#bye read fruits basket and come back to me later

[mazojo]

Favorite Sohma’s

Hi yes, uh, I needed a space to rant about fruits basket because I am still very broken so yea

Disclaimer that this is just my opinion and I still love them all very much, just needed to get this out of my system ayee. Also I will include a song that reminds me of them because I am that invested in this so yeaaaa

14- Kagura Sohma

Boy by Little Mix - “I know what you’re worth girl, you know what you got”

I rank Kagura as my least favorite just for the fact that I cant really relate to her I guess? I mean, she is okay, I think she is cute and all but I don't think violence is the way to go about her struggles and she is so much more worth than she gives herself credits for. In the end, I dont think I full understood her big struggle as much as the other characters and thats why she is at number 14, although I want her to be happy and full of love and support like the others ;w;

13- Akito Sohma

My Eyes by Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day - “But it’s plain to see, Evil inside of me is on the rise”

Akito is a complicated one for me man. Of course, in the beginning and throughout the manga you learn to really dislike her because she did some terrible things, specially to my baby boi Yuki and eye-.... But then when we learn more about her and everything she has gone through we start sympathizing with her but i..... cant just forget everything she did. I get she was traumatized since she was little, she became dependent on the zodiacs because of her father’s words and mother’s behaviour thus becoming a broken person with this big responsibility she didn't ask for. It really ticks me however, how much pain the others underwent through her, and even though its a healing process, the traumas and everything they suffered is still there which is why I cant place her higher. I do not hate her by any means, but she isnt my favorite person on this list either. I do ship her with Shigure and I think they help each other out, and they grow from the other.

12- Shigure Sohma

Used to the Darkness by Des Rocs - “Now would you pray before you twist the knife? Yeah, would you take my hand and take a life?”

*big sigh* Shigure is also a complicated one for me. It may be my big dumb energies showing but I didnt fully get a grasp on his character? I know he was doing everything for Akito’s sake to liberate from the curse and be with her so she is finally a “woman” but he always acted a bit shady xD?? I would have love to know more about his backstory, we dont get much from his motivations and character other than the perverted aspect and that he loves Akito lmaoo. I do think he is hilarious and I love the dynamic he has with Hatori and Ayame lol

11- Ayame Sohma

Starships by Nicky Minaj - “Starships were menat to fly, Hands up and touch the sky “

To be honest I am pretty neutral about Ayame’s character. He is hilarious and I love how Yuki insults him every tike he gets the chance lolll. I like how throughout the story he tries to change to become a better brother to Yuki and person even though he is pretty extra most of the time about it. He has a good heart and even though he made some mistakes he owns up to them which in my opinion, makes him a good character <33 I love his friendship with Hatori lmaooo they balance each other out sooo well

10- Kureno Sohma

Taking Chances by Celine Dion - “Never knowing if there's solid ground below, Or a hand to hold, or hell to pay”

I really like Kureno! He has gone through quite a bit and he needs a hug. I am sad thinking how most of his life he lead it pretty similarly to Yuki’s, apart from everyone and super enclosed to his relationship with Akito due to him breaking the curse and feeling bad about it. I do wish we would have gotten to know more about his personality and story, if we did I would have definitely ranked him higher! He really reminds me of Tohru’s father and I think Uotani is perfect for him <33 would have love to see more about the two of them and hopefully they expand upon it in the anime

9- Ritsu Sohma

Waving Through a Window by Ben Platt - “On the outside, always looking in, Will I ever be more than I've always been?”

Okay okay so I have a lot of thoughts on Ritsu. Manga Ritsu is okay, I really dont have much of an opinion on him due to him appearing only in a few chapters, I feel like from the Sohma’s, he is the one we get the least information about. But then the anime episode came out where they presented Ritsu and I thought they gave him so much more life and rounded personality where, I get to relate a lot to him? I am someone who is constantly apologizing for absolutely no reason and seeing him be all anxious and stressed about others interactions is big relate to me and I stan. I also think the whole dressing as a woman plot line is better dealt with in the anime and I hope we get to see more about his insecurities and troubles in the future because he is truly a very interesting character! I stan my one (1) anxious monkey.

8- Kisa Sohma

Mean by Taylor Swift - “But you can take me down with just one single blow, But you don't know what you don't know”

Cinnammon rooooooolll. Kisa is such a cutie. I dont have much to say other than my mood every time I think about Kisa is hugging her like Tohru does because she is babyyyy. Also her bullying story is one I think many viewers and readers can relate a lot to and such an important topic I think they covered pretty well and I loveee. Also her and Hiro are one of my favorite ships because they work so well and asdfgh in this household Kisa is a queennn.

7- Isuzu Sohma

Take me Home by Jess Glynne - “Came to you with a broken faith, Gave me more than a hand to hold”

I really like Isuzu!! I am pretty bummed we wont get to meet her in season 1 of the Anime reboot but hopefully in the nest season! She is quite a complex character that I didnt really understand at the beginning but once we see how much she loves Haru and all that she does in order to protect and keep him save she really went up my list. She has gone through so much, from her shattered reality from her parents, Akito threatening Haru, her being locked up withour given any food.... Isuzu is so strong and one of the best build characters in the series and I am super excited to see her in the anime!

6- Hiro Sohma

Time to be a Man by The Airborne Toxic Event - “And it’s time to be a man, Tell me how does that go?”

My bastard childdd <33 He is such an asshole and such a sweetie at the same time. His whole inner struggle of not feeling like a good enough man for Kisa is so heartwhelming and I think it really makes sense to the type of person he is. The flashbacks of him telling Akito how he loves Kisa and the feeling of uncertainty and impotency when seeing the girl he loves being hurt by his actions and wanting to be good enough for her even though he is more than enough sdfghjasd. I am also a softie for older brothers who love their families *cough cough* spoiler alert: Momiji *cough cough* that I love me one angry boi

5- Hatsuharu Sohma

4 Seasons by Rex Orange County - “I saw myself as less and you so high above me”

Cow boil! apart from the fact that I love love loveeee Haru’s design, I think he is also such a well build character! He is not only supportive of everyone (aka the loves of his life, Rin and Yuki xDD) but he is so interesting! His split personalities give him a cool trait (even though dark Haru doesnt appear much in the end of the manga) and I love how he helps everyone and makes sure those he loves are protected at all cost and happy. He is Rin and Yuki’s fan club stan leader and I am co-leader so we been stanning aye

4- Hatori Sohma

Fireflies by Owl City - “I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes, I got misty eyes as they said farewell”

Boooooy the next four to come are my absolute favorties and I would die for their happiness and love so *takes big breathe* I LoVE hAtORi sOhMAAa. To be honest when we first meet him I didnt like him much. I thought he was your usual dark deep character who doesnt talk much because he is too cool for everyone (which, he is) and that was that. But boi was I in for a riDE. His story about having to erase the memories from the woman he loves is one of the ones I cried through the most. I put myself in his shoes and wonder if I had to erase the memory of the person I loved the most, make them forget they ever met me, all our happy times, sad times, angry times.... No matter what its one of the most saddening moments and the whole scene is heartbreaking, which makes me love Hatori even more for the fact of how strong he is and selfless. He puts himself before others and he need to know he also deserves happiness and I am glad in the end he got it because homeboy needed a break ;w;. I also adore Ayame’s relationship with him xDD, he is like his idol and big same.

3- Kyo Sohma 

This song saved my Life by Simple Plan - “Sometimes it feels like nobody gets me, Trapped in a world where everyone hates me”

Top three babyyyy. We have now my angry cat boi™. I mentioned it before but going into the reboot firsthand without reading the manga nor watching the first anime, I thought Kyo was going to be my absolute favorite character. I knew he would be the angry boi who was soft inside and probably had a tragic backstory™ that made him act the way he did and I am a sucker for those types of characters. And I love Kyo, I really do, specially when we find out more about his struggles and past. The exclusion he felt throughout his life for being the cat, the abandonment, feeling like he had no one and was ready to die because he didn't have any source of genuine happiness (well, apart from Kazuma ya know but stillll). Then he finds Tohru, the girl he promised to protect, the one that reminded him of the woman that helped him out all those years ago and I just.... poetic cinema at its finest. Kyo and Tohru make one of my favorite couples and I love how flustered and In absolute l o v e he is with her and Kyo is great man....

2- Yuki Sohma

Nandemonaiya by RADWIMPS - “Crying even when you're happy, Smiling even when you're feeling lonely”

THIS WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST DECISIONS OF MA ENTIRE WEEB CAREER SO EXCUSE WHILE I SCREAM. Yuki Sohma won my heart and entire soul throughout the series. I liked him from the start but he wasn't my favorite favorite at the beginning you know? I thought he was isolated and thats why he didn't have much friends and he was perfect and what not but boi was I wrong and happy about it. I think one of the reasons Yuki is one of my favorite characters in fruits basket is how much I can see myself in him. Having the constant need of perfection while also wanting to connect with others but finding it hard is something I personally struggle with and every time we learned a little bit about his backstory my heart broke. Everything Yuki had to go through, the rejection, the isolation, understanding that you are loved and not a burden, falling in love with someone, finding that figure of a mother/friend he always yearned for.... The complexity of Yuki’s character is astounding and I love my rat boi so so much.... When he joins the student council, finding his little group of friends and opening up to a more carefree and true Yuki, forgiving those around him and going and eye- YuKI IS MY BABY RAT BOI AND STAN HIM OR PERISH FROM HERE ;w;

1- Momiji Sohma 

Eine Kleine by Rachie - “If I were to go through life living just to take somebody else's place, Then I would rather have been born as a pebble, living out my peaceful days “

*Clears throat* *trumpets sounds intensify* *stands on podium* I LOVE MOMIJI SOHMA WITH ALL MY HEART AND HE MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS. Thats it. Thats what I want you to get out of this post. I don't know if this is maybe an unpopular opinion-ish but Momiji’s backstory of his mother rejecting him, saying awful things, him having to accept being forgotten by his mother and sister whom he loved, not even being able to live with his family, is one of the most heartbreaking ones of fruits basket. Maybe its like what I said with Hiro and I am a sucker for big brothers that love their families, the sad smile of Momiji, my baby, angel, perfection when he sees his family and not being able to be with them, him loving Tohru but letting her go and be with Kyo because its her happiness that matters to him and I am-..... The selflessness of Momiji and how much of a sweetheart he is, his heart of gold and always being there for those around him, that moment where Akito was looking for Tohru and he got hurt trying to defend her.... Momiji is one of my all time favorite characters. He is a precious bean and I will never not shut up about my love for ma boi <333

Anyways that was long and ramble but I just needed to shout this somewhere because I've been missing they //rip

[alwayzthere]

Hooky

Pairing: Josh Kiszka x Female Reader

Warnings: None! Just fluff.

Word Count: 1,748

A/N: I disappeared for a bit and took all my writing with me, but I decided I wanted to bring them back. Especially this one, which is the first one I ever wrote so it’s super special to me. Special thanks to @jakekiszska and @garbagevanfleet for inspiring me to write. And also all the friends I have made along the way! SO HERE HE IS!!! Playing hooky and a picnic with Josh.

Taglist: @jakekiszska @mywaysooon @jthomaskiszka @dannythedog @ageofsam @weightofdreams-gvf @theweightofstardust @dharma-divine @joshkiszkas @ageofmachines @gardenvanfleet @fosterkidwiththebrokenjaw

Your eyes fluttered open and you stared at the ceiling for a moment. You sat up and rubbed your eyes, discovering a bit of leftover mascara from the night before. Josh was peacefully snoozing next to you, the bare skin of his back calling you to return to your warm place next to him, his quiet snores making your eyelids heavy. Realization began to trickle in as you reached over him for your phone on the nightstand. Josh stirred slightly and rolled over onto his back, still fast asleep as you opened your phone to see that the time read 11:04 and you had missed 2 calls from your manager. 

“Shit” you muttered sharply under your breath. Reluctantly, you peeled yourself out of bed and sauntered into the bathroom, staring into the mirror. Your mind drifted to the pleasant evening you had with your boyfriend last night, a night in the city, reading in the library until it closed and then sneaking in to see the local band that his twin brother was in. Josh and you danced until your thighs were burning and your stomach hurt from how much he’d made you laugh. The two of you finally decided it was time to head home, but not without stopping at the gas station to load up on snacks for the ride. You chose to drive so Josh could be the DJ. It was an hour and a half later before you were back at your apartment. 

You zoned back into the present and looked down at your phone again. It didn’t take you long to decide you were not going to work today at all. You took a moment to wash the sleep (and makeup) from your eyes and finally worked up the nerve to call your manager back. You tested your voice a bit to see if it still sounded sleepy enough. 

“Hello,” you started, playing up the sick voice slightly, “Hi Ashley, yeah I’m so sorry I didn’t make it in this morning. It seems like I got a bit of food poisoning and I’m not going to make it in today… I’ll let you know how I’m feeling this afternoon and hopefully I’ll be able to come in tomorrow… yes ma’am, thank you… bye.”

Triumphant over your award-winning performance, you brushed your teeth and pondered what you were going to do with your day. Your stomach growled and the answer came to you. 

Careful not to wake up Josh, you tiptoed into the kitchen. 

    “Where to start?” you thought to yourself. You opened your bread box and allowed yourself to get caught up in making the perfect picnic. You had set out little Tupperwares of fruit and nuts, whipped together some peanut butter sandwiches, and filled a thermos with apple juice. After all of the prep work was done, you began fishing through the hall closet to find your picnic basket. You must have been making a ruckus, because Josh came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your stomach. 

    “Good morning, my love.” He rasped and placed a soft kiss on your cheek. 

    “Good morning, sunshine.” you replied, flipping around to kiss him back.

    “I thought you had to sell your precious youth to capitalism today.”

    “I decided my precious youth needed an extra day off.” 

   “I like that attitude.” Josh grinned, nipping at your ear before padding over to sit at the kitchen table. “What’s this you’re up to this morning?”

   “I don’t know. How do you feel about a little Shakespeare in the Park?” you said, going back to digging. Finally the picnic basket, as well as nearly everything else in the closet, came crashing down on top of you. 

     “Ah. There it is.”

    “Sounds… perfect.” Josh chuckled lightly, getting up to help you pick up after your avalanche. 

    Josh helped you finish packing up the picnic, as well as a CD player and a blanket. The two of you got dressed and quickly hurried out the door. Josh chased you as you pretended you were going to leave him behind. 

    When you arrived at the park, you saw there was practically no one there. It was nearing the end of the warm part of fall, fading into winter. You didn’t really mind the cold. Josh radiated summertime wherever he went anyway. You looked up at him, knowing he was already scoping out the best place to set up your picnic. 

    “Lead the way,” you smiled, beaming up at him. 

    Thought crossed over Josh’s features as he decided his course of action. “Okay, I know the perfect spot,” he said and took off. 

    You followed close behind him, struggling to keep up. He quickly realized and slowed down to match your pace, looking over to you with excitement. The two of you had been to this park together many times, but he still knew the paths better than you did. It was like he had a map of it in his head.

    “Where are you taking me?” You giggled, panting from keeping up with Josh’s eager pace. 

    “That’s a surprise you’re going to have to be patient for, darling,” He smirked. There was a twinkle in his eye as he took your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours. He began to hum quietly and his pace slowed as the trees began to thin out. Then you saw it. You knew it was the spot he’d been thinking of. Your mouth hung open and your heart fluttered. Josh turned around to look at you, a blush coloring his cheeks. He was grinning so wide you’d think his face was going to split in two.

    “What do you think? Is this the spot?” He asked. 

    You walked past him wordlessly. Before you was a field of yellow and white flowers sitting atop a hill. It looked out over a river. The sun sparkled on the water and the breeze made the flowers dance. It felt like you could hear music. Maybe it was the birds singing, maybe it was a bit of Josh’s spell he had over you. He stepped up behind you, running his finger down the back of your neck, kissing the top bone. A chill ran down your spine. You looked back at him to admire his brown eyes, highlighted by the sunlight and reached out to twist your fingers into his curls, pulling him into a soft kiss. You pulled back to look into his eyes again. Suddenly they were filled with mischief. He set the picnic basket and the CD player on the ground gently, and without warning, scooped you up into his arms. He cradled you like you were a new bride and showered you with kisses. He carried you to the middle of the field and set you down gingerly, careful to damage as few flowers as he could.

    “Stay right there, just like that.” He stared at you for a moment. He stepped back and pulled out his phone to snap a picture. You were on your feet in seconds, tackling him to the ground to steal his phone from him. You sat down on his hips and saw that his phone was still on the camera screen. You took a picture of him laughing, his eyes squeezed shut. You sat his phone next to him and grinned as he tried to read what you were going to do next. He swallowed, knowing it was nothing good. Your smile widened as you abruptly began tickling him, causing him to scream and curl up onto his side. You leapt out of the way and began rolling out the blanket as if nothing had happened. He shook his head, knowing he’d get you back later.  He went back to grab the things he’d sat down before and noticed a caterpillar had crawled onto his CD player. His features softened. He set everything down on the blanket and carefully picked up the caterpillar, letting it crawl on his fingers as he studied it. He looked around for a good leafy bush to place him in before settling back down on the blanket and turning on his music. It was a mix CD he’d put together for you. Today by Jefferson Airplane played quietly. 

      “So, let’s see what you brought,”Josh said, watching as you unpacked all the food. You passed him a sandwich and spread out the rest of the snacks between you. Josh and you ate happily, talking about how blue the sky was and what time of day was your favorite. 

    He closed his eyes. You recognized what he had decided it was time for as his breathing and his posture changed. You closed your eyes as well and allowed yourself to match his slow breathing pattern. The wind kissed your face and tossed your hair. The smell of the flowers and the river mixed with the smells of your lunch. You savored it all, making sure to remember this moment. Once you felt zen, you opened your eyes to see Josh admiring you. He got to his knees and leaned in, flicking his eyes to your lips and back up to your eyes. You leaned in, narrowing the space that buzzed between you. You could feel his breath, hot on your lips. He placed the tip of his finger under your chin, tipping your face up. He leaned in just a little bit more, dragging his bottom lip against yours.

   “Two households, both alike in dignity,” Josh snapped up, nearly shouting in a ridiculous Shakespearean voice. 

    “In fair Verona where we lay our scene,” he held out his hand dramatically. 

    “Boooooo.” You called, pelting him with raspberries. 

     “From ancient grudge break new mutiny,” he continued, trying not to break character. 

     “What is HAPPENING,” you called to him as he carried on.

     “You said Shakespeare in the Park,” he laughed, trying to deflect the fruit being thrown at him. 

     “That Shakespeare part was a joke,” you huffed. 

     “Okaaaay, if you say so.”  Josh sighed in false disappointment, sitting back down on the blanket. He flopped onto his back and looked at the sky, his arms tucked under his head. You crawled over and curled into his side, resting your head on his shoulder. Josh kissed the top of your head. 

     “I would not wish any companion in the world but you,” he whispered in your ear. One last line of Shakespeare as you settled in, realizing how tired you were.

     “I love you. Let’s go home.”

[the-passenger-if]

one of my favorite angst tropes is someone breaking up with their partner in order to keep them safe! how would the ros handle this if newman did this to them? (also, would any of the ro’s break up with newman to keep them safe?)

combining it with

How would the ROs react to Newman who just texts them out of nowhere and the message just say "I love you always bye sorry" as if Newman was in a hurry and no matter how hard they try to contact them, no one picks up.

also

some angST!! How would the ROs react to Newman breaking up with them after being together for a looooong time?

and

ROs reaction to Newman wanting to break up with them after a while of being together?

Jonny and Horizon would break up with Newman to keep them safe. Fiama knows she can keep both of them safe, and Roach will do their best but if they have to die then they will die together xD

Combining Newman just up and disappears one day with Newman breaks up with RO after being together for a long time.

