#but i’ve been hooked ever since spotify wrapped dropped

[seumyo]

TY FOR THE TAG, HEA !!

TAGGING W/ ABSOLUTELY NO PRESSURE. @choccorin @elysian-edu @heartmaddie @kazuhaiku @kyoghurts @meidiary @pneumosia @sweetheartsaku @seneon

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@starsinthenigth @mxnaceo @duckp0t + Anyone who wants to do it! (No pressure)

[pink-flame]

For the Trope ask, 14 and 27 with Juke, then 19 and 72 with a ship of your choice

I’ll get to the second half of this soon. But for now part 2 of Bodyguard AU Juke! 

Read part one here. 

Bodyguard AU + Sick/Injured fic

Julie Molina was not sick.

Ok, maybe she had been dragging for days and her brain had gone slightly fuzzy and she was pretty sure she had a temperature.

But she wasn’t sick. She couldn’t be. Not when her first ever national tour started in less than a month and her second album had just been released. She had radio appearances and tv interviews and stage rehearsals and a million other things she had to do that week.

So she couldn’t be sick.

Unfortunately her body didn’t seem to get that memo.

“Hey, are you ok?”

Julie turned her head sluggishly toward Luke who was frowning over at her from the back of the car they were being driven towards her next interview in.

She shook her head then realized that was the opposite of what she meant to do. She stopped mid-shake and switched over to a nod.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” She told him, the slight croak to her voice doing little to help her credibility.

Luke’s frown deepened and his eyes narrowed as he examined her from across the car.

Alex turned to look back from the front seat.

“You are looking kind of like a ghost, Jules,” He observed. “You’re paler than me.”

“I said I’m fine,” Julie insisted even as she shivered involuntarily. “Can we just go over the schedule for today again?”

“Oh look at that,” Alex said, typing furiously on his phone. “It just cleared up.”

“Alex…” Julie whined.

“You should listen to him, Julie,” Luke broke in. “You’re not helping anyone by passing out on live tv.”

Julie crossed her arms and let out an indignant huff. She could feel her lips pursing like an annoyed toddler. She couldn’t help it. Being sick always reverted her back to her younger days and left her feeling pouty and clingy.

Not that she was sick.

Only her head was killing her and her nose was kind of stuffy and she was so tired.

“Maybe…” Her voice cracked and she studiously ignored the look Alex and Luke exchanged at the sound. “Maybe I could take one day off.”

“I’m glad you’ve seen reason,” Alex said. “Not that you had a choice but still.”

Julie sighed, deciding she didn’t have the energy to engage with her best friend at that moment. She sank back into the leather of the seat, closing her eyes and trying to ignore the throbbing in her head. She would just rest her eyes and by the time they got back to her place maybe she would feel up to doing some work remotely. She could tweak the lyrics for that Spotify exclusive she had promised for next week and maybe even call into a couple of radio shows she had been booked on. She would convince Alex that was a good idea. She just needed to rest for a few minutes first.

At least that had been the plan.

Instead she found herself being shaken awake to the sight of Luke’s face hovering over hers.

“Jules? We’re here.”

Had he ever used that nickname for her before? She didn’t think so. She decided to blame her apparent illness for the sudden fluttering in her chest at the sound of the word tumbling casually from her bodyguard’s lips.

“Alex,” She mumbled, still half out of it. “Maybe I can do a couple of my interviews on the phone…”

“Go to bed,” He interrupted. “Seriously. I’ve got this.”

Julie wanted to protest but her brain was moving a little too slow and Luke was already pulling her out of the car, those absurdly defined muscles being put to work, and she lost her train of thought.

“I can walk,” She grumbled as he led her into her building and over to the elevator, one arm wrapped firmly around her waist.

“I know,” He said in an annoyingly agreeable voice. “So can I and right now we’re walking together.”

Julie rolled her eyes but let herself be hustled into the elevator. Luke scanned his key card to authorize it to take them to the top floor.

“Who gave you a key to my building?” Julie asked as she leaned against the wall and let her tired eyes slide shut.

“That would be you,” Luke answered, his amusement clear even though she didn’t open her eyes to check his expression.

“What an idiot,” She mumbled.

Her head was now not only throbbing but had suddenly started to feel too heavy to keep upright.

She felt Luke lean against the wall next to her and gave into the urge to lean over and rest her head on his shoulder. Or she would have if he hadn’t been quite a bit taller than her. As it was her head landed awkwardly somewhere towards the middle of his arm.

She sighed and decided it was too much trouble to try again.

He didn’t comment on her behavior, only leaned a little closer to her so she had less of a stretch.

It felt like only a second later that she heard the familiar ding that let her know they had reached her floor.

“Come on,” Luke said, raising her gently off of his arm so he could wrap it around her waist again and steer her towards her front door. He swiped his key again and pushed the door open, half dragging her inside and straight to her bedroom. She briefly had the wherewithal to wonder if she had left anything embarrassing out in plain sight but quickly gave up as she sank onto the edge of her bed.

“Thanks,” She mumbled. “I’m good now.”

He ignored her statement which was clearly intended to dismiss him. He crouched down in front of her and reached up to place the back of his hand against her forehead. Julie shivered, unsure if it was her fever or his proximity that caused her reaction.

She decided the fuzzy feeling in her head was excuse enough to let herself examine his face up close. She hadn’t been this close to him since they were pressed up against each other while hiding in her closet. It wasn’t a good memory exactly, she remembered how scared she had been in the moment, how violated she had felt later when she let it sink in that someone had invaded her home. But she also remembered his hand clutched in hers, soft palms and calloused fingertips confirming her suspicion that he was a musician in his spare time. She remembered his eyes, impossibly big as they searched hers for signs of panic. She remembered his messy hair and how badly she had wanted to run her fingers through it even during a terrifying situation.

And she remembered how he had refused to leave her that night, insisting that he sleep on her couch, just in case. She had gotten up that night, telling herself she needed a glass of water but knowing deep down she just wanted a glimpse of his sleeping face.

It was a good face.

His lips quirked up slightly.

“Thanks,” He said as he dropped his hand from her forehead.

“For what?”

She scrunched up her face in confusion.

“You just said I had a good face.”

Julie would have reacted more to that if she had the energy. As it was all she could do was groan slightly at the knowledge that she managed to say something she didn’t mean to in front of him again.

“Don’t worry, I know you don’t know what you’re saying,” He assured her. “You’re burning up, Boss.”

“I think I’d better lie down,” She mumbled.

He nodded and stood.

“Do you have some...where can I get you something to sleep in?” He asked.

“You don’t have to,” She tried to dismiss but he just stared at her expectantly. “Middle drawer.”

He crossed the room quickly and opened the door in question, grabbing an old baggy shirt and a pair of sleep shorts, bringing them back to her quickly.

“Thanks,” She said again.

“I’ll just…” He jerked his thumb towards the doorway indicating he would leave the room so she could change.

She nodded and started pulling her top off without hesitation. His eyes widened and he spun to leave the room quickly. Ok, she knew there were perfectly good reasons why she should have made sure he was turned around before she did that but she couldn’t latch on to them at that moment. She just wanted to be horizontal as soon as humanly possible. She had just managed to change and slide under her comforter when she heard the door to her condo click shut.

She tried to ignore the sinking in her chest at the sound.

Of course there was no reason for him to stay. He was her bodyguard not her babysitter and certainly not her boyfriend. Sure, she could admit to herself that she had been nursing a little crush on him for months and there had been times she was sure he was flirting with her. But then she reminded herself that was just how he was, chemistry with literally everyone. It didn’t mean anything to him.

So it couldn’t mean anything to her.

Julie sighed and sank deeper into her pillow. She wasn’t sure if she actually slept or if she just drifted in and out of feverish confusion but the next thing she was fully aware of was Luke once again crouching in front of her.

She wasn’t sure if he was real or not and somehow in her fever addled mind that seemed like a good reason to reach out and touch his face.

His eyes softened affectionately when her fingers brushed his cheek and she wasn’t sure if that was evidence that he was real or a fantasy.

“Hey, Boss,” He said softly.

“Hey,” She whispered. “You came back.”

He smiled and held up a plastic bag.

“Of course. I got Tylenol and tissues and some soup I can make you later.”

She felt a surge of treacherous joy at his words even as she struggled to hold on to enough logic and propriety to let him off the hook.

“You don’t have to stay,” She told him, pulling her hand back to her side. “This isn’t part of your job description.”

He chuckled and she wanted to demand he tell her what was so funny but she was distracted by the way he reached out to run his hand over the top of her head.

“Go to sleep, Jules.”

Her brain seemed to take his words as a command, her eyes fluttering shut. Unfortunately only a few seconds passed before a shrill ringing was causing them to shoot open again.

“Don’t answer it,” Luke tried even as she was reaching for her phone which sat on her nightstand.

“Hello?” She muttered, holding it up to her ear weakly.

“Julie? Are you ok?”

She frowned as the familiar voice of her big brother washed over her.

“Reggie? How did you even know I was sick?” She asked.

“Alex called me,” He said as though it should be obvious. “Look, I’m getting in the car right now. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“What? No. That’s like a 6 hour drive,” She croaked out. “There’s no reason for you to come all the way from San Francisco.”

“The flu isn’t something to mess around with, Julie,” He insisted. “You shouldn’t be alone and Alex is working.”

Julie’s head was spinning and even the weight of her phone seemed to be too much for her in her current weakened state.

“I’m not alone,” She mumbled.

“What? Who’s there?” Reggie demanded.

“Just talk to Luke,” She instructed.

She just had time to hear Reggie ask semi-frantically who exactly Luke was before she was shoving the phone into her bodyguard’s hands. He looked slightly panicked but to his credit he took the phone and raised it to his ear.

Julie had intended to eavesdrop on their conversation but in the end she sank into a fitful slumber before she could hear a thing.

The next time she woke up she didn’t feel any better. If anything she felt even worse. Luke was there though. He brought her more pain medicine and walked her to the bathroom to make sure she didn’t fall. He made her soup and hot tea. And when she started to droop again he tucked her back into bed.

“Goodnight, Boss.”

He was still there when she woke up the next day.

She had a text message from Alex saying he had rescheduled her commitments for that day too and she still felt too miserable to fight him on it. Apparently Luke had gone back to his place at some point while she slept because he was wearing fresh clothes when she emerged from her room.

She felt slightly better by lunch, managing to sit up and join Luke on the couch to watch some tv. She discovered he loved the trashy reality shows that drove her crazy and she adored the cooking shows he called criminally boring. They both loved 90’s sitcoms though. At one point he grabbed her acoustic guitar and started playing her a song she had never heard before.

Dreaming like we’ll live forever

But living like it’s now or never

Julie managed a tired smirk.

“Is this your way of telling me I’m dying?” She asked teasingly.

“Not on my watch,” He said firmly before shooting her one of those troublesome grins she would always associate with him. “And that is part of my job description.”

Right. Because he was her employee. Only...surely employees didn’t just hang around for two days to keep their boss company while she was sick...did they?

The next day Julie was starting to feel more human. She insisted that Luke go home. It had taken some convincing but finally he had agreed, insisting that she call him if she needed anything.

Julie spent two more days recovering alone in her apartment, most of her symptoms having abated but a deep sense of exhaustion taking a little longer to leave her. She called Reggie back and ignored his pointed questions about why a bodyguard was so dedicated to her well-being when it wasn’t life threatening and was she sure there wasn’t something she wanted to tell him?

Brothers.

Alex wasn’t much better, texting her every five minutes not with work updates but asking if she had spoken to Luke. Of course she hadn’t. He was her bodyguard not her boyfriend and if some small part of her was disappointed that he hadn’t called to check on her she wasn’t about to say that out loud.

She was feeling back to herself and prepared to return to her hectic life the next day when she got one more message from Alex that had her nearly dropping her phone.

Just a heads up, I found out why lover boy hasn’t called. He caught your flu.

Julie felt a lot of things as she read Alex’s text.

She felt guilty.

She felt worried.

She felt an overwhelming urge to make sure he was ok.

She knew she could accomplish that by shooting off a quick text. If she really wanted to go the extra mile as a boss she could call. That would be normal. That would be appropriate.

But hadn’t they passed that a long time ago?

So that’s how she found herself outside of his apartment, knocking nervously on his door.

At first no one answered but just as she was debating knocking again the door swung open to reveal a pale Luke, his slightly sweaty face scrunching up adorably in confusion.

“Julie? What are you doing here?” He asked, his voice a familiar croak.

“You caught my flu,” She said simply as though that should explain everything.

He managed a smile even if it was slightly pained.

“So you what...came to apologize?”

“No, I…” She held up the bag she gripped in her hand. “I brought Tylenol and tissues and some soup I could make later. If you want.”

His eyebrows raised sluggishly in surprise.

“You’re going to take care of me?” He asked, that soft look back in his eyes.

“I can’t have you dying on me,” She shrugged with a small smile. “Who else would protect me from the over zealous tweens on tour?”

He chuckled before cutting himself off with a cough.

“That’s sweetly pragmatic of you,” He said. “How did you even know where I live?”

“Um, I had Alex pull your personal file,” She admitted.

“Wow, pretty sure that’s an HR violation,” He joked.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. So...can I come in?” She asked only slightly nervously.

In the end she shouldn’t have worried.

He only grinned tiredly and stepped aside to let her pass.

“Come on in, Boss.”

And so she stepped over the threshold thinking about how if this was a song she was writing that would be a metaphor for the start of something.

But that was a song to write another day.

Tag request: @only-trust-fictional-characters

[alexhandersen-marcoilsoe-fandom]

THE MASTERPIECE: CHAPTER 2/5

Pairing: Modern!IVAR x Reader x Modern!HVITSERK

Warnings: strong language, mentions of torture and the warning that you’ve all been waiting for -> SMUT, unprotected sex, NSFW

Spotify playlist: here (only for those who like latin urban music)

Words: 2682

a/n: This MASTERPIECE was so much fun. It was such an honor to do this with you @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie, you are so talented! Every hour of writing and editing was definitely worth it!

Summary:

Ivar and Hvitserk had always prided themselves in being the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok. They had a comfortable life full of everything they wanted: houses, cars, money, and the most beautiful women. And with all of that came the security of always having the upper hand. But what happens when a bewitching girl from Ragnar’s past arrives into their lives claiming his fortune?

1 month later

When the waitress set down the two black coffees on the table, Ivar raised his eyes to study his brother’s face. “Why did you call me here? Are you finally going to tell me what she did? I know it was her you were seeing!”

“What? No! What are you talking about?”

Since Hvitserk stayed in silence, Ivar pressured him. “Brother, I saw Y/N’s underwear in your room, you can’t try to fucking deny it...”

“Oh really? So, explain to me how you know that it’s her underwear, dear brother? I know a lot more than you think. How come you spent the entire night in her home the day after she signed those papers? I didn’t know that your ‘business meeting’ had to be sofucking long and that you were going to get hickeys from it.”

“How do you know about that?” Ivar cleared his parched throat.

“Our chauffeur told me. Or rather I made him tell me.” He grinned wickedly.

When Ivar stared at him blankly, his sibling explained: “My knife needed to be sharpened, and I thought his throat might have been a good place to practice.” Hvitserk said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Ivar exhaled annoyed at Hvitserk’s antics. He had a habit of getting the family name in trouble with petty lawsuits. “If he sues us like the last guy that we fired...”

“Relax. He won’t. Start talkin’.”

Ivar hated to be the one showing his cards so soon at the beginning of their conversation. He always liked to have the advantage, letting other people speak first so he could turn their words on them but still, he agreed to go first. “Okay.”

He let the words pour out from his mouth, recounting the first time they’d ever seen her in their lawyer's office and how they followed her back to her house that first night.

“So, we agree on everything that happened until then?”

“Yes.” Ivar concurred.

“And what happened after?” Hvitserk took a sip of his coffee and leaned back.

“Well, I spent the entire day thinking about father and his decision. Just... running through every possible scenario in my head but I still couldn’t understand. By dinner time, I couldn’t handle the frustration anymore so I called the lawyer, fed him some lie and he gave me her number. I reached out to her and she didn’t want to talk to me at first, obviously, but...”

~~·······~~

“Please don’t hang up! Just give me two seconds! It’s me, Ivar!”

“Wrong number. I don’t know anyone by that name. Bye.”

Ivar could only hear the mocking beep of the dead line and he felt incredibly stupid. But he couldn’t just leave it like that so he made his chauffeur drop him off in secret and leave. And there he was again, in front of her house. He knocked on her door and stood some feet away from it in case she came out and slammed it as she’d done on Hvitserk. His knees were shaking.

Why is this girl making me so nervous?

Possibly because he had never been rejected. His money was a guarding shield whenever he wanted to impress a woman and have her forget about his messed-up legs. But now that he’d lost all of it to her, his defenses had been weakened.

Y/N opened the door and she was immediately annoyed by seeing him again.

Suddenly, he forgot what he wanted to say. “I- I’m Ivar.” He stuttered pathetically.

“You?” She raised her eyebrows. “You are Ivar? The one who called me? Have you lost something or what is the matter now?” She really didn’t care for his answer, but she still felt compelled to talk to him. Maybe she could have a bit of fun and toy around with him for a while.

“Can’t you give me five minutes of your time? Please? I need answers.” He bowed his head and dried his sweaty hands on his pants, hoping her eyes wouldn’t notice.

“Five minutes and not a second more!” Y/N took a step to the side and let him in. “Where is your brother? He’s your brother, right?” She walked into the living room and Ivar followed her.

“Yeah... he doesn’t know that I’m here. I wanted to do this alone.”

She ordered him to sit down as she stood in the kitchen with her arms crossed. “So, talk now. Your time is running out.”

Ivar wanted to wait until she sat down too, but she clearly wasn’t going to. The awkwardness only increased by the second so he just jumped straight to business. “My father and I had a very close relationship. I can’t understand why he planned all of this in secret. I mean, the Lothbrok-Sigurdsdottir empire is highly regarded. He was a hard-working man, very appreciated by others... It makes no sense that he would leave all of his belongings to you... I mean, who are you even? You never introduced yourself to us and father never mentioned you.”

Y/N gritted her teeth to try and push down the rage she felt at the mention of Ragnar’s name.

“Well, despite that, I’m sure he loved you,” Y/N said ignoring his question. Still, she was a bit moved by his words. His baby blue eyes seemed honest enough. She walked to her kitchen to serve two glasses of chilled wine and began to be interested in what he was saying. “This is for you, let’s have a drink… I won’t tell anyone that you were here. Promise.” She sat to his side, leaned into his space, and stroked his hand with her thumb. “Can I tell you something?”

Ivar took a sip of the wine, gulping it loudly. “Yeah.”

“You are a very attractive man, Ivar. I feel that we should get to know each other.” She bit her lip and moved closer to him. “See it as a thank you for your trust...” Her fingertips traced the skin on his toned arm.

Ivar blushed like a schoolboy. “I think I should go. My five minutes are over.” He got up and put the glass on the coffee table. “Thank you for your time. Maybe we could see each other again and talk about a compromise. In the meantime, think about it.” He didn’t want to make her angry again. It was strange, the way he felt around her...

“Ivar, wait. I mean it, I want to know you better. Why don’t you stay?”

He’d already reached her dining table on his way to the door when Y/N closed the distance between them effortlessly to squeeze her body against his until she was close enough to catch a whiff of the slight smell of wine that perfumed his breath.

“Then I could tell you everything about me. Isn’t that the reason why you’re here?” She purred with a sultry voice and a devious smile.

Ivar closed his eyes but didn’t dare to kiss her. Instead, he gripped her waist, and her dress creased in his hands.

Without wasting much time, she pinned her lips against his, profiting from his nervousness.

Y/N sat down on the table, her ass crumpling some stray documents but she didn’t care. She hooked her legs around his hips to draw him closer.

“Who are you?” He mumbled confusedly before she hushed him up.

She undid his belt and pulled his pants down as far as necessary to get to his cock.

“Y/N, I have to tell you something.”

“Later.” She grabbed him by his shirt to pull him closer and kiss him roughly.

“I can’t…” He held her hand in place to stop her.

Y/N guided his hands over her breasts, kneading them. “Trust me”. The snaps on her dress made it easy to slide it off.

She noticed Ivar’s passive behavior. “Would you prefer to sit?” She pointed to the sofa giving him a seductive look.

Ivar felt very insecure.

What if I can’t please her? Will she still like me? I’m not like other men... How should I tell her? Or does she know that already?

