#but if he had even a single line like ‘shit… i shouldn’t have said all that’ or recognized he was in the wrong at all

[a-sketchy]

the thing about yosuke’s shittiness around here (up close and personal, the campout) is that the vast majority of it isn’t doing literally anything for his character. i completely think yosuke’s shittiness is important to his character, but it’s by and large reflections of his own insecurities and flaws. he’s insecure about his masculinity and sexuality, he’s lame, he’s selfish, he’s obsessed with the idea of women, his mouth moves faster than his brain, he doesn’t like himself, and he cares way too much about the societal ideal of ‘normal’. but it’s really important that he’s self-aware! he knows when the things he says are shitty, he knows he’s lame, he knows he’s selfish, he knows he’s putting up a front of being carefree and normal. but there’s absolutely no self awareness here, there’s no recognizing he went too far and apologizing the next day, there’s no regret, there’s not even any self-deprecation, and there’s absolutely no compassion or empathy like he has in serious moments. a lot of what he says is just mean for meanness’s sake, in an execution incongruous with previous behaviour. it’s not even funny!

[ghost-proofbaby]

twenty four hours (modern!eddie munson x fem!reader)

HOUR TWENTY THREE

in which you never make it past the stairs.

→ tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, slow burn

→ warnings: strong language, single use of 'Y/N', upside down does not exist, minors dni

→ wc: 5.4k+

masterlist.

spotify playlist.

◁ previous part, next part▷

23:00 ──────────────ㅇ─ 24:00

“Be honest with me, Eddie. Do you like her?” 

Eddie feels pathetic when all he can do is hum in response to Nancy’s voice over the line, mind moving in slow motion as looks down at you. You’re here, in his apartment and curled up on his couch. You’re here, and you’re his for twenty four hours, if he can just stop fucking it all up. 

He should have known the hum wouldn’t satisfy his best friend.

“No. I want a real answer,” she scolds, and he can imagine her frustrated scowl she wears as he gives her nothing. But he just feels defeated – he’s at a loss for words right now, “Don’t over think it – do you really like her?”

No. No, I do not just like her. I fucking love her. And I really shouldn’t, but I do, and I can’t change that. 

“I… I think I do.” 

“I just said to not think about it. It’s a yes or no question, Munson. Don’t… Fine, don’t be honest with me. Be honest with yourself. So I’m going to ask you one last time, and I recommend you don’t think about it, because every time you do, it seems like all you do is push her further away. Do you, Edward Munson, like Y/N?” 

“I do. I really fuckin’ do.”

More than Nancy could understand. More than even he understands. He likes you, more than just in the sense of what Nancy was referring to. He likes you as a person. He likes the way you challenge him, that you won’t take his shit. He likes the way you keep up with him even if you are motivated by a fire of hatred he’d built with his own two hands. He likes the way you clearly care about people, evident with how you treat everyone else. He likes the way you never cease to surprise him. He just… likes everything about you. Every single part of you he has been gifted with witnessing even when he’s undeserving, he fucking adores.

He never stood a chance. From the moment he first met you in that bar, it was always going to end this way for Eddie. All you had to do was lay your eyes on him, and his fate was sealed.

So, yeah. Eddie Munson likes you. Eddie Munson loves you. 

—

HOUR TWENTY THREE - 3:00 PM

You don’t even make it outside the apartment building.

You make it down the hallway, sniffling the entire way and ignoring the curious glances from the neighbor that walks past you. Clearly, the entire building must have heard your fight with Eddie. They probably even heard the debauchery you two had taken part in on his balcony beforehand. 

They probably think you’re insane. You don’t really care. 

Once you enter the stairwell, it all becomes a bit too much. Your head is spinning as you take a few of the steps before you give up, dropping down to sit on one and succumbing to the dizzying feeling with your head between your knees. It’s a lot – Eddie has given you a plethora of information, too much to be able to stomach all in one go but necessary to offer you all at once. 

He always loved you. He’d felt it too, that first night. All your blooms and all your vines hadn’t been what gave you away, but instead his own garden that had begun. And instead of tending to it as you had been prepared to with your own, he’d gone and drowned it. He’d taken away any glimpse of sunshine and cut off all nutrients, tried to starve the thing inside of him away and burn it with unnecessary hatred. 

It was all so unnecessary. So, so unnecessary. 

The girl you once were isn’t something of the past. You were foolish to believe there was any separation – between who you were the first night and now, between who Eddie was that night and who he was as you left him behind. You’re both still the same people, still in the same position. 

You never stopped looking for Eddie in every room you entered. You never stopped biting your tongue at the thought of starting a conversation with him, never stopped aching to reach out for him even as he filled the ocean between you two. Every single date you’d gone on after meeting him had been a flurry of excuses. 

No, not excuses. Comparisons.

Every single person that had shown you interest in the last year had been subjected to a side by side comparison to the man you couldn’t have. To the man you thought you’d held in the palms of your hands for a night, only to have it all taken away so suddenly. None of them drank whiskey and coke. None of them wore rings on their knuckles that they would fidget with when nervous. None of them reacted when you’d stumble beside them, none of them ever offered to foot the bills of the dates they took you on. And every time you noticed these insignificant details, you’d only think of moments with a certain long-haired metalhead. 

You’d spent a year convincing yourself that there was only bad. Spent a year ignoring that nagging in the back of your head, when Eddie had been the worst fucking actor you’d ever met. He was right – his affection had seeped out time and time again, had reached out and wrapped around you like a warm blanket. Most of the time, it was your irritation that led to any arguments turning into true fights. 

You weren’t innocent in this. The blame is shared. You’d both been victims, time and time again, of absolute self-destruction. 

When your phone rings, you indulge yourself in the hope that it’s Eddie. 

It’s Steve.

“Hello-”

“What the fuck happened?” Steve cuts right to the chase, ignoring your greeting, “What the fuck does Eddie mean the bet is off?”

He’d called Steve. Obviously.

“It means the bet is off,” you feel a fresh wave of tears choke you up, “We didn’t last the full twenty four hours. We lost.”

Steve’s scoff echoes over the line, “You’re telling me that with not even two hours to spare, the two of you now find it to be a bit much? It’s been twenty two hours, nearly twenty three, what harm is there in a few mo-”

“A lot of harm, actually,” you cut him off this time, in no mood to be scolded like a child. None of them knew what had happened. None of them knew how everything had changed so drastically between you and Eddie, “I- I called it off. It was me. I’ll come up with the money for you guys, just give me a few weeks.” 

Do they know about Eddie’s feelings? Had you been the only one so oblivious to being caught up in a lie?

“Hold on, hold on,” Steve tries to soothe you, but it does nothing. When a sob escapes you, the dam finally breaking through, he grows even more panicked, “What the actual fuck happened?”

You don’t answer the question. “Can you come pick me up?” 

“I- Excuse me?”

“I need a ride,” you gasp out, swiping rapidly at your face to hide the evidence of your breakdown as you can hear someone walking up the stairs, “Can you- Christ, Harrington, can you just come pick me up?” 

More neighbors. More nosey glances. Fuck them. 

“No.” 

You almost think you heard Steve wrong. “What?”

“No, I will not be coming to pick you up.” 

“Why?” 

Your chest is aching with every sob you withhold. Trying to cling to composure, trying to cling to the fact that the worst was over. The wound could heal. The wound had to heal. 

“Tell me what happened,” Steve demands, “Tell me what the fuck has happened over the last twenty something hours, and I’ll come pick you up. But if you don’t tell me, I’m tossing my fucking keys in the canal and you can be  stuck with him for the rest of your life for all I care.” 

And therein lies the issue. You don’t want to tell him. Suddenly, you’re something animalistic, the memories of the last twenty three hours becoming something of such substance to you that you wouldn’t dare to part with them. You want to hold each moment, each stepping stone along this rocky path, close to your chest and swipe out at anyone who gets too close. You need to cradle them with care and dissect each one for your own sanity, picking apart all the times you were too blind to see the truth. 

You make your decision. The animal inside of you, hiding amongst vines of affection and blooms of hope, decides. “I can’t.” 

“You can’t, or you won’t?” 

You both know the clear distinction, and you can’t be bothered to care as your breathing finally evens, the sobs settling themselves down.

“I won’t.” 

It’s quiet for a while until you hear Steve finally laugh in disbelief. A sharp breath out at first, that grows more into a chuckle that you know pairs with him shaking his head.

“Jesus,” he whispers, “I… okay. I get it. I don’t know what the Hell went down, and I won’t force you to give me a play by play,” he pauses, and you can hear the but before he even says it. It stretches over that pregnant pause, silence only broken up by static from the phone line until he speaks again, “But you’ve got to give me something to work with here. Eddie randomly texts me that the bet is off and to tell the others, and then I call you just for you to start sobbing-“

“He only texted you?” you interrupt the plea, brows furrowing, “He just… He texted you and no one else? Did he call Nancy?” 

“What? No. I’m the only one who’s heard anything from him.” 

You stare at the wall across from you, gaze digging right into one of the cracks filled with dust.

Fuck it.

“He told me he loves me, Steve,” you begin to open up, prying that memory from the claws of the animal. It doesn’t go down without a fight, screeching as you say the words, protesting offering even the smallest of breadcrumbs to your friend. You don’t have to tell Steve everything — but you can tell him this. “He said he never really hated me, and that he loves me.” 

There’s nothing for Steve to say. You don’t know if it’s because they all really did know, saw what you couldn’t, or maybe if Eddie had already admitted this to the others. But in his honesty, he’d only mentioned Nancy knowing. And you’d seen the twist of his lips, the pinch of his eyes during that recount; you doubt anyone else knows. 

He’d been prepared to take this secret to the grave. To keep it, even from you.

“I liked him,” you admit in that quiet stairwell, almost forgetting Steve was on the other end of the line, “God, I- I just liked him so much that first night. I wanted to waste all my time getting to know him. I know you all saw it after he went cold.” 

How I searched for him in every room. How I’d always ask if he would be at functions. How I’d gravitate straight to him on the rare occasions he was there. 

You continue on, your animal within finally stopping its petulant protests. It seems to understand; there’s a balance to be found. Admitting this doesn’t mean losing Eddie. It could mean more, “Even when he started being a fucking asshole, I wanted him. I always thought I’d just get him out of my system one of these days, but I didn’t. Not even after tonight. I… I like him.” 

It’s not love. Not quite what Eddie had felt, because his plan had worked to some extent. You’d been held at an arm's length for so long, the like never had the chance to grow into love. 

“So go get him.” 

It’s the last thing you expected from Steve. “What?” 

“You like him. Present tense,” he parrots your words back to you with emphasis, “So go get him. You said he loves you, kid. And sure, there’s a lot to work through there, but the bet isn’t off yet. Texts can be deleted. I can take a few hours to come get you. Just…” you listen to his deep breath over the phone, letting his words settle within you, “What’s the worst that can happen? You guys hate each other? I think we’re a little past that now.” 

“Yeah,” you find yourself laughing, only half amused, “We are kind of past that.” 

What is the worst that can happen? 

“At the very least, tell him how you feel,” Steve continues on in such a calming tone, your chest clenches, “Because I’m sensing that you haven’t. Or else you wouldn’t be sitting on the phone crying to me, and Munson wouldn’t be impulsively texting me.” 

“It wasn’t that impulsive,” you hum, leaning your cheek against the cool railing beside you, still mulling over your options. Really, option. Singular. “I made it very clear that it was over.” 

Steve lets out a groan, and you smile despite yourself, “You sound like you just broke up with the poor dude without ever even dating.” 

“I kind of did.” 

“Then go fix it!” Steve’s exclamation makes you lift your head again, “He’s an asshole, okay? We can agree on that. He’s fucking dumb, and he’s an asshole, and he definitely isn’t some dreamboat in my opinion-“

“You know, I have a bone to pick with you there,” you’re already standing up, heading inclined towards the door you had just burst through, feet heavy as you try to dig within yourself for just a little bit of bravery, “Why the fuck would you say what you did that night? When I met him. You told him I’d never go for him.” 

“I didn’t think you would. I mean, you didn’t jump my bones when you met me, and I am a goddamn dream boat.” 

“Steve Harrington,” you take the first step, suddenly determined, “You’re a fucking idiot. I kind of hate you right now.” 

“More than you hate Eddie?” 

“So much more.” 

“Then go tell him that,”  Steve instructs as you take a few more steps, back up on the platform for Eddie’s floor already, “Make me the bad guy, I don’t care. Tell him he even gets a free punch.”

“I get a free punch first,” your free hand reaches out to grab the door, gripping but not pulling. Not yet, “We’ll see if you’re still such a dreamboat with a broken nose.” 

It’s all teasing, but Steve can tell your anger beneath it all is very real. It isn’t something all consuming or dangerous, but it is well deserved for what he’d put you and Eddie through. All with one little throwaway comment. 

“I deserve that,” he affirms, “I really, really deserve that. Scout’s honor that you’ll get your punch when I pick you up in… say, an hour?” 

You nod, and start to pull on the door, “See you in an hour, Harrington.” 

You hang up before he can say another word. There’ll be time for more scolding later, for more genuine conversation at the hand everyone had in all that went wrong. But for now, you only have one boy on your mind. 

And apparently, he’s in love with you. Has been for a long time.

You race down that hallway faster than you had when you’d left, determination throwing you forward with each step as you grow closer to apartment 2C. You raise your fist when you come face to face with Eddie’s front door, still terribly insistent and strangely brave, when suddenly — it opens up.

“I-“ you squeak out, fist still frozen and poised in the air. 

Eddie has never looked more frazzled. He’d been clearly running his hands through his curls, frizzing them up nearly comically. His eyes are red from tears, and if you look close enough, you can see an indent in his bottom lip from his teeth digging in.

Your eyes meet his, and all he can do is sigh your name. 

You take a few steps back, and he follows. You tell yourself you need the distance, because without it, you might throw caution to the wind and just kiss him again. That’s not what you came here to do – before you can ever kiss him again, before you can put not only yourself but him through that, you need to tell him. 

Your heart is ready to burst out of your chest, and you repeat Steve’s words over and over in your mind.

So go get him.

What’s the worst that can happen?

“I thought you were leaving.” 

His voice is a broken whisper, gravely from the tears he’s no doubt been succumbing to since your exit. You search his face for any sign that he might still be far away from you, still in his head, but all you can see is that he’s here. 

He’s here, with you, in this moment. 

“I never made it down the stairs,” your voice cracks terribly, croaky and shaking until you clear your throat, “I- Steve called me.” 

“I texted him. To let him know the bet is off.” 

“I know.” 

It’s awkward, but without ice. It’d be impossible not to be, even when every glance into his eyes just fills you with warmth.

There will be time to be angry later. With Steve, and with Eddie. One day, you’ll spare the time to mull over the way he continued to treat you even after his own personal revelation of how he loved you. You should pay more attention to it now, but every time your mind tries to go there, it just becomes overcast with what’s happened on this night. 

You can’t erase the past. Good or bad. Both exist, and both fuel you as you take one more step back and support yourself against the wall across from his door, just as you had when you’d first arrived twenty three hours before. 

Eddie takes several deep breaths before he follows you. You don’t have to say a word out loud; he’s completely in tune with you as he leaves his front door wide open and walks to stand beside you. Only then, when you’re both on the same side of the hallway, do you both slide down to sit on the floor. 

“We need to talk,” you sigh, watching the way your knee knocks into his. Gentle brushes, soft touches. There’s no room for any thorns here. Your vines have wrapped their way around not just you, but him as well, and there’s far too many flowers thriving along them to even think of such dangerous pricks to linger, “I know what I said. I know that I left. But…” But I can’t stay gone. I can’t let it end like this. I can’t do it, not like this. “I never made it past the stairs.” 

His shoulder bumps yours, forces you to look at him as he offers a sad smile. He can tell you're nervous, can tell that you’re the one who’s slipping away into their mind now. 

“Hey,” he says softly, “It’s just you and me. Just two people who hate each other’s guts, remember?” 

“Except we never did,” you remind him, finally looking down to pick at the frays of your jeans, “We never hated each other’s guts. And that’s… the issue? Maybe not issue. It’s not a problem to be solved. But, you were honest with me, and I think I need to be honest back.” 

I need to say more than just no.

“I like you, Eddie,” you finally spit out, craving relief from the admission. But it won’t come, not quite yet. Not until he hears your full truth, “I liked you from that very first night. I just- when I was in this room full of people I didn’t know, not well enough at least, you took one look at me and decided that you’d sit by my side. You’d be my friend. I don’t care how the night ended and I don’t care that you went back on your gut reaction,” you take a sharp breath, and finally relief finds you as you whisper, “You chose me. That very first night, you chose me. And I want to figure out how to get back to that, not pretending to hate each other.” 

You hold no expectations for how Eddie will react, especially given that your confession was seemingly less monumental than his, but his hand coming down on your knee surprises you all the same. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes, and you believe it. There’s no hesitation in your belief this time. It goes without saying that you know he’ll probably spend the rest of his life sorry, trying to make up for the last year. 

You decide to put your hand over his, let your palm press into those knuckles before you move to slip your fingers between his, “I don’t want things to go back to normal. I just want us to be able to start over.” 

You catch his smile out the corner of your eye, “Yeah? That’d be pretty nice. Maybe this time I won’t be such a dick.” 

“And maybe this time I won’t throw a glass at your head,” you add, leaning into him a little, feeling his grip on your knee tighten with affection.

He shakes his head briefly before throwing it back against the wall, “I deserved that. When I deserve it, you are always welcome to throw a glass at my head.” 

“That’s an expensive way to deal with things.” 

“We’ll get the glasses from Goodwill.” 

Both of you are softly laughing when your head meets his shoulder. You should probably be talking more properly, but you don’t. You decide to just enjoy this time with him. You have an hour left.

When the door to the right of Eddie’s opens up, you both straighten up a bit, and you watch in real time as the embarrassed blush lights up across Eddie’s cheeks at the sight of his neighbor — Mr. Jenkins.

He pauses, and God you wish he hadn’t, because now your insides are turning with your own self-consciousness. He takes in the sight of you two, sitting out in the apartment building hallway, hands entertained and heads leaning on one another, and then he chuckles.

“Good. Glad you two kids figured it out. Now please, for the love of God, keep those activities private. Indoors. No more balconies.” 

Eddie has burned past pink, now a brilliant red. You’re surprised when a soft giggle escapes you, the ridiculousness of everything that has happened finally hitting you. Eddie turns his head to look at you with wild eyes, a silent scream of traitor before he faces the elderly man again.

He clears his throat, “Right. Uh, of course. Sorry, Mr. Jenkins.”

He grumbles a bit as he turns away from you two, still smiling as you can hear the faint “Yeah, yeah,” of his words.

The moment you two are alone again, you can’t help it — you burst into laughter.

Genuine and much needed laughter fills your lungs, expanding them beyond capacity as you finally let yourself just let go of the night. All the fights, all the stress, all the misunderstandings, and all the honesty seem to melt like butter from you, the tension leaving your soldiers for the first time in what feels like hours. You like him, you like him, you like him. No matter what happens after this, you like him. Just as you had that first night. Nothing can really take that from you; all the miniscule details can be worked out later. Any arguments and any fights that need to be had can be handled tomorrow. For today, you like Eddie Munson, and that’s enough.

“It’s not funny!” 

“Oh, it’s fucking hilarious,” you gasp out as Eddie gently slaps your shoulder, “That poor old man fully saw your dick.” 

“I’ll never be able to face him again,” Eddie deadpans. You don’t catch his adoring smile as you only laugh harder, “I’ll never be able to know peace in these halls again.”

You quiet down your giggles, taking your hand from his to swipe at the tears of joy that had gathered. Your stomach aches in the best way, finally, “Should’ve kept it in your pants, Munson.” 

“Says the minx.” 

It’s nice. Just as you had thought — there would be a time to laugh about it. And now, as your temple falls back against Eddie’s t-shirt and he snakes an arm around your back, is the best moment you can think of. 

The two of you let silence settle again. All you can hear is the other’s breathing, deep and calm and assured breaths that don’t whisper of any secrets or any panic. It’s peaceful; it’s absolute bliss. 

“God, I need a nap,” Eddie mumbles as he trails a finger in an insistent circle over your shoulder. Gentle and feathery light, repetitive enough to almost lull you to sleep, “How do other people do this shit?”

“I don’t know, but a nap sounds heavenly,” you nearly moan. You can picture it now, wrapping up in your usually mediocre comforter back in your dorm room, and your uncomfortable mattress has never been more romanticized.

Eddie stares at his open door for a second, thinking, “Is, uh, Harrington coming to get you?” 

You only nod against his shoulder.

“Did he tell the others that the bet is- or was- or-“

“No,” you laugh as he fumbles over the specifics, “He never told the others. As far as they know… We made it.” 

Eddie sighs in relief, “Oh, thank God. I did not want to have to pay any of those fuckers.” 

“They never would have let us live that down.” 

“Never.”

Another lapse of silence. There’s times where you think Eddie might get up, might hold out his hand for you to take and drag you into his apartment again. Maybe try and let you two squeeze one last nap in, considering the way you’re already half unconscious on his shoulder. But he never does. The two of you sit in the comforting silence of that hallway, backs pressed to the wall and bodies leaning into each other’s gravitational pull. 

Getting him was never really about having another hard conversation. Just making sure he knew that his feelings were returned, to remind him of the change that had happened within you over these last twenty three hours, was plenty enough for you. 

“Hey,” Eddie whispers. Neither of you have a clock, but you can both feel the time running out, “I, uh, want to say one last thing before this is all… over.” 

“What’s up?” you mumble into the material of his t-shirt. The one that your nose nearly turns and buries into, trying to enjoy that last bit of boy that has lingered after him since the beginning of the night. 

“I need you to know I didn’t tell you everything just for this to happen,” he begins to explain, “Like, I never loved you with the intent of being loved. I actually love you without ever expecting you to reciprocate, whether it’s embarrassingly admitting you have a crush on me-” one of your hands limply comes up to hit at his chest in a pathetic lack of strength, which makes him pause to chuckle, “-or if you came back here and said that you were… like, wildly in love with me. Or you could have even said you never really want to see me again. That was never the point.”

“What if I came back just to say I forgot something? Like, ‘oh, hey, I just forgot my chapstick’?” you’re nearly slurring your words in fatigue, but still smile at the thought of doing that just to fuck with him. 

“I’d probably lie and say that there’s not a single tube of chapstick in that apartment,” he admits, his palm now just cupping your shoulder, drinking in the privilege of touching and holding you this way as he gives it a squeeze, “And then I would have shut the door, and started searching like a mad man for that fucking chapstick, and never would have told you once I found it.” 

You snort, “Keeping my chapstick? Pervert.” 

You shift your head to just barely peer up at him, and you see those fucking dimples. You can’t believe there was a time where you didn’t notice those. 

“I’m serious, though,” he lets his smile falter just a bit, but those innocent indents don’t, “You could still say the word, tell me you don’t mean it and you don’t even like me in the slightest, and it’d be fine. No hard feelings, truly.” 

He’d just succumb to the terrible fight he’d been running from this entire time. From the moment he had met you. He’d succumb to his worst fear and let himself burn for you, even if you didn’t burn with him. 

“Eddie.”

“Hm?”

“Stop being such a fucking idiot,” you chastize as you lift your head from his should. His arm remains around you, not even slipping, “Stop trying to talk me out of liking you. It’s done – I like you. End of story.” 

His smile turns into something sad for a second, something almost sour, before it really does fall completely. Only the ghosts of those dimples remain for a moment in your memory. Suddenly, you get what he means. He isn’t trying to deter you, only remind you of what you need to consider.

It’s not just another moment of insecurity. 

You probably should be putting up more of a fight. All the damage done, both tonight and in the last year, can’t really be erased in the matter of an hour. It’s a whisper of it’s okay to take time to heal, a true white flag of surrender being waved from across his ocean. 

Vines, oceans, fires, glass walls – all of the metaphors have finally turned trivial. 