Long angsty scenarios under the cut.

“Mommy… kisses me… on the… cheek. Cheek. Cheek, Bruno. Listen, cheeeek. That’s chek.”

Bruno mutters the word ‘cheek’ under his breath a few times before adding another ‘e’ just on top of the first one.

“No,” Fiama tells him. “Erase the word and rewrite it. Well this time.”

Her son scowls but he does as he’s told. His round eyes slip away from the exercise book to the front door and stay there.

“Bruno,” she calls him. “Bruno.” He looks at her, and she knows. She just knows what he’s thinking about. Who he’s thinking about. “Cheek.” She points at the book.

He writes down the word very slowly and forcefully on the page. She still can read the wrong word under it, but she decides to let it go.

“The chick eats corn,” Fiama continues, “The… chick… Chick, Bruno.”

He bites his lower lip, staring at her.

“Remember the chicks? Grandpa took you to see them…”

Bruno mutters ‘chick’ under his breath a couple of times, then his eyes go to the front door again.

“Bruno,” and she doesn’t want to lose her patience like this, but she’s tired and she wants to… she doesn’t know what she wants to do yet, but doing homework in the living room with a very distracted Bruno isn’t it.

Her boy scowls at her, pencil shaking in a tiny angry fist. He opens his mouth to retort when someone knocks on the door. His eyes widen, the scowl vanishes. He jumps off the chair, homework and pencil and Fiama completely forgotten.

“Bruno!” she calls out, but he’s already dashing to the door and yanking it open.

“Oh! Hi there, rabbit,” Fiama’s mother says.

“No!” Bruno replies trying to close the door again.

That’s when Fiama stands up and grabs him by the arm. “Don’t you shut the door in your grandma’s face!”

“Don’t you grab him like that!” her mother yells at her, and she lets go of Bruno as if he was a hot iron.

“Why are you here?” Bruno screams at Fiama’s mother. “I wanted it to be them!”

“Bruno!” Fiama scolds.

“No!” her boy yells at her. “This is your fault! You did this!” Then he’s running off to his room, slamming the door behind him.

Fiama isn’t the type to care about metaphors, but right now she completely understands what people mean when they say 'it felt like a bucket of cold water'.

The one that breaks the silence is her mother. “Well, didn’t I tell you this would happen?”

“Not now, mom.” Fiama grits out.

“Let us hope it doesn’t affect Bruno too much…”

“I said not now.” The glare she sends her mother’s way is enough for the woman to shake her head and turn away.

Fiama closes the door very carefully, and then rests her back against it, scowl set on the table where Bruno’s homework was left unfinished. A thought like a flash; the table toppling over, books and pencils, and the ceramic fruit basket flying in the air. It passes quickly. Fiama is taking slow deep breaths. She still remembers what happened the last time she let her emotions get the best of her. That familiar wave of shame and guilt washes over her as she remembers Bruno’s stunned silence when he found her sobbing in her room, sat in the midst of broken pieces of whatever she had lying about in there.

A single tear rolls down her cheek, one Fiama swiftly washes away. She promises herself this is the last she’ll ever waste on them.

---

There's one lonely cloud floating in the blue sky and Jonny's eyes have been following its snail-like march for the last ten minutes or so. His neck is starting to feel stiff but he doesn't shift his position; watching the lazy parade happening outside of his window has kept his mind in silence. Sweet, sweet silence.

It isn’t surprising that it doesn’t last. Somebody is knocking on his bedroom door and Jonny really doesn't have the energy for this. He closes his eyes shut, focuses on the inverted shadow cloud burned in his tired retina. The door clicks open and he keeps still on his bed, chest barely moving. It's childish, he knows this, but it's the only thing that seems to keep Joaquin and Lucia from asking how he's doing or commenting about his love life, or even worse, trying to give him advice.

The visitor lingers there where they stand for another moment, before closing the door again. Jonny thinks he’s been left alone to go back to what apparently has become his favorite hobby as of late, when he hears approaching footsteps.

“I know you’re awake.”

“Don’t tell me they called you,” he says in a drawl, opening his eyes and fixing them on the man sitting on the bed across from his. Quino has the same green eyes, straight nose, and wavy brown hair Jonny has, however, his twin chooses to wear it shorter and well out of his face. He is, after all, the good-looking one.

“They didn’t,” Quino assures him with a conciliatory smile. Jonny’s skepticism must be written all over his face because his brother crosses his heart and shrugs.

“Why are you here?” Jonny knows why, but he also knows Quino too well and his twin has never been the type to start awkward conversations unless Jonny opens that door for him first.

“Do I need a reason? Can’t I—?”

“They broke up with me,” Jonny cuts him off, “I’m feeling like shit, I just want to sleep until I forget I ever met them, but every time people ask about it I think about them, and every time they tell me ‘it will pass’, and that I’ll ‘find someone new’ I just want to jump in front of a car.” Quino doesn’t say anything, he just nods while picking at his nails. Jonny rolls on his back, stares at the ceiling. “I know I’m way too old to be acting like this, but I don’t know what else to do.”

“You aren’t too old to feel like shit, Jonny. You loved them, and they left you. It’s completely understandable.”

He presses his lips together. He did love them. He does love them still. Stupid, so stupid.

“If you want to cry—“

“Screw off.”

“Not in front of me, heaven forbid,” Quino says with mock horror, “but you should cry sometimes. Crying is good for you, you know?”

Maybe it is, Jonny guesses, but he might have cried himself dry the night Newman broke up with him over the phone. Over the fucking phone, of fucking course. He rubs at his dry eyes. He doesn’t want to think about that. “Yeah,” he mutters.

The silence stretches until Quino clears his throat. “So, do you want to know why I’m here or not?”

Jonny turns his head and then frowns at the tickets in his brother’s hand. He blinks twice, recognizing the iconic font printed on them at once. He sits up an instant later. “You’re shitting me.”

“No, I’m inviting you to see Metallica in Columbia.”

“Their last two albums suck,” Jonny says, yet he still takes the ticket from Quino’s hand.

“What doesn’t?” his twin asks with a laugh, and this time Jonny can feel himself smile.

---

One of the humans is awake. Shit. Roach thought they had at least another hour or two, now they’ll have to deal with them and their overfamiliarity and their hands and their faces.

The stub between their lips trembles and they realize it has gone out. They take it, frown at it and then flick it off. It flies in an arc, landing among its dozen of dead brothers. Roach knows at least ten of those are theirs—not that the parking lot of this dingy motel could look any worse by having more dead cigs lying about.

They look for their smokes in the denim jacket they are wearing—a gift from a trucker with a tendency to comment on people’s appearances and leave his jacket behind when going to the restroom—and almost drop the entire pack when the door at their left opens.

“Those things will kill you,” says the woman coming out of their shared motel room.

“Life is killing me,” Roach replies without missing a beat, but they don’t smile; she won’t see their face anyway, not when the sun has yet to come out, and the only lightbulb over their head suddenly burned out.

“Do you have another one?”

She comes to sit next to them on the bench and Roach doesn’t need light to see the deep crow's feet at the corner of her eyes and the dark circles under them. Their conquests always look immensely better under synthetic lighting, once outside, once they’ve used one another, it’s like the spell breaks.

Roach holds two cigs between their lips and lights them with practiced ease. They offer one to their broken Juliette. It’s the least they can do; they do remember biting her hard at some point in the middle of their sexcapade… or maybe they bit one of the others, they aren’t sure anymore.

She accepts it with a thanks and takes a long drag. She sighs out the smoke, peers at Roach as if she could somehow pierce through the shadows and take a good look at them. “You are young, darling,” she croaks out. “Way too young to be doing this shit.”

“Smoking?” Roach asks innocently. Words read out from a script, tone sweet, face immobile. The face of a ghost really, one that haunts and judges them.

The woman shakes her head and then points with her thumb at the room behind them. “I bet you aren’t even thirty yet.” She tilts her head at them, eyes narrowing and still trying to see. “Whatever happened to you… you can opt out. It isn’t easy, but you can move on, you can leave your old self behind. It’s never too late…” A coughing fit interrupts her fortune cookie monologue, and Roach is super ready to skedaddle now.

They stand up, rub their hands together. “Speaking of,” they exclaim with fake enthusiasm, “I should hit the road now. It was a pleasure, really,” they add just as if they were wrapping a 5-cents bow around used pair of socks. Here, happy birthday.

Roach jogs off before she can add anything else.

“Hag,” they mutter around their cigarette. They stop as they catch a glimpse of their reflection in the window of a stripped car. The face scowling at them is silently judging them for stealing it and then using it to lure in humans. “It’s poetic, ok?” Roach explains with a tense grin. “You fucked me over so this is my way to return the favor, pet.” The reflection doesn’t reply, but Roach doesn’t care. They don’t care. They never cared, actually. Who said they ever did?

---

Slow, deep breaths. Inhale, one… two… three… four. Exhale, one… two… three… four… five… six…

Horizon opens their eyes. They are crouched in front of the ceremonial pitcher. Looking down at their reflection in the water makes something like a thumb-size metal ball roll in the back of their skull. They wince in pain and lose whatever little balance they had before. Horizon doesn’t yelp when they fall back on their ass; the sudden waves of nausea coming up like lava inside a volcano could turn a bad situation into a nightmarish one at the flip of a hat.

“Ah,” they whine in a whisper, “if there truly is anything out there, up there, or around, please make it stop.” They run a hand down their face, suppress a fiery belch.

They blindly look for the pitcher and submerge their other hand in the cold water. Dominus Dove and Domina Basil would blanch in horror and anger, but right now, this is the best Horizon has felt since Velour dragged them out of bed, wrapped their robes around them, and pushed them into their office.

Running wet, cold fingers through their messy hair is the best feeling in the world, so they continue this little ritual for a while… and another while… and a little longer…

The door opens just a crack and Horizon’s gaze jumps to Velour’s so fast that the metal ball comes back with a vengeance. An arrow piercing their brain back to front.

“Ahh!”

“This isn’t happening,” Velour hisses as they slink into the room and close the door behind them. “Tell me this isn’t happening.”

“This isn’t happening,” Horizon mutters trying to smile through the pain. They open their eyes to find a very frowny, very serious Velour staring down at them. The smile slips off their face like a slug going down the drain. “I’m so sorry, Velour.”

“As you should,” they reply coldly, and Horizon wants to cry because there’s so much more to their tone than just scorn; they are truly disappointed and they have all the right to be.

“I’m a mess,” the words sound strained to Horizon’s ears, and they can feel new tears threatening to spill down their face again.

Velour’s jaw tightens before they crouch down shaking their head. “You are drunk,” they whisper in a mellow way. “And we can’t let anyone know that.”

“No, we can’t.”

“Alright, I’ll tell them you are indisposed. Wait here, and please, stop playing with the sacred water, Domini.”

Horizon can feel themself blushing in embarrassment, but they nod nonetheless and almost don’t wince when the metal ball ricochets around their skull.

Velour steps out of the room, their voice booming in the cabin, “Domini Horizon has fallen ill with a fever. Today’s prayers will be under my supervision.”

“Are they ok?” somebody asks.

“Yes, but they are very tired and would appreciate being left alone in their cabin. Any concerns or questions you have can be brought to me.”

Efficiently, they march into the office again. “Lean on me, Domini,” they instruct and Horizon does as they say. A few moments later, The Domini is back on their feet and being herded out of the office and through the cabin. They keep their head down, letting their hair cover their face.

“Poor Domini,” another person loud-whispers, “they are drenched in sweat.”

Next to them, Velour tenses up, but they don’t let their discomfort show in any other way.

Once in Horizon’s cabin, their assistant sits them on the bed and fetches them a glass of water.

“They aren’t worth any of this, Domini,” Velour says, and Horizon keeps still, lips barely touching the water. They look up at their assistant but say nothing. “That’s all I wanted to say, and that’s all I’ll say on the subject.”

Horizon puts down the glass on their lap, both hands holding it still. They lower their gaze before softly replying, “Noted.”

Velour makes to leave. They open the door before saying over their shoulder, “And stop drinking. If I come back to find you drunk again, I swear I’m leaving. For real this time.”

Horizon nods slowly, and doesn’t look up until Velour closes the door behind them. Once they are out, the Domini puts the glass down, next to the bed, carefully lies down, and lets the ugly sobs come gushing out of them like muddy water from a broken levee.

[gayhotpriests]

been here all along [fic]

Or; there are traces of Buck all over the Diaz household. 1.8 k

Read on ao3

The coffee maker beeps in the kitchen, the sound carrying all the way into the bedroom the second after Eddie turns off his alarm. A cool breeze comes in through the window Eddie left open last night by mistake, and in the couple steps it takes to go from the bed to the door, Eddie has picked up at least six different clothing items, not even all his, from the floor and the chair in the corner that soon gets tossed into the laundry basket. He stops briefly by Christopher’s room to make sure his son is awake (he’s not, and a cranky five more minutes is heard from under the covers) before going into the bathroom to start his own morning routine.

The bright, red firetruck print that greets him has never failed to make him smile, not once ever since one particular Thursday, maybe two years ago now, when Christopher and Buck spent a couple of hours in the mall looking for a birthday present for one of Chris’s friends but bought a very much not needed set of shower curtains instead, along with matching firetruck soap dispenser and cup. They even have little firefighters painted in the tiny plastic windows, and Christopher might be almost twelve now, but the day he gets tired of his Buck’s gift is yet to come.

A month into the school year, the Diaz family’s mornings have looked mostly the same every day, and this fine Monday proves not to be the exception, as Eddie finds out a few minutes later. A certain blond man is still asleep on Eddie’s couch, and instead of doing his workout, Christopher is sprawled on top of him, snoring lightly. Buck’s legs are twisted in an awkward angle to fit in the couch and one of his hands brushes the fluffy carpet beneath the sofa (the one he picked in an attempt to convince Eddie that his house needed personality), the other holding onto Chris, whose face is completely smushed against the other’s shoulder. Bright blue crutches that Chris has started to grow out of lay in a disorganized pile next to them.

(If Eddie’s heart beats a little bit faster- if his hands itch to hold them too and join the sleepy pile, well. They don’t need to know.)

“Alright, sleepy heads, school starts in an hour! Get up!”

-

Eddie owns a perfectly functional coffee maker, a classic machine with only one button and no special features, that makes his coffee the same way every day, and has done so for almost five years without signs of obsolescence. He’s a simple man with simple tastes, but Eddie’s perfect, simple coffee maker, is currently collecting dust inside a box in the attic.

A steaming cup of coffee, however, is waiting for him on the counter when he steps into the kitchen, complete with milk foam, a shot of caramel, and two sugars: the product of the stupidly expensive machine Buck and Chris had plotted to get him, with all the smart features and Starbucks level settings that Eddie did not need. Using the machine is extremely complicated, too, so once Eddie found out how to input the settings for his drink of choice, he stopped allowing anyone to mess with it. Eddie drinks the sweet concoction religiously every morning, without a fault.

He sips on his sugar bomb slowly as Buck cooks breakfast, eggs, and sausages with toast, fruit salad, and a cup of warm milk for the only kid in the house. The sound of the sizzling pan and the knife hitting the cutting board fills the room along with the smell of homemade breakfast, something that screams of home and family, uninterrupted until Christopher shows up fresh from the shower and in clean clothes, with his restless morning energy and promptly sets to chatting their ears off. Buck keeps the conversation alive and gets the boy to help with mixing the fruit salad while he recounts the last episode of their favorite cartoon they had seen together the previous night. Buck makes surprised sounds at the right times, throwing a few "No way! Tell me more!" for good measure, even though Eddie’s pretty sure he remembers the episode perfectly as he asks the right questions to launch Christopher off in another direction at least three times.

Eddie finishes his coffee, leaves the cup in the sink, and turns to the cupboard to start setting the table.

Three days before school started, Christopher told Eddie that he’s big enough to use big people knives and after a long phone call with his son’s Occupational Therapist, and another with his own therapist, they had gone to the store to get him a cutlery set that could allow him more independence while still on the safer side, and Buck had found the perfect one: the knife has a blunt tip and slightly serrated edge, and a round plastic handle decorated with tiny green and blue dinosaurs.

“Daddy, don’t forget the dinosaurs, please,” Christopher asks politely, just like every day, because he refuses to eat with any other fork or knife. Luckily the set came with six of each, so everyone can use them during breakfast as Christopher prefers.

“Yeah, and don’t forget the big spoon for the fruit salad,” Buck chips in, pointedly looking at Eddie. Clearly, he still hasn’t let go of the last few times he has forgotten the big spoon for the fruit salad. In less than five minutes, they’re seated around the table eating, Christopher’s feet kicking excitedly against Eddie’s when they congratulate him for the A he got in his latest science assignment.

Both his son and best friend clear their plates first, smiles on their faces accompanied by crinkled eyes as they laugh. Eddie has to scold Chris on talking with his mouth full only once- a new record, and Buck only twice, tapping him on the hand with the spoon, reminding him to lead by example and not be a terrible influence on the kid. Buck mumbles a sheepish sorry every time, ducking his head in embarrassment, and Eddie just rolls his eyes and shoots him a fond look. He watches them, joins the laughter when Buck teases him, or when Christopher tells a story from school, warmth filling him up from the inside out.

Soon enough, the time’s up and Christopher goes to brush his teeth and get ready to leave while Eddie and Buck load the dishwasher and wipe the countertops, barely any words exchanged as they move around the kitchen. Eddie checks the calendar by the fridge, next to Christopher’s old artwork and the polaroids held up by fruit magnets. PT at 11 am, Frank’s at 3 pm, reads in the bold block letters of Buck’s handwriting, under Eddie’s own scribble of C’s swimming lessons at 3.30 pm. Eddie makes a face at the overlapping schedule, chews on the inside of his cheek. He’s too late to ask Carla to take Christopher for him, as he gave her the week off a few days ago so she could go to DC for a certification. The last few therapy sessions had been at noon, but PT was pushed up to eleven and so his entire schedule was unexpectedly messed up, and Eddie will have to run from the clinic to Christopher’s school and then take him to the pool, but he’s not cleared to drive yet so he has to account for cab ride expenses and a whole new timeframe now, too. God, he should have gotten this figured out yesterday.

Back in El Paso, when Eddie had worked three jobs, he had once forgotten to pick Christopher up at school because his shift ran longer than usual, his phone died and the teachers were unable to reach him at the construction site. His parents had been called instead, being the second emergency contacts, and they had stared him down later at night while they told him all the reasons he was a bad dad and Christopher should live with them. Don’t drag him down with you, Eddie.

A hand lands on his healthy shoulder, right next to the base of his neck, and Eddie looks away from the calendar to meet a pair of bright blue eyes next to him. Buck watches him for a second before opening his mouth, careful.

“Hey, Eds, I noticed today looks a bit tight and I was thinking I could ask Bobby to let me out for an hour so I can go pick Chris up and drive him to his lessons, or maybe ask Maddie if I’m on a call,” he says, and the knots in his throat slowly start to dissolve, as he stares up to his friend’s calm face. His shoulders slowly start to relax, the injured one pulses with pain. The warmth of Buck's fingers makes the little hairs on his nape stand up as he swipes his thumb twice over the patch of uncovered skin in a comforting gesture.

“Yeah, thanks, man,” Eddie chokes out.

Buck smiles, and it’s all it takes. The fog lifts.

“Sure, I’ll text you in case I can’t make it so you can let the school know Mads is going to get him,” Buck continues, but he’s not touching Eddie anymore. Eddie takes a small step back, fidgets with the dishrag he still had in his hands as Buck starts to make his way to the living room, picking up his jacket, “you get to pick him up after, and already I left you guys some leftover stew for tonight's dinner in the fridge," Eddie keeps his eyes on Buck while he talks, takes a few steps closer to his friend, but not close enough. "I have a sixteen-hour today, so you tell Christopher goodnight for me, alright?”

