#i still have time to interview one more person

[goldfades]

i need to be sidney crosbys controversially young gf… maybe something for that… heh

my new fav concept, hope you enjoy!

It started with whispers.

The kind that curled around the edges of locker rooms and crept into post-game interviews, barely concealed behind tight-lipped smirks and knowing glances. The kind that made headlines in tabloids next to blurry photos of a dinner reservation that should have been private. The kind that weren’t unexpected, not when a 37-year-old hockey legend started dating a 21-year-old who had no business being in his world.

Sidney Crosby was used to the noise. He’d spent two decades as the face of a franchise, his every move dissected and debated. But this? This was different. This was personal.

And you—well, you were the subject of speculation, fascination, and, in some corners, outright disapproval. The girl too young, too fresh, too much of a contrast to the quiet, calculated, carefully managed existence Sidney had built. The age gap was undeniable, a 16-year stretch that gave people ammunition, as if they hadn’t already decided what they thought about you.

It didn’t help that you weren’t some seasoned socialite or a familiar name in hockey circles. You weren’t a sports reporter or a PR darling, not a longtime fixture at games. No, you were something worse in the eyes of his critics—young, new, and entirely yours.

They didn’t know about the late-night conversations, the ones where Sidney’s usual reserve cracked open just enough for you to slip inside. They didn’t see the way he softened when you spoke, or how he looked at you like he was trying to memorize every version of you—the excited, the sleepy, the frustrated, the amused.

They didn’t know that you never sought him out, that he was the one who lingered after your first meeting, the one who texted first, the one who—despite all logic, despite knowing exactly what kind of reaction this would spark—had made it clear he wanted you.

But they knew enough to talk.

"She’s barely old enough to drink."

"What could they possibly have in common?"

"Sid’s having a mid-life crisis."

The comments should have been easy to ignore. Sidney wasn’t the type to entertain gossip, and you’d never cared about the opinions of people who didn’t know you. But still, the weight of it settled into your bones some days, making you wonder if you were an anomaly in his otherwise perfectly controlled life.

Because he was Sidney Crosby—captain, legend, a man whose legacy had been cemented long before you were even in high school. And you? You were just the girl people assumed was temporary.

And maybe that’s what made it all the more exhilarating.

The funniest part? You and Sidney actually found the whole thing hilarious.

The first time you showed him a comment under some sports gossip post—"She’s basically a child. This is so embarrassing for him."—he just blinked at you, unimpressed.

"Didn’t realize I should be embarrassed for enjoying my life," he said dryly, barely looking up from his coffee.

You snorted. "Yeah, well, you should probably start wearing knee braces to dinner so people know how frail you are."

From then on, it became a running joke.

Like when you posted a dimly lit photo of your hand wrapped around a wine glass at a fancy steakhouse, the edge of Sidney’s plate barely in frame, and captioned it: Dinner with my old man 🤍

Or when you caught a candid of him rubbing his temple after a long day and added it to your Instagram story with the text: He’s got a headache from all the whippersnappers in his life.

Or, your personal favorite, when you recorded him tying his skates before practice, zoomed in on his face as he focused, and added: D1 Grandpa Energy.

The chirps were constant, and he took them all in stride. In fact, he played along—leaned into it, even.

"Think I should start stretching before we go out?" he mused one evening as you got ready for dinner. "Maybe bring a heating pad?"

You grinned at him in the mirror. "I already put Icy Hot in your bag. Just in case you pull something walking to the table."

He rolled his eyes, but you caught the twitch of his lips.

Despite the internet losing its collective mind, the reality of your relationship was effortless. Sidney was steady, calm, and deeply private. You, on the other hand, were unbothered, playful, and just reckless enough to make things interesting. You balanced each other out in a way that worked, even if people didn’t understand it.

You loved how Sidney never treated you like you were some silly, naive kid. He respected you—your thoughts, your humor, your way of seeing the world. And you, in turn, loved teasing the hell out of him, keeping him on his toes in a way no one else really dared.

Like the time you went with him to a team dinner, and while everyone was talking hockey, you casually turned to him and went, "Tell me again what it was like growing up without color TV?"

The table went silent for a beat before someone—probably Letang—burst out laughing. Sid just gave you that look, equal parts unimpressed and amused, before shaking his head.

"She’s funny, huh?" he muttered, reaching for his drink.

"A regular comedian," you quipped, clinking your glass against his.

That was the thing—no matter how much outside noise tried to define your relationship, the two of you had already decided what it was.

It was simple. You liked each other.

Sidney didn’t buy you expensive things to impress you. Sure, he could, but he knew that wasn’t why you were here. Instead, he showed up in little ways—the way he always made sure to order your fries extra crispy because that’s how you liked them, or how he’d automatically pull you closer when cameras were around, just to make sure you didn’t get overwhelmed.

And you? You made sure he laughed. Really laughed. The kind of laugh that shook his shoulders and made his eyes crinkle, the kind of laugh he rarely let people see.

You were good together. You fit, even if people couldn’t wrap their heads around it.

And honestly? That just made it more fun.

It was nearly midnight, and the two of you were on the couch, deep in a heated argument over absolutely nothing.

"I'm just saying, people who don’t let the cereal sit in the milk for at least thirty seconds before eating it are a danger to society," you declared, pointing your spoon at him.

Sidney, reclined against the cushions in his sweatpants and a faded Team Canada hoodie, exhaled through his nose, unimpressed. "That’s ridiculous. You want it soggy?"

"Not soggy, perfectly saturated," you corrected, scooping another spoonful of Cinnamon Toast Crunch from your bowl. "It enhances the experience."

Sid shook his head, glancing down at his own bowl—practically dry because, of course, he barely let the milk touch his cereal before shoveling it into his mouth like some kind of barbarian. "There’s no way you actually believe this."

"I do," you said, dramatic as ever, settling further into your spot next to him. "This is a hill I will die on."

Sid sighed, took another bite, and then, without missing a beat, shot back, "Guess you’d better hope I go first then."

You gasped, shoving his shoulder. "Did you just—"

He fought back a smirk, chewing methodically like he didn’t just say something that made your jaw drop. "You’re too young to be making retirement home decisions, anyway," he added, extra casual.

"Wow," you scoffed, setting your bowl down. "Big words for someone whose lower back cracks every time he stands up."

He snorted, finally breaking into that slow, warm smile that made your stomach flip.

It was moments like this that made you realize why, despite the comments and the noise, this relationship worked.

You weren’t intimidated by him. Not by his reputation, not by the weight of who he was. You poked fun at the untouchable Sidney Crosby the way most people wouldn’t dare, but you never disrespected him. You met him as a person, not as a legacy.

And Sid—Sid liked that.

He liked how quick you were, how you made fun of him without ever making him feel small. How you never treated him like some god on skates but also never downplayed how much he meant to people. It was a balance no one had quite figured out before you.

He let out a deep breath, stretching his arm along the back of the couch, his fingers absentmindedly toying with the ends of your hair.

"You done bullying me for the night?" he asked, amused.

You hummed, considering. "Depends. You gonna admit my cereal method is better?"

"Absolutely not."

"Then no."

He chuckled, shaking his head before wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you in. You melted into his side like it was second nature, warm and easy.

The whole world could talk. The whole world could speculate. But in here, in this quiet moment between bowls of cereal and bad jokes, you fit like you were always meant to.

[interact-if]

Our second edition of the Black History Month Author Spotlight series features beloved author, C.C. Hill (@when-life-gives-you-lemons-if)!

(CC is an absolute institution. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s than by doing a feature of the slice-of-life romance queen herself? CC is one the most inspiring, supportive IF writers out there, and it was a great honor to pick her brain! Read on for pandemic-setting feel good stories and Creole-based spells!)

Author: C.C. Hill

I'm from Haiti, born and raised. I love red wine, ice cream, and I'm obsessed with true crime podcasts.

Games: When Life Gives You Lemons (Slice-of-Life)

Synopsis: You play as an MC starting a new life in a small town called Lemon. It’s a story about self-discovery, love, and parenthood—a comfort story where the love interests want to sweep you off your feet.

Games: The Midnight Saga (Horror)

Synopsis: After finding yourself trapped in another dimension, you and your friends must fight for survival and defeat the monsters that lurk in the shadows. Make sure to grab a weapon as your quiet Halloween night turns into an out-of-this-world adventure!

Quote from the interview:

What mostly inspired Lemon in particular was the need for a feel-good story—a story where the character just needs a break. No magic, no monsters, just going through life and having the romance options fall in love with them no matter what. It was just the need for comfort, for feel-good moments, for romance, and a little bit of drama.

Read on for the full interview!

Tell me more about yourself! What are some things new readers or long-time readers might not know about you?

I'm from Haiti, born and raised. I love red wine, ice cream, and I'm obsessed with true crime podcasts.

Can you tell me a bit about what you’re working on right now and your journey into interactive fiction? What inspired the game/story you’re currently writing?

I'm working on so many things it should be illegal for my brain to operate this way. But mainly, When Life Gives You Lemons. My plan is to focus on the final part in March, do some beta testing, and submit it to Hosted Games in April for my birthday month.

I'm also under contract with Heart’s Choice, writing Spices of the Heart, with hopes of completing it this year. On top of that, I’m working on publishing my first visual novel, The Wedding. It’s close to completion, and I have the third quarter of 2025 planned for publication.

I only started writing interactive fiction in 2020. When the pandemic hit, I needed something to keep my brain occupied, and five years later, I’ve published three games and still have a ton of projects in progress.What mostly inspired Lemon in particular was the need for a feel-good story—a story where the character just needs a break. No magic, no monsters, just going through life and having the romance options fall in love with them no matter what. It was just the need for comfort, for feel-good moments, for romance, and a little bit of drama.

How has your identity, heritage/background, upbringing, or personal experiences influenced your storytelling or writing process? OR How does your work feature aspects of your identity / experience?

My first game, The Midnight Saga, was heavily inspired by my background and where I'm from. The story itself is based on an old Haitian folklore about not staying outside after midnight—if you do, the Keeper of Midnight will eat you. I took that idea and built the characters around it.

I even managed to include some spells written in Haitian Creole. It was a lot of fun to write, and even though Book 2 is currently on hiatus, this story has a special place in my heart because it was my first game. The characters are a representation of my people and the struggles they’ve gone through. I’m really happy that it was my debut story.

What are some of the most rewarding or challenging aspects of writing Interactive Fiction for you?

For me, it’s branching and being able to write an MC and other characters in a way that readers can truly connect with. Lately, I’ve been writing a lot of feel-good romance and slice-of-life stories, and I’m starting to feel like this is my comfort zone—and I want to stay here forever.

I never want to create a romance option that is inherently bad or purposely deceitful. My biggest challenge is writing characters who are flawed and complex—where readers can love them or hate them—but making sure they aren’t just villains for the sake of it. They’re simply existing in the world they were created in.

What does your writing process look like? Any rituals or habits? Any tips, tricks, philosophies or approaches that have worked very well for you?

My writing process is a mess. My brain gets pulled in so many directions. When I get an idea, I have to code it, shape it, and give it life—otherwise, it’s going to bug me forever. That’s why I end up with so many WIPs. I need to see them through, at least to a short demo, to see if they make sense.

My desk is also full of notes, and I basically write on anything—pieces of napkins, tissue boxes, whatever is nearby. One weird habit I have is that some of the best changes I’ve made to my games, those "spark" moments, happen when I’m in the shower. It’s weird and strange, but it works.

What’re you excited to tackle/implement/work on next? Or anything you’re looking forward to in the year ahead?

