#i get just SO excited sometimes over my favorite bands and shit that i start genuinely tweaking out

[thesixthlisbonsisters]

sometimes when i get really excited listening to music i pace around my room really quick and like. hit myself on the head does anyone else do this or am i just xtra autistic..

[happy74827]

Promises and Ballads

[Todd Ingram x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: Todd notices the gloomy outlook on you, and although he’s not much help, he still attempts at making you smile.

WC: 1458

Category: Comfort

So, I decided to watch Scott Pilgrim Vs The World last night, and now I’m obsessed. It’s so chaotically good. Todd was my favorite evil ex out the seven, so ofc I had to write about him. And now, here we are.

『••✎••』

The dim glow of Todd's apartment was pierced by the vibrant colors of posters plastered on the walls. The distant sound of guitars being tuned hinted at the imminent performance of "The Clash at Demonhead." You, however, were sitting on the couch with a storm of emotions clouding your expression.

"So," Todd started, pulling you from your thoughts, "How's college life treating you?" His question was followed by the tapping of the tuning pegs as he finished tuning his bass.

"It's fine," you said, giving him a fake smile. "Nothing too special."

He turned away from the bass to face you, his eyebrows raised. "…Really? Nothing too special? I find that hard to believe, considering… well, you know. I'd expect at least a few crazy stories from you by now."

You sighed and stared into your hands as you pulled them from the sofa, a pained look on your face. You didn’t respond.

Todd let out a soft hum, then walked over and sat next to you on the sofa. He draped his arm over your shoulders, pulling you close. You flinched, your breath hitching, but you didn't pull away from him.

Todd was your best friend since high school. You weren’t very popular and had a hard time making friends, but then you met Todd. Brash, stubborn, and confident Todd. He was your opposite in every way. That was probably why you both hit it off so well.

During the first few weeks in high school, Todd would get in fights. It was always something stupid. Someone would call him a chicken, and he’d hit them, or someone would insult his hair, and he would deck them in the jaw.

Eventually, after a particularly bad fight, he brought enough concern that your algebra teacher decided to dump him on you to “guide” him.

It didn’t work, obviously, as Todd just gave you hell for being a teacher's pet, but that eventually led you into being friends when he realized how little you stuck up for yourself.

It was a weird friendship, you had to admit. But it worked out.

You grew up together. Todd would skip class, and you'd help tutor him. You'd sneak out at night and see bands and shows with him, and sometimes, you'd hang out here in his apartment and watch old movies or play video games. You two were as close as you could possibly get. Well, not as close as you'd hoped you could be, but that's life, right?

"Alright, whose ass do I need to kick?" Todd asked, breaking you from your thoughts.

"What?" You asked, confused.

"Well, you were super excited last week, and now you're just a slump. I’ll go vegan-punch their asses for you, no problem." He looked into your eyes, searching them, trying to find an answer to his question.

You laughed and pushed his arm off you. "I still find it weird how you got powers just for being vegan."

"Hey,” Like on cue, his hair suddenly rose as his eyes became glowing beams of white light. "I’m not complaining. Shit’s awesome, especially since I get to kick the shit out of some people,"

As you sighed, turning away from him momentarily, his hair died down as his eyes faded back to their normal color. Despite the humor, they were filled with concern. He didn't like it when you got quiet like this. It reminded him of the old days.

He gently turned your face toward his. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Todd, I," You bit your lip, trying to think of how to word what you were feeling. "I'm going to miss this."

"Miss what? My handsome face?"

"Stupid, you mean? Yeah, but that's not what I meant." You paused and looked around his apartment, your eyes landing on the many posters of bands that hung on the wall. "This."

“The… posters?” He asked.

You shook your head and turned away from them. "No. This. Us. All of it."

He stared at you, blinking slowly. "What?"

His voice was soft, dazed. Confused

He wasn’t getting it. God, it was so frustrating. How was he this stupid? Why were you friends again?

"Friendship. I mean, our friendship. When I leave again, we won't see each other as often, and when we do, we won't be as close. You’d be… well, busy.”

His expression was blank, his eyes wide and unblinking. "That's what you're worried about?"

"I—" You opened your mouth to answer him, but you couldn't think of the words you wanted to say. You just let out a deep breath and closed your eyes.

Todd leaned in, gently placing his hand on your cheek, turning your face toward his again. Your eyes opened to look at him, confused and filled with worry.

"Don't sweat it about that stuff. We'll still be friends, alright?" His words were firm, leaving no room for argument. "I won’t let you go."

His eyes were filled with that same determination; his hand was warm on your cheek, and his hair was bristling and sticking out every which way. This was Todd. This was the boy who took on everyone, whether they were ten times his size or a hundred times more skilled than him. This was the boy who took on bullies and came out on top.

And despite all that, despite everything, you had a nagging feeling in the back of your mind. You felt like something was going to go wrong.

You didn't realize it then, but in those moments, you realized that Todd didn't see you as a friend. Not just a friend.

He didn't see you as anything less, either.

It was at that moment that he finally saw you, and you were able to see him.

He smiled, that dumb, idiotic grin he always did when he was about to do something stupid. Most situations where he smiled like this were either terrifying or amusing, depending on if you were his enemy or his friend.

"You think you can escape me that easy?" He said, his words carrying the same tone he'd use in the school hallways when someone would try to make a fool out of him. He shifted himself on the couch, leaning into your space. He was getting closer and closer. You could feel his breath on your lips.

Your heart started pounding, and your head filled with fear, excitement, and confusion. His face was so close to yours, and he was so close to your lips. You wanted to look away, but you couldn't. You were frozen in place.

"T-Todd, what—" You swallowed the lump in your throat. You didn't want to let your fear out, but you could feel it. You didn't understand.

He grinned, "How can I resist a challenge?"

He moved his lips to yours, gently placing them in your mouth. He pressed them lightly, sending electricity through your veins. You felt your body start to heat up as your mind went blank.

He slowly pulled away and stared at you.

"There," he said. "That's one thing I'm going to miss about you."

"Wh-What?" You breathed out.

Todd leaned in, "Your smile."

You stared at him, dumbfounded, as your brain tried to catch up. Your mind was going a million miles a minute, but nothing made sense. You looked down, avoiding his gaze.

He grabbed your chin with his fingers, pulling your face toward him. He stared deep into your eyes.

"You don't think I see you? That I don't notice you? I'm not stupid." He placed his hand on your cheek, "Well, not that much, anyway."

"Todd, I—"

"Hey, look, you don't have to say anything, alright? Just—" He smiled softly at you, "Just go back to smiling."

Your heart felt like it was about to burst from your chest, but for once, you were feeling something good. Not just something, you were feeling a lot of different emotions. It was overwhelming, but you were glad for it. It was the first time in years that you felt that way.

You placed your hand on his and looked into his eyes. You nodded, "Okay."

His eyes lit up, and he smiled even brighter, which you didn't think was possible. He pulled your hand to his mouth and kissed your palm, then held it tightly. "Wanna hear me absolutely demolish this killer riff I’ve been working on? It'll blow your mind."

He went off on a tangent, talking about the music he was writing and how amazing he was, and how you had no clue what he was talking about, but that didn't matter because he was happy, and so were you.

College might be hard, but as long as you had him, everything would be fine.

[sevs-corner]

Lemme remind you that you asked for this.

So let’s imagine emo jock ghost practically harassing reader every day for a new mixtape, but reader being an emo nerd also gets bullied on the daily. And Simon notices, would he become protective of her?

Let’s also imagine reader in a band, probably a bassist or something. What would his reaction be? To the band, their music, live gigs. Would he harass reader for their music ass well?

Let’s imagine as well reader is a feminine pretty girl on top of emo. A lil gothic. Maybe shy and sweet, but a freaky dommy mommy when she get comfortable. How to Simon take that?

You can reshape all this however you wish, don’t feel pressured to do it all if you don’t want to. I just wanted to let it all in your hands

Lots of love 🫶🏻

THE WAY I GASPED AT THE FIRST SENTENCE ALREADY WAHAHAHAHHA

Thank you so much for feeding into this actually-- YOU COOKED !!

(Will be editing and adding onto this more tomorrow my time but holy shit i needed to respond to this asap)- edit#1: I have come back to rehash this even more LMAO

you can find the prev ask here !

Tw: 18+ Content beyond this point - MDNI

Simon would DO notice but he makes no moves until you're close enough to do that

Like, to the point of hanging out outside of class, exchanging phone numbers, exchanging mixtapes, exchanging cigs (exchanging spit too but thats a different point)

If you're at that point of the relationship, only then would he be protective of you and actually stand up for you

He would even protect you from the other TF 141 members if he sees you being harassed by them (but he still tries to keep it lowkey- not wanting the others to know that he's been keeping you busy and occupied that they can't play with you after classes)

All because you already promised to play with him the night before

I actually also though of reader being a bassist! (I love bass covers of songs and will always look for a bassist in the band because they are the secret carry's of a song frfr)

So if you were, you played with either a new or old band (when you moved to the new highschool)

Sometimes you would bring your instrument with you to school to shred behind the bleachers or find an unoccupied room

And, lucky him, he hears one of his favorite bands song being covered

Surprise, surprise- he finds you

Just ripping out a new one with the sleek bass of yours

Then on, he started taking more interest and actively tries finding you and where you practice

And he just so happens to catch wind of you preparing for a concert

He just so happens to be there when you have a concert

Just so happens to get lucky and get those VIP tickets

Just so happens to be one of the lucky few that gets a meet and greet with the band

He definitely will vibe with said bandmates and be invited to an after party where he drinks with everyone (he asks Johnny to hook him up in advance of course)

He doesn't even need to harrass reader because he is your number 1 fan

He already bought all of your cds-- you "just need to sign 'em", he says, as he shows up to your meet and greet

You're a bit shocked but you try to hide that giddy feeling thats threatening to burst because you feel like you'll push him away (you wouldnt be able to- he is, once again i say with a loud ass speaker, HOOKED LINED UP, AND SINKERED)

So you try to act lowkey but he's actually pissed off this, hoping you'd be more excited to see him

So he still acts gruff with you around school afterwards

And if reader is a feminine goth dommy mommy?

Oh my days-- it is over for Simon

The 180 from your outward personality being sweet and all that to just dominating him with with most disgusting and filthy words

Oof, he is down on his knees for everyday if he could

Whatever you say, he will do it

Even going against the other 141 guys

And my oh my, will he be so possessive over you that he wouldn't even dare to share the experience he gets when he has you in the privacy of his room

[emeritus-fuckers]

HI I LOVE Y'ALL'S BLOG SO MUCH!!! AAAA

Okay, I'll calm down now. I was wondering if you'd be interested by the idea of a newly summoned ghoul reader struggling to get to grips with their instrument and panicking about not being good enough for tour yet and being comforted by one of the ghouls?

I'm currently struggling to learn bass to get good enough for a band I have a chance to be in and it's really wreaking havoc on my mental health being so confused and getting it wrong over and over and y'all's writing in comfort scenarios always makes me feel better... So I thought I'd shoot my shot!

I hope you're having an amazing day, this blog brightens up my day every time! <3

Water ghouls helping a newly summoned ghoul learn their instrument

Chain (it/ghoul)

Chain is a fucking goofball.

Don't let its big, intimidating form fool you, Chain is a goofy dumbass who can barely keep up a "mysterious" act.

So when you come to ghoul and ask to learn how to play bass, it's delighted to help, all giggly and shit.

Ghoul's not the best teacher, he gets too excited and ahead of ghoulself, teaching you the "cool" riffs becore the easy ones.

It does get bonus points for being patient and hyping you up, though.

And the reward kisses. The reward kisses are nice.

Lake (he/him)

He comes accross very serious and when you ask him and you are pretty nervous.

He nods and gestures for you to follow him. He finds a cozy practice room well out of the way.

Despite his scary front he takes teaching you very seriously and is very supportive.

He's actually a really good teacher and takes time to show you good technique and teach you the songs you need to learn.

He rarely gives out compliments but when he does you know he completely means it.

Also when you get him to smile, either by a joke or playing well or just by being yourself.

You end up getting very close.

River (they/them)

They are a slut about it. A complete whore.

Every single dirty joke they can make while teaching you is made. Everything from fingering it correctly to thrusting with their own bass.

Shockingly, they are still a very good teacher. Only making the dirty jokes as you get closer to mastering each skill.

River definitely sits behind you to guide your hands on new notes and skills, hands on teacher when it’s needed. Only with consent of course.

Will absolutely bring you out for food after practice. They’re a slut but a classy slut. They buy you dinner before trying to get in your pants.

Cowbell (they/it)

It's a bit surprised to be your choice for bass lessons. After all, their only real performance was what landed them a name. And it was just trying to prank Papa.

But, the name stuck and it just couldn't go out of its way to change it, especially when you started to use "Cowie" as a cute little nickname that they just needed to hear every single day of its life.

But, fortunately for you, they just so happen to play bass as well, just like most water ghouls. They were just beginner level, but still.

You two practice together, figuring the instrument out.

It's a lot of fun, both you and Cowbell enjoy it a lot, even if it's a bit frustrating sometimes. At least you get frustrated together, right?

You end up better than it. Somehow, you end up tutoring them, instead of the other way around.

Mist (he/she)

He's thrilled to help out with that. Mist really likes alone time together, especially if you two just chill, enjoying a common hobby.

So she's happy to teach you guitar. Might offer playing Guitar Hero first so you can train your fingers a bit.

The first song you learn how to play is Gorillaz's Feel Good Inc., which is her favorite non-Ghost song. And the bass is very pleasant in the song.

He casually rests against your back, just listening to you play and giving small comments on what you can do better whenever you mess up.

There's this weird feeling of comfort during your practice sessions.

She starts a tickle fight the moment you put the guitar down.

Never let them know your next move type of shit.

Rain (he/she/ve)

He's a bit surprised when you ask, but doesn't see a reason to refuse.

But hey, ve's a good teacher! Really good, actually.

Rain sometimes even organizes classes for ghouls and Siblings who want to play bass.

She first gets you your own bass and lets you customize it with stickers. Not many people know this, but Sodo got the "YouSuck" sticker from her.

He's very patient with you, starting with basic notes and riffs before slowly moving to more complicated stuff.

Somehow, no matter who ve's teaching, her work is always excellent when it comes to teaching.

And he's very sweet with his rewards, if you catch my drift.

Storm (they/he)

They're chill with the idea. I mean, if you wanna learn, then who is he to deny you the fun that is playing bass?

Also, he doesn't say bass like the instrument, he says it like the fish, which is sorta funny during the lessons.

No, they will not be corrected on how to say it.

He's gonna sit you in his lap and show you everything, step by step.

They also let you experiment and play around, offering tips whenever you ask.

A decent teacher, not too great but not too bad, either.

~

Chain, Cowbell, Mist, Rain and Storm written by Nosferatu.

Lake written by Nyx.

River written by Death.

[hernakedmuse]

Eddie Munson x Horror!Bimbo Reader Headcanons Part Dos 🦇 🗡 💗

She loves dolls, like Barbie dolls. She has so many of them, she calls them all Marie Antoinette, and has each one in the case holding their own head.

Sometimes she wears Eddie's band shirts as a dress (he's a guy and it's the 80s so his shirts and jackets are oversized because let's face it our little coffin cutie isn't gonna be Nancy's size. Nothing wrong with her size because Nancy is hot and perfect her body is perfect but the group needs other perfect bodies.) And when she bends over he can see her thong because our neighborhood gore whore ain't the type to wear shorts underneath and protect her virtue.

Eddie. Goes. Feral!

He makes up any excuse to rub against her or touch her back.

Their friendship is already at the place where she sits in his lap. And at lunch it takes everything he has as she has her cunt that is only protected by a thin thong that presses between her slit, that is pressing against the crotch of his denim and wetting it. It takes every thing he has not to unzip and slip it in. Because that would not be friendship anymore...no...

He nearly cums in his pants again when she stands up when lunch ends to see her face flush.

Horror!Bimbo makes Eddie's lunch for school everyday. She makes him club sandwiches, double decker sandwiches, soups in a thermos, meatloaf sandwiches, she goes all out and his friends always weep with envy as they eat pb&js and baloney sandwiches.

