#bullshit time travel excuse because nikki said i could

[lettrespromises]

la querelle des coeurs. - kuroo, atsumu, daichi.

@luveranime​ sent a letter : ❝ Me again lmao 😂 could you do one where kuroo, atsumu and daichi’s s/o has a ex best friend and they try to take their bf away from their s/o but then their s/o like angrily lashes out? Then like a cute fluffy ending :) ❞

author’s letter : ❝ aaaaa, it’s always pleasure to see you in my inbox!! thank you so much for trusting me with all your prompts, it means the world. ooooh, i love myself some angst to fluff especially with kuroo. i hope you’ll enjoy your promised letter!

sealed with a kiss. sincerely yours, nikki. ❞

genre : kinda fluff, kinda angst. warnings : cursing, toxic friendship.

Now, now, now, Kuroo like the gorgeous scorpio he is has some kind of sixth sense when it comes to lies, basically, you could consider him as a human lie detector. This talent of his extends to being able to discern people’s true nature- given that he is someone who doesn’t trust people easily, he’s even more careful around people he doesn’t deem as trustworthy.

Truth be told, he doesn’t come as a surprise to him when you tell him that you had a succession of arguments with your best friend, to the point where you felt obligated to cut ties with them. 

You can tell from miles away that the sentence “I don’t want to say I told you so, but I told you so, kitten.” is burning the tip of his tongue, begging him to be set free so he could rub his pseudo sixth sense in your face.

From now on, Kuroo morphs into ‘super protective mode’, he just wants to protect you from any emotional harm, he knows how vicious your former best friend is, after all, he always knew.

He will walk with you everywhere, cradle you into his embrace if you feel the need to shed a couple of tears- he picks up the shattered pieces of your broken self and glues them one by one and seals them with a kiss or a heartfelt compliment.

After several days, Kuroo’s efforts and dedication to make you feel better finally sets in. Your introspection sunk in and you feel the aftereffects bloom- you feel fearless, powerful, and you came to agree with yourself on stating that you are indeed better off alone.

The plot twists in the hallways of your school- your arm is wrapped around Kuroo’s, just the way you like it. His orbs never leave you frame and anyone could tell how the gleam in his eyes reflect his love and adoration for you. 

Needless to say, his favorite time of the day was when he could have lunch with you and listen to your ramblings while observing your divine traits. However, being academically smart doesn’t prevent him from being a airhead at times : “Kitten, I totally forgot to grab myself something to drink. Will you wait for me at our spot? I’ll be quick.” “You already know where to find me then, Tetsu.”

And with that, he leaves you in the middle of the hall (but not before planting a peck on your forehead.) On his way to the vending machine, he sees none other than your former best-friend, body leaning onto said vending machine, as if they were waiting for him to come out after witnessing your discussion.

The plain expression plastered upon Kuroo’s facial expression speaks louder than a thousand words revolving around the lexical field of anger. Nonetheless, he tells himself that if he ignores them, then there will be no harm done, unless...

“Hey there, Kuroo. I knew you’d miss me! Don’t worry, baby, I missed you just as much.”

The person you once called your best friend orientates their body in a strategic way so they’re closer to Kuroo, their whole body facing him. Of course, he didn’t miss the poor attempts to get him to pay attention to them. Their whole body language screamed ‘acknowledge me.’

Kuroo remained stoic and pushed the coins inside the vending machine instead. This lack of attention only emphasized their anger and in return, their level of patience diminished gradually. But they had another ace hidden in their sleeve, and this time, attitude matched their actions- your former best friend grabbed the hem of Kuroo’s collar while their other hand was planted at the back of his neck to force him to look on what they deemed as the only important person here.

“Kuroo, baby, I’m so glad you came to see me, because let’s face it : you’re only here because you know you’d see me here. Have you finally realized that Y/N was not good enough for you? You want a real significant other, don’t you?”

If hearing the sound of their voice was disgusting enough, imagine how filthy Kuroo felt when he sensed a foreign body throw themselves on him- his skin was burning under the poisoning touch of your former best friend. 

Now, now. The ‘you’ topic was quite the sensitive one to Kuroo, given that he would and could put anyone in their place if he happened to hear a ill word about you. “I’m going to say this once : don’t play a game you can’t win so don’t say another thing about Y/N.” 

Oh, but would this stop them? Absolutely not. Their hand travelled from the back of their neck to the muscular reliefs on his chest, an area only you had the luxury you to touch and worship. “Don’t be like that, Kuroo. I know I can touch you, love you and at least I won’t fake it like Y/N does.” they concluded their sentence with a wink sent his way and Kuroo could already feel the taste of vomit invading his tastebud. 

In one sharp motion, he grabbed their wrist and yanked himself free of their intoxicating clutch. Just his luck, he thought, while your former best friend cursed silently under their breath as they saw you arrive.

“Tetsu, are you okay? What’s taking you so long?”

Oh and here it was, the pure grin which radiated nothing but pure mischief- your presence signed the end and what a beautiful ending it was for him. “Maybe you should ask them, kitten. They were rambling about how I should date them instead of you. Can you believe that bullshit?”

Your eyes darted onto a familiar frame, but just by glancing at them, you felt all the inner rage overwhelm you, including all the pain you had to go through. It was like facing your own nightmare, but you’ve never been alone to fight your battles- Kuroo has always been there by your side.

“You said what now?”

Your stare emanated nothing but pure and intense rage, your whole body language testified of your inner envy to make them choke on their own words.

“I said-...”

“If you think for a single second I’m going to let you talk, you’re dead wrong. You’ve been feeding me enough lies during all this time we were ‘friends’, and now, you’re throwing yourself on my man? You really have nothing for you, do you now? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go grab lunch with my boyfriend. I’m not sure you’ve ever heard of him but his name is Kuroo Testurou, you know, the man you’ll never get?”

Kuroo couldn’t help but to let a snicker break free from his lips, this scene was wonderful to watch. An immense wave of pride washed over him, and it struck him again, he realized for the umpteenth time how lucky he was to share his life with you.

He wrapped his arm around your waist, tugging you close to his side and delivered a peck full of love upon the flesh of your cheek. “I didn’t know you had all of this hidden in you, kitten. Not gonna lie, it’s kinda hot.” 

You playfully rolled your eyes and punched his arm as his words connected with your eardrums, “You’re so lucky I love you.”

“Don’t get it twisted, kitten, I’m lucky one here.”

“Are not.”

“Are too.”

“Are not.”

It’s safe to say that Atsumu does have a reputation that follows him around, he his the local heartthrob of his school and he secretly takes pride in that. But nothing fills his heart with pride more than being able to call you his.

Being Atsumu’s girlfriend, you are indirectly exposed to threats, insults and other acerbic remarks coming from his fangirls. Sometimes these attacks are direct like dirty talks behind your back when you’re holding his hand in the middle of the halls, and other times, it’s more subtle and the perfect example of that is how the person you used to call your best friend took advantage of your relationship status to get closer to Atsumu.

They made it clear and had no shame hiding behind their shameful shenanigans, “Did you really think I was talking to you for your personality? Get real, Y/N, I don’t care about you. I only care about your man.”

These subtle shenanigans hurt the most because they were the most vicious and purposefully hurtful, and the worst part was that they had somehow managed to become friends with Atsumu. Emphasis on the word ‘somehow.’

As per usual after school, both you and Atsumu could be found at the gym, and oh boy, did he love being able to see you everyday- not only at school but also at the gym as you were the manager of the volleyball team.

However, this time, you had quite the surprise when you entered the gym. Kita had asked all the players to gather up as he explained them the new change amongst the team : “Considering that the nationals are around the corner, the coach and I stated that it was necessary for us to hire a new manager in order for Y/N not to feel overwhelmed. Please welcome your new manager and take good care of them.” 

As his words echoed in the gymnasium, you felt your stomach sink to your heels, your mouth was set agape under the overwhelming feeling of pure disgust. Not them, out of all people. Hell, even Atsumu’s worst fangirl sounded like a better idea right now.

Of course you couldn’t blame Kita for choosing your former best friend as the new manager, but the glance Atsumu threw your way testified of how much he knew this situation was going to eat you up alive. 

After the captain dismissed everyone, Atsumu wasted no time and ran up to you, he felt the need to reassure you and make you feel at ease despite the venomous presence of your former best friend.

“Cheer up, baby, ya’ know I’m here, right? This pig isn’t gonna’ get a piece of me. Now, be a doll and gimme’ a kiss.” 

Classic Atsumu right here, but who were you to deny such a sweet request? So you did as told, and planted a kiss on his plump lips. And that’s when you could pinpoint the precise moment when your former best friend had fallen right into Atsumu’s trap.

“As your new manager, I have to say that it’s not very professional to kiss your significant other on the court. But, I mean, what else did I expect coming from Y/N?” 

