#i think this is going to get cut from the final anyway so it can live on as a snippet ig

[dontmixpaintinyourcoffee]

This one goes out to all the bitches who love some good Safehouse Era Horror. It's me, I'm bitches. I want Jon and Martin to be fucked up and eldritch but I want them to be fucked up and eldritch and loved

(Notes under the cut because I can't help myself. Heads up, I do go into some detail of how Jon gets injured so I can explain my thought process for how I designed his scars. All canon-typical and fairly clinical in tone.)

Here's how I picture Safehouse Jon!

He doesn't need glasses anymore by this point, so he should just be wearing empty frames, but I drew this before I settled on my glasses headcanons. This drawing looks better with the reflection anyways.

He hasn't gotten a haircut since before his promotion to Head Archivist. He doesn't love the weight of it on his neck, but he also uses it to fidget, and he really doesn't want to go through the whole process of cutting it. He's disliked haircuts since he was a kid (People: Bad. Small talk: Bad. Touching: Bad. Loud sounds: Bad. People talking all at once: Bad) and since his time with the Circus he's only grown more reluctant to go and get it done.

At this length his hair is naturally pretty curly but he is. Not taking care of it. I actually put a lot of effort into trying to make it look brittle and tangled (I have a lot of experience lol, my hair is quite thick and I've always hated taking care of it. Yes I am also projecting my feelings about going to a hairdressers onto him why do you ask.)

The various scars were a bit of a strange task, but anyone who has seen my takes on The Bad Kids knows I'm not averse to selective realism in my fiction. Easiest one was the neck, I always pictured Daisy making a vertical cut based on "through the voice box". The larynx is longer than it is wide, so I think Daisy would go for the method that dealt damage across the largest total surface area. Yes I am aware that I'm speaking the same way Martin does when he explains his corkscrew.

The worm scars were easy because I barely drew any. There are a few marks on his cheek, but they're just surface bites. I picture most of his encounter with Prentiss showing on his legs, particularly on the right side, with enough damage there that he starts using a cane after the incident to keep weight off his right leg. More research to be done on this particular detail.

Finally the burn on his hand from Jude. This was the weirdest one to figure out just because of the nature of the injury. How do you quantify the damage done to an epidermis by a living manifestation of sometimes-boiling wax that can heat and cool at will? I settled on it being a second-degree burn that healed supernaturally fast, containing the damage to the space Jude had direct contact with. He'd probably have some mobility issues there as well. I know there are ways to help with mobility and pain after a severe burn, but I don't know how much of it Jon would actually. Do. Like I said, definitely further research to be done on these last two.

Hey so I'm gonna ask you to stop and consider the horror of the watcher. The helplessness. The guilt. The inherent terror of being a spectator, a participant by proximity but not by action. The horror of not being able to look away, of being a bystander. Jon forgets to blink sometimes. But wouldn't it be so much worse if there were no eyelids at all? That's how I interpret the description of The Archivist being "All Eyes" :D

I love a good Many-Eyed Jon, so I whipped up my own interpretation here. I think the more he Becomes the more he starts to resemble the thing from the dreams. He has a lot more control of it in S5, but it still creeps up on him and he has to consciously go back to a human shape.

[allthingsfangirl101]

Friendly Set-Up – Glen Powell

"Plleeeeeaaaassseeee?"

"Pass."

"Pretty please?"

"Nope."

"He's a great kisser!"

"How would you know?"

I smirked as Sarah's mouth opened and closed. "I've. . . heard from his. . . costars."

"All the more reason not to go out with him," I chuckled as I walked past her and into the kitchen.

"But Y/N," she whined as she followed me. "Just a coffee date. That's all I'm asking for. He was talking to me and the other girls about needing a woman in his life."

"Why would he. . . Actually, I don't care." I shook my head as I started making dinner.

"He told us that he missed taking care of a girl," she continued anyway. "He misses spoiling a girl, calling a girl during his lunch break, and picking up dinner on his way home to her."

"That's very sweet," I sighed, "but I'm not ready for another relationship."

"I know that Jason broke your heart," she said, running over to me. "But Glen is the exact opposite of him. He's just what you need! A pallet cleanser!"

"Sarah, stop!" I snapped a little too harshly at her. "I don't want to go on a date with the actor you put makeup on every morning, okay? I just want to be left alone so I can forget about Jason."

I didn't care that the ingredients were all over the counter. I turned and walked away, grabbed my keys, and got in my car. I didn't have to think about where I wanted to go.

I walked into the bar, sat down at my usual spot, and ordered my usual drink. I ran my fingers through my hair and cursed the tears that begged to fall.

Jason and I dated for almost two years. Over the years, he's gotten a lot less romantic. Finally, I made the mistake of making a small comment about marriage and he freaked out. He left and I got a text the next day saying that we should take a break.

As that bartender put my drink in front of me, I thought about how Sarah described Glen. He wanted a girl in his life. He wanted someone he could spoil. I smiled sadly when I realized it had been a long time since I felt like I was being spoiled by someone.

I shook my head, forcing myself to stop thinking about "what if". Jason broke up with me a week and a half ago. I needed more time to get over it.

"Son of a. . ." I grumbled when I saw my friends running into the bar. "Hi, girls."

"Hi, Y/N," Angela said a little too sweetly.

"I don't want to. . ."

"Would you please go out with him?" Sarah cut me off.

"Girls," I sighed.

"Come on, Y/N," she whined. "He's funny. He's attractive. He's successful. He's the total package."

"If he's the total package, why is he still single?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"He's an actor," Angela shrugged.

"And he can get any girl he wants," I sighed, "so why would he want to go out with me?"

"Oh sweetie," Kelly sighed. "You're amazing. We all instantly thought of you when Glen told us about how he wanted a new girl in his life."

"Why wouldn't he like you?" Sarah asked.

"He'd be lucky to have you," Angela added.

"You're too good for him," Maggie chuckled.

"Look," I cut the girls off, "I just broke up with Jason. I need some time before jumping into a new relationship. Thank you for thinking I'm good enough for a famous actor, but I'm gonna pass."

* * * * *

After A LOT of badgering from the girls, I finally agreed to meet Glen. I told them not to get their hopes up. I was only going and having coffee with the guy to get them to stop begging me. After trying not to overthink my sundress, I headed to the coffee shop that was close to my work and the office building where his current movie was filming.

I gave myself a slight pep talk before getting out of my car. I walked into the coffee shop, my nerves jumping all over. As I looked around the shop, I kept wondering why I agreed to meet a complete stranger. Suddenly, my eyes landed on a guy who looked exactly like my friends described. He noticed me and sent me a shy smile. I took a shaky breath before walking over to him.

"Are you Glen?" I asked.

"Yeah," he smiled. "Yeah, I am."

"I'm Y/N, Sarah, Maggie, Angela, and Kelly's friend," I introduced myself. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw him relax. "You don't have to look so relieved."

"Sorry," he chuckled. "Our friends talked you up so much that I wasn't sure if you were real."

"I'm very real," I shrugged with a small giggle. "They probably lied about me though."

"I doubt that," he said, slightly looking me up and down. He looked back up at me and smiled. "Can I buy you a cup of coffee?"

"I'd like that," I smiled.

He turned and gestured toward the counter. When I walked by him, he gently put his hand on my lower back. I tried to force the butterflies in my stomach to go away as we went and ordered our coffee.

"Oh my gosh," the seventeen-year-old barista giggled. "You're. . . You're Glen Powell!" 

Glen looked at me with a blush on his face and cleared his throat. The girl continued to fangirl, "I am such a huge fan. I love you."

"Thank you," he said politely. "That's very sweet of you."

An older man behind the counter cleared his throat, sending his employee a "manager glare".

"Sorry," she cleared her throat. "What can I get you?"

Glen looked at me and gestured for me to order first. I smiled before turning toward the still-excited teenager. "Can I get a caramel latte?"

"Of course," she smiled. Her face turned pink as she turned toward Glen. "And you?"

"Just an iced coffee for me," he nodded. I started to pull out my wallet but he quickly grabbed his wallet and handed his card to the barista. She giggled as she took his card.

She rang us up and handed Glen his card back. "We'll call your name when they're ready," she giggled. I saw the look on his face slightly shift as he looked around the coffee shop.

"Actually," I jumped in, "can you call my name? We're on a first date and don't want to draw too much attention."

"Of course," the girl said, putting her hand to her hard. "That's so sweet. What's your name?"

"Y/N."

"Great. They'll be right out."

I followed Glen to the corner table, out of sight of the windows and front counter. We sat down and there was an instant awkward tension between us.

"This is. . ." He said slowly.

"Awkward," I finished for him.

"Exactly," he chuckled. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I waved off. "Going on a date that your friends bugged you until you said yes to go on is awkward."

"They bugged you?" He asked, his eyes slightly sinking.

"It's nothing against you," I said quickly. "I just. . . I wasn't sure I wanted to get back into dating."

"Back?" Glen asked.

"Coffees for Y/N?" The barista called. Glen looked at me and hesitated before getting up and getting our coffees. I pulled my hands into my lap and nervously played with my fingers.

"Here you go."

"Thank you," I said, my voice soft.

"Y/N," Glen said after a short beat of silence, "what did you mean earlier when you said you weren't sure if you wanted to get back into dating?"

"It's. . . not something I should bring up on our first date," I said.

"If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."

I looked up to see Glen smiling gently at me. "I just broke up with my boyfriend," I admitted.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking at me sadly.

"Well, technically," I cleared my throat, "he broke up with me. After two years. All because I made a small hypothetical about marriage."

"He what?" Glen asked, slightly surprised. "What an idiot. For what it's worth, you dodged a bullet. He's missing out on an amazing girl."

I smiled weakly at his comment. "You met me like five minutes ago," I chuckled.

"Doesn't matter," he shrugged. "I still think you're amazing."

I looked down at my hands wrapped around my coffee mainly to hide my blush.

"You told me yours," Glen said, making me look up at him. "It's only fair that I tell you my breakup story."

"You don't have to," I stuttered.

"It's only fair," he said with a small smirk. "I was dating an old costar. It got to the point where I was putting in more effort than her. We spent the entire last two months apart. Whenever I called, she didn't answer. And she never called."

"Did you break up with her?" I asked before I could think about it.

"I did," he nodded. He added, "After pictures from her movie leaked of her making out with her costar on the beach."

"I'm sorry," I said. "That's terrible. You didn't deserve her."

"You met me like five minutes ago," he said, instantly going back to his earlier self.

"Doesn't matter," I shrugged with a smile on my face.

For the next two hours, Glen and I sat and talked. We talked about our jobs, our family, our crazy friends. The more we talked, the more I started to fall for this guy. Sarah was right. He was extremely sweet. He maintained eye contact the entire conversation and seemed like he was hanging on my every word.

I was explaining my latest project at work when his phone started ringing. By the sigh that left his lips, I could tell that he had a theory for who was calling him and interrupting our date.

"I'm sorry," Glenn said, his smile sinking when he looked up from his phone. "It's my manager."

"Take it," I said. "I don't mind."

"But Y/N," he stuttered.

"It's okay," I said with a small laugh. "Answer your phone, Glen."

"I'm sorry," he whispered before answering his phone. "Hey, Mike."

I busied myself as he listened to his manager.

