#he let me excuse myself from the conversation to cry for a minute

[piteouspeculiarity]

I have contacted every adult I know. yes I am an adult. I need a Proper Adult to deal with this situation for me. it is 6 am. I am going to try and sleep and ignore my irrational fear of the house blowing up.

umm guys the ignition button on the hob electrocuted me (only a little I'm fine). what do I do. what is causing this. it is a gas hob.

[roosterforme]

The Younger Kind Part 44 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley swallows his pride and seeks out a conversation with Admiral Simpson, but he's surprised by the response he gets. You keep everyone on their toes, and you do it so effortlessly, Bradley knows it's time to go shopping. And he uses Skittles as the perfect cover.

Warnings: Swearing, angst, fluff, smut, and age gap (18+)

Length: 4000 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more! The Younger Kind masterlist.

When Bradley parked at work a little early on Monday, he sat in the Bronco for a few extra minutes. He had just witnessed you and Noah making breakfast together, and it was making it really hard to be away from you right now. When he walked into the kitchen, you were brewing coffee and singing the dinosaur song with his son while the two of you spread that weird avocado stuff that you liked so much on some toast. He had started to love it, too, and Noah would eat anything you made. 

He removed his aviators and pinched the bridge of his nose. There was so much he wanted to get done this week, including looking at a few engagement rings, but he knew better than to make any sort of excuses to get some time alone. That had nearly backfired on him when he went to get Skittles. He was going to have to get creative somehow.

When he pulled out his phone to call the animal shelter about getting Skittles' cast removed, he froze. Across the parking lot, Nat and Javy were both getting out of his car. "Interesting," he muttered to himself as he watched his best friend groping their coworker, and he grimaced. He'd already seen too much. 

"Hello, this is the San Diego shelter. How can I help you?"

Bradley nearly dropped his phone; he'd forgotten he was making the call. "Yeah, hi. I need to schedule an appointment to have my dog's cast removed?"

"Oh! Are you talking about the Yorkie?"

He smiled as he climbed out onto the already hot pavement. "Yeah. Skittles. I'm hoping she has sufficiently healed."

"Why don't you stop in on Wednesday and we can check her out."

"Sounds good, thanks," he replied, following Nat and Javy at a very conservative distance. But apparently he wasn't cautious enough. 

"So," Nat sighed once Bradley joined her in the hangar, "you saw Javy and I in the parking lot." It wasn't a question, so he decided to just nod and roll his eyes in response. "Oh, come on, Rooster. I'm just having some fun."

"Look at him," Bradley muttered, glancing to where the man in question was smiling at Nat. "Are you serious right now? You want to make him cry or something?"

Now she was the one rolling her eyes. "I'm not taking advice from you. You're historically terrible at dating."

"I'm doing a pretty good job now," he said, smiling as he thought about you.

"You can't even get Cyclone off your girl."

Bradley covered his face with one big palm. "You noticed that?"

Nat laughed. "Everyone at the botanic gardens on Saturday night noticed that."

"Fuck," he groaned. "If she wasn't so young and so fucking hot, I wouldn't be about to embarrass myself by trying to get him to let me fly in the air show."

She just shook her head as she reached for her helmet and muttered, "Oh, cry me a river."

"Hey." Bradley turned just in time to see Javy greeting the two of them like a puppy looking for Nat's attention. He was honestly worse than Skittles at the moment. "The guys are talking about a beach day this weekend. You know, since the summer is ending."

"We don't need to do another beach day. We live in San Diego," Nat replied as she sipped the coffee she wasn't supposed to have inside the hangar. "It's the same season all year round."

Javy laughed like she was a comedian, and Bradley looked back and forth between the two of them, completely baffled by this dynamic. There's no way you and he made a couple this wild. 

"Yeah, but it's still the end of August," Javy said, now smiling at Nat as if she was the most adorable thing in the world. "Rooster, you can bring your girl and your kid. It'll be fun."

"You know what," he replied, "I think I'll go if Nat goes."

Then Bradley strolled away as they started arguing, because he saw Admiral Simpson on his way to the tower. He just needed to get Cyclone alone for a few minutes, swallow his pride, and try to head Jake off for the air show. The opportunity arose after lunch when Bradley caught him checking his phone outside the rec room door.

"Admiral Simpson, sir," he greeted before grinding his back teeth while he thought about you. "May I have a word?"

Cyclone glanced up before pocketing his phone, a look of vague amusement on his face. "Lieutenant. What can I do for you?"

"It's about the upcoming air show. Sir. I was hoping you could tell me if you'd made selections regarding who would be flying in it."

His look of amusement grew. "I have not. I believe that was on my agenda for today or tomorrow." He paused before adding, "I've been meaning to thank you for that glass of bourbon on Saturday night. Woodford Reserve is one of my favorites."

Bradley remained unflinching. Although he had no idea what Admiral Simpson was talking about, he thought it better to simply agree with him. "Yes. The Woodford Reserve." 

He nearly took a step backwards when the other man started laughing. "You'll have to thank your girlfriend for me, too. And I'm assuming the reason you're here is because you want to fly in the air show?"

"Yes...sir," Bradley replied slowly, feeling very off balance now that Cyclone was being so agreeable. 

Still chuckling, he said, "I'll see what I can do," before turning and walking away. 

Once he was out of earshot, Bradley pushed through the door to the rec room as he muttered, "What the fuck was that?"

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

It was almost fun for you to pick Noah up from daycare now. Not that you would ever admit that out loud. But the enjoyment you found in the way Casey pouted at you was a bit of a guilty pleasure, and besides, you got to have Noah greet you like you were the most exciting and interesting person in the world.

"Mommy!" he called out as he ran across the lobby and into your arms. "Guess what my craft is!"

"A dinosaur?" you asked as you shot an extremely fake smile at Casey before heading outside.

"Nope."

"A... dog? Did you make Skittles?" you asked as you put him in your car.

"Nope."

"The solar system?"

"Nope."

"Hmm. Will you give me a hint?" you asked, brushing his soft curls away from his forehead and giving him a kiss. But he was already unzipping his bag and pulling out his newest painting. There was a big, light blue shape that looked like it could have been Bradley's Bronco along with a man who appeared to be sporting a mustache. "Is that Daddy?"

"Yes!"

Then you noticed a little brown blob. "Is that Skittles?"

"Yes! She's his best friend!"

You laughed, because Noah wasn't wrong. Skittles seemed to love Bradley the most, and as much as he tried to fight it, the dog won him over. "She is," you agreed before buckling him in. "She's his best friend besides Aunt Natasha."

Noah shook his head. "She doesn't count, because she's an Aunt."

"Right, right," you said, not wanting to fight his childhood logic when Skittles wasn't even a human. "You're completely right. Should we go home?"

You started singing the dinosaur song as you drove, and because of a detour, you had to drive past the park where Meredith had chased you down. A shiver rippled through your body as you remembered falling and scraping up your arm in your haste to get Noah safely in your car. You hated coming home this way. There was a reason you never did it.

"Mommy, why did you stop singing?"

You glanced in the mirror at Noah's face. "Sorry! Where were we? The part about how the dinosaur stomp, stomp, stomps?"

Bradley was already home when you pulled into the driveway, and you found him dozed off on the couch with Skittles curled up on his chest. Two seconds later, he was jolting awake with the dog in his hand as Noah ran for him. "Daddy! I made you! Out of paint!"

"Cool," Bradley told him, pulling Noah onto his broad chest as well. "And how's Mommy?" he asked, his voice a little raspier just for you. "How was your day, Princess?"

You shook off the last remaining thoughts of Casey and Meredith as you leaned down to kiss him. "Pretty good." He chased your lips for more, but his arms were too full of Noah and Skittles for him to be able to reach for you. "Looks like you're still tired from the weekend," you said with a wink.

"I had a nice conversation with Cyclone today." 

"Oh? About what?" you asked as you started to head to the kitchen to make dinner. 

His expression remained completely neutral as he told you, "Bourbon. Woodford Reserve, to be specific." When you said nothing, he added, "We can chat about it later."

So you made spaghetti, knowing you'd been found out. You had been tipsy on Saturday night at the retirement party, but you were pretty sure you remembered what you did. Probably. You hoped Bradley wasn't mad at you over it, but he seemed to be in a good mood as he ate dinner and offered to give Noah a bath while you walked Skittles. 

She was stubborn for you at first, plopping down on the front porch and whimpering for Bradley while you tugged gently on her leash. "Come on. You're making me look bad! You were my idea. Mine and Noah's." When she remained in her spot, you had to reach into your pocket and say, "Treat?" That did the trick, and you got her to take a slow lap around the block with you while you broke a milkbone into little bites and gave it to her. 

When you returned home, Skittles bounded into the house to get to Bradley where he was sitting on the bathroom floor, looking comically enormous with Noah's rubber duck in his hand. You stood in the doorway and watched him automatically reach down to pet the little pup, taking caution with her casted leg while he rinsed the shampoo out of Noah's hair. 

"You want to go to the beach this weekend, Bub?" he asked softly. "With Aunt Natasha?"

"Can Skittles come?" Noah asked, and you watched Bradley place a soft kiss on his wet forehead that left you reeling. Suddenly you couldn't wait for Noah to be in bed so you could have him all to yourself. 

"Maybe. If she gets her cast off on Wednesday," he replied softly as the dog fully plopped down with her head on his thigh. 

"Daddy?" you asked from your spot in the doorway. It was almost a whine, and when he looked up at you, you were certain he knew what you were thinking about by the little smirk on his lips.

He reached into the tub to drain the water as he asked, "Do you need some attention?"

You just nodded, still in your scrubs from work, but you felt too warm now as you pressed your thighs together. "Yes."

"Fifteen minutes, and then you can have it," he replied with an edge to his voice. "Can you wait that long?"

"I can try," you murmured before you turned to go into Noah's room and get his dinosaur pajamas ready. Anything to expedite bedtime. You listened while Bradley took his time reading three stories, and then you kissed Noah's forehead before you tried to pull Bradley toward the hallway.

He chuckled and whispered, "I'll meet you on the couch."

"Oooh, the couch," you said before running from the room. Before you could even decide what you wanted to do, Bradley was behind you wrapping his arms around your waist and tickling your neck with his mustache.

"I kind of miss those nights when I would help you study."

You moaned softly. "Anatomy really is your specialty."

You felt him pull his right hand away from your body, but before you could complain, it reappeared in front of you with a bag of Skittles on his palm. When you spun in his arms and kissed him, you whispered, "You're so sweet."

Bradley lifted you up and took you the few steps to the couch where you settled in straddling his lap while you opened your candy. "If you're this excited about something I picked up at the gas station, I wonder what you'll do if I buy you something a little more expensive."

You met his soft eyes and leaned in to kiss him. "How much more expensive are we talking?" you asked, treating him to the orange Skittle you pulled out of the bag. He parted his lips and you slipped it between them, watching his jaw work as he chewed it up. 

"A lot more expensive," he replied as you ate three candies. "Hey, this is a 50/50 relationship here, Princess."

You shoved a small handful into his mouth and kissed his cheeks as he sputtered and chewed. "I'll share everything I have with you. Too bad I don't have much."

Bradley swallowed down the treat and reached for your free hand. "You give me everything I need. Everything I want, too."

You basked in the warmth of his words as your eyes closed, and a welcome heat crept into your cheeks. "I love you."

"Then I think you'll love what I'm planning on buying for you," he whispered as his mustache grazed your chin and jaw. 

You grinned, hoping you already knew what he was talking about, but too afraid to say it out loud. So you pushed the thought from your mind and scooted a little closer toward him on his lap. "What's this I'm hearing about a beach day? And Skittles getting her cast off? This is all news to me."

He didn't miss a beat as he wrapped his big hands around your hips and said, "What's this I'm hearing about some bourbon at the retirement party? It's all news to me."

"Oh," you whispered softly before eating more Skittles, buying yourself a little time to think. "Well, you see... I wasn't exactly sober."

"You're joking," he deadpanned. 

You rolled your eyes and shoved more candy into his mouth. "I may have had a glass of bourbon sent over to Admiral Simpson, courtesy of Lieutenant Bradshaw and his girlfriend..."

After a few quiet blinks, Bradley's head tipped back in laughter so loud that Skittles the pup came running into the room. "You didn't!" Bradley said. "I have to work with that man!" 

"Somebody had to make the big move, Daddy! It cleared the tension!"

He met your eyes, still shaking his head and smirking. "It also made you look like Daddy's good little girl."

Your heart skipped around in your chest at his words, and you set your candy aside in favor of wrapping your arms around his neck. "Am I not? Daddy's good little girl?"

"Oh, you absolutely are," he replied as he lifted your top inch by inch. "I just never thought my boss's boss would see it that way." 

You raised your hands up in the air, eager to lose your shirt, but he took his sweet time about it. "Daddy."

"You can be patient," he whispered, smiling when he saw your purple bra. "Pretty." Your top dropped to the floor as he cupped you through the lace, finding your nipples right away. "You feel like going to the beach on Saturday?"

Bradley's lips found the tops of your breasts, and you could no longer formulate real words. You just hummed in response already knowing he was going to take expert care of you right now and on Saturday as well.

"You could wear your purple bikini and tell all the other guys to fuck off," he said as he ran his nose softly along your skin while he unhooked your bra and let it fall next to your top. 

"Would you like that?" you asked as your fingers tangled up in his hair. He answered you by nodding as he took your nipple between his lips. Bradley was all big hands on your bare skin and just the perfect amount of roughness. "Oh god," you whined. 

And then he had you on your back in the middle of the area rug with his body over yours. His thigh was rubbing you through your thin pants, and you bucked up gently against him as his heavy weight pressed deliciously against your body. "I love you," he grunted as you tugged at his hair. 

