#but i remember this day SO CLEARLY. i remember where i was who i was talking to who told me etc etc

[izadi234]

Forget me not

-Warning: Contain yandere themes, neglected! gn!reader, mention of low self-esteem, the writer's first language isn't English. Yan! Batfamily x gn! Chapters Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 (You're here)

Chapter 6

Meanwhile Duke and you spent the afternoon playing at an arcade and while you were playing, Duke checked the family group. Dick had sent a message calling for a meeting but he ignored it and decided to focus on spending time with you.

Alfred's plan must have already started

After playing for a while you both decided to go to dinner at Duke's favorite restaurant so you could talk in a more relaxed way. These moments with you made Duke feel like he was a little kid again, forgetting about school, his parents' tragedy and even that he was a vigilante. Once you got to the restaurant and sat at your table, you talked a little about some series and video games that you both liked until Duke asked something that he had never dared to ask before.

"Can I ask you a question, (Name)?"

"Sure!" you nodded

"Why are you studying journalism?" the younger one asked

Duke was not stupid, he was also a detective like the rest of the family, he knew that your career decision had been made because of the death of your parents, but he wanted to know about your life before the mansion.

And so maybe he'll know how to make your next stay more comfortable

"Well umm..." you said a little thoughtfully but still smiling

"I don't think I've told you about my mom and... and my dad, right? Before I went to live at Wayne Manor" you specified

Duke just shook his head as he waited for you to continue talking.

"Well, I chose my career because of them"

"And why?" Duke asked a little more insistently "And Bruce wasn't your father?"

"I mean, if Bruce is my father biologically speaking but..." you sighed and looked at him with a sad smile

"I think it won't hurt to tell you. I trust you" you took his hand in yours and squeezed gently making Duke smile at you

"Before living in Wayne Manor, I lived with my mom and another man, his name was (F/N) (father's name) and he met my mother when she had found out that she was pregnant with me. They met by chance, my mother was a great scientist and he was a journalist and the day they met, he came to interview Bruce for a new project they were doing. He was lost in the big building of Wayne Enterprices and that's where he found mom. She kindly helped him and from what he once told me he was immediately smitten by her. They started dating and ended up falling in love but before that my mom found out that she was pregnant with me and it was clearly not (F/N)'s, but when she told him about her pregnancy and who I was child of, he didn't care and he was with her throughout her pregnancy. Mom quit Wayne Enterprises and moved in with my father. Then I was born and everything was perfect until... one day it wasn't anymore..." you started to tell him, but at the end of your story you had a more somber face

"I..." Duke wanted to talk but he didn't know what to say "And... what happened next?"

You hesitated to talk but he was Duke, he was YOUR brother, of course you could trust him

"Dad was covering an event in downtown Gotham when there was an explosion near the place. I remember it like it was yesterday" you smiled sadly "I was always excited to see him on television and that day was no exception. My mother and I were in the TV room, she was sitting on the couch while laughing at my excitement and I was sitting on the floor in front of the TV. And it was when he was announcing the capture of the Joker in a building when an explosion happened causing the signal to cut out. My mother immediately took me away from the TV and we both went to my room where she tried to calm me down, making sure he was okay but I knew she was scared too. Hours later I fell asleep but I woke up to my mom crying and that was when I knew dad hadn't made it. The funeral was the next day and even though she tried to look strong I knew she was just as bad or worse off than me. Months later, my mom started getting sick, I thought it was because of her low mood but she soon had to be admitted to the hospital. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer and had at most a few months left, in the meantime I stayed with a neighbor, she was an old lady but I saw her as a grandmother. She took me to see my mom every day and one of those days I heard them talking about my real father. Mom tried to convince my nanny to adopt me when she was gone but my nanny refused, she said I would live a better life with my biological father. Weeks later she died too and immediately child services contacted Bruce and well you know the rest"

You looked at Duke still with a small smile

"Does anyone else know all this?" Duke asked after a few seconds of silence

"Nope" you shook your head "Well, Alfred but in a very general way, just what child services told him when he picked me up from that place"

"And yes, I chose to study journalism because of my father. He inspired me a lot when I was little and to this day my dad and mom do it. So, have you finished that project you told me about the other day?"

"Let me walk you home" you said to Duke as you walked through the almost dark streets of Gotham

"Oh no, really! I don't want to cause you any trouble" Duke said a little embarrassed

"Of course not Duke!" you put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed him a little "You're my brother, I'm not going to leave you alone in these dangerous streets"

"I'm a vigilante" he reminded you

"And?" you hugged him

"You're always going to be my little brother"

"You're embarrassing me!" the boy exclaimed as he tried to separate himself from the hug although to be honest, he would never reject a hug from you

"Oh no, they just grow up and they don't even want a hug from their sibling anymore" you said dramatically making both of them laugh

"But seriously, I'll give you a ride to Wayne Manor" you said

"Do you have a car?!" He asked surprised

"No... but a motorcycle, I left it in a parking lot near here. Let's go."

They walked until they reached a parking lot where you had your motorcycle at the back. You handed him your helmet so he could put it on.

"What about you?" Duke asked when he noticed that you only had one helmet

"Don't worry, I'm more worried about you" you said as you got on your motorcycle, followed by him

"Ready?" you turned to look at him

"Ready!" he nodded

"Okay, hold on!" you said before starting the motorcycle

The more Jason looked through the box, the more he felt like he knew you. You liked taking pictures, that was a fact and on the last pages of the album you had some notes next to the photo, describing the situation of the photo.

"Jason?" a voice called from the door of the living room, it was Dick

Realizing that Jason hadn't heard him, the acrobat approached and touched his shoulder making Jason jump a little because he wasn't expecting it.

"What do you want, Dickhead?" he asked irritated

"I was..." Dick interrupted his words when he saw that his brother had several things around him

"What is that?" Jason turned to look at your things again, his expression less hard.

"They're (Name)'s"

"And who gave them to you?" Dick asked as he sat next to him

"Alfred"

"Alfred? Why would he have (Name)'s things?" Dick asked as he grabbed a small purple blanket

"It's some stuff that they probably threw away over time or forgot to take" Jason said as he looked back at the photo album Dick noticed Jason's gaze that was resting on the book and decided to take it but before he could do so Jason grabbed Dick's wrist preventing him from doing so which caused the older man to look at him strangely.

"Jason..?" His voice brought him back to reality.

"Yeah I'm sorry" he let go of his wrist

"It's a photo album. It's (Name)'s" Jason let Dick take the album and he started to flip through it in silence while Jason looked at other things in the box.

"Who is this man?" Dick asked referring to your father

"I have no idea" Jason admitted

"Maybe Babs can recognize him" he said to continue looking at the photos

"Wait... Do you have photos with them?!" Dick exclaimed in surprise

"Yeah..." Jason smiled proudly

"And why don't I have a picture with them?!" Dick said dramatically "I'm their older brother!"

"But I'm their favorite brother" Jason stressed

That couldn't be possible! Dick was EVERYONE'S favorite brother! How could Jason be YOURS?!

"You damn...!" Dick was going to throw himself at Jason if it wasn't for a presence behind them

"What the hell is going on?" asked Bruce who looked at them confused

"And who is all this from?"

"It's from (Name)" said his sons at the same time

"Have you found anything?" asked Jason to Bruce

"No" sighed Bruce as he sat on the couch

"The day of their departure they turned off the cameras for several hours and cleaned their room excellently well"

Jason sighed a little desperate.

"Well... We haven't found anything either but, Jason found this" Dick gave Bruce the album

"Maybe it won't help in finding them but maybe it will help... get to know them better" Dick spat out those last words as if he was ashamed of not knowing his brother/sister for 15 years Bruce started looking at the album like his two sons had done before

"And this man?" he asked when he saw your father of course he remembered your mother, she was very beautiful but equally intelligent.

Yes, it was a very serious loss in his company when she left but this man, he had already seen him before but... where?

"We don't know" Jason said

"I'm going to tell Tim, Stephanie and Barbara to identify him" Bruce said taking the photo of your first birthday. You looked so happy despite being only one year old and what a beautiful smile, it was just like your mother's but... he had never seen him up close

"And what are the others doing?" Jason asked, snapping him out of his thoughts

"Tim, Stephanie, and Barbara are in the Batcave looking through the cameras, and if they have social media, Damian and Cass are still in their room looking for a clue, although to be honest, I'm starting to doubt it," Bruce sighed again

"And Duke?" Jason asked

"Duke..?" Bruce's eyes suddenly opened as he remembered the newest member of the Wayne Family

"He didn't answer or see the messages I sent to the group either," Dick said as he checked his cell phone

"That's it! Duke!" Bruce exclaimed with a smile on his face, causing Dick and Jason to look at each other in confusion

"Okay...?”

“In the morning Duke had told me that he was going out with (Name) so he should know where they are" he explained to them

"Duke and (Name) get along?" Jason asked surprised and a little jealous

"That's right, Master Jason" said Alfred who was standing at the entrance of the room

"Young Master Duke and Master (Name) have maintained a friendly relationship since he arrived at the mansion" explained the older name

"Ha!" laughed Dick while patting him on the back "It seems that you are no longer his favorite"

That made Jason feel a pressure in his chest.

He had to be YOUR FAVORITE again

"Alfred could you give this to Tim, Steph and Barbara, please?" Bruce gave Alfred the photo of your first birthday "Have them identify the man in the picture"

"Of course, Master Bruce" nodded the butler and then left

"So what? Are we going to wait for Duke to arrive?" Jason asked a little gruffly, still angry

"I think we shouldn't wait for him to arrive, Master Jason," Alfred commented as he looked out the window

"Why do you say that?" Dick asked as the three men stood up

"Because he is already here.”

"Well bro, this is where I'm at" you said as you stood on your motorcycle in front of the large doors that gave access to the great Wayne mansion

"Are you sure you don't want to go in and say hello to Alfred?" Duke asked as he took off his helmet and gave it to you

"No thanks. I love Alfred but I wouldn't go in that place again for the life of me" you said as you covered the license plates of your motorcycle with your jacket now that Duke got off. You were a little paranoid like your father but could you be blamed? This place gave you the creeps.

"Okay then I think this is where we say goodbye" Duke said a little sad and you could notice it. You chuckled and hugged him without getting off your motorcycle.

"It's not a final goodbye, besides you have my number" you smiled at him

"I know, but the fact that you don't even live here now is very strange to me. I really miss you"

"And I miss you, little brother" you hugged him one last time

"Text me when you get home" he said once you put on your helmet

"Sure" you nodded as you started your bike

"See you later Duke! I love you"

"I love you too, (Name)" that was the last thing you said to each other before you left for your house

Duke sighed as he watched you leave, not looking back. He walked towards the entrance where the doors opened upon recognition and then walked a flight further until he reached the double doors of the large mansion.

Before he could knock on the door Alfred opened it and greeted him with his usual neutral tone of voice and a small smile which indicated to him that everything was going according to his plan.