Keep writing romance and feel-good slice-of-life stories. Get When Life Gives You Lemons published this year. Focus on doing this full-time. Publish my visual novel.

Overall, just stay busy and be productive.

If you were to say one thing to your readers, other authors, and/or the interactive fiction community: what would it be?

To the readers—us authors don’t have all the answers. Sometimes, we start writing a story and end up forgetting certain plots or characters, which is easy to do when writing interactive fiction. So yes, we often write ourselves into a corner and just put a period there so the story can progress.

To the authors—write stories you love, something you would want to read. It makes it easier to keep going because if it’s a story you love, you’ll want to see how it ends, and that will push you to persevere.

This-or-that segment: (red = CC's pick)

Coffee or tea?

Early mornings or late nights?

Angsty or Cozy romances?  

Steady progress or frenzied binge-writing followed by periods of calm?

Introvert or extrovert?

Plotter or pantser?

[jungwnies]

wrong time, right person - carlos sainz (2/4)

୨ৎ : pairing : carlos sainz x fem!reader ୨ৎ : synopsis : years after a bitter breakup, you and carlos sainz reunite unexpectedly. old wounds resurface, but so does undeniable love. will history repeat itself?

୨ৎ : genre : romance, angst, humor, drama ୨ৎ : tws : mild language, arguing, friendships ending, bantering, suggestive humor, mentions of alcohol consumption. ୨ৎ : wc : 817

part one | part two | part three | part four

The past was supposed to stay behind you.

You told yourself that more times than you could count. Every time you saw his name trending, every time another headline mentioned his transfer from Ferrari to Williams, every time a new interview clip surfaced on your feed. Carlos Sainz this, Carlos Sainz that.

Your old friends and family still brought him up like he was a permanent fixture in your life.

"Did you hear? He’s moving to Williams." "I saw an interview, he looks different now." "You must be so proud of him."

But you weren’t sure if proud was the right word. Not because he didn’t deserve it, he did, he always did, but because it didn’t involve you anymore.

"That life is behind me." You’d repeat it like a prayer, like if you said it enough times, you’d start to believe it.

And for the most part, you had moved on. Your career had skyrocketed, your face was on billboards in every major city, your name carried weight in the industry. People didn’t just recognize you, they admired you. They wanted to be you.

Carlos couldn’t escape you.

Your face was everywhere he went. Every city, every airport, every magazine stand outside his hotels. It wasn’t just the memories of you haunting him, it was you.

A photo of you staring down at him from a massive billboard in Times Square when he landed in New York for press. A video of you at Paris Fashion Week playing on the airport TV in Italy. A poster of you in a London boutique window while he was out for a run.

He could ignore the memories, the what-ifs, the moments that replayed in his head at night. But how was he supposed to ignore you when you were everywhere?

“Dude, it’s been years,” Alex Albon muttered beside him as they walked through the Williams headquarters. “You need to let it go.”

Carlos scoffed, shaking his head. “It’s not about letting it go.”

Alex gave him a look, unimpressed. “Then what is it about?”

He exhaled sharply. “I just… regret how it ended.”

Alex clapped a hand on his shoulder, offering a sympathetic smile. “Yeah, well, you can’t change the past. Just focus on the season ahead, alright?”

Carlos nodded, but deep down, he knew it wasn’t that easy.

(timeskip)

When your manager called, you weren’t expecting that.

“They want you to attend a Formula 1 race.”

You nearly dropped your phone. “What?”

“It’s a great PR move. You’re at the peak of your career, and showing up at a global sporting event keeps your name relevant in different markets.”

You didn’t miss the hidden implication. F1 fans never really let go of things. You knew exactly what kind of reaction this would get.

“No,” you said immediately. “Absolutely not.”

Your manager sighed. “Look, I get it. But this isn’t about him, it’s about you. You’re bigger than a past relationship. You’re a global name now, and this only makes sense.”

You hesitated, but they kept pushing. “It’s just one weekend. You don’t even have to see him. Go, do the interview, wave at some cameras, and leave.”

You exhaled, rubbing your temples. One weekend.

“…Fine.”

It had been a while since you were last in a Formula 1 city. The sounds, the buzz, the energy. It felt familiar in a way that made your chest tighten.

But this wasn’t for him. This was for you.

You reminded yourself of that as you stepped out onto the bustling streets of Melbourne, sunglasses perched on your nose, blending in as best as you could while shopping for some last-minute outfits before the paddock appearance.

And then it happened.

You turned a corner and froze.

Carlos Sainz was standing right there.

For a split second, neither of you moved.

His expression flickered between shock and something else, something unreadable. Your breath caught in your throat, time stretching impossibly long between the two of you.

He looked different, but also exactly the same. A little older, a little sharper. Still Carlos.

“Hey,” he finally said, voice careful, hesitant.

You swallowed. “Hey.”

The air between you felt too heavy, too thick, too much.

More words could have been said. More things could have been fixed, or shattered even further. But neither of you let it happen.

Instead, there was just an awkward pause, a polite nod, and then,

“Goodbye, Carlos.”

You walked away.

And the paparazzi caught all of it.

Within hours, the internet exploded.

"Old friends reunite in Melbourne?! Is there tension between Carlos and Y/N?" "The past comes crashing back. Will 2025 be Carlos��� season, on and off the track?" "Y/N spotted ahead of the Australian GP. What does this mean for Carlos Sainz?"

The headlines didn’t stop. The photos were everywhere.

And for the first time in years, the world started watching you and Carlos again.

taglist : @willowsnook , @its-avalon-08 , @f1fantasys, (comment to be added)

© 2024 jungwnies | All rights reserved. Do not repost, plagiarize, or translate.

[lancestrollsgf]

# STOP LOOKING AT ME WITH THOSE EYES ! YANDERE! AXEL KOVACEVIC X READER, WRITTEN

introduction master list request list

# WARNINGS: not a good interpretation of a yandere (not intense), lowercase intended, female! reader, use of y/n, spelling/grammar errors, possible OC axel and gullible reader, established relationship, messy writing, and maybe bad descriptions. good ending!! + a cute extra scene at the end

# SUMMARY: you decided to follow your boyfriend to the torment he was participating in. due to not making many friends in highschool in croatia, being in a new environment and country could be a possibility to make new friends, but by the way axel is acting, he doesn’t seem to like that.

# AUTHOR’S NOTE: i did have to watch season 6 again to really get a good intro on axel again, i also did some research/watch interviews, hoping it is right. in this axel is 16 years old and is from croatia, balkans. meaning that axel is going to school in croatia and went to hong kong for training with sensei wolf. i know that it wasn't shown but pretend that axel and reader actually had time and would at least in someway interact with the other characters (more like just miyagi do). i apologize for this being on the short side, i’m still trying to get the hang of writing again. word count: 1100. here is the link of the song the title is named after!

# REQUESTED: YES

axel has been your boyfriend for a while now, and you've always been by his side—more voluntarily than anything, considering how hard it was for you to make friends in your high school back in croatia. it wasn’t that you were unlikable, just that people didn’t seem to care enough to get close. axel was different, though. from the moment he noticed you, it was like you were the only person in his world.

when he told you he was leaving for the tournament, you didn’t hesitate to follow. a new environment, a new country—it sounded like an opportunity, a fresh start. maybe this time, things would be different. maybe you could finally belong somewhere. but axel… he didn’t seem to like that idea.

it started small. a hand on your lower back when you tried to talk to someone new. standing just a little too close when another competitor greeted you. answering for you when someone would ask a question. his grip would tighten, his voice always calm but firm, a quiet reminder.

stay close to me.

you brushed it off at first. axel had always been protective. he said it was because he knew what people were really like— how they used and discarded others when it suited them. you didn't want to believe that.

but then came the glares. the cold, sharp eyes watching every interaction you had. the way his jaw clenched whenever someone so much as smiled at you. the way his mood soured whenever you laughed at someone else's joke.

then the words.

"we're leaving soon, don't get to close"

"they're pretending to be nice, they're trying to get to me"

"i'm the only one who understands you"

at first, you tried to ignore it. axel had always been intense— possessive, even —but he had his reasons. he didn't trust easily, and he never let his guard down. but now, that wasn't just directed at his opponents in the tournament. it was now aimed at anyone who got too close to you.

it started off small. a hand on your wrist when you lingered too long in a conversation. a sharp look when miguel or hawk cracked a joke that made you laugh. the way he always seemed to position himself between you and someone else. like an unspoken barrier.

at first, the others found it ammusing.

"man, your boyfriend's intense," hawk had said nudging miguel after axel all but dragged you away from a conversation. "you sure he let's you breathe?" miguel had given you a sympathetic glance, but he didn't push. sam, on the other hand, did.

"you know that you can talk to whoever you want, right?" she asked one afternoon when axel had stepped away for a minute, due to his sensei wanting to have a conversation with him.

"i know," you had said, but the words felt hollow. because deep down, you knew it wasn't about permission. it was about him. about the way axel saw the world— how he believed people couldn't be trusted. and more than anything, it was about his fear of losing you.

but it couldn't go on like this.

that night, after most of the competitors had gone back to their rooms, you found him outside, leaning against the railing of the balcony of your shared rooms. the bright active city lights reflected in his eyes, but his expression was unreadable.

"you're mad," he said before you could even open your mouth. "i'm frustrated," you corrected, stepping closer. "axel... you have to stop this. i want to be here with you, but i can't do that if you keep pushing everyone else away." his grip tightened on the railing. "i'm not pushing them away. i'm protecting you."

"from what?" you asked, starting to get irritated. "from people being nice to me? from me finally being able to have the chance to make friends?"

he turned to face you then, his gaze sharp but conflicted. "people lie. they act friendly, they pretend to care— but in the end, they always let you down." his voice was steady, but there was something beneath it. something raw. "not everyone," you said softly, reaching for his hand. "not me."

for a moment, he didn't move. then, slowly, his fingers curled around yours, his grip firm, but not forceful. "i don't want to lose you," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "you won't," you promised. "but you have to trust me the way I trust you."

axel exhaled sharply, looking away. you could tell it wasn't easy for him, to let go of control. but after a moment, he nodded. "...alright," he muttered. "but if they give me a reason to not trust them—"

"i know," you interrupted, a small smile tugging at your lips. "you'll be watching." a smirk ghosted across his face, and for the first time in a while. his presence didn't feel suffocating. it felt grounding.

— extra scene funny and cute!! (y/n and axel are sitting with miyagi do in this scenario and they have a good relationship with them in this scene.)

the shift in axel hadn't gone noticed. while he still had his moments—hovering nearby whenever someone got a little too friendly—he wasn’t shutting you off from the rest of the world anymore.

during a lunch with all the teams in the tournament, miguel nudged hawk and nodded toward the two of you. “dude, i think your little intervention worked.” hawk smirked, taking a bite of his food. “told you. y/n just had to remind him that she’s her own person, and won’t go anywhere.” hawk replied quietly.

demetri, who had been wary of axel ever since the tense standoff, finally realized enough to sit at the same table again. “so, we’re actually allowed to talk to you now?” he teased, raising an eyebrow.

axel shot him a look, but there’s no hostility behind it. “don’t push it.” tory leaned back in her chair, smirking. “hey, progress is progress.”

even sam, who has been quietly observing, gave a small nod of approval. “it’s nice to see you with us instead of watching from a distance.”

you squeezed axel’s hand under the table, and for once, he didn’t flinch away from the attention. instead, he met your gaze, a silent understanding passing between you.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊���

the end!!! 😄😄 if anyone from the better norris series is reading this, part three is coming soon! just trying to get through the axel requests, which i am open to more requests, before posting the third part. ( i am working on part four rn )

[wh1spersofwinter]

hii !! I just wanted to say your seunghyun/top post was so cute :’) i love it sm !!

