#goodbye skype

[afunn]

RIP Skype. I will miss you.

[tomboyjessie13]

Skype's shutting down? Yikes....then again I never used it so....

[glitterdisposition]

i fucked uppppp and i was doing so well on the not drinking thing but holy shit it’s 8:59 and i just poured myself a glass of wine so i can have a good cry and try to sleep it off before work

[prettieinpink]

Being that girl once again- back to school!

It’s back to school season everyone, and my favourite times of the year. In this post im going to give you stuff to do for back to school + advice in specific areas of your school life! I hope everyone can take away something from this post <3 

THINGS TO DO BEFORE BACK TO SCHOOL <3

Revise your past term content in your core subjects, ensure there’s nothing you do not understand(it’s better to understand now than have to understand later)

Review what you are going to be learning for this current term in your core subject, you don’t have to study it, just familiarise yourself. 

Catch up with your friends- hang out, call or text before the new school term. My favourite thing is to create predictions of drama, couples etc in the upcoming term w my girlies!

Create SMART goals for you to achieve that term, in any aspect you want. I say; 1 goal for academics, 1 goal for social and 1 goal for extracurriculars/sports. 

Clean your room !! do a deep clean and declutter. E.g wipe down all surfaces, hover pillows, vacuum floor, clean mirrors, take out any clothes you dislike

Do an everything shower + face masks!!

ACADEMICALLY

Everyday afterschool, revise everything that you’ve learnt today + the things that you struggle on

Anytime you get homework, complete it as soon as possible. Most of the time, it’s easy and non time consuming. 

Create study guides for exams/tests while actually learning instead of when the assessments are actually coming up. It saves you a lot of time, which you can use for studying effectively.

If you don’t already, have a specific learning/studying style that works for you. E.g flashcards, blurting, mind map, spaced repetition, the feynman technique. (ofc you can have multiple). Just know the pros and cons of each studying technique. 

Or, what I do is that I assign specific studying techniques to different subjects e.g science - blurting, HASS - flashcards, maths - the feynman technique. This may be different to what you have the most success learning.

Have a place, time every day or at least most days, where you can study without distractions. I like to study at the library afterschool, it’s chill and literally void of any distractions.

The only advice in which i’ll say is not optional– do practise questions under the said test conditions. Stop using websites, listening to music, being on your phone etc. Get in the zone and transfer the environment. 

SOCIALLY

Make an effort to say hi or goodbye to some people, even if you do not know them that well. If you’re up for it, ask them how they are going or how their day has been.

Start remembering names and birthdays. This will literally make people like you so much more, it’s so simple but people swoon over this. Process names in your mind and write down birthdays in your calendar. 

Don’t be afraid to talk to others. Most people do not care if you talk to them, and some are glad that you talk to them. This is how people become well-known or well-liked. 

Watch videos on how to converse with people you do not know well effectively and become close with them. TED x has a lot of videos on this, and are usually helpful. 

Don’t try to fit in with the crowd. It’s so draining, and even if you think they do, they most likely dislike you(sorry!) . Instead, find/be with your people. 

Join a club/extracurricular. You meet so many like-minded people this way, while still developing your own skills. I say everyone should at least have one solid extracurricular. 

If you are in a talking stage, three weeks is enough time for him or you to decide if you’re willing to date them. It’s not the 1920s anymore, we have imessages, facetime, skype and others to communicate and get to know each other without contact

Call out your friends if you notice them doing something toxic or generally anything they shouldn’t do. E.g gossiping, getting mad at others, bullying someone. If they continue, it will influence you in the long run.

MENTALLY 

Reframe your mindset. I know most of us do not favour school, but do not dwell on negativity and find ways to be positive/neutral about your circumstances. You’ll feel so much better.

Detach. Detachment is literally essential in highschool, there’s so much drama and most likely you will somehow get tied up in it. Stop absorbing what happens and let it influence you, observe what happens and learn from it. I have a post on this here. 

Start saying affirmations everyday. I know affs are usually viewed as a manifestation thing, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be a simple one minute way to cultivate a neutral/positive perspective of yourself. 

Journal. Things will happen, so journaling is a great way to discuss your circumstances, feelings, trauma, relationships etc and develop a sense of identity at the same time. I have a post on this here. 

Meditate. It can be go-go-go constantly, but just take a break and gain some mental clarity and see how much better you feel decluttering your mind. 

Embrace a change and growth mindset, especially in an environment where we are constantly required to adapt. 

PHYSICALLY

Start stretching.. seriously. You sit at a desk for like 5 hours a day excluding lunch and recess, everyday, which is of course going to do a number on your body. It can relieve pain in many different areas.

Have at least 1 form of exercise you do everyday. I know being students, we have to sit at a desk constantly. But, do not give up on practising good exercise habits. Not only can it help with results, it’s good for you.

Get the recommended sleep of 6-8 hours per night, which is good quality sleep without disruptions. It helps with long term memory and you’ll feel better. 

Start packing healthy but tasty lunches to school instead of buying. You’ll save so much money in the long run, and it’s better for your body. 

BEAUTY 

Get your uniforms tailored just a bit. Not too noticeable, but enough that it fits better on your body. Especially for button formal shirts, as they make you look 10 times as bulky than what you actually are. 

Buy new jewellery, earrings, necklaces or whatever you’re allowed. Subtle but noticeable jewellery makes girls look so pretty.

Learn new hairstyles!! Don’t just wear the same hair everyday, mix it up, it’s fun and makes you look attractive. 

Get a good eyebrow gel + clear mascara. Legit life changer, I look so much better everyday because I look put together without make up.

apply  vaseline on areas you would apply highlight, but avoid your eye area. 

Have a good skincare regime!! Being a student is stressful, getting pimples is a sign of stress. 

Okay that's it. Happy back to school everyone! Here’s an affirmation for you <3

I am intelligent and capable. I am skilled and confident in my abilities. I am perceived well by others. I am healthy. I am wealthy. I am looking for this term to be full of good grades, vibes, friends, growth and fun. 

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

Hi! Wondering if you know any fics where they’ve been together since they were kids? Like they said they were gonna get married as little kids and they actually did? Basically a kid!klaine fic w established relationship. Thank you!

Here are some much loved fics. In some they are great friends a kids, and there may be time apart involved, but they do end up together. Hope it is what you are looking for. Also, try our Kid!fic tag. ~Jen

For as long as you're with me (or until my mama picks me up) by @notyourdayrdream

When Kurt was seven, his mom was late picking him up from school. But maybe that would turn out to be a good thing.

A love story spanning from the age of seven to twenty-two.

~~~~~

Your best friend, Blaine Anderson by stut-ter

Blaine Anderson - 6 years old and in an advanced reading class in Portland, Oregon - is assigned a pen pal at the beginning of the year in first grade. His pen pal becomes his best friend as their relationship grows through letters, emails, Skype, and texts until he's a junior in high school. His pen pal? Kurt Hummel from Lima, Ohio.

~~~~~

Swing Sets & Sandboxes by beautifulwhatsyourhurry  [PDF] [EPUB]

Kurt Hummel is 7 years old. He makes a new friend, little Blaine, on the playground one day. This is their story.

~~~~~

Feliz Navidad by @villiageidiot

Blaine Anderson meets his best friend when he’s in Kindergarten. He doesn’t know it yet but it’s also when he meets the love of his life.

~~~~~

How far I'll go verse by Jayhawkwrites

In a world where soulmates are found by touching one another, little Kurt, who’s been bullied even at the tender age of three, has finally found some friends. As kids do, to say goodbye, Kurt hugs three of his friends and earns himself a soulmark. The only problem? He doesn’t know who it belongs to. Filling this prompt by @justawriterwithdreams: Soulmate has a mark on the place where their soulmate first touches them.

[katinacrisis]

It’s been two and a half months since Buck has talked to Chris. Three since he saw him in person. Well, there was the skype call for Chris’s birthday, but Buck doesn’t count that since he didn’t actually get to talk to him. The point is, it’s been a long time since Buck has felt whole.

He never really realized how much he loved the Diaz boys until one half of his soul packed up and moved 800 miles away. And now he has to say goodbye to the other half too.

Eddie’s trying, is the thing. If Buck thought for even a second that Eddie wasn’t doing the right thing he would tell him. But Eddie’s right. He can’t give up on Chris, and Chris won’t give up on Texas. So the only logical step is to follow him. Even if it means leaving Buck behind.

And Buck knows Eddie doesn’t see it like that but he also knows that that’s what is going to happen. That’s what always happens. Eddie is going to leave, maybe text back and forth for a couple weeks, throw in a couple calls, and before you know it he’s cut contact completely. Just like Chris did.

And where will that leave Buck? How is he supposed to keep going without either half of his soul?

It doesn’t actually matter. Not to Buck. Not when the Diaz boys will be together again. Whole. A family reunited, without Buck there to intrude.

[juuuulez]

🎧 | playlist roulette, 500+ follower celebration!

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁ .

🎰 -> lip gallagher, carmen berzatto, richie jerimovich, mikey berzatto, sydney adamu, carl grimes, negan smith.

📚 -> smut, angst, fluff etc…

just inbox a character + song and i’ll write a short fic/blurb about it! songs marked 🔥 are exclusively NSFW due to, well… the nature of the song. otherwise, feel free to suggest a genre you’d prefer, or none at all, and i’ll go with the whatever suits it best. i’ve gone with songs that give a good mix of different vibes and ideas for some variety.

artists are in alphabetical order and are from my personal playlists, you’ll find: childish gambino, doja cat, faye webster, kendrick lamar, lana del rey, nicki minaj, paramore, phoebe bridgers, tyler the creator, taylor swift…

☆ childish gambino, heartbeat: ✅

⟡ richie jerimovich.

so we're done? this the real shit? / we used to hold hands like field trips / i'm a jerk, but your dude is a real dick / i read his posts on your wall, and i feel sick.

☆ childish gambino, me and your mama:

⟡ negan smith.

i’m in love when we are smoking that la-la-la-la-la / i’m in love when we are smoking that la-la-la-la-la.

☆ 🔥 doja cat, agora hills: ✅

⟡ carmen berzatto.

somethin' different about you / love it when he hit and smack too / baby, lemme lick on your tattoos / that’s true that i like PDA / take it to a seedy place / suck a little dick in the bathroom.

☆ 🔥 doja cat, cyber sex: ✅

⟡ lip gallagher.

when he off work, he calling me on skype (yeah!) / trust me when i meet him, i’m fucking him on sight (yeah) / lemme see you can beat it, i’m feelin' just like mike (okay, okay).

☆ faye webster, kingston:

⟡ richie jerimovich.

he said, "baby, " that's what he called me, "i love you" / every single word you say makes me feel some type of way / it’s the thought of you that slightly scares me / but it takes my breath away, forget what i was gonna say.

☆ kendrick lamar, father time:

⟡ carmen berzatto.

oh, this the part where mental stability meets talent / oh, this the part, he breaks my humility just for practice / tactics we learned together, sore losers forever, daddy issues.

☆ lana del rey, margaret:

⟡ lip gallagher.

alright, let's waltz this out, 'cause / 'cause when you know, you know / and when you're old, you're old / like Hollywood and me, that diamond on your ring.

☆ nicki minaj, anaconda:

i-i-i’m high as hell, i only took a half a pill / i’m on some dumb shit / by-by-by-by-by-by the way, what he say? / he can tell I ain't missing no meals.

☆ nicki minaj, pink friday girls:

lookin' for my lipgloss and my liner (liner) / lookin' for me, told him meet me at the diner (diner) / got him smilin' 'cause he know i outshine her ('shine her) / had to pop her just to remind her.

☆ paramore, thick skull:

i am a magnet for broken pieces / i am attracted to broken people / i pick 'em up and now my fingers are bleeding / and it looks like my fault / and it looks like i’m caught red-handed.

☆ phoebe bridgers, saviour complex:

baby, you're a vampire / you want blood and i promised / i’m a bad liar / with a savior complex.

☆ phoebe bridgers, waiting room:

⟡ sydney adamu.

and i can wish all that i want, but it won't bring us together / plus, i know whatever happens to me, i know it's for the better.

☆ taylor swift, love story:

⟡ lip gallagher.

that you were romeo, you were throwin' pebbles / and my daddy said, "stay away from juliet" / and I was cryin' on the staircase / beggin' you, "please don't go.”

☆ taylor swift, paper rings:

⟡ lip gallagher.

i like shiny things, but i’d marry you with paper rings / uh huh, that's right / darling, you're the one i want, and / i hate accidents except when we went from friends to this.

