#he's just!! a little guy who wants to be cool!!!!!

[evansboyfriend]

since the show is coming back tomorrow (!!!) and people seem to be a little bit confused about Tommy Kinard's canon character traits, as extrapolated from the source material, let's review, shall we?

Tommy put everything on the line, risked his job, not to mention entire life, by agreeing to fly Hen and Chimney and two more guys he's never even met before through a hurricane to maybe find (the wreckage of) a cruise ship that his old captain was on. He did it because Chimney called him and asked for a favour (also seen in 2x14, Broken) and because he trusts Hen's instincts (evidenced in 2x09, Hen Begins)

Tommy lied through his teeth to his co-worker when he stepped in to save Hen's unsuccessful bullshitting and made fake mouth static at the fire chief pretending the connection is bad before disconnecting the call. If there was nothing wrong with the cruise ship, he would have been fired, or at the very least suspended.

okay, what do we know so far? Tommy is loyal to his friends even if they haven't talked in years, he is dependable and will come through in a crisis.

we also know Tommy is a very skilled and competent pilot (given he's able to operate both the plane in 2x14 and helicopter in 7x03) and he flew said helicopter through a hurricane, landed it on the belly of a capsized ship, rescued the survivors, and flew everyone back to safety. and given the extremely dangerous conditions of the rogue rescue mission, I'd say he's also brave and/or a little bit reckless; when the situation calls for it, at least.

he's also super cool, an opinion shared by multiple characters (Buck, Christopher, and Chimney).

that being said, let's move on to 7x04

Tommy agreed to give Buck a tour of Harbor station, meaning he had to go to work on his day off, and then offered him flying lessons. So he's either super nice or he's interested in the cute guy (i think it's a little bit of both)

Tommy invited Eddie, a guy he barely knows, to a sold out big reunification bout, with ringside tickets that he got from the organiser, who he's apparently friends with, and flew them in a chopper! He's just a super nice dude.

Tommy offered to drive Eddie to the hospital, and talked about The Incident with him, because when he gets to Buck's loft, he says "he [Eddie] feels bad, in fact we both do" and honestly, he had no obligation to do any of that. He could have let Buck drive Eddie since he offered and wiped his hands clean of that mess. But he's a caring and considerate person, further evidenced by the fact that...

Tommy went to Buck's loft before he had to go to work, to talk to him in person and clear the air, saying he didn't want to do it on the phone or in a text. Tommy starts by apologising and stating very clearly that he never meant to come between Buck and Eddie and that neither of them meant to exclude Buck. He also easily reciprocated Buck's vulnerability. I think the loft scene alone does a great job at showing us that Tommy doesn't shy away from confrontation or a difficult conversation, is emotionally mature, values open and honest conversation, and owns up to his flaws and insecurities. (Yeah, I'm trying to be concise. There's meta upon meta about the goddamn loft scene)

He's also a little bit insane because why does hearing that the cute guy maimed his best friend make you want to kiss him. Tommy Kinard will see a red flag and pretend to be colourblind. (-> for tumblr purposes this is a joke)

anyway, moving on, Saturday rolls around...

Tommy noticed that Buck was a little tense, reassured him that no one's looking at them, and sympathised with him. He doesn't judge Buck, like, at all. I don't need to list all the ways Buck made an absolute fool of himself on their very first date. He also paid for the dinner.

Tommy cut the date short (abruptly, because this is a drama show) but before he left, he told Buck he's adorable, but not ready - and this is right after Buck forcefully shoved him back in the closet in front of their mutual friend, and especially after Tommy told him about his own difficult journey coming out of the closet.

Tommy showed up at the café, told Buck he has nothing to apologise for, and explained that he cut the date short because didn't want to pressure Buck.

Tommy asks Buck if he's absolutely sure, about Tommy being his date at his sister's wedding. Then says okay.

more character traits for Tommy Kinard: generous, non-judgmental, sympathetic, patient, and once again, a little bit insane.

night of Chimney's bachelor party/day of Maddie and Chimney's wedding:

Tommy shows up to the bachelor party even though he's on call for work, you know, as a firefighter pilot, and he could have spent this time sleeping or resting in case he gets called... and he does, to a wildfire! Before he goes he promises Buck that he'll try his damndest to make it to the wedding.

Tommy shows up as promised, after spending at least half a day fighting a wildfire? In his turnouts, covered in soot, but he shows up as promised.

I think this shows he is selfless first and foremost because he made time to show up to the (failed) bachelor party and he is honest and keeps his promises. Even if that means bringing a biohazard (himself) to a place full of vulnerable sick people (the hospital). Because, as previously established, he's a little bit insane.

these are the core Tommy episodes of season 7.

as for 7x09 and 7x10:

Tommy tenses up when confronted with his old captain Gerrard - who then subtly throws a slur at his face

Tommy is quick with the sass and will not indulge in his nosey friends' inquisitive questions

Tommy notices Buck's mood and checks in with him - he's caring and attentive

Tommy once again does not hesitate to admit to feeling jealous

Tommy doesn't really talk to his dad

Tommy likens his dad to captain Gerrard

Tommy admits that having Gerrard as his captain did not make him a better person (and okay, sidenote to talk about something that annoys me about this, because Tommy had different captains, including Bobby, while at the 118, and I think s7 canon seriously overestimated how long he worked under Gerrard, but let's say Gerrard was his first captain as a probie and influenced him to a certain extent)

some odd tidbits ~

Tommy has a sarcastic, deadpan sense of humour

Tommy is a goddamn flirt and unbelievably smooth

Tommy came out after he transferred from the 118 to the 217/Harbor Station

Tommy used to be a pilot in the army

Tommy flies for fun on his days off

Tommy plays basketball every other Thursday with Eddie and other first responders

Tommy knows muay thai

Tommy has a car lift and knows his way around an engine

Tommy likes watching half-naked pummel each other

Tommy likes karaoke trivia

Tommy likes craft beer, monster trucks, and the movie 'Love, Actually' (provided canon doesn't forget about this and/or retcons it for some reason)

[syluslnd]

SO going to request an imagine of sylus finding you at a nightclub when you decided to go out with Tara and a few other hunters one night cause I love you’re writing 🤍 maybe when it’s still in the early stages of their relationship but he’s wanting to make his claim obvious, even if everyone is wasted!

jealous sylus • imagine

As you laughed with your friends, sharing stories and teasing one another, you caught a glimpse of Sylus across the room. He leaned against the bar, his presence commanding even in the thrumming crowd. He was dressed sharply, exuding an aura of danger and allure that turned heads, but his eyes were locked onto you.

For a moment, you felt a thrill at the sight of him but it was quickly overshadowed by a hint of mischief in your heart. You turned back to your friends, flashing them a playful grin as you swayed to the music, completely unaware of the storm brewing within Sylus.

From his spot, Sylus’s jaw tightened as he watched you, laughter bubbling up between you and Tara. He knew he shouldn’t feel this way—jealousy wasn’t an emotion he easily entertained. Yet, seeing you smile and flirt with the others ignited a possessive fire in him that he struggled to control.

“Look at her” he muttered to himself, his voice low and slightly irritated. “Does she even realize what she’s doing?”

His gaze remained fixed on you, the way your laughter lit up the dimly lit room making his heart race with a mix of pride and frustration. He took a sip of his drink, trying to maintain his cool demeanor but inside he was losing his composure. The sight of you flirting and dancing with others stirred something primal within him, a protective instinct that was impossible to ignore.

“Hey! Sylus!” Tara called out, waving him over with a grin.

You glanced back, surprised to see him, your eyes lighting up. “What are you doing here?”

“Just making sure my little kitten is safe,” he replied smoothly, masking the possessiveness in his tone. But the way he stepped closer, shoulders squared and gaze sharp, conveyed an unspoken warning to anyone who dared to look at you.

You laughed, the sound melodic in the chaos of the club. “I’m fine! Just having fun!”

“Fun?” he echoed, his voice low but playful, though the glint in his eyes suggested otherwise. “I see you having too much fun.”

You nudged Tara, laughing even harder. “See? Sylus is just jealous!”

His expression didn’t change, but you could see the way his fingers tightened around his glass, the subtle flicker of annoyance crossing his features. “Jealous? No sweetie, just protecting what’s mine.”

As the night progressed, Sylus stood by watching you dance and chat, his internal struggle growing. Every time you threw your head back in laughter, his chest tightened. He could feel himself slipping into the depths of jealousy, the heat rising within him at the thought of anyone else getting too close.

When you turned to your friends, leaning in for a secretive whisper, he stepped forward, a possessive presence suddenly looming over you. “Time to go” he stated, his tone brokering no argument.

You turned, surprise etched on your face. “But we’re just—”

“No ‘buts’” he interrupted, voice firm but still playful. “You’ve had enough fun for one night.”

Your friends exchanged glances, clearly amused by Sylus’s sudden appearance and his claim over you. Tara shot you a conspiratorial grin, stifling a laugh as Sylus took your hand, leading you away from the thrumming chaos.

“Seriously?” you said, laughter still in your voice. “You can’t just pull me away because you’re jealous!”

“I’m not jealous” he insisted, though the slight tightening of his grip on your hand suggested otherwise. “I just don’t want you to be the center of attention for every guy in this club.”

“Me? I’m just having fun!” you retorted, but you couldn’t help the smile that crept onto your face.

“Yeah, fun that involves too many eyes on you,” he replied, finally allowing a smirk to play at his lips. “You’re mine,kitten”

His words sent a thrill through you, the possessiveness in his tone igniting a warmth deep within. “Okay, okay! I get it!” you laughed, relishing the attention he was giving you, despite the way he pretended to be annoyed.

“Let’s get out of here before I have to start marking my territory” he teased, his eyes dark with amusement and something deeper, a promise of more to come.

You rolled your eyes, but the flutter in your chest told you just how much you liked this side of him. As he led you out into the cool night air, you felt the weight of his presence beside you, a comfort that wrapped around you like a protective cloak. And despite the teasing, it was clear: Sylus was claiming you as his own, jealousy and all.

[itneverendshere]

you said i have to trust more freely - r.c series (five)

requested here; (one); (two); (three); (four)

pairing: rafe x pogue!reader(the duff inspired); college!au word count: 5k

Ps: enjoy the fluff bc i might have an epiphany and bring the angst back full force 🥰

It had been days since the talk, and you still couldn’t wrap your head around it. You sat on your couch, staring blankly at your textbook, trying to convince yourself you were focusing on your work, but let’s be real—you weren’t.

You were thinking about him.

The guy who, just two days ago, basically admitted he had feelings for you—and, to your own surprise, you admitted you felt something too. That whole conversation felt surreal. 

It was terrifying in the moment—standing there, in the library after your lunch date with Nate, both of you avoiding eye contact like the plague until one of you finally broke the silence.

And now what? What was supposed to happen next?

You groaned, flopping back onto the couch. Your mind kept remembering how everything felt different now. Like, way different. You couldn’t look at Rafe the same way, couldn’t just be around him without wondering if he was thinking about it too—the kiss, the feelings, the whole thing. 

And then, of course, there were Ava and Harper, who were way too invested in your love life now. Every time you and Rafe were in the same room, they’d shoot each other these obnoxious grins, making over-the-top kissy faces behind his back. Could they be more obvious?

As if on cue, Harper burst through the front door, Ava trailing right behind her.

“Okay, we need details,” Harper said, dropping her bag and plopping down next to you.

“Yeah,” Ava chimed in, sitting on the arm of the couch. “You’ve been weirdly quiet about it for days, and we know something’s up.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to play it cool. “There’s nothing to tell. We talked. That’s it.”

“That’s it?” Harper raised an eyebrow. “You two pretty much confessed you like each other. That’s not nothing!”

“Yeah, and now it’s weird,” you muttered, pushing your hair back, trying to find the words for everything that had been running through your mind since that day. “We’re supposed to be friends, you know?”

Ava exchanged a knowing look with Harper. “Sweets, nothing about having feelings for someone is uncomplicated. And besides, this is Rafe we’re talking about. You two hated each other—now you’re into each other. That’s a lot to process.”

“I know.” You chewed on your lip, feeling a little more exposed than you wanted to in that moment. “I just don’t know how to act around him. Before, we could just hang out, and it was fine, and now I’m wondering if he’s thinking about it every second like I am. And what happens if this thing between us doesn’t work?”

Harper grinned. “Or what if it does work? What if you actually, you know… like being with him?”

You shot her a look. “Stop.”

But Harper wasn’t stopping. “Come on, have you seen the way you look at him?

“I don’t look at him!”

“Oh yes you do,” Ava said, laughing when you threw a pillow at her, “You even drool sometimes.”

Harper snorted at her comment. “You totally do, like, the ‘I want to kiss him but I don’t know if I should’ thing with your eyes.”

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you guys. I knew you’d turn it into a whole thing.”

“Because it is a whole thing!” Ava said, grabbing the pillow you’d thrown and tossing it back at you. “You and Rafe! I mean, come on, this is literally the plot of every teen drama ever.”

You peeked up at her from between your fingers. “Except this isn’t TV.”

“What’s the worst that could happen? You like him, he likes you. Just date already.”

“He didn’t ask me, did he?” You grumble.

“Oh, so that’s what this is about.”

“Oh my god, it’s not about that,” you said, but even as the words left your mouth, you felt your face heat up. Of course they caught that.

You knew why Rafe hadn’t asked you out yet. It wasn’t like he was just being slow or clueless. He was literally waiting because you had told him to. You’re the one who said you needed time to figure yourself out, to see if this was really what you wanted. And he respected that. So, technically, this was all on you.

Still, it didn’t make it any less frustrating. Sure, you asked for time, but now that you had it? You were just overthinking everything and driving yourself nuts. And it wasn’t like you didn’t want him to ask, because, oh my god, you did. 

You were just being pissy for no real reason, sitting here annoyed that he was actually doing what you’d asked him to do. Classic.

You groaned, sinking further into the couch cushions. “I’m such an idiot.”

Harper grinned, clearly enjoying your self-inflicted pain. “Yep. But at least you’re self-aware.”

Ava, ever the voice of reason, patted your knee. “Look, you said you needed time. He’s respecting that, which is honestly kind of amazing. Most guys would’ve freaked out or bailed, but Rafe’s giving you space. That’s a good thing.”

“I know,” you said, exasperated. “I just… I don’t even know what I’m waiting for anymore. What am I trying to figure out? I already like him. It’s just—”

“Just what?” Harper interrupted. “You’re scared?”

“I’m not scared,” you snapped, then immediately sighed. “Okay, fine, maybe I am. I just don’t want to screw things up.”

“Rafe’s not some random hookup,” Ava said softly. “If anything, you guys have been building this thing without even realizing it. He’s not going anywhere, so stop psyching yourself out.”

“Exactly. Just text him and say, ‘Hey, I changed my mind. Let’s go out,’” Harper suggested with a mischievous smirk. “I bet he’ll be here in five minutes, tops. I’ve seen the way he looks at you too."

That was the part that got you.

Rafe Cameron, the guy who used to roll his eyes at you back home, now couldn’t seem to stop looking at you like you were the only person in the room. And you… you liked it. A lot.

Ava nudged you, her grin widening as she pulled out her phone. “Speaking of, is he coming over?”

“Not today,” you mumbled, grabbing your phone to check it anyway.

 No new messages.

“Ugh, you two are impossible,” She groaned, crossing her arms. “When are you going to tell him you actually like him? Like the actual words?

“Yeah, and when are you going to stop playing it so cool?” Harper added.

You scoffed. “You think I’m playing it cool? I literally have no idea what I’m doing.”

Just then, your phone buzzed in your lap. You glanced down and saw Rafe’s name on the screen.

Rafe:  want to grab dinner tonight?

Your heart did that stupid fluttery thing again. Ava leaned over your shoulder, reading the text, while Harper grinned like she was plotting your wedding already.

“Dinner, huh?” Harper teased. “Sounds like a date to me.”

“It’s not a date,” you said quickly, though the idea didn’t sound so bad. “It’s probably just… I don’t know. He wants to talk about the whole feelings thing.”

Ava let out a high-pitched squeal, and Harper started making kissy faces. “Ooooh, talk,” she teased, drawing out the word with an exaggerated wink, “Trust me, it’s a date.”

“Oh my God!” You grabbed another pillow and threw it at them, “You’re so fucking annoying.” You sighed, standing up and grabbing your phone. “If this goes horribly wrong, I’m blaming you two.”

Harper beamed. “You’ll thank us later.”

You weren’t sure how you got from your doorm to the restaurant, but there you were, standing in front of Rafe as the two of you waited for a table. This wasn’t the easygoing banter you’d grown used to during study sessions or late-night hangouts. This was… different.

Rafe stood next to you, looking as calm and collected as ever. If he was nervous, he didn’t show it. Meanwhile, your stomach was doing somersaults.

He looked good—like, stupidly, unfairly, make-your-heart-pound-in-your-throat good. The kind of good that made you stop breathing. He was wearing a charcoal grey Henley shirt, the kind you never imagined him in, but now you couldn’t stop imagining it. It clung to his chest and arms in a way that had your mouth watering, showing off his muscular frame more than any of his usual polos ever did.

You swallowed hard, trying to look anywhere but directly at him. But it was impossible to ignore how the sleeves hugged his biceps, or how the soft fabric stretched just slightly across his broad shoulders. Even his hair, usually tousled in a “couldn’t care less” kind of way, looked effortlessly perfect tonight, like he was trying to kill you.

And then he caught you looking.

A slow, knowing grin spread across his face as his eyes met yours, like he could read every thought running through your head. "You good?"

You snapped out of it, blinking quickly, "Yeah, fine," you mumbled, though you were definitely not fine. Not with him standing there looking like he just stepped out of a magazine ad.

"Uh-huh," he said, clearly unconvinced, the smirk on his lips only growing wider. "You sure? You’ve been staring for a while."

You flushed instantly, the heat rising to your cheeks. "I wasn’t staring!"

"Right," Rafe drawled, stepping closer, "If you say so."

The worst part? He knew exactly what he was doing to you. That stupid Henley. He had to know. The server reappeared out of nowhere, "Table for two? Right this way!" she chirped with perfect timing.

