#i have not won millions of dollars (yet)

[tarotmantic]

really immersing myself in current tennis is like causing me real grief as i am forced to recognise that tennis is not the same as it has been my whole life 🥲🥲🥲🥲 like i grew up on fedal era and we’re truly in the next gen era now,,,,,

[itsjusthockey]

Hughes Your Daddy pt.2 - Jack Hugges

wow.

It took longer than expected, but you should all be thankful because I was going to quit this blog, but I didn't give up

tell me how proud you are and how much you love it. pls & thx

Anyway, enjoy ❤️

w.c: 2,754 (credit to gif maker) (don't steal my work)

The crisp 100-dollar bill you’ve just won sits nicely tucked in your back pocket as Jack breaks the world record for sprinting and dodging almost a million cameras to get to you. As soon as he crashes into your waiting arms, he lifts you into the air and lets out a breathy laugh in your ear that’s only reserved when you’re with him. It’s light, happy, and maybe even a little giddy.

After a moment of you being suspended in the air, he gently sets you down, giving you one last tight squeeze, then backs up to see your face.

“Did I embarrass you?”

You give him a slight smirk and shrug your shoulders. “You did okay.”

He playfully rolls his eyes, shaking his head at you as he moves on to hug his waiting parents. With his attention away from you, you survey the space and catch sight of the other Hughes brothers walking toward the group.

Luke is doing his little half smile and has a slight pep in his step that comes with a nice win, and Quinn looks about unbothered with everything as usual. You make a mental note of that, knowing that your evil boyfriend is going to push his buttons later to get any sort of reaction to his loss.

“Nice game, Lukey,” you pull him into a hug as he gets within distance, patting his arm as you pull away. “You’re kinda being a stud out there.”

Luke blushes a shade darker at your comment, and you can’t help but love knowing you can still get a rise out of him. Luke moves on, too, and you’re left facing the only Hughes brother who didn’t have a win tonight.

“Tough loss cap.” You hug Quinn tightly before glancing back at your boyfriend and leaning in slightly to whisper in his ear. “But we all know you’re still the best.”

Quinn gives you a small laugh, and you can see his head is held a little higher as you pull him to join the circle with the rest of the family. As soon as you do, Jack opens his smart mouth.

“Family circles are for winners only.”

As soon as the words leave his lips, Ellen hisses his name, and you pinch the back of his arm as hard as you can.

“Ow,” he yelps at you, rubbing his arm. “What was that for?”

You give him a look that tells him exactly what that was for, to which he rolls his eyes at you.

“He knows it’s in good fun,” Jack says. “Right Q?”

This time, Quinn rolls his eyes but nonetheless nods his head.

The group chats about the game for a couple of minutes before unanimously deciding that family dinner is a must, and then you’ll head back to Quinn’s place for one last night altogether. As soon as the decision is made, you beeline to follow when Jack holds you back for a second.

“Dinner, just you and me, okay?” He all but pleads, pulling you toward him.

You glance back at his family walking away, seemingly unaware you two fell behind.

“They want to see you too, J.”

He grabs your hands and pulls even closer, leaving no room for any personal space. “They don’t care that much, and I haven’t had a second alone with you.”

His point is fair, but you also are torn by the fact that it isn’t very often that all three brothers are together.

“C’mon (Y/N). The winner should get a reward dinner right?”

You raise your eyebrow at him. “Then shouldn’t we invite Luke?”

He snorts at your comment and shakes his head.

“Please, I did the heavy lifting.”

Twenty minutes later, you’re at a nice restaurant in downtown Vancouver. It’s big yet cozy and has low lighting, making it slightly romantic. You’re impressed with Jack's pick, but you also know deep in your heart he probably asked Quinn for his recommendations.

Your reserved table is in a cozy little corner, and a bottle of wine is sitting out, ready to be poured. You’re beyond happy with the setup, but you can’t help but feel a little underdressed as you both walk toward your seats. Jack has his game-day suit, but you’re still clad in a red and black jersey with the number eighty-six plastered across the back.

“This is wonderful, J, but you couldn’t warn me to wear something a little nicer.”

He pulls out the chair for you before you sit down, and as he crosses to the seat directly opposite you, he laughs.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He smirks. “This is my favorite outfit for you to be in.”

You roll your eyes as far back as possible but let it go. You are proud to be his girlfriend, and you allow him to have this little ego boost for one evening.

You spend the next hour talking about everything and nothing, and when the bill comes, Jack hands over his card, and you two pack up the leftovers you have, knowing Luke will destroy them once you get back to the house.

Once the card returns, you head out into the chill Vancouver night with Jack's arms wrapped around your waist. The walk to the car is short and filled with your usual light banter. As soon as you're within the view of the car, you go to swat away Jack's arm when he gets a little too handsy, but not before your boyfriend reaches into your back pocket and pulls out the hundred dollar bill that was safely hidden.

He eyes the bill with curiosity and darts his eyes back and forth between you and the bill for a few seconds.

“What this?”

“Cash?” You deadpan, moving to snatch the bill away, but he holds it out of your grip.

“You never carry cash.” He narrows his eyes slightly, then a dawning look crosses his face.

“This is the fourth hundred I’ve found in your pocket after a game with my brothers.”

You give him a surprised look but shake your head no.

“It’s just a coincidence, Jack.”

He passes you back the bill, but let’s put a low whistle. “Twice is a coincidence. Four times is a pattern.”

Before you can open the passenger door to the car, Jack blocks his body with it, tilting his head to the side and eyeing you up and down.

“You wanna know how I think you’re getting the money?”

You let out a puff of air, wishing he’d drop it, but you also know your boyfriend, and he will never let it go.

“Sure.” You take a step closer to him. “Let’s hear your theory.”

He smirks again and leans toward you as if he’s going to tell you a secret.

“I think you’re betting with my dad.”

You freeze when he speaks and must admit he’s smarter than he looks. You want to deny the accusation, but you simply shrug your shoulders and lean away from him.

“An excellent theory, J, but alas, it’s none of your business.”

You meet his stare, lean into him to kiss him on the cheek, and then body-check him from the side, and he stumbles just enough to allow you to climb into the passenger seat.

He heads to the driver a second later, and when he climbs in, the conversation is merely forgotten. You go back into talking about everything you’ve missed in each other's lives until you pull into the familiar driveway.

The house is decently quiet when you walk in, and when you round into the dining room, you see Luke and Quinn on opposite sides of the table, a checkerboard between them. Luke is stressed, chewing slightly on his hand, and across from him, Quinn sits with a smug smile and a stack of chips next to him.

“C'mon Lu, you’re better than this.” You say, gently patting his shoulder as you bring the leftovers to the fridge.

He huffs and glares at Quinn. “I am better, and I think he’s cheating somehow.”

Jack pipes up from behind you. “How can you cheat at checkers?”

Luke huffs again and mutters a quiet “he’s finding a way” under his breath, returning his attention to the board.

Jack crosses the room and sits down next to Luke, saying he’s playing the next round to defeat Quinn for the second time that night, and as soon as he takes his attention off you, you beeline to the living room in hopes of finding your gambling partner.

You find Jim and Ellen in the living room, and when you enter, they’re beyond excited to see you. You sit on the opposite chair and lean over to them both, whispering so the boy in the other room won’t hear you.

“Jack is onto us.”

Jim gives you a confused look.

“He knows about the betting.”

Ellen lets a giant laugh bubble past her lips, and soon enough, you’re all laughing about the situation.

“Out of all of them to figure it out,” Jim says, shaking his head.

You smile at them both, telling them how the secret came out, and in the end, they shrug it off.

“Just because he knows doesn’t mean we should stop. If anything, maybe it will be more of an incentive.”

You smile ear to ear and relax back into the chair, knowing that the little game won’t end, even if the boys know about it. You settle back into casual conversation for a while before you hear some commotion from the dining room, and Ellen gives you a knowing look.

You walk swiftly back into the dining where the chaos is, and when you enter, you see Quinn sitting calmly with his arms crossed and Jack standing in front of him, surrounded by all the tiny checker pieces with the board flipped upside down.

You can’t stifle your laughter, and you high-five Quinn across the table as Jack turns to you with a cold stare.

“You two can laugh all you want. I still won the actual game tonight.”

Quinn shrugs his shoulders at Jack. “Well, I just won the game that clearly matters more. So who’s the real winner tonight.”

Quinn throws you a wink as he begins cleaning up the pieces on the floor, and Jack follows suit, angrily putting them into the little pouch they came in.

You watch them clean up the game and go to stand by Luke, who’s eating your leftovers and quietly watching the scene unfold in front of him.

“Did you just stand here the whole time?” You ask.

He takes another large bite. “I enjoyed the show.”

You knock your shoulder against him, and a few minutes later, all the games are put away, and you all decide to join the parents in the living room. There, you watch a few episodes of The Office under Jack's hold, and soon enough, you find yourself dozing off in the comfortable position and extra body heat.

You're not sure how long you're asleep until you wake up hearing some shuffling around you. You open your eyes and see that Ellen and Jim have already left, and Luke and Quinn are moving around, getting ready also to leave the shared space. Quinn folds up a blanket and places it on the couch when you quietly whisper at him.

“Is he asleep?” You ask, referring to the boy behind you who’s gripped has softened a bit and whose breath has gone steady.

Quinn nods and whispers back a goodnight, leaving you and Jack alone in the living room. You’re perfectly content to stay on the coach, but that doesn’t last until you feel Jack move behind you.

“What time is it?” He mutters.

You look around for your phone, and when you click on the screen, it reads about half an hour before midnight. You show him the screen, and he hums.

“Wanna go to bed?”

You nod, slinging your legs to the side and getting up. Your muscles are stiff, and you stretch them out as Jack follows close behind you to the shared bedroom you've been occupying this weekend.

As you are busy getting ready for bed, Jack joins you in your domestic bliss, washing your face together and brushing your teeth. You can’t help but smile into the toothpaste because every time you go to stare at him, he’s already looking at you, and a blush creeps into his cheeks when he gets caught.

You finish up, climbing into your pajamas, and when you walk back into the room, Jack is already under the covers, looking at his phone. As soon as he notices you, he tosses the device away and lifts the sheets, patting the space beside him.

You crawl in, and within a moment, his arms wrap securely around you, and you’re pulled to his chest. All the stress of finals, flying back and forth, and life in general melt away, and for the first time in a long while, you know you’ll get the best sleep tonight.

You settle in even deeper into Jack's hold, reading yourself to enter the dreamland until you’re slightly brought back when he gently taps your arm three times, your relationship code to see if you’re still awake.

“Yeah?” You ask, flipping over to face him in the darkness.

“I just have a question.” He whispers

You wait for him to ask, and after a second passes, he does.

“Of course, I’m not mad or anything. You betting with my dad is the funniest thing ever. But one thing is bugging me.”

You gently rub his arm, and he continues.

“How did you win?” His voice is soft. “Did you bet on us winning even though we haven’t been playing the best? Or was it something else? Do you switch teams? Or how do you decide which team you bet on?”

He throws so many questions at you that you silence him with a light kiss pressed to his lips. It effectively shuts him up, and he stays quiet until you answer.

You take a minute to speak on purpose, wanting to make him wait, but you know that his wheels are turning, and he honestly doesn’t know your secret to success, and you know you have to tell him.

It’s never a question when you’re betting with Jim; you always pick with your heart, and you’re rarely wrong, and even when you are, you’re still correct with the outcome, and you wouldn’t change it for the world.

“I never have to decide.” You press another kiss to his lips. “I always bet on you.”

[velvetures]

Doesn't Crease

A/N: Thanks to everyone supporting this new blog I've started working on. I'm really happy to see so many new people and get the chance to write some more. <3 Summary: You're just trying to keep Ghost from losing his eyesight from being purposefully ignorant. T/W: none :)

Looking out for the guys of the 141 typically meant doing things for them that most regular people wouldn’t even think twice about doing on a normal day. They often took care of weapons and missions far better than themselves, and it often resulted in you finding out that they appropriated objects or products for uses that had not a damn thing to do with what they used them for. And the most frustrating of all of them came from how you came to learn about Ghost’s eye paint, and how it stayed on so well for days on end.

You’d been in the Middle East for nearing five days and after being holed up in a cave just on the outskirts of a little town, a safe house was cleared for your use until the end of the mission. It was so damn good to have a shower and put on some clean clothes that you couldn’t have been in better spirits as you walked out of the bathroom into the living area and noticed Ghost sitting in a change of clothes and a much less dirty mask with his face half-painted in that unidentified stuff he used. You watched with an admitted interest as he dipped a couple fingers into a small plastic container that held the substance before smearing more over the bridge of his nose towards the uncovered left side of his face.

“Quit starin’.” he muttered lowly, still very focused on the task at hand and getting the stuff smeared over his eyelid and up to the waterline of his eye.

You didn’t particularly care to listen and just sat down across from him and pulled your bare feet up into the chair and watched just as raptly. It wasn’t the first time you’d seen him do this for sure, yet every time filled you with a sense of… excitement. Like you were watching the man under the mask slowly transform himself into The Ghost right in front of you. Certainly a childish kind of thrill, yet you never missed the chance to watch Ghost do anything, really. Curiosity always got the better of you when it came to the mysterious Lieutenant, and that black stuff he smeared on his face wasn’t exempt from your silent questioning.

“Will you leave me the fuck alone?” He growled, steely eyes darting right to you with a harsh edge to his posture.

Ghost always had a prickly attitude about everything, good or bad. Fuck, you could tell him that he’d won a million dollars and he’s just grumble about how paying taxes on it would be a bitch. Never seeing any bright side of a situation. But that also didn’t come as much of a shock. The Lieutenant always put you in mind of this black shadow just floating around wherever he pleased or was needed for the time being.

