#hes saying “oh pretzel we're really in it now”

[fighterlmao]

Saw this on Twitter and I immediately thought of pathetic wet dog Gill. Any time spent on this was too much time.

[nonranghaes]

joshua's a little too focused on the way you're washing his hair now, head leaned back over the sink as you work. sure, the way you're looking at him now with your nose crinkled in disgust isn't the ideal way for you to look at him... but the feeling of your fingers in his hair makes up for it.

"what the hell was wrong with jeonghan?" you frown to yourself. "i mean, how hard is it to not spill half a milkshake on someone's head...?"

joshua knows exactly what happened and he refuses to give that up. he saw the thumbs up jeonghan gave him when you got worked up, offering to help him wash it out of his hair. it was... nice to be the center of attention, too, as you wiped off whatever dripped onto his face and clothes. this is jeonghan's way of giving the two of you alone time, which is weird as hell, but... he can't complain about spending time with you.

"i guess he slipped."

you hum a little, fingers running through his hair again. all he can think about is that and the fact you're using your shampoo for him. it's nice. a part of him really likes smelling like you, even if the scent won't last forever.

it's weird, though: the other day, jeonghan kept going on about how tired he was of having friends who were 'kind of dumb' about their feelings. and now jeonghan's dumping the rest of his milkshake on his head and pushing for you to help clean him up--

"oh my god." he nearly jerks up as you're pressing the sprayer against his scalp.

"shit, is it too hot?" you pull it back to test it on your own hand. "fuck, shua, i'm--"

"you're in love with me."

you stop what you're doing, staring at him. "what?"

fucking leave it to jeonghan to figure it all out and set this scene in motion in his own way. he's probably still downstairs, laughing with seungcheol at how stupid both you and joshua are to not have picked up on it sooner.

joshua shuts his eyes. "oh my god. we're so fucking dumb."

you don't move at all. then, a second later, he feels water running over his scalp. "so... you're...?"

"yeah." he opens his eyes a moment later. "for a while, yeah."

at first, you don't say anything back to him. you just continue to wash the shampoo out of his hair, and he lives for your touch right now. you're so careful not to tug too hard at his hair, just snaking your fingers through it as you ensure you've washed all of the suds out.

"you wanna officially ditch them, then?" you ask after a moment. "once your hair is dry? we could, i dunno, go to a mall. maybe share a pretzel. maybe catch a movie?"

and he just laughs, so endeared to you. "i'd love that."

[pedge-page]

Joel and Preggo Wife drabble after Sarah is born --

- - - -

Shes almost 2 now. Walking and fussy as ever, screaming and crying and refusing everything.

Youre trying to get ready for work but Joels really struggling to get her to settle down for a day with Dad.

"Just put on those sensory videos. There's like fruit dancing and stuff," you suggest while slinging your work bag over your shoulder.

"Oh please. There's no way that stuff works."

You turn on a looped video of smiling fruit and vegetables hopping across the screen, and Joel and Sarah stop screaming and tugging each other's hair for a moment to watch the screen with curious eyes.

She's gone quiet, finally, so a win is a win for now.

"I'll be back during lunch, so hold the fort, ok?"

Joel, with a deadpan face still watching the Banana on TV wiggle side to side, just nods. Sarah sits in pretzel in his lap on the floor, also watching with a blank expression.

You shrug and leave.

After a few hours, you manage to get back home for lunch. Joel hadn't texted you the entire time, so either Sarah somehow miraculously behaved herself, or they're both dead.

Instead, you walk in to find Joel still sitting pretzel on the floor, hypnotized by the TV.

There is no 2 year old present in the room.

"Joel!"

"Huh."

"Where's Sarah??"

"Shes right here," he says calmly, eyes are fixed ahead at the blueberries as he pats the curly teddy bear sitting in his lap.

You put your hands on your hips and walk in front of the TV.

"Hey we're watching that!"

You tap your foot and look down to his lap.

Joel follows your gaze down to the plush and absent child, and immediately shouts "WHERES SARAH??" turning around frantically.

You walk behind the couch and to your relief, find Sarah curled up and sleeping softly. She had made a whole nest of blankets and pillows and put herself down for a nap. She clearly also swiped herself for her teddy bear in Joel's lap while he was entranced by the fruit so he wouldn't notice her absence.

"How long did you leave her like this??"

"Um, I dont know-- I swear she didn't make a sound the entire time. I didn't even notice... You only left like 20 mins ago so it couldn't--"

"Joel I left 4 hours ago. You've been watching the damn sensory video the entire time!"

Joel's face expands into shock. "Wow. That shit works."

-

You drop Sarah off at Tommy's place and Joel warns him about watching the videos.

"What? It's supposed to make her brain go blank. Not us, dude are you serious?" He scoffs.

The next morning Tommy is glued to the dancing fruit video and Sarah slept in his lap the entire night.

He has serious bags under his reddened eyes " You guys are early? Im supoosed to have her the whole night?"

"Its MORNING."

Tommy looks back at the TV incredulously. " How long is this loop????"

- - - -

Taglist:

@harriedandharassed @lola8888673 @its-nebuleuse @zliteraturehoe @merz-8 @joeldjarin @pascalscoffin @pedroshotwifey @ghostslillady @innerpersonunknown @missladym1981 @mrsoharaxx @survivingandenduring @milla-frenchy @cockykookiee @fairytale07 @daddy-din @pedropascalsbbg @spookyxsam @somehopeatlast @millercontracting @pedrostories @mishala005 @theoraekenslover @animez96 @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog @puduvallee @cassiecasluciluce @loohoop

[lockandkeycake]

Ignore this post, my HoTD moots, this is going to be a long post you don't care about.

it's PJO/HoO rant time.

What can I say, Tumblr brings me back to the simpler times of 2016.

Y'all baby Frank too much. Like. Way too much.

Leo was a dick at times, no doubt. But I think y'all forget Frank was absolutely being antagonistic because he was paranoid over Leo looking like Hazel's ex. You can argue it's because Leo fired on New Rome, but Frank himself counters that claim and Leo is initially grateful Frank didn't blame him.

Frank was also the first one to bring up Sammy, not Hazel, just before that. Later, all before Leo says anything against Frank, Piper thinks Frank's behavior is because it seems like Leo and Hazel had a history. This is a longer bit of a book scene, but I feel like it gets ignored.

This is still before Leo says anything against Frank. I will be saying that a number of more times. Leo just complimented his ability and Frank responds with a pretty catty comment about Leo's physical abilities. You can see the difference in how he reacts even more clearly in a scene before, when Hazel is commenting on Frank turning into a dragon

Frank doesn't counter the idea to become a dragon, he just has an issue with leaving Hazel with Leo. Leo again, so far, isn't upset with Frank. He wants to prove he's trustworthy.

When Piper does her fun little exorcism on the lads, this happens. I have to say yet again. Leo has not insulted Frank at this point. Not a huge issue, Frank was a bit shaken up, but it was still kind of a dick move to just. Let him hit the dirt. I'll excuse it because it is very funny.

Later when they find out about Nico, this scene below happens. Leo has still not said anything against Frank at this point - Jason even agrees repeatedly with Leo, but Frank only glares at Leo.

After this, when Hazel is upset and leaves, Leo starts to likely say he should go apologize, but Frank cuts him off saying, "you've done enough."

We're a few hundred pages through the book now at this point. Frank has insulted Leo, he doesn't trust him, doesn't want Hazel around him, singles him out, and literally let him fall to the ground. Leo has not said anything against him yet.

Even Percy notes that Frank's mood is tied to his relationship with Hazel, and Leo seemingly threatening that.

(and for those who are curious - baleful means threateningly, or to wish harm)

This is when, after a good chunk into the novel, we reach Leo's first dig at Frank.

Then ~the iguana incident~ comes not long after, but if you're going to call this Leo bullying him, you'd have to include... Everyone. Since they literally all laughed at Frank turning into a lizard to get out of the finger trap. Hazel, Percy, Annabeth, everyone. Not a fun moment for Frank, I sympathize with him there, but I wouldn't personally call this pointed bullying. You may disagree but I do not think at the very least that Riordan intended it to be seen as bullying. This is followed by Leo sending Frank's dirty laundry out on Buford for awhile (though he does claim that it would be cleaned and returned to him, eventually we do learn the laundry is lost. This was not a planned thing by Leo, and I don't understand why this is characterized by some people as him purposely throwing away Frank's clothes.)

All this eventually leads to this exchange.

Gee, I don't know, Frank. Maybe because you keep glaring at him anytime you're around him to the point even Percy was like oh boy I got to get him off the ship before he folds Leo like a pretzel.

Later, Frank actually helps save Leo in eagle form, but ends up injured in the process - and drops Leo. I really don't think Frank meant to drop him, but Leo thinks Frank dropped him on purpose. That's kind of a big thing, even though it's a minor line.

Then, Frank is back to being untrusting of Leo. He's glowering, glaring, and again - doesn't want to leave Leo with Hazel.

When Hazel is alone with Leo, she finally takes the time to defend Frank.

So, clearly, Frank scares Leo.

Leo scares Frank.

It's a fun horrible little wicked web! It's almost like the author intended them to buttheads! Shocking!

I've run out of pictures to add!

I could and probably will continue this nonsense, but the general point of this rant is Frank is not just some totally sweet big guy who has never done anything wrong in his entire life, and characterizing him as such just makes him boring. He's self conscious, insecure, and lashes out at- boy, doesn't that sound familiar. Anyway.

He was kind of a dick to Leo, and Leo was kind of a dick to him in turn.

I'm pretty sure I had a better ending for this originally, that summed everything up, but now I'm distracted and just bitter they didn't kiss.

I didn't even have time to reach their interactions underwater.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Hello! I found this small but really interesting ask about some comments Alya made in Origins about Adrien that Imthepunchlord answered a long while ago, and I’d love to also hear your thoughts on the points that they and the asker brought up! Please feel free to put your thoughts directly in a reblog if you like the post enough to add to it instead of answering this ask since that would probably be convoluted.

https://imthepunchlord.tumblr.com/post/651542468774526976/i-just-rewatched-origins-and-i-cant-stop

(link to the post in question)

I don't have much to add. @imthepunchlord summed the issue up really well at the end of their post, "what is 'in character' is up for debate most of the time."