She also goes over to the trailer often to make dinner. Excited constantly about trying new recipes, using her allowance money to buy the ingredients for her recipes. But Eddie doesn't allow that to go far, he always puts money in her pocket literally, has to force her to take it, doing more deals to make more money for her. Eventually she stops putting up a fight and takes the money because Eddie gets a 'do what I tell you or else' look in his eye.

She does his laundry and when she's over tidies his room up a bit and brings over fresh sheets from her place.

When horror!bimbo finds his playboy and penthouse stash she asks him if she would be pretty enough to pose for these magazines because she has always wanted to. "You're way sexier than Kim Morris bunny, but there is no way I'd ever let the world see that. "

Eddie would always drop casual dominance with her, and it always made you a fuzzy brained wet mess. Like whenever they walked through the hallways together and he'd gently guide her with a hand on her lower back. Or when they cross the street and he will hold his arm out in front of her until they could cross because one time she almost got hit in the parking lot. Or when he always has her sit either next to him or in his lap. There's also him always making sure she eats, asking "what did you have for breakfast?" "Did you remember to pack lunch?" "Sit, eat, you won't wait to serve us to eat your dinner." He even packs snacks for she so you can munch throughout the day. He nearly lost his shit when there was a time our coffin bimbo was starting a diet, only ensures and slimfast. "You're on some good shit if you think I'm allowing you to starve yourself and ruin your perfect body bunny, not on my goddamn life, you must be certified crazy if you think I would allow that!"

He makes her feel cherished and taken care of.

And when they go to a drive in movie or Benny's or anywhere he never lets her pay, and when she runs through her allowance quickly, he gives her more money.

She knows he's been working more to take care of her, so bimbo!reader will run him nice hot bubble baths because her Eddie works so hard for her.

She honestly loves being at her best friend Eddie's more than at home. Even added some touches to his room, like her stuffies, her favorite horror novels, her clothes, her soap, her skin care, hair stuff, perfume, just slowly nesting. Even brings Pyewacket and Socky (Socrates) over to be watched by Wayne during the day since he works at night. Pyewacket actually LIKES Wayne, maybe because he feeds him those Vienna sausages...

And when poor Chrissy Cunningham doesn't see it coming when reader notices her getting close to HER Eddie, and surprises Chrissy with spiders in her cheer locker..

[pinknightsinmymind]

if you feel like it, could you write more headcanons about ellie? not full fic or one shot, but thoughts about her. like, the types of kisses she gives you or the kind of girlfriend she is

【 ellie williams as a gf hc's 】

a/n: yes yes yes yes 100% i think about ellie way too much for my own good and it rots my brain. since i wrote so much it'll be below the cut lol

she loves to see you in her clothes in fact she even encourages it its just something about it that drives her crazy

she's protective of you and always wants to take care of you and make sure you don't do any of the dangerous or stupid shit she does

i feel like ppl forget how much of a dork she is; she'd tell you all about space and the different facts she's learned, she'd explain the plots of her favorite comics, who the characters are, which ones are her favorites, why she thinks one arc was better than the other, and so on and so forth

i think she loves to chat your ear off about any and everything

she's probably afraid she's annoying, so sometimes you might need to reassure her a little bit

in a modern au she's the type to send you funny memes or videos she finds, probably browses tiktok and twitter a lot

definitely the type to send you a photo of two animals being cute or cuddling together and say "us" because she's just a sap like that

composes songs about you and acts all shy when she shows them to you

DRAWS YOU

you're one of her favorite subjects to draw, and she loves showing you every new piece of you she has

she'd send you song recs ALL the time

listens to lots of indie and shoegaze

pls pls pls for the love of god ask her to teach you how to play guitar bc she'd be so excited to show you and spend the time with you

i think her love languages are quality time, physical touch, and words of affirmation

forgets NOTHING

you know how dads do that thing where you tell them you liked something once and they never forget it? yeah she got that from joel it rubbed off on her

remembers what you wore on your first date, remembers your food orders, memorizes your favorite colors, bands, tv shows, movies, everything

so so caring and sweet

since one of her love languages are physical touch you can expect lots of affection from her

loves cuddling, holding your hand, having her arms around you, she just has to be touching you somehow

flirts a lot (but its not a bad thing) even after you two have started dating

loves kissing you all the time, and will make excuses for it

she needs her good morning kiss, her good night kiss, good luck kisses, goodbye kisses (even if she's only gonna be gone a few hours💀), one bc she missed you, a hello kiss, she will use ANY excuse just to kiss you

but sometimes she won't even bother creating one she'll ask to kiss you just bc

loves having sleep overs and nights in together where you can just cuddle and watch movies or play video games bc she's a huge introvert

the type who will do anything to make sure your comfort isn't disturbed

if you don't like the other side of the bed she switches with you, will let you sit in the last chair at an event (but not before asking if you'd just rather sit in her lap), helps guide you through anything making you scared or anxious

calls you pet names every five minutes. all of them.

love, babe, baby, babygirl, princess, darling, honey, whatever is your favorite she calls you the most

lives to spoil you; pays the bill, buys you gifts, drowns you in affection, you name it

celebrates your birthday like its a holiday

speaking of can you imagine her during the holiday season???

the two of you plan out a couple costume for halloween

the two of you are so cute together it's gross

you're always welcome to spend thanksgiving with her and joel

and christmas?? she gets even more sentimental than usual, and buys you an extremely meaningful gift

the most supporitve, soft, kind, humorous, and sweet gf imaginable just a dream come true

she feels like you really balance her out, and isn't afraid to tell you how much you mean to her or how much she loves you

she makes sure you feel loved and remember that you are loved

can't wait to move in with you and once you two do she feels like she's in heaven everyday

just loves you and cherishes you deeply

overall just THE gf you dream and pray for ugh this girl gets me in my feelings every time she's just so cute and sweet😭😭😭😭

[marvelobsessed134]

Teenagers in love (Tommy Lee x Fem!Reader)

Summary: You are head over heels for your boyfriend, however your parents don’t approve of him.

Tooth rotting fluff for y’all! You and Tommy are both eighteen in this and he’s about to drop out while you’re about to graduate.

So engrossed in your activity, you barely heard the knocks on your window. You furrowed you brows, you’re on the second floor! What could it be? And when you pulled back your curtains, you smiled seeing Tommy standing on the lower roof of your house right above the porch. You opened your window quietly, not wanting to wake up your parents.

“Tommy!” You hissed with a smile, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.” He said with a shit eating grin. You laughed before grabbing a jacket and some shoes before carefully stepping outside your window. The boy held your hand as he helped you get onto the ground. You’re just in pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt with a black sweatshirt over it.

You giggled as he wrapped an arms around your shoulders and the two of you walked own the sidewalk into the night. The only things lighting up the streets were the yellow street lights, and some people’s windows that were illuminated by their lights.

“Where are we going?” You asked.

The brunette shrugged, “Anywhere. I just wanted to see you.” And he kissed you on the lips. You blushed as you kissed back.

“Maybe we can go get pancakes?” You asked.

He smiled for a bit before his eyes widened in realization, “Shit! I forgot my wallet.”

You laughed and pulled yours out of the pocket of your sweatshirt. “I brought it just in case we decided on something like this.” And he nodded.

The two of you made it to the diner and ordered blueberry pancakes and soda. “I missed this so much. It sucks I always have to sneak out to see you anywhere besides school.” You sighed as you stabbed the pancakes with your fork.

Tommy put his hand over yours and gave you the most sincere smile ever it made your heart melt. “Hey, you’ll be graduating in a few weeks and I’m dropping out to focus on my band.” He said.

“Graduation is only in a few weeks why not graduate? I’m sure your parents would be happy.” You said.

“I don’t have the grades.” Yeah…he was notorious for skipping classes, not doing homework and if he did he’d get it in late or lose it because it’s a little stupid. And getting into fights and general trouble.

You shrugged, “Fair enough.” Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac started to play, and you got excited because it was one of your favorite songs. The diner was empty besides the waitresses and cooks who were hanging out back. So, you pulled your boyfriend up out of the booth and wrapped your arms loosely around his neck while his went to your waist. The two of you danced to the song, softly humming it. It was in this moment that Tommy knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with you. You were just so perfect, you were everything he wanted in a woman.

Sometimes he wondered why someone like you was dating a guy like him. What really did he bring to the table? Sure, he was in a band but it wasn’t guaranteed to kick off and be his career. The drummer was interrupted by your thoughts when you pressed your lips against his. “I love you, Tommy. So much I can’t even put it into words.” You whispered.

“I love you too, Y/n.”

[torrtimandi]

My first Justice show... July 11, 2024. Les Déferlantes, France.

That day didn't start so great. On my way to the festival I got stuck in a terrible traffic jam because of a truck fire. I spent more than an hour in the middle of the French highway in the hellish heat of the south, which obviously pissed me off. Here I am traveling to another country to see my favorite band for the first time ever and suddenly some damn accident is going to prevent it when I'm so close?! Well, obviously I was overreacting at that point, we still had plenty of time to get there, my friend reassured me it's gonna be okay but the doubt of getting close to the stage was pretty high, and that's what I'd counted for from the beginning. The front row.

Soon the traffic was moving again and we arrived at the festival about an hour before Justice. Another band was still playing and my friend and I started to smoothly sneak through the crowd to get closer to the stage. There were a lot of fans of this band, Sum 41, around us, which was a good sign that the crowd would thin out as soon as they finished playing. And that's exactly what happened. The show ended, a lot of people left and suddenly the dream of being in the front row became a very reality...

From then on, the excitement was off the charts. Everyone here can guess how fucking crazy I am about Justice, and my friend @/lesreptiles, who was with me, is as crazy as I am, if not more so. Of course we grinned, we laughed a lot, commented on every detail of the stage and screamed when we saw Gaspard's mop of curly hair behind the stage a few minutes before the show started.

But the real excitement and madness was just about to begin... As soon as the first notes of the intro played, we went into a trance. We screamed, we shouted, we sang, we danced, we jumped the hell out of it. Sometimes it feels like Gaspard and Xavier are barely visible because of all the lights, but the truth is that they see the crowd very well and they always judge their performance by the crowd's reaction, and that's what I kept in mind. I just wanted to show them how fucking much I love their show and their music, how deeply it's rooted in my heart that I was able to sing every fucking line, that I knew every single played note. And I like to think they liked the sight of it, because sometimes it seemed like Gaspard was staring right at me and my crazy friend, sometimes even smiling...

The very end was just as crazy as the show. Of course it was sad to see the guys already finish such a wonderful show that seemed to go by too fast, but at least they always make sure to say goodbye properly. As always, they walked to the front of the stage, waved hands, bowed and walked down to the crowd. At that moment I managed to touch Gaspard's soft hand... I also quickly took out my Hyperdrama CD, which I'd brought along just in case. I think Gaspard would've almost missed it, but one of the security guys actually pointed at me and so Gaspard turned to me again, took my album and pen and nonchalantly took off the cap of the pen with his fucking teeth right in front of me, holy fucking shit, oh jesus... And just signed it and handed it me back. I yelled merci, which I doubt he heard, and grinned and looked with disbelief at my friend, who also managed to snap a quick selfie with Gaspard. Then Xavier finally came to our part of the row and I successfully tried to get his signature as well. He came over, signed Hyperdrama and that was it. I was officially dead. Not only did I manage to get a signed album, I was actually the one who got their signatures and that's the most important and precious part, that's what I'll keep in my memory probably forever.

Then they just came back on stage, they hugged each other very nicely, Xavier pointed at Gaspard, they waved their hands and bowed some more and that was it. The real end... I'm not even sure if anyone will read all of this, this review is getting quite wordy at this point, but I just wanted to share all of my huge emotions and feelings that I'm so grateful to have experienced. Justice means a whole lot to me, my blog and my writing shows that a little bit, and it was my very first time seeing them. My first time in France, my first concert here, my first Ed Rec act show etc etc, just a lot of firsts that I'm sure I'll remember for a long time and I'm sure I'll grin just as much while remembering it as I did during the whole live show that was truly an amazing and mind-blowing feast, both visually and sonically.

Thank you for reading it and most of all thank you to my dear friend who accompanied me last night. Me coming here, seeing Justice and having a front row wouldn't have been possible without you. Truly the best concert buddy right there!

[artemis-b-writes]

A/N: Hey yall! First and foremost: If you’ve read this before this no you haven’t. This is my first time posting this Anyways! This is my first long-form story so of course I chose the longest show known to man!

Thank you to my lovely beta reader: @ebodebo (go follow her) for putting up w my constant talk of rewriting (turns out you do need 5 chapters of filler lol) and being my all around soundboard. I’m so excited for the things we have planned! Enough yapping let’s get on with it!

TW: gore, violence, strong language, mature content

… - - - … … - - - … … - - - … … - - -… … - - - …

Chapter one- The World Is Ending

August 26th, 2010-

The beeping of hospital monitors haunted my sleep. I’d been spending every night in uncomfortable, plastic, hospital chairs for as many nights as my mom allowed. My father Rick Grimes had been shot in the line of duty 2 weeks ago and had fallen into a coma from the blood loss.

I stayed with him when my mom worked so he wasn’t alone. I’d tell him about school, keep him updated on Carl and read to him, praying he could hear me. A fresh vase of flowers at least made the room bright for when he’d wake up.

But right now I was sleeping, or trying anyway. I could feel a thin hospital blanket on me. Theo, one of the hospital's CNAs, harassed me about taking care of myself and usually I fell asleep fully clothed in their shitty chairs without a blanket.

“Peaches?” The voice behind her made Victoria practically jump out of her seat.

“Jesus Shane….you scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?” Victoria asked harshly. She never liked Shane, even as a little girl they butted heads. She couldn’t for the life of her imagine why Rick would hang out with him after work.

“Victoria we need to go. Now.” He spoke quickly, making his way to her dads bed and kneeling down beside him. “Rick, if you’re gonna wake up now’s the time man, shits going down and we need to leave.”

“Shane,” Victoria laughed half heartedly “what are you talking about?” Just when she thought he was finally losing it, gunfire started to ring out from outside the door. Shane pulled Nadia down under him as she screamed. Shane covered her mouth and she would’ve bit him in different circumstances.

I mean who the hell would open fire in a hospital?!

Victoria could feel the tears start to well as Shane begged her father to wake up so they could leave, telling him that if we stayed they’d all die. After a few minutes of bargaining Shane picked her up and dragged her out of the room.

“No!” She tried to push against his grip but he was incredibly strong. Victoria kicked and pulled until Shane pushed her into a hallway, begging her to be quiet or else they’d be found. She peaked around the corner, Shane pulled a gurney in front of Rick’s room. There was blood everywhere, screams and gunfire echoed down the hall. Shane grabbed her arm and they ran from the hospital, Victoria broke down when they got to his pickup.

“YOU MOTHERFUCKER!” Victoria hit Shane’s arm as hard as she could over and over and over until she didn’t have it in her anymore. She knew he was hurting too but didn’t care. He left her dad there to die.

“Peaches I had to.”

“Don’t call me peaches Shane. My dad is fucking dead.”

Shane sighed again, the truck roared to life as we peeled out of the parking lot. She stared out the window, thinking of her dad. Would he die? Would they leave a comatose man’s body to sort himself out? What if he woke up and everyone was gone?

Victoria and her father had always been close. She was the stereotypical ‘daddy’s girl’, hell as soon as she was old enough to hold a rifle without falling over she and her dad had gone hunting every season.

He taught her how to cook, she knew all his favorite bands and all the words to every corny song that he absolutely loved. Sometimes when Carl was a baby she and Rick would sneak out and go to the 7/11 down the block just to get candy and rent cheesy movies to watch together….and now they’d never share those moments again.

“We’re here.”

Shane’s voice broke Victoria from her daze, she looked out the window to see her mom and brother already packed up ready to hit the road. “Go’n and pack a bag, I’ll talk to your mama and Carl.”

Carl.

He was only 10…and now he’s going to find out he’ll never see his dad again and the world might be ending?? He’ll never get those moments hunting alone with his dad as the sun breaks the day. Or watch cheesy movies with her and their dad when Victoria would be home from college. She could feel the bile rising once again as she made her way past her family and into her room.

Victoria had a typical 17 year olds room. Honestly, the floor was littered with laundry she needed to do as well as some CDs she’d rummaged through that morning. Her walls were a neon teal, they’d mostly been covered with posters of movies and bands, and paintings she’d created out of boredom. She tried to soak in every inch of her room in case she’d never see it again. As she started to pack she took a Polaroid off her wall.