He nodded shyly and she entwined her fingers with his hand to lead him back to the sofa. He was relieved over the fact that they were alone. No one could ever find out about how pathetically he’d been acting around her.

She crawled on top of him looking deep into his stunning blue eyes, eyeing him hungrily. His lamblike attitude made her shiver and her cunt throbbed. It felt good to have the upper hand. She finally slipped off her dress completely and threw it to the floor.

Ivar gulped when he saw her lusty gaze.

She took off his shirt and ran her palm slowly over his upper body to feel each of his solid muscles twitching for her.

Ivar’s skin turned to gooseflesh and he moaned ever so softly. He followed Y/N’s lazy hand with his gaze.

She reached his shaft and he almost stopped breathing.

He closed his eyes as she dropped her head against his forehead.

She squeezed his semi-hard cock. “I’ve been thinking about this moment ever since I saw you standing at the door.” She wrapped her hand around it and stroked him from the base to the tip and back down again. Her tongue brushed over his lip and slipped into his mouth to chase his.

Dear Odin, this girl could kiss.

Her sensitive pussy rubbed against his stiff cock. He had no clue how she’d made him so hard in so little time and smirked when he realized what was going on.

Y/N put her panties aside inconspicuously and placed the tip of his dick in front of her soaking wet entrance, rubbing in quick circles.

Ivar clenched his teeth to prevent himself from moaning again. She tossed her head back, feeling her walls sink around his cock. His gaze was focused on her face.

Ivar was stretching her pussy and a harsh moan escaped her mouth. She had her eyes closed and her whimper made it sound as if he were hurting her, which unsettled him.

“Are you sure you wanna do this?” Ivar held her hips tightly against his crotch.

“Aren’t we at it already?” She tried to continue but he still held her in place. “You better start touching me instead of talking so much, Ivar.” She hissed against his ear, biting it.

He nodded but didn’t know what to do with his hands. He felt under pressure to please her.

Y/N put her hands on his chest to ground herself. Her hips moved like waves; with every movement his cock sank deeper and deeper. She did it carefully so as not to hurt him and eventually, Ivar loosened up. She pressed her torso against his and her bare tits rubbed against his chest and he grunted a low growl.

Ivar pushed Y/N’s hair away over her shoulder and nibbled on the soft skin of her neck. His lips moved to her collarbone, sinking his teeth deep into it, making sure that the imprints would stay long. His hands caressed her breasts, sliding down her belly, close to her mound but never so close as she wanted.

Y/N heard his hoarse moans and increased the pace, making Ivar forget about his disability and his every insecurity.

He was breathing heavily and his body tensed. His thighs twitched and she knew that he was coming as he let out a guttural moan while he spilled himself inside her. He was too shy to moan her name loudly.

She kept up the rhythm chasing her own release while Ivar’s fingertips sank painfully deep into her waist. She was so close. Y/N’s hands tangled into his long hair pulling his face closer to hers, needing more of his delicious tongue. She could definitely see his appeal.

Ivar’s brisk and urgent kisses triggered her orgasm, making her open her mouth to gasp for air. She opened her eyes, feeling dizzy and pleased.

Ivar’s eyes, in turn, glinted with satisfaction. It had been a long time since somebody had blown him away the way that she had. He’d never met a woman who contradicted him and even rarer still, one that was brave enough to order him around.

“Do you have a towel nearby? I think we made a mess.” He said out of breath, smiling coyly and staring at her perfect breasts.

She took a pillow and covered herself with it. Ivar’s cum ran down her legs as she stood up to look up for the towel and his face flooded with blood with the knowledge that he’d been the culprit.

“Hey, catch it!” She tossed a small towel to him and disappeared into the bathroom.

~~·······~~

“You're staying here tonight.” It was more of a statement than a question. They were sitting on her bed as she ran a comb over the strands of her wet hair.

“Doesn’t it bother you though? I can sleep over there if you want to.” Ivar pointed to the living room. He had never stayed with a woman overnight. It was a rule to keep himself from falling in love with them.

“We fucked less than fifteen minutes ago and then you stared at my tits for another fifteen

minutes-” Y/N exaggerated with a smile, wagging her comb. “-and now you dare to ask me if I mind that you sleep in my bed?” Her good-smelling hair dripped fragrant drops onto his thigh. “Of course, you can. I want to fall asleep in your arms... I want to feel safe, Ivar.”

Her words made him soft inside and awakened his protective instinct. Ivar didn’t notice the wicked glint in her eyes because he was too busy placing a sweet kiss on her forehead.

~~·······~~

Ivar was woken up by the smell of coffee. He strolled to the kitchen where the most beautiful woman he’d ever come across was standing. Her blue silk dressing gown matched the color of his eyes.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” She giggled.

“I- I have to go home. Hvitserk is waiting for me. You can imagine that my brothers would not be happy if they find out that I stayed the night here... And even less if they knew what we did.” He gave her a little kiss near her lips, hoping she wouldn’t get mad because he was leaving. “But can we meet again soon?” He took a sip of the hot coffee she offered him.

“Maybe… I’ll call you, ok?”

Ivar put his jacket on and glanced at her one last time; he wanted to memorize every inch of her face.

“Ivar... Thank you for the nice evening yesterday.” She caressed his cheek. “And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about us.” Her lips twitched upward.

~~·······~~

Y/N’s POV

Dear diary,

For some reason, Ragnar wanted meto be his successor. The same Ragnar who left me behind one day without bothering to think of my feelings. I spent the longest days in my life sad and alone, wishing I could change things. At first, Ragnar treated me like a queen, but then he banished me from his life like a worthless slave.

And now, these two handsome naïve boys will help me carry out my revenge. They are nothing but arrogant rich kids who don't know what hard work and suffering really mean. They don’t deserve his inheritance so I will definitely not share it.

I can’t believe Ivar the Boneless, the ruthless heir of Ragnar, the most terrifying of all brothers, the merciless rough son that everyone always talked about... is actually a tamed puppy.

He was still asleep when I saw the message Hvitserk sent him. Lucky for me, I wrote down his number. It was as if the gods wanted me to meet with him too.

Can’t wait to make him putty on my hands as well.

[taste-in-music]

taste-in-music’s Year End Wrap-Up

Hello everybody! We’ve finally reached the end of 2020. While I’m glad to leave this miserable year behind, one of things that undeniably got me through it was the vast amount of awesome music we got. In past years I’ve made favorite album and EP lists, but this time around I’m going to tackle them all in one go, giving reviews on the projects that had some significances to me over the course of the year. I’m going to make a post for my favorite songs too, so keep an eye out for that in coming days. Now, without further ado, let’s get started, shall we?

folklore by Taylor Swift: This was an incredible year of growth for Taylor Swift. As much as I’ve enjoyed her past music, the way she constantly felt the need to address what people thought of her always irked me, (though after watching her documentary, I do understand why she did it.) It wasn’t Taylor Swift the public persona that was most interesting, I thought. It was Taylor Swift the artist, the songwriter, the storyteller. What I wanted was an album focused on that. This year, I got one, (well... more on that later,) and it’s my favorite project she’s ever done. The tales Swift spins on folklore span across love triangles, heiresses, and battlefields, and she nails each and every one. While the chilly indie-folk influence from the likes of Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon is prominent, Swift’s warmth and charisma always cuts through the fog like a beam of sunlight. So yeah, this is my undeniable album of the year.

Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple: I only started listening to Fiona Apple last year and had thoroughly enjoyed her music, but this album cemented her as one of my favorite songwriters and performers of all time. Everything about Fetch The Bolt Cutters is so idiosyncratic yet fits together in just the right way, like watching an entire house being dropped from the sky and falling perfectly into place. It is a testament to the creative process, emotional honesty, and breaking free from all the cages you may find yourself in, whether they be societal, personal, or those of your own making. And in a year that was so isolating, it felt like Apple was whispering everything I needed to hear right into my ear, just when I needed it. In short, my boltcutters have been motherfucking fetched. 

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers: When Punisher was announced, I had no clue how Phoebe Bridgers would match the quality of Stranger In The Alps. Upon first listen, I wasn’t sure she had. By the fifteenth time I was listening to this album and every lyric was hitting like Cupid’s arrow to the jugular, I knew she’d surpassed it. Punisher presents a sonic scope that both comforts and crushes all at once, like with the upbeat yet mournful horns on “Kyoto” or the cathartic swell on standout “I Know The End.” In my opinion, Bridgers is one of the greatest songwriters of our generation in the making, and I can’t wait to see what the future brings for her. She may know the end, but she’s far from it. 

SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama: This is the album I see becoming a new shorthand for the true potential of pop excellence, a cult hit that never got its time to shine but is beloved by pop music geeks to the ends of the earth, like EMOTION by Carly Rae Jepsen. SAWAYAMA so effortlessly blends diverse genres and influences like disco, nu metal, and arena rock, and it yet it remains cohesive due to Rina Sawayama’s sheer strength as a performer. She deserves a spot on the pop girlie hierarchy, and one near the top. 

Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa: I really enjoyed Dua Lipa’s debut album, but even I didn’t expect her to come through with such a fully realized, consistent, downright fantastic follow up. Future Nostalgia is a pop album that feels studied, like Lipa did her research of pop’s past as she made it. The result is an album that synthesizes several different sounds under her vision, one that is always trained ahead, and it simply slaps. In a perfect world, nearly every song on this album got spun off into a hit single. 

evermore by Taylor Swift: 2020 was already my year of listening to Taylor Swift, (I went through her whole discography, cultivated a favorites playlist, and at the end of the year I was in the top 2% of her yearly Spotify listeners.) evermore was a lovely cherry to top it all off. While folklore enchanted me with its stories, evermore captivated me with its melodies. I haven’t been able to get snippets of this album out. of. my. head. for weeks now. It’s a bit less consistent than it’s older sister, (and likely to live in its shadow,) but there is still so much to love. 

I’m Allergic to Dogs! by Remi Wolf: This EP is so much goddamn fun. It’s a blend of many different sounds, indie pop, electronic, maybe hip hop, I think reggae at points? It’s such a colorful, textured, quirky listen bristling with energy and undeniable hooks. “Woo!” conquered my Summer, and months later the bridge of “Photo ID” conquered TikTok. Keep your eye out for Remi Wolf in the coming year, she’s going to make a big splash. 

Good At Being Young by Charli Adams: Good At Being Young was the first EP this year that I could not get enough of. It drifts through dreamy indie-pop sounds, with melancholic guitars and cloudy synths, and Adams has a deep vocal timbre that delivers tales of adolescent tribulations with just the right amount of wistfulness. Overall, it builds the perfect soundscape for a late-night drive.

Cape God by Allie X: Allie X has been keeping us FED with content. It seems like only yesterday that Super Sunset came out, and yet her output remains impressively consistent. This album has impressive highs, some lower moments, but the danceability, duets, and enticing darkness under its shiny pop veneer make it a record you won’t want to skip. 

La vita nuova by Christine and The Queens: Perhaps the biggest flex of 2020 was Christine and The Queens dropping a fantastic EP and accompanying short film right out of the gate. The grooves on this are infectious, wiry, and air-tight, (the Caroline Polachek feature was another added bonus,) but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of emotional weight too. 

Lighter by Donna Missal: This was one of my most anticipated albums of the year, and it’s hard to determine whether it disappointed or not. I think the only thing holding Lighter back is that This Time was such a formative album for me, (my favorite of 2018, to the uninitiated.) In fact, this album flows way better than This Time, more cohesive with its storytelling and more consistent in folk-rock sound. And, of course, Donna Missal’s vocals stun on both the bangers and the ballads. 

SURF by BLACKSTARKIDS: There was no record this year that was more instantly likeable than this one. The blend of low-fi indie pop and hip hop makes for a whirlwind of sunny fun and youthful malaise that would make the perfect soundtrack for a road trip to the beach. Standouts include the opening track “SOUNDS LIKE FUN,” the chill “WIGS,” and blissful title track “MUSIC TO SURF TO.”

The Baby by Samia: I’ve had my eye on Samia since “Milk” dropped years ago. Seeing her live sparked my belief that she was an indie darling in the making, and The Baby confirmed that she definitely was. The lyrics on this album mix quiet contemplation with just enough sardonic wit and raw emotion throughout a varied selection of sunny rock bops and gut wrenching ballads. If you enjoyed Punisher, then I can’t recommend this enough.

Season 2 by Nasty Cherry: Nasty Cherry is a group that I will not stop rooting for. Their EP from last year showed their potential for nailing monster hooks, but this sophomore effort shows just how versatile they can be. This EP covers everything from Dylan Brady produced hyperpop to early-2000s reminiscent pop rock to emotional balladry, and they pull it all off flawlessly. 

A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling by Magdalena Bay: This album became a fast favorite way late in the year, there is such a sweetness to Magdalena Bay’s music that makes it stick in your brain like a piece of blue raspberry bubblegum. This EP is spacey, catchy, and filled with electronic synthpop mastery, with countless catchy hooks that’ll make you feel like drifting and dancing all at once.

Miss Anthropocene by Grimes: The bubblegum bombast of Art Angels fully redefined my taste in pop years ago, so I was fascinated to see how Grimes would follow it up. On Miss Anthropocene, she leans into darker, more industrial textures, but also anchors it back to Earth with acoustic touches and some of her most introspective lyrics to date. Grimes painted a version of a world on the brink of disaster on this album, a picture that was hypnotically beautiful. And in a year where the word was a certified disaster, that was strangely comforting.

Plastic Hearts by Miley Cyrus: I’ve been wanting Miley to go rock for so goddamn long, Plastic Hearts was bound to make this list by pure validation alone. But what can I say? This breed of glossy 80s rock suits Cyrus’s rougher voice so well! I hope she stays in this lane a bit longer, but as we know, she’s one of pop’s most chameleonic figures. Only time will tell. 

Where Does The Devil Hide by Zella Day: I have been patiently awaiting new Zella Day music ever since getting hooked on Kicker back in 2017, so this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. This EP sounds nothing like Kicker, and I couldn’t be happier. It shows Day leaning even more into her influences from the past, (the 60s/70s vibes are intense with this one,) but also breathing a refreshing new life into them. 

SOUL LADY by Yukika: When I imagine the ideal of pop music, what it would sound like in a perfect world, this is what it sounds like. SOUL LADY is full of pristine, glossy production and catchy hooks that feel like they’ve come down from the clouds. I’ll admit that I can have trouble forming a connection with music when I don’t understand the lyrics, (it’s something I’m working on,) but this album cleared that hurdle with ease. If you’re curious about city pop or K-pop this is a great place to start. 

Heaven Is Without You by Love You Later: Give me lush pop production and heartbroken lyrics finished off with a heaping helping of nostalgia and I’ll eat it up with a spoon. Love You Later has been feeding my addiction to this genre for years, and this latest helping is particularly sweet. 

IN A DREAM by Troye Sivan: Troye Sivan has always supplied the bops, but it was about time that he started experimenting with his sound a little bit more. This EP offers some harder-hitting electronic textures, but also the addictive hooks that’ll keep you coming back for more.

Ungodly Hour by Chloe X Halle: These women are so TALENTED! If there is any word I’d use to describe this album it would be “effortless,” the harmonies, grooves, and chemistry between Chloe and Halle feels so natural and free-flowing. Charisma just rolls off of them in droves, I see full-blown stardom and several Grammys in their future.

Watching You by Robinson: This EP was one of the first on this list to arrive this year, and it still hits months later. Robinson’s confessional lyrics work wonders over the buoyant pop grooves, and “Don’t Say” remains one of the best pop songs of recent years. 

Manic by Halsey: I respect Halsey for dipping her toes into a myriad of different genres, (synth pop, rock, hip hop, and acoustic balladry,) but it does make for a jumbled listening experience. Still, I appreciate that this album features some of Halsey’s strongest tracks and writing to date, offering greater experimentation and emotional imtimacy than album’s past. 

We Don’t Stop by Aly & AJ: Should this count? It’s more a compilation of their past EP and singles... I don’t care, I’m counting it because there’s some new stuff too. This is an excellent display of Aly & AJ’s pop prowess in recent years, the hooks, vocal chemistry, and shimmery production are undeniable. 

Under My Influence by The Aces: The Aces returned in 2020 with a more laid-back, groovier record than their debut, exploring a wider variety of sounds. They’re as magnetic and likeable a group as ever, each member giving it their all, but I think I’ll return to the debut more often. 

Strangers/Lovers by Dagny: I’ve been anticipating a longer Dagny project, as she’s been drip-feeding us singles for a while now. This was a lot of fun, with Dagny pairing her upbeat earnestness with stories of romantic tribulation. While the hooks aren’t as memorable as her past offerings, there is still so much to enjoy. Lead single “Come Over” and “Let Me Cry” are my favorites.

DUALITY by Tatiana Hazel: I came across this via recommendation on Tik Tok and it’s a solid pop record! The music is swooning, synthy, and tinged with disco and Latin influence. The record doesn’t waste a second of its runtime, clocking in at less than half an hour and grooving the whole time.

After Hours by The Weeknd: The sonic palette of After Hours is so engaging, a neon-drenched blend of synthwave, electropop, and R&B. I’ve always felt lukewarm on The Weeknd’s musical persona of brooding, villainous party monster, so the strongest moments on this album tend to be when he subverts that in some way. Still, in full, this album is an undeniable force of smash hits, stadium-shaking ballads, and cinematic flair. I can’t wait for his Super Bowl performance. 

Petrol Bloom by LAUREL: It’s no secret that this year was chock-full of 80s revival albums (there’s what, five others on this list?) LAUREL wasn’t an artist I was expecting to go in that direction after the brooding folk pop of her debut album, but her deeper timbre works great alongside the synthy soundscapes. 

positions by Ariana Grande: I’ve just come to expect that nearly all of Ariana Grande’s albums are going to be growers to me. My first listen to positions was underwhelming, but the songs have grown on me more and more. This album feels like being let in on a giggly, fun slumber party with Grande and her friends. I wouldn’t call this her strongest album by far, and while I tend to prefer when she favors the more powerful parts of her range, (and her enunciations could still use some work,) there is a lot of good material here. 

THE ALBUM by BLACKPINK: We may just have to stan. I checked this out after watching their Netflix documentary, and while this breed of cacophonous, in-your-face electropop isn’t something I can listen to all the time, the hooks and charisma are undeniable. It certainly makes me feel like a bad bitch whenever I’m working out. 

Kid Krow by Conan Gray: Conan Gray burst onto my radar offering dreamy tracks rich with teen malaise and suburban restlessness, and a good amount of that initial appeal carries over onto this album. Kid Krow has both a larger instrumental scope and more stripped-back moments. In the end, it still feels like Gray is finding his voice as an artist, but he's giving up great bops to jam out to as he does.

Petals For Armor by Hayley Williams: Hayley Williams is one of my favorite vocalists, so seeing her venture out for a solo project was exciting. This album offers a mixed bag of danceable jams, emotive moments that showcase Williams’s powerful voice, and a few skips. But overall it showcases Williams’s strength as a performer as she tackles her past with vulnerability and versatility.

Apart by LÉON: Oh, man. This one was kind of disappointing. For context, LÉON’s self-titled debut was my favorite album of last year. This follow-up is by no means bad, but every song on her first album was instantly memorable. This one, not so much. LÉON’s vocals are beautiful, and there are some stand-out tracks, but I don’t see myself returning to this nearly as much. 

Blush by Maya Hawke: Maya Hawke’s Blush was to my 2020 what Tōth’s Practice Magic and Seek Professional Help When Necessary was to my 2019, (and that makes sense, as they’ve collaborated in the past.) This album is so blissful and nonchalant, and Maya Hawke has a gentle, soothing voice that feels wise beyond her years. While the writing isn’t as hard-hitting as, say, the Phoebe Bridgers album, sometimes I just want to listen to something that could rock me off into a dream world. If you like folksy, down-to-earth ballads, you’ve got a solid collection of them right here. 

Dedicated Side B by Carly Rae Jepsen: Of course Queen Carly would pull through with B-sides for Dedicated, did we expect anything less? Jepsen’s brand of controlled yet carefree shimmery poptimism drenched in 80s nostalgia that never fails to put me in a good mood. This album has some lusher, more tropical instrumentation than Dedicated proper, but works great alongside it.

