, honey, i think it’s your decision.” lorelai put simply. rory pushed her head forward waiting for more. “you have no opinion?” she questioned in disbelief. “only you know what you want.” she briefly answered. 

“hm, okay. what about you, curly? what would you do if jess proposed?” rory asked. “well, moe, i would definitely wait a few days before answering. id really think about it first. id make a photo collage of what our wedding would look like and then show you, then make a pros and cons list, and then answer once i’m fully confident.” you finished. 

“that was actually a very good answer, dude, nice.” lorelai spoke in her surfer-bro voice and fist bumped you. “i love him. i do. i’m like a circus freak with all the hands. i’m all over the place!”

“you’ll get through this. just mull over it for now.” you gave her a big hug. rory grinned sweetly and hugged back. “group hug!” lorelai cheered, leaning in. “if you get married, can i be the flower girl?” lorelai asked in a high pitched voice. “no. paul anka will be the flower girl.”

[laundrybiscuits]

(continued from this snippet)

“You could—” Jonathan moves his hands through the air like he’s conducting an invisible orchestra.

“I don’t know what that means,” Eddie tells him. They’ve been smoking all afternoon, so Jonathan’s even more of a space case than usual.

“He means you could pretend, dude,” says Argyle, who is putting little braids into Eddie’s hair. It’s very soothing. “Like, fake it ‘til you make it.”

“I mean. It would be good for Will to see, like…happily ever after. But gay. You know?” Jonathan tips the last of the Dorito crumbs into his mouth and contemplates the empty bag with devastatingly sorrowful eyes.

“That is the worst idea I’ve ever heard,” says Eddie. “Congrats, by the way, because I’ve heard a lot of bad ideas in my time, and I thought I knew all the major contestants. But lo and behold, dark horse Byers swoops in to steal the crown! The crowd goes wild.” He makes a raspy aaaaaah sound and wiggles his fingers to symbolize a packed stadium at the Bad Idea Olympic Games.

“That’s my boy,” says Argyle, reaching over to ruffle Jonathan’s hair. “Great job, brochacho.”

Eddie’s never totally sure whether Argyle’s doing an extended bit or not, and it’s the fucking best.

“So, you’ll do it?” Jonathan asks hopefully. He’s like a puppy dog, the way he perks up.

“Fuck no,” says Eddie. “Absolutely not under any circumstances. Fuck off.”

“Dude, I totally respect that,” says Argyle, starting on another braid. “Gotta honor your truth, Ed-head. Can’t shine a hella dope light from a flashlight powered by lie-batteries.”

“Every day I thank a god I don’t believe in for your presence in my life,” Eddie informs him.

———

Annoyingly, Jonathan doesn’t give up on the idea. What’s worse, he tries to be sneaky about it.

Eddie rolls up late to the next movie night, because he’s not always great with things like having a basic understanding of time and space. When he walks into the Byers-Hopper living room, Jonathan calls out, “Eddie, hey! There’s—you can sit here on the couch if you want. By Steve.”

Eddie gives him an unimpressed look. Jonathan doesn’t even have the decency to be phased by Eddie’s scorn, just shifts over to make room on the couch between him and Steve.

“Aww,” coos Eddie. “Did you miss me that much, Johnny-boy?” He drops right into Jonathan’s lap, slinging an arm around his neck.

“Why are you so heavy,” says Jonathan. “You look like if a stick figure had a baby with a mop.”

Eddie cackles. “It’s all the heavy metal. Weighs down my soul with whips and chains and demonic energy.”

“Jeez, you two, get a room.” Steve rolls his eyes.

The look of pure panic that crosses Jonathan’s face is pretty hilarious, all things considered.

“I’m not gay!” Jonathan blurts out. “Not that there would be—anything wrong with it. If I were. Because, um, gay people deserve love too. Because they’re just like us. I mean, people who aren’t gay. Which is me. I’m not. But it would be okay if I was.”

Will looks like he wants a rift to swallow him up where he sits, but Eddie thinks he looks a little bit pleased, too. It’s nice that Jonathan is trying so hard, even if Eddie has one or two notes on the execution.

