#i love monotone drawings with splashes of red OKAY? let me have this one thing

[limesquares]

Hide and Seek

[nightingale-interactive]

Tabloid shot of Scandal MC and Dr. Grey/Dr. Sloan making out—Christian and Alcina’s reactions please ✨

I just love starting up drama between these DILFs/MILFs 🤣

This was really fun to write and I hope that it's okay. It may not be the best thing but if it makes you smile then I've done my duty as a writer.

Dr. Peter Grey and Dr. Ivy Sloan belong to the wonderfully talented @bouncyballcitadel; someone that I consider to be a dear friend.

Scandael Forever!!!

Christian and Peter:

The paper lay balled in a corner on the other side of the room. Black and white meshing together to make a monotonous landscape that was only intercepted by splashes of red. A bright color that pulled anyone's eye to it; that had pulled his secretaries eye to it.

He didn't want to believe it. Didn't want to even consider that what he saw printed on the front cover was true. He's been in politics long enough to know that reporters would do anything, and everything, to get a story.

But, even he, couldn't deny that there was no way for the picture to falsified. The heated lip-lock between a man he considered a brother and the woman that owned his heart.

Dropping his head into his hands, Christian draws in another ragged breath. Trying to stem the ever-growing presence of tears from his eyes. He was the President of the United States of America; he couldn't be weak. Couldn't allow himself the privileges of a man that wasn't shackled to his duty.

Even if he had always held hope in doing just that.

With her, his mind whispers. A dark tune against his once hopeful melody. You planned out the future with her. Were willing to give up everything for her and she does this? With your best friend? What are you going to do, pretty boy?

Opening his eyes, Christian only fumbles for a moment to find the buzzer to signal Veronica to enter. Barely even glancing at her as the door swings hesitantly open to allow her entrance.

"Cancel my plans for today, Veronica," he orders briskly. "I want to have a meeting with a few personnel that owes me favors."

Veronica nods. "Right away, Mr. President."

He was about to let her leave when another thought whispers across his mind.

"Veronica?"

"Yes, Mr. President?"

"Revoke security clearance to our resident fixer. I don't believe we'll be needing her services any longer."

Veronica hesitates but nods all the same. "Of course, Mr. President."

Alcina and Ivy:

Her phone rings for the hundredth time but Alcina doesn't even give it a second glance. Doesn't even have to wonder who was calling her so incessantly for the past hour.

As there was only one person that had ripped her heart out today-- well two but it wasn't a surprise with one of them.

Rolling her eyes, as the ringing finally ends, Alcina thumbs through her book trying to find where she had left off. Only to be interrupted, once again, by the ringing of her phone. Having enough, as all she wanted to do was read and forget about today, she stands from her lounged position and picks up her nuisance of a phone.

Her breath catches as she sees the oh-so-familiar name flashing across its screen. A name that never once failed to bring a smile, no matter how big, to her lips brought nothing but the crushing sense of betrayal now.

Donning her political mask, one that she never thought she'd have to put on for her, Alcina answers the phone.

"What the hell do you want?" She snarls. "I'm trying to enjoy my evening but a certain nuisance won't stop calling me."

The woman on the other end of the phone audibly shifts. Alcina could just imagine her sitting in her home office, fiddling with a trinket that Ivy probably didn't even know the origins of, and tries to fight the innate smile that comes into fruition because of it.

"Alcina--"

"Let me save you the trouble, Dr. Sloan," Alcina easily interrupts. Not having the willpower to listen to excuses or apologies. "You kissed the love of my life and now you're trying to make amends, correct? Even though we both know that I will never forgive you. Nor will I ever look at you the same way again."

"Alcina plea--"

"Ivy, just stop!" She can't help the desperate edge to her voice now. Her eyes falling shut as she tries to retain the composure that was quickly crumbling. "I don't need your words because your actions have already spoken loud enough. Just take care of her, all right? Make sure that she doesn't overwork herself too much. And make sure she does the same for you."

There's a moment of silence and Alcina almost hangs up, but there's one more thing she has to say.

"I hope not telling me was worth it, Ivy," she murmurs softly. "Because I loved you both with my entire heart. I just wish you would have given me the same courtesy."

With that Alcina disconnects the call and turns off her phone. Tossing it somewhere in the room that she couldn't bring herself to care about.

No, she needed to read and forget about today.

She had to.

[koala-otter]

oh god this got long and maybe isn’t nearly as light-hearted as we hoped?? but here’s female friendship and bonding--it was honestly really fun to write just the girls all together

thank you so much for the prompt, and I hope you like it @it-is-the-female-federal​ !!

the girls of the gaang at ember island 2.3k words

“Oh, my gosh, Suki, I’m so excited to see everyone again!”

Suki looks away from the approaching ship to Ty Lee standing next to her on the dock. Or, more accurately, jumping up and down on the dock. The two have traded their heavy Kyoshi uniforms for the light, midriff-baring style popular on Ember Island. 

“Me, too,” Suki says warmly. “It’s been so long since we’ve all been together.”

“And I’m so glad they convinced Mai to come, too,” Ty Lee adds. Her eyes widen and she erupts into a squeal as the ship reaches the dock, and a staircase lowers from the shipside to the ground in front of them. After a few seconds, Mai comes down the stairs, followed by Katara guiding and holding Toph’s hand. All are dressed in the bright reds of the Fire Nation in styles similar to Suki and Ty Lee’s.

“It’s so good to see you both!” Katara cries once they reach the bottom, running to hug Suki.

Ty Lee enwraps Mai in a bone-crushing hug, crying, “You have no idea how happy I am to see you!”

“Move over, Sweetness,” Toph says to Katara, “I wanna say hi to Suki, too.”

Suki laughs as she hugs the younger girl, then pulls back, asking, “Wait, where are the guys?”

Toph smirks. “They couldn’t make it,” she says. 

Katara smiles sympathetically at the disappointed look on Suki’s face. “There’s some problem with the new Fire Sages temple,” she explains. “Sokka’s overseeing the changes to the construction, so he has to stay behind with Zuko and Aang while they figure it out.” She tilts her head toward the beach. “But we can still have fun without them.”

“If anything,” Ty Lee says energetically, looping her arm through Suki’s, “it just got more fun. Now it’s a girls’ trip!”

“Yeah! Girls’ trip!” Toph yells, throwing her arms in the air. A rock shoots out from the ground beneath them and through the dock, sending the staircase sailing back onto the ship. A moan of dismay sounds out from the deck in response.

“Yay,” Mai says in a monotone.

Katara glances at Mai, almost disapprovingly, before taking Toph’s hand again. “I think a girls’ trip is just what we all need,” she says.

“Well, then what are we waiting for?” Ty Lee says excitedly. “Let’s go to the beach!”

“I thought this was supposed to be the off-season,” Toph says, her face turned down toward the sand and her arms crossed.

The girls look around themselves. The beach is teeming with islanders, from little kids playing in the water to young adults like them playing volleyball. The sounds of lively chatter and playful shrieks pollute the air.

“I can’t even see a space to put our stuff down,” Katara says.

“You were right, Mai,” Suki says, “we should have stayed at the private beach.”

Mai shrugs. “We can always go back,” she says.

“Let’s do it,” Toph says commandingly, “my feet are getting serious sensory overload right now.”

“Can’t we just stay another minute?” Ty Lee begs. “There’s gotta be a spot somewhere.”

Right on time, a young man in swim trunks and a top knot approaches Ty Lee. “My name’s Zang,” he says. He points behind himself at a group of young men lounging a few feet apart on the beach. “Need somewhere to lay your towel out? We’ve got some extra space.”

“Thanks!” Ty Lee beams at him. “There’s room for my friends, too, right?”

Zang notices the other girls all at once and balks, but quickly begins to nod. “Of course,” he says, almost smoothly. “Anything for a group of such lovely ladies.”

Katara grins when she sees Mai roll her eyes. 

Once they’ve set out their towels, the girls leave Zang and his friends behind, running for the water’s edge. Katara rushes into the waves, as usual, and Ty Lee follows, Katara creating a board of ice for the two of them to ride together. Suki stands with Mai with the water up to their ankles, watching as Toph bends the sand around them into various figures. 