"Good evening, young master" Alfred let him in

"Good evening Alfred"

"Master Bruce is waiting for you in the living room with young masters Dick and Jason" Alfred told him as Duke hung his jacket on the coat rack in the entrance

"And why are you looking for me?"

"To ask you about (Name)”

"You were looking for me Bruce?" asked Duke as he peeked through the door to the living room to see the three men sitting in the living room

"That's right Duke" nodded Bruce as he motioned for the younger man to sit

"Okay" he nodded as he took a seat next to Dick "What happened?"

"I need you to tell me everything you know about (Name)" Bruce told him

"And for what?" Duke acted confused

Bruce sighed. No matter how many times he repeated it, it always embarrassed him.

"I want to apologize to them"

"We ALL want to apologize to them" Dick corrected knowing that Bruce was not the only one to blame for this situation

"I have not been a good father to them, I didn't even try and now I see the consequences. My firstborn is away from this family because of me. I should have been more aware of them but I thought that since they weren't a vigilante, they would need less of my attention and now I see how wrong I was" he explained to Duke and then looked him in the eyes

"But you have been able to make a connection with them, and now I need all the information I can get from them so I can find them and tell them all that and more"

Duke sighed but inside he felt satisfaction seeing Bruce in that state, for all the harm he had caused his sibling.

A little punishment never hurt anyone, right?

But if he wanted you to come home then he had to help them, besides he still didn't know where you lived.

"Okay, but I don't have much information," Duke told him.

"We'll judge that," Jason said now, looking at him with a somewhat hard look.

Had he already discovered that he was now (Name)'s favorite?

That only filled him with more satisfaction.

"Okay," he nodded.

Before Bruce could say anything else, Tim arrived in the room, interrupting their conversation.

"Bruce, we've already identified the man."

They all went down to the Batcave and down there were Barbara and Stephanie talking and in the background, on the screen, they saw several pictures and information.

"What did you find?" asked Bruce as everyone approached the Batcomputer

"Well, the man in the picture with (Name) and their mother is (F/N) (L/N)" Barbara began to say "He studied journalism at Gotham University and he was married for 2 years to (M/N) (L/N) and gave his last name to (Name)"

"He died in an explosion caused by the Joker when (Name) was 4 years old, the same age they were when they came to the mansion" finished explaining Steph

Bruce already knew where he knew that man from. He had interviewed him several years ago. He was a very intelligent man and clever with words at that time which bothered him a little. From that interview onwards, the only one allowed to interview him was Clark or Lois, no one else could interview him.

But maybe if he had allowed (F/N) to keep interviewing him, maybe he would have known about his child's existence much sooner and maybe he wouldn't have made so many mistakes with you.

Just MAYBE…

"But isn't (Name) your child?" Dick asked Bruce confused

"Yes, they are" Duke said and everyone turned to look at him so he could continue talking

"They told me, today in fact. They told me about their life before the mansion. They told me that their mother met their father- I mean, (F/N) one day when he came to interview you Bruce" the young man turned to look at them

"And that in fact they're studying journalism like him because they were always inspired by what he did. They have a great memory" he said at the end with a tone of pride knowing that his brother/sister had many gifts even if they didn't realize it

"And how do you know all that?" Damian asked

"I spent the day with them today and they told me about it" Duke said as if it was no big deal

"You... You talk to them?" Tim asked as if he was trying to understand

"Yeah. They helped me a lot when I moved here" he explained

"You said he was studying journalism?" Bruce interrupted

"Yes" Duke nodded

"So if we don't know where he lives we can find out where he studies. Barbara, look up the records of Gotham University on all the journalism students" Bruce asked

"I'm already on it" Barbara nodded and then started typing on the batcomputer

"So... you two are close?" Tim asked Duke surprisingly

"I'd like to think so" Duke laughed a little nervously

"And what do you normally do with them?" With that question everyone started to pay attention even if they didn't look at him

"Well... It depends..." he said "Now that they don't live here anymore we go out to eat and to the arcade and even to the park. We mostly talk but before they left we spent a lot of time in the library, that place was their favorite of the whole mansion because it's more illuminated there. We used to read or they would tell me about some book and even gossip about their friends. From time to time, when you were busy they would train with me or we would also play video games. They are very good with technology and science"

"Did they train with you? Are they also vigilantes like us?" Damian asked for the first time curious about you

"No they are not vigilantes like us" that calmed Bruce down "But they are good at self-defense. They know how to fight"

"But how? I never taught them" Bruce asked

"They are your children Bruce, they are just as good at analysis and observation" then he walked to another monitor and looked for something on the computer. It was a video of both of you training.

In the video you had a sly smile that no one else besides Duke and Alfred had seen on you. While you were dressed in sportswear and some bandages on your knuckles. Duke was just like you, both looking defiant but not intimidating.

"Ready to lose?" Duke told you

"You wish" you smiled with a sly smile

Then you both started to fight, Duke being the first to throw the first blow which you managed to dodge. You both fought for a long time, neither of you giving up easily. After several minutes you both ended up on the ground tired and sweaty.

"Tie?" You suggested, stretching your fist out towards him

"Tie" he nodded, bumping his fist into yours

"You're getting better" you congratulated him

"It's not that bad" Duke said, a little embarrassed with the compliment you gave him

"Of course it is" you patted him on the back "You're getting better pretty fast, I know you'll be able to face Grayson and Todd soon, and maybe one day you'll even be able to match or be better than Bruce"

"Thanks, (Name)" Duke smiled at you

"Don't mention it" you smiled back and stood up

"Shall we take a break?" you offered him a hand to get him up

"Sure" Duke took your hand and stood up

And that was the end of the video Duke was showing them.

"Yeah, they're good training partners," Duke said with a smile.

"I found something," Barbara said, cutting off the tense moment.

Everyone focused on the screen Barbara was working on, looking at a picture of you on the screen and next to it your college information.

"(Name) (L/N), third semester journalism student at Gotham University," Barbara read.

"(L/N)?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, apparently when they turned 18 they changed their last name," Barbara nodded.

He didn't know anything about you, but he was sure of one thing and that was that he had given you his last name.

You weren't a (L/N)

You were a WAYNE

But don't worry, that would soon be fixed.

"But that's not the important thing," Jason said. "Where do they live?"

"They live in an apartment complex near the university" Barbara said

"Send me the address alone" Bruce ordered

"Bruce! / Father! / B!" everyone started to complain but Bruce silenced them with a look

"Don't even start" he warned them "I'm more than sure that if any of you have this information, they will immediately go looking for you but, we must avoid howling at them because they will most likely be furious with all of us"

Everyone looked at the ground at his words, all of them feeling a little bad.

"So let's wait a bit to face them. Now, everyone goes to rest, it's been a tiring day"

Reluctantly, everyone went to rest while the only ones left downstairs were Bruce and Barbara.

"Don't give them the information. It's an order" Bruce told Barbara

"Understood" she nodded

"Okay, now go rest" he said so the girl could go rest too

Then he turned to look at the big screen where your picture was.

You looked so much like your mother and seeing it from that point of view, he was happy, he already had enough with having Damian, who was already very similar to him. He couldn't wait to meet you again after 15 years.

Well as they say, better late than never, right?

Helloooo!

How are you all? I hope everyone liked this chapter! I'll try to post more frecuently. Anyway if you liked this chapter I will invite you leave a heart, reblog or interact in any other way as leaving asks or comments as I would love to heart your opinions and any sugestiones you may have for the story or even theories.

Thank you for reading! See you in the next one!

PD: I have put everyone that has told me to add them in the TAG LIST so please check it out to see If I have make a mistake or something hahahaha.

-Izadi <3

TAG LIST

@eyeless-kun @profounddestinyrebel @holyfishbailiffpeanut @toast-on-dandelioms @dhanyasri @kiarst @phoenixgurl030 @wpdarlingpan @glitterisname @sackofsadstuff @riddle-me-im-sirius @sirenetheblogger @bat1212 @bluelock4life @revysplacexxx @skz-goose @mistfire1999 @vanessa-boo @tatsuri-zomushiki @kore-of-the-underworld @milliu @lee-bits @ch1@ch1cky-093 @leiiasurez @bluemidnightmelodies @lilyalone @plsfckmedxddy @lovebug-apple @jisnothere @akanegotlost @stormz369 @sugarpiehoe @mddbsf @shhhhhhhhhhtellnobody @i-adorehannah @darktrashpoetry @fantasyhopperhea @d3sperate-enuf @expctron @horror-lover-69 @caffeinatedhearts12 @niggrroo @v3llev3t3 @cynniee @imhere2dosomething @verypersonadazzel @asillysimp @type-ink @wisefuncherryblossom @haruskrd @angelicbear @zoeyburton @twismare @bad4amficideas @casspen-starlight @gwyneveire @ferchu0406 @erinhan08 @yoopsity @aki-anikk @24-7aroundtheclockanxious @ferntv @hunter-hears-all @gwyneveire @yuyuzi-ling @shirp-collector-of-fixations @welpthisisboring @jellyedkazoo @mellowcloudland @rainwaterxx @lunaetiicsaystuff @ryuushou @butratherbutrather @tiredhealer5 @nemesis-writer @jjsmeowthie @a4g3lstarfire @chibikochannumberone @hayley1234 @thestarry-nightfox @kittzu @sillyheartmoonnyx

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Weekly Recap | January 27th-February 2nd 2025

Had the audacity to go on a daytrip over the border to the US and all I got was spending way too much money at Target and a cold :(

Complete

the sincerest form of flattery by canadadry (S8E3: Final Approach, Brad POV | 1,7K | Teen): “Your boy—Buck,” Brad says. “First marriage?” “Pardon?” “Well, your wife is—” Brad starts, stops. Remembers at least a third of the lecture he’s been given at least a dozen times by his publicist on the danger of making assumptions. “He calls your wife by her given name—I mean, does the same to you, but I’d reckon that has more to do with professionalism than personal grievances, given the fact that you clearly get on.” — in which Brad Torrence only almost passes out, and observes the aftermath.

The couch is a lawless place by paleredheadinascifi (Getting Together | 1,8K | Teen): Eddie had kissed him. He knows it happened, because the smudge of chocolate on his pants is still there, courtesy of the peanut butter cup he’d dropped when Eddie lent over and kissed him.

Call Ended (beep beep beep) by paleredheadinascifi (Wine Nights, Getting Together | 2K | Teen): Or, Buck wakes up to a series of increasingly horrifying calls from Eddie. He gets to the bottom of it.

