#but also i just feel so much emotional weight in here rn

[the-fog-system]

.

[vagabond-umlaut]

you kiss the back of my legs and i want to cry

only the sun has come this close, only the sun

gojo satoru x wife!reader; tooth-rotting domestic fluff; gojo LOVERBOY™️ satoru; you aren't any better than him [but less poetic abt the predicament]; tw: pregnancy, 1 tiny mention of throwing up; satoru calls you 'cookie'; and he redefines the word besotted here; his thoughts are also a little yandere-ish but tht's cute, methinks; 2.3k wc; i just wish satoru was real and in my arms rn T-T

belongs to the series 'you make my heart flutter and fibrillate' but can be read as a stand-alone fic if you wanna

the fic title and summary don't rly hv a very strong connection to the fic plot— except the fact they fit both satoru's & reader's characters in this series to a tee ^_^

fic title and summary from 'gps' by shauna barbosa // header frm pinterest // divider by @/benkeibear // jjk isn't mine

you are clingy.

always have been, in fact, now that gojo thinks about it. long before the two of you were married. long before you were engaged. quite a long time before the two of you were anything apart from friends at best, acquaintances at worst.

yet now, as he feels a pair of arms squeeze tighter around his middle, not really still very much squeezing the air out of him— your husband reckons you've grown loads clingier now—

and he loves you for this. loving you even more when he feels kisses being pressed into the space between his shoulder blades.

soft lips, a tad chapped. not without the shy grazing of your teeth.

just how he likes it.

very much how he adores you.

affection, settled deeper than should be feasible into the hollow of his chest, flutters a little when you nuzzle into his back; that pleased little hum of yours quick to follow it. smiling, gojo turns his head a touch to catch a glimpse of you. it takes a beat before you remove your face to lock eyes with him, before returning your face to his back.

he huffs a chuckle, sounding incredibly fond all the same. his feelings for you can never be suppressed anyway. time has proved this to him enough number of times.

he runs a finger down the length of your arm, relishing how it leaves a line of goosebumps in its wake—

"you wanna tell me something, cookie?" your husband finally asks.

your reply doesn't come immediately. and when it does, it is nothing more than a noncommittal noise. too spoiled. too stubborn. a bit too satisfied as well, the emotion further expressed when you nuzzle his back yet again.

gojo's smile grows bigger. his cheeks hurt a little.

he thinks he can live forever with this kind of pain, not even a sigh of complaint ever leaving him.

"aha—" he exclaims loudly, still soft enough to keep the quiet of this sweet bubble you've pulled you both into, "so it's just my irresistible charm that's making you so clingy tonight, hm?"

another beat passes.

and just when he thinks he might have to do with another one of your indistinct sounds for an answer, you speak. to be more precise, whine and grumble, everything so sweet in your adorable voice.

"it's not me being clingy, 'toru— it's the baby— the baby is making me so clingy. making me feel as if i can't live even for one second without squishing you like thisss!!!"

the first reaction your tightening grasp brings out is the wind getting knocked out of his lungs— the second reaction being all that oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide being replaced by a feeling so fierce and so tender— the strongest thinks his knees would have buckled under its weight had he not been lying down but standing—

not that he really minds that, though.

for you, he's always on his knees. whether you ask it of him or not. the only light in this world he is willing to bow his eyes before.

it takes him not too much effort but gojo makes a point of struggling whilst he shifts in your hold. and grins when he finally comes face-to-face with you, drinking in the way your brows are puckered and lips a little parted in an incredulous expression.

his grin simmers down however, when his six eyes notice the spark in your tummy. so tiny. so blinding. so priceless— to him and you both— he knows this, surer than he is of the scars on his palms.

thumbing the hem of your t-shirt, he hums, dragging his eyes back to be drowned in yours, "how many weeks along are you, wifey?"

"satoru," you start, voice turning sharper and just as skeptical as your face was, still is— only to be shushed by a finger to your lips. the man addressed feels his heart skip a beat at your confused big scowl— it's got to be a crime to be as cute as you— really!!!

he pinches your cheek lightly.

"it isn't like i don't remember that, cookie. i just wanted you to say it— c'mon, tell me quickly!" he presses, noting then utilising the moment your face begins to lose its cynical hue over his words.

the scowl lingers there however, twisting your delectably pretty lips—

"nine weeks," you say, hooking a leg over his waist to pull him closer. can he be any closer to you, though? your answer is always a yes, he knows you well enough to know this.

"thirty-one weeks more before we meet our baby."

it's not exactly thirty-one weeks; it's thirty weeks and five days before either of you can meet the baby, but gojo decides not to point out the error. you always hate it when he points out your tiny errors and make a point of snarking about it every time he opens his mouth to speak a word next— the man is wary not to upset his wife, yes, thank you very much.

he offers a sage "hm" in response, one he observes you accept slowly. the scowl lifts itself into a curve so fond— gojo thinks once before he vaults his next query your way. not wanting to see that smile vanish in front of him—

the ask won't cause anything so. but he can never be too sure. he has read too many books and articles to not grasp how fragile pregnancy hormones can make one be.

he tucks a strand of hair behind the shell of your ear.

fingers tarrying there when he sees you lean into his touch— not akin a moth to a bright flame, no. he can never hurt you. not even for once in his wildest dreams—

but how the north pole of a magnet hurries towards the south pole of another magnet. so different in their nature, a perfect pair of opposite crafted by the nature— maybe that's why nothing can ever stop them from rushing to each other once they're proximated, the lines of their mutual attraction existing even when thousands of miles apart.

just like you and him.

contrasting, complementing, completing each other every instant, in every facet of life.

he lets his fingers dance through the tangles in your hair, unravelling the knots in there. that pleased little hum of yours reaches him once again.

stowing the sound away, later to be placed on a pedestal in an ornate glass case as the most valuable praise ever given to him for his effort, he runs a gentle hand, nails scratching your scalp carefully.

"and at nine weeks old, just how big might our baby be?"

"i think there is a chart comparing our baby's size to fruits..." syllables unhurried and a pinch mumbled, you press your heel to draw him in a little more. "i did not really read that too attentively— oh. but. yeah!" a grin forms on your features, sleepy still twinkling in excitement.

"shoko sent me a link to this website earlier today— any ideas, 'toru, what it might be about?"

gojo does have an idea. he has a very, very good idea.

but he chooses not to say that aloud. you look so extremely adorable when you are being this excited. he would hate nothing more than to see your amped up self getting interrupted by him.

he shakes his head. your grin brightens. eyes crinkling with a glint, he can tell even without looking, is knowing.

the tips of your fingers caress his bare back, softer than a breath. "it's about when our baby forms which organs— our baby's eyes are being formed now!!! isn't that too cute, 'toru?"

"it is, cookie," he hums without any hesitation, six eyes activating one more time to zero in on that teeny-tiny spark. then deactivating when he looks back up to your sleepy eyes. a terribly tickled, equally wicked glimmer creeps into his grin. "so our baby is just like a tiny ball of cells with two big blue eyes, huh? they must look so scary, heh— ouch!"

your pinch did not really pain him, but gojo does his best to mimic an awfully wounded puppy, sogging wet from the rain and waiting at the doorstep with his moving blue eyes— it takes less than three seconds before you let go of your glare with a sigh.

you massaging the sore spot on his arm, your husband watches you give yet another sigh.

"first of all, there's no guarantee our baby will have your eye color and not mine, 'toru," you explain, pinning him under your drowsy stare, "it is very difficult to predict that for sure— and secondly: i'll punch you if you ever call our baby scary— sure, they don't really look like a human in this moment, but they'll slowly get there in forty weeks— as per the website, their face, hands and feet are forming in the ninth—"

"okay, alright!! i get your point, my insanely smart, insanely beautiful, insanely sexy wife," gojo cuts in, smiling while warning bells chime in his head at the faintest gloss in your eyes—

but maybe they weren't noisy enough. that is why he doesn't bite his tongue, rather continuing, "but you weren't actually blaming our poor human-ey baby for your clinginess, were you? it's not like they have a telepathic communication set up with you— hell, maybe they haven't even started forming their brain!"

"the baby's brain starts forming by the fifth week, satoru," your quiet reply reaches him exactly when he gets his last giggle out. the moist sheen in your eyes grows more prominent.

and his insides begin to twist—

one-third helpless. two-thirds contrite.

you don't stop talking, tone lower than he has heard you use in nearly forever, "and you better not comment on my bond with our baby— i'll punch you twice if you—"

"i wasn't doing that and i promise to never make you feel that way, my cutie-pie cookie," gojo interrupts, voice far gentler than earlier, just as low as yours, "but feel free to throw me out the house if i ever do that, even accidentally. okay?"

you're not okay.

you never are, when it comes to you being actually harsh to him, even when he's the one asking you to be— shakespeare once called love to be blind— your husband doesn't think you're blind, however. it is your well-contemplated decision to see his mistakes and see each of them as excusable, perfectly pardonable, no matter how silly or serious the world might regard them to be—

you make a noise. somewhat annoyed. unhappy too, yeah. before you push your face into the crook of his neck, nose nuzzling into the flesh there.

you would have bitten him by now. but he reckons you might be a bit too tired for all that. you couldn't even finish your dinner before facing the urge to throw up tonight, yet again.

feeling sorry, almost, gojo resumes his ministrations to your hair, half because you need to fall asleep now; the hands on the clock are close to striking midnight. the other half because he just loves playing with your hair— only to still when you suddenly pull your head back.

brows furrowed as you peer at him, eyes big and earnest.

"you don't really mind when i hug you like this, do you, 'toru?"

"no, cookie!! of course not!!" the man wastes not even a breath before he rushes to explain— because seriously, what!??

sure, he wasn't the first one to fall between you two. but ever since he did fall, he has never not expressed how every second away from you, every fraction of an instant away from you, causes him pain.

and yeah, he might have been a tad too dramatic whilst doing so, but you've always been so good at reading him— then why on earth can't you read him now? why don't you read, he loves it when you seek him out, he loves you more than anyone and anything else??

"good," your satisfied little chirp gives him a light shove away from his frantic thoughts. something tells him he should be put on alert by the way your lips curve into a smug smile next.

but gojo finds himself uncaring. just immensely relieved as he trails his fingers from the back of your head to your chin. thumb reaching out to brush the corner of your infectious smile. you continue.

"but even if you did mind, sorry not sorry— you were the one who put the ring on my finger, so you have to deal with everything i'm, mister!! no refunds nor complaints can be filed here, gojo-san~"

and neither refunds nor complaints he wishes to file, satoru muses to himself as he cups your cheek in one hand. bending down to steal the taste of your beam, your tease, your love for him on his tongue—

not when he has received the world in exchange for letting go of that poor splintered mess of a heart, he used to call his, but is now yours.

and will always stay yours—

"hey 'toru— what will you do if i chomp on your fingers right now, like really hard? will you yell? or will you be the freak that you're and enjoy it, huh?"

gojo pauses.

and wonders.

is there any binding vow one can make to secure oneself to another in every lifetime, for all eternity?

he hopes there is.

your husband really, seriously hopes there is—

'cause no way in heaven, earth or hell, does gojo satoru want to let go of you— and he will not let go of you.

this idea was ROTTING in my brain for ages, but wht gave me the spark– the boost to write this was the wonderful sukuna fic written by ari @twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat ❤️❤️❤️ i seriously love u & ur writings sm, babes 🥹🥹 everyone pls go check their masterlist out. it's studded w diamonds and pearls 😌😌🥰

and this is also for my sweet & sour bestie mimi @avatarofstars 🤭🤭— u 🤝 me in being clingy af towards our fictional hubbies 😂😂🥰

hope this was an enjoyable read! pls don't plagiarise, translate or repost this ❤️❤️

masterlist

[writingmeraki]

men on a mission.

a kim mingyu drabble !

pairing : secret!agent!mingyu x secret!agent!reader, established relationship ( they are married lmao )

genre : fluff. few rotten tooth worthy fluff.

warnings : kissing and mentions of alcohol/drunkness.

author's note : well. i was inspired by a sort of dream i had abt mingyu and this sprouted out of it lmao. i rlly do hope it makes sense <3 i kinda wanna make this a fic someday but i have too much shit on my hands rn so take this instead :D also unkept, unsaid,ugly emotions other units will be coming soon and maybe something for enha too cause it's been a HOTTT minute ☝️!!

sp. dt to my svt luvr moots 🩷!! @blue-jisungs ; @shuamorollss ; @odxrilove ; @flwoie ; @strxwberry-skiess ; @bambikisss ; @enluv !!!! ( this is my small attempt at showing y'all i am alive and do think of you guys everytime i open this app :( love u all even those who aren't mentioned ! )

word count : 0.9k

small drabble in the same universe ( continuation if you wish ) !!

Mission be darned, you may just get exempted due to murdering your assigned partner.

“Mingyu! Can you please stop drinking!?” 

You were sure your forehead might have become red from the amount of times you've been rubbing it and you can feel the grey hair seeping through.