Your boyfriend’s arm was protectively wrapped around your waist, tugging you closer. The root of each of his action was to protect you from the incoherent and toxic words dropping from their lips. But deep down, he knew better than to mess with you, especially when the whole team was looking at you.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Did you mean do this?”

There you went again, planting yet another kiss upon Atsumu’s lips who couldn’t help but grin at the taunting nature of your actions. Once you broke the kiss, you could feel the hot breaths of your boyfriend crashing upon your skin “That’s my girl.”

Your former best friend looked around in despair, her eyes scanned the room to seek for help, to back up her actions. Osamu let a small laugh fall free from his lips, Suna rolled his eyes so hard you thought they were going to get stuck at the back of his head, and Kita, out of all people, let out a desperate sigh. “As the captain of the team, I must inform you that it is my duty to let you know that you cannot dictate your way here, and you cannot display a clear lack of respect to Y/N.”

This time, it was their time to be dumbfounded and left in the middle of the gymnasium with their mouth set agape in pure surprise. The silence, although it was broken by a few playful laughs, was agonizing to them. 

“C’mon, new manager, tell ‘em why ya’ chose to come here.” Atsumu taunted, the smirk plastered upon his face as wide as ever, but he only found silence as an answer.

“Are you sure you don’t want to tell the rest of the team? Alright then. Maybe you should tell them how you only joined our team to flirt with Atsumu knowing very well that we’re dating, what kind of person that makes you, mh?” Each word pronounced was embedded with venom of your own, and deep down, exposing the true nature of your former best friend brought some sense of satisfaction. And thus you began reading out loud each text they had sent you, justifying their one-sided reason to join the team, only to flirt with Atsumu.

“Yeah, ya’ ain’t slick! Sorry to break it to ya’ but I ain’t into snakes.” Atsumu continued, sticking his tongue out before the still dumbfounded personification of a snake.

Pure embarrassment consumed them, the more they were staying amongst the deafening silence of their sour loss, the more they felt vulnerable and the more they realized they lost their own game. The stares of the whole team became agonizing, so agonizing that they felt obligated to leave the gym, head hung low in defeat.

“Byeee! Ya’ won’t be missed!” Your boyfriend concluded his sentence by imitating the hissing sounds of snakes, and you wondered why you were dating a man-child. Nonetheless, knowing very well he couldn’t get his hands off of you and craved for a physical touch at all times, he pressed his lips against yours once more. “I ain’t into snakes but ya’ could s-s-s-s-slide your way into my heart, baby.” and with that, Osamu hit the back of his twin’s head with a volleyball.

Maybe he deserved that.

Being the unofficial dad of the Karasuno volleyball team came with its perks, one of them was the ability to be able to discern if the people you were hanging with genuinely cared about you or not, you liked to joke around and call this his “secret dad weapon.”

Much like Kuroo, he was not one bit surprised when you told him that you had to put your friendship to an end with your former best friend. Of course, he was not angry, but in typical dad fashion, he adorned the oh so famous disappointed dad expression on his facial structure.

He told you not to overthink it, and to focus on the other friendly presences in your life such as the volleyball team or Kiyoko and Yachi, mainly because he knew he could trust them with his eyes closed, but also because he knew he would be able to make them pay if they were to hurt you.

When you started dating Daichi, you grew the habit to join him outside the gymnasium after his training, a bottle of water in your hand in case he overworked himself, which he always did. 

This time, and much to your surprise, you found a note near the doorframe leading to the gymnasium. And if you were careful enough, the slight details and the precise calligraphy hinted that said note was in fact a love note. 

You found it rather amusing at first, perhaps it was a letter dedicated to Kiyoko because this woman was the living and breathing proof that God was indeed a woman. 

But everyday, you would find yet another letter, still carefully written and decorated leaning against the doorframe. This time, however, a calligraphic ‘D.S’ framed the front of the letter. You couldn’t help but let your stare roam over the fine print of calligraphy over and over again. 

As the saying goes ‘curiosity killed the cat’, and you were no exception to that common phrase. You meticulously took the letter and unfolded it- it was so beautifully written, the details were placed strategically. It was a proof of pure love in the form of a letter. 

Then, you began reading it :  “Dear Daichi,  Words cannot do justice of how much I love you. Everything about you fascinates me- from the way you spike the ball so roughly to the small smile on your face after scoring a point. If only I could tell you how much you mean to me. Don’t worry, Y/N won’t know a thing. Come to the gymnasium tomorrow at 5 if you wish, until then, accept all my love.”

You read the letter once, then twice, then an umpteenth time until the words were embedded in your brain. You thought it was just a prank, after all, Nishinoya and Tanaka were quite the pranksters amongst the team, but the handwriting was so delicate, too delicate to be theirs. 

You could feel salty pearls coming at the brim of your eyes until they fell onto the surface of the paper, resulting in the texture of the letter now being bloated under the wetness of your tears. 

You kept your discovery under silence, you trusted your boyfriend of course, but given the additional stress brought by the nationals, you refused to distract him from his goal.

But here you were, sharply there in front of the gym at five as indicated on the letter. However, Daichi hadn’t shown up like the anonymous lover requested, he was already stretching anyway. 

Knots started to form in your stomach as you wondered who the hell had the idea to write this love letter to him, after all, it’s not as if your relationship with Daichi was kept as a secret. 

And at 5:01 precisely, your orbs felt on the figure of your former best friend who had the most victorious grin plastered upon their face. Not only these letters were meant to be read by Daichi, but by you too, their main goal was to hurt you where it stung the most.

“What the hell are you doing here? Where you the one who wrote these letters?” You spat, waving the letters between your thumb and forefinger. 

“I’m sorry, Y/N, I know you love to make everything about yourself but I was expecting Daichi, not you.” Although they said they were sorry, there was not one ounce of genuine compassion in their voice.

Anger got the best of you resulting in the sudden apparition of veins on your neck as the volume of your voice only increased : “Who the fuck do you think you are? Are you that desperate? If you want a reply to your letter : Daichi doesn’t even know who you are.”

Your emotions controlled each one of your actions, including the severe tone of your voice. The ruckus made its way inside the walls of the gymnasium, until Daichi and Sugawara opened the door in order to find an answer as their interrogation : what was happening outside? 

Daichi’s eyes widened when he saw your frame shaking from anger, it was so unlike you, you matched him in a way because you were always so calm and collected. His mind raced as he wondered what was the cause of this sudden switch of behavior. 

He found the answer to his question pretty rapidly as his eyes darted towards your former best friend who was still wearing that victorious grin on their facial structure. “Y/N, love, what’s going on?” he asked as his hands were draped over your shoulders, forcing you to look at him.

“Oh, hey, Daichi! Have you read the letters I left for you? I bet Y/N never wrote this kind of letters for you.” It took inhuman strength for Daichi to ignore their taunt, instead, Sugawara sent a death glare their way : “Just leave, you have no business being here.”

Sugawara’s attempt at making them leave eventually succeeded after Coach Ukai’s sudden appearance before barking on your former best friend to “get the hell out of here” and “not disturb training anymore.”

Eventually, you were left alone with Daichi, your lungs felt constricted and you struggled to breathe. The aftermath of your outburst of anger made tears run down your cheeks as you sought for comfort inside of Daichi’s loving embrace. 

The pad of his thumb brushed your tears away, planting a series of kisses upon the surface of your forehead as a silent way to tell you that he was here and he was not going to let you go.

“Listen, love, I don’t know what happened and we will talk about it whenever you feel ready. But promise me one thing, never doubt of my love for you. Could you do that for me, Y/N?”

You simply nodded against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat kept the haunting thoughts in your head at bay. “I love you so much, Y/N, so, so much.” he whispered, concluding his sentence with a kiss left on your lips.

If only he knew how much you loved him. 

[devil-in-those-eyes]

What’s Gotten Into You? Roger Taylor!Ben Hardy Part 1

Oh my god, please go easy on me, this is my first Roger!Ben imagine and i’m slowly dying because I’m reading everyone’s imagines and smuts and i’m in total awe but I just discovered Ben Hardy and I need an outlet lmfao. 

Summary: Roger and Y/N are incredibly close and she is the only girl he has never had sex with because they are best friends. But when Y/N finally meets the rest of the band, the boys realize that Roger is in love with her.

Roger-

           “Wait,” John lifted a hand, pausing the conversation we were already having, “so, you haven’t slept with this girl, am I hearing you correct?”

           I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my pint, “Yes, Deaky, you heard me correct.”

           Brian’s eyes shut and he shook his head, rearing back at my words that I had been repeating over the last hour because all three of my friends were fucking morons. John stood beside me with Brian and Freddie in front of us, all four of us had a beer in our hands while the UNI bar was slowly filling up because it was a Friday night and Fridays were always busy. For once, we didn’t have a show to play at this bar but I promised the boys that I’d finally bring them around Y/N and this was her favorite spot to drink after a long day. It used to be our spot before I quit school to become a full time drummer.