I was wondering if you’d be comfortable writing something similar for jiyong? Maybe something based off that one interview where he says he acts more “childish” in a relationship as opposed to the “cool type” people assume he’d be!

If not, no worries !! I still love your writing regardless and am excited to see more ^^

soft bf!jiyong (headcannons) ₊˚⊹ ᰔ

summary: the reality of a relationship bf!jiyong.

an: hello! thank you for your kind words, they mean the world to me :,) i hope i did your request justice. enjoy!

bf!jiyong who: despite his image of the, “hard to get, playboy” is the complete opposite with you.

bf!jiyong who: before you started dating, wanted desperately to have all of your attention, every single ounce. he would always act silly and make jokes in order to get you to laugh. (which did not slip past the rest of bigbang.) it made his stomach do flips to be the cause of your smiles.

bf!jiyong who: could never bring himself to tell you he liked you, he was terrified of ruining your friendship. he couldn’t bring himself to risk it. so you could imagine how surprised he was when he came to see you backstage after he performed,(which was nothing out of the ordinary) and was met with you shyly handing him a handwritten letter. decorated with swooping letters, white lace, and, glitter hearts, declaring your love for him. he tried to be the picture of nonchalance as he rubbed the back of his neck as he admitted he had liked you for some time too. but, he was really doing jumping jacks in his head.

bf!jiyong who: is the most loyal person you’ve ever met who will defend you with his last breath. (you two were getting out of jiyongs drivers car. heading to a small cafe for a date. the paparazzi were surrounding the two of you as you tried to push through. a hand on the small of your back made your head shoot up, looking at your boyfriend, who carried a slightly annoyed look on his face. you were almost at the entrance when a voice called through the crowd, “hey lady! move out the way, i cant get a good shot!” you turned to see one of the paparazzi shooting you a glare. before you could respond, jiyong left your side and walked between you and the aging man. “hey! dont talk to her like that!” he barked as he smacked the camera away from his face. shooting the guy one last death glare, he raced back to you, intertwining your hands and pulling you inside.)

bf!jiyong who: when you guys go to places where you have to take your shoes off before you enter, kneels down infront of you and carefully unlaces your shoes and pulls them off, and when you leave slips them back on and laces them back up.

bf!jiyong who: insists on paying for everything the bill when you guys go out to eat, the rent for your shared apartment, for groceries, for the cable bill. no matter how much you insist you want to help, he declines every time. he likes to spoil you.

bf!jiyong who: learned how to braid hair—via youtube video, because he knew you hated when your hair was in your face.

bf!jiyong who: makes homemade gifts for you. such as, origami roses, oragami swans, origami hearts that, when unfolded have messages on the inside. he likes to do origami when he’s feeling overwhelmed. he finds it relaxing.

bf!jiyong who: has a love language of acts of service.

bf!jiyong who: loves to take care of you. wiping food from the corner of your mouth while you eat, doing your skincare after a night out, and you’re too tired to do so yourself, cooking you your favorite meals, massaging your neck after you slept wrong the night before.

bf!jiyong who: when he gets anxiety clutches your hand and draws circles on your palm.

bf!jiyong who: wears a silver bracelet engraved with your name on it and wears it religiously. the only time he takes it off is to shower.

bf!jiyong who: gave you one of his favorite rings. which, you wear on a chain around your neck at all times.

bf!jiyong who: has a photobook filled with Polaroids you take of each other, and, together. he likes to have physical photos of the two of you.

[bunnyinvanilla]

fancy some old man company ceo!john price x young innocent little girl!personal assistant reader? (he’s in his late 40s and shes 21)

usually, ceos weren’t the ones in charge of hiring new employees, they left the boring job to their assistants or managers — but this morning, upon coming to his office, john price was met with the sight of a young, disoriented little girl, dolled up in heels and standing cluelessly like a lost little bunny in the main hall, curriculum file in hand, probably not having a clue where to go —

being the gentleman he was, as the boss, price welcomed you inside his office, telling you not to worry about the manager you were supposed to meet up with for the application, whom you had originally planned the appointment with…

“the file says you’re twenty one and fresh out of college,” his eyes briefly emerged from the paper he was holding with his thick, ringed fingers, slowly focusing on every inch of your sitting stance, taking you in with no hesitation nor costume mannerism, shamelessly staring, in a way that made you swallow nervously and nod politely, your hands neatly folded on your lap, right where the hem of your skirt hinted to your bare thighs.

”y-yes, sir, i-im actually looking for a job as a librarian, but i’ve been in need of financial assistance since graduating, so in the meantime i could really use a part time position.” you could feel every nervous beat of your heart vibrating through your chest as you spose, your cheeks like burning flames, bright and red as you barely manage to stay still on your seat, trembling like a shy bunny — how could you find yourself working for him if you can’t even meet his gaze? “this one would be my first job..”

price just hums, leaning back on his chair that crackles under his massive body, wrapped in a expensive tailored suit, bulk and buff muscles giving him an intimidating appearance — his thighs spread wide, legs parted.

you were a young, shy, pretty thing, sweet and polite, in the prime of her blooming youth and just eager to find her place into this world, to prove herself and make someone proud, earn their (his) praise. he had lot and lot of experience behind his back, even more years, and he was sure you would be the best, obedient good girl just by looking at you.

john price could be that someone, he was old enough to be your father, burly and exuded power and security, exactly what you needed — he could use a sweet, young personal secretary like you, all doe eyes and in need of praise and approval, make his exhausting job as the boss less stressful, you would get him lunch or coffee, print paperwork sheets for him, bring him new cigars, and even be his lap bunny, his trophy little girl, warming him up.

“you’re hired,” the words he muttered was so rough, gruff and low you had to blink twice, before opening your mouth and closing it right after.

“im sorry? oh- but— uhm, are you sure?” you feel a little dumbstruck by the rapidity of the interview, but you’re thankful nonetheless, “i thought I’d have to answer more questions..”

“we have a lot of work to do here and never enough employees, sweetheart, im sure your help will be..” he let his eyes trail down on your figure again, slower this time, his large hand coming to scratch his thick, dark and graying beard as he studied you “well appreciated and rewarded, little one”

[mononijikayu]

kayu's playlist — side 2500;

The question is somehow inevitable. No matter how many interviews you do for anything you do, no matter how much you try to steer the conversation toward your work, it always circles back to your personal life. "Are you dating any of your coworkers or friends?" It’s phrased casually, like an afterthought, but you know better. The tabloids, the press have been relentless. But what do you expect?

You were intriguing. It was as if you wanted them to chase after you. It's like you wanted them to keep up with you, like it was a game. And people like to play.

hello this is kayu!!! wow, i'm really surprised and overwhelmed that people continue to follow up with me and read my work and it's just, its been an incredible two years!!! it's genuinely such an overwhelming feeling, to be so adored by so many of you. thank you for 2.5k followers!!! i never expected that i'll ever end up in this position where i'd get such an opportunity to write and read and experience multiple lifetimes through all of this with you guys. its still just an incredible situation, a privileged one, to be able to be with yall like this. and i don't take it for granted. i don't meet up a lot of my friends nowadays, because we're all growing older and doing other things. so in some ways, you guys have become new friends and comfort me in my own grievances in life. so i am grateful, to have some people in my life like you all. there will be many things that changes, but i hope you know its always an honor to write for you and be a writer that comforts people and makes people feel things. i genuinely am so happy to do things like this and know that you both of us find comfort in it. this playlist will not exist if it wasn't for your love, none of this would exist without your love. so i am grateful. i always will be. and i hope you know how much i love yall. please enjoy this little gift, from me to you and that you always know how much i adore all of you. i'll see you starting this week!!! i love you all <3

when people ask you in interviews if you're dating, you end up smiling and saying 'spoilers'. but all they had to do was analyze your instagram to see why you smile so slyly. and when they do, all they can do is gasp. guess what? there's two of them!

There were too many pictures of you leaving dinner with Geto Suguru, laughing backstage with Satoru Gojo, leaning a little too close in some candid shot taken at a party. Or sometimes you would be dancing around with Nanami Kento at an afterparty wrap up, or end up drinking at a cafe with Kamo Choso. Fans dissect every interaction, every glance, every social media post, desperate to piece together a narrative. That's just how it was, when you're a known name. So you think to yourself, you might as well play the game too. I mean, they don't mind. So, you smile. A slow, knowing smile, just enough to fuel the curiosity. You could shut it down with a simple no, or confirm something with a straightforward yes, but where’s the fun in that? Instead, you lean forward slightly, letting the moment stretch just enough to build anticipation. With a teasing glint in your eye, you simply say with a grin."Spoilers." The interviewer laughs, caught between amusement and frustration. The audience reacts instantly, murmurs rippling through the room, tweets flying in real time. Just like that, you’ve sidestepped the question without giving anything away, while making sure the speculation never dies down. It’s a game at this point. And it's one you’re more than happy to keep playing. A text comes through. And then another. 'you're a vixen, aren't you?' 'well, aren't you fun to play with, baby ;)))' You smirked at the messages.

you took him back, and you do love him. but toji knows that you will never love him the way you did back then. that's why he knows when you're not home, you'll be in someone else's bed. and all he can do is swallow his pride. after all, you'll always come back home to him. like he does.

Fushiguro Toji reads the headlines with a scowl, jaw tightening as his eyes flick over the words on the newspaper. He doesn't read it often, if he was being honest. But the more he sees more about it, the more he knows he can't avoid it. "Co-stars or Something More? Sparks Fly Between Y/N L/N and Nanami Kento on Set." Tch. Too well, huh? He scoffs, but the irritation sits heavy in his chest. Every article, every damn picture of you laughing with Nanami, standing close to him, looking at him like he’s the only one in the room. It grates on his nerves more than he wants to admit. Jealousy curls in his gut, sharp and bitter. But what right does he have to say anything? None. Not after what he did. Not after the way he shattered everything between you. He cheated. He ruined it. He was the one who left you picking up the pieces, and if Nanami Kento—or anyone else, for that matter—was helping you put them back together, what could he really say? Still, the thought of you moving on, of someone else having your smiles, your time, your heart. Everything about it drives him insane. He exhales sharply, tossing his phone onto the table. It’s his own damn fault, and he knows it. Doesn’t mean it hurts any less.

you and sukuna have gone through everything together. from all the hardships of his late night practice to your continuous studies making you tear up. to every misunderstanding and to every fight, there was one thing that brought you both back together. and that's the warmth of love.

Ryomen Sukuna leans against the counter, arms crossed, staring down at the contract like it personally offended him.

The offer from the national volleyball team is everything he’s worked for. It's all he's every wanted since he was a kid. It was everything he'd risk everything for. And yet, he hesitates. “You’re thinking too hard, 'kuna.” you tease, nudging his side. “This is a no-brainer, Sukuna. You should go for it.” He doesn’t respond right away, just clicks his tongue and exhales through his nose. You recognize that look on his face. It was hard to miss. It was the one where he’s overanalyzing, masking his real concern behind a layer of indifference. Finally, he mutters, “I’d miss your graduation. You said it was that date, right? The first game is during your graduation.” Your chest tightens at that. He says it like it’s just a fact, but you can hear the frustration underneath. The regret. Your boyfriend always feels like he's going to miss so much on what you have going on. He doesn't like it, that he can't be there for you the way you are. You smile, softer this time. “And I’d miss seeing you play on the national team if you don’t take this. We’ll make up for it, I promise.” His gaze flickers to yours, searching. “…You sure?” “Absolutely.” You step closer, squeezing his hand. “I’ll be cheering for you from where-ever I am. Whether I’m in the crowd or watching from a screen. So go. Do what you were meant to do.” He holds your stare for a moment longer before exhaling, shaking his head with a smirk. “Tch. You’re annoying.” But when he finally signs the contract, you don’t miss the way his grip on your hand lingers. He looks at you and you couldn't help but smile. You loved this man too much.

