#facebook is where i keep track of people i meet but i did use to use it like tumblr until parents arrived
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wainswright · 1 year ago
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This is my googled 30 min research so i'm just guessing for fun.
Looks like either you need to be a hip place that attracts so many new users (makes a splash in numbers for investors?) and get good press as THE place to be in order to attract advertiser dollars OR
Make your core usability lock behind a paywall like spotify, which is cashflow positive, but can't tell if this worked out for medium (probably not)- (and looks like Substack isn't doing too well) This focuses less on advertisers and more on users.
Alternatives? Monetizing content + ads on selected produced articles? That's a niche that isn't filled.
You know there's this whole style of paying for webnovels in China or something, like if they didn't ruin the concept of wattpad by viewing users... like that, instead of treating them like content creators a la Youtube. Which looks like it's going strong.
In lieu of nonprofit, I guess you'd have to get a community of people producing good content that the site made a no brainer to use- and a kind of distributive ad process like uh... tiktok.... hm..... untargeted is that big of a deal? But it'd take advantage of the tumblr social pathways- the ability to monetize a post if you chose. Can't remember much about post+ but that came out of nowhere... I don't remember having any idea how to use it. I hope it was something like- you can choose to monetize certain posts behind a paywall? That's the only way you could do it, right?
Fanfic concerns: nobody on youtube worries about this when making videos about established properties tbh. I guess don't write fanfic specifically and put that behind a paywall (or do and see where this leads us) but fanart is free game? How confusing. Home of fandom could be like.... reviewers.... taste makers..... god tumblr actually IS good at stealth word of mouth marketing for a lot of properties. Very funny.
But if I was thinking informational- or like "how to recognize chords", or news feed that would be an idea I didn't even think of when post+ in it's unclear use state came out.
Okay, maybe that wouldn't work- we come here to shitpost. Maybe you could have the option of making a goodpost blog (original posts only) behind a paywall. But a general fee, like spotify charges $5 for access to all songs, instead for monthly access to paywalled content? The response would be a little different now, I'd imagine.
Both options, as well as an option to see blogs more automatically as the constructed sites and not just on the dash like squarespace? that's doing well, though I've seen random complaints about the nature of the not-html style site constructions. Complexity was mentioned as part of the issue retaining users along with lack of immediate interaction/reason to stay, but showing off various blogs as their own sites and then letting you follow the author of the blogs on the dash seem like it'd work out..........
It retains the free functionality but the alternative would be presented as a sidegig.
Chaotic patreon.....Patreon and Reddit are private, with Reddit maybe having an IPO by the end of 2023, so I'll assume they aren't doing super great. Tumblr up for IPO soon?
Best case scenario for site survival: it's sold to huge company that can eat the cost of operations until the site is made hip to advertisers, or shrug.
But there really isnt a good microblogging site- that allows all the ability to make a searchable blog..... (I see maybe they were thinking they could just use the social part of tumblr and somehow get wordpress to show up on the rss feeds) but yeah there's not really any social capacity baked into to wordpress, on lj I would go over to see what people were doing for that day and read their comments. That site does live on in spirit in dreamwidth
Bluesky and mastodon have that character limit and you can't format anything, but if they get successful they can rake in ad money. I don't know about this. Can't even remember what pillowfort is like but I remember there was some weirdness with the founders that scared me off, I didn't think it was going to last well.
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alanaartdream · 3 months ago
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youtube
Oh hey there it’s Artist Alana from Alanaartdream (the tumblr; the YouTube; the instagram; the TikTok and twitter witch is trying to go by X now but most of use still just call it twitter… I also have a fb but I don’t go be alanaartdream on there and only mostly use it to keep track of what my family is up to and see how a friend who refuses to use anything but Facebook and YouTube ;-; I’d really wish she’d use tumblr again because Facebook is full of trouble honestly)
As some of you who been following me on YouTube/ tumblr/ TikTok and instagram would know I have adhd ( one of the 3 types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
My parents discovered I had it when I was seven but at the time Dr use to think kids would outgrow adhd so just gave my mum medication 💊 for it and left it at that so my dad was of the idea I didn’t need to know what I was taking medication for and left it at that BUT my mum who cared about me and actually paid attention to me realised yeah that wasn’t the case and that the medicine wasn’t really helping so took kid me to all sorts of tutors and trying to find people who could help kids like me at the time And informed me I have adhd when I was a teenager (witch at the time felt like a slap to the face but glad she at least was trying her best to help me deal with best way she knew how and with what help was available at the time;; she really had to take me to all sorts of places and try out different teachers to help kid me to learn abcs so I can at least read and sort of write this out to you all now (my spelling & grammar still isn’t great but at least you can read what I write out now disspit all the mistakes) also there’s a few other adhd people on TikTok I follow who give great advice to help deal with adhd and talk about it in ways to help explain it better and one of them is who I was watching while drawing some Fairly Odd parents Timmy Turner and Danny Phantom while watching them being as my adhd brain likes to draw what it likes to focus on and one of it’s favourite things to focus on is cartoons/ animation as well as manga/comics it will be what I end up drawing most of the time
Also part of why I’ll forever be a defender of Timmy Turner because I can see a lot of his schooling troubles are because the human adults in his life are so blind to his struggles and don’t really care to help him like his found family do and he could do so much better if he truly had the support he needed to do better I believe he would
Like his parents don’t even try to help him with his homework or to make sure he does it; they can hire a babysitter? But not a tutor
Heck his mother was a stay at home one yet she chooses to ignore him or go spend money on the shopping network and leave him with a babysitter (and the dad is even worse) look my own mother was a stay at home mum but she didn’t ignore my sisters and I and once we got to age where we didn’t need as much watching went back into working (because dad I think starting travelling overseas for work and was losing interest in being a family man (think he didn’t want to be married anymore by this point)) what the heck is Timmy’s mum even doing??? Like she only has one child to raise at least she doesn’t have 3 and she’s ignoring him to go shopping?
My mum would make sure we did homework by sitting down with us to help if we were struggling; heck at least once or twice my dad did too when it came to big projects but never once did I see Timmy’s parents do that for him (( and then they had the nerve to blame Timmy’s bad grades all on him hello it’s on them as well they never sat down with him to make sure he’s doing homework or to check if he needed help; parents are supposed to help their kids with the homework and if Cocker wasn’t such a bad teacher he would’ve called Timmy’s parents in to rain them in as well; never once did cocker ask to meet up with Timmy’s parents to talk about his bad grades; only time he did was to try to enroll Timmy into his fake boot camp/ army school) butch never through to address these issues and would just blame it on Timmy half the time when his parents were just as much to blame
No parent now can afford to be a stay at home parent;; but they cannot afford to ignore their kids now because now everyone is more aware of these issues but when fairly odd parents was frist out people didn’t really think about these things like they do now but I hope they don’t gloss over how bad Timmy birth parents were
I just hope Timmy’s doing better away from his human parents in fairly odd parents a new wish series if they get around to another season of it hopefully
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all-the-things-2020 · 10 months ago
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Late Night Talking - Chapter Seven
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Summary: Emily goes back to work and Dieter comes to spend the weekend. Chaos ensues.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 6780+
Tag list: @rhoorl @avastrasposts @readingiskeepingmegoing @runningmom94 @gwendibleywrites
The first day back on campus was always full of boring staff meetings and, for those of us in the library and textbook room, a daylong parade of teachers with requests for books. It was exhausting but gave us a chance to catch up with everyone. It also meant the Nosy Parkers were out in force, sniffing out the best gossip to spread around campus. Who went where on vacation, who didn’t go anywhere, who got married or engaged, who got pregnant, etc. I knew that it wouldn’t be long before word got around that I was dating someone; I was friends on Facebook with a few of my coworkers, and although I hadn’t posted many clear photos of Dieter or mentioned his name, I had made a few posts referring to “my boyfriend.”
As I settled into a seat in the auditorium for the all staff kickoff meeting, I was simultaneously distracted by my phone buzzing in my pocket and my least favorite coworker, Eileen, latching onto my arm. She was nearing retirement age and every year the rumor went around that she wasn’t coming back in the fall, but every year, there she was.
“How are you, sweetie?,” she asked. “Did you have a good summer?” I could tell that she’d already heard something from the way she smiled so insincerely.
“I’m good. Summer was good,” I replied, digging my phone out. “Excuse me, let me check this.”
As I suspected, it was a text from Dieter
DIETER: Happy 1st day back. Break a leg or whatever you say for luck in a library. Break a spine??
I was surprised he was up so early. He must have set his alarm so he could text me. I smiled to myself and texted back.
ME: Weirdo. Just starting all staff meeting aka most boring two hours of my life. Talk to u later, k?
I put my phone back in my pocket and reluctantly turned to Eileen. Before she could open her mouth, my phone buzzed again and I pulled it back out, mouthing “sorry” at her.
It was a video of a duck with cartoon arms running around a dog.
DIETER: If meeting gets too boring watch this.
He added several smiley face emojis, a dog, a duck, and his favorite, the grinning purple devil. I shook my head.
“Bad news?” Eileen pounced on the slightest whiff of intrigue or gossip.
“No, just a dumb video my boyfriend sent me,” I said without thinking. Oops.
“Boyfriend? Really? Congratulations!” She sounded sincere, but I’d endured enough snide remarks over the years about my single state to know that she was inwardly lamenting the loss of something to pester me about.
“Yeah,” I said off handedly. “We met this summer. Oh, there’s the principal. Meeting’s about to start.” I had never been happier to see Dr. Osuna climb the steps to the stage and make her way behind the beat up old podium that had been used by every principal since the school’s founding over 60 years ago.
As various administrators droned on about vision and aiming for lofty goals and hitting our target numbers, I surreptitiously peeked at my phone, which kept buzzing. Dieter was sending me GIFs and cartoons and video clips about surviving meetings, and more birds with arms, which he’d found out never failed to make me laugh. Finally, I texted him back.
ME: Stop. People are staring at me. Supposed to be paying attention like a good little drone.
Truthfully, no one was paying any attention to me except Eileen. Everyone was either on their own phones, ignoring admin completely, or pretending to be captivated by every word. Some teachers were even taking notes, but they were just trying to score brownie points. Eileen, however, was watching me like a hawk, a small frown on her face. She was the sort of employee who was more concerned about keeping track of everyone else and making sure they weren’t slacking off than in doing her own job. Unfortunately, she was also very efficient and had no problem doing her own job and sticking her nose in everyone else’s business.
The meeting finally ended and I made sure to hop up quickly and head out of the auditorium before Eileen could corner me again. It was only a temporary reprieve, since her office was located inside the library building, but I’d take what I could get.
“Emily!” I stopped on my way out of the auditorium lobby to let the speaker catch up. It was Simone, my favorite English teacher. She was a huge book nerd and was our number one customer in the library. “Girl, slow down!”
“Sorry, friend,” I told her. “I was trying to get away from you-know-who.”
She nodded knowingly. “Gotcha,” she said. When she’d caught up, she steered me out a side door, which meant we’d take the long way to the library. Eileen would make a beeline for her office so she could have a front row seat for the parade of teachers, so there was little chance of running into her as we walked.
Simone gave me a look and nudged my shoulder with hers. “So …,” she said. “Who’s the guy?” She was friends with me on Facebook, and she’d liked several of my posts over the summer. “And why haven’t you posted very many pics? Dude is hot!”
I stopped walking and took a deep breath. Part of me didn’t want to say a thing, and another part (the part that had never really left high school) wanted to squeal and show her the approximately seventeen thousand photos of Dieter on my phone and brag about how I was dating a freaking movie star.
“His name is Dieter,” I said. “We met at a bookstore in L.A. back in June.”
“Dieter? Unusual name.” Simone prompted. “What does he do? Where does he live? Come on, I need details!”
I pulled out my phone. “He’s an actor. And he lives in L.A. so it’s kind of a long distance thing.”
“A real actor or one of those waiters who says he’s an actor but never actually does anything,” she asked, her head tilted to one side. I remembered her talking once about a guy she dated right after college who claimed to be an actor but really waited tables at an Applebee’s in Burbank and tried to slip headshots to studio execs.
“A real actor,” I said proudly. “He hasn’t waited tables in years.” I laughed as I opened up my photo gallery and pulled up the most recent picture. Dieter was leaning toward me across the table at a little bistro we’d had lunch at on Saturday. His hair was messy, as usual when he didn’t have a stylist to tame it, and he was wearing an old t-shirt that had a small hole near the collar. But he was giving me one of those smoldering looks that could so easily turn into a goofy face or lead to a passionate kiss, depending on his mood.
“Whew!” Simone said, fanning herself. “I can see why you want to hide him. Post too many pics like that and everyone will be crawling out the woodwork to try to steal him.”
“What you looking at?” It was Tyler, another of my favorite teachers. He also taught English and I’d gone to happy hour a few times with him and his wife, who was a graphic artist who dreamed of writing a graphic novel someday. She was also a big sci fi nerd, just like Tyler. He was more into Star Wars, while Sofia was more into Star Trek, but they loved both.
Tyler peeked over my shoulder at the phone. “Oh, hey, good taste,” he said. “Sof is crazy about him, too.”
Simone frowned. “How does Sof know Emily’s boyfriend?”
Tyler laughed. “That’s the guy from Cliff Beasts 6,” he said. “Dieter Bravo, right?”
Simone’s eyes got huge and she smacked my arm. “Get out! You couldn’t lead with that?”
Now Tyler’s eyes got wide. “Are you shitting me? You know him?”
I felt my face go hot. “Um, yeah,” I stumbled. “We’ve been dating for about two months.”
Tyler got a goofy grin on his face. “This is the mysterious boyfriend you mentioned on Facebook? Oh, Sof is going to freak out. Wait until I tell her you’re fucking Dieter Bravo.” He froze. “You are fucking him, right? I mean … two months …”
Now I was mortified but also secretly pleased. “Yes, Tyler, not that it’s any of your business, but yes, I am sleeping with my boyfriend,” I said after I’d regained a bit of composure..
“Well, you are now officially the coolest person I’ve ever met,” Tyler said. “And you’ve gotten me a couple of degrees closer to George Lucas.” He winked. He’d once told an entire bar that he was only four degrees removed from the creator of Star Wars because he was cousins with someone who worked with a guy who did electrical work on the set for Empire Strikes Back and had taken his orders from a guy who got his orders from an assistant director who reported directly to Lucas. “I mean, you’re sleeping with a guy who did a movie with Darren Eigan, who interned with George.”
Simone rolled her eyes. “You are so weird,” she said. Simone was more into historical fiction, mysteries, and thrillers than sci fi and fantasy, but I knew she had a soft spot in her heart for the Lord of the Rings films and had admitted to watching Game of Thrones, although she hadn’t read the books. “But seriously, Emily, I’m happy for you.” She glanced at her watch. “Oops, department meeting in five minutes. I’d better hit the bathroom. Talk to you later!”
She and Tyler hurried away toward their building and I headed for the library building. Time to face Eileen’s interrogation.
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By the time I got home, I was mentally exhausted. I’d managed to dodge most of Eileen’s questions, giving her only the basics: I was dating a guy who lived in L.A., we’d met over the summer, he worked in the entertainment industry. She’d find out the rest of the details eventually, but I decided to make her work for them.
I spent the day reconfiguring the textbook checkout schedule as teachers changed their minds about which books they needed and which days they wanted to bring their students for checkout. The spreadsheet was morphing into monstrous proportions by the end of the day, but our textbook clerk wasn’t as proficient in Excel as I was (which wasn’t saying much) so the task always ended up in my lap.
I got home, kicked off my shoes, put my hair in a messy ponytail and poured myself a glass of wine. Normally, I waited until Fridays to indulge, but the first day back was always an exception. As I flipped through my mail (all junk, of course) my phone buzzed on the coffee table.
“Hey,” I said as I swiped to answer.
“Hey,” Dieter said. “I take it you survived.” He chuckled. I’d texted him at one point lamenting the brain cells I was losing trying to juggle the schedule.
“Barely,” I said. “Thank goodness for wine.”
I settled back against the couch cushions and told him about my day. It was weird, after being off work all summer, to not only be back in my normal routine, but sharing it with Dieter. So far our relationship had been very relaxed and I was still afraid that it would end up just being a summer fling, once the responsibilities of work and life started to assert themselves.
“I wish I was there to give you a back rub,” he said when I’d finished venting. “Or foot rub, or whatever’s hurting you rub.” He sighed. “I have an interview at two on Friday but I’m heading out as soon as it’s over.” We’d agreed to alternate weekends; this would be the first time he was coming to my place, and I felt a frisson of fear and excitement. I’d been at his house so much over the summer, mostly because there was nothing interesting to do in my neck of the woods, but partly because I was hesitant to bring him to my modest condo.
“Are you sure you don’t mind driving out here on a Friday night?” I asked. “The traffic will be horrible. You could wait and come out Saturday morning.”
“No!,” he said immediately. “I want every minute I can get with you.”
I smiled and sat my wineglass down. I curled up with the phone. “That’s sweet,” I said.
“It’s the truth,” he said softly, his voice dropping to a sexy growl. If we’d been in the same room, this was about the time he’d slide an arm around me and lean in for the first of many, many kisses. “I can’t believe how much I miss you, and I saw you yesterday.” Then he proceeded to tell me exactly how much he missed me, and what he planned to do when he saw me on Friday. Needless to say, I didn’t get around to fixing myself some dinner until much, much later than I’d planned.
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Friday finally arrived. I was completely exhausted by the time I got home. I knew it would be another couple of hours before Dieter arrived, and I told myself I was just going to sit down for a few minutes to rest before I cleaned up the place. The first week back was always hectic and I hadn’t done any household chores all week, except for a quick sweep of the kitchen floor after I spilled a box of rice on Wednesday night.
I slipped my shoes off, sat down on the couch and put my feet up on the coffee table. “Just five minutes,” I told myself as I closed my eyes.
The next thing I knew, there was a knock at the door and I bolted upright, drool dripping from the corner of my mouth. “Shit, shit, shit,” I mumbled as I lurched to my feet. I hoped my face didn’t have creases on it from being smashed into the couch cushion but I didn’t have time to worry about it as I fumbled with the deadbolt and pulled the door open.
Dieter stood on the doorstep, overnight bag slung over his shoulder and a bottle of something in his hand. He broke into a huge grin and threw his arms around me. “You weren’t kidding about the traffic,” he said into my hair. “Fuck, that was a mess.” He pulled back enough to kiss me on the lips, then hugged me tight again.
“Come in, come in,” I said, when he’d loosened his grip a bit. “Sorry the place is a mess, I fell asleep when I got home.”
He made an “are you kidding?” face and dropped his bag next to the couch. “It looks great,” he said kindly. “And I’m sure you were tired after such a busy week.” He sat the bottle on the coffee table and I could see the label. It was a top shelf brand of tequila. He shrugged as he saw me looking at it. “A friend gave it to me and I thought we could toast your first week back at work. Or get drunk enough that you forget all about it, depending on how bad it was.”
He plopped onto the couch and pulled me down beside him. “This was the longest week ever,” he said as he slid his arms around me and started nuzzling my neck.
“Tell me about it,” I said, playing with his hair. “But at least this year I had you to look forward to at the end of it.” He hummed in agreement and we stopped talking for quite a while.
Eventually, though, my stomach growled. Our lunch break during textbook checkouts was ridiculously early so we could deal with the hordes of students who stopped by on their lunch break to pick up books they’d forgotten to get earlier in the week.