Who you gonna call? by scarmaddiewrites (Post-S8A, Buck&Ravi | 1,7K | General): Buck has his first bad leg day since Eddie moved to Texas (Part 1 of The Chainsaw Gang)

Avoidance or Denial by scarmaddiewrites (Post-S8A, Getting Together | 4K | Not Rated): Eddie is back from texas and has some theories about Buck and Ravi....he's never been good at theories (Part 2 of The Chainsaw Gang)

and i'd do it over and over again by playinginthunderstorms/ @playinginthunderstorms (PWP, S8E6: Confessions | 4K | Explicit): Gun to his head, Buck honestly doesn't think he could say which one of them made the first move, but somewhere in between the six-pack he'd brought over and whatever was left of a dusty bottle of tequila in the back of a kitchen cupboard, Eddie—beautiful, radiant Eddie, with his pink shirt and tiny underwear—had ended up in his lap, thighs bracketing Buck's, gasping and grinding helplessly into Buck's hips, the most delicious whines spilling out of his mouth and straight onto Buck's tongue, white-hot pleasure spiking through him as potent as the lightning bolt, so he figures he'll at least die happy.

We’re Looking For Something Dumb To Do by scarmaddiewrites (Bachelor Party, Secret Marriage | 5K | Not Rated): “We should get married.” “What?” Buck chokes, his heart doing some weird fluttering thing in his chest. “Really?” “Yeah, I mean… I’m not a redhead or double your age, but maybe I still have a chance?” In the background, Buck hears someone chuckling—probably Ravi, whose drunk giggles have turned into full-on cackles. “Please, Eddie,” Buck says, his voice a mix of exasperation and something warmer, something fond. “Have you seen your ass? To hell with all the other requirements.” Or Buck and Eddie get married during the bachelor party and Ravi encourages it.

Your Life Was My Life's Best Part by saveyourblood/ @saveyourblood (S6E10: In A Flash | 5K | Mature): A neglected child. A soldier who saw people die. A veteran with PTSD. A first responder. A single father. A widower. Eddie Diaz became everything that was supposed to break him. What is he supposed to call this? What does he call the thing that may actually destroy him? - The one where Buck dies, then he doesn't, and their life flashes before Eddie's eyes.

lights will guide you. by dylaesthetics (Social Media, Eddie Sexuality Crisis | 6K | Mature): Am I (M33) comphet or an impostor???!!! For the record, I am straight. I think so, anyway. Or I did, all of six hours ago, before my coworkers introduced me to the term ‘comphet’. And now my entire world has kind of spun on its axis and I’m wondering if I’ve been secretly craving dick this whole time. - OR after breaking up with Tommy, Buck goes on a deep-dive on sexuality. He needs to tell someone about all he learns, of course, and Eddie seems like the best option.

Golden Morning Sunbeams by Buddiesmutslut (Post-S8E8: Wannabes, Getting Together | 10K | General): Or: As Eddie is debating his move to Texas, a few texts from his son in the middle of the day set him on a course to getting everything he's been wanting.

🔥 An Angry Blade by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Post-8x05: Masks, Cursed Buck | 43K | Mature): Buck finds out that the curse of Billy Boils is VERY real, and far more complicated and dangerous than he could have expected.

🔥 oh brother, I see (you burn like me) by canadadry (Adriana & Maddie POV, Post-S7E10: All Fall Down | 47K | Mature): Adriana doesn’t tell their parents that she’s going to LA. She doesn’t tell Eddie, either—or ask, for that matter. She does ask Chris, and he thinks it’s a good idea—says as much, on the phone, and doesn’t say much else. “Buck will probably be hovering,” is what Chris does volunteer. It still surprises her when the man who opens the door is not Eddie. It’s—Captain America, is the thing that actually comes to mind—a man close to a foot taller than she is, if not more than that, with blond curls and broad shoulders, and he’s got a question in his very blue eyes that’s probably less friendly than the one he actually asks her. “Uh,” he says. “Can I help you?” — Or: Adriana arrives in LA. Maddie has been here the whole time.

🔥 Things We're All Too Young to Know by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon S1-S6, Divergent Post-S6 | 472K | Mature): This is a love story. Even if it doesn’t always look like it. Even if it doesn’t always feel like it. A look back on Eddie and Buck's lives up to now, and what led them to each other, interpreted from the current 9-1-1 canon.

WIP

🔥 Doe & a Drop of Golden Sun by ohstars/ @oh-stars (Canon Divergent, Dad Buck | 10/? | 45K | Teen): Buck doesn't mean to keep secrets from everyone, but he also can't talk about the pain he experiences on a day to day basis. With his nine-year-old living across the country and his custody limited to one monthly visit, Buck doesn't know how to share this part of himself. How does he tell his team of six years that he's had a kid this whole time? How does he tell his sister? How does he tell his Edd-- best friend? It's fine. The universe isn't going to give him a choice in the matter when the worst thing imaginable becomes his reality.

🔥[Podfic] Promising Light by cottagepodfics @cottagepodfics / fic by @cal-daisies-and-briars (Post-S8E8: Wannabes, Time Travel | 80min | 2/3 | Mature): Buck and Eddie fall asleep drunk and in separate rooms after the night of Buck and Tommy's breakup. They wake up seven years later, in an unfamiliar future, only to find out that they're married.

[honeyhotteoks]

i never thought i'd be alive to see my man yunho show this much skin...

how are we doing miss chai? was your day memorable? your coffee warm enough? was this yunho treat enough to pull you through the week? i need thoughts on his UNBELIVABLE acting out bc im clearly not coping well

✨anon

ohhhhh ✨ anon you know me so well.

so how am i doing….. i’m actually amazing - my skin is clear, my bed was warm, my coffee is perfectly delicious. i’m in eastern time usa for those who don’t already know, so i was settling down on my couch with my coffee and my ipad, ready to scroll the news and twitter and then i got the notification…. and i could see in the thumbnail yunho was shirtless, and the rest, as they say, was a totalfuckingblackout i freaked out and threw my phone.

this yunho was definitely enough to pull me through the week though, i’m absolutely going to watch this every time work tests my patience because he’s seriously setting my monday up and my week up for something good.

but i actually do have so many thoughts about this as your resident yunho analyzer…. so if anyone’s interested:

During this Europe tour, three interesting things happened where it came to Yunho showing more skin. First, he did not go to the pool but did joke around with atiny on live who said he should have gone / were joking around about pool pics. Second, he showed up on that live in a tank top and was a little embarrassed about showing too much skin, but then when atiny assured him they’ve seen the same from other members, he said he’d remember that and to be more comfortable with atiny. Third…. his costumes for Europe tour have increasingly started to show more chest which is something he’s always been a little shy about, but especially since the Guerrilla wardrobe malfunction a while back. There’s the lace up white shirt of course, but his Silver Light white shirt is more unbuttoned than I’ve ever seen, and he’s no longer wearing a black turtleneck underneath the purple crushed velvet jacket that had the malfunction.

Next, I’ll mention in the recent voice live he was talking about skincare and his shower routine / hair routine because he had a break out, and was just kind of rambling about it and answering questions. At some point in this live he was like…. ah is this too much / not interesting? and apologized, but atiny encouraged him to keep sharing, they like that kind of thing etc. and were curious about what products he uses and his routine.

NOW take all of that information, and remember that Yunho historically does not show a lot of skin but does occasionally like to be a little extra (whether it’s the booty work tiktok, some of his cheekier boyfriend content etc., sometimes he just gets in the mood to show off)

So whenever he’s feeling like this he usually posts something boyfriendy or hiphop dance content, but I genuinely think he’s been live a ton lately and communicating with atiny a lot, and this was kind of swirling around - the idea that he has quite a modest persona combined with atiny pushing him to be himself more / be more comfortable.

I genuinely, genuinely believe he got a little jealous that everyone was talking about other members. We know he’s probably the most jealous one in ateez, the most possessive over his fans, and while yes…. that’s fanservice and he’s very good at it, I always see a nugget of truth in it when you watch his expressions on lives and stuff.

HOWEVER - Yunho is also not the type to post an outward thirst trap where like…. skin is showing. I think it makes him uncomfortable full stop, which is why people have been very respectful of him not showing too much skin / not circulating the wardrobe malfunction video etc. I think he likes the teasing elements (like when he checked if he had abs after Mingi’s photo shoot) but a lot of that reads slightly impulsive because he’s a little jealous and a little attention starved when his fans eyes start to wander.

So this video is the perfect middle. It’s boyfriend content, it’s soft content, it’s arguably not sexual in nature AT ALL and yet it’s the first time we’ve really seen his chest to this degree. He’s giving fans something they were asking for while sating his own desire for some amount of attention, and doing it in a way that I can only presume he’s way more comfortable with versus like…. shirtless bathroom pics / gym pics / dancing in something revealing etc.

He’s somehow struck the modest and showing off line so perfectly

I guess this is all to say….. Yunho is so fucking good at his job. He’s extremely attentive to what fans are saying and asking for, and he always leans into those things. Part of that is fan service and engagement, that would be natural for anyone making money off their persona or social media, but I also think some of this is just Yunho. It’s clear he enjoys connections with fans, showing off to them and being there for them, and some of his true personality is bound to bleed into that content.

I’ve also heard from him and other members that he’s one of the more “persona-less” members of Ateez. He’s not that different off camera, and I think that says something about these moments of content.

I think we can safely assume Yunho is that guy… he’s kinda dorky, kinda goofy, super fucking sweet, thoughtful, and LISTENS, and he also understands that appeal. He knows the boyfriend content is something he’s personally okay with and his fans love, because he understands it. He understands that some level of sexiness and skin is both appealing and effective, and he uses it sparingly and at the right times, often without being overtly sexual and more just being himself, which is the ultimate form of boyfriend content after all.

Anyways…. that’s my brain rot on yunho for the day. I’m here to say, this man knows what his fans want and knows how to deliver within boundaries HE is comfortable with and I think that’s really commendable. I’m also just further and further convinced that he’s a good guy who’s only real “fault” is an aries jealous streak and good lord we aren’t complaining out here about that when he shows up doing shit like this.

[maxdibert]

1. We’re talking about a high-class bully considered an aristocrat in his world due to his blood status, who also operated with numerical superiority when attacking and, conveniently, had a working-class half-blood kid as his main target, whom he literally attacked for “existing.” The classist conditions are quite evident, and the power dynamics are clear. If you don’t want to see them because you need to justify your love for abusive, privileged brats, that’s not my problem. I fully acknowledge that Severus had plenty of flaws and a terrible personality, but what I won’t accept is blaming him when, in this dynamic with James Potter, he was clearly the victim and the one who was socially and economically at a disadvantage.

2. Excusing abusive behavior with “it’s just humor” is like excusing people making racist or homophobic jokes under the same premise. If we understand that one thing is wrong, we should apply it across the board. Making jokes with a misogynistic undertone that directly ties to the systematic, traditional abuse of women is not funny—it’s a demonstration of the power and impunity that privileged white men have over certain social groups, in this case, women. I’d love to see you defend the same attitude if it were Severus or Lucius Malfoy saying the same thing. You probably wouldn’t be saying the same.