“Wow,” Mai says after another round of creation, “it looks exactly like the old guy staring at us.”

“Down to the tiny shorts,” Suki comments.

Katara and Ty Lee ride back in on another wave, both of them laughing breathlessly. 

“That was so much fun!” Ty Lee cries once she’s caught her breath. She turns to the other girls. “You guys have to try it.”

Toph shakes her head. “No way. I wouldn’t be able to see a thing.”

“Yeah, no, thanks,” Mai says disdainfully. 

Katara frowns.

“I would, but maybe not here,” Suki says, looking around at the rest of the beachgoers. “There are a lot of eyes on us.”

“All right, all right,” Ty Lee agrees, “let’s go back to Zuko’s beach.”

“Finally,” Mai says. 

The girls go back to collect their things and bid farewell to the young men, but Zang stops them.

“Ladies, what’s the rush?” he asks, his arm around one of his friends and a flask in his other hand. 

“We’ve got plans somewhere else,” Katara says in explanation.

“Somewhere far away,” Toph continues.

“Aw, don’t be like that!” Liquid splashes out of the flask and onto Zang’s leg. He wipes it away with his hand. “Look, you girls have got everyone’s eyes on you at this beach,” he says. 

Mai, Katara, and Suki exchange looks. 

“I’m just saying,” Zang continues, “I’m a promoter at this little hot spot in town. It’s called the Dragon’s Lair.”

Katara tries to hold back a laugh. 

Zang continues, unfazed, “We’re having an event tonight, ladies drink free. I think you’d all have a lot of fun if you came.”

Ty Lee brightens. “That sounds great!” she says. 

“I think we actually have plans tonight,” Mai interrupts. 

“What? No, we don’t,” Ty Lee says. 

Suki nudges her arm. “I’m pretty sure we have a dinner to go to.”

“Come after dinner,” Zang says casually, “or come whenever. The party’s all night.” 

“Come on, girls,” Ty Lee says to her friends, “This sounds like just the right thing for a girls’ trip!” 

“I’m in,” Toph says, a mischievous grin on her face, “as long as there are actually free drinks.”

Katara sighs. “Maybe we’ll just go for a little while?” she says, glancing at Suki and Mai.

“An hour,” Suki says sternly.

“At most,” Mai adds.

“Great!” Zang says with seemingly genuine delight. “I’ll get a table for you all. My treat.”

The girls arrive at the Dragon’s Lair in outfits chosen by Ty Lee. Even Toph wears a swipe of eyeliner, courtesy of Katara, on each eyelid. 

“One hour,” Suki reminds the group before they enter. 

“If that,” says Mai.

They step through the curtain in the doorway to find a crowd of people their own age. Groups of them clump around tables, moving between them and the bar, carrying bottles and trays of drinks. Loud cheers erupt every once in a while, and the general din and low lighting makes it difficult to navigate the space.

“Hey! Over here!” 

Zang waves at them from a table nearby, and holds his arms out as they draw near. No one goes to embrace him. 

“How nice of you ladies to join us,” he says, looking a little dejected. He claps the shoulder of a young man next to him. “This is Muzu.”

The girls all nod at him politely. He winks at Katara. She avoids looking at him.

“Can I get you all some drinks?” Zang asks. He grins. “Remember, ladies drink free.”

“Yes,” Toph answers immediately.

“But, Toph, you’re not sixteen yet,” Suki hisses.

“Just let her order like the rest of us,” Mai says in a bored tone. 

“We’ll each have a rice wine and a beer to start,” Ty Lee says brightly.

“All right,” Zang agrees, getting up to go to the bar.

A worried look crosses Suki’s face. “I’ll go with you,” she offers hurriedly and follows after him.

The rest of them stand in an uncomfortable silence with Muzu. He turns to Katara. 

“So, where are you from?” he asks.

“Southern Water Tribe,” she replies.

“Oh, wow,” he says, cocking an eyebrow. “Cold down there?”

“Very,” she replies curtly. She turns to Ty Lee. “Hey, you didn’t finish telling us earlier--how are your chi-blocking lessons going?”

Ty Lee takes over the conversation, gushing about the Kyoshi Warriors and what great students they are, and praising Suki for her leadership and ability to pick up the technique quickly, until Zang and Suki return with the drinks. A look passes between Suki and Mai, and the two pass out the drinks themselves.

The conversation continues easily, floating mostly between the girls. Zang even becomes a decent guy once he has a drink in him, listening actively to Suki explaining the difference between fan and sword-fighting, and even asking Toph to explain her metalbending process.

“I will,” she promises, “as soon as you get me more to drink.” She pulls on his arm. “Let’s go.”

They take off, and Muzu asks the group, “She’s really blind?”

“Yes.” Mai barely looks up from her drink to reply, though when she does, the contempt is clear in her gaze.

Katara feels like her head is swimming after her second drink. She shakes herself. “I’m going to go to the bathroom,” she whispers to Suki. 

Suki looks at her, concern clear in her eyes. “Are you okay? Do you need me to go with you?”

Katara shakes her head and smiles. “I’m fine.”

Mai watches her go.

In the bathroom, Katara splashes her face with cool water and looks at herself in the mirror. Her eyes are bright in the dim light, and her cheeks carry a slight flush. She smiles and dries herself off, opening the door to go back out.

Someone is on the other side of it.

“What are you doing?” she demands when she finds Muzu in front of her.

“Don’t worry,” he says sleazily, running his free hand through his hair, “I feel it, too.”

“No,” Katara says forcefully, shoving him away. She feels hot and dizzy as she begins to walk back to the table.

“Are you sure?” Muzu asks, grabbing her wrist.

“Yes,” Katara says, ripping it free from his grasp. “I have a boyfriend.”

Muzu smirks. “He doesn’t have to know,” he says, and steps forward to go after her one more time. 

Suddenly, he’s pinned to the wall behind them, his eyes wide with shock. Four knives stick out of his clothing around his shoulders and waist. Katara stares at him, her brain still fuzzy and trying to make sense of what’s just happened.

“She said no.” Mai steps out into the light, another knife glinting in her hand. “I’d take it for an answer, if I were you.”

Mai walks forward and holds the knife to his throat. “We’re going to leave, and you’re going to stay right here until we’re gone, and you’re never going to talk to her, or any of us, ever again.” She twists the knife threateningly. “Understand?”

He gulps and nods desperately. 

Mai moves over to Katara and puts her arm around her shoulders, guiding her out of the building. “Are you okay?” she asks quietly. 

Katara nods mutely. Once they’re outside, Mai helps her sit down on a curb and squats in front of her. “Just breathe,” she says in a low tone. She looks up and then back to Katara. “Suki’s coming now. We’re all going to go home, and we’re going to get you some water.” She puts her hand on Katara’s arm, and Katara looks up at her with wide eyes. 

Suki comes out and puts her hand on Katara’s shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Katara says, though her voice is thick.

Suki nods and looks back at Mai. “Toph’s really drunk. Ty Lee and I are trying to wrangle her, but it’s going to be a couple of minutes.” She squeezes Katara’s shoulder. “But then we’re going to go home right away, okay? I promise.” She runs back inside.

Mai holds Katara’s hand to help her rise, then puts her arm back around her, holding her close. “I’m here,” she says as Katara wipes at her eyes. “Whatever you need.” 

A weak smile makes its way across Katara’s face. “Thanks, Mai.” 

The girls all drag their mattresses into the largest room in the house and lay them out in a circle, a fan spinning lazily above them. Bowls of snacks fill the empty space in the middle of their mattresses, and they all wear bright green facemasks made from the Southern Water Tribe’s most antioxidant-rich seaweed.

“This is way more my style,” Katara says. 

“Mine, too,” Mai says from the mattress next to hers. 

They exchange small smiles. 

“You said it,” Toph says, kicking her feet up and lying on her back. Her hair has been tied back in an elaborate braid by Ty Lee, her bangs pinned back out of her face to keep clear of the face mask. “My head is killing me.”

“Have more water,” Katara says to her, bending some from a pitcher on the floor into Toph’s glass. “It’ll be even worse tomorrow.”

“Speaking of which, what should we do tomorrow?” Ty Lee asks excitedly, rolling onto her stomach and facing them all.

