#i wanted a cake when i was 7 and mom told me to make it myself to teach me how to cook

[omgfloofy]

I’m doing this as an image since I don’t want to drag anything down on the meaning that’s being presented in the original message nor do I want to bring hate on the people posting it. But at the same time I want to add something on this.

My most creative time with cooking came from when I was unemployed, and barely able to afford the roof over my head and to keep the bills running. I had a really really old Kitchenaid (I think retailed at like $150?) cookware set that I got when I was living with a roommate. (And I still have and use it to this day, while it’s like 14 years old now.)

I couldn’t afford to eat out a lot at that time, so I experimented and played around with making dishes that I really liked. This often meant playing around with boxed items from the store, or just making things from scratch. I learned to make several portions of tonkatsu for less than $7 or $8 total. It would give me 3-4 meals out of the week. I also recreated several restaurant dishes for a cheap cost.

You don’t need fancy equipment to recreate flavors you like. I had a partially busted electric stovetop that had an unevenly cooking oven and no fancy appliances in my kitchen - I lived in a dirt cheap apartment at the time that was in a low income area.

I can’t argue on the large city part, being that I had a grocery store nearby, but I also knew when to go to said store - based on when they were removing meat from the butcher counter and discounting it to get rid of it. I bought that frequently and kept freezer bags to freeze it in parts since it was just me. Even if you don’t live near one, learn that time for where you get food on your own.

The most unique thing I ever bought for my kitchen was an oven thermometer, but those aren’t expensive. You can find those for less than $10. I needed it to find the hot spots for my

Look up Dylan Hollis and his videos. He doesn’t use stand mixers or anything, to show that you don’t need that stuff to make the things he makes.

Another online source for recipes that makes things easy to follow, no matter what you have available to you: Food Wishes. His stuff is great and some of his recipes are now staples in my lineup.

If you want to get better cooking equipment, look up estate sales or garage/yard sales and buy them second hand. Good brands will last you a very long time. (Case in point with my kitchenaid stuff.) Also look up cookbooks at your local used bookstore, or even just get them from estate sales.

Another thing to remember: if things aren’t purchased at an estate sale, it usually just goes into the trash, so you’re basically saving something from the landfill in that case. Estate sales are always your friend,and they almost always happen at least on a semi regular occurrence, regardless of where you live.

And one of the recipes I made during that period is very much my own and one of the favorites my friends enjoy me making. You never know what you can and will accomplish when you’re forced to be creative in the kitchen.

[zorrasucia]

Teach Me Tonight - Part 3

[Part 1] [Part 2] Part 3: [Deleted Scene] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Deleted Scene] [Part 8]

Reader x Carmy Berzatto (The Bear FX)

Rating: Explicit (5k)

Tags: Smut, Set sometime after the opening of The Bear, Porn with a little plot, Virgin!Carmy, Oral (M and F receiving), Phone sex, Dream sex, P in V sex, a sprinkle of SoftDom!Carmy at Reader's request, Both Carmy and Reader have a bit of a praise kink

Summary: With everything you had heard earlier, it seemed like sex was another facet of his life where he wouldn't let himself just enjoy stuff. "I want to make you feel good too," you insisted.

It was a foggy day, the cold of Chicago promised a quiet afternoon with few customers. Sydney showed up at the store and invited you to family, saying something about a surprise for Carmy. You quickly closed up and followed her back to the restaurant. Most of the staff knew you by now; Tina cupped your face lovingly, Nat hugged you, and Richie showed you to your seat. Everyone was there except Carmy. 

"What's going on?" you asked Nat in a whisper. 

"He didn't tell you? Of course he didn't tell you," she rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "It's his birthday," she said simply.

"Oh!"

You felt a weight settle in your stomach. How could you not know? You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to hide your nervousness and stopping yourself from crying at the same time. 

"Oh, sweetie," Nat put her arm around you. "You shouldn't feel bad about it. He doesn't tell anyone. The only reason I know is because I'm his sister. We don't do presents or candles or sing because of all the- Well, you know," she gestured vaguely. You nodded. 

You didn't know the whole story but Carmy had let you know bits and pieces of his unstable childhood and the fraught relationship with his Mom, from way before Mike died.

"But Syd wanted to cook something nice for him and Marcus wanted to test a cake recipe, so," she shrugged. You managed a smile. "He'll be happy to see you," she squeezed you to her side.

"Okay, everyone start eating and act fucking normal," Richie bellowed. "We don't want the birthday boy to feel ambushed or whatever. We're having a nice meal, with our neighbor, and there's a random ass cake here for absolutely no reason, okay?"

"Your ass is random, man!" Marcus replied from the other side of the table, cutting slices of what looked like tres leches cake. Fak chuckled between forkfuls of salad.

Sydney had already started passing plates around, it was lamb and salad and it smelled delicious.

"Thanks for inviting me," you told her once she got to you. 

"I mean, you're practically family, right?" she smiled.

By the time Carmy appeared, you were all eating and talking, and he could sneak in and sit by your side almost unnoticed. 

"What's all this?" he asked, looking frantically around the room.

"They asked me to come over for family," you smiled innocently. "It's very good," you added pointing at your plate. 

"No, I mean-" he hesitated, his eyes kept searching for Nat. She was leaning against the door frame and when she saw Carmy, she put her fingers to the corners of her lips and pushed them up, to shape a smile. 'Be happy, okay?' she mouthed.

Carmy nodded, then looked down, a relieved smirk curving his lips. He tried to relax, leaning back on his seat and placing an arm behind your chair. He took the plate Richie brought him and started eating with gusto. 

"So, you know?" he asked after a while. 

"No presents, no candles, no singing," you repeated, knowing it would calm his anxiety a little. "I want to make a suggestion though."

Carmy turned his head quickly. "Yeah?" 

"Yeah," you smiled mischievously. "I think this cake should be like a staple at the restaurant. No way I'm waiting for your next birthday to have it again."

Carmy laughed. After his first bite of the cake he had to agree. "That's fire," he hummed. 

His face looked bright and lovely. Your hand didn't leave his thigh for the rest of the meal. 

You leaned against Carmy's side; he kissed the top of your head and sighed, burying the two of you deeper into the cushions of the sofa. It had been a beautiful day. With his arms around you, you asked him.

"Why don't you like presents on your birthday?"

"Uh- I'm not sure," he replied honestly. His fingers drew pretty shapes on your shoulder. "I guess if you're not expecting anything then you can't be disappointed, right?" 

"I get that," you said after a while. "I just think it's a waste that I sell vintage, and you love vintage, and you don't ask for presents, you know?" you added playfully.

He smiled. "I guess. I think I like it better when it's on a random day, for no reason at all."

"Yeah," you nodded. "Can I do something nice for you, though? Just because I want to, not because it's your birthday," you clarified.

He turned to face you. "Uh- Okay."

You disentangled from his embrace and knelt between his legs on the floor . He tilted his head in confusion. You smiled and grabbed a hair tie from your pocket, making a show of putting your hair in a ponytail. Carmy's eyes widened when your hands ran up and down his thighs, slow, sensual motions that sent shivers up his spine. 

"You don't have to-" he started protesting.

"I want to," you said.

It had come up a couple of times. You'd offer to reciprocate after he'd eaten you out and he would refuse, saying he would rather be inside you. With everything you had heard earlier, it seemed like sex was another facet of his life where he wouldn't let himself just enjoy stuff. 

"I want to make you feel good too," you insisted.

He seemed torn, one of his hands reaching to caress yours.

"You're absolutely free to say no. There's other ways we can have fun but don't say no just because you feel you don't deserve it, Carm. You do. I promise," you said earnestly. 

He bent over to kiss you fiercely. "Alright. Yes. Please," he said.

You moved slowly, undoing his belt and unbuttoning his trousers, watching the rise and fall of his chest as his breathing became more erratic. You pulled his trousers down, towards you, and started touching his thighs gently, raking your fingers through the coarse hair that went down his stomach, palming at the growing bulge over his boxers.

"Uh-" Carmy swallowed. "I have never- So if I don't last just-"

"Hey, it's okay," you reassured him. "Listen, if you last five seconds but you enjoy it, then I'm happy." 

He laughed at that and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll aim for six then," he quipped.

You removed his boxers carefully, his cock was already hard. He groaned when your breath touched his bare skin. You suspected he was right, he wasn't going to last, so you tried to make it worth his while. 

You started by kissing his head, licking the drop of precum in a quick flick of your tongue. It made him shudder with pleasure - and it made you feel powerful, the effect you had on him.

"Let me know if there's something you don't like," you said, your right hand closing loosely around his shaft. He nodded. He was hardly moving and his hands were fisting the cushions of the sofa. "You need to breathe, Carm," you reminded him, your voice had turned husky. You took one of his hands and placed it on your head, his fingers intertwined around your ponytail and you heard him exhale. "Good."

You leaned forward again, kissing around his head, making the kisses open mouthed as you went, letting him get accustomed to the feeling of your lips on him. Your hand started pumping his length, softly, no rhythm to it yet, more a caress than anything.

"You're going to fucking kill me," he rasped, his hand holding tighter to your hair, loosening the ponytail when he massaged your scalp. You moaned against his skin, which made him writhe his hips in return. 

You opened your mouth, taking the first couple of inches of him. You couldn't deep throat, but he didn't seem to mind- your hand was pumping and making up for the rest of his length. He moaned and it made your pussy tingle. 

"You sound so pretty, Carmy," you praised. He chuckled, out of breath. 

You licked the length of his shaft, wetting it enough to help your hand glide easier. You took him again, a little deeper this time, not far enough to make you gag, just enough that he threw his head back in pleasure, the veins of his neck visibly pulsing and his Adam's apple bobbing as he tried in vain to breathe normally. It was all quick gasps and the occasional groan. That was enough teasing, you decided.

You started going back and forth, the rhythm of your mouth echoed with your right hand, the left rested on his knee. He intertwined his fingers with yours, holding tight.

"Please, don't- don't stop," he begged. His face was downwards now, looking you straight in the eye, his pupils were blown and his mouth hung open. "It feels so fucking good. Please, please..."

You sped up, hollowing out your cheeks, moving your left hand so that you were sinking your nails into the muscle of his tattooed forearm. Your underwear was wet with arousal and the sounds he made weren't helping, you pressed your thighs together to get some relief and ended up moaning on his cock.

"Holy fucking shit," he gasped. "I'm sorry, I'm gonna-"

You felt him twitch inside your mouth, every muscle in his body growing tense. He groaned over and over, going quieter each time, letting go completely. Salt covered your tongue in spurts and you did your best to swallow most of it, a little bit of it fell down the corner of your mouth. You slowed down, pumping him until he pulled you off his softening cock, mumbling something about "so good" and "too much". His hand let go of your hair and cupped your face, his eyes were glazed over and blissed out, a loving look to his sweaty face. 

"So fucking good," he managed to say in an exhale. His thumb cleaned the drop of cum off your chin - so carefully, so gently that it warmed your insides. "You're beautiful."

You laughed in disbelief but then you remembered how gorgeous he looked when he emerged from in between your thighs, half of his face completely wet, a turned on blush on his cheeks...

He pulled you up on his lap and kissed you senseless, his tongue caressing your tired lips, humming contentedly into you. You were both a mess: him naked from the waist down, you with your hair completely undone and your underwear soaked.

"Best birthday I've ever had," he said against your lips, his forehead to yours. "Thank you." 

You smiled. "You're welcome. Happy birthday, Carmy." 

~

You had slowly gotten used to sleeping in a bed that smelled like Carmy. Whether it was at your place or his, even if the sheets on his side were cold they still had a hint of salt, smoke, and his expensive aftershave. 

"Get a fucking grip," you reprimanded yourself in a low voice. 

Call me when you get home? 

You sent the text before you could chicken out. He wouldn't leave the restaurant for another hour or so, so you settled on the hotel room bed, the unfamiliar cream colored covers suffocating, the sound of a movie on the TV only making you more antsy. 

When the phone rang, it was a little before midnight. You were comfortable and warm - and completely awake.

"Hey, you okay?" Carmy's voice sounded raspy on the phone. 

"Yeah, everything's fine. I just- I couldn't sleep and-" you chuckled without a hint of humor. It felt silly: it was an overnight trip, you were staying at a nice hotel, and you couldn't sleep because Carmy wasn't there. It was so fucking silly. "Never mind. I'm okay, it's late. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Hey!" Carmy stopped you from hanging up. "Talk to me. What's up?"

"Fuck," you looked at the ceiling. "I don't know. Nothing bad happened. Actually, the estate sale went great. Uh. This lady had a big collection of dresses, fifties and sixties, beautiful pieces. And shoes! Just tons of them, barely used, Gucci and shit."

"And you got them?" Carmy asked, you could almost hear him frowning.

"Yeah! It's all good stuff and I think it will sell well too."

"That's good," he said, his tone soothing. "So, what's wrong?"

"Uh- I don't know," you repeated. "I came back to the hotel and it was so- just so fucking quiet and it feels wrong, you know?"

Carmy hummed in agreement. 

"I get it," he said after a beat. "When I got here, uh, the apartment was very fucking quiet too. Creeped me out a bit."

You sighed. Maybe it wasn't so silly.

"It helps, though," you said after a beat. "Talking with you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," you smiled. "How was your day?"

"It was absolute shit," he replied.

"Too bad I'm not there to fuck about it," you said. 

Sometimes, when Carmy's day was too bad to even talk about, you would fuck - hard and fast - and then talk about it. Hence, fuck about it. 

Carmy chuckled. "Yeah," you could hear him exhale as he fell heavily on the couch or the bed. "That would actually help a lot."

You bit your lip, feeling your stomach flip a little. "Um, Carm?"

"Mmm?"

"I know you said you hadn't been with anyone before me-" you prompted. "Does that mean you never had phone sex either?"

He coughed loudly on the other side of the line. You pictured him choking on his own cigarette smoke, a deep blush to his cheeks. 

"Sorry?" he asked after a moment.

"I mean that we can still fuck about it... If you want," you offered. "You know, you can say what you would like to do to me, or maybe tell me what I should do... That sort of thing."

"Uh," he hesitated. "I do- I'd like to try but I- I'm not good at playing pretend, you know? Never been, not even as a kid."

"If I do the talking? Would that be better?" 

"Maybe?" his voice sounded ragged but not just from coughing. 

"I've never, uh, taken the lead before but that would, like, even out the playing field, right?" you reasoned, your heart beating faster.

"What- what would that be like?" 

"I could tell you about the nice pajamas I'm wearing," you lowered your voice. "The blue ones?"

"With the shorts and the little bows?" Carmy asked. "You look good in those..."

You opened your legs, your free hand playing with the elastic of your shorts. 

"I wish you would take them off for me, Carm. I wish you would touch me like only you know how. I want your fingers inside me," he cleared his throat on the other side of the line. "Would you like to do that?"

"Yes," his voice was breathy, "I would, yes."

"I want you to do something for me, Carmy," you started teasing between your legs over the fabric of your shorts. "Remember when we first fucked? You closed your eyes and touched yourself to get hard again. Can you do that?"