3. Can you tell me where in canon it specifies that those spells were created for being a bigot? What we know is that they were created for “enemies,” and “enemies” can easily be understood as the group of bullies who had been tormenting him since he was 11 years old. Interpreting it as him creating them to target innocent Muggle-borns is something you’ve completely fabricated because nothing in the canon suggests that. It’s your own prejudice driving that interpretation. I’m basing this on canon, where his book specifies it was for “enemies.” Therefore, the knife analogy is correct: I carry a knife to protect myself from enemies, who in this case are guys who might try to do something to me at night. If those guys grab my knife and assault me with it, is that my fault? Victim blaming?

4. No, my dear, you started with the nonsense, so don’t come to me with excuses now. Sorry, but it seems like some of you get very upset when someone calls you out and debunks your fallacies. Well, that’s not my fault. Sorry!

5. James starts picking on Snape the very first day of school on their way to Hogwarts. Was he a bigot then? Did he butt into the conversation and mock him because he was a bigot? How did he know? Was he psychic and saw the future? Also, when the book explicitly states that he decided to publicly strip him because Sirius was bored? Why doesn’t it say they went after him because he was a bigot, but rather because Sirius was bored and his way of having fun was to find Snape alone and attack him two-on-one? Shall we also remember that what happens with Lily happens after they strip him and publicly humiliate him by choking him? Or are you conveniently skipping that part to keep throwing around argumentative fallacies at your convenience?

6. Basic concepts of character development 101: show, don’t tell. Rowling manages to show the reader that James could also be a terrible person through his actions, but when it comes to his “redemption,” she doesn’t show it—his friends just tell us about it, and they were clearly far from objective. Where is this change? Where is the maturity? Where does she show it? You can say something a thousand times, but it can’t be taken seriously if you don’t show it, and Rowling fails miserably at convincing us about James by not showing this so-called maturity she claims he has.

I love it when Marauders stans try to portray Lily as the ultimate feminist icon when any woman with half a brain and even the most basic understanding of gender studies knows that you’d be safer locked in a cage with a hungry lion than with a rich brat who publicly strips people and blackmails you into dating him in exchange for not committing sexual assault. Like, what world do you even live in? Seriously?

[hrizantemy]

I was searching for quotes to talk about something else, and while I was searching, I found this, and now I wanna rant cause it pisses me off.

“There were only a few blocks in the city like that. When I’d asked Rhys about them, about why they had not been improved, he merely said that he had tried. But displacing people while their homes were torn down and rebuilt … Tricky.” (Chapter 4 of ACOFAS)

So... Rhys was aware that people, other than Nesta, lived in the same apartment complex as her. He also understood that it was tricky to renovate, much less tear down, an entire apartment building that people lived in, even to improve it. Yet, it became no problem when he needed to punish Nesta.

He set his plan into motion the day before the intervention, meaning the residents got a one day notice that their home was being torn down. More over, there's no indication that he found them somewhere else to stay, or if it would be acceptable to them. I mean, with a day's notice, they don't really have a choice, do they? It's that or the streets.

On top of that, he didn't even rebuild or renovate them for the original tenants to move back into. It was a shelter for those displaced by the war, which is all well and good, but where have those people been in the last year, while Feysand built their fifth mansion? In the teaser at the end of ACOFAS, Cassian is about to knock on Nesta's door, and as he does, he acknowledged that both the town house and house of wind are empty, because they all stay at the river house, so it wasn't either of those places, even though the citizens, seemed to be able to come and go from there freely.

“As High Lady, I hosted weekly open audiences with Rhys at the House of Wind.” (ACOFAS Chapter 4)

If I remember right, the go there for star fall too, so clearly there isn't an issue with people coming and going. Was there some secret exit Nesta was never told about? How do people not find the entire thing suspicious?

And let’s not forget—the entire intervention was planned behind Nesta’s back. She had no warning, no say, and no chance to prepare. Rhys had already decided the day before that she was losing her home, meaning that no matter what Nesta said or did in that room, the outcome was set. This wasn’t an intervention; it was an ambush. They gave her an illusion of choice while making it clear there was only one “acceptable” answer: obey or be cast out. And worse? The others just stood by and let it happen.

Feyre, who should have understood what it felt like to be powerless, didn’t hesitate to use her High Lady title to force Nesta’s compliance. Cassian, who knew how much Nesta hated the House of Wind, didn’t argue against her being trapped there. Amren, who claimed to be Nesta’s friend, mocked her in front of everyone and stood with them instead. And Rhys? Rhys acted like he was being merciful, like this wasn’t about control, as if tearing down an entire apartment complex overnight wasn’t an extreme punishment over drinking and meaningless hookups.

And let’s talk about the hypocrisy of the Inner Circle’s “concern.” They spent months watching Nesta spiral, judging her from a distance, but did any of them try a real, genuine conversation with her? Did anyone sit her down before this and ask her what she needed? Offer her options that weren’t just “get better on our terms or be exiled”? No. Because it was never about Nesta’s well-being. If it were, they wouldn’t have waited until they were personally inconvenienced to act. They wouldn’t have forced her into a place they knew she’d feel like a prisoner. They wouldn’t have ripped her home away from her overnight without a second thought for the people who lived there.

The worst part? Rhysand frames it like this was some great kindness, like they saved Nesta from herself. But you don’t save someone by taking away their choices. You don’t save someone by punishing them for grieving the wrong way. You don’t save someone by isolating them under the guise of help. What Rhys did wasn’t help—it was control wrapped in the pretty lie of “what’s best for her.” And the fact that nobody in the Inner Circle questioned it? That just makes it even worse.

What makes it even more infuriating is how Rhys gets to play the benevolent ruler while doing the exact same things he would never let another High Lord get away with. If Tamlin had done something like this—had forcibly removed a vulnerable person from their home under the guise of “helping” them—everyone would be up in arms about how controlling and abusive it was. But because it’s Rhysand, the so-called progressive, feminist ruler, it’s somehow acceptable? It’s somehow for Nesta’s own good?

This wasn’t just about Nesta—it was a show of power. It was Rhys reminding everyone that he had control over them, that their homes, their choices, their lives were ultimately in his hands. If he could do this to Nesta, Feyre’s own sister, then what chance did any regular citizen of Velaris have? He made a conscious choice to tear down that apartment complex overnight, without warning, to send a message. Nesta wasn’t just being punished—she was being humiliated, made an example of, and the collateral damage? The people who also lived there? They were just an afterthought.

If this shelter was so important, why wasn’t it prioritized before? Why wasn’t it part of the many rebuilding efforts after the war? Why did it only become urgent when it gave them an excuse to strip Nesta of her independence? They had the time, the money, and the resources to build an entire mansion for Rhys and Feyre, but they couldn’t be bothered to create a shelter for displaced citizens until it served their agenda? It just proves that this was never about doing what was right—it was about controlling Nesta under the guise of righteousness.

They gaslight her into thinking this was all her fault. That if she had just behaved the way they wanted, if she had just healed the way they deemed acceptable, none of this would have happened. They make her feel like the problem, when in reality, she was a grieving, traumatized woman who needed support, not exile disguised as an intervention. But no, instead of meeting her with real compassion, they met her with control, force, and punishment. And somehow, Nesta is the villain? Absolutely not.

They rip away her autonomy, humiliate her, isolate her in the House of Wind, and then act like she should thank them for “saving” her. But saving someone means meeting them where they are, not dragging them somewhere they don’t want to be and forcing them into a version of healing that only benefits you. And let’s be real—their idea of “healing” was never about what Nesta needed. It was about making her palatable to them, easier to deal with, more like who they wanted her to be.

And what really gets me? The double standards. Rhysand and Cassian both use drinking and sex as coping mechanisms, but when Nesta does it? Suddenly, it’s a problem. Suddenly, it’s out of control and dangerous. Cassian drinks just as much, but nobody’s forcing him into an intervention. Rhysand literally spent years letting his trauma dictate his choices, but Nesta doesn’t get that same space to process? Instead, she gets punished for grieving the wrong way.

Let’s talk about how the Inner Circle treats Nesta’s trauma like it’s something she owes them to fix. Like she should be getting better on their timeline and in a way that makes them comfortable. But what did they ever do to actually help her before this? Feyre never once genuinely tried to reach Nesta without judgment. Cassian would show up to her apartment when it suited him, but did he ever try to truly understand why she was pushing everyone away? Amren, who Nesta thought was her friend, turned on her the moment she didn’t act how Amren wanted. And Rhys? Rhys had been looking for an excuse to control Nesta from the moment she refused to bow to him.

What’s even more disgusting is how they used Feyre’s pregnancy as a weapon against Nesta. As if Nesta, the same person who risked her life to save Feyre twice, would ever wish harm on her or her child. They act like she’s a danger, like she’s this uncontrollable force, when in reality, they just couldn’t stand that she wouldn’t submit to their version of what a “healed” Nesta should look like.

The truth is, they didn’t want Nesta to heal—they wanted her to conform. They wanted her to stop being difficult, stop reminding them of their own failures, and stop making them uncomfortable. And that’s not love. That’s not care. That’s control. They acted like she was choosing to self-destruct, like she was deliberately making their lives harder, when in reality, she was just drowning and no one threw her a lifeline until it became inconvenient for them. Where was this intervention months ago, when she was spiraling? Where was this support before they decided she was an embarrassment? They didn’t help her because they cared—they helped her because they were tired of dealing with her.

Rhysand’s entire inner circle is made up of people who have coped with their trauma in violent and self-destructive ways, but only Nesta gets treated like a threat. And the fact that they expect her to be grateful? To look back and thank them for tearing apart her life, forcing her into isolation, and treating her like a burden?

[lillaydee]

Head Over Heels Part 16

Jackson!Joel / Reader

Special Guest Appearance by a Certain FBI Agent who may or may not look a lot like Joel.

You left the loneliness of your home and headed to Jackson with Joel and the teenage girl he was with, hoping your new life would be less lonely. You should've stayed alone.

WARNING:

Non-canon Compliant, Pining, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Joel (The Last of Us), Joel is Bad at Feelings (The Last of Us), Joel Needs a Hug (The Last of Us), Joel Lives (The Last of Us), Protective Joel (The Last of Us), Soft Joel (The Last of Us), Jealousy, Loneliness, Trauma.

MEGA WARNING: Descriptions of Attempted Sexual Assault.

@copperhalfcent @joelalorian @vickie5446 @peelieblue @nandan11 @liciafonseca @senoratess @denisanoemi @lovefreylove @heartpatch

SERIES MASTER LIST

Part 15

---

Joel raised his hands as the guards pulled the dogs away, eyes still on you. He was studying your face. Just in case. He wasn’t going to take his eyes off you until he was sure he wasn’t getting shot. If this was it for him, let your beautiful face be the last thing he saw.

“Wait,” Tommy said, moving towards Joel. The guards stood still, guns still aimed at the man you loved, but did not shoot. Tommy saw it in their faces, how hesitant they were, how disbelieving. He didn’t want to believe it either. He was not losing his brother like this. He stopped maybe five feet away from Joel, just behind the guards.