"I love you so much, Daddy," you gasped as he yanked your pants and underwear down and off, leaving you in only your socks. He fumbled with the front of his pants for just a few seconds before pulling his length free, and you spread your legs wide for him.

His lips and tongue were wet on your neck as you held him close, lost in the domesticity of having sex here now. Just like your first time with him. Right next to the snag in the rug. But this time you could hear Skittles' claws tapping across the kitchen floor, and you could see some of Noah's crayons that had rolled under the couch while Bradley fucked you. You could smell the lingering scent of the pasta sauce from the dinner you made. You could taste Bradley's now familiar tongue as it met yours. And you could feel his rough hands on your hips and belly where he'd now touched you hundreds of times. 

You fell in love with the flood of familiarity he brought to your senses, and it left you smiling up at him when he broke the kiss. "Jesus," he grunted, cupping one cheek in his hand. You kissed the side of his thumb as he stroked your skin, and you watched him slowly come undone for you. "I'll get you there," he promised, changing his angle so he rubbed your clit with each movement.

Just like the first time, he filled you up as soon as you came, and your name was all over his lips as you smiled at the lost crayons before closing your eyes. Bradley collected you against his body as he eased himself down onto his side, and you sighed contentedly. You held onto his wrist as he ran his hand along your hair and kissed you. In that moment you would have agreed to anything he said. 

"Baby, I'll be a little late on Wednesday night. I have to take Skittles to get her cast off, and then I need to stop at the store."

You hummed softly in response, pressing your lips to his. "Sounds good."

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

The only time Bradley heard from you on Wednesday was when you told him that one of your patients came in with an emergency, and you wanted to let him know you'd be helping Dr. Kelly with a minor surgical procedure. He was excited for you, but he didn't want to bother you. Even though he had good news.

"Congrats," Jake drawled in the locker room after a very long day of flying. "Don't know how you managed to pull this one off, but I heard you're flying in the air show."

Bradley ran his towel over his chest before tossing it into his locker. "Thanks," he grunted, trying not to smile. He'd be able to take you on the tour of the hospital with him, and then you and Noah could watch him fly. His son had never seen him in the air before, and it gave Bradley goosebumps knowing that the two of you would be able to do that together. 

Jake gave him one last appraising look before he got dressed. Honestly, it was probably the fact that you upped the ante with Cyclone that Bradley was chosen over the others. Perhaps now things could be called even. You managed to keep everyone on their toes in the best way, and it made him smile even now. 

You were in rare form this week, luring him in for living room floor sex when there was a perfectly new bed in the bedroom. And then last night, you got him to watch a Disney princess movie with you, even after Noah was in bed, and Bradley had begrudgingly enjoyed it. You were laying across his lap on your back when the end credits rolled, and you said, "If you're a good boy, I'll make you beignets just like Princess Tiana."

Bradley had smirked. "Do those have cream filling?"

"No," you whispered as he eased your shirt up so his palm was flat on your belly. 

"Do you want some?" 

He had been thinking about getting you pregnant as he made you bury your face in the couch pillows to keep you quiet.

And that was just one of the many reasons he was about to leave work and head home to grab Skittles before stopping at the jewelry store across town. If Casey managed to bump into there and ruin this surprise as well, he would probably lose his mind. But the jeweler near the animal shelter was one of the best in the city, so that was where he would go. 

Bradley awkwardly held Skittles while he drove, and eventually she curled up with her head on his thigh while he sat in traffic. She seemed to be doing great, so he hoped that was a good sign that the cast could come off. You and Noah were delighted with her, and she somehow made Bradley fall in love, too. 

"Yeah, you're sweet," he told her, scratching her behind the ears while he drove. He parallel parked the Bronco with one hand while he continued to pet her, and when he took her inside the shelter, he held onto her a little tighter. It was hard to believe she'd been here just a few weeks ago, completely unwanted. 

Bradley pressed kisses to the top of her head as he waited for the receptionist to finish her phone call. When she hung up, she asked, "And who do we have here?"

"Skittles Bradshaw," he replied, nuzzling his nose against her fur and wondering how on earth he had gotten so attached to this little pup. "Hopefully she can get her cast off today."

He only had to wait a few minutes, and then he watched as they examined her before cutting into the cast plaster. Once she was free, Skittles took a few tentative steps across the exam table, and then she jumped right back into Bradley's arms. 

After he paid the monstrous bill for such a small creature, he carried her down the sidewalk, enjoying the cooling temperature as the sun set. When he checked his phone, he saw that you'd finally texted him again.

My Princess: Noah and I are going to play at the park near the beach. Leftovers when you get home?

He typed out a quick message letting you know that sounded perfect. Thoughts of you and Noah together filled his mind as he entered the jewelry store, and two women looked up at him and Skittles. "Is it okay if I have her in here?" he asked, but they both immediately rushed over, practically screeching about how cute his dog was. Honestly, the pet would have probably worked out better than the dating app had for him.

"What are you looking for?" the first woman asked as she petted Skittles on her head. 

A soft smile made its way to his lips as he said, "An engagement ring."

"Oh! Of course, let's just head over here to see what you like best. Do you have anything specific in mind?"

Bradley followed behind her as he nodded and said, "A princess cut diamond."

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

A princess for a Princess. Also, there is no way Skittles wouldn't be a magnet for all the ladies. A big man with a small dog... just fuck. Thanks to @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 45

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[astars-things]

Pls can I request for lukey: reader gets overwhelmed after meeting Luke’s family with “ you never need to apologise to me. ever. and certainly not for crying… ” 🙏

(I can relate to this)

I stood in the mirror, double-checking my outfit, hair and makeup. "Honey you look perfect" Luke said wrapping his arms around me,

“Are you sure?” I asked, tugging on the fabric again. “I just want everything to go well.”

Luke chuckled gently pulling my hands away from the dress and holding them in his. “Y/N, they’re going to love you. I love you, and trust me, they’ll see everything I see.”

His words made me feel a little better, and I squeezed his hand. “Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

The drive to the Hughes’ family home was short but felt like it stretched on for hours. My mind kept spinning with all the things that could go wrong. What if I said something stupid? What if they didn’t like me? What if I just didn’t fit in?

When we arrived, Luke squeezed my hand one more time before leading me inside. The warmth of the house hit me immediately. It smelled like home, a mix of cooking and something sweet, maybe cookies.

“Luke!” a familiar voice called from the kitchen. His mom, Ellen, emerged, wiping her hands on a towel, her face lighting up when she saw him. She immediately enveloped him in a hug before turning to me.

“You must be Y/N,” she said warmly, pulling me into a hug too, catching me off guard. “We’ve heard so much about you!”

“Good things, I hope,” I said, trying to make my voice sound steady.

“The best things,” she assured me, her smile kind. “Come on, everyone’s in the living room. We’re just about to start dinner.”

We followed her into the living room where Luke’s dad, Jim, and his brothers, Jack and Quinn, were lounging on the couches. Jack immediately sat up, grinning widely.

“So, this is the famous Y/N, huh?” Jack teased, his playful tone instantly putting me at ease. Quinn gave me a nod and a soft smile from his spot, quieter but no less welcoming.

Dinner started out well. Luke’s family was just as close and loving as he’d described. The conversation flowed, filled with teasing, laughter, and stories about the boys’ childhoods. I tried my best to relax, but I could feel my nerves creeping back in, especially when the conversation shifted toward me.

The questions started coming, all of them well-meaning but overwhelming. They asked about my family, my job, my relationship with Luke, and I suddenly felt like I was under a spotlight.

I tried to keep up, answering politely, but my chest felt tight. I could feel the weight of their attention pressing down on me. The noise of the conversation, the clinking of silverware, and the warmth of the room suddenly felt too much.

My breath hitched, and I excused myself as casually as I could, slipping out of the room and heading for the front porch. The cool night air hit my face as I stepped outside, and I let out a shaky breath, trying to calm myself down.

A few minutes later, I heard the door open behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Luke. He came up beside me, leaning against the porch railing in silence for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice cracking as I wiped a tear that had slipped down my cheek. “I just… I got overwhelmed.”

“Hey, look at me,” Luke said softly, turning to face me. When I met his eyes, they were full of understanding, no judgment. “You never need to apologize to me. Ever. And certainly not for crying.”

I let out a shaky laugh. “But I wanted everything to go well. I wanted them to like me.”

“They do like you,” Luke reassured me, stepping closer and gently pulling me into his arms. “You don’t have to be perfect, Y/N. You just have to be yourself. And trust me, that’s more than enough.”

I buried my face into his chest, his warmth and the steady sound of his heartbeat calming me. “Thank you,” I whispered.

[lustfulslxt]

hi hi! "local" anon here, and i just had a rlly good idea that ik you will deliver perfectly.

matt "accidently" sends reader a d pick and she's all flustered but just doesn't say anything, until like the next day when they all like go out to dinner and everyone's in their own conversation. she just brings it up like, "so what was that pic you sent last night?" and he knows EXACTLY what she's talking about, but is all like "huh? what?"

but then, later that night, she ends up sending a risky pic of her own and then he just texts her saying to like 'come over immediately' or he's coming over to her house and then yk what!!

again, i love your writing and i know you will NOT disappoint with this!! Love you ! 😘

Take The Risk - Matt Sturniolo

warnings : spicy pics and smuttt

a/n : finally!! am i right?? pls look the other way if this is shit, like actually fr.. lmaoooo

—

“This is actually impossible. I’m gonna die of old age before I finish this thing.” I groan to myself, letting my head fall forward onto the table.

It’s been weeks of me staring at all of these pieces, all the exact same, aside from the shape. I’m determined to complete it. I lift my head up, an irregular piece slowly falling from my forehead.

“Who came up with this shit? Why are they so against me?” I ask no one in particular, seeing as I’m completely alone.

I’m convinced whoever created this was just trying to spite me. I can never back of out a challenge, they had to have known that. It’s been hours since I first sat down to work on it today, I am bored out of my mind, but I still can’t put the pieces down. Just as I’m about to toss my head back and cry from frustration, I realize I only have five pieces left. I jump forward, laying them all out in front of me, studying their pattern and the way they could all fit together. It takes maybe another ten minutes before I finally get it.

The last asymmetrical piece, snaps into place, completing the array of silver configuration. Twenty two days, six hundred fifty four pieces later. There she sits, in all her glory. Silver (Krypt), the hardest jigsaw puzzle to solve. This puzzle has no pictures, instead, it simply consists of hundreds of silver pieces, with a circular center and surrounding pieces making the finished jigsaw a plain rectangle. I put my blood, sweat, and tears into this thing.

“Never back down, never what?!” I exclaim, jumping up from my seated position, only now realizing how bad my posture is from the ache in my back. I reach my hand around, holding my back as I groan, “Fuck.”

Straightening up, I grab my phone and immediately snap a picture of the completed puzzle. I just have to show Matt, he’s going to be thrilled. I send the photo to him on snapchat, then head to my kitchen. I grab a bottle of water and a bag of chips to snack on, then go upstairs to relax in my bedroom. Once I put my show on the TV, I notice a notification from Matt.

Matty B

NO WAY YOU FINISHED IT

Me

I DID

Matty B

only took you a month lmao

Me

BYE

it was hard asf 👹

Matty B

me too

Me

UM EXCUSE ME

Matty B

whattt

myb

Me

🌚 you can’t just say that then b like ‘mY bAd’

Matty B

i didn’t mean it

Me

oh

Matty B

congrats on finishing the puzzle tho

now i don’t have to listen to you complaining about the creator being against you

Me

blocked.

Matty B

LMFAO

bro. i was joke

Me

awesome to hear bro

I roll away from my phone, grabbing my chips to eat while I watch TV. An hour goes by, before I make my way to the bathroom. I wash my face and brush my teeth, then strip into my pajamas to finally go to sleep. Walking back into my room, I grab my phone to check one last time. As I plug my charger into it, I notice a snapchat from Matt. Upon opening it, my jaw drops.

There, on my screen, is a picture of a dick. Matt’s dick; fully erect, veins dancing alongside it, the tip pink with dribbles of precum. His hand sits at the base, unintentionally giving me a visual comparison of the size, and boy, it’s something. I can’t help but lick my lips at the sight, before snapping out of it and realizing my best friend just sent me a picture of his cock.

I’m at a loss for words. I can’t even think properly, far from being able to articulate a response. So, I just lock my phone and lay down. Yet, every time I close my eyes, I see his dick staring back at me, begging to be touched. I can feel the arousal building in me, my walls now clenching around nothing. Tossing and turning, attempting to ignore the growing desire, I deeply sigh. It’s going to be a long night.

-

I look at my phone screen, observing myself in my front camera. I’m currently about to walk into the restaurant where I’m having dinner with Matt, Nick, Chris, Nate, and Madi. I haven’t addressed the picture Matt sent me yesterday, and he hasn’t brought it up either, but it’s still lingering in my mind.

Putting my phone away, I lock my car and strut towards the entrance of the restaurant. Upon entering, a hostess greets me and directs to the table where my friends reside.

“Y/N!” Nate cheers, causing the rest of them to look over at me, smiles appearing on all of their faces.

“Hey guys, sorry I’m a little late.” I apologize, scooting in next to Matt.

“You’re all good, I ordered your drink already.” Matt informs me, “They should be coming around shortly.”

I smile, “Thanks, Matty.”

Within five minutes, we all receive our drinks and order our food. While waiting on our meals, we resume light conversation. However, I cannot stop thinking about the picture Matt sent me. Every time I look at him, I feel my heart beat faster and my breath gets caught in my throat. Are we just going to forget about it? Is that what he expects? I can’t just forget.

