#got the candle picture from my album copy ! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

copiawife · 1 year ago

Text

ooooooh i'm so down for this because i have. so much.

so, let's start with the biggest thing: MY SHRINE. yes, i have a whole shrine to my husband, i'm very normal <33

so this is it as it stands now, although i'm sure i'll be adding to it (especially since i have a figure pre-ordered that will get here at the start of next year) but for now!! there is a wall flag featuring the album art of prequelle, copia's first album with the band, two plaques with lyrics from call me little sunshine and life eternal, my two favorite songs of his <33 and then on the table the two big black and gold boxes are the extended impera (left) and prequelle exalted (right) vinyl box sets, that have copies of those two albums, the phantomime ep, several 7 inches, photobooks, and a bunch of other stuff. big fancy collector's edition things <33 then, i have a rat plushie (not technically merch, but Thematically Appropriate) and several plushies of him! two of him as cardinal, and one of him as papa, which is extra special since i got it at the ritual i went to <33 there's also a framed picture of him, three funko pops (two normal sized, one mini), a prayer candle, a rosary (it's blue and has both his grucifix and also his face it's very pretty), and my fancy cardinal figure <33 also in the drawer (not in the picture) i have a letter from him i printed out and also my wristband and a few pieces of confetti from the ritual i went to i kept as keepsakes..

in terms of music outside my box sets, i also own prequelle, phantomime and impera on vinyl separately! i got these before i got the box sets okay,,,and then i also have prequelle and impera on cd and cassette!! i have a lot more ghost music but i'm just focusing on like. His Stuff with the band, so this is that!

i also have anoter one of those plaques, this one has lyrics from dance macabre and it's hanging on the back of my closet door!

also! shirts! i literally have to stop myself every time i see a cute new design because i think FIVE SHIRTS is ENOUGH. but i really really like the ones i have, they're such pretty designs!! my personal favorite is the top left one in the first pic ehehe the colors are so prettyyy

also i guess this is just more general ghost merch but i have another rosary, a choker, and earrings! the earrings were actually the first piece of merch i got from them! i just thought it was so neat that they had earrings as merch, i also wore them for like. several months straight shjsjhsjhs

when i was redoing my room, i got this really gorgeous print of him that i got a frame for and ough it's sooooo pretty <33 i had been obsessed with this art from the moment i saw it and so i had to get a print of it when i got the chance <33

this is a smaller thing, but i also have these super cute keychains that are on my keys now <3

i also have an ita bag! it's small but i bring it with me almost everywhere! notice the cute keychains on each side <3

okayyyy that's everything i have (for now >:3c) i'm uhm. so normal about him actually. definitely like him the regular amount (i am lying i am so mentally ill about this man i need him so bad)

HELLO F/O COMMUNITY!!! Been wanting to do this rb game for a while but I was waiting for my skwisgaar charm to come in today ^_^ but!!

Reblog with your f/o merch! Whether it’s one thing or multiple things or a whole shelf/area dedicated to it I wanna see your f/o (+ s/i) merch!! As someone who is obsessed with merchandise/collecting things I love looking at other peoples stuff so much 😭💓

Here’s my m.etalocalypse merch! :) It’s slowly growing but I’m super happy with what I have so far! I’m hoping to find some CDs when I go to amoeba for my birthday ^_^ 💓

[pro.ship/com.ship dni!!]

#head in my hands.#he's my favorite guy ever in the world okay!!!!! i really like him!!!!!#maybe too much but hey that's okay!! i'm not hurting anyone but my bank account #and even then i'm usually pretty careful! i don't overspend for what i have!#but yeah this is. a lot <3 #my honey bun 🖤

141 notes · View notes

heartcal · 4 years ago

Text

distant; c.h.

it’s finally here omg and being posted on time too (barely)!

this was an idea i started writing back in late 2015 (literally the first few paragraphs are from the old draft with some editing) and while cleaning up my drafts i decided to continue it since i liked it :^D

pairing: calum hood x reader (i tried to make it gender neutral so if i used pronouns while describing the reader, i apologize and feel free to let me know!)

summary: you feel like the relationship is deteriorating because he’s gotten distant. you want to bring it up with him, but how can you when he doesn’t realize something is wrong? and why does it invoke a hurtful argument when you voice your feelings?

warnings: none really other than some cursing, arguing, and cal’s kinda an ass sorry lol

genre: angst, very angtsy

wc: 2,645

my masterlist!

The candle flickered on the coffee table as the sound of rain hitting the roof was prominent. Total silence engulfed you as you finally made up your mind. Your thoughts were running wild for at least the past two hours as you went through numerous scenarios on how he’d react.

Calum had been acting different ever since he came home from tour. It felt like he was distancing himself from you as he began to hang out with his friends right as he got the time off. He already planned visits to his family, which were coming up very soon. He would text you, but they’d only be a couple of words or no more than four sentences a day. At first, you believed it was because he was tired from tour, and honestly who wouldn’t be tired if they had been on a tour bus and planes for almost a year with minimal breaks?

You understood his profession and what comes along with it, you really do.

But when you saw fan pictures or paparazzi pictures of your boyfriend having a hell of a time, obviously without you, it hurt.

You’re not clingy at all; you want him to have a lot of fun considering his age and, due to his fame, he can’t do a lot of the stuff you and other non-famous people can do. You’re not clingy at all, but you would appreciate some one-on-one time with him, especially now that he’s back from tour and soon would be promoting yet another album.

You took a few deep breaths to calm yourself down and bring forth your final thoughts on the situation. A break-up is the last thing you want to do. You want to work out whatever is happening between you two, talk it out, and straighten out any knots within the relationship. You don’t want to throw away the past two and a half years, and possibly the five years of friendship.

When you two got together it didn’t come as a surprise to those close to you. The guys were waiting for it to happen, and when it did they didn’t even bat an eye. Your family already thought the two of you were dating, while Calum’s family let out a sigh of relief when the news came out because they saw how happy you made him as a friend.

It started as a test; to see if this is what you want and if it feels right. It did, more than it should if you had to be honest. It almost scared you just how normal it felt to be with him, and the same can be said for him. You had minimal arguments, minimal disagreements; the good outweighed the bad.

But the honeymoon phase can only last so long.

The first time he went on tour when you got together, it was a promotional tour. He wasn’t gone for a long time but he did travel often. That left little to no time to talk, text, or facetime. When he was able to contact you, it was short, but he managed to make it worth it with sweet words and words of encouragement from you.

The second time was a domestic promotional tour. He had asked you to join him, and after getting the OK to work remotely from your boss, you agreed to join him. It was almost like a vacation for you, even if Calum was gone most of the day. On his days off, or when he had part of the day off, it was spent with you alone or with the guys plus you and their significant others.

The third tour was when things started to dwindle. Six months after their third album was released, they went on tour and contact was hard to get. You joined him for a month or two, but after leaving to get back to work, it began to feel like the first time he went on tour. Towards the end of the tour he frequently contacted you, stating that he was, “stressed from the constant traveling,” and he had a hard time keeping up with what day it was.

You didn’t think about it much. Touring like that can strain anyone, amateur or pro. But what you couldn’t understand was how he behaved after the tour. After the first two tours, it was fine, but after tour number three you noticed how distant he would get. Ignoring calls and texts, but updating social media at any time of day and night. It struck you as odd, but he eventually came around with an apology and lots of makeup dates.

Now after tour number four, he’s as distant as ever. You gave him some space but he never came around. It’s been two and a half weeks since you’ve had proper contact.

Running over what you want to say to him in your head, you miss the knocks on your front door. You also miss the sound of your lock turning and the door opening.

“There you are,” You jump at that, turning towards the front door with a hand on your heart.

“What—how did you get in?” You stumble, gone are the thoughts you had previously.

Calum holds his right hand up, his set of keys and key chains jingling as he shakes his hand lightly. He has a small smile on as he speaks, “You gave me a copy, remember?”

You stare blankly at him, recalling the time when you finally moved out of the apartment you shared with an old friend and their partner. You were so happy that you found a place to live on your own, closer to work and closer to Calum. You made him a copy so that he knew he was welcome (and also for safety reasons).

You nod with a hum in response, your eyes moving to the painting a few feet away from him.

If he notices your behavior, he doesn’t mention it as he puts his keys on the hook next to your while taking off his shoes (something you nagged him about since the living room had carpeting).

You knew you had to bring it up. It was sitting on your tongue but your brain couldn’t form the words and sentences that you had previously thought of.

He sighs out as he takes a seat next to you on your couch, his right arm stretched behind you on the back of the couch while his left arm rested on the arm.

You sat stiff, not leaning back or into him no matter how much you craved it. Rather than giving in, you were more focused on the anger starting to bubble up inside of you. How can he act like nothing is wrong after ignoring you for almost three weeks?

“You’re quiet tonight,” he retracts his arm from the back of the couch and moves his hand to your forehead, “You feeling okay?”

When he brings his other hand up to his own forehead, you smack his arm away.

You scoff, letting your anger show, “Really, Calum?”

His puzzled look pushes you over and you stand up.

“What?” He asks as his eyes follow you as you head to the window.

Taking a deep breath and staring out at the city below, you realize that it’s now or never. Releasing the breath as a sigh, you turn towards him.

“Is something wrong?” He questions again.

“I know that tour takes a lot out of you,” you begin, willing yourself to bring your eyes up to meet his, “but you’ve been distant—more than usual. I know you want some time to yourself after touring, and I give you the time, but I can’t help but feel ignored Calum.”

Calum stands with a frown, bringing his hands up to his head before running them down his face with a sigh. His mouth opens to say something but nothing comes out. He stands in front of his seat on the couch, hands on his hips and shoulders slumped. He wants to say something, wants to tell you that he’s not ignoring you, but he can’t bring himself to say so.

“I’ve seen the pictures of you out with your friends. I’m happy you’re spending time with them, that you’re out there having fun because I know you haven’t seen them in so long. And your family, too. But I would like to spend time with you before you head out again.”

“I spent a lot of time with you before I left,” he mumbles, taking a few steps towards you.

“I know-” you hold your hand up to stop him from getting closer, “but you also spent plenty of time with your friends.”

He takes another step towards you, ignoring your signal. His body language shows that he doesn’t want to argue; his steps are small, head tilted only slightly, his eyes are staring intently at you.

It’s silent. Your breathing picks up as you hold back frustrated tears, which causes Calum’s own breathing to falter. He moves his jaw to help ease the tension he feels – a tick you know he picked up from a tour crew member – and shakes his hands as if he was trying to rid them of something.

He inhales, eyes on the floor at his feet, “I feel like we spend too much time together.”

Ouch. His words had a sharp impact, like a punch to the gut when you least expect it. The kind of heart-dropping, breathless pain.

“You think—do you think I’m clingy?” The word leaves a bad taste in your mouth because you felt that you were far from it.

“That’s not what I said—,” he stops, taking in his lower lip with a hand ruffling the hair on his head, “—that’s not what I’m saying at all.”

“But that’s what you’re implying,” you accuse with narrow eyes.

He shakes his head, growing upset with how this night is turning out. He came over to spend time with you, knowing that when comes back from visiting his family he will have only a couple more days of rest before putting all his focus on the new album.

“Look,” he sighs and sits on the edge of the couch with his head in his hands, “all I’m saying is, I wanted to spend some time with my friends since I don’t see them as often as I see you.”

Your jaw tightens, “I understand that, but what about our relationship?”

“What about it?”

“It doesn’t feel like a relationship anymore,” you’re blunt, straight to point out how you feel.

He scoffs, “Cut the bullshit.”

Your speechless, watching him stand up and walk to the other side of the living room. The rain outside has gotten louder with an occasional rumble in the distance, but you’re focused on how he brushed off how you felt like it wasn’t important.

“Just because I don’t spend all my time with you doesn’t mean we’re not in a relationship,” he says, resting his left arm on the bookshelf against the wall, “I have other relationships to manage besides ours.”

“You barely manage this one, Calum,” a tear threatens to spill over your lower lid, “Two and a half weeks of little to no contact, and you suddenly show up to my apartment as if everything is fine? I sat here wondering if something happened on tour that was making you this distant, but from what I’ve seen on Twitter and Instagram…you’re doing just fine. You’re smiling, you’re laughing—you’re seemingly your usual self. So why did all my texts get left on read, no response at all, especially when I just wanted to know that you were okay?”

He sucks his teeth, a humorless laugh leaving his lips as he turns to look at you, “You’re overreacting.”

Another jab to the heart, and this time you let the tears freely fall down your cheeks.

He stands up straight and licks his lips, eyes dancing around the room. They bounce over photos of you with your friends, family, and him. In the back of his mind, he knows this is too much. He knows his words may be overstepping and hurtful, but he can’t see where you’re coming from.

“I’m entitled to my own life, just like you. I have friends I want to hang out with, just like you. Sometimes I need time to myself away from you. Maybe you were right earlier, maybe you are clingy.”

He watches as your tears fall, the pained expression you wear didn’t go unnoticed but he does choose to overlook it.

He cuts you off when your mouth begins to open, “Maybe another thing you were right about before, this doesn’t feel like a relationship, right?”

He rolls his shoulders, jaw clenched as he walks to the front door. Your eyes are covered with unshed tears, previous tears leaving trails down your cheeks and nose. He sees them, there’s a pounding in his brain that’s trying to take control so he can go over and console you with unlimited apologies. But he doesn’t.

Calum grabs his keys, taking off your key and tossing it to your feet. He slides his shoes on, his movements rough as his breathing gets heavier. His eyes reach yours and those dark brown eyes you grew to love have now become hurtful, clouded by an unrecognizable emotion.

His hand blindly reaches for the lock, turning it before lowering to the handle, “If this relationship doesn’t feel like one, let’s end it, yeah?”

Without another word, he opens the door and leaves. Your eyes shed the built-up tears as they fall towards the spare key on the ground.

You don’t know how it came to this. You had your mind made up of how you wanted the conversation to go, what to do if worst comes to worst and how to repair the relationship itself. You weren’t expecting him to come over. Once he walked through that door all your thoughts evaporated and you were left grasping for any remaining thoughts.

