#he's truly come so far 🥹🥲

[eruptedinlight]

Saru's Evolution 1 -> 5

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#61: The Happy Ending (1.06)

The Grimes family is reunited.😭🙌🏽

That's it. That's the intro. 😋 Because we just gotta dive right in and break this super rewarding and moving Grimes family reunion all the way down. It's everything. 🥹...

First off - The way we WIN.

After so many years, we really got to witness our babies get their happily ever after with their babies. They won. We won. 🎉😭

And the biggest reason I say we win is because something that we love lives. Richonne's story has been able to live to its fullest potential and in the most captivating and fulfilling way. From the iconic start in TWD to this impactful conclusion in TOWL. 🙌🏽

When working on these TOWL revelings, I tried to have the majority of them written and ready before I even started sharing the posts in July to ensure I���d deliver on my promise and follow through to the end. These final Grimes Family reunion posts are the only ones I put off writing for a while because, as far as we know, this is it. 🥲 The last page we get to see of Richonne’s beautiful years-long story. The last new Richonne scenes to break down and revel in. 

Since TOWL was announced as a 6-episode miniseries, I’m currently approaching this final scene as the official conclusion of Richonne's story. I know Andy, Danai, and Scott haven't outright said they're never reprising these roles, and the more I hear their answers to the questions about a return, a part of me thinks they know they're coming back in some capacity, be it a cameo or more, and already have an existing contract perhaps, which is why they can't 'spoil' anything by confirming or denying a return.

The way I view it - if Richonne makes another appearance, I'm absolutely seated and celebratory. And if they don't, I'm absolutely satisfied and grateful for what we got. As the gift that keeps on giving, they've already given us over 10 years of golden Richonne content, and this Grimes Family 2.0 reunion put a lovely bow on top of this gift. 💝 It was truly a beautiful and fitting conclusion to their story. And most of all I want the Grimes Family to get to live happily and at peace together, so I'm more than elated with how Richonne's story comes to a close here. 😇

So, as the broadcast announces “A historic day to begin a new chapter for the Republic” - which of course Rick and Michonne Grimes would be the ones capable of bringing about a fresh, historic, and thriving new chapter for a whole city of thousands - we see a glimpse of Judith sitting beside her walkie. And then I love hearing Michonne on the other end say, “Shoto, it’s Daito.” 🥹

Ahhhhhhh the Grimes family reunion was happening! 🥳🥳🥳 And I'm so glad it's with the original actors too. 😭🙌🏽

I remember there was a period when some were a bit worried that Richonne wouldn't reunite with their kids in TOWL. For me, I felt so sure it was gonna happen because that was the only way Michonne and Rick would feel their mission was successful. And I love how it gets confirmed that they’ll be seeing the kids as soon as we see this walkie-talkie moment. 

...Even tho for some of us, the Grimes family reunion was basically confirmed a little earlier, when a certain two illustrious actors filmed a trip down memory lane in Senoia, Georgia. 🤭

Our lovely captains have a sweet little exchange during that great memory lane special that clued me in on what to expect. There's a part where Danai is talking about Judith and RJ and how she loved seeing Judith with the mini sword on her back. Then, as others also picked up on, Danai said something to Andy about how now Cailey has nearly outgrown the sword, and she seemed to think Andy could co-sign that she has. And that had my extra self’s ears perking up. 😋

Because Andy had been having to work double time to recall some TWD scenes he was actually a part of during this trip down memory lane - so I said to myself - Self, it is highly unlikely that he knows if Cailey, who he never had scenes with, is now outgrowing the sword…unless he’s already filmed a scene with her wearing the sword. 😏

gif cred: @nerd4music

So yeah, after that I was no longer even 1% unsure if Richonne would have their family reunion. It was happening. 💯 And the way it happened is Love personified. 👏🏽💗

It had to be such a euphoric moment for Judith to finally, after over a year, hear her mom on the other end of that walkie that she said she'd always keep with her. And it had to be euphoric for Michonne to no longer get static but finally get her baby girl on the other end. 🥹

I remember it was emotional watching Michonne and Judith's final walkie-talkie conversation in TWD, especially knowing they'd eventually fall out of range. And so it was a great feeling to see their walkies finally make a connection again.

I like the way it’s shot with the walkie on the steps and Rick’s holster and gun on Judith’s hip. Again, Michonne summed it up perfectly when she said Judith is her and Rick. And it’s sweet seeing Judith immediately grab the walkie when she hears her mom’s voice. 

Also knowing Michonne was able to reach Judith on the walkie, I think this would definitely imply that Rick was able to talk to or at least hear Judith before they see each other in person. I’d be so curious what that very first exchange over the walkies was like between Michonne, Judith, and Rick. I'd imagine it was quite emotional for Rick to hear Judith's voice on the other end for the first time. 🥲

So then there’s the return of Rick’s battle-tested cowboy boots as he steps off the helicopter. And I really like the way it’s shot as we just see his feet first and then Michonne’s feet join him. It feels like yet another way to illustrate and celebrate that Rick is no longer alone. The love of his life found him and now they really will be by each other's side for pretty much all things going forward. 

gif cred: @taiturner

As TV's greatest husband and wife step off the helicopter, we get to see Rick and Michonne more fully and I adore that they’re holding hands. 🥰 They always look so married. And as has been established, holding hands is one of Richonne's favorite things.

And then you know we gotta take a moment for Michonne’s outfit 🔥🔥🔥. Cutest outfit she’s ever worn. 👏🏽 I LOVE it. 🤩

gif cred: @alwaysthequietones

It’s great how they chose something that feels both fresh but also so true to Michonne for her final outfit and it just feels like she’s again getting to return to herself through the clothing. A fashion It Girl, through and through. 💅🏽

Michonne stayed proving an apocalypse does not have to stop you from stylishly color-coordinating and accessorizing. And I love the cowrie shells being back in her hair too. One of the last times she wore cowrie shells - a symbol of fertility - RJ arrived shortly after. So of course seeing the shells in this finale had my Richonne baby fever activated. 😋 It’s also great she got her katana back as well. That sword will always find its way back to its Mama Michonne. 👌🏽

And I of course also love that Michonne and Rick are wearing matching colors. A signature Richonne thing to the end. 😌 And Rick and Michonne matching in that tan color is great because the color scheme is giving "Must've been something else then." 😊

Then, I think it’s such a touching and well-acted moment when, before we even see the kids, we can tell that Richonne has spotted their kids from the way they react. 😭

Something about the way Michonne holds Rick's hand and then runs to her babies just feels like such a wife and mother and it’s so sweet. Like if you showed this running clip out of context to someone unfamiliar with the show, I feel they'd immediately be able to tell that who Michonne and Rick are running to is their children.

I love how Michonne drops her bag and just immediately runs to the kids. And then it’s precious that Rick sees his children for the first time and drops his bag as he eagerly runs to them as well. Goodness, this whole thing is just heartwarming x10, I can’t. 🫠

gif cred: @nat111love

And it gets extra heartwarming when we see Judith and RJ for the first time, sprinting to their parents with the biggest smiles on their faces. 😭😭😭 Richonne's babies are here. 🥹

gif cred: @alwaysthequietones

The way I rejoiced seeing the adorable Grimes kids running the first time I watched. 🙌🏽 I love seeing how ecstatic they are and the way Judith looks back at her little brother as they run. A true big sister. And of course, I adore that Judith is wearing the sword like her mom and her gun in her holster like her dad and that RJ is wearing his dad's signature Sherriff hat and dressed like little Carl. It’s all so perfect. 🥹

And for me, watching this scene would be the hardest Try Not To Tear Up challenge yet, because the way Judith and RJ smile and run into Michonne’s arms, and the three embrace - My heart bursts. 😭❤️‍🩹

gif cred: @riickgrimes

They all hold so tightly to each other and it’s precious. For a long while, the only Grimes family Judith and RJ had been used to was just the three of them. So it’s really sweet that the three of them have a moment to reunite after missing each other for so long. RJ's smile and Judith's face when she hugs her mom always makes me want to cry. 

gif cred: @nat111love

(Side note: There are people out there who ignorantly discredit and downplay Judith and Michonne’s mother/daughter relationship and that will forever be foolish to me (though sadly not surprising 😪). Judith has only ever known life with Michonne, and Michonne has been raising Judith since before she could walk. Their mom/daughter status cannot be denied. Interestingly, Judith is the one Grimes kid who has only ever known life with both Rick and Michonne. Carl was old enough to recall when Michonne entered his life. RJ is old enough to recall when Rick entered his life. But Judith doesn’t recall when either entered her life because her parents have been raising her since she was in diapers. They’re the only mom and dad she’s ever recognized. Yes, Judith knows Michonne didn’t birth her but that’s not the only qualification one needs to be a mom. In every other way, Michonne has been Judith’s mom for as long as she can remember. So when Judith looks at Michonne it’s clear she sees her mom, not 'the woman who looks after her', not her 'play mom' - her mom. 👌🏽)

I love that Michonne gets her own moment to reunite with her kids and that they let that moment breathe. Michonne is the anchor to this reunion as they all look to her as the connecting piece of this family right now. It’s realistic for the kids to take their time greeting Michonne because that’s the only parent they really know.

And just like Rick and Michonne had to do a lot of sacrificing on this journey, so did Judith and RJ.

These kids sacrificed valuable time with their mom so that she could go bring their dad back home. So I love that they get to have a moment of being just so elated to be back in their mom’s arms.

Rick stands in the back of the shot, as he anxiously awaits greeting his kids. I know Rick appreciated seeing this moment between the three and immediately seeing that his kids love and view Michonne just as highly as he does. He got yet another reminder that he chose the perfect woman to be the mother of his kids seeing the way his babies beamed and ran in Michonne's arms. 😊

gif cred: @riickgrimes

And then it is again so precious when Michonne and the kids look at each other and whisper "Hi" and just again have these joyous smiles on their faces.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

RJ’s quiet little ‘hi,’ 🥹 Michonne asking how they’re doing and acknowledging they’ve got so big since she last saw them, 🥹 the way they can’t help but smile and laugh, 🥹 and then when Michonne and Judith put their heads together. 🥹 I love every second.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Michonne finally gets to hold the two who fueled her to keep going even in the moments during this TOWL journey where it felt like all was lost. She was not going to let her kids down and she was going to ensure she made it back to them.And Judith and RJ knew their mom would make it back to them too, no matter how long it took. 

I also love seeing Michonne’s M bracelet in the shot. Again, she really came back adorned with gifts from her husband because Rick loves her the way a cherished wife should be loved. And of all the gifts Rick has given Michonne, we know she cherishes most the gift of their children. 💛

gif cred: @riickgrimes

It really is beautiful how we went from Michonne telling Carl one kid was enough for her to her now having four kids (…and counting possibly). And I love the way it's visible how Michonne's soul just lights up so brightly as she holds her kids in her arms.

So as the three embrace, Rick stands back and watches his beautiful family. And the way Rick is looking at them, it’s clear this is all so surreal for him.

It makes sense that Rick would hang back for the reunion as Michonne has a moment with their kids. It reminds me of how on Carl’s last day, Rick approached it like he understood Michonne and Carl needed their time together as a mother and son because he knew he was losing his son and Michonne was too. Also, it's evident during this reunion that Rick wants to be mindful of whatever contact Judith and RJ want with him.

So Judith gives one more smile over at her brother and mom, as Michonne adorably lifts up RJ’s hat and embraces her baby boy, who is not such a baby anymore, saying, “Hi there.”

And then Judith turns to Rick with a smile. As they look at each other, Judith becomes emotional and starts to cry. She walks to Rick and finally, after all this time, gets to embrace her dad. 🥹

gif cred: @twdfranchise

Y’all, there is a reason I put off writing these reunion posts for so long. 😭 This entire scene between these four makes me emotional for so many reasons.

I think it’s so sweet that Rick is letting his kids set the tone for how they want to interact with him in this scene. You know if it were up to him, he’d probably be bawling and pulling them into an embrace, but he also knows that he’s in some ways a stranger to them now. So the thoughtful way Andy plays it, I love that it’s clear Rick wants to let the kids decide what they’re comfortable with. And the second Rick knows they want to hug him, he so tenderly and lovingly hugs them back. 🥹

gif cred: @twdfranchise

The way he hugs Judith, you see how layered this moment is for Rick because he’s so happy to be back with his daughter and also sad to see just how much he’s missed as she’s done a lot of growing up in his absence.

Plus, during his time with the CRM, Rick had to devastatingly accept that he may never see Judith again and even tried to convince himself that maybe she'd be safer if he didn't come home to her and protected her from afar. I feel like hugging Judith right now, Rick probably feels so overcome with emotion knowing that he's actually getting to hold his daughter after thinking he'd never get this chance again.

Hearing Judith cry as she hugs him and seeing the fatherly way Rick holds her head and tries to hold it together while clearly feeling so many emotions. I cannot. ❤️‍🩹 My heart is moved during each part of this Grimes family reunion. 

While still hugging him, Judith emotionally says, “I knew it, Dad. I knew you were still out there.” It’s so sweet that this is the first thing she says and that Rick gets to hear that Judith never lost her hope that Rick was alive.

gif cred: @twdfranchise

While Rick came close to ending it a few times during his years away, he managed to stay another day and then another after that and another after that, and I like to think that day by day he was somehow subconsciously being fueled by his wife and kids belief in him. They believed he was still out there and that energy helped keep him here long enough to now be back with them again.

I also love how no one ever came and took Rick’s place in his family’s life because these three Grimes were always believing Rick was still out there. Judith held onto this faith that her dad was alive even when the odds of Rick being alive seemed low. It feels like Michonne modeled that example to her of continuing to believe. And their belief was worth the wait. 🥹

And then Judith looks up at Rick and says, "I just never wanted you to feel alone.” It moves me so much that while Rick was afar hoping Judith was okay, he now gets to know that his daughter had been hoping he was okay too. 🥲

gif cred: @twdfranchise

As a big sister myself, I just gotta say Cailey plays the big sister role so well. Especially when you’re the family-oriented and responsible big sister, you always just want to make sure everyone is okay. Your younger siblings, your parents, aunts, uncles, everybody. And I love that Judith’s big thing was wanting to be sure her dad never felt alone. That’s so caring. 😭

I also feel like her saying this is her reiterating why she encouraged her mom to go after Rick. On the walkies in Michonne's last full TWD episode, Judith told Michonne, "What if he's trying to come home too, but no one will help?" And she was spot on with that prediction. In TOWL ep 3, Rick even verbalized to Michonne that he had asked for help, but he didn't get it.

So even though it made Judith really sad to be away from her mom, she knew Rick might be alone and in need of Michonne's help even more. Never wanting her dad to feel alone was among the many reasons Judith urged Michonne to go get him.

And another thing that's poetic to me is that Judith is such a pivotal character in getting Rick and Michonne to meet the way they did. Had Glenn and Maggie not gone out to the store to get Judith's formula, Michonne wouldn't have run into them and brought the formula to the prison for her future daughter. Also, even the very night Rick and Michonne became an official romantic couple in 6.10, their couch moment began with smiling over Judith on the baby monitor.

Since she was born, Judith has helped ensure her dad didn't feel alone because her very existence played a part in Rick finding his ultimate life partner and soulmate, Michonne.

So next, Rick says his first words to Judith in years when he looks at her and says, “I thought I was..."

I like that he's honest about how he did think he was alone at first. There definitely was a time when Rick was confronted with the depths of loneliness within the CRM.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Rick continues, "Then I realized..." and I love that he looks over at Michonne as he says this. And the way Michonne holds RJ while smiling at Rick and Judith interacting again for the first time in years. ���

All those years in TWD, Michonne saw how much Rick loved Judith, and so it clearly means a lot to her to see Rick face to face with their daughter again. Rick and Michonne both just seem so present and grateful for this moment as parents.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Rick looks over at Michonne, knowing how instrumental his wife was in both his daughter being who she is today and in helping him realize what he says next - "I wasn’t.” 🥹

It’s really nice to see that Rick realized he was never alone because he always had his family.

When Rick tells Judith that he realized he wasn’t alone, Judith gets to hear Rick essentially say he realized her own little mantra that she wrote on her family drawing, “My family is always with me.”

Judith and Rick both know the sadness of losing your loved ones' memory, but I’m so glad they now have each other back to affirm that while the memory can seem lost, it can always be found again.

gif cred: @andremichaux

Also the way Rick says this line with such a tender tone and tears in his eyes and then he looks at Judith with a smile and blinks probably still trying to comprehend that this little lady in front of him is the daughter he last saw as a toddler. 😭

gif cred: @alwaysthequietones

And then Judith cries again as she leans in and hugs Rick and I’m a puddle of tears inside. Like when you think about how hard Rick fought for his daughter all those years on TWD, it’s just so special to now see him get to hold her and already get a glimpse of the great loving person she’s turned out to be.

I know Judith is about to feel so loved and protected by this great dad, and I love thinking about how they’ll now get to reestablish their bond and just have the best father-daughter relationship. 

It hit me that years ago, we got to see the very first time both Rick and Michonne ever held baby Judith and how it was a big moment for both of them. While she stirred up painful memories from their past, Judith was also this little bundle of hope for the future in their arms.

And then in this TOWL finale, we beautifully got to see Rick and Michonne hold Judith in their embrace one more time. 🥹

Michonne reuniting with her son and daughter and Rick reuniting with his baby girl were such golden TOWL moments.

With these touching exchanges, the Grimes Family reunions had all occurred. And now it was time for the big Grimes Family introduction. It was time for Rick to finally meet Rick. 😭

So we gotta bring it on home now and talk about the special, heartfelt, and rewarding final moment of The Ones Who Live. 🥰👌🏽

[moronkombat]

Hiii!

Can you pretty please do some hcs for my beloved Shang Tsung?

I thought about these themes:

- his reaction when you ask for one of his rings, to remember him when apart from each other

- Him proposing (🥹)

- Waking up with him

But also can be anything no your mind, i love your writing!!! And I’m too damn obsessed with Shangy ✨, i just need to consume ANYTHING about him.

Thank you!! 🥰 And I’m sorry about the lenght of the ask 🥲

No worries about the length! I love writing about Shang Tsung!

You knew Shang Tsung before he ever encountered Damashi. In fact, you were one of the first people to know him

You've known him since childhood but you were not close until you both grew a little older as your childhoods were very different

He lived in poverty but you did not. You were not wealthy but your family had enough and tended to stay away from those less fortunate

Your meeting was by chance but both of you were grateful to have met each other

The two of you grow close, meeting each other often in secret to avoid detection from those who would keep you apart

Eventually a friendship blossoms and then a flower blooms with a connection far deeper but this flower is doomed. It cannot grow in the different soils that you're from

Shang Tsung knows this and he also knows he will never be worth anything if he stays in a place where people know his face

He decides he must leave and you cannot go with him. You both know this but it is difficult to accept

You know when he is going to leave. He tells you his plan to go and travel. He will make something more of himself and when he does, he will come back for you

You want to believe, you really do but you worry this may be the last time you ever see him

You feel bold then, eyes falling to one of those rings he wears. It one of the only nice treasures he owns. He notices your gaze and his finger would twitch

"I will miss you" Are all the words you can find, while eyes of tears look at the tarnished silver.

