#but i hope it helps someone especially to new fans!

[gothghostiie]

In the spirit of Christmas approaching, and as someone who prefers making gifts to buying them (for many reasons, the main two being that I love making things and forcing ppl to look at them and that I’m fuckin broke lmao), how do u think the 141 lads would react to receiving a gift from their spouse that was made by them? Like a drawing, something they knitted/stitched, or even a sculpture?

using this as my merry Christmas post so

merry Christmas and happy holidays yall<3 I hope ur having a great time and enjoying urself, sending much much love, mwah <3

cw: fluff, gn!reader + bonus what they would gift you

Price is a sucker for that stuff. handknit sweater? he'll wear that thing until it's barely more than a thread. nothing more cozy than something someone handmade with love specifically for him, nothing will ever be as comfy. that goes for anything handmade, he'll treasure it until he can't. nothing makes him feel more loved than anything handmade. hes has a hard time gifting things usually and will flat out ask and get what you asked for, but also add some stuff that he thought you might like. huge fan of practical gifts.

Gaz absolutely adores anything you make yourself, especially decorative items. paintings, stitching, sculptures, little trinkets, adores all of it with his whole heart. will keep everything with him, everything around the house/apartment. and he notices is somethings missing too, absolutely upset until he finds it again. he immediately finds a place for whatever you gave to him. kyle isnt really the one to gift materialistic things (sure, you get some jewelry or those new headphones you wanted) but he always gifts creative dates that he takes you on.

Soap is also a sucker for anything handmade. is a huge, huge fan of handmaking presents himself (he mostly draws, will 100% gift you a drawing too) and loves receiving them just as much. your skill level doesn't matter one bit, whether it be a patchy painting, a wonky mug or a sweater with holes, he'll proudly wear/display it and make sure you know just how much he loves it. as I said, you'll get a drawing - probably a portrait he secretly drew of you while you were doing the most mundane shit ever and he couldn't help but think you're gorgeous.

ghost is a secret christmas lover imo. colourful lights, christmas tree, sinple deco. he doesn't really want/ask for gifts, tells people there's nothing he wants when they ask. but listen: handmake him a balaclava. that man will propose to you on the spot. I'm so serious. appreciates any gifts he gets, especially handmade, keeps saying you shouldn't have, but that will make him fall hard. hes the type of guy where you think youll get a gift card at best, but you get almost anything you wanted but didnt get over the year. that cute mug? that sweater? those earrings? all yours, he remebered.

[multifandomfanfic]

Meeting and Falling in Love with the Easy Company Boys (x f!reader)

A/N: These headcanons are my Secret Santa gift for the wonderful @hxad-ovxr-hxart (for @hbowardaily!'s yearly exchange)! I hope you enjoy them—this is the first thing I’ve ever made for Band of Brothers, despite being such a big fan. I had a lot of fun writing them! (BTW, I haven't watched BOB for a good six months, so I struggled a little with remembering what Talbert was like. I hope I did him justice.)

Characters: Joe Toye, Bull Randleman, Ronald Speirs, Joe Liebgott, Floyd Talbert

Joe Toye

This man is my short king (there is no way he is 5'10")

He may seem tough on the outside, especially toward his friends, but I know he would be the most caring person in the world to you. I mean, he broke out of the hospital in Bastogne to rejoin Easy Company–can you imagine what else he would do?

I figure you two would meet while he was in the hospital in Bastogne or after Market Garden. You would be doing your daily rounds, changing bandages and making beds when you come to him. He immediately thinks you’re the most beautiful girl he has ever seen, and thanks his lucky stars he ended up in your section.

He keeps requesting to see you, whether it’s under the guise of needing more medicine or needing someone to write his letters home for him (God, he thinks your handwriting is so pretty). It gets so tiring that your supervisor automatically sends you whenever he has an issue.

Of course, in an army hospital, there isn’t much Joe can do to try and be romantic, especially with a hundred other men needing your undivided attention. But he makes do with his pure charm and charisma, good looks, and maybe some candies he wrote home for. He makes sure to show you his brass knuckles and his plans to celebrate Joe Toye Day.

“Say, Y/N, when this war is over, how do you say we go out to dinner together? My treat.” Despite being bedridden, Joe’s affability shines through for you. You can’t help but laugh.

“Sure, Sergeant. I’d love to.”

As the war progresses and Joe goes back to active duty, you two exchange dozens and dozens of letters. They persist even as you’re both transferred to the most gruesome areas of the European theatre. He doesn’t sugarcoat it for you, but his stories of his friends and back home manage to light up your days. And he could say the same for the perfume and red lip-sticked kisses you leave on your letters.

He asks you to marry him in one letter (which he tried to keep hidden from the other men, until George found it and spread the news to all of Easy Company), and you immediately write back with a resounding YES!

Suddenly, though, the flow of letters to you goes cold. It isn’t until a few weeks later that his mother writes to you: Joe had lost his leg in Bastogne and was recovering in a hospital in Atlantic City. 

It was difficult getting through the latter months of the war knowing that an entire ocean separated you and Joe, but the letters and love continued. Once the war ended, you knew where you were going, and surprised him by his bedside in late May. 

“This is like déjà vu,” Joe chuckled, looking at you with all the adoration he could muster. The sun was setting over the New Jersey skyline, and the last of the hospital visitors were shuffling out into the night.

“Except you’re not leaving me this time,” you smiled, squeezing this hand, “And I’m not changing your sheets.”

Bull Randleman

BULL BULL BULL BULL (sang to the tune of “Bill Nye the Science Guy”)

I already know Bull is a big softie; I mean, not only does he look like he gives the best hugs on this here Earth, but we already know he is one of the best NCOs in Easy Company.

I think you two would meet prior to D-Day at Aldbourne. You’re a Donut Dolly helping the Red Cross lift the men’s spirits, and boy, do you certainly lift one paratrooper’s spirits. Bull comes back to your Clubmobile on a regular basis, sometimes multiple times a day, even if it is just to chat. 

Due to the Red Cross’ discouragement of Dollies having romantic relationships with servicemen, you can’t reciprocate the kind man’s feelings, despite how much you want to. However, it doesn’t go unnoticed that Bull gets his coffee and donuts for free whenever you’re working the station.

There’s an unmistakable tension in the air before D-Day, which inspires you to break the rules a little and accompany Bull to a local pub. Hours and a dozen endearing Southern phrases later, you are wrapped in his arms, dancing, as Glenn Miller plays on the jukebox. 

“Thank you for this, doll,” Bull said, as you swayed in the middle of the dark pub. Several other Americans were there, trying to drown their fear away. They were aware you were a dolly, forbidden from socializing with Bull in such a way, but they knew the gravity of the situation, and would never say a word.

“Don’t say that, Bull. We’ll see each other again.” 

A few days later, D-Day was in full swing, and the men you had spent the last months with were across the channel. However, you did not have to wait for Bull to come back for you, as you came to him. Within a week of the invasion, you and your clubmobile walked onto the Normandy beaches, footlocker in hand. 

You can not imagine the look of surprise and joy on Bull’s face when your truck joined Easy Company outside of Ste. Mere-Eglise; witnesses say it was the only time his cigar ever fell out of his mouth.

Everyone knew you had a thing for each other, but the rules were the rules, and they were enforceable now. So, you had to exchange letters and glances in private, with conversations and hand-holding reserved for when no one was around.

When VE and VJ Days were finally declared, it was like a load off your shoulders. Your first “official” dates together include swimming and walking in the Austrian mountains, and enjoying the left-behind alcohol and cigars. And let's not forget those hugs!

(A/N: Can you tell I've had a fixation on WWII Clubmobiles recently?)

Ronald Speirs

This man actually scares me, but that’s ok.

Speirs’ infatuation with you definitely comes from a place of respect. You work somewhere on the frontlines, whether it’s as a nurse, photographer, or another paratrooper in an alternate universe. While he may not vocalize it, he really admires your drive and bravery.

You two are acquaintances, having known each other since the early days of the Normandy invasion. You brush shoulders once in a while, but to your disappointment, nothing seems to develop between the two of you. His lingering glances go unnoticed.

He wouldn’t outright approach you. You would begin to notice small things added to your rucksack or station: chocolate, money, pawned jewelry, clothes–an entire set of fine china once appeared on top of your footlocker. You had no idea where it was coming from, and several attempts to find your secret admirer were to no avail. Whoever he was, you thought, he must be the most caring man in the world; who else would go out of their way to give gifts to a woman they barely know?

Someone would notice something, though. All the rumors about Speirs’ cruelty led some men to have a heightened interest in him and his daily happenings. It would be Luz who finally sees him bring a stolen pair of heels into your tent and exit without them–all while you were out doing your job.

“Hey, Lieutenant? You got a moment?” Luz called out to his superior. He walked across the ruined town square to Speirs, who responded with nothing but a blank stare. He had been caught and by no one less than George Luz.

“What do you want, Sergeant?”

“Well, I just wanted to say…” Luz looked around, half-jokingly making sure there were witnesses, “If this leaving stuff in Y/N’s tent is an attempt to ‘woo’ her, you might want to leave a note. Or just talk to her. How else will you know it’s you leaving her gifts and not Major Winters or Lieutenant Dike?”

With that, Speirs immediately goes out to find you. From the outside, he may appear to have all the confidence in the world, but he can not fathom you thinking all the gifts he has left are from the man he replaced. Speirs spots you mailing something back home; he pulls you outside, away from the attendant, and confesses that he has been the one leaving you gifts because of the feelings he’s been harboring. You quickly embrace him, causing Luz to whoop and cheer, which is only stifled by Speirs’ scowling.

From then on, you become the “First Lady” of Dog and Easy Company. You’re untouchable. Most of the men will bend over backward for you to stay on Speirs’ “good side.” You are treated with the utmost respect and courtesy, and privy to all the going-ons of the division. 

Toward the end of the war, Sgt. Grant is shot, and Speirs goes into full-blown protection mode. You accompany him as he locates the German doctor before initiating the manhunt for the soldier who shot Grant. You try to calm him down to the best of your abilities, but its no use. He hardly leaves your side after that night.

At the end of the war, Speirs decides to stay in the military, and despite the ups and downs that come with that, you stay with him. You celebrate with the rest of Easy Company as the men slowly start to return home with Speirs by your side. Not to be cliche, but you do live happily ever after, even if you’re never truly settled in one place.

Joe Liebgott

Call me David Webster, cause I would die for Joe Liebgott. He was my OG.

I think its safe to say that Liebgott is very tru cocky. I wouldn’t call it a superiority complex, perse, but he knows he’s good-looking and suave, and he’s confident enough to put it to good use. He can wine and dine any nurse and WAC he wants in a matter of moments. It’s a foolproof strategy; that is, until he sees you.

It’s Aldbourne, 1944, and he spots you in a pub while playing darts. He is immediately captivated by your looks, as even the drab green of your uniform manages to compliment them. He’s too busy staring at you and completely misses the target on his next throw. It costs him a pack of cigarettes, and you giggling at him, but man was it worth it.

You spend the evening huddled up together in a booth, him trying every one of his usual pick-up lines, and you shrugging them off like they’re nothing. It confuses Joe to no end that the one girl he wants doesn’t fall prey to his anecdotes. In reality, they do work, as you fall more and more in love with him throughout the night; you just want to hear him work for it.

He walks you back to your barracks, dizzy from infatuation (and dancing). You leave him with a peck on his cheek, and it's there he promises you will be the last girl he chases.

Before D-Day, Joe asks for a picture of you to keep during the war. You happily oblige, signing your love on the back of it with a kiss. He keeps it with him until the very end of the war and can not count the number of times he has shown you off someone else. By May, everyone in Easy knows what you look like.

Despite his addiction to Dick Tracy comics, Joe isn’t much of a poet, but this doesn’t keep him from writing to you daily. Sometimes the letters don’t contain more than an “I love you” or ramblings about how terrible his rations tasted or German lessons. Other times, they were more macabre, even though he attempts to sugarcoat things for you. Your favorite letters are when he describes life back home in California and everything he hopes to show you one day.

Obviously, the war was hard for Liebgott, even more than other soldiers. But knowing you are waiting for him and will stick with him helps get him through the hard times. I imagine Liebgott turns into Harry Welsh now that he’s smitten with you. He tells everyone about you, and wherever he goes, he looks for something to ship back to you. 

After the war, the two of you find yourselves a nice house in California. No matter what happens, you are there for each other through thick and thin. The picture you gave Joe in Aldbourne is framed in your living room for years to come.

Floyd Talbert

Unfortunately, I don’t remember Tab that much since it has been so long since my last rewatch. But if I know one thing for certain, I know he’s a cutie pie. (But I’m very sorry if these headcanons don’t match the character well).

You two would definitely meet while Floyd is recovering from being bayonetted by Private Smith in Carentan. You tend to his wounds and listen to him recall the harrowing story of how he received his injury. Its only when Easy Company returns to England and you meet his friends that you learn the injury was a simple mistake. Of course, Floyd is embarrassed, but you find it endearing.

Much like with Toye, you return to Tab’s bedside innumerous times. Since you’re in England, you can relatively safely go out for a “date” once he is healed. You enjoy the best British food the two of you can afford, and when that gets too sickening, you stroll through London like tourists.

He insisted you be there when he returns to Easy and informally receives a Purple Heart. His beams with pride, and in his confident state shows you off to the rest of the men as his fiancee. Well, that isn’t exactly true until a couple days later, when Floyd pops the question hours before departing for the war again. You wouldn’t think of saying anything but yes.

Like the other men, you exchange letters for months. You remain stationed outside of London, and despite wartime rationing, send him anything he needs. Cigarettes? Bought and shipped. Pictures of you? Taken and sent. Some baked goods? Consider it sent. If he could, he would reciprocate the favor, which he tries to do whenever they stop through a somewhat intact town. The tulips he sends you from the Netherlands are permanently placed by your beside, even if they arrive a little dried.

Once the war ends, Tab can not wait to see you and shows up unannounced in your ward. The excitement and love is palpable, and you marry within days. After that, he feels no rush to end the honeymoon phase, and you dawdle getting back to the states to begin life together.

[banqanas]

Guide on where to find official EXILE TRIBE contents

This list focuses on sites/services that is managed by LDH, therefore does not include social media

Includes free and paid contents

Disclaimer: Focuses more on Jr EXILE groups contents as they're the ones I follow most.

I try to include pictures for most points, please click on them to see the details clearly

FREE

CL (LDH's own VOD site)

Type of content available:

live cast from groups & individual members

short live broadcast (<10 minutes) during concerts

original LDH show/programs (limited quantity)

is also one of the main platforms to interact with artists

✅ Not region blocked, targeted for JP & international fans

✅ Some shows have subtitles and are available in multiple languages (English, Chinese, Thailand, Korean)

✅ Types of shows varies and some dated before ~2017 (you can get to know the group from their formation until their current state)

2. Radio

Type of content available:

Early preview of new songs

Members responding to listener's requests & questions

Behind the scene stories

Some groups/members serve as DJ for various radio programs on different mediums. Some examples include:

GENERATIONS: CultureZ (Sano Reo DJ - broadcasted live on YouTube) THE RAMPAGE: WEEKEND THE RAMPAGE (Zin and RIKU DJ - BayFM) FANTASTICS: Fantastics Radio (all members - OsakaFM), Design Your Fantastic Future (Nakajima Sota DJ - FM802), Quartet (Jr Exile) EP (Sato Taiki DJ - Exile Tribe Mobile), SawaSota's carefree radio show (CL) BALLISTIK BOYZ: BALLISTIKRADIO (all members DJ, free to listen on website)

❌ Most of the radio shows hosted on Japan's radio FM are region blocked

✅ Weekly updates

✅ You get to listen to your oshi talking about mundane stuffs that doesn't fit on camera like their favourite McDonalds order or them complaining how noisy some members are during their train rides

3. TV shows

Type of content available:

Music TV show (e.g: Music Station, NHK Utacon)

Reality shows (e.g: Hirunandesu, Susteina)

drama series

Short segments in tv shows

Mainly for tribe members that are also active in acting or often goes on variety tv shows e.g: Katayose Ryota, Shirahama Alan, Sato Taiki, Yagi Yusei etc. Most JP tv shows are archived at TVer and can be watched for free

❌ Need to find TV streaming service + VPN

❌ Archives on TVer are only viewable for a week after the tv broadcast

✅ Contents that are not covered by CL

4. EXILE TRIBE MAGAZINE

LDH's own monthly magazine. Contents include:

Event reports

Interviews with artists

✅ Can see pictures from closed events that most international fans can't participate

❌ Some articles can only be accessed for FC members of respective groups

TL;DR: the are quite a lot of free contents however they are restricted behind region blocks and language barriers. You have to be updated with the group's news to catch them on tv/radio.

PAID

CL (premium account - monthly subscription)

Type of content available:

Includes aforementioned free content and more (e.g: PPV online broadcasts for concerts/events, live cast archives, CL anniversary stream)

Premium account members are also eligible for special benefits when buying CD/DVD from LDH official shops

Detailed information between free & premium account here

✅ Payment via app store available

2. EXILE TRIBE OFFICIAL FANCLUB (yearly subscription)

Type of contents available vary between each group's FC but general content each FC has includes:

monthly calendar wallpapers

exclusive images and videos that are not posted in mobile sites (after concert message, seasonal videos, video call-like videos etc)

reports from FC Events (online talk, fan meeting, bus trips, live shows etc etc) that is not covered by Exile Tribe Magazine

Messages for celebratory days (birthday, Valentines', White Day, anniversaries etc)

AR cameras

Chance to get members forgotten belongings (FANTASTICS only)

✅ Eligible to get FC only merchandise (which changes every year)

✅ Eligible for special benefits when buying CD/DVDs from LDH official shop

❌ Requires Japanese address and bank account

❌ Mainly used to get first dibs at concert tickets/fan events so unless you're planning on going to physical events, it's not that worth it.

3. EXILE MOBILE SITES (monthly subscription)

LDH's comprehensive blogging sites. Is considered Exile Tribe's/LDH main website where contents they covered is divided according to groups (refer to images above) and all of them covers:

latest news

backstage photos from concerts (rehearsals, off shots, events)

blog posts with photos/vlog updated by the artists themselves

original content (radio show, independent programs)

※ Members that are part of EXILE and other groups (e.g: Alan, Gun-chan, Mandy, SEKAI, Taiki, DEEP SQUAD) have separate blogs on EXILE mobile/LDH mobile and Tribe Mobile.

⚠️ Pictures that have the LDH/group logo on them are all pictures from their mobile sites. Please be careful of sharing them publicly (as they are widely known to be paid content)

✅ Main source of online content for Exile Tribe straight from the members themselves

✅ Updated daily (depending on member)

✅ Contents are more personal and in-depth compared to their SNS posts. I've translated some of them here and here

✅ Chance of fans directly interact with members (some would reply back to fans replies, also depending on member)

TL;DR: Paid sites are not region blocked as long as you can get through the payment site

Others (sites not managed by LDH but are official collaborations)

1.ABEMA TV - PAID (is not covered in the same category as free tv show because these are not available on regional JP tv channels:

Contents include but not limited to:

ABEMAxLDH: Concerts (PPV), documentary and fanmeets

Past and currently airing GENEkou TV episodes

Incomplete episodes of SHIBUEXILE (2020 - 2021)

2. Tribe Kingdom (puzzle mobile game) - FREE: I have made a separate post about the game here. While the in-game stories are fictional, some parts (voice lines, kitchen talk) include real facts about the artists themselves

Q&A:

How do you sign up/access sites that require JP address and phone number? A: I sign up to Tenso and use the address and number they provide. Most JP sites I've used accepts the address and phone number Tenso provides. None of the sites I've mentioned above require any sort of code to be sent to your Tenso phone number

How do you pay for the services that require JP bank accounts? A: I do not have any jp bank account and have only used my local (asean) bank account. I just pick a card and pray it's accepted by the payment site

Which site do you recommend the most for international fans? A: CL. Other than the fact that the contents are subbed, it is also the platform where you can openly post in other languages (not Japanese) whether in replies or live chats. I really encourage getting the Premium subscription to show LDH how international fans are supporting them.

What is the difference between Official Fan Club contents VS mobile sites? A: Mobile sites main contents are blog posts that are updated by members themselves so the contents mainly focus on individual members (good for people who are only fans of specific members of a group). Mobile site contents are also less formal (pictures/videos are not edited professionally). FC are mainly group-centered contents and the quantities are not as many as those that are posted in mobile sites. But no same contents are posted in both site. ※ Personal note: Mobile sites is worth your money more compared to FC

END. Thank for checking this out and feel free to hit me up if you have any questions regarding these services/sites as I've had a chance to use most of them

(e.g: I can answer questions such as how to sign up to site A, what kind of contents members A, B, C post in their blog or how regularly they post blogs, or which VPN do I use when using site A or B. Unfortunately I can't help with any question regarding payment)

Let's try to support our boys where we can :) 👍

[dykedvonte]

I keep seeing fanarts of ppl's OC's being on the ship, so do you think that if there was 6st crewmember (specifically, another woman) Anya would've been more safe? Like, someone to actually call Jimmy's begaviour out, someone Anya might wanna trust? Is there a possibility something might have changed (even if a little) or it would not have mattered at all?