Glaring at said man as he downed probably the fifth shot of some combo of liquor, you turned your attention to the bartender.

His eyes widened as he gulped in slight fear from the anger radiating in your gaze.

“I told you to stop. No more drinks for him.” 

You said calmly as he quickly nodded his head and went in a rush to clean the already cleaned up counter for the second time, finding it better to be anywhere but near a furious person.

He knew what he was paid was not worth getting into an argument about how customer service is the top thing and all that. 

“Loosen up! Have some fun babyyy!” His words slurred towards the end and you had to stop yourself from grinning at his words. You rolled your eyes at his words before hissing out lowly towards him,

“We are not supposed to have fun, if you remember, we’re here to collect some information!” You were whisper yelling at this point but you doubt anyone would hear you anyways from the loud music playing in the club which was already giving you a headache. 

“ ‘s fine~”

“I’ll get it out some other time, just relax yeah? It’s been a while since we went out.” 

Sighing at his words, you avoided looking at his face. You knew damn well he had that specific look. The look when he really wanted something from you which you weren’t agreeing on. You think it’s his eyes that get to you every damn time. 

Suddenly, he moved from his position and clinged to your arm, almost making you fall off the bar stool as he scooted closer with his, making a screeching sound that would have made you cringe if it weren’t for the fact you were trying not to fall over from the sudden weight added.

“Mingyu!” You yelped as you moved your right arm around him, trying to hold him as support,which was another mission in itself considering how broad his shoulders were. 

His face plopped itself on your shoulder, cheek smothered on it as he spoke, “You’re so warm, always are warm.”

You suppose he was somewhat fulfilling the actual mission you’d come for, which was acting like a couple in love as bait to get some information on a group that was specifically targeting couples for their acts and scams. 

“Uhm, are you alright?” You turned to the concerned bartender, who had immediately turned towards you once again when he heard your shocked yelp from before. 

“If he’s bothering you, I can call security.”

You rolled your eyes, for probably the nth time that night, murmuring under your breath how if he hadn’t given him the shots, he wouldn’t act that way.

“No it’s fine- he gets…clingy when he’s out of it.” 

“Gyu?” The coldness of the ring on your ring finger touched his cheek which made him slightly wake up from almost dozing off as you had turned your attention away from him.

The ring didn’t go unnoticed to the bartender as he nodded at you and went about his business. 

Turns out your mission was already halfway complete because you didn’t really need to fake being a couple, after all being married for six years is probably as real as it could get. 

“You’re so pretty, wanna marry you and just be with you~” 

You couldn’t stop the giggle now, your eyes sparkling underneath the club lights as you rubbed his cheek in adoration.

Well what was the point of trying to accomplish the mission anyways? You knew you would be able to get the information through other ways, so you might as well just 'have fun' as your actual partner ( for life ) said right?

Your anger was considerably simmered since it had occurred to you, it had been an actual while since you went out with him. Even if he was your husband, it was tough to get free time when you were both the best at your agency. 

“Well I think you’ve already accomplished that yeah baby?” You don’t think you’ll ever get over how your stomach feels like butterflies are roaming around when he grins at you the way he is at the moment. 

You’ll definitely never get over how he always and always looks at you like you hung up every star in the universe just for him to gaze at in awe. He looks at you, always did as if you held all the answers to his questions and perhaps in a sense you did. You were his everything, all the answers and all the stars. 

“I love you.” Your cheeks were probably hurting from grinning so much, you could never be angry at him. 

You moved your face a little closer to his, pecking his nose and pulling back,

“I do too. I mean I don’t think I'd have kept up with your annoying ass for the past almost decade if I didn’t.”

Before he could go on a rant about how mean you were being, you moved again, placing your lips on his, effectively shutting him up as his hazy brain tried to comprehend his long time–lifetime– crush kissing him. 

He would never get used to how you would make him feel like he’s a giddy boy in love all over again just from your mere actions. He’s probably been in love a trillion times by now but just with you and only you. 

Mission be darned, if he could have you like this at the end of the day, he doesn’t think he’ll ever regret anything. 

all written works as well as images and edits (unless credited) belong to pri. do not plagiarise, repost, re-edit or claim as yours. pics mostly found on pinterest.

writingmeraki Ⓒ 2024

feedback is always appreciated 💌

links : main navi ! | svt masterlist !

[goldfades]

hi my love! can i request a little something of paige comforting her gf through a hard time? i’ve had a rlly tough semester and my car just died so im rlly going through it rn 🥲🥲🩷🩷 i love u and ur writing sm <3333

𝐏𝐈𝐙𝐙𝐀 & 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ─ PB⁵

─ word count | 412

─ warnings | literally nothing but fluff!!!!!!!!

─ ev's notes | hey my love!!! im so so so sorry that your semester has not been the best but i hope summer treats you so much better, and i hope you enjoy!!! i love u sm more, mwha mwah mwah. also this is really short, kinda like a comfort fic type vibe but i hope u enjoy it nonetheless!!!!!!!!

PAIGE'S ARMS ENVELOPED you in a tight hug, feeling the stress of the last week melt into her.

You fought the urge to cry because you were so insanely grateful for your girlfriend. She had been gone for the week because of a series of away games, but now she was back, and her presence brought you comfort like nothing else could. You buried your face in her shoulder, inhaling her familiar perfume, letting the warmth of her embrace chase away the tension that had been building inside you.

Paige's arms tightened around you, her fingers gently tracing soothing patterns on your back. "I missed you so much," she murmured, her voice soft and filled with warmth.

"I missed you too," you admitted, your voice slightly muffled against her shirt. "It's been a rough week without you here."

She pulled back slightly, cupping your face in her hands and searching your eyes with her own. "I'm here now," she said firmly. "I'm sorry, baby. I know it's been hard but I'm here for you always."

You nodded, feeling a rush of relief wash over you at her words. "I know," you replied, your voice wavering slightly with emotion. "And having you back makes everything better."

Paige smiled, brushing a stray strand of hair away from your face. "Well, I'm not going anywhere," she reassured you, her gaze unwavering. "We'll get through this together."

You leaned into her touch, feeling the weight of the world lift off your shoulders in her presence. "I love you," you whispered, the words spilling out effortlessly.

"I love you too," she replied, her voice filled with tenderness. "You hungry?"

"Not really, I just had-"

She furrowed her eyebrows as she met your gaze, observing your expression before she shook her head. "Nah, you're hungry. What do you wanna eat, baby?"

You couldn't help but chuckle at her persistence. "Okay, maybe I could eat a little something," you admitted, grateful for her caring nature.

"Let's see..." Paige thought for a moment. "How about we order in? Or I can make us some pasta, or we could go for pizza if you're feeling something more indulgent."

"Pizza sounds great," you replied, the corners of your mouth turning up into a smile. "And maybe some wings too?"

Paige grinned, her eyes lighting up at the suggestion. "Wings it is," she agreed, leaning in to press a quick kiss to your lips before pulling out her phone to place the order.

↳ make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

[dumb-bitchass]

Fight Club~ dating headcanons

a/n. i did NOT know other people were actively reading fight club fics here- thought i was the only one who checked the tags religiously. so anyway thank you guys for liking my first one

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Tyler:

• bro has 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 trademarked

• and probably kinky too so you better be prepared

• literally like the best person to cuddle (it grows on him the longer you date)

• he can def support all your weight and likes to completely envelop you with his arms and body

• this man will protect you with his life 100%

• like seriously if someone even looks at you wrong he will throw hands like nothing

• will end someone if you ask him

• will try to teach you martial arts (will he succeed...? do you know yourself enough to answer that question...?)

• if you deal with the strange behaviors and odd hobbies and likes, he'll deal with yours

• struggles showing any real vulnerable emotion with you

• but he's trying for you, i feel like he has it in him

• but right now he shows he loves you in a more physical way

• you know what i mean

• i also feel like he'd be pretty chill in a real relationship so if you want to go somewhere, watch a certain movie, or play with his hair he'll just be like "okay"

• enjoys having deep conversations with you, if you talk with him or just sit and stare and listen

• won't force you to join project mayhem but may entice you

Jack (narrator):

• dating you just thaws his cold emotionless heart

• will get emotionally attached to you after a couple weeks

• bbg

• the only way he can fall asleep is if you're right there next to him

• bonus points if you hold him and let him rest his head on your chest (while running your fingers through his hair)

• writing this has got me giggling and kicking my legs rn

• likes holding your hand while out (or even at home cause he just likes knowing your there)

• is actually a really good listener and will talk you through your problems in a casual way

• and he knows you'll do the same for him which makes him feel safe

• your guyses favorite store to go to is ikea

• you guys like to explore the showrooms and lay on the beds, giggling and pretending to be asleep

• i could fr write ikea headcanons should i do it

• watching a movie on the couch close together until you both fall asleep

• and making fun of all the characters' bad choices along the way

• trying very hard to make breakfast together the next morning (he just ends up making toast cause there's not much in that fridge)

• sleepy kisses :(

• basically he's a sweet baby who needs to be taken care of and if you don't i will find you

[rafesapologist]

the setback ─ rafe cameron; part thirteen

summary: it's been two years since your departure from the outer banks and rafe cameron has seemingly convinced himself that he can go on with his life as if you never happened, except now more than ever his addiction is at an all time high. whether he was snorting lines of cocaine at wild parties or drowning himself in alcohol to numb the pain, rafe couldn't escape the memories of you. despite his efforts to bury his feelings, your absence lingered like a shadow, haunting him at every turn. meanwhile, you've been navigating life outside the outer banks, trying to carve out a new path for yourself. but no matter how far you've traveled, the memories of rafe cameron still linger in your heart, leaving you with a sense of unfinished business. as you find yourself facing new challenges and opportunities, you can't help but wonder if fate will eventually bring you back to the place where it all began.

warnings: brief moments of kissing, violence, swearing, mentions of blood

author's note: i was writing this during 1013029 other assignments so if there's any errors forgive me i have so much mental fatigue rn also i think i spelled sofia's name wrong at some point in this story so my b

You stood there in silence, your lip quivering in the aftermath of the argument with Kiara. Holding yourself tightly, you fought back tears, the weight of her words pressing down on you. The night air felt heavy and suffocating, the sounds of the party fading into the background.

Rafe placed a gentle hand on the small of your back, his touch warm and reassuring. "I can take you home if you need me to. Or you can come back to my place," he offered, his voice soft and concerned.

You sniffled, wiping away a single tear as you turned to face Rafe, nodding quickly as you tried to brush off your emotions. "Can you just... take me to your house tonight?" you said flatly, your gaze fixed on the ground. "I don't think it's a good idea to be around Kie right now. She probably needs time to calm down."

Rafe nodded without hesitation, his grip on the steering wheel tightening slightly. "Of course," he replied softly. "Let's get out of here, okay?"

The drive was a blur, the city lights flickering past as you both sat in contemplative silence. When you finally arrived at Rafe's house, he parked the car and hurried around to your side, opening the door for you. You stepped out, the cool night air brushing against your skin, grounding you for a moment.

Rafe led you inside, his hand gently resting on the small of your back, guiding you through the dimly lit hallway. The house was quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos of the party. You felt a strange sense of calm wash over you as you entered his home, the familiarity of it offering a small comfort.

He took you to the living room and sat you down on the couch, then disappeared into the kitchen. Moments later, he returned with a glass of water and a warm blanket, draping it over your shoulders as he handed you the glass.

"Here," he said softly, sitting down beside you. "Drink this. It'll help."

You took a sip, the cool water soothing your parched throat. Rafe watched you with concern, his eyes never leaving your face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

You shook your head, not ready to delve into the emotions swirling inside you. "Not right now," you murmured. "I just... I need a moment."

Rafe nodded, respecting your need for space. He reached out and took your hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "I'm here when you're ready," he said, his voice filled with sincerity.

You leaned back against the couch, the events of the night replaying in your mind. Kiara's harsh words, Sophia's taunts, and the overwhelming confrontation left you feeling drained and uncertain. But as you sat there, Rafe's presence beside you offered a sense of support.

Rafe's house was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the bustling party you had just left. You leaned back on the couch, the blanket wrapped tightly around you as Rafe sat beside you, his hand still holding yours. The warmth of his touch was a grounding force amidst the chaos in your mind.

"I know things are a mess right now," Rafe began, his voice low and soothing. "But we'll figure it out. I promise."

You nodded, but your thoughts were far away, replaying the confrontation with Kiara over and over again. Her words had cut deep, and the realization that your secret was partially out left you feeling exposed and vulnerable. The anger in her voice and the betrayal in her eyes were hard to shake off.

Rafe squeezed your hand gently, bringing you back to the present. "Do you want to watch something? Maybe a movie to distract you?" You simply nodded.

Rafe got up from the couch and grabbed the remote, flicking through the channels until he found a light-hearted movie. He settled back down beside you, his arm draping over your shoulders protectively. As the movie played, you tried to focus on the screen, but your mind kept wandering back to the confrontation with Kiara.

