#except that karen is forced to face the facts about what she was about to do

[ihni]

Just another night at Motel 6 on Cornwallis

(On AO3)

Motel 6 on Cornwallis is close enough to Hawkins for it to only take a ten minute drive to get there, but out of the way enough that there are no watchful eyes or nosy neighbors. The building is old, the rooms run-down. But it’s cheap, it’s clean, and it’s perfect for privacy; for clandestine meetings and dealings that may or may not be on the right side of legal.

Seated on a surprisingly soft bed with an unsurprisingly ugly bedspread, Billy looks towards the window when the sharp light of a car’s headlights from outside travels across the room, illuminating the tacky 60’s interior in increments. There is a sound of tires on gravel, and then a moment of silence once the engine is turned off. He leans back on his elbows, shakes his hair out. Spreads his legs just so in his tight jeans. He’s freshly showered, dressed in one of his nicest shirts which he has unbuttoned halfway down his chest. He knows he looks good. Still, he takes one last look in the mirror that hangs over the dresser, to make sure he paints the kind of alluring picture he aspires to.

Perhaps the person in the car outside also takes the time for a couple of finishing touches, because it’s almost a minute before there’s a sound of a car door opening and closing outside. Another couple of seconds before footsteps move towards the door.

Billy asked for the room furthest away from the office, the one with the most privacy. His car is parked outside. The person approaching definitely knows that he is here – and why.

He clears his throat. Pastes a smile onto his face. When there is a tap on the door, he keeps his voice low and husky when he calls out, “Come in.”

The door opens to reveal Karen Wheeler, dressed to the nines in a red dress with a low neckline. Her hair is expertly done up and she’s wearing make-up as if she’s on her way to attending a gala instead of an extramarital affair in a dingy motel. She’s even wearing high heels.

Must have been a bitch to walk with those on the pebbles outside.

She has a handbag slung over one shoulder, which she hangs on the back of a chair as she closes the door behind her and walks into the room. Her smile is a little wobbly – nerves, probably – but she doesn’t hesitate.

Neither does Billy.

“Mrs. Wheeler,” he purrs and makes a show out of looking her up and down. “Looking good.”

Her face doesn’t color – she’s wearing too much make-up for that – but she averts her eyes bashfully for a second. When she turns back to face him again, she’s biting her lip and there’s something hungry in her eyes. Something that makes the smile on Billy’s face falter slightly.

Still, he stays on the bed as she approaches. Doesn’t move as she kicks off her shoes and leans down over him, and barely even flinches as she puts a knee on the edge of the bed, right between his legs. She leans forward, opens her mouth on an exhale and goes in for a kiss …

And jerks to a halt when Billy’s hand catches her wrist, effectively stopping her hand inches from his face, where she was reaching out to touch him. A wrinkle of confusion appears between her eyebrows – and this close, Billy can see the other wrinkles on her face, the small ones that speak of years passing.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, leaning back a bit.

He is still smiling, but it’s no longer seductive. No, the smile on his face now does not reach his eyes. “What’s wrong?” he repeats, with a disbelieving huff. “One would think you’d be able to answer that yourself, Mrs. Wheeler.” He wrenches her hand up between them, showing off the gold band that’s still around her ring finger. “Tell me, does your husband know where you are right now?”

Karen splutters and yanks out of his grip. Billy lets her. He sits up and continues, “Do your children?” He cocks his head to the side mockingly. “Nancy, Michael and little Holly.”

“What …?” Karen starts, backing away, her eyes are darting around the room. “What is this?”

He stands up, but stays by the edge of the bed. “That’s a good question, actually. A married woman, showing up at an old motel in the middle of the night. Dressed like that.” He nods towards her outfit, and one of her hands flies up to cover her cleavage. “Meeting with a teenager, the same age as her daughter.”

“No,” Karen says, voice wavering. “No, that’s not …”

“But it is,” Billy interrupts her. “Isn’t it? You know very well that I’m in Nancy’s class. Hell, we competed for Valedictorian. And yet, you and your friends showed up at the pool every day, looking to get a piece of me.” He gestures with his hands, holds them away from his body. Puts himself on display. “Well, here I am.” He gives her another once-over, barely hiding his contempt. “And here you are.”

“Stop it.”

He laughs. “Stop what? I’m just telling you the truth the way I see it. The way anyone with eyes would see it, if they knew.”

The color drains from her face, visible even under the layers of foundation and rouge. “You … You wouldn’t …”

“Tell?” he finishes for her, and taps a finger to his chin as he pretends to think. “I don’t know. What would I have to gain by telling anyone?” She relaxes a fraction, at least until he continues, “Then again, what would I have to gain by keeping quiet? Seems to me, the only one who has anything to lose here, is you.”

She is shaking now, looking far from the confident woman who entered the room a couple of minutes ago. “What do you want? Is it money?”

He laughs, long and hard. “You’re asking the wrong questions, Karen. Ask yourself what your family wants. I’m sure your husband would like for you to be faithful to him. And I’m sure your kids would prefer it if you didn’t fool around with someone who goes to school with them – I’m pretty sure they’d hate that, actually, because they don’t even like me much. And little Holly, well …” He cocks his head to the side again. “I’m sure she just wants her mommy to be home with her instead of whoring around.”

Karen opens and closes her mouth a couple of times, indignant but speechless, and Billy shrugs. “But sure, money won’t hurt.” He motions to the room around them; the ugly wallpaper, the outdated décor. “I did shell out for the room, after all.”

Turning her back to him, perhaps to hide whatever expression is on her face, Karen walks up to the chair and reaches for her handbag. Her hands are shaking when she rifles through it and she won’t look at him when she emerges from it with a handful of bills which she slams down onto the table by the window.

“Thanks,” he says, making her flinch with how close he’s gotten while she wasn’t looking – because life has taught Billy to move silently, when needed – and reaches out for the bills. He doesn’t count them, just pockets them blindly and takes a step back from her.

Her back is still to him, and as he walks around her to get to the door, she turns so he won’t see her face.

“Feel free to peruse the room,” Billy says mockingly. “It’s paid for the night, and I’m sure you have a lot of things to think about.”

With his hand on the door handle, he hesitates. Swallows. And then says, seemingly to the wood of the door, “You know, my mom left me and my dad when I was … I think, a couple of years younger than your son.” There’s a soft gasp behind him, which he ignores. “She’d be the same age as you, Mrs. Wheeler. Maybe younger.” He takes a deep breath. “This is the kind of shit that can break a family. I advise you to think long and hard about what you have. And what you were willing to throw it all away for.”

And with that, he opens the door and walks out.

No one sees him leave. There are no watchful eyes or nosy neighbors here. It’s just another night at Motel 6 on Cornwallis.

[a-simple-imagine]

Perfectly Pathetic Pt.2

synopsis: you try to fix things with cady while maintaining your friendship with the plastics

pairing: regina george x fem!reader, elements of cady heron x fem!reader

words: 6.6k (6666 to be exact)

A/N - it’s here at long last besties!! get it while it’s hot because i might delete later idk how i feel about it

WARNINGS - swearing, toxic relationships and general toxicity, d-slur, and bullying

PREV //

come Sunday, you wake up with a throbbing head and zero energy left in your body but memories sit crystal clear. you remember Regina trying to come onto you. her scaring Cady away. Gretchen rubbing your back as you listen to her whine about Jason for the millionth time. weird night. you check your phone but don't bother to reply to anyone except Karen who wouldn't stop sending you explicit details about some reality show she was binging. but alas the weekend was over and you're forced to brave the embarrassment of going back to school after a party. happens every time. people do dumb shit and are forced to face it on Monday.

the first person you come across is none other than the red-headed new girl herself. you have got to imagine she is mad at you after what happened; the lies Regina told. it was not your fault but you should probably try and make peace.

"Hey! New girl," yelled down the hallway, you walk a little faster in order to catch up. you watch her glance around a little confused as you approach.

"Oh," her expression seems to neutralise as she realises it's you. "hi."

"did you have a good Sunday?"

"it was alright," the fact she was speaking to you was a good sign. "I spent it with my mom."

"cute," you flash a smile. Cady was clutching her books pretty tightly. "I thought we should maybe talk about Saturday."

"We don't have to to."

"but I want to," you insist. "please?"

"Regina already told me,"

"Regina is a liar," you blurt out. hopefully, that wouldn't get back to her. "I don't know what she said exactly but it's not true," she looks at you with curious eyes. "I wasn't stringing you along or anything,"

"Sure,"

"I like you, Cady. you're... different," you express. "I wanna be your friend. and I was really happy when you showed up at the party,"

"Really?"

"mhmm," you hum, nodding to prove your point. "cross my heart." you mime the action of drawing a cross across your chest. you're not sure they're gonna forgive you but the bell for homeroom would ring at any moment so time was running out.

"Okay," replied after a moment. a small smile that's quick to fade.

"do you want to finish working on our assignment later?" you ask.

"Sure," they shrug. "meet you out front?"

you're not entirely convinced you're forgiven but you'll take what you can get. you're about to respond when your eyes spot Gretchen amongst the crowd. you lock eyes for a second before she bolts in the opposite direction. with a heavy sigh, you charge after her.

"Gretchen." yelled down the hallway causing a few heads to turn. people naturally darted out of your way but you almost smashed into a few people. "Gretchen," is she getting quicker? "will you just stop?" the answer was apparently no because she just kept going until you manage to grab her arm forcing her to stop. "what the fuck?"

"oh hey, I didn't see you back there." she lies, offering a less-than-genuine smile.

"I was literally yelling your name?" your brow furrowed. you could almost see the gears turning in her head trying to come up with some kind of excuse.

"Sorry, I'm tired- mustn't have heard you." was that the best she could do? you just roll your eyes.

"Can you not tell Regina I was talking to Cady."

"Why?" she asks despite already knowing the answer.

"Please, Gretchen? it's really not a big deal, okay so let's just keep it between us."

"I said you should stay away from her and you ignored me."

"I know and you were probably right but," you shrug. "it's too late and besides, I have to do a presentation with her, that's why we were talking. you can even ask Karen."

"I won't tell anyone." that was a lie. She won't tell anyone except Regina obviously. always trying to be in her good graces.

"if you promise not to tell, I'll... tell Jason something bad about Taylor? like she has crabs or something?"

her eyes light up at the prospect. "really?"

you nod. Taylor had never liked you so you weren't exactly on the best of terms and if making up some rumour about her gets Gretchen off your back then great. "but you can't tell Regina, deal?"

"deal," Gretchen smiles brightly. thank fuck for that. you start walking together now. "so what happened at the party?"

"don't you already know?" you tease. "thought that pretty little head of yours knew everything."

"I'm working on it."

you shrug. she'd probably find out eventually. "nothing really. Regina told Cady some stuff about me."

"that you don't like her and are only pretending to be her friend?"

"so you did already know,"

"I don't know what you see in Cady."

"I don't know." she just wasn't like anyone else. a new avenue to discover. most of these people you've known for years. the bell rings out and suddenly you remember you were supposed to drop off a take-home quiz by homeroom today. you had actually done it but forgot it was in your locker. "oh shit,"

"What?"

"I just forgot to hand something in i'll see you later," with a quick wave goodbye, you rush off back the way you've come. it wasn't like you were bad in school or anything. just sometimes you'd forget to bring in homework. one... or four late quizzes later and suddenly Ms. Norbury is giving you extra work to make up for it. it's not like you have a life or anything. As you grab the paper from your locker, Karen Shetty emerges.

"Morning," sang dazzlingly as she shoved your locker door closed.

"good morning," you smile softly, a glance over her outfit. "you're particularly chirpy today and look great,"

a tiny theatrical gasp, she puts a playful hand over her chest. "thank you,"

"where did you get the cardigan?"

"thrifted it,"

"oooh, I love that," you say. "also it goes so well with that super cute bracelet you're wearing,"

"Aw thanks, my friend made it."

"that's so cute, she must be a really great friend," you tease.

"she is," Karen nods. "where are you headed?"

"I gotta drop this off to Ms.Norbury or I'll fail math,"

"Can I come?"

it wasn't exactly an exciting trip so you don't know why she would want to? plus you were late for homeroom now. "I guess?"

"did you have fun at the party?" Karen inquiries as you begin towards Ms Norbury's homeroom class.

"it was alright,"

"I heard you got into a fight with Regina,"

"hardly a fight," you sigh. it was gonna be a very long day. "it's fine. you know how she can be,"

"was it over Cady?"

"Why does everyone suddenly care about Cady?" you stress. "it really doesn't matter."

a shrug. "I heard from Gretchen that Connor is grounded now because he didn't tell his parents about the party and they found out because somebody was sick in like a vase or something,"

"ew," you giggle, scrunching up your nose in disgust. "like they just found cold vomit in a vase?"

"mhmm," Karen nods eagerly. you make a fake gagging action as you knock on the open door. why is it always so awkward to walk into an already full classroom? ms. Norbury invited you further inside and you can't help but look at the people staring at you.

"so you do know how to hand things in on time," you resist the urge to roll your eyes. "great. now if you can just do that all the time."

"I make no promises," you answer, placing your homework down on her desk. when your eyes meet Cady's she waves a little. you flash a smile.

"come see me after school and I'll let you know how you did and if I need anything else from you,"

"Okay," you sigh. wasn't your first extra credit quiz. nor your last probably. you leave the classroom quickly, grabbing Karen's hand. she'd been waiting at the door.

"lots of people in there,"

"yeah because we're supposed to be in homeroom," you advise her.

"I didn't hear the bell,"

oh, Karen. "just come on."

it was a rather lifeless day thank god. you were grateful for the peace. and ms. Norbury hadn't given you any more work. you still had your tutor sessions but they never bothered you too much. now you're sitting staring at your laptop pretending you're doing research. Cady is scribbling in her notebook. Once again you're bored. and you can't help but watch Cady and wonder if she really has forgiven you. sure you were together right now but only because of this stupid presentation. you sit up a little straighter, taking a sip from your water bottle. "are you mad at me?"

it's sudden and she seems perplexed as she glances up at you. "huh?"

"I don't want you to be mad at me"

"I'm not mad," she urges, going back to her little scribbling. "you said Regina was lying, I believe you."

"just like that?" it seemed too easy.

"just like that,"

"how do you know I'm not lying about Regina lying though?"

"I don't." a shrug, she looks at you. "I'm just trusting you so can we please get back on track." you're not sure you would forgive someone as easily as this. it seemed naïve. or maybe she was just a better person than you. either way, this was what you wanted so...

"This is so boring," you whine loudly, pushing your laptop away so you can dramatically collapse against the table.

"if you actually help instead of complaining, we'd get it done quicker."

"Cady," you sigh loudly. "let's not, I'm just here to be pretty, okay? I shouldn't be forced to do homework too."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," you sit up properly once more. "ask away."

"Why do you hang out with Regina?" the question catches you a little off guard. why did she wanna know that?

"What does that have to do with the book?" you counter, a playful raise of your brow. "if you stayed on topic, we'd get it done quicker."

"I'm serious."

you shrug a little. "why wouldn't I? She's like one of my best friends."

"why though? I've seen the way she treats you,"

"you just don't get Regina," very few people did. sure she was kinda mean and pushy, you'd never deny that but the rest of the school didn't get to see her other side. which was also kinda mean but a tad softer. the blonde was fierce. if someone fucked with you, or Karen, or even Gretchen, she'd go to war. you've watched her destroy girls just to prop Gretchen up to Jason. maul boys for making fun of Karen. you only got away with half the shit you did because you were friends with Regina. maybe she kept you around because you showered her with love and attention but she, in her own way, gave it right back. "she can be a lot but she's really cool."

"she's horrible to literally everyone."

"yeah but that's like kinda funny," Cady gives you a look suggesting she doesn't agree which was fair but she didn't exactly pick the nicest people to be friends with. Damian was funny in class and you liked to tell him gossip that Gretchen told you. you never really spoke to Janis too much but you've seen her around. heard what she says about you. She makes jokes right to your face. "don't act like Janis doesn't do the exact same thing. why do you hang out with her?"

"That's different,"

"is it?" you challenge. "or is Regina just popular?" Cady seems to not have an answer because she goes back to the book. "she's my friend and I like her. simple as."

"I'm sorry for asking,"

"Don't worry about it," you weren't particularly angry. you knew how people viewed Regina. a mixture of high admiration and fear. "So did you enjoy your first party?"

"yeah. not exactly what I was expecting,"

"they're not all like that," you urge. "sometimes they're fun. sometimes you wanna stab yourself in the eye to get out of it."

"did you have fun?"

"fun is not the word I would use but it was an experience," After Cady left you kind of just sulked with Gretchen until Karen found you and insisted you had to dance together. you spent the rest of the night with her. "I'm happy you came. I wish Regina hadn't messed everything up."

"sorry I left."

"you don't have to apologise." you smile. "we're hanging out now even if you're making me do homework. and there's always next time."

"I'm not making you do homework," Cady argues. you just smile. shuffling along the bench so you're right beside her. She has the book open in front of her and a notebook full of scribbles. you repeatedly tap the notebook with your finger.

"Are these not notes for our project? is that not homework?"

"yeah but these are my notes," she expresses, snatching up her notebook to place on the side away from you. As your eyes meet, you can almost pinpoint the exact moment she gets flustered. a dusting of pink gracing her cheeks. "you're just fucking about."

a dramatic gasp before a smile takes over. "I would never."

Cady smiles and before you have time to react she is leaning in to connect your lips in the softest of embraces. it reminds you of the first time Regina kissed you. only it never had the chance to become anything more before you pull back.

"Sorry- I didn't. I don't know why I did that." that dusting of pink is now a deep shade of red. panic in her voice. eyes firmly on her homework. you're unsure of what to say exactly. you liked Cady. maybe even the same way she apparently liked you. but you just weren't sure yet.

"It's alright, don't worry about it," you express. "uh... should we get back to the book?"

you weren't mad or upset with Cady. her kissing you had just left you feeling... weird? so even as you parted ways and you got texts later in the evening, you couldn't bring yourself to reply. you just needed some time to think.