You let out a sigh of relief, quickly stepping past Rafe, feeling your heart slow just a little. The place was packed, like it always was—one of those busy pizzerias where you could barely hear yourself think because of all the noise. The smell of freshly baked dough and melted cheese were in the air.

Rafe chuckled under his breath as you followed the server, clearly amused, “Why are you walking so fast?” he muttered, just loud enough for you to hear. You shot him a quick look over your shoulder. 

The server led you to a cozy corner booth near the back of the restaurant. It wasn’t fancy—far from it, actually. The table was slightly sticky, the chairs mismatched, and there was a stack of menus with creases on the edges already waiting for you. You loved it, it reminded you of home somehow.

He slid into the booth across from you, sitting with that same infuriatingly relaxed posture, his eyes never leaving you. "Guess we lucked out with a table," he said casually, picking up a menu.

You nodded, grateful for the noise of the restaurant “Yeah, it’s packed tonight.”

As you read the menu, trying to focus on pizza toppings instead of how good he looked across from you, you couldn’t help but feel the nerves start to fade just a little. It wasn’t fancy, and maybe that was the point. It was just dinner. Just the two of you. You could handle that... right?

"Do you always take this long to pick pizza toppings?" he teased, tilting his head as if genuinely curious. His pretty eyes flickered between you and the menu like this was some kind of game, one you were definitely losing.

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t fight the grin that pulled at the corner of your lips. "Sorry, I’m just trying to make sure I don’t ruin this life-altering decision. I know how you feel about your pizza."

That earned you a chuckle. God, why was it so attractive? You forced yourself to stare at the menu again, but your brain was mush. Every time you tried to focus on mozzarella, all you could think about was his stupid smirk and how his arms looked ridiculously good in that shirt. It was casual, but on Rafe? Casual somehow felt dangerous. And yeah, he was dangerous—at least to your heart rate.

"Pepperoni and jalapeño," he said suddenly, his voice dropping like he was letting you in on a secret. "Trust me, it’s the best combo."

"Spicy," you quipped, arching an eyebrow. "Trying to impress me, Cameron?"

Rafe’s smirk deepened, and his eyes did that thing—that thing where they darkened just a little, like he knew exactly what kind of effect he had on you. "If I wanted to impress you, I wouldn’t be ordering pizza."

“Right, kook king and all.”

Rafe just raised an eyebrow, “I’m not that guy anymore, you know. Or have you not noticed?”

Oh, you’d noticed.

How could you not? Rafe had always been the guy you were supposed to avoid. The entitled, rich kid who would’ve scowled at you in disgust not too long ago. But now, here you were, sitting across from him in some hole-in-the-wall pizza place, trying not to melt into a puddle under his attention.

“You’re still a kook,” you pointed out, mostly because teasing him felt safer than admitting you actually liked this version of him.

He shrugged casually, eyes locked on yours. “Maybe. But that doesn’t change the fact that we’re here, does it?”

You swallowed, trying to stay unaffected by how close he was, the way his voice lowered like the conversation was suddenly just for the two of you. “No, it doesn’t.”

He leaned back, his grin softening. “You’re thinking too much.”

Your eyes widened slightly. “How do you know that?”

“Because you always do.” He laughed softly, shaking his head. “You’re always overthinking everything.”

He wasn’t wrong. You’d been spiraling. It was like you couldn’t just let yourself feel whatever this was without worrying about what would happen next. Whether this thing with Rafe would blow up in your face like a bad movie plot or—worse—turn into something you couldn’t handle.

Jus as his warm smile started to settle you, you heard a voice that made your stomach drop.

“Uh, hey? What’s going on here?”

You froze. 

No way. You didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was.

Nate.

Rafe’s eyes moved from you to the figure standing just behind you.

Great.

You slowly turned in your seat, Nate was standing there, looking between the two of you. This was bad. So bad. 

“Nate,” you started, “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Nate said, his brows knitting together as he glanced between you and Rafe. “You said you were busy with school stuff tonight.”

You winced. You had told him that. Because technically, you didn’t lie— you had planned on studying, but then Rafe texted you, and well… one thing led to another. And now here you were, on what very much felt like a date, with Nate staring at you like you’d just ripped his heart out. A little bit dramatic.

Rafe, still lounging casually in the booth, watched the whole thing with a raised eyebrow, clearly sizing Nate up, like he always did. He didn’t say anything, but you could feel the way he didn’t like this one bit—he was waiting for you to explain, waiting to see how you’d handle this.

“I—um…” You fumbled for words, your brain short-circuiting under the weight of the awkwardness. “I wasn’t expecting to run into you. This is… Rafe and I were just—”

“Just having dinner,” He cut in smoothly, “Nothing you need to worry about.”

Nate’s eyes narrowed slightly, his jaw tensing as he looked at Rafe. “Right. And how long has this been going on?”

You could hear the accusation in his voice, and it made your stomach twist. Nate wasn’t your boyfriend, but you’d been hanging out—nothing serious, but enough that this looked pretty bad from his perspective.

“Nate, it’s not like that,” you tried to explain. What could you even say right now?

Rafe glanced at you, one eyebrow quirking up like he was daring you to say more. “You don’t owe him an explanation.”

Except you kinda did because you felt like you’d been leading Nate on. You owed him something, even if it was just a proper way to end whatever this was between the two of you.

Nate crossed his arms. “Seems like there’s something to explain, though. I mean, you’ve been acting weird ever since we went to lunch the other day, and now I see you out with him?” He gestured toward Rafe, “So what is this? Are you guys a thing now?”

“Nate…” You took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I’ve enjoyed hanging out with you, but I don’t think this is going to go where you’re hoping it will.”

Nate blinked, clearly not expecting that. “Oh.” His voice dropped, and he looked away for a moment. You felt like a bitch. You’d been the one to start persuing him and now you were doing this. 

“Yeah, I guess that clears it up,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. Then his eyes moved back to Rafe, and his expression hardened again. “Just watch out for him, alright?” His voice was stiff, but he wasn’t looking at you when he said it.

He was staring straight at Rafe, who didn’t flinch, just glared right back, his posture still cool, but his jaw tightened. “You don’t need to worry about her,” He said evenly, “I’ve got it covered.”

Nate clenched his fists but then shook his head with a sharp exhale. “Whatever. Take care, okay?” He shot you one last look, and you could see the disappointment there before he turned and walked away.

For a long moment, you just sat there, staring after him, feeling the guilt built in your chest. That had been brutal. Maybe you hadn’t handled things with Nate perfectly, but you hadn’t meant to hurt him like that.

Rafe, on the other hand, didn’t seem phased by Nate’s little number. “You okay?” he asked, his voice softer now, like he was checking in.

You nodded slowly, though you didn’t entirely feel okay. “Yeah… just didn’t expect that.”

“Seems like he’s got it bad for you.”

You shot him a look. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Maybe a little. But you didn’t answer his question.”

You blinked, caught off guard. “What question?”

Rafe tilted his head. “Are we a thing?” Oh god. The way he was looking at you right now—it wasn’t just playful anymore. It was real, and serious. “Well?” 

You took a deep breath, “I guess we are.”

It was like he needed to hear you say it, to own it. "Guess?" he repeated.

"Yeah, I guess we are," you said, more firmly this time. But the second the words left your mouth, you realized you didn’t really “guess.”

You knew. You’d known for a while now, ever since those late-night conversations, the way he looked at you, the way he made you feel like you were the only person in the room. You weren’t just some fling to him. And that terrified you.

He leaned forward across the table, just close enough that you could catch a hint of his perfume. His hand reached across the table, fingers brushing lightly against yours. It was such a simple touch, but it felt like everything. Like the start of something. You wanted to say something—anything—but your brain had gone completely blank, and all you could do was stare back at him, trying to understand what the hell was happening.

Then, without warning, he shifted in his seat, his long arms reaching across the small table, getting closer, his eyes never leaving yours. Before you could sutter out something stupid, his hand cupped the back of your neck, pulling you toward him until your lips met.

It wasn’t tentative or slow. It was like he had made up his mind a long time ago, like this was something he’d been waiting to do. It wasn’t deep or drawn out, but it didn’t need to be. You could feel the strength of his hand at your neck, his fingers just barely threading through your hair, like he had some invisible line of control over you, but it wasn’t demanding or forceful. You just knew was holding back, knowing this wasn’t the place for more.

When he pulled back—just an inch—you could still feel his breath against your lips. His eyes stayed on yours, his thumb lightly brushed the nape of your neck and you felt like you were still leaning forward, chasing more even though you knew you couldn’t have it.

It was quick—barely a few seconds—but it left you completely breathless. “Told you, you overthink too much,” he murmured, his voice low enough that only you could hear, like it was your little secret.

The next day felt oddly normal, like nothing monumental had happened the night before—except it had. You were walking across campus with him now, books in hand, making easy conversation about random things. No one knew about you two yet—not officially, at least.

As you approached the doors to your building, Rafe slowed down. You weren’t even thinking about it, just caught up in the rhythm of your walk and the conversation, until suddenly he leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to your lips. 

It wasn’t premeditated or dramatic—just an automatic gesture, like it was the most natural thing in the world. You eyes widened as you remembered exactly where you were: standing right outside your class building, in the middle of campus, where anyone could see. The kiss had felt so casual, so… normal, like he did it all the time. Like you were his and he didn’t care who saw.

He pulled away just as quickly as he’d kissed you, his lips curving into a smirk as he gave you a nod. “See you later sweets,” he said as if he hadn’t just left you completely flustered. Then he turned and walked off, completely oblivious that you were standing there, still processing what had just happened.

You blinked, trying to collect yourself, when you heard it: high-pitched squeals from just a few feet away.

“Oh my God, oh my GOD!” Harper’s voice was practically a screech.

You looked up to find both her and Ava standing by the door to your classroom, wide-eyed and grinning like they’d just witnessed the biggest scandal of the year.

“No way,” Ava gasped, her hands clapping over her mouth, her eyes darting from you to where Rafe had just walked away. “Did that just happen? Did he just kiss you, right in front of everyone?!”

Harper was already losing it, jumping up and down in excitement, her curls bouncing around her face. “I can’t believe this—finally! FINALLY!”

Your face flushed instantly as you looked between your two best friends. “Guys, it’s not a big deal—” you started, but they were having none of it.

“Not a big deal?!?” Ava cut in, eyes wide in disbelief. “Are you serious?!”

“Literally, he didn’t even hesitate!” Harper added, her hands dramatically flying to her head. “That was so hot! I’m obsessed with this. I need details. What the hell happened last night?”

You groaned, trying to hide the ridiculous grin creeping onto your face. “It’s not—okay, fine, it kind of is a big deal, but can you guys not freak out about it? We haven’t even talked about what this is yet. It's a thing."

Ava’s jaw dropped. “You don’t need to talk! He just kissed you!” She looked like she was about to burst from excitement. “Oh my God, this is so cute, I’m literally dying.”

Harper, still vibrating with energy, grabbed your arm and started pulling you toward the door. “We are so talking about this more later. This is the best day ever.”

After class, you three claimed a table near the windows at the cafeteria. You were mid-laugh, picking at your food, when you finally spilled all the details about last night.

“So, get this,” you sai, “Nate just showed up. Like, out of nowhere. I’m sitting there with Rafe, and then suddenly, boom—He’s standing right in front of us, asking what the hell is going on.”

Harper’s eyes widened, a piece of lettuce dangling from her fork. “No way. No way! And you told him—?”

“I basically had to reject him right then and there,” you admitted, biting your lip. “I felt so bad. He wasn’t my boyfriend or anything, but still, it was awful.”

Ava gasped dramatically, smacking the table with her hand. “Holy shit, I wish I could’ve seen his face.”

You winced, nodding. “Yeah, he was… not happy. But it’s not like I could’ve kept leading him on. I didn’t mean for it to happen in front of Rafe, though.”

“Oh my God, I bet he was loving it,” Harper said, leaning forward with a wicked grin. “He just sat there, didn’t he?”

“Pretty much,” you laughed, shaking your head. “He didn’t say a word until Nate started getting all protective.”

Harper snorted, “It’s so classic. But seriously, how did Nate even find you guys? Was he stalking you or something?”

“I don’t know,” you admitted. “I think it was just a really bad coincidence. I feel like such an asshole, but it’s not like I could just—”

“Ladies.”

Your head snapped up at the sound of that voice, and you almost dropped your fork. Rafe was standing right there, looming over your table like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

“Speak of the devil,” Ava muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing playfully as she glanced between you and him.

Harper, never one to miss an opportunity, leaned back in her chair “Hey, Cameron. We were just talking about you. Pull up a seat.”

He smirked, clearly picking up on the tone of the conversation, but didn’t hesitate to slide into the empty chair next to you. 

“All good things, I hope,” he said, raising an eyebrow as he looked at you.

You shot him a look, “When have I ever spoken highly of you?”

“Awww, missed you too.” he said, smirking as he grabbed a fry off your plate like he’d been part of the conversation the whole time.

“Stop eating my fries,” You scowled, he just shrugged, popping the fry in his mouth like it was no big deal. “I’m gonna smack you,” You sighed, shaking your head at him. “Can you at least get your own fries?”

He smirked, “Why would I do that when I can steal yours?”

Harper let out a dramatic sigh, clasping her hands together. “I love this for you guys. Truly. I can’t wait for the wedding.”

You groaned, throwing a napkin at her, "You’re ridiculous."

Rafe just chuckled, grabbing one last fry. “I think I’m gonna like hanging out with your friends.”

Ava gave you a sly look before turning to him. “Okay, since you’re here now, and we’ve got you trapped—let’s get to the important stuff. What exactly are your intentions with our girl?”

You closed your eyes wanting to sink into the floor.

“Are we talking dates? Or are you planning to ask her out for real?”

Harper leaned forward, clearly invested. “Yeah, Rafe. What’s the hold-up? When’s the official girlfriend status happening?”

You could feel your face heating up, and you shot them both an exasperated look. “Guys, seriously? We’re doing this now?”

Rafe, however, looked completely unbothered by the question as he glanced at you. “I was going to ask her when the time felt right,” he said, “But if you’re so eager, maybe I should just ask her now.”

The entire table fell silent. Ava and Harper exchanging shocked glances, their eyes lighting up with excitement. You, on the other hand, were doing your best not to choke on the air around you.

“Wait, what?” you stammered, wide-eyed, not entirely sure if he was serious or just messing with you.

“You heard me.”

Ava let out a squeal, covering her mouth. “Oh my God, this is happening!”

“Are you seriously asking me that right now? In front of them?”

Harper was practically vibrating in her seat. “Yes, Rafe! Ask her! We need a moment to remember forever!”

“No,” You glared at your friends, “If you ask me to be your girlfriend while you’re munching on those greasy fries, I’ll never speak to you again.”

Rafe just laughed, wiping his hands on a napkin “Yes ma’am.”

What even was this? He had this uncanny ability to make you feel like you were the only person in the world when he looked at you. And the fact that he could make your friends—the two people who knew you best and knew the history between you two—just as obsessed with him as you secretly were? That was dangerous. 

Harper, never one to let a moment die, leaned over the table, her voice all conspiratorial. “You two are disgustingly cute, you know that?”

You rolled your eyes, “It’s not like that.”

Ava grinned. “Oh, it so is. Just embrace it, babe.”

Rafe tilted his head, giving you that look .“You gonna keep denying it?”

You felt yourself blush, but you weren’t about to give them all the satisfaction of a full confession. “Maybe I’m just waiting for the right moment.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly picking up on your teasing. “Guess I’ll have to make that moment happen soon then.”

Ava let out a dreamy sigh. "I love love."

[trulyumai]

Fall Baking

pairing: eddie munson / gf! reader

synopsis: it was finally fall. more rain, more sweaters. this also meant the return of the infamous, ‘Hawkins Fair.’ eddie could care less about it really, but you were ecstatic.

warnings: none, fluff only!

A/N: im baking like crazy right now so this automatically came to my head. I’m ready to drown in pumpkin bread and warm coffee.

Eddie knew you loved the fall.

When the leafs started to turn, the weather getting colder and sbittier than normal, yeah, that was when that thing happened to your eyes.

They’d get all shiny and well, cute.

He was the opposite. He could do without the hindrance of rain bearing against him anytime he wanted to take out the trash or walk to the corner store.

But seeing you so happy about little sprinkles of condensation made the man weak.

So he detested the cold weather a little less for you.

And you know what the cold weather brought?

Fall excursions.

Aka: The Fair.

“Guys, you’re not gonna believe this!” Slamming your lunch down on the table, your body molded against his in one solid motion.

Eddie grunted out in surprise, but it didn’t stop you from talking about the surprise you had in store.

“The fair is coming back!”

Only stares were given, Gaven looked over at Jeff who was returning the same empty, confused look.

Eddie jumped in with a clearing of his throat, being the best boyfriend ever he had to save the day, right?

“No way, baby!”

“Way!” You giggled, relaxing into Eddies hold as you dug out the celery sticks in your little box.

“And, the school is accepting student stalls, that’s gonna be so much fun!”

“Why is that fun— ow!” With a harsh kick to Gavin’s knee, Eddie changed the subject.

“That’s cool babe, you could do a baking themed one. Your treats are to dieeeee for.”

“Oh yeah! Been a while since I got the iconic Mrs. Munson brownies,” Gavin sighed out. Already imagining the pillowy, chocolaty goodness that was always oozing with warmth.

“That’s not what I named them.” You laughed, “Buuuut if you boys help me out with the stall I promise to bake one thing if your choosing!”

This garnered the attention of the hellfire club fast. Eddie was almost jealous at how entranced you got everyone.

“Anything?”

“Can you do cakes?”

“Ooooh the brownieees!” Almost everyone talked over one another, already fantasizing about the treats they’ll ask for.

“Uhhhh babe?” Eddies rings were cold against your thighs, your dark green skirt rid up against the tops of his legs, showcasing your pretty and soft skin.

“Mhm?” You replied, already turning towards your wild haired boyfriend.

“And what do I get? I mean I love your baking, obviously! but I can get that anytime.”

That was… true.

Damn it you thought you had everyone sinched into the plan. But of course Eddie would try to sneak something else into play.

“Well ummm,” he stumped you this time.

