#i have a girlfriend (classic julie move to fall in love with a very close long-term friend-- v cool the feelings were mutual!)

[burger-goblin]

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[1962dude420-blog]

Today we remember the passing of Jani Lane who Died: August 11, 2011 in Woodland Hills, California

Jani Lane (born John Kennedy Oswald; February 1, 1964 – August 11, 2011) was an American recording artist and the lead vocalist, frontman, lyricist and main songwriter for the glam metal band Warrant. From Hollywood, California, the band experienced success from 1989 to 1996 with five albums reaching international sales of over 10 million. Lane left Warrant in 2004 and again in 2008 after a brief reunion. Lane also released a solo album, Back Down to One, in 2003, and the album Love the Sin, Hate the Sinner with a new group, Saints of the Underground, in 2008. Lane contributed lead vocals and songwriting to various projects throughout his career.

Lane was born John Kennedy Oswald (later changed to John Patrick Oswald), on February 1, 1964 in Akron, Ohio to Robert and Eileen Oswald. He was raised in Brimfield with four older siblings: sisters Marcine Williams, Michelle Robinson and Victoria Ley, plus older brother Eric, already an accomplished guitarist. With sisters Micki and Vicky and brother Eric harmonizing and playing guitar, Lane taught himself to play drums, guitar and piano by ear by age five. He grew up listening to Cleveland rock station WMMS (100.7 FM "The Buzzard") and was introduced to a variety of music by his older siblings.

With connections from siblings Eric and Vicky in and around the music scene (and with his parents' help), Lane made a name for himself at a very young age. He played drums under the pseudonym "Mitch Dynamite" in clubs by age 11 and with a local band "Pokerface." By that time, his siblings had left for college or marriage, although Vicky was still active in the entertainment industry in northeast Ohio and southwest Florida. Due to Vicky's numerous connections, Lane was able to network with industry execs in pursuit of his dream. Lane graduated from Field High School, in Mogadore, Ohio, a nearby city to Brimfield in 1982.

Lane is credited as the vocalist/drummer on Warrant's Latest and Greatest CD. Throughout his career, Lane would sometimes play drums/acoustic guitar and piano with his band and played the drums in various formats and gigs with other musicians.

After high school, Lane joined the band Cyren, featuring vocalist Skip Hammonds, guitarist John Weakland, bassist Don Hoover (and later Rusty Fohner) with Lane on drums and vocals. Many of Cyren's shows opened for a popular local band called Risque'. When their bassist, Al Collins, noticed Lane's vocal talents, he convinced Lane to form a new band they eventually called Dorian Gray. The new band also included Steven Chamberlin on drums and Dave Chamberlin on lead guitar. Dorian Gray was designed to have Lane as the lead vocalist and to perform original material, but Lane wasn't ready to be the lead singer and quickly returned to the drum kit. Billy Denmead was hired as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist. After only a few shows, Collins left the band, vowing to put a band together when Lane was ready to be a lead vocalist.

Lane moved to Florida in 1983 with Dorian Gray. He eventually formed Plain Jane with Collins and Chamberlin, adopting the stage name "Jani Lane" (Chamberlin would also soon rechristen himself Steven Sweet). He took the name "Jani" from his German grandparents, who spelled his name "Jani" and pronounced it "Yay-nee."

Lane began vocal training with vocal coach/trainer Ron Feldmann, who introduced him to Creative Engineering, Inc. in Orlando. Lane worked there as a programmer of the animatronic character Dook LaRue, the drummer for The Rock-afire Explosion. His vocal debut was at The Station in Fern Park, Florida.

Lane, Collins, and Chamberlin recorded the first Plain Jane four-track demos at their rented house in Winter Park, Florida. Although reluctant to leave Florida, they rented a trailer in the spring of 1984 and moved to California with hopes of landing a record deal. They were broke by the time they landed at the Hollywood Bowl Motel and resorted to making sandwiches with mustard packets while taking turns calling their parents for cash.

Struggling to make ends meet as a musician, Lane resorted to working in a pornographic video warehouse. The band, along with a new road crew and a few girlfriends, pooled their wages and lived in a two-bedroom condominium rented by new Plain Jane guitarist Paul Noble. At one time there were 13 people living in the crowded space.

By 1985, Plain Jane had become a regular feature on the Los Angeles club circuit and opened many shows for a band called Warrant. Plain Jane's bassist and guitarist both left the band on the same day Warrant's singer and drummer quit. Erik Turner, who had founded Warrant in July 1984, was impressed by Plain Jane's songwriting and vocal performance and invited Lane and Sweet to jam with his band at Hollywood's db Sound in September 1986.

After generating notoriety on the club circuit, Warrant began to attract the attention of record labels. Following an abortive deal with A&M Records over a contribution to the soundtrack for the motion picture Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, the band signed with Columbia Records. The Columbia deal came via the partnering of Warrant and manager Tom Hulett, known for working with The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, The Moody Blues and others. Hulett became Lane's mentor and friend until Hulett's death from cancer in 1993.

As lead vocalist with Warrant, Lane wrote all of the material for the band's 1989 debut double platinum album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, including four Top 40 hit singles: "Down Boys", "Sometimes She Cries", "Big Talk" and the No. 2 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Heaven." The album peaked at no. 10 on The Billboard 200. Lane also wrote four Top 40 hit singles ("Cherry Pie," "I Saw Red," "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "Blind Faith") for the second album, the 1990 double platinum Cherry Pie, which peaked at no. 7 on the Billboard 200. Lane also co-wrote and performed with Warrant the song "The Power" in the 1992 movie Gladiator. In 1992, Warrant released Dog Eat Dog, their gold third album, which peaked at no. 25 on the Billboard 200.

Lane left Warrant in March 1993 to pursue a solo career. He returned six months later, helping the band secure a new record with Tom Lipsky of CMC International. Warrant recorded Ultraphobic in 1995, Belly to Belly in 1996, Greatest & Latest in 1999 and a cover album, Under the Influence, in 2001.

Due to personal and business disagreements, Lane left Warrant again in 2004. In January 2008, the band's agent, The William Morris Agency, issued a new photograph of the band with Lane prominently featured, confirming his return to the band. It was the first time that all original members had been in the band since 1993. The band's first show with all original members was in May 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee. Warrant performed a series of shows during the summer of 2008, but by September, the band and Lane agreed to move forward separately due to "too much water under the bridge." Warrant and Lane both continued to perform Lane's compositions live and Lane continued to write for himself and other artists.

Lane became involved in acting in the early 1990s. He made a brief appearance in Caged Fear and appeared in High Strung in 1991.

In 1993, Lane started working on his first solo project. Titled "Jabberwocky," the album represented a significant musical departure from previous work. Between 1997 and 2000, demos of Lane's solo material began surfacing on the Internet, with some bids on eBay reaching an estimated $100 per copy. In 2002, Lane decided to postpone the "Jabberwocky" project and released a new project as his debut solo album. The "Jabberwocky" project remained unreleased.

Lane's official debut solo album, Back Down to One, was released on June 17, 2003 through Z Records and in the U.S. in 2006 on Immortal/Sidewinder Records. It carried a "power pop" sound more closely aligned with the sound of Warrant than "Jabberwocky." Shortly after the album's release, Lane was admitted to a rehabilitation center for alcohol and drug-related exhaustion.

In the fall of 2004, Lane contributed lead vocals for the first ever theme song to a novel, Billy McCarthy's "The Devil of Shakespeare," along with James Young from Styx, Ron Flynt of 20/20 and Chip Z'Nuff of Enuff Z'Nuff.

Lane contributed vocals on the track "Bastille Day" and "2112 Overture/Temples of Syrinx" for the Magna Carta 2005 Rush tribute album "Subdivisions."

Lane had success with the "VH1 Classic Metal Mania: Stripped" discs, where the acoustic version of "I Saw Red" was included on disc 1, a new acoustic swinging version of "Cherry Pie" featured on disc 2, and a new acoustic version of "Heaven" featured on disc 3.

In 2005, Lane became a fan favorite on the popular VH1 series Celebrity Fit Club 2. His problems with alcohol were highlighted and many viewers supported his efforts at recovery.

With the reissue and U.S. release of "Back Down to One" in 2006, Lane attempted to restart his version of Warrant. Although "Back Down to One" was credited as a solo release, Lane assembled a new touring band called "Jani Lane's Warrant." The band's first shows in Michigan were stopped by legal action from former bandmates objecting to his use of the Warrant logo on his posters. Lane subsequently continued touring without the Warrant name and logo.

Lane lent his vocals to numerous tribute CDs during the 2000s. In 2007, he released a solo cover album titled "Photograph," featuring a collection of his tribute contributions.

Keri Kelli and Lane wrote a song for Alice Cooper titled "The One That Got Away." It was recorded by Cooper on his 2008 record Along Came a Spider. Lane also finished work on a side project, Saints of the Underground, which included Kelli and Bobby Blotzer and Robbie Crane, (both from Ratt). Their album, Love the Sin, Hate the Sinner, was released on April 22, 2008 by Warrior Records, and was mixed by producer/engineer Andy Johns, who'd worked with The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. The album featured additional bass work by Chuck Wright (Quiet Riot, House of Lords). The band was originally called "Angel City Outlaws" when they posted their first two promo singles, "Bruised" and "Exit."

In summer 2010, Lane toured with Great White, filling in for singer Jack Russell, who was recuperating from surgery after suffering internal complications.

On August 11, 2011, the Los Angeles Police Department and local news stations announced that Lane was found dead of acute alcohol poisoning at a Comfort Inn hotel in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 47. Lane was pronounced dead by fire department personnel who responded to a call shortly before 5:30 p.m.

[heyyyharry]

Chapter 14: To The Boy Next Door

(from the My Girl Trilogy: Stay Mine)

…in which they play a game.

Word count: 4.7k

AU: actor!Harry, older!Harry, younger!Y/N, (4-year age gap).

Wattpad link (Thea as Y/N)

ANNOUNCEMENT: The last chapter was supposed to be released on July 1, BUT I have two final exams on that same week, so I’ll have no choice but to move the schedule forward.

Last My Girl update: July 8, 2020. (July 3: Tumblr preview and full chapter on Patreon).

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One year later

“Come in.”

When Asher entered the room, Gemma almost didn’t recognize him. He’d got a beard now, and he wasn’t wearing a suit. If she hadn’t known the charming Asher in the past, she would be so shocked to find out he was the CEO’s son. Too bad she didn’t care enough to wonder what had happened to him after his business had gone bankrupt because his father had refused to finance it. Now he was just a regular accountant.

His eyes went wide when he saw her sitting with his dad in the CEO office.

Hello, Asher, she thought, yet gave him nothing but a polite nod as if they were meeting for the first time.

“Asher, I suppose you remember Gemma?” asked his father with a sigh.

“Yes,” Asher mumbled, his gaze falling to the floor.

Of course he remembered her. Abusers always remembered their victims.

His dad looked from him back to Gemma. Hands folded on the desk, he said, “Gemma is our new COO. I hope you will have no trouble working for her.”

Asher’s head jerked up as if he’d just heard a gunshot. And Gemma, of course, was the one holding the gun.

She relished his astonishment and cracked a smile as she rose from her seat and walked toward him. She extended her hand, but he didn’t take it.

“Working for her?” he asked his dad, who replied with a stern expression.

“Yes. She’s your new boss.”

Gemma broke into a smirk, still holding out her hand in the space between them. Asher’s eyes had grown so big they nearly took over his entire face. “You,” he hissed at her, “I can't believe you weaselled your way into this company.”

“Oh, no.” Gemma frowned pretentiously and dropped her hand down to her side. “I’ve been a shareholder for almost a year. I’ve done more for this company in that short amount of time than you have your whole life.”

He thinned his lips and glared at her, unable to muster a single word.

She hated him but respected his father. And what was better as revenge than making sure she took everything he wanted? First, his father’s affection. Soon, his father’s company.

“I don’t want to make this unpleasant for you, Asher,” her voice dropped so low as she leaned in so only the two of them could hear. “Or maybe I do. So you better be a nice employee, because I wouldn't be sorry to kick you out of here.”

His face dimmed as she stepped away. If there was a camera, she’d take a picture and put it in a frame. Though she doubted this would be the last time she got to see that defeated look on his face.

"See you around, Ash," she said, placing a hand on her hip as she breezed right past him out of the room.

Two interns, a blonde and a dark-skinned girl, rose from their cubicles and rushed up to her as she was heading for the lift.

“Excuse me,” the blonde said timidly. “Are you...our new COO?”

“Y-Yes, yes, I am.” Gemma worked up a smile and the girls giggled to each other like teenagers.

“Congratulations and welcome!” said the dark-skinned one, who said her name was Marie and her friend was Claria. Gemma assumed they were going to fangirl about her brother, but then Marie said, “We love your sister-in-law’s book. We’re such big big fans.”

It took Gemma a second. “Y/N? She and Harry aren’t–”

“Future sister-in-law,” Claria corrected her friend, looking nervously from Marie back to Gemma. “We’ve...heard some rumours. Can you confirm or deny it?”

“I cannot. But I’ll let her know about you girls.”

The girls grinned like the Cheshire Cat, and Gemma could tell they were trying their best not to freak out. She waved them goodbye and hastened into the lift before the door closed.

Her phone buzzed with a new text.

Isey: Lunch? :)

Lunch :) she replied, biting back a grin.

Another notification popped up. A reply from Harry's girl. Gemma rolled her eyes as she remembered lending Harry her phone a couple of weeks ago. He'd changed most names in her contacts and she'd only managed to change back a few of them.

Harry's girl: Thanks for the birthday wish, Gem! (heart emoji)

You're welcome! Is Harry coming home today?

Harry's girl: I hope not. But idk.

We never know. How can you STAND him? Ugh.

Harry's girl: I can't lol.

Harry's girl: Anyway, what was his reaction?

Gemma knew right away whom Y/N was talking about.

Priceless, she responded.

Harry's girl: QUEEN. Make his life a living hell.

Oh I will. Certainly.

The door slid open with a ding, and Gemma tucked the phone into her bag. Her assistant was waiting outside to direct her to her new office. With a smile on her face, she stepped out of the lift and shook the assistant's hand.

She was so ready for this new beginning.

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“Good aaaaaafternoon, girlfriend! Are you feeling twenty-two?”

Y/N laughed hoarsely as she blinked a few times to let her vision get used to the light from the windows opposite the bed. “You’re embarrassing,” she said, yawning.

On the phone, Harry gasped. “Did you just wake up?!”

“I stayed up all night talking to you and had a zoom meeting with Laura this morning. Besides, it’s Sunday.”

“It’s your birthday.”

“Duh.” She grinned at the ceiling and exhaled. “I’m twenty-two now. I’m like...old.”

“Ouch. Well, aren’t you supposed to get ready for the book signing?”

“Book signing is tomorrow. Bad boyfriend.”

The sound of his laugh made her heart leap. She missed him so much. He’d been in New York for two weeks and wouldn’t be back until next Thursday, which meant she’d have to spend this birthday without him. She wasn’t sure if she should let him know she wished he were here. She really did. But she also didn’t want him to drop everything and fly back to her for only one night. He’d done that before and it'd been romantic, still, she never wanted him to do it again.

“To prove that I’m not a bad boyfriend,” he said, snapping her back to the moment. “I have a surprise for you.”

She sat up straight and whipped her head to the door. “Goddamn it, Harry,” she huffed, “if you tell me you’re standing right outside–”

“No!” He burst out laughing. “No, no, no, I’m still in New York.”

She sighed in relief, but couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed.

“My surprise is in the pocket of my favourite suit,” he said.

She had no idea what he might have up his sleeves (quite literally). Still, she rolled out of bed, shoved her feet into her slippers, and padded out of the room.

Two years ago on this same day, he’d brought her to the roof of an abandoned building, where they’d watched the night city and eaten his homemade cupcakes. On her twenty-first birthday, they hadn’t been talking. And so this year, she’d suspected that he must have planned something extravagant to surprise her, even though he wasn’t home to celebrate with her. The surprise had come a bit earlier than expected.

She switched on the light in the walk-in closet, which was as large as her old flat. His favourite suit was the one he’d worn on Grammy’s night. Sparkling dark velvet to match the aesthetic of her silvery mermaid gown, which, unfortunately, she hadn’t got a chance to show off to the world.

She stuck her hand into the breast pocket of the jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Found it."

“Go on. Read it,” he encouraged.

“If it says ‘Happy Birthday, smiley face’, I’ll strangle you when you come back.”

A laugh burst right through him. “Your choking kink is getting out of hand, babe.”

“Shut up.” She huffed, unfolding the note. “Should have said I loved you,” she read aloud. “What does that mean?”

“You can ask for my help only once. Call me when you’ve found the fifth clue.”

“Wait!”

But he’d already hung up.

She almost called him back but then decided not to. She didn't want to waste her only chance to ask for help.

Classic treasure hunt, she thought, rereading the sentence.

The prize would be her birthday present for sure. Maybe he’d hidden it in the wood somewhere. A normal boyfriend would just have the birthday present delivered, or leave it on the table or in the garage, not challenge his girlfriend’s two only active brain cells with a children’s game. But Y/N wasn’t a normal girlfriend. And as much as she hated working for something other than her writing, a part of her was excited.

“Should have said I loved you,” she thought out loud, then snapped her fingers and rushed across the hallway to his library.

Two years ago, she’d told him she’d loved him for the first time and received silence in return. In this very room, he’d watched her leave.

She stood in front of the giant bookcase, which he’d had installed a month after she’d officially moved in. Most of these books were from her collection. On a shelf in the middle stood three framed photos of them. Them in Paris. Them with their families on a vacation last summer. Them at her graduation.

She flipped each frame over to check the back, but none had what she was looking for. She tapped her foot impatiently on the carpet while assessing the rest of the bookcase. It didn’t take her too long to notice that one book was upside down.

P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern.

Of course. Of-fucking-course.

She rolled her eyes, feeling a smile stretching her lips as she took the book from the shelf and opened it to the first page. There was a post-it note that said:

Congrats, babe. You’ve found it. Next clue: Where the magic happens ;)

‘Where the magic happens.’ If it wasn’t sexual, the winky face had made sure that it was.

Could it be their bed? Nope. She'd slept there last night.

Could it be the first place they’d had sex?

Could the next clue be inside that car?

She jolted with a start and dashed out of the library, and as soon as she reached the stairs, she suddenly halted.

No. She didn’t remember which car they’d had sex in for the first time, and he’d got a whole collection of cars. It’d take forever to search every single one. That wasn’t the right answer.

Sighing, she stood on the first stair and contemplated the clue again.

They used to play Treasure Hunt when they were younger. There were usually at least five or six clues, and the first three should be easy.

Could it be her flat? Most of their ‘secret relationship’ had happened in her flat. It used to be their secret kingdom. Impenetrable. Disconnected to the outside world. They’d also had their second real kiss outside her door, and she still had until the end of this month before she must return the keys to the landlord.

She wasn’t sure, and she wasn’t going to drive all the way there just to find out she was wrong.

And so she decided to call him.

“Let me guess,” he said as soon as the beeping stopped. “You’re either super impatient or your fairy godmother appeared and helped you find all five clues.”

She rolled her eyes. “Third clue. Is it your car or my flat?”

“My car?” He sounded confused, which gave her the impression that she might have got it wrong.

Her cheeks burnt as she said, “We had sex for the first time in your car.”

“No, not my car, but damn, I should have thought of that.”

“So it’s my flat?”

“Are you sure you want to ask me now?”

“Yes.”

“Yes,” he smugly confirmed. “It’s your flat. Now you’re on your own until the final clue.”

“Fuck,” she grunted and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I thought you’d have trouble with this one, too. I mean, we fuck everywhere these days.”

“If my birthday present isn’t worth all this, we won’t be fucking ever again.”

He gasped at the threat, and she could picture him wearing that stupid crooked smile as he told her, “Good luck, kid. I believe in you.”

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She found the next clue on Thumper’s lap.

When she’d moved most of her furniture to Harry’s house, she’d forgotten to take the purple stuffed bunny with her. She held it under her arm and scrutinized the pink post-it note, which said:

I cannot believe you left Thumper behind. Third clue: Drunk little deer.

“Drunk little deer? What does that even mean?” Then she looked at Thumper. “Should I kick him in the balls when I see him?”

She made the rabbit nod and burst out laughing at how crazy she sounded. If anyone walked in and saw her talking to a stuffed animal, they would assume she was either crazy or drunk.

Drunk.

She was the drunk little deer. Drunk Bambi.

The answer was the place he'd seen her drunk for the first time.

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Andrew recognized Y/N right from the moment she stepped into the pub. He leaned over the counter and shouted for everyone to hear, “Little girl! Good to see you again!”

“Andrew," she smiled and shouldered her way towards the bar.

He eyed her up and down as she slid onto one of the stools. “You look different. I hope you’re not here to drink again. I might have to kick you out.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You look different, too. I like your new hair.”

Andrew rubbed his shiny bald head, scowling at her as she raised a smile and rested her chin on her knuckles. Andrew might look intimidating, especially now without his hair, but he was one of the softest people she’d ever met. He’d been so kind to her during her tough times and even let her haunt his pub day and night until Harry had come for the rescue.

“You’re kind of famous now, aren’t you?” Andrew said. “I’ve read your book. It didn’t suck.”

“You have?”

He lifted one giant shoulder of his, pursing his lips. “My wife made me. She's a big fan. Your boyfriend came two weeks ago and he even signed the book for her. He said he was the one in the story.”

“My boyfriend was here?”

Andrew gave a nod.

The voices in Y/N's head started cheering like she’d just won a wrestling match. It would have been so embarrassing if she'd asked Andrew first and then found out she'd got it wrong.

“Well, did he leave...something for me? A message perhaps?”

Andrew growled as he turned away, and without a word, disappeared through a stained curtain behind him. He came back five minutes later and handed her a green post-it note with an unreadable grimace on his face.

She snatched it immediately. A laugh crackled out of her as if he’d just given her gold.

Hi babe, you’re almost there! My biggest fans (not you) have the final clue. Get back to work.

“He gave this to me when he signed the book,” Andrew said.

Y/N mumbled the words over as she tried to figure them out. Her first guess for ‘biggest fans (not you)’was Gemma and Isaac. But then she got rid of the idea because they had to be at the same place at the same time in order for this to work, and Gem and Isaac were both at work.

Which two people were together right now and were also Harry’s biggest fans?

‘Get back to work.’

Yes. That’s it!

Y/N thrust the post-it note into her bag and rose from the stool. “I’m sorry. This must be weird to you.”

“It’s quite romantic, actually," Andrew said.

“Really?”

“And weird. You two are both weird. What a perfect couple.”

“Gee, thanks.”

As she spun on her heels, Andrew called after her, “Hey, little girl. I’m sorry I said you weren’t a real writer.”

“You said that?”

“You were drunk,” he chuckled. “Anyway, bring your weird boyfriend back sometimes.”

“I will. If there’s free beer.”

“Get out of here.” He shot his finger toward the door, but it was the first time she’d seen Andrew smile with his whole face.

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Eddie’s bookshop was busy on most Sundays. Well, it had been busy almost every day since Y/N had credited him in her latest best-selling debut novel.

She entered the shop and was immediately recognized by a group of schoolgirls, who asked her to sign their new copies of her book and questioned her about the story. She recycled the same amiable answers that didn’t give away any more than what they might already know. Since she’d already got used to the attention, the fans didn’t intimidate her anymore.