“Of course,” his voice is too tight, and it must show because Buck bites his lip and reaches out his hand again, but doesn’t touch. At that moment Christopher burst back into the living room and yells out as if Buck isn’t right there to hear him.

“I’m ready, Buck!”

With a last smile, Buck turns to the door, putting on his shoes quickly and pulling his bag out of the hallway closet. Eddie leans down to place a smooch on his son’s cheek, which makes him laugh, and throw his head back with a loud “Bye, dad!” in his ear.

“Alright buddy, let’s go, let’s go!” Buck exclaims and Christopher bolts out the door, followed by his Buck, and Eddie stays at the threshold until he can’t see the Jeep past the corner of the street.

It’s barely eight o’clock and he still has chores to get done before PT, but Eddie just drops facefirst into the heap of blankets on top of the couch, drowning in the smell of his family and he aches for the picture he saw earlier that morning, sleep falling slowly over him like another blanket. A short nap is calling his name from the dream world, and the last thing he sees before going under is his pillbox for the pain meds next to a bottle of water, a pink post-it note stuck on the tag, big bold letters were carefully written on it. I know you forget but please take these before leaving home! xx. Buck.

Eddie falls.

[starlit-serenade]

E'LAST Reacting to Someone Hitting on Their S/O (Maknae Line)

Summary: How would E’LAST's Maknae Line react to someone hitting on you when you are out in public together? 《 Hyung Line 》

Word Count: 1,581 words

Pairing: Reader x Members / Characters: GenderNeutral!Reader; Choi Youngmin (Romin); Won Hyuk; Lee Wonjun (Wonjun); Oh Yejun (Yejun);

Rated: E / Warnings: Jealousy / Genre: GenderNeutral!Reader; Fluff;

《 E'LAST Masterlist 》

Choi Youngmin (Romin)

Romin would likely act all cool and collected and calm, and would be very polite and calm while trying to avoid straightforward confrontation.  However you, knowing him so well, would probably be able to tell right away that he's feeling tense from the situation.

You're pouring over a book as you lean over the library, flipping through pages and pages about a specific historical event you were curious about. Your boyfriend, Youngmin, stands just down the aisle, looking for a book that might pique his interest. Someone accidentally bumps into you from behind, and you stumble over a bit, dropping your book with a yell.

"Oh, sorry, beautiful," they say, helping steady you. They take the book from the ground, take your hand in theirs, and place the book in your hand.

"Oh, uh, no worries," you say. They look at your book, their hand still on yours.

"Oh, you're interested in this stuff?" the ask. "I know a bit about this myself. Perhaps we could talk about it over a coffee or breakfast together sometime."

You blink, and withdraw your hand and the book from their grasp, muttering politely, "Sorry, I'm actually very busy nowadays," just as you hear footsteps behind you. You blink and look over as Youngmin comes to stand right next to you.

"Oh no worries! I'm sure we can find time to meet for coffee," the person says, glancing curiously at Youngmin, who is a bit taller than them.

"Hi," Youngmin says politely. You can see him clenching his jaw, though he's smiling politely, as he puts his arm around you. "What are you two talking about?"

"Oh, just my book."

"Cool. Hi I'm Youngmin, Y/N's boyfriend," Youngmin says, holding his hand out to shake. The person blinks, realizing that you have a boyfriend, and they're visibly shaken as they shake Youngmin's hand.

"Oh, boyfriend, hello," they say, trying to find words. "I didn't mean to impose or anything."

"Oh, no worries," Youngmin says, his arm pulling you closer posessively. "You were saying something about talking about the book over coffee? Perhaps Y/N and I could find time."

They smile a forced smile. "Perhaps not. I don't  know . . . I actually have somewhere to be right now. Have a good day."

They bow their head and leave. Romin chuckles next to you, nuzzling your forehead with his nose.

"I love you, baby."

You hum contently. "Love you too, Minnie."

Won Hyuk

Won Hyuk would be playfully passive aggressive if he witnessed someone hitting on you. He'd use friendly words and act overly friendly, but he'd be obviously pissed and everyone would be able to sense it in the rest of his body language.

"Oh really? That's so cool!"

Won Hyuk looks up from the book in his hand at the sound of your voice, accompanied by your laughter. He sees you talking and laughing with someone else. Another customer at the bookstore, and you're just chatting together. Won Hyuk can't help but feel a weird bit of jealousy shoot through his chest, watching you laugh and giggle with some stranger.

"Maybe we can talk about that over coffee sometime."

"Yeah, maybe," you say to them.

He walks over and you smile at him. "Hi Won Hyuk! We were just talking about this book that we've both read," you day.

"Oh? Really?" Won Hyuk forces a smile, taking your hand in his and squeezing possessively. "What book?"

You look at Won Hyuk, squinting a bit. You can tell something's wrong, from the way he grabs your hand, the way his jaw is clenched to force a fake smile.

"Oh, uh, just some book," you say. "Hey, Won Hyuk, I think I saw something over there. Bye," you say, nodding to the other person.

"Oh?" Won Hyuk lets you drag him away from the other person.

"Hey, Hyuk, are you doing okay?" you ask, once you're sure you're out of earshot.

"Yeah. Yeah, why?"

You tilt your head at him, taking his hand in yours. "You were acting funny just now. What's wrong? Tell me."

He sighs. "I didn't like the way they were flirting with you."

"Huh? Flirting?"

He rolls his eyes. "They asked you for coffee!"

"You're right, Hyuk. I'm sorry. I love you, okay?" You squeeze his hand, and he visibly relaxes.

"I love you too."

Lee Wonjun (Wonjun)

Wonjun, upon witnessing someone hitting on you, would be very straightforward and upfront about how you actually have a boyfriend and that boyfriend is not okay with someone hitting on you. He'd try to be intimidating. Please hold his hand after.

Wonjun notices your absence after a few minutes. You had joined him in grocery shopping, but vanished halfway through. Perhaps you went to go get some strawberries for later. You had mentioned wanting to get some earlier, as you had had something in mind for dinner.

He sends you a quick text, and you respond within the next ten seconds.

Wonjun: y/n where are u?

Y/N: im in the fruit aisle. theres this person trying to hit on me over here 🙄 wont take a hint when i say i have a boyfriend

Wonjun looks up and around. Someone is flirting with you? His S/O? That's unacceptable. He scrunches up his nose, grabs the basket of groceries he has, and heads down to the fruit aisle.

When he reaches there, he sees you talking to someone. You look visibly uncomfortable, the way you're standing and looking around and away. He walks over, overhearing bits of the conversation as he approaches.

"I insist," the person says to you. "Just a quick coffee to get to know each other. I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't mind an innocent cup of coffee?"

Wonjun walks over and grabs your hand quickly. You almost yelp at the feeling, but relax when you realize it's just Wonjun.

"Oh, Wonjun," you say, smiling widely. You're obviously happy that he's here.

"Hi," Wonjun says to you, before turning to the person flirting with you. "Hi, I'm Y/N's boyfriend. I'd appreciate it if you'd stop flirting with them, if that's alright."

The person blinks and starts stuttering. "Oh no. I wasn't flirting. I was just offering that we could have coffee?"

"Oh? What did Y/N say?" Wonjun asks, looking at you.

"They said no, and that they have a boyfriend, but--"

"Well if they said no, then no," Wonjun asks, glaring at the person. You can see Wonjun's eyes are burning with annoyance, and gently squeeze his hand to keep him calm.

"Sorry. You're right, sorry. I'll go." The person bows in apology and leaves as quickly as they can. You can dee Wonjun is still fuming, his shoulders all tense and bunched up, so you squeeze his hand.

"Wonjun," you whisper. He looks up at you. "Thank you, Wonjun. Let's get back to shopping, okay?"

He smiles. "Okay."

Oh Yejun (Yejun)

Yejun would be a bit more flustered. He would likely walk over to politely let the person know that you're taken, but he wouldn't have so much of a plan going in, so he'd obviously seem nervous or anxious. At least to you.

"Yejun, how does this look . . . ?"

Your voice trails off when you realize Yejum, your boyfriend, isn't around to see the shirt you just took off of the hanger. You and him had gone clothes shopping together, but it seems that he has vanished. Probably to look for his own clothes, anyways.

"Oh." You deflate a bit, lowering the shirt you were holding against your chest before turning back to the clothing rack.

"I think it looked lovely on you," you hear an unfamiliar voice. You turn around, shirt still in hand, and see someone behind you, with a smile so wide it makes you uncomfortable. 

"Oh, uh, thank you," you say, nodding politely. You glance around, once again looking for your boyfriend. 

"Dressing up for a special occasion? It's a nice shirt."

"Oh, yeah. Concert," you say, not wanting to explain to this stranger that your boyfriend is an idol and you're attending an award show with him.

"Cool. When is it?"

You frown, slightly bothered by the questions. "In a couple weeks."

"Oh, are you busy after shopping?" the person asks, and you realize by their uncomfortable stare that they're trying to hit on you.

"Oh, sorry, no. I mean yes, I'm busy. But I have a boyfriend," you say.

You notice their smiley expression slip into a frown, a look of disappointment, and you press your lips together. Just then, you hear someone calling your name. You turn and see Yejun, your boyfriend, walking over with a pair of pants in hand. His eyes fall on you and the person who was just attempting to hit on you.

"Yejunie," you say, waving him over. You grab his hand the moment he gets close enough, before turning back to the person. "This is my boyfriend."

The person looks between you, Yejun, and your hands together. Yejun seems to understand what's going on at the same time.

"Oh, Yejunie, I was just showing them this shirt. What do you think? For the show?" you ask, holding the shirt up to your chest again.

As Yejun starts complimenting you on the shirt, you notice the person not awkwardly and leave, undoubtedly aware that with the presence of your boyfriend, they've become invisible. You smile to yourself. That went pretty well.

[imagine-docx]

dresses.

Summary:��Bucky is a cute single dad who needs to get a dress for his daughter because his ex wife’s wedding is in a few weeks. Insert you, the cute kids shop owner who has a ton of knowledge in this department. [ChubbyBucky!SingleDad!AU]

Warnings: swearing, and some insecurity mentions and some body shaming, suggestive content right at the end.

A/N: the amount of love i got on sneaky is astronomical! and i love and appreciate each and everyone of you who read it and enjoyed it! also, please remember to sign all the petitons, and donate if you can and attend protests if you can! black lives matter. - amanda

➽───────────────❥

Nope, nope, no, absolutely not, fuck this. Was the exact thought process Bucky went through his mind. The reminder just popped up that in two weeks was his ex wife’s marriage ceremony and reception.

Bucky and Natasha were once married, and had little Layla from the marriage. Layla was caught in the crossfire of a nasty divorce when Bucky and Nat ended things when she was only 3. When Bucky got the invitation for the wedding, he felt the same exact heartbreak when he realized Nat was cheating on him, and felt someone throw his heart into a fire when he realized the man she was currently engaged to was the exact man she cheated with.

He got up and realized that he should check if Layla had any clothes to wear to the wedding. He looked through her closet and realized Layla outgrew almost all of these or weren’t there for the wow factor.

He sighed, closing her closet. He ran his hands through his hair, he turned around and was greeted by the mirror that was there. 

The divorce was hard on Bucky and it was obvious. He put on a few extra pounds around the waist, his shoulders rounded out, and his thighs filled out his pants from all the late shifts at the security firm. Another sighed escaped his lips, he was seeing his ex in laws again and he didn’t look the greatest. 

He walked down the stairs and grabbed his keys, and was going to pick up Layla from Wanda’s house and take Layla dress shopping.

➽───────────────❥

“Wow you look like shit,” Wanda greeted him.

“Glad to know someone like you is caring for my kid,” Bucky sarcastically responded, allowing himself into her house. 

“You already knew what you were signing up for when you knew I was dating Sam,” Wanda said, guiding him to the kitchen.

Bucky met Wanda through Sam. Sam met Wanda through the security firm, when Wanda was working for her old company and they changed the codes without her knowing, she flipped out and somehow Sam and Wanda clicked, and here they were. 

“Where’s my kid?” He said, looking around for the little bundle of joy.

“Upstairs with Sam,” she responded. He eyed Wanda, “Listen, they’re bonding because I need to talk to you.”

“Shoot,” he said, grabbing a banana from the fruit basket.

“Nat’s getting married next week.”

“I know that.”

“You should get a date,” Wanda said bluntly.

“I would, if I could.” He stated, “Oh, I need a dress for the wedding.”

“Even better!” Wanda exclaimed, “That cute shop owner seems like she can help you out.”

“Wanda,” Bucky warned. Wanda was referring to you. You owned this little shop called Sew Lovely and were always helping him out with clothes for Layla. 

He learned about it through Wanda as she was friends with you, and god was he smittened by you. You always helped out with what she wore, and the majority of her closet came from your little shop. 

Everytime he came to see you, he felt like he was falling deeper and deeper, and it didn’t help that Layla would spend any given moment with you, and you were amazing to his kid.

“I’m trying to help,” she said defensively.

“Daddy!” He heard a little voice exclaim from around the corner. 

“Hi pumpkin, did you have fun with uncle Sam and aunty Wanda?”

“Uh-huh, we coloured, watched movies, so much fun.” Layla said.

“Tell me more while we’re in the car,” he said, getting up from his seat and walking to the door. Before leaving he leaned back to Wanda, “I’m going for the dress,” Wanda smirked, “Not for the girl, for the dress.”

Wanda kept that smirk on her face, “Of course Buckaroo.”

➽───────────────❥

He decided to take Layla out for smoothies before shooting you a text asking you if you were free to help find him a dress. He poked the straw into Layla’s drink before he felt the buzz from his phone in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the text message while poking his own straw into his drink. He let out a small smile “Come love,” he said grabbing her hand before making their way back to the car. 

Upon buckling her in, he brushed some hair out of her face, “We have to go shopping baby,” he cooed.

“I love shopping!” she exclaimed. 

“Glad to hear baby,” he said, before navigating to the shop. 

➽───────────────❥

He held Layla’s hand, while navigating to your shop. “Is aunty here?!” she asked, excitedly. 

“Of course,” he chuckled as Layla dragged him into the store.

He heard someone call out Layla’s name and it could have been confused with an angel. “I knew that was my favourite sugar puff!” you exclaimed, crouching to hug her. 

“Aunty! I’ve missed you!” Layla exclaimed, throwing her arms around you. 

“And would you look at that, it's my favourite client,” you said. 

Your hair was tossed into a messy ponytail, you were wearing an oversized white knit sweater, a pair of black jeans and some white sneakers. Even though the outfit was simple, you look like god himself spent ages creating you. “You know I would have no idea what to do with fashion,” he joked. 

“Of course I do,” you joked back. “So how can I help the two of you today?”

“I need a dress for a wedding,” he said, biting back the fact it was his ex wife’s wedding. “Say no more,” you said, before crouching back down to Layla, “Alright love, we need to get you a dress. What are you thinking?” 

“I want poofy! Colours! Flowers!” She exclaimed. 

“Oh she knows off the bat, let’s go sugar puff,” you said, getting up and grabbing her hand and taking her around the shop. 

➽───────────────❥

And that’s how Bucky spent the remainder of his day looking at dresses with you and Layla. He sat while the two of you looked around and tried things on. He admired how well you two bonded, as if you were mother and daughter, “I like this one the most sugar puff. What do you think?” 

“I love it!” She exclaimed, she threw her arms around you for the second time today, “Thank you Aunty!” 

Bucky looked over and saw that Layla was sporting a poofy white dress with red flowers and green leaves around it. “I love this one,” he said in awe at his daughter. 

“No problem baby, I guess we have to get you matching jewelry,” you said, engulfing her into another hug.  

Bucky let out a groan, “You guys have been shopping for so long.”

“Don’t rush a girl,” you joked. 

Another forty five minutes and almost two hundred dollars later. They were done. “Remind me to never go shopping,” he joked. 

“When you have a girl, you can never say no,” you smiled at him, making his heart melt. 

“Thank you so much,” he said, feeling insecure because he knew someone like you would never like him. 

“Not a problem sugar,” You said, and his heart skipped a beat. “See you next week?”

“You can count on it,” he said, giving you a small smile.

“Bye Aunty,” she said, hugging at your legs.

“Bye sugar puff, bye Buck,” you said, as they walked out the shop.

He should probably stop spending so much money at your shop, but seeing you made it all worth it.

➽───────────────❥

At this point, there was a week until Nat’s wedding and he was internally freaking out, he tried on his suit the previous night and it didn’t fit. The pants could barely make it past his midthigh, the dress shirt needed about three more inches before it could fit around his frame, and the jacket couldn’t even fit his arms.

Layla was asleep in her room, and he sat on the bed and tears started brewing in his eyes. Makes sense why Nat left, and why she wouldn’t like me, he thought referring to you.

He shut his eyes to prevent tears from slipping down his face. He steadied his breathing before shooting Wanda a text asking if she could watch Layla for a little longer than he anticipated. He tossed his phone on his bed, before dumping the suit in the trash can and going to shower.

➽───────────────❥

Bucky left work early, having asked Steve to cover for him while he went suit shopping. Once leaving work he somehow found himself on your street. He decided to see what you were up to before going suit shopping. 

He walked up to the shop and saw you were sitting on the bar stool, innocently chewing at the tip of your pen while looking at the notebook that sits in front of you. You were wearing a black romper with sunflowers all over them, an oversized black cardigan that was slipping off of your body, you had your hair tossed into a messy bun, glasses sat on your nose, and a pair of black sandal heels were on your feet. 

He found himself slowly walking up to the shop, opening the door, the bell went off from above him. You looked up and let out a huge smile, which made his heart melt and he returned a goofy grin. 

“Got worried for you Buck, haven’t seen you in a while,” you joked.

“Dad duties call, doll,” he said walking up to the counter, “You alone?”

“Jessica and Natalie are in the back,” you said pointing your pen off to the back, “It’s fairly early, aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“Don’t want me here doll?” He said, raising an eyebrow at you.

“No, I just need to make sure you have the funds to keep my store running,” you joked.

“Gotta go suit shopping, was on my way, and thought I should stop in and let you know I’m fine,” he joked.

“You going by yourself?” You asked.

“I have no one else doll, Steve and Sam are at work,” he said running his hand through his hair.

“I can come,” you said, quickly adding, “If you want.”

“I don’t want to drag you away from work,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Hush hush, I’ll come.” You closed the notebook, got off the stool, “Let me tell them I’m leaving and grab my bag?” 

“I’ll wait here,” he said smiling at you.

“Don’t move,” you warned, before walking to the back.

He looked around at the new displays, he thought about how much time you probably put into it, “You moved, about an inch. Can’t trust you anymore, Barnes,” he heard you say from behind you.

“My apologies doll, how could I possibly make it up to you?” He asked.

You linked your arm around his, “I’ll come up with something,” you said, as the two of you exited the shop.

➽───────────────❥

The two of you found yourselves at this small suit shop at the edge of Brooklyn. Walking in, the two of you heard someone yell, “James.” And an elderly Italian man came and greeted him with a hug.

“Hi Bruno,” he said, returning the hug.

He pulled away and noticed you, “Who’s this beautiful dame?”

He introduced the two of you, before Bruno brought the two of you deeper into the store, “He’s provided suits since I was young.”

You nodded, “It’s cute.”

“How about have the pretty dame sit and I do the measurements,” Bruno said. You sat on the stool provided and sipped on the smoothie that you bought for the two of you. Bucky felt embarrassed as Bruno took his measurements in front of you, but you flashed him a reassuring smile, and he felt some of the insecurities fade away.