“Okay, big guy,” says Eddie, patting Jonathan on the cheek. “Don’t have to throw a parade about it or anything.”

The movie’s okay, Eddie guesses. It’s Nancy’s pick, which means it’s a fast-talking political thriller that nobody but Robin can ever really follow. Afterwards, Steve leans over to him and says, “Hey, are you still out of Coke? I can pick some up on my way over after I drop Dustin off.”

Will gives Eddie a look, which is totally unjustified because this is a completely normal friend thing. Steve’s parents are in town, so he’s been spending a few nights camping out at Eddie’s, because everyone else has parents who’d probably object. It’s perfectly logical and completely normal. It’s not like he can bunk with Robin. Also, Robin kicks like a horse in her sleep.

But even though Eddie knows it’s a completely normal friend thing, he can also kind of see why Will might’ve gotten the wrong idea.

“Um,” he says. “Actually, maybe—not tonight? I just, Wayne’s been wanting to spend some more, like, uncle-nephew quality bonding time. You know he’s still kind of…” Eddie shrugs, grimacing. It’s true; Wayne’s been making a real effort to know what Eddie’s up to these days. Even though he hasn’t said anything, Eddie knows he’s traded some shifts to make their schedules line up a little better. So, everything Eddie’s saying is absolutely true and above-board, and there’s no reason for a weird squirmy guilty feeling to take up residence in his gut.

“Oh,” says Steve. “Sure, yeah, no problem.”

(ETA: yeah okay it's technically a series now)

[nomstellations]

idea: Shiver or Fyre eating a team of people who won a 100x for them as a reward

"Are you for eel?! Seriously?"

"Come on, we all agreed on a gimmick for our rewards! Don't tell me you're chickening out already...I thought you were team bunnies~" The octoling smiled smugly, knowing her cheekiness would get a rise out of her bandmate.

"Quiet, Shivs! I never back down from a challenge! It's just..." The idol looked over at the little group of excited inkfish. They had all agreed on an extra reward to encourage people to join their teams and reward their hard work, and hers just so happened to be...a seafood dinner with Ms. Onaga herself. They just got to be the dinner! But all teams were a group of four, and as much as she hated to admit it...she wasn't sure if she could handle that much.

"It's not going to be an issue? Great! I'm headed back, Big Man's all alone out there...enjoy your meal!" With that, the idol was left alone with her team. She stared pensively at them, trying to figure out the best approach. As feisty as she is, she's never one to go back on her word...

"Can't you all like...I dunno, shrink or something? We'll be here all night if I go one at a time!" The group looked at each other for a moment before one of the inklings shifted into their squid form. The rest followed suit, though some were bigger than others...it was a lot more manageable like this. She walked over, picking up the smallest squid. "Congrats on that sick 100x win! You guys already got your float pic, so here's part 2 of your reward!"

Opening her mouth wide, she lifted the squid over her head and lowered them in. Careful to not nick them with her fangs, the squid was easily squeezed inside and sucked down with one slurp! They slid down her throat without any fuss, and she sighed in relief. It was a good thing inkfish were so inky and slippery in their swim forms... "Alright! Who's next? I've got plenty of room for the rest of you!" The first one barely made a dent! This would go well, obviously.

A reddish octopus inched forward, slightly larger than the squid she just swallowed. Their tentacles were pretty long, but it shouldn't be a problem! Frye picked them up, opening her mouth wide and pushing them in just the same. They were too big to suck down easily, so she worked them down with gentle gulps, slurping on their tentacles as they slid their way down her throat. "Ahh..." She could feel them filling her stomach, squirming around with the squid as her stomach expanded to fit both meals. This was about where she'd normally stop eating, but there were two more members of their team left...she's gorged on more for less though, and that octoling tasted pretty sweet...

Without needing to ask, the other octoling offered themselves up, seemingly excited at the prospect of being eaten. She's not one to say no to a free meal...when she lifted them up to her mouth, they did the work for her by inching inside. Maybe it was from fullness, or maybe it was because they tasted really good, but she took her time with swallowing them. Deep gulps slowly pulled them down her throat to join the other two, and she rested a hand on her full stomach. It was obvious with how it bulged and wriggled that she had eaten someone- rather, several someones- and she was just about at her limit...but there was one person left! She wasn't done yet, even though she was definitely ready to just lay down and sleep this off.