“Okay,” Dieter said. “The stomach has spoken. What shall we have for dinner? Any good restaurants around here that deliver?”
Now I was really embarrassed. “Not really,” I admitted. “Mostly fast food and a few chain restaurants out by the mall. Um, there’s a nice deli near the grocery store I go to, but I think they might be closed already.” I glanced at the clock on my wall and sure enough, it was well after six o’clock.
“I did see an In-n-Out from the freeway a few exits back,” Dieter said hesitantly. I had already teased him at least once about his seeming addiction to Double Doubles and animal style fries.
“There’s one about five minutes from here, actually,” I said. “That’s one decent thing around here. Come on.” I stood up, adjusted my disheveled blouse and held out my hand. I grabbed my purse, dug out my keys and led Dieter outside to my car.
Ten minutes later, we were in line at the drive through at my local In-n-Out. As usual, it was packed, with both order lanes practically out of the parking lot and threatening to spill onto the street. Still, it had a much bigger lot than the one near Dieter’s house and no cars were actually blocking traffic.
I pulled into the lane that went on the left hand side of the building, since I had a passenger. It was usually a bit shorter than the other one, since anyone driving alone had to use the other lane. Still, there were several cars ahead of us as the order taker bounced back and forth between both lanes, tapping away at his tablet.
“Let me guess,” I said. “Double Double and animal style fries, right?”
Dieter arched an eyebrow at me. “Actually, no,” he said primly. “You don’t know me as well as you think you do.”
When the order taker got to us, he came up on Dieter’s side. “Double Double animal style,” Dieter said. “Cheeseburger, grilled onions. Two orders of fries.” He turned to me smugly. “What do you want to drink, babe?”
“Iced tea,” I said.
He shook his head. “Regular iced tea and a chocolate shake,” he said, completing our order. After the order taker read it back, I put the window back up and poked Dieter in the side.
“I knew it,” I said.
“What?,” he said innocently. “You said a Double Double and animal style fries. I ordered regular fries and an animal style burger. That’s totally different.”
Now it was my turn to shake my head. “Still.”
He shrugged. “They have like two things on the menu, there’s not much room for variation.”
He insisted on paying at the window, much to the delight of the girl working the register, who clearly recognized him and giggled a little when he handed her a twenty. She very carefully placed his change in his hand, letting her fingers linger just a bit too long.
“Stop flirting,” I stage-whispered at him while we were waiting for the food to come up.
“I’m not flirting,” he said. “I’m just being polite. She’s the one who's flirting.”
I shook my head. “You just want extra ketchup packets,” I said. “You’re such an In-n-Out whore.”
“I admit it,” he said proudly. Just then, the window opened back up and the girl handed out our drinks, followed by an iconic white bag.
“Have a great evening!,” she said.
“Thank you, you too!” Dieter said. I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he’d winked at her because she giggled again.
I smacked his arm as I pulled away. “Behave yourself,” I said, “or you’re sleeping on the couch tonight.”
He was busy peering into the bag. “Ha, it was worth it. She gave us ten ketchups.” He pulled out a few fries and shoved them in his mouth. He turned to me with them hanging from his lips. “Wan’ som’?,” he mumbled.
“Of course,” I said. I opened my mouth and he carefully placed a couple of fries between my lips. “Oh, yeah, that’s the ticket,” I moaned as the crispy potatoes hit my tongue. I was a bit of an In-n-Out whore myself.
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We ate at my dining table, leaving behind a mess of burger wrappers, crumpled napkins and empty ketchup packets. I scooped it all up into the bag and shoved it into my trash can, which was already full and needed to be taken out to the garbage bin, but I was too tired to do it that night. I just pushed it down enough for the lid to close and walked away. I’d deal with it in the morning.
We retired to the couch, where Dieter started scrolling through the cable guide. “Um, is this all the channels you get?,” he asked. When I nodded, he gave me a scandalized look. “No HBO? No Netflix?”
“No, just basic cable,” I said, taking the remote away from him. “I don’t watch a whole lot of TV during the week and if I want movies, I have some DVDs.” I waved the remote vaguely at the cabinet next to the TV stand. Dieter got up and opened the door, staring into it like it was a fridge and he was looking for a snack. Finally, he turned back to me.
“Your selection of films leaves much to be desired,” he said solemnly.
I’d figured as much. He had an extensive DVD collection as well as several streaming subscriptions. My meager collection of favorite rom-coms and musicals, with a sprinkling of sci fi and fantasy (I had the original Star Wars trilogy and the Lord of the Rings extended editions) was severely lacking in comparison.
“Sorry,” I said. “Next time you come over, bring some DVDs.” He sat back down next to me and took the remote back. He scrolled through the channel guide again, finally settling on an obscure film noir on one of the classic movie channels. I snuggled up against his side, only half paying attention to the film. I was still tired, despite my nap, and had a full stomach. My eyes slowly drifted shut.
I woke up to the sound of Dieter’s soft laughter. “You were snoring,” he said quietly when I looked up at him. “Maybe we should go to bed.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, yawning. “I’m not much fun right now, am I?”
“It’s okay,” he said. “We’ve got the whole weekend.” He hugged me close and kissed the top of my head.
“You can stay up and watch TV if you want,” I said. It was barely eight thirty and I knew he was used to going to bed much later than that.
“Nah,” he said, clicking the television off. “Not much on anyway.” He smirked and I swatted at him.
“Jerk,” I said. “Making fun of my cable selection. Not all of us have Hollywood money to finance our movie obsession.” I tempered my words with a kiss pressed against the grey spot in his patchy beard.
I got up and headed for the bedroom before he could respond. I grabbed my nightshirt from the dresser and went into the bathroom to change. When I came out, Dieter was already in the bedroom, getting undressed. Unlike me, he had no qualms about removing his clothes in front of me. I busied myself turning down the bed, which I’d made up with fresh sheets that morning, even though it had made me ten minutes late for work. Dieter had a lovely, comfortable king size bed, while mine was a serviceable full size, big enough for two people, but just barely.
“Ahh,” he said as he slid under the covers clad only in a clean pair of boxers. “Nothing better than fresh sheets, am I right?”
I slipped in beside him and turned off the bedside lamp. “Especially when you’ve just shaved your legs,” I said.
“Well, I’ll take your word for that,” he said with a laugh. He pulled me close and slid one foot up and down my calf. “But it does feel nice to me.” His hand began to trace patterns on my thigh, creeping slowly up toward my panties. His other hand cupped the back of my head and he began to kiss me gently but urgently.
After a few minutes, he stopped. “You’re not really into it this evening are you?,” he asked. It was true; I was not very enthusiastic in my responses but I was willing to keep going for his sake.
“No, it’s okay,” I said. I ran my hand through his hair and pulled his face close, kissing him deeply.
“No, it’s not,” he said when I pulled back. “You’re tired. We can just go to sleep.”
“I told you to just wait and come in the morning,” I said, feeling miserable. “You drove all that way in horrible traffic for nothing.”
“Not for nothing,” he said. “We’ve had several hours together already. And I got In-n-Out. I think that’s worth the drive.” He kissed my forehead. “We’ve got the whole weekend to fool around. Don’t feel bad. I’d never want you to just go through the motions because you feel like you owe me.” He rubbed his hand up and down my back. “Just relax and get some rest, okay?”
I nodded against his chest, my head tucked under his chin. “Okay,” I said. “But I’ll make it up to you tomorrow night.”
“You’d better,” he teased, his hand sliding down to gently cup my ass. It was still there when I fell asleep a few minutes later. Maybe sharing a full sized bed instead of a king wasn’t so bad after all.
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I woke up slightly disoriented. For one thing, it was nearly nine thirty, and the sunlight was streaming through a gap in the curtains, hitting me right in the eye. For another, there was something heavy squashing me into the mattress.
I squirmed out from underneath Dieter, who was face down, sprawled across three quarters of the bed, and snoring softly. “Whatsit,” he muttered as I slipped out from under the sheets.
”Morning,” I replied. “Gotta pee.”
“What time’s it?,” he sighed.
“Nine twenty six.”
”Shit. Gotta get up then.” Dieter had an unspoken rule. Despite his love of sleeping in, he had to be up by nine forty five or the day was shot. Even if he’d been out until three the night before, if he wasn’t up and dressed (approximately) before ten am he felt like a failure.
”You’ve got a few minutes,” I said, leaning down to kiss his forehead. “I’ll run to Starbucks and get you some coffee as soon as I get dressed. Breakfast, too.”
I didn’t drink much coffee and so didn’t own a coffee maker. Fortunately, like most places in the free world, there was a Starbucks roughly every three blocks even out here in the IE, and I knew of at least five within a ten minute drive of my house. One was even close enough to walk to, except Dieter was in no position to walk any further than the bathroom without a caffeine infusion.
Dieter mumbled something that could have been “thank you” or possibly “fuck you” — it was hard to tell with his morning incoherence. Whether he was thanking me for braving the world or cursing me for not owning an espresso machine was a toss of the coin. Either way, he’d forget all about it by the time I got back.
I threw on some shorts and a tank top. August was brutal and with the sun already up, I knew it would be at least 80 degrees outside, if not hotter. “You want hot or iced?” I asked, poking my head into the bedroom before I left.
Dieter made a vague waving motion with his hand. “I need more than that,” I said.
“Hot,” Dieter said through the pillow. “No, wait.” He rolled halfway over. “ S’August, right? Cold.”
By the time I’d driven to Starbucks, ordered his four shots of espresso over ice, my iced tea and two breakfast sandwiches, and returned home, Dieter had managed to put on a t-shirt and stagger out to the couch. His hair stood up in all directions and his eyes were barely open, but at least he was sitting up.
”Give,” he said, reaching out for the coffee. He’d downed a third of it by the time I handed him his sandwich. “Thank you,” he said. “The elixir of life.”
It was strange to be sitting on my couch, in my living room, with Dieter beside me. Saturday mornings were normally my alone time. After a long week at work, they were my quiet bubble of peace, before I started running errands and doing chores I hadn’t had time for during the week. My routine was completely shattered and I didn’t know what to do.
”Um,” I said, after I’d eaten about half my sandwich. “So, what do you want to do today? I usually do my shopping and stuff on Saturdays, but I can put it off until after you leave tomorrow. I don’t want to bore you.”
Dieter took a long sip of coffee. “Whatever,” he said, which wasn’t helpful at all. “It’s gonna be hot, so maybe we could stay in? Watch a movie? Fool around?” He raised an eyebrow suggestively, which would have been hot if his hair hadn’t been doing the Alfalfa thing.
”Netflix and chill, except without the Netflix,” I mused. “Sounds good to me.” I ran my hand over his head. “But you need to at least brush your hair first. Kind of hard to get turned on when you look like a giant toddler.”
”This giant toddler is going to rock your world,” he growled. When I didn’t respond, his face fell. “Too weird?”
”Extremely weird,” I replied. “Even for you, Deet. Please cross ‘giant toddler’ off the list of fantasies you have in your head.”
”Done,” he said. 
“And brush your teeth before you kiss me, Coffee Breath.”
He groaned and collapsed against the cushions. “Too many rules! Comb your hair, brush your teeth … I thought you were fun.”
“I am fun. I’m also a grown-ass person and I have minimum standards of hygiene.”
*************************************************
Sex with Dieter was … interesting. He was vastly more experienced than I was — I suspect he’d been with more men than I had — but he was the king of consent. He asked permission before doing anything, even if we’d done it before. And he was surprisingly polite. “Oops, sorry,” was more frequently said in his bed than any other phrase. 
“I’m not a porcelain vase,” I told him when he apologized for gripping me a little too tight. “I won’t break.”
”But I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose. “I never ever want to hurt you.”
”Believe me, if you hurt me, you’ll know,” I assured him. “I won’t hesitate to scream.”
He arched his brow. “The only thing I want you screaming is my name.” He burrowed his face into my throat and peppered me with kisses.
Then the smoke detector peeped.
”What the fuck?” Dieter’s head popped up.
I sighed. “Smoke alarm. It wants its battery changed.” I had a running feud with the unit. I invariably decided its battery was too old in the middle of the night, and because it was located about a foot away from the bed, that meant I had to drag out my step stool in order to access it. The step stool that lived in the closet next to the kitchen.
I slid out of bed, grabbing my robe off the floor. “I’ll be right back,” I said. “There’s a new battery in the drawer of the nightstand. I’m going to get the step stool.”
”I might be able to reach it …” Dieter was saying as I left the bedroom. He was tall but he wasn’t tall enough to reach the alarm without assistance, so I continued toward the kitchen, rooted around in the closet and pulled out the step stool.
I returned to the bedroom just in time to see a naked Dieter teetering on the edge of the bed, his fingertips almost reaching the smoke alarm. “Be careful!” I cried.
”I’m fine,” he said. “Just need to get a little bit closer …” His foot inched toward the edge of the mattress and it all happened in slow motion. The mattress gave way, he lost his balance and fell, hitting the nightstand on the way down. The lamp fell with him and its glass base shattered. Then Dieter landed on top of it.
”Shit!,” he yelled, as time returned to normal speed. “My ass!” A shard of glass was embedded in the muscle of his right butt cheek.
“Don’t panic,” I said, my heart racing. I wasn’t entirely sure if I was talking to him or myself. “It doesn’t look too bad …”
Dieter pulled the glass out of his flesh and it started to bleed. A lot. “It hurts, Em. Oh, shit, it hurts.”
I grabbed the first thing I could find — his dirty t shirt — and pressed it firmly against his butt to stop the bleeding. “I think … I think we need to go to the emergency room,” I said. “It might need stitches.”
”No way,” he said through gritted teeth. “I am not going to the ER. Last thing I need is word getting out that Dieter Bravo went to the hospital because he had something stuck in his ass.”
”You’re bleeding, Deet,” I said. “And that gash is pretty deep.” I peeked under the wadded up t shirt. “I don’t think it’ll close up without stitches.”
”Shit, shit, shit,” he said. “Okay, but I’m using a fake name.”
”Your insurance card has your real name on it,” I reminded him, as I helped him off the floor. He grimaced in pain as he sat gingerly on the bed. “Let’s get some clothes on you and I’ll take you to the hospital.”
The ER was packed because it was a Saturday night. I tried to explain to the nurse at the desk that Dieter was bleeding, in pain, and didn’t want to be recognized, but he simply shrugged and said, “We have to triage everyone based on the severity of their injury. We’ll get to him as fast as we can.”
Dieter was whisked into a back room for vitals and then sent back out to the waiting room with me. “My butt hurts,” he whispered in my ear as he sat carefully in the chair next to me.
“Duh,” I replied. “Try not to think about it.” I looked around the room. There were several people with bloody rags and bandages pressed to various bits of their anatomy, but Dieter seemed to be the only one with an injury to his bottom, except possibly the guy who kept running urgently to the restroom.
”It’s throbbing,” he said, pulling his ball cap further down onto his forehead. He was also wearing sunglasses, which only made him stand out further considering it was after midnight.
”I can’t kiss it and make it better,” I told him. “I wish I could.”
He snorted. “You just admitted you want to kiss my ass,” he said. At least his sense of humor was still intact.
“Who doesn’t?” I teased back. “You’re Dieter fucking Bravo.”
Fortunately, no one recognized him (or at least, no one acted on it if they did) and we only had to wait about forty minutes before a nurse called him into the back.
”Can she come with?,” he asked.
”Of course,” the nurse said. “Right this way.”
We were led to a curtained off bed tucked in a corner of a busy room. People were moaning and cursing and crying, some tucked behind curtains, others slumped in wheelchairs. Dieter winced. “I hate hospitals,” he whispered.
”So do I.” I’d spent far too much time in them when my parents were ill, and the memories were always lurking just beneath the surface. I focused on Dieter and willed my stomach to unclench.
A doctor breezed in and quickly examined Dieter. “Ooh, nasty laceration there,” he said. “But we’ll get it cleaned up and stitched in no time. It should heal up easily. You might have a scar but who’s going to see it?”
”She will,” Dieter said, nodding toward me. “And maybe the whole world if I have to do a nude scene.”
The doctor tilted his head and frowned, then it hit him. “Oh, you’re that Mr. Bravo. Wow. Wouldn’t have expected to see you around here.”
”Girlfriend,” Dieter said, wincing as the doctor dabbed at the wound with antiseptic. “Lives. Near. Here.”
“And it says you fell on a broken lamp?”
Dieter groaned, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t because of his injury. This doctor was going to have a great story to share with his friends and colleagues — and possibly the gossip websites.
”Look, I was trying to change the battery in a smoke alarm. I fell off the bed, broke the lamp, landed on it. Please, don’t spread it around. I feel like an idiot.” Dieter gave the doctor his best puppy dog eyes.
”I’ve seen weirder stuff,” the doctor said, preparing a hypodermic needle of local anesthetic. He jabbed it into Dieter’s butt. “I could tell you stories … but that would be unethical. And I won’t tell yours, either.” He patted Dieter’s rump. “Give that a moment to kick in and I’ll start stitching.”
I held Dieter’s hand as he laid on the bed, grunting now and then as the sutures tugged at his skin. “This is humiliating,” he muttered.
“It’s character building,” I said, squeezing his hand. “You’ll be a better man after this.”
He squinted at me. “How could I possibly be better than I am right now?”
”Maybe the doctor can trim your ego while he’s at it,” I shot back.
”I hate you,” Dieter said.
“No, you don’t,” I said. “You’re just in pain. A pain in the butt.”
”Literally,” he said, wincing as the doctor tied off the last stitch.
”There you go,” the doctor said. “The local will wear off in a bit, but we’ll get you some pain killers so you’ll be more comfortable.”
Dieter bit at his lower lip and shot me a look.
“Um, maybe we can just do something over the counter?” I asked.
“I’ve been in rehab,” Dieter blurted out. “I don’t want narcotics if I don’t have to.”
The doctor nodded. “Fair enough. I’ll give you a shot of toradol and you can use Motrin or Tylenol once that wears off. And stop by the pharmacy to get one of those donut pillows. Then you can sit without putting direct pressure on the wound. You’ll be fine in a few days, a week at most. Check in with your primary care physician as soon as you can, and make an appointment to get the stitches removed in about ten days.”
**************************************
By the time we got home from the hospital, it was close to 2 am. I helped Dieter out of the car and back to the bedroom. “Sorry about all this,” he said as he got undressed.
”It’s okay,” I said. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, but this hasn’t turned out to be the romantic weekend we thought it would be.”
“It’s okay,” I repeated, not sure what else to say. The weekend had turned into a bit of a shit show, but it wasn’t his fault. It was just bad luck. I got him into bed and then fetched a dustpan and broom to sweep up the shards of broken lamp that still littered the floor. Thank goodness I didn’t have carpeting, or it would have taken me much longer to clean up.
Dieter was dozing off by the time I changed back into my night shirt and crawled in beside him. “Thanks for taking care of me,” he said sleepily.
”Of course,” I said, snuggling against him. He was lying on his left side, facing me. His breath was warm on my face. “What did you expect me to do, dump you off at the ER?” I was teasing, but he was serious.
”No, I mean it,” he said. “Thanks for not complaining about having to drive me there, being up late, cleaning up the mess … I really appreciate it.” He kissed my nose and then pressed his forehead against mine. “It’s nice.”
I knew a little bit about his past. I figured this had something to do with his mother. He’d alluded to her being a bit aloof. She wasn’t a very nurturing mother, from what I’d gathered. I could imagine her complaining about having to drive her son to the hospital.