“Were you bitten?” he asked Joel.

“Not that I remember. Last clicker was maybe two days ago. I would’ve turned by now.”

Tommy pointed at all the muck and blood all over his person, “That your blood?”

Joel shook his head, “Nah, clickers’.”

Tommy turned to Diana, asked her to get some hot water in buckets. Hank, Benny and some of the ladies went with her.

What followed was an awkward ten minutes where Joel was just standing there with his hands up, the dogs still trying to get at him, Ellie telling you she could smell him from all the way where you were standing, Marcus trying hard not to laugh.

When the buckets were brought out, Tommy ordered Joel to strip.

“What?”

“Strip. You’re washing, and then we’ll let the dogs sniff you again.”

“Here? It’s freezing.”

“Hence the hot water.”

Joel looked at everyone who had gathered at the gate, a good fifty people at least. His eyes caught yours and you might have imagined it, but you thought you saw his ears got pinker, even more so than it already was. He took his jacket off and tossed it aside, peeling his clothing one by one, his skin looking red and raw from the freezing temperature, dirt and sweat residues all over him. The scar you had stitched up was visible, and the crowd started murmuring at the many such marks on his well-built body.  

You didn’t realize it until Liv nudged you with her elbow, but you were ravaging his body with your eyes. That dream you had of him was giving you so many naughty thoughts, now that he was here in front of you rather than your dream, and it was clearly written all over your face, your bottom lip almost bleeding from your own teeth biting on them.

Someone brought him a stool as he was unbuckling his belt, toeing his boots off. Some naughty whistles began sounding as he stripped his lower body off his pants.

Well damn.

It was freezing. You didn’t know for sure, but it had to be in the low 20s. And yet, his boxer briefs still revealed what seemed to be something quite impressive underneath.

Damn, you were starting to sweat. Maybe it’s not in the 20s after all?

Someone cleared their throat, and you saw Esther standing to the side, openly gawking at your currently-ex-sort-of-boyfriend-but-hopefully-soon-to-be-boyfriend-for-real's crotch, a sly, hungry smirk on her face. You noticed the other ladies having a similar look, although they were not quite as open about it as she was.

Oh, hell no.

You didn’t realize it, but your feet were quickly moving towards him, turning around and facing the crowd, opening your jacket to cover him.

There was an audible groan from the ladies.

“Oh, come on, Elena. Be a sport,” Esther said.

“Your nose looks nicely healed, Esther. Perhaps we should break it one more time?”

She rolled her eyes, “Spoilsport,” she said, turning around to get back to her job.

“Nothing to see here, ladies,” you shouted, shout whispering at Ellie to come help you. She did, but had a ‘you stink, Joel’ look on her face at all times, standing next to you with her jacket open.

“Jealous, are we?” Joel’s low voice teased, as he took a seat on the stool, hissing from the cold contact. “I thought we broke up.”

You couldn’t see him, but you could tell he was smirking.

“Shut up.”

Will, Benny and Marcus came to join you and Ellie, Hank joining a little later with a blanket which they all held in front of him to protect him from the gawking crowd. You swore you heard some ladies boo.

You took the smaller bucket Diana had placed among the bigger ones and scooped some steaming water, checking that it wasn’t boiling hot before pouring some down his head, tipping his head back a little so as not to drown him. His eyes were opened, looking at you as you began massaging his scalp a little to get rid of the crusted gunk and blood that nested there. His eyes closed involuntarily as you did, making you feel all warm and gooey inside. Must be the steam from the water.

Once his hair was clean-ish, you began rubbing his face, his neck, his shoulders, Joel surrendering to your care, his eyes shut, his body relaxed. But when you began rubbing his chest, his eyes snapped open again, telling you maybe he should continue bathing himself from there.

“What? Why?”

His lips were in a circle, trembling a little, maybe from the cold, but maybe from trying to figure out what to say.

Marcus snorted, his hand covering Ellie's eyes, the teenager questioning his action, and that’s when you noticed Joel's hands were covering his crotch, a guilty look on his face. Marcus pulled a still confused Ellie away, mumbling something about waiting with the crowd instead.

Oh.

“Elena,” Will said, “Maybe that’s a good idea.”

You followed Ellie and Marcus, your cheeks feeling so hot you were sure everyone could see them blush. You didn’t know what Ellie told then, but Maria, Liv and Diana were having a difficult time straightening their faces, bursting into laughter as soon as you angrily asked them what they were smirking about.

Sheesh. Children.

As soon as the buckets were empty, the men wrapped the blanket around a shivering Joel, and the dogs were brought back, happily wagging their tails at him this time.

Oh, thank God.

You couldn’t help yourself. You threw yourself at him, hugging him with all your might and telling him you were sorry you slapped him, sorry you broke up with him. He let you hug him, his arms trapped under the blanket, telling you he needed to go into quarantine now, will you bring him some clothes? And maybe his toothbrush?

You were about to kiss him when Tommy pulled you away, telling you he still needed to quarantine. Standard procedure when he had been alone out there for this long, just in case. You can kiss him tomorrow, he said. You rolled your eyes at him and walked to your old home, happily choosing some warm clothing for him, bringing him his toothbrush as requested, a pillow and an extra blanket for the night.

Unbeknownst to him, you sat by the door, refusing to leave him. You didn’t sleep at all. You heard him snore, God, he must be exhausted. Captain was drinking non stop for nearly 30 minutes, you were told. He fell asleep almost soon after. Poor lad.

Ellie came in the next morning with breakfast, the two of you practically vibrating as you waited for the 24 hours to be up. As soon as the doors opened, Joel found himself almost toppling over from very aggressive hugs from you and his little girl. The two of you thanking him for coming back, for not dying, for finding the books you wanted. And as soon as he found his footing, he gave the hugs right back, thanking the two of you for waiting for him, for not giving up on him, holding his two ladies close to him as they escorted him to breakfast.

You couldn’t take your eyes off him, worried that if you blinked, he would disappear, and that this would all be a dream. Ellie went off to school after, telling you that she would go straight home after school, so please, no hanky-panky in the living room, and ducked just in time as your hand mysteriously reached out to pull her ear. You and Joel stopped at the clinic, the doctor giving him a general check up. He frowned a little at Joel's wince when he was asked to lift his leg, his back clearly bothering him, but he decided against asking the man to stay for a night - mainly because the man was practically growling when asked about anything that might be of concern.

You walked him home, fingers interlaced together. You stopped at his front door, telling him that you would leave him to rest, that you would be back for lunch to bring him something. You leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, but he pulled you inside with him, going for your lips instead, kicking the door closed behind him.

You found yourself unable to protest at all. Realistically, you should demand him to rest. But you couldn’t. You let him kiss you, pull you up into his hold and brought you upstairs to his room. He placed you gently on his bed, his lips moving from yours to your jaw, your neck, your chest, before going back up to kiss you once more on the lips, ending the kiss with a peck on your nose.

“I need a shower,” he said. “I know you didn’t sleep last night. I know you were outside my door. Sleep. I will join you in a bit,” he whispered as he nuzzled your ear, before biting your earlobe gently, and getting up, pulling the blanket up, covering you to your chin, and went into the bathroom.

Wait, what?

**********

Really? He was going to just leave you hanging? You tried. You really tried to see his point of view, as you heard him potter around in the bathroom, brushing his teeth, heard small metal clipping going on, maybe trimming his beard. You got it, sort of. He was tired, he was filthy, he wanted to have a proper clean up, maybe shave. But… he carried you all the way up here, making your legs all useless with his kisses, and then… just… asked you to sleep?

How the fuck were you going to do that?

Especially in this bed, where in your dreams he… well… you know.

And he was right in there, in that bathroom. Naked.

Well, you thought, as you heard the shower turn on, and heard his groans from having the hot water hit his body, technically, you haven’t showered in two days. You needed to preserve water here in Jackson, and it’s winter, so showering wasn’t exactly ideal if you were preserving water and it’s freezing cold outside. But, you thought, realistically speaking, it wouldn’t be a waste of water if you were to say… share the shower… and him being in there was just a bonus. Right?

You could smell the shampoo he was using. So you got up, undressed, and opened the door, gently knocking before you did, even though you knew that he wouldn’t hear it over the sounds of the shower.

Shit, he looked good wet. And naked. His back was to you, so you slowly went into the shower with him, gently touching his back as not to alarm him, and slowly brought your hand around to his front, hugging him from behind. His hands immediately joined yours, bringing one up to kiss.

“Can I help you?” he asked, a smile heard in his voice, shampoo suds running down his body.

“Just thought you might need some help cleaning yourself,” you said, kissing his back.

“I thought we broke up,” he said, teasingly. “Changed your mind?”

“We are still broken up. I’m just being a good friend.”

“That so?” he asked. He picked up the soap and ran it onto the small towel he used to clean himself and passed it to you. You cleaned his back, his arms, his butt, unable to help yourself from taking a bite, and he chuckled at your cheekiness, behave now, he said.

“What if I don’t want to behave?”

He turned, pushing you up against the shower wall, his eyes ravaging your naked body you ran the towel on his torso teasingly, going lower and lower before lowering yourself to clean his now very much awake manhood.

Fuck, he whispered.

You didn’t touch him. Not directly. You proceeded to clean his crotch as gently and as thoroughly as you could, keeping the towel between your hand and his very sensitive skin, while he hissed and cursed from your taunting. You moved on to his thighs, legs, and finally feet, before standing back up and telling him to rinse himself, using the towel to clean your own body after running the soap on it again.

You went about cleaning yourself, acting as if this was a daily occurrence, as he stood there under the water, staring at you in disbelief. You lathered up your hair with shampoo, asking him to move aside once you were done.

“Excuse me?”

“You need to move. I need to rinse.”

He did, after seemingly snapped from a deep, deep daydream, and you moved under the shower, groaning a little as the hot water hit you at full force, rinsing the suds off your hair, your body, humming a little.

His hands suddenly wrapped itself around your body, his lips latching onto your neck. You could feel his stiffness on your back as he growled a little from contact with your nipples, stiff and perky from being in the shower – okay, maybe the fact that the man you had used for inspiration for 16 years was holding you, naked in the shower might have had something to do with it – his fingers quickly trapping the stiff peaks between themselves as he mouthed openly at your neck, jaw and ear.

You couldn’t move. You so desperately wanted to keep up the nonchalance, the charade of just wanting to share a shower in times of need, but God his fingers were delicious, and his mouth… fuck. You tried to speak, but your words came out in whimpers, a squeak, at most.

