#gonna queue up a bunch of requests that should last until next week

[kika-lala]

Fluffal cat!

Kika-lala 07.22.2018

[diyunho]

The Joker x Reader - “Raven”

Y/N is a very unusual metahuman that can use her powerful abilities just once before being turned into a Raven forever; that’s why it’s really strange she decided to sacrifice herself in order to save The Joker’s life. But there’s a reason for everything and maybe the unbreakable curse is nothing more than a blessing in disguise.

“It doesn’t look good,” you hover over The Joker, analyzing the gunshot wound that keeps on bleeding through his green shirt.

“It’s not bad,” he growls, pressing his abdomen.

“Where are you, prick?” someone yells and the echo carries over the words around the abandoned building.

“Do you believe you can escape?” another voice resonates in the vast premises.

“Tick-Tock, Clown!” another man howls in the quietness, certain The King of Gotham has no escape.

“Fuck…,” J tries to get up but he slides back down against the wall.

“I think it’s pretty bad,” you state the obvious. “You’re injured, out of bullets and they are near: your crew won’t find you in time.”

“Shit…,” he groans in pain, the throbbing ache intensifying with each passing moment.

“I’m gonna help you,” Y/N shares her scheme and although the news should make him happy, it doesn’t.

“W-what do you mean?!” The Joker stutters even if he knows the implications of such statement. You’re quiet and he continues: “Why would you do something like that?...”

You smile at his bafflement, the affirmation completely surprising him:

“Because you’re the only one that never asked.”

“You shouldn’t use it on me!” J’s truthful reply is interrupted by the henchmen entering the desolated space where the fallen Prince of Crime has found refuge. “Who am I supposed to talk to if you’re gone?” the genuine question makes you realize there’s actually a soul in this world who’ll miss you.

“We didn’t really talk too much,” you softly chuckle and turn to confront the men halted in their tracks seeing you’re positioned in front of The Joker.

“The freak is here,” a goon whispers loud enough to be heard by the ones arriving behind him.

“Hey Y/N!” their leader detaches from the crowd. “What are you doing here?!”

The lack of an answer combined with the feral expression on your face prompts the mobster to wave his pistol as a sign for truce.

“Let’s not do anything hasty, shall we?... …. Hm?... I’m aware you had so many offers over the years; consider mine again: if you wield your powers to finish the green haired asshole, I will triple the amount of money from the highest bidder!”

You scoff at the absurd idea, describing how stupid you considered the monetary proposals suggested by numerous individuals in the past:

“And what am I supposed to do with the riches once I cease to exist?!”

A bullet shrieks by your ear, ending up in the wall behind where J collapsed a couple of minutes ago.

“Sorry I missed, boss!” the man apologizes and this is enough to set you off; you turn your head to gaze at The Joker, delivering a last warning.

“Close your eyes or you’ll go blind!”

“Don’t let her clap her hands!” the kingpin shouts but it’s too late: a deafening bang fills up the air and the strong light emanating from your body burns J’s closed eyelids. He covers his face with bloody fingers while the screams and smell of torched flesh makes him nauseated; it’s so disgusting he gags yet the insane King can’t help a smirk at the sweet victory, even if comes  with such a heavy price.

Gurgling noises and muffled cries persist for another 15 seconds before they abruptly halt.

“Meet me in dreams,” is Y/N’s final sentence and immediately after the sound of flapping wings queue The Joker to finally open his eyes.

The view is cringe worthy: puddles of steamy, boiling tar scattered all around bearing witness to the consequences of your rage: nobody’s alive anymore except J and the Raven picking at the clothes you wore earlier.

His cell phone goes off and he has difficulty searching the purple jacket for the item he has no need for.

“Sir! We’re coming! Almost on the 32nd street!” Frost reports in a frenzy and The Joker sneers, wheezing from the effort of trying to stay awake.

“Nice timing,” and he hangs up, muttering to himself: ’”Goddamned jerks…”

The bird suddenly flies in his lap, curiously checking him out.

“I think I’m gonna pass out…” the damaged Clown slowly blinks before losing conscience which is alright since he had to speak to you anyway.

Every time you meet in dreams, you are always waiting for him on this deserted, calm beach staring at the waves in the distance. Today is not different.