☆ tyler the creator, are we still friends?: ✅

⟡ mikey berzatto.

don’t get green skin (green skin), keep contact (keep contact) / don’t say, "goodbye, smell you later" (bye, later) / nah, i can't / i don't want to end this season on a bad episode.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁ .

and on a more serious note: thank you for all the support on my works!! this blog has been my little safespace for indulging in all my silly little thoughts, and it makes me so happy that others can appreciate what i make too.

i’m excited to explore more tv shows and movies and let my blog and writing grow along with my interests, so i hope you’ll all stick around for the ride!

nervous about finally posting this, i’ve been thinking about doing it for a long time….i wanna write every song on here, so i’m really excited about it!!! feel free to send in multiple if you want ;P

[jqmalikhsgib]

blue skies

chapter: six

7x1 7x2

after aaron told you he was being shipped off to pakistan you didn’t know how to feel. when he told you he’d be gone for six months to eighteen months that broke your heart even more.

you and aaron had been doing well with your relationship. you were getting to know each other better and going on many date whenever he didn’t wasn’t called on a case.

what hurt the most for both of you was telling lizzie. you knew she still had a hard time understanding why her father was leaving so much for work.

but normally aaron would be gone no more than a week. this time she wouldn’t get to see him for long periods of time.

you asked aaron if it was anything he could do to get out of it but it was done. telling jack and lizzie was harder than you thought. seeing their sad little faces. it broke your heart.

and with jess having to work as well, you knew it was hard on aaron. he had to find someone to care for him. when you offered he wasn’t sure. ^it wasn’t because he didn’t trust you. it was because he didn’t know what to expect from jack. sure, jack gets along with you. but taking him to the park occasionally wasn’t the same as taking him own full time. he didn’t want jack to feel like aaron was trying to replace his mom.

haley would always be his mother. no one could take that away from him. but aaron wasn’t planning on losing you ever again. he knew one day he wanted to marry you and maybe have two more kids.

when that time comes he wants jack to look at you like another mother figure. he didn’t want to rush into that for his sake or for yours.

on top of that you had a full time job as well. you told him that you can cut back hours. your boss would understand your family comes first.

after discussing it with jack, he agreed. jack told his dad he’d love to spend more time with you and his little sister. aaron was happy that he was enthusiastic to spend time with you.

when he left it was a tearful goodbye. you cried because you knew lizzie was gonna miss him terribly. watching your daughter shed tears and hold on to aaron tightly broke your heart.

but you also cried for yourself. you were beginning to open your heart out more to aaron and seeing him leave for possibly a year and a half broke you.

aaron promised to try and call and skype any chance he gets.

aaron kept his promise to you and the kids. he called at least once a week. during the day when he caught the kids he’d mostly talk to them. whenever he skyped the kids would be even more excited seeing their dads face.

though jack wasn’t very found of his fathers new look. aaron had grown out his beard over the last few months. jack would tell him to shave every time he’d see it.

lizzie didn’t care much. she hardly paid much attention to the beard. she was just excited to see her father.

late at night whenever he missed the kids the two of you would talk. he knew you had very different feelings about the beard.

aaron would tease you about it constantly. you’d dismiss it and tell him you’re with jack and he needed to shave immediately. he knew you felt otherwise.

you’d always mumble about him being a profiler. he’d tell you it’s not because of his profiling skills. he just knew you.

after four months of him being gone you got a early morning phone call. you groaned before grabbing your cell and answering.

“hello?”

“im sorry to wake you.” aaron whispers through the phone. you immediately sit up. aaron never called this early. whatever it was you were nervous.

“whats going on, aar? are you alright?”

“im okay. look, i called jessica. she should be there in a second. i—i wanted you to come get me from the airport.”

“what?! i thought you said you wouldn’t be back—”

“change of plan. im coming home early.”

you get out of bed when you hear the door being unlocked. you knew it was jess. you got dressed and told aaron your bed there soon.

when you arrived and spot aaron you run towards him. he had his arms open and you immediately buried your head in his chest.

“hi, honey. i miss you.”

lifting your head you had tears in your eyes. he kissed you passionately before grabbing his bag and walking straight to the car. you hand him the car keys. he knew you were probably exhausted and didn’t want to drive back.

“why are you back early?”

“something to do with a case.”

he doesn’t say much else. you frowned at that. you knew it had to be a major case if it brought him home early. you just leave it before arriving home.

you were both greeted by the kids. jack and lizzie were surprise to see their father. they wanted nothing more than to tell him everything and show them a few items they got throughout the time he was gone.

but by the look on aaron face you knew he needed to get back to quantico. you let the kids know that they’ll have plenty of time to catch up. aaron thanked you before he walked to the bathroom and took a shower.

when he finished he kissed you and the kids goodbye before leaving once more. this time you knew he’d at least be home tonight.

when aaron arrived to quantico he heads straight to the round table and looks at the board.

once penelope walks in and hands him a few files aaron walks into the interrogation center. dave stares at aaron intensely.

“well, that’s a good look.” aaron grins as he text derek.

“how was the desert?”

“hot.”

“have you see the kids yet?”

“yeah. yn picked me up from the airport. i spoke to them briefly.”

“how do they feel about the new look?”

“we skyped every week. jack isn’t a fan. i don’t think elizabeth cares too much about it.”

“and yn?”

aaron smirks as he shrugs his shoulders. dave knew what that meant. he smirks back before the two watch as derek interrogates ian doyle.

when aaron and jj run into each other, jj gives him a knowing look.

“hey. got your message.” jj states.

“it’s time.”

“why? morgan may be able to break doyle without her.”

“declan tried to make a call. she’s on the way.”

jj sighs. she’d been dreading this moment for a while. “alright. ill get morgan.”

“ill tell the others.” aarons states.

when they gathered the team. they stand by the round table and wait patiently for whatever news was coming.

“welcome back.” derek was the first to speak when aaron walks into the room.

“thanks. everybody have a seat.”

“why? whats going on? everything alright?”

“yes. six months ago i made a decision that affected this team. as you all know, emily had lost a lot of blood after her fight with doyle. but the doctors were able to stabilize her. and she was airlifted from boston to bethesda under a covert exfiltration. her identity was strictly need to know. she stayed there until she was well enough to travel. she was reassigned to paris where she was given several identities, none of which we had access to for her security.” aaron states. he looks at the group of agent as they all showed different emotions.

“she’s alive?” penelope was the first to speak.

“but we buried her.”

“as i said, i take full responsibility for the decision. if anyone has any issues, they should be directed towards me.”

“any issues? yeah, i got issues.”

when everyone turns they see emily standing at the door.

“oh, my god.” penelope sheds tears as she sees her friend she’d been mourning for months.

spencer was the first to stand and hug her tightly.

“i am so sorry. i really am. not a day goes by that i didn’t want to—” emily stares at derek as he looks shell shocked, pissed, and stiffed.

emily walks over to him and hugs him. derek leans in a little. he wasn’t sure how to feel or who to be upset at. aaron could tell his anger was more directed towards him than anything.

he knew he’d deal with the outcome of all this later. for now the team asked emily questions to figure out who kidnapped ian doyle’s son.

after emily tells the team that the female partner is most likely the dominant partner, she also lets them know the suspect pool is most likely larger.

emily, jj, and penelope all head to penelope’s tech room and find a whole suspect pool of women. when they finally leave the room they walk back towards the others.

the team looks at the new suspect pool before emily speaks.

“these women are associates of doyle’s who may have crossed paths with gerace.”

“anyone have a deeper personal connection with doyle?” derek asked.

emily shakes her head before aaron speaks. “whoever took declan showed a lot of rage at the nanny.”

“she had been with doyle since before declan was born.”

“the nanny represents a caregiver, a mother figure.”

“who’s declan’s mother?”

“doyle told me she was dead.” emily states.

aaron simply nods his head. he lets the team know he wanted emily in the interrogation room. they knew that seeing her would shock him but ultimately he’d be the one to tell her the real story on the whereabouts on declan’s mom.

after finding the mother the team gather around the round table once more. penelope finds a clip of declan’s mom just walking into his school building.

penelope shakes her head. “oh, that is creepy.” she states as she watched the clip.

“we thought doyle was bad. check her out.” dave states.

“yeah, she ran an international prostitution ring before moving on to chemicals.” jj states.

“distribution and trafficking, manufacturing, possession, weapon charges?” spencer questioned.

“went away for three years.” derek states.

“that’s it?” dave questioned.

“she hardly seems like the mothering type. why would she take declan?” jj asked.

“it isn’t love.” aaron states.

he stares at jj and the team. they knew exactly what this was. revenge.

the continue to discuss. bouncing back and forward ideas on one another.

aaron was silent for a few moments. allowing everyone else to speak before he finally made himself known once more.

“forgetting the international ties for a minute, what would these unsubs do?”

“you know statistically the abduction of a child by its mother, no matter the psychological disposition of said mother would be low risk to a child.”

“she’s got plenty of connections. she could go underground.”

“is there anywhere in the u.s. where chloe and doyle had history?”

penelope shakes her head. “no. but they do have a lot of ties in europe.”

emily soon walks in. she had a paper to aaron. “doyle came up with associates of chloe’s who have healthy bank accounts.”

“he thinks it’s a trade?” jj asked.

“for what, weapons? drugs?”

“does it matter?”

aaron hands the paper to penelope. “garcia, run these names. see if any have local connections.”

“yeah. what else should i be looking for, you guys?”

“secluded properties.” dave states.

“a legitimate business that requires international bank accounts and trade.”

“it could be mundane. they survived under the radar.”

“garcia, start with irish backgrounds. this time of feud could go back generations.”

penelope nods and she types in everything the team suggested. when she finally got a hit her eyes widened. “oh. it looks like the doyle’s and the mcdermotts have a thing.”

“what kind of thing?” derek asked.

“ian doyle murdered jimmy mcdermott, but his younger brother lachlan owns an import company.”

“do they ship internationally?” aaron asked.

“you know it. he has three warehouses, one of which is slated to be demolished.”

“where?”

“inner harbor, baltimore.”

once the team figured out chloe and lachlan were fleeing with declan they came up with a plan to get declan back alive.

when arriving to stop the jet from taking off, aaron offered a trade. they give them declan for ian doyle. the team had everything planned out.

unfortunately ian got killed in the process and declan watched his father take his last breath.

when aaron arrived home he was met with his kids running towards him. he smiled at them before picking both his kids up.

“daddy!” lizzie holds onto her father tightly.

aaron kisses the top of her head. “hi, princess, g-man. were you two good tonight?”

both jack and lizzie nod their heads. “they were angels. though they missed you terribly.” you state.

“you’re not leaving again, are you daddy?” jack asked.

lizzie looks at her father with hopeful eyes.

aaron shakes his head before setting his kids down. “not for a while. why don’t the two of you give me and mom privacy, yeah?”

jack and lizzie both nod before running off to their shared bedroom. you frowned before walking closer to your boyfriend. you wrap your arms around his waist and wait for him to tell you what was going on.

aaron explained everything to you. from faking emily’s death, to finding doyle, to him and the team immediately being suspended.

you sighed. “are you okay? is the team alright?”

“the team will be fine. i know we broke a few rules and their will be consequences. i just—we had to catch this guy and a child was in danger. we had to do everything in our power to protect him.”

you knew aaron took cases involving children the hardest. you couldn’t imagine what he was going through in those moments. imagining something like that happening to jack or lizzie must have broke his heart. it broke yours.

“do you know how long it will take before the hearing?”

aaron shakes his head. “it could take weeks or even months before they decide.”

“im sorry.”

“it’s okay. i get to spent a lot of time with the kids. and, we can go out more without being interrupted.” aaron smiles at the thought. you shake your head but hug him nonetheless.

“i guess that’s a bonus. we haven’t went out since emily’s—death?” you questioned considering.

aaron shakes his head. “i know. it’ll be nice to take you out. i miss spending time with you outside of these four walls.”

you hum in agreement. before aaron left you had dates in his apartment. aaron would rarely come over yours just in case. jess would take the kids while you two had alone time.

the dates mostly consist of tv dinners or cuddling on the couch with wine, a bag of popcorn, and a movie. it was nice but you both wanted to go out.

“maybe next saturday? i wanted to try this italian restaurant dave has talked about. maybe we can get jess to watch the kids?” aaron kissed right below your ear. he remember how sensitive that spot was.

despite dating for nearly eleven months, the two of you haven’t gone farther than simple make out sessions. aaron felt like a teenager all over again. he craved you.

you were equally flustered. but neither of you wanted to make that move just yet. now with him being gone for four months, you missed him terribly and wanted him more than ever.

and with the beard—it wasn’t fair he looked that sexy with facial hair.

you knew what would happen if jess decided to watch jack and lizzie. part of you was excited. the other half was extremely nervous.

the last time you had sex was with aaron. the night you conceived lizzie. your sex life since consists of your fingers or the few sex toys you had hidden in a box in your closet.