[lemotmo]

My god give this to me!!!!

Q. Do you think they might actually go the unrequited route? I mean not permanently but do you think they might let Buck pine for a few episodes before Eddie has his realization moment?

A. I personally don't see them going this route. That doesn't mean they won't, but I just don't see the show putting the audience in the position of having to watch Buck pine for someone who isn't an option for him. The audience is pretty protective when it comes to Buck, I mean we love him most but we beg for them to drop a car on top of him, lol. The audience in general is pretty protective of him. They've watched him grow up so watching him set himself up for heartbreak is just not something I think the show will do. That route also puts Eddie in an unfair situation with the audience. Doesn't mean they won't do it. Doesn't mean they can't do it and do it really successfully. I just don't personally see it happening that way.

I still think we're going to get a fairly mutual realization, maybe not in the same episode but back to back episodes at least. I think neither one will tell the other for fear that the feelings aren't reciprocated. So I think we'll kind of get mutual pinning. I think Buck will confide in Maddie about his feelings. I'm not sure if Eddie will tell someone or if we'll just see Eddie's realization moment. I think one or both of them will have some kind of accident or incident on the job where one or both of them believe they're dying and they don't want to die without the other knowing how they feel. Oliver talking about an overnight shoot in the rain pretty much reinforces my belief in that. Rain is just such a Buddie thing on this show. And I don't see Tim being able to resist the big dramatic 'I love you ' where they're concerned. It's been 7 years in the making so I don't see it being a quiet moment. I think the show will go all in for the drama of it all. And they will get their quiet moment together after the fact.

I will say that I've seen a couple of posts and received a couple of asks urging people to remain skeptical because queerbaiting is very real and often intentionally used by shows to attract viewers. That is absolutely true but this show has never intentionally, verbally and openly queerbaited before. And Oliver doesn't talk about it a lot for fear of being accused of misleading people. Oliver would simply not do that. He's bent over backwards for 7 years to make sure he never even accidentally said something that could get him accused of doing that. I simply do not believe Tim, the show and especially Oliver would knowingly and deliberately bait like that. Ryan has been just as careful to try and avoid doing anything like that. I just don't believe that's what's happening here. For gods sake people let yourselves be excited.

Thank you Nonny! Much appreciated!

This was made and posted after the Oliver interview!

Nope, an unrequited storyline isn't going to happen. I'm even more convinced that this won't happen than Ali.

It wouldn't make sense in the grand scheme of things. We've seen that Eddie has started to look for joy, right at the moment when Buck will realise he is in love with him. For years now Eddie's relationships with women have fizzled out because he never felt that he could fully commit for some reason. Yet they keep showing us the close bond he has with his best friend.

No uhuh, Buck is going to figure it out and Eddie is going to come to some conclusions of his own while in El Paso. It will take them some time to actually act upon their feelings, because that is how these stories go. But the end-result will always be fully realised canon Buddie.

I also firmly believe that there is no queerbait going on here. They are too upfront about it.

Believe what you see this time. Allow yourself to believe it.

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[mouserthefirst]

HELLO DARLINGS i'm back after god knows how long for a very late valentine's day fic for you!!! it's currently almost 12 a.m. for me but WHATEVER anyway i hope you enjoy this, i was literally screaming while i wrote it teehehe (also this is my gift to you in apology for the evilness i'm cooking up rn this is as sweet as you get for a while /j)

word count: 1.5k unedited 🤍

ʚ‎‏ ͜ ̩͙ ︵ ̩͙ ୨ ♡ ୧ ̩͙ ‏︵ ̩͙ ͜ ɞ

Caitlyn Kiramman prided herself on being observant – she was the Sheriff, after all, and even her punch first think later cop instincts had yet to wash out her detective roots. Separating work from life was something foreign to Caitlyn; her work was her life and her life was her work except for the few things close to her, a list that some people would find miserably short:

1. Violet          2. Violet’s scrappy cat Ripper 3. Violet.

She was of the opinion that those things were all she really needed in life. She liked keeping her life as simple as possible; it made it easier to keep an eye on things. One person can only notice so much, even if that person is the Sheriff of Piltover.

It makes sense, therefore, that Caitlyn is currently at her limit. There is simply too much work to go around – no one has been particularly difficult in either Piltover or Zaun, and yet the reports are piling up and Cait finds herself fretting over even the mere idea of tackling the small mountain on her desk. Still, she wasn’t made Sheriff for nothing, so she cracks down on it as hard as she is able.

It’s the long days and nights spent at the station that Caitlyn blames for the fact that she hasn’t noticed a significant lack of Violet – no more fresh tea when she comes home, no warm grey eyes and rough hands with bruises that are tattooed into worn knuckles at this point. She dismisses it at first; Vi is just as stressed with work as Caitlyn is, perhaps more so with her hands-on role on the streets, roughing up whoever doesn’t listen to the Sheriff. Still, she misses it and cannot help but wonder if it’s something she’s done. Perhaps she forgot Violet’s birthday or a date they had planned or-

But no, when Caitlyn hurriedly flips through her planner in between interviews with a new batch of prisoners, there is no such forgotten event anywhere near the date. Just Valentine’s Day the next day, which Violet has never expressed an interest in. Perhaps Zaun doesn’t even have a Valentine’s Day; Caitlyn never thought to ask.

Regardless, she feels rather rotten for being relieved that she has no obligations with Vi. She loves her, of course, more than life itself, but there is just so much to do and so little time…

Still, when she arrives back home that night with a hopeful smile and three of the largest containers Jericho had available, Caitlyn is horribly disappointed to find a note in Vi’s rough-and-tumble handwriting saying simply,

Still out, be back by 10:00      - Vi

After Caitlyn has changed into a lacy, silky purple nightdress, she curls up on the couch and stares at the fire, trying to remember the last time they went out together. Surely it wasn’t that long ago; Caitlyn prides herself on being someone who does not let her relationships fall to the side (ignoring the majority of said relationships). She digs contemplatively into one of the takeout containers, sloppily filled with something Caitlyn would prefer to go unnamed. There was that time Violet brought them to a flower market she had thought Cait would like; and the time Violet brought her out to dinner at her favorite restaurant. That had been several months ago, before Caitlyn and then Vi had been swamped by work. Still, no matter how hard she tries, Cait can’t remember the last time she brought Vi somewhere.

How could she have forgotten such a thing? She prides herself on being observant, on never forgetting a thing, and yet something so important as Violet absolutely slipped her mind.

Caitlyn jabs her fork conspiratorially at her food. It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and whether it’s a Zaunite holiday or not, Violet would appreciate it, she knows. Cait grins. If there’s one thing she’s good at, it’s making plans.

♡

When Vi walks back home, it’s dark. It took her ages to get back to the station and even longer than usual to peel off her uniform and get back to Caitlyn’s penthouse. Vi knows Enforcer blues are better accepted in Piltover, maybe even liked, but she still doesn’t like strutting around in them. Makes her feel sort of like she doesn’t deserve them either way.

She gets back later than anticipated; when Vi ran back to the penthouse for lunch, she left a note for Cait that turns out being three hours off on her return time, give or take a few minutes. Vi’s not entirely sure Caitlyn is even home yet – after all, she could still be at the station, lording over her little flock of rookie recruits and sifting through paperwork for something meaningful.

Vi doesn’t like to begrudge her girlfriend of anything, but there’s something distinctly tired about them now. Vi’s been trying, but every day she has to put on her gauntlets means another day she has to focus on criminals rather than the one person who never treated her like one.

She slips as quietly as she can into the penthouse and locks the door, knowing Caitlyn is probably asleep. She always has atrociously early bedtimes, Vi thinks fondly.

Vi creeps up to their shared room and sets aside her bag, knowing Cait would probably shout at her for not putting it away. She’s too tired, so she merely tugs off her boots, jacket, and shirt and slips into bed beside Caitlyn’s immobile form.

She settles her arm around Caitlyn’s waist and wonders selfishly for a moment if she went to bed missing her. What kind of stupid question is that? Caitlyn’s said multiple times, made a point out of it, even, that the Kirammans aren’t sentimental people. But Vi isn’t a Kiramman, not yet and maybe not ever, fully, at least. And she’s nothing if not sentimental; sentimental like a sinking ship, she always said.

♡

Caitlyn spends the next day full of nervous anticipation. She’s excited in a way she hasn’t been in quite some time; it seems that she needed an excuse to spend time with Vi in more ways than one.

She knows Vi would insist that she needs no excuse; they are dating, after all. The way she says that kind of thing so easily makes Caitlyn’s stomach get all fluttery, always said in the same warm, proud tone as when she calls Cait her girl. Even now as she sits in her obnoxiously opulent office, she feels like a little girl with her cheeks flushed and her heart close to bursting out of her chest.

But duty calls, and today Caitlyn’s duty is to make Violet’s Valentine’s Day her most special yet. She places calls and walks to stores in between her shifts, and soon she’s booked a fancy restaurant (rather self-indulgent since Vi couldn’t care less about propriety and second salad forks), placed an order for a towering stack of gifts to arrive after they return to the penthouse, and of course purchased a large box of premium Zaunite chocolate. Caitlyn considers her job fairly well done.

She manages to get Vi to walk home with her at the end of the day. Violet seems unusually smiley and nervous, but that might be the twisting in Caitlyn’s own stomach. She twists her hands together and tucks them behind her back. “So, how was Zaun today?”

“Good,” Vi says. “Good. Very, um…yeah. Good.”

“Did you catch the criminal?” Caitlyn asks, attempting to make a joke but just succeeding in sounding horribly nervous.

Still, Vi has the decency to laugh. “Not yet, but we will.”

“Well, I suppose I will have to take your word for that,” Caitlyn says, a little lighter this time.

They stay quiet the rest of the way, though it’s not uncomfortable. Silence never is with Violet; Caitlyn is willing to bet that it’s a struggle for the girl to make anyone ill at ease – unless she’s waving her fists at them, that is.

They get back to the penthouse and Violet shifts away to put away her coat; Cait pulls out her neatly wrapped box of chocolate and sidles over.

When Caitlyn works up the nerve to go over (there’s really nothing to be worried about, Kiramman, she’s your girlfriend already, what is she going to say, no? Well, quite possibly), she finds Vi blushing furiously with a messy little bouquet clenched in one fist.

“Um,” says Vi. “I know today is a Piltie holiday, so I…” She gestures with the bouquet. “Will you be my valentine, cupcake?”

Caitlyn’s heart seems to melt out of her chest. “Yes, I – yes, Violet.”

Vi grins. “Good. That would be really awkward. I’m sorry, I planned for this to go a lot smoother – ”

“It’s all right,” says Caitlyn. “And I was going to ask you, as well, actually.”

She laughs. “Beat you to the punch, huh? Well, here – sorry they’re a bit sweaty.”