           “So, you really haven’t slept with her?” Brian asked, “you’ve never kissed her?”

           “Nope,” I answered, popping the ‘p’ and smirking, even Freddie began to look concerned but it only made this more entertaining for me.

           “Never had a late night and you crossed the boundary?” Freddie asked. John’s eyes narrowed in at me, looking at me like I had lost three heads. I shook my head while smirking behind the rim of my glass, I really hadn’t done anything more than cuddle Y/N and kiss her shoulder, all of that was out of friendly gestures. We were touchy, but neither of us crossed a boundary or line and we liked it that way.

           “Is she ugly?” John asked, earning a smack from Brian so he cowered and raised his hands in surrender, “I’m just asking, I mean the guy screws anything with boobs.”

           I shrugged because he was completely right.

           “Are you in love?” Freddie asked. Normally the question was meant for softer and sweeter words but as Freddie asked them, it sounded as if he were concerned that I was in love with her because we all knew my track record with relationships consisted of nothing more than one night stands.

           Yes, I loved her. But I loved her like my best friend. I loved her like I loved these three idiots. And yes, she was utterly gorgeous and always knocked me on my ass when I saw her, but she was just my best friend. She deserved a lot more than a guy that had a wandering eye.

           “So, where is she?” Brian asked, looking around us as if he knew what she looked like.

           I felt my chest tighten. It was like a sixth sense when it came to Y/N, so I turned my head just in time to see her grinning face. As she maneuvered through the crowds, heading towards me, I saw the black skirt and navy long sleeve t-shirt that was tucked in, her hair falling over her shoulders in her natural wave. As she neared I put my beer on the bar top, ready for her to barrel into me.

           “Rog!” Her smile glowed and I felt my heart beat pick up at the sound of her voice.

           “There’s my girl,” I grumbled just before she leaped into my arms. Hers winded around my neck while mine instantly wrapped around her waist, laughing into her hair and nuzzling my head into the crook of her neck, smelling the fresh air and perfume.

           It had been a couple weeks since I had last seen her, only because she was busy with classes and I was busy with the band but as soon as I called her this morning and told her I wanted her to meet the bad, she promised she’d be there.

           She pulled away and stared into my eyes while her fingers got lost in my hair. I held her up so her toes just brushed the top of my feet and grinned at her, “You look gorgeous, sweetheart.”

           Her cheeks flushed at my compliment. Her nose scrunched up as her eyes skated over my face and hair, “You need a hair cut.”

           I chuckled, “You’ve always loved my hair.”

           She tugged at the ends and smiled mischievously when I bit my lip. “Careful,” I grumbled lowly to her before leaning forward and kissing her cheek, feeling her shiver in my arms. Just because I’d never cross the boundary with her, didn’t mean I couldn’t push the boundaries just because I loved making her flush.

           One of the boys cleared their throat and I pulled back from Y/N just as she patted my chest, “We’re being rude.”

           I let her down onto the ground and she moved around me to see the three boys watching us intently. Y/N was my opposite, she was grounded and polite and I was sure the boys were expecting someone closer to my personality, someone who was probably more of an ugly groupie but instead they found Y/N. A natural beauty who grinned at them, offering her hand to them. “I’m Y/N.”

           Brian was staring at Y/N like she was a pleasant surprise. John was looking between me and Y/N, probably wondering how Y/N puts up with me. Freddie just smiled her way and skipped her hand, going straight for a hug and kiss on her cheek.

           “Lovely to meet you, darling.” Freddie said as he pulled away.

           I stood back, resting against the bar as John and Brian decided they liked Y/N enough to shake her hand and grin at her. After Brian asked her how she was doing, she answered swiftly but the boys attention was taken off of her when a glass smashed onto the floor a couple feet away and I took the moment to pull her to me, watching her eyes drift from the necklace I had around my neck and up my lips and finally on my eyes.

           “Want something to drink, sweetheart?” I asked, touching the curve of her hip.

           “If you’re buying,” she teased and my smirk turned into a full on grin.

           I turned towards the bar and flagged down the bartender, giving Y/N’s order without asking because I knew it by heart. We both knew each other’s beers of choice, how we liked our tea and what food we liked to have. I knew her like the back of my hand and she knew me like the back of her hand.

           “Are you going to ditch me tonight?” she asked, leaning into the bar while waiting for her drink.

           I smirked and rested my side against the bar, standing close to her. The boys faced us again but immediately went into a different conversation to give Y/N and I privacy to catch up for the next couple minutes. I just took the time to get close to her. It had been a while since I was able to relax and be around her, she made me calm and I was able to breathe and I loved that about her.

           “Scared I’ll find better company, Y/N?”

           Something about the way I grumbled her name lowly against the sound of the music and commotion in the bar made her head turn away from the bartender and look up at me. Her smile faltered but she covered it up quickly with a small shrug, “No, but I was counting on you to drive me home.”

           “I am all yours tonight, sweet girl.” I said just as the bartender passed her the beer.

           She took a sip, “Feel like dancing tonight, Taylor?”

           Dancing was where boundaries and lines were forgotten about and she was fully aware of what watching her dance did to me. “For you?” I asked, “I’d do anything to feel you against me.”

           She rolled her eyes, not giving me the reaction I normally got from sweet talking. That was one of the biggest reasons why I latched onto her, because she didn’t take any bullshit but fuck could she test our limits with that sweet and innocent smile. She moved away from the bar and nodded for me to follow her, I didn’t have to be told again.

           “So, you guys are the reason why I haven’t seen Rog in a while.” Y/N said to the boys, slipping into their conversation easily while I stood beside her, touching her lower back.

           “It’s not easy keeping him away from you,” John pointed out, raising his eyebrows at me and mentally reminding me of all the times I begged them to let me call her.

           “We deserve an award.” Freddie added.

           “Y/N this, Y/N that.” Brian rolled his eyes, earning a laugh from Y/N as her eyes swung up to me and I saw an embarrassed smile on her face.

           “Roger, I hadn’t realized you liked me that much.”

           “Anything is better than looking at their faces,” I teased.

           “Oh, I’m so touched.” She mocked, touching her chest with her hand. I laughed at her before she looked back at the boys, “so when is the next gig?”

           “Tomorrow night,” Brian answered, “here actually.”

           Y/N looked up at me, her smile a bit cracked. “You didn’t tell me.”

           “You’re normally traveling back home for the weekend,” I reminded her.

           “Oh trust us, darling, the man wants you to come but we gave us a full run down of what you do every weekend.” Freddie teased.

           “Careful, Freddie,” I said just as someone across the bar called for Y/N.

           Her head turned and so did I, wanting to see who was calling for her but realized I had no idea who it was. Y/N lifted her hand and touched my bicep, “That’s Nikki, I’m going to say hi.”

           “Sure,” I breathed, dropping my hand from her back.

           She looked at the boys, “Excuse me.”

           All the boys nodded and she walked away from us. I kept my eye on her until she made it to the group of friends. John hit my shoulder, “You’re in love.”

           “Excuse me?” I looked back at them. They all started nodding so I shook my head and chuckled, “That’s a load of bullocks.”

           “Either you’re in love with her and you’re lying to yourself, or you really are blind and don’t see it.” John raised his eyebrows at me while taking a sip of his beer.

           “You should see the way you look at her.”

           I looked at Brian, a bit shocked at where they were coming from but it was Freddie who spoke next, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile this much.”

           “I smile,” I argued.

           “No,” John drawled out while shaking his head, “it’s more of a I-hate-everyone-smile slash snarl.”

           I ignored them. “I’m not in love with Y/N.”

           They didn’t believe me one bit because all they did was raise their eyebrows and Brian muttered, “Whatever you say, Rog.”

           Y/N slipped up between John and I and touched his arm with a smile, “What did I miss?”

           “We were trying to convince Roger to get a hair cut.” Freddie answered without missing a beat.

           I drank the last of my beer before setting it down on the countertop and taking Y/N’s glass from her, “I was actually thinking about how I wanted to dance with you.”

           I grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the small dancefloor. She laughed, “Roger, you’re friends!”

           I swung her under my arm before I gave a soft tug and pulled her into my body, “I don’t really care.”

           Her hand touched my chest and she rolled her eyes. The music was upbeat and fun and Y/N easily found the rhythm as she pushed her hands into my chest but I caught her hand in mine as she grinned mischievously again, “Then I guess we better get to it.”

           I pulled on her hand again but this time turned her so her back was pressed against my chest and her ass pressed to my crotch. I pressed my lips to her shoulder and heard her laugh as I started to move with her body against mine.