Lunchtime is weird. Everyone is quiet. Painfully quiet. Karen and Gretchen are just eating their lunch. Regina is staring at the label of her yoghurt. you're sat there anxiously like a child bursting with energy. this was so unlike them. "can someone just talk already," you blurt out. a little startled, everyone looks at you. "sorry. just nobody is talking and it's freaking me out. normally Gretchen never shuts up."

"why are you even here?" Regina asks, twisting the dessert in her hand. you wish she'd just eat it instead of inspecting it.

"why wouldn't I be?"

"shouldn't you be over there with the pyro-dyke and her band of freaks." her head nods in the direction she means but her eyes never leave that stupid label. the nickname referred to Janis and Band of Freaks must mean Cady and Damian.

a sigh. "you're being ridiculous,"

"I'm being what?" Regina asked firmly. her yoghurt placed down slowly as her eyes zone in on you. sharp and daring. Karen gently nudges your leg with hers but you're not sure if it was an accident or a warning. you glance at her and then at Gretchen who is keeping her eyes firmly on her food.

"nothing. sorry," you say softly.

"stand up," voice low but commanding. you can't tell if she's serious so you remain seated. watching her. "stand up. now." she was louder now. attracting attention. putting on a show as various people looked to see what the commotion was. "you wanna run around with freaks and lesbos, then go."

"Are you-"

"go." you swallow hard. willing yourself not to crumble under the pressure of everyone's gaze. you could argue back but you know better than to challenge her when she's this pissed off. so you just push up, grab your tray and leave the table. you lock eyes with Janis along the way who is next to Cady. you can't join them like Regina so angrily implied, it'd just make things worse for them and yourself.

your last few classes of the day are spent wondering what you've done to piss off Regina today. you've hardly even seen her. maybe Gretchen told her about the hallway yesterday? She promised not to plus this seemed like a massive overreaction. you're at your locker, grabbing your stuff when Gretchen approaches. "Regina said if you can behave yourself you're allowed to come shopping with us,"

"hello to you too Gretchen," you slam the metal door shut. "no thank you.."

"Seriously?"

"she basically banished me from the cafeteria today, why would I wanna go anywhere with her?" you ask but it was mostly rhetorical as you start down the hall.

"you know she was only joking," the brunette trails after you.

"was she? felt pretty real to me,"

"that's just her humour," Gretchen assures you. "you have to come. Regina will be upset,"

"Regina doesn't have emotions," you fire back, pushing through the double doors, you almost collide with another person. "Jesus, watch out."

didn't take long to realise who it was. "it's Karen actually,"

"I know your name, baby" you pat her shoulder. "why are you right outside the door?"

"waiting for you," she takes your hand. "we're going shopping."

"I don't wanna do that," you express but Karen is already leading you towards Regina's jeep. "Karen, let go" you groan but put up little resistance. the blonde is leaning against the side eyes on you as you're being dragged across the front lawn.

"you found her then," the blonde comments, pushing away from the metal of her jeep. "thought we'd have to start putting up lost dog posters or something."

"why am I even here?"

"Isn't it obvious- get in the car." Regina climbs in and everyone else does the same. "we need someone to carry the bags."

why were you here? why had you given in so easily? You didn't even want to go shopping and now you're staring at yourself in the wall-length mirror of a dressing room, trying on outfits. with a heavy sigh, you step through the curtain

"what do you think?"

"you look great," declares Gretchen.

"beautiful," an eager Karen. She had picked it out.

Regina turns from the large mirror at the end of the space where she was inspecting the dress she was trying on to you. "ew." is all she says before turning back.

"yeah, I never liked it," Gretchen remarks quickly.

"try this," Karen shoves a hanger in your hand before pushing you back towards the dressing room. you stare at your reflection once more. you didn't think it looked too bad but maybe Regina was right. it wasn't exactly your style but that's because Karen picked it. it was more you than most of the outfits she tried to get you to wear... it did sit a little weirdly. you can hear Regina talking to the girls, sending them each on an errand. and then it's silent. you begin to undress when the blonde calls your name. you stop what you're doing. She says it again and you walk out.

"what's up?" you question cautiously. you weren't about to let your guard down around her.

"what do you think of this dress?" the blonde spins to face you. hands on her hips. your brow furrows. why did she want your opinion? your eyes drift. taking in Regina. notice every curve. She really was a sight to behold.

"looks good."

"That's all I get?"

"What were you expecting?"

The girl turns back. "A shower of complements but guess you're not even good for that anymore."

"I said it looks good?"

"I'm done with you now. go change out of that ugly outfit already."

you wanna say something but you decide to just bite your tongue and head back into the dressing room.

come the weekend, Regina is out of town with her parents which means you've ended up with babysitting duties. Gretchen and Karen had both decided they were coming over to your place. you didn't mind. so now you're loitering on the bed with your back against your headboard scrolling through your phone. Karen is snuggled up in half a blanket using your lap as a pillow also scrolling through her phone. it's silent but comfortable. Gretchen vanished about ten minutes ago and hasn't returned. "do we have to start hanging out with Cady?"

"What?" you glance down from your phone. 

"I don't wanna hang out with her, she's creepy."

"that's not very nice, Karen," you scold. "but no. why would we?"

"Because you're like a thing now," Karen answered, pressing her phone to her chest. She meets your stare. "you kissed"

"excuse me?" your heart practically skips a beat. you undoubtedly hadn't told anyone that Cady kissed you and you're almost certain she hadn't.

"what? Gretchen told us that she saw you and Cady making out after school on Monday," Gretchen fucking weiners. of course. but how did she know?

"by us you mean?"

"me and Regina," fuck.

"When was this?" you wonder. and as if summoned on cue, Gretchen emerges through the doorway and you can't help but raise your voice. "you told Regina I was making out with Cady?"

"What?"

"Karen told me so don't lie," you demand. "I thought we had a deal."

"I didn't tell her about the hallway."

"Are you stupid?" you press. Gretchen sits on the edge of your bed, fluttering her eyelashes.

"I'm sorry," a hefty sigh. the girl shuffled up the bed so she was beside you. "are you mad at me?"

"Obviously."

"but you love me?" you don't reply and she nudges your shoulder with hers. "right?" you stay silent, glimpsing at her withan empty expression. you did love her but you were pissed off with her right now.

"look at this," Karen shoves her phone straight up and into your view. it shows a picture of herself. you assume she had just taken by the outfit.

"adorable," you smile walmly but it quickly fades. Gretchen had very much fucked you over. That day with Cady, you hadn't seen anyone around other than a few stray students. why was Gretchen even still there? and why hadn't she asked you about it before telling Regina?

"did you see what Kelsey posted today?" Gretchen questions, pulling out her phone. "it's so pathetic. like she's clearly doing it just for attention." you let your head fall back against the wall as Gretchen proceeds to talk in your ear. your mind drifts to the day in the cafeteria when Regina embarrassed you in front of everyone. you had thought it was an extreme reaction to a conversation in the hallway but turns out it was because of the kiss. was she that jealous of the idea of you and Cady? That made little sense when she was running around with Shane.

"Does Regina hate me?"

"of course not," Gretchen insists, a comforting hand placed on your shoulder. "you know anger is basically her love language. she just cares a lot."

"Regina thinks Cady is a freak," Karen contributes. "and that you hanging out with her makes us look bad."

"We were just doing homework."

"I saw you kiss her," Gretchen retorts.

"she kissed me,"

"you have been hanging out with her a lot," Karen states

"and you invited her to Connor's party," Gretchen resumes.

"yeah but..." you trail off because you really don't have a comeback. All those things were very much true. "this is stupid."

"if you had just listened to me-"

"Jesus, we get it Gretchen" you huff sharply and then feel bad for it. "sorry but you have to stop saying that- I should be able to talk to a girl without it being the end of the world."

"maybe talk to less weird girls?" Karen proposes brightly. "like me.... or Gretchen.... oooh or Regina."

"Thanks for the suggestion." you tap her nose gently, making her face scrunch up. "but I meant other than you three."

"you can talk to whoever you want," Gretchen reassures you, dropping her head to your shoulder. "as long as Regina approves."

"you sound insane,"

Gretchen shrugs. Karen's attention has returned to her phone. and you were suddenly so aware of how insane being friends with Regina George truly is.

the bell for first period has you walking down the hallway towards your history class. you share it with Gretchen who you haven't spoken to since Sunday. you're still mad at her.

"Hey, can we talk?" your brow furrows a little. it was Regina. and you were still mad at her too for last week.

"I have to get to class," you huff but she doesn't take the hint; instead she takes your hand and drags you straight into the nearest closet. it smelt like chemicals, dust and... vanilla. you imagine the vanilla is the girl, not the room.

"what the hell?"

"Just give me a minute,"

"why are we in a closet?" you wonder. it was cramped. a painfully buzzy lightbulb hung over head, flickering through an array of intensities. shelves full of supplies.

"I'm sorry, okay?" your eyes were looking anyway but at her until now. staring into blue-green eyes. did she just... apologise for something? was this a dream? your dreams never normally included Regina apologising but that seemed like the only way this could be real. "I'm sorry I got mad over you and Cady. you've just been acting weird since she joined"

"Are you... fucking with me right now?""

"what? I can't apologise?"

"I never said that," you did imply it but you would never say it. "I'm just confused." a shrug of your shoulders.

"I just don't like it. I don't like her," she wasn't about that. you weren't confused about her feelings towards Cady. you were confused as to why she was apologising for it? also, why do you have to do this in the closet? couldn't you have done this in a place with such a dizzying aroma? "I get like angry when I see you together. and then when Gretchen told me you kissed her-"

"she kissed me."

"Whatever," a dismissive wave. "I mean, it just was a lot y'know."

"not really" Your brow furrows.

"you're not that fucking dense, are you?" as the blonde takes a step forward, you take a step back crashing into a bucket and mop. She grabs your wrist. maybe an attempt to save you? "careful." said much softer. caring almost. it makes you suspicious. more so than the apology you hardly believed in the first place.

"we're gonna be late for class," you answer quietly. you try to pull your arm away but her grip doesn't falter. it's firm and tight; possessive almost. "Regina, please,"

"you promised to stay away from her," Regina mentions softly. you think back to that day. Regina straddling your lap. hands on your chest. moving against you. soft lips. it makes you blush. she pulls you closer. "promised you didn't like her more than me." her other hand gently cups your cheek. "was all that a lie?"

"no," you shake your head slow and stern. "no. i-"

"you kissed her." stated firmly.

"she kissed me," you argue back. her fingers press a little harder into your cheek.

"don't remember asking," expressed as she leaned in close. hot breath hitting your skin. vanilla fills your nostrils. "tell me you love me," whispered. you swallow hard. "please."

"Regina..." grip on your wrist tightens.

"go on."

"I... love you," you sound more confused than sure.

"more than cady?"

"you're my best friend,"

a once gentle hand now grips your chin. "more than Cady?" asked again.

"uh... more than Cady,"

"say you're obsessed with me." her lips loom mere inches from yours threatening a kiss.

"I'm... obsessed with you." her eyes are so intense, it's kinda scary. it's always treacherous being so close to her.

"Good," her lips press into yours. fierce and strong. but gone just as quickly. "I'll see you at lunch." she lets go and leaves without another word. The door to the closet closes with a click. insane. you remain for a few minutes. a little lost. a little confused. then you leave for class.

sat at a table under the beautiful shade of a massive umbrella during your free period. Cady is opposite. Gretchen was supposed to be here too but you don't know what happened to her. probably worried about sitting with Cady. "why are you doing work?"

"It's a study period. you should also be doing work,"

"It's almost lunchtime don't be ridiculous," you groan loudly. the bell rings mere moments later bringing a smile as the animals are released from their classrooms out into the wild. "see."

"you didn't do anything,"

"never do. That's half the fun of a free period before lunch."

"hey baby," that was Regina's voice. you look up promptly, half expecting her to make a comment or demand your presence but instead, she takes a seat right beside you.

"Hello," you try not to think about earlier. about how weird this is and focus on the fact she seemed to be in a good mood. her arms snake around you, drawing you back into her embrace.

"Cady,"

"hi Regina,"

"you look good today," Regina comments. your brow furrows. she was being weirdly affectionate. should you be concerned? probably but you were gonna enjoy her openness. the last week had been so weird and you kinda of just wanted things to go back to normal. and while this wasn't exactly normal, you prefer this to outward anger.

"thank you,"

"Now say it back," you roll your eyes but wear a playful smile.

"you look radiant Regina," said playfully. She gives you a quick squeeze and you finally settle in her embrace.

"I know," hummed in your ear. "so do you wanna come to mine after school?" muttered in your ear.

"what's the occasion?"

"I want you to," Regina declared. "why does it matter? you're coming over."

"am I now?" you ask playfully.

"We should get food," Regina lets go and gets up. you watch her for a moment expecting her to bark a demand but she doesn't. she just walks away. it freaks you out so you bid farewell to Cady and go scampering after the blonde.

"you good?"

"course," she states as you fall in step.

"you're being strange," you observe. "I was half expecting you to drag me away from that table."

"what's the point?" she asks. "you'd just go running back to the little nerd."

"no running is involved."

"running. skipping. drooling." the blonde teased. when you enter the lunch room, Gretchen is already sitting alone at your usual table. "like a love-sick little puppy dog."

"Okay, ew, no,"

"where have you been?" Gretchen wonders as you approach. She knows where you've been. you text her.

"no love involved whatsoever,"

"Who are you in love with?" Gretchen asks.

"no one,"

"I got tater tots," Karen announces as she zooms past with a try, taking a seat at your lunch table.

"oooh, they have tots today? let's go get food," you grab Regina's hand and start pulling her towards the food. Gretchen comes scrambling after the two of you. "I'm starving."

"aren't you always," Regina comments. the sea parts as she leads the way to the front of the line. it's unfair. but you never call her out. you always take advantage.

"Who are you in love with?" Gretchen repeats

"nobody, we moved on,"

"god keep up Gretchen," Regina huffs. you're so excited about your tater tots you practically run back to the table with your little tray. your two friends in toe. you take your usual seat next to Karen. Regina sits opposite with Gretchen.

"Cady keeps looking over here," Karen announces, popping a tot in her mouth. "it's creeping me out."

"she's so weird," Regina sighs. "if she's anything like her freaky friends it's because she's obsessed with our dear sweet puppy,"

"she is not obsessed with me,"

"This is what happens when you give losers attention, " Regina persists. "they think they have a shot. soon she's gonna think she can just come over and talk to us and it's your fault."

"Firstly, she would never do that. She's intimidated by you," you express. "secondly. she is sweet, you gotta lay off her."

"as she should be," the blonde looks disgusted. "also gross. She's so fuckin weird."

"you guys are being mean,"

"Is it mean if it's true?"

"still yes," you insist. "I like cady."

"We know," Gretchen states. Regina shoots her a dirty look.

"you don't get to talk Gretchen," Regina spits. "you never shut up about Jason like he's not disgusting."

"Cady would be cute if she just learnt how to dress. and do her makeup," Karen interjects.

"I don't even think that would help."

"Can we stop talking about her please?"

"don't wanna hear us shit talk your girlfriend."

"not my girlfriend." you argue. "but I would like this to end. quickly. let's go back to Jason that dude fuckin sucks."

"he's so sleazy," Karen adds. and the conversation flows into something other than you and Cady. thank god.

you're lying on Regina's couch. in Regina's room. alone. after school. you expected Karen and Gretchen to be here too but alas they weren't here. after this morning, you wouldn't be surprised if this was some cult worship ceremony. the door creaks open and in walks the infamous blonde. a glance before going back to your phone.

"my mum wants to know if you're staying for dinner,"

"am I?" you don't even know why you're here. and knowing Regina she could kick you out at any moment.

"I said yeah but you don't have to," a shrug.

"guess you're not mad at me anymore then,"

"When was I mad at you?" she questions, sitting down on her bed.

"When are you ever not?" you tease. "sometimes I think you hate me."

"if I hated you, you wouldn't be here," the blonde comments.

"you've been so short with me recently." you sit up properly.

"Because you've been acting different." the girl insists. "and it's weird. and I don't like it. I want you to go back to how you were."

"I don't even know how I've been acting different?" you lean back. "I think you're just jealous."

"jealous of what?"

"Cady." you see her eyes narrow. jaw tense.

"you are obsessed with her."

"not obsessed," you correct. "I don't even know what is going on between me and Cady."

"but you like her?"

you shrug. "do you like her?"

"no," it makes you smile for some reason. same old Regina. number one cady hater. "not even a little. she's strange. can't dress for shit. really awkward."

"tell us how you really feel," you chuckle a little.

"you'll just call me mean," like she wasn't already being mean.

you shrug. "I like when you're mean."

"I know," a smile quirks at her lips. the blonde pats the space next to her. "come here,"

"why?"

"Just come here," a dramatic sigh. you push up and cautiously walk over to sit down next to her. "why are you acting so scared of me?"

"I don't know," you shrug. "kinda expecting you to push me off the bed or something."

"why would I do that?" her brows furrowed.

"Because you're evil," a smirk slowly takes over her lips. you nudge her softly with your shoulder.

"I love it when you call me evil,"

"I know," you reply. "because you're obsessed with me."

"you wish."

"I don't have to wish," you tease. "because you're obsessed with me."

"you're really pushing your luck here," Regina comments. "stop." her tone suggested she was done playing. the blonde falls back against her bed. you just look at her as she starts typing on her phone. "and stop staring at me freak."

"but you're so pretty,"

"your girlfriend wouldn't like you saying that."

"not my girlfriend," you insist. "no more than you are." the blonde doesn't respond and you both fall into a comfortable silence. you lie down beside her. "why did you invite me over?"

"make out. prove a point. why do you think i asked in front of cady?" you just shrug. the girl sighs loudly and discards her phone off to one side before rolling onto her side to look at you. you just turn your head to face her.

"for someone so smart, you really are stupid," you'd be offended but there was hardly a point. she just watches you, watching her. you crack under her gaze and look away but she just reaches over and forces you to look at her. "do you know why I keep you around?"

"Because you love me?" said playfully but quietly. you know it's not the answer she was looking for.