They are, but Caitlyn can’t find it in herself to mind. She doesn’t mind anything that night; all she can focus on is Violet’s luminous grin and stupid jokes and ridiculous hair. That’s all that ever matters, and Caitlyn was a fool to forget it. But she swears to Vi that she’ll never forget it again, and she means it more than she has ever meant anything in her life.

[sitkowski]

when it's time ( noah sebastian x nick folio )

pairing: noah sebastian x nick folio

cw: 18+ MDNI ⚠️  a massive amount of fluff and holiday related cliches. new boyfriends, first time, making out, hand jobs, anal sex, marking/biting, praise kink.

word count: 4.1k

author's note: happy valentine's day pals! bless everyone who gave a hand in this one, they know who they are. title comes from the green day song. divider by @saradika-graphics 🩵

⇉ masterpost || taglist signups

Nick finds the box of candy hearts in his bunk. There’s nothing special about it, just one of those little pink cartons they have out in every grocery, convenience store and gas station around this time of year. The colorful candies rattle around in the box noisily as he picks it up and eyes it almost suspiciously. It takes a few minutes to click that this is the first time ever he’s had a significant other on Valentine’s Day. He’s been used to Noah leaving him little presents for a while even before they began dating; an obscene enamel pin for his leather jacket, a hat he found at a truck stop in some no name town between shows. But somehow, this little box of candy means something else entirely.

This thing with him and Noah is so new, he can count on one hand the number of dates they went on before the tour began, and they haven’t exactly had the time to put much focus into their new relationship with the album doing so well and getting more shows booked. They were in a freaking bus now instead of their van, and it felt like it had come out of nowhere that they were on the rise that they were on going from the van to hotels to the bus. Nick felt secure with Noah, but he still saw the box of candy at some sort of sign. Instead of going to him and asking him about it, Nick goes to the person who knows Noah best.

“What does this mean?” he asks Nicholas, holding out the box to him.

“It’s candy, Folio. You eat it.”

Nick squints at him, contemplating chucking the box at his head. He’s only got so much time before Noah and Jolly are back from the interview they were doing. “No, I know that, genius. But Noah left them for me.”

“Oh,” Nicholas nods almost solemnly. “Well you see, when a boy likes another boy very much—”

His words are cut off when a candy heart hits him square in the forehead. 

Nick reminds himself that it was Nicholas who set him and Noah up in the first place, and he’s just being difficult because it’s his right as Noah’s best friend. That’s the only thing that keeps him from throwing another. He waits almost patiently while Nicholas stares at him in mock offense before he grabs the candy from where it had landed on his shirt and pops it into his mouth.

“Look, we’re gonna be at a hotel that night. Take him out, or get something to eat and watch some movies. He’s not gonna be expecting some big thing.”

As far as advice goes, it’s exactly what Nick needs to hear but he’s still not entirely convinced. “He won’t think that’s boring?”

“Believe me, all he’s going to care about is that he’s with you.” Nicholas laughs at him, not unkindly. “You’ll be fine.”

It takes everything Nick has to just nod and believe him. Things have been perfect with Noah, and he’s sure that he won’t need to do something big or elaborate when they haven’t even made this exclusive yet and he isn’t even sure if Noah actually likes the holiday beyond leaving him a little treat that cost him less than five bucks. And honestly all that really matters is that they’ll have a day off that he can spend with Noah. He can’t stop thinking about how well the two of them fit together. The holiday is irrelevant to whether or not they—Noah and Nick, Nick and Noah—work as a couple.

When Noah finds him later, he’s sprawled out on the back lounge sofa, watching reruns of Man vs. Food. Noah’s nose wrinkles as he watches the guy shovel half a pizza into his mouth just to win a t-shirt, before he finally turns his attention to Nick. He’s still got the candies, absently eating them as he watches the show. Some of them taste gross, but he still eats them because Noah gave them to him.

Nick doesn’t ask about the interview, just moves the box out of Noah’s way and sits up long enough to pull him down on the couch with him, until he fits himself into the space between Nick’s body and the sofa cushions. Nick twists around so that they’re face to face.

“Hi,” he says softly.

Noah gives him an amused look. “Hi yourself. Are you comfy now?”

“Yep,” Nick fishes around in the box and pulls out one of the green hearts, holding it up for him to read. It says kiss me on it in bright pink letters. “Hm, good advice.”

The first thing Nick ever heard from Noah when they met was his laugh, and he’s pretty sure he fell in love with him even if he didn’t know it at the time. Noah lets out one of those delighted laughs now, taking the candy from between Nick’s fingers before leaning over and kissing him like it suggested. It’s impossible to avoid the pleased noise that escapes him as Noah’s fingers gently curl around his jaw; Nick will never ever get tired of this. The taste of the candy still lingers on Noah’s tongue as it brushes against his and Nick reaches up to push Noah’s hair behind his ears, only for it to fall right back into both of their faces.

He slots a knee between Noah’s legs, if only to get closer to him. He’s content to just lay here and trade kisses until his lips are tingling and Noah’s practically half asleep in his arms. He thinks he feels the bus start to move, but he doesn’t want to disturb this moment if he doesn’t have to.

“Thank you. For the candy.” Nick says finally.

Noah hums and taps his fingers against the side of Nick’s face. “You’re welcome, baby.”

The endearment lights up something in Nick’s chest and he nudges his nose against Noah’s cheek before pressing a kiss there. He brings the candy box back up from where it’s been crushed between them, and pulls out another heart. This one is purple, with the writing a little faded. The imprinted words are still visible enough.

“What’s it say?” Noah asks.

Turning it around, Nick lets him read it. He watches the way Noah’s eyes crinkle when he smiles widely. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Nick pops the heart that says I love you into his mouth.

Noah likes waking up with Nick. He’s been doing it for years since they started touring, before they even thought of getting together. When they’d slept in the van, or crashed in someone’s basement after a show. They can’t really sleep beside one another in the bunks, no matter their height difference it just doesn’t work out comfortably. But when he wakes up alone, he’s confused and a little disappointed for a few seconds. He sees all of Nick’s stuff still tossed on the second bed with his and when he sits up, he finds the note stuck to the lamp shade that Nick had left. Relief settles in him when he realizes that he’s only gone to get breakfast.

When he hears the thudding knock against their door, he crawls out of bed. Nick’s on the other side and Noah blinks at him when he realizes that he’s loaded down with not only a tray of coffees for them, but food bags and a few plastic bags from the Walgreens down the road from the hotel. Nick leans up to drop a kiss on his cheek as he walks in, sitting everything down on the table by the window.

“I see you got more than breakfast,” Noah observes.

Nick pulls a coffee from the tray and hands it to him. It does something to Noah every time he notices little things like Nick having memorized his coffee preferences. The first hit of caffeine burns his tongue a little, and he looms over Nick’s shoulder as he starts to pull food out of bags.

“What else did you get?” he asks, eying the stuff from the drugstore. “If I had known you were gonna go on a shopping spree I’d have gotten up to go with you.”

Nick’s cheeks are pink when he picks up one of the bags and holds it out to Noah. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Whatever is in the bag is soft, and Noah drops back down on the bed to start going through it with excitement. He pulls out a variety of plush animals, each holding a little heart or having a saying on them. There’s an otter that says U R Otter This World, and a puppy with a bone that says I Woof You. Noah holds up a stuffed lamb with a t-shirt that says I Love Ewe, and he realizes he can’t stop smiling.

“I didn’t know which one you’d like, so I bought them all.” Nick mumbles.

“You are too fucking cute,” Noah sits aside his coffee and tugs on Nick’s hand, pulling him down onto his lap and kissing him softly. “Thank you. I love them all.”

Nick looks proud of himself and he tucks Noah’s hair behind his ears, bumping his forehead against his.

“There might be some other stuff in one of the bags for later.”

“Later, huh?” Noah grins and Nick’s face gets even more flushed. “You got plans up your sleeve for me, Nick Folio?”

“I…I meant candy, you perv,” Nick says but Noah knows that’s not entirely true. “C’mon, let’s eat breakfast before it gets cold.”

He squirms his way out of Noah’s lap and pulls him over to the table. Noah would tease him more, but the food smells good and he lets himself be distracted. He’s also completely enamored with Nick getting him breakfast and cute little gifts for the holiday. It’s not lost on him that he’s Nick’s first boyfriend. He likes that about him, and maybe there is a tiny part of him that is selfishly happy to be the first and hopefully the last.

“What do you say to getting a shower and doing some sightseeing?” Noah asks after they’ve finished eating.

“I’d like that,” Nick says and Noah gets up from the table. He holds out a hand and Nick gives him a look. “Oh, we’re showering together. That’s environmentally friendly.”

Laughing, Noah tugs on his hand, “Yeah that’s exactly what I was thinking about, water conservation.”

As soon as they’re in the bathroom, Nick strips out of his shirt and reaches into the shower stall to turn on the water. The bathroom fills with steam quickly and Noah tugs off his own shirt. He feels Nick’s eyes on him as they take off the rest of their clothes. He plants a hand in the middle of Noah’s chest, guiding him backwards until they’re both stepping into the stall. He can’t take his eyes off of him as he tips his head back under the spray. Nick’s watching him too, and the corner of his mouth tilts up as he runs his hands through his hair.

“Well? Are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna come closer? I thought we were sharing water.”

Noah doesn’t hesitate to fit himself into his space, putting his hands on Nick’s hips to turn him around so that he’s the one beneath the water now. Nick presses a kiss to the underside of Noah’s chin before grabbing his shampoo. They take turns beneath the water, not getting too distracted at first. But once they’re both rinsed off, Noah can’t help himself.

“Can I touch you?” he asks softly, pulling Nick close.

Nick answers him with a quick nod, before wrapping a hand around his wrist and guiding it down until Noah’s fingers close around him. His cock twitches in his grasp and Nick grins with a soft exhale. Noah moves his hand slowly, every sound escaping him shooting straight to his gut. He dips his head down and kisses his neck as he jerks him off, slow and easy.

"Fuck, this is so good," Noah murmurs with his lips against Nick's skin. He runs his hand up the length of Nick’s cock. "This is already so good."

“Noah,” Nick sighs out his name, hands coming up to grab onto the sides of his face and pull his mouth to his. His hips rock into Noah’s hand, the water falling around them starting to cool. Noah backs him up against the glass door and Nick whines against his mouth. “Please—”

“Okay, I’ve got you,” Noah promises, stroking him faster. Nick’s eyes clench shut and he knocks his head back against the door. “You’re so good, baby. So good for me. Just let me take care of you.” 

He pulls Nick’s full bottom lip between his teeth, nipping him just so and Nick groans, coming all over his hand. The water washes everything away and Noah leans back in to kiss him senseless. He pulls away, panting for air as Nick gets a hand between them, getting his hand on Noah’s cock. Unlike Noah, he doesn’t try to draw it out, fist moving fast enough that Noah’s knees nearly buckle. It shouldn’t surprise him how fast he’s able to find a rhythm, even like this.

“Do you want more?” Nick asks, still a little breathless. “I could—”

Noah cuts him off, shaking his head. He isn’t going to expect that from him when he’s never done something like this before. “No, this is perfect, just like this.”

“Okay,” he says lightly, even as he runs his thumb over the head of Noah’s cock, hard and steady. “You are gonna let me suck you off one day though, right?”

Noah lets out a disbelieving moan, his head falling forward to Nick’s shoulder. His answering laugh tickles Noah’s ear, and he turns his head to sink his teeth into Nick’s neck in retaliation. This only makes him stroke his cock faster, and Noah wonders what kind of publicity they’d get if he slipped and broke something in the shower while getting a handjob from his boyfriend slash bandmate on Valentine’s Day.