“I might need time,” you give in just a little bit, knowing it’s for the best, “I… I mean, everything can’t really change so quickly. Maybe we give it a few days. A few weeks, if we have to. We…” 

“Just spent twenty four hours together, and could use the time apart?” he ends your sentence for you in a joking tone, but you both know it’s true. 

The time apart would not only do you well, but answer the burning question on both your minds – does this last past tonight? 

Right now, you’re sure it does. But it’s possible you’ll return to your dorm room, that Eddie will spend some time in his apartment without you hovering around every corner, and that it could change. That is entirely possible. 

It’s something you almost need to mentally prepare yourself for. 

“Yeah,” you rasp out, almost choked back up at the reality of it all. You blame it on the lack of sleep, “Yeah, we could probably use some time apart.” 

Saying it out loud goes against every gut instinct you have. 

“Yep,” Eddie almost seems to also be gritting those words out, tongue almost more stubborn than yours, “Time apart. Just to think. Not… uh, not forever. Not unless we decide it needs to be.” 

You sound like you just broke up with the poor dude without ever even dating.

How many couples have had this exact conversation? How many have promised temporary time apart, only to never see each other again? 

It strikes a little bit of childish fear in you, but Eddie’s arm is still warm and heavy around your back, his palm rubbing up and down along your bicep as if he can sense all that doubt that you battle with. 

It’s okay. Leaving for now is not leaving forever. Besides, you once lived a life without Eddie Munson in it. You can live that once more, if needed.

You like him. You liked him that first night, and you like him now. You like to enter rooms and know his eyes seek you out, you like to know that every time he crosses your mind that there’s a possibility that you’re also plaguing his thoughts. Time, distance, and hatred have never been able to change that.

“I-” you start to say, more vulnerability metallic on your tongue and more honesty poised for his taking, when you’re both cut off by a familiar figure coming down the hallway. 

It’s not a neighbor, not another set of judgmental eyes. 

“Hey there, love birds. Glad to see you didn’t kill each other.”

taglist: @catherinnn @haylaansmi @gaysludge @paprikaquinn @manda-panda-monium @audhd-dragonaut @blushingquincy @hellkaisersangel @eddieslittlewh0re @ajkamins @prettyboy200 @munsonzzgf @blue-eyed-lion @digwhatudug @madaboutjoe @wickedslashdivine @sweet-villain @somespicystuff @big-ope-vibes @jadequeen88 @sylviin @emma77645 @notbeforelong @lolalanaie @lo-siento-ama @happy-and-alone @micheledawn1975 @aysheashea @moon-huny @munsonswrld @bambipowerblueaddition @averagestudent03 @bakugouswh0r3 @mattefic @mxcheese @bietchz @nativity-in-black @stezzil @vngelis @coley0823 @folklorebau @luvmunson86 @theherothesavior @keene200213 @hargrovesswifee @m-chmcl-rmnc @cherrymedicine13 @iunaelumen777

taglist is now closed.

[usoinked]

🖤I Walk The Line🖤 (Possessive Jey Uso X Obsessive Reader)

Summary: You are obsessed with Jey Uso. There wasn’t suppose to be anything more to you two than friends with benefits since neither of you were looking for a relationship. However, you just can’t help yourself and once he comes to the realization of loving you, it seems he can’t help himself either 👀

CW: Explicit Language, Unprotected P in V, Crying (from pleasure duh😏), Daddy Kink, Sexual Undertones, Smut, 18+ MDNI

Enjoy🌚🩶

You and Jey Uso were suppose to be nothing more than a situationship. Unfortunately for the both of you, things did NOT go as planned. You had always had an eye out for him even though you both were already friends and he warned you of not looking for anything serious, that warning went in one ear and out the other. You craved that man. Even though you knew, your feelings for him were inevitable and you’d do the one thing you promised yourself not to, you still found yourself face down in the sheets every time he had a free weekend or even a free day. If Jey wasn’t at your apartment fucking you senseless into those pink sheets that adorned your bed, you’d always get off yourself to one of the MANY photos you both took together. God those eyes…those eyes he made you stare into every single time he made your body convulse and your legs shake. It was all worth it because it was only for him. Obsessive was the right word but it went beyond that, you didn’t even give any other man the time of day let alone, let one explore your body. No one and you meant, no one, could do the things that Jey Uso did to you. You promised not to blow up his phone but sometimes, you’d push your limits. It started with simple “Good Mornings” everyday then short conversations, which gave you the biggest pain in your chest. He was so dry and that shit drove you mad but you’d soothe yourself with a photo of him or even one of the many audios you had in your phone of the sessions you two indulged in. You technically shouldn’t even be hurt or mad over this because you knew what it was from the beginning, but you also knew he was busy doing shows and possibly hanging out with his friends after that, which was the perfect time to send a suggestive photo. Instead of moping about it like you use to, you decided that if you really wanted his attention, you could always throw on a tight dress or full on lingerie and he’d immediately respond. That was the game you played and you were damn good at it.

Last time you wore an extremely tight dress but this time…you’d go even further. Trying something different, you got up and stalked toward your walk in closet with an evil smile on your face before scanning through the selection of lingerie sets. “Hmmm” you hummed before seeing a perfect black lingerie set with small red roses adorned all over the fabric before you slipped off your robe and slowly starting to replace your naked body with even less fabric ironically. And today is Friday so you knew he had a show tonight and making him wait was the perfect way to get him riled up so when he got here, he could take out any pent up frustration out on your body. And you would love every second of it.

Unbeknownst to you though, with every session you both had, he couldn’t help but think about what it would be like to mark you as his. Nobody but his. Though it would go against everything you two talked about, it still didn’t stop the thoughts that crossed his mind. Your moans, your convulsions, your body, and being at his mercy drove him to damn near insanity. The thought of someone else having you like this pissed him all the way off. He didn’t even know why he was so upset, it’s not like you did anything with anyone else but even if you did, he wouldn’t have any right to be upset either. He was the one who said, it was nothing serious.

Flashback

“Aye listen, you know I ain’t no liar and I ain’t even finna lead you on like that. What we did…what we doin’, it ain’t nothing serious ight? Between work and this, I don’t have no time for no relationship. If you start catching feelings, imma have to end it. You got me?”

“Josh, how long have we been friends now? I’m cool with being friends with benefits. I’m not looking for a relationship now either.” Now you know damn well….but if it meant keeping Josh and being able to feel his touch, his tongue on your body, and his dick inside of you. None of that mattered….well at least you couldn’t make it known. You had been craving that man for years and to just have him give you that attention in that way, even if it was nothing serious, was way more than enough for you.

Present Day

Damn. Why the fuck did I say that shit bruh? Jey thought to himself before the buzzing of his phone completely dissipated his thoughts. Upon opening the notification, his jaw immediately clenched. The middle of his pants tightened immediately and he scowled knowing he had a match in just a few minutes. But damn. He had to admit you looked so fucking beautiful. Just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse….or better for him later, three more photos made their way on his screen. One was just you bent over the bed in front of the mirror with your ass in the air, another with you sitting on the bed making sure your clevage was in full view and your legs were spread wide open, and the last…semi innocent one was a selfie of you playfully biting your index fingernail while sitting on top of the bathroom sink. However…that fourth one, he could tell you set up the camera for that one because you were not only having your legs gapping open with your thongs completely off, exposed but your boobs were also on full display. As his eyes scanned from the bottom to top, his hand rested just a few inches above his bulge seeing the top part of the lingerie also gone as you held up a long red dildo that was around the size of Jey’s dick. He shuffled in his seat before immediately opening your contact and getting angrier by the second the more it rung.

A smile graced your lips as you seen Jey’s face grace your screen, his picture showing the perfect set of grills that graced his bottom teeth. God you loved every detail of that man, that’s why you spent more time admiring that photo than answering the phone in a timely manner. Just before the phone stopped ringing you answered before chuckling the moment the man’s voice boomed through the other end of the phone.

“The hell is you doin’? I’m over here trying to prep for a fuckin’ match and yo ass over here naked and shit sending photos to me bruh!”

“Oh relax, I’m just prepping for you when you get home daddy. You like how I look though?”

“Aye, Y/N, I’m telling you right now. Yo ass even think about gettin’ off without me there, you ain’t walkin’ tomorrow. You hear me?”

God you loved it when he threatened you like that. The way a simple threat from him made your pussy throb was nothing short of ridiculous but it only showed how much you needed that man. “You’re not here to stop me and who knows when you’ll get here. I don’t know if I wanna wait that long or if I can.”

“Yo stop playin’ with me Y/N.”

“Or what?”

“Ight. Bet” He said before hanging up the phone which made you bite your lip smirking knowing it was gonna be one of those nights.

The room was filled with not only the scent of sex but it was also a mix of musk, your perfume, and Jey’s growls. “What did I tell you huh?” Jey whispered in your ear as his strong hands were wrapped around your neck like a necklace that was never meant to be taken off. You were currently on your back with your legs around his waist completely mindless focused on nothing but Jey’s length pushing in and out of you.

“Answer me, Y/N or I swear I’ll stop” he said his movements getting slower showing he was deadass serious.

Wanting him to continue, you forced words out through your moans. “N-Not to…pl-ay with y-you” you cried out as your back arched at him suddenly returning to a pace quicker than before while staring at you. As you tried to buck your hips, he quickly pushed them back down with his other hand that was currently occupied holding your waist. “Oh nah, none of that babygirl. You ain’t in control no more remember?” He said before slowly taking his hand from around your neck and gliding it over your clit knowing how sensitive you were.

With every touch, glide, and thrust your body felt like it was in complete heaven. The way your legs trembled around Jey’s waist proved just how much your body needed this. Need him. It was like he was the perfect puzzle piece that fit right next to yours. He was your soulmate. The man you fantasized about all these years, wanted, craved, neeeded so desperately. You were obsessed with this man and you knew it, even if he didn’t know or get the hint by now, he’d know very soon one way or another. You didn’t know how long you could keep this to yourself. Without a second thought, your arms found themselves wrapped around his neck pulling him closer staring deep into his eyes completely unable to look away. I love you Joshua. That phrase echoed in your mind as if you said it out loud in a completely empty room.

Staring at him and moaning still only pushed him closer and closer to release but he wasn’t letting you get yours just yet. Just as your legs began shaking uncontrollably and you felt that knot in your stomach about to break, Jey’s hand completely disappeared from your clit leaving you in shock as a large smirk appeared across his face. “You thought I was finna let you cream on me and you was playing in my face earlier? Nah beg for it ma.”He said before seeing you whine.

“J-Josh p-please…” you mumbled not being able to finish due to how great he felt. “Speak up ma, I can’t hear nothin’ you sayin.” He said sternly, his voice being dangerously low. “P-please let me cum!” You whined as tears slipped from your eyes due how bad you wanted to release all over this man and show just how much you were holding in while he was away. God he loved it when you cried, just to see you in such a state made the feeling he had to claim you even worse but before you know it his finger was back on your clit and his thrusts became more and more sloppy. All it took was a whisper from him, “Let it out baby, I gotchu”.

SNAP. The way the knot that had been denied so long, came undone suddenly send waves throughout your entire body as you trembled around Jey. “Fuck babygirl” he grunted as with one final thrust he let out his entire seed into you without even thinking twice.

Through heavy gasps and your bodies slowly coming down its high, you stared up at his face before letting your thoughts translate to words not even thinking. “I love you Joshua.” That stopped the man dead in his tracks as he pulled away slightly but still kept his gaze fixated on you. Damn bruh. I know I said I wasn’t ready for a relationship but with her…..fuck it. The thought of you moaning for another man, desiring another man, even looking at another man, he couldn’t take it. And he wouldn’t, because without even responding, you suddenly found yourself in a very familiar position. It was secretly your favorite, doggy style. It was as if you were prey being hunted by a predator from behind, you were the prey and Jey was the predator. Your predator. The way his rough hands glided across your body and with every touch, your folds coiled around him giving him all the encouragement he needed.

“You love me?” He said before pulling out to where only the tip was inside of you before quickly slamming back inside making you let out a loud moan. “I told you I was gon’ end this shit if you got too attached, but nah. Forget all that, this right here, this mine. You’re mine now.”

Jey gripped your hair and twisted it once around using his hands, using them as a hair tie as his free hand rested on your hips pulling you back to him with each thrust. “Say that shit again.” He commanded and you agreed each time. You would say it however many times he needed because it was the truth. You loved him. You were obsessed with him. Obsessed with the artwork on his body, obsessed with the grills that adorned his bottom teeth, obsessed with the way he talked to you, looked at you, and treated you. You wanted everything that came with Jey Uso and Jey Uso himself. “I l-love y-you!” You cried out as your hands gripped the sheets around you and threw your head back in pure ecstasy.

Nah. Fuck that. No other man was having this. No other man was having you. You were his and he was yours. “That’s it ma, get use to sayin’ it. Cuz from now on, you’re mine. Understand me, huh?” He spoke as he kept pounding you along with each word. This was exactly what you wanted, to be claimed by the one man your heart and body yearned for. The same way you were obsessed with him, he was possessive over you. And that’s the EXACT way you wanted it.

“Yes s-sir!” You cried out as his other hand came down on your ass, hard. “This ass belongs to me. This pussy belongs to me. You belong to me.” He growled out slamming into you even harder before that same hand glided over to your clit leaving you breathless as your entire body began to shake again. A satisfied grin found its way on Jey’s face knowing your clit was your weakness due to how overly sensitive it was. His breath felt like fire against your ear but it made your pussy so much wetter than it already was and he knew it. “Look at how wet you are, you wanna cream on it don’t you huh?” The way your body shook on its own with each flick of his finger was sending you over the edge. You gripped the sheets so much, you were sure your fingernail indents would be printed on your hands but you didn’t care. All of it would be a reminder of tonight and it would be printed in your mind like wallpaper. “Let it out ma, all for me” he said before you felt something wet glide across your neck and that was it.

Your legs suddenly felt completely useless as you felt the knot in your stomach completely snap. Your moans could no longer be heard for just a moment from the shock of it all before a loud drawn out gasp came from your lips. His tongue was the key to getting you to lose control every. single. time. You couldn’t even register anything until you felt something warm pool inside of you and all you could do was let out of another moan of satisfaction before smiling being extremely greatful he didn’t bother pulling out. At first, he use to pull out and leave you empty and wanting more but recently he started not to bother. He stopped using condoms a few weeks ago and you were more than happy that you would even have the luxury of carrying his child one of these days.

A long passionate kiss graced your lips from Jey as he still held a grip on your hair, though it was possessive, you also could tell it was mixed with love and care. As he pulled away, he stared at you a moment before a sly smile crossed his lips. “Damn, Y/N. You obsessed, huh?”

You could only turn to him and smile lazily before nodding. “And you’re possessive.”

He chuckled low, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from your face, his touch surprisingly gentle. “You have no idea, babygirl.” His voice dropped, thick with something unspoken as his thumb grazed your lower lip, possessively. “I know I said I was gon end this if you caught feelings but you can forget all that. You not goin’ nowhere now and neither am I.”

You met his eyes, a mix of admiration and something darker flashing in yours. “You love me don’t you?” you whispered, the words dripping with anticipation as your heart skipped a beat.

He leaned in closer, his breath warm against your ear. “Yeah, I do.” He said before planting a soft tender kiss on your earlobe and letting go of your hair gently. His slowly pulled out with a soft pop before he turned you to him and snaked his arm around you. His grip was firm, possessive, but still full of care as you came to the realization that this was no longer a situation. It was something real, something unbreakable. Something you both wanted and needed.

Note: I kinda wrote this casually and ngl y’all will see this style a lot more if I come up with ideas on a whim🌚 also I didn’t proofread this PFFT so if there’s any spelling errors I’m sorryyy

Note #2: Thank you for reading! Reblogs are appreciated if you enjoyed!! 🖤

Divider Credit: @dollywons & @inklore

[bannedbxxks]

marylily microfic!! (756 words)

I’m Not Wearing My Usual Lipstick (I thought maybe we would kiss tonight)

The castle was blanketed with a snow that made everything quiet. Everything except the beating of Mary’s heart. She sat in the common room with a book that she had been pretending to read for hours now, stuck on the same page and rereading the same line over and over again without holding on to a single word.

Some of the others were hanging decorations for the Christmas party they were having tonight, the last night before they all split up for the winter holidays.

“Alright Mary?” James asked as he levitated gold tinsel above her head haphazardly, sprinkling gold glitter in her hair and between the pages of the book. James looked down and saw the mess he was making, “Shit, sorry Mary.”

”S’alright. Wasn’t doing much reading anyway.” Mary shut the book and forced a smile. She stood up from the armchair and moved towards the girls dormitories before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

James turned her around, “Are you sure you’re okay? Looked a little spaced out there.”

Mary put on her Mary charm, “Oh, don’t be such a worrywart, Potter. Just a boring book is all. Truth be told, I can't wait to get smashed tonight.”

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, “Well, if you ever need to talk… Alcohol isn’t all your friends are good for, y’know.”

“Oh James, you sap,” she shoved his shoulder and both of them laughed, “I’m going to get ready, now if you don’t mind.”

She didn’t wait for his answer, didn’t look up to confirm he was smiling his dopey one dimpled smile, just slid past and up the stairs to the room she shared with the girl that made her heart want to crawl out of her mouth.

Speak of the devil…

Flaming curls mostly tamed by a chunky braid falling to the middle of her back, Lily was at the mirror applying mascara that brought out the flecks of gold in her green eyes. It was the mascara that Mary gave her years ago, showing her how to put it on without getting clumps in the outer corners.

Marlene didn’t go near the stuff, preferring simple glamor spells or nothing at all, she didn’t understand the appeal of carefully layered creams and powders. Mary couldn’t explain how it felt, the mask of it all, the art.

Even if she could explain it, who would she tell?

So she quietly set her makeup bag next to Lily’s on the bathroom counter. It was indulgent of her, reckless. The bathroom was much too small for this, elbows crashing together, hips pressing against each other. Mary applied extra blush to cover the warmth that bloomed across her cheeks.

“Mary?” Based on her tone, this wasn’t the first time Lily had called her name.

”Yeah?”

”I said how’s the decorating coming along? They haven’t blown anything up yet have they?”

Mary smiled, “Nothing like that… yet”

”Those boys will be the death of me, I swear.” Lily took out a shimmery lip gloss, like she was trying to gut Mary where she stood.

Mary dragged her eyes away from the other girl’s reflection. “Oh, I’m sure I’ll have to pry you off of James at the end of the night.” She tried to hide the bitterness in her voice.

Lily’s hand stuttered, swiping lip gloss over her cheek.

Mary couldn’t stop her hands from reaching out to rub the smear with her thumb, other hand tucking a stray curl behind Lily’s ear. Lily’s face burned beneath her hands.

The lip gloss was gone from the spots it shouldn’t be, but Marys hand was still cradling Lily’s chin, thumb still rubbing circles just outside her mouth.

Lily exhaled, “Mary…”

Mary’s eyes traced her face, from jaw to freckles to eyes. Oh, those eyes. “Lily…”

Lily’s hands reached out, grasping for something to hold on to, anything, like a drowning man. Her fingers sunk into Mary’s waist, pulling them closer together, “Mary…”

Mary slid her fingers further up Lily’s cheek, “Lily…”

Lily leaned in, noses brushing, “Mary…”

Mary closed her eyes, allowed herself to free fall, “Lily…”

They were practically whispering into each other’s mouths now, lip gloss the only thing between them.

Lily jumped back like Mary’s skin burned. Her breaths heaved as she mumbled apologies and fled the bathroom, leaving her makeup sprawled on the counter.

And an utterly lost Mary to clean up the mess.

((hehe ty for reading!! lmk if i should extend this))

[starlightshadowsworld]

Saw a tik tok (@ ducthdeccc) about how someone said they loved his content and it made them smile even though they had different political beliefs to him.

He’s a queer american, a child of immigrants and was raised by a single mother and this was said after the US election….so you can guess the other persons beliefs.

And what he said in response was I hope that whenever you consume media created by the people you voted against I hope all the joy is sucked out of you.

I share that sentiment.

I’m not American but if you voted for the lobotomised tangerine (or because I’m English, if you voted Conservative or Reform) than you definitely shouldn’t be following me or liking my content.

I have flags in my bio now because years ago I had a Danganronpa AU…several I had several Danganronpa AU’s. And I befriended someone from conversations we had in the comments of those AU’s.

I reblogged a post about diversity in media. And I added how amazing it is to see yourself, people like you in media.

This person I considered a friend wasn’t happy about that. He said something along the lines of how people of colour need to stop changing existing characters to fit an agenda.

And if we wanted characters like that we should just make our own and stick to them and not other ones.

Suffice to say I verbally tore this fucker to shreds. Because how dare you say that and how dare you say that to me. Apparently he didn’t realise his favourite AU’s about a Japanese game were being made by a South Asian woman.

The speed of which the backtrack happened was something else, while also trying to justify it wasn’t serious.

He got blocked and side note I typing all this shit on shitty airport Wi-Fi minutes before I got on a plane to go home. So the end of my holiday was ruined.

So if anyone shares that opinion or any other values with him and the spray tan in a suit.

Why are you here?

You fucking despise me and think I don’t deserve rights. You despise my friends and my family and think they don’t deserve rights.

I can’t stop you from liking my posts or following my account (unless you’re particularly vocal…) but you will never be welcome here. I hope every post I make sucks the joy out of you.

And to everyone who doesn’t lack basic human decency and is terrified and feels alone in all of this. I know it’s not much but I’m glad you’re here.

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

My dearest Cal, I come bearing emojis and writing vibes again and going back to my roots of slightly obsessing behind my screen on the buddieshannon fic:

🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼

(in all seriousness i am including this little meme because i need you to know this is fully how im in my head representing the emojis to you every single time. i am merely a humble knight offering my sword to you here and eagerly awaiting the fic snippets in return)

AHHH thank you! This is adorable and fuels me, thank you!

I'm going to go ahead and say 1k bc I am not counting that ahaha.

---

It’s a low blow. Especially when he’s changed so much. Been the sole provider for Chris when she was gone. 

Eddie should probably tell her off right now, but instead he just giver her an icy glare. Which is worse. Somehow, it’s worse. 

“Let’s just go,” he says. Frigid. 

She might not have been the source of his bad mood now. But she’s confident she just bumped herself high up on the list. 

◀️

In the car, she tries to apologize. Even though, really, the feeling part of her brain is much more set in her irritation than the thinking part.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” she admits. “It wasn’t fair.”

“No,” Eddie agrees. “It wasn’t.”

Um, well… He’s not supposed to just agree. He’s supposed to also apologize for being cold and moody. 

“It’s just…” Shannon says, hit with a wave of emotion. “Your literal only job at these things is to be excited and positive and tell me it’s going to be okay and that she’ll fit through my birth canal!” 

Eddie makes a pained little noise in his throat. 

“I’m sorry,” he says through gritted teeth. “I am excited. I’m sure the birth will go just fine. I’m just not in a great headspace today, Shannon.”

She should probably let it rest at that. 

Does she? No. 

“It freaks me out when you get like this!” She complains.

“Get like what?” Eddie demands. “I can’t have one bad day without freaking you out? I haven’t done anything, Shannon.”

Does he even know how he’s acting? Like, can he see it? Or is she being entirely overly sensitive? This is completely how he used to be when he’d come home from overseas and he’d shut her out and they’d fight… And… And she just can’t fucking live like that again. But maybe he doesn’t even realize? Maybe she’s overreacting? She needs to test it. 

“Why are you having a bad day?” She asks. 

“What?” Eddie replies. 

“You said you’re just having one bad day! Why are you having a bad day?” 

Eddie groans. If he wasn’t driving, he’d probably make some annoyed little gesture. Pinching his nose or running a hand through his hair. Pointing at something. He likes to point. Like a keyed up hunting dog.

“There was arbitration today,” Eddie admits. 

“Arbitration…” Shannon repeats. “For Buck?”