“Jeez Anthony….you should be at practice right around now. Please be safe.”

She tucked the Polaroid of her and her best friend into the pocket of her backpack and kept packing. Just the essentials: a couple pairs of jeans, some tee shirts, boots, hat, dads hunting jacket, socks…toothbrush? Definitely a toothbrush. A hairbrush and a few notebooks and pens (and some comic books for Carl). She also made the decision to pack her hunting rifle in case they got stuck foraging for food, as well as a heavy knife.

She threw her bag into the back of the truck so that no one would suspect how heavy it was. Her mom and brother were crying into Shane as he had just broken the news. Or however he’d spun the story…but Victoria knew the truth that Shane had abandoned his “best friend”. Shane loaded everyone up into the truck and said they’d be headed to Atlanta and that the military would help them.

“Are we going to die?”

While it was spoken barely above a whisper, the question jolted Victoria out of her daydreamed haze. She looked down at her brother Carl who was laying in her lap.

“No baby. Because I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you safe, and so will mom and Shane.” Victoria tried her best to reassure him, rubbing his back softly. She’d instructed him to lay in her lap so he couldn’t see the panic that the rest of the world was in.

Before they knew it, they’d left King County and were headed to Atlanta. Victoria fiddled with her cross necklace, Carl had fallen asleep leaving the truck uncomfortably quiet.

The Grimes weren’t really a religious family but Victoria did usually attend Wednesday night Youth Group with her best friend Anthony. The necklace was a gift from him.

Anthony. There he was on her mind again, she’d thought about calling him but Lori demanded she save her battery incase of emergency. Anthony Smith had been her best friend since middle school. They did everything together and were practically attached at the hip when they saw each other. He was a year older than her but that never mattered in how close they were.

Anthony was actually quite soft spoken, and smart as a whip. He was a tall kid, probably standing at about 6’3. He was built like an athlete, but he had to be with Track and field. They actually became friends at a track meet in sixth grade and kept up with eachother daily through AOL and Skype. And obviously only hung around each other at said meets. Anthony’s dad was a PE teacher and Coach so he definitely fueled the athletic fire in both kids. Anthony has always been a sweet kid and even when he was an asshole Victoria could never be mad at-

“Victoria! Get your head out of the clouds I’m talking!”

Victoria jolted in her seat, there she was daydreaming again. Lori was giving her daughter quite the concerned look.

“Where are we mom?” Victoria looked out the window to see full bumper to bumper traffic.

“Outside of Atlanta but as you can see we’re stuck in traffic” Shane answered from outside, with quite an annoyed tone Victoria noticed. She ignored Shane and hopped out of the truck so she could stretch her legs.

“Where’s Carl? I think I threw some comic books in my bag, I’m sure he’s bored out of his mind sitting here.” Victoria looked around and spotted Carl a few cars down playing checkers with a girl who looked to be about his age. She had a short blonde bob and a smile as bright as the sun.

Victoria smiled in amusement and made her way to the car with her mom. “Someone has a cru-ush!” She teased in a sing-song voice. She yelped when Carl turned around and smacked her arm as hard as he could.

“Mo-om!!! Carl hit me!”

“Don’t tease your brother then!” She laughed. Victoria rolled her eyes and fluffed her brother's hair before sitting behind him to watch the kids play. Right as she sat down a woman came from the front of the car with waters. She was a smaller woman with buzzed gray hair.

“Oh! You must be Victoria, I’m Carol!” She had a smile just as bright as Sofias, Victoria made a mental note that they must be related. She smiled and thanked her for the water, and as she took a sip Carl enacted his revenge.

“You say I have a crush on a girl I just met when you’ve been after Anthony since forever.” Victoria showered the back of Carls with the water she had just taken a sip of and was prepared to cuss him out when the commotion started. Bombs were dropping into Atlanta.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Victoria screamed as she pulled the kids down to the ground underneath Carol’s car. She moved her body over the both of them so they would be shielded if anything came down.

The rest of the night was a blur. Shane grabbed everyone’s bags from the truck, grunting as he lifted Victoria's particularly heavy bag. They ran into the woods with Carol, her husband Ed, and Sophia. There were screams in the distance and somehow Victoria and the kids got separated. She held onto both of them tightly. They ran until they came up on a high spot with a small clearing.

“Stop right there.” The shotgun barrel was aimed right between Victoria's eyes. They widened with fear as she put both her hands in front of her slowly.

“Sir, we’re just trying to get off the road…I have two small kids with me, please.”

The man’s aim faltered at the sight of the kids. Victoria rushed him, taking the gun and pointing it back at him. It probably wasn’t her smartest move but she had Sophia and Carl to look out for. There was a shriek behind her and Victoria whipped around just in time to shoot a man who was trying to get Sophia. Wait…what the hell?

Victoria slowly crept up to the man. He looked pale, his eyes were white and glossy and there was fresh blood around his mouth.

“Good aim kid. I’m sorry I pointed that thing at you. I just had to make sure you weren’t like him. The names Dale, you kids can stay with me and the girls tonight and we’ll look for your crew in the morning.” Dale smiled at her warmly, he was an older man judging by his white hair. But he had kind eyes and it was late so Victoria decided he could he trusted for the night.

She nodded, grabbing the kids as they headed into Dale's RV. There were two blonde girls sitting on the couch. One older one younger, Victoria figured they were probably sisters.

“Dale, who are they?” The older blonde asked, glaring at the three kids.

“Easy Andrea, the older one can take out those things like you wouldn’t believe!” Dale smiled back at Victoria. “They’re just staying for the night and…I didn’t get your name sweetheart?”

“Victoria. Victoria Grimes.”

… - - - … … - - - … … - - - … … - - -… … - - - …

[hungarrrrrr]

ALL ABOARD MY CRACK SHIPS!! 🚢🚢🚢

(in no particular order)

Alya x Adrien (Rena x Chat) same brain cell all the way

Ok ik I said they share the same brain cell and I still think Rena and Chat do but Alya and Adrien’s dynamic is a lil different. They’d probably start off as friends first. I think Alya would take him out of his comfort zone and show him new and exciting things. Like adrenaline junkie things bc Alya is so fun and fearless. Also different foods bc her mom is a Chef.

Stormy Weather x Chat Noir. gets flustered/angry when teased x teaser

okay I think this one is pure crack but it’d be so silly! Soo much banter, so many puns. There is no real explanation or justification for this ship, I just watched Stormy Weather and found them fun. also I love stormy weather’s design

Chloe x Adrien aww childhood friends to lovers.

Of course their relationship would have some ups and downs but Adrien is kind, patient, and forgiving giving Chloe the room to fully develop into a better person. Chloe would help Adrien become more assertive and firm, not only with her bc she can act like a brat sometimes, but also with his father and people who try to take advantage of him (FÉLIX). He would probably only get like that on occasion though and Chloe would usually be the one to say he ordered no pickles on his burger.

Chloe x Kagami (Queen Bee x Ryuko) tsundere x kuudere.

I can see this going two of ways, either enemies to lovers or something similar to a celebrity/popular person and person who doesn’t give a shit and treats them like a normal person. Kagami would call Chloe out on her shit n that would simultaneously piss Chloe off and make her contemplate the way she acts. Maybe they both connect over their love for Adrien, platonic or romantic (😱 love triangle where the opponents fall in love instead!?!?) Both are some how extremely blunt while also being emotionally constipated. I like to imagine that when Chloe is being rude for attention Kagami would ignore her until Chloe asks directly for what she wants(cuddles).

Luka x Nino (Viperion x Carapace) chill guy x nervous wreck.

When Nino is stressed Luka is always there to calm him down. Otherwise, they’re both super chill and bond over music. In the past, Nino would sometimes entertain the idea of learning an instrument and making his own music but now that Luka’s in his life and is starting a band, he has more motivation to learn the keyboard. He would probably replace Adrien in Kitty Section (sorry adrien). But if Adrien rlly wants to be in the band Nino has no problem just directing/editing the music videos for them or background sound stuff.

Nino x Marinette complete disasters.

Definitely awkward in the beginning. Especially if they both have crushes on eachother. Nino would make Marinette playlists as a way of communicating his feelings. Either the titles of all the songs say a message or the songs themselves are the message. So much blushing, nervous laughter, and slip-ups (if they can even talk to eachother at all), Adrien and Alya would help them fall in love and confess and possibly develop feelings for each other while doing so.

Rose x Max might be a lil ooc but cinnamon roll x cynical or more accurately blind optimist x extreme realist

lol I lowkey started writing a whole short story/synopsis for these two but long story short Rose gets Max to believe in the improbable and to stop relying so much brain and more on his heart. Rose can be kind of naive so Max helps Rose use her brain and start questioning others and their intentions more. When Rose tell Max about her illness he would freak out, research it, and bring Rose’s favorite things as much as possible if she was in the hospital. He even would build her a robot that tells jokes, plays movies, and has custom video games that she would like. Idk.

To be honest most of these started off as jokes but now that I’ve typed out their dynamics I think some of these ships could actually work.

[lostmykeysie]

Hellooo Keysie!!!

I am a massive fan of absolutely everything that you do (You could probably commit a felony and I'd be delighted.) I would not be exaggerating if I said you were my favorite author on Ao3 (It's true, you are.) I take so much pleasure in the way you write. It's hilarious and entertaining, but so painfully honest when it needs to be. I cannot even begin to express how incredible THH and TML are. Genuinely my favorite fic/series on the platform. I get unbelievably happy when I see you've updated with a new chapter and I get so excited when I read them. Your characterizations are wonderful! I'm especially a fan of Remus and Regulus (Wonder what that means for me as a person). The way you portray their friendship dynamic is just *chef's kiss*. Okay, this is getting a bit long now but TLDR; you are absolutely amazing and your fics are amazing and I love everything that you do!

PS: Keep being awesome

no i am a crier you're making my eyes wet :(((((((((((((( i feel really embarrassed and lame you do not have to be so lovely and sweet to me what if i collapse???? what then???

not to be Open & Honest With You but (i'm going on a lame rant on my lunch break so i'll stick this bollocks beneath the cut i'm so sorry you did not ask for this you should probably just ignore me you poor poor chicken)

i enjoy writing this shit so much and i can't imagine going about my life not writing??

which is absolutely insane as a thought because i only started writing fic just over a year ago. prior to that i had never even contemplated writing a story in any form, 0 original thought 0 idea how i would even go about that...

when i was a kid i used to write poems (i can't believe i'm saying this out loud) and even worse when i was a teen i used to write songs (again. shoot me. i do not miss the band days what was i doing i can't believe i did that) but STORIES??? not even in the realm of possibility.

now i have 325k words published on ao3 (i just checked. wtf) and if we ignore everything prior to chimaera & the wolf because i had NO IDEA what i was doing (and you can tell. big yikes. if i cared about being an embarrassment i think i would have cleansed my ao3 by now) that's like 250k words on this silly not-so-little story that i love so much and think about all the time and am having the greatest time ever writing. like it's genuinely a lovely experience. sometimes i write a line or a paragraph and i'm like oh.... i am.. proud??? of that??? i wrote that and it's actually kinda... something???? and as someone with literal 0 talents and skills and interests and hobbies i had no idea how rewarding making something would be? and then being proud of making it?? it's mad

and then on top of that hearing that yeah i'm having a good time but so are other people?? that are reading it? that want to continue reading it???? that tell me their favourite lines and plot twists and get excited when i post?????? and say lovely wonderful nice things to me about my writing?????? what the actual fuck lol. i can't explain how weird that is to comprehend honestly

anyway. i'm sorry for this it was so lame. but thank you for being so nice to me it makes me feel all wonky and embarrassed but in a lovely way and it means a lot and christ alive what is wrong with me i am putting an end to this right now

[afemail]

Reactions to Stray Kids

My grandson loves Minecraft and kept trying to show me videos of other people playing the game. I was truly baffled as to why someone would consider that entertaining. I kept trying to explain to my grandson (he's 7 btw) that I didn't know the game and, therefore, it was not interesting to watch someone else play it. I wasn't learning anything; I wasn't entertained by anything; I wasn't interested. As you can imagine, he didn't understand me either. But I still love him loads!

And now I've found reactors to Stray Kids. I have to admit that it's exciting to watch other people discovering them. I couldn't figure out why it kept pulling me back in. Now I've realized It's sort of like reliving my own discovery. Feeling that excitement again is almost like a drug. Endorphins?

I am a classically trained pianist and a singer -- mostly ballads, American standards, and pop hits covering ... SHIT! ... over 40 years now! I was also a church organist for 15 years. All of that is to say I've experienced A LOT of music.

When I first started watching SKZ music videos, I was mostly watching title tracks. Each video was such a ride and I would have to pause them to catch my breath! There are outfits and accessories. There's group dynamics and interactions. There's backgrounds and scenery. There are colors and choreographies. And, of course, there are handsome, young men in the middle of it all. It's a lot! More often than not, I just watched with my jaw on the floor. I haven't often experienced music this way.

I was 13 years old when MTV premiered, and my family didn't have cable. We were still making cassette mixtapes from the radio and buying 45s of our favorite tunes. There was nothing more frustrating than the DJ who talked over the song you were recording! I saw some music videos when visiting friends' houses but, for the most part, I did not see many. They were usually just footage of the band/singer performing, and not much else. Sometimes, the artists were "acting out" the song, but they were pretty cheesy.

A little over 2 years later in December 1983, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video premiered. It was such a big deal! He was a massive star and the video was being hyped as a mini-movie. Watch parties were organized and events were planned. My friends and I went to the nearest roller skating rink 5 miles away to watch on their big screens. That is the 1st time I can recall seeing a music video on such a grand scale. It was 15 minutes of great music, (cheesy) acting, and a dance that is still done to this day around Halloween.

and that is JUST ABOUT EVERY SKZ VIDEO !!!

Of course, there is a language difference, and reading subtitles while trying to take in the visuals was often overwhelming. I spent a lot of time watching videos multiple times as well as rewinding and pausing. I also spent a lot of time researching things they'd referenced.

I found myself watching the whole video once through while reading the subtitles. Then I would watch it again to SEE it. Then I would watch it again and try to sync the two. Then I would watch it many more times because I kept finding different approaches to understanding the video. Like, what's up with Hyunjin and apples???

And now that I'm reasonably caught up on MVs (I occasionally still discover one I haven't seen) I have discovered the reactors. There are so many! I didn't realize it was "a thing." People are trying to make a living out of other people watching them watch still other people do what they do. It's actually kind of mind-boggling if you really think about it.

There seem to be an awful lot of people just discovering Stray Kids. I don't know what's driving it, but there have been so many new reactors just in the last couple of weeks. I think I've read that sometimes there are "fake" reactors, but that wouldn't explain all of them. Why so many new ones? Are they just jumping on the bandwagon? Is "the word" getting out there?

I've tried to find reactors who have a history of reactions as well as a reasonable number of subscribers. That tells me that they're doing something right. I have my favorites of course -- Teddy Grey, Handsome Sausages, Amari Leon, and Sebastine. They each analyze rather than just react. The people who just really watch "with" you and say, "Ooh, that was fire!" don't interest me.

But I truly enjoy watching people "discover" Stray Kids. Their hype is invigorating. I will binge a reactor's entire journey into SKZ if they are excited about it. I'm subscribed to so many channels now. Prior to this journey, I was subscribed to about 10. Now It's close to 100.

They just remind me of MY 1st time ;)

[herunswithscissors]

David Attenborough adventures around in his old age playing with a lemur and turns to the camera and be like

Behold this beautiful yet terrifying Cosmos and the plucky bands of happy bountiful plants and critters that play together there.

I think that's what we all really love about him. If you can learn anything from David, learn to see the world that way. It's what he would have wanted.

He's not dead or anything.

Good God! No! He's fucking rich and happy living his best life ever.

He's just never going to read this and go "This!"

It's just you me and the 10 other people in this Tumbler backwater echo chamber Tumbler stashed me into who have even glanced at "Behold this terrifying dessert and the happy bountiful plants and critters that play together there." Let alone read anything more.

Well, my fellow weirdos, we have no gods or kings, and saviors are looking thin, but we got a few prophets. David is one of them.