           We spent the rest of the night going between dancing and drinking and talking with my band. Y/N didn’t leave my side again and I didn’t dare to take my eyes off of her, especially when she was dancing. My friends’ words were stuck in my head every time I looked at her and suddenly the flutter I got in my chest whenever I heard her laugh had a deeper meaning. Whenever I found myself longing to make her laugh and be the center of my attention, my explanation I gave myself was no longer just because I loved her as a friend.

           “You didn’t have to walk me to my door,” Y/N spoke softly after we climbed the flights of stairs that led to her apartment, just outside of her main campus.

           She slid the key into the lock and I rested against the wall while she rested against the doorframe, looking at me. “Are you sure you’re alright to drive home?” she asked quietly, careful not to wake the neighbors.

           “I’m just exhausted,” I promised her. We both didn’t drink a lot tonight but I wasn’t getting a lot of sleep lately because our band was slowly getting more popular within the universities in England. She chewed on the inside of her cheek and I reached up to touch the side of her neck, “I’ll be fine, sweetheart.”

           “It’s almost three, just stay the night.” She breathed out.

           It was a bad idea. Really, really bad. I was no where near drunk, not even tipsy, and we had spent the night together before but seeing as random feelings just popped up I didn’t think it would be a good idea. I started to argue but Y/N pulled on my hand and brought me inside, she shut the door and flicked the lock.

           “Is Roger Taylor nervous?” she teased gently. “Surely, the Roger Taylor isn’t nervous to spend the night at a girls apartment.”

           I chuckled and she took that as my giving in and turned around, taking off her heels in the darkness of her apartment. In less than ten minutes I was laying in her bed, waiting for her to finish getting ready for bed.

           She came into her bedroom and left the door slightly ajar and my eyes glued to her bare legs that snuck out from under cute little pajama shorts. With a sigh she crawled into bed and I lifted my arm, out of complete instinct, and watched as she curled up into my side. Her hand touched my bare chest and her head lay in the crook of my head.

           “Night, Roger.” She murmured, already half asleep.

           I kissed her forehead and felt her whole body relax and melt into mine, “Sweet dreams, love.”

[hazza-bear-care]

Babie Crue (3/?)

A/N: This will be the second time I’m writing this because it accidentally got deleted when I went to add tags. I hope this one is more acceptable than the first draft, because guess who didn’t save the first draft.... ME!! I’m so sorry for not only leaving you guys waiting for the third part of this series, but also deleting it on accident. I FINALLY have a new laptop, so hopefully I’ll be able to update everything as soon as possible. Love ya!

Pairings: The Dirt! Motley Crue X OC, Eventual MGK! Tommy Lee X OC, Possible Douglas Booth! Nikki Sixx X OC

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of drug use, smoking, and alcohol. Wowee I’m so pissed at myself for deleting this.

Description: I don’ t remember exactly what happened, but Tommy somehow convinced Doc to let Cam join the Ozzy Osbourne/ Motley Crue tour. 

~~~~~~~

“Hey, Doc! This is Cam! She’s a friend of mine from high school!” Tommy screamed over the music blaring through the small apartment. 

“It’s lovely to meet you, Cam!” Doc responded holding his hand out for Cam to shake. 

“I actually have a question regarding Cam, Doc. I was actually wondering if she and her daughter could join us on tour.” Tommy questioned, ignoring the looks people were throwing in his direction. 

“You have a kid?!” Zutaut and Vince yelled, shocked at the revelation. 

“Tommy are you serious, man? Look around you! This is not the proper world to bring up a baby in!” Mick yelled. Tommy waved everyone off, staring at Doc and waiting for his reaction. The drummer could see the gears in the manager’s head grinding as he thought. 

“Tommy, Gracie and I are fine here. I have a steady job and your parents are angels. I agree with Mick on this,” Cam argued, suddenly feeling small under everyone’s scrutinous gaze.

“I’m sure Doc could give you a job. Hell, he could probably even pay you better than that shitty restaurant ever could! So, Doc, what do you say?” Tommy defended. The manager turned his attention to Cam, the 20 year old mother gnawing on her lip as her nerves began to get the best of her. 

“So you work at a restaurant. How old is your daughter?” Doc asked. 

“Grace is almost six months old, Doc.” Cam answered, a slight smile on her face as she thought about her daughter. 

“She’s so great, Doc. As low maintenance as babies get, Gracie’s probably the lowest of the low. She’s the cutest little bundle. You’re going to love her, Doc,” Tommy gushed. Cam smiled and furrowed her eyebrows, looking at the other Motley Crue guys in confusion. Nikki and Mick beamed, genuinely surprised with the words coming out of Tommy’s mouth while Vince mimicked vomiting behind Doc’s back. 

“I don’t know what I can offer you job wise, but I can very clearly see how much you and Grace mean to Tommy and the rest of the guys. So, pack up your clothes and every diaper you own because you’re coming on tour!” Tommy whooped and wrapped Cam in a hug, spinning the girl around as the other guys joined, a group hug ensuing. 

~~~~~~~

Tour life was great so far. Having a baby around actually kept the band in check, much to the surprise of Doc and Tom. The raucous after parties halted past 2 am, Cam’s hotel rooms or bunks on the bus were put on lockdown, and late night booze runs had a few additions: diapers and formula. 

In terms of parties, Mick was the most considerate when thinking of Grace. The guitarist would usually opt for a bottle or two of vodka, take his pain meds for his back problems, and then pass out in his room. 

Tommy was a close second: the drummer would get buzzed enough to be annoying, add a few bumps of coke to keep his high going for a few hours, and he was done. He usually ended up passed out face down, ass up anywhere he lands when his buzz wears off. Cam found him after he broke his protocol one night, face planted in a pool of his own vomit. Trying not to puke herself, Cam got Tommy cleaned up and back on the bus all while he muttered about how sorry he was and if he woke up Grace at any point in the night. 

Nikki and Vince, on the other hand, were intolerable when it came to the parties. There were nights where Vince kept the mother and daughter awake with the screaming coming from his room due to the countless groupies he fucked. Nikki sometimes roped Tommy and Vince into trashing the hotel floors that were rented out for the entire band, banging on walls and doors, screaming “wake up assholes!” as the entire hotel was awoken from their slumber. 

There were other times where Nikki and Vince used Grace before and after the shows to rope in their chicks for the evening because according to Vince, “there’s nothing drunk chicks like more than a dude who can handle a baby”, to which Cam rolled her eyes and ripped the baby away from them. 

The one thing Cam was cautious about was Ozzy fucking Osbourne. Motley Crue had their sober moments, especially around Grace, but Ozzy could never be sober even if his liver and kidneys depended on it. She knew that Ozzy had children of his own, but she didn’t know how exactly he acted around his children. Cameo always made sure that if Ozzy was around, she or a trusted member of Motley Crue always had an eye on the baby, especially when the older rockstar somehow snatched Grace away from whoever she was with. 

Mick and Tommy bounced between watching Cam and Grace, because if at any point Ozzy’ s actions bothered Cam, they would swoop in and take Grace from the drunk singer, making up a bullshit excuse like she needed to be fed or changed. Cam knew she would be eternally grateful for the band and everything they had done for her and Grace, knowing 100% that there would be no way to ever repay them. 

~~~~~~~

“Tommy! Get your ass back in this chair!” Ruby, the hair stylist, yelled at Tommy’s retreating back. “Can anyone go get him? Cameo? Mick?” Ruby turned her attention back to Vince as Cam stood and handed Grace and her bottle off to Mick, the vampiric man adapting his demeanor instantly. 

Cam left the greenroom, heading in the direction she hoped Tommy had travelled down as well. As she ran down the hall, Tom greeted her. 

“Hey, Zutaut! Have you seen Tommy? He ran out before Ruby could do his hair.” Cam ran a hand through her hair, trying to regulate her breathing as she waited for an answer. 

“Yeah, actually. Keep going down the hall and head towards the stage. He said he wanted to ‘survey the crowd’. Hey, do you want to go do something with me later? I’m sure the guys wouldn’t mind watching Grace.” Cam rolled her eyes, holding her hand up to Tom’s mouth, ultimately shutting up the spineless record label rep. 

“Zutaut, have you ever wondered why I call you buy your last name? Or why I never let you hold my daughter? It’s because I don’t fucking like you. So, kindly stay away from my daughter and I and do your fucking job!” With that, Cam turned and ran towards the stage, leaving Tom stunned in the hall. 

Tommy was staring out from behind the curtain, the crowd growing anxious. Cam silently shuffled up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, causing the drummer to jump. 

“You good?” Cam asked, silently chuckling at Tommy’s reaction. 

“Yeah. Fucking fantastic, Cam.” Tommy mumbled, brushing past her and sitting himself on a sound equipment trunk. Cam joined him and rubbed his back, trying to prevent a mental breakdown from happening. 

“What’s wrong, Tommy? You’ve never acted like this before a show.”

“This isn’t just another gig at Whisky, Cam. This is a fucking stadium full of people! What if they hate us? What if we fuck up this show, which will ultimately fuck up our career, and end up breaking up the fucking band?” Tommy muttered, scratching the back of his neck and holding his head in his hands. 

“Well, don’t fuck up,” Cam responded, trying to lighten the mood. 

“I’m serious, Cameo! This isn’t a fucking joke!” Tommy whisper-yelled. 

“So am I, Tommy! Look, this is what, your tenth show on this tour? Did you ever stop to consider that if Motley Crue was as shitty as you say, you wouldn’t still be here? Obviously you guys are doing something right, and you’re pretty amazing at it, so just give yourself a little break, okay? Now, come on back to the greenroom so Ruby can do your hair.” Cam stood and took Tommy’s hand, attempting to tug the man into a standing position. When the drummer didn’t move, Cam sighed and quickly sat down again. 

“Cam, I’m not too sure I can do this.” Cam kissed Tommy’s shoulder and laid her head on it, quite a scandalous idea popping into her head. 

“Hey Tommy? If you come back to the greenroom and patiently let Ruby finish your hair and makeup, I’ll flash you after the show.” With this promise, the drummer perked up and grabbed Cam’s hand, running back to the greenroom as quickly as he had run out of it. 