"Yeah. Yeah," you could barely hear his intake of breath and it still made you shiver.

"You looked so fucking hot, I still think about it when I finger myself," you confessed. You could picture him clearly, the veins of his arms and neck bulging, his head thrown back.

"Shit..." he rasped.

"Can you hold the phone close, Carm? I want to hear you while you touch your cock."

"I want to hear you too... Ah, fuck!"

The sound made you curl your toes with anticipation. You got your hand inside your underwear and traced lines on your folds, caressing slowly.

"I'm already so wet," you said. "Are you hard for me, Carmy?"

"So fucking hard," he drawled and you moaned.

"What would you like me to do?" you asked, trying to keep your voice steady. "If I was there, Carm, what would you like me to do?"

"Ri- Ride me," he managed. 

His breathing was a quick staccato that made your hand pick up speed, spreading wetness around your clit. You sat up on the bed, imagined Carmy underneath you, holding tight to your hips, your hands on his sculpted chest.

"How? How do you want me to- oh, God- ride you?"

"Just- hard," he groaned but it was a muffled sound, he was holding back. 

"Carm..."

"I want you to fucking wreck me," he blurted out.

If he felt like he had fucked up, like he had done something terribly wrong at the restaurant, he liked it to hurt a little, you knew that by now. Maybe the rhythm was punishing, maybe it was way too fast, maybe you denied him his orgasm for a while. Anyway, he was atoning. 

"I want you to touch you like I would, Carmy," you said. "Can you do that for me? Put lube on your hand, hold your cock tight, and go as fast as you can, okay?"

"Yes," it was barely a whisper. But suddenly you could listen - deep growls from way within his chest, rhythmic gasps that grew quicker and quicker. You struggled to catch up with him, your middle and ring fingers pumped in and out of you in tandem with his sounds. 

"Oh, fuck," he rasped. "I can hear it. Jesus Christ."

"It's not the same without you, Carm," you said honestly. Your hand was wet to the palm but you still wanted that fullness only he could make you feel. "I need you inside me, I need you."

"Oh, fuck!"

He got quiet for a second, then groaned a few times, your pussy clenching while he did. You were so close. He sighed into the speaker, relieved and spent - you wanted to be happy for him but you were still on the edge and desperate for release. You kept moaning.

"Have you come?" Carmy asked.

"Not yet," you managed to say.

"Shit."

"I'm close though. Just stay on the line, please."

You could feel it slipping out of your grasp. It wasn't enough to have him listen, you needed something to hold on to. You let out a needy whine.

He read your mind, and in that fucked out voice he said: "That was- holy shit- that was so, so fucking hot. You made me come and you didn't even touch me," you fluttered against your fingers. "Can’t believe you're mine. You're my good girl."

He had never called you that. That was it. The tension within you snapped and you could breathe again. Eyes shut and forehead to the duvet, you could almost feel Carmy's hands touching up your back, tickling at your sides. You let out a shaky laugh.

"Fuck, Carmy. Fuck," you repeated, something warm settling in your belly. 

"You okay?" he said. You had dropped the phone and you heard him far away.

You wiped your hand on your hip and settled back on the bed, tired and a little sweaty. You'd have to shower again in the morning but you found you didn't care right now.

"I'm okay," you replied when you could pick up your phone. "So okay. You?"

"So okay," he repeated with a chuckle. 

"Okay," you let out a big exhale. "Now tell me about your day."

~

You were at The Bear, it was late at night, the lights were dimmed down and there were no patrons. You turned around and found the place empty - ghostly and quiet. 

"Hello?" No one replied.

Now that you thought of it, you didn't know how you got there - couldn't remember, actually. But Carmy was suddenly there too, hands on his hips, wearing his pristine chef's whites. The blue of his eyes popped with the ambience lighting in a way that felt supernatural.

"Carmy," you called but he didn't move.

"On the table," he said brusquely, pointing with his head at the only piece of furniture left in the restaurant. There was no tablecloth or cutlery on it.

"What?" you asked.

"On the fucking table!" he yelled and you obeyed, sitting quickly on it, facing him.

"What's going on?" you asked.

He laughed - it wasn't his usual laugh, soft and floaty - it was a cruel sound, glass like. 

"What's going on, sweetheart, is that I'm going to fuck you, on this table, until you come three times," he said and it sent a shiver down your spine. "Or until you beg me to stop, whatever happens first."

You didn't say a word, you couldn't: he kissed you violently, biting on your lip and grabbing your throat. 

"Carmy, holy shit! Slow down," you pleaded when you parted to catch your breath. 

He stopped but only to spread your legs wide open, his fingers digging into your thighs forcefully, then going up your skirt. He leaned to whisper in your ear:

"You sure you want that?"

His voice was low, caramel like, delicious. You ran a hand up his chest, fisting white fabric, bringing him closer. 

"Good," he said. His fingers shoved your underwear to the side and teased mercilessly.

"Fuuuck," you whined as he made you melt in his hands. 

He was touching you just right, having you soaked and pliant so fast it left you dizzy. He thrust two fingers inside you and started pumping fast, his thumb circling your clit - you thanked your stars that you had showed him early on where it was. Your moans grew louder and longer.

"Are you gonna cum for me?" he asked but it sounded like an order. 

You nodded frantically. 

"Are you gonna let me bend you over this table, fuck your pussy as hard as I want?" 

"Yes, please, fuck," you whined. 

Just before the knot within you could unravel, the bright light of morning rushed through the window and made you squeeze your eyes and cover your face. And suddenly you weren't at The Bear, you were at Carmy's place, warm in his bed. It was Sunday, you remembered.

"Oh, fuck," you mumbled. 

Carmy was right next to you, twisting to face you as he woke up too.

The mornings you shared were few and far between, the occasional day off, the days when you had to get up early to take a train for a sale out of town... They were precious, you loved to see Carmy with sleepy eyes, reaching out for you from under the covers. You smiled and stared at him. 

"Morning," you said, feeling a little weird about your dream. 

"Mornin'," he slurred with his eyes closed. "You sleep okay?" 

"Uh-huh," you tried to sound casual. "You?"

"Yeah," you let him pull you in closer, his nose brushed the side of your neck. And his hard on brushed your thigh. 

"Oh!" your heart raced - the one thing that still remained from your dream was the wetness between your legs.

"Shit," Carmy covered his face with his hand. "I'll, uh, I'll take care of it. Don't worry about it."

You cleared your throat nervously. "Actually-"

You didn't know where to begin so you simply grabbed his hand and showed him how wet you were, even through your underwear he could tell. His eyes widened.

"Wh- What- Why?"

"Uh, I dreamt of you," you said simply. 

"What about?" he asked. You shrugged. "I mean, if you liked whatever happened in your dream that much, we could..." he let the offer float. He had that curious look about him.

You bit your lip. It had been good, so good. But it made you feel a little embarrassed about the things that you wanted, what they meant about you.

"We were- Well, you fingered me and- yeah," you hoped he would be satisfied with that. 

"Oh," he sounded a little disappointed but he obliged. "Sure, we can do that." 

He scooted closer still, his hand and the way he moved was gentle and sweet. And completely wrong. You took his wrist and stopped him.

Carmy looked up in concern. "Did I hurt you?"

You shook your head. "I'll- I'll tell you about my dream but promise me you won't laugh," you pressed your hands on his chest. He nodded solemnly. "Even if we don't end up doing it because it's not your thing just- Don't laugh, okay?"

"I won't," he promised. 

"Okay," you took a deep inhale. "So I dreamt that we were at the restaurant. We were all alone, it was late at night and you- Well, you told me to get on a table and that you would make me come three times," you blushed furiously. "You kissed me and you fingered me. You said you would bend me over on the table and fuck me hard. And then I woke up."

"Shit," Carmy said.

"Yeah."

"Was I- Was I different?" he asked. 

"You were a little mean."

"And you were into it?" nothing about his tone betrayed disgust or revulsion.

"I didn't think I would be, but yeah," you replied honestly. 

Carmy ran a hand through his hair and stared at you for a little bit.

"You know I'm not good at the pretending thing," he said and you nodded. "But I think I can fuck you on the table until you come three times."

You felt like you had the wind knocked out of you. 

Before you knew it, you were both naked, kissing in the middle of his kitchen, his hands under your thighs as he placed you on the table. 

"I'm gonna need you to keep count for me," he said, lowering to his knees between your legs. That was the last thing he said before devouring you.

You knew Carmy was competitive but you didn't know it would extend to a dream version of him. He became laser focused: his only goal was to be a better lover than dream Carmy, make you come undone faster and harder than he ever could. Without preamble, he hooked two fingers inside you, curling non-stop, making you gasp for air. His mouth worked tirelessly licking and sucking at your clit, getting satisfaction every time you pulled at his hair. In minutes, he had you bucking your hips frantically, trying to fuck his face. You screamed and heaved and cursed, grabbing to the edge of the table for dear life. 

"How many?" he demanded once he got up from between your legs, wiping his face clean with his forearm. His voice sounded rough and you could see a glimpse of the cut-throat chef he used to be back in New York. You felt the aftershocks of your orgasm go through you one more time. 

"One," you replied.

He grabbed your hips and brought you down from the table, then flipped you over. You heard the condom wrapper hit the floor, then, immediately felt his breath on the back of your neck as he lined up his cock to your pussy. He wasn't careful before and he wasn't careful now, going all the way inside you in a swift motion. It was pleasure and pain in even measures, it was exactly what you asked for. Your knees trembled underneath you but Carmy held you upright. 

"Holy shit," was all you could say before succumbing to the rhythm of his hips against yours.

It was slow, purposeful. One of his hands played with your nipples while the other pressed on your clit. It was too much. You took the hand on your clit and placed it on your neck instead, remembering the way Carmy had kissed you in the dream, holding you possessively. Your Carmy didn't press at all, he caressed the column of your throat with careful fingers, kissed the side of it with devotion. It made you melt onto the tabletop. The feeling of your bare chest on the wooden surface and the sound of his hips clapping against yours turned you on even more. It took you by surprise when you started fluttering on Carmy's cock, your release almost gentle, a series of soft needy moans the only outer indication that you had come.

When you regained your bearings, your cheek to the table and your ass up in the air, you said with an unsteady voice:

"Two."

One of his hands soothed down your spine, a silent question being asked: Do you still want to go on? Can you do one more? You reached for his hand and squeezed it, using the strength you had left to get off the table and turn to face Carmy. He was a sweaty mess, curls falling on his forehead, red in the face from edging his orgasm to give you three. You didn't think you could love anyone more than you loved him right then.

"Carmy."

"I'm here. I'm right here," he maneuvered you gently to lay on your back over the table, his eyes on yours. You hummed contentedly. He lifted your legs, placing one on each shoulder and giving you a shy smile - you realized he had actually read the sex book you had bought him as a joke. You giggled. He didn't do anything in half measures. 

This time, his motions weren't calculated and cold. The tenderness when he soothed your back and caressed your neck had bled into everything else. His hips stuttered every now and then, his fingers touched your ankles gently, and his eyes were fixed on you. It was perfect. 

"I'm close," you whispered, one of your hands playing with your chest, the other reaching behind you to the edge of the table. You felt weightless. "You can let go, Carmy."

It was all a blur: the swirl of electricity down your body, the beautiful sounds that you made together, and the feeling of him falling on top of you. 

"Shit! I'm sorry I'm crushing you," he mumbled on your skin, his arms flexing as he lifted himself up. You looked up at him and cupped his face, the post-coital glow and the morning light making him look angelic.

"Thank you," you said and he smiled. "It was good, better than I imagined."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Right then, your stomach growled audibly. You covered your face with your hands, mortified. He peeled them off and leaned to nuzzle against your cheek. 

"Pancakes?" he offered in a whisper.

You laughed and turned your head to kiss the tip of his nose. "Yes. Please."

[Deleted Scene]

[Part 4]

[satorisoup]

EEEK HAI FRIENDS !! im back (for now) i missed all of yous soso much !!

if anyone who is up to date about my work crush/work in general & wants to know the new crazy stuff that’s happened, keep reading (ITS GOOD NEWS FOR ONCE) !! (ˊᵒ̴̶̷̤ ꇴ ᵒ̴̶̷̤ˋ)

okay !! so here is a debrief before we start :3

℘ i have a crush on my coworker, i’ve liked him for about a year now !! he also coincidentally has the same birthday as kirishima… is this fate ?? who knows !!

℘ i have never celebrated a holiday/birthday due to how i was raised growing up & i work on halloween night (relevant to the story)

℘ wont be name dropping but i will call him “crush” so you know who im referring to !!

℘ i usually have trouble with my managers and believe(d) they don’t like me (also relevant)

so we’ll start on last wednesday, im hosting and my crush is doing to-goes. i get to work, on my way to clock in, and my manager + crush & a couple coworkers are sitting at an empty table next to the to go room. my manager calls me over enthusiastically :0 so i walk over and say hello all that.

she says “ so are you going to wear a costume to work on halloween ??” and i was a bit hesitant to answer because ?? i didn’t know we could do that !! and i thought they were joking around. she proceeded to tell me “you gotta wear one !! just sneak one in your bag so your mom doesn’t see !!” and i was like ahhh !! okay !! i’ll try haha !! and crush was watching this whole situation lol >//<

me being me, i still thought they were messing around… so later on, i go up to crush and ask “ are you sure they’re not messing around” and he reassured me “i promise they aren’t lying” AND THEN. he says…

“ you need to wear one… hm… if you don’t wear one, then i won’t talk to you for the whole day !! and you’re gonna be like “why is he ignoring me” and that’ll be why !! so make sure you wear one…” JWIWISJJWJS

and i said “awe man… you got me there, it looks like i do have to wear one :3

fast forward to the end of the night, im waiting for my mom to come pick me up and im clocked off. im in the back near the kitchen and bathrooms sitting on the steps by the huge wine cooler, and crush rounds the corner !!!!!!!!!!!! and starts giggling “what are you doing??”

i told him “i always wait here !! its my little spot”

and HE SAYS “you know you could always come to 7-4, theres no one sitting there…”

7-4 is the table right next to the to-go room where he was working. needless to say i got up and followed him over, and sat my happy butt DOWN ^_^

fast forward a bit more, he randomly comes in to the table and sits right down across from me, leans forward, and just starts having a whole conversation with me ??? like do u want to have children with me ?? just kidding but !!

somehow we got into the topic of my birthday, and he already knows ive never celebrated it… (my birthday is on a thursday, which means i work), when i tell you what this man. this GORGEOUS MAN. says to me…

“im gonna make your birthday extra special… im gonna get you a cake… AND a cupcake… im gonna get you both” oh lord. i might faint… is this flirting ?? anyway

so then he said a couple more things and i left a blushing mess.

following day, a thursday, i work with him again. here’s where it gets good.

so basically he’s sitting at the table we were at yet again, he’s clocked off doing his college homework ?? at work ?? i guess… anyway, its the end of the night. my manager says “you need to tell crush to get a costume… he doesn’t even have one yet!!” emphasis on the YOU ?? like okay !! i guess i have to !!

so i go up to him, tell him goodnight, ending it off with a “you need to get a costume… but i dont have anything to threaten you with (reference to the playful threat he made of not talking to me)… hm…”

WHEN I TELL YOU. HE LOOKS ME DEAD IN MY FACE. NAJAJSJSJSJWJEJDJJS HE SAYS

“what do i get if i do wear a costume ?” IWJWJWJEIXIKWJSJSJWJWJSJSJSJWJSJJSJSJSS I ALMOST DIED

me being pure shy me i blurted out “uh— a hug?” lmfao someone kill me. wow 🫨 genuinely someone sedate me WHO SAYS THAT

his response ?????? “looks like i’ll definitely have to wear one then.” HELLO HELLO HELLO HELLO DO YOU WANT ME I WANT YOU HELEPWSOSOOSOSSO

also all of my managers have been extremely nice to me lately… not cutting me early… and like… kind of giving me chances to help crush with things… like hm… do ya’ll know something i dont ?? :3

SO THATS THAT !! am i being delusional i swear… i cant tell when people flirt w me… anyways. hes gorgeous.

today is now wednesday and i work with him again… tomorrow is halloween. if i hug him i will update… BYE !! ^_^

[natashaslesbian]

Hi! 😊

I don't know if your requests are still open but I am just going to leave my request here just in case they are.