"Is this okay?" Rafe asked softly, his eyes scanning your face for any sign of discomfort.

You nodded weakly, your eyes glued to your hands as you picked at your nails. "Yeah, it's fine."

Rafe adjusted the volume to a low, comforting hum. He leaned back, pulling you gently against him. His presence was soothing, a small lifeline in the storm of emotions swirling inside you.

For a while, you sat in silence, the movie playing in the background. Rafe's fingers traced small, comforting circles on your arm. The gesture was simple but grounding, allowing you to feel his support without the need for words.

"I don't want to lose my friends," you whispered after a while, your voice barely audible.

Rafe tightened his hold on you. "I know. And you won't. It's just... going to take time. They're just being stubborn."

You nodded, the lump in your throat growing. "I just wish things could go back to how they were."

Rafe's eyes stayed glued to yours, reading your expression carefully. "What do you mean?"

"It's just that—I don't know. I wish we didn't have to hide our relationship from them. I want to be with you unapologetically, yet I know my friends are going to crucify me for just speaking to you again." Your voice wavered with frustration and a touch of desperation, the weight of the secrecy and the fear of judgment bearing down on you.

Rafe's expression softened, a mix of understanding and sadness crossing his features. He reached out, taking both of your hands in his, his touch warm and reassuring. "I know baby, I'm sorry," he said quietly, his thumbs tracing gentle circles on the backs of your hands. "But we can get through this. I don't want you to feel like you have to choose between me and your friends."

You looked down, the conflict inside you swirling like a storm. "But what if they make me choose? What if they don't understand why I'm with you? Kiara and the others... they have such strong opinions about you, and they're not exactly positive."

Rafe sighed, a hint of frustration creeping up into his voice. "I know, but really, if they care about you, they would want you to be happy. It's selfish of them to ask you to choose."

You nodded, feeling a flicker of validation in his words. "I've never thought of it that way," you admitted, a glimmer of hope stirring within you.

"I'm serious, y/n," he continued, his tone firm but gentle. "You have gone through hell and back for them. The least they could do is let you be happy."

"It's not that simple," you responded, frustration and sadness mingling in your voice. "They've been my friends for so long, and we've been through so much together. They're like family to me. I can't just ignore their feelings."

Rafe sighed, understanding but still resolute. "I get that, but think about what you're saying. If they're truly your friends, if they really care about you, they should want you to be happy. You shouldn't have to hide who you're with or feel ashamed of your choices."

You sighed, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on you. "I just wish they could see you the way I do," you said softly. "See how much you've changed and how much you care."

"I don't think they'll ever necessarily love me," Rafe sighed, tracing gentle lines onto your bare thigh, his touch soothing yet tinged with his own vulnerability. "But if they can see that you're happy with me, they'll have to at least accept that."

You nodded, feeling the truth of his words settle within you. "I hope so," you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper. "I just want them to understand that I want to be with you, that you’re not who they think you are."

Rafe's eyes softened, his hand pausing its gentle motion to rest warmly on your thigh. "They will. It might take time, but they’ll see it. And I'll do whatever it takes to show them that I'm committed to you."

You placed your hand over his, squeezing gently. "Thank you, Rafe. For being patient and understanding. Means a lot to me."

He leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead. "You're worth it," he said softly, his breath warm against your skin. "Every bit of it."

You and Rafe sat in silence for a moment, pausing to stare back at each other as you both analyzed the features of each other's faces. You felt the world melt away around you, as if everything else was just background noise amidst the feeling that was brewing inside of you towards Rafe.

His eyes, filled with a mix of concern and affection, held yours with an intensity that made your heart race. The gentle curve of his lips, the way his hair fell slightly into his eyes—every detail seemed to draw you in deeper. You could feel the electricity between you, a magnetic pull that was impossible to ignore.

Then suddenly, Rafe cupped your face gently, his touch soft and reassuring. His thumb brushed lightly across your cheek, sending a shiver down your spine. Without a word, he leaned in, his eyes never leaving yours until the very last moment.

His lips attached themselves to yours, moving slowly and tenderly. The kiss was soft at first, a tentative exploration, but it quickly deepened as you responded, your mouths moving in sync together. The sensation was overwhelming, a flood of emotions and sensations that made your head spin and your heart flutter.

Butterflies erupted in your stomach, their delicate wings brushing against the walls of your insides, filling you with a sense of exhilaration and warmth. The worries and fears that had weighed you down seemed to dissolve in that moment, replaced by the pure, unfiltered joy of being close to Rafe.

His hands slid from your face to the back of your neck, pulling you closer as he deepened the kiss. You wrapped your arms around him, holding on as if he were the only thing anchoring you to the world. The taste of his lips, the warmth of his skin, the rhythm of his heartbeat against yours—it all combined to create a perfect, intoxicating moment of connection.

When you finally pulled away, breathless and slightly dizzy, you opened your eyes to find Rafe gazing at you with an expression of pure adoration. His forehead rested against yours, both of you catching your breath, the world around you slowly coming back into focus.

Rafe's hand reached out, gently cradling your cheek as he whispered, "I love you, y/n," his voice soft yet full of sincerity. His eyes, filled with affection, locked onto yours, a silent declaration of his unwavering devotion.

Feeling the warmth of his touch, you leaned into his hand, savoring the tenderness of the moment. "I love you too, Rafe," you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper.

A smile graced Rafe's lips, his thumb brushing lightly against your cheekbone as he leaned in closer. His hand found yours, fingers intertwining as he brought your hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to your knuckles.

"I'm always gonna love you," Rafe whispered, his voice filled with vulnerability and tenderness.

"How can you be so sure?" you asked quietly, your eyes glued onto your lap as you fiddled with your hands.

Rafe's gaze softened, his hand reaching out to gently lift your chin, guiding your eyes to meet his. "Because," he said softly, his voice certain, "I've spent the last two years thinking you were gone for good, and I'll be damned if I don't love you right while you're here."

"I've missed you so much," you whispered, your voice trembling with raw emotion. "I never thought I'd get a second chance with you."

Rafe's thumb brushed against your cheek, wiping away a stray tear that had escaped your eye. "You have me now," he murmured, his eyes locking onto yours with a fierce intensity. "And I'm not going anywhere."

You gave Rafe a small smile, gazing up at him with weary, tired eyes, but the blissful contentment you felt was undeniable. He noticed the exhaustion etched into your expression and gently urged you, "Get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

His words were soft, a soothing balm to your frayed nerves. You nodded, trusting in his promise. With a sense of security washing over you, you nestled closer into his embrace, your head resting against his chest. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat lulled you into a deep slumber, each beat a reminder of his presence and unwavering support.

As you drifted off, Rafe wrapped his arms more securely around you, his touch a protective cocoon. He watched over you, his eyes filled with a tender mix of love and concern. The room fell silent, the only sound the soft, even breaths you took as you slept peacefully in his arms on the couch.

Hours passed soon passed when Rafe, too, succumbed to the comforting embrace of sleep. His arms instinctively wrapped around you, as if you might disappear if he let go. The both of you slept peacefully in each other's presence, the world outside fading away as you found solace in your shared slumber.

The tranquility of the night was abruptly shattered by a loud banging on the front door. The sudden noise jolted you awake, your heart pounding in your chest. The movement stirred Rafe, his arms tightening protectively around you as he blinked himself awake, confusion and concern flashing in his eyes.

"What's going on?" he mumbled, his voice groggy but alert.

"I don't know, somebody is pounding at the front door," you replied, sitting up and looking towards the door, the remnants of sleep quickly giving way to a sense of unease.

Rafe was immediately on his feet, his protective instincts kicking in as he moved to stand between you and the door. "Stay here," he instructed firmly, though his voice remained gentle.

The banging continued, persistent and insistent. Rafe glanced back at you, his eyes filled with reassurance despite the tension in the air. He approached the door cautiously, peering through the peephole before opening it slightly.

"Who's there?" he demanded, his tone steady but firm.

Suddenly, your heart fell to your stomach as you heard a familiar voice through the door, "Open the fucking door, Cameron. I need to have a word with you, asshole!" The voice shouted, causing you to flinch. You looked at Rafe with dread and worry in your eyes. You could recognize that voice from miles away—it was JJ.

Rafe's jaw tightened, and he glanced at you, reading the anxiety on your face. He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm as he turned back to the door. Silently, he urged you to stay where you were, though you felt a strong urge to rush in front of him.

Rafe swung the door open, only to be met with JJ, his anger evident across his face. "Where the fuck is she, Rafe? You think you can just have her whenever you feel like it, huh?" JJ shouted, shoving Rafe in the chest.

Rafe staggered back slightly but held his ground, his eyes narrowing. "JJ, calm down. This isn't the way to handle this." His voice remained somewhat calm, hoping not to scare you more than you already were.

"Calm down?" JJ barked, his face contorted with rage. "You've got some nerve, Cameron. Where is she?"

You took a step forward, your heart pounding in your chest. "JJ, I'm right here," you said, your voice steady despite the fear coursing through you. "Please, just stop."

JJ's eyes snapped to you, and for a moment, the anger in his gaze was replaced by hurt. "Why, Y/N? Why are you with him? After everything he's done?"

Rafe stepped slightly in front of you, shielding you with his body. "JJ, I know you're upset. But barging in here and starting a fight isn't going to help anything."

"Shut the fuck up, Rafe. You don't know shit about how I feel," JJ seethed, a look of disgust ridden on his face as he glared at Rafe. "y/n, are you serious? The second we get back on the island, you run right back to him? Are you insane?"

JJ's chagrin and despondency left you feel gutted in the heat of the moment as you stood there, although physically guarded by Rafe, suffocated by the morose glance in your best friend's eyes as they bored into yours. You could feel heat rise to your cheeks as the tension rose, an uncomfortable itch creeping up your neck.

"Jay it wasn't like that," you defended although it was quite meekly, "I wanted nothing to do with him when we came back, you know that. I..I didn't choose this." Your words faltered, lacking the conviction you wished you could muster. Your arms wrapped around yourself protectively, a feeble attempt to shield yourself from the onslaught of JJ's resentment.

"So that's it? You didn't 'choose this', so that makes cheating on me okay?" JJ spat out, his once wounded expression faltering into one of disgust and animosity.

"So that's it? You didn't 'choose this', so that makes cheating on me okay?" JJ spat out, his tone laced with bitterness and anger. The accusation hung heavy in the air, and you felt a lump form in your throat. Guilt gnawed at your insides, a painful reminder of the hurt you had inadvertently caused. Tears welled up in your eyes, blurring your vision as you struggled to find the right words to explain yourself.

You stumbled on your words once again, attempting to speak up for yourself despite your heart breaking right in that moment. "No, JJ, I-"

"Save it, Y/N. I hope all of this was worth it," JJ scoffed, pointing around for emphasis. "You're a real bitch, you know that?" His words struck you like a physical blow, and you felt your chest tighten with the weight of his accusation. The pain in his voice mirrored the agony in your own heart, and the realization that you had hurt him so deeply was almost unbearable.

Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes, but you refused to let them fall. Instead, you squared your shoulders, a shaky resolve settling over you. "JJ, please, just listen-"

Just before you could finish your sentence, Rafe spoke up, getting in between you and JJ. "Don't you fucking dare call her that," he threatened, his voice low and dangerous. His protective stance shielded you from JJ's searing gaze.

"Or what, Rafe? You're gonna call your daddy and have him frame me for a murder you committed?" JJ shot back, his words dripping with venom, his fists clenching at his sides.

In an instant, the atmosphere crackled with tension, the air thick with animosity. Rafe's usually composed demeanor shattered like glass, replaced by a primal fury. He lunged forward, his fist connecting with JJ's jaw with a sickening thud. The room erupted into chaos as the two men grappled with each other, fists flying and curses spat between clenched teeth. Rafe's rage fueled every blow, his pent-up frustration unleashed in a flurry of violence.

JJ fought back with equal ferocity, his anger fueled by a sense of betrayal and hurt. Each punch landed with a sickening impact, the sound echoing off the walls as the fight raged on.

You watched in horror, torn between the instinct to intervene and the fear of making things worse. "Stop! Please, stop!" you cried out, your voice barely audible over the sound of their struggle.

But your pleas fell on deaf ears as the two men continued to pummel each other, locked in a vicious battle fueled by years of unresolved tension. Furniture toppled and glass shattered as they crashed into anything in their path, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Rafe managed to gain the upper hand. With a final, bone-crushing blow, he sent JJ crashing to the ground, blood pooling beneath him as he lay motionless. The room fell into stunned silence as Rafe stood over JJ's prone form, his chest heaving with exertion. The adrenaline coursing through his veins slowly began to ebb away, replaced by a wave of guilt and regret.

You stood there, frozen in shock, your hands trembling as you covered your wide-open mouth. The scene unfolded before you in a surreal blur, the sound of fists connecting and bodies colliding echoing in the air. Tears streamed down your cheeks unchecked, your heart pounding wildly in your chest.