Watch David's Nova episodes. They're his masterpieces. Marrying his love and unchecked wonder with FUCKING NOVA! It's like David met Goliath and they raised a child together after deciding not to fight after all.

Anyway I'm high and I'm starting to ramble.

See the world more like David doesn't mean "believe in everything he says and does"

I'm sure he's got some questionable views and has abused his place a bit with the ladies or whatever. But have you seen his peers? He's about 95% perfect other than all his cultural baggage that he's been so desperately trying to overcome all these years and was so excited to help his other Whites finally get with the program too! Look how much he's grown and helped us all to grow up even more!

He's more of a saint than a prophet then. Well, watch the Nova Works of Saint David Attenborough to learn how to see the world with more wonder and, I'm just wildly guessing because I know absofuckinglutely nothing of his personality life and his views on anything. And let me tell you. I want to keep it that way. If someone needs justice get them justice. If something heinous in his past comes up I want to know all about it. But I think he's just a decent White British guy with a bit too much money power and privilege even for his saintly good. He seems to have handled it about as well as Saint Fred Rogers. I don't want to learn nothing more about Fred's problematic shit. I'm sure it's nothing any of us wouldn't had done in his shoes. Given all he was. And sometimes a guy just fuckers it all up on a whole fucking lot. So fucking what. We basically know what he's like.

I have to admit to somebody and my therapist will laugh at me to much. But if Mister Rogers ever turned out to be a kiddie diddler or some shit I might kill myself. At the very least I'll have a lengthy existential crisis. I might have a major breakdown.

I gotta let that man be a Saint, but Jesus just shined out of that man so brightly and he loved me so much when I was at a very vulnerable age. His love was like another family member watching over me for an hour every single morning.

Every single morning Mister Rogers loved me and talked to me and played games with me and took me on adventures with him and introduced me to his friends and co-workers and all the cool people we meet along the way. And he helps me see the world around me a bit more for a moment and I always appreciated that. Those were often my favorite parts. Whenever we watched Mister Rogers in church daycare or something, because we'd all just sit down and watch for a whole hour it felt anyway. The only time kids minds world wander was during the educational segments. Those were the commercials and the kids could get up to stretch a bit or just go play and work off some energy while the handlers were paying attention.

I loved the educational segments. I kinda talk like them sometimes at the zoo with the kids. It's creepy.

Which is probably why I gravitate towards a decent guy like David. But this is all just a sideshow.

The main point is Behold this beautiful yet terrifying Cosmos and the plucky bands of happy bountiful plants and critters that play together there!

[hanjsquokka]

Slow Down - [ Bang Chan ]

🎸 SYNOPSIS : There was something about the way he looked at you that made you squeeze your thighs together, your focus faltering as you did his eye makeup. However, your predicament might get a solution when you overhear a conversation you weren't supposed to.

GENRE : smut, strangers to potential lovers

PAIRING : bang chan × fem!reader

CONTENT WARNING : smut (warnings under the cut!), mature language, 3RACHA (yes that is a warning)

WORD COUNT : 2K

AUTHOR'S NOTE : (Part of my Stray Kids × Chase Atlantic series special for their 6th anniversary) Bang Chan!!! I still remember the first time I freaked out over his look in the Thunderous MV (my first one) and I was like holy shit 😭. He soon became one of my biases since I started with 3RACHA first before I learnt about the other members. Despite not watching his lives when they were live, Chan's room holds a special place in my heart. The best leader ♡.

minors dni. if you click read, you agree to nsfw content

SMUT WARNING : no clear dom/sub dynamics, protected sex, piv, fingering, light oral (f receiving), big dick chan agenda, mirror sex, nicknames (baby girl, baby, good girl), reader calls chan as channie, semi public sex? (they're in a changing room but no one else is there), light hair pulling, orgasm denial

The bass was booming outside of the changing room you were currently in, doing makeup for your favorite band. People were so hyped up for the upcoming 3RACHA performance and you weren't any better.

“Y/n, that's purple — !” Han Jisung yelped, moving away from the cushion pad you were holding in your hand, now dabbed with purple powder.

“Oh my — I'm so sorry Jisung. I'm so out of it today.” You blushed out of embarrassment, fumbling with your things as you got the correct cosmetic product and applied it on him. Your jitters were most certainly caused by the other male in the room, who was currently watching you with a glinting his eyes. Changbin was busy on his phone so you knew to whom the gaze belonged to without even turning around.

Bang Chan.

Or Chris. That was how he introduced himself to you the very first time you met him almost a year ago. Hi, my name's Chris, are you our new makeup artist? Those words played in your head a lot. His voice was so melodic, and his accent only made the feelings inside you intensify. And that was all before you saw what he meant by Chris. He was a completely different man on stage. The first time you saw him perform, you had to excuse yourself to the restroom because your face instantly burned red.

Ever since then, your imagination only grew worse. You dreamed endless nights of him, of how wonderful it would be if he were with you, how he would be in bed. God, just thinking about how his hands could make you see more stars than in the night sky was enough to almost make you drop the brush in your hand.

For this particular performance, held in the elusive 5-STAR club, they were going all out. Which meant Chan dressed in a way that nearly made you faint when you walked into the room an hour ago. Ever since then, he had his sight locked on you as you tried to focus on Jisung, who wasn't making things any easier with how hyper he could get before a show. You swallowed as the man in front of you got up and left, allowing the last of their trio to take a seat in front of you.

“Excited?” You asked him as you started his makeup, trying to make small talk so you could make yourself believe that was the reason he was looking at you like that. Sometimes, you felt as if Chan could read your thoughts, as if a speech bubble hung over your head, dictating your most unholy secrets to him.

“Yeah.” He smiled, dimples on full display that nearly made you swoon. How could he be so charming and cute and then switch to hot and sexy the next minute? “There's so many people who came to see us. I never thought that it would happen.”

You smiled. Another thing about Chan. He was so humble, it had to be illegal. You cupped his jaw so would stay still. “You three are crazy good. You should be proud of yourself.”

“I am.” He replied cheekily, making you chuckle. “Will you stay and watch the show?”

“As always.”

He cracked a wide grin again. “Great. I need my number one watching me.”

His words made your heart stutter, making you almost mess up (again). You avoided the fact that your face was as red as a tomato and continued your job, still talking with him although the intrusive thoughts inside you were screaming to kiss him. Your sane side, however, took over and made sure you didn't attack him and ruin the makeup you had just put on him. He continued to look at you, making you squeeze your thighs together as you tried to play placate the thought of him bending you over the vanity and fucking you.

You were done quicker than you hoped and excused yourself to wash your hands. After spending an abnormal amount of soap to get rid of the purple you accidently almost used, you walked back to their changing room, only to stop in your tracks at the door because of the ongoing conversation on the other side.

“It's driving me crazy!”

“Chan, you've been saying that for a year now.”

“Does she not realize what she's doing? —”

“Her job?”

“Shut up Han. The only thing I want to do to her is bend her over in front of that fucking mirror and —”

“Geez, you're hornier than me.”

You heard footsteps coming closer to the door, so you panicked and ran down the corridor and went into the main club. Your heart was racing along with your mind. Did he want the same thing as you? Goosebumps covered your skin when you thought of the possibility of Chan having the same thoughts as you. You were probably hallucinating (could you hallucinate hearing a person?) and way over your head but a ridiculous idea started to form in your head as the trio took the stage, eliciting roars of excitement through the audience that were awaiting their performance.

They played a few of their own songs as well as your personal favorites — Chase Atlantic covers. Their vibes suited well with the songs and you were addicted to the way Chan sang — you're buried in the pillow yeah you're so loud — from Slow Down. The way he held the mic, sweat glistening on his face and sometimes how it would seem like he looked around for someone and then settled his focus on you made you squirm in the place you were standing.

After the performance, you quickly ducked back into their changing rooms, under the pretense of packing away your stuff but in actuality, you were hoping for a small miracle. Said miracle walked into the room moments later, his presence created an aura you've never felt before.

“Nice work out there.” You said with a smile, putting the makeup brushes in your bag.

“You think so?” Chan came closer to you, you felt his warm breath hitting your shoulder, the heat emitting from his skin sent shivers down your spine. You looked at him through the mirror in front of you, his signature smile was on his face but there was something else you couldn't quite distinguish. Something akin to a blaze burning beneath the kindness of his words. “The crowd was amazing.”

“They were.” You smiled again, heart thudding in your chest when you felt him brush against you. “Where's Jisung and Changbin?”

“Them? Oh, they disappeared after the performance. Probably getting some drinks.”

“So why are you here?”

“I have something much more interesting to do than drinks.”

You chuckled. “Is that so?” You turned around, chest flush against his as you looked him in the eyes, “would that something have to do with me bent over the vanity?”

Your teasing worked perfectly, a red hue spreading across his cheeks, his smile dropped and morphed into surprise. “You —”

“I'm not opposed to it.”

He blinked. “You're… not?” He shifted, moving closer to you. His tone was in stark juxtaposition to the way his hands were clenched in a fist, like he was controlling himself. “Y/n… don't play with me.”

“I'm not playing.” He let out a shaky exhale. “I want this, Channie, please?”

The nickname was his breaking point. He brushed aside the hair falling into your jaws before he cupped your cheek and sealed your lips together in a searing kiss, full of passion and a need to be as close together as possible. Your hands gripped the edge of the vanity as he pushed you onto further, his tongue pushing against your mouth for entrance, which you gladly granted, allowing him to explore your mouth. His free hand moved up and down your back a couple times before stopping at the side of your breast. He had a moment of hesitation before he rolled his thumb over your hardening nipple, making you moan into his mouth. He seemed to have liked that response because he did it again, a little more harshly. He pulled away from your lips when you squeezed your thighs together.

He tutted. “Spread those legs for me, baby girl.” You swallowed and did as he said, parting your legs for his hand to dive between them and rub your core over the fabric of your jeans. You bit your lip, eyes fluttering close at the sensation.

“Touch me Channie, please.”

Moments later, your pants were on the floor and your head was thrown back as his fingers reached deep inside you. “Feel good baby?”

“S-So good, Channie, don't stop —” You moaned, back arching as another digit entered you, scissoring you open.

“Gotta stretch you properly. Such a tight little pussy. So wet.” He curled his fingers at that one spit that made you see stars. Your reaction only made him brush his fingers against that spot again and again, making the band in your belly tighten.

Hearing those filthy words come from his mouth turned you on even more. “All for you.”

“All for me?” He smirked, pumping his fingers a few more times before pulling them out and popping them into his mouth. “So sweet.” You whined at the emptiness and your ruined orgasm. He moved away slightly. “Turn over baby. Wanna see that ass.” You obliged, turning around so you were bent over the vanity, facing the mirror. You could see him in the reflection, pupils blown with lust. He dropped to his knees, his warm breath hitting your core. He licked a stripe along your folds before diving in with his tongue, pulling away yet again when you were close.

“Wanna cum.”

“You will cum baby girl.” He stood up again. “Around my cock.” You heard his pants drop, the buckle hitting the floor with a clank and the sound of a foil being torn open. You couldn't exactly see his dick as he slid the condom on, but you moaned loudly as he rubbed the tip against your folds.

“Don't tease.” You whined as he prodded his cock at your entrance.

“Whatever you say.” He laughed and pushed the tip in. Your mouth dropped open, sounds of pleasure freely spilling from your mouth as he kept inching in.

“You're so b-big.” You felt impossibly full as he bottomed out, a grunt coming from behind you as he waited for both of you to adjust to the feeling. His cock was kissing your cervix already, you felt like you could come just like that. “M-Move, please —”

He nodded and slowly pulled back and snapped his hips forward. “So tight.” He groaned as he repeated the motion again and again. You were long gone already, his dick brushing against all the sweet spots inside you that made your toes curl. “Eyes up. I want you to watch.” He pulled your head up by your hair, lightly tugging at it so you could see your reflection in the mirror. You clenched around him the moment he did that, making him groan and move faster.

“Chan — fuck, so big —” You whimpered, watching yourself get fucked in the changing room, where anyone could walk in and see yourself getting split open by Chan.

“You have — no idea, how long I've been waiting for this.” He pulled out completely before slamming back inside, making you scream out his name. “Fucking you over the the next surface. God, you've been driving me crazy. Swinging that ass around. It's mine, got it?”

“Y-Yours.”

“Good girl.” He let go of your hair and instead reached between your legs to find your clit, rubbing harsh circles over it.

“T-Too much. Channie — please, ‘m gonna cum —”

“Cum for me baby.” His harsh thrusts, the stimulation on your clit and you watching everything from the mirror — it all became too much. Fireworks lit up inside you as you came all over his cock, clenching hard as he still moved inside you. Overstimulation sent jolts throughout your body. “Like a fucking vice.” He grunted, before you felt his seed fill the condom. He pulled out and discarded the condom, helping you stand up properly and handed you a water bottle from a nearby table. “I hope that was okay.” Goddamn he really did have a switch inside him.

“Okay? Fuck, Chan that was amazing.”

“Amazing enough to let me fuck you after all my shows?”

“Definitely.”

©hanjsquokka | copying, translating or republishing my work is strictly prohibited

[ccrissproductions]

We Are Our Own Muse: Prologue

I realized I wrote a prologue to this and forgot all about it.

Furthermore, I was going to mash this up with some Kendrick Lamar shit buuuut that's way too much plot and how I was going about it would not have made sense.

Prologue

"Ayo!"

I walked out on stage as I yelled into the microphone in my hand. The boys just played half their set and were now on a brief intermission. There was usually banter between Pete and Patrick, before Patrick played piano solo. This time, they tried something different.

"How y'all feelin'?!"

I walked down the extended aisle of the stage as the audience shouted back at me.

"Y'all doin' alright?!"

The crowd responded loudly.

"Who wants to play a game?!"

I smiled back at the crowd as they cheered harder.

"This right here is my favorite game to play during my concerts!"

Screams of excitement burst through the audience. I guess those videos really did go viral.

"Oh, y'all know it?!"

They cheered in affirmation.

"Rule's simple: finish the lyrics and don't stop singing 'til I say so!

"If you mess up, you lose!

"I know y'all drunk, high, and other! But can y'all do that?!" 

Another large cheer of affirmation that earned them a wide grin from me. 

"Yeah?! Well let's get to it!

"We got three rounds! Who's first?!"

I stood on the edge of the stage, getting a closer look into the audience. Among the outstretched hands and hopeful faces, one guy caught my attention. 

Older guy, middle aged, balding, with glasses; to be honest, dude was built like a history teacher. 

"You?" I nodded my head and told the security guard right there to help him up on stage. 

"A'ight, my man, what's your name?" I stepped back, dude was tall. 

I pointed the mic at him.

"Wilburt."

I put my fist to my mouth and leaned over, trying and failing to hide my laughter from the audience. A smile grew on his face.

The audience laughed with me.

"I'm sorry-- I'm sorry, but, Wil-burt!"

He nodded and chuckled.

"Wilburt!" I shouted comically. 

More laughter from the crowd, Wilburt, and this time, the band in the back. 

"You ready to play--- Wilburt?!"

He nodded and said, "yeah!"

"Yea-- you sure?!

"You seem like you've been a fan for years so Imma go a little hard on you!"

"Let's go!" Wilburt was ready. I started to sing.

"We're going down, down in an earlier round--

"and sugar, we're going down swingin'"

I hold the mic to him to finish the chorus.

"--and ne-eh dee weeeh wid da bummen," He tried to hum the lyrics before throwing his hands in his face and laughing.

"Nope!" I laughed.

"Sorry Wilburt!"

The security guard helped him back off the stage.

"Who has it?!" I said, looking into the crowd. "I'll know if you look it up too!"

There were five girls in the front row waving at me. I pointed at every one of them until I got to the last person. 

"Nope, not you; not you; not you; YOU!"

A slender girl with shoulder-length, vibrant green hair and an eyebrow piercing.

"What's your name?"

I pointed the mic at her.

"Marley!"

"Okay, Marley, you got it!?"

"Yep!"

"Alright! Let's see!" 

I started singing, "We're going down, down in an earlier round--

"and sugar, we're going down swingin'"

I pointed the mic towards her so she could finish the lyric.

"I'll be your number one with the bullet! 

"A loaded God complex cock it and pull it!"

"YES!" I jumped, sometimes I let the excitement get to me.

The crowd cheered Marley on.

