#i wish i could talk about them publicly without being teased or posted do some other website or having someone try and check me or something

[proselfship-mutt]

you know what time it is

[casuallyimagining]

A Normal Wednesday

Jeon Jungkook x Reader

Summary: Drunk Jungkook confesses something that Sober Jungkook has to reckon with.

Part of the Long Term Couples series.  Read more here.

Jungkook was drunk.

Not too drunk. He wasn’t swaying or slurring his words or anything like that. But when he spoke, he was just a little too loud, a little too honest, and a lot too talkative. Somehow, he had convinced you to take him back to your apartment rather than the shared dorm where the rest of the guys could take care of him. Normally, this wouldn’t have been a problem. Jungkook stayed over often enough that he had a change of clothes in a backpack stuffed away in your closet, and you never minded having him around.

The problem was more that it was three in the morning, and you had a meeting with upper management--his upper management--at ten. And as much as Bang PD and Manager Sejin loved Jungkook and the boys, you weren’t sure you wanted to test how deeply that love ran.

“Please, Jungkook,” you begged, a soft fourth attempt to get him to quiet down. “I know you have off tomorrow, but I don’t.”

Reasoning with a drunk. The first sign of your apparent insanity.

Jungkook giggled at you, his bunny teeth peeking out from between his slightly parted lips. His head was resting heavily against your shoulder as the two of you lounged on your couch. You had given up on trying to coax him to bed an hour ago, choosing instead to attempt to placate him with a movie. If I can sleep through his snoring, I can sleep through a movie, you had told yourself.

Had it just been the movie drawing your attention, you may have succeeded.

Shortly after Jungkook legally was able to drink, you learned that he was a needy drunk. He didn’t just want your attention, he craved it, and he was willing to go to increasingly annoying lengths to get what he needed. Which is partially how you found yourself with an arm slung around his shoulders as he absent-mindedly played with your hand and told you about his day. It was all horribly domestic, and if it wasn’t 3:05 on a Wednesday morning, you would probably even think it was cute.

“Jin-hyung is surprisingly good at table hockey,” Jungkook said earnestly, tracing the heart line on your palm. “Even after I accidentally hit him with the puck.”

“I’m glad you had fun.” You stifled a yawn and rested your head against his own. “Jin takes those games far too seriously.”

You felt him nod against you. “It was fun. I wish you could have seen how bad Yoongi-hyung is at the games. He’s like… really bad.”

You hummed, attempting to close your eyes. It seemed that, now that he was done telling you about filming that afternoon, Jungkook was starting to calm down. You could feel your eyes start to droop closed, and you prayed that whatever higher power would take pity on you that sleep would come quickly.

A few moments of silence passed between you, the tv still playing the movie Jungkook had started and promptly forgot about. For a moment, you thought maybe he had turned his attention back to it--it was his favorite, after all--but when you ventured a peek at him, his gaze was in his lap. He had stopped playing with your fingers, his own tattooed hand now solidly engulfing yours. You closed your eyes again, snuggling in. If he was going to trap you on the couch, the least you could do was get comfortable.

Hopefully, he would sleep.

Unfortunately, that was wishful thinking, as not even a second later, Jungkook was whispering your name. You hummed in response, not even bothering to open your eyes.

“I’m really drunk,” he confessed.

“I know. Go to sleep.”

He started to play with your fingers again, but now, you could feel the nervous energy practically rolling off him. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but you’re my best friend-”

If you could bring yourself to open your eyes, you would have rolled them. “I know, Koo-”

“But you’re more than that, too.”

“What?”

“I just mean that...” You felt him shift, and he mumbled a soft ‘I’m way too drunk for this,’ before continuing. “I just mean that… I dunno. I feel like there’s something more here. Best friends don’t do this.”

You opened your eyes just enough to see that he was gesturing to the space--or rather, the lack of space--between you. “Sure they do.”

“Then why do I get butterflies every time you walk into a room?”

Oh.

Shit.

“You’re drunk.”

He giggled at that, and he adjusted himself so that he could look at you while still laying against your side. You could feel your heart racing, and you hoped that Jungkook couldn’t feel it, too. Drunk or not, he would almost certainly tease you mercilessly about it.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. I don’t mind. We can still be friends.” Jungkook nodded, and you couldn’t tell if he was trying harder to convince you or himself that his words were true. He pulled himself closer to you, then, nuzzling his nose into your neck. “Promise me we can still be friends?”

You were speechless, but you held out your pinky to him. His longer one wrapped around it, and you could feel him smile against your skin as he shook your hands up and down. When he was satisfied with your pinky promise, he let you go, choosing instead to wrap his arm around your middle.

“You should get some sleep.” Finally, you could hear a hint of exhaustion in his voice. “You have a meeting in the morning.”

You had to admit: sleeping on the couch wasn’t your brightest idea. Your neck was sore, and you were pretty sure that the pain in your lower back would be there until you died. It didn’t help that extricating yourself from Jungkook’s grasp was almost more difficult than getting him to fall asleep.

He had woken up briefly when you tried to slide out of his iron-tight grasp, but thankfully, you were able to lull him back to sleep by playing with his hair. After that, it had been smooth sailing, and you were actually able to stop for coffee before your meeting.

Truthfully, you weren’t sure what you would be returning to. You had left a Post-It on his phone offering to let him ride out his hangover in your apartment since it would be quiet. But when you hadn’t heard from him into the afternoon, you wondered if he had just gone back to the dorm.

You hoped he wasn’t too embarrassed. Publicly, he oozed confidence. But privately, when Jungkook got overwhelmed, he tended to shut down, especially if he was feeling particularly unsure of himself.

As you drove home, you thought about what he had said the previous night. He was right, of course. The two of you never acted in a way that said anything more than ‘best friends,’ but it was the feelings behind the actions that mattered. And at some point, though you weren’t exactly sure when, the Jungkook-sized place in your heart had shifted ever so slightly.