”You’re welcome,” I said. “Now get some rest. Your body needs to heal.”
”I broke my butt,” he said, laughing gently. “My butt needs to heal.”
”Poor broke-butt man,” I said. “Go to sleep.”
”Yes, ma’am,” he mumbled, nuzzling against my neck.
As he fell asleep, the thought came into my head like a bolt of lightning. I love him. I ran my fingers through his hair, relishing the feel of his silky locks against my skin. I love this man. I wondered if he loved me, too.
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crplpunkklavier · 1 year ago
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hi this is maybe a weird question and im sorry if so, and also sorry if its different between germany and america, but like how did u go about finding these bdsm events to go to? i think id like to start looking into that sort of thing, but barring just googling "bdsm events in [local city]" i have no clue where to start—and if it is that simple, do u have any tips for someone interested but with Zero experience in the community? again sorry to bother, i just kinda figure id rather ask a real person before i start blindly googling stuff 😭
hey no problem! i think you're very right to go to a real person with this, google can be confusing at best with kink stuff lol
my answer is fetlife! idk if you've ever heard of it, the initiated like to joke that it's "kinky facebook," which is sort of true. you can make a free account there, and don't worry, it luckily doesn't actually have anything to do with facebook, this kink website is not going to harvest your data the way fb would, and you are under no obligation to tell anyone there your name or even where you live. but! you can then filter events by location, and you should find at least a few munches in your area.
i always advise some caution with fetlife, because it is also used as a social network, and that means you can meet the same amount of assholes there as you can meet on any other social network. chances are if you have a fet account then someone will sooner or later hit you up to try and use it as a dating website, but that doesn't have to be what you use fet for. i at this point pretty much only use it to keep track of events in my area, and occasionally to look at other people's shibari pics for inspiration.
anyway. not to immediately shift into dad mode. you can curate your own online safety lmao the last thing i just wanted to say is that in my experience the US actually tends to be much more active on fet than germany! it is an english-speaking site. so im keeping my fingers crossed that theres something fun going on in ur area
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ninaaasthings · 1 year ago
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How did ICT help us?
Over the years it has helped us in many ways, we use it every time we need to know something or if we need information about something we don't know, today in this blog i will talk about how ICT helps us at home, school and in communicating with people.
In school, it helps students give information about something that they want to learn or know, It also became a digital library. This accessibility fosters independent research skills and encourages a deeper understanding of subjects. This also gives students and teachers to have more topics and ideas that can be a wide knowledge. It also promotes teacher and student communication, This seamless communication fosters a supportive learning environment.
At home, it helps online workers or work from home parents that can't leave their kids to someone or are always busy, and it can be used for communication with the other relatives that you can't meet. At home you can monitor your physical health without going to the doctor you can just download an app that can keep track of your health, and can keep track of your daily tasks. ICT also helps us in online shopping if you don't like going to the mall to buy something you need.
In communicating, you can use it to stay in touch with your friends, family and for business. Also a social media platform that lets us post our pics to update, app examples are Facebook and Instagram where you can post pictures and videos. This promotes cross-cultural understanding and facilitates global conversations. And it keeps us updated to news if there's a typhoon or any natural disasters.
In conclusion, ICT can be helpful to anyone and can be more helpful in the future. ICT is not only about devices; it's about how it gives us information and gives us opportunities to connect in our environment too.
What about you? What did ict help you in? Join the conversation now by commenting on your experience! Let's celebrate the transformative power of ICT in building a more connected and empowered future together.
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teenageread · 3 months ago
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Review: People We Meet on Vacation
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Initial Thoughts:
This is a classic summertime read! Emily Henry held nothing back as this novel contained romance, adventure, traveling trips, and a lot of sun. What I loved most about this book was all the summer adventures Henry put on characters through, and how we actually got chapters dedicated to the previous summer. Alex and Poppy, friends from freshman year of university, had twelve beautiful summer adventures with each other, in which Henry starts the novel off with them not talking due to what happened two summers ago. This was the best part, and especially how these trips were realistic based on their age and what was happening in their life. There was no jetting off to Mexico fresh out of college, but a realistic mid-America adventure with cheap hotels and even cheaper meals. Henry wrote this novel moving between the present-day Palm Spring trips, past summer vacations marked by their year number, and slowly getting closer from summer 12 to summer 2 which is what ended our dynamic duo before the present day. This added suspense to this novel, as while you were having fun learning about the previous trips and current adventures, you were itching to know what happened during that summer, which made this novel fly through your hands.
Characters:
Henry wrote Poppy and Alex to be complete opposites in style and manner, yet kindred spirits in their hearts. When told from Poppy’s perspective, Henry gave us insight into our loud and colorful girl, who was looking for love in all the wrong places. Her cheery personality made the story shine, and you wanted what was best for Poppy, and supported her as she tried to make this disaster of a trip into the “good old days” despite being too old to go without A/C in July. Unfortunately Poppy is too stuck in the past to see what is happening in front of her, as she tries to make something that is clearly not working work, to hold onto Alex and get their friendship - or relationship - back on track. As we explore previous summers Poppy admits to herself when she first fell in love with Alex, and you can tell he was in love with her from the beginning. After all, how could Alex, our dressed coded, agenda planned, ruler follower of a human, agree to go on a trip that they definitely cannot afford, yet through the sketchy deals and Facebook groups, managed to get there on the cheap. Alex, despite his strictness to life and routines, is someone you can also easily fall for, and I loved that throughout the novel he is consistently nice and gentle in every situation. Side characters in this novel also really pop off, making this story enjoyable for all of Poppy and Alex’s relationships. I love Poppy’s best friend, Rachel, she was a delight every time I heard about her, and I loved how she brought out another side of Poppy that Alex did not. Poppy’s boss, Swpna, was also a delight who added more to Poppy’s idea of the future in a career, which this novel needed. Not many side characters stuck out from Alex’s point of view, besides his ex-girlfriend, who was only a character to give Poppy someone to hate and blame for Alex and her break up. Henry had a knack for characters, and I just loved the connections they built with them throughout the novel through great conversations, and plotlines that make sense, as this slow burn of a romance was built off of years of anticipation. 
Plot / Writing:
Again, I absolutely love the plot of this novel, the focus of two friends and their yearly summer adventures, that Henry actually gave us in every other chapter split from the present day (Palm Springs Trip), to previous summers, as we make our way to the end of the novel, where Henry finally tells us what happened that second summer, and we complete the romance of Poppy and Alex of if our two best friends are meant to be more than friends. With the switching between present days and summer pasts, Henry keeps the plot moving quickly, leaving you wanting to know what their next summer adventure is, and figure out if the tension will ever cool it in Palm Springs. With great banter between Poppy and Alex, the characters felt real, and thus the decisions they made mattered to you as a reader. Where there was a bit of sex in the novel, I felt it was fine enough and late enough in the novel to make sense, and where graphic, Henry made it appropriately timed to really add more flair to the story. With some unexpected twists happening throughout, this book reads and feels like a rom-com and is the perfect read for any summer vacation. 
Conclusion: 
Emily Henry wrote the perfect summer story of sunny beaches, adventures, misadventures, and a whole lot of romance and missed opportunities and Poppy and Alex, two summer best friends, finally open up about their feelings in the best possible way. Truly a summer rom-com in a novel, and I cannot wait for the movie to come out! 
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awarmbowlofhomemadesoup · 3 years ago
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More Roleswap AU Part 2: Defense Attorney Miles’ Frustrating Friendship with Prosecutor Phoenix
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Continuing from how Prosecutor Phoenix’s dysfunctional way of caring with people that mattered to him affects them, the one with Miles took a post of its own. 
So from what I’ve said from my other post, “Phoenix has a big heart but it's twisted from growing up from Manfred's emotional abuse of control and shame. So if Phoenix's heart is a house, the door is open but they're only allowed on the porch, looking in but blocked by Phoenix himself from ever getting inside. ”
So how does this affects Miles Edgeworth?
When child Phoenix Wright suddenly moved out without warning, young Miles and Gregory treated it as a case that needed to be investigated. They found out that Phoenix’s parent died. That Manfred von Karma, whom Gregory had called out his evidence tampering, adopted him (Gregory didn’t like this at all). That Manfred moved back to Germany with Phoenix (Gregory didn’t like this at all even more). Gregory could only hope and assure Miles that since Manfred has a daughter, Manfred had taken in Phoenix sincerely. Miles was not convinced.
Miles tried writing letters to the address that Gregory had gotten. There was no response but they knew the letters were being received. Gregory tried to write a letter to Manfred but was replied with a formal but kind of deranged “fuck around and find out and it’s none of your beeswax and you will one day get retribution for marring my perfect record” letter. Gregory kept that letter to himself in order not to worry Mile who was looking forward to them meeting again as there is a possibility that Phoenix would become a lawyer too.
If Defense Attorney Wright had ADHD with no friendship degradation mechanics, I headcanon that Miles has autism with attachment to his childhood friendship with Phoenix. 
He had tried online means of communicating years later. Phoenix doesn’t bother with facebook. Miles sent an email and got a superficial response. When he replied to that to build into it, it was ignored.
It doesn’t help at all when they met again as prosecutor and defense attorney with Gregory having been murdered and having to defend the daughter of a family friend that he had only heard of.
Prosecutor Phoenix felt anything but peace when Miles broke his perfect record. Of course, it would be the smart kid who had defended him who would defeat him. His once perfect record was the only thing that Manfred von Karma couldn’t touch of him, now Miles took that away in his idealistic righteousness of saving people who don’t deserve (funnily enough, Phoenix included himself in that). It didn’t help that Miles’ righteousness rubbed him the wrong way with how Miles had looked at him with anger and sadness and disappointment because who was he to feel? They were in a courtroom. (See Closed Off Phoenix mode)
When Will Powers got arrested, Phoenix knew that Miles is a big fan of Steel Samurai. He was going to rip Miles a new one in court with this case by getting a guilty verdict on his favorite actor. Much to Miles and Maya’s surprise, he changed his mind, not knowing it’s because Gumshoe told what happened with Dee Vasquez. (In this universe, Gumshoe had told Phoenix because despite their dysfunctional “friendship”, Prosecutor Phoenix is more approachable than Prosecutor Edgeworth)
Prosecutor Phoenix is just as surprised as them with his actions and hated himself for it. He wasn’t supposed to feel. Unlike Prosecutor Edgeworth who told Defense Attorney Wright that he doesn’t want to see him again, Prosecutor Phoenix did what von Karma would do to him: give him nothing. Defense Attorney Edeworth caught Phoenix’s eye and all Phoenix did was raised a brow and turn his back on him, little did Phoenix know, that had hurt Miles.
All Miles had wanted since Phoenix went away was to get his friend back. Maybe he had idealized the way childhood Phoenix had connected with him since it never happened again with other people his age growing up. Maybe that childhood Phoenix was gone. Logically, the best course of action was to move on, but it kinda hurt whenever he sees him.
The dynamic changed when Miles successfully defended Phoenix from murder of both cases. Phoenix was now more willing to talk to him but kept it professional. Miles who had always been socially awkward doesn’t know how to bridge the gap as much as he wanted to and as much as Maya tried to encourage him. Miles had tried to talk to Phoenix about what he had gone through because of Manfred but Phoenix would often try to keep it light. Phoenix does the 3 D’s: dodge, distract, dismiss. Any pushing further would upset the delicate balance that Miles was not confident to test.
After the Skye case, Phoenix felt he had no leg to stand on anymore. He had thought von Karma may have taught him, but all the cases he had won was through his own effort. Now, that was no longer true. Who was he anymore without the things that he used to believe in? It started to get worse when the pain and anger and grief and the nightmares that demanded to be felt came crashing down. Who was he without the constant battle with Manfred in and outside of his head? How could he?! Why had Phoenix never saw it before? He had failed people for becoming who he was. Do they even deserve...?
Phoenix was no stranger to blowing off shame and judgment. Also he worked best under high stress. So he went into Younger Beanix mode and created another identity to buy his tickets out of the country. Then when he met Miles again, intentionally made a dick move to anger him for a long time so that when Miles would hear that Phoenix left to take a sabbatical, he wouldn’t give a shit. Not to mention, Phoenix thought he didn’t deserve Miles care and he didn’t want to burden Miles with the need to save him again and again. He also blocked Franziska’s number and gave Gumshoe the wrong details of when he would leave and where just to cover his tracks. 
Miles eventually figured out when he disappeared that Phoenix had hurt him to prevent him from intervening. He was mad Phoenix at once he realized that and mad at himself for not realizing it sooner. And upset that he wasn’t enough. 
The emotional betrayal traumatized Miles when he already struggle with connecting with other people, especially when it’s Phoenix that he wanted to re-connect with the most. 
Miles Edgeworth had already closed his heart on Phoenix since then. He would’ve refused any communication with Phoenix if it wasn’t for the Engarde case. They had reached a degree of closure after but Phoenix wasn’t done with his sabbatical. 
As far as Phoenix was concerned, he wasn’t equal yet to Miles in terms of searching for the truth in the courtroom. With the best intentions, he was chasing after Miles professionally in quality. But within their friendship, some damage has been done. Phoenix still has the struggle to allow Miles and himself to be vulnerable without the need to dismiss, distract and dodge. In fact, he owed Kay, Gumshoe, Sebastian and Franziska of it too. And while Miles has partially opened his door to Phoenix again, he has to learn and trust Miles again beyond their professional partnership.
What About Trucy Gramarye?
Fortunately, Prosecutor Phoenix was in a better place by the time Trucy came around. When he was back in Japanifornia after Zak left Trucy, Phoenix sees a kid greeting him with a showman’s bravado in the face of abandonment and in the mercy strange adults. He cannot not adopt her and get her away from the mess.  
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voiceless-terror · 4 years ago
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In which Martin and Gerry help Jon acquire a cat, among other things. 
“Martin, look!”
A phone is shoved in his face; on the screen is a tiny black kitten sprawled on a carpet with the headline “Free to a Good Home!!” Martin knows where this is going.
“Finally time to bite the bullet, eh?”
“We could surprise him!” Gerry’s voice is animated as he waves his phone in the air. Martin loves when he gets like this, unguarded and sweet. “You know how stressed he’s been. Honestly, I’m shocked we haven’t gotten one already.”
“Well, he’s certainly been hinting at it.” Martin gestures broadly at the walls of the bookstore, decorated with various cozy knick knacks and art they’ve picked up at charity shops. There’s no less than three oddly majestic cat paintings along with a shelf of tiny porcelain felines, not to mention the gaudy clock that has cat breeds instead of numbers. Jon has...particular taste. “Not very subtle, is he?”
“Should I message them, then?” Gerry squints at the screen. “We met them at trivia a few months ago - Mara, the one with the-”
“Green hair, yeah.” Martin remembers the night rather fondly. Gerry usually spent most trivia nights scowling in the corner and making snarky commentary with Jon, but on that particular occasion he had a few drinks and was considerably more relaxed. He managed to charm half of the bar with his stories and wit while Jon stared on, adoration clear on his face.  “But you know Jon would kill us if we didn’t let him have a say. You know how he gets, he needs to prepare-”
“-buy ninety toys-”
“-think up a ridiculous name.” They both laugh at that- Jon’s got a penchant for renaming their friend’s pets when he doesn’t think their moniker “suits them.” He’s gotten into more than one fight about it. “Text him so he doesn’t stay late, though. I’m not staying up until midnight again.”
“On it.”
_______
They hear Jon before they see him. 
The door creaks open, alerting them to his presence as Jon lets out his usual long-suffering sigh (Gerry fondly calls this mood ‘The Bouchard Blues.’) His clothes are wrinkled and his eyes are barely open; from the slight indent on his face, Martin reckons he fell asleep at his desk again. Gerry meets him at the door, grabbing his bag and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Rough day, love?”
Another sigh, this one a bit more huffy. “Elias came in at half past four with a box of ninety random documents and wanted them all organized by tomorrow. Impossible, of course, unless I stay the night-”
“But you came home!” Gerry says it with a sort of wonder in his voice; Jon very rarely stands up to his boss, no matter how ridiculous the ask. 
“W-Well, you said it was important,” Jon looks between them with large, worried eyes. Always assuming the worst. “It’s nothing bad, is it?”
“Jon, I thought the twelve reassuring texts and afternoon phone call put that to rest,” Gerry replies as he steers them towards the couch. “Suppose I should’ve just told you. I wanted it to be a surprise.” He unlocks his phone and scrolls until he finds the ad, handing it over to Jon.
His eyes immediately light up, alert and awake. “Cat!”
“Cat,” Martin agrees, settling down beside them. “We were thinking of getting one for the bookstore-”
“Of course,” Jon’s smiling that rare, bright grin and Martin melts just a little. “It’s only logical. And I do like black cats-”
“Damn it!” Gerry groans, startling them both. He throws his phone down on the couch, crossing his arms in a sulk. “Someone just claimed her. I knew I should’ve said something-”
But Jon’s already fishing his phone out, his smile not dimming in the slightest. “There’s a shelter not too far from here- I’ll see if we have to make an appointment. Martin, can you call Georgie? She’s got an excellent carrier for the Admiral, and she can probably recommend other necessities-”
They end up going to bed at midnight anyway.
________
“I still don’t see why we had to order so much,” Martin complains after another confirmation email lights up his phone. The credit card bill’s going to be astronomical this month. “Surely we’re overpreparing. We don’t have room for the deluxe cat tower in the shop, and we certainly don’t need one for the flat as well.”
“I assure you these are all necessities, Martin.” Gerry and Martin are both fairly tall, but even they have trouble keeping up with Jon’s brisk pace, sharing a fond look over his head. Jon managed to find them a Saturday appointment with a rather impressive combination of wheedling and charm. When it came to cats, Jon didn’t pull his punches. They made it to the shelter in record time and Jon burst through the doors, his next words full of self-importance. “We’re expected. Jonathan Sims.”
They’re led back to a large room by an amused assistant, Jon at the front of their little line. Martin watches as his eyes light up upon seeing the many cages that lined the wall; even Gerry seems a bit excited, though he tries to hide it by hanging back. Gerry’s never been much of an animal person; he shares Jon’s distaste of loud and jumpy dogs too unpredictable in their behavior. He only just started getting used to the Admiral, and that was through much prodding on Jon’s part. Jon’s love is surprisingly infectious. 
Jon peers into each cage intently, answering every inquisitive noise with a prim “Pleased to meet you.” One of the first cages contains a fluffy brown cat with curious eyes and Martin stops to poke a finger through the door. “Walnut” (as provided by a helpful nameplate) does not respond, though she seems interested. 
Jon’s already halfway down the row before he stops in his tracks, eyes trained on a large, grumpy ball of gray fur sitting right at the bars of the cage. He’s missing an eye, and he begins to growl as soon as Jon nears him.
“This one.” He declares, staring as if entranced. He hasn’t even touched it or attempted to pet it- they’re locked in some sort of silent standoff. Martin’s reminded of those romantic comedies Jon and Gerry hate, where couples lock eyes across the room and it's love at first sight. He surreptitiously takes a picture. Adorable. 
“Jimmy?” The assistant inquires. Jon scoffs at the plainness of the name. “He’s been here awhile. Not very friendly, I’m afraid.”
“No, not Jimmy.” Jon offers up a hand, and the cat comes closer, sniffing at it with suspicion. After a few moments, he butts his head against Jon’s hand, earning a smile. “Lance Corporal.”