As the other four indulge in their own conversations, I notice Matt is silent, so I use this as my chance to confront him about it.

“Matt?” I call out, loud enough for him to hear me, yet quiet enough so the others don’t.

His directs his attention to me, softly humming in response as his eyebrows raise, expectantly.

“Um, about yesterday..” I trail off, attempting to read his body language.

I see him slightly tense up, clearing his throat as he looks at me, feigning confusion, “What?”

I give him a pointed look, “That picture you sent last night.”

He looks around as if trying to rack his brain, his eyebrows furrowing as he shrugs, “What are you talking about?”

I sigh, coming to a realization that I’m going to get nowhere with this. He knows what I’m talking about. I know he knows, I can see it all over him. Two can play at that game.

I clearly my throat and shake my head, “Actually nothing, forget about it.”

For the rest of the evening, we don’t speak on that topic again. We all just enjoy our food and the company of each other.

After dinner, I arrive home and immediately head to the bathroom for a shower. The entire night, my mind has been stuck on Matthew, wishing we talked about it, longing for more. We’ve never been anything other than friends, but he lit something in me, a fire that I can’t seem to put out. Should I call him over it? Should I do what he did to me?

After getting dressed in nothing but a black lingerie set, I sit in front of my bedroom mirror. I do look good, but should I really do this? Just take a picture and send it? I give myself another once over, before deciding to turn around and lean forward, snapping a quick photo.

I don’t know how much time has passed as I sit there, staring at my screen. My fingers hover over the picture, unsure of what to say, or if I should say anything at all. Taking a deep breath, I full send, then quickly put my phone down, suddenly ridden with more anxiety as I anticipate his response.

Hopefully I’m not reading more into this situation than what it is. Surely Matt is just playing hard to get. If he didn’t mean to send the picture, he would’ve just said that, right? I try to convince myself that he’s just being a tease, but the more I think about it, the more the pit in my stomach grows. After what feels like forever, I reach for my phone and my immediately face falls.

Opened 12 minutes ago.

Before I can even think a single thought, knocks on my front door sound throughout the silent atmosphere. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I grab my black silk robe and slip it on while walking towards the door. Peeking through the peephole, I see Matt standing there, looking antsy. I freeze, my hand stuck on the doorknob, unable to complete the motion of turning it. I toss my head back, taking a deep breath, before pulling the door open. His eyes light up once he sees me, his gaze flickering over my figure before he makes his way inside.

Within seconds, his lips are on mine, needy and desperate. Taking a few seconds to get over the initial shock, my lips move against his, my hands looping around his neck as his hands pull me in closer by my waist. Without removing his lips from mine, he kicks the door shut and walks me backwards, towards my couch.

As soon as my legs hit the side, he pulls back and asks, “Is this okay?”

I eagerly nod, “More than okay.”

A small grin pulls to his lips before they’re back on mine, kissing me with so much hunger. His hands grope at every one of my curves, squeezing and kneading my skin. His hands suddenly grab my robe, pulling it down my arms and letting it fall behind me, before he pulls away and takes in my appearance once again. He licks his lips and tugs his bottom lip between his teeth, and I can see the bulge stiffening in his pants.

“Fuck, you’re so fine.” He groans, pulling me back into him.

His hands forcefully grab my face and he slams his lips onto mine once again, pulling our bodies flush together. My hands tread through his hair, tugging as he turns my head to the side and moves his mouth to work down my jaw to my neck. His breath is hot against my skin, his tongue licking and his teeth biting. I can feel my arousal pool in between my legs, and I have to squeeze them together to relieve the tension. His hands travel down to my ass, tightly squeezing and massaging it, only making me more wet as I let out a soft moan.

He pulls away and rests his forehead on mine, “What do you want, baby?”

I lick my lips, letting out a breath, “You. I want you, Matt.”

Instantly, he pulls his shirt off and comes back to me, pressing his lips on mine again. I reach behind my back, unhooking my bra and letting it fall down my arms and onto the floor. His hands immediately make their way to my boobs, and I’m melting in his palms. He grips them tenderly yet firm, pulling more moans from me. He leans forward and takes one of my nipples in his mouth, sucking on it as he pinches the opposite one.

The desire in me grows stronger with every touch he graces me with. He knows what he’s doing, and I’m weak in the knees because of it. Kissing me with so much passion and lust, his fingers slip into the waistband of my bottoms, pulling them down with ease, only breaking the kiss to fully remove them. My hands tug at his pants, wanting him to take those off as well, which he does, along with his boxers. We’re left standing, completely naked, and hungry for one another.

He places a couple of soft kisses against my lips, before quickly spinning me around and bending me over the side of the couch. His hands travel down my back, applying just the right amount of pressure, causing me to clench in anticipation. His fingers dig into the skin of my ass, jiggling it, and gripping it with enough strength to surely leave bruises. One of his hands breaks away from me, only to come right back with extreme speed and force. I yelp, jerking forward at the feeling of his hand colliding with my bare skin, a moan soon following as he rubs the place he smacked.

“Just wanna make you feel good, baby.” He whispers against my ear, his fingers trailing between my legs, running over my core.

I let out a whimper, pushing back against his hand for more, but his other hand places a firm hold on my back, keeping me in place. His fingers run through my folds, becoming slick with my wetness, causing him to let out a groan. His fingertips rub my clit in slow and soft circles, adding more pressure and speed with every second, leaving me quivering with moans.

“Mm, such a good girl.” He praises, sinking two fingers into my entrance, ripping a loud moan from my mouth.

“Just wanna be a good girl for you.” I find myself saying in between the whimpers of pleasure.

His pace increases, his fingers pumping in and out of me while his other hand runs up and down my back. I could feel the orgasm building so quickly, begging for release. His hand moves from my back, and starts tracing circles onto my clit once more, his fingers inside me going even faster. My legs start shaking and I’m now putting all my weight onto the couch, way too weak to stand on my own.

“So wet.” Matt mumbles in delight at the sound of his fingers in my juices, “Bet you taste so good.”

“F-fuck, feels so good.” I moan, shuddering as he increases his speed even more. “Gon-gonna cum.”

“Let go, baby.”

His fast movements and the sound of his raspy voice fuel my orgasm, my climax falling upon me quickly. I clench around his fingers, letting myself go and cum all over his hands. He continues finger fucking me, letting me ride out my high. He removes his hands from me and I look back in time to see him sucking all of my juices off of his fingers. The sight alone had me clenching again, eager for more.

“I knew it.” He moans against his fingers, “Taste like I could eat you forever.”

I stand back up on shaky legs, turning to face him and pulling him into a deep kiss, our tongues intertwining and exploring each other’s mouth. His hand comes up to my throat, gently squeezing it, pulling me closer, before pulling us apart altogether.

“We’re not done yet, my sweet girl.” He smirks against my lips, turning me back around and laying me over the couch once again.

He wraps his hand around his dick, stroking it a few times, then runs it through my folds, causing me to shake from the sensitivity. Without a word, he places one hand on my lower back and slowly slides himself in my entrance.

A high pitched moan falls from my lips as he groans, tossing his head back, “Fuck. Been wanting this forever, baby. Feel better than I’ve ever imagined.”

I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, sliding backwards to take all of him in me. He moans loudly, tightly gripping my hips. He holds me in place as he starts thrusting, digging deeper into me with every pump. His strokes get faster and harder, our skin slapping together as I become a moaning mess. My whole body shakes with every movement of his, my face buried into the sofa, muffling my sounds as he fucks me. My legs tremble as he hits exactly where I need him, and I instantly begin clenching around him.

His hand wraps around my hair in a makeshift ponytail and tugs my head back, “I wanna hear your pretty moans, baby. You like the way I fuck you?”

“Mmm, yes. I love it-” I sound out, breathless from the pleasure. “You fuck me s-so good.”

His thrusts quicken and his grip on my hip tightens. The knot in my stomach continues growing, proving my statement to be true. I’ve never been fucked like this, and I can’t help but think about how I’m so glad I sent him that picture.

“Fuck, baby. You feel so good wrapped around my cock, taking me so well. My good girl.” He moans, his hips sputtering.

The pressure in my stomach becomes too much and it’s hard holding it in, my hands gripping the cushions beneath me. He leans forward, his hands intertwining with mine as his lips trail open mouth kisses up and down my back. I can’t help the moans that keep pouring from my mouth, feeling nothing but pure bliss.

“I can feel you clenching around me.” He whispers in my ear, “Cum on my cock, so I can fill you up, pretty girl.”

With that, I let go. My entire body shakes as pornographic moans fall from my lips, my pussy clenching around him so tightly. His strokes become erratic and his moans and groans are louder than before. He quickens his pace as he chases his high, instantly filling me up with a loud raspy moan emitting from his mouth. He continues thrusting into me, pushing his cum deeper. He leans back, standing up straight as we both catch our breaths. His hands find my back once again, softly massaging it. He pulls out, my legs twitching from the stimulation. His hands move down to my ass, gently squeezing it, before he helps me up.

“How are you feeling?” He asks, turning me to face him, keeping his hands around my waist for support.

“Like we should’ve done that a long time ago.” I grin, still breathless.

“We can always make up for lost time.” He grins, placing his forehead on mine.

I nod as we both laugh before he places a few kisses on my cheeks and lips. His hand grabs mine and he pulls me even more into him, capturing my lips in a deep but loving kiss.

“Let’s take a shower, so I can clean you up.” He suggests.

My face heats up and I nod once more, following him upstairs as he never lets my hand go.

Our friendship just changed entirely and I can’t wait for what’s in store for us, because I know it’s going to be euphoric.

—

a/n : tadaaa!!! ugh i hope this wasn’t shit, it’s been forever :((( lmk what you think! requests are closed bc i have wayyy too many that i need to catch up on, but i’m hoping i can get back into it! love uu <333

[silenzahra]

They keep saving my life ✨

Dear friends, I've been missing today because I've been trying to recover from last night's experience! I went to watch my favorite band live again and I'm not exaggerating when I say they saved my life once more 🥹 It's just what I needed to feel entirely good again! My beloved Estopa never fail to make me feel better, them and the Mario Brothers are literally keeping me ALIVE these last years and I'm seriously so blessed 😭

I'm not gonna repeat everything I said here as the repertory was essentially the same, but I do want to add a video and some pics, and also a VERY silly conversation they had (as well as something related to my writing). So keep reading if you're curious, and it's totally fine if you're not! 🥰

Still, I believe perhaps @bberetd @vulpixfairy1985 @stripetkattelalala54-gf @itsavee4117 would like this! Of course, if you're not interested, just let me know and I'll remove your tag! 💖

THE FOREHEAD TOUCH AT THE END. THE WAY THE CROWD STARTS SCREAMING WHEN THEY DO IT. People do LOVE seeing them doing it, me included of course, and I can only melt and CRY 😭 (Yes, you can hear me singing and screaming, I recorded this video myself, so surprise! Voice reveal 😂)

And the line they were singing face to face right before bringing their foreheads together...

"And I'm still here by your side until the wind blows me away."

... I'm not crying, I just got some brotherly love in my eye 🥲🥲🥲

Also, a few minutes ago I just ran into this pic, a close-up of THE moment, and I DIED again 👇

THEIR FACES. THEIR FOREHEADS. I CAN'T. These brothers are gonna be the DEATH of me I swear 😭😭😭

The fact that they're REAL. I just can't get over it. Mario and Luigi have a WONDERFUL bond and you all know I love them wholeheartedly, but the fact that Estopa are the real, actual personification of brotherly love? In our world?? Them having so much fun together and always showing how much they LOVE each other in every single concert???

Excuse me if I CRY but they're too PRECIOUS.

I just can't have enough of them. As you all know, they inspired me to write my musicians post, and also two of my WIPs that revolve around different things (the brothers on stage and Luaisy smut). They inspire me. They've been doing so ever since I became a fan of them, which, btw, happened exactly 18 years ago today! Man, I'm old 🥲

And the thing is... If you've been following me lately, you know I've been going through some hard times and I've been feeling down for a long time. So much so that I was unable to read... nor write. I'm still in the process of getting over my reader's block...

... but my writer's one might be coming to an end at last.

It's too soon to speak yet, but Estopa's music does inspire me, as well as their brotherly dynamic and their chemistry on stage. And yesterday, a few things happened that only gave me more and more ideas for that future story I wanna write with Mario and Luigi being musicians and performing together.

First of all, a very silly conversation:

"I am your brother." "Yes, me too." "... No." "Yes, I am your brother." "I am your brother, but you're my brother. I'm not my brother." "Of course, because I am your brother. You're my brother." "No, I'm not my brother, I'm your brother!"

I swear, me and my friend were just cracking up at the stupidest conversation EVER 😂 You can't tell me this isn't Mario and Luigi 🤭😂

Unfortunately... there were a couple of times where David almost fell off the stage 😅 The first time, I didn't even notice because I was further back, but I was a bit confused that he was standing still at one end of the stage when he's usually running and dancing here and there while singing.

And then... I saw this. Unfortunately it's an Instagram story which means it'll be gone at some point, but even though I've tried, Tumblr just wouldn't let me add a second video to this post 🤦‍♀️ So I just hope you can get to see it before it's gone, but it's basically poor David tripping and being about to fall off the stage 🥲

Poor man, I swear I feel SO BAD for him 😭😭😭 All I wanna do is run and help him through the screen! Thank God he handled it and didn't hurt himself but I swear I SCREAMED when I saw this 🥺

On a brighter note though... the second time was hilarious and he didn't hurt himself 🤭 To give you some context, it turns out there was a famous artist among the crowd watching the concert. His name is Dani Martín and he's friends with Estopa. They actually sang one of Estopa's songs together a while back, and when they started playing it last night, David suddenly noticed his friend...