These kinds of character analysis questions just aren't possible in Miraculous. The characters are wildly inconsistent, so you're not taking a well crafted story and pointing out how it all flows together. You're taking a slapdash story and twisting yourself into a pretzel to try to make it all make sense. Hard pass. That's why I just focus on the character's core and ignore a lot of the nonsense that canon pulls. It's not that I want to deny canon. It's that you cannot embrace all of canon and write a good story.

However, you all know that I love to play fix it, so let's give Alya some sugar and talk about how you can write her character to make her reactions to Adrien make a little more sense. I don't think that canon has thought her through this much, but this approach really fits her character and I love it! For those who don't want to follow the link to the original ask, we're looking at this bit of dialogue:

Marinette: Okay. I get it. Good job, you three. Very funny. Adrien: No, no, I was just trying to take this off! Marinette: Oh, really? You're friends with Chloé, right? Adrien: Why do people keep saying that? (Marinette huffs; he goes to his seat) Chloé: Now do you see what I mean about respect? Marinette: I know I've seen him somewhere before. (sees images of Gabriel and Adrien Agreste on Alya's cellphone) Of course! He's the son of my fave fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste! Alya: Daddy's boy, teen supermodel, AND Chloé's buddy? Ha! Forget it.

And trying to make sense of how Alya goes from this to being the head of team Adrienette. The obvious answer is that something happens off screen between Origins and the main part of canon, but let's go a little deeper than that.

A lot of people approach Alya as a reporter. A truth seeker. A fact finder. That approach isn't wrong, it may even be how canon wants you to read her, but it's not the approach that I like to take. Whenever I have time to really flesh Alya out, I go a slightly different route.

To me, Alya is a story teller. She wants the stories she tells to be accurate, but she can easily get caught up in a narrative and forget to take a moment to check her facts. A good reporter watching the above exchange would go, "If Adrien is a bully, then why did he protest his innocence? What's the real story? Who can I talk to in order to get the facts?"

A story teller may still do that, but they may also take Chloé's earlier bullying along with Adrien being Chloé's friend and come up with a very believable story about Adrien being "Daddy's boy, teen supermodel, AND Chloé's buddy." It fits the facts that the story teller knows and they don't have a reporter's instinct question everything. They'll only start to question their version of the story once a hard fact pops up that goes against the story.

The reason I like this approach is that Alya is the chosen of Illusions. That's not a great fit for a truth seeker. Illusions is a much better fit for someone who is drawn to stories. A person who values the truth, but who isn't driven by it. A good reporter is driven by truth. A good story teller is driven by the call of a good story.

If we take that approach and look at Alya's actions in Origins, then we see that she had a story in her head and was happy to fit the pieces into that story until Adrien did something that no longer fit the story. That's when the "ask questions, get the real story" instinct kicked in, leading her to discover that she'd misjudged Adrien. It would have been nice to see that happening on screen, but Origins didn't have time for that so we're just left wondering what changed Alya's mind and making up various stories to explain it.

You can also take Origins and use it as the start of an arc where Alya learns to be a better reporter by not jumping to conclusions since she does a lot of jumping to conclusions in season one (and even does it on occasion in later seasons). But you don't need to give every character a strong character arc like that and I enjoy letting Alya be solid as-is. I tend to tone down her jumping to conclusions issues and make her more open to giving things a second look.

This is extra true because Marinette has a pretty clear problem with snap judgments, so I don't want her and Alya to have the same flaw. I want Alya to be more unique in her flaws. It's not that she jumps to conclusions, it's that she's a little too quick to stop asking questions once she has a believable narrative. It's in the same vein as Marinette, but still it's own thing. It's also still a flaw that Alya needs to work on, but in a more nuanced way where it also acts as a strength under the right circumstances such as when she's in the field and needs to come up with illusions on the fly.

I cannot say if this is what canon is trying to do with Alya. The bones of this read are there, but the bones of the reporter read are also there. I just like this read more. It doesn't drastically change Alya, it's just a minor nuance that makes her fit into her place in the story with a little more grace.

[belowzion]

Adam and Why I Felt His Character Disappointing

Sooo, I have watched the first two episodes of Hazbin Hotel! While I did really enjoy Status Quo (The song, the fact that Vox loses his first match against Alastor in the show is quite sad.) the rest of the show, I had a lot of problems. Especially the way they handled Adam.

(Look at this lil' shid.)

The dude-bro thing is just too much. It feels like his entire character is just Mammon but Angel.

Now, I've been working on rewrites for months now, slowly turning it into my own piece of fiction. Funnily enough, me and Vivzie had the same idea of taking from Paradise Falls. I feel like the book is great and can have many different ways of interpreting it. However, I am not here to talk about Lucifer, so lets instead get back to Adam.

So, let me tell you all about Adam in Below Zion and how he is in a bit of an odd spot considering Angels...:

Adam is in his luxury spire, pacing around, phone in hand, another hand flailing, disappointment, sadness and anger is felt in the presence of his holy living room.

"You hold the keys to the Well of Souls, you lead an army of an entirely new species of Angels! And you're letting these absolute nutjobs beat you!? Adam, come on! You're better than that! I mean for fuck sake man, you have the name of the first human! He got like... 100 percent of woman in his time!"

"Good on him, but i have 0 percent. I'm telling you, there's something wrong with women. They Never go for a nice guy like me, only for douchebags who probably don't even treat them right!"

"Well, Adam. Do tell me… how would YOU treat your woman?" "Well, i treat M'lady like a queen, of course! They don't know how good they would have it with me!"

"... M'lady...M'lady? Adam... you don't treat woman like... oh my... Mrghhh! Look, this is the third time this week. Why don't you just come over to me and... we'll talk bro to bro. How does that sound, hm?"

"...I don't know what you have, the Virtuosos (opposite of sinner, worships angels despite flaws) tell me it's Top gentemanly behavior of the century. And yes... I'd love that. I'm coming. And i'm bringing my emotional support Lute."

"... Just... just come over here and we'll fix you up... or attempt to at least..." Adam sighs, and hangs up. Lute comes out of Adams room with a suggestive smile, like she always does.

"Mmm, we're visiting Master Lucifer, sir?"

"We are, my dear Lute."

He says, kissing her forehead.

"Just a trip for a talk between bros. Sounds lovely, doesn't it?"

"Indeed, sir... Would you like me to transform?"

"That would be preferable for the way... yes. Makes getting out of town easier."

She nods... and folds into a brilliant lute! And then... Adam is off... taking flight to meet with Lucy...

Adam is an agent of Lucifer whom is... okay, lets not beat around the bush here. He is an incel. The odd thing here is that, Exterminators are an unofficial branch of Heavens military. So unofficial that even Arch-Angels don't know about them. They are robotic angels, made by Lucifer and a dear friend of his, trained and maintained by Adam. Adam is also not the leader of the Angels. He works at a very high position, that being that he guards the Well of Souls that leads to the conjuration of all the souls on Earth. All Exterminators are made for Lucifer and Adam. The marks on their eyes are the Mark of Lucifer. They belong to him. They do whatever HE wants.

This makes Adams girlfriend a robot.

He has an AI girlfriend.

He objectifies women to no end.

He is also very good at his job as being Lucifers mole in Heaven. While Sinners do pacts with each other, Adam allows Lucifer to have a foothold in Heaven, years after he got kicked out...

Adam is in his luxury spire, sitting at his computer, with a plate of pretzels on the desk, phone in hand, screaming wildly to it!

"What you're suggesting is ABSOLUTELY ludicrous! I will have NONE of it! You will deal with the Brightwing family until next week or I'll make sure to put that pact to good use!"

From the phone, a rather paniced individual speaks!

"Hah, BITCH! You think you have any say in here!? Killing the guys children- what don't tell me YOU have any children!? You do?! Well, uh, thats the thing! Noooot anymore you don't! I'll see you again soooooon~

The other angel on the phone seems to speak in an extremely agitated and afraid tone! Pleading!

"Oh! Changed your mind have you!? Great, GREAT! NOW! I got the whole thing planned out for you, so YOU can't mess this up! Sending you the docs. DON'T. MESS. THIS. UP! BYE, ASSHOLE!"

He hangs up and grins triumphantly…

He continues to deal with the usual fluff. Lucifers extend into heavens business. Angels need a good amount of convincing to stay in line sometimes, but it's good work, and… dare he say it, fun~ With how he feels life is treating him, it feels Great to be able to make the lives of others even worse. It having such a positive impact on the work of his best bud is of course a wonderful bonus!

He is a lonely asshole that lives off of the misery of others and finds purpose in serving someone like Lucifer.

He is a villain, but he is a lot more complicated than just being a dude-bro.

[somefishycat]

WIP Wednesday 10/16/24 (with a few bonus sentences from 10/9/24's backlog!)

marble wall 2 for @loyal-house-of-lupin @kallisto-k @quietly-sleeping @violet-prism-creatively @adhdavinci

@creative-girl

Each of them orders something different, and they all share so everyone can try different things. And they each get an eye scream, of course. They don't have eyes in them, though. Now that he thinks about it, Gus didn't see any eyes in this whole store… Well. Everyone eats except Hunter. That's nothing new, but then he so casually mentions that he'd never actually had eye scream. It makes Gus sad again. Luz starts to say something, but quickly shuts up when her mom approaches. She silently hands her the remaining half of her giant soft pretzel. “Ready?” Camila asks, finishing the snack. “The next bus should be here soon.” The stuff in the basket is now in plah-stick bags, so they can each carry some in addition to their bags of clothes. It's a lot. Gus kind of gets, now, why Camila insisted on only the most essential items for today. They feed the transport demon some more snails and Camila tells its trainer where to take them. And then they go back home. At least as close as they can get to home, now.

marble wall 3 for @asha10100101010 @wizisbored @oriharaizayadividesintoslytherin @twyrewolf @tamsinswriting (x2)

@sourb0i

Tomorrow. Tomorrow will be too late. This is something that Hunter should probably say now. “Great,” he says instead. “Looking forward to that.” Oh well. He's sure the rest of them can choose something nice without him there. Willow… Willow has to be good at that, right? “And… what do we say?” Vee asks. “I think we're supposed to talk about what a great person you were? Is that how this works? I've never actually… been to a funeral before.” And she probably wouldn't have much good to say about him. She barely knows him, except as the Golden Guard. That's fine. He thinks he'd rather not hear everyone talk about him like that anyway. It's weird, and wouldn't feel as genuine, probably. “I'd rather you not, I think. Not while I can hear it? I'm right here. Don't talk about me like I'm not right here.”

ones left behind for @whimsicalmeerkat @kalira (x2) @zyrafowe-sny @aparticularbandit (x2) @enigma-the-mysterious

“As touching as your concern is,” he says, refusing to be intimidated by Raine Whispers, “I assure you, I have thought this through. I want to find them as much as you do. And we need to know what happened to Belos. We don't have a convenient spirit to question anymore.” He doesn't explain, doesn't need to explain, why he didn't do so when he had the chance. He probably wouldn't have gotten a coherent answer without an Oracle witch assisting. (Admittedly, he didn't really try that hard, either. Perhaps Steve would have been enough?) “If you're sure. And if Eber agrees.” Darius is fairly sure Eber has been listening in for a while. If they had any objections, they'd have interrupted by now. A furry orange head pokes through the doorway. Eberwolf grins. Excellent. Whatever they find out there, they'll be ready.