You jumped a little in his arms when his fingers rubbed your long neglected nub, the activity of tending to such needs neglected from a busy life of running away from clickers and raiders and settling in a new town while navigating your feelings for a man you’d been in love with for so long and healing from an attempted assault, your legs almost giving out at the sensation. He didn’t stop, circling on the nub with two fingers, pulling your body closer to his own, saving you from drowning in the falling waters as your head tilted up, your eyes closed, your mouth open, his mouth never stopping the much welcomed assault on your neck, whispering to you to let go, he’d got you, let go, beautiful. Fuck, you are so beautiful.

And you did, clamping your legs shut as his fingers continued their excellent, deserving of applaud work, body shuddering uncontrollably in his arms, as he soothed you with whispers and promises of more to come.

As soon as he dried you, he wasted no time in studying your entire body with his tongue, sending your rocketing to heaven two more times before finally taking you, holding you close to his body, whispering his adorations for you, his longing for you, rocking slowly into you as he made love to you, his body shivering from control, wanting to get you there again, before you pulled him tightly to you and begged him to let go, that you loved him, to make you his, that you had always been his, and will always be.

He came with a whimpered grunt, his breath heavy in your ears, breathless whispers of love and devotion followed, telling you that he loved you, that he was yours, before, now and always.

You fell asleep in his arms, a dreamless sleep, feeling so much safer than you had ever felt before.

You spent the rest of the day in bed, stepping out to go get something eat, only to find a Tupperware container with food in it in front of his bedroom door.

Oh… that’s right… Ellie…

You ignored the cringing images of the teenager in your head as Joel reached out for you, peppering kisses all over your naked back, and you were back in his arms, and he didn’t let you go all the way ‘til morning.

Joel woke up the next morning with a stiff back, his back being shot anyway from the fight with the clickers. That was why he was so late, it turned out. He threw his back, so badly, he couldn’t even mount Captain those first few days. The steed laid down next to him and made him roll onto him, and he was in so much pain the horse had to walk slower than it would’ve liked. That horse saved my life more times than I’d like to admit, he said. Stood guard over him as he slept, alerted him when there was threat around, and at one point, even chased a group of rabbits so he could shoot one.

Was there enough space in Jackson to plant premium grade barley? What else do horses love? That steed deserved the best, you’d decided. Kingly treatment from now on. Only the best for him, even if you had to starve yourself.

You gave him a massage, even going so far as heating some rocks and using them to soothe his aches. Sorry you are with an old man, he said, sorry you are with a premenopausal woman, you said. The two of you laughed, giddy that the two of you were finally together.

**********

“Well, well, well, look who finally came out for air,” Diana teased as you and Joel walked into the hall for breakfast, three whole days after he was released from quarantine.

Ellie scoffed, “That’s probably because their food supply magically stopped. After what I heard last night, I am never risking going up there with food again,” she said, dodging a punch to the shoulder from Joel, who immediately winced.

“Back bothering you again, old man?” Tommy asked, a smirk accompanying the concern. Joel nodded, blushing a little at the implication.

“Threw it fighting the clickers off,” he grunted, punching a now laughing Tommy on the shoulder, wincing again.

“Hey, Teresa!” Tommy called, the new lady immediately coming over. “You said you used to massage people, right? Can you do something about Joel’s back?”

The lady, in your humble opinion, looked a bit too eager when nodding, eyeing Joel up and down as if he was candy, and she was an greedy little girl on Halloween.

“Uh, you can demonstrate on me, I’ll do it,” you said, a little too quickly, and definitely louder than you intended. Her face fell, before composing herself and nodding.

Tommy stood up, laughing, telling Joel to stand with him.

“Put your arms across your chest,” he said, slipping his hand around Joel’s torso and lifting his up a few times, cracking his back, bringing his brother immediate relief.

“You couldn’t have just done that straightaway? You had to call Teresa and ask her to massage Joel?” you threw a spoon at him.

“Just wanted to see you squirm, sister,” he said, laughing as Maria smacked him on the chest.

After breakfast, Joel helped you pack up your apartment, for what it was worth, carrying your possessions home, all entire box of it. When he got upstairs, he passed by your old room and unpacked your clothing in his closet, placing your pillow on his bed, well, your bed now, too, and you didn’t care to correct him. Especially not now, when he was showing you how happy he was that you were finally home again, determined to never let you go, ever.

The next morning, you made the three of you breakfast. And this time, Joel sat down with you and Ellie, eating his fill of omelettes and toast, asking for seconds. He watched as you checked Ellie’s Science homework at the table, telling her where she made mistakes, the teenager listening intently to your explanations. A smile decorated his usually grumpy face at the sight.

This was his dream, the one he was so scared of living at first due to the possibility that all this would be taken away in the blink of an eye in an uncertain world. But being alone on that road with Captain made him realize that he would rather live it while he could, so that at least, the memory of it would ease the pain that loss would inevitably bring, be it for him or you or Ellie. The memory of Sarah grinning at him with eggs all over her teeth the morning before she died was one he thought of every time he had breakfast, and for a long time, that memory haunted him. But now, he realized, it was a memory he cherished more than anything, his little girl being cheeky with him.

And this, right here, the sight of the woman he loved teaching his daughter at the kitchen table over breakfast that she made and served with love, was one he wanted to remember should the dreaded happened, and he wanted the two of you to have such memories of him too.

“So, now that we are all living together again,” Ellie said, “Are you two going to get married?”

“Ellie!” you exclaimed, worried that the question might scare Joel into panicking, although you were dying to hear his answer.

“What? It’s a long time coming!” she defended herself.

“She’s right,” he said, standing up and going around the table, kneeling before you with a grunt. He took your hand in his, kissing it, before looking up at you with hope in his eyes.

“Elena, I never thought I would be this happy in my life. My luck with women was non-existent, at best, to the point that I shut my heart out to anyone. But you, you managed to find your way in and never left. Elena, I’ve been in love with you for 16 years. Took me a long time to finally admit it, but now that I have, I want more. More of us, more of this, forever. I want to spend whatever’s left of my life with you and Ellie, here, in our home. I want to grow old with you. I want you to be last thing I see before I go to bed and the first when I wake up. Always. Elena, Darling, will you marry me?”

You looked down to see a gorgeous diamond ring in a battered velvet casing, the rock glittering in the morning light.

“Where did you…”

“Found it about a year after I met you. Kept it with me since, in case I found the balls to tell you how I felt.”

“I would rather wear the ring you made for us,” you said, as his ears turn pink at the realisation you had peeked inside his secret box of obsession.

“Well, if you say yes to this ring, we can put those on say… Sunday?”

“Sunday? That’s two days from now! I have to go tell Maria. Make sure there’s enough time to prepare!” Ellie said, jumping off her chair running to the door, ignoring your pleas for her to come back and not make a fuss.

“Well?” Joel asked, looking up at you, his eyes so hopeful and true, earnest.

You gave him a teary smile, nodding, a whispered yes escaping your lips.

He stood up, picking you up and kissing you breathless, asking again and again if he heard you right. Did you really say yes? You will marry me? Yes, you silly old man, I will marry you. He slipped the ring onto your finger, rubbing his thumb over it before kissing you again, slowly pushing you back onto the kitchen counter, deepening his kiss to the point that all the thoughts in your head disappeared.

The front door burst open and the two of you jumped away from each other as if someone threw cold water all over you.

Maria, Liv and Diana were in your living room, their faces red from running, excitement clear across the three of them. Will, Benny, Tommy and Marcus ran in after them, all with expectant looks on their faces. You just lifted your hand up and the ladies’ screams were so loud you were sure the guards could hear them all the way from the gates.

Later, as the nine of you were in Maria’s living room, having a glass of wine celebrating the happy news, the three ladies cornered you.

“So,” Maria started, “Who’s your maid of honour?”

You wanted to laugh, the idea of having a wedding party when all it would be was maybe fifteen of you at the spot at the edge of the town with you and Joel exchanging vows in your best clothes before heading to the hall for a meal was rather funny to you. But then, Marcus cleared his throat, Jake in his hands, looking at you expectantly, making you remember a promise you made him.

“Erm, actually, I promised Marcus that he would be my man of honour.”

The ladies looked to him in protest, but he just smiled his winning smile at them and they deflated, conceding that at least they didn’t have to be jealous of each other.

Later that night, you found Joel in the kitchen with your brothers alone, they two of them speaking in low tones to him, their faces serious. Joel said something back, which seemed to change things, your brothers hugging him tight, patting him on his back, whispering something to him, and he nodded, before the three men parted with wet eyes.

“What were my brothers saying to you just now? In the kitchen?” you asked him, as the two of you laid in bed that night.

“The usual, they were just telling me what they’ll do to me if I hurt you.”

“What would they do?”

“Something along the lines of skinning me alive before removing all the bones in my body, and then killing me.”

You laughed. “Was that all?”

“They asked me to take good care of you,” he said, turning to kiss you on the temple. “I will, you know. Until my dying breath, if you would let me.”

You smiled at him, whispering that you already knew that, before kissing him.

**********

As far as weddings in the outbreak went, yours and Joel’s was perfect. You said your vows at sunset, at the edge of the town, overlooking the rolling fields of Wyoming. Your brothers walked you down the aisle, Ike officiating. Marcus held your bouquet, while Ellie was the ring bearer, even going so far as forgetting her aversion to dresses for the occasion, the rings Joel had made now placed on your fingers. His, with your name carved on the inside, yours, his.

The ladies found a white dress for you to wear, Lucy altering it to fit you perfectly, and Joel wore a smart suit they had found for him. God, he looked, mouth-wateringly good. Ellie and her friends scoured the town for fake flowers for your bouquet, seeing as it was winter. Joel’s bad-assery was completely thrown out the window when he first saw you walk down the aisle, tears falling uncontrollably down his face amidst his contagious smile, kissing you on the cheek, telling you that you looked so beautiful in your dress, although he did place your jacket on you as soon as you said ‘I do’.

In his speech at dinner, Will welcomed Joel to the family, acknowledging the irony, seeing as he and Benny were absent for the majority of your life after the outbreak, and Joel was there all along. Benny could hardly speak as he hugged you congratulations, telling you your parents would’ve loved Joel and Ellie.

Joel led you onto the makeshift dancefloor, swaying you in his arms, kissing you as if he needed your lips to breathe, thanking you for giving him a chance, for saying yes to him, for marrying him. You, in turn, thanked him for asking, for not giving up on you.

You couldn’t help see Ellie and Dina dancing together, your brothers with their ladies, and Tommy and Maria, Jake in between them, his gummy smile evident.

Wait… was Marcus dancing with Lydia?

He saw you looking at him, and you gave him a meaningful eyebrow raise. He shrugged, a sly smile on his face, as he led her in the slow dance.

“Looks like Marcus found someone,” you said to Joel, who turned and smiled at the sight.

“Phew,” he joked, “At least I don’t have to worry about him anymore huh?”

“You never had to worry, silly. I’m yours. Have always been yours,” you said, kissing him.

“I know that now. We belong together,” he whispered, as you laid your head on his chest, his body rocking you side to side, “Two old birds, at the end of the world, head over heels in love with each other.”