Missing Person by Kelsy Karter: To the Plastic Hearts fans out there, your homework now is to give this record a listen. This rock album presents pop hooks, but a lot of reckless rock fun too. Kelsy Karter has so much irresistible swagger and carefree spirit as a performer, speeding through the emotional highs and lows like she’s burning rubber in a cherry red Cadillac. 

how i’m feeling now by Charli XCX: I’ll admit, this album was a bit abrasive to me on first listen. But tracks like “anthems” and “forever” made me return, and it’s a huge grower. If you listen closely, you’ll find the sugary-sweet hooks and relatable sentiments nestled deep in the crunchy hyperpop textures, begging to be discovered and eventually loved. 

Jaguar by Victoria Monét: If you enjoyed positions, then check out the debut from one of that album’s most prominent co-writers. Jaguar’s concise collection of silky R&B slow-burners show that Victoria Monet’s is a superstar in her own right. 

Some great albums I listened to that didn’t come out this year: Blue by Joni Mitchell, BLACKPINK IN YOUR AREA by BLACKPINK, I Need to Start a Garden by Haley Heynderickx, Plastic Beach by Gorillaz, Out in the Storm by Waxahatchee, 7 by Beach House, Dummy by Portishead, Lovers Fevers by Babygirl, and Red by Taylor Swift. 

Whether you liked, reblogged, or commented on a post, sent me an ask, or interacted with this blog in any way, thank you so much for all the support throughout the year! I can’t express how much I appreciate it. 

What were your favorite albums from this year? Did I miss anything? Send me an ask and let me know. I’ll tell you my thoughts, or put it on my to-listen-to list if I haven’t heard it. 

Here’s to 2021! May it clear the extremely low bar set by this year. 

[loveburnsbrighter]

Live In Your Heart

requested by @i-dont-even-effing-know-anymore. hope you enjoy! 💕

read it on ao3

"We're not setting up the wifi yet," Patrick says.  He's got his Stern Face on, which usually means fun things, but sometimes, unfortunately, means that David will be required to do work.  This seems to be one of those times.

"But babe," he says, wheedling, "how will I order pizza if I don't have wifi?"  He brandishes his phone. "I ran out of data in New York last week." He went with Alexis to help her settle in — it's been a strain, her moving right before he and Patrick were set to, and he's frankly exhausted, physically and emotionally.  "We promised Stevie pizza," he adds, as if he can convince Patrick that his motivation is purely selfless.

Patrick plucks the phone right out of his hand.  "I'll call them," he says. "You remember, how we ordered pizza back in the nineties?  By calling?"

"Ugh, don't remind me."  David leans back against a towering stack of boxes, ignoring Patrick's pained look, and sighs heavily.  "Alright, fine. We might as well get this done. Bedroom first, or kitchen?"

"We can put Stevie on kitchen duty when she gets here," Patrick says.  "Bedroom now." He pauses for a moment, and then smiles slowly, like he can't help it.  "Our bedroom," he says, and David wouldn't generally describe Patrick as a particularly jovial person, but he looks downright giddy.

David honestly can't blame him, feels that a little bit too, at the words.  He's spent a lot of time at Patrick's place, and for the last month or so he's lived there fully, barring his four days in New York with Alexis.  But it was still Patrick's place, no matter how at-home David made himself there.  (Very.)  

This is their place.  David and Patrick's home.  David and Patrick's bedroom.

"Our bedroom," he agrees, and grabs a box, following Patrick down the hall.

Their bedroom is, thus far, more or less a big empty cube.  There's a weird alcove with the window in it that Patrick has been insisting he wants a window seat for, and the master bathroom door is on the wall kitty-corner to the bedroom door.  David has been pleased (thrilled) to note that the whole thing comes with a lovely little walk-in closet; it's not huge, but it's easily three or four times the size of the closet back in Patrick's studio.

The movers brought in Patrick's bed yesterday and set it up against the far wall, and David and Patrick slept on the mattress on the floor at Patrick's place.  "Okay, first things's first," David says, dropping his box in the middle of the floor. Patrick pointedly pushes it against a wall, and David ignores him. "Where are the sheets?  Because we can not sleep on dirty sheets our first night in the new house, Patrick."

"Actually," Patrick says, "about that."  He's barely trying to hide a shit-eating grin, and it makes David immediately wary.

"What," he says heavily.

"Okay, don't be mad," Patrick says, which tells David that he probably should be, "I should have talked to you probably but I wanted it to be a surprise," and he rushes through the words to keep David from interrupting.  "I used all the money my grandparents gave us for our wedding and bought that flax-linen Pottery Barn set you wanted." 

David gasps, because he has wanted that bed set so badly — fair trade linens in gorgeous soft sandy beige — but Patrick has insisted every time David has argued that it's frivolous to spend more than a hundred dollars on sheets.  Their current sheets are from Target.  "Like, the sheets —"

"The whole bed set," Patrick says, looking inordinately pleased with himself.  "The sheets, the duvet and shams — I didn't get the dust ruffle because my bed frame —" But David doesn't get to hear about the dust ruffle because he's quite literally launching himself into Patrick's arms and kissing him. 

Patrick makes a soft, surprised noise, not quite a laugh, and lifts his hands to hold David by the waist.  He pulls back just a little, letting David kiss down his jaw, to say, "So you're not mad?"

"Linen sheets," David mumbles against his Adam's apple.  He pulls back to smile down at Patrick, and Patrick is smiling back, radiant in a way that David never saw him before they got engaged, a way that he's seen more and more since they decided to buy the house.  "Okay," he says, schooling himself, because if they do what he wants to do — which is tackle Patrick onto the bare mattress in their empty bedroom and thoroughly christen the house — then they'll never get to all the things they have to do.  "Well, where are the new sheets, because they have to be washed before we can use them."

Patrick helps David wrestle the new bedding out of its insane packaging, and then builds a little fort in the tiny laundry room out of all the cardboard while David starts a load.  He's relieved every second that the previous owners left their washer and dryer — they're both done with public laundry for the foreseeable future.

They grab another box each to haul into the bedroom on the way back down the hall; the bed and dressers are there already, and a single bookcase.  David has already been in to clean the closet and repaper the shelves in there, and they've agreed that they don't want to paint the bedroom; it came a creamy off-white that feels warm and soft, somehow.

David puts on music — he's made a playlist just for this, full of high-energy, multigenerational pop, Tina and Britney and Mariah all sharing space.  At some point Patrick logged into their shared Spotify — purely an economic choice; David didn't want Patrick's music fucking up his Wrapped, but that's not really worth ten bucks a month — and added Mumford and Sons and Bryan Adams and the Beach Boys, because Patrick has no sense of thematic or genre consistency.  It's fine, he supposes; when you love someone, you're willing to compromise for them.  

"'Framed wall art and photos - bedroom,'" Patrick says out loud, reading off the Sharpie label on a box.  "Maybe we should save this one until we've got the basics together?"

"Okay," David agrees over an infuriatingly long banjo solo.  "This one is your books?" Patrick gestures and David slides it over, watches him produce a knife from his pocket and slice open the top.

By the time Stevie strolls through the door, helpfully using her emergency key, they've mostly got the bedroom together.  The mattress pad and sheets are on, with the duvet set in the dryer, and Patrick's books and David's books are commingled on the shelf, which David is alarmingly pleased by — they're married, but the sight of his Virginia Woolf next to Patrick's Agatha Christie makes him feel warm from the inside out.

"I picked up the pizza," Stevie shouts.  "You owe me forty bucks in reimbursement!"

David skids down the hall, eager for pizza, with Patrick behind him.

"How in the name of god did you spend forty bucks on pizza?"  Patrick wants to know.

Stevie shrugs, hugging him as David relieves her of the boxes.  "I got garlic knots."

"And cheese bread," David says gleefully, spreading the boxes on the table.  "And one of those big cookies."

Patrick sighs after him but dutifully digs three beers out of the fridge.  (They set up all the appliances and TVs yesterday.) (All that's in the fridge so far is beer, a single head of lettuce, and a few bottles of green juice.)  David accepts his beer with minimal distasteful nose-scrunching.

They make short work of lunch, and Patrick sets Stevie up in the kitchen with a roll of shelf paper and more boxes than he'd ever thought he could fill with kitchen stuff; the dishes from his apartment, of course, and then they'd gotten a lot of the classic appliance wedding gifts: a brand new blender, a four-slice toaster ("but what will you use?" David had asked), an upright mixer, a block of knives with marble handles that Patrick is actually thrilled with.

David finishes making the bed, and then he just stands and stares at it for a second; he can't wait for Patrick to have sex with him in these sheets in this bedroom, but he also can't wait for Patrick to cuddle with him in this bed.  Watch movies with him. Hold him close and fall asleep with an arm slung low over his waist.

Patrick comes up behind him and settles warm hands on his hips, and David leans back into the touch.  "Stevie and I want to get started on the living room," Patrick says, hooking his chin over David's shoulder.  "You just about done in here?"

David crosses his arms across his own waist and takes Patrick's hands, swaying.  One of Patrick's songs is playing from David's tiny speaker. I've been so happy loving you, Dennis Wilson croons into the space, less echoey than it was earlier before they got their pictures up.  He looks around at their new room; the receipt from their first date is already on the bookshelf, and there's a framed poster for that first open mic night, and one from Alexis' singles week.  These are all things from Patrick's apartment; all this time, he's been collecting little souvenirs for them. Stepping stones tracing the path of their relationship. There's a framed wedding invitation, too, and photos: from the store opening, Patrick's birthday, their bachelor party, their wedding.

Even after David landed in Schitt's Creek without a paddle, if he'd been asked to describe his future, he would have crafted a life more or less like the one he'd left: galleries and parties, a drugged-out A-list entourage, globetrotting in the wake of Alexis' endless stream of near misses.  He never could have imagined this: a house in a small town, a business heavily patronized by flannel-clad locals, a single friend who loved him enough to help him move. Alexis settled in one place, his parents settled in another, weekly Facetime calls.  

Five gold rings on his fingers, the most beautiful man he's ever seen in Costco jeans, holding him and swaying and singing softly in his ear: "Forever, together my love…"  A sedan that clicks in the driveway, blueprints for a vegetable garden.  All the Ricky-and-Lucy trappings of a good life, things he never would have expected to love.  

"You won," Stevie told him a few months ago, when he brought her here to sit in the driveway and pour out his heart.  And David can hear her clanking dishes together downstairs, and Patrick is warm against his back, and the song is fading out the way that slow seventies rock does, and David knows, bone-deep, unshakeably, that she was right.

[revisionaryhistory]

Three Days ~ 5

Catch up here AO3

~*~Sebastian~*~

I make playlists for everything. I've talked several times about using music to get me into a character. I use music to regulate my mood too. I have ones for working out anger, songs to make me cry, things to meditate too, songs to help me sleep and give me good dreams, and good start to a morning songs. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that there's a sex playlist. There's really two. One is labeled romance though. Maybe it should be called “foreplay”. It's the glass of wine and quiet conversation playlist. The one called sex could also be rightfully called “fucking”. Every last one of those songs are for slamming balls deep into someone. That Puscifer song is on that playlist. I have a deserted island playlist too. That's where the question came from. I think you can learn a lot about people from what they choose to fill their brains with and why.

It would be an easy thing to reduce Emma's choices down to songs that make her feel. What I got from her list is she likes words. She gave me a line from every song she picked. She didn't even have to stop to think. The words just rolled off her tongue like they were waiting to be said. Again, it would be reductive to think that's all there is, but I bet words are what hook her. She listens.  Most of my choices were tied to an activity. Air guitar, dancing, working out, sex. I watch. I notice how things happen. Process is more important to me. That's how I get into a character, the feel of things. Mannerisms. How they walk. How they talk. How they do things. Current example ~ I remember Emma asked if she could help me find the chocolate chips, but not the exact words. I can bring up the exact feel of her hand on my arm when she said it. When I put my hand on her back leaving her house I noticed she leaned back into the contact. Had she jumped, tensed, or leaned forward I would have know I was violating her personal space. But she didn't. She's given me her hand and didn't move away when I put my leg against hers while we ate. All of this is good because I just can't seem to not be touching her. I don't mean in a sexual way. I mean attraction. I like you and I want to feel your warmth. Accepting my hand on her back has absolutely nothing to do with accepting sex. Neither does kissing. Or touching. Hell, being naked in bed doesn't even equal consent for sex.

Wow, I've drifted way off topic. Maybe not. Back to the music thing. Her liking words and me liking activity. Neither is the superior way, just differences. I'm curious about books and movies, but another night. I have no doubts there will be other nights.

As planned, deserted island playlist propelled us into more music. Eventually we're rattling off songs and giving them thumbs up or thumbs down. It was really good. We laughed and told stories, sharing memories. She hit upon one of those songs that you think no one else ever heard of, but was really pretty popular. Usually it’s a breakup song that you get so lost in the rest of the world didn’t exist. This was one of those. I immediately threw up the thumbs down, then up, then down again.

She grimaced, “Break up song.”

She’d shared hers. I didn’t mind sharing mine, but this was my least favorite. “Sort of. It was later. I had a hard time getting over her. We’d been together awhile. Things were good until they weren’t. First she started saying she didn’t know who she was apart from me. Then it was she didn’t know what she wanted. Then it was she knew and it wasn’t me. I’d been doing the things she wanted, making changes, and it turned out she was making them up. I didn’t handle myself so well. I was hurt because I felt like she’d used my better qualities against me. She’d manipulated me into making changes, doing things, that meant nothing. It was like she was playing with me and she knew me well enough to know better. I really internalize that shit. In the end I’m the one who looked like the asshole. I wasn’t perfect, but I kept trying.” After dropping the lyric that had hooked me, I stopped for a second and focused on our hands. God, I was young back then. Both of us and we’d fought with secrets to hurt each other most. I just had more to work with. Emma’s nail tickling my palm brought my attention back to her and I smiled. “I was pretty pitiful for awhile. I couldn’t get past it, past her. That song got me in touch with how angry I was. Not just at her, but myself for getting so stuck in being victim and feeling guilty for mean things I’d said. So, I raged for a while. Took it out on my liver and my lungs . . . mostly. Then I was better.” The smirk on her face let me know she understood my particular healing methods. I wasn’t very original. Sometimes you have to get high, drunk, and fuck someone out of your system.

Emma excused herself to the bathroom. I leaned back and finished off my beer. I looked out at the dark water letting everything sink in. Not thinking, just letting the good time feel good. Even telling the ex story felt good. Well, her reaction to me getting a little lost in. Another round of beers showed up a little before Emma. As she sat down she knocked hers over.

She jumped out of the way as it poured onto the deck beside her, “Fuck!”

I grabbed the bottle before it could empty and Emma stemmed the flow with extra napkins. “Easy clean up with the deck.”

She laughed, but her cheeks were red. Our server showed up to take away the napkins, wipe up the remnants, and bring Emma another beer.  She shook her head, “I have an unfortunate habit of knocking over drinks. Even sober.”

“It’s good to have a hobby.” We laughed again and got back to talking.

I was so wrapped up in conversation I didn't notice a group of three guys approach our table. I jumped a little when one of them spoke. They had beers in hand and introduced themselves after one apologized for startling me. I wanted to tell them it was really uncool to interrupt my date. They seemed like the kind of guys who would understand. I stood up because I don't like talking up to people towering over me. Gives me a little more control over the situation too. Most people will read the social cue of me sitting down again as ending the conversation. They were nice enough and the short interaction ended with a picture so they could post “beers with The Winter Soldier” on Instagram.

Emma was smiling when I sat down, “Happen a lot?”

“Um, depends where I am. Sometimes one turns into many. Fingers crossed.” I patted my chest without pockets. “I don't have a pen.”

She chuckled, “I've always thought autographs were the excuse to approach someone when all someone really wants is a minute of your time. Or your phone number.”

There's my opening. “Can I have your phone?”

She gave me a strange look, but still pulled her phone out of her purse and unlocked it before handing it over. Luckily she's got an iPhone and I know how to navigate those. I get that people like the customization you can do on an Android, but for barely tech literate people like me I find comfort in the limitations of ways I can fuck up my iPhone. Also makes it easier when I'm trying to sneak my number in someone's phone. I'm not very sneaky. I put my number in her contacts, saved, and handed her phone back. “Now you don't have to ask.”

She was doing something and a second later my text notification went off. “You don't either.

I put in her name and was reaching for her hand when our server walked up, “I'm sorry, Mr. Stan, but we'll be closing soon.”  She laid the black folio containing our bill on the table.

What the hell? It couldn't be after eight o'clock. I glanced down at my phone. It's 2:45.  “Oh shit!” I showed the time to Emma who looked as shocked as I did. I looked up to our server. “I'm sorry. Shit. We've fucked you out of half a dozen table turnovers. I'll take care of you.”

“Don't worry about it. I'm glad you had a good night.”

I quickly pulled out my credit card and tucked it in the plastic sleeve. She walked off and I turned to Emma, “I'll be right back. Gonna get some cash for her tip.” Since Emma had worked in a restaurant I knew she'd understand. Even if they cashed her out they might withhold some of a tip to cover the card fees or make her wait for the full amount. I had some cash, but not enough to cover shorting her all the turnover while I sat my ass here talking. By the time I got back from the ATM she was back with the receipt. I asked her to wait while I quickly scribbled my name. I tucked the cash in the folio and handed it back to her. “Have a good night.” She thanked me and was off. I downed the rest of my beer and reached a hand out for Emma, “Ready to go?”

Emma took my hand. As we walked I twined my fingers with hers. I wanted to walk like this for hours. The simplicity of holding hands is something not be overlooked. Fingers laced, palms pressed together, and the necessity of walking a little bit closer. This feeling. The newness. The thrill. The anticipation. I love them all.

The sky lit up with a streak of lightning in the distance. I looked around, unsure of my bearings. “Is that coming or going?”

“We'll be driving toward it.”

The next flash was closer and the thunder rolled loud. Walking hand in hand by the river was out. “Better get you home.”

In the SUV I waited for my phone to hook into the entertainment center before handing it off to Emma with Spotify open. “Play me your five songs.”

After listening to her five songs I had her search for mine. She did like the Puscifer song. She thought it sounded like stripper music. She's not wrong.

I can not believe it's three in the morning. We talked for nine hours. This has to be the longest first date ever. Unless you count the one's that go overnight, but that's different. This is the longest date I've even been on that hasn't included sex. Or a two and a half hour movie. Nine hours sitting with one person talking about family, friends, and music. How in the fuck did we fill up nine hours? I don't feel like I've even scratched the surface of knowing her or showing her who I am. With the exception of a couple of times it was nine hours of nothing conversation. I don't mean that in a bad way. I'm not bothered. I'm amazed.

Now I'm faced with what next? Imminently, not existentially. Realistically most of my dates end up in bed. Usually I go out with someone I've met on set, an event, or a party. We've got on well enough to ask her out. We go to dinner, back to one of our places to get to know each other.  Conversation pauses, there's a kiss, and boom we're in bed. Sometimes there's not a real date before the sex. Hit it off when we meet and go home together. Nothing wrong there. Sex is what you do while you're getting to know each other.

Or what you do so you don't have to.

None of this means I don't want to go to bed with Emma. Not even close. How do you go from nine hours of talking with nothing more than holding hands to naked and sweaty? Well, I know how you get there, but I'm not sure I should. Even more amazing. I'm not sure I want to. Evans would give me such shit about what I'm thinking. It's been a sweet first date and maybe it's better to leave it that way. If sex is what you do to get to know someone, but we're doing fine doing, why not wait. Show a little restraint. I could ask her what she thinks. Nope. Awkward, presumptuous, and weird. Somebody once told me if you can't talk about sex you shouldn't be doing it. I thought it was bullshit. Now, I'm thinking they might have a point.

All this could change with a kiss. Just one kiss.

The storm was almost on us by the time we got to her place. I ran around to her side of the SUV and walked her to the door. Holding hands like two teenagers. I do not know what to do next. I'm anxious and afraid my hand is turning into a sweaty mess. She unlocked the door and I leaned against the wall. “I had a really good time tonight. I can't remember last time I talked so much. It was a lot fun. Thank you.”

“I had a great time too. Thank you for dinner.”

Emma turned back to face me and stepped closer. This is closer than we've been all night and I have never wanted to stay in a moment so much in my life.

I reached to put my hand on her face. Her eyes fluttered closed when my fingers skated across her cheek. I start to lean in, to close the distance. I closed my eyes. Suddenly a huge crack filled the air and both of us jumped. I yelled, “Fuck” and put my hand over my heart. It's beating out of my chest for more than one reason now.