... And he jumped off the stage to go sing with him! 😂😂😂

The moment his butt literally kisses the ground, I'm so DEAD I swear 😂😂😂 You just CAN'T convince me Mario wouldn't do something like this if he spotted, I don't know, Geno, maybe? 🤭

They're so friendly I swear! This was such a big surprise, and my friend was elated because she's also a big fan of Dani Martín! So it was really so great they did something like this 🥹 David jumping to bring him on stage and Jose ceding him his mic, they're just so nice and pure 😭

Anyways, as I said, the rest was very similar to the concert in Sevilla I attended back in June (only that this time I was WAY closer and I couldn't believe it 🤩), so I'll just add that I've been sharing some videos of the concert on my Instagram stories, and I'll probably share a few more tomorrow as I recorded a lot 🤭

Also, my friend sent me the videos she recorded and her phone has such a higher quality than mine! So yeah, those are coming to my insta stories tomorrow too 😂 Just in case you'd like to see said videos, here's my Instagram account! I'm saving them all on the higlighted stories called "Estopa Chiclana" btw, so they're gonna remain there no matter what 🥰

And to say goodbye, here's an AMAZING pic my friend took at the beginning of the concert and that has become my new lockscreen! 😁🔥

It captures their essence SO WELL and it gives me so many ideas for Mario and Luigi! 🥹❤️💚

[nhlclover]

𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖬𝖮𝖬𝖤����𝖳 𝖨 𝖪𝖭𝖤𝖶 𝖳𝖱𝖤𝖵𝖮𝖱 𝖹𝖤𝖦𝖱𝖠𝖲

summary it’s your birthday but your boyfriend doesn’t show.

word count 1.24k warnings based on 'the moment i knew' by taylor swift, angst, crying

I walked up the front steps of my friend's house, the house seeming a little too quiet. It was just before 8 pm on the night of my 21st birthday, and my friend was hosting a small party for me with our friends. It was pretty obvious, however, that it was going to be a big party with a bunch of people. I knock on the door and hear a little bit of shuffling before the door swings open, revealing my friend.

“Happy birthday, y/n!” she cheers, bringing me in for a hug.

“Thank you, Lily.” I smile, stepping into the house, and shutting the door behind me. As I do so, dozens of people jump out from behind furniture and from behind walls, shouting a blend of surprises and happy birthdays. I pretend to be shocked, plastering a fake surprise look on my face.

“Oh my gosh, you did this for me?” I ask.

“You knew didn’t you?” she asks, sighing.

“I’m sorry it was a little obvious.” I chuckle. “But I appreciate it so much, thank you, Lily.”

I greeted some other friends who all wished me a happy birthday. When the flow of people slowed, I realized one person was missing from the group.

“Where’s Trevor?” I asked Lily, inquiring about my boyfriend's presence, or lack thereof.

“I think he’s coming a little later.” she replies, her voice sounding unsure. “The ducks' game only ended like, 30 minutes ago. Don’t worry, y/n, he said he’d be here.”

I nod, accepting the explanation. She was probably right, after all. He would have to shower after the game and get dressed. I expel a sigh of relief and accept a drink being handed to me by another friend. I engage in conversation with friends I haven't seen in months, people asking me how I’ve been, though I’m only half present in the conversations as I keep one eye on the door, waiting for him to walk through. 

An hour passed and he still hadn’t shown. I was only able to forget about it for a few minutes before I let my mind wander, recalling how much effort I had put into my look that night. I had worn a pink silk mini dress that had a slight cow-neck; the exact dress Trevor had told me looked amazing on me when I bought it two weeks prior. I had done a bit more makeup than normal, deeming that it was a special occasion, and done my hair in soft curls.

Finally, the door opens, and I see Mason and Jamie walk in, but see Trevor not with them. They spot me and come up to me. 

“Happy birthday, y/n!” they say simultaneously. 

“Thanks, guys.” I smile back, hugging them both. “Is Trevor with you?”

Mason and Jamie exchange confused looks. “Uh, no. We came straight from the arena. He said he needed to stop by the house first.” Jamie shrugged.

“Oh.” I falter. 

“I’m sure he’s just changing or something.” Mason recovered, hoping to save my hopes. “He said he’d be here.”

Hours passed and my boyfriend had yet to walk through the door, no matter how intently I looked at it. I had spent all my energy pretending that nothing was bothering me, entertaining the people that were there to celebrate me. My social battery was almost empty and my emotions were starting to rise to the surface. I excused myself from the current conversation I was trapped in, as I walked down the hallway, finding the bathroom and locking myself inside it. Just as tears threaten to spill from my eyes, a knock on the door forces me to keep them in.

“Occupied!” I choke out, fanning my eyes.

“Y/n… It’s Jamie and Mason.” I hear Jamie’s soft voice say from the other side of the door. His sad tone threatens the dam that’s keeping my tears back. 

I unlock the door, opening it. Their soft expressions are what pushes me over the edge, as tears start to fall from my eyes. Jamie catches me in an embrace as my knees give out, sobs engulfing my body. He holds me up as I keep my arms wrapped around his shoulders. Mason steps in, shutting the door behind him so I can cry in private. They don’t say anything as they let me expel my emotions. Finally, I pull back from Jamie, wiping my tears off my scarlet cheeks, when another knock comes at the door. My false sense of hope spikes, as I think momentarily that Trevor finally showed up, however, it falls when I hear Lily’s voice.

“Y/n? Are you okay?” she asks. I nod at Mason to open the door.

He does so, revealing my puffy and red face, with my birthday makeup slipping off. “Oh, y/n.” she winces.

The pity in her voice only makes me feel worse as I break down again, this time in her arms. “He said he’d be here.” I wept. 

As it was nearing 1 in the morning, Lily decided to send everyone home. She gave me a spare change of clothes, not wanting to send me back to my apartment alone tonight. Jamie and Mason were the last to leave, also hesitant to leave me alone.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jamie asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay. I’ve got Lily here. Don’t worry about me.” I force a smile.

“Sleep well, y/n.” Mason said. “And trust us, we’ll kick his ass whenever we see him next.”

I chuckled softly at his comment, thanking them both as they walked to the car before getting in and driving home. I totter over to the guest bedroom, tucking myself in and letting myself drift off to sleep, which proved easy to do after my emotions had worn me down. 

When I awoke, the mid-morning sun cut through the blinds casting a soft glow on the room. I rubbed at my tender eyes, the remaining makeup from the night before that hadn’t been washed away by my tears coming off on my knuckles. The bedside clock reads 11:03. I look around for my phone, but don’t see it. I slide out of the sheets, making my way to the kitchen where I see it on the table.

I pick it up and turn it on, seeing the lock screen flooded with a myriad of notifications, spotting Mason’s text asking me how I was doing at the top. A few notifications down I spot my boyfriend's contact name covering the next few spots. I had missed a series of text messages and phone calls that had come in that morning from him.

Trevor y/n I’m so sorry my love

Trevor I knocked out after the game and slept all the way until this morning

Trevor Baby please answer my calls I'm so sorry

I sigh, seeing he had texted me about 5 more times and called about 5 more. Hesitantly, I clicked on his number. The phone rang twice before I heard his voice come through the phone.

“Y/n?” he asked softly. 

“Hi.” I croaked out.

There was a beat of silence as I could tell Trevor was considering what to say first.

“I’m sorry I didn’t make it.” 

Tears begin to spill onto my cheeks as the emotions of last night come to the forefront of my mind.

"I'm sorry too." I say softly.

[memethebum]

Got my @sesecretsanta fic out for @moriohpissky :D

Hope you like ittt 😭🙏🏽

————————————————————————

“Hey, how much longer till’ those cookies are ready Eater?” Spirit shouted from his seat on the living room couch, causing Soul to bristle at the question.

“40 fuckin’ minutes. Now ask me that question one more time and I’ll shove these cookie cutters down your-“

“Ugh, can you two get along for ONCE,” Maka grumbled over Soul before he set the whisk he was holding down and turned his head to see the young woman pouting on the couch next to a suddenly intimidated Spirit.

“I’m sorry Angel, it’s just that-“

“No, I’m through with your excuses. You promised me you’d stop being so crabby with Soul the day he proposed, and it’s been what a year and a half and I still don’t see any improvement!” Maka continued while dropping the photo album she was working on upon the table in front of her with an elongated huff.

A terse silence then began to make it’s way across the apartment, forcing Soul to realize that it was his turn to comfort Maka about the situation.

“Your old man….isn’t all that bad anymore though. I mean, he gave us his blessin’ for marriage so I guess….” Soul started, only to become lost within his erratic thoughts about his father-in-law’s odd behavior on the night he asked him to green-lit the imminent proposal.

“I know the kind of man you are Eater, so let’s see how much marriage changes that. Especially with-“

“Hi Mama!” Maka tittered over Soul’s train of thought as he picked up the whisk again and slowly started to toss the dry ingredients together, all while keeping his ears perked on the conversation behind him.

“Yea, I already set up the guest room for you and…is that this week?” his wife then mumbled, causing the younger Deathscythe to come towards a standstill once again.

“But I don’t understand…you-you couldn’t even come for the wedding and it’s about to be Christmas so I thought…no-no I don’t want to hold you up…no it’s-ok bye Mama,” Maka whispered before tapping a finger onto her phone screen, chucking her phone upon the sofa, and making a sprint towards the bathroom.

Soul immediately set the bowl he was holding down onto the counter and scurried in the direction Maka ran towards. He was able to reach the narrow hallway just as a few muffled sobs began to leak from behind the bathroom door.

The Deathscythe could feel Spirit standing a few feet behind him before he slowly rapped his knuckles against the door and then heard his wife let out a low cough in between her sobbing, which served as all the feedback he needed to silently turn the doorknob and enter the bathroom with a solemn expression.

Soul then watched while Maka looked up at him from the corner she’d wedged herself into within their small bathtub, only to shake her head a moment afterwards and haphazardly kick at a bottle of conditioner laying beside her.

“Hey…,” Soul mumbled before flopping into the bathtub as well and gently circling an arm around his wife’s back.

“I just-just don’t get why she has to raise my hopes just to do this,” Maka lamented while resting her nose onto the crux of Soul’s neck, probing him to nod through the pinpricks forming on his shoulder.

“It’s really fucked up,” Soul commented before pushing back a few strands of Maka’s hair and noticing the way her usual valiant demeanor seemed to be sapped away from her each time she failed to muffle her crying.

Fucked up enough for me to get to the bottom of all this crap myself Soul thought, hoping that his embrace would be enough to let his wife know that her unrestrained crying was the bravest thing she could do in such a shitty situation.

———————————————————————

I can’t believe it’s worked so far the Deathscythe noted while skirting past the babble of families occupying the halls of Death City Airport.

He could feel a few watchful eyes on him, although he was completely certain it was because of his title as the “last Deathscythe” after customs had let him into the terminal once he’d agreed to take a few pictures and scribble out some autographs.

“34 D will be boarding soon,” a voice announced through the airport intercom, causing Soul to push through the crowd before him at an erratic pace.

“Watch where you’re-Eater?” a man then barked at him after being flitted to the side.

“What the fuck are you doin’ here???” the Deathscythe hissed as Spirit turned to face him with a scowl.

“I could ask you the same thing,” his father-in-law grumbled, eliciting Soul to let out a groan in agitation.

“Never mind, I don’t have time for this shit. The receptionist said the next flight for Paris-“

“It’s 34 D? Yea, that’s why I’m here too kid,” Spirit spoke over Soul, probing both men to glance at each other for a split second before they began to push through the crowd once more.

“Guess I can’t complain about ya’ being here all that much, since I hardly know what the lady looks like,” Soul commented, probing a scoff out of the older Deathscythe.

“You’ll be able to tell. She’s got a pretty scary aura…which is probably where Maka gets it from too,” Spirit replied, only to be pulled to the side by Soul a moment afterwards.

“Is that her??” the younger Deathscythe whispered while pointing to a woman situated in one of the airport seating areas.

“Yup, that’s her all right,” Spirit sighed, allowing Soul a quick moment to silently judge his mother-in-law.

She does have a scary energy going on about her Soul noted as he watched the way Kamiko Bushida smoothed through her raven locks of hair with one hand while deftly holding an open magazine ontop her crossed legs with her other hand.

“Lady looks way too fuckin’ cozy to be-“ Soul started, only for his scowl to turn into a look of confusion once Spirit began to march forward.

The younger Deathscythe skidded after him just as Kami looked up with a bewildered expression and loudly slapped her magazine shut.

“Kami.” Spirit enunciated while the woman began to narrow her eyes at Soul once he meekly stood next to his father-in-law.

“Spirit. Can I…help you?” she hissed, forcing Soul to subdue his growing urge to step a few feet back.

Alright, alright remember why you’re here Evans. Someone has gotta get this lady off her high fuckin’ horse…for Maka’s sake he noted before watching Spirit take a step forward with a leveled expression.

“I know I have no right to come here after you, but fuck Kami this isn’t about me. This is about Maka and how much she was looking forward-“

“It’s a shame her feelings had to be crushed like that because of someone else’s actions,” Kami cut over Spirit, causing the older Deathscythe to silently gape at her while Soul began to take a few tentative steps forward.

“Oh so you wanna punish your own daughter for something she couldn’t even control? Is that why you just treat her like a toy you can get bored of after a monthly phone call?” Soul seethed out before watching the woman turn her head in his direction as the flight attendant behind them began to unlock the plane entrance.