"U-um...Miss? You don't have to eat me, you look pretty full..." The last squid nervously offered. Maybe they were scared...the idol shook her head, giving them a confident smile. "No way! I never let my fans down! You'll be just fine, look." She moves over to the blue squid, lifting them up and letting them rest against her stomach for a moment. It was definitely noisy, burbling and grumbling around all the inkfish inside, but they were unharmed. "See? They're alright! My stomach knows friends from food. I'll let you guys out soon so you can get right back into the fight!" While still apprehensive, the little squid nodded when they saw her reassuring smile. "Alright, that's my team for ya! Down the hatch!"

Rather than take her time, she decided to get it over with quickly and just guzzle them down. She was as careful as always to make sure her fangs didn't nick them, but she quickly slurped and swallowed until there was nothing left outside but some bluish ink on her face. Frye sighed and groaned, flopping onto her back as she was stuffed to the limit. Her stomach wasn't complaining- it was all too happy to knead and churn around the group of inkfish that were packed inside. She rubbed at her overfull stomach and sighed again, unable to stifle a burp thanks to all their movement. How on earth was she supposed to perform when she couldn't even move?

[aurorangen]

After graduation came a break before work started for Renee. It was also Jay and Miracle's wedding! Renee and Vincent travelled all the way to Chestnut Ridge for this special occasion and it was such a joy to see Jay again! Though Vincent felt a bit light-headed upon arriving. He was just tired from the long journey, right? But don't worry he felt a lot better after a nap on the bench.

Transcript:

Renee: Finally we are here! Now where are we meant to meet Jay and Miracle? Vincent: Uhh my head [takes a moment to respond] Didn't he say New Appaloosa? The town centre? Renee: Let me check google maps again. Aha! We are in New Appaloosa.

[Renee continues looking. She zooms out to Oasis Springs, to an area of endless desert…just out of curiosity] Renee: I guess they couldn't update the map as there's no evidence. So this place must be Strangervil-

[Vincent's mind goes blank for a second and suddenly Renee's voice seems so far away. His head sways to one side and his eyes struggle to stay open. He could see Renee but everything looks blurry] Renee: Vince! Are you ok? [she grabs hold of him and they walk towards a bench to sit down]

Vincent: Shit. I just blanked out for a sec. God, I'm so knackered from the flight. Renee: Here have some water. We'll rest for a bit longer, there's time [snuggles close to him] Vincent: [smiles and rests his eyes] What would I do without you Renee?

Jay: [clears throat] Ahem still recognise me? Renee: Jay!?! Ahh Jay, it really is you! Damn, it's been so long! Jay: You're the same as always! I missed you, Renee.

Renee: And Miracle [squeals] Woah you're so beautiful in person! Miracle: Thanks gorgeous! You're exactly how Jay had described! [sees Vincent resting] Oh is Vincent OK? Renee: Yeah he's just tired. Hey Vince look who's arrived.

Vincent: Oh it's Jay and Miracle! Sorry, my head's a bit [he blinks a few times] It's so good to finally meet you two, just call me Vince, any friend of Renee is a friend of mine! And congrats, we can't wait for the big day! Jay: We've been dreaming about it forever, right Mir? And I've heard so much about you Vince.

[The guys continue walking as they get to know more about each other] Vincent: [nudges him] Oh god what did Renee tell you? Hopefully only good things eh? Jay: Well…interesting to say the least [they laugh together]

[theboredinsomniac]

Maybe in Wonderland • part 1

pairing: dbf!Joel Miller x reader

summary: You get your dream internship for the summer so your parents throw a little party to celebrate the news. While you have your eyes on a guy from the neighborhood, Joel tries to convince you that maybe he's not the best choice for you.

warnings: age gap (reader in early 20s, Joel in late 40s), no outbreak

word count: 2k

story masterlist

note: I created a secondary blog to get back into the writing game. What do you think? This is a slow burn so far. I don't know how slow it's gonna be.