“Maybe we should take it easy,” Suki says cautiously. “We can sleep in, spend the afternoon on the private beach.”

“Oh, Katara, we’ll have to do more ice-boarding,” Ty Lee says. “I wanna see if we can do more flips.”

Katara nods, smiling lightly at Ty Lee. “Of course.”

“I’d try it again, too,” Suki volunteers, reaching for another sweet rice cake. 

Ty Lee beats her to it, and pops the treat in her mouth. She grins mischievously at Suki. “I’d ask you to join, Mai, but I guess we can never expect you to get wet,” she says. 

Mai chuckles lightly and reaches for a cream candy. “Not normally,” she says slowly, popping the candy into her mouth and sucking on it for a little while. “But I might be willing tomorrow.”

“Oh, yay!” Ty Lee cheers. “We’ll have so much fun.”

Katara smiles at Mai. “Yeah, we will.”

[formlesscopycat]

Meet Me at the Red Bridge

A Kuroko no Basuke fanfic.

Pairing: Aomine x Kise

Summary: Kuroko Tetsuya means well, he really does. So he takes matters into his own hands and goes into a mission to get his dumb friends, Aomine and Kise, together.

Read on AO3

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He’s already fifteen minutes late to their meeting but Daiki doesn’t give a fuck, after all, it’s just his best friends, Tetsu and Satsuki, asking him to hang out with them on their stupid Valentine’s date.

He’s got nothing better to do than mope at home tonight, and honestly, Tetsu and Satsuki are infinitely more tolerable than watching his folks get lovey-dovey with each other. At least with his friends, they just hold hands and blush a lot like fuck, it only makes Daiki gag just a little bit. Add to it the ultimate deal breaker, Tetsu and Satsuki promised him free food, all the burgers and milkshakes that his appetite can hold, no holds barred, all Daiki gets to do is to show up on time.

Tetsu said they’ll wait for Daiki by the arched wooden red bridge overlooking the river, the one they always passed by on their way to and from Teiko.

5pm, sharp! Satsuki had reiterated. But to hell with punctuality, Tetsu and Satsuki should’ve accepted the fact that he, Aomine Daiki, Teiko Ace and future NBA star, had no sense of urgency in his bones.

Past the clearing, Daiki approaches the red bridge with careless, unhurried steps and braces himself for Satsuki’s inevitable tantrum. But instead of teal and pink heads, a splash of gold breaks into Daiki’s vision, the smoothest, softest-looking blond locks he’ll never mistake for anybody else no matter the distance. The other teen has kept his back turned towards Daiki, his lean, athletic frame half-bent against the red-painted railing, seemingly too engrossed with the rushing waters under the bridge that he fails to sense Daiki’s presence drawing near.

“Kise?”

There’s also an obvious mark of astonishment on the blond’s face, that of which on an equal level with Daiki’s, as soon as Kise pivots to face the Teiko Ace. For a moment, Daiki gets lost in his thoughts as he takes in Kise’s appearance, and he wonders how the hell Kise pulls off a look like that, casual yet quite dashing in camel-colored trench coat, layered over a knitted-gray turtleneck and dark skinny jeans.

“A-Aominecchi?” Kise stammers, his amber eyes blown wide like saucers.

“What are you doing here?” Daiki and Kise both ask at the same time. Daiki reflexively looks away out of embarrassment, and from the corners of his eyes, he’d noticed Kise do the same, almost furtively, and Daiki feels his cheeks heat up despite the February chill hanging in the air.

Predictably, it’s Kise who speaks first.

“I’m waiting for Kurokocchi, said he needs to tell me something important.” Kise clears his throat before adding,  “I didn’t know you’re coming, too.”

Daiki likes to think that he didn’t just imagine the blush that briefly colored Kise’s cheeks just now.

But still, there’s something quite puzzling in their situation that Daiki can’t put a finger on.

“Huh? But I’m supposed to meet him and Satsuki, no mention of you, either!” Aomine exclaims.

“What?” Kise gets caught up in the confusion, as well. “Wait, you’re like, third-wheeling with Kurokocchi and Momoicchi?”

“Only for free food, yeah.”

“Aominecchi, it’s Valentine’s Day!”

“So?”

“So you ought to give the love birds some privacy!”

“This wasn’t my idea, Tetsu insisted that I tag along! And where the hell are those idiots, anyway?”

“Weird… ain’t likely for Kurokocchi and Momoicchi to run late like this.” With his thumb stroking his chin, Kise looks upwards into the afternoon skies already bathed in purples and oranges.

Daiki nods. Satsuki, at least, should’ve been here already. She hates being late. Daiki squints his eyes and searches around for Tetsu, but there are no traces of the Phantom Sixth Man anywhere. And how come nobody said that Kise’s coming along, too? It’s not likely that they’d just forget to mention this.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Daiki pulls out his phone from his jacket pocket and immediately dials Tetsu’s number. After six rings, Tetsu finally picks up the call.

“Tetsu, where the hell are you and Satsuki?!” Aomine jabbers on the phone.

“Are you with Kise-kun?” Tetsu asks in his usual calm monotone.

“Yes, he’s here! Why didn’t you say he’s coming?”

“Put me on loudspeaker, Aomine-kun. I’d like to speak with you both.”

Still utterly clueless about what Tetsu could be up to, Daiki catches Kise’s eyes first, the latter meeting his gaze with an equally baffled look, before he taps the loudspeaker icon on his phone.

“Kurokocchi, where are you, is everything alright?” Kise inquires worriedly, sliding closer to Daiki as he holds out his phone.

“Listen,” Tetsu’s voice cackles through the phone’s speaker. “You two are huge dumbasses so I decided to make things easier for you both. I’m so fed up with the two of you mooning over each other all the time and not doing anything about it. Aomine-kun, you’re crushing hard on Kise-kun since the first time you saw him, aren’t you? You always like to poke fun at Kise-kun if just to hold his attention all the time. And don’t you dare deny, you secretly collect his photobooks, I knew because I saw the stash under your bed when the Miracles had a sleep over at your house!”

“What the--the fuck are you saying, Tetsu?!” Daiki shouts, already feeling an angry vein bulge and throb on his forehead. Holy shit, did Tetsu actually exposed him like that? He never expected to be pushed off the cliff of humiliation in this manner, his well-kept secrets divulged in the open, right in front of Kise, whose eyes are blown wider than Daiki has ever seen, the blond’s gloved hands are both clapped over his mouth. Daiki swears, he’ll definitely gut Tetsu when he sees him.

“Don’t interrupt, I’m not done yet,” Tetsu continues, with barely a hint of emotion in his voice, which makes it more scathing, somehow. “And you, Kise-kun. You’ve always admired Aomine-kun, too, right? And we’re not talking about his basketball skills. Too many stolen glances don’t escape me during practice.”

At this, Kise gasps and buries his face in both of his hands.

“Always… admired?” Daiki repeats, his mind barely keeping up with the information Tetsu has just revealed. This is certainly new, and Tetsu better not making this shit up or Daiki will hunt him down and kill him again.

“...And you can’t stop talking about ‘Aominecchi this, Aominecchi that’, I’m betting my milkshakes, you keep talking about him in your sleep.”

“Kurokocchi!” Kise lets out a muffled squeak, Daiki assumes the mortification gets too much for him to handle, too.

However, Tetsu, the little shit, is unstoppable. “...But you thought Aomine-kun only likes big-chested girls. Well, you’re wrong, he likes you. A lot. So there, enjoy your date. You can thank me later, bye.”

The line goes silent, as simple as that.

Dead air weighs around the two teens, stifling and awkward.

Daiki’s throat goes dry, he can’t look at Kise, running away and hiding forever in his bedroom seems like the most convenient option and yet, he freezes on the spot, his legs feeling like a ton.

He is going to fucking murder Kuroko Tetsuya.

“Is it--is it true, Aominecchi likes me?” Kise suddenly blurts out, snapping Daiki out of his homicidal thoughts.

“I don’t know what made Tetsu spout that crap. After all the help I gave, this is how he repaid me. What kind of friend is that?”

“Uh, okay.” Kise looks down, as if his boots are the most interesting things to look at in the world.