“what do you say?” aaron asked.

“yeah. i—i think i can manage that.”

aaron smiles.

“i do have one request.”

“whats that?”

“maybe—i know jack hates it but maybe you can keep the beard? at least until after our date?”

aaron smirks. “i think i can manage that.

weeks go by, the hearing comes and goes, and the team ultimately doesn’t disband as aaron suspected.

he could thank emily for that. things go back to normal and emily is rehired. cases come and go and the team is starting to get use to emily being back.

aaron is concerned about spencer. he’s the main one that’s given the team—especially jj—the cold shoulder. he didn’t know what to do.

he couldn’t think too much of it because he was going through problems of his own. first the team had cases piled up. since being suspended he had to pick up the slack. he thought being gone the team’s replacements would do a decent job.

unfortunately his hopes were too high. he was put into work immediately. when he went back home he was exhausted most nights.

yn had rarely come around due to how late he’d arrive home. some nights she was there already but they didn’t get to spend time together because how late it was. she was already passed out on his bed.

aaron would spend as much time with the kids as he could in the morning.

unfortunately jack ended up getting the flu last week and aaron got called on a case that day. yn offered to stay but aaron was afraid she’d get it as well as lizzie.

she insisted and took care of jack. he was right about her and lizzie getting the flu. he almost flew home right then and there if it weren’t for yn telling him she wasn’t as bad as the kids and could take care of the three of them.

his plate had been full and he was exhausted. he didn’t have time to get fix the tension between spencer and jj.

when aaron received another case he almost quit right there. instead he read over the file as he emailed the team, letting them know they have another case. once he was through reading over it he was met with everyone sitting at the round table.

the team goes over the case together. they were all headed to oklahoma. after penelope goes over the case aaron tells the team to be on the jet.

he walks over to his office to call yn and the kids.

“hey. everything okay?”

“hi, honey. how is everyone?”

“we’re good. jack and lizzie helped me make lunch. they’re now playing dinos and princesses.”

aaron smiles. he loved how different his kids were yet they came up with ways to play with each other. jack loved his dino collection while elizabeth had her very own doll collection. she had every disney princess so far except princess aurora. she didn’t like princess aurora as much as they others.

when aaron asked why she looked as if he insulted her. “because, daddy, she sleeps in most of the movie.”

the two came up with dinos and princesses because lizzie wanted to play with her big brother and jack wanted to play with her as well. they compromised and made the princesses warriors with pet dinosaurs that defeated the bad guys. it worked perfectly.

“did they catch the bad guy?”

“mhm. professor turtle. he may seem slow but he’s a genius who was trying to take over the land.”

aaron smiles. “im glad they caught him. listen, we got another case.”

“i figured.”

“im sorry, honey. i know i promised you and the kids pizza and movie night.”

“aar, it’s okay. you’re needed. just be safe okay? come back home to the kids and i in once piece.”

aaron hums. “ill try. may i speak with them?”

“you don’t have to ask. kids, daddy’s on the phone.” yn yells out. when she hands the phone to the kids he lets them know he would be leaving. he could tell they’re a little disappointed but they understood.

it almost breaks his heart how his little girl is now use to aaron leaving just as much as jack. but he pushed it down as he grabs his go bag.

hours of being on the case aaron noticed the cold shoulder spencer was giving jj. aaron knew he needed to speak to him. he just didn’t know when the right time was.

after the team delivers the profile is when things escalated from there. he noticed jj and spencer were in a heated conversation.

he watched as spencer tried walking away from jj.

“spence?”

spencer turns and throws his arms in the air.

“im sorry.”

“it’s too late, alright?”

the team looks at the conflict. emily was the first to speak. “reid?” she calls out to the young profiler as he walks away. they all turned to see jj trying to hold back tears.

hours go by after the altercation between jj and spencer. the team tries to move forward with the case. it was a bit difficult but they kept everything professional. in the end they knew they needed to find the unsub before he harmed anyone else.

“it would have had to have been a woman very close to the unsub to make him react this way.” aaron states.

“then why go after surrogates?”

when spencer walks back into the room the team feels the tension ten times more than before. still, they remained calm and professional.

“i don��t think we’re dealing with a typical homeless person. he’s good with chemicals and owns a car. i think the only mistake in our profile was assuming there was something wrong with his physical composition, reducing him to some sort of stereotype.”

“you think it’s only his mental state?”

“i think this guy might be smart enough to use his disability to his advantage so he comes across as harmless.”

“the. When he’s alone and the victim rejects him, he goes off.”

“what if he doesn’t live on the streets? what if he’s in a halfway house?” jj asked.

“garcia, i need a list of halfway houses and mental health centers in the unsub’s comfort zone.”

“ok. five are being sent to your phones.”

“which of those were around i. The eighties, garcia?” derek asked.

“there are two in your area.”

“morgan and prentiss take the first. dave and i will take the second.”

“and what about us?” jj asked as she quickly looks at spencer. the others gather out.

“stay here and check vicap for similar mos and signatures. reid,” aaron looks over at spencer. he walks over to aaron before he continues. “if you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me.”

spencer shakes his head. “i can’t. i didn’t come to your house crying for ten weeks. spencer states as he walks away. aaron sighs as he looks at spencer.

he didn’t know what else to do but he knew whatever it was, it would have to wait later. they all had a job to do.

after arriving to their location aaron and dave received a list of names. his phone rings when they were leaving the halfway house.

derek tells lets him know they received nineteen names. he tells derek to send the list of names to penelope. when he ends the call dave asked the question that was weighing heavy on everyone.

“how’s reid?”

“he’s angry and frustrated. im surprised everybody isn’t.”

“some of us had an inkling.” aaron turns to dave with a questioned smile. “what? im good at what i do. so, are you gonna get psychological counseling for the team or handle it internally?”

“no, i think that if we all just got together, maybe a cooking lesson and at the home of one of our founders—”

“oh, no, not you too.”

“it could boost morale.” aaron gives dave a pleading look.

“is this an order?” dave asked.

aaron smiles before shaking his head. “no, it’s just a—it’s a very tempered suggestion.”

“tempered suggestion.” dave walks away. aaron watches with a smile before following. when they get in the car and aaron starts to drive dave looks over at him.

“ill do it on one condition.”

“what’s that?” aaron asked.

“you have to bring yn over too. it might be too late for the kids but it’ll be nice for the team, including myself, to meet the woman that’s got you all smiles lately. and maybe finally tell the team about the godchild i made a trust fund for almost two years ago.”

aaron hums in agreement. he’d already thought about telling the team everything. he just wanted it to be during a time they were all gathered together and not chasing down a serial killer.

that night when aaron arrived home he told you that jess would be willing to take the kids for the night.

you didn’t know why or what he was planning until you parked into a driveway to a beautiful big house.

when he told you that you were at dave’s and the team was inside you felt panic. you weren’t sure what to expect or if they’d like you.

you were beginning to question your outfit. aaron grabs your hand and kisses the back of it.

“trust me, honey. it’s gonna be fine.”

you shook your head. “aaron,”

“just—we have to introduce you eventually! why not tonight? come on. i won’t leave your side.”

“promise?”

aaron smiles. “i swear.”

you nod your head slowly before he hops out of the car and walks over to open the door for you.

when aaron knocks, jj was the one to open the door. you recognize the team from photos aaron has showed you years ago and the last few years as well.

jj looks at you confused. aaron just squeezes your hand before walking in and going towards the kitchen.

there you saw emily, derek, penelope, and dave who was behind the kitchen counter.

you noticed that spencer, the youngest guy on the team had been missing. you knew the tension going on between jj and spencer from aaron venting to you the last few weeks.

you and aaron stood between penelope and derek. the team looked at you with a questionable look. aaron didn’t say anything. he wanted to give spencer time to come before speaking. if he didn’t he’d just inform him later. dave poured you and aaron a glass of wine.

after informing you not to drink until dinner was ready. dave soon begins speaking.

“cooking is the most sensual art form. and these are my paints.”

“so your hands must be brushes.” penelope interrupts.

“don’t interrupt.” the team looks at each other and begins laughing. you look over at aaron and he shrugs before listening intently.

“in a pot of boiling water we cook our spaghetti until is al dente, firm to the tooth.” he lifts up the spaghetti noodles. he hands the team each a noodle.

“now. in a large pan, we fry up or pancetta. keeping a sharp eye that the edges are crisp.”

“but careful not to burn the onions.” aaron states. you nudged him. you knew aaron was an excellent cook. the few meals he prepared you over the years have been delicious.

when your relationship first began, you didn’t know how to cook at all. aaron was the one to give you a few pointers. you still let him do most of the cooking. only knowing the basics.

“bravo aaron! we sauté until translucence.”

the doorbell rings “i got it.” derek states.

dave thanks him in italian before continuing to tell the team what to do next.

“sorry im late.” spencer walks into view. dave shakes his head.

“yeah. and this is why i cook alone.” dave states.

spencer stands next to jj. he silently looks at her and she immediately understands. she nods her head before the young genius turns to look in aaron’s direction and stares at you.

you give him a shy wave before he waves back.

“so, when do we get to drink the wine?” emily asked.

“almost there. ok. we start at the beginning. you eat what you cook, ill supervise, but we’re gonna do this altogether, just like a family.”

jj was the first to raise her glass. “okay now?”

“now.” dave nods. the team grabs their wine glasses and toast before drinking.

after everyone finished making their own pasta, the team gathers around and eats at the table as a family.

the conversation start off small. they discussed a few things about work and laughed about the memories they shared. you listen to them intently.

aaron squeezes your leg under the table. after a few more minutes penelope finally whispers in your ear.

“it’s good to finally meet you. i—im the one who helped find you for hotch.” she states.

“thank you. means a lot.”

“how’s elizabeth?”

“she’s great!”

“is she getting along with jack well? sorry for prying. hotch doesn’t talk about you much. he—he likes to keep his home life private.”

you smile before shaking your head. “it’s fine. i know everyone probably has a lot of questions. i mean i just showed up as the only plus one. im sure a lot of them are confused. but, yeah, jack and lizzie get along well. jack adores his little sister and lizzie loves jack to pieces.” you explained.

penelope was going to ask you another question before she was interrupted.

“what are you two whispering about baby girl. you two know each other?” derek frowns.

the team now had their eyes on you. all of them remembering that their stoic boss brought a date.

you blushed.

“sorta.” penelope whispers.

aaron clears his throat. the team looked over at aaron. they wait patiently for him to speak.

“almost two years ago—it will be next month—after haley’s death i asked garcia to track someone down for me. yn.” aaron states.

you waved your hand shyly.

“i—after losing haley it broke me down. for many reasons i was sad. i was mourning the woman i used to love, the woman i married, the woman who fathered my only child. but i had mourned our relationship when we divorced. up until i met her.” aaron looks at you lovingly.

“i met yn during haley and i separation. it was the case we had in johnson city, texas.”

it was coming back to the team. emily, aaron, and derek were the ones to interview her years ago.

“after we found our unsub, yn and i started seeing each other immediately after. i know what ive said about getting to close to anyone we interview or interact with during cases but there was something special about her. i—i couldn’t let her get away.”

derek nods understandably. he remembers getting close to one of his victims siblings a few years back. how messy the relationship got after awhile. ultimately derek wasn’t looking for anything serious at the time.

that resulted in many curses thrown in derek’s face in the end. he would never make that mistake again.

“i was still dealing with the divorce, gideon had just left, and dave was back to joining the team. all i wanted was to try to make things right with my son. i never meant to fall in love and she didn’t either. but we just—we clicked. i was still scared of what that meant for me and her. i didn’t admit my feelings at all. when she finally did i pushed her away. i made the mistake of telling her she meant nothing. it was wrong and only broke both of our hearts in the end. when foyet threatened me and my family i could only sigh in relief knowing that yn was safe. i was still in love with her and it made me feel guilt. though i felt sick to my stomach he was threatening haley, i just couldn’t let him know about her. i couldn’t lose her too. and when he killed—when he murdered haley, so many emotions were running through me. but the biggest one remained guilt. i felt guilty i was relieved yn wasn’t dead. she was still alive somewhere. after her funeral i asked garcia to track yn down,”

aaron looked at penelope to tell her side. “i found her with little information hotch provided. i knew it would be easy to find her though. johnson city wasn’t a big town. what i discovered shocked me. i found yn but i also found she had a child. her name was elizabeth hotchner.” penelope finished.

the team eyes widened.

“hotch, does that mean?” emily looks over at aaron. he nods slowly.