As JJ fell to the floor from Rafe's powerful blow, a strangled gasp escaped your lips. The sight of him lying motionless, blood pooling beneath him, sent a shiver down your spine. It was as if time had come to a standstill, the weight of the violence crashing down on you like a ton of bricks.

Rafe's voice broke through the haze of shock, his words heavy with regret. "Y/N, you shouldn't have seen that. I'm so sorry."

You blinked, trying to process his apology amidst the chaos that surrounded you. His voice sounded distant, as if coming from a faraway place, and you struggled to find your own voice amidst the turmoil in your mind.

"I-" You shook your head, backing up as you stared down at JJ, your heart wrenching in anguish. Tears streamed down your cheeks, blurring your vision as you cried, "JJ, please wake up. I'm sorry... I didn't mean for this to happen."

Your voice cracked with emotion, each word choked out between sobs as you knelt beside him. You reached out, gently cradling JJ's head in your trembling hands, desperate for any sign of life from him.

"Rafe, we have to help him, please," you pleaded, your voice a desperate whisper as you turned to Rafe, your eyes pleading for assistance. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on you, the guilt of witnessing the violence that had unfolded consuming you from the inside out.

"Get my phone and call Sarah, please," you pleaded, your voice trembling with urgency as Rafe rushed over to grab it. He handed it to you with a sense of urgency, his guilty expression mirroring the turmoil in your own heart.

With shaking hands, you dialed Sarah's number, each digit feeling like a weight in your chest. The phone rang once, twice, before finally connecting.

"Sarah," you choked out, your voice thick with tears. "I need you to come over to your house, please. Something happened with JJ." As you spoke, Rafe hovered anxiously beside you, his eyes filled with remorse. You could see the weight of his actions bearing down on him, and despite the chaos surrounding you, a small part of you couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him.

"Okay," Sarah replied, her voice steady but tinged with concern. "I'll be there in a second."

The urgency in her tone spurred you into action. With trembling hands, you ended the call and turned to Rafe, your eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination.

"We need to do something," you said, your voice trembling with emotion. "We can't just leave him here like this."

Together, you sprang into action, working in frantic silence to assess JJ's injuries. Blood stained his shirt where Rafe's punches had landed, and you could see bruises forming on his face and arms. As you knelt beside him, gently cradling his head in your hands, a sense of helplessness washed over you. The sight of JJ lying there, battered and broken, was almost too much to bear.

But you refused to give in to despair. With Sarah on her way, there was still hope. You could only pray that she would arrive in time to help.

Minutes felt like hours as you waited, each second ticking by with agonizing slowness. Finally, you heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and relief flooded through you as Sarah burst through the door, her medical bag in hand.

"Thank God you're here," you breathed, your voice thick with emotion.

Sarah's eyes widened in horror at the sight of JJ on the floor, his battered form a stark contrast to the usual lively friend they knew. Before she could speak, Kiara appeared from behind her, her shocked gasp echoing through the room.

"What the fuck did you do?" Kiara's voice was filled with disbelief and anger, her eyes flickering between you, Rafe, and JJ's prone figure on the floor.

You felt a knot form in your stomach at the accusation in her tone. "Kiara, it's not what you think," you began, your voice trembling with emotion. "Rafe didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Rafe stepped forward, his expression pained. "It was an accident," he added, his voice thick with remorse. "I never meant to hurt him."

But Kiara's eyes narrowed, her disbelief turning to fury. "An accident?" she spat, her voice rising with each word. "Look at him! Do you call this an accident?"

You flinched at the accusation, the weight of Kiara's anger bearing down on you like a heavy burden. Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes as you struggled to find the words to explain yourself.

"We need to get him to a hospital," Sarah interjected, her voice calm but urgent. "Now."

You nodded, frantically looking around the room for your things as you prepared to head to the hospital with your friends, a sense of urgency propelling you forward. But before you could take another step, Kiara's voice stopped you in your tracks.

"No, you're not going," she declared, her tone firm and uncompromising. She crossed her arms, her attitude towards you full of spite.

You felt a surge of disbelief wash over you at her words. "But Kiara, I have to go," you protested, your voice tinged with desperation. "I need to be there for JJ."

Kiara's gaze hardened, her resolve unyielding. "You caused this," she accused, her words cutting through the air like a knife. "And you're gonna have to live with it."

The weight of her words hit you like a ton of bricks, the realization sinking in that you were being held accountable for the events that had transpired. Tears welled up in your eyes as you struggled to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

"But I didn't mean for any of this to happen," you pleaded, your voice cracking with emotion. "Please, Kiara, I need to be there for him."

But Kiara remained unmoved, her expression steely as she refused to budge. With a heavy heart, you realized that there was no changing her mind.

Defeated, you sank down onto the nearest chair, feeling utterly powerless as your friends prepared to leave without you. The guilt of what had happened weighed heavily on your shoulders, and as you watched them disappear out the door, you couldn't help but wonder if things would ever be the same again.

"Y/n, it's gonna be okay," Rafe reassured quietly, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder and giving a small squeeze. His touch was warm, but the comfort it offered felt distant and far away.

You stared at the doorway, watching as Sarah and Kiara disappeared with JJ. A single tear slid down your cheek, a silent testament to the turmoil swirling inside you. The room felt colder and emptier in their absence, the weight of the night's events pressing down on you like a physical burden.

"I don't know, Rafe," you whispered, your voice trembling. "I don't know if things will ever be okay again."

Rafe squeezed your shoulder a bit tighter, his expression softening with concern. "They will. Kiara's just angry right now. She'll come back around."

You wanted to believe him, to cling to the hope that somehow, things would return to normal. But as you sat there, feeling the sting of Kiara's words and the pain of JJ's injuries, the rift between your two worlds seemed insurmountable.

You turned to Rafe, searching his eyes for reassurance. "What if they don't? What if I've lost them for good?"

Rafe paused for a moment, his gaze holding steady as his eyes flickered between yours. He swallowed thickly, his expression softening with earnest concern. "You can't keep worrying about what might happen in the future, y/n," he said gently. "You just have to take things one step at a time, yeah? Don't stress yourself out over them."

You nodded slowly, trying to absorb his words. The future felt like a dark, looming cloud, but Rafe's steady presence offered a small ray of light. His hand moved from your shoulder to gently cup your cheek, his thumb brushing away the tear that had fallen.

"I know it's hard," he continued, his voice unwavering. "But you need to focus on what you can control right now. We'll deal with the rest as it comes."

You took a deep breath, feeling a slight easing of the tension that had gripped you. "I just... I don't want to lose them," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper.

"You won't," Rafe promised, his eyes filled with determination. "It might take some time, but if they really love you, they will come around. They just need to see that you're happy and that this is real."

You bit your lip, considering his words. The thought of losing your friends was unbearable, but so was the idea of losing Rafe. You knew that somehow, you had to find a way to reconcile both parts of your life.

"Thank you, Rafe," you said quietly, your voice steadying. "For being here. For understanding."

Rafe crouched down to be eye level with you on the couch, placing his hands on the tops of your thighs as he gazed up at you softly. His touch was gentle, grounding you in the present moment as he spoke. "I'm always gonna be here, y/n. That I promise you."

You looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of doubt but finding none. His sincerity was genuine, and the warmth of his hands on your thighs provided a comforting blanket around your heart as your emotions felt torn. The unwavering steadiness in his gaze reassured you in a way that words alone couldn't.

Tears welled up in your eyes again, but this time they were tears of relief and gratitude. "Rafe, I don't know what I would do without you," you whispered, your voice cracking slightly.

"I could say the same to you," Rafe laughed softly, though a glimpse of sincerity peaked through his tone. He shifted slightly, his hands still resting on your thighs, his thumbs gently tracing soothing circles. "Seeing you again showed me how miserable I was when you were gone. I was a mess."

You furrowed your brow, your curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?" you asked, searching his eyes for answers.

Rafe sighed, his expression growing more somber as he averted his gaze briefly, as if gathering the courage to continue. He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as he steadied himself. "I did a lot of things I regret," he admitted, his voice heavy with remorse. "I... I cheated on Sofia, did a shit ton of drugs. There's not much I didn't do."

You felt a pang of sadness and concern for him as you listened. His honesty was raw, unfiltered, and it made you realize just how deeply your absence had affected him. Rafe's hands tightened slightly on your thighs, as if he feared you might pull away after hearing his confession.

"When you left, I felt like my world fell apart," he continued, his voice trembling slightly. "I didn't know how to cope, so I turned to anything that could numb the pain. I thought I could fill the void with other people, with substances, but nothing worked. I was just... lost."

You reached out, placing a hand on his cheek, guiding his gaze back to yours. "Rafe, I'm so sorry you went through that," you whispered, your heart aching for the pain he had endured. "I had no idea."

Rafe leaned into your touch, closing his eyes for a moment as if savoring the comfort it brought. "It was my own doing," he said quietly, his voice filled with regret. "But seeing you again, being with you now, it feels like I've been given a second chance. I don't want to mess this up."

Your thumb gently stroked his cheek, wiping away a tear that had escaped his eye. "We're both here now," you reassured him softly. "We can move forward together, learn from the past and make things right."

Rafe nodded, his eyes meeting yours with a newfound determination. "I want to be better for you, y/n," he vowed, his voice steady and sincere. "I want to be the person you deserve."

"You're the only person I want," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. The words hung in the air between you, charged with emotion and vulnerability.

Rafe's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of hope igniting in their depths. He shifted closer, his hands sliding up from your thighs to gently cradle your face. "You don't know how much it means to hear you say that," he murmured, his thumbs brushing lightly across your cheeks.

Your heart raced as you gazed into his eyes, the intensity of the moment making everything else fade into the background. "It's the truth," you continued, your voice growing steadier. "No matter what happens, no matter what anyone else thinks, I want to be with you."

Rafe's breath hitched, and for a moment, he looked as if he was struggling to find the right words. Instead, he leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead. "I promise I'll make it up to you, all of the time we lost," he whispered against your skin. "I'll be the man you deserve."

You closed your eyes, savoring the warmth of his touch and the sincerity in his voice. "We can make this work," you said softly, your hands coming up to rest on his shoulders. "As long as we're honest with each other, I think we'll be okay, Rafe."

Rafe pulled back just enough to look into your eyes, his expression serious yet filled with a renewed sense of determination. "I'm all in," he declared, his voice unwavering. "No more secrets, no more lies. Just us, no matter what anyone says."

You nodded, feeling a surge of hope and resolve. "I promise," you echoed, sealing your promise with a kiss.

As your lips met, you felt a profound sense of connection, a bond forged in the trials and tribulations of the past and strengthened by the commitment to face the future as a united front. The kiss deepened, a mix of passion and reassurance, conveying everything words couldn't.

When you finally pulled away, both of you were breathless, but the air between you was lighter, filled with possibilities. Rafe rested his forehead against yours, a small smile playing on his lips. "We should probably get some sleep," he suggested gently, his hands still cradling your face. "It's been a long night."

You nodded, a feeling of exhaustion beginning to settle in now that the adrenaline was fading. "You're right," you agreed, though you were reluctant to break the moment. "But I'm glad we talked."

"Me too," Rafe replied, his smile growing. "Come on, let's get some rest."

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[v44v13nna]

casual intimacy

angela girratana x fem reader

short comfort fic ig

been thinking about how much angela’s doing rn, i really hope she’s taking care of herself <3

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between the early starts, full days and late finishes, angela’s beyond tired. with her schedule full of smosh videos and livestreams, aoaoaoa recordings and with the opening week of starkids latest production Cinderellas Castle arriving, angela’s been running on empty for the past few weeks. she knows this, she feels it with the tension building on her shoulders and the persistent need to curl into bed for days. she feels herself emotionally stretched thin, exhausted after just smiling or talking.

this isn’t anything new for angela. after all, all the years she’s had from experiencing the euphoric adrenaline rush from performing is second nature, and unfortunately also along with the crashing low from it ending, often causing her to lose her voice and get sick, and yea often mildly depressed. but on this large of a scale? it’s harder than usual.

stop overthinking this, just be happy ang. angela thought, unlocking her front door. as she enters her apartment she feels herself start to fall apart at the scene in front of her.

the apartment is softly lit, spork curled up asleep on the couch as an episode ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ plays on the tv. dropping her bags on the floor, and as angela walks towards the kitchen; the main source of light and life, the last of her resolve breaks. standing in front of the stove is her girlfriend (name), cooking dinner and still unaware of her presence. tearfully angela wraps her arms around (name), mumbling a soft “hey” into her back.

“hey yourself” she says, turning herself around to face angela, matching her embrace, weaving her fingers through angela’s hair “is everything okay? you want to talk about it?”.

now resting her head on her girlfriends collarbone, angela feels herself begin to spiral. guilt swirling in her stomach in fear of being a burden, for being too much. she knows she shouldn’t be thinking like this, (name) has always provided her with the open communication and support she’s always dreamed of, but the weight of her emotions is completely overwhelming. tightening her grasp on (names) waist and sighing heavily, angela mumbles “i dunno..”, a beat. “i’m just… so tired”. it’s not even of an explanation, she knows that, but she knows that her girlfriend knows her.

softly, (name) pulls away, quickly turning the heat down to low and stirring it for a final time before grabbing angela by the hand, leading her to the bathroom with a soft “come on”.