Eddie nods mutely.

“Oh,” Shannon whispers. So it’s not about her. Or the baby. Or anything but… Well, no. It’s still about family. Still about someone Eddie loves. Loves more than he will say.

Shannon hadn’t known about arbitration. Maddie’s being weird. Buck is avoiding her. Eddie is the personification of a storm cloud. Why would she have known?

“How’d it go?” She asks. 

“Does it seem like it went well?” Eddie fires back.

Shannon glares at him. Bastard. 

“Sorry,” he mumbles. “It fucking sucked, okay?”

“What happened?” She asks. 

He huffs. “He’s… I… I mean, they made me answer questions. Buck… He… He took it too far, Shannon. He crossed a line. Brought up personal shit of Bobby’s… He… I’m furious with him.”

“Okay,” Shannon says. 

They pull into her apartment parking lot. Eddie parks the truck and kills the ignition. Neither of them moves. 

“To me,” Shannon says cautiously. “It sounded like he had sort of a point? I mean, I don’t know any medical stuff, but… I heard about the rebar?”

Eddie scoffs. “It’s not the same thing, Shan. He could bleed out. He could get knocked into something and bleed internally. He could die, easily.”

Shannon’s stomach twists. “Okay. Okay, you’re saying, in your experience, having seen terrible things happen to human bodies, he shouldn’t be working?”

Another heavy sigh. “I don’t know, Shannon. He’s fine, but let’s say… Let’s say the same thing as before happened. He gets pinned by a fire engine. On these meds? He’s dead.”

Shannon nods. “Right.”

“And either way, he’s… He’s being an idiot! They won’t let him back to the station where he sued the captain.” 

That’s… That’s probably true. Even Shannon can see that. But Buck can’t. He thinks he’s getting his job back. 

“Okay,” Shannon says. “Alright. Ignore for a second that he’s probably wrong about all of this-”

“How?” Eddie demands. 

“Just walk with me,” she insists. 

Eddie clenches his jaw. 

“Why are you mad at him, Eddie?” Shannon asks. 

“Are you kidding?” Eddie asks.

“No,” Shannon says. “I’m not kidding.”

“Were you not listening to everything I just said?”

“I was,” Shannon nods. “And, okay. He’s being stupid and he’s wrong. Got it. Why are you mad at him?”

Eddie’s eyes get a little wet.

“Shannon…”

“Let’s talk it through, right?” Shannon says. “He’s suing your captain and your employer, not you. He’s your friend, even if you don’t work together. Why is this so personally upsetting, Eddie?” 

He’s silent for a while. Longer than Shannon would expect. Like he’s really processing her question. Has he not bothered to ask himself this question? Or was everything that has happened with Buck’s lawsuit just been another thing he tried to swallow without chewing? 

“I don’t understand why he’s doing this to us,” Eddie whispers finally. 

“Who? The 118?” Shannon asks. 

Eddie shakes his head. “Me and him.”

Oh.

“What do you mean?” She asks. 

She thinks she knows, but she also thinks he should just… Say it. Try saying it. It helped her once. She’d never said out loud why she wouldn’t come home to him and Chris. And when she did, she could face it. 

“Buck…” He starts, then he trails off. He wipes his eyes. “This is so dumb.”

“It’s not dumb, Eddie,” she argues. “You obviously need to talk about it.”

He inhales deeply. Long-suffering. 

“It’s like he’s choosing this idea of the job - one that he could have had if he just waited and now won’t get - over us,” Eddie says. “Over… Our friendship.” 

“Honestly? I don’t think he’s thinking about you,” Shannon says. “Not to be a dick… Just… I’m not sure he factored your reaction into his choice.”

[redflagshipwriter]

Reassembly 4

ch1 ch2 ch3

Kon and Peter: clown to clown communication commences.

New York had some massive craft stores. Peter had to direct Kon to one, which was fair but nerve wracking since he didn't actually know for sure it existed here. 

Luckily it did. 

Kon’s stepdad must have been loaded, or maybe Kon didn’t understand finances the same way that Peter did. He loaded up a cart with everything that Peter pointed out. He got two pairs of sewing scissors, which was a wild decision Peter could barely wrap his mind around. Was Kon planning to cut with both hands at one time, or for buddy crafting sessions? Those things were like fifty dollars a pop!

Some consultation with the staff helped them get metal decorative bits and three different sturdy mesh fabrics, one of which had glitter on it. They were all black. Peter eyed Kon for that, kinda impressed by the commitment to an aesthetic. Kon was like a little kid in the store, rolling down aisles on the back of the cart and tossing everything in without even checking prices. Peter found himself caught up in the euphoria and talking waaaay too much shit about projects he wanted to do, despite knowing he definitely couldn’t afford it. He really shouldn’t have. But Kon actually seemed interested when Peter talked about his design for a spidersuit- in a subtle way! And Kon just wheeled back to the big section and started trying to talk him around on the merits of red and blue tinted leather instead of athletic fabric.

It was funny, so he went along with it. And then Kon tipped the entire rolls into the cart and went in search of thread to match.

Peter stared at the back of his head for a long moment processing. Was he for real?

“Hey, I didn’t mean today,” Peter said, scrubbing a hand through his hair and trying to sound casual. “I don’t have any cash with me. I mean, I’ve got some, but not like that much-”

“Don’t worry about it.” Kon interrupted. His voice was a little weird. Almost short. Like he really didn’t want to talk about money. “I have that covered. Luther pays for whatever I want as long as I keep in contact.”

“...Okay, thank you,” Peter said, because that seemed like a great minefield to stay out of. He mentally reclassified Luther to an estranged and possibly financially abusive Dad, not a Stepdad. “Hey, if we’re sewing leather, I don’t think we can do that by hand. You want to look at the machines?”

Two industrial sewing machines and a serger later, Peter desperately and unsucessfully tried to talk Kon down from buying his very own bedazzler. He slouched behind Kon in the checkout line, wondering if this was just the kind of mistake a man had to make for himself. No way was he actually going to get enough use to make it worthwhile, right? Right?

The total made Peter feel kind of green. Kon paid for it all with a swipe and not so much as a blink. Then he bundled up all the bags and hefted them with no apparent effort. 

“Hey, let me help,” Peter protested, strategically snagging a couple. They had two sewing machines for jiminy cricket’s sake, that had to be heavy for a normal guy. 

A moment too late, he realized that Kon was a big strong guy who lifted a lot of weights. He’d probably deliberately taken the heavy bags because he had good reason to think he was stronger than Peter. Aw, fiddlesticks. Should he pretend this was heavy? Had he just given too much away? Kon seemed like a nice guy but Peter really didn’t know-

Kon just let the bags go with a bemused smile and a, “Thanks, dude.” He appeared to have not a single thought about the situation as he started walking to the door. 

Good. He didn’t know that these were like, heavy. It must be nice to be a big strong guy.

Ah, well. Peter trotted after him.

His day had gone off the rails. The library was open now for sure. He had planned to be there by now, refreshing his website design skills. Maybe he’d gotten an email back about a possible job. He really should check-

But it was only one day at the absolute most, Peter justified to himself. And it was really really nice to feel normal again and do something impulsive but harmless with another teenager.

They wound up in an unsettlingly clean, empty apartment. Kon carelessly threw their loot on a pure white rug and walked in without kicking his shoes off. He pulled off his leather jacket and threw it at the couch without looking in a show of coordination that Peter could respect.

Peter shucked his tennis shoes carefully and lined them up against the wall before he ventured in. Kon was already opening up the fridge and pulling out cans. He threw one to Peter. 

Peter caught it without a thought and then blinked at it. Carbonated juice? Weird, but probably good. He said, “Thanks, man,” as he cracked it open. He took a sip and made a face. It was good, but very weird. He looked at it again and noticed that it was also somehow a yogurt drink. Fruit carbonated yogurt was a concept that he had not encountered before. 

‘Don’t be a dork. It’s probably a rich person thing.’

Kon perked up like a dog hearing a car approach. “I have to-” He gave Peter a distracted smile. “I’ll be right back. I have to do something. Could you uh, entertain yourself? Maybe set up our stuff?” He was already edging to the door.

Peter shrugged, confused at the sudden turnaround but amiable. “Okay, I’ll wait,” he agreed easily. 

Kon was gone so fast that Peter almost thought there was something supernatural about it. He shut the door, bemused.

And he did what he said. He cut off tags and threw away packaging. He plugged in the machines and set them up, one on the desk and one on the table. He mused that the apartment was furnished like a fancy hotel room. He sat down on the sofa to wait. 

It took a while. He couldn’t track the time without turning on the evil janitor phone, but Peter was pretty sure that at least like, ten minutes passed. He shifted uncomfortably. Was this weird? 

Kon was awfully casual about leaving someone he’d just met in his space. Peter didn’t mind, exactly. He knew that Kon wasn’t dangerous to him because his spider sense hadn’t gone off at all. But Kon didn’t know that! Didn’t he, like, know about stranger danger? Objectively, Peter could be a pretty dangerous person. Not by temperament, but still…

He sat there for a while and worried about Kon’s self preservation skills. After that, he ended up just getting started on his spidersuit.

Frankly, the leather idea was… Well. He had to rethink some of his concepts, that was for sure. It was easy to make a spandex suit. The hardest part of that was dealing with the endless teasing from Mr. Stark. But leather didn’t have the same stretchiness to it. So he sketched out a few ideas, tossing out numbers and proportions and trying to figure out how much he needed around each joint to accommodate his spidery range of motion. 

And then he remembered that he uh, was doing this with another person present. 

The jumpsuit thing? It made sense when he was wearing Stark tech. There was a big benefit to having no seams. But there was a reason that his first ever suit had actually been in two pieces: that was how normal people dressed. 

‘I can’t exactly tell Kon that I’m a misplaced superhero.’ Peter choked down a laugh and borrowed the leather jacket off of the couch. It would work as a pattern.

He traced the main pieces onto the scrap material they’d gotten. It was a real pain in the ass to do without cutting the clothes apart, but he had a pretty good understanding of how a 3 dimensional object was made from a bent 2 dimensional object and figured out something that he was mostly confident was accurate enough.

Peter put his hands on his hips and looked at his tracing victoriously. Then he frowned. He looked at the jacket again.

Aww, man. He sadly started drawing another line, a couple inches inside the first one.

Kon was big, okay? Kon was a big strong jacked guy! Peter was pretty jacked for his size, too, shoulders way bigger than his waist. But he was uh, just built smaller. The shape would work for Peter, but the size was going to be way off if he just replicated the pattern. He bit his lip as he worked.

“What are you doing?”

Peter jumped four feet straight up in the air and flipped onto the couch. He landed in a spidery crouch on the balls of his feet with both hands splayed down for balance. 

He stared at Kon with wide eyes. Oh, shit. Oh, shit, oh fuck.

Kon laughed. “Sorry, did I startle you?” He draped himself over the couch backwards, head pointing towards the floor and knees over the backrest. The smell of smoke wafted over.

…smoke? What had he been doing?

“Yeah, sorry,” Peter said slowly. 

‘Did he- he didn’t notice that wasn’t normal? Or maybe that’s something normal humans can do here. I mean, Kon can fly!’

Holy shit, he was in the clear.

“I was going to cut myself a jacket pattern,” Peter explained. He got back off his crouch on the sofa cushion. He tried to be as normal as possible about it. Wow, he was killing this. “I used yours to make a pattern, hope that’s okay. I didn’t mark it up or anything.”

“It’s cool,” Kon assured. He tilted his jaw upwards so that he was watching Peter upside down. “Sorry about how long I was gone. I got caught up helping my neighbor’s cat.”

“...With a fire?” Peter asked before he’d thought about it.

Kon frowned at him. 

“I mean, you smell a little smoky,” Peter demurred. 

The other guy laughed nervously. “Yeah, my neighbor is a bad cook.”

Peter nodded and accepted that. He knew all about bad cooks. “Do you cook?” he wondered. “I’m not great, honestly, but I can do a few things.”

Kon perked up again- and wow, this guy was like the world’s largest, most handsome golden retriever sometimes. “Cooking? I ordered everything in- can you show me?” His eyes sparkled like he had never before considered that he could cook for himself. 

Wow. Peter smiled, but he silently judged Kon’s parents. Why didn’t he have any practical life skills? “Yeah, of course. What do you have for groceries? Your parents won’t mind if we cook?” He started cutting out his pattern pieces in the test fabric. He had 5 main ones- two sleeves, a back panel, and two front pieces. Shit, he’d need to get a zipper, wouldn’t he?

Kon snorted and let his head fall back and hit the bottom of the sofa. “I live alone,” he said. “No one is going to even notice.”

“...How old are you?” Peter asked.

“Two,” Kon lied blithely. 

Peter made an aahhhh of comprehension. Fair enough. “I would have guessed like, 17,” he said.

“Is that how old you are?” 

“...Yes,” Peter lied, remembering that’s what his ID said now. He finished cutting out the back panel and put it aside.

Kon flipped himself up and back onto his feet. “Cool. I’m like, 16,” he said. “Basically.”

…That was a weird thing to say, but Peter noted it. Maybe he meant he was 15 going on 16. That would actually make them the same age.

“Are you from here?” Peter decided to move the conversation into more neutral territory. “I am, I’m from Queens.”

“Baller,” Kon said. “Nah, I’m from Hawaii. I recently moved to the mainland. I still have a place back there, but I have some things to do over here and they’re always kinda last minute, you know?” He scrunched up his face. “Flying over everytime someone has an errand gets kinda tedious.”

“That’s true,” Peter agreed. 

Kon seemed to brighten. “Plus, my friends are here.”

“That makes a big difference.” Peter smiled at him, genuinely happy for the dude. Maybe he had a shit time at his high school in Hawaii. Maybe he got bullied for being too big and handsome and friendly. “Hey, did you think about how you want to add the mesh to your jacket? It is this jacket you wanna alter, right?”

“I want to replace the back panel,” Kon said instantly. “Like, the seams and structure are the leather, and then the back is see through. Wouldn’t that look so fucking cool?”

“It would look cool,” Peter had to admit. It was the kind of look he wouldn’t go for, personally, but he might if he had traps like Kon. Still, he had to check. “You don’t use this for protection, right?”

Kon stared at him blankly.

“Like, for riding a motorcycle or something?” Peter prodded. Wow, he felt awkward. This was dumb. Kon wasn’t actually a 2 year old with no life experience. He should have kept his mouth shut.

“No, but why would that matter?” Kon asked slowly.

Peter felt his shoulders ride up, like he could turtle away from the conversation “Uhhh, well the mesh isn’t going to be as strong as the leather. Obviously. So if you fell, you might get more scratched up. That’s all.” 

God, why did he talk? Why did he ever talk?

“Ohh,” Kon said. Then he huffed out a laugh. “Nah, that’s not an issue for me. I’m tougher than that. Also, I don’t ride a bike.”

“You don’t do anything dangerous, then,” Peter confirmed with some relief. “Cool. So, I was thinking that we should leave a bit of the leather to attach the mesh to. Gimme? Thanks.” He took the jacket. He barely noticed that Kon was giving him a really weird look. “So, if it was my project, I would cut out a rectangle…. Well, it curves by the neck, but still. I would cut out the leather, leaving like an inch beside each seam. What do you think?”

“Sounds good.” Kon took the jacket back and picked up one of the sets of scissors. He played with the scissors for a moment, opening and closing them at high speed. “Vroom vroom, let’s go.” He flung himself onto the floor, back pressed to the sofa, and started cutting.

…Peter took a moment to hope that he hadn’t given advice that would ruin Kon’s jacket. He went back to his project until Kon said, “I’m done. What’s next?”

“Which mesh do you want?” Peter asked. Then he sucked in a break. “Ah, fuck.” 

“What?” Kon was standing so fast that Peter didn’t actually see him move. He looked tense and ready for action.

Peter didn’t notice. He was pressing his thumb and forefinger on either side of his nose and wondering why he was such a dummy all the time. “We need to wash the fabric first,” he said apologetically. “Obviously not the leather. But the mesh needs to be washed. Where’s your washer?”

He gathered up the fabric and followed Kon’s instructions. Kon trailed behind, obviously curious. “Why do we need to wash it?” he asked.

“Uh, it’s never been washed before, right?” Peter explained. He shoved the fabric inside and started looking for detergent. “Usually fabric shrinks when you wash it for the first time. So if you cut it first, sew it in place, and then eventually wash it, it’ll shrink and like, warp, and ruin your stuff.” He grimaced at the memory. Kon had bought the supplies like the cost was nothing, but Peter remembered vividly the crushing disappointment and pain of accidentally ruining something he’d made. Fabric wasn’t expensive, but it was expensive when you didn’t have money.

‘I just lucked into this,’ Peter thought, and felt guilty. ‘I’m going to be able to have a spidersuit just because I happened to meet Kon and he was nice enough to spend money on me. Am I taking advantage of him?’

He put the detergent into the load and started the washer. Man… He needed to make sure he was a really good friend to Kon. Because that’s what this actually was, wasn’t it? Kon had immediately started hanging out with him and bought him things because he was lonely. He was trying to get a friend. It was kinda like Mr. Stark, except less pathetic, because Kon wasn’t a super rich superhero with awesome super friends who could just tell them he needed help. Kon was a teenager who lived on his own and had an estranged Dad and maybe like, no one else in his life. Did he even go to school? Was whatever was going on with him even legal?

“...Do you want to get started on lunch?” Peter suggested. He was hungry, but that wasn’t why he asked. They had time to kill and he wasn’t going to make Kon watch him work on the spidersuit. 

“Yeah! What do you want to make?” Kon followed him back to the kitchen and watched with a sort of pleasant curiosity as Peter checked the fridge and cupboards. Literally the only things sitting out on his countertop were a bottle of dish soap and a sponge. That was it.

The fridge had canned drinks and take out leftovers in it. The cupboards had two cups, one of which was storage for a fork, spoon, knife, and pair of chopsticks. 

Peter gave Kon a strained smile and bent to check the lower cupboards.

They were empty and eerily clean. There weren’t even any cleaners in there, so that was wild. “Kon,” he started, and then didn’t know where to go with it. “Do you own a pot or pan?”

“No, why?” Kon cocked his head at him. He honestly seemed just curious and not a bit embarrassed. “Should I?”

“...We need one to cook in,” Peter said. And a few other things. Did– did Kon not own any plates, either? 

‘I guess he wouldn’t need one if he gets take out and uses the containers all the time,’ Peter rationalized. ‘But who lives like that? Why didn’t someone teach him how to live like a person?’

And who was cleaning this place? It hadn’t seemed so weird when he entered. But now that he knew Kon lived alone, this was just bizarre. If Kon wasn’t living with a neatfreak parent and he didn’t own anything but dish soap, how was his apartment so clean? Did he have a maid service or something?

Kon was way weirder than Mr. Stark. Peter gave his new friend a queasy smile when he realized that. Man, this guy needed help. “So, if we don’t wanna do takeout, we need to go shopping,” Peter said. That was an understatement. “A pan, a couple of plates, and groceries.”

Kon pulled the wallet out of his back pocket and waved it around. “That’s fine. Lexy has it covered.”

‘Lexy? Not Luther? Is Lexy his stepmom or something? Or is that a nickname?’

Normally, Peter would feel bad about spending someone else’s money. But this time he felt a kind of vicious satisfaction in the idea of running up this dude’s credit cards. Wherever Kon’s Dad was, he was a dick and he owed his kid some vegetables and a frying pan. “Yeah, okay. Do you have reusable bags we should grab on our way out?”

“I don’t think so. What are those?” Kon asked.

“...We’ll buy some,” Peter decided. “They’re usually made of canvas or something. It’s so that you don’t have to buy the one use plastic bags all the time. Let’s go.”

“Cool.”

Kon in the group chat: guys I have made a CIVILIAN FRIEND. 

Bart: neato im happy for u!

Cassie: big if true

Tim: What’s his ssn i just wanna check something

Kon: I don’t think he knows I'm a superhero. It’s nice, but is that weird?

Cassie: probably because you’re not famous enough yet sorry

Tim: get gud

Bart: get good

Kon: fuck u guys. I’m undercover. I’m being so normal.

[raya-hunter01]

Fade Into You Part. 6

Prequel Lights, Camera, Action!

Jey Uso x Black Female OC! (Shantell)

Roman x Black Female OC! Tangela

Solo x Black Female OC! Sofia

Jimmy x Trin

Rating: 18+

Warning: Smut; oral, sex, fluff, masturbation

FADE INTO YOU

Summary: This is the Prequel for Lights, Camera, Action! How does an outburst on your first day lead to a lifelong friendship with the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns and the stands the test of time. How does that friendship introduce you to a special group of people that will become your family.  

When did the lines get blurred between friendship and wanting a relationship with one of your best friends Mr. Main Event Jey Uso. Follow the friendships, and relationships of how they all came to be the one big happy family we all know and love in Lights, Camera, Action.

15 months later

Amway Center

Shantell’s POV

It is insane how a two-week shutdown has now turned into months. My graduation was cancelled and did virtually. I got hired by WWE, Joe had been home due to being immunocompromised.

Then another blow hit us even harder, Jimmy got hurt and had to undergo knee surgery leaving his and Jey’s career in limbo.

Gram and mom moved back in with me when the shutdown hit, and I think I’ve reeled them in to stay permanently.

We did shows at the Performance center, but I felt we could do more. It was so boring just seeing an empty place with occasional wrestlers cheering in the audience behind Plexi glass.  

Paul agreed and I began brainstorming ideas and the rest, as they say is history. The Thunderdome was born…Yea, I did that, and couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed watching the crew putting the final touches my vision.

We did a trial run for smackdown last night and everyone loved it. Today we’ve been working out the kinks and it’s coming along very well.

So how does it feel to be the new boss,” Tevin asked walking up to me as I laughed. “Scary as hell and I wanna throw up,” I said honestly.

“Stop stressing, they loved this idea,” he said walking around taking in the Thunderdome.

 “This shit is a game changer and last night was amazing.  You did dat Ma. Stop being modest and own da greatness that is you,” he said as I blushed.

“Thanks Tevin I just hate you leavin’,” I said as he waved me off. “I been on smackdown so long, I need a change and I think the Raw brand is it,” he said as I nodded in understanding.

 After the kiss and I set him straight Tevin had been on my good side and I have to say he has made working here these last few months fun.

I was actually going to miss him if that made sense. “They are going to enjoy your talent on the Raw brand,” I said as he gave me a hug.

“So, what is this I hear about these buff wrestlers asking you out,” he whispered as I cringed.

“Ugh, how you know about that?” I asked as he smiled at me. “One thing you gon’ learn, everybody knows everybody business when you work here,” he said as I pulled away, shaking my head at him.

“I don’t even know how it got started,they just been approaching me,” I said honestly confused.

 “Your fresh meat, that’s why ,but it will pass and I’m sure Jey ain’t takin’ it too well,” he said as I saw Jey coming down the ramp.

“No, but Jey’s just protective of me is all. So are Joe and Jimmy so it’s no big deal,”I said as Tevin scoffed.

“Bullshit, that fool likes yo’ ass but some reason can’t take the leap. He shouldn’t be able to control who you date especially since he’s dating people and I hear Taraji’s sniffing around again,” Tevin said as I kept a neutral look on my face as Jey got closer to us.

“It ain’t like that, Jey thinks of me as his friend. Plus, It’s been my choice to be single and has nothing to do with him,” I said as Tevin rolled his eyes at me.

“What I’m being serious, I have too much going on and some of ya’ll men tend to be drama queens. So, with that in mind I keep my heart and legs closed,” I said smartly as Tevin laughed at me.

 “Why you laughin’ at me?  I’m just keeping it real, it’s all about me and building my legacy.I ain’t got time for the bullshit,” I said shrugging my shoulders standing boldly in my truth.  “I feel you,” Tevin said as Jey made his presence felt.

“Damn, this looks tight Shan!” Jey exclaimed, cutting his eyes at Tevin before giving me a hug. I cringed as I saw Tevin’s eye twitch before he walked off without another word.