Furrowinf yoyr brows you bit lightly on the inside of your cheek, racking your brain for anything Eddie might approve of.

Clothes? No, Eddie only wore his favorite staples anyway. Maybe you could offer to clean his room? No, you just did that last weekend when he was snoring on the couch.

Think, think!—

“I know what I want.”

You knew that tone. That deep drawl that makes his voice come out in a low, teasing hush.

Eddie indicated you closer with just a wag of his index finger.

You felt the weight of his breath hit the side of your face, warm and light.

“I want,” he breathed in this time, dragging his lips closer and closer until they brushed against the side of your jaw.

“You, to spend the night, every nite this week.”

“Eddie!” Rolling your orbs you pushed his face away. “That’s kinda impossible. You know how my parents are—“

“Pretty please, sweetheart? It’s been forever!”

“I just spent the night on saturday!”

“That was literally forever ago.”

“Eddie.” Your fingers brushed with his temple, lightly pushing against them.

“That was two days ago.”

He only shook his head in rebuttal, moving his legs until your frame was once again close to his.

“My point still stands. Forever ago! And you need my help, who will keep these idiots in check?”

“Hey!” A few club mates responded back, but quickly went into their own baking conversations.

“Not all week. Two days,”

“Three!” Eddie challenged. With a mocking squint to your eyes you huffed out a breath.

“Fine! You win. Three days.”

“Yes!” Eddie cheered, smothering a sloppy kiss on your cheek and raised a hand to high five Gavin.

What a dork.

“You won’t regret this baby. I just got new snacks, cleaned my room—“

“You cleaned your room?”

Eddie cleared his throat and his long fingers came up to play with the loose hair around your neck.

“Well.. no, but it’s still clean from when you did it— ouch!”

Grabbing the man’s soft cheek, you began to pull.

“Hey hey, easy easy, I was just joking!—“

“You’re such a dork, Eddie.” Laughing, you watched as his fingers came up to the pinched spot, rubbing it with a soft tenderness like you had plucked the skin right off his face.

Grabbing at your celery you joined into the groups conversation. Trying to remember each and every goodie the gang wanted you to bake.

This is gonna be a long week.

But at least it’s fall, right?

….

Right..?

[choppyama]

Hinata is intensely competitive and he thrives when he’s challenged so when a player proclaim that they want to be his rival, it is the biggest form of an acknowledgment.

“finally someone who doesn’t want to be my rival but instead dream to be on the same team as me and be by my side unlike everyone else🥺” is something you would NEVER catch shoyo saying bc it never mattered if it’s on the same or opposite sides of the net… it’s all volleyball.

wanna play together? Cool✨✨ wanna be rivals? Even better ✨✨✨

while it is true that at the start of the series, Hinata’s abilities in volleyball were on a newbie level and he needed a setter like Kageyama to enhance him, It’s also true that most of the time players underestimates him bc of his appearance,

BUT as soon as they see him play they always acknowledge that he bring something to the table, that aside from being part of the freak duo he’s worth recognizing on his own.

‘Everyone thinks hinata only shine bc of Kageyama’ NO THEY DON’T lol. You’ll always hear random players from rival teams says oh that number 10 surprised me the most! he’s a scary monster! wanna take down Kageyama? gotta take down hinata first’

They see him as an actual threat. They see him as a worthy competitor.

This might be about hinata being acknowledged within a rivalry context but ofc others wants to play with him too, set for him.

and Kageyama? He wants both rivalry and partnership. He actively wants to compete with shoyo, not just on the court but through every little thing they do, and he also wants to toss to hinata for the rest of his life.

so to think that “no one ever appreciates hinata outside of the freak duo” or that “everyone just actively wanted to be his rival and not his teammates” until the inarizaki match is such a disservice to his story.

not only it reduces hinata’s hard work and effort, his ability to convince others to choose him but also downplay Kageyama’s impact on him

when this guy was asking hinata to stay with him forever when they were just 15!

Kageyama being the first ever opponent shoyo’s ever encountered, who took him seriously, never once put his guard down the entire match and even after completely obliterating shoyo’s weak team he still viewed his opponent as an equal I could go on but I digress bc if I start yapping about kghn I’ll never stfu this isn’t abt them LMFAOOOOO

Ok back on topic, It’s not like hinata isn’t allowed to be… insecure (?) He was unsettled by Washijo's comment that he's only valuable with a setter during the Karaneko match. Even when praised by a Kamomedai player, Hinata deferred all the credit to Tobio. it’s understandable, that’s his entire dilemma for more than half of the manga.

but still,

Yes shoyo once had to ‘beg’ his friends for tosses in middle school, yes he had no teammates in the beginning or a partner but HE HAS KARASUNO NOW!!!

He has a very dedicated partner who promised to toss to him anytime he wants. Who makes sure hinata knows he’s integral to the team, who tells him he’s the greatest decoy. who made a whole speech about how much shoyo is needed when he was being insecure about his height. Who tells him he can fly even higher

Hinata has people in his life who believes in him, who appreciates him, respect him, acknowledge him as a worthy rival and partner. He’s doing fine!

*wanted to add his reaction when he was being praised after a match. He’s so cute shoyo i love you

[cosmerelists]

Renarin Ranks Starting Places For New Readers of the Cosmere Series

"Renarin ranks something" requested by @themoonstonechronicler :)

Fans often argue about where new readers should start in the Cosmere: which book is the best starting place? In this list, Renarin will rank various options. Because if any character can break the fourth wall, it's either Hoid (of course) or Renarin with his funky corrupted Future Sight.

[Contains Stormlight Spoilers through Rhythm of War!]

1. Way of Kings

"Starting with Way of Kings is like jumping into a 4 versus 1 Shardblade duel armed with a sword that screams when you touch it after a lifetime of not really being allowed to train in real combat scenarios due to your blood weakness. Will you be in over your head? Yes. Might the experience harm you? Very possibly. Will Kaladin's presence save you? Absolutely. Is it a bad idea? Objectively yes. BUT does this choice make you inherently cool? I think so. At least, I have no regrets."

...

"Make that very few regrets."

"I give this an 8/10."

2. Elantris

"Listen...I get it. You want to start from the beginning. Proceed chronologically. I think my cousin Jasnah would be inclined toward this. But speaking as a 'funky time guy,' as Adolin called me once, I have to say that the past doesn't necessarily predict the future and uh...this one just might be a little tough to start with. In my opinion."

"4/10."

3. Tress of the Emerald Sea

"I think...I think I like Wit. Mostly. There was that one time he tried to make everyone think I was hooking up with, like, multiple women at once, which was...weird. But he also made fun of me. Which does not sound good, but it meant he respected me in a Wit way. In any event, this book is like sitting and listening to Wit for hours. Is it good if that is the first thing you ever do? Maybe? The little rat is cute."

"9/10."

4. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

"This one is Wit too. Just to get that out of the way. And I think it might be a little bit confusing for a first-time reader since it is clearly being told to a Rosharan, which is not something a new reader would understand."

"But on the other hand, it is maybe...refreshing to have a main character who hasn't yet realized what he's good at, and another main character who hasn't yet realized that not all aspects of her religion should restrict her as much as they do."

"So a confusing place to start, but not necessarily a bad one."

"6/10."

5. The Emperor's Soul

"This one is short! That might be good for someone who is looking for less of a commitment. Plus, it involves a lot of research into how things work, if that appeals to you. But I think the real benefit is that if someone is reading it to you, it would probably only take a few hours."

"10/10."

6. The Sunlit Man

"This book is like seeing into the future, since it is literally about the future. It's also very painful. Which, in my experience, the future often is. The future can be changed...but not in this case, because now it's written down. So I would say: start here at your own risk. On the other hand, it will probably seem less sad if you read it without any backstory. But it will make other things sadder later, trust me."

"3/10."

7. White Sand

"This one can be good if you're a man, since there are a lot of pictures. There are also a lot of words, of course, but if you're just starting out on the reading thing, then having the pictures would help a lot I'd imagine."

"6/10."

8. Warbreaker

"Speaking as someone who...well, I can't say that I deliberately make dramatic reveals, but I have been known to do things like scrawl warnings on a wall or appear suddenly from the shadows or, you know, stuff like that. So I might actually recommend reading this before you read our books, just so you can have those, 'Wait, it's YOU!' moments over and over again."

"Seriously, why did so many of those characters end up in our series?"

"I'm not answering the question, though. This one is standalone, and not too long, yet still manages to have a pretty big cast of characters and a bunch of storylines. It is like Sanderson training."

"8/10."

9. The Final Empire

"This is what everyone always tells you to do. Sometimes it can get frustrating when everyone is SO SURE that they know what's good for you, especially your dad, who won't listen when you tell him that you don't want to become an ardent even though he thinks it's the best. And you know what? In the end, I am a fighter, but also a scholar, since men can do both now. So sometimes what people say is good, but only when it happens in the way you want it to and...I think I lost the thread. Um. You can do what people tell you that you should do IF you want to. "

"If you start here, I imagine you'll like it. Sometimes what everyone tells you to do is a good idea...but only if it's what you want too."

"9/10."

10. The Alloy of Law

"Starting with Mistborn Era 2 is like bonding a corrupt spren. It's almost what everyone agrees is a good thing to do (start with Mistborn / bond a spren), only you're going about it in a...different way. But different is not necessarily bad! Yes, I have abilities that are maybe from Odium and that give me a maybe sacrilegious ability to foretell the future...but when given the chance, I immediately recommended my best friend do the same thing."

"Being different can be good. 7/10."

[nanamincreampie]

Quiet choso

Choso Kamo x Black plus size reader

Warning: 18+ mdni, Choso expriencing puppy love

( part 2 )

Quiet Choso who’s always been on the sidelines, keeping to himself but never missing a single detail when it comes to you.

He’s seen you in class so many times, always effortlessly put together. Your soft 4c hair, styled in a neat bun today, draws his eyes whenever you walk in, and your rich, deep skin glows, accentuating every curve of your plus-sized frame. It’s not that he’s staring, at least not in an obvious way, but his gaze always seems to find its way back to you, the way your dress hugs your hips, the soft outline of your waist, and the fullness of your thighs that press against the seat when you sit. He notices everything about you without trying.

He never says much, but he’s always listening, especially when you speak in study groups. The soft, calm tone of your voice commands his attention in ways that the professors never could. Even when you greet him in passing with a gentle "Hey," he only responds with a quiet nod or a brief “Hi,” his voice barely above a whisper. He’s not used to talking, especially not to someone who stirs him up like this.

Today, though, it feels different. You’re sitting in the library, the same place he often studies, and your presence is impossible to ignore. The fitted dress you’re wearing perfectly hugs your curves, and from his spot across the room, he admires how effortlessly beautiful you are. Every time you shift in your seat or tuck a curl behind your ear, his eyes linger just a second too long.

As he flips through his notes, his mind isn’t on the pages in front of him it’s on you. He tries to focus, but when he glances up, you’re smiling at him, soft and shy. His heart skips a beat.

You catch him watching, and with a soft laugh, you tease, "Choso, are you even studying, or are you just people-watching?"

His throat tightens, and he clears it, turning his eyes back to his notes. “I’m studying,” he mutters, though even he knows it’s a lie.

You stand up and start to make your way toward the stacks of books nearby, and his gaze follows you, admiring how gracefully you move. There’s an ease in the way you walk, your dress moving fluidly over your curves, every bit of your figure making his mind race. And when you bend slightly to grab a book from a lower shelf, he can’t help the way his breath hitches, eyes drawn to the way the fabric clings to your hips and thighs.

It’s then that another guy walks up to you, trying to make conversation. Choso clenches his fist under the table, feeling a sudden rush of jealousy as the guy leans in too close, his eyes wandering over your figure. He watches the interaction from a distance, his jaw tight.

"Come on, don’t you want to grab a coffee or something?" the guy presses, a little too eager.

You smile politely but shake your head, clearly uninterested. "No, I’m good. I’ve got a lot of studying to do."

Choso feels the tension in his chest ease a bit as you turn the guy down, and when you return to your seat, your eyes meet his again. There’s a playful glint in your gaze, as if you know he’s been watching.

"You alright, Choso?" you ask, your voice soft, genuinely curious.

He nods stiffly, trying to keep his cool. "Yeah, I’m fine," he says, though his tone betrays him.

You tilt your head, eyes narrowing slightly as if you’re figuring him out. "You sure? You seem… distracted."

Choso doesn’t answer immediately, unsure how to respond without giving too much away. Instead, he lowers his eyes to his book, biting the inside of his cheek.

You laugh softly and shake your head. "Well, don’t let me distract you too much. We’ve got exams coming up." You give him a teasing smile before returning to your notes.

And Quiet Choso, who sits there, unable to shake the feeling growing inside him, is left wondering just how much longer he can stay quiet about how he feels. Because every time you walk by with your curves, your soft voice, and that smile, it gets harder and harder to keep his thoughts to himself.

[hello-sweetheart]

Wouldn’t it be so fucking funny if we finally get to meet Steve’s parents in s5 and they’re like…typical suburban parents

After making them mostly monsters in fanfic like guys fffff half the time we make them emotionally abusive and/or neglectful, the other half physically, and then like if you’re on the dark web then 3% of the time they work for the lab and Steve’s like a failed number…

For like, the vibes ya know

…But then we actually meet them and it’s a pudgy office dad with glasses married to an “I can be cool >:(‘ mom.

-“Steve, I thought you said your mom doesn’t trust your dad…looks like they love each other?”

Steve: “???wym, of course they love each other. But obviously she doesn’t trust dad on trips cuz he got lost in a Texas airport once, duh.”

-“ok, what about when you said he’d kill you if he found out you drink?”

Steve: “Yeah??? I’m literally underaged and if he found out I’ve been watering down his $200 liquor he’d be so pissed 🙄”

Like, TO BE FAIR Steve’s dad telling him to get a summer job to figure out the value of money or whatever is pretty typical like baby boy didn’t work in high school 😭 and he’s like pouting and huffing about in scoops

He has a fancy car that his parents trust him to drive and take care of

And him not wanting to work for his dad is valid of him like imagine his dad is trying to be supportive like “if you ever need a job son you can come work with me :)”

and steve would hate that cuz to him it would feel like he didn’t deserve it or work for it, working for his dad feels like it means he failed to make something of himself

And like Steve’s not a bad kid, he’s a teenager who just hates his first job cuz customer service sucks, does stupid kid shit like drink and go to parties, and feels like he missed his chance to makes something of himself that he and his parents can be proud of just because he’s a little behind than the rest of his peers

I relate to that so hard

Like bro said he was having a party at his house and it was just like…4 people he invited with a six pack. No music or anything just chillin on lawn chairs and shooting the shit

Even his home is in warm colors 💀

But we love the angst 🤌 the drama 🤌 and torturing our favorite character

[hiiikiko]

001: ‘She’s in a band’

TW: Light smut, Ellie being a jerk tbh. (Not proofread bc I took my meds and I’m feeling lazy :P)

Moving to Seattle wasn’t your first choice, I mean, you were perfectly happy in Arizona. You had friends, family, and most importantly, a band but some drama happened and you wanted to get away from it all. Your first choice was going to California but you had no money, no stable job, and no place to crash so, you reluctantly went to Seattle. At least you’d be closer to the music scene and you haven’t seen your favourite cousin in awhile..

Gazing out the window as the amtrak came to a halt you see Jesse sitting on a bench, legs obnoxiously sprawled out and a toothpick hanging on his lips.

“Can take the boy outta the country but can’t take the country outta the boy,” you chuckle as you gather your luggage and make your way off the bus

“Hey, y/n/n,” Jesse drawls, grabbing your luggage with ease and slinging his arm around you.

“Ugh, get off me you reek of axe and cigarettes,” you tease with a smile playing on your lips as Jesse ruffles your hair and throws your things into the back of his truck.

Jesse’s place was a lot nicer than you though, I guess being a welder does pay off. It was a little messy and could use a homey touch but it was rather nice but you would never admit that to him. Your room was nice too, a little small, but had a great view and even had access to the balcony. The room was bare, plain white walls with a red brick wall on one side, a bed and one singular lamp sitting in the middle of the room.

You settle in while Jesse rifles through your things and rants about his current situationship, “She’s just insane like who asks for your credit score on the first date? Don’t get me wrong, my credit score is so good that it would make ANY girls parties drop.”

You scrunch your nose and throw a hoodie at him as he continues “Hey, I’m just say—“ he begins before hes abruptly interrupted by a call, “Yeah?.. right now?… Alright, alright, alright… on my way, doll.”

“Hmmm, I wonder who that could be,” sarcasm practically oozes off your words.

“It’s Dina,” Jesse winks as he rushes to put his boots on, “Don’t expect me to come back tonight,” he winks.

“Oh, come on,” you trail after him, “It’s my first night! Can’t you stay? We can, like, get dinner and maybe go to a bar?”

‘Nah, I’d rather get laid than hang out with my dorky little cousin,” He says, the door cutting off his voice.

Asshole.

And that’s how you find yourself all alone, sitting at a bar and cheering on the local bands when two girls sit next to you. The girl with short hair remarks, “Those guys were so ass, ‘The Serpahites?’ What the fuck kinda name is that,” her friend laugh at her joke.

“Sounds like a cult,” you mutter under your breath, not meaning for them to hear you but the girl with auburn hair laughs, “Ah, sorry, didn’t mean to eavesdrop—“ you begin but are quickly interrupted by the girl resting a hand on your shoulder.

“It’s okay, dude,” a soft smile on her lips.

Fuck, she’s so cute. The way the dim bar lights dance over her facial features and the way her short hair falls softly over her green eyes. She was wearing a flannel but you could tell she had one hell of a body.

“Sorry,” you say again.

“It’s all good,” she smirks, crap, did she notice the way you were staring?

As you’re debating on whether or not you should call it a night or get on your knees and start apologizing profusely for ever thinking lewd thoughts in the presence of an angel, she gets up, grabbing her friends hand and heads into the back.

Crap, I should’ve asked for her number..

Just as you take another sip from the fruity drink you ordered, you hear the announcer introduce another band called “the Infected.” Sounds pretty cool, you think as you get up from your seat and make your way into the crowd of people.

Must be a popular band.