There's a moment of conflict then but slowly he would remove one and present it to you. You're stunned and open your mouth to refuse but there is a pause. You decide, to say nothing, and to accept his gift with a nod

You're not there to wish him a goodbye. He leaves without you knowing where he's gone and when he's left. It better this way though. You both so keenly aware that if you happened upon his leaving, you'd try to stop him

Years would go by and there is no word from him and the people of your village don't even seem to notice his absence. You do though, you're painfully aware

Over those long years you reject many who would have your hand. You are faithful to Shang Tsung's promise to return for you. There are times when the hope is almost lost but it takes but a look at the ring he has given you and the hope blooms again

Your family is frustrated, however, they want you to marry and settle down. Such is the way of things but you refuse and people see you as foolish but you don't care

It is a seemingly quiet day when he returns. A day like any other and when he finds you, all he had to do is say your name and your heart stops beating. He kept his promise

He does not come empty handed and soon after you have embraced, he is presenting something small to you. It is but a small box but inside it carries the greatest gift

"I've gotten you a far better one than the last, don't you think? Would you wear it for me?" Is all he has to ask. You know what this question truly means and your heart flies out of your chest. You are his and he is yours

Your family doesn't even remember Shang Tsung so when this stranger proposed to their favored child, they are quick to put up a fuss. You have none of it

The two of you marry privately and you return the ring he had given to you all that time ago. You don't need it anymore, after all

He is usually first to rise in the mornings and so you do not often wake up next to him. When Shang Tsung awakes he is swift to begin his day. He has done this for many years now. However, in those rare beginnings of sunlight, your eyes open first and you see him sleeping next to you.

Those moments are your favorite. He is completely unguarded and raw. There is no better way to see him than this

Your fingers dance so very carefully over his features and everything feels right. This is how things are meant to be and you will never let this change. Not ever

Thank you for requesting Shang Tsung! I see him as either soft or possessive. There is no in between LOL

[ghost-bxrd]

Dear GhostBird,

I’m genuinely considering writing a love letter to Owlsong because I simply cannot get over how much heart and care you’ve poured into it—especially into Jason. The way you’ve portrayed Bruce, Dick’s trauma, and most of all, Jason, is nothing short of breathtaking <33 I’m only a few chapters in, but I had to pause and write this because it moved me so deeply (I’m not yet ready to face his death LMAO)

There’s something incredibly compelling about stories where Jason’s virtues, particularly in his pre-Red Hood days, shine so brightly. He’s cautious and wary, yet hope and trust come so naturally to him. You’ve captured that beautifully, portraying him with such compassion and love. He’s witty, charming, and as someone who’s been a long-time fan of the comics—especially Barr’s run of Robin Jason—I’m beyond charmed with how you’ve written him.

Jason, despite everything that’s happened, remains kind. He loves Dick, teaches him, learns to communicate to him, and actively works on being able to make Dick live and survive with him. He’s still a bit reckless (as all Robins are!), but it’s done in such a believable, nuanced way. I absolutely love love love it <333

Personally, I feel that it is so unfair when his younger days are only viewed through the lens of the Red Hood narrative :/ You’ve struck a perfect balance between his struggles and his inherent goodness. He has attachment issues, sure, but despite everything he’s been through, his innocence survives. (Of course, that easy trust and attachment issues are what cost him everything with Sheila ;-;)

And just INCOHERENT SCREAMING ABT Dick and Jason’s brotherly relationship? It’s so precious to me, both in canon and in your rendition of it here. Your writing is gorgeous, and I’m in awe of how well you’ve explored grief—how Dick and Jason grapple with it both alone and together.

This story is truly wonderful, and I’m so grateful for it. Thank you for writing it, muah <3333 🌸🌸🌷🌸🌸

This might be the sweetest thing ever omg 🥹💚💚💚💚💚💚

I’m so happy Owl Song is giving you so many feelings! It’s honestly one of my fave Aus and every time I hear people enjoy it so much and give me such a detailed analysis of their interactions I’m just over here, tearing up with joy, unable to articulate how much it means to me 😭💚💚💚💚

It’s genuinely mind blowing how far this AU has come. I didn’t think it would get more than a couple readers at best with how niche it is. But evidently, im not the only one who digs those crazy levels of devotion and loyalty ksksksks ✨ It’s a shame we don’t see more of them working together (and actually being a family instead of uneasy allies) in canon. 🥲

I’d love to give you all the home baked cookies and cakes I can in return for this wonderful ask, but since this is the internet let me just say I love this letter like this cat loves their dog buddy 💚💚💚✨

[leenaur143]

Bad Lawyer & Crazy Dog, an unconventional love story

JUST FINISHED THE LAST EPISODE OF LAWS OF ATTRACTION!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Okay this is your HUGE spoiler warning because I have so many thoughts and my love for this show knows no bounds but I don't wanna take away from the magic of living it through on your own so go watch it!!!

Overall episode rating: 9.5/10

Overall show rating: 10/10

I was so tempted to take away points for that SILLY GUITAR AND THE SINGING 😭🤣 but it's fine they can't help that they're in love dhhxhdj

So, currently writing this at midnight just after 2/9/2023 which was Tinn and Charn's wedding day!!!!!!! These two goofs have come so far and yeah, couldn't be happier for them 🫶

I took a pause in the middle of the episode to collate my thoughts and here was the list I made about the first half:

1. the mma boxing unconventional fight between tinn and nawin, it was giving 'youtube boxing: worst bits!' but it made me laugh so its fine 😭

2. thee having no one truly there for him except tan - his fellow bodyguards didn't even back him, meaning ever since he started working for tan's family he truly has known no one who cares and loves him deeply which 🥹��� how did he manage to stay so kind through all that

3. thattep that psychopath.

4. nawin being the best character ever

5. how similar nawin and charn are (one just has a few dozen more braincells than the other

6. how charn planned that entire plot knowing the risks not only to his physical self but knowing he could be risking his entire career but he's ready to do that as we saw when thattep called him to prison 🤧👏

7. the one guy that said you dropped the soap in the prison showers 🥲

8. tan using his annoyingness to his advantage and celebrating being banned from an airline - the most tan thing to do tbh

9. thee and tinn link up AGAIN!!!

10. the wedding talk made me emosh.. the entire proposal (lets ignore the singing but even that wouldnt wipe the huge grin off my face as i was watching it) i love the storyline of the song though (hats off to that tumblr user who explained the story behind the song, this was perfect

11. emotional during the seeking of blessings from charn's mum

12. grandma is a gem 💯

13. maya and rose doing so much to help the people they love - they truly are the MVPs

14. tongkhao's dream living on 🥹 all she wanted on Tinn's birthday was for him to be happy and start a family with someone he loves, and he did it 🥹😭🤧

Also, completely ignore the fact that I skimmed over the whole exposing scene because it was decent but I knew, I just knew Charn wasn't gonna die today and a bullet wouldn't be the thing that ended him so IM GLAD I WAS RIGHT 😭

The wedding! OH THE WEDDING 🥹👏 It was beautiful, just everyone who loves them there and present in form or in spirit - seeing the dolls and knowing Tonkhao was there just 🥹 maybe I'm just an emotional wreck but this episode really got me in my feels

I did laugh my butt off when they were taking wedding photos because why so stiff 😭🤣 It served prom in a nice way WHICH IS FINE it was just looking a bit awkward and hence it was funny 🤭

Also I could write entire essays about Tan's storyline but the fact that he never held any resentment for his dad even after all of THAT is just astounding, and it highlighted how even though Thee and Tan are very different, down to their core values, they're the same which is why they're perfect for each other

Speaking of perfect for each other, seeing Rose and Maya get engaged!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH I WAS SO HAPPY FOR THEMM

When Tinn said 'one day' concerning the conversation about the legality of same sex marriage in Thailand, I got in my feels again as you can probably gather is a common theme here, and I realised how much good shows like this promote.. and yeah I won't waffle on too much about that but it was really powerful 🥹

All in all, if we learnt anything from Laws of Attraction, I'd comfortably say it would be... how to say doll in Thai 🤣 (WHAT? It sounds so amazing! tuktā (pronounced too-ka-ta), it's a much better word!)

No, but seriously, what a show, I'd definitely recommend watching it and I hope, whoever is still reading my midnight rambles, enjoys it as much as I did 🫰

[chipsncookies]

Twin Stars Far Apart Commentary

Due to image limit this is mostly text

To summarise, this event is good, but felt too short and didn't focus enough on the twins, which is sad since they're supposedly the main stars of this event, it felt like Archie's story instead (i like it but i gotta be fair) the problem also got resolved too quickly, making the story fall a bit flat.

I'd prefer if they let us stew in the conflict a bit. Maybe make them explore other options before turning to jirachi to make the situation more dire. After all, twins being separated into different worlds should hold as much gravitas as Lusamine losing her husband or submas being separated (the freaking. Similarity to submas is so obvious, but liza and tate had it much easier 🥲). Maybe also explore Tate and Liza's personalities, let them do/speak and think more or have them learn things throughout the story, or make them more distressed as time goes on, they would be more compelling. After all, they are the characters dena is selling 😅

Also kinda sad that Nanu did not comment on the girls coming back? He should've been welcoming anabel and liza, iirc he lost a coworker once, i feel he should have a stronger reaction towards anabel being spirited away and making it back home.

But as i said, I am biased and this event is very catered to me so here are some highlights of things i like (warning: mostly archie)

Let's start from beginning:

Archie has shown time and again he's gentle with kids so fatherly 🥰 , he asked the twins to keep jirachi a secret.. he explained to them so they understand its importance, he respects their intelligence.

I feel his message got through easily because they're kids, they don't have lofty ambitions like some adults (imagine if gio/others found out about jirachi). As a villain himself he knew what some people would do to achieve their selfish goals. Yet he still has hope and appreciates truly kind-hearted people.

After that Nanu and Anabel appeared and explained they have to guard the twins. Apparently the area becomes more dangerous because ultra wormholes keep appearing recently? I wonder if this is just something that happened for this event or there's something that caused this 🤔 my brain really suspects there's a connection with how Adaman and Irida got sent to Pasio through space time rift... But that and ultra wormhole are different things. Side note I'm glad they explained why Looker isn't available, it's not necessary (imo) but it gives more context about the status of the interpol.

After that, of course the worst thing happened. Liza and Anabel are sucked into the wormhole, leaving their pkmns behind. I would've liked if they showed more signs of distress rather than just standing there 😅 Archie found out, and again i like how he used his knowledge as a villain to think of why the girls could've gone missing. It's also so sweet to see him reassure Tate, and promising to help him 🥹🫶 I think Archie could've been offering help earlier before Nanu suggested the ask for Lusamine's help, it could help integrate him more into the story imo.

After that Nanu correctly guessed they might have been sucked into a wormhole, and they asked Lusamine for help. Sure enough, she confirmed it. Her description about them going missing so suddenly, and without their pokemon too, really reminds me of Ingo 😭 I feel this also pains Lusamine to tell them, because she lost her husband to the wormhole too before...

Luckily for Liza and Tate, they were transported into Pasio, still the same place although a different one unlike some poor sod who got yeeted hundreds of years back miles away from his home Apparently in this world there are no people in Pasio, only ultra beasts. This matter is not elaborated because they were attacked by some UB, but saved by a kind Celesteela. I can't help but wonder more about this universe, where are the people? Did they fail to contain UB outbreak? What happened to the Lear of this world?

Anabel makes a great observation that the UBs are the same as them, they're taken away from their homes. I love this moment of sympathy.

And then we turn back to Archie and Tate. Archie helpfully explained how to awaken Jirachi (Tate needs to sing and make a wish). Despite wanting to protect Jirachi he let Tate take his chance because he genuinely cares!

Just. Look at this scene, Archie is so supportive of Tate I can't y'all 😭😭💖💖🫶🫶 the way archie looks at tate so gently 🥺🥺 and how he's so excited when jirachi wakes up, and nudges Tate to make a wish!! he's so sweet, he's like a dad to Tate, I love him so much 😭💖

Ok and so Tate sang and Jirachi woke up! And he made his wish. And then they get reunited. Now this part is a bit funny because Jirachi apparently didn't do anything?? 🤣 Because earlier Anabel remarked that the UBs must have come from somewhere, ie a wormhole, and Liza heard Tate singing, so the wormhole must've existed before Jirachi even woke up. So convenient that it's located nearby 😂 afterwards it decided to make Tate its partner, solely because of his pure heart i guess? He managed to awaken it after all

Anyway, the twins are reunited!! And they got new friends ^^

I was so surprised when i saw this scene I didn't think they'd bring Matt too, I'm so glad they did 🥹💖💖 festival n and steven also appeared! It's a lively scene!

This is such a good shot Archie is so happy for the kids 🥹

THE REAL SHOCKER THOUGH IS THIS SCNEE

I was not expecting Shelly to appear, much less having interaction with Archie, at this point I'm pretty sure the writers read my mind because i love Archie and Shelly so much!! 😭😭💖💖 I've always loved their relationship, they're childhood friends united by the same goal, they understand each other so well 😭😭

The way they know what each other is thinking 😭😭 that's the proof of their bond!! After all this time they're still best friends, they know what each other is thinking 😭😭💖💖 It's so sweet and awe inspiring to me!!!

This is the highlight of the event for me, Archie really has come a long way from his villainy, he acknowledged the importance of people and pokemon, and wants to see the future generation live happily... it reminds me of this line from Alpa Sapphire's Delta episode:

I can't help but notice that this event is like a really condensed parallels to AS Archie's experience (i treat game archie and pokemas archie as different people), both initially motivated by meeting Jirachi, and then him having doubts on humanity, but things happened that led to a kid changing his mind. The difference is Pokemas Archie has the luck to see Jirachi again (although different than his friend) meet truly kind-hearted people (Tate), resulting in his change of heart, while in ORAS he never met Jirachi again, it was just a memory, and his change of heart happened because he made mistakes (which are. Much bigger than what Pokemas Archie has done).

From a meta perspective, I love that Archie's obscure/forgotten Jirachi lore from 2014 is picked up in Pokemas, crafting a story that led to Pokemas archie turning over a new leaf, similar to his game counterpart. Considering neither AS nor Pokemas Archie could ever meet their jirachi again (because it likely went to sleep for another 900ish years), Pokemas is logically the only place where this little story can be touched again, and I'm SO happy for it. Jirachi is the motivation for Archie in the beginning, and it continues being that in this event, but with new, deeper understanding and optimism, with hopes for the future of humans alongside pokemon 💖✨

Im sorry for writing this long Like oh my God you guys i love Archie so much!!!! 😭😭😭💖💖💖💖 I love this event so much !!! I'm so happy!!

[faceglitchsworld]

It's the 15th of January here on my country so that means one thing: it's Hyungwon's birthday! :D

And for his day, I've made a collage for him ☺️

I had fun doing this. This time I had the idea to put every "shape" of him...or at least what I love about him. I love how the same man with one of the brightest smiles I've ever seen and one of the prettiest models is also a living meme. He's effortlessly funny 😆

Maybe my only regret is that I didn't find any good pictures of him with long hair 🥲 Just check his photos of him with long hair, he is the best looking man 🥹

And now, time to spend some words for him.

When I discovered Monsta X for the first time and I started following them on their social media, Hyungwon was the first member who stood out for me. He wasn't my first bias tho, though I was figuring out exactly who's who and I was having my crush on Changkyun at the time (still loving him tho) but I noticed how I was immediately recognising him every time. Maybe I should thank his cute smile or the fact that he looks funny even when he tries to look serious but still, he always stood out for me.

That's why I decided to do a little dive into him. I wanted to understand why he was so outstanding to me. And I discovered the most relatable idol I had ever seen. Introvert, always tired, zones out here and there, he gives the most strange answers during interviews (I remember when he started to sing Iya Iya oh randomly 😆😂) and his laugh is honestly the best serotonin boost. But he's not just that. Behind this introverted goofball, there's an amazing dancer who's capable to do the best moves, a great producer and writer and a natural-born DJ. Behind this tall man who zones out almost every time, there's a man who shows his shapes of love to the members. He's the softest and most caring towards the youngest and then he becomes the most savage to the oldest ones. This is probably the trait that I love the most and probably the reason why he became my bias after the long dive.

Dear Hyungwon, last year has been a very good year for you. You've finally come back to what you truly love. Seeing you coming back as a deejay for the Dolce&Gabbana event made me so happy. You were just vibing with the music and playing the mixer naturally like nothing has happened over these years. Being a DJ is just a natural talent for you now.

I'm so happy about how far you've come as a producer and as an actor. In these two years, you wrote Mercy and Wildfire, two songs that sound so different but they have that signature of yours. The more I listen to them, the more I think that you finally come up with your own style. Kihyun trusted you so much that he let you write and compose Bad Liar. And I admit that it's one of my favourite songs from Youth, I fell in love with it the first time I heard it. This year you showed us the best of yours by writing Beautiful Liar, your first title track for Monsta X, and that beautiful banger of Lone Ranger. Believe me when I say that I loved both of these songs with my entire heart and I put them in my playlist immediately. I can't wait for your next work, I know that you'll make another masterpiece.

You also received your first main role in a drama. And when I saw the trailer I admit that I almost screamed "I'm so proud of you, Hyungwon, go, my man, go!". You made a wonderful job and I hope that this will be the first of many other main roles in your career.

This year is gonna be a very good year for you, I can feel it. I'll look forward to every project you'll come up with next time. I hope you'll spend this day with your friends and the members and that you'll remember this day as one of the brightest days ever. You deserve it.

Happy birthday my cutie turtle 💚

[applesfallingfromblondehair]

Ohhh Matthew. Honestly he recovered from his abstract (psychopomp) nightmare a whole lot quicker than I have recovered from the fact you wrote that, but then he did have sweet beautiful Ross to wake up to 🥹 but to then have Ross call it all “nothing special” (even if I know he didn’t mean it) and matty’s reaction to that truly made my heart hurt. I love how you made it that George is so clearly in anguish about his own feelings and the expectations put on him by his family but so incredibly, inexorably drawn to matty. Oh, and the motif you’ve started here of matty waiting and letting George come to him — he has so far, but that certainly couldn’t backfire in the future could it? 🥲 And the ending, also devastating (for a multitude of reasons). You have them all walking such a tightrope of emotional turmoil already, I’m 🫠🫠🫠

another one of the Elected Crew who got that Abstract sequence. and yeah Ross shouldn't have minimised whatever happened, but poor baby he's trying to lie to himself as well....

George is In A Bad Way and he needs to sort himself out but it's so so hard in his circumstances and POOR BABY

everyone needs to be protected at all costs really. and yeah I know the ending was Bad and Cruel and I'm sorry about it but cliffhangers is how you draw people in (I learnt that from Steven Moffat like 13 years ago), so...

thank you so much for this ❤️

[damelucyjo]

Okay. I think I’ve calmed down enough. I’ve done the ironing listening to Films To Be Buried with. I’m in a better mood. So let’s give this rewatch a go so I can pretend most of it never happened!

Episode 12 - So Long, Farewell

I will say, one thing I love (as a Brit that has to be involved in football in some way) is that this show got so many ‘real’ football people involved. It’s a shame it was all men though…

Ooo Rebecca, looking for as always 😏 that robe is a gorgeous colour

Is that headline indicating Bex kicked Rupert out?? Good on ya, girl! 💪🏼

Exactly. Shut up Thierry

‘Morning, Rebecca’ ‘Morning, Ted’ WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO US 😫😫

Heavily implying they slept together. Why else would they be so awkward around each other?? 🤔

The fake out was cruel, but the introduction of Beard is brilliant

And what the actual fuck are you wearing Brendan?! 😂 To be that comfortable around your boss 😂

Okay but now I really want to see what the night before was like. Also why are Beard & Jane at Rebecca’s? Why not go to Jane’s?? 🤔

Also was there really an emergency? Or does Beard know there could be something between Ted & Rebecca and needed them to spend real time outside of work together??? If so you’re a genius, my friend!