The tension was always there between the two and I didn’t know why.

Tonight was SummerSlam and Joe was returning so not even their pissing contest could ruin my night.

“Uh, thanks Jey, I’m shocked it’s coming together so good,” I said trying to change the subject as he looked at me in disbelief.

“It came from your brain of course it was going to be good,” he said as I smiled at him.

“Thank you, it means a lot,” I said as I saw Paul come on the top of the ramp smiling at the setup.

Yea, I think we were really on to something.

---

Joe’s POV

“So, this is what you do?” Tangela asked as I smiled at her. “Yea, it’s a little different now with no fans,” I said as she nodded her head taking in the backstage area.

I could tell she was overwhelmed as Shantell came over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I know it seems like a lot, but Joe knows what he’s doing and nobody is going to bother you back here,” Shantell reassured her.

I hoped Tangela could get use to this life. I mean being with her is just so different from any other relationship I’ve experienced.

She has a good head on her shoulders, just graduated business school and ready to take on the world.

I’m in love with this woman and I don’t want to screw it up.  

“Dang, you have to do a lot of stuff Shantell, I’d probably have a nervous breakdown,” Tangela said looking at the monitors as Shantell smiled.

“Girl, it’s a breeze I love it. How bout I show you some of it while Joe does his thing,” Shantell said as I smiled at them.

“Thanks for taking care of her, sis,” I said as she waved me off. “Go get ready and be careful,” she said as I went to get ready.

---

SummerSlam Main Event

Shantell’s POV

I missed Joe being in the ring and I honestly felt a little choked up seeing him again. This new side of him was what he wished he could do from the beginning.

The world was about to experience a new side to Roman Reigns and I hope they are ready for what’s about to come.

“You can’t handle this responsibility,” Joe said holding up the universal championship.

“I need that final shot, we’re going to fade out on Joe,” I called Tangela looked on in shock. “You want me to scan the Thunderdome or pace out?” Stu asked as I smiled.

“I need a zoom pan on Joe for about ten seconds then we’re going to fade out,” I instructed. “Got ya, Shan,” Stu responded. “This is all crazy,” Tangela whispered as I gave her a small smile. 

“Nobody saw this coming,” Cole said as Joe continued to talk his shit. “It’s always gon’ be mine,” he spoke as I smiled. He was in the zone, and that made me even more excited for this new storyline Paul had been working on.

 “I need a slow pan out shot of Joe over Bray, lets finish SummerSlam strong. It’s been amazing doing this with you all tonight,” I said as Paul smiled at me.

“Got you Shan,” Jane said. “Whoo, that shot looks sick girl,” I praised as she laughed. “Thanks boss lady, you keeping me on my toes,” she said as I smiled.

 “A’ight we’re out in 5, 4,3,2,1,” I said as Paul rubbed my shoulder. “You did that, everything looked amazing,” he said as I sighed in relief as he gave me a hug.

“Thank you so much I whispered returning the gesture before he got up to take a call. I felt accomplished, we really pulled it off. The fans interacted and everything looked awesome.

“That was amazing Shantell,” Tangela said as I smiled at her. “Thanks girly, I hope you join us more often. This is going to be where we hold all shows and PPV’s until we can start traveling and have crowds again,” I said as she gave me hug.

“Thanks for making me feel welcome,” she said as I smiled. “Your family and that is all to it. No need to thank me,” I whispered feeling her body relax.

She was good for Joe; I knew the first time I met her. Yep, big brother was off the market, and I was happy he found someone to love.

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

One month Later

 Amway Center

Paul’s Office

Shantell’s POV

“Do you like it though?” Jey asked as I looked at the mullet he was rockin’.  “I mean it’s interesting, I said as he laughed.

“So, that means you hate it,” he said as I looked at the back of his head again and smirked.

“It fits you; I promise it looks good,” I reassured him as we waited on Paul and Joe.

“I wonder what this is all about, I hope they ain’t sending me home,” Jey said as I grabbed his hand.

“Stop overthinking everything. You have nothing to worry about, “I said trying to hold in the secret I knew they were about to drop on him.

“Sorry we ran behind in the creative meeting,” Paul said coming in with Heyman and Joe behind him.  Joe and I exchanged smiles as he nodded at me, letting me know everything was a go.

“So Jey we’ve been thinking about a few things,” Paul said as I felt Jey grab my hand as I gently squeezed it in support.

“When Joe decided to come back he asked me for several things. One of them was to work a feud with you,” Paul said as you could hear a pin drop as I looked at the shocked look on Jey’s face.

“Jey say something,” I said as he blinked quickly and looked at Joe. “Are you serious, Uce?” he asked as Joe smiled at him.

“Yea, I want us to work together and make history. The world deserves to see how talented you are,” Joe said as I could tell Jey was overwhelmed.  

“We want to build a stable with your family. Though it’s months away before Jimmy can return to action, we want to bring him in to be apart of this now as well,” Paul said as I felt Jey’s grip tightening on my hand.

“So, uh, how is this gon’ work?” Jey asked as Heyman laughed. “We are all going to put our heads together and blow the wrestling worlds mind. This is going to be the best long-term storyline in the history of this company,” Heyman said as Jey sighed rubbing his hand over his face.

“That is the goal Jey, and I promise you, if you trust the process, you’re going to go further than you ever dreamed you could. So will Joe, Jimmy, and Sefa,” Paul said as Jey perked up at the mention of his baby brother’s name.

“Sefa…. Are you serious? Don’t play wit me ya’ll,” Jey said as Paul laughed. “Yes, we are going to bring your brother in when his contract expires with Arizona Wrestling expires Paul said as Joe smiled.

  “We are in charge of this and how it goes Uce, no writers just us in this room,” Joe said as Jey looked at me.

“Did you know Shantell?” Jey asked as I nodded. “Yea, I did and I’m very happy for you and I know you can do this,” I said as his innocent eyes pierced my soul.

“So, can I take this to the creative table and tell them we are all on board?” Heyman asked as I began to wonder what my part in all this was going to be since Joe said we all would be involved.  I was just here for moral support.

 “I see the wheels turning over there Shantell. I need you to be my eyes portraying this story on camera. What you’ve done with the Thunderdome has been amazing and I need you on this,” Paul said as I nodded in understanding.

“You know I got ya’ll, count me in,” I said without hesitation truly honored they wanted me to be a part of the masterpiece they were about to create.

“Glad you’re on-board Shantell. Now Jey are you in?” Heyman asked as Jey seemed to be in doubt. “I don’t know ya’ll, I’m use to tag wrestling and having Jimmy by my side. I can’t abandon my brother now, can I even do good as a singles wrestler,” Jey said expressing his fears openly to us.

I understood what he was saying but he needed to know he wasn’t leaving Jimmy behind, and he needed to get out of his own way and try.

They were all about to be elevated to another level.

“Hey, you deserve this and your not abandoning Jimmy he’s going to be right there with you through it all. You can do this, stop doubting yourself,” I said as he sighed appearing to be in deep thought as he contemplated the huge offer just put before him.

“A’ight, I’m in,” he whispered as I clapped in excitement before giving him a hug.

“Ya’ll are going to change the game with this, enjoy it,” I whispered as  Joe came over and joined in on our group hug.

“Let’s do this Uce, let’s run this place,” Joe said as Jey smiled at him. “Damn right let’s do this,” Jey said as Paul smiled at us.

“I’ll go let creative know everyone is on board,” Heyman said as we celebrated.

History was about to be made, the bloodline was here and ready to take over the wrestling world.

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

Hell in a Cell

Jey’s POV

I had been followed by WWE cameras for the last few days. I allowed them into my home as they documented my history with Joe.

I was nervous at first, but with Shantell being their instructing the camera crew on how to film and when to give me space I felt better about the mini documentary.

 She knows me so well and I’m thankful for her. Joe really seems to think everything is about really take off for me, but I feel bad Jimmy is hurt.

“Aye, you can keep filming, but can you give us a minute and film back there,” I told Stu pointing to the back of the room as I talked to Tamina and Shantell.

“Hey, you good?” Shantell asked kneeling beside me as I sighed knowing I wasn’t, clad in my white gear and my lei Tamina had made I was losing it.

“Hey breath, just breathe Jey,” Shantell said rubbing my back as Tamina reached over and grabbed my hand.

“You gotta stop cuz,” she whispered as I nodded.  “This is how it’s supposed to be, you deserve this, Stop thinking you don’t belong here,” she cried reaching over as they both embraced me as I broke down.

“I’ll give ya’ll a moment,” I faintly heard Stu say as I nodded truly overwhelmed as I heard the door close.  

“You can do this, you are going to do this. Now let’s get it together,” Shantell said as I took a couple deep breaths. “I’ma kill it,” I said talking down my nerves as Tamina laughed wiping her tears.

“Yes, you are, now stop making us cry,” she said as Shantell wiped her own tears. “I got ya’ll, I‘m ready now,” I sighed trying to convince myself.

“We are going to leave you alone and let you get your mind right,” Shantell said giving me a kiss on the cheek before standing up readjusting her hat.

“Yea, we will be in Gorilla,” Tamina said giving me a hug.

“Thanks, I don’t know what I’d do without ya’ll,” I said as Shantell smiled brightly at me. “We’ll see you soon,” she whispered as they left me to my thoughts.

Pulling myself up, I walked in front of the floor length mirror in my dressing room. I looked at myself in disbelief, I looked like a main even player.

I looked like I belonged and all that was left to do was to prove it tonight..

“This is it Josh, make it count and have fun,” I muttered to myself trying to shake off my nerves.

Tonight I knew I was losing but one day I know I will be world champion but for tonight I was going to put Joe over and began my career as new his right-hand man.

I hope the world is ready for this…

----

September 2021

Shantell’s Condo

Pensacola, FL

My first year with the WWE had gone well, the bloodline storyline was thriving, everyone was captivated by their storyline, and it was breaking viewing records on YouTube and bringing in high ratings.

 Yes, life was great but these last few weeks I had a nagging feeling something was wrong and the bomb my mom just dropped on me confirmed my worries.

“What do you mean stage three, and she doesn’t want chemo!” I exclaimed as my mother pulled me into the living room.

“Don’t let her hear or see you like this Shan,” my mom whispered as I tried to control my tears.  “Can ya’ll keep mama company for a minute?” my mom asked Jey and Joe as they sadly retreated to the kitchen.

“Why didn’t you tell me before now?” I asked my mom as she sighed in defeat. “We didn’t want to worry you, it’s only been a few weeks baby,” she answered without hesitation.

“Ya’ll shoulda’ told when you found out mama,” I said trying to stay calm. I had to fix it, I had to convince her to do chemo.

“I don’t understand how this happened and why she doesn’t want to do chemo,” I whispered as my mother tried to control her own tears. 

“Baby, it’s stage three and is beginning to spread. Chemo isn’t going cure her, it only is going to prolong life,” my mother cried trying to get me to understand.

“So, what’s wrong with prolonging life,” I cried not wanting to accept they were giving up.

“Baby, she isn’t strong enough to go through this. Think about it…. Constant chemo just to live and you know how it wrecked her body before. That ain’t a life for anybody, she’s tired Shantell,” she said as I cleared my throat trying to stop my tears.  

I knew she was right, but it didn��t make it hurt any less.

“I know she’s tired mama, in my mind, I know we have to let her go. I just wish somebody could explain it to my heart how to let her go,” I whispered in despair as we embraced each other.  

It was her choice and we had to accept it and prepare. How do you let go of someone you can’t imagine even existing in a world without them.

“Let’s go talk to her baby,” my mom said as I tried to get myself together.

---

Joe’s POV

“When the time comes, ya’ll take care of them,” Gram said as I held her hand. “We still got some time, you ain’t leaving us yet,” Jey said as she smiled at him. “I love ya’ll sweet boys,” she said as I smiled at her. "We love you too," Jey said giving her a sad smile.

“We sure do and we gon’ take care of them both, don’t you worry Gram,” I reassured her as we sat in silence in the kitchen.

As Shantell and her mother came back into the kitchen, I felt like my heart was straining against my chest as I saw the look of helplessness on their faces.

Jey’s POV

Shantell came and sat beside her grandmother taking her hand in hers. “Hey, baby,” Gram whispered as Shantell smiled sadly at her. “Hey Gram,” she whispered as her grandmother caressed her face.

“Gram, I’m going to call Paul,” Shantell started as her grandmother interrupted her. “No, your not Shantell. You goin’ to go to work, I ain’t letting you do this again,” she said with conviction as Shantell closed her eyes, her tears flowing freely.

“Gram, I..I want to be here with you,” Shantell said as her mother interjected.

 “Shantell, you are working one day a week sometimes two. We can manage here, until you come home. You’re not putting your life on hold again,” she said making no room for argument as Shantell sighed in defeat.

 “I don’t like it,” Shantell said wiping her tears as Gram smiled at her. “Well too bad because we got this, your mama and I already talked it over,” she said hugging Shantell. I knew the road ahead was going to be hard and this loss was going to hurt Shantell deeply.

---

May 16,2022

Raw

Trin’s POV

So much has been going on and the frustration is mounting. All of our schedules are picking up as we are appearing on both shows to help Raw with ratings.

The guys were thriving, while I was miserable. Sasha and I are really lacking teams to feud with.

 Shantell has been trying to help us voice our concerns to Mark, but he isn’t hearing anything we are saying and I’m ready to throw in the damn towel.

“You are going to do what we asked you to do and that’s the end of it. Stop being difficult or you both can walk,” Mark said as I looked at him in disbelief.

“Excuse me what did you say?” I asked Mark as he rolled his eyes at me. “I said you’re doing what I asked , or you can pack your shit and go home,” he said as Shantell looked at him like he was crazy.

“Aye, you need to calm down. They just brought you their concerns about the match and that’s what they are supposed to do. It ain’t no need to get rude,” Shantell said as I could tell she was about over his attitude as well.

“Shantell she ain’t getting special treatment cause' her husband is a star here. She should feel lucky we are considering her for this. They will be in the six-pack challenge; Sasha will pin her end of story,” he said as Sasha sighed in frustration.

 “She ain’t asking for special treatment she just asked a damn question. Will you listen to them, that’s your job,” Shantell said trying to reason with him.

“I ain’t got time for the theatrics today,” he said as I felt the fire rumbling within me.

“Look, I ain’t askin’ for no special treatment, but I deserve to be treated with respect. You don’t have to be rude, I just asked a question as to where the story was going,” I said feeling attacked and overwhelmed.

“I don’t think it makes sense for us to be in the title picture for the women’s title when we are tag champions. We need to be building a tag team division for us to compete against, instead of these random teams,” Sasha said as he scoffed at her.

Shantell’s POV

“Look we ain’t payin’ you to think. If we did you and Trin would both be broke!” he yelled as I as Trin and I both raised our eyebrows in shock.

Oh! So, you sayin’ we dumb? Look, you keep pushin’ but you don’t know me Mark, I ain’t the one,” Trin warned as her resolve was slipping. “Don’t know me either,” Sasha said fuming.

 “Ookk, and damn sure don’t know me! Cause’ one things for certain and two things for damn sure. If you say one more off the wall comment bout my sister or Sasha, we gon’ beat yo’ ass all up and though motherfucka. Think it’s a game Mark,” I said as he seemed to calm down at the new information he was being told.

“But you know what Shan? We ain’t gotta do that, cause he ain’t worth it. I should be thanking him because he just said made me realize something important,” Trin said looking at me with a sad smile as her unshed tears began to fall.

It painfully dawned on me she had reached the end of her rope, and I couldn’t blame her.

“What did you realize?” I asked as she took a deep breath trying to get her tears under control as she turned to face Mark who wore an unreadable expression on his face.  

“I realized that I have gave my all to this business to not be appreciated.  Constantly looked over because I don’t fit the mold of what they thought was marketable. I had to watch with a smile on my face as less talented people got ahead," she said unwavering, her voice strong and with conviction.

“You sure did put up with a lot of bullshit, patience of a damn saint,” Sasha muttered as Trin continued speaking her truth.

  “I put up with the constant disrespect but no more! I’m tired,” Trin cried as I felt my heart breaking for her.

“So I’ma take your advice Mark and leave,” she said wiping her tears. Slowly nodding her head in realization as to what she was actually doing and was at peace with it.

“What are you talking about?” Mark asked in shock.

“You heard me,I’m done…..Yea, I’m just done,” Trin said calmy walking out of the dressing room  “Fuck,”I muttered angry that everything had went this far.

“You know what? She’s right, I’m out too,” Sasha whispered following behind Trin.

I could tell he wasn’t expecting that outcome as he looked rather ill.

“If I was you, I would be really worried about the ass whopping you bout to catch for disrespecting Trin,” I said as I saw the look of fear set in as he processed what had just transpired.

“Better yet wait until I call Paul and tell him how you’re the reason two of his top female stars just walked out,” I said as he began to walk towards me.  

“Shantell you gotta help me,” he said as I looked at him like he was insane.

“Nawl, you was Billy Badass a few minutes ago. Keep that same energy,” I said leaving him alone in the dressing room in search of Trin and Sasha.

“Sasha wait!” I called out as I saw her moving swiftly towards the exit with her bags. “I’m good Shan, my husband is getting the car. I promise I’ll call you, I just need to get outta here,” she said hurrying out of the building.

“Damn it Trin where are you?” I muttered now searching the halls hoping I found Jimmy before she did.

Rounding the corner, I cringed as Jimmy came storming out of the bloodline dressing room with everyone hot on his heels.

 “Jon don’t! It’s not worth it!” Trin yelled, as he was trying to push past Jey who wasn’t moving. “I can’t let you do this Uce, let’s go talk,” Jey pleaded as Jimmy growled in frustration.

“Where the fuck is he!? I’ma kill his ass!” Jimmy yelled as Joe gently took Trin in his arms trying to calm her down.

 “Jurdy, I wanna leave, can we just please go,” she pleaded as Jimmy began pacing.

“Move Uce! I can’t let this slide, he been doin’ shit like this! I gotta Get his ass!” Jimmy yelled as Jey put his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

"Bro, let’s just go, and try to figure out what to do next. Trin needs you right now, look at her Uce," Jey said as Jimmy looked at Trin crying in Joe’s arms.

 "Let’s get outta here, we don’t need folks in our family business,” Joe said firmly as I went to Jimmy.

“Jonathon, Trin held her head high in there, and spoke from her heart. She said her peace about everything she felt and made her choice I said trying to reason with him. 

"Shan, he fuckin' "Jimmy started as Jey stopped him from talking so I could continue.

“She did the hard part, now she needs her husband to tell her it’s ok and he has her back,” I said as Jimmy seemed to be calming down.  

"I always got her back, she ain’t neva gotta question dat. It just didn’t have to go down like dat Shan. He ain’t had to do all dat to her,” he said pacing as I nodded in understanding.

“I know, but he did and now we gon’ deal with it,” I said rubbing his shoulder.

“I don’t want her to leave,” he whispered as Trin ran into his arms as the embraced each other tightly.

“I  gotta go babe, I can’t do this no more. It’s just too much to deal with,” she cried as he kissed her the top of her head gently. “I know it Trin….I know,” he whispered in defeat as we all looked on helplessly.

Damn…..The hits just kept coming, Trin just quit and her future was uncertain.

In my time in knowing her though I knew she would bounce back better than ever, just give her time.

-----

Clash at the Castle

September 3, 2022

Shantell’s POV

“Shantell, you need rest,” Paul said as I sipped on my hot coco. “I’m good, I promise,” I said as we got ready for the main event.  

“You look tired,” he pressed as I sighed putting my headset back on ignoring him. We needed to finish the show strong.

The crowd was hot, and they deserved the best show.

I had been on the go these last few months with Gram being sick and trying to stay on top of stuff here. I also help out Trin on my off days too, she just had shoulder surgery.

I have to say she was making good use of her time off getting old injuries fixed. Her and Jimmy were going strong but were still trying to get use to not seeing each other everyday.

Tonight, Sefa is coming into the fold to take his place in the bloodline. I couldn’t wait to see what ride they were going to take us on next.

Jimmy and Jey were given this PPV off storyline wise so I felt better about being over here in England knowing they were in Pensecola. They had been checking in on mama and Gram. Mama Uce even cooked for them a couple times a week.  Throughout this difficult time they all were a godsend and I owed them so much.

“How is your grandmother,” Paul asked as I smiled at him. “She’s doin’ ok, I mean the doctor told us six months and here we are pulling up on a year, so I am thankful,” I said really just grasping how time had really flew by.  

“Camera five, pan out Sefa’s coming your way,” I alerted seeing him come from the side. “Who is that?” Jane asked as I laughed. “I’m sorry, I meant Solo. Jane, my bad,” I laughed.

“We’re going to crown a brand new champion!” Cole screamed as the ref began to count. “What the hell! Someone just pulled the official out of the ring!" Cole’s excited voice rang in my headset.

“Camera eight it’s on you I need a side view,” I instructed as they focused on Solo as he pulled down his hood. “That is Solo Sikoa the Uso’s younger brother!” Cole announced as I smiled.

“Money shot!” I yelled as Paul laughed at me. “You enjoy this shit entirely too much,” he said as I shrugged my shoulders.

“Pan to Drew then back to Solo, I need that shot between camera twelve and hard camera,” I said watching the ending play out.

“Good call on that,” Paul praised as Joe and Solo walked up the ramp together. “Come on look back Joe,” I muttered to myself as Joe seemingly turned and posed as the fireworks went off.

“Great work! Team pace out shots of Drew and Joe along with Solo to close out in 5,4,3,2,1 and we are out!” I exclaimed, happy that it was over.

I quickly put my headset down and went to wait for them by the curtain.  I ran and hugged Solo as soon as he hit the curtain. “Congratulations!!” I yelled in excitement as he and Joe laughed at me.

“I take It your happy for me,” Solo said laughing as I handed him my phone. “Yes, now call your wife. she’s been blowing me up. She’s so excited,” I said leaning over to giving Joe a hug next.

“Damn, we are leveling up sis. Time for even something bigger,” Joe said as I smiled at him.

“Can you enjoy the moment for a change and stop trying to jump to the next thing,” I said as he shrugged his shoulders at me.

“I can’t help it, I’m excited,” he said as Solo passed me back my phone.

“Sis, it’s your mom,” he said as my heart dropped. “What’s wrong mama?” I asked as Joe’s smile dropped.

“You need to come home,I think this is it baby. We’re at the hospital,” she whimpered as I took a deep breath trying not to lose it listening to my mom cry.

"I love you, and  I’m on my way,” I said now on autopilot as I began moving around trying to gather up my things.

“What did she say?” Joe asked trying to keep up with me as I ignored him. “Shantell stop, what’s wrong?” Joe asked stopping me from moving.

 “They had to take Gram to the hospital and mom thinks this is it,” I whispered as Joe pulled me into a comforting hug as Solo went over to Paul to let him know what was going on.

----

Joe’s POV

Paul sent us home on the jet and it was the longest flight of my life. Shantell was quiet the majority of the time and seemed to be trying to process everything curled up in a seat by the window as we flew over the Atlantic.  

Eventually she fell asleep and I called Jey. I needed to know and prepare for what we were walking into.

“Aye, are ya’ll in the air yet?” Jey asked as I sighed. “Yea, we are we got about three hours left. Shantell is finally asleep, so I wanted to call and see what was going on,” I said trying to keep my voice down.

“Uce, they think this is it. She has sepsis in the colon and at this point all they can do is make her comfortable. It’s anytime now,” Jey whispered as I felt my own tears fall. “Damn it Gram,” I muttered.

“They are waiting for Shantell and her aunt to get here so the doctor can explain everything,” Jey said as I laid back in my seat.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen like this Jey,” I said as I heard the breaking in his voice. “Yea, I know. Ya’ll just get here safe, and I’ll see ya’ll when you get here,” Jey said as I reluctantly hung up.

I was dreading getting off this jet even more after my conversation with him but I knew one was for certain we were all going to be with Shantell through all of this.