-💀

I feel like the game would make it part of the commentary on where she would believe and help Anya but still be sort of dismissive? Like the whole “don’t waste time crying and being scared keep going and move on, don’t let him win”. It’s supposed to be positive and reinforcing but sometimes it does more damage in those times of mourning and grief, it feels patronizing, like you don’t understand what you’re going through but they do. Even if they did call out his behavior it’s still on Curly to act and while another voice would help, it’s still 4 against 2 on guys that don’t get it until they have to vs women who always have to.

I don’t mind mouthwashing OCs but I do get a bit bored as they tend to be borderline saviors or like Jimmy aligned. They are either more complicit than Curly or just Jimmy haters for no reason, outside of what the creators know about what he did to Anya. I am never irked by OCs but in a story like mouthwashing you really need to think about what your character adds to the commentary, especially if they are there during the crash. It’s nice to have like characters on Anya’s side more whole heartedly and interesting to see characters who placate Jimmy but sometimes it’s one note.

I can’t and don’t want to police peoples OCs it’s never my intention when I comment on trends I notice, but I do feel like the way people make their OCs interact with these two characters and especially Curly, really show a grave misunderstanding of the narrative and these characters as people vs roles in the story. Still, I know people just make up characters for fun and that’s fine. Great even, but I guys I’m focusing more on OCs that are supposed to have those serious dynamics. My favs tend to be pretty-Tulpar or post-Tulpar au OCs.

The inevitably of the crash is on Jimmy. He did that not because he wasn’t stopped but because all his means to kill Anya were taken. The gun, the axe. Even if Curly did strip him of his co-pilot privileges and try to keep him contained there’s only so many people. An extra body helps but they have jobs they have to do, he’s the only one steering the whole ship and Jimmy would likely have an out: food, bathroom, etc. He’s not new and if he couldn’t crash the ship directly, who’s to say he wouldn’t sabotage something else? A clunker like the Tulpar wouldn’t take much. An extra person helps but it’s just another thing that prolongs what a person like Jimmy is willing to do to shirk responsibility.

It’s more than just needing someone to stand up to him and think that’s what is missing when it comes to inserting a character into the mouthwashing setting.

[conspicuous-clown-car]

what a morning,,,

here's a rant about the pressure community

I've been kinda lurking on pressure twitter for the past few weeks while all this shit went down and i just gotta say... jesus fuck.

I practically had a heart attack as soon as i opened my phone when i woke up and saw zeal was trying to sell pressure. Considering how he changed his profile last night to a strictly corporate one and then this? It seemed like a really hasty decision, and something serious was going on with him.

And yknow what, with all the hate being directed at him right now i don't blame him one fucking bit. I'd probably end up doing the same thing if i was in his shoes. Being autistic as well, i would just want to completely distance myself from this overwhelming bullshit. I think that's why he started to distance himself from the community in the first place (which unfortunately is kinda what led to some issues getting overlooked).

The tweet was deleted and pressure isn't for sale anymore thank GOD, but I'm honestly more worried about the actual people behind pressure than the game itself.

I agree that there's issues they need to fix, but its not an entirely black and white situation, and its pretty fucking complicated. With the sheer amount of people in the community its crazy to expect them to handle and manage everything themself, especially since they blew up in popularity in such a short amount of time, how the hell would they know how to deal with this???

Yes, there are certain things they need to actually address and take responsibility for that they sort of haven't, but attacking them to where it gets to this point isn't the fucking answer.

I wouldn't blame any of the devs if they never touch the game again, the way the community has treated them and has completely blown things out of proportion is insane. I feel like the main issue is the discord server itself but that's just me. From what I've seen its mostly just the community self cannibalizing, attacking each other, sending death threats, and doxxing people over shit that literally doesn't matter at all.

I'm not one to really delve into fandom drama, but this whole issue with certain possessive Sebastian fans and those who took it upon themselves to attack those fans is the stupidest fucking conflict I've ever seen in any fandom. Especially when this stuff reaches the people who work on the games who have nothing to do with it.

I agree that this is something the devs need to talk about head on with full transparency, no matter their feelings on it, because a main problem I've seen with them is lack of community management.

But again, y'all are forgetting the devs are REAL FUCKING PEOPLE, people who are bound to make mistakes, and get overwhelmed, and not know how to deal with suddenly having a giant fanbase. Harassing them and sending death threats is going way too fucking far and wont solve anything, because clearly all its done is made things worse.

Also god forbid they have boundaries and don't want to see certain things in the discord server. I'm not gonna get into the specifics, but as a queer trans person I think some of y'all are reading too much into the things they don't allow, seriously.

Reminder, I'm saying all this as someone who self-ships with Sebastian, and who's not entirely thrilled about him being canonically married. BUT PRIORITIZING A FICTIONAL CHARACTER OVER REAL PEOPLE????? THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YALL???

And to the people I've seen disappointed in zeal's response to all this on twitter, I'm with you, not seeing whats happening in the community doesn't mean these problems don't exist. But think about the shit he's going through, put yourself in his shoes and genuinely try to understand how fucking overwhelming this whole situation is, for him and the rest of the team. Especially after what's happened in the past 24 hours.

Tangent, but am i the only one who's seen a drastic change in the way fandom communities operate in the past few years? Like after lockdown fandom spaces have gotten more and more hostile, and people are just being so fucking mean to each other over the most trivial shit??? Listen I Get being chronically online, because i am, but at a certain point you just gotta log the fuck off and touch some grass, man. christ.

I really hope the devs take a break, they need it. I was excited about the update that was supposed to come out this month but I don't think it will now, and I honestly don't think we deserve it.

TL;DR: Pressure fandom, do better. Speaking from both points of view, no matter the various mistakes the dev team has made, the majority of this is on y'all.

And lastly, I'd honestly rather keep pressure exactly the way it is with no updates and no new stuff ever again than for it to turn into roblox slop like most of the games that are sold off on that platform.

[skythealmighty]

can you imagine if like. object show characters were active on tumblr . i mean fans on here but his account is dead so. i mean itd be fun

#rocket talk #roc save #Fan come Back we miss you

(0 notes)

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OH MY GOD NEW TPOT EPIWODHWND IM GONNA GO INSANE ONE!!! TELL ME YOUR SECRETS ONE!!!!!!

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:)

💥 fans-fantastic-features Follow

HELLO??

#oh my god HI . THIS IS LIKE IF A CELEBRITY CAME UP TO ME IN PUBLIC. #ARE THE OTHER ALGEBRALIENS ON TUMBLR??? #/WHAT/

(3 notes)

🧪 test-tubular Follow

My best friend is pacing around my lab. I think a new episode's come out on one of his shows...

#I love him (/p) but he's going to become an unskippable cutscene very quickly

(0 notes)

⛔ nowaynuhuh Follow

i love shrimpy but it feels like he rlly doesnt ... get what i mean you know 😔 at least hes trying to cheer me up? i just wish i had someone to really talk to when it comes to these weird things i keep seeing

💼 emotional-baggage Follow

hey, i completely understand how you feel! im going to be busy the next few days with a finale, but ive sent you a dm if you need someone to talk to ^-^

⛔ nowaynuhuh Follow

thanks, ill take you up on that later!

⛔ nowayhuhuh Follow

...suitcase?

#i dont think shes been online since that last post #i hope shes alright...

(5 notes)

💰 goforthegold Follow

Reblogging this every time I miss my co-hosts!

💰 goforthegold Follow

:(

💰 goforthegold Follow

:(

💰 goforthegold Follow

:(

💰 goforthegold Follow

:(

🎮 iamnotmrkrabs Follow

Are you Okay

💰 goforthegold Follow

Take a wild guess.

(512 notes)

🥈 5centwonder Follow

why do people keep messaging me about hotel things?? i barely even go in two's hotel!

🥈 5centwonder Follow

yowie, you all need a hug :(!!

#especially you baseball guy!!! #im giving everyone in the comments a nice warm soft cookie

(19 notes)

🆚️ wordswithfriends Follow

Reblog if you think Flower winning BFB was a good choice, you like cheesecake, you hate Steve Cobs, you think Platinum is annoying, you're a fan of Dr. Fizz, you watch Jasonville TV, you think Glowstick's elimination was deserved, or you're gay

#they'll never know which one #i'm gay

(3,724 notes)

🔌 electricalmusical Follow

WHY IS THERE INTERNET IN RJE AFTERLIFE HELLO

👑 kingofeverything Follow

OMG NO WAY

🎡 not-tally-hall Follow

GET OFF OF TUMBLR.

🔌 electricalmusical Follow

YOU HAVE??? A TUMBRL???????

🎡 not-tally-hall Follow

...no.

👑 kingofeverything Follow

reblog if u dont have a tumblr

🎡 not-tally-hall Follow

This is stupid.

(10,734 notes)

🍿 stevecobseviltwin Follow

imagine needing to be Consistent to be popular

🖍 magic-crayons Follow

You know it girl!!!

🍿 stevecobseviltwin Follow

AYYYEEEE

#idk who u are but we should hang out Now

(3 notes)

🟢 greenyguy Follow

🅱️alls

(42,853 notes)

🎒 liam-plecak Follow

Oh my god I finally got this thing to connect to the internet. Okay.

Hello, Tumblr, my name is Liam Plecak. I'm sorry for the tag spam, but this is an urgent enough matter that I think warrants it.

For the past year and a half, I've been trapped in another universe with little-to-no communication to anyone else. I've been reading a few posts here and there, and I think some of you might be able to help with freeing me and my friends (I think some of you have powers?). Below is an in-depth description of where I am, what happened, and who did this to me. Please, if you can help, send me an ask.

Keep reading

💥 fans-fantastic-features Follow

oh my god? liam from hfjone is fucking real????

🎒 liam-plecak Follow

I'm sorry what

[solxamber]

I TRIED TO DO A REQ EARLIER BUT IT WENT HORRIBLY CUZ I WAS IN A RUSH IM SO SORRY IF I MIGHTVE CONFUSED YOU.

My ask: Could you do the housewardens with an idol/ really famous reader from back in their world and they have a really bright smile that can blind people

THANK YOU AND. AGAIN IM SO SO SORRY

Housewardens x Reader with a Blinding Smile

hi! don't worry about it, i hope this is what you wanted and thank you for waiting <3

Riddle Rosehearts

Riddle is absolutely floored when he learns about your past life as an idol. It's not information he comes across on his own—instead, it’s Ace and Cater who excitedly tell him while showing clips of you performing for fun.

He watches with wide eyes as you move confidently on stage, each song accompanied by that radiant, nearly blinding smile. For a moment, he’s struck silent.

In those videos, you have a smile that can outshine the sun itself. His cheeks turn bright red as he watches, wondering how he’s ever going to handle dating someone with such star power.

Riddle finds himself wanting to shield you from crowds, too aware of how many admirers you have. He’s conflicted—proud but also slightly intimidated, especially when he realizes that he's one of the people drawn in by your smile.

When you flash him that dazzling grin, he can’t help but stammer, tripping over his words before eventually managing a whispered, “Please... not so bright. I can’t concentrate.” But even with his flustered protests, he’d never want you to stop smiling, not when it makes him feel like the luckiest person in the world.

Leona Kingscholar

Leona can be a bit jealous and even snarky, especially when others are drawn to your bright smile. He's familiar with admiration and attention, but not the type that seems to radiate from you so naturally.

Even in the middle of a crowded area, if you look his way with that blinding grin, he’s done for. He can’t help the soft smirk that forms in response, though he tries to play it cool.

“Keep smilin' like that, herbivore, and you’ll make it harder for me to keep you out of trouble,” he drawls, pulling you close with that lazy grin of his own. But he’s privately enchanted, even though he’ll never admit it out loud.

Whenever he catches you smiling in his direction, he relaxes, his usual cynicism melting away, and in those moments, he thinks maybe, just maybe, he’s lucky to have you.

Azul Ashengrotto

Azul is utterly captivated by your charm and star-like presence. When he first realizes just how famous you were, his business mind whirls with ideas about how you could take Mostro Lounge to new heights.

However, the moment he sees your blindingly bright smile directed solely at him, his business schemes crumble, replaced by a warm, fuzzy feeling he can't quite control.

He’s incredibly flustered around you, but he adores how you light up his world. Your smile has an almost hypnotic effect on him, and he finds himself working harder to impress you, pulling all the stops in ways he’s never done for anyone else.

If he’s feeling particularly brave, he’ll murmur, “Don’t go flashing that smile to just anyone… it’s far too precious to be shared,” though he’s always the one most drawn to it.

Kalim Al-Asim

Kalim is thrilled. He’s already brimming with positive energy, but knowing you were an idol only excites him more. He eagerly listens to every story you share about your performances, begging you to show him your old routines, and applauding with boundless enthusiasm.

Your blinding smile is simply the cherry on top, making him feel like he’s basking in pure sunlight whenever he’s with you.

If there’s a crowd around, Kalim proudly tells everyone, “Did you know my partner’s a superstar?” while he beams at you, completely unashamed of his open adoration.

Your smile gives him energy, and he’d do anything to see it again and again. Kalim often finds himself daydreaming about throwing a huge festival in your honor just to see you shine on stage once more, with him as your biggest fan.

Vil Schoenheit

Vil understands fame and the effect that a dazzling smile can have. Still, even he’s caught off guard by the intensity of your presence and that nearly-blinding smile you give so freely.

He can hardly believe he’s dating someone who has a charm and radiance that rivals his own, and sometimes, he’ll go silent just watching you, almost in disbelief.

“Careful,” he teases, brushing a strand of hair from your face. “We can’t have you outshining me now, can we?” There’s a competitive edge in his tone, but it’s softened by genuine admiration.

Though he’s usually focused on maintaining his own image, he quickly becomes protective, shielding you from the harsher side of fame and relishing in the moments when that radiant smile is just for him. In those rare times when you’re alone, he’ll smile back, admitting softly, ���You’re beautiful… but let’s keep that our secret, hmm?”

Idia Shroud

Idia is bewildered—and just a bit overwhelmed—by your past as a famous idol. He can barely handle crowds, let alone the idea of the entire world being captivated by your bright smile.

When he sees you perfom and realizes just how magnetic you are on stage, he spirals a little. To him, you’re almost otherworldly, and he can’t believe someone like you would even notice someone like him.

When you flash him that blinding smile, though, he freezes, practically combusting with embarrassment. “N-No fair! Are you trying to kill me or something?” he stammers, face going red as he looks away.

Even as he complains, he finds himself replaying those moments when you smile at him, treasuring them like rare, legendary loot in a game.

Your warmth and brightness make him feel alive in ways he can’t explain, and though he’s shy about it, he’d do anything to protect the light you bring into his life.

Malleus Draconia

Malleus is mesmerized by you, plain and simple. He’s never met anyone with a smile so radiant it could rival the brightest stars, and he finds himself drawn to you like a moth to flame.

To him, your smile is nothing short of magic, something that warms his heart and fills the void he’s often felt in his life.

When you smile at him, Malleus’s usually stoic expression softens, and he watches you with an intense, almost reverent gaze. “You shine brighter than the stars, my dear. Tell me, is that your true power?” he muses, half-teasing but fully captivated.

He takes your hand, holding it carefully, as if you’re as fragile as you are radiant. Your brightness becomes something sacred to him, and he’ll make sure no harm ever dims it.

In his presence, your blinding smile is met with an equally warm, if quieter, adoration, and he would keep that glow alive forever if he could.

(you can let me know if it's too short or if it's not what you wanted, I'll be happy to write it)

Masterlist

[hiiikiko]

𝖘𝖕𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖓!𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖎𝖊 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖈𝖆𝖓𝖔𝖓𝖘

tlou m.list | caught in your web m.list

[a/n]: hi! i hope you’ll all accept this, i hv work today n i’ll be workin until like 9 p.m but i’ll make sure to write tmrw !! n ty for all the likes on this series ♡

‿̩͙‿ ༺ ♰ ༻ ‿̩͙‿

♰ before ellie got bitten, she wore glasses but after she didn’t need them anymore. she still wears them with the lenses popped out though because she thinks she looks weird without them, although she doesn’t wear them at school that often

♰ when she gets in a fight with tommy or maria, she sneaks out her window and finds a nice quiet roof to sit and listen to music, sometimes smoke but she’s cut back since her vigilante career began

♰ she has backpacks hidden all over the city so she can make a quick change. there’s one at school, the library, oscorp labs, the planetarium, and your apartment

♰ she knows you can handle yourself but that doesn’t stop her from following you home, like, come on! new york city is pretty dangerous and don’t you like having your very own vigilante??

♰ might be a little stalkerish but she sometimes hangs out on the roof of the building across your apartment building so she can watch you go about your evening, she doesn’t mean to do it but somehow she always ends up there

♰ she carries pepper spray even though she has literal superpowers

♰ she’s trained her spider sense to be even more heightened so that she can fight with her airpods in

♰ she has a playlist for fighting bad guys

♰ even though she’s city renowned spiderman, she still helps the elderly cross the street and help cats out of trees (she’s a little hesistant to help the cats because of how hard it is to mend scratches on her suits fabric)

♰ she owns a spiderman figurine like what did you expect? she’s a fan girl of the avengers, she owns all their figurines and they are in mint condition so why wouldn’t she own her own?? like that has to be the coolest thing to her

♰ concert tickets are expensive so sometimes she uses her powers for “bad” and sneaks into venues (she says it’s anti capitalist but really, she’s just being cheap)

♰ she has nightmares about turning into a real spider, kinda like franz kafka (she actually read this book in freshman lit and it scarred her)

♰ another one of her biggest fears is like what if she’s having sex with someone and she’s fingering them and her webs somehow shoot up into them?? like how do you explain that to a doctor?? this keeps her up at night

♰ seeing you in spiderman merch makes the tips of her ears go red and her heart race

♰ she cringes whenever she sees spiderman edits on her fyp

♰ onlyfans ppl who make content in her suit kinda scare her LMAO

♰ she actually doesn’t mind that everyone assumes spidey is a man, it helps her hide her identity but it kinda pisses her off that people can’t tell she’s a girl?? like do you not see the boobs . (her suit actually flattens her and all the protection gear inside gives her a pretty boxy figure so you can’t really tell)

♰ she has a hate/love relationship with her webs because on one hand she’s scared of touching people and on the other, she likes that she can ‘glue’ her camera to her hands when she’s on more dangerous photo ops and that she doesn’t have to get up from her bed to get her guitar (although, one time she hit herself in the face because she didn’t get it fast enough)

♰ ellie’s a different type of spiderman.. she’s actually very violent! especially against criminals who hurt others just for fun, she’ll beat them to a bloody pulp and leave them their for the ambulance to find (she leaves a note apologizing to the emts and sheriff, but it’s not like she killed them! nobody thinks that spiderman could do this so they assume there’s another vigilante out there, a more violent one *ahem* deadpool)

♰ she met deadpool once.. never again

♰ much like her infected bite from the game, her spider bite has caused cobwebs to grow in her veins

[x-reader-things]

Hello!I just stumbled upon your recent post about opening up commissions again. And it makes me happy you do Arcane!😅. Anyway I was maybe hoping for my request/suggestion.

Vi x female reader(She/her). It's just romantic of course!idk of you're comfortable with a single mother fem y/n?like reader already has the child it's ok to not do this!!

I just more so want some Vi x female reader where Vi gets out of Still water and going to find her onve teen girlfriend again baisvally a chess reunion between them

It's been a while since I've written a request, and anything for Arcane in that matter so I hope this isn't too ooc-

Anyways I love Vi <33333

"I trust her."

Vi x f!reader [could be easily read as gn!reader though too, no phsyical specifics about reader were described]

Summary ; In which Vi discovers you're looking after a kid.

Requested? ; Yes.

Warnings ; None, outside of a small description of an injury and some mentions of enforcers being awful.

Word count ; 1.3 k words.

——————————————————————

"You... have a kid?"

The small hellion behind you hid by your legs. He barely reached past your knees. A bit small for a five year old, but given the circumstances of Zaun... it was the norm.

You turned towards the kid, and placed a comforting hand on the top of his head. He visibly relaxed at the gesture, and tentatively peaked out to look at the strong woman in front of you both.

"Not my kid by blood, Vi", you told her with a forced chuckle. "You know me, I don't think I'd get with any of the guys down here in Zaun. Even here in the Firelights."

Vi took her gaze off of the kid, and settled her eyes on you.