“yn took care of our baby girl for three years without me. i—i don’t blame her for keeping it from me. considering i pushed her away and blocked her immediately after leaving her, it was difficult for her to contact me. but now, now we’re working on our relationship while im managing being a father of two.”

the team was silent. aaron looks around expecting the mixed emotions.

spencer was the first to speak. “why’d you hide this from us for so long?”

“at first i wanted to keep this to be a need to know. penelope knew because i asked her to find her for me and dave guessed. then doyle happened. and though he was exactly after me and my family, given the history, i needed to protect them at all cost. after it was just a matter of how and when. after emily’s return i thought it was a perfect time to tell you about yn and lizzie. first we needed to learn to navigate with emily back. work on our emotions before i introduce you.”

“is that why you’ve been so distant? this whole time you were hiding your daughter from us?” derek asked. he was a little hurt. he understood why he did it though.

it didn’t mean he liked the idea of aaron keeping so many secrets. he thought aaron trusted them better than that.

but he understood in the end. protecting emily was a priority to catching doyle and after aaron lost haley and almost lost jack, protecting the woman he loved and his daughter by keeping them private was understandable.

“yeah. i apologize.”

“anymore secrets?” jj jokes.

aaron smiles before shaking his head. “none that i know about. honey?” he turned to you before you shake your head.

dave smiles as he raised his glass. “if that’s it let’s welcome yn to the family.”

everyone raised their glasses. aaron kisses the side of her head before the team gets back to dinner and enjoying each others company. just like a family.

[wehangout]

Another @shamelessdvdcommentary requested by the wonderful @suzy-queued with questions made by the amazing @callivich! This one is for Slick back My Hair (You know the Devil's in There)! These are a lot of fun, so hit me up if you want to see this for a different fic 😘

Give us some stats - (when you wrote it, word count, how long it took to finish, is it a one-shot/multi-chapter, etc)

Wrote it in 2015! It’s a long one-shot, and I think my second ever shameless big bang.

What was the initial inspiration for your story?

Okay. Took me a minute. I knew this was inspired by a one-shot I wrote for GW2015 that has since been taken down, but I also knew the one-shot was inspired by something and it took forever to go back and figure it out. Anyway, the initial one-shot was inspired by the Day 7 theme of “Imagine Your OTP – go to the website http://otpprompts.tumblr.com/ and choose a prompt!”. I don’t recall what the exact prompt was (I think digging a grave together), BUT apparently I still have the one-shot posted here on tumblr if you wanna read it! So, yeah, the Big Bang fic was inspired by this one-shot which was inspired by GW2015. Phew. That was a novel on its own

If the story is written from a character’s POV, why did you choose this character?

Mickey. Because I am me.

What was your favourite scene to write?

I’m not sure, but reading back, I really like the scenes with side characters as assasins. Sheila, Jimmy, and Angela. Fun stuff.

How did you come up with the title?

Ugh. This was back when iTunes was a thing lmao. I basically went through all my music, picking out songs I thought might fit the fic’s plot, then went through the lyrics.

Are there any little moments or references you hope readers will notice?

Two! I had fake IDs with the names John Foley and Axel McClane which is a reference to John McClane and Axel Foley – Die Hard and Beverly Hills Cop respectively. And I also had this line “Two inches to the right and it would’ve hit your fucking heart, Ian.” "Two inches to the left and it would have missed me completely” which was reference to The Mighty Ducks. Only one reader picked up on these lol.

Was there anything you struggled to write? If so, how did you overcome this?

The Terry fight scene. And, honestly, I just pushed through it.

Favourite line in the story?

Okay, the “My hero” continuation, but also, back in 2015, I wrote, word for word, “Knew you’d come.” I mean, it’s Ian saying it, but obvi why it’s a fave lmao

What are you most proud about in the story? (plot, characterisation, dialogue, twist/cliffhanger, etc)

I wouldn’t call them twists, but the little surprises that turn up along the way – Sheila being a badass, the texter being Mandy.

Are there any ‘behind the scenes’ info you’d like to share - e.g. what’s going on in a characters head in a certain scene or how you came to write a certain line?

At the end, where Mickey goes to save Ian. Ian’s “goodbye” is legit. Dude was sure they (at least he) was going to die.

Reading back the story now, is there anything you’d change or add?

It’s very quick. I’d probably add more depth to it. (also the title shh)

Would you ever write a sequel to this story?

I’ve considered it, but one half of the dynamic duo gets taken in this one. What other plot could there be?

Are there any ‘easter eggs’ in your story - e.g. references to other stories you’ve written, a trope you often use etc?

I think I did the big Oh moment in this, along with a few others. I think that’s about it.

If you’ve chosen your most popular story, are you surprised by the popularity?

This is definitely not my most popular, lol, but I appreciate the love it’s received!

Were you nervous or excited to post this story?

Oh, always excited

Did you have a beta or a friend who helped you as you wrote?

I did! Again, this was back in 2015 when my pal Ella @hubrisandwax was still around. We had similar time zones, so we’d Skype and write at night (poetry, bitch), and have our own little sprints. She was my cheerleader and beta!

Anything else you’d like the readers to know about the story?

I know this is an Ian and Mickey romance, but I actually preferred the scenes after Ian was taken. Getting into Mickey’s head when he’ll do literally anything to get Ian back? Including torture and murder his own brother? That shit was fun.

[ghost-bison]

Hi everybody. I'm making this post because tonight, I learned of the departure of a dear friend of mine.

She was also a tumblrina, @nell-darnel !

I'd met her in secondary school, in year 11, as she was insulting everybody's musical taste and the fact that no one knew this band she liked, Oh Wonder. To which I said I liked their song "All We Do" and she stared at me and she said "You. I like you". That night we had a videochat on Skype and we exchanged our playlists. She liked Cavetown, and cottagecore music in general.

I remember those weird little biscuits she always ate, round little things with pink and beige meringues on top and they were honestly not that tasty but they made her happy (I think she mostly liked the aesthetic but shhhh)

Once with another friend we spent the afternoon elongating furbies while watching High School Musical like the group of lil freaks we were. It was really cool.

She had her own ikea yellow armchair and she loved her cats so much that she'd let them steal it all the time.

She also always made gifts for her friends. Like everytime i'd see her or phoned her or texted her I could be certain she was crafting something for someone she liked.

One day she got me her favourite graphic novel, "Voleuse" by Lucie Bryon just cause it was so good, she said, and she wanted me to have my own copy.

She was chronically ill but she'd still listen to me complain about my back problems because nevertheless, she had a positive outlook on life and thought people mattered.

She was social af and had the most funky stupid laugh ever. I remember how she'd say something totally bonkers, for example tell a pigeon it was fat, and then start laughing so loud.

She had quite recently moved very close to where I live and she'd adopted a cat she'd named "Soup" and honestly it was hilarious.

I once visited her in the hospital to bring her some croissants and I have a video of her staring into the camera with crazy eyes while using her remote to very slowly lift up the hospital bed.

She loved frogs more than anything and she tried to be mysterious but she couldn't stfu lmao

She was a huge Doctor Who fan! We had fights cause she loved Amy while I don't and she kept calling Nine "the shark" and saying he was scary. But her faves were Clara and Eleven and now I'll never get to tell her that I was starting to fall for Eleven as well and she'll never get to see series 15. And I'm sad.

Anyway. I love her. I realize now how much i'll miss her. How much of a good egg she was. She was so peculiar and my favourite arsehole and it's not fair she was taken so soon when she still had so much to see and do.

This post is for you. I hope wherever you are there's frogs everywhere, and Doctor Who dvds, and your fave pastries and no more fucking suffering. Your whole body ached all the time yet I remember your laugh and your jokes more than your tears and your sighs. And I wish i'd told you that. Goodbye babes 💙

[holyhaech]

6 with xiaojun!! 😣❤️

til we meet again

f!reader x xiaojun (angst)

“i hope to meet you one day. - dejun” is what the letter said.

the final letter that had stayed in your thoughts since you received it a thirteen. it had been 10 years since you last heard from him, xiao dejun.

you started as friends, writing across the ocean as penpals. slowly, it evolved into more. you started from monthly skype to the daily facetime sessions. you never forgot him. how could you? he was your first love after all.

all you wanted was closure. just one final goodbye.

so that’s what you did. you booked the first flight to guangzhou baiyun airport. tomorrow at 5:15am. you started packing, filling your suitcases with pictures of the years he missed out on, hoping to catch him up to speed.

you pulled out the envelope the letter was once in, before it was eventually pinned to your bedroom wall. it still had his address on the back, despite the water damage from your tears smudging it, you could still read it.

you take a didi to his house, excited to see him after all these years. not an ounce of worry was to be found within you. it would be just like old times!

you arrive at his front porch, taking in the home. older, but cozy. you knock three times to a middle age chinese woman’s surprise.

“nei5 hou2，nei5 hai6 bin1 go3” she asks with reproach.

“i am a friend of dejun’s.” you respond with joy.

her face falls at the mention of his name. she gestures you to come in. “come in please” she says in broken english.

you enter the home. the woman who you assume is his mother, pulls out her phone and starts speaking.

“nei5 jat1ding6 hai6 keoi5 sing4jat6 gong2 ge3 neoi5zai2”

the phone translates it to english for you

“you must be the girl he always talked about.”

“yes…” you respond, unsure of where this is going.

“ngo5 jau5 go3 waai6 siu1sik1，tim4sam. keoi5 gau2 nin4 cin4 sei2 zo2” she responds with a somber expression.

you wait for the phone to translate it.

“i have bad news for you, sweetheart. he died nine years ago.” the machine delivers the message, with no human warmth.

you sit there in shock. you have no words. every time you go to open your mouth, nothing comes out but choked-out cries.

you start sobbing in the living room. his mother wraps her warmth around you. she whispers in your ear as she rubs your back. “ngo5 hou2deoi3 m4 zyu6 ngo5 ge3 ngoi3jan4”

you don’t know what she’s saying, but you don’t need to. you stay there for what feel like an eternity, memories flashing in your mind, filling you with guilt and regret. the tears won’t stop falling. after you finally compose yourself slightly, his mother speaks up.

“ngo5 ho2ji5 daai3 nei5 heoi3 gin3 keoi5，zeoi3hau6 jat1ci3.”

“i can take you to see him, one last time.” the machine answers.

“please.” you respond in a whisper.

she takes you up a hill behind the home, guiding you to dejun. you arrive at this grave, taken care of and decorated with fresh flowers. you smile to yourself, he was so loved. with a pat on the back, she leaves you alone to say your last words to him.

“xiao dejun. i loved you. i still love you. i will never stop loving you. i am so sorry i never go to say goodbye, but i will now. i hope you’re doing well my dejun-ah. i will meet you again. one day, we will finally be together. rest for now, my love.” your voice cracks as you speak.

what’s done is done. you came here to do what you set out to do. but you don’t want to leave yet.

so you won’t. you spend the rest of the evening chatting next to him, catching him up on your life, just like you said you would. you show him the photos, you know he can see them. you leave feeling full. full of love and content, no longer full of regret and guilt.

i will see you again, my love. until we meet again.

a/n: get ready to sob again! title is inspired by 'til we meet again by aespa. idk why but i'm an angst kinda mood so..that's what this author's choice'll be. enjoy.

[montybuggershop-hooty]

Skype is shutting down soon and I didn't think much of it, but while gathering things from my travel workstation Skype opened itself up.

So now I'm looking at conversations from people I no longer know, and friends who have since passed away.

It's so tempting to send goodbye messages to people who no longer exist and who's names you'll never have on your little list again.

Anywaaaaaaaayyyyyy absolutely devastating and not how I was expecting my evening to go.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for the way I broke up with Charley?

All of this happened over the course of one week. TL;DR at the bottom.

I (23 NB) met Charley (23 M, fake name) on my college campus. We flirted over Skype and met up in person a few days later. I was a little thrown off by being perceived by someone who had very cavity-cutesy flirty feelings for me. He acted the same over Skype and in person, but seeing him in person sort of made me feel some kind of way. We hugged and said hi, and he told me his medical history over a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich. I was sensing...dread.

By the time we left the coffee shop, we found a conversation I could contribute to, and we walked up to my dorm. I want to emphasize that Charley was completely harmless, but he was also awkward with conversation. I'd been feeling more and more squicked out all evening with each flirty (sometimes clumsy) word ("your shampoo smells nice", "I couldn't get a good look at you before, but now I can ogle you better") or touch of affection like when he pressed his chest to my back in a hug and nestled his chin in my neck to look at a picture on my phone I pulled up to show him. As the date progressed, I'd thrown down four hints or so about going to bed and how it was getting late, and Charley either picked up on the fourth hint or just agreed that it really was late.