You knew that Joel Miller had been stuck in his empty nest syndrome ever since his daughter Sarah moved out after graduating from college two years ago. Since then, he and your father had spent a lot of time together, mostly because his younger brother was more focused on his new wife, Maria, so they didn't hang out as much as they used to.

Your father had been trying to convince him to go out more, meet new people, meet nice women, and take them out on dates. Hell, his own brother even lured him to a double date with a friend of Maria's, but Joel was not interested.

If there was one thing anyone should know about this man is that ever since it became crystal clear for everyone that he wasn't about to get back into the dating game, women had been throwing themselves at him left and right, taking conquering his heart as a challenge. He was in his late forties, hair and beard already graying, but it only made his Southern charm even more appealing.

Yes, you also found him handsome, and yes, you did toy with the idea of what you would do if you ever had him in your grasp. All this despite the big age difference, as you were still going to university, and that you were a few years younger than his daughter. It would have been weird to have anything to do with him, and you doubted he saw you as anything other than a daughter figure, so you put this thought aside.

Things changed a year later, when your dad threw a party for a few family friends to celebrate your summer internship at a big consulting firm. There was a truly hot guy you've been flirting with for a while who was supposed to attend as well, so you put on your best dress, added some light makeup, then went down to the backyard to mingle with the crowd, hoping he would show up as promised.

At one point, as you poured yourself a drink, you noticed Joel watching you while he was talking to someone, his eyes scanning your body with no shame. At first you thought you were wrong, that you were imagining things, but then he flashed a strange, almost flirtatious smile at you before turning his attention back to the couple he was talking to.

It wasn't all that new. There had been innocent touches during conversations, bear hugs that were warmer than the ones your friends gave you, but your brain always labeled them as acts of kindness, not as flirting. What if you've been wrong all along? Shaking your head, you tried to get this out of your mind. No. He was just friendly.

“Here you are,” Scott said when he stopped next to you with a hand resting comfortably on the small of your back.

You didn't even try to hide the wide smile that showed on your lips upon hearing his voice. “I was beginning to think you wouldn't come,” you lied with a laugh as you touched his upper arm. “But I'm glad you're here.”

Scott looked down at you with those adorable hazel eyes of his, taking in every little detail of your face as if that was the first time he saw you from up close. “I wouldn't miss this. Congrats again. You deserved that spot,” he told you with a smile that matched yours.

Things were so easy with him. The conversations were seamless with no awkward silences, and the way he looked at you gave you butterflies. He was working at a law firm, and he had a wonderful career ahead of him based on the reviews he got from his boss.

You were both career-driven, a trait you truly appreciated about him because this way he understood why you were so keen on getting a good job at a good firm during the summer and after college. Your parents loved him, especially your mom, who was already complaining about Scott dancing around you without asking you out on an official date. You didn't care. He just needed time.

“So how are things going at work? I haven't heard from you in a while,” you said with a dramatic pout.

He looked down at you tight-lipped, as if he was trying to decide how to answer you without saying something he shouldn't. You wondered what it was all about, but all of your worries were blown away when he said, “Tough cases we're working on. I'm not happy about who we're defending, but that's part of the job, I guess.”

For a moment you were afraid to find out he had a secret girlfriend. How silly of you. “That must be hard. But I'm sure you'll handle it,” you told him cheerfully.

“Hey, I'll go say hi to an old neighbor then I'll come back and find you, okay?” he suddenly said as he waved to someone behind your back.

“Sure,” you replied with a kind smile. “I'm not going anywhere.”

Once he left, you gravitated toward your parents, seeking comfort in the familiar faces while you waited. As you took a sip of your drink, you noticed the look your mother was giving you, the silent inquiry about your conversation with Scott. You shook your head and turned your attention to the ongoing conversation.

After a minute or two, one of the neighbors in that circle turned to you and said, “Your parents are pretty proud of you. But I can't blame them, I wish my daughter was more like you,” she said with a sigh that made your father laugh.

“Oh, did I arrive just in time for praising her?” you suddenly heard Joel's raspy voice before you felt his arm wrap around your shoulder.

You blushed, not at all happy about this sudden wave of attention from everyone. Sure, it was a party your parents threw to celebrate you, but you didn't expect people to actually care about it. And here was Joel, sounding excited to join the conversation.