"I like the way you look at me," she admitted quietly. "everyone stares at me but you... you look at me like I'm the only person in the entire world." she went on. "like you just can't get enough." you don't know what to say. Regina was like nobody you had ever met but in a different way to Cady. She just commanded attention. a beauty beyond words. and sometimes you wonder why you ever caught her eye. the girl shuffles closer now. "you can run around with freaks. you can be confused about Cady. but at the end of the day, none of it matters." that hand on your jaw loosens and begins to trail down over your neck. "you'll always come running back to me."

"What makes you think that?"

"It's in the way your breath hitches when I'm close. the way your eyes linger when I walk away. the way you so easily melt under my touch," her voice was gentle but taunting. her hand slipping lower and lower down the length of your body. you could hear your heart beating loudly in your chest. an onset wave of heat flushing your cheeks. "I can say or do whatever I want," her hand stops at your thigh, squeezing roughly. body leaning into yours. pressing you further into the plush fabric of her bed. "and you'll always be mine." whispered sharply before her lips meet yours and the fire makes the rest of the world melt away. you reach up to draw her closer. deepen the kiss and the way she groans makes your head spin. but then she pulls away unexpectedly. "oh I forgot to mention Shane is coming over after dinner so you gotta be gone by then. Cool?" you can feel the emotions stirring. it's weird and confusing. Shane's name fills you with anger; annoyance even. through no fault of his own. was she fucking serious? but at the same time you couldn't move. maybe a wiser person would have stopped everything right here. walked away with their dignity in their hands. Cady was probably a safer option. she liked you. and maybe you liked her too. but there was just something about Regina. being on her good side meant the world worked for you too. it was a world you'd become so accustomed to, you can't imagine it any differently. you can't imagine a life without the blonde. you didn't want to leave. you wanted to chase the high of each kiss. the pain as her nails dig into your skin. the firey mess of being with her.

"cool." you nod simply, pulling her back into the kiss. dignity was overrated when it came to Regina George anyway.

[live-laugh-lenney]

plz could you write something where you have an awful day and arthurtv cuddles you and looks after you

(I’ve had a horrific day lol)

it had been one of those days.

in fact, no...

it had been one of those weeks for yn, where everything seemed to go against her and seemed to go wrong and against her favour, and she felt she was ready to burst with every emotion that was coursing through her body. she felt anger at how nothing was going right, she felt sadness at how things out of her control seemed to be her own fault, she felt under pressure at how she wanted to please her co-workers as well as the customers she served, she felt alone in each situation... and she missed arthur.

he'd been away for just over a couple of weeks with arthur hill and george and chip, in sri lanka filming video for chip's channel, and she had really felt gap in her life that would usually be filled with arthur and his presence.

and with a week like she'd had, where she'd been shouted at by her customers and dealt with the stresses of working in hospitality, all she wanted to do was curl up in bed with arthur and a cup of tea and a blanket and sleep off the problems and to wake up on a brand new day that she hoped would go better.

when she walked through the doors to the building of her flat, she felt a weight lifting off of her shoulders knowing that she was done for the day, didn't need to work the evening dinner shift, and that she was due a couple of days off. her feet ached, her back hurt and she could feel the lump in her throat that was burning and aching due to the built-up tears that were screaming to be let free. her bag brushes against her upper thigh and her hand dug around for her house keys, eagerness in every step she stepped closer to her door and as she dug deep for the bunch of keys.

a pair of trainers caught her eye once she closed her front door.

"arthur?"

"what gave me away?"

he sounded genuinely stunned and confused, peeking his head from around the kitchen door and grinning widely in her direction... yet the smile soon disappeared when he saw the look on her face and the tense and hunched-over posture she was sporting. her bag drops to the floor and her shoes go long forgotten in the hallway, kicked off and she made a mental note to move them later that evening, craving nothing more than to feel his arms wrapped around her.

and as soon as she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest and inhaling his scent. a strong mix of his cologne and his deodorant and a tiny hint of his shower gel and his shampoo, which gave her clarity that he'd gone home to freshen up before he surprised her after his trip away. his arms tighten around her, feeling her melt under his touch and all her aches and pains had seemingly fizzled away in that brief moment, and he knew she'd been after some intimacy for a while.

"lovie, what's the matter? what's happening?"

"i'm just glad you're home."

he hums, pressing a kiss to her hairline, but it sounds uncertain and he wanted to dig further and find out what the truth was... except he didn't want to push her into telling him something she just didn't feel like talk about in that moment.

"you've always been a terrible liar, yn," he laughs softly to lighten the mood and he can feel her frown into his chest, "but i'm not going to force you to talk to me about whatever is bothering you. but i'm here if you need to get things off your chest. you know that."

"i know. i just," she sighs and looks up at him, arms still tight around him like he'd walk away if she let go, "i've had a terrible week at work and everything's been going wrong and i don't know why or what the hell is happening to the universe but it seemed to be that week where the karen's and the moaners and the entitled arseholes come out."

"oh," he looks down at her and she smiles with a tight-lipped smile, "i'm sorry, lovie. a difficult week?"

she nods and he loosens his grip on her and cups her face with the palms of his hands, thumbs rubbing against her cheeks and she tilts her head into his touch. something she'd been longing for for a long few days.

"it didn't help that you weren't here, either," she says and his chest tightens a bit with guilt - through their facetime calls and their texts, she didn't make it clear she was struggling and having a tough time at home so it broke him, a little inside, to know she did it by herself and with no outlet. "but enough about me, tell me about sri lanka."

"that can wait," he says softly, dropping his hands from her face and enticing her to follow him into the kitchen, "talk to me. tell me the problem. get it off your chest and stop worrying about it by yourself."

she pouts at the loss of contact and follows him into her kitchen, seeing a bag full of her favourite takeaway food, a smile forming and the rumble in her tummy made her realise that she'd not eaten much for the entire day. he voluntarily gets plates out of her cupboards, followed by cutlery, before he starts to dish it out on their plates. her mouth watering at the aromas being given off.

"it's just been a stressful week," she stands beside him and watches as he shares out the food in the containers, "i really don't want to talk about it right now, okay? please, arthur."

"alright," he nods understandingly and she offers her help in dishing up their takeaway, taking the cutlery and a couple of glasses through to where her dining area was in her flat, with him hot in her heels and their dinner in his hands, "so, sri lanka, yeah?" x

[midnight-pluto]

COFFEE: PG.08 — Realization

COFFEE: Tim Drake x gn!reader

SYNOPSIS: Tim meets a barista that gives him what he needed most — a large coffee with way to many shots of espresso. Though what happens when just a single action changes the other's life, forever?

TW: a karen karening and not respecting pronouns, online discourse caused by said Karen (twitter being twitter) lemme know if I missed anything

coffee master list || prev. || next

SUNDAY, APRIL 7 2023 — 9:32 PM

A NORMAL EVENING one would say was happening in the current life of Y/N L/N; except it really wasn’t.

“I really, don’t understand why you can’t just redo my order! I specifically asked for chocolate drizzle, not caramel. Why is that so hard to understand?!”

“Uh, ma’am. I did in fact tell you that we were out of chocolate drizzle and asked if you were fine with caramel, to which you answered: ‘yeah, whatever,’” you forced a smile as politely as you could.

“Oh! So you’re giving me attitude now,” she loudly scoffed.

“No, that was just me repeating what you said.”

“I will not stand for this false accusation and blatant disrespect!”

‘Oh a big word. Didn’t know she knew how to do that.’

Fortunately, a familiar figure entered the café; eye bags evident as ever.

“Oh good. Tim Drake, someone actually competent around here, this cashier, worker, whatever! Is refusing to remake my drink after he made it wrong!” the woman huffed out.

Tim eyebrows furrowed in confusion - ‘I don’t even work here,’ - looking towards you for a different explanation.

“Uh, it’s they - I have it on my name tag - and I informed you that we were out of chocolate drizzle and you accepted caramel as a substitute.”

“Okay, how about we all just discuss this outside,” Tim offered gently pushing the lady towards the door.

“Ugh fine,” she loudly declared, stomping over to the door.

“Great, do you have the keys?” Tim asked you once she was out the door waiting.

‘Oh so that’s what he’s doing.’

“Yeah hold on,” you said walking out from behind the counter and taking your keys out of your pocket and heading over to the door to lock it.

As you inserted the keys to lock the door, the lady locked out looked at you - appalled.

“Alrighty, so do you want your usual?” you tilted your head towards your favorite customer.

“Yes please. But before that I’ll have to head to the bathroom, I have Karen germs on me now,” he grimaced heading towards the other side of the café.

Nodding your head, you return to your spot behind the register before taking out your phone.

TIMESKIP — 12:01 AM

As you were closing up shop, your mind began to wander to places you thought you forgot about long ago.

‘Do I actually like Tim that way? I mean, I know a lot of people do but we actually have a physical connection and I’d like to say we’re more than acquaintances, right? I mean he said that I’m his favorite barista so that has to mean something and he’s my favorite customer. But are you sure it’s not because he gives you a $20 tip? I… think? Oh damn am I really that shallow? Wait, do I actually like a guy named Tim?’

‘Eh whatever. These feelings will pass by and be buried just like the rest of my crushes… right? I mean like he’s pretty, he’s not an ass, he knows how to get rid of annoying customers, but- ugh. I hate this. Why do feeling feel?!’

As you unlock the door to your apartment you exasperatedly put your stuff down and flop your body on the couch in front of your TV.

‘…so theoretically, if I did have feelings for Tim… would I do anything about them? Should I do anything about them?’

Looking up from your face plant onto the couch cushions, you let out a groan, “Man… so that shit is definitely not theoretical huh?”

‘KNOCK. KNOCK.’

Lifting up your whole body to look at the sliding glass door that lead to your balcony you see that it was none other than a non-caped bluesader with Cardinal Red Robin carried underneath his arm.

You both stared at each other through the glass for a moment; Nightwing knocking on the glass every 10 seconds, before rolling your body off the couch and opening the door for the malnourished man to be plopped into your arms.

“That’s two IOU’s Nightwing.”

SPECIAL NOTE: so schools starting back up for me which means that I’m probably gonna start updating more often 🤭 Oh and I also used an app this time to make the tweets instead of a site; woohoo ig

TAGLIST: @grandstrangerphantom @marsbars09 @fabitheraven @lovelypitasworld @dyjcksn @mae77eris @sugarrush-blush @djchik @soundsfunbutno @apizzacalledmel @strangetrashblog @cipheress-to-k-pop @harleycao [ if your name isn’t highlighted then I wasn’t able to tag you. if you would like to join, feel free to send me an ask or to comment! ]

[chaoscradle]

Totally wrote an essay in @booksandpaperss (hope it’s okay to tag you!) post and I wanted to make it into an actual post so here I am!

The Wheelers are so incredibly mischaracterized by a lot of people, to the point where sometimes it’s not even the same character anymore. The only exception is Holly, and that’s because we haven’t seen much of her.

I see Karen characterized mainly as a completely emotionally neglectful and dismissive mom who is fully conservative and very much traditional.

Karen isn’t a good mom, but we see her reach out to both Mike and Nancy in s1 and Nancy again in s3. In addition, yes, we see the Wheelers with a conservative sign on the lawn, but we do know that Karen isn’t fully traditional. She urges Nancy to follow the story in season 3 despite the misogyny, and she makes it very clear that that isn’t her line of thinking. She’s not the best parent, but she’s not an asshole either.

Ted is emotionally distant and definitely not a good father. He’s never shown to really connect with Mike or Nancy, instead we really only see them interact negatively with each other. This doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about his kids though- he’s shown to be asleep with Holly in season 3, and he does contribute to disciplining Mike and Nancy (although not well at all, he really only made things worse).

Nancy has two characterizations I see that sit wrong with me, the first being her as a prize to win and a slut, the second being heartless.

Nancy is very independent and doesn’t need a man in her life to function, and seeing her as a prize is incredibly sexist. As for being called a slut, she had sex with Steve because she thought that was what she was meant to do, and she cheated with Jonathan because she loved him and made the mistake of not waiting. The characters are flawed and make mistakes, it’s what makes them interesting and realistic. On top of that, many characters are forgiven for their mistakes, but Nancy is constantly being held to hers.

The second characterization I mentioned was heartless. She’s sometimes characterized as not caring about anyone else’s feelings at all, incredibly argumentative and void of any of Nancy’s real personality. Yes, Nancy is independent and a badass, but she cares for other people. She’s stubborn but also kind.

She’s more than The Girl In A Love Triangle, and she’s also more than The Girl With A Gun.

Mike is heavily misunderstood due to some not understanding his arc, as well as us not being able to see from his pov the past few seasons. He’s interpreted as a whiny, moody brat who doesn’t care about anyone except for El. He’s a shitty boyfriend too, for pretty much no reason other than his parents not really loving each other.

Mike is, in fact, a shitty boyfriend to El. He can’t say “I love you” to her face. He can’t even write it. Believe it or not, it’s because he doesn’t love her. He struggled with conformity and internalized homophobia, causing him to have repressed his feelings for Will and trying to force himself to love El instead.

Mike is kind of a whiny, moody brat, but so many people treat it as his only trait. They forget that he’s a leader, a planner, someone the Party looks to when they’re in trouble, etc. They’re far from his only traits. Mike also struggles with his mental health, and it’s something very overlooked by the GA. He canonly has depression and PTSD, and we see signs of it throughout all the seasons, even in season 1. A lot of his withdrawing behavior and acting out in season 2 and 4 is perceived as him being bratty and a bad friend, when in reality it’s his mental health. In season 3 when he was “written badly”, he was affected by his internalized homophobia and external pressures to be normal, causing him to spend most of his time kissing El.

Mike also cares about his friends. A lot. He fights every season for them, he’s been dubbed “The Heart”, he jumped off a cliff for one. Again, his mental health, internalized homophobia, and conformity caused him to struggle with himself and consequentially pull away from his friends and lash out at them.

[mirkwoodshewolf]

Wedding blues and memories; Matt Murdock x Parker! reader ft. Peter Parker

*Author’s note*

After re-watching Spiderman No way home and my obsession and need for more fluffy Matt Murdock fics, this little baby was born.  Took me a couple of days to write it out but I think it came out pretty good. Now I am NOT Catholic and I did my best to research and write out how a Catholic wedding goes, if I’ve gotten something wrong and if any readers out there are Catholic, PLEASE reach out to me and correct me on what I’ve done wrong. 

Warnings: Death mentioned, Spiderman NWH spoilers (if you still haven’t seen it yet), some angst, fluff.

Pairing: Matt Murdock x reader (ROMANTIC)    Peter Parker (Holland) x older sister! reader (PLATONIC).

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03​

@psychosupernatural​

@ixchel-9275​

@peter-parkers-cullen-nerd​

@queensdivas​

@queen-paladin​

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels​

@austynparksandpizza​

_________________________________________________________

I had a small bouquet of my aunt’s favorite flowers but this wasn’t for a friendly visit nor a birthday gift.  As the wind began to softly blow the fallen leaves along the ground I arrived at her grave and I knelt down and set the flowers on top of it.  I brushed away the fallen leaves and put aside the dead flowers that either myself or Happy had left behind over the past few weeks.  I took a deep breath before exhaling and said.

“Hey auntie May. I—I know we had talked about this, hell you longed for this day to come. Ever since my first junior prom you always dreamed of being there for my wedding day. Well it’s……it’s finally arrived. In fact later this afternoon and I…..” I sniffled and lightly dabbed around my eyes hoping to not ruin my makeup that I had gotten done with Karen, Claire, Marci and Jessica (well when I say Jess, I don’t mean she got her makeup done, she’d literally kill me if I forced even a shred of powder on her face).

These past few months had been pretty strange and stressful with all the wedding planning, the whole Spider-man and Mysterio drama, and the fact that on top of it all I had to lose Aunt May in the process due to a terrible explosion at Happy’s apartment.  I can’t seem to recall the full details but I know I was with her when it happened and I remember just heading for Matt’s crying hysterically.

“I wish you could’ve been here to give me away. Ever since—my parents and…..and Uncle Ben died, no one’s been the true parental figure for me, except you May. And—now you’re gonna be missing the most important day of my life. I—I don’t think I can do this without you.”

“I think you can.” A voice suddenly spoke up. I gasped and turned around and there stood a boy, a kid really not much older than 18, probably 17 at least.  He had brown eyes much like me and wore a blue beanie cap on top of his head.  His hands stuffed into his jacket pockets and he said. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s alright. Uhh……”

“Tom. My name’s Tom.” He answered.

“Well Tom it’s nice to meet you. Even at a place like this.” I noticed how he had a bouquet of flowers in his hand.  “Have you lost someone too?”

“Yes. Well, actually I uhh—I’m here for o—your aunt.”

“You knew my Aunt May?” he nodded.  “How?”

“Through Spiderman.” He spoke sadly.  His eyes shining with nothing but pure sadness and heartbreak.  “I—well he introduced me to her.  When he first came on the scenes, I was….interning for STARK Industries and he introduced us. She—really got me through a lot.”

“That’s the kind of woman she was. Always wanting to help anyone in time of need. She always wanted to make sure I knew that growing up. She always told me with great power, there must also come great responsibility.” I turned to Tom who looked tense and some tears were hidden at the corner of his eyes.  “Tom? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah I’m……I’m fine. I’m good.” He wiped his eyes with his sleeve but I reached into my clutch purse and took out a handkerchief.

“Here, this might be better than using a thick, scratchy sleeve.” He smiled and thanked me as he took the handkerchief and dabbed his eyes.

“Not to pry or anything but uhh—did I hear that you’re getting married today?”

“Yeah. In five hours actually. I managed to convince my bridesmaids and my maid of honor to let me come here for a bit so long as I promised not to ruin my makeup.” I said with a laugh which made Tom laugh too.

“Is he a good guy?”

“The best. Though he can be rough around the edges at times, stubborn and irritating but I love him. Both sides of him.” I sighed as I fiddled with the engagement ring Matt got me shortly before he blipped and that I had kept on for the past five years during that time.  “I just wish she could be here to see this day.”

“I’m sure she’s watching over you. Wherever she is.”