"Well...", she started, her tone a bit tense. "It has been, what, seven years? Things change."

Except you, she hoped. Kind hearted, beautiful you. A light in the dark of Zaun and Piltover alike. At least, that's how she described you as when it was just her and Vander, talking about everything and nothing during one of the calmer nights before shit hit the fan.

"Not always", you replied. You kept your voice calm, and careful. A habit you've made for yourself whenever the Firelights let in someone new. It kept the children the group took care of calm, and kept the adults from lashing out. You did that because you had no idea what the newcomers had been through. Be it their addiction to Shimmer, loss of a loved one, or the brutality of an enforcer.

You had to make sure there was a level of trust. And stars know how you needed to keep that up with Vi, with everything she's been through at Stillwater. Keep a level head. Don't let all your old emotions and memories resurface to the cracks you painstakingly had to fill.

Especially with the little guy near your legs, who had begun to stare tiny daggers at Vi.

"This little guy--", you began, voice straining with a bit of effort while you hauled him up to your hip. "--is still new here. Kind of. Won't leave my side, not that I mind. Scar said it was like I was... reverse adopted or something like that."

You smiled wryly at the thought. "I figured why not take him under my wing? Help him acclimate and get used to it here. I had extra space in my room too, so it all worked out."

A small smile pulled at the corners of Vi's mouth. You were still just as kindhearted as when you both were teenagers. Still lovely.

Good, she thinks. That's good.

"So... not your kid then, bird?"

The nickname fell so seamlessly off her tongue. A nickname she gave you because during your little exploits up to Piltover, whenever it was just you and her, you practically flew around the buildings. You had told her it was because you had a good teacher to help you. If Vi remembered correctly, that was around the time of her first kiss with you.

She said you were amazing, you said you had a good teacher and gave her the softest eyes she could ever imagine and then...

Well, your glance away from her said it all. You remembered it too.

She missed you so much.

Clearing your throat, you continued. "No, no, he's still my kid. Best kid all around - and I will be biased, 'cause he's a great helper, isn't that right, Clay?"

Clay, the boy in your arms, nodded. He still glowered at the woman in front of you.

"Doesn't seem like he likes me all that much", Vi said. She shoved her hands back into the pockets of her jacket, and took a small step forward. Clay leaned back into you defensively, and a small arm wrapped around the front of your shoulders. Vi raised a brow at that. A curious one, rather than the usual judgemental one.

You adjusted your hold on the five year old, one hand raised to his back to keep him stable on your hip. Your other hand moved to his arm, and gently pried his hand off of your shoulder. You let him keep a hold on your hand to mess with it, an action you were used to doing by then. Over time you had found out the kid was tactile, and hated being left alone for too long.

"He doesn't trust people he doesn't know too well. Gets quiet, too. Plus you were hauled in here with a bag over your head and got tied up before Ekko found out it was you, and not some other piltie, so...", you shrugged. Vi huffed out a wry laugh.

"Figures. I wouldn't trust me either, kid", she said to Clay. Clay blinked at her, the sharpness in his eyes reducing the slightest bit.

"Vi, here, isn't like those pilties though", you said to him. "She's not like those enforcers from what happened, kiddo. Can't say much for that friend of hers, but Vi's trustworthy. You alright if I show you?"

You held out the hand he was playing with, and opened it with your palm facing up, as if you were offering your hand over to Vi. Clay glanced in between you both, and regarded Vi with a careful scrutiny. When he saw the care in your eyes, and the calmness in both of you, he quietly spoke.

" 'Think so."

"You sure?", you asked. Vi swears your voice got ten times more gentle, ten times more sweet. Although, that could be the nostalgia talking. Nonetheless, it was still there. "I don't wanna do something you're uncomfortable with, bud."

" 'M sure."

"Alright." You nodded at him, and your eyes went back to Vi. Your hand still remained outstretched towards her, a quiet beckon for her to take it into her own. Just like you've done dozens of times before this, when you were just teenagers. Just kids.

Your eyes traced over her. Took in every new scar, every new tattoo and muscle. Her hands were infinitely roughed up, even with the bandages over them. However, it was still her. Still Vi.

Your Vi.

Changes or no changes, she was still the person you grew to love years ago. And hopefully, she still understood that silent plea in your eyes to hold her hand.

Vi's eyes, the softest of powder blue, went gentle. The bags under them still sagged, but the weight of them lightened. Almost tentatively, she raised her hand to yours.

The briefest of touches, her fingertips to yours, sparked with static. Vi flinched her hand away at first, and shared a laugh with you at how sudden it was. But after that, her hand slipped right onto yours.

You squeezed her wrist, and she did the same. You turned her hand over, so that her own hand was laid out, palm up, and raised it just a bit so that Clay could see it better.

"See? She's not so bad", you mumbled. "Rough around the edges, sure, but everyone is. Vi won't hurt you, and she won't hurt me."

Clay stared at Vi's hand, and listened carefully to your words. He reached down, and placed his small hand onto the bandages covering Vi's palm.

The sleeve on his jacket rose up, showing the bandages wrapped around his own wrist. An injury from a harsh scrape he got from running away from an enforcer. By the time you and a few firelights found him, it was already infected. Luckily, back there at the Firelight's tree, there were enough antibiotics there to help. And luckily, he was healing.

Vi and Clay looked up at each other. The tension pulling at Clay's shoulders dropped some, and Vi just gave him a small nod.

"See what I mean, Clay?" Your thumb brushed against her wrist, moving slowly in a crescent shape against her skin. A habit you used to have, years ago. "She won't hurt us."

You gazed back into her eyes. Longing and love and hurt swirled behind them. Tapered down, but still there.

"I trust her."

I missed you.

[skzstannie]

"They found her"

SKZ -> ot8 x 9th member fem! reader

This is a part 2 to this fic, but it can be read as a stand alone as there's not much reference to the original fic.

genre: hurt/comfort, angst wc: ~3,800 words cw: kidnapping, guns and gunshot wounds, hospitals, some brief cursing

Summary: Since the incident, the guys have been extremely over protective of you. You heed their warnings, but still go out unaccompanied by security on your vacation, only to have to pay the price for your poor decisions.

A/N: Hiiii, ik I've disappeared off the face of the Earth again, but I've brought gifts back with me this time. This one's a bit heavier, but it's the long awaited part 2 to "Did you know?", so I hope you guys enjoy. I hit 500 followers since the last time I posted, so this is kind of a celebratory post as well. Thanks guys!

Masterlist | Happy Scrolling!

The time has come around again when JYP has given you and your members some well-earned personal vacation, and you've chosen to spend that time back at home with your family and friends.

Upon hearing about your vacation, your childhood friends started blowing up your phone, asking about when you'll be in and if you wanted to hangout. Of course, you've missed them just as much and gave them all the details of you're arrival.

The day of said plans has finally arrived, and you couldn't be more excited. You and three of your closest friends have decided to go to this cute breakfast cafe for brunch, run by all your favorite stores for some shopping, and then round your evening out with some bar hopping.

"You have got to see this!" Ha-Yoon, a friend you've known since grade school, explodes from beside you in the passenger seat, fanning herself. "Look at how hot this guy is? Think he'll give me his number if I DM him?"

"Are you being for real?" Dae cringes from the backseat, leaning forward to get a closer look at your friend's new internet crush. "He's kinda ugly."

This elicits a bickering match for the remainder of the drive, with you and your remaining friend, Soon-Bok, rolling your eyes at their silly banter.

You decided that you'd pick them all up from their homes, figuring that you'd get to spend some more time with them that way. You didn't really think about the fact that perhaps more time was synonymous with too much time. Just because you hadn't seen your friends in months, doesn't mean that they didn't see each other literally every single day.

With a clear of your throat, they stop insulting each other's fantasy love interests, both squealing when they realize you've pulled into the parking lot for the cafe.

The four of you get out of the car, you pulling your keys out of your purse to lock the doors. While walking towards the doors of the cafe, you're hit with a strange feeling- like someone's watching you.

Immediately, you whip your head around in search of anyone getting a little too nosey, but you come up with nothing. You keep your guard up though, knowing you can never be too sure.

Since the stage incident a few months back, you've been feeling a little paranoid. Understandably so, especially since the mean and threatening comments never subsided. It's gotten to the point where the staff have begun to send out a few extra security guards each time you leave the JYP building. In fact, JYP gave you all this nice little vacation in hopes it'd help some of the comments die down. To your dismay, they have not.

The guys have been incredibly protective since then, and you're actually grateful for it for once. Their constant questions about your whereabouts and wanting to tag along with you everywhere you go used to annoy you, but you'd never think to complain about it now.

Just this morning, having told them about your exciting plans for the day, they sent a barrage of texts telling you to be careful. Chan practically demanded you take a security guard with you, but for the sake of your friends' comfortability, you declined. Was it stupid? Possibly, but you're only wish for this vacation is to make things seem normal again. Having constant security around is not normal.

You placated Chan by telling him that your family knows of the places you'll be, and your family and the rest of your members all have your location at all times. He was reluctant, almost threatening to fly himself to your home just to go out on your little excursion with you, but he eventually gave way, not without first lecturing you about how important your safety is- like you didn't already know that.

~ ~ ~

"And then he pushed him down the stairs! How crazy!" Dae finishes, your eyes widening at how her story ended. She had just finished telling you all about how her boyfriend got into this big fight with a guy at the bar the other day. Apparently, the random man thought it acceptable to lay his hands on Dae, and her boyfriend did not appreciate that.

"Your boyfriend is so hot," Ha-Yoon comments, her eyes looking dreamily off into the distance.

"Excuse me?" Dae questions, raising a brow at Ha-Yoon's confession.

"I mean-"

"Ok!" you interrupt, pushing your chair back from the table you've all been sat at. The brunch was nice, catching up with your friends was much needed and the food was warm and comforting, but enough is enough, and your friends are starting to get a bit squeamish. "I need to use the restroom quickly, then we can head to the mall? Does that sound ok?"

There's a chorus of yesses, and they shoo you off into the restroom, picking up their phones to distract themselves until you get back.

You make your way to the back of the cafe, noticing how the bathrooms are secluded down a small hallway in the corner of the restaurant. Your eyes glance out the emergency exit door, and you tilt your head in confusion upon seeing a large white van sat outside it. It is not parked in a parking spot; it's just parked directly outside the door.

You quickly do your business, not wanting to keep your friends waiting for too long, and head back out to the front of the cafe. Stepping outside the restroom, a hand is immediately thrown over your mouth, a piece of foul smelling cloth pressed up against your nose. You try to scream, but this only causes you to inhale more of the chemical.

You fight, attempting to throw an elbow behind you to dislodge yourself from the person's vice like grip, but this only leads to your elbow being grabbed at a painful angle. You whimper slightly as the person pries your elbow behind you, and it almost feels as if your arm could snap if you were to move another inch. You become lightheaded, and it's hard to keep your eyes open and your mind alert. Unable to fight any longer, you give in and slump down into the arms which hold you captive.

~ ~ ~

"She's been gone awhile, I'm gonna go-" Soon-Bok is cut off by an alarm inside the cafe going off. All the customers heads perk up at the noise, their attention drifting to the employees.

The waitresses look to one another in confusion before one makes their way over to where you went for the restroom a few minutes before. The cafe is silent as the waitress disappears, looking for where the alarm would be coming from.

It's silent for another minute, before there's an audible gasp. She comes back with your purse in one hand and your cracked phone in the other.

Your three friends quickly get up from their seats, rushing over to the waitress. "Where'd you find this?" Dae asks, her eyes tearing up.

"Just outside the bathroom. I was just able to catch a glimpse of a van speeding off. Do you think someone was taken?" she asks, her eyes widening at the thought.

"I think- I think our friend was kidnapped," Ya-Hoon whispers.

~ ~ ~

"This is why I said she needed a security guard with her! This would have never happened!" Chan snaps at their management in anger, rising up from his seat in the meeting room.

Upon hearing about your kidnapping, the rest of your members were immediately brought back to the JYP building. They were all livid.

"Chan, I understand you're upset, but there's really nothing we can do now but wait-"

"Wait for what? Huh? Wait for her to just magically appear here?" Minho cuts off the head of security, his face red with anger.

"Of course the police are on the case and doing everything they can to find her. As for the eight of you, you are not to leave this building until we get all of this under control. Do you hear me? We do not need more than one missing member." JYP is stern as he speaks, leaving no room for discussion. "This meeting is dismissed. We will update you all if we hear anything."

With that, everyone else clears out of the room, leaving your eight members.

"This is awful," Felix says, his head hanging in his hands.

"No shit, Felix, why not state more of the obvious," Jisung narrows his eyes at Felix.

"We can't turn on each other," Changbin butts in, deterring them from getting into it any further. "We have to stick together and just wait this out. She's strong; she'll be ok."

"But what if she's not," Hyunjin speaks up for the first time since they got back. He's been huddled up against Jeongin since they got there, his head hung low. It's obvious he's been crying with the way his cheeks are stained with tears, his eyes red from how often he's rubbed them.

"We can't think like that," Chan says, moving over to Hyunjin. He lays a comforting arm around his shoulders, and Hyunjin immediately moves to the comfort of the leader, turning his head to hide it in Chan's chest. "They saw the van leave, it couldn't have been too long before the police were there. They'll find her, and then she'll be right back here with us."

"To never be let out of our sights again," Seungmin grumbles from the couch, wearing a similar expression to that of Felix's.

"Correct," Minho agrees, leaning back in his chair.

~ ~ ~

"Seungmin, you have to sleep. Staying up for 72 hours straight is not going to make her come back any faster," Chan lays his hand on the back of the boy's neck, slightly rocking him side to side.

"Maybe not, but I'll be the first to know when they find her," he counters, his bloodhsot eyes meeting Chan's. "You're one to talk; you haven't slept either."

Chan just sighs in response, plopping down on the couch next to him. It's quiet between the two of them, but neither are complaining about it. The peace is nice after what they've been through the past few days.

"Hyunjin hasn't stopped crying. Jeongin and Felix have had to take turns laying with him," Seungmin breaks the quiet, his soft voice travelling throughout the practice room. "Han hasn't eaten since we found out."

"I know, I've been trying to get everyone up and moving, but no one's interested."

"Chan, we're not expecting you to be the hero. We know you're in pain, too, and it's ok to act like it," it takes Chan a minute to process what Seungmin had said, but as his brain takes time, he realizes that it's been so long since he's cried, so long since he's truly let his emotions out.

With another moment passing, Chan's breath quickens and tears spring into his eyes. Without another thought, he turns his head into Seungmin's shoulder and cries. He cries for you, and how scared you must be right now, and he cries for the rest of his members, knowing how bad this is hurting them. He cries because he can't take away their pain or yours, not this time.

~ ~ ~

"Wake up." You feel a cold splash of water hit your face, and you're abruptly brought to consciousness. Your eyes open quickly in response to the cold, but you squint once you're hit with the blinding light coming from the ceiling light above you.

You try to talk, to say anything, but you quickly become aware of the duct tape placed snuggly over your mouth.

You gain some more proprioception, feeling the tightness of the rope around your wrists and how your ankles are tied to the legs of the chair you're currently sat on.

"Hey!" Your attention is brought to the large man standing in front of you, and your breath hitches in your throat at the sight of the gun in his hand. "Eyes here. And quit squirming so much!"

You freeze at that, stilling your movements. "Now listen here," you hear another guy say from across the room. You are just noticing him for the first time, and you realize that this guy in front of you must be the brawn of the operation. "We need some money. A lot of money. So, if you want to make it out of here alive, you need to call your family and have them bring us 350 million won. No less. Think you can handle that princess?"

Tears well in your eyes at the mention of death. You can't die like this, at the hands of these awful people. But you also know you don't want to get your family involved. So, deciding this is your best bet, you sit stoically. You look straight ahead, your focus unwavering.

"The silent treatment, huh?" You can see out of your periphery the man at the desk across the room stand from his chair. He makes his way towards you, but you pay him no mind, keeping your blank stare on the wall in front of you.

"If the threat's not enough to get you to talk, maybe this will be." He's quick to take the gun from the other man's hand, and before you can even flinch he's pointed it at your lower leg and let off a shot.

You choke on your own spit when the pain registers. You close your eyes and strain your body not to react, but there's only so much you can do. The tears you were successfully keeping at bay before now slide freely down your cheeks. Your hands are in tight fists behind your back, and you feel you may pass out from the white-hot pain radiating from your calf.

Your consciousness teeters, and all words being spoken by the men sound gibberish in your state. Just as you feel you may fall completely unconscious, you're startled by a loud bang from behind you. Your eyes lazily drift to the men, and you see their gazes widen before they quickly raise their hands in surrender. You make eye contact with the one that shot you, and that's the last thing you see before your eyes shut, your body and mind going completely numb.

~ ~ ~

The practice room door is flung open, bringing Chan out of his sleepy state. "What the hell? Be a little quieter would you," he mumbles, rolling his eyes at Jisung who stands in the doorway. For the first time since the news, Chan is attempting to get some sleep. It wasn't exactly on his own accord, though. After the constant hounding from the rest of the members, and even a threat from Felix that he'd sneak melatonin into his water, he decided it would probably be best for him to try and get some shut eye; he'll be of no use to anyone if he's delirious with sleep.

"They found her."

At this, all of Chan's previous drowsiness vanishes. He sits up from the couch faster than he ever has before, his joints cracking with such a sudden movement. "What?" he asks for clarification, fearing it might be too good to be true.

"They've found her. She's on the way to the hospital right now," Jisung's contagious smile makes more sense now, Chan wearing a similar expression.

"Where are the rest of the boys?" Chan stands from the couch in a rush, quickly slipping his shoes on.

"They're in the meeting room. They just bought our flight there, we're leaving now."

~ ~ ~

"Thank you," you tell the nurse, taking the small cup of water from her hands. It's been a few hours since you woke up from your unconscious state. Upon arriving at the hospital, they immediately took you into surgery to remove the bullet from your leg. Thankfully, it missed all the important stuff, leaving your bones completely in tact. You're left with some muscle damage, but the doctor assured you with some physical therapy you'd be back to normal again.

You're now laying in bed recovering. The wound has been stapled and is wrapped tightly. You have your leg resting on a couple pillows, hopefully to help prevent the swelling. Beside you on the couch is your family, having come in immediately upon hearing the news. Some silly K-Drama is playing on the T.V, but it's enough to keep your mind occupied for now, so you're thankful for it.

Nobody confirmed it for you, but you were sure your members were well on their way. Your family told you that you had been kidnapped for a few days. You told them you only remember being awake for a few minutes, but apparently they kept knocking you out again and again.

After talking with the police, you find that they were using you for ransom, and they kept knocking you out because they didn't have everything squared away yet; whatever that means, you're not quite sure.

As if on cue, the door to your room swings open, revealing Chan and Minho. They're out of breath and sweaty, looking as if they had just run a marathon.

You're given no time for formal greetings as they both launch themselves at you, throwing their arms haphazardly around you until you feel like you're squished beneath them. Your mom makes a protesting sound, but you wave her off with a gesture of your hand. They missed you, and you missed them. They weren't hurting you or anyone else by hugging you.

"You're never leaving our sights again," Chan says, his cheek pressed against the top of your head.

"Never ever," Minho agrees, his torso laid lightly across your lap.

"I'm okay-" you start, only to be cut off by an angry looking Chan. His face pops into view at your words, eyebrows furrowed.

"You are indeed not okay! You were kidnapped, unconscious for hours on end, and then shot! How are you possibly trying to convince us that you're ok?" Minho stands up at his outburst, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm alive, and that's okay enough for me."

With your response bludgeoned into their minds, they both collapse on top of you in another hug.

You bask in their warmth a bit longer, only being interrupted with the door creaking open. Felix and Hyunjin stand there, teary and red-eyed.

"Your time's up," Hyunjin sniffles, moving out of the way of the door so the two can exit.

"We'll be back," Chan leans down to kiss your forehead while Minho grabs your hand, giving it an assuring squeeze.

They leave, and Felix and Hyunjin scurry in after them. They crowd around your bedframe, hesitant to even lay a hand on you.

"Hey," you whisper, reaching over to grab both of their hands, "I'm okay."

Hyunjin breaks down in sobs, and it only takes Felix a minute before he's right there with him. You let go of their hands and open your arms to welcome them in for a hug. Both of them hesitate again, but eventually bend down to give you the gentlest hug you've ever received.

"Does it hurt?" Felix mumbles, his arms tightly wrapped around your shoulders.

"They've got me on some serious meds, so no. It probably will when I come off of them, though. I haven't tried to walk-"

"And you wont either. Not for a long while," your mom cuts in from the couch.

"Thanks for your input, Mom."

"No problem," her gaze shifts to the boys, "She's been moody since she came out of surgery. They say it's because of the meds." They both let out a huffy laugh at that, and while you're absolutely dying to argue, you're just thankful to see Hyunjin and Felix smile.