You weren’t stupid. The man would make a great partner. He was handsome, sure, but more than that, he was kind, and he was loving, and he put the people he loved ahead of anything else. He cared purely,and unceasingly with every fibre of his being. When he hung around other people, you tried to pass off the pit in your stomach as jealousy that he was making new friends, but maybe there was something more to it.

When you opened your door, his boots were still where you had placed them neatly the night before. You weren’t sure if that made you more relieved or stressed. You kicked your shoes off and hung your keys and your bag on the hook in the hallway, trying to be as quiet as possible just in case Jungkook was trying to sleep.

He wasn’t--or, if he was, he was failing. You found him in your living room curled up into the corner of your couch, a blanket draped over him. He was watching the movie from last night--Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind--and he was clutching one of the pillows from your bed. He must’ve grabbed it sometime after you left. Your heart fluttered at the sight.

You decided you were glad he was still there.

“How’s Clementine?” you questioned, leaning against the back of the couch directly behind Jungkook.

He hummed. “She’s in love. For now.”

On a normal day, he would have tugged you down beside him to finish watching the movie, or he would have paused it and followed you into the kitchen to grab a snack. But today, he sat still, his fingers twisting and untwisting the blanket, his eyes trained on the television. You sighed softly and ruffled his hair before making your way into the kitchen.

It wasn’t that you were disappointed. Really, you weren’t sure what you were expecting. But seeing him treat you differently stung a bit. You liked to think that your friendship with Jungkook was unshakeable--god knows you’d been through so much in six years. You were there to cheer him on at his high school graduation, for the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in his career, to help him make sense of the group almost disbanding. He hadn’t changed then, so it was hard to see him change now.

But he was still there, in your apartment. That wasn’t nothing.

So you grabbed a bottle of water and trudged back into the living room, just in time to see Joel and Clementine sitting on the steps on the beach in Montauk.

“Never liked this part,” you admitted, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch from him.

Jungkook hummed, and you could see him looking at you out of the corner of his eye. “It’s sad. If only he could have shared his true feelings with her.”

“I think he does, though.” This topic of conversation was not new. You and Jungkook had discussed Joel and Clementine’s relationship before. “Maybe his life really isn’t that interesting.”

“But if he weren’t that interesting, don’t you think she’d notice?”

“Maybe not. He’s interesting because of her.” He turned his head to stare at you, but you just shrugged. “He’s a book nerd. He goes to work and goes home. His life only has meaning because she’s in it. That’s all.”

His brows furrowed. “Have you been watching this without me?”

“You wish.” You snorted out a laugh and rolled your eyes. “I don’t even like it that much.”

“Then why don’t you complain when we watch it?”

You could feel the tension in the room dissipate slightly. Whatever funk he had been in earlier seemed to have left the moment you started talking about Clem and Joel. You sighed, still trying to determine if you wanted to broach this subject.

You liked your friendship with Jungkook. He knew almost everything about you. It was nice. It was home. Maybe it would be better to just leave well enough alone. Then again...

“Because it’s what best friends do,” you said softly, crossing your legs on the sofa so that you were facing him. “Just like they stay up ‘till three-thirty in the morning listening to their drunk friend ramble about arcade games.”

He ducked his head and laughed sheepishly. “I’m glad you made it to your meeting on time.”

“Let’s not sleep on the couch again for a while. I woke up and I felt like I aged 50 years.”

“Sober Jungkook does not make promises for Drunk Jungkook.” He laughed, pulling his legs up so he was hugging his knees facing you. He fell silent, and you watched as, after a moment, his smile fell and the gears started turning in his head.

You gave him time to process his thoughts, your focus shifting to the final scene of the movie--Joel and Clementine in Joel’s car, listening to the tape of Clem’s memories.

“You know,” you began tentatively. “I’m a book nerd. I go to work and come home. My life really isn’t that interesting.”

Jungkook’s eyes met yours briefly, and after a moment, you could see the lightbulb turn on. “Are you saying that I’m your Clementine?”

“Not in as many words. And not exactly. But…” You shrugged.

“No.” His face scrunched up in disagreement. “No way. I’m not your Clementine. We’re nowhere near as-”

“Jungkook,” you cut him off with a sigh. “In the six years I’ve known you, I have been in your orbit. I’ve traveled the world because I have the happy misfortune of assisting Sejin-oppa and managing your social media presence. I go out because you ask me to. I stay in because you want to. I hang out with your friends, eat your favorite foods, watch your favorite movies.” You couldn’t help the small smile threatening to show itself. “My life would not be this interesting without you in it.”

You watched him chew on his bottom lip in thought. “So what are you saying? Because if I’m Clementine and you’re Joel… I’ve seen this movie, and I’m not sure I like how it ends.”

“Maybe. Or maybe it won’t end the same way.” You moved closer so that your knees were barely a foot from Jungkook’s shins. “We could try, and we could fail spectacularly. We could do nothing and fall apart anyway. It happens. Friends drift.” Gingerly, you took his hand from where it clutched his knee. You were quiet as you traced over the micro-tattoos that covered his skin. Finally, you took a breath and continued. “Or, we could try, and we could succeed.”

“I don’t want us to fall apart like Clem and Joel do.” His voice was soft, timid. You hadn’t heard him this scared since the band meetings in 2018 that almost separated the group.

“I have more faith in us than I do in Clem and Joel.”

“But what if we end up hating each other?”

“I can’t think of anything I don’t like about you right now.”

Jungkook smiled at that, and honestly, you were a little impressed with yourself. You didn’t think you had seen the movie enough to pull quotes like that out of your ass.

“But you could, though.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You could end up hating me because I’m-”

“You’re obnoxious. You don’t take no for an answer. You’re the loudest eater on this side of the universe. You get drunk and keep me up to three-thirty in the morning.” You laughed, surprised at how happy you sounded. “Koo, I’m already over the moon with you. You’re my best friend. If I couldn’t handle that, do you really think we would be here right now?”

“But what if it makes things weird?”

“Things are already going to be weird. We passed weird a long fucking time ago, bub. This shit here,” you poked his knee for emphasis. “Is uncharted territory. And there’s no going back.”