So this is a Mama!Nat request where Y/N (kid, around the age of 6 or 7 if it's possible) celebrates her birthday while she's on the run in Norway with her Mama and Natasha tries to make Y/N's day as happy as possible, even managing to buy a cake for her daughter as a surprise alongside a new teddy bear.

I understand if the requests are closed or if you don't want to write this. Thank you so much for your time and I want you to know that I'm a big fan of your work! It's absolutely amazing!!! Sending lots of love 😊🧡

7 Laps Around The Sun

A/N: I absolutely adored this request and loved writing it, thank you sm! This isn’t proof read so please don’t mind any mistakes or typos :))

Word Count: 964

Parings (Mom!Natasha x Daughter!Reader) (Nat x Mason) (referenced to Clint and blackhill)

Warnings: none :))

————

The door to the trailer creaked louder than ever. Why was it always when someone is trying to be quiet things make the most noise. Natasha pulled the heavy door to a close with one hand, the other carrying a large plastic bag of supplies. The redhead heard small shuffles from your shared bedroom and paused her movements, you must have settled again immediately as Nat didn’t hear anything else throughout the cold trailer. Norway was always cold but especially in late autumn, the widow would have to find another safe house to take you too, it was relatively safe here but the winter was fast approaching and Natasha wasn’t going to let you, her daughter, go cold all season.

A while later you stirred again, rolling over to mamas side of the bed. The mattress was cold beneath the sheets, it told you that Natasha wasn’t there. “Mommy” you quietly called out, eyes still shut and your grip tight on the purple baby blanket. Oh how you missed Jimmy, your beloved stuff bear, there just wasn’t any time to grab him before you left. you peeled your eyes open to the dimly lit room “Mamma” you called louder. The doors angle increased and your favourite person appeared “hey there beautiful, did you have a good sleep?” Natasha asked. You hummed and opened your arms wide for a cuddle. Mommy came and scooped you up tightly “happy birthday baby” she said as she tickled your belly. Today you were 7 years old, you felt so grown up, but this birthday was defiantly going to be different. “Thank you mommy” you said as you slid down her slender frame “can I have the chocolate cereal today? As I’m 7 now!” You begged at your mamas hip bone. Natasha had promised that as you were away from home this year you could have a special cereal as a birthday treat, she never let you have anything chocolaty before midday! It was the best she could offer until she laid sleepless last night with a new idea.

“I told you not to knock!” Natasha said as she opened the trailer door “sorry” Mason whispered “I forgot” Natasha stepped out of the door, making sure each lock was secure “ok, just sit here and don’t go inside, y/n’s a heavy sleeper so she shouldn’t wake up” the fugitive explained “I’ll be as quick as I can, there’s a 24 hour store about 20 minutes away so I’ll be like an hour tops” “ok all clear, I’ll be here”

“Actually sweetheart, I have a little surprise for you” your mama said. You eyes and ears perched up “really? What is it mama!” You exclaimed “come with me baby” Natasha said as she took hold of your small hand, wrapping her fingers around your knuckles. Mommy lead you into the main section of the trailer and you let out a loud yelp when you saw the array of pink and purple balloons gently rolling around the room in the dull wind. You looked up at the walls to find a huge banner displaying a sparkly ‘happy birthday’. You were truly amazed, when had your mama had time to do all this? “What do you think y/n?” Nat said “I love it! Thank you so much mommy!” You beamed. “You are very welcome darling” Natasha said as she hoisted you up onto her hip “but guess what?” You perched up immediately “wha mama!” You asked “there’s one more surprise, over by the fridge” your mommy said as she carried you towards the old grayed out refrigerator.

“Cake cake cake!” You exclaimed upon seeing the bright pink sparkly birthday cake, topped with sprinkles and a wonky 7. “I know this birthday is a bit different, but my baby girl always has a birthday cake, no matter what” Nat would move heaven and earth for you. “Wait mama look!” You said as you little feet pattered on the floor after escaping Natasha’s grip “a stuffy bear!” Just left of the cake was a light brown bear, tag still connected to its ear. “So there is!” Mama said, pretending she had no idea where he had come from “someone special must’ve left him for you” she didn’t like to lie, but Natasha just wanted you to have a little magic in your life “maybe uncle Clint?” You questioned “maybe, what are you going to name him?” You hummed for a moment “Peter! Because Peter is my favourite and I miss him” you said, a hint of sadness in your tone, Nat frowned. “That’s a perfect name”

“Who’s that?” You said after hearing three consecutive knocks on the door, Masons secret code to let Natasha know there was no danger. “Well if we’re going to have a party then we need guests” Your mama said as she opened the door to the strange man you’d never seen before “hello there y/n” he said, a little box in his right hand “is that a present?” You said, giving him mommy’s signature smirk “yes it is” Mason said, standing awkwardly at the door frame, his hand way too close to your mom “hey!” You said, alerting the two adults “are you mommy’s boyfriend?” You innocently asked, the pair stood in a slight uncomfortable silence, soon breaking into laughter “no, he’s not y/n” Natasha said as she came to scoop you up once again “then why is he looking at you the same way Maria does? Does he kiss you too?” Natasha couldn’t help but giggle, slightly sad because she was missing her ‘almost’ girlfriend. “Yep, she’s defiantly your daughter” Mason said, Natasha shot him daggers “is it cake time yet?” You said with a huff and a pout “yes baby, it’s cake time”

[jeankluv]

Happy birthday my love || Satoru Gojo x gn!reader

Words: 0.8k

Warnings: hurt/comfort, no use of y/n, short fic, fluff, use of pet names (baby, sweetheart, my love)

Notes: a few days ago was my birthday and this short fic came to me. It doesn’t have anything special but I wanted to post it. And since I’m preparing a Gojo college fic I wanted to post a one shot about him before releasing it, maybe in the future there are more one shots.

Materialist

You hated your birthday, ever since you were 7 and no one decided to show up at your birthday party you hated it. It was that moment you decided not to tell anyone when your birthday was because it was pointless, no one would remember it anyways. And no one bothered on asking.

So now turning 28 you do it on your own, the only called to wish you a happy birthday is from your mom but no one else called and you don’t blame them. In the end they don’t know when your birthday is. Is more your fault than anyone else but you don’t want to suffer what you suffered back on the day. So it’s better like this, at least that’s what you tell yourself, but the pain is still there.

Now you are on your sofa, with the sun already gone and watching a random film you found on stream. It’s entertaining, even funny you could say but your mind is lost in other parts.

You heard three knocks on your door. You are shattered at first until you see a message on your phone.

Open up! It’s me

You rolled your eyes, what was he doing there? He was supposed to be out of city for the weekend. You got up heavily from the couch and shuffled to the entrance. You opened the door to see the smiling face of your boyfriend, Satoru Gojo.

You had met through a dating app almost a year ago and after a couple of dates you had started dating. Satoru or 'Toru as he liked to be called, used to spend a lot of time away from home, his work made him travel and be away from there for short periods. You can't deny that at first he gave you a bad feeling, all those “trips” set off alarm bells, but after 9 months of dating, Satoru had never done anything to make you doubt what you had. Rather everything he did made you fall more in love with him. You could safely say that you trusted him completely.

“Hello baby.” He said giving you a kiss on the forehead, he was way taller than you so it was a gesture he would always do. “I got us pizza.” He said showing it.

“That’s great.” You closed the door. “But I thought you were out for a business trip.” You sat down next to him on the coach.

“Yeah, but I finished everything earlier so I came here as soon as I could.” He hanged you a piece of pizza.

“Hmm.” You tasted it, pepperoni, you’re favorite.

It was scary how well he knew you sometimes.

“Besides.” He looked at you. “How could I leave my baby alone on this day?”

You looked at him confused. “What do you mean?”

He smiled and turned around to search for something on his jacket. “I know you have never told me.” He paused for a moment. “And maybe this is crossing the line and I’m sorry if I’m crossing the line but.” He turned around and you saw what he had on his hands. Two candles, a 2 and an 8. “Let me spend your birthday with you my love.” He placed the candles on one slide of pizza and turned them on. “Happy birthday sweetheart.” He placed the portion in front of you.

“How…” Your eyes stung, you were going to break at any moment, how long has it been since you blew out the candles? You don't even remember it anymore. “How did you find out?”

“It's not very gentlemanly of me but look at your ID. I'm sorry.” You shook your head. “Now make a wish my love.”

And for the first time in years you blew out the candles making a wish. You opened your eyes to find Satoru's blue eyes looking at you and smiling.

“I was going to buy a cake but the bakeries were already closed. And since you loved pizza you decided it could be interesting to be a cake right?”

“‘Toru.” You threw yourself and braced him. “Thank you for this.” You couldn’t contain your tears any longer, so you let them flow.

“Don’t thank me babe.” He kissed your hair. “Next year, I will take you out and we will have a big birthday party for you.”

You shook your head. “If it’s you and me, like this, next year it will be perfect.”

He touched your cheeks. “I love you.”

“I love you too, ‘Toru.” You kissed him.

“Happy birthday my love and thank you for being in my life.”

[bengiyo]

My Love Mix Up TH Ep 7 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Atom and Kongthap navigated what dating might look like for them, and managed to have their first movie date, and a date up a mountain to make a romantic wish. Atom got some romantic advice from a new tutor/teacher, but we left at a potentially homophobic moment when that teacher spotted them together on the mountain. Meanwhile, Mudmee spent much of the episode frustrated with Half for not remembering moments that made her like him.

I feel like this dude has no real authority to ask about their relationship outside of school.

Oh, he told their moms. See, this is kinda fucked up because part of why I’m not a teacher anymore is that I was told that it is a requirement under the law that I report on homosexual behavior by students to their parents.

A homophobia fakeout again from GMMTV. 😑 I don’t think this shit is funny.

Every time they undercut the real world homophobia they make Atom look paranoid. It’s a terrible choice to have him be concerned about how people might perceive him when this show keeps making it seem like his instincts are wrong.

Nice save, Half.

Okay, this chocolate lava cake looks good.

Finally, Aungpao is back.

Man…I don’t think they way they built to this breakup at all. Queer people have real reasons to protect themselves and choose who they want to be out with, and I don’t think this show has earned this plotline at all.

Fourth is good at expressing sadness.

Poor Mudmee. She and Half have had such an awkward, bumpy road. At least they finally made some more progress.

This scene with the kids should play humorous, but it's just Atom's fault he's lonely?

Oh, Papang is here to prove once again that he can build chemistry with anyone.

I hope they do a heavy handed explanation to explain Atom of they want these two to reconcile in this episode.

Man, they really just stumbled all over the sexual awakening and dealing with how that affects how others perceive you beats.

You just knew they were going to shove a musical moment into this once karaoke got mentioned.

This whole Don't Say Gay thing is driving me up the wall. It's affecting the stories in a way I find super uncomfortable. I'd rather bubble shows not allude to any kind of homophobia if they don't want it in their worlds. I hate when they make a character worry about homophobia only to make them look "silly." It's offensive, and it makes the characters feel deeply unreal. I'm losing touch with this romance as a result.

It feels like they didn't want to retread on homophobic teachers since they did it in MSP, but I don't like the choice they went with here at all.

I will be dropping this show. I find that I hate everything it has to say, and I wish the cast and crew success in future endeavors.

Kieta Hatsukoi Comparison: Feels like they wanted to merge the source material but where Aoki's sister is a pastry chef with this senior, and then used Valentine's Day as the romantic stand in for Christmas. As mentioned last week, we're diverging heavily from the source material at this stage, so I'll leave that off.

[keelt9]

Chapter 7

Masterlist

Liam rubbing both sides of his head wasn't a good sign still the smile betrayed his face, making me feel relieved.

“Ok, ok, ok.” He claps his hands and we walk back to the shoot line. “Let’s focus, now please keep the rhythm, you’re doing pretty well.” Most of my arrows hit the yellow zone.

Social media exploded in the morning, the account of Red Bull Racing, posted an early morning photo of Max playing paddle in the factory, for them just a post for the rest of the fans, the confirmation of something unusual happening. Even in the Rehabilitation Center, they whisper about Max and his new relationship. 

Max leaves to be at home surrounded by family and friends, where he expects to pass a good days of resting and keeping away from everything.

The week passes under a high scrutiny of Anton and Liam. Being back at home, want or not it means I have to go through multiple medical studies and full check ups. By that time the rumours start to fade away as Max is spotted in different places just with people related to him.

“You look cheerful.” We’re on a video call, I’m packing my things and he finished his dinner.

“I am, I really am. I miss being at home.” I closed my suitcase case, for I looked at the screen. “I miss you too.”

He bites his lip and shakes his head. “Don't do this to me schatje.” He whines, making me giggle. 

“I have to go or I'll be late to the airport.” I grab the cap of Red Bull. “Keep having fun.” 

“That cap.” He rolls his eyes. I scoff, the number of Checo making him grumpy is so funny.

Liam and I fell asleep all the flight. We were woken up by the steward, I peeked through the window and there it was, home sweet home. We walk through the arriving door, where mom, dad, Mia and Liam’s wife are smiling big. As soon as Mia could run and hug me, taking out all the air I have.

“Robin Hood girl. I miss you” Dad grabs my suitcase kissing the top of my head.

“Hi dad.” Mia let me go, for I hugged him properly and followed my mother.

“We're so happy having you back.” Mom says.

“Even if it is for a couple of days.” Liam's wife said as she also hugged me.

“Hi Eva, how are you?” She is such a wonderful woman and an excellent lawyer if you ask me. 

“Good, really good.” I turn around seeing Liam. “I don't want to see you until next Sunday, ok?” Liam will take the week off leaving Robert all the activities while I’m here.

“You get it.” All laughing as we walk to the exit.