~~~~~~~

“Before we end our show tonight, we’d like to try something new. A couple months ago, a gorgeous friend of Tommy’s popped up with a beautiful baby in her arms. She is now responsible for rounding us up when we get crazy and fucked up, so we would like to end this show with a special song dedicated to our friend Cameo and her daughter Grace!” Vince came to where Cam was standing backstage and dragged her out into public view, the unforgettable chords of Elton John’s “Your Song” beginning to play in the background. 

Vince held her close as the band serenaded Cam, the mother a blubbering and sobbing mess. When the song ended, Cam hugged the singer, thanking him silently. 

“Don’t thank me sweetheart; thank Tommy. It was his idea.” Nodding, Vince escorted the young mother backstage as roadies began to disassemble what remained of Motley Crue’s set. They all ran to the greenroom, the party beginning instantly. 

“Thank you guys so much! It really meant a lot to me,” Cam whined happily, hugging each of them, spending a little extra time in her embrace with Tommy. 

“You’re very welcome, sweets. Now, don’t forget about what you promised me earlier, Cameo.” Tommy whispered seductively in Cam’s ear, causing a shiver to roll down her spine. This was going to be a long night.

~~~~~~~

A/N: Again, guys, I am so sorry that this part got deleted. I tried to piece as much of it back together as I could, and I’ m actually happier with this one than the original. I hope you enjoyed it!

Taglist:

@kellysimagines

[astro-b-o-y-d]

The Long Road Home Pt. 2

The next three chapters of SOSO are finally here! Author’s notes and additional fic warnings are on Ao3. And trust me, you’ll want to read them.

[Read on Ao3]

"I cannot believe how many people said they'd be attending today."

"It's like you said," Neil said from one of the other tables. "David couldn't be the only kid who actually liked the camp."

"Yeah, but I didn't expect our group to actually be the odd ones out of the batch, and for nearly every other person that went to the camp to absolutely love it as much as David," Max pointed out, as he smoothed the tablecloth into place. "Did any of them have anything better to do over the summer than attend some run-down camp in the middle of nowhere?"

"Most of them were born in the nineties," Neil said. "They were all about that 'playing outside' bullshit because they didn't have Internet yet."

"Good point. Fucking weirdos."

"Think anyone from our year will show up, aside from those of us already here?" Neil asked, flicking his thumb towards the part of the yard where Harrison, Nikki and Nerris were busy with their own tasks.

"Let's take bets on who we think will show up," Max said. "Dibs on Space Kid."

"That's cheating, you know he's the most likely out of anyone that isn't here already," Neil said. "Actually, he's probably more likely to come to this than anyone already here."

"Hey, I called dibs," Max said. "So you gotta pick someone else."

"What are we even betting?" Neil asked. "Out of the two of us, I'm the only one with a job and money."

"If I win, you let me use your employee discount at that nerd store you work at," Max said. "If you win, I owe you a favor or something, I don't know."

"Is there even anything there you'd like?" Neil asked.

Max shrugged. "I think I saw a dragon statue that looked kind of cool once."

"Aww, the one with the red eyes?" Neil asked. "But I was thinking about buying that for Harrison..."

"Then I'll get the one with green eyes, I don't fucking care," Max said. "I just want a dragon statue for my room."

"Fine," Neil said. "Employee discount, but only once. My boss will ride my ass if I let others use it too often."

"Pick your poison, then," Max said.

Neil thought hard for a moment. "I'd go with Preston, but only with the addition that if he does come, he'll have at least one article of clothing covered in glitter."

Max snorted. "He's probably got one of those stupid theater kid hats, too. You know, like the ones the guy in High School Musical wore?"

"You watched High School Musical?" Neil asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Who didn't?" Max said. "We all had our phases."

"Fair enough."

"Fine. You choose High School Musical and I choose Space Case," Max said. "What should we do if they both show up?"

Neil tapped his chin. "Then you owe me a favor and I'll buy you that dragon statue?"

"...Yeah, alright. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Hello, boys!"

Max jumped at the sudden burst of magical energy behind them and spun around to see Harrison standing there. "Can't you just walk across the yard like a normal fucking person if you need something?!"

"Hey, I just perfected this spell and I intend to use it as often as possible," Harrison said proudly.

Neil let out a chuckle and crossed his arms. "And I suppose asking you how you did it is out of the question, huh?"

"You know what my answer's going to be," Harrison said with a smirk.

"'It's magic' isn't an answer and you know it, babe."

"Well, it's all you're going to get," Harrison said, as he gently booped Neil's nose.

"For now," Neil said, his smile widening. "But we'll see later."

"Ugh, can you two put a pause on your flirting and help me finish setting up?" Max asked, making a face. "People are going to be here soon."

Not taking his eyes off Neil, Harrison pulled his wand from his sleeve and, after a quick flick of his wrist, the remaining tablecloths slid into place. "There, done."

Max cast him a glare. "You couldn't have done that sooner and saved us the time?"

"Oh, Max, you can't just use magic to solve all your problems," Harrison said. "Plus, there was a fifty-fifty chance that it wouldn't work and the remaining tablecloths would've simply caught on fire. I just got lucky."

"Yeah, of course you did," Max said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, was there a reason you came over here, other than to flirt?"

"Well, yes and no," Harrison said. "You see, I need help with unfolding chairs, and Nikki and Nerris are busy with the food area—"

"-and you want Neil to be the one to help you, right?" Max finished for him.

"If he's no longer needed over here, that is," Harrison said.

Max looked towards Neil, who gave a pleading look in return. "Yeah, yeah, go be romantic before people start showing up. I owe you for finishing up my part of the decorating, anyway."

Neil smiled and took Harrison's hand, before the two of them hurried off towards the other end of the yard. Max shook his head as he watched them go. He hadn't quite wrapped his mind around the idea of the two of them yet; it felt like only yesterday they were at each other's throats while he was busy throwing up half the items in Harrison's magic kit.

But he couldn't help but smile at the tender look on his best friend's face as the two of them shared a hushed conversation.

"Finished setting up over here?"

His smile disappeared as he turned to see David approaching him. "Tables are done, the girls have the food covered, and Neil and Harrison are finishing up the chairs. All that's left to do is wait for the criers."

"Good to hear it." David smiled fondly. "By the way, Max, I know I've said this before, but this was a wonderful idea."

Max looked towards the ground. "Yeah, yeah, I'm a damn saint. Don't tell anyone though, I got a reputation to uphold."

"I mean it, Max," David said, as he reached over to ruffle Max's hair with a fond expression. "I mean, a memorial service where we invite all the old campers and counselors? That's such a nice way to help everyone mourn. How on earth did you come up with such a clever idea so quickly?"

Max grew tense. And there were the questions from David. "I just...did, alright?" he said in the most casual voice he could muster. "It's not my fault I better at coming up with ideas on the spot than a thirty-year-old man."

David chuckled. "Max, I'm twenty-nine."

"Close enough," Max said, pushing his hand away. "And stop touching my hair, I want to look nice for this fucking thing!"

"Oh my God, it's like I went back in time."

Both Max and David turned to see a woman standing behind them, her red hair tied back in a pigtail and a tired smile on her face. David's eyes lit up and he stepped closer to her, his arms open as if he wanted to give her a hug. "Gwen! You made it!"

"Holy shit, it is Gwen," Max said in disbelief. "The Hell's she doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, kid," she said, as she accepted David's request for a hug. "And it's especially nice to see you again, David. How long's it been?"

"About five months," David said. "And two weeks. But who's counting?"

Gwen let out a laugh. "Clearly not you. Whatcha been up to in five months?"

"I finally became an official foster parent," he said proudly.

"Yeah, I heard about that!" Gwen's smile widened as her gaze dropped to Max. "And I see you weren't kidding about fostering the little terror of Camp Campbell himself."

"Haha, why don't you talk about something actually funny," Max said, grateful to switch the subject before David could question him further. "Like what I assume you've been doing since camp, which is to say, nothing of significance."

"Max," David said sternly. "Don't be rude."

"...Sorry. Old habit."

Gwen chuckled as she let go of David. "You still making David's life miserable, kiddo?"

"As far as you know," Max said.

"Come on, Gwen, he's a good kid," David said with a fond smile. "In fact, this entire thing was his idea!"

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"

Max crossed his arms. "I told you not to go bragging about it, David."

"But how could I not?" David said cheerfully. "It's a wonderful idea!"

"So you've said..."

Gwen's smile widened and she pressed a hand to her cheek as she stared at the two of them. "God, looking at you two interact really is a blast from the past. It's like I'm back at camp."