You’d made jokes to Gaz and Soap about his sandpaper-like disposition and shitty attitude before, oftentimes enjoying a short moment before sleeping -without Ghost present of course- where you mimicked him for entertainment. It always got you a bunch of laughs considering the stark contrast between your own character and the Lieutenant’s. You didn’t mean anything negative by it, Ghost just made it too easy to poke quiet fun at him every so often.

“If you answer a question, I’ll leave.” You bargain quickly, already knowing exactly what you wanted to ask about. Ghost just growled in frustration, leaning his forearms on his massive thighs and looked pointedly at you, silently demanding you got on with your foolishness so that you could go off somewhere else and be a pain in the ass for someone else.

“What is that?” You nod to the small container holding his eye paint.

“I mean… the stuff you put on your face?” Unconsciously the question comes out of your mouth a tad bit nervously and hesitant. Not that you had the slightest fear of Ghost being upset with you in a dangerous way, but more so that you were prying into something that he felt was too personal to discuss. That kind of assumption wouldn’t have typically been far off with how private he liked to keep things.

Contrary to his typical behavior Ghost gave a small huff of something close to laughter. Apparently amused and puts the lid on the small jar to toss it across the room for you to get a better look at it. Unscrewing the lid of the small plastic travel-jar, you were met with a very familiar smell. And it wasn’t the kind of cosmetic fragrance you were expecting it come from it.

“Gun grease,” Ghost answered quite offhandedly, acting as if that wasn’t a totally ridiculous idea. Speechless and naively shocked, you look up at the Lieutenant with wide eyes and your mouth a little agape. The look on your face only amuses Ghost that much more and a little flash of it shows in his dark eyes.

“You put slide action lubricant on your face!?” You almost hiss the words out, disbelieving and in total awe of how Ghost hadn’t lost his eyesight, got chemical burns, or some other type of injury from doing something so unheard of.

Ghost shrugs noncommittally. “I prefer Hoppes. Theirs lasts the longest.” He said standing up and stretching his neck side to side.

“You have a fucking brand preference?” Your mouth really does drop open now.

“Brand and color.” He replies smugly, striding over towards you and grabbing the small container and opening it back up to dab more over his eyebrow which hadn’t been fully covered earlier.

“Hoppes…” You repeat the word, thinking for a moment. “You mean that kind that comes in the syringe?” The image of the component and how it hangs in a little package in the gun care and cleaning aisle at every store. you’ve ever been to.

“One and the same.”

Your eyes roll skyward and you can’t help but groan out. “Good god…”

For weeks after that conversation, your mind revisits the thought of Ghost using a ten-dollar tube of gun grease not only as weapon maintenance but also as a skincare product. Surely he’s not stupid enough to think that it’s not harmful to his skin right? He’s got to know that when it gets into his eyes it can cause damage? It comes to a breaking point when you go into a local drugstore for a prescription painkiller for a recent on-mission injury and notice an End Cap display showing a new line of gel eyeliners that have come out boasting 48hr smudge resistance and an almost instant, comfortable dry-down.

You stop dead in your tracks, almost totally forgetting about needing to pick up the week-supply of pills for yourself as you gather up every single one of them in the color black and shove them at the woman working behind the register. The look she gives you is one of masked concern, but you just hand over the cash for it and your prescription before heading back out to your car with a sense of hopefulness that your Lieutenant won’t lose his eyesight prematurely if you can help it.

The following day you’re to report in to HQ for a meeting with the team for a pre-op report review, and have the chance to give Ghost your… gift of sorts. You’re walking out of the meeting, purposefully walking beside of him instead of talking to Soap or asking Price some lingering questions you have so your opportunity doesn’t slip by you.

“Hey, uh do you have a minute?” You nudge his arm with your elbow, looking up at him out of the corner of your eye. Ghost’s eyebrows raise, and he silently gives a stiff nod, not caring to elaborate any further.

Instead of peeling off towards his office down the corridor to your left, he keeps following you silently until you get out to your vehicle parked outside. Although he doesn’t say anything about it, you can feel his questioning look burning into your back as you unlock the doors and reach into your passenger seat for a small black bag that rattles with the sound of thick glass knocking up against each other inside. Even when handing it to him, he’s reluctant to uncross his arms and accept the bag from you because he’s much more comfortable just staring at you coldly. No doubt expecting you to do what you’re best at and waste his time for something inconsequential.

“Here… I really don’t want you going blind anytime soon.” You give him a half smile, dropping the gift bag in his hand. With that, you give a small goodbye and go around to the other side of your vehicle, and drive off before the Lieutenant can open the bag or question you about what the fuck you’d just given him thirty small jars of.

Once home you go about getting some clothes washed for the upcoming mission and take some time to make a call to your neighbor to ask if she can look in on your home and plants while you’re away and pay the water and electric bill since you’ll be out of town when the bills will be mailed. You’re halfway through telling the older woman that you’ll go ahead and write a couple of checks that she can take to the bank with her own bills when you feel your phone vibrate against your ear.

Your elderly neighbor gives her happy acceptance of helping out and gets off the phone so she doesn’t miss her nightly show while you check the notification you’ve received. It’s from a number not saved, but it’s not spam text or one of those random kinds of messages you get when someone uses the wrong number. It’s short, sweet, and to the point. The verbiage and almost awkward tone give you all the information you need to know that the Lieutenant had not only opened his gift but asked someone for your private cell so that he could give his… thoughts.

-Dries down a lot quicker. I like that it doesn’t crease.-

Reblogs & Comments are Appreciated <3

[mittenslikescats]

So yeaaa

So idk if y’all heard yet but Flow won the Golden Globes best animated movie award. And honestly ppls reaction to this film getting the award is really disappointing. Ppl (mainly) Twitter are complaining saying ‘the wild robot was robbed’ or ‘inside out 2 deserves it more’ and yeah those were amazing movies but can’t we be excited at the fact that an INDIE animation managed to beat 2 MASSIVE animation studios. Like that shit doesn’t happen everyday, having an INDIE animation (that costed abt 3.7 million which is a fraction compared to how much the wild robot which costed around 78 million) is a huge deal. It directly shows you that you don’t need million of dollars to make something amazing

Anyways Flow 100% deserved that award. If you haven’t seen the movie I HIGHLY recommended it 10/10 watch

[fandombandomfics]

The Man With The Briefcase (Salesman x female!reader)

Summary: you decide to play with the salesman/recruiter, not knowing your life is about to change.

Warnings: slight stalking (it's the salesman we're taking about here), slight manipulation.

Y/N’s POV 

I sigh as I make my way down the subway, another day another half dollar. The warm Seoul air creates a blanket of comfort, it’s not too humid and the uv index is not that powerful. Fixing my cap, I tuck a loose strand from my hair behind my ear. Adjusting the strap of my backpack, I wait for the next train home. 

“You want to play a game?” I hear a voice ask behind me. I turn around and see a man wearing a suit and a briefcase. 

“Depends on the game,” I say and he gives me a small smile. He sets his briefcase on the bench behind us and opens it. Glancing, I see red and blue tiles, two piles of 50,000 won and one pile of 10,000 won. 

“We will play ddakji, when you win, I will give you 100,000 won. When I win, you give me 100,000 won. Deal?” He asks, with a small smile. I contemplate for a moment, I mean I am in debt that I need to pay so one round won’t hurt. 

“Deal,” I say and put my backpack down. He grins and holds up the red and blue tiles. I pick the blue one since it’s one of my favorite colors. He throws his tile on the ground, I take a deep breath and throw my tile on his. Frowning, I look at the guy sheepishly and laugh nervously. He looks at me, and gives me a small smile. 

“You don’t have the money?” He asks and I shake my head. 

“No I don’t..” I say, nervously. 

“You can pay me with your body,” He says and I look at him like he’s crazy. 

“What?” I ask, wanting to make sure I heard him correctly. 

“Pay me with your body but with slaps, shaving off the 100,000 won you owe me,” He says. I look at him, my mind racing with thoughts. 

“100,000 won off per slap?” I ask and he nods 

“100,000 won off per slap,” He repeats. After several rounds and several slaps later, I’m walking away with 200,000 won in my pocket. 

“You can make even more money by playing games like this for a few days,” He says, handing me a card. I see the symbols on it a circle, square and triangle. Turning it around, it has a phone number on it. I look up to see him walking away. I grab my backpack and look back at the card again. Wondering if I should join, since I am 50 million won in debt. Getting on the subway, I make my way home. Knowing my life is going to change as soon as I dial that number. 

A few days later 

Walking home from work, I sense someone behind me. No not like in the I’m in a crowded street of course someone is following me type of way. More in the way of I see him in the corner of my eye in this type of way. I turn the corner into an alleyway and hear footsteps behind me. 

“You know it’s rude to stalk people,” I say, turning around to see the man from the subway the other day. He smiles, but this smile looks different. A smile, more like a grin that wrinkles the sides of his face. 

“So you have figured it out,” He says, stepping closer to me. 

“Seeing a man with a briefcase everywhere I go is hard to miss,” I say and he chuckles, stepping even closer but remains a good distance from me. 

“Guess I have that effect, you have yet to call that number I gave you,” He says, like he’s stating the obvious. 

“Been thinking about it,” I say and he steps closer, his frame towering over me considering I’m 5’5. 

“I know you’re in debt,” He says and I look at him shocked,

“How did you–” 

“Have my connections,” He says, cutting me off. 

“Why have you been watching me?” I ask and he tucks a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. Feeling a shock of electricity between his finger and my neck, takes me aback but I don’t show it. 

“Have I?” He asks, his tone somewhat mocking me. 

“Think we both know the answer to that,” I say, looking up into his eyes. When I look into them, I see a coldness that sends a shiver down my spine. 

“So beautiful..” He says, his voice dropping to a soft tone. 

“If I call that number?” I ask and he smirks. 

“If you call that number and win the money, I’ll come find you,” He says, his lips forming into a slight pout. 

“Come find me?” I ask. He grins and rests his hand on my hip. 

“Yes come and find you sweet girl,” He says, looking into my eyes. 

“Win the games?” I ask 

“Yes, win and I can give you everything you want and more,” He says, whispering it in my ear. The huskiness of his voice driving me over the edge. He almost has me convinced to call that number. He laughs a deep laugh and sighs, cupping my face with his hands. 

“I will call that number…” I say and he smiles. 

“Good girl…” He purrs in my ear. I close my eyes and breath out a shaky breath. He lets my face go and walks away. 

“Good luck,” He says, picking up his briefcase and leaving the alley, leaving me alone to my thoughts and the card that’s in my pocket. Taking it out, I dial the number and wait for the tone. 

”please state your name and date of birth” The voice says on the other end. 

“Y/N L/N D/O/B”, I say 

Here we go. 

[missmonsters2]

Mirror, Mirror | Six: Epilogue

Please do not copy, repost, or translate my work anywhere else.

PART FIVE

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader

Summary: You never really thought about Wanda other than the fact that she's your best friend. Nothing more, nothing less. It just wasn't in the realm of possibilites, so you never let yourself develop feelings. At least until someone points out that you have a very specific type when it comes to dating, so maybe it is all subconscious? Reader's POV

Warnings: best friends to lovers. shenanigans. jealousy, jealousy. sexual tension. pining. yearning. sexual thoughts. spicy (tumblr's version). stupid steve. neurotic nat. brat & stinky. bug as in shutterbug.

*explicit version will only be available on Ao3 & will be posted there after series is completed*

Note: Mini Series is completed! Thank you so much for tagging along with me <3 Explicit version available in a week.

Reminder there's no taglist but you can follow my library blog for notifications 💘

Series Masterlist || Library Blog || AO3

Count: ~3.1k

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

You rarely think about sentences that could change your life.

There are too many instances that could change your life; therefore, it would be moot to think about.

You have a terminal illness. 

You've won 69 million dollars.

Someone you love has horrifically died—no, there were no remains.

It's all too overwhelming to think about; therefore, you don't. Yet, somehow, if you ever did think about life-changing sentences, you didn't think it could ever be, "Hey, have you noticed how you seem to exclusively date girls who look like Wanda?"

And it was like the ground crumbled underneath you. It was such a sickening realization—not that Wanda was in any way sickening—it was the fact that you might just be subconsciously a pervert. 

The more you thought about the words, the more horrifying it became. Every one-night stand, every situationship, every girlfriend—god, they all looked like Wanda. 

You're too scared to think about it deeper in fear of what it would reveal subconsciously every time you kissed or fucked a girl. Were you thinking of Wanda? God, you just couldn't think about it.

This was all Bucky's fault. You wished you had never gone out onto that balcony that night. 

3 months prior to that night at the bar with Wanda & Steve

The cool air felt better, and the breeze settled on the back of your neck. There was definitely too much wine going around, and you only managed to escape as Tony brought out the hard liquor. 

The crowd dispersed after several shots you didn't partake in. You stared into the distance, thinking idly how Tony had way too much money. Old money was ridiculous. Why does someone need a garden fountain as big as a pool?

Movement caught the corner of your eye, and you saw Wanda and Vision walking through the dimly lit garden. You smiled fondly at your best friend as she laughed at whatever charming thing Vision had managed to say. 

Vision was...just okay, in your opinion. You thought he was too nonchalant about Wanda, and that was why they were so on and off rather than consistently being together. Wanda deserved someone who loved her fiercely, and you couldn't imagine Vision always putting Wanda first. 

You watched with slight melancholy when Wanda linked her arms through his as they sat on the ledge of the garden fountain. You wished you had also brought someone along for this party. 

"Hey, thought I saw you sneak out here."

You turned around and saw Bucky holding a glass of beer. You smirked at him with mirth. "You know what I must do when Tony starts bringing out the grey goose."