Maybe a little too excited.

“I was just saying that her parents have every reason to be proud of her,” that neigbor who had talked before enlightened Joel.

He looked down at you with a wide grin. “Aren't we all proud?” he asked, his hand gently squeezing your shoulder. “I always knew she was the smart one in the family–no offense,” he added with a wide smile as he turned to your parents.

Your father waved his hand nonchalantly. “None taken, especially when you're saying the truth,” he said.

All this praise was getting to your head, so you looked up at Joel and went, “How's Sarah? Does she like her new job?”

The sudden change of topic surprised him, but his features quickly softened as he thought of his daughter. “She loves it. I know everything about what she does and what her co-workers are up to thanks to her detailed reports,” he replied proudly.

You couldn't help but smile at this. You hoped you could tell your parents just as much about your summer job when you get to it, and that they would be just as supportive and proud as Joel was with Sarah. Your relationship was wonderful with your parents, but work hadn't been something you discussed among yourselves before.

“I'll go get another beer,” you said when you noticed your cup being empty.

Joel raised the bottle he had in his hand and noted that it was also empty with a long sigh. “Guess I'll need another one, too. Come on,” he told you, guiding you towards the house.

The two of you walked in silence with Joel's hand still resting on your shoulder as he navigated through the small groups of people with ease. He only let go of you when you reached the empty kitchen and he opened the fridge to get two bottles from it. Meanwhile you were one step ahead, waiting for him with an opener in hand.

“Thanks,” was all Joel said before he leaned against the kitchen island and took a sip of his drink, his eyes fixed on you.

You tried to enjoy your drink, but your thoughts were bouncing around in your brain as you thought of Scott possibly looking for you in one moment, then about the way Joel's eyes were burning a hole in you in the other.

You wanted to be out in the backyard again, just to see if he really was looking for you, but at the same time you wanted to stay inside and find out what was up with the man in front of you. It was confusing, and you really didn't know what to do.

“What's going on between you and that Scott kid?” he suddenly asked. You raised a brow, trying to decide if you heard him right. Was it him asking, or was he just voicing your parents' question? “I saw you two being deep in a conversation.”

Taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly, you thought about how to answer it. There wasn't much to say since he was keeping his distance. “Nothing, really,” you replied with a hint of disappointment in your voice.

Joel picked up on it, because he put down the bottle and crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe it's better this way,” he noted quietly, earning a confused look from you. “He's known for being a player. I don't know what he told you, but he has a new girlfriend every other week. His mother is so done with his behavior that she has been bugging him about settling down finally.”

You could feel a panic attack crawling closer and closer to you as you listened to Joel. Could it be true? Sure, you remembered seeing him with different girls when he still lived at home with his parents, but that was three years ago, he probably changed since then. He had a serious job, it surely changed him.

“You don't believe me?” he asked with a frown, looking slightly offended.

Shaking your head, you said, “It's not that I don't believe you, I just… I don't know. I kinda want to see where this could go.”

Joel closed the small gap between you and stood only one step away from you. “He doesn't deserve you. He might seem like a good catch, but trust me, he's not. You deserve better,” he added softly with a look in his brown eyes that you couldn't really decode.

You gulped then nodded. What else were you supposed to do? Licking your lips, you broke eye contact and looked down at your shoes, your heart beating a mile a minute. Things only got worse when he reached out to swipe a strand of hair behind your ear.

For the second time tonight you thought he was flirting with you. Something told you that his words could be translated to him being a better choice than Scott, but at the same time your rational mind was trying to convince you that you were dead wrong. He wouldn't flirt with you. You were to young for him.

Right?

When you looked at him again, you noticed that his lips were slightly parted as he watched you, seemingly lost in his thoughts. You didn't know how much time passed with the two of you looking at each other in silence, but it didn't really matter. You were too afraid to move, to break whatever spell this was, and you wanted to see what his next move would be.

“I shouldn't. Fuck,” he suddenly muttered to himself as he buried his hand into his hair and walked away from you.

You were frozen to your spot by the counter, having a hard time understanding what he was talking about. “You okay?” you asked innocently, as if your underwear wasn't already soaking because of the tension between the two of you.