I pulled five hundred bucks out my pocket, gasps of awe made its way through the crowd. 

I looked at the audience. 

"What? You thought this game was prize-less?" I grinned.

"Round two! Who's next?!"

A cute Asian boy caught my attention, and I told security to get him on stage.

"What's your name?"

"Bobby!"

"Okay, Bobby, you ready?!"

"Yea!"

The crowd cheered for him, and I started singing.

"She says she's no good

"With words, but I'm worse

"Barely stuttered out a joke of a romantic

"Stuck to my tongue--"

I pointed the mic at him.

"Weighed down with words too

"Overdramatic

"Tonight, it's "it can't get much worse"

"Versus "No one should ever feel like...""

"Keep going," I told him, mic still pointed at him.

"I'm two quarters and a heart down

"And I don't want to forget how your voice sounds

"These words are all I have so I write them

"So you need them just to get by"

I harmonized the infamous guitar riff and pointed the mic into the crowd.

The audience did not fail.

"Dance, dance, we're falling apart to half-time!

"Dance, dance, and these are the lives you love to lead!

"Dance, this is the way they'd love!

"If they knew how misery loved me!!"

The crowd finished. 

I cracked a wide smile and handed him his prize. 

As security helped Bobby down, I shouted to the crowd:

"A'ight! Last round, who wanna give it a shot?!"

I looked into the audience and there was a young girl with a group of other girls pointing at her.

"Her! Her! Her!"

"She's their biggest fan!!"

"She knows all their songs!!!"

They all shouted, as said girl hid her face in her hands. 

I signaled her to the security guard. 

Once on stage, she stood with one hand covering her face. 

Aww, she's a shy one.

"What's your name?" I asked, a bit more calmly with a soft smile.

"Lydia," she replied quietly in the mic. 

"You ready, Lydia?"

She whined, but nodded, nonetheless. 

"This is an easy one: 

"I'm in a winter mood, dreamin' of spring now

"Burnin' myself down, burnin' myself down, burnin'

"I feel like something that's been stretched out over and over again

"Until I'm creased, and I'm about to break down the middle

"Split me right down the middle, right, right down the middle 

"Yeah."

I gave her the mic. She started to sing, and I was shocked with what I heard.

"The stars are the same as ever, but I don't have the guts to keep it together

"Stuck in the permafrost, stuck in the permafrost

"Life is just a game, maybe

"I'm stuck in a lonely loop, my baby

Her voice was gold. It's always the quiet ones with the biggest voices. I signaled to the guys to start playing and they did not disappoint.

"So much for stardust

"We thought we had it all, thought we had it all

"Thought wе had it all, thought we had it all, thought we had it ah - all

"So much for stardust

"We thought wе had it all, thought we had it all

"Thought we had it all, thought we had it all, thought we had it ah- ah -- all"

Lydia stopped singing and the band stopped playing. She gave me back the microphone and hid her face behind her hand again. 

I stood there in shock. "Damn."

She giggled. 

"Y'know what? Fuck five hundred, you get six--- caused that was amazing!"

I counted out six hundred dollar bills and handed them to her.

"Wasn't that amazing?" I asked, looking back at the band.

"That was fucking fantastic," Pete spoke up into his mic. 

"Let's give it up for Lydia!" 

The crowd cheered for the young girl as she made her way back to her friends.

"That was fucking phenomenal, man," I said to the audience.

"Well!" I shouted.

"Y'all ready for more Fall Out Boy!?"

The crowd cheered and yelled back at me.

I strutted back to Patrick and whispered in his ear, "and you were worried about fans?"

He chuckled and I walked away backstage and handed the microphone to a stagehand.

"Hey guys."

[sinisxtea]

sorry these are my rants and rambles that are too much for tags so i have to write them all out. lowkey just my own thoughts and opinions but you should so read this.

1. "You quickly lead your friends towards the right of the famous castle and fight your way into Tomorrowland for Space Mountain."

is it still called space mountain over there or is everyone in denial? because honestly me too i would be in denial too.

2. "The uneven number in your group guarantees that one person will be a single rider throughout the day and you are certain that will be you. "

the single rider thing is so FUCKING REAL BECAUSE???? it literally happened to me at a six flags this summer, and i had to force my way into sitting with others not all the time. (fuck you eric /j jk ily) if you ever visit a park please go into even numbers.

3. "Seeing you in the last row, Donghyuck pauses for a second as if contemplating on where to go. “Wait. Why are you here?”"

Disneyland L though tbh bc in world we have to sit through the good old classic Matterhorn seats. 1 x 1 x 1, single riders per every car! try holding hands by reaching out behind you! i had an idea to write like, space mountain cockblock, where they were expecting to be put next to each other, and it didn't work out the way they wanted to. although i guess hyuck cockblock works too.

4. '“I mean, like, I’ve been to theme parks with Hyuck since we were kids, I’m not missing much with that and I just–I kinda–you know–want to experience things with you today.”'

stop i hate being single again. why did i break up with my bf

5. "The excitement around the area only increases when the park marching band makes their way to the center of the castle for their afternoon set."

so real girl. i get you fr. THE BAND AND THE PARADES. and those dapper dans cause why is your mic so damn loud.

You feel a squeeze around your waist, one that lingers for a moment, and hear him whisper, “I like this one too.”

STOP THIS IS TOO FLUFFY GIRL WTF. nah bc i deleted all my disney couple photos in RAGE. they were bad though idk i need hyuck-jeno-karina as my photographers

Your friends were amazed to see that deeper into the store, there was a salon that catered especially to children. All the kids sitting in the salon chairs were beaming with excitement as they got their hair and makeup done while dressed up as their favorite characters.

bibbidi bobbidi boutique was my shit ok. i was always too old by the time i started going to the parks when i was younger but oh my god. I WANTED A MAKEOVER SO BAD.

“The fairy godmothers have wands with them and they basically sprinkle glitter on top of your head while you make a wish. It’s really cute!”

wait. wtf. why did no one tell me about this. NIKI WHY AM I JUST HEARING ABOUT THIS??? THIS IS NEW INFORMATION??? you cast members do know all the secrets...

She groans once he hops into the pink teacup with hearts decorating the sides and scurries to grab another pink cup. 

is it true the purple one is the fastest or is that just a myth. but anyways adults on teacups is >>> peak idgaf i love the teacups i will spin faster than any of the kids have EVER SEEN

“It’s Mark,” he manages to say, “I’m a big fan. We just went on your ride and it was so cool.” Mark gestures to the building behind them, which housed the ride. It was an interactive ride that tasked the riders to help Spider-Man save the Avengers-themed area by shooting webs with motion-tracking technology. “My arm’s kinda tired though, I don’t think I could shoot webs like you.”

stop hes so... i love him. rambling and yapping <33 my heart. uGHHH. the best interactions ive had with characters i think are the overseas ones (not euro/paris) bc oh my god are they so happy sometimes to see a foreign face? i saw tiana in shanghai and she was so pretty i literally ignored naveen.

“Better let her know soon then,” he pats Mark on the back, gently pushing him in your direction. “And don’t let her go once you have her,” his hero adds as an afterthought. 

SPIDERMAN KNOWING THE SECRETS BETWEEN THEM IS JUST SO UGH??? NIKI I LOVE YOU FOR THIS PLOT ITS SO GOOD. you did the disney magic justice.

A mass of people are gathered at the entrance of the land and you cringe at how packed it is.

still not prepared for cars land in disney world.

making sure you know everyone’s specific interests and adjusting the day’s itinerary to meet everyone’s wishes.

PLEASE. our high school senior graduation bash was at universal and I PLANNED THAT SHIT OUT LIKE MY LIFE DEPENDED ON IT.

Everyone around you cheers as Sh-Boom by The Chords starts to blast through the speakers. “Oh my god.”

this is so funny to me bc when i went i didn't realize that this was a special thing, i just happened to be in cars land at sunset, but wasn't told until after that it's a special thing.

“That’s my girl,” he adds, a hand coming to cup the back of your neck

KILL ME. RIGHT NOW. SHOOT ME. niki the way you're describing all these sweet things he's doing for y/n while also referring to him as 'your crush' makes me wanna kms wtf????

not even gonna quote the fireworks scene any farther bc i would just be copy and pasting the whole thing. niki. my god. i am literally sat. like i knew it was good from what i read, but HOLY SHIT. do i kiss you or mark. like???????????????????????????? that was so fluffy so cute so wholesome and romantic and packed with so many references that i am literally more in love with you than i was before. SO GLAD YOU WROTE THIS AND ARE EMBRACING YOUR DISNEY SIDE. no matter if disney is kinda going to shit rn, never give it up okay?? <333

with a little pixie dust | mk.l

It’s just a little faith and trust, and with a little pixie dust, your wildest dreams will be yours.

SYNOPSIS. There are so many ways your friend group could have chosen to celebrate your graduation from university but they chose the one way that fit their childlike antics most of all–going to Disneyland. With all the screams of joy and laughter filing the atmosphere, you see why people call it The Happiest Place on Earth. It’s where magic comes alive, hearts soar to the skies, and where dreams come true. With your dream job already lined up for you once you get back from this vacation, you wonder if your last and wildest fantasy–the one that carries Mark Lee endearingly close to your heart–will take flight. (But don’t worry; your best friends, with a little help of pixie dust, are determined to make it come alive by the end of night.)

GENRE. Fluff, Comedy, Best friends-to-lovers!AU, Theme Park!AU, Disneyland!AU, meddling/matchmaking friend group, all the romantic tropes that come with a theme park setting

WORD COUNT. 11.9k

WARNINGS. a lot of Disney references (movies, songs, parks, etc.), profanity, food/drink consumption, theme park rides, nothing too crazy tbh

PLAYLIST. 200 - Mark | Popcorn - D.O. | Dreams Come True - NCT 127 | Angel Eyes - NCT 127 | Fireflies - NCT Dream | Amusement Park - Baekhyun | Candy - Baekhyun | Sh-Boom - The Chords

PARK ANNOUNCEMENTS. I understand that not everyone has been to Disneyland. Because I want to paint the perfect picture in your head as you read through the fic, each scene will be titled with the land/area they are in and a picture of the land/area will be hyperlinked with a visual. It's unnecessary to click them but it would be a lil helpful! <3 DISCLAIMER. This is work of fiction. I do not own the people/characters and concepts I have written about. You cannot translate or copy my work.

Your graduation commencement came and went. The spectacle flew by so slowly but so quickly at the same time. You can’t exactly describe how you’re feeling now that you’ve graduated–relief is mixed in with panic, happiness mixed with dread. It’s a jumble of emotions you can’t quite comprehend but alas, that is the wonder of adulthood.

The happiest takeaway from your college experience is not the expensive degree you earned but the special friends you made. Karina was the first friend you made in college because she was your roommate. She introduced you to her high school friend, Jeno, who then dragged you two to the ginormous welcome event. It was there you met Donghyuck and last but definitely not least, Mark Lee. 

The other two boys were attractive, yes, but there was something about Mark that drew you to him. Donghyuck talked as much as him, sure, and Jeno’s attractiveness was on another level than Mark’s but that boy immediately caught your attention. Maybe it was the way he spoke and never completed a thought or the way he’d laugh so unabashedly, losing all control of his body that got to you. He was so incredibly endearing that your heart just claimed him.  Years later, when the friendship is stronger than ever, that beating muscle in your chest refuses to let Mark go. 

One morning the summer after graduation, you wake up in a hotel room with an alarm blaring at 6:00am. You roll over and groan, blindly reaching to stop the device. Karina is rustling inside the sheets next to you, hoping the noise will go away. Jeno and Donghyuck are on the other bed snoring up a storm. Mark, on the other hand, rolls uncomfortably on the pull-out couch. 

On normal days, the alarm set for six in the morning would be a sin but today is not a regular day. It is the day your group saved up for. 

The five of you, with your similar interests in movies and theme parks, wanted to go to Disneyland together for years. After graduation, you finally had the money and freedom for it. 

Your hypothetical plan finally made it out of the group chat—that is your driving force to get up. While doing so, you hit Karina’s side and she grumbles in response. The two of you agreed you’d wake up earlier since it would take you longer to get ready. The guys, however, could sleep in. 

As you quietly pass by the couch, Mark asks, “Is it time to get up already?” He must’ve heard the shuffling. There's darkness under his eyes. You can tell he didn’t sleep well last night. On top of his eyes struggling to open up, his voice sounds incredibly hoarse and filled with fatigue.

“No,” you answer, patting his messy head of brown hair. His body reacts positively to your touch, eyes closed and neck stretching to meet your touch. He releases a relaxed sigh as your fingers card through his thick strands. 

Lowering yourself to his level, you continue to play with his hair. “Sleep well last night?”

“Nah, not really, like dude, this shit really isn’t comfortable,” he complains with a deep exhale, “but I volunteered to take the couch so…”

“Move to mine,” you tell him, gesturing to the unmade bed. You hear the water running and figure that Karina jumped into the shower to help wake herself up. “Try to get a little more sleep, I’ll wake you up in a bit.”

Too tired to fight back, Mark languidly moves towards the bed. Once close enough, his body drops onto the mattress and he wiggles his way under the covers. You watch him until his breathing evens out. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep; after all, he did most of the driving on your road trip down to Southern California. Satisfied, you move to start your morning hotel routine. 

The fresh smell of coffee hits you as you do your skin care, apply your makeup, and brush your teeth. Karina’s done in the bathroom shortly after and you claim it to change into your outfit of the day. When the final touches of your look are finished, forty minutes have passed and it’s time to wake up the rest. 

You wake Jeno first because he’s the easiest and whisper that there’s fresh coffee waiting for him. Donghyuck throws a bit of a fit when you shake him awake, stuffing his face in his pillow. He gets up after a few threats from Karina, whining over how mean she is to him. 

Part of you wants to let Mark rest for a little bit longer, especially after knowing how exhausted he is. There’s the option of letting the other three go first while you wait for Mark to wake up naturally. The other half of you, however, thinks about two things: how much money you all spent getting these tickets and how you promised each other to be at Disneyland from open to close to make your splurge worth it. Being Mark’s best friend, you know how disappointed the guy would be if you stayed behind with him. So with no choice left, you wake him up.

You do so gently, your hand immediately going back to his unruly hair. You comb back his bangs and hold them in place. “Mark, it’s your turn now, everyone else is almost ready.”

As soon as he hears your voice, he stirs. Mark blinks the sleep away, and suddenly, you are the first thing he sees. With you sitting on the bed next to him and your hand still in his hair, Mark thinks he’s still dreaming. “Hmmm?”

“It’s your turn, Spidey,” you say, taking a sip of coffee. “We’re all ready.”

He buries his head in your lap for just a second, wanting to keep this little moment with him a little longer. 

“Okay,” he finally says a minute later, before slipping out of bed. 

Karina claims her rightful place next to you on your shared bed, still warm from Mark’s little nap. She shoots you a look and you ignore her knowing stare. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” she challenges you, perfectly drawn eyebrows raised in question.

“That,” you gesture to her face.

“Oh, you mean the look I’m giving you when you share a little cute moment with your best friend who is most definitely more than a best friend, fine,  I won’t do that,” Karina pretends to give up, her hands raised in surrender.

You shush her at once, looking over to the boys that are currently fighting over the sink. Mark’s already dressed in some black cargo pants and an oversized Spider-Man shirt. He’s in the midst of styling his hair, struggling with one strand that will not stay in place. You hear his frustrated huffs and puffs while Jeno and Haechan chuckle at his antics. 

“Does my baby need help?” Donghyuck teases, reaching for Mark’s hair. 

“Yo, dude, no, stop! You’re gonna mess it up!” Mark shouts, backing away from him. “Don’t you dare touch me!”

“But you can’t do it on your own, my sweet baby, I’ll help you,” Donghyuck continues with the bit.

You remove yourself from Karina’s conversation and break the two idiots up. 

“C’mere,” you gesture towards Mark. 

He instantly comes to you, dipping his head down to your level as you lean against a piece of furniture. Your fingertips curl that one strand just the way he likes it, framing his forehead, and smile when it’s all finished. So focused on his hair, you almost don’t notice how close his face is to yours. Your breath hitches and you lean back to create more distance. 

Removing your hand from his hair, you smooth the non-existent wrinkles on his baggy tee.“There you go, not hard at all.”