Yes, Rebecca. Don’t talk about it. That way it’s not happening 👍🏼

GET YOUR BARE ARSE OFF HER COUNTER!! 😂 it’s kinda like a car crash; you know you shouldn’t look but you can’t look away either 😂

Poor Mina 😂 Rebecca, I hope you pay her a ridiculous amount of money

‘Those ropes are not garbage. Some of it’s dirty on purpose’ they sure are an interesting couple 😂

God Hannah’s pretty. And Jason looks very cute 🥰

YYEEAAAHHHH!

I absolutely love how over the top all these boys are with things

He’s the assistant kit man 🥺 I actually love that. Not so much that this is the first times it’s mentioned though…

‘I was just the only one that was snoring’ 😜 Jamie putting extra money in the box, how far you’ve come 🥰

Okay the tears have started again. I’m gonna miss these boys so much!! 🥹🥹🥹

I wish they had shown Keeley scaring Roy. That’d’ve been hilarious

‘… stuff’ 😂😂😂

She shredded his passport 👀

‘I won’t take it out, but I’m happy to tell you you’re wrong’ love the confidence, Trent 👌🏼

It’s a real shame it’s taken until the last episode to see Keeley doing press for the club again 🙁 I’ve missed the scenes between these three

‘Juicer, the better. Safe save’ he’s such a gossip 😂

Exactly. Fuck Rupert. Why waste breath on him

She truly is living in denial! She’s finding it very hard and everyone knows 🥺 Poor Rebecca

WE’RE NEVER GOING TO GET TO SEE THEM ALL BEING SILLY TOGETHER AGAIN 😫

The shock on their faces! 😮

Final spit take & ‘fuck me’ call back 🫡

Nobody is handling them leaving well 🫠

This is incredibly cute though 🥹 their little smiles

ROY MOUTHING ALONG!! My heart 🥰🥰

Everyone in the stands joining in on the final goodbye 🥲 I’m fully crying

Oop a ‘perfect’ call… forward? Foreshadowing?? 🤔

So who told everyone ‘Now react as if we’ve just won the whole fucking thing’ 😂

‘Love those boots’ cause we need to stereotypically remind everyone Trent is gay 🫣

Just call back after call back in this episode 🫡

They’re friends now 🥹 my little heart

‘I really am exceptional’ yes you are, Deborah!

Rebecca, even your mum knows it’s more than a big deal to you that Ted is leaving. So much so that he’s equating it to him dying…

She just wants her daughter to be happy 🥲🥺 am I crying again? Have I even stopped??

See, I love their relationship now! Another thing we’ve not gotten to see much of 😢

Deborah & Mae bestie era WE NEVER GOT TO FUCKING SEE. I’m gonna flip a table 🫠

These three have been amazing to watch too. They so easily could have been throw away characters, but they’re not. They’re wonderful

But she ain’t your mother, boys 😂

Oh she did not like being called their grandmother 😂😂 Harriet, nicely done

So we’ve been cheated out of seeing Dame Harriet Walter skateboard. Rude.

The outrage!! 😂

He’s proud of him 🥹 here comes the tears again

Mentioning the video was a low blow, Jamie

‘If you go, I go’ 🥺🥹🫡

She truly thought about what they could do to get him to stay. Told him if he goes, she goes. That if she sells 49% of the club she could pay him a lot more, but nowhere near what he’s worth… fully outright asks him to please stay… and he gives her nothing. Certainly was a choice, Jason 🙄

Hannah is giving a masterclass in this scene, though

And he couldn’t even tell her she shouldn’t sell?? Wtf is up with that??

‘More like Drink, Sleep, Fuck’ 😂 I wanna watch that show!

Of course they beat the shit out of each other over Keeley. Good on you girl for sending them both packing!! 💪🏼 at least they know they’re idiots 😂

I actually love this scene between Nate & Ted. It felt like a great ending to their story. He’s getting to see Ted’s forgiveness first hand. Beautiful.

Oh, look! The rom-com couple 👀

A call back to the tickets under country women 🫡 My Wynonna Judd loving heart is soaring at this mention! A lovely nod to her for her contribution to Thundergong. Also this episode (if it hadn’t been pushed back 3 hours) would have been released on her birthday! 🥳

And I am happy to see whatshisface back too… genuinely can’t remember the characters name… JOHN! 🫣😂 also he’s not a Richmond fan. Why is he there??

Shut up, Jake

SHARON!!!!!!!!!!! 🥰

Yes, Ted, it doesn’t make sense. But we don’t question it!

‘You’re stuck with us, buddy’ but not really, cause you’re leaving. Arsehole.

‘Can I be a diamond dog’ 🥺 boys, he really needs help 🥺 and he’s actually asking for it for once 🥹 well done, Roy

I’d have liked just one scene of the guys in the changing rooms reaction to that lot barking 😂

You’re still you because you don’t need to change, Roy. You don’t need to be someone better. You just need to learn to speak up more. Talk about things with others. That’s it, babes!

Okay, now that shimmy was also kinda perfect 😂

Of course he got George to be his new coach.

Okay, question (if you read this); why now all the negative press against Rupert when it’s nearly the same as when he broke up with Rebecca?? Is the fact that the affair came out as sexual misconduct instead the only real difference? Why such a shock when he’s been in the press for the same thing before?? Another thing that doesn’t make sense to me 🤷🏻‍♀️

Tony showing wonderfully that being Rupert in public is him ‘playing a part’. God, I love this man

Good on you, Rebecca, for showing him he really doesn’t get to you anymore. I’m so proud of you!

And Ellie Taylor 🫡 I do not like Sassy, but you’re amazing, babes!

I completely missed Barbara holding up her hand for a high five and Rebecca just waving at her the first time I watched this!! 😂😂😂

She’s into violence, and I think that’s perfect. Barbara is possibly the only addition to this season that they got spot on. I love her!! How of that is down to Katy though, I don’t know…

😂 Mary’s reaction

Why bring up Zava again? This really wasn’t needed 🫢

‘Zorro’ was too easy 😂

As an ex Irish dancer of nearly 29 years I’m going to take that Michael Flatley mention purely for me. Sorry guys ✌🏼😜😂

Yes, this video made me as much of a mess as it made the 😫😫😫 oh, shirt indeed

SHUT UP, JAKE!

Another nice callback to Nate knowing what the notifications means 🫡

Nice goal, Chip 😉😂

‘Shut your butts and sit your mouths down’ made me chuckle both times I’ve seen this now 😂

Another tear inducing speech 🥲 I’m gonna miss you too, Ted

I know it’s to make a point, but how did he forget the sign wasn’t there?? You just had a conversation about it, man. Are you really that for gone?? 🫣

It had to be either Sam or Jamie to start off the Believe sign pieces 🫡

And they were all in the most perfect of places! Behind Sam’s inspiration, in Jamie’s book, Issac’s armband, Colin’s shinguard 🥹🥹

Another sweet moment between Nate & Ted

So is number 4 that their belief can be broken, but together they can put it back together again?? If so it’s brilliant! (I can’t remember what 1, 2 & 3 were 😂)

‘I know folks like to say ‘There’s no place like home.’ That’s true. Man, there ain’t a whole lot of places like AFC Richmond either’ SO DON’T LEAVE THEN, TED!! 🫠

Miss after Miss after miss 😂 this game would go fine in history if it were real! 😂

Sharon is me throughout this match 😂

Ooo Rupert is falling apart 🫢😏

Allowing Issac to take the penalty, showing they all know it’s just a game. Like Colin said ‘it’ll be fun’ 🥹

SHUT. UP. JAKE! 😂

He broke the fucking net!! 😂😂 nice one, Issac!!

Oh he’s really mad!! And Rebecca is confused… why is she paying him any attention, honestly!

Sharon really is me watching football 😂

Hitting John in the face - brilliant. But as I said before, since when has he been a Richmond fan?! Am I forgetting something?? 🤔

Fucking Barbara absolutely loving it 😂😂😂

Here he comes, Emperor Palpatine 🫣 and he is not happy!

Another callback!! Someone get this man some longer shorts! 😂

Dude… to fall apart like that in front of that many people 🫠

I’ve already written about this, but Rupert walking off the pitch breaks my heart. Tony made Rupert so human 😢

Ted just now knowing the offside rule enough to pick up on it when both Beard & Roy don’t?? YOU SHOULD NOT BE LEAVING, TED!! How many more times do I have to tell you?? 🙄

And an offside payout callback 🫡

Had to bring it full circle by asking Nate for his opinion and using his play 🫡

A hilarious call back for Jamie too!! 😂 bet Phil had fun with that

And the quiet mention of Barbecue Sauce 🥹🫡

Of course they won right at the last moment

Sharon! 😂 glad we got to see something more from Sarah! We’ve never seen Sharon this animated!!

And a jump into the arms! 🥲🫡 As a solid lover of the callbacks I’m incredibly great full for the amount we’ve had this episode

Have the fans storm the pitch but don’t use it as an excuse to get Rebecca down there? Huge wasted opportunity!!

Colin kissed his boyfriend!! 🥹🥰

And he did his celebration dance from the pilot 🥹🫡 we love to see it

Oh she’s so emotional 🥰

Had to pause of this Sun cover - Rupert’s out, Kakes is going on Lust Conquers All and Bex got a book deal 👍🏼 nice one, ladies!

Of course he had to grab a copy of the paper that had her photo on it 😏

Then we get a Zava returns, Shandy’s doing great, and a Marcus Rashford Beano 🥹 the work that goes into this show is incredible!

And a rule of 3 with the ussie kid! 🫡 but did he forget he’s met him before or??

‘Wicked’ ‘Kinky Boots’ 🥺 I’m gonna miss these

So was she not going to make a fuss if he hadn’t happened to have seen her?? And why have her turn around right as he notices her?? Why do they do these things?! 😫

She’s sticking around because you told her without words you don’t want her to go with you, mate. She didn’t want to talk about it before, but apparently neither did you!

Not the ‘club matriarch’ 🤢

Like… I really am confused. There’s so much Jason & Hannah put into their performances that speak volumes, and yet the words they speak contradict it all. What I get from this ‘thank you’ moment is that both of them have so much they want to say but won’t. Or can’t. Kills me

And those tears are purely Hannah. You can’t tell me otherwise 🥺

MAYBE I AM STILL ANGRY ABOUT THINGS! How can you have a woman in front of you, holding back tears as fiercely as she is, and not say anything. If you’re so confident you’re making the right decision why aren’t you trying to reassure her. Comfort her. I-

Good God Hannah is so pretty when she cries 🫠

He’s on the plane asking his best friend if it really was the best decision to leave. Showing he’s really not sure if he’s making the right choice. Beard got off the plane, Ted (award worthy performance I might add) and so could you.

A great fake out would have been if it seemed like he was leaving, but didn’t. Cut to him in the airport watching the plane take off. Or he arrives in Kansas but tells Henry he can’t stay. Yes, I’m bitter. Leave me alone.

How long was she in that airport for her to be completely fine now??

Baby Rebecca!!

And Boat Man! Who I will admit looks great in that pilot uniform 😏 Well done, Rebecca 😂

He gets her name but we don’t get his? Rude.

Omg she gifted them snow gloves! The Barbara effect!! 🥰

KBPR… Keeley Barbara Public Relations?? I like it!

Roy as the new manager, as he should 🫡

Aww, the little photo and sign from Phoebe 🥰

Sam on the Nigerian team is a little wtf. Did Edwin change his mind about Sam? Did the breakdown of the Super League make him wash his hands with football completely?? THESE ARE THE THINGS I NEED ANSWERS TO!! 👀

Aww, Jamie & his dad 🥰

Everyone at the Higgins’ for a BBQ 👀

Dutch man’s daughter and Phoebe playing together is cute, though

The boys having one share in the club 🥰

Mae having a whole stack 😂

Hey, it’s Shannon! Nice callback to have her be the one to show at Trent’s signing 🫡

‘The Richmond Way’ 🥰 ‘A very brief forward by Roy Kent’ 😂

AFC Richmond Woman’s Team 👀 This is the spin-off!! it’s not a want, it’s a need!!

And Sharon’s back at the club?? SINCE WHEN?! I just-

But Roy getting help from the Head of Mental Health & Emotional Well-Being. Well done, Roy. 🫡

I’m also incredibly happy Beard is still with the club, too 🥰

Nate on Roy’s shoulders 😂 made me chuckle

The fixed sign 🥹

COULD HAVE ENDED THE SHOW THERE!! Just saying

But no, had to show Beard marrying his abusive, pregnant girlfriend 🙄 I really hope for his sake they just didn’t show that she’s really calmed down and we just didn’t see it. LIKE SO MUCH ELSE! 🫢

WHY WASN’T TED AT HIS BEST FRIENDS WEDDING?!?! 📢📢📢

Everyone with their partners 🥹 or both partners in Dani’s case 😂

And how wonderful to see the couple who helped Beard on his crazy night out with their baby 🥰 I actually love that he apparently kept in touch with them 🥰

But Ted’s asleep on the plane… 👀 Ted doesn’t sleep on planes… was that montage all his dream?? SO MANY UNANSWERED FUCKING QUESTIONS!!!

Henry & Michelle didn’t go get him from the airport?? Thought his son was desperate to have his dad back??

So are they implying he’s back in his unhappy life he left?? Okay…

He basically became one of the biggest names within English Football for what he did, and now he’s just coaching his son’s soccer team?? Like…🤷🏻‍♀️ more questions for my list…

That did not seem like. Happy guy at the end… 🫤

Okay, apparently Dutch man is called Matthijs and his daughter is called Jelka. Good to know! Would have been nice if it wasn’t left to the credits to teach me that… 🫣

Woah. Okay. I honestly don’t know that I’ll ever be able to watch that episode again in it’s entirety. There were many things I loved about it, but also things that I didn’t. And whilst I felt the same about many other episodes, I did expect more for the season finale. Why did him leaving seem to everyone like they were never going to talk again?? Did they all agree to never stay in contact??

But I do know that it didn’t ruin the show as a whole for me 👍🏼 I’ll just stay living in my delusional TedBecca fantasy land they built for me 😉

[lqfiles]

BRO MY ASK JUST DELETED OMG

BUT I remember a bit 😭 but as i was saying, haechan’s bitch ass is so annoying and you write that so well bc i just wanna make a necklace out of rocks and choke him with it 🙂‍↕️ (im just kidding guys 😋 y’all got my back tho right?)

free my girl y/n tho she ain’t do nothing wrong ✊🏼 LET HER NAP ✊🏼✊🏼

“i won’t let yangyang bother you” “only I can” i know bro is gonna be sliding down the wall if anything happens between him and y/n and she’s ignoring him and his sad ass writes a song to gain her back (guys don’t worry im just mentally preparing myself bc lqfiles’ angst scares me so im coming up with worse scenarios 🥲)

also yangyang is so funny 😭

“tell her it’s a date” nvm i wanna kiss him again… 👁️👁️

heh

BUT I WILL TALK to my friend don’t worry!!! so far we talked and she understands bc i have boundaries that it’s nice to see hear about relationships once in a while, but it gets tiring when it’s day after day and it’s that topic

guys pls separate your relationship and friendship 🥲 i will support my friends crush, bf, gf, partner, wtv, but i will not support every single conversation about that person. pls respect your friends 🫶🏼 and if they don’t respect your friendship, bite them, violence is always the answer.

but thank you for the update 😋 literally anticipating the next update every time and i eat it up every single time bc you’re so talented 🫶🏼

- 🫧

(also, bella got her harness!! i’ll send you a pic bc she looks so pretty ☹️ but about her being a hybrid… im not sure 🥲 i was just thinking about her having spots bc her dad was a black maltipoo but imma try to do her a test)

(also she has a little sweater too but imma try to buy her a hat too for the sun… can you see she’s spoiled? 😭 and her birthday is july 25th so yes, early birthday presents) (she will get more tho 🤞🏼)

i’m glad that everyone has something against haechan because THATS WHAT I KINDA WANT like this is meant to be ENEMIES for a reason you’re meant to dislike his behaviour 😓 hjskdhskdjs when he sees her tweet about jaehyun and he’s like “he is not even all that” and gets ratioed like yangyang, WE WANT RHE POSSESSIVENESS!!! yangyang is so fun to write believe me i always have a blast coming up with his dialogues

IM GLAD YOU PUT YOUR BOUNDARIES STRAIGHTT and i’m glad your friend was understanding, i’ve seen people who are not understanding at all and take it as a jab at them specifically.. you described it perfectly tho, like i will support whatever relationship you got as long as you don’t bring it over to me, like go and talk about this stuff w your BOYFRIEND, biting is truly the answer, works 100%. (also tmi again but i’m kinda annoyed again because i’m 99% sure the only reason she reached out was bc she needed someone to vent to about her bf that she has been arguing w :/ just shit but whateverrrr)

hmmm that would probably be more likely, i doubt the vet wouldn’t have let you known prior if she was a breed!!! but yesss you can send me the picture i’d love it, im glad fo hear that she likes it 🥹🥹 AND AWWWEEE A HAT AND A SWEATER THIS IS SO CUTE pls keep dressing her up; get her a skirt next… and happy early birthday to her!

[deardiaryxo1]

Dear Diary,

I've decided to start writing a diary here, a place where I can pour out my emotions and thoughts without fear of anyone ever stumbling upon it. 🤫

High school can be such a whirlwind of emotions, and I desperately need an outlet to put my feelings on something 🫠.

You see, there's this guy that I'm head over heels in love with, but he doesn't even know I exist lol

Every day, I see him walking through the halls, he is year older. He's …..HOOOOOOT. 😱😭 But there's one problem - he already has a girlfriend.🙂

It's hard for me to understand why he's with her. She seems more interested in the idea of dating someone as attractive as him, rather than truly being in love with him. She's the popular girl, the one everyone adores. With her blond hair and blue eyes, people say she's the most beautiful girl in school. But honestly, I don't see it. To me, she just looks like an average popular girl from any other school.

It's frustrating to watch them together, knowing that I could offer him so much more. I see the way he gazes at her, hoping to find a connection that seems to be missing. I yearn for him to see me 😭

But for now, I'll keep my feelings hidden, locked away inside the pages of this diary. I'll continue to watch him from afar, silently cheering him on in my heart. Maybe, just maybe, someday he'll notice me and see beyond the facade of popularity.🫠

Anyways, let’s get to the small twist of this all lol {DRUM ROLL} 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

You see, for the past two weeks, I have been talking to him on Facebook, but there's a twist to the story - he doesn't know it's me. 😭😂

Let me explain.

I created a fake Facebook account, using a different name and all info, and approached him with a weird shit story lol I told him that I had seen him around and blah blah blah and surprisingly, he went along with it.

The chats have been going on for two weeks now, and we've developed quite a bond. 🫠 We talk about our days (as if I don’t know his day 🥲). It's quite amusing to listen to him sharing his experiences, knowing I already have insight into his life.

I must admit, it's become a bit of a best friend conversation, despite the fact that most of what I've told him is a lie.

However, amidst all these lies, there is one truth that I've stuck to - my name. I may have created a fake persona, but my name remains unchanged. Perhaps it's because deep down, I believe that honesty should be at the core of any relationship, even if it's built on deception.