She took a selfie with the girls and bid them goodbye. Then one of the new employees told her that Eddie and Alice were sorting books at the back. She wandered along aisles until she found them. Eddie was scolding Alice for putting hardcovers in between paperbacks. Nothing got on Eddie’s nerves as much as putting hardcovers in between paperbacks.

“The hardcovers take more shelf-space so you cannot put them there! God, Alice, were you drunk when you were sorting these books?”

“I wish I were drunk now,” Alice said, and her eyes lit up as she saw Y/N. She nearly tackled Y/N to the floor with a violent hug, and Y/N returned with half as much enthusiasm.

“You’re like a Golden Retriever,” Y/N said, pulling back and cupping her friend’s face.

“Happy birthday! I was gonna send you–”

Eddie didn’t wait for Alice to finish as he pushed her aside to step forward, his face brightened like the sun. “You’re here for the clue, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I–”

“We can’t just hand it to you.” That sun-like face suddenly turned serious. “You need a password. What is Harry’s favourite book?”

Y/N arched an eyebrow at Eddie as if expecting him to say ‘gotcha!’ But he only mirrored her expression as he crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for an answer.

“Seriously?” Y/N scoffed, looking at her two friends. “He’s that narcissistic?”

Alice smirked as she raised a shoulder. “Either you answer or search this entire bookshop yourself.”

“I fucking hate him and I fucking hate both of you.” Y/N rolled her eyes upward and exhaled sharply. “Norwegian Wood.”

“Huh?”

“That’s his favourite book,” she told Alice and remembered Alice didn’t read fiction unless it was compulsory. “Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami.”

Eddie looked confused. “He loves Haruki Murakami? His books are misogynistic.”

“Harry’s got a bad taste in authors. But judging from your reactions, I suppose that is not the correct answer, and I should probably break up with my boyfriend because I don’t know what his favourite book is.”

“You do, Y/N.” Alice beamed as she leaned a shoulder against the bookcase. “You’re thinking too big. It’s pretty simple.”

“Shit. Is it my book?” Y/N asked, then pinched the bridge of her nose as Eddie began to smile. “Goddamn it, he’s like my dad times ten.”

“What did your dad do?” Eddie asked.

“He bought a bunch of copies of my book and sent them to our relatives for Christmas. It was pretty embarrassing.”

“Aww.”

“ALICE!”

“Jesus Christ!” Alice covered her ears as she shot Eddie a glare. “I’m standing right next to you.”

“Go get the clue!” Eddie flicked his fingers at her. “Go! Hurry!”

Alice rolled her eyes and flipped him off as she backed out of the aisle. Eddie ignored her and turned back to Y/N, grinning from ear to ear like he was the birthday girl. “Are you excited?”

“Not as much as you are. That’s for sure,” Y/N said and made sure he knew she was joking by giving him a toothy grin.

“I’m not gonna tell you what the surprise is, you know.”

“I’m not asking.”

Eddie’s laugh was high as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “What I can tell you is that you’re gonna love it. Too bad I cannot be there to see your reaction.”

“Trust me,” she said. “You don’t wanna see me scold Harry through the phone.”

Alice returned with a copy of My Girl and handed it to Y/N with a smile that possibly meant, ‘You’re gonna love this’.

Suspicious and somewhat elated, Y/N opened the book to the dedication page.

To Mum, Dad, and the boy next door.

Those were her words. Below was his handwriting: Hi my love :)

Curious, she turned to the first chapter. This wasn’t just another copy of her book, of which she’d got all the different covers at home. With this one, Harry had done the same thing he’d done to her journal. His handwriting was scattered across the pages. He’d underlined all the quotes he’d enjoyed and left comments about them on the side.

Y/N heard Eddie say something about how he would never write in books and Alice immediately shush him for being rude. Y/N never wrote in books, either, but she loved reading Harry’s handwritten notes. It felt like he was reading the story with her. The butterflies in her stomach went wild just from imagining him taking his time writing on each page and grinning at his own jokes. If this was the birthday surprise, she could not ask for anything more.

However, she knew he had to be more extra than this.

And there it was. Proof that this was not the surprise. On the very last page, he wrote:

Meet me where the sky meets the earth.

“Where the sky meets the earth?” she thought out loud and glanced up at Eddie, who responded with a shrug. Alice did, too. Y/N didn’t think they were lying. Harry must have told them what the surprise was, but not the answers to these cryptic messages.

Eddie patted her on the back as he wished her good luck and shooed Alice back to the front to assist the customers. Y/N was left behind to work it out on her own. She leaned against the bookcase, pondering over the words.

Hadn’t Harry said she was allowed to call him when she reached the fifth clue?

She tucked the book under her arm and pulled out the phone from the pocket of her jeans.

“Hi, babe!”

“I’ve got the fifth clue,” she blurted. “What do I do now?”

“I don’t know. Solve it?”

“Yes, smartarse. The answer is, I don’t know.”

“You’re not even thinking.”

“You said you’d help me!”

“I said I’d help you once,” he countered. “And I did. I told you to call me just so I know when you’ve reached the final clue.”

“So you’re not gonna help me with this one?”

He was quiet for a moment. “Well, I can give you a hint. What do all the places you’ve visited today have in common?”

She chewed on her lip, an arm folded over her chest. “They’re memories,” she whispered.

“That’s right,” he whispered back, like they didn’t want anyone to overhear their conversation. “This last place is a memory as well. Where the sky meets the earth. Think, kid.”

She pouted. “Can I please get another hint?”

“You don’t get to talk in a cute voice and manipulate me, Bambi,” he sighed. “Fine. Our first date.”

“Holmes Chapel?!”

He said nothing and hung up.

It took Y/N a few seconds, but she believed she’d got the answer.

.

.

.

She took the lift and climbed four sets of stairs to the roof.

Adrenaline buzzed right through her, causing her hands to shake and her heart to pound against her ribcage. The metal was cold against her fingertips as she pawed the heavy door open slowly. It was unlocked.

The cold wind gushed in, blowing her hair out of her face as she stepped into the night. The city of London gleamed before her eyes. Where the sky meets the earth. This was where they could see stars high above and down below.

And there he was. Waiting for her with that smug crooked grin on his stupid face.

“Hi,” he said.

Oh, how she’d missed his stupid beautiful face.

She tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket and ambled forward, still thinking him being here was too good to be true.

He lifted both hands like a surrendered criminal, both eyebrows raised as he said, “Before you get angry, I can explain.”

“Please do,” she demanded but found herself smiling.

With the wind in his hair, dimples on his cheeks and city light in his eyes, he looked absolutely breathtaking. She couldn’t hate him even if she tried.

Harry exhaled unsteadily through his mouth before mumbling, “Here I go,” and then he was on his knee in front of her.

She didn’t react when he took her cold hand and pressed it against his warm chest. She could feel his heart beating almost in sync with her own.

“Are you surprised?” he asked, chuckling nervously.

She exhaled a quiet laugh and said, “Yes, but also no.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Because I warned you this would happen?”

“Because you warned me this would happen.” Her mouth curved at the corner as she recalled the Oscar night in his LA house, both of them drunk, him on his knee like this, a promise, and how in love she’d felt, almost as much as she did in this very moment.

“Is this too early or too late?” he ventured.

“This is perfect.”

She pressed her lips into a smile, and his green eyes flickered in the semi-darkness. “Well then.” He straightened his back. “Y/N ‘Bambi’ Y/L/N.”

“Yes.” Her voice was so brittle she feared he wouldn’t hear it, her stomach twisted into triple knots, her chest fluttering and her fingers trembling.

He held her gaze as the corner of his mouth arched. “Will you…”

“I swear to God if you’re jok–”

“Marry me,” he blurted, panting as though saying those words had drained all the energy out of him. “Marry me. I want to annoy you for the rest of my life. I want every fight, every laugh, every up and down, every kiss, every touch, everything about you. I will love you until all my teeth fall out, until you finally learn to cook–”

“I’ll never learn to cook.”

“I know,” he chuckled. “Most importantly, I’ll even let you love young Leo a bit more than me, but only sometimes.”

She covered her mouth. What meant to be a laugh came out as a sob.

“I would have written a speech, but I figured you’d roast me for my bad writing, so I’d rather improvise and blame this awful proposal on it being improvised.”

“God, you’re fucking annoying,” she laughed tearily into her hand and he was laughing, too.

Quickly, he got to his feet and tugged her into him. She circled her arms around his waist, her face buried into his chest as she inhaled the scent she’d missed achingly in the last two weeks.

“My girl is such a crybaby,” he said, kissing the top of her head, her temple, her ear, her cheek, her forehead. He kissed and held her until she’d calmed down.

“Yes,” she told him at last, lifting her eyes up to his.

“Yes, you’re a crybaby?”

“Yes, you’re a dumbarse and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life roasting you and yes, I’ll sometimes love young Leo more than you but only sometimes, because you’re the greatest love of my life and I cannot imagine a life without you–”

He stopped her with his lips, his hands tenderly cupping her face as his thumbs moved slowly over her chin, cheeks and jawlines. She’d imagined that their first kiss after two weeks apart would be sexually aggressive and against-the-wall hot, but this kiss was slow and sensual and passionate and full of wanting. It felt like his promise for their future together. One that would last.

[john-taylor-daily]

Full text of the article:

Want to feel really old? Oh, go on then. Duran Duran turn 40 this year: the band, that is, not the members. For them it’s worse: Simon Le Bon is 61, John and Roger Taylor, each 59, and Nick Rhodes, the baby, 57.

As you would expect of a pop group who always appeared happiest hanging off a yacht in ruffled Antony Price suits, accessorised with a supermodel and a cocktail, they intend to celebrate in style, coronavirus permitting. So the plan, announced this week, is that on July 12, exactly 40 years since their first gig at the Rum Runner in Birmingham, they will perform in Hyde Park, headlining a bill that includes Nile Rodgers & Chic and their pal Gwen Stefani. Four of the original five will be there: the guitarist Andy Taylor, 59, left the band in 1985 and, after rejoining in 2001, walked out again five years later. In the past, the guitarist Warren Cuccurullo has filled in; this time Graham Coxon from Blur will take his place.

Then in autumn Duran Duran are releasing a new album, their 15th, which they are halfway through making.

Growing up in the West Midlands, I was a Duranie; my first gig was theirs at the NEC in Birmingham. To give an idea of the level of devotion, I had house plants named after each of them. John, his initials “JT” written on the pot in nail varnish, was a begonia; Rhodes, a busy lizzie; Le Bon, a rubber plant; Roger and Andy Taylor were cacti. My memory, foggy on so much, still holds the name of Nick Rhodes’s cat at the time (Sebastian). The household appliance “JT” would choose to be? “A refrigerator, so I would stay cool.”

But despite previous opportunities, I’ve avoided them bar an awkward backstage handshake with Le Bon. In the meantime, they have notched up record sales of 100 million, had 21 Top 20 hits in the UK and, unlike many bands who came to fame in the 1980s, they produce different, exciting, if not always lauded albums, working with new producers and musicians. They’ve had top five albums in each of the four decades they’ve worked. Their last album, Paper Gods (2015), produced by Mark Ronson and Rodgers, was their most successful for 25 years.

Now 46 and with no desire to anthropomorphise greenery, I meet Rhodes, the keyboardist, and John Taylor, the bass player, once described as having the squarest jaw in rock. Rhodes suggests his “local”, Blakes hotel in Chelsea, near the home he shares with his Sicilian girlfriend, Nefer Suvio (he and Julie Anne Friedman divorced in 1992; they have one child together, Tatjana). Taylor, just in from Los Angeles, home to his second wife, Gela Nash, who runs the fashion label Juicy Couture, invites me to his flat in Pimlico. Le Bon, still happily married to the supermodel Yasmin Le Bon with three grown-up daughters, is busy in the studio and Roger Taylor, four children and with second wife Gisella Bernales, is otherwise occupied.

Rhodes, who joins me in the bar at Blakes, has the same peroxide mop and alabaster skin that were always his trademark. He wears black trousers by the English designer Neil Barrett and a Savile Row jacket dressed down with a rock T-shirt from the Los Angeles company Punk Masters.

Four days later, I arrive at Taylor’s flat in a garden square where he greets me at the door dressed in black jeans and T-shirt, with sculpted bed-hair. I’m reminded of the time my brother splashed Sun-In on his to emulate Taylor’s bleached New Romantic fringe.

It’s good to have them back. They started on the new album in September at Flood Studios in Willesden, northwest London, and, as well as Coxon, have been working with three producers: Giorgio Moroder, Ronson and the DJ Erol Alkan. “The whole place is filled with analogue synthesizers, so it’s just joy for me,” says Rhodes, who began life as Nicholas Bates but renamed himself after a make of electronic keyboard.

Rhodes met Moroder — the “godfather of electronica” and the man behind Donna Summer’s I Feel Love — through a mutual friend of his girlfriend. “We talked about music and what had happened to us,” Rhodes says. “He is as sharp as a razor, 79 going on 45.” They worked with Ronson, who has produced Amy Winehouse and Adele, in LA. “The first thing Mark always says is, ‘Let me hear the rest of it,’” Rhodes says with a laugh. “He is quite competitive.”

Taylor, who leads me into a room that’s more gentlemen’s club than rock-star pad with an open fire, armchairs, brown furniture and bad Victorian paintings, says the break of five years has refuelled them. “We have to starve ourselves of creativity long enough that when we do show up we have something to say,” he says. “[The studio sessions] are quite exhausting because we have been down this road. We can finish each other’s sentences and I guess, to some extent, we can do that musically as well. We are working with the same cast; it’s like a soap opera. That’s why collaborators become so important as you need to keep the spirit lively.”

Rhodes, who says the new album is more “handmade” and “guitary”, explains the working dynamics: “John and Roger’s rhythm section often drives a track. Simon, the lyricist, gives all the songs our identity; it’s his voice that tells you it’s Duran Duran. My part has more to do with sonic architecture.” That may be the most Nick Rhodes phrase yet.

We move on to Andy Taylor. “Forty years ago we had Andy in the band and he was a strong flavour and a northerner and brought a rigour,” says John Taylor. “Filling that vacuum has always been one of the major challenges of version two of the band; we did it with Warren Cuccurullo and with Graham on this record. But it’s not the same. Andy didn’t mind telling people what they were doing wrong.”

He pauses. “We had a reunion with Andy [in 2001] and that was enormously difficult, actually.” How so? “That’s a book really,” says Taylor, who has written about the saga, along with his struggle with drink and drugs, in his excellent 2012 memoir In the Pleasure Groove. “Or it’s a mini-series.”

“It was very uncomfortable for us,” Rhodes says of Andy leaving in 1985. “For sure, it had become stressful over the previous year — we were all burnt out from not having stopped for five years — but we didn’t see it coming at all.”

What are relations with Andy like now? “I don’t really have any,” says Rhodes. “I haven’t seen him for many years since he left the last time. I was not even slightly surprised when it did fall apart. I was relieved. As much as Andy is a great musician he is not an easy person to play with.”

I mention to Taylor that Andy has just announced his own UK dates in May, playing Duran songs. “Uh-ha,” he says. He didn’t know. Does he mind? “I don’t mind at all. All power to him,” says Taylor. “I would rather he be out playing.”

Taylor has the sanguine air of someone who has spent decades nuking his demons (he’s currently working on guilt; he had a Catholic mother). He has been sober for 26 years after an addiction which in part led to the break-up of his marriage to the TV presenter Amanda de Cadenet in 1997. Was it hard at first? “It was like turning round an ocean liner,” he says, his voice posh Brum with a California chaser. “I work a daily programme and that’s what keeps me sober. It’s not something that just happens; it takes a lot of attention.”

We move on to the themes of the new, as yet untitled, album. Le Bon lost his mother recently, so we can expect songs inspired by loss. Taylor says he took inspiration from “the challenges of long-term relationships . . . Take a song like Save a Prayer, which personally I think is one of the greatest ever songs in praise of the one-night stand,” he says. “It comes to the point where you can’t write something like that. It’s not age-appropriate; yet it is sexy. So how do you write from the perspective of someone who is trying to keep a long-term relationship together? That is the challenge of any late-age pop star. How do you make it chic, to use one of Nick’s favourite words.”

It is hard to forget how impossibly chic Duran were in the 1980s: from their beginnings in Birmingham (Nick and John, anyway), where they met when Rhodes was 10 and Taylor 12, to a world of famous friends, beautiful partners and exotic travel. Le Bon married Yasmin after seeing her in Vogue, Rhodes was with the shipping heiress Friedman and Taylor the teenage de Cadenet. Andy Warhol was a close friend of Rhodes.

While others were singing about the dark side of Thatcher’s Britain, they were . . . more opaque. “In the 1980s a lot of what we did was somewhat misunderstood because we were living in the same gloomy years with high unemployment and miners’ strikes and civil unrest as everybody else,” Rhodes says. “But our answer to it was we have to get away from this and make it a little brighter because it didn’t seem like a particularly promising future.” Don’t expect that coronavirus torch song any time soon.

Their association with Bond — they wrote the 1985 theme A View to a Kill — only added to the glamour. What do they make of the new one by Billie Eilish? Rhodes admits that he mostly listens to classical music these days but “was thrilled to hear Billie Eilish. I think it’s by far the best Bond song since ours.”

But not better than yours?

“I am very happy that she reached No 1.” Duran’s got to No 2.

Taylor is more critical. “I thought it was lacking in a bit of Billie Eilish to be honest. It could have been madder. It was a little bit too grown up,” he says.

Is it as good as A View to a Kill?

“No!” says Taylor, theatrically. “Although,” he admits, “it was the most difficult three mins that we have ever produced.”

It had a great video, in which the boys slunk around the Eiffel Tower. Taylor frowns. “I hate that video. So stupid. I can’t watch it.” One for the fans, then.

A secret of their longevity, Rhodes says, is not bowing to nostalgia. “I like to keep my blinkers on and look forward.” Having said that, he sounds ready to write his own memoir. “I would do a book yes,” he says. “I haven’t read John’s on purpose. I even wrote a foreword for it for the US version without reading it, but I did own up to it. I think mine would be very different from a lot of the rock biographies. The one that sticks with me is David Niven’s.”

Rhodes featured in Warhol’s diaries and Warhol, the subject of a show at Tate Modern in London that opened this week, would surely feature in his. He “invented the 20th century”, Rhodes says. “Andy was making reality TV in the Sixties. Can you imagine what he would have thought about the internet? It was all his dreams come true, but he would never have got any work done.” Rhodes says he stays off social media for that reason. “It’s not that I don’t like it; I fear it. I am going down a rabbit hole I may never get out of.

They’ve spent twice the time being famous as being unknown. Are they the same people they were in Birmingham 40 years ago?

Rhodes nods. “Yes, yes,” he says. “There have been big changes — marriages, divorces, kids, moving countries in John’s case — but when we are all together we have known each other for so long there is no room for anyone to behave in a way that would be unacceptable. There is no room for divas. We have lasted longer than most marriages; it is like being married to three people but we each get to go home on our own every night.”

Taylor tells me: “Without getting into recovery talk, a lot of that is about scrubbing away the masks that you tend to accrue to cope, so I think I am as close to that person as I was 40 years ago.”

Rhodes says tolerance is the key. “Sometimes when I arrive at the studio it is really bright, maybe someone is writing, and so everyone accepts I can’t cope, and so the lighting comes down.” I tell him I once read he always wears dark glasses before noon. He laughs. “Pretty much. That’s funny. I am hyper-sensitive to light. It’s not just pretentiousness. “

They appreciate they will have to prepare physically for the dates. For Rhodes, a terrible insomniac, that means “fruit and vegetables and grains” and lots of walking. But no workouts (“I am not a big fan of gymnasiums”). Taylor says he needs to start practising bass and the need to get back in shape is “keeping him awake at night”. “I like to run, I do Pilates, I do yoga and I think about everything that enters my mouth, everything. I am 90 per cent vegan. I don’t drink, take mind-altering chemicals. I am on and off sugar.”

Perhaps the greatest sign that they still have it is that their children want to see them play. Taylor just heard from his daughter, Atlanta, who lives in New York and is soon to be married to David Macklovitch from the Canadian band Chromeo.

“It’s a surprise when you get a text from a child and they say, ‘You’re playing Hyde Park — my boyfriend and I want to come.’”

[trashinaglass-archive]

Surprise

Y/n throws a surprise party for Harrison

Warnings: Kinda suggestive at the beginning

Request: Hi! You are very good writer and I really like your ffs🥰 Could you write something about surprise birthday party for x reader? Thanks for your works❣️

A/n: I’m a hoe for Harrison and I hope he has the happiest birthday

July 4. Harrison’s twenty-third birthday.

You were so excited for what you had planned for the day. You slid out of bed slowly, careful not to wake the sleeping boy beside you and headed outside to make a few phone calls to ensure your plans are finalized.

“Bloody hell, you’re up early,” Tom said as you called him first.

You let out a laugh at his comment, “you’re telling me. Where are you currently?”

“Just got off the plane. Sam is waiting outside,” he told you.

“Okay, are there many fans or paps around?” You asked, nervous that they’d post a picture and Harrison would see. Tom and Harrison have been best friends for forever, but recently they’ve spent a lot of time apart. You thought it would be the perfect surprise for Tom to fly in just for Haz’s birthday.

“I haven’t noticed any, but you never know.”

“Okay. So you’re set for lunch and dinner tonight?”

“Yes. I can’t wait, y/n. I’ve missed you guys so much,” he said. You could hear a car door open and close followed by Sam’s voice greeting his brother.

“We’ve missed too, movie star,” you told him, knowing it would make him tick. “I’ll see soon, bub.”

“Yeah, bye peasant.” You smiled as you pulled the phone away from your ear and ended the call, immediately dialing a new number. You talked over tonight- how it would go, who would be there, and what would happen. You were so excited.

Hanging up the phone, you walked back inside and snuck back into the bedroom, seeing Harrison still asleep. You gently crawled onto the bed to hover over his sleeping body. “Harrison,” you whispered in his ear and placed a kiss to his jaw. He moved slightly, letting out a soft ‘hm’ but not waking up. Your hand reached out to softly scratch down his chest, kissing his neck until your hand reached the waistband of his shorts.

“Is this how you wake all your men?” Harrison asked, his voice rough from sleep. You bit your lip, smiling up at him as he opened his eyes to look at you finally.

“Only the special ones,” you teased, pulling his waistband up and letting it slap against his skin. “Happy birthday, love.” You gave him a good morning kiss, soft and slow, relishing in each other’s taste before pulling away. “You know if I was a perfect girlfriend, I would have a grand breakfast waiting for you downstairs, but I’m only a good girlfriend so I’ll ask what would you like for breakfast.”

Harrison laughed at your comment. “Honestly, all I want is to stay in bed. We can do lunch later instead.” The suggestion made you smile. It sounded like the perfect start to the day- laying together until you decided to face the outside world.

“Whatever you want, gorg.” You placed another kiss to his lips before laying your head on his chest. His hands began to sift and play with your hair making you want to fall back asleep. “How did you sleep last night?”

“Good- I actually had a dream that Tom flew in for my birthday. I must miss him a lot more than I thought,” he told you.

“That’s wild,” you replied, unsure what else to say. “I’m sure he’s thinking of you, wherever he is.”