Bucky shuddered, clearly having been roped into a few shots. He came and stood next to you, catching the scene you were staring at. "Guess they're back on then?"

You shrugged. "Guess so. We'll see how long it lasts. I'm betting 3 months."

"Be realistic. It'll be 2 and a half months," Bucky snorted. 

"Ye of little faith," you teased and then sighed. "I wish I also brought someone along. I should've brought that girl I met at my photoshoot."

"The brunette with green eyes?" Bucky asked, and you nod. "You know what I've noticed?"

"Hm?" you hummed in response to Bucky's casual tone. 

"You seem to have a very specific type when it comes to dating," Bucky mused. "They're always brunette—save those two girls from university—and they always have green eyes." 

You furrow your brows in serious thought. "I suppose so."

"Yeah," Bucky nodded, his tone still casual. "They always remind me of Wanda, especially from the back. I always have to make sure I'm careful not to mix up your date with Wanda." 

Bucky ended it with a chuckle, stating he was getting cold before he left without another world, leaving you alone outside.

The connect dots snapped into place almost instantly, horrifying you as you continued to stare at Wanda from above. 

Oh, fuck. 

Maybe it was a good thing you didn't bring anyone tonight. You're not sure how you'd be able to take someone home into your bed with the daunting realization you go after girls who look like your best friend...because you actually want your best friend. 

The three months since that discovery had nearly driven you to insanity. Since you refused to talk to anyone about it, most of your thought process was, " Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no."

But in the end, you resolved that it couldn't happen. Wanda would never reciprocate your feelings in a million years, especially since she had Vision. Wanda occasionally even talked about the possibility of marrying him down the road. 

It wasn't happening. It was never going to happen. 

Wanda was more important to you than anyone in the whole entire world. You would never allow anything to risk the friendship—even your feelings. 

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

You felt like a sick sexual deviant. 

Despite your resolve to bury your feelings and continue on as normal, it was getting increasingly weird to continue to see girls who looked like Wanda. Yet, you couldn't stop. It wasn't doing it for you otherwise. 

But now, every time you kissed a girl, all you could see was Wanda in her. Sex was beginning to become a guilty pleasure for all the wrong reasons. 

When you met Raye, it felt like another sinful thing to lust after, knowing how much she physically reminded you of Wanda. But you could see a big personality difference in the short time you spent chatting with Raye. 

Wanda was the type you spoiled, indulging in her strange, wacky ideas. She could be very emotional, swinging from one side of the spectrum to another. She had such a big heart, willing to love, but also held grudges and was wicked if crossed. Wanda was a brat in all the loving ways you could mean. 

Raye could be best described as emotionally consistent. On the surface, she portrayed a wicked sense of humor and was fun to be around, but she was much more guarded than Wanda. She was very independent, not liking anything that might even intrude on her freedom. Raye kept her true feelings close to herself and seemed to be teasing you to come find out. 

It was different. You didn't mind, maybe liking it even (purely in the sense it was the opposite of Wanda, and you couldn't afford to keep lusting after your best friend in all possible ways).

Even so, your mind was distracted on the first date.

"Have you ever done a boudoir photoshoot?" Raye asks, her tone low and seductive.

"Can't say that I have," you smile, trying to remind yourself to be present during the date. It's been long since you've properly wined and dined someone, and Wanda kept entering your thoughts. 

"Well, there's a first for everything and you might even have a willing model," Raye bit her bottom lip suggestively, her index finger stroking the back of your hand. 

And while the southern twang does stir something in you, and you feel your stomach tingling, you're very aware that it's because Raye physically reminds you of Wanda. So, your mind traitorously imagines Wanda biting her lip and saying seductive things to you. 

"THEY WOULD NEVER—"

You whip your head around, swearing you heard Wanda. When there was no sign of her, you furrowed your brows in confusion, turning back to Raye.

Was this a sign of insanity?

You resolve right then and there to focus on the lovely brunette before you and enjoy the date. It was easy enough if you relaxed and earnestly asked Raye questions about herself. 

It was easy enough to hold Raye's hand and swing it back and forth if you just thought about how warm they were. 

It was enough to giggle when Raye leaned in closer to whisper something silly or naughty in your ear if you just thought about how her breath felt on the shell of your ear.

Suddenly, the car next to you went off, the alarm beeping loudly enough to make you and Raye jump in surprise. You turned around and noticed the couple behind you were gone. You thought they looked slightly familiar, but it was too difficult to determine when they were so far away in the dark under passing streetlights. 

Ultimately, you walk Raye up her steps, unsure what you want your next move to be. Everything feels strange since the revelation. You feel guilty for your lust, but specifically what causes it. 

But when Raye pulled you in for a hot, searing kiss, you decided to just go with the flow...which also ended up being nothing as she got a call from her sister while clothes were discarded. 

The call was only bordering on 40 seconds, but you decided your momentum was lost, and you needed that momentum to have sex with someone else while you tried (unsuccessfully) to not think about Wanda. 

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

Fuck. Darcy.

Those were the only words that could come to your mind after Wanda texted her vague answer about whether or not she was returning home tonight. 

You sighed as you scrolled through the videos and photos, trying to get a headstart on putting together the video for Tony and Pepper. As you began opening up files, many were corrupted by the inability to open or glitchy images. 

With another sigh, your chair scraped against the floor as you shifted back, pulling out your phone and shooting a quick text to the videographer asking if you could meet up tomorrow to get the SD card for the originals. You got a prompt reply with a thumbs-up emoji with a time and place. 

You thought you might've just heard something shuffle in your room, but you forget about it when it's quiet again.

In the end, you spent another 45 minutes scrolling through some other photos that weren't corrupted, catching Wanda in the background and staring with a lingering thought about how absolutely pretty she was.

A part of you was in disbelief that Wanda was interested in women. You had so many questions that still lingered, but you didn't want to push Wanda or make it seem like you were interrogating her, and she needed to prove it.  

Still, you wondered what exactly made Wanda come to terms with the fact that she liked women.

Specifically, why couldn't you be the reason she was interested in women? You shoved those forbidden feelings down, beating them back into its box to put away. 

It didn't matter. 

It shouldn't matter.

You're with Raye, and Wanda may be with Darcy. Or some other girl, or maybe even with a guy again.

It's just not going to be you. 

And that's okay, you tell yourself. You can love someone without having to pursue anything. You just want to be there for Wanda. 

Of course, all of this changed the moment you watched a slanted confession video from an unaware Wanda while your roommate was out for lunch with a client.

Shock is the only thing that registers upon the video finishing. Were you hallucinating again? Was this like the first date with Raye where you kept thinking you could hear or see glimpses of Wanda?

But you played the video over and over, blinking every time it was finished.

Then a burst of strange laughter bubbled from your mouth, and then horror dawned on you that, 'oh, fuck. She actually feels the same way.'

It was unclear whether or not Wanda was trying to let her feelings be known or if she was also facing the same issue as you, where she was suppressing them. Either way, Wanda would unlikely be brave enough to say anything soon. 

You spent the week humming and hawing about what pursuing a relationship with your best friend would mean. What would the consequences be if things didn't work out? What would the consequences be if you declined to pursue anything more despite if Wanda confessed? What would the consequences be to watch Wanda move on and love someone else?

Your stomach dropped. 

You needed to break up with Raye. 

Your stomach dropped. 

You wait 3 more days before confronting Wanda since she's clearly a chicken.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

"You knew you had feelings for me for at least 3 months?" Wanda screeches. "And you said nothing?!"

"Okay, relax, you banshee," you wince at the sound. "How is that the only thing you hung onto out of everything I just told you?"

"But...but!" Wanda narrows her eyes on you. "It was getting serious with Raye!"

"Serious?" you raise your brow at Wanda. "What gave you the idea it was getting serious? We were dating but I saw her maybe a few days out of a month with how much she flies out for work."

"So, it wasn't getting serious at all?" Wanda frowns.

"Well," you purse your lips. "Maybe for Raye. She was considering transferring to another department so she wouldn't have to fly out anymore."

Wanda's mouth hangs open, her face pale with the worst thoughts of what might've been if they never confessed their feelings.

"Which," you cut in like you're able to read her mind, "obviously, I told her to not do as I wanted to end things with her."

"How did she take it?" Wanda asks curiously.

You look uncomfortable as you shift in bed, but Wanda waits patiently. "I think she just emotionally shut down. There were no tears, no screaming, or any accusations about why I was ending things. She just looked impassive as she accepted it and asked me to leave."

"Oh," Wanda bit her bottom lip. She feels bad in a way, but not bad enough to regret making you hers. "I'm sorry, bug."

You sigh as you reach over and pull Wanda close, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder. The blanket shifts down, exposing Wanda's neck and collarbone where you had unabashedly marked up.

"Now, are you done with the questions, or can we resume where we left off?" You ask mischievously, pressing languid kisses against the side of her neck. 

Wanda closes her eyes with a soft hum, pressing her body closer to yours until you shift and move over Wanda. 

"I notice that you didn't mention anything about Darcy."

"Mention what exactly?" You say between kisses, stroking Wanda's hip. "That I was insanely jealous and wished her ill? Although, now that I know it was a fake date and neither of you had interest in each other, she seems nice."

Wanda laughs. "Even after she hacked your laptop?"

"With your help, might I remind you," you pull up and pointedly look at her. "But if she never corrupted those wedding files, I would've never got the original SD card and found out about your feelings."

"Very true," Wanda muses as she throws her head around your neck and pulls you close. She pecks your lips charmingly. "We should get her a nice bottle of wine."

"What about Steve and Bucky."

Wanda scoffs. "They're meddling little school girls who are probably kicking their feet and giggling."

You can't help but laugh before you dive in for another kiss, eager but slow. Oh, man. You were going to love Wanda for the rest of your life.

After a moment, Wanda sighs. "Okay, fine. We can give our McDonald's coupons to Steve and Bucky."

You laugh again. "Alright, brat."

"Okay, stinky."

"Chicken."

"Stupid."

"Witch."

"Here we go again with that," Wanda rolls her eyes with a smile. "I'll have you know that if I were a witch, I'd be the most powerful and best witch ever."

"I bet you would," you agree very readily. "Instead of cursing people to death, you'd be saving their lives...or causing mass chaos. Huh, I guess that's not so different from now." 

Wanda scoffs indignantly before she starts tickling you. You laugh, trying to jerk away, but Wanda is persistent in keeping you in place. 

"Mercy!" You laugh as you roll to the side. 

"Take that back! I do not cause chaos!"

"I take it back! You're clearly an A-List superhero!"

Wanda continues to tickle you anyway. "Say you love me!"

"I love you!"

Only then does Wanda stop, grinning wickedly as she presses a chaste kiss to your lips, and you're breathing heavily.

You want to call her a menace, but you're afraid that will only result in another tickle fight. 

Wanda smiles warmly.

"I love you, too."

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

"See, I told you Wanda would be the one to confess!" Steve smirks.

"That's because you're a little cheater who went and nudged Wanda along," Bucky rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Oh, yeah, like you're the perfect picture of fair," Steve narrows his eyes. "Don't think I don't know that you went to Bug first. I had to step in and nudge Wanda to make the odds even."

"Was it really Wanda who confessed when it was Bug who technically discovered her secret."

Steve seems to think about it before he slumps into the sofa, "I feel like that's a gray area." Then, Steve frowns. "Ugh, but then that means neither of us wins the bet."

"We can just call it even," Bucky shrugs, laying his head on Steve's shoulder.

"Oh, no," Steve shakes his head. "I won't let you wriggle out of our bet. We will watch all the Lord of the Rings movies if you lose."

Bucky groans loudly. "But there's so many and they're so long."

"You really think I want to watch the Star Wars movies?" Steve rolls his eyes.

"They're a classic!" Bucky argues.

"So is Lord of the Rings."

Bucky huffs but concedes. "Fine," he wrinkles his nose. "Should we bet on something else?"

"No, I like the thrill of two people getting together, even if it takes time. Besides, we have the time since we have to finish a whole bunch of shows," Steve says.

"Hm, which ones of our friends are due to get together?" Bucky muses.

"We could try Nat and Maria," Steve suggests.

"No, too hard since Maria doesn't live here," Bucky shakes his head and then offers, "Yelena and Kate?"

"I think they're actually already together," Steve furrows his brows. "But if they're not, I'm too scared of Yelena to get involved in her affairs."

"I think that's all our friends who are technically single with a viable date option," Bucky sighs.

Silence falls between them before Steve suggests, "Want to bet when Tony and Pepper will announce they're pregnant?"

They stare at each other for a moment before they yell out their guess at the same time. 

"6 months!"

"6 months!"

The silliness of it all leaves Steve and Bucky giggling. 

[zombie-eats-world]

Luffy's Linage and the Connections to God's Valley

I think we all know that the history of God's Valley is going to be very important to the story and to our protagonist, Luffy. But I think I've realized why it will be the biggest reveal in the story and intertwined intimately with Luffy's creation and destiny. This might sound crazy but I believe wholeheartedly that:

Luffy is the grandchild of Rocks D. Xebec.

Luffy is the child of Crocodile.

Crocodile's mysterious history is interlinked with every important character in the Grandline. Now, let me explain.

Let's first lay out what we know about the God's Valley incident. We know the Celestial Dragons were on the island, which prompted a young Garp to trust a young Gol D. Roger with an alliance to fight against the Rocks Pirates. Together they won, the incident was covered up, the island disappeared, and Roger found a baby Shanks in a treasure chest as he sailed away.

There is so much about that incident that we don't know, but we do understand just how much it has impacted the world of One Piece. And that goes double for the relationships born from the incident.