I walked him out of the dorm building and said goodbye before retreating inside to my computer, where I discovered the word "lithromantic". "Lithromantic" is a subset of the aromantic orientation umbrella. More or less, if you're lithromantic, you have the ability to have romantic feelings for someone, but you don't really need and/or want your feelings returned (since your romantic feelings would either disappear or turn into disgust as a result). I mentally reviewed the date and Skype chats and discovered that my romantic feelings turn into pure disgust when they are returned.

I had to get out of whatever it was I was in. It was one date and a few days of Skype flirting, but I felt compounded under layers of disgust (I only shared probably 5% of what happened on the date) and some guilt since all Charley had done was be socially awkward and affectionate. When I saw him on campus, I began twisting my way past him to dodge a hug or tell him I was busy when he mentioned going to see a movie together. I would put off responding to him over text because I just...really didn't want to respond to cutesy flirting. Reading those texts felt like taking a taffy bomb to the teeth and then being injected with 10,000 mL of pure uncut apathy.

The next weekend came around, and I knew I couldn't have Charley talking to me anymore, so I bit the bullet and texted him a break up text: "Hi, I'm really sorry, but I don't think that we're romantically or platonically compatible. I hope that you have a nice life." It really was that short and compact. He replied, shocked and upset (understandably so), and said something along the lines of: "Fine, have a nice life." I breathed a sigh of relief and didn't message him again. I saw him once or twice in the next few months (since we're on the same campus), and we just shared a wave or a brief "hi, cold weather, eh?" and that was it.

TL;DR: After perhaps three days of Skype flirting and one soul-crushingly awkward date with Charley, I discovered that I was lithromantic (my feelings for someone turn into disgust if they show romantic interest in me). I distanced myself from Charley for a couple more days before texting him, saying, "I'm sorry, but I don't think that we are romantically or platonically compatible. I hope you have a nice life" to get him out of my life. AITA for the way I broke up with Charley?

What are these acronyms?

[mindibindi]

No Place like Home...? 🌈

So what...Ted Lasso just goldfishes his way into forgetting about his big diverse found family so that he can return to humble, hometown heteronormativity? Look, I get that "be a goldfish" is a cute moment from s1 and an idea that has some (limited) practical value. But isn't it also emblematic of Ted's initial overly positive attitude which ultimately just served to ignore difficult emotions, interactions or situations? This is his big advice to his son and his parting words to his audience? Wasn't the whole point of his time in Richmond and his return to his son to establish and encourage an alternative kind of masculinity? One that expresses, not represses? One that deals with difficulty maturely rather than just avoids it? One that actively and ethically chooses rather than simply doing what's always been done?

Honestly? There was plenty of stuff about the finale that I really liked. Colin's kiss was the best bit. That godawful wedding moment the worst, for many reasons. But I'm unsure how to even read Ted's ending, and not in a oh-gosh-it's-so-rich-and-ambiguous way but in a whaaaa....???-this-is-not-consistent-storytelling-this-is-missing-the-mark-for-me kinda way. When Ted looks at the camera, are we supposed to feel happy for him? Happy that he is happy? Is it a happy ending? Is he happy?? He doesn't look happy. Or sad. Or content. Or much of anything really. He just looks kind of vacant. Which is how he looked most of the episode. The final game (which wasn't even the final game and I suppose they justified not showing it for "creative" reasons, okay, sure, whatever) was the only time he looked engaged, and even then it wasn't fully. Most of the time, he did look like a gaping goldfish with a 6-second memory.

When it was time to say goodbye to everyone, there was no sense of nostalgia for the past 3 years and no sense of those relationships continuing. There were no promises or assurances of visits or skypes or calls. Phones, planes and the internet suddenly ceased to exist (when they'd served him and Henry quite well up until then). While the corniest song choice ever played (yes! we get it! the sacred struggle of fatherhood! GAAAHH), one family was sacrificed for another because both couldn't possibly co-exist. Two things at once makes brain hurty. After all the good work they did around dismantling traditional models of masculinity, in the end they reinforced a version of masculinity which centred supposedly noble self-sacrifice rather than ethical self-actualisation, regression over growth and singularity over plurality.

Sure, it bookends the series poignantly, if predictably. And truth is, Ted leaving Henry was baked into the premise of the show from ep 1. It's actually a pretty big emotional leap to take with a character but, as the audience, we made that leap because we understood that this extraordinary move away from his son was necessary for adventure, narrative and growth to occur. In real life, this move would've been highly questionable (esp for a female parent). But we are in a fictional reality here so we are bound as well as freed by the rules of genre, character and narrative. Without Ted leaving Henry, there is no story. We also understand that Ted's adventures will ultimately benefit Henry, who gets a dad who is fully engaged, professionally challenged and supported by a community of like-minded peeps who think he's super cool. By sending Ted back (or at least sending him back in this way), it implies that there is no more story to tell, Ted's story is over, his growth is done. It robs him of further growth and adventure, robs his son of a happy and fulfilled dad and robs the audience of imagining future failures and glories all shared by an indefatigable Richmond FC.

The whole point of this show was to show Ted building a new life, home and family after the disintegration of his marriage. This marriage did not provide the space or opportunity for him to heal childhood wounds or expand as a man. He was a small man, living a small, limited, conventional life. Which would be okay, if he wasn't suffocating in the process. He needed to find a bigger pond. It's possible that Ted's panic attacks were not a sign that Richmond was unhealthy or overwhelming for him. It's possible that there, he could breathe for the first time in years, he had the time and space to feel his feelings, pay attention to his past pain, move up and out and onward. Are we supposed to believe after that 3 years away and maybe 1 of therapy that that's it? He's done now, all healed, squared away? What exactly has changed in Kansas to assure us that he will be any happier there than he was prior? Henry was there then too. Little has changed with Michelle. His mum delivered some food and guilt then left. The show hasn't spent enough time in Kansas to assure us of Ted's happiness or continued growth. Literally, all we know is Henry is there. And BBQ sauce. (And Michelle's boyfriend has turned into a dick suddenly, conveniently).

What we do know well is what Ted is leaving behind. A rich and challenging world, wacky and wonderful experiences with a diverse community, a loved and actively loving chosen family. So are we supposed to read this ending like "The Wizard of Oz" which has the most disingenuous final line in movie history? Yes, Oz has some dangerous territories and menacing figures (represented by Rupert etc). But Oz is also where Dorothy's friends, her found family are. Oz is in bright technicolour. It's surprising and bizarre and bright. It's larger than life and full of weird characters and unexpected episodes. Oz is where we all want to be, to live, to stay. Richmond is Ted's real life Oz. It's where we want to be and want him to stay, even if only in our imaginations. In the finale he says: "There's no place like home but there's no place like Richmond either" (or something similar, only watched it once). This implies that Richmond is not his home, that homes are just where you come from. Homes are not found or created or collaborated on together. They aren't malleable, moveable. They aren't out there in the wild, potential beyond. They are behind us always, defining us by our often sad pasts.

Again, this idea is entirely contrary to the premise of the show and the progress of its characters who banded together under Ted's leadership to create a home, a family, a community. Unlike Ted's small, conventional family unit, his found family is queer-coded (as all found families are, since they suggest an alternative to traditional nuclear family units based on shared biology but not necessarily values). Logical families are the family you find after you have been ejected from the traditional biological family unit. They are sought and created, based on common interests and mutual support. They are made up of people who are likewise separated from their homes, due to distance, circumstance, fracture, whatever. The home world is displaced, but it is still home (and all the more precious for it). In this case, the queer-coded found family of TL includes and celebrates LGBT+ folk (took a while for them to get there but eventually they did), women, people of colour and any man choosing to do masculinity his way. This is the environment the show set up. This the environment the creators invited us into. This is the environment Ted left behind.

Now, I do think there could have been a way for Ted to return to Kansas and Henry (but not Michelle) that would have been consistent with and faithful to this initial set-up and its themes. But that isn't what we got. Like Dorothy waking up to a dingy black and white world where there's nothing to do but talk to your dog about all the adventures you long to have over the rainbow, Ted's Kansas looks grey and dull and muddy. And Ted looks like he only half-remembers the most vivid and important things he's ever seen and done. "Be a goldfish" is a useful idiom for dropping baggage that weighs you down. If you burn your tongue on your coffee but don't wanna be irritated all day, then it works. It doesn't work for a scenario in which you need to deal with the reality that you and your co-parent/ex have carved out very different life paths. Simple, wilful ignorance is not a solution to the sort of complex family circumstances that grown adults face every day. Just forgetting the past 3 years and moving on like nothing ever happened does not in any way guarantee Ted's happiness or his success as a father. Attempting to find fulfillment through that one! special! person!! is unlikely to end well. Whether it's a parent, partner or child, the burden on them is unfair.

Ted's predicament is a huge one but it's also one that has been there from the very beginning. They had 3 years and 30+ episodes to resolve it satisfactorily, using all of the freedoms that fictional realities can afford. And yet, when Rebecca brings up the various ways in which she is willing to adjust to Ted's fatherhood, these suggestions are made to sound ridiculous, impossible and totally futile. But are they? Are they anymore outlandish than any of the other highly optimistic plot points they've gleefully included? Ted flourishes personally and professionally in this milieu. And had they made a move earlier in the series, Henry could also have integrated into it and benefited greatly from it. (He clearly enjoys the club when he's there). As Rebecca implies, Ted has the opportunity to offer Henry a richer, wider and more diverse view of the world than he would otherwise have. He would have access to a queer-coded community that includes and celebrates, experiments and strives. He would see his dad loved, celebrated and supported. This show takes some BIG optimistic swings. If audiences were able to make the emotional leap of accepting Ted leaving his son in ep 1, then they can probably be trusted to make the leap of him staying, esp. if the writers took the time each season to establish how they will manage their relationship and the benefits each will glean from such an arrangement.

After all, Ted is not one to back down from a challenge. Taking the job at Richmond was a bold and brave move. This is the same man who pledged to "win the whole fucking thing". This is the same man who looked Rupert Manion in the eye then promptly whipped him at darts. But when it comes to distance co-parenting, he's not even open to suggestions? No "I appreciate you" for the boss/bestie, just oh-so-sage resignation? Please. These writers set up this predicament then refused to resolve it in a satisfactory way. Instead, they reduced Richmond FC to a dream and Ted to a memory-challenged goldfish who flails about when faced with the reality of a pre-existing predicament of his own creation. He rejects the help of others who could actually provide real-world solutions. Nor does he seem to register the possibility of a mature relationship with a woman who wants him and connects with him. Instead, he chooses to forget, keep swimming, paddle backwards -- not onward, not forward. He has a big pool, a new home, a found family that represents human complexity and plurality. But he chooses the small, simple and singular. A traditional three-part family unit that was supposed to make him happy but never did. He had his little holiday jaunt in technicolour land, a fun lil detour into an expansive rainbow family community. He came in, tinkered about with some people's problems: gave a middle-aged woman confidence here, supported a sad gay there. But rainbow families are not just a temporary playground for white cishet dudes with a saviour complex to get their own admirable values reflected back to them. In the end, Ted's found family had something absolutely vital to teach him that he did not stick around long enough to learn.

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Life Is Short So Make It Sweet

Chapter Twenty-Two: Winner Takes All

Summary- 5.3k Curtis Everett x Plus!Sized Reader. You and Curtis check into a hotel for a private night before heading back home to everyday life. Deciding to go have some fun, the night turns into a friendly competition with just one winner getting to call all the shots.

Warnings- The reader has some body image issues and self-doubt, descriptions of what the reader sees as flaws in an intimate moment. Reader receiving oral.

A/N- Hello hello! I hope everyone is doing good and you all enjoy this fun chapter of these two being their horny selves. What can I say, I love giving these two plenty of good times. As always, THANK YOU so much for reading, liking, commenting, and reposting. It does so much to keep me writing, you all have no idea. Special shout out to @what-is-your-plan-today, you as always are the best for taking these projects on. All the love babes.

Chapter Twenty-One / Masterlist

“We are going to miss you guys so much.” Jade gave a little sniffle as she hugged you tightly. “You promise to come back real soon? Or I can come to see you?” 

You hugged back, your heart a little sad to be leaving your sister and best friend so soon. Since she moved to Florida and you moved to Minnesota, it felt like your visits were so few and far between, mostly reduced to texting, skyping, and phone calls. “Of course! I have a decent apartment, I can blow up a mattress for you or get you a hotel in the city.” 

Curtis cleared his throat patiently to break up your and Jade’s conversation for just a moment. “Honey, I have plenty of space at the house, of course all of you are welcome to stay there.” He said kindly and you swore you could have told him you loved him right there for even being willing to open his home to your family. 