“Yeah,” he said quietly before moving to grab his phone off the nightstand. He was silent as he scrolled through his phone making you feel a little bad.

“Anything good?” You asked him.

“Nah, nothing,” he said and placed his phone on the mattress beside him. You knew it was bothering him.

Charolette helped you plan for his surprise party and one of her ideas was for you to forget his birthday. The classic trick. But you told her that you didn’t think you would be able to do that to him so she decided she and his mom would do that instead. You felt bad but going along with it was your only choice.

The time passed and your lunch date was quickly approaching. “Ready to go to lunch?” You asked him as you finished changing, excited for him to see his best friend again.

“Not as much as you are, I’d say,” he replied with a laugh. You smiled at him, proud of yourself for not giving anything away yet. “You look pretty excited.”

“It’s your birthday, gorg! Of course I’m excited,” you said, grabbing his hand to go outside. “Let’s go!”

“Okay, I’m going,” Harrison laughed.

. . .

You smiled as you walked into the restaurant, looking up at your birthday boy with excitement. He stopped when he noticed the boy sat at the table.

“What the fuck?” He asked immediately, his hand covering his face. Tom stood up, his face a replica of Harrison’s as he approached his friend, arms wide open.

“Happy birthday, mate,” Tom said as he and Harrison embraced in a tight hug.

“I’m the best,” you joked, making the two boys laugh. “Look at this moment I created. I love you guys.” You wrapped your arms around them, turning it into a group hug.

“When did you get back?” Harrison asked Tom.

“Early this morning. Y/n made sure I was given a few days break to visit for your birthday.” Harrison looked at you after Tom told him what you did.

“What? I told you I’m the best,” you repeated. Both boys laughed and you all sat down, eating and chatting with each other. Tom shared stories of his current job and you shared stories of what you and Haz had been up to.

Tom and Harrison decided to go home to hang out and probably play video games together. While they were together you took the opportunity to pop out and help set up for dinner.

“I’m going to run some errands,” you announced, giving Harrison a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Do I get a kiss too?” Tom asked, sticking his cheek out. You walked over to him, kissing your hand and tapping it against his face. “Cheers- thanks, mate,” he said sarcastically. You smirked and waved as you left the room.

. . .

“Hello hello,” you greeted as you entered the room, Harrison’s sister and mom already in the restaurant. “How’s it going?” You asked as you hugged them.

“All is well so far,” Phil told you. “We have to put the decorations up and get the cake, and I think we’ll be set.”

“Okay, what are we thinking?” You ask and follow her instructions to decorate the room- table covers, balloons, and streamers strategically placed for the perfect set up. Phil made sure to add sweet baby pictures around for viewing also. Haz would be super embarrassed, but you loved it.

“Looks good,” Charlotte commented as she returned with the cake.

“I think so too,” you replied. “I’m gonna go back home and get my boys ready for tonight. This is going to be so much fun.”

. . .

“Y/n!” Harrison yelled as you entered the flat. “What took so long?”

“I got my nails done, and they had a full house so it took a while. What did you guys do while I was out?”

“I kicked Tom’s ass at fifa,” he told you proudly.

“Is that why the ball of energy is being so quiet?” You joked as you saw Tom walk around the corner with a slight pout.

“No,” he moodily replied. “I let him win- only because it’s his birthday.”

“Whatever you say, moviestar,” you laughed. Tom picked up a spoon that was left on the counter and threw it at you- hating the nickname you and his dad teased him with. You turned to your boyfriend, wrapping your arms around his waist. “I figured for dinner we could go to that place you really like. Have a nice evening out?”

“We don’t have to. We can just stay in if that’s easier,” he suggested, making you feel a little nervous.

“But I want to, Haz. We don’t go there often so tonight would be a perfect opportunity. A birthday treat.”

“If you insist,” he said softly, placing a kiss to your lips.

“I do,” you confirmed giving him another quick peck before pulling away. “And I know exactly what I want you to wear! Come on!”

You dragged Harrison through the house and into your bedroom, Tom following. You walked into the closet pulling out a striped shirt with a jacket and pants along with a pair of shoes. You handed it all to Harrison and held your hands out, awaiting his reaction.

“I don’t know- it’s not really my color,” he said looking at the shirt, a smirk on his lips.

“Stop it, everything’s your color.”

“I’m joking. I really do like this a lot.”

“Thank you,” you told him before turning to Tom. “And you can wear whatever.” You turned to walk into the closet and changed into your own outfit for the night.

“You aren’t going to dress me too? I don’t want to look underdressed because you styled him but not me,” Tom complained.

“Get a girlfriend- she’ll do that for you,” you told him. Harrison laughed at your comment and began dressing in your chosen outfit.

“You’re my girl-best-friend, that’s part of your job too,” he tried to reason.

“Get out of here. My only job is to bicker with you and oppose everything you say.” You walk out of the closet, a white romper replacing the t-shirt and shorts you wore earlier, a pair of heels in hand. Tom raised his hands in surrender.

“Not bickering with the lady holding sharp shoes in her hand.”

“Just wear that- you look fine,” you told him and moved to stand in front of Harrison. “But you look hot.”

“Thank you, love. I thought you’d like this,” he said, pulling on the sides of the jacket. You lightly smacked his chest reminding him that you were the one to pick it out in the first place. “Let’s get going.”

. . .

You stepped out of the car first, sending a quick text to Charolette that you had arrived. You took a second to situate your romper before grabbing Harrison’s hand in yours following him inside.

Your free hand gripped his arm as you leaned up to whisper in his ear, “I love you.” Placing a kiss to his cheek as you entered the room, everyone yelling ‘surprise’. You felt Harrison jump back in shock, his hand going over his heart.

“What the hell?” He laughed, seeing his friends and family. He greeted them all with a hug.

“Happy birthday,” Charolette hugged her brother.

“Yea- thanks for remembering. I really was about to get angry at you and Mum for forgetting,” he said.

“We would never forget, love,” Phil said, hugging him too. “Charolette wanted y/n to act like she forgot, but she turned it on us.” She sent you a wink explaining the plan.

“I wouldn’t have been able to go through with it,” you told him with a shrug.

“That would’ve been a total cliché too,” he teased making Charolette roll her eyes.

“Just go enjoy the party I helped plan.”

. . .

“Did you have fun?” You asked as you walked into your house, the party finally finished. The both of you finally alone.

“So much fun. Thank you for everything you did today,” he told you, his hand moving to your lower back. “You really are the best girlfriend ever.”

You wrapped your arms around his neck leaning up to kiss him. “And I have the best boyfriend ever.”

This is all over the place and not the best. Hope yall enjoyed

Taglist: @lucychg @yourwonderbelle @rageyoudamnednerd @maliburumofficial @cutiepiemimi13 @happywolves81 @lifeandloveandhappiness @madeinthemidnightmemories @castellandiangelo @yatozaii @meaganjm (Add yourself here)

[astarlightmonbebe]

10 Kdramas I Recommend part 2

Hey~I’m back again with a part 2! I finish kdramas so slowly, so this took me a while to get to. Sorry if I ramble.

Here is part 1.

1. Life

Year of Release: July-September, 2018

Cast:

Lee Dongwook as Ye Jinwoo

Cho Seungwoo as Cha Seunghyo

Won Jina as Lee Noeul

Lee Kyuhyung as Ye Sunwoo

Yoo Jaemyung as Joo Kyungmoon

Synopsis: Ye Jinwoo is a doctor at Sangkook University. One night, the hospital director dies. Though his death is ruled as a heart attack, Jinwoo believes otherwise. Koo Seunghyo becomes the new director of the hospital, despite being a businessman. He sees the hospital as something to profit from, and decides to forcefully transfer three departments, including the emergency medical center, where Jinwoo works. Jinwoo and the other staff members protest this and start to scheme to have their new director removed.

Thoughts: I went into this for Lee Dongwook and Won Jina only, and only thought it sounded vaguely interesting. I’m not much for hospital dramas and politics, but this drama really ended up piquing my interest! Not only were the actors amazing, but it shaped up a really good story. It showed the bad and good characteristics of everyone, even the so called protagonist and antagonist. I did find it frustrating at times, but only to the point that I felt that I had to watch more to make sure everything got resolved right. From a writer’s standpoint, the ending of this was wonderfully crafted, though watchers might have found themselves deeply sighing. 

Rating: 8/10

2. Healer

Year of Release: December, 2014-February, 2015

Cast:

Ji Changwook as Seo Junghoo

Park Minyoung as Chae Youngshin

Yoo Jitae as Kim Moonho

Synopsis: Kim Moonho is a famous reporter who enlists the service of a mysterious night errand boy, Healer, to find and protect Chae Youngshin, a junior reporter who he believes is connected to a decades old mystery surrounding five friends. The three become intricately connected as they navigate their shared past, the mysterious incident, and current day politics as people in positions of power try to cover that incident up for good.

Thoughts: I LOVED THIS DRAMA! I watched it in around three weeks (it’s a 20 episode drama), and loved every single minute of it. It was the fastest I have ever watched a kdrama. I thought about starting it many times, but always pushed it off because the summary never sounded interesting. Yet after watching a trailer and deciding to see how it was for Ji Changwook, I was instantly tossed head over heels. This drama is thrilling. Secret identities, reporters, mysteries, romance (!!! y’all there’s this one cute scene that really makes me squeal), trauma, pain, and everything in between. You will seriously not regret watching this. 

Rating: 10/10! 

3. Come and Hug Me

Year of Release: May-July, 2018

Cast:

Jang Kiyong as Chae Dojin/Yoon Namoo

Jin Kijoo as Han Jaeyi/Gil Nakwon

Heo Junho as Yoon Heejae

Kim Kyungnam as Yoon Hyunmoo

Yoon Jonghoon as Gil Moowon

Synopsis: Namoo and Nakwon were each other’s first love in high school, until Namoo’s psychopathic father, Yoon Heejae, murdered Nakwon’s parents. Twelve years later, the two meet again--with Namoo as a police detective who goes by Chae Dojin, and Nakwon taking after her late mother as an actress by the name of Han Jaeyi. She suffers from severe PTSD. Together, the two of them navigate their rough past and try to move forward and heal, even as the past threatens to return to their present.

Thoughts: I can’t begin to stress how much I like this drama. It is a drama with a darker theme, but I really liked how they focused on Nakwon’s PTSD and a) how people reacted to the rumors of her mental trauma, b) how they didn’t end up pushing that it made her weak, but rather showed how she grew through it. Every single actor in this was fantastic, especially the child actors! I was really glad to be introduced to Jang Kiyong and Jin Kijoo! They looked so great together :). If you’re a fan of healing dramas with a touch of serial killer, you should definitely check this one out. It checks all the romance boxes, but also all the fun, crime filled ones too.

Rating: 9/10 

4. Descendants of the Sun

Year of Release: February-April, 2016

Cast:

Song Joonki as Yoo Shijin

Song Hyeko as Kang Moyeon

Jin Goo as Seo Daeyoung

Kim Jiwon as Yoon Myeongjoo

Synopsis: Shijin is a captain of the special forces, and Moyeon is a doctor. They meet at the hospital, and decide to date. Unfortunately, it does not work out, as they realize that Shijin as someone who takes lives and Moyeon as someone who tries to save them are not a good pair. The two part ways, but it seems like fate is looking out for them, because eight months later they meet again when Moyeon is assigned to go to Uruk with a medical team, where Shijin is stationed. 

Thoughts: DOTS is a drama classic, and a must watch. I went into watching it expecting to to be very different than it was, but I was not disappointed in the slightest bit. It delves into a lot of topics on morality and making decisions in the midst of a life and death situation. The Song-Song couple’s chemistry was off the charts (and they got married in real life, too!), plus the second lead couple was awesome too! Each character brought something unique to the show. DOTS made my heart leap and feel all sorts of things--especially when Onew (he played a doctor) was crying his eyes out, like dude, I wanted to bawl. This is a classic you cannot pass up.

Rating: 10/10

5. Romance is a Bonus Book

Year of Release: January-March, 2019

Cast:

Lee Jongsuk as Cha Eunho

Lee Nayoung as Kang Dani

Jung Eugene as Song Haerin

Wi Hajoon as Ji Seojun

Synopsis: Cha Eunho is a popular writer and editor who works at a popular publishing company. He is close friends with Kang Dani. With a twist of fate, Dani--who used to be a popular copywriter but has recently fallen upon hard times--manages to get a job at Eunho’s publishing company by lying on her resume. 

Thoughts: Any drama with Lee Jongsuk is going to be good (well...most dramas), and this drama was the perfect mix of funny, romance, and a dash of mystery. Dani’s character was very relatable. She’s awkward, kind, old timey, and genuine. I loved getting introduced to Wi Hajoon as an actor through this drama. He and Jung Eugene were great second leads/supporting actors. The rest of the cast are each very unique in their own way, and lots of kudos to the writers for showing us little slices of how they live and their own problems without making the storyline messy. 

Rating: 8/10

6. My Strange Hero

Year of Release: December, 2018-February, 2019

Cast:

Yoo Seungho as Kang Boksu

Jo Boah as Son Soojung

Kwak Dongyeon as Oh Seho

Synopsis: When Kang Boksu was in high school, he was falsely accused of school violence by his friend (Oh Seho) and his girlfriend (Son Soojeong). Years later, as an adult, Boksu has the opportunity to return to school and graduate. He takes up the offer with the idea of getting revenge, as Soojeong has just become a teacher there, and Seho is the new director as he battles to take control of the school from his mother, the chairman. However, things don’t go as Boksu plans, and he soons find himself tangled up in a major school corruption. 

Thoughts: Okay!!!! I usually get tired of hearing the same old corruption spiel since apparently kdramas love to point out the problems with Korea’s school systems (while nothing changes), and while Chairman Oh definitely made me want to slap her straight across her dumb face, it wasn’t enough to make me completely stop watching. First off, I love all three main actors (or I did as soon as I saw them in here). Yoo Seungho is always enjoyable to watch, and Boksu and Soojeong were sweet and fluffy and balanced each other out perfectly in the relationship. I also fell for Oh Seho! I know a lot of people found him a terrible person...and yeah, he was definitely a prime example of like an anti-villain, but he also had a great redemption arc and I just...wanted to give him the hugest hug.

Rating: 8.5/10

7. Cheese in the Trap

Year of Release: January-March, 2016

Cast:

Park Haejin as Yoo Jung

Kim Goeun as Hong Seol

Seo Kangjoon as Baek Inho

Synopsis: Hong Seol is a hard working college student and Yoo Jung is her good looking, smart, and rich sunbae. Over the course of college, Seol and Jung eventually start a delicate relationship despite other obstacles in their path. However, a friend from Jung’s path, Inho, returns and also starts to fall for Seol.

Thoughts: This drama...I actually only watched it for Seo Kangjoon and he’s the only reason I finished it. This has the biggest second lead syndrome you will ever find. Personally, he’s the only reason this is making it to my recommendation list (that and the fact that I’m horrible at finishing dramas). On the other hand...let’s just say that I hated Park Haejin for so long because I could not get over how much I disliked his character in this drama. It was an interesting character, but I couldn’t stand how manipulative he was. CITT is based on a webtoon, so maybe that’s why it’s so crazy, but it took me so long to finish this. It took me a year because I stopped watching it so many times. This show seriously drove me crazy. There are only a couple things that get me genuinely riled up when I have to talk about them, and this show is one of those things. I don’t know, some people really liked it, but while there were good characters and some nice parts, in the long run it was just really not that good.

Rating: 6/10

8. Bad Guys

Year of Release: October-December, 2014

Cast:

Kim Sangjoong as Oh Gutak

Ma Dongseok as Park Woongcheol

Park Haejin as Lee Jungmoon

Jo Donghyuk as Jung Taesoo

Gang Yewon as Yoo Miyoung

Synopsis: In order to combat the rise in violent crimes, the Police Detective tasks Detective Oh Gutak with putting together a group of criminals to take care of the problem. Gutak, who is currently suspended for excessive violence, puts together a team consisting of gangster Park Woongcheol, hitman Jung Taesoo, serial killer Lee Jungmoon, and Police Inspector Yoo Miyoung. Together, the team tackle the rising crime rate and dangerous criminals.

Thoughts: This show was only 11 episodes, maybe why I was able to watch it so fast. It’s violent and dark--the perfect fit for the crime/mystery genre. I also like to call this Park Haejin’s redemption drama, because after this you know who I liked x.x. There were also a lot of plot twists that made me need to watch the next episode immediately. There’s a sequel to the show with a new cast but the same premise, but I’ll warn you that that show has definitely more violence and blood and death and stuff (I’m still watching it; I’m kind of stalled out right now since a certain episode made me lose faith in that entire show, ahem episode 8). 

Rating: 8/10

9. Kill It

Year of Release: March-April, 2019

Cast:

Jang Kiyong as Kim Soohyun

Nana as Do Hyeonjin

Roh Jeongeui as Kang Seulgi

Kim Jaewon as Philip

Synopsis: Kim Soohyun is an elite assassin who is searching for clues to the past he cannot remember. Do Hyeonjin is the adopted daughter of an important congressman who is a new Police Detective. She is still searching for the killer of her boyfriend, even though nine years have passed. Soohyun and Hyeonjin start to cross paths, finding a connection from their past that leads to a growing relationship.

Thoughts: Sounds like every au ever, right? Jokes, it’s my favorite au of all time and I freaked out when I found out Jang Kiyong was going to the lead. It sounds cliche, but I swear it’s very good. I love the fact that there’s not really a romantic relationship between the two, like it’s not supposed to be romantic, but rather focuses on the platonic, friendship between them. It’s a dark, twisting drama, another one showing how deep corruption runs in the government (that’s always a theme because you know, it’s a thing), and the ending freaking killed me but you know :((. 

Rating: 9.5/10

10. He Is Psychometric

Year of Release: March-April, 2019

Cast:

Park Jinyoung as Lee Ahn

Shin Yeeun as Yoon Jaein

Kim Kwon as Kang Seongmo

Kim Dasom as Eun Jisoo

Synopsis: Lee Ahn has a special ability, psychometry. When he makes skin to skin contact with someone, he sees their darkest memories and secrets. He dreams of becoming the first Police Psychometrist. Yoon Jaein has been running her whole life, ever since her father was charged with the arson of Yeonsung Apartments, where Ahn’s parents died. The two first meet in high school, but their connection is cut short, only for them to reunite two years later and start to solve the mystery behind the fire and the other crimes that connect to it, along with Ahn’s non-biological brother, Prosecutor Kang Seungmo, and Police Detective Eun Jisoo.

Thoughts: OKAY, let me take a deep breath before I get into this one. He Is Psychometric is one of the best dramas I have ever watched. It’s right up there on my top five, I reckon. I didn’t drop this or anything; I watched it from the moment it started airing to the time it didn’t. Fair warning that if you expected happiness, this is not the drama to go for. It’s so twisty and has so many turns, like everytime something was uncovered there was still more threads to follow and it was insane but amazing. Especially for me, being a huge psychology fan, I loved digging into these characters and how unique they each were. The relationships, bromance and romance alike, were so intricate in this drama. I went through a million feelings and emotions in the span of a minute. This drama is also one that you can’t see coming. You can theorize (and believe me, I theorized the heck out of that thing) and guess, but it manages to blindside you almost every time. This show will break your heart and how you think of the world and humans and for that, you have to at least give it a try. 

Rating: 100/10

[pcttrailsidereader]

Trevor’s Eternal Trail

As a parent and a PCT hiker, I can’t imagine a more difficult but therapeutic testimonial for a father to write. Doug’s son, Trevor, died on March 27th after slipping on ice and falling several hundred feet to his death near Apache Peak not far south of Idyllwild.  This poignant reflection that will help Trevor be remembered as a complex, passionate young man and not just a statistic.

In Memory of Trevor Laher by Doug Laher

I am the father of the Pacific Crest Trail Hiker, Trevor “Microsoft” Laher, who perished in the mountains south of Idyllwild, California, this past Friday, March 27, 2020.  As you can imagine, we are devastated by the loss of our son. But somehow, my wife and I want to let the world (or at least the hiking community) know who our son was, how much he loved hiking, and why (despite everyone’s best efforts) he chose to stay on trail.

We just don’t want Trevor’s legacy in the hiking world to be that of an anonymous asterisk in PCT lore of someone who died doing what they love.  He was a man, a brother, a son, a grandson, a cousin, a friend, and boyfriend to his lovely girlfriend, Elise. He had his whole life in front of him.  This is who he was, and this is his story.

One of the greatest days of my life was the day he was born (Feb. 12, 1998, in Cleveland, Ohio). He loved playing sports as a child, but soon realized he didn’t possess the dexterity and speed to compete as an athlete, so he turned his interest and energy to academics, where he excelled.  And although we relocated to Texas in 2010 due to the recession, we still cheered on and watched our beloved Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturdays. Some of my fondest memories I have with Trevor are the times we spent watching our team as we proudly donned the school colors of scarlet and gray.  The 2010 move of the family to Texas, for a new career opportunity, was tough on 12-year-old Trevor. He threw himself into academics and video games as a mechanism to deal with the sorrow of leaving everything behind in Ohio.

Trevor was introduced to hiking in 2015 when a friend invited him on a trip to Yosemite National Park. They day hiked more than 50 miles in three days. He walked away in love with the hiking and instantly knew that he wanted it to be a mainstay in his life—to climb to mountain peaks and see the soul of our planet. It was as if the world that had existed before had only been visible to him in black and white and now suddenly everything had turned to vibrant colors. He loved the beauty of the trail—the experience and the solitude. He loved the endorphin rush of a physically exhausting climb. He loved hiking by himself.  He loved hiking with others. He loved the trail.

Shortly after his trip to Yosemite, he immediately began planning his first overnight backpacking trip with his close friend Alfredo. The flu prevented Alfredo from making the trip with him and thus began my love of hiking with my son. I served as his back-up and went from “Couch to AT” in 12 hours.

We were completely ill-prepared as we set off into the Smoky Mountains on our first backpacking trip.  We predictably made all the classic first-time hiker mistakes. We carried too much food, packed for our fears, and off we went with 50-pound packs saddled on our backs. Trevor knew I was not in shape to do this hike when he asked me to join him.  I agreed to do it to spend time with my son. He told me, “Dad…I’m getting you to the top of this mountain—you lead the way. We’ll go at your pace. Stop as frequently as you need to. We’ll get through this together.” It took nearly five hours to traverse more than 3,000 feet of elevation gain over five miles to the first shelter.  Trevor offered multiple times that we could head back down to the trail head and call it a trip. But we hadn’t driven 12 hours to turn around and head home. We persevered. The trip took a physical toll on my body (chafing, exhaustion, soreness, and two lost toenails). And despite all that, it was an adventure of a lifetime that I will cherish forever.

When it came time to go to college, there was really no decision to be made. Ohio State was the easy choice. While there, he blossomed and turned into an amazing man. He joined the Trekking Club at Ohio State. He hiked the Presidential Traverse in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon (down and back in less than six hours). He also made at least one trip back to the Smoky Mountains every semester with his good friend Chandler. Trevor simply loved hiking.

Trevor and I would try to schedule hiking trips together when we could, mostly while he was on break from school.  Our most recent adventures included Eagle Rock Loop in the Ouachita National Forest and the Outer Mountain Loop in Big Bend National Park.