"What?" He asked, slightly turning away from me. I looked at my hands wrapped around my coffee. "Wait, right now? Mike, I'm kind of. . . I know that but. . . Fine. I'm on my way."

"You have to go?" I asked, unable to stop my voice from dropping.

"I'm really sorry, Y/N," he said, instantly turning back to me. "I completely forgot I have an interview in two hours."

"I'm going to have to get used to sharing you with the rest of the world, aren't I?" I fake pouted, making him laugh.

"Oh, please," he smirked. "My girl never has to share me."

As we stood up, Glen grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest. "I really enjoyed getting to know you, Y/N."

"I really enjoyed getting to know you, Glen," I smiled. My breath got caught in my throat when Glen's eyes dropped to my lips. Before I could wonder whether or not he was going to go for it, he went for it.

Glen leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. I gently grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer. When we broke the kiss, we both had matching smiles.

"Does this mean you'd accept the offer to a second date if I asked?" His voice soft.

"If you asked."

* * * * *

After our date, each of the girls called and begged me to go to brunch so I could tell them all about it. I fixed my dress as I got out of my car and headed into the restaurant. The second I walked to our table, my friends all jumped up and started bombarding me with questions.

"How was it?"

"Did he buy your coffee?"

"Did he pull out your chair?"

"Did he hold your hand?"

"Did you guys talk for hours?"

"Did he ask you out again?"

"Did he kiss you?"

"Why aren't you answering our questions?"

"Because neither one of you has stopped to breathe," I chuckled.

"Okay," Sarah said in her bossy tone. "Enough questions. Just tell us how it went."

"It was fine," I shrugged.

"Fine?!" They all screamed in sync.

"Just fine?"

"Come on."

"You gotta give us more than that."

"Sorry," I said, standing up, catching all of them off-guard.

"Where are you going?" Sarah pouted.

"Hey, gorgeous."

The girls gasped as Glen walked up, wrapped his arm around my waist, and kissed my cheek. "You ready for lunch?"

"Absolutely," I smiled at him. I looked back at my friends and saw all of them smiling like crazy people.

"You girls don't mind me stealing Y/N away from you, do you?" Glen asked the girls.

"Of course not!" Sarah said loudly. "Take her for the rest of the day."

"Subtle," I scoffed as I rolled my eyes. Glen just laughed as he led us out of the restaurant. When we got to his car, he stopped and pulled me into his chest.

"You know," he whispered, "when I first told the girls I wanted a new girl in my life, I never thought I'd actually meet a girl I could see spending the rest of my life with."

"The rest of your. . ."

"I know this is crazy fast," he said quickly, "especially since we've only been on one date. . ."

"We texted until like 2 am," I said quickly trying to reassure him.

"True," he smiled. "As I was saying, I really like you, Y/N. And I think that we have something here."

"I think so, too," I whispered. With a smile on his face, he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck as our lips moved in sync.

We didn't care that our friends were watching us from the restaurant window with proud smirks on their faces. Glen broke the kiss but didn't let me go.

"Y/N," he whispered. "I know you're still getting over Jason. But I'd like to help you with that."

"I don't want to use you."

"You wouldn't be using me," he said, shaking his head. "I'd just be helping you through the breakup."

I bit my lip, debating if I really wanted to go for it. "Fine," I gave in. I quickly added, "But only if you allow me to help you through your breakup."

"It's a deal."

[kyber-shack]

I haven't seen GF in years but was abruptly reminded a while ago and found your blog and your Pinecest+Stancest posts while looking at the Pinecest tag so I gotta share this plot that's now trapped in my brain. If I got the details about canon wrong, blame the passage of time, not me lol.

Ok I'm sure I'm not the only one who came up with that but: Mutually Unrequited/Pining Stans that both never acted on their feelings and spent the entire separation depressed about it and blaming the way they were hiding their feelings partially for how things went down. Enter Pinecest, only just clocking that this is Not Normal Sibling Feelings.

Stan encourages it when he first realizes it because he never got to even try, but maybe Mabel and Dipper can be happy. So he bullies any boys Mabel brings home, shuts down Dipper's flirt attempts with Wendy & Pacifica - Dipper catches on to his feelings first and wants to prove to himself that he's NORMAL OKAY??? he is, in fact, super not normal, but he'll scream that he is at the top of his lungs - and then Ford returns.

Ford also immediately catches on to Dipper's crush. Because he gets Dipper, and of course, he'd love his twin. He can't see Mabel's feelings as easily because he's insta-transferencing her and Stanley and the idea of her liking Dipper back is unfathomable (read: heartbreaking) because then it means perhaps Stanley could've loved him too.

But he cares about Dipper, so Ford thinks the best he can do is maybe help cut off those feelings at the knees before there's no going back for him, at least Dipper might not totally lose Mabel the way he and Stan thought they had lost each other, might eventually lead a normal non-recluse full of regrets life unlike them. So Ford offers to let Dipper stay without letting on his real reason to do so, and Mabel FLIPS OUT.

The thoughts have been building in the back of her head for a while, and she's suddenly confronted with what she never thought possible. Losing Dipper. And it hurts so so much and then Weirdmageddon comes and things go completely off the rails and now she knows she loves him but he's her brother, the world is ending and maybe he doesn't actually like her at all.

It ends with Dipper admitting to Mabel why he was even contemplating separation and Ford is trying to stop him while Stan has been working for this for months, damnit, and Ford's attempts at shutting the confession down just kill him. Dipper says it anyway, and Mabel thinks she's dreaming, but yeah, dummy, I love you too. How could you even think otherwise?

And seeing their dramatic first kiss totally guts Ford. He's happy for them, clearly, but he wants this oh so much and he can't have it. Stanley is shocked at how much Ford's affected by this development and things just blow up from there, and before either of them know it they're kissing.

Meanwhile Mabel and Dipper finally remember where they are and who they're with and fuck this is going to be difficult to explain - wait wtf GRUNKLES WHAT ARE YOU DOING. Well nothing they weren't right before that.

The rest of summer is an insanely awkward transition period where both couples are trying to work out how to deal with this new dynamic and what it means for their lives, especially for when Dipper and Mabel go back home. But everyone is insanely happy and when Dipper and Mabel come back to GF it's together, to a married couple of Grunkles (in everything except the eyes of the law).

And perhaps someday a - but lbr it'll be two - Pinecest Baby crawls around the Mystery Shack to everyone's delight...

ANON YOU'RE SO CRACKED AAAAAAAAH

such a cute premise of them finding out about each other's budding relationships despite the warnings from Ford and adamant attitude from Stan. SO good. flavor.

also implying that ford and stan were like watching/listening from around the corner or something is peak. honestly? this ask means so much to me.

[911coded]

Maddie and Eddie get poked a bit for all their “help” since the break up, but some good conversations are had. 🥹

Chapter 4: Ready To Lose

Buck knocks on Eddie’s door the next morning with a hangover and one last tin of christmas cookies. When Eddie comes to the door and sees the tin in his hand, his face falls.

“Aw, man, I can’t eat any more sweets!” Eddie whines. Buck chuckles as he brushes past him.

“Last batch, I promise, I’m just finishing up the last of my baking ingredients. I’m trying to clean out my kitchen and I need to talk to you about something,” Buck explains. Despite his whining, Eddie takes the tin from Buck's hand and stuffs a cookie in his mouth and motions for the kitchen.

“What’s up? You don’t look great,” Eddie said. Buck rolls his eyes and takes a seat at the kitchen table.

“Yeah, I got wine drunk with Karen yesterday afternoon which turned into evening as we talked through some decisions I needed to make,” Buck revealed.

“I hope you know you could have come to me, Buck. Just because I’m moving back to Texas doesn't mean we can’t talk, man, it just means it will be over facetime or text,” Eddie insisted.

“I know that, we’re good Eddie, I promise. I just needed to talk to someone who didn’t have a personal interest in my decisions and experience working for a classified program,” Buck explained.

Eddie chokes on the latest cookie, “Class-w-what?” Eddie asked, getting up to wipe his face with a napkin.

“Yeah, so I contacted an old friend when I found out Tommy had run away to Antarctica. He’s a civilian contractor with the air force and when I met him, he was stationed out of McMurdo, which is,” Buck said, waving a hand in the air.

“Where Tommy is, yeah. So, you are finally ready to chase him?” Eddie asked. Buck gave him a side eye with a huff and crossed his arms over his chest. “Come on, now, I apologized for the phone keep away thing!” Eddie exclaimed with a finger poke to Buck’s chest. Buck swatted his hand away and leaned forward, resting his chin on a fist.

“Anyway, this friend I mentioned talked to some of his coworkers and the next thing I know I’m getting a job offer and a retired general is traveling to the other side of the world to talk to Tommy about a job possibility, too,” Buck said.

“Jesus, Buck, who is your friend?”

“A botanist.”

“What the fuck?” Eddie swatted at the air with a hand. “Never mind. Classified. Right. Are you sure about this, Buck?”

“Yeah, I think it’s important and I know enough to be cautiously optimistic that this could be really great. I want more for my career and with you leaving, the station will lose heavy rescue status until you come back or they replace you. Either way, I would probably need to move on. When Bobby retires, Hen or Chim will be in place to take over and I’m not sure that captain is what I want next anyway. Maddie is settled with Chim and we don’t need each other for support the same way we did before. Worst case, one or both of us joins the program for 6 months to a year and then we come back to Los Angeles….” Buck trailed off.

“Or best case it’s an amazing opportunity and the two of you are wildly happy on some classified base doing big damn hero things and get married and adopt a couple of adorable babies,” Eddie finished with a shit-eating grin and a waggle of eyebrows.

***********************************

Evan.Buckley13@gmail.com

To: David.Parrish.civ@mail.mil

Dave,

You are nuts but I’m in. I put in for a leave of absence with the LAFD for 6 months. I can make a commitment with your program right now without any other information for that much time. I trust you, but without knowing what I’ll be doing, I don’t want to cut off the possibility of coming back to LA.

I’m renting out my loft to another firefighter for at least the next six months and already packed up my personal stuff to go into storage with my jeep. I’ve said all my goodbyes and I’ve contracted with a rental agency to manage everything for me, so I’m pretty much set. I just need to know what to bring with me, or what is safe to bring, and I can be in Colorado Springs on Monday.

Was it Jack that met with Tommy? How did it go? I’ve been trying not to think about it but I’m worried about Tommy. Is he ok? He’s very good at the stoic military man schtick, but he’s gotta be freaking out if General Jack gave him any information. (Do you think he hates me for bringing him to the attention of your generals? I’m trying to stay positive but you know more than anybody what I’m like.) I can’t think anymore, I’m booking the tickets and I’ll send you another message later today with my flight information. Should I expect a pick up/escort or do I make my way there myself?

Later,

Buck

**************************************************************

Buck was stacking boxes in the corner of the kitchen and trying to decide whether he should leave his towels or take them with him (they were really nice, really fluffy towels) when someone knocked on his door.

He opened it to find Maddie standing there impatiently.

“Uh, come in? I thought I was coming to dinner tonight. Did I forget something we had planned?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. Maddie bustled around Buck and took in the stack of boxes.

“What’s going on, are you moving?” Maddie asked.

Buck walked around Maddie and went back to closing up the last box, “Not exactly. I was going to tell you tonight that I put in for a leave of absence for some training in Antarctica right after New Years. I leave Monday.”