But I love you was just too soon still, you weren't sure what you felt for Curtis yet. It was definitely better than it had been with Jake and you could have sworn you loved Jake Wyler with all your heart and soul. Yet, jumping into another I love you scared you. 

“Yeah, Mary and I could come to stay when we are out of school and Frank too if he doesn’t have a lot of projects lined up.” A teary yet hopeful response fell from Jade and Frank squeezed gently around her waist, smiling. 

“I’m sure we can figure that out down the road. I can make my own hours after all.” He held out his hand to Curtis. “Everett, you are welcome to come to fix some boat engines anytime. Like I said before, I can find you work whenever you want to get away from that Minnesota winter.”

Curtis laughed while returning the handshake. “Likewise, all this sun hasn't completely fried your brain, I will show you how to work those locomotive ones.” Letting go of Frank's hand, he knelt down to Mary’s level. She had a bit of a pout as she gave Curtis a big sad look. “What’s wrong kiddo?” 

“I don’t want you and Y/N to go home.” 

“Ahh, I know, but this is just a goodbye for now. We will skype soon. Y/N is always talking to Jade.” 

“Yeah… kinda like when I talk to Evelyn in Boston? She likes to come visit all the time for surprises.” 

“Yeah, without letting us know.” Frank grumbled and Jade elbowed him lightly. “That’s Mary’s grandmother.” Frank explained, giving a shrug as if that explained it all. 

“A lot like when you talk to Evelyn. Plus Jade was just saying about coming to stay with us.” Curtis smiled as he hugged Mary gently. Mary nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer, and went to wrap you in a big hug. Jade softly whispered to Frank, who lightened up seeing his typically closed-up niece warm up to you and Curtis. 

With final goodbyes said, you waved as Frank drove away, Curtis hugging you from behind while you gave a sigh. “I’m gonna miss them. But…” You twisted in his arms and looked up over his head. “I’m looking forward to staying at the Ritz.” 

“Shall we go check out our room?” He asked. “Fanciest place I’ve ever been.” 

“Let’s!” You unwrapped from around him and while he grabbed the bags, you held out your hand to take some but he slipped his hand in yours instead, leading you in. 

Check in was fairly quick and Curtis fidgeted in the elevator a bit. He felt out of his element having never stayed a place quite like this. You were bubbling with excitement though and that made him pleased seeing you so happy for a fancy hotel room all to yourselves. 

You ran the key card through and opened the door wide to a beautiful room with a huge king size bed that looked luxuriously piled with pillows, other seated chairs and table littered with a gift basket spotting champagne and robes. Beyond that was an open balcony with comfortable seating to face a magnificent view of Florida's white beach and turquoise ocean. “Wow” Curtis whistled softly as the door clicked closed behind the two of you. 

“Isn’t it beautiful? They have a pool, golf course and some other things if you want to check them out.” You pushed the curtains wide open and cracked the balcony door open to step out onto it. Several floors up gave you the best of views and Curtis felt all that anxiety fade away seeing how happy just being here made you. His arm settled around you and you leaned into him to enjoy the Florida sunshine that was slowly starting to fade into evening. “It’s nice to visit places like this.” 

“Yes, it is a lot different from Duluth.” Curtis observed, watching as lights sprang on across the golf course in the distance. 

“But… I am always glad to go home.” You admitted as you grasped the banister and leaned over it, looking down. Curtis let his hands slide to grasp your waist, resisting the urge to pull you back into him. “Hey, they have a mini golf course not too far from here.” 

Curtis took the chance to look over the edge to see where the course was. It appeared to be at the end of a strip of tourist shops, a large pirate ship looming among rolling green hills and water features, neon lights bouncing around it. “Wanna go play?” He asked and you nodded enthusiastically. 

After changing clothes- you into a tank top and skort, Curtis in a pair of cargo shorts and a faded tee, he ushered you out of the room without your purse, insisting that tonight it was date night and he wanted to fund wherever the night took you two. Even though you protested, he wrapped you into his hold, refusing to budge. “Let me treat my girl to a date, hmm?” You finally relented that this night was on him.  

The walk to the mini golf course was leisurely. The crowds of people bypassing you and Curtis in their rush to be somewhere else made for interesting people watching. You both were all about just enjoying the slowing of the day, how the night was slipping in its place, hand in hand you two strolled along the street. Curtis soaked in the bustle of the city's tourist area, shops opening their doors for people and nearby the scent of food sizzling made him pause, you drawing ahead of him for a second till you felt his hand tug against yours. “You hungry, Honey?” 

Your quizzical look softened into a smile, catching what had made him pause. “Yes, I could eat.” 

A nearby taco truck had a small line and you both stepped behind the last person waiting, glancing at the menu board. Stepping up, the person leaned against the truck's counter, pen in hand. “What can I get you two?” 

Curtis cleared his throat while studying the board. “Can I get a couple of the carnita tacos? Along with a corona.”

While he pulled out his wallet, you went ahead with your request. “Shrimp tacos with extra lime wedges and one of your margarita specials please.” 

“Sure.” He eyed the two of you and must have deemed you both of age because he rang up your total and shouted out the order. You both were handed your drinks, yours in a paper cup for easy disposal and Curtis requested more lime wedges, fitting them into his bottle of Corona till they floated in the glass bottle. 

The smell of the seasoned meat sizzling made Curtis stomach rumble, making you laugh as he groaned with want. You hugged around him, nuzzling against him affectionately. “Did we eat lunch today?” 

“I don’t think so. Why I’m starving.” He huffed against your hair, his hand rubbing down your back to lightly grasp your ass through your clothes, making you muffle a whine against his chest. 

“For food Curtis, you're starving for food.” You poked playfully at his ribs while you two hovered out of the way but still near the truck for when their food was finished. 

“I can be starving for more than one thing.” He grinned just as his name was called. Untangling from you, he went to get the tacos while slipping a tip in a jar near the register. The tacos were carefully set in paper trays, enabling you two to continue on toward the mini golf course while eating. 

You carefully grasped your taco, the flour shell still warm while the slaw drizzled partially on your hand, making you lap it away. That first crunchy bite, the slaw a fresh burst of veggies mixing with the sizzling grilled shrimp and bite of cilantro lime salsa. It was heaven, you closed your eyes and paused as you chewed slowly, savoring the flavors. 

Watching you enjoy your food, the pleasured look in your features, Curtis mentally labeled that as one of his favorite moments of this trip. You were totally in the moment, your face a look of bliss showing that you were thoroughly appreciating. No worries of being seen by others, or preparing to throw half of it away, claiming you were full when he knew you really weren’t. When your eyes slipped back open, you caught him watching you, giving an embarrassed little grin while swiping at your lips. You held up your last bite of the first taco in your tray, offering him the bite. “Lemme try yours.” You said and he held out his tray for you to take his after he took your last bite from your fingers. “These are so good.” 

“We could start making these at home.” Curtis agreed as he washed his last few bites down with the icy cold corona. “Although they won’t be as good as food trucks while we are on vacation.”  

Arriving at the mini golf course, you were feeling giddy while you two grabbed your balls and putts. There were a few other couples and kids scattered around the course, but otherwise being mid-week it seemed fairly quiet. Dropping your ball, you shook your hips while situating yourself up to shoot towards the first hole, just getting it between two pools of water that had octopus tentacles coming up through the pools.

“Easy shot.” You challenged with a glance over your shoulder. Curtis smirked back at you, leaning against his putt while watching you. The hat he was wearing to help with the sun was now slipped backward, letting you see his eyes assessing every move you made. 

You stalled a second, the fuzziness that the margarita made you feel overpowered by the idea that maybe he didn’t like you teasing like this, that you looked ridiculous shaking your hips the way you were with the way he had his slight scowl. But his gaze went up your body and he gave a deep sigh like he was refocusing himself. “That might be an easy shot but fuck, Honey.” His eyes glanced around the small park warily before settling back on you. “I don’t know if I can keep my hands to myself till we get back to the hotel. Do it again.” 

That negative worry from earlier dissipated, it was game on at that moment. “Guess you are gonna have to really focus on the game.” You let your hips shift again and an audible groan came from him. 

“Yeah, focusin’ on somethin’.” 

You took your shot and the ball whizzed wildly down the green grass path to putter into the hole, making Curtis give a clap of his hands in congratulations while he dropped his ball in place. “Easy shot for you too.” You assured him, making sure to step away to watch him. Curtis, as always, fell all into the moment. His legs shifted his weight back and forth to center himself, all while taking easy measured strokes trying to gauge where to hit the ball. In those moments, you let yourself appreciate how he looked with taunt muscles in his back flexing beneath his shirt, pulling at the corner of your lip while your eyes mapped the way his tee tightened in his shoulders and down his muscled back. 

Sure he was every bit of a relaxed looking tourist with the backward NASA baseball cap, some tee shirt Jade bought him with a ridiculous saying about how he got his crabs at Dirty Dicks, a popular restaurant in the area, to khaki cargo shorts that almost looked dark against his very pale legs that were hidden for months by long pants in Minnesota. To you though, he looked sexy and that little tingle of anticipation built in your belly. A clenching need that you knew Curtis would much appreciate. 

Of course his ball whizzed right in, making him pump his fist in victory, a grin on his face as he looked over his shoulder at you. 

The competitive side flared in your belly, making you sidle up to him. “Wanna make it interesting Curtis?” 

His arm slung back comfortably around you as you two made your way to collect the balls and go to the next hole. “I’m listening.” 

You strolled onto the next spot, unweaving from his hold to face him. “You win… you can do whatever you want to me tonight.” His brows shot up in interest. “I win, the same goes for me.”

“I’m winning, Honey.” He assured you after hearing the prize and you wiggled your brows at him while dropping your ball at the next hole. 

“I’m gonna make you work for it.” You aimed your shot, now focusing more than ever on the next obstacle. This one proved to be harder but you took a couple shots and finally got it in. Curtis, having taken this bet pretty personal, managed another hole in one. 

You two spared back and forth, trying to best one another but you both stayed so close in points. At the last hole Curtis was ahead… by one point if your calculations were accurate. 

It was almost nerve wracking at this point. One hand if you won, you got to pick how your evening played out, but that was almost daunting. You always tried to pick out what your partner would like. You know if you did win, Curtis would absolutely insist on doing whatever you wanted to do, no matter what.  

It was enough to waver your hand on your putter, quiver in anticipation and anxiety as you wracked your mind trying to decide how to take this shot, let it swing wildly away from the hole or actually try and sink it. What would Curtis want? 

“Hey…” His hand rested against your back while you exhaled all that energy. “You got this. Take the shot.”

You smiled at him, letting your worries melt away at that moment and let your putter hit the ball, which almost seemed like it was gonna swing away from the hole. But it swung closer, following the tilt of the course and zipped right in. 

“Well fuck, Honey, no way I can beat that.” Curtis sighed as if in defeat, but the crinkle in the corner of his eyes and the barely their proud grin showed. He let his ball bounce at his feet, positioning it with his toe. “But damned if I’m not gonna try.” Curtis made a show of angling himself just right and hit. His ball did the opposite of yours, wildly flying and bouncing right off the course, making him groan and you laugh as you looked in the deep pool of water it landed in. 

“Gone.” You twirled to face him, biting your lip. “I win.” 

“Mmhh, you did Pretty Girl.” His hand was warm as it cupped your cheek, a thumb dragging against the corner of your mouth. You took it as enough incentive to bite gently onto the tip of his thumb, sucking his thumb enough to twirl your tongue around it. “I hope you got some ideas for me.” Right now your mind was going blank of thoughts, staring up at lust blown eyes almost black with just slivers of blue, his warm skin heated and an earlier sunburn across his face was starting to fade, making all his freckles stand out that much more. “Fuck the things you can do with that mouth of yours Pretty Girl.” His hold tightened, catching your tongue from its swirling motion. “Save that for later. Come on, let’s get out of here.” 

When his hand moved, reaching to grasp yours, you eeped a yup and followed him out of the mini golf course park. The walk back to the hotel was much more rushed, now a real destination in mind. It seemed like the hotel was so far away, but before you could comprehend where you two were, Curtis was pinning you in the elevator, kissing you hungrily while you clutched at him, trying to keep up with his energy. You ended up tilting your head back against the steel wall while he pressed a palm against one of your breast and muttered how fucking hot you were taking those shots earlier. Your hand shot up, nails scraping through the short buzzed hairs and grasping the back of his neck to pull him into a tongue tangling messy kiss, panting against each other as the elevator door finally opened and you both tumbled into the hallway, groping at each other while making it to the door. 

The way you were acting you would think the two of you were horny teenagers unable to have any control. Somehow you worked the key card into the door while Curtis ran his hands all over you, sliding under your tank shirt and giving a pull to your nipples, making you sag against him while closing your eyes, groaning. 