@1attheedge @eriquin @auburnlaughter (x2) @stonemaskedtaliesin @post-and-out (x2)

@asha10100101010

Talking isn't really Eberwolf’s thing. Nor is drinking poisoned apple blood. Listening to the other two dumbasses make fools of themselves, though? Of course he's doing that. He plays with Darius's scroll, too. The man left it unlocked when he tossed it aside, a choice Eber intends to make him regret. He's just finished changing the background to a rather lovely picture of Odalia Blight when the scroll dings. Someone is messaging Darius? Interesting. Eber reads the message, of course. If Darius wanted them to stay out of his conversations, he shouldn't have left his scroll open. It's not from Alador Blight, unfortunately. That would have been fun. Instead it's that Porter guy on the crystal? I know we haven't spoken in a long time, the message reads, but I noticed your crystal ball is disconnected. I'm sorry. Eber doesn't reply. Darius probably wouldn't. Here's a summary of today's report. I heard you were working with Eda; you might find some of it relevant. Any information you may have regarding the whereabouts of my son would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Eber waits a few more minutes, but that's it. They reply, :(, and then open the attached page. There's some stuff about Eda. That she's still out there, they knew that. A retraction of the report from a week ago accusing her of murdering the kid, that's new. And some other things Eberwolf doesn't really care about. You're not Darius.

[glittter-vamp]

CHAPTER 7

Joe Burrow x Bisexual OC.

Warnings: 18+MDNI. Angsty. Mentions of homophobia. Fluffy. Smut.

Word Count: 3.1k

"Those pinks don't match." Karina says.

"What do you mean they don't match?" Gen sighs in annoyance.

"That's regular pink and this one is ...baby pink." Karina says holding up the balloons.

"What the fuck is baby pink? Do you mean pastel pink!?" Genesis says annoyed.

"You guys are giving me a headache." Val sighs getting up from her chair and looking for aspirin.

"She's making this more complicated than it is, it's an engagement party not your actual wedding!" Genesis says to Val.

"You guys offered to throw it! Of course I want it to be perfect." Karina argues back. Val ignores them and takes the pills with some water returning back to them.

"Okay! Okay... we'll get your baby pink balloons, no worries. Now, the food." Val says going down her list.

"Oh boy." Gen mutters and Karina gives her a look.

"Kelly wants to do like finger foods, so doesn't have to be a proper meal or anything." Karina shakes her head.

"Anything in particular?" Genesis asks.

"Fruit, crackers, cheeses, pretzels...all that sort of stuff." Karina nods.

"Have you guys set a date for the wedding at all?" Val asks.

"Yeah...we're going to announce it at the engagement party." Karina smiles.

"Aww, I'm so excited!" Genesis claps her hands. Gen was a hopeless romantic so this was her favorite thing ever.

"I have a question to ask though...are we inviting Joe to any of this?" Karina asks Val.

"Uh, it's your party and wedding, you invite who you want." Val shrugs.

"Well, we know things are kind of in the air and usually he'd be your plus one but I feel like it'd be mean to not invite him...especially since he's gotten Karina and Kelly us tickets the games over the years." Karina says awkwardly.

"Like I said...it's up to you guys." Val says not knowing what to say to them. It's been two full week now since her and Joe have gone on a break and they've only texted once to see how one another was doing.

"Have things gotten any better?" Gen asks.

"Nothings changed if that's what you're asking." Val bites her lip.

"I really hate that you guys are going through this because of me." Gen sighs.

"It's not because of you, even if that video was never posted I would of came clean to him anyway about what happened between Summer and I. Plus he still would of done what he did as well." Val rolls her eyes at Gen.

"Yeah, but you're still getting hat from people online and stuff...that has to take a toll on you." Gen responds.

"It sucked at first but I haven't been letting it get to me, I've focused on other stuff." Val shrugs.

"Has Joe said anything about it?" Karina asks.

"He just asked if I was doing okay and that he was sorry about everything." Val sighs.

"That's it? He's not gonna stick up for you?" Gen scoffs rolling her eyes.

"Like his publicist would let him, they'd question why he would be defending me if we never dated or aren't dating like we've both said publicly before. Everyone will try to spin it some way." Val chuckles.

"So!? I publicly apologized on my account for basically outing you and putting that video up without your permission. Plus the entire group has  been defending you left and right on social media. Joe could say something if he really wanted." Gen says annoyed.

"I...have to agree. He could at least make a statement about respecting you and his privacy or something because the homophobic comments are all over his own Instagram comments and he doesn't even limit them either." Karina says.

"Him saying something isn't going to change that, it might actually do the opposite. We're dealing with NFL bro's here, they are vile already unprovoked. Imagine if he did say something? I'd have to delete my account." Val says hoping her friends would understand just how delicate this matter is.

"I guess... I'm just tired of seeing you always be put second in your own relationship. Joe's cool and all... but he's losing my respect day by day, you deserve better than a half ass relationship." Gen says getting up from her seat and going to the bathroom. Val hearing that was like a stab in the chest.

"Does everyone feel like that about him?" Val asks Karina. Karina sighs and leans on the table.

"We just want you to be in a relationship where you receive back what you put in, Joe is a good guy but not the best partner to you and it sucks seeing you suffer when you put him first plenty of times and he never really does that for you." Karina says patting Val's arm. Hearing this from her friends was a slap to the face for Valeria. Maybe it was for the best that they just broke up and she focused on herself. If she had to do this, she would have to do this now before the season starts and Val didn't know if she was prepared for that.

*******************************************

It was later in the night now, Genesis and Karina left a while ago and Val was currently falling asleep on her couch when there was a knock on the door. Checking her watch she see's that it was 11:26PM. Confused on who could it be she gets up and checks the peep hole to see Joe. Taken off guard as to why he was here out of the blue she opens the door. He was in a hoodie and sweat pants and the infamous ugg slippers Val hated that he would wear to places that weren't his house.

"Hey...what are you doing here?" Val yawns letting him in and closing the door behind him.

"I just wanted to see you." Joe shrugs looking at the flowers on your counter.

"At 11:30 at night?" Val questions.

"Who gave you these flowers?" Joe asks looking over at her.

"You came here at 11 at night to snoop on me?" Val crosses her arms.

"No, I couldn't sleep and I wanted to see you." He mutters like an embarrassed little kid. Val takes a deep breath and locks her door. She knew the drill when Joe was like this. This wasn't the first time he came over here like this before.

"No funny business." Val says to Joe making him smile before he makes his way to her room. Val shuts all the lights off and heads to her room where Joe was already comfy in her bed. She knew better than to let Joe stay the night but she knew something else was up with him and regardless of it all, she still loved him and cared for him at the end of the day. Val joins him already being showered and in her pajamas.

"So you want to tell me what's really going on?" Val asks looking over to him.

"I'm stressed out of my mind, I miss you...my parents are on my ass about everything that's happened, especially my mom. The fans and their comments are getting to me and I know they're bothering you. I just, needed you." Joe mumbles as he lays downs and plays with Val's fingers in his hands. She wasn't expecting him to unload like that on her.

"You can still text me and stuff...I'm not going to ignore you." Val says brushing his hair back.

"I know... I'm sorry for showing up here like this. But you're not talking to me either, I worry about you." Joe sighs.

"It's okay and I'm alright I guess...people are starting to leave me alone."

"That's good I guess... but, since I told you the truth, wanna tell me who you got you those flowers?" Joe looks at her with his big blue eyes.

"Why couldn't I have gotten those flowers myself? Why are you automatically thinking someone had to get them for me?" Val asks smirking.

"Because your favorite flowers are burgundy or purple carnations, not lavender roses from...Krogers." Joe snorts.

"Summer got them for me as an apology." Val admits and she could tell Joe didn't like hearing that.

"Apology for what exactly?" He asks.

"I uh...came clean about us to her and she apologized for how she acted when I first told her and for how she flirted with me in front of you that day at the store." Val answers truthfully.

"Mmm...I still don't like her or trust her." Joe says which makes her snort.

"May I ask why?" Val asks.

"I know she's going to end up right here where I am currently on one random night." Joe says somberly.

"What?" Val sits up.

"She wants you, if another night happens like the club night...it's going to be inevitable. I'm not stupid plus whatever is left of our relationship is hanging on a thread, it won't be long before she has your attention again" He shrugs.

"You don't know what you're talking about, that was a drunken mistake which you should know all about as well since you did the same thing." Val scoffs.

"I see the way she looks at you Val, I look at you like that...and you look at her like you look at me...or at least used to anyway." He sighs.

"Joe--let's just drop it. Let's get some sleep." Joe cuts her off before she could say anything to that. Val doesn't say anything else getting up from the bed to turn the lights off. As she lays on her side getting back in bed & setting her devices to charge for the night, Joe wraps his arm around her and kisses her neck softly a few times.

"It's been so long since I've had you, I've missed you so much." Joe whispers, Val feeling his hand slowly creep his way under shirt.

"Joe..." Val bites her lip trying not to give into his touch right now but she couldn't help wanting him as bad as he wanted her.

"Hm?" He hums back as he slowly grabs her tit and massages them in his warm hand making her let out faint moan. Turning around, Val makes out Joe's face with the help of the outside lighting shining through her blinds and into the room. Joe leans in filling the small gap between them and kissing her lips, softly at first but the kiss soon became intense and filled with all the emotion they had both been feeling. Val runs her fingers through his soft hair tugging on it a bit receiving a low groan from Joe. Everything then happens so quickly, clothes were off and both of them were beyond aroused by each other as if they were two animals in heat.