It was during this time at Ohio State that he developed a passion for exercise and fitness. He was obsessed about being physically fit because he knew he would need it for something he had been dreaming about since he was 17 years old.

About 18 months ago, Trevor told me of his intentions to carry extremely heavy course loads over his next three semesters at Ohio State so that he could graduate a semester early to hike the Crown Jewel of all long-distance trails, the Pacific Crest Trail. I objected at first. It was a source of contention with us for several months. Then, approximately a year ago, I started buying in to the concept of him hiking the PCT. And if he was going to make this hike, I was going to serve as his wingman, his trail manager so to speak.

For months on end, I spent hundreds of hours watching PCT vlogs, reading books, and watching gear reviews.  I began the long process of purchasing all of the gear he would require for his adventure. Trevor had two main agendas during this time. First, to study hard so he could finish school early. And second, to focus on maintaining, and even increasing, his already high level of fitness. Trevor ran 30 miles a week to keep himself in top physical condition.

We both obsessed over the trail. As the research and days passed, I became more and more emotionally invested in Trevor’s hike. I wanted this adventure for him as much as he did for himself.

Trevor hiked Big Bend a second time right before Christmas 2019 with his best friend Domenic. In grieving with each other this past week, Domenic told me that “Trevor and I had just finished the trail. I was exhausted and I was looking back at the mountains with amazement, bewilderment, and wonder. It’s at that moment Trevor looked at me and said, ‘Now you know why I’m so passionate about hiking the PCT!’ ”

Trevor’s need to put mileage under his feet prior to his trek was one thing, but his training for the PCT was next level. He deprived himself of comforts knowing that he would not have them on the trail. On our last training hike together (a quick 15-miler), he laid down in the creek bed soaking himself through.  Trevor knew there would be stretches of the PCT that he would need to hike soaking wet, tired, and exhausted.

Trevor’s cadence might be as slow as 2.6-2.7 miles per hour when doing a leisurely hike with me, but he could instantaneously turn on the jets at a moment’s notice.  I was always in awe to see him hike at a 3.5 mile-per-hour cadence up steep climbs. And he could maintain that pace for hours. He was 6’3” and 200 pounds. He had long legs with a huge stride. If God wanted to create his vision for a perfect hiker, it was Trevor.

Unlike most PCT hikers, Trevor knew he was not going to make it to Canada. Trevor was a brilliant computer coder.  He was offered a job at Microsoft, starting mid-July. So, when it came time to securing the permit for a PCT start date, he knew he would have to start early. Even with starting early, he would only have around 100 days on the trail. His target was to reach Crater Lake by July 1 and call it an adventure.

We knew starting in mid-March had its risks. We developed a plan accordingly. If there was heavy snowpack in the Sierra, then he would bail at Kennedy Meadows and head immediately to the Southern Terminus of the 800-mile Arizona Trail. We felt our alternate plan wouldn’t be needed as reports of a low snow year in California made an early start on the PCT possible. We were happy his plans were coming together.

So on March 9, roughly a month after turning 22 years old, Trevor, my daughter Olivia, and I headed to Phoenix, Arizona, to spend a week with his grandparents, after which they would drive him to Campo a week later. Everything was in great shape. And then, suddenly, everything started to unravel.

We got to Phoenix on Monday the 9th. There were growing concerns about the coronavirus, but nothing significant—at least that’s the way it was when we boarded the plane. Upon landing in Phoenix, the world was changing in front of our very eyes. The stock market had crashed. Concerns of the virus were growing with each passing day. That week was full of excitement for Trevor and anxiety for me.

The day before we left, I told him that maybe going on the hike was not such a smart thing to do anymore. But he was within spitting distance of the Southern Terminus of the PCT in Campo, so the yearn to start on March 16 was strong. In his mind, he was practically touching the Southern Terminus. Nothing was going to stop him now.

His sister (Olivia) and I flew back to Texas on Friday, March 13. Saying our final goodbyes at the airport, Trevor gave me a longer embrace than usual—much longer in fact. And in that embrace, he whispered to me, “I love you Dad. Thanks for all you’ve done to help make this adventure a reality for me.” To which I replied—“Go hike the shit out of that trail!”

His grandparents dropped him at the terminus on Monday morning.  A few quick photos, big smiles, and some hugs. Then he was off on the adventure of a lifetime.

Trevor pushed himself to Lake Morena on day one. He couldn’t have been happier. It was in Lake Morena that he connected with his tramily. The tramily would morph into larger and smaller groups of people over the coming days, but there were three gentlemen whom he consistently stayed with through the entire journey: Leo from Milwaukee, Jannek from Germany, and Cody from Australia—the latter two were with him on the morning of Friday, March 27, when the accident happened.

His group hiked through a snowstorm, pulling into Mount Laguna on Wednesday. They were fortunate enough to hole up in one of the tiny houses to escape the snow. Their game plan was to stay there two nights as heavy snowfall was scheduled through Thursday. But they wanted flexibility in their plans and only booked one night. When they called the next morning to book a second night, they were told the tiny house had already been booked. They had no choice but to head back out into the snow.

I spoke with his hiking partner, Leo, this past Saturday. He told me how miserable that day was. They were cold, soaked to the bone from the heavy wet snow. They were miserable. The group struggled unsuccessfully to find a protected location to set up camp. It was in that moment, during their first real moment of adversity on trail, that Trevor told him, “It’s during these moments of adversity, through trial and tribulation and our actions in dealing with these moments that define who we are as human beings.” Hearing Leo recount this to me brought me to my knees. I had been sobbing all weekend after I learned of his passing, but this shook me to my core.

That same day, the day of the snowstorm, the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) had issued a statement that all thru-hikers not yet on the trail should postpone their hike, and that all hikers already on trail should get off due to COVID-19 concerns. I pleaded with Trevor that it was time to end his dream. To come home. The trail would still be there for him next year. Or five years from now. Or even 10. Trevor said that until it became illegal to stay on the trail, he was going to continue hiking. “This is my dream Dad…I’m living it right now. The views, the vistas, the things I get to see are the most beautiful that I’ve ever seen in my life. If I lose this opportunity now, I’ll lose it forever.”

And so became our daily argument for the next week. I begged him to postpone his trek. I told him he was being selfish. I told him he was putting himself and others at risk. That he wasn’t thinking about Elise, his sister, his mother, or me. I threatened I was going to withdraw financial support and would no longer resupply him (my last option). I think we both knew I would not do that.

I said things I regret. I even lobbied the USFS to terminate all PCT permits to no avail. The most haunting, prophetic thing I said to him was, “Please come home. I don’t want you to get sick on the trail—or worse yet, die. It would devastate me if I had to be the one to call Elise and tell her something happened to you.”

After about 5-6 days of trying to convince him to come home, I realized he was staying put. There was no getting him off the trail, at which point I would focus on supporting his hike. I vowed to myself, if he wouldn’t come home, then I’d at least do what I could to keep him as safe as possible with current information and good resupply boxes.

Trevor and the group trudged on. They were closing in on Warner Springs, having just passed PCT mile 100. I sent Trevor a text and asked him how he was feeling and how his body was holding up. He told me other than a few pesky blisters, he was feeling great and that his body was strong. I remember him saying there were a couple of members in his tramily that were nursing some injuries… sore ankles and knees, but he said could not have felt better.

Trevor’s closest trail friend, Leo, was nursing a bum knee after hiking several days without a break. Leo got a hitch from Warner Springs via the PCT Trail Angels Page on Facebook to a hotel to take of couple zero days to heal up. Leo encouraged Trevor to take those zeros with him but Trevor, Jannek, and Cody were still feeling strong. Trevor had limited time on the trail. They were going to press on without Leo. While sitting in his hotel room for a couple of days watching the news, Leo learned of the severity of COVID-19. He decided to end his hike at this point. I’ve asked myself multiple times, “What would have happened had Trevor stayed back with Leo that day?” His decision to press on will haunt me forever.

Our last communication with Trevor was on Thursday night. They had just pulled their 8th straight day of “twenties” (twenty-mile days) by completing a 3,000-foot climb. Arriving to their camp site at PCT mile 166.5, they hunkered down for the night. Trevor sounded exhausted. He was eager to complete the last 14 miles into Idyllwild where he, Cody, and Jannek were planning to take two zeros. While in town he’d pick up his resupply (which included his ice axe and microspikes) in preparation for Mt. San Jacinto and Fuller Ridge. He never made it to Idyllwild.

A friend called me on Friday to notify me of a tragic accident on the PCT close to Trevor’s last known location at mile 166.5. Of course, at that time, we didn’t know the hiker involved was Trevor. The news report mentioned a hiker had succumbed to their injuries before the rescue team arrived.  The report suggested the rescue occurred “near” Mountain Center, of which Trevor was close to the prior day. He was now some 10-15 miles past that point. But when you’re dealing with the wilderness, the word “near” could mean one mile, five miles, 10 miles, or even 25. I was slightly concerned and would remain that way until I heard from Trevor, but I was confident he was well past the search area. I had two thoughts. First, Of all the hikers on the trail, what is the likelihood this deceased hiker was Trevor? Second, He had his driver’s license with him. If it was Trevor, Search and Rescue would have certainly reached out to me by now. I was confident it was not him, but would remain mildly concerned until I heard his voice. That voice never came.

7 p.m. rolled around in Dallas/Fort Worth. I knew Trevor would have been in Idyllwild by now. Every time I tried calling, it went straight to voicemail.  He would likely have access to internet in town. Therefore, he would most likely be on his phone. It was also about this time every night that he would check in with us via call, text, or his Garmin InReach.  I started to worry. I called the Riverside County Sheriff’s office.

I won’t go into all the details of the next several hours, as some of those details will only remain with my family. Speaking to the Sheriff’s Deputy who orchestrated the Search and Rescue, and then subsequently to the Coroner were some of the most difficult conversations I’ve ever had to have in my life. My life was changed forever when the Coroner told me, “We have Trevor.”  

To the best of our knowledge, Trevor slipped on a patch of snow-covered ice near Apache Peak (PCT mile 169.5). Trevor’s accident was first reported by Cody and Jannek via their emergency GPS device at roughly 9:38 a.m. PT. Rescue crews from the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit and the California Highway Patrol Medic and Air Operations Unit arrived on site at roughly 10:30 a.m. Five fire trucks, two helicopters, and more than 24 rescue personnel fought the elements during the rescue mission.  One helicopter focused on rescuing Cody and Jannek while the other attempted to locate Trevor. Dangerous terrain, coupled by severe weather, prevented the helicopter from locating Trevor. They were able to locate a safe landing spot to drop Medic Charles Rhodes of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) onto the trail. Medic Rhodes hiked and eventually bushwhacked a total of five miles to reach Trevor at 1:30 p.m. Sadly, prior to Medic Rhodes’ arrival, Trevor had succumbed to his injuries from sliding several hundred feet into a steep ravine. I am grateful to the men and women who risked their lives to recover my son. I will forever be in their debt.

As you can imagine, Friday, March 27, 2020, was the darkest, most painful, heartbreaking moment of our lives. The grief of losing our son has hit us like a tsunami. The unstoppable waves drown us in grief each time they hit. There’s nothing that can be done to stop them. It’s several days later now, and the waves still come.

I yearn for the day when Trevor’s family and closest friends can talk about him and look at photos without pain or grief, but instead smile and recall the happy times we shared together.

Trevor was not a statistic. He was not a PCT asterisk. He was everything you want in a son. As parents, we were so proud of him. He was our child. Trevor LOVED hiking! He was handsome, responsible, and smart. He was going to make this great world a better place. He was convinced he would someday write a computer program that would change the world. Most importantly, I want people to know that he cared deeply about his family and friends. He was philosophical. He was a deep thinker. He genuinely cared for others, encouraging those closest to him to be “the best version of themselves they can be.”

Just as in life, Trevor made the same impact on others during his brief time on the PCT. As communicated to me by his close trail friend Leo, who said, “While our time together was brief, it was intense. We had several deep conversations on the trail and my viewpoint on the world has in many ways changed because of Trevor.”

My hope and wish is that Trevor’s death can start the healing of a hiker community that has been ravaged and torn apart by COVID-19. What was once a free-spirited group who loved “The Trail,” the community has become name callers who have hurled insults at each other because of one’s position to hike or not to hike. I beg of you, that if there is one way we can honor Trevor, I ask that you put aside your differences and come together as a community. And I ask that you not judge Trevor for his decision to remain on the Trail. COVID-19 did not kill my son. His death could have happened to any one of us, in any year.

In closing, I’d like to leave you with a quote from Trevor shared with me by his girlfriend, Elise. In which Trevor says, “We are not individual souls, but a collection of the souls of the people we love the most—we are one in the universe.”

Be good to each other. Love each other. Come together as one hiking community and heal the pains by which the coronavirus has inflicted upon this community. That’s what Trevor would have wanted.

Hike on, my son. I count the days when we’ll be rejoined again on the highest of all mountain peaks in Heaven… on the Eternal Trail. The trail of eternal life.

[tastelikesleepdeprivation]

Domestic Human!Jack Headcanons featuring his three dads:

-Sam : no dessert after dinner, it will rot your teeth and we don’t have dental insurance because, legally, Dean and I are dead and Cas isn’t human so he can’t have insurance

-Cas: *sneaks Jack a cookie under the table during dinner, winks*

-Jack, with tears in his eyes, “thank,,”

Jack sneaking back into the bunker:

-Cas sitting in a chair and turns the lamp on: “where have you been?”

-Jack: “uhh with Dean”

-Dean, sitting in a chair next to Cas, turning on another lamp: “wanna try that again”

-Jack: “uhh with,, Sam?”

-Sam, in another chair next to Dean, turning on another lmap: “wanna try that AGAIN?”

-Jack likes it best when Dean cooks cause Cas can’t taste anything but “particles” so it’s always bland and Sam just can’t cook but Dean makes the best burgers Jack has ever tasted

-Jack sometimes has nightmares about Lucifer but if it’s a really bad one it’s about Dean, Cas, and Sam dying while Jack is standing by, unable to do anything cause he doesn’t have his powers and he wakes up panting and in a cold sweat with Cas right by his side because Cas doesn’t need sleep and will always be there to make sure to wake up Jack and comfort him during his night terrors

-Sam introduces Jack to books and tears up when Jack gets super excited about them because finally someone else who reads (not countering the literal one book Dean has read) and his favorite thing is sitting by Jacks bed side while reading The Wizard of Oz cause Sam told Jack all about their badass friend Charlie and her girlfriend Dorothy who saved all of them and Jack loves hearing about this apparently very real magical world

-Jack is actually really observant for his young age so when he sees Dean shuffling into the kitchen, scratching at his two week old beard with bags under his red rimmed eyes from fitful rest he announces a vacation day which Dean originally objects to but when Jack gets Cas and Sam on board he caves and so Dean hops in Baby with Sam to his right, Jack behind him and Cas behind Sam and they just drive. Dean puts on some classic Rock and Roll to “culture the kid right, Sammy” and they stop at some greasy diner and Dean laughs over his burger while Sam grumbles into his salad, Cas flashes his gummy smile and Jack hides his grin behind his drink and looks at his family and just living in the happiness he helped create and is a part of

-Dean got to be a father twice before technically but it never really felt like this. Never really felt like anything with Emma and while he got to be with Ben for a couple months it never felt permant, not like this, not like with Jack. So Dean cherishes every small moment he gets to teach and pass on something to Jack, whether it be through how to rile up Sam with a quick joke, or how to correctly wash and fold Cas’ trench coat, or do some work on Baby. Teach him something that doesn’t involve killing or hunting. Something normal, something a normal father would pass onto his son

-One of Jacks favorite occurrences between jobs is when Dean would cook all of them dinner and he would be wearing the apron Sam got for him as a joke (but secretly loves) and Dean would put on some music and would loudly sing along, shouting the lyrics while wildly waving the spatula in the air.

-Sometimes, Jack would pretend to be asleep when he would hear footsteps outside his door because he knew that Cas always comes and checks on him after he goes to bed. Cas carefully cracks open the door, and while Jack pretends to be asleep, Cas will put a gentle hand in his hair and place a chaste kiss on his forehead and Jack would wait until Cas pulls the door closed to smile into his covers

-Shopping with Sam was Jacks favorite. Sam usually did the shopping because Cas would forget the human stuff like tooth paste and toilet paper and Dean would buy pie instead of vegetables because he “forgot ‘em, sorry Sammy” so Sam always did the grocery shopping and would let Jack tag along, letting him get ONE candy (he always got nougat)

-Watching marathons with Dean is one of Jacks favorite passtimes because while Dean was a closeted chick flick watcher, Jack was an out and proud chick flick fanatic so both boys would sneak away for a night every so often when a new movie finally came out on Netflix

-One of Jacks favorite memories was when everyone went grocery shopping together when Jack was first turned human to find out what kind of foods he liked so he could have it available at the bunker, Dean grabbed the chips and junk food for him to try while Sam grabbed the fruits and vegetables, Cas gave his opinion now and then about what he rememberd from when he was human, especially his like of pb&js.

-Jack would go through bouts of insomnia to keep away the nightmares and this was the beginning of his midnight trips to the kitchen for snacks where he was joined sometimes by Sam but mostly Castiel which he preferred cause they would stay up late talking about the beginning of the universe and the thousands of years Cas has lived and what he has seen.

-When he turns One on May 18th, Dean, Sam, and Castiel decide to throw him a party, in their own way of course. Dean bakes the cake which is chocolate and has writing in icing on the top which says “baby’s first birthday” and they have streamers from toilet paper and first-aid gauze hung up all over the bunker. Sam gets him a new flannel so that he “can officially become part of the team” and a new book called The Great Gatsby which he can’t wait to start. Cas gets him a mixtape he made from all the songs he noticed Jack bobbing his head to when Dean would blast the radio. And Dean. Dean gets him a necklace. Not like the one Dean had, he told Jack all about the one Sam gave to him. But a necklace just for him that had the angels symbol for protection hand carved into the wood

-Sam is the first one to call Jack son to his face. Sam had just finished the last chapter of The Great Gatsby and Jack was crying because he thought that Gatsby didn’t deserve that kind of end to his life. Sam had closed the book, set it on the bedside table, wiped the tears from Jacks face, kissed him on the forehead and said “ it’s alright son, his story isn’t over, just moved to a new place”

-Cas first called him son on the night of one of Jacks worst night terrors. Jack heard screaming and woke up in a cold sweat to Cas at his side holding him close and whispering “I’m here, Jack, I’m here son, it was only a dream, I’m here” in his ear. Only until the screaming in his ears stopped did he realize it was coming from him and it wasn’t until he had fallen asleep on Cas’ shoulder from exhaustion and woken up the next morning to feel Cas still running his fingers through his hair did he notice that Cas called him son

-Sam and Cas had called Jack son early on and while Dean knew in his head and in his heart that Jack was his son he couldn’t say it to him. Experience and pain had taught him that once he said it, it would be real and so would the pain he will feel if, when, Jack gets hurt or killed. So he avoided it, calling him kid, kiddo, sport, and every other dumb nickname under the sun but still not that word until one hunt. It was supposed to be a normal job (famous last words, Winchester) until it went sideways and the werewolf got a claw into and up Jacks stomach. Only when Dean had shot the bastard in the chest until his gun was clicking empty did Dean fall to his knees next to Jack, holding his hands over the kids wound shouting at Sam to “hurry up and get the damn car!” Only when he looked at Jacks closed eyes and the shallow rise and fall of his chest and sees his pale face did he whisper for only Jacks ears “come on son, hold on. You gotta stay with me Jack, you gotta wake up son, you gotta wake up, you have to wake up”

-When Jacks hair starts curling around his ears does Sam decide to give him a haircut. Well, it was Sam at first until Dean grabbed the scissors and hip checked his brother out of the way saying “with your mane, I’m surprised you even noticed Jacks hair getting long. Move over, Sammy, I cut your hair for twelve years I’ll cut the kids hair”

-it’s Fourth of July and Dean insists on taking Jack to see the fireworks. One of Deans best memories is of him and Sammy shooting them off in some abandoned parking lot decades ago so he thought that he could give Jack a memory just as precious. Sam packs a picnic with some snacks and Castiel stuffs the impala with blankets. They drive out to the nearest town and set up shop in front of a closed grocery store across from the park where the towns show was set up to go off. Castiel hadn’t seen fireworks up close before so he was also excited. Jack was practically bouncing in his seat asking “ are they really made from fire?? How do they work??” And Sam and Dean would laugh and tell him they were really loud and colorful. When the fireworks officially started, Jack was terrified. It was so loud and he could feel the reverberations in his chest, they would come in no random order so he was suprised by the POPS. But after a while he was soon enraptured by the colors. Cas was just as enchanted by the way they would appear one moment and be gone the next. Jack and Cas loved the show so much they asked when the next one was and both were just as confused when Sam and Dean just laughed saying not until New Years

-Since they can’t exactly call a cleaning service to come and mop their underground bunker filled with weapons and proof of the supernatural, Sam established a chores list. Some chores depended on the day, like if Dean cooked he didn’t have to do the dishes but every person was given a chore, no matter what. Dean always grumbled but everyone knew he preferred a clean bunker. Cas would simply nod and go about his work, sometimes humming whilst doing so. Jack was just glad he had something to do that was of use to his family. And ironically, Sam was the one who forgot to do his chores most often

-whenever Jack manages to join the older three men on a hunt he always gets stuck in the back seat of the impala. Dean always drives, Sam always gets shotgun, Cas always sits behind Sam and Jack sits behind Dean. He doesn’t mind that much because on the truly long rides, the cross country rides, Cas lets him put his feet in his lap so he can lean against the door or sometimes he puts his head in Cas’ lap while Cas runs his fingers through his hair, falling asleep to the sound of the impalas engine rumbling, the quiet humming of the radio, and the muffled rapping of Deans thumbs on the steering wheel.

-Now that Jack is fully human, his body starts being fully human too which involves shaving. Sam pointed out his stubble first and offered to pick up razors and shaving cream next time he went to the store. Jacks first attempt at shaving began and ended quickly as he had no idea what to do, so he went to Cas. Cas,, tried. Being an angel and his vessel remaining the same he had no reason to shave (besides the one time after purgatory which still doesn’t make any sense) but he doesn’t know how to manually shave, just, angel shave. And that’s how Dean finds them later, in the bathroom both with their faces covered in shaving cream and staring at the razor like it would come alive and attack them. Dean chuckled but refrained from making a joke and helped to teach both boy and angel how to shave.

-Cas’ signature Pat of Reassurance is on Jacks shoulder. He’ll just hold his hand there on Jacks shoulder for a couple seconds longer than necessary, pat twice and then walk away. Sams signature Pat of Reassurance is on Jacks head or the back of his neck. Most of the time it’s a solid weight, a comforting weight but sometimes it will be a playful weight, a ‘you did something good and this is how I show it’ weight. Deans signature Pat of Reassurance is on Jacks back, right inbetween his shoulder blades. Most of the time it’s more of a slap than a pat but when it really counts, when Jack yearns for a physical sign of a reassurance, Dean always seems to know and just holds his hand steady

[swarkler]

When Karolina gets a text from Gert asking her to meet for breakfast, she doesn't’ worry. Sure, they’re right in the middle of the week and they live in completely opposite sides of town, so it’s not exactly something they do often - they usually prefer to hang out on weekends - but she figures it’s probably just some last minute wedding stuff, nothing out of the ordinary.