"Yeah, yeah, maybe your dreams of a time-travelling doctor finally came true," Max said sarcastically.

Gwen chuckled. "Aww, you remembered. You do care."

"So what the hell are you doing here anyway?" Max asked. "Didn't you hate the camp?"

"Didn't you?" Gwen said.

"I live here," Max pointed out. "That's my excuse. What's yours?"

Gwen shrugged. "Look, it's been over five years. That's more than enough time to make me less angry about wasting my summer there, and more willing to laugh about it at parties." She nudged David playfully. "Plus, I wasn't about to pass up the chance to see my old co-counselor pal again, even if it was at a damn funeral of all places."

David's smile softened. "Well, I'm glad you could make it. And I'm sure Mr. Campbell would have appreciated it, too."

Gwen gave him a look. "David, the man barely knew my name."

"...Well, I appreciate it."

Gwen smiled again. "Yeah, well, you're just lucky I care so much about you, you big goof."

The two of them fell silent for a moment, not taking their eyes off each other as the other kids approached the group. "David, we finished setting everything up!" Nerris said.

"Hey, is that Gwen?!" Nikki asked excitedly. "Hi, Gwen! Nice to see you still kicking!"

"What, did you think she'd be dead, too?" Max asked.

"Yeah, but for a completely different reason than David," Nikki said. "With David, I just figured he'd get hit by a truck or something. But I always thought Gwen would get an unwinnable fight with another person who loves those trashy novels."

"'Fight to the death', not 'an unwinnable fight', Nikki," Neil corrected her.

"Unwinnable fight!" Nikki said stubbornly.

"Yeah, unwinnable fight!" Nerris added. "Like when you try to use physical attacks against a being that can only be defeated by magical attacks. Nothing good's going to come out of that!"

"You could always just run away from the being and save your spell slots," Harrison pointed out.

"Uh, but what if you're trying to level up, smart-ass?" Nerris asked. "What then?"

Gwen couldn't hold back a laugh. "Oh, my God, none of them have changed a bit. We really are back at camp!"

"Isn't it great?" David said with a laugh of his own.

Gwen's smile widened. "You know what? It is kind of nice seeing everyone again, honestly."

"So you do have a soft spot for the camp!" David said, with a playful nudge to her arm. "Is it enough to make you consider being a counselor again?"

"Haha, you wish," she said. "Never again, pal. But...there's definitely something there."

David continued to smile for a moment, before the corners of his mouth slowly fell into a sad frown and he reached up to wipe away the tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Her own eyes now wide, Gwen stepped closer to comfort him as the tears finally began to roll down his face. "Hey, come on, it's alright."

"I'm sorry," David said, sniffling. "I was trying to wait until everyone else got here to cry. But I just...I'm sad but I'm so happy. You're here, and the kids have just...been so helpful today..."

"Let it all out, pal," Gwen said, pulling him into another hug. "You cry as much as you need to today."

You cry as much as you need to...

Max bit his lip as he noticed Neil giving him a look from his spot beside Harrison. He turned back to the nearest table and attempted to distract himself with the already-smooth tablecloth, while he heard David cry behind him.

You cry as much as you need to...

Max thought back to the last time he had cried over his parents. The anniversary of their death. The worst day of his life for a number of reasons.

You cry as much as you need to...

Once again, he found himself instinctively touching his left arm. The last time he had cried, really cried, had been during his time in the hospital. No family or parents to comfort him, no idea what would happen to him next. Just him in a lonely hospital room while the doctors were gone and his social worker was busy finding him a new family.

You cry as much as you need to...

David would get the opportunity to cry today. He'd be able to mourn in peace without worrying about anything or anyone else, surrounded by people who could cry with him.

And no matter what shitty, intrusive thoughts plagued his mind today, Max wasn't about to take that away from him.

--------------------

It was not long before others started pouring into the backyard after Gwen, and the somber atmosphere that accompanied them did nothing to help Max's already-low mood.

Most of them were adults, some a little older than David while others looked to be around their late teens or early twenties. A lot of them were hugging, crying, supporting each other as they gathered around the memorial shrine for Campbell, which David had set up with great care. Some were actually laughing as they reconnected with old friends from summers ago. All of them were dressed in black, which was one thing Max could appreciate about such an occasion. Ninety percent of his wardrobe would be appropriate to wear today.

He hadn't seen any of the kids from his summer, outside of the ones who were already there. But they had disappeared among the crowd to do God-knows-what, which unfortunately left Max alone with his thoughts.

There were so many people here to mourn Campbell. Max couldn't help but wonder if, had his own parents been given a funeral or service, this many people would have shown up to theirs. Sure, they had had friends and coworkers, but how many of them would have been torn up over their deaths. How many had actually been torn up and Max never got a chance to know?

He shook his head and tried desperately to force those thoughts right back to the farthest corner of his mind where they belonged as he looked around for David. He spotted him among a group of people who had gathered in the far corner of the yard, away from the rest of the crowd.

It was a decent-sized group, about ten people. All of them were crying and hugging one another though conversations that Max could not hear. And while most of them appeared to be more or less the same age as David, there was a man and a woman who were clearly much older then any of them, a soft, almost comforting look on their faces as they stared at the younger adults.

A look so similar to the one David had often given to the kids back when he was a counselor.

...His counselors.

They were his counselors.

More than just his counselors, that was David's entire group from his time as a camper. Or...at least one of them. There was no way David had only attended camp for a single summer.

The older woman had such a wide, bubbly smile on her face despite the tears in her eyes and she was waving her hands wildly and passionately as if she was telling an incredibly story. The man was also smiling with tear-filled eyes, and would occasionally reach over to ruffle David's hair (Max scowled as his hand instinctively traveled up to his own hair) as if he was ten years old again, a motion that would make David both laugh and cry.

David was so happy today. Well, not happy. Obviously he was sad, but he was allowed to be sad with other people around him to help ease the pain. He was allowed to cry, he was allowed to mourn...

Max crossed his arms and let them rest on the table before him. He wanted that chance. He wanted to cry so badly. He wanted to be able to mourn his parents properly. It was a memorial service; he could just cry and no one would know that his tears weren't reserved for Campbell.

But David would see him crying, and would want to comfort him. And with comfort would come questions, and Max didn't trust himself to keep the real reasons behind his tears to himself if David decided to pry. And there would go David's chance to spend the day focusing on Campbell. His chance to grieve. His chance to get everything Max hadn't gotten.

Max had to keep his feelings to himself, at least until the service was over. He was a master at repressing his stupid, annoying feelings when necessary. Okay, maybe not a master, but he had definitely gotten better at it after his year of hell.

...Okay, so that wasn't necessarily true, either.

Well, regardless, he would have to at least try for David's sake.

"Mwack."

He felt something nudge his leg beneath the table, and he lifted the tablecloth to investigate. A familiar brown lump of fur with an even-more-familiar orange bill was staring up at him from the grass.

Max felt his troubling thoughts melt away for a moment as he reached down to scratch the platypus's head. "Hey, I remember you," he said fondly. "The hell are you doing here, you little abomination-of-nature?"

The platypus nudged his hand sweetly. "Mwack."

Max couldn't help but smile at this motion. "Well, you got affectionate with age, didn't you? No more biting or hamster-eating?"

Another nuzzle. "Mwack."

"Dee? Did you check under that table?"

"No luck."

"Aww, well, we'll keep looking! He couldn't have gotten far."

Max looked up to see two other kids looking beneath nearby tables, as if they were searching for something. "Hey, you two looking for a platypus?" he asked, rising up from his chair. "He's under this one."

Both looked up from their search and the taller child's eyes widened excitedly. "Max! You're here, too?!"

"...Wait, Space Kid?"

"Oh, right, you guys never did get my name right, huh?" The child asked with a laugh as he and the other approached the table. "That's okay, I never liked it much anyway. I've been trying to think of a better name to go by, like Alioth. Or...Vega! Oooh, or Nix! That's a satellite of Pluto. By the way, Pluto should totally still be a planet and we as a species was wrong to take its planetary status away!" He let out another laugh. "But hey, you can just keep calling me Space Kid if you want to! I mean, if the space boot fits, am I right?"