“My fiancé is Catholic and he’s always seen Hell every day and believes in it, which means he also believes that Heaven is real as well. He told me the night she died that—if anyone is more deserving in God’s court of Angels it’s her.” I said choking up a bit as I stroked over her tombstone.  “I just hope he’s right.”

“I’m sure she is. From what I remember she—she never gave up on anyone. No matter who they were or what they did in their past, they were at least worth giving a second chance to. And I know—that she would give anything to see you on the biggest day of your life. And for all the others to come.” Tom said choking up much like I am.

“You must’ve really gotten to know her fairly well through Spiderman.”

“He talked about her a lot. Said she was like the mother he never had.” I didn’t know why but I placed a comforting hand onto Tom’s shoulder and gave it a gentle but comforting squeeze.  He looked up at me and placed his hand on top of mine and we stood there for a few more minutes in silence.

“Well I better get going less my husband sends out a search party to find me. See you around Tom.” I told him.

“Yeah, yeah sure see yah around. And hope you have a happy marriage with your new husband.” He said with a slight smile and a wave.  I waved back to him and soon left the graveyard to meet the girls at Clinton Church.

The ceremony was in just a few short minutes and I was getting final preparations by the Sisters including Sister Maggie. We were all in an isolated section of the church as two of the sister’s were helping me with my wedding veil while I was brushing down my dress.

It wasn’t anything too flashy or elegant just a simple, plain white wedding dress of pure satin.  The sleeves were partially covering my shoulders leaving the rest of it as well as my arms bare.  The veil was nice and long, even longer than the train of my dress but in the mirror just ahead of us I almost looked like my favorite Disney princess, Cinderella.

My hair was in gentle waves and clipped just behind my ears were some flower pins to make it seem like I’ve got flowers in my hair.

“My dear child, you look so beautiful.” Said one of the sisters fixing my veil.

“She does indeed Sister Abby.” Said a younger nun who was helping the other nun with my veil.

“Alright now sisters no need to make the woman blush. That’s her future husband’s job.” Sister Maggie said as she came back in the room after checking on Matt to ensure he didn’t try to find me.

“Thank you Sisters this-this really means a lot to me.”

“Sister Abby, Sister Maria would you two mind stepping out for a moment? I would like to talk to the future Mrs. Murdock alone.” The two sisters bowed their heads and with their hands folded over their stomachs they walked out and shut the door behind them.  “Karen told me you went to visit your Aunt’s grave before arriving here.”

“I—” she held out her hand as she came and stood in front of me.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me child. I know these past couple of days haven’t been easy for you. After all just a few days ago you and your aunt were still picking out the final details for the wedding.”

“It’s not fair Sister Maggie. Why did she have to be taken away like that? And so soon close to my wedding day? She fawned over this day so much, even when Matt and I first began dating she asked me when the Wedding date was and if she could weasel her way into being my matron of honor.” I laughed at the fond memory.

“Things in life are unfair. Sometime when we think we’ve had it all, it gets ripped out from us. But I’ve always had faith in God and even as tragic as the way she was lost to you, I know that our Lord and Savior has blessed her a special place in his high court. And perhaps giving her the best view to witness the child she helped raise begin the next part in her journey with the man she loves.” She said as she placed a comforting hand on my shoulder before lifting my chin up so that I could look at her.

“Thank you Sister Maggie.”

“Perhaps when you’re comfortable with the idea, you can then start calling me mom. After all you are marrying my son. God be with you on that.” I laughed softly and said.

“He’s not so bad and you know that.”

“I’m just grateful that he’s found someone to love him for what he is. For the two halves of him.” She cupped my cheek gingerly. “Never did he think he’d find someone like that until you came into his life.”

“I feel just the same vice versa. Especially now. The man was even willing to postpone our wedding date to allow me to grieve. But I guess my own stubbornness and knowing my aunt, she would’ve wanted this day to happen exactly as planned. No matter the case.”

“Before I go, this was left for you at the stoop of the front door. I don’t know who it’s from but it is addressed to you.” From her sleeve she pulled out a small, long jewelry box and handed it to me along with a note.

“For me?” I asked taking it.

“That’s what the note said. In fact it explicitly says for no one but you to read the card and see what’s inside.” With that she left me alone with the strange box.  I set it down on one of the desks close by and opened the note and it read in black sharpie marker.

A BRIDE IS SAID TO HAVE SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED AND SOMETHING OLD. HERE’S THE OLD TO GO WITH YOUR WEDDING ENSEMBLE.

-Your friendly neighborhood Spiderman

Spiderman sent me this? I set the note down and picked up the jewelry box and opened it up to reveal the necklace Aunt May wore at her own wedding.  A backdrop necklace that was pure silver with leaf designs as the main design pattern of the necklace and for its center piece a diamond jewel in the shape of a crystal tear.  The backdrop was a Y drop of it had the same crystal tear-shape diamond at the bottom of it and the chain was rose gold.

But how did he—how did he get a hold of this? How could he have known Aunt May had this? Did she have it with her when she died? I remember her telling me she wanted to give me something the night she died but she was waiting till my wedding day to give it to me.

“Yo (Y/n)! Everyone’s waiting on you. I think Murdock’s about to think he has a runaway bride on his hands.” Jessica Jones’ voice rang out as she came barging in wearing a dark blue bridesmaid dress along with her signature black jacket.  “You alright Parker?” I looked up and said.

“Yeah, yeah just…..something old to go with something new and borrowed.”

“Which by the way I’m gonna need those shoes back. You’re lucky we happen to have the same foot size.”

“Oh Jess this is why you’re my maid of honor.”

“You sure it isn’t because I owe you a favor and that this makes us even?” she said coming up to me.

“Oh come on Jessica we’ve been friends for over 10 years, is our friendship only a debt to you?”

“You know I gotta yank your chain. Even on your wedding day.” She playfully plugged my nose before noticing the necklace.  “I may not be into fashion and other girly stuff like you but that looks pretty.”

“It was my aunt’s.” she looked at me solemnly but her eyes showed no pity.  She knew better than to give me pity, especially on my big day.

“Need some help?” she held out her hand to which I gave her May’s necklace and she proceeded to put it on.  “Okay which way does this go?”

“The long back drop goes behind and the short one should be in front.”

“You sure it ain’t the other way around?” she asked.

“I’m sure Jess.”

“Okay.” She shrugged as she put the necklace around my neck and clipped it as she said. “Just saying the longer end, you could make Murdock have some real fun with it.” I slapped her arm.

“Pervert!”

“You’ve known me for 10 years this should come as no surprise to you. Besides you were an even bigger pervert than I was when we first met.”

“I was not.”

“Was too.”

“Was not.”

“Was too.”

“Alright let’s not have this conversation in a church. I feel like I’m already getting eternal damnation just by arguing with my best friend about whose the bigger pervert.”

“You.” She emphasized.  Oh if we weren’t in a church I’d smack her so hard, she’d regret that and call herself the bigger pervert.  She smirked playfully at me before poking her tongue out at me and shoved me with her arm.  “Alright now come on. Let’s get you and Devil boy married already.”

“You know he hates it when you call him that.” I said as we walked out of the room.

“I know. That’s why I call him that. And the fact that I know he can hear me from here makes it even better.”

“You are the worst Jessica Jones.”

“And proud of it bitch.” She said with a smug grin and a nonchalant shrug as we walked towards the gathering hall.

*3rd Person POV*

The church was filled with Matt’s closest friends. At his side was his best man Foggy Nelson and on the bride’s side were Karen, Claire and Marci in the same dark blue color dress but each had a different style of dress for their own preference.

In the audience there were volunteers and people from FEAST gathered on the bride’s side while on Matt’s held the Nuns of the church including the sisters who helped care for him when he was in the Orphanage.  Father Lantom stood as the Officiant before the church and Matt.  

Soon the organ began to play the chosen wedding song (the Processional/Maria reprise from the Sound of Music) and everyone in the audience stood up as the doors opened up and there stood the bride.

Standing side by side Jessica and (Y/n) stood together and she began to walk first down the aisle then after a few feet (Y/n) walked gracefully behind her with the bouquet of white roses and lilies as her chosen flowers.  Foggy got closer to Matt and whispered to him.

“She looks beautiful Matt. Imagine her in a dress as white as snow, flowers in her hair as they come down in a gentle wave that resemble the letter S.”

“I can see her. Thanks Fog.” Matt whispered back as Foggy gave him a nod and a gentle pat on the arm before going back to his spot.  Jessica walked up the stairs and stood along with the rest of the bridesmaids and (Y/n) walked up the stairs just shortly after.

Matt held out his hand for his beloved bride and she smiled as she reached up and took his hand.  He gently guided her up the rest of the stairs until they stood side by side of each other.  They walked up towards Father Lantom and as the song finally ended he said to one and all.

“Matthew and (Y/n), have you come here to enter into marriage without coercion, freely and wholeheartedly?”

“I have.” They both answered together.

“Are you prepared, as you follow the path of marriage, to love and honor each other for as long as you both shall live?”

“We are.”

“Are you prepared to accept children lovingly from God and to bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?” at this vow they both turned to each other, (Y/n) gently squeezing Matt’s hand as he softly smiled.

“We are Father.”

“Dearly beloved, friends, neighbors, family and loved ones. Matthew Murdock and (Y/n) Parker have taken their vows before God in the eyes of all of you on this day of December the 23rd. May I ask that the both of you turn and face each other as you now give your consent to one another?” Matt and (Y/n) turned until they stood facing each other.  

Their hands still holding the other as their free hands also clasped the other’s, their thumbs rubbing the back of the other’s hand affectionately.

“Matthew, if you will repeat after me; I, Matthew, take you (Y/n).”

“I, Matthew, take you (Y/n).”

“For my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward.”

“For my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward.”

“For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health.”

“For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health.”

“Until Death do us part.”

“Until Death do us part.”

“And now you (Y/n).” Just like Matt, she and Father Lantom repeated the Vows of consent word for word giving her consent of love to Matt much like he did for her.  Afterwards Father Lantom said, “Now that the giving of consent has been made by both partners the wedding shall be approved by the placement of the Rings.”

Foggy dug into his pocket and handed Matt the beautiful golden band with a precious diamond as well as two birthstones around it, representing both Matt’s birthstone and (Y/n)’s birthstone.  While (Y/n) turned to Jessica who gave her Matt’s golden wedding band and the young couple turned to each other with their respecting rings to give to the other.

“Heavenly Father bless these two as they take each other as husband and wife. Make their love everlasting as they present each other with the gift of a Ring. In this we pray in your name, Amen.”

“Amen.” The crowd softly echoed back.

“(Y/n), receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Matt told her as he placed the ring on her left ring finger.  Once the ring was placed, he even lifted their joined hands together and kissed her left hand softly to emphasize his declaration of love for her.

Her face flushed and grew warm as she softly giggled while Matt just grinned at her and with a brief clear of the throat from Father Lantom, the two lovers settled down as (Y/n) spoke the same vow and placed Matt’s wedding band on his left finger.

“Matthew, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Once the ring was placed on his finger, she traced the band before rejoining their hands together.

“On this day of the 23rd of December it is now decreed that Matthew Murdock and (Y/n) Parker be declared Husband and Wife before the eyes of God and the Law. They have given their vows, and may their souls ever be blessed. In regard of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

“Amen.” The audience said again.

“Matthew, you may kiss your bride.” Matt smiled as he reached up for her face, his thumbs gently stroking her cheeks as the two of them smiled at each other, their hearts racing loudly until finally he leaned forward and they gave their first kiss as husband and wife.

The audience cheered, Foggy punched a fist into the air exclaiming out a happy cheer, the bridesmaids all clapped and even Jessica smiled a warm smile for her best friend finally married to the right guy.

As Matt and (Y/n) broke their kiss they couldn’t help but softly laugh as they embraced one another and he even picked her up and gave her a small spin as the wedding bells rung out from the church.

“Mrs. (Y/n) Murdock. Has quite the ring to it don’t you think?” he asked her.

“It sure does. Mr. Murdock.” She said as she kissed him again and the audience continued to applaud the young couple.

*Peter’s POV*

Even if I had to hide in the background watching from outside the church like a fly on the wall, it was worth it.  My big sis finally marrying the man of her dreams, the man who was my lawyer, Mr. Matt Murdock.  He seemed like a pleasant guy and he treated (Y/n) with respect and equality.

I know the two of them will be happy together, and boy did (Y/n) look beautiful with Aunt May’s necklace around her neck and I knew Aunt May would’ve loved to have seen her wear it.  They only talked about it like a billion times.  Like her, I wish she could’ve at least seen this day and been there for (Y/n).

To see her walking down the aisle, her standing with Mr. Murdock and exchange rings with one another before finally sealing with deal with a kiss.  At least he can keep her safe than I ever could.  Perhaps this is for the best, after all she knows me as Tom, a kid who knew her aunt through Spiderman.

“Be happy (Y/n).” I said softly with a smile as the church bells rang out loud signaling to all that a wedding had just been complete.  I turned around and shot a web towards the building across the street and took off swinging out of Hell’s Kitchen to hitch a train ride back to Queens.

[liesoverthec]

OG 911 Character Details from Canon Pt 2

Hi y’all I’m back! I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who reblogged the last details post - I sort of just thought people would like it and it would die, so to see it travel and hopefully reach more writers was so great so thank you again!

Details under the cut since I went a little crazy 😅 and if this is your first time seeing this, the first part, and any future parts, can be found under this tag here!

Quick note before I get to the details - always, ALWAYS take details from dialogue or plot over details from the set or props if they contradict each other. The writers have the ultimate say over what happens on the show/for the characters, so whatever they say goes, even if it goes against something props has already laid down (eg, Chim’s birthday, sorry Libra crew. He’s an Aries or a Pisces). So keep that in mind for the future in case some of these details I have which are from props/set are changed in the future, or if you’ve noticed something yourself!

Also if you have questions, I am MORE than happy to answer them, although if you leave them in the tags on this post I’m probably gonna lose them, so if it’s something you’d genuinely like an answer to, drop it in my inbox! Besides my standard “ask” tags, I’m also tagging asks about canon details with this tag here. Every time I make a big post like this, I’m going to link all the asks I’ve gotten since the last post, but if you’re looking for more info in the mean time, that’s the other spot to look!

Buck has a grill on his patio.

Eddie doesn’t hang Christopher’s art on the fridge - instead it is either hung on the corkboard in Chris’ room to the left of the door, or Eddie puts it in an actual frame and hangs it using a hammer/nails in Christopher’s room. All the Diaz family has on their fridge is a bunch of bendy people magnets. (I absolutely ADORE him putting all this effort into treating Christopher’s art like it’s something you’d buy from a professional artist).

Info on everyone’s ages can be found here. (Little more discussion of Chim’s situation here).

Albert has a bachelor’s degree! I don’t know in what though, except that it’s some field for which is a Master’s is useful.

Athena was in a sorority in college, Delta Sigma Theta. Their website describes them as “ ...a sisterhood comprised primarily of Black, college-educated women ... [that] considers the issues impacting the Black community and boldly confronts the challenges of African Americans and, hence, all Americans ”, which I love for Athena, and feel is very in-character for her at that time in her life!

Chim is an aviators dude. When he wears sunglasses, they’re always aviators.

Athena also wears nothing but aviators.

Bobby wears square aviators.

Eddie, on the other hand, always wears Wayfarers.

Buck either doesn’t really like sunglasses or he constantly forgets he owns them, since we’ve only seen him wear them once in 60 eps, in a move I’m pretty sure was ONLY for dramatic effect.

Hen’s sunglasses change style over the seasons like her regular glasses do, but she tends to like browline sunglasses.

Info on Christopher’s school can be found here!

There are two colors of dispatch polo, and there doesn’t seem to be any rhythm or reason for who wears what. Maroon - Maddie and Linda. Blue - Josh and May. Jamal has actually worn both maroon and blue, so it doesn’t seem to be TOTALLY set in stone although I’ve never seen anyone else switch. Sue is too badass to wear a dispatch shirt.

Both Bobby and Eddie drive 4 door pickups. Bobby’s is navy. Eddie specifically has a black, 2020 GMC Denali 1500 pickup truck (in case you want to specifically look up what the inside of it looks like or what features it has 😂)

Info on the 118’s medical certifications can be found here.

Correction to Eddie’s living situation from last post: no next door neighbors, but instead UPSTAIRS neighbors. (Pointed out by Abigail in this ask). Also since someone else was wondering the notes of the last post - no, there is absolutely no discussion on the show of whether or not Eddie rents the apartment or owns it. But based on the fact that it’s 1) LA and 2) an apartment, my guess would be he rents it.

When Maddie isn’t feeling like herself, she tends to straighten her hair rather than curl it. It seems to be more when she’s uncertain about her place in her own and other people’s lives, rather than just when she’s simply worried - eg it’s straight in 2B, when she’s uncertain if she wants to continue working as a dispatcher/is unsure about her relationship with Chim.

For work, Chim, Eddie and Buck all use black duffel bags with a LAFD patch on the top. Hen uses several different cute bags, and Bobby seems to have a plain black duffel bag.

Watches - Bobby, Athena, Chim, Hen and Buck all wear their watch on their left wrist (but Athena ONLY wears hers for work, she takes it off at home.) Eddie wears his on his right wrist, and Maddie doesn’t wear one.

Chim (and Maddie by default) literally still have the exact same couch as in the pilot. (Which means that Chim has cuddled Tatiana on that couch, AND Albert has had sex on it. TIME TO GET A NEW ONE, BUCKLEY-HANS 😂)

The 118 has five different rigs - the engine (E118), the ladder truck (T118), two ambulances and the captain’s truck. 95% of the time, when the team is chilling in the cab of a rig and chatting (eg the ‘stuck under a live telephone pole’ scene in Jinx), they’re in the engine, not the truck. (Which I personally learned recently are NOT interchangeable terms!)

Athena and Michael got married when Athena was 37.