“Do it again Curtis.” You muttered as the door clicked open and he rumbled a chuckle against your neck as he sunk his teeth in your skin, tasting you with his tongue. His fingers twisted a nipple, making you hiss at the borderline pleasure and pain. With a gentle nudge behind you, Curtis got you in the room and door locked. 

In the dim outside light streaming into the room, you turned to see him stalking towards you, catching you up in his hold once more to back you to the bed till you stumbled back on it and he followed you, careful to hover over you while he made you breathless in his kisses, his hips pressing to yours where you could feel his cock hardening. “Now… You get to pick what you want.” He drew away, hands planting against the mattress to lift himself up. 

“Um- what do YOU want Curtis?” You countered, moving up to your elbows to prop yourself up. 

“Nu-uh Pretty Girl.” He smirked, dragging a finger along the curve of your face. “You won, fair and square.”

“You let me win.” You muttered with narrowed eyes, making him grin without even denying it. Instead he swooped back in, catching your lips with his, drawing out a needy moan. Your mind raced as he continued kissing and nibbling on your neck, his hand still cupping a breast and teasing your nipple through the fabric. How were you supposed to think when all you could do was feel his weight pressing heatedly against you, the hot touch of smooth lips and tongue that were followed by the bristles of his beard flaring your skin. His hand made you arch into him, dragging your nails down his upper back and press him down harder while you whimpered for him. “Curtis, fuck I can’t think right now.” 

“Mmh Pretty Girl, you are not supposed to think Honey.” A nudge of his nose behind your earlobe before his lips skimmed the shell of your ear. “What do you feel like? Riding my cock? Worshiping you? Bending you over? There is a nice balcony outside.” 

Those all sounded good, but your mind swirled with the thoughts of his beard buried between your thighs, those vividly blue eyes staring up at your body while you withered against his mouth. Heat raced up your body at the thought, so sinful in your mind but you hadn’t let him do that since Christmas Eve to you and just the thought made you tingle with desire all over. “I know what I want.” You whispered out, making Curtis push up enough to look down at you, waiting for your answer. You felt shy, biting on your lip as you tried to say what you wanted. You knew he enjoyed it, craved it as he admitted he enjoyed oral with his partners when you first started dating. There was still that touch of self-doubt that you weren’t small enough for it. His hand swept through your hair, grasping enough to tilt your gaze up to meet his own. 

“Come on Pretty Girl, tell me what you want me to do, let me worship you.” 

Worship, you always felt that way with him. It was like Curtis couldn’t get enough in the months you two have been together and it was so easy to give him this you found, it made him so satisfied to take care of you. You eased up, that worry taking a backseat in your mind the more confident you became at the moment. Curtis patiently held himself above you, just waiting for whatever you wanted. 

“Taste me.” You slid a finger against his mouth which he kissed your fingertip while arching his brow, studying you to see you were serious. 

“Anywhere?” 

You gave a nod and Curtis pushed up to a stand, shedding his shirt. “Honey, I’m gonna need you out of those clothes, now.” 

You pushed up to your knees on the bed, shifting over to the edge of the bed where he was standing, working his belt open. You grabbed the leather, pulling it out of the loops and dropping it on the floor, admiring the swirls of ink across his chest in a pattern that made you heated. “Yes Sir.” You muttered as your fingers explored across quivering abs and muscled pecs dusted with hair. Another movement had you stepping off the bed, standing before him while your fingers traced up a toned chest, making his muscles twitch at the sensation of your touch.

You sensed the change in him, the quirk of a dark brow and inquiring eyes. “You being a minx tonight Honey? Sir?” Wrapping your fingers into his chain, you levered yourself to your toes, nipping on his mouth, asking, begging for him to let you in. 

“You got bossy, I got obedient.” You whispered just before you pressed your lips to his and a sharp hunger seemed to overtake Curtis. Tongue plunged against yours and a heavy groan emitted from his chest in that kiss. Hands started to get frantic against each other. Your hands started to tug at his button and fly, working his cargo shorts open and there was a sharp ripping sound of where your tank top strap popped its seams, making you giggle against his lips. 

“It was in my fucking way.” Curtis didn’t even apologize while you broke away, tugging off the rest of your clothes while he did too. You just lost the last of your clothes when you felt his hands envelope around your waist, hands gliding your curves before he backed you into the hotel's balcony glass window, the solid feel making you arch off the slightly cool chill at your back, looking up at him wide eyed. “You gave me a real sweet taste on Christmas Eve Honey. But I’m starving now, I’m always gonna want more.” 

His tone, the way he dropped his gaze to look down your naked body when he used his name for you made a fire swirl in your belly, pinprick your skin, and flare your nerves till you felt frayed. So simple, just with his words you were turned on. Your cunt already wept, slicking your folds and you had to rub your thighs together, trying to alleviate yourself before the two of you even started. “I- uh- fuck.” You muttered, stuttering over your words at the intensity bristling in the air between you. You felt so naked and exposed before him. 

And Curtis looked at you like he couldn’t wait to taste every inch of you, flaws and all. 

“You said taste anywhere I want?” He softened as he stepped in closer, his cock pressing against your belly and he let his hands cup your face. “Right here first.” His tongue trailed along your parted lips, nipping the corner of your mouth while you gasped softly, Everywhere his body pressed against yours was hard and unrelenting against you. Like he was trying to mold you against him. 

Until he shifted to the curve of your neck, this time his teeth sinking in enough for a hint of pain to make you gasp and arch, rubbing against him. Your hands couldn’t stop touching him, fingers brushing along his back, finding the dips of shifting muscles. You would dig in, making him curse against your skin at the pleasure it brought. Where he bit you, his tongue soothed it away with praising murmurs. 

“Fuck Sweet Girl, you know I’m addicted to you?” His hands settled on your hips as he flowed down your collar bone. You dug into his shoulders, arching once more to your toes with a slight whimper escaping while this man lowered to his knees before you again, looking up at you like you were a goddess. 

He didn’t seem to notice the low hang of your belly, the stretch marks that marred your skin from being pristine and perfect, the way rolls pulled on your sides and dimpled your skin. Instead he was worshiping at your breasts, once more letting his teeth claim you, marking you as his while his hands felt you, sliding along the back of your thick thighs to dig his fingers into the globes of your ass, press you into him that much more. 

A man starved, his groans of appreciation mingling with your sighs and whines. Curtis kissed on your hips, rubbing a bristled chin against the folds leading to your pussy, his blue eyes so heated that you felt yourself melting, turning into a puddle and if he wasn’t holding you up against the glass, you just knew you would be on the floor. 

It was so intense, so wanting and Curtis paused a moment from teasing you to press his face against you, pressing his forehead against the fullness of your lower belly and nose in the curls on your pussy, your hand brushed through the buzzed hair on top of his head, biting your lip to keep from saying anything. 

Even now you felt the need to apologize for what you thought were your imperfections. His back expanded slightly from his inhale before he lifted away to look up at you. “Nothing will ever make me harder than being able to see you like this, Honey.” 

“Like what Curtis?” You whispered while his hand cupped the back of your thigh to lift your leg up to a powerful shoulder, draping your calf over his back. 

“Open, free, unafraid to let me be with all of you.” He let his tongue sear over the top of your mound taste your folds. He hadn’t even properly tasted you and you could feel the quiver of your spine threaten to weaken. Curtis must have felt the slight waver in your body because his grip tightened and his shoulders tensed that much more, a solid force under you. 

“Fuck you taste-” Curtis groaned into your aroused body while his tongue worked to a more intimate spot, teasing your clit with sharp laps with the tip of his tongue and slow pulls of drawing it between his lips, teasing you all that much more. 

You let your head tilt back to bang lightly against the glass, breathing heavily while you palmed a breast, pushing and pulling your softness to appease the burning in your veins. A hand pushed harder against your thigh, spreading you wider apart so he could bury his face in against you. 

You caught your balance with a hand to the back of his neck, tightening your leg hooked over his shoulder. “Don’t stop.” 

Somehow he pressed in closer, starving as he drank your arousal, filling you with his tongue. You could have sworn he growled against you, claiming he wasn’t ever planning on stopping. Not only were you feeling every touch, Curtis kept groaning and moaning against you while his fingers and tongue worked you into a desperate frenzy.  Needing and wanting more, it was stealing the air from your lungs. The sensation of his fingers filling you, pressing alongside his tongue, you finally gave a shuddered cry out.

“Curtis!” Your nails scraped at the back of his head, trying to grab on. It resulted in pushing him closer, riding his face as you ground against him. His beard was prickly against your sensitive core, but slipping in the slickness coating you. 

“Just give me one on my tongue, Pretty Girl.” Curtis pulled away to take a deep breath, the outside lights making his jaw glisten from you. “I’m so fucking hard for you right now that I can’t stand it much longer.” 

One, you could give him one. You gave a jerky nod as his hopeful gaze turned sinfully feral. His teeth bared hungrily for a second. You had never been more turned on seeing a man. None other had ever gone to your feet, not like this.

“Let me hear you come, Honey.” 

It wasn’t hard to give that to Curtis, not with the way you went mindless, lost in all the sensations this moment was bringing you. 

You couldn’t go higher, yet you did. Soaring couldn’t even describe the sensation you were riding. You were soaring, the glass now vibrating against your back as you once more pushed back against it with a bang, your head tilted back to look at the heavens while Curtis brought you there. 

When you came, it was a sharp plea to catch you. Curtis wrapped arms tight around your hips as he drank you down. Curtis eased you through it till you were pushing at his forehead, your tongue unable to make the pleading words for him to stop. But he didn’t need them. 

Easing away from you, he sat back enough to give you space, letting your thigh ease off his shoulder and you sagged against the window. “Your turn, Curtis.” 

His hand swept up and down his heavy cock a moment while he kept you pinned against the glass with his other. “Honey, you’re shaking still, let’s take a moment.” 

You pushed against him to pry yourself off, leaning down to slide your tongue over his lips to claim him, pulling a hungry groan from him and a stutter in his touch on himself, having to fist his hand around himself. “Outside Curtis, there is another balcony railing and I’m going to need to be muffled.” 

Curtis snapped away, his hand moving off himself to grasp gently around your throat and slowly raise up to a stand, keeping you in his secure hold while you followed him on shaky legs. You craved another taste of his mouth, laden with traces of you. His mouth was so close you could feel the barely there touches passed between your lips. 

“Honey, you know me so well already.” His eyes were fiercely expressive. Brimming with possessive lust and need. “But I’m not keeping you muffled.” 

When Curtis brought you outside with all the city's bright neon lights shining below, he bent you against that railing and you had never been more glad to win a game. 

[tearfallpixie]

Trust and Love - Side Chapter: Accidents and Acceptance

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“I’m sorry that we have to leave you mama.” Vinny murmured. “You’ll be joining us in a few days though when tour starts. It wont be long.” I hugged Vin tight as a few tears slipped my eyes.

“I just hate being parted from you two.” I sniffled.

“I know. Just a couple of days and you’ll see us again.” I nodded as his thumbs brushed my cheeks to wipe the tears away. “No tears mama. You know I hate it when you cry.” The announcement for Vinny’s flight to board sounded and I started to pull away. “Come on, one kiss.” He teased. “I can’t leave without a proper goodbye.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss me soundly.

“Fly safe. I love you.”

“I love you too mama.” He picked up his bag and kissed the back of my hand before heading to the terminal and disappearing down the hall. I waited until the plane took off before heading back to the car and going back to our empty house. I sighed and hung my keys up as my phone rang. I looked at it to see Ricky was calling me.

“Hi baby, how are you? Vinny’s on the plane.” I greeted him.

“I figured as much. Have you been on twitter?” He said in a stiff voice.

“No, what happened?” I asked slowly.

“I sent you a post. Go look at it.” I pulled the phone away from my head and clicked on the twitter icon. I went to my messages and clicked on the one Ricky sent me only to gasp. It was a tweet tagging Ricky and attached to the tweet was a very clear pic of Vinny and I kissing.

“Fuck. We were out of the way. I thought no one could see us!” I exclaimed. “Ricky, I’m so sorry.”

“Baby girl, its ok.” He chuckled. “I figured something like this was going to happen sooner or later. None of us have been very careful. Now the question is how do we proceed? We should probably tell the fans because judging by the 9 thousand likes and counting on the photo, we can’t just cover this up and ask the person to remove it.” Ricky suggested.

“Can you and Vinny skype me tonight? We can all discuss it together.” Ricky nodded and looked at the time. “Tell him when he lands. He should be with you in two hours. He’s going to feel horrible.”

“I’ll take care of him and we’ll talk tonight. I love you baby girl.” Ricky said.

“I love you too baby.”