You kneel to pick up the key, but your knees are too weak to stand back up. The key glares at you, reminding you painfully of what once was.

But behind your front door stands Calum, a racing mind and pounding heart. He stares at the floor and it finally dawns on him. Mindlessly he’s ended up outside, the warm air of your apartment lobby did not prepare him for the chilly rain outside. By the time he’s in his car, he’s soaked and he’s uncomfortable.

He doesn’t start the car, instead, he reaches for the steering wheel and grips it tightly. The emotions wash over him and the tears slide down as fast as they formed. He shakily inhales, followed by a sob and a sniffle.

The rain is heavy, muting his sobs to his own ears. A sharp crack of thunder makes him jump, and after a few more sniffles and constant wiping of his cheeks, he starts his car and drives back home.

It’s late when you go to bed. The numbing pain in your chest ruins your chances of a good night’s sleep, but selflessly you wished Calum a goodnight before attempting to sleep.

Calum sleeps on his couch, too tired to bring himself to his bed but too hurt to sleep. His eyes drift to his phone on the coffee table when it vibrates; a message from a groupchat talking about an outing scheduled for tomorrow. His sore eyes shut and he turns away from the table.

In the darkness, he sees your pained expression, the way you shrunk as he threw those harsh words at you. It’s an image that will be imprinted forever in his mind, and he regrets everything.

~~~

part two!

#5sos imagines #5sos blurbs #5sos one shots #5sos drabbles #5 seconds of summer imagines #5 seconds of summer blurbs #5 seconds of summer one shots #5 seconds of summer drabbles #calum hood imagines #calum hood blurbs #calum hood one shots #5sos preferences #5 seconds of summer preferences #5sos imagine #5sos preference #5 seconds of summer imagine #5 seconds of summer preference

189 notes · View notes

leedosbunnyboy · 4 years ago

Text

Oneus (OT6); Reaction to their cute, innocent boyfriend debuting with a dark concept.

Ravn

He already knew as he kept up-to-date with your teasers

But he's still surprised nonetheless to see how drastic the change in your demeanor was

"Is this really my (M/n)?!"

Would call you to congratulate you on your debut

Ravn would probably also mention your debut in a vlive

But would probably tease you by saying cute concept would suit you better

(He would never admit it, but be lowkey thinks the dark concept is perfect for you)

Wants to collab with you and will constantly bring it up

Learns the lyrics your song and sings it all the time

(The other members are tired of it, but they let him be cuz they know he's whipped)

Seoho

He would be extremely shocked as you never told him your group's concept to keep it a surprise

Would pause the video as soon as you came on screen

He couldn't believe the boy with black eyeliner and a victorianesque outfit, was the same person who's motto was "Pink is a staple in basic fashion"

Would immediately call you and ask;

"Who are you, and what have you done to my innocent baby (M/n)?"

But he would love the song and would sing it 24/7

Tells To Moon to stream your group's song anytime he can

Bought 5 copies of your group's album just to get your photo cards.

His members tease him for having a picture of you as his background, lockscreen, and now, his phone case

But he doesn't care, anything for his boyfriend.

If you were a vocalist in your group, he would be OBSESSED with your vocals

Leedo

Leedo knew your group wasnt going to do a cute concept, as you had told him as much

But he was surprised to see your group doing a dark concept

(Sidenote: it's my headcanon that he'd be overprotective and was worried about you doing a sexy concept, so he was rather relieved to see a different concept)

He'd constantly replay to the music video as he loved the set design and how things such as spiders and candles were incorporated to be beautiful set pieces.

(And you of course :3)

Like Seoho, he would buy one of your albums

But only one, as he was satisfied with only one photo card of you

Loves the duality of how different you are with him and takes a sense of pride in that he's the only who gets to see the cute you.

If you were a rapper of your group, he would love if you'd ask him to help you with it.

Keonhee

Your No.1 fanboy

Would watch all of your group's teasers so he knew about your concept

But that doesnt stop him from being shocked when the M/v dropped

Keonhee adores the way your makeup is done, and loves how it accentuates your features

(Would lowkey want you to do his makeup)

When you have your first line, he would internally squeal

Whether it's rap or vocal, he loves the way your voice sounds

(Not gonna say he does, but he replays your parts alot)

Learns the lyrics and sings along whenever he hears your song

Would call you to congratulate you

He would also promote your group and your song on a daily basis.

[Prepare for his instagram posts to be #stan(g/n) #stan(M/n) #stream(s/n)]

He's already anticipating your first comeback

Hwanwoong

No.1 fanboy 2.0

Didn't know about your concept, and was anticipating a cute one

So when your M/v dropped, saying he was shocked would be an understatement

His jaw would hit the floor as soon as he got a grasp of what concept it was

He would miss you the first time watching the music video

Would replay it to find you, but he couldn't seem to find you

Then he realized, you were the guy with black diamonds adorning his face and silk decorating his body

Hwanwoong would take many double takes

"No way that's (M/n). I must be watching the wrong music video."

But he knew

Would highkey be proud at how mature you seemed

Would refrain from learning your group's choreography as he wanted to learn it together with you

Also tells To Moon to stream your music video

When he told you he didn't even know you were in the music video the first time, you died laughing

Xion

Would know about your concept despite not having watched your teasers, due to how you subtly hinted at it when you were with him

(Subtle things like saying your outfits were black and the fact that your favorite group was Dreamcatcher)

Stays up all night to wait for your M/v to drop

Would he be tired in the morning?

Yes

Does he care?

Anything for his (M/n)

Buys your album and does a vlive in which he would listen to all your songs

Says he likes your title track "Ponzoña", but that the b-side "Skip Skip" was his favorite

(Both are songs by Purple Kiss which you should check out, they're BOPS)

Anyways...

In the same vlive, he would watch your M/v with To Moon

He would poke fun at how you the character you portray in the music video is much different than how you are in real life

Tells his fans about the time you bought matching pastel bracelets for him and yourself and shows it off

(All under the guise of a close friendship)

Would call you and tease you by mocking one of your lines

"중독시킨 내게 Fall in love, You better know, You better know 벗어날 수 없어."

"Hyung, I don't even sound like that."

"Yes you do."

"According to whom?"

"According to me, and by the laws of the Basic Boyfriend Policy, I'm correct."

Yeah, he's a dork

But loves your concept and aura

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got this idea after Purple Kiss finally debuted. Their song Ponzoña is amazing, and the concept accompanying it is probably my favorite in all of kpop. Somewhere between a mix of elegant like Apink and dark like Dreamcatcher. I'd highly reccomend you check them out as well as their mini album. All the songs are amazing and none are skips. Hello and Skip Skip are my personal faves, but Can We Talk Again and Ponzoña are great too.

106 notes · View notes

queen-swagzilla · 4 years ago

Text

PATREON PREVIEW: Searching For You In the Background

WARNINGS: Heavy angst, hurt no comfort, major character death

-----------------------------------------

"Hey Hagakure," Izuku said, sliding up to his invisible classmate. She jumped, because how the hell did he notice her? "Why aren't you partying?"

It was almost the end of their second year, and it was Katsuki Bakugou's sixteenth birthday. The celebration (that Katsuki 100% did not ask for) was in full swing around them. "I'm on photo duty," she explained, holding her camera up. "Kiri thought that if he couldn't see the photographer, he'd be less likely to blow up the camera."

Izuku barked out a laugh but stifled it quickly—eyes flicking to Katsuki to make sure he hadn't heard. "Let me do it," he suggested. "You go enjoy yourself."

"But then you won't enjoy yourself, Green Bean," she replied hesitantly.

"Of course I will," he assured her. "I'm not really into crowds, I just like being nearby," he explained. Besides, it wasn't about him—it was about Katsuki. Katsuki probably wouldn't want to even look at his birthday photos if Izuku was in them, so the best way he knew how to appease his classmates with his presence and let Katsuki enjoy his birthday was to enjoy it from the sidelines and make sure that he didn't taint the memory.

Hagakure faltered. "Are you sure?" she asked, and the excitement in her voice steeled his resolve.

"Absolutely," he assured her, holding his hand out for the camera.

"Thanks, Mido!" she said, handing it over and giving him a quick hug. "Let me know if you wanna trade-off later, okay?"

"Sure," he agreed, smiling sweetly. As soon as she bounded away, turned on the screen on the back of the camera to flip through the photos she'd already taken. Thankfully, there were only two and he wasted no time deleting them. It's not like they'd ever make it into a photo album.

The party had turned out really well. Izuku was glad he'd been there to subtly give suggestions because it had been headed toward catastrophe until he started nudging them in the right direction.

Instead of the skull-shaped vanilla passionfruit cake that had been on the menu, Sato had made a dark chocolate cayenne cake shaped and decorated like a grenade. Instead of red and black streamers, Izuku had pointed out how Katsuki chose military green or sunset orange whenever he wasn't wearing black.

When it came to activities, he steered them away from movies and dancing and toward party games that would appeal to Katsuki's competitive nature, from Twister to the new Hero Melee Battle Royale game.

Izuku caught all of it on camera—from the soft, pensive look on Katsuki's face before he blew out his candles to the manic grin on his face as he pummelled Sero and Kaminari in HMBR.

The only time Katsuki looked directly at him was during the group photo, and Izuku hid his face behind the camera immediately. He'd only been in his line of sight for ten seconds, and he was already scowling. The faster he got this over with, the faster Katsuki could go back to enjoying his birthday as though he weren't there. "Smile on three! One, two—"

"Wait, on three or after three?" Ashido interrupted.

"He said on three," Sero rolled his eyes.

"Whichever one works," Izuku assured them, eyes flicking to Katsuki who was already getting agitated.

"Can't even figure out a fucking photo," Katuski snapped, making Izuku flinch back. Dammit. "When you hear the nerd say three just keep fucking smiling until he says stop, it's not that fucking hard!"

"Ah, sorry, Kacchan," Izuku winced. "He's right—when I say three, smile! I'll take a few shots so that you can choose the best one." He lined up the camera again. "One, two, three!"

The class smiled, and Izuku took a few shots. Then, because he couldn't help himself, he zoomed in on Katsuki's relaxed, half-smile—the one that told him that he'd genuinely enjoyed himself—and took a final picture.

He might have to ask Hagakure to sneak him a copy.

By the time the party wound down, people had collapsed into post-sugar-high comas on the couch—most notably the Bakusquad, all of whom had fallen asleep across their leader as the latest All Might biopic played. Ashido and Kirishima both had their heads in his lap, and Sero and Kaminari were on the floor, leaning against his legs. Katsuki was awake, eyes on the screen. As subtly as he could, Izuku snuck to a better vantage point and took a final photo—of Katsuki relaxed with people he liked, enjoying the last few minutes of his birthday in peace. If Katsuki saw him, that tiny precious smile would vanish.

He returned the camera to Hagakure. "Thanks for taking over, Mido," she said, hugging him again. "I hope you had a good time, too!"

"I did!" he assured her, and he wasn't even lying. It was good to see Katsuki unwind for real. He hadn't been this relaxed in years—unable to really enjoy himself under the weight of the pressure he put on himself. "I'm actually gonna go back and steal some of that cake for later. It was awesome."

"It was!" she exclaimed. "I was worried that Sato might go overboard with the spice, but it was really nice! It was so nice of you to—"

Izuku shushed her hurriedly. If Katsuki was alert, they were technically still in hearing distance of the couches. He tilted his head in the direction of the hallway, indicating that she should follow. "I don't want him to know I had anything to do with this," he explained quietly. "It'll ruin it for him."

"Oh come on," she chided. "You guys are way better than you were at the beginning of the year, and he had a really good time! I bet he'd be grateful," she insisted.

"I'd rather not take the chance, you know? He never gives himself a break, so I want him to just enjoy this without anything ruining it," he replied. Based on her arm movements, he assumed she was folding them sternly. "Really, it's not a big deal, I just gave some pointers and you guys did the rest, right?"

"Not really," she drawled. "He would have dipped right after the cake if it weren't for you."

"He would have dipped before the cake if he'd known that I planned it," he shrugged. "It's really not a big deal. As long as he had some fun for once, you know?"

Hagakure was silent for a long, tense moment. "Fine, I guess," she muttered. Izuku sighed in relief and turned to leave. "Hey, Mido?" he looked back. "He's really lucky you know. To have someone who loves him as much as you do, I mean. Who's willing to step aside to see them happy and make sure he gets everything he wants. People go their whole lives without that."

"I don't—"

"I don't mean it like that. Well, I do, but maybe you don't. Either way, he's lucky to have you. And someday he'll realize that. Hang in there, okay?"

He stared at the space above her shirt, heart beating a little too fast. He was too obvious. Not good. "Please don't worry about me, I'm really okay," he assured her. "I just like making other people happy."

"Just make sure it's not at the cost of your own happiness. It's okay to want things for yourself."

No, it wasn't. Not when it placed a burden on others. Not when it would ruin any progress he'd made with Katsuki. He couldn't risk wanting anything, because everything he wanted would only end up further away. "I will," he lied. "Goodnight, Hagakure."

The rest of this chapter is already posted on my Patreon! Patreon fics will be posted one month before they're released on Ao3. Read it here!

#bakudeku #bkdk #bnha #izuku midoriya #my hero academia #bakudeku fanfic #bnha fanfiction #incorrect bakudeku #katsuki bakugo #dkbk #decchan #katsudeku #katsuki x izuku #katsuki bakugou x izuku midoriya #bts angst #bnha angst #bakudeku angst #swagzilla-writes

94 notes · View notes

unholyhelbig · 4 years ago

Text

We Sold Our Souls | Chloe

Read Beca's Chapter Here | Read on AO3 here

Summer 1985

The Diner on 10th and Jefferson was not an inhabitable establishment. The floor was once a glimmering white that had faded to a musty brown. You could see where the tables had been situated because underneath was still the original color- not the dingy, ketchup-stained mess. A window unit sputtered as it pulled in hot air and the sound of sheets of meat sizzled and popped on day-old grease.

There was flypaper tacked to the ceiling and they spun as the warm air shifted it. It wasn’t brown, not like the floor, it was black with squirming legs and tired wings. Chloe watched, sweat dripping from her nose, as one particularly large one tested his luck and failed.

The boombox in the corner crackled and competed with the sound of two number sevens being placed on the counter. The antenna was stretching to the sky and they only got a slight signal for KWBT, the best Rock music in the county.