If you’d like to give Maddie a full name beyond “Maddie”, you should use Madeline. (I know, I know, in 4x04 she says Maddie is the name on her birth certificate, and that you should never use props details if they contradict script details, but I always thought that was a super weird exchange in 4x04 which could be explained by Maddie getting a nickname since she was born when Margaret and Phillip, you know, actually loved their kids and showed it, so of course Buck doesn’t get one, and in 4x04, Maddie was trying to avoid the entire issue of why she got one and Buck didn’t. But! Do what you want, and use Madeline as the full version of Maddie if you’d like, since that’s what’s on the BOLO in 2x13 😂)

Athena’s call sign is 727 L30, but she doesn’t have a specific squad car - the number changes throughout the series.

Chim really likes chewing gum, but he’s the only one out of the entire family!

The station has an Xbox One S, and it’s white.

In the real LAFD, there are stations 1 through 114. To avoid confusion while filming on the streets (I’m assuming), our fictional LAFD never uses the number of a real station. So if you want another station for a fic, and you want something that would be real in OUR universe, use the numbers 115 and above. They’ve gone as high as 221 in our universe.

Battalions - station 118 is in Battalion 7, which is also not a battalion in real Los Angeles. The 118 has interacted w/ Battalion 1, which is a real battalion, but other ‘non-real which makes them more likely for our universe’ battalions include numbers: 3, 8, 13, 16, 19 and above.

S1 Buck knew the term Jedi, but based on context, didn’t understand AT ALL the context provided by Star Wars, so there’s another edge of his pop culture limits for you.

Chim is the most tech-savvy out of everyone, hands down.

Athena has a VERY active Twitter account.

Abuela’s house number is 8902. I don’t have a street name for you unfortunately though. :/

Athena’s favorite flowers are white roses. None of the other women are really flower people.

Michael likes to wear purple.

When they’re at a call, Buck does pretty much all of the stuff with the hammer and the saw. Eddie does all the work needed with the drill.

Harry goes to Meadowbrook Elementary.

Buck lives on the fourth floor of his apartment building, across the hall from Apt. 416. The lovely @lovelessmotel found this listing for what is more or less the apartment. What happened was: the set crew rented this apartment for the one episode at the end of s2 when Buck moved in, and then over the summer before s3 built their own set of it, and changed some things - eg giving him an island, and moving the sink to a second counter against the far wall, you can see the changes here in this amazing gif set by the awesome Austen, but the listing should let you click around a little more upstairs and figure out dimensions better than what the show provides!

When Athena and Hen go out to eat together, it’s always fast food burgers and fries.

Waffles are Athena’s favorite food, and tiramisu is her favorite dessert.

Every takeout we’ve seen Buck eat has always been in a Chinese food takeout container, and we know he likes Thai food the best. EXCEPT! The one time we see him eat takeout with Eddie and Christopher, they have pizza. So take from that what you will......

Eddie has a cell phone and a landline.

Chim is a shameless multiple texter.

Chim and Bobby sleep closest to the door in their respective bedrooms (both right side of the bed if you are standing at the foot, facing the headboard), and Athena and Maddie sleep furthest away from the door (left side).

Some canon last names for other firefighters at the station in case you wanna add more people to a fic - Mitchell, Sanchez, Serrano (woman), Porter, Meyers (woman), Maxwell, Voyta

Hen and Karen really love decorating their house with dark/red wood.

Karen is Mommy and Hen is Mama.

Bobby has a brother, and a grandmother, and that’s literally ALL we know about his family outside of Marcy and the kids.

Evidence points to Eddie being the oldest child in his family.

Karen has multiple brothers (no sisters), but no idea how many - just that one of them is named Trey, and one of them lives in LA and has kids. They might be the same brother and they might not be.

Both Hen and Athena are only children.

Athena has been on the police force for 30 years.

Christopher and Denny are the same age (born in 2011), and Harry is two years older than them.

Michael lives in apartment 308.

The bank in this universe is CalAm.

Hen and Karen have a picture of Denny, May and Harry on their fireplace mantel.

Eddie having a black thumb + a lot of plants in his living room = him buying fake plants bc he likes the aesthetic ™ or someone (cough Carla cough) is taking care of them for him.

The COVID timeline in OG’s universe is fucked up compared to the real world’s, so it shouldn’t be used as a way to measure time! They just throw it in wherever it makes sense for the story they want to tell (eg the vaccines in s4 ep 8), since s3 was both done before COVID hit but also airing while it was happening. It makes absolutely no sense for May to graduate in March nor for Chris to be going to what is specifically labeled summer camp, and the vaccine plotline was INCREDIBLY early, even for real life, so don’t use anything from that as a measure of time. I’ve found except in specific examples, eg the two tsunami episodes, it’s very safe to say every episode covers a week - fall holidays on the show line up with their real life counterparts, indicating about the same amount of time is passing for us and them.

On that note - Jee-Yun was born in late January, early February 2021. (Conceived in Pinned, which was end of March/beginning of April, meaning Maddie was around a month along at May’s graduation in May ➡ 42 weeks + 3 days from then = late Jan/early Feb. Which unfortunately means we most likely won’t see her birthday celebrated on screen. If we assume she was conceived on the date Pinned aired, aka the very sexy hotel scene, then January 21st or 22nd would be Jee’s birthday, depending on if she was born after midnight or not.

Buck has had at least one other Jeep between the one Maddie gave him, and the one he has now, which means that when he needs a new car, he is purposefully choosing Jeeps.

I hope this was all as interesting/enjoyable to you as it was to me! And just to repeat - I love answering questions so pls let me know if you have any at all ❤

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

Tagging: @buckbuckley

[thebigoblin]

about 5.07

yes this is about 9 1 1 show, and yes I did write this in a reblog to one post that was one more too many (the post I am talking about), but I just wanted to reiterate my love for this episode, even if most people did not like it. 

This is an exact copy/paste of what I said in the reblog:

Buck and Eddie are not the only characters in the show.

Listen. I, too, kept wondering where Eddie was (most probably with Chris, after Bobby/his therapist forced Eddie to just take a day for himself, given his history), and felt rather bereft without that weekly dose of Buddie DumbSassery, but it isn’t a Wrong Move on the show’s part. It’s pretty clever actually to focus on the other characters, other plots (like the Jeffery one) while still moving forward in the most in-character way they can manage.

We see May handle her own, without Claudette coming to her “rescue”.

We see Harry’s trauma get resolved, and in a rather satisfactory way as well. Harry believes no one else has gone through what he has, that no one understands him, but the Detective talks to him, and wow I hadn’t thought of that parallel before, but that makes so much sense. Harry getting to see the Detective be at work again is the inspiration for him choosing to go back to his childhood home.

Honestly, I loved the Grant Family moments this episode. (Not adding Nash because tbh Bobby was just… there, this episode, nothing more).

Hen and Eva’s storyline got wrapped up. Yes, it seemed so out of the blue, but Eva has been a ghost to Hen and Karen for years now, in fact through Karen’s own admission Eva’s very existence haunted her. Confronting that fact this episode was a pretty neat, the theme fit, plus now we can be 99% sure Eva won’t be back! Plus this gives closure to them all.

We also see Chimney talking to Hen, and we get the confirmation that Chimney has forgiven Buck to some degree—"Buck said [Maddie’s location]“ is a clear indication that they talked to each other, that Chimney chose to finally answer Buck’s calls, was ready to face his friend after their last meeting (even if that was through a call).

Chimney is still connected to the 118, even as he chases after a ghost—Maddie. He hasn’t gone "off the rails” in his pursuit (which is a Very Real thing that can happen, and is a somewhat famous trope I believe, except Chimney has Jee-Yun, (and distantly Hen) to ground him) and is very much capable of logical thinking (proven by the fact that Chimney saved that baby).

What I’m trying to get to is this: We see Chimney’s progress in his goal. Literally. The show gave us Chimney’s progress in his own sub-plot. (And the ghost theme worked well with a blast from the past, aka Chimney’s former mentor, Eli).

Then there’s Maddie. She’s making progress, too, even if it’s off-screen. But we learn another vital thing here: she is where she had been once, with Doug, arguably her biggest demon (I’d say her Postpartum Depression is an even bigger demon, because this is internal, she has to get better and that is all she can do here, she can’t run away from her demon this time) and that just, again, fits with the theme. She’s chasing her worst memories to remind herself that she has faced worse before, that she has come up on top even then.

I’m sorry, but despite Buddie being one of my favorite ships too—because of the fandom, really, and the amazing metas I get to see, because let’s be honest there is a lot of jumping jacks of the brain needed when it comes to this show—I can’t get over how the fandom has been after this episode. 5×07 is definitely not a filler episode (unless your sole purpose for watching the show is Buddie only), it has great substance if you look for it, if you can get past your vehement need of having your OTP be in all the episodes. Season 1 wasn’t so bad, was it?

And oh, lest I forget, Taylor Kelly. We seem to be heading towards a “Taykay Begins” sort of episode, and I’m excited. She’s going to be given some backstory, something other than a “Career Focused Individual” and “Buck’s Red-Headed Hot Girlfriend.” Remember when y'all complained about Ana Flores just being a prop? Yeah, I think the show writers heard you. (Actually not, since changing scripts so fast would be hard I imagine, but still, you know what I mean).

So, yeah. 5×07 wasn’t a bad episode, it wasn’t a filler episode, and it wasn’t a flop. It just focused more on the other people on the show, and I for one loved it. 9 1 1 show is about humans and their path to healing and contentment even after the worst of tragedies have hit, it’s not a Romance show, even though romance does weave itself beautifully in the narrative that is the 9 1 1. So yeah. Good Episode.

[placeinthemiddleofnowhere]

Nervous

Pairing: Frank Castle x Karen Page x Female!Reader

Warnings: Angst, Smut (18+), P in V, oral, threesome, Alcohol

Summary: Reader has been helping Karen and Frank for a little while now and feelings have built and reached boiling point.

A/N: Don't mind me self indulgently writing something for my little bi self over here 👀 Hot damn this has been in my thoughts a while..

---

From the moment you’d met Karen and Frank you knew there was going to be trouble, you just had no idea to what extent that was going to be true. In the last few months you’d become somewhat of a personal vigilante field nurse; and while you appreciated looking at all that war beaten hard muscle, it wasn’t what you’d had in mind for your career progression. However, it was very hard to refuse them both when Karen would turn up all flustered with those big blue eyes of hers, looking at you as if you could put the sun back in the sky at night.

After bandaging her wounds just one time, Karen had decided she could trust you enough to keep Frank from death’s door and not sell him out. You’d come across her one night, or rather she collided into you as she ran full force while looking in any direction except in front of her. You’d both tumbled to the ground and in all the confusion to scramble up, had bumped heads too. She gave out an agonised groan while you gasped and rubbed at the blossoming sore spot on your forehead, cursing at having been hit twice.

“Hey, what the-” you were about to curse her out, until you made eye contact and realised something was wrong - very wrong. “Wait, are you ok?”

She didn’t say anything, her eyes spoke for her. Those icy orbs fixed on you and filled with fear as she took you in and then scanned your surroundings. You frowned deeply and looked in all the directions she did, almost becoming dizzy, before looking her up and down. Her long coat was dirtied with blood and grime and her silky hair stuck out in all directions, looking thoroughly tousled from battling with the breeze as she’d run. It was her neck you’d focused on last - there were angry purple marks beginning to blotch their way onto her skin and a long nasty looking cut from her nape to her chest.

“I’m so sorry,” she’d blurted, her voice crackly and hoarse.

She was about to get up and continue on her run, but you realised quickly you couldn’t let her go. As a doctor you’d committed yourself to helping people, at least that was what you’d rationalised at first. So you reached out and seized her wrist, stopping her in her tracks and bit your lip as you realised what you were doing. You were grabbing a complete stranger. You released her immediately as you saw fresh terror paint her face and held your hands up, showing that you were no threat.

“I can help you...if you want?” You explained hurriedly.

“What do you mean?” she rasped.

“I'm a doctor. I can stitch and clean that cut,” you shrugged.

“I need to get away from here, there are people after me...you really think it needs stitches?”

You nodded and told her that you knew a safe place that you could take her, and from there your complicated relationship bloomed. You’d taken her to your dad’s old storage unit, and so from then on it had become your base of operations. Your little underground surgery for the sparky journalist and her friend The Punisher. You’d laughed at that.

You’d met Frank quickly after that night, answering Karen’s call before it could ring twice, agreeing to meet him at the locker and stitch him up. He’d looked at you with an indignant sneer at first, clearly dragged there against his will by Karen. However, his expression would soften considerably after you showed him your no nonsense attitude and saved him from death’s door a couple dozen times over. In fact, in recent days you’d noticed there was something else when he looked at you, some other emotion that would cross his face when he thought you wouldn’t notice.

You would always tell yourself you were seeing things. You only thought that Frank was giving you longing looks. You were convincing yourself that Karen took every opportunity to softly stroke your arms and shoulders when she thanked you for helping them both. They had enough chemistry to fill a whole room, they couldn’t be paying any interest to you surely? Well as it turned out there was room enough for you as well.

Frank was looking at you with that exact same face one night as you stitched a knife wound in his bicep. His eyes were radiating warmth despite the pain he felt as you carried out your work. His gaze was like a star, burning at your skin and raising goosebumps as you tried to ignore him and get on with your stitches. Obviously that turned out that was incredibly difficult. You tried not to let it distract you too much of course, but judging by his occasional winces and seething breaths you weren’t doing a good job. You watched the way his naked chest rose and fell with his gasps and you couldn’t help - well getting ideas.

As you finished your work, you took a swig of the vodka that had originally been a part of your medical arsenal and watched as Karen ran to Frank. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him carefully into a soft embrace, nestling her rosy cheeks into his unwounded shoulder, lingering there like that for a moment. Her hands settled into his soft, dark curls and made you long to be doing the same. It made your heart throb painfully as you watched them both. You had to turn your face away, choking down another gulp of the cheap alcohol.

You wanted some of that. You wanted that connection, to be part of somehting bigger.

“Thanks for fixin’ me up, doc,'' Frank mumbled from where he stood with Karen. “Well, when you weren’t poking me with more holes.”

“Frank!” Karen scolded, shoving his broad chest as he chuckled.

“What? You saw what she was doin’ to me,” he said, shaking his head.

You stood there thoroughly embarrassed, cheeks heating up as you realised you’d been caught slipping. It wasn’t your fault that you got all flustered when he was sitting there gazing at you like that - while Karen was watching you from the corner in full admiration of your skills, waiting to lay a stray hand here or there. Hell, what were you supposed to do? Pretend like the idea of them admiring you like that wasn’t going to be the cause of your untimely death?

“It’s not my fault I can barely concentrate when you both look at me like that,” you murmured, continuing to drink.

“Like what?” Karen asked, a smile creeping onto her lips.

Your eyes widened as you realised you didn’t have a good answer for her, and so you looked away from them both, embarrassed. You big mouthed idiot. Karen and Frank untangled from each other, giving each other a knowing look before approaching you. You peeked up at them both as they were in touching distance from where you’d sat. Frank stalked up and situated himself between your legs as they dangled off of the old workbench he’d been sitting on himself only moments before.

“Uh, what are you doing?” You breathed.

“Care to share?” He said, dodging your question as he pointed to the liquor in your hands.

“Oh- uh yeah, go ahead,” you said, handing the bottle to him.

You watched as he took a long gulp from the bottle and admired the way his face looked in the soft light. The shadows travelled across his forehead and down the plane of his broad nose as the garage light swung on its cord, and you watched transfixed at the show. Your eyes couldn’t help travelling down his sharp jawline and eventually to his uncovered torso. You’d seen him like this tons of times before, but this was the first time you’d been so close to him without fixing him somehow. This was personal.

“You didn’t answer my question,” you said, your voice barely a whisper.

“You didn’t answer mine,” Karen said pointedly, standing at your side.

You jumped as you hadn’t realised that she’d moved around next to you. Fuck, when did she get there? You retreated into yourself further as you watched her brow shoot up. She really wanted to know what you’d meant by that little comment. In fact it looked like they both did.

“Um...I just...I couldn’t help noticing you both watching me and I guess-” You took a minute to search for the right words and slumped as you gave up, finally blurting it out in a messy mumble in the end. “Ikindagetnervousaroundyouboth.”

They both smirked at your answer - what they could make out anyway. Frank put the bottle of vodka down and fixed his hands either side of you, caging you into the workbench with nowhere to go. You looked around at Karen, hoping that she would be able to explain what the hell was happening. She just stood there looking angelic as her face glowed brightly with her lips quirking upwards into a sly smile. Clearly there was something going on here that you hadn’t been made aware of.

“I didn’t quite catch that last part, doc. Did you say we make you nervous?” Frank teased.

He raised one of his hands up to your cheek and you jolted as he made contact with your skin, it felt like a flash of electricity had coursed through you. Thud thud thud, was all you could hear as your heartbeat jumped a million paces. Was this really happening? For real? You looked at Karen again and finally the last straw came as she leaned over and kissed you, grabbing your face away from Frank and claiming you for herself.

This couldn’t be happening. You gasped as her soft lips connected with yours and sat there stunned and starry eyed for a minute before leaning into the kiss. There was a moment where you swore you’d died and gone to heaven as you almost forgot to breathe, but you were quickly brought back down when you heard Frank’s gravelly chuckle. It travelled through your body and deep into your chest, that low tone making you hum.

“Do we need to call a doctor for the doctor?” He smirked.

You swivelled your head, about to defend yourself from his snarky comment when he used this to his advantage. His kiss was harder than Karen’s more forceful, full of need. You moaned into his lips, tasting the vodka off of him when his tongue ventured over yours, and leaned into his hard steely frame. Then, as if that wasn’t enough to strike you dead, Karen pulled your hair delicately to the side as she planted soft kisses onto your neck.

If you were to spontaneously combust right then and there you’d have died a happy woman. Though, they didn’t stop there of course. Heat was coursing through your body, contrasting with the cold air that filled the garage and nipped at your skin. A warm buzz had started to spread through you, the alcohol finally kicking in a little as your body processed what was happening. You weren’t drunk, but you could have convinced yourself you were full on dreaming with what was happening.

They both continued their onslaught, taking turns to freely trade your mouth and kiss your exposed flesh. Frank finally put you on an even playing field, grabbing your jacket and tossing it off and doing the same with your shirt. You were just down to your bra and trousers.