“Right,” he murmurs back, body frozen in place but his large, pretty eyes still aimed at you. 

You clear your throat. “I, um, need to–”

“Oh yeah no, sorry,” he stumbles over his words, moving so you can get through. You shuffle past him, pretending to do a last minute check of your crossbody bag. His stare lingers on you as you fuss over your belongings and put on your Mickey ears.

You try to shake away your thoughts but Karina won’t let you. She slides up to you with a playful smile. “Not even eight in the morning and you’ve already had two little moments. When’s number three happening?”

“In your wildest dreams,” you snap back with a hiss, slinging your bag over your shoulder. Wanting to avoid the conversation from moving further, you open the door. “Let’s move, slowpokes, we gotta go!”

“Or yours,” Karina takes the last word as she exits the room. 

You can’t argue with your roommate because she’s right. You've been wanting to be with Mark and calling him yours since your first year. Yes, there were times in the past when it seemed like he wanted the same–moments just like the two you just shared–but nothing was explicitly said or done. Feelings were left unsaid. They lingered in the air until the romantic vibe fizzled out and the moment ended.  To love and be loved by Mark Lee is your wildest dream. It’s the one you’re sure will never come true. However, there’s a sort of magic in the air in Disneyland–a magic that will make even the impossible possible. You wonder if that bit of magic will apply to you, too.

✨ TOMORROWLAND

7:45am arrives and your friends are following you like little ducklings following their mother. Without you, they would be lost causes. 

It’s not your first time in the parks so naturally, you are the one who takes charge. You have all the tickets on your phone, scanning them one by one at the main entrance gate as your friends go through the turnstiles. They wait patiently until you are the last one through the gate. 

Karina holds your hand, giggling as you stroll through Main Street, happily taking in the sights and sounds of Disneyland. Mark, Jeno, and Donghyuck are behind you, phones out to capture anything and everything in sight. You hear them excitedly discussing the map, mentioning things that they want to do, and you mentally take note of them all. 

At exactly 8am, the ropes held by the cast members drop, signaling the official opening of the park. You quickly lead your friends towards the right of the famous castle and fight your way into Tomorrowland for Space Mountain. As one of the most popular attractions, it’s not so bad in the mornings when you’re one of the firsts in line. Jeno mentioned this ride in the past and you are determined to get him on it. 

The crowd is packed like sardines and Karina links her arm through yours as people shove their way through. Amidst the craziness, someone grabs hold of your free hand from behind. From the way his hand fits in yours, you can tell exactly who it is. Jeno’s hand is much larger than this one and it’s a lot rougher than Donghyuck. 

You turn your head to see Mark who asks you a question with a simple look. He knows you’re not too fond of crowds and is using this silent exchange as a check-up. You appreciate the gesture, much like how you appreciate every other way Mark looks out for you, and reassure him with a squeeze of his hand. You’ve frequented the park many times over the years so despite the mass of people, you know the theme park like the back of your hand. Mark returns the action and brushes his thumb against your knuckles. He doesn’t let go as the crowd dissipates into the ride queue and you don’t mind that at all.

As much as you love this dark roller coaster, you partially dread going on the ride, or any ride for that matter. The uneven number in your group guarantees that one person will be a single rider throughout the day and you are certain that will be you.  Jeno and Karina have been dating for a while now, so it makes sense that they ride together. Even with Mark’s hand still in yours, you’re certain he’ll sit with Donghyuck. When it comes to Mark, Donghyuck loves to cling to his best friend, no matter how annoyed the older one gets. It’s their thing and has been since childhood so who are you to get in the way of that? 

The wait goes by quickly, especially with the entertaining debates your friend group comes up with while queued up. It takes your group a mere thirty minutes to get to the front of the line. Once assigned your rows, you wiggle your hand out of Mark’s grip and silently move toward the last gate to make room for Donghyuck.  

“Wait, where are you going?” Mark masks his hurt with a confused tone.

“To the back,” you say like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

“Oh,” his tone drops and you can barely hear him through the echoing sounds of the ride. “I thought–”

“Huh?” you shout from the back row.

Seeing you in the last row, Donghyuck pauses for a second as if contemplating on where to go. “Wait. Why are you here?”

“What do you mean? Are you saying I can’t be here?”

“No. You’re supposed to be–” Your mischievous friend is cut off by the gates opening and the employees instructing you to enter and lower your lap bars. You do what they say and Donghyuck sighs before moving to sit with Mark.

You notice the frustrated look on Donghyuck’s face and an exasperated one on Mark’s but it’s too loud in the room to hear whatever serious thing they’re discussing. You try to lean in closer to catch a glimpse of their conversation but by the time the safety checks are done, you’re launched into darkness at a high speed with the ride soundtrack and Mark’s screams of terror filling your ears.

The ride ends quickly and you all rush to find your photo. Everyone in your vehicle looks like they enjoyed the ride minus Mark, who hid his handsome face in Donghyuck’s arm. The green-eyed monster makes a short appearance in your mind and you wonder how it would’ve been if you stayed with Mark. Would he cling onto you like that too, with his arm looped through yours and his face buried in your neck?

“Why didn’t you tell me this was a roller coaster?” Mark whines as you take a picture of the screen. You immediately send it to your group chat and Giselle, the one person missing on this trip, reacts to it right away.

“Because I knew you’d try to get out of it, you scaredy cat.” 

“Rude,” he scoffs, clinging onto you as you lead them to a breakfast spot. 

“Spidey, it’s really not that bad.”

“Yeah, says the thrill seeker,” Mark pouts at you, which makes you pinch his cheek. It’s not as soft as it used to be, his baby fat from your first year long gone. It’s replaced by the prominent bone structure that only highlights the features that you secretly want to kiss. “Warn a guy next time.”

“Okay, okay but you still did it! I’m proud of you!”

“Yeah but…” His voice trails off.

“But?” You echo, wondering what Mark wants to say.

He looks shyly at you, a faint redness painting his skin, “Can you sit by me next time?” He asks because you make him feel brave even when he isn’t. 

Mark’s timid request has you grinning from ear to ear and your heart beating faster than any roller coaster you’ve been on. Your best friend is expecting an answer, you can tell by his teeth sinking into his thin bottom lip and brown boba eyes widening with each second. 

“I mean, you know, like, sitting with Hyuck is cool,” Mark stutters when you don’t answer, trying to explain himself, “but I’d–well, I thought you were gonna sit next to me?” His voice raises at the end due to nervousness and you can’t help but giggle. 

“You mean, you were gonna leave poor Hyuck all alone?” you poke fun at him.

Mark deadpans, “He’d survive on his own.”

“I mean, I’ve been here before and it’s everyone else’s first time. I’m okay riding by myself,” you push back with a frown, trying to convince Mark and yourself for that matter, “I just want to make sure everyone is having a good time.”

“I get that but–”

“We’re here!” you cut him off, stopping in front of a quick-service restaurant. You gesture to the door and the others go inside. 

Donghyuck, Jeno, and Karina make their way in. You move to follow them but Mark stops you with a hand to your wrist. He hesitates, his mouth opening and closing, and you patiently wait for what he needs to express. The boy lets out a long exhale. 

“Look, what I’m trying to say is that riding with Hyuck is fun and all but I…” He pauses again. Mark has this habit of not finishing a full thought and you think this is one of those times. Despite that, you listen attentively. “I want you to be my ride partner today, okay?”

And again, your heart shoots to the moon. Its fuel is the adrenaline that runs through your veins as you process his words. A hint of a smile begins to peak out as Mark fuses in front of you.

“I mean, like, I’ve been to theme parks with Hyuck since we were kids, I’m not missing much with that and I just–I kinda–you know–want to experience things with you today.”

The way he confesses this, like every other thing Mark does, is adorable. You hope your forgetful brain will store this memory along with the rest of your core ones. He’s about to go off on another rant, you can tell by the small puffs of breath he takes and the redness that’s flushing his ears, so you end it before it starts. 

You cup a hand over his cheek to stop him from going even further and your fingers sense his rapidly beating pulse. “Okay,” you reply softly. 

That one word alone has Mark’s expression changing from an unsure one to the brightest face you’ve seen him make all morning. He rivals the sparkles on top of the castle and the bright sun that’s shining over you. 

“Really?” He perks up.

“Yeah,” you giggle at his change in mood, “now let’s get some food in you, Spidey boy.”

✨ THE CASTLE

“Get out, Hyuck! Why are you like this?” Karina yells from her spot beside Jeno, clearly frustrated with your friend. 

Karina and Jeno stand at the side of the castle, far enough from the crowds but close enough to still get their picture with the iconic landmark. Donghyuck is just out of frame, ready to jump in to ruin whatever adorable shot the couple is trying to take. It doesn’t really matter since you’re continuously snapping away on Karina’s phone. Knowing those two, more than one picture will turn out beautiful. Looking at them, how could they not?

“Because you’re taking too damn long and I want pictures too!”

“You already got yours!” Completely used to their bickering, you shake your head behind the camera.

She’s right. You’ve already taken everyone’s solo pictures at this picturesque spot–Karina taking the longest–and now there were requests for group or partner shots. Jeno, being the perfect Instagram boyfriend, helped take the shots of you and your girl best friend with no pointers needed. You thought you were almost done with this photoshoot but you guessed wrong.

“Not with Mark though!” Donghyuck shouts back, pulling Mark to his side.

“Yo, wait, what?” Mark squeaks.

“You got good enough shots, so move!” Donghyuck has no shame when shoving the resident couple away and dragging Mark to the exact place they stood. You shoot Karina an apologetic look, handing her phone back, right before you grab hold of Donghyuck’s device.

The younger of the duo, as affectionate as he is, has no problem hugging Mark tightly for a picture. Mark sighs but goes with it without much of a fight. You take pictures of Donghyuck hugging Mark from behind, clinging onto the older’s arm, forcing him into making a heart and standing back-to-back. As this goes on for several minutes, you endlessly snap pictures, not even looking at the screen anymore. While doing so, you miss the hushed conversation that happens at the other end of the camera. 

“Why am I doing this with you?” Mark hisses in between a grin. His arm around Donghyuck tightens and the younger one almost chokes at the sudden attack. “Are we done yet?”

“Why? Is there someone else you want to take pictures with?”

“Shut up.”

“I will not,” Donghyuck whispers under his breath, wiggling out of Mark’s grip. His volume raises as he announces, “Mark, catch me!” With that, the mischievous kid jumps onto Mark’s back and the elder of the duo has no choice but to do what he says.

Mark groans, “Why are you so annoying?”

“I will continue to be annoying until you man up,” Donghyuck nuzzles his forehead into Mark’s hair with a smirk. “I could keep this going or–”

With that, Mark lets go of his friend’s thighs and Donghyuck slides down with a helpless yelp. The boy is dramatic while dropping to the ground but Mark pays little attention to the action. Instead, he smiles shyly at you.

You raise an eyebrow at the duo’s suspicious actions. “Are you guys good or can we move on now?”

“I–um, actually–” He’s stuttering over his words more than usual, a red tainting his normal skin tone. You know he’s embarrassed but you can’t figure out what’s making him feel this way. The chaotic duo is up to their usual antics of Donghyuck being irritatingly touchy and Mark slowly losing his patience with it all so there’s no visible variable in your eyes. So, what’s the difference in this situation?

“What’s up?” When he doesn’t answer right away, you take that as a sign to keep moving. You turn your body away from him, adjust the straps of your bag to feel more comfortable, and get ready to move on. The park app on your phone is open to all the current wait times and you note that Fantasyland has low numbers, determining the most logical choice for your next destination. 

You open your mouth, preparing to spill out your plan to explore Fantasyland when Mark’s feeble voice breaks the silence. 

You don’t quite hear him the first time, leaning towards him in hopes that will help you focus on his voice alone. The excitement around the area only increases when the park marching band makes their way to the center of the castle for their afternoon set. Mark huffs in frustration when you fail to hear him for the second time. 

But as they say, the third time’s always the charm.

“Take a picture with me!” he yells when the band goes silent. The flush on his face increases tenfold and you almost coo at how flustered he is. His eyes were wide, almost begging for you to grant his request. His ears match the color of his Spider-Man plush hanging on the belt loop of his bottoms. 

Wanting to tease him a little more, you say, “We already took a group picture, Marky.”

You hold back your laugh when his hand goes back to fumble with his hair. He muses it, the strands now messy, making him look even more endearing than ever. 

“Yeah but–you know what I mean,” Mark’s voice drops at the end, his lips forming a pout. How desperately you want to peck his cheeks but you refrained, still scared of crossing that line. His brows furrowed. “You know what, never mind, dude, let’s go.”

Just as he began to walk away, you tugged him back into place. “I know what you meant, Spidey, I just wanted to mess with you.”

“You’re so mean to me,” he sulks and your fingers reach out to pinch his cheeks. It’s not quite a kiss but it’s close enough. 

You run your fingers through his messy hair, quickly fixing it and Mark just lets you, enjoying the little touches you are so willing to give.

“Hyuckie, can you please?” Donghyuck knows exactly what you’re asking of him, taking the phone out of your hands. He sets your phone to 0.5, bends down to get a better angle, and begins to snap away. All the while, you and Mark are a bit awkwardly standing side-by-side for the pictures. Your bodies are stiff--his hand is barely around your waist while his other hand is holding up a peace sign. You copy his pose, your fingers automatically making a V. 

“You guys,” Donghyuck sighs, grabbing the attention of Karina and Jeno, “at least act like you’re having fun with these pics. We’re at fucking Disneyland right now.” 

Karina laughs at how hopeless the two of you are. She takes pity on you and jumps in to give directions on how to improve your poses. “Mark, if you can just tighten your grip around her waist–”

Mark gulps, his nerves at an all-time high. Your best friend underestimates his own strength as he does what he is told. It happens a little too abruptly and you’re suddenly lurching into his body. Your head lightly hits his chest and you place a hand on the spot to create a little distance. He immediately fusses over you, looking down to check if you’re okay and it turns you into a giggling mess. 

“I’m fine, it’s fine,” you reassure Mark with a bright smile on your face.

Once he notices that you are nothing but smiles, the curve of Mark’s pretty mouth matches yours. It brightens his handsome face so much that it matches the glitter found at the castle tops. You take a mental picture of the face he makes, eyes and nose scrunched up with happiness, and the golden glow of the summer sun illuminating his beaming aura. 

Mark shakes his head and chuckles, pulling you into a hug. You sink into his hold, your chin perching on his shoulder. 

In your mind, Mark Lee is your (awkward) Prince Charming. While you stand together by the castle, you cherish every second he makes you feel like royalty.  He rocks you for a couple of seconds, swaying to the song playing in his head, and then pulls away. His stare, however, never leaves yours. You don’t dare break the connection. Your eyes curve up into little crescent moons and your hands drift back down to his chest. You feel the slight heaving from his laughter and it makes you giggle even more. 

“Stop laughing at me,” he says with a smile.

“Never,” you reply, sticking your tongue out at him.

The two of you are so caught up in your little moment, that you forget that your friends have phones in their hands, documenting everything that just occurred. 

“Oh, that one’s cute,” Karina says, snapping the two out of your shared reverie. Jeno and Donhyuck’s heads peak over her shoulders to look at the picture she’s talking about and they hum in reply. Then, she lifts up the phone to your eye level. You and Mark lean forward to take a closer look but the boy refuses to let go of you as you scroll through the selection.

Your finger swipes through what feels like thousands of photos before landing on one that catches your eye. In the photo, you’re so consumed in your laughter, lids closed happily and your dazzling smile half-covered by your hand. Mark holds you in his arms, fondly looking at you with sparkling eyes.

You stare at it a little too long, taking in the way he looks at you. You steal a glance at him and he’s wearing that same soft smile as he scans the photo. It made you wonder if your best friend always looked at you that way. You wonder if this was your first time making note of it. 

You pull yourself out of it, knowing that if you ruminate on it anymore, you'll sink into a deep neverending ocean. Your finger taps the bottom of the screen and the heart fills up, adding the picture to your favorite album. You just know this is a picture that had to be included in your photo dump.

“I like this one,” you muster out, fighting the urge to make eye contact with him.

You feel a squeeze around your waist, one that lingers for a moment, and hear him whisper, “I like this one too.”

Mark says it with certainty and with a hint of longing like there’s a deeper meaning behind his words. 