He takes a sit by the woman that saved his life, silently analyzing her features: The Joker knows he won’t see them again except in this place.

When you said you didn’t speak much, it was true; if he tries to remember the first instance you showed up in his life, the moment blurs out and disappears in the background of his troubled mind. You would just randomly pop up while he was alone, keeping each other company for hours and often barely uttering a sentence. The eerie Y/N preferred J’s presence simply due to his lack of interest in her unusual power and he tolerated her because she never sought any kind of reward from their awkward connection. In the matter of fact, J never even tried to touch you; it was relaxing to be with an individual that plainly didn’t want anything from you whilst the rest of the world begged for attention: how many requested you aid them and manipulate your ability in order to annihilate their enemies? How many promised compensations beyond measure in exchange of your mighty gift? Way too many.

Yet The Joker didn’t care about it; the most he would do was to share his favorite drink after a new brand of grape juice hit the market.

And now the person he shared with was gone forever.

“Your team is almost at the warehouse,” you address him, bending your knees until your chin touches them. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”

“I’m not worried,” J indifferently replies. “Told you it’s not serious.”

You snicker at his stubbornness, pointing out the evident reality:

“That’s why you fainted and started to dream about me?”

Your escort huffs, struggling to confess stuff hard to articulate in these circumstances.

“Thank you for…umm…for…”

“You don’t have to thank me; it was my choice and I fulfilled my destiny. It’s over and I’m free. I’ll still visit, ok?”

“Mister Joker! Sir, can you hear me?” Frost’s voice interrupts J’s dream: the gang is searching the deserted property for their leader and the only thing he notices is The Raven flying in circles above his head.

***********

Three weeks later, 9:37pm

The Joker extends his arm and you land on it, gently digging your claws in his skin for equilibrium.

“Where were you all day?!” he scolds and you caw, evoking complaints from the man that can’t sleep without his bird. “I wish you were a nightingale, this way you can chirp some cute songs.”

You fly on his shoulder to peck at the diamond earring, annoyed at his remark.

“Ouch! Ouch!” he shrugs, but doesn’t chase you away. “I recognize crows appreciate shiny things, but it hurts.”

Poking escalates and J vaguely apologizes on his own terms:

“I meant Raven! Raven!!” he repeats and struts inside The Penthouse where your pillow awaits. “Are you hungry?” the Prince of Crime offers a bunch of crumbs and expensive seeds he ordered for the spunky pest. You hop on the nightstand and play with the food, not particularly captivated by the lavish feast.

The Joker rolls in bed, gesturing for the pillow next to him.

“My girlfriend’s out of town, you can crush on her side of bed,” the affirmation makes you float to her cushion, instantly plucking the fabric with your beak, then jump up and down, cawing some more.

The Clown laughs, entertained at the temper tantrum.

“I know you don’t like her and the feeling is mutual,” he caresses the soft, black feathers as you continue to shred Lara’s pillow. “Stoooop! These are fresh sheets!” he pleads and distracts you by showing his patched up abdomen from under the t-shirt. “Look, my lesion is healing; wanna see?” a corner of the bandage is peeled for the guest to properly inspect the stitches.

Y/N bounces on The Joker’s chest, cautiously examining his wound.

“Cool, huh?” he grins and reaches his hand for the book resting under his pillow, surprisingly enough containing your favorite poem. “The Raven. By Edgar Allan Poe,” J emphasizes and you spread your wings with delight, quickly rushing to his neck and cuddle against the playing cards tattoo.

The King of Gotham holds the book with one hand and pets you with the other, his husky tone recites the verses you love so much.

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary…” the beautiful, dark rhyme soothes a tired Y/N scarcely recalling what it means to be human.

Yet being near HIM reminds her on how much she longs for what was lost when she willingly sacrificed herself to save the one that didn’t ask to be saved.

*************

Following morning, 8:21 am

The Joker is swimming outside on the terrace and you’re having a blast in the inflatable pool he set by his lounge chair for the enchanted, feathered companion. This is a thousand times extra enjoyable when his new girlfriend is not home!

She’s a complete nutcase, totally obsessed with The Clown and certainly doesn’t understand why he’s paying so much attention to a filthy, gross creature.