“Wait. You are going where?!!” Maddie exclaimed and twisted her hands together.

Buck sighed, already done with this conversation. “I’m taking a leave of absence from the LAFD and going to Antarctica. I am going to be an on-call firefighter and help with SAR at the Air Force base down there for a few months. I’ll be back in plenty of time for my newest nibling to be born. This is why I wanted to have this conversation over dinner where we could all stay calm and I could explain properly.”

“That-that’s not the point. I thought you were going to let the universe bring you someone special,” Maddie said, searching for a way to turn the conversation around.

“No, Maddie, that’s what you said, but I didn’t agree. I had already found my someone special. We just need to sit down and talk out how to work around our insecurities. I have a plan,” Buck stated calmly.

“And it includes going to Antarctica?” Maddie asked.

“Well, that’s where Tommy is at the moment.”

Maddie scoffed, crossing her arms, “So, you’re what, moving halfway around the world for a boy?!”

Buck tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at his sister in disbelief.

“Maddie, I’m not asking you what to do here, I’m letting you know what I have decided,” Buck insisted. Ok, this is what we are doing now. Awesome. “Look, I’m sorry that going to you every time I’m confused about things gave you the impression that I need you to tell me what to do before I make a move in my life. I do that because I want you to be part of my life. We lived apart for more than ten years before you came to LA. And I grew into an adult in that time. Sure, I made the sort of decisions that late teens, early twenties men make sometimes, but I made a life for myself without you. I just didn’t want it that way. I like talking out my problems with you, I just don’t like that it gives others the idea that I can’t make decisions without help from someone else. My brain works on a problem best by talking it out, I just happen to like talking it out with you. If I needed advice on how to deal with a relationship runner, I’d talk to Chimney.” Maddie gasps and sits down at the dining table, looking stricken.

Buck winced and attempted to redirect. “I’m not blaming you for it, we are past that. It’s just the different ways we deal with anxiety. And I know you are working on it in therapy, I can see how well you and Chim are doing, but can you honestly say that every bump in the road doesn’t send your brain for a millisecond into run mode?” He asked and reached across the table for Maddie’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

Maddie slumped down to rest her head on her arm on the table and sighed, “No, I can’t. So what do you need my help with?”

Buck smiled softly at his sister, “I just need your support. I’m trying something new with my life. This may grow into an amazing opportunity for my professional life as well as a way to get my personal life back on track. I made friends in all those years of wandering around, taking odd jobs and learning new things. I have contacts that I can call for information or advice. It wasn’t all partying and sex, you know.” Maddie turned her head to face Buck with a skeptical look on her face and a badly hidden smirk.

Buck huffed and rolled his eyes, “Well, ok, there was plenty of partying and sex but wait, so, I worked as a bartender in Virginia Beach, got my mixology certification. Uh, I worked construction in NOLA, learned a ton about remodelling old houses. Then, there was Montana, where I worked as a ranch hand, learned about horses and how to lasso a calf, but I also trained to do SAR work in the mountains. I went to Coronado and did the SEAL trails where I learned how hard I could push my body and how to handle a weapon. That didn’t work out, I didn’t have the right mindset for that kind of life, so I headed south and ended up in Peru bartending again, while also volunteering for SAR work. After about a year, I followed some guys that were going to share a house here in LA. I had seen a movie about firefighters one weekend and decided that firefighting could be what I was looking for, so I decided to join the academy. That’s the highlights, anyway,” Buck finished his speech with a wave of his hand and a shrug.

“Why didn’t you tell me about any of this before?” Maddie asked, sitting up to give him her full attention.

“No one asked.” Buck shrugged, “I know we talk, but when you first got here, I was afraid to say anything to upset you so you wouldn’t leave again and you needed me to need you. Then after a while….” Buck trailed off.

“No one asked,” they finished together.

Maddie sighed, “Here’s something I can give you.” She visually braced herself, “He’s going to have a hundred reasons why he did the right thing. Reasons why he’s not right for you. That you deserve better. He’ll sound completely reasonable, logical even. But, he’s not afraid that he’s not good enough. He’s afraid that someday you will realize that you can do better. And that you’ll want to. That you will think he’s not good enough. So, he convinces himself that this way is better. But, he was already too far in at the first sign of cracks on the surface. You get to be happy. He doesn’t deserve it, but you do. And that’s all that matters in the end.”

“Fuck,” Buck rasped.

Maddie pushed on, voice strained, “You have to convince him that you are aware of the risks. That you know what you are getting into. That you know very well about his flaws and various neuroses. But, you want to put in the work. That you are going to put in the work. That your future doesn’t work without him in it, so he’s just gonna have to deal with that. But, if that all fails, promise me little brother, if he can’t love you back, if he’s too far gone to come back, don’t bury yourself with him. You know him better than I do, better than Howie and Hen. You’ll know if putting in the work will get you what you want.”

Buck stared at his sister, wide-eyed, “Wow. Therapy is really working for you.” Maddie huffed a laugh and wiped tears from under her eyes. “Thanks,” Buck said sincerely.

Maddie giggled softly, “For what? Spewing my therapy notes all over you?”

“No,” Buck said. “For giving me advice on how to love a runner.” They both sniffed back tears and stood to hug it out. “Wait. Why did you come over, anyway?” Buck asked.

Maddie laughed a little manically, “I’m craving. I really need one of your lemon loaves.”

*******************************************

David.Parrish.civ@mail.mil

To: Evan.Buckley13@gmail.com

Buck,

The good news is that your Tommy seems to be pretty cool under pressure. The bad news is that the pressure was Jack. 😬I should have insisted that John go. In fact, when Jack came back to the mountain with Daniel still yelling at him, I asked John to go make the actual job offer. Let the flyboys bond over the quiet of Antarctica in a helicopter. I’m afraid that Jack jumped ahead with some of the classified stuff, so hold off on contacting him just yet. You’ll get your chance soon, I promise. Daniel did say that Tommy was worried about how Jack knew of you, and I can see from your last message that you’re worried about him, too. I think he and John will have a good talk.

On to the fun stuff! Clothes wise, bring an assortment of casual clothes for all types of weather, BDU’s will be provided for anything on duty. The base is on the ocean, so anything you need for recreation on the water, bring it, there are usually surfboards to borrow. As far as personal electronics go, you are welcome to bring what you want but your phone won’t work once you get there. Someone will be sent to pick you up from the airport, I don’t know yet who.

I’m really looking forward to seeing you in person again, Buck. I really think you will like it here.

There’s nothing quite like it on earth, and I think you’ll fit right in. See you Monday!

Dave

Tags for those who asked: @eliotwaughdeservesbetter @grimmsdead @anangrylittlehobbit

[koizumiyuu]

Social Outcasts

Part 15

warnings: nudity, but it's not nsfw.

Without the luxury of a car, this time the trek back to the Beach is long and tiresome. Even Chishiya doesn’t look overjoyed to walk for an hour straight as they have to make their way back on foot in the near darkness of the desolate city. Of course, he gives no outward indication of his disgruntlement, but (name) likes to think that she’s already gotten used to his mannerisms well enough to take note of his sluggish movements and the tenseness in his jaw.

(name) also has a feeling that either the poison they breathed in or the antidote has got to have some type of lingering effect. She knows damn well that a stroll through the city should not make her so damn tired and lifeless, and yet here she is. The only thought on her mind being her bed that’s waiting for her back at the hotel room. Judging by Chishiya’s movements, he’s probably thinking the same thing.

Despite the shitty circumstances, he for some reason insists on having a conversation with her. Why on god’s green earth he wants to talk, she doesn’t know, but she entertains it, if only for the chance to gain any kind of new puzzle pieces about him. Surprisingly, he delivers, the conversation briefly turning personal. It’s nothing groundbreaking of course, he tells her this or that about his studies when she seems receptive to talk, then even more briefly mentions his father when his thoughts seemingly get away from him for the slightest moment. In turn, (name) feels it’s only fair to give him a detail or two about herself when he prompts her as if an afterthought. Since when she’s started thinking about things like ‘fair’, she doesn’t know either.

When they finally stumble back into the territory of the Beach, a brief flicker of realization pops up somewhere at the back of her mind when the exhaustion registers properly. He likely wanted them to stay alert under the sluggish state of the drug, that’s what prompted his uncharacteristic need for chatting. ‘Of course he’s not interested in pleasantries…’, (name) thinks bitterly before the outrageous thought can register fully. She almost chokes as soon as she catches herself thinking such things. Since when does she give a fuck what he thinks, really? She had decided from the very beginning that any sort of friendships or alliances in this world were as good as worthless, and she was damn sure Chishiya had the same idea. So what gives?...

Her very eloquent pondering gets interrupted when she nearly stumbles into his back as he stops to pull the doors leading into the lobby open. All she gets in response is a smirk over his shoulder, before he’s walking ahead again, clearly doing his best and succeeding in pretending he’s not feeling dead on his feet just as much as her.

It doesn’t take much difficulty to catch up to him as they head for the stairs, and (name) finally speaks up again once they reach the third floor.

“I can’t wait to shower all this shit off me…” she sighs with a rather irritated expression, shifting uncomfortably from the sticky feeling of sweat and dust clinging to her body. The muggy weather and an hour long hike through the city does that to a person. After all, if Chishiya was right, this might be one of the last nights she gets to enjoy the luxuries of electricity and hot water here at the Beach. Might as well take advantage.

She’s already started down the hallway when an irritated scoff sounds from behind her, making her turn around with an unimpressed expression.

“You will pass out and crack your head open. Just go to sleep like a sane person.” He deadpans.

She doesn’t grace him with a response, rolling her eyes and turning towards her destination again. Where does he get off talking about ‘sane’ anyway? She knows her own limits, passing out in the shower would be a rather pathetic way to go.

“Oh for the love of—“ he cuts himself off without finishing that sentence, but the scuffing of sandals against the carpet behind her indicates that he’s abandoned his own journey in favor of following after her. That is seriously the most emotion she’s heard in his voice so far, which is funny in itself, considering the reason is so frivolous.

(name)’s amusement is quickly replaced with confusion when Chishiya falls into step next to her, strolling down the hallway towards her room with a slightly irritated expression. She blinks, but doesn’t pause.

“What are you doing?”

He doesn’t answer her question, instead countering with his own. Though the irritation seems to slowly be giving way to his usual indifferent demeanor.

“Do you have to insist on being so stubborn?”

(name) pulls a face, looking ahead again as they walk.

“Stubborn? You’re not my keeper to tell me what to do, I think I can handle myself in my own room without your advice.”

That seems to have been the wrong thing to say as Chishiya clicks his tongue under his breath yet again.

“Fine. Come on then.”

“’Come on’ what?”

(name) looks slightly confused and a little annoyed, but Chishiya brushes her off when they finally walk up to the door, simply pulling it open and waiting for her to follow expectantly.

(name) slowly does, closing the door behind them both, so naturally he turns to walk into the bathroom. She gives the back of his head a skeptical look. When he turns back to look at her over his shoulder, still just like the situation here is supposed to be obvious, her eyes narrow in annoyance.

“I don’t know what you think is happening here, but maybe me being conversational for once gave you the wrong idea.”

That causes him to finally smirk in that annoying way he does, like she just missed some big joke only he’s aware of.