Val went to get into the position she normally gets into for Joe which is always either on her stomach or face down or ass up but he stops her and shakes his head no. Instead she lays on her back he settles between her legs as she lays back onto the pillows, giving her a few more tender kisses as he aligns himself at her wet entrance and slowly slips inside her. Both of them moaning into each other mouths at the feel of one another. Slowly Joe moves his hips, moans and whimpers escaping both of them as they get lost in each other after so long of not feeling each other.

**************************

The next morning Val wakes up to her usual alarm and notices Joe was gone. Sighing as she turns her alarm off she notices a note on the pillow Joe slept on the night prior.

"Sorry I didn't say goodbye, had run to practice because I promised the guys I'd be there and didn't want to wake you. Don't worry I locked the door, Have a great day at work! - Joey <3

Val sighs remembering last nights events and feeling stupid for having sex with Joe like that. She failed miserably at creating boundaries with him while she still tried to figure out what she wanted to do in this relationship. She gets up from bed, still completely nude from the night before and she takes a long much needed shower. She makes a mental note to change her sheets when she comes home and gets ready for her long work day ahead of her.

The store was getting the shipment of the Pride collection today and she knew Kade & Elsa were going to be brainstorming about the display all day so she had to mentally prepare for that. After showering and getting dressed, Val left her condo locking the door and making her way to her parking spot, getting in her car. She still couldn't get last night out of her head so she decided to call Karina for some clarity since she knew Genesis was probably already at work and busy.

"Hello?" Karina answers as Val drives in the crazy Cincinnati morning traffic.

"Hey, Goodmorning! Got time to talk for like 10 minutes?" Val bites her lip hoping she did.

"Yeah, I'm just getting ready for work but I'll put you on speaker. What's up?" Karina asks.

"I fucked up last night and I'm stressing over it!" Val blurts out and Karina lightly chuckles.

"What do you mean? What happened!" She asks.

"Joe showed up at my door late at night, seemed in distress, and we ended up having sex. We haven't had sex for awhile even before this whole 'break' we're taking and I gave in like an idiot going against my own boundary." Val sighs slowly moving in this bumper to bumper traffic.

"What if... that's what you guys might need? It sounds like you guys were lacking in that department. Maybe more intimacy is what you guys needed? Kelly and I always make time for that and it helps us reconnect when we go through a few bumps." Karina says and Val sighs.

"I don't know, I feel like I got played somehow. He was being all vulnerable and then one thing suddenly lead to another and we had sex. Then when I woke up this morning, he was gone and only left a note about how he had to go to practice." Val explains.

"Oh he wasn't even there when you woke up? That's... strange. You're not some one night stand where he can come dip in and run out." Karina responds.

"That's exactly how I felt. Now I'm sitting here confused as shit and feeling regretful more than anything which is fucked up because he's boyfriend." Val sighs in annoyance with herself.

"Well next time you get a chance you should tell him how you feel about this. If you don't appreciate something, say so. If he doesn't like it, that's too damn bad." Karina says making Val chuckle.

"You're right... he also officially dislikes Summer too and didn't hesitate to let me know. So, I have to figure out how to let her know that we need to distance ourselves." Val sighs not taking her eyes off the traffic and she hears Karina laugh. 

"What's so funny?" Val asks confused. 

"He's threatened by her, typical man. " Karina snorts. 

"Why do you say that?" 

"Uh..did you see the video of the club? He know she can turn you inside out like a sock better than he can." Karina laughs. 

"Karina!--

"What!? I'm not wrong. I remember hearing the stories you used to tell us about your hook ups with Summer, she knew what she was doing and you would brag about it...you don't seem to do the same with Joe..." Karina mutters the last part. 

"That's because we're in a serious committed relationship and I'm not going to talk about our sex life out of respect." Valeria defends herself. 

"If you say so, just remember he already complained about having limp dick with a hot model. Ours doesn't do that and it comes in different sizes & colors. When he can do that, then come talk to me." Karina says which makes Val almost choke on her spit. 

"Bye Rina! I should of called Mateo or something instead." Val shakes her head. 

"Hey, I'm just being honest. Even if you don't do anything with Summer but end up with a girl instead of Joe...he should know why so the next girl doesn't suffer cause what do you mean you guys guys haven't fucked in a long time? C'mon now. "  Karina scoffs and Val just rolls her eyes to herself. Val thanks her for answering the phone so early and they say goodbye to each other, hanging up. Having that conversation with Karina didn't really help her clarify things in the way she's hoped but now Val was wondering if she was trying to hold onto Joe despite calling the break herself and she wondered if she wasn't being so honest about her feelings towards Summer. She decided to push them to the back of her mind and focus on her work day.

Making it to the shop, she parks her car and enters to see Elsa and Kade already with the shipments on the floor. She wasn't expecting them to be delivered yet so it caught her by surprise. Setting her things aside at the register she walks up to them looking at everything they were unpacking. 

"Morning guys!" Val smiles. 

"Hey! Didn't think you'd be in this early." Elsa says and Kade smiles at her. 

"I knew the shipment was going to be here but I didn't think this early. They always come at like 2PM or later." Val says grabbing one of the mugs and looking at it. 

"That's cause Kade is messing around with the delivery guy so we're first on his route now." Elsa chuckles. 

"Hey! Don't go telling my business!" Kade laughs but he doesn't deny it. 

They look through the few boxes, Dani eventually coming in for her afternoon shift around 1PM. As Kade and Val move stuff around the store to start setting up their pride displays in the window and another in the store, a man comes in holding a bouquet of flowers. 

"Hi! What can I do for you?" Val smiles politely for him. 

"Hello, I uh...have flowers for a Valeria?" He says reading reading a scanner hanging on his side. 

"That's me." She nods confused. 

"Here you go, have a nice day!" He smiles handing her the flowers and walking out quickly. 

"Ooo, secret admirer!" Kade teases and she just shrugs. Val goes to the back and finds the card in the sea of Burgundy Carnations. She opens it and reads the white and gold card. 

Here's a real bouquet with flowers you actually like, I'd suggest throwing the other ones out. She's not winning this round. - J.

Val scoffs at the petty note from Joe and shakes her head looking at the gorgeous flowers. 

"What the fuck is happening." She mutters to herself. 

A/N: Joe seems a lil jelly, what do y'all think? 👀

[tranquilpetrichor]

twister

synopsis: what begins as a lighthearted game of twister leads to you finally admitting your feelings for your dance friend.

cast: chen kuanjui x gn!reader ft friend!ricky

genre: fluff

wc: 2k (2025)

warnings: descriptions of physical affection, there may be grammatical errors

a/n: please freaking save me i don't need more boys planet trainees wrecking my life.. anyways if the links to this on my masterlist are weird please let me know, i’m on vacation right now and can’t really do much stuff on my laptop.

taglist: @restlessmaknae

you place the box labeled twister on the floor and open it, your friend kuanjui beside you. he takes the mat and carefully lays it out. you get the spinner and fiddle with it for fun.

kuanjui's set out the mat and is stretching on it—a familiar sight to you over your years of friendship. while you used to gasp whenever you saw him casually go into the middle splits or do a backbend, it no longer fazed you. he simply had no bones.

staring at the mat with colored dots on it gives you nostalgia. "oh my god, i haven't played this in a while," you say, groaning. "please go easy on me."

he only laughs at you. "we're literally both dancers. if anything, i should make it really hard for you!"

you sigh, knowing that he’s almost never lost a game like this. "ugh no. if you're gonna be that way, you should buy me food after we play."

it’s a joke, but you wouldn’t mind food. and eating with him.

he points over in the distance to a guy (aka another idiot friend of yours) listening to music with airpods in. "ha, why don't you ask ricky then? he's the rich one, after all. oh, and speaking of which, we need someone to spin."

you glance over again. “i'll get him."

he smiles knowingly. “you mean you’ll go annoy him, right?”

“yep!”

since ricky’s facing away from the two of you, it's easy to sneak up on him and you make your way closer, finally closing in on his shoulders. after you tap him with your hands, he groans.

“what the hell? not this again.”

you start laughing, amused by ricky’s annoyance.

"dude, you've been on your phone enough. you wanna spin the wheel for me and kuan jui while we play twister?"

you can't miss the undeniable smirk that appears on ricky's face.

"alright, it's not like i have anything better to do," he begins to whisper, "except help two soon-to-be lovebirds out."

"hey! it's not like that," you hiss.

he only shrugs in response. "if you say so."

the two of you walk back, and you try to remain composed. “we have our spinner,” you say, gesturing to a still-smirking ricky.

"dude, quit it with that look," you mutter to ricky, and he just laughs at you.

kuanjui claps, a smile on his face. “let’s start! prepare to lose," he says with a glare that you know isn't malicious at all. you could even say it's adorable, although that's not something you should admit aloud.

you both go on opposite sides on the mat, and ricky spins the wheel.

"right hand on blue."

the two of you move accordingly. even with simple movements like this, kuanjui is graceful.

“right foot on red.”

it's easy so far, but in a few minutes, you know you're sure to struggle. sure enough, you do end up in a precarious position which could only be described as being a human pretzel. he’s reaching over you, like a cat taking a stretch.

"please do not crush my back," you say with a groan. "i don't know if i can handle that."

he protests. "i'm not going to crush your back! i am perfectly capable of holding myself up. if you fall, it's your fault."

"what? i won't fall..."

ricky interrupts. "good one, y/n. a little late on that.”

you glare at him as best as you possibly can from your position. "shut it."

kuanjui is clearly confused. "huh? is something wrong?”

you try to laugh it off. "never mind. he’s just being annoying again.”

there’s no time for him to question you, because ricky keeps talking. “alright, let’s continue! left foot on yellow!”

at this point, you understand why you wouldn't play this game with anyone you don't trust. there's no way you could do this with anyone else without feeling incredibly awkward.

"are you gonna give up?" kuanjui asks, and although you aren't looking at him in an attempt to focus on not trembling, you imagine a satisfied grin on his face.

you barely register ricky’s next command.

“right hand on green!”

no, now is not the time to get embarrassed. you absolutely knew what you were getting into, playing this damn game of all things. your heart definitely wasn’t racing. not at all.

you readjust your hand slightly. “nope. never.”

right about now, he’s probably pouting. “please? if you give up, i’ll buy you strawberry ice cream…”

hm, would you really choose food over your pride?

“aw damn, that’s tempting. but no. also, i’m sure you would do that for me anyways.”

his lack of a comeback tells you all you need to know.

“i feel like a third wheel,” you think you hear ricky mutter, before his speaking volume returns to normal. “alright, left hand on yellow!“

you strain to reach your hand behind you, but manage to get it on a circle. kuanjui’s face is now visible, and the two of you laugh at the absurdity of this whole game.