“Don’t mind him, Tetsu’s probably having a bad case of being a huge-ass prick,” Daiki puts in, waving his hand in the air dismissively.

Pressing his lips together in a tight line, Kise just nods and turns around to go.

“Hey, Kise, where are you going?”

“There’s no point of me being here, Aominecchi. You should go home, too.” Then Kise begins to run, the rows of wood slightly creaking against his steps.

Kise’s reaction makes Daiki’s thoughts swirl and churn into a messy heap but before he figures what to make out of the situation, Daiki’s reflex had pushed him to chase after Kise. As soon as he gains ground, he seizes the blond by the wrist in a tight clasp, the effort makes Kise wince.

Kise whirls around, enabling Daiki to get a good view of his face. He sees the slight trembling of the blond’s lips as he fights the urge to cry and Daiki doesn’t quite understand why, but the sight wrenches his heart painfully.

“Please let go, Aominecchi.”

There are a million things Daiki wants to say but how and where to begin, he has no freaking idea. And there are a million possible ways for things to go downhill from here, but he knows, he knows…

It’s worth a try.

Daiki swallows the lump lodged in his throat, tries to ignore the fluttering of a hundred butterflies in his stomach.

Now or never. Daiki pushes himself to take the leap of faith.

“I never said Tetsu was lying,” Daiki begins. He doesn’t know where his speech will lead him but he’ll say it, anyway. “Yeah, I like you… not as a friend, that is. And maybe I like you a lot, I think about you all the time. That’s a lot, right?”

It all sounds so lame, so absurdly lame, and Daiki had really wished he knew how to properly articulate the flurry of sentiments he’s kept to himself for so long, all coming down to these stupid impulses, how much he likes to look at Kise, and to be around Kise everyday, and how much he thinks about Kise when they’re not together.

The soft rustle of water beneath the red bridge seems to mark the moments slipping away as Daiki waits for Kise’s reaction, fretful and breathless, the silence that chased after Daiki’s words intensifying the roar of his own heartbeat.

Kise blinks, then a smile blooms from his lips. Daiki lets go of his hand.

“Aominecchi really likes me.”

Daiki shrugs his shoulders. It feels strangely pleasant coming from Kise. “‘kay. But what about you?”

“Same.”

“Same, what? Speak clearly, you idiot!”

“You can’t be mean to the person you like, Aominecchi!”

This is so unfair. He wants to hear it from Kise himself. Did Kise make him admit his feelings so he can poke fun at him?

A staring contest commences between them before Kise says quietly, “I always like you, Aominecchi. As in more-than-a-friend like.”

Daiki lets that sink in while steadily holding Kise’s gaze, he lets himself and Kise bask in the quiet comfort of finally letting the truth out.

“So uh, what do we do now?” Daiki is still clueless as to where the revelation will take the two of them, exactly.

“Would you, um, like to go out with me?” Kise asks, amber eyes shining with expectation.

“You mean, date? The two of us?”

“Yes, that.”

“Yeah, sure. I like that, Kise.” Daiki grins as he scratches the back of his head, disbelieving how ridiculously simple things are. They just agreed to date and that had been it. The prospect of going out with Kise starts to toy with his teenage fantasies and for a fleeting moment, an image crosses his mind, of Kise and himself kissing behind the lockers after practice. For sure, he’s earnestly looking forward to that. “We can start right now.”

Kise’s smile grows bigger. “And where would you like to go?”

Daiki thinks for a moment. “How about we hit the movies?” he suggests, vaguely remembering that couples always go to cinemas in those drama series that his mother enjoys. “But I didn’t bring money with me so you’ll have to pay for everything.”

“Eh? How can you leave the house without bringing money?” Kise scowls.

“I told you, Tetsu and Satsuki promised me free food, not a… a boyfriend. Anyway, I’ll let you choose the movie. If you want the latest chick flick, fine.”

“Alright, let’s do this! Be my, um, Valentine?”

Daiki isn’t sure how to respond to that, it’s all happening too fast.

And Kise doesn’t wait for his words, either, he just takes the initiative to entwine his and Daiki’s arms together. For a tad longer, Daiki takes it all in, he lets his eyes linger on the blond because Kise at that moment, is a picture of complete bliss and the ray of sunshine that is his smile brings so much warmth into Daiki’s heart.

-x-

Daiki, admittedly, has no first-hand experience on dating and it annoys him to an extent, that he keeps on second-guessing himself, so he still blames Tetsu for putting him in a tight spot.

In the cinemas, there’s nothing much to choose from except a handful of chick flicks, Daiki thinks he’ll just sleep through it. But the fact that Kise’s right beside him, their elbows touching, the two of them actually sharing the biggest bucket of honey-butter flavored popcorn, keeps Daiki awake and hyper-conscious of even the tiniest of Kise’s gasps all throughout the duration of the film.

After Daiki cleans his fingers with tissue, he debates whether he’ll hold Kise’s hand or put his arm around Kise’s shoulder. Both are equally nice, he thinks, and it’s not an easy choice. Just yesterday, Kise and himself are mere classmates, teammates, one-on-one buddies, yet today, they’ve gone through the friends-to-lovers phase quite fast, it’s a mixture of terrifying, confusing and incredibly wonderful feelings Daiki has to find a name for.

A moment later, Daiki feels Kise shift a little from his seat, gingerly sliding closer to lean his head on Daiki’s shoulder.

“I hope this is okay, Aominecchi,” Kise whispers. In response, Daiki slides his arm around Kise’s shoulders, making more room for the blond to get closer, his head now comfortably rested on the crook of Daiki’s neck. Daiki then puts his chin on top of Kise’s head, he sniffs on Kise’s hair and catches the scent of his shampoo. The freshest strawberries. Daiki likes it so much.

“This is more than okay,” Daiki drawls. He and Kise can stay forever like that.

-x-

It’s dark outside when they left the cinemas. Daiki barely understood the plot of the movie, he hadn’t really paid a lot of attention, but he did quite enjoy the feeling of having Kise’s body pressed against his, the warm, velvet smoothness of Kise’s hand on his skin. He remembers, though, that there are lots of kissing scenes, and now, he wonders if Kise would want to be kissed later and when would be the perfect time execute his plan (though he’s very worried too, that he might not be able to do it properly).

“What’re you thinking, Aominecchi?” Kise peers up at him, curious, honeyed eyes focused on Daiki’s features.

“Nothing,” Daiki replies, looking away.

“Are you thinking of me just now, hmm?” Kise teases with a slight tilt of his head to the side. There’s this mischievous smile playing on the corners of Kise’s lips and fuck, it’s doing these things to his heart again.

Daiki’s hand moves on its own, it has given Kise’s cheek a hard pinch.

“Ouch!” The blond yelps, gently stroking the tender spot on his face.

“That’s what you get for being so cheeky. I was thinking about what to eat.” Daiki feigns a little annoyance, then he pulls Kise’s arm. “C’mon, let’s go to Maji!”

But then Kise easily pouts, refusing to move from his spot. “No way, that’s not even a good place for dates. I’ve got a better idea!”

-x-

Daiki lets himself be dragged through several train stations, no questions asked, since he knows that his new model boyfriend is adept and more experienced at these kind of things for completely obvious reasons.

When they reached their destination, it’s not really what he has in mind so Daiki turns to Kise with raised eyebrows and asks, “What do we do here, exactly?”

“Oh, I’d be perfectly happy walking around and holding hands!” Kise chimes.

They arrived at Hanegi Park at half past seven in the evening, and of course, it’s bursting with people who came to admire the delicate plum blossoms in full bloom at this time of the year. The wide pathway leading towards the lake at the center of the park is lit by hundreds of hanging paper lanterns that gently flutter with the night breeze, bathing everything else under a soft yellow glow. With their hands intertwined, Kise leads Daiki past the countless stalls selling street food, flowers, toys and other trinkets, stopping at intervals to stuff themselves with whatever snack that rouses Daiki’s appetite. Daiki makes Kise buy mozzarella cheese dog, yakitori and several bowls of heart-shaped Umaki while Kise insists on getting taiyaki, on the belief that they bring great happiness, and though Daiki’s really not that fond of the sticky red bean filling, he chooses to humor Kise in the end, who whines and keeps making these cute, stupid faces until Daiki caves in.