I find it intriguing how easily we've formed a connection, despite the dishonesty that lurks behind every message. We seem to have a lot in common, and it's effortless to keep our conversations flowing. Yet, there's a part of me that wonders how long I can maintain this charade without it coming crashing down. 😫

I can't help but wonder how he would react if he discovered the truth. Would he be angry, hurt, or understanding? Would he appreciate our connection enough to overlook the lies I've told? It's a risk that I knowingly took, but now it keeps me up at night, wondering about the potential consequences. 😭

As the days pass, the situation with him becomes increasingly complicated. It seems that he is eager to take our online connection to the next level, suggesting meeting up or casually saying hello in person. This puts me in a precarious position, as I am torn between maintaining the facade and coming clean about my true identity.

Whenever he brings up the subject of meeting, I find myself crafting feeble excuses to avoid the situation. 😩 So far, my excuses have been successful in diverting his attention away from the idea. But deep down, I know that this cannot go on forever. Sooner or later, I will have to confront the truth and make a decision about how to proceed.

Maybe I am selfish but let me say one thing - whatever is going on is better than nothing 🥹

Yours sincerely,

A Hopeful Hearty

[katharinanadiaa]

so sorry for a late feedback, but this is so well written and such a great closure for a beautiful story. the fact that y/n wanted to choose cornwall because she wanted to share a piece of her childhood with him is so heartwarming. ‘If my baby wants to go to Cornwall then that’s where we’re going. But you best believe I’m finding the best house there’ ~ such a supportive boyfriend. and so happy that parker got to join them on this trip. love the little jaz and debbie cheeky cameo ( such a good cameo for a closure ). the way he let you take the window seat so he could lean on you is so sweet🥹 mason’s taste in choosing the house is also impeccable👌🏻 ‘Even from this angle he was the most beautiful man you’d ever seen’ ~ definitely true👍🏻 mason picking the most expensive cone with extra chocolate around the side and a flake is so mason😂 y/n’s also sweet for paying the ice cream. ‘See I have good taste’ she surely have good taste and so happy that he also loves a place that is so special to her. ‘New high score baby’ aaa, this really reminds me of his video at portsmouth😍 ‘Fancy a game of air hockey?’ i love the fact that he’s the one who’s offering but also the one that ends up losing😂 also felt sad for y/n because what a sore loser mason is🥲the way she cheered him during the clown game and her having the idea to give away their tickets is so soft. mason’s interaction with the boy and y/n’s reaction is so heartwarming🥰 love how you include one of mason’s celebration and love the fact that y/n’s the one doing it🥹 felt so bad for y/n when her hand got hit but mason peppering it with kisses is so sweet❤️‍🩹 how he gets excited when he saw the seagulls with chips dolls is so cute and the reason behind it is even cuter and his determination to get it deserves appreciation. ‘Would you please accept this seagull as a token of my apology’~ truly love how he is taking this so seriously🥹love how he bonds with parker a lot in this chapter. the way he’s going all out to swim and the flippers part is so cute, love he’s also making sure for parker to not swim too far and the way they both shakes their wet hair at y/n is the cutest thing, definitely best duo💙 such a boyfriend goals mason is for being very keen of y/n about the bath tub🤭miss sleeps a lot is a cute nickname🤏🏻 ‘They’re garnets, my birthstone’ he really makes her feel loved but y/n trying to hide her dissapointment also hurt and she does not have to apologize for not having any gift🥺 ‘You being here is more than enough for me’ ~ he really loves her for who she is🥹 love how mason still wanted to know what made y/n feel sad. love how she could be honest with him and tell him her thoughts. i love how she’s the one who up the idea of marriage first👌🏻and her confession is top notch🥹love mason’s part, he remembered the details, really makes this closure feels special 🥹‘Everything you’ve just said is all I’ve ever dreamed of’ his words are so sweet and he’s totally right they’re soulmates💙the way she thought that he asked her to stand only for a hug is so funny🤣 ‘In this life and the next and all the other ones that come after it cause you’re it for me and I’m so lucky to have found you. Cause I feel like you were put there just for me to find.‘ thank you so much for writing such sweet words thats so heartwarming🥹the proposing with a ready salted hula hoop is so cute and love that the person she ask for permission is freya🥹’Parker look. Mummy and daddy are getting married’ ~ the cutest family💙 ‘I love you too, my little mountaineer’ ~ so cutee🤏🏻 so proud of you for wrapping up such a beautiful series and thank you for your efforts to write such a great series, every character are well thought and written💙

A Mountain To Climb: The Sequel

Chapter Twelve

Note - the final chapter 🥺 thank you to everyone who’s sent me feedback and interacted with me for this series. I had a lot of fun writing it and I’m hoping we go out with a bang 😏 love you guys 🩷

Pairing - Mason Mount × Reader

Word count - 10.5k

Warnings - series will contain fluff, smut and angst

Masterlist

When Mason asked where you’d like to go on a long weekend, the last last place he was expecting you to say was Cornwall.

To say he was confused was an understatement and you could tell by the way he was looking at you that he wasn’t sure what to say but you held your ground. He’d asked you where and that’s what you wanted.

‘But we could literally go anywhere, like in the world’

‘I know’

‘And you want to go to Cornwall?’

‘Yes please’ you smiled sweetly but he still looked bewildered buy your choice. ‘I know it’s a little unconventional but I spent a lot of summers there growing up and it’s a special place to me. I just thought it might be nice to share that part of my life with you but if you’re happy spending thousands on a private jet to the middle of nowhere then that’s fine too’

His face immediately softened when you told him, knowing he loved it when you opened up about yourself. Even after all this time there was still so much you were learning about each other and with a quick kiss to your nose he pulled out his phone.

‘If my baby wants to go to Cornwall then that’s where we’re going. But you best believe I’m finding the best house there’ he told you, causing you to laugh as he scrolled through his phone intently.

You let him know the general area you’d be happy to go but you let him take it from there. He was insistent on it being a surprise so you let him take control of it, happy to go along white whatever he wanted as you trusted his judgement.

Considering you’d been official for over two years, the pair of you hadn’t really been away for more than a night or so just the two of you yet. Mason loved being around his family and friends every chance he got and since you spent most days just the pair of you, you were always happy to branch out with everyone else and just because you were with other people didn’t mean skipped out on alone time as Mason always made the effort to plan things for just you two.

Mason seemed insistent on it being your first solo trip this time, along with Parker and he made sure he asked you lots of questions about what you did on your holidays when you were young. Whilst you were excited about it, you were growing suspicious about everything. He told you it was just because it was well overdue that you had some time together but when his family came to see you a few days before you were due to go, you were left even more confused but their incessant teasing.

‘You sure you’ve packed everything, Mase?’ Jaz smiled cheekily but you saw him blush as he rolled his eyes. ‘Don’t want to forget anything do we’

‘No make sure you’ve double checked it all’ Debbie chimed in but the playful tone to her voice unnerved you.

‘Yeah yeah, just drop it’ he told them quietly. You could tell he was playing but he sounded a little stressy for some reason. So you didn’t bring it up again even though you wanted to be in on the joke with them.

Mason had arranged for you to take the train like you did growing up, telling you he didn’t fancy the long drive down however you’d never been in first class before and you couldn’t deny you felt a little smug as you took your seats. He let you have the window seat but used this to his advantage so he could lean on you to look outside, laughing at his excited face when he caught sight of the sea. Parker was also very well behaved as he mostly just slept in between your legs.

The car he’d hired for the few days you were here felt like it would be too big for the tiny Cornish streets but as he drove you realised you wouldn’t be staying in a town like you normally would.

You were driving down a tiny dirt track for about five minutes with no end in sight but just as you were about to make a joke about this being another long winded way of kidnapping you he mad a turn to the right and you were now in front of one of the most beautiful houses you’d ever seen. The grand sandstone building had huge windows and a beautiful view of the sea and you felt bewildered by the sight of it.

‘Mason this is��’

‘Not bad huh?’ He winked, jumping out of the car so he could run around to your side and help you out. You arms went around his neck immediately, pulling him in for a quick kiss and his sparkly eyes melted you as you pulled away.

‘Not bad? I didn’t know there were places like this here’

‘Neither did I’ he laughed, letting Parker out before grabbing your hands so he could lead you to the door and locate the key. ‘How about we have a little look round, I’ll get the bags in and then we go grab some food?’ He suggested and you agreed as he lead you through the front door.

If you thought the outside was beautiful then the inside needed and new word invented for it. A beautiful living room with a huge glass window that took up the whole wall meaning you could look out to sea and a generous kitchen with everything you could ever need. You were looking around in awe but everything kicked up a notch when he took you outside and your eyes fell on the cute sofas and fire pit just like you had in Arnham but the addition of a hot tub made you squeal in delight.

‘Mason this is amazing, thank you’ you laughed, throwing your arms around him as you squeezed each other tightly.

After one more quick look around you hauled your bags inside, unpacking your clothes before getting back into the car so you could pop to the big Tesco for food. Thankfully you managed to remain anonymous and make it there and back without any issues so once you’d unpacked the food you let him know you were going to take a quick shower and freshen up.

When you came back downstairs you found Mason sat at the window seat, back resting against the wall at he looked out to sea. He seemed completely in his own world and you almost felt bad going over to disturb him but the loving look on his face as he caught your eyes made it worthwhile. His hands reaching forward to silently ask you to sit with him so you crawled in between his legs as laid your body against his. Both of your arms around each other as he gently left little kisses along your hairline.

‘What you doing here?’ You asked softly, feeling him chuckle under you but when you looked up at him he didn’t want to meet your eyes.

‘Just watching the boats’ he told you, your eyes following his line of vision to see the cargo ships in the distance slowly making their way across the horizon before looking back up at him.

Even from this angle he was the most beautiful man you’d ever seen and you couldn’t help but reach up to place an gentle kiss on his lips. He kissed you back immediately, moving to cup your jaw so he could hold you in place but you both didn’t take anything further. Both content with lazily brushing your lips together as you held each other for comfort.

These quiet moments together were your favourite, just being with him settled your mind more than anything else and the fact you knew you could both hide out for a little while made you even happier.

When he eventually pulled away, he kept looking at you, his eyes warm and soft as they flickered over your face and you felt a small shiver run through you just from his loving look.

‘I’ve been thinking about tonight’ he told you quietly, thumb stroking your cheek as you nodded up to him. ‘How about I make us some dinner and then we take a drive into town? We can take a walk and get some ice cream maybe and I’m pretty sure there’s an arcade on the pier and I don’t know about you but I’m feeling like a winner’

‘Sounds perfect’ you laughed, pecking his lips one more time before settling back into his body. You could feel him pulling you further into him as he nuzzled into your hair before looking back out to sea.

You made dinner together just like you used to, before getting changed to go out, deciding to leave parker at the house as he was tired from all the traveling and had spent most of his afternoon laid up in his new doggy bed. It was still sunny but the temperature had dropped so you made sure to wrap up before he drove you into the town so you could have a look around.

‘What ice cream do you want baby?’ He asked, pulling you into the quiet shop, watching his face light up as his eyes scanned all the flavours.

‘You pick first, I’m still looking’ you told him, noticing how he picked the most expensive cone with extra chocolate around the side and a flake and once the girl behind the counter handed it over to him it was almost the size of his head. ‘Really, Mase?’ You laughed as he smiled at you cheekily.

‘What? I’m never allowed this normally, thought I’d go all out’

‘Go and sit down’ you laughed, pointing to the stool by the window so he would be out of the way for you to pick yours. You decided to go for the same fancy cone as him but you only got one scoop as you were still full up from dinner and once you’d paid you met him by the door.

‘Hold this and I’ll pay’ he told you, trying to pass his half demolished ice cream to you but you shook your head before trying to lace your fingers through his to lead him outside.

‘I’ve paid, let’s go’

‘Why did you do that?’

‘Cause you paid for this whole thing, I think it’s only fair i buy you an ice cream at least’

‘Well if I’d of known you were paying I would of got a smaller one’ he laughed, squeezing your hand as you made you way down the high street and down to the beach. There were still a few people around but for the most part it was quiet meaning you could take a slow walk along the beach without being disturbed.

‘It’s pretty here’

‘See I have good taste’ you winked. ‘Are you glad you listened to me?’

‘I always listen to you’ he laughed, pulling you in front of him so he could hold you as you walked before stopping to look out onto the horizon so you could watch the sun slip behind the sea.

You felt a peace for the first time in a little while, his cheek resting on top of your head and arms around your waist making you feel warm and safe and judging by the way you could feel him relaxing into you, you could tell Mason felt the same.

Not too long after he turned you both so you could face each other, brushing some loose hair behind your ears before cupping your jaw so he could place feather light kisses over your nose and across your cheeks.

‘I love you so much’ he whispered,

‘I love you too’ you told him. Breath caught in your throat at how romantic this all seemed and the way he was looking down at you made your heart race in your chest.

He looked like he was going to say something else but he just gave his head a small shake before kissing your forehead.

‘You still fancy going on the pier?’

‘Yeah, okay. I quite like the idea of beating you at something’ you smiled, pulling him along as he laughed behind you. He teased you the whole way along the pier about how he was gonna make you eat your words and as soon as you walked in he was straight over to the basketball hoop.

‘But I’m no good at this’ you laughed ‘I like the ones where you put the 2p’s in until they all fall out’ you explained with a huff but he wasn’t having it, handing you a ball and setting your hoop up so you could play against each other. You were even worse than you thought you’d be and the excited shrills coming from Mason were really putting you off.

‘New high score baby’ he teased, pinching your side and you were starting to realise you were in for a long evening.

You knew Mason was competitive but the fact that it extended to meaningless games like this made you giggle until you we’re starting to get annoyed about all the games he was winning.

‘Fancy a game of air hockey?’ He asked, walking over to the now free table and even though you didn’t feel like being humiliated again you followed him over and took up your position. You’d never played before but it seemed simple enough and as soon as the puck was flying in your direction you were quick to hit it back straight into Masons goal.

You both stood in shock, eyes wide as you looked at each other and whilst you wanted to laugh you could see his brows were furrowed a little.

‘Beginners luck’ he huffed, retrieving the puck and placing it back onto the table before getting back into position. You had a pretty good rhythm going for a few minutes until once again you blasted your puck into his goal. ‘What the fuck’ he moaned, louder than he intended and you cheekily shushed him as there were kids around.

‘Mason, language’

‘Yeah, whatever. Are you ready?’ He asked, chucking the puck down again and not even waiting for you but you were too quick and managed to hit the puck right back to him.

His face was a picture, concentration and anger all over his features but you were on a high. Happy you were finally good at something and you knew you shouldn’t of but you felt the need to rub it in a little.

‘Come on Mase, I thought you were good at attacking and defending? You’ve been shocking at both so far’

‘I don’t normally play with my arms, smart arse’ he growled, hitting the puck as hard as he could but it just ended up bouncing off both sides and into his own goal. ‘This is bullshit, you must be cheating’ he fumed, slamming the puck back down and for a second you thought about easing up on him a little bit but he’d rubbed your face in it all night and you figured he could use a taste of his own medicine. You ended up winning 5-0 in the end and he was more furious than you’d ever seen him.

‘Oh come on Mase, you lost one game it’s not the end of the world’ you tried reassure him, walking round to place your hand on his arm but he shrugged you off, mumbling something under his breath as he walked the other way. ‘Mase?’ you pouted, following him outside but he didn’t stop for you.

‘Surprised you can hear me over that massive ego’ he murmured, making his way over to the railing so he could look out to sea and even though you knew he was just being silly and a little but hurt you couldn’t deny his words stung a little bit. You didn’t think you’d been overly obnoxious, not half as bad as he’d been but by the way he was reacting to you, you wondered if you’d gone too far.

‘Mase? Please don’t tell me you’re this upset about a game of air hockey’ you asked, brushing up besides him as he let out a deep breath he’d been holding.

‘I don’t like loosing’

‘I know but it doesn’t mean anything’ you reasoned, bumping your shoulder into his before forcing you way into his arms so you could hold his face in between yours hands. He was still pouting a little bit so you tried to kiss it away, feeling a sense of accomplishment come over you as he smiled gently. ‘Why don’t we have another game?’

‘Nah, let just play something else’ he told you, shaking his head and looking around to see what different things they had outside before his eyes fell on a game where you had to throw balls at some clowns to knock them down and you stood and cheered him on as he threw the balls as hard as he could.

‘What shall we do with all our tickets?’ You asked holding them all in your arms but you knew it wouldn’t be enough for anything worth having as you’d taken a look at the prizes and they were worth way more than you had. ‘Shall we give them away?’

‘Yeah, let me find someone’ he smiled, eyes scanning the arcade until he saw a little boy in an England shirt. You watched him carefully approach, tapping him on the shoulder and your heart melted as the little boy realised who it was. A look of shock and disbelief taking over his face as Mason knelt down to his level. ‘Hello mate, I’ve got a load of tickets but I don’t have time to change them up. Would you like them?’ He asked and the little boy nodded his head before throwing him self at Mason for a cuddle.

‘Thank you’ he murmured adorably, pulling back so Mason could hand the tickets over and you could tell the little boy was overwhelmed as his bottom lip started to tremble.

‘You alright, mate?’ Mason asked softly before the boy was hugging Mason again. You didn’t often get to see Mason interacting with fans like this but Every time it made your heart soar. He was so loving and soft and you just wanted to kiss him all over his perfect face.

It didn’t take long for the boys dad to come over, wondering why a random man was hugging his kid but as soon he clocked it was Mason they were all laughing. You offered to take a picture of the three of them as a parting gift and as you strolled towards the exit you felt him bump your arm and nod over to the air hockey table.

‘One more game? Winner takes all?’ He laughed, trying to make it look as though he was kidding but you could see the seriousness in his eyes so you walked him over and you yourselves set up.

He was really really trying to beat you, practically leaning halfway across the table as his tongue fell from his mouth in concentration. You were giving as good as you got though, knowing he wanted to win but you weren’t about to let him off easy and after a few intense minutes you smashed the puck directly into his goal.

‘Yesssss!’ You cried, jumping in the air to the side of the table so you could impersonate one of his goal celebrations by pretending to throw a fire ball at him but he just stood looking at you with a stoney expression whilst he bit the inside of his cheek. ‘Oh come on Mase, join in’

‘No’

‘So you’ll do it with Chilly but not with me?’

‘Get back over there or I’ll start without you’ he grumbled as you circled him, laughing your head off at how you kept winning but you were soon back in your place and ready to go again. He slammed the puck down once more and you could see the determination in his eyes but you weren’t quite ready for the force he hit the puck with or the pain that seared through your hand when it hit you at an awkward angle.

You jumped back, yelping in pain as you cradled your aching hand before looking towards Mason. He was staring back at you with wide eyes and a guilty expression.

‘Shit, y/n. I’m so fucking sorry, are you okay?’ He panicked, rushing over to take a look but you held your hand to your chest. ‘Baby? Please I’m so sorry you know I didn’t do it on purpose. Please let me see’

‘It’s fine’ you sighed, letting him take your hand so he could inspect it but there wasn’t much to see in the dark. That didn’t stop his from bringing your hand to his lips so he could pepper it with small kisses and even though you were a little mad with him you couldn’t help but smile.

‘I think I need to accept that air hockey isn’t my game’ he told you with a sigh before cupping your jaw so he could press a delicate kiss to your lips. ‘Im so sorry baby, I feel awful’ he whispered.