You lifted your head up, kissing your husband sweetly. You were never going to argue with that.

THE END

[wrongbodies]

Splendors of Youth/Toll of Time

It was quiet in the coffee shop when Travis walked in. His morning had not started well, angry texts from his ex reminding him how shit of a boyfriend he had been. But, still- he wasn't the boyfriend type. He wanted to enjoy being 22 and hot, able to walk into a club and leave with any guy he deemed worthy.

So when he walked into the shop, smelling of java and fresh pastries, he was barely cognizant of the old man standing by the counter. It wasn't that he was unable to see him, per se. It's that he often disregarded people who weren't his impending sexual dalliance, or someone giving him some sort of service.

The old man, however, was quite interested in the young man walking in. He - Bert - was admittedly still attracted to guys way too young for his 62 years of experience. The boy was wearing tight joggers, a tee-shirt tight enough to see his pecs, abs, and biceps. He also had a backwards cap on, which was a thing he secretly enjoyed - those straight-acting boys who presented masc. He could tell the boy had no care for him. In fact, he was not even flicking a single glance in his direction.

Despite Bert clearly standing in front of the register waiting for the barista to return with his coffee, Travis stepped right up to the counter. "Hey, can I get some service here!"

The young woman pouring coffee for Bert on the back wall looked up with confusion. "Yes, one moment please. I am serving this gentleman."

Travis followed her gesturing to Bert, who cocked a half-smile and nodded. Travis harrumphed, and gave him the cold shoulder.

"You seem testy. Everything alright?" Bert asked Travis.

"Why are speaking to me?" Travis said, not even turning around.

"Well, I thought maybe you might talk while you wait for your order." Bert explained.

"I don't need some crusty old queen to waste my time, ok? I'm just running late and need this caffeine bad." Travis waved, still not looking at Bert.

"Ok, no need for the jab. Aren't you a ray of sunshine..." Bert snipped.

"Ugh, of course he gets sassy." Travis bemoans into the air.

"You just don't think I'm worth your time or attention. I get it. You are young, hot, and want to enjoy it. I admit I miss those days. It doesn't mean you have to be a brat about it, though." Bert chided.

"Well, I also don't need your lecture. But here we are." Travis said, finally turning.

"Hi!" A cheery voice said from behind. The two looked at the woman behind the counter. "I think you'd both enjoy a sample of this. It's a new coffee we are testing!"

Travis and Bert looked at her, a big beaming smile eerily distracting them from their tiff.

"Uh... thanks?" Travis mumbled, accepting the tiny cup of coffee. It almost had a purple color? He tossed it back, and felt the hot liquid surging through his body. A strange sensation overtaking him, feeling a little lighter somehow.

Bert took his, and followed suit. The liquid similarly surged through his esophagus, down into his stomach where it too made him feel light. The two stood for a moment, and then stumbled back as they both had a simultaneous headrush. Colors swam across their vision, and a sound whirled in their ears.

As the sensation receded, the two felt themselves coming to. Both were turned from one another, having twisted about in their short fit. Bert, suddenly quite terse cried out, "Whatever that was is NOT coffee, you bitch!"

Travis turned, and snapped at the angry Bert. "Hey kid, calm down!"

Except, the Travis who turned and saw Bert was no longer Travis. He was stunned as he took in the image of a man before him. An old man, fine white hair, wrinkly face, the sweater and button-up combo he distinctly remember choosing this morning...

The man who wore Bert's face was now turning and having a similar experience. He saw the young, fit man wearing his joggers and gym shirt... his face??

"What the hell is this..." Travis said, feeling his tongue in his mouth, the very texture of it suddenly, aggressively foreign to him. He was also acutely aware of his bones, feeling them grinding across one another at the joints, his body suddenly much colder too.

Bert was experiencing a different sensation. He felt vital, with an energy in his limbs that felt capable of summiting a mountain right here and now. He was warm, and quite firm as he probed his chest and arms with youthful, unwrinkled hands.

"Enjoy your coffee!" The barista called out. She then disappeared by the counter into the backroom.

As the barista mader her swift exit, Bert was struck by a similar impulse. This was a gift, karmic, cosmic, who cared? He was hot, young, and immensely fuckable.

"Well, see ya kid!" He sang to Travis, now trapped in his older frame. "I'm gonna go."

"No, wait! We need to swap back. I can't be... this? You?!" Travis pleaded, as he reached for Bert's arm. Bert yanked his arm away from Travis' grasp.

"I think not. Maybe this will be a good experience for you. On the other hand, I know this will be a very fun experience for me." Bert started to walk away, when his phone- Travis' phone- chimed. "Oh, who is this? An ex of yours?"

"Noooo! Don't talk to him!" Travis complained.

"Oh, he is cute... I think I'll give him a call. See if he'll take you... or me, back?" Bert smirked. He wondered why anyone would have split with such a cute guy. He spun around and walked through the door. Travis on the other hand started yelling for the barista to come back and reverse this.

She would never appear.

[jenosonlywife23]

Chasing Paradise

a\n; Hope you guys liked this, i tried to write it like the show but i just cant seem to get it right. This was so hard for me to write. Also imagine Haechan on singles inferno dang!!

The sun beat down on the sandy beach of Inferno as you adjusted your hat, trying to shield yourself from the blazing heat. You’d spent days preparing yourself for this experience, convincing yourself that auditioning for Single’s Inferno was your chance to break free from the tangled mess of feelings you harbored for Haechan. But nothing—nothing—could’ve prepared you for the moment he stepped onto the island, grinning like he owned the place.

Your jaw had practically hit the floor as he sauntered toward the group of contestants. For a split second, you thought you were hallucinating. But no, it was really him. Lee Donghyuck—your best friend, the person you’d spent countless nights laughing and bickering with—was now standing in front of you.

“What… what are you doing here?” you stammered, your shock evident.

He smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. “What does it look like? I’m here to find love.”

The contestants exchanged curious glances, intrigued by your reaction. You barely noticed, your focus entirely on him. “You followed me, didn’t you?”

“Followed you?” He raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “I didn’t even know you auditioned.”

You crossed your arms, glaring at him. “Mark told you, didn’t he?”

His grin widened, and he shrugged. “Maybe. But can you blame me? What kind of best friend would I be if I just let you flirt with random guys on TV?”

Your heart skipped a beat at his words, but you refused to let it show. Instead, you huffed and turned away, ignoring the amused whispers from the other contestants.

The days in Inferno passed in a blur of challenges, mingling, and the occasional heated arguments between you and Haechan. He was everywhere—flirting with the other girls, cracking jokes during group meals, and somehow managing to steal your attention no matter how hard you tried to focus on anyone else.

One day, during a challenge where the contestants competed to win a night in Paradise, Haechan outperformed everyone, earning the coveted prize. When it came time to choose someone to join him, he didn’t hesitate.

“I choose **** ,” he announced, his eyes locking on yours.

You looked towards the contestants clearly surprised. You hesitated for a moment, but the soft, hopeful look in his eyes made it impossible to refuse.

Paradise was breathtaking—a luxurious escape from the harsh conditions of Inferno. The two of you lounged by the pool, sipping on drinks and enjoying the rare moments of peace.

“This is nice,” you admitted, glancing at him.

He smiled, his usual teasing demeanor replaced by something gentler. “Yeah. It’s not bad having you here with me.”

You rolled your eyes, but a small smile tugged at your lips. “So, what’s your plan? Win me over with fancy dinners and sunsets?”

“Maybe,” he said, leaning closer. “Or maybe I’m just hoping you’ll realize I’m the only guy here who really knows you.”

His words sent a jolt through your chest, but before you could respond, he leaned back, his smirk returning. “Anyway, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

But not every day was like that.

A week later, after a heated argument over something trivial—you couldn’t even remember what started it—Haechan didn’t choose you during another challenge. Instead, he picked another contestant, leaving you fuming.

Fine. Two could play that game.

You found yourself spending more time with one of the other guys, a charming contestant named Jinyoung (def not talking abt dex lol)who was clearly interested in you. He was sweet, attentive, and always made sure you felt comfortable.

Haechan noticed.

Every time he saw you laughing with Jinyoung or sitting a little too close to him during meals, his jaw tightened, and his usual playful attitude became sharper, more biting.

“You’re really into this guy, huh?” he said one evening, cornering you near the fire pit.

You raised an eyebrow, refusing to rise to his bait. “What’s it to you?”

He scoffed, running a hand through his hair. “Nothing. Just thought you had better taste.”

“Oh, you mean like my taste in friends who audition for dating shows without telling me?” you shot back.

His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, neither of you spoke. The tension between you was suffocating, and you could feel the curious glances of the other contestants.

The final day arrived, and with it came the moment of truth. As the host explained the rules one last time, your heart pounded. Who would you leave with—if anyone?

You waited anxiously as the decisions unfolded, your mind racing with doubts and emotions. And then, it was Haechan’s turn.

He stepped forward, his gaze fixed on you.

“I came here because of you,” he began, his voice steady but laced with vulnerability. “I didn’t plan on confessing my feelings on TV, but… I couldn’t just sit back and watch you with someone else. You’ve always been the person I wanted. I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

Your breath caught in your throat as he continued. “So, if you’ll have me… I want to leave here with you.”

The world seemed to blur as you stepped forward, your heart pounding. “You’re still an idiot for not telling me sooner.”

He grinned, his eyes lighting up. “Guess I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, then.”

As you walked off the beach together, hand in hand, you couldn’t help but smile. Maybe this crazy journey had been worth it after all.

[destinyc1020]

It’s funny what that anon said. Tom is a person that has his heart in his sleeve, he is very outspoken. He likes acting but he sees it at a job. I think to distance who he is in real life. I remember Alfred Molina talking about Tom’s behavior on set, his level of knowledge and that he can see him as a Director one day. He launched Bero but He clearly said in that Christmas food interview in the UK, that this business is just a 1 time thing that he is primarily an actor

Tell me who will create a production company, gets a production deal with Sony and has already 4 projects in development, Tom as the lead actor in 3 plus the lead in American Speed with Amazing Studios. That is not the behavior of a person that doesn’t want to act. Tom could be doing just marvel movies, earning millions and doesn’t act in anything else, but he is doing the opposite.

His comments about not working when he has kids is not something new in actors. So many take years off to be with their kids. Some actors even decide to take jobs only in LA or NY where they live to give their kids some sort of normality. By the way Tom can’t say he won’t work now but who knows.