His brow furrowed, and you watched him chew on his lip again. “Doesn’t that scare you?”

“I’m fucking terrified,” you admitted. His eyes went wide as he looked at you. “But… god, I knew from the moment I met you that I would always be in your corner. I trust you, Koo. You haven’t let me down yet.”

Jungkook sighed, his bottom lip back between his teeth. He shifted, then, so that his legs were crossed, your knees pressed together. You wished you knew what he was thinking.

You weren’t lying when you said there was no going back. And if you were honest with yourself, you knew that if he declined, you would be crushed.

His dark eyes met yours, the little crease between his eyebrows appearing and disappearing as his focus shifted around your face. It was as if he was studying you, trying to commit things to memory.

“Okay,” he said softly, his eyes darting away from you.

“Okay?”

Jungkook nodded, leaning forward to grab your hand. It was quiet, the only sound being Beck singing “Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime” as the credits to the movie rolled. He shifted then, tugging you closer so you ended up leaning into his side. At first, you were a little surprised at how absolutely normal it felt to be cuddled up in his side. He slung his arm around your shoulders while casually searching for another movie to watch, and you tangled your legs together.

Perhaps things had technically changed, but it felt like just a normal Wednesday.

Read more of the series here

[rosesnink]

Fluffy ABC: Ernest Sinclaire & Hayley Parker

Author’s Notes: 

You can find the template here! 

Ernest Sinclaire belongs to Pixelberry Studios. I only own my OC 

English is not my first language, so please forgive any typos or grammatical mistakes 

I dare @missameliep​ to make her own ABC of the couple of her choice 

TW: Nothing, pure fluff! 

A – Anger (What was their first fight about? Any big or recurring arguments?)

Their first fight ever was when they moved in together, years before their marriage. Though they do not argue oft, their arguments can be intense, especially in Hayley’s part, but she is working on it.

Coming back to the argument: Ernest had accidentally clicked on a private file of Hayley and she got really angry at him, ending with her going to Briar’s place over the weekend and not talking to him over that time until he brought her favourite meal and had a civil conversation over dinner while Briar went out with Edmund. They agreed on improving their communication skills, especially in Ernest’s part.

B – Best (What would they say is the other’s best trait?)

Hayley thinks that Ernest’s golden and sincere heart is his best trait: how he just wants to help and expects nothing in return and does it because. It melts her heart and reminds her why she fell in love with him in first place.

As for Ernest, he just admires highly her perseverance and resilience. Since she was a child, she always managed to shine even in her worst times, not giving a damn about what others had to say about her. She always went through the day and made everyone’s lives bearable when hers was just a living hell.

C – Camera (How do they document their relationships? Who likes to take pictures? Or videos?)

Hayley shares a lot of photos about her life, always showing his fun side and his tender side. She is a woman who loves to show off her fantastic husband, and that increased when Alaska was born.

While Ernest has more mementos, he never posts them. Hell, he barely opens the apps on it! He only makes calls and texts and e-mails, like he were back in the 00s. He has a folder full of Alaska’s photos and videos of her, and always watches some of them when he’s feeling down or just misses his little princess. He also has a folder full of Hayley doing things: working, sleeping, laughing, eating, smiling at her baby bump, etc. He always smiles at those photos.

D – Dates (What are their dates like?)

Their dates are minimalistic, very few times they go somewhere lavish: Ernest loves to bring her food to her room and cover her with kisses and love, or go to libraries to buy books or at their favourite bar and have a drink while they laugh off things. He’s a Netflix and Chill guy too, though his favourite date spot is deep into Ledford Park territory, where he builds a picnic and ends up with Hayley on his lap, munching berries that his gardener grows and enjoy the breeze and the sun hitting his alluring wife.

E – Early (What was the first month of dating like?)

Hayley was a bit awkward at first: she hesitated a bit when touching him and didn’t dare to talk about things that would give him heart palpitations, thinking that he’d recoil and leave her. She talked about not-too-deep topics and was very closed off and scared.

Meanwhile, Ernest was really shy and helplessly whipped. He wished to touch her and shower her with the love she lacked in her life, but was scared of scaring her off or doing it wrong. He didn’t dare to ask her too personal questions and had a hard time opening up to her.

F – Friends (How is their relationship with each other’s group of friends?)

They share their group friend, that’s how they found each other. On Hayley’s part of the group, they all liked to tease Ernest and prank him, while the boys were a bit scared of Hayley, only Bart knew that she was in fact an angel. But now the hang out with them most of the time, when they’re not swamped on work and their kids.

G – Gifts (Do they like giving each other gifts? What kind?)

Ernest is a thoughtful man. He gives something of significant importance and that leaves a message, though he oft spoils his wife to let her know in his own way that he’s constantly thinking of her, that she misses her, loves her, wants her soon…

Hayley has a hard time choosing presents. She’s more of actions, but she can gift really nice things. Growing up in Spain, she learned to give small details: buy him something he will need, take him to a place he used to go as a child/ always wanted to go, small handwritten cards wishing him luck for today, a tie…

H – Hugs (All things involving hugs)

Ernest likes to hug Hayley from the behind when she’s frowning or pouting, hug her waist while talking to her, side-hugs, etc. He just loves to get lost on her warmth. He also finds her very cuddly and feels like home, being on her arms.

As for Hayley, she likes hugging him by his hips and rest her chin on his chest, climb on top of him and hug him from the shoulders, hug him by placing his head on her bust or legs if he’s lying, to hug him while he types rapidly the keyboard, to hug him when she’s on his lap, when they cuddle at night, … she likes to hug him in general. Even more than kiss him: he’s so warm and comforting, she falls easily asleep if she’s laying on his chest and he traces ghosts on her back absently.

I – Inside Jokes (Do they have any?)

They roast each other all the time. It shows their connection to each other and an intimacy that they show more oft. Hayley always has the best roasts for him, which had made him laugh out loud once or twice, though Ernest has too a humour that makes his wife laugh in a rather unholy way.

Hayley’s best insult to him is ‘Walking Mummy’ because of their age gap. He chortles and chuckles sometimes at it.