“You enjoyin’ this, sweetheart?” He grinned, already knowing your answer.

“Maybe,” you smile softly, biting your lip.

“Just maybe?” Karen laughed.

You shook your head and felt your cheeks prickle with heat. This was for sure one of your life’s highlights. One of your deepest secret fantasies come true. You faced her and smiled. If she wanted to know how much you are enjoying this, who were you to deny her? You finally found an ounce of confidence and you used your new found intuition to reach out to Karen. You tucked a few strands of soft stray blonde hair behind her ear and trailed your fingers down from her collarbones to the hem of her shirt, urging it upwards.

Karen obliged you and let you take off her top, gasping as the air bit at her tingling flesh. Now that wouldn’t do, you couldn’t have her cold. You pressed your body up to hers and kissed her jaw, finally returning the favour. Frank groaned appreciatively from behind you both and palmed at the growing bulge beneath his trousers. Seeing you two kiss, now that was a sight.

“So pretty,” he murmured.

He let himself indulge in the view for a little while, continuing to touch himself until he couldn’t take it any longer. He had to have his hands on some skin. He lazily reached behind you both, unclipping your bras while you shamelessly made out and roamed your hands down each others bodies, eager to explore and warm those cold expanses of flesh that tingled when you made contact.

With your breasts now free, Frank took great pleasure in reaching from behind and teasing your nipples, driving your back into a deep arch. You gasped and murmured a quiet “fuck” letting yourself feel the way his fingers tease over the sensitve buds one at a time, stoking the fire growing in your core. You groan and lean over, leaving a trail of kisses down to Karen’s breasts, before gently licking at her nipples. She groaned out in pleasure. Her hands fist into your hair and she gasps as you continue to suck and tease.

“Forgetting someone?” Frank grunts from behind you.

You both turn and giggle, noticing the way his jaw tics as he watches you both. That was a man starving with need. His eyes were set hard on you both and his hands were straining at his trousers, waiting for the signal to take things further. You and Karen exchange glances before you both lowered yourself onto your knees on the floor. You were both face to face with his crotch, eyeing your prize hungrily.

“Why Mr. Castle, we didn’t mean to leave you out,” Karen purred.

“We’d never dream of it,” you said, blinking slowly and watching him through hooded eyes.

He raised his eyebrows and drew his hands across to his belt, tugging it loose and undoing the button so that he could free himself from his trousers. Well it was a good thing there were two of you. His cock was big, even bigger than you’d assumed. Though, that made a great deal of sense didn’t it? You bit your lip and looked up him, intimidated by his length.

It was Karen who took the first move, she grabbed him and began licking up and down his shaft, taking long leisurely strokes. The air flowed sharply through Frank’s teeth as he sucked in a breath, watching you both work. He groaned and panted as your tongues worked down along his shaft, intermingling and meeting as you drove him wild. You took it in turns to take him in your mouths while the other focused on his balls, driving him wild as he felt himself straining inside you both.

“Oh fuckkk,” he hissed.

You paused a minute as he groaned particularly loudly, alerting you to the fact you’d need to give him a second if you wanted the fun to keep going. Strained eyes looked down on you both, his jaw was clenched hard as he gripped the table behind him and it made you giggle to see him driven so mad with desire. He was always so in control, it was fun to see him a little thrown off, a little unhinged.

“Guess we’ll need to please ourselves while he recovers, huh?” you say low and suggestively.

Karen was in agreement. She reached over to the pile of clothes on the floor and dragged her jacket over before nimbly stripping herself of her trousers and underwear. The sight of her lying there naked on top of her jacket was sinful. Your eyes lingered on her thighs and roamed along the angled curves of her hips, humming appreciatively as you took her in. Well that was an invitation you couldn’t refuse.

You hurriedly discarded your own jeans and underwear before descending down onto her, sharing one last kiss before you worked your way down one more time. You licked and kissed and bit along down her neck and collarbones, travelling down the centre of her chest and along to her side before reaching her thighs. They shook as your hot breath made contact with centre, you took great delight on slowing yourself down from there.

“Ah!” You squealed.

Frank had found his feet again behind you and had placed his head between your thighs, darting his tongue over your core. Well that was unexpected. You groaned out and continued to tease Karen. Enjoying the soft moans that escaped her lips, feeling your own body warm and tingle with sensation as Frank’s ministrations took ahold of you. Goddam it was hard to concentrate when he was touching you like that.

Huffing out a breath, you nuzzled along the inside of Karen’s thighs. She was squirming with anticipation now. Waiting for more sensation. You finally gave it to her, licking a long stripe down her folds, mimicking Frank’s movements from behind you. You moan and groan into her, teasing at her sensitive bud and driving her just as wild as Frank is driving you. Turning that small storage locker into your own little den of iniquity. Tongues and fingers and hot breath combine and have you panting in ecstasy.

Your moans intermingle and turn into a symphony, heightening the atmosphere taking over the room. You can feel your own body start to tremble and tighten with your impending end and as you acknowledge it building, you can't help but take a pause for a slight second. Your burning eyes connected with Karen’s as you watched her writhe and pant just as you did and you grinned knowing it was you doing that to her. You were the one giving her that pleasure.

“Ready for this?” Frank pants from behind you.

You turn, eliciting a frustrated groan from Karen as you break away again. Frank’s on his knees behind you, using his spit coated hand to pump his cock a couple times before looking at you expectedly. Oh. Were you ready for that? Would it even fit? You couldn’t lie about being intimidated, but that sure as hell didn't outweigh your lust and excitement. You wanted to take it all.

You nodded slowly and smiled contentedly, dipping your head back down between Karen’s thighs. You wanted her to feel your moans reverberating through her, wanted her to feel him through you. You stiffened as his cock teased at your opening, parting the folds and driving into you slowly with ease. You groaned lowly as he pushed deeper and deeper, going until you almost think you can't take it, until he’s buried into you to the hilt.

Karen’s moans fill the room as you groan into her and lap harder at her pussy, determined to bring her to climax. Your fingers push into her and curl, working in tandem with your tongue to bring that release she’s chasing. You’re barely there anymore. Your mind is another realm as Frank eases in and out of you, rutting hard into you while Karen’s fingers wind their way into your hair, giving little tugs here and there.

“Fuck...fu-I’m gonna, I’m gonna-” Karen squeals and groans from above you.

You can barely suppress the grin you feel creeping across your face. You continue to lick and ease your fingers in and out of her. You can feel her pulsing around you and taking in all the pleasure you can give. It drives you wild as you feel yourself beginning to tip over the edge. You part from Karen’s thighs, propping yourself up on your hands and arching your back. Frank can feel you struggling, he can see the way you’re barely holding yourself up. He growls and drives into you faster, leaving you crying out as your release closes in.

“Frank!”

Your scream fills the room. It courses through all of you and carries the full power of your orgasm as it washes over you. Your eyes are filled with stars and your ears are fuzzy with the sounds of surf and sea, leaving you lying there an utter wreck. Fucking hell.

Your head comes to a rest on Karen’s thigh and you lie there in complete contentment as you feel Frank behind you. He gives you a few more strokes before he pulls out, taking over with his hands before he coats you both with his cum. An animal growl fills the room as he finishes and it echoes in your heads long after he’s finished and lying there with you both. Your heads are cradled on top of chest and secured in the crook of his arms.

You both open your eyes to each other as you register Frank’s soft breaths falling sleepily on your heads. How long have you lain there like that? You all could’ve been there an eternity. Karen’s eyes sparkle as you watch her and you feel heat rising in your cheeks feeling self conscious again all of a sudden. She laughs at that, a sweet musical giggle that moves through you like a breeze.

“Are you seriously getting nervous at me looking at you after what we just did?” she smiles.

“...What can I say. You guys are uh- good,” you laugh, words completely failing you.

“Just good?” Frank growls lowly, looking at you through half lidded eyes.

You smile as his chest vibrates, awakening your tired body all the more. That voice was to die for. He strokes his hands over both your heads and gives you a pointed look. So he really wanted you to rectify your statement. You laugh at him and look back at Karen with a grin.

“Fucking great actually,” you hum contetedly. “Can’t wait to do that again.”

[stagefoureddiediaz]

I see a lot of people really freaked out by the chance that Lucy could become endgame for Buck, if the actress gets confirmed again for season 6. Apart from the fact that she could be in s6 and then end up just like Ana....apart that Buck could break with Taylor and still not get with Eddie first because his journey is different and maybe he needs another messy r/s before figuring out what he wants for himself (but I hope not)....apart from the fact that THERE CAN BE male/female friendships without need for romance or sex and I hope this time Buck gets a real female friend apart from Mom Hen...It seems to me that Lucy, even more so in this latest episode, is the outsider looking in, the stranger who gets to see the 118, a tiny part of the 118, which no one fully understand in their mutual codependency even inside the same firehouse. I think Lucy is all of us, trying to understand what she's witnessing firsthand, but failing to grasp the depth of it. And those who fear her to be Buck's next LI, maybe are missing some key point: I obviously wish I'm not jinxing myself now, but yeah, interviews MUST lie, otherwise where would be the spoiler? and if a writer is good, like the 911's are, they MUST throw in some red herring for us to believe she is endgame because they kissed and because she's another pretty female and because she's a reckless firefighter so they share a lot, and even if they act more like siblings and not like, let's say, the first Bathena or the first Madney, they are m/f so there is a potential....OMG, we are thinking exactly like TAYLOR KELLY???

Sorry not sorry.

Kiki!!!

I totally agree with everything you've said. The more I think about it and the more I rewatch the more convinced I become that Lucys story is about finding a family - a place to belong. Because ultimately that is what this season has been about - identity and family. Every single one of our mains has been dealing with the idea of who they are as a person some have been much louder arcs in relation to that theme such as Eddie and Maddie, while others have been quieter - Hen for example figured out that she is going to specialise in general surgery and her vow renewal with Karen is about their identity as a married couple. We have also seen all of our mains connecting with their families - facing struggles but ultimately re-enforcing bonds and growing closer after having been forced apart by circumstances - this also applies to the firefam as a whole as well - they have been separated, but they are coming back together and will be all the stronger for it.

When we think about all of the Lucy scenes - especially the big ones they have all been either about work or about family and identity - the one exception was the kiss scene it is literally the exception that proves the rule! the bar scene up to that point had been about work and a bit of family stuff - we find out that Lucy is a firefighter in a family of cops - that she is the black sheep. the only other time we have seen her out of work has been when she met up with Jonah and that scene was all about fitting in and wanting to be part of the 118 family.

As for the writers and show runners - of course they will throw in a few red herrings - the kiss was kind of one - it had its purpose - to create a reason for Taylor to get jealous - I wrote another answer to an ask which goes into more detail here - and they are not going to give away Buddie in interviews - its too important - so they will more or less straight up lie to ensure it is kept under wraps because Buddie will be a groundbreaking relationship when it goes canon - the queer community have never been given this epic slow burn love story where two guys in their 30's fall in love with each other and discover their sexuality - this is the kind of thing that will potentially become part of the study of queer representation in film and tv in future because it is that groundbreaking!

I had other stuff written but the excitement over wedding suits crashed my computer so I lost a bit of my reply (grrr) but this is the most important stuff!!

Kiki I hope this is what you were after and that the other post fills in the stuff I haven't gone into here! I love having you in my inbox with your long asks!!! 💜💜💜

[ballorawan740]

SCP 096 - Shy Guy (New Character)

Main Masterlist | SCP Scenarios Masterlist | My Works Masterlist | Rules | Request | Socials | My Original Post

(Sources - Pics: SCP 073 | SCP 076-2 | SCP 999 | SCP 682 | SCP 049 | SCP 035 | SCP 096 | SCP 105 | SCP 106 | Dr Glass | Dr Bright | Dr Clef | Dr Kondraki)

First Encounter

You've met 096, aka Shy Guy, when you were doing a test with him. You went into his cell and some new researchers thought it was funny to make you look at his face. You were sympathetic and intelligent, so you didn't. That annoyed one of the new researchers which resulted in him coming in and looked at the SCP's face by himself. This of course resulted in his death and the other researchers were terrified and made a run for it which then ended up getting them killed. 096 came back and glanced at you then left you alone. Some staff members came in ti retrieve you and you were being interrogated for the incident with proof of CCTV footage. You were constantly seeing 096 ever since.

Your Feelings for Him

Most would say 096 were quiet and others would say he's mute. However, in your case, he would speak to you quietly and calmly while nobody was there to watch you both. He's rather shy and had a hard time opening up so he started to get a bit flustered when someone would visit him and chat with him. 096 unintentionally made a bold move and leaned closer which flustered you but you decided to stay in that position rather than move away or closer. As bad luck has it, a staff member came in to retrieve you as your time was up.

His Confession

You decided to visit 096 in your lunch break and noticed that he looked rather depressed than usual. You've asked everyone if he was ok but they all replied that they weren't too sure and that you should go and visit him since he wouldn't harm you. Later that day, you decided to visit 096 and he didn't respond much to your dismay. You tried to cheer him up but didn't do you just say there next to him. 096 then opened up about him being self conscious because he thinks that you wouldn't like him. You quickly disagree and asked him out.

Date

Since 096 would basically attack anyone who sees his face, 98% of your dates would be in his cell with 1.5% of being in your room and 0.5% being outside which was extremely rare and only happens during a test with another SCP. 096 wouldn't be into PDA very much, especially when he knows that you're both being watched, so whenever you snuggle up on him, he'd hesitantly hold you or cuddle you into him. He'd be the big spoon most of the time because of how tall he is but he'd be the small spoon on occasions when he feels down. 096 would be extremely soft with you and would never try to hurt you.

When he's jealous

Now, whenever 096 is jealous, he'd hide himself from everyone and cry. He thinks that you've found someone who can actually spend time with you without being judged heavily and a part of him is happy about that. However, another part of him would never want to let you go so at times, he'd probably hunt down the dude he's jealous off and nobody will hear from him again. If you ever see a depressed Jealous!096, go and hug him and assure him that you'll never leave him for another person ever. If you witness a violent Jealous!096, then you'd have to try to hold him back. He'd listen to you but that wouldn't stop him from trying to kill the dude.

When there's a containment breach

There's a small chance of 096 causing a breach unless someone's looking at his face, with the exception of you of course. And in this case, another SCP caused the breach because of a certain dumb boi has decided to go against the rules of the foundation which in turn angered an SCP. 096 overheard someone talking about how you were there at the scene of the breach which almost gave him a heart attack. 096 ran faster than he normally does and panic searches for you. Luckily for you both, he found you alive and you found him looking all worried. He gave you a bear hug and took you back to his cell as you both just chilled. The researchers were just minding their own business and cleaned up all the mess all the whole saw you just chilling. They had to get you out to help them with something much to your dismay.

Yandere!SCP 096

106 being a Yandere is rather terrifying and sad. Whenever he des you with anyone, he'd become sad!106, but if he sees you interacting with anyone for too long, he'd become angrier and take you into his cell and tie you up. After this, he'd hunt down whoever you were talking to and comes back to weep. Once he's done weeping, he'd come and checkup on you and feed you if you're hungry. If you weren't hungry you'll be force fed and nobody wants that. In some cases, you'd have to assure him that you still love him just so he would untie the ropes and let you out for a bit. The researchers have noticed this behaviour in him but never acting upon it even if they wanted to because they know the consequences by doing so.

How he reacts to his angry!S/O

You weren't usually seen as an angry person and that everyone was correct. That one time you were mad was when someone talked terribly about your man, 096. This Karen of a scientist went around the whole facility and decided to shout out her opinion on 096 and how you should’ve dated someone who was more ‘normal’ like another human being, preferably a smart and rich person who you could rely on and never work again. This of course did upset 096 to which he reflected on whether he should let you go or hold onto you where as you assured him you’d never leave him and went full on rampage and made it a mission for you to hunt down this Karen and made sure she never showed up again.

When someone tries to steal you away

096 would hunt down and kill anyone who kidnapped you as soon as he overheard someone talking about you arriving overly late which was unusual for someone who’s as organised and good with time management as you. He’d even kill anyone who got in his was and for once the researchers couldn’t agree and sympathise with him more. As soon as they got a hold of 096’s location, they’ve decided to check up on you to which 096 was rather protective and prevented that from happening. You had to pry 096 off from you and went to the medical area and told them what happened. You mentioned the fact that this guy had mistaken you for his child and dragged you out of the facility and by the time he had realised, 096 was there to rip him apart.

(Sources - Pics: SCP 096)

[extasiswings]

Buddie- I'm a sucker for kissing in the rain! But 3 and 29 are good too. Love your fics!

I was going somewhere with this...and then I was going somewhere totally different...and anyway I’m not really sure what this is, but it’s Something. 

It rains the day of Maddie and Chim’s wedding. Their meticulously planned, beautiful, outdoor wedding. But if the happy couple is thrown at all by the abrupt change in their plans, Eddie certainly can’t tell.

Halfway through the reception though, he definitely needs a break from the noise and the very full room, and so he leaves Christopher under Karen’s watchful eye and goes wandering. He winds up by the door that opens out to the garden—where the ceremony was originally supposed to be—and spends several long moments watching the rain fall, the noise of the reception still echoing down the hall, but dulled, distant. The main sound is the rain against the roof.

That’s where Buck finds him—because of course Buck finds him, he wouldn’t have expected anything less—leaning against the door frame and looking out, lost in thought.

“Hey,” Buck greets, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Want some company?”

The thing is, anyone else, Eddie would say no. But somewhere along the line, Buck became the exception. Buck isn’t just anyone, he’s...Buck. Eddie wants him everywhere, in every part of his life. And that’s part of the problem, isn’t it? Eddie doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do with that, whether to thread his fingers through Buck’s and kiss him senseless or whether pushing for more would break them.

So he bites back the urge, the same way he’s been doing for over a year, and just says—

“Sure.”

—and goes back to watching the rain.

“It was a nice ceremony,” he adds after a minute. “They seem like they’re going to be really happy—not that that’s a surprise, they already were, but—” He shrugs and trails off, but he can feel Buck’s eyes on him, watching carefully.