‘You should’ you laughed, pulling away so you could grab his hand and link your fingers together. ‘I think we should end the game there’

‘I think so too’ he said shyly, and upset frown on his face as he was clearly annoyed with himself for lashing out like he had but he let you pull him outside to the exit, walking passed the claw machines and you were almost at the end when he pulled you over to stand in front of one.

‘Look baby, they’ve got the little seagulls with chips in their mouths’ he told you excitedly, your mind automatically going back a few weeks to when you’d both gone to visit Portsmouth. Taking Summer and Mila for a walk on the beach in the afternoon and it was all going well until Mason was attacked by the same birds for his chips. The memory of him squealing and shouting in fear was still fresh in your mind and you couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of it. ‘Let me win you one to say sorry’

‘It’s fine, Mase’ you told him ‘no one ever wins these things’ you tried to explain but he just shook his head and grabbed a load of coins from his pocket.

‘Well I’m not stopping till I get one. I don’t care how much it costs’ he mumbled, already pressing the button to make the claw go down to grab one. It was halfway up before it fell out and you let him have a few more goes until he offered you a try. It was all in vein though, you not having any more luck than mason and all you seemed to be doing was flipping them over at this point so you told him you were done but he clearly wasn’t.

You’d been on the pier for a while now, your legs and body tired not just from tonight but from the whole day so you went and took a seat on a bench near by, facing away from Mason and out to sea. You couldn’t exactly see it cause it was so dark but you could hear the waves and the sound made you feel at peace.

It was only a few minutes later when you felt someone brush up besides you and you knew it was Mason instantly. He stopped just in front of you with his hands behind his back before kneeling so you were at the same hight.

‘Y/n’ he smiled, trying to be serious but you could see the smile gently playing on his lips.

‘Mason’ you replied, leaning forward just a touch, fluorescent lights of the games dancing over his face and making him look even more beautiful to the point you wanted to close the gap and kiss him but you knew he had more to say.

‘Would you please accept this seagull as a token of my apology’ he told you seriously, revealing the toy from behind his back with a smile, causing you to laugh as you reached for it.

‘I accept your apology Mason’ you told him softly, reaching over to cup his jaw and leave a soft kiss on his lips. He hummed appreciatively into your mouth instantly, kissing you back a little bit harder but you pulled back after a few moments. Remembering where you were and who you were with. ‘Shall we head back?’

‘Sounds perfect’

The next day Mason had reserved for a beach day and lucky enough for the pair of you the weather seemed to be playing along. You woke up to bright sunshine but an empty bed so after you’d pulled on one of Masons shirts you plodded downstairs to see if you could find him.

He was stood in the kitchen, packing what appeared to be a picnic basket in nothing but a pair of shorts and his face softened as soon as his eyes met yours.

‘Good morning sleeping beauty’ he mumbled, pressing a kiss to your forehead before another gentle one to your lips.

‘What time is it?’ You asked, wrapping your arms around him as he carried on packing the basket, feeling his body vibrate as he chuckled underneath you.

‘10:15’

‘That’s not that late’

‘It is, you’ve only got an hour and 45 minutes left of the morning. I’ve done loads while you’ve been asleep’

‘Oh yeah? Like what?’

‘Well I went for a run with Parker, came back and had a shower and went out again to a little bakery I saw in the village. Got us some lunch for the beach in there and a little bit of breakfast’ he smiled, nodding towards plate of pastries that were sat just to the right of him and you felt your tummy rumble immediately.

‘Thank you Masey’ you murmured softly before kissing his back and taking a step over to pick up your favourite.

‘You’re welcome. When you’re ready we’ll get everything together and head down yeah?’ He smiled, gesturing down to the sandy beach that you could see from your giant window in your living room and you nodded quickly before jumping up to run back upstairs and get changed.

The walk down to the beach didn’t take long but Mason seemed insistent on bringing half your luggage with him but by the time he’d set everything up you were happy he had. The little chair he’d carried down was comfier than you thought it would be and once you were ready to get settled you striped yourself down into your bikini you watched Masons jaw drop.

‘Holy mother of god’ he he said lowly, his eyes eating you up as he took in your figure. You didn’t think it was anything too exciting, a simple black bikini top and matching high waisted bottoms but you knew it looked good and the fact that the bottom was more of a thong than anything else was a bit risky but it was worth it to see the look in his eye. ‘If there wasn’t other people around I would be on you in a second you look unreal’

‘You like?’ You teased, giving him a quick twirl before sitting down, and the way he parted your legs so he could slip his body in between let you know he did. Even after all this time together he still looked at you like it was the first time and you hummed into his mouth as he pressed a heavy kiss on your lips.

‘I love. You’re such a tease I swear’ he whispered, his fingers dancing along the waistband of your bottoms before trailing them down the tops of your thighs. ‘You wait till later I’m gonna make you feel so good’ his breathed, his lips just touching yours and after a quick kiss he was jumping up so he could whip his top off.

If the way you felt about him in this moment was the same way he felt about you then you got why he was looking at you the way he was. You saw Masons body often but you never got tired of the sight. His soft hips were a contrast to the hardness of his abs but he was perfect to you in every single way and you had to restrain yourself from reaching for him so you could kiss all over his tummy.

You both quickly got to work sun creaming each other up, Mason paying extra attention to your bum, telling you the only burn you should ever feel there should be from his hand print but the sexy and assertive Mason was soon out the window as he popped on his mask and snorkel so he could go for a swim.

‘You look ridiculous’ you laughed, settling down into your chair as he pouted at you playfully.

‘Yeah well I’ll remember you said that when I see some cool fish and you wanna have a look’ he pouted, sounding like he had a cold as his nose was sucked into the mask and you sat watching him confused as he started rummaging through a bag he’d bought down with him. You couldn’t contain your laughter as he produced a pair of flippers and you wondered where the hell he’d been hiding them.

‘You can’t be serious’ you giggled, almost crying with laughter as he struggled to get them on but he was soon up, taking massive floppy steps towards the sea and flipping you off with a chuckle as you laughed to the point of tears.

‘Come on Parker, daddy will take you for a swim’

‘You make sure you look after him’ you shouted but you knew Parker was in safe hands with Mason.

Once he was at the shore and in deep enough, he flopped in, taking a few strokes out so he was a bit deeper before floating face down. It was fun watching him for a little bit, just floating as he looked around and tried to make sure Parker didn’t swim too far away but you could feel your eyes getting heavy and since he was occupied you adjusted your hat to make sure the sun wasn’t beating down on your face too hard before relaxing so you could take a little nap. You could just feel yourself drifting off when splashes of cold water woke you up with a fright.

There stood Mason, fresh from the sea and shaking his hair at you as Parker did the same, and you screeched as you flew up from the chair.

‘Mason what the fuck’ you moaned, rushing towards him but he somehow managed to grab you and manoeuvre you so you were flung over his shoulder, rushing down back towards the sea and you were sure the sounds of your laughter could be heard from miles away. ‘Please don’t throw me in’ you managed to get out as he started wading in but when the water came to just passed his knees he moved you so your legs were around his waist as he he held you by your bum. His eyes were sparking with joy and even though he seemed to have all the power over you and could literally drop you in the freezing water at any second, you couldn’t help but lean over and kiss him.

‘I wouldn’t do that to you baby, I’ve got you I promise’ he whispered against your lips softly and you smiled at how adorable he was being with you now.

The water wasn’t as cold as you thought it was going to be but it was still a shock. He walked in slowly though and before you knew it the water was up to your chest, legs still around him as he held you to his body as Parker watched you closely from the shore, not wanting to get wet again by the looks of things and you didn’t blame him.

‘Are you having a nice time?’ He asked quietly, kissing your nose gently before his lips moved to your cheeks and then across your jaw.

‘Yeah, I’m glad we can have some time just the two of us’ you smiled, relaxing at the feel of his lips. ‘Well three of us I suppose’ you laughed, your thumbs brushing along the imprint the mask had left on his cheeks before kissing along the marks and watching his cheeks flush. He was so adorable and you loved the way he still reacted to your touch but it was the reaction of having you wrapped around him that had you feeling something pressing against you that made you eye him curiously.

‘I’ve literally got your bare bum in my hands, what do you expect?’ he laughed cheekily causing you to hide your face in his neck as his chest rumbled underneath you.

You were both quiet for a moment, just holding each other as you relished in the peace. Watching the sparse clouds roll through the sky and the sound of the waves relaxed you more that anything and you knew then and there that there was no where else you’d rather be, or would ever want to be again, than in the arms of the man who you loved more than you ever thought you could.

You pulled away so you could look at him, a soft look in his warm eyes and your heart thudded at the way he was staring at you. You could feel the love pouring from him and it only took you a second to lean forward so you could press you lips to his.

It was a slow lazy kiss, one that warmed your belly and made your skin tingle more than the sun ever could but you were both smiling too much to get any further into it. In the end just resting your foreheads against each others so he could rub his nose against yours every so often.

Mason carefully walked you out of the sea and placed you on the sand at the shore right by Parker so you could walk back to your stuff hand in hand but rather than sit in your chair you laid down with him as Parker got comfy by your legs. Mason on his front with his head on your shoulder and arm slung over your waist as you ran your fingers through his hair softly until you feel his breathing change and you knew he was asleep.

He wasn’t out for long, waking up to complain he was hungry so he dished out all the food he’d bought that morning and you sat in between his legs with your back to his chest so you could still be close.

It was early evening when you headed back up to the house. Mason had let you use his mask and snorkel but you passed up the opportunity of wearing his flippers and the only thing you could see was seaweed as he helped you move around. You didn’t get the appeal though so you went back to sit so you could read your book and he could take another nap before taking Parker on a big walk. Your plan for the evening was to cook again before taking some drinks and snacks out to the fire pit in the garden and make use of the hot tub but you felt sandy and gross as soon as you stepped inside and Mason could tell instantly.

‘You fancy a bath? That one’s massive upstairs and I really wanna try it’ he smiled, kissing your nose aster you nodded. ‘I’ll go run it for us yeah?’

‘Okay, I’ll just pop this stuff in the fridge and I’ll be up’ you smiled and with one final kiss he vanished.

The sea air must of got to Parker and you watched him trot right over to his bed before getting settled and you dished him out some food and water before scratching behind his ears in the way he loved. He was out soon after and with a quick kiss to his head you made your way to Mason.

You didn’t think you’d been that long but by the time you made it to the bathroom he was already in the bath, head back against the edge as he laid there peacefully and no matter how quiet you’d wanted to be, he felt you move besides him and his eyes were on yours.

‘Come on slow coach, I’ve got it the perfect temperature’ he laughed, watching you undress with hungry eyes before helping you in to sit in front of him. Your back to his chest as you leant your head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around your middle.

‘This bath is massive’ you laughed, the water just below your neck. ‘It’s like double the size of ours’

‘Is this you telling me you want one like this at home’

‘I wouldn’t say no’

‘I mean if it means we get to take more baths together then I’m all for it’ he told you cheekily, his hands trailing down your body so he could grip your thighs with his fingers, massaging the inner parts of them.

You let out a soft sigh, relaxing back into him even further as you enjoyed the way his fingers were dancing over your skin but you knew this was only ending one way. Your suspicions were confirmed when his hand hooked under your right thigh so he could lift your leg and place it over the edge of the bath so he could access you better. His left hand reaching for your chest and you bit your lip at the contact.

‘Just relax for me, baby. Let me take care of you’ he whispered into your ear and all you could do was nod whilst you tried to do what he said.

You gasped when you finally felt his fingers trace along your folds. You knew he was being extra gentle with you which you loved and given with how relaxed you were, you were ready to let him do what he wanted so when he finally brushed over where you needed him most you couldn’t help but moan loudly.

‘That’s it’s baby. You sound so pretty like that’ he murmured, gently rubbing you in slow circles as he palmed your boob with his free hand. ‘That feel good?’

‘Mmhmm’ you managed to get out, cursing under your breath straight after as he way playing with you just how you liked it and even though he’d only just started you could feel the start of your high bubbling away.

‘Look at me’ he whispered and you managed to turn your head slightly to look into his eyes. ‘Such a good girl for me, aren’t you?’ He asked, lowering his fingers down to your entrance and you gasped as he teased a finger in.

‘Mase’ you whimpered, holding onto the edge of the bath for some stability as he added another. Slowly pumping them in and out of you as you clenched around him and you could of sworn you were seeing stars. He knew you like the back of his hand, knew exactly where to touch you and how to drive you wild and if he really wanted to he could make you reach your high in no time at all but you knew he was dragging everything out as he delicately pulsed his fingers inside of you.

‘You’re so beautiful baby’ He spoke against your neck before gently sucking on the skin at the base of it. You were so turned on by his words and his fingers working away inside of you that you couldn’t help but grind down onto him a little bit but the hand on your chest soon moved down to your hip so he could hold you in place. ‘Nuh uh. This is about you’

‘But Mase-‘

‘I know, but you need to cum first yeah?’ He told you softly, his thumb now back on your clit to help you and the moan that left your lips would of embarrassed you if you hadn’t been too caught up on how he was making you feel. ‘I can feel how close you are, gorgeous. Come on, let it out for me’

Mason knew his words got you off just as much as his actions did so all so his encouragements were just getting you to the edge faster and soon enough you felt the coil snap. Profanities falling from your lips and he rode you through it and the gentle coaxing from him made it even better until you were spent and he slowly removed his fingers from you.

‘Shall we get in the shower? Wash everything off?’ You suggested, a cheeky glimmer in your eyes that he caught onto immediately and after a quick kiss he was helping you out so he could pull you into the shower.

You grabbed his shower gel quickly, soaping your hands up so you could rub it over him under the guise that you were simply helping him wash but it was really an excuse so that you could touch him. Working your way around to his back so you could lean your chest against him and as soon as he placed his hands on the wall in front of him to help him balance, you let your hands trail down to his length so you could start to stroke over him.

That first moan felt like heaven, made your knees weak and your head fuzzy but you knew what you had to do.

You wanted to hear him. Hear the way you were driving him crazy. You wanted to feel his body tense as you pulled his high from him. You wanted to see that pretty pink pout on his lips as he finally came undone, confident in the knowledge that it was you that had caused it. You had made him feel that good.

‘Y/n, p-please’ he breathed, clearly wanting you to speed your movements up a little bit but you were going slow on purpose.

You ignored his pleas, kissing over his back as your other hand softly roamed his abs and you revelled in the way they fluttered under your touch. Letting the warm water trickle over your bodies and wash the soap away as you slowly pleasured him. The moans pouring from his throat were sinful and the rush of adrenaline you seemed to be getting from this made you feel better than you thought it would.

You didn’t want him to cum like this though, wanted to see him. Feel him. Taste him.

Not wanting to waste any time as you knew he was on the edge, you let go and spun him around. Pressing his back up against the tiles and dropping a quick kiss to his lips before you started kissing down his body, paying extra attention to your favourite mole before getting on your knees and down to business. You could tell he was aching for some relief so you didn’t mess around or try and tease him, taking him in your mouth straight away and from the way he let out a shuddery breath you knew he was ready for you.

You were determined to make him feel the best he ever had so you let your fingers trail over his thighs before you grabbed his wrists so you could move them into your hair. He caught on straight away, pulling it up and away out of your face gently as you flashed your eyes up to look at him. He was looking straight back, eyes dark and lips parted as he let out shallow breaths and the look of pleasure on his face gave you a push to keep going.

‘Fuck, y/n. You look so fucking good baby’ he whimpered, letting you take control and do what you wanted to him.

You knew what he liked though, able to reduce him to a grunting mess in no time and without warning you felt him try to still your movements like usual when he was just about to let go but you fought him, continuing to bob up and down on him as you swallowed him down until he couldn’t take it anymore and pulled you off with a pop.

He didn’t say a word, simply hoisted you up and pulled you into his arms so he could hold you. The pair of content in each other's arms as the warm water washed away your sins. Only pulling back to give each other a soft kiss as you laughed at each other shyly.

‘Shall we get out? We’ll start looking like raisins soon’ he joked but you let him pull you out and wrap you in a towel before leading you back into your room and popping you down on the end of the bed whilst he found the pair of you some clothes to change into.

‘You okay there my love?’ He asked, drooping a kiss on your forehead as you let out a yawn when he placed one of his shirts and your shorts in your lap.

‘Just a little sleepy that’s all’ you smiled up at him, your head resting in his hand that he was using to support the side of your head and you smiled at each other softly.

‘Why don’t you have a nap then? I’ll go make dinner and check on Parker. I’ll come and get you when it’s done’

‘No Mase it’s fine’

‘Well I’m ordering you to take a nap missy’ he smiled, lightly pulling you up so he could help you get changed and once you were he pushed you down onto the bed before dropping a kiss on your cheek. ‘I’ll come wake you up soon okay?’

‘Okay’ you chuckled, snuggling down to hopefully get some rest. It had been a long day and even though you hadn’t done much you still felt exhausted. Hoping a quick Power Nap would set you up for the rest of the evening.

You were woken up by a strange tussling sound, your eyes opening ever so slightly so you could find the source of the noise and your eyes were on Mason immediately. His back was facing you as he played around with whatever was In his hands and you almost shut your eyes again until you saw what he was holding when he turned slightly.

A little black box.

A little black ring box.

It was open and you couldn’t see what was in it but you had a good guess from the soft smile on his face as he looked down into it. Suddenly the teasing from his family made sense as to why he had to double check that he’d packed everything and your whole body froze as you realised what this trip was for and Why he was so insistent on you picking somewhere that was special to you.

He wanted to make it even more special.

The snap of the box as he shut it made you jump but you shut your eyes immediately to make it look like you were asleep and only when Mason came over to try and wake you up did you look at him. Trying you hardest to pretend like you hadn’t seen what you just had.

‘Come on, miss sleeps a lot. If you don’t wake up now you won’t sleep tonight’ he told you softly, his lips pressing soft kisses all over your face until you opened your eyes to look at him. ‘There she is. Dinner won’t be long so I thought I’d get you up’ he murmured, placing one final kiss to your forehead before getting up to chase Parker out the door.

You were trying to act as natural as possible so he didn’t find out you knew his secret but he seemed to be acting just as oblivious as you were to the point you’d forgotten about it until the next night when you’d finally gone for dinner out somewhere nice.

The restaurant was small and quiet but it felt cosy and intimate as you sat and spoke about all your favourite parts of your little trip together. Laughing as you recalled the way he got so grumpy when he lost air hockey and the ridiculous way he’d looked in his flippers.

‘Thank you for a lovely weekend, Mase. I’ve had the best time’ you smiled and he smiled back just as warmly. A nervous look on his face slowly taking over his features before he gulped.

‘I have to’ he said quietly before stuffing his hand into his pocket. ‘There’s something I want to give you’ he whispered, placing his hand on the table before pushing a small black box in your direction.

It was the same one you’d seen him look at earlier when he thought you’d been asleep and your breath caught in your throat as your eyes met his.

‘Mase, what’s this?’

‘Open it and find out’ he whispered, nodding down to the box but you didn’t think you had the strength to do it. He was staring you down though so with shaking hands you lifted the box and opened it.

A small pair of studs sat in inside, little red hearts carved from some sort of gem whilst tiny little diamonds sat on the bottom of them. They were beautiful and you gasped as your eyes flew up to meet Mason's excited ones.

‘They’re garnets, my birthstone’ he told you softly, a shiver rolling through you at how thoughtful he’d been however these were the last things you expected to be in there. ‘Do you like them?’