~

Vinny did not handle the news well and apologized to Ricky a thousand times when the guitarist picked him up. Ricky grabbed his arm and had to haul him to the car to get him to leave the airport.

“Vin, it’s ok.” Ricky repeated again. “You deserve to say goodbye to her too when you leave. We’re going to skype her tonight and discuss what we are going to do. It’s not going to be that big of a deal.” They got to the hotel in record time and headed up to their room for the next few days. Ricky picked up his laptop from the bed and set it on the desk, opening skype immediately as Vinny put his stuff away. “Hey, baby girl. Vin’s in the bathroom.” He said when I answered. The drummer popped his head out and waved to the camera.

“Looks like we caused a little bit of drama while I was flying mama.” Vinny snickered.

“Looking at the 21 thousand likes I would say so.” I giggled. “So what do you want to do? I agree with Ricky that we need to be honest with the fans. I’m just worried how they will take it. I’ve already seen hundreds of tweets calling me a whore and a cheater.” I grumbled.

“Baby girl, stop reading them. They will only make things worse.” I sighed and nodded.

“Why don’t you grab my streaming gear and fly out here and we can do an impromptu stream tomorrow to explain everything.” Vinny suggested.

“Everything? Even you two?” I asked in shock.

“It might make things a little easier to swallow knowing that it isn’t just Vinny with you and you with me.” Ricky pondered.

“But the band doesn’t even know about you two.” The only person that had given any indication that they new about Ricky and Vinny’s relationship was Finnick, Vinny’s old roommate.

“Well they are about to find out.” Vinny snickered.

“Are you two prepared for the backlash we are going to get because its inevitable.” Ricky asked. “Between people going to be pissed that she gets both of us and calling her a whore or calling us greedy its going to be bad for a while.”

“As far as I’m concerned, our decisions are all I care about. I married both of you knowing this might be a possibility down the line so I am willing to put up with anything.” I told them.

“Same here. I’m not ever letting some stupid fans get between us.” Vinny confirmed.

“Good. Vinny and I will lay low for a while and we will have Logan pick you up from the airport. Don’t go making out with him too. We have enough chaos to deal with here.” Ricky teased.

“I make no promises. His blond hair is so pretty.” I giggled.

“Good night baby girl.” Ricky rumbled.

“Night you two. I love you.”

“We love you too Mama.” I closed my laptop and went to pack up the necessities for Vinny to stream in my bag. I crawled in my big empty bed and tossed and turned for an hour before I was able to get somewhat comfortable. I wasn’t use to sleeping alone anymore because usually I had at least one of my boys with me.

~

“Logan.” I walked over to him, and he pulled me into a hug.

“Hey little miss. I thought you weren’t supposed to come out for a few days and then Ricky said there was drama and you needed to come out now. Is everything ok?” He asked. I pulled out my phone and showed him the tweet as I pulled my bag off the baggage claim. “Got it.”

“I thought we were out of sight of people but apparently, I was wrong. We’re doing a big stream announcement this afternoon to explain it to the fans. They currently hate me for hurting their precious Ricky.” I giggled. We started walking out to the parking lot shoulder to shoulder.

“Like they know the ins and outs of his feelings.” He scoffed. “They are lucky you are willing to explain this to them.” I rolled my eyes and agreed with him.

“It will also paint Vin in a bad light if we don’t confront the rumors because he is stealing his best friends wife.” I offered.

“That’s fair. Lets get you back to your boys so you can deal with this.” We loaded up and headed to the hotel where Ricky and Vinny were waiting for me in the lobby. They immediately pulled me into their arms and held me tightly.

“I’ve missed you baby girl.” Ricky murmured. He had been gone for a week before Vinny left so he could visit his family before the tour so I hadn’t seen him for a bit. He pulled me into a kiss and I noticed a flash from the side. We pulled away to see a couple of fans outside the hotel taking pics. “Let them think what they want. It will be cleared up soon.”

“I missed you too Ricky. I don’t like being parted.” I mumbled.

“Next time you two are going to come with me to Washington and I will explain everything to my parents in detail.” They had come to the wedding and they had met me on several occasions but they didn’t know the nature of our relationship with Vinny. They just thought he was our roommate for the time being. We all entered the room and I handed my carry on to Vinny.

“I brought the streaming stuff on the plane with me because I didn’t want it to get damaged under the other luggage.” I explained. He pulled me into a deep kiss.

“You are a fucking angel. Let me set up.” He started setting up and leveling the equipment, so it was balanced and an hour later we were all set up. “Ok Ricky. Attach your computer and pull up twitch. I’ll log in and we can start.” Vinny went to put on some actual clothes seeing as he was still in his sleep shirt and sweats. When he came back he was in his signature cargo pants and baggy shirt. He logged into his account and waved us off to the side so we were out of camera. He kicked on the stream and sat there as he posted it to his social media accounts, allowing people to get on. Ricky clicked the link on his phone and shared it to his as well.

@Rickyolsonx: Hey guys, Vin has a huge announcement in this stream. You should check it out. [link attached]

“Hey guys, I know surprise stream and I’m obviously not in my house right now. It will all be explained here in a bit. I won’t be answering any questions until more people are here.” He said to the growing crowd. Ricky and I watched his phone with a frown as people were saying mean things to him about hurting Ricky and kissing me. I could tell it was bothering him.

“Ricky is advertising my stream? There is a reason for that.” It was a few minutes later when there were easily a thousand people in the stream. “Ok, I think I can start explaining. Look, the photo is not faked. It was real and I did kiss Olive. However, it isn’t what you think.” He looked around at us and jerked his head. We moved into the camera and waved awkwardly. Ricky knelt next to the desk as Vinny pulled me into his lap. I watched as the chat went crazy with hello’s and questions.

“Guys, to clarify, I am very aware of their relationship.” Ricky started out. I noticed Chris in the chat and pointed it out to Vinny and Rick who grinned. “Well it looks like he’ll find out then.”

“I bet the band is watching with him.” Vinny grinned.

ChrisCMotionless: Should I get them?

“Probably. We’re about to drop a bombshell that even you guys don’t know about.” Ricky answered him.

ChrisCMotionless: I’m worried now. Let me get the other boys.

“This just got a whole lot more interesting.” Vinny mumbled. Ricky pulled out his phone and pulled up the camera.

"Update, I'm here in Vinny's stream, we're gonna talk about what's been going on." He turned to show the stream before he ended the video and posted it to his social media.

ChrisCMotionless: Ok they are here.

“Ok, let us explain. Yes I kissed Olive yesterday in the airport. That is because she and I are in a relationship.” Vinny started.

ChrisCMotionless: Oh, big shock.

“Watch it Cerulli or we’ll mute you, asshole.” Ricky snapped playfully.

BeeforV: So you two are dating but shes married to Ricky?

“BeeforV, yes exactly. We are in a poly relationship. Ricky and her have been together for almost two years. I’ve been with her for about a year and few months. But the part that the band doesn’t know about is that-“ Vinny trailed off and part of me thought he was getting cold feet. I looked at him to see him frowning.

“Vin, you ok?” Ricky asked, touching his arm.

“Listen here Brady, you little shit.” Vinny snarled to chat. “I don’t care what your opinion is of our relationship. The only opinion that matters is Ricky’s, Olivia’s and mine. But I will not have you calling her a whore just because you don’t like how we handle our lives. Mods get rid of him and anyone that says anything disrespectful about her, Ricky or me.” He clung to me a little tighter and buried his nose into my neck to help him calm down.

NicholeMotionless: Vinny being protective and all cuddly of Olive is adorable.

Willinmotionless: So what was the other thing you were going to share.

Vin let out a little growl making Ricky chuckle. He stood up and pulled the extra chair up next to us.

“Are you ok to keep going Vin?” Ricky asked softly. Vin shrugged and didn’t make a move to pull away from me. “The other bomb shell we were going to drop was that-“ Ricky took a deep breath, “Vinny and I are also together.” The chat went insane and for a minute none of us could read a single message. I could tell Vinny was peaking at the chat from my neck but otherwise we all stayed quiet. I tried to see if there were any messages from Chris but I couldn’t catch his name.

“Guys, I love Olivia and Vinny with everything in me. If it weren’t for a fan catching their kiss yesterday, you would not know about this. However, I won’t have her or him attacked because of our relationship.” Ricky told the chat.

ChrisCMotionless: You and Vin? That shouldn’t surprise me at all. The entire crew is happy for you three.

I let out a sigh of relief and pointed out the message. I could tell that Vinny relaxed after seeing it too because he started to sit up.

“Thank you, Chris. It means a lot. We’ll come talk to you after the stream.” Vinny said.

“I don’t know what more there is to say. I love you both and that’s what this was about. To just explain the kiss yesterday. No one is cheating on anyone, and we are all happy together. If you can’t support us and our relationship then forget the band. Because I guarantee you, Chris, Justin and Ryan will support these boys to the end of their careers.” I finally spoke.

ChrisCMotionless: Got that fucking right. Their happiness is more important to us than anything.

“We love you guys. And we hope you support us.” Ricky said to the camera.

KitKatCathy: Can we see you kiss before you leave?

“I’m pretty sure you have definitely seen me and Olive kiss before.” Ricky teased before pulling me into a sweet kiss. Vinny shifted until he was sitting a little straighter and pulled me into a kiss too. The chat was spammed with ‘awes’ and people calling us cute.

“I think they’ll get mad if you two don’t amuse them too.” I giggled. Both Ricky and Vinny looked at each other with wide eyes.

“No, I’m sure they don’t-“ The chat spammed with confirmation, halting Vinnys words in his throat.

“The fans want what they want.” Ricky shrugged. I bounced off of the drummer’s lap and moved back to the bed. I could tell they were hesitant, and it made me giggle a little.

“Ricky just kiss your boyfriend already.” I laughed. He glanced back at me before rolling his eyes and grabbing Vinnys neck and pulling them together. The kiss was sweet at first until Vinny’s hands grabbed Rickys shirt and pulled him closer. I glanced down at Rickys phone that we had abandoned on the bed to see the chat losing their shit until it froze and the stream crashed. “Hey you two? You broke stream. Literally.” Vinny and Ricky pulled away from each other and looked at the computer. They both slumped into their seats in shock and stared at it for a few minutes.

“Wow.” Vinny finally uttered. I snuck up behind them.

“By the way, that kiss was hot.” Both of them jumped and looked back at me. I giggled and dashed away as they both tried to leap out of their chairs and grab me. We chased each other around the room for a few minutes until the door opened and Chris walked in. I dashed behind him and grabbed his jacket. “Chris protect me!” I begged.

“Chris.” Ricky said dangerously. “Give us the instigator.”

“Who?” Chris smirked. Justin had gotten up behind me and went to grab my waist, but Chris swung us around and faced him, looping an arm around me to keep me behind him. “Don’t.” He said sharply.

“Right. You don’t like to be touched. I’m so sorry Olive!” Justin freaked out.

“It’s ok. Thank you for stopping him, Chris. Justin, I don’t blame you. It’s easy to forget.” Familiar hands grabbed my waist and pulled me back into a firm chest.

“Think you are funny?” Vinny asked quietly in my ear. He pulled me into a kiss before we all moved to sit around the room. I found myself sitting in-between Ricky and Vinny on the bed as Chris sat on the end of the bed and Justin and Ryan took the chairs.

“So why didn’t you tell us that you two were together? I mean we are pretty accepting.” Chris questioned. Vinny and Ricky looked at each other before looking back at the band.

“We don’t know. We didn’t really think about it. Before we were both dating Liv it was more of just us fooling around and using each other as stress relief.” Vinny explained.

“Then all that shit happened with her ex, we made the decision to move in together and when she wasn’t with us, we still gravitated to each other at night.” Ricky continued. “Our relationship has always been more about Olive than each other. We only started dating each other about a month before we proposed actually.”

“I’m sorry you guys had to come out like this.” Ryan said honestly.

“We talked about it last night. We had a feeling something like this would happen so we aren’t too torn up about it. We just hope the fans are understanding.” Ricky brushed it off.

“The response seemed pretty positive on chat.” Justin offered.

“I guess time will tell. This is going to affect the band though. Our fans might turn, our monthly listeners might drop. We will get hounded from all sides.” Ricky pointed out.

“It doesn’t matter. Do we support them?” Chris asked Ryan and Justin who immediately said yes. “Then whatever happens we handle it together. You three are our family and that’s more important than any fans we will ever have.” Ricky moved to the end of the bed and wrapped Chris in a hug, quickly joined by Justin, Ryan and Vinny. Vinny looked at me and held out his hand.

“They are safe.” He murmured. I grinned and took his hand to be pulled into the hug. These were my family and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. In that moment I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to call mine.