“No.”
Jon swivels around, eyes narrowing at Gerry’s words. It’s the first time he’s spoken and he’s got one eyebrow quirked up in amusement. It’s a good look on him. Jon, however, is having none of it and he puts a hand to his hip. “And why not?”
“It’s such a mouthful.” Martin has to agree; it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. “I’m not going to call him that. What about Lance?”
Jon wrinkles his nose. “Ew.”
Martin sighs; Gerry and Jon get along like a house on fire but when they bicker, they bicker. He eyes the cat that’s now rubbing against Jon’s hand and purring; he hopes the its sudden geniality will extend to Martin and Gerry. Jon would pick a cat that’s just as prickly as he can be.
Martin gives it a good look, coming up beside Jon at ‘Jimmy’s’ cage. The cat immediately stops its gravely purr, it’s eye now trained on Martin. It’s unnerving, Martin never thought a cat could radiate authority but this one surely managed to. If any animal deserves a title, it’s this one.  “What about the Captain?” he asks in a fit of inspiration.
They both turn to look at him; Gerry amused, Jon thoughtful. “Go on.”
“It’s a title, you always liked the naval ones.” Jon nods in agreement, the beginnings of a smile on his face. “He looks like an old sailor, very distinguished. I dunno, I think it’s cute.”
“The Captain,” Jon whispers in awe as the cat resumes rubbing against his hand. “Martin, that’s perfect. Inspired, even.”
He can’t help preening a bit. “Thank you.” Gerry rolls his eyes.
And then there’s the moment of truth- the assistant opens the cage door and Jon steps forward with all the solemnity of a man about to be knighted. He reaches out his arms and the cat lets itself be picked up, going limp as Jon brings it to his chest. He sighs in contentment, giving himself one more moment of bliss before he perks up and opens his eyes.
“Now pick yours.”
_________
Three. They’ve got three fucking cats.
Martin and Gerry immediately began to refuse, but Jon was insistent. “The Captain is obviously very partial to me, and I think you should have some say in who we adopt. If we each get one it eliminates any favoritism. It’s only logical.”
There was nothing logical about it. Three cats and three people in their tiny flat, or worse, destroying their bookstore. They didn’t have the space, the cats might not get along, it would be too expensive. But Jon wouldn’t hear of it, countering every point in a calmness that was borderline unnerving. Martin shot Gerry a pleading look; he’d gone silent after the initial refusal, content to let Martin do most of the arguing, but he just shook his head in amusement- he knew how this would end, and Martin did too. As the final nail in the coffin, Jon deployed the eyes and that’s how he found himself in the front of a taxi with a lapful of Walnut. She’s a friendly thing, instantly purring on contact and meowing whenever he turned away. Martin hadn’t the heart to turn it away.
Gerry took more time. He slunk around the cages and the cats seemed to sense his reluctance. But soon he came upon a small, sleek black cat, not unlike the one from the Facebook post. It was a tentative thing, barely coming to the edge of its cage to sniff at his fingers, but Gerry was determined, patiently waiting the fifteen minutes it took to get him to warm up. Martin didn’t point out the similarities between it and a certain goth, though he shared a knowing look with Jon.
“I’ve got it - the Unfathomable Void.”
“Dear God,” Martin muttered, rolling his eyes. So dramatic, the both of them.
Jon snorted. “That’s a bit much.”
“Okay, Lance Corporal.”
“Excuse me-!”
“Settle down, boys,” Martin put a hand on Jon’s shoulder, he looked liable to pounce. “If that’s what you want, go for it. But we’ll call him Void for short.” Gerry nodded, seemingly satisfied. Jon continued to scowl, though without any heat.
The cabbie was definitely not pleased at having to cart around three men and three cats. He muttered the entire drive while Jon bounced in the backseat, cooing at his companion. Gerry sat much more stoically, though Martin didn’t miss the tiny smile as the cat nipped at his fingers. Jon’s insistence on multiple supplies was starting to make sense now. He definitely planned this from the beginning, sneaky thing.
“Oh no,” Jon suddenly said upon entering their flat, struggling with the carrier in his hand.  Martin’s starting to think he shouldn’t have picked such a massive cat. “I forgot this was for the bookstore!” 
“Well, yeah.” Gerry sat his cage on the ground, kneeling down beside it. “I figured mine or Martin’s would do. The Captain’s not very friendly, Jon.”
“But what if they get lonely? We can’t split them up.” Jon’s eyes dart around the room, growing more conflicted by the second. “Perhaps we should keep them all at home.”
“There’s no room, Jon! And no one’s here during the day.” Martin surveys the room- the three carriers already seem to take up an enormous amount of space, not to mention the living creatures inside of them.  And all of those packages, that damn tower…
“You can take them back and forth. Commute.”
“Christ, we did not think this through.” Gerry’s smiling even as he says it, watching as the Unfathomable Void slowly makes his way out, sniffing tentatively at the air. Walnut’s content to stay in her cage, and Martin tucks her in a corner away from the other two. Jon’s already got the Captain out, holding him in his arms and refusing to let him go.
“You’re right, we didn’t.” Jon agrees, tucking his face in the Captain’s fur. “We should’ve gotten four-”
“Fuck’s sake, Jon!”
“Let’s talk about this later, alright?” Gerry takes Martin’s place as the voice of reason, a rare occurrence. “We’ll keep them at home, let them get used to us, and then we’ll figure out the bookstore situation. No sense getting worked up about it now.” Jon sighs, cradling the mass of fur to his chest and plopping down on the couch. Martin’s sure they’ll be at it again tomorrow; Jon sniping as Martin tries and fails to put together a massive cat tower, Gerry groaning about whatever surprises the cats left for them in the morning. The next few weeks were going to be stressful, to say the least.
For now, though, he sits with his partners once again until midnight, watching their new additions roam about the flat and ignore each other. Jon frets, Gerry sighs, and Martin unsuccessfully attempts to steer the conversation towards anything but cats. By the end of the night, only Void manages to feel at home, curling up in Martin’s favorite armchair (much to his chagrin). Could’ve gone worse, Martin cheers himself with. They’ll get used to the flat. And the bookstore. Probably.
Later that night, once their partner’s asleep and snoring softly between the two of them, Martin turns to Gerry, borrowing Jon’s patented sigh. 
“We’re gonna get a fourth cat, aren’t we?”
Gerry’s voice is just as resigned. “Yeah, reckon so.”
“Christ.”
-------
Others in the JGM series:
What We’re Given and What We Make
At the End of the Day
ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28945809
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dream-a-little-bigger-x · 4 years ago
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The Perfect Night | Charlie Gillespie
Requested by anon: Can you please write a fanfic with Charlie Gillespie x reader where you're taking him with you as a plus one to your high school reunion because you don't have anyone to go with but then they realise they really like each other
Pairing: Charlie Gillespie x Female!Reader
Warnings: a few curse words like bitch, fluff 
Words: 2,622
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High school wasn’t your favorite. All the bullies and the stress to fit in. Everyone laughing at you because you were the nerd with all the stories piled up on your computer and the fantasy of a child in your head. You’d thought you left all of that behind. But then came the reunion. You’ve only graduated five years ago from high school and only last year from college. Though you had an amazing job as screenwriter and some really great friends, you didn’t have a date to bring to that reunion, and you knew all those people would pick on you for old time’s sake because you didn’t have a date. “Hey, you okay? You seem stressed,” Charlie’s voice shakes you awake from your anxious thoughts about the reunion. You look up at him and offer him a nervous smile. Charlie Gillespie is your co-worker, and along with the rest of the Julie and The Phantoms team, one of your newest friends. Yes, you were on the writing team for Julie and The Phantoms, and you had just finished a table read for season 2. “Yeah, I just—there’s this high school reunion tonight and I really don’t want to go.” “Not a fan of high school?” he asks as he falls into step with you, the two of you walking out of the building. “Not at all…” he gives you a curious look, “Eh, they used to bully me because I was a writer and spent my time writing books instead of going out to parties or spending time with friends,” you give him the synopsis. Charlie doesn’t need to know about the nights you spend crying in your room or going to your therapist. You were close, just not that close. Besides, you’d rather forget about your past. “And now you’re a part of the writers’ team on a popular Netflix show?” he tries with a smile, but you just give him an unimpressed look. “Come on, Y/N! This is an opportunity to show them what you made of yourself! Brag a bit about how amazing a job you have!” You shrug, still not convinced. “I just don’t want to face them alone…” you mumble, staring at your moving feet when suddenly a thought pops into your head and you stop in your tracks, looking up at him. “Do you want to be my plus one?” He halts too, raising his eyebrows at you. “Nope, you’re right, that’s stupid!” You start walking again, Charlie following your example. “No. No, it’s not stupid. I just didn’t think you’d ask me?” “You’re one of my best friends here, Charlie. It’s just logical.” He smiles at that. He really has become your best friend since meeting him a couple months ago. “Okay! So, am I playing your boyfriend? Husband? Just a best friend?” You furrow your eyebrows at him, glaring at him questionably. “We could make something fun out of this, Y/N!” He’s almost bouncing off the walls with excitement. That’s the Charlie you know and love. “Okay… Uhm, let’s pretend you’re my boyfriend. I bet they wouldn’t expect the antisocial nerd to have a boyfriend.” The giggle that comes out of his mouth is too adorable to handle. “How did we meet?” he asks, making sure you got the story straight. “Uhm, here?” you suggest. He rolls his eyes at the obvious answer but goes with it. “Okay! Uhm, let’s – let’s say I fell for you when you bossily told me how I should say a line in the dialogue you wrote?” You nod your head slowly. That sounds kind of cute. “What was our first date?” “Uhm, I don’t know? Movie and dinner?” He scrunches his nose, shaking his head. “No, girl… Charlie Gillespie doesn’t do basic dates!” You chuckle at this, stopping in the hallway of the building to check out. “You like hiking, right?” You nod your head, signing your name on the paper at the front desk. “I took you on a hike on the Eagle Bluffs trail in Vancouver and we had a romantic picnic on the mountain with a gorgeous view over the Cabin Lake.” You nearly melt away at the thought of him taking you on a date like that. “That’s a cute date,” you tell him, impressed, and trying not to show what it’s really doing to you. “And I kissed you on that mountain top.” He raises an eyebrow as an amused smirk pulls at his lips. “No one at my school would ever think I’d be the one to take that step.” “And our first ‘I love you’s were accidental slip ups at work!” He sounds way too excited and he’s getting way too into this. “Like, I’d accidentally completely mess up the punch-line of the joke you wrote, and you’d get annoyed and angry, and then I accidentally said “Okay, sorry, thank you, I love you”.” You giggle at his ideas as the both of you exit the building together. “Anything else we need to discuss?” you ask, grabbing your car key. “Don’t think so…” he trails off, really mulling it over. “Oh! Is there a dress code?” “Yes! It’s formal,” you reply, hoping that wouldn’t be too much of trouble so last minute. He thinks about it for a moment, going through his own wardrobe in his mind. “What are you wearing?” he questions. “Not sure, a red dress, I think…” “You think?” “Yeah, I might change my mind if I don’t like it.” He nods his head understandingly. “What time does it start?” “Seven. It’s about fifteen minutes from my place.” “I’ll pick you up at twenty minutes before then,” he suggests. You nod your head in agreement, then say your goodbyes and go your separate ways. That night, Charlie’s eyes widen when you open the door in your red, tight-fitting bodycon dress with spaghetti straps. He’s not used to seeing you out of your comfy mom-jeans and T-shirts or sweaters. “Uh… Okay… First of all,” he gestures to your body, “Wow!” You laugh at him, feeling a blush creeping up your cheeks. “Second of all… WOW!” “It’s not too much?” you ask, shyly. “No! No! Not at all! I’m very glad I get to play the boyfriend of a goddess like you.” “Oh, shut it, Charlie!” you slap his chest playfully before grabbing your clutch and leaving your apartment. “You look pretty wow yourself, by the way,” you say, approving of the suit he’s wearing. He bashfully smiles as you exit the building. He opens every door for you, like a true gentleman. You’re pretty sure no one has ever done that for you before. You always thought it would be so cliché, but it’s actually really nice. “Hey, how far are we going to go with PDA?” he asks when he gets in behind the wheel. “You know, holding hands and stuff…” You blush a little at the thought alone. Being single for so long almost made you forget that was a part of it too. “Uhm… Just improvise,” you shrug. “You’re the actor after all.” You go over the story again with Charlie, making sure neither of you will forget and give everything away. “You ready?” he asks as you’re standing in front of your high school. Terrible memories flood back inside your mind, sending shivers down your spine. As if on automatic, you grab Charlie’s bicep for support – both moral and physical. “Let’s do this.” The two of you walk inside the school and find the gym where they’re holding the five-year reunion. The music’s blasting, lights are flickering, and people are mingling, reminiscing over their high school memories. You already spot a few people you know, but much rather not talk to. “If you ever feel overwhelmed and want to leave, just tell me, and we’re out of here,” he whispers in your ear. You can’t help but smile at his words. A true gentleman.   “Thanks, Charlie,” you whisper back. He takes you straight to the bar where he gets you your favorite beverage. “How’d you know?” you ask when he hands it over. “You always order a G&T at the crew parties,” he tells you nonchalantly. “How attentive of you,” you compliment with an endeared smile plastered on your face. This man keeps surprising you with the smallest thing, and it’s the cutest thing you’d ever witnessed. It gives you the feeling of being seen and appreciated and respected. For the first time in your life. “Oh my God! Y/N!” you hear the shrill voice of Ella, one of your classmates from back in the day. One of the biggest bullies from your senior year. “You look amazing! How are you doing?!” she grabs the hand your not holding your drink with and presses a kiss to your cheek. “Hi, Ella…” you greet, putting the fakest smile you can muster on your face. “I’m good! How are you?” Charlie watches you to find any sign of uncomfortableness. “I’m good! You know, recently engaged.” She shows you her hand, which is decorated with the shiniest, biggest diamond ring you’d ever seen. “Oh, wow!” you glance at Charlie, “Look, babe, she’s engaged!” If he’s surprised by the sudden pet name, he doesn’t show it. “Congratulations, Bella!” You know he’s butchering that name on purpose, and you have to try your hardest to stifle a laugh. “You have a boyfriend?” Ella asks, clearly bitter over either him butchering her name or you, having such an attractive boyfriend. ���There’s nothing on Facebook about that?” she chuckles awkwardly. Charlie wraps a protective arm around your waist, pulling you closer towards him. “Uhm… Yeah… We’re keeping it lowkey, you know?” you reply as convincingly as possible. “He’s an actor, so…” you trail off, hoping that would impress her. Ella’s demeanor changes all of a sudden. She goes from total bitch to flirty bitch. “Really?” She twirls a strand of hair around her finger. “Y/N?” Another voice chimes in, this one belongs to Addison, Ella’s bestie. “Hey, Addie…” you greet, clutching your glass really hard. Charlie can feel you tensing up beside him and starts rubbing circles on your hip. “Y/N has an actor boyfriend,” Ella informs her. Addison’s eyes widen as they dart from you to Charlie and back. “How’d you meet?” Addison questions, intrigued by this entire story. The two of you glance at each other, trying to determine who’s going to tell the story. “At work, actually,” you start. “I’m on the writers team of the show he plays in.” “Yeah! She bossily told me how to deliver the line she wrote, and I’ve been in love with her ever since.” He looks down at you with the most endeared smile on his face that makes you melt like ice cream in the sun. “Aw! That’s adorable!” Addison clutches her heart as if it’s about to burst out of her chest. “When did you fall in love with him, Y/N?” You glance at Charlie for some assistance or some inspiration. “When he suggested that instead of a boring movie and dinner date, we’d go hiking together. I just knew he was the one for me at that moment.” You’re not going to lie, Charlie taking you on a hiking date would totally make you fall in love with him. Ella’s and Addison’s noses scrunch up in disgust. “Also…” she adds, then leans in closer to the girls to whisper, “His arms! The boy has guns, I tell you!” The two girls gasp, scanning Charlie entirely from head-to-toe. He snickers, then pulls you closer again. “You did not fall in love with me for my arms,” he tells you, shaking his head with an amused look on his face. You look up at him, eyebrow raised. “I do see you every day with those muscle tees, babe. You really think I wouldn’t swoon for that?” You couldn’t lie. Charlie’s arms were killer. But obviously not the only thing that made him attractive. “If you don’t mind, ladies. I’m going to take my lady for some food,” he nods towards the other side of the gym where food is stalled out into a banquet. Addison and Ella bid their goodbyes, and the two of you make your way to the catering. “I hate them with a passion,” you grumble as you take a plate to fill with canapes. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as fake as them, and I’m an actor.” You giggle at his comment and reach for the mini-pizzas at the same time he does, your hands touch, making both of you freeze. “Sorry,” you both mumble, pulling away, flustered. “Hey, Y/N!” A voice you really didn’t want to hear sounds from behind me. “Kill me now,” you mumble, earning a worried look from Charlie. “Ex-boyfriend.” Charlie takes your plate from you and places it onto the table, leaving you a little confused. “Do you trust me?” he asks, hushed. “Yeah, wh—?” before you can finish your question, Charlie presses his lips to yours, pushing you gently against the wall behind you. You’re startled, at first, but then melt into the kiss as your stomach starts to do flips and turns. You didn’t realize until now that this is what you’ve wanted all along. You always wondered why your eyes always automatically darted to his lips. Now you know why. “Ooh! Get it, Y/N!” you hear your ex’s best friend shout. Nothing about high school has changed. Except now Charlie’s here. He pulls away and stares at you for a moment, equally as overwhelmed as you. “You want to get out of here?” he whispers. You simply nod your head, running your tongue across your bottom lip as though the taste of his lips is still there. Charlie grabs your hand and pulls you to the door of the gym. As you pass your ex and his friends, you offer them a wave of your slender fingers. For the first time in years, you feel powerful in this gym, like you can conquer the world. Charlie takes you into the hallway, and pushes you against the wall of lockers, kissing you again. You can’t help the smile tugging at your lips as your hands tug at his suit jacket. “I wanted to do that for so long,” he whispers when he pulls away for a second, pressing his forehead against yours and tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “What do you mean?” you ask, keeping your voice down too. “You really think I made all of that up in there?” he chuckles. “I really did fall for you when you told me off about delivering that line wrong.” Your mouth drops open before your lips turn up into a surprised smile. “It was incredibly hot.” “And I do swoon every time I see you, by the way,” you admit for the first time to yourself. “And I would really love that first date you imagined for us.” “Good,” he replies, “Because I was going to ask you to go this weekend.” Your eyes widen, and Charlie notices a sparkle in them that he’s never seen before. “Thank you for tonight, Charlie,” you whisper, pushing a strand of hair from his forehead. He has that Patrick Swayze hair he had a couple of times in Season 1 of Julie and The Phantoms, the hairstyle you find way too attractive. “No, thank you.” He smiles down at you before connecting his lips to yours again in a deep, passionate kiss. Tonight, you not only conquered your dreadful past, but you also found the love of your life in your best friend. And you couldn’t possibly ask for more. This was a perfect night.
Taglist: @hannahhistorian92​ @marinettepotterandplagg​ @thequirkybookaholic​ @parkeret​​ @lukeys-giggle​ @gingerxarmy​ @lovesanimals​ @bookdealer5​ 
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p-redux · 3 years ago
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You may know this already, but evidence suggests that the ridiculous troll outlanderbanter on Twitter is auburncurlslass here on tumblr
Hi, Anon, yes, I was already told that. She's also on Instagram using the same name--OutlanderBanter. And I was also told WHICH Extreme Shipper she is, as in I know her FULL NAME, etc.