Joel looked at you, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose as he shook his head. “Yeah, everything's great,” he replied, obviously lying. “I'm sorry. I should go home.”

Nodding, you bit on your lower lip and watched as he walked outside, probably looking for your parents to say goodbye. And there you were, leaning against the counter as you tried to slow down your heart rate. What the hell had just happened?

[sweaterkittensahoy]

Write angsty Dougley!

He'd have been foolish not to take the Group bombardier job. That's what James thinks to himself over and over. I'd have been foolish to refuse. I'd have been foolish to refuse.

But then he watches Just-A-Snappin' go up without him. He watches Ev go up without him. He stands in the control room with all the other brass, and he watches his fort and his fella disappear into the air.

"James," Jack says very quietly, and James starts at the use of his first name. Jack is watching him with that careful stare he has. The one that shows he cares but nothing else. "Come on," he says.

And James realizes only he and Jack are still standing in the control room. Everyone else is sitting down and working. The rest of the brass have gone.

"Sorry," James mutters.

Jack pats his back and leads him outside. Harry's a few yards away. Harding and Red are farther away, walking towards headquarters.

"Hey," Harry greets when Jack and James walks up. "Welcome to the why the fuck did I stay on the ground club."

James laughs, surprising himself. "There's a club?"

"Only if you were dumb enough to stay on the ground while your fella goes up," Jack says. He takes out a cigarette and lights it. "Harry's president."

"Fuck you," Harry says. He reaches out and clasps James's shoulder, giving him a good shake. "He and Ev will keep an eye on each other, same as always. Come on," he says. "Let's get a drink."

James falls into step with them. "I know it's a good promotion. I know I'm doing the right thing. But..."

"Better up with them then down here waiting," Jack says. "We know."

James watches the way Jack scans the sky. "I didn't even know you were seeing anyone," he says.

Jack glances at him, and James is surprised to see him blush. "It's new," Jack says, though he looks very pleased to say it. "Well, new-ish."

"It's Rosie," Harry says, and James can't help a whoop of laughter at the way Jack stops cold and glares at Harry.

"You have no fucking manners," Jack says to Harry, and James laughs harder because they all used to be on the same fort, fighting the same fight, and he hasn't heard Jack's particularly pissy tone in too long.

"Congrats, Jack," James says, reaching around Harry to pat Jack's shoulder. "He's a good guy."

"Thank you," Jack replies. "We're not trying to hide it. Just trying to keep it between us for now."

"I'm telling Ev," James says, "but I'll swear him to secrecy."

Jack shrugs. "It's fine. I know Rosie's told his boys. I just don't want anyone thinking I'm doing him any favors as Air Exec."

"Ah, yes, the famed power of a favor from the Air Exec," Harry says, dry. "You can get him into a briefing first."

"Or assign him more training than the others," James adds.

"Give him early access to memorize coordinates."

"Make him give a lecture about wind shear."

"You can both shut the fuck up," Jack says, flicking his cigarette away.

James laughs with Harry, and he's glad to see Jack smile at them. He wants to be up in the air so much it hurts, but at least he's stuck down here with fellas he knows. Fellas who know him.

*

Ev makes it back. Just-a-Snappin' has more holes in her than James cares to see from the outside, but Ev's only scratched, and Bubbles looks untouched, and the other boys are all alive and well.

James catches Rosie climbing into a truck with his own boys, and he glances at Jack. There's a bright look in his eyes, and when James glances back at Rosie, he sees it reflected.

Ev whistles and gives James a big wink when he looks at him. James winks right back.

When the boys are sprung from interrogation, they pour into the Officer's Club. Jack and Harry and James are waiting, and James beams when Ev rushes to him and pulls him into a tight hug.

"Miss me?" James asks against his neck.

"New guy did the job just fine, but he's not you," Ev murmurs in his ear. He pulls away just enough to see James's face and hold his face in his hands. "Damn, I missed you up there."

"Missed you down here," James says. He strokes his thumb along Ev's cheek and cups the back of his head. "Come here," he says, and he steals a kiss.