Chloe perked up, her spine straightening as Brock Argent’s rumbling voice filled the small area behind the counter. She ignored the way the cook stared at her, sweat beading against his greasy forehead, as she shushed him and turned the dial. She knew what he was going to say, and he didn’t push any more than he already had.

She hadn’t stopped talking about ‘The Ramones’ New Album. It was advertised with neon yellow and orange posters all around town. No one could tell if it was from the record label or some die-hard fans that had too much time on their hands. Either way, everyone knew about it, and that everyone included Brock Argent and the KWBT team. They had made a big deal about getting their hands on a copy.

“Alright you crazy people, I know we’ve been teasing this one for a long while, but we’ve got a good one for you today!” Brock’s tone was so deep that it shook the upturned milk glasses on the counter. “Here’s Pet Cemetery by the Ramones. Some seriously creepy stuff!”

Chloe felt the greasy diner and the sharp scent of fry oil leave her all at once. The second the first guitar chord struck the airwaves she had fallen so contently into the melody. Joey Ramone’s deep growl hissed and churned and made her stomach feel like soup. Johnny pressed down hard on the guitar strings and Tommy backed him up with a solid beat on the drum kit.

She ignored the way the cook eyed her cautiously as the steaming food on the counter attracted one of the flies that the paper hadn’t attracted. He was growing impatient as the lead belted out words about pets with their ribs crushed and their hearts gnawed pulling from the dirt. It mirrored that horrible book by Stephen King, the one that the schools banned, and the PTA moms fussed about until their veins splattered.

Finally, the song faded out and Chloe gave a grateful smile to the man in front of her before palming the cold plates and taking them to the couple that sat in the back booth. The woman slathered her pile of fries with a generous helping of ketchup and the man seemed to hate the idea of eating altogether.

Chloe didn’t’ notice when the cook turned down the radio for the rest of her shift. She was sore from mopping and wiping down all of the tables that were still sticky despite how much elbow she put into it. He watched her mount her bike and flick on the light that dawned its front despite the sun not fully being down, before he backed out of the parking lot himself and left their second lives behind, at least for a few hours.

She was mostly tipped change today and it rattled in the pockets of her apron as she took the side streets back to their run-down home. It had been nice once- at least that’s what the pictures tacked to the stained green refrigerator portrayed.

She shoved cake into her face with her vibrant mother holding her close. They all looked so clean despite the mess of pastry. There was light in their eyes and sugar in their systems and the old polaroid was a constant reminder to Chloe of the way things had been. The way she wishes they were.

The thought pulled at the back of her throat as she slowed her bike when the front tire met the Mitchell’s driveway. It gave her just enough speed to get over the dip on her own and pull the old blue contraption next to the garage. She could sandwich it between the trashcan and the side of the house. No one would take it, not in their small, rundown town. She flicked off the front light, reveling in the darkness for a few moments.

It was never silent, not here, not this close to the front door where the screen kept the lightning bugs out but no sound in. Her three younger brothers were blasting the television, all of them with their noses pressed to the static screen as MacGyver got himself out of whatever situation he was thrown into.

But over that, she heard her parents.

Her mother and her stepfather screamed loud enough for the whole block to hear them. It made Chloe’s jaw ache- how much they hated each other. They lived together out of spite, and because the boys needed a good role model.

But Rick, Rick hated Chloe just as much as he hated her mother. She wasn’t his and that had ebbed some deep resentment in him that she didn’t understand, nor did she care to. Not as she snuck in through the front door and trudged to her room. She was careful to toe her shoes off by the door, despite the pungent smell the house admitted.

It was considered rude to track mud, though no one had vacuumed in months at this point. No one had changed the lights or addressed the water stains that browned the ceiling above them. There was food on the table, most of the time, and hot water in the lead pipes. So Rick was doing his job and from the sound of the screaming match, Lauren was not.

Chloe tuned it all out.

She focused on the rifts she had heard this afternoon at the diner, and the satisfaction she got when she pulled the jar from the back of her closet, behind her 45’s and an old rolled poster of the Bay City Rollers that she had scored at an old thrift store and hung because the colors were vibrant.

As soon as Chloe could, as soon as she blew out the candle on her cupcake for her 18th birthday in front of that stupid polaroid and that puke green appliance, she would leave this tiny town. She would leave her brothers, and the dirty carpet, and stupid Rick, and even Lauren.

She would meet Joey Ramone, they would get married and she would never have to hear muffled screams and broken glass again- not unless it was at a concert that she was playing.

There was a glass of water on the table in front of Chloe Beale, but she hadn’t reached for it. There was some sinister part of her that considered it a test; there wasn’t a pitcher to refill it or anything else on the stark white surface. Just one singular cup that was free of any blemishes and water pushed to the near brim.

She was on a sofa that matched the rest of the room, stark and unfeeling. There wasn’t personality here; other than her and that stupid taunting glass, there was nothing. It could have been the waiting area in a place that detailed cars, but it wasn’t. She didn’t’ know what it was and she didn’t’ know if the water was a test- so she left it.

Her boots were the blackest thing, sharp like the night, against the white carpet. She got the sinking feeling that she should have taken them off by the door, though the secretary that lead her in here hadn’t told her to do so. Chloe wasn’t a child, not anymore, and Chloe could make her own choices. Like taking a gulp of water to quench the dry heat in her throat or taking her shoes off.

Rick would have made her take her shoes off.

Rick had killed her mother when she was at a concert in Orlando. She had saved up to get the tickets and she had had a fun, normal, road trip with the girls. They ate terribly and broke down in Georgia where they baked in the heat and splurged on ice cream cones that turned into a soupy mess in a matter of seconds. Chloe was happy then, and she had the polaroid tacked up on the corner of her apartment.

Thought the lights had been shut off a few times, and she and Beca had to eat all the ice cream and leftover pizza, and milk each time they did fade away, she kept it there. Her stomach would ache and her brow would sweat but they would fall asleep on the floor and the picture of her last happy moment would gape down at her- not mocking, but reminding.

They saw the yellow tape when Beca pulled the Monza to the edge of her driveway. Chloe let the rubber tire hit the corner of the driveway first, just like she used to do with her second-hand bike. Beca protested as she pushed the door open and flung herself towards her own home. A cop that shadowed his eyes with a large cap grabbed her by the middle and stopped her.

“That’s my house!” She had shouted, letting herself be lowered to the wet grass. “What happened? That’s my house! That’s my house!”

It had stopped being her house a long time ago when her father died of cancer and her mother met Rick, the anesthesiologist with the calm temper and the two boys from a previous marriage, and the one son that they shared together.

Chloe had spent most of her free time in Beca’s room now, staring up at the posters that weren’t of the Bay City Rollers on the ceiling. They both laid close to one another and she had memorized the features of Metallica and Stix and Beca’s breathing patterns, and the way the Charvel rested in the corner, with its off-white color.

Beca’s mother always had dinner on the table and always had enough for all three of them. Beca’s mom was interesting and kind. She was still alive when the summer of 88’ came to an end. She hadn’t heard the gunshots but she had smelt the blood- she said she was a nurse and she knew the scent of decay anywhere.

Rick shot Chloe’s mom in the head while her back was to him, and Chloe had always said he was a coward. He killed the boys too, straight shots with a gun Lauren had purchased him for Christmas because his new hobby would be hunting. As far as Chloe knew, the only shots he fired were that day, and the last when he ever did tore up his throat and painted the wall behind him.

She should take her shoes off and drink some water while she waits and wishes for wine. The secretary told her that he was running late and that she was welcomed to anything. But she didn’t’ feel welcome to the water, and really, she should have taken her shoes off, because the carpet was pristine, and the bottom of her boots were anything but.

Winter 1994

Snow fell in thick, wet drops against the pavement. It had barely started but picked up by the time Chloe ascended the stairs of the venue and tracked down Beca. The girl looked ragged, worn down, and thick with sorrow. She was moving her tongue against the edge of a cigar she had sliced with the pocket knife clipped to her jeans.

The sickly-sweet scent of weed followed the sparking of a lighter and the cold breeze that edged the nearly empty street. She leaned against the side of the van, next to a sizeable dent that had been there when they purchased it. When we’re famous she had said this won’t matter and we’ll be able to afford a van that isn’t half-totaled.

Beca pulled in a hot breath of marijuana, the tip burning hot and fast. She pushed the smoke through her those and passed it to Chloe who took it wordlessly and revealed in the sour film that coated her tongue and her teeth and her throat. A few more of those and she would be able to forget the disaster of tonight.

“Maybe I should have gone into accounting,” Beca said.

“You hate math.”

“That wasn’t my point,”

“I know. I just think that If you want to go back in time and choose MIT over your garage in the winter you should pick something you like. Not math. You’re not even good at math.”

Beca frowned and snatched the joint back. She wedged it between her teeth and gave Chloe the finger, the tattoos against her knuckles catching the red glowing light of the sign that hung above them. It buzzed like the flies Chloe had always hated- for some reason, more than spiders and moths, but she couldn’t’ recall now.

“Aubrey would have had a million things decided by now, you know? I don’t’ even need to prompt the woman before she brings up Julliard. Next thing; she’s going to be bitching about her back hurting from carrying the band.”

Chloe laughed sadly at that because she knew it was something Aubrey would say with that docile fire in her eyes. But through all of this, Aubrey was the best bass player that she had ever met and Beca had the right voice for them- but none of them ever said it. None of them ever dared that she would be better suited to part her ax down and grip the microphone instead.

“Are you?”

“What?”

She hadn’t noticed Beca was staring at her expectantly. Not only holding out the blunt, which she took and sandwiched between her lips, but with a question. Beca’s stare was dark, shaded in crimson, and glazed over because something was hitting; be the alcohol that she had consumed during the show or the slow crossfade that was humming happily through her now.

“Are you ready to give up?”

“Beca, this is all I’ve ever wanted.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

She swallowed hard and tried to dull the pain of the flames at her throat. Red and hot and a lot like the stories plastered on the news not too long ago. Her stomach felt fuzzy and her brain did too and she suddenly felt like following Beca out here was a bad idea. A terrible idea, really.

Chloe let the end of the roll hit the ground. There was no need to stomp it out. The color faded away in the puddle of dingy water that had collected as they talked. She didn’t’ mind the cool embrace of the large drops that felt more like snow and stung like an insect bite. It kept her steady and grounded.

“I heard what you asked, and I told you this is all I’ve ever wanted.” Chloe sniffed, “I don’t’ care how long it takes to get there. It’s me and you, kid.”

Beca’s clouded stare softened, and she laughed loudly because at this point- standing in the rain, the two of them, she didn’t’ know if they had much longer at all. Not as a band, not as friends, not as that odd drunken mess they escalated to when they weren’t.

The scent of weed mixed with the wet odor of Portland and beer. Chloe curled her fingers around Beca’s, both cold and clammy, and the gesture hurt. It stung the bandages wrapped around Beca’s fingers and hummed at the pain in the back of Chloe’s head, where she figured a scar would be one day.

#Beca Mitchell #Chloe Beale #Bechloe #bechloe fic rec #Bechloe fanfiction #pitch perfect #Pitch Perfect Fanfiction

26 notes · View notes

everythinghotchniss · 4 years ago

Text

Close your eyes

pairing: Aaron Hotchner & Emily Prentiss

warnings: angst? I tried okay

word count: 2238 words

Basically what if Hotch sees Emily one more time before she leaves for Paris (inspired by a piece I learnt on the piano)

Also this is my first Hotchniss fanfiction & the first fanfiction I have ever posted so... *hesitates before pressing post*

Hotch looked at his watch. He had been sitting in his car parked in front of the run down hotel for nearly two hours.

The sun was about to set now and he went over the many things he wanted to say to her, the conversation they were about to have in his head, never really finding quite the right words to say to her. He ended up deciding it was not about the words that had to be said but to see her, alive. After her funeral he had to make sure for himself that she was still living, breathing, somewhere at least.

Seeing her was the only thing on his mind when he entered the hotel.

He tentatively knocked at the door and could hear rustling behind it, a scrap as someone checked the peep hole and a small gasp. He heard her unlock the door and open it.

His first thought was that she had changed her hair. The bangs she usually wore were clipped away from her face. He quickly discarded that thought, he knew she had been in Bethesda for nearly a month. She looked tired, he decided, wearing a dark jumper that he was sure was at least two sizes too big for her and black leggings.

“Can I come in?” Hotch asked after they stared at each other for a while and she nodded slowly, opening the door for him. He looked around the room when he heard her fasten the multiple locks on the door. She wordlessly poured two glasses of scotch and gestured to the small couch.

“How did you find me?” Emily asked him and his eyes widened at the new rasp in her throat. He hadn’t heard her voice in so long, it started to feel unfamiliar, becoming a foreign melody of something he was sure he would never forget.

“JJ. She told me you were staying here until you leave.” He said quietly and she nodded, downing her drink. She poured herself another one and kept her eyes on the small table in front of her.

“Why are you here?” She asked when she found the silence between them overwhelming. There were too many words that had to be spoken even if she wanted to leave the sentences unsaid.

“I wanted to…I had to see you.” He replied running a hand over his face. “Emily, what happened in Boston…” He trailed off and she closed her eyes at the memory, Ian Doyle’s icy blue eyes once again invading her mind.

“You want to talk about him?” She asked and he sighed.

“I- I really don’t know. Why did you do it?” She nearly laughed at his question.

“Which part of it? Sleeping with an international arms dealer and terrorist or deciding to take him out by myself?”

“Either. Both.” He replied and bit she her lip.