“i wonder how long we’ve been here,” you say.

ricky checks the time on his phone. “12 minutes, honestly that’s kinda impressive. but can someone please win already?"

“ah, now my wrist hurts. actually everything hurts,” kuanjui whines.

you smile. “you're such a big baby, despite being older than me by a few months.”

he hits you softly. “am not.”

a response leaves your mouth before you can tell your brain to stop saying whatever the hell it wants to. “you are, so stop being so cute.”

he scrunches his face in confusion, but then smiles slightly. "you think i’m what now?"

ah, shit. i definitely said too much.

well, might as well own what you had said. “cute, did you not hear me the first time?”

a slight blush appears on his face. “well, uh—“

ricky yells exasperatedly, “left foot on red!”

kuanjui moves first, slipping his foot behind your back. you try to find a red circle, but it’s a rather inconvenient move.

now you’re pretty much in the splits with your hands spread semi-far apart, and while it’s not the worst position to possibly be in, you’re kinda sore and can’t wait to rest.

“ah, is this what being a worm is like?” you joke.

“i don’t wanna be a worm, i wanna be something pretty,” kuanjui says.

you try to think of a suitable representative animal for him. “a butterfly is pretty.”

that seems to make him smile, and you feel like you've done your job for the day.

at some point, your strength gives out and you drop to the mat, beads of sweat cascading down your face. you're panting heavily.

kuanjui lifts himself out of the weird backbend position he's in with relative ease. how he's not too tired to do that, you're not sure.

"yes! i win!" he says with a fist pump.

you dramatically sigh, placing a hand on your chest. “i humbly accept this fatal defeat. you have kicked my ass once again.”

he giggles. "i'm sorry, i'll make it up somehow."

you pout. "that's what i get, for playing twister against one of the most flexible dancers in our academy."

you try to get up, but he motions for you to stay on the mat. "i'll get water for all of us, be right back. you need to rest!”

ricky puts the spinner down after kuan jui’s left. “please. just kiss. please! you two are so flirty that it’s gross.”

you laugh at his show of pleading. well, at least he was being honest. “i mean, i might confess to him today. i don’t want it to be grand or anything, i just want to say it. now’s as good a time as any, right?”

ricky gives you a genuine smile, probably the first of the day.

“well, good luck. if anyone should be his partner, it’s you.”

he pauses, seeming serious for once, before continuing. “it seems like you guys have a lot of fun around each other. i remember meeting you during dance practice and you were so strict, i didn't think you had an unserious bone in your body!"

kuanjui's walking back, so you try to wrap up the conversation. "gee thanks, i can be fun. but i think some people really bring out different sides of you."

he gives a grateful ricky some ice water, then sets down another cup beside you. "i cut a lemon slice and put it on the side of yours, if you don't mind."

you take it, grateful for the sweet gesture. "thanks, i mentioned that i like that, but only once.”

he smiles, and even that simple action seems ethereal. “i remembered anyways.”

ricky seems more than eager to excuse himself from the conversation, citing “video games” as the reason to leave.

“but you always say that though,” kuanjui retorts.

the younger boy shrugs. “and it’s always true.”

“i’ll see you guys later, you should enjoy yourselves!” he adds with a wink.

that damn guy. but you’re not gonna complain about getting alone time with kuanjui.

you spend about a minute quietly playing with his hair, which you’re both used to. although you do it often, you usually do it when something’s on your mind and you need to focus on something else.

kuanjui traces mindless circles on the mat before deciding to break the silence that has settled between you two. “hey, y/n?”

“yes?”

“did you really mean it when you said i was cute?”

you smile, a little embarrassed. but of course, no going back now. “of course, i wouldn’t lie.”

"i didn't think you would, but it was a little unexpected," he says, laughing. "since when did you ever call people cute?"

you take a sip of water, feeling suddenly as if there was something stuck in your throat. "well, i don't call people cute, unless they're you," you say with a small giggle, averting your gaze afterwards.

you're surprised you can even continue to speak.

"and, i wanted to ask you on a date. i mean, you don't have to! i've liked you for a while now, but i didn't want to make anything awkward… even though it probably seems awkward coming from me anyways.”

there’s a relief you feel after your confession and a sense of nervous anticipation. your hands need somewhere to be, so you reach for the cup.

kuanjui gasps and ruffles your hair affectionately. his eyes seem to sparkle.“oh, i’ve liked you too, and i’d love to go on a date. it’s just that i’m a little bit cowardly and probably wouldn’t have confessed first!”

“ha, believe me, i know.”

he seemed to have another moment of realization. “no wonder ricky seemed so annoyed! it’s like he was waiting for.. well, something.”

“watch what you say, he could come back any moment,” you whisper.

he goes along with your little joke and whispers back.

“what if i say he’s short and poor, old and ugly?”

“then he’ll definitely come back.”

the two of you burst into a fit of giggles. you take his hand, as if you need tangible proof that you’re here, experiencing this beautiful moment.

“do you mind if i kiss you on the cheek?”

jeez, why are you embarrassed? you’re usually physically affectionate with him anyways. still, it’s best to ask about things like kissing, you figure.

he shyly smiles. “go ahead.”

you give him a peck, which elicits more giggling from him, and there’s the lingering feeling of fluttering in your chest. he's definitely happy from the physical contact. as he lays down, he tugs your shirt, bringing you to the floor with him.

"i'm sleepy," he says through a yawn. "could you stay with me for a little?"

you're more than happy to oblige, and somehow, you end up with both of your arms wrapped around him, the twister mat still below you both.

as you settle into a comfortable position with kuanjui (perhaps the most comfortable you've been the whole day), you're thankful for playing that little game of twister, and for finally giving into your feelings.

[wrenreid]

Just Acting

all chapters in master list

Chapter Sixteen

The silhouette peers from the window of Delilah's bedroom. Her curtains had been moved, and there's a small slit where the glass isn't blocked by the fabric.

The sight seen by the shadow is sickening. Delilah, her boss, lays in her bed, head resting on her boyfriend... Spencer Reid.

It takes all of Jenna's strength not to lose her temper... but she knew if she did anything stupid, she would sell herself out.

Delilah would be hers soon. Patience.

_____

Even though Gubler makes you want to strangle him sometimes, you couldn't resist him yesterday. You couldn't deny the fact that you wanted what he wanted. And you couldn't deny that you wanted him.

You haven't spoken since you kissed in your trailer. In all honesty, you have no clue what to say to him. What happens now?

Luckily for you, you're done with filming for the week. Some time alone to set your mind straight could be beneficial.

Drinking the iced coffee you just made, you sit up on your bed, legs crossed in a pretzel. Thoughts run through your brain, making you feel like a confused child. It's time to decide if you truly want something with Matthew.

He's an asshole, right? So why do you want him? Nothing could ever work between you two; you're in totally different worlds. Colliding them could end poorly. Some type of World War III could emerge from the two of you clashing.

You're being dramatic, you tell yourself.

It's not like you have true feelings for Matthew. He's just attractive in the worst way...because he's hot and really knows how to brew up anger within. He thinks the same about you. Purely physical could work. If he wants it like that too.

You've never been the type of woman to use someone for their body or use someone at all. This is just... different is the only way to describe the situation

_____

"Wow Reid, you look extra perky today," Alvez says as he sips his cup of coffee.

Reid shrugs, smiling to himself.

"Someone had a fun day off, huh?" He winks.

"I-"

"I can see it on your face. You got lai-"

Emily Prentiss clears her throat, then tells everyone to meet in the briefing room. Spencer takes this opportunity to get out of the conversation with Luke quickly, leaving his desk to walk with JJ to the table.

___

"So like just... sex?"

"Basically,” you nod with a slight shrug.

"Aw, you think I'm hot," Matthew shoots you a smug look.

You roll your eyes. "It baffles me too."

He acts offended by that comment for a brief moment. "I'm down. Friends with benefits."

"Except I wouldn't call you a friend."

"Oh come on, you adore me, Y/n."

"Whatever helps you sleep."

"So we're doing this?" He asks, his lips tugged upwards.

"If it's want we both want, then yeah,” you tell him.

"We won't tell anyone, right?"

"Oh fuck no. I can't have people knowing I tolerate you sometimes," you chuckle, not exactly joking.

"Tolerate is an understatement for what we're going to do, but I see your point. It won’t be a secret, just our situation and only ours. I don't really want the rest of the cast being all in our business,” Matthew says.

You nod your head. "And fans. Oh god, they'd probably kill me. Eat me alive. Tear me apart.”

Matthew stifles a laugh. "They can be sort of crazy."

"That’s an understatement. Youshould probably go now," you say with a small smile.

"You don't want to do anything now?" He raises his eyebrows in a teasing, half joking manner.

"Tempting, but you should get some sleep little boy. I've got a few plans for you." You ruffle his hair, standing above him as he sits on your couch.

"Don't turn me on now," he looks up at you.

You roll your eyes, laughing. "Goodbye, Gubler." Matthew stands up, making his way to your apartment door.

“Last names,” he groans, “I thought we were past that. Can I at least get a kiss?"

"Hmm no," you say with a gloating grin.

"So mean,” Matthew groans again.

You smile again as he leaves. Teasing him should be pretty fun.

—————

"Ground rules?" His brows raise.

"Yes, Gubler, we need ground rules."

"You suck the fun out of everything."

You frown, cutting your eyes at him and furrowing your brows.

"I'm kidding," Matthew says small grin.

You roll your eyes, huffing out a breath. "I just think rules would make this whole situation easier to manage."

"Ah yes, it's so sexy when you talk plans to me,” he says sarcastically.

"You're a pain in my ass, Gubler."

Matthew winks, "You like it. I have an idea for my first rule.”

"Go ahead."

"No last names when we're alone. You can only call me Gubler on set."

You sigh, "Fine. Deal."

"Any rules for me, hot stuff?"

"No flirting,” you tell him.

"What?"

"You can't flirt with me."

"Sex without flirting? That's awkward as shit,” he says with distaste.

"Flirting while we're alone is acceptable, but only when we're doing 'business'. When we're with anybody else, we're our usual selves who don't like each other,” you say.

Matthew chuckles, shaking his head.

"What?" You ask.

"You said business," he chuckles again.

"You're stupid. Any more rules you can think of?"

"Not really. You?"

"I wrote a few down earlier today,” you say, moving to grab something.