Who the hell gets a crow as pet?! Apparently her boyfriend, although he didn’t tell her who you truly are. Why bother? It’s a secret you and J share; nobody has to find out, although plenty of concerned parties would spend a fortune for an update: Y/N hasn’t been spotted recently and it’s troublesome.

“Raven Queen!” J emerges from the pool since he has to take it easy; the doctor said no more than 15 minutes of physical activity every day. “I have a little present,” he yanks at the towel on the lounge chair, unraveling a box full of gold rings, Rolexes and chains under it.

Oh my God, so shiny and sparkly in the morning sun!!!

You fly from your pool straight into the container, happily tapping at the treasures. The Joker dries his body and chitchats with his bird, excited you enjoy the shimmering gems.

“You can steal them and hide them,” he winks and you sure are taking advantage of it as soon as possible. “Do you have a nest?” J inquires and teases afterwards: “Did you find yourself a Raven King?”

That’s pretty rude, you think and swiftly attack him, careful not to scratch his face in the process.

“Cut it out!” The Joker demands and gives up the fight really fast. ”OK, OK, I surrender!” he chuckles as you rise up, gliding in the wind gushing above The Penthouse. The plan is simple: charge at the toxic green locks and pull on the strands, assuring at least two or three hairs will be removed as revenge.  J takes a defensive stance, preparing to catch and keep you captive in the fluffy towel until you calm down.

BANG! the gunshot halts the fun and The Clown Prince of crime watches in horror as The Raven falls to the ground in front of his girlfriend.

“Babe, are you alright?” Lara squeals, kicking the bird at her feet. “I told you having a wild animal as pet it’s an awful idea! I saw the crazy bird attacked you, it might have rabies!!” she kicks you again and the small body convulsing on the hard concrete makes him lose his marbles. “Thank heavens I returned sooner than expected,” the woman explains, nervous to detect the angry Joker stomping towards her.

“What the fuck are you doing??!!” he screams and violently pushes her, slapping the gun out of her hand. Lara stumbles on her own steps, not comprehending why her partner is livid rather than showing gratitude.

“What do you mean?” she gulps and J bends over to pick you up when you let out a cry, the sinister noise resembling a human’s wailing. “The bird was attacking you, I was afraid!”

“It wasn’t attacking me, we were messing around!”

“Messing around?!” the woman mumbles, confused.

“Get a hold of Frost and tell him I need a veterinarian! NOW!!!” The Joker barks as he enters The Penthouse.

“Jesus…,” Lara sniffles and texts, irritated at his behavior. “Why is he so mad about?! The dumb beast is nothing but an outbreak of infection and bacteria!” she maliciously grumbles, sending the message to Jonny.

Something whooshes by her and before she has a chance to see what it is, a bunch of ravens and crows unexpectedly storm at the petrified Lara: they are answering your call, mercilessly tearing and scraping at the enemy.

“J!!! J!!!!” she runs without noticing where she’s going, panicked at the multitude of birds relentlessly chasing her; it’s a miracle she stumbles upon the tiny shed which stores pool supplies and manages to squeeze inside.  

The birds keep on bombarding her temporary hideout as she begs for assistance:

“J !!! J !!!! Please help me!!! J!!!!”

Yet The Joker can’t hear: he raced upstairs to the master bedroom and placed you on the comforter, trying to assess how severe the injuries are; one of the wings is bleeding and there are probably broken bones also.

“Don’t die…” J whispers because it sure seems Y/N is fading away: the bird can barely breathe and for the first time in ages he feels sad. “If you leave, we won’t be able to meet in dreams…”

The King of Gotham crawls in bed, unsure if he should caress you or not; what if he dislocates something else by accident? Instead he kisses the top of your head, the velvety feathers tickling his lips.

The sudden glow radiating from The Raven makes him close his eyes tight: it’s so strong it burns just like when you used your powers to rescue him. It doesn’t last longer than 10 seconds and sensing the light dimmed, J decides to open his eyes. A few black quills still drift in the air and he glares at the tearful Y/N, shocked to see her:

“Everything hurts,” you start sobbing and the bloody arm, plus the bruised torso urge him to cover your naked body with the corner of the quilt. “H-how am I h-here?!” you stammer and grab his thumb while The Joker is in a trance, speechless at the witnessed phenomenon because it’s impossible to come up with a logical reasoning.