“You wanted to shower. So go, shower.”

“By myself,” Comes (name)’s unimpressed reply, though she slowly does make her way in after him, side-stepping past him towards the end of the room where the actual shower is. “I don’t need an audience.”

It seems his irritation has now turned to amusement at the prospect of getting to make fun of her, sick fuck that he is. So he makes a show of staying where he is, sitting down on the closed toilet lid and facing away from the frosted shower glass. The faint smirk he usually wears is now back in place like usual, as he explains his reasoning to her as if she was a small dumb kid.

“We don’t know what kind of substance we inhaled back there. For all we know, you could pass out in the next five minutes, and no one would be there to scrape your naked body off the shower tiles. You already look unsteady anyway.” (name)’s expression sours even more, but he continues, seemingly even more amused. “Go ahead, I’m not gonna look.”

“Sure.” (name) grits out bitterly, not fully trusting him to have pure intentions. Granted, she’s taken note before that he doesn’t look like that type of guy. He doesn’t even look like he’d know what to do with a girl if he had the chance to get one to be willingly naked with him. Or that he’d have any interest to know. Even back in the real world. Still, the whole interaction and his insistence feels weird. And annoying.

He’d been so apathetic about most things up until now, why choose this moment to play overly caring?... (name) briefly thinks back to the way his palm felt gripping her wrist when he lead her through the maze the was the hospital’s basement and she vaguely wonders why that feeling wasn’t one of disgust, like it usually would have been with anyone else. Or even him, a few weeks prior, for that matter. She swallows, suddenly breathing in and losing the train of thought on purpose.

She doesn’t know why in the actual fuck she’s going along with this, but she’s too exhausted and done with the situation to overthink any longer. Out of the corner of her vision, she sees the visible corner of Chishiya’s lips tilt up when she unzips her hoodie fully and lets it drop to the floor. Other than that, he doesn’t give any other outward reaction, doesn’t even move and no more snarky jabs come. He seems overly fascinated with the now closed bathroom door across the room, so (name) finally pulls her suspicious gaze away, slowly undressing completely.

He wasn’t wrong in the fact that she feels more sluggish the longer the time drags on. Her only thought is what good will he be to help if he’s supposedly feeling the same way.

She steps behind the frosted glass of the shower, letting the water run for a second until it’s warm enough before ducking her head under the stream. It feels good, the whooshing sound of the water momentarily overriding the reality of the life they’ve been living for the past few weeks now. She feels it slowly slouching down her back as she steps more properly under the stream, placing her hands against the wall in front of her for leverage and closing her eyes. To be fair, it feels like the hot water is only making her feel even more limp in the small space. She has half the mind to just stay like that before Chishiya’s voice cuts through the sound of the water.

“Tell me when you start feeling lightheaded.”

(name)’s eyebrows draw together in confusion, pulling her head back a little.

“I already am. Aren’t you?...”

He doesn’t give a proper answer aside from a noncommittal grunt, before some shuffling can be heard on the other side of the glass. (name) briefly wonders what the hell he’s up to now, and she opens her mouth to ask. But she doesn’t have to, as her unspoken question is answered in the form of his presence behind her. He doesn’t do anything yet, but (name) stiffens up already, resolutely staring ahead.

“What are you doing?...”

“Nothing inappropriate, stop worrying.” His tone surprisingly lacks the usual snark she was expecting, and she risks a glance over her shoulder, catching Chishiya’s expression. It’s weirdly devoid of the earlier teasing glint he had going, as if he’s doing everything in his power to mask whatever other look his face was trying to make in favor of appearing totally indifferent. “You’re just another page of a textbook to me, I thought I made that clear.”

(name) looks ahead again, feeling brief annoyance at his dismissive words. Their earlier conversation surfaces to the front of her mind, when he told her about the boring as hell anatomy class he had at some point. To be fair, maybe it is vaguely amusing after all.

“Aren’t you dizzy too?...” her voice slurs a little at the end of the sentence, and she immediately feels him stepping closer to her back, one arm quickly extending by her side but painfully hesitating to touch just yet. He huffs, and (name) feels his breath hit her shoulder blade, violently resisting the urge to shiver.

“Reasonably.” He answers finally and she clicks her tongue at the non-response. “Weren’t you doing something?” he urges on and she finally gathers her wits about to continue with the task.

As soon as her hands leave the wall in front of her, Chishiya’s arm closes around her midsection fully, making her tilt her weight against his chest. And for good reason, because she immediately feels her body protest the lack of support. It’s such a bizarrely awful feeling, being close to him with no barriers in between. But at the same time it’s… fine. It’s so foreign and unexpected, something that feels like a vague memory she’s not even sure she’s even experienced before. She doubts he has either. And it’s terrifyingly comforting. The thought seems outrageous yet again. Finding comfort in someone like him in a place like this. She’s convinced she’s finally lost it, but maybe it’s not so bad now.

Her attention is directed back to the task at hand, focusing her energy into grabbing the bottle of shampoo, pouring some into her palm and lathering her hair with it, movements slow and mechanical. Then suddenly, something clicks in her head that somehow hadn’t until now and her fingers pause.

“…Are you naked? Like, completely?...”

Now Chishiya finally snorts faintly, “That’s how people normally shower, yes.” His free hand settles at the base of her head before she can reply, nudging it under the stream and starting to rinse it out himself.

(name) wants to protest and argue, fight that she can do that just fine by herself and that she doesn’t need his help in such a simple task. But his fingers running through her hair feel good and for once in her life she doesn’t feel like fighting so hard against every single thing. His movements are gentle and methodical like everything he does, like she already noticed. So she lets him. Just like she lets him continue when he reached for the soap afterwards, hesitating as if waiting for her to pull away this time. She doesn’t, letting him proceed without protest.

There’s no ulterior motives just like he promised, and after a few moments (name) lets her head tilt back against his shoulder as he works, speaking up quietly.

“Why didn’t you off me?...”

“Hm?”

“Back at the pharmacy. We’ve already established that I’m not a crucial part to your plan. And by the way you act, you clearly find me annoying. You could have just taken the antidote yourself and left me for dead. So why didn’t you?...”

His hands still where they’ve been spreading the soapy suds along the skin of her stomach, seemingly hesitating in his answer. It’s not like him to hesitate, so now (name)’s even more intrigued, but his words give no insight like she was expecting.

“Guess I’ve just learned some things, that’s all.”

His voice is uncharacteristically serious and subdued, so (name) doubts she’s getting anything else on the topic. Though the tone he used makes some pieces click whether he intended to or not.

Some more time later, after he’s deemed both of them sufficiently cleaned up and dressed in at least clean underwear, they end up back in the main part of her room. (name) has already taken it upon herself to lie down while Chishiya sits on the edge of the bed, finally looking just as exhausted as she feels. He sighs, looking like standing up now would be the biggest chore of his life.

“You better be ready. Tomorrow’s going to be an important day.”

“I wish the hell it wasn’t.” comes (name)’s muffled response, already close to passing out with her face pressed into the pillow.

Next.

[gothicxreylover]

Hi! I'm back with a little request 😊 So it's a day when things get a little peaceful, no demons wreaking havoc and everyone can breathe more easily, y/n and their s/o (the Hashira (Tengen + his wives), Kanao, Aoi) play hide and seek because why not. This time, y/n goes into hiding and their s/o will seek them out. Interestingly, y/n is able to conceal their presence, like stilling their breath and heartbeat, staying scentless, etc. thus making them nonexistent in order to stay hidden better. Both y/n and their s/o are determined to win.

I imagine that it'd turn into a spooky prey/predator situation at some point because it's yandere. But in the end, it's all fun and games and they all enjoy every second of it. Nothing beats getting adrenaline and a little fear of getting caught in a good way like that. Like, if y/n is found, they will squeak and laugh out loud instead of getting scared. Fluffy yandere is pretty nice 😆

As always, take your time and have a nice day!

Hello! I hope you enjoy this scenario! I’m trying a new font lemme know what yall think! Anyways enjoy this is lagging very badly😭

You stood in the clearing with a grin, watching as your s/o and their group prepared to hunt you down. Little did they know, you had an advantage—your ability to completely conceal yourself. You could still your breath, quiet your heartbeat, and make yourself undetectable. This wasn’t just a game of hide-and-seek. It was a hunt.

Tengen Uzui & His Wives

The second the game started, Tengen smirked. “Alright, everyone,” he declared, “we’re not letting them win. Spread out and find them. I don’t care how good they are at hiding—this is a challenge, and the God of Festivals doesn’t lose challenges.”

Makio rolled her eyes, but there was a competitive glint there, too. “They’re not going to make it easy, you know.”

Suma, meanwhile, was already looking nervous. “What if we don’t find them? What if they’re too good? What if—”

“Suma, stop worrying!” Makio cut her off, exasperated but fond. “They’re hiding, not disappearing forever.”

Hinatsuru gave a soft laugh, already walking off with a sharp, calculated gaze. “Let’s just see who finds them first, alright?”

Tengen took a different approach. He moved with surprising grace for someone his size, scanning for clues while calling out, “You can’t hide forever, you know. You might be good, but I’m better!”

Despite his bravado, he couldn’t shake the thrill. You were nowhere to be seen, and even he had to admit he was impressed. His heartbeat quickened—not from fear, but from the excitement of the chase.

Hinatsuru, ever the strategist, noticed subtle disturbances in the area: a blade of grass bent unnaturally, a faint shift in the air. She followed these hints quietly, her soft footfalls barely disturbing the ground.

Makio was more direct, poking into hiding spots and grumbling when she came up empty-handed. Suma, meanwhile, was struggling to stay focused, muttering nervously as she searched.

When Tengen finally spotted the faintest hint of your silhouette, his grin widened. He crept closer, his movements eerily quiet, until he pounced with a triumphant, “Got you!”

Your squeak of surprise quickly turned into laughter, echoing through the clearing. His wives joined in moments later, Suma tackling you with a relieved hug while Makio teased you for hiding so well. Hinatsuru just smiled, her soft laugh adding to the joy.

Tengen ruffled your hair, his eyes gleaming. “You almost had me there. Almost. But no one hides from the God of Festivals for long.”

Kanao Tsuyuri

Kanao tilted her head slightly as she watched you run off. The rules were clear: she’d find you, no matter how long it took. Her quiet determination was almost unsettling—there was no trace of hesitation in her movements.

As she started searching, her sharp eyes took in every detail. A broken twig, a faint impression in the dirt—she cataloged everything silently, her focus unwavering. You were good at hiding, she realized, far better than she had anticipated.

The longer the game went on, the more her heart raced. It wasn’t fear, exactly, but an unfamiliar mix of emotions. You were out there, somewhere, and she needed to find you. The thought of you staying hidden too long stirred something possessive in her—she didn’t like the idea of losing sight of you, even in a game.

When she finally caught sight of you—a faint movement, just enough to give you away—she moved like a shadow, silent and swift.

“Found you,” she said softly, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her.

You jumped, a surprised laugh escaping as you turned to face her. “How did you—”

Kanao didn’t answer, her lips curving into a small, satisfied smile. She didn’t let you go immediately, lingering close as if to make sure you wouldn’t vanish again.

Aoi Kanzaki

“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” Aoi muttered, already scanning the area. She wasn’t as outwardly excited as the others, but the competitive spark in her eyes was unmistakable.