“You know, I don’t think you’ve ever told me about yours,” Buck says, and Eddie glances over in surprise.

“My wedding?”  He shakes his head. “You don’t want to hear about my wedding.”

“Sure I do—come on.”

And because Eddie can’t seem to deny Buck anything lately, he wets his lips and casts his mind back.

“It was hot,” he admits. “Middle of summer and the a/c was broken in the church at that which didn’t help. I spent the whole time feeling like I might pass out, but I’m not entirely sure whether that was because of the heat or the fact that I was...terrified.”

There’s a rose bush directly in his line of sight and his eyes track the path of the droplets that collect and drip from the edge of one crimson petal.

“Shannon barely made it down the aisle at all—she was having these bouts of really awful morning sickness at the time, I felt so bad—but she did, and it was all very...traditional after that? With the mass and the vows and the blessings and all that.”

“Doesn’t really sound like you,” Buck says quietly.

Eddie lets out a slow breath and catches his lower lip between his teeth.

“It wasn’t,” he admits. “Wasn’t either of us really, but we thought it was what we were supposed to do, so it’s what we did.”

“Do you think—” Buck starts, only to cut himself off. Eddie glances over, raising an eyebrow.

“Do I think I’ll ever get married again?” He guesses, and Buck nods. Eddie could almost laugh because once again the answer is no, but. Because he can’t picture himself spending the rest of his life with anyone but Buck. Can’t imagine wanting to make vows or put on a ring for anyone else. And he knows how ridiculous it is to feel like that about someone he isn’t even dating, but—it is what it is.

“I don’t know,” he says finally. “Maybe. With the right person.”  His lips curve faintly, as he adds— “I wouldn’t mind getting the chance to have a first dance. Missed that one the first time around. Actually, come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever danced at a wedding. At least not with anyone I actually wanted to dance with.”

Buck is quiet for a moment, then starts taking off his jacket. Eddie blinks.

“What are you doing?”

Buck drapes the suit jacket across the windowsill and reaches for the door handle.

“Come on.”

“It’s raining,” Eddie points out, and Buck smiles.

“So? It’s water—you afraid of getting a little wet?” He teases. And then he slips out into the garden, leaving Eddie behind. Eddie watches from a distance as the raindrops darken Buck’s crisp, navy shirt, and ultimately shucks his own jacket and follows.

It’s nice—the air is cool and fresh, a nice change from the stuffiness of the reception hall, and it smells of wet earth and growing things.

“You know, Maddie and Chim were supposed to have their first dance out here,” Buck says casually. Maybe too casually, because there’s an edge to his voice like he’s forcing it a bit.

“Yeah?” Eddie asks.

“Yeah.” As he watches, Buck swallows hard, and a bead of water streams down his neck before vanishing into his collar.

Eddie’s struck with the urge to trace the same path with his tongue. And he’s distracted enough, that he almost misses it when Buck says—

“You should dance with me.”

Eddie’s gaze snaps up.

“Here?”

Buck shrugs and holds out his hand and for the first time, Eddie catches the nervousness that flickers across his face. It does something to him—seeing that. It turns the key in a door he’s tried to keep firmly shut, releasing a swirl of want and love and desperate hope to bubble up in his chest.

Eddie licks his lips and tastes the rain.

“Why?” He asks, even as he takes Buck’s hand and steps in close.

“You said you’ve never danced at a wedding,” Buck replies.

“Buck.”

Their eyes meet and hold. Water drops down the back of Eddie’s neck and it’s clarifying. The world around them is still and silent but for the patter of rain, but Eddie isn’t afraid of the silence.

It feels like possibility.

“And I didn’t want you to dance with anyone else,” Buck adds. “Just me.”

Eddie’s heart skips. “Just you, huh?”

Buck’s eyes drop down to Eddie’s lips in a way that can’t be mistaken, and Eddie curls the fingers of his free hand around Buck’s damp tie and tugs him in to kiss him.

They get thoroughly soaked.

[the-ghost-king]

the term malewife isn’t a very nice term to use...

A man who acts as a wife and is inferior to his #girlboss girlfriend.

Person A: I just got myself a malewife. He's gonna clean my kitchen and watch me download custom content for the sims.

Person B: Sweet! You must be such a girlboss

^^urban dictionary. It’s just confirming to the sexist stereotypes that perceive and expectation of what a wife should act like. It’s quite harmful

It's a parallel to girlboss which is conformity to the sexism within corporate America:

"it becomes inescapably clear that when women center their worldview around their own office hustle, it just re-creates the power structures built by men, but with women conveniently on top. In the void left after the end of the corporate feminist vision of the future, this reckoning opens space to imagine success that doesn’t involve acing performance reviews or getting the most out of your interns." (here)

The word girlboss comes from a book quite literally called #girlboss, in parallel to the negative aspects of this book people eventually rebranded the term "malewife" to parallel it (malewife was originally an nsfw type thing)

In the malewife/girlboss "system" it's essentially the swapping of the problematic aspects, expectations, and socialization of men and women within a relationship

"Girlboss, gaslight, gatekeep" was a meme started to pick on the idea that women should become men and enforce the sexism within corporate society, and I'm sure it was a jab at the book the word came from as well.... "Manipulate, mansplain, malewife" was created to parallel the original meme

So yeah, the whole concept is mocking sexism within corporations and and modern relationships and showing how ridiculous it is. Girlboss mocks the idea of 2014 (largely) white feminism within America.

In example the original meme (created on Twitter) is intended to make mockery of Karen-types:

On January 12th, 2021, Tumblr user missnumber1111 posted, "today’s agenda: gaslight gatekeep and most importantly girlboss," garnering over 43,500 notes in a month (shown below). On that day, Twitter user @CUPlDL0VE posted, "my agenda is gaslight gatekeep and #girlboss," the first instance of the phrase on Twitter.

And a day later on January 13, 2021 Tumblr user a-m-e-t-h-y-s-t-r-o-s-e reblogged the post along with a photoshopped image of "Live, Laugh, Love" wall art instead reading, "Gaslight every moment, Gatekeep every day, Girlboss beyond words" (shown below). On January 18th, the image was reposted to Twitter for the first time.

Malewife doesn't hold those same implications however... The term malewife which is now being used to parallel girlboss achieves it's origins from p*rn, now I'm not an nsfw blog or someone who blatantly discusses nsfw concepts on my blog so I'm not getting super into it but there's a few places it comes from: femdom, bdsm, and feminization kinks... All of which have a connection to queerness in their own right but I don't feel comfortable going into the complexities of that with so many younger people following me.

On February 15th, Tumblr user @relelvance posted, "Manipulate, mansplain, malewife" as a male-themed opposite to "gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss," garnering over 27,000 notes in four days. The post was screenshotted and reuploaded by Twitter user @nortoncampbell on the same day, garnering over 14,200 likes and 2,800 retweets in the same span of time (shown below).

Urban dictionary's explaination of "malewife" is not only harsher than what malewife was intended to mean, but also removes the context of origin from the word- making it something new, different, and erasing the history of who originally used this word.

Because of Malewifes origins vs Girlboss origins, malewife is a less problematic term than girlboss and is more "affectionate" because the term malewife and it's use (up until recently) involved the man acknowledging that he wanted to be the "wife" in his relationship. There's a variety of reasons someone might do this, but it can generally be summed up as a mixture of personality and also personal wants.

I do think it's important to also note that although these words are being "glamorized slightly" they're still intended and being used in a memeing manner, but they're also used to quickly denote arbitrary traits in an individual and categorize those traits...

Although there's lots of conversations to be had for a variety of reasons about the origin and use of the word "girlboss" in relation to sexism, up until recently the world "malewife" was something claimed by men, something men wanted to be called, and something that men who used the term wanted to reference them.

Malewife is about "stepping-up" to "take on" "female" social roles, and it's something that at least some women would be happy to see in society:

"...We have been told that we can have it all, but so far we have noticed that it is extremely hard work having it all, because you still have to do everything that your mother did but now you have to do everything your father did as well. Except that your father had your mother waiting at home with a gin and tonic and his slippers when he came home from work, and you have the washing up and the shopping and a few screaming brats as well as a bloke with his feet up on the sofa watching the football... " (via. Victoria Mary Clarke)

And I don't think that she's wrong at all. Women are still expected to do so much more than men in society without equal reward.

Malewife exists as a a sort of fantasy removed from the truth of society. It's an idea that a husband can be waiting at home to care for his wife, and in this instance it benefits the woman- unlike Clarke's situation above, the woman comes home from a long day and is able to relax without the pressures of society and her life.

Where housewife is a word that holds its origins in forced subservience, malewife is a term that is showcasing men "picking up the torch" in regards to housework- where housewife is socially forced, and girlboss is reversed social compliance, malewife is the rejection of social expectations.

Malewife is about men finding a place in their life's and relationships to make themselves more than a paycheck. To say "I can be emotionally there for my spouse, I can clean a toilet, and drive kids to school, and I don't treat my spouses wants as something expendable". In a society in which men are often demeaned, mocked, and scorned for picking up socially female roles (say hello to misogyny and gendered contamination!)

The Urban dictionary definition, is not only too harsh- but not the way in which the word is intending to be used, because that's ignoring the origins of this word, and the fact that men had a choice in becoming malewifes where women didn't have that choice. It should read more like:

Person A: Ah yeah, I have a malewife waiting for me, he's going to clean my kitchen because I've had a hard day at work and need a break, and then he's going to watch me download custom content for the Sims because I enjoy the game so much and it helps me take a break from life!

Women's wants were often ignored in favor of men's wants, so by the malewife saying he's going to watch his spouse play the Sims, he's really saying "I care about her interests" and by him picking up the kitchen cleaning after she's had a stressful day he's saying "I have a lower stress job so I can handle that for her and make her life a little easier" (because malewife doesn't mean he doesn't have a job).

In a society in which a man's worth is tied to his ability to bring home money and be emotionally distant, malewife is the rejection of this norm. Malewifes are going to be there for their spouse, they're going to step up and take on traditionally women's roles and they're doing it because they want to, because they like it, and because dividing chores into pink vs blue is wrong.

I also want to say, you can't flip a word around and say it does "this" because that's not how it works... Men and women are forcibly socialized in very different ways, the two binaries have very different treatment, and expectations within societies social constructs. If you could flip the forms of oppression that men vs women face (because yes, the patriarchy oppresses men) then you could also flip the forms of violence faced by trans masculine people vs trans feminine people- but that doesn't work either, because women will always be oppressed in the most public way to "make an example of them" while the patriarchy expects anyone who is male to "keep his mouth shut and fall in line". (I know that's worded poorly, but I've just written at least a couple hundred words and my brain is a bit fried already from various other things today- basically anyone perceived female or male will be treated in a certain way as a result of others perception of them)

Anyhow, all this isn't to say that the term "malewife" is inherently free of any form of flaw ever... Malewife is a newly mainstream word, it wasn't popularized until February 15 of 2021... So?? 5 days ago?? The origins of malewife and the social implications of malewife combined with the history of the word, don't make the word bad or impressive and it's not "upholding the ideals of a housewife" but instead a word which provides men freedom from male social expectations.

Can the word malewife come to be a word which enforces expected female social behavior? Yeah it absolutely can become a word to mean that, erase the history from the word, and give it to someone who doesn't know the history of the word, and someone who doesn't have an intimate understanding of gender theory, and you've got a recipe for hundreds more asks like the one you've sent me...

I can't find a single positive reason to use the word girlboss in an empowering way, but I can find more reasons to use the word malewife in an empowering way than not to do so.

So at the very least if all you come away from this with is that I don't personally use the word malewife to uphold female social expectations in a relationship but instead I use this word to provide space for guys to be allowed to be feminine, soft, caring, emotionally present, and worth more than their monetary value, then I guess that's okay.

[writings-of-a-hufflepuff]

Exception to the Rule

Fandom: Red Dead Redemption 2

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x Female Reader

Writer: @writings-of-a-hufflepuff​ aka @hufflepuffing-all-day-long​

Rating: M (?)

Warnings: Sexual tension, sexual themes. No smut, but I mean reader definitely wants to ride that cowboy. Period typical shame. 

Summary: There is one exception to your rule about forcing Arthur to forgo chores and take a rest, that is the duty of chopping firewood. 

Notes: Right, so I need someone to explain to me quite why I find men chopping wood to be attractive. I’m sure you can psychoanalyse the heck out of me from that fact alone. 

Can you tell i’m a tad touched starved and needy at the moment? Can you tell, good sirs?

Archiveofourown

Arthur Morgan was the workhorse of the gang and that was a bonafide fact. The man brought in more money and more supplies than anyone else in camp. Added to the fact that he also did more than his fair share of chores, you often worried that the big burly outlaw would work himself to death. Especially with him picking up the slack for those who never seemed to do anything around camp like Uncle and Strauss. 

Normally you’d stop him doing whatever chore he was doing, tell him to take a rest, go have a lie down and sleep or get some stew from the pot since he was the only reason you were even able to eat. You’d pull whatever he had from his hands and gently coax the man to go look after himself for five minutes which you’d manage to turn into at least an hour of down time. Every time he was reluctant, but grateful, asking you, ‘What’d I ever do to deserve you, darlin’?’ and every time you’d tell him something to the effect of ‘You were yourself, Mr Morgan’ while feeling flustered under his gaze. 

There was one exception to this rule you had about getting Arthur to take some time off and look after himself. That rule was that whenever the man decided to bolster the camp’s firewood store you left him to it. Now this wasn’t a selfless decision, not one born out of respect for the man’s love for swinging a heavy axe at a wood log pretending it was Micah’s head. No, the reason for this rule was entirely, completely, most certainly the fact that Arthur Morgan never looked more handsome or primally attractive then when he was chopping wood especially in the height of summer or during the warmer season. 

So, while you were most certainly going to hell and your late mother would be rolling in her grave, you found yourself on a stuffy warm day hands deep in a laundry bucket, but not really focusing on your work at all. 

“Y/N, he’s at it again!” It had been Karen who’d notified you, giggling in your ear as you looked up and across camp towards the tree stump that was used for chopping firewood. Your arms elbow deep in soapy water, you hadn’t really thought to remove them, just lean further forward on your hands, lips parting with a sigh. 

You don’t even care that you can hear the girls giggling behind you as they get on with their work, occasionally sneaking glances up at the same sight as you. 

Arthur was strong, if he were a horse he’d be his 18 hands high shire horse. If he were a predator, he’d be a brown bear. It was always more clear though when he decided to chop firewood. He had his shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbow, exposing thick, strong forearms dotted in scars and dark hair. You watched him roll his thick wrists once, twice before hefting the wood axe into his hands and up over his broad shoulders which tensed as he brought the axe down with a loud crack, the log splitting easily in two. 

You watched the blue shirt strain over the breadth of his shoulders every time he brought the axe down, listened to the grunts that left his mouth with effort, followed the droplets of sweat that beaded at his forehead before rolling down his cheek and neck, disappearing beneath his favourite shirt. He grumbled slightly to himself about the dig of suspenders in his shoulders, slipping them off to rest by his thighs and threw his favourite gambler hat off to the side as it got in the way of his swings. 

There was something about the immense power that Arthur exuded with each sharp decisive swing. The strength of his body combined with the sureness of his strokes made you slip a little with your hands in the washtub, splashing soapy water over the ground and your skirt with a curse. 

You quickly returned your gaze to your work as you noticed Arthur’s head twist to check on you. Ever the helper and protector, he always seemed to zero in on any sound of complaint or unhappiness you made. You couldn’t have him catch on to your favourite chore.

“Y’alright over there, sweetheart?” It was called across the clearing, concern riding his voice as he briefly let the axe fall to his side to check on you. It brought a warmth to your body, blood rushing through you towards your ears and cheeks at his concern and your mild embarrassment. 

“Oh, she’s just fine, Arthur. Don’t you worry about her!” 

“Karen!” You twist from your place knelt on the ground and reach over to slap her arm. The truth was as much as you were interested in Arthur, you were simply friends. You made sure he didn’t work himself to death and he made sure you smiled on bad days. It was nothing more, nothing less, even if the sight of him made you feel weak at the knees. The last thing you wanted was to be embarrassed in front of him over your...thoughts. 

“If you say so.” He gave the two of you a look before turning back to the stump. Putting it down briefly, you watched at first from the corner of your eye before being unable to resist his siren’s call as he unbuttoned the blue shirt and tossed it in a pile with his hat. Left in the top half of his union suit that clung tightly to the broad planes of his chest and the tight muscles of his shoulders, he was quite the sight. 

Your eyes followed the strong line of his neck as he circled his head to stretch out a tight muscle and draw a crack from uncomfortable joints. They followed it down to the unbuttoned union suit that revealed strong collar bones and dark chest hair. Followed it down to the strong wide breadth of his body. More interested in that than the wood he was chopping. 

“You might wanna close your mouth or else you might catch flies.” Tilly teases you, you would give her a playful glare, but couldn’t bring yourself to tear your gaze away from the specimen of a man that had gone back to his wood cutting. 

Another log, hefted onto the stump, biceps filling out as he bent his arms to lift it. Another swing of the axe, broad shoulders seeming even larger under the strain. Another grunt. Another droplet of sweat. 

“My mother must be rolling in her grave.” You say aloud, just a random thought, a little thing. That if she could see the heat of your gaze on Arthur, feel the warmth to your skin, know the itch in your belly, then she’d drag you by the ear to confessional where you’d have to tell the priest about all those thoughts. Like how you wanted Arthur to just throw you over his shoulder and take you back to his tent. 

“Maybe you shouldn’t be having such wicked thoughts about our dear Mr Morgan, Y/N. Mighty improper of you.”

“Mary-Beth, I defy any woman to not have wicked thoughts when Arthur’s chopping firewood.” You hit back eyes finally drifting from Arthur to your friends. Each of them has the same look you’re sure was on your face. Each no doubt having done exactly what you had done when Arthur started unbuttoning his shirt in the summer heat and heaving a heavy axe over his shoulder. 