“First off young man, you have no right to assume the kind of relationship I have with my daughter. And secondly, Maka understands that my line of work keeps me busy. It’s a shame to see how she has a sensible mind on her but ended up marrying such a-“

“Oh no, don’t you start projecting me onto him Kami. You’re pulling a lot of lows here but that-“

“OH, I’M PULLING LOWS NOW?! YOU’RE THE ONE WHO CAME HERE WITH YOUR HOOLIGAN SON-IN-LAW TO CORNER ME INTO A TOWN I NEVER WANT TO STEP FOOT IN AGAIN!” Kami then screeched, causing a few people around them to flinch at the sudden rise of her tone.

“No one is trying to bring you back there, I swear! We just want you to meet Maka at least once, maybe grab some donuts from the airport Death N’ Donuts or even-“

“What the hell did we say to make ya’ jump to that conclusion?” Soul cut over Spirit’s pleas, probing Kami’s eyes to widen at the question.

“It’s not about what you said, it’s about you two even being here,” the woman elaborated before the younger Deathscythe let out a low whistle.

“So what you’re sayin’ is that you can’t even find a reason to start jumping to conclusions-“

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I-“

“No, no lemme explain it for ya’. See, I got a lot of experience with a shitty parent myself, so I can kinda call it when I see it. Now the old man here-,” Soul elaborated before sticking his thumb out at Spirit.

“He was a shitty husband and kinda a shitty dad when me and Maka first partnered. But, I never saw the old man stop tryin’ to push past all that. Sure he’d bitch and whine when Maka would bring it up, but that didn’t really stop him. You see what I’m gettin’ at here? You can stay away from your past, but you gotta acknowledge the way you’re screwin’ up in the present. Maybe then you’d see why we’re the ones here and not my wife,” Soul monologued, only to feel something warm come splashing against his arm while he slowly became aware of how he’d essentially released all the internal anguish he had for a woman he’d only ever previously met once in his life.

“I-I’ve had enough. I don’t need to hear any of this,” Kami gasped as she stared between the cup of coffee she’d spilled onto the tiled airport floor and the security guards marching in their direction.

“Oh and one more thing…” Soul coughed out before the woman turned her back towards him and Spirit.

The younger Deathscythe then unzipped the duffle bag he’d been lugging around the entire airport and carefully picked up the item he’d stowed within it.

“Merry Christmas,” Soul finished while placing the picture album Maka had designed onto the seat closest to Kami, which allowed him a brief moment to watch as his mother-in-law stared at the item with tear-stained eyes before the security guards began to lead him and Spirit away from her.

———————————————————————

“You’ve got some guts saying all that to her kid,” Spirit sighed while slumping further into his seat.

“Yea, well I was hardly thinkin’ shit through when I did that,” Soul replied as he glanced at the wall clock that’d been fixed near the entrance to the airport security office.

Let’s just hope they let us outta here before Maka starts to worry the younger Deathscythe then thought while watching Spirit give him a sideways glance before facing forward and proceeding to clear his throat.

“Ma’am, I know we both broke a few airport security laws and all, but could you let my son go this one time please. Would it be so hard to let him spend his first Christmas as a married man with his wife-,”

“Sorry sir, but you’re gonna have to wait for my boss to get back here and decide if we can let you two go,” the security guard murmured over Spirit before shifting in her seat and going back to scrolling through her phone.

His what??? Soul thought to himself while watching Spirit’s face mold into a grimace.

“Honestly, you’d think people would have a heart around this time of-“

“Your…son huh?” Soul then questioned over Spirit’s misgivings, causing the older Deathscythe to give him a bewildered look before his expression mellowed into a slight scowl.

“I know you’re not that dumb, Eater. Probably in denial but definitely not an airhead when it comes to things like this,” Spirit whispered while tipping his head backwards against the cream colored office wall.

“Then…”

I know the kind of man you are Eater the younger Deathscythe abruptly recalled before watching his father-in-law furrow his eyebrows at his sudden pause.

“Ya’…really don’t hate my guts?” Soul eventually questioned.

“I did. Still kinda do sometimes, but I can’t deny the good you’ve done for my daughter. When I found out that frog witch and her wolf boyfriend advised you to talk to Stein and Marie about proposal advice, I was pissed. You know why?” Spirit responded, eliciting Soul to gape at the man before he answered his silence with a low scoff.

“It’s because I knew Maka would say yes. She loves you and Death, no matter how much I wanna deny it, I can see why. You’re a pretty good kid at heart Soul, and y’know what? I’m glad I got a son-in-law that’d be insane enough to get locked up in a airport security office with me on Christmas Eve just for Maka,” his father-in-law then elaborated, probing Soul’s eyes to go wide at the sudden confession.

“D-don’t tell anyone I said any of that crap, ALRIGHT! How about we just…uh call this a truce,” Spirit finished before stretching a hand out to Soul, who met his eyes for a split second and then let out a sneer at how his father-in-law began to raise an eyebrow at him.

“Yea, guess a truce wouldn’t be all that bad dad,” Soul exclaimed while clasping his hand against Spirit’s, only to hear the office door violently slam against the wall a moment afterward.

“UGH FINALLY!” the two men heard a voice shriek out before watching the security guard drop her phone in shock and then being crushed against Maka’s quivering figure.

“I don’t know if I should hit you two upside the head with a hardcover or hug you to death!” Maka exclaimed as her grip against them became increasingly tighter.

“Think it’d be really nice if you chose neither of those two,” Soul choked out before his wife let out a small chuckle and pulled away her arms to directly face them.

“Maka angel, we-“

“It’s ok Papa. Stein and Marie already told me your plan while we were driving here. I came to get my family, nothing else. Can’t really celebrate Christmas without you guys, right?” Maka exclaimed over Spirit’s consoling while reaching down and planting a quick kiss onto the older Deathscythe’s forehead.

Soul then watched as Spirit’s eyes softened from the action, only to feel Maka’s lips press against his own soon after.

“Eugh, I’m gonna go look for Stein and Marie,” the older Deathscythe grumbled just as Soul deepened the kiss, only to let out a huff in protest once his wife separated their lips a second after.

“Oh, um about that. I may or may not have…punched a security guard to get here,” the young woman exclaimed, causing both men to level a startled gaze at her.

The reaction seemed to fit what Maka had been anticipating, as she gave Soul another chaste kiss before pulling him up from his seat.

“Guess we should head out, that way I can apologize to the security guard and let him meet the two men I’d kill for,” Maka finished before taking Spirit’s palm into her free hand and pulling both men out of the office. Soul couldn’t help but let out a sigh at his wife’s words, although it soon turned into a slight grin once he noticed his father-in-law attempting to stifle his tears of happiness.

[masiethewriter]

Honored Eternal Path of Demise CH. 6 - Companion Quest: Part 2

"Ye-yes, we found the corpse of-"

"And you are just running around? You find a dead body, someone attacks you and you think that is the best time to wander around?" Shen Qingqiu keeps interrupting. While Ning Yingying is still wet from being outside and likely was already crying when he stumbled upon her, he still thinks he can see more tears fall from her eyes. Her body has begun to tremble and like this, she seems much smaller. Like she is just a frightened child caught in a horrible situation. 

Shen Qingqiu clears his throat in the hope that it will release the pressure in his chest.

First Chapter ~~ Previous Chapter

Immediately opening his eyes, Shen Qingqiu sits up. A hand clasps at his neck, nails digging into skin. The other grasps around the bed until he can snatch a pillow. He presses it to his face. 

In his first life he would go to internet forums and write out (constructive!) criticism when he needed release for some of his stronger emotions. Turns out screaming continuously for a minute also helps.

After that nice moment of embarrassment, he puts the pillow down and gets up. He is out of the room and on his way down the hallway in the very next moment. 

Two sessions done, a third started, infinite more to go. He can do this!

The main entrance is as impressive as always as he steps through, but for some reason he can't find it in himself to appreciate it as much anymore. As he looks down, he can’t help the way his eyes are drawn to one spot. Luo Binghe and Ning Yingying stand exactly where he expects them to. 

"Senior! You are here too?"

"Ning Yingying, you know who this is?"

"Of course! That is Shen Qingqiu. One of the seniors that helped us when we first started. Don't you remember A-Luo?"

As he steps down the stairs, he finds his hold on the railing is no longer just trailing, but a proper grip. He can't find it in himself to loosen his hold. The relief he feels as he reaches the bottom is also uncharacteristic of him. He reminds himself it is just a set of stairs.

"Senior Shen, it is so good to see you! Do you have any idea where we are? A-Luo and I woke up with no memory of how we got here. I am so lucky we found each other, I have no idea what I would do if I was all alone by myself! Have you seen anyone else, I was certain it was just me and A-Luo here, but with you it might mean that others-"

Belatedly, Shen Qingqiu realizes he needs to make her stop talking. 

"I just got here after waking up myself," he starts, but then hesitates. His voice is not as cold and arrogant as it is meant to be. He clears his throat and tries again. "I don't know anything either."

Whatever, good enough. 

He manages to get through the rest of the conversation. Ning Yingying acts exactly as he expects, but he can't help but feel Luo Binghes gaze is heavier than usual. Probably just paranoia after a particular distressing session.

"Will Senior be okay? I don't like the thought of you walking all by yourself."

"You should worry more about yourself than others. You stick with your friend and he should take care of you. This one is perfectly capable of taking care of himself."

"Be careful Senior Shen! Please don't run off all by yourself!"

They leave and Shen Qingqiu is finally alone. He lets out a heavy breath. Time to move on. 

He gets the spiritbox and returns upstairs. He feels confident in his exploration of the first five rooms, so no need to check them again. It will be nice with some alternative environments. Starting from the laboratory is not a bad place to continue his search.

With the long hallways, it takes a second to reach, so he is left to his own thoughts. Thoughts that immediately ask how the hell Ning Yingying found him that quickly! He was nowhere near the first place she found him last session, so why was she suddenly changing her route!? The Killer he could excuse with bad game mechanics. It is common that games spawn their monsters around the player to always have danger near. But Ning Yingying is not a monster! She is another character! Those rules should not apply to her!

He will have to keep an eye and ear out for her. Especially when the Killer is near. 

As he stands by the laboratory, he considers his option. His rule of right-is-always-right already broke during the first chase with the Killer, as the room is placed on the left wall. Funny how you don't think about stuff like that when running for your life. 

Rule already broken, so where to go? He might have already missed a door or two, so should he go back and check? He will admit he is already getting kind of tired of this hallway and there is still a third direction he has yet to check out, back where the hallway splits.

Okay, he can always come back later. He knows there is more stuff to explore, so he adds it to his mental to-do list. He turns back towards the way he came, and with the left wall now becoming his right, he goes back with his hand trailing the wall. 

He turns around the corner before he finds another real door. It is actually nice that the amount of locked doors has been limited. The fake doors are easy to pass when just walking around, so if they instead had been real, but locked, he would have been much more of a hassle. He can appreciate not having more of his time needlessly wasted.

The room he finds is a large living room. Multiple bookshelves line half the wall and there are a few tables clearly meant for card games and such. The furniture appears soft, with a few couches and armchairs scattered around. It seems like the kind of room that guests would gather in later in the evening. A big deep red carpet covers the floor, softening his steps as he enters. 

Only three sessions in and Shen Qingqiu can already feel he is getting drained. The excitement of exploration is much weaker after dying three horrible times (Not even counting the meat bun incident!). It is only the beginning of the game and he already wants this to be over.So he tries not to think of how little of the beginning area he has solved, so exhaustion doesn’t settle in.

He finds almost nothing of interest in the room. Some supplies that he honestly considers just leaving. They certainly haven't done him any good so far. One of the bookshelves has an interesting selection of high quality alcohol. But trying to interact with any of the bottles, it is as if they are glued to the shelf. So in the end, he can only leave.

He walks for a long time before he finds another real door. He gets back to the hallway split, finally checking the third corridor. Even then, it is first when he almost reaches the end that he finds a real door. Though when he grabs the door handle, it is locked. There is a shiny keyhole, so clearly he is meant to return here later.

Continuing from here, the next door, the one at the very end of the hallway is both real and unlocked. Opening it up, he is introduced to a larger bedroom.

At first glance, it is noticeably more luxurious than the room Shen Qingqiu keeps finding himself waking up in. Best represented by the huge balcony framed by glass doors. He is immediately distracted from checking the rest of the room, the prospect of fresh air too enticing to ignore.

Stepping outside, the wind against his face is pure relief, blowing away his aches. It is still raining, but a small roof above the balcony keeps him from getting wet. The entire balcony is made of smooth stonework, the railing carved into graceful shapes. It is a bit low, but still Shen Qingiu leans against it as he takes in deep breaths. It is bliss to feel the cooling breeze against his skin compared to the stale and dusty air of the mansion.

There is also more to see of the outside from here. A few light posts are placed in what appear to be the beginning of a garden. At the start there are mostly flowers and smaller bushes, but they grow into hedges that lead deeper behind the mansion. Shen Qingqiu can't help but look around, but sees no traces of Luo Binghe or Ning Yingying. Sadly the entrance is not visible from here. 

With nothing of use out here and lungs full of clean, nice air, he steps back inside. He feels more clear headed after that, like his batteries just got charged. He is again determined to properly investigate this mansion!

Finally taking a look around the room, he first takes note of the high quality of the double bed pushed into the corner. Mostly because it looks much comfier than his own room's bed. Not that he expects to be sleeping in any beds with all the dying and restarting that he is dealing with. 

Beside the bed is a small bookshelf. A quick look inside reveals a ripped picture of two people wearing old fashioned clothes standing together. Both of them look at something to the side with disdain, though that part is ripped off. The backside contains what he assumes is their names, which reveals they must be family.

A clear hint towards a backstory that he already knows.

The room also has a huge clock, small decorations of instruments carved into it. It is currently broken with one of the clock needles missing. Something to look out for, he supposes.