You’d been clever, vanishing without a trace, and Aoi found herself grudgingly impressed. Still, she wasn’t about to let you win. “You think you’re so sneaky,” she murmured, poking around hiding spots. “But I’ll find you.”

She moved with surprising stealth, her sharp eyes catching even the smallest details. The longer you stayed hidden, the more determined she became.

When she finally spotted you—thanks to a faint sound or a barely noticeable shift—her triumph was palpable. “There you are!” she exclaimed, grabbing your wrist as you squealed in surprise.

You couldn’t stop laughing, and though Aoi tried to maintain her usual stern demeanor, a smile tugged at her lips. “Don’t think you’ll win next time,” she said, her tone teasing despite the blush creeping up her cheeks.

Obanai Iguro

The game started with a calm but intense air between you and Obanai. His mismatched eyes narrowed as he watched you disappear into the trees. Kaburamaru, his ever-present companion, flicked his tongue as though sensing your trail.

“You can run and hide all you want, but I’ll find you,” Obanai murmured to himself, his voice carrying a soft, dangerous edge.

Once the countdown was over, he moved swiftly, blending into the shadows like a predator stalking prey. His footsteps were silent, his movements calculated. Obanai didn’t bother calling your name or announcing his presence—he wanted to catch you unaware.

Your ability to completely still your breath, heartbeat, and presence impressed him. He paused, crouching low to examine the forest floor. You’d left no obvious clues, but Obanai had the patience of a hunter. He scanned for subtle signs: disturbed leaves, a bent blade of grass, or a faint scent in the wind.

Every second that passed without finding you made his possessive side stir. The idea of you staying hidden for too long, away from his sight, gnawed at him. You were his, after all, and no game would change that.

Finally, Kaburamaru flicked his tongue in the direction of a dense cluster of bushes. Obanai approached silently, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the faintest movement—a tiny shift that betrayed your hiding spot.

“There you are,” he whispered, stepping into view with eerie precision.

You gasped in surprise, a laugh escaping your lips as he closed the distance between you. “How did you find me so fast?”

His lips curved into a faint smile as he crouched beside you. “You can’t hide from me, Y/N. No one can.” His tone was soft, but there was a possessive undertone that made your heart race.

Kaburamaru coiled down from his shoulder, flicking his tongue in approval as Obanai reached out to gently tug you closer. “You’re mine,” he said quietly, his eyes locking onto yours. “Even in a game like this, I’ll never let you out of my reach.”

Though his words carried a weighty intensity, the moment was softened by the warmth in his gaze. When you laughed again, Obanai’s shoulders relaxed slightly, and he allowed himself a small chuckle. The hunt was over, and you were exactly where he wanted you—by his side.

Mitsuri Kanroji

Mitsuri practically bounced with excitement as you ran off to hide. Her braided hair swayed behind her, and her bright eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. “Okay, Y/N, ready or not, here I come!” she called cheerfully after the countdown ended.

Mitsuri’s approach to hide-and-seek was filled with energy and joy. She darted through the forest, her movements swift but not entirely quiet. She didn’t care about being stealthy—she was too excited to find you.

“Oh, Y/N!” she sang out, scanning the trees with a grin. “You’re so good at hiding, but I’m going to find you!”

She paused every so often, tilting her head to listen for any sound. When nothing came, she let out an exaggerated gasp. “You’re so sneaky!”

Despite her bubbly nature, Mitsuri’s sharp instincts couldn’t be underestimated. She noticed a faint shift in the leaves, a tiny disturbance that might have been from your movements. Her heart raced with excitement as she followed the faint trail.

As she got closer, her smile widened. She spotted a small gap in the bushes where you might be hiding. Trying to be quiet—though her giddy energy made it hard—she crept forward before jumping out with a delighted cry.

“Found you!”

You yelped in surprise, your laugh ringing through the forest as Mitsuri practically tackled you in a hug. “Oh, Y/N, you’re so clever! I almost didn’t find you!”

Her arms tightened around you as she nuzzled into your shoulder, her cheeks flushed from both the chase and her overwhelming affection. “You’re so amazing, you know that? I could play this game with you forever!”

Even as her excitement calmed, her grip on you remained firm. There was something in her gaze—a mix of adoration and possessiveness. She wasn’t letting you go anytime soon, even if the game was over.

“I love spending time like this with you,” she said softly, her voice brimming with emotion. “You make my heart race in the best way. Let’s play again soon, okay?”

Her smile was so radiant, it was impossible to say no. Even if she had a competitive streak and an intense desire to keep you close, her love was so warm and genuine that it filled you with joy.

Giyu Tomioka

Giyu wasn’t entirely sure why he agreed to play. Perhaps it was the way you smiled at him, or maybe he wanted to spend a quiet moment with you—even if the activity itself didn’t suit his reserved nature. Either way, he stood silently as you darted into the trees to hide.

When the countdown ended, Giyu began moving. His steps were deliberate and silent, his sharp eyes scanning the forest. He didn’t rush. Giyu had always been patient, and this was no exception.

As he searched, he appreciated your skill. You’d stilled your presence so effectively that he couldn’t hear your heartbeat or sense your breathing. A faint feeling of worry began to creep in. What if you were so good at hiding that he couldn’t find you at all?

Shaking off the thought, Giyu focused harder. He noticed a subtle detail—a small scuff mark on the bark of a tree. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. He followed the clue with quiet determination, his heart beating just a little faster with every step.

When he finally spotted the faintest glimpse of your figure through the dense foliage, he stopped, his lips twitching into the barest hint of a smile.

“You’re good,” he said softly, stepping into view.

You jumped slightly before laughing, your smile lighting up the space between you. “How did you find me, Giyu?”

“I had to,” he replied simply, his gaze softening. “You’re important to me.”

Though his words were understated, the way he lingered, his eyes fixed on you, spoke volumes. Giyu didn’t like the idea of you being out of his reach, even for a game. Still, seeing you so happy made the hunt worth it.

“Next time,” he said, his voice quiet but firm, “I’ll find you even faster.”

Sanemi Shinazugawa

Sanemi smirked as he watched you run off into the forest. “Think you can hide from me, huh?” he called after you, his tone equal parts playful and challenging. “Good luck with that!”

When the countdown ended, he cracked his knuckles, his sharp eyes scanning the area. Sanemi treated the game less like a friendly activity and more like a competition. He had to win—not just because he was competitive, but because the idea of anyone else finding you first made his blood boil.

His approach was loud at first, deliberately crunching twigs underfoot and calling out taunts. “You can’t hide forever, Y/N! I’ll find you!” But as the minutes passed and you remained undetected, his tone shifted.

The forest grew quieter as he started moving more carefully, his voice lowering to a growl. “You’re good, I’ll give you that. But not good enough to outsmart me.”

Sanemi’s heightened senses kicked in, and he caught the faintest hint of movement—a disturbance in the underbrush that was almost imperceptible. His smirk returned as he moved swiftly and silently toward the source.

When he finally caught you crouched behind a fallen log, he lunged forward with lightning speed, grabbing you before you could react. “Gotcha!”

You let out a surprised yelp before dissolving into laughter. “Sanemi! You scared me!”

“Damn right I did,” he said, his grin wicked but his grip gentle. “That’s what you get for thinking you could hide from me.”

Despite his tough exterior, Sanemi’s expression softened as he looked at you. He brushed a stray leaf from your hair, his thumb lingering against your cheek. “Don’t think I’ll let anyone else catch you, even in a stupid game like this,” he muttered, his voice low.

Kyojuro Rengoku

Rengoku’s booming laugh filled the clearing as you disappeared into the forest. “What a splendid idea for a game!” he declared, clapping his hands together. “Hide as well as you can, Y/N—I’ll make sure to find you!”

When the countdown ended, he moved with boundless energy, his bright eyes scanning the area. Though Rengoku was known for his strength and intensity, there was a warmth to his search that made it clear he was enjoying every moment.

“Y/N!” he called out cheerfully, his voice carrying through the trees. “You’re quite skilled at hiding, but I’ll find you all the same!”

He noticed small details as he searched—the way the grass bent slightly in one direction, or how a few leaves seemed to have been displaced. Rengoku followed these clues with unshakable confidence, his grin widening with every step closer to your hiding spot.

When he finally found you, tucked behind a cluster of bushes, his eyes lit up with triumph. “Ah-ha! Found you, my dear Y/N!”

You burst into laughter as Rengoku reached down to pull you to your feet. “How did you find me so fast?” you asked, still giggling.

He laughed heartily, the sound warm and infectious. “Your hiding skills are exceptional, but nothing can escape my determination!”

Rengoku’s hand lingered on yours as he looked at you with unmistakable affection. “You make even the simplest games so exhilarating,” he said earnestly. “Let’s play again soon—I could chase after you forever.”

Though his words were playful, there was a depth to his tone that made your cheeks flush. Being near Rengoku always felt like standing in the sun, and his joy was so genuine that you couldn’t help but smile back.

Here’s how the hide-and-seek game unfolds with Gyomei Himejima, Muichiro Tokito, and Shinobu Kocho, with their unique approaches and personalities shining through:

Gyomei Himejima

Gyomei knelt on the ground, his prayer beads in hand as you disappeared into the forest. Despite his massive frame, there was an air of serenity about him, his closed eyes giving nothing away.

“Hide well, Y/N,” he said softly, his deep voice carrying across the clearing. “But know this—I will find you.”

When the countdown ended, Gyomei rose gracefully, his towering form moving with surprising quietness. Though blind, his heightened senses allowed him to perceive the world in ways others couldn’t. He listened for subtle shifts in the air, the faintest rustle of leaves, and even the rhythm of your heartbeat—though you had expertly stilled it to make yourself undetectable.

“You’ve trained yourself well,” Gyomei murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “But even the quietest soul cannot escape the truth of their existence.”

As he walked, his presence was both calming and formidable, like a mountain moving through the forest. He paused suddenly, tilting his head slightly as he sensed a faint disturbance nearby. The shift in energy was almost imperceptible, but Gyomei honed in on it with unwavering precision.

He stopped just outside your hiding spot, his voice soft but resolute. “You’re here, aren’t you, Y/N?”

When you didn’t respond, he extended a hand, his gentle movements betraying the strength behind them. “I’ve found you.”

You couldn’t hold back a laugh as you stepped out of hiding. “How did you know?”

Gyomei’s smile was kind, his expression serene. “The world speaks to those who listen,” he said simply, his large hand resting lightly on your shoulder. “You are a part of that world, and I will always find you within it.”

Though his words were calm, there was an unspoken intensity in them—a promise that no matter where you went, Gyomei would always be there to protect you.

Muichiro Tokito

Muichiro barely reacted when you told him about the game, his usual distant expression in place. “Hide-and-seek? Alright,” he said with a shrug, though a faint glimmer of curiosity sparkled in his eyes.

When you disappeared into the forest, he stood still for a moment, gazing at the trees with an almost dreamy detachment. But as soon as the countdown ended, his demeanor shifted.

Muichiro moved through the forest with a fluid grace, his mind sharp despite his aloof appearance. He didn’t waste time calling out or making noise—his focus was entirely on finding you.

Your ability to conceal your presence intrigued him. Most people left traces without realizing it, but you were different. For a brief moment, Muichiro hesitated, wondering if he’d underestimated you.