-x-

They stroll past the plum orchard, treading through the bushes until they hear the loud pounding of a drum from somewhere. Curious and excited, Kise pulls Daiki to the direction of the drumbeat, making their way across the sea of people while being careful not to step on anybody’s foot. Their quest leads them to a crowded open field, and when Kise realizes what the drum is for, he gets even more restless.

“Calling all couples to come join the game!” A woman in megaphone announces before she swings and pounds on to the large, makeshift percussion before her. “First couple in piggyback to round up a hundred-meter dash across the field wins this little guy over here!” She points to a short girl with dark braided hair, her assistant, carrying a giant stuffed bunny.

And the look on Kise’s face, even before the blond utters a single word, tells Daiki where this leads to, so he makes his case and declares adamantly, “Don’t give me that look, I’m not gonna do that!”

“But Aominecchi, please?” There he goes again, wielding his silly little pout and stupid puppy eyes— rounder, softer under the glow of paper lanterns above their heads—and Daiki is certain that Kise knows the extent of his charms and just how much Daiki is powerless over them.

In defense, Daiki shakes his head and deliberately looks away. “No way, I’m not carrying you around!”

“Oh, but you don’t have to. I’ll carry you!”

“No, never!”

“Pretty, pretty please, Aominecchi, do you really love me?”

“Shut up, Kise!”

“But I want the bunny! I can carry you, I’m fast, we can totally win this!”

Daiki gives Kise a sharp, warning glare but the blond is relentless on his pursuit to play. He gives Daiki a shock, jaws unceremoniously dropping in awe just as Kise crouches in front of him, an imploring demand for Daiki to hop onto his back already.

“C’mon, Aominecchi!”

“You idiot! Get up!” His nostrils flaring, Daiki grumbles and yanks Kise’s upper arm, forcing the blond to stand on his feet despite vehement protests.

“Aominecchi, please I--”

“Shut up, I’ll carry you, I’m so much faster!” He bends his knees and swoops low before Kise.

“Huh?”

“What are you waiting for?” Daiki growls, “get on before I change my mind!”

After Kise throws his arms around Daiki’s shoulders, Daiki gets to his feet, hauling Kise high on his back by grabbing under the blond’s knees before he marches closer to the row of other couples preparing for the relay.

“On your mark!” The gamemaster yells.

“Ah, this is so nice, being carried off by Aominecchi like this,” he hears Kise murmur over his ear.

“This isn’t. You’re heavy, my spine’s about to snap.”

“Get set…”

Kise retaliates by hugging him tighter, nuzzling his face on Daiki’s nape, sending in waves upon waves of warm current to the tips of Daiki’s toes.

“Stop that, do you want us to win or not?”

A round of silvery laughter coming from Kise fills the air while Daiki feigns annoyance as much as he can, blanketing his words under a growl, to save face, because he won’t be caught dead admitting out loud just how much he loves the way Kise is making him feel, Kise’s arm draped around his shoulders, feather-light breath ghosting over the back of his neck, the soft thud of Kise’s heartbeat against his back.

The gamemaster’s whistle goes off, and Daiki’s legs break into a sprint, soon he’s soaring, soaring, towards the finish line, to the edge of his emotions, the wind against his face, Kise laughing behind him, chanting his name over and over, and then nothing else matters in the world except the two of them, earning a piece of heaven tonight, the beginning of many nights and days of making memories together, him and Kise.

-x-

He’s pretty sure it’s Satsuki who tells him that first kisses are like a thunderclap, a kind of explosion that resonates inside you, the crashing of waves against the shore. Tonight, Daiki has found out otherwise--his first kiss is much comparable to the break of dawn, warm sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees, the calm of the morning before everything else stirs to wakefulness. His first kiss hadn’t turned his world upside-down in an exhilarating fanfare as he initially pictured it to be, rather, it quiets everything in him, slowing all senses, all thoughts, to a standstill.

Much to Daiki’s delight, Kise lets himself be kissed more than once, as they sit together on the front step of the Kise house, the huge stuffed bunny perched raggedly beside Kise almost a foot away. And Daiki’s lack of experience poses no problems at all, because Kise has made it so easy, so effortless, as they slot their lips together and the sensation overwhelms Daiki just as he savors everything at once: soft lips pressed on his, shifting ever so carefully with each bated breath, fingers threading through his hair, Kise’s warmth washing over him, vibrant and comforting.

“Aominecchi, we should really thank Kurokocchi for this. I want to hug him and give him all the milkshakes in the world.” Kise tells Daiki when they pulled apart to catch their breath.

“Thank him however you want. But those hugs, they’re all mine from now on. And the kisses.”

“Okay, deal.”

Daiki leans in to kiss his boyfriend again, however, the momentum gets shattered when the front door suddenly bursts open.

“Ryou-chan, it’s cold out here, why don’t you and your boyfriend go inside?” A petite, blond woman in her pyjamas, the splitting image of Kise, peeks through the door and throws the two of them an impish gaze.

The intrusion startles them and both teens stood up at once. “Onee-chan, why are you still awake?”

“Good evening, Onee-san,” Daiki curtsies, bowing his head.

“Aomine-kun’s finally your boyfriend, huh? I’m so glad! I mean, it took you forever to confess!” Kise’s sister gushes, pressing both hands to her cheeks.

“Onee-chan—!”

Yet his sister ignores Kise, commenting, “and is that Aomine-kun’s gift to you? That’s so cute!” She wheezes as she inspects the enormous stuffed animal. Then she steps back, making way for her brother and Daiki to come in. “Get inside, love birds.”

“No, Aominecchi’s already leaving, he needs to catch the last train!”

“Are you sure? We can always set up the extra futon in your room, your boyfriend’s welcome to stay the night!” She teases with a sweet smile that’s almost identical to Kise’s but not quite. Daiki thinks that the smile he comes to love is far more radiant, somehow.

“Shoo, stop embarrassing me in front of my…” Kise awkwardly pauses, and he visibly stiffens. “Aominecchi!”

“Whatever you say, lil bro!” She singsongs, biting back a fierce laugh before she disappears behind the door.

Out of embarrassment, Kise sidles over to Daiki, nestling his forehead into Daiki’s chest to conceal his face. “I’m sorry, Aominecchi, my sister wants me miserable.”

“It’s okay, she’s only worried we’ll both catch a cold.” Daiki’s arms move on its own accord, wrapping Kise in a protective embrace. “You should get inside.”

“Aominecchi is such a sweet boyfriend,” Kise remarks, lifting his flushed face towards Daiki. “Had I known you’re like this, I wouldn’t have waited—“

Daiki shuts him up by closing the distance between their lips.

When Daiki pulls back, Kise still has both of his eyes shut.

“Kurokocchi’s mission is a huge success,” Kise quips, rather dreamily.

“Wow. Thinking of some other guy while kissing me.”

Kise’s eyes snap open. “It isn’t like that! Aominecchi is the only one who has my heart!” And then, “Oh!”

Too abashed by his own words, Kise gasps, clapping both hands over his mouth. An even deeper shade of crimson overtakes his face, Daiki notices with pure amusement, despite the scant amount of light slipping through one of the windows.

“God, that’s too much sap in one night.” Daiki palms his face with a slight shake of his head, a feeble attempt to hide the blush crawling on his own cheeks. “I’m leaving.”

“Alright, just go home.”

“But you were my home.”

“Oh my god, Aominecchi!”

Daiki lets go of Kise, and he runs away as fast as he can, out into the street, his heart drumming so hard it’s swelling with bliss, with inexplicable contentment.

Fuck. He thinks. He’s gone from a brick wall to a disgusting cheeseball in a span of one night.

But Daiki has no regrets.

[kissmeunderthestarlight]

Without You(Hansol- NCT)

Requested by: lolamahone

~Like a grown up child, like a tree that's all alone, look into someone's world that's tired of being lonely. Look at the person's scars that they're trying to hide, they desperately wanted something but was unable to find it and was pushed aside. We are born alone and wait for the someone who will walk with me despite the fact that I'm a little slow~

[A/n: please bear with me, I suck at fighting scenes D'x]

"How many times do I have to tell you?! He's my flipping co-"

"I couldn't care less about who the hell he is? The point I'm trying to make is that you're married to me and you shouldn't be hanging onto other guys like that!"