There's another knock at the door, and all your heads snap to Changbin and Jisung. "Our turn," Jisung says, gesturing for Felix and Hyunjin to get out.

"We'll see you soon," Felix says before making his way to the door.

"Love you," Hyunjin says, hugging you for a second longer.

"Love you, too," you tell him, and you watch as he gets up and walks toward the door.

Once they're gone, Jisung and Changbin come into the room.

"Chan is never letting you out of his sight again; you know that, right?" Changbin asks, pulling up a chair beside you.

"Uh, not just Chan, all of us," Jisung argues. "You know how when girls go out they all have to, like, go to the bathroom together? That's about to be us bestie."

"Um, ew," you grimace just thinking about all your privacy being stripped from you.

"We'll wait outside, of course," Changbin says, trying to make you feel better.

"Oh, how thoughtful," you sass back, giving them a sarcastic smile.

"But for real though, are you ok?" The atmosphere turns serious at Jisung's inquisition. "We were all worried sick about you."

"I guess I could be better, but I'm gonna be just fine. Doc said some physical therapy and I'll be good as new."

"Did you know they didn't even realize you were an idol at first?" Changbin says, piquing your interest. "They said they thought they just picked up some random person at the cafe. Apparently that's why they kept you knocked out for so long; it made things more complicated."

"I did not know that, actually. The police only gave me a quick run down, said they'd be back later for some more questioning and to give us some more information."

Another knock is heard at the door, and you look to see Seungmin and I.N standing there, the last of your boys. "Our turn now, move along," Seungmin says, tapping his foot impatiently.

"That's our cue, we'll see you later." They both lean down to give you a kiss on the cheek before walking out of the room.

Seungmin and I.N come in, seeming even more urgent than Chan and Minho did earlier.

They both come crashing down on top of you, all concern for the wires attached to you out the window.

Wanting to tease them, you say, "What if I was, like, seriously hurt? And now you two just came running in here like a pack of wild animals?"

"Give me a break, everybody said you were fine and that you were accepting hugs," Seungmin throws back, giving you a firm poke in the side.

You bark out a laugh at that, a smile gracing your features. "They also said that you hadn't smiled yet. So there," Seungmin nuzzles his head back into your shoulder, and you feel him breath a sigh against your neck.

"We missed you," I.N says from the other side where he's latched onto your arm.

"I missed you guys more."

"Not possible, I'd never seen any of the guys so worked up before. Chan didn't sleep the whole time you were gone, and as soon as we convinced him to, they found you," Seungmin says.

"Well, I'm here now," you comfort them, rubbing a hand on each of their backs.

"And we're never letting you go again."

~ ~ ~

Part 1

[bucketbueckers]

I'D RATHER PRETEND

CHAPTER ONE

tags: @angryflowerwitch @avvwritesstufff | lmk if you want to be added! wc: 7.1k notes: see masterlist for content warnings. buckle up, here we go 🙂‍↕️

'South Carolina Basketball Star Tess Kennedy Hits Rock Bottom'

On March 31, the South Carolina Gamecocks went head to head with the Iowa Hawkeyes in the heavily anticipated Final Four match-up. For South Carolina, this was their two-peat season, coming off of an electric championship win back in April 2022 against the formidable Connecticut Huskies. For Iowa, this was their underdog season. Their last Final Four appearance was back in 1993. With powerhouses such as Kamilla Cardoso, Aliyah Boston, and Tess Kennedy, South Carolina was a fan favorite to win, but Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes would prove to be a wrench in the plans.

Late in the third quarter, Tess Kennedy fell to the ground clutching her knee as Clark drove past her. To those on court, the injury was obvious. She was carried off in a stretcher. We would later receive the news that Kennedy had officially tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee and would undergo surgery within the week. Kennedy would have the entire offseason and most of the regular season to rehab and hopefully return for the 2023-2024 season, but onlookers quickly found that would not be the case.

April 9 marked the beginning of what was taunted as the "Tess Kennedy Destruction Tour." It had simple beginnings - a Twitter reply here, a heated Instagram argument there.

[IMAGE TRANSCRIPTION: USER GAMECOCKS4LIFE33: "TESS KENNEDY YOU SUCK, THANKS FOR THROWING OUR BACK TO BACK SEASON, I HOPE YOUR ACL NEVER HEALS!!!" | USER TESSKENNEDY25: "I'M PRAYING THAT YOUR WIFE HAS AN ABORTION. I'D STRANGLE MYSELF WITH MY OWN UMBILICAL CORD IF I CAME OUT OF THE WOMB AND YOUR FACE WAS THE FIRST THING I SAW." END TRANSCRIPTION.]

As recovery progressed, Kennedy soon frequented a local bar nearby the University of South Carolina campus. Kennedy would spend nights there, often inebriated and starting arguments outside. Her nights out would only end when other members of the South Carolina women's basketball team came to rescue her. They have all declined to comment at this time.

Kennedy's supporters have gone online with desperate cries for anyone at all to get Tess Kennedy the help and recovery she needs. South Carolina has been unnaturally quiet regarding their star player's self-destruction. Kennedy has expressed that she wishes to enter the WNBA draft after her senior year, and considering that an ACL tear often makes or breaks an athlete's career, it does not surprise us in the least that Kennedy is having a difficult time with her injury. The only question remaining is if someone will pick her up, or if Tess Kennedy will be left to her own devices and continue to sink.

-Penelope Lancaster, Bleacher Report

MAY 3, 2023

“You can’t be fucking serious.”

The silence in the conference room is palpable. Tess is currently battling a migraine, though she’s not sure if it’s from her hangover or the absolute bullshit her manager just subjected her ears to. She’s surrounded by Amaya, the aforementioned manager, Diana, her publicist, Coach Staley, a counselor from the university’s counseling and wellness center (though she’s already forgotten her name), Paige Bueckers, for whatever fucking reason, and two other unfamiliar people.

When Amaya called her to schedule a meeting, Tess didn’t know what it was for. Amaya didn’t say and Tess was too shitfaced to argue, especially when Amaya was yelling at her bright and early at 7 am. The regret pools low in her belly and she tells herself for the millionth time that she should have skipped this meeting.

“Tess, we’ve brought you in today because everyone is worried for you,” Amaya states. “Frankly, we should have done it earlier. That has been a critical error on our end. Your teammates have told us that you either lock yourself in your room for hours on end or go out and get plastered. I’m sure you’re familiar with what the media is calling the ‘Tess Kennedy Destruction Tour?’”

Paige, quiet from the other end of the table, raises a brow while Tess scoffs. “I feel like that’s a little excessive,” Tess says.

Diana frowns. “Since your ACL injury, you’ve been in several arguments online. You frequent bars and are at risk of a severe alcohol addiction. We know you’re not rehabbing nor are you taking your medication.”

And, at the heart of it, Amaya and Diana aren’t wrong. Maybe when Tess is a few drinks in and she opens Twitter and sees what all the trolls are saying, constant repeats and barrages of Tess Kennedy sold South Carolina’s game – she deserves so much worse than an ACL tear and South Carolina made a mistake in recruiting her, maybe she responds to them, because why wouldn’t she? She’s a college athlete, she understands trash talk and competitiveness, but everything that is said about her is downright cruel. She loses all of her inhibitions when the tequila flows through her veins – making the trolls feel just as bad as she does is one of the simplest remedies she could offer. The alcohol makes her forget about her injury, about the guilt of costing her team the game and the championship. It’s simple. So what if she drinks a little more lately? She’s not addicted. She’s just trying to forget.

Her avoiding rehab and her medication were just unfortunate casualties of war. Her injury was too fresh on her mind for her to fully commit to attending, even though Kamilla tried her best to get her to the physio’s office. Her medication was a different story – she had to be weaned off of her lexapro for a couple days before her surgery so she could safely be anesthetized for it. Then she wasn’t allowed to take her medication for a few days post-surgery given the nature of her painkillers. It all spiraled from there. She was off of her rhythm in multiple ways, and the last thing on her mind was her anxiety medication.

“We know you won’t listen, so we are not giving you options,” Amaya says firmly, forcing Tess back into the moment. She resists an eyeroll. “You’re at risk of killing yourself, Tess. You’re at risk of losing your basketball scholarship because your grades have slipped after finals – you’re lucky enough that your GPA was high enough from the past two years to cushion straight C’s this semester. Your brand deals are inches away from dropping you entirely. So, we are going to fix that. Three times weekly, you will meet with a trainer for mandatory physical therapy. Once a week, you will meet with a psychologist for your mental health and alcohol dependence. And during this off-season, we’ve made the decision that you and Paige Bueckers will be in a fake relationship so you can repair your images.”

Which brings us to where we are now.

“You can’t be fucking serious.”

Tess’s eyes nearly fall out of her head. Paige seems equally as shocked from across the table, jaw slack, though her expression hardens with indignance as Tess demands, “Why her? What is fake dating going to do about any of this?”

“Your brand deals are at risk of pulling away from you because you are destroying your image,” Amaya says again. “You’re too volatile. Paige’s brand deals are at risk of pulling away from her because…” Amaya struggles to find the words.

“I’m not ‘family friendly’ enough,” Paige supplies, fingers raised in air quotes.

At that, Tess snickers. “And by that, she means she sleeps around too much, people are noticing, and her conquests are bitter.”

“Why the attitude? Jealous I ain’t sleepin’ with you?”

“Oh, sure, because I’ve always wanted an STD.”

“At the rate you’re destroying yourself, you might be closer than you think.”

“Enough,” Amaya snaps. Tess and Paige close their mouths. Paige at least has the decency to look a little ashamed while Tess glares. “But yes. Paige’s brand deals feel as though she’s too… all over the place. Having a fake girlfriend will placate her brands and consumers who are upset with them for not taking action. The two of you together will show that Paige is not a womanizer and that Tess is not a flight risk.”

“I don’t agree with this,” Tess states.

Amaya hums. “I’ll take your grievances into consideration.” She pauses for a moment, tapping her chin dramatically as if thinking hard, before smiling. “Okay, I’ve considered. You and Paige will fake date. You’re going to go to all of your appointments and you are going to try to get better. Your doctors said you would be able to play again depending on your recovery. Why are you trying to destroy yourself? Why are you making this harder on yourself than it needs to be?”

Tess doesn’t have an answer for that. At least, not one she’s going to admit in front of her Coach or Paige Bueckers. Paige got lucky – she tore her ACL and she’s almost fully healed now. The chance that Tess might not be able to, no matter how slim, fills her with indescribable envy. Taking her destruction into her own hands gives her some semblance of control that she otherwise doesn’t have. She wasn’t in control when her ligament tore. She wasn’t in control when she was in surgery for hours and the doctors were meticulously replacing it.

When she doesn’t respond, Amaya sighs. “Paige flies back to Connecticut on Saturday. I want you two to take this week to get to know each other and soft launch – how you do that, I don’t care. We just want the public to know you’re seeing each other currently.”

After some more fine-tuning between Amaya, Diana, and Paige’s manager and publicist, the meeting concludes. Tess doesn’t waste any time before she’s hauling herself to her feet. She grunts as the pain shoots through her leg, gripping the table to stabilize herself. “Tess, hold on,” Coach Staley calls. “I need a word with you.”

Tess resists a sigh. No matter how fucked up she might be, she’s not going to be the one to test Coach Staley. The conference room filters out, though Tess doesn’t notice Paige’s lingering gaze as she leaves. “I know you probably feel a little trapped right now,” Coach says. “That we’re forcing you into this. Which we are – I mean, I won’t sugarcoat it. I know basketball is your dream and you feel like it’s all slipping away because of your injury. Let me be the first to say that the Tess Kennedy I know wouldn’t let this stop her. I don’t know what’s going on with you. I don’t know why you’re spiraling, but I do know that our team is a family and we are always here to support you if you’d just let us in. You are an amazing player, an asset on and off the court. Please give this your all, if not for me, if not for your teammates, but for yourself.”

Tess can feel the tightness in her throat and the slight sting in her eyes. Part of her knows that Coach is right – she always is. The other part of her is so overwhelmed by her grief that it’s hard to fully absorb it. “I’ll try, Coach,” she says softly, feeling more sober than she has in weeks. Coach Staley squeezes her shoulder, walking out of the room. After wiping the tears pooling in her eyes and taking deep breaths, she walks out, too.

“Hey –”

Tess nearly jumps out of her skin, a hand over her chest. “Jesus fucking Christ, Paige.” The blonde guard can’t help but snicker, crossing her arms over her chest. “Not funny, dude. You’re an asshole. I can’t believe people line up to sleep with you.”

“They do that?” she asks, smiling smugly. “Didn’t know.”

Tess rolls her eyes in annoyance. “Do you have a reason to be talking to me or are you just trying to make me start drinking at 9 am?”

Paige shoves her hands in her pockets. “Amaya told me your first PT appointment is in an hour. She wants me to go with you, help you out and shit.” Paige must recognize the look on Tess’s face because she huffs. “Look, I wanna be doing this as much as you do. But work with me a little. I wasn’t this insufferable when I tore my ACL.”

At that, Tess’s gaze turns into a hard glare. “Fuck off. You don’t know shit about my injury.”

She scoffs. “I know more than you think I do, and I think that’s why you’re all pissed,” she says, voice low. “Yeah, you’re in pain 24/7, but it’s the mentality that fucks you up. You’re scared you’re never going to play ball again and you’re taking it out on other people. You’re taking it out on yourself, Tess; you’re literally killing yourself over an injury you can bounce back from. It’s hard and it’s scary and it’s fucked up. And as shitty as it sounds, tearing your ACL is something that only happens to other people, right? It wasn’t supposed to happen to you.” Tess’s mouth morphs into a guilty frown, watching as Paige shifts her weight to her healthy leg unconsciously. “So, face it. You tore your ACL. You trashed your reputation to cope with it and now we gotta dig each other out of the mud. But your recovery is up to you. Commit to it, follow the PT, do what you gotta do – or you’re never playing on that court again.”

Despite her harsh words, Paige’s eyes are soft with understanding, not pity. Tess was used to seeing the commiseration on her teammates' faces. They didn’t understand; understanding an ACL tear came with the fact of having one, and as mad as she was at the world right now, Tess would never wish something like that upon her teammates. Do what you gotta do – or you’re never playing on that court again. Paige’s words run around her head on repeat. Tess isn’t surprised that it makes her angry. She is surprised to find that the anger isn’t directed at the blonde herself, who she’s about to be stuck with for months on end. Tess is pissed at herself. Her actions may have just cost her weeks, if not months of extra recovery time. She was so lost in what-ifs that she didn’t focus on the things that were actually around her.

Tess would work on it. That is as much as she could promise herself.

Unable to fully process the genuine culture shock of Paige’s rant, Tess swallows thickly and looks anywhere but the blonde’s blue eyes. “Do you, um, wanna grab coffee before PT?” she asks forlornly.

Paige’s jaw ticks, but she seems to recognize the invitation for what it is – an olive branch. “Yeah. Sure. You should swing by your apartment and grab your crutches, though.”

Tess almost rolls her eyes at the mother-hen tone of Paige’s voice. “I don’t need them anymore,” she retorts. “Doctor said 2 to 3 weeks post-surgery. I’m very much 2 to 3 weeks post-surgery.”

“Pretty sure 2 to 3 weeks depended on good behavior,” Paige states. “You did literally the opposite of that. Plus, I saw you wince when you stood up. Go get your crutches, Tessa.”

“Okay, first of all, Tess isn’t a nickname,” she gripes, but she leads Paige towards the athlete apartments. “Tessa is not on my birth certificate. Second of all, don’t boss me around.”

Paige hums. “Okay,” she concedes, which shocks Tess enough that she turns around. Paige has a solemn look on her face, but the look in her eye tells Tess all she needs to know. “According to Amaya, we’re girlfriends now. That means I gotta look out for you. So lighten up, ma. Get your crutches and let me buy you a coffee so you don’t get cranky in PT.”

Tess wrinkles her nose. “Do not call me that either.”

“Okay, Tessa.”

“You’re actually so fucking annoying, it’s unreal.” Tess turns around again, leaning on her right foot to take the pressure off her left knee. She clasps her hands together, trying to distract herself from the way Paige smiles smugly at her, eyes bright. Tess suddenly feels stupid for not realizing any sooner that Paige was just fucking with her. The worst part about this whole situation was how Paige’s banter did manage to chip away some of the guilt and anguish that slowly frosted over her heart. She’d never admit that much to the blonde, though – her ego is already the size of Jupiter. “Don’t call me ma. Don’t call me Tessa.”

“So what’s actually on your birth certificate?” Paige asks when Tess starts walking again.

“Tess Kennedy.”

“Middle name?”

“Why do you care?”

Paige scrunches up her face. “We’re girlfriends –”

“We are not girlfriends,” Tess interrupts.

“Okay, what the fuck ever,” Paige gripes. “Middle name. We need to know stuff about each other. Mine’s Madison. You might as well just tell me anyways ‘cause I’m pretty sure it’s on your Wikipedia.”

Tess heaves a sigh. Paige has to get off on being an annoying fuck – there’s no other reason why she’d be harassing her right now. “It’s Alessandra. Tess Alessandra Kennedy. I was named after my mom.”

“Tess Alessandra,” Paige repeats. Her name sounds far too good rolling off her tongue and Tess gets mad all over again. Paige is a woman of many talents it seems, although it’s unfortunate that shutting up is not one of them. “Cute. Is that Italian?”

Tess softens at the genuine interest in her tone, realizing she's being an asshole. “Yeah. We moved here from Italy when I was seven. I grew up in New York, came down here for ball…the rest is history, I guess.”

“Can you say the thing?” Paige asks with too much glee.

Tess glances at her warily. “What thing?”

“You know, the ‘Ay, I’m walkin’ here!’”

“Jesus Christ,” Tess mutters. She and Paige exit the athletic facility, and the South Carolinian guard leads her on the short path back to the athlete apartments. “You’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met. It’s impressive.” 

“I like setting the standard.” Tess glances at her. Paige looks comfortable – too comfortable – sporting an easy-going smile, as if being perpetually on Tess’s nerves is enjoyable for her. Tess isn’t sure what to make of her. “So, what was coming to the States like?”

The shorter of the two shrugs. “It was an adjustment. My English was decent, but I struggled to make friends. Basketball made me feel like I belonged here, although it reminded me of home, too.”

“You still consider Italy home?” Paige asks softly.

Tess mulls it over, humming. “Home is a feeling,” she states. “I never had to second guess myself in Italy – whether or not I was using the right words or doing things the ‘American way.’ I feel at home when I play ball. I never doubted myself there, either; it’s what my brain is wired for.”

“And now that you can’t play, it feels like leaving everything you’ve ever known?”

Tess’s lips curl into a half-smile. “Something like that.”

Paige makes a noise in the back of her throat that sounds vaguely like understanding. “No wonder you went on a destruction tour.”

Tess rolls her eyes. “And the moment’s over.”

“Nah, I was being for real!” Paige defends. “I’m just sayin’ – I get it. Basketball means something different to everyone, right?”

Tess softens. “Yeah. Guess so.” She opens the door to the athlete apartments, leading Paige to the elevators. She pushes the number three and the elevator closes. She sighs, leaning against the wall, and lifting her leg slightly. “So what about you?”

Paige glances at her. “What about me?”

“Your ACL. What was different for you?”

Paige wiggles her leg. “Well, I’m still recovering. Want to be 110% before I’m on the court again.” She stares at her reflection in the elevator mirror before her eyes look anywhere else. “It was tough. It is tough. I felt useless for a long time but my teammates and family pulled me out of my slump before I let myself sink. It just took me a while to let them in.” At that, Tess feels hot all over, looking down at her feet and not at the blonde next to her. “I just wanna play,” Paige admits. “But it just feels like every time I get into a groove, there’s something that benches me. I don’t like letting my teammates down.”

“You’re not,” Tess states, surprising herself.

Paige looks up, meeting Tess’s eyes, lips curling into a solemn smile. “Aren’t I?”

The ding of the elevator saves Tess from having to answer. She frowns, but heads in the direction of her apartment. She hopes that Kamilla and Bree are out. Walking in with Paige Bueckers attached to her hip would be an uncomfortable conversation. Tess sticks her key in the door, opens it, and nearly drops her lanyard in surprise at the sight in front of her.

“Tess, what the fuck? I woke up this morning and you weren’t here. I thought –” Kamilla’s rant slows to a stop as Tess walks in, Paige in tow, who suddenly looks like she wants to be anywhere but Tess’s apartment.

“Good morning, Kamilla,” Tess says guiltily. “Say hi, Paige.”

The blonde waves. “What’s up, Kamilla?” Kamilla blinks at the two of them. “Uh, I can just wait outside.”