“Why are you really here?” She asked and he looked up, trying to find her eyes at the familiarity of her question. He remembered the last time he heard those words from her, even then she could right through him.

“The last time I saw you, you flatlined in the ambulance. I didn’t want my last memory of you be you dying.” He said quietly and she swallowed.

“But I’m already dead, Hotch. Emily Prentiss died. You attended my funeral.” She stated as if it were a fact. Her voice was sure, unwavering and he did not miss how she spoke of herself in third person.

“JJ mentioned that as well?” He asked her after a moment of silence and she shook her head.

“She didn’t have to. I know how these types of things work. How is everyone?”

“You don’t want an answer to that.” He told her and she smiled sadly. She knew he would evade that question, she still had to try. They were her family after all.

“How’s Jack?”

“Well, he thinks you’re on a secret mission for the government so he can’t talk to you I couldn’t…not with the possibility of you coming back some day and not so soon after Haley died.” He emptied his glass and she refilled it with a small nod. “He actually joined one of those kids soccer teams. I’m coaching.”

“You? A soccer coach?” Her eyes lit up and he nodded.

“Well I try my best. He’s doing great at school, I still read to him every night. He says that you’re better at doing the voices. He misses having ‘his Emmy’ around.” She smiled at that.

“I miss him too. Just promise me he won’t start talking to a candle instead of me, okay? I may be dead but I don’t want to be that dead.” She saw the corners of his mouth twitch at that and she smiled at him.

“I’ll make sure of it. I’ll get him to talk to a picture of you instead.”

“I’m glad you haven’t lost your sense of humour with all of this. How are you, Aaron? And don’t give me that I’m fine bullshit, how are you really?” She asked him and he stiffened at her question.

“I’m…I wish you’d still be around. Since Foyet, you’ve always been a constant in my life, before that even. I never thought I’d have to do this without you.” He confessed and she nodded solemnly.

“Promise me you’ll find someone, yeah? Don’t let me become the reason that you start locking yourself away. I could never forgive myself.” She brushed his hand with hers softly and he interlaced their fingers, brushing his thumb over her short nails.

“Emily…” He began and she shook her head.

“No, Aaron, please. I don’t know if I’ll ever come back. Do this, for me. Say it.” She insisted and he nodded.

“Fine. I promise.” She knew he was lying, the small thing he did with his eyebrow always was a dead giveaway to her, even before they started dating. Emily decided to ignore it, put on a brave smile for his sake and leant closer to him.

“When do you have to go?” She whispered and felt his grip on her hand tighten involuntarily. She swallowed, she already knew whatever he said would be too soon.

“I wish we had longer.” He answered, the small break in his voice

“Me too. Remember the first time we met?”

Aaron had to smile at the memory. The first time he saw her she was 19, wearing a worn out leather jacket over a red skin tight dress, with a cigarette between her lips and a bottle of vodka in her hands. Her mother had ordered him to find her daughter, that she was probably hiding up on the roof again. And he found her.

“I remember. You tried very hard to convince me that The Cranberries are the best band in the world, far superior to The Beatles. And then you told me about how you used to sing in a band to piss of the ambassador and if Yale didn’t work out you would become a rockstar.” He smiled fondly at the memory and heard her laugh next to him at the naivety of her young self.

“I thought I had everything figured out back then. Funny how things change. I’ve always thought that one day I’d settle down and marry, have the 2.5 kids and own a house in the suburbs with a wrap around porch and a white picked fence.” Emily shared and he nodded.

“I know, you told me on that evening. When I observed that even though you act rebellious, all you want to do is fit in you told me that I should think about going into profiling rather than white collar. I guess you knew me better than most people, even back then.” He reminisced and she smiled, she couldn’t remember saying that.

“Pity I can’t remember much more about the evening, I was well into that bottle of vodka before you arrived.” She told him and he had to chuckle at that. He wished he didn’t remember every word she had said as if it were scorched into his mind. Over the years he had lost count of many times he had thought of the dark haired girl since then, quoting Tolstoy in its original Russian, passion lighting her eyes.

“It was a lifetime ago.” He simply replied and she nodded.

He was right. When they first met, he had just proposed to Haley and everything they talked about were wedding venues and cake tastings and honeymoon destinations. He thought he would spend his whole life with Haley, working a 9 to 5, becoming the happy family he had always wished for as a child. She was right, things had definitely changed since then.

“I can hear you thinking.” Emily said quietly, squeezing his hand that was still interlaced with hers.

“It’s not important. I’ve got something for you.” He told her and reached into his suit jacket to hand her a CD. She furrowed her brows to make out the album cover in the darkening room and she had to laugh.

“The Beatles White Album?” She asked him and he nodded.

“It’s my copy. If you ever want to think of me, chances are I’ll probably be listening to The Cranberries, thinking of you. I know how much you love the song Blackbird and the CD is small enough to take with you. I’m sure you can’t take many other personal possessions.” The truth was that Aaron was sure he didn’t even have to listen to her music to remember her. He would think of her every time he walked into the bullpen, just looking at the now empty desk. He thought of her every time he could make out the stars in the night sky, remembering how patiently she had explained some constellations and the stories behind them to Jack one evening. He thought of her only yesterday morning when he buttoned up the light blue shirt she once said suited him the best and then again only moments later when he chose the red tie to go with it.

“I can’t take this.” Emily voiced the first thought that came into her mind and he shook his head.

“Yes you can. Return it when you get back.” Hope laced through the words he just uttered, a hope that she would return before he even started to miss her. She understood what he did and again decided to let him.

“You know Em, I never got to tell how much I-“ She broke him off before he even got to finish the sentence.

“Don’t. I already know. Me too.” Emily would tell him when she got back, she thought. The three cursed words that had danced around in her mind, taunting her, these last couple of months. They were a painful reminder of the many times she whispered them to Ian, no Doyle, during her time undercover. She would tell Aaron someday. But not today.

When the sun had completely set, darkness had engulfed them both and she knew that he would have to leave soon. She pushed the thought away, leaning in closer to him, trying to remember everything she could. The way his hand felt in hers, the way she could pick out his cologne from a whole crowd. The patterns her always traced on the back of her hand, mirroring the small movement he made with his hand when he was deep in thought. She rested her head onto his shoulder and she made herself remember how well they always seemed to fit.

“I don’t want my last memory of you be you leaving.” Emily whispered into the terminating darkness hotel room.

“Close your eyes.” Aaron said quietly and she did.

She focused on the way his lips brushed hers softly, how his hand tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His hand rested for a moment too long on her jaw, taking his time to brush the tear that had fallen from eye away with his thumb. She took a deep breath when his hand left her face but decided to keep her eyes closed. He was glad she did. He never wanted her last memory of him to be him crying for her.

She decided not to hear the creak of the floorboards under his feet. She all but ignored the small gust of wind she felt on her skin as the door was opened and closed. The intensity of his cologne that had surrounded her mere seconds ago was now beginning to fade away and her eyes fluttered open.

Just like that he was gone.

And Emily Prentiss did what she always did: seal the small box in her mind labelled Aaron Hotchner.

__________________

It was silly, she thought the next day as she boarded the plane, she always thought that the next time she would fly to Paris, she would do so to show the city to him.

“Paris is a place in which we can forget ourselves, reinvent, expunge the dead weight of our past.” - Michael Simkins

#hotchniss #hotchniss fanfiction #aaron hotchner x emily prentiss #aaron hotchner #emily prentiss #criminal minds #is this angst?

37 notes · View notes

katieykat513 · 5 years ago

Text

That’s The Way It Is

I made this for the wonderful, hard working @ao3bronte

This was only supposed to be a drabble; the work count determined that that was a lie....

Here’s the Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24188539

____________

Ladybug didn't think too hard about the night she showed up to patrol, Chat Noir dancing and singing to Celine Dion. She landed on the roof as her partner danced back and forth, serenading the night in beautiful English, Where Does My Heart Beat Now.

“Where does my heart beat now?/ I can't live without/ Without feeling it inside/ Where do all the lonely hearts go?”

One thing was for certain, his voice was beautiful. “Putting on a concert for me, Chaton?”

He nearly fell off the roof in surprise. “My Lady!” He squeaked, switching back to French, his face burning red. “How long have you been standing there?!”

She smiled, amused at his high pitched voice. “Oh, long enough to see how well you can move your hips, Kitty Cat.” She winked at him, his face turned redder than it was before.

“Uhh, can we just forget you saw that?” An uneasy grin settled onto his face.

“Well, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, Celine Dion is a wonderful singer.” She crossed her arms and gave him a sideways glance as he rubbed the back of his neck in his familiar, nervous habit.

“Yeah, well, just don’t tell the Ladyblogger, ok? Can’t have it out that this suave cat is a big ole wuss puss.” He flexed his biceps to exaggerate his point.

“Wuss puss, huh? I think you do that perfectly fine without that particular knowledge getting out.” She giggled as his face and arms fell.

He reared back up, placed one hand over his heart and the other over his eyes, “My Lady, you wound me so!”

After her giggling died down, they started patrol, Chat’s singing nearly forgotten. It wasn’t her fault that she turned on a Celine Dion album when she returned home that night.

____________________________________________

It wasn’t until a few days later, when Chat had solo patrol, that Marinette was once again reminded that her partner was a die hard Celine fan.

Marinette lounged on her balcony, her sketchbook lay on her lap, as she looked out over the Seine. It was a lovely night to sit outside and sketch the outfit that she had been thinking about all week. Maybe this outfit would get Adrien to become a stuttering mess for once; probably not though.

She opened her sketchbook and started to sketch a few basic lines when she heard it. A beautiful voice, singing in English.

“Love can touch us one time/ And last for a lifetime/ And never let go 'til we're gone”

The voice came from the other side of the roof and sounded like it moved past her quickly. She rushed to the balcony railing and looked around in the darkness to figure out where the voice had gone. Finally she noticed the silhouette of her partner two rooftops over, leaping and singing My Heart Will Go On.

He disappeared over the next building and Marinette shook her head as she headed back to her chair to finish her outfit. “Damn cat,” she muttered to herself.

She sat back down, put her pencil to the paper and froze. Her outfit would not come. All she could think of was Chat Noir singing that damn song. In her mind, all she could see was Chat Noir on top of the Eiffel Tower, arms spread wide, as the wind whipped his hair around his faux ears, yelling to all of Paris, ‘I’m the king of the world!’

“Uhhggg! Dumb, stupid, lovable, furball!” She grumbled as she turned to a different section of her book that contained doodles. Her pencil met the paper and the drawing came to life.

_________________________________

The next day at school, Marinette sat on the benches between the lockers, smiling at her drawing from the night before. So lost in thought that she didn’t register the humming of Because you loved me, nor did she see the shadow as it came up behind her.

“What you got there, Marinette?”

“Gahh!” She screamed as Adrien snuck up behind her. Her sketchbook flew through the air landing face up, the sketch exposed for all to see.

Adrien’s face went pale. “Wh..what is this?” He picked up the book and spun it around to look at the drawing.

“Uhh.. just a doodle. Came to me randomly last night.” She stuttered out as she reached for the book, but he took a step back and hugged the book close. She bit her lip and thought something was wrong with it and almost missed what he said next.

“Can I have a copy?” He breathed out.

“I’m. Sorry?” She said, completely confused. Why would Adrien want a picture of Chat Noir in a Titanic pose? And why did he look so pale and red at the same time?

“Uh. Oh. Um. You see. I’m a huge Titanic fan. And a huge superhero fan.” He stuttered out, not making eye contact, his face became increasingly red as he went along. He stopped and had a look of dawning on his face, “Actually, can I make a request?”

“Uhh. I guess so?”

“Can you make me this sketch, but can you do it from later on in the movie, when it’s Jack and Rose. But can you make it Ladybug and Chat Noir and on the Titanic? Please? I’ll pay for it! How much do you want?”

After breaking out of her shock, Marinette couldn’t help but lovingly smile at him as he became more excited as he spoke. A plan was already forming in her mind as pieces of a puzzle she didn't know she had, started to form in her head.

“Adrien.”

“Yes?”

“You don’t have to pay me.”

“But I can!!”

“But you won’t! Don’t worry Adrien, I’ll do it for you, because you are my friend. And I love giving gifts to my friends.” She stuck her hand out and he placed the sketchbook in her open palm.

“Thank you so much, Marinette! This means a lot to me! You have no idea!”

“Oh, I think I have an idea,” she said quietly.

“What was that?”

“Oh! I said, I have an idea...for the picture..yeah! It’s going to be great, you’ll love it! Ok. Gotta go! See you, Adrien!”

She gathered her belongings and left the locker room, not stopping until she reached her room. She flopped down on her chaise, grabbed the pillow, and proceeded to scream into it. Tikki flew out of her purse and landed on Marinette’s head.

“Marinette, are you ok? It’s just a drawing.”

Marinette lifted her head up and sighed dreamily, “It’s so much more than that.”

Confused, Tikki flew off to the bed while Marinette threw herself at her desk and began to furiously draw.

__________________________

A few days later the drawing was ready and she had a wonderful way to give it to him. Right before sunset she transformed, grabbed a blanket with supplies and hopped over to the roof next to hers. The same roof where Chat Noir had told her that he was glad to have her as a friend and she told him she was in love with another boy.

Oh the irony, she thought.

She set up a blanket, placed two pillows at each end, and put a box of assorted pastries, mostly passionfruit, in between them. She placed a few fake candles around the blanket and a small bluetooth speaker next to one of the pillows, but mostly out of sight from someone not looking for it. Satisfied, she looked at the time; two hours till showtime.

She hopped back over to her balcony and went down into her room. She grabbed her phone and a present off her desk, wrapped in black paper with a green ribbon, and hugged it close to her. She really hoped he liked it. She went back outside and hopped back over to the roof, except this time she hid on the other side of a chimney and waited for him to arrive.