What is most noticeable is a glass container resting against the wall opposite from the bed. When Shen Quingiu looks into it, he sees a flute resting on a pillow. The light wooden material almost lighting up when contrasted to the dark fabric beneath it. He is quick to find the container is locked. With a number combination lock.

If he is wrong, it could result in a trap. But he still dares to try. 

4-8-6-2

The container clicks and Shen Qingqiu can't help but be excited as it opens. This might actually be the first puzzle he has solved since transmigrating to this game! Well, there is also the sliding puzzle for the spiritbox, but that one is so easy, so it doesn't count. This one was also quite easy, he just had to find the correct note, but still! He is actually progressing!!

Reaching inside, he picks up the flute. It is very light. He doesn't recognize the wood it is made of, but it is clearly a high quality craftsmanship. The image of a small bamboo forest is etched into the flute and Shen Qingqiu can't help but follow the pattern with the tip of his fingers. Turning it around and looking inside, he finds a piece of paper wrapped around a key. 

The other half of the picture. 

This part depicts a child. It is hard to determine his age, especially because he seems big compared to the baby fat softening his face. Looking on the backside, he confirms the child must be related to the other half’s adults.

He leaves both parts of the picture in the glass container. He is much more interested in the small key, as he already suspects where it will lead. Taking it and the flute, he is ready to abandon this room. And right as he leaves, he is surprised by two things he should not be surprised by anymore.

The spiritbox turns to life. And Ning Yingying stands right on the other side of the door. 

Before she can open her mouth, Shen Qingqiu is already dragging her inside the room. He peeks out for a second, but sees no sign of the Killer. He closes the door and quickly turns off the spiritbox. 

Turning towards Ning Yingying, she throws herself at him. 

"Senior Shen! I am so glad to see you! I was afraid something had happened to you! Luo Binghe is gone and-"

"I know. What are you doing here?"

At his cold tone, she freezes. Stepping back, her expression of relief falls into something closer to insecurity.

"Wha- What do you mean senior?"

"You-!" Shen Qingqiu is about to start, but then realizes he interrupted her too quickly. She hasn't mentioned the Killer yet and this early it doesn't make sense that he has seen him. He has to give a different explanation. "Why are you split up from Luo Binghe? You and him should have been on your way by now, so obviously something has happened."

"We got a-attacked by someone. Right after we s-saw a corpse-"

"Someone is dead!?" 

Shen Qingqiu feels bad as Ning Yingying flinches at his harsh voice. He can only mentally apologize as this is for the best for the both of them.

"Ye-yes, we found the corpse of-"

"And you are just running around? You find a dead body, someone attacks you and you think that is the best time to wander around?" Shen Qingqiu keeps interrupting. While Ning Yingying is still wet from being outside and likely was already crying when he stumbled upon her, he still thinks he can see more tears fall from her eyes. Her body has begun to tremble and like this, she seems much smaller. Like she is just a frightened child caught in a horrible situation. 

Shen Qingqiu clears his throat in the hope that it will release the pressure in his chest.

"I'm sorry," Ning Yingying says, in a voice so small it could be a whisper. "I was afraid something would happen to you."

This is too much. With a sigh, Shen Qingqiu takes off his coat and hands it to her. She hesitates, looking into his eyes to ask for permission, like he isn't already giving it to her. She sniffs as she takes it.

"I am your upper classmate. Your senior. It is not your responsibility to look after me. So it would have been better for everyone if you just had found a place to hide," he reprimands. Ning Yingying just nods, looking down at the ground. "I will go look for something that can help us. You will stay here and hide. I will come get you after I find a way out."

She doesn't answer. He forces his voice to become harder. "Do you understand?" he presses. 

She finally nods again and that is enough. So Shen Qingqiu turns and leaves her alone in the room. Right before he goes, he checks the spiritbox. The Killer is still around, but not close by. That must be good enough for now.

Back in the hallway, he goes straight for the locked door. It is the only room he knows for certain is close by and he doesn't like staying around in the open with the Killer wandering around. 

Earlier, he assumed correctly. The key fits. 

inside isn't that impressive though, as Shen Qingqiu realizes he just entered a bathroom.

It is small, with just a single toilet and sink. The humbleness of the room fits much better with Shen Qingqius' wake up room than anything else he has seen of the mansion so far. 

With the bathroom this small, there isn't a lot to search. The toilet is clean and functioning. The pipes going to the sink are slightly rusty. As he turns on the water, though, he can hear something rattle from the drain. He doesn't quite stick his finger inside, but he finds it is too deep down to reach by human hands.

After the quickest search so far he leaves. Finding Ning Yingying standing right outside the door. 

She no longer looks like a miserable drowned mouse. As she stands in his way, her eyes are full of determination. Her inner lion has broken free, a cornered beast ready to fight back.

"You know what Shen Qingqiu? I won't just hide while you go around putting yourself in danger! I'm not some little girl and I know I can help if you would just listen to me-" She starts, but before her confrontation can continue they are interrupted. 

They both hear heavy breathing. Simultaneously turning their heads, they look down the hallway. Standing closer than should be possible without being noticed is the Killer. 

He lifts his axe. 

All the bravery Ning Yingying had managed to gather evaporates like water in a desert at the sight of their doom. There is only one place they can run to with any hope of surviving. 

Crashing back into the bedroom, they both panicky look around for any place to hide. Before they can act, the door bursts open from the force of the Killer.

Ning Yingying runs out to the balcony. 

Shen Qingqiu turns around in time to see the axe swinging and this time he manages to avoid it by leaping to the side. This only gives him a second to react to the next swing, in which he falls to the ground. 

But he doesn't stay down. 

Pushing himself back up, it is pure luck that the next swing just barely misses his leg. With the wild swings, he won't be able to get around the Killer. So he throws himself outside where Ning Yingying is. 

While the balcony is big, it is not two young adults and an oversized killer big. So as Ning Yingying catches him at first, they are forced to push away from each other as the axe attempts to cleave them. Shen Qingqiu lands against the railing while Ning Yingying falls to the ground. The Killer steps out with them. After a second he decides to turn his focus to Shen Qingqiu. His target has been chosen.

The axe comes for him. First Rusty metal hits stone, the screech from the impact making their ears bleed. Second, the axe aims for his chest. The swing forces him to step back. 

There is nothing but railing behind him. A railing that is too low. 

Instead of being cornered, Shen Qingqiu finds himself losing his balance. His mind flashes back to the stairs, as his hands try to grasp at the reiling. He doesn't catch it in time. His feet don't find ground. 

He falls. 

With his back to his doom, Shen Qingqius' eyes are locked with the grinning demon above. As he falls through the air, strong winds pulling at his clothes, he sees nothing but dark empty slits. Two pools of void.

He hits the ground with a sickening crunch. 

He thought his body broken when he fell down the stairs. He was wrong. Falling from the second floor, right onto stone and concrete, there is nothing to soften his impact. Too many bones break at once. His spine. The back of his skull. His arms and legs. The skin and meat of his back splits apart from the force. Turns into mush. Blood and flesh and brain matter leaks from his body.

And during it all, Shen Qingqiu sees nothing but the black eyes of a mocking devil, its gaze heavy as it looks down at him.

The last thing he registers is light footsteps coming towards him.

[sunflowerharrington]

try

wc: 1617

written for the stwg prompt (23/2/24): dustin

warnings: the s3 russian storyline, mention of an almost-death (sort of canon but not really, i just wanted to add some angst because it’s not a real fic written by me if there isn’t any at this point)

left open ended because i’m thinking of writing a part 2 if anyone’s interested? i probably will anyway. low-key made myself cry lol and i just want stobin back together as best friends again

—————

Dustin hasn’t seen Robin around much lately apart from at school, and she won’t even look at him. It’s almost like she’s a stranger now after she started hanging around the popular group in school because Vickie’s boyfriend is on the basketball team apparently. He doesn’t bother going to the games because D&D is more fun, and the only reason he’d go is for Lucas and he’s usually on the bench even after his big win back in March.

What a waste of an amazing player.

It also feels like Steve would rather talk about anything but her. He even talks about his parents more than Robin now. His parents. Something must have happened between them for everything to start falling apart. Maybe there were cracks in their friendship nobody noticed until now. But they were perfect, the textbook definition of soulmates, but now it just feels like those souls were never meant to be friends to begin with and Dustin’s the one trying to pick up the pieces and save Robin and Steve’s friendship.

She’s only spoken to him on the phone once, and hasn’t been returning any of Steve’s calls. If he even makes them. Dustin’s never thought to check because he knows Steve won’t lie to him about something as little as a few phone calls. Or, attempts at a phone call, since Robin never picks up.

In the call she never said anything about Steve, not even an acknowledgement of his existence when Dustin tried to ask about what happened between them. She shrugged it off, made a quick excuse and hung up, leaving the end of the conversation to ring in his ears. She’s a completely different person now, so short with her answers and never wants to hear anything about the group anymore. It’s all about her and Vickie since they’re the bestest friends in the entire world apparently. But no, that was Steve and Robin!

Was.

Was…

He never knew where she lived until he asked Eddie to ask Chrissy to ask Vickie, and Vickie, bless her soul, gave Chrissy the address immediately. And Chrissy gave it to Dustin. So that’s where he is now, with one hand curled into a fist, ready to knock on Robin’s door. And he does, because there’s no point in him just standing there and doing nothing about it.

She almost slams the door in his face when she sees him, but he stops the door from shutting with his foot. And even though it hurts like hell, it has to be done. He has to get to the bottom of this before it’s too late.

“If this is about your friends—”

Your friends. Your friends. Not hers. His friends. It’s like she doesn’t even want to try to save anything.

“It’s not. It’s about you,” he says, trying to keep his tone as neutral as possible. He loves Robin, he does, but sometimes when she acts like this he wants to take Steve’s nail bat and take a swing at her with it. And it’s not about her, but if he says that he knows she’ll send him on his way and never speak to him again.

But one way or another he has to get them to talk. Why waste this opportunity when a friendship that was once so perfect can potentially be fixed?

“What about me?” She asks, and he can’t help but let the shock show on his face when she lets him in. Not just into her home, but she’s relaxed a little, which is the most surprising part. But not for long. “Make it quick, everyone’s gonna be here in ten minutes.”

As if “everyone” will show up on time. This is almost worse than her slamming the door in his face. She used to always have time for him, and for everyone, for that matter. And seeing the couch that looks almost untouched in the living room makes him question something. She said on the phone she has everyone over all the time and they hang out in the living room, but there’s almost nothing in there. The place looks empty. Almost as empty as the Byers’ old house and they don’t even live there anymore.

Is she lying to him?

“Okay, fine,” he snaps, and he can no longer hide his frustration. “What the hell happened to you? What’s wrong with you?”

“Excuse me?” She raises her eyebrows as she sits down next to him on the couch, still keeping her distance. There’s a wall between them. An invisible one at that, but it’s still there.

“Did your new ‘friends’…” he begins with air quotes. Maybe it’s a little bit dramatic but he couldn’t care less right now. “…make you hate all of us? You can’t have forgotten about us that easily, Robin. I mean, seriously, what the hell did they do to you?”

“Get out.”

“No, I’m not leaving. I need to know now. Why do you hate us?”

“I don’t hate any of you,” she says, but the sour look on her face says otherwise. However, she has a glass of apple juice on the side. Her ‘talking juice,’ Dustin calls it. Whenever she used to have it she’d never shut up. “I just can’t keep risking my life over and over and other new scarier things get thrown at me left and right and I just have no idea whether I’ll wake up after I fall asleep at night. I couldn’t do it anymore!”

Bingo. Apple juice strikes again.

“As soon as I became friends with you and… other people, I was thrown in the deep end and almost killed by Russians. Russians, Dustin! And I know you guys saved me but that was the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me and I didn’t know it could get worse. I almost had a person die in my arms for fuck sake!”

A person. She can’t even say Steve’s name anymore.

“But he didn’t die because you saved him. You did! Because you love him!” He raises his voice to match hers. “You told me nothing in this world could ever make you stop being friends with Steve, you promised me you’d be friends forever and you even made a blood pact! So what changed?”

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

“I…” She trails off, taking another sip of her juice. “Fine.”

He doesn’t say anything back to that. How can he? It’s not a question, not even a rhetorical one, so he sits in silence, waiting for her to continue. Even though he’s eyeing that pillow on the armchair and wants to suffocate her with it, he stops himself. Violence is not the answer to get people talking.

He learned that from the Russians.

“He loves Nancy.”

Wait so… She’s jealous? Is that really all this is? She’s jealous because Steve loves someone that isn’t her? Is it because he loves Nancy more than he loves Robin? And even after whatever happened between them, at least Steve still tried to keep in contact with Robin, so he does love her but not the way she wants him to. Maybe.

“And before you say anything, I’m not in love with Steve. Boys are gross.” Oh wow, she said his name. Well done. Dustin stops himself from rolling his eyes. He’s just about ready to leave, he wants to, but he’d rather fix this or at least find the reason why they fell out than just leave it.

“It’s my fault, sort of,” she continues. “I pushed him to get back with her or at least try. I wanted him to find someone, but then I found out about Nancy cheating on him a few years ago with Jonathan and then I realized she might cheat on Steve with someone else again and I got mad at him for listening to me. Did they get back together?”

“No,” Dustin says, looking at anything but her. “They almost did, but Steve said he couldn’t do that to Jonathan.”

“Oh… That’s… That’s good, I guess.”

“Yeah.” How did this get so awkward so fast. Think of something to say! For two people who can never ever stop talking, this is even worse than awkward. “I know you might say no, but…”

“Never start a sentence with that. It’ll make me want to say ‘no’ even more.”

“Shut up,” he says, his voice breaking into a chuckle, until he realizes they’re not friends anymore and mutters a quick apology. But what surprises him is Robin bursting out into laughter next to him.