At home my family prepares a small welcome with close friends and family, all happy to see me and in good shape. Even Matt is there equally just arriving from Antalya. As the night approaches all leaves, just my family and Matt remain there. 

“Matty will you stay the night?” Mom asked him as he kept eating another slice of cake.

“Mrs. O. You know it.” Mom smiles and dad rolls his eyes.

“This boy must have had a warning sign when we met him.” Matt winks at him before sitting next to me in the living room. “Don't sleep late all right?” 

We nod before Mia stretches and stands for going to sleep.

“He doesn't know, right?” Matt starts to tease me.

I shake my head, stealing the cake in his hands. Max's topic is something my father still doesn’t know.

The first days pass with me and Robert living practically in the hospital all the mornings; the doctors find me healthy, just a little bit of sore and swelling but all seems pretty good. In the afternoons I spend time with my family and at night I sleep as much as I want.

“Are you ok?” Dad scares me appearing at my back. It’s now or never.

“Yeah, actually I…I want to tell you something.” He nods and waits for me to continue.

But Mia runs downstairs. “Shit! I'm late. LET'S GO!” She's late for his last practice before the competition. “It's ok, I'll tell you later.”

“I got it.” Mom appears grabbing the keys of the car following Mia to the garage. “Don't delay this darling.”

After they left, dad and I sat in the dining room, so we could talk. “Ok, well I have big news…” As I told him his face twisted in something I don't want, that calm face at the beginning twists in an anxious face.

“Sweety I can imagine Max is a good boy, I see he makes you happy, however I'm concerned.” Dad crossed his hands over the table. 

“Dad, he’s been an amazing support for me.” He rubs his hands over his face, he bluffs and breathes in. 

“I understand that but… you’re still in a critical moment of getting a full recovery.” Just in that moment the door opens, mom just goes and leaves Mia. “You…can't be talking seriously, please. You go to recover from the bursitis, not to get in trouble.”

“I can handle it, I… I'm starting to recover my good shape. You support me, the team supports me, Max supports me, I feel great.” Mom appears in the room with the same confused expression as I. 

“Isn’t just that. Y/N the relationship in high-level sports could be complicated. What will happen if this doesn't work as both of you expect? I don't want you to end it with a broken heart and be distracted just when you need to be in your best moment.” 

He doesn't get it. “Max is not a distraction. He supports and understands the importance of my career.” 

“Things change. Your world and his world are totally different. The pressure you both will face could affect your relationship and put an end to your concentracion.” He is now fully serious. I could sense the tension in the air. 

“What do you know?” He scoffs as mom sits next to him putting her hand over his arm, clearly surprised by the threatening tone.

“Y/N.” She calls for my attention. “John, it took me by surprise too…” Mom grabs his hand. “However Y/N must figure it out on her own.”

Dad kissed the hand of mom before standing and leaving us with a cold. “You are close to get it, don't put yourself in trouble.”

-

Thursday morning, Robert and I have an appointment with the physiotherapist of the federation, Charly, she wants to give me a look to see how I am. 

<Call me, all right?> I called Max at night even though I tried to hold back the tears, my voice broke a couple of times. 

My dad is one of the most important people in my life, don't have his full support is something I didn't know until now.

“Y/N?” Robert grabs the door for me to enter. “Is everything ok?” I turn off my phone after seeing his text, and smile.

“Of course.” As I enter, I receive animated greetings and claps from all the people. “What is this?”

“All are amazed at the quick recovery.” Robert with proud eyes.

“A couple of medals coming home baby.” One of the archer kids smiled as they passed by. I giggled and Robert lifted his shoulders. 

After the revision in one of the practice rooms, Charly sees me in good shape, still not my best, but she's optimistic about what we can expect.

“Take care Y/N, ok?” She waves her hand, leaving Robert and I in the room where Olivia and Charlotte enter, the bow with the sling in her hands.

“That's why there is so much fuss.” Olivia said as she put her stuff on the ground.

“What? Are you going to practice with us or you don't feel ready?” Charlotte teases me as Matt enters too.

I roll my eyes, I see Matt is about to continue the teasing. “Piece of cake.”

We did a short competition, same rules as an official, Rachel taking the score. I shoot the last arrow; this time I feel a sting sensation at the side of my chin, probably I got a small burn.

“And well?” Robert helped us to take out the sling of our hands. 

Rachel ends up taking the results. “Matty first place.” I expect to be the last. “Charlotte second.” Charlotte raises her arms.

“Y/N third, good job.” I look around the room not believing it. “Olivia is just 2 points behind you.” 

Suddenly a sonours clap distracts us. Anna Hope, the director of the federation and Will next her were watching the small competition. 

“Director.” Robert greeted first, then us. They answered back and quickly turned their attention to me.

“You got 1 of two requisite Y/N.” Anna smiles proudly. “I guess soon, we will start to see you around with more frequency.” There weren't any other words, the team waited until they left the room and jumped over me.

“I told you!” Olivia grabs my face and hugs. I smile and turn to see Charlotte and Matt.

“Oh, we’re definitely coming back.” Charlotte jumps on Matt’s back.

-

At Mia’s competition, her two first dives get 7 and 8, probably not what she expects, the third made us stands and screaming, the dive she “just get clean” gave her 8 and two 9, now she is in the third place; the follow two dives were absolutely brilliant, only grades of 8.5 until 9.16. All her work made her the owner of a gold medal. 

The next morning I woke up early to prepare a special breakfast for Mia. Dad was already in the kitchen with the same plan as me. He observes me as he keeps preparing the mix of waffles. “It's enough space for both of us.” He was wearing his black robe, he just got out of the bed.

We helped each other for a while until he broke the silence. “Honey, I hate feeling this tension between us, just promise me one thing.” Dad grabs my hand. “Never, never let anyone or anything interfere with your dreams. This is yours and only yours.” 

I smile at my dad and hug him. “I promise dad.” He kissed the top of my head. “He is a nice guy dad, he cares about me.” 

But two things you have to be clear about dad. “I don't care about him, I care about you.” He's as hard as a rock and he’s overprotective of us when he senses a threat. 

“Such a lovely scene.” Mia is on the frame with sleepy eyes. “Can I join?” Dad laughs and opens his left arm for Mia to join in the hug. 

Breakfast was a lovely moment, all messing around and joking, when the doorbell interrupted us. “On you.” Mia said, stealing my last strawberry.

Rolling my eyes I stand for opening the door; a young boy with square sunglasses and apparently lost giggles nervously and says hi.

“Amm, I…I have this for Mia?” Is it a question or an affirmation? He checks his cellphone and nods. “Yeah, for Mia.” 

I scoff and shout Mia's name, as she passes next to me I joke about the irony of the situation. “How old are you? Now I even receive your flowers?” 

A beautiful bouquet of sunflowers is waiting for her with a congratulations note for her gold medal makes her jumps of joy, still I keep close just for gossip, trying to read the sender. What a surprise when the slim guy just gave it to her and turned around without saying another word.

“Wait, you don't know him?” Mia smells her flowers, she is so happy.

“What? No, he's a delivery guy.” One more time the doorbell sounds. “I'll go.” 

I walked back to the kitchen, I was about to tell my parents but my words got stuck because Mia entered and raised another bouquet at the level of my eyes.

“This is not for me.” Blue peonies with key chain of a small fluffy lion stuck to them.

I couldn't avoid smiles making my sister giggles and my mother grabbing my father's hand.

“Over the moon.” Mia said as dad took a long sip of his coffee.

-

My last day at home the directors called me for an unexpected meeting where they explained in detail what I can expect for the next months; a 4 step plan with one goal in mind, a full team in The Olympics. 

1.- Finish the month of rehabilitation that was already scheduled.

2.-I'll come back at the end of September where I get my final evaluation from head to toe, medical checkup, physical test, and arrow shooting, with the green check from all. 

3.-They just give me three weeks of rest to restart practice. 

4.- At the beginning of the year, they expect I will already be competing in the first round of the qualifiers.

After a teary goodbye in the airport, Liam and I started the next week full of confidence and trust, Anton kept our work with a high vigilance with the news we brought. Now all aware that what we play isn't just the comeback to competitions.

“Did you win?” Max scoffs as he raises his shoulders, it’s late at night but I insisted I was still awake for a late night call.

“Maybe, just maybe I’m still thinking the problem is the racket.” He’s been playing with Lando, George and Leclerc padel as much as they can. 

I smile as I lay down in bed. “Maybe.” 

“I've been thinking, I …” I shake my head, Max feels down for not being able to be here with me but it’s the few days off he has, I don’t want to have him inside of the same center he visits every time a race week ends.

“It’s fine, besides it’s not like I've been doing so much, plus tomorrow we have the first practice outdoors.” The sound of the thunder adds information to my answer. “And it’s rainy.” 

We practice with different types of weather to improve our techniques and strategies, make adjustments to the equipment, get better at physical and mental resistance and help us to improve my adaptability. 

And all those things we decided to leave at the end when my shoulder was strong enough.

“Ok.” His voice is pondering like he wants to say more.

“I’ll hug out, all right? I have to wake up early tomorrow.” He nods

“Night schatje.”

The practice starts at 7 am with the forecast, we have 4 hours of sunny practice before it starts to become foggy again. 

“Are you sure this is going to last?” I ask as I keep putting the equipment on me.

Anton nods as he helps Liam to set his equipment. “Yes, totally.” The lighting at our back doesn’t seem to think the same.

“Let’s go Y/N.” Liam said as he made sure the bow was secure in my hands; still when I turn around I hear him scoff. “I’m sorry but… Y/N you have a… How could I say this?”

I turn around my neck to see what I have at my back. “A type of feline at the back of your chest guard.” 

I laugh getting down my head. “Oh, yeah, I know, amm is a gift.” I nock the arrow to the bow.

“From the lion guy?” The question of Anton along the wind made me lose the balance and hit, so clearly the blue zone in the target. I turn around in panic. “Oh come on! Y/N do you think I am a fool?” 

Liam makes the sing I keep shooting, the wind is cold and makes my hand feel rigid making the grab around the bow be soft. “Even if you try to hide it’s pretty obvious.”

Liam laughs but asks me to keep concentrating, that’s what I did; with this weather, arrows keep diverting in every shot and I fight to find the right spot and the correct grip; when small drops fall in my hand and the clouds get darker Laim ends the practice after 3 hours.

As Anton helps me to take out the sling he continues our talk. “Besides, the lion boy arrived 40 minutes ago.” 

I raise my sight before taking off my arm protector, under the small roof Max stands. I watch Liam who just moves his head to his direction, I could go.

I run to him and he extends his arms, taking him by surprise; I jump hugging him with my arms around his neck and my legs around his torso.

“What are you doing here?” I get down my legs so he can put me down while still grabbing my waist. 

“Causing trouble.” I laughed and he noticed the aid band at the right side of my face. 

“I’m fine, just a small burn for the finger tab.” Before we can say another word Liam and Anton reach us with all packages for leave. 

“30 minutes Y/N, we’re not over yet.” Liam said, winking at me. “Lion boy, nice to see you.” Max and I laughed watching them go. 

“Nice keyring.” He notices and grabs it at my back.

“This is definitely a small you.” Max smiled, grabbing my neck and kissing me trying to recover the time. We split because he said a few words. “I’m recovering the lost kisses.”

Indeed he did, the next morning the social media exploit; Max posted a story on Instagram where you can see the foggy day with a few glimpses of sunlight but in the corner 2 targets with arrows on it. 

In a blink I was in the middle of “Guess Who?” game, just a few people still on.

[airandyeah]

By The Beach Merman Nanami X Reader pt.7

My Masterlist for more chapters ANGST, but not all hell has broken loose yet, uhm, yall are gonna hate me at the end of this chap.....Y/N being just a girl. THANK YOU AS ALWAYS FOR READING! LOVE YOU ALL!!!

After the incident where Kento walked in while Y/N was streaming, she got 2 types of comments. The "Oh he's so handsome! Who is he?!", or..... "He's literally too hot for you, he deserves a *real* woman, not you". Which of course, was hurtful. She couldn't really care less though, not when Kento was so sweet, not when he convinced her to throw out the alcohol and stop using the pills in excess. Kento had yet to inform her of his....unfortunate deal. He wasn't concerned though, you loved him. You told him that you loved him. So you did.... right? ~~~ Y/N had realized that Kento didn't really have a birthday, but she wanted to do something special for him today. So in came the decorations. What better way to put up beach decor than to listen to Chappell Roan while doing it? Of course Casual was a good decision, the decoration choices reflecting the song. I've heard so many rumors That I'm just a girl that you bang on your couch Y/N puts up the seashells from weeks of collection on the beach, decorating them in a heart shape, as the oven dings in the kitchen, signaling the cake was done. I thought you thought of me better Someone you couldn't lose She grabbed the pretty blue blankets she bought at the store a few days ago, laying them on the floor with some sea green bean bags. Two weeks and your mom invites me to her house in Long Beach Is it casual now? She strung up pretty fairy lights and put blue tissue paper over them, giving the room a pretty blue, almost stained glass look. She decorated the cake before putting it between the blankets and bean bags, adding unlit candles. Dumb love, I love being stupid Dream of us in a year Maybe we'd have an apartment And you'd show me off to your friends at the pier She finished up the song. She didn't feel good about it. She thought the song would be good design inspo because of the music video... but now? Now she has her doubts. She didn't even really know Kento, she didn't know him before having legs. Didn't know his friends. His life. How could you love someone you don't actually.... Know? ~~~ I'm pedal to the metal, make no mistake This is my pity party, pity party And I'm living out of time, eternal heatstroke Spiritual revolt from the waist down, from the waist down After waiting for what felt like forever, you decided to look for him. You walked the shoreline for a while before seeing a figure on the ground. It was like that night. You ran towards the slumped figure only to gasp and stumble backwards. Kento. And he had his tail back. These are the last blues we're ever gonna have Let's see how deep we get The glow of the cities below lead us back To the places that we never should have left He's flailing fruitlessly, unable to breath oxygen and needing to get back into the water as you crawl over to him, panicked tears filling your eyes as his hazel eyes met yours in pain and almost.... betrayal. The last, the last, the last The last, the last, the last The last, the last, the last The last, the last, the last You slid next to him and pushed him with great struggle into the water, sobbing wildly as he finally settles into shallow. "K-Kento, w-what happened?!", you finally cry, tears streaming wildly. He shakes his head, looking absolutely crushed. I'm sifting through sand, sand, sand, sand Looking for pieces of broken hourglass Trying to get it all back, put it back together As if the time had never passed I know I should walk away, know I should walk away But I just want to let you break my brain And I can't seem to get a grip No, no matter how I live with it He shakes his head, before swimming off into the ocean. All you can do is sit and stare where he used to be, hyperventilating and sobbing. The last blues we're ever gonna have Let's see how deep we'll get The glow of the cities below lead us back To the places that we never should have left He's gone..... Kento. Is gone. The last (The last, the last, the last) The last (The last, the last, the last) The last (The last, the last, the last) The last (The last, the last, the last)

That's all for this one! Please don't hate meeee Love you all!!! Taglist: @kiel-luvsripples

[enjoythesilentworld]

Wille's Month - Voicemail (Free Day)

day 31 @youngroyals-events thank you for everything (more coming in a separate post bc i have a lot of thanks to give)

A collection of voicemails left by Wille.

read below or on ao3 (G, 800)

Simon’s phone. March 29th, 2027, 4:29pm.