You stared at your husband in disbelief, honestly not knowing his jealousy could extend so far to keep you from explaining. Shaking your head you let out a weary sigh and rubbed your temples. "Hansol, listen to me. That guy that I was so called 'hanging onto' is my co-"

"Y/n, I said I don't care." He scoffed and shook his head, "Why won't you just apologize?"

"Apologize?!?! Why the hell should I be the one to apologize?!" You broke, finally letting your anger out and yelling at him.

"Because you're the one who's being a slut around other guys behind my back!"

He stopped short and you fell silent, staring at him as you felt tears rise. Out of the 5 years you'd been married and all the fights you've both had, he'd never called you a name ad it hurt you a lot more than you would've thought. His mouth opened and closed several times but nothing ever came out, no apology or take back. You were both shocked into silence. The fight ending as quickly as it started from that one word.

You turned away quickly and closed your eyes, holding back the tears so he wouldn't see them. "Whatever," you muttered brokenly as you rushed out of the room and into the bathroom.

You shut and locked the door behind you, sliding down it to sit on the floor bringing your knees up to your chest to lay your head on them. The tears slid down your cheeks leaving wet trails behind yet being wet again by more tears. Your heart felt crushed, broken, and you felt betrayed not believing that the man you still loved after all these years would think something like that about you.

Third Person:

Hansol stood in the same spot, staring blankly at the spot where his love had just ran from. He never hated himself more than at that moment. Of course he didn't think she was a slut but it had just slipped out and he wished nothing more than for him to be able to take it back, for her to have never heard him call her that. He crouched down on the floor and reached his hands into his hair, pulling at the strands with frustration.

Standing back up he walked towards the closed bathroom door and laid his palm flat against it before laying his forehead against it and listening to her sob. His heart was breaking even more at the sound and he realized with shame that he had broken his one promise to her after all these years. I'll never make you cry. He turned and pressed his back against the wall, slumping down and falling to the ground feeling the tears run down his cheeks.

~Hold my hand and draw a circle, we shared this much together. All of my heart is by your side, your dream is by mine. Living and enduring if we're together it's a little bit happier, it connects again without an end. Can't live without you. Like being swept in the waves, like wandering in the sea, I'm growing tired but I still can't see the paradise.~

Your POV:

You weren't sure exactly how long you'd been sitting on the floor in the bathroom, but you had long since finished crying and were now starting to feel chills. Though you stayed in the bathroom you wanted to go out and check on Hansol. You knew that he didn't mean it, no matter how much it had hurt you, and you couldn't be sure of what exactly he would do to himself since he knew how much he'd hurt you by his words. Sighing you stood from the floor and turned on the faucet splashing your face then drying it off before taking a look at your reflection in the mirror and trying your best to not flinch.

Your eyes were red and puffy, you had wet trail marks down your cheek, and your skin color was paler than normal. You wiped off your cheeks and closed your eyes again, bringing your hand up to your forehead to try to rub away the headache that had set in. Deciding to just go out and get a pill you turned to the door unlocking it and slowly opening it. You jumped back as you saw something fall to the floor whenever you did and your eyes widened in surprise when you saw Hansol laying there.

"Ha-Hansol?!" You quickly crouched down and laid your hand on his forehead, checking to see if he was alright.

You stopped when his hand reached up and held onto your wrist gently. "Don't," he told you simply as he let his hand fall back to the floor and he stared up at the ceiling. "I don't deserve your care."

You stared at him silently, knowing that he'd be like this. Hating himself on the inside and not letting you see, not wanting to hurt you even more. You knew how he worked and you knew that right now he's stopping you from touching him because he's terrified he'll hurt you again.

"Will you at least get up off the floor?" You asked him softly, not wanting him to think you were angry. Because if you were honest, you weren't angry. Yeah, him calling you that did hurt but you knew that his jealousy got out of hand quickly and when it did he couldn't control his temper.

After all, you loved him with all you had and you didn't believe that one fight would change that. He didn't make a move from his position so you grabbed ahold of his arm and pulled him up, his eyes slightly widening as you did.

"Come on," you told him as you pulled him off the floor successfully and into the other room where you decided to leave him.

"Why?" His simple question stopped you in your tracks and you turned to look at him over your shoulder. "Why are you being like this? You should hate me."

You sighed and shook your head, "No I shouldn't because after all these years I've said worse things to you."

"I made you cry." He said as a pained expression crossed his face and your expression dropped as you watched him with sadness.

Sighing you turned and decided to head into the kitchen, that way you could take a pill for your headache and try to find a way to show him that you did in fact forgive him.

~I need your warmth, it tells me that I'm doing alright. I need you, I need you. Hold my hand and draw a circle. We shared this much together. All of my heart is by your side, your dream is by mine. Living and enduring if we're together it's a little bit happier, it connects again without an end. Can't live without you.~

"Hansol," you said as you walked into the quiet room, your voice breaking what seemed to be a suffocating silence. "Dinner's ready."

"I'm not hungry, but thanks." He said monotonously, barely  even blinking as he answered you.

You sighed and walked over to him, crouching in front of him and grabbing his hands. "Come on," you said gently, "Yo have to eat something."

He didn't respond to any of your attempts so finally you sat beside him on the couch in defeat, not knowing what else to do. Until an idea popped in your head and you slightly grinned.

"Hansol," you said trying to get his attention. "How about for every bite you take of this," you explained as you held the plate in your hands, "I give you a kiss."

Hansol sighed and shook his head getting up and heading for the bedroom. You watched him walk away and thought of ways to get him to cheer up.

Funny, you thought to yourself, I was the one hurt but I'm trying to help him feel better. You laughed bitterly and decided to follow him into the bedroom, knocking lightly on the door to announce your presence. "Hansol?" You called out quietly as you walked in and looked around the room, your gaze landing on his slumped figure sitting on the bed.

He didn't move or look at you to even show that he knew you had walked in there. You walked over to him and took a seat beside him on the bed, taking his hand in yours.

"You hurt me," you said making him flinch but deciding the truth was the best way to make him understand. "But I know that you didn't mean to, you were jealous and even though that's not an excuse I know your anger sometimes gets the best of you. I forgive you Hansol, and not just because it doesn't hurt being called that but because I love you and I don't want to fight with you."

He looked over to you and you saw tears rise in his eyes, "How did I ever find someone like you?"

You smiled and held the hand that was cupping your cheek, "I could ask the same thing. But, next time you're upset about something tell me about it okay?"

He smiled slightly and nodded before leaning over and kissing your forehead. "I really am sorry, jagi."

"I know, I know."

"Thank you for loving me so much," he whispered as he closed his eyes and smiled.

~Even when I close my eyes I can feel you with your warmth, we are right next to each other just a step away. You are my companion, you give me comfort. I'm with you. You are the courage that gives me strength to live again. I will believe in you because you will lend me your shoulder and empathize with me. Once more when we face sadness hold my hand and draw a circle, we shared this much together. All of my heart is by your side, your dream is by mine. Living and enduring, if we're together it's a little bit happier. It connects again without an end. Can't live without you.~

[coffeesforfuckers]

We’ve Done This Dance A Thousand Times // Jalex

Pairing: Jalex Summary: The way that Jack makes Alex feel isn't something that a best friend should feel towards their best friend but that doesn't stop his hear from pounding and his mouth from saying things it shouldn't. Word Count: 3,727

I watched the trees flashing by, disappearing into the distance. Rian was driving them home in the gloom of the evening, it felt like it was midnight when in reality it was only about nine-thirty.

Signs whipped by the car as it sped down the highway. Even though the sky was dark, it looked so beautiful, it faded from dark blue - almost black - to a light green/blue off in the horizon, bright stars sparkled above, reminding me of Jack's gorgeous honey-yellow/brown eyes that were so bright they almost glowed.

My eyes fell from the sky down to my lap where he had his head rested, fast asleep after the long day they'd had.

I let out a soft breath as I ran my fingers through his brown and red-splashed hair. Jack was so perfect, he looked amazing always, even when he was fast asleep.