"Of course you did," he says under his breath.

You show him the notebook you just grabbed. There's a few lines written down on the page. "One: no one can know. Two: if one of us wants to try something new, we must ask the other first. Three: we're each other's only partners. Four: no strings attached..."

He furrows eyebrows with a sigh. "Okay."

"That's all you have to say?" You ask, writing down rules five and six.

"Yeah. I guess I just wasn't expecting intricate plans and details about sex..." he says, "But I guess I should've known since it's you."

"Well, you can back out,” you tell him.

"I could, but I don't want to," Matthew shoots you a soft look.

"Then it's settled," you give him a small smile, offering your hand to shake.

He grabs it, returning the hand shake. "You're such a nerd," Matthew shakes his head with a chuckle. "Can we have sex now?"

You laugh, "Actually, Matthew, I have somewhere to be. You and the little ones can wait."

He makes a choked sort of coughing noise, "Damn, you're really evil.”

"Get used to it, babe."

"Ooh pet names... that should be on the list. Use pet names,” he grins.

"No!" You laugh, gesturing for him to walk through the door.

"Byeee," he says, fluttering his fingers in a wave.

"Goodbye, weirdo."

You shut the door after him, shaking your head in a smile. This morning, the girls had asked you to go to a bar tonight and dance. Obviously, you couldn't say no or Aisha would barge into your apartment and drag your ass outside. And you can't go to a club in sweats.

After turning on the shower, you strip out of your grey wears and black sweater. The water heats up as you take your hair out of the ponytail and wash your face. You step into the shower, the running water splashing onto your skin and hair. You wash your body and your hair before shaving. Quickly, you rinse off once more and step out.

Luckily, December isn't too cold in LA, so club clothes are still acceptable. You pick out a dress, black tights, and black boots. You dry off your body as the leave-in in your hair seeps in. After slipping on a set of white under garments, you head back into the bathroom and dry your hair the rest of the way. You straighten your brown locks, apply makeup, then step back into your bedroom to change.

The velvet green dress hits you just below mid thigh. You pull up the (mostly see through but still thick enough) black tights past your hips and step into the black boots you set beside your bed. You feel pretty good about this outfit. After grabbing a black jacket, your keys, and your bag, you head out of the apartment and down to the parking lot.

You're picking up Aisha, because knowing her, she's going to get super drunk and need a driver. You head to her place, music playing from the radio.

"Hey, hot stuff," Aisha says as she gets into your car.

"Hey!" You smile.

The two of you head to the bar and meet up with the other girls. Aj and Paget invited Kirsten, and you're excited to meet her again. You were sad she left the show before you got a chance to actually talk to her.

Music can be heard from outside of the club's doors.

"Nice to actually meet you, Y/n."

"Nice to meet you too!" You smile.

"So are we going to party or what?" Paget says, grabbing you and Aj by the wrists and dragging you into the club.

The five of you head straight for the bar to get in a quick drink to loosen up. After throwing back a shot, Kirsten turns to you and says, "You dance newbie?"

"Not usually, but I'm afraid I'll be killed if I don't."

"Ya got that right," Aj winks.

All of you girls head to the dance floor, music somehow getting even louder as you make your way to the center. You follow along with the other women, moving to the beat. Occasionally, some talk is made, but mostly you guys just yell the lyrics to the songs you know.

After a bit, you and Aj head back to the bar, taking a break from the dancing.

"I'm glad you came with us tonight," she says over the music.

"Yeah me too," you smile.

The others join you quickly, ordering a new round of drinks. You only drink half, knowing you need to stay sober. Soon enough, you guys are back on the dance floor, dancing and scream- singing to your hearts' content.

You notice people taking pictures of you guys, but the others don't seem to care. They must be used to it, the price of fame. Luckily, no one really wants to disrupt the fun you're having.

"You looked really hot in that dress"

You put away your phone, not answering the text from Matthew in front of people. You head to the bathroom. In the mirror, you wipe away the smudged eyeliner under your eyes and dab the little droplets of sweat from your hairline.

"Hmm too bad you won't be seeing me in it in person."

"We'll see about that."

You smirk, putting your phone back in your bag. He must've seen pictures someone posted on the internet of you girls.

The night out ends around 12:35am. You drive Aisha and Kirsten to their places since both of them decided it was a good idea to have well over four shots and normal drinks.

Once both of them are safe in their homes, you head back to your apartment. Matthew stands outside your door.

You clear your throat, letting him know you're approaching.

He looks up, leaning his hand against the door in an attempt to be seductive. He looks down again, "My timing wasn't great. I thought you'd be coming home sooner."

You chuckle, "A for effort."

He scans his eyes down your body. "Damn."

"Oh shut up."

"No seriously, damn." He looks at you again, licking his lips involuntarily. His eyes raking over your body put a million thoughts in your head.

You like that he doesn't seem to care that you're heavier than most girls, or at least the girls that he's used to working with and probably used to being with.

"So I'm assuming you thought you'd get lucky tonight?" You say, leaning against the back of the couch.

Matthew stands there a bit stunned.

"Well are you going to kiss me or just gawk at me, pretty boy?"

He steps forward, closing the door behind him. He grabs your hand and pulls your body against his. Matthew presses his lips to yours, beginning one of the best nights you’ve had with anyone.

seventeen

tags: @pauline5525mgg @theintimatewriter @lilibet261 @greysviolets @jazzymariexoxoc @one-sweet-gubler @thatsonezesty13 @necromaniackat @awhoreforspencerreid @sebs-oxygen @scarredelirium @bts-sugaplum @awesomeness1679 @preciousbabypeter @yazzyu @cynbx @r3idsp3ncer @1010lizz @tiredbut-here @skulzombiw @lena-1895 @eevee0722 @danis-stuff-is-here @kylakins88 @daydreamingqueen1 @regulus-black-223048 @virginmusicloverr36 @inlovewithcharmers @kylakins88 @f-me-reid <3

[cxhleel108]

S7 Thots for this week: Sigh…

• Die

• For whatever reason but sure🫤

• Why do we need to help Uma and Alex fix their problems? DO NONE OF YOU KNOW HOW TO FUCKING COMMUNICATE???

• The way Daphne just let go so easily of the fact that Uma tried to make moves on Raf. She’s too nice omg girl we needa get you outta here before these people ruin you😭😭😭

• Y’all I could not go through this post without acknowledging this swimsuit it’s sooooooo good.

• Yeah ummmm Daph, even if I wanted to revenge flirt to make Bryson jealous literally none of these other people tickle my fancy in the slightest bit so that was never even in consideration.

• Get a load of this guy😂😂😂😂😂

• Oh wait never mind Travis is a part of the Willow Hate Club, he’s cool now🤩

• Yes, working out with Bryson instead of just speaking to him is gonna help the current issue…

• Aw even Raf is a #Tyson stan…well he’s also literally in love with Tanya but that’s besides the point!

• I’m crying they all fucking hate Willow girlllll get yo ass outta here💀💀💀

• Ok Raf’s advice at least makes more sense for Bryson but once again what am I getting advice for when I literally just have to talk to him??? That’s that damn cash grab shit we be talking about chile.

• No, I really don’t think you know how annoying this is babe🫤🫤🫤

• Mmmm I hardly believe that but sure I guess I’ll go with it!

• Aw they made up, how sweet😍 (They’re literally gonna fight again next week)

• Oh girl PLEASE

• The apology being her saying sorry like twice and then going on a whole tangent about why she still thinks her and Bryson are meant to be…someone give me the number to the nearest psych ward I’m not kidding.

• Finally after 2 centuries Bryson wants to talk.

• Oh we are so back yassss!

• I'm glad Bryson knows how lucky he is🥰🥰🥰

• Why I forget that we were coupled up with Vicky LMAOOOOOO sorry girl.

• It's literally the middle of the day and we're finna do a challenge...why are we getting dressed up??? Anyways outfit time!

• Fusebox I gotta hand it to y'all. 90% of the looks this season have been eating.

• Yasss bae is starting to act like a real man!

• Vicky I'm so sorry to leave you with that demon but I gotta put me first sis.

• What???????????

• Bryson don't be saying freaky shit like that to me like I won't pull them pants down right now!

• That convo on the terrace was too cuuuuuute.

• Fusebox why can your AI not spell "biased" right? This is the second time it's been spelled wrong. What the fuck is "biassed"??? Bitch nobody has two asses, how can someone be "biassed"?????

• OH END THAT RAGGEDY BITCH!!!

• Outfit time again!

• Can I just say I love all of the Y2K influences I'm seeing in a lot of the clothes this year ugggghhh they know me so well.

• They be coming up with anything😭

• Everyone trying hard to look like the perfect couple and then there's just us doing a marriage proposal with a pretzel...literally goals.

• These niggas are a literal cult I'm so dead😭😭😭

• This whole boytime bedtime sequence was so stupid and honestly I'm glad this season is bringing back just pure unserious moments like this.

• If you know me then you already KNOW what option I chose😈

• Oh boo I thought clocking his tea would get more of a reaction than that. I guess they gotta save the drama for the "big reveal" at the last recoupling🙄🙄🙄

• Oh brother...

• Yes, please end my suffering!

[silentwillowwhisperer]

Key Lime Pie

I love Lemon Boy. It makes me so crazy happy. It's like yogurt pretzels and licorice from Sprouts (the store) but chiller.

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

Keith does not like key lime pie.

He finds it bitter and strange and not pie enough to be in the pie family. Shiro likes to point out how ironic this statement is anytime Keith voices his distain for the pastry.

He doesn't know why, but he ends up with the nickname 'Key Lime Kid,' which is thrown around by Adam and Shiro anytime he gives them trouble. He's asked on multiple occasions why they call him that, and Adam always mutters something under his breath like, 'there's no respect for pop culture anymore' or 'we're doomed by the musical downfalls of the new generation.'

Adam is strange like that sometimes. But then again, he did teach Keith a full arsenal of curse words in Spanish and multiple Indian dialects, so some quirks can be overlooked.

The day before Shiro is set to leave for Kerberos, they share a slice of key lime on their sunset cliff.

Shiro hasn't been being honest about why he's been training vigorously, why Adam suddenly wants nothing to do with him. Keith knows that. It's so painfully obvious, yet Keith pushes it away, fooling himself into thinking Shiro would tell him if something big was happening.

Lies that filled with holes aren't made to last.

Shiro likes to bring Keith out here when they need to have 'talks.' No, stop, not that kind of talk. Honestly.