“Hi baby! I’m on my way home, I’m just about to stop at the store. Did you say we needed more milk? I’ll grab some anyway, I think I have a coupon. Oh my gosh, you’ll never believe what I saw on my lunch break today. I took a walk around the park and there was this little mama duck, and she had a little trail of babies following after her. I nearly cried. I was late getting back to the shop because I stayed to watch them swim around in the pond. And I- Oh, I just remembered I sent you a video of that. Well, I’m telling you again because it bears repeating. One of these days when we move out of the city, we should get a bunch of animals or something. I think I’d make a good farmer. Or would that make us ranchers? Anyway, I’ll see you in a few. I love you!”

Felice’s phone. November 11th, 2029, 7:13am.

“Felice, we have an issue. I’ve been following this recipe you sent so closely but I’ve managed to screw it up. Why do my egg whites look like this? … I just remembered you can’t see them. I’ll text you a picture. They’re all grainy and weird, though. Are you busy right now? This would be so much easier if we could do this on FaceTime or something. I’d owe you big time. I guess call me when you wake up, if you can? Love you. Thanks in advance.”

Linda’s phone. October 20th, 2027, 5:32pm.

“Hi Linda! Simon and I are running a bit late. Someone had to spend an extra thirty minutes fixing his— Hey! I’m trying to explain to your mom why it’s not my fault we’re late! Sorry, Linda. We’ll be there soon, I promise. Simon is being very safe, though, and definitely not taking his hands off the wheel to try to steal my phone. I made some new cookies with a recipe Felice gave me, too. I’m excited for you to try them! You have to actually give me a sincere review this time. I appreciated all your kindness last time, but I want you to be brutally honest about these ones. Okay, we’re about five minutes out. See you soon!”

August’s phone. February 1st, 2034, 9:48pm.

“Hi, August. It’s Wille. I saw a short clip of the ceremony today. Sorry I couldn’t make it. Mamma seems confident in you, and I actually think you’ll do a good job. I’m not calling you ‘Your Royal Highness’, though… I wish you the best. Bye.”

Sara's phone. July 15th, 2025, 3:06pm.

“Okay, I grabbed what you said. I think— Oh, sorry. Hi. It’s Wille. You know that. Listen, I am worried he’s getting suspicious. I’m bad at keeping secrets from him, you know this. I still think no one should’ve told me and this party could’ve been a surprise for both of us. Sorry, rambling. I think I managed to find everything on the list. They only had two packs of purple balloons left, so hopefully 50 is enough. Oh! The cake looks awesome, too. Felice did a great job. He’s going to love it. Okay, I gotta go, he’s coming. See you— Hi Simon! … No, just a scam call. How—”

Kristina’s phone. September 5th, 2032, 6:11pm.

“Hi Mamma. I’m sorry I missed your call earlier. Things have been really busy over here. The movers showed up on time, thankfully, and everything went smoothly. We managed to get a lot unpacked already. Simon and I just had our first official dinner at our new kitchen table! Let me know when you and Pappa want to come visit. I’d say give us a few weeks to at least get the majority of the boxes cleared out. You’re going to love the view of the lake. It’s so beautiful, Mamma… I’m really happy here. Okay. Call me when you can… I love you. Say hi to Pappa.”

Erik’s phone. June 1st, 2026, 1:52am.

“Hi Erik. It’s your brother. Wille. Um… I graduated today. I didn’t end up finishing at Hillerska. It got shut down. You may actually know a little bit about why. I don’t want to talk about that… The past few years have been really tough, Erik. There are a lot more good days than bad ones now, but it still hurts every day. I miss you a lot. I hope you’ve forgiven me for stepping down from the throne. I think you have. You knew I never wanted it. I’m starting at uni in the fall, and Simon and I are going to live together. I’m really excited, actually. Normal life, and all that. Maybe I’ll even get a job. Imagine that. Former Crown-Prince working as a barista. Um, okay. I should probably get back to sleep. I’ll call again soon. I love you, big brother… Bye.”

[aita-irl]

Aita for not going to my best friend's birthday?

I (19) am working. I'm working half hours in the morning and half in the afternoon

Recently my schedule just changes at whatever and today I didn't even know my times

Last week I got the 3-11 shift for two days in order to cover the day offs my coworkers had

On the 3rd day I was working 7-3 (cause it's Saturday and they need me cause it's a busy day)

So. For 3 days straight I hadn't properly eaten anything just 2 toasts and on Saturday I was with 4-5 hours of sleep

I was exhausted. Hungry and in need of sleep

My friend(F19) had made a group chat the day before and told us she was inviting us for her birthday

Now the thing is, her birthday was actually last Tuesday not Saturday

Monday night we 3 (her and our other best friend (F18) we are a trio) met, and 18 had planned a surprise

As soon as the day changed at 12:00 she brought a cake and we surprised her

It wasn't big but we were there

Now when she wanted to do it on Saturday again I was exhausted

And I texted her and told her I would not be able to make it cause I was exhausted

She said "It's fine it's not like I'll force you to come if you're tired" and I apologized but I was dead I could not go I would just ruin the mood if I had gone and I was just miserable

And it wasn't like it was a big birthday party we would be five persons in total and she said we were going for a drink or something

Apparently while I was sleeping her mom called my mom

And her mom was really mad

"my daughter has been there for her, how dare she not come? You only celebrate your friend's birthday once! And last time she didn't go out with them and went with you what is this " and stuff like that

* recently I went out for food with my mom and her coworkers instead of a drink with the girls and I guess they're mad about this too

And like. I thought she understood, I explained?

And also the "you only celebrate your friend's birthday once" is just wrong cause we already celebrated her birthday on the actual date I had no idea she was planning to invite us 5 days later

And I was planning on taking a day off on her actual birthday but didn't cause I'm planning to leave work earlier and didn't want any day offs for the month

Oof

Also, this is unrelated but they basically forgot my birthday. This was months ago and I never mentioned anything cause in the end they did call me(15-20 minutes before my birthday ended, so technically they wished me?) but for the whole day I was feeling shity cause I thought they forgot

And knowing them they probably did

But it's ok

I just? I never said anything about this, we surprised her on her actual birthday and when I'm this close to dying from exhaustion my mom gets yelled at about me?

Like I understand it's her day

But I'm exhausted

I explained it to her

Am I the asshole?

[im-not-a-l0ser]

Beanies, Chapter 17

Hey.... so it's been a while.

Richie might’ve cleaned more in the last 7 hours than he had the entire time he lived there. 

Many reasons for that. The anxiety from having Max in their fucking house, not wanting anyone to get sick, wanting to make sure everything Max might even sort of need for baking was clean, the anxiety from having Max in their fucking house.

Lots of reasons. 

Max was planning to arrive around 9 am, which Richie thought it might’ve been too early, but Max made the case that the cake would need time to cool before being frosted. Which was fair. Richie didn’t want to risk anything. Anyway, Trevor wouldn’t stop teasing him about it.

“So, instead of just baking it yourself— which, you’ve done before— you invited Max over so you can watch him bake a cake,” Trevor said. “Do you realise how weird that is?”

“Max offered, Trevor. It wasn’t my idea.”

“Oh, of course he did,” Trevor said, in a tone that Richie didn't really understand. He still sighed.

“Can’t you just leave this alone?”

“Richie, every single day since I met Rudy, you teased me for liking him— and this was before I told you I liked him!  So, yeah, I’m gonna tease you about it, whether you like him or not. Just like you did.” 

“That’s different,” Richie said, “You hadn’t told me that you liked Rudolph, but you didn’t have to! I’m not an idiot, Trevor! First of all, he’s totally your type. Strong, but not that bulky, overcompensating at first but that mellows out after a while, and I know there are exceptions, but you like blue eyes a lot. Not to mention your habit of dressing more provocatively when you know you’re going to be around someone you like.”

“I don’t have a type.”

“Dude,” Richie deadpanned. “I can’t even deal with this right now,” He said instead of elaborating, shaking his head. 

Trevor sighed.

“I’ll tone it down,” He relinquished. “For today, at least. It’s just really difficult. You’re not the kind of person to invite someone over, especially on such short notice.”

“Well, I’m kind of desperate, Trevor.”

“Oh, I hadn’t noticed,” Trevor teased. “Sorry, it was right there.” Richie sighed. “I’m gonna get us some doughnuts. Want one?”

“Two please,” Richie said. “Shoot, what about Max?”

“I’ll get him some too, don’t worry,” Trevor dismissed, waving his hand absently. 

“I wasn’t worried,” Richie said, “I think that anxious is probably a better word for it. I know we’re not in our school here, but it’s not as if our house looks normal.” Richie motioned to the dozens of action figures, amiibos, funko pops and bobble heads framing their tv stand.

“Yeah, but Max knows you're a mega-nerd; it’s not like he’ll be surprised.”

“Yeah, Max knows I’m a nerd, but he prboably wouldn’t expect our parents to be bigger nerds than we are,” Richie argued, “Especially since we’re all nerds in different ways. I’m a weeb, you’re a thespian, dad’s a Trekkie and Whovian, mom’s a fantasy nerd.” 

“I don’t think Max can tell the difference between Assasin’s Creed characters and Hamilton characters.”

“That’s a poor example if you’re trying to say Max wouldn’t be able to tell how nerdy we are.” 

“Okay, fair,” Trevor said, “He couldn’t tell a Project Diva character from a Star Trek character,” He ammended. Richie snorted.

“I hate… that you’re probably right.” Richie shook his head solemnly. “He’ll learn in time.” Trevor giggled alongside him. 

“Is that a threat?”

“Only if you make it one.”

The twins shared more laughter until there was a knock at the door. 

“That’s Max,” Richie said, his joy immeaditely crashing into fear and panic. 

“Well, if you’re about to ask me how you look, the answer is: like a mess.” Richie rolled his eyes before freezing.

“Shit,” he said, “I have to get changed,” He said urgently. 

“Dude, I was kidding, why…” Trevor shut up once Richie pulled his shirt closer to his torso. “Ah. Gotcha. Yeah, go get changed; I’ll get the door.” 

“Thank you,” Richie called, rushing to the stairs.

“You got it,” Trevor said, basically to an empty room, as he walked to get the door. 

As Richie had said, Max was standing there, looking just as awkward as Richie just had. 

“Hey, Max. Welcome to our humble abode,” He said flatly.

“Where’s Richie?” Trevor bit back his snort.

“Oh, y’know, he was still in his pyjamas when you got here, so he ran to get changed,” Trevor excuse, leading Max into the house. “Because what he sleeps in is just so different than what he wears outside.” He shut the door. “Y’know, actually. What the fuck am I talking about, he doesn’t really sleep in clothes. Y’know that whole ‘overactive sweat-gland thing.’ Makes it really inconvenient to wear more than underwear.”

Trevor didn’t distinctly notice that Max flushed, but he’d definitely laugh at it in retrospect later.

“I’m gonna head out to get breakfast.” Trevor plucked his keys from the hooks hanging by the door. “You crazy kids have fun. I don’t want to come back to you giving him a swirly and him begging for his life.”

“I wouldn’t—”

“I’m joking, Max,” Trevor sighed, “Although, I don’t want to come back to see that, I don’t think you will, so it’s nothing to worry about, is it?”

“No sir.” Trevor actually laughed this time.

“Jeez,” Trevor said, “When’s the last time you’ve been in someone’s house?”

“I go to Jason’s a lot,” Max said, “But he’s got like a million siblings and I only go over when I don’t have the energy to feed myself. So like, once a week.”

“Do you call his dad sir? We’re gonna ignore the fact that I’m not Richie’s dad, I’m his twin brother, but y’know, same principle.”

“Uhh,” Max hesitated, “Jason’s dad isn’t really…” he motioned abstractly, “Around. He’s alive and shit, but his mom’s in charge, and she gets child support and alimony. But I’m pretty sure even Jason calls him ‘Jonathan.’ So no, I don’t call him sir.”

“Why are you calling me sir?” Trevor asked, “A guy might think you’re coming onto him.”

“Oh, god no,” Max said, a bit too fast. “I think it was just a reflex.”

Many implications sat beneath that simple statement, and Trevor didn’t feel like getting into it right now. His hunger was growing, and quite frankly, he didn’t feel like dealing with Max and Richie’s “not-flirting” when he finally came downstairs.

“Right,” was all he said. “I’m getting you doughnuts. Any aversions?”

“Oh, you don’t have to—”

“Any. Aversions?” Trevor repeated slower.

“I really don’t like the ones with white frosting.” Trevor nodded, opening the door.

“Got it. Be back in a bit,” He called before shutting the door. 

Max, not knowing what was okay or not, just stood there, waiting for Richie to come back downstairs.

“Sorry about that,” Richie said, out of breath, not-quite-running down the stairs. 

“You okay?” Max asked. “I didn’t think you were that out of shape, dude.”

“Shut up,” Richie said with no real hat behind it, “Changing is a process feel me.”

“Maybe it wouldn’t be if you just wore a t-shirt like most people,” Max joked before realising that Richie pretty much was just wearing a t-shirt, or rather wasn’t wearing the normal 4-ish layers.

A black and orange jersey-looking thing— which for some reason had a collar on it— matching shorts, and a plain black jacket. He was wearing socks, which Max didn’t quite understand, since they had a carpet and it was his own house.

“Are you sure those aren’t pyjamas?” Max ammended.

“It’s a uniform,” Richie said, “I thought you’d notice a sport uniform thing,” He joked, looking down at the jersey.

“It has a collar on it.”

“It’s a volleyball uniform.” He quickly corrected himself. “Okay, I guess not all volleyball uniforms have collars. But all the Haikyuu ones do. I think. Actually, I don’t think Shiratorizawa does. There’s probably another but I don’t remember. Kamomedai probably.”

“I’m sure that made sense to you,” Max muttered, turning toward what looked like the doorway to a kitchen. “This way?” 

“Yep,” Richie said. He began pointing to cabinets and drawers. “There’s baking essentials, bowls and trays, mixing and serving utensils, and I put out the eggs and butter, because it said they needed to be room temperature, but the raspberries are still in the fridge. I printed out the recipe, but I can set up my laptop if you want—”

“You need to slow down.” Max held up his hand. “I woke up like twenty minutes ago. Why don’t you just stay in here and help me get everything set up?” 

“Sure.”

Richie got the bowls and trays required for the recipe, while Max followed his direction of where the base ingredients were. 

“Okay, uh…” Richie ran his hand down the ingredient list, glancing around to check that it was on the counter. “Okay, yeah, that’s everything I think. Do you think you can take it from here, or do I still need to babysit you?” Richie teased.

“I can take care of it,” Max said, “You haven’t eaten yet.”

“Have you?”

“That’s not the point.” Richie rolled his eyes.

“Trevor will be here soon, we can just leave this stuff out, eat and then return.”