Whitebeard and Roger's friendly rivalry, Big Mom's vitriol for Roger, but by far the most interesting thing to come out of the incident is Roger and Garp's mutual respect. Roger respected Garp so much that he trusted the marine with knowledge of his child who was about to be born.

This is the million-dollar question, why would Roger entrust his child's (and at this time, Rouge's) life to this marine who could have become a massively different person in the years since they last met. For all Roger knew Garp was now corrupted by the marines and agreed that Roger's bloodline needed to be eradicated. Well, I believe Roger trusted Garp because he witnessed Garp save a child before against the World Government's wishes; I believe Garp saved Rock's child.

We all understand by now that one of the overarching themes of the story is 'history repeating itself', which is why I think the hunt for Roger's child happened once before with the God's Valley incident. The WG would obviously want to completely erase Rocks from existence (they basically have to with how little we know about him), which would include any children he had fathered to carry on his bloodline. As the fight on God's Valley raged a group of marines, or possibly Cipher Pol, would arrive with the orders to kill anyone with even a passing relation to Rocks. The survivors of this being Rocks top members (Whitebeard, Big Mom, etc.) AND his child; who I am willing to bet real money on was Crocodile.

Crocodile is one of the most interesting characters in the story by far. And while that might be a lot of bias from me, I still think the evidence speaks for itself.

Crocodile is one of the only major villain's that we lack a backstory for, we know more about Warpol's backstory than we do the very first Warlord we ever fought and defeated in story. The man has a strange relationship with animals that is never once explained. Lizard mail runners that we never see utilized by anyone else? Yep, Crocodile's got them. A trained otter and condor being given more trust than the humans in his secret organization? Yes, Crocodile did allow that. Gigantic reptiles that are known to attack Sea Kings? Crocodile kept them as pets and had them so well trained Robin was able to casually pet one! (This doesn't really add to the theory beyond showcasing an odd character trait giving to Crocodile of all people and without any explanation. No one even thought we'd see him again before impel down!)

We also know that Crocodile's inspiration was Roger, from the cover on chapter 408 we learn that Crocodile dreams of being Roger. (very similar to Yamato's dream of being Odin, just more history repeating itself.)

I'm not understating this, Crocodile as a character is so weird. He's got connections to everyone, (Whitebeard, the Revolutionaries, Ivankov, Mihawk, etc.) and yet we've never got any explanation for any of this. We know from how intertwined Crocodile is with the Grandline that he's been a pirate a very long time yet no one in the story seems to know anything about him outside of his Warlord status. In fact, Crocodile seems to be comfortable with the secrets, even being alright with Buggy taking the credit for Cross Guild.

This mans strange relationships with powerful characters like Whitebeard is the reason for the prevalent theory that Crocodile is Whitebeard's only biological child instead of Rocks.... but what if it was both?

No matter how I think about it I've never been able to get over the strangeness of Crocodile and Whitebeard's dynamic in Marineford. Whitebeard definitely doesn't treat Crocodile like someone he cares about, less so like a child that would automatically count in the family that was HIS DREAM. But there is a familiarity in how they address each other, like their history goes back far further than the battle we know they had when Crocodile was a young pirate.

So I propose this:

Crocodile was Rocks child, witnessed Roger take his own father down after standing up to him. This is the reason for Crocodile's dream seemingly being to be Roger. And this would eventually be mirrored in the relationship between Kaido, Yamato, and Oden.

Garp impressed Roger by helping Crocodile to safety instead of following orders and killing him. This would stick with Roger over the years and be why while sitting in prison waiting for execution he decided to put his child's life in Garp's hands.

The safety Crocodile was brought to was Whitebeard. Crocodile was 8 when God's Valley happened, so Whitebeard raised the boy for a few years before Crocodile either ran away or was sent away. We don't know why Crocodile and Whitebeard's relationship turned sour but whatever it was caused Crocodile to see him as an opponent he dreamed of defeating.

This all spurs Crocodile to go to East Blue to witness Roger's end and motivates his desire to defeat Whitebeard as he is now the father figure he must overcome in order to be like Roger. (Kinda like Ace's original desire to defeat Whitebeard huh? Again more history repeating itself.)

Now onto what this means for Luffy, and the story as a whole.

I've already outlined all the evidence for the Trans! Crocodile and Crocodad/Dadodile in many, many, many posts. So I'm not doing that here, you can find my main posts on it here and here. In this post, I want to discuss the ramifications of Crocodile being Rock's child and Luffy's birth parent if this theory proved true.

First of all, this would mean the person that literally gave birth to the dawn and the future sun god Nika/Joyboy incarnate had their life undeniably changed at GOD'S VALLEY. I don't think I need to explain the almost heavy-handed symbolism with that entire naming scheme.

It would also mean that almost everyone who had an impact on Luffy's life was at God's Valley. The person who gave birth to him (Crocodile), the person who inspired his dream (Shanks and Roger), the person to raised him and trained him (Garp), and the person to validated his dream to the world (Whitebeard). All that is missing is Dragon, but for all we know he was there too!

Also I simply love the symbolize that revolves around this entire theory. Luffy would be born from the son of the man who was push into the spot light after God's Valley, praised as a hero. And came from the child of the man who was wiped from history, his family memory thrown to the darkness. Its a clash of opposites, light and dark, a total contradiction, also could be described as a dawn. Not even mentioning the beautiful irony of Joyboy being born from someone taking the name of a predator known for its menacing smile.

If this proved to be true, Crocodile would be centered and primed to possibly be the link between the crew and Gods Valley. Maybe the last Road Poneglyph is there!

But what do others think? I'd love to have a discussion about this if anyone finds counter evidence, or finds evidence that gives more credence to this theory!

Here's an additional link to a great post about this topic I found while looking for evidence.

[becausebuckley]

michelle's buddie fic recs: week 45!

what a week... i'm greatly enjoying all of the post-8x06 buddie fic (many more recs to come!) and took some time to revisit old favourites, which can be found in previous rec lists. enjoy!

this is a mix of fics with all ratings, so some include NSFW content. please take a look at both the ratings and the fic tags before reading! some might also contain spoilers for season 8.

if you come across something you like in this list, remember to show some love to the author by leaving kudos and a comment!

all that we need | not1_2write | 26.4k | M

When Buck buys a Powerball lottery ticket he doesn't think much beyond his need for change to air up his tire. He forgets all about the ticket until word spreads that the winning ticket was sold in LA and hasn't been claimed yet and pretty much dismisses it. After all, there's no way he won the lottery. Turns out no, he really did win the Powerball, to the tune of 295 million dollars and just in time for Christmas. He's going to make sure the 118 has the best Christmas of their lives. And just maybe he'll have a good one too. idk about all of you but i do dream about winning the lottery regularly (way too often for someone who's never bought a ticket, that's for sure). this is such a lovely look at what buck would do with a whole lot of money <3

i take this magnetic force of a man | playinginthunderstorms/@playinginthunderstorms | 9k | M

Turns out, he isn’t actually afraid of commitment. He’s just afraid of committing to the wrong thing, or the wrong person. Ana, obviously, had been a mistake, because he hadn’t been ready, and he’d put other people’s expectations above his own wants and needs. With Marisol, he’s done the same thing. Moved too fast, doing what he thinks is the right thing according to who? His parents? For Chris’s benefit? Again, pushing past his own comfort, discarding any doubt because it doesn’t fit like… Like Buck. blanket rec for one of my favourite authors who has been posting incredible fics lately!! this one in particular is so beautifully written and so romantic and just so very buddie <3

if i need to rearrange my particules i will for you | thelikesofus/@thelikesofus | 7.9k | GA

Eddie catches a cold and Buck takes care of him while having a minor, non-platonic emotional crisis. this is definitely influenced by the fact that i've been ill myself but wow truly nothing hits as hard as buddie taking care of each other when one of them isn't feeling well. the bed sharing in this is so good <3

let me | facewithoutheart/@facewithoutheart | 1.6k | T

Eddie doesn't think he needs romance. Buck, respectfully, disagrees. AKA the fic where Buck picks Eddie up and kisses him breathless against a wall. and buck is so right for doing that!! i love it when buck turns eddie to jello <3 so lovely!

second child, restless child | lesbianrobin/@lesbianrobin | 23k and counting| M

how Evan and Maddie make it out of Pennsylvania, and Buck and Maddie build a family. okay so listen these past few weeks i've been doing this thing where i only rec finished fics, and every time i scroll through my ao3 history for these rec lists, i come across this one and go oh i wish i could rec this already. and then i realised wait it's my rec list i can do whatever i want, and so then i did. anyway, mind the tags for this one, but wow are you in for a treat here! i love the character dynamics (chim is brilliant in this!! and maddie!!) and i'm so so excited to see the rest of this fic unfold <3

said that i was fine, said it from my coffin | justhockey/tumblr | 7.3k | T

And it doesn’t matter that he feels like he’s dying. Like the version of himself that he’s always been is suddenly a stranger to him - just a mask he’d spent his entire life hiding behind, without ever even realising he was wearing it. It doesn’t matter that Eddie is…that he’s gay. Because he knows - as surely as he knows that the sun will rise again tomorrow - that the only person he has ever, and will ever, truly love is Buck. And Buck isn’t his to love. another blanket rec for an author who's been posting incredible fics!! this one in particular has such brilliant eddie characterisation and i just devoured it the second i got that little ao3 email hehe

there's no place like home-spun | icewhisper | 4.1k | GA

Buck has spent most of his life trying to find something to settle fidgeting hands and the restless need for a home. He found the key to the latter when he was thirteen. He finds the former in a cozy home on South Bedford Street with two of his favorite people. (AKA the Buck-crochets fic that literally no one asked for.). this fic makes me want to learn how to crochet. i am the least crafty person ever and i have like minus time but just know that if two weeks from now i'm posting about yarn and crochet hooks and whatnot, it's all thanks to this fic. i love buck who crochets so very much <3

you get your dreams for free | llovely/@butchdiaz| 14.9k | T

five times buck and eddie cuddle drunk and one time they cuddle sober. buddie bed sharing my absolute favourite. i read this late at night curled up under three blankets and it hit just right <3

[submariini]

When Finland’s Käärijä took the stage at this year’s Eurovision, a star was instantly, explosively born. With an outrageous energy, infectious presence and that oh-so-catchy hook, the Vantaa-based rapper may not have won the contest but he certainly snatched the hearts of those in his home country and beyond. We ask Käärijä the million dollar question: what next?

[full article under the cut]

Last May, a peculiar frenzy engulfed Finland. Virtually all green foods – cucumbers, especially – were sold out from stores. Buildings across the land were bathed in vivid green lights. Social media brimmed with green-themed parties, while data obtained by Swedish fintech company Klarna showed a 570 per cent increase in the online sales of neon green shirts.

This phenomenon was all thanks to Käärijä, the rapper who represented Finland in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. His now-infamous, blazing green puff sleeve bolero – dreamt up by Finnish broadcasting company Yle’s costume design team and which he dons when performing the smash hit track ‘Cha Cha Cha’ – had taken on a life of its own, the lush hue uniting the entire nation amid the competition. “It was incredible to see it happen and so cool being part of it,” Käärijä says. “It wasn’t planned at all – it was the people who created the commotion. I’ll definitely never forget it.”

When we speak over Zoom, Käärijä, whose real name is Jere Pöyhönen, is lounging in his minimal apartment in Vantaa, a city just outside Helsinki. He appears on my screen shirtless, a chunky gold chain dangling on his neck. On his head sits a pastel turquoise cap adorned with little cat ears. As he gestures with his hands, I spot flashes of poison green nail varnish. Pöyhönen’s chosen attire, or lack thereof, is extremely fitting – he typically performs bare-chested (“It gets so hot during my gigs”) and his Instagram handle is @paidatonriehuja, or ‘shirtless rascal’.

Hot off a performance in western Finland, the 29-year-old is enjoying his first days off in a while. It’s been a sweltering summer of non-stop touring, with fans flocking to festivals and concerts nationwide to see his explosive live show. Things are not winding down either, with Käärijä heading off on his first-ever European tour this month. Some of these shows sold out in mere minutes, an indication of his immense international following. “It’s so exciting; I’m definitely jumping into a new territory with that tour,” Pöyhönen says. “But I don’t have any expectations – I’m just going to let everything happen organically rather than stressing about it.”

Although he created one of this year’s buzziest songs, the guy on my screen is humble and, save for his look, almost un assuming. I remark on the stark contrast to his fiery and flamboyant stage presence. “Through Käärijä, I get to channel all the craziness, quirkiness and hyperactivity I’ve had since I was a child,” Pöyhönen says, describing himself offstage as “just this ordinary dude”. Without delving into further details, he tells me that the name Käärijä (translating roughly to moneymaker) stems from a history with gambling. Despite the darkness of its origin, he notes that the moniker is to be taken with a grain of salt.

While it might seem like Käärijä exploded into the public consciousness from obscurity, Pöyhönen has a long journey in music behind him. Born in Helsinki but having spent most of his youth in Vantaa, he started dabbling in the medium at just three years old. Coming from a musical family (“My dad and big brother both play the guitar”), jamming sessions were commonplace in the Pöyhönen household, his instrument of choice being the drums. “I was playing with pots and spoons before I got a set of those plastic kids’ drums,” he says. “When we moved to a bigger house, we built a band room downstairs where me and my brother spent a lot of time practising.”

At that time, rap music hadn’t yet entered Pöyhönen’s life; he was strictly a self-described “metal guy”. His older brother had instilled in him a love for the genre, particularly metal icons Rammstein. Upon starting high school, his musical taste broadened and he began listening to Eminem and popular Finnish rap groups Fintelligens and JVG. “Me and my friends were filming our own music videos to old rap songs, learning the words by heart,” Pöyhönen says. “It [making rap music] pretty much started as this humour thing I did with my mates.”