Emma jumped too and we both started laughing.

The moment I wanted was gone. Dammit. I grabbed her into a hug, “Scared the fuck out of me.” Another crack of thunder and the rain started. I stepped back, “I'll give you a call tomorrow.”

The deluge started after I shut the SUV door. That's lucky. I guess mother nature didn't want me to kiss the girl tonight. No problem.

I'll probably get in the pool at mom's and wait for lightning to strike me.

**tell me something good, fun, full of anxiety.  This lock down is starting to bore me**

[ask-the-immerse-claudette]

𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓫𝔂𝓮

Hello! This is my first ever time writing a story for Claudette I hope you enjoy! This is a story about if she had a chance to go back to her normal life what would happen? Anyways enjoy!  ___________ 𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓫𝔂𝓮

𝒲𝑜𝓇𝒹 𝒞𝑜𝓊𝓃𝓉: 3,444

  Winter had come and it was showing. The below freezing temperatures and the snowflakes that fell from the sky were a big sign. This was the weather Claudette missed the most from her old life. The time she spent with her family decorating the Christmas tree, winning snowball fights, eating dinner with them all, and all those other things. Claudette missed her old life.

  The brown haired woman was sitting on a log by the campfire, awaiting her next trial. This was her new life; trial after trial, awaiting to be hooked and killed over and over again. Time is nonexistent in this realm she lives in. The only reason she knows what time of the year it is is the new clothing the entity blesses her and the others with. It was nearing Christmas, she could tell based on how Nancy was sporting the annual ugly sweater. Another year in this hell.

  She got up from the log, ready to look in the woods for offerings or any items she could use for her trials. As soon as she got up an overwhelming amount of smoke surrounded her and made it hard to breath. ‘Another trial,’ she thought to herself as she closed her eyes.

  A shivered crawled up her spine from a cool breeze that went by her. This is unusual… she doesn’t feel the cold during her trials, What is going on?

  Upon opening her eyes, Claudette saw a small house in a city she knew very well. It was a medium sized house that had a small set of stairs heading into the front porch. The railing, ground, and sky were all covered with the winter snow. There were two white wooden rocking chairs on the porch with a small wooden side table between them that was both black and white. Beside the front door was a large window. It showed a Christmas tree covered in  decorations and had some presents underneath it.

  This was her family home, her home... she was home. Did she escape? Did the entity let her go? Claudette pushed those thoughts aside, she just wanted to see her family. She cried as she knocked on the door eagerly, hoping that her parents were home. Claudette would be finally able to hug her family and tell them how much she missed them. She didn’t even know how long she had been missing from her old life.

  A few more minutes pass, she was about to knock again before the door was opened by an older man. He looked to be wearing a sweater and slacks and his face was covered with a small mustache with some grey hairs. Claudette watched the expression of the man go from confusion to euphoria in a matter of seconds.

                                ”Claudette... is it really you?”

  Before she could reply a strong pair of arms pulled her into a tight hug and she could feel the tears falling from this man she called her father. She gripped his sweater as she cried onto the  shoulder that she could always depend on. She had missed him so much.

                               ”Richard! Who is at the doo-”

  Before Claudette could even address the woman properly, she found the woman’s arms wrapped around her along with her father’s. She was really home. “I missed you both so much!” Claudette sobbed as she started to shake and cry onto her father's shoulder.

  After a while they finally managed to let go of her and settled for cradling her face. It was really her mother and father in front of her. She pinched herself just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming and her mother smacked her hand for it. Her mind wasn’t playing tricks; it wasn’t a dream; it was her normal life.

  After a couple of minutes more her parents let her inside to get warmed up. She stopped and looked at the long window by the door. It reflected back at her the first image of herself she had seen in an uncountable number of days. She had bandages around her arms and was wearing her pink blouse with her hair tied up in a messy ponytail. She had some scars from Moris that never faded and she looked like she was put through hell, which wasn’t far from the truth. She took her hair tie out and watch her hair fall onto her body. It was messy and clearly dirty. Claudette was not surprised that her hair was such a mess hell some of her clothes were too. She finally stopped looking at herself in the mirror and sat down on the couch.

                           ”Where have you been for the past 4 years?”

                           ”Why do you have bandages on your hands?”

                           ”Claudette answer us!”

  Where had she been? She honestly doesn't know the full truth herself and she probably never will. How could she possibly tell her parents that she was getting brutally murdered in an unknown realm with a bunch of other random people? How could she explain to her mother and father that she fell in love with one of those killers? How could anyone tell someone what she had been through?

  She looked at her bandaged hands and contemplated them before unwrapping the bandages. She had a hug slash down her hand, one her parents looked at with widened eyes. “This isn’t the worst of it,” she said with a bit of pain in her voice. She stood up and took off her pink blouse to show her black tank top underneath.  All along her shoulders, her back, and even going down her chest were scars that never faded. Her mother started crying as her father became furious. Claudette rubbed her shoulders as her father made his outrage clear; “Claudette where the hell have you been?! And I want a real answer! You have been gone for almost 4 years. No calls. No letters. You come into our home with scars everywhere and expect us to not be worried!? We deserve some answers god damn it!” This was the first time she heard her father snap at her and somehow it felt worse than any trial. She wanted to explain. She needed to explain. Just not yet.

  ”I can’t… I’m just as worried as you two. I’ve been up every night pointlessly fighting for my own damn life. I wish I was able to call you, or tell you I was okay, or let you know I was alive, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry, I just want a normal day with you guys before I explain myself fully. Please.”

  Her mother nodded, “Honey, your dad and I need to talk. Please just head to your room for now. Don’t come out until later.”

  There was going to be an argument and she knew it. She walked into her room and saw everything was where it was supposed to be. Her small bed and her plant that seemed to be kind of living and taken care of. She looked at her desk and saw her laptop and phone there. Claudette decided maybe some music would be good, it would help drown out the arguing down the hall.

  Right when she opened her laptop she heard their voices start to rise. She only heard her parents fight like this one time before, when she was 6 years old. Just hearing them shouting made her flinch. Claudette hated the sound of it. It reminded her of back at the campfires when someone messed up in a trial, how the people would shout at each other. She hated it.

  It took a minute or two for her computer to boot up after she put in her password, and it made a small noise when it was ready to go. She was welcomed by a picture of her holding a very beautiful butterfly before opening her Spotify and finding her old playlist. The songs bring up some old memories that make her smile, and she closes her eyes softly; only for them to snap open when she feels something touch her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye she can see it was Max’s hand, but when she turned around she saw nothing. “Max?” Of course he isn’t here, she’s home, and away from everyone. She is safe and with her parents. She could even try to go to college like she wanted to 5 years ago.

  Claudette looked at her bed, covered in presents. She had assumed they were Christmas presents when she first saw them covered in festive wrapping paper. She was happy that her parents thought about leaving her presents even while she was missing. She opened the first one delicately and found a small box. Inside it was a gold chain with an infinity diamond on it surrounded by a diamond box. It was beautiful. The next one was a bit heavier and it took a hot minute to try and get all the wrapping paper off. When she finally did there were tears in her eyes. It was the telescope she has been wanting since she was 13. It was in her hands. She finally had it. She was about to open the third box when a claw suddenly wrapped around it She screamed as the claw pulled it down into a void, and her door slammed open as her mom came running over to hug her and her father worried quietly beside the door. “Shh, Claudette, shh, I’m here baby,” her mother cooed as Claudette cried into her mother’s arms. When she calmed down her mother laid her down on her bed. She was pretty sure her mother had no idea what was going on, but it didn’t matter, she was there for Claudette nonetheless.

           ”Sweetie get some sleep okay? I’m here. If you need me just call out.”

    Claudette nodded, taking a big gulp of air as she tried to calm down, laying on her soft bed. It was much better than the logs and dirt she had been sleeping on for the past 5 years, and as she closed her eyes the world around her was engulfed in darkness. The last thing Claudette heard was her music soothing her to sleep.

  After two hours of restless sleep, Claudette was awakened by the sound of multiple people down the hall. She left her room and saw her entire family filling the living room. Claudette was born into a medium sized family so it wasn’t too crowded. ‘Oh right it is Christmas,’ Claudette reminded herself.  She suddenly realized how quiet it had become since she entered the room quiet enough to hear a pin drop. As soon as Claudette was going to say hi, she was trampled by one of her favorite cousins. “Detty!” It was the little nickname her cousin gave her. “Hey there Tyler! You’ve gotten taller!” The last time she saw her favorite cousin was when he was almost 5. Now he was nine and damn is he getting tall.

  She got asked lot of questions but her mom shook her head and told them all to drop it. Claudette was honestly grateful for her mother right now. Without her mother, she would have been at the mercy of their questions, and whatever breakdowns they would trigger She was always looking over her shoulders just in case if something happens, or waiting for some killer to come grab her. Just the thought made her scars ache. Claudette’s aunt, judgmental beyond belief, came over to her and gave her a huge hug. “Claudette, I give you a ton of shit but I still love you and I truly missed you.” Honestly, It was nice hearing that from the aunt who made fun of her as much as humanly possible..

  “Uncle Ace!” She ran up to one of her uncles and hugged him. She was confused when she didn’t receive a hug back. “Claudy who is Ace?” It took a moment for her to realize what she had called him, “sorry Uncle Tony you reminded me of my old friend Ace.” She was clearly lying as she remembered the funny jokes Ace made to lighten up any mood, nothing like the dour man in front of her.

          ”Claudette, would you come help me in the kitchen please?”

  Her mother came to save the day once again. Claudette rushed into the kitchen, embarrassed by how she mixed up the names of these people. She immediately started to work on the potatoes and her mother worked on the homemade stuffing. “So Claudette, who is Ace? I don’t recall him being a friend you had,” Claudette almost cut herself on the comment her mother made. She couldn’t lie to her mother even if she tried. “Ace is this rich guy who was an actor, sadly he got older and grew out of acting, so he started to gamble to pass the time. But he always knew how to cheer me up when I was sad.” Her mother nodded, “I’m guessing you had a crush on him?” Claudette was taken back with what her mother just said. “No, he isn’t my type mom, and he is too old for me. Besides, I have my eyes on someone else.” Her mother raised an eyebrow before dropping the topic and going back to making the stuffing.

  Claudette had just finished peeling the potatoes when she heard a ding. Her breathing picked up as she hid behind the counter, her head light as her mind began spinning. She curled into a ball and rocked herself back and forth, repeatedly murmuring, “it’s not real,” to herself. She couldn’t think straight, her mind stuck in the panic of fight or flight. She swore she heard the sound of a generator being tinkered with and her heart started beating even faster. Claudette was shaking when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and without warning she ran to the other side of the kitchen trying to get away. She turned back to see her mother with a look of confusion and concern on her face. She looked around. Everything around her was normal, the sounds of a generator fading quickly as her heartbeat slowed back down. “Claudette are you ok-” Claudette cut her mother off, “I’m fine, I just need some fresh air.”

  She didn’t even wait for her mother’s reply before she went out the back door closing the door behind her. She slid down against the door and looked up at the sky. She turned to her side and saw Max sitting next to her with his big open arms, but when she jumped to hug him all she got was thin air. Her mind was playing tricks on her and she wanted it to stop. She wanted these thoughts to stop so she can be with her family and live her old life, her normal life. She wanted to become rich and marry someone who kept her happy. She wanted to be working at NASA and be the head scientist there. She wanted a normal life for herself.

                                                             ”But what is normal?”

  Claudette jumped at the sudden voice, confused about where it was coming from. It sounded like something she remembered but she just couldn’t place it.. “Claudette, come in, dinner is ready,” She shook the thoughts of the mysterious voice away and went inside to enjoy dinner with her family. As soon as she entered the door, the strong smell of Christmas dinner made her stomach growl. Oh how she missed the food her mother made. She sat down between her father and mother on the side of the table. Usually they would say a simple prayer before dinner, but tonight her father stood up as everyone quieted down and watched him closely.

     “This evening my daughter Claudette was brought home. We don’t know what she has been through, and until she is ready to tell us, we don’t care to know. I am just lucky to have my baby girl back. Welcome home Claudette.”

  Everyone lifted their glasses and nodded in agreement. As soon as her father sat down everyone dug in. Claudette got her plate and got a little of everything. She loves her mother's rolls, they were to die for. Claudette was already digging in and eating at an extremely fast pace. She missed the taste of food and the feeling of becoming full. She honestly didn’t care that she was eating so fast, or that she was making such a mess.

  Claudette was full before anyone else was finished, and happy to be so. She took this time to look around her family that she had not seen in almost 5 years. Honestly, looking at them now broke her heart. She knew this wasn’t her life. This was just a place she spent her old life in and had to leave. She knew her home was back in The Entity’s realm. She knew she could never live a normal life because of the hell she has been through. She could never live her old life. All those trials, and the friends she made while suffering through them even the small romance she had with one of the killers. Everyone would call her crazy for wanting to go back there, back to the trauma, but at this point it was all she knew. It was her home.. And there was no use being somewhere that had become so unknown to her.

                                  ”Come home Claudette.”

  The voice was back, but this time she knew what it was. It was The Entity. She got up and looked at everyone taking a deep breath. She shook as their eyes aimed towards her. She was not one for speaking in front of people, but her family knew if she was going to stand up and speak, then what she had to say was important.

  ”I love every single one of you. Some more than others, but that doesn’t matter. For the past 5 years I have been stuck in a living hell. Experiencing worse than the human brain can think of over and over again. Being able to come home and see my mother and father was a blessing, but it also showed me something. I thought this was my home, but in the end my heart belongs back there.. If you all never see me again just know I love every single one of you from the bottom of my heart. But I need to go home and be where I belong. I love you…

                                  ... Goodbye everyone.”

  Claudette could see tears in some of her family's eyes as she ran into her room, grabbing her pink blouse. She tied her hair up and ran outside in the dead cold of winter. She was shivering from the cold, but that didn’t stop her. She cried as she ran into the forest, wanting to go back. Wanting to go home. She tripped on a stump and fell down, laying there, crying in the snow. “Please let me go home. I want to be back where I belong!” She cried out to the sky and the trees. And when she made her final cry, everything around her went silent. Nothing moved and nothing made a noise.

                                 ”As you wish Claudette Morel.”

  A claw pierced her stomach, and in moments she was passed out from the shock and the damage.

                                      ”She is waking up!”

                         ”Give the woman some space Kate.”

                                        ”Sorry Nea…”

  Claudette jolted up from where she was sleeping to see a very familiar face. She grabbed ahold of Kate and hugged her like her life depended on it, “I missed you guys so much.” her breath was light and shaky as she cried into Kate’s shoulder. Kate gave her some hushes and back rubs and Claudette finally let go, embracing the familiar warmth of the campfire and the familiar faces around her.

                                        ”I’m home.”

[crashdevlin]

Something More- Part Four

Author’s Note: *THERE IS NO WIFE-HATE HERE! I <3 Danneel Ackles. (it’s completely understandable how she acts)* This is a sequel to Open. READ THAT FIRST!  Something More Masterlist

Summary: Reader is a no-name actor who has been lucky enough to land a role on her favorite show and a part in an anthology of Marvel Cinematic Shorts. Her star is on the rise, but the man who’s made her his mistress isn’t the only one noticing it.

Pairing: Jensen Ackles x Reader, Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Story Warnings: Open Marriage, mistress, breakups, angst, anger, jealousy, things get REALLY bad between Jensen and y/n…

Chapter Warnings:  18+ HERE BE SEX, DON’T READ IF YOU’RE A YOUNG’UN!!! fingering, Dom/Sub relationship, Tom is Dom, slight choking, controlling behavior (cause Tom is Dom), mentions of depression and depressive drinking, 

The drive was much easier with Tom in the car, ratty black tee and threadbare jeans making him look ever so comfortable in the passenger seat. We spent the entire ride talking about family, about what he needed to expect from mine, from Connie, from Nova. Then we sang along with my Spotify playlist. Then his.

We pulled into the driveway of my parents’ house and I took a deep breath. “Are you all right?”

I bit my lip and nodded. “It's just… you know, last time I brought a guy home, it was Nate… and they hated him from the get.”

“Are you afraid they're going to hate me?”

“I'm sure they won't, but if they did… I would have to listen to them. Because Nate was such a disaster, right, that I could have avoided if I had just listened to them.”

“But Nate and Nova forced growth in you, catalyzed change. As did Jensen.”

I looked down. I hadn't seen Jensen, and had tried to keep him from my mind, since I dropped his key off at the set. At set was determined to be the safest place to see him. He'd taken the key without a word and I'd just nodded as I turned and walked away.

“Don't mention him to them. None of them know what was going on. Well, my mom accused me of having an emotional affair with him, because she noticed he called me every night after he got done shooting… which I guess isn’t completely wrong based on how he acted after I met you… but according to them, I haven’t had anybody since Nate, so…” I pushed the car door open and stepped out, Tom following as I walked toward the door, which slung open to reveal Nova. “Supernova!” I yelled, dropping to my knees so that she could run to me and jump into my arms.

“Mommy!” She screamed, knocking me over with the force of her jump. “I missed you!”

“Oh, I missed you, too, baby!” I stood, my arms wrapped around her, and turned to Tom. “Nova, this is Mommy's friend, Tom. Remember how I told you about him?”

“Yeah, he's your boyfriend.” Nova said, forcing a chuckle from Tom.

“She's very smart.”

“Yeah, well, I was a genius before I got dumbed down by laziness and depression. I mentioned I was reading and understanding Shakespeare at her age, right?”

“Well, Midsummer Night's Dream isn't exactly that hard to follow, is it?”

“Hey! Don't make me dump you when you came all this way to meet my parents.” I joked, before grabbing his hand and pulling him into the house. “Hey, y'all, I'm home!”

“Y/n!” My mom greeted, hugging me and Nova at the same time.

“This is Tom.” I reached up and patted his shoulder.

“Mrs. Y/l/n, it's an unabashed pleasure to meet you. Your daughter is a shining light of intelligence and beauty.”

The moment my mother fell in love with Tom was showcased by her blush. Okay, so nothing to worry about. “You really go for the tall ones, don't'cha?” My dad said as he entered the living room.

“Be nice. At least this one's a gentleman.” Mom scolded.

“In the streets, anyway.” I muttered, under my breath.

“So, you met on set?” My mom asked, ushering Tom to sit on the couch.

“You know we did.” I rolled my eyes. “Go ahead, Tom. You like telling this story so much.”

“Shall I alter it for your parents’ benefit?”

“Nah. They know I’m a dirty old woman. I’m sure they’d believe you if you told them I gave it up on the second date.” I said, walking up the stairs with Nova on my hip.

“I assumed that was something unique to our relationship.” I heard Tom muse.

“Oh, definitely. She’s generally just a dirty old lady in her writings.” My dad responded. I dropped Nova to her feet on the top step and ran back down to the living room.

“Tom doesn’t need to know about that, yet!”

Tom smiled up at me. “Your fanfictions? I know about them. Someone sent a link to your story about Loki to me the night I sang with you.”

“And you still want me? You don’t think I’m a weirdo?”

“Incredibly articulate and grammatically pleasing with a good grasp on the characterizations of Loki and Thor… I quite enjoyed it.”

I gaped at him for a minute. “You… you read it? Nobody else ever… I mean, you liked it?”

“It was very good. You seem incredibly concerned with maintaining the canon of the MCU while bringing in just enough information from the comic books to flesh out the story and remedy the perceived faults in the timeline.”

“I… thank you, Tom. That means a lot.”

“I’d love to read more of your writing sometime.” His eyes sparkled at me from across the room and I laughed, loudly.

“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. Most of my stuff is Supernatural and a lot of it is reader-inserts for female readers, so…”

“You could let him read the first five chapters of your murder mystery.” Dad suggested.

“Oh, a murder mystery? Do you have it readily available?” Tom asked.

I blushed. “I guess I can get it for you.”

He followed me up to my bedroom and shut the door behind him. He smiled as he looked around the walls. “Well, the decor hasn’t been updated in quite a while, has it?”

“You know I didn’t expect to have to come back to live with my parents. The divorce just… took away my options. Didn’t want to spring for new decor when I couldn’t even afford my own place.” I pointed at the Green Day posters. “And Green Day rocks, so fuck you.”