Then, a faint detail caught his attention—a single leaf slightly out of place. His sharp mind pieced it together instantly, and he moved silently toward the source.

When he finally spotted you crouched behind a tree, he didn’t make a sound. Instead, he appeared suddenly beside you, his voice calm but tinged with amusement. “You’re good at this.”

You jumped slightly, laughing at how silently he had approached. “How did you get here so fast?”

Muichiro tilted his head, his expression unreadable. “I don’t waste time,” he said simply. “But you made it challenging. I liked that.”

Though his tone was calm, there was a flicker of possessiveness in his gaze. “Next time, don’t stay hidden so long,” he added, his words soft but carrying a subtle edge. “I don’t like it when you’re too far away.”

Shinobu Kocho

Shinobu’s violet eyes sparkled with amusement as you explained the rules of the game. “Oh, how fun! I’ve been looking forward to this,” she said with a sweet smile. “Go ahead and hide, Y/N. I’ll be sure to find you.”

When the countdown ended, Shinobu moved through the forest with a dancer’s grace, her every step light and purposeful. She hummed softly to herself, the sound both playful and unsettling.

“Oh, Y/N~” she called out in a singsong voice. “Where could you be hiding?”

Despite her cheerful tone, Shinobu’s sharp mind was fully engaged. She noticed the smallest details—a broken twig, a faint disturbance in the dirt—and followed them like a predator stalking its prey.

“You’re quite clever,” she murmured to herself, her smile never faltering. “But I wonder…how long can you stay hidden?”

Shinobu’s voice carried through the forest, and though it sounded sweet, there was an undercurrent of something more. “You know, Y/N, I don’t mind a good challenge. In fact, I enjoy it. But if you stay hidden too long, I might start to worry.”

Finally, she spotted you, your figure barely visible behind a thick cluster of bushes. Instead of rushing forward, she circled around silently, appearing behind you with an almost eerie swiftness.

“Got you~” she whispered, her voice right next to your ear.

You yelped in surprise before bursting into laughter. “Shinobu! That was scary!”

Her smile widened, her eyes glinting mischievously. “Oh, was it? I didn’t mean to frighten you.” She tilted her head, her gaze softening slightly. “You’re very good at this game, Y/N. But no matter how well you hide, I’ll always find you.”

Though her words were light, there was a lingering intensity to them—a reminder that Shinobu’s affection ran far deeper than her gentle demeanor suggested.

[maculategiraffe]

did y'all see the m. night shyamalan movie trap. if you didn't I am about to spoil the denouement. not for no reason but I will go under a cut just in case when I get to the spoiler part

but what isn't really a spoiler because it's the premise and established within five minutes is that it's about a serial killer, well played by josh hartnett, and his little teenage daughter, delightfully played by an incredibly charming and talented child named ariel donoghue who I devoutly hope has loving parents or guardians making sure she doesn't get ate by hollywood, attending a very big and exciting concert by the in-universe equivalent of like taylor swift or beyoncé, played by director m. night shyamalan's real life daughter saleka night, a singer-songwriter in real life. and in the movie the cops have found a receipt for a ticket to this concert at one of the serial killer's crime scenes, so they know he plans to attend and have set up like a cordon at the concert venue and all the venue employees as well as the star ("lady raven") and her entourage are aware of the police presence and of the reason for it and have agreed to allow the concert to function as a police trap for the serial killer.

(it is not made clear, at least to me, how the police plan to figure out which concertgoer is the serial killer before everybody goes home. they have a shot from a security camera of a tattoo he might have, unless the guy on the security camera with the tattoo isn't the killer but just some random passerby, and they also have an fbi profiler who keeps wandering around with a tummy ache face saying insightful things about the killer and his motivations. that does not seem good enough to pick him out from five million concertgoers but whatever. when the killer finds out about the trap he seems alarmed and feels the need to escape. so I guess HE thinks it's going to work anyhow)

oh and also the killer has a victim in progress locked in a room where he can use his phone to remotely trigger the release of poison gas to kill the victim. if he decides to do so. and the trigger is also on a timer I think so if they take his phone away so that he can't activate it then he also can't deactivate it and the victim dies anyway. I think

anyway events progress and it's actually a pretty fun ride thanks to the charm of the stars and the fact that saleka night is a pretty good singer-songwriter! but here's the spoiler part

the killer finally doesn't have any better ideas than leaving the concert WITH lady raven (the star) since her exit is the only one that won't be scrutinized? and so he ends up sort of kidnapping lady raven to his house, without any real plan (I think) of what to do after basically kidnapping taylor swift, just wanting to get out of the stadium at all costs

but at some point at his house lady raven manages to grab his phone and lock herself in the bathroom with it and log into her instagram or tiktok or whatever and post a live stream of herself. and the cool part is that the first thing she says is all the clues the killer has dropped in conversation as to where the victim is being held. and you can see the live chat over her face on the screen going "is this a joke?" / "I've seen a statue like that" / "she looks really scared" / "my cousin lives near a house with a view like that" and you can actually watch the collective power of her fans come together to find the victim and they actually save the victim!!! the cops are able to locate the house and find the room and get him out safe!

and I know the internet is a force for evil as well as good (and for neutral. it's just a real big force) but I love that so much because I love the idea that people coming together, working together on a problem, everyone adding what they can, everyone bringing their individual experiences and memories and voices to the table, can actually work! that if we all just keep speaking up, and saying what we know, and living as best we know how, in front of other people, and not hiding, and joining assertively and intentionally with the human project, we're going to get there. we're going to solve this. we're going to solve everything. the earth is a giant computer built by mice to calculate the big question of life the universe and everything and by god we are on the fucking job!!

[purinfelix]

If you are accepting requests for Haikyuu could I please request Kuroo (or Kenma) with this prompt "Are you really jealous of my cat?" Of course you don't have to but if you do take as long as needed!❤️

third wheel - kuroo tetsuro ⋆₊˚⊹♡

a/n: i can't believe i'm writing haikyuu x reader in the year of our lord and saviour 2025 .... 2020 me would be so proud HAHAHA anyways thanks for the req anon i hope u like this! (it ended up being a lot longer than i had planned but i've always loved kuroo so i couldn't help it)

The question lingers in the air for a couple seconds after leaving his mouth - partially because you're stumped for an answer, but mostly because you're ashamed at being so plainly called out.

"Wh- no?" you scoff, trying to brush it off, rolling over on his bed so that he can't see the look on your face, "Why on earth would I be jealous of him?"

As students, studying together had become a common routine for you and Kuroo, ever since you had started dating a couple months ago. With your chemistry final inching closer, he had insisted on helping you out with some private tutoring at his place - an offer that had sounded too selfless for you not to accept.

Little did you know that, in reality, it involved you spending hours upon hours of going through practice questions and only getting short breaks when your boyfriend would look over your hastily scribbled, and most incorrect, answers. And to make matters worse, your 'private session' was currently being interrupted by Kuroo's calico cat and your sworn enemy, Leo - though if there was anyone third-wheeling you were sure it was you.

To set the story straight, you had been Kuroo's first love, at least before that cat had stolen him away from you - a stray he had taken in just a little over a month ago, but had since taken over his life. Already he had rushed the both of you back to his place just to feed it, cutting whatever night out you had planned short. At first, it had been endearing, the sight of Kuroo being so gentle with an, admittedly very cute, creature - but the more time you spent around it the more you came to resent the tiny ball of fur.

You were fully aware of how immature you were being - after all, you were his girlfriend and Leo was his pet cat. This was exactly why you had stuck yourself on the edge of his bed, watching with a furrowed brow as he read over your work - spinning a pen in one hand and petting Leo's head with the other.

"C'mon, admit it, you're totally jealous!" Kuroo's teasing tone snaps you back to the present, and to the fact that he's shamelessly confronting you.

"Don't flatter that tiny thing, we all know who you'd pick first," you scoff, though you should've known that your boyfriend's observance would be able to see right through your facade. Before you can think of another defensive quip he's standing up from his desk chair, making Leo leap off his lap with a high-pitched mewl.

He throws himself down beside where you're perched on his bed, gazing up at you with an expression that's equal parts amused and endeared.

"Don't deny it," he hums, "it's a little cute."

"It's ridiculous! I am not jealous," you continue your defence as you lean back on your elbows, but can slowly feel it slipping as he wraps an arm around your waist.

"Cute," he repeats through a smile, though this time it's more to himself than anything.

"Whatever," you sigh, trying to cross your arms but he's already pulling himself up to press soft kisses along your jawline, and you can't help but break into a reluctant smile. Once he sees you give in, you can feel his own mouth curving into a smile against your skin as you run your fingers through his hair with a soft laugh.

"Though your understanding of Avogadro's law could use some work."

"Shut up."

[sunmaylight]

LCF/TCF AU - Yandere Choi Han

((Something I am finally transferring over from Twitter that I’ve forgotten about for over four years))

Looking back, this is more possessive Choi Han but does have the potential to go darker.

Anyways, spoilers for WEBTOON readers as this is part of the webnovel.

Set in the Empire Arc with Adin

Yandere Choi Han that’s triggered as his darkness is evolving. Instead of becoming what is known in the novel, it becomes twisted. Only wanting to be with Cale and destroy everything else.

The change is triggered when Prince Adin decides to make an almost lethal strike at Cale as Choi Han’s powers are evolving.

Choi Han knows logically that Cale will be fine because Raon is with him, but mentally he sees Cale coughing blood and being drenched in his own blood.

Looking like he is at death’s door.

Something inside Choi Han snaps as he decides enough is enough. He doesn’t want Cale, his rock (his precious person), to be hurt anymore. Not by their enemies, or especially by that idiot’s plans where CALE is the one getting hurt.

He doesn’t register the fact that his aura swallowed Adin and his attack. Not even the way that Raon flinches and disappears when the dragon sees him. He miss the way Cale flinches at his aura devouring all of the dead mana around them.

All Choi Han can focus on is Cale Henitus.

Choi Han’s aura moves at his subconscious will, surrounding Cale in a possessive embrace while the man himself goes to pick up Cale in a bridal carry.

Cale is asking Choi Han what he is doing, but he ignores the red hair noble as he asks Raon to teleport them back home.

Raon obliges with the request and teleports them home.

Choi Han quickly jumps to Cale’s room while giving Raon a request -never a demand or else Cale will be disappointed with Choi Han- to barricade the room to make sure no one can enter and no one can here them.

The dragon does he is requested to do and vanishes from Choi Han’s senses.

Finally, the two are alone. Choi Han gently placed the quiet Cale on his bed then removed his cloak. Followed by removing his own shoes and Cale’s.

Choi Han would have removed his bloody clothes, but Raon already used magic to make him and Cale spotless.

What an intuitive dragon.

Cale is asking him what he is doing, but Choi Han only hums and pushes Cale on the bed so that the noble is laying down on his back.

Choi Han joins him and hugs Cale in his arms. He strokes the other man’s head possessively. Not registering the fact that his aura coils around the both of them in a strong hold.

“Choi Han, what are you doing? This doesn’t seem like you.” Cale asks Choi Han in a calm manner.

Choi Han smiles innocently, “Don’t worry Cale-nim. I will make sure that what is mine will never get hurt again. Not by our enemies, friends, or even yourself,” Cale flinches but Choi Han ignores it as he continues to talk, “I will make sure to definitely find a way to bring you back to my home and keep you safe.