Encouraged by his loved ones, Pöyhönen began writing his own songs, still playing it for laughs. Turned out he had a knack for it. “Since I was little, I’ve been an avid storyteller – my imagination ran a little wilder than the rest of the kids’ at my school,” he says. “So when I started making music, I didn’t even need inspiration; I was able to whip up the lyrics from my head.”

But then, at 15, an unexpected turning point came by way of a severe sudden illness. Rushed to the hospital with ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, Pöyhönen underwent emergency surgery to remove his colon. Had he not been treated immediately, the complications could have been fatal. “I was writing songs in the hospital – music became a source of strength for me,” he says. “I decided that if I make it through this, I’m going to give my all to music and be serious about it.”

After over a decade of hard work and countless hours in the studio, Käärijä released his first album, Fantastista (Fantastic), in 2020, but it would take three years for him to become a household name in Finland. After snapping up the top prize in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (the Finnish contest for new music) with his party anthem ‘Cha Cha Cha’, a song dedicated to a hedonistic night out fusing rap, electronic music and metal, he secured the coveted spot as his country’s entrant for the 2023 Eurovision, held in Liverpool. One of Pöyhönen’s craziest dreams had come true.

For Pöyhönen, Eurovision was “an amazing but immensely tough experience”. The event’s intense schedule and the little time carved out for practising surprised the artist. There was no room for errors or retakes once it was time for rehearsals. “They didn’t give much mercy,” he says. On the bright side, the long days filled with “lots of press conferences and waiting around” gave Pöyhönen a chance to get to know the other artists. “The group we had there was wonderful – there wasn’t a competitive atmosphere at all,” he says. One of the contestants he became especially close with was Sweden’s Loreen, with whom he exchanged numbers and promised to “meet up and talk about everything else but music”.

By the time the grand finale came, Käärijä’s explosive performance and infectious song had made him one of the favourites to win. Ultimately he came second, while Loreen nabbed first place. How did Pöyhönen handle the letdown? “It was a huge disappointment, but in the end, the feeling didn’t last long,” he says. “When I thought about how far I’d gotten, the incredible journey it was and all the new friends I made, I realised that these things are far more meaningful than winning.” Plus, he still achieved something major: ‘Cha Cha Cha’ made history as the first ever Finnish song to reach Spotify’s global most-listened charts. The track’s reach proved to Pöyhönen that language doesn’t matter; it’s all about creating a singular, infectious sound: “The mouth is just as much of an instrument as the piano or the guitar is,” he says.

Having made history, I ask Pöyhönen if he felt any pressure after the Eurovision bubble had burst. “Of course there are the thoughts of ‘what now?’ and ‘is this going to be it, will anyone be interested anymore next year?’ – I’m aware that the hype won’t last forever,” he says. “But I’m onto creating the next thing, trying not to feel any pressure for future releases. I haven’t done that before, so why would I do that now?”

Pöyhönen hints at a new album dropping sometime next year, but in the meantime, he’s enjoying the attention – including his Vogue Scandinavia debut. Shot at the extraordinary home of the late interior architect Antti Nurmesniemi and his wife, textile artist Vuokko Nurmesniemi, we find the space where Pöyhönen and Käärijä meet, the quiet confidence mingling with that more-is-more persona.

And while Käärijä might develop as a character (“I want to show that he’s more than just a bolero chap”), he’s adamant that he will stay true to his music and keep singing in Finnish, despite the sudden international attention. “In the end, I’m doing this for myself,” he says. “Also, why change something that works?”

Photographer: Karoliina Bärlund Stylist: Sanna Silander Talent: Käärijä Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist: Neea Kuurne Photographer Assistant: Milja Laakso Stylist Assistant: Nelli Korhonen

[robertreich]

It’s Time to Roast Starbucks For Union Busting

Starbucks should be getting publicly roasted for union busting and refusing to even negotiate with unionized workers.

You see, if there’s one thing I love more than coffee, it’s unions. Because unions perk up pay.

And if there’s one thing I hate more than corporations who try to bust unions, it’s having to make my own coffee every morning.

I may be known for a lot of things, but making a good cup of coffee isn’t one of them.

I was thrilled to hear about workers in Starbucks’ stores across the country exercising their right to unionize.

A cup of solidarity brewed by a unionized barista? What could be better than that?

Definitely not me being my own barista.

Starbucks is a multibillion dollar company. Its new CEO will start with a pay package estimated to be worth over $28 million dollars. That’s roughly 800x the pay of the workers who actually brew and serve the coffee the business is built on — and who barely earn a living wage.                                            

That’s why those workers have begun to unionize.

Since December 2021, Starbucks Workers United has won union elections in more than 300 Starbucks stores, covering more than 8,000 workers and counting.

And most of the union campaigns in individual stores won by overwhelming margins, gaining more than 70% of the total votes — and in parts of the country where private sector unions rarely win.

The Starbucks union campaign has inspired young workers across the country and breathed life into a U.S. labor movement that has been stagnant for decades.

It’s been so successful that Starbucks briefly brought its former CEO, billionaire Howard Schultz, out of retirement to bust the union, and still refuses to even sit down at the bargaining table.

That’s why I’ve been boycotting Starbucks.

As part of its campaign to tamp down further unionization, Starbucks corporate has fired scores of pro-union workers, closed stores that have unionized, threatened to withhold wage and benefit improvements from stores considering unionizing, and packed stores with outside managers to undermine organizing efforts.

The National Labor Relations Board, which oversees all union elections in the U.S., has issued more than 93 complaints covering 328 unfair labor practice charges against Starbucks — and ordered reinstatement of at least 23 fired workers so far.

Yet Starbucks is unwilling to change its anti-union ways — even though Schultz was grilled in front of Congress 

Starbucks claims to be a “progressive” company.

But based on the way it’s broken labor law and put unionized workers in the percolator, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Now is an opportunity for all of us to make our voices heard and to tell Starbucks to stop UNION BUSTING and bargain in good faith with Starbucks Workers United.

And it’s time for Joe Biden, who calls himself the “most pro-union president in American history,” to send a powerful message: we won’t tolerate union-busting by Starbucks or any other corporation — including Elon Musk’s Tesla and Jeff Bezos’s Amazon.

Otherwise, my boycott will continue — and perhaps you’ll consider joining me.  

If we want to brew a future where workers have power and dignity, then we need to show solidarity with unions…

And stand up to corporate bullying.

[frankencanon]

커넥션 | Connection (2024) Whump List

Synopsis:

One day, Jang Jae Gyeong, a ten-year detective of Anhyeon's narcotics unit, becomes forcibly addicted to drugs by someone. Although he denies being a user and claims he's an officer who arrests those who do, his mind and body unknowingly deteriorate due to the drug, which is new and unknown to the police. Oh Yoon Jin is a reporter for the Anhyun Economic Daily. She met Jae Gyeong at Jeogang High School. Right after returning to work after one month, she witnesses a woman die in front of her from using drugs. Yoon Jin chases the drug case for a scoop and becomes entangled with Jae Gyeong again. Geumhyung Group's vice-chairman, Won Jong Soo, and Anhyun's prosecutor, Park Jun Seo, are two who could be involved in the case. Due to the drugs, an evil connection intertwined with 50 million dollars starts to form and corrodes their high school friendship. Who could the drug lord be to confront Jae Gyeong, who declares retribution at the end of the battle, and who will come out the victor?

Whumpee: Jang Jae Gyeong (played by Ji Sung)

No one else has a made a whumplist for Connection yet (that I've found anyway), so this is my attempt… Have mercy, this is my first time making a whumplist and it's possible I missed or forgot to mention some stuff.

[SPOILER WARNING] ⚠️

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※ The links are to gifsets on Tumblr and official YouTube videos by Kocowa!

※ Spoiler warning for the videos especially!

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01: kidnapped, drugged, amnesia, hurt, disoriented, collapsed, weak, legs give out (caught), fighting, knocked out, vomiting, upset, sweating, dizzy, head injury, panicked, confused, shaky hands, collapsed, hospitalized, etc (a LOT)

02: hiding in closet, manhandled (CCTV footage), grabbed by the shirt and shoved against a wall, grabbed by the shirt again, shoved, grabbed

03: dizzy, falls over, collapsed, sweating, helped to walk, fainted, unconscious, drug addiction reveal, drug addiction, repeatedly bodyslams door, ill, out of breath, weak, helped to walk, pale, dizzy, asked if ok, asks for medicine, collapses, drug addiction, faints

04: drug addiction, panics, hits head on door, confused, disoriented, amnesia, upset, flashbacks, tantrum, distressed, paranoid, flashbacks

05: slapped in face with shoe covers (?), distressed, screaming, flashbacks, crying, sobbing

06: dizzy, stumbling, ill, kicked, knocked down, held down/restrained, drugged (injection), fighting

07: discussion about addiction, collapsed on floor (flashback)

08: out of breath, asks for help getting medication/diet pills

09: out of breath, has to take more diet pills to bide/manage addiction

10: dizzy, leaning on wall, out of breath, flashbacks to kidnapping

11: takes more diet pills, withdrawal, dizziness/lightheadedness, falls to the floor at bottom of stairs, falls to knees, more withdrawal, panting, almost takes drugs, crying?? red/watery eyes, tired? faint? takes more diet pills, weak, collapses punching someone, gets punched and knocked to the floor, can't get up, grabbed by the lapel and shook

12: weak (can't open water bottle), withdrawal, catatonic, wheezing, upset, screams, watery eyes, fighting, screaming

13: kicked several times, minor fender bender, withdrawal, shaky hands, arrested for drugs, upset, crying

14: discussion of addiction, collapsed and drugged (CCTV), upset, manhandled/dragged (CCTV), crying

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Edit: I made a whump sideblog! Link here:

[assistant-of-drama]

When Alejandro got kicked in the kiwis and slid down the volcano on a giant ice cube, Noah rushed to help him. Noah was still annoyed at the guy for seducing him twice, but he didn't want him dead. When Noah finally reached him, Alejandro actually looked relieved to see the cynical bookworm.

"You seem strangely happy for a guy that just lost a million dollars." Noah pointed out.

Alejandro smirks smugly. "And you seemed very eager to kiss me twice, after I made you lose a million dollars."

"Whatever. You started it…" Noah sighed with an eye roll. "… Was that giant ice cube enough for your crotch? Or do you need more ice?"

"No, I don't need anymore ice…" Alejandro said, while getting up. "… But a hug would be nice."

Noah groans, frustrated. "A hug? Seriously?"

"Please Noah, just one hug." Alejandro asks with a pout and puppy-dog eyes.

Noah sighs and drags his hand down his face. "Fine! But you're NOT kissing me again."

"Of course not, mi amor!~" Alejandro purrs, opening his strong and warm arms.

Noah hesitates for a moment, then closes the distance between them. His arms snake around Alejandro's middle, holding him tightly. The hug feels so warm and wonderful that for a brief second, Noah forgets why he's even annoyed at the other man. The warmth of Alejandro's body presses against his own, and he can feel the other man's heartbeat, steady and strong beneath his ear. It's a strange sensation, but it also feels…right.

Then Noah and Alejandro look at each other, while still hugging. Alejandro's eyes have such a beautiful, hypnotic color. Noah's eyes look like delicious pools of chocolate that one could get lost in. The embracing duo's faces become blank.

Their lips meet once again. It's like they've been waiting for this moment, their entire lives. It's gentle, yet passionate. Their tongues dance, playing a tango only the two of them know how to do. The kiss deepens, and their bodies press even closer together. Noah's hands find their way up Alejandro's back, digging into the soft skin there, while Alejandro's hands slide down Noah's waist, holding him firmly. The kiss seems to last for an eternity, but it's only a few seconds before they break apart, gasping for air.

Alejandro gently pins Noah to the wall of the volcano, before continuing their make out session. His strong hands cup Noah's face, while his lips and tongue explore the other man's mouth with an urgency that borders on desperate. Noah, feeling the heat of Alejandro's body against his own, returns the kiss with equal passion, his hands fisting in the other man's shirt, pulling him closer. Their tongues dance, tangling together, as they exchange breath, their chests heaving in unison.

Alejandro's lips move down Noah's neck, kissing and sucking at the delicate skin before finally landing on the tan flesh above his collarbone. Alejandro bites down gently, feeling the heat of Noah's skin beneath his teeth. Noah's back arches, his head falling back against the wall as he lets out a moan, his hands tangling in Alejandro's hair.

The sound of footsteps coming down the volcano can be heard. The rest of the contestants watch in shock as Noah and Alejandro, their normally competitive and aggressive natures completely forgotten, become consumed by their passionate embrace. Some of the contestants gag, some cover their eyes, and some can't help but laugh uncontrollably at the sheer absurdity of the situation. They're not sure if they should feel disgusted or amused.

"Hey, Alejandro! Guess who's rich? Not you!" Heather taunted, smugly holding up the case.

Alejandro and Noah ignore her, too lost in their own world. The kiss deepens, and their tongues twist and tangle, dancing to a tune only they can hear. The contestants watch in a mix of horror and fascination as the two men, who have been at each other's throats for the entirety of the show, are now locked in a passionate embrace.

"Hello, can you hear me? I won! I finally beat you, Al!" Heather shouts.

Alejandro's and Noah's kissing intensifies, as if they're trying to consume each other. Since the show is over, they have no reason to stop this time. Alejandro didn't even care that he was called that dreaded nickname.

Heather groans and then rolls her eyes. "Of course, you'd take the fun out of this!"

Heather walks away.

The other contestants follow suit, uncomfortably shuffling away from the scene that's unfolding before them. Some of them exchange glances, unsure of what to make of the unexpected turn of events. A few of them can't help but steal quick, sideways glances at Alejandro and Noah, still locked in their passionate embrace. The air is thick with tension and embarrassment as the contestants slowly disperse, leaving the two lovers behind.