The thing is: Karolina’s life is good, and has been like that for a while now. She goes to a great school that she loves, she lives close enough to home to see her childhood friends all the time and she has the world’s greatest girlfriend by her side. There was a point in Karolina’s life in which she thought she would never be able to let go of her past, but now? Now she lives in the present, and the present is good, so good that she never catches herself looking back anymore.

(Well, never might be a stretch, but most days she doesn’t).

She spends the 40 minute drive to Gert’s favorite diner listening to the upbeat playlist she and Julie made together, not letting the heavy traffic get to her. At the very least she knows the place has good vegan options, and it has been such a long time since she’s had anything other than almond milk banana smoothies for breakfast.

Gert is already waiting for her when she arrives, an anxious smile plastered on her face. Karolina begins to suspect something is wrong, but tells herself she’s reading too much into it. Gert is getting married in less than a month, of course she’s nervous.

“Hey there, bride to be.” Karolina greets her old friend with a grin. “Let me guess: you’ve changed your mind and want me to be your maid of honor after all.”

Gert’s laugh seems forced. “C’mon, you know Molly would kill me if I even considered it. She says is her right as a sister.”

“Never thought I’d see Gertrude Yorkes defending nepotism, but okay, I get it.” Karolina jokes, trying to lighten up the mood.

“I know, right?” Gert fidgets with the pepper shaker in her hands, avoiding Karolina’s eyes as she speaks. Something is definitely wrong. “But there is a new development in the wedding department that I thought you should know about…”

“Just say it, Gert.” Karolina says softly. “Whatever it is, I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

“I spoke to Nico last night.” She spits the words all at once, her voice trembling. “She’s coming.”

Nico.

Karolina feels as if all of the air had suddenly been sucked out of the room, leaving her gasping for breath, and the fact that she is so taken aback by Gert’s words really is a testament to how much she has moved on. Not so long ago Nico would have been literally the first thing on her mind. Now, she hasn’t even heard her name spoken aloud in ages .

That name, along with all other Nico-related memories, has been confined to a neat little box pushed as far back as possible inside Karolina’s brain for so long it takes her a long moment to fully process what Gert is saying. Nico. Coming. Nico is coming to the wedding. Karolina is also coming to the wedding. Both Nico and Karolina are coming to the wedding. The same wedding. Therefore, Karolina and Nico will be at the same place. At the same time. In the very near future.

Gert shakes both her hands in front of Karolina’s face, trying to pull her away from her thoughts. “You look like your brain just short-circuited.”

“How did you even get her number?” She doesn’t even know why she asks that. Out of all of the questions running through her mind, it seems like a fairly unimportant one, but she’s probably not ready to handle anything more just yet.

“Well, Chase’s mom is married to her dad, so… It was not that hard to get.” Gert frowns.

“Right, sure.” Of course it wasn’t hard to get. Karolina herself probably could’ve found it too, if she wanted to. God knows she has thought about it many times in the past. Not lately, though. Not at all. “I had no idea you guys were still in contact.”

“We weren’t, Chase and I just called her last night. Neither of us has seen her in years. She never comes over, not for Easter, not for Thanksgiving, not even for Christmas. She tells Robert she’s spending it with Tina but…”

“She probably tells Tina she’s spending it with Robert.” Karolina completes the sentence without even thinking. It’s annoying, how even after trying so hard not to think about that girl, her subconscious still knows Nico like the back of her hand. Knows how she operates. Knows how she lies. “What happened? Why call her out of the blue like this?”

“We’ve been talking about it for a while, actually. She’s Chase’s step sister. She is - was - one of my best friends, and I know things aren’t exactly the same as they used to be but it just... felt wrong, getting married without her there.”

Seeing Gert talk so fondly about Nico catches Karolina by surprise. She’s so used to thinking about Nico as her past she sometimes forgets that she was important to everybody else as well. “So, how did that phone call go?”

Gert smiles a little. “Well, Chase guilted her with the whole step-sibling thing, and I gave her a whole speech about how, if it wasn’t for that one time in high school when she made us do seven minutes in heaven together, this wedding probably wouldn’t even be happening, so she absolutely has to be there to witness the patriarchal nightmare she put me into… And after about an hour of listening to us ramble in complete silence she just said okay in that dumb Nico tone she uses whenever she doesn’t want to talk about her feelings.”

Karolina knows exactly which tone Gert is talking about, and she catches herself picturing the way Nico’s nose must have scrunched up a little as she spoke, another classic sign of her discomfort when faced with emotional talk. She’s so distracted by the image in her head she barely notices Gert is still talking.

“...And I know this is a lot, specially for you, but I thought that maybe now that you’re doing so well and things with Julie are going great it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. I mean, it’s been like, what, four years?”

Three and a half . Not that Karolina’s counting or anything. She nods along quietly.

“Maybe now is the right time to patch things up, you know? I mean, Chase and I miss her, and I  know Molly does too. Even Alex probably does. Don’t you?”

Karolina can’t allow herself to even think about what the answer to that question would be, so she ignores it. “Is she coming just for the ceremony or…?”

“She’s coming for the Hostel thing, too. She said she’ll be here for the whole week.”

A week. Nico is going to be back for a week. Surely Karolina can handle having Nico around for a single week, can’t she? Definitely. Just seven quick days and then she’ll be gone and everything will fall right back to normal.

(Karolina had never thought her idea of normal would be one that doesn’t include Nico Minoru, but things change).

. . .

It feels like she’s been in the kitchen for hours, staring silently at her untouched cereal while she waits for Victor to wake up, Gert and Chase’s words still echoing in the back of her head. They’re getting married. How crazy is that? Back in high school she practically had to physically smash their heads together to get them to admit their feelings for each other, and now they’re getting married. And, for reasons she will never understand, they want her to be there. And how can she say no to that? They may not be in the greatest terms now, but for most of her life they were like family.

(But then again, Robert is literally family and Nico skipped his wedding without thinking twice).

(She regrets that now).

Truth is, she misses them, all of them. Gert, Chase, Molly. God, Molly must be what, 19? It’s crazy. Part of her has always selfishly thought that Brentwood would stay exactly as she left it, frozen in time forever. Clearly, that isn’t the case. Gert and Chase are getting married, Molly is probably in college, Alex must be working on some groundbreaking AI technology and Karolina...Nico tries not to think too much about Karolina. She just hopes she’s happy.

As for Nico… she’s okay. It took a long time and an overwhelming amount of effort, but she’s managing, which is why she agreed to coming to this wedding in the first place. Finally, she’s ready to face the ghosts from her past. Or at least she thinks she is. But she definitely can’t do it alone.

“What the fuck, Nico, how long have you been sitting there?” Victor asks groggily as soon as he comes into the kitchen, his eyes barely open and his hair uncharacteristically disheveled.

“A while.” She shrugs. “I couldn’t sleep and I really need to talk to you, so.”

“You could just wake me up, you know.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Nico lets out a breathy laugh. “You’d kill me if I messed with your beauty sleep.”

“Fair point.” He smirks. “So, what do you need me for?”

“How would you feel about an all-expenses paid trip to Cali? My treat.” Nico puts up her best saleswoman attitude, even forcefully attaching a smile to her words like they do on really bad commercials.

Victor is definitely not buying it. “I’d say there’s a catch hidden somewhere… didn’t you, like, grow up in Cali?”

“That might have something to do with the trip, yes.”

He furrows his brow at her impatiently. “Just spit it out, Minoru. I don’t have all day.”

“A couple of old friends from Brentwood called me last night. They’re getting married and… they want me to come, apparently. So I need you to be my plus one. Please.”

“Your old friends, huh?” His voice is still reluctant but his eyes soften immediately. For the billionth time in the last three years Nico feels immensely grateful for having Victor Mancha in her life, even though she definitely doesn’t say that to him as much as she should. Talking about her feelings isn’t her strong suit, but she’s working on it. “I’ll think about it. When exactly would this little trip place?”

“About a month from now. We’d be staying there the whole week.”

“Whoa, a whole week? What kind of wedding is this?”

“It’s not a weeklong wedding, dumbass.” She rolls her eyes at him. “But Gert said that since our friend group has been sort of scrambled around the country for a while, they wanted to give us a chance to reconnect before the ceremony or whatever, so we’re all staying at the Hostel for a week.”

“Weeklong bonding trip? And you agreed to that? You must really miss these people.” Victor raises an eyebrow at her, amused. “Anyway, what’s the Hostel ?”

“It’s sort of an underground mansion thing on a mountain range near LA. Gert’s parents own it, we used to hang out there a lot when we were teenagers. It’s got a really beautiful view, I get why they chose to get married there.”

(Maybe Nico, too, had once imagined her own wedding taking place in the Hostel).

“Underground mansion, huh?” Victor eyes her teasingly. “Sometimes I forget how absurdly rich you are.”

“You didn’t seem all that bothered by it when I bought us the VR kit for your PS4.”

“ Ay, cariño , no need to call me out like that.”

She really hates it when he calls her cariño , but that’s not really a priority right now.

“So… will you come with me? Please?” She glares at him, pleading. “I need you there, Vic.”

“I don’t know, Nico...I mean, it’s a whole week. The kids…”

Nico already knew he would bring this up. It had been her first concern, too. “I already texted Carol. She says she and the rest of the crew can cover for us for the week. Plus, we’ll have our phones, and as you said, I’m absurdly rich. If anything goes wrong we can be back in New York in 6 hours.“

Victor is still not convinced.

“What about you, Nico? A week is a long time. Are you sure you’re up for it?” In a different time Nico might have been angry at him for questioning her like that, but she understands it now. She knows he’s just genuinely concerned. “Did you speak to Steve about this?”

“Um, yeah. He totally thinks it’s a good idea.” It’s not exactly a lie. Steve has said several times that he wants her to reconnect with her old friends eventually , but he definitely didn’t know she’s planning to do it within a month.

“Okay, then I’ll come. But only because I’m really curious to meet your super rich friends… specially the famous Karolina Dean.”  

Nico’s stomach twists immediately. Maybe she’s already regretting this.  

[xtruss]

What Is The End Of An Era?

Trebek Remembered For Grace That Elevated Him Above Tv Host

George Alexander Trebek has been the host of Jeopardy! since the syndicated debut of America's Favorite Quiz Show® in 1984. He has become one of television's most enduring and iconic figures, engaging millions of viewers worldwide with his impeccable delivery of “answers and questions.”

— By Lynn Elber | Associated Press | November 8, 2020

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alex Trebek never pretended to have all the answers, but the “Jeopardy!” host became an inspiration and solace to Americans who otherwise are at odds with each other.

He looked and sounded the part of a senior statesman, impeccably suited and groomed and with an authoritative voice any politician would covet. He commanded his turf — the quiz show’s stage — but refused to overshadow its brainy contestants.

And when he faced the challenge of pancreatic cancer, which claimed his life Sunday at age 80, he was honest, optimistic and graceful. Trebek died at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family and friends, “Jeopardy!” studio Sony said.

The Canadian-born host made a point of informing fans about his health directly, in a series of brief online videos. He faced the camera and spoke in a calm, even tone as he revealed his illness and hope for a cure in the first message, posted in March 2019.

“Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this and I’m going to keep working,” Trebek said, even managing a wisecrack: He had to beat the disease because his “Jeopardy!” contract had three more years to run.

Trebek’s death came less than four months after that of civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, also of advanced pancreatic cancer and at age 80. Trebek had offered him words of encouragement last January.

In a memoir published this year, “The Answer Is ... Reflections on My Life,” Trebek suggested that he’s known but not celebrated, and compared himself to a visiting relative who TV viewers find “comforting and reassuring as opposed to being impressed by me.”

That was contradicted Sunday by the messages of grief and respect from former contestants, celebrities and the wider public that quickly followed news of his loss.

“Alex wasn’t just the best ever at what he did. He was also a lovely and deeply decent man, and I’m grateful for every minute I got to spend with him,” tweeted “Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings. “Thinking today about his family and his Jeopardy! family — which, in a way, included millions of us.”

“It was one of the great privileges of my life to spend time with this courageous man while he fought the battle of his life. You will never be replaced in our hearts, Alex,” James Holzhauer, another “Jeopardy!” star, posted on Twitter.

Recent winner Burt Thakur tweeted that he was “overwhelmed with emotion.” When he appeared on Friday’s show, Thakur recounted learning English diction as a child from watching Trebek on “Jeopardy!” with his grandfather.

The program tapes weeks of shows in advance, and the remaining episodes with Trebek will air through Dec. 25, a Sony spokeswoman said.

“Jeopardy!” bills itself as “America’s favorite quiz show” and captivated the public with a unique format in which contestants were told the answers and had to provide the questions on a variety of subjects, including movies, politics, history and popular culture.

They would answer by saying “What is ... ?” or “Who is .... ?”

In November 2019, one contestant expressed what many Jeopardy! fans were feeling: For his "Final Jeopardy!" answer, Dhruv Gaur wagered $1,995 on his answer: "What is We ❤ you, Alex!"

Trebek, who became its host in 1984, was a master of the format, engaging in friendly banter with contestants, appearing genuinely pleased when they answered correctly and, at the same time, moving the game along in a brisk no-nonsense fashion whenever people struggled for answers.

“I try not to take myself too seriously,” he told an interviewer in 2004. “I don’t want to come off as a pompous ass and indicate that I know everything when I don’t.”

The show was the brainstorm of Julann Griffin, wife of the late talk show host-entrepreneur Merv Griffin, who said she suggested to him one day that he create a game show where people were given the answers.

“Jeopardy!” debuted on NBC in 1964 with Art Fleming as emcee and was an immediate hit. It lasted until 1975, then was revived in syndication with Trebek.

Long identified by a full head of hair and trim mustache (though in 2001 he startled viewers by shaving his mustache, “completely on a whim”), Trebek was more than qualified for the job, having started his game show career on “Reach for the Top” in his native country.

George Alexander Trebek began hosting Jeopardy! in 1984. He is shown above in his Los Angeles home in 1988. Alan Greth/AP

Moving to the U.S. in 1973, he appeared on “The Wizard of Odds,” “High Rollers,” “The $128,000 Question” and “Double Dare.” Even during his run on “Jeopardy!”, Trebek worked on other shows. In the early 1990s, he was the host of three — “Jeopardy!”, “To Tell the Truth” and “Classic Concentration.”

“Jeopardy!” made him famous. He won five Emmys as its host, including one last June, and received stars on both the Hollywood and Canadian walks of fame. In 2012, the show won a prestigious Peabody Award.

He taped his daily “Jeopardy!” shows at a frenetic pace, recording as many as 10 episodes (two weeks’ worth) in just two days. After what was described as a mild heart attack in 2007, he was back at work in just a month.

He posted a video in January 2018 announcing he’d undergone surgery for blood clots on the brain that followed a fall he’d taken. The show was on hiatus during his recovery.

It had yet to bring in a substitute host for Trebek — save once, when he and “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak swapped their TV jobs as an April’s Fool prank.

In 2012, Trebek acknowledged that he was considering retirement, but had been urged by friends to stay on so he could reach 30 years on the show. He still loved the job, he declared: “What’s not to love? You have the security of a familiar environment, a familiar format, but you have the excitement of new clues and new contestants on every program. You can’t beat that!”

Although many viewers considered him one of the key reasons for the show’s success, Trebek himself insisted he was only there to keep things moving.

“My job is to provide the atmosphere and assistance to the contestants to get them to perform at their very best,” he said in a 2012 interview. “And if I’m successful doing that, I will be perceived as a nice guy and the audience will think of me as being a bit of a star. But not if I try to steal the limelight!”

In a January 2019 interview with The Associated Press, Trebek discussed his decision to keep going with “Jeopardy!”

“It’s not as if I’m overworked — we tape 46 days a year,” he said. But he acknowledged he would retire someday, if he lost his edge or the job was no longer fun, adding: “And it’s still fun.”

Trebek said he hated to see contestants lose for forgetting to phrase their answers as questions. "I'm there to see that the contestants do as well as they can within the context of the rules," he told Fresh Air's Terry Gross in 1987. Above, Trebek poses on the set in April 2010. Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

Born July 22, 1940, in Sudbury, Ontario, Trebek was sent off to boarding school by his Ukrainian father and French-Canadian mother when he was barely in his teens.

After graduating high school, he spent a summer in Cincinnati to be close to a girlfriend, then returned to Canada to attend college. After earning a philosophy degree from the University of Ottawa, he went to work for the Canadian Broadcasting Co., starting as a staff announcer and eventually becoming a radio and TV reporter.

He became a U.S. citizen in 1997. Trebek’s first marriage, to Elaine Callei, ended in divorce. In 1990, he married Jean Currivan, and they had two children, Emily and Matthew.

Trebek is survived by his wife, their two children and his stepdaughter, Nicky.

The Order of Canada (French: Ordre du Canada) is a Canadian national order and the second highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. Alex Trebek was awarded on November 17, 2017

Trebek was proud of the Peabody Award received by Jeopardy! in 2012 (left), Trebek at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, on March 31, 2007 (right)

[bugheadjones-the-third]

Title:  Civil War Summary: Based on the Bughead Pillow Fight photo for EW— Even if he’s a South Side Serpent and she’s the Perfect Girl Next Door, neither Betty nor Jughead will give up on a pillow fight. A/N: It’s finally here! It took me some time because of my studies, but now it’s finally ready! It’s meant to be a cute, funny one like some of my fics, but this time, I’m leaving a hint regarding the theme for my very first multi chap! I’m so excited!!! Well, hope you enjoy this, and please, tell me what you think! . read it on AO3 . . .

When it comes to movies, there is just no joking around with Jughead Jones. 
 If there is one thing Betty admires and loves about her boyfriend, it’s certainly his passion for the 7th art. His devotion to the stories played on big screens, the strange connection he has with the classics and his broad knowledge of castings and directors are things she finds incredibly beautiful to see in a boy his age. The title of cinephile suits him perfectly, and the fact that he can watch the same movie over and over again just to prove a point— no matter how irrelevant it may seem to others— is one of the things that defines his personality the most. 
 She remembers how he made Archie watch the Breakfast Club at least three times, so their ginger friend could understand  the true depth of the title. Whenever Don’t You Forget About Me started playing, she remembers the smile that spread across his face, and she swears she could watch the whole movie again just to see that smile. She remembers this and so many other occasions, where the same thing happened only with other movies. and if she has to be honest, she always thought that his determination was quite endearing. 
 That is, until today. 
 It’s Friday night, Alice, Hal and Polly are out, but instead of enjoying their youth and going to the Bijou’s for a double feature of Moly Ringwald movies; they’re both in her pink room, splayed around her bed, with sodas and an empty bowl of popcorn resting on her nightstand. Psycho is playing on her small TV, and the sound of the rain outside is the only thing invading what could be called their lovers’ nest. Normally, she wouldn’t complain about that at all. Any chance of spending some time with him and classic movies is always very well appreciated, especially after he moved to the South Side.

This could be a really great opportunity for them to forget about all the drama happening in Riverdale, but— 
 “Tell me why we’re watching Psycho again, Jug?”