Once she heard the tell-tale metallic sound of his staff twirling through the air, she looked at her cell phone and opened the music app. She had the song queued up, all she had to do was push play as soon as he landed.

She peaked around the corner of the chimney and the look of awe on Chat Noir’s face had her grinning ear to ear. She looked back down to her phone and pressed play. Power of Love started to play through the speaker causing Chat to jump into the air in surprise.

As the song headed toward the second chorus Ladybug got ready to make her appearance; she was going to knock his socks off. He kept looking around for her, and the moment he had his back turned from her couldn’t have worked out more perfectly, as she walked from behind the chimney, present in hand, as she sang in accented english.

“'Cause I'm your lady/ And you are my man/ Whenever you reach for me/ I'll do all that I can/ We're heading for something/ Somewhere I've never been/ Sometimes I am frightened/ But I'm ready to learn/ Of the power of love.”

“La..Ladybug?!” His voice was tight. He was on the verge of tears, wondering if this was real, a sentimonster, or a dream. His hand twitched to grab his staff and run away from the situation. She paused the music and tossed her phone on the pillow.

“Hello, Chaton. I know what you’re thinking. Yes, this is real. No, I am not a sentimonster. And I know that’s what a sentimonster would say, but hear me out! When we fought Copycat, all those months ago, you remember what made me realize which one was real?”

He nodded his head.

“You looked up at me from the ground, winked, and said ‘Would I ever lie to you, Buginette?’ remember?”

“Oh My Lady!” He ran to scoop her up in his arms. “I was so scared! Never do that to this poor cat's heart again!”

“Sorry. Guess I was just a little excited.”

“What is all of this? Why now? And I didn’t know you liked Celine Dion too!!”

“All will be answered in time. For now, open it.” She handed him the present he had almost squashed between them when he hugged her.

“A present? For me? But it’s not even my birthday.”

“I know.” He looked up at her, confused, “Just open it!”

She watched as he opened the present to reveal a small notebook that had pages that could be added or removed. He looked at it questioningly as she started speaking again.

“You see, I may enjoy Celine Dion, but not enough to commission a friend to draw a picture of his superhero alter ego, standing on the bow of the titanic with his superhero partner.” She looked at him as he lost all color in his face.

He looked down at the book and opened it. There on the first page, was the original doodle of Chat Noir on the Eiffel Tower, encased in a plastic page sleeve. He turned the page and gasped. It was almost the same picture, but instead of just Chat Noir, Ladybug was standing right behind him, standing on the second rung of the railing, to make her seem taller, her arms wrapped around his torso, as she sat her head on his shoulder.

“How did you..”

“Keep going, there's one more.” She interrupted.

He looked back down, tears glistened in his eyes, and turned the page. There, in beautiful color was a picture of two people standing on the bow of the titanic; except it wasn’t Ladybug and Chat Noir. Standing in the front was Marinette with her arms spread wide with Adrien behind her, his arms around her waist as she leaned into his chest. Picture Adrien leaned in to give picture Marinette a kiss on her cheek as her face was flushed. Both of them were wearing the original clothes that Jack and Rose wore.

“Mar...Marinette?” He looked up as tears of joy flowed down his face, to see Ladybug smiling wide at him.

“Hello, Adrien. I’d drop my transformation but I didn’t exactly tell Tikki about all this, so I’d rather not have to hear a lecture quite yet.”

He gaped at her and rushed to gather her in his arms again.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This is the best present anyone has ever given me! Thank you so much, My Lady! Oh! I call you Buginette!! It’s so close to your actual name! No wonder you hate it! But seriously, Celine Dion! I loved it! You have an amazing voice, My Lady! And your art? Wonderful! When we get married I’m hanging this in our living room for all to see!”

Ladybug laughed at the overexcited boy in a cat suit. “Well, Adrien has to ask Marinette on a date before she agrees to marry him. But I have it on good authority that she’ll say yes.”

“Nope, we are skipping all the steps! We are going to go find someone to marry us right now! Show up to school tomorrow as newlyweds, and watch everyone freak out!”

“Ok. Ok. Calm down, Cat-sanova, we’ll get there. But first, I think you promised payment for a drawing. And as you can see I have provided you with three.” She puckered her lips out a little and batted her eyelashes.

“Payment? But you said they were a gift! I would have brought my wallet! If I had known!”

Ladybug gave him a deadpanned look as he started to freak out again, “Adrien.”

“Yes?”

“Just kiss me, Chaton.”

“Ohhhhhh. That kind of payment! Yeah. I can do th..”

She didn’t give him a chance to finish, for fear that he wouldn't stop, grabbed him by the bell and yanked him down to her lips, as she threw her other arm to latch around his neck. His arms came around her waist, as they held each other tight.

Celine Dion would definitely be a part of their wedding playlist.

#gift fic #miraculous ladybug #Marinette #adrien #ml #reveal #Celine dion #ladynoir #adrienette #adrien loves celine dion

147 notes · View notes

let-me-write-shit · 5 years ago

Text

Like We Used To: 9

A/N: This story will only continue based on demand. So don’t forget to like and message me! What do you think, any guesses on what’s going to happen? Theories? Etc?

[Read Previous Chapters Here]

---------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER NINE

Elizabeth felt her stomach twist into a knot when she noticed Harry laughing with her ex boyfriend. A million things were running through her mind. Why was her ex here? What were they talking about? Does Harry even know that he was talking to her ex? There’s no way he could, Kyle was after Harry’s time. She noticed the boys that stood behind her ex and recognized them as being mutual friends with some of the people in the wedding party. In fact, a couple of them had even attended the wedding. That answered the question as to why her ex was there.

No one was crazy about Kyle, but since they had mutual friends everyone decided to head over to say hello. Matt stood by Elizabeth’s side, instantly tensing up feeling protective over his friend. He could not stand Kyle.

As soon as they were a few feet away Harry, Kyle, and his friends had noticed them coming over. Everyone had shouted some kind of greeting to each other and Harry’s face immediately morphed into confusion, answering Elizabeth’s question if he knew that he was talking to her ex.

Kyle spotted Elizabeth and his eyes widened, stepping closer to her, “Holy shit, Elizabeth? I was not expecting to see you here. How are you doing? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you,” He said, arms outstretched for a hug.

Elizabeth, not wanting to be rude, awkwardly hugged him and warily said, “Yeah, I’m good, thanks. Just been really busy. How are you?”

Harry cleared his throat, “I’m sorry, you all know each other?”

Kyle pretentiously smiled and folded his arms, “Oh sorry, man. Let me introduce you. Guys, this is Harry Styles,” he addressed Elizabeth and her friends before turning his attention back to Harry, “Elizabeth, here, is actually my ex girlfriend, and these are her friends.”

Daisy snorted at his smugness and Harry’s face mirrored hers as he said, “I actually don’t need an introduction. I came here with them. Your ex girlfriend happens to be one of my oldest friends, along with the rest of them.”

Kyle’s eyes furrowed in confusion looking between everyone and landing on Elizabeth. “Wait, what? You’re friends with Harry Styles? We dated for three years. You never mentioned knowing him.”

Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably, feeling Harry’s eyes on her. Matt chortled and under his breath said, “Three years? You dated off and on for three years.”

Kyle heard him, but continued, “Anyway, we were just telling Harry that we were all going to a club tonight in town if you guys wanted to meet us there.”

“Oh, yeah!” Daisy jumped, excitedly turning to her friends, “Let’s go! We can celebrate our last night together!”

The group agreed to go before Kyle shook Harry’s hand and gave Elizabeth another hug goodbye, whispering in her ear that he can’t wait to see her again. Kate and Lewis said they wanted to take one last ride on the Ferris wheel before leaving.

Harry put his hand on the small of Elizabeth’s back and softly asserted, “Come take a ride with me.”

Everyone else decided to head back to the house and get started on dinner. As they waited in line Elizabeth and Harry avoided eye contact, making plans with Kate and Lewis for the evening. Elizabeth started getting anxious when herself and Harry stepped into a pod. It wasn’t until it started moving when they both looked each other in the eyes and instantly started laughing, easing the tension.

“That was so awkward,” Elizabeth buried her face in her hands.

Harry shook his head and taunted, “I mean are there any more guys I might run into that I have to compete with for you? Is there an ex husband I should be worried about?”

“Now that you mention it, I did go on a blind date with someone I suspect was in some kind of mafia. He might not have taken too kindly of me ghosting him.”

“Jesus Christ,” Harry laughed before getting serious, “So, three years, huh?”

“Yeah,” Elizabeth nodded, awkwardly, “Just about. What, did you now know about him from all the sleuthing you did on me with Lewis?”

Harry playfully pushed her, “No. I remember Lewis mentioning when you were in relationships and sometimes saying you had gotten back with an ex, but he never mentioned names or went into specifics so I didn’t know it was the same ex every time.” After a moment of silence Harry asked, “So, what happened that made it end after three years?”

Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat, “He, uhm, cheated on me.”

Harry’s eyes widened and shook his head, “What an idiot. How long ago did you break up?”

“About a month. Right after we moved into a flat together. Luckily I had just gotten a promotion, so I moved out and got my own place.”

“You lived together? So it was pretty serious, then.”

Elizabeth laughed, “Typically three years together suggest a seriousness in a relationship that tends to lead to moving in together. Unless, of course, one cheats. Then I guess it wasn’t that serious to one person, right?”

“Well I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit jealous,” He admitted and continued, “But he’s still trying to reach out to you?”

“What is this? An interrogation?” she blushed.

Harry laughed, “I’m just trying to get a gauge on the competition.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and said, “He’s been trying to apologize and ask me to move back in with him, but I haven’t returned his calls. Kate and Matt would kill me if I did.”

There was a moment of silence before Harry spoke again, “Well, you snooze you lose. I’m back now. It’s my turn.”

“Yeah?” Elizabeth smirked at him, “Don’t get too comfortable. It’s our last night together.”

“We’ll see,” he smirked, “I’m getting you back in my bed tonight.”

“Not uh! I told you, Styles. Not without candles and rose petals.”

Dinner was delicious and everyone got a bit emotional about their last night together, reminiscing about the weekend and giving a final toast to the bride and groom. Heather, Owen, and Jimmy were leaving tonight as they had work in the morning.

“It was so nice to see you again, Harry.” Heather hugged him, “And don’t worry, I’ll develop the camera films and send you copies along with the pictures in the album.” She promised before giving her sister and new brother-in-law a hug and kiss goodbye.

The boys started cleaning up while the girls got ready for their outing. Elizabeth didn’t have anything to wear to a club, so she asked Harry if she could borrow his black button-down. Instead of buttoning it, she decided to go bra-less and just tie the ends together so that the neckline plunged. She paired it with some ripped jeans and heels, and loosely curled her hair. [x]

By the time the girls were done getting ready it was 9 PM. They went down to the parlor room to meet the boys to take some pregame shots and were met with hoots and hollers when they entered the room.

“My shirt has never looked that good,” Harry whispered seductively in Elizabeth’s ear while their friends all grouped together.

Elizabeth smirked up at him, cupped his cheek, slowly ran her thumb across his soft lips and said, “Careful, Harry. You’re drooling.” Before taking her shot, handing him the empty glass, and joining her friends, leaving Harry staring at her in awe.

KEEP READING

#Harry Styles #Harry styles oneshot #harry styles one shot #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fan fiction #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fan fic #one direction #harry styles smut #harry styles fluff #smut #fluff #harry styles imagine #one direction fanfic #one direction fanfiction

78 notes · View notes

tabloidtoc · 4 years ago

Text

In Touch, February 8 -- part 1 of 2

You can now buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Larry King's revenge from the grave

Page 1: Contents

Page 2: Fashion Radar -- all heart -- this Valentine's Day don't just wear your heart on your sleeve, sport the pretty print all over -- Olivia Palermo (picture)

Page 4: A London woman claims one of Gwyneth Paltrow's This Smells Like My Vagina candles exploded causing an inferno in her living room -- other Goop products that got burned -- pre- and post-natal vitamins have too much Vitamin A, jade egg could lead to infection, bio-frequency stickers

Page 6: Crib of the Week -- Tristan Thompson's lakeside mansion in Bratenahi, Ohio for sale

* Page 7: Man Candy -- Nate Pontious, Makeover of the Week -- Bella Hadid showed off flame-like highlights, Winner of the Week -- Josh Duhamel is tapped to play Jennifer Lopez's fiance in Shotgun Wedding after Armie Hammer drops out amid the release of his alleged explicit DMs, Loser of the Week -- Kristen Grey -- days after going viral on Twitter for boasting about how affordable it is to live in Bali and shilling an e-book on the subject the travel influencer is deported for violating her Indonesian visa

Up Close -- Presidential Stars -- Lady Gaga wore Schiaparelli Haute Couture by Daniel Rosebury at President Joe Biden's inauguration

Page 9: Jennifer Lopez posed with Alex Rodriguez in a full Chanel ensemble all in suffragette white, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen look on as her mother Vilailuck "Thai Pepper" Teigen bought a souvenir

Page 10: Katy Perry capped off the event with a rousing rendition of Firework and posed with fiance Orlando Bloom, Jon Bon Jovi performed The Beatles' hit Here Comes the Sun, Bruce Springsteen performed Land of Hope and Dreams at the Lincoln Memorial, from Memphis Justin Timberlake and Ant Clemons sang Better Days, The Bernie Memes -- Sen. Bernie Sanders all bundled up at the inauguration went viral

Page 12: Romantic Getaways -- Paris Hilton snuggles on the ski slopes with beau Carter Reum in Big Sky in Montana, Justin Bieber warms up wife Hailey Baldwin during a snorkeling trip in Bahamas, Chris Hemsworth and wife Elsa Pataky in a getaway in Lord Howe Island in Australia

Page 14: Kylie Jenner on vacation in Mexico

Page 15: Drew Barrymore shows her love for Bridgerton by donning a few special accessories on her talk show, Nick Viall doing his impression of Bachelor contestants who were challenged to write sexy short stories

Page 16: Britney Spears jokes on Instagram that she and boyfriend Sam Asghari are dropping an album and this will be the cover, Salma Hayek gets a lift from husband Francois-Henri Pinault who runs Bottega Veneta

Page 20: Maybe she should have stuck the whole season out after all -- Clare Crawley who bailed on The Bachelorette after finding love immediately with Dale Moss is single again -- the former NFL star announced their split on Instagram calling it the healthiest decision for them both -- Dale really tried to make it work but it just became clear as they were getting to know each other that they were more different than similar