‘I love them’ you smiled, trying to act as natural as possible and ignore the sinking feeling in your tummy. You felt a little silly for assuming it would be something else now but you didn’t want him to catch on to what you were thinking. Forgetting he could read you like a book and always had been able to.

‘You sure? You can be honest with me, I can take them back’

‘No, don’t be silly’ you laughed, placing the box on the table before standing up so you could plant a quick kiss on his lips. ‘Thank you, Mase. They’re beautiful’

‘You’re welcome’ he replied shyly, reaching for your hand as you sat down so he could link your fingers together.

‘I feel bad, I don’t have anything for you’

‘Oh shush’ he laughed, squeezing your hand as he gazed at you lovingly. ‘You being here is more than enough for me’ he told you honestly and you felt your heart thud at the shy look on his face. ‘I’m serious. I know it’s not long but I love getting to do stuff like this when we can’

‘Me too’ you whispered, pulling his hand up so you could kiss his knuckles and your heart soared at the deep blush that took over his cheeks.

After dinner you decided to head back to the house. Another night by the fire pit calling your name so you quickly got changed before grabbing Parker and the marshmallows so you could get seated and ready for Mason to join you on your last evening in your own little slice of paradise.

‘You gonna tell me what’s wrong now?’ He asked, falling into the seat next to you before taking your hands into his. ‘And don’t say it’s nothing cause I know there’s something’

‘Mase-‘

‘Is it the earrings? It’s really not that big of a deal if you don’t like them-‘

‘No Mase’ you laughed ‘look, see? I’ve got them in’ you smiled, showing him your ears and your heart warmed at the soft smile on his face.

‘Well what is it then? You seem… disappointed’ he noted and you hadn’t realised you’d been so transparent. Then again this was Mason, he could read you like an open book and you contemplated brushing it off but in the end you realised you should probably be honest with him.

‘I’m gonna sound insane when I tell you’

‘No you won’t’ he smiled reassuringly and you took one last big beep breath before explaining.

‘The box these came in, it looks very similar to a box another piece of jewellery comes in. At first I thought it was going to be something else’

He was looking at you like he had no idea what you were talking about until you suddenly saw it click in his brain. His lips forming an ‘o’ but you couldn’t look at him for much longer and you felt your cheeks start to burn.

‘I didn’t even think’

‘It’s not your fault’ you laughed

‘So you’re disappointed it wasn’t what you thought it was’

‘I guess so’ you laughed, feeling him tickle your sides lightly to try and cheer you up before looking at you a bit more seriously.

‘Is that something you’d want? You know, to get married?’ He asked tentatively but your warm smile made him visibly relax.

‘If it’s not you Mase, then it’s not gonna be anyone’ you told him truthfully, your heart thudding at how his face softened at your words. ‘I told you once I’d made peace with that fact I’d probably always be alone but that’s not what I want anymore’

‘I don’t want that for you either’ he laughed.

‘I feel like we know what we want our future to look like and marriage would just be the next step you know?’

‘Yeah, you’re right’ he smiled, wider than you’d ever seen him smile before and it made you want to carry on talking so he would keep smiling.

‘I want to spend my life with you, Mase. And I don’t mind what that looks like. At some point I’d like to get married but I don’t mind if that’s now or ten years down the line. We’ve already spoken about mini mounts and if it happens but I just wanna carry on like we are you know? Just doing life together. You me and Parker’

The way he was looking at you was making your head spin, you were hoping you hadn’t said anything too much or gone too far but the soft kiss he left on your lips melted you and you felt okay again.

‘We’ve come a long way huh? Never thought I’d hear you talk about having my kids when we first were getting to know each other’ he joked

‘Well is that what you want?’

‘It’s what I’ve always wanted’ he whispered, kissing your cheek softly. ‘Remember that first night I stayed at yours? I came round and we made cookies?’

‘I remember’ you smiled, images of you and him being cheeky in the kitchen rolling through your mind and you felt warm at the memory.

‘When I saw you’d put a picture of us on your fridge I told myself I was gonna marry you one day. I know it seems like a lifetime ago but you’ve had me since I first saw you. You know you’ve completely ruined me for anyone else don’t you?’ he smiled brightly before getting serious again. ‘Then when I nearly lost you after my injury, that first night you were home I didn’t sleep. Just held you and told myself I’d never let you slip through my fingers again’

‘You haven’t’ you laughed, fingers dancing over the back of his hand before threading your fingers together.

‘Everything you’ve just said is all I’ve ever dreamed of’ he told you softly, his glossy eyes looking over into yours before you kissed him softly. ‘We’re soulmates, me and you. I’ve known it for the longest time and I just love you with everything I have’

‘Love you, too’ you whispered back, fingers still stroking over his skin as his eyes flickered over your face. His sweet words replaying in your ears and you knew he was right. He was your soulmate, and you’d both been out on this earth to find each other. There was a strange look in his eye but you couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was and in the next second he was trying to move you out of his lap.

‘Wait here a sec, yeah? I’ll be one minute’ he told you, untangling himself from you before dashing inside. You weren’t sure where what was happening but he was quicker than you thought he’d be, the same excited smile on his face and he made you laugh as he came towards you with grabby hands. ‘Stand up for me’

‘Why?’ You laughed, eyeing him curiously but he wasn’t backing down so you took his outstretched hands, letting him pull you up before walking you to the other side of the fire where he pulled you into a big hug. ‘Did you just pull me up for a hug’ you laughed after a few seconds but when he pulled back you realised it was a hug of reassurance more than anything else, your eyes darting to Parker who was now watching you both with with his head slightly tilted to the side as if he was just as unsure of what was going on as you were.

‘I need you to just listen to me, yeah?’ He chuckled, pulling back so he could hold your hands and look deep into your eyes. ‘I was waiting for the perfect moment but being with you, every moment is perfect’ he told you softly, letting go of one on your hands so he could reach into his back pocket before taking a step back and kneeling down on one knee in front of you.

It’s like you’d gone into autopilot, not really believing what you were seeing as his big brown eyes looked up at you full of hope.

‘I love you, y/n y/l/n. So so much. I don’t wanna wait ten years when I’ve known for a very long time that you’re the one for me. I tell myself all the time the best decision I ever made was going for a walk at 1am cause it led me to you and I’d do it again a million times over. In this life and the next and all the other ones that come after it cause you’re it for me and I’m so lucky to have found you. Cause I feel like you were put there just for me to find. This, what we have, I want that every day for as long as I possibly can’ he told you finally bringing his arm forward to reveal another black box, but he opened it for you this time, the ring you were expecting at dinner now sat proudly inside and you felt a shiver run through you at the sight of it. ‘Will you marry me?’

You couldn’t speak, collapsing to your knees in front of him so you could wrap your arms around his neck and you felt him chuckle as he pulled you into his body. You were sobbing your little heart out, unable to control your emotions but you wanted to look at him again, pulling back so you could hold his face in between your hands and the tear marks down his cheeks only made you sob harder.

‘Are you s-sure?’ You laughed, watching him roll his eyes before pressing a soft kiss to your forehead.

‘Of course I’m sure, you big melon’ he laughed, squeezing your sides. ‘Come on, don’t leave me hanging. Is it a yes?’

‘It’s a yes’ you whispered, nodding your head furiously before pulling him towards you for a loving kiss. You could feel his relief pouring into you as you held onto each other like you might disappear. Only pulling back so you could rest your foreheads against each other to try and settle each other.

‘Can I put the ring on you now?’ He laughed after a moment of silence and you joined in with him, completely forgetting about the ring as you’d only spent half a second looking at it. You pulled away to look at each other but you couldn’t speak so you just nodded, watching in awe as he opened the box again to reveal the ring of your dreams.

You gasped lightly as he took it out, popping the box on the floor before taking your left hand with his seemingly shaky ones so he could slide the ring onto your ring finger and you were pleased to find it was the perfect size.

‘Do you like it? I can get it changed if you want-‘

You cut him off with a kiss, letting him know you loved it with your lips before pulling back to look into his warm eyes.

‘You could have proposed with a ready salted hula hoop and I still would have said yes’ you whispered, causing him to chuckle before pressing a light kiss to the tip of your nose.

‘I wish you would have told me that earlier. Would of saved me a lot of money’ he joked and you rolled your eyes before letting him help you up to stand. ‘Oh and before you ask, I got permission’

‘You spoke to my dad?’

‘No, Freya’ he winked, pulling you into a hug as you both laughed before he sat back to give you some air. ‘Parker look. Mummy and daddy are getting married’ Mason laughed, tapping his thighs so Parker would come over and join you and you laughed at his slow steps. Seemily unphased at how excited you were but you appreciated the face licks just the same.

You’d said it to each other tonight already, but you really couldn’t believe how far you and Mason had come. From not wanting to see him and ignoring his texts to sitting here with him now. The love of your life declaring he also wants to spend his life with you and you felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Everything the pair of you had been through, the good and the bad, had led you to here and you were so thankful to have finally found your home. The place and the person you belonged to.

After copious amounts of cuddling on the floor, Mason eventually moved you back to sit where you had been and you were holding onto him to dear life. Nothing felt real and you didn’t want to wake up from the dream you seemed to be in so you just held each other as you tried to contain your joy.

‘I can’t believe it’ you laughed, taking another glance at your ring before looking up into Mason's soft eyes.

‘The future Mrs Mount huh? Who would've ever thought’ ’

‘Not me’ you laughed, letting him wipe the last few tears from your face before placing a delicate kiss on your forehead. ‘I love you so much’

‘I love you too, my little mountaineer’

masonmount

liked by y/n, declanrice, freyaaaaxo and others

masonmount Left with a girlfriend, came home with a fiancée 🤍

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Y/n loml 🥺🩷 I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you

masonmount how’s the view from up here baby? 😉

Y/n beautiful 😘

Freyaaaaxo damn son that’s a fat rock 🤭 also I’m not crying you’re crying. CONGRATS MUM AND DAD 🥰

masonmount wouldn’t be here without you 🩷

declanrice my boys all grown up 🥺 love you bro

masonmount family ❤️

woody_ mate you’re punching

Y/n 😌

masonmount I’ll punch you in a minute

Freyaaaaxo Someone’s sleeping on the sofa tonight and it’s not Mason

sophiaaemelia watching the pair of you grow together has been so special. Congratulations my loves 🤍

Y/n miss you soph 🩷

benchilwell got my best man speech ready to go 😉

declanrice get in line

woody_ a trio of best men

lew.mount welcome to the family officially y/n! Proud of the pair you ❤️

masonmount love you brother ❤️

kaihavertz congratulations man 🤍 miss you guys

masonmount we miss you too

Tagged: @chaotic-taco-collector-blog @mm-vii @footiehoemcfc @masonmount07 @aundercover

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#60: The Cure (1.06)

I love a Richonne + cars moment, a Richonne + candles moment, and, most of all, I love a Richonne + hands moment. Rick and Michonne's hands have their own greatest hits throughout Richonne’s love story so it’s only fitting they get one more moment to shine. And Rick and Michonne's final hand moment is beautiful beyond words. It truly paints the picture of how Richonne's love is the cure 🥹...

 After Richonne eliminates the CRM’s higher-ups - giving the upper echelon a taste of their own medicine by doing to them what they were about to do to countless communities - we get some audible insight into the aftermath.

And apparently, sometimes a lil destruction can bring peace and harmony cuz they sure seemed to solve everything wrong with the CRM and Civic Republic after going scorched earth at the summit.

A broadcast explains that after the explosion, Beale and the CRM higher-ups were exposed for all their nefarious operations and activities. That led to the CRC unanimously voting for an emergency oversight of the CRM’s remaining forces and they began implementing immediate reform to the Civic Republic. 

One of the most pertinent developments is that the CRC unanimously voted to change the rule that no one can leave. They now allow those in the Civic Republic to have free movement which means not only can Rick and Michonne finally go home, but the Civic Republic is even providing a helicopter to transport them there. 🙌🏽

gif cred: @nat111love

There's something emotional to me about hearing citizens are finally free to move at will. Cuz that’s all Rick wanted - the freedom and choice to go home to his family. And for years, because of the CRM’s secrecy and paranoia, they kept him from that. But now, after traversing the darkest valleys and still standing, Rick finally gets to go home, and not through escape but freely. 🥹

As the broadcast shares this development we see Rick and Michonne's helicopter in the sky and inside we get my favorite Richonne hands moment. 🤩

The shot focuses first on Michonne’s hand as she holds the pivotal phone that led her to realize Rick survived the bridge explosion. That phone is special. And I love how, in a way, it incorporates all four remaining Grimes because there’s an image of Michonne and Judith and then Rick and RJ’s name on it.

And of course, there’s also the Japanese writing “believe a little longer” which is always a heartfelt sentiment. It's fitting to see the phrase at this moment, as all of Richonne's belief is about to pay off now that they’re closer than ever to being with their kids.

Also, we can see Michonne is wearing her M bracelet and wedding ring in this sweet shot. I always love seeing the jewelry as a reminder that once Michonne found Rick, her husband adorned her with everything he could. 🥹 Husband of the Year every year, factually. 👏🏽

gif cred: @nat111love

Thank goodness Rick sought out Benjiro to draw his girls during his years away. Rick had to hide so much of himself while trapped with the CRM, but he still was compelled to find a way to connect to his wife and daughter.

And Rick's need to still somehow see Michonne and Judith, even if just through illustrations, allowed him to see them again for real since that phone Michonne found was key to letting her know he was alive out there - and most of all, alive out there missing her as much as she missed him. 🥲

As Michonne holds the phone, I imagine she's likely thinking about just how far they’ve come on this journey. First, it was Rick who had that phone as a means of hope during his darkest and loneliest chapter. And then the phone magnetically found its way to Michonne to give her hope too during a very dark and lonely time.

I remember when Michonne first found this phone on that boat it was such an overwhelming moment for her. She was instantly emotional in that TWD 10.13 ep after finding Rick’s boots and a phone that confirmed that Rick survived the bridge and was still loving and thinking about her and their daughter.

And now, after all the hell they’d been through, she doesn’t just have the phone to hold onto of Rick, she has the great man himself right by her side. 🙌🏽

In holding the phone it’s also clear that Michonne is thinking about the kids they're soon about to see. And you know who's also thinking about their kids right now? Rick. 🥹

As the shot pans from Michonne’s phone-holding hand, we see her other hand with the wedding ring which will always elate me to see. And then we see Rick’s hand shaking. 😭

Ok, my eyes tear up every time I see the way Rick's hand shakes on his knee, clearly illustrating his anxiousness about finally going home and reuniting with Judith and meeting RJ for the first time.

gif cred: @taiturner

It has to all feel quite overwhelming. He already loves his son and daughter so much, and I know he wants to live up to being the father they need and the father they clearly look up to as The Brave Man. And it makes sense he’d be feeling a lot of both excited anticipation and anxiety over such a big moment.

Plus, I think about how hard Rick fought to go home all these years and the physical and mental toll it took on his mind and body as every escape attempt resulted in getting caught. Part of why he only has one hand to tremble right now is because his time away from family pushed him to a breaking point where he was willing to chop off his own hand for just the mere chance of getting back to his wife and daughter.

And now, here he is, his wife by his side, and so close to home. That has to understandably make him overcome with emotion because finally, nothing is stopping him from going home. He’s really gonna make it all the way this time. 🥹

So likely with a million thoughts racing through his head right now, his nerves cause his hand to tremble. But then I adore to the moon and back that Rick no longer has to deal with his anxiety alone because his soulmate is with him and is always always so good at comforting him and bringing him peace.

So without a word being said, Michonne immediately holds Rick’s shaking hand, and sure enough, he calms and stops shaking as he holds her hand. Beautiful. 😭😭😭

gif cred: @nerd4music

This calming handhold moment between Rick and Michonne means so much to me. Especially with how a handhold ushered in Richonne’s canon era in TWD 6.10 and was Richonne’s final physical contact in TWD 9.03.

And now Rick and Michonne can still offer so much love and comfort when they take each other's hands all these years later as well. The greatest husband and wife on television, for real. 🥹

The whole movement of it was perfect. Like again, these actors are so talented that even a quick wordless moment of just their hands has such depth and meaning to it. And the music really adds to the emotion of it all too. 

I love that Michonne first gently places her hand on his, clearly sensing everything he’s feeling. And I adore that it’s with her wedding ring-clad hand. Rick's wife. 😭🙌🏽 Like truly the visual of Michonne taking Rick's hand while wearing the ring he gave her is just what a Richonners' dreams are made of. Both this handhold and the ring being in the shot communicate the many ways Richonne are forever committed to have and to hold one another.

And then I adore that Rick is receptive and immediately takes her hand and allows that to steady him. And his signature calming thumb makes another appearance. 😋 It's just all so good. No matter how anxious he gets, connecting with Michonne can always reach him, calm him, and center him.

gif cred: @lousolversons

Rick is definitely a character that often deals with anxiety, and I love that Michonne is so equipped to recognize it and offer comfort in the exact way he needs.

Michonne Grimes is Rick Grimes' cure, truly. After wrestling so long with what really is the poison or the cure, I love that the miniseries makes it so clear that Richonne's love is the cure that can always heal them.

And just the way he takes her hand, it feels like they’re both offering comfort to each other. Both solidifying to each other that they’re in this together always. So Rick doesn’t have to worry. Because Michonne will be right here with him as they reunite and restore their family. 

Also, Rick doesn’t have to fret about being the perfect dad because his eldest son Carl already gave him the blueprint on how to proceed as a father to Judith & RJ - it’s just to love. And Rick's good kind heart knows exactly how to do that. 🥹

gif cred: @michonnegrimes

And y'all, it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t get sentimental about their overall journey for a sec. So I had to take a moment to really reflect and celebrate the way Richonne's hands helped tell this love story all these years. Because it's really something, imo. 😊

It all started in the masterpiece OG Richonne episode 'Clear' (TWD 3.12), when the shot focuses on Michonne handing Rick a lone bullet, simultaneously showing him she's on his side and calming his antsy energy. There were definitely sparks flying between those two in that scene. Even Carl was looking like 'what's this about?' 🤔

And then, because Rick took it as an unbreakable law when Michonne said 'don't you ever touch me again' in TWD 3.07, Rick and Michonne didn't really touch again until season 5. But when they do, it's super meaningful and makes it clear they've become trusted partners who love each other.

Michonne takes Rick's hand just before they enter ASZ, again offering him a refreshing dose of comfort during a very anxious time for him. And she also is comforted in this car, knowing the man she feels most safe with is going to take this leap of faith with her and for her.

Then at the end of season 5, Michonne touches Rick's hand again, this time to let Rick know she trusts him to make the right decision after he offers to give her his gun. They'd been feeling a bit distant since arriving at ASZ and this top-tier season 5 finale scene brought them back together beautifully.

Rick is eager to give up all his secrets in the hopes of being back aligned with her, and Michonne is eager for Rick to see that she's with him no matter what. And the shot of their hands illustrates that perfectly.

That season 5 finale moment also made it clear that Richonne's canon era was just around the corner, especially because they were slowly but surely touching each other more.

And sure enough 😋...

Season 6 arrives and we get some of Richonne's greatest hand moments of all. 🤩 That low-five in the morning leading up to their first kiss - Perfection. ❤️‍🔥 Rick playfully whipping out those mints as Michonne takes them with a smile, and their mint exchange filmed in a way that parallels their bullet exchange in Clear - Perfection. ❤️‍🔥

And then of course the Richonne + hands moment is when Rick and Michonne first hold hands on that couch. It's the sweet, sensual, and oh-so-significant handhold that ignited Richonne becoming an official couple - Perfection. ❤️‍🔥

Once Rick and Michonne hold hands in TWD 6.10 and let all that love that has been stirring inside pour out, they make it very clear they never want to let go of each other. With a sweet, simple, and super special handhold in an RV even being the only confirmation they need to know that what they have is a forever thing.