“what about dinner?” angela replies, guilt still clouding her brain. i’m being a burden again.

“it’s okay, it’s just pasta sauce, a little simmering isn’t going to hurt it my love” (name) smiles as they reach the bathroom, angela can feel her heart burn with adoration as she recognises what’s happening. a few months back when her girlfriend got really sick and was struggling, angela offered to wash her hair for her, since then, this act of service became something more. to them it meant “i love you. i care for you. im always going to be here”.

angela smiles, a wobbly and teary one as she leans forward as softly kisses her girlfriends lips, unable to verbally express the gratitude and love she feels.

“come on” (name) repeats, just as soft and patient as prior. both undressing and stepping into the warm shower, (name) rests her forehead against angela’s and mumbles a light “it’s okay”. lifting her hands to her girlfriends face, angela lets out a shaky sigh before lovingly kissing (name), indulging in the desire of abandoning everything for this moment. for the feeling of the warm water on her skin and the sensation of devotion filling her blood. for the unbridled kindness that fills her lovers soul, kindness that angela is grateful to experience every day.

breaking the kiss (name) gestures for angela to turn, running her fingers through angela’s wet curls. humming softly as she washes her hair, never breaking the silent air.

i love her. angela thinks repeatedly unable to find the energy within herself to be verbal, now sitting on the couch with the same repetitive thought, with (name) finishing the last of dinner in the kitchen. eventually (name) joins angela on the couch with the pasta, both sit curled up next to spork, in the sparsely lit room with the main light being the glow from the tv, still playing ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’.

turning to her partner and grasping her hand, angela sighs out “thank you, i love you” still unable to articulate her level of adoration and gratitude.

“i know, i love you too”

—————————

a/n sorry idk what this is i did not edit this enough soz if there’s mistakes or weird sentences

[lady-menrva]

On a more serious note, Nico being treated as this gay icon is some of the wildest shit in the fandom, which is saying a lot. IMHO it feels like a tight slap in the face of all those authors who've put in so much time and beautiful effort to ensure that their queer characters are well-written and free of tokenism, homophobic undertones, amatonormativity and ableism; all the ills that festoon Nico as 'representation'.

Right, so starting of with Homophobia, here's a great analysis someone did (The original post is here)

Tokenism: Some of the older fans have pointed out how Nico's 'big reveal' came in HoH, which was released in late 2013, and how this aligns with the spike in LGBTQ+ allies (around mid-2013). They theorize that it was done for popularity, and given how hard Rick is trying to milk Nico rn, the theory may have weight. Besides, his crush on Percy...no hints given (please don't come at me typing stuff along the lines of it was planned since PJO...like "oh ThE cRuSh HaD hIntS". Honestly, no? In PJO, originally, Nico did things for Percy out of platonic love, which can be, and is just as deep and beautiful as romantic love. Period. What's ironic is that in PJO, Platonic relationships routinely eclipse romance in terms of writing, dynamics etc.) Plus there's also they way he acted around Juniper and Annabeth, but that's so controversial these days that it can't be discussed without people calling you a homophobe...

Amatonormativity: To be fair, plenty of characters would have been better of without a relationship, but Nico is definitely up there in there 'doesn't require a SO' list, especially when you consider his emotional baggage, internalized homophobia, trauma etc.

Ableism: Oh Nico, you have mental health issues? Not a problem! Have a healer to heal you yikes *wow*. Also, I'm taken aback by the way his mental state is treated by the narrative.

Then again, Solangelo is another issue I don't want to talk about (I've ranted about it at length), and it just helps ruin Nico as representation even more.

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#17: You Led Me Here (S7E12)

Of course Say Yes has found it’s way back to the list. 😊 This is such a powerful and important conversation between these two. And the scene is stunningly acted from them both. It’s moving every time I see it and while it’s heartbreaking that this van scene ended up having some foreshadowing with the fact that Rick and Michonne will in fact “lose” each other 2 seasons later, it also is such a beautiful declaration of how much they love, respect, trust, need, and believe in each other. Rick and Michonne have had such a valuable impact on each other and this scene depicts how aware they are of that...

First, I love how Rick wanting to extend this trip with Michonne came up consistently in so many Say Yes scenes. And it’s super sweet that he wants her to know how much he loved this time with her when he pulls the van over and says he could've gone a few more days and would have liked that.

He knows Michonne's feeling a lot rn, and he wants her to know that while that was a scary moment with the whole Walker/deer thing, the overall honeymoon trip has still been everything they could’ve wanted.

If they could’ve stayed on this run for a month, homeboy would have been down for it, I'm telling you lol. He so openly loves her and wants to be around her. He has for seasons, and I love that post-canon he now gets to more directly express that.

Then Rick just breaks my heart and boosts my respect even more when he admits to her that he hasn’t been sleeping thinking about what they lost and thinking about his friends.

I love that Rick is always so willing to be vulnerable with her and let her see his most human side.

Side note: Another thing I think about is how in the TWD pilot, Rick talks with Shane and shares that while in front of Carl, Lori asked Rick if he even cares about her and Carl at all. It’s a line that intentionally has some real irony to it, as throughout this series we see Rick go on to demonstrate just how much he unquestionably cares about and will do anything for his family. But clearly, because Rick and Lori weren’t actually each other’s person there’s this inability to truly understand each other. It’s really one of TV’s most compelling depictions of a fail-marriage if you ask me. And I noticed that Lori always felt like Rick didn’t open up and show his care enough for her liking, which just makes me think about how much Rick grew over the seasons and how much Michonne brought out a side of him that was so different than with Lori. You know Rick found his true person in Michonne because he is always so willing to express himself with her. He shares his fears, his pain, his secrets, his hopes, and especially his adoration for Michonne always. And I just love seeing that Rick knows he can let Michonne into every part of his heart. 😊

And Michonne is always so willing to be there for Rick in these vulnerable moments like the one in this van because, upon hearing this, she immediately reacts and puts her focus on him, allowing what he’s sharing to resonate even above the personal state she’s in.

You can just see how much she feels for Rick and doesn’t take it lightly that he’s confiding in her right now.

Ok so then this is when these two don’t take their foot off the gas when it comes to getting me emotional as heck. Cuz Rick opens up about Glenn which is already just heartbreaking to hear them talk about him, but then he says how Glenn saved him but he couldn’t save Glenn. And it’s just tragic. 😢

Like you really feel the weight of this loss when Rick says this, and it’s painful knowing he feels almost like he let Glenn down by having to just sit there and not save him in the lineup.

Then when Rick says “it’s normal I know that” cue my tears because seeing him get teary trying to grapple with these heavy emotions and remind himself it’s normal to be stuck on it is just so heartrending. Like the way Michonne is looking at him at this moment is how I’m looking too. You just feel for the guy. 😢

(Another side note: I’ve seen people dismiss Say Yes as filler, but I actually think there’s important things that happen in this ep. I mean, even if the episode was just a time of levity for Rick and Michonne to enjoy their love and have some well-deserved alone time on their honeymoon before the war, I’d personally still have been sat and satisfied. But regarding the series, this is where we get valuable insight into two very important characters' mindsets about the looming war, their recent losses like our baby Glenn, and about life, which is necessary to see imo. And this particular Say Yes scene plants a seed for the show's future as we see Rick essentially choose a successor for who he thinks is most fit to lead the people if something were to happen to him. Which is notable. And, of course, Rick's choice of who should lead the others forward is his own leader - his exceptional wife. 🤗)

When Rick says they went through something that’s not cured, Michonne does just the most heartfelt thing as she softly places her hand on his face and whispers, "Rick, I’m sorry."

I adore the way she comforts him. The way they always hear each other and are present with each other. The way she sees him feeling so much and just instinctually reaches for him and expresses empathy. It’s beyond beautiful. 

And then it’s Rick’s turn to do the sweetest thing ever when he looks at her with so much love in his eyes and takes her hand and kisses it. It’s similar to when she did the same and kissed his hand in a very special scene earlier in the episode (oh we’re gonna talk about it 😋).

The way Rick cherishes Michonne is so evident as he kisses her hand and continues to hold it close to his chest. I’ve always adored how Rick and Michonne are these fearless warriors to everyone else but with each other that’s their baby who they would do anything to care for and protect. And that profound love for the human in front of them was on display in these two gestures from them. 

Rick tells her how they’re going to fight the saviors. He says that’s what happens next, and they’re gonna lose people, maybe a lot of them. I’ve always felt like there’s this layered sadness in Rick finally having to talk to Michonne about the real possibility of this war not ending how they hope it will.

Because throughout this ep, Rick so enjoyed seeing Michonne happy and he wanted to stay present in this positive bubble with her. But as the trip concludes, and as Michonne has now learned that losing Rick could potentially make her empty out to the point of dropping her katana in the face of walkers, Rick now knows he has to let talk of unfortunate possibilities in this war enter into their bubble.

And while it’s not fun to talk about, I appreciate how he still holds her hand throughout this cuz he’s comforting her while knowing this topic is not something she or he really wants to consider. But as the leaders, it’s a discussion that has to be had.

Then Rick says how they may even lose each other. Which again, how Michonne reacts is how I react because we are not trying to hear that.

She turns away and stays quiet because both her winning mentality and her love for Rick won’t even allow her to entertain the idea of losing the love of her life.

But Rick isn’t wrong. It’s possible. And I just like that he puts them in their own category because there are the people they love - and they really do love their people - but the idea of losing each other specifically is a very unique type of devastating for them. 

Rick says, "Even then...it’ll be worth it" and, watching it back, maybe it’s just me but I really do hear something in his voice that says he’s not 100% convinced about that point. But he’s trying to believe it and help her believe it too because he knows how distraught she became thinking she lost him and wants to remind her the fight has to continue even if she’s without him.

And if I wasn’t shedding big tears before...this next part happens.

After shaking her head at the notion of losing each other, Michonne starts to open up as she says, “When I thought that…” and just the trailing off alone is gonna break me every time. Because she can't even bring herself to say the words of thinking he was gone.

And then Michonne pauses and turns to him and, in the most devastatingly beautiful and vulnerable way, says, “I can’t lose you.”

When I tell you I react to that moment like I’ve never seen it before every time. My heart breaks every time. 😭 The love she has for that man is just so deep, and that was so extremely clear in this moment. I’m shedding a tear every time I hear it idc. 

Like wow. It’s such a big deal for Michonne to feel this and express this. She was the ultimate lone wolf when we were introduced to her. This was a woman who had lost so much so abruptly at the refugee camp and felt she had to then keep people at a bit of a distance to avoid being heartbroken yet again.

To see how far she’s come to have opened herself up so fully to team family, and to the Grimes family, and particularly to Rick to the point that now she loves him so much she feels she can’t lose him. It's so meaningful.

And this actually speaks to Michonne's strength because her strength isn't just derived from her katana or her ability to fight and survive - Michonne's strength is also radiantly reflected in her willingness to be vulnerable and open her heart up again even despite the risks.

When I tell you this well-rounded character is an inspiration. I stay looking at Michonne (& Danai) like...

And then y’all, those magnets seem to be kicking in cuz Rick is getting as close as he can to her to remind her that he hasn’t forgotten what she said when she asked him what kind of life they had just surrendered. I love that one thing Rick will never do is forget Michonne or anything she's ever said or done. 😊

Rick expresses that he agrees it wasn’t a life, but what they did while out on this run (and I do think he means everything they did on this run 😋) and fighting for their kids and the communities is what living really is.

It’s precious seeing Michonne nod through tears as she agrees with him about how making a future for their daughter, Judith, and Glenn and Maggie’s baby and fighting the fight is living. Rick repeats her words from earlier in the ep by bringing up 'fighting the fight' which is sweet.

Again, Richonne tones for the win as Rick tells Michonne that she is the one who showed him that’s living. I love that he always gives her so much credit and acknowledges the positive influence she has on him. Not only does he trust her to have this power in his life but also to straight up tell her she has this power in his life because Michonne would never use her influence for bad or to manipulate.

Rick says she can lose him, and Michonne and I really just be on the same wavelength lol, cuz when she turns and says "no," I felt that. Like even though she knows they have to fight for the future, she still loves Rick so much that she doesn’t want losing him to be on the table. 

But Rick says she can and that he can lose her. As I’ve noted before, it’s def meant in a literal sense of a physical possibility of losing each other rather than an emotional ability to lose each other and be fine. 

He softly places his hand on her as he shares they can lose friends, and people they love, and while we hadn’t heard 'I love You’s' by this point, you still just knew how aware they were of how in love they are on this trip.