She's one of the original ES from way back and has attended Outlander related events for years. In an interesting karmic twist, she's friends with the Extreme Shipper, who back in the day, tried to dox me. And who actually DID dox one of the people they thought was me. OutlanderBanter's friend went as far as posting this other woman's real name, what city she lived in, etc publicly on Twitter. So much for the love, light, and positivity brigade. The cognitive dissonance that occurs in that group, with what they portray to the fandom, and how they ACTUALLY behave, is mind blowing.
OutlanderBanter/Auburncurlslass follows the same pattern of SO many Exteme Shippers. They have 3 personas.
Persona 1: NORMAL SUPERFAN. They use their real name with real picture on their social media accounts and "act" like normal, supportive fans. They attend Outlander meet and greets, conventions, premieres, take pics with Sam and Cait, and the rest of the cast, join MPC, other Outlander related fan groups, Outlander Facebook groups, and praise Sam and Cait publicly on their accounts.
Persona 2: TUMBLR FAN BLOG. They create Tumblr accounts with a Pseudonym, where they spread conspiracy theories, keep their identities mostly hidden, given a toss away mention of where they live, where they've traveled, or what they do for a living. These blogs are a combination of Outlander videos, memes, gifs, updates, fanfiction recommendations, Anon Asks where they propagate their SamCait LIES to the few remaining shippers desperate to keep their fantasy alive.
Persona 3: INSTAGRAM TROLL. It is on Instagram (and sometimes Twitter), where these otherwise seemingly normal wives, mothers, grandmothers, professionals, UNLEASH their inner hater, bullying, harassing, and terrorizing Sam and Cait--the very people they claim to idolize. And of course, everyone in any way associated with Sam and Cait, as well as other fans.
It still BOGGLES MY MIND how they can literally be on their Persona 1 accounts sending "I love you Cait, you're a queen, can't wait to see you at the next Outlander event, I made a quilt for youuuuuu!" And in the same breath, go on their Persona 3 accounts and leave comments on Cait's Instagram like "Glad we haven't seen your gay purse holder assistant Tony around lately."
And Sam, of course, receives similar treatment and worse, because he's dated more than one woman since he started on Outlander. The SAME "fans" who pay big money to go to meet and greets with Sam, hug him tightly, look at him adoringly, gushing "Sam we support you no matter what! Sign my Sam pillow pleeeeease! These are the same women, who then go on their sock accounts, and mercilessly attack ANY woman in Sam's life, including contacting the woman's family, employer, friends, ex-boyfriends, etc.
It is FRENZIED, MENTALLY UNSTABLE behavior, the likes of which I've never witnessed. And I wouldn't believe it, if I hadn't seen it happen over and over for the last 7 years.
Phew, I'm worn out writing that. So, YES, Anon, I've been tipped off as to WHO troll extraordinaire Outlander Banter is. And surprisingly, it was by someone in her circle. Guess she must have burned some bridges. So, if she keeps crossing the line and keeps cyber harassing, which is a CRIME, Sam will get her name etc, and he can add it to the LONG list of Extreme Shippers his legal team is keeping track of.
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thran-duils · 4 years ago
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Use All of Me (P.12)
Title: Use All Of Me (Part Twelve) Summary: Fem!Reader x Dark Mob!Steve Rogers. The Avengers are heroes saving the world but in this AU, they are also permitted by the powers in charge to have less than favorable business underneath their guise of mere superheroes. Steve and Tony are at the helm, keeping their empire’s wealth in check, both devious and perilous if crossed. Steve takes a liking to the reader at a party and it may be her undoing to her autonomy choosing to go home with him. Words: 3,008 Warnings: Dark AF, angst, emotional/mental abuse, smut, breeding, death Author’s Note: ♫ Steve is getting desperate ♫
Part Eleven || Part Thirteen || Masterpost (mobile) || Fanfic masterpost
Tony was pacing in front of the cameras he had up on the large wall when Steve entered the room. Bucky, Sam, Clint, and Rhodey were already down there with Tony, sitting or standing. The general feeling in the room was tension and it was permeating the air.
“Get anything from him?” Tony asked as soon as he caught sight of Steve.
“He didn’t know shit,” Steve said gruffly. “Not that I gave him much time to say anything past admitting he had known she wanted to escape. If he was going to help her, he would have driven her off the property himself and disappeared with her. He would not have stuck around afterward if he had assisted her in any way. He was not that daft.”
“I would beg to differ on that,” Natasha commented, coming to stop in front of the cameras, her eyes searching the screens. “Are you only focusing on New York?”
“Larger cities in the north east for now mainly,” Tony answered, coming to stand beside her. He pointed at the lower right corner of the screens. “I have it set up to follow the main tracks of the Amtrak across the country the longer time passes.”
Bucky came up to Steve and asked, “Her family?”
Steve shrugged, “Her parents aren’t alive. Didn’t mention anyone else really. She was an only child.”
“What about her friends? They could have family in other states.”
“I could look into that,” Clint said. “Facebook isn’t that hard to look through and people are always oversharing on that stupid app.”
“Speaking of her friends… if she says anything she’s heard from you, Steve, about the business, that’s not going to be good,” Rhodey said, looking grim.
Uncomfortably, eyes swept to Steve quickly and he shook his head. “I don’t think she’s concerned about that,” Steve said tightly. “She just… wanted space. And instead of asking, she does some impulsive, unsafe bullshit.” He was working himself up again, his hands resting on his hips tensely. “Absolute horseshit.”
Tony turned from the screens, taking a few steps towards him. Trying to reason with Steve and calm him down, he told him, “Look, Pepper did too when we first got together. It takes a while for them to adjust from the hustle and bustle they were used to, but they do eventually. Unfortunately, Y/N had persistent friends. Stupid, persistent friends at that. But we are going to find her. You’re gonna get your kids back and her.” Tony held up his hand as an idea came, “And on that note, you need to register with the putative father registry.” Steve’s brow stitched in confusion. Tony laughed and said, “Trust me. I did it when I was younger because I was a little loose and needed to know if any of the women I was with – and I was for sure the father – were going to do anything with the kid that would blow back on me. There’s a notice to claim paternity form for a child born out of wedlock. With that, you’ll be notified of any court proceedings, such as adoption or guardianship changes.”
Steve’s jaw clenched at this and Tony said, “I don’t think that’s out of left field that might happen.”
“I’d love to see her try,” Steve said darkly, a deep scowl on his face.
Tony had to smirk at that ferociousness. “Hmm, me too. And good thing about this is that she won’t be notified that you registered. You know, not that she would get a notification anyway because she is AWOL, and it would go to her old address. It also doesn’t need to get notarized.”
He clapped his hands and turned to look at everyone else. “So, we’ll keep these on here. Like I said, the Amtrak cameras are going to go down the three main tracks. If it happens she’s gone for longer, we will start scanning outwards of the northeast on the other cameras. Barton, you got the familial ties. Man, big notes if the family is in a bordering state. Oh, I did get access to Natalie and Yua’s phones, but they are unfortunately turned off. Smart cookies. But if they turn them on again, it’ll light up on this laptop—”
“I’ll watch it,” Natasha volunteered.
Tony nodded in acknowledgment. “Unfortunately, we can’t put out a look out on the license plate because well… it’s Natalie’s car and it’s not stolen if she’s driving it.” He sighed and shrugged, “The rest of us… just on standby I suppose until we get something.”
“Do you want me to handle the meeting tonight with the union?” Rhodey asked.
“I forgot about that. Thank you for remembering,” Tony said appreciatively. “So, yes. And don’t let them try to bully you into giving them a bigger cut. Our deal is set, they just need to give us the money from the trade.”
“Do you have the surveillance video? Of Y/N leaving?” Steve asked him suddenly.
“You sure you wanna watch that?” Tony asked, skepticism lacing his tone. “I don’t need you punching a hole through these screens or anything.”
“No, I want to see it,” Steve said. “I want to see what she left with. Make sure she just didn’t hop in a car without anything.”
“Alright,” Tony said, still sounding uncertain. He walked towards another laptop and opened it, working to pull up the video.
Steve was there behind him, looming. He sat in the chair in front of the laptop, watching Tony rewind to the part he wanted to see. It stopped as the women started coming out of the house. Steve leaned forward, his eyes zeroed in on where Y/N was standing saying goodbye to everyone. He watched until it was just Yua with her and then Natalie came out of the house, a duffel bag over her shoulder and a hoodie and hat in hand. She threw it into her car and they moved quickly to put the coat on Y/N and get her into the backseat of the car. She was adjusting the hat and pulling the hood up as Natalie pulled away.
Tony was right. All Steve wanted to do was grab the laptop and smash it repeatedly on the table to try to quell some of the white-hot rage exploding inside, thinking if Bryce’s dumbass had just been outside, they would have never been able to even get her into the car in the first place. And how Natalie had managed to not be stopped in the house by him made him even angrier if possible. The giant oaf had been watching a movie Wanda told him.
He held it together though, keeping his hand steady as he reached up and closed the laptop with a slight snap but not too hard.
“Well, at least she’s got some clothes I guess,” he said to no one in particular. He pushed the chair back with a loud squeak. “I need to go on a run.”
<><><>
“And what? Go back to the city and wait for Steve to find me and beat the crap out of me until I give him information?” Yua asked seriously.
Your mouth fell open slightly at her bluntness. You had asked Yua what she was planning on doing past this as the three of you sat on the back porch of the cabin in the moonlight. When you had suggested going home, she had rose her brows in surprise before saying what she had.
She noticed the look on your face and apologized, “Sorry. That’s just… what’s going through my mind. Filter is a little gone by now.” She held up her fourth beer can sheepishly.
“I don’t think it’s far from the truth,” you said quietly. “So, you’re smart for worrying about it.” You shifted in your seat and admitted, “Steve doesn’t exactly sleep much either. So he’s got more time in the world than most.”
“Insomnia?” Natalie asked.
“No. He doesn’t need to. He would fake it a lot of the time… you know, just to lay in bed with me during the night.”
“That’s kind of romantic,” Yua said and Natalie shot her a piqued look. “What? It is!”
“Or creepy because he wanted to be next to her all the time,” Natalie retorted.
“I think it was a little bit of both. It’s not like he wouldn’t hear me get out of bed even if he was in his study or somewhere else in the house, so it’s not like being right next to me would have made much of a difference in the long run,” you muttered, picking at the blanket. “But, he enjoyed it I think. Lying in bed with me. Snuggling me while I slept. He’d watch TV quietly too.” You chewed on your bottom lip, thinking of how you had enjoyed those moments too, waking up with him there, warm in his embrace. Admitting that out loud though was too hard; like it was fake that you had asked for help.
“Good thing light doesn’t bother you when you sleep. Honestly, I’m jealous of your ability to just fall asleep wherever,” Natalie said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Soaking it up while I can,” you said, giving a halfhearted smile.
“Where are we going to go though? Seriously? We can’t exactly go back to our apartments for our things. I’m afraid someone would be watching,” Yua said and you admired her ability to think ahead like that.
“We could order a moving service. Have them store our things in a storage unit outside NYC. Then after a substantial amount of time, have it shipped to wherever we move to,” Natalie suggested before she sighed heavily. “How am I going to get a good recommendation for a job by just quitting?”
“You could call and tell Brett the truth. Well, not who we are running from, don’t want to get anyone else involved, plus you know… they are already going to be mad about Y/N leaving with secrets. So no need to incriminate them when they’re already expecting it. On the off chance they do find us, not having gotten them in trouble with the law will probably bode well for us. But anyway, you know… tell Brett that you’re helping a friend escape an abusive partner.” Yua suggested. The two of you were staring at her in astonishment and she shrugged. “What? That’s what I was going to do with my boss. I can work from home completely. I already do it half time. He just needs to mail me a laptop and we already have WiFi here. Thank god, I would die without Netflix.”
“You astound me sometimes,” you told her, a wide smile on your lips. And it was quickly replaced by tears of gratitude and she reached for your hand, grasping it tightly. “No, it’s fine. I’m just… overwhelmed. I didn’t want you guys to have to uproot your lives for me.”
“We’ve been friends for a decade. Plus, it’s not like I have anything going for me back there anyway except a high paycheck and a string of hard dicks following behind me like dogs and I can get that somewhere else,” Yua responded, taking a swig of her beer as you and Natalie laughed. She gave your hand one more squeeze before pulling away.
“Plus, New York was getting a little tired anyway,” Natalie chimed in. “I’ve wanted to move. Not ideally like this but… I think we can make the best of it.”
Nodding, you said, “We can try.”
You suddenly stilled, your fingers digging slightly into your abdomen.
Yua sat up quickly, “What? What’s wrong?”
“I… I think one of them just kicked,” you said, a slow smile spreading across your face. The two of them immediately relaxed. You shot Yua a look and asked, “Is that too early?”
‘No, that sounds right on time,” Yua said. “Especially for your first one.”
Looking down at your abdomen, you smiled again softly this time. You tried to will them to move again, imagining them sleeping there. You wondered what they were dreaming about.
<><><>
Steve thanked Tony for bringing him the sandwich he had placed in front of him, taking a large bite. He was and had been planted in front of the surveillance screens for a long while, only getting the minimal amount of sleep he required and only when someone else was there to watch while he was out. Rhodey had just been watching with him and got up to stretch his legs, also thanking Tony for bringing the sandwiches.
A ring cut into the silence and Steve swallowed before picking up his phone. He saw the number on the phone, recognizing it as Dr. Kamal’s office.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Rogers?” A voice said on the other end of the phone.
“Yes?”
“I am calling from Dr. Kamal’s office. It looks like Y/N has an appointment right now and we were wondering if you were on your way…?”
“Shit,” Steve swore under his breath and said, “No, no we are not on the way. I’m sorry. It completely slipped my mind to call and cancel.”
“Would you like to reschedule? There’s an opening later in the day, there was another cancellation. Or we can look—”
“Look, I’m going to be honest,” Steve cut in. “I don’t know where she is.”
“O-oh,” the assistant said on the phone, stammering a bit at that information. “Like today or…?”
“I haven’t seen her for days,” Steve clipped. “She ran off with her friends. I’m not sure to where. I have not had contact with her. So, I can’t make an appointment because I don’t know when I’ll find her or if she’s coming back.”
The assistant said slowly, “Um, well, I suppose then give us a call when you do know.”
“Will do,” Steve muttered before hanging up the phone.
Steve let out a frustrated sigh, slamming his phone down on the counter. His mind was racing thinking about Y/N missing a check up and something being wrong with the babies, with her, or both. He hated not having control of the situation and not being confident she was being kept safe by him.
He looked to Rhodey and Tony. “It’s time to report her missing.”
“Steve, she’s not missing. The cops won’t—” Rhodey started to say.
“I don’t need the cops. If we get her face out there, someone might call.”
“And if that someone is a cartel or something? Saw her face, kidnaps her or all three of them and then demands ransom?”
Steve shouted, “Then I’ll fucking pay it, Rhodey!”
Rhodey closed his mouth and shot a look at Tony, who merely shrugged in return. Rhodey sighed, knowing that Tony would be acting the same way if it was Pepper who had run off on him and would not be garnering any support to dissuade Steve from it from him.
<><><>
Yua came into the cabin quickly, tossing her bags down, startling you and Natalie watching a movie. She stood in front of the TV, blocking the view. “We got a problem.”
“What?” the two of you demanded in unison.
“Your face is all over the place on one of the news channels. I saw it at the mini mart behind the counter.”
Natalie scoffed, “How? Are they saying she’s missing?” Yua nodded and Natalie let out a frustrated noise. “Aren’t those supposed to drop if no foul play is expected? Like… they can easily draw conclusions that you ran off on your own accord. It’s clear in the tapes I’m sure!”
“Money,” Yua said darkly. “They’ll be able to keep up advertisements about it forever probably with all the money they have. Probably banking on everyone wanting to do a favor for Captain America. Who wouldn’t want to be in his debt for a favor? Plus, they’re also playing the ‘she’s not mentally competent’ card.”
“What?” you asked shocked, feeling like you had gotten socked in the stomach.
“You can’t be serious. Just because she’s pregnant?” Natalie demanded.
Yua said nothing which was answer enough.
“How will I go to a hospital?” you asked in a voice barely above a whisper.
Natalie assured you quickly, “You can use an alias when they admit you. And when we bring you in, we will have a hood on and a hat, just like when you left. Hopefully there won’t be a lot of people in the ER. Upon discharge, your real name would be attached to the records but under HIPAA you’ll be protected.”
Yet, HIPAA could not protect you from someone who desperately needed money really.
“But… won’t someone turn me in to Steve?” You could not keep the worry out of your voice.
“We don’t know that for sure,” Yua said gently. “And I don’t think it’s something you should worry about.”
Squeezing your hands together, you focused on your breathing, trying to remain calm and push the thought from your mind. Your birth was still far enough off that hopefully it would die down a little.
“Have you thought more about adoption?” Natalie asked you gently.
You nodded, “Yeah. Can I though if I am not a resident of the state?”
“You can surrender a child – or children, in your case – up to the hospital within 72 hours in most states. I checked,” Yua said.
“Good,” you said, nodding. It hit you suddenly and you asked panicked, “You turned your phone on?”
Yua shook her head and said, “I asked the guy at the station to check it out for me. Slid him an extra five dollars while I went to call my mum on the pay phone, let her know I’m okay. He was confused but he did it.” You relaxed hearing that, as did Natalie. Yua ventured, “Are you sure that’s what you want to do? Adoption?”
You swallowed thickly, avoiding eye contact. The two of them were quiet, waiting for you to figure out how to answer. “I’m not sure,” you whispered, breaking the silence.
~~~
Tags: @imsonick , @alexakeyloveloki, @kvzctam, @ironlady1993​, @taintedgenre, @inlovewiththefictionalcharacters @roxyfan14-blog
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essaysbyciara · 4 years ago
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Old Habits Die Hard | Part Nine: Stuck In My Ways
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SYNOPSIS | PART ONE: DAYS BEFORE | PART TWO: JUST BE GOOD TO ME | PART THREE: RECOGNIZE THE BUTTERFLIES | PART FOUR: DOWN THE STAIRS AND TO YOUR LEFT| PART FIVE: JUST KNOW | PART SIX: JUST & RIGHTEOUS | PART SEVEN: BACKSEAT | PART EIGHT: WEAK IN THE KNEES
Warnings: Language, lightweight mentions of sexual situations, mention of marijuana use
The penultimate chapter of Old Habits Die Hard! Whew, this has been a long one but we’re down to the final two parts of a story that kicked my ass lol. Taglist is STILL OPEN for the finale if you want to get in while it’s hot! Love you all, you beautiful people. 
STUCK IN MY WAYS
“Aye, yo shor- how long you in the city?”
Maleek’s -- or Leek -- introduction last summer was a scary one. Standing outside of papi’s, draped under Dave’s arm,  Dave and his crew stopped their conversations as a midnight blue Caprice classic creeped up to the edge of the corner. Everyone, including Dave, grew on guard, their demeanors ceasing to exist at the drop of a hat because a never-before-seen whip with barely-legal tinted windows came to a complete stop. As the passenger’s side window dropped, Dave whispered to you to go inside of the store to grab him something to eat, his favorite: turkey hoagie, everything on it. You could hear the growl in his undertone as if it was an order. You obliged out of a fright only to hear laughter mere seconds later once Leek’s solid body came bouncing out of the sunroof to one of his latest tracks.