Such a shame neither of you realize that even affection coming from a rotten heart can be pure enough to shatter an unbreakable curse.  

 Also read: MASTERLIST

You can follow me in AO3 and Wattpad under the same blog name: DiYunho. 

[kotolocke]

Entry #01: New Bark & Beyond.

God it really has been a week since I started this blog and I still haven’t updated it? Gotta stop being useless and post more regularly. I’ve made decent headway into the game so I have several posts I need to make about it. So let’s get started. I’ll save y’all from a long summary of the game events and stick with just mentioning important game-play stuff and how Lyra reacts to them.

First up: Elm’s request.

   This whole little introductory quest that Elm sends her on is actually kinda meaningful to her perception of herself as a trainer. In blog cannon, Lyra immediately goes to collect her starter from Elm after having a massive argument with her Mum about leaving home, which ended with her Mum basically pushing her out of the door and telling her she wouldn’t care if she came back. She would. She didn’t mean it, she was just lashing out. But Lyra didn’t know that and she ran most of the way to the lab choking back tears.

   So she takes a deep breath, calms herself down and as soon as she’s in the lab, Elm’s asking her to act as a representative of the lab and complete an important task for them. At this point, Lyra’s already been helping out around the lab for some time so this isn’t entirely out of the ordinary. But being asked to take care of a “real” “discovery” one of Elm’s peers has made whilst she’s still highly fraught from a fight but is pretending that she’s totally fine? This is the basis of the person she becomes. Someone who thinks of herself as a highly important “chosen person” who cannot express her real emotions or else she’ll won’t be taken seriously or allowed to follow her goals. Because something tells me Elm wouldn’t be too comfy sending a crying eleven year old off into the wild world of Pokemon after a big fight with her parents.

Next up: Lyra’s starter.

   Meet Cabbage!

   She’s an extremely sheltered Chikorita who honestly never thought she was actually going to end up travelling with a trainer. Surely she was just going to spend the rest of her life in the lab with the Professor? Lyra decided otherwise, and decided primarily because she was the only girl of the three Pokemon Elm was raising. Lyra was anticipating getting some flack for being a young girl on a Pokemon journey so she kinda projected some of this onto Cabbage. Moron boy trainers would probably turn their nose up a cute, female Pokemon so she should had to take Cabbage with her so she wouldn’t feel like she was anyone’s last choice.

   Cabbage would have been okay with that but unfortunately can’t tell Lyra how she feels. She’s just gotta learn to embrace all the terrifying Pokemon battles Lyra puts her through. Which happens surprisingly quickly; Lyra’s an impatient girl but she always gives her Pokemon the time they need to adjust. Speaking of adjust:

Cabbage is legitimately confused and slightly irritated about her nickname. It’s the first of many little annoyances that eventually lead to her becoming stubborn and standoffish towards Lyra as she grows more confident.

Next: Mr. Pokemon & Professor Oak.

   In terms of character development, this whole scenario kinda bolsters Lyra’s ego even more. But I want to single it out because it’s the start of one of her three major plot threads:

   This fckin’ egg. This egg is important and eventually hatches into one of Lyra’s core team members. This egg is also lowkey a symbol of everything early journey Lyra thinks about herself. She’s so unique and powerful and special, Elm can see she’s naturally good with Pokemon so he chose her to go on this dangerous quest to collect a mysterious egg! And better yet, during this quest the esteemed Professor Oak, advisory to the legendary Red, asks her if she can help him out with something too!

   He gives her a high-tech Pokedex, an item so exclusive that only a handful of trainers own one? Wow she must be the best trainer out there, she’s only just got her first Pokemon and everyone’s falling over themselves to get her to do trainer stuff for them. Clearly she’s hyper naturally talented and all the smart Pokemon experts know it! She’s a dumbass child. I love her.

   Anyway, why’s the egg important you ask? Oh—

—no reason.

And finally: Silver.

   Did you know: Lyra absolutely hates Silver’s guts pretty much until she sees he also hates Team Rocket? Because he kinda epitomises the older boys who would belittle her for being a girl who wanted to be a trainer?