It's like Andy said of Richonne: "You kind of hold hands, walk to the edge of the cliff and jump — and continue holding hands."

And they really did continue holding hands. 🥹

The wonderful Richonne + hand moments just ramped up even more as the seasons progressed. And all of it, every single time, was perfection. ❤️‍🔥

Apart from a final hallucination and heartbreaking bridge separation, Richonne's last real moment together on their TWD journey even concludes with a shot focused on their hands. And you already know I adore this final TWD handhold, which again paints the beautiful picture of how Richonne can always reach each other, hold each other, and stand united.

And then y'all, The Ones Who Live came along and spoiled us rotten with Richonne gold, including more wonderful and ultra-heartfelt Richonne + hands moments.

Michonne placing Rick's hand over her heart to calm him during his panic attack - Perfection 🥹. Michonne softly touching Rick's handless arm after he quite literally gave his hand for her - Perfection 🥹.

Richonne + hands just always remained a thing of beauty along their unforgettable journey.

Always. 🥰

So, all that to say - Richonne's hands told a very compelling story from TWD Season 3 to TOWL. 👌🏽

These moments (and there are even more Richonne hands moments that I could have included if there wasn't a 30 gif max) are a big reason why I adore that Richonne is given this shot focused on their hands in the final episode of The Ones Who Live. How far they’ve come, and they’ve only grown closer and closer and more and more in love. A love story for the ages. 🥹

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

Now, did I basically just dedicate a whole post to Richonne’s hands? Yes I did. 😇 I had to. Their hands moments were just that good and deserved appreciation.

I will forever cherish the opportunity to watch these two characters fall in love in a fallen world and, even with weary hands from this wild world, pick up each other's broken pieces to make each other whole. And each meaningful hand moment portrayed Richonne's ability to do so.

But ok, now, it’s time to talk about the utterly heartwarming and heart-melting moments of Rick and Michonne finally reuniting with their babies. And we're breaking it down in 2 parts because you know I gotta finish as extra as I started. 😌👌🏽

[rrxnjun]

HECK YEAHHH!! 03 best line😌🥳i was so happy to find out he was born in 2003 cuz i swear it's so rare to find anyone born in 2003 in any band (or tbh even just content creators)!! we are superior for being older than him /j😌😌 WAIT LMAO THATS KIND OF COOL THAT ITS ON THE SAME DAY:o doyoung is my guy after jihoon he is just so great so i understand him hitting differently lmao

yeahhh iguess i love doing things that take a lot of patience although i'm a very impatient person😶 and i'm still on the start of my embroidery career but it's so fun!!! we are the coolest grandmas out there😎😎😎 dude i love plants but i always end up killing them so🤡 (ofc sending one immediately!!)

i'm so happy about it as well;-; I WILL BUT MY PICS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE LIKE PIXELS CUZ WE ARE KIND OF FAR BACK SO I WILL SEND U MAKE SURE TO SEND U PIXEL CALUM!!! will tell u all about it🫡

SORRY!! IT WASNT FOR COMFORT🥲 tbh as u should treasure is fun so ur phase is completely understandable!!! jihoon is the definition of perfect tbh just love the guy!! ooo i've never seen that i will go and watch that later👀 but losing ur shit is probs very much understandable🤣

WAIT ACTUALLY OH MY🤭💞but actually only write it if u want to!!! i don't want to force u!!! IT WILL BE!! MANIFESTING FOR IT TO BE AMAZING!!!!🥳🥳🥳(awww thank u so much🥹lmao that would be kind of funny ngl but maybe hopefully i will be comfortable enough to not be anon by then cuz i'm starting become more comfortable to post on the internet so i might save u from having to do that🤣)

i'm very glad it cheered u up!! i always love reading ur replies to me and they just cheer me up always tbh hihi🥹💗💕 (liebestraum anon💕)

TRULY !!! 03 line is so rare to see i think and thats why i automatically adopt every 03 liner i see 😭😭 also our bias taste is....the same. i am NOT surprised 😭😭

how can u be an impatient person then 😭😭 i get impatient w art and then i rush the details and it ends up looking like shit 😔 the only thing i dont feel like i rush is writing but even that sometimes gets hard to do LMAO 😭 i got so many plants for my bday also!!! im surprised they're not dead bc sometimes i forget to water them and im lowkey freestyling the care but i love all of them to death💓 wishing u good luck w your embroidery career and waiting for that bracelet !!

CANT WAIT FOR PIXEL CALUM!!!!!!! better than nothing 😔🤞

losing my shit is understanable but also it makes me feel silly like girlie that man doesnt know you and here u are in a parasocial relationship with him💔 watching ygtb made me so proud of him tho he grew so much as a person and a performer and so did all of them!!!

i woULD but see it occured to me that i have exams next week so i kinda lost my shit and now im spiraling instead of writing but. it wILL happen after !!!

omg i am glad to hear you are more comfy!!! i would never pressure u into anything bc i want u to be 100% comfortable but if u ever decide to come off anon i am welcoming you w open arms my friend 💓

to finish off this reply i want to apologize for being so late with it but i had a rough week full of stress and hangover 🤠 also i hope you are doing well and that you are taking care of yourself!!

[personasintro]

hi mimi, omg i literally created an account to tell you that you’re an amazing writer. i’m not much of a reader but i was constantly seeing tiktoks talking about ‘mutual help jk’ and i just had to find out what everyone was talking about. i was hooked immediately, i think i read 20+ chapters in a couple hours because i couldn’t stop reading. you have a gift, your attention to detail and the way you’re able to captivate us with your words is incredible.

i’ve read mh 3 times already and the most recent chapter about 5 times, i think it’s one of my favorite so far. it made me feel every emotion possible. in chapter 53, you can tell how much more the dynamic of their friendship changed but as always, they’re in denial. at first, i had the exact reaction y/n had when jk mentioned inviting ester and the pettiness in me still agrees with her in a sense but i can see where jk is coming from. maybe he truly sees ester as just a friend and that’s why he’s having a hard time seeing why y/n is so angry but at the same time i get her anger. it would’ve been better if it was discussed with everyone before just inviting her. i also remember from a previous chapter where it was mentioned that ester was shy and doesn’t really put herself out there much so the fact that she agreed to the trip, not really being close with anyone other than jk, i commend her tbh because my socially anxious ass could never😩. i know she’s familiar with tae, jimin and y/n but it’s not the same😭

i think y/n’s jealousy stems from two places:

1. she has been the only girl in the group for so long and she’s the closest girl to jk so she feels threatened.

2. although she’s still in denial, her feelings for jk are coming out.

i honestly don’t think jk likes ester more than a friend though and he’s still dealing with the fallout from kiko, no matter how much he tries to mask it, so he won’t jump into something with someone new just yet. plus he’s SLOWLY coming to realize he might have feelings for y/n but that’s just what i think.

i’m curious to see how she’s going to bring up this camping trip to yoongi and invite him as well. i know a lot of people think he’ll just go but i think it’ll take A LOT of convincing to get him to go, he won’t just agree because he’s yoongi so he’s all for himself. maybe if she explains everything really well, he’ll go to see the drama unfold because he likes the entertainment and if yoongi actually goes on this trip, maybe jk’s jealousy will show even more.

who knows, maybe ester and yoongi hit it off on the camping trip💀

okay i’ll stop rambling now but keep up the great work mimi, your talent is wonderful. please don’t ever doubt your skills. if there’s ever a time you feel pressured and things start to feel overwhelming, take a break and focus on yourself.

i can’t wait to see how the next chapter unfolds. take all the time you need, you’re worth the wait💜

Oh my god, I appreciate you creating this account just so you could send me this message 🥹 that’s very sweet of you!

Yes, you’ve got a point and maybe that could be the reason why most readers are on her side — because they relate to that feeling, perhaps even more then she does haha! Everyone has so little faith in jk tho 🥲 like some ppl would be really thinking the worst of him and that is so sad 😖

Thank you again for this feedback! 🫶

[zepskies]

Aw thank you!! I'm so glad Part 2 didn't disappoint. 😘

I just- I have to applaud her instincts and I know that comes a lot from Charlie being borderline flaky and inconsistent. She does know him best, even if she doesn’t have all the factual details about him. She’s not Black Ops, but she can shake one down like one!

Ha, yeah she's far used to dealing with Charlie's ups and downs. 🥲 She acknowledges that there are parts of him she probably won't ever fully understand (hence bringing in Russell and Colter), but she is the one who knows her brother best overall. Lol she's doing her best on that shakedown! She's tired of waiting and worrying, so she's trying her best to stand for Charlie, even if she sometimes struggles to stand up for herself.

I sincerely am praying for Charlie to be okay. I know there’s a chance, desperate times and all, that’s he’s involved in the robbery. And he’s aware of the big names who are responsible to carry out the deal to begin with (Dr. Fienman, looking at you, what’re you sweating for?), thus finding himself in marshy lands.

We'll see more of Charlie in Part 3, but I love the theorizing! You're not the first one to suspect Dr. Feinman of something fishy. 🤔

It’s the way Colter and Russell probably should’ve just let her hand with her is what’s got me worrying. Bc sure, they would be caught in trouble but they would’ve protected her and she’s still be there. But again, her instinct to just call Dory… aaaregghhh I love that ending as much as I’m eager to get moving ahead.

Ahh ikr? If she'd stayed with them, she probably still would've been in danger, but at least she'd have Russell and Colter looking after her. But her instinct to call Dory might just save her life...

Aww I'm so glad you enjoyed the little sibling reunion! If nothing else, at least something good is coming out of this situation. And Russell is absolutely adorkable loll.

The way Dory did not hesitate to foot the bill. And ik Russel has vested interest in her, but despite that him offering based off of one date and the knowledge that she’s his sister’s bestie was enough for him offer! Colter too!

Dory and the reader are those "ride or die" best friends at this point. And with Russell, it's absolutely those two motivations/reasons -- not only is she his sister's best friend, but he's probably already caught some feelings for her, let's be honest. 😂 It does tap back into the scene where he comforts her. Meeting someone he had that kind of connection with is starting to turn the wheels in his head about what his life could be like if he finally settled somewhere (and with someone).

That moment with Colter and Russell in the car. It was so sweet.

After I rewatched the episode I realized I was missing something -- that exchange with the pocketknife felt like it was important to include here! 💜

God! You’re not playing with this story. You’ve like nailed down so much of their bond and more. As I said, last time, I’m eager to have more of this!

I'm trying my best!! lol Thank you so much, hun, for such a lovely and heartfelt review. This truly made my day and I'm very excited to bring you more of this story soon. 🥹💕

Every Second Counts - Part 2

Pairing: Russell Shaw x F. Reader

Summary: One date with your best friend’s brother leaves you wanting more, even though his questionable job and vagabond lifestyle make you want to guard your heart. When your brother falls into trouble, however, Russell is the one you trust to help you find him. 

AN: I decided to put this chapter out a bit early due to some Father's Day stuff tomorrow. I was blown away by the response from you guys on Part 1!! Thank you so much. 🥰 I had some trepidation writing a new character, but I'm so glad you guys seem to enjoy where this little series is going so far. It makes me even more excited to bring you the next chapter of ESC! 💜

Song Inspo: “Too Late” by The Paper Kites

Word Count: 5.3K

Tags/Warnings: Shaw family feels, a bit of mystery, tinge of fluff and mutual pining, and a twist…

💜 Series Masterlist

Part 2: “Family Reunion”

The next day after he left, you finally managed to get Charlie on the phone. He implored you not to try and find him.

He claimed he was staying with a friend for now, and was picking up some odd jobs through a connection at the museum—another security guard who knew how to get extra work. 

“What kind of extra work?” you asked. You sunk back into the couch in your living room and held a hand to your aching head. You had already lost sleep over this, worrying about where he was and what the hell he was doing.

“It’s better that you don’t know,” Charlie said.

He really knew how to frustrate you to the nth degree.

“Charlie, just come home. Please,” you said. Tears burned in your eyes, choking your words. “I’m sorry for what I said, okay? We’ll figure this out together, I promise.”

You heard him sigh.

“You had a right to be mad,” he said. “I’m the big brother, remember? But I’m…I’m a fucking mess. You shouldn’t have to take care of me.”

“We take care of each other, and you know that,” you said sharply, wiping at your eyes in frustration.

“Listen, I’ll come home when I can, okay? Be good.”

“Charlie! Ch—” The call ended, and you nearly tossed your phone in aggravation.

“That stubborn fucking idiot,” you muttered.

Four months later, your worry was eating you alive.

Charlie refused to come home or tell you where he was staying. The only time you got to see him was when you visited him on his night shift at the museum. You tried to talk him into coming home, but your brother remained stubborn.

“You get that from Dad,” you’d told him once, while watching him eat some leftover meatloaf you’d made for him. The two of you stood outside the museum on his break.

Charlie had smirked at you. “Yeah, well, you share the disease.”

You’d rolled your eyes at that.

But just when you thought you were starting to get through to him, now, he’d stopped answering your calls. For that matter, the museum hadn’t even seen or heard from him in a week or so.

So here you sat, in the living room of Dory’s apartment, crying into a jar of Nutella that you’d long ago stopped spreading over the strawberries she’d laid out. You had a chocolate-covered butterknife in one hand and a used Kleenex in the other.

Dory was sat next to you on the couch, rubbing your back with sympathy and concern in her own eyes.

“You should call the police,” she advised.

You’d thought of that, but if Charlie was doing something he wasn’t supposed to, then depending on what it was, you didn’t want necessarily want him locked up in a cell. He wasn’t a bad person, he was just…lost. You wanted him to get help.

You set down the butterknife beside the jar and turned to her, after drying your eyes the best you could.

“Do you think your brother would be willing to come back to Wyoming?” you said. After a beat of hesitation, you specified:

“Colter, the tracker.”

You hadn’t had a chance to meet him when he dropped in a couple of months ago, but she’d told you about his brief visit to find a graduate student who had been kidnapped, and nearly killed by a professor in the Sciences department for uncovering a flaw in the man’s research. That flaw would have costed him his entire grant, and possibly his career and reputation. 

The terrible incident had caused an uproar on campus. Students were released from their classes for an entire day after the professor was arrested. 

Now, Dory considered your question with a thoughtful nod. “I’ll call him.”

You were grateful, but your face became pained as something occurred to you. You held up a hand.

“Wait, I just realized I can’t pay him,” you said. You didn’t have more than a thousand dollars in your savings account, and that was for emergencies. Like the time Charlie nearly burned the house down after a lighting mishap with his bong.

“Oh, sweetie, don’t worry about that,” Dory said. She laid a comforting hand on your arm. “He’d do this as a favor to me.”

“I don’t know,” you replied, your brows furrowing. “That’s a pretty big favor.”

She’d told you what some of Colter’s fees could run up to, but she tried to quell your reservations and promised to call him regardless.

However, the more you thought about it, you already had a phone number in your cell…for the one person who would understand the part of your brother that you might never be able to. 

After you left Dory’s apartment, you debated the idea in your head for the entire drive home. 

And when you got to the house, you picked up your cell, and you called him. Your nerves had you pacing back and forth across the living room as it rang. 

“Hey, sweetheart.”

You couldn’t help smiling just at the sound of his voice, smooth and pleased, and a hint surprised.

“Hey,” you replied, biting your lip. “How are you?”

“I’m good. You’ve got good timing too. I just came off a job,” he said.

“Oh really? Where are you?”

“Well, I’m states-side now. Just got back from South America.”

“Oh, wow,” you said, blinking incredulously.

What the hell was he doing there? you had to wonder. Maybe he was protecting some Latin American emissary. Or maybe, he was doing things you didn’t want to think about. Your brother had filled you in a bit about civilian contract jobs in recent weeks, as he’d considered going after those himself.

“They can pay very well, from what I hear,” Charlie had said. ��The problem with that is, it kind of defeats the purpose of leaving the military.”

Despite that mildly troubling thought, you tried to focus on the fact that you had this man on the phone at all.

A smile formed across your lips. “Did you get yourself a nice tan?”

“Eh, not really. Was more of a night job,” he said. “But uh…how are you doing? Not gonna lie, I’m surprised to hear from you.”

“Yeah, I’m…I’m not all that good, if I’m honest,” you said.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. You heard the concern in his voice. You steeled yourself before you answered.

“Russell, I’m sorry, but I need to ask you for a big favor.”

“Hmm, this sounds serious,” he said.

“Yeah, it is,” you agreed. When you next took a breath, it came out unsteady. “My brother’s missing.”

It was a bright Saturday morning when you welcomed Russell Shaw into your house. He looked around, finding family pictures, bookshelves, paintings, candles, all things that began to shade in who you were in the comfort of your home.

“It’s nice,” he said. “It’s uh, homey.”

You smiled and closed the door behind him.

“Well, it’s the house we grew up in,” you replied.

You and Charlie had of course inherited it after your parents’ passing. Their life insurance policies had helped pay off the three-bedroom house while you two were still in school. Your grandparents helped a lot back then too, and had even moved in for a time. Now they each had plots beside your parents at Grandview Cemetery.

“You want some coffee? I know you had a long drive,” you asked.

“Sure,” Russell agreed. He followed you to the kitchen, where you put on the coffee pot. You made a discreet glance at him. He looked virtually the same, with that familiar green jacket, jeans, boots, and a Jimi Hendrix shirt. You'd had a feeling he was a classic rock guy.

“Look, not that I wasn’t glad to get your call,” Russell said, “but you do know that I’m not the tracker in the family, right?”

“Dory did offer to call Colter, but I can’t afford to pay him,” you said.

“I could help with that,” said Russell. You raised up a hand to stop him there.

“I don’t want that kind of help from you,” you said firmly. “I didn’t call you for money, Russell. I called you because you’ll probably understand where Charlie’s head’s at. Better than me, anyway.”

He hesitated, but nodded in understanding. When the coffeemaker dinged, finished percolating, you turned to make him a mug with cream and sugar, as per his request.

While he waited for the coffee to cool, he admired you for a moment. Even in a plain V-neck shirt and a pair of jeans, your hair swung up in a ponytail, you were still a sight. (Your lipstick did match your shirt though. That made him smile.)

And Russell could admit, it was good to see you again.

“Me and Colter reconnected recently. Did Dory tell you?” he said.

Your brows raised high in surprise. “Oh yeah?”

The two of you found your way back to the living room with your mugs.

“Yeah. We talked for the first time in…shit, over twenty years,” Russell laughed, raking a hand through his hair.

Not only had he been able to say his piece to Colter about their…family issues, they’d also solved a case of their own, with Colter agreeing to help him find his friend Doug, who worked for the same black ops contract agency as Russell. The Horizon Group.

The aftermath of that still left Russell with a bitter taste in his mouth when he thought of how Horizon would’ve left Doug to rot, if it hadn’t been for him and Colter pressing their luck and digging deeper into who’d taken his friend.

That whole mess had also made Russell begin to wonder if maybe he needed a new line of work after all. But, because the money was just that good, he’d ended up on a new job by the end of the month.

Your voice soon broke him from his thoughts.

“I’m glad to hear that,” you said. You reached over and touched his arm, with warmth in your eyes. 