Interestingly, Rick says, "it’s not about us anymore." The "anymore" makes me think it's said that way because at one point it was somewhat about them for Rick. Not losing Michonne, Carl, and Judith and having more time with them was a big reason why Rick didn't want to fight beforehand.

Then it is a very big deal when Rick tells Michonne that she’ll have to lead the others forward if he doesn’t make it because she’s the one who can. He says it with such conviction, and I adore how much he wholeheartedly believes in her. 

Michonne is truly so perfect in Rick's eyes and so capable. They are each other's biggest fans in the best way.😊

After all this time spent as the head leader, Rick entrusts Michonne most to pass the baton to in his absence. They’re such equals, and he knows that she can carry the torch and continue doing what he has dedicated his life to doing - which is leading the others forward. 

It’s powerful and also heartbreaking foreshadowing that she’ll have to do just that when he’s taken away. But seeing Michonne protect their ungrateful community post-Rick’s departure was heartwarming to me because it felt like her honoring what Rick shared with her in this van in 7.12.

Michonne asks how he knows she’s the one who can and then Andy just perfectly delivers the line, “Because you led me here” Powerful. I adore that the scene ends on this. It is so moving and so fitting for Rick to acknowledge the way Michonne has led him here.

Michonne has truly led him in so many ways, and I love that Rick is fully cognizant of that and seems so happy to look at her and let her know the immense impact she has. Rick is always going to give Michonne her flowers. Always. 😌💐

It’s great seeing Rick get to lift Michonne up and instill some empowerment, honesty, and encouragement to her with this whole conversation. They're both so good at speaking right into the other's heart.

It was a beautifully acted scene, a powerful conversation, and also very telling to both how Rick and Michonne feel about each other and how they’ll proceed when they eventually do get unwillingly separated.

And thank goodness losing each other wasn’t permanent and these magnetic soulmates will finally get to be back in each other's arms once again. It’s where they’re most meant to be. 🥰 

[harcove]

Stargazer - B.H.

a/n not a request, because... idk man, i have so many things im in the middle of writing for billy rn, and i had this one in my noggin for a while because i swear i remember somewhere dacre said smthing about it would be cool to see another side of billy- like with a girl just... in a field- cuties. or maybe... i made that up in my head besties idk, but here u go

length: 2.6k

pairing: billy x reader

warnings: no; mention maybe of billy's father and to trauma/abuse. maybe badly written billy im not too confident with this one lmao

summary: billy and you sneak into the hawkins high school football field and look at the stars

The air outside was considerably cooler than it had been during the day, and even then it had already been rather nippy out. The autumn air crisp as the months crawled slowly towards December, towards winter. Maybe a bit chilly for you to be laying in an open field in the middle of the night, but Billy Hargrove didn't seem to care; especially not when he was the one who snuck the two of you into Hawkins High schools football field.

You weren't even sure you had a football team. It was used for soccer and running track. It would be better to refer to it as a soccer field.

"Goddamn it's fucking cold," Billy grumbles, as he jumps down the fence, watching as you take the easier route (for you at least); the small hole that the school had yet to repair in the fencing in a bottom corner; too small for Billy to fit through, but just big enough you could wriggle your way through, "mind reminding me why I agreed to this bullshit?"

"I dunno," the smile is evident in your voice as you finally end up on the right side of the fence, picking yourself up off the dirt ground as Billy looks down at you, hands in his pockets. You use his bent arm to pull yourself up and you can feel the way he stiffens his body to compensate for the weight of your pulling, so neither of you fall, "But it's really not that bad."

"Not that bad?" his brows raise almost comically, and he blinks; his bright blue eyes looking at you like you're insane, "Not that fuckin' bad, huh?"

He breathes out, a bit harsher on purpose, and a plume of air appears in front of the two of you. It's just cold enough that your breath can be seen in front of you, like tiny little clouds of mist; a constant and subtle reminder that the seasons were close to changing once more, Autumn would soon blend into Winter.

Also, a constant reminder for Billy that he was no longer in California.

The sudden thought put a damper on his mood and it was visible in his body language and facial expressions. Billy Hargrove was so much more of an open-book than he realized sometimes. When it came to emotions like anger, or hatred, they showed themselves like black ink on a white page; strikingly. They were two emotions that coincided with one another; and they were the emotions he felt most often and most deeply. Being sad was weak (his father really beat that into him, physically and metaphorically) and being happy? He wasn't sure he could feel happy anymore. Too much anger. Too much hatred.

But then, when he looks at you, everything felt less harsh- his chest doesn't feel as heavy, his body isn't as on fire from a rage deep within; and there is something there. Something that maybe could be happiness. If he let it build, if he worked on it. If he just let it happen.

Easier said than done.

You can feel the way Billy slips away from the moment, noticing the way the dirty blonde sunk deeper into his own head, his face losing any of it's previous sarcasm and maybe even slight amusement, you clear your throat. Better than touching him, because you can't really be sure where his thoughts are in these moments exactly, and you'd seen more than enough to know what his father is like.

"Yeah, not that bad," you repeat, a sly smirk graces your lips as you walk backwards from him, taking big steps to reach the wide open field, your eyes adjusted to the darkness at this point, "you're just being a baby."

Mission successful. Even at the distance you've created between the two of you, you can see the way his face morphs. It's not anger, not like some might think it would be at being called a name; it's light-hearted when you say it, and only you can say it. He'll get back at you. He always does. Sometimes sooner rather than later; and now it's sooner.

The sound that comes from his lips isn't exactly a laugh, it's more of a scoff; a laugh of disbelief as he watches you get further away. His tongue juts out, wetting his lips, a slight shake of his head; eyes zoning in on you perfectly.

"Baby?" he sounds defiant, mock-angry. You just shrug your shoulders, shouting back at him, 'yeah' before waving your arms in the air, "You're fuckin' asking for it."

Billy is fast. He would be, considering how he likes to work out and stay fit; his place on the basketball team for Hawkin's high school shines through in moments like this where he starts running towards you; in turn you turn to face forward, starting to run yourself towards the centre of the field. It's a futile effort to run from Billy Hargrove. He's always going to catch you. He's fast. And he doesn't let up.

You squeal when he suddenly grabs you, slamming his body into your own with his arms around your middle, picking you up with easy and throwing himself onto the ground with you to boot. The laughter bubbles up in your throat as you try to catch your breath, winded and filled with adrenaline. You can hear it before you see it; the laugh from him, the smile in his laugh. It's not a laugh like yours, one that is full-bodied and hard to catch your breath too- it's more like a burst of laughter that he brings back down to control. But it's still a laugh.

You've heard it before. But never like this. He's laughed when he's been angry, he's laughed but it's been fake and calculated. But now he laughs and it isn't thought out beforehand. It isn't in disbelief or anger.

His strength and heavy-handedness is only amplified when he tosses you off him from where he took the brunt of his purposeful fall to the ground, quickly flipping you over without much time for you to think about what's happening. It's only when he's hovering over you with a hand digging into your hip- not enough to hurt you, but enough to know damn well it's there.

"Now," he breathes out, his warm breath a stark contrast from the crisp autumn night, "What was it you called me...?"

Mischief swims in your eyes as you stare directly into the prettiest blue you think you've ever seen. Everything about Billy is pretty. He is so beautiful, in every way, but he hates when you say that. He prefers words like hot, or sexy. But he can't hide his red tipped ears when you say he's beautiful or pretty.

He deserves to know he's not just some object for women to oggle at. He's a beautiful human being. He's Billy.

"Ba...by," you huff out, still trying to catch your breathe. The rise and fall of you chest makes contact with Billy's, showing just how close he is to you right now.

His lips crash onto yours. Hungry. Heavy. Angry? No... Needy. But also, vengeful. If you weren't already winded, you are definitely winded now as all thoughts escape you; the need to breathe becoming a secondary thought. Why breathe when you have him? He makes you feel alive. He makes all the bad things in Hawkins just... Stop. Like the stars in the sky, he may disappear, he might go away for some time but he's still always there. He's...

He bits into your lip.

It elicits a muffled cry from you as you push against his chest, his mouth leaving yours.

And he has the audacity to look at you, mock-confusion on his face, breathing much more normal paced compared to your own. It makes you wanna pinch him. But you don't, instead you settle on glaring at him in the dark.

"Someone's being a baby," he throws it back at you with ease, rolling off you when you push him off. To be fair, you didn't have the strength to push him off, he's just giving you one by rolling off of you anyways. A thump when he hits the grass beside you.

Pouting is useless since he can't even see it now that he's looking at the sky, but you do it anyway. It's the principle of the thing you suppose.

It's quiet. The only sound being a cricket here or there, and the sound of your breathing mixed with his own. Your finally able to regulate your breathing and bring it back to normal. You wish you had a drink, but that's not a big deal for now. The cool air entering your lungs feels good, a balm to the burn from your previous silliness.

"At least your warm now, right?" You offer up the words after a few more beats of silence.

He snorts.

"There's better ways to get warm and stay warm."

You know what he's implying and you hit his shoulder softly with your fingers.

"No. Not in public."

He doesn't respond to that. He really would do anything with you right there, but contrary to what others seemed to believe, he was rather respectful of your boundaries when it came to these things. That didn't mean he wasn't going to tease you.

"Can't believe I'm with a goddamn prude. Its the middle of the damn night."

Like that.

"It's not being a prude!" You focus your attention on the sky, "now just... Look."

He lets out a heavy breath.

The reason you wanted to come out here in the first place. The night sky, filled with stars.

Hawkins wasn't a big city or more populated place like California, it was a small town. Light pollution wasn't really a thing here as it would be in big cities. You took it for granted till you visited your aunt and uncle one year in New York, where the light pollution was rampant. Seeing a star there was nigh impossible.

But Hawkins? The sky was littered with so many little stars, stars you could see perfectly. You could make out some and the vast dark that went on forever. It made you feel oddly melancholic. Sometimes you wished you could reach up, touch them, and join them up there. So small in the grand scheme of things. A reminder of just how large the universe was. Just how... Insignificant you were in the grand scheme of things.

And that was okay. Sometime, you need to be reminded that you're just one person in a world of billions, you're small, and not everything needs to be on your shoulders.

You wanted Billy to feel that. Feel the weight of the world drift away as the stars reminded you, you're only human. Just a small, little human.

"That's the big dipper," you reach your arm up to point at the cluster of stars forming the measuring cup like shape in the sky, "I only know it because it was the only one I could find when I was a kid."

"Still the only one you can find?"

"Uh, no," you matter-of-factly say, moving to point towards another cluster, "there's the little dipper."

"Damn," he mocks, "the little one too?"

You giggle, wiggling closer to Billy's side, seeking his warmth and just his presence in general.

"Still don't get why we couldn't do this when it's warmer. I'm not giving you my damn jacket, you still haven't given me back the other fucking one."

That's true. But he doesn't complain too much. You always bring it back to him, and it somehow always ends up back with you anyways.

"Because, you can see the stars better when it's colder."

"Bullshit," you see his breath when he speaks, "That's the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard."

"No its not!" You don't actually know that. You just said it, because you've always found you see the stars the best when it's colder. Maybe it's because you usually look up at the sky most during this time of year, when the sky darkens so much quicker than in the summer.

Once more, the conversation lulls to a stop, it's a easy silence that settles between you, one that feels comfortable and safe. Something about being with Billy feels safe, it always does. You can only hope that it's the same for him; that being with you is a safe place for him. Or someday, it will be.

He deserves at least one person, one place, in his life that's safe.

You wriggle close enough to the man that you can rest your head on his shoulder and you do so with ease, but you can feel his shoulder stiffen for a moment before it relaxes. It's just you. He's fine with you.

Much to your pleasure he moves the arm of the shoulder you placed your head on out from beneath you, snaking it around your shoulder to force you closer to him with a single tug. It brings you close enough to Billy that your practically on top of him. When you settle yourself comfortably, one leg hiked up across his torso, with your body pressed against his side and your head close to his heart- his hand leaves your shoulder and travels to your waist. He squeezes the flesh on your hip, causing you to jump slightly.

You know he enjoys how you react.

And you like how it feels.

Laying there, beside him, felt right. It felt like this was where you were meant to be. The cold air didn't matter, the hard grass beneath you didn't change anything. It felt so cliché, to lay under the stars beside a handsome boy- the quote en quote bad boy, as if there was nothing else in the world but the two of you.

You really felt you could stay there forever. Be with him forever.

"You fallin' asleep?" When he speaks you feel the vibrations from his chest, "you fall asleep, your on your damn own."

He doesn't mean that. You know that, he knows that. You breathe in his cologne, savouring it before releasing a long breathe.

"I'm not... I'm just," you pause, voice quiet, strikingly different to how it had been before when you were running from him as a joke. If it wasn't so quiet already, your voice may have been carried away with the wind, "Happy."

You aren't surprised when at first, Billy has nothing to say to that.

Billy is turning this over in his head. Happy. You were... Happy. Happy to be there with him, happy to lay on a dirt and grass in the middle of the night with him. Happy. You were happy.