Only Owen was left, and he wasn't leaving the two behind. "Come one guys, let's go with the others.

Owen picks up the duo, who continues to make out. It would be super awkward and weird for anyone else, but Owen has done way weirder things than this. He's just happy that Noah is happy.

Alejandro and Noah continue to kiss, as Owen carries them across the beach. Alejandro and Noah's bodies are pressed tightly together, their hands entwined. Owen, not wanting to interrupt their moment, decides to just go with it.

Noah still can't believe that Alejandro made him one of his helpers the final challenge, right after the taller man made him...

[constantinerkives]

Million Dollar (Wo)Man // teaser, (M)

PAIRING: Hotel Magnate! Yoo Jimin x Fem! Reader WARNINGS: Sugar Mommy AU, college AU, age gap, OC is in her final year of college while YJM is 34, profanity, strangers to paramours, Chopard and Cannes Film Festival Karina, good lord. OC has a slight crush on the dean lmao. OC short-circuits when pretty, older women talk to her, smut, more warnings to come SYNOPSIS: Money in exchange for companionship? Why not! If only she wasn't the dean's half-sister. Yikes.

"Excuse me, miss," Your ears perk upon hearing an unfamiliar deep yet feminine voice. Sultry and alluring. "But have you seen Joohyun?"

Joohyun? Your brows furrow. How can someone say the dean's name so casually? 

You turn in the direction of the stranger, and your eyes subtly widen at the sight of the towering beauty behind you. Your eyes take in her appearance. Her long black hair was styled; slid back, allowing you to have a good glimpse at her smooth, fair countenance, familiar doe-shaped eyes framing those sharp, intelligent hazel-colored crevices. You mentally pick your jaw from the floor. 

"Joohyun?" Your voice came out as a squeak, and you fought the urge to palm your face. "You mean our dean?"

A playful grin curls on her plump lips, "Yes," Her hazel-colored eyes scour your features, "And my," She purrs, "Aren't you a beauty?" Your cheeks warmed as the woman continued: "I should count myself lucky for asking a pretty girl like you." A subtle shade of pink dust your cheeks as you clear your throat softly, "Thank you," You muse as you shift your weight from one foot to another. "How may I help you?"

"I'm looking for-"

"Karina," Your posture straightens upon hearing her authoritative voice. Irene takes a stand beside you. Her face turns in your direction with slight surprise before she regains her calm countenance and returns her gaze to the said stranger: Karina. 

"I see that you've met one of my students," The dean gestures a hand towards the raven-haired beauty. "Y/N, meet my..." She trails off before Karina's lips release a deep chuckle, shivers run down your spine, and your stomach churns at the sound. "Don't be shy now, Hyunnie." 

Hyunnie? 

Karina holds out her hand for you to shake, "I'm Karina Bae, her half-sister. And you are?" 

Half-sister? 

Oh

That explains the familiar features, and if you have to compare the two of them by age, Karina seems to be ten years younger than the older woman next to you. But still, both women are drop-dead gorgeous. They won the battle of genes. 

"Seol Y/N," You reply in a trance as you reach to shake her hand, expecting a handshake, but she surprises you by bringing it up to brush her mouth against your knuckles, a shock traveling up your arm at the contact. Her eyes never leave yours, and you hold your breath, afraid you'll do something embarrassing if you do. Hopefully, your face doesn't show how the action flustered you. You gawk at her as she releases your hand. 

"A pleasure, Y/N." Your body glows at the way her tongue smoothly caresses your name. It's embarrassing how quick you are to succumb to the younger Bae. You instinctively look away from her raving eyes as the dean clears her throat. 

"Easy, Karina." The dean chides, "She's my student," 

A heart-throbbing smile graces Karina's lips, "Anyways," She raises a paper bag. Was she holding something all this time? How come you didn't notice? "As you can see, sister. I just returned from France," The hazel-eyed beauty hands it to her, "And I bought a present." 

You eye the two of them, feeling as though you're intruding on a moment between the siblings. Irene's lips curl upwards and takes the paperbag, "You shouldn't have, Karina. Is that why you came here?"

"Of course," Karina grins, "I can't come back to my alma mater empty-handed now, can I?" 

"Thank you, Karina." 

The latter merely hums in reply, "I'll get going now. There's no need for me to stay if a party lacks drinks." She grins while Irene rolls her eyes. "It's protocol," 

"Sure," Karina turns to you, "Take care, Miss Seol." 

Perhaps she was waiting for you to hold your hand out again, but your brain decided that risking another touch from this gorgeous woman would have undesirable consequences. A wave sufficed for now.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Karina." 

You were wrong. Karina doesn't even have to touch you to get you woozy. Her wolfish smirk was enough to make your knees wobble. She departs, leaving your eyes to follow her lithe physique. 

COMING SOON!

[cheesecakeislazy]

Disventure Camp All Stars Rewrite! Jakeden!

The Love I Didn’t Expect

Chapter One; Planes And Parachutes

“Is Everything Ready, Emily?”

“Oh Yeah!”

“Gather The Crew! It’s Time!”

“Welcome One And All To Disventure Camp All Stars! You Heard That Right! We’re Back With 18 Of Your Favorite, And Not-So-Favorite, Competitors! We Are Just About To Pick Them Up From All Across The World In This Private Jet. Once Everyone Is On Board, They Will Be Flown To Camp Tipiskaw Where They Will Spend The Next 8 Weeks! Two Years Have Passed Since Our First Season, And One Since Our Second. Imagine What Shenanigans Our Contestants Have Been Up To, Who Will Compete In Our Biggest Season Yet? And More Importantly, What The Hell Have They Been Doing This Whole Time? Find Out Right Here, Right Now On… DISVENTURE CAMP ALL STARS!!”

——————————————————————————————————

When Jake and Miriam got the notification that the two of them had been selected to be in All Stars, Jake was ecstatic. Maybe he finally had a chance to rekindle things with Tom! It’s been.. tough these past two years, Jakes feelings for Tom had.. well they certainly weren’t as strong as they used to be. Jake had been hoping that maybe him and Tom could talk it out and maybe.. just maybe.. get back together? Maybe Jake wasn’t useless.. maybe he wasn’t unloveable.. maybe Jake could find true love?

——————————————————————————————————

Aiden and James were always traveling ever since James won that million dollar prize, and it was amazing! Aiden loved to see places everywhere around the world that he honestly thought he’d never have the chance to see.. but.. something was off recently. Aiden loved visiting James’ family and spending time with him, so why did he feel so weird about James lately? They’ve been together for a whole year, traveling the world with each other, going on dates, and constantly posting each other on social media. Yet, a small part of Aiden told him that he wasn’t happy with James as he used to be. Aiden was so excited that he was accepted into All Stars. Maybe Aiden could have a chance to talk about everything that was going on little more privately to Lake? Aiden just… didn’t understand. James really was amazing! Great personality, amazing looks, the best partner anyone could ask for! So why did Aiden feel so.. awkward with James?

———————————————————————————————————

“We Are Currently In Ottawa, Canada To Pick Up Our First 5 Participants! Here Comes Our Favorite Granny And Grandson Duo, Jake And Miriam!! You Two Ready For All Stars?”

“Hi Kristal! You bet we’re excited! Right Miriam?” Jake really was excited about All Stars, not only could he see some familiar faces, but maybe he could actually win the million dollars this time! …and maybe something could happen with Tom…

“Absolutely! I’m ready to collect another million!”

“I Must Say, Miriam, I’m Surprised. Hasn’t It Been Two Years Since You’ve Played? Aren’t You Worried That Your Age Is Catching Up To You?”

“Bleegh! Nonsense!! I’ve heard it before when I first played, and look what happened! There is no age limit for adventure, Kristal.” Miriam smirked at Kristal as she spoke.

“Fair Enough. Come On In, Guys! The Fun Is Just Beginning..”

. . .

Jake and Miriam step up into the plane and take their seats.

“Hey Miriam, it’s not too late, you know? If you’re not sure about this, we can still leave.” Jake was worried that Miriams health issues might cause.. complications during the season. Jake cared a lot about Miriam, Jake wouldn’t.. handle it very well if anything bad happened to her.

“Of course I’m sure!”

“It’s just.. I’m worried..”

“Have you lost your damn mind?? I didn’t drag my geriatric ass all the way out here, just to turn back!!”

“Well.. Okay..” Jake loved Miriam’s sass, but that didn’t change the fact he was worried about Miriam.

——————————————————————————————————

When Hunter and Ally walked onto the private Jet, Jake didn’t acknowledge the couple very much. To be completely honest? He was jealous of the pair, Ally and Hunter had met during their season and actually managed to become a couple out of it.. unlike Tom and him.

Jake knew that it had been two whole years since he last saw Tom but- his thought was cut off when a figure stepped into the jet. It Was Tom. There he was! In the flesh!! Right there in front of Jake! And.. walking towards him? No no no! Jake wasn’t ready yet! He hasn’t practiced his lines or-!

“Uh.. Hey..?” Tom spoke to the found family duo, it was obvious that Tom hated his existence that very moment. He was cringing so hard that it looked as if the guy had drank spoiled milk.

Jake stared up at Tom, “Yeah, uh Hi?” There Tom was, in all of his himbo glory. ..wait, why wasn’t Jake getting butterflies? Tom was right in front of him! The man of his dreams! Why isn’t he nervous?? Or flustered?? Maybe even embarrassed???

“You know, Tom, you could have at least left a call.. a message maybe? Just to ask how we were, just one little message?” Miriam had that look on her face, that

‘I’m not mad, I’m disappointed’ face, it certainly wasn’t directed towards Jake and yet the blue-haired boy couldn’t help but feel ashamed as if he had done something to displease her.

“W-Well.. you guys know how it is! Cops are busy people! I just uhm.. got caught up with.. work?” Tom had a small bead of sweat trickle down the back of his neck as he spoke to the pair, geez.. Tom made such a mistake talking to them right now..

“A singular call or text doesn’t take any longer than 10 minutes. If that at all..” Miriam gave the taller man a small scowl.

“Uh.. well! I’ll uhm, talk to you guys later!!” Tom couldn’t handle the look on Miriam’s face anymore.. he just had to leave. He took one last glance at Jake, and then walked further into the plane and took his seat.

. . .

Around two? Maybe three hours had passed, when James and Aiden entered the jet. Jake’s eyes landed almost instantly on Aiden..

Aiden was taking a selfie with Lake and James, James and Lake looked over the moon to see each other, yet for some reason Aiden looked.. out of place? Maybe Jake was overthinking it.. he’s never even talked to Aiden before. But.. wow, Aiden was even prettier in person.. even prettier than To-

“I’m still waiting on an apology for almost leaving me to DIE!” Aiden’s voice broke Jake out of his trance, he was saying something to Riya.. what was he talking about? Oh! Right.. didn’t Riya almost kill the guy? Jake thought that he definitely didn’t wanna get on Riya’s bad side..

Jake watched as Aiden and James sat next to each other, James was playing on his phone and talking to Lake. While Aiden stared out the plane window and cloud gazed. Jake couldn’t help but.. relate to Aiden? Jake didn’t really understand why he related to Aiden of all people. Aiden was lucky, just like Ally, he got the love of his life out of this show and they look so.. loving on James’ instagram posts. They certainly don’t look that loving in real life though.. maybe Aiden was just in a bad mood? Ugh, why did Jake care. He doesn’t know these people personally! Jake just needs to worry about his own problems..

———————————————————————————————————

Aiden looked out the window as he listened to Lake and James converse with each other, Aiden was lost in his thoughts. So.. many.. confusing.. thoughts. That photo with Lake that they all took? It felt weird. Aiden didn’t understand, everything flowed so perfectly between the trio when they were all friends, and they still were friends! Well, technically him and James were dating but that couldn’t be the issue! Why would something so minor make such a drastic difference in a dynamic? Aiden really hoped that Lake would be on the same team as him, he loved James but he needed to talk to Lake alone, without the worry of James interrupting. He.. loved.. James.. why did those words seem so uncomfortable to Aiden now? A year ago those words were filled with confidence and truth, so why did it feel so fake now? Lake wrote romance novels.. maybe she knows a thing or two about this mess?

As Aiden stared out the window, his mind drifted to other places, right after James took the selfie Aiden’s eyes drifted towards the back of the plane and had spotted Jake. No.. way.. Jake Hamilton?? This was a dream come true!! Aiden loved Jake in season one! He was honestly a little upset that Jake didn’t win, but hey- at least Miriam won and helped Jake out. Wow.. Jake was such a pretty guy.

“Aiden, baby?” James spoke up to Aiden, snapping him out of his thoughts. What was.. Aiden thinking about..?

. . .

Welp, coming here was a mistake! JUMPING OUT OF A FUCKING PLANE? Listen, Aiden might have gotten a lot better about his fear of heights, BUT JUMPING OUT OF A FUCKING PLANE?? Yeah.. no. This was such a terrible goddamn decision.

As Aiden held tightly onto his parachute bag, he stared down into the clouds and sky.. no.. he couldn’t do this!! There’s no way he cou-

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-“ Aiden was pushed by who he assumed was Riya, that fucking bitch..

This season.. is going to be such a goddamn mess.

[neptunechromo]

Suitcase may be my favorite ii character, but I think im actually team knife.

I think suitcase winning almost feels like ....rewarding her for going through all of this shit? Like: hey yeah you got some trauma, but it was all worth it cause you get 1 squadtillion bucks!!!!!!!

And like, YEAH having one million dollars could help stave the despair and act as some good compensation for whats shes gone through, but idk, it just doesn't feel quite right to me

I feel like knife has grown positively and softened over the course of ii. He's a pretty simple guy but he still has a lot of depth. Idk, I just think it's fun how he's kept a fairly low profile in the game, and yet he made it this far BASICALLY on his own.