The sun is sinking down, down, down now. It's days that the light falls just right, like today, that Keith compares it to a glowing eye falling shut, and the world exhales so heavily that he stops to wonder if dawn will ever come again.

People have told him that he's too imaginative.

They've also told him that his analogies are silly, that of course dawn will always come, the sun can't just cease to exist in the blink of an eye.

Maybe that's because they've never seen the world end. Their solar system always revolves around whatever sun they care for most, and will always continue like that until they finally stumble upon the bitter truth of the world.

"Keep scowling like that, and your face will get stuck all wrinkled up. I wouldn't want to explain to your doctor that you popped a vein from glaring at the sun too hard." Shiro huffs out a little laugh, because only he ever finds his jokes funny.

Keith wants to argue, but he can tell that Shiro is getting serious now, and if Shiro is truly serious then something large and uncomfortable and painfully important is about to happen.

Shiro sighs, deep and weary, and Keith wonders where his happy brother has gone and why he feels so suffocated by this moment and the air around him.

"I'm leaving. Tomorrow, I mean. I didn't want to spring it on you like this, but I wasn't sure how to say it outright. All I really know is that there's no way I could go without telling you."

'Oh' Keith thinks, because what else could he really think now that he know he'll be abandoned soon enough.

"Oh" he says out loud because words are complicated and he almost wishes Shiro never told him and they could just spend another minute sitting in ignorant, beautiful silence.

"Oh? That's all you have to say? Please Keith, I need you to understand. I'm not trying to leave you!"

"I know." No, he doesn't. He's just not surprised that Shiro's ready to go on without him.

"No! No you don't, you- you can't! Tell me to stay, please. It's so late into the process, but if you asked me to, I would stay. Just- don't leave me here wondering."

Keith fixes him with a hard stare filled with vacant turmoil, like a little rowboat caught in an ocean storm.

"But you would leave Adam. And your friends. And the life you're lucky enough to have here. You want me to be the flip of a coin, a chance taken, a choice made so you don't have to." Keith feels so weathered and old and beaten. His head hangs heavy like a car pushed off a cliff into the sea, suspended midair just above the freezing despair below.

His body quivers from the weight of holding itself up, so he hugs his arms tight around him to keep from floating away off into the sky.

"No thanks. I'd rather wait for my own liftoff. Bye, Spaceman."

And whatever he wants that to mean, it's too late to go back.

So he walks away.

And when Shiro's shoulders cease their shaking and his eyes stop burning like hot iron rods being poked into his eyes and he forces himself to take a sharp breath into his deprived lungs, he'll walk away into his looming future, leaving their half-eaten, bitter pie sitting there underneath the rising moon.

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

Not where I meant for that to go, but it felt good to write anyway. I had originally wanted this to be a bit with Hunk and Keith interacting, but I was possessed by the claws of my keyboard.

Goodbye : )

(I want yogurt pretzels now...)

[doubledyke]

your opinion on ''My Fair Ed''? everyone says edd was a dick in that episode, but I think ed and eddy are waaay worse, causing trouble freely and laughing at his friend's expense. And the kids just playing outright misplaced retribution too...

everyone was so unlikable in this one, I don't think we can't actually take side with someone.

oh ye of little faith. taking sides is one of my few talents. i'm just gonna watch it and write as i go.

i just have to start by saying that there are so many good gags in this episode. the eggplant coffin. ed running circles around the tree while eddy pretends to be chased. rolf's "husky boy masquerade" line. and one of my favorite of edd's drama queen moments with the pretzel boy soliloquy.

right off the bat, we don't talk about edd having to literally shop for his own groceries enough. that's my biggest take away from the first scene. that and he really loves bean pastes.

anyway, yeah ed and eddy are being... ed and eddy in this episode. to me it doesn't seem like they're causing any more damage than they do on any given day.

they've literally demolished jonny's house in the past. all they did this time was accidentally steal plank.

jimmy gets brutalized in nearly episode, it's kind of his thing - nothing new in my fair ed. considering he's not even in a full body cast, i'd say his injuries were mild this time around. and remember, the eds are the reason he wears a retainer.

kevin's bike gets busted all the time so that's also not shocking. plus shovel chin loves fixing his bike, so i'd almost consider it a favor 😂 maybe if he didn't have such a cheap ass bike...

and yes they destroyed rolf's eggplants. but rolf was way more affected by eddy throwing the sea cucumber ball, to the point that he literally challenged him to a duel.

finally, edd is the first person they annoy, and they've done and will do way worse to him. you could definitely argue that he reached a breaking point, and that very well may be. but if that's the case, why didn't he reach that point sooner? 🤔

the obvious difference is that edd is getting all the blame for their bullshit this time. kevin ties his hat in a knot, then threatens to do the same to his legs. plus he'll have to deal with a wrathful note from his father about the screen door being destroyed again.

side note: i really enjoy that as soon as eddy gives in to edd's blubbering - only after he brings up how eddy's scams would be negatively affected if he's relegated to the side show - the dramatics end and edd gleefully skips away. what a brat.

now we're on to the good stuff. i fucking love this part when edd raises a hand to eddy. it's just so absurd. granted, that's after eddy asks if he wants a knuckle sandwich, but still. then there's the classic frame of eddy putting 2 + 2 together.

some folks theorize that edd was taught his manners in a similar fashion and i think that's a pretty logical conclusion to draw. the alternative is that he came up with this sadistic lesson on his own which is kind of worse? regardless of which is true, he's knows that inflicting pain is effective at getting someone to do what you want. i gotta say, those tough-strip bandaids ain't no bitch. and that's coming from someone with a high pain threshold.

another side note, i love eddy's "polite" voice. he sounds like such a tool.

my conclusion: indeed everyone is the asshole in this episode.

i think it's really funny how ed and eddy get back at edd by pretending to be reformed. like i said, at the start of the episode, they're just being kids. kids that destroy everything they come into contact with, but they do that and much worse all the time. edd still chooses to hang out with them. i think edd got pissy that they busted his door and disrespected his groceries, then his pissiness was compounded by the kids wrongly pointing the finger at him. i think he took things too far with the bandaid thing. but he ends the episode by apologizing and learning his lesson. which if i'm not mistaken is one of, if not, the only time that happens with any character in the show.

if i had to rank everyone by asshole-ness it'd be the neighborhood kids at the top, edd in the middle, then tweedledee and tweedledum a hair below him at the bottom.

[i-used-to-wear-the-fedora]

Steddie Fix-It AU, Deja-Vu

Walking into the formerly burnt down mall again, now completely untouched by fire, was strange. It was like a strange sense of deja vu. Eddie's eyes darted around from the stores to the people walking around. People he knew that died in the fire a week from now. The metalhead found himself pinching the skin of his inner hand just to make sure this wasn't a dream. The pain felt real. He could hear the boring elevator music the mall always played, smell the pretzels from the Orange Julius downstairs....it all felt real. Eddie remembered the one time he tried too much datura and woke up two days later from the weirdest fever dream of his life, but even that didn't compare to what he was feeling. Eddie was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice where he was going until he bumped into something.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Or someone.

"Oh, crap-sorry, I..." Eddie looked up, trailing off when he saw a now familiar face. "Steve?"

Steve Harrington, in the flesh. Eddie was too surprised to even use just his last name. It was like staring at a ghost. Before Vecna, they never really talked to each other. Every now and then, they met up for a drug deal, but that was it. He didn't know anything about Steve before that. If everything was just a dream, that probably meant he still didn't know anything about Steve. Looking the other teen over, Eddie had to stop himself from snorting despite the confusion. Steve Harrington "King of Hawkins High" (was that former now? Eddie couldn't remember if he was still in school at this point) stood in front of him wearing a ridiculous sailor costume. His famous hair was currently hidden under a little sailor hat that completed the look.

"Ugh, do I know you?" Steve asked, and Eddie blanked. Right. Okay, so he didn't remember him. Staring blankly at the other young man, unsure what to say when a look of recognition crossed Steve's face. "Oh! Munson, right? Didn't recognize you without your getup." The record store didn't officially have a dress code, but Eddie distinctly remembered the store manager pulling him aside and saying he had to look "less intimidating" around customers. That meant no jewelry, his hair had to be tied back, and he wasn't allowed to talk about "Satanic" music. (According to the pastor who regularly came into their store to drop off religious pamphlets, Prince was Satanic. Prince.)

"Yeah, I almost didn't recognize you either. What are you even wearing? You look like you just stepped out of the Candyland board game." Eddie snickered. Steve's face flushed slightly as he struggled for words.

"I-yeah, well, ugh, you look like a girl." Eddie tried not to roll his eyes at the lame comeback and instead winked at him.

"Aw, you really think so? Am I pretty girl?" Eddie fluttered his eyelashes dramatically. Steve's face flushed even redder as he gaped a moment before practically running in the opposite direction of Eddie. The metalhead smirked as he watched the other boy retreat into the nearby Scoops Ahoy. He almost forgot how easy it was to bother straight guys when you even jokingly acted flirty. Scoops Ahoy. Eddie forgot Steve worked there before the mall burned down. The teen made a mental note to stop there on his break to continue his torment. In the meantime...

"Where the hell have you been?"

Entering the small record store, Eddie was greeted by Vicki Carmichael. The younger teen stood behind the counter with an annoyed look and crossed arms.

"Sorry, my alarm didn't go off." Eddie already had a list of excuses to pull from as a chronic procrastinator. Heading over to the time clock and quickly punching in, Eddie made his way over to the ticked off girl. "I was only fifteen minutes late."

"Ugh, you're lucky we're short staffed. Tammy called in, and I'm going to break, so you're on your own for the next half hour." Eddie couldn't object before Vicki was already out the door.

"Damn it." Eddie muttered under his breath. At least the store wasn't that busy. A few kids were in the corner looking at the new Michael Jackson album, and an old guy was browsing their discount shelf. Easy enough. Reaching under the counter, Eddie dug around for his issue of Kerrang when he noticed a person walking into the store.

"Welcome to Tower Records. Can I help you find anything?" Eddie asked, attempting a cheerful customer service voice and failing miserably.

"Yeah, do you have the newest Slayer album?" That voice. Looking up, Eddie saw one Billy Hargrove. Still alive and staring directly at him.

[invisibleraven]

"I got us matching shirts!" for PeterPatterLina because they would

When the three of them decided to go on their first official vacation as a throuple, Julie asked the boys where they wanted to go.

"I don't want to have to get a passport, so can we stay stateside?' Luke asked.