“She’s got a point, Mary-Beth, that’s a whole lotta man, right there.” Tilly chimes in and some of that guilt that gnaws at you for staring at Arthur in such an improper manner dissolves. You’re not the only one who enjoys watching him chop wood. You’re not wrong for it. You’re just a woman with blood in your veins. 

“It’s a damn shame he thinks he’s ugly. He’s the most handsome man around camp.” You sigh out, thinking about the harsh words he always uses for himself as you watch him continue working on the wood pile. His beard has grown out and frames his face beautifully, even with that spot that he can never seem to grow any hair on. You think he’s the most handsome man you’ve ever met, his treatment of you and the other girls only adds to it. He’s so...soft. So soft for someone so tough and rough.

“He is handsome, but you’re a little biased, Y/N. What’s the saying about saving a horse?” Karen titters.

“Ride a cowboy!” Tilly and Mary-Beth say it so loudly that you’re immediately shushing them, embarrassment flooding through you. As you catch Arthur once again turning in your direction, brow furrowed as he looks at your group. His hand reaches up to scratch as his beard and part of you wants the ground to swallow you entirely whole. 

“I...Get your minds out of the gutter!” 

“Only if you get yours out first!” 

“I...I.” You huff, returning to your abandoned washing, scrubbing one of Arthur’s shirts with a new vigour that you didn’t know you had in you. They giggle behind you before walking off to the washing line to hang clean clothes up to dry. 

You have to admit that your thoughts about Arthur tend to stray to the impure, especially at night when your mind is left to wander. He’s just so broad, so goddamn big and everything about him makes you want to wrap yourself around him like an alligator doing a death roll. Coming from a more high society lifestyle before finding the gang you’re not as comfortable with those thoughts as the other girls seem to be. There’s always that nagging thought in the back of your head that something’s wrong with you for lusting after him. That it’s not what a proper lady would do. But, he makes your heart ache desperately whenever you think of him. He makes your body warm and your lips ache for his. It’s not even just his body, it’s just him. You’re always longing for his company, eager to see him return from a job or a hunt just to hear his southern drawl wash over you with sweet kindness. 

“Are you sure you’re alright, darlin’?” You jump at the drawl, his deep voice unexpected. He’s abandoned his wood cutting, crouching down next to you. The frown speaks of his concern and you can’t help but smile softly at how much he cares about everyone including yourself. 

“It’s nothing, Arthur. Don’t you worry about me.” You assure him, your eyes fixed on the shirt in your tub that is more than clean by now after your aggressive scrubbing. You finally managed to get that damn bloodstain out. 

A hand reaches under your jaw and gently grabs your chin, lifting your eyes to meet his. It has a shuddering breath leave your lungs before you can stop it, the look that crosses his face goes from concern to confusion to understanding and flirtation as he realises just why you’ve let that breath out. Just why the girls were teasing you. 

“I always worry ‘bout you, sweetheart. Especially in this heat. Wouldn’t wan’ you to keel over now, all hot and bothered as y’are.” HIs thumb finds the hollow underneath your jaw and you can’t help but lean into his touch just a little bit more. 

“Seems I should be the one concerned for you, Mr. Morgan. What with you working up a sweat on a hot day like today.” Your voice is breathy and you feel a tinge of shame at how little composure you seem to be able to keep around this man.

“Well I th-” His advance closer to you is stopped, his words halt as Dutch yells from somewhere in the vicinity of his tent, “Arthur! I got a job for you, boy!”

With a heavy sigh and one last gentle swipe of his thumb under your jaw, Arthur pulls away from you. 

“I’ll see you later?”

“Always.” You reply watching him walk away, disappointed but not sure what you were expecting to happen. Were you hoping he’d kiss you? Were you hoping it would escalate further? That this burning in your stomach would find some relief, that your dreams would not be pure imagination anymore but have some basis in fact. 

You sit back on your heels with a heavy breath, eyes turning towards the washtub again. Back to work, you suppose. Like always.

[evanoracronwell]

Buddie

Truth be told, Christmas was never Eddie's favorite holiday. Until he met Buck!

ao3

Truth be told, Christmas was never Eddie's favorite holiday as a kid, Christmas was synonymous of a house full of people, the family coming from everywhere, which obviously resulted in plenty of opportunities for fights, screams, demands, accusations, trips down memory lane just to throw in each other's faces the mistakes made and countless other things that made a festive date that was supposed to be about family togetherness become anything but.

After marrying Shanonn, Christmas becomes a time when everyone looks down on the two of them, trying to hide behind a false smile the whispers and insinuations of how she got pregnant just to force a marriage. Then came the pitying looks at Eddie's handicapped son, the poor kid that could never do, or be, anything in his life.

Eddie Diaz, in fact, hates Christmas.

Or at least he hated it until he moved to Los Angeles. Here people don't yell at each other and point out their mistakes every chance they get. Here people gather around a table full of food and talk and laugh at the off-key voices of Chimney and Buck singing Christmas carols all over the house, here people walk around carrying cookies and milk for the kids that are playing on the floor after earning more toys than they really need, here Abuela spends time in the kitchen with Buck teaching him some secret family recipes because...

"Ay Nieto, someone will have to pass on the family recipes to Chris when he grows up. ¡Y no serás tú!"

Here Athena and Bobby snuggle on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate while watching everyone with that fatherly-motherly gaze they keep on everyone without exception. Here Maddie and Chimney dance in each other's arms with a sleepy Jee between them. Hen and Karen chat on another couch sharing a piece of cake.

Here, Christopher is as happy as Eddie has never seen him before. Here Christopher has people who look at him and see exactly what he is, an amazing kid who, yes, has many obstacles and limitations, but who is strong enough to overcome every one of them. Here, he has a family that supports him no matter what.

But most of all, here, he has Buck.

Buck who came into Eddie's life like a hurricane, turning everything upside down, Buck who made Eddie question everything he thought he knew about life, Buck who invaded Eddie's dreams longer than Eddie cared to admit. Buck, who was driving him crazy right now, because he was walking all over Bobby and Athena's house with that mistletoe in his hands, going after everyone just like he'd done the second Christmas they'd spent together.

Everyone was laughing at Buck's infectious energy and happiness.

Cheek kisses for Hen, Athena, Maddie, May, Michael, and David. A huge hug for Bobby and Abuela, several kisses on the cheeks for Christopher and Jee making the kids laugh until they were red in the face, a peck on the lips for Karen, and to everyone's surprise and amusement a peck on the lips for Chimney too.

Everyone, one by one, had gained Buck's attention.

Everyone but Eddie.

He just watched, and each time Buck seemed to be walking towards him he changed paths and Eddie huffed angrily. That's not fair, he's been for months, years, desperate to feel Buck's lips, dreaming of what it would be like to taste him, and now when the perfect opportunity presents itself, it just doesn't happens!?

No! Eddie wouldn't accept that.

If Buck wouldn't go to him, then Eddie would just go to him.

So hours later, when they were all sprawled out in a corner talking, Eddie looked for Buck and smiled at the sight of him at the very end of the backyard of the house, sitting on the bench right under a tree, almost hidden enough from everyone and seeming immensely entertained with his cell phone. Before he lost his courage, Eddie looked around grateful that they were all distracted, and walked through the glass doors, his heart pounding and that damn thing caught between his fingers behind his back.

"Hey..."

Buck looked up and grinned at the sight of Eddie.

"Hey...I just talked to a friend of mine, that ice skating rink that opened last month? I was roommate with Billy a long time ago, he's married to Jordan that own the place. They don't normally open on Mondays, but he agreed to let us skate there with Chris. He's been talking so much about skating the last few weeks, and I know it's not the same thing as a rink full of people like he's seen in the movies, but I thought it would be safer, at least until we find a way for him to do it safely. And we can also invite all 118 to go, I'm sure all the kids will love it and Bobby will love reminiscing about the good old days."

Fuck, how could Eddie not want to kiss him?

"That sounds great Buck, he's really been talking about ice skating all the time. I can't thank you enough for doing this."

"Of course! Anything for that kid, you know that."

"Yes, I do."

They stare at each other for a few seconds until Eddie takes a deep breath and takes the courage to pull his hand behind his back and lift it over their heads, lightly shaking the mistletoe making Buck's eyes widen.

"Eddie...I..."

"You went after everyone…except me."

"I didn't think I could, I was afraid that..."

"I know, I was scared too. But here I am Buck, standing in front of you and under the mistletoe. Waiting for you. I've been waiting for you for a while now, and if I'm not mistaken, I think you've been waiting too. , for me."

"I have. For so long."

"So, are you gonna keep me waiting?"

"Hell no!"

Eddie won't say he never imagined what it would be like to kiss Buck, because he's been doing nothing but thinking about it for the last few months. To imagine how his lips would feel, would they be as soft and smooth as Eddie thought they would be? Would they taste as sweet as Eddie dreamed they would?

Now he knows.

Now he no longer has to stay just in the memory of an unlived dream.

Now he knows why Buck steps forward and kisses his mouth and Eddie knows perfectly well that the answer is no!

Buck's lips were so much softer and sweeter than Eddie could ever have imagined, they were warm and eager, they dominated Eddie's lips mercilessly, they kissed invading Eddie's mouth and savoring every corner as if Buck wanted to memorize his taste, the same way Eddie wanted to memorize Buck's.

He tasted like wine and Abuela's tres leches cake, and Eddie wanted to drown himself in that flavor.

Kissing Buck was like touching the sky, it was like riding a roller coaster so fast it makes his stomach flutter, it was like savoring the sunlight and all the good things in the whole world.

Imagining kissing him was good, but the reality was a million times better.

"I love you."

Eddie muttered almost breathlessly, his lips still pressed against Buck's, their bodies so close he could feel Buck's heart pounding against his own chest, his huge hands gripping his hips sending a delicious wave of heat throughout Eddie's body.

"I love you."

Buck responds with a beautiful smile and then kisses him again, at that moment Eddie decided, Christmas was definitely the best time of year!

It's the noise of whistling and laughing that wakes him from that bubble of utter happiness and makes them pull back just far enough to look over Buck's shoulder. There, all huddled against the glass doors are his friends and family. Eddie smiles, especially when he sees Christopher cheering with such a happy face that it makes Eddie get emotional and flood with happiness he never thought possible.

He curls up in Buck's arms who look as happy as he is, Eddie closes his eyes and sighs feeling the soft touch of Buck's lips against his temple.

"Merry Christmas Buck!"

He mutters, squeezing his arms around Buck's waist as his heart settles knowing he's finally at peace.

"Merry Christmas Eddie!"

Merry Christmas indeed.

[deluweil]

This is my 4x12 review - skip if you haven’t watched yet.💖

In my opinion the whole Treasure Hunt thing, had a S2 bank mystery vibe about it. Like the silly calm before the storm, again in parallel to right before when Buck was hurt.

I knew the Author jerk is alive the second I saw the actor who played it, the was not one show where he guest starred and wasn’t a jerk 😂😂

So since I did my own version of live writing, I apologize if this is a bit disorganized.

We got so much buddie bread crumbs, that eventually felt like a meal at the end of the episode so let’s start with: Both boys in sunglasses - oh WOW! 🔥🔥  

Bobby sending Eddie with Chimney and Buck looking thoroughly unhappy to be separated from Eddie. They nod at each other and while Buck frowns at Chimney, Eddie crosses himself before going to get geared up.

It was a small gesture but very significant because Eddie has already crashed in a chopper (in 3x15 and watched Hen and Strand crash in the crossover) he knows what could go wrong.

Chimney’s “cheer up you can go next time” doesn’t really reassure Buck. I think a “we’ll be fine” or “I’ll keep him safe” would have calmed Buck’s nerves a lot more.

Can we discuss for a second how HOT!! Eddie looked doing the aerial rescue? I mean WOW, I watched it several times. 🥵🥵🥵

The 118 sitting together trying to figure out the riddle was funny, everyone thinking how it’s a bad idea to even consider this to be a real thing, except for Buck, of course. 😂

And while the others are already considering how freaking horrible the rest of their shift  is going to be like, because it’s all over the news thanks to Taylor Kelly’s story.

Eddie called Taylor - Buck’s “girlfriend”, but we don’t see his face, we do get to see it, when Buck stresses (for what feels like the millionth time from the sigh and tone of his voice) that she is his friend not his girlfriend.

Eddie’s “Yeah, sure, right.” face is priceless!!😂😂  

Buck and Taylor plotting together again, is always hilarious, those two are disaster magnets, it makes for good fun. What bothered me was that Buck offered Taylor to pair up, but re-watching, everybody’s reaction didn’t exactly originally encouraged a teaming up vibe.

However the problem with human nature is - everyone love to obsess over riddles. 😉😉

Eddie jumping through the window into the fire truck? epic!

Eddie did suggest to team up to Buck and I love that even after Buck told him he’s working with Taylor, the look on Eddie’s face melted Buck almost immediately and had him suggesting Eddie joins the two of them. 🥰🥰

The scene in Buck’s apartment, with the three of them Eddie is right between Taylor and Buck in the shot and kind of “talking to himself” was so funny. - Gave me a BBC Sherlock scene between Irene Adler, Sherlock and John.

The way Martin Freeman stole the scene just by dropping small comments. I gotta give it to Eddie, out of all of everything in that scene, Ryan performance is what I’m going to remember. - Acting choices were made all throughout this episode by both Oliver and Ryan.

Also can we talk about the fact that Eddie is now stating little bits of knowledge like Buck now - “I can know weird stuff too” from 4x03 is so haunting me, these boys have totally rubbed off each other. (get your minds out of the gutters... for now anyway 😉)

I love how Eddie and Buck sit down and scratch, just thinking about the fire ants 😂😂

Buck being lowered into the septic tank - notice, Eddie is the one handling the rope, again, his expression worried while Buck is still down there, especially after having to drop him into the water.

I have noticed that Bobby sent Eddie up in the chopper, but is reluctant to send him under ground still 😉🙃

Buck’s “come on” when Eddie and Bobby made a face and walked away from the stench was so funny. Also super adorable on Buck’s part. 

I love how Taylor keeps shutting Buck down, it’s amusing to watch now that I know how the episode ends.

Athena being done with idiots the entire episode was hilarious! Angela is a queen!

I loved that 9-1-1 dispatchers were running a bet of places where the treasure may be. (Josh’s “Who thought that was a good idea?” and someone shouting “not it!” had me in stitches 😂😂)

Let’s take a break from buddie for a second:

Hen and Chimney joining the race and Bobby trying to hide his research from Athena was so funny, I mean, she is a police sergeant, there was no way she wouldn’t figure him out.

Bobby planning a future together, a life after the job, and Athena shutting him down. I do think this is what will come between them eventually. Athena making a unilateral decision, without considering even talking about a future with Bobby that doesn’t revolve around them working until they’re either forced out or buried six feet under ground. 

I find it interesting because it’s usually the other way around, my mom has been working on my dad to retire for years now so they can travel before both of them are too old to do it. So I kinda get where Bobby’s coming from.

In parallel though, Athena making the unilateral decision like Eddie did when he re-enlisted in 3x15. I do hope Bobby and Athena manage to work things out, I love them together. 

Back to the hunt:

Of course Athena worked out where the treasure is, Karen built an algorithm, and Taylor apparently helping Buck and Eddie figure it out bringing all three teams together.

Athena looking to Buck and Eddie asking them if they seriously brought their gear with them and Eddie pointing at Hen and Chimney to divert the attention from them about their med-kits. - like children trying to justify themselves to their parents. 😂😂😂

Wasting time negotiating about the money was hilarious, especially with Taylor in the chopper hovering over them lmao.

And then there was probie - Jesus! I laughed so much.  😂🤦‍♂️

Also Buck’s “I’m not doing anymore math”, as a reference to “she taught me math”, Buck’s not doing that shit. He calculated enough for one day and he is done!  😂

I do like that Oli and Ryan’s marks are closer together again ❣❣❣  

Eddie: “We didn’t kill him”  Buck: “We just wanted to” Bobby’s “Shut up” face killed me.

Probie selling them out “I don’t know these ppl.” You don’t say shit like this as a probie 😂😂😂

Also Rick saying “I didn’t actually think it was” and I'm just enjoying the moment, was awesome. I like it when he shows up in episodes, he and Athena make a good and amusing team. 

Back to buddie bread crumbs:

Everyone in Bathena’s house, including Taylor, who took the place next to buck, leaving Eddie to sit directly in front of Taylor and next to Chimney. - The “At this point I don’t trust anyone.” cuts to Eddie’s face, that looked as if he’s saying “Seriously dude? hurtful” - The fact that Buck stopped and met Eddie’s reproachful gaze even though they are not directly in front of each other says so much! 

Also the “Stop for a second and think about what you said.” looks from Chimney and the others are very meaningful. (#everybody knows 😉)  Buck sticking his foot in his mouth and him backtracking are shot directly from Eddie’s perspective. - hmm, I wonder why…? 🧐🧐

And to complete the meal:

Taylor placing Buck directly in the Friend-Zone category, was genius. And while Buck and Taylor have a fun energy together it never really felt romantically oriented. Also I have a certain feeling that seeing Buck and Eddie interact, at Buck’s place and at Bathena’s house and not for the first time either, she knows it will not work between her and Buck.

Buck, trying to feel something more for her, even if in a gentler and way sweeter way than the cursed ship I will not name, it feels forced on his end too - and Taylor lets him off the hook in a gentle way too, I like her for that even more. 

I really hope we keep seeing Taylor in a friend capacity for Buck, I think it’s good for him to have support and someone to talk to outside the 118. And I will absolutely worship Taylor if she will be the buddie catalyst, I mean Megan does ship buddie too, it will only be appropriate 😉💖

The episode in itself was pretty nice, I would have probably enjoyed it more if I watched it before LS who absolutely kicked me in the feels today. But I do know that just like 9-1-1 2x15 I’ll go back and watch it like a million times because it is a fun episode to pass the time, and the buddie crumbs were delicious. 

The promo kicked me in the feels too, I will not discuss it here right now, but I do hope that that last part won’t be a cliff hanger and we’ll have to wait an entire week for the rest, two weeks of frayed nerves are a LOT to suffer through 🙈

Sending big hugs out there to whomever needs it 🤗🤗🤗