   It’s pretty clear to Lyra that Silver kinda knows some shit about Pokemon training because she hears him muttering shit about Elm’s lab being “famous”. Bitch, the only people that Elm’s famous to are fringe nutcase trainers who breed for something they call IVs because he’s basically lord high king of egg knowledge or whatever. That makes it doubly annoying when Silver tries to kick her when she asks if he’s getting a Pokemon there too and twice as satisfying when she knocks him over with a retaliation kick and stamps off righteously. She’s especially glad that she chose Cabbage at this point; just thinking of what he might say about her makes Lyra fume. 

   More evidence that Silver is a bog-standard shitface sexist kid:

Whilst Silver would say this sort of crap to anyone, this hits a little too close to home for Lyra and she takes it as a misogynistic insult. Generally implying that she’s somehow not worthy of becoming a trainer is a surefire way to make Lyra go feral because she kinda thinks it’s the only thing she’s good at. And it’s just not true, look at what level Cabbage is at this point:

Three levels above where she started and only around 3-4 hours have passed since they first met. Lyra is insanely good at training Pokemon. She has great intuition when it comes to assessing individual Pokemon’s strengths and weaknesses and encourages them to fight in whatever way suits them best. She doesn’t always have great long-term strategy in battle, but she knows exactly what her Pokemon can and cannot take and dish out and this is what secures her most of her victories.

   Also Silver’s “someone weak” comment  is 100% self-projection, just so we’re clear.

   lyra vc: lmao yeah i am???

   lyra vc: lmao no!!!

   Queue Lyra getting Actually Mad™ because there is no way a dick like Silver could become a better trainer than her?? She’s gonna be the greatest, just you wait and see Tampon!!

   If you don’t think she was holding it in the air just out of his reach then you have fundamentally underestimated how much of a petty little shit my Lyra is.

   Regardless, Lyra then runs back to the lab to see exactly why Elm called her in such a panic.

In conclusion: All cops are bad.

   A kind of recurring theme in Lyra’s story is her distrust of traditional authority figures, and it all starts here.

   Okay, so obviously this exchange is so cartoonishly stupid that I cannot see it going down like this in blog cannon. But the cop that does come to investigate the lab in blog canon is pretty much as incompetent as this guy. Stealing a Pokemon is kind of not a big deal in Johto? Shit happens all the time, the cops are corrupt as fuck and they don’t care about doing their job. It’s the reason Rocket was able to regroup in Johto without anyone really making any attempt to stop them.

   So this guy is mad that he’s been taken really far out of his way to investigate some minor crime in a tiny town and now some brat kid is going on about how some other kid was rude to her? Yeah, he’s not happy and totally belittles her, calling her “girlie” and scoffing at the idea of her and her wimpy looking Pokemon could have defeated a criminal. It’s not until Lyra insists that it was the red haired boy Elm mentioned to the guy she battled that he starts listening to her, and even then he’s still extremely brusque with her. And Lyra cannot stand being talked down to so this drives her round the bend.

   A lot of terrifying things happen to Lyra during her journey, enough that she could easily qualify for police protection, but she never once asks for it throughout her journey. Because whenever she imagines walking into a police station, she imagines a bunch of wrinkly, balding, middle-aged men who will belittle and insult her the same way this cop did. And she’s not going to willingly suffer through that again.

[avaalons]

Chris Evans Fic: Disney Princess Series Part 2 (Reality)

Sequel time! This is a sequel to Disney Princess Obsession, requested by the lovely @pegasusdragontiger, who wanted Chris and Sleeping Beauty to be reunited: “Sequel to Princess Obsession, She is cast in the next Avengers movie with Chris they are awkward and flirty with each other and do interviews together to promote the movie. In an interview the interviewer ask’s their favourite part or ride in Disneyland Chris of course answers as dot he fellow cast mates and everyone looks to her and she say’s she hasn’t been to Disneyland everyone ask’s why said well 1)her family never had the money and the other she hasn’t had time and Chris desides to take.”

***

So, I’ve got to ask, how has working together been since Chris’ epic humiliation after the Oscars?

‘Really dude? We’re really going to go here again?’ Flushed pink tinged Chris cheeks as he barked out an embarrassed laugh. It had taken weeks and weeks of hardcore charm offensive from him for you to drop your guard around him after his put his foot and most of his leg in his mouth when he met you on the press line at the Academy Awards, and then again when he was asked about you in an interview. And now in every interview on this fucking press tour, his massive blunder was brought up time after time.