The curtains are pulled back to reveal the girl you met at the bar earlier, she’s taken off her flannel and is now wearing a form fitting black tank top, low rise jeans, and a pair of worn converse, on her shoulder rests a beautiful black guitar littered with stickers of stars and planets, cute. Along side her is a girl with piercings, long black hair, looks like the lead singer, and oh. my. god. IS THAT JESSE?? He’s no longer wearing a flannel but a plain black tee, denim jeans, and of course, his boots, he’s on drums.

“Jesse!” you cheer as his head whips around and shoots daggers at you, you’ll never let him live this down.

The band plays a wonderful set and gets a lot of cheers from the crowd. Some fans, mostly girls, approach the band afterwards to gush over them, the girl with the auburn hair seems to have the most fans.

You make your way towards the stage to find Jesse, hoping to tease him about what you just witnessed.

“He’s in the back changing,” a voice rasps from behind. “Ah, I see,” turning around, you see the bassist towering over you.

“Heyyy, I know you, we met at the bar, yeah?” She says while looking you up and down.

“Yeah, at the bar,” you manage to get out.

“You’re Jesse’s cousin? Huh, didn’t know you were coming out tonight, if I had known, I would’ve put on a better show,” she smirks as a light blush sweeps over your face. How could such a small comment illicit this small reaction from you? Maybe it was the way she said it, her voice raspy from singing on backup.

“That show was really great, I enjoyed it a lot. Seems like y’all are popular,” you glance over at a small crowd of girls shooting glares in your direction for talking to their bassist.

The auburnette chuckles and glances back, winking at the girls, “Yeah, we got a few.”

You can’t help but roll your eyes at the faux humility, unfortunately, she catches this.

“What was that?” She laughs, studying your face.

“I can tell already, you’re such a cliche, right? I bet you sleep with all your little fangirls, give them the night of their lives then leave them in the dust, right? Just so you can feed your ego and make yourself feel better for whatever attachment issues you got going on.”

She looks awestricken. You knew her type all too well, I mean you were in a band and you’ve encountered A LOT of band mates are like that. Hell, even rock’s beloved dad, Dave Grohl, did something similar.

“Touché,” she smirks and leans up against the stage, her green eyes hungrily taking you in, “You’re interesting, let me buy you a drink.”

About half an hour later, you’re in the back of her van, panting with her lips on your neck and her knee pressing up against your aching cunt. She’s whispering sweet things into your ear which causes your hips to involuntarily buck up against her hand.

“So fuckin’ needy f’me, aren’t ya?” She mumbles against your neck, “All that talk just for you to melt into my touch,” you can feel her smirking against your neck.

“Shut up,” you say, barely getting it out through desperate whimpers and pants.

The next morning, you wake up in her apartment, alone and half naked, only wearing your panties and a shirt you didn’t recognize. You groan as you stumble out of bed, this hangover might actually be the death of you. You make your way over to the kitchen for some water only to find a sticky note next to some tylenol and water, it reads ‘Don’t forget to lock the door on your way out.’

What the actual fuck. Not even a good morning or at least a hi?

You crumple up the note, leaving it on the counter to hopefully get the message across.

“Typical bassist,” you mutter before leaving.

Later that evening, you facetime your friend, Lila.

“So… she basically told you to get out? What the fuck! You should’ve totally wrecked everything, stolen her shampoos, bleach wash her clothes, pour glitter all ov—“

Laughing you say, “Okay, okay, Lils, I get it but seriously? Glitter is going a little too far.”

“Not far enough, I’d say,” she mutters, “So…. was it good, at least?

“Good? It was total ecstasy but I mean, that’s to be expected.”

Lila cocks her head to the side, obviously confused, “Wha?”

“She’s in a band, meaning, she obviously has a lot of experience.”

“SHE’S IN A BAND???????” Lila’s eyes are practically bulging out of her head, “Wait, nah, girl, this is all on you. Rule number one, never sleep with a girl in a band, they will totally ruin your life. They’re good at giving head because they have to hide how evil they are somehow.”

You groan, “Ugh, I know., I know!” but your mind goes back to last night, the sight of her between your legs, the feeling of her hot breath against your ear, the sight of her on top with your legs draped over her shoulders, the way—

Fuck.

(A/n: This is my first fic since I was like 16 so be nice lol next one will be better, I promise, I just really suck at writing intros)

[yuyu1024]

Watermelon

Pairings: Wooyoung x Y/N

Genre/tags: friends to...?