As for Ernest, he doesn’t have that kind of word for her, but he does enjoy teasing her bad temper and how lewd she can be. That normally ends with a pillow thrown to his head and a genuine laugh of his.

J – Jealousy (Who gets jealous easier? How do they show their jealousy?)

Ernest used to get jealous when Hayley was younger—especially under 18. He wouldn’t dare show it, but icy glares that could frost the hottest spot of the world were thrown at her many suitors, and threats were also thrown, many times he watched them make out as he grunted or rolled his eyes, commenting that she could do much better. When he grew up and got more experience, he realised how childish it was of him and instead became envious: wishing he could kiss her like that, wishing that he could have his hand casually on her hip, wishing that he could be the one who she first sees in the morning—he could never believe that years later, he’d become that man he fantasised to be for so long.

As for Hayley, she used to be jealous too, though she was most of the time in denial: watching him being whipped by those women, always with them, a small smile on his face, looking at her instead of her, etc. She realised it too late and dared not to spare another thought. Her jealousy evolved too on envy: wishing to be them, to be with him, to have him for her and do normal things with him without being afraid of being shamed because of the age gap issue.

K – Kiss (How do they kiss? Who usually initiates?)

Ernest loves to kiss his wife whenever he can: in the morning, where he devours her and makes her giggle groggily, when he’s headed to work and kisses her forehead, as a greeting when she comes back from work, lifting her off the floor and have better access to her lips, the ones that can lead to more, kiss her cheek, her forehead, her hair while smelling the familiar scent of mint and expensive shampoo, kissing her growing belly, her imperfections, her body… when he has a chance of having his hands on her, he cannot help himself: he just loves his wife dearly and wishes to show her that he loves her.

As for Hayley, she doesn’t kiss him as much as he kisses her, but her kisses are just as genuine: teasing one, trying to have her way with him, sitting on his lap and kissing him to lead him to bed, to show him that she missed him, his cheek, where she usually leaves a mark of lipstick that he never wipes off, before drifting to sleep, tiptoeing to kiss him deeper, to climb behind his back and kiss his cheek… she does it both in private and publicly and shamelessly, not afraid of showing that she loves her husband.

Here’s a fic of how their first kiss was! 

L – Love (How do they first say those three words?)

There’s a fic where they say each other those words!

But deep in a relationship, they say it when they both feel like it’s genuine. They don’t like to say it just to say it: they say it to lift each other up, to cheer them up, to show them how much they love each other. They aren’t the life of the party, but their words are always genuine.

M – Movies (What kinds of movies do they watch together? Is it a regular Netflix ritual?)

They are both busy people, but always try to have a day off together. Hayley’s guilty pleasure is period dramas and Ernest rants about inaccuracies or the exaggeration of TV. Hayley watches him with a knowing smile on her face, knowing that he is himself after a long day pretending.

Hayley’s secret is musicals: she loves Les Miserables and Ernest loves Moulin Rogue and their favourite as a couple is Hamilton. They sing the songs when travelling to Moorfield, after leaving the busy London roads behind, a smile on their faces as their best duets come out while one of them drives. Only their friend group know of these shenanigans of theirs and oft tease them about it.

N – Nicknames (Things they call each other)

Ernest calls Hayley ‘love’ or ‘my shining dove’ or when the two of them are being rather intimate, ‘cara mia’. Ernest’s ancestors are part Italian and his mother insisted in, at least, knowing the basics of Italian and Classic Latin.

Hayley calls Ernest ‘mi amor’, ‘mi vida’, and ‘mon trèsor’ when they’re alone and tangled with each other. Hayley’s a well-known multilingual woman: she knows Italian, Spanish, Greek, German, a bit of Turkish and Mandarin. Currently she’s learning Braille and English Sign Language.

O – One (Tell us about the moment they realized they were with the one.)

Ernest knew it sooner than Hayley. He was like 21 when he realised. It all happened very suddenly, but his heart was certain: when he danced with her at that club, her amused smile on her face, her hands around him, just the two of us as she sang out loud The Nights by Avicii, just the two of them in that moment, enjoying her company, his heart sang it for him: his greatest love was and had always been Hayley Jane Parker.

Hayley realised it in one of their dates pre-dating era. Her period had been delayed and took the chance to go out with him. In the sudden moment of a shared moment, the blood rushed to her pants and she apologized a billion times for screwing it when he offered his jacket, not minding if it’d be covered of her blood with her insides in it and bought her some pads before taking her home and spoiling her with whatever she wanted and watched a movie: he, on his tailored suit and she, on her ridiculous pyjamas that she didn’t prepare and watched Matilda together. That moment, in one of the funniest parts of the movie, she knew that she loved Ernest Sinclaire like she had never done before, and never wanted to be parted from him again. Not if she could help it.

P – Pizza (What is their favourite food to eat together?)

They love to eat all kind of Italian, but their favourite is tiramisu. They both love sweets and they eat it when they’re celebrating something, between pecks and spoonful’s to each other.

For Hayley’s part, she loves tzatziki, a Greek dish that even Ernest has grown to like. They eat it when they need energy and always cook it together.

Q – Quit (Do they break up? Almost break up? What happened?)

They almost divorce in the series, though I will not say why. You can read it instead here!

R – Rainy Days (How do they comfort each other on dark days?)

Ernest loves to have his wife on his bed, either getting up to mischief or lying together, watching their comfort movie –Dead Poets Society—or reading, having some time to themselves.

S – Soft (Something one of them did that turned the other into absolute mush)

Hayley’s irresistible puppy eye dog makes him go all soft and obliges to do anything she wishes of him. He cannot just resist his alluring wife.

As for Hayley, she goes soft every time he’s being kind to someone –or later on when he’s with their baby daughter, Alaska. How he laughs carefree, talks to her and behaves with her, like the absolutely kind of father whose daughter has him wrapped around her little finger.

T – Texting (Do they text each other a lot? What do they usually talk about over the phone?)