Russell gave you a smile. The closeness between you brought up memories of that dusty bar, and the taste of lime and tequila on your soft, supple lips. But you subtly cleared your throat and took your hand back. He hid a twinge of disappointment.

“So what’s going on with your brother?” Russell asked.

Get back on track, he reminded himself.

You sighed. “Damn Charlie.”

Over coffee, you explained that Charlie took off a few months ago, the night you got back from the bar. You had seen him only briefly, whenever you were able to catch him at the museum after work. He’d been keeping in touch with you on a weekly basis, but now, he hadn’t called in almost two weeks. You couldn’t get ahold of him on any of the numbers you had. They all seemed to be burner phones. Plus, he’d been let go from his job at the museum after not showing up for the past week. 

“What’s he into, extracurricular-wise?” Russell asked.

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me,” you said in frustration. Tears prickled at your eyes, and your lower lip trembled. “He said it was safer that way.”

Russell laid a supportive hand over yours, earning your watery gaze.

“And you haven’t gone to the police?” he asked.

“I think he’s gotten into something…dangerous. I don’t want to get him in more trouble than he might be already,” you said. “I just want him to get help for his problems. Physically and mentally.”

Russell nodded. He understood that you wanted to protect your brother. Sometimes though, getting into “trouble” was the rock bottom someone needed in order to face their problems.

“Does he have friends?” he asked. “Some kinda crowd he hangs around with?”

“Not anymore. I think he’s lost touch with his Air Force buddies,” you said, though you tried to think. Your brows furrowed as something occurred to you. “He knew someone at work, at the museum. Another security guard on his same shift. After they cut his hours down to part-time, Charlie said the guy knew how to get extra work.”

“Okay, that’s definitely where we start,” said Russell. “Let me just give Dory a call. If I don’t let her know I’m in town, I don’t even wanna know the consequences.”

You laughed through your tears and tried to brush them away. 

“Yeah, do that. I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble.”

Russell took one look at you, and he tightened his hold on your hand.

“Hey,” he said.

You glanced up at him, as tears clung to your lashes. His heart couldn’t help but clench for you. He really didn’t like to see you like this.

“We’re gonna find him. You’ve got my word,” he said. 

You were desperate to believe him. So you nodded, sniffling as you tried and failed to keep yourself together. You were scared, for the first time in a long time. 

“All right, come ‘ere,” Russell said. When he guided you into his arms, you went willingly. You pressed your face into his chest to hide your weeping. His hold was warm and strong enough to make you feel secure. Just for this moment, you didn’t have to pretend you had everything handled.

“He’s the only family I have,” you reminded him. He nodded.

“I hear ya. We’ll get him home,” he said. “And I am going to call Colter. Don’t worry about the rest. I’ll square it up with him.”

“Russell—” you protested, but he just squeezed you playfully. 

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll pull big brother rank. He’s got no choice,” he joked. 

You shook your head, but you allowed him to comfort you for a bit longer. Because all too soon, you’d have to steel yourself again. You’d have to be the version of yourself that you always had to be, ever since you were fourteen years old.

You invited Dory over to your house, where the three of you were soon joined by the last of the Shaw siblings: the one you had yet to meet.

Colter made it in time for dinner that afternoon. The tall blonde took up your doorway with his broad shoulders and offered you a polite smile, along with his hand. 

“Hi, I’m Colter,” he said. 

You mentally tripped up a bit as you shook his hand and gave him your name. Did all the Shaw siblings have to be so damn attractive?

“Uh, yes, please come in.” You ushered him into your home and led him into the living room, where Russell stood from the couch. 

“Ahh, there he is,” Russell grinned, slapping his younger brother on the shoulder. 

“Here you are,” Colter gestured at him. “Where the hell did you take off to after last time?”

“Ah, you know. Argentina was fun.”

“I’m sure it was.”

You paused in the doorway, just watching the brothers in mystification. Dory shot you a questioning look as she came over from the kitchen. You met her with raised brows. 

“What?” Dory asked. A smile played on her lips.

“Do all of you have to be so unbelievably pretty?” you whispered over to her. Dory smirked and bumped your shoulder, nodding at Colter. 

“What, you wanna make out with him too?” she teased. 

Your mouth dropped open in disbelief. Dory just laughed and moved on to say hello to the other blonde. She pulled him down into a hug, and he reciprocated warmly.  

Russell then laid a hand on Colter’s shoulder, as well as Dory’s. He wore a big, proud grin.

“Hey. Look at us, huh?” he said. 

Dory sniffed as tears welled up in her eyes, looking up at both of her brothers. Colter wore a more reserved smile, but he did wrap an arm around his sister and thump his older brother on the back.

You smiled. You were lingering by the kitchen doorway. If nothing else, you were glad that this whole mess had been able to bring Dory back together with her family. 

You decided to give them a moment, and you wandered back into the kitchen. There you took a beat for yourself, mainly to breathe.  

When you again thought of Charlie, you had to wonder just what the hell he’d gotten himself into.

Later, the four of you sat in the living room so you could explain everything you knew so far to Colter. He took all the information in with a pensive expression that didn’t reveal much to you. 

“So you said he was struggling?” he said. 

“Yes, after he got out of the military,” you confessed. “He had a hard time figuring himself out. I got him the job at the museum, but I don’t think it was enough for him.”

“Why is that?” Colter asked. He saw that you were reluctant to explain. “I need to know the full picture of who Charlie is if I’m going to be able to figure out his probable moves.”

You sighed. “Well, he was seeing a VA psychiatrist for a while. They wanted to put him on antidepressants, but he stopped going. He…started self-medicating instead.”

That part was hard to admit, but it was the truth. You couldn’t pretend it wasn’t any longer. 

“What substances?” Colter asked. 

“Alcohol, mainly,” you replied. “At his worst, there were hard drugs, but I got him to tone it down just to weed every now and then.”

You bit at your thumbnail out of habit, but you forced yourself to stop, folding your hands in your lap. You didn’t see judgment in Colter’s eyes, just him taking in the information. You couldn’t help but glance at Dory, where you found her sympathy. She knew enough about what you’d been dealing with for the past few years. Russell seemed understanding as well. 

“Anything else I should know?” Colter asked. You shook your head. You felt bad about revealing Charlie’s business like this, but you knew it was the only way to help him. Still, you felt you had to defend him a little.

“Look, my brother has his problems, but he’s a good man,” you said. “He, um…he basically half raised me, after our parents died.”

Dory also knew this story. She rested a hand on your back, and you gave her what smile you could. 

“How old were you?” Russell asked. He earned your attention, and you met his sympathetic gaze.

“Fourteen,” you answered. “It was a car accident.”

He took that in, nodding slowly. “I’m sorry.”

The way he met your eyes when he said it, you believed him. You subtly cleared your throat and directed the conversation back.   

“So, I don’t have a lot of money. But I can give you something for your services,” you said to Colter. Both Russell and Dory met you with similar looks. 

“I’ve got it,” Dory says, before Russell had the chance. Colter waved her off though.

“In this case, it’s not necessary,” he said, focusing on you again. “So Charlie was working at the local museum?”

You breathed a note of relief at his generosity. Dory, Russell, and now Colter…they were all good people in their own way. You felt emotion rise in your throat.

“Yes, it’s about ten minutes away,” you managed to reply. “It’s closed now, but his coworker could be on shift. They always have security in place.”

You grabbed your purse to go with them when Colter and Russell stood, but the former raised a placating hand. 

“It’s best if you stayed here,” Colter said.

Your brows rose. “I don’t think so.”

Colter’s mouth parted, and he blinked, like he hadn’t expected you to push back quite like that; calm and matter of fact.

“Ah, well, it’s really for your safety—”

“I’m not going to sit and wait,” you said. “That’s all I’ve been doing for months. I may not be an expert tracker, or have been in the army, but I do know my brother. And we are going to find him.”

Behind you, Dory was giving Colter a warning shake of her head. She knew just how stubborn you could be. Meanwhile, Russell came up on your other side with a smile.

“What’s the harm in her coming along to the museum?” he said, sliding his brother a teasing look. “Unless the T. rex wakes up all the mummies, Ben Stiller style.”

You wanted to point out that that wasn’t exactly the plot of Night at the Museum, but you held it in with a smile. You gave Colter an expectant look.

He sighed at Russell’s antics, but he turned to you with a nod.

“Okay, let’s go,” he said. 

“I’ll head home then,” said Dory. “Call me if you need anything.” 

You gave her a hug after she gathered up her purse. 

“Thank you,” you whispered.

“It’s going to be okay,” she said, rubbing your back. “Colter’s the best.” 

“All right, fine. And what am I? Chopped liver?” Russell remarked, gesturing wide with his hands. You all filtered out of your house, and you locked the door behind you.  

“Oh, you’re special, all right,” Dory quipped back, but she gave her eldest brother a warm hug as well, then patted Colter on the arm before she left.

Russell shot Colter a playful smirk. “I got the hug.”

Colter rolled his eyes and pointed over to his big pickup truck. 

“Just get in the car, please.”

You had to smile at all their sibling teasing. It reminded you of how you and Charlie used to cut up, when things were good. On your way down the driveway, you hesitated by the Chevy Chevelle parked next to your own car. She was still black and sleek and beautiful.

You happened to glance up, and there was Russell, getting into his brother’s pickup. He winked at you across the driveway. You turned your face to hide your smile (and your blush) as you climbed into your car.

Colter noted the exchange when he buckled up into the driver’s seat. He watched Russell do the same on the passenger side, all while wearing a certain smile on his face. When he noticed how Colter was looking at him, his brows raised.

“What?” said Russell.

“What was that?” Colter asked.

“Nothing.”

“Yeah, right,” Colter chuckled. He began to pull the car out of the driveway after you in your car, so he could follow you. “What, do you two have a thing or something? Is that why she called you before me?”

Russell shrugged, but his smile was telling. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Mhmm. Convincing,” Colter said, but his lips tugged upward as well. His good humor diminished though, when he considered the last time he saw his brother. “How’s the arm?”

Russell gave a thumbs up with his left arm—the one that previously had a bullet run through it. It was still healing, even now.

“It’s good,” he said.

“Did you see a doctor?”

“Sure did.”

Riiiight. Another thing Colter wasn’t sure was the truth, but he’d give Russell that one.

“And that unfinished business?” Colter asked.

Russell’s smile faded, but he nodded. “Finished.”

After a moment, Colter nodded as well. 

“Okay,” he said. 

Something occured to him then. He paused, and he reached into his pocket. He held up a small, closed pocketknife with a wooden handle, and he gave it back to Russell. It had the man's name carved on the side.

Russell's smile returned as he flipped the old keepsake through his fingers.

"Thanks for keeping it safe for me," he said.

Colter smiled back. "Thanks for trusting me with it."

Colter parked next to you at the museum. It was closed, but the security guard, Jimmy, did know your brother. 

“I haven’t seen Charlie since he quit last week,” Jimmy claimed.

“He quit?” you said. “They told me he just never came back.”

“Yeah, well, same thing,” he said.

The front doors of the museum opened, and out came Dr. Feinman, your former boss, and the Head Manager. You left Jimmy’s questioning up to Russell and Colter with a meaningful look, and you went to intercept Feinman.

“Hi, sir, how’re you doing?” you asked. Your name fell from his lips in surprise. 

“My dear, it’s good to see you, but why are you here after hours?” he asked, his British accent lilting.

“I’m trying to find Charlie. He’s been missing, well, officially for about a week,” you said. “I was actually surprised to see you here so late.”

The man cleared his throat. He smoothed a hand over his tie and suit jacket.

“Yes, well, we could’ve used Charlie’s help. We’ve had to double our security efforts,” he said. “We’re currently dealing with a sensitive issue, so the museum will be closed until it is resolved.”

“You’re doubling your security efforts… Was something stolen?” you asked. 

Feinman clearly didn’t want to tell you this, but you knew you’d hit the nail on the head by the look on his face.

“Please, keep that information to yourself,” he said. 

“What was stolen?” you asked in concern. 

“I’m afraid I cannot disclose that information. Not even for you, dear,” he said. “I do hope you find your brother though.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that, and as a matter of fact,” you began, but Feinman waved an apologetic hand.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I’m in a terrible rush just now. But call my office tomorrow and Brenda will help you with whatever you may need,” he said. “Good evening.”

“Wait, Dr. Feinman,” you tried, but he was already breezing past you and heading toward his Mercedes in the parking lot.

Meanwhile, Colter and Russell weren’t having much better luck with Jimmy. 

“Look, I really don’t know where Charlie is,” he said. “Haven’t seen or heard from him since he took off.”

“He said you connected him with someone who could give him some work on the sly,” Russell said, leveling a hand at the man’s chest. “Who did you connect him with, and what kind of work are we talking?”

Jimmy blew out a breath, like this was really inconveniencing his day. (Or night, at this point.)

“What, you’ve got somewhere to be?” Colter said. “You’re getting paid to stand right here, and we have no problem sharing your shift all night. You might as well just tell us what we want to know.”

Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck in annoyance.

“All right,” he snapped. “I hooked him up with this guy I knew through a mutual acquaintance, who just needed some muscle. I guess you could call it private security.”

“A mutual acquaintance?” Colter repeated. 

“What’re you, James Bond? Who did you connect him with?” Russell pressed.

Jimmy was reluctant to talk. You came back over to join them, and the security guard became even more tight-lipped.

“You guys should go. I don’t have to talk to you, and I’ve got a job to do,” he said.

When he tried to continue his patrol around the museum, you stepped deliberately in his way. You didn’t have the patience for this, and you would no longer be a doormat, letting the Goldsteins and the Feinmans of this world push past you.

“Look, Jimmy, if you don’t give us something we can go on to find my brother, you know where I’m going to go?” you asked. But you spoke before he could respond. “To the police. And your name is the only one I have to give them. Now, if you don’t want that to be you, then give me a different name.”

Jimmy looked down at you, and then over at your intimidating shadows, Russell and Colter. Jimmy sighed.

“Eddie,” he gave, finally.

Russell raised his hands, as if to say, Is that it?

“What, Eddie Vedder? Eddie who? Come on,” Russell said.

“Eddie Mendez,” Jimmy replied in a lowered voice. “I don’t know where he lives. I don’t have his number. And that 'mutual acquaintance' is doing some time in lockup. But Eddie hangs out at a bar called Howley’s.”

You and Russell shared a meaningful look at that. You turned back to Jimmy. 

“Okay. What was stolen here at the museum?” you said. “That’s why it’s been closed, right?” 

“I don’t know,” Jimmy said. “I wasn’t on shift, and Dr. Feinman keeps a tight lid on that kind of thing.”

“We’ll need to get into his office then,” Colter said. 

You blinked wider at Colter. Wait, was he really suggesting you guys break into the museum?

Jimmy pointed to the black device attached to the ceiling above them. 

“See the cameras?” he said. “That's not happening on my dime.”

Colter looked up, and he saw the cameras strategically installed across the front of the museum. 

“Then take us where the cameras don’t see,” he said.

You, Colter, and Russell were able to break into the museum via a storage unit door, thanks to Jimmy’s texted instructions. You couldn’t believe you were actually doing this, but it was for Charlie, you reminded yourself.

You remembered where to find Feinman’s office. You paid for a lot of your undergrad expenses, namely your books and tuition, by working full-time as an office assistant here, and the occasional tour guide. 

You led them to the room where the inventory records were kept. Colter gave you his gloves so you didn’t leave prints, and you were able to pinpoint what was labelled as missing from the latest shipment. 

“Oh great,” you muttered. 

“What was taken?” Colter asked.

“A collection of Native American weapons. Dated almost eight hundred years old,” you said, shaking your head. “The collection is valued at $1.5 million dollars.”

Russell and Colter shared a look. 

“That’s some big motive,” Russell said. 

“When did they go missing?” Colter asked. 

“Almost two weeks ago,” you said. Your brows furrowed the more you read, as you realized something. “Just a few days before Charlie left the museum…” 

The timing wasn’t lost on anyone. But if Charlie was a suspect, Feinman hadn’t let on to that at all. You checked the exact date the artifacts went missing again: a Tuesday night. Charlie didn’t typically work on Mondays or Tuesdays, you realized. And he’d left after the artifacts went missing. So maybe they hadn’t thought to question him yet. One small blessing.  

You sighed. With that information gathered, the three of you put back everything you uncovered and left the building the same way you came in. Jimmy was nowhere in sight, probably patrolling the other end of the museum on purpose.

When you all made it back to the parking lot, you turned to Colter and Russell.

“Okay, what’s next?” you asked. “Howley’s right? To find Eddie.”

“Actually, I think it’s best Russell and I take it from here,” Colter said. “We don’t know what kind of character Eddie Mendez is, but from how reluctant Jimmy was to tell us, it doesn’t sound good.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but Russell drew closer and touched your arm. You could see in his face that he agreed with his brother, even though he hadn’t said anything yet.

“Look, you’ve been a huge help,” he said. “But let us work on this, okay? We’ll call you when we find something.”

Still, your lips pursed. “Russell, he’s my brother.”

“I know. Punching out drunks is one thing, but this might be a little different,” he said, grasping your arms gently. “Will you give me some peace of mind, knowing you’re home safe?”

He brushed one of his thumbs along your skin. Already you had goosebumps. From the cold chill on the air, or from him, you weren’t sure. But that simple touch, along with his earnest, imploring gaze broke you down.

“All right. I get it. I’m not the Special Ops guy,” you said. “But call me afterward so I know how it went.”

“Okay, will do,” Russell agreed. He let you go so you could go to your car. You shot the brothers one last look before you climbed in and peeled out of the parking lot.

Russell expelled a sigh of relief. He got into the passenger side of his brother’s pickup while Colter started it up.

Thanks to the late hour, and how little traffic there was on the road, it didn’t take you long to get home.

You’d debated whether you should just go to Howley’s anyway, but you didn’t want to get in the way, or make Russell worry for that matter. You smiled, despite yourself.

His touch had tingled across your arms, and whenever he absently laid a hand on the small of your back, supportive or guiding.

Thinking about him just made your heart ache. Because after this was over, he’d be gone again—on a new mysterious job, perhaps on the other side of the world.

You’d been regretting how you left things with him at the bar for months, but now you were glad you hadn’t gone any further with him that night. Your heart was too easily ensnared, it seemed, and Russell didn’t seem to be a “strings attached” kind of guy.

When you parked in front of your house, you let out a tense breath. Russell and Colter would find Charlie. You believed in them. You just hoped your brother was all right, wherever he was.

You pulled your cell out of your purse to call Dory as you headed for the front door. You wanted to give her an update and let her know that you were back at home.

The call began to ring just as you slipped your key into the lock. Unfortunately, you never got a chance to open it.

A strong pair of arms wrapped around you from behind and yanked you back, and a firm hand over your mouth smothered your scream.

AN: 🫣 *Whispers* Sorryyy. But hey! What did you think of the reader's reunion with Russell, as well as the little Shaw Family Reunion? Plus, we got a bit of the reader working with Russell and Colter on the case.

Now, the real timer starts...

Next Time:

You were led into what sounded like a warehouse. You couldn’t know for sure with this musty bag over your head and your wrists bound together with zip ties, but you clenched your teeth and tried to stop sniffling. Your fear made your heart pump fast and loud in your ears.

Voices echoed around you, arguing, yelling about shipments. You were shoved hard to the ground, and you gasped, instinctively throwing your hands out when your knees hit the hard cement. 

“No…” 

That voice was all too familiar. 

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