Well, Max called that one. And now that he got a good look at Space Kid, it was more than obvious that he was the little space-loving weirdo from camp. He had grown a bit both in height and weight, and his shaggy brown hair now hung down over his eyes, but it was definitely him. And Max had a feeling that, had this not been a memorial service, he probably would have worn an outfit completely dedicated to space. Hell, Max would have felt safe in betting on the idea of him showing up in a full-on astronaut suit if he had been given a choice in the matter.

The other kid seemed to linger closer to Space Kid, his eyes cast down at the grass below and a yellow beanie with a star on the front atop his head. He pointed towards the bottom of the tablecloth, where the platypus had stuck out its bill. "Found him."

"Hey, there you are!" Space Kid said cheerfully as he bent down to pick him up. "Silly Mwack, always wandering off by yourself! That's how we almost lost you at the observatory!"

"I can't believe the little fucker's still alive," Max said. "How'd he end up with you, anyway?"

"Oh, he snuck into my backpack before we left camp," Space Kid explained. "So I decided to keep him! Mom made me take him to the vet and get him de-poisoned, just to be safe, and we did a ton of research on platypi just so we knew how to take care of him! Did you know platypi can actually live to be about seventeen in captivity? I didn't, but I do now! Or that female platypi sweat milk! Well, not sweat, but-"

Max wasn't paying much attention to Space Kid's overenthusiastic platypus facts. He eyes were still on the kid at his left, who was was keeping his gaze down and rubbing his hands together nervously. His posture seemed reserved and scared, like he really didn't want to be there. Something about him seemed so familiar to Max, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"-and that's why Dee and I want to see if we convince NASA to let Mwack be the first platypus in space," Space Kid finished.

Dee? Wait a minute...

"...Dolph?" Max asked aloud.

The boy seemed to flinch at this name and Space Kid wrapped his platypus-free arm around him in a comforting fashion. "His name is Dee," he said defensively.

"Oh, uh, sorry..." Max said. "But... it is him, right?"

Dee nodded. "It's me..."

Max eyed him again. "I'm surprised to see you, you know, not dressed completely like-"

"Hitler?" Dee finished in a guilty voice.

"...So you did know?"

"No, I didn't!" Dee said, finally looking up. "I mean...I did, but I didn't...I-I shouldn't have..." He hung his head again. "Do you ever look back on...how you used to act? Or how your parents raised you? And just kind of...realize it wasn't...great?"

"...Oh."

"Yeah..." Dee said sadly. "I was...awful. I did lots of things that made people uncomfortable. It wasn't right. I know that now."

"So, when'd you catch on?" Max asked.

"It's been happening for a while..." Dee said. "But I... I don't want to be like my parents. They're...they're bad people, and I don't want to be bad, too."

"And I'm helping him not be bad!" Space Kid said cheerfully, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "So... be good!"

Dee looked up at him fondly. "He's helping."

"Well, damn, good for you, dude," Max said. "Because no offense, but you really were kind of horrible. And by kind of, I mean... You were really horrible. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, dude, it wasn't cool."

"I know..." Dee said. "I was kind of scared to come today. But I...wanted to say I was sorry to everyone I could. I already talked to David—"

"-and he forgave you almost instantly, right?" Max asked.

"I...Well, he said he did," Dee said. "I just hope that was how he really felt. I...I want people to be honest if they can't forgive me."

"Well, knowing David, I'm sure he not only forgave you, but he probably also promised you a bed in the guest room if you ever needed to get away from your shitty parents, right?" Max asked.

Dee nodded. "He did say that, only without the swearing."

"Yeah, of course he did," Max said. "Well, hey, if worst comes to worst, at least you won't be the only kid in the house."

"What do you mean?" Dee asked.

"I mean, I live here, too," Max pointed out. "David's fostering me."

"David's your dad?!" Space Kid asked excitedly.

Max scowled. "Foster dad."

"That's so neat!" Space Kid said, while Dee's eyes widened excitedly. "I wish I could have David for a dad! My real dad left a while ago, and Mom says he's probably not coming back."

"Oh..." Max said, raising his eyebrows. "I'm...sorry, Space Kid."

"No need to be sorry!" Space Kid said, hugging Dee closer. "I got my mom, and Dee, and Mwack! It'd be nice to have my Dad, too, but I'm still happy!"

And Space Kid was still so optimistic and nice. Between that and Dee's determination to be a better person, Max could feel those annoying intrusive thoughts returning. Despite life's hardships, these two were happy. They were bettering themselves, finding the bright side of a terrible situation, not letting life constantly kick their ass despite its numerous attempts.

Why...why couldn't it be that easy for him?

...Okay, the answer was obvious, but the fact that he knew that the answer was obvious only made him feel worse. He knew what he needed to do to stop feeling bad. He knew it was easy. There was literally nothing stopping him from just crossing the yard and telling David that he was having a shitty day.

He looked back at where David was located. Still smiling through his tears, still having a good time despite the heartbreak.

Still grieving.

And it was enough to keep Max frozen where he stood, as he once again tried to push his stupid thoughts to the back of his mind.

"Max, you gotta come see Nikki and Nurf!"

A wave of relief washed over Max as the sound of Nerris's voice shattered his train-of-thought and he saw Dee move closer to Space Kid as she approached the table in an excited panic. "They've been arm-wrestling for about five minutes and there hasn't been a winner yet! It's more exciting then when I rolled a Crit-20 and actually scared a dragon away in my last DnD game!"

"Nurf's here, too?" Max asked. "Oh, God, I'd better go with you just so I can make sure he doesn't try to stab Nikki." A pause. "Then again, she'd probably stab him back...Yeah, I really should go with you. Lead the way, Critical Role."

"Very funny, Max," Nerris said. "But you know I'm more of an Adventure Zone fan."

"Of course, how could I forget your crush on Magnus Sideburns?"

"Burnsides, Max! And can you blame me?!" She crossed her arms. "I'm just saying, Julia was a lucky lady!"

"Whatever, just lead the way."

Nerris laughed and gestured for him to follow, and Space Kid and Dee trailed behind him as they pushed through the crowd and headed for another table.

"YES! EAT IT, BITCH!"

Max heard Nikki's cry of victory before the table where she, a probably-seventeen-by-now Nurf, and the other kids came into view. And it wasn't just Neil and Harrison; Max could see Ered and Preston had joined the group as well.

Ered was taller than she had been at camp, and her hairstyle was almost identical to Nikki's, though still blonde with her trademark purple stripes. She had traded her old jacket for a black, leather one and was still rocking a pair of torn jeans and boots (Max couldn't deny that she definitely had style). Preston, on the other hand, looked pretty much how both Neil and Max had expected him to look (Max could see Neil giving him a knowing smirk and a subtle gesture towards the glittery, black hat atop Preston's head) and it was not a surprise that he seemed to be furious for an unknown reason.

Nerris let out a noise of unhappiness. "Aww, did I miss it?"

"Yeah, and I rocked!" Nikki said proudly.

"Gotta admit, shrimp, you've bulked up since camp," Nurf said, flexing his hand. "Though that's not a surprise, you were always one of the more athletic kids of the group."

"And you put up a good fight, my man," Nikki said with a wide smile. "What was it you said you started doing, kick-boxing?"

"It was my therapist's idea," Nurf explained. "Said it would help me unleash a lot of my violent tendencies in a safe-and-controlled environment. I haven't been arrested in three months, so I'd say it's successful so far, but every case is different and results tend to be varied so we'll see what happens."

"Well, clearly you're not unleashing ENOUGH of those tendencies!" Preston said angrily. "Now I've lost five bucks!"

"Heh, pay up, theater kid," Ered said, her hand out.

Grumbling, Preston fished the bill out of his pocket and slapped it down on her palm. "Well, I've learned my lesson. Save the gambling for fights between Hamilton fans and Heathers fans. It's a safe bet; Heathers fans usually go for biting and hair-pulling while Hamilton fans are total pussies."

"You would know that," Max spoke up.

Preston narrowed his eyes at Max. "What are you doing here? Never expected to see you at a funeral for Campbell."

"One, it's a memorial service, not a funeral," Max said. "Two, the same could be said for you, Nurf, and maybe Ered."

Ered shrugged. "I heard there was free food and I had nothing better to do. Plus, it's one of the few places I can wear this outfit and old people won't look at me like I'm the devil or something."

"I feel that," Max said with a nod.

"I originally had a kickboxing match today, but it got postponed so I figured it'd be better than going home," Nurf explained. "Actually, I was telling Nikki about it and that's why she wanted to arm wrestle."

"And like hell I'm missing out on an opportunity to grace people with my presence!" Preston said dramatically. "Even if it's the likes of you heathens and your inability to recognize fine writing."

Max raised an eyebrow. "Last time I checked, you couldn't recognize it either. I mean, we all saw that play of yours back in the day."

Preston let out an offended scoff. "I see you haven't changed a bit since camp. Still the same, rude kid after all this time."