Hayley is the one who texts him the most. Ernest rarely uses his phone: he uses more his laptop and iPad for work and nothing else. She isn’t pedantic about emojis, but she has her signature emojis.

U – Unique (Tell us about some of their odd habits that surprised one another.)

Ernest’s good sparring abilities surprised Hayley greatly: she knew that he was able to defend himself, but never expected from him to be just as easy to pin her against the floor.

As for Hayley, Ernest was surprised in carefree she could be. He always thought her taciturn and that anyone could barely make her smile, but he had found that when she’s comfortable enough, she can be the funniest woman to be around. He had laughed at her cutting jokes and great imitations of other people, especially snooty men from the Parliament.

V – Vanity (Something they’re proud of in themselves and their partner)

Ernest is very proud at how adaptable Hayley is in everything: better than him, and how athletic and well-shaped she is unlike some people. She has a routine that matches his and often run together alongside Hyde Park before heading to work: they also do laps and other exhaustive routines.

Hayley is proud of how of a natural father he is: nurturing, patient, understanding, confident, loving… she always knew that he’d be a great father—she never expected that he’d father her own children until she walked down the aisle towards him, knowing that she wanted that life with him and no one else.

W – Wedding (Tell us about your wedding head canon if they’ve gotten that far. Or if not, have they talked about it?)

You can read about their wedding and proposal here and here! 

X – X (Something they hate about the other)

There’s nothing Ernest hates about his wife. Perhaps annoys him, but never hate. He cannot bring himself to hate her, it’s impossible. But he does find annoying at how very little filter she has when talking and expressing things.

As for Hayley, there are things that annoy her too, but like her husband, she cannot bring herself to actually hate him; it’s against her nature. But if something makes her scoff, it’s how soft he is and how he allows people to step all over him: especially the ones who had hurt him. All because he’s awfully polite. She had scolded him for being so polite and that he should tell people to fuck off more often.

Y – Youtube (What are they like online? Do they post about their relationship constantly?)

Hayley doesn’t post too much: a shot of their hands, or him looking away or barely seeing his face and is not very much of a social media user, but she is handier than her husband’s old soul. But she rarely posts and if she does, she always consults her husband.

As for Ernest, he barely has any social media; he doesn’t need them. He has like, three photos on his profile and two of them are of Hayley. He only has Goodreads, WhatsApp, Instagram and Candy Crush to entertain himself.

Z – Zoo (Are they into animals? Do they want pets? What kind?)

Hayley loves animals! Though she doesn’t seem herself capable of taking care of one, she loves to pet them and animals love her.

As for Ernest, he likes some of them. He doesn’t like venomous ones or the kind that hurt people.

[argylemnwrites]

Fight or Flight - Chapter 13: Change

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Riley Liu)

Book: The Royal Heir (canon divergent from the end of book 2)

Word Count: ~3800

Rating: PG-13 (language only)

Summary: About three weeks since The Walker Absconding

Author’s Note: This series follows the Walkers, their friends, and Cordonia as a whole after they flee the country with their daughter during Barthelemy Beaumont’s attempted coup. To catch up on this series, check out it’s masterlist. (link can be found via my bio - sorry, Tumblr is once again not putting my posts with links in tag searches)

Drake shifted on the bed, running his thumb over the dry cracked skin on the back of his hand, listening as he heard the water running in the little bathroom shut off yet again. She'd been in there for hours. And he didn't like it at all. 

He wanted to fight her on this. Her being the one to meet up with Leo to get their belongings - and hopefully some money - seemed like such a massive risk. She was the one the press loved. She was the one that would be recognized. Not him. He had always been able to blend into the background.

Except… Leo being seen with a pretty woman was not at all unusual. And Drake and Leo were more likely to be considered friends, so people would be expecting Drake to be the one to meet up with Leo. Riley made more sense for this particular task. But that didn't mean Drake had to like it.

The thing he didn't like most was that Riley clearly knew what she was getting into. The other night when he'd gotten back tired and sore and reeking of olive oil, his hands so raw they were practically bleeding, she'd been waiting up for him, hellbent on persuading him to let her do this. And of course, she listed a bunch of reasons that made sense as she dug some lotion out of her bag, laying out her arguments as she tried to tend to his hands. She'd even suggested dyeing her hair to help disguise her appearance, hence her spending the entire afternoon in the bathroom today.

But Drake still didn't like it. He'd tried to convince her to let him take care of it all, but eventually she dropped the line that told him Riley knew exactly what she was agreeing to do. What risks she was undertaking.

"She needs you more than she needs me." 

Her words were so bleak and haunting. It was clear she had seriously considered the fact that she might get arrested. And that scared the crap out of him. He had always been the pessimist out of the two of them. Not her. She bounced back and adapted and just kept going, sure that the future would be better. And sure, she whined and complained about things to him, but she always had hope. So for her to be talking about a potential arrest? Fuck, that really said it all.

He hadn't known what to say in response to that when she'd first said it. Why would she think that she was the expendable one here? She'd explained it, of course, focusing on how Drake could speak Greek, how he was the one earning any money. But he just couldn't see it that way. Riley was tougher than anyone he knew. Any little pittance of tasks he was taking care of, he was sure she would have found a way to handle it if she'd had to. After all, she had initially been planning to do it all on her own. She had taken care of herself back in New York since she was a teenager. She would be able to do it again, Drake was sure.

But she was convinced, both that she was the right one for the job and that Drake was better for their daughter. And if his wife was one thing, it was stubborn. She never gave up on anything once she dug her heels in and made up her mind. So she was dyeing her hair and meeting up with Leo tomorrow, and that was that. Drake hadn’t thought his stress levels could climb any higher than they’d been the past couple of weeks, but the thought of her taking this risk made him want to throw up.

He glanced over at Bridget, napping peacefully at the head of the bed. He wondered how much of what was going on she was able to process. Not that she would know what was happening, but did she miss her dogs or her Aunt Hana? Did she think it was weird that she didn’t have her own room or crib, but instead just shared a bed with them? Did she even notice that she hadn’t been home in weeks?