He didn't think he could make anyone happy. That anyone could be happy with him. It was scary. It scared him; how long could he keep that going? How long till something happened, till he did something and ruined everything. Before he ruined your happiness; ruined you. Was it selfish for him to keep you with him, even knowing that he could ruin everything? Was it unfair to want to have you despite his own fears and issues... Maybe, but Billy Hargrove did not care.

He'd be as selfish as he damn pleased.

"A prude, and a goddamn crackpot. At least you're easy to please."

You swear you can hear a soft edge in his voice as he speaks, even if it's hard to catch, like it's barely there. But you can hear it. You pull yourself closer to him, if it's even possible to do at this point.

Yeah, you think, you could stay there forever with him. And he thinks, maybe he could too.

[callsignfangs]

JSSJJSJA I LOVE UR WRITING 😭😭 I'M MUNCHING SO HARD ON IT

p.s im the anon who asked for that farah x g/n reader after a hard mission if that even matters but

-besides that, I have another request🤭🤭 if u have time ofc

g/n reader whos afraid of thunderstorms (from PTSD maybe) and there just so happens to be a thunderstorm tonight oh no but farah is there with them🤩

SORRY FOR THIS REALLY LONG REQUEST BUT UM HAVE A GOOD DAY OR NIGHT RAHH GO WILD

GIGGLINGNGN IM SO GLAD YOU LIKED ITT 😚😚

(I’d call you the Farah anon but atp my, like, whole page is Farah. Not that I’m complaining 😇)

And absolutely I will absolutely devour any reqs I get, esp Farah ones, I just love them smmsmm 😇

(AND DONT APOLOGISE FOR THE LENGTH LUVVIEE 💟💟 I LOVE GETTING REQS 🫂)

Also also sorry for the wait ive been focusing a little on art and personal life stuff that’s absolutely battering me rn 🧍‍♂️

Farah Karim x GN!Traumatised! Reader 😚

To say nights were hard was a bit of an understatement for you. Sleep didn’t come easy - not when it was majorly plagued with painful projections and stalking memories, haunting you throughout the night when they couldn’t tear at you through the day.

So, you being up at god-knows-when at night really wasn’t too alarming. You didn’t even mind it that much anymore, it was a bit like a routine. The exhaustion was annoying, and the daily naps were a pain, but it was easier than attempting to face sleep.

Usually. Usually, your waking mind was clearer and safer than your sleeping one. Not tonight.

Tonight? Tonight, the thunder rolling through the air practically sent shockwaves through your room, sending your mind reeling into that fogged, not-quite-here, am-i-there haze, making your chest ache and stomach knot painfully. You wished your mind would surrender you to sleep, even if it was just trading one hell for another.

It wasn’t long before you ended up at Farah’s door like a little lost puppy. It seemed pointless - your hand was heavy with the fear of being a burden and you couldn’t even remember how you’d gotten there. The throbbing weight in your chest seemed to ebb into the air, the thickness slipping from your lungs before you could really get a full breath in.

Farah opening the door almost into your face was actually blessed coincidence, the empty glass in her hand somehow assured your oblivious little mind of just how much of a problem you were to her.

She didn’t even need to see the tears verging on spilling over your cheeks to know.

“Oh, hon, come on, lovely. I can’t have you out here by yourself, can I?”

You only just brought yourself to nod, lower lip wobbling involuntarily. Hands slipped across your back before you could burst into tears, softly guiding your listless form into her room, what little awareness you had left trailing behind. The gentle click of the door shutting only just stood out from the blood rushing through your ears, trying to shield from the growling of the thunder outside.

“Are you.. Are you warm enough, قلبي?” Her words were so motherly it hurt.

“How about I get you something warm to drink, alright? I’ll make your favourite, promise. Then we can snuggle up here and have a movie marathon, or something. How does that sound, love?”

A cosy, toasty drink and snuggles with your favourite girl? It did sound nice.

Farah’s smile widened. You must’ve nodded, or something. You didn’t quite know.

“There. I’m glad you like that idea. Just hold up one second, right?”

And then she plodded off again. Her absence made you hurt primally, fear creeping across your chest and up your throat, latching onto you with an iron grip. No, no, she couldn’t leave, it wasn’t safe, how did you let her go all alone what if-

“Hey, حبيبي, hey, it’s okay. Come here, shh.”

She was back. It felt like some kind of emotional whiplash, your feelings being pulled apart and moulded back together again, moving too quickly for you to really react.

Gentle, familiar hands guided you to sit back down - when had you stood up? - and cradled your cheek in their careful hold. Something slipped up over your ears, and the world went quiet again. Almost disturbingly so, the lack of input, of reassurance to your senses, it was scary.

It was like Farah read your mind as she leaned back in to whisper right next to your ear, just loud enough for you to hear, “It’s alright, sweetheart. Come on, you’re alright. We’re safe right now, we just have to let this storm pass. Literally, for once.”

The relaxed humour brought a weak smile to your face. It didn’t quite reach your eyes, but that was alright. You needed time and reassurance, only one of those had you received a decent amount of.

Her bed creaked as she joined next to you, worn, homely springs groaning with effort. Your hands were enveloped in her touch once again, substantial warmth coating the back of your hand, branching out over your palm and peeking up your wrist.

Farah didn’t hesitate to ease you down against the headboard, tucking a hand down against the small of your back as she fumbled for something she’d placed on the bedside table.

“Do you want that drink, love? I made your favourite. Same way as usual, don’t worry.” The mug was held by your hand, supporting it as you took it in your shaking ones. Her lips puckered softly as she puffed over the hot liquid, a little plume of steam flowing up to your face, the warm flash dragging your mind back somewhat. You idly noticed the seeds of a headache taking root against your temple.

“Careful, غالي, it’s hot.” It took a few moments to drag your eyes up and take her in, but you got there in the end. “Oh, hello, sweetheart. Popped back in, have we?” The light bags tugging at her under eye were engulfed by the soft plush of her cheeks as she smiled. To say she looked relieved was a bit of an understatement. One of her hands slipped from the mug, ensuring it was stable before coming up to give your cheek a little squeeze, thumbing gently at your cheekbone.

At your slow nod, her smile widened even further, gratitude pouring into her gaze. The mug was, once again, eased from your grasp at your seeming disinterest. It was probably going cold, but she didn’t particularly care.

“How do you feel about taking a nap, lovely? Just you and me. We can put on a movie too, like a little cosy movie night - does that sound nice?”

“Yeah..” Your words were almost too shaky to be intelligible, but seeing Farah’s warm glow at the attempt made it worth it.

Hands roamed gently under your thighs, easing you down into her shockingly comfy covers - ‘commander’s privileges’ - and proceeding to tuck you in, fussing over you all the while. It was a win/win, really, she got to look after and fuss over you, and you got a little bit of well-deserved spoiling.

After you were sufficiently smothered, Farah pulled herself up off the bed, calling out a soft ‘one sec’ before jogging out of the room. It was quiet. That wasn’t that bad anymore, though. She’d be back, soon.

Your mind barely wandered in the time it took for her to swipe the laptop off of the coffee table and speed back. She knew better than to leave you alone with your thoughts right now, though your semi-calmness when she got back was reassuring.

“Here we are..” Farah murmured idly, clambering up next to you, placing the laptop on the bedside table by your head. You were softly eased onto your side and pulled to a firm, pillowy chest. One arm was laid out under your shoulder, simultaneously supporting you and reaching out to the laptop, opening up her downloads and mindlessly scrolling through her library of movies. Her other arm was laid over your side, kneading at your tummy before moving slowly up to your chest.

The next few minutes were spent with Farah idly chatting into your ear, bouncing movie ideas off of you as she internally preened at each and every response you gave. Together, you decided on a movie, and cuddled into each other’s safe warmth as the opening credits rolled.

By the halfway mark, you were fast asleep. By the end, Farah was too.

—

Sorry for the kinda rushed ending, I wanted to maybe take this a little further sometime, but it’s been ages and I wanted to give yous a little sumet to munch on /j

Pinky promise I’ll try to drag myself out of my sorta-hiatus 😚🫂

(Tags: @theartisticautisticc )

[nadinebrooks]

hii I was wondering if you could do a harry j potter x fem!reader fluffy oneshot (takes place in hbp) where they’re just chilling in Harry’s dorm cuddling and harry tells the reader how much he loves her and he’s like touchy touchy cuddly kisses pecks all over the face whispering sweet nothings, etc. I think it’d be very cute<3 also I’m sorry if you don’t understand something but English isn’t my first language (me crying in poland rn cause it’s just fucking hard to not make any mistakes) anyway I hope you understood. have a nice night or day idk in poland it’s night. thank you!!

Here is the link to my masterlist.

Harry Potter x Reader: Ray of Light

Warnings: Tons of fluff

As the late afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows of the Gryffindor Tower, it cast a warm glow across the room. You sat comfortably in Harry’s dorm room while leaning against a pile of pillows on his bed. The two of you had decided to spend some time away from the worries and dark secrets that currently plagued the corridors of Hogwarts. 

As the moments ticked by in comfortable silence, Harry was lazily flipping through the pages of his Potions textbook that had been upgraded by the Half-Blood Prince. Whenever he got some extra time, he loved to flip through the contents of his book and read over new potions and spells.

Momentarily glancing up from the book, he couldn’t help but be captivated by your beauty. The way that the sunlight trickled in from the window danced across her face highlighting everything that Harry deemed to be perfect. 

On top of that there was your unwavering support. You had stood by him since day one. Through thick and thin. The way you made him feel grounded when it seemed like everything else was falling apart. 

He decided that today was the day. He was going to muster up the courage to tell you exactly how he felt. The truth had been living within his heart for what felt like years now. He slowly closed the book and placed it on his bedside table and turned to face you. His emerald eyes were filled with unspoken longing. 

“(y/n), there’s something I need to tell you.” His voice was soft, but it was filled with emotion. 

“What’s up Harry?” You pushed yourself up from the pile of pillows and met his gaze filled with curiosity and anticipation. 

“You mean the world to me. I never thought I would find someone who understands me like you do. I’ve dealt with a lot of darkness in my life. More than anyone should have to deal with. And you have been my ray of light.” He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this vulnerable with someone. The fact that the sunshine was now trickling across the both of you made this moment even better. 

Your heart skipped a beat and the feeling of warmth filled your entire body. You had held on to your feelings for Harry just as long as he had, but you never dared to reveal them out of fear or rejection or even complicating the friend group. 

“I’ve felt the same way for so long, Harry.” You reached across the bed and gently grabbed his hand. Your voice was barely audible, but they carried the weight of sincerity. 

As both of your words hung in the air, any sort of tension evaporated and was replaced with a sense of comfort. You scooted closer to him, wrapping your arms around him and pulled him in closer. Without even thinking about it, he instantly leaned into your embrace. You rested your head against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. The world outside faded away and left only the two of you embarrassing. 

“With everything going on with Voldemort, I couldn’t do this without you by my side.” Harry’s fingertips brushed against your cheek. His touch was as light as a feather.

“You don’t have to do any of this alone Harry. I’m going to be there for whatever you need.” You assured him. There was a flicker of gratitude in his eyes as he rested his forehead against yours. It felt as if the world had conspired to bring you together at this very moment. 

“I love you (y/n). I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have someone like you in my life.” He admitted, his voice was a mere whisper. Wrapped in each other’s arms, you felt a sense of serenity, as if the chaos of the world couldn’t reach you here. 

These three words hung in the air and carried a profound weight that echoed through the room. It was a declaration that went past the boundaries of friendship. In the stillness of the moment, Harry pressed a gentle kiss against your forehead, his lips lingered against your skin. 

As the sun began to dip behind the horizon, you and Harry remained entwined. You know that as long as you had each other, it didn’t matter what was going to happen in the future. 

[derschleierfallt]

Pls share actor opinions!! :D

OK. biggest question of my life. gonna list top 3 favs for elisabeth and tod but i’ll throw in a rudolf or two. honorable mentions and least favs too just for funsies. also it’s going to be painfully obvious that i mostly stick to german language productions sorry in advance. and nothing too niche probably. maybe one day ill revise when i’ve watched like every video i have

elisabeth

1. pia douwes

OF COURSE NUMBER ONE IS PIA. she is my absolute favorite actress, not just in this role but also just in general. i first saw her in the role in the essen proshot, and how she conveyed all the different highs and lows of the character was just so good. you can feel every emotion and you can believe every word. i had watched the 2005 vienna proshot first, and i liked it a lot, but it wasn’t until i saw pia in the titular role that everything really clicked. her understanding of the character is so compelling, and i literally just don’t get tired of it. she’s also an absolute powerhouse vocally. hoping to go to the netherlands next year to see her in the show for real!