He chuckled, his trademark ‘he-he-he’, eyes roaming down my body. He reached behind him and locked the door. “If you insist.” He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me backward onto my king bed, the one piece of furniture I fought to keep in the divorce. It was just a box spring and a mattress settled on the ground. When I was fat, I hated the sound of a bed frame groaning under my weight and I just never bought one after I lost the weight.

“Tom, we can’t.”

“Of course we can. The door’s locked. I can be quiet. Can’t you?”

“Yeah, but my parents are right downstairs and they, literally, just met you. Is this the first impression you want to give them?” I whispered as he pushed me onto the bed and covered my body with his.

“I’d think they’d want you with someone who can take care of all of your needs.” He responded, running his hands down my sides. “Besides, you said they know you're a dirty woman.”

“Yeah, but that's more metaph-fuck!” I whispered as his hand slipped into the front of my pants, long fingers easily finding and rubbing at my clit.

“I know you can be quieter than that, darling.” He whispered in my ear before starting to nibble and suck at my neck. “You don't really want me to stop, do you?”

“Yes… no.” I buried my hand in his hair and held him at the spot on my neck he usually doesn't give enough time to. “Fuck, right there.” He pulled my jeans down my legs, sliding down my body with them, biting at the inside of my thigh as he went. As I tried to hold in my moans, my eyes fell on another one of my posters: one with three men and ‘Join The Hunt’ on it. “Tom, stop.” I pulled his hair and pointed at the poster. “Jensen’s watching me.”

Tom scoffed and stood, ripping the poster from the wall. “Shouldn’t still have your ex-lover on your wall, anyway.” He grumbled at me since I was obviously offended by his treatment of my stuff.

“Yeah, but I’ve had that poster for years and you just-”

“Quiet.” He demanded, his voice low and resolute as his fingers hooked in my underwear and he pulled them down.

“Bossy.” I responded, breathlessly, as he sunk two fingers into me with no fanfare.

As he started to work his fingers in and out of me, he moved up my body and wrapped the fingers of his left hand around my neck, just hard enough to put pressure but not enough to hinder my breathing. “Sometimes, y/n, you seem like you need to be told what to do. I’m just giving you what you need.”

“Tom, I-”

His hand tightened, just slightly. “I said, ‘quiet’.” His voice made me shiver.

I nodded. I wasn’t sure what else to do. Sure, Tom was always passionate, especially in bed, and he’d always kind of controlled the situation, but this was different. This was Tom easing us into a Dom/sub relationship, which wasn’t something I’d ever wanted.

“If you’re good, y/n, if you keep quiet… I’ll let you cum. Do you want to cum?” He asked, after he’d been working me for about ten minutes. I nodded. “Words, darling. You can speak when I ask something of you.”

“Please.” I whined, and it kind of amazed me that I fell into that role so easily, following directions and eager to please.

He chuckled, letting his thumb just barely sweep across my clit. “‘Please’, what?”

“Please, make me cum.”

“Add a ‘sir’ to that sentence for good measure, Dear.”

“Please, make me cum, sir.” I breathed out.

“Go on, then.” He pressed his thumb down firmly and I saw stars. My body went rigid and I twitched and spasmed around his fingers, but I didn’t make noise. I was quiet. “Well, look. She doesn’t like being told what to do, but she’s very good at following directions. Get dressed. I’m going to wash my hands.”

I was leaning against the wall next to the door when he exited the bathroom. “What the hell was that?” I whispered.

“Something I thought we’d both enjoy. I was right, wasn’t I?”

“You can’t just spring Dom shit on a woman. What if I was a Dom?”

He chuckled. “You’re not.”

“That’s rude. I could be.”

“I’ll give it to you that you might be a switch if the circumstances were right, but you aren’t Dom, darling.” He cupped my cheek and smiled. “You, my dear, sweet y/n, were made to kneel.”

“Don’t Loki at me, you jerk.”

“Why not?” He pushed me harder into the wall. “Because we both know what it does to you?” I bit my lip and looked up into his eyes. He smirked. “See? Submissive.”

I pushed him back away from me, feeling irritated. “Oh, shut it.”

He chuckled. “Don’t feel bad. You come by it honestly. Your mum’s one, too.”

“Excuse me? How could you possibly know that?” Okay, he wasn’t wrong. I’ve known my parents were D/s since I found the ball-gag and paddle in their closet, but it baffled me that he figured it out so quick.

“Her choker, which says ‘Doll’, I believe. Don’t worry. I won’t make you wear one.”

I rolled my eyes. “Come on, Tom. You know I wouldn’t wear anything I didn’t want to.”

“But you’d want to if I gave it to you, wouldn’t you?” He smiled. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.”

I sighed. “Yeah, I know that. Fine, but… we have to have a talk about what I’m okay with… establish safe words and whatnot.”

“Tonight. For now, I’d like to take you and Nova to lunch.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.

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

I'd been home, chilling with Tom and Nova and my parents, for a few weeks when a fan sent me a link on Twitter to a tumblr post titled 'A theory that's gonna get me a lot of hate: Jensen Ackles cheated on his wife.'

I clung to the word 'theory' as I started to read.

'I know people are gonna give me shit about this and I kinda feel like a tin-hat by saying it, but I think it's different because it seems like the tin-hats want what they're saying to be true and I hope I'm wrong. But let's check the receipts, okay?

A year and a few months ago, y/f/n y/l/n joined the show. An incredibly attractive young actress who is a documented Jensen stan (About 24:30 on this video, where she talks about almost passing out the first time she met him). That is the story of a woman who'd sell her soul to a demon for a single night with the man she's describing, but somehow they ended up friends?

Okay. We might be able to chalk that up to Jensen's welcoming nature, I guess, but it's kinda weird that Jared and Jensen don't hang out with their other friends like they did with y/n. Even with misha, we don't get a lot of pictures of them hanging out off-set or away from conventions. She partied with them, hung out on set even on days she didn’t need to be there, ate lunch or dinner with them every freaking day, ran lines in Jensen's trailer (this video where she talks about running lines). I'm gonna call this 'The Buttering-up' stage. Jensen knew she had terrible self-esteem (about 34:10 into this video) and he had to get her comfy around him before he came onto her, or she'd never believe it.

I think it probably started right before or right after JaxCon, 'cause that's when she moved into his apartment in Vancouver. (this clip from SeaCon). Come on! They were roommates! (cue tumblr echo: They were roommates!) and over the next eight months we were treated to pictures like this: Standing way too close together to be innocent, inappropriate skin contact, is that his hand on her ass while they're singing 'Hotel California'? I think it is! Is that his hand on her thigh in this steakhouse in Vancouver? Looks like it, to me. Oh, and this scene from the season 13 blu-ray extras. Check the background. I can't be the only one who sees how sexually aggressive that stance is. That's a stance that screams, 'I'm gonna fuck you 'til you can't walk straight'. If this were a sexual harassment seminar, that'd be the 'what not to do' with your way younger coworker who idolizes you and whom you have the power to get fired. This stance is a 'Me Too Movement' no-no.

Eight months of that shit, then nothing. Since AtlCon, since y/n's birthday, they've all but ignored each other. No fun back-and-forths on Twitter, no lunches where they sit too close together, no singing together at Saturday Night Special... hell, she's been put down as 'Friday/Saturday only' for the next several cons and she was seen loading all of her stuff up into a storage pod a couple weeks after her birthday. Their 'friendship' seems to be dead.

So, what happened? Tom Hiddleston happened. I know y/n says they're just friends, but she sang that duet with him, and you could totally tell there was attraction there. And not a half an hour later, several volunteers and vendors take to Twitter to say y/n and Jensen were fighting. One said he heard Jensen say, "I love you. You know that." Then, she forgoes her normal Reba or Heart song to sing Sugarland's 'Stay' for the SNS. For those that don't know, that's a song about the other woman ending an affair because she deserves more out of life. Coincidence? Maybe.

Maybe this is all bullshit and my brain's making patterns where there are none. But maybe Jensen's a human being who doesn't get to see his wife very often and he did something stupid. Maybe y/n was just as lonely, if not more so (I mean, she has been divorced for years and has said that she hasn't had so much as a boyfriend since her divorce). Maybe she couldn't say no to Jensen fucking Ackles, because who the fuck could? Maybe they had an affair that ended when she met Tom Hiddleston. Maybe that's why it seems like they haven't spoken in two months.

Or maybe they're still good friends and her work with Marvel is keeping her too busy to hang. Maybe they were never as good of friends as they made it seem. Maybe I’m just completely wrong about all of this, but look at it. It makes sense.

I read over it, looked at all of the pictures, my heart pounding in my chest. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I sent the link to Jared with a half dozen exclamation points. Twenty minutes of pacing in my parents’ kitchen later, Jared called. “That’s crazy.”

“That’s all you’ve got to say to me? ‘That’s crazy’?”

Jared chuckled in my ear. “Y/n, she’s got nothin’ but fuckin’ theories. She has no evidence. All of her pictures are blurry. It’s conjecture.”

“But she’s right! How could she be so fucking right?”

“‘Cause some of our fans are really fucking smart, y/n, and they’ve got active and creative imaginations. I mean, you’ve read the fanfictions… you’ve written the fanfictions. Jensen says not to worry about it.”

I bit my lip and sighed, thinking about Jensen’s reaction to it. “How is he?” I couldn’t help but ask.

There was a moment of silence before he sighed. “He misses you. He seems kinda depressed.” I took a deep breath to stave off the feeling of guilt. “He’s drinking a lot… and for a guy who owns a fucking brewery, a lot is… a lot.”

“You have to stop him, Jare. You need to-”

“Don’t act like I’m not the one here trying to help him, y/n. I am. I have been trying to help him, but he’s… he’s been resistant. Which, you know, isn’t your fault, but-”

“I know you’re there for him, Jared, it’s just… maybe he needs a break. Maybe you could talk to Dabb for him. Maybe they could give him a few weeks. Or maybe...” I rolled my eyes. “You know how he gets when he doesn’t have any stress relief. He probably just needs to get laid. Help him find a new one.”

“A new you?”

“Yeah. A new mistress. Someone pretty.” I looked down. “Prettier than me. Pretty like Danneel.”

“It's not that easy, y/n. He can't just find someone to replace you. Do you realize how long it took to find someone he was attracted to that his wife approved of? Someone who would work to keep it under wraps, who'd freak out if a fan started rumors? You were a fuckin’ unicorn for him. There’s not gonna be another you.” I shook my head. That really wasn’t what I wanted to hear. “And, look, I’m not trying to make you feel bad, I understand why you had to leave, but… you’re irreplaceable and Jensen’s just gonna have to deal with it.”

“Yeah. Okay. Look, I gotta go. If Jensen’s not worried about it… if you think I shouldn’t be worried, then I won’t worry. Give my love to Gen and the kids.”

“Hey.” Jared’s voice made me stall my hang-up procedure.

“Yeah?”

“I miss you, too, ya know? You should call me more often.”

I nodded. “Yeah. I will. And you’ll see me in a few weeks. I got a few shooting days before my Marvel press tour, and after that I’m gonna be back in VanCity.”

“Can’t wait to see ya, y/n.”

“Try to get Jensen okay before I get there. Please?”

“I’m tryin’.”

“All right. See ya, Jare.”

“See ya.”

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

A few days later, I walked into the house after having made a trip to the Wal-mart up the street. "Us Weekly thinks I'm stalking you." I said, making a beeline for the table, where Tom sat with a cup of tea and his newest script. I dropped the Walmart bags on the table and took the seat next to him.

"Oh, do they?"

"Yeah. Apparently, we're always at the same places because I'm obsessed with you and you're too polite to tell me to fuck off."

"Well, they're half right. You are obsessed with me." He smirked as he set his script down and picked up the teacup. "We wouldn't have this problem if you'd let me make the announcement."

I shook my head. "I told you, Tom, your fans scare me. Besides, both of our last relationships were spectacular failures. This way, if something goes wrong, we don't have to deal with-"

"What could go wrong?"

"You could walk." I said, looking away from him.

"You think I'm going to leave you, like Nate did." He said, setting the teacup on the table and looking across at me.

I felt small under his gaze and swallowed. "Like every other person I've ever dated." I stood and grabbed the bags. "If we don't tell anybody that we're dating, then I don't have to deal with the pity when it ends. I don't have to be the woman who chased away Tom Hiddleston."

There was a moment of silence before he picked up his script again. "I understand.” He said, in a voice that said he didn’t understand.

“Tom.”

“You have a parent-teacher conference to attend, don’t you?” He reminded me, coldly.

“Yeah.” I leaned forward. “Are you mad at me?”

His eyes flashed to mine. “You’d know if your master were mad, wouldn’t you, Dear?” He asked, voice low, using my sub name. Exactly.

“Yes, sir.”

“Then, go to your meeting.” He ordered. I nodded, standing. “Do not touch your ex-husband.”

“Yes, sir.” I wasn’t planning to.

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

When I turned my phone back on after the parent-teacher conference, my Twitter app had so many notifications it just said ‘99+’. Facebook Mentions was the same. The source? A status update to Tom's seldom-updated Facebook page. My mouth went dry as I read his words.

   '6 months ago saw a rewrite to the Marvel Cinematic Shorts Anthology script, which brought a new minor character. Kevin Feige knew who he wanted in the role before the script was even done being altered; a relatively unknown actress with a single acting credit to her name- y/f/n y/l/n. I was immediately drawn to the woman and asked her for drinks before we'd finished in Hair and Makeup the morning I met her. I'd fallen in love before the week was out. Y/n is a private woman, not used to being so in the public eye, so I acceded to her request for discretion, portraying myself as her friend whenever someone might be looking. I tried to convince her several times that we should go public over the past 2 months and she dismissed each attempt. This morning I discovered the reason. She's expecting I will leave. She doesn't want anyone profiting on her heartbreak or to give them a reason to judge or, worse, pity her. But I'm not planning to leave. I have no desire to be another on her short list of past relationships. I've resisted the urge to shout the truth of my heart from the rooftops, but no longer. I'm in love with this sweet Southern woman and leaving her is not an option for my heart.'

Accompanying the status was a picture Tom took in his room at the Ritz; me, in just panties and his ratty black t-shirt (which came to my mid-thigh), looking out the bedroom window at the lights of downtown Atlanta. It was one of his favorite pictures of me, which he'd taken the Sunday after ATLcon.

I didn't go through too many of the comments, but the few I looked at were positive notes congratulating Tom on his happiness. A few said, "Who wouldn't want the world to know they were dating Tom?" and then came the SPN Family with, "She's a divorced Mom who probably doesn't want the media to descend upon her private life like the vultures they are. Also, she probably doesn't feel like she deserves him." and links to con videos where I talk about being fat, depressed, having low self-esteem and the toxic relationship I had with Nate.

When I switched to Twitter, the story was different. Most of the mentions were something along the lines of '@taylorswift13 have u heard about @twhiddleston and @y/l/n_y/n?' Taylor responded with, 'Uh, excuse me, but #whothehellisy/l/n_y/n?' The Swifties ran with the hashtag and 'whothehellisy/l/n_y/n' was trending by the time I got to Twitter. I responded with '@taylorswift13 Big Fan since 'Tim McGraw'. I'm an actor no one's heard of. If i catch the meaning behind your tag, you want to know 1/2' then I replied to it. 'How an absolute nobody ended up with a man who used to be yours. Honestly, I'm just as lost as you are. #sonotworthy. 2/2'

I was hoping that a modest and non-confrontational response was the best way to go. I got in my car and drove home, seething. When I walked into the house, I slammed the door behind me. Tom walked into the living room as I dropped my purse and jacket on the couch. He was dressed in my favorite dark grey suit and had his hair the way I like. Trying to minimize my anger through looking like a damn dream. "I'm so sorry." He said.

"You just flipped my life on its end and all you have to say to me is 'sorry'?"

"I understand how livid you must be, y/n, but-"

"'Livid' isn't even a strong enough word, Tom, but I'm so ticked off that I can't think of a stronger one! My name is trending on Twitter, I've had more Mentions in the past hour than I have since joining the site, your fans are probably plotting my death as we speak, a picture that you took in an intimate setting is now forever on the internet and Taylor Swift followed me just so that she could DM me. She's delightful, by the way, wants to have drinks next time I'm in Nashville. Oh, and there wasn't any kind of upset at the White House or a police shooting or terror attack today, so guess what the late night talk shows are gonna be monloguein' 'bout? Thank God you posted that status early enough for them to get in on this!"

He sighed. "I suppose it was a very dramatic and public way to go about it, but it was best to get it done, get it out of the way and move on. I’m just trying to do what’s best for you. Sometimes, you need that. Dear.” The word made me want to slip into that sub persona, but I fought it. He doesn’t get to do the voice and look at me with those stupid blue eyes and then everything’s okay. “We'll be a hot topic for a few weeks and then, people won't care until there's a ring on your finger."

"Don't talk about getting married when I'm still so angry with you!" I paced in front of him, angrily. "You completely disregarded my wishes. We talked about it for months and I never wanted people to know, what would make you-"

He grabbed my arm as I paced, stopping me in front of him. "I couldn't stand it, anymore. I love you and I can't pretend I don't, any longer. I want people to ask me 'Why her?' so I can tell them every single thing I adore about you. I want to fly you and Nova to London for a long weekend and hold the hands of my two favorite girls as we walk down Oxford Street and I buy you whatever your heart desires. I couldn't keep this to myself, anymore, especially after finding out that you only wanted it secret so that it'd be easier for me to leave you." He ran his hands down my arms. "I'm not leaving."

"Fuck." I looked up into his eyes. "You suck."

He smiled. "You love me."

"You better be glad I do. I wouldn't tolerate this shit if I didn't."

"I'm ecstatic to be recipient of your love." He said, leaning down to kiss me. I pulled away and grabbed the remote from the coffee table. "What are you doing?"

"I'm setting the DVR to record Conan, Colbert, Fallon, Kimmel and Corden. They're gonna be talking about me and I wanna see what they say."

"You don't need to-"

I put my hand up as he spoke. "I deserve to know, Tom. Don't argue with me on this."

"All right. Once you've set that up, will you please come have a cuppa with me?"

"You can make me a cup of vanilla chamomile with honey. I'll be in there in a minute."

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

Kimmel had poked fun at me, like I'd assumed he would. I'm a witch, so I must've cast a spell on him, according to the first Jimmy. Fallon was a bit nicer, mostly just questioning who the heck I am. Colbert said he liked a mystery and was excited that I was part of the MCU Cinematic Shorts promotional tour coming through next week. Conan was more interested in Taylor's hashtag and my humble response, what I must've said in the DMs to get her to retract her dismissive attitude.

But Corden, oh James fucking Corden... Were I not already a fan, his mono would have made me one. "World War III didn't start today, North Korea hasn't bombed us, yet, and there weren't any resignations from the White House, so we get to discuss something far more important than any of that: Tom Hiddleston and his new girlfriend." The audience laughed. "Now, you might have noticed that the hashtag 'whothehellisy/l/n_y/n' was trending on Twitter most of the day and that was in response to Tom Hiddleston's declaration of love on Facebook. A lot of people, Tom's ex Taylor Swift included, have never heard of the young woman who's playing opposite him in the next Marvel movie. We at The Late Late Show are on fairly late, though, so we had more time before shooting to look into the question of 'who the hell is y/l/n y/n?'. Y/l/n_y/n is the Twitter handle of this woman, y/f/n y/l/n." He held up a picture of me, a headshot that I had taken by Stardust & Melancholy. "She's 29 years old, a divorced single mother who has only two acting credits on her Internet Movie Database page. She has a small but loyal fanbase made up of people who watch the show she was on: Supernatural. She's spoken, at length, about her marriage and her poor self esteem and she's just..." He dropped the picture to the stage.

"I don't have jokes. Y/f/n is so certain that Tom is going to leave her that she didn't want people to even know that she was dating him. She's certain that she's not good enough, not perfect enough, and that's why he told the world but I've been the chubby kid on this playground we call 'Hollywood' and I have doubted many good things that happened to me because this society has told me that good things would never happen to me. Miss y/l/n has captured the attention of one of Britain's best, a man so at home in a Shakespearean tragedy that I thought he actually was King Henry when I met him. You deserve the good, Miss y/l/n. You deserve the happiness. And I deserve an invite to the wedding."

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

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Tom asked, cuddling into my back wrapping his arms around me.

"No, but you do know that there's going to be paparazzi here in a couple days, right? Like, all over the place."

"Yes. Perhaps we should get one of the rentals on the beach. Better security."