“Stay,” Tess says, her words coming out like a demand. Paige nods, shoving her hands in her pockets. “Um, I had a meeting with Amaya. I’ll tell you about it later, Kam, I promise, but I have PT in like, 45 minutes, so I really need to go.”

Kamilla doesn’t say anything as Tess hobbles to her room and exits with her crutches in tow. The two roommates stare at each other for a beat before Tess inches forward and wraps her arms around Kamilla, who freezes in shock before returning the hug. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a jerk,” she whispers. “I’ve been an asshole to you and Bree. You guys didn’t deserve that. Thank you for trying to take care of me when I didn’t want to take care of myself.”

“Hey, we’ll talk later,” Kamilla says softly. “We love you, okay?”

Tess’s eyes burn with unshed tears. “I love you, too.”

Kamilla releases her with one last lingering look, smiling softly before glancing at Paige. “Best behavior, Bueckers,” she says coyly, much to Paige’s amusement, who raises her hands in mock surrender. “See y’all later.”

Paige, as if sensing Tess’s inner turmoil, allows her to lead them to the on-campus Starbucks in silence. It’s not too far away from the athlete dorms. Tess and many of her teammates would frequent it over the years, seeking caffeine for study sessions, though she’s aware of how different the situation is now. When they walk in, Tess is thankful to find it relatively empty. The two baristas on duty hardly offer them a second glance. Paige settles a tentative hand over the small of her back. “What d’you want, ma? You can sit and I’ll get your coffee.”

Tess is less bothered by the nickname the second time around. “Vanilla sweet cream cold brew. Please?”

Paige nods. “Got you.” She walks up to the counter while Tess grabs a spot at a booth out of sight. Tess pulls out her phone as she waits, having it on Do Not Disturb for the better part of the morning. She feels guilt all over as her notifications are full of missed calls from Kamilla and Bree and countless text messages. She clears them out and sends another “i’m sorry” to their group chat, to which both Kamilla and Bree quickly respond with heart emojis. Tess texts her parents back, who’d been blowing her up with reasonable concern after her media escapades. She tells them she’s doing better but doesn’t wait around to see their response. Tess has countless other messages she needs to get around to, but settles for silencing her phone again, promising to get back to them later.

Paige returns to their booth with their coffees in hand. The blonde passes her a straw and Tess quietly thanks her. “How much was it? Let me pay you back.”

Paige scoffs. “Bro, get outta here with that. I told you I was buyin’ so you don’t get cranky.”

“I’m already cranky, Paige–”

“That’s just your personality.”

Tess cracks a smile, the first genuine one all morning. “I’m serious. Let me pay you back.”

“You can pay me back by workin’ with me on this,” Paige says. She takes a long sip from her coffee, humming at the flavor.

“I’m good now,” Tess grumbles. “Trust.”

Paige snorts. “Trust?”

Tess nods solemnly. “I was kind of a jerk earlier. I’m sorry for calling you a whore.”

Paige blinks. “We don’t gotta talk about that, Tess, really –”

“No, just hear me out, okay?” Tess says. “I’m sorry. That was wrong of me. Your business is your business. I shouldn’t have used that against you.”

“I shouldn’t have used your ACL against you, either,” Paige concedes, “when I said I wasn’t insufferable when I tore mine.”

Tess smiles weakly at her. “I kinda deserved that one, to be honest.”

“Well…” Paige trails off, grinning menacingly, and Tess rolls her eyes. “Hey, we’re cool now. We’d be even more cool if you’d answer my DM, but it’s whatever.”

“I ghosted a lot of people, you’re not special,” Tess gripes.

“I am,” Paige insists. “We’re ACL buddies now. ACL girlfriends if you wanna be real. Two knees, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona–”

Tess buries her head in her hands, unwilling to let Paige see the smile on her face. “We are not girlfriends. And what was that? Did you just compare our knees to Romeo and Juliet?”

“We’re star-crossed lovers, ma; you more than me since Caitlin crossed you up and snatched your ankles,” Paige jabs. At that, Tess can’t help the laugh that rips from her mouth.

“I actually hate you,” she says, but the words lack bite. She takes a sip from her coffee, too. “Okay. How do we want to do this?”

“Amaya wants it, like, obvious that it’s us, right?” Paige says. “You could post a picture of our coffees on your story. Don’t gotta show my face but you could keep my chain in the photo.”

Tess glances at Paige’s collarbones, where her necklaces rest delicately. There’s a chain with a silver cross on it and her signature #5 chain right next to it, albeit it’s a smaller, less loud version of the one she wears for hype videos. Tess knows the online fans are freaks with how they notice things – they’d instantly clock it. “You could post me at PT,” Tess offers. “Like holding my crutches or something.”

“Or something,” Paige agrees, eyes lighting up with mischief. “You trust me?”

Tess eyes her warily. “Not particularly, no,” she admits. “But it’s your story and your soft launch. It’s your call.”

“Bro,” Paige sighs. “We’ll work on it.” She adjusts their coffees then fiddles with the chains around her neck. “Look good?”

Tess tries not to focus too much on the way Paige’s collarbones protrude slightly, the fairness of her skin. “Mhm,” she says noncommittally, readying her phone. Paige reaches for her own phone, angling it just slightly so the edge of her purple case is in view. Satisfied, she takes the photo, flipping the screen to show Paige, who nods. She sits for a moment, pondering the caption, before typing out, ‘and a new day will bring about the dawn.’ She shows Paige again. “You like?”

“Frank?” she asks, smiling when Tess nods in confirmation. “It’s a little cheesy maybe. But it shows, like, you’re optimistic and shit. That you’re getting better.” Tess makes a noise of agreement, centering the text to her liking. Paige lays a hand on her wrist before she has the chance to post. “We should set some rules before we do this.”

Tess sighs. “Really, Paige?”

“Yes, really,” Paige retorts. “We’re lying to millions of people right now. Gotta make sure we got our shit straight or we’re fucked. When did we start talking?”

“You DMed me after my injury,” Tess offers hesitantly. “Offered support.”

“Lotta help I was with you spiraling for a month straight,” Paige grumbles.

Tess smirks wryly. “A little bit of truth in the lie goes a long way, right? You messaged me, I didn’t want to accept help, but you still tried – maybe you flew out to surprise me? You’re here now.”

Paige pauses, swirling the straw in her drink. “That works. We bonded over our ACLs, realized we had other shit in common. I pulled you out of the deep end–”

“And I got you to settle down.”

Paige raises a brow. “Oh, so that’s where we are now? You won’t even friendzone me but I’m settling?”

Tess rolls her eyes. “You’re literally on my last nerve.”

The blonde smiles smugly. “Alright. How open are we being with the media?”

Tess shrugs, chewing on her straw. “Maybe just be all coy and shit? We’re in different states so our options are limited. Repost couple-y stuff on TikTok, get active in each other’s comments, that kind of stuff. Maybe in month or so I can fly up to see you and we can hard-launch?”

Paige nods. “Works for me. Let me know when you’re thinking and I can pick you up from the airport or something.” They fall silent for a moment. “I feel like we’re media-trained enough that we don't need to overthink it. Just don’t invent an anniversary.”

“Agreed.” Tess stretches out her leg, rubbing her knee with a sigh. “You wanted rules?”

“Mhm,” Paige hums as she opens the notes app on her phone. At #1, she writes COMMUNICATE in uppercase, bold letters. Tess can’t disagree. “We have to make sure we do this right. If either of us gets uncomfortable, we need to talk about it and fix it or end it. I’m sure there’s community service or some shit to show we’re redeemed people. For public appearances, we gotta, you know…kiss and stuff to sell it.” Paige’s cheeks flush red as she says this. “Uh, we can talk about it later. If you want.”

“Yeah,” Tess agrees awkwardly. The thought of having to kiss Paige leaves a stirring feeling in her chest that she can’t quite place. At #2, Paige writes No seeing other people on the DL. “That’s pretty self-explanatory. You sure you can handle it?” she teases.

Paige rolls her eyes but she has the decency to look guilty. “Contrary to popular belief, I am not a womanizer, Tess Alessandra,” she sasses.

“I believe you, Paige Madison,” Tess retorts.

At #3, Paige writes Nobody can know. “My teammates have big mouths,” Paige states. “But also I feel like it adds to the story.”

Tess frowns. “Well, I kind of already promised to tell Kam and Bree. I owe it to them after being a shitty person for a month straight.” Paige stares at her for a beat before adding, Nobody can know, except Kamilla and Bree. Tess nods, satisfied. At #4, she writes, NO CATCHING FEELINGS. She blushes as she writes it and Tess raises a brow. “Is that a concern of yours?”

“No!” Paige says a little too quickly for Tess’s liking. “I can do casual,” she adds, voice lower. “Ion know about you. But you can’t fall in love with me. That would ruin all of this. We can’t let this get out of hand, you know?”

“Sure,” Tess agrees. “But you can’t fall in love with me, either.”

Paige’s jaw ticks. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Good.”

They fall into a brief silence. “You wanna add anything else?” Paige asks.

Tess shakes her head. “Shake on it?” Their hands meet in a crisp dap and Tess finally hits post on her story. She closes the app immediately, knowing that her notifications will explode. Paige finishes off the rest of her coffee, eyeing Tess curiously. The blonde has an unreadable look on her face – Tess isn’t quite sure what she’s thinking, and it rattles her. She glances at her phone, noting the time. “You ready?”

Paige nods, collecting their empty cups and tossing them in the trash. “Lead the way, ma.”

Tess settles into her crutches, feeling uncomfortable as they dig into her arms, but relieved as they take the pressure off her knee. Tess leads Paige back to the athletic facility, listening to the blonde’s rant about something Azzi said to her. She wonders how much of Paige’s brain is basketball stuff and how much is the random shit that apparently floats through there. Tess has only spent maybe an hour and a half one-on-one with Paige Bueckers, but she’s convinced the inside of her brain is a Where’s Waldo picture. Sure, they’ve chatted after games – okay, it’s probably more accurate to say they trash-talked after games, especially after South Carolina kicked their ass in the championship last year, though it was all in good fun – but getting to know her on a personal, less basketball-focused level is different.

They reach the physio’s office just in time for the start of Tess’s PT session. Craig, the trainer, greets her warmly, saying, “I’m glad to see your days of skipping PT are over, Tess.”

The South Carolinian guard rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Don’t worry,” she says. “I have an enforcer now.”

“Present!” Paige chirps.

Craig begins with a preliminary check-up, asking a few questions that Tess is tempted to sugarcoat if not for Paige’s convincing glare. Admitting that she hasn’t done much outside of skipping her PT to Craig’s face makes her feel embarrassed all over. The overall lack of proper rest and elevation coupled with overuse is expected to tack on another two months at most to her recovery, Craig estimates, but the idea that she still has a chance does enough to quell some of her worries.

With the questioning out of the way, Craig leads her through a couple of stretches and exercises. Paige joins in, working on her knee, and it makes Tess feel less silly about herself. It’s a strange thing to say. People always advise you to do it scared when you’re worried about trying new things, but Tess has come to find that the issue isn’t being scared – it’s doing it alone that makes it so difficult. She’s slightly ashamed to admit how much easier this whole process has become with Paige sitting next to her, extending her knee and breathing through the pain.

When Craig steps out to grab something from the storage area, there’s sweat beading at Tess’s hairline from the exertion of working her knee productively. She lays an ice pack over it, breathing through the slight pain and regretting everything that’s led her to this moment right now. “I’m never guarding Caitlin Clark again,” she mutters, half-serious.

Paige breaks out into infectious laughter. Tess has to fight back a smile at the sound. “You gotta get your lick back,” she says. 

“Trust, I’m working on it,” Tess says. “I’m gonna get better out of spite and break her ankles next season. Though she’ll probably drop a three on my head right after. That’s ball, baby.”

Paige reaches out, dapping her up and agreeing, “That’s ball.” Then, she pulls out her phone. “Soft launch time?”

Tess groans. “I know I said it was your call but please don’t do anything weird. I can’t handle it after this PT session.”

Paige rolls her eyes. “You gotta trust me, ma,” she chides. She readies the camera and reaches out for the ice pack, swatting away Tess’s hand. Her right knee bumps into Tess’s left thigh as she scoots ever so slightly closer, pressing the ice pack onto her knee. “Get your bracelet in there.” Tess does as Paige instructs, inching her hand closer in frame. Her bracelet is silver with a few notable charms, though the one that stands out the most is her jersey number, 25. “This okay?”

They look like a couple, Tess has to admit. Their proximity is one thing – you could say that’s just being friendly, but the fact that Paige is icing her knee feels weirdly intimate. “Yup,” she manages to get out. “All good.”

Paige takes the photo wordlessly, handing the ice pack over to Tess once she’s 100% satisfied with the way the photo has come out. She ponders the caption for a moment until she settles on the female doctor emoji and an ice cube. Tess snorts as she hits post and immediately silences her notifications. “You’re so creative.”

Paige rolls her eyes, but a smirk tugs at her lips regardless. “My bad. Next time I’ll use a cheesy ass Frank lyric.”

“You said it worked!” Tess exclaims, much to Paige’s amusement. She doesn’t get the chance to say more as Craig walks back in with the supplies he’d gone out to find. He wraps Tess’s knee and secures a huge ass brace around it. Given that she fucked up so much of her early recovery, he advises her to wrap her knee every morning and ice her knee on and off each day for about a week. Craig tells her to keep strenuous movement to a minimum and to use her crutches at all times – basically, everything her doctor told her to do in the first place. She nods along, promising to follow Craig’s instructions, but after a long day of PT and general emotional realizations, all she can think about is getting back to her room and taking a long nap.

Craig finally releases her from her session, reminding her to show up at the same time on Friday. Tess doesn’t fight him on it. He gives her one last gentle smile before she and Paige take their leave, walking back to Tess’s apartment in a comfortable silence. Paige scrolls on her phone before chuckling at something, nudging Tess, and showing her the screen. Her messages are full of questions from her teammates, with Nika Mühl’s sticking out like a sore thumb, reading, ‘I KNOW you didn’t seriously cancel on me and Lili this week to play doctor in SC!!!’ Tess can’t help but laugh out loud at that one. “The articles are crazy, bro, look,” Paige says, closing out of her iMessage and opening Instagram, where Overtime has shared pictures of both of their stories with the wide-eyed emoji. “‘Fans are speculating that Paige Bueckers flew out to meet up with South Carolinian shooting guard Tess Kennedy amidst controversy and Kennedy’s recent ACL injury,’” Paige reads.

“‘Amidst controversy’ is crazy work,” Tess huffs. “It wasn’t even that bad.”

Paige snorts, scrolling down. “We got detectives and shit,” she comments, showing Tess her screen. An Instagram account called ‘wcbbupdates’ has shared both of their stories again, having marked Paige’s chains and phone case and Tess’s bracelet in bright red circles. Paige narrows her eyes at a comment as she reads it aloud to Tess. “‘They are not slick, this is the hardest soft launch I’ve ever seen. I always knew Paige and Tess had sexual tension. Do you guys remember the regular season game in Paige’s freshman year where she was all up on Tess?’ Bro, what the fuck?”

Tess glances at Paige knowingly. “Something you want to share with the class?”

Paige scoffs. “I was not all over you,” she says. “We call that playing good D around here.”

Tess rolls her eyes. “You’re such a fucking liar,” she grumbles. “Just wait until I’m healthy again. I’m gonna cross you up so bad you have to retire from college ball or you have to take a super senior season just to fix your busted stats.”

The blonde smirks at her. “Oh, yeah?”

Tess doesn’t like the goading in her tone, nor the insinuation in her response. “You’re so –”

“Annoying?”

“So fucking annoying,” Tess confirms, much to Paige’s delight. 

“I love when you say nice things to me,” Paige croons.

Tess rolls her eyes, not responding, which draws a quiet laugh from Paige as they continue walking. Once they make it back up to Tess’s apartment, Paige lingers behind Tess, as if she’s unsure what to say for once in her life. The South Carolinian guard turns on her heel, leaning against her crutches and watching Paige carefully. 

“You’re here until Saturday?” Tess asks noncommittally, although she knows the answer. Paige nods. “You, uh, wanna come to PT on Friday, too?”

Paige shoves her hands in her pockets, giving Tess some sort of half smile. “Yeah. I can do that. Could get coffee or something.”

Tess studies her, lips quirking, but not giving anything away. “Or something,” she agrees. “Just text me. We can figure it out later.”

The blonde unlocks her phone and hands it over to Tess. She punches her number in and saves her contact. “Don’t ghost me this time?” Paige asks coyly, taking her phone back.

Tess snorts. “I’ll see what I can do,” she says gently. “See you later, Paige.”

Paige gives her one last fleeting smile. “Later, Tess. Be good for Kamilla.”

At that, Tess rolls her eyes, waving goodbye to Paige and finally inching inside her apartment. The door shuts with a click behind her. Tess sighs, leaning her head back against the wall, feeling the pressure of a migraine building behind her eyes. She doesn’t think Amaya is fully aware of what she’s asked both of them to do. Tess is struck with the realization that she’s in way over her head with Paige, with their silly little fake relationship, with her busted knee, and all of the mending she has to do over the next few weeks.

Tess takes a seat on the couch, propping her leg up on the coffee table in front of her. She turns the TV on and flips through various shows until she settles on her weekly rewatch of 2 Broke Girls. She makes it through the first episode before a knock at her apartment door forces her to get up. There’s nobody on the other side, but when she looks down, there’s a Chipotle bag and a drink on the ground. Confused, she picks it up. Her name is on it, but the cherry on top is the note attached to the receipt. 

Realized I took you to PT on an empty stomach. Hopefully I got your order right. You seem like a chicken and veg kinda girl. Sour cream and guac’s on the side. Lemme know if you don’t like any of this and I’ll order something else so you don’t bite Kamilla’s head off. See you Friday!

Tess barely registers half of the note. All she knows is that she’s well and truly fucked.

[aphroditelovesu]

Yandere Golden Trio Headcanons (Platonic)

❝ 🔮 — lady l: another Harry Potter headcanons because my mind is buzzing with ideas yayy!! I hope you like it and forgive me for any mistakes! 💜

❝tw: obsessive and possessive behavior, jealousy, overprotection and implicit murder.

❝ 🔮pairing: yandere!golden trio/harry potter, hermione granger and ron weasley x gender neutral!reader.

You probably did not know, but they were obsessed with you from the first day of class at Hogwarts. All of you were new and some strangers to this world and they needed something they could cling to, something that would not leave them and that someone was you.

You met on the train. You and Hermione sat together and talked a little until you went with the other boys, at her insistence, you went along and that was when you met Harry and Ron.

They were ecstatic to discover that you were new too and couldn't wait to be with you at Hogwarts. Once you were selected into a house other than theirs, they would sulk and even get angry. But if you were a Gryffindor like them, there would be no problem to deal with.

They are incredibly possessive of you and they will get upset and irritated when you are with someone other than them, especially if it is someone like Draco Malfoy. You are theirs, you had become theirs since the first conversation on the train and you would continue to be theirs.

Harry is the least possessive, but he is still very jealous of you, even with his own friends. He is very kind and polite, so loyal to his friends and so adored, there is no bad intention in his actions and his thoughts are all about you. He needs to protect you, take care of you because he can't bear to lose you.

He is very calm and rarely loses his temper, Harry just wants to protect you and take care of you. He can't lose anyone else and he can't lose you. Harry is very overprotective and suffocating at times, wanting to know how you are and what you are doing. He's just looking out for you like a good friend would.

Ron is very possessive and suffocating, his insecurity will take him to extremes just to get your affection. He is very lively and optimistic, he is always the one who will lift you up and make you laugh every time you are feeling bad. He cares for you very much and secretly longs to be your favorite.

He is very insecure deep down and fears being abandoned by you, and he can't have that. Ron likes to keep you with him, always keeping you safe and secure, and most importantly of all, just with him. Ron is very spontaneous and lively, desperately wanting to be loved by you.

Hermione is the most balanced, or so she likes to think. She is very intelligent and kind to you, always making sure you are well and happy. Hermione likes to stay by your side in silence, whether it's reading a book or talking about something. She would love to help you with your studies, even if you don't need it, but it would make her very happy.

She is very possessive and manipulative, having seen you first, she should have more right to you. Hermione is fiercely protective of you and jealous, wanting to be the only one to have your attention. She is very careful about you and is always trying to help you, even if you don't need it, but this helps her feel needed. Hermione is a big fan of hers, always rooting for you.

They are extremely protective of you and they are willing to do anything for you, including using forbidden magic. Harry is very suffocating and needs constant reassurance that you are okay, Ron desperately wants your attention and affection and Hermione needs to care and guide you.

You will always be theirs. There's no way to walk away, even if you wanted to. They would never dare to harm you in any way, but if you are resolute in doing things that they vehemently disapprove of, punishment will be meted out. They don't want to scare you, that's the last thing they want, but they have limits.