“Fine,” Max sighed, as if he were annoyed by it, but he had a smile on his face.

Richie lead him to their couch where they sat somewhat awkwardly. Richie was staring down at his legs, trying to subtly adjust his shirt to make his waist look less slim. Max, on the other hand, was running his eyes over the decor of the room. 

“Wow,” He said.

“Good wow or bad wow this time?” Richie asked, somehow both joking and very much anxious and serious. 

“Medium,” Max said. “I don’t understand what half this shit is,” He said, motioning to the entire room. Richie laughed nervously.

“Well, that is sort of the point,” He said. “We all like having our own thing, and we think it’s funny that the rest don’t understand what we’re talking about.”

“Whaddya mean?”

“Well, my dad really likes Doctor Who, and even though we’ve seen it all, we don’t understand it as well as he does,” Richie tried. “I-It’s like how I talked about the volleyball teams earlier, except I don’t feel bad when it’s my family.”

“You feel bad when it’s me?” 

“Eh,” Richie said, and their laughter melted the tension quickly as it usually did. Richie yawned, covering his mouth as it opened so wide one might fear it’d get stuck. 

“How much sleep did you get last night?” 

“I didn’t…” Richie said with a bit of delirious laughter. 

“I said how much sleep did you get last night?” Max repeated. Richie snorted into giggles.

“No, not ‘I did not hear you,’ I was answering your question. I didn’t sleep last night.” 

“Dude,” Max decanted. “The fuck.”

“I stayed up really late filming and editing, and then I realised I should probably clean so you have a good workspace, and then once I was done cleaning it was morning and my brain won’t let me sleep when the sun is rising.”

“So you could sleep now?”

“Hypothetically, but I’m not going to.”

Before Max could argue, the door opened up. 

“Okay, Richie, I got your usual, but Max, pick the ones you want and I’ll take the other two, I can’t decide anyway,” He said, walking over to them. He sighed, glaring at Richie. “Did you put our folding table away?”

“Yeah, it’s…” Richie pointed to the folded tray table, which was usually filled with stuff in the middle of the living room. 

“Hold this,” Trevor sighed, shoving the box into Richie’s arms. 

Trevor set up the table, and they put the box of doughnuts down. 

“I can actually eat mine later,” Max said, standing up. Richie yanked him back down from the bottom of his shirt.

“No, you’re eating.”

“I can—”

“If you don’t eat, I won’t eat,” Richie said, glaring decisively. 

“Fine,” He grumbled, crossing his arms like a child. 

After eating, Max got to work on baking. Richie could see the kitchen from where he was sitting, so he didn’t worry too much about joining him in the kitchen. That’d prove to be a mistake. 

In Richie’s opinion, at least.

“Okay, cake’s in the…” Max shut his mouth as soon as he saw Richie curled up on the chair. “Fucking good,” He muttered, walking over to the couch and flopping down on it. 

He could hear Trevor coming down the stairs, and soon he could see him too. Holding what looked like a big long pillow. 

“Oh, is that one of those Japanese body pillows?” Max asked, his voice soft, not wanting to wake Richie. “He mentioned them. Does he… sleep better with them?” Trevor snorted. 

“Well, I’m sure he does, but that’s not what I’m using this for,” He said, walking over to Richie. 

Max watched, curious. Trevor stood next to the chair for a moment before lifting the pillow with both hands.

“You. Need to. Get. Changed. Be. Fore. You. Sleep!” He said, spitting each syllable as the pillow collided with Richie’s body. 

“Mgh,” Richie grumbled. “Hey,” He said, “Don’t use Rei and Asuka as a weapon,” He said, taking the pillow and holding it close to him. 

“Richie, if you’re gonna go to sleep, you need to get changed. You know that, you asked me to do this shit.”

“This is different,” Richie said, “I fell asleep by accident.” 

“That’s not different, that’s exactly when you asked me to wake you up,” Trevor said. “Go to your room and go to bed.”

“I don’t want to sleep right now,” Richie said. He glanced at Max. 

“You can sleep,” Max said, “It’s fine.”

“See, your b- friend is okay with it,” Trevor said, remembering his words from that morning. “Go to bed.” Richie shook his head.

“No, there’s a few hours between when Max leaves and when I have to get to Ruth’s; I can sleep then.” 

“You sure?” Trevor asked. Richie nodded decidedly. “Okay, well, if you don’t wanna conk out on the couch, maybe you should put on Haikyuu or something.” He waved his hand ambiguously. “One of those shows that gives you more energy than they rationally should.”

“Wha— It’s perfectly rational! You listen to Guns and Ships before dance rehearsal; how is that less weird than me getting excited about volleyball?”

“Guns and Ships is high-speed. There’s a whole Haikyuu episode where shorty and creepy have to study english so they can go to an away game.” 

“Guns and Ships is about asking France for help with the revolution!” 

“At 138 bpm!”

“Why do you know that!”

“Are you guys always like this?” Max asked. “I couldn’t imagine having siblings; I think we’d kill each other.”

“I believe that,” Trevor said. 

“We’re not always like this, we’re just often like this.” Trevor knocked Richie in the back of the head. “It’s a little worse these days,” He admitted.

“Why?”

“Trevor’s nervous about Rudy,” Richie said, craning his neck to look at his brother. 

“Why? Gonna ask him out or something?” 

“No,” Trevor said, a bit defensively. “We have to pick him up from the airport in two weeks.”

“And by we, he means he’s forcing me to drive him.”

“Why can’t his family pick him up?” Trevor sighed, presumably having answered this questions, potentially many times, before.

“I’ve talked to his foster family already, they’re busy the day of the flight. Leslie has a meeting, Sarah won’t even be in the state, and Daliah is four. Rudy could just wait at the airport for two hours for Leslie to get off work, but since I can drive, I offered."

“And then promptly panicked at the prospect of being alone in a car with him for two hours. So instead he decided, ‘yeah. Let’s bring my twin brother.' That’ll decrease the sexual tension,” Richie said. He turned to his brother. “Speaking of such. If you two so much as kiss in my car, you will be walking home.” 

“Rudy and I don’t kiss,” Trevor said. Richie raised a brow. “Often.”

“There ya go.” 

“You kiss even though you’re not dating?” Max asked.

“We’ve kissed like twice ever. And don’t athlete’s slap each others asses?” Trevor deflected. 

“Touchy,” Max said. Trevor and Richie exchanged looks.

“Do you mean touche?” 

“Shut the fuck up.” Trevor didn’t laugh, but Richie’s smile grew. 

“Did you make sure to put the filling in the fridge?”

“Yeah, of course, I’m not an idiot,” Max said, sitting back. 

“I am paying you, by the way,” Richie said, “Before you argue, I was given money to pay for the birthday cake. I used some of it for the ingredients, and the rest of it is going to be used to pay for your labour, okay?” 

“Okay,” Max said. “Fine.” He shrugged. 

“So, how much time you gots to kill?” Trevor asked. “I’m basically asking what show I should put on right now.”

“Oh, well, it takes about a half hour to bake, but then it has to cool. It takes like… ten minutes to make frosting, but cake takes like an hour minimum to cool.”

“Does it really?” Trevor asked, eyes widening. 

“Yeah, I was surprised too,” Richie said, nodding. “Why do you think he came so early? Do not. I swear, it’s like living with Ruth sometimes.” 

“Oh, c’mon. Peter has Ted, Ruth has herself, you have me!”

“I shouldn’t need to live with someone with a dumb, inappropriate sense of humour!” 

“C’mon, Richie, you walked right into that,” Max said, snickering. Richie groaned, throwing his head into his hands.

“I have to deal with this all day!” He groaned. He looked up, resting his chin on his hands. “Ted’s coming to Ruth’s party too.” Trevor chuckled and pat Richie’s back.

“Good luck with that dude.” He joined Max on the couch and Richie curled back into his pillow. “How’s Milo sound?” He asked, flicking the TV on. 

“Oh, yeah, that sounds good.” 

So they put on Milo Murphy’s Law.

Throughout the first episodes, a few things happen. Trevor steps away to take a phone call, Richie gets a blanket he’d put away earlier under the assumption that Max would think it was weird they kept blankets in the living room, Trevor deliberately sits down where Richie was sitting so that Richie has to sit on the couch, Max made a comment on Richie’s body pillow (“I thought you were gay” “Max, I promise you, this is literally the most safe for work version of them that I could find.”), Richie dozed off against Max and Trevor let him for an episode before waking him up. That was the main one. 

“I’m gonna have that song stuck my head all day now, thanks for that,” Max said, grunting as he got up. “But I have cake to work on, so.”

Max hummed 'Chop, Chop, Chop,' as he walked into the kitchen, the twins’ eyes following him. 

“Do you think he says that when he goes to work out?” Trevor asked, definitely loud enough for Max to hear. And if Richie hadn’t been sure of that already, the loud ass laugh Max let out confirmed it. 

“No, but I’m gonna start!” He called. 

“I’d be more annoyed if that weren’t so funny,” Richie sighed. Trevor smiled deviously. 

“And it’s funny because it’s true.”

“I’m gonna go see if Max needs any help!” Richie said, stomping into the kitchen. 

“I don’t really,” Max said, adding some sort of powder to their stand mixer.

“Then I’ll wash dishes.”

“Already did it,” Max said over his shoulder. 

“Right, well, damn me for trying to feel useful,” Richie said. Max sighed.

“Could you keep an eye on this while it mixes?” Max asked, switching the mixer on. “Stop it when it’s all combined. You know how to stop it, right?”

“Yes,” Richie said, joining Max’s side. 

Max left once he got his eye on the mixture and began preparing the cake for frosting. 

“So did you want me to write anything on here?” Max asked, “Because I’ll need to mix some vanilla frosting too, if you do.”

“Yeah,” Richie said, “But I could do it.” 

“No, I got it,” Max said, returning to Richie’s side, where the ingredients for the frosting was still sitting on the stove. 

“I’m using the stand mixer already,” Richie said.

“I know, but I can mix it by hand.”

“Nope, no,” Richie said, pushing the container of confectioners sugar away from Max. “You’re gonna get yourself hurt. Writing goes on after, you can mix it later and use the actual mixer for it.”

“Fine,” Max groaned. He stopped the mixer, which Max had distracted Richie from. 

Speaking of, Max must’ve noticed too, with how he froze. Richie was pseudo-boxed in against the counter with Max’s arm there. They both stood there for a moment. 

It was different from how Richie was usually kabedonned by Max— usually it had a very negative connotation. This was more neutral, being an accident and all, but… it felt different. 

“Uh,” Max said, sounding shaky. “I need to get the bowl.”

“Oh, sorry,” Richie squeaked, stepping aside. 

Max continued as if nothing happened. At least, that’s what Richie saw. In reality, his eyes were wide, mouth pressed into a thin line, almost not breathing at all. It took every ounce of his being not to do something just then.

Maybe Trevor was right, maybe he did like Richie like that. And Max already knew that. But his mind still rattled: no, he didn’t like Richie that way, it was just the circumstance. He’d had that feeling with Richie pressed in his box before, back before they were even friends. When the words stopped, the tension thickened and Max felt that instinct to lean in. 

It was just worse now that Richie probably wouldn’t vomit because of it. At least, Max hoped he wouldn’t. 

Richie returned to the living room. 

“Didn’t need help?” Trevor teased.

“I need to go lay down, I think I’m imagining things.”

“Make sure to change first,” Trevor said as Richie walked up the stairs. Richie waved his hand dismissively. 

A half-hour or so later, Max returned from the kitchen. 

“Where’s Richie?”

“Bed.”

“Oh,” Max said. 

“But you should stay!” Trevor rushed to add. “Richie has to pay you still! And, uh… y’know, you’re already here. And why would you leave when you could stay? And he’ll probably be down in a bit—”

“I want-” Max stopped himself. “I, yeah. I want to wait until he comes back down.”

“Did something happen in there?” 

“I think I might’ve almost kissed him a little bit?” 

“How almost?”

“Tension,” Max said. “But that could’ve just been on my side, obviously. I was probably just imagining it. And if I wasn’t, it was just a heat of the moment thing, I’m not… I don’t.” Trevor groaned.

“Why is it such a difficult task for you to admit you like my brother?” Trevor asked. 

“Because I don’t want to,” Max said, “I don’t want him to feel obligated to do anything for or with me. I don’t want him to think he has to do anything just because, because of how we are at school.”

“How you are at school,” Trevor corrected.

“How I act at school,” Max amended begrudgingly. “I don’t him to feel forced. I care about that stupid fucking nerd. And I hurt him enough already.”

“Does that mean you’re gonna stop pushing him around at school?” Trevor demanded. Max sighed.

“No,” He said. “It doesn’t. But he knows I don’t mean that shit. He has to know how much he means to me.”

“He might know better if you tell him how you feel.”

“Richie will never know how I feel, got that?” Max’s tone shifted. A monster again. Trevor’s heart sank and throat squeezed with fear. “Even if you tell him, he won’t fuckin believe you, so you can’t even try.” He took a breath. “Richie’s fucking perfect, if he finds out he likes me, he’d go out with me to make me feel better. I’m not gonna force him to do that. I don’t want to force him to do anything.”

That’s when it hit him. 

“Oh…”

Max was the one with April. The girl who Mimi reminded him of. The girl who pushed him.

“Okay,” He conceded. 

“Okay?” Max asked.

“Okay,” Trevor nodded. 

“Okay,” Max breathed. 

“I’ll go get Richie and tell him you’re about done.” 

Max sat antsy as Trevor did so, and centred on Richie as he walked down the stairs. He was totally screwed, wasn’t he? 

“Hey!” Max said, standing up as Richie neared the end of the stairs. “I was wondering if you wanted to make the white frosting. For, uh, for the text.” Richie smiled, and honestly, he looked so sleepy.

“Sure,” He said.

Max tried his best to keep his distance while Richie was making the frosting, afraid of getting too close. 

“Okay, done!” Richie exclaimed, turning the mixer off. 

“Cool,” Max said, stepping back when Richie walked closer. “I, uh, already set up the bag and stuff, if you wanna scoop it in. I think this is kind of a two-person job anyway, since it’s a pain in the ass to do alone.” 

“Okay,” Richie said happily, dislodging the bowl from the mixer. 

The situation required them being close together, and Max couldn’t help but savour the warm emanating from Richie. He must’ve been tucked under his blankets back in his room. 

“Okay, that’s all of it.” 

“Hm? Right!” Max said, laughing nervously.

Max finished the cake at Richie’s instructions, and it was placed carefully into a box for transportation. 

“Thanks for making the cake for me, Max,” Richie said, buzzing with excitement as they moved into the living room. 

“Of course, dude,” Max said. “It’s the least I could do for being a complete assface to you for literal years,” He said, honestly cringing at his own words. 

“Well, I’m still paying you,” Richie said, “This was labour, and you’re getting paid for it.” 

“Fine,” Max groaned.

“This is delicious,” Ruth commented after moaning obscenely for a distressingly long period of time. 