Bridget wasn't the only one he was worried about how they were coping and handling everything. He hadn't heard from Liam since that one phone call almost three weeks ago, either publicly or personally. He'd scoured all the news sites for coverage of the ball welcoming Hana as the Duchess of Valtoria, but all he'd been able to find was that Liam attended the event. He didn't appear to have answered any questions from the press, and he certainly hadn't issued a formal statement. 

He just wanted one sign, one thing he could point to that would show that Liam was doing okay. Or at least as okay as circumstances would allow. Something that would ease at least a little of the guilt that had moved into his gut. But Liam was staying out of the spotlight, and Drake couldn't help but think that was a bad sign.

He contemplated calling Liam almost every day, but he always stopped himself. Their last conversation still stuck with him. Sometimes he just felt terrible, thinking about the way he handled things, how he couldn’t just let Liam vent on the day he lost his title. Other times, he got pissed, remembering how dismissive Liam was over the stresses they were facing, for the way he showed no sympathy for the fact that the same no-confidence vote that stripped him of his job aimed to take away their kid. Usually, it was a muddled combination of the two that Drake didn’t really know how to handle. So he just didn’t. Liam had made it pretty clear he was done with them anyway.

Over the past couple of weeks, he’d wracked his brain, trying to figure out if there was a way he could have handled everything better. Some way that kept Bridget and Riley safe that didn’t complicate things for Liam. He always came up empty. It was the only thing that kept him going, the knowledge that there wasn’t some magical choice he could have made that would have allowed him to be there for everyone he cared about. This was always going to suck. There was no way to prevent that.

The creak of the bathroom door jolted him out of his own head. He twisted around to look at Riley as she emerged, blinking a couple of times as he took it all in. She was… not blonde exactly. She had told him she didn’t think she’d be able to bleach her hair that light, but it was close. He supposed her hair was a very, very light brown at this point. It was jarring. She didn’t look bad or anything, but even knowing she was going to be dyeing her hair, it still kind of caught him off guard, seeing her like that.

“So am I recognizable as a disgraced former duchess?” she quipped, tossing her hair back over her shoulder.

Drake couldn’t think of anything to say, so he just shook his head. It was just hard to process that she could walk into the bathroom looking like his wife and walk out so different. His brain was scrambling to try and keep up.

Something about his reaction must have bothered her, because she frowned. “What is it, Drake?”

He just shook his head again. “It’s nothing, Walker.” He knew it was nothing. It was just some hair dye. But she just looked different without her crazy dark hair. And as Riley so often pointed out, he didn’t do great with change.

Riley smiled gently at him, walking over and sitting down on his lap, looping her arms around his neck. “I take it you prefer dark hair,” she said, threading her fingers through the hair along the nape of his neck. 

He paused at that. She wasn’t wrong, but that wasn’t really it. “It’s just… one more change, I guess,” he said with a shrug. “I’ll get used to it.”

“Oh, stop with the sweet talk or else I'll blush,” she said, her fingers continuing to weave through his hair as she gave him a little smirk that made it clear she was teasing him.

“You know what I mean, Walker,” he said, rolling his eyes as his hands settled on her hips.

“I do. In fact, I’m still deciding how I feel about this,” she said, pulling one hand forward and running it along his jaw.

"My beard?"

She nodded. "I actually never dated someone who wasn't clean-shaven."

Well, that was interesting information to file away for later. "And what's the verdict?"

She leaned back and let her eyes really trace over his face with so much intensity, Drake felt his cheeks growing warm. "Undecided still," she finally settled on, inching back towards him with a nod.

"Come on, you have an opinion on everything. You can tell me if you hate it."

"I don't hate it, Drake. It kind of suits you. It's just… well, the reason you grew it just kind of hangs over everything, you know?"

"Riley…"

She just gave her head a little shake before sliding her hand back around his neck, tugging herself closer to him and tucking her face against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms tighter around her back, feeling her let out a sigh. He wished he knew what he could do or say to make things better. But the sad truth was that nothing could make this better right now.

"I'm so sorry, Drake," she muttered against his neck.

"For what?" 

"For… I don't know. I just feel like I should be sorry… about all of it, I guess." She kept her face tucked against his skin, her voice somewhat muffled. It was a sure sign she felt uncomfortable, so Drake just hugged her tighter, dropping his head to rest on top of hers.

After several moments, Riley shifted on his lap, so Drake loosened his hold on her, allowing her to lean back and look him in the eye.

"You don't have to do this, Riley. You don't have to meet with Leo. I can go."

But Riley shook her head. "No, it should be me." Her voice was quieter than usual, but there was something in her eyes that told him not to push her on it. She was scared, but she was sure. So he just nodded, running a hand through her now much-lighter hair.

"I'm not going to go into the restaurant tonight, okay?"

She frowned at that. "Drake, I-"

"-I'm gonna lose that job anyway tomorrow night when I don't show up. My boss made that clear. I just…” Drake trailed off. He couldn’t bring himself to say it, to vocalize his fear that Riley might not come back from her meet up with Leo tomorrow night. Sure, he knew he was risking arrest every time he went to go work at that shitty restaurant, but realistically, no one was looking for a former duke in the back of the kitchen of a tourist trap, hands submerged in soapy water, scrubbing dish after dish. 

Leo attracted attention, and his presence in the country where known fugitives were hiding was bound to be seen as at least a little suspicious. It was very probable that Leo’s movements in Greece were going to be closely monitored by not only Cordonia’s intelligence agents, but Monterisso’s as well, if Amalas’s earlier interest in their whereabouts was any indication. And that didn’t even touch on the possibility that this could be a set up of some sort. Drake didn’t think it was. Leo hated the monarchy with a burning passion, and Olivia had been solid in trying to help them in little ways from the start of this whole mess, but without being there for discussions, Drake didn’t know how or why this was happening. 

The fact was that tomorrow was going to be a massive risk. But they didn’t have a choice; it’s what they needed to do. Riley knew it. He knew it. But that meant that he didn’t want to spend tonight sweating his ass off and getting sworn at in Greek for not working fast enough. He just wanted to be with his wife and kid, and based on the way Riley was acting, he got the feeling it might do her some good, too.