At any sign of conflict or danger you will be removed. It doesn't matter if you know how to fight or are good with spells, they won't risk your safety and your life. And if you are hurt, they will go into a frenzy of rage and worry and will not stop until they find the culprit and deal with them. No one can hurt you.

Harry would always protect you and be by your side, holding your hand if you needed it. Ron will always cheer you up and say the right things to make you happy and Hermione will always guide you and take care of you in her own way.

Once they become obsessed with you, there is nothing to be done. Not even Dumbledore could help you, not when the obsession, the need to protect you, was already so ingrained in the Trio. You would have to get used to being deeply loved and protected because they aren't going anywhere and neither are you.

[cjlouwho]

Buck is rubbing Tommy's bare chest for the first time. He has never really felt up a big muscular hairy chest before

It shouldn't feel this easy.

That's what Buck kept telling himself.

Yet, every step they took together was just that.

Easy.

Buck had never been with another man in any type of romantic way. He'd never felt the rough stubble of a two day old beard when he kissed someone. Never had calloused hands tilt his chin up into a kiss. Never had someone with bigger muscles than his own pull him close. Never felt another dick pressed up against his through the fabric of his jeans.

Certainly had never done the things he'd done tonight. Which led them to now, pressed up against each other, legs tangled together, Buck's chest tucked into Tommy's side. He rested a hand over Tommy's chest, feeling his heartbeat, pressing a kiss to his peck when Tommy hummed in contentment.

Buck had made dinner that night. They had planned to watch a movie afterward, but Tommy kept looking at him in that way and Buck couldn't help but forget about doing dishes or starting a movie when his mouth could be on Tommy's instead.

They'd each lost a layer of clothing by the time they made it up Buck's stairs and into the bedroom. Tommy had managed to mutter out a couple, “Are you sure?” and “Is this okay?” questions before Buck, with Tommy's dick in his hand, informed him it was all very much okay and he would let him know if anything changed.

But the look on Tommy's face when they moved just right, the way his abs became more defined when he'd suck in a breath, the noises he made when Buck licked over his nipples, how their bodies felt so perfect together in ways that Buck couldn't even describe. There was no way anything was going to change. No way he'd be stopping this from happening.

There should have been some awkwardness. Should have been fumbling and stuttering and anxiety, but there was none.

Even now, his hand running absentmindedly down Tommy's chest, all Buck could think about was how amazing he felt. How comfortable. Safe.

It was so different from anything he'd ever experienced before. Part of him felt silly. He was glad Tommy had his eyes closed, his own hand sliding up and down Buck's back. Buck was embarrassed by the fact he was blushing. Especially after everything they just did.

But his eyes were transfixed on Tommy's chest. The hair, the firmness of his muscles, the way Buck's fingers moved up and down over his abs like a car driving over hills.

His skin was so warm. And maybe that in itself wasn't exactly new, but it felt new. Different.

They didn't even have the covers over them. Just bare bodies tangled together while the fan spun above them. But Buck didn't feel cold. All he felt was the warmth of Tommy wrapped all around him.

Different.

Comfortable.

Safe.

Perfect.

“Evan?” The raspiness in Tommy's voice only soothed him further.

“Yeah?”

“I can feel you thinking. You okay?”

Buck couldn't help but smile. Tommy was always checking in. Always wanted to make sure they were on the same page.

Buck let out a relaxed sigh. “I- I think I could stay like this forever.” He whispered the words into Tommy's skin like they were a precious secret. He hoped it didn't sound too cheesy. Hoped he didn't say too much. Make it too personal.

His worries were quickly squashed when Tommy pulled him even closer, pressing a kiss to the top of his head, whispering back, “Me too.”

[thankskenpenders]

IDW's Knuckles 30th Anniversary special

I'm still working on finishing Shadow Generations and writing up a big thing about it (yes, yes, it's taken me a month to finish a four hour game, I know), but in the meantime we've got another new Classic era comic out from IDW! Let's talk about that.

The last Classic era release we got was the Fang miniseries earlier this year, which I mostly enjoyed but also found a bit underwhelming. It felt like we were getting diminishing returns with the Classic comics. Ian seemed to be struggling to make the Classic era feel fresh within Sega's current restrictions for that branch of the brand, a branch that by its very nature discourages experimentation and new ideas in a way that the ever-evolving Modern era doesn't. He was mostly just playing the hits, sticking the currently permitted Classic era characters next to each other in straightforward one-off adventures and letting the art team do their thing. We were getting the Ian who was happy to simply be able to take these toys out of the toy box. Again, these comics have been fine, and the art's always a treat, but the novelty of simply seeing a comic with the old character designs was wearing off for me when the stories didn't have as much meat as Ian's (or Evan's) excellent Modern era work.

And then along comes this Knuckles 30th Anniversary special, which is by far my favorite Classic Sonic comic Ian's written for IDW.

...I can't really talk about why it's so good without getting into spoilers, though. The short version is that it's a really nice little story about Knuckles and another character from the games, who's used as a great foil for him... except the solicit didn't even say which character it is, so I'm hesitant to say here. But if you're a fan of Knuckles, you should definitely just go read this. It's great. This one's mandatory reading to me.

And with that out of the way, let's dig deeper and get into the spoilers.

The spoiler zone

After an opening that very blatantly homages Tyson Hesse's old Knuckles comic (yes, the very same one that helped inspire the name of this blog), Knuckles realizes that Angel Island has drifted near the Northstar Islands from Sonic Superstars, and decides that the Master Emerald must be giving him a mission to train the archipelago's own resident guardian.

Yes, this isn't just a Knuckles comic. It's a Knuckles and Trip comic!

I was really delighted by this. I like Trip a lot, and it's nice to get this chance to expand upon her as a character. I think this is her first speaking role, even? I'm glad to see her stick around, and I'm glad to see her appear in the comics so soon, especially since we're still waiting for the mainline comics to incorporate Sage. She's still clumsy and fairly timid, like in the game, but without the looming thread of Eggman she gets to let loose a little. She's very exuberant and expressive and playful, especially thanks to Aaron Hammerstrom's fantastic art throughout the issue (complemented with inks by Rik Mack and colors by Valentina Pinto). It makes sense why she gets along so well with Amy. I hope we get to see those two interact more in the future!

Anyway, so Knuckles shows up on the Northstar Islands after contemplating his lot in life, and realizes that he and Trip have a lot in common. She's not as strong or confident as him, but they're both the last of their kind, these lone guardians of these ancient magical gemstones. He's showing up under the pretense of training her, but you can tell it's nice for him to have a kindred spirit, someone who might be able to really get him.

And then Trip's like... wait, you think I'm the last of my kind?

Yes, the Northstar Islands have actually been inhabited by a whole civilization of sungazers like Trip the whole time! We just didn't see them in the game because, y'know. Eggman was attacking. So Trip told everyone to find shelter and hide from the Badniks. (This actually makes a lot of sense, since you pass by this very village in Speed Jungle Zone. Somebody's gotta maintain those straw roofs and light those torches, and I can't imagine Trip managing all that upkeep herself.)

This also includes a grandfather for Trip, who's been training her as the archipelago's new guardian. Naturally, this has led to some speculation from fans about the old "mandates." In the wake of the Penders lawsuits and Archie's reboot, Sega declared that the comics could no longer create comic-original relatives for the game characters. Has that changed now?

Well, I'm hesitant to read too much into this. For one, as Ian has tried to drill into peoples' heads for years now, the so-called "mandates" aren't a set of concrete commandments from Sega, they just have some general guidelines for the brand, some of which have more wiggle room than others and some of which have changed over time. There's also the simple fact that Sega is working way more closely with the team at IDW, and that people like Ian and Evan are literally on the official Sonic lore team now. Ian can presumably work with the lore team and Sega to figure out Trip's family, and then go and work what they've decided on into a comic, so it's entirely possible Trip's grandpa isn't considered a comic-original character so much as he's a character conceptualized at Sega who just happens to have appeared in an IDW comic before anything else. The lines are a lot blurrier now with all this cross-pollination, compared to the Archie days when it was a separate creative team and a separate canon.

But, again, I don't want to speculate too heavily about what goes on behind the scenes. Regardless, Ian was able to use this comic to expand upon the world of the games and the characters that inhabit it, and I love it for that. It's the first of these Classic comics that feels like truly mandatory reading for the way it builds upon the games. These days we so rarely get to see communities like this in the Sonic world with their own cultures. It's not like we know anything about "hedgehog culture" or whatever. So this is a nice change of pace. The Northstar Islands feel totally different now that I know they've actually been inhabited the whole time, and knowing that Trip is part of an active community with their own history and customs puts a whole new spin on her as a character.

It also makes her a great foil for Knuckles here. He showed up on the island thinking he'd have a lot to teach Trip as someone who's got more life experience as a lone guardian, only to realize his assumptions about her life were completely wrong. Trip brags to her grandpa that Knuckles is gonna train her, but he quickly realizes he doesn't have much to teach her. She may be kind of cowardly, but she knows her way around the island, she can think on her feet, and she can handle herself well enough in a fight, in her own slapstick way.

He doesn't say as much, but you can tell Knuckles is embarrassed about all this. This clumsy kid is showing him up, even though she won't even really listen to his advice! He's also, perhaps, a bit jealous. It's not like he had a grandfather to train him in the ways of being a guardian. (Not in this continuity, anyway.) He doesn't get a whole village of echidnas to teach him about his heritage. He doesn't get fancy ceremonial armor. It's just him, a big green rock, and his two fists. He thought he had this whole guardian thing figured out, and he'd be able to give a kindred spirit like Trip some advice, but it turns out she's lived a whole different life, making him question if he even knows what he's doing. He quickly gets fed up with both Trip and himself, blowing up at her a little.

After reflecting a bit, Knuckles goes back to Trip and comes clean. He doesn't really know how to train her, because no one ever trained him. He figured things out on his own. If he had anyone there to raise him, they've been gone since he was too young to remember. He just knows he has to protect the Master Emerald. That's it. It's a pretty vulnerable moment for Knuckles, one where his dissatisfaction with his life comes to the surface.

Still, Trip sees things differently. He may be used to the fact that he lives on a giant floating island powered by a giant magic emerald, but she thinks that's, like, the coolest thing in the world. HER islands don't fly! And while Knuckles might wish he had someone to train him, Trip thinks that Knuckles becoming such a fearsome fighter all on his own, without even armor to protect him, makes him super awesome and admirable. With both of them feeling better, Trip takes Knuckles to Golden Capital to talk about her heritage as a guardian of the Northstar Islands a bit more, and Knuckles tells her that he thinks she'll be a great guardian before he heads home, once again feeling pretty good about himself.

While this is a pretty straightforward little story about how the grass is always greener on the other side, it's a very effective and sweet one that I enjoyed reading a ton. Aside from the fun of learning more about Trip and the Northstar Islands, it's just a great showcase for Knuckles. (It's definitely a way better showcase for him than his Paramount+ show, as much as I took sick pleasure in that show's baffling creative decisions.) There are also some fun details about his life in here, such as the fact that Sonic, Tails, and Amy have taken camping trips to hang out with him on Angel Island, and the fact that he trained Amy in using her hammer better.

It's just real good, and it feels like the most meaningful addition to The Canon out of any of these Classic era comics Ian's written. We're still gonna be getting more in the future, so hopefully this is a sign that Ian and the lore team have found that happy middle ground where they can keep the Classic comics familiar and nostalgic while also being able to branch out and expand upon things.

Speaking of future comics!

Coming attractions

The end of this issue confirms some things that are in the works for IDW Sonic. For one, we're getting a Chaotix 30th Anniversary special next year. Neat! They also mention some kind of Shadow one-shot dropping following the movie, however fans seem split on whether this is referring to a new story or just the "Best of Shadow" compilation one-shot that's coming out next month. So don't get your hopes up about that in case it's the latter, I guess.

And while we're still waiting for issue #75 of the main series, the IDW team is already thinking all the way ahead to #100, which should drop sometime during the 35th anniversary of the franchise in 2026. Clearly the team's still confident about the longevity of IDW Sonic and excited for the future. And I am, too! Bring on #75!

[lizzy06]

Ushijima Wakatoshi Fic Recs!!(Tumblr/AO3/Wattpad)

Haikyuu! Fic Rec Masterlist

Shiratorizawa Fic Rec Masterlist

Shoot the ball ✨✨💖by alkhale (enemies to friends to lovers, pinning, fluff) As captain of the dying Shiratorizawa Kyudo Club, you're sick and tired of the biased favoritism that goes to the showier sports. Especially the worst of them all—the boy's volleyball team. You're determined make the entire school a fan of your archery. You just didn't know that you had a fan from the start. [COMPLETED]

I Believe You’re My Soulmate✨✨  by @sleepybutwriting (oneshot, soulmate au, humor) Soulmate AU where the first thing your soulmate says to you is written on your wrist. With the phrase you got, you always pictured your soulmate as some nerdy guy, but boy are you wrong. [COMPLETED]

porphyra✨✨ by deltachye (fluff)Despite the uniform of regality, he wasn’t a King but rather an Ace; and he’d long since stolen the title of your Ace of Hearts. [COMPLETED]

Bitter/sweet ✨by krystallisert (oneshot, fake dating, smut )“You could just get a girlfriend, you know,” he continues, hands at his hips. “Or a boyfriend, if that’s what you’re into.” [COMPLETED]

habits of my heart ✨✨by heartcondemned (first love, fluff, heartbreak)In your second year at Shiratorizawa you form an unlikely friendship with the school's golden boy that takes your life in directions you never expected. Fate has a funny way of bringing together the most unlikely people. [ONGOING]

Prodigy by infinitely hopeful Being the daughter of a prodigy volleyball player from Shiratorizawa meant that the demon coach entrusted no one else but you to manage the boys' volleyball team but you need to prove yourself to the captain who feels your role is unnecessary. [COMPLETED]

Red Thread. ✨by deltachye (soulmate au, angst, domestic fluff, eventual smut, )What do you do when your soulmate loves volleyball more than he’ll ever love you? [COMPLETED]

Story Time ✨by @oreosmama (oneshot, fluff)When you are assigned a partner project with the intimidating Ushiwaka, you start to realize he’s not all that scary, and maybe, just maybe you could teach him a thing or two about Happily Ever Afters. [COMPLETED]

  Sober Thoughts✨ by @oreosmama (oneshot, angst to fluff, skippable smut scene!!)Drunk and full of bad decisions, you decide to walk to Tendou’s apartment to wallow in hopelessness over your feelings for Ushijima. But wait… why is Tendou taller and bulkier than usual? [COMPLETED]

you are jealous but you can't do anything because you're not dating him ✨✨by @screamin-abt-haikyuu (oneshot, childhood friends, angst to fluff) You think Ushijima isn't interested in dating.... even if the new student is a famous actress ...right? [COMPLETED]

Wine and Movie Pt 1| Pt 2 | Pt 3 by @seokiloquy [COMPLETED]

Impress Me Not  by @seokiloquy ()oneshot, fluff[COMPLETED]

in proximity✨ by @lcvemiyuki (oneshot, fluff)ushijima asking for help on English is one thing--him sitting just inches away from you is another [COMPLETED]

Love is pain ✨ by @lou-struck (oneshot, fluff, soulmate au) People who share the same heart are led to each other by their pain which gets more intense the closer the two of you get. Imagine how you feel going to a Schweden Adlers game only to feel a blinding pain in your fingers when their Ace makes a block. [COMPLETED]

I need a challenge by @liillyliilly (oneshot, journalist! reader) [COMPLETED]

baby fever by @noosayog (oneshot, implied smut) Ushijima gets baby fever after seeing you with Iwaizumi's kid. [COMPLETED]

from no one to someone by @ennoshitas-princess (oneshot, fluff)You and Ushi-kun have known each other since middle school but never interacted, until he was stuck on some of the problems on an assignment. Sharing lunches and walking together. [COMPLETED]

Morning Runs by @karasuno-chaos (oneshot, fluff) Morning runs with your fiance. [COMPLETED]

In Time ✨by kaientai (soulmate au, fluff)In which Ushijima Wakatoshi firmly disbelieves in the success rate of soulmate-based relationships and you're too devoted to them for your own good. [COMPLETED]

Page 304 by deltachye (fluff, angst)Love had never really had that much meaning to him. It was just a word on the 304th page of the dictionary and that was it. Until one day, he flipped to the 304th page and thought of you. [COMPLETED]

drowning in a dream✨ by ealynwrites (fluff, humor, idiots in love, jealousy)where ushijima wakatoshi assumes they are dating, when in fact she has no idea.

real by @somethinginthethunder (oneshot, fluff) Ushijima Wakatoshi wonders if what he’s bringing to the table in this relationship is enough. At least, for you. [COMPLETED]

Hot Springs by @t0wnspersonb (oneshot, smut, fluff) You couldn’t remember the last time you and Ushijima got to spend proper time together, so when he suggests going to the hot springs for a date how could you refuse? Although, you two are doing a bit more than just enjoying the hot water. [COMPLETED]

you and wakatoshi have a fight by @pies-writes-and-more (oneshot, angst, fluff, hurt/comfort) [COMPLETED]

Sunshine by yril (arranged marriage, fluff, angst) You found a good job with a high salary, but it turns out it was high for a reason. You were about to change your mind but they offer it to be doubled. [ONGOING]

soulmate au with professor by @setter-crush-central (oneshot, soulmate au) You both have matching tattoo lines. [COMPLETED]

jealous by @pies-writes-and-more (oneshot, fluff) [COMPLETED]

rumor has it | part two by @bokutosworld (fluff) among the things you imagined happening on a Friday, being the subject of rumors wasn’t one of them. [COMPLETED]

The Eagle and The Rabbit by @t0wnspersonb (onneshot)Your directional skills weren’t the best, but it never mattered as long as Ushijima was by your side. But what happens when he’s not? [COMPLETED]

How He Shows You Affection by @jayeray-hq (fluff, oneshot) [COMPLETED]

Is Ushijima Wakatoshi a Domestic Deity or Dud?  by @jayeray-hq (fluff, oneshot) [COMPLETED]

oneshot by @omisu (oneshot, fluff, strangers to lovers)your long-time coworker turned friend, Kuroo, sets you up on a date with one of his finest clienteles. [COMPLETED]

[megalony]

Watch Your Back

This is a new Dark! Evan Buckley imagine, requested by anon. I hope you will all like this one, please let me know what you think.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @classyunknownlover @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @kyky9103 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth @chaoticnosleepinfluencer @gs29 @wh0reforsmutstuff @mel-vaz @natashamea18 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

@zoeybennett @mrspeacem1nusone @zephyrmonkey @estella-novella @eleventhdoctorsangel @kniselle @senjoritanana @shauna-carsley @dottierose @cfdhouse51 @darkfemme1 @rainechase45 @lolalolsstuff @jupiter1700 @ashdoctor @an-aliens-ghost @lunaroserites @houseoftwistedspirits @callsignwidow @winterreader-nowwriter @reneinii @bellsbomb @western-pyro @itsgigikay @harry-satellite @midsummereve1993 @babyqueen17 @buckyyyismahhlife @sammiejane22 @mrsyixingunicorn10 @op-81-lvr-reblogs

Dark! Evan Buckley Masterlist

Part 2

Part 3

Summary: Being type one diabetic, (Y/n) relies on Evan for a lot of things, and it makes him very protective over her. Especially when they visit her family, and her sister tries to cause chaos and friction.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A sigh tumbled past Evan's lips when they exited the building. He was pretty sure that Bobby and Eddie had the fire under control by now, the building was almost completely put-out and everyone had been evacuated.

It hadn't been a huge fire, the first two floors, to be exact, but they had to evacuate everyone and keep them out until the building was declared safe again.

At least they didn't have many injured to take care of, they only needed a small medical area set up to the left of the building. There were less than ten people that needed medical assistance.

Tilting his head back, Evan pushed his helmet further back on his head and did a quick sweep of his surroundings. He wasn't too sure what Bobby wanted him to do now. He had evacuated the building, everyone was safe. Did he go and help at the medical tent? Did he do a second check of the building? Did he start packing the equipment up?

He took the time to remove his gloves and stuff them into his jacket pocket. Now the fire was out, Evan wasn't in danger of getting burns and the gloves were restrictive, he hated wearing them.

When he glanced around, his head tilted at an angle and he couldn't prevent his eyes from locking onto a certain figure.

She was stood on the pavement, as close to the building as she could get without risking her safety.

There was a certain look in those deep pooling eyes that made Evan shake to his core. There was something about her that was drawing him in. Maybe she had an aura that was reaching out to him. Maybe it was just her presence and the tender expression on her face that made her look sweet compared to this dull, dark situation.

Evan wasn't sure what it was, but something was edging him towards her. He found himself removing the oxygen tank from his back and setting it on the floor by the truck so he wasn't being weighed down anymore and he was free to move.