➽───────────────❥

An hour later and Bucky found himself getting frustrated. Nothing looked good on him. He tried navy blue suits, beige suits, grey suits, plaid suits, and to no avail he could find anything. Bruno went to look at other options, while Bucky looked in the mirror. It was obvious he was picking at his own body.

You got up and walked over to him, rubbing his back, “You look gorgeous Buck, don’t deflate yourself.”

“It’s just that,” he started, “It’s my ex wife's wedding, and I don’t look good. I want to impress the family, but I look like-”

You cut him off, “You look amazing, and she’s an idiot for letting you go. If her family doesn’t like it, that sucks, cause you’re no longer their family.”

“Thank you,” he said, pulling you into a hug.

“I got your back Buck,” you said, hugging him back, “But you should have told me we were dressed to kill, I would be on it.”

“Now that you’re in on it, what’s running through that mind of yours?” He said, pulling away.

“Black,” you said, “Can’t go wrong with that.”

He smiled before yelling out, “Bruno? You got a black suit?”

➽───────────────❥

He hated how right you were, but also simultaneously loved that you knew him that well. He smiled at you, “Doll you know me well.”

“Gotta look out for my two favourite Barnes, don’t I?” you asked.

“James, you look amazing, you just need a tie,” Bruno said, before going off to find a tie.

You got up and smoothed out the suit near his shoulders, “I owe you one,” he said, looking down at you.

“You owe me a lot sugar,” you said.

Bruno came back with a red tie, “I think this would look good on you James.” You moved away from him, and let Bruno tie the tie to complete the suit. 

“The colour brings out your eyes,” you commented. 

The tie was rich, vibrant, red, and contrasted nicely against the black suit and his blue eyes. “You look amazing James.”

“Thanks Brun, I’ll take it,” Bucky said, looking at himself in the mirror, smiling at how good he looked.

Bruno walked to the front and rung up the order, “You really know what’s good for me doll.”

“What can I say? I know my Barnes,” you joked.

“How about I go change, then I’ll treat you to dinner?” He asked.

“He’s living up to his word,” you joked.

“I always do doll,” he said, before walking back to the dressing room.

➽───────────────❥

Bucky was a man of his word and took you to the small dinner about three streets away, but still was on the outskirts of town. You finished up dinner and were driving back, “You know your way to a girls heart.”

“I always do,” he joked.

You two sat in comfortable silence the rest of the way back. Pulling up to your house, he walked you to your step. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“Anytime Buck,” you responded.

He scratched the back of his neck, “Are you free this Saturday?” He realized what it sounded like, “I mean, you can be my plus one with Layla,” he rushed out.

“Of course I would come Buck,” you unlocked the door, “Text me the details?”

“Of course. Good night doll,” he said.

You kissed him on the cheek, “Night Buck,” you said before scurrying inside, missing the blush that rose to his cheeks.

➽───────────────❥

Bucky didn’t see you at all that week. He was busy getting his haircut, buying other last minute things he needed before the wedding. He kept in contact with you through texts, telling you he’d pick you up at four.

It was three fifty and he was in his car, with Layla in the backseat singing loudly to the pop that played on the radio. He was nervous, he didn’t know what to expect. He unbuckled Layla, before making his way up the steps. He rang the doorbell and waited for you to answer.

Once you opened the door, he felt the wind get knocked out of his lungs. Before him you wore a red satin dress, with a low cut exposing your cleavage, the black heels accentuated the length of your legs, you had a necklace with your initial as the pendant, a small gold bracelet and some gold earrings. 

“Aunty! You look so good!” Layla said, breaking Bucky’s train of thought.

“Thank you sugar puff, you look beautiful,” you said stroking her hair. You pulled the door in behind you and locked it, and dropped the key into your back. 

“You look gorgeous doll,” he said, still in awe at you.

“You clean up well Barnes,” you said, “Let’s get to that wedding.”

➽───────────────❥

Bucky found himself looking at you with awe whenever you didn’t notice. A lot of the family Bucky once met at his wedding leaned into him saying that his current family was cute and received their blessings. 

He didn’t notice how much the three of you looked like a family until one of Nat’s cousins pointed out that his tie, matched your dress, which matched the flowers on Layla’s dress.

He looked over and saw you, Wanda, Carol, Nebula and Sharon sitting and sharing a drink. He smiled, before he heard someone call out his name, he turned around and saw Natasha, “Can we talk?” 

“What?”

“I wanted to apologize for everything, and I’m glad you found someone who treats you well and loves Lay,” Nat said, motioning to Layla sitting on your lap.

“Thanks Nat,” he responded, sipping on his soda.

“Truce?” She asked.

“Truce.”

➽───────────────❥

It was well after twelve, and Bucky was dropping you home. Layla was taken to Wanda’s earlier, and Layla was going to spend the night there. You and Bucky had a grand time, you two laughed, shared drinks, shared a few dances, and a few glances here and there. 

You were wrapped up in his suit jacket due to it being colder than you anticipated when you were leaving the hall. “I had fun tonight,” you said, as you walked up the stairs.

“Thank you for coming, I appreciate it,” he said.

“Anything for you,” you said looking at him, you felt the air shift and you didn’t mind.

Both of you leaned in, until your lips were touching and moving in harmony. Your arms found their way behind his neck, and his hands were wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer. You broke away when you needed air. You gave him a sheepish smile, before he pecked your lips again.

“Glad this dress did its job,” you joked.

“You bought this just for me?” He asked, running his fingers along the satin material that was along your waist..

“Of course, I needed to match your tie, for obvious reasons, and I hope it would lead to something like this. Needless to say, it did its job,” you said brushing hair out of his eyes.

“Well, if this dress is for me, I would like to see it on the floor,” he whispered seductively in your ear.

“You better get to work loverboy,” you said, before he picked you up and took you into your house.

[boizandgurlzinthehouse]

♡ 𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐞 ♡

requested: yes / no 

(now you can send me requests with band of brothers characters babes ᵘʷᵘ)

plot: one comfy pretty lil day with our sweet cajun boy 

eugene wants nothing more than have a peaceful picnic

and if this boy set something in his mind, he do it no matter what

especially when it’s about or with you

so when you two is about to wake up, you snuggle into eugene’s neck 

he strokes your back gently, whispering soft ma belle’s and mon ange’s 

“wake up and come with me darling” 

you sleepily kiss his neck, and gently bite his earlobe 

“gene i’m tired, can we just cuddle?” 

eugene cups your cheeks and invites you in a sloppy, sweet kiss with tired smiles 

his sky blue eyes glow with adoration and love only for you

“you can cuddle with me at our field too ma chérie. now please get up and help me to make a beautiful day” 

and who are you to say no to this angel on earth 

so you get up and pick up a pretty laced tulle dress or some comfy jeans-shirt outfit 

when you make your hair, eugene sneaks up behind you and buries his face in your hair 

“you are so soft mon bébé” 

tries to braid it but fails in an adorable way 

you begin to collect fruits in the picnic-basket while eugene makes the sandwiches 

grabs your hand and intertwines his fingers with yours whilst going to the field 

eguene’s parents have a beautiful field with delicate, pastell coloured flowers and pillow-like, tall grass

you two settle down under one tree with emerald green leafs, eugene spread the plaid and put down the basket

and now the little piece of peace’s heaven is open 

you just lay down on the plaid while gene reads from his poem book for you 

you stroke his face and adore his cute freckles, brush his eyebrows and lips 

“wich one do you like better, y/n? do you have one favourite poet or writer?” 

gene kisses your thumb and whispers i love yous and je t’aimes, his pale skins glowing in the sunshine 

“i don’t have any, but since you read this poems... i got interested” 

suddenly, he bends down and cupping your chin with his thumb and index finger, giving you a passionate, mess french kiss 

“sorry mon ange, i just wanted to do that for so long” 

“and why didn’t you do it before?” you whisper on his lips, stroking his black, fluffy hair with your fingers 

okay i admit it, now you gave him a boner

“because your lips just so wonderful... the words and sentences that you tell me day by day, they are so soft just like you” 

you make him a flower crown, and when you places it on his head, he grabs your hands and kisses them 

he tries to make you too, and you help him

your fingers lightly touching his as you give him advices 

he’s a soft top but likes very very much when you teach him something new, even outside the bed 

he makes a really cute flower crown of course everything is fucking adorable what he does 

“you see, gene? this flower crown is awfully perfect!” you cheer him while he places it on your hair 

later the day, you two eat the foods you two made 

knees and elbows slightly touching in the calming silence

you and eugene just enjoying each others company 

you grab your notes and tries to write and draw into it, flip on your stomach and feel a warm hand on the small of your back 

he lays down, his head on his hand

“am i too heavy, ma chérie?” 

“of course not, gene” 

eugene reads his book and you drawing little symbols, the beautiful field afore you 

softly strokes your thighs with his calloused heavenly fingers 

“gene” 

“yes, baby?” 

“i love you so much, so so so much” 

he closes his eyes, and feeling himself in heaven because for hi, you are a godsend angel 

“you can, but i’ll always love you more” 

i’m fucking obsessed with him bye 

[phantasticworks]

If You Don’t Love Me, Pretend - Chapter Two

Hi! Here’s today’s update! I hope you enjoy it and I’ll be back with chapter three next week!

read on ao3

Words: 9.5k 

Summary: Dan and Phil begin to work out some of the finer details of their pretend relationship.

When Dan gets up for work the next morning, he’s unsurprised to find Phil already awake and fumbling around in the kitchen, probably making coffee. He smiles at the thought since he hates waiting for the stupid coffee machine to actually heat up in the mornings. After a quick shower, he throws on a pair of nice black trousers and a grey button down, muttering to himself about stupid professional dress code, which was truly one of the only things he actively hated about his job. No matter how many times he complained about it, nothing changed, however they did allow them to start having casual Fridays every week, which he was thankful for.

“Good morning!” Phil chirps from beside the coffee maker when Dan makes it into the kitchen. Neither of them are morning people, but Phil was just generally in a good mood, regardless of the time of day.

“Ugh,” Dan mumbles, smiling slightly despite the early hour when Phil hands him a One Direction mug full of coffee. “Thanks.”

They both sit down at the table after getting some cereal, and Dan realizes how early it truly is when he goes to look at his phone. “Do they have you going in early now or something?” He asks Phil, watching his best friend take a long sip of coffee before shrugging.

“Nah, but I figured since I was here you shouldn’t have to get up for work alone.” He begins shoveling cereal in his mouth, but Dan’s face is frozen in surprise as he hears this. Sure, Phil typically got up around the same time as him, but not usually on mornings when Dan had to be up early for work. But he doesn’t work himself up into a crisis over this. He smiles into his coffee, instead.

“I’d have slept in if it was me, to be honest with you.” Dan smirks as he begins eating his own cereal, yelping when he feels a sharp kick to his ankle under the table. “Hey!”

“Yeah, because I’m the older, more mature half of this relationship,” Phil smiles cheekily, his tongue poking out between his teeth even as Dan delivers a kick of his own. “Excuse you, Daniel! I didn’t kick you that hard.”

Dan only rolls his eyes at Phil’s proclamation. He’d managed not to fixate on the whole fake relationship thing too much, but now that Phil’s mentioned it, it’s back to the forefront of his mind. “Well, karma comes back tenfold, or something.” He shrugs before remembering something they still needed to talk about. “Hey, speaking of our wonderful, passionate, and totally real relationship,” He pauses, smirking when Phil just shoots him an unimpressed look. “We need to figure out logistics, like who proposed to who and all that. I can find us some rings on e-bay for realism, but we need to sort out a story.”

Phil nods along at this. “I think it would’ve been me. Like, the proposal thing.” He says casually. The way he says it causes Dan to shift, his cheeks heating up as he gives himself a moment to think about it. But then he’s imagining it happening and- nope, he derails this train of thought immediately. No. Bad.

Clearing his throat, he shoots Phil a look. “Why do you think it would’ve been you?”

Phil shrugs as if it should be obvious before replying, “You’re terrible at planning things, and I feel like you’d want to be on the receiving end.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, his face pales, seemingly having realized the double meaning his words could have.

“Oh really?” Dan mocks, unable to control himself when the opportunity to be a smartass has presented itself so conveniently.

“I meant a proposal! I just meant the proposal, god, Dan.” He tries to glare, cheeks turning pink as he brings his hands up to cover his face. “I just… I think I generally happen to be the type to make big romantic gestures.” He tries to turn the conversation back to that, and surprisingly, it works, as Dan is again imagining a proposal. Damn.

“I guess,” he finally concedes, finishing his coffee and standing to take the dishes to the sink, taking Phil’s bowl with him as he goes. “So, you proposed to me, say like four months ago?” He counts back in his head and realizes that puts their fake proposal in October, which is kind of perfect since it’s his favorite month, as well as their sort of friendiversary of when they met, which could make it more believable.

“Sure,” Phil shrugs, turning in his seat to watch Dan move around the kitchen, gathering the things he needs to take to work. “So, what do we have to do next with this whole fostering process? I know there’s interviews and stuff like that.” Phil hands Dan an apple from the fruit basket on the table for him to put with his lunch, and Dan nods.

“Uh, well I’ve got an email with some options for when we can go in for an information meeting; that’s the next step. And then I think it’s paperwork and interviews. Oh, and we have to go through training.” He says distractedly as he looks over some of the papers he had been looking at after work yesterday, mainly just volunteer opportunities to tell some students about.

“Alright. Just pick a date and time and tell me so I can put it on my calendar.” Phil finishes his coffee then, carrying the mug to the sink before running water over all the dishes and opening the dishwasher, filling it up as if he already lives there.

“Okay.” Dan shoves the papers in his bag before glancing over at Phil. “Do you want to start moving in soon or did you want to keep staying in your apartment until the lease is out?” He leans against the counter as he watches Phil, who shrugs.

“I figured I can start moving my stuff in here in a couple weeks. I don’t want to move everything at once, but in three months hopefully we’ll be closer to getting approved. And we’ll need to be pretty comfortable living together by the time we are.” He shrugs again before turning to meet Dan’s gaze.

Dan smirks at this, gesturing to what Phil is in the middle of doing. “I think we kind of already have that covered, Phil.”

Phil blushes at this, shaking his head. “You know what I mean. We’ll need to start sharing a room and stuff, just like you said. The sooner we get used to that, the better.” He hesitates before speaking again. “I think we should also probably look into changing up the guest room a bit, since that’s basically my room right now, and probably isn’t suited for a child.”

Dan nods, glancing at the digital clock on the stove. “Yeah, probably. We should get rid of that bed and maybe get a twin size instead. Maybe change the office into a proper bedroom in case we end up having more than one kid at a time?” He shrugs at his own suggestion, searching for his keys.

“Here,” Phil grabs them from the table and tosses them to him, rolling his eyes. “I swear you’d be lost without me here, Howell.”

Dan ignores the jab in favor of searching the fridge for his reusable water bottle, frustrated when he doesn’t see it immediately. “Do you know where-”

“I put it in your bag already, Dan,” Phil interrupts, nodding over to the messenger bag on the table.

“Oh,” Dan stops his search, staring mindlessly into the fridge for a moment. “We’re going to have to start buying more healthy groceries, Phil. We eat like children who shop in a candy shop.” The containers of mostly junk food mock him from their spots on the shelves.

Phil makes some sort of noncommittal hum to this, nudging Dan slightly to shut the door to the fridge. “Sure, we’ll do that. Now you need to go, or you’ll seriously be late, Dan.” He’s gently pushing him along, glancing at the clock over the oven nervously.

Dan allows this for a moment before he gasps, his hands flying down to his pockets. “Wait, my phone, I don’t have my phone.” He pats his jeans, his eyes searching around the counter frantically for his iPhone.

There’s a sigh behind him before he feels the strap of his bag being thrown over his shoulder. “You also forgot your bag, mate. Phone’s in the front pocket.” Phil pats his shoulder then before going back to finish filling up the dishwasher. “Text me when you get to work so I know you’re safe,” he calls casually over his shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dan rolls his eyes as he goes to tug his shoes on. “Are you coming back here after work?” He asks from the hall.

Phil closes the dishwasher after a moment before walking to the kitchen doorway, leaning against it as he watches Dan hop around trying to get his shoes on. “No, I’ll probably be at work later than usual, so I’ll probably just head back to mine. I’ll lock up here and everything when I leave though.”

Dan finally gets both shoes on his feet and sighs, nodding at Phil. “Okay. Come over tomorrow then? We’ve got to finish the new season of Riverdale at some point.” Dan almost feels like he’s being clingy, but he knows that Phil won’t take it that way.

As expected, Phil nods. “Yeah, I’ll be here. Now, go, you’re gonna be late if you don’t leave, and we both know Louise will make you buy her lunch if she has to cover for you.” He follows Dan as he walks to the front door, making shooing motions with his hands the whole time.

“I’m going, I’m going! Bye, Phil.” He laughs as he steps outside his flat, hearing Phil respond the same way.

He’s just made it to his car when his phone beeps with a text. He rolls his eyes as he sees that it’s Phil.

Phil: U need milk btw go to the shop after work

Dan: thx mum

Phil: Don’t sass me

Dan: I’ll do what i want

Phil: That’s it I want a divorce

Dan: no quit texting me im driving

That ends their conversation, but Dan still smiles as he puts his phone away and focuses on driving.

When he gets to work, remarkably on time for once, he immediately goes to check his email for the dates for the information meeting. He checks his own calendar, which luckily is pretty bare, save for a few school events he had to work around. He pulls his phone out to text Phil what he thinks would be the best day, but his phone begins ringing almost immediately.

He’s surprised to see that it’s his mum, as he’d been sort of expecting it to be Phil. “Hey, mum.” He says as cheerfully as possible. It wasn’t entirely strange for her to be calling him, but he couldn’t think of any specific reasons why she would be.

“Hello, dear. How’re you?” She asks pleasantly.

“I’m well.” He realizes then that he and Phil hadn’t considered a very important aspect in all of their decision making. They’ll have to tell their parents something, especially Phil, since he was much closer to his family than Dan was to his own. They’d have to tell them they were fostering together, which would probably lead to a lot of questions on both sides. But, if they were going to do this, then Dan didn’t see any reason not to be honest from the start, at least with his own mum. “I was actually meaning to call you.”

There’s a pause, and his mother is clearly surprised when she speaks. “You were?”

He swallows his nervousness down, nodding to himself. He checks that his door is shut before leaning back in his seat to tell her what’s going on. “Yeah. I have some… news, I guess. It’s a little strange, but I was going to go ahead and tell you about it.”

“Alright.” She says hesitantly. “You’re making me nervous, Daniel, it’s nothing too bad, is it?”

“No, no. I mean, not exactly bad. Erm, well.” He takes a deep breath before just letting it out. “You know how I’ve always wanted to foster kids? Well, I’ve looked into it… and it turns out you have a better chance of doing it if you’re in a relationship.” He pauses, giving his mother a moment to process this, and hopefully get on the same page as him.

“Daniel is this your way of saying you have a girlfriend?” She chuckles, but he can tell she’s still confused.

He laughs nervously. He hadn’t considered that his mum might be disapproving of this because he’s pretending to be in a relationship with a man, but now he’s starting to wonder if he’s made a mistake even bringing it up. His parents knew he swung both ways, as he’d told them that way back when he was sixteen, but maybe it hadn’t stuck since he hasn’t really dated since he was eighteen.

“No, not exactly. But, like I said, there’s a better chance at getting approved if you’re in a relationship. So… Remember Phil?” He chews at his lip as he waits for a response.

“Yes, obviously.” His mother answers hesitantly.

“Well… This is going to sound really weird, and probably dumb, but basically, Phil and I are going to do that. Together.” He holds his breath as he waits for a response.