“We’re going to ignore that sound she just made,” Pete said, for what should’ve been the first time ever, and most definitely wouldn’t be the last. “But she’s right, this is amazing. Where’d it come from?”

“Oh, I got a friend to make it,” Richie said, avoiding eye contact. He knew it was gonna be a lot of shock and confusion, he didn’t feel like facing that. 

“You have other friends?” Pete asked, definitely not believing him.

“Only one,” Richie said. “He came over this morning and baked the cake for you, and if you make any more comments about my friend, I’m taking the leftovers and never bringing you baked goods ever again.” 

Ruth and Pete exchanged looks, almost like they were debating on risk. 

“Looking forward to theatre camp this year?” Pete asked.

“Yeah, I’m excited, all packed and everything.”

[rowretro]

✧𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍✧

WARNINGS: violent description

✧taglist✧: @heeseung-min @jaeneohee @lovingvoidgoatee @neruishoon (anyone I may have missed)

✧CHAPTER 11✧

7 months into the pregnancy, y/n has been having crazy mood swings, ever since she started struggling with her 7 inch heels, and her clothes stopped fitting her because if how the baby bump has grown a lot, The man had a lot of emotions to deal with. But today was a day for no y/n tears. Her mother was throwing a baby shower.

"Ugh these maternity pants make me look pregnant... I don't wanna look pregnant, I can't believe I'm wearing black pants and your t-shirt at my baby shower" the girl pouted. "Darling you wear my clothes better than I do" Sunghoon said, patting her head "Plus your mom told me your 30 year old cousin is 8 months and 2 weeks pregnant, really far long-" Sunghoon added as y/n grinned "So I won't be the ugliest here?" she said as Sunghoon agreed with her, not wanting her to hurt him.

The girl smiled as she enterred the living room only to see her. Shin Ryujin. "I-I- Wha wha bu- I- ryuryu?" she stuttered as the girl smiled at her "Y/n... long time no see..." she trailed off as Heeseung walked in "Ah I see you met my girlfriend, meet Ryujin... we've been dating for a month now... yes I actually am in love" Hee said as y/n nervously giggled. "Iiii'm going to my room-" she said as she went to her old bedroom which was now empty with a plain bed in the corner.

Ryujin is a girl y/n had made out with during her wild, rebellious teenage stage. They were drunk and did so due to a crazy game of strip or dare. It was either they make out or y/n sit there topless. The girl took a deep breath as she went downstairs with a smile to greet the guests. pink balloons and pretty decorations, with a nice oink and white cake "Ah Y/nie~ I always thought you'd have gotten pregnant when you were 15 but damn you're smarter then I thought gurlie~" her cousin said with a fake smile.

"H-Hiii Mihiiii" y/n said, the woman was glowing, perfect hair, nice makeup, and a pretty dress. "Oh kay babies today you're going to some nice white whine tonight~" Y/n nervously chuckled to her womb as she walked to the kitchen, Sunghoon following behind. "Kay Kitten, maybe inviting our snooty cousin wasn't the best idea" Heeseung sighed "Yeah and the girl I made out with lee heeseung!" y/n added, freaking out.

"Y/n.... I thought you forgot that by now-" Ryujin suddenly said from behind. "Y/n it was a dare, don't worry im not going to hold it against you ok?" the girl reassured, patting y/ns back. "y/n?... " A familliar voice called out from behind "LEE JOOYEON?!!!" The girl yelled. "Yeah I came to pick up some old stuff I left here months ago... you're pregnant?! is it my baby?? no woner you were do moody when we we-" "It's my baby." Sughoon interrupted as the man just stood there stunned before gatherring his old CDs and clothes to leave.

"Oh Oh god y/n you poor thing... I really didn't mean for this to go wrong sweetheart" Her mother said "So how far long are you? 9 months? 10? omg have you been gaining weight? that explains the boy clothes~" her cousin said "Oh my god just shut up already" Heeseung yelled as the woman rolled her eyes leaving the room. "No mom, its ok, y-you did all this for us and the babies, it its honestly so sweet im just glad that you accepted us with open arms" the girl said as she hugged her mom, crying. "Im sorry for being a meanie mommyyyy" she sobbed.

✧𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍✧

[life-winners-liveblog]

Medley Time

The Extended Clocker family presents: The Crybaby Mix.

LimL!Cleo: 🎶Blood still stains when the sheets are washed🎶sex don't sleep when the lights are off🎶Kids are still depressed when you dress them up🎵and syrup is still syrup in a sippy cup🎵

...

LimL!Cleo: 🎶He's still dead when you're done with the bottle🎶Of course, it's a corpse that you keep in the cradle🎵Syrup is still syrup in a sippy cup🎵

*tone shift*

SL!Lizzie: 🎵Did my invitations disappear?🎵Why did I put my heart in every cursive letter?🎶Tell me why the hell no one is here?🎵Tell me what to do to make it all feel better🎵

DL!Scar: 🎶Maybe It's all a cruel joke on me🎵 whatever whatever🎵

SL!Lizzie: 🎶Just means there's way more cake for me🎵forever forever 🎶

LimL!Bdubs: 🎶1, 2 melatonin is coming for you🎵3,4 baby won't you lock the door?🎶5, 6 I'm done with this🎵 7, 8 it's getting late, so close your eyes, sleep for days🎶

LimL!Cleo: 🎶Blood still stains when the sheets are washed🎶sex don't sleep when the lights are off🎶Kids are still depressed when you dress them up🎵and syrup is still syrup in a sippy cup🎵

LimL!Bdubs: 🎵Can anybody hear me, am I hidden underground?🎶Can anybody hear me, am I talking to myself?🎵 Saying Tag you're it🎶Tag tag you're it🎵 Saying Tag you're it🎶Tag tag you're it🎵

...

LimL!Bdubs: 🎶Little bit of poison in me🎵I can taste your skin in my teeth🎶I love it when I hear you breathing 🎶I hope to god you're never leaving 🎵

DL!Scar: 🎵Round and round like an horse on a carousel🎵 Will I catch up to love? I can never tell🎶

DL!Grian: 🎶You're all on your own🎵And you lost all your friends🎶You told yourself that it's not you, it's them🎵You're one of a kind🎶And no one understands🎵But those cry baby tears keep coming back again🎶

DL!Scar: 🎶I'm peeling the skin off my face'🎵Cause I really hate being safe🎵The normals, they make me afraid🎶The crazies, they make me feel sane🎵

SL!Lizzie: 🎶I'm not a piece of cake for you to just discard🎵While you walk away with the frosting of my heart🎶

LimL!Scar: 🎵Can't take it anymore🎶 need to put you to bed 🎵sing you a lullaby where you die in the end.🎶

SL!Lizzie: 🎵You smell just like vanilla🎶🎵You taste like buttercream🎵You're filling up my senses with empty calories🎶

DL!Scar: 🎵You think you're smarter than me with all your bad poetry🎶Fuck all your ABC's, alphabet boy🎵

LimL!Bdubs: 🎵Oh Mrs. Potato Head tell me🎶Is it true that pain is beauty?🎶Does a new face come with a warranty?🎵Will a pretty face make it better?🎶

LimL!Cleo: 🎵Oh, teddy bear🎵you were my teddy bear🎶Everything was so sweet 🎶until you tried to kill me🎵

DL!Grian: 🎶D🎶 O🎶 L🎶 L 🎶H🎶 O🎶 U🎶 S 🎶E🎶 I see things that nobody else sees🎵 D🎶 O🎶 L🎶 L 🎶H🎶 O🎶 U🎶 S 🎶E🎶 I see things that nobody else sees🎵

LimL!Bdubs: 🎵You call me on the telephone, you feel so far away🎶You tell me to come over, there's some games you wanna play🎵 walkin' to your house, nobody's home🎶Just me and you and you and me alone🎶

LimL!Scar: 🎵You don't hear me when I say🎶"Mom, please wake up🎶Dad's with a slut🎵And your son is smoking cannabis🎵"No one never listens🎶 this wallpaper glistens🎶Don't let them see what goes down in the kitchen🎵

DL!Scar: 🎶I love everything you do🎶When you call me fucking dumb for the stupid shit I do🎵Wanna ride my bike with you🎶Fully undressed, no training wheels left for you🎵And I'll pull them off for you🎶

DL!Grian: 🎶D🎶 O🎶 L🎶 L 🎶H🎶 O🎶 U🎶 S 🎶E🎶 I see things that nobody else sees🎵 D🎶 O🎶 L🎶 L 🎶H🎶 O🎶 U🎶 S 🎶E🎶 I see things that nobody else sees🎵

SL!Lizzie: 🎵 It's my party and I'll cry if I want to🎶It's my party and I'll cry if I want to🎵

LimL!Bdubs: 🎶Think I just remembered something🎵I think I left the faucet running🎶Now my words are filling up the tub🎵Darling, you're just soaking in it🎶 but I know you'll get out the minute🎵You notice all your fingers pruning up🎶

DL!Grian: 🎶Tired, blue boy walks my way🎵Holding a girl's hand🎵That basic bitch leaves finally🎶Now I can take her man🎵

DL!Scar: 🎶I better wash my mouth out with soap.🎵

DL!Grian:🎵Someone told me stay away from things that aren't yours🎶But was he yours, if he wanted me so bad?🎵

SL!Lizzie: 🎵I feel it coming out my throat🎶Guess I better wash my mouth out with soap🎵God, I wish I never spoke🎵Now I gotta wash my mouth out with soap🎶

DL!Scar: 🎶Pacify her🎵He She's getting on my nerves🎶You don't love her🎶Stop lying with those words 🎶Pacify her🎵She's getting on my nerves🎶You don't love her🎶Stop lying with those words🎵

LimL!Cleo: 🎵I feel it coming out my throat🎶Guess I better wash my mouth out with soap🎵God, I wish I never spoke🎵Now I gotta wash my mouth out with soap🎶

DL!Grian: 🎶D🎶 O🎶 L🎶 L 🎶H🎶 O🎶 U🎶 S 🎶E🎶 I see things that nobody else sees🎵 D🎶 O🎶 L🎶 L 🎶H🎶 O🎶 U🎶 S 🎶E🎶 I see things that nobody else sees🎵

[withacapitalp]

@thefreakandthehair

Dearest Lex! First of all, happy birthday <3 People like you are once in a lifetime, and I'm so so grateful we've become friends. I tried to pull together a little surprise, I'm sure someone else has already posted theirs, but I scheduled mine to be here bright and early!!

For anyone not in the loop who wants to do something for Lex DM me!!

Link to Ao3

Eddie had never exactly had the best track record with birthdays. 

When he had been couch surfing with his mom and dad, there wasn’t exactly time for setting up a birthday party, or money for cake and presents. If he was lucky, his mom would get him a cheap toy car, or a lollipop that she swiped from the gas station — little ways to make the day special. She tried, she really did, but that was mostly at the start.

By ten, she seemed to have forgotten her son even had a birthday, too lost in the drugs to see him waiting for her to notice. Hell, there were even some years where he himself completely missed it. They would pass by somewhere, and Eddie would offhandedly see the date, realizing with a jolt that his birthday had passed days or weeks ago and nothing had changed. 

He hated those years most of all. 

But…but today was his thirteenth birthday. 

He was turning thirteen today, and he was finally in a place he could really call home. He was turning thirteen, and for the first time, Eddie wanted to let himself hope. He let himself day dream about a party with balloons and a cake littered with bright candles. He had thought endlessly about how Thirteen was going to be great, the best year yet. His year. 

Eddie had, foolishly, let himself think that things might be better now. After all, Wayne had been nothing but kind to him so far, always wanting to know what Eddie thought and listening when he told wild long winded stories. Wayne was good, and he seemed like the type to make birthdays something special. 

He woke up that morning, hope starting to stir in his chest, and it instantly vanished when he threw his arm out to wake his uncle, only to find that the other side of the bed was cold. 

Uncle Wayne wasn’t in the room they shared, and when Eddie wandered out, there was a post-it note on the fridge saying that he switched to the day shift, and he wouldn’t be home till 7:00 tonight. 

No cake, no presents, not even a card. He hadn’t even written Happy Birthday on the note. 

He tried not to be disappointed, tried to reason with himself, because Uncle Wayne might not have even known it was his birthday. He hadn’t even known Eddie existed until a few months ago, how could he know when his birthday was?

But there was a wrathful sad creature writhing in his chest, pressing down on that old wound and making it reopen, telling Eddie that if Wayne actually did love him, he would have known. He would have cared enough to ask. 

It wasn’t fair to think that way. His Uncle cared plenty. He had taken Eddie in, given him a home, shared his room and his food and his life when didn’t have to, and Eddie wanted to be grateful for all of that. He was grateful for all of that. 

He just also wanted Thirteen to be different. 

The rest of the day was the same. Eddie went through school in a daze, barely paying attention to his classes or the assholes all around that liked to make fun of him. No one wished him well, or asked how he felt to be thirteen, and he was almost kind of glad for that. 

Because thirteen felt the way that twelve did. It felt the way eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, and four did too. 

Thirteen sucked. 

By the time he got out of class and back to the trailer park, it was getting hard to hold back the tears pressing at his eyes. He lept into the trailer and shut the door with a bang, hitting his back against the door and sliding down. He collapsed onto the floor in a heap, sniffling and pressing his palms against his eyes, trying to make them stop before they started. 

Eddie had always been a crybaby. It was something his father had absolutely detested about him, something he had tried to beat out of his son time and time again. Those attempts had only made Eddie cry more, which made his father angrier, which started a vicious cycle, which led to scars and nightmares and all of the things Eddie just wanted to forget about. 

This wasn’t how Thirteen was supposed to be. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking about the bad things, he wasn’t supposed to be upset. 

“Why’re you cryin’ kiddo?” 

Eddie immediately startled at the unexpected voice, jumping with a gasp and accidentally smacking his head against the metal door. Now he was really crying, holding the back of his head with both hands and choking on cut off sobs. 

Wayne shot up from his easy chair and dashed over. He lifted his arm, probably only intending to help Eddie up, or check the back of his head for a lump. 

That wasn’t what Eddie saw. Eddie saw a hand raised his way, and tears on his cheeks, and knew he was about to get punished again for being a stupid crybaby. He flinched back, ducking his head between his legs and waiting. 

But no hand ever came. No screaming, no pain. Nothing. Hesitantly, Eddie lifted his head up, watching his uncle with fearful eyes. 

Wayne was still as a statue, his arms at his sides. There was a funny look on his face, a strangled kind of shock that looked uncomfortable. Eddie uncurled from his ball, lowering his arms and wrapping them around his knees loosely. 

“‘M sorry,” He mumbled, humiliated. This was really turning out to be his worst birthday ever. Wayne chewed on the inside of his cheek for a minute before slowly lowering himself down to the floor, groaning as his knees cracked loudly in the quiet trailer. 

“You don’t got to apologize,” Wayne said once he was on the ground. Eddie knew that was true. This wasn’t the first time they had done this particular song and dance, but it was the worst time. Wayne told him the same thing every time- he didn’t have to apologize. 

Eddie still felt the need to. 