Story wise, I just think I'd be a little more satisfied if knife won. However, I truly think this is the perfect final 2, cause I can still see myself content if suitcase wins

OK done rambling, I'm escited :3 yayyyy

[thewulf]

I Think I Love You || Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

Summary: Bradley's longterm best friend (they know each other as long as they can think) moves to fighter town, now that her best friend Brad is permanently stationed there and she finished University... Read Rest Here

A/N: It was so fun to write Bradley! Will def write him more in the future. As always THANK YOU for the super fun requests. You the readers are everything to me. Thanks for making this hobby so enjoyable :)

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Y/N

Word Count: 5,800+

“Come on, answer the phone!” You couldn’t sit in place for more than a second after hearing the news. Each ring feeling like it was taking longer than the previous. Your eyes darted from the window to your phone as soon as you heard him pick up on the other side.

“Bradley!” Yelling immediately into the phone you didn’t dare give him a second to think, “Guess what!”

“Jesus Y/N. That was my ear drum you just ruptured.” He tried to sound irritated on the phone with you but was actually laughing softly instead, it was so like you. Chaotic in the best way.

“Aww, is Bradley having a bad day?” You cooed knowing just how badly it would irritate him. If there was one thing Bradley hated it was being babied.

“I shouldn’t have picked up the phone.” He groaned.

Smiling you sat down on your bed leaning against the bedframe, “Oh, but I’m so glad you did! Did you guess yet?”

He hummed trying to think of something, “You won a million dollars playing the lottery?”

“Sheesh, I wish!” The smile grew even further as you remembered just how much you loved talking to him. It’d been far too long since you’d lived close to Bradley. He moved off to college when he turned 18, you were 16. Ever since you could remember it was you and Bradley. He was always there. Your mom, Molly, was best friends with Carole. After Nick passed away your father ended up leaving your mom. Molly and Carol become even faster friends almost moving in together but deciding on raising you and Bradley in houses right down the street from one another.

The friendship was never forced only coming easy to the both of you. He was a few years older than you but always included you. He always went out of his way to make you feel included, wanted. It was and still is an extraordinary friendship between two terribly different people. Bradley was cool, calm, and always collected. He always knew what to say or what to do in almost any situation. You on the other hand were quite the opposite. Chaotic, unafraid and scatter brained. You always had to wonder why he put up with you.

You’d, of course, crushed hard on him as you were growing up. It hurt when he asked the prettiest blonde girl, Alexandra, to Homecoming and not you. Not that a senior would ever ask a lowly little sophomore such as yourself, but you dreamed. You just knew he’d never feel the same. You were sure he always looked at you like a little sister, never standing a chance.

Carole passed away when Bradley was only 15, absolutely destroying him in the process. But you were there. You stood, sat, and laid by him at his worst times never dropping a hand. You were just 13. He had no one. It shattered your heart as he broke down completely. He moved in with your mom and you not long after. His grandparents too far away. Carole had asked your mom to take care of him before she passed away, which she agreed to instantly.

Things were great for the next few years. Then he turned 18 and moved away. Off to college without you. Even though he’d been rejected by the Navy he knew he had to be close. He was going to try every year. He was determined to be a pilot like his dad.

Your mom remarried not long after Carole had passed away. She needed someone and Carole was that someone for so long. It was fine until it wasn’t. Your mom passed a few years after that. Right after your nineteenth birthday. You were going to college locally and saving some money by staying at home. It got bad after she passed. You were truly alone, not even a sliver of comfort to be provided by your stepfather. In fact, it was the opposite. It was mental at first. Insults and manipulation. Then it got physical. A slap here, a broken beer bottle to the face there requiring stitches and finally the broken bones landing you in the ER a little too often. Bradley hadn’t a clue what was going on. How would he? He was a hot shot pilot. You were just studying to be doctor.

You were finally able to move out when you had been accepted to medical school out of state. You’d figure it out. You always did. You’d survived three years in that hellhole. You could keep going. Completely and utterly alone.

But you did it. Not without Bradley’s help. He was the one constant in your life. The one person you knew you could call on a whim. If you needed help Bradley would be your sounding board. If you needed a voice of reason he’d be right, there. He had always loved you. He just wish you could see it.

“Alright, I give up, what is it?”

You gasped, “You hardly guessed!”

“Y/N!” He was used to your antics by now. It always ended in him laughing like he presently. You just knew his eyes were squinted together and that damn mustache you tried to get him to shave was turned right side up. As much as you made fun of him for it, it just worked for him. It made him Bradley.

“Fine. Okay. I matched!” You squealed, “With my first choice!”

“Which is?” He was on the edge of his toes. You’d refused to tell him, wanting to surprise him. Initially you wanted to surprise him by just showing up, but the excitement got to you, and you needed to tell him. “Oh, and congrats. I knew you would.” He sat down with the big smile on his face like you guessed. As annoyed as he tried to act, he loved talking to you. You were his first friend. His first best friend. His person he told everything to. He loved you. He didn’t know if he was in love with you though. He was at one time then life got in the way. But he was settling now, and you knew it.

He'd had girlfriends in the past but nothing serious. You had one boyfriend for a while, but nothing turned out from it. You’d always claimed medical school got in the way. Your friends didn’t seem to have a problem maintaining relationships through it though. Your stepfather liked to throw that out in between punches. If he wasn’t beating you physically, he’d sure go for it emotionally. That was the last time you saw him. You went back for your clothing, and he tried to stop you.

“Thanks Bradley. It might just be at the University of San Diego Medical Center. And it might just be for a surgical residency.”

His heart felt like it stopped beating that instant. You were coming here? He’d just taken a job as a Top Gun instructor last year. He was absolutely thrilled. His Y/N? Coming to live here, “You’re not fucking with me, right?” He breathed out, anxious.

“Never!” You were matching his grin from a thousand miles away, “I loved it when I visited last year and you’re out there so why not?”

“That’s the best news I’ve gotten all afternoon.” Bradley was very aware that he had a few sets of eyes cued in on his conversation. Sure, he was a little more animated when he talked to you, but they were looking at him like he was doing something crazy. Hangman was giving him a nod and knowing smirk. Natasha was looking between the two of them confused. Poor Bob was even more lost than Natasha. Bradley turned away trying to keep his conversation with you vaguely private. It was the end of the day, and they were all just about to leave base with their normally locked up phones when he saw your face pop up on his screen.

“It better be!” You could hardly contain your excitement as you stood from your spot on the bed pacing around your room, “I fly in on the 20th!”

“I’ll be there to pick you up.” Bradley stated so assuredly you weren’t sure if he already knew you were flying in or not.

“Oh, yeah?”

He smirked to himself, “’Course, gotta pick up my favorite girl.”

If only he could see the disgustingly bright blush that spread across your face in an instant. Oh, how that boy made your insides feel all types of ways. The butterflies wouldn’t stop as you tried to form a coherent sentence in your brain, “You spoil me, Bradley Bradshaw.”

He laughed to himself knowing Hangman had the laser eyes locked in on him. He’d mentioned you in passing a few times, but Jake knew there was something more the second Bradley’s face changed when he’d answered the phone. Jake was anything but dumb. He knew that look. The one where you were so enamored it didn’t seem to matter what the other person was talking about. A look everybody dreamed of having and receiving, “Hardly sweetness, just wait till you’re actually here.” You knew he was smirking from ear to ear. God you’d love to be with him, but man were you thankful you weren’t. You wouldn’t know how to compose yourself.

Immediately you found a seat on a chair attempting to process his words. Sweetness? That was a new one. One that quite literally just made you go weak at the knees, “I look forward to it.” You played along.

“I hate to cut this short. But I’ve got a group of annoyed pilots waiting on me. Can I call you later?” He would’ve loved to have kept going. Especially since you’d just dropped that news on his so casually on a Monday afternoon.

“Of course. I’ll talk to you later RooRoo.” You’d dropped the nickname you knew he secretly loved but hated other people knowing.

“You’ll be the death of me, ya know that?” He started walking back over to the group with that stupid grin on his face. He wasn’t doing a very good job at hiding it. He loved you. He knew that. He just didn’t know if he was in love. But he did know he could be. If he let himself.

“You’re right. This place is cool.” You and Bradley were standing at the bar waiting for your drink order to come on up.

“You know I always am.”

Rolling your eyes, you grabbed the bottle that the bartender set down in front of you, “Cocky as ever I see.”

“You call it cockiness. I call it confidence.” Following your actions, he grabbed the bottle taking a lengthy swig as you just shook your head at him.

“Good to see you haven’t changed too much.”

He shook his head, “Never. Now come on, got a few people for you to meet.” Placing his hand on your back he guided you towards the group of Naval pilots standing around the pool table. Thank God your brain was already panicking from the meeting new people to be too overtaken by his hand placement. Bradley had never been so forwardly flirty with you before. Sure, casual remarks and gestures were thrown around before but nothing to this extent. He seemed to love the dumb expression on your face when you tried to figure out his words each time he flirted with you.

“Look what cat dragged in.” The blonde one brought everybody’s attention to you and Bradley joining the group. You simply smiled up at him knowing he was talking about the much taller pilot behind you, “Not you sweetheart.” He made sure to wink at you knowing it’d piss Bradshaw off more than ever. And it did. You felt Bradley’s posture stiffen from behind you. Sending daggers right at Hangman.

“I assumed.” You nodded to him. Lucky for you there were only a few pilots hanging out at the Hard Deck tonight. Six of the twelve pilots that went on the mission got invited to stay and teach. Five accepted. Four were presently relaxing after a long week training to become the next generation of trainers, “I’m Y/N.” Introducing yourself to the pilots was intimidating. Each one more self-assured than the next.

“Oh, we know.” The blonde one grinned mischievously as he stepped forward, “You’re a hell of a lot prettier thank Rooster was letting onto.”

“Really Seresin? Anything that moves with you, I swear.” The only woman spoke up while shaking her head, “Ignore him. I’m Natasha. That’s Jake and Bob is right over there. Javy’s also here he’s just on a date tonight. He’s the best.” She pointed to the one that was throwing darts with another guy in uniform.

Jake shrugged eyeing Bradley. He knew what Jake was trying to do. Get a rise out of him. Ever since you got here a week ago Jake had been hounding him about you. Trying to get him to admit to any sort of feeling but coming up stunningly short in his goal. Bradley wouldn’t crack. He’d convinced himself you’d never feel the same way so he refused to allow himself to ever think it could happen. Never would he admit that to Jake who’d go blabbing off to you the next time he sees you.

The last week reaffirmed his feelings. They never went away they were just sidelined for a bit as the two of you navigated life apart for a bit. It scared him. The feelings that he had for you. Each time you smiled he swore it was the most beautiful thing. How you’d gotten even more gorgeous in the years he hadn’t seen you face to face was beyond him. He was speechless when he spotted you running towards him at the airport. And man, when he hugged you and got a whiff of you he felt everything he had before only tenfold. There you were. His person. Standing there in front of him. It felt too damn good to be true.

Natasha must’ve picked up on what was going on because she pulled you away, “Y/N, let me show you around. I’m sure Rooster did a terrible job.”

He smirked watching you get taken away from him so quickly. He should’ve known. They were all terribly curious of you after Jake blew up his spot. Still, he’d never admit it. He’d look like a little lovesick puppy accepting that fate. The worst thing that could happen is it gets back to you, and you don’t feel the same. He’d fuck a lifetime of friendship and love up. He couldn’t do that. Not when he finally had you back in his grasp after so long apart.

You shot him a nod as you followed Natasha out of the bar and onto the beach. His eyes followed your figure as you left. He had it bad for you.

“You love that girl.” Jake was now standing right next to him. He hadn’t heard Hangman walk over as he watched you. Too entranced with you.

“For the thousandth time this week…”

“Jesus Christ.” Jake sighed almost slamming his empty bottle on the high top, “Shut the fuck up would you. You love her. You know I have eyes and I can see through them. You haven’t taken yours off her.” Jake sat down knowing he had him. His eyes certainly betrayed him. He’d have to do something he really didn’t want to do. Approach another girl. As much as he craved to be around you he had to do this for your sake. Jake was going to end up saying something he regretted.

“Next girl that walks in. I’m getting her number.” Bradley sighed knowing it probably wasn’t the best course of action.

“That doesn’t mean shit. You can flirt with other women and still love her.” Hangman looked exasperated now, “You’re too fucking blind to see it but she looks at you the same way.” He hoped it meant something to Bradley now.

“Drop it.”

Jake put his hands up, “You’re being such a fucking idiot right now. I’ll stop but you’re going to hurt her.”

“I won’t.” Bradley spotted you walking back over with Phoenix. Because of course he did, he always seemed to notice when you walked into a room. It pained him not to stay. To talk to you. The two of you had so much more to catch up on. But he needed to. He had to put some space in between while his co-workers were sitting right there.

Against his better judgment he walked up to the first single looking girl he saw to strike up a conversation. You were too into the conversation with Natasha that you didn’t notice Bradley walking away. When you made it back over the frown the crossed your face was inevitable when you couldn’t find him. Yours eyes scanned but you couldn’t seem to find him. Maybe he was just in the restroom. It wasn’t like him to leave you with people you didn’t know.

“He’s being a dumbass right now.” Jake joined you and Natasha at the table.

“Hmm?” Your eyes flicked up to Jake instead of the restroom door he was surely coming out of soon.

“Your boyfriend.” Natasha smirked at the comment. She’d picked up on it too. As much as both of you tried to reject it, there was something there.