"We'd have to drive Nova to school in the morning."

"I think it'd be better."

"Yeah, but I think it'd be a waste. You want a condo? Research, do it right. Get a good one. I mean, I'm going to Vancouver in two days to shoot, then we're going on the press tour for the movie. We've got time to find a good condo, maybe on the Island, maybe Destin. There's some good places in Navarre and Bluewater. Gulf Breeze. Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked as he rolled on top of me and stared down at me.

"I love you." He said, simply.

"I love you, too." I responded.

"You're making plans. A place that's ours, here."

"And in London." I whispered. "I know that's where you'd prefer. Your theatres are there."

"But Nate would never allow you to move Nova across the Atlantic."

"Hence, a condo here and a place in London. We'll just have to figure it out as we go along."

"I'd like nothing more."

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

Tom and I went to the airport together. He was flying back to London, I was flying to Vancouver. We’d meet in New York for our Late Show appearance in a week. He handed me a box when we got to the airport. I opened it to reveal a bracelet, a simple thick band made of leather with ‘TOM’S’ stamped into it. “You can wear it upside-down, if you want. As long as you know what it means.” I stared down at it for a moment and he plucked it out of the box. “I told you I wouldn’t make you wear a choker, Dear, but I want you to remember… while you’re away from me… who you belong to.”

“You think, ‘cause I’m away from you…”

“I think you’re going to be in the same building as Jensen and I want you to have a reminder on your wrist of who you are. My Dear. Mine.” His long fingers attached the leather band upside-down on my wrist. “Don’t take it off unless you have to for a scene and if you do have to remove it, you put it right back on afterward. Do you understand?”

I nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Good girl.” He whispered, pushing his hand into my hair and pulling me into a deep kiss. I could hear camera shutters across the way but I tried to ignore it. That was going to be a part of my life for the rest of my career and relationship. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Call me when you land?”

“Of course.”

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

Vancouver seemed like a different place when I got there. It was like I was a visitor in my own home. People were staring at me, I felt uncomfortable, I just wanted to go back to where it was safe in Tom’s arms.

Jared rushed to Hair and Makeup when he heard I was on the lot. “Hey! You’re here!”

His happy face and warm eyes washed away some of my discomfort. “Yeah. A couple days of Second Unit stuff before I go on promo tour for Marvel.”

“Well, it’s good to have you back, even for a couple days.” He smirked. “So, that Facebook post, huh?”

I rolled my eyes, picking at the metal fastener on my bracelet. “He thought it was the best thing to do.”

“But obviously, you don’t agree.” Jared said, dropping into the empty chair next to me.

“Well, I don’t always make the best decisions, you know. Tom is better at that stuff.”

“I don’t know. I thought you were doing pretty fuckin’ good with decisions over the last couple years. I mean, you were making your life better.”

“Also making it worse… and certain other peoples’ lives.” I shrugged. “Sometimes I just need to have someone help me figure out what to do.”

“Yeah. Okay.” Jared seemed skeptical of my words. Well, they were actually Tom’s words, but whatever. “Hey, you should come to dinner with me tonight. You’re only in town for a couple days. I haven’t gotten to see you in a couple months. We gotta catch up.”

I nodded. “Okay. As long as… as long as it’s just the two of us.”

“Uh, yeah. Jensen’ll understand.” Jared said, standing. “Gotta go. I’ll text when I’m ready to get food.”

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

Dinner was actually a very, very late drink and some bar grub at Black Bear Pub. “So, what’s he like, huh?”

“Tom?”

“Yeah, Tom. He, like, fuckin’ swept in and stole you away so he’s gotta be really fuckin’ amazing, right?”

“He didn’t steal me away, J-pad. Come on.”

“Kinda did, y/n. And I’m not even talking about him stealing you from Jensen. I’m talking… how much time have you spent with the Wayward Women lately? How much time have you spent with anyone other than Tom?”

I shrugged. “You remember how the honeymoon phase goes.”

“Well, I miss you. Kim and Bri and Rob and Rich, they miss you, too.”

“They see me more than you do.”

“They say you’re not really there when you’re there.”

I picked at the bracelet again. “I’ve just had a lot on my mind, you know. Between what happened with Jensen and fighting Nate for custody and trying to hide my relationship and recently dealing with the aftermath of his Facebook bullshit… I’ve just got a lot going on.” I picked up my drink and took a sip.

Jared watched my face for a few moments. “But you are happy, though… right?”

I smiled. “Yeah. I am. He’s a great guy. He’s incredibly intelligent, attractive, and nice. He wants… everything for me. He’s helping me with my career. He’s helping me get out of my parents’ house. I mean…” I looked down, rubbing my fingers over the bracelet. “It’s not just about what he’s doing for me. He makes me feel like everything’s gonna be okay, like I’m gonna be okay. He’s this incredibly calming force. He makes me feel safe just by being around me. Everything’s controlled with him. Even the chaos is controlled chaos.”

Jared nodded. “Okay. Long as you’re happy.”

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

When I got to the hotel in New York, Tom greeted me in the lobby. Cameras went off outside the door as he wrapped his arms around me, but they weren’t allowed in the building. “I’ve already checked us in. Let’s go up to the room.”

“Okay.”

He picked up my bag and we headed to the elevators. “So, how was Vancouver?”

“It was good. It was weird, but good.”

“And did you see any of your old friends?” His tone was clipped. He was trying to sound conversational, but he was definitely asking if I’d seen Jensen and he was already teetering on upset at the thought that I might have.

“Just Jared. He took me to get a drink.” I hit the call button for the elevator and turned to look up at him. “Jensen was shooting on location with Samantha this week so he was easy to avoid.”

Tom smiled, brightly. “And how are you liking your bracelet?” He asked, taking my hand in his and sliding the sleeve of my jacket down my arm. He smiled to see it still on my wrist. “Did you have to take it off, at all?”

“Yeah. For work. Tara wears rose quartz beads on her wrist. I smoothed it out and tucked it in my bra, though, when I couldn’t wear it. Figured it still served its purpose of reminding me if it were next to my heart.”

“And you put it right back on your wrist as soon as you were done?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good girl.”

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

Getting out of the back of the Town Car with Tom's hand in mine was new and it was nice until one of the women in the crowd outside of Ed Sullivan Theater with Tom's face on her t-shirt shouted out that 'the piggy should just up and die!'. Tom wrapped his arms around me and refused to sign anything for anyone in the crowd. I heard from security a few minutes later that they had to break up a fight because the woman was being assaulted for causing everyone else to lose their interaction with Tom. Tom was soothing me when we entered the green room. Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackey stopped talking when we walked in. "Sebastian! Anthony! Good to see you!"

"Don't think we didn't notice you hijacked our press tour with your Facebook Romeo bullshit." Mackey said, sitting up to grasp Tom's hand.

"If he's Romeo, that makes me Juliet. I don't wanna be Juliet. She's a whiny little teenager. Can I be Mercutio?"

"Only if I can be Tybalt." Sebastian answered, reaching his hand out to shake mine.

"You wanna kill me, already? We just met." I joked.

"Hey!" Anthony slapped Sebastian's shoulder. "I thought we were reserving judgment, man. That is not your 'reserving judgment' face."

"What? She's funny."

"That means a lot, coming from you. I am a big fan."

"Yeah?"

"Definitely. I mean, I watched 'I, Tonya' and I give zero fucks about Tonya Harding. Also, Political Animals, even though it caused fights between me and my mom." I turned to Mackey. "And, of course, 'Detroit' was amazing!"

"You saw it?"

"Oh, yeah. It was super informative. No one ever thought to explain to me why the Detroit riots happened."

"Well, if it gets folks talking..."

"Yeah, definitely. ‘course, it's harder to talk to some folks than others. My mom is one of those folks who thinks that just because she didn't realize there was a race issue when she was growing up in Compton in the 70s, that means it didn't exist."

"Oh, so she didn't know there was a race issue 'cause she's a bigot?" Anthony concluded.

I nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. Two California-raised conservatives who voted for McCain and Trump ended up raising a trio of Liberal-leaning Independents who voted for Obama and Clinton. They're so confused."

"Must be a hard household to live in." Sebastian commented.

"Definitely. One I still live in, unfortunately. Had to move back after the divorce ‘cause I didn’t have any money and now, just haven't had the time since I got the money."

"We're working on that." Tom cut in, with a sigh.

"Tom gets so uncomfortable when my mom and I start in on each other about politics." I said, with a smile. "He's so non-confrontational about things like that."

"Yeah, he's British, what do you expect?" Sebastian said.

"I don't really get that. You know the Brits kinda ruled the world through conquest and confrontation for hundreds of years, right?"

"Oh, she's pullin' out history!" Mackey responded.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but once the Queen gave up power to Parliament, that's when the whole super-polite, non-confrontational thing got its legs. I, however, know that there are confrontational Brits. I’ve had a bunch of women spewing hate at me since Tom’s little announcement."

"Wow." Sebastian said.

"Yeah, Tom’s fans are not… not happy with me. Anyway..." I leaned against Tom and he wrapped his arms around me. "I know Colbert is gonna want us to talk about us but I will redirect the conversation as fast as possible."

"Sounds good." Anthony said, nodding.

Open Tags-  @angelessquirrel @mirandaaustin93 @supernatural-bellawinchester @mannls @jerkbitchidjitassbutt @nanie5 @super-fics

Everything Tags- @heyitscam99

[maealbert]

Moonlight Serenade // Spencer Reid

AU Characters: Spencer Reid x Reader A/N: The final part of this mini series! Master List Unexpected Freedom

tag list: @literallyprentissstwin @tenaciousarcadeexpert @idkbutspencer @cynbx @remember-me-forever-silent-angel @rawritsmolly @dontshootmespence @drspencerreider @tippy06 @illegalcerebral @marvelfanlife @rt8815 @punkpenguin2019 @princesswagger15 @extremeobsessions101

It’s been three weeks since the escape. (Y/N) had gone back to New York and Spencer went back to work. Still no date night. Spencer drummed his pen on his case file while he stared at his cell phone. Will she call? If she does call will she plan a date with him? What if she doesn’t call? Should he call her and plan the date? What if she’s changed his mind? Does she still want to go out? It’s been three weeks, there got to be a reason.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for Agent Prentiss?” Recognizing the voice, he spins around in his desk chair and there stood (Y/N) dressed up nicely and professionally.

“Well this is surprise!” He says standing up to hug her.

“I’m so sorry I haven’t called or anything,” (Y/N) says. “But your girl got a job.”

“Paying men to..”

“No!” (Y/N) punching his arm. “I told you that I’m getting a better job!”

Spencer chuckles. “I know, I know. So what’s your job?”

“Did you not hear me just ten seconds ago?”

“More like 60 seconds,” Spencer says. “You were asking for Emily? Why?”

“Better job, Agent Prentiss. Put the puzzle pieces together, Spence.” (Y/N) says as she folds her arms over her chest.

“No..” Spencer gasps. (Y/N) nods her head as a smile spreads over her face. “Are you serious?”

Once again (Y/N) nods her head. “So, uh.. Agent Prentiss?”

“Oh right! Her office is up here.” Spencer says leading her to Emily’s office. He knocks on the door before peering his head in. “Hey, Em. Uh you have a visitor.”

“(Y/N)! Emily exclaims. “You made it!”

“I did.” (Y/N) says as she walks over to the desk.

“I’m thrilled you expressed interest in the FBI.” Emily says. She looks over at Spencer. “Do you mind?”

“Oh--Uh I’ll just be at my desk if you need anything.” Spencer says as he steps out of the office. Going back to his desk, JJ rolls her chair over. “Yes?”

“Your girl is here and having an interview with Emily.” She says. “What’s that all about?”

“Bettering herself. I didn’t think she was serious about the whole FBI thing.”

Hours later Emily stepped out of her office with (Y/N). Both women were laughing. Spencer jumped out of his chair tossing his messenger bag over his shoulder. “Are you ready?”

“For what?” (Y/N) questions.

“For our date.” Spencer says, only to receive sly smirk from Emily.

Rossi popped out of his office and ran down to the three. “I was hoping I could throw a congratulatory dinner for our newest addition.”

“No--”

“I am honored by this kind gesture, Agent Rossi,” (Y/N) says interrupting Spencer’s almost outburst. “But I’ll have to take a raincheck. Spencer and I have been trying to plan a date night and now seems like the perfect time to do so. Maybe another night, okay?”

“Fair enough. The genius hasn’t stopped talking about you since we got back from New York.” Rossi says. (Y/N) catches Spencer’s face flushing red, a soft giggle escaping her lips.

“Well I think we’d better get going.” Spencer says as he grabs hold of (Y/N)’s hand and pulls her out of the bullpen.

“Spencer..” (Y/N) laughs as they hastily enter the elevator. “Why are you in such a rush?”

“Because.. Now that we are having our first date, I have the perfect place to go.”

“Spencerrrr.” (Y/N) groans. They had been driving for felt like hours. He kept driving until they were in the middle of nowhere.

“We’re here.” Spencer says bringing the car to a stop in an abandoned gas station parking lot.

“You’re taking me to a run down gas station?”

“Oh this gas station hasn’t been in use for at least fifty years.” Spencer says getting out of the car.

“Clearly.” (Y/N) mutters as she gets out of the car herself. Following Spencer around the car to the trunk, he unlocks it and pulls out a blanket.

“What are we going to be doing? Sleeping in a fifty year old gas station?”

Spencer chuckles as she shakes her head. “Oh babe, you have low expectations for me. The blanket is if you get cold while we’re out here.” He walks over to the driver’s side of the car and turns on the AUX player. He hooked up her phone to the AUX cord and skimmed through her music. “Your taste in music is so far from mine.”

“You don’t like Fleetwood Mac?”

“Who?”

“Stevie Knicks is the lead singer. She’s like a goddess to me.”

“Still don’t know them, however..” He clicks on a song and a smile spreads across her face. “I’m guessing you know this song.” He says as he walks back over to you and places a hand on the small of your back and the other hand holding your hand.

“Of course I do! My grandpa told me that he and my grandmother danced to this song on their wedding day.”

“Yes well.. I associate song way differently.”

“How so?”

“Do you remember in my email where I talked about Cat Adams?”

She nods her head. Then she started to put the pieces together. Pulling away from Spencer, she quickly runs back to the car and turns the song off. “You danced to this with her.”

“Not voluntarily.” Spencer says as he walks to the car. “I was hoping that tonight would change the feeling I have with this song.”

“So I’m pretty much just a distraction for you. Getting your mind off of a manipulative serial killer.”

“Not a distraction.”

“But you want me to change how you feel though, right?”

“Well..no not exactly.”

“Then what was your plan, Spencer? Because I am tired of people using me to get something they want.”

“Should we dance to a different song then?” He says.

(Y/N) shakes her head. “No.. No.. I’m not going to let a bitch of a serial killer ruin our date night. The stars are shining, the moon is bright tonight and all I want to do is spend time with my boyfriend.” She says wrapping her arms around Spencer’s neck. “Let’s make this song, ours. And only ours.”

“You really like this song, don’t you?”

“It’s the only song that would put me to sleep when I was little.” (Y/N) responds making Spencer chuckle. “I was one of this toddlers that no matter what you did, I did not go to sleep. And then my grandpa played this song while cradling me on his lap one night.. All I remember was that my eyes were getting harder to open, I yawned like three times in four minutes and the next time I opened my eyes it was morning and I was laying in between my grandparents.”

“I have a feeling you play this when you can’t sleep.”

“Boy do I.” (Y/N) says. “But no worries, it won’t bother you. I had my ear buds in so you won’t ever hear it.”

“Aren’t you afraid of choking yourself in your sleep?”

“Not when they’re wireless.” (Y/N) says with a wink.

Later that night, Spencer found himself laying on the blanket in the middle of the old gas station parking lot. (Y/N) was asleep on his chest and the crickets chirped from every direction. Feeling a drop of water on his forehead, he tilts his head up to see a dark cloud beginning to cover the moon. He carefully picked up (Y/N) and carried her to the car and placing her inside. “Mmm?” She moans lifting her head as he lowers the seat back.

“Shhh.” Spencer says. “I’m taking you home. It’s way late and beginning to rain.”

“Mmmm..” (Y/N) moans again as she lays her head back down against the headrest. Arriving at her hotel room, he carries her to the bed and slips off her shoes. “This was a great date.” (Y/N) says as she tucks her feet underneath the covers of the bed.

“But we hardly did anything.” Spencer chuckles as he pulls the cover of her.

“So? It’s being together is what makes it great. So we didn’t have a fancy dinner with candles and roses, the music and the light of the moon was enough. I’ve never danced under the stars before. The was new for me.”

“Well get some rest, okay? Your first day is tomorrow and maybe we can take a look at apartments too so you’re not living in a hotel room.” Spencer leans down to kiss her forehead and she reaches for his hand.

“Don’t leave me.” Spencer sighs as he pulls away. “Please? It’s been so fun tonight, I don’t want you to leave.”

“Can I at least go home and get clothes for tomorrow?”

(Y/N) reluctantly nods her head. “But you better be in bed beside when I wake up tomorrow.”

“I promise I’ll be back.”

“Good.”

Watching Spencer leave her room, (Y/N) bites down on her bottom lip as she squeals softly. An instant her life changed the moment she first spoke to him and now? Now she’s in a relationship with him and working with him. And he didn’t think she’d be cut out for the FBI. Boy will he be surprised come tomorrow. Rolling over onto her side she grabs her phone out of her purse and dials a number.

“Sooooooo.. Tell me everything! Is he a good kisser?” A female’s voice spoke over the line.

“That’s the first thing you ask?” (Y/N) giggles. “No, let me start from the beginning and then you’ll find out.”

“Ugh, the suspense is already killing me.”

Cute ending! At least to me it is. But it’s going on 11:30pm so anything right now is cute to me, lol.

The song talked about in this part is Moonlight Serenade by The Glenn Miller Orchestra. You can find this song on youtube, apple music, and spotify. If you want to know the episode where he danced to this song with Cat it will be either in Green Light or Red Light of Season 12, I forget exactly which one.

However, this is the last and final part to this mini series. I will be taking it out of the AU’s and moving it to the MPF’s list with all of the other complete/uncompleted fics of mine!

If you enjoyed this one than please be sure to leave some love and feedback!

Thank you! :)

[doomedhowell]

We’re Going To Be Okay

Summary: Dan and Phil have broken up, and things haven’t been the best. But, things go from bad to worse when Phil brings one of his ‘one night stands’ home with him.

Genre: Angst

Word Count: 1,846

Dan hadn’t been doing so well lately. Things have gone pretty shit ever since he and Phil broke up. They were doing so well the past couple years and then… they just started arguing over stupid little things. Dan couldn’t take it anymore, and he broke up with Phil. He hadn’t meant to.

And now, it’s too late to take it back.

Phil’s moved on, and it’s only been a couple months since the break up. But, Dan knows that Phil goes out and hooks up with random people, which totally isn’t like Phil. He’s not the type of person to have one night stands, but that’s all he’s been doing lately. He goes out, and comes back late at night.

Dan hates it. He absolutely hates thinking about Phil being with other people that isn’t him, but it’s not like he can say anything. He’s the reason they’re broken up. He just had to lose control and break up with Phil.

It isn’t until when Phil actually brought one of his dates home, when things went from bad to worse. It’s like Phil didn’t care about Dan’s feelings at all. He brought someone home, and didn’t even try hiding it.

Dan blinks a few times looks up from his laptop when he starts hearing noises. He had just been doing one of his late night wikipedia searches when he realizes Phil brought someone home. They weren’t being quiet at all.

Dan can hear Phil moaning, and can hear another man’s voice.

Dan quickly covers his ears, but it doesn’t help. He can still hear it. He groans and quickly reaches over to grab his headphones out of his drawers. He puts his headphones in and turns up music from his Spotify as loud as he possibly can until he can no longer hear Phil’s moans.

Dan didn’t really get any sleep that night. He went to sleep at 5am but still only slept for a couple of hours. He couldn’t get the thought of Phil’s moans out of his heads. He couldn’t believe Phil actually brought someone home.

Dan doesn’t leave his room until around the afternoon when his stomach finally started yelling at him to get up and get something to eat.

Dan grabs a bowl and his usual cereal, and grabs the milk out of the fridge. He’s almost done with pouring the milk when Phil walks into the kitchen.

“Hey,” Phil greets, as if nothing happened yesterday.