Page 21: They've been close friends for years but Travis Barker is finally out of Kourtney Kardashian's friend zone -- they've been dating for a couple of months and he's more age-appropriate than her last few boy toys -- the Kardashians all love Travis and have welcomed him into the family and they're really pleased for Kourt and are glad to see her happy again

* For more than seven years Christina Ricci says she's been living in a private hell -- in bombshell court documents the actress requested a restraining order against estranged husband James Heerdegen alleging that she fears for her and their son Freddie's lives and she alleges he beat her on multiple occasions and kept her in a state of isolation and terror -- in a restraining order that was rejected by the judge James denied the allegations and claimed she was the abusive one -- now James must stay 100 yards from Christina and Freddie

(continued)

4 notes · View notes

starfoxrry · 6 years ago

Photo

soooo no one tagged me to do this but i’m gonna do it anygays bc :O

1. Big White Lie (263k) by acrayonsmile (ao3)

You’re not running on three hours of sleep.

You don’t have a headache.

You’re not an omega.

You’re Louis Tomlinson: Beta.

Louis has been pretending to be something he’s not for as long as he can remember. Will the pack find out before it’s too late to fix him?

2. Cold Little Heart (194k) by @seduced-by-curls

Louis is a soft omega with an abusive past and an alpha child A few months after getting a divorce, Louis meets Harry, an ex-military alpha wolf that offers him something -odd.

In exchange for teaching him how to cook, Harry will babysit his son, Abraham Louis really could use the help.

3. Now In A Minute (150k) by @avocadolouie

13 feels like yesterday for many people, but for Louis it actually was.

More than anything in the world, Louis Tomlinson dreams of growing up. Simply skipping over all of the awkward, embarrassing years of teenage existence and getting on with life. Real life.

So when thirteen-year-old Louis wakes up in the body of his thirty-year-old self, he expected everything in his adult life to be picture perfect. And maybe it is. He has it all…or so it seems.

Except his favorite person and lifelong best mate, Harry Styles, is totally missing from the equation and Louis doesn’t understand why. He has a lot of catching up to do and as adult life turns out to be more than what he bargained for, Louis can’t help wondering why a life that seemed so perfect, feels so empty.

Or the 13 going on 30 au that should have been done years ago.

4. Apples Always Fall (As I Do For You) (54k) by @rainbowsandgucci

Louis is staying at his Aunt’s farm in a small town in Minnesota for four months. To deal with the boredom that sets in a week into his stay, he starts working at the local apple orchard, owned by twenty six year old Harry Styles.

Louis quickly finds himself falling in love with the orchard, and he finds a family in Harry’s friends Niall, Liam, and Zayn.

He also starts to fall in love with Harry.

Falling in love with him turns out to be the easy part.

5. Only You Can Be My Alpha (194k) by @wubwubnparmaham

The one where Louis is banished from his tribe, and lands himself in Harry’s instead. The alluring Pack Alpha makes Louis question his nature and he doesn’t know how he feels about that. But you can’t fight destiny.

6. Where You Lay (86k) by @ham-palpert

When Louis’s upcoming heat threatens his success at his new dream job, he asks the best (and only) person he can think of to help him through it: his best mates’ best mate, Harry Styles. Harry reluctantly accepts, and together the two navigate a strange friends with benefits relationship that quickly turns complicated.

7. Tangled Up In You (45k) @missandrogyny

Harry blinks once. And blinks again. And says, his voice dangerous: “Niall, did you get me a mail-order bride?”

Because what the actual fuck. It kind of looks like Niall’s just purchased a person. For Harry.

Niall blinks back at him for a few moments, before throwing his head back and howling with laughter. Harry throws a pillow at him. Hard. “No, what the fuck, Harry.”

“A prostitute then?” Harry also doesn't want a prostitute.

“Of course not!”

“A stripper?”

“No!”

Damn, he’s running out of ideas. He settles for launching another pillow at Niall’s head. Niall bats it away easily, still laughing. “Stop!”

“What did you get me, then?!” Niall must hear the tinge of hysteria in his voice, because he’s pulling himself together, trying to stop himself from laughing.

There’s still a big grin on his face, though, when he says, “I got you a professional cuddler.”

A professional…what. “What?”

8. Have You Coming Back Again (31k) by @crazyupsetter

It’s five o’clock in the morning. Louis has a lecture at half eight. He could be using this time to study or to do his readings or to go to the gym, but - well. He doesn’t have any exams coming up, he’s not going to his seminar today anyway and he hates the gym.

Instead he’s using this time to fuck with Harry Styles’ poor little brain.

Louis jogs across the street and jabs the key into the car door. It opens easily, not that he was expecting anything else. He copied the key for a reason, after all.

He’s got Harry’s schedule memorized, more because the guy keeps following him around than anything, so he doesn’t bother looking around before climbing behind the wheel and setting his bag on the passenger seat. It’s a Monday, which means that Harry doesn’t even get out of bed before noon unless he’s planning on harassing Louis.

9. All The Right Moves (32k) by @cherrystreet

This is the third game in a row that Harry has been distracted by the noisy boy in the stands, five rows back.

There’s really no reason that he should feel compelled to stare into the audience as frequently as he is, but he can’t help it. This boy is a nuisance. And he’s loud. Even from basketball court with nine other players running by him, shoes squeaking on the shiny hardwood floor, and thousands of cheering college students, Harry can hear this boy nearly shrieking, his laugh more like a cackle than anything.

It’s seriously obnoxious.

10. Worth Dying For (44k) by @crazyupsetter

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Louis says, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. In the center of the table, a set of three glossy photos stares up at him, mocking him.

“A security detail is non-negotiable, Louis, you know this,” his mum reminds him, tapping the middle photo with two fingers.

Louis doesn’t look back down at the pictures, gesturing towards them wildly, over-dramatically. “This is not a security detail!” he protests. “This is a lanky college student. In what world do you hire someone like this kid to protect me?”

11. Another Day Gettin' Into Trouble (25k) by @crazyupsetter

Harry’s drunk when the idea occurs to him. He’s also a pop star, so sometimes his drunk ideas turn into actual things instead of just ideas. The clone-a-willy kit is one of them.

In Harry’s defense, when he first thinks about it his intention is just to buy the kit and give it to Louis to make his own dildo with, because that’s what he wants anyway, right? To have a penis filling him up?

Then he realizes that it would be weird if Louis made a copy of his own dick to fuck himself with. It’d be super weird. Louis fucking himself? That’s a weird idea. Harry’s pretty sure Louis wouldn’t like that.

Clearly the only solution here is to use his own dick for the mold.

12. A Sea Without Water, A Compass Without Direction (84k) by sincerely_inge (AO3)

”Tell me, Louis,” Captain Styles said, leaning forward a little. ”D’you think I’m an idiot?”

”I—what?” Louis asked, surprised by the blunt question. He had expected something different, something along the lines of how he learned music, or how he ended up as a prisoner on the other ship.

”Do you think I’m an idiot?” The captain repeated, putting emphasis on each word as though Louis couldn’t understand him otherwise.

”Of course not,” Louis said, shaking his head. He’d be a fool for thinking such a thing, and an even bigger fool for saying it out loud. ”Captain.”

Captain Styles nodded slowly, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands in his lap. ”Then why did you lie to me?”

”L-Lie?”

”Out on the deck. You lied to me,” he said. He held up his hand, three fingers up. ”Three lies total. I hate liars.”

13. I Know How To Whisk (But Teach Me Anyway) (32k) by @2tiedships2

Louis scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “I don’t understand. Unmated alphas don’t just go into a rut out of nowhere. Unless…”

Louis grabbed onto Niall’s arm in desperation. “Am I a homewrecker? Does Harry have a mate? Oh my God, was he not flirting? Did the change in his scent not have anything to do with my smell yesterday? Did I just make that up!?”

Louis let go of Niall and dropped his face in his hands. “I knew it was too good to be true.”

“You’re an idiot,” Niall stated. Louis looked up to find Niall rolling his eyes. He snapped his laptop closed and moved to stand up. “I need to get some work done. Why don’t you stay here and think back to ABO dynamics 101.”

With that Niall hopped off the couch and headed to his room. He stopped and turned to Louis before he made it to the hall and said, “Oh, and Lou. You may want to reconsider your outlook on soulmates.”

Louis yelled after him. “Soulmates aren’t a thing, Niall!”

Or the one in which banana bread just might make Louis change his mind about soulmates.

14. The Compulsion to Find Love (140k) by @toomanylarrytears

The most prestigious English third-level institution, Candling University, accepts omega students for the first time and Louis Tomlinson applies with bright eyes and brighter ambitions. There he encounters personal obstacles, traditional mindsets and a beautiful boy who inverts every prejudice Louis has ever known.

15. Let Me Feel Your Heartbeat (34k) by @angelichl

Harry is 98% sure Louis hates him. So he feels like his bewilderment is justified when the omega offers to help him through his rut.

16. For Reasons Wretched And Divine (94k) by indiaalphawhiskey (AO3)

Ten years ago, Harry Styles was just a nerdy kid with one friend and a debilitating crush on the captain of his school’s football team. He thought the stars were smiling down on him the day he and Louis Tomlinson were paired for their end-of-term Literature project. But because Harry’s life is decidedly not a fairytale, the budding friendship quickly leads to the least happy ending of all time.

Now, Harry Styles is a household name. Barely twenty-seven with two Grammy nominations to his name, the singer-songwriter is poised to take the music industry by storm with his highly anticipated third album. So, what happens when the best producer in the business is also the only person Harry’s vowed never to speak to again?

An AU in two parts. Two boys, two stories, and hopefully, two chances at love.

17. Friendly Neighborhood Spideypool (18k) by @shitucute

“Don’t fuck with me, I’m not in the mood.” Louis’ got the urge to punch him in the face, but he knows deep down that if anything it’ll just add fuel to Harry’s innuendo fire.

“You know I only fuck you, not with you. There’s a difference. It’s slight but still there.” He’s joking, but it’s sincere in a way that only Deadpool could make it. It gives Louis a strange mix of emotions, his body doesn’t know whether to fill with butterflies or to knee Deadpool in the balls again for insinuating them fucking.

or, Harry is Deadpool and Louis is Spider-Man and they’ve got way too much history

18. Strawberries & Cigarettes (74k) by @dimpled-halo

Harry looks up and immediately freezes. Next to Ms. Archie stands the boy from just the other day. The boy with the leather jacket and chipped black nails, that might or might not be sketched in the very book Harry has just placed on the table in front of him. The leather jacket is missing today, probably because they aren’t allowed as part of their required uniform attire, but Harry can still see the fading black nail polish on his nails, and eyeliner around his eyes. Harry’s mouth goes a little dry. This boy is so intriguing to him.

“Ye-yes, Ms. Archie?” Harry tries to play it cool, but he’s almost positive that his cheeks are burning red, and he’s relieved neither of them can tell how fast his heart is beating in his chest.

The boy seems to also recognize Harry, because his lips curve into a knowing smirk.

“Harry is at the top of his class. He’s your best bet at getting familiar with things around here.” She explains.

Louis nods, his smirk still very prominent on his face. “Thank you Ms. Archie. I’ll be sure to take advantage of young Harold here.”

Summary: Two stories, eleven years, and the two boys that never stopped loving each other.

19. Mark my word (we gon’ be alright) (35k) by harioandlouigi

“He’s always known that there would come a time when Harry would bond with some beautiful, quiet omega, and they would have lots of curly-haired pups and live happily ever after.

Knowing it and living it are two very different things, though. Watching the object of your affection desperately search for a mate and completely disregard you as an option is all sorts of painful, but it is what it is, and Louis is just going to have to learn to live with that.”

Or, an A/B/O AU featuring an oblivious Harry as the pack leader, a pining Louis as his second-in-command, and an entourage of friends and family who are a little too good at keeping their mouths shut.

20. Let’s Fall in Love in a Place You Want to Stay (134k) by @harryventura

A George of the Jungle / Tarzan AU where Louis is a model who meets Wild Man Harry in the Congo. He was raised by apes and barely speaks a word of English and turns Louis’ life upside down

21. Why Cant It Be Like That (63k) by @taggiecb

Louis Tomlinson, head of his local hospital’s charity fund, suddenly finds himself in the heart of the Royal family when his mother marries the third son of the reigning monarch. Such an upset in lifestyle brings a lot of changes for Louis, one of them being the need for a stylist.

Enter Harry Styles, a cutting edge fashion stylist who loves his job and prides himself on his passion. The first time he sees Louis Tomlinson on the cover of a tabloid he wants to dress him, style him, make him as beautiful as Harry knows he could be. When he’s hired to do just that, he knows this will be a perfect partnership. That is, until he actually meets the man.

A fashion AU with a royal twist, where Louis doesn’t need a stylist, Harry’s thrilled to have a real life Barbie doll, and they’re both very wrong about each other.

22. blind from this sweet, sweet craving (31k) by @missandrogyny

"So, I guess we'll go?" Louis asks later, when Harry has calmed down and eaten his weight in Chinese food. He plays with this chopsticks, spearing another piece of chicken and pops it in his mouth. "I mean, I wouldn't mind. We could make it an adventure."

Harry observes him, watches him seated across from him on their old living room carpet, with a container of food on his lap. He's fidgeting, avoiding meeting Harry's gaze–he probably knows that Harry's mad at him for ruining the one chance they had to get out of this situation. And he's not wrong, Harry is definitely very mad. Harry wants to strangle him and castrate him and smack him upside the head.

But he's also Harry's best friend, and despite everything, despite all the fuck-ups and the plot twists and everything just not playing out the way it should, he'd still rather be stuck in this situation with Louis than any of the other boys. He's got Harry's back, and in a weird, abstract way, he knows they'll be able to get out of this situation, together.

Harry sighs. "We're going," he says resignedly, his shoulders slumping.

Oh well. There are definitely worse ways to spend the weekend than pretending to be engaged to his best friend.

23. led by your beating heart (29k) by @missandrogyny

Nick leans over. "Oh," he says, his voice smug. "Who is that?"

Harry just blinks at his phone. "Um," he manages to stammer out.

"Who's that, Harry?" Nick asks again, but this time he raises his eyebrows and smirks. Harry knows Nick is just teasing, and that he's not really looking for new Harry Styles gossip, but, um. He might have found something. Accidentally.

Harry opens his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is another 'um'. He really needs to work on translating his thoughts into words. But then it probably wouldn't be any helpful right now, would it? His mind is as blank as a newly erased etch-a-sketch.