There’s silence, then a short laugh. “Are you joking?”

His stomach sinks as he realizes this was likely a mistake. He’s never been particularly close to his mother, but he can’t bear the idea of her being seriously upset with him over this. “No. I’m not.” He sighs, running a hand through his messy curls as he speaks again. “Obviously we aren’t actually together, but I really want to do this, mum, and he’s always wanted to do it as well. We figured we’d both have a better chance at getting approved if we did it together, and we’d be doing a great thing for these kids, mum-“

She cuts him off there, and his stomach churns. “Daniel be quiet for a moment. Do you really think this is a good idea?” Her voice is less hesitant than before, and she almost sounds bored.

“Well,” He stutters out, trying to think of a response that would satisfy her. “I mean, I think we’d be doing a good thing. So, yeah, I don’t see why it would be a bad idea. We’ve lived together before and we’re-“ He pauses. He’d almost said, “we’re basically already together.” But that definitely wasn’t true, and he couldn’t just say that. Clearing his throat, he continues. “I just wanted to tell you we were doing this so that it doesn’t come as a surprise when we start actually fostering.”

His mum sighs, and he chews on his lip. “Okay, that’s not entirely what I meant, Dan. But if you can’t honestly see why this might be a bad idea, I’m not going to bother explaining it.” She pauses, and he’s relieved when her voice is softer than before. “I do think you’re doing a good thing, Dan. Any child would be lucky to have you in their lives, even if it’s not for very long.”

He lets out a breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding, a smile gracing his lips. “Thanks, mum.” He glances at his monitor, realizing he’d been on the phone for around ten minutes already. “I’m at work, but I can call later, unless you needed something?”

“Oh, right. I just wanted to tell you that your grandmother’s phone number has changed, dear.” After reciting the new number and giving him a minute to put it in his phone, she clears her throat. “I’ll let you get back to work, then. Let me know how the fostering process goes and tell Phil that I said hi. I love you.”

Dan nearly rolls his eyes at the mention of Phil, but he knows that his mum just genuinely likes him, and probably isn’t fully sold on the idea that they’re just faking their relationship for the sake of fostering. “I will, mum. Love you too. Bye.” He hangs up and immediately groans, tossing his phone onto the desk. The conversation could have gone worse, sure, but now that he’s done it, he feels as if he probably should have consulted with Phil before telling his mum at all. Oh well. His best friend is probably more than used to Dan’s fuck ups by now.

Speak of the devil, Dan thinks as his phone beeps, a text from the man himself popping up.

Phil: Did u die

Dan: no, sorry, mum called when i got in

Phil: K glad you aren’t dead

Dan: yeah u wouldn’t get any life insurance money if I was

Phil: There goes my plan to murder you

Dan: soz

Dan: does Feb 14 work

Phil: What

Dan: for the meeting

Phil: Oh I thought that was your way of asking me out

Dan: no you spoon we’re engaged romance is dead

Dan: but for real we need to go to the meeting is Wednesday ok

Phil: Yeah lol that’s fine

Dan: k it’s at 7

Phil: Ok you’re driving

Dan sends him a rolling eye emoji before telling him he’s got to confirm with the agency and then actually work. He smiles when Phil responds with nothing but a spoon emoji, shaking his head. They really were strange sometimes.

After emailing Hazel and confirming the date and time of their meeting, he gets a response with some paperwork attached that he needs to print out and fill in to bring to the meeting to officially get the process started. He prints it off almost immediately, his excitement getting the best of him.

Unfortunately, he does have actual work to do in regard to his real job, and he’s actually surprised at how motivated he is to be productive now that he’s got something to look forward to. Maybe this is how he’d feel if he was dating someone all these years or had a real family. He shakes his head at the thought, as it’s entirely ridiculous. He knows that he’s been perfectly content single all these years, and plus he had Phil, so what was even the point? This was just a new thing to be excited about and give him motivation. He wasn’t really lonely.