Riley seemed to get where he was coming from, even without him articulating his horrible thoughts, as she just nodded and shifted back to hug him tightly again.

“Okay, Drake. Okay.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Riley shifted in her seat, trying to avoid drawing attention to herself. She needed to keep her head down, not wanting her face to be clearly visible, but staring at the table constantly was really suspicious looking. So she just sipped her drink and played mindless games on her phone, making sure her hair swung in front of her face somewhat. It was the best she could do.

Leo was supposed to be at this bar by now. Based on what Drake had told her, she wasn’t exactly surprised, and it wasn’t like he was hours late or anything. But she had no way to get in touch with him, and the stress of not knowing was getting to her a bit. She kind of figured the fact that this was her first time out in almost two weeks was also a factor in her anxiety here, as was the fact that this was the first time Bridget was not right with her, or just in the next room over, since they’d fled the palace. But she needed to do this for her family.

When she’d told Drake that she should be the one to meet up with Leo, he’d put up the fight she’d expected. But she knew that it made more sense for her to be the one to do this, so she pushed him on it until he saw it her way. The fact was, she was terrified. Terrified of being caught and arrested without any way of letting Drake know what happened, terrified of being separated from her daughter, terrified of all of it. But that was why she had to be the one doing this. 

Drake was going out everyday, taking on those same risks and stressors, all to earn them some money and food. He’d followed her out of Cordonia, knowing it would cost him so much. He’d kept them afloat from the start, planning and buying and communicating and doing all the things Riley wasn’t able to do. She needed to do this one damn thing, if only to stop being a massive drain on Drake and their family.

She couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that Drake still seemed to worry about her. He would be highly justified if he decided to resent her after everything she put him through. He was doing all the hard work, and he had been the one reluctant to flee. Hell, he could have hated her for the fact that she was initially ready to take Bridget and run without him. But he didn’t seem to be mad about it at this point. He didn’t even bring these things up.

But Riley knew she shouldn’t keep pushing her luck on that front. Drake was running himself ragged trying to support them, and if she didn’t start contributing here, the resentment would start creeping in, slowly but surely. She would become this woman who ripped him away from his home and lifelong friends, only to make him carry massive burdens. She just knew it. So, this meeting with Leo was something she needed to do. It was one area where she could be the helpful one, the useful one. She needed to step up and handle it.

So, she’d dyed her hair, handed Drake her engagement and wedding rings, and put on her customer service blank smile and headed out. Meeting Leo at the casinos was out since there would be way too many security cameras, but Olivia had arranged for them to meet at a bar that was along the route back from the casinos to his hotel. It hopefully wouldn’t look too suspicious for him to stop in for a drink at the end of his night.

After 25 more minutes of painful waiting, including two brush offs of men who tried to buy her a drink, she finally noticed Leo come through the door, two pretty women in tow. They settled in at a booth in the back corner, and Riley waited. Leo was supposed to approach her; that was the plan. But knowing he was right there, just a few feet away, made it hard to stay put. Her instincts told her to jump out of her chair and to get what she needed from him right away so she could get going and get back to her family.

But she resisted the urge. She sat there, waiting, because she needed to do this right. This whole gamble would be for nothing if she messed things up in the final stretch. After what felt like a lifetime, she finally noticed Leo walking over to her table, two drinks in hand.

“Why is a pretty woman like you drinking all by herself?” he asked, sliding a drink over to her.

“I’m picky about who I keep as company. You might be just who I am looking for, though.”

Leo grinned at her response, taking a sip from his glass of scotch. “Loving the hair, by the way.”

Riley glanced around, but no one seemed to be paying attention to them. She leaned in closer and hissed in Leo’s ear, “Careful, you aren’t supposed to know who I am.”

Leo waved his hand through the air. “Relax, it’s too loud and busy in here for anyone to notice. Now, drink up. It looks odd that I keep talking to you when you haven’t touched the drink I bought you.”

She tried to keep a pleasant sort of smile on her face as she leaned back and took a long swig from the glass he’d handed her. She didn’t like how… casual he was about the whole thing, but he was right, this needed to look like some mild flirtation. “I didn’t realize you would be bringing friends along for this,” she said, keeping her tone light as she cocked her head back towards the women still sitting in the booth in the back.

Leo just let out a chuckle. “Yes, there was a little change of plan. They think I’m asking you to join us back in my suite, but I am guessing that’s going to be a no from you?”

“Yes, shockingly I think I’m going to pass on that invite.”

“Well, if you change your mind…” Leo reached into his back pocket and pulled out a hotel key card. “The King George, room 517,” he said as he handed it to her before he leaned over and whispered, “We won’t be back for at least 30 minutes. The two duffel bags in the closet are for you. Good luck.” And with that he leaned back and gave her a little wink, sliding away from her table and heading back to join his companions.

Riley knew it would be suspicious for her to bolt immediately after their conversation, so she took three painful minutes to finish the drink Leo bought her, then got up and left, plugging “King George Hotel” into her phone and briskly walking the few blocks to the ritzy hotel.

She tried to look like she belonged, like she knew exactly where she was going as she got into the elevator and rode it to the fifth floor. Like her heart wasn't practically pounding out of her chest with every step she took. Somehow, she made it to room 517 without attracting too much attention. She slid the key into the door, letting out a sigh of relief when she closed the door behind her, alone in a dark and empty suite. 

She knew she didn’t have much time, so started searching, quickly finding two black duffel bags tucked inside one of the closets. She unzipped the first one, and sure enough, there were some of Bridget’s stuffed animals, her leather jacket, and Drake’s winter coat, all visible beneath some bundles of Euros and a file folder that undoubtedly contained their passports and some other personal paperwork.

Time was not on her side, so she zipped the bag back up and grabbed both of them, heading for her door with a smile on her face. She and Drake would have to go through it all together, but for the first time in a long time, she felt like they might have caught a break.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Hana shifted on the couch in the palace library, checking the time once again. She was still early; Kiara wasn’t due to meet her here for another eight minutes. 