 “We?” He lifts an eyebrow, sarcastically, as Marion Crane asked the cop why she should show him her driver’s license. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Betty. I’m clearly the only one who has watched this movie before.” 
 A pout crosses her lips, as she turns her eyes to slightly glare at him. He feels her gaze burning into the back of his head, yet, he did nothing, not taking his eyes off the movie. If there is one thing Betty should’ve never told her boyfriend, it’s that she has never watched the black and white version of Psycho. It’s not like she minds black and white movies — in fact, she loves them —, but it’s not her fault that she used to prefer the colored versions as a child. This is by far one of her top 10 movies, but right now, with a killer on the loose and with all the things going on around Riverdale, she was just not in the mood for that kind of movie. Couldn’t they have just watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off instead? “Is it so wrong to have watched the colored version?” 
 “Of course not.” He continued, as the driving scenes went on and on in the background. 
 “Then why can’t we go to the Bijou?” 
 “Because, my dear, innocent Betty… You have only watched the colored version. And everyone knows that Psycho is supposed to be watched in black and white.” 
 “But why, though? Give me one good reason for it, Jug.” 
 “Oh my god, Betts! Hitchcock would be offended! Psycho is a black and white classic of the American cinema and its iconic scenes were perfectly designed for that kind of image. It gives out a mysterious vibe, and it’s just brilliant!” He continues, clearly getting excited as all the reasons cross his mind. There’s a proud expression ruling his face, and while they discuss the matter, Norman Bates is happily showing his collection of dead animals to his guest, who doesn’t seem that entertained. “Besides, the shower scene is way scarier in black and white. I bet you’re gonna scream as much as Janet Leigh did while recording that part.” 
 “I truly doubt that… I’ve seen this movie many times already, and I don’t think I’ll ever scream because of the shower scene.” There’s a smirk on her face now, as she snuggles closer to him. 
 “Wanna bet?” 
 “Are you asking me if I want to win?” 
 “If you win, we can even do a Julie Andrews’ session.” 
 “Oh, It’s definitely on, Jug.” She smirks, biting her lower lip. 
 “Hn, you’re too confident for a girl who screamed watching American Werewolf.” He smirks back, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and bringing her even closer. His fingers caress her soft skin, and they soon return to a comfortable silence as their eyes are focused on the screen. 
 A smile settles on their lips as the psychopath makes his way back to the spooky house. Even if she doesn’t want to admit it, Betty knows now that Jughead really has a point regarding the effect caused by the lack of colors in the movie. There’s this noir aura enveloping the characters, and the shadows around the characters are somehow deeper and darker than when she first watched it. 
 Her green eyes are now glued to the screen as Marion works on some numbers regarding her money. This scene in black and white is just so hypnotic and mysterious, and before she knows it, Betty feels as if she’s watching Psycho for the first time in her life. She’s not afraid—far from that— but she can feel the Hitchcock thrill taking over her body and sending shivers down her spine. Norman’s eyes are boring holes into her soul, and soon, she catches herself holding her breath as the bathroom scene starts. 
 Oh, god— she thinks, biting her lower lip in pure anxiety. The whiteness of the image shows off all the details of the bathroom, creating the perfect contrast. Her satin robe falling to the floor is so delicate and fast, and soon after that, the camera moves to face her, as the water soaks her naked body. 
 The angle of the camera changes again, and now, when her short, blonde hair is already glued to her head, a dark shadow comes up behind her. It makes no sound and it seems a lot more mysterious than when she first watched the movie. Betty can feel her bones getting colder under her skin, and she suddenly feels the need to scream for Marion to turn around. The classic, background music is creating an exciting tension, and when the curtain is finally pulled— 
 “AHH!” 
 Her voice echoes around the entire house and she practically jumped from her spot. Her scream gets mixed with the movie, but instead of a psychopath dressed in his mother’s clothes, Betty’s scream was caused by hands sneaking under her shirt and touching her waist in an abrupt movement. Her eyes widened, her breath is stuck in her throat, and her heart is racing as she hears the accusatory laughter of her boyfriend. Jughead’s eyes are closed, his hands are hugging his stomach and his face is getting redder with every second, as he can’t seem to stop laughing at his girlfriend’s reaction to the oldest, scary trick in the book. 
 What a silly girl, he thinks. 
 And oh— she’s definitely mad right now. 
 “I cannot believe you did this!” Betty starts, her chest moving up and down frantically, as she runs her fingers through her loose, golden locks. They’re now sitting apart from each other, and her eyes are still holding that glare. 
 “Y-You said you wouldn’t get scared.“ He starts, wiping a tear that managed to slip from his eye. “But you looked like a scaredy cat now, Betty. And I’ve just won our bet.” 
 “That’s not fair! You made me scream, not the movie.”
 “Technically, you screamed during the shower scene, so…” He smirks, moving his eyebrows in a teasing way. “I won the bet.” 
 “Oh, you’re such a child, Jughead Jones!” She states, pouting childishly as the smirk stays on his face. “And stop smirking like that!” She grabs her white pillow, hitting him with it and making a soft, stuffy sound. 
 “Hey!” He says, defending himself from the powerful pillow attack, still smirking. “Who are you calling a child, child? You’ve just hit me with a pillow!” 
 “Yes, I did.” She hits him again, the pillow now hitting his arm. "And I’ll keep doing it until you admit you've cheated.” 
 “Are you looking for a pillow fight, Elizabeth?” He smirks, his hand already reaching for the weapon he had been resting his head on for the past 40 minutes. 
 The corner of her lips slowly lifts in a challenging way, and right now, both of the teens know that there’s no turning back anymore. “Yes, I am, Forsythe. And if you don’t wanna be humiliated, you should just—” 
 Her voice was abruptly interrupted by a pillow hitting her straight in the face. Her hair is now falling over her eyes and as soon as she sees his proud face, Betty Cooper’s competitive side takes over. 
 It’s definitely on. 
 It doesn’t take more than five seconds before the two children turn her perfect room into a war zone. Pillows are on the flour, plush toys are already hiding under the bed and feathers are spread around the entire place. It’s like the adults’ civil war, where she’s from the North, he’s from the South, but unlike Riverdale, they’re not fighting because they’re standing in different sides of the tracks in a small town, no. Instead, they fight because of a bet over the most iconic scene of black and white cinema. 
 And no matter how they looked at it, their reason to fight made a lot more sense in their young, brave heads. 
 For the following 20 minutes they have been aiming at each other’s arms and bellies, and never before had a fight been so much fun. Both Betty and Jughead are kneeling on her mattress, each of them holding a cushioned weapon. Smirks are plastered on their faces, and she’s sure that if her mother walked in to see that scene, she would probably think her perfect daughter had snapped. 
 And maybe, she did. 
 “You’re not winning this, Jughead!” She smiles, feeling her stomach jumping in childish happiness. “I have the advantage of the field!” 
 “Poor, innocent Betty.” He smiles, too, his dark waves now a mess after Betty managed to hit his crown shaped beanie from his head. “I grew up with a little sister. There’s no way you’re beating me.” 
 “I’ll show you what I'm made of, Jones.” 
 “Bring it on, Cooper!” 
 Even if she first decided to let him be the one to attack, Betty decides to give up on that strategy and just follow her instincts. The blonde charges her pillow attack, and when she finally unleashes it, something unexpected happens. Jughead is hit. She was waiting for him to dodge that— since he basically dodged her attacks during the entire fight— and that’s why her eyes widen when the fluffy material hits his belly, sending him straight to the floor. Her ears capture his voice screaming in surprise, followed by the sound of his body hitting the carpet, and right now, the Cooper girl just doesn’t know what to do. 
 Did she win? 
 Did she really hit him hard enough to send him to the ground? 
 Did she hurt him? 
 Betty doesn’t know. Her chest is moving fast due to her erratic breathing, and her heart shaped lips are slightly parted. “Oh god! Jughead? Are you okay?” Slowly, her hands clutch tighter around the pillow, and her heart starts beating even faster. She’s waiting for his response and for the sight of his head shooting up like a marmot, but nothing happens. “Come on, Jug. This is not funny…" Silence takes over the entire room, and all the happiness that was taking over her senses seconds ago, is now gone and replaced by a sudden concern. 
 She’s biting her lower lip now, and all the worse scenarios start playing in her head as she approaches the edge of her bed. He was probably caught off guard by her attack and fell on the ground, eventually hitting his head. Something inside her tells her that as soon as she looks at her carpet, she will find a pool of blood— his blood— and the lifeless body of her boyfriend over it. Betty just can’t believe she killed him with a pillow, and soon, tears start pooling around her eyes as a result of losing the love of her life. 
 “Jug?” Her voice is shaking now in fear, and she's afraid of looking past her bed. Betty swallows dry, and now, as she stands just a few inches away from a possibly bloody scene, she knows she’s screwed up. She killed him— of course she did it— and now life will be sad, boring and less sarcastic without Jughead Jones the Th— 
 A thump breaks her line of thought, making her close her eyes for a moment in pure reflex as something soft hits her face. A second later, her green eyes are widened, her lips parted and the Jones boy is looking at her from the floor, his head leaning over his closed hand. The boy is laying casually on the floor, with a smirk on his face, and right now, Betty doesn’t know whether she’s relieved or really mad at him for playing with her like that. 
 “Have I ever told you how cute you look when you’re worried about me?” 
 Oh, she’s definitely mad. 
 “You big, fat, jer-“ 
 “Betty! Language!” 
 There’s fire in her eyes now, and with puffed cheeks, Betty throws herself back on the bed. She’s doing her best not to scream her anger out, not bothering to offer him any help or comfort as he stands up, laughing, as his fingers run through his raven locks. His eyes immediately drift to her, as she has her back pressed against the mattress, her golden hair splayed around, as her hand rests on her forehead. His eyes examine his girlfriend, and even if there’s a bit of guilt inside him, he can’t help but think how cute she looks right now. 
 Even when she’s mad and even after they just finished a pillow fight, Elizabeth Cooper is still extremely beautiful. 
 But simply stating that won’t change the fact that he has to bring a smile back to her face. 
 “Betts…” He starts, his knees making contact with her bed. She feels his weight molding the mattress underneath them, and even though she’s doing her best to avoid his eyes, Betty can’t fully avoid him now that he’s leaning over her, his arms placed on either side of her body to support him. His face is mere inches away from hers, and she can feel his hot breath brushing her cheek. “Are you still mad?” 
 “Shut up…” She pouts, doing her best not to look into his greenish, blue eyes. 
 “Oh, come on.“ He leans down, closer to her. “I was joking.” 
 “I thought you were really hurt.” 
 “Hurt? Betts, you hit me with a pillow.” 
 “So what?” Her cheeks were puffed, and right now, as he says it out loud, Betty has to admit that the whole thing does sound a bit silly. “Something could’ve happened. You could’ve hit your head, passed out or even cut your forehead.” 
 “Yeah, right… If something like that happened, Alice Cooper would probably kill me for staining the carpet.” A chuckle escapes her lips, as she imagines the scene in her head. Her mother would certainly explode if there was a blood stain on her carpet, and she wouldn’t even need to think twice before blaming the boy. 
 “Yeah… Maybe.” 
 “Is that a chuckle I hear, Betty?” He smirks, and she can tell it even without looking at him. 
 “Oh, shut up…” She smirks, finally looking at him. His dark locks are falling forward, and she can smell the inebriating scent of his shampoo. His eyes are as soft and as beautiful as ever, and his body hovering over hers is just too distracting. Apparently, the Cooper girl just can’t stay mad at him for longer than five minutes, even if he just scared her to death. 
 And for that, Jughead is more than thankful. 
 “You know… You’re terrible at being mad.” He leans in even closer, their lips almost brushing. 
 “I know… But…” She smiles, lifting her head up a little. When she finally feels his lips against hers, the Cooper girl grips her pillow and softly hits his head, barely making him move from his spot. 
 “What the—“ 
 His eyes widen a bit, but before Jughead can even think about planning a counter attack, her hands cup his cheeks and she pulls him closer into a soft, sweet kiss. They breath in, their lips still touching and softly, she whispers. “I guess I’m the winner, after all.” 
 Her voice sends shivers down his spine, and suddenly, it’s like there’s a knot in his gut. His throat goes dry, his heart is beating faster, and as she looks at him with those gorgeous, lustful eyes, Jughead knows that, no matter what he does, he already lost everything to her. 
 He lost the fight, he lost his mind and he certainly lost his heart to the perfectly imperfect girl beneath him. 
 “Should I give you a prize, then?” He says, kissing her neck as his hand slowly starts to slip under her shirt. 
 “I’ve been waiting the whole night, Forsythe Jones.” 
 Oh, Elizabeth Cooper… You really are the winner.

[angishy]

Em - info

Name: Eman Rogue Nickname: Em Age: 16 Gender: male Species: classic ferrkat Eye color: dark gold Hair color: light brown Body color: faded dark brown Birthday: 25th July Signs, scars, tattoos, jewelry, etc.: blind left eye, eyepatch, gold rings around arms, two earrings in each ear Smoking: no Drinking: usually Drugs: no/selling them in the future Allergies: / Fears/Phobias: afraid of his past Hobbies: collecting interesting things from dump, repairing or creating something new from them, reading books about murders and pirates, destroying bins, collecting pull tabs Talent/Skills: thinker, strategist Other: / Residence: dilapidated abandoned hut, alone, later with Lane, squatter in the future Occupation: selling drugs Personality: cryptic, optimistic, calmed, easily controlled by others, weak, but very good at thinking, never mixes his personal life with a gang life, nice normal guy, feels uncomfortable when people ask about his blind eye, has a dogsleep, but sometimes he falls into the deep sleep and then nothing can wake him up until he wakes up himself. In the future he despises everyone in the society, hates civilization, very manipulative, loves to see people suffer, cares only about himself Family: father, mother and younger sister Fami (7 years old) Friends: gang members Jack, Rean, Zarrow, Leeo. In the future no one Enemies: The Strays gang Relationship: dated Lane for a while Pets: / Purpose: made as a part of the gang supposed to be the Strays' enemy Gang: The Infected X Past: Em was a nice guy since his childhood. Once he saw a little kitty cold and shaking, so he took some food and blanket to help. That’s the way he met Nizzy and became friends. Em also knows Jack since he was 5 years old and Jack 6 years old. One day Jack decided to attack Nizzy and Em had to join, because he was already a part of the beginning gang. Nizzy felt betrayed and when he wanted Em to stop being friends with Jack, their friendship ended and they became an enemies, Em wanted to stay loyal to Jack. Later in his past he stole some stuff from a grocery store, but the salesman chased him until they got into a corner. Em had a knife and decided to defend himself... Unfortunately he killed the man, but he never became suspect in the case. Present: In present time Em is still a member of Jack’s gang. He is Jack's right-hand and a co-leader, because he is the most reliable and loyal member, but for bigger actions he  still needs Jack’s permission. Em is a faithful servant... Very often called a puppet, because he get’s easily controled by other members, he does their dirty job in the gang and so on. He doesn't try to attract attention and is a very quiet person. He isn't a real pirate, but he falls for the style and because of his blind eye the idea of having eyepatch supported his decision to have a pirate-like appearance. Because he is a weak fighter, he usualy uses an iron pipe, branch or any other usefull things to increase his power. People ask him very often about how is it between him and Nizzy. Em tries not to talk about the fact they were friends. The worse is his secret about the killed salesman. Only Jack knows about it, but Em isn‘t afraid to admit that he would kill again. Jack enjoys bullying people around the town and nearby city and the rest of the gang has to follow, including Em. Jack's favourite target is a girl from a wealthy family, named Lane. Stealing her money, destroying her nice dresses and uniforms and even physical attacks were almost a daily routine. Em easily calculated which paths she uses at certain time oh her way to school and back home and the gang always waited for her around those places. Em ran away from home when he was 14 and never returned. He felt like the family never understood him and forced him into things he didn't like and the idea of living on his own with no responsibilities seemed like the best choice. He found an abandoned little dirty hut near the town's dump, he called it home. When Em has no gang duties, he is just slacking around. One rainy day, when he was 15 years old, he was throwing sticks and stones off a bridge when Lane was returning from school, her usual secret path was flooded and she had no chance but cross the bridge. Once they recognized each other, Lane paniced and wanted to flee. Em however had no intentions to attack. He doesn't mix his personal life with gang life and he personally had nothing against this girl, he only follows his leader's orders. Lane confused by not getting attacked started a conversation and surprisingly this simple conversation grew into a friendship and soon a relationship. Of course the rest of the gang found out very soon, Jack found it rather amusing and kept teasing them both. However it didn't stop the gang from bullying Lane. This time they only waited for when Em isn't around and pounce. Em knew about this very soon as Lane would tell him, he would always apologize and promise that he will talk to Jack and make sure they leave her alone. Unfortunatelly his voice has no value against Jack's decissions and so Em had to deal with the fact he won't be heard out and respected for any plead. An year later when Em i 16, Lane lost hope in this relationship that was endlessly and closely watched by the rest of the gang and still being targeted by their bullying while Em never did anything to stop it. His loyalty laid on Jack's side and so Lane decided to end the relationship. Heartbroken Em begged for one more chance and soft hearted Lane got back to him. During that time Em and the rest of the gang learned that the leader of their rival gang of The Strays, Zik, moved out of the town and the rest of his gang members slowly started to focus at their future. It was easy for Em to notice that even his leader Jack acted different since then. There was no other gang to fight and slowly even Lane noticed that the bullying has stopped and the rest of Jack's gang was nowhere to be found. The relief didn't follow however. Once Em wasn't under Jack's control anymore and once Lane decided to live with him in his little hut to escape her trict grandparents she lived with, Em seemed to change as well. Jack had own plans for his future and distanced himself even from Em. Em, happy to finally have Lane only for himself without being closely watched by the rest of the gang grew a possesive habit. Lane's naturaly kind and almost naive behavior was something Em loved about her but slowly got too used to it and started using her for that. No longer being the silent, secretive or sensitive boy. He learned that his apologizing and begging Lane to come back to him because he will change works all the time but everything was changing to the worse. Soon Lane found herself abused again, but this time by her boyfriend. He wanted her to find job immediatelly so they could have some money and live separated from the world in this little hut where she was kept except for times when she had school, work or visited her wealthy family from which Em always expected her to bring more money. Future: When Em is over 17, the home abuse of Lane is not any better, but her fear to leave him is too high and hope for him actually changing too desperate. What Em doesn't know is that Lane actually met Jack unexpectedly, a while after his gang disappeared before, at her little secret place in the woods where she would watch the stars. Surprisingly it was Jack's secret spot too and that's where they both could actually talk after both gangs were broken apart. Now, Em allowed Lane to visit a medical school to become a nurse. It was her dream but Em only saw chance for more money. However, he didn't let her stay at any dorm, she always had to humbly return back to his old shack and suffer from his worsening possesious behavior. Especially when he was drunk, she would find herself even slapped or basically raped. School was the only escape for her so she tries to spend as much time having lessons or in school's library as possible. That's when she realizes that Jack is at this school too, surprisingly as a legit student and trying to change to the better. Soon they start to talk and know each other more. Jack knows that Lane is still dating Em and knows hears about how badly he treats her as he notices all the bruises on her body. The new friendship of these two is a new threat to Em once he learns about Jack visiting the same school. His anger towards Lane raises and he starts to blame Lane from cheating on him with Jack during the next few months. Eventhough it's not true, soon their friendship really turns into crush and they reveal their feelings. Cautious of the fact that Lane is still with Em, Jack this time tries to go the right way and be gentleman, telling Lane his worry about her staying with Em might not end well. Jack and Lane clearly found their way to each other and it was time for Lane to leave Em. When lane was returning home from school one day, Jack decided to visit Rean, a panda girl from his former gang and the only member he remained friends with. Rean works as a hooter at bar and tells Jack about Em's visit and drinking quite a lot while being angry about his girlfriend cheating on him. And that moment Jack quickly heads towards Em's place to check on Lane. There is an ongoing loud argue while items are beaking thrown at walls and broken, crying of Lane and rage of drunk Em. Jack enters the hut to protect Lane but is immediatelly attacked by Em and his metal rod and getting knocked out. Lane jumping into it in an attempt to to save Jack but ends up mistakenly hit by the rod too and broken arm. Eventhough Em would physically abuse Lane, he wouldn't want to dangerously hurt her and breaking her arm made him panic and endlessly apologize. Police is called very soon because of the whole loud fuss. Jack wake up in the hospital with Lane alseep next to his bed with arm in a sling. Em makes one more apear at the hospital again pleading for Lane's forgiveness before security guys drag him back outsite where he gets finally arrested. He is released after a few days when Lane doesn't sue him and his old shack is torn down. Em, heartbroken, full of anger and hate towards both Lane and Jack and now even completly homeless needs to start over. He leaves the small town and goes to the nearby city where he makes a living as a pickpocket and lives in an old caravan stolen from junkyard in the dirtier streets of the city. Living like this for many months, he starts to sell drugs as a dealer. He sometimes visits the Ferrkat Hills town again to find new customers. He finds a punker who doesn't seem to feel happy and offers him drugs. This punker introduces himself as Darvon, heartbroken, hoping that he made a new friend he would want to confess with his painful story. Em, ignorant towards his words just pretends to listen, knowing that this guy will come to buy more drugs anyway. When Darvon stops contacting him, its a loss of money for Em, but nothing that wouldnt be fixed by finding some more customers. After Em reached 22 years, Jack and Lane had twins together and Jack was in contact with Rean meanwhile because of his suspicion that Em is the one who sold Darvon drugs and thus is guilty for Darvon's death. Rean has her contacts to dig up dirt on people and kept Jack updated. The day Lane gave birth, Rean contacted Jack and confirmed that Em was Darvon's drug dealer. The same very day Em is aproached by Jack, Kuro and Lane's cousin Fly so have their way with him. After an argue and short fight Jack calls the police and Em is jailed for dealing drugs. After some months Lane decided to visit Em in the prison without letting Jack know to gain some answers for her questions and to close this chapter finally. Em however saw nothing but a traitor who left him for his exleader, he saw Lane as something that was stolen from him eventhough Lane tried to be at peace and friendly, offering him any help while he was sentenced to the rest of his life in prison. Em tried to manipulate Lane again once they talked about Darvon's death and how he endlessly talked about some "blondie kitten", which Em mistakenly thought was Darvon's nickname for Lane. Em naively thought that Darvon had crush on her and Em tried to use that to manipulate her again without knowing that the blondie kitten was actually Zik. In the end Em threatens to see her very soon. The very same evening Em escaped the prison and snooped out Lane and Jack's house, throwing a stone through the window of the room where the twins were sleeping as a first sign of him being around. Police was called and Jack left with them to fill the report at their office. Em meanwhile got into the house and once Jack and police was gone and Lane with her twin girls in the bedroom, he bursted in and kidnaped them. Through the dark they weren't seen and Lane didn't want to risk life of her babies so she had to follow him wherever he was taking them. They ended up in an old wooden shack deep in the woods. Em took Lane's works about offering him help too seriously and wanted her to leave Jack and stay with him again. In the end he raped her but before he could finish, Jack was back from the police, realized that Lane and twins are gone and sniffed them all back into this hidden place, surprising Em with immediate attack and endless punches and kicks until Em passed out. When Jack wanted to help Lane and their kids get out of this place, Em woke up and was ready to attack back. Luckily Jack reacted fast this time and charged against him, pinning him to the wall. However what he couldn't know was that there was an old rusty coat hook that went straight through Em's chest. He was quickly bleeding out, Jack covered from his blood now wanted to lead Lane and their kids out of the shack. Outside the first policemen were finally ariving as Jack called them again once he found out that Lane and twins are no longer at home. Em didn't survive and this is the end of his journey, Jack was never accused of murder or homicide as it was self defence.

Lane, Fly © @dee-umbra​

[letscuttothefeeling]

season three episodes nine & ten

Okay everyone, after a short hiatus, I’m back and ready to reenter the world of Siesta Key, much like Alex after his long-awaited return in episode three of this season. There’s a lot of ground to cover here, (over yonder and hither north), and a lot of bare ass to see. So let’s just cut to the feeling!

The summer’s third most important event on the Key, following closely behind Alex’s birthday which didn’t happen, and the Kompothecras Autism fundraiser which has yet to happen, is the Fourth of July. We all know how much the cast loves a themed bathing suit party and an excuse to take as many blueberry and watermelon Smirnoff Jello shots as possible, so this day is an honored tradition! But this year, we discover Juliette will not be participating in the annual debauchery. She’s under the impression that Alex and Alyssa will attend BG’s pool party, so in a rare moment of maturity (sorry Jules, but you know it’s true), she decides to work the holiday instead so that Blend, the boutique she works for, will be ready for its opening party. We love to see her contribute so thoroughly to Florida’s flourishing haute couture scene. But she’s mistaken – Alex and Alyssa are actually planning to head to Alyssa’s lake house in Georgia. (Go Dawgs! Sic em! Woof Woof!) Alyssa has invited Alex’s self-proclaimed “posse” consisting of JJ, Jared, Amanda, and Chloe. Her best friend Madi will also be there. I love being introduced to cast members’ friends because the company people keep is very telling of their overall aesthetic and vibe. Madi’s Instagram bio says that “chaos makes the muse,” and from that, I can assume that she’s a basic white girl who is obsessed with Show Me Your Mumu and uppers. How fitting!

Every girl who exclusively wears Show Me Your Mumu’s feed

While everyone is finalizing their FOJ plans, Madisson is enjoying a romantic evening at Ophelia’s On the Bay with Ish. This classic Siesta Key establishment is reserved for special occasions, so I’m already at the edge of my seat wondering what is going on in Ish’s shiny, bald head. Ish pulls a small jewelry box out of his pocket, and I’m breathlish. I mean, breathless. Is Ish going to propose?! Madisson’s face lights up, then falls when she sees the box has a necklish in it instead of a ring. Bummer! But rest assured, the jovial grin returns to Madisson’s face moments later when Ish asks her to move in with him! I mean, she’s quite literally giggling with excitement. Whatever happened to playing it cool? In fact, Madisson is SO jazzed that she suggests Ish come to lunch with her entire family soon, since her older sister, Paige will be in town. You may remember Paige as the girl who hooked up with both Pauly and Canvas, two major SK players. Fabulous track record. I can’t wait to see her again.

Country roads, take me home! We have arrived in Albany, Georgia and are ready to hit the lake and celebrate America! But before the celebration can begin, everyone must decide who is rooming with who. Chloe quickly nixes the possibility of Amanda rooming with JJ, and later chastises Amanda for even thinking about rooming with her toxic ex. Between you and me, Amanda looks quite peeved with her friend’s overbearing orders. After everyone gets settled, and Jared makes a connection with Alyssa’s friend Madi, Chloe walks inside and sees Alyssa shucking corn, something Alyssa apparently thinks only happens in the south, even though everyone literally everywhere who eats corn needs to shuck it. Alyssa confides in Chloe about Alex’s recent shuck up – his confession that he was on the phone with Juliette for six hours. Chloe lets it slip that Alex only admitted his wrongdoing to Alyssa after Chloe pushed him to do it, which makes Alyssa angry. She confronts Alex about it, and all I have to say is that if this is any indication of how Alex responds when presented with damning evidence, I do not want him representing me. He immediately gets defensive and angry at Chloe, and as much as I hate to admit it, Alyssa holds her own. She gets mad at Alex for attacking Chloe for simply telling the truth. Instead of just owning up to what he’s done wrong, Alex stammers out a half-apology and looks ready to fight Chloe. Oh no.