2. ranno hana

okaaayy i haven’t watched zuka 2014 in a BIT but… ok confession… i don’t love zukabeth. i like it enough, but a lot of the changes are just tooo hard for me to completely forgive lol. that said, i’ve watched a few productions, and this one was a standout for me, mostly bc of this elisabeth (and tod tbh but this isn’t abt them rn). i really loved her portrayal of the character, acting-wise i think she’s seriously incredible. vocally she’s not exactly a favorite, but like who gaf. she’s GOOD! her wenn ich tanzen will is one of my favorites, as is her ich gehor nur mir. so fun to watch

3. maya hakvoort

don’t be fooled even though vienna 2005 didn’t completely hook me at first i do like maya a lot. in terms of character, i think maya plays it a little more broken and beaten, which is an interpretation of the character i love. she’s crushing under all this weight, and though she remains strong, she really really shows all the cracks that form. her der schleier fallt with mate always makes me wanna bash my head in (in a really good way!)

honorable mentions

nicole sieger. kind of. only shitty audios exist of her performance but i like them a lot lol

mari hanafusa (toho 2016) didn’t love her in zuka 96 but she’s really good here

ruth kraus. recently watched a video with her and i liked it a lot! seen some people say she’s lacking but i don’t believe it

not my fav

maike boerdam. not sure if this is like a hot or cold or middling take? personally not a fan of her elisabeth, some of the acting choices take me out of it and while she’s talented, her singing just isn’t my thing! she has good moments though and she is in many great essen photos and i do love essen promo photos

der tod

1. uwe kröger

92 vienna specifically. this is The tod. u cannot say the word death without me thinking of that swoopy 90s hair. u can’t talk abt some random guy named todd without me thinking of that swoopy 90s hair. he lives in my head and i cant evict him. i love other interpretations of the character and while i dont like to be all THIS IS THE ONE CORRECT WAY TO PLAY THIS AND THIS… this is the most correct in my heart. i love the ambiguity so much. i think its essential. most vienna tods from this era just don’t really captivate me as much as uwe bc i think the bar was set so high (and vienna content is SCARCE to say the least). i like him in essen as well, but the way the character was directed in that production isssss inferior imo. he’s got good elisabeth takes too so number one

2. jesper tydén

i really don’t know how this happened. i really really just like his tod. depending on the day i think he could switch with mate. i get the vibe that his tod is a conniving little beyotch. slimy, maybe is the way to put it? but not exactly as gross as slimy would suggest? unhinged, but not flying off the handle? calculated, but not fully controlled? i think it’s also the vocals that bump him up for me, he’s got some GOOD vocals that really get to shine in this role. i do also just really love essen understudies for some reason

3. máté kamarás

like i said he can swap for jesper but today is a jesper in 2 day. for me, mate is more the acting and not so much vocals, at least later in the vienna revival run and every production onward. i do love his voice earlier on though, so it’s a shame his voice kinda suffered a bit! maybe this kinda sounds like a diss or something but ITS NOT. i think mate tod is really captivating, there’s this vibe that the impossible really did happen, he really did love elisabeth, and he plays it very well. he bounces off of the other actors incredibly (vienna revival im specifically thinking about), so every interaction with every character has something just sooo good about it. i also like how sparkly he is in hungarian productions

honorable mentions

yu shirota. see my post abt him being a freak. love it!

addo kruizinga. specifically in original vienna, i actually didn’t like him at first but his interpretation really grew on me

lukas mayer. so happy to see a new tod i actually really like show up, i hope we’ll see him in this role again

5. least fav

m….ma……r…….k… coldest take on tumblr dot com possibly ever! every performance i’ve seen he just looks so bored or so done. however i think he’s good vocally, and im sure he is better in other shows. but in elisabeth he’s bored and im bored, so not for me!

rudolf

1. andreas bieber

number one is all original vienna i’m sorry LOL it’s andreas bieber. wenn ich dein spiegal wär was written because of him (or something like that), so i think that says something! not sure how exactly to put this but i like how ? pitiful ? his rudolf is LMFAO. when i was just getting into elisabeth and browsing through youtube clips i didn’t understand whatsoever his rendition of the aforementioned song struck a chord with me. no clue what he could’ve possibly been singing about, didn’t even know the historical context lol, but i could infer enough from his acting and it was SAD. seeing mayerling for the first time when actually watching the musical in full was like ohhh…

honorable mentions (tbh i didn’t focus on rudolf much until recently so sorry)

jesper tydén AGAIN. sorry he’s good. i wish he was in the vienna revival longer than he was

dennis hupka. part of the reason why i care abt rudolf more now LOLOLOL

also to end it off serkan is obviously my fav lucheni alongside i think 99.9% of people and i have no more to say than that. serkan is the standard for me and it has not been reached again… not that my eyes have seen… except maybe that guy who was the one thing i liked abt schonbrunn 2019 but i don’t remember his name atm

[barrenclan]

imagine my surprise when the issue started WHOLESOME!!!!!! sure it was advertised as a baby issue but STILL!!!!! i fucking love cormorantpaw playing with them and giving them the childhood he couldn’t have, it makes me so happy. and he’s happy, too!! i’m sure if he heard what cootstorm said about them, he would have thrown hands. begging for more scenes of corm babysitting/playing with the kits, even in the bg. him being this happy about the babies being happy is just. AAA!!

of course, in patfw, wholesome bits can’t last forever. daffy is in the issue at what cost !!!! i love how she just casually drops it and YES I WANTED TO SEE HER REACTION BUT IT HURTS IT HURTS SO BAD. i love how complicated it is, daffodil’s feelings and pinepaw struggling to apologize due to how neither of them did wrong.. aagh. i love this causing daffodil to realize that she kinda forced herself to love cormorantpaw due to the circumstances, and her opening up about how she really thinks about romance! i know she deserves the love she can so easily give to others, and i love how just.. the cycle is still kinda referenced in this issue? not with dustfeather, but with cashew. i never thought we’d touch a cycle of abuse other than familial but i’m really happy we did now and it makes so much sense? abuse comes in many forms, after all!

mallowstar’s struggles of being a leader and blacknose’s struggles of being a mother, aaaaa. it’s so intertwined and so different and they really need eachother. also, more cycle discussion!!! mallowstar wanting to break free is sooo important to me, everyone needs that. hopefully the green isn’t defiance territory, though.. maybe if it is, throw cootstorm as a sacrifice and run

ALSO THAT ENDING???? HACKSAW GO AWAY I’M GONNA THROW HANDS RN 🤼🤼🤼🤼🤼🤼🤼🤼

i always love your writing and your expressions in these, keep up the great work!!

Hey, sometimes I do wholesome issues! They're not all depressing!

Cormorantpaw is the best babysitter ever, he's great with kids. He knows how to vibe on their level, and his lack of self-consciousness means he can really get into the spirit of a game or a kid's conversation.

PATFW when they ask me for emotional weight: hey what's all this emotional weight doing here??? Haha, I'm glad you liked the section with Daff, it wasn't always something I had planned to include in this issue but it ended up being necessary to resolve. Since Daff and Slugpelt are both very romantically-inclined characters (when Slug was young, at least), they share a lot of similar worries and needs, and having those problems that her mother faced unconsciously be consciously present in Daff's head has made her do a lot of thinking.

Mallowstar and Blacknose really are so good for each other, they're so sweet,, it's fun to write their interactions because it's just totally interpersonal drama-free. Mallow's been thinking about leaving for awhile, largely buoyed by Blacknose herself (the biggest BarrenClan radical), and I can confirm that the "western border" is opposite Defiance's territory, which is past the eastern border of BarrenClan territory. Hopefully they can get out in time!

But I can't end an issue in the second half of the comic without a little Horrors. :]

[kairiscorner]

Heyy so I was wondering if you could write some hobie x autistic!reader headcanons of how would he help reader during a meltdown ou shutdown🥺

(Nop definitely not because I’m in a shutdown rn

HI !! i hope you're doing okay if you are, or whenever you're feeling a meltdown or shutdown happening, i've personally never experienced that before, but i'm sending a lot of love and support your way whenever you feel like that's happening to you. it's okay to feel whatever you wanna feel, i hope you know that <:)) AND I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS TOO !! (please feel free to correct me if i get anything wrong or inaccurate here, it's not my intention to hurt anybody so any and all corrections are welcome ! ^^)

hobie brown x autistic!reader (he helps your during a meltdown and a shutdown)

honestly speaking, hobie would have had to experience handling you and your bouts of emotion during meltdowns multiple times in the past, learning more and more on how to help you out as he tries to help you in real time.

he gets anxious sometimes when you get a little more expressive with your feelings, hoping not to worsen your meltdown and instead help you by getting everything you told him you'd need when you usually have meltdowns.

he has all the stuff you need to feel comfortable at hand, be it a weighted blanket, a plushie you like to hug, music that calms you down--just anything you need, he has it right away.

he also doesn't hold it against you or get mad at you when you feel this way or experience these things, he knows you never ask to experience these things, and he can only picture just how great your suffering is when you're having a meltdown, so he tries to be as patient and loving as possible to help you out and be there when you need him to be.

he's also very understanding, even if when you're doing things he can't always understand why you do them, he makes an effort to see it from your perspective, and when he still can't fully grasp why you do what you do, he just sticks by you--or leaves if you need him to--and tends to you when you need him.

when you shutdown, however, hobie sometimes struggles realizing that you've shutdown unless he sees that you're not in the mood to talk or wanna withdraw from just everything for a while.

he doesn't question it, because if it feels right for you, he respects it. he'll leave you be for a while, or for as long as you need him to. just as long as when you're ready to talk, he'll gladly listen, be there for you, and offer you comfort and love because he knows you deserve it.

he does sometimes worry about whether or not he did something to cross your boundaries, that's always the first thing he asks when you shutdown, if he did anything to upset you or missed a sign from you that indicated you didn't like what he did and is more than willing to take note of what you like and don't like him doing.

overall, hobie's willing to be there for you and learn more about how he can be there for you, provide you help and comfort, reassure you you're okay for feeling how you feel when you're overflowing with stress and overstimulating, and expressing to you in the best ways he can that he is here for you and always will be here for you, even at distances if you need him to be. his door is always open, and his ears are always listening to what you need and want to say.

he'll try his hardest to understand, and even when he can't, he'll still do whatever you need of him because he loves and appreciates you so much, he hates seeing you upset and wants to be there for you.

tags !! @k4tsu3 @fiannee @luvstarrstruck @toneystank-3000 @ii01vq @maxoloqy @arachnoia @pixqlsin @solecitoszn

[drbatsponge]

Robin/Batgirl: Fresh Blood REVIEW

So, it's Cassandra Cain day, and as always on this day I'll usually review a comic, I decided for this year I'd be reviewing Robin/Batgirl: Fresh Blood, considering I recently bought the trade last Christmas, so yeah!

First off, I want to start by saying that overall I think this is a pretty decent story, but it also highlights the difference between the two writers of Bill Willingham and Andersen Gabrych, seeing how they handle the grieving process of both Cass and Tim is particularly interesting.

Obviously I don't want to say Willingham doesn't try his best to make it seem like Tim is sad following Stephanie's death, but like he does really brush it off more, during her funeral he isn't even really sad about Steph all that much, more mad at Bruce.

And I understand Willingham tries to make an excuse that Tim is sad over a bunch of people rn so he doesn't have that many tears to shed over Steph, but like she's the most recent death, I think Tim would be a little more upset over her. 😭

Even after frickin' hallucinating her does he not even get sad over her, more or so his father, it really feels like he doesn't care that much about Steph's death and she's just another casualty.

Meanwhile for Cass, I'd say the weight is more felt, you actually see her shedding tears at her funeral, and it genuinely seems like Cass is more upset about her loss whereas Tim is just bottling up his emotions about it.

So, I definitely prefer how Gabrych writes the reaction to Stephanie's death as opposed to Willingham, because she feels more important of a loss.

As for things beyond that, I have to say there's some really good action sequences in this 4 parter, it's certainly helped that two of Cassandra Cain's best artists worked on this, being Damion Scott and Ale Garza, while their style does certainly contrast, considering Scott is more cartoonish and Garza is more anime-ish, I still think both do a fine job regardless and it's just nice to say there's a Cass comic out there where two of her best artists did some awesome stuff for her.

I especially like the scene where Cass is fighting Shrike and the scene where she's taking on a bunch of the Penguin's goons.

Finally, I'd like to touch on what I love most about the story, and that would be the contrast between Tim and Cass on wanting to be like Batman.

It's basically the main theme of the story, where Tim is afraid of becoming more like him, but Cass is embracing that, wanting to become that symbol.

It's best summarized in the scene at the end of the story where the two finally have a heart to heart about it, and it's some good stuff.

So, overall, I would say I think Fresh Blood is a pretty good read.

It has some flaws here and there, especially the weird contrast between how each writer was reacting to the death of Steph at the time, but beyond that there's some good stuff that builds up Cass and Tim's relationship, and the art is certainly excellent coming from some of Cass's best artists.

Well, there you have it, my little review/analysis of Robin/Batgirl: Fresh Blood! Hope you all enjoyed it, and as always stay tuned.

Same bat-time, same bat-channel!

And happy birthday to the best comic character ever created imo: Cassandra Cain!