Warning: fluff, smut 🔞, cursing, pet names (babes, baby, love, honey, noona etc), protected/unprotected sex (be safe everyone)

~~~ [lmk if i miss anything]

Words: 2.7k

Disclaimer:

- this story is just made up

- english is not my first language, please be nice 😊

A/N: something from drafts ✨️

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

"Since when did you start wearing make up?" Wooyoung asks as he finds you at Jongho's kitchen, cutting watermelons for the boys.

You pause mid cut and look back at him, leaning on the doorway whilst holding a can of beer in hand. "I'm not in the mood today." You snarl, rolling your eyes. "I'm busy."

He snorts a chuckle. You can hear him walk. But instead of walking away, he appoaches you. "Red is your color..." he says, tilting his head to the side to see your face.

You sigh. "What do you want?" You sound irritated.

He puts his beer on the counter top and leaned his loweback on the edge. "You stopped responding to me..." he crosses his arm around his torso. "I thought we are building something special between us..."

"I don't know what you're talking about..." you utter even though YOU DO know what he meant.

Since the beginning of summer, you and Wooyoung have been... close. You text and call each other. The normal. Like what usually friends do.

However, you and him are not like this before. He is a friend of your friend, Jongho. And so he became friends with you and your circle too. But still... you two are not there yet.

But then lately, he have been making efforts with you. And you thought it was cool and nice since you want to be close with him too coz he is friendly. But little did you know, he likes to be a little TOO friendly. You are blinded by his sweet words that you almost missed it.

And when you noticed that he's after you, not just to be friends. You suddenly got timid with him. You limit your contact with him.

Of course you are doing this not to be mean and unfriend him. It's just a precaution. You know yourself. If you continued it, this something between you too is danger. And you're not sure you can handle just being one of his girls.

"Are you sure?" His voice sounds so evil and yet so alluring.

You even felt him move closer to you that his skin from his arm touches your exposed arm as well. You pray that your body does not react to expose you. But thats not even what you should be worried about. Coz Wooyoung could tell. Weirdly enough, He knows you a lot more than you think.

"Stop..." you look at him.

"Stop what?" He arches a brow.

"That!" You sound irritated. "I'm not in the mood okay? I can't play with your games and shit."

You finally finished cutting the watermelons. You throw the knife and cutting board in the sink.

"Here..." you push the bowl of watermelon to Wooyoung. "Give it to the guys..."

He looks at you confused and dumbfounded but at the same time amused. "Okay." He softly answer. "Talk to you later then." He smiles and leaves you in the kitchen

***

The whole house is loud. The boys are playing games and having bets who would win. And of course, the loser would be the one assigned in washing all the dishes. Exlcuding you and Wooyoung as you two did the cooking and the prep earlier with Seonghwa.

"I win!" Yunho yells overjoyed.

"Aah! I'm safe!" Hongjoong, Yeosang and San said at the same time.

That is leaving Yeosang and Jongho in dishwashing duties.

"But it's my house!" Jongho tries to appeal

"That's more reason for you to be nice to your guests." Seonghwa answers. "Just go and clean..." he pats both males shoulder. "Go on..."

"This is unfair." Jongho pouted

"What's unfair is me and Y/N lost the ladder game for the room. Now we have no choice but to sleep in the scary ass basement room...on that one big ass mattress." Wooyoung says before chugging his beer

(Scary basement because its Jongho's old brother's office that they turned into a guest bedroom. But the vibes is not very welcoming since its not yet decorated properly)

Fuck. You lost the game and you can't react nor beg for anyone to exchange with you. You don't want to cause an issue and make them feel that something is wrong. Because in the first place, nothing is wrong. Technically. You are just....... cautious with Wooyoung because you don't want to have more feelings for him.

Yes he is your friend. But being a girl surrounded by hot men that are your friends, for sure you are bound to have infatuation with one of them. And unlucky you... it is wooyoung. The guy who keeps hitting on you.

"Try not to snore too much, Woo! Y/N needs her beauty sleep." San says

"And turn off your phone okay?" Seonghwa puts his arm around you. "Stop thinking about that guy..."

Wooyoung glances at you and Hwa "What guy?"

You then poke Seonghwa on his stomach with your elbows. "I'm already over him. Stop mentioning it."

Hwa laughs at your reaction. "Are you really?" He pats your head like a big brother that he is for you.

"Do we know this guy?" San asks

"Not really..." Jongho answers as he walk pass to grab his phone. "He is a football player from a different school..." and then goes back to the kitchen.

"And how did you know this guy?" Wooyoung asks trying not to sound bitter or jealous

"It's in the past." You mumble trying not to make them anymore curious. But since Wooyoung is already heated deep down because of the fact that there is another guy interested in you that you never mentioned before.

"Tell us more." He says to hwa

"Well... we met the guy when Y/N came to watch with me... coz a childhood friend of mine is going to that uni. We met them and his team... and this guy... who is famous in their school... liked Y/N..."

"And then what happened?" San scoots over and giving you a teasing smile.

"Nothing happened..." you answer as you pinch his cheek.

"The guys schedule is too hectic to even have time for Y/N... so... she decided to let it go." Hwa adds

"Why do you know all of this? And none of us did?" Wooyoung asks

You glance at him and saw his expression. He looks a little hurt.

"Let's not talk about it okay?" You stand up and hop over the boys legs. "I'm going to shower now... let's move on and you guys go ahead to your rooms... it's late... I need to sleep."

"Fine...." San pouts as he gets up as well. "You can chat about it some other time."

"No..." you stick your tongue out and make your way upstairs to get your things and shower.

***

"What is that guy's name?"

You haven't even had the chance to lay down properly yet, Wooyoung is already asking question about the guy Hwa mentioned.

"Do you text him a lot? Are you still in contact with him?"

"Wooyoung..."

"Are you not in the mood because of him? Are you not texting or calling me back because... OF him?"

You sigh as you put your feet and legs under the thick blanket. "Like I said... it's in the past. We stopped texting like sweet and flirtatious... like late last year..."

"Sweet and fliratious...?" He repeats under his breathe. "But do you still talk to him?"

"From time to time... yes..."

Wooyoung slams his phone on the nightstand and gets under the sheets, turning his back on you.

"What's your problem?"

"You."

"Me? What did I do?!"

He then gets up, startling you and then climbs on top of you. You were about to squeal but he covered your mouth before you could even.

"You are avoiding me... trying to get to know you more... and yet you had this... thing with a football player?"

You bite his finger making him hiss and move a little off you. "You should know why!" You snap back at him. "We are friends... you are not supposed to do what you do with your exes to me."

He frowns. "What does that supposed to mean? And who the fuck said that I am going to treat you like my exes?"

"No one..."

"So you just made that up? And assumed I am the bad guy?"

"Can you blame me? Look at your dating profile. None of them lasted three months."

"Thats because they all cheated on me!" He says exasperatedly then flopping back to bed. "I guess you're not that interested with me coz you don't try to ask for facts..."

You got silenced. You didn't know. You didn't bothered asking around.

"And also... I don't just go around and fuck around... I may look like I have a reputation.. but I respect women okay? And I am a romantic guy..."

You still don't speak up. You just stare at the ceiling and let him talk.

"So... all this time... you assumed that I am just going to play around?" He asks

You look away. "Yes."

He gets up to sit and look at you. "What the fuck?"

You then get up too. "I'm sorry okay? But can you blame me? That's all I know from you...well regards to your dating okay? and the way you text me... its giving..  fuck boy."

"A fuck boy?" He laugh. "How do I even text you? What do I do to give that vibes?" He's not sure if he is offended or being complimented. He just laughs it off  "Seonghwa is right..." he continues. "Even though you hang out with us... a bunch of guys... you are still a girl... not that I am.. trying to say girls are very dramatic and overthinking...but ya know..."

You glare at him. "Fine. I am. And so what?" You roll your eyes

"Nothing...I'm just saying... plus I don't give damn."

"What? What does that supposed to mean?"

Wooyoung looks at you. A small smile on his lips. "I still like you... even you labelled me as a player."

"Shut up." You hit him with your pillow

"Hey! I am serious."

"I am too!" You hit him again. "Shut up!"

"Shut up or else what?"

You press your lips together and stare at him. Unsure what to say.

But you are glad though that he sort of cleared a few things about him. Your misconception about him. Which is your fault too. You judged him a little too much because you try to find things to hate about him so that you would not step over the boundry that you're trying to avoid.

"Y/N... do you like me or not?" He suddenly asks. "Just tell me... and if you say no... I will stop. I'll go back to the old Wooyoung... not caring and texting you everyday... or wanting your attention..."

You sigh

"And don't give me the bullshit that you thought we are just friends thing. Okay? You know what we've been doing these past few months. We are texting and calling each other, yes... but... I know how we do skinship had evolved." He moves closer. "I know how you felt whenever we cuddle during movie nights... and whenever my lips brushed over your ears as I hug you closer..." he is now centimeters away from you and you are not moving away. "C'mon sweety... just be honest." He smirks

Oh you hate that smirk. You hate it because he already knows but he is still asking you. He wants you to say the obvious.

"Fuck you!" You mutter before launching yourself to him.

You are kissing him and he is kissing you back. And as you two continue to suck each others lips off your faces, the more your bodies react with the friction and the touches that you are giving.

"Touch me more..." you breathe out. "Please..."

Wooyoung is on top of you, grinding his pelvis on to your covered area. His hands are busy grabbing your ass or your hips. His grind is hard and making sure even with all of those layers of cloth. You could feel his errection ready to penetrate in you.

"You sound so divine..." he hums as he continues to give you wet kisses all over your neck

"Ahh fuck..." you grab onto his hair and pull it so he could look back at you. "This is so wrong... we are friends..."

"Friends my ass..." he smirks. "We're definitely leveling up after this." and goes back to nibbling your skin and leaving kiss marks all over.

He undresses himself totally, throwing his pajamas somewhere while for you, only your shorts and undies are off. He did put the thick blanket over you two as you still feel a little bit shy being this exposed to him. He understands.

"I'll take care of you..." he whispers, kissing the back of your hand. "What will you say if it hurts?"

"Watermelon." Your voice is so soft and weak. You sound nervous. You are not a virgin but of course, the though of fucking your friend still lingers in your brain. It's a new experience.

"Good..." he gives you a long, sweet smooch before he lowers his body closer to you. "I will put it in now... okay?"

"Okay..."

Easing himself in, the stretch is already making your eyes roll at the back of your head. It fucking feels good. He moves his hips slower first to get you adjusted to his size. And while your brain is rotting from the sensation he is also begins exploring your mouth with his tongue.

Oh, That sharp tongue he has. Who knew that he's not just a smart ass, naughty and blunt guy with his words but also this brilliant with kissing.

"Ohh..." you suck in your breathe when you feel him hit the spot. "Oh fuck..." your mouth drops open unable to say any words out as he continues to hit it

"Shit!" He hisses as he felt you tighten. "Your squeezing me..." he lowers his body to embrace you. "Shit... I'm close..."

You wrap your arms around his shoulder and kiss the curve of his neck. "Can you... come in me?"

His cheeks heats up hearing your words. That made his dick twitch. He likes the way you said. "Are you sure?"

You nod. "Please? Don't worry... I'm on birth control. I just... I want to feel it... everything..."

Wooyoung bites his lips, supressing a blushing smile. "Fuck... why do you sound so sexy saying that?"

His dick felt the rush from your words. He continued to thrust fast and strong until you both reached the end goal. Both of you came and flops down to the bed like you hiked Mt. Everest in a day.

"That was amazing..." he proudly smiles. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

You cover yourself with the blanket and lay on your side facing him. "I'm okay..." you smile. "I'm sleepy now..." you trail off. "I've never been this tired after having sex before..."

His eyebrows twitches. "Coz you haven't had the taste of me... that's why." He leans over and kisses you on the cheek. "And please... don't mention any of your exes... I'd want them to be erased in your memory... you have me now. Just me... okay?"

Slowly your eyes closes. "Hmmm..." you answer. "Whatever you say..."

He snorts a weak laugh as he watches you slowly go to sleep without even realizing it.

"You're so fucking cute." He says

Wooyoung covers you more, hiding your disheveled and after sex state. Then he gets up to fix himself up so he can sleep next to you. But then, after a few heart beats he hears someone walking down the stairs.

"Yah... seriously... you two should've atleast closed the door." He softly says. It was Seonghwa who looks a bit shookt and worried.

Wooyoung smirks. "Are we that loud?"

"Loud enough to be heard in the living room. You are lucky the rest of the guys are upstairs and Jongho's parents are not here."

"Sorry... we are just..."

"Hush. I am not judging... we already know the things between you two... its kinda obvious..." Seonghwa yawns. "Next time.... just do it when we are not around okay? Just go fucking date or whatever." He turns around and takes a sip of his warm milk. "Also... make it official okay... like say it. You know Y/N likes things to he clear. Don't do what the other guy did." He says before leaving the basement room.

"I will." Wooyoung answers before laying beside you and giving you a kiss on the cheek.

[unknownperson246]

a/n: okay, I believe in creative freedom, so I’m not being too specific, but Axl rose, enemies to lovers with a goth girl bc yes? preferably smut, but fluff is cool too. I love you and your writing, keep it up love!

awww thank you. I love you too ❤️❤️❤️ and thank you again ❤️❤️❤️

Hollywood Goth:

Words: 655

Warnings: *fluff* *consumption of alcoholic beverages* *cussing*

✮⋆˙ ☠︎︎ ★☠︎ ✮⋆˙✮⋆˙ ☠︎︎ ★☠︎ ✮⋆˙✮⋆˙ ☠︎︎ ★☠︎ ✮⋆˙✮⋆˙ ☠︎︎ ★☠︎ ✮⋆˙

You had messy eyeliner on. You were in front of your band members singing one of your famous songs. You were in a goth band and everyone looked intimidating and scary. Axl stood out in the crowd to you. He was one of the few redheads among the crowd that was cheering you on. You had on cherry earrings and a black skirt with some stalkings covering your legs and thighs. Your top was a corset and it was beautiful. Axl smiled watching you. He had his eyes on you for quite a while now. You threw a rose into the crowd and it landed in Axl's hand. He was mesmerized with you. He was starting to fall in love with you. You got off the stage after your performance. You went to your chair and you saw the same man sitting on the couch. One of the band members had invited him backstage. 

“Hi! What are ya doing here?” You asked, smiling at him.

“Just wanted to say hi also I wanted to invite you to one of my band's shows. We’re called Hollywood Rose. I’m Axl by the way.” 

“I’m Y/N” You introduced your name to Axl.

This red-headed man handed you a poster of himself with two of his band members. One of the men’s hair color was black and the other man’s hair color was blonde. You were stunned by knowing that this man was in a band like you. You were surprised that he even came up to you backstage. 

“Who are the other members?” You asked Axl

“Oh the guy with the black hair is Izzy and the guy with the blonde hair is Chris,” Axl said smiling at you. 

“I feel like I’ve seen you guys somewhere!” You chucked.

“Oh, you probably saw us on a poster somewhere around L.A.” Axl said.

“Will you be there?” Axl asked you. 

“Oh, I’ll be there!” You said with a smile on your face. 

Soon you went out with your makeup and brought home a bunch of beer. You couldn’t get Axl Rose out of your mind. You liked him and you appealed to him. He liked you too. You couldn’t figure out what the sudden attraction was. Maybe it’s because his style was atrocious street style. You liked it. A couple of days go by and you see him playing the gig with his bandmates.

“Woooh” Your screams and cheers were heard in the crowd. 

Axl noticed you and after the show was over Axl invited you backstage with him and the guys to smoke weed and drink beer. It was like a high school party except it was small and only the 4 of you were sitting around with all the show managers and band managers running around trying to manipulate every task at once. You were surprised that this is what it was like for a small band to get started. You were there yourself once but the memories blurred.  It was chaotic and the opposite of calm. Axl watched as you opened the beer with your teeth. It was cool to him how you could do that. 

“Hey could you teach me the thing you just did” Axl smiled at you. 

“Sure,” You said. 

You grabbed another bottle of beer everyone was chugging. You showed your teeth first. 

“Okay so now you just bite the sharp ridge and be careful not to hit the glass or else you could chip your teeth.” You delicately demonstrated how to open it with just your teeth.

Izzy and Chris watched in amazement. You sat there staring at Axl watching him try to open it. He did it. 

“Yay, ya did it!” You said cheering him on. 

Soon you and Axl would become best friends. Izzy kind of got a little jealous of you and Axl. Izzy kind of had a thing for you when he first saw you. 

[hotvintagepoll]

Russ Tamblyn (West Side Story, Tom Thumb, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers)—when they were making 7 brides for 7 brothers they didn’t even hire him to dance, they were like, this is russ, he’s a redhead, we need redheads, he’s shrimpy and will do. But then. But THEN. Choreographer Michael kidd meets him and is like ‘can you do anything?’ and my boy russ is like well! I can do gymnast stuff i guess :) And he gym stuffs so well he’s like in 80% of all the dancing sequences so you think my boy, russ, my goodness, russ is a DANCER! (he can’t dance. he is just very good at doing FLIPS and GYM STUFFS.) and then he’s so so good at flipping and making it look like dancing they put him in Dance Movie of All Time, west side story. Truly scrungling your way to the top. He’s good in that tom thumb movie too I guess. Go russ go.

Jack Soo (Flower Drum Song)—IN FLOWER DRUM SONG HE IS SOOOOO. scrungly. he just wants to be a Cool Guy™™™™ (unfortunately james shigeta is there holding down that entire front singlehanded) so he is left with being Trodden On by nancy shigeta (who is also a Cool Guy™™™™). this man can never win! good for him!

This is round 1 of the contest. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. If you're confused on what a scrungle is, or any of the rules of the contest, click here.

[additional submitted propaganda + scrungly videos under the cut]

Russ Tamblyn:

here he is once again fooling us into thinking he is a dancer when really he just has no issue being weird in a dance like fashion

Jack Soo:

Looks like he should be soaking wet. Does his own singing! King of deadpan. One time the power went out at a performance of Flower Drum Song and he entertained the crowd with his old stand-up set. Truly a shame none of his "Barney Miller" work qualifies, such scrungle there.

[editor's note: Flower Drum Song is a movie incredible for the talent of its largely Asian-American cast and deeply disappointing in how its white writers, directors, and designers chose to frame that talent in limiting Orientalist stereotypes. With both of these clips, enjoy the performances, but content warnings for some Orientalist tropes and stereotypes, as well as a bizarre Native American stereotype in the second clip.]

[onceupre]

Chapter 1: The Story Begins! Enter: Cure Hoodie!

(Author's note: I'm not an experienced writer, this is mainly for fun and storytelling! I hope you enjoy! ^^)

~ As birds flew up in the sapphire sky, a celebration of sorts was occurring on land. A new bakery has decided to open its doors for civilians to eat their fill of pastries and breads alike.

The owners, Ichiro and Umeko Hotaru were conversing with potential patrons amidst this joyous occasion.

“Amazing, simply amazing! This bakery is just what Meruhen needs!”

“I’d say, and the theme of the establishment, Little Red Riding Hood, correct?”

Ichiro beamed with pride at the compliments.

“Yes yes, the theme was in honor of our little girl”

Umeko smiled.

“Yes, it’s her favorite fairy tale to date, speaking of… Honey! Are you coming out?”

“COMINNNNN’!!!”

A small brunette girl with twin braids looped around and came bustling out of the wooden structure, smiling and full of energy. She was on theme, dressed in a costume that made her look like Red Riding Hood herself.

“Welcome to Red’s Basket of Treats!” she beamed.

“How cute! Do you like Little Red?” a woman asked playfully.

“YUP! SHE’S SO COOL, SHE BEATS THE BIG BAD WOLF UP BY HERSELF!” The girl practically screamed with enthusiasm.

“HA! That’s not how the story ends…”

A boy with black hair slicked back snickered to himself with his arms crossed against his chest.

“...you just made that bogus ending up, Red!”

The girl stood silently before shifting her posture towards the boy and his blonde friend who seemed to be a bystander in the altercation.

“Yer RIGHT! I made my own happily ever after, you JER-”

“DEAR!” Umeko scolded, not in favor of her daughter’s poor choice of words.

The boy looked stunned as the girl donned in red pleaded with her mom in defense

“Heh, I like yer spunk kid!” he grinned.

“Ya got a name, Red?”

The girl looked taken aback, not expecting the warm response from the boy who just a second ago was picking on her. She smiled with a toothy grin.

“YEAH! I’m Akane, Akane Hotaru!” ~ 

--------

The sun shone down from the sky above and felt as warm as a fuzzy blanket on a cold winter’s night. It’s a fine spring morning in the small village of Meruhen, located in Panamaki, and the streets were crowded with its usual bustling markets

Nothing really new or exciting happens in this village: in fact, it’s the most easy-paced place you can think of.. Yes, the village filled with simple people with simple goals and simple lives was about to change.

One of the local hotspots of the village is a small bakery known as “Red’s Basket of Treats,” a little wooden bakery in the center of the village, decorated with a gifted steel sign hanging on the side of the building. It’s run by the local Hotaru family, one of the more known families in the village.

The family consists of a husband and wife, Papa Hotaru and Mama Hotaru, as they liked to be called, and their daughter who doubled as their speedy delivery girl! She’s very quick on her feet and isn’t afraid to get a little dirty on the job. The girl’s name: Akane Hotaru.

Akane is less feminine than a lot of the girls in Meruhen Village. She grew up socially awkward around any girl she knew, yet she befriended boys more easily. For this, she became more rowdy and scrappy than most other girls. She was also very… straightforward with her goals.

“HELL NO! I AIN’T DOIN’ THAT!”