He’s already so close, just from this and from getting Nick off first. Noah brings one of his hands down, over Nick’s, guiding him. Nick tips his head back against the glass again, using his free hand to tug on Noah’s hair until he gets the message and kisses him. Every noise that Noah makes, he swallows down. 

“Are you gonna come for me, honey?” Nick asks.

Noah doesn’t answer with words, he simply comes, just like that.

Nick hasn’t been able to stop staring at Noah. They’ve been out wandering the town for a few hours, and it’s probably pretty shady of him that all Nick can think about is getting him back to their hotel room later. Every time he lets himself think about it, he can hear the sounds Noah was making in the shower, and Nick cannot turn his brain off. If Noah notices how twitchy he is, he doesn’t say anything. They’re sitting together in a quiet park, and when Noah catches him looking this time, he lifts their joined hands together and presses a kiss to Nick’s knuckles.

Nick fucking swoons.

Before he can say anything, an older woman approaches them. “Flower for your valentine?”

She’s got a basket of vibrant red roses hooked over one arm, and Nick gives Noah a little smile before reaching for his wallet. “How about two?”

He probably pays too much for two roses, but she hands them both one with a smile before heading off. Nick likes the way Noah lifts it to his nose and smells it. He laughs that laugh that Nick fell in love with.

“What’s that look for?”

Nick looks from his face to the roses again. “I just love you.”

“I love you too, Nicky,” Noah leans in and presses a quick kiss to his lips. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

They leave the park and go get lunch before they finally make their way back to the hotel. Nick can’t help but think of the things he’s got tucked among the candies in his shopping bags. And maybe he waits until Noah’s a little distracted before he starts lighting the little candles that he bought, placing them around the room. He’s hyper aware when he’s finally being watched.

Noah’s mouth twists. “You know my history with candles right?”

“You won’t be touching the candles, you’ll be touching me.”

“In my defense, I wasn’t touching the candle then either—”

Nick grabs Noah by his shirt and kisses him until he stops talking. He manages to put out a hand and find the light switch, leaving the room lit only by the candles. Gently, he shoves Noah down until he’s sitting on the end of the bed.

“You’re gonna fuck me in this bed,” he declares. “We’ll order some room service for dinner, watch some trash tv and maybe you can fuck me again in the morning before bus call. If that works for you.”

Noah’s mouth opens and then closes, and he draws in a deep breath before trying again. “Yeah, that works for me.”

Nick nods and tries to step back but Noah latches onto his hips and yanks, until he falls into his chest and they both fall back onto the mattress. Nick squirms impatiently but lets Noah kiss him, until they’re both out of air and then they start pulling at each other’s clothes.

“Have you ever done this before?” Nick asks as Noah’s leaning back to tug off his jeans.

“Once or twice. It’s been a while though,” Noah looks up at him, raking at hand through his hair to get it out of his eyes. “This might sound incredibly cliche, but it’s different with you, Nick.”

“I believe you.”

They manage to get out of the rest of their clothes in a comfortable silence and Nick watches as Noah backs away long enough to grab the bottle of lube from the bag. He didn’t think to get condoms, but he trusts Noah enough to be okay with that. When Noah turns back around to look at him, Nick can see the love in his eyes and it makes it hard to breathe.

Crawling back over him, Noah brushes his fingers over Nick’s cheek and rocks forward so that their cocks slide along each other. It draws a gasp from Nick and when his lips fall open a bit, Noah leans in to kiss him. He presses him further into the mattress and distracts him with kisses again, hips rolling into his every now and then. He cups a hand under Nick’s jaw, tipping his head back so he can drag his mouth down his throat, sucking bruises here and there as he goes.

“I’ve gotta get you ready, baby,” Noah murmurs into his skin, and Nick nods rapidly. “Just relax for me.”

 It takes him more than a few minutes to actually relax, but Noah’s so patient with him that it almost brings tears to his eyes. He lets Noah ease his legs apart and he only twitches a little when he hears the snap of the lube bottle cap. The first brush of fingers against his hole makes Nick jolt, but Noah strokes his free hand over his thigh, whispering calming words to him as he slowly presses first one finger into him, and then a second when he starts to relax more.

When he curls his fingers against Nick’s prostate, Nick reaches down and grabs at the sheets, arching up into it. “Another,” he begs and Noah does what he asks without question, adding a third.

Nick’s pretty sure he could come like this, and Noah would probably let him. But that’s not what he wants. He thinks about begging, about promising him that he’s ready for more, but he knows that Noah won’t give him what he wants until he’s sure.

“You gonna tell me what you want again?” Noah asks, slowing his fingers down.

Nick makes a desperate noise, back arching off the bed. “I wanna come on your cock.”

If he’d been looking at Noah, he would have seen the slack jawed expression that came across his face hearing those words, but he’d closed his eyes up until the moment that he pulled his fingers out and crawled back up Nick’s body, kissing him hard.

“Turn over for me,” Noah says, and Nick blinks up at him. “On your side.”

Nick moves how he wants him to, his breath coming out in harsh pants as he looks back over his shoulder and watches Noah slick up his cock. He spoons up behind Nick, pressing his face into his shoulder. One of his hands reaches down to push Nick's knee up and over, and he lets out a surprised moan because he didn't think it could be like this, the way Noah's opening him up now, nudging into him slowly. He can feel himself shaking and he fights the urge to grind back against him. Noah clamps his arm over him to keep him still as he pushes all of the way in.

"Hang on baby, stay still for me," he mutters against the side of Nick's face.

"Noah," he gasps, reaching up to grab onto the arm wrapped around him.

"I know, I know. I've got you."

Noah holds him close and rocks into him, slow and deep. His face presses into Nick's neck again, his hand sliding up to hold onto the underside of his jaw, pulling him back into his shoulder. A whine stutters out of Nick and he reaches down to wrap his hand around his own cock. It isn't easy but he manages to match the slow movements of Noah's cock moving inside of him.

It's not lost on him that they're not fucking, they’re making love.

"More, Noah," Nick begs, and he hears Noah choke on a breath behind him.

"Okay," he murmurs and that's all the warning he really gets.

Noah pushes at Nick's hip, changing the angle, and he drapes himself over him, hips snapping into his as he fucks him hard and deep. Nick squeezes his eyes shut, a moan forced out of him on every thrust. The tension in his stomach pulls tight like a string and then snaps, and he comes all over his fist. Noah fucks him through it, pushing him over onto his stomach. Nick moves pliantly, unable to do much more than grasp the sheets between his fingers and press his face into the bend of his arm as Noah's thrusts turn desperate and unsteady.

"Can I come inside you?"

Nick hadn't even thought about it, but he finds himself begging Noah to do so. He feels Noah press into him and go still, a jagged whine escaping him as he does exactly what Nick tells him he can. Nick can feel it and he reaches back to grab onto Noah’s hip, holding him there until he stops coming.

After, Noah presses kisses along the back of Nick’s shoulder, keeping a hand on Nick’s hip as he gently pulls out. Nick can’t help but squirm a little, but then he feels Noah’s weight settle into his back and he twists around as much as he can to kiss him.

“We should shower,” He makes a negative noise against Noah’s mouth at his suggestion, wanting nothing more than to keep him close. Noah laughs, and Nick melts. “Come on Nicky, I’m pretty sure there’s still room service and trash tv in this plan of yours.”

He relents, letting Noah pull him from the bed and towards the bathroom.

Noah wakes up with Nick pressed into his back, making him the little spoon. He squints at the time, trying to do the mental math of how long they have until bus call. It’s still a few hours away, and he remembers Nick telling him something the night before about having his way with him before they leave the hotel. His eyes catch on the two roses in a glass of water on the nightstand, and he can’t help but smile before he turns over in Nick’s arms. They can sleep a little longer.

Of course, they nearly miss bus call. They’re the last ones across the parking lot and they shove their stuff into the bay before making their way up the steps. As soon as their friends see them, they’re met with wolf whistles and catcalls. It doesn’t help that Nick’s got a spectacular set of hickeys above the collar of his hoodie and Noah’s shirt is on inside out. He’s also got the stuffed animals from Nick tucked beneath the strap of his carry on against his chest.

“I see you took my advice.” Nicholas says as Nick goes past, knocking fists with him.

⇉ taglist

Nick looks back over his shoulder, giving Noah a smile. “Something like that.”

@ladyveronikawrites @circle-with-me @deathblacksmoke @dominuslunae

@rumoured-whispers @cookiesupplier @kinseysucks @collapsedglasshouses

@thatchickwiththecamera @th4t-em0-k1d @blackveilomens @illmakeyousaywow

@kait16xo @wonh0z

@malice-ov-mercy @itsjustforce @darksigns-exe @baddestomens

@collidewiththesavannah @sorrowsofsilence @fadingangelwisp

if you ’d like to be added to the taglist, you can find the form at the top of this fic! thanks for reading/reblogging 🩷

[mint-ty]

Since the Lithuanian band Katarsis is new to me too, I made a summary of this interview that was filmed after LT semi-final. (youtube video)

They say they're very surprised about getting through the LT semi-final (when this interview was filmed) and it's amazing how many people have listened to their song.

Did they watch the semi-final on the tv? (the shows were prerecorded).

Alan: no, I was a bit scared and spent the day in bed watching random series, only turned on the TV for the final voting :D and when we passed I rewinded the whole show to watch from the beginning.

Why Eurovision?

Lukas: in the beginning it was just like a joke among us like "oh let's go to Eurovision!:D" but then after looking more into it, it seemed like a good experience and opportunity. Hardest was to convince Emilija and Alanas to sign for it.

Alanas: yeah I didn't want to participate for myself, I didn't think our music would be welcomed maybe on such a big scale, but the band is more important so I wanted to fight with my fear and do this for my friends:)

Lukas: there's a lot of skepticism around underground musicians for both Eurovision and TV in general. But after thinking about it longer we decided there's nothing we would lose by trying.

Have you ever played on Žalgiris Arena stage before? (currently the biggest stage in LT)

Alan: yeah once :D another warm-up band needed a back-up guitarist and asked me in. It was nice:D

Is there anything you want or plan to change for the LT Finals performance?

Lukas: maybe the whole entrance? we're not used to tv stages so just when to start a song is communicated well in my opinion. But for the song itself we try not to think too much and keep everything that is as now.

How hard is it to pretend to play the instruments on stage, since only the vocals are live?

Alanas: yeah it was hard, since it doesn't feel like you even need to be there on the stage. I really wanted to pretend like Kurt Cobain overly acting in that one TV show or something like that :D I think it's better to do it with less perfection, but to do it live.

Have you played the song before?

Lukas: no, it never has been finished to the very end. When we will play it now, it for sure will sound different from how it sounded before in our rehearsals. In live gigs we can adapt the songs much more to the audience and the feeling, but this song obviously will have to stay closer to the recorded version from now on, with back vocals phonogram and all.

What is the song about?

Lukas: I don't really know honestly, the song changed so many times and had so many meanings to me, that now it doesn't mean anything in particular. Maybe it's about relationships. It also can mean anything to the listener, however he understands the song.

So is it about a relationship with a particular person?

Lukas: no, it had many forms and now it's just a ball of a feeling in general, so it's really hard to say what it's about.

What about the part "tavo" in the end of the song? people even count how many times it was said and say it's too many times.

Lukas: the original song was even longer, over 4 minutes, so we actually concenced it. I used the sound of "tavo" as an additional which I think sounded cool :D

How did Katarsis start?