"You know we have a tour coming up right? Where we are going to Canada?" Julie reminded him.

"I have dual citizenship," Luke replied smugly. "I'll worry about it when we have to go to Europe. Or Puerto Rico to meet your extended family."

"That's fair," Julie said with a shrug. "Where do you wanna go Reggie?"

"I-I've never really been on a vacation," Reggie said meekly. "We always just went back to MeeMaw's ranch when I was growing up, we didn't have the money for more."

Luke and Julie pulled him into an embrace at that, holding him tight. They were well aware of Reggie's family circumstances; the poverty, the fighting, the abuse. How he got emancipated to make it all stop and came to live with Tia Victoria to keep a roof over his head until the three of them got together and had a home of their own.

Thus they made it their mission to remind him every day how loved and valued he was.

"Well where is somewhere you always wanted to go as a kid?" Luke finally asked.

"Or someplace you want to go now," Julie continued. "You pick, and we see if it something that works for all three of us."

"Disney?" Reggie finally suggested. "Florida or California, I'm not picky."

"Or we're definitely going to Florida," Luke said. "We can go to Disneyland any day, bu Disney World is where it's at. We went when I was really small, but now they have all the new worlds and tie in franchises."

"I've never been to Disney World," Julie replied. "So I'd love the first time I visit to be with you two."

Reggie beamed. "Alrighty then, Florida here we come!"

It took a few weeks to arrange everything, but less than a month later, they were in Orlando, up early to head out to the Magic Kingdom. Julie was nursing her coffee as Luke towelled his hair dry and Reggie munched on an apple. "Oh, I have something for you two," he said, digging into his suitcase. He pulled out shirts, tossing them each one, and unveiling them. "I got us matching shirts!"

The shirts had an image of Cinderella's castle, with Disney World and the year written underneath. Julie's was in a metallic purple, Luke's was a dark blue, and Reggie's a bright red.

"These are sick!" luke exclaimed. "I promise I won't cut the arms off of it."

"I made a cut off version too for when we hit Epcot," Reggie beamed. "And tanks for me and Julie."

"That's so sweet cariño," Julie said, pecking his cheek. "That's so thoughtful. Let's get them on, and get to the park, I wanna get ears and Fast Passes for a bunch of rides."

"I want a Mickey pretzel," Luke said. "And a Dole whip."

"We just had breakfast!" Julie argued.

Luke shrugged. "I think food rules don't apply here. Plus I'll share."

"You'd better," Julie muttered. "Reggie, anything in particular you want to do?"

"Ummm Star Wars area of course," Reggie replied. "And I want to meet as many face characters as I can. But I really want to go on the Jungle Cruise ride-because I want to see if the puns are really as bad as they say."

Julie rolled her eyes fondly. "Of course you do. Alright then boys, suit up!"

They all put on the shirts-which were super soft, comfortable, and breathable, and set off. By the end of the day they were tired, hot, and worn out. But they had a on of food in their tummies, a bunch of photos of their day, and most importantly of all-a lifetime of memories.

Plus a vow to come back every year they could, just to experience the magic all over again. Plus it gave Reggie the chance to give their kids the vacation he always wanted.

Complete with matching family shirts.

[demons2003]

My Boys (Chapter 54)

Series List

Eddie's pov

I place my stuff at the table while my group follows in behind me. I look around at the cafeteria and notice that almost everyone was in there for once. I look around, trying to find Y/n but didn't have any luck until the door swings open. I look to the door and watch as Y/n walks in and the whole basketball team starts to whistle and clap at her. She rolls her eyes at them and throws them a middle finger while walking away. I try to listen to the things they yell out but Gareth throws a magazine in my face. I glare at him while he puts his hands up and says, "Look at page 99. Read it out loud." I continue to glare at him but pick up the magazine anyway, quickly having a read and smiling at it.

"The Devil has come to America. Dungeons and Dragons, at first regarded as a harmless game of make-believe, now has both parents and psychologists concerned. Studies have linked violent behaviour to the game, saying it promotes satanic worship, ritual sacrifice, sodomy, suicide and even... murder, " I dramatically read out to the guys who are at my table, all of us breaking out in laughter. "Oh that's a good one," Jeff laughs while I cross my arms over my chest. We all nod and slowly stop laughing. "I mean, how is a game supposed to be responsible for all of that?" Gareth questions, looking at us all as if we have an answer. As Greg goes to answer, two of our little sheep slam their food trays down to sit. "Society has to blame something. We're an easy target," Greg says. "Exactly. We're the freaks because we like to play a fantasy game," I explain, before slamming my hands on the table, climbing on top and continuing very loudly. "But as long as you're into band, or science... or parties or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets..." I yell at all the tables, ending with looking right at Jason. Someone in the background yells out loser while Jason stands up and yells, "You want something freak?" I laugh at him a little and do a little devil pose, poking my tongue out in the process and making a funny noise at him. The boys at my table laugh and I watch Jason turn around and whisper something.

I smirk and turn around, walking back along the table and explain, "It's forced conforming. That's what's... killing the kids!" I yell, and jump off the table, scaring the girls that are walking past. The guys continue to laugh at me while I let a few girls walk past me, stopping and bowing slightly. "That's the real monster," I finish, sitting back in my chair and looking at the magazine again. It is really weird that they think a game would be the reason people commit suicide. I mean, people like Jason are the real reason for that, why blame a bunch of nerds for the jock's crimes.

"So, uh, speaking of monster," Dustin says, causing me to look up at him and pop a pretzel in my mouth. "Uh, Lucas has to do his, uh, balls in laundry baskets game," Dustin explains to me but I just stare him down, wondering where he is going with this. "So...he's not gonna be able to make it to Hellfire tonight," Dustin explains to me, chuckling nervously and giving me weird looks. "And I know there's no way we can beat your sadistic campaign without him. So, me and Mike, we were talking, shooting the shit, and we were thinking that maybe we might..." Dustin tries to explain to me. I slowly get a little angry as he goes but really get angry when Mike finishes Dustin's sentence with, "Postpone." The other guys yell at the two of them. They all continue to yell at each other until I yell, "Shut up!" Everyone spots yelling and looks at me. "You saying Sinclair's been taken in by the dark side?" I ask the two younger boys. "Uh, something like that," Mike says. "Something like that?" I snap and through a pretzel at them. "Jesus Christ," Dustin squeaks. "And rather than find a sub for him, you want... you want to postpone 'The Cult of Vecna'?" I ask them both, confused by the whole thing.

"I...I don't want to postpone it. We don't want to postpone it. It's just that, you know, most of the subs will be at the championship game." Mike tries to defend while I slowly get up and walk a little to the window. "Oh, it's the championship game?" I turn and sarcastically ask. "Yeah," Mike says, not knowing if I'm being serious or not. "Can I level with you?" I ask them, trying to be a little less mean and moving slowly around the table. "Jeff graduates this year. Gareth's got, what? A year and a half? Me, I am army-crawling my way towards a D in Ms O'Donnell's. If I don't blow her final, I'm gonna walk that stage next month, I'm gonna look Principal Higgins dead in the eye, and I'm gonna flip him the bird, I'm gonna snatch that diploma. I'm gonna run like hell outta here." I tell them, looking over at them both, both of them laughing at me. I start walking a little away from the table but walk back when I hear voices talking to me. "Didn't you say that last year?" Gareth asks. "And the year before?" Jeff adds. "Yeah, yeah and I was full of shit. This year's different. This is my year. I can feel it. '86, baby." I look over at Y/n and give her a soft smile. She looks sadly at me and turns to Robin, whispering something and running off. Robin looks confused at her and starts to follow behind her after a few seconds.

"You know what that means?" I focus back on the boys, trying to get back on track. Before I can say anything more, a loud bang rings throughout the cafeteria. I look over to the nose and see that Jason has pulled Y/n close to him and they are whispering to each other. I roll my eyes at the display and Y/n punches Jason in the face. I laugh but Jason lunges at Y/n and pushes her against the wall. Her head bounces off the wall but she doesn't lose the sharp look in her eye. Jason leans into her and whispers something to her. I hear movement next to me and look over to see Mike holding Dustin back from walking over to them. "Dude, she said to stay away from her. Just ignore it," Mike whispers to him. Dustin shakes his head and sadly whispers, "But I have to protect her." I look confused at them while hearing, "Come on man, she's already said no, leave her alone," I turn back to find Sinclair moving towards the two of them. "Stay out of this little boy." Y/n snaps at him. Why is she being so rude to the boys? And why the hell is she keeping them away from her? And why is Dustin so protective of Y/n? She's way too old for him. Jason starts to push harder on Y/n shoulder but she just stares off into the distance, pain written all over her face.

As I go to step towards her, Robin comes up behind Jason and wacks him over the head, causing him to let Y/n go and falling over. Robin moves in front of Y/n and whispers to her before taking her out of the cafeteria. The basketball team all surround Jason and everyone looks away from the scene. "See? She's all good," I hear Mike whisper to Dustin, who finally calms down and sits back in his seat. I turn back to the two of them and ask again, "You know what us graduating means?"

They shake their heads and I explain, "It means you boys, are the future of Hellfire." I move to lean in between them both, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "I knew it the moment I saw you. You sat on that table right over there, looking like... looking like two little lost sheep. You were wearing a Weird Al T-shirt, which I thought was brave." I tell Dusting, remembering the second time I saw the boys. "Thank you," Dustin whispers, looking away from me. "Mike, you were wearing whatever shit your mummy bought you from the goddamn Gap." Everyone laughs at my statement while I think of my next move.

Without another word, I grab onto the boy's shoulders and pull them up from their seats. I push them so they are facing the door to the cafeteria. "And we showed you that school didn't have to be the worst years of your lives, right?" I continue to ask the two boys. "No," They both whisper. "Okay, no, no. Well, I'm here to tell you that there are other little lost sheepies out there who need help. Who needs you." I tell them before spinning them to face me while saying, "And all you guys gotta do is get your Bo-Peeps on and go and find one." I snap and push the boys towards the cafeteria area.

They both run off and I sit down at the head of the table again. "You ok man?" Gareth asks me. I look up at him while shoving another pretzel in my mouth. "I'm fine. Why?" I slightly snap at him. He puts his hands up in defence and says, "You looked like you were gonna help that L/n chick. Making sure you were telling us everything." I laugh at him and look at the magazine while eating more pretzels. "Nah, just didn't think it should get out of control," I whisper, not looking up at the boys for the rest of the day.