"Oh," Nick says again, this time gleefully, seemingly having picked up on Harry's distress. "Looks like we've got a story here! Are you going to call or delete her number?"

Her number. So Nick thinks it's a girl. Well, Harry can't blame him: 'Lou' is kind of an androgynous nickname. His stylist's name is Lou.

But this Lou, well, Louis, he's kind of, really, really not a girl. He's really pretty though, which, is something.

(Or: AU where Harry's in One Direction, Louis isn't, and they reconnect over a game of 'Call or Delete'.)

24. Queen Of Arizella (197k - wip) by @seduced-by-curls

Stealing from Royalty is punishable by death.

Louis starts over, doing his best to keep his hands at his sides but he is hungry and he tries stealing from the wrong Royal.

Harry is King of Arizella, he needs a Queen and who better than an omega on the run from death? Louis will learn to become the perfect Queen -the perfect fake Queen, but only for a few months.

A fake lover, a fake Queen, but a real bond.

i tag: @bottomlouis @iconichalo @tinytommoson @oioilarrie @chaoticsue @babyy-honey and anyone who wants to do it just say i tag u

#m #my rec

243 notes · View notes

alindakb · 5 years ago

Text

Letters to my Parents - Tuesday 14 December 1993 - by Alinda

Tuesday 14 December 1993

Mom and Dad,

I’m going to kill him when I find him. I really am. He was supposed to be your best friend. You trusted him with your lives, our lives. And he betrayed you. He’s dead. I’ll do it. I don’t care what will happen to me after. I just want him dead.

There was another Hogsmeade trip this weekend. Of course, I was not allowed to go, but I found a way to join Draco there. It all started with me borrowing a copy of Which Broomstick from Marcus. I wanted to read it, to see what kind of broom I should get as a replacement for my old broom. I’ve been using a school broom at practice. It’s a Shooting Star, which is very slow and jerky. I need a new broom. I took the book after I kissed Draco goodbye and went up to find a nice alcove with window to sit and read. I wanted to be able to look over the grounds, see the fresh snowfall and the world go white.

On my way up the stairs, I was called to the side by Fred and George Weasley. I talk to them now and then. They are pretty fun and I haven’t forgotten how they were the only ones last year that didn’t buy for a minute that I was the heir of Slytherin. They had an early Christmas gift for me. I don’t know why they gave it to me, but I’m really grateful. Fred said that they had decided that my need was greater than ours. Something about not wanting a moping Draco to ruin their time in the Three Broomsticks. And that they know it by heart by now and don’t really need it anymore anyway. I don’t know what they were on about, but what they gave me was amazing.

It’s a map of Hogwarts. It has all the details of the castle and its grounds. When you make it appear by saying ‘I solemnly swear that I am up to no good’ it tells you that the map is made by Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. They’ve called it the Marauder’s Map. And it’s more than just a map. It shows you where everyone is walking too. There a tiny ink dots moving around it, each labelled with a name in minuscule writing.

But that’s not even the best part. Fred and George showed me the seven secret passages into Hogsmeade. Filch knows about four of them, one is caved in and one has it’s entrance below the Whomping Willow. But there is one in the third-floor corridor that goes straight into the cellar of Honeydukes. So after Fred and George had left I wasted no time to get to the third floor and find this secret passage.

I took forever to reach Honeydukes, but once I got there and had sneaked into the shop without anyone noticing me, I didn’t know where to look. There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Nougat, squares of coconut ice, toffees and hundreds of different kinds of chocolate. They even have a wall with ‘Special Effects’ sweets, like Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum, Tooth-flossing String-mints and sugar-spun quills.

I squeezed myself through the crowd until I was right behind Draco, Greg and Blaise. They were looking at blood-flavoured lollipops. Draco said I wouldn’t want them, that they are for vampires. Greg shoved a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Draco’s nose and asked if I might like some of them. I leaned over Draco’s shoulder and told them definitely not. Greg almost dropped the jar and Blaise was all like: ‘Harry, what are you doing here? How did you get here?’ Draco just leaned back and let me slide my arms around his waist. He turned his head and we shared a short kiss. Greg wanted to know if I had learnt how to Apparate. I told them no and then explained about the Marauder’s Map I got from Fred and George. Draco found it fascinating and I promised I’ll show it to him back at the castle, somewhere without other eyes around.

We joined the others, who were just as surprised to see me, they all paid for their sweets and then we went into the snow. Hogsmeade looked like a Christmas card. The little thatched cottages and shops were all covered in a layer of crisp snow, holly wreaths hung on the doors and strings of enchanted candles decorated the trees. We walked around the town a little until Draco said we had to get inside. I had forgotten my coat and was really cold. Draco had his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him while we walked, but I was still shivering.

Luna and Blaise, who were holding hands, led us to the Three Broomsticks. Greg and Blaise got us some Butterbeers and we sat down on a table at the back. The table was mostly hidden from view by a large Christmas tree, to make sure no-one else would spot me. Hermione and Daphne both wanted to know how I got into Hogsmeade and I told them off the map. Hermione wanted me to turn the map in when we got back. All the Slytherins told her off right away. But Hermione was scared that Black might be using one of the secret passageways. Luna assured her that there was no way he could after I told them that only the one I used was accessible for Black. She convinced Hermione that the owners of Honeydukes would hear it when someone would break into their store.

It was all so nice. And then it all became horrible. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick came into the Three Broomsticks, together with Hagrid and the Minister of Magic Fudge. Draco and Hermione pushed me under the table just before they all took a seat at the table next to ours. They talked about the Dementors and Sirius Black. How Sirius Black used to be your best friend, dad. That the both of you had been inseparable when you went to school at Hogwarts, like brothers. They talked about how Black had been the best man at your wedding and that you had named him my godfather. And that wasn’t even the sickest thing about it. He betrayed you, gave you up like you mend nothing to him. I heard them talk about the Fidelius Charm, how Black had been your Secret-Keeper and had given up your location to Voldemort.

As soon as the teachers had left the Broomstick, both Hermione and Draco popped their heads under the table. I was already crying and Draco took my arm and guided me outside, along the road until we reached a small park. He walked me in and sat me down on a little bench. He pulled a coat over me and a scarf around my neck and then just pulled me close to him. He kept telling me that it was okay, that everything will be okay. I think he even said other things, but I had a hard time listening to him. My mind was spinning. Why had nobody ever told me? Why had Hagrid, the headmaster, Mr and Mrs Tonks, Draco’s mother or even the minister never told me that you had died because your best friend had betrayed you?

When I had calmed down a little, Draco took me to Honeydukes and helped me get back into the cellar. He said he couldn’t come with me that way, that Filch was counting as the students came back into the castle, but that he would meet me in our dormitory. I can’t really remember walking back or going down to the dungeons. But once I was there I took out the photo album Hagrid had given to me and started turning the pages, searching. And then I found it, a picture of your wedding day. You were both in it, and another man. If I hadn’t known it was the same person, I would never have guessed it was Black. He looked so different than he does now. His face wasn’t sunken and waxy, but handsome, full of laughter. It was one of the men that had also been in the picture in Professor Lupin’s office.

Draco got back when I was still looking at the picture. He brought some food with him from the great hall, tried to get me to eat something. But I wasn’t hungry. Draco didn’t even pretend to go sleep in his own bed that evening until Nott and Crabbe were asleep. He lay down next to me straight away, hold me close and let me fall asleep in his arms.

I went to have tea with Lupin the next day. I wanted to know if he knew that Black had betrayed them, and why he still had a picture of him in his office. But first I asked him if he knew why the Dementors affect me so much. I don’t want to fall off my broom again if they show up again for our next Quidditch match. I told Professor Lupin that I’m scared that I’m weaker than the others. But he assured me that it has nothing to do with weakness. It all has to do with all the bad things that have happened to me. Professor Lupin explained it to me. That Dementors drain peace, hope and happiness out of the air around you. Even Muggles can feel their presence. When they get close every good and happy memory will be sucked out of you, only leaving the worst experiences of your life. Professor Lupin said that the worst that has happened to me is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. And he might have a point, but that doesn’t mean that I want to faint every time they are near. Even though I’m sure that the woman I hear screaming when they get close is mom. I think I hear you’re final moments, how you try to protect and save me.

But back to the point. I asked Professor Lupin if he could help me with the Dementors. I remember that Draco told me that Professor Lupin made the Dementor on the train go away. The professor promised he’ll try to teach me some defences next term. He’s really busy right now. He’s been ill and has a lot of work to catch up to.

And then we talked about Black. I asked him if he had known him too as they had both been friends with my father. He said he did. He didn’t really want to talk about it. He looked at the picture on his desk and then looked out of his window. He told me they had been friends for so long, that he still can’t really believe that he did what he did, kill all those people. I think Professor Lupin was close to tears. His voice was trembling and I just couldn’t tell him what I had overheard, that I now know that Black was my godfather, your best friend and that he betrayed you, dad.

Draco was proud of me for not bringing it up. We talked a little about it, how it would be like if one of your friends would betray you like that. What if Hermione or Blaise would do that to us? I would be so hurt. So I think I won’t bother Professor Lupin with it, it’s obvious he’s still hurting because of it.

And then Draco made me promise that I won’t go after Black. That he was not worth dying for. That Draco wanted me to stay alive and with him. His eyes were watering and I wanted to promise him, but I couldn’t. I yelled at him that he doesn’t understand. And then he yelled back that he doesn’t want me his Bogart to become reality. That he can’t take the thought of losing me for real. And then I screamed back that he doesn’t know what it’s like to hear your own mother die every time a Dementor comes near you. That I can hear my mom plead and scream at Voldemort to try to save my life. And that if Draco would hear his mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, he wouldn’t forget it in a hurry. And that if he would find out someone who was supposed to be their friends betrayed them and sent Voldemort after them.

I didn’t get any further than that. Draco had pulled me against his chest and told me he was sorry. That he would want that person dead too. He would help me when the time comes. Just like the rest of our friends. He made me promise not to go after him alone, and I did. We will do this together. I won’t be sent back to Draco as only an Order of Merlin First Class and a finger, like Pettigrew. We will find and defeat him together. We’re Slytherins, we’ll come up with a way to catch him without getting killed.

On a happier note, there’s good news on the Quidditch. Training is going really well, even with the stupid Shooting Star I’m using. I’m getting faster and faster at catching the snitch and Marcus is really happy with how well our team works. And Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November. We can still win the cup this year!

And Draco is staying at the castle this Christmas holiday to keep me company. I’m really looking forward to having the dormitories to ourselves. Nobody to complain that we snug too much or should stop being so obviously in love. The other students are leaving on Friday.

I love you both,

Harry James Potter

PS. I promise I’ll get revenge for both of you. Sirius Black will not get away with this.

#letters to my parents #drarry #Harry Potter #Draco Malfoy #harry in slytherin #dementors #sirius black #remus lupin #AlindasStories

1 note · View note

surveysonfleek · 7 years ago

Text

957.

Do you have any pictures of you kissing someone? yes haha. years ago though.

Best movie you’ve seen this month? don’t think i’ve watched any movies this month. i’ve stuck to all tv shows.

What is a book that you hate? can’t say there’s any that i actually hate. there’s just books i’d never read again.

List 2 things about yourself that you find embarrassing. i laugh obnoxiously loud. i’m still unsure what to do with my future.

What do you spend the majority of your money on? food, petrol and bills.

Do you enjoy music videos? used to be obsessed with them as a kid and teen. i sorta got over watching them as i got older. i feel like they’re not as exciting anymore. i also think releasing lyrics videos are stupid lol.

How long do you spend in the shower? between 5-15 minutes depending if i need to wash my hair.

Are you afraid of needles? no.

Do you think you’ll be a strict parent? i think i’ll be reasonably strict.

Is there any alcohol hidden in your room? no.

Don’t you just love The Lion King? yes!

Do you eat your pizza crust with dip? nope. the pizzas here typically don’t come with dip, i’m sure it’d be nice though.

Do you have a step-parent? Do you like them? no.

Are you accident-prone? more clumsy than accident prone.

Do you like to cuddle with your pet when you are sad? yes.

Has a commercial ever made you go out and buy something? most likely but i can’t think of anything in recent memory.

Would you ever live in the arctic? no thank you.

What about the desert? noooooope.

Would you ever move far away for a job opportunity? i’d definitely consider it if it were temporary.

What is your favourite thing about spring? the weather.

List 5 things in your room that start with the letter C: candle, chair, camera, chocolate and corkboard.

Do you find piercing attractive or unattractive? neither. it’s not something that turns me on/off.

Who would you die to see in concert? waiting for dvsn to come to sydney!

Name a song that reminds you of your childhood? everything from britney’s first album.

Do you have any secret hiding spots in your room? haha kinda. not super secret but i doubt anyone would look there.

What is the silliest thing you did as a child? pressed the stop button on escalators for no reason.

Do you own a copy of your favourite movie? of course!

What did you last use the microwave for? heating leftovers.

On average, how many times a day do you open your fridge? haha multiple times.

Do you like mechanical or wooden pencils better? wooden.

Do you like parmesan cheese on your spaghetti? no.

How long can you hold your breath for? i reckon maybe 30 seconds? haha i don’t even wna try.

Do you play Plants VS Zombies? i have before.

Nike shoes or Adidas? i like both but more nike.

Have you ever drank just to forget about your problems? no.

Which do you hate more: school or work? work.

Are you too shy/embarrassed to tell people your middle name? yes, it’s pretty out there.