“Okay, what is it?”

“Talk to him. Please. I’m not asking, I’m begging.”

“Can I tell you something?” Her head drops to her hands, before she curls her arms around her knees and brings them up to her chest, making herself small. After a small ‘yes’ from Dustin, she takes a deep breath. “Nobody’s coming over today. I only said that because I didn’t want to talk about Steve.”

“You know friends shouldn’t lie, right?”

“You know that’s a bunch of bullshit, right?” She says, almost mirroring him. “I lied to Steve all the time about little things.”

“Ha!” Dustin replies, smiling at a bewildered Robin. “You called Steve your friend!”

“I—”

“That means you have to talk to him now! I won’t accept ‘no’ for an answer.”

Robin sits in silence for a moment. “Fine. But only if you buy me more coffee. I’m running out.”

Why the hell would Robin need coffee? She’s a ball of energy as-is. He shrugs his shoulders. No point in saying no. The least they can do is try, after all.

“Done. I’ll get you two boxes.”

[elizaditton]

Too Small To Be Afraid (Chapter 2)

Links:

Cover / Master Post / Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

- - - - - - - - - -

My lungs cry out for more air than I can give them with each step of my quickening pace. I clutch the strap on my overnight bag to keep it from falling off my shoulder.

"3:57," Dad says, glancing at his watch as we run through the undercity railway entrance. "We can make it!"

"What?!" I holler to him, nearly losing my footing as we move up the stairs. "We're not going to make it, are you crazy?!"

We dart across the station, weaving through crowds and passing numerous trains. I lose count of how many times I've had to say 'excuse me' after bumping into so many people along the way.

"Don't tell me you've already given up hope!" Dad's gaze shifts upward. "Now, which platform was it again?"

"It's platform 16B, and I gave up hope when the movers arrived while we were still packing! We're lucky they were willing to wait the extra fifteen minutes for us to finish!"

"There it is, platform 16B! And with one minute to spare! Hah!" Dad laughs triumphantly and glances down at his watch. "Uh-oh."

"No uh-ohs!" I sprint through the crowd to catch up with him and look down at his watch. "4:02?!"

Dad and I turn our gazes to platform 16B and behold its trainless track.

"Well... I guess we can wait for the next one," Dad says, scratching his chin.

"That's three hours away," I say, pressing my fingers to my temple.

"How do you know that?" Dad starts looking around. "Did you see it somewhere?"

"I looked it up earlier in case... well, this happened again."

"Again? What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters," I say, folding my arms. "When we visited Grandma two years ago? We missed the train and made her wait up late for us."

Dad shrugs. "Okay, but that was just one time."

"Alright, then what about the time we went to North Eris to visit Uncle Lewis?"

"That was ages ago! You were only twelve!"

"Okay, what about when we wanted to take a day trip to Ashani last year? Or when we nearly missed the train home from the university this morning?"

Dad raises his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay," he says. "So I'm not that great at catching trains."

A voice overhead interrupts our conversation, "The four o'clock train from Maedri to Chancelor is now approaching platform 16B. We apologize for the delay."

Dad turns to me with a big grin and finger guns ablazing. "Made it just in time!"

I roll my eyes and smile. I guess he wins this round.

Shortly after boarding the train and sitting in the old, worn leather seats, we begin to move away from the only city I've ever called home. I set down the bag I was holding onto so tightly and rub my legs in an attempt to relieve myself of goosebumps.

"Hey," Dad says, pointing upward. "This train has a series of real skylights along the track. Maybe you can get some good nature pictures."

I look up and see a window. Through the window is the dull, lifeless sea of gray that is the ceiling to the undercity. It stares back at me, almost taunting me as it selfishly conceals the beauty of the world hidden above the surface. I pull out my phone, my heart racing at the opportunity to see the nature scenes the skylights have to offer. I've grown tired of the same old videos that play on the artificial skylights in town and have been longing for something real. I sit and wait in restless anticipation for the skylights to appear.

All at once, the melancholy of the undercity is stripped away as I'm nearly blinded by a bright blue sky. Fallen blossoms adorn the glass above, in beautiful shades of pastel pink and white. Big, wide, sturdy trees reach high up into the heavens with no end in sight. The sight leaves me in such awe that I forget to take any pictures.

And then I see two pertheans tower over the glass.

Everything stops. I let out a gasp, my phone slipping through my fingers and onto the train floor. My insides flip completely upside-down, and my entire being trembles as I turn my widened eyes to the ground.

Something touches my left shoulder, causing me to flinch. I turn and see Dad's hand resting there.

"Breathe," Dad whispers. "It's okay."

I take in a shuddery breath and hold it in for a few seconds before letting it go. Shaking, I lean over and pick up my phone from the train floor. That's enough surface world for one day.

[aemond-one-eyed]

Save me from the nightmare I call myself

(A part of the #challenge:styleofmourning in collaboration with @rhaenaspearls for @asongofgoldenfireandblackblood)

The halls of the Red Keep were quiet this evening, which only made sense due to the news from the Maesters that this would likely be the king's last evening. He had been avoiding going to see his father the entire time he had been back home, he wasn't sure what to say or do. Honestly he was a little worried he would hold a pillow over Viserys' head if he said something to piss him off, which was highly likely. He decided seeing him was necessary or he would probably regret it for the rest of his life if he didn't attempt to get any closure. When he reaches the King's chambers the Maester is outside the door and gently grabs him by the arm,

"I sent for the Princess Hand to come visit but it seems she isn't able or willing to. Be warned if you go in there, it's very likely he will pass,"

Aemond nods his head in acknowledgement, "Thank you, I understand. I am alright being there for that," he replies. The maester opens the door for him and he steps inside. He wasn't wearing his eyepatch tonight, choosing to keep an amethyst in the socket that was a close match to the purple of his remaining eye. He approaches his father's bed and sits at his side. Viserys already had the appearance of a corpse, as if his body had already begun rotting while he stilled breathed. The King glances at his son with the good side of his face, "Rhaenyra?" he asks a desperation to his tone. Aemond nearly growls in annoyance, he supposes with his long hair and the absence of the patch he had been mistaken for his sister.

"Afraid not father, you'll have to settle for me... Aemond," he clarfies deciding to think of his previous conversation with Rhaenyra and how he had to prove to her he could control his temper.

"Oh... Aemond. I know you think I didn't notice you, but I did. I once claimed the largest dragon alive and my own son did the same," he manages to gasp out. Aemond begins to feel the swell of pride within himself, maybe this hadn't been such a bad idea after all, "that's why I knew you would be alright on your own. You are like Daemon, very independent and self assured. When you claimed Vhagar I knew you would be a warrior," Viserys adds on. And there goes the good feeling he had. What had that lasted, like thirty seconds? Gods this was why he hated him, even on his deathbed he still had excuses for his negligence.

He grinds his teeth together, "I wasn't fine then, and I'm not fine now. Father I've been chasing the feeling of how a SHRED of mother's love felt when I was recovering and I found it vials of poppy. Do you think that is fine? Is it fine that I'm not even sure what love actually feels like? Is it fine that I am angry all the time?" he cries. He hadn't wanted to cry, gods he hated it. Hated it because it caused tears to still well in the empty socket he had a gem in, hated how they would get caught behind it but also still seep out as if it were still a real eye.

"I-I am sorry I failed you... I did the best I knew how to,"

"Fuck you, I hate you. I hate you so much,"

"Then why are you here?" his father rasps out, his breaths becoming more labored.

"Because I'm not like you... I won't leave you to die alone," he says through the lump now in his throat. His father's hand opens and Aemond takes it. Not out of anything other than pity. Viserys can't seem to speak anymore. His breathing becoming slower, the time between each one growing. After a few minutes of this the King takes one more breath in and slowly exhales. Just like that, his father was dead and Aemond was still crying. He stands quickly and leaves through the hidden passageways to return to his room. He refused to let anyone in the main halls see him like this.

Back in his room he hurriedly grabs for his box filled with vials of milk of the poppy. His hands trembling as he opens the box. He downs one, two, then three vials and almost immediately feels the effects of the drug. He never bothered to take this much at once, but gods maybe he should. He felt fantastic. The euphoria only lasted a few moments though, until he caught his reflection in the mirror. His one eye rimmed red, and the gem wet and shinning from his tears. His hair was undone and a mess too. It just reminded him that his father only seemed happy when he thought his son was Rhaenyra. Fucking bastard. His gaze caught on Blackfyre still hanging from his hip. He unsheathes the blade, the pattern of the steel seeming to swirl in his vision from the high of the drugs. It was so sharp, it could cut through necks as if the bone weren't even there; so hair would be nothing to it right? With one hand he gathers up his long silky hair, with the other he raises Blackfyre and with one quick flourish his hair is now awkwardly at the nap of his neck. He looks at the length of hair in his one hand and drops it to the floor before looking into the mirror again. Oh gods... he had fucked up. It was so bad, all he had done was eliminate the length, he had no idea how to actually give himself any sort of style past that.

There was only one person he could think of to help him. Only one person who would judge him, but would keep it to themselves. He goes to her door, and knocks. Rhaena opens the door, eyes blinking as she takes him in. He stands in her doorway, hair hacked to pieces, Blackfyre hanging limply in his dominant hand. He downs another vial, letting it fall to the ground once he consumes it's contents.

"My father is dead," he slurs the words out before glancing down at the floor and back at Rhaena, tears still sticky on his face, "and I fucked up," he adds. He hadn't exactly asked for her to help him, but he hoped his message came across.

[gtzel]

Why do people chose to be jerks?

So about four months ago i was at my youth group chillin with my friend, when these two boys came up and sat next to us. I thought nothing of it and continued my conversation. One says ‘excuse me’ a few times before I finally realize that he was talking to me. He says that his friend (who was sitting next to him) thinks I was cute. (This was the first time someone had complimented me on my looks)

I got flustered and thanked him before bashfully turning and continuing my convo. A minute later the boys get my attention again. The one asks if I can give my number to his friend, to which I politely decline. I then proceed to get up with my friend and leave bc I was flustered and couldn’t talk right. The night ends and I go home thinking about the boy. I was so happy.

Fast forward a few weeks, and i haven’t seen him, but his friends continue to wingman for him. After about a month I finally decide to talk to them, the boy was there and I ask him his name, which(for privacy reasons I will change it) his friend tells me, is joe. So I try talking to joe directly but he pulls his hood up and walks away. Weird.

A few more weeks pass and I talk to his friends, they tell me how ‘much he likes me’ and ‘how he talks about me all the time’ which, okay…weird, but I was flattered. I ask them if they are telling the truth to which they promise me it is. So, I ask for his number through his friends, and they give me it.

I text the number asking if it is him, to which the owner of the number says no, and to please not text. Weird…but I figured that ‘maybe his friends just missed a digit or something’ and blow it off. I continue talking to joes friends, who try to talk him up to me. (Note that I have never even heard this guy talk b4) I try to talk to him a few times, but he just walks away. I assume that he’s just shy, or awkward.

So skip to this past week, at my youth group. I see him, but have already gotten over him. Telling myself that it would never work out anyways. But when I see him with his friends, they keep side eyeing me. Weirrrd….but whatever. I finally decide to chalk it up and finally try talking to him.

When I got to talk to him he blatantly ignores me. Very weird…. So I ask his friend why he was ignoring me. To which he replies that he didn’t know. I walk away, but a few minutes later they both come over to me to talk.

I’m excited, I can finally talk to joe! My heart rate is pulsing, and I’m a flustered mess. Joe speaks and says “yeah, so I’m actually not interested in you at all. My friends were just joking around and it didn’t mean anything” my heart sinks. I say something like ‘oh yeah, I wasn’t interested either, i just wanted a friend’ or whatever, but inside I’m devastated.

These guys played with my feelings for 4 months! They flirted with me, made me feel wanted, and happy. But it was all a joke to them. Some kind of sick game that toyed with my feelings. I didn’t cry, because that would just be pathetic, but I felt like someone ripped out my heard and tore it apart.

I forgive them for doing that to me, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not hurt. I already have issues with relationships, and abandonment, and rejection. But now they are all the worse. I was really hurt, and still am. I feel like trash, unwanted and unappreciated. And I don’t think I’ll be able to trust anyone with my heart like that again for a long time.

I know it was all fun and games for them, but what they did, flattering me and then rejecting me, it really hurt.

So I hope you can learn a lesson from my mistakes. Don’t let people play with you. That’s not to say you should shut people out completely, just guard your heart. People don’t deserve to feel the way I feel, especially if they are already insecure about this stuff. Just remember that, Jesus loves you, and will never reject you. He accepts you for who you are, and will always be there for you. People can be jerks, heck! They chose to be jerks, but we should still forgive them.

If you read this far, feel free to ask me anything if you need to. Thanks for reading through my long vent, and I hope you have a great day. God bless, and goodnight.

[ratsaresoslay]

Rumors are not a good thing... (Soleil's Diary, Day 1)

I thought I was alright.

But with my exams coming up, social anxiety, an eating disorder and parent problems, this was the least of my worries.

My so called 'Crush' had a girlfriend, and it's time I accepted that I also may be aromantic or reciprosexual. I've only recalled feeling a crush a twice. When I was in kindergarten, first grade, and in like the ending of third to the first day of fifth grade, when i barely even had a concience. That's it. And as I got older, everyone found their spark, so by the time I was in 6th grade, I knew something was off. Why wasn't I experiencing this feeling?

Now, I've finally stopped trying to force myself to feel what my brain and body was never meant to feel. And this guy helped me realize it.

So let's call him Ethan, and his girlfriend... Alicia.

Long story short, I thought I liked him, but he sorta made me realize that this is not me and it's okay.