Cut to JJ and Amanda, grilling up some burgers and a hot conversation! After discussing their rekindled flame despite their tough past, Amanda tells JJ about another wrench in their road to romance – Chloe’s blatant disapproval. JJ looks really annoyed with the intrusion. I mean, he’s had to deal with BG, the fact that he cheated on Amanda multiple times already, and now this?! It’s so unfair. Speaking of BG, back on the Key, Brandon’s party is in full swing. You know what else is in full swing? The bare ass of a girl attending the party. Listen, I know the show loves to transition scenes by showing close-ups of scantily clad females, but this is just not something I can get behind. (Ha!) In all seriousness though, readers, please consider using something more than floss to cover your asshole if you ever find yourself on national television.

There’s more than one ass at this party, and her name is Kelsey. Sorry Kelsey stans, but this scene is just so violently cringe-worthy that I almost threw the remote at my screen. Kelsey can be so off-putting when she tries to flirt. But she’s hot and on a reality show so I’m not too worried about it. G Baby approaches Kelsey and asks her where “Jakey-poo” is. It’s worth noting that the robots controlling Garrett are becoming increasingly upsetting as well. Kelsey informs the Robot Garret that Jake is “over yonder, hither north” and then giggles/hiccups. I’m actually grimacing as I type this. Their nauseating display reminds me of why they’re actually perfect for each other. Foreshadowing, maybe? Kelsey then asks the question we’ve all been wondering – are Cara and Garrett still talking? Garrett says that they are not talking anymore, which is exactly what BG says about Amanda when Madisson asks. And as the fireworks explode in the night sky, I can’t help but think about the lack of fireworks in the love lives of our beloved cast. 

Back at the lake, tensions are rising faster than the current unemployment rate. Chloe seems to be the common denominator in everyone’s annoyance, and at dinner, everything comes to a head. Looking directly at Chloe, Alex asks, “Chloe, I know you like hanging out with us, but are you more of a team Juliette girl?” Chloe warns him “not to go there,” but Alex keeps pushing, accusing Chloe of being “finnicky.” Alex Merriam- Webster Kompothecras back at it again with the BURNS! Nice try buddy, I guess they don’t have vocab in law school. (I believe Alex meant to say “fickle,” but let me know your thoughts.) Chloe fires back by asking Alex a question – why hasn’t he made things official with Alyssa yet? Future Lawyer Alex blesses us yet again with a genius rebuttal: “Why? Because… I’ve… learned that… you shouldn’t push things. And when… the time is right...” Chloe cuts him off by reiterating that Alex still continuously hits Juliette up. At this point, I feel so bad for Alyssa who is just sitting there like a vegetable. But before I can focus on how painfully awkward she must feel, Amanda randomly starts butting in and yelling at Chloe for inserting herself in everyone else’s relationships. Chloe inserting herself in other people’s lives is literally the core theme of the show. Please get over it. Amanda keeps yelling because she’s clearly annoyed with Chloe’s criticism of JJ, and as JJ sits there, harrowingly silent, Chloe tells Amanda to fuck off and storms out of the lake house. Let’s all pray she didn’t drive home. The night isn’t all bad though – after the fight, Jared ends up sealing the deal with Madi, who insists that she “usually doesn’t do this on the first night.” Okay, sweetie. After Jared is unable to perform, the night, which began on an explosive note ends on a rather underwhelming one.

The fourth may be over, but the aftermath from the day remains. And what better way to catch up on the day’s events than over lunch? As Chloe meets up with Juliette to explain what happened at the lake, Madisson takes Ish to meet up with her entire family and break her news to them. I predict that while Chloe and Juliette’s lunch will go swimmingly, Madisson and Ish’s lunch will turn sour quickly. And I’m right! Juliette drinks in every last detail of Chloe’s public fight with Alex. I’m proud of her for steering clear of the drama this time, but I’m not naïve. Juliette can only be on the Key drama-free for so long. Let’s check in with Madisson. As anticipated, this is not going well. After Madisson’s mom asks if she is pregnant, and Madisson’s Dad refuses to acknowledge that she and Ish are anything but “just friends,” Madisson tells her family that she plans to move to Los Angeles with Ish. They appear less than pleased. It is a stark contrast from Madisson’s giddy reaction when he initially proposed the idea. Ish gently reminds her family that while Madisson would like their blessing, she is a grown woman and can make her own decisions. He knows their situation is “so unique”, but hopes they will grow to accept their relationship. Paige, Madisson’s sister, breaks her silence. While Madisson was hoping she might be an ally for their relaysh, she turns out to be team parent. “Unique…?” Paige questions. “Isn’t this more of a cliché? The old Hollywood producer sleeping with the actress…” Ouch! And here I thought her father was the harsh one!

While Madisson’s relationship becomes increasingly rocky, Alex decides to take things up a notch with Alyssa. During a bizarre conversation in which he essentially admits that he still has feelings for his ex-girlfriend, Alex seals the deal with Alyssa and asks her to be official. I wonder what prompted him to take the next step! Could it have been Chloe point-blank asking him why he hadn’t made things official with Alyssa the night before? We may never know. Regardless, Alyssa accepts the clearly sincere offer and Siesta Key has a new power couple. “Wait,” you might be thinking. “New power couple? But what about Ish and Madisson?” Oh, thanks for the reminder. Alex and Alyssa are only able to overthrow this couple because…they’re done. Gasp! In a shocking scene, Ish breaks up with Madisson on national TV. If I’m Madisson, a stunning 25-year-old girl who is D-List famous and kind of intelligent, I’m furious. How dare my old, overweight ex-producer dump my ass in front of all of America. But after Ish says he needs space and doesn’t think they should be together, Madisson just starts to softly cry and runs off-screen, away from her now ex-Father ex-boyfriend. I am torn because I know that Ish means well. It’s like that time in Stephanie Meyer’s classic American novel, New Moon. When Edward realizes that his relationship with Bella puts her safety and ability to lead a normal life at risk, he knows he must leave her. Even if it’s the last thing he wants to do. He must act out of selfless love. Eventually, though, he comes back to Bella…we can only hope for the same fate for Dadisson.

Speaking of exes, let’s check in on everyone’s least favorite exes, Boring Robby and Juliette! Boring Robby is throwing some sort of strange soirée, and it’s a little awkward that Juliette is there considering the last time these two saw each other it ended rather abruptly. But Juliette, on a mature streak, pulls Boring Robby aside and apologizes for the harsh convo. She invites him to the Blend opening as a peace offering, and even though he accepts, Boring Robby can’t help but push for a few more answers. He asks Juliette why she would ever say she loved him, and Juliette responds by explaining that while she did love him, she wasn’t in love with him, because she felt like he was “fatherly.” Okay y’all, you’ve heard of getting friend-zoned, but today we’re introducing you to a new dating trend, getting “dad-zoned!” She ends the talk by saying that she’s ready to make her own decisions without the influence of any man. Yas kween! The only other notable thing that happens at this party is that Garrett refers to himself as the “G-Slanger,” which to me, is really thrilling.

But not everyone is dartying today. Despite their blowout, business aficionados Chloe and Alex must meet at the Crescent Club to “work.” Before they hit the books, Chloe expresses her frustration with Alex. She explains that Alex is now doing the same thing Juliette did at the beginning of the summer. He’s mad at Chloe for continuing to be friends with Juliette. And WHY can’t she be friends with both!? Alex vehemently denies this claim but agrees that they need to find a way to smooth things over with everyone. On a more somber note, Jake comes over to Kelsey’s house and tells her that his father passed away, so he needs to return home. He also breaks things off with her. :( One of those rare actually intense moments in this show.

Blending business and pleasure never works, so when Alex shows up at Blend’s sign hanging, Juliette looks less than amused. Instead of gearing up for the opening party that night, Alex whisks Juliette away from her boss and coworker to have a chat with her. The chat goes absolutely nowhere – they’re literally talking in circles, saying the same things we’ve heard for three seasons. Juliette tells Alex she’s going to pretend like he doesn’t exist, and Alex responds with a menacing smile and says, “see you later.” I’m scared.

It’s time for the official opening of Blend! While I’m still confused as to how they were able to pull it together in time when Juliette went to Greece instead of helping out, I’m so proud of Juliette, Juliette’s random friend Kelly, and Juliette’s bitchy boss Courtney. Great job, ladies! Everyone seems to be having a good time until Alex and Alyssa waltz in. The party crashers, making their debut as an official couple, make their way across the venue. But while Alyssa passes Boring Robby without a second glance, Alex, who has yet to see his “ex-friend who dated his ex-girlfriend,” stops in front of Boring Robby and flicks him on the face. If I’m Alyssa, I’m breaking up with Alex then and there. He might as well take the microphone and scream “I’M NOT OVER JULIETTE” into it. But of course, Alyssa turns the other way and pretends to barely notice it. Boring Robby is still visibly reeling from the flick. Even though he’s trying to pretend like it was funny, you can tell he’s taken aback. Alex approaches him AGAIN, slaps him on the ass, and threatens to “knock [his] fake-ass teeth out.” In true Boring Robby fashion, he simply walks away, refusing to engage and keeping things as boring as possible. Luckily, Boring Robby’s spunky friend Joe is there to keep the reality show on track and talk a lot of shit. He starts by flipping Alex off and saying that Alex “hides behind his money.” Alex responds by bringing up Robby’s penis size. Maybe we’ve gotten it wrong this whole time. Maybe Alex is really into Boring Robby, and is mad at Juliette for getting in the way. Eventually, Alex lunges at Joe and threatens to fight him. As a future lawyer, Alex should know better than to physically attack anyone in public, specifically someone who is a literal walking hate crime, but then again, Alex isn’t known for his intelligence.

The next day, Kelsey heads to Boring Robby’s to make sure her job is still secure in light of all of the chaos that has ensued. (Remember that he’s randomly her boss, lol.) He assures her that all is okay, and has no problem with “continuing to use and abuse her.” I don’t think he got that quote from his collection of bizarre inspirational sayings, but it still made me cringe just the same. When Kelsey brings up the fight, Robby describes it as “par for the course.” I cannot get enough of his expressions! They’re never-ending! Later, when Juliette checks on Boring Robby to make sure he’s okay after the fight, he also assures her that he’s okay, that the fight was “par for the course,” and that “some zebras never change their stripes.” I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Boring Robby is truly the Confucius of our generation.

In the wake of the big fight, Chloe, resident shit-stirrer, is more determined than ever to mend all of the strife in her friend group (that she primarily caused.) Summoning her inner Mother Teresa, Chloe sends out a text to her friends demanding they meet up to hash things out. The text ends with a sweet message – “YOU ARE REQUIRED TO BE THERE SO I DON’T WANT ANY FUCKING EXCUSES.” Chloe certainly knows the way to people’s hearts!

In the final scene of this lengthy, two-episode extravaganza, we see the OG crew plus Jared at a bonfire. It’s nice to see all of the original cast together. Madisson kicks off the meeting by explaining how important everyone is to her. She breaks down, detailing how badly she needs a support system since her family hasn’t been there for her and Ish is gone. Chloe quickly glazes over the heartfelt cry for help and changes the direction of the conversation towards Alex and Juliette. As she tries to get them to see eye to eye, a very wasted Juliette calls Alex a “piece of shit” while Alex laughs in her face and tells her to go “bob her head” in the corner. I hate myself for laughing, but Juliette definitely nods her head weirdly when drunk. They peel off and have an emotional conversation that everyone can hear, and it ends with Alex holding a sobbing Juliette, assuring her that he would jump in front of a bullet for her. I don’t know about you, but I probably wouldn’t be chill with my boyfriend doing that with (or for) his ex. Either way, at least they aren’t screaming at each other.

The episode ends with Brandon announcing a trip to Nashville. He’s going to record a song and wants to bring everyone along for a vacation. The two-part finale will take place in Nashville, and I cannot wait. In the words of Alex Kompothecras, future lawyer, “Sara-nara!” See y’all in Nashville next week!

[massivedrickhead]

One More Year: Chapter 27

A shorter chapter than usual I'm afraid, and I'm so so so so so so so sorry it has taken this long to post it. May was a crazy busy month for me, but I promise I'll try and make updates more regular from now on. I'm not sure how much longer this fic will be, there are still a few more things I have planned, but we're definitely in the final third I'd say.

Please review/like/reblog and let me know what you think :)

Fanfic.net link

I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of its characters

Chapter 27

"How long can you stay?" Chloe asked, finishing her soup. She felt much better, and was hoping she'd be able to relax and enjoy what was left of Christmas with Beca.

"I can stay a little longer," Beca said, checking her watch. "I just need to let my dad know. Hey," she had a thought, "do you wanna come back with me? A little later on I mean. You could stay at my place tonight and then you don't have to worry about her."

"That would be awesome," Chloe said. She looked at her Mom who was loading the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. "Can I Mom?"

Her Mom frowned. "If that's what you want, then of course you can. But don't feel like you have to just because of Carol."

"I want to," Chloe said. "And it'll make it easier, since the twins won't share a room with me anymore."

Beca's hand tightened involuntarily around Chloe's, and Chloe squeezed it back.

"This is your house," her Mom said, furious at the situation. "I don't want you to leave just to make it easier for them. I'd rather kick them out."

"It's Christmas," Chloe said. "You can't kick them out on Christmas. I want to go to Beca's, honestly."

"I can get Sheila to make you the best hot chocolate you've ever tasted," Beca said.

"Well then now I have to come over," Chloe said. "Shall we go and make Carol uncomfortable by existing in her presence?"

"Sure," Beca said. Chloe gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Dude, keep it PG, there are children in this house." Chloe giggled and the pair walked, hand-in-hand, into the living room.

"Cool sweater, Beca," Johnny said as they went into the living room.

"Thanks," Beca replied.

"So there is at least one movie you like?" Chloe asked, sitting on the floor in front of one of the packed sofas. Everyone bar Chloe's Mom was crammed into the living room, watching the kids take it in turns playing video games.

"Everyone likes Home Alone," Beca said, sitting beside her. "It's a classic."

"Do you guys wanna sit up here?" Julie's husband Frank said, offering to move from the sofa.

"Oh no, we're fine," Beca said. Chloe sat closer to her, and Beca's arm automatically went around her shoulder. Beca turned her attention back to Chloe and Johnny. "I once woke up on Christmas morning and the house was so quiet and empty I thought I'd been Home Aloned It turns out my dad was still in bed and had forgotten it was Christmas."

"Babe, that's the most depressing Christmas story I've ever head," Chloe said.

"Oh I've got a tonne more much worse than that one," Beca said, laughing.

"Save them for later, we don't want to depress the children," Chloe said, resting her head on Beca's shoulder, truly thankful that Beca was there with her. She ignored the looks of disgust she was getting from Carol and her twins.

At one point, Robbie came over and sat beside Beca on the floor.

"What did you get from Santa?" Beca asked him.

He told her all about his new toys, and Beca told him they all sounded very cool.

"Are you staying here all night?" He asked her.

"Not tonight," she said. "But maybe sometime soon."

He smiled and returned his attention to the TV, where Johnny was currently getting whooped at Mario Kart by Max. Eventually he rested his head on her arm, and Beca felt a balloon of happiness fill up inside her. She'd never felt more accepted by a family before.

Chloe noticed the grin on Beca's face and glanced over at Robbie, who was practically falling asleep.

"I told you he liked you," Chloe said quietly. She reached up and held the hand that was draped across her shoulders. Beca smiled and kissed the top of her head.

Chloe's Mom came into the living room, the cleaning finally finished, and perched on the edge of one of the sofas.

"Who's winning?" She asked the room.

"Max," Aliza said. "He'th really good at Mario Kart. But I beat Robbie."

"Did not!" Robbie replied, indignantly.

"Did too!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry I asked," she said, raising her hands up in surrender.

The room fell into a comfortable silence once again, and Beca soon found herself yawning.

"Tired?" Chloe asked.

"Ah ha," she said, stifling a second yawn. "My girlfriend text me at 6:30 this morning."

"It was 6:45," Chloe said.

"I stand corrected," Beca said, resting her head on top of Chloe's, "it was 6:45. Much more reasonable."

"I'm sorry, but is no one else going to say anything?" Carol suddenly blurted out.

"Say what, Carol?" Chloe's Mom said, her voice hard and angry.

"It's just… They're sitting there all over each other and it's just not natural. It's totally inappropriate to be doing that in front of children!"

"My Mom and Dad sit like that all the time," Lucy said.

"So do mine," Max joined in.

"This is different! It's-"

"Enough!" Tommy said, finally losing his temper with his wife. "Leave them alone, Carol."

An awful silence fell over the room.

"Come on," Chloe said, quietly to Beca. "Let's go get my stuff ready."

"Okay," Beca said with a sigh. She stood up and made a point of helping Chloe to her feet and holding her hand as they climbed the stairs.

When they reached Chloe's room, Beca realised she was crying again.

"Hey, hey, hey, none of that," she said softly, sitting Chloe on the bed. She wiped the tears from her cheeks. "You aren't allowed to cry anymore because of her, understand?"

Chloe let out a teary laugh and nodded, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"Come here," Beca said, wrapping her arms around her for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "She isn't worth a single one of these tears." She heard Chloe sniff and felt her nod against her. "Do you want me to fight her? I think I could take her."

Chloe laughed and ended their hug. "I'm so glad you're here," she said. "I love you."

"I love you too," Beca replied before leaning in and kissing her.

Chloe's door flew open with a bang, and the two girls jumped and broke apart.

"Whoops," one of Carol's twins said, with a smile on her face. "I thought this was the bathroom."

She walked away without closing the door and they heard her walk down stairs.

Chloe sighed and put her head in her hands. "Let's just go," she said.

Chloe quickly packed some things into a bag and they walked downstairs hand in hand.

"It's just disgusting," they could hear Carol ranting. "I mean doing… that with their door wide open! What if one of the younger kids had seen it."

"Shut up, Carol," Tommy groaned.

"The door was shut, actually," Beca said when they entered the living room. "Your daughter opened it without knocking." Chloe squeezed her hand.

"It's okay, let's just go," she said softly.

"It isn't okay! She came into your house on Christmas Day and has done nothing but bully you," Beca said. She faced Carol again. "I'm sorry that the sight of me kissing and hugging my girlfriend was enough to traumatise your sixteen-year-old daughter. I can only assume that while living with you, she's never seen any kind of intimacy or affection between two people."

"How dare you!" Carol yelled. She looked around the room for support but no one was coming to her defence. Beca and Chloe were already walking out of the room. "How dare you speak to me like that! Don't you have any respect?!"

"Carol," Chloe said, so quietly that no one else but Carol and Beca picked it up. "Why don't you just fuck off?"

They could still hear her shouting as they climbed into Beca's truck.

"I should have said that years ago," Chloe said, laughing at the impressed look on Beca's face.

"That was awesome," Beca said. "You should have stayed for a victory lap and a round of high-fives."

"Maybe next time," Chloe said, still grinning.

It didn't take them long to reach Beca's home, and soon they were walking through the front door. Jasper was barking happily, and not long after, Sheila emerged from the living room with open arms.

"You must be Chloe!" She said happily, pulling her into a hug. "Lovely to meet you!"

"Hi," Chloe said, slightly taken aback. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" Sheila asked.

"Um," Chloe glanced at Beca, "it was okay thanks."

"We're just gonna dump Chloe's stuff in my room," Beca said.

"Shall I make you girls a hot chocolate?"

"That would be awesome," Beca said, taking Chloe's hand again.

"She seems nice," Chloe said when they were in Beca's room. Chloe was sitting on Beca's bed, enjoying the calm and quiet.

"She's great," Beca said. "Are you okay?"

Chloe nodded and smiled.

"Are you ready to go back down?"

"Can we have a few more minutes?" Chloe asked.

"Of course," Beca sat down beside her and took her hand. "As long as you need."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes. Chloe's head resting on Beca's shoulder, Beca's head resting on Chloe's, their hands entwined.

They could hear a quiet a muffled conversation downstairs, but other than that, the house was silent. No yelling kids. No shouting adults. No chaos.

"I'm sorry she ruined your Christmas," Beca said, softly.

"You made up for it," Chloe said. "You're like my knight in shining armour."

"Does that make you my princess?" Beca asked.

"More like your damsel in distress," Chloe said. She laughed but there was no humour in it.

"You're not a damsel in distress," Beca said. She squeezed Chloe's hand tighter. "You're the strongest, bravest person I know. You're a fighter. And you're tough. But you're still so kind and gentle. You didn't let what you went through turn you cold and un-caring. You didn't do what I did. You're my hero."

Chloe was crying again, but this time they weren't sad tears.

"Chloe," Beca said, her voice a little less certain than it had been before. "What's going to happen when you go off to college?"

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"What's going to happen with us?" Beca swallowed, trying not to cry. "I don't want to lose you."

Chloe lifted her head from Beca's shoulder so she could look at her properly.

"You're not going to lose me," Chloe said. "Barden University is only like an hour away. I'll be coming home all the time and you can come and see me. We can text and Skype and we can make it work."

"And that's definitely what you want? People always say you should go to college single so you don't miss out and-"

Chloe cut her off with a kiss.

"I want you. No one else. Whether it's here, or Barden, or outer space," Beca laughed, "I only want you."

Beca kissed her again, relief spreading through her.

This time it was cut off by a tentative knock at the door.

"Um, Sheila said your hot chocolate is getting cold," Beca's dad said from the other side of the closed door.

Beca laughed. "We'll be right down," she said. "Ready?" She asked Chloe.

"Ready."

[katdvs]

Lucas Friar moved back to Texas at 17, now he’s running for Mayor of Rosewood Springs so best friend Zay and little sister Gigi decide he needs a little help from a political consultant.

Riley Matthews found her calling, she found a fiancé, but she never expected to find herself here, of all places.

Cross-posted to FF.net | Soundtrack

-the moon that moves your tides- | -basics of you and me- | -rather hurt than feel nothing at all- | -taste of love oh bittersweet- | -time to face my weakness-

Author Note: I just wanted to say thank you guys for checking this story out. I promise to answer all questions that I can.

-you do what you do-

The drive into town was silent, neither wanted to say anything. Neither knew what they could say.

Lucas turned the radio on, There’s no place like you, no place like you. He felt the tension form in his body but before he could turn it off Riley hit the power button.

“So, what do you need to do in town this morning?”

“I have to pick up Gigi’s birthday present at Harrisons, and you know pick some stuff up at the market.”

“She’ll be nineteen next week huh, I can’t believe she’s that old.”

“Neither can I.” Lucas glanced to Riley, trying to ignore how natural it felt to have her in the passenger seat of his truck, “Sometimes it seems like just yesterday we were taking her and Auggie for picnics in the park.”

“That was a long time ago, we were different people then.” Riley let her eyes fall on him, studying the comfort he had behind the wheel, as she shifted the gears, “We were young and in what we thought was love.”

He almost slammed on the breaks, did she really say that? What they’d had was love, at least at the time, at least for him. “Something like that.”

Riley couldn’t help but wonder if she’d gotten under his skin with that one, “I mean it’s not like I was going down on you, that’s real love isn’t it Lucas?”

“No that’s sex, and it feels great. But what do you know about great sex Riley? Have you ever been with a man that makes you tremble, a man who makes you wet just the way he looks at you.” He looked her over, eyes searing as they fell upon the rise and fall of her breasts.