When they pull apart, Ev's beaming. He leans in and turns, back against the bar, arm tight on James's waist. James hands him a drink, and Ev toasts him before he drinks. James looks over. Harry and Bubbles have settled at a table with a few other people. Jack and Rosie are tucked into a dark corner. James can't say for sure they're kissing, but Jack's leaned in like maybe they are.

"Hey, look at that," James says, pointing.

Ev glances over, and his grin gets even wider. "Oh, so that's who he's sweet on."

James stares at Ev. "What? You knew?"

"I knew he was sweet on someone," Ev says. "But he never said who. How'd you know?"

"They tell you some secrets when you join Group," James says. "I can't share the rest. There was a blood oath."

Ev laughs and smacks a kiss onto James's cheek. "I won't ask," he says. "Just tell me again you missed me."

"I missed you," James says. "I'll always admit to that."

"Missed you," Ev replies. "But I'm proud of you, okay? Don't forget that. Couldn't ask for a better man to keep us all on target."

James has to swallow around the knot in his throat. He leans over and presses his forehead to Ev's temple. "Thank you," he murmurs.

Ev holds up his glass. "To my favorite bombardier," he says. "Always and forever."

James taps his glass against Ev's. "Always and forever," he promises.

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

Alright guys, it's that time again. It's time for me to make completely unhinged in-depth theories on cartoon shows based on comic lore.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Edition!

If you are unfamiliar with this series then congrats! You get to listen to the, hopefully entertaining, ramblings of a mad man.

But! If you, like me, binge watched this series and are now left with a burning hole in your chest wondering when season three will come out then congrats! You also get to listen to the ramblings of a mad man, this time with slightly more context!!!

One of the burning questions everyone was left with in the wake of Rottmnt and the movie was "who are the other two turtles?" See, Rise from its very inception had always intended on introducing two more turtle siblings to Raph, Leo, Donnie and Mikey's family dynamics. This inclusion can be seen as early as season one when there are six turtle pods shown on screen during the boy's origin story.

We, in fact, actually see one of the missing sisters in season 2 of the show. The character dubbed 'Big Mama's Assistant' is confirmed by the show runners to be a secret sibling and, if they had been given a season three, they would have revealed this at the end of season 2. Season three would then have been focused on the Hamato clan retrieving the missing sisters.

But who is Big Mama's Assistant? Is she Venus De Milo, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sister from the live action show? Is she Jennika, the turtle in yellow from the comics? Well I've got news folks. She's neither.

Tweets from the show runners confirm that Big Mama's Assistant was never intended to be Jennika or Venus, she was instead going to be an original character.... or was she?

Guys, gals and nonbinary pals, I submit to the court that Big Mama's Assistant is in fact an original character that is both an adaptation of Jennika and Venus.

First, let us establish some facts.

In the above images I would like you to acknowledge several things.

this sibling is in the height range of Donnie/Leo (as can be seen when compared to Big Mama's height).

this sibling has a thin shell, one that is barely noticeable under her clothes.

this sibling has a gigantic forehead.

this sibling wears a mask that shows markings that start at the eyes and wrap around the head.

this sibling's weapon of choice is neko-te.

Finally, this sibling seems to have two small fake turtle shells strapped to shoulder as shoulder pads.

So I raise the question: Who do we know that has a thin, barely visible shell, gigantic forehead, is approximately Donnie's height and wears prosthetic turtle shells? Donnie.

Yeah, folks I'm pretty sure this sibling is a softshell. She's wearing her own version of her 'battleshell' from her turtle tot days as shoulder pads. Actually, I'm pretty sure we see her green battleshell here:

And do you know what a Smooth Softshell Turtle looks like?

It's the same face markings. And it's yellow. Objectively, they have to use yellow for one of the two sisters because they gave April green in Rise.

"Alright," I hear you saying. "So you think she's a softshell, but what does that have to do with who she is??"

What a perfect segway question! Thank you so much for asking. Did you guys know that Venus' name isn't actually Venus? Venus is the alias that she uses to fight crime/be a ninja with her brothers/fit their art theme. Venus' actual name is Mei Pieh Chi which translates to Beautiful Softshell Turtle Energy.