Papa Hotaru placed a hand on his brow and grunted in distress. “Akane, please, indoor voices. We don’t want to wake up the whole village.” he sighed with a hand risen to his browline.

“Why? More people means good business– Not that I’d care about that.”

“Akane, please!” He sighed. “Akane, I’m only telling you this for the greater good of the family business.”

“Don’t care. I got my own dreams, pops.” Akane said as she placed her hands behind her head and turned away, clearly uninterested in the conversation she found herself stuck in.

“What dreams? All you do is goof off with your guy friends!”

“Oh! So it’s a crime to have fun now??” she snapped back

“Akane Hotaru I do NOT appreciate your attitude!”

Akane’s mother enters the room, confused as to what the pair could be arguing about this time. 

“What is with all this ruckus?” she questioned

Akane swiftly turns away with a ‘Not my fault!’, clearly disinterested in taking the blame on their current heated debate.

Akane’s father, while leaving the room and situation to his wife, mutters a “Good luck, she just won’t listen”, as he forcefully SLAMS the door while exiting.

“Same to him! I don’t wanna take over the bakery!!” Akane hissed in anger

Akane’s mother pinched her nose in frustration, the same argument once again.

“Honestly Akane, we only ask of you this ONE thing. If you TRULY cared for the family name, you’d consider it…”

Akane felt dejected. She didn’t like to see her mother upset. She was usually more reasonable, but as of recently, Akane’s felt a bit unheard when it comes to her own dream.

…whatever that may be....

Wanting to be anywhere else but in her current predicament, Akane noticed something. There was a delivery box well packaged with scones behind her mother that Akane quickly pointed out excitedly, trying to change the subject.

“OH! A delivery? She asked inquisitively 

“Hmm? Yes, I was going to ask you to deliver it but it’s quite far-”

“Ah that’s never stopped me before!” Akane cut her mother off while grabbing the box and running out the door with an ‘IM OFF!’

Akane’s mother could only watch with concern. To her, what they were asking of Akane shouldn’t be unreasonable. Everything they’ve done up until this point was for her and her happiness…

“Sometimes… I just don’t know what to do with that girl…”

-----

Somewhere in the nearby woodland, three creatures were flying hastily, as if they were in danger of being caught.

“How much farther, I’m hungryyyy ~lili”

“REALLY, we don’t have time for your complaining! ~lele”

“HUSH! Hurry hurry, we mustn't waste time, we need to find…..”

-----

After delivering the goods to the patron, Akane has a long trek home. She was too tired to run, at least that’s what she told herself, but really she was prolonging her return back, as she dreaded the consequences of her quarrel from earlier that morning. She walked on a path, then on a fallen log for a moment, passed a signpost with a few destinations at an intersection.

“Man….this delivery really WAS far away huh….” she mutters to herself.

Akane started in the direction of home, although with each step she grew more and more uneasy. It’s not easy to walk back to an unstable environment, but Akane just wants to be heard. She wants to be taken a bit more seriously with what she wants to do for her future….whatever that may be…

Suddenly the ground slightly shook, a tremor?? Akane got low to the ground, and waited out the sudden shaking. That was truly odd, this part of land usually never got any earthquakes, Akane thought…

With growing curiosity, and as another excuse to not return home just yet, she decided to do a bit of exploring, entering the nearby woodlands to try and see if there was a source to the sudden shaking of the earth. Maybe she was seeing things, but she could’ve sworn there was an eerie lighting coming from the woods during that tremor, too…

Through some shrubbery and thickets, Akane found herself alone. She wasn’t scared however, she knew she could handle anything that may jump out at her. At least, that’s what she told herself, as she heard three small high pitched shrieks of terror in the distance, slowly approaching her, until- BAM. Three small flying creatures hit her in the face, causing her to fall down!

Before Akane could shriek herself, one of the animals who appeared to be wolven in shape covered her mouth with a ‘SHHH’.

Quiet……..then, Akane heard what could only be described as…. A slithering sound? Was it a snake? No, this being sounded much too large. It stopped right behind them. 

Quiet……..

“Hmmm~ Where did those three varmints go~? I wonder….” a sultry feminine voice said, before slithering off, away from the group.

Akane then had a moment to speak

“WHO-” before getting cut off with another ‘SHHH’!

“Do you WANT us to all die, ~lulu??” whispered the wolf

Akane gulped, then continued, with a whisper herself

“I ain’t no Lulu! I’m Akane, and what the heck kinda animals are you??”

And then it comes to her realization.

“WAIT YOU CAN TAL-” with another ‘SHHHH’!

“We can’t tell a simple girl like you about us! ~lulu!” angrily hushed the wolf

“This miscreant is gonna blow our cover, Lupo ~lele!” squawked the swan

“I’m hungry…~lili” Said the cub, clearly thinking more with his stomach as it growled quite loudly

Lupo then turned to his fellow fairy partners, and then to the girl who was a bit brash in his opinion

“We three are royal fairies. We don’t come from this world, girl. ~lulu”

“Oh really? Gee I thought you came from the next town over, OBVIOUSLY talking animals aren’t from this world?! What do you take me for, an idiot?” Akane puffed angrily

“Well you’ve nearly gotten us caught with your loud mouth twice now… ~lele…”

Akane got mad and screeched out without thinking

“WHADDYA MEAN LOUD?!?!” 

“My My~” a familiar sultry voice said with satisfaction, she had found her targets after all.

There was a swift motion in the air, as Akane looked up to realize that the top portion of shrubbery they were hiding in had been cut off by a woman…no.

A monster. One that stood up much taller than the mere human girl, by about a couple feet give or take. 

Akane quickly got up and ran ahead, quickly stopping to look back to get a better look at what that thing was. She was half human…kinda? With a serpent’s tail. That explains the slithering sound they heard.

Akane noticed the lavender scaled creature’s top half wore a leather crop top with a triangle shaped hole cut near the belly area, an emblem of sorts donned the center of the top, two scythes being held together by a red diamond shaped crystal.

The monster had deep turquoise hair pulled up into a long wavy ponytail, being held up by what seemed to be a sea urchin. Her red eyes pierced through Akane, while her darkly painted lips curled up into a wicked smile.

The woman giggled.

“Three fairies and a girl who clearly found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time? How conveniently easy for me~”

“Uh, what? Wrong place is right, for YOU, you freak of nature!” spat Akane, thinking before speaking again

…

“Hmm.” 

The woman raised a huge scythe up to Akane, who gulped.

“Such insolence to involve yourself and THEN insult a beauty such as me.”

Akane was a bit shaken by the giant weapon being held in front of her trembling body, was that real metal? It’s definitely not a prop, the reflective nature of the blade was far too realistic 

“Eugh, well at least you have confidence with that fishy smell you have-”

The woman’s eyes grew intense, and swiftly swung her weapon at Akane, who dodged while instinctively grabbing the fairies. She gets the sneaking suspicion those three are not in the wrong in this scenario they’ve found themselves in.

“A brat I see, and a quick one at that. Mock my beauty again and you’ll be the one swimming with the fishes, child” the woman sneered.

Akane was scared. She was just attacked, and threatened by a monstrous serpent woman. And on top of that, there are three talking animals she's trying to protect too.

“Who the heck are you??” she questioned both out of curiosity and also to gain a sense of understanding from this entire mess of an encounter.

The serpent like woman chuckled and did a bit of a glamorous pose at the question that allowed her to talk of herself, even if just for a bit.

“I am Operetta. One of the Grimm Mistresses of the Grimm Empire. And you, insolent brat, are protecting my prey. Now be a good girl, and hand over the animals, maybe then I’ll let you live with your life….for about a few seconds longer than I’d like~”

Akane was shaking, the fairies were too, unable to stand up to the beastly woman in their current state. They were seemingly at a complete disadvantage.

“N-no! I won’t let you have them. Someone who has beef with small animals clearly has something mental going on!” Akane exclaimed without thinking again.

Operetta frowned, clearly not amused anymore with Akane’s pure cocky attitude 

“Then I’ll just kill all FOUR OF YOU!” she screeched angrily.

Operetta charged at Akane with her scythe, who kept barely dodging her swings and advances, and ultimately ended up tripping, knocking Lupo away from their group. Operetta took notice of this opening, and swiftly slithered towards the excluded fairy, large weapon in hand just itching to be used.

“Oh~ Well, a fourth of the job done would still be good work~” Operetta said while raising her scythe high at the meek wolven creature, ready to strike.

Lupo cowered in fear, accepting his fate at the hands of the enemy. When suddenly Akane charged in and kicked Operetta in the gut, knocking her back and dropping her weapon in the process.

“PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE, F-FREAK!” Akane sputtered, clearly sounding more afraid than she would like.

“Lulu~….” Lupo was stunned. For a girl he judged as brash a moment earlier saved his life just now… maybe she could become….

“I’LL HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THAT, CRETIN!” Operetta screamed while charging at Akane, who was too stunned to move. Operetta got close to attacking her when a high pitched scream caught them off guard.

“LULUUUUUUU~!”

Lupo flew to Akane’s side, as a large beam of pure white blasted down onto the two. The light seemingly appeared out of the heavens, leaving Operetta taken aback.

Operetta gasped at the sudden realization of what was occurring. 

“Damn it, don’t tell me this pest is….”

In this white space, Akane felt…safe? Like all time has stopped around her. She felt warm, and cozy, as if she were huddled within some blankets near a bonfire against a cold winter’s night. And then she noticed Lupo, who flew up to the front of her.

“Akane, right? ~lulu I am Lupo, one of the fairies and royals of Everafter Garden.~lulu.”

“....O-ok??” she could only agree, unsure of what was going on now in this moment.

“I’m recruiting you to become a legendary storybook vigilante, known as a Precure! ~lulu! It should grant you powers to help us get rid of this snakely fiend. ~lulu!”

“Pre…cure? Powers??” Akane was surprised at what she was hearing from the small wolf.

“Do you accept? ~lulu” he said, his eyes filled with resolve and anticipation to the brunette’s response.

“Would you stop calling me that!....”

Akane thought… she really doesn't have much of a choice right now, she needs to save herself and these fairies from the beastly foe that nearly had her head just a moment ago…

“Alright! I gotcha, power me up!” Akane said with a newly found confidence.

With that, a red book materialized with a flash of light. It had gold plating on the edges of the cover, and a matching plate in the center that read “Precure Storybook”. Akane hesitantly grabbed the item, as it opened, to reveal a phrase and a slot to insert something.

Lupo reached into his little mirror shaped broach, and pulled out a charm that slightly resembled him a bit. It looked like a wolf’s head with a red ribbon held together by a pink heart jewel at the base of the charm’s center. The edges of the golden base looked scalloped as well.

 He reached out to give the charm to Akane with a proud grin.

“Use this charm and put it into the Precure Storybook, and chant the phrase written inside to transform! ~lulu!”

Akane was a bit annoyed at being called ‘Lulu’ again, but took the charm and read aloud the phrase written in the book.

“Precure! Curetime Everafter!”

Akane entered the charm with a harmonious ping, and a pen popped out of the mirror of the storybook! She grabbed it, and swirled the tip of the utensil inside the small inkwell on the left page, allowing the tip of the pen to absorb an energy, turning it into a sparkling red color.

With that, she could draw small lines of energy onto herself, with swift and intense motions. It’s as if she had done this a million times before, but for the first time ever. She criss-crossed and swirled, adding bits and pieces of a costume onto herself, one that resembled Little Red Riding Hood, with pink ribbon accents with scalloped white edges against some portions, and peru brown ribbon crossing other portions.

She flicked up her iconic red hood around her head, incentivising her brunette hair to glow, and change shape into a pale pink, with a red gradient. After which small wolf earrings pinged into existence on her ear lobes.

A small woven basket flashed onto the side of her belt, and inside it the Precure Storybook flew, the quill pen not too far behind. The basket clipped shut with a familiar red ribbon with a pale pink heart jewel adorning the center of it.

“Hooded in red, journeying towards victory! Cure Hoodie!”

As the beam of light dispersed, Operetta was stunned at the outcome of what unfolded. The annoyance of a girl who once stood before her had now looked entirely different, and more powerful than before.

“Cure….Hoodie? As in, PRECURE?” Operetta exclaimed, in disbelief of the unfortunate turn of events on her side of all of this.

Hoodie took on a more battle-ready stance. It was time for her to let loose all of her anger, and protect the small creatures that stare in amazement behind her.

-End Chapter 1-

[itneverendshere]

the way i can see rafe rolling his eyes when he hears you yell across a party for jj to knock it off in picking a fight, and laughs at jj when he listens to you, and is like an embarrassed little dog.

a perfect world where rafe realizes he and jj are the same person in different fonts <3 thank you for the request, i love jj in this lmao😭🩵

 you say you got it & you have to let me see - r.c

pairing: rafe x pogue!reader (bartender!reader universe)

The annual boneyard party was in full swing, and like clockwork, someone was trying to start shit.

You stood close to Rafe, your hand loosely gripping a beer bottle as you watched the mess unfold in front of you. "JJ!" you called out, voice loud and clear across the sand. "Knock it off!"

Rafe felt the corner of his mouth twitch, suppressing a grin. It wasn't even surprising anymore.

JJ Maybank—still the same hot-headed teen who grew up a few doors down from you—was in some guy's face, already half a second away from getting clocked.

His first instinct was to roll his eyes. Every year. Every damn year, JJ managed to start up some bullshit. Rafe glanced down at you, saw how your brow furrowed in annoyance, and the urge to laugh took over instead.

It was kind of funny, watching JJ go from ready to swing to immediately backing off the second you opened your mouth.

JJ turned like a kid caught stealing cookies from the jar, hands half-raised in defense as he looked at you with wide eyes. “Chill! I wasn’t even—”

"Yeah, yeah," you cut him off, pointing your beer in his direction. "Save it. Just walk away, okay?"

And, of course, he did.

Like a scolded puppy, he muttered something under his breath before shoving his hands into his pockets and trudging off. Rafe snorted, shaking his head. "Little brother still listens to you, huh?"

You shot him a look, half-smiling. "Someone's gotta keep him in line."

"Yeah, well," Rafe glanced at JJ’s retreating figure, still chuckling under his breath, "It's funny watching him tuck his tail between his legs every time."

He wasn’t usually one for parties like this anymore—too many reminders of who he used to be—but being here with you made it easier. You grounded him. Three years of dating, living together, dealing with life’s shitstorms, and somehow you still managed to make everything feel lighter.

You narrowed your eyes, “Don’t think you’re so different from him Mr. No one talks down to my girlfriend.”

Rafe’s grin widened, and he took a long sip from his beer, savoring the burn of the carbonation on his throat. You had him there. Not that he was gonna admit it. “That was different,” he drawled, flashing you a smirk.

“Uh-huh,” you said, arching an eyebrow. “How, exactly?”

He scratched at his jaw, the familiar prickle of stubble reminding him he hadn’t shaved in a few days. “I mean, I didn’t throw a punch every time. Just made it clear no one’s gonna talk shit.”

You rolled your eyes, but the corners of your lips twitched. “You’re lucky I love you, Cameron.”

Rafe’s heart did that stupid thing it always did when you said stuff like that, even after all these years. He could play it cool all he wanted, but you knew how to get to him. Always did.

“Yeah, I am,” he said, stepping a little closer, his body blocking the cool breeze coming off the ocean. He could smell the saltwater and smoke, but all he cared about was the warmth radiating from you. He took a swig of his beer, watching the flames from the bonfire dance against the night sky. “How many more times you think you’ll have to pull him out of a fight tonight?”

You tilted your head, thinking for a second before shrugging. “Depends on how much he’s had to drink.”

JJ was like a golden retriever sometimes—quick to rile up, but just as quick to bounce back. Rafe watched him for a second, the way he moved through the crowd, all ego and no direction. It reminded him of himself when he was younger. He chuckled, shaking his head.

“He’s gonna make it hard for me to take him seriously if you keep saving his ass.”

"Like you’ve ever taken him seriously," you shot back, giving him a playful shove.

True. Rafe couldn’t remember a single time in the last few years where JJ had been more than an annoyance. 

"God, it’s like he’s still twelve or something," you muttered, shaking your head. You took a step closer to him, your arm brushing his. The firelight flickered in your eyes, making you look impossibly warm.

The kind of warmth Rafe had gotten used to over the years. The kind he was lucky to have. He turned to face you, an easy smile forming on his lips. “Yeah, but at least it’s entertaining.”

You smirked. "For now. I give it an hour before he’s passed out in the sand."

He tilted his head, giving you a mock-serious look. “You wanna place a bet on that?”

You squinted at him like you were actually considering it. “What’s the wager?”

Rafe leaned in, his voice dropping just enough to send a shiver down your spine. “Winner gets to pick what we do tomorrow.”

You raised an eyebrow, your smirk deepening. “And what exactly do you have in mind?”

He shrugged, trying to play it cool but knowing exactly what he’d want if he won. He could feel the stupid velvet box burning in his pocket. He carried it everywhere, hoping he’d man up and do it already. He couldn’t do it now—not here, not like this, not with JJ stumbling around somewhere in the background and the sound of half-drunk partygoers laughing around you.

“I don’t know. Maybe spend the day out on the boat. Just the two of us.”

“Alright, deal,” you said, holding out your hand for him to shake, “Sounds nice.”

Nice wasn’t even close to what he had in mind.

He took your hand, but instead of shaking it, he pulled you in closer, wrapping an arm around your waist. You let out a small laugh, leaning into him. The beer bottle in your hand dangled lazily at your side. You leaned up, pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

“You’re lucky you’re cute.”

Rafe let out a breathy chuckle, turning his head to capture your lips with his. The kiss was slow, lazy even, like there wasn’t a party around you. “Still think I’m cute, huh?” 

You gave him a look, lips curving into a shit-eating-grin. “When you’re not acting like JJ.”

He groaned, tipping his head back dramatically. “Don’t compare me to that fuckin' idiot.”

You just grinned, pulling away slightly, though your hand stayed on his chest. “Relax. You’re cuter, baby.”

“Damn right,” Rafe muttered, tugging you back to him. He liked having you close like this—reminded him that no matter how much shit had changed, some things stayed solid. You. Him. This.

He kissed the top of your head, breathing in the familiar scent of your hair, and let out a contented sigh. 

JJ had somehow found another beer, and as Rafe glanced his way, he saw Kie giving him a hard time, probably for almost getting into it earlier.

“You think they’ll ever figure it out?” you asked, following Rafe’s gaze.

“Who, JJ and Kie?” He shrugged, taking another sip of his beer. “Maybe. Probably not, though. They’re both too stubborn.”

You hummed in agreement, resting your head against his shoulder. “Sounds familiar.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, well, we turned out alright, didn’t we?”

You smiled up at him, the firelight dancing in your eyes. “Yeah, we did.”

Just as you and Rafe were starting to get lost in your own little world, a sudden shout cut through the noise of the party. Rafe glanced up and spotted JJ again, this time charging toward some guy who was standing way too close to Kie. 

Oh for fuck’s sake.

JJ's posture tense, fists clenched at his sides, and his voice already rising in that familiar way that screamed trouble. "Hey, man, back the fuck off!" He growled, pushing the guy away from Kie. The dude barely had time to react before JJ was already up in his face, looking like he was seconds away from throwing a punch.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Rafe muttered under his breath.

Without a second thought, he downed the last of his beer and started striding toward fight. You followed, a little concerned but mostly impressed by how quickly he handled it. He was always the one who kept things calm now—so different from his hot-headed younger days.

“Maybank!” Rafe’s voice boomed across the beach, and you could hear the change in tone.

He was done playing around.

JJ, too focused on trying to defend Kie’s honor, didn’t even hear him. Rafe didn’t hesitate. He grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pulling him away from the guy before anything could escalate further.

The younguer blonde whipped around, ready to argue, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Rafe. “Dude, I—”

“Start walking,” He hauled him a few feet away, practically dragging him while the other guy quickly disappeared into the crowd.

You couldn’t help but watch the way Rafe took control of the situation, handling JJ like a dad trying to wrangle a rowdy teenager. You could see the way he deflated in response. He’d grown to respect Rafe too much to keep pushing.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Rafe said, his grip still tight on JJ’s shirt. “You’re gonna get yourself knocked out one of these days if you don’t stop acting like you need to throw hands over every little thing.” JJ scowled but didn’t say anything, and Rafe shook his head, letting him go. “Seriously, Kie can handle herself. And if she needs backup, that’s what we are for—not you getting your ass handed to you every time some guy breathes in her direction.”

JJ kicked at the sand, muttering something under his breath, but he knew better than to argue. Rafe’s voice softened a little, seeing JJ’s shoulders slump. “Look, I get it. But not like this. Not here.”

He nodded once, reluctantly, and Rafe gave him a rough pat on the shoulder before turning back to you. He caught your eye, and you felt the pride bloom in your chest. The way he handled himself, the way he diffused situations—it wasn’t just about being strong anymore, it was about knowing how to lead, how to take care of the people he loved. And, honestly? It was a turn-on.

You couldn’t help the way your eyes lingered on him as he came back over to you. He looked so composed, so solid, and that arm of his, the way he pulled JJ back without breaking a sweat—it had your mind going places. Rafe raised an eyebrow at you, a playful smirk on his lips.

“What?” he asked, already knowing you were checking him out.

You stepped closer, trailing your fingers up his arm, feeling the strength in the way his muscles flexed beneath your touch.

“Nothing,” you murmured, biting your lip as your eyes met his. “Just proud of you.”