“I’ve had great sex Lucas, I’m not some cold fish. Also, I at least know the names of everyone who’s been inside of me, every set of lips that have been on me. You can’t say the same, can you?”

His hands gripped the steering wheel, as he pulled into town. He didn’t want to think about any other man touching Riley. All he could think about were how his lips should be on hers, wondering how she would respond to his touch, wondering if he could turn her on with just one look.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I keep saying the things I’m saying.” Riley couldn’t help but see the pain lining his face, “It’s like my filter has vanished, maybe I’ve been in politics too long.”

“Or I just push your buttons.” He pulled up in front of Harrisons, “Or you’re jealous.”

“Oh, yes Lucas, I’m jealous of all the women you’ve gotten on their knees to get you off.” She rolled her eyes, “If that’s what makes you happy great, but if you want to be mayor, or have any future in politics it’s done.”

“Fine, I don’t need it.” He tried to ignore the golden flecks in her eyes that he was sure were lighting up as they poked each other with their words. He held back the words threatening to take over, he took every ounce of strength he had to hold back from pulling her to him, kissing her, showing her what he could make her feel.

Riley undid her seatbelt, feeling the heat, the tension building in the cab of the truck, “Well good then.”

“Let’s get into Harrisons and you can find out what’s up with your ring.” He watched her slide out of the truck, he bit his lip when he saw the back of her shirt ride up just a little exposing her back.

“You coming?” Riley turned to him blushing.

“Just a second.” He grabbed his keys, taking a deep breath before getting out of the truck and walking into Harrisons.

Camilla Harrison was dusting the display cases when she heard the bell over the door come to life. She moved behind the counter smile, “Well Dr. Friar, I bet you’re here to pick up that pair of earrings you ordered for sweet little Gigi.”

“I sure am Camilla, but first my um, Riley here needs your help.” He gestured to her while she’d gotten lost looking at the artwork on the wall of the handmade statement pieces.

Camilla raised an eyebrow, she knew the name, she remembered when Lucas had only been back a few months, coming in to purchase a very nice platinum engagement ring. “It’s nice to meet you Riley, what can we do for you today?”

Riley came over to the counter, removing the ring from her purse, “I um recently received this ring, and I um have a Nickle allergy, it seems the protective coating on it wore away.”

One look was all it took Camilla to know what the issue was, “Well dear, this ring never had a protective coating. This is the kind of trinket you get at Wal-Mart or Claire’s, the sort of thing you wear once or twice and then drop at the bottom of a coffee tin to forget all about until your kid finds it and thinks it’s real.”

“I was told it came from Tiffany’s, it was even in the blue box.” Riley couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Camilla gave her a smile, “I’ll be right back.”

“She’s the best in the state, she can spot a fake from miles away.” Lucas leaned casually against the counter, feeling a strong urge to punch Dave if he ever saw him for having the gall to give Riley a ring she was not only allergic to, but also a complete fake—to allow her to believe it was real. What kind of man would do that? One not worth of Riley that was for sure.

Riley paced around, “I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding, I mean he knows about my allergy.”

“I’m sure Corn Chip Dave meant well.” Lucas watched as Riley stood in front of the display of engagement rings, “Though, the style, not what I would expect for you, far too flashy.”

Riley raised her eyebrow as she glanced to him, “Oh really, like you ever thought about me and engagement rings, save it Friar.”

He put his hands up to surrender, knowing he couldn’t tell her the truth, “One of those speaking to you?”

“If I had picked the ring, it’s not what I would’ve picked for myself. It was lovely, but, actually, I would pick something more like this one.”

Lucas watched as she pointed to the one that was identical to the one sitting in the back of his sock drawer. “That’s a nice one, hopefully Dave finds something like that to replace this cheap thing.”

“Were you always this much of a brute when we were younger or is this a new thing?” She looked up, catching a softness in his eyes.

“Well you know, people change people.” He smirked as Camilla came out with a few times.

“Well let’s see what we’re dealing with.” She took out her loupe and studied the stone, shaking her head sadly, “It’s glass, I’m sorry.”

“So, this ring itself is what?”

Camilla took a solution and tested it, “Nickle, again I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” Riley accepted the ring back and slipped it into her purse. Her mind trying to figure out how she ended up with a trinket for an engagement ring, and what I meant for her and Dave.

“Now Lucas, these earrings are gorgeous, Gigi is going to love them. You are a sweet big brother to even think of getting them for her.” Camilla placed a box on top of the counter.

Lucas picked up, snapping it open to study the Ruby earrings with a platinum setting around them, “What do you think Ri, think Gigi will like them.”

Riley took the box and smiled, “These are perfect, meaningful, classic and modern at the same time. She is going to love them.”

“Thank you, she’s been pinning stuff like this on Pinterest for months.” Lucas took the box and snapped it closed, “Camilla they look amazing, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She cleaned up the testing supplies and looked to him, “What did you ever do with that ring you bought years ago?”

“You bought a ring?” Riley was shocked, who could it have been for?

“Camilla is getting me confused with some silly school boy.” He gave a pleading look to drop it, “I’m pretty much a confirmed bachelor.”

“Yeah Lucas would never propose to anyone, that’s not his style.” Riley hated the bitterness of her words.

Camilla clucked, “Oh, he will, to the right woman, and only to the right woman. How long will you be around Riley?”

“Probably not long at all.” Riley realized she had to get out of Texas as quickly as possible, the last thing she needed was to find out about the woman Lucas had loved enough to buy a ring for. “I’m just kind of dropping in before I go back to New York.”

“That’s a shame.” Camilla handed Lucas a bill which he signed, “We’ve got the big Fourth of July dance in a few days, always a good time.”

Lucas sighed, “Thank you Camilla, I’ll see you soon I’m sure.”

Riley moved with him out to the street, “So, who was the girl you were going to propose to?”

“Camilla is getting me confused with someone else.” Lucas lied, “You’re the only girlfriend I’ve ever actually had.” He leaned in close to her, so close he could breathe in her body wash and spray scent, “All I’ve had are skanks on their knees remember?”

“You’re right, you would never propose to a woman, and if you did, you would probably stand her up at the chapel.”

Lucas was crushed by her harsh tone. She really thought that about him, but why? “Come on, we’ve got to get groceries, when we get back to the house you can scrub my social media clean, and yell at me some more if you want. I’m starting to think you like yelling at me.”

“I don’t like yelling at anyone.” She told him as they got in the truck, but he was right she kind of did enjoy yelling at him, releasing so many years of anger, jealousy she’d carried.

“Whatever you say Princess.” Lucas smirked, watching the way her cheeks turned pink when he used the old nick name.

Zay and Gigi were gone when Lucas and Riley arrived back with the groceries, a note left behind saying they’d gone to do an inventory at the bar, prepare for the busy Saturday night but would be home before they had to work for the night.

He and Riley hadn’t really spoken, except over what foods to buy. He noticed she snapped a few pictures of him on her phone, be he didn’t ask why. Part of him hoped it was because she wanted to have a snapshot of him, the real him, but he realized it was most likely for the campaign.

She was confusing him, at some moments she seemed more than happy to help him, to be here, but other moments he could only describe as fiery, she was ready to pack her bags and get out of dodge, or in this case Rosewood Springs as soon as possible.

He didn’t want her to leave.

He didn’t want her to go back to New York and marry Dave.

Fucking Corn Chip Dave of all people.

She belonged here, with him. He could see it.

The way she easily moved around the kitchen, the way she sipped her coffee, the way the sun hit her hair.

“Lucas you’ve got to organize these cabinets, you have so many duplicates of stuff, and it’s all over the place.”

“I know” He smiled softly, “I keep putting it off, I don’t even know a quarter of what’s in these cabinets. I mean there’s stuff from my college days, stuff from my parents before they moved out of the country, Pappy Joe and Mama Betty, and who knows who else has passed stuff on in these cabinets.”

“It would be a great project when you can’t sleep or need to clear your head or something.” Riley suggested as she put the canned goods away.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He grabbed a few bottles from a cabinet and some spices, “So how did you and Dave become a you and Dave?”

Riley paused, she hadn’t anticipated he would ask. “Oh um, well my offices are in the same building as the law firm he works for. Um, I was in the city working on a local election, so I was in the office, which is rare. Really Smackle runs it, crunches the numbers, all the fun stuff. I handle the more personal aspects.”

“Like making sure no skanks appear on my social media.”

“Exactly, and making sure you dress appropriately, and you present yourself the way the voters need to see you.”

“Is that why you were taking pictures of me in the grocery store?”

Riley bit her lip, “You caught that huh?”

“Yeah, I did.” He grabbed a bowl and started to pour his items in, “So you were in New York?”

“Yeah, I was in New York, and every day I would get lunch at this hot dog cart outside the building. You know my weakness for them.” She sighed.

“Because your Mom wouldn’t let you eat them.” He smiled and opened a cabinet revealing it was full of baking mixes for cakes.

Riley grinned, “I could only imagine what Ivy would say if she saw this.” She took out a box of double chocolate mix, “She would probably lecture you about all the sugar in it.”

“She would and then I would say, Well Mama I’m thirty-one years old, if I want to eat some double chocolate cake, I will. I work hard, I’m not laying around doing nothing so I’m going to enjoy a sweet.”

He was close to her, too close as Riley backed away, “So anyway, I was at the hot dog cart one day and I just collided into him. We started chatting, he invited me to go for drinks, and next it was dinner, before I knew it we were dating.”

Lucas grabbed a whisk and stirred the contents of his bowl together, “So, um, do you guys live together?”

“Actually” she put the cake mix down, “I technically still live with my parents. I travel a lot, so instead of waste money on renting an apartment I’m never in I consider that my home base. I mean when I graduated from college I lived with my Uncle Eric while I worked for him in D.C., and then when I moved back to New York, Smackle and I were starting our business so money was tight.”

“I get it, I mean let’s be fair I’m living on my family’s ranch.” He put the whisk in the sink and grabbed the package of chicken he’d left out before opening and tossing the breasts into the mixture. “I mean I’ve got my best friend and younger sister as roommates.”

“I’m really not in New York often.” She confessed as she started gathering the ingredients for the cake not even thinking about what she was doing.

“How do you and Dave do the long-distance thing, like handle it I mean?” He put a cover on the bowl before he shook it coating the meat in his marinade.

“We visit when we can if I’m gone for a while.” Riley started mixing the cake batter together, “Um I was in California when he proposed, on the beach, at sunset.”

“With a cheap ring.” Lucas couldn’t hide the smirk if he wanted to.

“I’m sure he has a reason for it.” Riley defended, though she wasn’t sure what that reason could be.

Lucas put the chicken in the fridge and grabbed a cake pan and the Crisco, “It better be a good reason like he got ripped off somewhere and didn’t realize he was giving you something that would make you sick.”

“Yeah, exactly.” Riley watched as he greased the cake pan and then set the oven to preheat. “So, who was the girl you bought a ring for?”

“I told you, I never bought a ring.” Lucas felt his lower lip quiver, how was any of this fair, she was here in his home, asking questions he didn’t want to answer.

“She broke your heart didn’t she, let me guess some girl you fell for when you got back to Texas, some blonde, blue eyed girl, who treated you like some sort of rock star since you had that big city sophistication, right? You thought this was it, she’s the one, but she turned you down, and you haven’t opened up since to anyone.” She was afraid to look at him, afraid she might give something away.

“Nope, no blonde girl with blue eyes ever made my heart go clip-pity-clop. I did get treated like a rock star by the girls when I got back though. It was annoying at first, they wouldn’t leave me alone, it was like I was some prize they had to win.” He stopped for a moment and looked to Riley, “In fact, I kind of think the women in this town, hell the county still see me as that. It doesn’t help that Gigi keeps submitting me to be Bachelor of the Year.”

“Three years in a row.” Riley finished mixing the batter before pouring it into the cake pan, “If you get me those social media passwords I’ll see what I need to delete for you.”

Lucas handed her his phone, “Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, all here.”

Riley held the phone in her hand, “Thanks, how active are you on social media?”

“Not as active as I was in high school, probably as active as Zay.”

“Okay then, um, I’ll bring this back when I’m done.

Lucas watched as she left the kitchen, he couldn’t help but let their conversation replay, why was she so damn sure he’d fallen for someone when he moved back to Texas? Why was she so sure it was a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes?

[crypticcravings]

Dreamscape

Day 6 of Adrinette Month is Modeling! Adrien struggles through his day modeling for his father, while Marinette follows his orders as part of her internship under M. Agreste. Unfortunately, a model goes missing from the shoot, and they need an emergency stand in.

Additional note: Here is the music I listened to while writing this chapter, in case you're into that.

Also on Ao3

On a normal July afternoon, most University students would be enjoying their small amount of free time they had over the summer. Unfortunately for Adrien, his entire summer consisted of working overtime for his father's company, even though they had both agreed that Adrien would not be continuing in the fashion industry after university. He had to admit, though, it was good money. Working overtime during the summer ensured that he wouldn't have to work during the semester and would provide a financial safety net to live off of. He would continue to be a quality model for his father's line until he graduated, and then he would finally retire modeling. 

The only plus side was that Adrien's father had taken Marinette under his wing. For the past two years, she had been working as his personal intern. Adrien had his suspicions that she would be named his successor. She had proven herself time and time again to be not only a talented designer, but excellent at time management, organization, and task distribution. She gracefully handled any challenge thrown her way. Watching her work made Adrien fall in love with her even more. Since Marinette was his father's shadow, even during the summer, it meant accompanying him on site to whatever events he attended. Adrien being the company's top model, as well as M. Agreste's son, and this being a major photo shoot for their upcoming fall line, Gabriel was on site attending to any and every issue, with Marinette at his side. 

Adrien watched from the corner of his eye as Marinette hand stitched a torn outfit while Gabriel chewed out the poor staffer who had torn it. He winced. That staffer would not be working with their company again. Once Marinette repaired the damaged garment, nearly seamlessly, she quickly retrieved her tablet--the one Nathalie normally carried around--to continue assisting with his father's checks. 

Adrien returned his full attention to his own shoot, feeling a bit more energized after watching his love bug at work. 

Suddenly, Adrien's shoot came screeching to a halt as his father's voice boomed through the warehouse. Adrien relaxed his posture and ignored the yelling. He glanced in his father's direction to see him shouting into his cellphone. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath before continuing in more calm, quieter tone. After hanging up, Adrien watched his father turn to Marinette and pass her a few papers. She nodded frantically and waved him off as he walked away. 

Once M. Agreste left the building, the photographer called Adrien's attention back once again. 

"There is something missing," The photographer--Raoul-- said, "Where is Collette?" 

Adrien shrugged, "I haven't seen her all day."

Raoul spun around dramatically asking if anyone had seen Collette. He was always a very excitable photographer. 

Marinette and Nathalie approached the photographer briskly once they caught wind of the issue. 

"What seems to be the problem?" Nathalie asked.

"I cannot continue this shoot without a female model…"

Adrien tuned out the photographer's complaints. He was getting bored, and just wanted off of this set so that he could go back to his apartment and cuddle with his girlfriend. 

He caught Marinette's eye while Nathalie was distracted and winked at her. As expected, Marinette's cheeks reddened and she stuck her tongue out at him. It really stroked his ego that he was still able to make her blush all these years later. Holding eye contact with her, he grinned and wiggled his eyebrows, earning him a very exaggerated eye roll.

"…just have to use a stand in model." Raoul threw his arm in the air in an exasperated manner.

"We do not have any other models on site with Collette's measurements," Nathalie said, scrolling on her tablet, presumably through the list of the day's models.  "All of the garments were tailored to her body type."

"What about Mademoiselle right here?" 

Marinette's head whipped up, and Adrien turned towards Raoul. 

"Mlle. Dupain-Cheng is nearly the same size as Collette. A couple inches shorter, but comparable." Nathalie turned her serious gaze to assess Marinette's stature. "Are you comfortable with this?"

Marinette opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally answering, "Yes! Yes, I can do this."

"M. Adrien," Raoul shouted, "We have had a change in plans. You will model with Mlle. Marinette instead."

Adrien instantly perked up. This is not how he expected his day to go.

To say Marinette was nervous would be an understatement.  

It was her second year officially interning for M. Agreste, and her fourth shadowing him in the company. She could handle any order he barked out at her, any demand with ease. However, she had not expected to be stepping in front of the camera when she got up that day. She knew they needed to finish Adrien's shoot ASAP, so she had agreed, but she wasn't sure she had known quite what she'd been signing up for. 

Adrien stood by while the stylists pulled at her hair and applied her makeup. "You'll do fine, stop worrying," Adrien reassured her. He ran a hand through his hair and crossed his arms over his chest.

His hair was coiffed back, with a few strands falling over his brow. He wore a white button down with the sleeves rolled halfway up his arms, his jacket pulled off to be re-pressed before the shoot. She was furious that he always looked so good. 

"I'm just not usually the one in front of the camera," Marinette said. 

"Really? Because I seem to recall a few times you've been faced with the press and handled it just purrfectly." Adrien winked at her.

Marinette flushed at his insinuation. "That's a very different situation."

"Mmm, I don't think it was." 

Marinette felt her head get tugged back as the stylist started on another braid. "Okay, then, Monsieur Agreste, what do you propose I do to handle this situation purrfectly?"

Adrien's eyes sparkled with mirth. He loved it when she punned.  "You just have to channel that same confidence, My Lady," he used the nickname very deliberately, "You're the same person, so why shouldn't you have that same confidence in front of the camera?"

Marinette took a deep breath. "You're right. I can do this." 

Adrien smiled broadly. "I know you can. Don't forget that I'll be with you the whole time. Just focus on me."

Marinette barked a laugh. "You think that's going to make it easier? This is literally your job. I had your photos on my wall when I was fourteen." 

"And I love you for that, but I'm also your alley cat."

Marinette pouted, "Alright, I'll focus on doing this, just you and me."

"Great."

"M. Agreste," one of the stylists said, "We should do a touch up before you return to the set."

"Alright," Adrien pushed away from the counter and gave Marinette a wink before following the stylist to the men's dressing room.

Marinette sat back in the chair and closed her eyes to let the stylist apply her eye makeup.

The shoot had several female outfits, which meant they'd be on set for at least another three hours. While normally Adrien would be bored or indifferent towards the ordeal, but the thought of modeling with Marinette was exhilarating. He was on standby on set while she finished getting dressed.  

Adrien put his embroidered jacket on once again and watched the techs adjust the lights. He couldn't be happier with the theme of the shoot. "Dreamscape" was the perfect theme for Marinette's first photo shoot. Marinette herself was like a beautiful dream. He couldn't imagine a better setting. 

His stylist was applying the final layer of setting powder when Marinette finally emerged. Adrien had seen Marinette dressed up before, but every time he was struck by how stunning she looked. 

Today she wore one of his favorite designs from the collection. It was made to compliment Adrien's jacket exactly. It was a simple, classic silhouette with an a-line skirt and a sweetheart neckline. Her sleeves fell off the shoulder. Rather than being one single piece, she wore a crop top and high-waisted skirt in dark blue, featuring silver peonies embroidered into the skirt. She had on a pair of silver six inch strappy heels, and her hair was up with braids leading up to a thick bun. She had a dark blue smokey eye and jet back winged eyeliner on her top lid, and silver liner on her bottom. 

Adrien had never seen her lips so glossy and red, like a bright, ripe cherry. 

He wanted to kiss her. 

Marinette approached the set. Adrien couldn't figure out how to close his mouth. 

"Shit."

Marinette's eyes widened at the expletive. "Goodness, Alley Cat, watch your language, we are at work!" The edge from the reprimand was lessened by the laughter in her voice. 

Adrien snaked a hand around her back, "can it really be considered work if I'm having so much fun?"

He moved to kiss her on the nose, but the photographer interrupted them before he could make the move.

"Come now, love birds, let's get shooting." Raoul clapped his hands twice to catch their attention, and the two jumped apart. "Save the romance for the camera."

Adrien took Marinette by the hand and guided her to the set. “Just focus on us.”

The photographer positioned them at different levels at first, having Marinette seated below, with Adrien standing above her to the left. They took a few shots from those levels before switching. Adrien knelt below Marinette in a way that felt very LadyNoir. He took her hand in his and kissed her on the back of her knuckles the way he did when they were just kids. He missed the habit, Adrien thought, he might bring it back. Based on the way Marinette's eyes sparkled, he thought she might enjoy the comeback as well. 

Adrien found he wanted to touch her more, and prayed for the photographer to direct them to change their position once more.

After what felt like a century of itching to touch His Lady, Adrien got his wish. In order to show off the back of the ensemble, and to evoke the appropriate amount of intimacy for the campaign, Marinette was instructed to turn her back 3/4 to the camera. Adrien placed his hand at the small of Marinette's back and she rested both of her hands on his pectorals. She peered over her shoulder at the camera, but Adrien didn’t take his eyes off of her. As terrified as she said she was of the camera, she seemed to flourish under them.

"Maybe you should transition into modeling. You're a natural," Adrien whispered into her ear. 

"After listening to you complain about it for nearly six years? Not likely. I will stick to design, thank you very much."

"But Bugaboo, you could be the next top model of all of France."

"I don't think I'm quite tall enough for that. I appreciate your confidence in me, though."

Marinette gazed into Adrien's eyes, and for a moment they forgot the flashing cameras and hot lights. For a moment, they were just two people, in a dreamscape, in love. They were lost to the rest of the world. 

In that moment, Adrien finally took what he wanted. He captured her lips in his. He missed the rapid flash of the camera attempting to immortalize the moment. He was lost in happiness with the most beautiful girl in the world.

Their photo shoot didn't just make it into magazines. The marketing team had fallen in love with Marinette and Adrien's on camera chemistry and used their joint images as the promotional photos for the entire line. Marinette started getting calls from modeling agencies left and right when it came out that she was unrepresented. She turned them all down, of course. She was happy with what she was doing. All in all, the attention didn't really bother her.

That is, until the billboard went up.

There it was, right across the street from Marinette's university. The backsplash of the ad was the now infamous kiss image from the photoshoot. The front overlay was a close up of herself and Adrien post-kiss. Her eyes were still hazy from the kiss, and Adrien's were heated as he stared into the camera, red lipstick smeared across his lips. 

The image was sexy, heated, and embarrassing beyond belief. 

Despite their propensity to show their affection in public, their relationship had never been the focus of the press. Most of Adrien's fans had no idea that he was in a relationship, which suited Marinette just fine. As Adrien had pointed out, she got enough attention as Ladybug. The release of this ad-campaign, with this billboard in particular, though, unleashed the floodgates. Now the entirety of France, and the world fashion industry knew that Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng were dating. 

Even with the new bombardment of publicity, though, Marinette and Adrien couldn't bring themselves to mind. Marinette got a bit more attention from her classmates, not 100% positive. Some of Adrien’s fan girls gave her scathing looks. Her professors looked on her with suspicion, and she was occasionally accused of riding coattails to get her internship. They weren’t totally wrong on that last bit. Even Marinette had hesitated taking an official position under M. Agreste. Though she knew he was not a biased man, and that he wouldn’t go easy on her. Besides, prestigious internships were hard and few to come by. If she sincerely wanted to make it in this industry, she had to take what she could get, no matter how they came her way. 

Having their relationship out in the open proved to be a relief to Marinette and Adrien. Even with the extra attention, they found comfort in one another. They no longer avoided paparazzi, and they declared their love proudly for all of France to see.