“Choi Han, what are you- mmph” Cale is cut off by Choi Han passionately kissing him

“Don’t worry Cale-nim. Just let me love you.

My lord”

—

That is a wrap. Wow, I don’t know what I was thinking when I made this on Twitter in October of 2021. But go me for trying something new

I’ll post the tumblr link to Twitter and have a Twitter link that will be broken in the future

[formula-fun]

What is the chance of us getting another snippet from the if i had words sequel? I recently reread both charles and max’s povs and was reminded of what a great fic it is🥹 your writing is absolutely incredible

hiii thank you so much <333 i have no idea anymore what ive posted and what i haven't, is this new??

In January, Max woke up with a jolt. 

It was one in the morning. The clock beside the bed said as much, the bright red almost painful to his eyes. He woke up like this sometimes, and usually it took a minute for his half-asleep brain to realize what was wrong. Not today; not this morning. The air smelled thick and coppery, and within a breath he was wide awake, panic clawing at his chest. 

“Charles,” he said, his voice too rough and too loud. He reached across the mattress, and for one terrifying moment his hand felt nothing. Then it felt a body, and for an even worse moment the body felt cold beneath his touch. “Charles,” he said, louder. His voice wobbled. 

The sheets shifted. “Quoi,” Charles groaned, his voice muffled against the pillow. 

Max’s hand found the back of his neck beneath the sheets—warm, his hair fine and downy there, his scar a thin ridge beneath Max’s thumb. With his other hand he flicked on his reading lamp, and Charles groaned again and pulled the sheets over his face. 

Max pulled them away without a second thought, cupping Charles’ face and raising it from the pillow. He looked fine. His cheeks were flushed from the heat of their winter comforter, and he smelled like the warm, contented heaviness of sleep. His eyes drifted open into a glare. 

“What?” he grumbled, then his face cleared as he registered the panic in Max’s eyes. “Max?” 

Charles smelled content and warm and sleepy. He also smelled like blood. 

“You—are you alright?” Max asked, scenting him. Charles let out a confused purr, one short burst of sound, more a soothing noise than one of contentment. 

“I’m fine,” Charles says, bewildered, then shifted upward. His eyes went a little wide, and he sat up all at once, kicking the blankets away. “Merde.” 

There was blood between his thighs, tacky and half dried. There was blood on the sheets—not a lot, but enough to make Max feel sick.

“It’s fine,” Charles said quickly, because Max’s scent must have been doing scary things. “I’m fine.” 

“Did you cut yourself?” 

“No.” 

“We’ll go to the hospital,” Max said, his head spinning. Blood clots, internal bleeding, cancer—they’d had sex last night. Had this been his fault? But it had been slow and gentle, and this had never happened before. 

“No, sometimes…no. I have heard that sometimes people miscarry in the first week if their body is not ready to have a baby. Probably I have had this.” At Max’s look of horror he offered him a weak smile. “It is not even a miscarriage, it is more like a rejection. A few days, a week—there is nothing there.” 

“Did you know?” Max asks, his voice small. 

Charles shook his head. “I would have told you. It isn’t even anything at a few days.” 

“Last time you kept saying that, too.” 

“No, I mean it. A few cells. Literally a few. I’m okay,” he insists. “I will go see the doctor tomorrow, but it is probably just this. There is nothing to worry about.” 

Max let out a huff, nuzzling at Charles’ throat until Charles threaded a hand through his hair. He smelled sleepy and safe, not an ounce of fear in his scent or his voice. Max took a deep breath, trying to force his heart to calm. 

“It’s okay,” Charles said, then kissed his cheek and pulled away. “I need to shower.” 

Max nodded. “Go,” he said softly. “Give me your clothes. I’ll do the laundry.” 

Half an hour later the sheets were changed and Charles was curled up in his arms in soft joggers and one of Max’s more threadbare shirts. He smelled like sunburns and long days at the beach and Max’s favorite soap, and he purred when Max squeezed him close. 

“I’m okay,” he said quietly as Max turned the lights out again. 

“I know,” Max insisted, but he held him even closer. He pressed his nose against the top of Charles’ head, soaking up his warmth, cataloging every bit of him that assured Max that he was alive and healthy and happy; that he was fine. 

Charles’ purr faded into nothing as he drifted off. Max laid awake for a long time, just listening to his breathing. 

[pallases]

IM FREEEEEE

[puhpandas]

Veering Off Course

(2,305 words)

Gregory and his family get a call that Vanessa, whos in a different state for college, has gotten hurt. Gregory calls Evan, and Evan is able to use the things he's learned about himself since meeting Gregory to help his friend with his emotions regarding the situation.

Its early in the morning on a Saturday when Evan gets the call. It woke him up, so all he does is blink groggily and swipe at the screen blindly while propped up on his elbow until his thumb hits 'answer' on his phone. "Hello?"

"Evan." It's Gregory, and the serious tone to just that single word clears up Evan's brain as fast as lightning. He scrambles to prop himself into sitting up and rubs at his eyes with one hand.

"Gregory?" Evan asks, looking at the little icon he set for Gregory's contact of a picture of Evan and him at an amusement park. "Is everything okay?"

It takes a second for Gregory to respond, and it causes the anxiety that had steadily began to bubble inside of him to surge. "Gregory?"

"Sorry." Gregory finally answers. "I-- Uh... can you..." His friend struggles for words, and Evan tries to be as patient as possible as it becomes clearer every second something is wrong. "Can you come over? Like right now?"

Evan flounders for words for a second, but manages to force his mouth to say, "Of course."

"Okay." Gregory replies, and a surge of worry shoots through his chest when Gregory sounds like he might cry. He takes a breath on the other end, then, "Please hurry."

After that, Evan only lingers enough to respond with a short confirmation and goodbye before hanging up the phone. It takes him record time to shoot out of bed, sling on some shoes, and get down the street a few houses to Gregory's own.

His mind had played multiple awful scenarios of what terrible thing could have happened the entire time, but his worry does not ebb when he makes it to the porch and knocks on the door to a teary eyed Gregory.

Evan's immediately herded inside. Freddy has his phone in his hand pressed up against his ear, and he's pacing around the room. Aunt Chica and Aunt Roxy sit in the living room. Bonnie is sat in a dragged-over dining chair by Freddy and frowning.

It's dead silent in the house; even the TV and seemingly endless energy flowing through and causing bustling noise is snuffed out to nothing. Evan watches as everyone sits completely seriously and quiet, hands held in their lap or thrumming against something.

Impatience, is what Evan first thinks of. They're waiting for something. News, maybe? Freddy is on the phone. It's so silent you could hear a pin drop. Or somebody else's phone vibrate.

Evan's dread and anxiety only get worse when Gregory shuts the door behind him and tugs on him a bit. Evan follows without struggle, thousands of words and questions on his tongue when Gregory leads him to one of the unoccupied seats in the living room; a loveseat.

He sits down with him, and Gregory's face is scrunched up in barely restrained worry. Evan watches his friend, who's been an anchor for himself for so long, tremble and hunch in on himself. "Gregory?"

Gregory's eyes dart to him, and Evan leans down, hunching forward with his elbows rested on his thighs like theyre their own personal bubble. Evan's own brows furrow, and he feels the familiar thickness in his throat just at watching his friend be upset.

Evan grabs at his hand, squeezing it tight and lacing their fingers together. "I'm really worried, Gregory... please tell me whats wrong." Evan pleads. "Please?"

Gregory nods unsurely after a moment, and Evan watches him swallow thickly before turning to him fully. "Dad got a call from the University of Oregon today."

Evan's brows raise, but he nods to keep going. The University of Oregon is the college Gregory's sister, Vanessa, had left home to go attend. Evan hasnt gotten the chance to meet her, yet. She's already been gone two years strong, with a seemingly bright future. Evan's heard Gregory and his family talk about her enough to know her talents.

Gregory's breath hitches, and Evan wraps his other hand around Gregory's, the one he already has ahold of. He sandwiches it in-between his own and hopes it's enough comfort.

"Somebody called us and told us Vanessa got into a car crash today. On campus."

It's like a bucket of ice water is poured on Evan's head. His feet go cold, and his eyes widen to saucers. Fear shoots like an arrow through his stomach. When he stops reeling from the news, he watches Gregory begin to shake and lose the carefully gathered composure he'd put up since Evan arrived.

"They said..." Gregory's brows are furrowed so much it looks like it hurts. Theres a clench in his jaw and a wetness to his eyes Evan isnt used to. "They said she's already been taken to the hospital and is in surgery." He frowns, and theres a twist in his lip that Evan is so familiar with. "They... a-all we can do is wait. They told us they'd let us know any updates."

The house is thrown back into such jarring silence after Gregory stops talking that Evan's ears start ringing. Which makes it clear as day when Gregory's breath turns harsh beside him.

Evan tears his eyes away from the floor and ignores the twisting feeling in his chest to look at his friend. He has his face buried in the hand that isnt held by Evan and is shaking in a way where you can tell theyre trying so hard to keep it together. Gregory's angled away from him, but Evan can see the panic on his face even from where he can see.

Evan's breath hitches, and the thickness in his throat begins to turn into burning as he scootches closer to Gregory on the couch and sets a hand on his shoulder. He tugs a bit until Gregory gets the message and let's him wrap his arms around his middle and hold him close.

Gregory makes some sort of horrible, upsetting hitching noise that causes the dam to break for Evan, before he sort of flops against him and brings up his own arms to clutch at his T-Shirt. Gregory's head thumps against his shoulder, and it's one of the only times Evan really becomes aware of the height he has on his friend.

"Its okay..." Evan says into Gregory's shoulder, because it's all he knows to do in the moment. He glances around and sees that Gregory's family has shifted to the dining room, leaving them alone. Evan finally feels the tears slip from his eyes as he presses closer, hugging him like his life depends on it. "Its okay, Gregory. It'll be okay."

"It's--" Gregory says, and Evan can hear how much his voice shakes with barely contained tears. "Its not. I can't-- We can't even go see her. We can't go and wait for her to wake up, or anything... we just have to--" He cuts himself off, and Evan feels Gregory shake harshly against him.

"We just have to sit here." Gregory says, voice thick. "I dont know what to do, Evan. I don't know what to do."

And its only that sentence that causes Evan to grapple at what to do, if his friend can't. And all he can think about is how himself would react if it were Gregory getting hurt.

All he'd be able to do is cry, he realizes. He wouldnt be able to do anything. Just wait and be scared.

But that's what Gregory is getting at, isnt he? He can't do anything. That's the thing. Evan has known Gregory long enough to get him. To know, him. Evan knows that Gregory doesnt sit around and cry like Evan does. He prefers to get up and do something about whatevers wrong.

Hes a problem solver instead of waiting around. A fighter instead of a crier. No wonder hes so bent out of shape about this. To have a loved one in danger, and when you're so used to getting up and making a plan to fix a problem and are forced to sit in standby...

Evan eases them down against the cushion of the couch, not once untangling themselves from eachother. Gregory shakes, but he does not cry. "So what would you do if you could?"

The hair from Gregory's bangs brushes against Gregory's neck as he moves his head. "I'd... I don't know. I'd at least try to get to her." Gregory says, voice unbelievably quiet. "At least get to her. Then figure it out from there. Just so I'm not waiting on phone calls."