If not, what is it? nope.

What day of the week is garbage day on your street? thursday.

Do you have any jewelry on that you never take off? yes. my two bracelets and necklace.

What percent of milk do you drink? (1%, 2%, skimmed) none. i’m lactose intolerant so oi stick to soy milk when i have to.

Do you enjoy the sounds of nature? sure.

How many candles will you have on your next birthday cake? 28. ugh i’m old.

Have you ever regifted something? yes haha.

#survey #surveys #quiz #bored #questions

1 note · View note

harlanyoung · 7 years ago

Text

Fly Paper

I couldn’t tell if the wooly bear worm was dead or just playing dead. It looked like double a battery and felt like my mother’s hair curlers.

I put the worm in my left side pocket along with some twigs and dry leaves and began walking to my grandparent’s house. It wasn’t far. They were our neighbors. Grandpa spent every warm and warm enough afternoon on his back porch eying the bird feeders clamped to the railing. He was there to chase away the squirrels with his 7-iron and take Polaroid pictures of Blue Jays if they happened to stop over.

He piled the photos in a Nike shoebox that he kept in his closet. He told me one day they’d be mine — he said that he’d put them all in an album before then so that I could put them on the coffee table in my own house.

He’d sip chocolate milk with ice and eat forkfuls of pickled ham while he let the sun tan his withered, thin legs. Blood blisters from knocking his shins against the bannister and the backdoor formed just above his ankles and never went away. He said they looked like his mother, and laughed.

Sometimes he’d see things. Grandpa would know what he saw wasn’t real; he knew he’d just have to wait for the vision to pass. Sometimes it was a fat white rabbit with cotton candy pink eyes; other times it was palmetto bugs. He said they looked like sweet dates with wings. These things would hover around the light fixtures and cast shadows that made his lower lip quiver and his left hand twitch. Grandpa’s eyes would dilate and well up with fear.

Then the moment would pass and he’d scratch the back of his head like he was looking for a splinter.

He said he had a present for me. It was supposed to be a Christmas gift but he didn’t want any of my cousins to see it and get jealous. When I got to the porch he was sitting cross-legged on the purple walker he picked up at CVS with the leather stool and alligator airhorn. He fixed two powder blue tennis balls to the back legs.

“Hey, there’s my pal,” he said wiping the a piece of chocolate shell from the side of his mouth. He was nursing an ice cream stick.

I gave him a quiet nod and dragged a narrow iron chair over to his side. On his lap was a long, rectangular box wrapped in lavender paper. The sides were wrinkled and strands of scotch tape were wrapped around it several times.

“Don’t mind the paper or the wrapping. It’s all we had. Had to do it quick. But this is for you, okay?” He shook the box, smiled and handed it to me.

I nodded again. Smiled, sort of, and went to tearing apart the paper. Under the wrapping was a plain cardboard box.

“Let me see that,” grandpa said. He pushed himself off of the walker, lifted the leather cushion, and pulled out a box cutter.

He slit the tape off the ends. I opened the flaps and pulled out a smaller box. On the outside was the image of a paintball gun; two paintball guns, actually. Two children my age were holding them and smiling with plastic goggles covering their eyes and jet black pads covering their arms and chests.

Grandpa took the box from me and cut it open with the box cutter. This time he gutted like a fish down the middle and started pulling apart the cardboard. The gun was fixed in place inside the box with zip ties.

He made small groans and grunts while he struggle with the plastic ties. A small paper cut bubbled on the palm of his hand. He swiveled to the left and right on his walker.

It had a meat red body and a chrome barrel. Packed with it were several bags of assorted paintballs — green, yellow, pink, purple and blue.

“I never had one myself. In fact, I’ve never had a gun. I wanted one, I think, but never got around to buying one. Haven’t even held one before. Have you?”

I shook my head. I held it with one hand and pointed it crookedly at the house.

“Don’t go messing with the siding. I just got the house powerwashed. I’ve been saving cans for your to shoot at. We’ll make a target later, too.”

“I don’t think mom will like this.”

I planted it barrel first into the deck and used the butt to balance myself.

“Of course not, we’ll keep it here, in the basement. It’ll be our thing. You can tag the squirrels for me.”

We had a lot of things together — eating T-Bone steaks with our hands, skipping swim practice to go to the movies, the one puff of a cigar after dinner on Thanksgiving and then again on Easter, a sip of Jim Beam with Tobasco Sauce to fix my sore throat.

I’d learned that these were normal grandpa things and my parents were always wise to what we were doing.

That was the first time my grandpa ever held any kind of gun.

Grandpa started loading it. I took his 7-iron and let out phantom rounds at anything that moved. Then grandpa dropped the paintballs. They rolled off the porch, some got stuck in the crevices between planks, and others fitted themselves beneath grandma’s clay flower pots

His left eye was twitching. He started massaging his upper thigh.

“Grandpa?”

“Just the critters again. Just the critters.”

He grabbed the gun and the rubbish and kicked it off to the side and hid it under the blue tarp that was covering the grill.

“You feel like 99 House?” It was the only chain in town that served every table a bowl of popcorn before the meal with a small plastic cup filled with melted butter. Grandpa would ask for a second so that he had one to drink.

“Won’t grandma notice all the paintballs?”

Grandpa shrugged his shoulders.

“The wind will take them. Besides, she never comes in this way.”

It was early in the afternoon, but I didn’t mind a second lunch. He drove a Buick that he said was my age.

You couldn’t tell whether the car was in Neutral, Drive or Reverse until you hit the gas because the indicators on the dashboard had all but faded. He’d crank it up then down slowly and count the clicks. There were three until it hit drive.

The brakes made a cartoonish screech and it took forever to heat up. The center console could be raised to make room for a third person up front. Dimes and balled up tissues with spearmint bubble gum and half-suck Lemonheads were scattered across the floor.

He had an ice scraper with a glove stitched to it and an encyclopedia from 1995 with the letter A on the spine in the backseat.

It always smelled like tobacco in that car. Not real tobacco, but the candle kind — the kind that puts the taste of snickerdoodle and cinnamon toast on your tongue. Sometimes chemicals can things sweeter.

He loved that damn car.

I didn’t bother calling my parents. They wouldn’t worry. We were never gone for more than a couple hours at a time. Grandpa took Whirlwind Hill past the local wine trail and followed the back roads around Cella’s Christmas Tree Farm to Route 5.

He hated getting caught at the lights downtown and was never a fan of dealing with more than two lanes of traffic at once.

The restaurant was empty. There was one waiter who was also acting as the host. His polo was missing both buttons and he had bleach stains on the collar.

“Welcome to 99 House,” he exclaimed with wide eyes and gritting teeth. “Just the two of you?”

“That’s right,” grandpa replied.

“Well you’re in luck, our lunch rush just ended so you have your pick of tables.”

There was no lunch rush. There never was. It was a copy of a copy of Applebees right down to their taquito burger and coconut shrimp.

They thought square glass plates and copper mugs would change the image, but it didn’t. That’s why grandpa liked it. They were kind, desperate and always empty.

Grandpa sat down in the back corner booth facing the flat screen that was currently shut off.

“Can you turn the game on?”

#flash fiction #fiction #writing #creative writing #short story

1 note · View note

demonphannie · 8 years ago

Text

january 2017 - dan and phil

1/12

happy new year: phil tweets seven minutes after the new year begins: HAPPY NEW YEAR !!! and dan tweets three minutes later: here's to us pinning all our hopes and dreams for ourselves and the world on the orbit of our indifferent planet around the sun. happy 2017!

first week (1-7): phil announces he has been licked by a doggo and gotten a cold and we still didn’t know where they had gone for new years eve. then dan tweets: to everyone asking if i went to a wild new year's eve party: i spent three hours making an iron bead rapidash (what a nerd). everyone freaks out because we couldn’t tell if they spent new years eve together but dan quells this by making it seem obvious that they were together that night. so it turns out they went up north to hang out with their friends (the parents of emily the baby from that 2012 liveshow) and made crafts and hung out with a dog which is cute. phil posts a recap of his 2016 tweets which most include dan. louise tweets dan about being a furry - he responds (1+2). phil copies dan and starts #HeaderForPhil on twitter. dan made the tv have a beautiful wallpaper of the definition of antichrist. phil mentions voldemort and i couldn’t stop thinking about “i would bang voldemort” for the rest of the day. dan goes to the dentist like the filthy hoe he is and he clenches his teeth as much as his ass it seems. phil tries to take a selfie while sick. day five and phil is still suffering from illness. phil would feel better with a corgi in the house. dan is an emo fuck about christmas trees (and according to dan you have to have a family meeting to take it down? family meeting with phil? ok.) here is phil’s first fan made header and it is lovely. dan makes a wholesome meme because he thinks he’s an emo fuck and phil rt’s for the warmth of positive thinking - really this is just an excuse to post a picture phil took of him wrapped in a blanket. phil finally becomes unsick!

second week (8-14): phil is going to die update #1 - he microwaved a metal fork. he’s so dumb he could microwave his laptop smh. dan emerges out of hibernation and is ready to eat, mate, and scratch himself. “we got a lot of houseplants watch out.” phil realizes he can wink with both eyes at once. phil is going to die update #2 - dan and phil have had a gas leak in their house for god knows how long (why haven’t they died and freed us from this hell? god abandoned us). dan opened submissions for a 2016 dan memes video :// dans first liveshow of the year was very soft and forgiving (highlights: men were in the house and you can hear them and phil in the background, dan’s uploading his younows to his side channel now, dan got a haircut an hour before, he’s going to buy a new piano, phil got him an aesthetic dandle and sand art thing, dan loves collin more than life confirmed, top 2016 albums: 1. frank ocean - blonde; 2. radiohead - a moon shaped pool; 3. kanye west - the life of pablo; 4. solange - a seat at the table; 5. danny brown - atrocity exhibition, not about the fish these days, wants the dentist to hurt him). phil got a haircut (rip dan getting haircuts after phil) and sasses someone on twitter. dan feels like a superhero for not dropping any socks. phil tweets about an action figure’s butt. phil’s first liveshow of 2017! (highlights: it turns out him and dan get haircuts at their house together now that’s gross, thought the gas leak smelled like wet dog...ok, dan got phil this game called codename and a candle, new years resolution is to take care of plants, he’s feeling very creative 2008 again plz, dans mum had a dream about them being in scotland as did phil? psychic much?). phil’s first video of 2017 and phil is going to die update #3: 2017 WANTS ME DEAD. dan and phil go to see la la land. phil updates his community tab on youtube which is interesting (check it out here) and provides us with a snapchat selfie. dan uploads his first video of 2017: The Top Dan Memes of 2016. dan and phil see the cursed child and they shared snacks and giggled at everything together. also they showed each other dog videos.

third week(15-21): the neighbors have stopped the drilling! dan broke his terrarium and life is pointless. phil brings back an old meme. dan liveshow (highlights: new wifi router, he looked over 100k submissions for his dan memes video, he was sad-tired-cry-laughing in the video dw, he has slightly curly hair but it’s hard to tell, phil doesn’t want death but it’s coming for him, got legos from lego but only kept batman watch, got custom adidas youtube jacket and sweatpants, played mia and sebastian’s theme from la la land!, going to vidcon la, beat phil’s ass at pokemon, he and phil laughed for an hour about the terrarium, gonna do some life things (with phil) and storage is on the agenda.) dan and phil post kawaii edits of their face (s-s-senpai: 1 2 3). phil liveshow! (highlights: phil made chili but got distracted and the chili set on fire and got chili all over the walls and dan was like ok, he wants to cuddle a dog, live opening of yt plaque for one million subs on lessamazingphil, dan and phil went to a bakery and couldnt say no to polar bear cakes, dans terrarium smash was the saddest smash he ever heard, he got a huge thumb statue ://). first gaming video of the year: Dan and Phil Play HAPPY WHEELS. dan breaks one of the polar bear cakes. “coffee and a cake with tv is not a sat at the table experience.” dan and phil rt cool things for the women’s march.

fourth week and the rest (22-31): dan fell down the stairs. phil only wears a towel around the house this is nice information this is fine. phil hits 4 mil on twitter before youtube???? phil expresses an opinion on the taste of coke. dan liveshow! (highlights: they’ve been block filming videos because they are going away for the weekend, he got a soft grey throw blanket which is pure and good? he loved women’s march, he taped a gopro to the pc in the office just in case he ever wanted to film a quick side channel video, said gaykery instead of bakery - rainbow cakes: the diverse bakery, loved troye’s heaven music video, talked about phangate and named phil’s wife sabrina and child lola (explanation! basically someone set up a mock exposé blog called phangate and claimed dan was seeing a lot of people and phil didn’t live with him but instead with his wife and coming child - very drama, much confusion but just turned out to be a parody and is followed up on this blog), going to vidcon anaheim but not sure about sitc or playlistlive, no liveshow next tuesday because he’s going north to celebrate phil’s birthday with pals and fam). second gaming video of the year: DAB BECOMES A TODDLER (good domestic life). phil liveshow! (highlights: literally the most wholesome liveshow in the world, didn’t get much sleep because la la land soundtrack, we have to take care of dab if dan and phil die, martyn visited that day to brainstorm merch, early morning dan broke a pint glass and it was glass dust all over the floor why is their kitchen getting so much abuse (dan cut his hand), phil wants red velvet cake for this birthday, phil’s clickbait-y and couldn’t hatch his emu egg during the liveshow because it takes time, got new houseplant, he’s been having good vibes, talks to janice (his wife from phangate but dan called her sabrina the storylines are shady), 2017 is gonna be more chill but still exciting things happening!!!). dan trapped a spider but it escaped and he is afrightened (suki the hamster pt 2)(also hobbit hair clickbait?). PHIL SIGNED HIMSELF UP FOR A GYM??????ATHEISTS EXPLAIN. fancy sushi restaurant date for phil’s bday (at this restaurant). dan gets his ass stuck in a rocket (but in the bg you can see they are at the isle of man! for phil’s birthday! god fuck! there is a bear on this island!). second phil video of the year: I PREDICT MY FUTURE (ok holy shit phil’s gonna get a dog and a house this video is wild remember when phil predicted dan? this video is legit). PHILS 30TH BIRTHDAY (cath made him a cake and dan professed his undying love for phil?). still up in the north but uploaded the third gaming video of the year: SAVE ME DADDY! - Dan and Phil play: Who's Your Daddy (really who even knows)

january was nice *insert my longest yeah boy ever*

#amazingphil #danisnotonfire #phan #dan and phil #2017 timeline

2K notes · View notes