A phone call and a scheduled appointment to see his therapist later, he puts all of his personal life aside and begins calling students in for advising and things like that, his thoughts quickly being taken over with the things he’s dealing with in the present.

~~~

The day goes by fairly quickly when he’s in a motivated sort of mood, and he even takes the time to rearrange some of the things in his office, cleaning as he goes. At one point, Louise pops in to see if he wants to join her for lunch, and she’s surprised to see everything he’s changed. He’s slightly miffed at how shocked she is that he can actually clean, but when she questions him, he just shrugs. “Early spring cleaning, I guess.” Is his only response.

He feels exhausted by the time he gets home, and he’s almost relieved that Phil said he’d be working late, until he gets bored after a few episodes of The Office. Rather than be completely pathetic and text Phil to bother him while he’s at work, Dan decides to be productive, and goes online to order their rings. Phil may have thought it was a joke, but Dan fully intended on wearing them from now on, for realism, of course.

As he shops for the rings, he realizes he’s got no idea what his or Phil’s ring sizes even are. That may put a kink in his plans, and not even the good kind. Thinking it’s kind of inevitable to avoid bothering Phil at this point, Dan pulls out his phone to text him.

Dan: what’s your ring size

Phil: Idk

Phil: Why would I know that lol

Dan: fuck idk but i need to know to order these rings

Phil: I’m surprised you’re really doing that

Phil: Why don’t we just go to goldsmiths and find cheap ones there

Dan: idk because we aren’t actually getting engaged??

Phil: Obviously I know that but wouldn’t it be easier to just get sized and get the rings that we know fit instead of trying to order them online and just hope for the best

Dan considers this for a moment. He’d been willing to spend quite a bit on these rings on e-bay, considering they needed to look as realistic as possible, but he guessed there really wasn’t any harm in going to an actual jewelry store to get them. Besides, Dan liked nice things, so this would give him an excuse to have a nice piece of jewelry that he wouldn’t be able to justify otherwise.

Dan: ok actually that’s smart we should do that

Phil: Wanna do that tomorrow?

Dan: sure

Dan: are you still at work

Phil: yes

Dan: im bored

Phil: not my problem danny

Dan: ok ew i hate that bye have fun at work

Phil: have fun being bored danny

Dan promptly tosses his phone away and then closes out of the tabs he had open, instead pulling up a new one to look at furniture for a kid’s room. He supposed that it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to really plan a whole bedroom without knowing the child’s preferences, but he still liked looking at all of it. He did need to order a new twin bed, and probably find out where to get rid of the guest bed, which he could probably wait and do in a couple weeks, after Phil had moved in.

The thought that he would soon be sharing a room with Phil made him inexplicably nervous. They’d shared a bed plenty of times before, and within the last few months, too. Now it just felt different.

He’s feeling too restless to sit and watch tv, so he decides to clean his room, which takes more time than he initially thought. Sorting through clothes that were thrown around the room leads to him going through his closet and pulling things out to donate, since he didn’t honestly need them. After feeling satisfied with that, he takes the sheets off his bed and starts a load of laundry before putting his spare sheets on the mattress. He’s feeling pretty tired at that point, but since he’s made it this far, he decides to go ahead and sweep the floor and then rearrange his shoes on their rack.

When he eventually feels accomplished enough with his work, he collapses on his bed with every intention of sitting there for a moment before going to switch the laundry. At some point he closes his eyes, just to take a moment to rest them, but the next thing he knows, he’s fast asleep, still wearing the same clothes he wore to work.

---

Waking up is generally not a pleasant experience, and it’s even less pleasant when you wake up wearing dress clothes. Dan groans, rolling over and slinging an arm over his eyes. He shifts when he realizes that he’s pressed up against something, which doesn’t make sense, given his bed isn’t against the wall and last he checked, he had gone to sleep in an otherwise empty bed.

“I was wondering when you’d wake up. It’s already half eleven, mate.”

Dan nearly jumps when he hears the voice, an embarrassingly girlish scream ripping its way out of his throat as his arm flies away from his face in order to locate the source. Then he groans when he sees that it’s just Phil. “Why are you in my bed?” He grumbles, rolling over again so that half of him is basically laying in Phil’s lap as he glares up at his friend.

Phil, who is sat with his back against the headboard, legs spread out on the bed, rolls his eyes. “That’s no way to talk to your fiancé,” he snaps, his bitter tone surprising Dan slightly.

He studies Phil’s face for a moment, watching as blue eyes dart up to glare at the ceiling before eventually dropping back to meet Dan’s gaze. Dan quirks an eyebrow questioningly, tilting his head to the side so that his cheek is resting against Phil’s thigh. “Are you okay?” He asks, knowing that Phil rarely got ill with him unless he was either seriously mad, or just stressed about other things.

Phil stares at Dan for a moment before nodding slowly. “I’m fine, just tired. Are you going to get up? I figured we’d go ahead and get the rings, so we can get it out of the way.” His tone isn’t as harsh as it was before, but he’s still clearly bothered about something, and it’s obvious in the way he shifts his legs under the weight of Dan.

Dan shrugs, unmoving. “Are you sure you’re alright? You’re acting pissy.” He observes, watching as Phil’s jaw clenches, eyes flitting away from Dan.

“I’m fine. Get up, your elbow’s digging into my leg.” At this, he nudges Dan away from him, throwing his own legs off the side of the bed to stand. “I’ll go wait for you in the kitchen.” He barely glances at Dan on his way out, and the younger man sighs loudly. If it was going to be like this all day, he was pretty sure he’d rather be asleep.

After a shower, Dan changes into a pair of black skinny jeans and a jumper he knows Phil hates. Part of him just wants to see if Phil will be a dick about it just because he’s in a bad mood today, but the bigger part of him just wants to wear it because it’s genuinely comfy.

When he walks into the kitchen, Phil is sitting at the table, staring out the sliding glass door onto the balcony where there are a couple of pigeons are hopping around. He must hear Dan walk in, because he glances over, his eyes scanning Dan’s outfit. “It’s cold out.” Is all he says.

Dan stares at him, a frown on his face. What was going on with him? Phil always teased him about his potato sack jumper. Trying to act unaffected by the mood Phil seems to be in, he shrugs, walking to the sink to pour himself a glass of water. “Yeah?”

“You’ll get cold in that.” Phil comments, his eyes following Dan’s movements around the kitchen.

“I can handle myself, you know,” he tries to say it lightly, but it seems Phil’s bad mood has rubbed off on him, and it comes out a little harsher than he’d intended. He glances over to find a frown on Phil’s lips. “Is that just your subtle way of telling me to wear something else so you don’t have to be seen with me in this jumper?” He tries again, adding a smile when he says it.

Phil shrugs, looking away. “I don’t want you to get cold.” Is all he gets in return.

This makes him pause. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re being really short.” He crosses his arms, his gaze tracing over Phil’s perfect quiff and his stupid, adorable glasses. He’s wearing black jeans and a stupidly cozy looking jumper with a colorful bird on it, and Dan almost swears, because naturally Phil looks effortlessly warm and cozy, which does nothing to quell Dan’s sudden annoyance with him.

Phil sighs deeply, shaking his head slowly. He pushes his glasses into his hair and rubs his hands down his face. Dan suddenly gets a bad feeling, as Phil looks so exhausted. He doesn’t even look annoyed anymore, just so, so tired. When he speaks, Dan immediately wishes he’d been a little less harsh. “I’m fine, I promise. I’m just tired, Dan. I’m sorry I was a dick earlier. Can we just go and get this done? I honestly just want to watch Riverdale and eat Domino’s, not sit here and fight with you.” Phil looks up at Dan, squinting before he realizes he’s pushed his glasses up.

Dan swallows around the lump in his throat, glancing away for a moment. When his eyes travel back to Phil, he’s sat watching him, a sad look on his face. “I’m sorry,” Dan whispers, shame flooding him. He had no idea why Phil was so obviously upset, but that gave him no right to be a dick just because he felt like Phil was being one.

“Not your fault.” Phil answers softly, standing from the table. “Just… I’ve had a long week.” He tries to smile, but it falters, and he looks away from Dan, clearing his throat before nodding to the door, indicating they should leave.

Dan feels guilt creeping in, as it is his fault that Phil’s had a long week. Part of it was most definitely the whole fake relationship situation that they’re in right now, and that is definitely Dan’s fault. Instead of arguing some more, he just nods, grabbing his keys and wallet as he follows Phil out the door. He locks it behind them and they walk down to his car in silence. Phil didn’t drive, instead choosing to just order a cab everywhere, which Dan supposed in the long run was about the same price as owning a car, so generally they took Dan’s if they were going somewhere together.

The ride to the shopping center where the jewelry store is at is short and quiet, and Dan finds himself looking over at Phil much more than usual. Phil doesn’t return the looks, and the only words exchanged is Phil pointing out a dog in the window of a car that passes them.

When they get to Goldsmiths, Dan can tell that Phil is nervous. He’s not sure if it’s because of what they’re about to do or if it’s because of how convincing they’ll have to act to pass as a couple. Dan takes a risk and reaches for Phil’s hand as they walk to the door, trying not to be too offended when Phil’s first reaction is to pull away. “Hey.” Dan says gently, waiting until Phil’s focused on him before speaking again. “We don’t have to explain anything to these people. We don’t even know them, remember? And they don’t know us, and we’ll likely never see them again.”

When Phil nods, Dan goes to drop his hand, but suddenly Phil tightens his grip. Glancing at Dan, his cheeks grow slightly pink, but he doesn’t release his hand. “It needs to look real, remember?”

Dan is mentally cursing himself for thinking Phil just wanted to hold his hand. Of course, he didn’t, he’s your best friend, why the hell would he think like that? Some people aren’t that weird, Dan. He shakes his head lightly, trying to clear his stupid thoughts as he holds the door for Phil, their hands staying clasped as they walk into the shop.

They’re immediately greeted by a sales lady, a woman who’s probably around the same age as them, maybe older. “Hello, welcome to Goldsmiths, I’m Lauren. Is there anything I can help you two find today?” She glances at their hands, and her smile doesn’t waver in the slightest. Dan lets out a breath, glad that they weren’t going to be treated differently as a gay couple. A fake gay couple, his consciousness reminds him helpfully.

“Actually yes,” Dan smiles, knowing that Phil always gets awkward in situations like this. Just as he thinks this, Phil’s left hand comes up and grips Dan’s forearm, clearly nervous. Dan casually begins stroking his thumb over Phil’s hand still clasped in his, his right hand tucking into his pocket. “We recently got engaged, but it was so spontaneous that we didn’t have rings, so that’s what we’re here for.” He smiles charmingly at the girl, letting his dimples show.

Lauren coos, gesturing for them to follow her. “Oh, that’s lovely! Well, we have a variety of selections right over here. What is your budget?” She asks, pausing as she goes around behind the cases of jewelry.

Dan glances at Phil, who shrugs, a small, unsure smile on his face. Turning back to the saleswoman, Dan smiles apologetically. “Well, we’re trying to save as much money as possible for the wedding and our honeymoon, so it would be great if you could show us some of your simplest choices. We’re not looking for extravagant, just simple.”

Apparently, the girl doesn’t find this shrewd or cheap, she just smiles broadly, as if that’s the sweetest thing she’s ever heard. “Of course! Let me go fetch the keys to this case and I’ll show you a few of our popular simpler rings.”

As she disappears behind a doorway, Phil snickers. Dan quirks an eyebrow at him in confusion. Phil rolls his eyes, running a hand through his hair. “We just want something simple,” he mocks.

Dan’s jaw drops, and he huffs indignantly. “What? We’re not here to spend a fortune.”

Phil laughs again, nudging him gently. “Says the king of nice things. I think if you were picking out a ring for real, you’d pick out the most expensive one you could find.”

Dan goes to cross his arms, but can’t, as their hands are still linked. Instead, he huffs impatiently. “You have absolutely nothing to back that up with.”

Eyes widening in surprise, Phil reaches over, his fingers slipping under the collar of Dan’s shirt, rubbing the material between his fingers. “Yeah? What about this?”

Dan shivers as the motion of Phil’s fingers causes them to rub against his collarbone. He’d always had a weird thing about his neck area. Smacking Phil’s hand away, he pouts. “That’s not fair. You like nice things too.”

Phil smiles, his first real smile of the day, his tongue poking out between his teeth. Dan smiles as he sees this, and he feels his dimples reappearing. “Sure, but not like you do, Danny.” He pokes Dan’s dimple, laughing when Dan turns away, his finger following.

His face reddens when he sees the shop clerk standing there smiling at them both. Clearing his throat, he glances at Phil, who has just noticed her. His face flushes, and he ducks his head in embarrassment, dropping his hand away from Dan’s face.

“You are both too adorable.” Lauren gushes, going to open a case. Dan smiles at her, but as soon as her attention is elsewhere, he rolls his eyes at Phil, who only bats his eyelashes as if to prove her point. “So, here’s the simplest ring we offer, and the least expensive in our store. It’s two tone and comes in two different varieties. The most popular is the yellow and white gold.” She shows them a couple of rings, which in Dan’s opinion are kind of hideous. They’re two toned, sure, but he thinks that’s kind of tasteless. He glances at Phil for his reaction, which is sort of the same as his. A similar look of disinterest is on his face.

“They’re nice,” Dan offers before gesturing to the case again. “Not crazy about two toned, are we?” He glances at Phil again, who agrees. His eyes drop to Phil’s hand that’s still clutching his forearm, and he smiles when he realizes he’s absently tracing circles on the fabric of Dan’s jumper with his thumb.

“Not unless we don’t see something else we like more,” he allows, his left hand leaving Dan’s forearm for a second to point to something he sees in the case. “How about those?” He asks.

“Oh, absolutely. These are about fifty pound more, but they’re lovely.” She pulls out the rings Phil had gestured to, and Dan raises an eyebrow. They’re actually not bad. Simple, but elegant. There’s no diamonds imbedded, so it would look rather unremarkable if it weren’t for the engravings etched around the band. “This comes in white, yellow, or rose gold, nine carats. The engraving is done by hand. The most popular is the yellow gold, but we’ve actually sold our last one this week, but we can order your size if you decide on this.” Lauren explains.

Dan glances at Phil again, who’s already looking at him, an eyebrow raised. “We don’t know our sizes, but I think this might be perfect.” He tells Lauren.

The clerk nods, settling the little display box on top of the case before reaching into a drawer behind her. “We can get your sizes right now, and if you see a color you like I can see if we’ve got any in storage.” She hands them each a set of what looks like keys, but upon further inspection they find to be little metal things that have bands at the end. “Just slip the one you think might fit on your ring finger, and just try a few out to see which feels the best.”

They have to pull their hands apart to do this, and after a few tries, they each find the one that fits. Dan’s is a size bigger than Phil’s, but when they figure it out, they hand them back to her before she writes their sizes on a piece of paper. “Alright, do you have a metal you like the best?” She pushes the box towards them, probably to allow them to pull the rings out and inspect them a little more closely.

They both reach for the silver one, and Dan smirks. “Are we going to get the same metal?” He asks him, pulling the white gold ring out of the casing.

Phil grins. “I think we should. We need to match.” He ducks his head to look at the ring, while Dan just shakes his head.

“You’re a dork,” Dan mutters, glancing at the store clerk, who smiles.

They decide that they like the white gold the most, as Dan declares, “It’s the classiest of golds.” She disappears into the back room to check if they have their sizes in the white gold and tells them to feel free to look around until she returns.

Phil doesn’t move, but Dan tugs him towards the more expensive rings in curiosity. Laughing, Phil shakes his head. “I knew it! You and your expensive taste, Daniel.” He shakes his head as if he’s disappointed.

Dan rolls his eyes. “I just want to see what they think is like super fancy.” They hover over the case, and Dan wrinkles his nose. “These aren’t that nice,” he whispers loudly. Phil elbows him for this. “Hey! I’m just saying. They’ve just got a few simple bands with like one diamond in the center. I think ours look way better.” He nods obnoxiously, and it’s Phil’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Right.” He tugs Dan back over to where the girl is coming out of the storage room, two boxes in her hands. Dan’s stomach flips involuntarily as he eyes the little ring boxes.

“You two are in luck! We had your sizes, and in the right metal. Shall I ring you up while you try them on?” She asks, holding the small velvet boxes out to them.

Dan goes very still, suddenly unwilling to touch these very real rings, as if they’re symbolic of the very big mess he’s made. Luckily, Phil must not be having the same crisis, because he’s able to answer the saleswoman. “Sure, thanks.” He takes both of the boxes, turning to give Dan a concerned glance as they walk to the back of the store where the till is. He stops as they reach the counter, opening one box while Lauren goes to get their price book and the paperwork that has the information about the rings.

When Phil realizes that the box he’s opened contains Dan’s ring, he tugs Dan’s left hand up, gently sliding the ring on his fourth finger. Dan’s throat constricts as he studies his best friend’s face. His focus is on the ring, and he watches as those blue eyes study the ring, before a small smile breaks out on his face. Dan’s almost certain he’s going to throw up at the way Phil’s eyes shift to meet his, that fond smile not falling away. “How’s it feel?” He asks, dropping Dan’s hand and opening the other box, pulling his own ring on without much fuss.

Dan flexes his fingers, feeling the weight of the metal against his ring finger. It’s new and different, but not uncomfortable. The metal is light, so he doesn’t really notice it that much. “It’s nice. Yours?” He asks, his eyes finding the ring on Phil’s left hand.

Phil nods, glancing down at it. “It’s weird.” He frowns, a look of pain crossing his face.

“Is it too tight?” Dan asks, concerned. Phil shakes his head slowly, his eyes coming to meet Dan’s again. There’s something sad in his expression, but Dan’s not entirely sure why.

“It’s perfect.” Phil says quietly, turning to face the counter just as the clerk walks back out with a few papers. Dan’s stomach is somersaulting. It’s uncomfortable, and he wishes it would stop.

“Okay, so we have a sale going on with engagement rings right now, and since you’re buying them in a set, you’ll get them forty percent off.” Lauren announces, smiling. Dan tunes out as she goes over the information about returns and exchanges and how they have warranty on them for five years. He just nods along, and when the total comes up to three hundred pounds, he doesn’t even blink as he pulls out his credit card, handing it over.

Phil looks slightly surprised, but Dan purposely doesn’t meet his gaze. Lauren hands him his receipt, a smile on her face. “Thank you, and I hope you two have a great day, and a wonderful wedding. I wish you all the best in your marriage.” She smiles before waving, disappearing into the back again as they head out of the shop in silence.

Dan’s head is spinning with thoughts about the rings and the fake engagement, and he’s finding it very hard to not freak out. “I need a second,” he mutters to Phil when they make it outside. “Here, give me like five minutes, please.” He hands over the keys to his car, and Phil looks confused.

“Are you alright?” He asks, his eyebrows knitted together.

“Yeah, yeah, just not feeling well all of a sudden,” he mutters, going to step away. Phil’s hand catches his, keeping him in place.

“If you aren’t feeling well, shouldn’t you head home and get some rest?” He prods, raising his eyebrows, a frown on his lips.

Dan shakes his head adamantly. “I just need to take a walk for a second. I’m fine, I’ll be back in a few minutes, I swear.” He tries to smile, but he’s sure it looks more like a grimace.

Phil hesitates before letting go, holding the keys in his hand before nodding slowly and turning to go to the car. “If you aren’t back in five minutes, I’m coming to look for you,” he warns. Dan nods, turning away.

If someone had told him just last week that we would be buying engagement rings with his best friend today, he would have called them crazy, and probably call a mental institution to see if they had any open spots. Now that it’s actually happening, however, Dan is having a crisis. The problem isn’t even that it feels weird, or wrong, even. The problem is that it doesn’t; if anything, he can’t really imagine doing something like this with anyone else. He shakes his head vigorously.

No, he would absolutely not go there. It had been years, literal years, since he’s had those kinds of thoughts about his best friend, and he’d gotten over it. They were silly whims born out of loneliness and the fact that Phil is who he spent the majority of his time with. That’s it.

He’s being stupid.

After taking a few minutes to catch his breath and clear his head, Dan slowly makes his way back to his car. Phil is leaning against the driver’s side, a frown on his face. Dan’s thankful that he doesn’t question him as he hands him the keys, instead climbing in the car in silence.

They don’t speak about it on the way back to Dan’s flat. After they’ve taken their shoes off and go upstairs to turn on a movie, Phil looks at Dan with a frown on his lips. “Are you okay?” He asks quietly, sitting on the sofa and looking up at Dan as he stands by the sofa, looking for the show they’re going to watch on Netflix.

He nods, glancing at his best friend with a shrug, trying to be as casual as possible about his little moment earlier. “It’s just been a busy day. Do you still want Domino’s?” He asks, finally selecting the show and joining Phil on the sofa.

“Sure. Want me to order?” Phil asks. When Dan nods, he rises, going to grab his laptop off the armchair. Dan hadn’t noticed it sitting there, and his brows furrow. That hadn’t been there last night, had it? And Phil didn’t have anything with them when they got back… Come to think of it, Phil didn’t even go upstairs this morning at all.

“When did you get here?” He asks suddenly, his lips set in a confused frown. Phil glances up, confusion flitting across his face momentarily before he shrugs, glancing back at his laptop.

“Last night.” He responds, clicking away on his laptop, presumably typing in Dan’s address to get the pizza delivered.

“What?” Dan asks dumbly. Phil hadn’t been over last night. Dan had gone to sleep after his cleaning spree, probably around ten o’clock, and Phil hadn’t been there. “What time did you get here?” He isn’t mad, just really confused.

Phil’s cheeks are tinged pink when he looks up. “Er- I think around eleven or so? You said you were bored, so I stopped by mine after work to grab some clothes, and then got a cab over here because I figured you’d be up watching a movie or something.” He shrugs again before smiling softly. “But when I let myself in, you were already asleep.”

Dan considers this for a moment, then shrugs. “I guess I’m just a deep sleeper and didn’t hear you come in. Sorry I wasn’t awake, though.” He feels almost bad for making Phil entertain himself, but he was pretty sure he survived just fine on his own.

“It’s fine. Not your fault I just barged in without even bothering to check if you were up,” he shrugs, setting the laptop aside and coming back over to the sofa.

Dan snorts, shifting to throw half the fuzzy blanket over Phil’s lap. “Might as well get used to it, I guess. Soon you’ll be barging into my bed every time you come in late.” He rolls his eyes, throwing his feet over Phil’s lap as he normally does when they’re watching something together.

Phil hesitates, licking his lips before speaking. “Speaking of that, actually,” he glances at the tv, finding the episode playing was one they’d already seen, so they weren’t missing anything by talking instead of watching. “When do you think we should start doing that?”

Dan shrugs as if he couldn’t care less. He’s always been a good actor. “Whenever you want to, I guess. The sooner we get used to it, the better, I reckon.”

Nodding, Phil shifts so that Dan’s legs are almost slipping off his lap. Phil catches them, shifting until he’s comfortable before pulling Dan’s legs back into his lap, propping his arms over them. “Alright. Want to do it tonight? I can sleep in the guest room if you don’t want to, I just figured, you know, since I’m here.” Phil doesn’t meet his gaze, keeping his eyes trained on the tv as Dan stares at him.

“Sure. I just washed my sheets, actually, so you’ve picked a good night.” He smiles when Phil glances at him, and whatever awkwardness that had surrounded that conversation evaporates.

“Oh, goody!” Phil says sarcastically. Dan pulls one leg up and pinches Phil’s thigh with his toes, causing him to scream. “Dan!” His expression is one of surprise, but his eyes are bright with happiness.

Dan just laughs, shifting to lay on his side and watch the show. Their pizza gets there a few minutes later, causing their position to be ruined, but it’s fine since they have pizza to make up for the lack of comfy seating. A few episodes of Riverdale (Phil’s choice) and an empty pizza box later, Dan is back in his favorite tv-watching position, his head buried into one end of the sofa, while his legs are spread over Phil’s lap, feet on the other side. Phil decided to start hogging the blanket, so Dan was pouting at his end of the sofa.

Getting an idea, he tilts his head over to look at his best friend. “Since we’re sleeping together tonight anyway, can we watch a scary movie?” He asks, watching as Phil’s gaze slowly leaves the tv to meet his own. Dan nearly rolls his eyes; Phil’s crush on basically any shirtless male in this show is honestly pathetic.