There is, of course, a message buried in his words. Mark likes how it’s just the two of you in the picture. He likes how it encapsulates how happy the two of you are in each other’s company. He likes it because it shows how in love with you he is. Mark especially likes it because it has you in it.

Mark Lee likes–no, loves–anything with you in it.

Mark loves you. 

Point blank.

Mark loves you.

And Mark hopes that by the end of the night in this magical place, where anything can happen, he can gather enough faith and trust in himself to tell you how he truly feels.

✨ FANTASYLAND

While strolling through Fantasyland, where all things fairy tales come to life, you make a pit stop at a store filled with costumes for princes and princesses. Your friends were amazed to see that deeper into the store, there was a salon that catered especially to children. All the kids sitting in the salon chairs were beaming with excitement as they got their hair and makeup done while dressed up as their favorite characters.

Karina coos as a little princess dressed as Rapunzel passed by her. She ran her fingers through the skirt ends of the costumes, admiring all the different dresses, while the boys immediately reached for the plastic weapons and shields. You hear their dramatic noises as Donghyuck stabs Jeno with a sword. Mark’s familiar laughter bounces off the walls as the fight continues, his hand shakily recording the ridiculous exchange.

“What is this place?” Karina asks curiously, turning to you for an answer. You knew she would love this place–the girl, although people perceived her as a tough girl, loved anything that had to do with princesses. 

There’s a sparkle in her eye, which only brightens when she approaches the section belonging to her favorite princess. Karina grabs hold of a pretty character headband, removing the one that’s on her head and tries on the new one. She spins to face you, silently asking if it looks good on her, and you nod enthusiastically, giving her a thumbs up. 

“Welcome to the Bippity Boppity Boutique,” you reply happily. Pointing to the cast members working on their guests, you continued, “They’re called Fairy Godmothers in Training. They help the kiddos with their makeovers.”

“Have you done it before?” Mark pops up out of nowhere, a little out of breath from the play fighting he did with the other two. He must’ve joined in the little spar after taking some pictures.

“Yeah, when I was little. I was Cinderella,” you laugh, remembering how pleased you were to be in the chair. You remind yourself to look for those photos; it’s been a while since you’ve seen them. “Can’t do it now as an adult though. Sorry, Rina.”

“Then why’d you bring me here?” She pouts at that, “To torture me? That’s mean. There goes my dream of being a princess.”

Mark bites back a chuckle at her bitter response and Karina has no trouble slapping his shoulder to shut him up. You choose to ignore the childish exchange.

“Well,” you start to say, inching towards the counter where a cast member eyes you curiously. “We can’t get full makeovers but we can get pixie dusted.”

“Pixie dusted?” Mark echoes, tilting his head in confusion. Your fingers twitch and you fight the urge to pet his head.

“The fairy godmothers have wands with them and they basically sprinkle glitter on top of your head while you make a wish. It’s really cute!”

The light in Karina’s eyes glows even brighter than before. “Really? Oh my god, can I do it?!” she asks, bouncing on the heels of her feet. 

“I knew you’d like it,” you giggle.

“Babe!” She calls Jeno over. 

His head pops up over a display, resembling a puppy hopping out of a hole they just dug. “Yeah?”

“Get pixie dusted with me,” Karina requests, reaching out for him with her wiggling fingers. 

Jeno quickly sets down the toys he was playing with, leaving a whining Donghyuck behind, and follows his girlfriend’s lead blindly. 

You and Mark watch them silently, both with smiles on your faces, as the couple holds hands and closes their eyes. The worker mumbles a little spiel as she taps her wand, the glitter raining down on their heads. Your camera is at the ready, finger holding down on the burst button for this special moment, capturing Karina’s tiny squeals and Jeno’s chuckles as the pixie dust settles in their hair and on their skin. 

“Anyone else?” The Fairy Godmother in Training asks politely, looking at you expectantly.

Mark nudges your side. “You gonna do it?”

“Of course. I’ll never pass up getting pixie dusted,” you say matter-of-factly, stepping forward.

“I want to do it, too,” Mark proclaims, stepping with you.

You laugh and warn him, “You wanna deal with glitter in your hair? It’s going to stay there for days.”

He shrugs, “They grant wishes, right? Maybe I need mine to come true.”

“Oh, yeah? And what wish is that, Spidey?”

He holds a slender figure to his lips. “If I tell you, then it definitely won’t come true. And I need all the help I can get with this one.”

You eye him suspiciously and when he doesn’t give it up, you sigh in defeat. Preparing yourself for the glitter, you bow your head down and close your eyes with your fingers linked together in the tightest hold. Your best friend nudges his forehead against yours and you let out a surprised giggle.

Just like Mark said he needs all the help he can get. He isn’t wishing for any regular thing. He wishes for something more precious than that–your heart. 

Sure, this is most likely playing make-believe but Mark Lee wants to believe in it. Maybe this is the little bit of magic he needs. Some might say he’s too old for this sort of thing but he wants to believe in fairy godmothers. He wants to believe in the shiny powder that they call pixie dust. He wants to believe in the magic that you do.

So when the glitter pours down on him, Mark shuts his eyes tightly and grips your hands with all his might. 

Mark wishes for your wish to come true,

Mark wishes for your happiness.

But most of all, Mark wishes to be yours.

Your next stop is quite the staple in the park and it’s a must-do on your list. Luckily, they all agree with you and suddenly, you are in line for the iconic teacups. For the summer, the wait isn’t too long–a mere fifteen minutes before it’s your group’s loading time. Before getting on the ride, the five of you decide to break into two groups instead of all squeezing into one tiny spice.

In their excitement, Karina and Donghyuck rush to claim a vehicle. Donghyuck lightly shoves Karina’s side when he realizes they are both aiming for the same cup, causing her to lose her balance. She groans once he hops into the pink teacup with hearts decorating the sides and scurries to grab another pink cup. 

“Why are you two like this?” You shout after them, shaking your head.

“When are we not like this?” Hyuck shouts back, his arms already spread across the rim of the cup. He calls you to join him and you do, closely followed by Mark.

Once you are seated and the door to the vehicle is closed, Donghyuck’s expression changes. “We need to spin this baby as fast as we can and we need to last longer than”–he sends a playful glare towards Jeno, whose hands are already resting on the wheel–“them.”

“Oh god, not this shit again,” you roll your eyes. 

The boys have an ongoing competition when it comes to spinning rides like these. Whoever spins for the longest period wins; the losers have to treat the winners to a prize of their choice. In the past, it’s been food, plushies, and anything else you can think of. 

“Can we just be normal for once?” 

“Bubs,” Mark laughs, “when are we ever normal?”

“Touche.”

Donghyuck dramatically drops his hands on the wheel, “Are you ready?”

There’s really no point in this competition. Although Jeno has a stronger build than you, Mark, or Donghyuck, there are only two of them in their cup as opposed to the three of you. There’s a clear winner. Despite that, you copy your mischievous friend’s actions,  a smile breaking through your unamused facade. “Alright, Hyuck.”

The spiel is blasted over the speakers, the music begins, and off you all go. Laughter surrounds you as the ride begins to spin. Your hands speedily make work and giggles spill out of your mouth when your hands pile on top of Donghyuck. Your friend matches your enthusiasm, his face crinkled in concentration as he turns the wheel, his whole body moving along with the teacup. You steal a glance at Jeno and Karina; seeing them only fueled your competitiveness and motivation to win this useless contest.

Mark, on the other hand, did not add to the spinning. He just watches his best friends, phone in hand. The device captures the most candid moments of you—smile wide enough to hear your laughter through the screen, hair flying in the wind, hands either gripping the wheel or Donghyuck when the cup goes a little too fast. 

Mark snaps a picture of you and Donghyuck cackling, bodies thrown over each other in the height of their fun. Even when your gorgeous smile is aimed at his best friend and not him, jealousy isn’t coursing through his veins. A warm feeling does instead—Mark just loves to see you happy.

He captures one last picture of you, your bright grin shining at him, and your hand reaching towards his camera. If someone were to play that Live Photo back, they would hear the giggles living in your voice as you call Mark’s name to join in on the fun.

This picture is the one he saves in his favorites folder and of course, in his heart.

✨ AVENGERS CAMPUS

“You’re nervous, aren’t you?” you ask Mark although the answer is obvious. Ever since you got in line, the boy beside you fidgeted with anything and everything possible. When he wasn’t playing with the keychains on your bag, he messed with the drawstrings of his cargo pants. He had a hard time staying still.

“No one asked you, Bubs," Mark hisses. His voice softens a moment later when he apologizes for snapping. The fussiness he exhibits is adorable in all kinds of ways and you fight the urge to mess with his hair in the meantime. You know it would only make him feel worse.

“It’s okay to be nervous, you know,” you reassure him as the people in front of you step forward. “It’s not every day you meet your childhood hero.”

“Isn’t this–I don’t know–a bit childish of me to feel like this? I mean, it’s just a guy in a suit.” 

“Hey,” you say, hating the way your best friend tried to bring himself down, “we’re here to let our inner child out. If you’re nervous or excited or whatever you’re feeling, just feel it.”

Mark sighs as the line moves again. “Right. You’re right.”

You laugh, ruffling his hair, “Aren’t I always?”

The boy groans, fingers immediately rising to fix his fringe. “Don’t mess it up, dude, it’s almost my turn.”

A soft giggle escapes your lips instead of an apology. You’re so fond of him. “You’re too cute.”

His cheeks flush with a bright red which only increases his cuteness factor. Mark, flustered as ever, opens his mouth to ask what you mean by that. His sentence is interrupted by the character attendant calling for the next person in line. Your best friend’s nerves are at an all-time high at this point and he looks to you for support.

You shake your head negatively and gesture to the phone in your hand. “This is all you, I have to take your pics!”

Mark sticks his tongue at you in retaliation before taking a deep breath. He approaches the awaiting figure with a cautiousness you’ve never seen from him. But with all due respect, Spider-Man is standing right there in front of him. If your favorite comic book and superhero character of all time stood in front of you, you’d probably react the same way. 

“H-hey,” Mark stutters out. You stifle a laugh as you snap the first picture of Mark and Spider-Man shaking hands.

“Hey, man, what’s your name?” Spider-Man greets enthusiastically. He gestures to Mark’s Spider-Man shirt, “Love the shirt.”

“It’s Mark,” he manages to say, “I’m a big fan. We just went on your ride and it was so cool.” Mark gestures to the building behind them, which housed the ride. It was an interactive ride that tasked the riders to help Spider-Man save the Avengers-themed area by shooting webs with motion-tracking technology. “My arm’s kinda tired though, I don’t think I could shoot webs like you.”

His rambling comment makes Spider-Man chuckle, his voice muffled through the red mask. “Yeah, I guess slinging webs isn’t for everyone. But hey, maybe if you train more, and go on the ride a few more times, you’ll be just as good as I am. We’re always looking to recruit new members to the team. You look like you’d be a great addition.”

Mark’s eyes glow with delight as the actor continues to shower him with compliments. “Yo, wait, that’d be so cool!”

“Should I show you some poses to start off with?” Spider-Man excitedly suggests. Mark easily complies and happily follows all the instructions the superhero gives him. While doing so, they stare right into your camera and you snap several photos of each pose. 

The joy radiating off of Mark’s face is enough to make your heart soar to a new height. The merriment he and your other friends exhibit as they make their way through the park is why you keep coming back. Disneyland brings everyone’s happiest self out and you will never grow tired of seeing people’s youthfulness shine through. 

“Got ‘em!” you shout from your place, giving the duo a thumbs up. 

You laugh as both of them return the thumbs up with a lightning-quick speed. Many people pointed out Mark’s speedy reactions, calling them his Spidey senses. Seeing Mark stand tall right next to Spider-Man himself, reacting the same way the character does, makes the term all the more fitting for your friend.

“Hey, you wanna jump in with us for a picture, too?” Spider-Man calls out to you. 

“Oh!” you exclaim, not expecting that at all. Your sole goal was to take Mark’s picture with his hero.  The thought of you joining in for a picture didn’t even cross your mind. “Sure, why not?” you grin, quickly handing the phone to the attendant on standby.

You swiftly shuffle into position, copying Spider-Man’s iconic pose, as the cast member takes a couple of shots on your phone. They prompt you to pose for the professional camera they have on hand as well and the three of you switch up your poses. The wide smile on your face is identical to Mark’s as the flash goes off. A feeling higher than contentment floods your entire being. You’re happy, incredibly so, to be in this moment with Mark and his hero.

You’re happy.

You see Mark dive right into another rambling burst with the prettiest little sparkle in his eye and you’re in love.

You’re happy and in love with Mark. 

Standing by for just a second, you see Spider-Man turn to you and nod his head in acknowledgment. Wordlessly, you open your arms to ask for a hug and the character accepts. “Thank you for making my Spidey’s day,” you whisper as Spider-Man squishes you to his side. “It means a lot to us.”

The actor catches onto the nickname and comments, “He’s your hero, huh?”

“I’m pretty sure he’s my everything,” you confess under your breath and your face immediately heats up upon realizing what you said to a complete stranger.

“Your secret’s safe with me.” 

The moment passes so quickly, that Mark doesn’t even grasp that two of his favorite people held their own side conversation. You give Spider-Man one last wave, retreat back to the attendant who hands you your phone, and stand off to the side to swipe through the pictures. Mark stops his little rant to watch you with a slight tilt of his mouth.

“She’s a good one,” Spider-Man brings Mark out of his thoughts, “We could use a recruit like her too.”

“She’s really special,” Mark lets out a fond laugh as you happily show your friends the pictures you’ve captured. “She’s my MJ, man.”

The character beside him laughs, not out of ridicule, but because of the similarities the two of you share. “Does she know that?” 

“Nah,” Mark’s hair ruffles with the breeze as he shakes his head. “Not yet.”

“Better let her know soon then,” he pats Mark on the back, gently pushing him in your direction. “And don’t let her go once you have her,” his hero adds as an afterthought. 

Mark turns back to give Spider-Man one last smile, “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

Mark Lee doesn’t have you in the way that he wants to, at least not yet, but once he does, there is no way he is letting you out of his sight. He may be the one who carries the heroic nickname but you are the one who has caught him in your web of love. Wherever you go, you have his whole heart. 

You are his whole heart. 

How can Mark Lee ever live without his whole heart?

✨ CARSLAND / SH-BOOM

“Hurry up, hurry up!” you call to your exhausted friends, who drag their feet behind you. 

“But we’re tired,” Karina whines as her steps grow heavier. She’s stolen her boyfriend’s hat to beat the heat but has little luck doing so. Jeno, noting this, turns his portable fan to face her. She wearily smiles at him, squeezing the hand conjoined with hers to thank him.

Donghyuck echoes Karina’s sentiments but you ignore their complaints altogether.

There’s no time to slow down, you think, as you make note of the time. The sun is about to set and your group still hasn’t reached the spot you want–no, need–to be in. You understand their exhaustion because you feel the same way but deep down, you know the hustling will be worth their while. 

“You guys, just do what she says,” Mark comes to your defense, giving you a reassuring glance, “I mean, she hasn’t let us down this whole day. I’m sure whatever she’s rushing us for will be worth it.”

You weave and bob through the crowds with ease and your friends fall in line behind you. You pass through the entrance of Avengers Campus and lead them straight into Carsland. A mass of people are gathered at the entrance of the land and you cringe at how packed it is. But upon hearing Donghyuck gasp with excitement, you grin and bear it. In the past, your friend mentioned that Cars was one of his favorite childhood movies. Since you’ve found that out, you’ve gifted him a Lightning McQueen present every year for his birthday.

“Holy shit, bro, I’m in Radiator Springs,” Donghyuck clutches your arm, “This is the best thing ever.”

“Oh, believe me, Hyuckie, it gets even better,” you say, pulling your friend along with you. You giggle at his reactions to every little detail you point out–how everything is built to scale, that all visitors are meant to be cars, how every third blink of the traffic light is slower just like the movie–and his brown eyes widen in childlike wonder.