So it is actually ENTIRELY possible for Big Mama's softshell turtle assistant to be an adaptation of Mei Pieh Chi without being named Venus. If she simply picks a different alias then we're all good. (I'm assuming the creators liked 'Frida' because Smooth Softshell Turtles look like they have intense eyebrows)

Alright, so we've established how Venus fits into this (aka Venus doesn't, Mei Pieh Chi does) but what about Jennika!? Well that one is actually super easy. Yeah, so remember how the mystery sibling uses neko-te?

Yeah, uh, Jennika's main weapon is a neko-te/tekkō-kagi mash up. (Aka Wolverine claws) I'm assuming she would use magic neko-te until she eventually unlocked her ninpō and got the wolverine upgrade (mirroring how the boys switched weapons) I'm also assuming that she would inherit Jennika's color (yellow), Jennika's sexuality (lesbian) and it's confirmed that she would inherit Jennika's personality (see below).

(also I'mma call it right now, she's autistic and I love her. She's Very Very Serious ™ aka she takes everything literally)

And now let's take a look at what I call "The reason Big Mama and Draxum already knew and hated each other, got into an argument about stealing stuff from each other and the reason why Draxum waited 13 years to do the whole mosquito backup plan":

"No, it would’ve been sweet, right? Like, at the end we see, like, maybe Draxum’s bodyguard takes off their mask and, you know, reveals a female sibling, and then there was, like, another one 'cause we thought it’d be great to investigate, ‘Okay, like, Splinter was able to save four out of six and maybe we just didn’t see the other two and, like, what would that be if they were raised by Draxum and Big Mama?’ And this would be something Draxum would admit to them at the end of season two." - Executive Producer, Andy Suriano

Guys, Draxum in season one is a divorced dad who lost custody. He went with the backup plan after THIRTEEN YEARS because his kid said "Fuck you, I'm living at Mom's house!" Draxum threw Leo off of a roof because the goatman had PTSD from his daughter rejecting him and nOW SUDDENLY THERE'S FOUR NEW KIDS THAT HATE HIM?!

Also, let's circle back to the other sister being "a little kooky from being trapped in another dimension for years." You know what'd be traumatic enough to abandon your parent and completely reject them? If they got your sister stuck in another dimension with no way out. You know what'd be a super good reason for Draxum not telling the boys about their sisters? If he LOST ONE.

But where oh where did this lost sister go and who is she? Well, I've got more on that but you'll have to wait for part two because I am out of pictures!

Thanks for being unhinged with me and see ya next time folks!

[magical-girl-coral]

One of my personal signs that the anime adaption is going to get worse is this moment that changed in adaption just because of how much it misses the point.

(Slight manga spoilers ahead)

In the manga, Ryoko Kui shows that most of the "Laios is deranged" moments happen from the outside point of view. In the story when he's on his own, he's just an autistic guy who doesn't understand what other wants from him. In the dream world where the winged lion shows Laios around, the big thing that stood out to me is how everything is just accepted. Chilchuck has his union, orcs can go out in pretty clothes for a drink, children are playing with a walking mushroom and Laios gets to have a monster breakfast surrounded by friends and family without being judged by them. The only reason Laios looks scary to so many characters is cause they can't understand him and he's too masculine to be infantilize like how Shuro did with Falin.

When you don't understand something, you make it a monster so you'll have an excuse to hate it without reason. That's one of the biggest themes in the manga.

An it's even shown more when compared with Macrille and Kabru. Macrille seems normal because it's common for a mage to be obsessed with magic and she had a near century to mask her more unhinged side so that her peers wouldn't question why she studies dark magic in the first place. Meanwhile Kabru's special interest is how people work and why, and he studied them so well that he can seem regular. Having elven mothers who loved their children unconditionally also helped with their masking capabilites. Both of these characters have things Laios needed to be accepted but never got: time, parental support and an acceptable persona.

So the fact that the anime saw this moment of Laios trying to mask his excitement so he won't be judged by his party despite how much talking about monster biology makes him happy, trying to force a part of himself down to be accommodating to his teammates and thought "hey, we should make him look like a fucking creep" deeply pisses me the fuck off. Congrats on failing the test the manga author set for you along with most of the fandom, you stale fucking chicken nuggets.