His boots clunked against the pavement, harsh enough that it should have left indents in the concrete as he trudged towards her.

She looked like she needed something.

The girl was watching the scene with interest, her eyes were constantly flitting from the truck to the building and back around to everyone coming in and out of the building. But it didn't look like she was searching or waiting for someone in particular. Evan had seen plenty of people desperate to find friends and loved ones and make sure they were safe, and this girl didn't have that desperation about her.

But she was dithering from foot to foot with both arms deadlocked around her chest and a nervousness about her that was endearing. There was something about that nervousness that drew Evan closer. Something about her panic that he thought he could possibly help with. He could reassure her. He could calm her down and find out what was wrong. Evan was a fixer; he longed to help people. It was one of the many things that made him good at his job.

"Are you okay? Can I help you?" Evan found himself rubbing his hands together in front of him and he tried to smile and dip his head down to catch her attention.

But the longer he looked at her, the more he realised she didn't look too well. When he got closer, he noticed she was trembling and her breathing was rather shallow, but she didn't look injured. He couldn't see any injury or blood on her and she wasn't cradling any part of her body or crying out in pain.

"Is- is the office clear now?" Her head ticked in the direction of the building and Evan took a moment to glance over his shoulder before he stepped closer to her.

"The fire's out, but the buildings not been cleared to re-enter yet."

(Y/n) unravelled one arm from her waist so she could tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and she tensed her arm to try and stop the shaking from becoming visible. Her teeth sank down into her lower lip and she closed her eyes for a moment to try and gather her senses.

It was past dinner time. No one in the office had managed to get anything to eat before the fire alarm went off and they were suddenly being evacuated. (Y/n) had missed lunch, and her meds were up in her office. This didn't bode well.

She didn't realise she was swaying on her feet until she felt the fireman's hands suddenly clamping down on her upper arms. His grip was strong and his body was firm when he stood so close in front of her that she could smell the burnt wood smell that clung to his uniform and the smoke that made it seem like he had been grilled on a barbeque.

"C- can you help me?" Her voice sounded so quiet, so feeble and delicate and (Y/n) hated it.

But her voice was like music to Evan's ears. Something about her was drawing him in. He would help her. He would do whatever she asked him to try and help her. She looked like she needed protecting, like she needed looking after, and that was Evan's speciality.

He grinned down at her with a soft look in his eyes and murmured a quiet "Of course," while he squeezed her arm reassuringly.

She unhooked her arms from her waist and reached out for his arms and it felt strange to grab a fistful of his overall jacket rather than his actual arms.

(Y/n) couldn't help the way she winced when she wobbled and set off balance which caused the man in front of her to reel her into his chest. Her head flopped forward and back like she couldn't hold her neck straight and when she dared to try and open her blurring eyes, she was consumed when she stared up into those dark blue eyes.

"I think we should sit you down."

Evan let go of one of her arms so he could hold onto her waist to prevent her from falling to the floor. But when his hand brushed against something on her waist, his brows furrowed and he tilted his head down. He carefully flicked the hem of her shirt up just enough to see what was stuck to her waist.

Oh. She was a diabetic.

"Okay, miss, I need to check your sugar levels. Can I check your phone please?" The device attached to the right side of her waist was a Dexcom, Evan had seen a few of these before.

It monitored her blood sugar levels and he guessed that right now, she was starting to get low on sugar. That might be why she wanted to get back into the office building.

"I-it's inside," (Y/n) chuckled quietly but the motion set her off balance and she wobbled into the fireman's chest, not that he seemed to mind at all.

He tightened his arms around her and slowly eased her down with him until she was sat on the edge of the pavement and he was knelt behind her like a leaning post, preventing her from lying out on the ground. His hand began to run up and down her arm while he waved over towards Hen.

"Then we'll do this the old fashioned way with a needle, hm?" They carried a range of medical equipment in the ambulance and Evan knew they had the monitoring kit with them to check blood sugar levels. He could get Hen to check her levels and give her some glucose to boost her system.

Shivers coursed up and down Evan's spine when he felt the girl lean her head on his shoulder and when she smiled up at him, it was as if his heart was a firework that exploded in his chest.

"I got you, you're alright."

"Evan?"

(Y/n) managed a smile when she watched him head out the bathroom, about to turn and aim for the living room until her voice caught his ears. The smile on Evan's face made (Y/n)'s heart skip a beat and she almost felt bad for what she was about to ask. He probably knew what she was asking because she saw his eyes flit down to his watch.

Her gaze stayed on him as he sauntered into the kitchen and scanned his eyes around the counter. She had her insulin prepped and ready on the counter.

"Need a little help?"

(Y/n) wordlessly nodded and turned to lean her hips back against the counter when Evan headed over to her. She reached behind her to hold onto the counter, steadying herself while Evan washed his hands before he faced her.

The way he smiled down at her had her heart doing summersaults and her head tilted back to keep his gaze when he towered over her. The end of his nose nudged hers, silently tipping her head back a little more so he could capture her mouth in a kiss.

He knew what she was asking. (Y/n) didn't like injecting herself. She could do it, she had to learn since she had been having insulin all her life and she couldn't of lived alone if she couldn't administer her own meds. But it still didn't help that she hated having to do it. Whereas Evan didn't mind.

He seemed to love giving her the daily injections she needed. He had her Dexcom app on his phone so he could help monitor her levels, he was a great cook and could automatically calculate the carbohydrates in the food so (Y/n) didn't get too much or have an inbalance in sugar intake.

When Evan was around, (Y/n) barely had to worry at all.

She inclined her head to the left, allowing Evan access to trail his kisses down the side of her neck and she shivered when she felt his hand slipping beneath her shirt and tickling across her stomach. He smirked into her skin when she squirmed against his touch and she tilted her head down to watch as Evan rolled up her shirt and reached out for the needle.

He didn't seem to bat an eyelid as he bent at the knees to be level with her waist. (Y/n) did her best not to flinch or make a move when the needle pierced into her abdomen, but she knew Evan was being as gentle as possible. He kissed the tiny mark on her skin once he'd finished and set the needle down behind her so his hands could hold her hips and pull her close.

"All done." Evan stole another kiss while his fingers slid beneath the waistband of her jeans and he squeezed her sides and pulled her off the counter so she was pressed up against him.

He felt her murmur 'thank you' against his lips and he inhaled her words like they were the air he needed to breathe.

Evan liked that she relied on him- no, he loved it. Being useful was something he prided himself in and he wanted to look after (Y/n). Evan wanted to be the only one to look after (Y/n). He loved how she trusted him to do things for her.

She trusted him to give her the insulin injections she needed. She trusted him when he said her levels were low and they needed boosting or she should stay home if she was liable to have a hypo. Evan loved that (Y/n) didn't like going out without him. Her anxiety meant she didn't feel comfortable or safe going out alone, and with how heavily she relied on Evan, she didn't feel safe going out with anyone but him.

He accompanied her everywhere, and it let Evan have the control he needed to look after her. He knew where she was each day and what she was up to because she ran her schedules past him. She planned going out with friends around Evan's days off, he took her to appointments. If she went out alone she checked in with Evan and told him before she did it, she didn't make plans on a whim.

He always knew where she would be and what she would be doing and that meant if she wasn't well or something happened, Evan would know about it and know where she was.

Her depending on Evan made him feel useful, it made him feel loved and like her protector, and that was what he craved.

He smiled against her lips when he felt her hands slide up to cup either side of his neck and he loved the way she brushed her thumbs across his jaw and seemed to pull him closer as if they weren't already close enough.

With a growl, Evan leaned down and pulled his hands from within her jeans so he could scratch his nails down the back of her legs until he was cupping her thighs. He lifted her up with little effort and hoisted her up until her legs hooked around his waist and he could sit her down on the kitchen counter.

(Y/n) could barely breathe when Evan's hungry lips stole each ounce of air she tried to gasp for when their lips parted just enough to scrape a breath before Evan consumed her mouth again.

She felt the way his hands left her thighs once he had her sitting on the counter and he slid them right back into the hem of her jeans. He worked his fingers past her waistband until he was cupping her bum and he pulled her closer so she was sat on the edge of the counter.

Her arms rested on his shoulders and her hands continued to graze along his neck but they broke apart when (Y/n)'s phone buzzed on the counter.

She leaned her temple against Evan's and turned her head to the left, trying to locate her phone while she gasped to regain her breath.

Evan's hands stayed firmly tucked into her jeans and he ducked his head down to attach his lips to the side of her neck while she leaned across to grab her one, keeping one arm hooked around his neck. (Y/n) squirmed against him and smiled when she felt Evan's lips part enough so he could graze his teeth down her neck.

"Don't mark me up." She murmured quietly while she unlocked her phone, but she was met with a chuckle vibrating through her neck. She gasped, squeezing her thighs into his hips tightly when he bit down on her neck harsh enough that (Y/n) knew there would be a mark there later. She might even have a blood wheel, it felt like he had sank fangs down into her skin to prove a point.

"Why? Who's gonna notice but me?"

(Y/n) rolled her eyes but a smile flickered on her lips when Evan swatted his hand down on her hip in retaliation.

It wasn't as if (Y/n) would be going into an office to work tomorrow and people were going to see.

She worked from home.

(Y/n) had moved in with Evan a few months ago, despite them only just reaching their one year anniversary last month. When she moved in, he suggested it would be easier if she worked from home. After all, she was always crippled with anxiety and Evan couldn't go with her to work, whereas if she worked from home, on his days off, he would be here with her.

Added with the fact that she was diabetic and prone to feeling ill and having bad days, it was safer for her to be at home where Evan could keep an eye on her.

"Who's gonna be able to look after you better than me?"

Evan was the only one who looked after (Y/n); at least, that was the way he saw it and that was how he convinced (Y/n). He was the only one who looked after her properly, who loved her and cared for her and always had her best interests at heart.

If Evan was going to look after her, she needed to be around him. She worked from home so she didn't have to deal with people at the office like she used to. It stopped her getting anxious. Evan went out with her whenever she had to go to the shops or an appointment or just to see people because he calmed her down with her social anxiety, and he looked after her with her diabetes.

With his face still tucked into the crook of her neck, Evan continued his administrations, peppering kisses up and down her neck like he was adding paint to a canvas. He scraped his teeth along her neck, biting down and sucking bruises every now and then while he waited for her to check her phone.

He absentmindedly leaned into her, pressing his chest up against hers until he was almost laying (Y/n) down on her back on the counter with his efforts.

"Who is it?" His nose nudged against the underside of (Y/n)'s chin and he pressed an open-mouthed kiss against the centre of her neck, feeling the exact way (Y/n) took in a sharp breath against him.

The way he travelled his lips down the expanse of her throat, leaving wet, breathless kisses in his wake made (Y/n)'s mind cloud over. She had to blink three times just to get her vision back in focus.

Her right arm tightened around the back of his neck and she leaned her cheek on top of his head while she tried to read the text she'd been sent.

"Mum," The way she sighed made Evan stop and finally unlatch from her throat so he could pull back.

He looked down at her with furrowed brows and wide, blown pupils bubbling over with lust. His cheeks were flushed red and his lips were plump and a very dark shade of rouge.

"Yeah, what's she say?"

Evan was quite pleased that (Y/n)'s parents were somewhat distant. They were loving, sure, and they were a lot more involved and kinder than his own parents. But they didn't crowd (Y/n). If his daughter was as anxious as (Y/n) and had a condition like diabetes, Evan would be checking in with her every day to make sure she was alright. He would always want to be around her and look after her.

Her parents weren't like that. They checked in every now and then, they took an interest in (Y/n)'s life. But they weren't as involved as Evan thought a parent should be. It allowed Evan to be the main, prominent person in (Y/n)'s life, the person she went to first and who she relied on. It allowed him to look after her in his own way without someone commenting or trying hustle in.

Plus, it meant that they didn't make a fuss when (Y/n) moved in with Evan only a few months after they started dating. And when he proposed last month, her parents were happy. They didn't complain or worry that it was too soon because they weren't that involved in (Y/n)'s life.

With a groan, (Y/n) dropped her phone beside her on the counter and slumped her head forward onto Evan's shoulder. She laid her cheek on his shoulder and draped both arms back around his neck, pulling him closer so their chests were merged together again.

"What'd she say?" He asked again while he pecked the top of her head and started to glide his thumbs up and down her lower back while his fingers squeezed into her skin.

"Cathy's got a promotion at work, mum's throwing a celebration dinner next week." (Y/n) couldn't help the way she grumbled as she spoke.

Cathy was her older sister. The one her parents paid the most attention to. It was another reason why she and Evan bonded so well; where Evan got along amazing with Maddie, (Y/n) was distant from her big sister. But both she and Evan were the younger siblings, they were the ones who were often left out and forgotten and not as involved with their parents.

When (Y/n) told her parents she and Evan got engaged they were happy, they congratulated them, but they didn't throw a celebration dinner. All Cathy had done was gained a promotion at a job that she only got because her boyfriend was one of the executives.

"You wanna go?"

"I don't know… will you come?"

Evan rolled his lips together to supress a smile and he wriggled one hand out of her jeans so he could reach across for her phone. He looked over the message and checked the date. It was his day off.

"Sure, I'll go with you, baby." Evan could tell by her expression that she wouldn't last long at that dinner if he didn't go with her.

She barely walked out the house unless Evan went with her. She wouldn't go to her parent's house and watch them celebrate her sister if Evan wasn't there to calm her down and look out for her. He would keep her calm, he would be there if she didn't feel well or if she felt too uncomfortable to stay or if she ended up arguing with Cathy.

(Y/n) barely managed to mumble a quiet 'thank you' before Evan's lips were bruisingly attached to hers and he shuffled her off the counter so she was sat on his hips instead.

He was more than happy to take her to a family meal; after all, Evan was only one who looked out for her properly.

He had to keep an eye on her.

***

A look of annoyance plastered across Evan's face for what felt like the fifth time since they arrived. His lips pursed, his chin tilted up almost in a look of defiance and his lips rolled together until they were barely visible.

In the year that Evan and (Y/n) had been together, he hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Cathy before.

From what he had seen tonight, he didn't like her.

He tried to hide the displeasure from his face when he felt Cathy's hand on his arm as she walked past him. The way she squeezed his bicep and looked up at him with that sickly sweet smile made Evan's stomach churn.

She was trying her best, he would admit that. She was trying her luck with getting as close to Evan as possible without making it seem too obvious. She had grabbed his arm enough times in the last hour as she passed him or weaved around him. She was grinning at him, tilting her head at that angle and leaned closer whenever he talked.

He had seen it all before, and none of it impressed him. The only girl who captured Evan's attention was the younger sister on his left who had been burrowing into his side since they got here like she wanted to disappear.

(Y/n) was the only girl on his mind and Evan would make that crystal clear, as many times as he had to until Cathy got the message. He wasn't interested. She wasn't his type. (Y/n) was his girl; she was the one he was engaged to and nothing was going to change that or change Evan's mind.

He was glad (Y/n) hadn't noticed. If she knew what her sister was up to then she would become insecure and want to leave. Evan didn't want her getting upset, although he wasn't opposed to spending the rest of the night showing her every way in which he loved her.

When Cathy leaned into him, Evan leaned to the side and took a step back, acting as if he were moving out of the doorway when really, he was moving from her touch.

(Y/n) moved to sit down on the sofa next to her mum and when she kept her hands wrapped around Evan's arm, he took the hint. He followed with her and perched down on the arm rest so (Y/n) could lean into his side and curve herself around his thigh like she was trying to mould them both together.

He carefully slid his arm from her grasp so he could loop his arm around her shoulders. His fingers began to feather up and down her arm as Cathy came back into the room with a tray of drinks.

She dished out the drinks, handing Evan and her dad a bottle of beer each before she held out glasses to (Y/n) and their mum and took one for herself.

"Oh, I haven't eaten yet, I-"

"Relax, it's non-alcoholic." The grin on Cathy's face made (Y/n) swallow down any protest she was going to try and give.

She knew Cathy had been making a few cocktails in the kitchen when they arrived and (Y/n) had asked earlier for a non-alcoholic one. But she wasn't sure if Cathy would of remembered or bothered to make one without the vodka and the peach schnapps.

It didn't seem to matter that they had both lived under the same roof for the first fifteen years of (Y/n)'s life, her big sister never seemed to pay much attention when it came to (Y/n)'s diabetes. She was forever reminding Cathy whenever they went out to eat with their parents that (Y/n) wasn't on a diet, she just had to watch what carbohydrates and saturates she ate because of how they would boost or lower her sugar levels.

It was the same with drinking. (Y/n) wasn't much of a drinker, it was an acquired taste she didn't have, but she liked a drink on the odd occasion. Whenever she had alcohol, (Y/n) had to measure what she drank and make sure she ate too and adjusted her insulin levels. Alcohol messed with her sugar levels very badly. It seemed easier not to bother drinking than to take all the precautions.

Cathy grinned when (Y/n) accepted the glass and they both watched their mum grin and gasp a little when she realised how much vodka Cathy had added to her drink.

(Y/n) took a few sips and scrunched her nose up. Cathy had added a lot of cranberry juice which made it rather bitter, but it was okay. (Y/n) liked the fruity mixture.

She leaned into Evan's thigh and after finishing another glass when Cathy held out another round, their mum headed to the kitchen saying dinner would just about be ready.

"You good?" Evan murmured into the top of her hair while (Y/n) set her empty glass down on the coffee table.

She nodded and leaned over to look at his watch. This was around the usual time they would have something to eat, (Y/n) tried to keep to regular eating patterns to stop her levels from becoming unbalanced. She wouldn't be much good in Evan's line of work since he told her they were often skipping meals or delaying meals for call outs.

They weren't exactly late for eating dinner today, but (Y/n) felt oddly hungry and when she started to flex her fingers on her lap, she noticed she was subtly shaking. She clenched both hands together and pressed them down into her thighs so Evan wouldn't notice. She didn't want him to worry. She was probably just extra hungry due to her nerves about coming here tonight.

"Food's ready."

(Y/n) felt herself go lightheaded for a moment when she got to her feet, but it was comforting to feel Evan's arm swoop in and deadlock around her waist. She let her head fall into the centre of his chest and she bound both her arms around her chest as they walked through into the dining room.

Her mum's cooking was no match for what Evan would cook, but it was still enticing. (Y/n) had gotten Evan quite a few cook books recently because on his days off he was starting to do lots of cooking and testing out the recipes Bobby showed him at work.

Evan tried not to sigh when they sat around the table; of course Cathy would sit close to him.

He had (Y/n) on his left, both her parents sat opposite them and then Cathy had taken the seat at the right end of the table. Close enough that she could lean over and be in Evan's personal space. If she moved her elbow an inch too far she would knock into his arm. And she was near enough that simply crossing her leg over the other would jolt her foot into Evan's thigh.

He looked to his left when (Y/n) reached out for the glass in front of her; Cathy had taken the liberty of bringing all their drinks through to the dining room and refilled them.

(Y/n) was thirsty tonight; drinking too much fruit juice would give her too much sugar, but being thirsty was also a sign that her levels might not be right. Maybe they were starting to drop and she needed to eat to level out again.

He felt the way (Y/n) leaned into him as they began to eat. He loved how she nuzzled her cheek into his arm and pressed up into his side like she was trying to tuck herself under his arm.

Like she was seeking his protection.

Evan loved it; it drove him mad. He slid his left hand beneath the table and started to trace his fingers across (Y/n)'s inner thigh and he felt the way it made her take a sharp breath. When he trailed his hand up higher and pinched the top of her thigh, he felt the way she straightened in her chair and tried her best not to react.

He kept his hand there for a while and tilted his head to the right when Cathy began to speak.

"So Buck, tell us, how does it feel to be the hero?"

Cathy perched her chin on the back of her left hand and leaned closer in Evan's direction while she prodded her fork at her food. The way she grinned at him didn't impress him and he kept his hand on (Y/n)'s thigh while he tried to muster a passive smile.

"I'm not a hero, I just do my job." He didn't see himself as a hero, he hadn't done anything special on the job to warrant that name.

"Oh please, I've read the news. A tsunami and helping that biker trapped in the car windshield at Halloween, both when you were off shift. Either you're always on duty or you are a hero." Cathy waved her fork in his direction before she continued to eat.

He felt the way (Y/n) twisted her head to perch her chin on his shoulder and the feeling of her breath tickling his neck made him shiver.

"You can take a little credit, you know." (Y/n) murmured softly before she tried to keep eating, even though she felt Evan's hand retract from her thigh so he could pick up his knife again.

She knew Evan didn't value himself highly on the job when he should, and she knew he didn't always see the things he did as something special. But he was great at what he did and to the people he helped, Evan was visioned as a hero. He could take credit for that, it wouldn't make him big-headed or give him an ego.

He nodded and made a show of leaning over to peck (Y/n)'s temple before he finished eating.