Leek was the neighborhood rapper. He spent thirty minutes or so showing his videos on YouTube the one night you were in the studio with him and his crew. He was dope, you couldn’t lie. Built like a linebacker, Leek’s full ahki beard and super tatted-up upper body was a bad one. You caught yourself fantasizing about how bad Leek could really be but quickly remember that Dave got to you first. Thank God.
“Only for today, Leek. I’m heading back down tonight.”
“Damn. Dope of you to come up for your mans.”
You’d small talk Leek except he’s cutting into your homework of trying to figure out your getaway from this party to wherever Dave wanted to take you. Dave still lingered upstairs as you bobbed and weaved through the party to find Yahya. You were hoping that in the time it would take for you to get through Dave’s extended-extended family, you could come up with an excuse to get away for a few hours.
You could fake a  run to the beauty supply store for some braiding hair but the stores back home were good and hood enough to find the yaki you needed. You promised to take Yahya to papi’s for that hoagie, so no store run could be in order. Your entire family is at Pardi’s house so no “run up to my cousins house right quick” would work. You keep thinking of what to say as Dave rips another message through your DMs. It’s an address and an agreement to meet in thirty minutes.
“Oh, Dave? Yeah. I’m happy he’s home.”
“Who else you think I was talking about? Y’all still down, right?”
Leek’s inquiry throws you off guard. You knew he had a lightweight crush on you -- Dave once joked that he could see Leek’s mouth hit the floor when you walked into the studio that night -- but now the boldness to ask your status in this moment is taking you back to a DM from Leek that you deleted but never told Dave about.
“Dave and I? We’re cool. We ain’t down like we were but we’re cool. My fiance’ helped Dave with his case. That’s why I’m here.”
Leek notices the blinding engagement ring you ignored up until this moment and suddenly, so do you. It’s the first time in hours that you remembered your  man at home and like Chante’ Moore said, “he’s been good…” to you. Your conscience hurries you to dead your quest to find quiet time with Dave. You wouldn’t be on your best behavior; there would be no guarantees that Dave would stand on the right side of history. Upstairs, for that brief moment, your lips touched Dave’s neck and almost caught a bite. Dave used to love that move, digging deeper into you as you almost broke skin so he could commence to breaking your back. You fell into his body by mistake but his hands knew what they were doing. Tracing your stripes down to the seam of your panties was intentional. You pooled at the idea of him taking them off.
You aren’t naive. You wanted Dave and he wanted you. The moment was beyond brief yet beyond impactful. Leek’s unforeseen act as an impromptu guardian angel stops you from making the worst mistake of your life.
“Ahh, congrats ma!” Leek reluctantly goes in for a brotherly-esque hug. You give him a church hug in return, that side hug catching Yahya’s attention as he exits the backyard area to  look for you. He grabs your wrist as you release Leek from your innocent clutches.
“Excuse me, brotha ... [Y/N], you ready to go?” You quickly nod your head up and down in the direction of your forever. Leek didn’t like the way your man cut into his moment but he hastily concedes after you tap your hand on his chest and send your well wishes.
“We still heading over to that hoagie spot, right?” Yahya tapping his stomach as he grabs the car keys from his left pocket.  “I’m dying. And Ms. Gwen’s food looked smackin’. Took me a lot to not go in, baby girl…”
“You could’ve ate. We’ll be up here again.”
“Nah, nah. The way you were talking about this damn sandwich. I want a hit.”  
Dave’s message feels like an afterthought as you jump into the passenger seat. Your meetup was only twenty minutes away but you broke the spell of Dave and tried to forget.  A light tap on the passenger side window wakes you up.
“Y’all leaving already?! Damn.” Uncle Trace daps Yahya through the car window, a mix of weed and Polo Red wafting past your nose.
“Yeah, Unc…” Yahya’s salutation makes your heart smile. “...we gotta get back to homebase.”
“Aight, king. Get my niece home safe. Love you, [Y/N].”
As you direct Yahya to the cornerstone named papi’s, you couldn’t help but  stare at the way he commanded the streets. The potholes that got the best of him the last time he came here are no match for him today. He’s even driving with one hand, something he never did before -- or that you never peeped. His level of comfort on the side of town that you also call home is reminding you right before your eyes that you’re the luckiest girl in the world. All from calling your Uncle Trace by a pet name.
You find a spot close to papi’s and walk in with enough time. Yahya commands for you to order for him and you obey: turkey hoagie, everything on it. You order a chicken cheesesteak, wrapping your arms around Yahya’s waist as you both small talk about the week ahead. You weren’t letting go for anything in this world. Yahya briefly lets go to grab two Tahitian Treats out of the cooler. His big hands grab the drinks, hoagies and you up to the counter.
“Let me get two vanilla dutches, please.”
“Yah- what you doing?  You don’t smoke.”
“I usually don’t. Don’t mean I haven’t. I’m tryna finish this weekend out right. We still celebrating.”
“That’s fine but who the hell you get the weed from?”
“Unc.”
Unbeknownst to you, that dap between included an eighth of silver haze.
“Oh, this is it. You ain’t coming around my family anymore. Nope.”
“I’m Jerri’s favorite. You can’t do that…”
Dave doesn’t know what to do. It’s been some time since your message and you haven’t sent an “OK” or any signal of your arrival. He paces down the steps and out the door, running into Trace talking on the steps to Dave’s uncle, Clifford.  He tries ignoring them both but Trace isn’t having it.
“Yo, you leaving your own party, man?”
“My bad, Trace. I gotta make a run up Olney real quick for something. I’ll be back though…” Dave’s last words trail in the air as he walks down the street toward papi’s. Somehow Trace’s old self catches up to him.
“Bruh, slow down. You just got home…” Somehow Trace’s reminder does indeed slow Dave down. He’s been moving too fast since you agreed to meet up with him. He can’t keep up with his mind.
Dave didn’t know what to do when you sent that message. He felt a semblance of guilt for touching your spot, for letting your body fall into his, for staring at you as if he wasn’t going to see you again. For all the thoughts he had as you both sat in the same room where he’d coax the devil out of your body night after night. He was willing to risk it all only if you wanted it. Your message answered his prayer.
“Yeah, Trace. I know. I just gotta get out the house for a second too…”
“Oh, no doubt. They think that once you out, you wanna see the world. You just want the world to know you good, that’s it.” Trace’s wisdom plummets Dave.
It’s been his truth since he got home from jail. He didn’t want to be surrounded by the people who didn’t check on him or his mother; the people who ignored Pardi’s angered Facebook posts about Dave’s situation. People who donated to the bail fund out of guilt, not out of care. The only people who cared to know his fate  were his mother, Pardi, Trace, Yahya and you, even if you never reached out. He knew you to be the catalyst to his freedom even if you at one time secretly fought it.
You walked up those steps to his old room to see if he was okay. You knew that large crowds made him skittish. Something within you broke the rules to see if he needed a safe space to be. That summer, you were that. Dave unleashed his heart out to you in ways that even his mother would never see. Despite what seemed different about you, you weren’t afraid of his story. He felt close to you, letting you into a world that you didn’t know but could feel.
Dave wanted one more chance to feel you. Yahya be damned.
Watching Yahya yell  salutations to him and Trace from his car window as he drives by gut checks Dave. And makes him wonder if you’re with him. That would deviate from the plan that you created and Dave was on his way to fulfill.
“This is the best shit I’ve ever had, [Y/N]. You weren’t lyin’. Bruh…” Yahya delightfully wipes the last of the mayonnaise from the side of his mouth.
“Told you!”
“They should cater the wedding. I’m not playing.”
The unseasonably warm evening meets you and Yahya as you stare across at Camden’s waterfront. The pier is popping with families enjoying the last bits of early winter before the clocks strike back and school gets into a full swing. It’s a bit of calm before you two hit I-95 back to what sadly isn’t Chocolate City anymore. Yahya caresses your right knee as you stare over the Delaware. You were beyond ready to get home. Your future husband breaks your gaze. “I meant to ask you. Who was bruh all hugged up on you in the house?”
“Heh. Why?”
“You were church huggin’ him to death but he wasn’t getting a clue at all.”
“Oh that was Maleek, a friend of Dave. No big deal.” You play off Yahya’s somewhat jealous disposition even as it humors you. You rather him ask about Leek than Dave.  “Let me find out you jealous? Look at you.”
“Nah. I just know mad dudes are on you. I trust you though.” Up until an hour ago, he didn’t have a reason to do that.
“Dave was too, to be real.” You decide to break down all of the walls. The case was over. You think you’re over Dave. Yahya is minutes into a food coma.
“Well yeah, Jerri told me. Some teenager stuff. I saw those pictures. I’d be chasing you down the hallway too.”
“Boy, please. But no -- remember I told you about that lobbyist dude I dated who damn near ghosted me before we went to the Bahamas? I ended up coming up here for those weeks and Dave and I messed. Nothing serious.”
“You sure? Dude was eyefucking you real crazy at Jerri’s house last Summer.”
“Hold up? You saw that?!” What you thought you hid from Yahya, he saw in plain sight.
“Everybody could, damn.  Heh. It’s all good though. So was I.”
You joust your fingers into Yahya’s side causing him to fall into laughter. Four words suddenly send you into an orgasmic-level of relaxation. Yahya didn’t seem to care. Once you ride off the orgasmic high, you feel insanely stupid. One conversation lessened the guilt of a relationship that lasted two weeks but imprinted onto you for what felt like forever. A moment of repentance overdue coaxes witty banter out of Yahya, not the dissolution of a relationship. It shouldn’t have been this easy.
That’s how u feel?
Your walk back to the car is broken up by a message from Dave. Your lack of a response to his earlier texts told him that you were in the car that Yahya yelled his love from. Your broken promise to break up a happy home slowly breaks Dave’s heart even though he knew better than to break the rules.
You don’t know what to say in response, turning your phone on silent not to alert Yahya’s attention. There’s nothing for you to say. Dave does all the talking for you.
Yo. I’m not some snake ass nigga. I wasnt doin anything with you that you didnt want
You came lookin for me.
I can’t be friends with you?
You wake up to see Dave’s last message sent hours ago. Before you walk into your front door and out of Dave’s life forever, you send your final goodbye.
I don’t think it’s best. I’m sorry.
Taglist: @harleycativy @twistedcharismaaa @dorkskinneded @need-my-fics @ghostfacekill-monger @writerbee-ffs @chaneajoyyy @amyhennessyhouse @blackburnbook​
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nouvellestudy · 4 years ago
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Things I wish I had known before going to university!
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Surviving (and thriving) while living alone
Your flatmates will not always be your lifelong friends and that is OK
You may get lucky with flatmates, but you may also get flatmates who hide in their rooms and leave their dishes for 2 weeks without washing them (I am not bitter what). If you get amazing flatmates then that is great but remember that you do not need to be best friends as long as you are civil, and you will find people more suited to you through other parts of uni life!
Be a good flatmate
Wash your dishes, do your part in cleaning of the communal areas and don’t use all your flatmates olive oil without replacing it. It may seem like common sense but you will discover that many people at uni don’t seem to mind living with flies floating around dirty dishes (again I am definitely not bitter)
1st semester will be overwhelming and that is also OK
Moving away from home and being alone in a foreign environment can be scary, especially if you are far away from home. I found that giving myself things to do really helped me tackle this as I was always busy or looking forward to something. Remember that feeling overwhelmed is normal and many others are feeling the same way too, you are definitely not alone!
Freshers flu is REAL
Lots of people from lots of different places = lots of new germs. I cannot give you any tips other than lemsip and paracetamol are lifesavers!
Take the time to get to know your new city
Use some of your free time to walk around your new surroundings. Maybe try to find a café to study in, or a beauty spot you have seen on Instagram. I also love going on day trips to surrounding areas as it lets you see and do things that you wouldn’t be able to do at home!
Learn how to budget and stick to it
This doesn’t need to be a complex system. My system is first factor in how much you need to cover the essentials (e.g. rent, power, water, alcohol) Then once you have paid everything you HAVE to pay for, set yourself an allowance of spending money and stick to it. I transfer myself this allowance into a separate bank account and use only this bank account for day to day spending. Review every so often whether you are setting yourself not enough or too much allowance and adjust, and then you are on your way to becoming a financially independent adult! It’s also good to have a little bit of back up money put aside for emergencies.
Learn how to cook, even if they are just basic recipes
It may be the student stereotype to live off pasta and pasta alone, but having a few basic recipes under your belt is really useful. Learn how to make things like curry, chilli and soup so you can make enough portions to freeze. Also always try to make enough servings for that day and the next day to save yourself time!
Keeping up with the coursework
Reference as you go, don’t leave it until last
It is so much easier to keep track of what sources you used and where you are referencing these in text if you do it as you go! If referencing structure is intimidating for you there are plenty of reference formatting systems online and on word to help you!
You don’t need to buy all the recommended reading books
Usually you will be able to find recommended reading online or in your university library, but if you have to buy a textbook always look for a cheaper alternative such as buying secondhand from students in the years above. Save your pennies for more exciting things than textbooks!
You don’t always have to do your reading but it certainly helps
I met people during my first year who did no reading and got by, but doing the recommended reading helps you to understand the concept more and means you will be more informed to contribute in classes. I always do reading and preparation for seminars and tutorials because you will be expected to contribute, but you can usually get away with not doing reading for a lecture, unless you have a lecturer who likes to quiz you rather than just talk at you. Do not let yourself get into the habit of not doing your reading though, fail to prepare = prepare to fail as they say.
 Aim to submit your work at least an hour before the deadline
Please please PLEASE do not be the person who submits your assignment minutes before it’s due. Try to submit the day before or at least a few hours before just in case the website crashes, your computer crashes etc. so you don’t get penalised for a late submission.
Go to classes (at least the majority of them)
I know how tempting it is to get a few extra hours sleep instead of going to that 9am lecture, but do not get in the habit of this or before you know it you’ll be going to no classes a week. Try to remember that you are in a privileged position to be receiving an education in the first place and take advantage of this! (also that you are likely paying a fortune for it so you might as well get your moneys worth).
Find the independent study method that works for you
University can be a steep learning curve as tutors expect you to do the majority of your learning independently. Learn how to prioritise your work and find the method of note-taking and consolidation of learning that works for you, as well as the place you work best (cafe, library, your bedroom). Work smarter not harder,  so find the most efficient method that helps you keep on top of your pile of (ever growing) coursework!
Make a list of all your deadlines and when these are due
Put this list above your desk and tick off deadlines as you meet them. I find this to be useful as you can see all the deadlines for the semester in one place! (and its also incredibly satisfying to tick stuff off a to do list)
Compromises are key
It may be the case that your essay due tomorrow that you haven’t started is more important than going to the pub with your friends. Make compromises with yourself – don’t go out on Wednesday if you need to finish an assignment but go out at the weekend when you can enjoy yourself and not have to worry about the assignment!
Social gatherings
Allow yourself to have fun!
You are paying to attend uni to get an education but you are also paying for the experience. Use your free time to do something you enjoy, whether that is going out for dinner, socialising with friends or even travelling.
On the flip side, allow yourself to say no
While it is important to push yourself out of your comfort zone at uni, it is also valuable to take some time for yourself if you feel you need it. Do not feel you have to be constantly busy and do things just because your friends are, downtime is just as important and sometimes you just need a night in with just yourself and Netflix!
Find something outside of uni to fill your time
Like I said before, uni is not just about academics. Joining a society or sports team can be a great way to meet new people and get involved in the university community. You could also start some volunteering if you feel that you have time. I started working with community youth group and I will definitely continue with this beyond first year! This lets you completely take your mind off uni for a while and also looks good on the CV!
Join group chats before you go to uni
If you take anything from this post DO THIS. Get on facebook and hunt down a freshers groupchat for your uni. These freshers chats often develop into smaller groupchats for your specific course or accommodation and this is an excellent way to make friends before you even get to uni! (also a great way to see where the parties are happening on campus)
These are just a few of the things I have learned and will obviously not apply to everyone, but I hope you are able to use this guide to learn something and help you feel more prepared! Going to university helps you to grow so much not only academically but also as a person, so try your best to make the most of it!
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Text
Carnival of Hearts (Part 4/6) ~ Bucky x Reader College!AU
A/N: Hello lovelies! Sorry I’m late. This week was crazy. I plan to be back on schedule this week, but we shall see. 
This is my entry for @buckysknifecollection​​​ ‘s 3k Follower Challenge. Congrats on the milestone lovely! Go check out the blog. Personal fave is Hush (a must read if you’re into soft!Biker!Bucky)
Prompt: Our friends set us up on this carnival date but we’re both pining after someone else and this a bit awkward
Summary: When you’re set up on a carnival date with Bucky Barnes NOTHING turns out the way you expected.
Rating: T
Warnings: Language
Word count: 1708
Story Masterlist | Main Masterlist
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Your phone vibrated as you shifted from foot to foot, impatiently waiting in line.
Bucky: Got a table by the Mega Slide.
Y/N: Still in line. Be there soon! :)
Once you had the three different bags of kettle corn you were practically skipping towards where Bucky said he would be. You took a moment to look over to the Mega Slide line where you expected to see Steve. Instead you saw Jane and Thor happily chatting away as they took tickets and handed out the mats. Disappointed you started looking for Bucky.  
You smiled the moment you felt a set of hands settle on your waist and a broad chest press against your back.
“Looking for someone?”
“Maybe. Have you seen someone who is clearly shirking their ticket taker responsibilities?”
He laughed and tugged on your belt loop to turn you in his arms. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he pulled you close.
“Hi, sweetheart.”
“Hey, Stevie.”
“I missed you this morning.”
“I missed my muffins,” you hummed.
Steve huffed, making you giggle. You looked up into his eyes.  
“And you. Of course.”
“How about I make it up to you tomorrow morning and then we binge the Witcher?”
“Sounds perfect. But you usually don’t run until late on Sundays.”
“Sam bailed this morning too because he had an early meeting, so we’re going to go together early.”
“Gotcha. That’s good.”
“And actually, I want you to meet him.  
“I am not getting up with you at five in the morning to meet your running buddy.”
“I know better than to ask you that. He’s here. I just ran into him.”
He kept an arm around you and started leading you towards the table Bucky was sitting at with someone who you would have known was Sam based on the lovesick look on his face.
Oh.
Well this was going to be interesting.
“Seriously though, I thought you were working for another hour,” you questioned as you walked towards your date and the object of his affections.  
“Thor took over early so he could spend time with Jane,” Steve explained.
“Mm. That makes sense. They’re so cute together,” you sighed as you looked over at them.
“Yeah they are. They want to get dinner with us next week. I told them I’d check with you but probably Thursday after your six o’clock?”
“Thursday is perfect.”  
“Great. I’ll set it up with Thor.”
You smiled and turned your attention to the table he was leading you to. Sam and Bucky were giggling together as they ate funnel cake, knees brushing as they sat facing each other at the picnic table.
“So the guy on the left is Sam my running buddy. And then the guy in the denim jacket is his roommate Bucky. Sam’s totally in love with him and he’s really obvious about it based on the ten minutes I spent with them. And the fact that other people have told them they’re a cute couple which bugs Sam. It will kinda seem like Bucky’s into him too, but he’s straight.”