Z has talked about having kids too but she is very guarded she will not elaborate in the matter. But because she is very family driven, nobody has to be surprised if she takes time off from acting. And yes there are some blogs that push the narrative of househusband for Tom and Zendaya working, this narrative pissed Tom’s fans. Ignore them, as someone said about Hollywood don’t believe what I say believe what I do, meaning believe in my actions and Tom’s actions are a very interesting slate of movies in the pipeline

Agree x1,000! 👏🏾

[clarisse0o]

The Mayor - Chapter 31

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternate Universe: Mayor and Architect

Words: 800

Masterlist

———————————————————————

  This Monday morning, I smiled, reminiscing about the weekend. On Sunday, we had explored the turquoise blue coves around Marseille. It was with regret that we returned to the gray skies on Sunday evening. She had to go back home to her children, while I returned to my place, greeted only by an empty fridge.  

I grabbed my computer and sent her a message.

 How’s the easy girl doing? 

 "Did you eat a clown this morning or what?" 

It was Alexia, who had just arrived at the office. She observed me, surprised.

 "Ona! What did you do this weekend? Your face is all sunburned!" 

Indeed, Lucy had been right. September's sun could be ruthless, and it had clearly left its mark on me. I was busted.

 "Uh, I was in Marseille!" 

She sat down in front of me, staring.

 "You didn’t tell me! With who?" 

Caught.

 "With Marie! It was a last-minute plan, Saturday morning." 

 "Marie, that girl? Why don’t you ever tell me anything? We’re supposed to share everything! Does she work for the FBI or something?" 

I smiled at her.

 "Sorry, Alexia, I’m telling you now. It just happened, that’s all!" 

 "Tell me, are you having romantic little weekends now?"  she teased, winking as she walked out of my office.

 "Very funny, Alexia. We’re just enjoying life, that’s all!" 

My gaze shifted back to my computer, where a new message had just arrived.

 Fine. And you, Miss Tease? 

We fell into the habit of seeing each other regularly, Lucy and I, almost every two days in the weeks that followed, sometimes at her place but mostly at mine. She also took me on a weekend trip to her parents’ chalet in the Alps, filled with walks, restaurant outings, and passionate nights. I let myself go, not thinking about what this relationship was or where it was heading. Nowhere, I assumed. Sometimes I wondered what Lucy felt, but we never had that conversation. Out of modesty? Fear of hearing the truth?  

Through small hints, a few words, we showed our affection. But what level of affection was it? It was especially hard for me to go more than two days without feeling a longing for Lucy. I had a visceral need to touch her, to see her, to feel her presence.

  That Thursday evening, we were at my place.   I had work to finish on my computer, while she was poring over a huge city map, punching numbers into a calculator.

 "What are you working on?"  I asked her.

She turned toward me, her glasses perched on her nose.

 "I’m calculating the number of people responsible for security during Saturday’s Pride parade along the route. A real joy!" 

I frowned, and she added:

 "there’s a real risk of disruptions from extremist groups like Civitas. They’ve made threats. So, I’m double-checking everything the prefect and police have planned. I don’t want any incidents!" 

I smiled at her.

 "Are you going?" 

 "Yes, I go every year as Mayor. This will be my tenth! Impressive, huh?" 

 "More than me, clearly. Incredible!" 

I remembered seeing her several times at Pride, inaugurating the start of the parade. I teased her:

 "This year, you could ride on a float given the circumstances. I’ll come with you if you want!" 

 "Why not!"  she replied with a smile.  "Even though I’m not gay!" 

I began stroking her arm, still teasing her.

 "Hmmm, not even a little?" 

I moved closer, whispering in her ear. She turned to face me.

 "I’m a straight woman having a special experience with a gorgeous girl." 

 "Don’t take it that way, Ona. I didn’t mean  experience  like that." 

I pulled back, taken aback by her words. The term  special experience  didn’t sit well with me. She noticed my change in mood and tried to backtrack.

I pouted, turning my gaze away.

 "Words have meaning. It’s fine, I get the message." 

She moved closer and grabbed my hand.

 "Ona! Don’t make that face... Consider me however you want." 

She placed my hand against her lips. I pulled it back, straightening up.

 "What matters most, Lucy, is how you see yourself." 

She raised her eyebrows, clearly tired of the direction this conversation was taking.

 "Ona, seriously! Maybe you want me to come out this weekend at Pride? And then you can move in with me next week with the twins? And we’ll live happily ever after with lots of kids?" 

She spoke sharply. I was stunned, unable to find a reply. Realizing her harshness, she softened her tone.

 "I don’t like where this conversation is going, Ona. I didn’t mean to put it that way..." 

But the words had been said, unmistakably. She took my hand again.

 "I have to go; it’s already 9 PM."  She kissed me before leaving my apartment.

I was shaken. Even though I had suspected this wouldn’t go anywhere, the conversation forced me to confront the truth I didn’t want to acknowledge. I realized, deep down, that I had hoped for something more—a real relationship with Lucy, though I hadn’t admitted it to myself. Now, I knew it would never happen.

[rollercoasterwords]

i rember seeing you update your tags with memory loss and my heart dropped lol it’s always been one of my biggest fears and you mercilessly explored it (and specifically how it affected relationships) and it was terrifying and beautiful and wonderful

the way you write memory loss haunts

me i love your writing so much im in awe and uh have a wondrous day 😭

hiiiii thank u yeah i have. many thoughts about memory loss clearly lol

i think in general part of what compels me is that i feel as though there is a very prevalent message that we should think of life as a linear journey through time, moving from past to future, and also that the meaning of life is evaluated in ways tied to that linear concept of time--i.e., the idea that death is a fundamentally more important experience than most (if not all) other moments of life, because it is temporally at the "end" of a linear life cycle. & this is something i explored in thtf bc i wanted to push back on & question the presumption that death is necessarily any more important of a moment simply because it's the last moment we might have, & i wanted to explore a concept of life in which moments happening at different points of time are not necessarily ever "over"--those moments have always happened & are always happening somewhere in the fabric of the universe...basically thtf was me exploring how things might change if we break away slightly from life measured by linear timelines.

ANYWAY lily's story arc in worm moon is kind of a similar exploration. i think one thing that people find really frightening about this kind of memory loss--which was based around early-onset dementia--is the idea that you are losing these moments when you can't remember them, and also becoming unmoored from your linear temporality. your life is no longer a straight & predictable line from past to present to future; now the past interjects on the present, times get tangled up, etc. & again i wanted to explore the ways in which that can be painful but also the idea that a life unmoored from memory and time does not necessarily preclude joy & love & everything that people generally find makes life worth living; yes, lily losing her memory of her son is painful, but that doesn't mean the moments and the times she lived with him go away. they aren't lost or eroded because they didn't exist only inside her memory or her mind, y'know? the past is always happening and the future is always happening and the present is always happening all at once, etc...or maybe it's not! who knows! but just because we tend to perceive reality one way doesn't mean other perceptions of reality are necessarily less real.

& with sirius's experience of memory loss--there are some overlapping themes, but also different stuff i wanted to unpack & explore. i wanted to write a character going through the trauma & frustration & loss of feeling as though an important piece of past & memory had been stolen from him, and how that blank space can leave a hole inside you, and you can spend so much time trying to fill it--but at the end of the day, sometimes memory is just gone. sometimes it was never made correctly in the first place, and you end up with a hole in your life. and so often in stories about that kind of traumatic memory loss what i've seen is a narrative where there's an eventual restoration of memory that fills in the hole and allows the character to finally move on. but i wanted a character who has to come to terms with the fact that this specific, acute kind of memory loss is permanent--there is no healing of the hole, there is no patching over it, you just have to learn how to be a new person around it because you can't go back to the person you were before it, because that person is no longer you. and you have to learn to live with a trauma that you can't even name. i think that's a stumbling point for me with a lot of narratives i've encountered about trauma: oftentimes, they rely very heavily on finding ways to name & explain that trauma as a means of healing from it and coming to terms with it and moving past it. and if you have a traumatic experience tied to memory loss, or if the memory loss is the traumatic experience, then it's not really something you can "come to terms with." you just have to accept that something happened to you or your body or however you think of that person you can't remember and you'll never fully know what it is; you'll never get to sit down and watch a movie of the memory that says "this is the Truth and this is What Happened and this is why there's a hole inside you and you have nightmares about things you can't remember." anyway i think i'm just rambling now & not explaining this very well lol it's easier to just write what i want to say through these characters yayyyy fanfiction let's all clap & cheer etc

[miwtual]

reblog for a wider sample size and don't forget to click for palestine!

[icewindandboringhorror]

Little bright colored outfit with a fun vest ~

(shoes from ebay like 10 years ago. everything else is thrifted)

[megamindsupremacy]

I need to marinate more thoughts for this but. okay so gravity falls au. partially inspired by this. fiddleford has the memory gun and he's This Close to using it on himself to erase what he saw in the portal. he pauses. he thinks, just because I forget doesn't mean stanford will stop building the portal. he thinks it's all or nothing. he goes to stanford's shack in the woods. he sneaks in through the side door and sees stanford sleeping on the couch. it's dark outside. the lights are out. fiddleford can barely make out the shape of his former-friend's body. fiddleford looks at Stanford one last time. he types into the memory gun, Stanford Pines. he points the gun. half a second before he fires, Stanford stirs, as if sensing the danger he is in. he manages to get out "who-" before fiddleford, panicking, pulls the trigger before he can chicken out completely.

stanley wakes up on a couch he doesn't remember falling asleep in, with a terrified looking man standing over him, holding a glowing gun, and thinks this is one hell of a situation i've gotten myself into

[phynixdotcom]

My brain is so full of Bees about Post-Shift 2.

It's a fan game that was delayed for 4 years -- by the time it released, fnaf fangames as a whole were not as popular as they had been, & most people in the scene had forgotten about Post-Shift 1, so not a lot of people heard about it/played it.

Worse still is the people who did talk about the game. Pretty unanimously, the consensus was this: this game is the craziest, most insane fnaf fangame. It's overly difficult with mechanics that have no rhyme or reason to them & tutorials that are wordy, unhelpful, & sometimes actively mislead the player, meaning you need to comb through a lot of text only to be misinformed. It's not as infamous as some other fangames, but it definitely was talked about very poorly.

In general, I think most of these criticisms were blown up out of proportion, but I can't really disagree with most people's problems -- it is difficult & wordy, & rather hard to understand. I think, however, that the game is still 1. Really fun, 2. Not a bad game at all, &, most importantly, 3. Is a free fucking game that was clearly a passion project. Most damn fangames never get off the fucking ground when made in groups because the creators will never make a red cent off the thing -- this game was made by one dude for 4 years & delivered to people for free. It didn't ask anything of you except to accept it as a difficult game & to not go in with wild expectations. The dev just wanted to make a game that was rough, but he also wanted to make a game that felt unique & was fun. & It is fun, too, is the damn thing.

[billpottsismygf]

Scrolling through my old posts to check my current companion tags and I found my reaction to the series 8 trailer and it's so wild seeing me of 10 years ago say I'm not convinced by Peter Capaldi yet, who is my favourite Doctor of all time.

Like, I know he takes a while to warm up and I know it took me even longer to emotionally accept the fact that David Tennant had been knocked off the top spot, but it's just so weird to see!