Rafe chuckled, his hand slipping around your waist, pulling you against him. “Proud, huh?”

“Mhm,” you whispered, pressing yourself closer, feeling the warmth of his body. “It’s kinda hot.”

“That what does it for you now? Me playing babysitter?”

You laughed softly, your hand still resting on his arm, fingers trailing along his bicep. “Not just that. The way you handled it. You’re just—”

Rafe’s hand slid down your back. “Just what?” he asked, his breath hot against your neck.

You bit your lip, feeling your heart pick up speed. "Strong.” You smirked, letting your hand slide lower, down the curve of his chest. “Kinda makes me wanna—”

He cut you off with a kiss, his mouth moving against yours with a kind of slow intensity that had you melting into him. His hand gripped you tighter, pulling you even closer, because he could never have enough of you. 

When he pulled back, his forehead pressed against yours, both of you a little breathless, he smirked down at you. “You keep talkin' like that, we might need to leave this party a little early.”

You grinned up at him, your arms wrapping around his neck. “Might not be the worst idea,” you teased, your voice low. “Think we’ve had enough excitement for one night.”

Rafe chuckled, his lips brushing against your forehead before he pulled away just enough to glance over his shoulder, making sure JJ wasn’t about to start up more trouble.

When he saw everything was calm, he turned back to you, “Let’s get outta here, baby.”

You didn’t need to be told twice.

He pulled you in close as you reached the car, wrapping his arms around your waist and leaning down to press a lingering kiss to your lips, making your head spin all over again.

"You're somethin' else, you know that?" he whispered against your lips, his hands sliding up your back, fingers tracing patterns on your skin.

"Get in the car, Cameron.”

[nekohime19]

AITA for sleeping with the guy my girlfriend is cheating on me with?

Idk what happened but I just had the funniest idea ever and I just had to write it. So basically it's a reddit post style short story with Wukong's pov. It's an interactive story so the comments will be used as the answers. There will probably be a part two (maybe even a part three) but I don't think I'll write more than that.

Shadowpeach is the end goal and we don't forgive cheaters in this household.

Also sorry Spider Queen, love ya.

AITA for sleeping with the guy my girlfriend is cheating on me with?

Okay, so I'm not used to this internet madness but my successor once said it could help sometimes so here I am sharing drama.

So I (5000, He/him monkey immortal) have been dating this other person we'll call Venom (??, She/her, spider demon) for quite some time. And I've been quite happy with her. I know I'm not the most… upfront with things and I have issues (like a lot) but she liked me and we worked well together.

But then we got into more arguments when I began to train my successor (21, he/him, human???), we'll call him… Bud, just because.

The thing is, Venom got this whole world domination plan, which is kinda normal for demons. A lot of demons do that. And it never really bothered me because I was retired (for context I'm a retired hero who used to battle demons a lot). Besides, I had some kind of the same phase in my youth so I just thought it would pass when she'd realize it's kind of a stupid plan, and anyway she never did anything to achieve it.

But then I found a successor, Bud, and I began to train him to protect the city and fight demons, all that heroing stuff. Venom, of course, wasn't happy with that and we began to get into arguments. She accused me of betraying her and I just told her I was a hero from the start so she shouldn't have expected me to agree with her view and all.

Things got really bad when Venom decided to pull a end-of-the-world shit show on New Year when we agreed beforehand to go on a date that day. It felt like she was spiting me. Plus, she destroyed more than half of the city and gave Bud a really awful time so I was, understably I think, very angry with her.

We got on our biggest argument and took some time apart to cool off. But then Venom got back all sweet and said to leave that behind us, so I was very happy and just decided to forget our arguments entirely. I thought she just decided to stop her world domination thing. It wasn't weird for us to do that. Not the first time we got into an argument about heroing and usually we just get back together after a little bit and decide to move on.

But then I started to notice some weird stuff about Venom. Like, she was on her phone a lot more (when she always thought those mortal things were lame before) and she was kinda dismissive and distant. She forgot some of our dates and had some lame excuses, like taking weeks of vacation or something??? When she never did that before.

In hindsight maybe I shouldn't have done that but I'm a monkey you know, so I'm naturally curious. So I took her phone and snooped around a bit.

Turns out Venom was cheating on me with another guy (??, he/him, monkey demon) we'll call him Six. She was seeing him behind my back and all, planning date and calling him “darling”, 🤢. I saw red. Like cheating ???? I know we have our ups and downs but to the point of cheating on me? I was really hurt by this.

So, I don't know, to try to calm down I started to investigate on Six. Like what kind of guy he is? Is he better than me? I was kinda surprised to discover he's another celestial monkey, like I always thought I was the only one?? But also it kinda hurt because Venom was cheating with a cheap dark version of me.

So I got petty.

I wanted revenge. And info. I decided I was gonna confront this Six guy first and pull a Monkey Cop, sussing him out to see if he was aware of my existence and to clarify this situation. Maybe I should have just talked to Venom but, idk, I guess some part of me was dreading the confrontation with her.

So I got to Six workplace with a disguise and all (sunglasses and hoodie). He works in the local theater and, okay, he was kind of good on stage. I'm not gonna lie, he's also kinda cute. Just a little bit. So I approached him at the end of the show, praising him for the performance.

One thing led to another and we kinda took dinner together??? I learned he moved in recently and that he got in a relationship with Venom three months ago (which hurt). But he seemed to genuinely like her and had no idea he was the side piece here. Sooo, maybe I took pity on him, like the guy didn't deserve that? I offered him a bottle and we got waisted. In hindsight, a really bad idea, especially since I have a loose mouth when I'm drunk.

We had a fun night, doing stuff together. He admitted my disguise was shit (which, rude 🙄) and was excited to meet another celestial monkey. We talked about our experiences and we really bonded. Annnd, I got to ruin it and spill the beans, saying the truth about how Venom is in fact my girlfriend.

At first he didn't believe me, but then I pulled pictures and, yeah, he was understandably upset. He kinda looks hot when mad. We got even more waisted and cried and cursed Venom and ate ice cream then we got on my mountain, drank some more of my personal celestial wine collection, and watched Monkey Cop… Then I say “You're kinda cute.” and he says “You too”.... One thing led to another and, yeah, we slept together.

And so now I'm in my bed typing this with the worst headache on earth and with very obvious marks of what happened last night on me. Six is sleeping next to me and I'm questioning my life (and my sexuality???)

WHAT DO I DO????

AITA ??

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Let's Just Breathe

A/N: Had this in my drafts for a while, finally decided to finish it.

Chrissy and Eddie had a moment at the picnic table, and then everything went to shit. Chrissy died. Eddie got accused of her murder and he was hunted down for it. When all was said and done, when the world was saved, Chrissy came back. Chrissy and the others hadn't really been dead to begin with, so it made it easy to clear Eddie of all charges.

Meanwhile, Steve and Eddie formed a connection when Steve carried him out of the Upside Down. Chrissy had watched from Eddie's hospital bedside as they started to fall for each other. Chrissy was just happy to have Eddie in her life, even if it was only as a friend, so she put her feelings for him on a back burner and let it cool. Slowly, Steve became part of her life, too, along with Robin and the rest of the party.

FIVE YEARS LATER. . .

Chrissy was now living in a shared apartment with Robin and Vickie. After everything that happened, they were all still a little codependent, and Chrissy doubted that would go away, not that she would want to. She actually felt like she had a real family and was even okay with being the fifth wheel. It was luck that they found two apartments for rent in the same building that they could afford, especially since they were across from each other. They had to practically beg Chrissy to come with them. She was very much a part of their group, after all.

"Gahh!" Eddie yelled as he walked into Chrissy's apartment.

She had just gotten home from teaching dance class to a bunch of four year olds and was now relaxing in front of the TV when Eddie came in. He plopped down next to her, pouting and sniffling. Chrissy turned off the TV and turned to him. It was still odd to see him with short hair. They had agreed to donate their hair a while back for children with cancer during a time when they didn't have money. It eventually became an annual thing. Eddie had just cut off his hair along with Chrissy and Vickie, so now they both had short hair. Robin and Steve's hair was still very long. Eddie's hair was starting to grow out a little.

"What's wrong, Eddie?" Chrissy asked.

"Ugh!" Eddie exclaimed again.

"Yeah, you said that when you came in," Chrissy replied.

"The denied our adoption application, and I think it's my fault although they didn't say that," Eddie said, rubbing his face with his hands.

"I didn't know you guys were trying to adopt," Chrissy said.

"Yeah, it was going to be a surprise when we got approved, but it looks like that's not going to happen," Eddie said. "Steve deserves to be a dad. He would be a great one, and I want to be a dad, too. I don't think it's going to happen, and it's my fault, Chrissy. I know it."

He was crying now, and Chrissy hated seeing him cry. If she could do something about it, then she would. She would totally give them a baby. . . Wait, she could give them a baby.

"Where's Steve?" Chrissy asked.

"Cooking angrily," Eddie muttered.

Chrissy pulled him up and started dragging him out of the apartment. Eddie yelped. She barged into their apartment, startling Steve, who had been sniffling at the stove. She closed the door behind Eddie.

"There are other ways to have a baby other than adopting," Chrissy said.

"Well, Eddie and I can't exactly do that. I don't know if you noticed," Steve said.

"I could give you guys a baby," Chrissy said.

Eddie choked on his saliva. Steve quickly turned off the stove and spun around to face Chrissy.

"What?" Steve asked. "You want to have sex with one of us?"

"I mean, it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. I mean, unless you want to. I was thinking more like a turkey baster, but I could have sex with one of you. . . Or both," Chrissy said.

"Both, huh?" Eddie asked.

"Well, I mean, you wouldn't be able to really know who's baby it is if you guys wanted to keep it a mystery. Doing it with both of you, it would be like both of you were making the baby. If that makes sense," Chrissy said.

"And there isn't anything in it for you if we did it that way?" Steve asked as he moved closer to her.

"I would be lying if I said that I never thought about it," Chrissy blushed. "But I know that you guys really want a baby."

"So, you'd really do this?" Eddie asked as he moved closer to her as well.

"Yeah, I'd do anything for you two. You'd make really great dads," Chrissy said.

"Well, you know if we did this, we wouldn't leave you out of this," Steve said.

"What?" She asked.

"You want to have a baby, too. We'd think you would be a good mom, too. . .unless you'd think it would be too weird," Eddie said.

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to do this," Chrissy said with a smile. "Do you guys want to do this?"

Eddie and Steve shared a look before grinning wildly. Eddie hugged her tightly before pressing his lips to hers in a hard but gleeful kiss. Eddie moved back and let Steve do the same.

"But, you know, we don't have to do this right now," Steve said. "We could give it a few days."

"Well, that wouldn't make sense," Chrissy said as she began to unbutton her shirt. "It's perfect, actually, I'm ovulating as we speak. Oh. . .that's right, I took off my bra when I got home."

She slipped off her shirt and let it fall to the floor with an innocent smile. Eddie smirked at Steve before picking up Chrissy, letting her legs wrap around him.

"Steve, guide us to the bedroom," Eddie said.

Eddie smashed his lips to Chrissy's with Steve’s hand on his back, leading them to the bedroom. They fell on the bed, Steve falling with them.

A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER. . .

Chrissy had been sent home early due to the fact she had thrown up even though she felt better once she did so. She entered the apartment to find Robin and Vickie curled up on the couch. It was their day off.

"You're home early," Vickie said.

"Yeah, they sent me home because I got sick. I'm pretty sure it was because of something I ate. I feel fine now," Chrissy said as she plopped down on the recliner.

"Well, I've been meaning to talk to you," Robin said, turning off the TV. "You know, we said a while back that we needed some alone time. It was just to celebrate Vickie's birthday. We love having you around."

"Of course, I know that," Chrissy laughed.

"Oh good," Robin said, relieved.

"I think Robin was worried because you've been spending a lot of time with Steve and Eddie," Vickie said.

They hadn't said anything to them about what they've been up to. She wasn't sure how they would even take it if they even knew that she was sleeping with them to help them make a baby. Although, the last few weeks have been great, and she tried not to get her hopes up, but it felt like she was slowly becoming a part of their relationship. When they weren't having sex, they were cuddling and kissing as well as holding hands. Sometimes, they just lay in bed and talked. Steve and Eddie even took her out to eat, calling it date night. Would that all be over once she got pregnant?

"I like spending time with them," Chrissy said.

"You've been spending the night," Robin said, narrowing her eyes at her. "I think I just figured out what's going on."

"You have?" Chrissy asked, her eyes wide.

"You guys are throwing me a surprise party for my own upcoming birthday, aren't you?" She asked.

"Yeah, that's it," Chrissy laughed. "You figured it out."

"Great, now, I'm going to tell you exactly what I want, and then you're going to casually mention it to the guys like it's your idea," Robin said.

"I feel like that's cheating. It ruins the point of a surprise party," Vickie said.

"Babe, it's already ruined. Chrissy already told me," Robin said. "This way, I get what I want."

"I guess it's going to be Eddie and Steve, who are the ones who will be expecting the surprise," Vickie said.

"It serves them right for stealing our roommate from us," Robin said.

Expecting. The word Vickie said swam around in Chrissy's head, and she gasped. Oh, she was an idiot. A very late idiot.

"Are you okay?" Vickie asked.

"Yeah, I just realized something," Chrissy said and got up. "I got to go!"

They watched her leave and Robin frowned at her girlfriend.

"Maybe you're also right, Vick, maybe she does have a secret lover," Robin said.

She had been gone for a long time. Chrissy had returned a while ago, but now she was sitting in her car, hoping for a positive outcome. She let out a breath and climbed out of the car. When she walked into her apartment, Eddie and Steve were there. Robin had her back to the door as she talked to them.

"Look, I'm really worried about her. She just took off, and now we don't - ," Robin started.

"I'm right here. No need to worry," Chrissy said.

"Chrissy, what the hell?" Robin asked.

"Are you okay?" Vickie asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Excuse me, I drank a bunch of water earlier, so. . . I need to use the bathroom," Chrissy said and most past them.

"Why are you going into the bathroom with a plastic baggy?" Robin asked and turned to the men. "Do you have any idea what this is about?"

"No clue," Steve shrugged.

Chrissy, meanwhile, bit her lip as she watched the clock on the bathroom wall. Please, please, please! She closed her eyes for a moment and took a calming breath before opening her eyes again. What are the odds, though, that it would happen on the first try? Dustin would probably be able to tell her. She ignored Robin knocking on the door and then the sound of Steve scolding her.

"Robin, privacy!" Steve exclaimed.

"She's been in there for a while!" Robin yelled. "I feel like you know something that I don't."

"I know about as much as you do," Steve said.

"Ha! You said about! Which implies that you know more than me!" Robin exclaimed.

"Maybe I know less than you do. Did you ever think of that?" Steve asked.

The kitchen timer that Chrissy had bought went off with a loud ding.

"Is that a fucking kitchen timer in there? Is she cooking something in the goddamn bathroom?" Robin asked.

Chrissy sighed and peered cautiously at the sticks on the counter. She squealed in delight and grabbed a stick off the counter. She opened the door to the bathroom and right into the hallway where everyone had gathered. She looked at Eddie and Steve. She beamed as she held up the white plastic stick.

"I'm pregnant!" Chrissy exclaimed.

Eddie and Steve froze for a moment before letting out a loud holler. They hugged her tightly, pressing kisses on her cheeks and then in her hair. Eddie pulled back before kissing her deeply and pulled away to allow Steve to do the same.

"What. The. Fuck?!" Robin exclaimed.

"Oh, Steve and I got your roommate pregnant," Eddie said, his eyes filled with tears.

"Explain, please," Vickie said.

"Well, you see Vickie, sometimes when two men love the same woman - " Eddie started to explain to Vickie.

"She knows how sex works, you dingus! She's a master at it, in fact," Robin exclaimed. "What she wants to know is when Chrissy joined your relationship."

"Oh, when the adoption fell through a couple of months ago, and she offered to carry our baby. We decided all three of us should just do it the old-fashioned way," Steve said.

"And it just felt right that she become a part of us too," Eddie grinned.

"So. . .Do you guys really want me to be with you?" Chrissy asked.

"Of course, did we not ask you?" Steve asked.

"No."

"Shit. . .baby, do you want to be our girlfriend?" Eddie asked.

"Yes!" She exclaimed happily.

Steve and Eddie hugged her tightly. When they moved back, Robin slugged them both in the arms before hugging them both.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me you guys were trying for a baby," Robin said.

"Well, I didn't want you to get disappointed when it didn't happen. I know how badly you've been wanting to wear that 'World's Worst Godmother' shirt since you found it in that store a while back," Steve said.

"You're a good platonic soulmate. . .well, sometimes. . . You're sleeping on the platonic couch for lying to me," Robin said.

"Congratulations, Chrissy!" Vickie squealed as she hugged her.

"Thank you," Chrissy said.

"Are you hoping Eddie's the biological father? I would, I couldn't imagine how you would be able to push Steve’s square headed baby out of your hoo-ha," Robin said.

"Hey! If my mother could do it with baby me, then so can Chrissy!" Steve exclaimed.

"Didn't your mother have to have surgery down there?"

"That was not my fault! That was for cosmetic reasons only!"

"I'm not worried," Chrissy giggled. "They both put in the work at the same time. They're both the father."

"Hey, what if they're twins? What if Steve’s the father of one and Eddie's the father of the other?" Robin asked.

"Don't be ridiculous, Robin. . . That would never happen. . ."

A FEW MONTHS LATER. . .

". . . I can't believe Robin was right," Chrissy pouted.

"She happened to be right about it being twins, sweetheart, not about the other thing," Eddie said. "And you said that it doesn't matter, right?"

"Yeah, it's just . . . " Chrissy trailed.

"She's gotten quite annoying riding high on that ego boost of hers," Eddie cackled.

"Yes! Now she's saying she can see the future!" Chrissy exclaimed. "I love her, but I am not naming one of our kids after her just because she can see it happening."

"I think you're just annoyed because you know it's definitely going to happen," Eddie said. "Or is it because you can't find a thing to wear?"

"Nothing hides my stomach!" Chrissy exclaimed.

She was standing in what was now their bedroom. She had moved into their apartment shortly after she found out she was pregnant. So, now Steve and Eddie's bedroom was hers too. Chrissy was standing in her bra and panties, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Eddie was sprawled out on the bed, watching her. Steve was busy at Robin's, helping Vickie put the finishing touches for Robin's birthday party.

"Why would you want to hide it? Weren't we planning on telling everyone when they got here?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah, but not today. As annoying as she is right now, today is her day. It's all about her, and I'm not going to step on that," Chrissy said.

"Well, that's awfully sweet of you, baby," he said. "But I don't think you have any clothes that will hide them."

Chrissy glared at him before marching over to the closet and pulling out a giant white coat. She slipped it on.

"Oh, yeah, what about this?" She asked.

"Okay, that's Steve’s parka, and you look like a marshmallow," Eddie said, and she glared at him. "But a very cute and delicious marshmallow."

She took off the parka and put it back in the closet. She cradled her bump as she felt the babies move within her.

"They're moving. Hi, babies. Do you want to say hi to Daddy?" Chrissy cooed at her stomach.

She waddled over to him while he sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. Eddie flashed his dimples as he placed his hands on her stomach, placing a kiss on in it.

"Hi, babies. It's Daddy. Papa isn't here right now. He's busy setting up for Auntie Robin's party. She's very demanding, but you'll find that out," Eddie sighed happily. "I know Mommy is probably going to miss having you live inside of her, but I can't wait to meet you."

"I can't wait either," Chrissy said and paused. "I think I'm just going to choose something comfortable but first. . . "

She sat down on his leg, straddling it as she kissed him deeply.

"I don't think we have time for this," Eddie said as he broke the kiss.

"Of course, we have time. They're not even finished setting up yet, and the party is right across the hall," Chrissy said in between kisses.

She rocked her hips, grinding against his leg.

"What about Steve?" Eddie asked.

"We've done this without him before," Chrissy said.

"Yeah, and he was extremely pouty," Eddie said.

She pressed her knee against his crotch and moved her lips to his neck.

"And isn't he just so cute when he pouts?" Chrissy asked.

"Yeah, he is . . . Okay, fine, let's be quick," Eddie groaned.

Chrissy pulled away from him and stood up.

"You know what, I'm suddenly not feeling it anymore," she said.

"Chrissy!"

"What? Is there a problem?"

"Yes!"

"It sounds like a problem you need to fix."

"Baby!"

"That's what you get for calling me a marshmallow," Chrissy pouted.

Eddie stood up, glared at her, and went into their en suite bathroom. Steve chose that moment to come in.

"Did I miss something?" Steve said.

"She's a devil of a woman, Steve! We're never getting her pregnant again. The baby hormones made her even more evil!" Eddie exclaimed and Chrissy giggled. "Oh, god!"

"Well, I recognize that sound. Starting to guess what happened here," Steve said.

"He called me a marshmallow," Chrissy said.

"Well, then he had it coming," Steve said and then laughed when he realized what he said.

"Oh, very funny, Steven! Don't you dare laugh at my suffering!"

"Having trouble finding an outfit?" Steve asked.

"Yeah," Chrissy said.

"Well, what about this top and this skirt. It's the same material that you said feels good against your skin," Steve said.