“Sorry,” He repeated, cringing as the word flew out of his mouth. Wayne sucked a deep breath in and let it out in a long sigh, looking around as he contemplated his words. 

“Does it help you if I say I’m not angry with you?”

Eddie paused, considering. Whenever Wayne said he didn’t have to apologize, Eddie always felt like he needed to apologize for apologizing. It was silly, and confusing, and made his heart race. 

But the thought of knowing that Wayne wasn’t upset made his heart beat just a little bit slower, so Eddie nodded hesitantly. Wayne nodded back, clicking his tongue once and looking Eddie right in the eye, forcing him to look back. 

“Then I’m not angry with you. Not even a little bit, Eds,” Wayne said carefully, making sure every word was heard. 

It was the little nickname that really made Eddie’s shoulders start to relax. Wayne had started calling him that the third or fourth day after his arrival, and, every time he did it, Eddie felt just a little bit safer. 

Wayne let Eddie calm down a bit more, watching him brush away any lingering tears and take long shaking breaths. Then, when he was sure Eddie wasn’t going to fall apart again, he repeated his initial question in a soft, unexpectedly gentle, tone. 

“Why were you cryin’?”

Eddie’s cheeks flushed, and he ducked his head. Now that it was over, he felt ridiculous for falling apart like that. It was such a silly thing to get so upset over, and Wayne didn’t need to know. 

“I thought you had a shift?” Eddie said, changing the subject while smoothly avoiding the question.

“Got Gordie to take the last three hours. I wanted to be home to surprise you,” Wayne replied. 

A blinding rush of hope stabbed Eddie directly in the chest. He despised it for still existing, for not being beaten down by the reality of the life he had lived. Through all of it, he still had hope, he still wanted to believe something better was coming. 

Maybe that was stupid. Maybe it was brave. Maybe it was the only thing keeping Eddie alive at this point. He dropped his gaze to the floor between them, trying to gather up his courage. 

“Why?” Eddie whispered, unable to look up in case he was wrong. 

It was quiet. It was quiet for a long time. Eddie didn’t move, didn’t dare to even breathe too much. He couldn't until he heard the answer. 

“...It’s your birthday, kiddo,” Wayne said, each word coming out slow and measured, “You know that, right?”

Wayne knew. 

Wayne knew, and he had taken time off, even though they needed the money badly. He had given up those precious few hours just to be here for him. Just because he wanted to. 

The lump that had begun to ease out of his throat grew three times as big. 

“Then why’re you so surprised that I’d wanna be here?” Wayne wondered, sounding confused, but also sad. Guilt began to bloom in his stomach, but Eddie couldn’t bear the thought of lying right now. 

“Didn’t think you knew,” Eddie mumbled, feeling his lashes starting to stick together. The unspoken ‘didn’t think you cared’ sat heavy in the air between them. 

Eddie dropped his head between his knees again, hating himself for thinking badly about Wayne. His uncle had done nothing but care for him this entire time, making sacrifice after sacrifice, and Eddie had really thought he would do something as terrible as this? What kind of person was he? 

Wayne, unaware of Eddie’s internal battle, spoke slowly, taking his time with each word the way he always did. 

“Got it out of the paperwork your social worker sent me,” Wayne said, hesitating for a second before lowering his voice into a whisper before asking his next question. 

“Is that what got you all upset?”

This is where it would be smart to lie. 

If it was his father, Eddie would have lied. 

If it was mother, Eddie would have lied. 

If it was anyone but Wayne, Eddie would have lied. 

Instead, he gave the tiniest nod he possibly could, taking the risk of falling and hoping his uncle was serious about wanting to catch him. 

Wayne sighed heavily, and Eddie raised his head just enough to watch as his uncle shook his head and got to his feet, only walking a few steps before coming to sit next to Eddie by the door. 

“I’m sorry. I thought about wakin’ you when I left, but I wanted to let you sleep. I should’ve done that, and I apologize,” Wayne said, lowering his arm around Eddie’s shoulders and tugging him in for a sideways hug. 

It always amazed Eddie how quickly Wayne would apologize for things. He had never heard his father say he was sorry, but Wayne did it all the time. If Eddie’s toast was too crunchy, if he was late coming home, every time he thought he misstepped, he said he was sorry. For all the little things, and all the big things too. 

It was strange, but it was probably the thing he liked most about living with Wayne. With Wayne, Eddie wasn’t always the one who had done the wrong thing. 

“But I had a plan, if you wanted?” Wayne offered, and Eddie nodded his head against Wayne’s shoulder, still not ready to talk. 

“Well, I figured we could grab a slice or two, ‘n go to the movies. See that new one you were talkin’ about? Salem’s Somethin’? Thought you might like to see your first official PG 13 movie together,”

“That sounds nice,” Eddie whispered, the smallest trace of a smile gracing his face as Wayne grinned when he spoke. 

“Yeah, then after I uh I got you a cupcake? You said you like red velvet, so I tried to get a cake, but the bakery only did cupcakes. I got a chocolate one for me, but I have a candle you can put in it.” Wayne continued, pointing over to the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. There was a pink box sitting there, tied tightly with white twine that came together in a pretty bow on the top. 

Eddie couldn’t even remember talking about his favorite kind of cake with Wayne. But Wayne remembered, and the thought of that flooded him with warmth from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. 

He let his legs slide out straight, sitting right next to his uncle’s. His feet only reached about three quarters of the way down his uncle’s calves, but Wayne swore that would change soon. He liked to call Eddie a ‘bean pole in the making’ and that always made him laugh. 

“Oh, and I got a present for ya,” 

“A present?” Eddie wondered aloud, amazed. The movie and pizza was already so much, and the cupcake was even more. Weren’t those his presents? 

“Yeah. Go wait on the couch and close your eyes, alright? Didn’t get a chance to wrap it,” Wayne instructed, briefly stopping to ruffle Eddie’s curls before walking down the hallway to their room. 

Eddie stood on slightly shaky legs, walking over to the couch in a daze and sitting in the corner. He closed his eyes, letting the darkness take his vision as he waited, unable to guess what his present might be. 

He heard Wayne walk back over, and something heavy was placed in his lap. It was big, really big, and Eddie’s leg began to bounce in anticipation. 

“Okay, you can open ‘em,” Wayne said, and Eddie’s eyes flashed open. 

There was a guitar case in his lap. 

A real life, genuine, honest to god, guitar case. 

Eddie stared at it with big bug eyes, every single thought rushing out of his head as fast as they could go. He lifted one trembling hand and put it on the hard plastic, feeling the scratches and grooves with his fingers as he stared down at it. 

It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

He lifted it out of his lap, and stood up. Wayne stepped back, and Eddie kneeled down, feeling for the latches and lifting them. The guitar was somehow even better than the case. It was a soft amber wood acoustic, with a few stickers adorning the bottom, and strings that were just starting to fray at the top. 

It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. 

“Dean, my manager at the plant? He said he was lookin’ to get a new one, so I convinced ‘im to sell me this one. ‘S a little old, and he said it’ll be finicky, but it’s a good starter guitar. Thought you might like to make some music, seein’ as you listen to so much of it,” Wayne explained. 

That was a lot more talking than he was used to from his uncle. When Eddie looked up with a wide eyed expression, still unable to speak, Wayne’s strange bout of nerves vanished. 

“I know it ain’t much,” Wayne started, hunching in his shoulders, “But-”

“I love it,” 

That was Eddie’s voice, but he didn’t think he had spoken. The words weren’t good enough. They would never be good enough. No words would ever be able to even start to explain how Eddie was feeling. He stood up and wrapped his arms tight around his uncle’s middle, burying his face in the man’s chest and trying to hide the treacherous tears that had escaped once more. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,” Eddie whispered endlessly, wishing that there was something better to say. 

Wayne seemed shocked, but he recovered quickly, patting Eddie on the back. 

“C’mon now,” Wayne muttered, probably embarrassed by the outburst. Eddie didn’t care. He squeezed even tighter, trying to convey everything he could with a hug, because words were pale in comparison. 

Wayne finally resolved to just let Eddie get this out, sighing and wrapping his arms around the boy’s shoulders. 

“Alright. You’re alright now,” Wayne whispered, putting his chin on the top of Eddie’s head, knowing he couldn’t do that for very much longer. 

And Eddie believed him. For the first time he let himself think things were going to get better without being afraid. 

[moth-time]

hello friend.

for the non-us asks, can i pls ask (for whatever country you want/both): 4, 5 & 7?

Hi! Thanks you for sending these in :D

4. favourite dish specific for your country?

french: oh man there's so many fantastic french dishes, you make me choose one?? Ok I'm going to pick a classic but specifically my mom's version (my mom is dutch, does this make this fusion cuisine?) because it tastes like childhood and also it's so, so easy to make:

Tarte tatin! It's a caramelized apple cake. The fancy versions (see picture below) requires you to carefully arrange the apples and painstakingly flip the cake, but the lazy version is a lot easier.

My mom basically does it like this: - In a deep dish, arrange apple slices in circles until the dish is full. Sour apples are best. Make two layers, ideally the whole thing is slightly domed. You can add a few fresh rosemary needles to the apples if you want, but only a few! 5-7 should be plenty. - Drape dough of your choice on top - my mom usually uses store-bought laminated dough - making sure to cover the whole thing. Then poke some holes in the dough with a knife. You can arrange them in a circle for prettiness. - Pour a cup worth of melted butter and honey (50/50) on the whole thing, making sure to pour a generous amount into the holes in the dough so the apples are also soaked. - Push the whole thing into the oven at 180°C (with bottom heat!) for roughly half an hour, or until the dough is golden and flaky. - That's it! You can flip it but I don't bother, I just messily scoop apples and dough out of the dish. The honey and butter caramelizes and the whole dish is so, so tasty.

german: I really really really like a good Gulasch. Especially with wild meat like deer meat (Rehgulasch). I guess arguably it's not a dish specific to my country, since a whole lot of places make this too, but they're always a little different in every region. This one has mushrooms and juniper berries in it, and it's a perfect, hearty winter dish. Serve with potatoes or potato dumplings (Kartoffelknödel).

5. favourite song in your native language?

I'm so sorry neither of these are going to be even remotely comprehensible for non-native speakers. I always want to share obscure french new-wave music or german punk, but both of these rely heavily on people understanding the lyrics. They are funny because they are absurd, or crass, and very hard to translate. I guess that's part of the charm?

That said:

french: Le blues de Francoise - La Femme La Femme (the woman) is a French psych-punk band who does very floaty electronic music. Their lyrics tend to be really sarcastic and mean, the characters they play deeply unlikable, and the contrast to the peppy, spacey dance music is very funny to me. The lyrics of Le blues de Francoise (Francoise's blues) are about a woman named Francoise who is having a depressive episode following a break-up, and is told from the point of view of a "friend" who tells her "come on Francoise, get yourself together. I tell you this as a friend, you aren't pretty when you're crying". It's SO mean, and so many of their songs are like that x)

A lot of french alternative music is like this, imo. Just. Mean. Or plain absurd, french humor has a lot of absurdism to it.

german: Alt sein - Pisse Pisse (literally just: Piss) is a German punk band. They write songs about social inequality and deeply sarcastic and crass about it. Alt sein (to be old) is about being old and grumpy and slightly senile (or maybe just pretending to be to get away with theft). It's really hard to translate, it's a very German punk sentiment. Being really tired of the world turning, mad and impotent, doing small stupid things just to have any kind of impact on the world around you. All of their songs are kinda like that. I also really like Vernissage, ranting about the world of commercial art and how you have to kiss ass to make it anywhere, not having merit but just being the best at groveling.

7. three words from your native language that you like the most?

french:

cagouille: a regional word for snail! It's just a very cute and fun word. Cagouille! Doesn't it fit the animal perfectly? It's so round.

vistemboir: ok this is a made up word but it sounds so quintessentially french and I love it. A vistemboir is an object from a short story by Jaques Perret, titled Le Machin (the thing). It's a thingamabob, essentially.

oiseau: french word for bird, mainly famous for being five vowels and only one consonant (and a fricative, to boot). Isn't it perfectly shaped?

german:

Kreisverwaltungsreferat: look this one just cracks me up because it's so damn german. Google translates it as "district administration department" and yeah sounds about right. But look at it. It has to many letters. So many of them are consonants. Presposperous.

Rettich: Raddish. Look, it's the same one in english. But the german one has a 'ch' sound in it, which english doesn't have. Fun sound! And a little Rettich is a Radieschen. Look at it, it's got a diminutive and everything!

Schorle: Okay this one I'm adding mainly because a Schorle is a cool thing that seems to be fairly specific to Germany: It's fruit juice cut with sparkling water. Typically half and half. Depending on the type of juice you would add the name of the fruit in front. So Apfelschorle (with apple juice), Johannisbeerschorle (with red current juice), etc. You can get a Schorle in p much any restaurant, it's usually the cheapest non-alcoholic option, too. Refreshing!

[sweetlysniffly]

very silly and childish rant/vent incoming since I have no other place to safely put this because my family follows me on all other socials but this

it was my birthday two days ago. earlier this week, my dad said my family wanted to take me out to dinner for my birthday. When I asked where they wanted to go, he said wherever I wanted. Now I knew this wasn’t true but he kept saying “wherever I wanted” so I decided to believe him. I’m the middle and least favorite child, so my preferences and wishes have never really been…prioritized? Agreed with? Idk

So I finally decided what I wanted and where I wanted to go after like 50 “whatever you want” texts. I got all excited cause I realized how long it had been since I had eaten that specific dinner and how much I liked it. And the first thing my parents said was “your mother and your brother won’t eat that. What about (enter your mom and brothers favorite restraunt here)?”

And I understand this makes me a huge brat, but I just said sure and cried a bunch in my dorm alone. Like I know that’s such a bratty thing to do, like I’m 20, I should not be so emotional about not getting to pick where my family goes for my birthday. But I really just thought that, this year, my birthday would be about me and what I wanted cause it’s never really been.

Like for example, ever since I was like 7 years old, eating cake makes me feel very nauseous. I don’t think I’m allergic to it; it just makes me feel sick. So, on my birthday, my mom would just get whatever cake she or my brother wanted and have me blow out the candles so that they could eat cake, and I’d normally just stand and watch or go to my room. And it never occurred to me until Wednesday that like, maybe since it was my birthday, my family could’ve asked me if there was anything else I wanted that wouldn’t make me so sick.

My uni friends asked me what cake I wanted for my birthday (the annual formal dance that we were all going to fell on my birthday and they wanted to do something for me), and I told them how eating cake makes me really sick. So they asked what I normally got instead, and I told what my family usually does and kept insisting they get whatever cake they wanted and I’d just watch. And they all looked so…saddened? Shocked? Offended for me? Like I had said something wrong. It never occurred to me until then that maybe my parents should’ve asked me what i wanted.

Or usually, my dad will have everyone write a heartfelt message on a birthday card and put it in a gift bag. We did it this year for Mother’s Day and my brothers birthday. But they didn’t do it for me this year.

Idk. I just wanna feel…like they care about me, Millicent. I feel like an excuse to eat their favorite foods instead of a daughter they love and catch up with.