He muttered something incoherent, feeling around until he grabbed onto my sweater, pulling at it, trying to hug it into him. I smiled and gave my arm to him, which he hugged tightly against himself.

Zach turned around to glance back at the two of us in the back, his brow scrunched in confusion as he saw the scene.

"What the-"

"Shhhhh... Don't wake him." I hush, I wanted to stay like this for as long as possible. I could feel my heart racing just from his touch. He made me so happy. Zach shrugged, turning back around, mumbling to Rian about something that I could care less about.

I continued to play with Jack's hair subconsciously as I stared off into the distance, watching car's headlights and breaklights faze past the car, the streaks on the windshield causing the lights to ripple like water against it. Cars weaved in and out of the traffic.

As I watched all the little details of the outside world, I could feel my eyes growing heavy. My head swayed sleepily and I yawned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I could feel myself drifting between consciousness and sleep.

***

I noticed I must've dozed off, I wasn't sure for how long. But either way, now it was raining heavily and the music coming from my headphones was different, whatever song it was, was really good, I bobbed my head to the beat tiredly.

I then realize my arm was going numb and my fingers were still wrapped in Jack's surprisingly soft hair when he started to stur. I, of course, pulled my hand back from his head and he soon propped himself up a bit, confused for a moment before dropping back to my lap.

I watched him affectionately, his head turning to look up at me, his eyes shone through the dark, looking up at me and smiling.

"Thanks for letting me use your lap." He chuckled, "Mind if I use it a bit longer?" He asked, half joking and half serious.

"You can stay." I smiled with eyes half-lidded, yawning for the hundredth time.

"Looks like you're the one needing my lap, huh?" He laughed softly and I chuckled as well.

"I'll be fine." I dismissed.

"Alright, just let me know if you're getting tired then." He replied sweetly.

Not even five minutes passed before I was nodding off again.

I felt my lap grow cold suddenly and my body being shifted to lay down, my head going into Jack's lap.

"No, I'm fine." I slurred, sleep laced in my words.

"Don't worry, take a nap, we should be there soon." He smiled, running his fingers through my hair, twirling it over his fingers absentmindedly. I hummed a soft, barely audible, 'thank you' and drifted off to sleep.

***

I awake a bit dazed letting out a squeaky-yawn as I sit up, shivering even though I wasn't cold. I stretch my hands up over my head but they hit the roof of the car, I groan, my whole body was cramping from sitting here so long. Road Tripping so far from Maryland was probably stupid just to go to a concert. We were not going to regret it though.

I hear Jack groan, stretching himself. He tosses his legs onto my lap and I groan, "Ugh, move." I grunt and he shakes his head at me, his fluffy hair shaking everywhere in a messy wave. I huff and move his legs and place my legs up like his, tangling both of ours together. Jack chuckles as my skin tingles from his touch. His feet tap against my sides and mine press against the wall he was leaned against. He's sat weird, his legs bent in an awkward way that seems like it would be horrendiously uncomfortable but Jack doesn't seem to mind. He squeezes my calves in his hands as he stares into oblivion, he looks absolutly exhausted. It was still dark out, only midnight. Zach and Rian had switched places, they didn't want us driving because they 'didn't want to die' or whatever.

I tap my finger against Jack's forehead and his head snaps to look up at me, humming as to ask what I wanted.

"Go to sleep, you're fighting it." I tell him placing my hand on his to stop his squeezing.

Jack yawns, "I'm not even tired."

"Yeah okay." I laugh and he smiles sleepily back. I grab a pillow from the back and toss it at him. He places it behind his head and slides down a bit in the seat, his knees now upright and against the seat.

"This is your pillow." He croons, his eyes fluttering slightly as they were gently closed.

"How do you know?" I can't help but to ask.

"Smells like you." Jack purrs, yawning only once more before his breathing steadied and the corners of his mouth relaxed and drooped slightly. I draw little shapes on his skin with my fingers absentmindedly, my mind wandering away with thoughts of color and lust.

Rian glances back at me, turning in his seat. He frowns, seeing me so distant and obviously deeply troubled, "You're in love with him." Rian states softly.

I don't even look at him, reacting with only a nod. Rian sighs at me, I know I'm an idiot, I didn't even have to hear him say so, "Tell him."

"It's not that simple." My voice flows with no emotion and no feeling, robotic, dry, monotone.

"It is though. Everybody can see it, 'Lex." Rian speaks but it runs right through me, his words hitting me and tumbling off like rain on the windshield.

I shake my head and drop my hands to my lap. Rian gives me one of those half-frown half-smile things that I hate. I wouldn't ruin the friendship I had with Jack for a stupid want, I'd get over it.

"Don't overthink it is all I'm asking." Rian says and turns back to the front and slumping in his seat tiredly.

I lean my head back and place my earbuds in, my fingers returning to drawing shapes on Jack sleepily. I can't sleep though, exhaustion stabbing at me but my mind running wild. Jack moans in his sleep and my whole body tenses. Everything about Jack was my kink. I was definitely in love with him but I could settle for this if it meant I never lost him.

My mind drifts and my body relaxes and I'm asleep with that thought.

***

I'm awoken by Jack who is nudging me. I groan as I sit up a bit and stretch my legs.

"Yeah?" I groan, rubbing my eyes and yawning.

"I have to pee and Rian and Zach are asleep, come with me." He whispers.

"What?" I think that was the most fucked up thing to possibly hear when you're still dazed with sleep and struggling to figure out what the hell was happening.

"We pulled over into one of those off the highway rest stops and theres no bathroom. Please come with me so I can piss in the woods." He begs and I let out a huff.

"Fine." We both exit the car and I'm slow, stumbling over my tingly, aching legs. Jack grabs my arm and pulls me faster, I almost fall, stumbling and catching myself last minute. He hurries me, dragging me probably about five to ten feet into the woods. I can tell he's nervous, I mean, who wouldn't be, so many people get killed or stabbed doing this, not to mention the kidnappings.

He pisses behind a tree but makes me stay so close that I can see his dick. I don't really care as it's nothing new. He takes forever, I couldn't blame him as we were in the car for such a long time.

Now I had to pee.

"Let's go." Jack grabs my arm after zipping his pants.

"No, I gotta piss now." I say as I do the same as him. Jack is jumpy and dying to get out of the woods. He's tugging at my arm as a way to tell me to hurry up.

Once finished, Jack pulls me along quickly towards the car only to find it not there. We slow and it takes a moment to sink in.

"No-... They-... No." Jack stammers.

"All of our stuff is in there." I say in disbelief.

"They left us!" He shouts, "What the hell is wrong with them!?" He sounds pissed and absolutely horrified. It would take forever for them to get back once they noticed us gone, as we were at a highway rest stop.

Jack dropped to sit on the ground, placing his head in his knees. I crouch next to him, placing a hand to his back.

"They'll come back, don't worry, Jack." I say, feeling bad.

"Who knows when that'll be and most importantly, who the fuck knows if we'll even be here, let alone alive by then, Lex?" He mumbles into his knees.

I pull him into a hug to comfort him, stroking his hair softly. I feel him lean against me, gripping my shirt within his fist, he pushes his face into my chest. My hands start to shake and my heat pounds.

"Hey, 'Lex...?" I nod, "Can I admit something?"

"Yeah, shoot." I say.

"I'm petrified. Like... I'm so scared." He admits and I squeeze him tighter.

"Can I admit... Admit something too?" I stutter, second thoughts rolling through my head and tying my vocal cords into knots.

"Yeah." He mumbles, nodding against me.

"Uh... I've fallen in love with you." I hum, my voice shaky as I speak. Jack lifts his head from my chest but stays in my arms, looking at me with a wide-eyed disbelief.

"What?" He gasps, "When? For how long?"

"I fell in love with you that night in the back seat of my mom's car, you were laid on top of me basically. I looked up at you and I was hooked. The way the blue light from the radio tinted your pale skin and the flickers of the light from the street lamps outside laid against you, you looked so... perfect. That's when I realised I loved you." I mumble.

"How long ago was that?" He asks causing my anxiety to get even worse.

"Se- uh... S-Seven years?" I stammer, "I-... I don't know..."

"Wow..." I feel a knot in the pit of stomach, my heart sinking. I knew where this was going.