You’d been polite of course, from the moment you met him. You’d taken a deep breath, pushed your shoulders back and, when he walked into the room for your introduction, you stuck out your hand politely and addressed him as Mr Evans. You were going to be working together for the best part of the next twelve months and you wanted to set very clear boundaries from the start. His bright expression had fallen a fraction but he had recovered quickly, shook your hand warmly, closing his free hand over yours, sandwiching your dainty fingers between his palms.

‘Please, its Chris,’ he’d said, ‘And I just wanted to say that I am beyond sorry for…’

‘Oh, don’t worry about it! I found it funny, honestly. Nothing to worry about.’

You’d cut him off quickly with a smile and a wave of your hand, your other one still snug in his fingers. You absolutely did not want to listen to an apology for his comments. You hadn’t been offended when you heard about it. You’d been flattered even! He seemed like a nice guy, friendly and open, and that was difficult to come by in your line of work. But this movie was a huge win for you and you would be doing everything in your power to ensure your time on the movie was a success. And that meant keeping Chris Evans, his blue eyes, dazzling smile and warm hands at arm’s length and then some. Right after he let you go. Any second now.

He did, eventually, after a few more absent-minded gentle shakes and a slightly awkward silence, let you go with an ‘okay then,’ and a ‘let’s get started shall we?’

And it had been fine, really. The cast were close and you were made to feel nothing but welcome. After a few weeks, you couldn’t help but defrost a little bit, swept up as you were in the easy atmosphere and natural banter that flowed between them all. You and Chris had found an easy rhythm and, dare you say it, had developed something resembling a friendship. It wasn’t anything to write home about, but that was fine by you. It was safe and you weren’t doing anything to make anyone question your professionalism.

But these interviews were getting on your last nerve. You felt for Chris, he was the one getting the brunt of the humiliation of course, but he bore it well. He laughed it off every time, talked about how professional you both were and how you had graciously accepted his apology. A couple of times, he’d even offered you a fist bump as a show of camaraderie and to make it clear to anyone watching that his verbal eruption had resulted in only friendship.

You were irritated though. There were six other cast members on this particular interview and it must have been annoying for them as well. This must have been the seventh or eighth time this question had come up and it really had nothing to do with anything. So you brightened your smile, leaned forward on to rest your chin on your curled fingers coquettishly and turned your attention to the interviewer.

‘Working together has been brilliant! He’s a funny, intelligent, very sensitive guy, not to mention he’s fairly easy on the eye right?’ At this, you held out your palms and gave a exaggerated wink to the camera for good measure, 'I mean, what girl on this planet wouldn’t be beside themselves if they heard the Chris Evans talking about her like that? And, as it turned out, it was a great ice breaker when we officially met for work for the first time.’

A chiming laugh and an affectionate light punch against Chris’ shoulder completed your scene perfectly and everyone in the room laughed along with you. Once you knew you had the interviewer and other press people on side, you cast a subtle glance in Chris’ direction and he gave you an equally subtle smile. He appreciated the intervention and the interview could move on.

Okay, next question. So, let’s talk everyone’s favourite subject - Disney. We’re all familiar with Disney parks right? So what’s your favourite Disney theme park ride?

You waited patiently as your fellow cast mates answered, sometimes debating, or bringing a lesser known or forgotten ride to mind. You stayed quiet until Chris turned to you.

'And what about you, what’s your favourite ride?’

You stalled slightly, unsure of the best way to respond without starting a pity party.

'Unbelievable I know but I’ve actually never been to Disney! So, honestly, I wouldn’t know.’

Chris’ mouth dropped open, 'What?! You were a Disney Princess! How can you have never been to Disney? Were you born an adult and skipped being a kid altogether.’

'Oh, you know, we just lived a long way from a park and… we just didn’t manage to get to one,’ you shrugged like it was no big deal, wishing the questions would move on.

Chris placed a hand against his chest dramatically, pretending to be speechless as he drew laughs from everyone in the room. You laughed along too.

'Really Chris? It’s not a thing. Lots of people have never been to Disney.’