You laughed uneasily. God how you’d love him to be your boyfriend. You know he’d make the best one. Whatever lucky ass girl stole him would have her life changed, for the better.

“You love him.” It was more of a statement than a question. Your mouth bobbed open in retort, but you couldn’t say you didn’t. You loved him so much. Everything felt so easy with him. The two of you picking up right where you left off all those years ago. It certainly helped that you usually had some form of communication at least once throughout the day. If you didn’t talk on the phone it was a text. He loved it, so did you. He loved you. He knew it. Couldn’t admit it.

“I think… I do?” You looked surprised that you said it. You’d kept it in for so long it felt foreign coming off your tongue.

Jake’s smirk turned into a smile. He didn’t even have to grill you to get you to admit it, “Then do me a favor and don’t look at the bar.”

You turned immediately heart sinking seeing him chatting it up with a pretty blonde girl. Jake groaned seeing you spot him immediately. He too should’ve known you’d be like Bradley. Defiant. Not listening to him. It’d piss him off more, but you charmed him already. He was impressed. You were able to keep up. Seemed sweet. A catch in his eyes. He could see how Bradley could love you. It seemed easy. Jake didn’t think for a second if you weren’t Bradley’s he’d be trying.

“I told you not to look.”

Turning your head back to him you nodded, “You did.” Taking a long drink from your glass you knew this would be a long night. It was so out of character for him though. You had to wonder what was up with him.

“He’s being dumb. Thinks you don’t like him.” A confused expression crossed your features as you registered Jake’s admission. Bradley liked you? He couldn’t. Not after he’d pushed you away so obviously in the past.

You shook your head, “He doesn’t like me. Sees me like a sister.” Crossing your arms over your chest all you wanted to do was curl up in a ball and vanish away from here.

Jake scoffed, “Trust me sweetheart. He does not see you like a sister.”

“Yeah, well. Don’t get my hopes up. He’s sitting there talking to someone else. If he liked me he’d be up here.” You threw it back in his face.

“I told you he was being dumb. Just like you are, right now.”

Rolling your eyes, you finished off your beer, “You’re very too the point Jake.”

“Life’s short.”

Sure is. You got up to get another drink. Unbeknownst to you, you’d caught the attention of the other group of Naval pilots on the other side of the bar. Jake told you to stay away. He knew their intentions. They were the students, much younger and much more aggressive with it.

One was so forward he walked right on up to you as you waited for the bartender to get your order. You felt him on your side before you heard him speak, “Now what’s a pretty thing like you doing at this bar?”

You looked around playing dumb, “I’m here with friends.”

“Those guys?” He pointed up towards Jake, Natasha, and Bob.

You nodded, “Yep.” The guy was off to you. Giving you bad energy as he inched closer and closer to you. You tried to step away from him but unfortunately boxed yourself in.

“You can do better beautiful.” He smiled to himself thinking he was all that.

“Okay.” You grabbed your beer before ducking under his arms walking back towards the group quickly. You felt his eyes on you as you rushed away.

To your surprise you spotted Bradley back with the group away from the pretty girl, “Boy am I glad to see you guys.” You sighed in frustration as you took the seat next to Bradley who gave you a small smile. Acting weird you noted.

“You seemed to have been enjoying yourself.” Bradley simply stating making sure not to look at you.

Shaking your head quickly, “Not at all. Sleezy.”

“What’d he say?” Jake looked irritated. There was a reason he warned you. He knew exactly what went through those brains. He was in that position not too long ago. There weren’t many logical thoughts when your young, attractive and a pilot. They didn’t get told no very often.

“Nothing before I got out of there.”

“Atta girl.” Jake nodded.

Bradley shrugged, “You should go for it.”

Your head turned quickly at him before your heart sunk a little lower, “What?”

His heart broke a little seeing your confused expression. But on he went, his own worst enemy, “Yeah, you always complain about not having a boyfriend. Go for it. See what it’s like.”

Jakes eyebrows raised as he watched the tension rise between the two of you. What in the hell was Bradshaw doing? You too had a pained expression as your heart broke even further, “Oh, okay. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to complain.” Looking away you made eye contact with Jake who was shaking his head. You knew he wanted you to stay put. He already warned you about them and their obvious intentions. But what’d you have to lose? Bradley was already gone. There wasn’t much else for you now.

You shrugged taking Bradley’s advice.

“Y/N.” Jake tried to stop you, but you walked off leaving your drink. You didn’t catch the sadness that crossed on Bradley’s face as you were walking away. You were too busy trying not to blink back tears. But here you were. Going to go give your number to this dude. Putting out for him sounded horrendous but it just might be what your shattering heart needed. Or so your brain thought.

Something wasn’t right. Your head was feeling far too light. Your eyes started to dry out as you tried to focus on the pilot’s face across from yours. You were on the date Bradley recommended. It was going about as bad as you’d expect. Everything related back to sex with the man. You couldn’t even seem to remember his name. You were coming up with an escape plan but then your head started going fuzzy.

“I’m getting some air. I’ll be right back.” You abruptly stood from the table the two of you were seated out.

His smile didn’t seem so innocent anymore as he nodded to you. Maybe it was your head just messing with you? You walked and stumbled your way out of the restaurant feeling sets of eyes on you. You hadn’t hardly drunken a thing, this was no buzz. You were feeling drugged. You’d seen it time and time again, girls getting roofied going to the ER. You were about to be one of those girls.

You tried for Bradley, but it just kept ringing. Again, you pressed call, but it kept ringing and going to voicemail. You knew you didn’t have much time to figure this out. In a few moments the drugs would overtake and who knows what the creep will do to you. You shuttered as you decided on calling Jake. He’d given you his number after you gave yours out.

Jake answered immediately. When you didn’t respond he panicked, “Y/N? Hello?”

You wanted to speak but it was like your brain was disconnected from your mouth, “J…Jake.” Was all you could seem to manage. Your own thoughts started getting hazy as you saw the front door open and close revealing him. Fuck. Not much time now.

“Y/N? What’s going on?” He sounded desperate. You tried with all your might to talk but it wasn’t happening. You suddenly understood those poor, poor girls who were drugged like this. How fucking awful it was.

“Drugs.” You managed before he beelined it right from you.

“Drugs? Y/N what the fuck?” Was all you heard before the phone dropped out of your hand. It didn’t hang up the call though. Jake was hearing everything.

“Y/N, let’s go home.”

You think you shook your head, you couldn’t be so sure, “You’re hurting me.” You whined feeling his hands grab your wrists forcefully. That was going to bruise.

“Time to go, now.” He snapped knowing that they were still in a very public place, and you were gone. Lost in your own brain now.

“No, no.” You cried out before he pulled you too him and away from the phone. Jake was already on his way. You weren’t far. He was worried he wouldn’t make it in time. He was with Bradley and heard the whole thing. Bradley couldn’t move, paralyzed in fear hearing your soft plea’s through the phone. He did that to you. He was supposed to protect you. Not push you into the arms of a fucked-up frat boy.

Jake pulled him by the collar into the car. He’d pulled up the Find My app making sure he was heading to the right spot. Two minutes never felt so long as he flew past the speed limit in an instant. Bradley’s heart wouldn’t stop racing as he thought the worst. How could have done this to you? He’d let his stupid fucking ego get in the way and now you were hurt. Because of him.

“Rooster, say something.” Jake almost yelled at him. He was getting pissed. Bradley had gone nearly catatonic once Jake turned the speaker on. They were just supposed to be getting drinks at the bar not too far from the restaurant. Just in case. Maybe he shouldn’t have ignored your calls. Fuck. He knew he fucked up.

Jake pulled in just in the nick of time. Bradley didn’t know what came over him, but he blacked out. All he remembers is opening his eyes and seeing the pilot on the ground, knocked out cold and blood running out of his nose. Lucky for him the adrenaline was enough to make his hand feel fine. He knew it was going to hurt once it wore off.

“Damn.” Jake whistled seeing how quickly he took care of that problem, “Didn’t think you had it in you Rooster.” Jake kicked his side lightly to make sure he was out.

It didn’t take long before Bradley turned his attention towards you, “Y/N.” Placing his hands on your cheeks he turned your very limited attention towards him.

You smiled recognizing the man standing before you, “Oh, hi RooRoo. You’re so pretty.” You blurted out. You were too far gone to notice the brilliant shade of red Bradley wore on his cheeks to your compliment. Of course, you thought him as pretty. He was beautiful. The most handsome guy in your eyes. Nobody could compare. Nobody ever would.

“RooRoo?” Jake laughed at the nickname that so easily rolled off your tongue.

Bradley very quickly shot him a glare, “Not now, please. Later. We gotta get her to a hospital. I have no idea what he laced her dinner with.” He looked worried enough that Jake dropped the smile and walked back over to the car quickly pulling it up to where you were standing.

“Can you walk?”

“My feet are really heavy.” You giggled trying to pick them up to no avail. It’s like your brain was working but wouldn’t communicate the commands to anything you needed it to.

“I’m going to pick you up alright?” He waited for anything before he touched you. He didn’t want to do anything that’d freak you out. You’d already been through enough at his expense.

“You’re so pretty.” You went to touch his cheek but missed completely. You frowned but quickly burst into a fit of giggled forgetting his question entirely. He took that as confirmation enough. He quickly picked you up into his arms, bridal style. Before you could even comprehend what happened you were seated in the back seat next to Bradley.

“I’m so tired.” You closed your eyes leaning on him for support.

“Hey, can you keep them open for me?” Bradley asked. Once Jake heard the seat belt click he was off towards the ER. Definitely not how he envisioned his nor your night.

“No.” You yawned feeling the full effects take over. You felt his hand wrap around your head securing you in his side.

“I got you sweetness.”

“Fuck.” You groaned as your eyes adjusted to the bright hospital lights.

“There she is.” Jake perked up seeing your eyes open. He nudged a sleeping Bradley who shot over to you once he realized.

“Y/N. How are you?” He looked nervous. So incredibly nervous as he looked at you in an entirely new light. He was your next of kin. Your power of attorney. You’d made him your living decider should things go wrong. So, the doctor had no problem disclosing your file to him. He thought you were married after all.

To his horror he read through all the different times you were admitted back in your hometown. Almost every other month you were there with different degrees of injury. You were accident prone but never to that extent. He didn’t tell Jake. He couldn’t tell Jake. That was between you and him now. That’s it.

Jake took the silence as his que, “I’m going to go get some food. I’ll be back later.” He walked off leaving just you and Bradley. Your person.

“My head hurts like a bitch.” You groaned closing your eyes not too thrilled about the situation you were in, “What happened?”

“You were roofied.” He frowned, “Jake and I brought you in. They admitted you because your heart rate was so low. I’m so sorry Y/N.” Grabbing your hand but looking down Bradley squeezed it as gently as possible.

You sighed loving the innocent contact between the two of you, “What a dickhead.”

Bradley laughed. A sound you enjoyed so deeply. A sound you loved pulling right out of him. He was so fucking perfect to you. You just wished you had the courage to tell him before it was too late. He too was a catch. He wouldn’t be single for long if he didn’t want to be.

“What a dickhead.” He nodded in agreement, “I’m so sorry.” He apologized again.

“It’s okay. You saved me. My knight in shining armour.” You yawned still feeling the effects of the drugs that were wearing off. Your mouth was still clearly loosey goosey with it.

He laughed again, “How do you do that?”

“Do what? You asked curiously.

“Make everything so lighthearted. This is so serious and yet here I am laughing.”

“I don’t know. You make me feel safe I guess. I know you’d never judge me. You’d have my back though anything. It’s easy to be lighthearted with you.” You admitted. One of the bigger admissions you’d have to say. You loved flirting with him, but it usually never got deeper than that. Not until now.

“I read your files.” He couldn’t keep it in.

It took you a moment to fully understand what he meant, “Oh.” Was it. You didn’t have anything else to say. It was suddenly a bit mortifying realizing what had happened in your past. Like you were too weak to stop it.

“What happened after your mom died Y/N?” He noticed the dates. He wasn’t dumb.

“Well, good old Jerry decided to take it out on me.” You never thought you’d have to explain it to him. You never thought you’d be back in the hospital so soon. It never crossed your mind.

“Y/N… Why didn’t you tell me?” He scooted close to you on his chair. One hand squeezing one of yours and the other on your cheek.

You looked away willing the tears away. But they fell in rapid succession, “You couldn’t have done anything. You were living your life. I had to figure mine out.” It wasn’t a great excuse. But it was the truth. You didn’t want to burden him with it.

“Oh, my Y/N. I’m so sorry. I wish you told me.” He brushed the stream of tears away blinking back his own. He couldn’t imagine you so injured. Breaking bones on the regular. It wasn’t you. You were being abused and hurt. His girl. And he wasn’t there for you. That broke his heart.

“I’m sorry…” You looked down and away, “For not telling you. I didn’t know how.”

“It’s okay sweetness. No more secrets though, from here on out?”

You nodded smiling slightly at his seemingly new name for you, “No more secrets. I can do that.” You agreed looking right at him. God, he was so beautiful. Your Bradley. He was here for you if you let him. And you finally let him.

“I love you Y/N. I’m in love with you. I always have been.” He looked away from you. Horrified that it came out so quickly. He let Jake’s comments take over his head.

You nodded in realization, “I think I love you…. No, I know I love you. I love you too.” Groggily you grinned at him nodding in realization.

His head snapped up towards you, “Yeah?” He really couldn’t believe it. There wasn’t a scenario in his head where you said it back. Yet here you were, saying it right back to him. That smile on your face made him gleam.

“Oh yeah.”

“I love you.” He took your hand peppering kisses on the back sending shivers right on up it. The laughter that left your throat was one of the most freeing feelings. Not knowing how much that had weighted on you over the years.

“And I love you Bradley Bradshaw.”

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