Dan doesn’t say anything. He can’t even look at Phil.

Phil looks over at Dan and raises his eyebrows. “You okay?” He asks curiously. Dan seems quieter than usual. Phil knows they haven’t been talking lately but sometimes he tries to make small talk with Dan and see how he’s doing.

Dan scoffs and shakes his head. “Like you fucking care,”

“Excuse me?” Phil asks, blinking a few times. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Dan slams the milk down on the counter, not caring that he spilt milk all over the counter. He turns and looks at Phil angrily. “Don’t walk in here and act like you fucking care about my feelings when I know you don’t!”

“What are you talking about?” Phil asks, shocked at Phil’s outburst.

“Look, I don’t care that you’ve been seeing other people. You can do whatever the fuck you want. You’re a free man now. But you cross the line when you bring that shit home! You weren’t even thinking about my feelings when you did that. I would never one of my dates home and do that to you!”

Phil’s eyes suddenly widen, and his cheeks turn a bright shade of pink. “O-Oh. You…” He laughs nervously. “You heard that?” He fiddles with the hem of his shirt. “I’m… I’m sorry. I was drunk. I wasn’t thinking…”

“Being drunk doesn’t excuse the fact that you actually did that,” Dan snaps. “And I’ve had enough. I’m tired of feeling trapped in this house!”

Phil frowns. “What… What are you saying, Dan?” He asks.

“I’m moving out,” Dan mumbles, looking away from Phil. He just decided literally two seconds ago that he was moving out. He depends on Phil a lot, and the thought of being on his own scares the shit out of him, but what’s the point of staying with Phil? He’s afraid to walk in his own house because he doesn’t want to run into Phil. “I… I don’t know where or when, but I am eventually moving out. Unless we fix whatever this… thing, that’s going on. I can’t take it anymore.”

“Dan, no… wait-” He tries, walking closer to Dan. “Come on. Y-You don’t have to move out. We can talk about this. We can make things work.”

Dan takes a deep breath and looks up at Phil as his eyes start watering up. “Phil, please. This has been going on for months. We’re never going to work things out. Things aren’t how they used to be, and everybody knows it. Fuck, even the viewers have started noticing that things are different with us.”

“I… I’m not saying that we have to rekindle our relationship, but you’re my best friend. I can’t imagine living without my best friend,” Phil says.

“It’s too late, Phil. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I fucked everything up. I didn’t mean to,” Dan mumbles before turning and walking out of the kitchen.

Phil stands there, shocked. He stares at the bowl of cereal on the counter. He never thought the day would come when one of the two move out.

It’s less than a week later when Dan leaves the apartment for the first time in months. PJ has a guest bedroom and is kind enough to leave Dan stay there for a little while until he can find an apartment on his own.

“Thanks for letting me stay here,” Dan mumbles as he stands with PJ in his living room. “Are you sure Sophie is okay with this? I don’t wanna…”

PJ rolls his eyes. “Dan, shut up. Sophie loves you just as much as I do. You’ll always be welcomed to stay here. I just… can’t believe you guys are really over. I thought you were going to make things work?”

Dan sighs and looks up at PJ sadly. “He brought someone home, and I had to listen to them have sex in the room next to me, Peej. That was the last straw. Phil didn’t care until I said that I was moving out.”

PJ frowns. “That doesn’t sound like something Phil would do,” he says.

“I guess we don’t know Phil very well after all,” Dan shrugs.

PJ clears his throat. “So, um… let’s go to the guest bedroom,” he stands up with Dan and leads the way to the guest bedroom. “The bathroom is right there and everything you need will be in it. You know, shampoo and towels and all that stuff. I know you said you wouldn’t be here very long but we want you to be as comfortable as possible after all the crap you’ve been through.”

Dan blushes. “Thanks, Peej. This really means a lot to me. I think I’ll finally be able to get a good night’s sleep, you know?”

PJ smiles at him. “I just wanna help you get back up on your feet,” he says.

Dan pulls PJ into a warm hug. “Thanks, man. I appreciate this so much,”

**

Phil hates being in the house without Dan around. It’s too quiet, and there’s no one to talk to. They haven’t been talking lately but at least there was always the option to go talk to Dan. And now, there’s no one.

“Peej, please let me talk to him,” Phil begs.

“Phil, that’s not a good idea. Besides, he’s not here,” PJ sighs.

“What?” Phil frowns. “Where is he then?”

“I think he went to go confirm paperwork for the apartment he picked out, or something like that. He was in a rush when he told me so I-”

“Apartment?” Phil gasps. “No, no, no. He can’t move into a new apartment!”

“Why did you let him leave, Phil?” PJ asks. “He gave you plenty of opportunities to talk with him, and instead… you out with other people.”

“I don’t know!” Phil yells, pulling out his hair. “I messed up, and now I lost the single most important person in my life. I can’t live without him, Peej.”

“Dan’s going to be back by 5, so I suggest you get your butt over here and make things better before Dan officially moves into his new apartment.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Phil says before hanging up on PJ.

Phil grabs his shoes, his keye and his phone. He doesn’t waste any time in heading straight to PJ’s house. It’s 4:50 now. Dan will be there any minute.

“Is he here?” Phil pants once PJ opens the door.

PJ raises his eyebrows as he watches Phil. “Did you run here?” He asks.

“No, I’m not stupid,” Phil rolls his eyes. “Peej, is Dan here?”

PJ bites his lip and glances back into the house, before looking back at Phil. “Yeah, he just got here…” He says. “Come in.” He allows Phil into the house, and leads him to the living room, where Dan is sitting on the couch. “Dan?”

“Yeah?” Dan asks as he looks up at PJ. “What’s up?”

PJ steps aside, revealing Phil. “Someone’s here to see you,”

Dan drops his phone, and he slowly stands up from the couch. “Phil…?”

“I was an idiot, Dan,” Phil begins as he walks closer to Dan. “I should have never done that to you and I’m so…” He takes a deep breath. “I’m so sorry.” His eyes begin to water up. “I wasn’t thinking about your feelings. I hate things got this far and I should have been a better person.”

Dan stares at him with wide eyes, before scoffing. “You… You think you can just walk on in here and make this big apology statement and expect me to forgive you just like that?” He yells, throwing his arms up.

Phil frowns. “I couldn’t let you go without trying,” he whispers. “I need you, Dan. I need you to come back and… I want us to try again.”

Dan takes a deep breath. “I’d hate to admit it,” he whispers. “But, yeah… I need you to, Phil. Like, what was I fucking thinking buying a new apartment? I can’t live on my own. I can hardly survive two days without you!”

Phil chuckles as tears begin to form in his eyes. “God, I love you so much,” he pulls Dan into a hug and wraps his arms around him tightly.

Dan buries his face in Phil’s chest and lets out a sob. “I need you,”

“It’s okay, bear. It’s okay,” Phil whispers as he continues to hold onto Dan. “We’re going to be okay. We’ll work on making things better.”

PJ sighs in relief as he watches the two, relieved that they finally made up.

[dontlookdown]

Nick’s Favourite Music of 2018

In the time that I’ve been doing these yearly round-ups (ten years(!), although my first list was literally just a list), they’ve gotten a bit easier to write. It probably helps that I’ve done actual planning-ahead for the last couple of turns. The one thing that doesn’t get any easier is these introduction posts.

2018 was, and I don’t think this is a controversial stance, shit. I joked this time last year that 2017 was best summed up as “further complications”, but 2018 was fucking something else. I’m resisting the urge to list my grievances, because I doubt I’d ever stop. It’s exhausting to even think about attempting to take stock of everything that happened. To cap it all off, the website I’ve published these posts on since the very beginning had a panic attack regarding the sexual content that some people were uploading, and decided to address the situation in the bluntest way possible. This isn’t something that affects me directly (there’re no nudes in my blog. Hell, I felt anxious about including a photo of myself with clothes on that one time), but it affects people I look up to and care about, and a good portion of my audience for these things. I’ve considered leaving the site entirely in solidarity. I still might. It might be time that I focused more energy on writing a bit more frequently anyway, and setting up a new home for my work is a good starting point. Demi Lovato believes in me. We’ll see.

But for now, let’s focus on the reason that you clicked on this link in the first place: the music of 2018.

It was a good year. It was also a strange one for me. Whereas in previous years there were always one or two big standout albums or songs that held my attention for months on end, this year I really had to dig deep and re-listen to a heap of stuff to remind myself of what had actually left an impression on me. The critical consensus was all over the place too. The end-of-year lists I’ve seen from various outlets over the last two months have been the most diverse I’ve seen for as long as I’ve been paying attention. There were a few names they had in common, but they all featured a lot of unique choices. Hopefully you’ll feel the same about mine!

Sticking to my familiar rules (20 songs, no repeating artists) always means that there’s a couple of gems that don’t make the final cut. 2018’s wide breadth of musical talent means that this is the longest ‘honourable mentions’ list I’ve ever done! Here they are:

Beach House – Lemon Glow

Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally’s seventh album was probably my most re-listened album of the year. They’ve always been a band with a sound that rewarded repeat plays, but this release seemed to have its own gravitational pull that kept me coming back to reappraise it, despite finding it a little overwhelming on multiple occasions. “Lemon Glow” absolutely excels as a lead single. Those gravitational waves are in full force here, a light electronic throbbing acting as the thread I kept trying to follow to the end.

The Beths – Little Death

The Beths were a late discovery, and welcome breath of fresh air after I’d been deep in a fog of more ambient sounds. If you’ve been looking for a vibrant, punchy rock band to brighten your January, I highly recommend them.

Jenny Hval – Spells

Part of my planning process this year was learning to accept that I don’t always have the words or ability to explicitly pinpoint what I like about particular songs. This track is just nice. I like the way it glides along, building up ever-so-slightly as it goes.

Joey Purp – Elastic

Joey Purp followed up iiiDrops and “Girls@” with even-more-minimalist trap. This is straight no-nonsense fire. Add it to your dance playlist. And if you don’t have a dance playlist, make one!

Kali Uchis - After the Storm (feat. Tyler, The Creator & Bootsy Collins)

Kali Uchis’s debut Isolation proved her to be an artist with fantastic taste. It’s a lot easier to nail a woozy sound that throws back to the work of Parliament-Funkadelic when you get one of the original members involved. I also want to highlight Bootsy’s use of the amazing line “Look both ways before you cross my mind” which, incredibly, is a phrase that no one seemed to have coined before George Clinton dropped it on To Pimp a Butterfly in 2015. It’s a line that perfectly encapsulates the P-funk mood, and it’s less than five years old!

Let’s Eat Grandma – Ava

Let’s Eat Grandma’s (no, I’m not sure how I feel about the name either) second album split focus between spacey synth-pop journeys and straightforward piano ballads. “Ava” is one of the latter, beautiful with lo-fi touches (listen closely and you can hear the rain falling on the recording studio windows). Enjoy this track now, before someone sticks it a Christmas advert for a shop.

Madison McFerrin – Insane

I’ll save you the Google. Yes, Madison McFerrin is the daughter of Bobby “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” McFerrin and, yes, she also has a unique talent for vocalising. Musically speaking, this track comfortably sits in-between the work of Sade and Solange.

Post Malone & Swae Lee – Sunflower

Among the many, many accomplishments of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is this cut from its soundtrack, a Post Malone track that I actually like!

Robyn – Missing U

Robyn’s been one of my favourite pop artists for a while now, so I really, really wanted to love her big return. Sadly, I’m not quite there yet. The music on Honey is lot colder than I’m used to, most likely by design to reflect the change in Robyn’s (and the world’s) mood in the years since Body Talk. “Missing U” is the closest thing the album has to a big hook-y single like “Call Your Grilfriend” or “Dancing On My Own”.

Spiritualized – I’m Your Man

J Spaceman approached his final album as Spiritualized with as much brassy gusto as he did twenty years ago. A gorgeous send off.

Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

I understand the disappointment some people had when was released and sounded nothing like AM, but I think those people lost sight of the bigger Arctic Monkeys picture. The lounge-y, Pulp-y sound of Tranquility Base is something that Alex Turner has been hinting at since the Submarine soundtrack. I heard the album several times and, while there isn’t any standout track that makes everything make sense, I’ve never been bored listening to it.

Jon Hopkins – Singularity

Bleeps, bloops, beats and bliss. Jon Hopkins continues his reign as one of the premier electronic musicians.

Pusha T – Daytona

The hardest, sharpest (and shortest) hip-hop album of the year. A reminder that King Push’s skills as an MC haven’t dulled, and neither has Kanye’s skill as a producer. Ye was crap, though.

Tierra Whack – Whack World

An interesting experiment to debut with, Whack World is a 15 minute album with 15 tracks, all unique in their sound, and all with their own music video (presented as one 15 minute film). Few of the tracks are long enough to stand as songs on their own, but they weren’t designed to be. These are concentrated blasts of pure creativity, and deserve to be supported. Besides, there was something really cathartic of seeing Tierra cheerfully singing “Fuck Off” while gleefully snipping balloons free of their strings. “Pretty Ugly” was my personal favourite.

Angélique Kidjo – Remain in Light

This was a nice surprise that popped up on my Spotify Discover. Remain in Light by Talking Heads is one of my all-time favourite albums, a moment when the band fully embraced an Afrobeat influence and stretched it as far as they could. But what if an actual Afrobeat musician had recorded that album? The answer is Angélique Kidjo’s full-length cover album, another Spotify Discover, uh, discovery. A fascinating, and highly danceable, rework. Tracks like “Once in a Lifetime” were already rays of sunshine. Kidjo’s arrangements turns them supernova.

Justin Hurwitz – First Man

2018 was an equally cramped year for films too. First Man seems to be getting ignored by the major awards, which is a shame as it was one of my favourites of the year. (Hey! If you’d like to see me expand on that thought, you consider subscribing to our film podcast, Sunshine Cinema Club! We’re about to cover our top ten of the year! First Man will be one of them!) I’m especially disappointed that people aren’t talking about Justin Hurwitz’s score, which combined the saddest instrument in the world (the theremin) and the gentlest instrument on the world (the harp) to create the loneliest soundtrack of all time. The perfect accompaniment to a story of a man, emotions dulled by grief, faced with the infinite possibilities of space travel.

As always, I’ll be posting about the twenty entries on my list across the next twenty days. Here’s the Spotify playlist of the final twenty, sequenced for musical effect.

In the past, I’ve updated the Spotify list as the entries go up, acting as some sort of musical advert calendar, keeping future songs under wraps. It’s since occurred to me that this method isn’t actually useful to anybody. Nobody cares about spoilers when it comes to this list, and it’s a big ask for people to keep tabs on a blog and a playlist for three weeks. So, consider that list a preview for what’s coming up and a chance to wonder how I’m going to justify sticking Drake and a black metal band on the same list! (I won’t. Accept my weird, varied taste in music!)

Lists from previous years can be found easily using the tag “best+of+20xx”. See you tomorrow!

[standuphippy]

February Favorites

Every December I have a ritual. First, I try to compile a list of records, movies, and shows I’ve enjoyed the year. I wait until the last minute and then struggle to get it posted before the first of the year. I dump something half-assed on New Year’s Eve, then sit back and cluck my tongue at anyone who posts a “Best of the Year” list after Jan. 1.

I always resolve to do something sooner (and better) so this is a first step in that direction. The world has changed since I started this, but fuck it, here’s what I enjoyed in February. Here’s a link to a playlist for the music: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7ucvCNnCuT4ZZVCyz2ddKM

NEW MUSIC: 


Agnes Obel “Myopia” 
 Her fourth record of fine orchestral pop. 

 Arbor Labor Union “New Petal Instants” Four years ago I went to see them at the Bootleg and I’m pretty sure I was the only person in the audience who wasn’t in one of the opening bands. It was a great show. Southern fried guitars. I like Bo Orr’s yelp.

Califone “Echo Mine” Happy to finally get a new Califone record, though it’s a companion work to a dance piece and some tracks leave me wondering what I’m looking at. There are some great songs that anchor it as a whole. I love the sound of Tim Rutilli’s voice and guitar, and I think he’s a master of weaving abstract lyrics and melody in a way that makes his phrases land emotionally true.

Cold Beat “Mother” Synth pop that has the hooks.

Eyelids ”The Accidental Falls” Three years ago I visited a friend in Minneapolis. Woke up and made coffee and he put the “Or” record on the turntable, and Oh! that riff in “Slow it Goes”… a pretty great intro to this band. They’ve really put in a lot of work with collaborators recently, including an EP with John Cameron Mitchell. “The Accidental Falls” has lyrics furnished by poet Larry Beckett. (Related recommendation: Eyelids “Or”)

Frances Quinlan “Insight” 
 Hop Along started out as Frances Quinlan’s home recording project, then grew into a band so successful that she has to qualify her new record as a solo album. The distinction makes sense when you hear it, though, it’s pretty stripped down. I love her voice. (Related recommendation: Hop Along “Painted Shut”)

Greg Dulli “Random Desire” 
The Afghan Whigs are one of my all-time favorite bands. On his first “official” solo record, Dulli sounds energized and tries some interesting vocal tricks. 
(Related recommendation: The Afghan Whigs “Gentlemen” and “Black Love”)

Grimes “Miss Anthropocene” I like this record.

Heart Bones “Hot Dish” Sabrina Ellis and Har Mar Superstar are two of the best performers out there. They got together a few years go and toured playing songs from the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack; now they’ve got their first full length and it’s just as catchy and funny as I’d hoped.

The Innocence Mission “See You Tomorrow” 
I loved their first self-titled record back in 1989 and I’ll check out anything they release. Their arrangements are pretty spare these days but Karen Peris’ voice has always been the draw. 
(Related recommendation: The Innocence Mission “The Innocence Mission”)

The Men “Mercy”
 Over their career they’ve gone in a lot of musical directions and made several outstanding records. They’re incredible live but they haven’t been to Los Angeles in years.
(Related recommendations: The Men “Open Your Heart” and “Tomorrow Hits”)

POLIÇA “When We Stay Alive” 
This may be their best record yet.


Sarah Harmer “Are You Gone”
 Sarah Harmer played at Spaceland (now Satellite) in support of her excellent record “Oh Little Fire.” I’d had a long week and skipped it;  I’ve had to wait ten fucking years for a follow up record and tour. If Kathleen Edwards is the Zoë Records version of Lucinda Williams, Sarah Harmer is the label’s version of Shawn Colvin.

Soccer Mommy “color theory”
 Haven’t been much of a Soccer Mommy fan in the past but this record is one of my favorite records so far this year. Ride the mid-tempo wave.

Squirrel  Flower “I Was Born Swimming” Could easily sit on the shelf between Mitski and TORRES. It’s a great debut.

TORRES “Silver Tongue” 
I happened upon Pitchfork’s review of her debut back in 2012 and have been a fan ever since. Her debut is a classic to me. She signed to 4AD, put out two ambitious records and then got dropped. Now she’s on Merge and produced “Silver Tongue” herself. I think it’s her best since her debut. She’s fire live.
(Related recommendation:  TORRES “TORRES”)

OLD MUSIC (record store finds and new discoveries):

Dry Cleaning “Sweet Princess EP/ Boundary Food and Drink EP” 
I was listening to Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs in anticipation of their show here and when the record was over, Spotify played a Dry Cleaning track and I loved it. Both of these EPs are great, filled with spiky guitars and dry, spoken lyrics about the numb horror of modern life.

Guided By Voices “Live From Austin TX” 
Found this one at Soundsations. Double vinyl, recorded in 2004 before a hiatus. Sounds good. Lots of “Bee Thousand/ Alien Lanes” classics alongside tracks from “Half-Smiles of the Decomposed,” the record they were touring at the time.

Rosie Thomas “With Love” 
I liked Rosie Thomas’ Sub Pop releases, I didn’t know about this one but I found it at Amoeba. Happy to find out about it, it’s one of her best.

NEW MOVIES (theatrical):


Emma. 
It’s fun and it’s gorgeous. Every frame of the film is carefully considered and it shows. The performances are excellent and when the sparks start to fly it’s a thrill.


Beanpole 
It’s soul-crushing and gorgeous. The characters struggle to put their lives together in postwar Leningrad and find that any act of kindness or mercy can be manipulated or subverted. It’s not a cruel film, but it can be hard to watch. I’ve thought about it quite a bit since I watched it: about what writer/director Kantemi Balegov showed onscreen versus what he didn’t, how the characters’ histories are revealed, and about the performances that brought them to life. The film stayed with me, which is one of the highest compliments I can give. The trailer is a fine piece of work in and of itself.  