For some bizarre reason, Max felt a twinge of anger at this comment. It was one thing when Neil or Nikki playfully insulted him. But he hadn't seen Preston in years and the two of them hadn't exactly been friends. "Whatever, Preston, like you're any better."

"Well, someone's in a bad mood," Preston said defensively. "Again, a surprise to no one."

It was just a stupid comment. Max knew it was a stupid comment, and it shouldn't have bothered him. If he got mad every time some idiot insulted him, he would just be miserable all the fucking time.

...Well, moreso than usual.

It was fine. He was fine. Or at the very least, he could pretend he was fine and not get annoyed at something he would normally either shrug off or respond to with a much better comment.

"So, why are you here anyway?" Preston asked. "I couldn't help but notice you avoided answering that question."

Of course he'd caught that. Why the fuck wouldn't he? "I'm...here to pay my respects for Campbell," he said calmly. "Is that a fucking crime, Preston?"

Preston scoffed. "Oh, really? You, the kid who hated the camp more than any of us, is here to pay respects for the bastard? Why don't I believe that?"

"You don't have to," Max said. "It doesn't affect me either way."

"You know what I think?" Preston said. "I think you're here to pull some kind of prank on David. Come on, fess up, we all know you wouldn't come to this thing willingly."

That was a...fair assumption for someone who hadn't seen Max since camp to make. There was no need to feel offended by that assumption at all, despite the fact that he had spent most of the past week thinking about nothing but trying to make today special for David because of what had happened with his own folks. How the fuck was Preston supposed to know that? He wasn't, so there was no need to be mad.

And yet Max was clenching his fists so tightly, his palms were started to hurt from how hard his fingernails were digging into them. "I told you, Preston. I just...wanted to pay my respects."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked over to see Neil and Nikki beside him. "Hey, Max, can Nikki and I talk to you for a moment alone?"

Max nodded quickly and followed them towards the shed that lay on the edge of the yard. "God, thanks, guys. He was starting to piss me off."

"I know," Neil said, as he lead the two of them inside and shut the door behind them. "It's why we wanted to talk to you."

"Plan M! Plan M!" Nikki said excitedly.

Max gave her a confused look. "Plan M?"

"That's not what it's called, Nikki," Neil said, crossing his arms.

"Oh, yeah?" Nikki asked. "Then what would you call a plan that involves Max?"

"It doesn't need a name!"

"Guys!" Max said. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Neil sighed. "Okay, so Nikki and I had a plan, a nameless plan, ready in case either of us saw that you were having a hard time today."

"Neil told me about what you two talked about last week," Nikki said, and gave Max a look of sympathy. "And we saw how you tensed up earlier when Gwen got here."

Max sighed. "Oh, great. So I'm that easy to read? Fine, whatever, what's the plan?"

Neil and Nikki exchanged a look. "Okay, so you don't want to talk to David, right?" Nikki asked.

"It's not that I don't want to," Max said. "It's that I can't."

"Why not?" Nikki asked. "It'd be so easy! He's just right across the yard, I can go get him for you-"

"If Neil explained everything to you, then you should already know why I can't," Max said, crossing his arms.

"What Nikki means is," Neil said. "Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to talk to him if you had some help from us. We could just tell David that—"

Max sighed irritably and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Guys, look. I really appreciate you trying to help, I do. But you both know why I can't talk to him until the service is over. And you two just ignoring all that and telling me 'oh, just go talk to him' makes me feel like you're not listening to anything I'm saying!"

Nikki gave him a sad look. "We are listening, Max. But you know David would want to know if you needed to talk—"

"I know, okay?!" he said, a little more aggressively than intended. "I know he'd want me to go to him for help! I know he'd listen! I fucking know! Do you two really think I'm such a fucking idiot that I wouldn't know that?!"

Neil and Nikki stared at him with a look of shock, one that almost made him feel guilty. Almost. "I'm not talking to him until after the service is done! I don't care if it fucking kills me, he's not going to spend today dealing with my bullshit!"

Neil placed a hand on his shoulder. "Max—"

Max didn't stick around to hear the rest of the conversation. He pushed Neil's hand away and stormed out of the shed, back towards where the rest of the campers from their summer had gathered.

"-yeah, my dad left, too," Ered was saying to Space Kid as Max approached. "But who needs deadbeats, right? Moms are the real heroes."

"Well, I mean, I'd like to see mine again," Space Kid said in return. "But yeah, my mom's cool!"

"Ugh, I'd give anything not to ever see my mother again!" Preston said. "That fucking bitch didn't even have the decency to show up at my theater trope's third performance of Phantom of the Opera! She was too busy 'working'. Excuses! That particular performance was one of my top five!"

It shouldn't have bothered him. Kids were allowed to hate their parents; sometimes it was completely understandable. Dee had mentioned that his parents had been awful, too, and he hadn't been angry over that. And Space Kid had already mentioned that his dad was a deadbeat.

So why the fuck was he so angry, now? What the Hell was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just calm down?!

"What about you, Max?" Preston asked. "Got any horror stories about your folks?"

God damn it. God damn it. "Yeah, I got a horror story for you. It's called 'my folks are fucking dead'!"

The group fell silent, all eyes now on Max. "I...Oh," Preston said slowly.

"Yeah, Preston, oh," Max said, his voice rising. "They died in a fire about a year ago and I've had to bounce around from foster home to foster home since then. But I guess your mom not coming to a performance she's probably seen a million times is pretty fucking terrible, too. I feel so sorry for you."

"Max," Neil said firmly from behind him. "I know you don't want to, but you need to go talk to David now-"

"I told you I can't, Neil!" Max spun around to face him as angry tears began to form at the corner of his eyes. Great, now he was fucking crying. "Why doesn't anybody fucking get that I can't?!"

"Max—"

"You think I don't realize how fucking stupid I'm being by not talking to him?" Max continued, the tears finally rolling down his face. "That I haven't spent all day wishing I could just drag my sorry ass across the yard and tell him 'hey, I'm fucking depressed as shit, can you please help me like you always do, because you're a good fucking person who would stop everything just to help me with my problems but just because you would doesn't mean you should, especially when you're mourning the death of someone super fucking important to you?! Because I know that not being able to do that fucking sucks and I may be a prick to you ninety-nine percent of the time but I'm not about to take that chance away from you?!'"

"Max?"

Max froze at the sound of someone else saying his name and slowly turned to see David staring at him, a camera in his hand and a look of utter shock on his face. "I...saw all of you together, and I thought—"

Max didn't stick around to hear David finish his sentence. Scrubbing the tears from his face, he turned and raced for the house as fast he could. He didn't look around at the other guests who were probably staring at him now, he didn't stop as someone behind him (was that Nikki? Was it David again? He didn't care) called his name. He just pried open the back door, raced towards the stairs and stormed up to his room.

He slammed the door shut behind him and slid down to the floor as he finally let the tears fall. He'd fucked it up. Of course he'd fucked it up. He'd yelled at his friends, he'd ruined the service for David... Why did he expect anything else to happen? Why did he just listen to Neil or Nikki and go talk to David? Of course he should have talked to David.

Why was he so...stupid?

God damn it.

[ghostlandsorbust]

If anyone had asked Kurt what had happened, he would respond with the fact that he had no idea what just happened. At one point he was talking to Danny about space and stars, he vividly remembered talking about Pollux to be specific. It was almost like he blinked and then he was in an empty hall, just him and Wolfie.

He shook his head, looking at himself and his dog to make sure they were, still in fact, you know pretty much ghosts because for a while he honestly thought he just dreamt all of this up. But sure enough he was still dead and this was still the hotel. He wasn't even in the same hallway from the look of it. "Well this is a predicament Wolfie, a predicament indeed." He looked down toward his dog.

Something wasn't right though, he could tell by Wolfie's stance that he was on gaurd. Kurt blinked, kneeling down for a minute. "What's wrong ya noodle?" He teased softly, stroking behind the shepherds ears. He'd never seen Wolfie this distressed, and then he growled low in the back of his throat and barked. "Hey hey, what's wrong boy."

First he wasn't where he originally was and now his dog was upset, which was only proving to build up his anxiety and he could feel himself begin to mildly panic. Kurt then looked up and on the wall he saw a shadow of something, he couldn't make out what it was but it looked like it had horns and he froze. Wolfie barked again, trying to lunge and growl, teeth bared, so Kurt did the only logical thing at this point which was to grab Wolfies leash and take off in the other direction, dragging his very much upset dog with him.