Phil looks slightly shocked, but Dan figures dancing around the decisions they’ve made doesn’t make it easier for either of them, so instead he was taking full advantage of them. “What?” Phil asks, like he didn’t hear him.

Dan does roll his eyes then. Of course, KJ Apa was currently the sole recipient of Phil’s short attention span. “I wanna watch a scary movie. If I’m not going to be sleeping on my own anyway, then I want to watch something scary, like The Conjuring or something.”

Phil shrugs. “Sure, if you wanna. Do you want to finish this episode first?” He asks, his eyes already back on the screen.

“Not really, but you’ll be grumpy if I don’t let you stare at KJ Apa, so sure.” He saw the appeal, sure, but he preferred Cole Sprouse. His dark hair and attitude in this show were just too good to resist.

They decide to watch Hush when they’ve finished the Riverdale episode, since Dan hadn’t seen it yet. Not long into the movie, he fully understands just why he’d avoided watching it on his own. He’s taken the entire blanket from Phil, wadding the majority of it up to cling to, shoving his face in the fluff every time the music starts playing as the killer creeps around the deaf girl’s house.

“Dan!” Phil whines, tugging at the blanket. “I’m cold, give me the blanket.”

“Fuck off,” Dan responds through his teeth, his nerves out of control as the girl realizes she’s not alone. Just as he goes to hide in the blanket again, it’s tugged away completely. “Hey!” He shouts, shooting up indignantly to glare at his thief of a best friend.

Phil giggles, his tongue poking out. “I told you I was cold.” Dan crosses his arms, pouting as he pulls his legs off Phil’s lap, glaring at the tv. Phil sighs dramatically before holding out one end of the blanket. Dan goes to grab it, but Phil clicks his tongue, shaking his head. “No, come here. I’m not giving you the blanket just because you’re a baby and can’t handle a few jump scares, but you’re welcome to come over here to hide.”

Dan grumbles to himself as he scoots closer to Phil, who tucks the end of the blanket around Dan, settling back and tucking the other end around himself. “I hate you,” Dan mutters, pulling his legs up and wrapping his arms around them under the blanket.

“Aw, hun,” Phil says obnoxiously. Dan elbows him in the ribs sharply, causing him to yelp.

“Ew. I hate that, don’t ever say that again.” He crinkles his nose, causing Phil to just laugh again. Their attention is taken back to the screen when an alarm starts going off in the movie, Dan jumping comically as he sees the face of the killer through the glass. “Fuck this film.” He mutters, shoving his face into the blanket, around where his hands are.

“Aww,” Phil coos, and Dan suddenly feels a hand rubbing circles on his back. “Poor thing.” He mocks.

Dan grumbles, but the contact is nice, and he finds himself shifting even closer to Phil. Glancing up at his best friend, he raises his eyebrows to question if this is alright. The older man regards him for a moment before nodding, holding his arm out and allowing Dan to cuddle up to his side, Phil’s left arm coming around Dan’s shoulders. His hand gently brushes against the side of his head, guiding him to lean it against Phil’s shoulder.

The position they’re in is decidedly not platonic, as Dan is tucked up under Phil’s arm, shivering when he feels Phil tracing his fingertips up and down Dan’s arm gently. Although, with how much has changed between them this week, this doesn’t even feel weird to him. It feels safe and comforting, and maybe he shouldn’t feel so content in the arms of his best friend, but Dan doesn’t feel even slightly weird about it. It just feels so right, deep down in his bones, and he doesn’t even think to question why.

For the rest of the movie they stay just like that, and Phil teases Dan every time he freaks out. But when they go downstairs to go to bed after the movie, Phil’s the one who feels the need to double check the sliding door to the balcony and the front door several times before he feels okay about going to bed. He fetches his bag from the guest room and Dan finds him sitting on his bed when he gets back from brushing his teeth and changing into his pajamas.

“Do you still sleep on the right side?” Dan asks as he throws the duvet back, flicking the lamp on his bedside table on.

Phil glances at him in surprise before nodding. “Er- yeah.” He stands with his toothbrush, having already changed into his awful emoji pajamas while Dan was in the bathroom. “Be right back. Don’t disappear and try to prank me, because I’m expecting it and it won’t work,” he warns before disappearing into the bathroom.

Dan rolls his eyes before crawling under the sheets. He’d been planning on doing it, but he was too tired and didn’t particularly care enough to bother with pranking him now. He begins to get nervous again, thinking about sharing a bed with Phil, but luckily, he doesn’t have long to panic before Phil’s walking back in and flipping the light off, so that the only light is coming from Dan’s lamp.

It’s quiet as Phil sets his glasses on the bedside table on the right side of the bed before climbing in next to Dan. They’re closer than he expected, which is clear as Phil rolls over to face Dan and they’re nearly nose-to-nose. Dan blushes and shuffles back slightly. “Sorry,” he whispers. “Might take me a bit to get used to sharing my space.”

Dan notices as Phil swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing, Dan’s eyes inexplicably drawn to the movement. “It’s fine, as long as you don’t kick me or steal all the covers.” Phil shrugs, and Dan jokingly goes to kick him, but Phil must be expecting that, because instead his foot is trapped between Phil’s legs.

Smirking, Phil tugs on Dan’s foot, causing him to whine. “Give me my- leg!” He fusses quietly, trying to pull his foot away. Phil snickers before letting him go.

“I don’t have to play fair, I’m the oldest.” He says proudly.

Dan rolls his eyes at this, rolling over onto his back. “I’m sure you’ve been hearing Martyn say that your whole life, huh?” He asks. Phil nods sheepishly. “Night, Phil.” He turns over again to face the other way, as he normally does, trying to steady the wild beating of his heart. He’s clearly still nervous from the movie, that’s all.

“Night, Dan.” Is the response he gets. He feels the bed shift a little before Phil must finally get comfortable, and soon he hears his breathing begin to even out. Dan tries not to be bitter than Phil found rest so easily, while it takes him a while to ease the weight on his chest and sleep.

[poeticandors]

How Sweet Part 2

Flower shop owner!Bucky Barnes x Baker!Reader

Summary: A cute, mysterious flower shop owner moves in the building across from you. You take it upon yourself to introduce yourself, and an underlying friendship begins to blossom. But does it turn into something more?

Warnings: None this chapter

Part 1

A/N: Okay, I know I said ten minutes and it was like an hour but I was running on what my family calls Garcia Time... Meaning ten minutes could really mean up to an hour lmao. But here is part two. I hope all who reads enjoys it, This will be a bit of a slowburn fic, so.... yeah. 

Bucky works on setting the last of the premade bouquets, sticking each flower in and twisting them around to show their best side, when his phone rings. Sighing, he steps away from the bouquet stand and walks up to the counter where his phone lie.

He checks the caller I.D., a sense of relief washing over him as he sees it’s not who he believed was calling.

“Hey, Steve.”

“Hey, Bucky. How are things?”

“Well, you know. I’m just about done getting the place set up.”

“That’s good,” Steve says nothing else, staying quiet on the other end of the phone.

“Something on your mind, pal?”

“...You sure you’re making the right decision, Buck? I mean… I know it’s been rough, but do you think dropping everything was the right choice?”

Bucky sighs, gripping the edge of the counter. “I’ve never been more sure of anything, Steve. This… this is for the best. I’m finally doing something for myself. I need a fresh start, especially after… yeah.”

“...Alright. You know I stand by you.”

“Thanks, buddy.”

“So, how is the town? Meet anyone yet?”

“Well, there was this girl who came over a few days ago when I started moving in. She owns the bakery across the street, brought me a welcome basket.”

“Sounds nice.”

“Yeah… actually, I should probably return that basket. I’ll talk to you later, Steve.”

“Bye, Buck.”

Bucky hangs up, glancing over to the now empty basket. He enjoyed everything you had made for him, and it didn’t go to waste. He had meant to return it sooner, but between getting everything in his shop and new apartment set up, he just hadn’t had the time.

He remembers right then that you told him to keep the basket, and he wonders if he should just keep it. You were the first person to come say hi to him, and he also thought you were very sweet. you had the friendliest smile and the nicest eyes...

Pondering for a moment, he decides it would be a good excuse to say hi again. Grabbing the basket and his keys, he closes up the shop to head across to your bakery.

++++++

Gently slamming the pan of macaroon dough against the counter, you let it sit for a minute while you check on the current dozen that was in the oven. Seeing that they were finished, you grab an oven mitt and pull them out, setting them on the counter to cool.

You usually only did macaroons twice a week, which was nice because it was easier for you to focus on them and everyone enjoys them when they are nice and fresh. You always tried to incorporate different flavors, such as fruit based ones like raspberry, strawberry and cream, and apricot. Or, you would also try others like salted caramel, pistachio, and red velvet. They would usually be a big hit, and you only sold them after noon so you could prepare them for the first half of the day.

Inspecting each individual piece, you were satisfied with the way they turned out, and decided to get the filling ready.

“Y/N?” You look up, seeing one of your employees, Peter, there. “I’m going to head out on my lunch break. Will you be okay if I leave?”

“Yep! It’s usually quiet around this time, anyways. The wave won’t come in for about another hour when these are all done.” You chuckle. “You go on ahead. And thanks for the help.”

He nods, heading out, but not before nodding at a man walking inside. Just as you are about to start spreading the filling on your macaroons, you hear a slight cough, and look up.

“Oh! Bucky, right?” You smile as you set the filler down.

“Uh, Yeah. And you’re… Y/N?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” you smile, walking over to the counter. “Is there anything I could help you with?”

“Well, I just wanted to return your basket,” He notes, setting it on the counter.

“You didn’t have to do that. I have plenty.”

You nod over to the stacked baskets behind you and Bucky chuckles nervously.

“Oh, right… well, still. Here you go…”

He slides over the basket and you take it, placing it next to the others. Bucky glances back to the counter, seeing the tray back there.

“What are you making?”

“Hm?” You turn back to him. “Oh, I’m working on some macaroons. I usually make them every Monday and Thursday.”

He nods, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“...Would you like to try one?”

“Oh, I couldn’t-“

“Nonsense! Here, I was just about to place the filling in these ones.”

You walk over, grabbing the filler, and Bucky watches as you place a small dollop on before grabbing the other piece of the macaroon to place on top.

“These just came out of the oven a few minutes ago.” You smile, holding it out to him. “This batch is raspberry.”

He glances at you before he reaches out, grabbing the macaroon from you. His fingers brush against yours as he takes it, and you quickly pull back. Your heart slightly races and you watch as he takes a small bite. He chews, and then nods his head.

“These are really good.”

“Really? Well… would you like to take some home?”

“Are you sure?”

“I am. But, I’m still cooking a few more batches. I can bring them over to you later on today. If… that’s alright?”

“Uh…” He looks down at you, taking in the color of your eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, I would like that.”

“Okay. I’ll bring over half a dozen for you. One of each flavor I’ve made.”

“Alright, I’m looking forward to it.”

You smile as he finishes up the macaroon, walking to the door.

“I’ll see you later.” You note, and he gives you a small smile and a wave.

You stay staring at the door, a warmth blossoming in your chest. The timer beeping brought you back and you shake your head slightly, quickly moving to grab the next batch of macaroons.

[crazy-little-cool-cat]

Hand in Glove - Chapter 18 | Ben Hardy x OFC

A/N: It finally happened! I’m slightly mad! And also, you know, I finally finished writing this. I’m so sorry it’s been so long - life has truly been kicking my ass (for all of you wondering: break ups, pregnancy scares and swimming in men. In a nutshell.) Welp! Here it is. Hope you enjoy it! It ended up much shorter than I expected it to be and I’m not mad about it, because every word in this one is pure gold. Also, I hope I didn’t miss anyone in the tags, but if I did just send me a message and I’ll add you because I have no brain force left anymore. K bye!

Word Count: ~2.3K

Warnings: Comdeic gold. Ben being a dad. Joe being Joe. Just... Just read it. 

Chapter 1, Chapter 2,  Chapter 3,  Chapter 4,  Chapter 5,  Chapter 6,  Chapter 7,  Chapter 8,  Chapter 9,  Chapter 10,  Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14 , Chapter 15 , Chapter 16 , Chapter 17

The door to Annie’s hospital room almost flew off its’ hinges, startling both Annie and Ben.

“I have come to see the baby Jesus!” Joe bellowed and strutted into the room.

Lucy and Rami carried an obscenely large fruit basket. The fruit was arranged so it would look like a giant teddy’s face. A balloon was securely tied to Rami’s wrist, congratulating the newborn baby and welcoming her to the world.

“Jesus Christ Joseph!” Annie clutched at her chest, “have you lost your bloody mind?”

“This has been going on all day!” Rami untied the balloon and handed over to Annie. “He won’t stop calling her The Baby Jesus!”

“Well, either you calm your tits, Joe,” Ben smacked him on the back of his head, “or you won’t get to hold, see or simply exist within a meter’s radius from The Baby Jesus.”

“Aw,” Lucy cooed after she placed the fruit basket down on the first available surface she could find, “look at him, so protective!”

“I mean it.”

“Where’s Gwilly?” Annie smiled down at a soundly sleeping Rory.

“He’s just outside, waiting for Brian and Roger.” Lucy reassured.

“Brian and Roger are coming as well?” Annie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“They insisted.”

“Well, we should probably get out of here and go to the visiting area?” Ben rubbed his hands together. “No way in hell all of you can fit in here.”

“That’s what she said.” Joe mumbled, eliciting a loud snort from Rami.

###

“Aurora?”

“Yes, Gwil.”

“You named her after a Disney princess?” Gwilym shook his head slightly, his eyes fluttering. “You named your daughter after a bloody Disney princess?”

“I, for one, think it’s a beautiful name.” Brian peered over at baby Rory as she gently waved her arms about in her sleep, “very well done, you two.”

“Meh-neh-neh…” Joe muttered, his upper lip pulling up in a mocking snarl.

“Problem, Joe?” Ben smiled cheekily at his best friend as he reached for yet another slice of orange from the fruit basket.

“It’s a stupid name.” Joe sulked. “Is that what you’re going to call her all the time? Aurora? Like some snooty little brat?”

“No, you arse.” Annie threw a grape at Joe. “We’ll call her Rory.”

“Rory?” Roger’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Oh, that’s heaps better than Galilea!” Roger chuckled and drummed on the table top. Annie looked at Roger in astonishment. “Oh, don’t you worry, love, I’m still going to call her Galilea.”

“Look at those eyes!” Brian cooed, his figure looming over the baby, “what a doll!”

“So that’s it?” Joe crossed his arms over his chest. “You lied to me for almost nine months, making me believe that the baby will be named after me, her favourite uncle, just to break my heart?”

“She’s still named after you, you goof.” Annie rolled her eyes. “Her middle name is Josephine.”

“Her middle name is -” Joe scoffed.

“Joe, listen to me very carefully, now.” Annie snapped her fingers to draw his attention back to her. “Her middle name is Josephine.”

“You don’t have to lie to me to make me feel better.” Joe skulked. “The damage is done.”

“She’s not lying, you twat!” Ben got up from his chair and disappeared down the hallway, only to return moments later with a piece of paper in his hand. “There.”

Joe took the piece of paper from Ben and placed it on the table.

“Joe, just read it.”

“No.”

“Just fucking read the thing!”

“No!”

“It’s Rory’s birth certificate.” Gwil quipped, turning the paper to him. “Aurora Josephine Jones, born July 13th, 2018.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Joe, just have a look at it, will you?” Ben groaned.

Joe snatched the paper and cleared his throat. His hazel eyes darting left and right as he read along.

“Is this a prank?” Joe looked up at his friends with glassy eyes. “Are you guys shitting me, or is this for real?”

“It’s as real as it gets, buddy.” Ben ruffled Joe’s fluffy, curly hair.

“Oh my God…” Joe breathed, tears escaping the corners of his eyes. “Oh my God!”

“Oh, my God.” Gwil and Rami choired and rolled their eyes.

###

It’s been three days since Rory was born and Ben was both sleep deprived and buzzing with adrenaline at the same time. He went back and forth from the hospital to his and Annie’s house. He needed to make sure Frankie wasn’t peeing all over the place and he also brought her some clothes with Rory’s smell on them to sniff and get acquainted with.

“Franks?” Ben hollered from the doorway. “Daddy’s home!”

Frankie scrambled down the stairs, slipping and sliding on the polished wood floors and running into walls. Her entire body swayed from side to side as her tail wagged excitedly. Ben kneeled down and placed Rory’s little onesie on the floor, murmuring words of encouragement to his pup.

“Good girl, Frankie!” Ben cooed and scratched behind her left ear, “you’re going to be the best big sister, aren’t you? You’re going to love Rory so much! Yes you are!”

He trudged up the stairs, taking his clothes off as he went. He fantasised about this shower for days, now. All he wanted was to just relax, have some quiet time, and smell good before he made sure everything was prepared for his baby’s arrival. 

###

“Home sweet home!” Ben cooed as he nudged Annie and Rory forward, wrapping his arms around his girls. “Welcome home, Rory.”

Annie did a small side-step around a very excited Frankie, not taking her eyes off the bundle in her arms for a second. She half-listened to Ben cooing and gushing over what a good girl Frankie is as she deeply inhaled the familiar smell of her house. She didn’t even realise her eyes were closed.

“Lay down for a bit?” Ben carefully took Rory from her and started walking around the living room, his fingers softly caressing the velvety skin on her cheek. “You must be exhausted.”

“I am, but I doubt I’ll manage to sleep.” Annie followed him and plopped herself down on the sofa. Frankie strutted over to her and placed her head in Annie’s lap, her tail wagging. “Hey baby girl. I missed you.”

“Well, stay with us, then.” Ben unwrapped one arm from around Rory’s tiny body and bounced her gently as he walked over to the kitchen. “Hungry?”

As if on cue, Rory opened her tiny, rosy little mouth and started screaming like a Banshee. Ben scratched his head with his free arm and looked down at her in confusion.

“Did she just…?” Ben’s brows furrowed. “How did she do that?”

“It was a coincidence, Ben.” Annie giggled and shook her head. “But to answer your question, yes.”

“So’s she, apparently.” Ben mumbled as he walked over to Annie and carefully passed Rory off to her.

###

“She’s so perfect!” Clara whispered in awe at Rory’s week old little face. “Babies usually look like shrivelled little monkey aliens, you know?”

“The amount of ugly babies I had to ‘awww’ at in the hospital…” Annie rolled her eyes and scoffed. “She really is perfect, isn’t she?”

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there with the guys!” Clara repeated her mantra again. “I’m such a horrible friend and -”

“Shut up before I punch you in the tits, Clara.”

“The fact that you’re still talking to me is mind-boggling.”

“You were working!” Annie took Rory from Clara’s arms as she got fussy and sat down on the sofa. She reached for the Boppy-Pillow and lifted her shirt. “You need to make bank if you want to shower Rory with gifts, you know.”

“Blimey, what happened to your nips?”

“I am a village feeder now.” Annie yawned and gave Rory’s bum soft pats. “You hungry? I can pull the other one out too.”

“You are disgusting. Vile woman.”

“I’m just trying to be a gracious hostess!”

###

“Arizona?” Annie wondered as she and Ben gave Rory her evening bath. “The job is in Arizona?”

“Well, yeah,” Ben dipped the little plastic cup in the tub and poured the water over Rory. “I mean, it’s big. It’s huge.”

“I get it,” Annie dried her hands off, “I support you. One hundred million percent.”

“But?”

“But it’s so far away, Ben.”

“I know, but it’s only for three months.” Ben bit the tip of his tongue as he smiled down at his three weeks old baby girl. “Three months, and then I’m back.”

“I mean, I’ll have to get back to work and you’ll be away…”

“I’ll come back for as many weekends as I can.” Ben reassured. “You’ll have Gwil right here with you.”

“We can do three months without daddy around. It’ll be fine.” Annie bit the inside of her cheek. “Right?”

“Of course.”

“I wasn’t asking you.” Annie chuckled. “I was asking her.”

“We have five whole months before I go.” Ben flinched away from a big splash. “That’s a lot of time to prepare. We got this.”

“I’ll remember you said that when the day you’ll have to leave comes around and you’ll be crying like a baby.”

###

“Are you allergic to shirts now, Ben?” Annie asked as she walked out of the little gym room, towelling off some sweat.

“What?” Ben scoffed as he wiped some drool off his chest with the back of his hand. “It’s tummy time! This is mandatory!”

“She’s drooling all over you!”

“It’s skin-on-skin time, too!” Ben stuck his tongue out cheekily. “Killing two birds and whatnot!”

“Very efficient!”

“It’s not my fault that I’m just an exceptionally good parent, Annie.”

“Said the man who put the poopy diaper in the fridge last night?”

“I was tired!”

“You were also somewhat drunk.”

“That too.” Ben groaned. “I could’ve just told you to do it, missy. You’re lucky I was already awake and feeling chivalrous.”

“We had shit in the fridge, Ben.”

“Well find me another bloody drunk father who can actually manage a diaper change in the middle of the night!” Ben laughed incredulously. “You’re lucky I didn’t put the bloody diaper on your head!”

“Does my tummy still look wonky?” Annie changed the subject and towered over Ben, turning this way and that. “I feel like I’m wearing a fanny-pack full of blubber.”

“It never looked wonky, Annie,” Ben said, making faces at a fussy Rory, “you had a baby.”

“I just need my body back, okay?”

“Your body is perfect.”

“Shut up. Kiss ass.”

###

“You’re acting like such a baby, Rory.” Joe huffed as he attempted to change Rory’s diaper for the third time. 

The first time, she pooped right on the changing table. The second time, she almost ripped his eardrums with a very impressive roar. Now she kept trying to kick him and try to squirm away. 

“You’re two months old, now. Practically an adult. Act like one!” Joe chided.

“Trouble in paradise?” Ben lilted from where he stood at the doorway to Rory’s nursery. “Thought you were her favourite uncle and she was nothing but an angel?”

“Shut up.”

“Step aside, Joseph.” Ben said and cracked his knuckles, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Let me show you how it’s done.”

Joe rolled his eyes and mumbled, but stepped away nonetheless. When Rory saw her dad’s head loom over her, she gurgled and kicked about happily. Ben smiled down at her and tickled her feet a little, assessing the situation.

Grabbing her tiny, plump feet in his hands, Ben went about distracting his baby from what was going on.

“I like to move it, move it…” Ben started, making silly faces as he song Rory’s favourite changing song. “I like to move it, move it…”

“What the actual fu…” Joe started and clamped his mouth shut after getting a death glare from Ben.

“I like to move it, move it…” Ben started moving Rory’s legs to the beat of the song. “You like to…?” he paused and raised his eyebrows, beaming when Rory attempted to mimic his expression. “Move it!”

Ben wiggled her feet and shook her body gently, eliciting happy coos and murmurs from his daughter. After that, changing Rory’s dirty diaper was all but a breeze. Joe stood, awestruck, as he watched Ben effortlessly changing Rory. No fuss, no tears.

“I think…” Joe gasped. “Does she really love you more than she loves me?” he said, clutching his chest for dramatic effect.

“She’d better!”

###

“Jamie said what?!” Annie almost dropped the entire pile of folded clothes she carried from the laundry room on top of Frankie. “How dare he!”

“It’s literally everywhere!” Ben rushed over and steadied his girlfriend, Rory secure in her carrier, strapped to his chest. “Your fans are going bonkers!”

“He can’t…” Annie tried to come up with something to say. “He won’t!”

“Ball’s in your court, my love.” Ben shrugged and pressed a quick kiss to the top of Rory’s head, holding the sauce-covered wooden spoon out of her reach. “You need to do something.”

“He can’t just leave the series because of me!”

“The entire world thinks you won’t be coming back because of him, Annie.”

“The entire world can shove it!”

“True.” Ben raised his eyebrows in agreement. “And still, the record needs to be set straight. You can’t hide forever. Your maternity leave will end, you know.”

“What, do I need to make some big public gesture? Dramatic reconciliation?” Annie scoffed as she walked off to put the clothes in their respective places. “This isn’t fair! I’m not the bad guy here!”

“I know you’re not. But Jamie had his little meltdown, he tweeted his pathetic tweets…” Ben tapped the wooden spoon on the rim of the pot. “It’s messy.”

“What do you think I should do, then?” Annie hopped on the counter next to Ben and blew a kiss at her daughter. “What would you do?”

“I’d talk to him.”

“No, really!”

“I’m serious.” Ben shrugged. “I think this right here,” he nodded down at Rory, “pretty much solidified the fact that you’re mine, not his. If he’ll try making a move on you again…”

“He’s an idiot, but he’s not evil.”

“So talk to him.”

“And say what?”

“That he needs to shut his bloody mouth, for starters.”

“Obviously.” Annie scoffed.

“I’m sure you’ll find the right words to say.”

TAGLIST:  @likeit-or-leaveit @ramibaby @xgoingdownx @qweenly @violetpond @sweeterthancheese @drummerqueenrmt @westansstuff @rogerinamainbitch @justgivemethekeys  @blondecarfucker @cheeseedreams47 @rogerspoison @deacy-dearest @pinkmarvel @onceuponadetectivedemigod

[relaxandlaughatyourself]

Recap of Ika’s IG Live March 8, 2019.

It’s been too long! They were very lovey and touchy, laughing a lot (when Dem wasn’t sleeping lol). They seemed truly happy. You saw every side of Ika in this live, the petty, the funny, the sweet.

She says that she wants to be able to be busy and still stay connected but it’s hard. Youtube takes a lot of time and they haven’t had it. She’s wanted to do a live when getting ready but she knows she gets distracted so she didn’t.

Was supposed to go to a dinner/event but got home too late.

Someone asks Dem how his birthday was and they both say he had a good birthday. Dem then kisses Ika’s shoulder.

She’s loving the new season of BB, she wasn’t sure before but she thinks they’re there to play and they’re messy. Dem: “Messy, desperate people.”