----------

Pensacola Memorial Hospital

Jey’s POV

I didn’t know what to say or do as we all gathered into the family consultation room as Shantell and Joe were downstairs and on the way up.

The room quiet as Shantell’s mom and sister sat opposite each other and I could feel the tension between them.

Trin and I looked at each other feeling sad witnessing the moment between the sisters but we were here for Shantell and her mom.

Jimmy came in with Sofia and sat on the other couch. “Shantell wanted to see Gram and should be in shortly. The doctor should be in soon too,” Sofia said as I nodded.

I was so grateful to know Sofia was the RN assigned to Gram tonight. I knew she would be in good hands.

---

Shantell’s POV

“Gram, I’m here,” I whispered as she opened her eyes. She tried to talk as I shushed her to stop trying knowing it was uncomfortable with the  tubes in her mouth and nose.

Her hand reached up and caressed my face as tears began falling from her eyes. I grabbed her hand and kissed it. I knew in that moment she was hanging on for me but was ready to go.

“She’s waiting on you to tell her it’s ok to go babydoll,” Joe muttered wrapping his arms around me. gently placing a kiss on my temple as I broke down in his arms.

“I’m here wit you,” he soothed as I could only nod my pain to great to even put into words, but I knew I had to let her go.

 She looked so tired and not like herself, I couldn’t be selfish. “Gram, are you tired?” I whispered and without hesitation she nodded slowly. Quickly blinking her eyes as more unshed tears escaped them before she looked at me again.  

 “It’s ok Gram, I’m ok….Me, mama and auntie are going to be ok,” I whispered reassuring her as she nodded. Leaning over I gently kissed her forehead and then her cheek.

“I love you,” I whispered as she nodded placing her hand in mine as we sat in silence.

Joe’s text alert went off as he sighed. “The doctor is waiting Shan,” he whispered as I nodded taking a deep breath.  Reaching over I hugged my grandmother. “I’ll be back,” I said as she shook her head at me.

“Gram, please,” I started as she shook her head again as I sighed.

“She don’t want you to see her this way,” Joe whispered as Gram slowly nodded indicating he was right.

Sighing in defeat I gave her a look to let her know the conversation wasn’t over.

Walking to the consultation room I felt numb and couldn’t believe this was really happening.

 Jey’s POV

“They on the way,” I said to Shantell’s mom and aunt. “Good because somebody needs to tell me something,” Shantell’s aunt said as Trin and I shifted uncomfortably in our seats.

I understood how she was feeling but she’s been rude as hell since she’s got here.  

“Why are ya’ll even in here? This is for family only, and you’re not family,” she said looking around at us as I heard Trin sigh in frustration.

 “Lady, don’t make me read you yo’ damn rights up in here,” Sofia started as I reached over and patted her knee. Calm down sis, I whispered as she took a breath shakin’ her head in disbeilf.

 “Ain’t even been here for yo’ mama, and now wanna come in here and take over,” Sofia muttered as Trin cleared her throat trying to mask what Sofia said. Thank god it seemed only Trin, Jimmy and me heard it.

“They here because while you’ve been in Ohio livin’ your life, they’ve been helping Shantell and I take care of mama. Mama loves them all and considers them family and so do I. So, you can either deal with it or get out,” Shantell’s mother said as her sister dropped her head in shame.

“I’m sorry ya’ll this is just a lot, and I meant no harm,” she said as I nodded at her in understanding.

Seeing Shantell and Joe walk in I felt even more helpless. She looked so broken hugging her mom, aunt, and Sofia.

"Thanks for being here ya’ll," she whispered as Jimmy, Trin and I stood up to give her a hug.

“We love you,” Trin whispered as Shantell nodded and sat beside me with Joe on the other side as I grabbed her hand.

I felt her tense as the doctor began talking. I rubbed her hand trying to calm her down as Sofia got up went to stand behind Shantell putting her hands on her shoulders.

“I wish I had better news to report but we found sepsis, and her organs functions are slowing down. Even with treatment if her heart stops, we can’t perform life saving measures,”he said as Shantell’s mom broke down.

“Why is that?  I mean you all have the equipment you need to do what’s necessary,” Shantell’s aunt started as the doctor interrupted her.

“Your mother signed a DNR when we brought her in, and she did another one a couple weeks ago at her last doctor’s appointment. It’s in her records, did she not tell you,” the doctor asked as I saw Shantell shake her head in disbelief. 

“Aww, Gram,”Shantell muttered as her mother was trying to process the inormation the doctor was saying.

“What is a DNR?” her aunt asked as Shantell wiped her tears.  “It means do not resistitate auntie,” she whispered as her aunt scoffed at the notion.

“No! She wouldn’t do that!” she cried as Shantell took over asking the questions. “How long does she have?” Shantell asked as her aunt interrupted.

 “Shantell be quiet It ain’t going to even come to that. Mama is going to bounce back,” she said in denial.

“She is dying! What part of that don’t you understand!” Shantell cried as Sofia rubbed her shoulders.

“It’s ok Shan, just breathe,” Sofia coached as I tightened my grip on her hand as her knee began to bounce nervously as Joe caressed her knee.

“How long does she have doctor?” Tanya asked as the doctor cleared his throat.

“We will be lucky if she makes it through the night,” he responded as Shantell stormed out of the room without another word.

“I got her Uce,” I said stopping Joe from getting up as I went in search of Shantell.

I saw her getting on the elevator, as I rushed to get in before it’s doors closed. Her body leaned against the back wall, her body trembling as she cried..

 Reaching over I hit the emergency button as we stopped.

I knew she needed a minute before we stepped off the elevator to the prying eyes of strangers.

Her tear-filled eyes piercing my soul as her tears flowed like a river down her beautiful face. “Josh” she whimpered enclosing her hands over her face as I closed the distance between us taking her in my arms.

"Let it out baby," I whispered consoling her as her silent cries began to grow louder as she fought against releasing her pain.

A soul crushing scream fell from her lips as I refused to let her go.

“AAAAAH! GRAM!!!” she cried fighting against me as I held her tighter.

“I ain’t letting you go, Shan…. Do you hear me? I got you, I always got you. Just lean on me baby,” I whispered as the woman I loved continued to fall apart in my arms.

“I can’t do this,” Shantell cried as I held her tight.

“You ain’t gotta do it alone, we all here and we gon’ get through this together,” I soothed as she nodded, her hands now gripping my shirt tightly as I rubbed her back.  

Trying to wrangle in her emotions, she pulled away, wiped her tears and began taking deep breaths as she paced the elevator.

It was like she was preparing herself for what she knew she needed to do.

 I watched in awe at the sudden calmness washing over her beautiful face as she cleared her throat and stopped pacing.

Several minutes passed and I knew we needed to turn the elevator back on before they sent out the calvary.

“You ready beautiful?” I asked as she nodded as I restarted the elevator. “Go back up,” she whispered as I hit the seventh floor.

---

 Shantell’s POV

The calmness and peace that washed over the room is something I will never forget. My grandmother’s body stilled as she took her final breath as my mother sliently weeped at the loss of her mom along with her sister.

“Are we calling it?” Sofia asked as the doctor as he finished checking her vitals and looked at the clock.

“Call it…. Time of death 12:35 am September 5,2022 he said as I gently leaned over and kissed my grandmother goodbye before walking out of the room.

“Sis, you ok?” Jimmy asked as I smiled sadly at him and Trin. “She’s gone,” I whispered taking a seat beside Joe and Jey as we all sat in silence and grief.

Damn it Gram, you really got us with this one……

My name is Shantell Johnson and my grandmother Renae “Gram” Johnson died on September 5, 2022, and she took a piece of my heart right along with her.

Taglist: @reci24 @southerngirl41 @vebner37 @jeyusos-girl

@melaninsugababy @romanreignkisser @bebesobrielo

@arination99 @2-muchsauce @bakugoumarianawrites

@empressdede @alyyaanna @christinabae @anonandwannakeepitthatway @venusesworld @jeyusosgirl  @theninthwonder @mya2real @ trc-punzel

[andiwriteordie]

andi !! for my valentine’s day gift this year i am humbly requesting will helping teacher! mike decorate his classroom for valentine’s day <3 (+ bonus points if this is pre-relationship and they spend the whole time flirting before one of them works up the nerve to ask the other if they have any plans,,, slides this slowly across the table)

suni suni suni teacher!mike is so personal to me so thank you SO much for this. also will being flirty and mike getting flustered is also everything to me, so have some of that too.

—

3: abc, 123 (baby, you and me).

Mike Wheeler’s a pretty damn good teacher.

Alright, look. Here’s the thing: Mike knows he’s a damn good teacher. There’s a reason why he’s one of Principal Tennyson’s favorite teachers, despite the fact that he’s only been at Hawkins Elementary for about four years now. Being a kindergarten teacher is not for the faint of heart, especially when Mike teaches in a school district full of rich, snooty parents who think their kids deserve special treatment on a constant basis. 

But hey, somehow, Mike has managed to get through the last few years with very minimal complaints from said rich, snooty parents, and even better, he’s also managed to make genuine connections with his kids.

So, yeah. Mike’s a damn good teacher, and he’s not afraid to remind his boss of that when it comes time for his annual comp review.

But there is one thing that Mike absolutely sucks at in the realm of teaching.

Decorating his fucking classroom.

Ugh. Okay, so when you’re in college and preparing to be an elementary school teacher, they literally teach you how to make the cute bulletin boards and decorations and stuff, right? Yeah, well, Mike hated every single one of those presentations. Absolutely hated them. His worst grades in college were the stupid bulletin boards he had to make. 

The content was fine. The aesthetic? Yeah, not so much.

And unfortunately, some things never change, and even though Mike has been a teacher for the last four years of his life, he still can’t for the life of him figure out how to create an aesthetically pleasing classroom by himself for the life of him. For the longest time, his best friend, Max, would come over and help him kind of make the classroom look pretty. Max is no artist either though, even if she’s a little better at making things look nice than Mike is.

But then, this past December, Max just had to accept a new job and move across the country to be closer to the guy she’s been dating for a year or so now. Ugh. Traitor.

So, that’s exactly how Mike finds himself here, on fucking February 1st, at approximately 8 PM at night, desperately trying to redecorate his classroom for Valentine’s Day. 

In Mike’s defense, Valentine’s Day isn’t for another two weeks, thank you very much. But all the other teachers in the school have already decorated for Valentine’s Day, and if Mike gets one more stupid, passive aggressive comment from stupid fucking Brenda or her evil twin, Tammy, he’s gonna end up losing his job.

Ugh.

“Are you kidding me?” Mike groans, and he falls backwards onto the floor, letting the stupid pink construction paper heart fall onto his head. It’s rather ironic that he’s a kindergarten teacher and responsible for teaching twenty-five kids how to color inside the lines and cut paper properly and other stuff like that, since Mike didn’t even go to kindergarten and can’t cut in a straight line for shit.

The woes of being an “academically gifted” child.

Mike sighs heavily, and he closes his eyes, lying on the floor and questioning every single moment in his life that led him to this moment. Maybe he’s being overdramatic, but Mike doesn’t really care. Right now, he’s hungry, tired, and ready to go home. 

Teaching shouldn’t be this hard. Seriously. How is it that Mike can deal with little Riley Jones throwing up all over his brand new pair of shoes or Kimmy Harris screaming at the top of her lungs and picking a fight for the first month of this year, but somehow Mike can’t decorate his stupid fucking classroom? Why on God’s green earth is so bad at making things look nice—

“Mike?”

Mike flinches sharply, and he startles, sitting up quickly at sudden intrusion. Much to his surprise, Will Byers, of all people, is standing in his doorway, an amused (and admittedly adorable) smile on his face.

…

Okay, so look.

Here’s the thing.

Will Byers… is the new art teacher at Hawkins Elementary. Their old art teacher, Sandy, had retired at the end of the year, and though Will had been hired pretty early on into the school year, he’s only just started working at the school. 

And um… well… you see… Will is really, really good-looking.

Like really good-looking.

Quite possibly the most gorgeous and also the kindest person Mike has ever met in his life. 

For starters, Will has the prettiest eyes—a warm shade of hazel that looks green in certain lighting, Mike has noticed. His smile is pretty too—soft and sweet and perfect for his personality. He’s got fluffy, brown hair, and maybe Mike shouldn’t think this about his coworker for God’s sake, but he thinks he’d really like to run his hands through Will’s hair and pull him close and kiss him stupid and—

Ahem.

Um, yeah. So, that’s… that’s Will Byers. He’s great, and Mike has been meaning to get to know him more—not even necessarily in a romantic way. The two of them are some of the only male teachers at Hawkins Elementary, and they’re among the youngest here at this school. It makes sense that they’d become friends. 

Life’s just been absolutely crazy these past few weeks, so Mike unfortunately hasn’t gotten around to that.

“Will!” Mike exclaims, and he winces at the way his voice comes out as a little, panicked squeak. Warmth rises to Mike’s cheeks, and he offers a sheepish smile to his coworker. “Hey, um… what’re you still doing here?”

The smile on Will’s face grows, and he shrugs. “I could ask you the same thing,” he points out; then, his eyes flicker to the construction paper surrounding Mike. “I’m guessing you’re decorating your classroom though?”

“Ugh.” Mike scrunches his nose, picking up a few of the sad little paper hearts and letting them fall dramatically back onto the ground. “I’m trying to, at least. It’s going great, if you can’t tell.” 

A soft laugh escapes Will’s lips, and oh God, Mike’s heart does a little somersault. Will walks into Mike’s classroom, sitting down across from Mike, and he offers a smile. “Not a fan of arts and crafts, huh?” he guesses.

“Not all of us can be artists, Byers,” Mike replies easily, and a crooked grin forms on Will’s face. “I like every other part of teaching, but decorating my classroom? It makes me wonder why I didn’t just stick with being a Business major like my dad wanted.”

Again, Will just laughs, reaching for some of the construction paper on the ground. “I don’t know you very well yet,” he admits, “but you definitely don’t seem like the kind of person who’d enjoy working in business.”

A couple things stand out about Will’s response:

He says business the way that Mike’s kindergarteners say things like… homework or broccoli or other things that they hate, and Mike can’t help but grin. He’s liking Will more and more with each second that passes.

… Yet.

Will definitely said “yet,” and okay, Mike probably shouldn’t read too much into this, but also, he can’t help himself. His heart may or may not be pounding inside his chest, and his cheeks may or may not be burning up right now, and he may or may not be trying to stop smiling like a total idiot.

“I would’ve hated business,” Mike agrees, and he leans against his desk, scrunching his nose again at the mess of decorations sitting on the floor. “But at least businessmen don’t stay late at their jobs trying to decorate their offices for a stupid Hallmark holiday.”

“No, they just stay late at their jobs to crunch numbers and avoid their wives and children,” Will deadpans, and Mike just snorts. 

“Way to describe my dad in a nutshell,” Mike deadpans in return.

That playful grin returns to Will’s face, and he looks pleased at his ability to make Mike laugh. “Are you really planning on staying here until you have your entire classroom finished?” Will asks incredulously.

Mike winces, looking around at his classroom—which, admittedly… is about 10% decorated for Valentine’s Day. “Maybe,” he says, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean… I’ll probably end up coming back tomorrow and Sunday, but I wanted to finish as much of it as I can tonight.”

Will purses his lips, and he looks around the room again, a thoughtful look on his face. “You’re gonna need some help,” he decides, finally turning to Mike and smiling brightly. “And luckily for you… I’m pretty good at arts and crafts.”

Another playful smile—which most definitely makes Mike’s heart skip a beat and his stomach do a silly little somersault. “You don’t have to,” Mike reassures, though he really likes the idea of spending the entire weekend with Will Byers. “I’d feel bad making you help me out—”

“You could always make it up to me,” Will blurts out, and Mike just blinks.

For a moment, the two of the stare back at each other, and Mike watches as a rosy (and adorable) blush forms on Will’s face. He seems to register the fact that he just said that aloud, and Mike doesn’t really know Will Byers that well yet… 

But he gets the feeling that Will might just be as interested in Mike as Mike is in Will.

A slow smile forms on Mike’s own face. His cheeks are burning right now, and not for the first time, he feels like a kid with a kindergarten crush. “I could,” Mike says softly, meeting Will’s eyes. “What’d you have in mind?”

Though Will’s face most definitely gets redder, he smiles at Mike again, his eyes going soft. “Dinner, maybe,” he suggests, still playful and soft. “A movie, if you’re interested.”

The inside of Mike’s head feels like the movie Inside Out, with all of his emotions running around in a panicked, flustered mess, and okay, look, maybe it’s embarrassing to admit at the ancient age of twenty-four (almost twenty-five) years old, but Mike’s not sure he’s ever felt this giddy and excited around someone.

There’s just something about Will Byers—something incredibly special that makes Mike feel like this… this could be something real.

“I’m definitely interested,” Mike says with a smile of his own, and he gestures to the Valentine’s Day themed decorations around them. “Getting a headstart on Valentine’s Day, huh?”

“Something like that,” Will laughs, and his eyes crinkle when he smiles. Then, he sets the construction paper in his hands down and stands up. “Come on. Let’s grab dinner, then we can come back and knock out a couple of your bulletin boards.”

He holds his hand out to Mike, and Mike’s heart—stupid organ that it is—feels all fluttery again. He can’t help but smile again, and he takes Will’s hand, letting the other man help him up. 

“Dinner sounds like a good idea,” Mike agrees softly, feeling all too aware of how Will’s hand lingers in his for longer than it needs to. “You’re the best, you know that, right?”

An amused look forms on Will’s face as the two of them walk out of the classroom, and he glances back at Mike. “You don’t know me that well yet,” he says, a bit teasing.

“Well, it’s a good thing we’re about to change that,” Mike retorts, just as playful, and Will just smiles.

“Yeah,” he agrees softly, “it’s a really good thing.”

For a moment, Will’s eyes linger on Mike’s own, and warmth rises to Mike’s cheeks again. The two of them stay there, out in the hallways of Hawkins Elementary, for what feels like a little eternity; then finally, Will clears his throat and glances away.

“I’m kinda craving pizza,” he suggests. “You cool with that?”

“Pizza sounds great,” Mike agrees, and Will smiles again, walking down the hallway. “I can drive us. I know a good place.”

“Perfect,” Will says softly, and he glances back at Mike one more time, a softness in his eyes.

The words go unspoken, but somehow, they don’t go unsaid.

It’s a date.

[sabertoothjello]

I finished All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows. So good. I loved it.

You know that vibe from A Taste of Gold and Iron that’s just “you two are such fucking idiots about each other”? THEY ARE JUST SUCH FUCKING IDIOTS ABOUT EACH OTHER and I love it.

Spoilers under the cut.

(Although the spoilers are more vibes than specific plot points honestly.)

So. The end of my copy of A Strange and Stubborn Endurance had a snippet of this and it was enough for me to know that the plot line was going to include attempts at seducing one or both of the boys into an affair. (This is barely even a spoiler - that’s the prologue.)

I was NERVOUS. I hate “are they cheating oh no what do i do” plots. I hate when there’s chapters and chapters of angst and drama that could be solved by a simple fucking conversation. I spend the whole time frustrated and annoyed and yelling at the book “JUST FUCKING TALK” and that’s not a pleasant reading experience for me.

Foz did not do this, and I could not be more grateful. From Moment 1, these two idiots trust each other and care about each other more than anything else in the world (okay yes except for Markel, WE KNOW VEL). At no point do either of them actually think the other did anything. They both worry that the other will think they did, but there is never any doubt or suspicion or mistrust.

And I loved it. It makes the story so much more compelling. These two ADORE each other (btw Vel is HILARIOUSLY oblivious to his own feelings like I mean SAME babes, but COME ON) and they trust each other and if you take that away, then WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE STORY.

I cannot even begin to express how glad I am that my yelling about this book (to my dog) was “SEE? Do you see how PERFECT THEY ARE TOGETHER???” and not begging fictional characters to talk to each other. That’s a stupid conflict to have in a story. It’s cheap, you can do better.

Do they have trouble communicating? Yes, absolutely. Does it make perfect sense for their personalities, their histories, their traumas? YES. Was I so fucking glad that Markel looked at Cae and said “you shouldn’t have left him” because Cae is a damn idiot? YES.

This is a LOVE STORY, not because they had to contend with accusations of infidelity, but because, in every single fucking moment, both of them knew with 100% certainty that this man who they love would not do that to them.

The trust, the loyalty, the honor, the respect, the pure honest CARE is important and meaningful. Even Vel, who has only known shitty, toxic relationships, is a good man and a good husband and that is important. He tries, he wants to be, he works hard at it.

Like, that poor man gets bitchy with his husband and realizes UM SHIT I can’t just walk out and see what happens WHAT DO I DO and then he does his best. That’s what you do, Vel. Your best.

(Markel’s “bold of you to assume that Velasin has ever been wrong” was PRICELESS)

The love confession was glorious. GLORIOUS.

(Side note, CAE LIKES SMART MEN and I love him for it.)

As someone who doesn’t do the politics and people shit either, I love EVERY second of Vel figuring shit out and asking questions and staying calm until it’s worth losing his shit, and I adore Cae just sitting there, watching him and being like “I have never wanted anything more in my life than I want you right now”. GOOD FOR YOU CAE GET YOUR MAN.

I’ll need a reread because plot points blur together for me until I get a second time through, but I’m basically ready to flip back to the front and start right now 😂

Also, apparently I love a good “oh no, this stranger I’m stuck with every minute of every day is really hot and I want to jump his bones” (both of these stories and AToGaI, THANKS FOZ AND ALEX) so that was also fun.

They’re adorable and stupid and I love them.

[whatstruthgottodowithit]

Here You Come Again [Part Sixteen]

Fandom: Elvis Presley, RPF, American Actor

Pairing: Elvis Presley x Original Female Character

Characters: Elvis Presley, Addison Goodwin, Original Female Characters, Priscilla Presley, Colonel Tom Parker, Vernon Presley, Gladys Presley, Minnie Mae Presley, Marci Cunningham, Jerry Schilling, Red West, Sonny West, Marty Lacker, Joe Esposito, Charlie Hodge, Lamar Fike, Alan Fortas, George Klein, Memphis Mafia

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Word Count: 3423

Summary: When Addison Goodwin was seventeen years old her life was turned inside out after a chance encounter with her past. Now, fifteen years later her life is the best it’s ever been. She has a home, a good job and a daughter she loves more than anything in the world but will all that remain when an old familiar face rolls into town.

Tags: Angst, Fluff, Graceland, Las Vegas, The International Hotel, Elvis In Vegas, 1970s, 1970s Elvis, Friends To Lovers, Rekindled Romance, Parenting, Time Line is Sketchy, Guilt, Betrayal, Teenage Pregnancy, Hawaii, Hidden Pregnancy, Jealousy, Sex, Absence of Parent, Single Motherhood, Trauma, Oral Sex, Tension

Notes: Short and sweet but I promise the next part is longer! Last one after this followed by an epilogue x

LINK TO ALL PARTS // LINK TO AO3 // LINK TO PINTEREST

Jess had been rifling through her suitcase, hoping that the top she had worn yesterday could take another outing when the door burst open and Addison came in slamming it closed behind her as she said, ‘pack your shit we’re leaving.’

‘What?’ Jess asked watching as her mother started pulling clean clothes out of the closet.

‘Mom,’ Jess said but Addison didn’t say anything and instead she thrust the pile of clothes towards her daughter who took them, though instead of putting them in her case she just let them hang limply over her arms. She didn’t know what the matter was but her mother’s face was frantic, like it had been the day she’d first met her dad. Yet when Jess didn’t move it fell into a scowl as Addison said, ‘I mean now Jess.’

‘Mom what’s going on?’ Jess asked worriedly.