He knew what Cathy was doing, and he wouldn't let her get a rise out of him or think that he was even the tiniest bit interested.

He wasn't.

The girl he loved was sat to his left. (Y/n) was the one who had his heart. She was the one Evan looked after, the one who needed him and relied on him and who Evan was fiercely protective over. Evan loved how much (Y/n) needed him and how she relied on him; he loved that she didn't go out unless he went with her, how she only felt safe when Evan went somewhere with her. He loved how she ran everything past him before she went somewhere or even thought about doing something.

He loved that she seemed to revolve herself around him because it meant Evan could make her the centre of his world. He didn't have to worry about not knowing where she was or who she was with or if she was okay because she told him these things. Almost as if it was conditioned into her to tell Evan all of these things.

Evan had the control he needed and he didn't have to ask for it.

The conversation shift again and Evan was a little annoyed that whatever they talked about seemed to constantly revolve back around to Cathy. It was like she was the sun and things were orbiting around her, their conversations, their attention, the mood in general, everything was guided from and back to her.

When the attention shifted to (Y/n), Evan could feel himself riling up when the spotlight once again shone on Cathy. She couldn't let (Y/n) have one moment in the light.

(Y/n) closed her eyes for a moment and moved her hand to cradle her temple. Eating hadn't made her feel much better. She knew she had to give it time for her body to straighten itself out and get her levels back to normal, but it usually happened faster than this. She didn't like feeling like this, especially not when she was with her family or in public.

"So, have you set a date yet?"

(Y/n) managed to open her eyes and she leaned to the right to lay her head on Evan's arm when she felt his hand move back down beneath the table to cup her thigh.

"We were thinking, p-probably April." She smiled and kept her head on Evan's arm, but it was hard to concentrate on her parents sitting opposite when her head felt like it was going to explode. Although she did see her mum nod approvingly and her dad grinned.

"That soon? Is there something you need to tell us?" The way Cathy rose a brow and inclined her head made (Y/n) shudder and shake her head.

It wasn't as if they were planning the wedding next month. It was next year, granted it would only be roughly five or six months away, but even that felt like too long to be waiting. They wanted to get married; (Y/n) had a hard enough time as it was stopping Evan from wanting to elope and get married tomorrow. He was always giving her good reasons. The only reason she kept saying no was because she wanted their friends to be there with them.

They weren't planning an elaborate wedding, it would be a small ceremony with the team, their parents and one or two other close family members. That would be it. (Y/n) knew as long as Maddie and Jee were there, Evan didn't care about anyone else in his family. He wanted them and the team, that was it and (Y/n) felt the same. She wanted her parents there, but she would be just as happy if for some reason they couldn't make it. Evan's family was her family now.

"No, nothing like that." (Y/n) tried to grin and make light of her sister's joke, she knew it was only meant in jest. And if (Y/n) were pregnant like Cathy implied, their wedding would be much sooner than six months away.

She nuzzled her cheek into Evan's arm when she heard him mutter "Not yet, anyway," around the rim of his glass.

Evan felt her smiling against his arm as she pushed into him a little more, but when he tilted his head to look down at her, he couldn't help but frown. His lips attached to the top of her head and his hand tightened around her thigh.

"Are you okay?"

"Headache."

Somehow, Evan wasn't so sure a headache was the only problem. He could feel (Y/n) trembling against him like she was sat out in the freezing cold rather than in a warm, heated dining room.

With pursed lips, Evan moved his free hand and pressed the back of his hand against her temple. She was flushed and he could feel a layer of sweat coating her skin. None of these were good implicators. Especially not when (Y/n) looped both her hands around his bicep and leaned into him as she trembled and juttered back and forth on her seat.

Evan didn't care what topic of conversation Cathy tried to steer the atmosphere towards. He leaned his cheek on top of (Y/n)'s head and fished his phone out of his pocket so he could scroll onto her Dexcom app. He had the app on his phone too, for safety reasons. It meant if Evan was at work, he could keep an eye on (Y/n) and make sure she was okay and her levels weren't drastically rising or falling while he was out and she was home alone.

"Baby you're having a hypo." Evan rolled his lips together as he looked down at (Y/n).

He hated the way her eyes blew wide but the way she stared up at him like a lost puppy needing guidance made his stomach tighten.

Her hands tightened around his arm and she tilted her head back so she could look up at him, but it seemed to set her off balance and her head lolled back a little too far. Evan reached his right hand around and cupped the back of her neck to stop her head from tilting too far back and hurting her neck.

" But I hav- I've had my insulin." The way she stared up at him and the panic in her voice made Evan go soft and turned his insides to mush.

They both knew she'd had her insulin. Evan had done the injection himself, as he always did, and he gave her the right amount. Usually having too much insulin would cause (Y/n) to have a hypo and Evan was always careful, he knew what he was doing.

It wouldn't play to his advantage now for (Y/n) to go into a hypo, it would only serve to panic her in front of her family and make her feel worse. It wasn't like a few months ago when (Y/n) had suffered with hypos during the night. That stopped her from leaving the house without Evan and made her even more anxious than before and therefore, she clung to Evan. That had played to his advantage.

Evan glanced over at (Y/n)'s plate, as if somehow the contents would change and show that she'd had too much carbohydrates. But the food was the same as he'd eaten. Her mum always knew how to portion food correctly to go with (Y/n)'s diet.

"I know, but you need some sugar now." Evan stroked his thumb up and down the back of her neck while he looked down at his phone to see how badly this hypo was becoming. As long as he got some sugar into (Y/n)'s system quick, her levels should start to creep back up and they could avoid a hospital visit.

"Oh, why don't you sit in the kitchen, the sweets and stuff are in there." The way Cathy waved her hand was rather dismissive, as if this was nothing at all.

She motioned her hand towards the kitchen behind her and reached out for her drink like this wasn't a big deal. Sure, Cathy had seen (Y/n) have hypos and hyperglacemia before, she had seen (Y/n) collapse and need an ambulance one or two times when she used to live at home. But that didn't mean that this situation was okay and it rubbed Evan up the wrong way how dismissive she was being.

"Evan," Panic lit up (Y/n)'s voice as she held her breath and looked up at him with worry in her eyes.

She didn't want to be alone. Evan always looked after her, especially when she was going through a hypo like this. Being on her own in this situation always made her nervous, she had been through these situations enough to know how bad they made her feel. She felt sick, she shook, her limbs felt heavy and her head ached. Sometimes she fainted.

(Y/n) wanted Evan to stay with her, she didn't want to go and sit in the kitchen on her own and suffer through this.

"It's okay sweetheart, I'm coming with you."

Evan pushed up from his seat and held his hands out towards her to help her up. But once she was on her feet, he watched how (Y/n) coiled in on herself and how her whole body was reduced to shaking. Her breaths started to run away without her and the way she nibbled on her lower lip showed she was really starting to feel unwell.

He grabbed his phone and hooked both their drinks in his right hand while his left arm secured around (Y/n)'s waist and pulled her into his side. His lips merged with the top of her head when she burrowed under his arm like she was taking refuge under his wing.

When they got to the kitchen, (Y/n) flopped down into one of the chairs very ungracefully and she flopped both her arms forward onto the kitchen table so her temple could press down into her arms and her eyes fell closed.

Evan set the drinks down on the table and turned to look in the cupboard above the kettle. He knew (Y/n)'s parents had a treats cupboard with biscuits and snacks and sweets. He looked through the basket and found a pack of fizzy, sour sweets before he moved to the fridge and found a can of pop.

He wasn't sure why the fruit juice (Y/n) had been drinking hadn't managed to keep her levels up though. It was supposed to be good for hypos. What kind of fruit juice did Cathy buy?

"No, no baby, sit up for me." Evan laid everything on the table and sat down in the chair beside her.

He was gentle when he twisted her chair so she was facing him and their knees were brushing together. His hands carefully reached out for her and he slowly reeled her up so she was no longer laid across the table. She was rather floppy and unbalanced and it made Evan's lips curl in panic.

"Come on, drink some of this for me."

(Y/n) tried to smother her groan when Evan held out a can of Fanta for her and she tried to drink a few sips but she was starting to feel sick.

Her nerves tingled and her blood fizzled and crackled in her veins when Evan peppered a few kisses against her temple. And when his thumb pushed between her lips and pulled down her lower lip, (Y/n) felt like her brain was short-circuiting.

Each breath she took fanned against Evan's fingers as he gently pulled on her lip and opened her mouth so he could push a sweet past her lips.

The sugar tingled the inside of (Y/n)'s lips and it made her mouth feel dry and thirsty, but she figured that had something to do with the hypo. They usually made her feel thirsty and dehydrated as well as groggy and shaky.

She leaned her cheek against Evan's palm and closed her eyes for a few moments while he pecked her temple and fed her another sweet.

After a few more sips of Fanta and another two sweets, (Y/n) felt like she wasn't being shaken back and forth anymore. She could feel her limbs coming back under her control and her head was calming down rather than feeling like someone was bashing her skull with a hammer.

"That's better," Evan murmured quietly before he inched forward and stole her lips in a kiss. His tongue darted across her lower lip, stealing the tiny flecks of sugar from her mouth and pushing past her lips like she was intoxicating him and he couldn't get enough.

(Y/n) reached her hands out to cup either side of Evan's neck, mostly to keep herself from falling off her chair and slumping across his lap. But she felt the way he shivered when she feathered her fingers up and down his neck.

"How are we doing in here?"

(Y/n) shifted her hands down to hold Evan's shoulders and she angled her head to the left when her mum walked into the kitchen.

She set the plates down in the sink before turning to face the pair of them with a tender, slightly worried look on her face. It was a change for (Y/n) to have someone like Evan taking care of her rather than have her mum usher her into the living room to try and sit her down and help her through it. When she wasn't well seemed to be the only time (Y/n) got her parent's full attention, which was a reason why her and Evan had bonded so well.

"Panic over." Evan smiled before he pecked the top of (Y/n)'s head and started to glide his hand up and down her arm.

"Good, why don't you both come through to the lounge now, come and have a rest."

(Y/n) could feel her knees tensing when she stood up and her legs felt hollow yet heavy at the same time. She didn't feel like moving, but it wasn't as if they were out and about on the streets or walking for miles. She cradled her can of Fanta close to her chest, pinning her elbows into her waist like she was trying to coil in on herself.

She went to follow after her mum but she glanced back over her shoulder to check Evan was behind her. "I'm coming," He nodded while he reached out for his drink and grabbed the pack of sweets from the table. They might need some more sugar, just to be safe and make sure (Y/n)'s levels stayed up.

He tucked his phone back into his pocket after reassuring himself that (Y/n) was actually coming out of her hypo. But he still wasn't sure why the juice hadn't worked.

Curiosity got the better of Evan and he wasn't sure why, but he reached out for (Y/n)'s glass that was almost empty. He took a small sip. Fruit was full of sugar and fruit juice was high in sugar and great for diabetics.

Evan grimaced and his nose crinkled when he took a gulp. That wasn't juice, that was a cocktail.

It was faint, but Evan could taste vodka and the slightest hint of peach schnapps. Evan had been on enough nights out and had enough bad times in his life to resort to drinking to make himself feel better. He knew what a cocktail tasted like. He also knew that Cathy wasn't stupid, she knew (Y/n) couldn't have alcohol unless she adjusted her insulin and especially not on an empty stomach.

(Y/n) had told her she didn't want alcohol when they came in tonight and Cathy had blatantly ignored and lied to her.

She could have sent (Y/n) into a worse hypoglycaemic state. She could have put her in the hospital, she had risked (Y/n)'s health tonight like she thought this was some kind of game.

Well it wasn't. This wasn't a game and Evan wasn't going to stand for what Cathy had done to his girl.

Evan tossed the glass into the sink with a bit more abandon than he intended and he was sure he heard the glass crack. His fingers began to drum around the neck of his beer bottle and he dumped the sweets back on the table as his arms started to tremble with rage.

"Need another drink?" The sultry tone to Cathy's voice had shivers coursing up and down Evan's spine.

He snapped his head to look behind him over his right shoulder and he took a deep breath as his lips rolled into a thin line until they were almost invisible. The way she walked towards him with her hips swaying infuriated him and when her hand reached out and squeezed his bicep, Evan felt like his vision had been tinted red.

He hummed quietly, twisting his body to follow her movements as she walked past him to aim for the fridge, and Evan found himself stalking after her. He moved slow, feet barely lifting from the floor as not to make a sound like a predator stalking its prey.

His hands clenched into fists at his sides after he set his bottle down on the counter and his shoulders hunched up to be level with his jaw. His biceps seemed like they were bulging out of his shirt and Evan glowered when he realised how he towered over Cathy the same as he did (Y/n).

But this was was different. This wasn't Evan towering over (Y/n), trying to pin her to his chest and consume her whole. This wasn't him wrapping around her like a security blanket or using his height and build to his advantage to subdue (Y/n) and turn her to putty in his hands.

This was Evan towering over the person he was getting ready to destroy. The person who had threatened the girl Evan loved, the girl who was Evan's whole world and who he made it his mission to look after and make her his.

Cathy had tried to hurt her, and she had to pay for that.

When Cathy reached the fridge, she sensed just how close Evan was standing behind her and instead of opening the fridge, she turned around. Her grin broadened until her smile was reaching her seductive eyes and her head angled to the right while she leaned her back against the fridge.

"Oh, so-"

Whatever she had been prepared to say faded into a gasp as her painted rouge lips splintered into a gasp and her teeth flashed when Evan's hand curled around her throat.

Tears welled up in her eyes and both her hands scratched into Evan's wrist, but he didn't feel her touch. He could barely feel his hands from the amount of adrenaline coursing through his veins so her nails trying to scratch at his skin wasn't going to make a dent on him.

He leaned down until Cathy was well and truly a caged animal and he moved his free hand to press his finger against her sickly red lips that were so bright the colour was offending. She seemed to get the silent message he was conveying and she held her breath, even though she could barely breathe as it was. Her head started to nod and her chin pressed down into his hand to try reassure him that she wasn't about to scream or make a single sound to alert her family what he was doing.

"Now you're not going to cause another scene, you're going to listen." His voice was quiet but the authoritiative tone was crystal clear.

He waited patiently for Cathy's terrified, wide eyes to blink and focus on him and for her to stop breathing in so much it felt like she was a balloon about to burst. When she finally started to exhale and take shallow little breaths, Evan's lips formed a crooked grin that made her shudder back against the fridge.

She let a tiny hum gurgle at the back of her throat and she rapidly blinked to try and convey that she was listening. She was waiting for him to tell her what on Earth he was doing and why.

"I don't think I need to ask why I tasted vodka in (Y/n)'s glass, do I?" Cathy shook her head and a tiny croak left her lips. She had been caught out and they both knew it. "That's what I thought. And do I take it you caused that hypo on purpose, somehow to gain my attention?"

Evan wasn't quite sure why Cathy thought that giving (Y/n) a hypo would get her to have his attention rather than (Y/n). This little stunt had made Evan worried about (Y/n), it made him want to take her home to keep her safe, especially now he knew that this had happened on purpose and was by no means a coincidence.

Doing that to (Y/n) was only going to raise Evan's concerns about her and drive him wild. It wasn't going to make him suddenly fawn over Cathy or want to be closer to her. He would of given her any attention even if he hadn't of found out what she'd done.

When she nodded again, Evan watched as tears began to well up in her eyes and one or two tears trickled down her face. She looked feeble and timid which wasn't her usual personality and the way her lower lip was wobbling made Evan want to laugh crudely at her.

It was clear she was feeling silly about what she'd done. Evan hoped she realised how stupid she had been rather than feeling bad that she had been caught out.

"So you've just threatened my girl. And I don't care if you're family, I don't let people get away with that."

His fingers punctured into her throat and he gave a rather forceful squeeze until Cathy's eyes were bulging in their sockets and her jaw started to wriggle. Her hands slapped his wrist and she pushed back into the fridge, desperately trying to make him relent. Her chin dropped down onto his hand as fresh tears began to trickle down her face as she couldn't catch a single breath.

He revelled in the utter panic in Cathy's eyes and the desperation shrouding her face as her feet started to skid against the tiled floor and her mouth wriggled, but no sound or air left her paling lips.

The terror on her face made Evan's grin widen and his eyes narrowed. He could of stood there and choked the life out of her. He could of carried on until she passed out and crumpled to the floor like a used tissue. But when she really started to struggle, Evan suddenly relaxed his hand until the base of his fingertips were just barely pressing down on her throat.

He felt the way her pulse throbbed against his fingers and the veins started to protrude against her throat as she gasped and choked, gagging on the air she needed to inhale.

"Please, I won't- I swear, I-" Cathy gasped for air, trying to find the right words but she couldn't talk. Her throat burned like she had swallowed acid and her skin was pulsing and throbbing.

She wouldn't tell. If he didn't do that again and stayed away from her, she wouldn't tell her parents or (Y/n) what he'd just done. She would stay away from both of them if Evan left her alone, she would promise him that. He was unhinged and Cathy wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

"Pleading with me isn't going to work." His grin seemed to widen when Cathy whimpered and shrunk back against the fridge.

"I'm sorry." The word bubbled past her lips as a few more tears of anguish and fear trickled down her face.

She didn't know Evan; if she knew him better and knew he had these kind of tendencies, she wouldn't of given (Y/n) those cocktails. She wouldn't of made those passes at Evan and ignored her little sister. She would of stayed as far away from the couple as possible if she knew he was like this.

Surprise pooled in her blown pupils when Evan took a step back and allowed an air of space to grow between them.

She was expecting him to grab her again, to hit her or break her wrist or maybe even clutch her hair and drag her around like a ragdoll. She was expecting Evan to do something manic, maybe even drag her out the back door and hurt her some more. But Cathy wasn't expecting Evan to let her go and step back.

Was he going to stop? Was this just a warning and he would let her off as long as she didn't do anything else?

Her hands moved to cup her neck and she began tracing her fingers along her throat, rubbing up and down the tender spots where she would have fingerprints and bruises come the morning. She tried to smother her cough into her arm, she didn't want to attract her family's attention. Not when Evan had already warned her to stay quiet.

"Watch your back. I haven't decided yet how you're going to pay for this mistake."

The warning tone in Evan's voice made Cathy whimper and she cowered down, smothering a shriek when Evan's hand latched into her hair. Her eyes fell closed and she coiled her arms to her chest, holding her hands out like she was trying to show she wasn't dangerous or begging for mercy.

She stumbled on her feet as Evan gave her a shove towards the other end of the kitchen where they had a downstairs bathroom right at the back of the house. And she was sure she heard him utter "Disappear." through a grunt before he aimed in the opposite direction towards the living room.

He shook his arms at his sides, ridding the excess adrenaline from his system as he walked into the living room and eased down onto the sofa beside (Y/n). His lips formed into a smile when (Y/n) immediately tucked herself beneath his arm that looped around her shoulders and his lips attached to the top of her head.

"Where's Cathy got to?"

"Bathroom, she didn't look too well." Evan scuffed his free hand across his jaw before he made a slight hint, pointing towards the drinks on the coffee table. Everyone had seen Cathy drink quite a lot tonight and now that her hair had fallen out of its fancy get-up and she had been crying, it would add to the implication that she was drunk.

He was quite surprised (Y/n)'s parents believed the implication, for her dad shook his head with a sigh and her mum made a little dissatisfied noise and shook her hands like she was dismissing the subject. Clearly Cathy wasn't as high and mighty as she liked to make out.

(Y/n) felt like smiling at the notion that Cathy was drunk, it was just like her sister to be boastful and get ahead of herself like this.

Both her parents mused themselves with a quiet conversation about going to check on Cathy as the pair of them flitted about the living room. (Y/n) watched them for a moment before she turned to look at Evan when he leaned over her.

She could feel her nerves igniting and restarting the trembling she'd had earlier when Evan ducked his head down and attached his lips to the junction of her neck just below her jaw. Her hand reached over to grip his arm, silently trying to see what he was up to because although her parents weren't watching them, they were still in the same room.

"Wanna go home, baby?" The way Evan glided his hand over (Y/n)'s thigh made her jump and he grinned against her neck at the reaction.

His teeth grazed over her skin, just starting to create a sting and (Y/n) knew she would have another bruise to add to her collection soon. But she felt his hand crawl across her thigh until his fingers were tracing the inside of her leg, inching higher and higher towards a dangerous area.

"Evan…" She muttered against his temple and pressed a few kisses there to try and ward him to stop. But she was inclined to agree and go home soon. They had been here for long enough and the hypo had made her feel tired and shaky. (Y/n) would rather be at home where she felt safe and comfortable, where it would be just the two of them and it was clear Evan felt the same.

"I wanna take care of you, baby." His words were peppered along her neck like a quiet promise spoken into her skin and (Y/n) found herself nodding into his hair.

It was time to leave.