You stopped dead in your tracks. Steve looked back in concern.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
You panicked. And patted your pockets to make it seem like you were looking for something before laughing and holding up your left hand.
“Thought I lost my phone for a second.”
He smiled and shook his head.
“What am I gonna do with you?”
“No idea.”
He held his hand out to you and you took it and intertwined your fingers. When you finally got to the table Bucky flashed you a smile but there was a bit of anxiety in his gaze.
“Hey, Steve. Finally found her hmm?” Sam smirked.
“Yep. Sam, Bucky. This is y/n.”
“Nice to meet you. Steve never shuts up about you.”
“That’s not true,” Steve grumbled.
You winced internally, but played it off.
“Nice to meet you too. Guess you guys will have to run faster if there’s so much time for talking.”
You turned to Bucky and smirked.
“Is that my funnel cake?”
“Yup. Is that my kettle corn?”
“Caramel as requested.”
Sam and Steve looked back and forth between the two of you as you traded food.
“Wait. You two know each other?”
“Oh yeah. We go way back,” You grinned.
“Really?” Sam arched an eyebrow.
“Mhmm. About four hours.”
“Wanda and Nat bailed on us, so he’s been my carnival buddy.”
“Small world.”
Steve gripped your hand tighter as you swung your leg over and sat down before straddling the bench beside you, keeping his arms around you as he slid you closer. You pulled the funnel cake towards you and ripped a piece off, offering it to Steve - feeding it to him when he refused to let go of you.
Apparently he was clingy without Saturday morning cuddles.
“So, what happened to Nat and Wanda?” Sam asked.
Though he was looking at you, Sam’s entire body was turned towards Bucky and his hand was resting on his knee. You felt like you were going to vibrate out of your seat.
“Nat got stuck working because someone called out sick. And Wanda had a hair appointment?”
“Apparently they were running and hour behind at the salon.”
Bucky couldn’t keep the incredulity of his voice. You both knew that had been a bald faced lie.
“That sounds like a set up,” Sam frowned.
“Well Bucky is the perfect guy for me,” you faux swooned.
Steve tensed beside you.
“According to Nat at least,” you added with a giggle.
“And Wanda insists that Y/n is exactly the girl I need,” Bucky reported.
“Is that so?” Sam’s jaw clenched and you did a little happy dance.
“Mhmm,” you told him smugly.
A child sobbing cut off Sam’s response. The four of you look up to see a little girl you recognized looking around helplessly and crying. You were on your feet in a second, hurrying over to her.
“Cassie, sweetie, are you okay?”
The little girl, holding her favorite bunny stuffed animal sniffed as she looked up at you.
“How do you know my name?”
Of course she didn’t remember you. You had met her when she was two. You were friends with her father, Scott, but you hadn’t seen him for a couple of years, though you’d been keeping up with his life on Facebook.
“I’m friends your daddy. Are you here with him?”
She nodded.
“Daddy was getting us food. I should have stayed with him. He was talking to someone and there was this puppy on a skateboard. It was really cool.”
“It sounds like it.”
“I followed him but then I couldn’t find my Daddy.”  
She started to cry again. The three boys had kept their distance, not wanting to overwhelm the child but they were watching intently.
“It’s okay, Cassie. You can sit with me and my friends and then we’ll find your Daddy okay?”
“Daddy said not to go anywhere with strangers.”
“That’s smart. And you shouldn’t go anywhere with strangers, but,” you pulled out your phone and quickly found an old picture of you and Scott with Cassie. “See, this is you and your daddy with me and my friend Steve who’s over there.” She looked at Steve who smiled and waved.
“I don’t remember that.”
You laughed.
“Well, you were really little. But I’m going to try and call your Daddy okay but let’s go sit over there.”
“Okay.”
She took your hand and you led her back to the table.
“So, boys, this is Cassie. Cassie, this is Steve, Sam, and Bucky.”
“Bucky’s a funny name,” she giggled.
“I tell him that every day,” Sam told her with a wink.
You let Sam and Bucky entertain her while you turned to Steve.
“I’m going to try calling Scott. Can you call into the info booth on your walkie in case he goes there.”
“Sure thing.”
You called Scott, growling when you got a notice that the number was out of service. Steve’s smile gave you hope he was having better luck.
“That’s great news, Hope. Yeah. Right by the Mega Slide. Perfect. See you soon.”
He turned down the volume on the walkie and gave you a thumb’s up.
“Cassie, honey, your daddy’s on his way.”
“He is?”
“Yup. He’ll be here soon.”
“Yay.”
Her tears were all dried now as Bucky told her a story about Wolfy McWolf, and you couldn’t help but smile both at the adorable tale and the fond smile Sam was giving him. At least one of you was gonna get a happy ending.
“Cassie!”
“Daddy!”
Scott tore through the crowd scooping Cassie up into his arms immediately.
“Peanut, I was so worried. You can’t wander off like that,” he panted as placed her down and knelt in front of her.
“I know. I’m sorry, Daddy.”
“It’s okay, Peanut.”
He hugged her close and looked at you all, gratitude etched in his face.
“Thank you for keeping her safe.”
“Of course. And you’ll be proud to know she did invoke stranger danger until I showed her a picture of us.”
“That’s my girl.”
You all chatted for a bit before  Scott and Cassie left for attempt 2 at getting food. The longing look back at Hope was also not lost on you and you nudged her with a knowing look.
“Shut up,” she muttered before pointing at the walkie on Steve’s belt. “I’m gonna need you to sign that back in.”
“Can I do it at the end of the night?”
“Technically, yes, but…”
Steve pouted and you put your hand on his arm.
“Go now. That way we don’t have to worry about it. You can meet us back here.”
He thought it over before nodding.
“Okay. I’ll be back in fifteen?”
“I’ll be waiting.”
He kissed the top of your head, nodded to Sam and Bucky and followed Hope.
“You were really good with her.”
“Three little sisters,” Bucky shrugged.
“Two,” Sam echoed as you reclaimed your table. “I’m actually going to go the bathroom really quick.”
“Sure thing.”
Once he’d been swallowed by the crowd you and Bucky turned to each other, eyes wide.
“Steve thinks you’re dating.” “Sam thinks you’re straight.”
“WHAT?!” “WHAT?!”  
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 A/N: So if you’ve read my work you will know that I love idiots to lovers. This one’s no exception. Stay tuned. 
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tundrainafrica · 4 years ago
Text
Title: A Tale of Two Slaves (4/17)
Summary:  “Soulmates don’t exist. Fate doesn’t exist. Everything is a choice.” At that moment, Levi could only watch as she made the choice for him.“
Reincarnation AU. Levi remembers everything from their past life. Hange doesn’t.
Note: Feedback is very much appreciated!
Other Chapters: 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Link to cross-postings: AO3
As it turned out, Hange’s thesis wasn’t just about jumping.
But it would be nice to do it about flying. She had mentioned, echoing that same sentiment in those numerous interviews he had read.
A case study on the changes of an athletes body and muscle composition from preseason to postseason.  
Levi only found out exactly what Hange and Moblit were doing for their final thesis as she ran through it with him over coffee the morning after they met in the lab. He had to admit, he had forgotten whether or not Moblit had explained that same thing to him which was probably just easily overshadowed by the pages and pages of waivers that had been laid out in front of him.
Hange had a different approach to the documentation. She had the same waivers that needed to be signed but had completely understood that no one would have that same drive to read the whole thing and consider the nuances and implications of every bullet point. She had just asked him to check everything and sign or she would not be able to work with him.
Compensation. Injury Insurance. Transportation Subsidy. Meal Subsidy
Levi quickly complied. In fact, he probably would have complied even without the benefits that came with participating in the study. He was already half way through mindlessly checking the boxes by the time Hange had mentioned those parts after all.
“Everything is funded.” Hange had explained. He knew their university was particularly well off. Being an athlete he had been a beneficiary multiple times of free branded shoes, gym bags jackets, meals and even gadgets with championship wins
The generous funding she had received to conduct the research was particularly seen in the well equipped sports facility where Hange was to conduct said research.
Cardiovascular endurance, strength power, speed, power etc. He listed the physical fitness components she wanted to study, the logistics of switching partners and starting anew completely forgotten.
It had been less than 24 hours since he visited her office and it was as if Hange wasn’t as deep into her research as Moblit had made it out to be.
She’s been cooped up in the lab lately, watching track and field videos.
She’s already been talking to Elijah, they did a few tests.
There was truth to what Moblit had told him. Hange did admit to having already the preliminary data needed for her case study but as Hange had shown him soon after they started talking, she had no problem just scrapping her data or giving it to Moblit and starting again from scratch.
As Levi soon found out, she was too passionate about her research to consider the preliminary data wasted work.
Levi had found that last part out after their talk in the lab after she had casually mentioned her lurker Instagram account on top of her blatant refusal to use Facebook and Twitter since too many social media sites were just too much to manage. He could not resist the urge to check the accounts she followed and just as he expected, they were all famous athletes from all different fields, the one thing common about all athletes being the almost inhuman height and airtime they achieved.
Nanaba Briete her friend and the subject of her high school thesis, was a volleyball player. Elijah Miller was a horizontal jumper. Moblit pointed out as well, her data for both players was too comprehensive beyond what was expected from someone of her level of study.
Levi soon realized with her YouTube and Instagram lurker activity, she probably was a stan and for some reason, he was one of the objects of her stanning activity. Levi had seen those types of people on Twitter and Instagram. They had weird voting conglomerations, used some sort of weird language and interacted incessantly with any post on the object of their stanning activity  Hange was not vocal in particular, her Instagram profile and YouTube channels both empty.  He only had to go through the profiles she followed to see that she left likes in most if not all pictures. Among those she had liked were profiles that reposted pictures of his jumps.
Liked by Wingsoffreedom132 and thousands of others.
Levi soon realized after hours going through most if not all the accounts she followed that just like the average stan, Hange spammed the like button like crazy
Looking deep into the comments of one of his jumps that year, he had found a comment from her. A pair of wings and a heart next to it.
How long has she been following him?
Did she have those dreams too?
“Why?”
“Why what?” Hange asked.
“Why me?” Levi continued.
“I told you before. You're amazing. Your forms are all perfect, your body composition is good and that crazy fast improvement  from no name player to rookie of the year?" Hange seemed too sure of herself and glimmer of hope that somehow she had any inkling of their connection in Levi's dreams dissipated. She started to rattle off numbers relating to Levi’s height differentials and vertical leap every year since high school, Levi had to note that there was some truth to what she was saying.
High jumping events had suddenly become much easier for Levi when he moved to the city for college. He had attributed it to the more frequent training that came with the more competitive environment of collegiate sports. It was an ironic turn of events though since that was also around the same time he had started experiencing those painful mornings after dreaming things he could barely member. He chose not to mention that just yet. The connection was just too illogical to be a causation or even correlation issue. It might have even just been an irrelevant coincidence.
Levi continued to listen as she explained schedules and outlines for meet ups. There was preliminary data gathering, multiple tests to be done on weekends in a sports facility a little farther away from the school. There were a few more documents that needed to be answered and submitted similar to what Moblit had sent. It would be time consuming, inconvenient. The prospect of Hange being there made it somewhat bearable.
So bearable, that Levi had found himself arriving at the train station Saturday morning one hour earlier than they agreed upon. They were going to the sports facility for preliminary data gathering. To his pleasant surprise, Hange was already there waiting.
“I hope you don’t mind the shitty schedule,” Hange said in greeting. She was staring at the duffel bag Levi had slung over his shoulder.
Levi had to stay overnight. With the sports facilities being shared among multiple researchers and multiple athletes, Hange found the most she could secure for a last minute booking was an early morning slot, offering instead to provide lodging to Levi for a night so he wouldn’t have to take a taxi late night and early morning when the trains were already closed.
“As long as there’s a place to stay.” It’s still better than commuting at 3am.
“Let’s drop your stuff first.”
The sports facility was a 15 minute train ride and as Levi exited the station, he was greeted by a large building that stretched out a fair number of meters in both directions. Was that the sports facility?
That wasn’t their destination though. Hange guided him through a few alleys and out into a main street where a quaint mid rise condominium was located right to their left.  
“My condo only has one bedroom so I hope you won’t mind staying on the couch. It has a pull out bed though so you wouldn’t be too uncomfortable.”
Somehow Levi had expected a hotel. “Wait, I’m staying in your place?”
The area Hange lived in turned out to be only 15 minutes away by train but oddly enough, it was Levi’s first time there. He found himself just gazing at nothing in particular but whatever was in front of him at that moment as they walked through the streets. They were going to have brunch in a nearby cafe, Hange had clarified. He found himself particularly entertained by the crowds, the grey pavement and the tall buildings that lined his view all making up the urban jungle of the center of town.
The university and the surrounding town where Levi spent a good chunk of his five years was located in a quieter part of the city which Levi had gotten accustomed to pretty fast when he moved there. He never left that area unless necessary for competitions or for schoolwork. Consequently, he was not completely used to the bustle at the center of the city,
They had settled into a diner in a small part or town with Hange offering to pay for the lunch. As soon as they had given their orders, Hange slid a document to him with the words “personal data sheet” written in bold on the top. “In the final output, you will remain anonymous, Erwin just requested we keep the basic data on everyone we study.” Hange explained.
Levi scanned the document before looking up at Hange again. By the way she had looked at him, Levi was sure she could have answered some of it for him. “Why don’t you answer it for me.“ He challenged.
“It’s your data Levi so I---”
“I wanna see how much about me you know.” Levi answered with a no-nonsense tone.
Hange turned red as she pulled the form back towards herself. She scribbled a few things on the paper. “Where do you live?”
Levi gave his city and province.
“I knew that much.” Hange admitted. “Exact address?”
Levi answered it briefly, spelling it out when needed.  “How many siblings do I have? What are their names?”
“Trick question. You’re an only child.” Hange said, looking up from the data sheet.
“The number question isn’t a trick question. You can answer with zero.” Levi continued. He did not need to make an effort to keep his tone playful. He was amused already. “And how do you know about my family?”
“Interviews.” Hange answered briefly.
Levi smiled. “I know you’re an only child too.”
“How did you know that?” Hange asked.
“Interviews.” Levi could see she had relaxed, a small smile creeping up her lips.
“So you’re researching me too.” She asked.
“You started it.”
“Which city am I actually from?” Hange challenged.
“You grew up here…” Levi answered. He sat up a little straighter. Seeing the amused smile on Hange's face, Levi felt it was a good time for other questions. His mind raced as he articulated one of his passing thoughts as he read through her articles.  “Which brings up the question, if you live so near campus, why do you live in your own condo?” The public transport here isn’t shit either. Levi noted to himself. She had little excuse to live alone and from the looks of her place, she seemed to come from a well off family who could at least afford a place like that.  
“I wanted freedom.”
                           A Tale of Two Slaves
The gym was huge. It was also so complete, the coverage so comprehensive that Levi was almost inspired to take up all the sports offered. They had indoor basketball courts, tennis courts and a complete track and field set.
The important part Hange pointed out as they entered though were the devices that could measure things like speed, weight, pulse, all necessary for her study. One of the more boring parts of the tour but surprising none the least.
Levi found himself particularly fixated on the fact that Hange was greeting everyone in the job like a regular.
"Hey, you weren't at the gym this morning."
"Had to pick up my friend here. He'll be helping me with my thesis."
Levi felt a tap on his back, brief and light. Maybe hesitant? Levi could not help but entertain the passing thought that if he were Moblit or maybe anyone else, she probably would have had her arm around his shoulders. He had seen her make that gesture towards Moblit and Elijah after all.
As Hange walked towards the desk and made conversation with what looked to be the receptionist, Levi watched her from behind. At first she had seemed too nerdy and too geeky that he had expected her to be lanky under the sweaters and the white coats she wore.
That day, she was in shorts and a blouse and Levi could not help but notice how her body curved underneath her clothes, and as he focused on her legs, he could make out the subtle muscle cuts on her legs. Hange's physique was definitely more toned than average and Levi pondered Hange's own physical fitness.
Her vertical. Her endurance. Her strength. The same things she had mentioned wanting to study about him.
As Hange gave him a tour though, Levi decided that it could wait until later.
                               A Tale of Two Slaves
That morning, with only less than a minute to drop his bag and could only afford a glance of her room.
As he arrived back there late in the afternoon  after a long tour of the gym, he had to stop himself from making a face. The fastidious side of him was silently judging Hange.
It was obvious in the way Hange had prepared the bed and the way that most tables and furniture had space for a visitor to sit or rest that Hange had at least cleaned in anticipation.
But she's a horrible cleaner.
The sofa bed was prepared but the sheets were wrinkled. The trashcan was overflowing, a disturbing sign that Hange did not segregate her trash. The dining table was empty but a display table at the corner of the room took the brunt of what Levi guessed the dining table used to carry.
There were jackets messily folded on the display table and Levi recognized her schoolbag particularly by the keychain he had returned only a few days ago.
“Make yourself at home.” Hange dropped a few towels on the sofa bed before making her way to her own bedroom. “You can use the shower in the powder room. Also, what do you want for dinner?”
“Anything.” Levi answered. He was still bothered by the state of the room to demand much of anything. The food was free, the accommodation was free, he felt guilty just complaining internally.
Hange seemed unbothered by the shitty state of her “cleaned up room.” In fact she had seemed proud as she toured him around her house. As Levi watched Hange with her goofy smile as she played with her phone in between bites of the pizza they had ordered, he could not help but feel guilty for having harbored such negative thoughts when Hange seemed more relaxed than he had seen her in a while.
“What are you watching?” Levi asked, an attempt at conversation more than anything. There were things he had wanted to ask her, yet at that moment, he felt would seem too intrusive.
Hange turned her phone to him. The video Hange had been looking at was that figure skater glided to the rink and jumped into the air, rotating quickly.
“I didn’t know you liked figure skating.” Levi said, his eyes focused on the heart on the side, to see it filled over. Hange liked the video.
“I like a lot of sports. I definitely would have wanted to try skating as a kid. Maybe gymnastics or even track."
Levi tried to imagine Hange in a tutu or a leotard, having to hold back a snort as he did. “You never looked like the type to wear a dress.”
“I wouldn’t. But I’m pretty sure you know how fun it would be to be able to launch yourself up in the air like that. You’ve done it multiple times.”
Levi thought back to the interviews he had read, the answers she had made even since grade school. I want to see how people can fly . “Why didn’t you take a sport as a kid?”
The smile she had given him after was wry, a little sullen and Levi knew he must have hit something sensitive inside her. “Because my parents didn’t allow me. If I take gymnastics, I’d break my neck. If I take skating, I’d break my spine. If I take track and field, I’d break my knees." She explained in an almost mocking town." They never ran out of excuses when it came to sports. But when it came to academics, they were always shipping me off to some new competition.”
I wanted freedom. That afternoon in the cafe, Hange had answered it so casually, he had brushed it off as they continued to fill out the data sheets. As he listened to Hange explain her situation right there, Levi could not help but recall a twinge of sadness in Hange’s voice as she had said the word “freedom.”
“Don’t get me wrong, academics can be fun.” Hange said.  “But I don’t think it’s ever going to beat the adrenaline rush of jumping or sprinting.”
“And that’s why you’re going to the gym a lot now.”
“I’m in college. My parents can’t stop me now. But yeah, my childhood is done. I don’t think I’ll ever get to your level, even when I train everyday.”