‘Please just do as I ask,’ Addison said moving back to the closet, gathering items haphazardly as she threw them on the bed hoping her daughter would spur into action that would allow her to circumnavigate any questions. But Addison wasn’t that lucky. Jess’ familiar blue eyes were watching her, her face plastered with concern. She’d always gone with what her mother wanted, she hadn’t pushed because she trusted her mom would do what was best, but now she had a sinking feeling in her gut. One that she doubted would go until she knew what was going on.

‘Mom what’s happening?’ she asked as Addison continued to move around her, taking the items out of her hands as realised Jess had failed to move.

‘Jess please,’ Addison said pleadingly.

‘No,’ Jess said firmly making Addison stop in her tracks. She folded her arms across her chest watching her mother expectantly, the way Elvis did when he knew she was keeping something from him. She didn’t want to tell her. She didn’t want to get into it, to rehash all the pain that was swirling inside her at that moment. She didn’t want to go through it because she knew she was in the wrong too, that she shouldn’t have let herself get so close, to give them both hope.

‘Jess please,’ Addison said placing her hand on her daughter’s shoulder, gnawing on her lip as she tried to keep herself from crying.

‘No not until you tell me what’s wrong,’ Jess said watching her mother closely. Watching her expression, one Jess knew only came when she was trying not to cry, something clicked into place as she said, ‘you guys had a fight didn’t you?’

Addison sighed moving away to busy herself with packing. She should’ve known she’d see through her, after all, Elvis could always read her even when others couldn’t.

‘I’m right, aren’t I?’ Jess said making Addison’s movements slow, ‘what happened?’

‘You don’t need to know this stuff,’ Addison said quietly.

‘Because I’m a kid?’ Jess scoffed making her mother turn around in an instant.

‘Of course because you’re a kid!’ Addison said, ‘Jess this stuff-’

‘Involves me. If it involves you two it involves me and I think I should be included don’t you?’ Jess said waiting for her mother who remained stony-faced and silent, ‘fine if you don’t want to tell me I’ll just go and ask Dad.’

She started moving towards the door making Addison sling the stuff she had been holding down as she rushed forward to stop her.

‘Okay, okay,’ Addison said quickly before she sighed and took a seat on the cluttered bed. Jess hesitated but then she moved to sit beside her, waiting for whatever it was to come spilling out of her though all she said was, ‘you’re right…we had a fight.’

‘What about?’ Jess asked tentatively.

‘It’s complicated,’ Addison said peeking at Jess who was waiting patiently for her to continue, ‘he said, we said some stuff…it was bad.’

‘What stuff?’ Jess asked.

‘Like I said it’s complicated,’ Addison said trying to ignore the twinge in her heart as Elvis’s face flashed behind her eyes. The anger, hurt and upset burned into her brain. Though its presence was forced out as Jess said.

‘He’s in love with you isn’t he?’

‘Jess!’ Addison gasped.

‘What I have eyes,’ Jess said, ‘I can tell by the way he looks at you…you look at him the same way.’

‘Honey,’ Addison sighed but Jess was on a roll. She had noticed it well before they had gotten to Hawaii and she was sure that both of them felt the same.

‘What? I mean you love him, he loves you, what more is there to think about?’ Jess asked, her hopes fading as her mother placed a gentle hand on her knee.

‘Jessie it’s not that simple,’ Addison said though as Jess went to protest she dove in. She did love him, she always had, but that was the reason she couldn’t go through it all again. As was the hope in her daughter’s eyes, ‘Jessie I can’t do it again. I wish I could but I just can’t. Last time…it nearly killed me.’

‘But maybe it’ll be different this time,’ Jess pressed on, ‘I mean this time there’s nothing stopping us from being a proper family, right? I know you love him and he loves you too. He wouldn’t hurt you I just know he wouldn’t-’

‘Is that why he threatened to take you away from me?’ Addison asked making her daughter’s eyes go wide. She didn’t mean to do it, she didn’t want to paint him in a bad light, if anything she’d always tried her best to soften the blow of the truth when it came to Jess considering throughout her childhood she had been forced to see how her parents tore chunks out of one another, but she needed Jess to understand. She needed her to realise that her actions, whilst not logical to everyone, did have a deeper meaning.

‘Mom, I would never,’ Jess said in little more than a whisper.

‘I know,’ Addison said stroking her face gently, ‘but like I said it was bad…and I can’t be around him right now not with all of this up in the air.’

‘Okay,’ Jess nodded.

‘Okay,’ Addison said taking a deep breath, ‘let’s get you packed up then.’

‘I meant okay I understand you don’t want to be around him,’ Jess corrected making her falter, ‘look I know you guys have had a fight and I know whatever’s going on between you isn’t going to be fixed fast-’

‘But-’

‘But he’s still my dad,’ Jess said firmly, ‘and you promised that we could try this and that no matter what I’d have you.’

‘Of course you will-’

‘So I’m not going to ask you to spend every minute with him,’ Jess said taking her own deep breath as nerves started to bubble inside her, ‘but I am going to ask that we stay. Because if some of your reasoning is to protect me or whatever what point is there in running away? And if it’s hard, if it’s awkward I’ll jump in…like you did for me the first time he came to the house, okay?’

The words seemed to hit Addison a good thirty seconds before the sentiment kicked in. It wasn’t what she wanted, all she wanted to do was get out of there even if that proved Elvis right about her, but she could see her daughter had a point. She kept saying that she was doing this for Jess, would that still be true if she didn’t take her daughter's needs into account? It also struck her just how kind and loving her daughter was, though that was something she already knew. All this time she had worried about how including Elvis in their lives would affect her and it turned out she was handling their situation better than either of her parents.

‘When did you get so grown up huh?’ Addison said with a sad smile as she pulled her in for a hug. Jess nestled herself on her mother’s shoulder, her arms wrapping around her torso.

‘You miss a lot when you’re drooling over Dad,’ Jess joked making Addison laugh though it was a little flatter than she hoped. They were quiet for a moment before Jess managed to work up the nerve to ask something further, ‘does this mean we can stay?’

‘Yeah,’ Addison sighed, stroking her daughter’s hair, ‘I can’t promise it’ll be like it was…I might need some space.’

‘That’s fine,’ Jess said pulling out of their embrace, ‘you hang with Aunt Mar. I’ll handle Dad.’

‘I shouldn’t be asking you to do this,’ Addison frowned.

‘Why not? We’ve always got each other that’s what you promised,’ Jess said, ‘I’m happy to help.’

Though before Addison could agree there was a knock at the door. They both looked at it, wondering who it could be this early, but they were saved from the suspense as Jess got up to open it. Standing outside the door was Elvis who offered her a smile before he peered in and noticed Addison sitting on the bed.

‘Oh, uh, hey,’ he said. Addison said nothing.

‘Everything okay?’ Jess said leaning on the door and moving it forward so his view was obscured.

‘Fine, uh, Lisa’s wondering if you want to come down the beach,’ Elvis said nervously.

‘Yeah,’ Jess said though she looked towards her mother, wondering if their little pow-wow was done. Addison nodded though it was a gesture so minute anyone else but the pair of them probably would’ve missed it.

‘Great,’ Elvis said looking down the path to where Lisa was standing, hand in hand with Vernon, eagerly awaiting the pair of them to get a move on.

‘Two ticks,’ Jess said moving away so that she could run into the bathroom, grabbing the t-shirt she had been debating wearing on her way past. She changed in record speed, ignoring how her bathing suit was still slightly damp as she put it on underneath her clothes. Yet it wasn’t quick enough and when she reappeared Elvis was now standing inside her room, watching her mother as she looked away from him, her arms wrapped around herself as she tried to hold her entire being together.

‘Ready,’ Jess said grabbing her beach bag off the bed and taking a stand in front of him, hoping he’d stop watching Addison and move towards the door, but he didn’t move, in fact, he looked down at her, pleading in his eyes as he said.

‘Actually, could I speak to your mom for a minute,’ he said.

‘Isn’t everyone waiting?’ Jess asked glancing at her mother.

‘It’s fine Jess,’ Addison said offering her a reassuring smile. Jess looked between them and then sighed.

‘Two minutes, okay?’ she asked looking at Elvis as sternly as she could muster.

‘Two minutes,’ he promised. And then with one final look at the pair of them, she headed out towards where Lisa and Vernon were waiting.

Elvis waited thinking that she might start first. Now that the fear had settled, he didn’t doubt she had a slew of things waiting for him and yet as he watched her they didn’t come. The only thing that did come as he took her in was a distinct ache in his chest.

‘Addie,’ he said finally making her look at him though her face was plastered in a scowl which somehow hurt worse. At least if she was screaming at him she was still talking to him. When she didn’t say anything he sighed.

‘Look I know you don’t want to speak to me right now and I don’t blame ya,’ he said earning a scoff, ‘but luckily I don’t need you to talk I just need you to listen.’

She didn’t say anything but the scowl faded as she waited for him to say whatever it was he needed to.

‘I’m sorry okay. Bringing up Jess and…and Mona like that was wrong,’ Elvis admitted.

‘You think?’ Addison said angrily.

‘You’re mad I get that,’ he said holding his hands up, ‘but I think you’re wrong too. I think you’re wrong for not giving us a shot. I think you’re wrong for not even trying. And I know you keep saying it’s for Jess or whatever but I meant what I said. I think you’re using Jess so you don’t have to admit you’re protecting yourself. I love you Addison, always have… and I know you love me too.’

They were staring at each other now, the tension between them palpable though it wasn’t like when they had been yelling at one another. This was worse. At least in the heat of the moment she could write off his words, now they were meticulous, planned out and each one cut deeper than the other though she knew that was only because they were laced with truth.

‘But,’ he sighed making her brows knit together, ‘but I’m not gonna force it. I can’t make you love me Addie, or make you admit that you do whatever way around it is. I can’t hang on hoping that one day you’ll decide to love me back. Now that doesn’t mean that I’m just gonna up and leave either. Like it or not I am gonna be in your life, in our daughter’s life…I just hope when you’re ready to admit it it’s not too late.’

And with that he strode out of the room, trying to ignore the sting of tears in his eyes as he walked out into the bright Hawaiian sunshine.

As they walked down to the beach he was quiet, every moment running through his brain in a cycle taunting him for what he did wrong. He tried to tell himself he had been in the right, that for the most part, he had a point, yet that didn’t take the broken way she had looked at him after he’d mentioned Mona out of his mind. The only solace he had as they walked down the sandy path to the beautiful beach was that he had been honest. That he had told her everything and now the ball was in her court.

That didn’t stop the ache in his chest though, it didn’t stop Jess and Vernon from sharing a look as he over-acted trying to remain as normal as possible as he followed Lisa down to the sea. At least spending time with the girls he didn’t have to think about it. Well almost.

He had taken a seat on his towel, dusting the wet sand off his legs when Jess plonked down next to him, her blue eyes watching and waiting for him as though he needed to explain himself.

‘What?’ he asked hoping her scrutiny wasn’t what he thought it was.

‘What happened?’ Jess asked.

‘What are you talking about?’ he asked casually.

‘What did you say to her?’ Jess pressed.

‘Jess,’ Elvis sighed.

‘Don’t bother lying to me because she already told me most of it,’ Jess said taking Elvis off guard. That wasn’t a good sign, if Addison was willing to let the façade break even a little bit in front of Jess it meant that the situation was dire.

‘You know we had a fight?’ Elvis asked.

‘Yeah,’ Jess said. Elvis sighed and looked out towards the sea. Lisa was with some of the other kids, running along the waterline as they allowed the waves to chase them up the beach. Carefree, happy. Something he wished he could feel at that moment in time. Jess watched him for a moment.

‘You love her don’t you?’ she asked after a minute. Elvis looked towards her, unable to protest.

‘Did you tell her?’ Jess asked though her face fell as Elvis looked at her pointedly, ‘oh, that’s what the fight was about.

‘I thought she told you most of it,’ Elvis said raising an eyebrow as Jess blushed.

‘Well she skated over a few details,’ Jess admitted, ‘but I got the gist of it…what I don’t understand is how you telling her you love her led to a screaming match.’

‘You’ve never been in love I take it,’ Elvis chuckled though it dimmed as Jess rolled her eyes. He wanted to be honest with his daughter, yet he didn’t have the heart to tell her what had kicked it all off in the first place. How the hurt and anger he had felt with Addison had pushed him onto the nearest girl around. How he’d taken her to bed, wishing for every minute that it was Addison.

‘Jess, I know this isn’t going to come as a shock to you but your mother isn’t exactly the easiest woman to deal with,’ he said making Jess smirk.

‘I know,’ Jess sighed, ‘she’s hardheaded, stubborn, uncooperative, unreasonable…and yet you love her anyway.’

‘Yeah, I do,’ Elvis smiled. It was true. Out of all the women he’d ever dated Addison was all the things he’d profess never to want. And yet all those qualities were things he loved about her. They infuriated him of course, but they had a hold on him. He was no more able to resist her now than when she was three years old and demanding he play house with her.

‘And she loves you too,’ Jess said.

‘Jessie,’ Elvis sighed. He knew she did but hearing someone confirm it other than his own thoughts hurt more than he anticipated.

‘She does love you back I know she does,’ Jess said firmly.

‘I know,’ Elvis said pulling her into him as he sighed, ‘but that doesn’t mean she wants to be with me, honey.’

‘She’s just scared,’ Jess said, ‘I mean last time she felt that way it all went wrong. When the Colonel sent her away-’

‘How do you know about that?’ Elvis said pulling back. Though Addison and he had gone through everything that had happened in their late-night talks she had always said Jess didn’t need to know the ins and outs of everything. And from the look on his daughter’s face, it hadn’t been her mother to tell her.

‘Grandpa told me,’ Jess said biting her lip as Elvis’ jaw tightened, ‘but I made him. I begged him please don’t be angry with him it’s not his fault.’

‘He shouldn’t have told you,’ Elvis said looking down the beach to where his father was lying reading his book, unknowingly being ratted out.

‘It’s my story too remember,’ Jess said making his gaze fall back on her, his expression softening a touch, ‘and I know you guys think I’m just a kid and I know you want to protect me or whatever but that doesn’t mean I don’t see everything y’know? I remember it all.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Do you think that in fourteen years mom didn’t have a chance at being happy? At meeting someone new?’ Jess asked raising an eyebrow. Elvis’ brow furrowed; he hadn’t thought about it much before. When Jess had blown his questions off he had allowed that answer to be the truth in his mind because he hadn’t wanted to think about it.

‘I suppose,’ he said.

‘I used to think it was because she was worried about me. That if she let herself be anything other than a mom it would upset me but now…now I don’t think that’s what it was,’ Jess admitted, ‘I think she didn’t allow herself to do that stuff because…well because she was still in love with you. And well I can see why she might think it could go wrong, how it might not last…I mean you got married-’

‘I didn’t stop,’ Elvis said, the words falling out of his mouth without him giving them permission, ‘I never stopped loving her.’

‘So don’t stop now,’ Jess said, ‘please?’

‘Jess,’ Elvis sighed.

‘She’ll realise it I promise she will,’ Jess said, ‘just don’t give up on her just yet.’

‘Oh honey,’ Elvis said pulling her back into his side. They sat there for a moment, both looking out towards the gently lapping blue sea, listening to the wind as it rustled through the palm trees behind them. She didn’t look up but after a moment Jess spoke.

‘Dad?’ she said tentatively.

‘Yeah?’ Elvis asked still watching the waves.

‘Maybe next time don’t tell her you’re gonna take me away?’ Jess said making Elvis’ heart twinge. It had been a stupid remark, one he hadn’t meant and hearing the way Jess’ voice sounded made him feel all the more worse.

‘I never would baby,’ Elvis said firmly, ‘I never would.’

SERIES TAGS

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[drabblesandimagines]

Milkshake

Lil' follow-up to Syrup that I couldn't get outta my head after seeing the finale! Rei x reader, fluffy fluff

-

You blink – not quite believing your eyes when the grey dot has changed to green next to his name. You haven’t seen that in weeks. You’d spent literal hours on voice chat together, sometimes playing a multiplayer game, sometimes doing your own thing, sometimes just chatting and nothing else, right up until a couple of weeks before Christmas when things went radio silent. At first you shrugged it off, thinking that it was the run up to the holidays, things maybe just got busy, or maybe his internet was out, or maybe he’d even gone out of town and just hadn’t mentioned it… But then, when the Morio Kart DLC expansion came out – one that you knew both Rei and Miri had been so excited to play – you began to feel a little hurt. Your mind would often try and dissect the snippets of your last conversation, trying to work out if you’d offended him somehow, said something weird?

There’s another beep and a notification pops up. ReiSuwa1 is inviting you to voice chat. Your disbelief turns to annoyance – he’s ghosted you for so long, this better be one hell of an explanation.

You lean back in your gaming chair, kicking your feet up on the TV console as you hit accept. “Hello, stranger.” Your tone is tense.

“What?!” A voice cries out – it’s too far from wherever the microphone is but it doesn’t sound like Rei. There’s a lot of racket – like someone’s scrambling around, looking for something, then it stops.

“Hello?” You try again.

“Who’s this?” Definitely not Rei. Had his account been hacked?

“Er, you called me.”

“I did?” They sound puzzled. “I was just trying to switch the damn thing off and then your voice started coming out the headset. Rei’s shown me but I can never remember the right buttons…”, the mysterious voice rambles on before stopping. There’s a twinge in your stomach at the mention of Rei’s name. “Oh… Are you that girl he was speaking to, from the video games shop?”

You try your best to sound casual. “Well, that depends on how many girls from video games shops he talks to.”

“You’ve met Rei, right? I don’t think you’ll be surprised to hear the amount is incredibly low, single digit low. One and under.”

“Ah, you must be Kazuki.”

“Huh, he mentioned me?” You hear him sit down on something with a loud exhale – must be getting comfortable.

“Yeah, loads of times.” He had – funny stories, usually.

“Well, I’m honoured.” He chuckles.

“Hey, just whilst I’ve got you on the line and all,” you pause and wonder if you’re going to regret this, but press on regardless, “Is Rei okay?”

“Yeah.” There’s a beat. “Why? Has he said something?”

“See, that’s the thing – he hasn’t said anything. I haven’t spoken to him since, like, mid-December. I was really surprised to see him calling, to be honest…” You trail off.

“Oh!” Kazuki sounds genuinely surprised, or is an incredible actor on his roommate’s behalf. “I mean, he’s been on here with Miri recently, but when I properly think about, I haven’t seen him play anything solo in a while.”

“Sorry, this is probably the worst conversation to have got yourself into. I think I misread things – I shouldn’t drag you into my woes.”

“No, he…” He sighs. “How do I say this? There was… There was an accident about two months ago. Rei really injured his right arm. He’s a lost a lot of the mobility in it, including his hand. He’s doing physio, but…”

“Oh, jeez.” You exhale.

“He’s okay now. Well, okay-ish. They don’t think he’s really going to get a lot of movement back in it. Shit.” He mutters, as if he’s had a realization. “I kinda forgot that means video games are off the table. I thought he wasn’t playing with Miri because he says she’s a bad loser, but I guess he can’t use the controller thing as well as he used to?”

“Mm, a lot of them do just work off the premise that everyone’s got two functioning hands. You can do some tactical button mapping on some, I think. Gotta admit I haven’t looked into it much.” You bite your lip in thought. “Poor Rei. That must be a big adjustment.”

“Yeah. I mean, he’s taking it really well. Never complains.” Another pause. “I mean, you haven’t even seen him by the shop? He took Miri a couple of weekends ago to get some new figure to unlock something.”

“Oh. No, I don’t work weekends. He… He knows that.” Your stomach is twisting in knots. There were a few times him and Miri would pop in when he picked her up from daycare to say hello and on a rare occasion, he would show up online on the weekend saying Kazuki was out somewhere with Miri, so he knew your rota.

“I’m sorry.” He sounds genuine, at least.

“No, I’m sorry – I just feel a bit of an idiot.” You don’t know what it is, but Kazuki is surprisingly easy to talk to and you need to get it off your chest. “Like, I was trying to build up the courage to ask if we could go for a real date instead of all these virtual ones we seemed to be having. Probably for the best he ghosted me, huh?”

“No, I think he would’ve liked that. Honestly, this…” he pauses, as if he’s choosing his words carefully, “accident has been a lot. Rei’s surprisingly sensitive, he’s probably worried that he wouldn’t be able to keep up with you. Did you guys do quests or some shit?”

“You do know video games!”

“I may have overheard some key terms, that’s it. And, er, don’t ignore the question.”

“Yeah, we did. He’s a much better player than me, though. He was dragging my stats up.” You sigh. It’s not what you wanted at all, but maybe it’s a sense of closure. “Well, I’m glad he’s okay-ish. I don’t know if you want to tell him you accidentally called the video games store girl, but if you do, tell him… Tell him I’m thinking of him, yeah?”

“Sure will. Erm, whilst I’ve got an expert on the line – A, how do I hang up and B, how do I turn this machine off?”

You laugh. “I’ll hang up so that’ll take care of that. Do you see the really big rectangular button in the middle of the controller?”

“Mm.”

“If you hold that down it’ll bring up a start up menu, kinda like a laptop? Then you can select power off and that’s you.”

“Thank you. And, hey, I will speak to Rei, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks. Bye, Kazuki.”

You press the end call button, as promised, and a few seconds later you see Rei’s icon change to offline so it looks like Kazuki at least managed to turn off the machine. You fling off your headset, spin your chair around to face your bed and collapse down onto it face-first, letting out an exhale. Poor Rei…

--

You’re so tired. You tossed and turned all night with an idea swirling around your head. You got up, wrote it down, and got back under the sheets but your brain still wouldn’t shut up about it. You’d spent until the really early hours conducting research and now, you’re on your third cup of coffee due to an early delivery you need to sign for at the shop, annoyed at yourself but you wouldn’t say you were full of regret what you’d discovered.

You’d been thinking about Rei and that, if he did want to play video games, there must be something out there to help. Whilst you found there were some consoles with “official” adaptive controllers in a way – and, ouch, eye-wateringly expensive, much? - your research also led you to a bunch of online videos where people shared their modded designs - even the schematics or a print bundle for you to 3D print your own to adapt the controller yourself for numerous different machines. The reviews are sometimes so-so, things are a work in progress, but you wonder if you could take parts of one and parts of another and try and make something workable.

As you watch the boxes get unloaded and put into the store room, you wonder if whether you’re getting way ahead of yourself. Sure, you could make the adaptor for the controller but if you did, how do you know he even wants such a thing, plus how would you even get it to him? You didn’t have his number – it was the shop policy to shred anything with customer’s details on right after the repair had been complete and you’d rang off the store’s phone those few months ago.

You sigh, before taking another deep sip of coffee. The problem is, you know you, and once you set your mind to a project you’re going to see it to the bitter end.

“Sign here, please.” The delivery driver pulls you out of your thoughts as he taps on the clipboard, after stacking up the last of the boxes.

Right – work first.

--

A week later, you’re sat at your desk fiddling with various parts. You’d found a place that offered 3D printing facilities, so you’d printed out a bunch of stuff on your day off that you’d bookmarked for possibilities and you’ve spent your evenings since placing bits and pieces together to try and make something workable. Luckily from your shared game play and access to his gaming history via his profile, you know what games Rei likes so you can begin to test your configurations a little, noting down what is and isn’t working to try and tweak things further.

Your console chimes – you’d turned it on when you got home to download an update. Looking at the screen, you see a notification. ReiSuwa1 is inviting you to voice chat.

You grab your headset and slip it on before picking up your own controller and hesitating. The conversation with Kazuki had popped up in your mind since you’d spoken and as you reflected, you’d begun to wonder if you’d just sounded so utterly sad and desperate.

You press accept and brace yourself. “Hello?”

“Hey!” It’s Kazuki again. “I deliberately called this time – I promise.”

“You’re learning.” You smile, rolling your seat back over to your desk. “What can I help you with?”

“I spoke to Rei.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t say it like that – I was covert.”

“Yeah?”

“I just said I noticed that I hadn’t seen him playing on here recently alone, or speaking to you… He admitted it’s difficult with the controller. He didn’t want to bother you.”