Lukas: first I was alone, just playing music as a teenager in my bedroom. My first recorded song from a phone is even still on soundcloud. Then I got invited to several gigs and saw that playing by myself was very difficult, and started looking for a band, and here we are eventually.

Where is the name "Katarsis" from?

Lukas: I really like movies and theater, and at the time I was in a sort of movie camp, and heard this word and really liked it. Now it also has a meaning of "letting out your feelings", which I think fits our music style well.

You say you are an alternative music underground band, but I wouldn't call you underground because you have another song Vasarą Galvoj Minoras that has 3mln on spotify and even got an award. How many gigs do you do? I heard people sweep your tickets?

Lukas: recently they don't sweep our tickets anymore, maybe that's why we went to Eurovision :D we had a period when everyone wanted to hear just that one song, now our gigs are smaller but people actually know our songs and want something new, so that is very lovely

Are you afraid Tavo Akys might be your most popular song now, that you'll have to play as the finishing one for many gigs to come?

Lukas: not really, no. Even Vasarą Galvoj Minoras we weren't playing in the end. Usually in the middle somewhere, and recently I don't think we played it at all.

Alanas: I don't really like that song so I'm happy we're not playing that :D I had told that to Lukas too :D I joined the band after it was already released.

How did the band come together? since each of you have also your individual music projects and other bands that you also play in, like Emilija has a duet band with her partner, you Alan are playing for another band and also have your individual EP, and etc.

Alanas: I was asked to join by our drummer Jokūbas, since we were coursemates in uni.

Lukas: and Jokūbas came to the band to replace the previous drummer before I even knew the old drummer wanted to leave :D he said to me one time we met in a fest "I heard you're looking for a drummer?" and I was "no?.." :D but I did call him later to join after all.

Questions from the listeners: Any bands that influence your music?

Lukas: honestly I try to listen less at the moment because I don't want to pick any influence. So I can't say if there was any influence before. Recentry I liked some wild noise electronic songs, and maybe Orillia(?) Shadow song from the 90s I think.

Any rituals before going on stage?

Both: nope

Alan: tune my guitar :D

Have you noticed more alternative music going to Eurovision stage? Would you like to see more bands like yours on Lithuanian stage?

Both: honestly we weren't following previous eurovisions that closely, maybe only the finals..

Lukas: yes of course. It always feels like eurovision songs are just a repeat of the same. I'd especially love to see more unique music, I think Lithuania has a lot to offer not only for our stage but for all Europe. Something like Molchat Doma has done by Belarussians, I think we can really find good music to uplift among ourselves too.

Do you expect to do gigs outside in other European countries?

Both: we weren't even expecting to pass the semi-final :D

Alanas: but yeah I'd love to try playing abroad. I had talked with fellow musicians and it sounds like an amazing experience.

What about lithuanian language in the songs?

Lukas: I love that it has been becoming more popular. I always enjoy hearing native language in foreign songs too, so I hope there will be more of that.

Who worked on the LED visuals on the screen?

Lukas: it was Ignas Blažys, a graphic designer, but he feels like a part of our band now since he helped so much with the visuals. We might change something a bit for later on the screen, I don't know yet, we'll see.

How about a choerography on the stage? are you planning anything?

Lukas: yeah we planned - walking around a bit :D we might need to think about that too, but for sure we don't want any hard choreography because it won't feel organic then and we want the song to feel natural.

The cameras should be catching me, not me catching the cameras.

Interviewer: not how eurovision works, but good luck :D

Are you scared a bit about going to Basel? Have you kept several free weeks in May just in case?

Alanas: I didn't.. :D maybe I should cancel my works just in case..

Lukas: to be honest we're not expecting to go to Basel, so we're not scared and we're trying to enjoy the experience. Maybe if we win, then we will be scared I think :D

Do you have some jobs outside of music that might be impacted by a trip to Basel?

Alanas: I teach guitar, so I might need to cancel few weeks of lessons :D

Lukas: I work as a video editor, mostly because I need a salary. Also I wanted to say thank you very much for everyone who believe in us and write lovely comments, they really go to my heart ♡

Do you write song lyrics by hand?

Lukas: no I write to notes on computer or on my phone. I'm that generation already.. :D I don't think I have a ballpen at home... :D

Just for curiosity, are you right or left-handed?

Lukas: I think we're all right-handed in the band.

If you meet Tommy Cash, what would you talk about? :D

Alanas: oh wow, I don't even know, I'm a bit intimidated I think.. :D he's an amazing artist and performer and I have huge respect for him, I don't know.. It's like when I was a child and saw Marilyn Manson, what would I even say? :D

Interviewer: I had a chance to be in the same party with Marilyn Manson two times - he is as creepy as he looks :D But with Tommy Cash I'm sure you'd find a common topic if you both meet, especially that his music is also considered alternative to some level.

How old are you?

Alanas: 23, Lukas: 22

Are you planning an English version of Tavo Akys?

Both: for sure no.

Have you got a katarsis feeling when you passed the semi-finals?

Lukas: maybe not katarsis, euphoria maybe? when we passed I was super happy for a bit and then I got worried what next, another 2 weeks of work. But then, before now I had half of year of free time and I wasn't feeling too well myself to be honest, so now with a full schedule of things to do I'm feeling much happier and fuller as a person.

Have you checked reactions from foreigners to your song? do you read comments?

Alanas: yeah I love reading comments :D some of them are very creative, I also screenshot and post some to our group chat :D

Lukas: youtube reactions are also funny, they really don't say anything, but yeah we've seen some.

Any potential collabs or wishes?

Lukas: we're actually planning a collab song with another band Velvet vocalist.

Any more plans? for albums or such for this year?

Lukas: we have some gigs planned for this summer, but with new releases we'll see, maybe.

Did you have a strategy for going to eurovision?

Lukas: I think the main strategy was just to try and see, get some experience, try for ourselves so we don't feel stuck.

Interviewer: Thank you everyone and good luck.

[buckydeservesthebest]

Dude, I think you deliberately ignored much of what I said about Bucky's reasons for disagreeing with Sam's decision to put the shield in government hands, but I have no problem with explaining it again. As well as clarifying your clear ignorance of Bucky's trauma and the grief he was dealing with.

Bucky was selfish as fuck, what do you mean? He ghosted Sam for months, literally was called out for ignoring all of Sam's attempts to reach out in therapy

Bucky was going through the grief of Steve's death, not only the only family he had left from his original life but the only person who truly believed in him. Bucky is known for isolating himself from everyone when he's going through a bad time, that's what he did at the end of TWS. And I can say from my own experience that when you go through the horrible experience of losing a loved one you just want to get away from everyone.

And besides, did you even think about what was the content of the messages Sam sent him? In an interview with Seb and Anthony for TFATWS publicity, Anthony clarified that those messages were "hey, did you kill someone?". Who could blame Bucky for not wanting to respond to those messages that are nothing more than a mockery of the 70 years of slavery he was forced to live under Hydra's control?? History that Sam knows perfectly well.

But after months the one time he decided to show face is when he came to lay guilt and blame at Sam's feet fer the shit he was feeling.

Oh now it turns out that Bucky showed up for no apparent reason. Are you serious?

The last Bucky knew regarding Sam and the shield was that he *agreed* to take the mantle and said he would do his best, that happened to Bucky's face. Now he comes to find out from a TV news story that Sam gave up the shield for no apparent reason and that because of that now the government was able to choose their own Captain America, one who was clearly NOT the right person for the position as he did not did not represent any of the values that Steve conveyed.

After Steve's death, Sam remained in possession of the shield for a time without having taken up the mantle as Cap, continuing to maintain his alias as Falcon and continuing to serve the Air Force. Bucky never had a problem with that, never had a problem with Sam not having taken the mantle. His discomfort, which is totally justified, was that Sam made the bad decision to put the shield in the hands of the one who could misuse it: the government, the same government that is still infested with Hydra pawns and the same one that wanted to have the Avengers under their control. Of course the government wasn't even an option to let them have custody of a Vibranium shield. No need to even explain more reasons.

'If he was wrong about you, then he was wrong about me.' Is literally him centering himself in Sam's strife

Ignoring the full context to try to make Bucky look bad. The problem with the doubt about Steve's judgement of Bucky is NOT just that it "hurt his feelings" and that's it, NO, but that it's an implication that Steve was wrong to believe that Bucky is not the Winter Soldier and that he is in fact "a ruthless murderous monster in his DNA, who is destined to end up hurting someone".

Ending up hurting someone no matter how hard he tries is literally Bucky's greatest fear, which is why Ayo tried to reassure him by telling him "I won't let you hurt anyone" before reciting the code words, putting the Winter Soldier at risk of waking up. That fear of ending up hurting someone innocent is the opposite of being selfish, because literally Bucky is thinking about the good of others and not himself.

a place where he never considered Sam's point of view as a black man in a country built and still thriving on racism.

As I said before, literally the last Bucky knew was that Sam accepted the shield, and now he suddenly finds out that he gave it up for no real apparent rationale.

The TFATWS script is so poorly written that it didn't allow for any real development for us to actually believe that Sam gave up the shield because of racial issues, because literally the only person who told him that the world wouldn't want a black Captain America was another black man, Isaiah. Absolutely no one else even hinted that people wouldn't want to accept Sam as the new Cap.

In fact Rhodes (who by that point wasn't written as a Skrull) asked him why he didn't take the mantle, and never made a reference to public rejection of him for being black. Even when Sam appeared as the new Cap at the end of episode 6 he received nothing but applause and appreciation.

And even if it was all just Bucky being mad Walker had the opportunity to exist,

Bucky wasn't angry because he didn't want anyone else to be Captain America, but because he knew Walker was NOT the right person. Not only did John come across as someone arrogant who just wanted to prove he could fill Steve's shoes, but he was basically what Ross and the government wanted to turn Steve into by forcing him to sign the Accords, a government lapdog who would do whatever they asked him to do. And ultimately, Bucky proved to have good instincts in knowing that Walker wasn't fit to take the mantle after the brutal murder he committed.

he's still taking that anger out on Sam without ever discussing how Sam felt through any of it, which he could've done had he answered the dayum phone.

Nothing Bucky said to Sam was intended to make him feel bad, otherwise he would have used really hurtful comments like Sam didn't deserve the shield or that Steve should never have trusted him, etc, which never happened. All Bucky did was express his displeasure (which was totally justified) and try to convince Sam to do something about it and get the shield back, but Sam never wanted to do anything until the brutal public murder of Nico had to happen.

And NO, there is NO proof that any of Sam's messages were to talk to Bucky about the shield. Again, Anthony himself confirmed that those messages were nothing more than taunts to Bucky. Had this been the case, it is something Sam would have told Bucky when they met, telling him that he tried to talk about the shield but Bucky didn't answer him, and that is NOT the case.

Besides, if Sam had the nerve to say that the shield had nothing to do with Bucky, when after all the time living with Steve he should know perfectly well that it's false, do you really think he would bother to comment to Bucky about his decision about the shield? Of course not, if he didn't even apologize to Bucky for underestimating the importance that the shield represented to him.

Then he inserts himself into Sam's mission

Correction. Bucky offered his help to Sam so he wouldn't have to deal with a terrorist group of super strength people alone. Had it not been for Bucky being there, the FS would most likely have seriously injured Sam.

and makes a whole ass decision to help a murdering bigot from prison, one who tried to frame him when killing the Wakanda king and refered to his death and others as collateral damage. The hurt those actions caused did not factor into Bucky's need for answers. Selfish ass behavior.