His style always stood out to me. He wore this hat and always kinda dressed up like a kpop idol.

Yes, we never spoke, heck he didn't even know I exist till now, I always admired him from afar.

But this one girl in one of my classes, a girl we'll call Cadence, eavesdrops on my conversation with my best friend Kitty about my realization. (kitty was super supportive, I love her so much)

Seems like cadences brain is too small to comprehend more than one word, so she goes.

"Soleil, you like Ethan?"

I say "No, I don't. Excuse me." In response and leave to the restroom to calm down.

Then later, I bump into Alicia on accident on my way to the library, (who i didnt know was his gf) and this was how our convo went,

(S) "Oh, I'm so sorry"

(A) "It's all good, dw."

(S) "Omg ur so nice, I love your outfit by the way."

(A) "Thank you sm!"

(S) "Bye!"

(A) "Bye"

And I continued to the library to study for our boooooring research project.

I saw her there as well about ten minutes later, and she comes up to me with Cadence next to her, and goes.

"Is your name Soleil?"

"Y-yeah... Why."

Just looks at me like I was a bug.

"Why are you trying to steal my boyfriend?"

"Excuse me?" I don't know why but i just lost it here. "I'm Aromatic. I don't know why you think I'd stoop so low as to steal your boyfriend, when I can't even feel proper romantic attraction. Get a brain, bitch."

Then I just picked up my bag and left the library, I was fine until i got outside, then the realisation hit me and my oversensitve ass has to cry about it, because I immediately knew a stupid little rumor had spread.

So then I was in class, and my professor asks me if I was okay in the hallway, and I told her EVERYTHING. She got quite angry, and gave me permittion to skip this class ( it was the days last class for mee) and that she'll send me the notes. (She's the best, bro. One day, she just pulled a out a panera bread cookie from her desk in the middle of class and gave it to me because I said I was hungry.) I thanked her and left to my dorm, and now I'm writing this cuz I fave noting better to do.

Sometimes being younger than everyone else around you can be tough. I'm surrounded by people in my year that are 18-24 months older than me. I'm in my second year of college as an 18 year old BTW. But anyway, thanks for reading, and remember people's, don't be like cadence, rumors can really ruin someone's day...

(Sorry if this sounds childish, I'm just not that socially mature, ig?)

[survivingthelonelylife-blog]

Woe is mine and I am woe - Part 10

Wednesday x Enid

Full Work

The party is starting and of course Enid is taking forever to get ready. She has changed four times and redone her makeup at least twice. Why is she like this. Just put something on an be done with it.

“Enid are you ready yet, everyone is here.”

“I’m almost done! Just give me a minute.”

She emerges from our room and wow. I’m staring, stop staring, she looks amazing, tell her that, no she’ll know what I mean, so what, ugh.

“You look like a rainbow vomited.”

“Thanks…I think. You look amazing Wednesday.”

“Yes, well, let’s go, we’re already late.”

We get down to the conservatory and immediately are bombarded by relatives. The introductions are endless, but Enid takes it all with a smile. Thing finds his way to Enid’s shoulder, and they seem to be enthralled by his gossip on all the family members. She flows into the natural rhythm of the conversations, taking socialization pressure off me while also making our friendship, attachment, whatever, the center of attention. The dancing begins and Enid pulls me to the center of the floor. We tango, spinning around the room with the rest of the family but I can see nothing but her. At the end I can feel all eyes staring at us. I pull away and quickly excuse myself outside to get some air.

Oh gosh, what did I do, she’s upset. Shit, I shouldn’t have made her dance. Where did she go. Oh no, Mr. Addams is coming up to me, what have I done.

“Mr. Addams, I’m so so sorry.”

“Calm down my little ray of sunshine, what are you apologizing for?”

“I don’t know what I did. Wednesday ran off. I didn’t mean to upset her. I’m so sorry!” Crap here comes the tears.

“Enid, everything is alright. You did nothing wrong. Wednesday does not handle attention well unless it is her own design. I am sure you know that by now. Come here, dry your eyes.” He pulls me in for a hug which has the opposite effect making me cry more. “Come sit down with me and calm yourself.”

We go to his office, and he brings me a glass of water, giving me his handkerchief to wipe my eyes.

“Wednesday does not readily welcome affection, I would guess you have figured that out too.”

I nod my head.

“But with you she does not pull away. She rolls her eyes at your stories and refuses to play with you and Pugsley, but she also smiles and stares at you when she thinks no one is watching. She danced with you tonight in front of everyone.”

“But she ran away after!”

“But she did not notice until the dance was over. She focused on you and was in that moment alone in your arms. My little flower, Wednesday has let you in, in a way no one else has ever been allowed. You bring out a different side of her without making her change who she is. I remember the nerves I felt in the first blooms of love with Tish. I was a mess, desperate to be near her, to touch and kiss her. I think you may feel quite the same.”

“I…I…”

“It’s okay, you need not admit anything to me. If I am right, then she will open to you in time. The person you should admit to is yourself and to Wednesday, and I believe she will say the same. Be patient with her my little rainbow.”

I don’t know what to say, instead I smile and hug him before returning to find Wednesday. I hear his words echoing as I search for her outside. I sit on a nearby bench in the family cemetery and suddenly am overwhelmed by I different voice shouting in my mind. This isn’t right Enid! This is sick! We will find someone to help you! Don’t you want to be normal sweetie?! Shut up mom! I want to scream but instead I start to run, to the woods, where I feel safest, outside of her arms that is. No. Stop. I can’t think like this. I can’t help it but I need to find a way to make it stop.

 4 weeks later

As Enid and I pack our things I see that look of concern etched into her face. I have become quite attuned to reading her many expressions.

“Are you ready to go back?” I ask trying to spark some sort of conversation.

“Mhm.”

That may be the most she’s said to me in days. After the party things were good, or so they seemed. I went on writing, torturing Pugsley when Enid was otherwise occupied, and spending time with Enid otherwise. She had begun a new blog, was becoming worryingly close to my parents, and hung out with thing and Pugsley when I wrote. Although we had never gotten to discussing things, on more than one occasion I found myself comfortable in her arms as we danced or slept. I found I oddly enjoyed the secret kisses I would steal when we were alone and her attempts to hold my hand or even just my finger while we walked through the woods or the cemetery.

Pugsley enjoyed chasing her through the woods when she wolfed out during the full moon, and I enjoyed his screams when she turned and chased him back to the house. We had fallen into a routine that would forcefully end with our return to reality and nevermore. As the semester had gotten closer Enid had begun to withdraw. No longer sneaking around to share moments alone or setting up attempts at romantic occasions with thing’s help. She began to hesitate to even look at me. Did so much change so suddenly or were there other forces working against me.

We arrive back at school and reassemble our room just as before it had been before. Yoko came and collected Enid to hangout not long after we finished unpacking. She halfheartedly invited me to join but I knew she did not mean it so here I sit alone again in this room. Sickened by the void that is building in my chest, I suppose it is time to accept that the summer was a delightful fever dream come to a close. Everything will return to how it had been before. And that is fine with me…right?

[stickynotesfromhell]

S is first chronologically speaking. We dated when I was 19 for a year before he broke up with me for a long distance job. Broke my heart. He was nothing but good to me and I loved him with every fiber of my being. After the summer was over he texted me with some excuse to see me. I knew he wanted to get back together.

We did. And we stayed together for another two years. But he was afraid of his mom finding out cuz she never liked me. He had this jeep that got terrible gas mileage and was a huge money pit. Eventually it got so bad that I was only seeing him every couple of months and he only lived 20 minutes away (I couldn’t drive at that point).

My love language is physical touch. All I wanted to do was fall asleep in this man’s arms and I couldn’t. It felt like he wasn’t making any effort to change it even after I would bring it up so many times. That jeep was holding us back from starting a life together and I couldn’t take it anymore so I left him. Had to text him cuz I was crying too much to call him.

And he just said okay. That it was prolly for the best cuz we kept hurting each other. I didn’t want him to go. I just wanted him to fight for me ya know?

Fast forward 5 or 6 years and his grandma passes away and he posts something about on his Snapchat. I send him my condolences and we kept the conversation going. Basic small talk tho. Was dating my now soon to be ex husband. We had one conversation about the past and the loose contact we kept over the years was just happy birthdays and merry Christmases. I told him when I got married and about my daughter when I had her. Quick conversations and little life updates a few times a year. Never more than that out of respect for my marriage.

Now that I’m getting a divorce and I no longer live with the father of my kid I find myself talking S more. No I didn’t go running desperate for attention to his dms. A lot of friends were lost in the aftermath of my divorce and I wanted someone around that didn’t know what happened. Who didn’t need to know how I was planning on moving forward. The custody situation. The housing situation. The financial situation. Someone who could unknowingly be the most supportive by giving me a mental break. To start helping me find pieces of me again.

But I tend to sink too far into familiar things when I’m stressed and overwhelmed. And nothing much is more familiar than your first love. Of course the more I talked to him the safer I felt. The more it felt like he was the same sweet nerdy boy I was convinced I was gonna marry was I was 19. The more I wondered if his hugs would feel as good as they did back then.

Then one day he told me he was coming back to town (He moved 10 hours away) to visit for a few days. He wanted to know if I wanted to hang out. I definitely did. I hugged him so hard when I saw him.

We got lunch a saw a movie and walked around for a bit. My head ended up on his shoulder during the movie. But the whole time I was fighting the urge to snuggle against his chest. I was (still am) extremely touch starved.

The next day he confessed that he would move back in a heartbeat for me. That I’m still the most beautiful person he’s ever met. Inside and out. That he regrets not fighting for me. That he let me go cuz he hoped that I’d be back.

It’s been 10 years.

[cator99]

Part 2: lord help us

The brides and their 2 bridesmaids– a cousin with white dreads, and one of the tradie lesbians next door– are on the porch out of sight still preparing themselves to walk down the isle, ie, the area from the porch through the kitchen to the living room. I make polite conversation with the officiant, who is in his 80s but comes across as much younger. He talks about being a veteran and the importance of physical activity throughout one's life so you can enter old age with ease. I consider how officiating a morbidly obese wedding may have brought this to the forefront of his mind. Minutes later, I'm chatting with grandma again, who is sitting by the window. She tells me about how her lung cancer came back, in between drags of her cigarette. I chat with the kids and do the toddler-interaction equivalent of throwing a ball for a dog. Still playing but also please get as far away from the cigarette zone as possible jesus christ. The smaller of the 2 kids trips over grandma's oxygen line and I use this opportunity to excuse myself, first to check on her and then to finally pour myself a coffee. The people on the couch are varying degrees of utterly disinterested in their surroundings as things start moving along, the officiant takes his place at the centre of the livingroom wall, standing At Attention, and the children's mother attempts to corall them into walking down the isle with their aunty– all parties seem hesitant in their participation. Mom starts yelling, threatening to spank them if they don't listen, the kids scream and cry, and everyone just kind of sits there awkwardly in their silence making quick glances at one another, circulating pointed eye contact. Grandma finally lets out a wheezing cough and says "what's taking them so long," which signals a collective exhale followed by the reminder that we're inhaling fumes, and then the relief of knowing it will all be over soon, and cue the resuming chatter (atop the screaming), as my mom suggests I take the kids for a walk around the trailer to calm them down. Before I can make a bitchy aside about the mom being the one who needs to cool it, the porch door flies open, as the bridesmaids begin to usher in our queens.....

Wedding: part 1. Introductions

I dont even know where to start. We pull up and grandma's taking a break from her oxygen tube to have a cigarette inside. The bride's toddler-aged niece and nephew are running around screaming and trying to get my attention since half of the attendees are antisocial "ew crotch goblins" type autists. A woman I was acquainted with years ago who has since "transitioned", writes yaoi webcomics, and inexplicably (or, rather, predictably I suppose) goes by a japanese name, is sitting on the couch wearing a bright pink lolita coord– she makes awkward and anxious conversation with me which I enjoy nonetheless as a result of having memories of strong admiration for her from 15 years ago. She's quite a bit older than me, and I remember seeing her at the library as a tween and thinking she looked like the coolest person I'd seen in my town, thought maybe she was a lesbian too, and wanted so badly to know who she was that I snuck a look at the computer sign-in sheet just so I could try and guess which name might reasonably belong to her, and repeated the name to myself all the way home, imagining walking up to her and introducing myself one day and what I might do to try and get her to think I'm "cool". Nowadays she mostly seems stuck in a vicious cycle— posting an eyesore-pastel yaoi drawing on instagram that she clearly put a lot of work into, complaining repeatedly that it's not getting any engagement, asking people to like and comment, before finally sharing that she's deleting everything and going on hiatus because she's depressed that her art isnt getting anywhere, only to resurface in a month, rinse and repeat. Beside her is a barefoot 6 foot 2 woman who shakes my hand vigorously for a solid 20 seconds with a grip that cuts off my circulation. And beside her is a relatively normal looking man who appears to be in his 40s and makes normal– even intelligent– conversation with me. I wonder what he's doing there– and if he just got roped into it like me. I notice his pokemon belt and think okay so he's a dweeb but he still comes across as well-adjusted— wtf is the story here? I introduce myself to the grandparents, whose trailer the wedding is being hosted in, and they immediately take a liking to me since I'm such a strapping young lad to the extent that they dont even realize that I'm the one who my mother has referred to as her Daughter multiple times, and continue calling me "he" and asking about my trades aspirations etc (this particular type of enthusiasm towards your career is an interaction you unlock when people think you're a Normie Male– something I've learned very recently)... The bride's mother is already in tears– Finally, She's Not My Problem! Thank You God!!– as she holds in her hands a contract for the American bride to sign agreeing to mom's "No Returns" policy.