Evan nods against him, his chin scrunching up Gregory's hair. His tears have long since stopped falling, but he knows he has dry tracks on his cheeks. "You have a plan."

Gregory makes some sort of noise that would sound like a snort in any other circumstances. "I would if I could." Gregory replies, squeezing his arms a bit tighter. "But I cant" He sighs, shuddering and heavy. "I just have to wait."

Evan hums. "You're worried, and you're stressed." He makes the same noise Gregory just did. "I know how you feel... I really do. Maybe not your exact situation, but... I get what it's like to feel helpless." He says. "You know what I would do?"

Gregory hums this time, questionative. Evan rubs circles into his back. "I'd sit there and wait, and wish for it to different. And when it wouldnt be, I'd cry."

Gregorys head shifts against that crook between Evan's chin and chest, almost like hes trying to look him in the eye but the hug prevents him from being able.

"All I ever did was cry." Evan says when Gregory doesnt respond. "Its the only thing that I could do to cope."

"...So..." Gregory asks, and his voice is thick again. "You mean..."

"You're stressed." Evan answers. "You're stressed and you're worried. So... why dont you let it out?"

Evan, out of anyone, knows how valuable emotions can be. He didnt, once upon a time. When everyone would just tell him how annoying it is. How useless it is. How he's asking for it. How he should have toughened up by now. When instead of comfort, he'd receive ridicule and prodding.

That's changed. Ever since a certain someone entered his life. He doesn't think of his emotions, himself so little anymore. So worthless. So maybe that's why Gregory perks up ever so slightly in understanding.

And that's all it takes.

Gregory's trembling turns into shoulder shaking sobs like the snap of a finger. He cries, open and unadulterated, and Evan just hugs him close and rubs his back, offering reassurances like Gregory has done for him so many times.

His own eyes burn when his best friends sobs are heard so openly and he can feel every shudder of his body. Evan's chin scrunches, and the tears fall right along with Gregory as Evan hugs him close, tucking his face into his hair.

"Im--" Gregory cries. "I-Im just so worried about her."

"I know." Evan responds, his own voice breaking as he pets Gregory's hair. His shirt is damp with tears but he doesnt care. "Itll be okay. It'll all be okay."

They stay like that for a while, and Evan can tell Gregory needs it. He needs it. The worry he felt that morning doesnt ever really leave, and it stays ever-present as Evan watches his friend fall apart. They stay stuck together like magnets, eventually only shoulder to shoulder with linked hands on the loveseat, and none of Gregory's family try to peel them apart when they eventually wander back into the living room.

They stay in a state of constant agonizing limbo all day. At 8:00pm, Freddy calls it a night. Gregory protests immediately, but Aunt Roxy calms him down almost seamlessly and convinces him to go to bed.

Of course, Evan follows him. He cant imagine a world where he doesnt. The air mattress stays deflated in Gregory's closet as it has been most of the time nowadays. All Evan has to do is kick his shoes off since he left home in his pajamas anyway and they're wrapped around eachother, tucked in Gregory's bed under his comforter in the dark.

Gregory is silent all throughout the night, even though Evan knows he's awake. Evan just hopes that... he did the right thing. Something knows is that suppressing how you feel isnt good. It never works. No matter how much you want it to.

Gregory taught him that. He just wants to return the favor. Not because he owes Gregory, no. Gregory has long since hammered it into Evan's thick skull that he has nothing to pay him back for. That his kindness is not a deed to Evan, but rather that Evan himself deserves to be treated kindly.

Gregory does, too. Evan knows this with all his heart. Gregory is his best friend and has done more for him than anyone else ever has.

Evan... all Evan did was change. Change for the better. And hopefully he helped the most important person in his life with the things he learned. The things that person taught him.

He hugs Gregory's middle a little tighter, not daring to break the silence. Gregory needs time, but doesn't want to be alone. Evan understands. He does. He just hopes to convey what he truly feels through the one action.

Thank you. I'm here for you. I'll always be here. You're my best friend. I'm so glad you trust me. I trust you as well. So much.

Gregory himself wraps his arms tighter around Evan in turn, and Evan feels like the single movement lso has a deeper meaning he cant read.

They dont speak. They just lay in silence until eventually they fall asleep, stuck together like two puzzle pieces.

ao3 link

[biillys]

yo merry christmas i'm thinking about christmas at the hargrove-mayfield's house throughout the years

wanna think about their first christmas together as a family, maybe before neil and susan even got married, or maybe just after. wanna think about what susan got billy for that first december 25th that they knew each other and what neil bought for max. did neil just pass that duty off to susan and stick his name on the from: section of the gift tag or did he put effort in and actually go to the shops and try and find something, specifically for his new step-daughter.

wanna think about the following few christmas' in california where billy never heard from his mom, never even got a fucking christmas card, but max heard from her dad; spending the time between christmas breakfast and christmas lunch on the phone, thanking him for the present he sent in the mail. wanna think about susan listening in, hearing her ex sounding distant and barely focused, agreeing with everything their daughter says, and biting her tongue; half relieved max hasn't picked up on the fact that sam's handwriting and her own is exactly the same, and half mad that sam's willing to take the credit without even blinking.

wanna think about their last christmas in california where they don't even realise it's their last one there; billy hitting his stride in being the worlds moodiest and most hard done by teenager, max following quick in his footsteps. wanna think about how all the gifts hand-picked by susan would be too lame and embarrassing to be thankful for, both kids screwing their nose up at most presents. maybe billy and max exchanging small gifts that christmas becos they haven't been at each others throats all year, only some, and susan thought it would be nice.

wanna think about their first christmas in hawkins, with things still so messy and uncomfortable and rough, but somehow settling into it like it's their new normal. wanna think about it being cold as fuck, none of them prepared for hawkins winters, and everyone walking on eggshells around each other and pretending it's fine. wanna think about max growing up and officially moving into her teenage years and billy counting down the days until he leaves them, adulthood so close yet still so fucking far. wanna think about them all sitting down for christmas dinner and billy barely being acknowledged, things still so tense even though it's been almost two months since everything went to shit, and max forcing out answers every time susan tries to keep the conversation flowing, her doing her best to carry the christmas spirit.

wanna think about a world where there's no living nightmares, no government conspiracies, and no death, but billy still spirals out of control anyway, feeling trapped and cornered in an unfamiliar town with unfamiliar people, his only solution to lash out and fight, anger and violence and distrust being all he knows. wanna think about max coming to the realisation that there's bigger monsters than her asshole step-brother, that maybe billy isn't the start of everyone's problems, just always somehow the end of them. want her to trace the line back to the source and realise neither of them ever stood a fucking chance.

wanna think about a christmas where billy's eighteen and max is fifteen, and they still live on cherry lane, and neil still fucking sucks, and susan still fucking tries, and everything's still awkward, the four of them never quite becoming the family unit their parents try to pretend them to be, but maybe billy and max get along these days, in a way they never could when they were younger, them going from being against each other to realising it's team up or be picked apart.

max gives him a present she saved up for for months, maybe as they're all going to bed, and billy raises an eyebrow at her before sighing and unwrapping it, still too fucking stubborn to be able to say thank you, but somehow brave enough to reach a hand into his room and grab out a present he got for her, and it's unwrapped cos he hasn't wrapped a present since his mom left, so max does her little sister duty and tells him she loves the wrapping and effort he put into it, before actually looking at what he got her, and he walks into his room and closes the door before she can even acknowledge it for the gift it is.

wanna think about billy eventually moving out, but not making it far; too fucking broke to live out his dreams of going home. wanna think about neil clapping him on the back on moving day and telling him he's done good, that this is what growing up is. graduating school, getting a job, moving out, providing for yourself. that's what makes a man. that it was rough there for a while, and he was worried, but he's glad to see his son's shaped up and straightened out finally, thanks to his solid parenting. wanna think about billy having no idea how to react, thinking that's the closest he'll ever get to his dad saying he's proud of him. wanna think about max helping him move and helping him chose a couch, claiming it has to be comfortable enough to sleep on when she crashes there on school breaks. want billy to tell her to get fucked, but buy the couch she picked out anyway.

wanna think about his first christmas out of home, and how how he probably feels indifferent about it at best, and pain about it at worst. christmas was never like the movies growing up, no matter how much susan tried, so it's not like being alone and having no decorations or presents is going to hurt, but he has enough memories of his mum, and a few moments over the years from when max and susan tried, and there's such a build up and fucking atmosphere about it all in hawkins that he can't escape it even if he tried, and he's starting to realise maybe he's really fucking lonely.

wanna think about neil calling him up and billy answering, cos now that they don't live in the same house and billy's finally taking responsibility for his own life, neil's like a whole new person. he wants to do father-son shit like talk about cars, offer advice about fixing the kitchen sink, tell him when to hire someone to fix something and when you should be able to fix something yourself, wants to watch sports games and crack open a beer on a saturday afternoon, and billy makes up reasons to say no most of the time, but sometimes he caves and says yes, cos there's a small part of him that's always wanted this. wanna think about neil calling and asking billy when he's coming over for christmas, saying that susan's cooking his favourite. wanna think about billy not even knowing what his favourite is, but saying he'll be at breakfast by 7:30am before he can stop himself.

wanna think about billy staying 'til afternoon and max raising an eyebrow at him, muttering don't you have a home to go to? while they clean up after lunch, but then neil offers him a beer, so he ignores her, and listens when his dad says he's welcome to stay for dinner, too. wanna think about billy and max smoking a joint out the back while their parents end the day with a christmas movie, and max turns to him and asks him what neil's deal is these days, and billy shrugs her off, too stubborn to look at it all too closely.

wanna think about billy pulling some money out of his wallet cos he has some now, and he didn't have time to get a present, too busy working overtime, but he has cash, so that'll do. wanna think about max handing him a new zippo, then somehow unearthing a whole-ass wrapped present, and when he opens it, it's a set of cheap fake glass cups, becos billy doesn't have any yet and every time she comes over she has to drink something either directly from the bottle in the fridge or remember her own drink bottle, and it's a housewarming gift, asshole, and this isn't my house, billy thinks, this isn't my fucking home, but it's also all he's got, so he finds a place for them in the cupboard above the sink, and max hunts them down the next time she's over first thing.

wanna think about christmas' in their future, when max moves out, when they're in their 20's and 30's, maybe billy keeps coming home, finding an uneasy peace with his dad reserved for special occasions only, the only few times of the year he's willing to lie to himself and pretend things were never as bad as his memories made them out to be, or maybe everything eventually crumbles, and billy finally gets to put some real distance between them, and finally then, he can breathe and stop pretending.

maybe max continues going, her seeing her mom try and so she puts in the effort to try as well, and maybe that works for a while, maybe even a lifetime, but maybe it doesn't, and by the time both her and billy are closer to 30 than 20, the only family they see on christmas is each other, and billy never wraps her presents, and max only gets him practical things, and they drink and bitch most of the time, but it's so much easier to exist in each others space when they don't have to act and pretend and play parts.

[punmster]

i've come to accept that i'm bad at writing romance, but at least i'm not as bad as the source material

[ichigosoju]

🍪🥛

[meterrrvolt]

young wu! because it feels weird to draw his brother and nephew and exclude him 😪