'We’re going. You. Me. Hardcore Disney park visiting. I’m gonna get you some Mickey Mouse ears and make you go on every ride, make you queue up for photos with characters, eat in every country’s restaurant in Epcot. It’s going to be amazing.’

Everyone continued to laugh at his enthusiasm and ridiculousness and he placed his hand on your shoulder, almost as if making a deal. You thought he might have noticed your discomfort because he moved the interview on pretty quickly after that, keeping the attention on him and away from you.

Eventually, the day came to an end and you could all retire back to your hotels to freshen up before dinner. As you were striding through the halls, you heard a voice behind you.

'Hey, wait up!’

You span around to see Chris approaching you with a light jog.

'Everything okay?’ You paused your walk and waited rfor him.

'That thing about Disney before. Why have you never been? Really?’

You shrugged, 'There’s no big mystery here Chris, my family just couldn’t afford it. I have loads of siblings and there’s no away my parents could have got us all there. I used to watch the tv ads but I got over it. Grew out of it.’

Chris was quiet for a beat and he leaned against the wall with his shoulder, tucking one foot behind the other. You wondered if you’d made him uncomfortable. You had reached a level of friendliness but you weren’t really at the sharing stage.

Eventually though, he found his words, 'You don’t ever grow out of Disney, I promise. I already spoke to my mom. You are officially invited on the trip.’

That really threw you, 'Chris! I can’t go on your family trip! It’s a family trip for a reason.’

You’d met some of his family members briefly during shooting when they would visit but you’d had certainly not spent enough time with them to be invited on their annual trip.

'Unfortunately, now the whole of the clan know that you have never experienced the wonder of Disney, they won’t let me go without you sooooo… if you don’t go, I don’t get to go either. And that would really break my heart,’ there was that easy smile. You needed to be careful.

'Chris… this is too much. What will people think? It’s not like we can wander around under cover. You’re not exactly inconspicuous.’

Chris just laughed, 'Sweetheart, if I cared what people thought, I’d never open my damn mouth, as well we both know. So, of course I’m not going to kidnap you and throw you on a plane, but I really do think you should experience Disney at least once in your life, and you may as well do it with a bunch of people that are shameless Disney nerds. So, if you’re not doing anything over the holidays, you should come with us. My mom likes having a lot of people around. When I’m a good boy, I get to take a friend.’

His grin was infectious.

You stalled, trying to decide. You felt like you were on the edge of cliff and one good shove was going to send you plummeting. This was everything you said you wouldn’t do. More than you said you wouldn’t do, in fact. Much more. This would force this professional friendship you had into something resembling a real, outside-of-work relationship. Platonic, of course.

'Don’t take this the wrong way but… this is definitely a friend thing, right?’ You had to maintain some semblance of boundary.

He cocked his head on one side, curiosity etched into his features, 'Of course, unless you…’

He raised an eyebrow and used his index finger to gesture between the two of you.

You instantly wished you hadn’t said anything and as a result, was too hasty in your response, 'What?! No. No! Of course not. No way. Just friends.’

That stupid, curious grin was still dancing on his lips, 'Just friends, right. But this means you’ll come with us, yes? I assume that there’s no reason for you to refuse since we’ve established that we are just friends.’

You’d been backed into a corner, you’d realised. Now, if you refused, it would seem like it was because you had feelings for him or something.

'Yeah. Yes. Okay, that would be really great. Thank you. For inviting me. And thank your mom too. Just let me know when I need to be there and I’ll sort my air travel and hotels and… stuff.’ 'Amazing. Best news I’ve had all day! I’ll go message the family group now. Don’t worry about the logistics, you’ll be staying with us anyway. We get a villa. I’ll email you the details,’ he shifted from the wall and made to walk in the direction of his own room, 'I’m excited! I love it when I’m with someone who’s seeing it for the first time.’

'Even when said person is almost 30?’

'Especially then,’ he gave you a slight wink before starting to walk away, one hand tucked in the pocket of his jeans. After a few paces he called out over his shoulder, 'Check your emails in a little while.’

'O-Okay,’ you called back. You still weren’t quite sure what you had agreed to, but there was a smile on your face and your steps felt lighter as you walked back to your room.

And if you did check and refresh your emails every five minutes for the rest of the night, you didn’t beat yourself up about it.