Oh god, tell me you don't understand any of the context of the situation without telling me... 🤦‍♀️

The nonsensical plot that retconned Zemo into "the greatest Hydra expert" when that's not what we saw from him in CW, made his assistance necessary to figure out how the serum was recreated.

The canon book The Art of TFATWS literally says that Bucky did the right thing by enlisting Zemo's help, and this is something Sam himself supported. And the thing is that Zemo was not only responsible for T'Chaka's death, but he was an abuser of Bucky himself and one of the people who hurt him the most, if it was truly difficult for anyone to have to assist him in his escape and have to interact with him, it was for Bucky. But this is something that almost no one notices.

Much of the fandom complains that Bucky was supposedly "mean" to Sam, but no one talks about Sam's horrible ableist and victim-blaming attitudes towards Bucky. Sam kept cracking jokes about Bucky's condition, as if being part cyborg wasn't a result of the torture Hydra subjected him to. Calling him a "cyborg" and a "staring killing machine who killed almost everyone he met" is extremely offensive to a mind control victim who was enslaved and stripped of his agency for 70 years.

Sam is supposed to provide therapy to war veterans suffering from PTSD but he never made the attempt to empathize with Bucky, instead holding him responsible for a situation in which he had no agency and telling him that he "has to do the job and put himself out there for others". This being one of the most victim-blaming comments that can be made as Bucky is a VICTIM and doesn't have to do any work because he is not responsible at all for a situation in which he had his literal ability to control his actions taken away from him, and this is something Sam knows perfectly well.

Sam could also lash out at Bucky because he didn't talk about Isaiah's existence, when this is something Isaiah didn't want talked about and when Bucky also had no obligation to be the one to reveal it to the public, but Bucky has no right to express his displeasure with Sam's bad decision to have put the shield in the hands of the government who could misuse it, this being what literally happened? That's a totally unfair double standard.

After watching the only scene in BNW that mattered to me, I wanna emphasize how important it is that bucky says one of the most emotionally mature things that a character has said in the MCU in a long while.

He asks sam “Why?”

He doesn’t correct Sam. Tell him he’s wrong. He doesn’t make the moment about himself.

It shows that Bucky fucking grew after TFATWS. a show where he is so self-obsessed (because of his trauma which isn’t inherently his fault) that he rarely considers Sam’s emotions.

Bucky Barnes has one of the best arcs in the MCU, and I think him even saying “I love you” is another sign that he is frankly pretty damn emotionally intelligent and either the writers or Sebastian Stan decided that it was important to include.

[akuasucc]

conducted another interview and this one was better than the last

[faaun]

Jack Marsh (2005), Friendship Otherwise - Toward a Levinasian Description of Personal Friendship

[imunbreakabledude]

i miss writing donald shaw so much. it's wild that i forget sometimes that in canon he really is just an asshole who works at taco bell. like when i see a gif/clip of that bit i just can't help but smile and almost tear up a bit because i'm like HE GAVE UP EVERYTHING FOR HER... AND SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW!!! writing my most recent fic i honestly had to stop myself from somehow making it about him, a little bit, because I'm like: the saddest part isn't even that maeve died and both elena and annie lost her... the saddest part is maeve died thinking her dad didn't love her!!!! donald shaw you are my most unexpected favorite character i can't believe the only canonical facts about you are that you are a gambling addict who owns a taco bell franchise location

[socialitesleuth]

Her porcelain cup clinked as she returned it to the saucer. Her evening tea was usually always enjoyed by the fire. During winter, the hologrammatic logs would be lit, warming up the drawing room and casting a soft, hazy glow across the ornate furnishings. In summer, the imagery of the logs would still shine brightly just without the setting for warmth.

Only when a situation drastically needed her attention was Penelope pulled away from her normal routine.

She sat instead in front of a hologrammatic screen. Her day had been filled with the pointless visit to the Fulcra headquarters in London, in the hope of securing some sort of meeting. If she’d have known the futility of it, Penelope wouldn’t have wasted her time on such a useless mission. With the time she had ended up wasting she could have gone through these files she was currently looking at twice over.

There was no time like the present, however. Penelope cycled through the various documents that Parker had earlier collated for her: articles, interviews, news reviews, tabloid gossip columns, prototype deconstructions, lab reports and more, trying to find something that would link the destruction that Gordon had reported to her earlier that morning to the company’s work.

She’d almost decided to call it a night when her comms device informed her of Gordon’s reply. Penelope opened her faux compact and read over his message. 

COMMS START

What can I say? I’m nothing if not efficient! In all honesty, I had been expecting a different sort of pushback, the usual kind that takes weeks and weeks to get somewhere; where the secretary is deployed over and over, ordered to delay the inquiring persons with a multitude of different, ridiculous excuses until said persons are too exhausted or infuriated to continue their enquiries. I was surprised when they just gave me the cold shoulder from the start.

Still, that doesn’t mean this whole business is over. Something truly is suspect here. Your squid senses have rarely lead you astray before, correct? I’d wager they aren’t about to begin now.

Randall, or rather Fulcra, is a company of interest, though I fear the meaning of ‘interest’ may change rather dramatically by the time we see this through.

I am glad to hear you’re working on ‘rest’. I do hope you mean that. And I do hope Thunderbird Four is an easy fix.

As for the ‘date’, normally I’d say I could manage it myself but something about this whole business tells me I shouldn’t be underestimating Price… Alright, I’ll use the Plus One. Tell your brother he can come by the manor and we’ll go from there. It’s black tie, though I’m sure that won’t be a problem.

COMMS END

:COMMS BEGIN:

Lady P,

Sorry for the early morning comms, hope this doesn’t wake you too early - I make it just after 5 your time.

We’re just finishing up a mission in the Persian Gulf - a luxury hotel collapsed overnight, on an island just offshore Doha. Only built two years ago, whole place is pretty new and shiny.

Been a rough night, Pen - fifteen we were too late to help, including two kids. Just families on vacation...

Anyway, victims are saying they felt tremors, it certainly looks like a quake from the debris now the sun is up and J is absolutely confident it came from beneath the sea bed (absolutely being a rather irritated direct quote, so I’m not asking again).

But… this isn’t a quake hot zone. It doesn’t make any sense, and there haven’t been any aftershocks either while we’ve been working. Five can’t get a good read because of the debris and mineral interference underground. The whole place is on top of the enormous old oil fields, and it sends the scanners haywire.

The company that owns the hotel has set my squid sense off though. Name’s Fulcra, I’ve sent you the profile on them. Ran by a guy named Randall Price. He’s a venture capitalist from Houston originally, but the company’s HQ is a London address. That’s as far as I’ve managed to get.

They own a couple of the small artificial islands around here that are being used as tourist hotspots. Think luxury waterfront villas on stilts kinda stuff, the hotel that’s collapsed was the biggest. Nice place, high end, lots of good dive spots.

This area’s all under a World Heritage protected marine environment permit for a biosphere reserve. They’ve spent decades trying to replenish the mangroves and coastal vegetation after what the oil fields and production did to the waters here, the aquatic populations are only just starting to rise comfortably. I didn’t understand how they even got permission for this sort of work but…

They’ve got a giant platform further out in the Gulf that’s supposedly ‘cleaning the sea’ and helping to replenish the sea bed. Seems to be some sort of agreement that they can build these resorts, in exchange for what appears to be green work. I tried to get a proper look at the platform in Four, out of interest, but they’ve got laser nets up. I got an autoturret my way for trying to go any further in the exosuit…

I’d like to think they’re just really protecting that biosphere, but I don’t get a nice eco-friend impression.

My gut says I’m getting Hydrexler vibes, and you were right about that oily CEO last time. I’m not sure I want to be right, but I do want to know what’s going on here… and I thought you might too, as our resident top agent with a passion for all things Earth-saving.

So, I thought I’d hand it over to you, and let you do what you do best - cosying up to the billionaires and getting them to spill the tea.

Lemme know if you know or find anything on them. We’re going to be here another couple of hours, finishing up stabilising the debris field and having another run through, and then heading back. S managed to get the Price guy on comms briefly, but he wasn’t much for talking. Maybe you’ll have more luck.

G 🦑

:COMMS END:

FIRST DATE?

The flickering light and the soft buzz from her compact device caught her off-guard. Penelope, who had positioned herself in an armchair beside her tall windows after giving up on sleep half an hour earlier, sat herself up a little straighter. The blanket which she’d wrapped around herself was pulled tighter to her frame as her eyes read the message.

The hour might have been earlier and, on any other day, Penelope might very well have still been sleeping, but today was different. She rubbed her tired eyes as they scanned Gordon’s words. At first, she’d hoped it had been something akin to a social call. She rather enjoyed those, especially when they came from Gordon, but the more she read, the more Penelope realised it was anything but that.

Her interest peaked as she reached Gordon’s conspiracy.

Her mouth grew dry when she reached Gordon’s information.

The blanket was thrown off her body and Penelope stood. With her comms device still in hand, her eyes still darting from left to right as she continued her reading, she crossed her bedroom and gently tugged on the bell. 

Minutes passed before a very sleepy Parker knocked on her bedroom door. Penelope, having only just finished Gordon’s message, opened it.

“Terribly sorry to wake you, Parker, but it seems we have a situation. I need you to cancel my schedule for today and then get me all we have on the company known as Fulcra. CEO is a man named Randall Price.”

“But, m’lady, that’s—”

“I’m perfectly aware of that, thank you, Parker. See if you can arrange a meeting of some kind, if that’s at all possible.”

Parker nodded, still more asleep than he was awake, before he trundled off down the hallway to make good of his ladyship’s requests.

Penelope returned to chair by the window and curled herself back up. The sun was just beginning to rise on the horizon as she typed out her reply.

COMMS BEGIN

@squidsinashirt, Thank you for your concern �� I shall look into this and get back to you when I

Penelope ceased her typing and sighed. She knew it wasn’t fair to lie to him, not after her sent her looking. A moment or two passed before Penelope deleted her previous sentence and began to re-type it. 

COMMS BEGIN

Gordon,

This company?

I shall look into this as you requested but, I must warn you, you may not like what I find. Randall Price is… let us say a man I am already familiar with, or rather his business is. What I can tell you is that, for the most part, Fulcra is celebrated as a rather clean company, but that doesn’t always mean much — you were right to mention Hydrexler. The Persian Gulf was supposed to remain a protected marine environment, at least that was how I understood it. I’ll ask some of my World Heritage connections what they know too, see if I can get a bigger picture for you.

Give me a couple of days. I’ll try and, what was it you said? Cosy up to the billionaire? Get him to spill the tea? Parker is going to try and get me an appointment but, if that fails, I do have an alternative plan.

Do try and get some rest once you’ve finished up. The mission in Doha sounds like it’s been a terribly distressing situation for all involved. You know I am always here if you need to talk about it. Any of it.

I’ll be in touch once I hear something.

Stay safe, 

Penny x

COMMS END

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

Once upon a time, names held weight. Penelope had thought that Scott’s name had simply been too tied up with International Rescue for Randall Price to give him the time of day… until she too was ushered away once the more difficult questions were asked. From her other sources, Penelope had heard only rave reviews of the company. Yet something felt… off.

It was just after dinner when Penelope began her second message to Gordon.

COMMS BEGIN

It's too clean. Not sure what’s going on but I definitely sense something. Plan B is in operation. Randall Price might not have wanted to speak to me today, but he did invite me to his Charity Ball this weekend — I’ll see if I can find out more then.

I’m hoping you returned home safe and sound and that you managed to have a good rest. I suppose it’s my turn to apologise if this message wakes you. 

Penny x

COMMS END