Once again, Mark stands back as you take care of Donghyuck. He appreciates all the thought you put into this trip–making sure you know everyone’s specific interests and adjusting the day’s itinerary to meet everyone’s wishes. Jeno wanted to get on every thrill ride possible, so you purchased the Lightning Lane express passes to guarantee he had a good time. Karina wanted to feel like a princess, so you took her to the Boutique to get pixie dusted and scheduled time in the Fantasyland area to take as many pictures as she wanted. You spent a bit of time in Avengers Campus so Mark could get the entire Spider-Man experience. And now, you’re expertly guiding Donghyuck through Radiator Springs, equally excited as your friend who’s experiencing everything for the first time.

When everyone else voiced how worn out they were throughout the long summer day, you kept the spirits up and took care of each and every one of them. You may have not outwardly mentioned how spent you were but Mark caught onto the signs. While you were busy tending to each person's wants and needs, Mark found himself taking care of you. You’ve done so much for the group, he wonders what exactly he could do in return.

“Alright, stop right here,” you stop in the middle of the land, granting the group the perfect view of the land, “and face this way.” 

“Why are we stopping? Isn’t the ride right there?” Donghyuck points to the end of the area. “I thought we were heading there.”

“Yeah,” you reply, “there’s something we gotta do first.”

“What’s everyone standing around for?” Jeno asks, hugging Karina from behind. 

The others take a look around to see that a large crowd has formed in this area of the park, all facing the same way. Everyone is eagerly waiting for the same thing you are, their phones propped up in the air. You take another peek at your weather app and it deems it around one minute before sunset. Perfect. 

“Well, my good sir, you are about to find out,” you answer cryptically.

You squeeze Donghyuck’s hand. “You ready, Hyuck?”

“For wha–” His sentence is cut off by the area loop music increasing in volume. Everyone around you cheers as Sh-Boom by The Chords starts to blast through the speakers. “Oh my god.”

The rest of Donghyuck’s sentence is trapped between his teeth as the neon lights, starting from the furthest point of the area, begin to light up. It’s an exact replica of the movie, the lights flickering on with the beat of the old-time music. The bright lights resemble your friends’ expressions, the giddiness of experiencing this iconic moment apparent on their faces. Donghyuck is practically glowing with childlike wonder, bouncing on the balls of his feet. You snap a photo of him as he continues to take it in. Jeno sways Karina back and forth, his arms wrapped around his girlfriend’s waist and chin resting on her shoulder as she records the whole thing.

Smiling, you turn to look at Mark whose eyes are solely trained on you. His phone is in hand, aimed in your direction, and you assume he took a picture of the lit-up signs behind you. “Isn’t it so pretty?” you ask, hands gesturing to the entire area.

Mark’s gaze doesn’t falter, doesn’t leave you when he answers, “It’s the prettiest.”

A heat spreads to all parts of your face and body at his flirtatious response. You turn away from him, too embarrassed to meet his soft stare. “It’s one of my favorite times of the day. My family always came here at sunset just to watch it. It’s fun watching everyone’s reactions and seeing people dance to the music, like them”–you point to a dancing couple, the man spinning his partner and the woman laughing gleefully–“I dunno, it just makes me happy.”

“I can see why,” Mark chuckles.

Your gaze lingers on the duo and Mark spots a look of longing in your eyes. Your best friend sees a chance, one as clear as day, and with all the bravado he can muster, Mark takes it. He tugs you towards him and you gasp at the sudden movement.

“What?” you whisper.

Mark sticks out a hand for you to take and bashfully says, “Dance with me.”

“What?” you repeat in shock, eyes dropping from his face to his outstretched hand.

“You heard what I said,” your best friend chuckles, “Dance with me.”

Instead of waiting for a response from you, Mark takes your palm in his and gently places his other hand around your waist. Your breath catches in your throat, anxious eyes meeting his own, and the boy shoots you a reassuring smile. He takes the lead, guiding you through a few swing steps as you dance on the street. You’re a little unfocused through it all, your mind wandering from the warmth of his touch to his unfaltering look. 

“Have you always known how to swing?” you ask as he leads you into a spin.

Mark dances with an ease you don’t expect from his clumsy self. You’re used to his harder, sharper style of dancing he exhibits when you all go out dancing–the lighter style catching you completely off-guard. It makes you fall for your best friend a little more than you already have.

He nods as he catches you in his arms before turning you around again. “Yeah, I learned from watching my parents dance. I only really danced with my mom, though. I guess I was just–” Mark coughs, shaking his head.

“Just what?” You egg him on, wanting to hear what your crush has to say.

“No, never mind, it’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t sound like nothing to me,” you quip.

“Nah, it’s stupid,” Mark tries to dismiss it, distracting you with another spin.

With him being the perfect leader, your sneaker-clad feet move in time with him, following wherever he goes. “Nothing you say is going to be stupid,” you add, squeezing his palm.

You know you’ve won the argument when Mark sighs. He’s so close to you now, you can feel his breath hit your face. There’s a hint of fresh spearmint, coming from the gum you offered him earlier. Any closer and your lips can press right into his, completing the romantic moment that you could only dream about. 

Mark gulps nervously as you look up at him with confusion. The words come tumbling out before he can stop himself from making a fool, “I guess I was just waiting for the right partner.”

There’s more to Mark’s sweet reply than meets the eye. Once again, you burn up at the implications. You shouldn’t assume the meaning behind your crush’s words but something about the way he said it makes you believe that you are the partner he is waiting for. To be deemed worth waiting for is a girl’s deepest fantasy and your heart swells in your chest at the thought of it all.

Despite the rapid thoughts running through your head, the only thing you can spit out is a quiet, “Oh.” 

Mark renders you speechless at the favorite part of the day and in your favorite place in the entire world; he pockets this as a big win. With his warm hand resting at your waist and the other clutching your calm, Mark leads you into a flurry of sequential moves. Never once does he bump into another person in the crowd, he navigates through the small space you’re granted so gracefully. Dancing with him brings you to such a natural high, you feel lighter than air. 

The laughter that spills from your lips fills his heart with joy and as the song reaches its end, the arm at your waist tightens enough to usher you into a dip. As your torso lowers, his body follows your own. He keeps you in this position, his pretty brown eyes glued onto your shaking pupils. He’s so near, that your sight triangulates from his eyes down to his grinning lips. You notice the pink that tickles his skin, from his squishy cheeks to his pierced ears.

As Mark pulls you back up, you circle your arms around his neck and give him the biggest hug in existence. You whisper a light and heartfelt, “thank you,” in his ears and Mark responds by pulling you closer.

While the song that played through the speakers announced, “Life could be a dream,” Mark Lee deems that his life already is. To him, his life is a dream and that’s because you’re in it. 

✨ FIREWORKS

The sun has set and your entire group is tired but the day’s not quite over yet. The five of you are amongst the throng of people seated on the asphalt, bodies splayed in all sorts of configurations. Karina and Jeno are in front of you, whispering happily as they go through all of their pictures together. Donghyuck has no problem taking a nap on the floor, using some plastic bags as his makeshift mattress and Karina’s new plushie as a pillow. Mark, on the other hand, is seated on your right and silently playing a game on his phone. 

The extent of your tiredness didn’t hit until you sat on the floor, a groan leaving your mouth as you fought to find a comfortable position. The ground really isn’t the best place to sit but you have to camp out for the best view of the castle and the fireworks. You find yourself hugging your legs and resting your face on your knees to keep yourself warm. The weather is a lot cooler than it was earlier in the day and the slight breeze has you shivering. 

“You okay?” Mark asks, still looking at his phone.

“What makes you think I’m not?”

“You keep moving around like you’re uncomfortable or something,” Mark pauses his game and notices the goosebumps on your skin, “Bubs, are you cold?”

“Yeah, just a little bit but I’ll deal with it.” You leave out the fact that you’re tempted to buy a sweater from a gift shop, just as you do every single time you get cold in the parks. It’s an expensive tradition you need to break. Plus, there’s no more room in your closet for more cozy crewneck sweaters. 

Another quiver runs through your body as the winds blow through the area. Mark frowns as you tighten the grip around your legs. He immediately shrugs off the zip-up he wore, draping it around your curled-up shoulders. The warmth of the fabric combined with the smell of his cologne hits you all at once. 

“Mark, I told you I’m okay,” you pout at him as he gets up from his spot. He stops you from taking it off, his palms firm on your back. “You’re gonna get cold.”

He disagrees, pulling the hood over your head. “Nah, I run hot anyway. I don’t want you to get sick or anything so just leave it on, okay?”

“But–”

“For me?” Mark pushes. He smiles when you pout even further, knowing there’s no way you can beat him in this conversation. “That’s my girl,” he adds, a hand coming to cup the back of your neck. A sudden urge comes over him and before he even places what he's doing, Mark plants a tiny kiss on the top of your head. You feel the slight pressure of his lips between the fabric and your head is reeling the second he pulls back.

“I’ll be right back,” Mark whispers before setting off into the crowd.

You’re frozen in place, the ability to respond nonexistent in your mind. You simply watch as he fades away and then, the shyest smile breaks through. There are no clouds left in the sky but you’re officially on Cloud 9, your heart beating rapidly in your chest, and your face buried into the sleeve ends of his jacket.  

True to his word, your best friend returns fifteen minutes later with a plastic bag in one hand and a hot drink in the other. Mark pulls out the coziest Disney-themes blanket you have ever seen, folds it in half, and then places it onto the floor. He motions for you to sit on it and you smile even wider. “Better?” he asks as you settle crisscross on the soft fabric. 

A relieved sigh slips past your lips as the soft material rubs against your skin. “So much better.”

Mark plops himself right beside you. His bare arm presses against yours in an attempt to fit on the blanket. There’s lots of space left but you don’t mind, snuggling right up to his side. He chuckles at your action, draping his arm around your hoodie-clad shoulders to pull you closer. “Got you a hot chocolate too, passed by the cafe across from the gift shop,” your crush gently places the drink in your hands.

“You really didn’t have to,” you mutter, hiding your smile behind the drink.

“Wanted to.” 

“Thanks,” you reply in between your tiny sips.

“Anything for you, Bubs.”

With his arm around you and your body cozied up to his side, the time passes quickly. You’re in your own world, your quiet conversations drowned out by the chatter of the large crowd surrounding the castle area. The cocoa is passed back and forth between his hand and yours, an indirect kiss shared each either of you takes a sip. You laugh over things that happened throughout the day, from Mark’s burnt tongue to all the hideous ride pictures your friends took while wholeheartedly enjoying themselves. 

When Mark takes a big sip, you crack an unexpected joke that leaves him choking on the drink. Your roaring laughter attracts the attention of the others around you but you are so into Mark, you don’t even notice.  He’s a sputtering mess, with the hot drink all over his cheeks and hands. You help him through it, one hand patting his back and the other reaching up to wipe away the liquid with his sleeve. 

“You’re so silly,” you whisper fondly as your thumb rubs against his soft cheek.

“No, you just caught me off guard,” Mark replies, nuzzling into your hand. The moment feels a little too intimate, especially when his fingers reach up to connect with yours, but you don’t want it to end. It finally feels like something good is happening. It feels like the dream you’ve kept deep in your heart is coming true and you don’t want to fight it. 

You pay no attention to the way your friends are staring knowingly at you like this was all meant to happen. Your eyes are solely trained on Mark and how he holds you so delicately as if you were a bubble about to burst. Mark keeps you tucked into him until the five-minute before the fireworks announcement blasts through the speakers. 

Mark is the first to get up off the blanket and you hate how easily he does so. The feeling of pins and needles travel down your legs as you try to get up. You moan in pain, struggling to get up. When you finally rise from the ground, your knees buckle and you lose your balance. A little noise slips out as you stumble, your clumsiness almost leading you straight into another person. Strong hands from behind immediately fly to your hips to keep you steady and you fall right back into Mark’s sturdy chest. 

His hands remain at your hips as you turn to look at him. You mumble an apology and he clutches your waist a little harder. “Who’s the silly one now, huh?”

“Shut up.”

Even as the moment ends, Mark’s hands stay in place. The only movement he makes is a minuscule tug that molds you into his chest. He hears no complaints from you, just a pleased little sigh, that signals you’re one hundred percent okay with what is happening. 

The surrounding lights dim, projections on the castle come alive, and music that could only be described as magical begins to play. It’s the scene of your dreams–you are in the hold of someone you love as fireworks light up the sky. The show’s just begun and here you are, wishing you can stay in this moment forever.

Seeing as how he’s made it this far, Mark puts on his bravest face and circles his arms around your waist. You hum in approval, resting your hands right above his. He replies by tangling his digits with yours and you smile so widely, it’s brighter than the pyrotechnics shooting off above you. 

The soundtrack isn’t new to you; it’s the show the park features every summertime, so you find yourself humming along to every section and transition that passes. By the time the love-themed section bleeds through the sound system and the castle glows with pinks and reds, you tell your best friend, “This is my favorite part.”

He says nothing in response, too busy admiring you instead of the show. Mark rests his chin on your shoulder, his gaze directed at the side of your face. He takes in the sight of the glow the lights cast on you, your lips curled up as you mouth each and every lyric.

It’s quite obvious that he’s staring at you. Even if you didn’t catch him from the corner of your eye, you feel Mark’s steady breath hit your neck and cheek. Your entire body radiates heat upon this realization. You sink your teeth into your bottom lip to calm the hopeless romantic inside you. 

You want to look at him, you really do, but you’re scared of what will follow after you meet Mark’s eyes. But when he whispers about your favorite song playing, your heart swells at his great memory, and you turn. 

The tip of Mark’s nose grazes yours after your sudden movement. You’re right there, less than a breath away from him, and his eyes are filled with immense tenderness. In your years of knowing Mark Lee, you’ve never seen him look at another person the way he’s looking at you at this moment. It’s a look filled with endearment and affection, leaving your heart swelling in your chest. 

You barely hear the boom of the fireworks shooting off, not when Mark’s eyes flitter down to your parted lips. He’s captivated your heart and soul, you can’t help but nudge your nose against his as you inch closer. It’s a silent signal, one he understands without further explanation. Your best friend shuts his eyes, calls upon the glittery pixie dust that sits in his hair and makes his final wish of the night. He wishes for the strength to make his next move. 

Mark’s soft lips touch yours most delicately; the press is merely there, and it throws you for a loop. The kiss makes you so incredibly giddy, that you turn your head even more and your hand anchors itself to his cheek. It keeps you steady as he dives in for seconds, this one more eager than the first. With your favorite love song in the background and the fireworks booming in the distance, you are happier than ever.

You are so happy that your wide grin and little giggles cause Mark to break away for a short moment. He plants another peck amid your laughter and soon he’s chuckling too. The arms around your waist lock you in place as he burrows into the crook of your neck, placing the tiniest kiss where your pulse hammers against your skin. 

Mark’s feet are on the ground but he feels like he’s flying. His heart has grown wings, allowing him to soar to new heights. He feels like he can touch every little star in the sky. Kissing you in this land of make-believe, underneath the fireworks, feels like a miracle and he fears that he will never come down again.

He’s pretty sure the gleam in your eyes mirrors his own. It’s so pretty and bright and magical–it encompasses all the emotions stirring in his chest. They start from his heart, bubble up through his neck, and the words he’s been meaning to say spill out as a crescendo booms throughout the area. “You’re my wish come true.”

Turning in his hold, you circle your arms around his neck. You draw him closer, your lips ghosting against his to say, “And you are mine,” before closing the sentence with another kiss. 

You’ve always loved fairytale endings–how the prince always gets the princess at the end of the story. When he grins against your lips, you realize that you’ve been in one the entire time. The story of you and Mark is more than a dream that filled your head. It’s more than something you wished upon a star for. Your story is the slowest burn that led to the greatest happy ending. 

All it needed was a little faith, trust, and a whole lot of pixie dust. 

FINAL PARK ANNOUNCEMENT. Hey everyone! Long time no post. I think the last time I posted a fic was in either December or January? I'm happy to be back for a hot second. This fic was inspired by many things: Mark calling his fans "his MJ," my personal visits to Disneyland over the years, and especially the trips I've gone on with friends that I've met on this site. Hehehe. I really hope you all enjoy this rainbow of magic and fluff. Please let me know what you think of it. Your feedback keeps me going! Love always, Nikki <3

TAGLIST. (tagging my gen taglist and friends that I think will be interested in it hehehe) @winwintea @johtenrecs @lavendersuh @itsapapisongo @nctsworld @hotdogct @smileysuh @suhnnyskiess @keemburley @jaemdonuts @haetrack @bat-shark-repellant @bebsky

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