Ika raves about Afia’s makeup. She had a bunch of people in her DMs asking what she got done.

Ika: “They’re asking if we’re doing a youtube video for tomorrow.” Dem: “Tomorrow?!” Ika says this is her first time being home and sitting down. She feels like going out and dancing. Dem says they’re going out tomorrow but Ika says there’s a game tomorrow, but Dem says they can go out after.

Talks about Laura, she didn’t conform or be fake at all, and you have to do that to stay around sometimes.

Opinion on Kailyn’s age she decided to say she was. She’s silent… “that’s what I think. Black don’t crack but it does chip.” She was trying to send mental signals to her to have her say 33.

“Dem is not participating! He is laying down in the corner.” He’s really tired.

She loves that production is so messy.

She wanted Cory to go into the house, she showed up in the interview and was energetic and more fun.

“Do I like cats? No.” Someone asks if Dem likes cats and he says no too.

Ika knows she likes Dane still and wants to continue liking him.

Damien doesn’t give a good first impression, he was one of her least favorite people, and she’s surprised the guys didn’t take him in, but he comes off too cool. But she’s here for it. She wants him to form his own alliance and go on his own.

They’re gonna start posting on youtube again, it’s in response to a question.

What do you think of Adam? Not her favorite but likes watching him.

She shows us Dem sleeping… “who was I talking about? I forgot because you guys were talking about Dem.”

She hasn’t found the person she’s going to stick with for the entire season.

CBB ideal cast? Tiffany. Evelyn Lozada. Jussie Smollett. Jordyn Woods. “I want messy.”

She screamed when Evelyn followed her, she was with Dem but he wasn’t as excited so she called her friend.

“He can just lay there and fall asleep. It’s so annoying and frustrating. You might hear him snoring.”

“If you take a closer look at his hand you can see he still wears the bracelet, my hair band around his wrist. He never takes it off, two years later and he never takes it off. Even when he’s mad at me.”

She wakes him up a bit, but just stares at him. “Honey? I don’t want to be too loud.” She keeps looking back at him and laughing too.

Who does she think should win? It’s too hard to say. She doesn’t want Estefania and girls like that to not do anything all season.

She takes us to the bathroom to show us new makeup.

“I do need to grab some wine.” She goes to drip wine on Dem’s face but he woke up.  Dem: “The Greek gods were looking out for me.” Dem tells her not to open the wine.

Dem asks if she’s going to his hockey game tonight and she says yes, she wants to watch him play.

Ika: “Honey, you can get some rest, I won’t bother you again.” Dem: “I don’t believe you.”

She will prank Dem back, but not sure she’ll be able to record it for youtube, she’s not good like that but will IG story it. She wants to do things while he’s sleeping. Dem: “Your little threat is not going to make me lose any sleep.”

Ika: “Honey, where are the wine glasses? Did you hide them so I can’t have any?”

Dem came for her today and said she’s messy, and she said Beyonce is messy so she can be too. He said when she starts bringing home coins like Beyonce she can be messy.

She feels bad that they haven’t posted youtube videos. She feels as though they’re so much funnier off youtube. They tried filming yesterday and it was so busy and crazy. Youtube is also hard.

In your opinion who is the best player in bbcan history? Ika: “Me.” Dem: “I thought you thought it was me?! I thought it was you and you thought it was me. I guess we both think it’s you.”

They think doing a video on ancestry DNA tests would be cool. They show their youtube setup in the corner.

Favorite moment on bbcan? Dem: “Spinning on that wheel with you.” Ika: “I was testing you to see if it would change because you always say that.” Ika: “What was my favorite moment?” Dem: “Meeting me?” Ika: “Yes, it was meeting you.”

They filmed a video but they were missing a part of it, it was good though. They miss the chapstick video.

“Let’s just give my boyfriend a big shoutout. He’s been so supportive and so nice. And he’s a realtor in Toronto and they’re busy and stressed, but he tries to come with me wherever I go to support me and make me feel comfortable. Thank you, honey bunches. I’m still pranking you though.”

Dem: “That’s why I let you drink the wine, the compliments keep coming out.”

Dem has hockey tonight and wants to make sure his athletic abilities don’t deteriorate. Dem: “I want to age like wine.” Ika: “I don’t want you to age like wine.” Dem: “Is that why you hide your lotion?” Today Dem knocked over her super c and broke it. Ika was upset, it’s expensive and she loves it, she tried to hide it. He felt so bad and says that he’ll buy it for her, she says he doesn’t have to.

Dem: “I never used to put lotion on.” Ika: “You can continue that.”

Dem takes her wine to have a sip, she filled it way up, Ika: “you only let me have one glass so I fill it all the way up.”

Someone asks if she likes being wrapped up in Dem’s big arms. Ika: “Demetres’ body temperature is so hot, I can handle it for about five minutes and then I’m like let me go.”

Ika says hse doesn’t mind him snoring when she likes him, when she’s mad at him she wants to beat him in his sleep. They both laugh. She says there’s a couple things he does that she doesn’t like, but when she likes him she likes almost everything.

She says she needs to check her emails, there are probably a lot of opportunities in there.

She says that if her phone signal stays up, she’ll show us Dem on the ice.

Ika says she doesn’t love the taste of wine but it gives her a nice buzz. Dem: “She didn’t like wine until she met me.”

Someone asks who Ika would be friends with of this cast. She says she usually doesn’t try to befriend them, if it works out to connect it will. She does like Erica and have hung out with her and Chey before and they like them a lot. They talk to Cass. Karen is a given, they talk almost every day. They love Gary. Dallas and Dem are very close, go out all the time. She talks to Kenny and Sarah, Sabrina sometimes. They love Merron, consider him a friend. They like Andrew. She’s good friends with Zakiyah, they talk about everything, like a little sister. Even if she doesn’t talk to people it’s not that she doesn’t like them, it’s just that they don’t talk. Topaz lives in Miami now, Dem: “life happens.” Dem: “I am the only one that matters.” Ika: “I also talk to this guy. His name is Demetres.”

Ika says that she is happy with her relationship with Dem, if anything fades, like ET Canada, she would still be happy with her life, with Dem, with her kids, and that’s all that matters. “I came on the show, I met someone, and I got this opportunity, an extension of that experience, so it was great.” She says if someone comes on bbcan and gets those opportunities that would be great. She doesn’t feel entitled. Ika: “You need to be happy in other parts of your life, so if it’s gone you’re not depressed and dying. Right, honey bunches.” Dem: “If someone takes your spot I’m slashing their tires.” They laugh and joke.

Ika: “Demetres has been there for every single thing I’ve done. He just wasn’t there for the Canadian season (he says he wasn’t allowed), and I kept looking over because he gives me little signs. He’s so supportive and helpful. I know you think he only eats the fruit baskets, but he does a lot more than that. And sometimes I’ll do interviews and ask questions and he will give her advice and say what to say. These interviews were… if I do anything again, I’m going to be like ‘listen, he has to be there.’” Dem says today was good, it was cool.

Ika runs her hands through his hair, says it’s soft, he says there’s no gel.

Ika says there’s a huge difference interviewing the Americans vs the Canadians. Dem says he can tell, he says the Americans are easy to read, he can tell how they’re going to be. Ika agrees, they will give you more of who they are, the Canadians are so controlled with their answers, Dem says they have a guard up. Dem says it’s more stock answers, they don’t give much actual information. He says the Americans almost act as though they’re still trying to get on the show.

She says she thinks she saw her niece in the live. The live ends, she says she’s going to watch TV with Dem. Ika: “Honey bunches, say bye.” They wish him luck on the game. Dem says he’s not convinced she’s going to go, and she says she isn’t either. He says she’ll prob be the only person watching.

[criminallyvenomous]

JJP Being SK’s Parents AU - Pt. 1

//wowie, long title much? anyway, someone said that they needed a jjp being stray kids parents so here you go lol, i don't personally ship jjp, i'm more of a 2jae, markjin girl myself, but tada. obv jjp can't be all of the boys' parents, so read to find out who. this story takes place in the future (so like jjp have time to adopt kids and stuff so like 2025is, but sk have the same ages//

This is part one, which will consist or random stuff and Jaebeom meeting one of his son’s bfs lol, I will try to make different parts and different story lines like the showcase, them debuting, how JJP adopted certain boys. If you want something specific, request!

-

"Finally, sleep!" He closed the door behind him, taking off his shoes and replacing them with slippers. "Its four in the morning Chris! I was so worried." "Calm down Mom, I was at the studio not a pub." The boy, Chris said to his "mother", who was actually just one of his fathers that insisted on being called Mom. "Jinyoung? Who's at the door?" "Please don't say anything. Dad won't let me do the showcase for JYP if he finds out that I'm still coming home late." Chris pleaded, remembering a very harsh conversation with Jaebeom about safety, strangers, and the dangers of night time. "You're lucky I woke up first." Jinyoung whispered. "Who is it?" The father persisted. "I think it was the post or something, no one's here." Jinyoung lied and silently shoo'd off his son to bed. ~ "So how long until the big showcase?" Jaebeom asks his son, who had just entered the kitchen, jumping to sit on top of a bar stool, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket. (Which was meticulously placed by Jinyoung last week, he saw it at the local emart and 'had to have it'.) Taking a bite into his apple, he responds, "Three days, the boys are really nervous. I just wish there was something I could do to help ease their nerves." "I understand, back when Got7 debuted, I as the leader fel-" "Not another 'I was once an idol too' talk. Come on, Dad. Don't you think we've heard all your stories by now?" The youngest of the family sighed as he walked into the room. He changed his voice to sound like his father whilst mocking. He opened the refrigerator and grabbed the milk. "Hey! I still am an idol, young man." "You sure? I don't think having comebacks every other year for anniversaries count." A new voice announced. "Felix!" They screamed in unison. The boy tended to say whatever he wanted in the morning. Probably got that from his mother, speaking of which- "Where's Mom?" Jeongin asked, taking a sip from the carton of milk residing in his right hand. "Out shopping, and you should be glad because he would not be too keen of you getting your germs all over the carton." "We know, we know. Bam traumatized him once by sneezing into the milk and putting it back." Felix laughed at the memory and Jeongin shuddered at the thought. "Why're you up Felix? Practice doesn't start until two and you're normally not awake until three." Chris asked his fellow Austrailian brother, who had a habit of always being late, to literally everything. He probably would’ve even been late to his own birth, if possible. "Actually, practice is cancelled, Chaeryoung and her friends took the dance room last minute. Which left time for me and Changbin hyung to go out on a proper date." Felix smiled, thinking of the dark(soft) boy he called his, making Jeongin pretend vomit and Chris rather upset as the showcase was in three days and they needed as much practice as they could get. "A proper date? At nine in the morning? I ought to meet this boy." "I don't know about that, he's a little scared of you and Mom." Felix commented, stealing his older brother's apple to eat himself, earning a 'hey!'. "Changbin hyung? Scared? Those two words should never be in the same sentence, unless the sentence is 'I'm scared of Changbin hyung', just saying." Jeongin takes another sip. "What is this guy? Satan's step cousin?" Jaebeom asked jokingly as the door opens. "Why don't you ask him yourself? I ran into Mr. Seo as I was bringing the groceries in. He said he's here for Felix." Jinyoung answers, placing the small bag on the counter and watching as Jaebeom made his way to the new person in his home. "Oh, God." Felix mumbled in English, brushing his hair with his fingers so he looked alright before making his way to follow his father.      Jeongin, Chris, and Jinyoung made their way over to watch whatever's about to go down. Jinyoung went to ask his youngest son about Changbin when he found a carton of milk in the boy's hand. "That better be for pouring into a glass, young man." Jinyoung whispered into Jeongin's ear who gulped and nodded. "Nice to meet you, Sir. I'm a big fan." Changbin bowed. "Call me Jaebeom. I heard you and Felix have plans today." "Yes we do, Jae-Jaebeom." "Hmmm, it doesn't sound right coming from you, stick with Sir." "Stop torturing him, Dad! Hyung, hold on for a minute, I'll get dressed real quick. Chris hyung, talk to him." Felix pouts. "What? I'm just having a little fun." Jaebeom laughs and nudges his son's boyfriend. "Hey fam, you practicing?" Chris says, approaching him and giving the other a bro-hug after 'fam'. "Yes, I practiced. Geez, hyung, relax a bit. We'll do fine." Changbin replied as JB went to join his husband and other kids. "Let's take a vote, who likes him?" Jaebeom spoke quietly to the others. He was joking, but Jinyoung replied seriously. "Let's not do that. He's Felix's first boyfriend in Korea, this is big." Jinyoung eased. Sometimes he was an asshole (ie; to Yugyeom his whole life), but he was a good mom. After a bit of awkward silence, Felix came out of his room. "You're going out like that?" Jaebeom asked, approaching his middle child, who was never really treated like a middle child, due to his rather obvious attention seeking habits, that he probably learned from Jackson babysitting one-too-many times. "Like what?" "Your knees are exposed! It's cold outside and-" "Bye guys, We're leaving." Felix grabbed Changbin's hand and pulled him out of the home, he followed after quickly bowing to the Im/Pak family.

The other boys will be introduced at a later time.

[swtltlmrvlgrl]

Pocket Bestfriend (Part 1)

Summary:  Modern AU. This series is loosely based from a manga entitled “Dengeki Daisy”. It’s about a girl (the reader) who finds herself comforted by the words of an anonymous message-sender.  

Pairing:  Bucky X Reader, Steve X Reader

Warning/s:  Fluff (FOR NOW), Sick brother, Language

A/N: Y/N = Your Name. Enjoy reading!

Number of Words: 1,723

You take a deep breath and let the familiar smell of the hospital travel through your nose. The hand of your old brother, Al, is sandwiched between yours.

“Can’t you just stay?” you pleaded.

Al had been carrying this disease ever since he was born, and it probably took the worse when your parents left you when you were 7 and he was 10. The two of you grew up like a basketball being passed around from one relative to another and – truth be told – no one was kinder than the other.  It took a long time and a lot of court hearings before you were allowed to stay with the Barnes household – your family’s closest set of friends. When you turned 18, you decided to rent out an apartment while the Barnes moved to another country. Their only son James Barnes (he prefers to be called Bucky), your brother’s best friend, decided to stay and is living in an apartment unit just opposite yours.

You squeeze your brother’s hands, it was a little cold. “Please?”

With his hoarse voice, Al answered. “Come on, Y/N. Don’t make it harder than it already is.”

“I’m not making it harder.”

“With those puppy eyes? Yes, you are.”

You let out a small chuckle. “So... you’re going to change your mind?”

“Of course.” He let his lips for a small smile. “Not.”

Just when you were about to complain, you hear a light knock from the door.

“Come in!” You shouted at the direction of the door and then looked back to your brother. “Don’t even think that this is over, Al.” You let go of your bother hands and stuck your tongue out just to make yourself feel that you’ve intimidated your brother.

“Am I disturbing something here?”  The visitor stepped in.

You sprang out from you chair and sprinted towards the visitor. “Bucky!” Hugging Bucky can definitely qualify as one of top things that can make you happy (eating pizza’s probably at the top spot).

“Hey there, Champ!”

He places the basket of fruits on the table by the bed, but before he could even speak, you started to talk again.

“Perfect timing, Bucky.” You tap his right shoulder. “I was just convincing my brother to – “

“Don’t you have work to go to, Y/N?” Your brother cuts you off.

As much as you want to listen to what they’ll talk about and to skip work, the numbers in the digital alarm clock beside your brother is telling you otherwise.  You pick your bag up from the floor. “Okay. I’ll be going now.”

When you reached the door, with your voice loud enough for your brother to hear, you spoke. “I’m not giving up, Al.”

The sound of the door closing and your footsteps slowly fading to the distance indicates the beginning of the conversation between the two best friends.

“Is Y/N still against the operation?” Bucky asked and sits at the chair beside Al.

“Yeah.” Al sighs. “Can’t blame her, though.”

“How can you do that? How can you resist her infamous puppy eyes?” Bucky chuckles.

“It’s pretty easy.” Al chuckled and then paused to take a deep breath. “Especially when you want to see your sister live the life she deserves. Because god knows she’s been imprisoned by this disease more than I am.”

“Aren’t you scared?” Bucky asked. “I mean there’s a 50:50 chance that this operation’s going to succeed.”  

“Come on, Bucky. You know that I’m literally the most coward human being here on earth. Of course I’m scared! But you know what – I’m more scared of having to witness my disease slowly sucking the light out of my sister.”

With a reassuring smile, Bucky tapped Al’s shoulder. “I won’t let that happen, pal.”

“Of course, you won’t. ‘Cause if you do, I’ll beat the shitload out of you.” Bucky and Al shared a laugh.

From his back pocket, Bucky slides off neatly folded pieces of paper and handed them to Al.  “I’m already done with the paper works for the operation and for the plane tickets.” He then reached for the pen on the side table. “I just need you to sign some of these and we’re ready to go.”

“Yeah...Buck, before that – “

“You want me to talk to Y/N?”

Al responds with a nod and Bucky placed the papers on the table. “Now, you’re passing me that responsibility, huh?.”

“Can’t help it. You’re a much better convincer than I am. Plus, if you don’t I’ll just have to Y/N you l – “

“Dude!” Before Al could even finish off his sentence, Bucky placed his hands on top of Al’s lips. “I’ll talk to her, okay? I’ll go to her workplace later. Happy now?”

Bucky takes off his hands of off Al’s face. “Oh, I know you would. I just like seeing you lose your cool every time we talk about how much you l – “

“One time! I just told you that one time when I was drunk, now I have to suffer for the rest of my life.”  Bucky pointed at Al. “If you weren’t so sickly I would’ve killed you, you know that?”

“Yeah. But you can’t ‘cause that’ll make Y/N sad.”

“AL! DUDE! STOP IT!”

You were finishing up for the night’s inventory when your co- worker, Steve, grabs the pen that you’re using.  “What?” You turned back to look at him.

“I’ll take care of that.” He points to his left and through the glass walls; you could see Bucky holding cups of something that you wish for hot chocolate and a plastic bag. “Someone’s waiting for you outside.”

“Thank you, Steve.” You reach out for the ball pen that he took from you. “But he can wait for a little while longer.” You winked at him. “Plus, we can finish wrapping up faster if we do it together so...”

Steve lets out a small chuckle. “Oh, Y/N. Don’t ever change.”

“Oh I will, Steve. Especially when you’re just standing there – doing nothing.” You laughed and a few seconds later Steve laughs with you.

“I’m on it, boss.”

The alarm of your cellphone went off just when you were about to put it inside your bag. “Just in time.” You flashed a smile towards Steve’s direction and he mirrored your smile. The two of you walked towards the door, Steve, being the gentleman that he is, opens the door for you.

Bucky steps forward and reach out to grab your bag, while simultaneously handing you one of the cups of coffee. “Thanks, Buck.”

After Steve locked the doors of the cafe, he handed you the keys. “You’ll be the opening crew tomorrow, you sure you can do it?”

“Yes, Steve. I’m sure. Thank you so much.”

“Don’t overwork yourself, okay?” Steve places his hands on top of your head. “Call me when you need me.” He takes his hand off and puts it in his front pocket. “Bye, Y/N.” He then looks at Bucky. “Bucky.”

“Steve.” Bucky responded.

“Bye, Steve. Thank you!”

Steve walks away and you wave at him, not stopping until he turns right at the corner of the street.

“That guy, Steve, he definitely likes you, Y/N.” Bucky said and the two of you start walking.

“I like him, too.”

Bucky stopped in his tracks, a little surprised by your straightforward response.  “Oh.”

“Why’d you stop? Wha – no. I like him, ‘cause he’s a gentleman and he’s been so kind to me but I don’t like LIKE him, romantically. No.”

“Oh.” Bucky said, this time he sounded relieved and he started walking again and you followed suit.

A few moments later you arrived at a playground, you handed Bucky your cup of hot chocolate and started to run towards the swing. You’d always do this before going home from work – there was something about the sensation of the night wind flowing through your face that relaxes you. Bucky sits down at the swing beside and he sips from his cup.

“So...” you finally said. “You’re here to convince me to agree with my brother’s operation.”  

Bucky handed you your cup of hot chocolate. “Do you need me to?”

You opened your cup and drank from it. “Probably, not.” You murmured and take another sip. “I mean, I’m happy that Al’s finally getting the chance to be better again.”

“But...?” Bucky asked.

“It’s just scary you know.” You breathed out. “The operation’s going to take place in another country far from me and it’ll take at least a month. Bucky, I’ve never been away from my brother for a month!” You continued. “Plus, what if the operation fails? We still have a lot of things to do and I - and if the operation succeeds...”

“When the operation succeeds it’ll all be better, right?”

“Yeah... but...” Your grip on the chains of the swing tightens and Bucky gazes at you as you slowly find the words to tell him what’s on your mind. “I’ve been taking care of him my whole life, I – I don’t know what to do. I can’t think of myself not taking care of him.”

Bucky stands and walk towards you, while you play around with the cup on your hands.

“I – I know I sound silly, I mean, we’ve been waiting for this moment to arrive and I’m just being selfish.“

Bucky slowly brings himself down and reaches for your hands. “Y/N. There are a lot of words that I could use to describe, but selfish isn’t one of them.” You take your eyes off of the cup and look at Bucky’s eyes. “You’ve been taking care of Al and he couldn’t wish for anything else but to be healthy enough to take care of his little sister.” He paused and extends his hand towards your face. He wipes away the trail of tears that you didn’t even know existed. “Plus, if you really want to take care of someone. This guy right here can always use some caring.”

You close your eyes for a moment and opened it only to find yourself entrapped in Bucky’s gaze. “James Buchanan Barnes. How can I ever thank you enough.”

Bucky smiles at you. “We’d better get back to the hospital.” He stands up and stretches his hand to give you support as you stand up.  

“Yeah, we should.”

Part 1.5

Masterlist

If you want to be tagged or if you have story requests just send ‘em here

A/N: Second series for the year?? I’m like w h a t??I just missed the continuity of writing a series and now I’m with my second one. Who would’ve thought, right?? If you read the manga that this was based on, don’t expect a lot of similarities (also be my friend ‘cause it’s one of my favorite mangas). I still don’t know the ending yet, so I’ll just let the story flow and let’s discover together where this story would lead us to.

[floweringthewords]

Untitled Pt. 1 - Cup of Coffee.

[thebookbehindthecounter]

Hey everyone! I finally finished the Ouran High School Host Club series. There will be SPOILERS in this post so read with caution if you don’t want to be spoiled. This first part of the series is very much like a comedy sitcom. There really isn’t a lot of plot development with the characters besides Tamaki obviously having a crush on Haruhi but idiotically covering up by saving he’s her father and assigning family roles to the club. The series really didn’t start picking up until volume 8 or 9 I believe when we learn about Tamaki’s role in his family how he is a love child from a forbidden affair between his father and a french woman and how he came to live with his father because his father’s other marriages didn’t result in children making Tamaki the only heir to his family business. So he get sent to live with his father having to leave behind his sickly mother and sever all ties with her and come to live in Japan to try and win his grandmother’s approval who is the president of their company. The series reminded me of How I Met Your Mother even though both series are entirely different but it reminded me in that way in which the whole plot of the series is Ted telling his children how met their mother but we don’t actually get to meet their mother until the very end and that is how I felt about Host Club. In the beginning it is obvious Tamaki has this attraction to Haruhi and she starts to feel the same about him through time but they don’t actually get together until the end of the series.

This series explored more of the homosexual/transgender universe. The twins Kaoru and Hikaru they share a brotherly love and sometimes it can cross over to being almost homosexual but kind like with the Fruits Basket series she does really pull the trigger. She kind of just lets the audience keep guessing. But later on in the series the two have strong feelings towards Haruhi with Hikaru actually being in love with her but backs down because she is obviously in love with Tamaki. Also Haruhi’s father is actually (I’m using the manga’s term) a “tranny” and Haruhi is supportive of this which I thought was a very cool. But the series does explore the relationship between Mei and her father Misuzu who is a colleague of Ranka’s (Haruhi’s father) who has a strained relationship with his daughter because he left them to pursue his lifestyle change. That’s really all.

I really enjoyed this series. The first part of it was hard to read because it felt like it wasn’t really going anywhere but I’m glad a stuck it out. I’m sorry I haven’t posted anything in while. The next two days I have off and I am going to be working my hardest to finish Crazy Rich Asians before the month is over and then I am going to try and finish Stephen King’s IT which I think I mentioned in early posts I started but never finished. Alright that’s it from me. Have a nice rest of the month of September and get ready for that chilly weather coming in October and November. Bye!