“Bother me?”

“Yeah. I didn’t quite get it either. I pressed him on it a bit – said something about holding you back in gameplay, that maybe you wouldn’t want to speak to him anymore.”

“What? No, that’s not right – we spoke loads of times when neither of us were even playing.”

“I know! I suggested he called you, I said you were probably worried about him since from what he and Miri had told me about you, you seemed a nice girl, but he shrugged it off in his usual Rei way.”

“It’s okay, you can’t force him.”

“Oh, I can. As his roommate and friend, it’s important that I aid him in his recovery, and that is reconnecting with his friends, if not more.” Is it possible to hear someone wink through a call? Cos you feel he definitely just did. “So, I was wondering, whatcha doing Saturday?”

“Huh?”

“Miri’s desperate for a new kart thing? We’ve got a chore chart, she gets a gold star every time she does her tasks and I said when she’s earned enough, Rei will get it for her. So, I thought, maybe, if you happened to be in a certain video games store on your day off and I sent a certain man to go in…”

“Ah, I don’t know.”

“Come on, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“He could think I’m stalking him.”

“Uh-uh, you’ll be in the store first.”

You look at the controller in your hand. “I’ve been working on something dumb.”

“Are you changing the subject?”

“No, it’s related. You know I repair controllers, right? Well, after our conversation, I’ve been fiddling around with some adaptors - you kinda clip them on the controller and then you can use it with one hand. I thought it might be something Rei would want to try, I mean, he might want to try…”

There’s silence from Kazuki’s end of the line.

“I’m sorry, is that creepy I’ve done that? It’s probably creepy.”

There’s a loud sniff.

“Are you…? Are you crying?”

“No! It’s just allergies.” There’s another loud sniff. “That settles it - we’re doing this. Give me your number.”

--

When Saturday rolls around, you’ve got the controller adapters into decent shape and they’ve passed all your self-created one hand tests. Kazuki and you have been texting off and on the last few days and he’s bringing both Rei and Miri to the mall – there’s some live performance of those dancing vegetables from the TV that kids seem to like so much. Whilst Kazuki takes Miri to that, he’s going to get Rei to head to the Joypad and pick up Miri’s figure as a surprise. You’d taken your spare controller with the adaptors in place to work yesterday and left your bag in the back office – more so as an excuse to your colleagues as to why you’re there on your day off. You don’t know how to explain that your crush’s roommate has set an elaborate meet-cute for you both, so with Kazuki’s detailed updates and ETAs, you time it perfectly to pop in the store, greeting Mr Kyoto himself before slipping into the back office to pick up your backpack. You got in the back office as Kazuki texted to say that he could see Rei entering the store now – oh, jeez, is this the creepiest thing you’ve ever done? – and you wait about a minute before exiting. The timing is almost too perfect - you’re walking down the aisle towards the exit as Rei’s walking up, looking for the figurine.

His right arm is strapped up in some sort of black immobilization aid, keeping it close to his chest, but he looks as good as ever and you suddenly feel queasy. This was a terrible idea, you’re considering spinning on your heels and diving back into the office until he leaves but it’s too late as the two of you make eye contact.

Rei looks almost embarrassed to see you, and there’s an awkward staring competition before you realise you’re the one that needs to break the ice.

“Hi, stranger,” you smile, casually.

“Hi.” His cheeks are tinged red and he looks down at the floor for a moment. “Er… I’m sorry that I haven’t been online, or in here for a while…”

“That’s okay, it seems a lot has happened since we last spoke.” A not so veiled reference to his arm. “Are you doing all right?”

“It is what it is.” He shrugs. “I’m… adjusting. How are you?”

“I’m okay.” A pause. “I… I’ve missed talking to you, though.”

“Me too.”

You swallow, “What brings you here today, then?”

“Oh, Miri wants another one of these.” He casts his eyes to the display and grabs the character she’s after. You’re not sure which one, you’re too busy staring at his face.

“Oh, er, cool.” There’s another awkward pause and you lose all confidence. “Erm, well, I should let you get on. It was nice to see you, though…”

“Yeah,” he nods. This was such a stupid idea, you berate yourself, as you go to walk past him. He suddenly steps in front of you. “Wait.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you busy right now?”

“Erm, no…”

“Can I buy you a milkshake?”

You smile. “A milkshake?”

“I seem to remember you like them,” there’s a smirk on his face. There was one evening when you enthusiastically described an incredible milkshake that one of the kiosks in the mall made for probably a solid five minutes.

“That is true. Okay, then.” You nod. “You can buy me a milkshake.”

“Cool. I’ll just go buy this…” He nods to the figurine in his head and heads up to the counter, where Mr Kyoto is beaming at you, giving you two thumbs up and you avoid eye contact, pretending you don’t see your boss’ celebration. Rei retrieves his phone from his pocket as Mr Kyoto is scanning the figurine through the register and about 45 seconds later, your own phone buzzes.

Kazuki has sent you a text message comprising entirely of emojis – a winking face and love hearts.

--

You’re sat at one of the tables in the food court, sipping on milkshakes and chatting away like no time has passed. Rei’s slowly been opening up about his online absence.

“I just… I wasn’t sure if you’d still want to hang out if I can’t play.”

“Rei, I wasn’t just talking to you because I wanted to game with you, I was talking to you because I like talking to you.” You take another slurp of milkshake for a shot of sugar rush courage. “And, just to make this absolutely clear because I don’t think I was in all of our previous conversations, I quite like you, actually.”

“You do?” He smirks.

“Mm. I was going to ask you on a date.”

“You were going to?”

“Yeah, but then you went offline. You’re a hard guy to track down.”

“Ah.” He nods, taking a sip of his own drink.

“And I need to be completely honest because I feel creepy - Kazuki accidentally called me from your profile a week or so ago.”

“Is that why he and Miri are hiding behind that plant?” He gestures lazily to the corner and you see a flash of blonde duck behind the greenery and hear the little girl giggle.

“Most likely, yes.” You sigh. “He’s a sweet guy.”

“He is.”

“Sorry, I think he just felt bad for me and my sob story. And, well, he kinda told me about your arm too…” You pick up your backpack and place it on the table. “And it got me thinking – you know how I like messing around with controllers anyway?”

He nods.

“Well, it turns out there’s some really clever people out there making devices to ensure people with limited hand movement can enjoy video games, so, I kinda got a little too into researching it and mixed and matched and came up with this,” you dig into your bag and remove the controller - it's got the plastic adaptors clipped over it - placing it onto the table.

“So, you can use all the joysticks and triggers across the whole thing with your left hand.” You demonstrate, taking him through what controls what. “You’ll need to do some button configuration still on start menus, but I tried it out on my console on a few things I know you’ve played and it’s super easy.” You look up and he’s just staring at you, almost in disbelief and you panic.

“I mean, I’m not expecting you to use it or even take it home with you because I know this whole thing has been super creepy and I’ve overstepped so many boundaries and, like, talking behind your back with Kazuki, but I…” Without any indication, he leans forward and kisses you on the lips, gently, cutting off your ramble. He tastes like his strawberry milkshake.

He has a dreamy smile on his face as he pulls back and you’re sure you look like a total idiot, your mouth open in disbelief at the turn of events.

“Huh.” You find your voice. “I take that means you like it?”

“Mm, and I like you.” He gets to his feet and holds out his left hand to you. “Kazuki and Miri are going to get kicked out if they continue to hide in the shrubbery any longer. Come back to ours, you can show me how this thing works again.”

You nod, stuffing the controller back into your backpack and taking his outstretched hand. He doesn’t let go as he leads you over to Miri and Kazuki. The little girl greets you eagerly, crashing into your legs.

You don’t even need to hear Kazuki to put a face to a voice – his loud sniff as he wipes away his tears is enough to give it away.

--

Check out my masterlist.

[t0mcruize123]

Stuck with you

Last part🎀🫶

AGHHH THIS IS THE LAST PART OF STUCK WITH YOU I CANT BELIEVE I FINISHED IT ALREADY😭😭 I’ve loved writing this story the most it’s been my SLOWEST SLOW BURN but I’ve absolutely been ADDICTED to the plot and hot mini tropes🤭 ofc this entire story was written for the beautiful beautiful one and only @mqverick so yes, this is for HER AND HER ONLY🫵👹 IVE SAID IT BEFORE AND ILL SAY IT AGAIN HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUV UR THE BEST AND DESERVE EVERY SINGLE TOM CRUISE SMUT FANFIC IN THE WORLD THIS ONE IS FOR U🫶💞

There was a knock at the door and I jumped to my feet, panic holding me rigid. After my argument with Charlie last night, I’d tried to find another hotel nearby but they’d all been too full or too far so I was still in the same one. I’d purchased another room on the other side of the building, but I knew he’d find me. Charlie could be persistent when he wanted to be.

“Hello?!” He banged his fist against the door, “I know you’re in there, let me in! I dont like how we left things yesterday, can we talk?!”

I sighed heavily and opened the door a few inches. Charlie’s palms were pressed flat against the doorframe and his eyes were red as though he hadn’t slept all night. Now I felt bad because he had a whole day of driving ahead but it was still deserved.

“You want to talk or yell?” His head snapped up at the sound of my voice.

“Talk,” he promised solemnly and pressed his lips into a thin line, “But I haven’t got long because Ray is on his own in the hotel room and I don’t trust him to be careful.”

I inhaled sharply and opened the hotel door. Charlie slowly brushed past me and my stomach fluttered at the small touch. I walked forward into the bedroom and he followed quietly behind me.

“I haven’t been sleeping all night, because I’ve been thinking about what you said…and you’re right. I mean you’re always right, but I never realised just how right until you weren’t there to remind me,” his hand rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “Ive been really shitty to you and Raymond and you’re such a good person, and I want to be the perfect person for you. You deserve someone better than me but…if you come with me to LA, I’ll spend the rest of my time trying to be that perfect person to you.”

I forgot how to breathe, “You’re ready for commitment?”

“The idea still terrifies me, I can’t lie- Ive got so much going on but you’re right. You’ve been so helpful and comfortable to be around, and I know we haven’t known each other for long but you’ve really impacted my life. That first night in the hotel, was the night I started to forget a life without you.”

He took a step forward and breath caught in my throat, “I wasn’t lying when I said I needed you. You keep me sane, you keep me anchored, and you remind me when I’m acting like a total dick and I love you for it. I love everything about you, your stubbornness, the way you smile when you think I’m not looking, the way you fit perfectly in my arms.”

His hand came up to hold the small of my back and I arched into his touch, “There’s only you. Even when I'm not with you, there's only you. Next time, just ask. You've never had a problem being bluntly honest with me. If we're going to do this, then we have to trust each other."

"And you want to do this?" I hold my breath.

He sighs, long and hard, then admits, "Yes." His hand slides up, and he caresses my cheek with his thumb. "I can't make you any promises, But I'm tired of fighting it."

"Yes." One word has never meant so much to me. Then I blink, remembering his previous comment about our first night together in that hotel, “You wanted me then?"

"I've wanted you from the first second I saw you,” he admits, “Even when you were screaming at me in the airport, the fierceness turned me on.”

I laughed quietly and he stroked my cheek with his thumb, “And if I was short with you yesterday... well, it's just a shit day and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

"I understand,” I nodded, imagining I was in his situation. His head tilted ever so slightly towards mine and I gestured to the bed, “Now sit.”

"What?" His eyebrows rise.

"Sit," I order, staring him down.

To my absolute surprise, he does as I ask, sitting on the side of his bed.

His long legs stretch out in front of him, and he leans back slightly on the heels of his hands. "Now what?"

I move between his thighs and run my fingers through his hair. He closes his eyes and leans into my touch, and I swear, I feel my heart crack wide open. "Now I take care of you."

His eyes fly open and gods, are they beautiful. I've memorized every gold fleck in those green depths. Running my hands through his hair, I sink to my knees before him.

"You don’t-“

"I'm just taking off your boots." A smirk plays at my lips as I unlace one, then the other, taking them off.

His gaze locks on my skirt, heating every time the slit reveals a section of my thigh. "You've been wearing that all morning?"

"That's what you get for walking behind me," I tease, coming to stand between his thighs again.

"I can't really argue about the view from the back, either." He tilts his chin to look up at me.

"Be quiet and let me get this off you." I take off his jacket and his arms curled around my hips.

"I don't deserve you." he tugs me closer. "But I'm going to keep you all the same."

"Good." I lean in and brush my lips over his. "Because I think I'm in love with you." My heart beats erratically, and panic claws up my rib cage.

I shouldn't have said it.

His eyes flare wide and his arms tighten around me. "You think? Or you know?"

Be brave.

Even if he doesn't feel the same, at least I will have spoken my truth.

"I know. I'm so wildly in love with you that I can't imagine what my life would even look like without you in it. And I probably shouldn't have said that, but if we're doing this, then we're starting from a place of complete honesty."

He crushes his mouth to mine and pulls me fully into his lap so I'm straddling him. He kisses me so deep that I lose myself in it, in him. There are no words as he takes off my my shirt and unbuttons my skirt, all without breaking the kiss. "Stand," he says against my lips.

"Charlie.” My heart thunders.

"I fucking need you, Right now. And I don't need anyone, so I'm not quite sure how to handle this feeling, but I'm giving it my best. And if you don't want this today, that's fine, but I'm going to need you to walk out that door right now, because if you don't, I'm going to have you naked on your back in the next two minutes."

The intensity in his eyes and the vehemence of his words should frighten me, but they don't. Even if this man loses every ounce of his self-control, I know he'll never hurt me.

"Walk away or stay, but either way, I need you to stand up," he begs.

A smile curved at my lips, “I think two minutes might be overestimating your skills.”

He grins and lifts me from his lap.

My feet hit the floor. "I'm timing you."

"Is that_"

"One. Two." I hold up my fingers. "Three."

He's on his feet in a heartbeat, and then his mouth is on mine, and I stop counting. I'm too busy chasing the strokes of his tongue, feeling the ripple of his muscles beneath my fingertips, to give a shit where my clothes are going.

I feel air rush against my legs as my skirt hits the floor, leaving me in my underwear while I suck on his tongue.

He groans, Then his hands are in my hair, and he pulls back only long enough to rake his ravenous gaze down my body. "So fucking beautiful."

"I think that might have been a little longer than two-" I start, but he grabs the back of my thighs and lifts, sweeping my feet out from underneath me. My back hits the bed with a slight bounce, and honestly, I should have seen that move coming given that he's been putting me on my back for the better part of a year now.

"Still counting?" he asks, dropping to his knees beside the bed and pulling me up.

"Do you need me to keep score?" I tease as my ass hits the end of the bed.

"Feel free." He grins, and before I can get another word in, his mouth is between my thighs.

I suck in a sharp breath and throw my head back at the sheer pleasure of his tongue, licking and swirling around my clit. "Oh fuck."

He licks me from entrance to clit, finally flicking his tongue over that sensitive spot and I moan.

"Fuck, you taste good." He lifts my thighs up onto his shoulders and settles in like he has nowhere else to be tonight.

Then he absolutely devours me with tongue and teeth.

Pleasure, hot and insistent, spirals in my stomach and I'm lost in sensation, my hips rising and falling as I chase the high he drives me toward with every expert stab of his tongue.

My thighs tremble when he takes up a rhythm against my clit and drives two fingers inside me. They lock when he strokes his fingers in time with his tongue. Mindless, I'm simply mindless.

when he tips me over the edge of oblivion, it's his name I scream as that power whips outward with every wave of my climax.

"That's one," he says, kissing his way up my limp body. Moving his fingers out of me, he moves them to his lips and never once breaks eye contact. I suck in a deep breath as he licks his fingers clean, savouring my taste.

"Your mouth is..." I shake my head as his hands slide under me, moving us to the center of his bed. "There are no words for that."

"Delicious," he whispers, his lips skimming the plane of my stomach.

"You are absolutely delicious. I never should have waited this long to get my mouth on you."

I gasp when he sucks the peak of my breast into his mouth, his tongue lashing and stroking my nipple as he works the other between thumb and forefinger, setting a whole new fire within me built on the embers of the first.

By the time he gets to my neck, I'm a writhing flame beneath him, touching every part of him I can reach, stroking my hands down his arms, his back, his chest. Fuck, this man is incredible.

Our mouths meet in a deep kiss, and I can taste us both in it as I draw my knees upward, settling his hips right where they're meant to be- between my thighs.

he groans, and I can feel the head of him at my entrance. He shakes his head slowly and I smile.

"I don't get equal time to play?" I tease, arching my hips so he slides against me and making my own breath catch with the motion.

He nips my lower lip. "You can play all you want later if I can have you right now."

Yeah, that's a plan I can get with. "You already have me."

His gaze collides with mine as he hovers above me, bracing his weight to keep from crushing me. "You have everything I have to give."

That's enough...for now. I nod, arching my hips again.

Eyes locked with mine, he pushes into me with one long roll of his hips, consuming every inch and then taking another until he's i feel him everywhere.

The pressure, the stretch, the fit of him is beyond words.

"You feel so damn good." I roll my hips because I can't help myself.

"I could say the same thing about you." He smiles, using my own words from earlier against me. Hard, deep, and slow, he sets a rhythm that has me arching for every thrust as we come together again and again and again.

He drives us up the bed, and I throw my arms back, bracing against the headboard for leverage as I meet every plunge of his hips. God, each is better than the last. When I urge him to move faster, he gives me a wicked grin and takes me at the same mind-blowing, heart-jolting pace. "I want this to last. I need this to last."

"But I'm..." That fire in my core is coiled tight and so ready to burst free that I can almost taste how sweet it will be.

"I know." He drives forward again, and I whimper at how fucking good it feels. "Just stay with me." He adjusts the angle so he hits my clit with every thrust and presses my knee forward, taking me even deeper.

I'm not going to survive this. I'm going to die right here in this bed.

"Then I'm going to die with you," he promises, kissing me.

I'm so far gone, I didn't even realize I said the words out loud.

"More. I need more." Pleasure simmers beneath my skin and my legs lock.

"You're almost there. Fuck, you feel so damn good around me. I'm never going to get enough of this, enough of you.”

"I Love you." His eyes flare and his control snaps as he pounds into me, and that coiled pleasure explodes as he drives toward his own release, groaning into the side of my neck as the last waves of my orgasm leave me shuddering against him.

Long minutes pass before our breathing steadies, "You're all right?" he asks, brusting my hair back from my face.

"I'm great. You're great. That was-“

"Great?" he supplies.

"Exactly."

"I was going to use the word glorious but I think 'great covers it,”

His fingers tangle in my hair. "I fucking love your hair. If you ever want to bring me to my knees or win an argument, just let it down. I'll get the point." I grin as the breeze rustles through the brown strands.

My head turned to the side and I gasped at the broken desk to our left.

"What are we going to do?"

"Right now?" He strokes my hair back from my face again. "That was two, if we're still counting, and I say we clean up, move the desk out the way, and get you to three, maybe four if you're still awake."

My jaw drops. "After we broke the furniture?"

He smiles and shrugs. "I don’t care about the cost.”

I gaze down at his body, and the craving for him ignites again, "Yeah, let's go for three."

We're going for five, my hips in Charlie’s hands while I slowly ride him, and trail my fingers down the hard planes and muscles of his back. I'm not sure how either of us is still moving, and yet we can't seem to stop, can't get enough.

"It really is beautiful," I tell him, rising up only to sink back down again, taking him deep within me.

His dark eyes flare as his hands flex. "Oh yeah, you always wanted a man with a nice back, didn’t you?." He arches his hips, hitting me at a sublime angle.

"Mhm,” Fuck he's robbing me of every thought.

Someone pounds on the door.

"Go the fuck away!" Charlie yelled, reaching up my back and hooking onto my shoulder to pull me down into his next thrust.

I fall forward, muffling my moan in his neck.

"I really wish I could." There's enough regret in the voice that I believe it.

"Someone better be dead if I get out of this bed," Charlie retorts.

“It’s your brother, Raymond Babbitt?” The man called, “Nothing bad, we just found him wandering the hotel looking lost.”

Both Charlie and I startle, our gazes colliding in shock. I slide off him, and he covers me with his blanket before shoving his legs into his trousers and striding for the door.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Charlie swung open the door to see the hotel manager and Raymond standing there awkwardly.

“Charlie, Charlie Babbitt,” Ray mumbled quietly.

Charlie clapped his shoulder softly and I couldn’t help but grin.

~3 days later~

Charlie stared down at me with a mischievous smile, “Dance with me.”

I scoffed, “You don’t dance.”

“For you I will,” he offered me his hand and I looked down at it hesitantly, “Come on. You can’t come all this way to a wedding and not dance.”

I rolled my eyes playfully and accepted his hand. Keeping his eyes on me, he led us to the dance floor as though he knew exactly where to go and I sighed.

“This is so embarrassing,” I wrapped my arms around his neck and glanced to my right. My sister, dressed in her brilliant white gown, winked at me and I scrunched my nose back at her.

“Love isn’t embarrassing,” he murmured lowly and wrapped his arm around my waist. Our free hands came up to clasp each other and I smiled at the sight. The music slowed to a more romantic tune and we began to sway from side to side, never once breaking eye contact. I was wearing a red dress that accentuated my hips and hugged at my curves. Charlie kept reminding me how beautiful I looked though in all honesty, I was most excited for when he took it off me tonight. We’d made it to LA and we’re currently moving from hotel to hotel whilst we came up with a solid plan.

I looked at all the dressed up people around us and realised one person was missing, “I’m sorry about Ray.”

He shook his head fiercely, “You don’t have to be. Ray’s better off back at his institution, it never would’ve worked if he lived with me.”

I nodded, “Yeah…you did deserve a bit of the money though.”

“Its all his, that money was never meant to be mine and besides,” he leant closer to press his lips against my forehead, “I already have everything I need.”

I grinned and claimed his lips with mine, my arms tightening around his neck and his hands pulling me closer. I couldn’t get enough of this man, Charlie Babbitt was going to be the death of me.

“What happens after this?” I pulled back for breath, “When we both go home?”

“Well we don’t live far from each other,” the corner of his lip lifted, “And I need a new employee at the company.”

“Oh really?” My brow raised jokingly, “I didn’t realise there was a job vacancy.”

“It actually opened up recently,” he pretended to look at his watch, “Two seconds ago to be precise.”

I chuckled quietly and he nodded, “Though seriously, there is a job for you at the company if you want it.”

“What would I be doing?”

“I’m sure we can find something,” he shrugged as we moved around the dance floor, “I’d be your boss…”

“Sounds like a forbidden Office romance,” my mouth curved into a smile as I kissed my way up his jaw, “I’m in.”

“You just like the idea of me bending you over the desk and fucking you senseless when we’re not supposed to, don’t you?” he murmured against my skin and my back arched slightly.

“You know….we could always take this conversation to the bathroom.”

He leant back, “At your sisters wedding?”

I shrugged, “She won’t care, and I need this right now….so I can go to the bathroom alone and think about you slamming me against the wall and sliding your-“

His head leaned back with a low groan and I continued, “…Or you can come with me and make these fantasies a reality.”

I grew hot under the intensity of his dark gaze, and he smirked, “You never even had to ask.”

Without wasting a moment of hesitation, Charlie grabbed my hand and we rushed back out to the private bathrooms. My skin was already hot at the idea of Charlie filling me, and my heart pounded loudly enough for the both of us. This day couldn’t get any better.

My back pressed against the cool bathroom wall and Charlie pinned my wrists above my head. Pulling my skirt to the side, he lined himself up at my entrance and wait…no, it could get better.

He rolled into me with one thick thrust and my head tipped back in blissful pleasure. Completely inside of me, I took a moment to adjust to his size before he pounded into me once more, my thighs already spilling with a pool of wetness.

Best

Day

Ever.