OLD MOVIES:



Ad Astra
 I don’t know how this got made and that’s not a slight but a registration of genuine bewilderment. The film is a juxtaposition of emotional emptiness and the void of the universe. An internal character study wrapped in first-rate sci-fi set pieces. I marveled at it on an XD screen last year and recently watched it with my wife. If anything, I wish it had leaned even harder into its art house impulses and cut the voice-over narration in half. 
 Doctor Sleep (Theatrical) 
I tried to see this in the theater but I couldn’t make it happen.  It wasn’t that my wife gave birth a week previous or that the film got middling aggregate reviews, as either of those factors by themselves would not have dissuaded me. I simply couldn’t get past the fact that I’d already wasted two and a half hours in the execrable mire that was IT: Part II two months beforehand and the experience left me gun-shy. Wish I’d checked it out on the big screen, looking forward to diving into the Director’s Cut.

The Gold Rush (1942 Version) I’d never seen this version of the Charlie Chaplin classic: it runs a few minutes shorter than the original and has voice-over narration. Started watching it with my daughter while we were home sick and realized that the sight of Big Jim, especially in a jittery frame rate, is pretty unsettling to a six year old.

Hacksaw Ridge Mel Gibson gets away with a lot of things, as a director it’s graphic violence. Andrew Garfield plays a conscientious objector who joins the army to be a medic and refuses to touch a weapon. The second half of the film is grueling but the WWII combat looks incredible. 

House by the Cemetery 
Your enjoyment of this movie will depend on your love for Italian horror cinema and all of its idiosyncrasies. The value is in the modes of death and the sound design. House by the Cemetery is not a great movie, but I love the scene where Bob is trying to get out of the basement. For a split second I felt genuine panic, as I realized that Fulci might be willing to take the events of the film further than I was willing to follow them.

Old Joy 
I saw Old Joy when it was originally released and I loved it. Two old friends at different turning points in their lives go on a camping trip. Kelly Reichardt’s made a lot of great films since then, but Old Joy has a special place in my heart because when I saw it I had just entered my 30’s and still had friends like Kurt. 


BOOKS:

Ad Nauseam by Michael Gingold It’s a collection of vintage newspaper ads for horror films from the 80’s. Reading it brought back a lot of memories. I admire the effort of saving these for so many years.

The Guardians by Sarah Manguso 

I picked up 300 Arguments a few years ago after the AV Club recommended it and read it on a flight to Chicago. It’s made up of 300 short passages, some only a sentence long. I admired the precision and thoughtfulness of those focused lines.

I sought out some of her other work and found her very relatable, in part because we’re the same age, suffered from similar medical conditions, and spent time in Iowa City.  I’ve read Ongoingness: The End of a Diary, and The Two Kinds of Decay.

The Guardians is a memoir about her close friend, written following his suicide by train.

Reading her books creates this expansive image of Manguso as a person, in that some of the events of the three books overlap. I realized that her reflections in The Guardians were those of the person who had also overcome the prolonged health issues described in The Two Kinds of Decay, and was writing about all of it in the diaries described in Ongoingness: The End of a Diary. They are all great reads. I’d start with 300 Arguments.

SHOWS:

Imperial Teen Zebulon 02/28/20 When I see Imperial Teen I think about all the other times that I’ve seen Imperial Teen. I think about all of those times in my life and the different highs and lows that the band has been through. All the different times that they seemed poised for great success that never materialized. Despite those disappointments, they still put out a record every few years and occasionally play a few shows. They have a deep catalog of excellent pop songs. It’s as great a pleasure to see them today as it was twenty years ago. 
 Califone The Hi Hat 02/29/20 I love Red Red Meat but I’ve never seen a great show by them. I like Califone and I’ve seen some good shows, but the last one I caught (2017) turned out to be a Tim Rutilli solo show and that’s not what I wanted. The show at The Hi Hat was the best Califone show I’ve ever seen. They sounded excellent and Rutilli seemed  enthusiastic. He kept thanking the audience for coming out on a Monday night (it was Saturday.) The set stretched close to two hours with no encore.

[yourunlikelycollectorlove]

Loud Outdoor Bluetooth Speakers by Video Marketing Services

Bluetooth headphones and asked If I wanted to test them out. Naturally I said yes. Testing Electronics is my specialty. These headphones are Bluetooth, BUT also have 8 gigabytes of internal memory so they can function as a normal MP3 player without needing a phone to control them. The packaging is pretty solid. Little magnets hold the flap in place. And foam holds in the headphones and all of the ear buds. These earbuds are important, and Ill come back to them later. A soft rubber coated wire wraps around your head and over your ears to keep the headphones in place. The headphones have a sealed body, and supposedly a coated PCB board... but we'll check on that later. Inside the mesh bag comes the Micro USB charging cable that plugs into the dock, and an extra batch of headphone buds. Now, these are extremely important if you plan on using these headphones underwater. As we know, speakers use AIR to produce sound. Without air, there is no way for the speaker vibrations to reach your ear. So this extra set of earbuds, traps a little pocket of air between your ear and the headphone speaker. Allowing you to hear underwater. Now this does quiet the sound ever so slightly. I had to turn my headphones all the way up, but it does still work. If you try and wear the regular earbuds, with the hole, underwater, your headphone will still waterproof... it just has not air to transfer the sound, and you wont be able to hear anything at all. The air pocket earbuds are important. The micro USB charging cable plugs into the charging dock, and then the little pins on the dock match up with the contact points on the left headphone to charge. This is part of the waterproof features. There is an LED indicator on the dock that indicates when the headphones are fully charged and that takes about two hours or so. I have tried out quite a few wireless headphones in the past, When comparing the waveports to some of the big boys. Like the Power Beats, The Beats have a similar behind the ear design, and weigh about the same, but the behind the head wire design of the waveports make it slightly more comfortable and get the earbuds a bit deeper into your ear. And since your ear is sealed off, the base of the waveports comes through a lot more than the base on the beats. The Underarmor JBL headphones are another favorite of mine. They also seal off your ear, BUT since the JBL's do not have any 'over the ear' hooks, they don't stay in quite as well during running. Battery life, and Bluetooth connectivity distance are pretty much the same across all of the headphones. I've been wearing the headphones around for the last few days, getting a feel for the sound. When not in use they'll sit secure around my neck. And they don't fall out when I'm benching or lifting weights like the JBL under armors do. And the behind the neck wire gently keeps things snug. Unlike the long lose ribbon on the Beats that catches and tugs at my ears every time I turn my head. And most importantly... they do NOT bounce out when I am running. I spend more time out of water than in it. So the 'daily usability' factor of the headphones is more important than the 'waterproof' feature for me. But since the whole point of waterproof headphones... Is the waterproof part... lets test test them out in some water. Now, Waveport claims that the headphones are IPX7 which means they can be underwater for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter. I'm not the best at following rules. So I took off my arm floaties and swam on over to the deep end of the pool. Blue tooth does not work underwater. So Spotify or Pandora is out of the question. BUT since the headphones have 8 gigs of internal memory... my phone does not need to be nearby. At this point I do have the 'water ear buds' attached. The ones with the little air pocket inside. So the sound is a little quieter than normal, but still definitely audible. The headphones stayed on well enough for the general floating and swimming around, but fell off if I ever pushed away from a wall. I imagine wearing one of the rubber hair caps would help keep them in place... But im fresh out of hair caps at the moment. These headphones would be great in the shower, or for a water aerobics class. But if they fall off... they will sink to the bottom of the pool. Now... one of my qualms with the 'water resistant' Galaxy S7 is that the motherboard was not coated with a hydrophobic spray... And therefor missing an important layer of protection. Waveport didn't exactly give me permission to take these apart.... BUT here we go. Remember I am only doing this as a demonstration and to verify advertising like I always do. If you open these headphones AT ALL you will lose any waterproof capabilities, and warranty, and all that good stuff. Once the speaker cap is off. We see the shiny circuit board, and speaker wires, and the internal memory card. If I drop any water on the components, it will immediately run off the board. Leaving it completely dry. Unli https://youtu.be/ZZyZZgsyQmE from Blogger http://ift.tt/2DRkXqg January 19, 2018 at 02:08AM

[apers1934460]

Best Bluetooth Headset For Truckers by ThinkClear Video Marketing

Bluetooth headphones and asked If I wanted to test them out. Naturally I said yes. Testing Electronics is my specialty. These headphones are Bluetooth, BUT also have 8 gigabytes of internal memory so they can function as a normal MP3 player without needing a phone to control them. The packaging is pretty solid. Little magnets hold the flap in place. And foam holds in the headphones and all of the ear buds. These earbuds are important, and Ill come back to them later. A soft rubber coated wire wraps around your head and over your ears to keep the headphones in place. The headphones have a sealed body, and supposedly a coated PCB board... but we'll check on that later. Inside the mesh bag comes the Micro USB charging cable that plugs into the dock, and an extra batch of headphone buds. Now, these are extremely important if you plan on using these headphones underwater. As we know, speakers use AIR to produce sound. Without air, there is no way for the speaker vibrations to reach your ear. So this extra set of earbuds, traps a little pocket of air between your ear and the headphone speaker. Allowing you to hear underwater. Now this does quiet the sound ever so slightly. I had to turn my headphones all the way up, but it does still work. If you try and wear the regular earbuds, with the hole, underwater, your headphone will still waterproof... it just has not air to transfer the sound, and you wont be able to hear anything at all. The air pocket earbuds are important. The micro USB charging cable plugs into the charging dock, and then the little pins on the dock match up with the contact points on the left headphone to charge. This is part of the waterproof features. There is an LED indicator on the dock that indicates when the headphones are fully charged and that takes about two hours or so. I have tried out quite a few wireless headphones in the past, When comparing the waveports to some of the big boys. Like the Power Beats, The Beats have a similar behind the ear design, and weigh about the same, but the behind the head wire design of the waveports make it slightly more comfortable and get the earbuds a bit deeper into your ear. And since your ear is sealed off, the base of the waveports comes through a lot more than the base on the beats. The Underarmor JBL headphones are another favorite of mine. They also seal off your ear, BUT since the JBL's do not have any 'over the ear' hooks, they don't stay in quite as well during running. Battery life, and Bluetooth connectivity distance are pretty much the same across all of the headphones. I've been wearing the headphones around for the last few days, getting a feel for the sound. When not in use they'll sit secure around my neck. And they don't fall out when I'm benching or lifting weights like the JBL under armors do. And the behind the neck wire gently keeps things snug. Unlike the long lose ribbon on the Beats that catches and tugs at my ears every time I turn my head. And most importantly... they do NOT bounce out when I am running. I spend more time out of water than in it. So the 'daily usability' factor of the headphones is more important than the 'waterproof' feature for me. But since the whole point of waterproof headphones... Is the waterproof part... lets test test them out in some water. Now, Waveport claims that the headphones are IPX7 which means they can be underwater for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter. I'm not the best at following rules. So I took off my arm floaties and swam on over to the deep end of the pool. Blue tooth does not work underwater. So Spotify or Pandora is out of the question. BUT since the headphones have 8 gigs of internal memory... my phone does not need to be nearby. At this point I do have the 'water ear buds' attached. The ones with the little air pocket inside. So the sound is a little quieter than normal, but still definitely audible. The headphones stayed on well enough for the general floating and swimming around, but fell off if I ever pushed away from a wall. I imagine wearing one of the rubber hair caps would help keep them in place... But im fresh out of hair caps at the moment. These headphones would be great in the shower, or for a water aerobics class. But if they fall off... they will sink to the bottom of the pool. Now... one of my qualms with the 'water resistant' Galaxy S7 is that the motherboard was not coated with a hydrophobic spray... And therefor missing an important layer of protection. Waveport didn't exactly give me permission to take these apart.... BUT here we go. Remember I am only doing this as a demonstration and to verify advertising like I always do. If you open these headphones AT ALL you will lose any waterproof capabilities, and warranty, and all that good stuff. Once the speaker cap is off. We see the shiny circuit board, and speaker wires, and the internal memory card. If I drop any water on the components, it will immediately run off the board. Leaving it completely dry. Unli https://youtu.be/tWhMXhj45YY from Blogger http://ift.tt/2FSLzIa January 19, 2018 at 12:47AM

[magicalturtlezombie]

Best Bluetooth Transmitter For Tv by ThinkClear Video Marketing

Bluetooth headphones and asked If I wanted to test them out. Naturally I said yes. Testing Electronics is my specialty. These headphones are Bluetooth, BUT also have 8 gigabytes of internal memory so they can function as a normal MP3 player without needing a phone to control them. The packaging is pretty solid. Little magnets hold the flap in place. And foam holds in the headphones and all of the ear buds. These earbuds are important, and Ill come back to them later. A soft rubber coated wire wraps around your head and over your ears to keep the headphones in place. The headphones have a sealed body, and supposedly a coated PCB board... but we'll check on that later. Inside the mesh bag comes the Micro USB charging cable that plugs into the dock, and an extra batch of headphone buds. Now, these are extremely important if you plan on using these headphones underwater. As we know, speakers use AIR to produce sound. Without air, there is no way for the speaker vibrations to reach your ear. So this extra set of earbuds, traps a little pocket of air between your ear and the headphone speaker. Allowing you to hear underwater. Now this does quiet the sound ever so slightly. I had to turn my headphones all the way up, but it does still work. If you try and wear the regular earbuds, with the hole, underwater, your headphone will still waterproof... it just has not air to transfer the sound, and you wont be able to hear anything at all. The air pocket earbuds are important. The micro USB charging cable plugs into the charging dock, and then the little pins on the dock match up with the contact points on the left headphone to charge. This is part of the waterproof features. There is an LED indicator on the dock that indicates when the headphones are fully charged and that takes about two hours or so. I have tried out quite a few wireless headphones in the past, When comparing the waveports to some of the big boys. Like the Power Beats, The Beats have a similar behind the ear design, and weigh about the same, but the behind the head wire design of the waveports make it slightly more comfortable and get the earbuds a bit deeper into your ear. And since your ear is sealed off, the base of the waveports comes through a lot more than the base on the beats. The Underarmor JBL headphones are another favorite of mine. They also seal off your ear, BUT since the JBL's do not have any 'over the ear' hooks, they don't stay in quite as well during running. Battery life, and Bluetooth connectivity distance are pretty much the same across all of the headphones. I've been wearing the headphones around for the last few days, getting a feel for the sound. When not in use they'll sit secure around my neck. And they don't fall out when I'm benching or lifting weights like the JBL under armors do. And the behind the neck wire gently keeps things snug. Unlike the long lose ribbon on the Beats that catches and tugs at my ears every time I turn my head. And most importantly... they do NOT bounce out when I am running. I spend more time out of water than in it. So the 'daily usability' factor of the headphones is more important than the 'waterproof' feature for me. But since the whole point of waterproof headphones... Is the waterproof part... lets test test them out in some water. Now, Waveport claims that the headphones are IPX7 which means they can be underwater for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter. I'm not the best at following rules. So I took off my arm floaties and swam on over to the deep end of the pool. Blue tooth does not work underwater. So Spotify or Pandora is out of the question. BUT since the headphones have 8 gigs of internal memory... my phone does not need to be nearby. At this point I do have the 'water ear buds' attached. The ones with the little air pocket inside. So the sound is a little quieter than normal, but still definitely audible. The headphones stayed on well enough for the general floating and swimming around, but fell off if I ever pushed away from a wall. I imagine wearing one of the rubber hair caps would help keep them in place... But im fresh out of hair caps at the moment. These headphones would be great in the shower, or for a water aerobics class. But if they fall off... they will sink to the bottom of the pool. Now... one of my qualms with the 'water resistant' Galaxy S7 is that the motherboard was not coated with a hydrophobic spray... And therefor missing an important layer of protection. Waveport didn't exactly give me permission to take these apart.... BUT here we go. Remember I am only doing this as a demonstration and to verify advertising like I always do. If you open these headphones AT ALL you will lose any waterproof capabilities, and warranty, and all that good stuff. Once the speaker cap is off. We see the shiny circuit board, and speaker wires, and the internal memory card. If I drop any water on the components, it will immediately run off the board. Leaving it completely dry. Unli https://youtu.be/UKPaBFzUS5k from Blogger http://ift.tt/2rhImP2 January 19, 2018 at 12:47AM

[wesse1984355]

Bluetooth Radio For Motorcycle by ThinkClear Video Marketing

Bluetooth headphones and asked If I wanted to test them out. Naturally I said yes. Testing Electronics is my specialty. These headphones are Bluetooth, BUT also have 8 gigabytes of internal memory so they can function as a normal MP3 player without needing a phone to control them. The packaging is pretty solid. Little magnets hold the flap in place. And foam holds in the headphones and all of the ear buds. These earbuds are important, and Ill come back to them later. A soft rubber coated wire wraps around your head and over your ears to keep the headphones in place. The headphones have a sealed body, and supposedly a coated PCB board... but we'll check on that later. Inside the mesh bag comes the Micro USB charging cable that plugs into the dock, and an extra batch of headphone buds. Now, these are extremely important if you plan on using these headphones underwater. As we know, speakers use AIR to produce sound. Without air, there is no way for the speaker vibrations to reach your ear. So this extra set of earbuds, traps a little pocket of air between your ear and the headphone speaker. Allowing you to hear underwater. Now this does quiet the sound ever so slightly. I had to turn my headphones all the way up, but it does still work. If you try and wear the regular earbuds, with the hole, underwater, your headphone will still waterproof... it just has not air to transfer the sound, and you wont be able to hear anything at all. The air pocket earbuds are important. The micro USB charging cable plugs into the charging dock, and then the little pins on the dock match up with the contact points on the left headphone to charge. This is part of the waterproof features. There is an LED indicator on the dock that indicates when the headphones are fully charged and that takes about two hours or so. I have tried out quite a few wireless headphones in the past, When comparing the waveports to some of the big boys. Like the Power Beats, The Beats have a similar behind the ear design, and weigh about the same, but the behind the head wire design of the waveports make it slightly more comfortable and get the earbuds a bit deeper into your ear. And since your ear is sealed off, the base of the waveports comes through a lot more than the base on the beats. The Underarmor JBL headphones are another favorite of mine. They also seal off your ear, BUT since the JBL's do not have any 'over the ear' hooks, they don't stay in quite as well during running. Battery life, and Bluetooth connectivity distance are pretty much the same across all of the headphones. I've been wearing the headphones around for the last few days, getting a feel for the sound. When not in use they'll sit secure around my neck. And they don't fall out when I'm benching or lifting weights like the JBL under armors do. And the behind the neck wire gently keeps things snug. Unlike the long lose ribbon on the Beats that catches and tugs at my ears every time I turn my head. And most importantly... they do NOT bounce out when I am running. I spend more time out of water than in it. So the 'daily usability' factor of the headphones is more important than the 'waterproof' feature for me. But since the whole point of waterproof headphones... Is the waterproof part... lets test test them out in some water. Now, Waveport claims that the headphones are IPX7 which means they can be underwater for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter. I'm not the best at following rules. So I took off my arm floaties and swam on over to the deep end of the pool. Blue tooth does not work underwater. So Spotify or Pandora is out of the question. BUT since the headphones have 8 gigs of internal memory... my phone does not need to be nearby. At this point I do have the 'water ear buds' attached. The ones with the little air pocket inside. So the sound is a little quieter than normal, but still definitely audible. The headphones stayed on well enough for the general floating and swimming around, but fell off if I ever pushed away from a wall. I imagine wearing one of the rubber hair caps would help keep them in place... But im fresh out of hair caps at the moment. These headphones would be great in the shower, or for a water aerobics class. But if they fall off... they will sink to the bottom of the pool. Now... one of my qualms with the 'water resistant' Galaxy S7 is that the motherboard was not coated with a hydrophobic spray... And therefor missing an important layer of protection. Waveport didn't exactly give me permission to take these apart.... BUT here we go. Remember I am only doing this as a demonstration and to verify advertising like I always do. If you open these headphones AT ALL you will lose any waterproof capabilities, and warranty, and all that good stuff. Once the speaker cap is off. We see the shiny circuit board, and speaker wires, and the internal memory card. If I drop any water on the components, it will immediately run off the board. Leaving it completely dry. Unli https://youtu.be/sMsqdLVdBNg from Blogger http://ift.tt/2FVPML5 January 19, 2018 at 12:47AM