Levi had heard people say that before. The body of a child is flexible, the bones and muscles can still be easily molded. By the time people grow to be adults, their body is set and sure, they could probably jump or run along a track casually, collegiate competition and professional competitions were out of the question for most if not all people who start a sport as an adult.
"Maybe I can teach you?"
                                    A Tale of Two Slaves
The Hange in Levi’s dreams was able to fly. She was the one who would be screaming as they glided through the air in those contraptions. She had the ability to launch herself up in the air, to flip, to spin, just like the athletes in the videos she constantly followed.
Hange wasn't at all out of shape either. In fact as he saw her in gym clothes and as he watched her do a few rounds around the empty track, he had to note that her form was good. Her physique and the cuts in her muscles were also well defined. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the Hange who was watching him do rounds of jumps as she took notes was the same Hange in his dreams.
The bar Hange had set for him was clearable with little to no effort. After clearing a few rounds, enough for Hange to be satisfied with the preliminary data, he took the stopwatch from her hands and guided her to the place he had positioned himself a while ago. He opted to adjust it a few centimeters lower, at a height he had seen less skilled jumpers back in high school clear with no problems.
He spent a few minutes going  through the basics with her, particularly the method of softening a landing, having seen teammates from long ago get injured from that in particular.
“You’ve seen me jump countless times. I’m sure you can do it.” Levi assured. He knew that that last part was for himself more than anything. It pained him to see her nervous. Her face was a far cry from the Hange he knew.
She should know how to do it right?
Keeping the bar at its minimum and going through that landing with Hange a few times had turned out to be a good decision. It was in the way Hange had run to the bar, through the way her eyes went wild as she ran and as she landed right next to the bar that had fallen did Levi realize though, that Hange was terrified.
Terrified yet determined. Hange went back to her starting point and prepared herself for it a few more times.
“You don’t have that bounce in your step when you take off.” Levi bounced on the balls of his feet a few times for emphasis.
Hange gave him a quick nod before readying herself to run again. Levi could see she was tired. As Hange went through the motions pre jump, Levi could feel his heart beat faster. It took him a split second longer to realize why. Hange’s motions were wild and unsynchronized.
Levi did not say anything for fear of distracting her and possibly causing injury. He found himself running towards her instead. He was too late though. By the time he had arrived by the bars, she had fallen on it. One side of the bar flailed up in the air as Hange landed and she let out a loud gasp of surprise.
“Hey, you okay?” Levi asked, as he crouched next to her. He had kept his voice soft for fear of her hearing the panic in it.
Hange was lying face up on the mat, her light brown eyes looking longingly above her.
They had started training in the stadium at four in the morning, hours before the sun was scheduled to rise. It was only when Levi saw how unnaturally light Hange’s eyes were did he realized the ceiling above them was glass, and the sun had risen enough for the light to reflect on it.
“Must be nice to fly huh?” Hange voiced out before sitting back up again. “I’m fine but I think I bruised my shoulder.” She reached out for her right shoulder with her left hand and winced.
Having been jumping almost his whole life, Levi had forgotten for a while, how difficult the mechanics would be to pick up for the average adult. While gazing at Hange who had bent her head back and continued to watch the sunrise from the glass ceiling, Levi continued to reflect on it. If it were any other person, he probably would have even removed the bar as he thought them the mechanics.
The game changer in those particular circumstances was that it was Hange he was teaching, the subject of his dreams, the one who was flying with him from tree to tree in the forest. The one who was smiling and doing backflips, provoking him to chase her. For the life of him, Levi could not believe that she was not able to clear that jump.
                                   A Tale of Two Slaves
The sullen mood of a while ago quickly dissipated to something a little more bearable when Levi suggested they play on the trampolines adjacent to the track.
It had felt ridiculous at first. As Hange continued to gaze upward, mumbling about wanting to fly and as Levi himself dealt with the disappointment of what just happened, it had seemed like a logical suggestion.
It was the most mindless way he could come up with to get both of them flying and jumping and maybe, get them both cheered up in the process. They only had to bounce a few times for it to be exciting. After a few bounces, Hange started to laugh, she started to scream in excitement.
The same excited scream he had heard so many times before in his dreams. Levi found himself staring at Hange as she jumped. The spark in her eye was brighter than it had ever been. Her cheeks were starting to flush from what could have been excitement or exhaustion. After what could have been a few more minutes of jumping, Hange landed on her ass and let out a loud laugh in between gasps.
“Something tells me you haven’t done this before.” Levi said as he settled on the floor of the trampoline next to her.
“Parents didn’t allow me.They said I’d break my ankle.” Hange answered, after she had gotten control of her ragged breathing. She was sweaty and flushed but she looked carefree.
That was the Hange Levi was familiar with. Before Levi even noticed it, he had brought out his hand and lightly touched her on the side of her arm. Oddly enough, she did not resist the light and quick squeeze he had given her. As Levi looked closely at her, he guessed she probably didn’t notice or didn’t care. He quickly let go of her arm, a few seconds after he had noticed the odd action. Before that, he had allowed himself a few seconds to process the  warmth of her skin and the up and down movement that came with her heavy breathing. It was oddly calming and assuring.
She's real. She's alive. She's warm and she's breathing.
Soon after that, they were kicked out of the gym.  Actually, no one had kicked them out. The Sunday gym goers though had taken up their territory on the track as they started their warmups. Levi and Hange soon realized their time was up. The rude awakening to that reality had felt like they were being kicked out anyway.
It also turned out the giant trampoline Levi suggested they played on was only for the children's use. One reason, Hange had never bothered to touch it even when she did frequent the gym.
Hange had sleepily explained that part to him as she sprawled herself on the sofa of her condominium that afternoon. The early morning in the gym had left her exhausted. She fell asleep soon after and Levi could not help but notice the smile on her face as she slept. He wondered if she usually smiled in her sleep.
Levi settled himself on one of the chairs around the dining table in a good position to watch her, busying himself by going through all the Instagram profiles Hange had followed, following them using his own account. Some of the videos were in slow motion and Levi found himself in that same blackhole as Hange had been in many times before, begrudgingly agreeing that Hange was right.
The slow motion videos in particular showed the detail. The way the legs make a slight bounce before launching up, the slight movements the body made as it is suspended in the air. Levi knew there was a lot of body coordination involved in getting the highest vertical possible. Seeing the body work together, the miniscule movements all cooperating to get the jumper spinning, flipping or twisting was oddly satisfying. Levi was distracted, so distracted the only thing that could break it was the vibration of his phone accompanying the banner on top.
Coach Greg.
Levi was once again pulled out of his blackhole. Of course he’d have to train. He had missed multiple trainings the past week due to the wound in his knee. He had also missed yesterday morning’s training having to meet Hange. Their season was starting in a few weeks and he was their best chance at a championship that year. Levi wasn’t too surprised that their coach was more than ready to run through drills with him on a Sunday night.
After a few minutes of digging through Hange’s unit, Levi managed to unearth a pile of post-its and a pen. Thank you for letting me stay over. Gotta run. He wrote. He kept it short and simple, knowing he would probably end up chatting with her soon anyway. He stuck it on the dining table, slung his overnight bag over his shoulder and silently left the room.
As he took the train back to campus, Levi continued on his little blackhole. A video was just released, taken in a tournament in Russia just a few days back.
Quad Queen Alexandra Trusova.
Levi did not know his way around figure skating jumps but he found himself watching it in slow motion anyway. The sped up version was surprising but the slow motion version that followed was mesmerizing. Levi counted four spins in the air, noting both the slight bounce before the jump and the bounce that followed the landing.
As Levi refreshed the video on his phone, he could not help but notice that Hange’s name still wasn’t among those who had liked the photo. Was she still asleep?
He could only imagine the smile she makes as she watches videos. He clicked the paper airplane icon below the videos, scrolled through the users and clicked send on Wingsoffreedom132. He made sure to add a wings emoji and a heart emoji, the way Hange had done in a few of the videos.
Somehow, after doing that, it became easier to imagine that goofy smile a little more vividly.
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thecleverdame · 5 years ago
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Control and Release - 31
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Series Masterlist
TEDTalk!Sam x Reader
Summary: After the rest of the staff is caught in a snowstorm, you find yourself acting as a personal assistant to the notorious Sam Winchester. As the arrangement becomes more defined, you and Sam begin a sexual adventure with dangerous consequences.  
Warnings: Dom/Sub, humiliation, embarrassment, sexual objectification, mutual masturbation, spanking, cum play, fingering, anal play, orgasm control, nipple clamps, dub-con, breath play.
Beta: @ilikaicalie
Parts 1-39 are currently available on Patreon for a monthly pledge of $2.50. This includes early access to all my stories, including Patreon exclusive content.  >> CLICK HERE <<
-
“These are all my dirty secrets?” You look in trepidation at the folder on the table in front of you.
 It’s thicker than anticipated. 
“Everyone one of them.” Charlie is a perky, energetic redhead that’s the exact opposite of what you expected. Sam’s talked about her like she’s Sherlock Holmes, and to be honest you assumed she was a man. “Or least what I could dig up. I can confidently say that if I couldn’t find it, no one else will either.” 
Glancing at Sam you open the cover and scan over the top page. It’s a basic list of your personal details, where you’ve lived, who you’ve dated. 
“Is there anything we should be concerned about?” Sam asks. He slides his arm over the back of the couch behind you. 
Charlie hesitates, looking at Sam and then speaks to you. 
“Are you comfortable doing this with him here? I mean, it can get real weird real quick for both of you.” 
“I can leave if you want,”  Sam offers. 
“No.” You swallow the urge to take him up on the offer. “No secrets, right? This is my life.”
“Okay.” Charlie opens her laptop. “There was a polaroid of you in your underwear at a party in your senior year of high school. But we had it taken off Facebook and I was able to purchase the original.”
“It was on Facebook?” You’re both horrified and impressed. You had no idea “How did you even find it?”
“It’s what I do,” she chirps, already moving on. “You’re pretty boring compared to the people I usually investigate. No DUIs or cheating. But you did date a man named Jasper.”
“Oh Jesus.” You want to crawl under the table. Your time with Jasper wasn’t as much a traditional relationship as a hook-up that lasted a year. He never came close to what you and Sam enjoy together, it was all about sex. “I’m sorry.” You turn to Sam who’s throwing you a terrifying, forced smile. 
“Don’t be sorry,” he murmurs, a hand slipping over your thigh and wedging between your legs. 
“Did you make a sex tape with him?” Charlie asks and you choke on your own spit. 
“No, I mean, I don’t think we ever…”
“Is there a chance he recorded you without your knowledge?”
“Maybe.” You search your memory. Everything from that time is hazy, the two of you drank a lot. “I mean, I don’t know. You think he recorded me?”
“I think he has something.” Charlie’s attention switches to Sam and she morphs into all-business mode. “He was interested in why I was asking questions. When I made an initial offer for any videos or pictures he might have he acted like he had something. But I think he realized it was valuable and kicked me out of his apartment.”
“You offered the maximum?” Sam asks. 
“Yeah, he didn’t go for it.”
“Double it and see what he does.”
“Got it.” She stops to make a note.
“He has a sex tape with me in it?” You’re not past this yet. You look to Sam who’s unreadable. “I had no idea. I mean I eventually realized he was a creep but I never thought he would do something like that. What if he posts it?”
“Don’t worry,” he nods, sliding a hand over your knee. “I’ll handle it.”
“Other than Jasper, you and Sam are actually the biggest potential issue. I read Cole’s report. It’s concerning despite your prior relationship. If the wrong person got a copy of his written complaint it would be damaging. I think you can expect the real story to revolve around the fact that Sam intervened when a mad man was shooting up the office. You can choose how you want to spin that. If you decide you want some heroic meet-cute to be the official story then I can erase any trace of your relationship before the shooting happened. If you want me to leave some crumbs confirming you were together prior, I can do that to. And if you want a lid on the whole thing, no problem.”
“People will care?” you ask. 
“Oh, for sure.” She chuckles, looking at you like you’re a moron. “Sam’s personal life has been a lockbox. You’re the most interesting thing that’s ever happened to him.”
“Wonderful.” This would all be so much easier if he wasn’t so well off. If he hadn’t been quite as successful all these precautions could be avoided. 
“Just tell me what kind of story you want out there and I’ll start planting the seeds.” She grins at Sam with a warm familiarity. Few people interact with him this easily. There must be quite a back story. 
“We’ll talk about it,” Sam answers for you, shifting in his seat. “Anything else?”
“That’s all for her.”
“You have my background as well?”
“I do.” She pulls a thinner file from her bag and you look at him in surprise. 
“She did one on you too?”
“Charlie has been the keeper of my secrets for a decade. She makes sure any possible indiscretions stayed buried,” Sam explains. 
Charlie is looking between you and Sam, asking a silent question. 
“You can say whatever you need to in front of her.” Sam turns to you. “You can leave if you feel uncomfortable.” 
You find yourself suddenly nervous. Sam’s past is largely a mystery and you’re not sure if you want to know. Were there others before you? 
“The woman you had a financial arrangement with is not a problem. It’s Madison I’m concerned about.”
Financial arrangement? That piques your interest but the conversation moves on. 
“It’s been years. You don’t think she’s gotten past it?” Sam shifts beside you, betraying his discomfort for the entire situation. He’s rarely visibly distressed but there’s no covering this up. His reaction may be subtle but it’s there. 
“She still Googles you once a week.” Charlie turns her computer toward Sam. You don’t understand you’re looking at, but he seems to. Sam takes interest in something on the screen and you feel him stiffen beside you. “She’s living in Boston again?”
“She moved back last year,” Charlie confirms. 
“You didn’t tell me.” Sam’s tone shifts to his trademark disapproval but it doesn’t seem to phase the perky redhead.
“I update when I think there’s a concern. This wasn’t a red flag for me. She’s from Boston. Her father is sick. She got a good job at a tech firm. It looks to me like she came home to be near her family...or...”
“Or?” Sam asks. 
“Or she came back to be close to you. It’s hard to tell with her. Madison has always been a wild card. You know how to pick ‘em.” Her eyes dart to you, offering an apologetic grin. “Present company excluded.”  
You just sit there taking in these new tidbits of information. A trail of breadcrumbs that lead to the story that was Sam’s life before you. 
“Do you think she would try to hurt Sam?” you ask and two pairs of eyes look at each other before turning to you. “Or me?”
“She’s not that kind of crazy,” Charlie assures you. “But she would love to embarrass Sam. Make things hard for him. She’s still pissed he cut her off.” 
“I see.” You sit back as they continue talking details. You’ll have questions for him later but right now your mind is swirling. Your ex hook-up has a possible homemade sex tape of you doing God knows what, and Sam apparently hired a hooker.
“And what about Dean and my father?” Sam squeezes your knee, bringing you to attention. 
“What about them?” You lean forward with interest. 
“They’re hard to track.” Charlie closes her computer and sits back. There’s no documentation of this inquiry. Nothing to tie either of them to the wanted Winchesters. 
“That can’t surprise you.” Sam nods. “But you’re good.”
“Yes, I am.” She offers a little bow of her head. “I had to track the weird to find them.”
“What do you mean?” you ask. 
“They like the crazy stuff, ghosts, and monsters. So I kept an eye out for any weird happenings. Some lady in New Jersey claimed a sewer monster stole her baby. And you’ll never guess who popped up in town at some shitty motel the next day.”
Taking out her phone she pulls up a photo and holds it out for you and Sam to see. It’s a grainy security camera shot of Dean with a baseball cap pulled over his face. 
“When was this?” Sam inquires. 
“Six weeks ago. Your brother is staying along the eastern seaboard. Investigating paranormal bullshit in Vermont, Maine, Connecticut. Occasionally he’ll pop up in the midwest, but for the most part, he’s staying close.” 
“To me.” Sam’s not asking, he already knows. 
“Yeah, that would be my guess. I did a sweep of your office buildings, homes and so on. I found a digital hole in your home security cameras. Someone created a backdoor into the system so they could have unfettered access.”
“He’s watching us?” Dean’s been on your mind ever since the encounter in the kitchen over a year ago. But now it seems your concerns were in fact warranted. 
“Maybe,” she continues. “It’s hard to tell with him. He might be watching. Maybe he’s visiting, editing the footage to cover his tracks. Or maybe it’s not Dean at all.”
“Who else would it be?” you ask, afraid of the answer. “FBI?”
“My father,” Sam sighs. 
“It’s a possibility.” Charlie shrugs. “Unfortunately it’s impossible to tell what they’re up to.”
“What’s your gut instinct?” Sam asks Charlie. 
“I think they’re keeping an eye on you...and her.” She looks you dead on. “If you want to know why your guess is as good as mine. They believe some insane stuff, Sam. End of the world, apocalypse wack-a-doo shit. They could just be trying to keep you safe. But there’s always the possibility of something else. Y/N was right to be concerned.”
“Perfect,” Sam laughs dryly, rolling his eyes. “This is the last thing I need right now.”
“I liaised with your new security guy.  He knows what’s going on with your family, Madison, the whole shebang. He’s working on Y/N’s apartment and your house to seal the leaks. I’ll schedule a meeting for the three of us when you get back to Boston.”
“Sounds good.” Sam stands as Charlie collects her things and you stay seated. “Thank you for everything. As always, you’re invaluable.” 
“That’s why you pay me the big bucks.” She laughs. “Nice to meet you, Y/N.”
“You too.” You wave her off, watching as Sam locks the door after her departure. He shoves a hand in his pocket, the two of you staring at each other in silence. 
“What are you thinking?” he asks.
“Oh, more than you wanna know.” Running a hand down your face you categorize the evening. Sex scandals, stalkers, fugitives from justice...where to start. “You paid for sex?”
“Technically, no.” Sam walks over to sit on the couch across the coffee table. 
“What does that mean?”
“It means I never fucked her.”
“Okay, but you hired a hooker?”
“Yes.”
“And didn’t have sex with her?”
“No.” His jaws ticks. He doesn’t want to answer these questions. “She sucked my dick. She allowed me to do things to her, but I never fucked her. Would you like the details?”
“Jesus,” you sigh. “No. God...fuck. And the other woman, Madison, she was your girlfriend?” 
“No. She and I had an arrangement. The same as you and I had when this started. She worked for W & S. It only lasted a few months. She became attached, somewhat obsessive. She believed we were more than our arrangement and I put an end to it.” He stares at you, still as a statue. 
“Okay.” You hate the very idea of him with someone else. The thought of another woman makes you angry, but he’s being honest, and honesty is everything so you swallow the urge to take it out on him. “What are we going to do about your family?”
“I’ll give you the details as soon as I have them,” he offers. “We’ll have increased security.”
“Good.” Racking your brain you try to make sure you’ve covered everything. “Oh! Jasper, are you sure Charlie will be able to get that video...if there is one, I mean.” 
“She has her ways and I have money. Everyone has a price. We just need to find his.”
You’re both quiet again. Things feel unsettled, awkward for the first time in a long time. And you only know one way to reset this feeling. There are times when having Sam in complete control makes you feel the safest. 
“Sam,” you start, watching him sigh in response. He’s expecting more questions. 
“Yes?” he asks, looking at you expectantly. 
“I’d like you to spank me now.” This request makes your cheeks hot with anticipation. His face morphs from controlled irritation to pure lust, eyes narrow, a grin pulling at his mouth. “With your belt.”
“Take off your clothes and lay across my lap,” he instructs, already working at his buckle. “Get the gag. We can’t have you making too much noise.” 
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