The end💋

[nikethestatue]

god you were so right with that post about wtf cassian even does cause i was thinking about that the other day. like he has all this free time apparently and can train the valkyries instead of being among the soldiers he actually commands? like shouldn’t he be continually trying to build rapport and get to personally know as many of illyrians as possible since they, at best, begrudgingly tolerate him and rhys out of obligation? maybe he could even train some of the females himself and find allies who also want to work against the deep rooted misogyny and mistreatment. cause there’s certainly gotta be others.

better yet though, what does the IC in general do each day? 😭 sure they all got their roles and specialties when shit’s going down and there’s official matters at hand but like… beyond that? job descriptions? don’t know her. rhys does god knows what. correspondence and bureaucratic paperwork? feyre’s painting and giving art lessons to children if she’s not with rhys. amren’s doing puzzles or banging varian. mor’s… doing whatever it is she does — at one point i swear rhys says she’s the one who actually runs velaris and hewn city so then like what does he do??

azriel seems to be the only one busting his ass on the regular and it’s just expected of him. he really be off on missions constantly but is like on the bottom rung of the IC ladder. homeboy’s gotta be the most qualified in his position out of all of them. he’s got hella work experience, been doin the same job since rhys’ daddy was still HL. istg rhys better be bankrolling every single one of that dude’s living expenses and then some. at the very least once in a while just tell him like “hey bro i know we been through some shit but i appreciate your commitment to the wellbeing of this court and i love you unconditionally” ya know? #FreeMyBrotherAz

it seems like he kinda got pigeonholed into his line of work cause of what he is but he continues to do it to be able to protect the people he cares about and that outweighs any personal desires. but like what if deep down he wants to be a choral director or interior designer or something?

that being said: in a hypothetical near future, the Big Bad™️ has been defeated and prythian enters an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity across the courts. the IC is relieved of their official duties until further notice and rhys instructs them to take up work elsewhere. what occupations are each of them choosing?

I wondered that as well. Like what do they do?

SJM seems to think that Generals are only needed during war times. There seems to be nothing that the military is waiting for beyond the NEXT BIG WAR. Which comes about every 500 years.

So like does Cassian only work every 500 years?

The rest of them--I have no idea. Even worse, when Rhys was 'bad' and had no associations with other Courts, WHAT DID HE DO?

Also, what do they even need to do when there is magic? Why do you need to do anything. SJM seems to think there is some kind of feudal system in Prythian, where the HLs sit and listen to problems and collect tithe. Shouldnt there be others to do that for them? Why are there no cabinets? Who is in charge of education? transportation? agriculture?

Yeah, I've always felt like the only person in the IC with an actual JOB where he has to do things all the time is Az. And like, Rhys, get off his back. If he wants to kiss Elain, let him kiss Elain.

The only other person who works there is Nesta. They keep dragging her into weird missions and ask her to do dangerous stuff.

And Elain cooks and minds the kid.

The rest, apparently, live a life of leisure.

[mellometal]

Here we go again...Jesus tap-dancing Christ. This is a lot longer than I wanted it to be.

Hey.  I haven’t been able to make any posts related to Dhar Mann over the past several months.  I needed to make my mental health a priority over a guy whose presence literally makes my blood boil. (Also...side note: I have said this multiple times before, I don’t always want to discuss this individual or anyone associated with him. I don’t want to be restricted to talking about one topic. /notmad)  I’ve also been going through a lot, as a lot of you know.  You’re probably not here for me to tell you about why the posts about this individual and anyone related to him have halted, so I’m gonna cut to the chase.

This is an important topic, as almost every single actor who has worked under Dhar Mann is protesting against him due to him not paying them a liveable wage.  Y’know, despite racking in a shit ton of ad revenue that’s around $25k or something like that.  Hey, aren’t you a multimillionaire?  I know damn well you can afford to pay the actors a liveable wage for their time and ensure they can pay for essentials, like I don’t know, A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS! I’ll be linking as many videos talking about this subject from some of the actors themselves and through YouTube commentators as Tumblr will let me link. As I’ve mentioned in passing, I haven’t watched any videos Dhar Dhar Binks has made in the past few months because hate watching his videos will only line his pockets and hurt the actors. Especially now.

Dhar Mann has been firing people for speaking negatively about the conditions of the studio and the pay.  This has been through emails (a few people’s emails have been put up on social media, which is super unprofessional and can be dangerous for the people whose emails were posted online).  Instead of taking criticism and actually trying to make things right for the people who have made his channels successful, he doubles down on all the “positive” experiences that some of the actors have had with him.  One of them notably being Katherine Norland, which considering how problematic she is outside of working for Dhar Mann, I’m not at all surprised.  Two birds of the same feather flock together.  She talked about how her experience working with Dhar Mann has been great.  Hey, Katherine, not everyone has the same experience as you.  But I bet you like playing the bigoted Karen roles you get, huh?  Figures.  

Here’s a five minute clip of a FORTY-FIVE MINUTE VIDEO she made. I already have a headache listening to her spew typical Boomer/Boomer 2.0 (A LOT of Gen X...mainly elder Gen X) bullshit.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRnqHuvd/

All I gotta say is: Okay, Boomer. Lay off the Kool-aid. (She probably isn’t a Boomer, but she sure talks like one.)

Another actor I’ve seen speaking more on neutral ground, but still defending Dhar Mann low-key is Melvin.  To sum up what Melvin said, he basically said that Dhar Mann’s “a good guy (to him)”, DM “shouldn’t be canceled”, he saw where the actors who were protesting were coming from, and “everything’s gonna get solved”. The clip where he talks about this is below:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRnqD1pv/

According to Colin A. Borden, who has worked with Dhar Mann as an actor for the past few years, he stated on his social media platforms that a lot of the actors, himself included (most likely, I’m not sure), can’t even afford rent with how little Dhar Mann pays the actors.  This was when he was talking about why actors are protesting at the moment.  He’s not the only actor I’m going to be naming.  A few other notable actors protesting are Mair Mulroney, Rachel, and a couple others.  I linked a few of their videos below.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRnVcm4A/ (Colin's video)

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRnVvEK5/ (One of Mair's videos)

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRnVGLaB/ (Nathan's video, where he talks about why the contracts and payments are bad.)

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRnqNyPd/ (A compilation of actors protesting.) (TW: There are whistles being blown.)

According to other actors who have come forward with their experiences with this individual (Rachel being one of them), they would work twelve to fifteen hour days for the wage of eighteen dollars per hour (for non-speaking roles) or thirty-three to forty-four dollars per hour (for speaking roles).  To my understanding, this was a few times a week.  This kind of schedule is not sustainable.  These actors can’t even afford to pay their rent, like I have mentioned before.  Dhar Mann can lie his ass off about how he pays everyone fairly all he wants, but you know I’m going to believe the actors over him any day.   

Clip from a livestream where Rachel is talking about pay:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRnqBSrF/

“Eighteen dollars an hour for a non-speaking role?  Thirty-three to forty-four dollars an hour for a speaking role?  That sounds great!  What’s the problem with that?”

Getting paid eighteen dollars an hour (for non-speaking roles), or getting paid thirty-three dollars to forty-four dollars (for speaking roles) for twelve to fifteen hours a day a few times a week sounds like a lot of money, but that’s further from the truth.  Let me explain. 

If they’re only there for twelve to fifteen hours a few times a week, to paint a better picture, and they’re paid semi-monthly, the people with non-speaking roles would only get around $1,440 every two weeks, and the people with speaking roles would get around $2,640 - $3,520 every two weeks. (NOTE: These are only estimated amounts. I used 80 hours here in total for the two weeks, and used a tax calculator based in California, where they work. This is given that their hours actually equal forty hours per week. The hours are variable, as Nathan has said in his video talking about this subject. The actors could actually be getting paid less than the estimated amounts I put up.)  This is before taxes are taken out, hypothetically, if Dhar Mann or anyone who handles payroll is actually doing their job.  After taxes are taken out, the extras would only be getting $1,132 every two weeks, and actors in speaking roles would be getting $1,923 - $2,456 every two weeks.  He pays everyone out through PayPal…instead of at least giving them a pay card where he can put their paychecks onto or letting them use their banks through direct deposit, or giving them paper checks so they can deposit their earnings into their bank accounts.

The average person’s rent in all of California was around $1,818 back in 2021.  That’s not including utilities, insurance, and other bills.  They’re pretty much scraping by to survive if they’re living on their own.  Those are some “competitive wages”, huh?  Get over yourself, Dhar.  You’re fucking cheap and you can’t manage to pay the people who made your shitty channel huge fairly.  Just admit that.

Another thing that I need to mention is them painting a mural to honor an actor who passed away, then taking it down a few days later. The reason for this wasn’t really made clear. Something about the landlord saying to take it down, or they needed that space for a video. Whatever the reason is, it’s not cool to paint a mural dedicated to an actor that you’re not even gonna keep up. It gives off the impression that you only did it for clout. Just saying.

ETA: This is new information that I found from doing more research. Carl Judie, according to Riki (who was close to him), was actually planning on leaving before his death due to how he was being treated. His loved ones do not want Carl’s face to be anywhere in Dhar Mann’s studios. This is the video where Riki discussed Carl:

Another actor came forward to speak about how Dhar Mann was practicing a scene with her for a TikTok and he was chasing after her with a real knife instead of a prop knife. 

Clip from a livestream:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRnqPsCm/

A child actor (Brianni) talked about how she was fired because she has medical issues THAT DHAR MANN WAS WELL AWARE OF. Her video is below:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRnqmUTd/

Riki, one of the major actors in his shitty videos refused to do any more videos that have to do with race and she got less work as a result.  A black woman not wanting to do videos about race?  *gasp* How will Dhar Mann ever recover from this? /s Oh, I wonder…I will be linking her video where she explains why she stopped doing any more videos that have to do with race.  She explains it a lot better than I can. Her video is linked below:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRnqRnSn/

Actors are generally unionized to prevent this kind of thing from happening (i.e., paying dramatically low wages and an overall unhealthy work environment), but the way Dhar Mann runs shit, it’s not unionized.  Fearing that you will lose your job if you’re critical of the boss in any capacity or you speak out about work conditions is not a healthy work environment.  Nobody should be having to walk on eggshells and be afraid of losing their job if they say anything.  There’s a thing called the whistleblower act, which is there to protect employees from being attacked by their superiors for speaking out about what is wrong with the workplace. Dhar Mann has apparently been threatening actors who have spoken out against him with lawsuits on top of all this. So that’s cool. /s

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRnVTBkV/ (A video of actors protesting that Mair recorded talking about what/why they're protesting.) (TW: There are whistles being blown.)

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRnqPWbV/ (Protest video Nick recorded.) (TW: There are whistles being blown.)

I’ve seen people write off Dhar Mann literally breaking labor laws as his actions simply being ‘show business’, as well as invalidate the actors coming forward to talk about their experiences all because they’re independent contractors who Dhar Mann calls every now and then.  “Every now and then”, MORE LIKE EVERY DAY.  You do realize there aren’t just adult actors working in his studios, right?  There are child actors who are working under Dhar Mann too, and they should be getting paid fairly for their work.  Or else Dhar Mann’s gonna get into legal trouble again.  Either with a series of lawsuits involving the actors he fired suing his ass, the IRS coming after him, or he’s gonna serve jail time.  Either way, he’s in deep shit.  The reason why I say he’s breaking labor laws is because he’s (probably) not paying the kids who work for him fairly either. Quite a few of them appear to be elementary school age or middle school age, around maybe eight years old to possibly thirteen or fourteen years old. Maybe he shows the literal children working for him some mercy...because most of the people who watch his videos are children. I don’t know. Apparently they were supposed to stop casting actors who are minors (under eighteen years old), but there are QUITE a few kids working under this cringe ass nae-nae baby. So...that’s pretty fishy.

According to sources from commentators like AugustTheDuck and Jarvis Johnson, none of the actors who have worked under Dhar Mann have ever (allegedly) received a 1099 form for their tax returns from DM. 

Both videos AugustTheDuck made:

First one

Second one

The video Jarvis Johnson made:

A 1099 form, for anyone who has never heard of it before, is a form that independent contractors receive by the end of the year usually.  In this case, DM has (allegedly) not given any of his actors their 1099 forms, and it is mid-February (as I was typing this...it is now the end of February).  With independent contractors, which is what the actors who work under Dhar Mann are classified as, the maximum they can be paid without getting a 1099 form (1099-NEC, formerly known as 1099-MISC, and/or a 1099-K) is about six hundred dollars a year.  This was before the IRS changed the rules about that.  Clearly they are making WELL over $600 a year.  You know what Dhar Mann had to say about that?  PAYPAL should’ve given out 1099 forms to his actors, not HIM.  The payer (Dhar Mann, or anyone who handles payroll) is responsible for sending out 1099-NEC forms to his actors and the IRS.  PayPal is only responsible for sending out 1099-K forms to people using PayPal for business as well as the IRS if you made over $20,000 that year, or you made over 200 transactions.  Dhar Mann has made well over $20,000, and he has made well over 200 transactions. Clearly.  Please correct me if I’m wrong, but shouldn’t the actors be getting both forms? I feel like they should be getting both of those forms.

Every time the actors would band together to try having a meeting with Dhar Mann to discuss their grievances with their work environment as well as their pay, he’s nowhere to be found and he tells them to forward their grievances with HR.  They have sent Dhar Mann letters through hard copies and emails directly to him, which were forwarded over to HR.  HR scheduled a meeting for the actors to discuss their grievances and they wanted Dhar Mann to be present, as he was the person they were having issues with.  The meeting kept being postponed multiple times.  By the time the meeting came, Dhar Mann was nowhere to be seen.  He was obviously not present for the meeting he was supposed to attend.  Why?  HE WAS CONVENIENTLY ON VACATION.  Wooooowwww.  Your company is not big enough to where you can’t realistically be reached.

You think you’re too good to show your face to people who have worked for you for years, listen to their grievances, and try to come up with a solution, don’t you, Dhar?  If you’re such a big, important man, why can’t you be an actual boss and show up to meetings that you’re supposed to attend?  Oh, is it because the vast majority of the actors (former and current) are understandably pissed about how little they’re being paid by you?  Is it because the vast majority of the actors are sick of your shit?  Sounds like you can’t handle any sort of criticism from people who have worked for you for so long.  You know, I had an inkling that this kind of thing was happening behind the scenes before ANY of the actors came forward.  Then to find out that inkling I had was right all along…that’s not a good thing, Dhar Mann!  I thought you learned your lesson from getting in trouble for committing fraud almost ten years ago!  GUESS NOT.  It’s all come full circle.  

You paint yourself as a good guy, but you treat the people who have made your sorry excuses for channels huge like shit.  How the fuck do you sleep at night?  How do you think this is okay to do to people?  Do they not deserve to have enough money to be able to live somewhat comfortably with the means to pay for essentials? Hmm…let’s talk more about how you fired one of your actors for having medical issues that you were made aware of.  That’s against the law, under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).  In California, the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) protects disabled workers.  But you’re all about supporting disabled people! That’s what you preach, right?  You know…until you have to work alongside them or you have to accommodate them in some way. Then disabled people are just a huge inconvenience for you. It’s too much to ask for you to properly accommodate anyone with medical issues, apparently. It’s such a hassle to check on anyone with medical issues that work under you and make sure they’re okay. Gotcha. /s

Summary:

Dhar Mann, multimillionaire, doesn’t pay his employees fairly!

Dhar Mann, Big Boss™️, gets all butthurt because his employees are speaking out against him! He fires everyone who speaks poorly about him and/or about the work environment instead of putting in the effort to come up with solutions! That’s just TOO MUCH to ask out of The Big Boss™️! /s

He will live to regret his decision.

[makethatelevenrings]

For All the Light I Shut Out - FIVE

Chapter Warnings: panic attack

Masterlist (mobile WIP)

“-and I said they were the best damn cookies next to my Ma’s.”

“‘Cause you’re a fuckin’ suck-up.”

“Well, now she won’t stop bringin’ me those damn oatmeal cookies! It’s like she’s got a central line to the fucking Quaker guy.”

Lily stifled her laugh as she passed Sal and Marnie, two of the administrative assistants for the HR and accounting floors. Fawn from the HR department crowed that she had the greatest cookies of all time and insisted on feeding everyone who would talk to her. Most folks learned quickly to avoid her sugary bricks, but it appeared that Sal was her new target.

“Amapola! Get your cute little tush over here.” A hand waved over the heads of the crowd seated in the Wayne Enterprises cafeteria and Lily followed it to find Gloria, Teddy, and Malcolm in their usual seats. Lily set her tray down and slid into her seat, immediately slapping Teddy’s hand away from her slice of pie.

“I’ll beat your ass and you know I will,” she warned. Teddy offered her a sheepish grin which Lily responded with an eye roll.

The administrative assistants tried to get lunch everyday together. It gave them a chance to get away from their bosses and gossip about what was happening on their floors. Lily rarely had something to contribute but she soaked up every bit of information that was offered. She would then help out Lucius by keeping him up to date on office politics. Who was cheating on their spouse, who was possibly embezzling funds, etc.

Assistants saw and heard everything. People forgot that they were present or assumed that they weren’t intelligent enough to understand what was being discussed. Lily had been underestimated and patronized her whole life. She learned to use that to her advantage.

“Hot topic of the day,” Gloria declared. “Bruce Wayne is back and hot as ever.”

“He passed me in the hall earlier and I nearly swooned,” Malcolm gasped. “What do you think his workout routine is?”

“More like, who is…”

“I’m losing my appetite over here,” Lily grumbled. In fact, she didn’t really have an appetite in the first place. For a Fortune 100 company who raked in billions every year, Wayne Enterprises’ employee cafeteria had awful food options. It was free, so she shouldn’t complain, and it was better than when she dug through trash cans for scraps, but still. Was the gray slop on her tray even edible?

“You look like shit,” Gloria observed. “Which is surprising since you average about four hours of sleep a night and still look fresh as a daisy, so what’s up?”

She shrugged and pushed some of the puce-shaded meatloaf across her tray. “Long night.”

Lily could offer up an anecdote about her run-ins with Wayne. She could tell them about how she almost got mugged -- and worse -- last night. She could talk about how her little sister was now in medical school after over a decade of Lily doing everything in her power just to keep Nadia alive.

But she instead deflected.

“Has anyone seen Kallie?”

Kalliope Marks was the only non-assistant allowed in their little group. Where Lily was the science, Kallie was the math. She was a whizz at calculations and quickly became one of the company’s top accountants. But she was a quiet figure who hated being the center of attention. When Gloria asked if she could bring along someone to lunch and Kallie joined them, Lily took one look at the shy woman and decided that they would be best friends.

Gloria grimaced. “Last I heard, Vandeer was chewing her out over a late report.”

James Vandeer, also known as the head of accounting and the biggest asshole of the company. Lily shot out of her seat and tossed the supposed food into the trash. She threw her tray onto the stack growing by the doors and headed for the elevator. Swiping her ID, Lily slammed on the up button repeatedly until the door opened.

The ride to the fortieth floor was agonizingly slow and Lily internally cursed every single dollar that went into the construction of this building. Again, billions of dollars and they couldn’t fund a faster elevator?

The floor was almost silent when Lily stepped out of the elevator. The accounting department occupied two floors and the majority of employees were either in the cafeteria or out at lunch. She swung by Kallie’s cubicle first and swore when she found it empty.

Bathroom, maybe?

Kallie was sweet, but she was also a doormat. She wasn’t a Gotham native, but instead came from Central City after she was offered a job here. Lily’s protective streak ran a mile wide and so when she found out that Kallie wasn’t used to the rough and tumble ways of the city, she took her under her wing. Vandeer yelling at her was bound to make her cry.

Quiet voices in the hallway to the left caught her attention and Lily headed that way. She paused at the sight before her and anger flared in her chest. Bruce fucking Wayne was towering over a shaking, sobbing Kallie. Lily saw red.

She didn’t give a flying fuck if he was her boss or her boss’s boss. As far as she was concerned, he was just a rich trust fund bitch baby who was about to learn a few new insults.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she snarled as she approached them. Lily placed herself directly between them and glared up at Bruce, her dark eyes flashing something fierce. He blinked in surprise and held his hands up to show his innocence. Lily jabbed her finger in his chest, her rage superseding her rationality.

“I don’t know what they teach you rich fucks at Yale and shit, but where I come from, we don’t terrorize innocent people.”

A hand tugged on the hem of her skirt and Lily looked down into the wide, tear filled eyes of her best friend. “He was helping me, Lils. It’s okay. I…I’m just not feeling that great.”

Her hand fell from where she was currently poking Bruce Wayne in the tie and Lily glanced between them. She didn’t have time to feel embarrassed before she kneeled down next to Kallie.

“What’s going on? Gloria told me about Vandeer. Is it okay if I touch you?” At Kallie’s nod, Lily started to rub her back.

“Mac broke up with me this morning and kicked me out of the apartment,” Kallie whispered. Lily’s jaw tightened and she sucked in a tight breath. She hated Kallie’s shitty boyfriend and this was a clear example why. Mac would come crawling back tomorrow, begging for Kallie to come back, and the rose-colored glasses would go right back on. Lily had been urging her to leave him for months now.

“I can key his car,” Lily offered, earning a watery laugh. “I’m not kidding.”

“Should we really be discussing you committing a felony in front of our boss?”

Lily glanced up at Mr. Wayne and found him looking at them with an almost amused smile on his lips. She shrugged and turned back to her friend. “It’s more of a misdemeanor, really.”

“Oh my god, that’s not the point.” The tears had stopped flowing and Lily grinned, wiping off some moisture from Kallie’s cheek with the edge of her sleeve.

“The breakup, Vandeer being a dick as per usual, and being homeless for the day all came bubbling up, huh?”

“Yeah. Mr. Wayne found me sitting here like an idiot trying to do my breathing exercises. It’s so stupid. I had a panic attack over work. I like my job, I swear!” Kallie’s breathing picked up again when she realized who exactly she had been interacting with.

And then Bruce fucking Wayne surprised the hell out of Lily by crouching down in his Armani suit and offering Kallie a charming smile.

“If I’m being honest…some days I don’t like work either. And it sounds like you’ve been dealt a bad hand today. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? I’ll let Vandeer and Fox know that you’ll be gone for the day because you’re running an errand for me. Miss Amapola can be excused as well.”

Mr. Wayne reached into his pocket and extracted a wallet. He flipped it open, pulled out a crisp hundred, and handed it to Lily who grasped it gingerly, as if it might spontaneously combust when her fingers touched it.

“Use that to buy some lunch,” he explained.

“I’ll leave the change with Ernie at the front desk tomorrow morning,” Lily replied. He met her gaze with an unreadable expression in his blue eyes.

“Keep it. It’s yours to do with what you want.”

“Thank you, sir,” Kallie murmured.

“Feel better, Miss Marks. Wayne Enterprises is lucky to have you and we want to make sure you enjoy your time here.” Mr. Wayne stood and began to walk away, but Lily darted after him and grabbed his arm with the hand not currently occupied with the biggest bill she’s ever held in her life.

“I’m sorry, sir. For assuming.”

He flashed that charming, tabloid ready smile and waved her off. “It’s fine, Miss Amapola. It’s good to see that my company is protected by strong individuals.”

“I was out of line and I really hope it doesn’t reflect poorly on Mr. Fox or Kallie. I was just conc-”

“Miss Amapola.” He held her gaze and Lily felt herself freeze. There was something about his stare that locked her in place, something that didn’t exist for the cameras. “People rarely go toe to toe with me and tell me what to do.”

Her mouth went dry and Lily shut her eyes, praying that he didn’t fire her. She needed rent money for this month.

“It was refreshing and I hope you don’t start to censor yourself because of me. Sometimes I need to be put in my place.”

She opened her eyes and felt her lips curl into a hint of a smile. Mr. Wayne stepped back from her and nodded in farewell before departing for the elevator. Lily turned back to face Kallie and held out her hand for her friend to pull herself up with.

“You got some bags at your desk? C’mon, let’s grab them and you’ll stay with me for a bit. What do you want for lunch? We’re about to make somebody’s day with the size of this tip.”