"Fuck... I made it awkward, I shouldn't have said anything..." I mumble and kind of shift away from Jack.

"No, no... It's... Okay." He sighs, "I just... I have a girlfriend, 'Lex." That's when I remember the reason I've held back all this time, Tay. Jack has had an on-again off-again relationship with a girl named Tay for as long as I can remember.

"I know... I'm sorry... It just felt right."

That's when Rian and Zach returned.

***

The whole week at this concert/festival-like thing was miserable, Tay was there the whole time, I eventually just stopped being around all of them in general. It still was pretty sad of me.

I'm staying in a room with Rian, Zach's alone and Jack's with Tay... Rian's laid out on the bed next to mine.

"I've never been truly jealous, not ever in my life." I say and Rian glances over at me, " I may have envied others and such but never once did I ever feel jealousy until I fell in love with him. She still clawed at his heart while I rushed to bandage what was left." I lick my lips, pausing, "I know that if she wanted him then she could easily steal him with a single glace If I ever had him. For once my overthinking is true and right and I know it. She's the only one that I've ever been jealous of." I sigh and so does Rian.

"If you don't tell him then yeah..."

"I did. When you abandoned us." I mutter.

"Oh... Him and Tay will break up eventually." He says as though my heart wasn't crumbled to fucking pieces.

I huff and pull the blankets back over my head, I was fucked.

***

Being home was nice. Jack and I were hanging out, both of us exhaused from staying up all night and binge-watching the entirety of BroadChurch together on the website Rabbit. We were laying together, his face tipped on the side as he laid on his back, I laid on my stomach, my face turned to face Jack's, we'd been like this for a long time. It hurt to lay like this, he was so amazing, I just wanted to call him my own.

"Fuck!" He gasps, sitting upright and checking his phone, "Mom's gonna kill me! I need to go, family dinner. I'll call you later!" He ruffles my hair and hops off my bed, grabbing his shoes and sliding them on.

"Bye!" I frown. I didn't want him to go but I knew he had to go. I grab my phone from the nightstand and message Rian.

We were laying together today, our noses touching and he looked into my eyes and smiled. I felt my heart pound and my eyes fill with tears as I wanted to kiss him but I knew I couldn't because he's not mine.

It reminded me of the day I fell in love with him.

Rian messaged me back telling me he was sorry and that it would be okay, you know, all that bullshit. I hug my pillow into my chest. I can't stop feeling this way, why can't I stop feeling so bad? It hurts so much that I constantly feel sick. Lovesick really was a feeling and it was awful.

***

It was getting late and I was still up. I couldn't sleep lately, just like I couldn't eat or do much of anything at all. I hear a tapping on my window followed by a loud clatter and a scream. I jump up and hurry to the window, pulling back the curtains to find Jack dangling on the ledge of my window.

"Help." He whines, I notice the latter that must've tipped over on him laying on the ground below.

I pull him inside where he proceeds to sit on the floor, panting and looking horrified, "You are so lucky my parents aren't here." I chuckle and he nods.

"Where are they?" He coughs at me.

"England, visiting family." I shrug and lay on the floor next to him, he watched every move I made. I yawn and grab his shirt in my hand, not for any partictular reason, I just liked to be touching him.

"Oh." He says after a bit, "Tay and I broke up."

"You'll be back together in a week." I huff, why'd he have to tell me?

"No, like, for good." I hear him say, I can't help but roll my eyes.

"You say that everytime." I mutter, now I was in a bad mood.

"Well, this time I mean it. She's pregnant." He says with anger running his words dry. I sit bolt upright and look at him in shock.

"Jack! You can't just leave her if you-"

"It's not mine. It's Max's." He snaps. Max was a really close friend of Jack's, I felt pretty bad, "He's staying with her."

"Oh-... Jack, I-"

"No, it's fine." He inturrups and I nod, laying back down. It's silent for a while before I get up and turn the lights on. Jack and I both wincing at the sudden light. Jack moves to my bed and I follow suit.

Jack flops back, laying down with his legs dangling down over the edge of my bed. I sigh and grab my chapstick from the bedside table. Being a singer I constantly carried them aound with me for my overly dry lips.

"Can I try it? I wanna have a taste," Jack asks curiously as it was a new flavor. He sits up, looking at the tube in my hand. He liked to steal them from me as he also was an avid chapstick user himself.

"Sure, it's coconut cream-" I start to reply, but before I can finish, Jack kisses me, pushing his mouth to mine for only a quick moment before pulling back, rubbing his lips together and doing that annoying 'lip-popping' sound girls like to do after putting on lipstick.

I'm shocked but Jack seems to not even be fazed by it, giving me a gentle smile, "Thank's, 'Lex. It's good." He hums. I try to choke out a reply but it's just a random garble of noise, "What's with you?"

"Did you... You just-... I?" I stammer over my words and he let's out a laugh.

"It's just a kiss, nothing too special."

'Nothing too special'? I've wanted this my whole life, what the fuck?

I swallow hard, "Well, yeah it is?" I croak, my voice wabbling.

"Nah, you'll kiss a lot of people in life, it's nothing too special, it get's boring. Special are those moments that your heart swell with love for another person, where you're just doing something you always do and you just suddenly are so overcome with this flooding in your chest and it feels like you're just going to burst because you just want them so much and you love them more than words could ever discribe but you want those feelings to be discribeable but you just... can't." He rambles on and on. Was this how he felt with Tay? This is how I felt with him all the time. Even now, even when I saw his dumb ass hanging from my window.

"Oh..." I croon.

"Tay never made me feel that way." I hear him sigh.

"Then how do you know how that feels, how can you describe that?" I ask, now intregued.

"Because I felt it before, not with her but with somebody else." He says vaguely, laying back down on the bed like before.

"I feel that a lot. You make me feel like that. That's how I always feel with you." I say sadly, "Who made you feel that way?" I had to know.

"You, of course." Jack looks over at me. I laugh, my heart sinking as I take it as a joke, "Seriously, 'Lex. You really make me happy. I'm only me when I'm with you." It takes a moment to sink in before My head shoots up, looking in his direction.

"Wait, for real?"

"Yes, Alex, jesus, you're dumb sometimes." He yawns as he pulls at my arms causing me to fall on top of him. His arms wrap around me and pull me more onto him. He kisses the corner of my mouth sloppily. His eyes are closed and he seems exhaused. I reach up and start playing with his somehow, very soft hair, twerling it around my fingers. Jack pushes me off of him and points towards the door, "Go turn the lights off." He mumbles sleepily.

I groan and roll off the bed, going over to shut the lights off. Once I do I make my way back over to the bed where Jack tugs me into him again, he's kissing at my neck and chest lazily. I could feel my heart almost beating out of my chest and Jack was grinning ever-so-slightly. I had never noticed how soft his mouth could be or how plump and sweet his lips were, not until they were all over me as he fought sleep, kissing me all over. I was wide-awake, my whole body trembling with energy.

He pulled me closer to him, his skin was so warm but I could only feel part of it agaisnt my bare chest, his shirt in the way of our skin touching. My whole body was tingling from the feeling of his hands and mouth, his fingers trailing lightly along my spine.

"Jack." I hum and he stops his movements.

"Yeah?" He mumbles with his face pushed to my chest.

"Stop fighting sleep, we can do this anytime." I say and he shakes his head weakly, I start to play with his smooth hair once again and he croons, pulling my closer to him. I tug my blanket over the two of us awkwardly, using the one that my mom liked to place on the end of my bed no matter how many times I took it off of there.

"I don't want to sleep yet." His voice is soft and scratchy, he kisses my skin again, taking some between his teeth lightly, "I want to stay up with you." He speach is slurred and he almost sounds slightly drunk as sleep was starting to beat him. He clung onto me in a way he never had before, pushing his face more into me. I push my fingers through his hair, pulling at it soothingly, his fingers curl against my back and I grin. He uses all of his tired strength to stay awake but he still just can't keep his eyes open. I start to sing to him in the softest voice I could muster when my chest was ready to explode. I know Jack won't be able to keep up this little game for much longer once I start, his whole body relaxing against mine.

I relax myself once hearing his gentle snoring.

I hadn't slept this well in years.