"Oooh, and the colors actually do look good together! That wasn't an outfit ten minutes ago, and then you come in here. . .it's an outfit! My hero!" Chrissy exclaimed, kissing him.

Steve grinned and leaned next to the bathroom door, rapping his knuckles against the door.

"Hey, we're done setting up. What about you? Did you finish?" Steve asked, and Chrissy giggled as she got dressed.

"Asshole," Eddie said as he opened the door, and then he saw Chrissy. "You look beautiful, darling."

"And comfy. Still mad at me for being evil?" Chrissy asked.

"No, in fact I love you more for it," Eddie said. "Menace."

"Takes one to know one," Chrissy said, and Eddie kissed her deeply.

They were, of course, the first ones there, seeing how they were just across the hall. She had been quite energized and excited for the party but now suddenly she was starting to feel a little tired. Chrissy yawned and then covered it up with a laugh when Robin came out of their bedroom wearing her World's Worst Godmother shirt.

"What? Well, I figured I would put this on since you're planning on upstaging my party with your pregnancy announcement," Robin said, and Chrissy cursed. "What? I was joking. I love that you're announcing you're having my god children at my party."

"No, it's not that, I'm just feeling tired all of a sudden," Chrissy said.

"Well, you're growing two life forms inside of you, I expect you're tired a lot," Robin said.

"Well, why don't you take a nap in your room - I mean, the guest room. People won't be here for a while," Vickie said.

"We'll wake you up when they're all here so that way you can just tell the story about how this happened all at once," Robin said.

"Smart," Chrissy said. "I think picking out clothes and messing with Eddie just wore me out."

"What did she do to you?"

"Nothing!"

When Chrissy woke up from her nap, she had to pee. She made her way to the ensuite bathroom, and when she pulled her underwear down, she discovered blood. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, and she quickly pulled her underwear up. Just as she was about to leave the bathroom, she heard Steve come in.

"You need any help, baby? Robin says she is not going to explain her shirt until you come out. Dustin thinks she's trying to bring back the whole "Steve is a mom" joke. Honey?" Steve asked.

"Steve. . .I'm bleeding," Chrissy said, as she tried so desperately to stay calm.

She could feel her heart race rapidly in her chest, and everything felt cold. What if she was losing the babies?

"Shit. Okay, don't panic," Steve said softly. "We're going to get you to the hospital, and everything's going to be okay. It's probably just spotting, but I think we'll both be relieved if a doctor tells us that. Okay?"

"Okay," Chrissy said softly.

"I love you," Steve said, cupping her face. "Breathe with me."

Eddie walked into the bedroom as Chrissy breathed with Steve.

"If you guys are fooling around without - what's going on?" Eddie asked.

"I need you to remain calm, Ed. Chrissy is bleeding, and we need to take her to the hospital," Steve said in a steady voice.

Calmly and smoothly, Eddie picked Chrissy up in his arms, cradling her to his chest. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and buried her face there, breathing in his scent to calm her down. Steve opened the door, where everyone was waiting for them.

"Is Chrissy okay?" Joyce asked.

"We have to take her to the hospital," Steve said. "She's bleeding."

"The babies!" Robin gasped.

"Don't you panic. If you panic, I panic," Steve said with tears in his eyes.

"Babies?!" Dustin asked, and everyone started talking at once.

"We don't have time for this," Eddie growled. "Robin, explain it to them."

Steve and Eddie moved out the door quickly with Chrissy. It left Robin and Vickie to explain the situation to the party. They stared at the group, and for once, they were speechless. It was Nancy who snapped them out of it.

"What babies are they talking about?" She asked.

"Uh, the babies Chrissy's pregnant with," Robin said. "Twins."

"Who's the father?" Jonathan asked.

"Uh, Steve and Eddie," Vickie replied.

"She's a surrogate?" Joyce asked.

"No," Robin said, shaking her head and wishing she had gone with them.

"They all put in the effort," Vickie said.

"What the hell does that mean?" Hopper asked.

"Well, sometimes when two men love the same woman . . . " Robin trailed off.

"Okay, so they all had sex," Hopper said, squinting his eyes at them.

"Are they all together?" Mike asked.

"Yes."

Once that had been explained, everyone started worrying about Chrissy. Argyle was trying to get everyone to relax, but not even his comforting presence could get them to. Suddenly, it felt like the world was ending all over again. Wayne, of course, had been the last to arrive and the last to know. He had burst out of there as soon as he was told and left for the hospital to be with his kids. The others would have followed if there hadn't been other kids here who were just as worried. Claudia stood next to Dustin and hugged him tightly. They were all legally adults now, except for Erica and Holly, but they were still all very young even more so when someone they loved was in trouble.

"Is there nothing that I can do?" Jane asked her mother.

"The only thing you can do is wait," Joyce said softly.

And wait, they did. The food was untouched, but Vickie made sure to preserve them. No one felt like eating or partying, and they all sat in uneasy silence. Eventually, Eddie and Steve came through the door with Chrissy, with Wayne following behind them.

"The girls are fine. It was just spotting," Eddie said, tears in his eyes.

"Oh, thank God!" Robin said and hugged them tightly before suddenly pulling back. "Wait. . .girls?"

"We're having girls," Chrissy said.

"Oh my God! We're having girls!" Robin exclaimed and hugged Steve tightly.

"We're having girls!" Steve exclaimed.

Everyone took turns to hug them all. Dustin clung to the three of them the most, tears in his eyes.

"I'm going to be an uncle!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Happy birthday, Robin," Chrissy said teasingly.

"Best birthday ever," Robin said tearfully.

"Congratulations, Chrissy," Nancy said with a smile.

"So, how exactly did this start?" Hopper asked.

"Well, when two men love the same woman. . .," Eddie started to explain, and Wayne promptly slapped him upside the head.

"Well, Steve and Eddie's application to adopt got rejected, so I volunteered to be their surrogate, but it turns out they both wanted more. . .we all wanted more," Chrissy said. "Especially me, I've been pining for Eddie for the last five years."

"Okay, you did NOT tell me that," Eddie said.

"I didn't?" She asked.

"No, you did not," he said.

"Well. . . Would it make you feel better to know that I've been pining for Steve for even longer?" Chrissy asked.

"No!" Steve and Eddie exclaimed.

"Well, we're here now," Steve said with a sigh as he pulled his partners to him. "That's all that matters."

MONTHS LATER. . .

Chrissy was starting her eighth month of pregnancy when her mother decided to visit. It had been years since she had last seen her, and she had hoped that her mother had changed. Her hopes had been dashed, however, when she opened the door.

"You and your children are going to burn in hell," Laura said, and Chrissy had slammed the door in her face. "CHRISTINE! You open this door! It's bad enough that we haven't seen you in years! It's worse that we had to hear about it from someone else that you're living in sin with a couple of f - "

Laura hadn't been able to finish the sentence because Chrissy had opened the door and punched her mother in the face. Laura fell to the floor, dazed, as her nose began to bleed. Chrissy took the opportunity to call the cops and then went back to her mother.

"Eddie and Steve are the best things that have ever happened to me. I am in love with them, and they are in love with me. I couldn't ask for better fathers to my children. They have made me happier than you and Dad ever did. They're my family, not you," Chrissy said. "I had really hoped you had changed. . .and by the way, your precious little girl isn't quite straight either. . .that's always been the case. I've fucked men. I've fucked women. I even fucked one of my fellow cheerleaders right in your bed. Have a nice life, Laura."

The entire exchange had wiled up the twins, and they kicked at her stomach as she waited inside for the cops to show up. Chrissy placed a hand on her stomach to calm her girls down before collapsing onto the couch to cry. The cops had left after gently questioning Chrissy and escorted her mother away, as she refused to leave, just as Eddie and Steve were coming home. They stumbled over each other as they tried to get to her even though she wasn't going anywhere at all. Chrissy couldn't help but laugh at them as they knelt in front of her.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked.

"I'm fine. Better than ever, actually," Chrissy grinned. "I got to punch my mom!"

"I didn't even know your mother was visiting," Eddie said.

"She called a while back, and I completely forgot," Chrissy said. "I didn't remember until after you left to pick up Wayne. . .uh, where is uncle Wayne?"

"I ain't as young as I used to be, darling," Wayne said as he came through the door. "Your fellas ran as soon as they saw the cop cars. So, you punch your mom, huh? Don't get up."

Wayne walked over to Chrissy and hugged her tightly.

"Yeah, she came for a visit, and I thought we could patch things up, but all she did was tell me that our children were going to hell. She was about to call Eddie and Steve a very nasty word, so I punched her, and then I told her I wasn't exactly straight myself," Chrissy said.

"What a bitch!" Eddie scowled and then his face softened. "Your mother, not you!"

"I knew who you were talking about, Eddie," Chrissy laughed.

"It's a shame that your mother is so full of hate, but one day, she's going to regret losing you," Wayne said. "You're a wonderful girl, and you're going to a better mother than she ever will. I'm so grateful to think of you like a daughter and so honored that when your kids are born, they'll get to call me Grandpa."

"Thank you, Uncle Wayne," Chrissy said as she cried.

"I love you, darling," Wayne said and pulled a bag out of his luggage. "Got you something for the little tykes."

"It's little hats!" Chrissy shrieked when she pulled two pink and red hats out of the bag.

"I figured they could start their own collection if they wanted to," Wayne said.

"You are not going to turn our children into hoarders. . .oh, but they're so cute!" Eddie exclaimed. "They're so wittle! Stebe! Wittle tiny hats for their heads!"

"I see that," Steve laughed in amusement.

"You guys are all that I need. You, Vickie, Robin. . .everyone. . .you're my family," Chrissy said. "I haven't needed my mom for a long time, and I am happy that I closed the chapter on that part of my life. I love you."

Later that night, after having dinner with the guys, Wayne, Vickie, and Robin, Chrissy was sprawled out on the bed with Eddie. He had fallen asleep across her stomach after reading to the babies. Steve had just finished cleaning up in the kitchen when he came into the bedroom to get ready for bed. Steve turned to Chrissy as he slipped off his pants.

"Are you sure that you're alright?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm a little sad for her. She's always going to be this hateful woman, and she's just choosing to live her life like that," Chrissy said. "I don't want to do the same as her, so I'm not going to be angry with her, I'm choosing not to give a shit. If that's how she wants to live, that's on her. I'm going to focus on the wonderful life that I fought to have. . . That I continue to fight for. Our girls have plenty of women in their life to look up to."

"And the most important woman in their life, you," Steve said as he crawled across the bed to kiss her and then kiss her stomach.

He moved Eddie so he wasn't sleeping across her stomach, and Eddie flopped over on his side in his sleep.

"You're looking incredibly sexy tonight, Steven," Chrissy purred. "Want to do it against Eddie's back again?"

"What?!"

"Ha! I knew you weren't really sleeping," Chrissy said.

"I was until Steve moved me," Eddie said and flopped around to face them. "Please, tell me that you guys never fucked against my back while I was sleeping. . .Please tell me you're joking."

Chrissy and Steve giggled.

"Christine! Steven!"

A FEW WEEKS LATER. . .

" . . . Traitors, the lot of you!" Robin yelled.

"Oh, come on, you knew this was going to happen," Steve said as he packed up a box. "I know we put this off as much as possible, but we needed a bigger place for the babies."

"And Eddie's personality," Chrissy said as she waddled out of the bedroom.

"Oh, if you didn't look so adorable in those overalls of yours, I'd get you, Cunningham," Eddie said.

"Put me to work, boss," she grinned.

"You're already doing something," Eddie said. "You're creating life, and the doctor told you to take it easy."

"He also said that I can move around," Chrissy said.

"Mm, I just know the thing you can help me with," Eddie said.

He flicked on the radio and pulled her into his arms. Fire and Rain had just started. Chrissy bit her lip. Her favorite song. She didn't complain as Eddie her close and started to sway, singing along to the song. Chrissy smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. It was a bit difficult with her enormous belly, but they made it work. This would be the last time they would dance in this apartment.

"How is this helping you?" Chrissy asked.

"It's helping him get out of working," Ronnie's voice floated in. "We didn't come all this way just to watch you use your pregnant girlfriend as an excuse to get out of packing."

"I would never," Eddie gasped, and Chrissy pulled back to look at him.

"You so would," Chrissy said.

Gareth, Jeff, and Frankie had come in behind Ronnie to load up more boxes in the moving van downstairs. Ronnie had offered help immediately when she heard that her best friend was moving. She hadn't been able to get out of work lately, so she had taken the opportunity to see her best friend.

"I have done a lot of the packing while you've gotten all nostalgic and distracted by each little thing you put away. How about you pack and I dance with Chrissy?" Steve asked.

"Ugh, fine," Eddie sighed and pulled away. "Our lover doesn't want us to be together."

"I guess that makes us forbidden lovers," Chrissy teased.

"Christine! You know my romantic heart can't take it when you say such words!" Eddie exclaimed. "I'm supposed to be packing!"

Steve laughed as he pulled Chrissy into his arms, hugging her tightly as they swayed.

"I can't believe you're leaving us!" Robin exclaimed.

"They're not leaving us, babe. They're moving into a house with a yard. Don't you want our goddaughters to be able to run around?" Vickie asked.

"Don't try to be logical with me when I'm trying to be irrational," Robin said, and Vickie laughed.

Chrissy laughed with Steve, and she looked at him fondly. God, he was cute and funny. He's so amazing with kids already. They both were going to be such amazing fathers. She was so glad she could do this for them, for all three of them. She couldn't wait to see them in action, but she was also going to miss being a home for their kids. Even though the journey had been difficult and scary, she loved every minute of it. She was grateful that she had Steve and Eddie by her side.

"What?" Steve asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

"I love you," she said.

"I love you, too," Steve said, smiling softly at her.

"I'm going to miss this place," Chrissy said. "It was our first home together. This is where you two got me pregnant."

"Yeah, I'm going to miss this place too," Steve said.

"You guys did a great job knocking me up," Chrissy giggled. "You did it very well."

"Yeah?" Steve smirked. "You liked that, did you?"

"Very much," she said, sighing happily. "I'm going to miss being pregnant."

"Well, you know, if you ever want to do this again, it's always been your choice," Steve said.

"Well, not right away. . .but I think you should get pregnant next," Chrissy said with a teasing grin. "You'd look beautiful."

"Hell, yeah, he would!" Eddie exclaimed.

"Get back to work, Munson!" Robin yelled and Eddie hissed.

"I can't get pregnant," Steve rolled his eyes.

"We still have no idea what those bat bites did to us!" Eddie exclaimed.

"Munson!"

"You are not the boss of me, woman!" Eddie yelled. "That title belongs to Chrissy and Steve."

"Get back to work," Chrissy and Steve said, laughing.

"Yes, dears," he said.

Chrissy laughed, and she kissed Steve, sighing as he wrapped his arms around her to deepen the kiss.

"Hey!" Gareth yelled, causing them to break the kiss. "We did not come here to watch you two have sex!"

"Hey! You don't see me complaining whenever I watch them together!" Eddie exclaimed and cackled.

"Shut the hell up, Eddie, you're not funny," Gareth yelled and Chrissy laughed again.

With all of them helping out, they got everything packed up quicker than they thought they would have. Chrissy leaned against the moving truck, pressed between Eddie and Steve, staring at the apartment building. They each had a hand under her stomach, relieving some of her pressure.

"This is it. . .," Chrissy said tearfully.

"It was a good five years," Eddie said. "So many memories. . .so many fights. . . So much great sex. . ."

"Eddie!" Steve scolded.

"Remember when you rescued those puppies off the street, and it turned out to be coyotes?" Eddie asked Steve.

"Excuse me, that was you," Steve scoffed.

"Oh, yeah," Eddie said.

"Those puppies got into our apartment, and they peed all over Robin's shoes," Chrissy giggled.

"I guess you could say she was pissed," Eddie said and they laughed.

"Remember the Italian guy Chrissy dated?" Steve asked.

"Oh, God, I hated that guy," Eddie said.

"What? You did?!" Chrissy asked.

"Yeah, we both did. Turns out we were both jealous," Steve said. "I can't believe we didn't see it then."

"Better late than never," Chrissy said and sighed. "Remember when Robin put Nair in Steve's shampoo and blamed it on Eddie?"

"What?! That was you?!" Steve and Eddie shrieked.

"Oh, I thought you told them," Chrissy said.

"I might have forgotten to tell them," Robin said, smirking.

"Steve made me sleep on the couch for like a month!" Eddie shrieked.

"Yeah, it was hilarious," Robin snorted.

"Where was I for all of this?" Vickie asked.

"You were visiting relatives. I got bored," Robin said.

"Yeah, I'm never leaving you alone again," Vickie said.

"Oh, how awful for me," Robin said with a grin. "At least she's not abandoning me like you guys are."

"Stop being dramatic, Robin," Steve scoffed. "We're not even moving that far away."

"Whatever, Steven, I'm over it," Robin said, rolling her eyes, and then she grinned. "We've already replaced you, anyway."

"What does that mean?" Steve asked.

A loud honking startled them both. Chrissy looked around the moving van and was surprised to see Argyle's yellow van behind them with another moving truck behind him. God, she was surprised that Argyle was still driving that thing. Argyle popped his head out of the window.

"Happy moving day, brocachos!" Argyle yelled.

He got out of his van while Nancy and Jonathan got out of the moving van.

"You gave our apartment to Nancy, Jonathan, and Argyle?" Steve asked.

"We're in love!" Argyle yelled.

"You copying us, Wheeler?" Steve asked as they moved closer. "You know they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. You really want to be me!"

"In your dreams, Harrington!" Nancy taunted and Steve groaned.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" Steve asked.

"Nope!"

"We figured our shit out long before you did," Jonathan said. "We just didn't tell anyone."

"Well, I hope you guys enjoy living there," Eddie grinned. "I know we did."

They gave the place one last look before thanking everyone before heading off to their new house.

A FEW DAYS LATER. . .

They hadn't gotten settled very long before Chrissy's water broke, and she went into labor. It was a grueling process for her. It was a while before they actually took her to the delivery room. She had to watch as several women went before her. Finally, several hours later, Chrissy was pushing, and the doctor was between her legs, prepared to catch the first baby.

"You're doing so great, honey," Steve coached. "Just breathe."

"I AM FUCKING BREATHING!" Chrissy screamed and then she paused, crying. "I'm so sorry, you don't deserve that. I love you. You're doing so great as well."

As she pushed, she grabbed a hold of Eddie's shirt, and he let out a cry of pain.

"MY CHEST HAIR!" Eddie screamed.

"WHAT CHEST HAIR?! YOU'RE NOT STEVE!" Chrissy yelled. "YOU THINK THAT HURTS - oh, baby, I'm so sorry. I swear I told myself I wasn't going to be like this - OH FUCK, THIS HURTS! JESUS H CHRIST!"

Chrissy rolled her eyes and for a moment she shared a smile with Eddie. Yeah, he was definitely rubbing off on her. The first baby girl came out and Eddie scurried over to watch over them while they cleaned her off. Steve stayed with Chrissy, holding her hand as they took care of their daughter. A few minutes later their second daughter was born and residing next to her sister. A moment later, Chrissy was holding both of them in her arms and she couldn't stop crying. She never loved anyone the way she loved these babies.

"I'm sorry, Steve and Chrissy," Eddie sniffled. "I love them more than you two now."

"Totally understandable, I definitely love them more than you two," Steve said as held one of their hands.

"You should hold them," Chrissy said.

"Okay, no, I'm definitely going to break them," Eddie said and wiped away tears. "Who decided that I should be a father?!"

"We did," Steve and Chrissy said.

"You're not going to break them," Chrissy said. "I love you; you're going to be a great father. Pick up your daughter."

Eddie nodded and picked up his daughter while Steve picked up the other twin. Chrissy smiled as she watched them both. Yes, this was definitely the best decision she had ever made.

"Steve, baby," Eddie sniffled.

"Yeah?" Steve asked, his voice thick with emotion.

"Is this what being mugged feels like?" he asked.

"What?" Steve and Chrissy asked in confusion.

"I'm looking at her and I want to give her everything that I have," he said. "Yeah, this is definitely a stick up. My sweet little heart thief."

"I had no clue where that was going," Steve cried. "But that was so sweet! We've just been mugged."

They were all laughing when Wayne, Robin, Vickie and Ronnie came in. Chrissy was glad that Ronnie was able to stay just a few more days.

"You ready to meet your grandkids, Uncle Wayne?" Eddie asked.

Wayne had already been crying. Chrissy could tell by his red rimmed eyes.

"Who's this little darling?" Wayne asked.

"This one is Wynona Robin Harrington Munson," Eddie said. "Chrissy came up with Wynona, it was the closet name to Wayne that she could find."

"Oh, sweetheart, you didn't have to do that," Wayne said.

"I wanted to," Chrissy said.

"You mean a lot to all of us," Steve said. "Of course, you're in there too, Robin."

"Oh my god! Okay, I'm going to be cool, I'm going to be cool," Robin said and looked at Wynona over Eddie's other shoulder. "Hi, baby birdie."

"This little girl is Elizabeth Veronica Harrington Munson," Steve said. "If anyone was wondering."

"Veronica?" Ronnie asked with wide brown eyes, that were so much like Eddie's.

"You think that I'm not going to name one of my kids after my own platonic soulmate?" Eddie grinned. "You've been my best friend since we were eight years old. Of course, it's Veronica."

"Oh, hell," Ronnie said, her eyes filled with tears and taking off her corduroy ball cap.

Chrissy smiled, surrounded by most of her family, and she couldn't help but think about how they all got there. She wondered if they had all gotten there sooner if she had been quicker in asking Steve out before he asked out Nancy. Sure, she would have gotten with Steve, and getting with Jason would have never happened. Maybe if she hadn't listened to her mother and continued hanging out with Eddie at the talent show, but she couldn't dwell on that. . .they were all here now. Despite all of the heartache that happened, everyone came out on top.

"Is it just me, or does Wynona look like Eddie and Elizabeth look like Steve?"

"Robin!"

. . . Oh, I'm a lucky man to count on both hands, the ones I love. Some folks just have one. Yeah, others, they got none. Stay with me. Let's just breathe.