The social season was officially, finally underway. Tonight was the opening ball, and Kiara had texted her to meet here, away from prying eyes and eavesdroppers. It had been hard to resist checking the time repeatedly throughout the night, knowing that Kiara had picked a time late enough that their absence could easily be written off as them heading to bed, but not wanting to miss this meeting that was of vital importance.

But speeches had been given, including a rousing one from Olivia announcing that House Nevrakis would be putting up Liam Rys as a candidate for king during the Conclave, drinks had flowed, and now even the dancing was starting to wind down. It was finally time to hear what information Kiara was willing to provide.

A few minutes later, the door creaked open, Kiara sliding in gracefully when she confirmed that Hana was the only one in the room.

“Sorry, I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” she said as she sat down next to Hana.

Hana shook her head. “Not at all. How do you want to do this?”

Kiara glanced towards the door. “I suppose there is no point beating around the apple tree here. We could be interrupted at any time. Barthelemy approached my father just over a month ago to discuss the no-confidence vote. I wasn’t there for that meeting, but my father filled me in on the basics before that first vote.” She paused for just a moment, taking a deep breath before she continued. “Merde, Hana. Barthelemy concocted this plan with Godfery almost a year ago, and they aren’t working alone. They have the support of Auvernal.”

Permatag: @walkerswhiskeygirl @octobereighth @kimmiedoo5 @mom2000aggie

TRR/TRH: @iaminlovewithtrr @mskaneko @axwalker @jovialyouthmusic @marshmallowsandfire @kingliam2019 @sirbeepsalot @texaskitten30 @princessleac1 @ladyangel70 @debramcg1106 @masterofbluff @sarahx206

Drake/MC: @no-one-u-know @iplaydrake

FoF: @burnsoslow @bobasheebaby​

[kuuipolove05]

This is a blog entry (that was leaked publicly) posted way back in 2007 or 2008 by someone who had a double date with Zac and Vanessa. Hopefully it’s okay to repost!

Dana is bugging me to post. I'll try my best to write down everything that happened (mostly for you Dana!) As for everyone else who knows nothing about Zac and Vanessa you can enjoy reading my visit. Where do I start?

Jason has mentioned on and off about an old friend that called him. Zac was the name but I never knew it was "the" Zac! Jason has told me that I've seen him before and I'd just ignore the remake because I thought he was teasing me. Later, to find out I have seen him before-- in a movie called "High School Musical." I was able to talk to Jason's mom and she confirmed they use to live around the corner from Zac's family. While talking to my parents about wedding plans, I told them about Jason's old friend. They had never heard of Zac Efron or any of his movies. My little brother on the other hand knew who they were--- the teen "it" couple of Hollywood. Though, he didn't seem interested either. Then I was talking to Dana and she exploded with excitement and told me everything there was about Zac and even more about his girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens.

I was at work when Jason gave me a call and left me a quick message about meeting up at a friend's house for dinner at 7:00. I left work and drove home around 6:00. Right when I got home I saw Jas in the parking lot with a cake and tons of snacks in his hands. We got into his car and drove off. I asked him if we were going to Kel's house. He told me no we're going to Zac's. I laughed and said yeah right! With a smile on his face he told me to wait and see when we get there. My face went blank, I was going to meet a movie star and I was still in my professional work clothes. I demanded that we go back to the house and change. Jas was stubborn and didn't want to turn back around. I was pretty upset at him.

We arrived at an apartment complex that looked more like mini houses or condos. I told Jas I was nervous meeting people I don't know. He told me not to be, Zac was an old friend. They wouldn't want that. I asked him what he meant by they? Vanessa and Zac is what Jas said. He held my hand and we walked toward Zac's place.

Zac opened the door, said "Hey man! how are you?" and gave Jas a big hug. I stood there with a nervous smile. Jas introduced me and I said hi while giving Zac a hug. We walked into his place and I could see Vanessa in the kitchen. She stood there while giving us a nervous smile and wave. Zac introduced everyone. Vanessa seemed really shy and was surprised when I gave her a hug.

Jas asked Zac about a video game and not before long I saw them playing in the living room like kids. I sat there at the dining room table and didn't know what to do. Vanessa talking through the kitchen tried to make conversation with me by asking me if I liked chicken and rice? and I said yes, I love it. She smiled and told me good because that's what we were having for dinner. Jas had put the food that we bought

on the table and I ask Vanessa if I could put the cake and drinks in the fridge. She told me yeah and helped me unload everything. I'll have to admit in a non-gayish way---she is drop-dead gorgeous! A really petty girl. I didn't know anything about her other than the things Dana had told me. I remembered Dana saying something about her album--- to make conversation I lied and told Vanessa that I loved her album even though I've never even heard of it. She smiled and told me "thanks, which song did you like the most?" Quickly, I scrambled with another lie saying that I really liked her first single without even knowing which one it was. She replied by saying " yeah everyone liked that one." I was relieved.

She then wanted to know how Jason and I met and I told her the long story. We talked for awhile. Questions I asked her:

How did you and Zac meet?

She said: I met Zac while making HSM. Zac knew me before by name but not in person.

How long have you been going out?

She said: For awhile. She giggled and told me I don't remember an exact date that's how long it's been. I laughed and told her I don't know the exact day Jas and I started going out either.

I told her I really liked her place. She told me thanks and added that Zac was thinking about moving. I asked her why? she replied by saying that Zac wanted a bigger place. I teased her and said why are you pregnant? and she laughed and said "no! Zac wishes!" I laughed. It was even more funny when I heard Jas yelling from the living room--- Carliy your pregnant? I yelled back no, but Vanessa is! We could hear Zac asking Jason what we were saying and Jason said "Dude, your girl is pregnant." We heard Zac yell "what" That was really funny. Vanessa and I had a good laugh in the kitchen.

A couple of minutes later, we both walked into the living room to tell the guys to come and eat. Both of them acted like they didn't even hear us. They were concentrating on the video game they were playing and there was a lot of friendly cussing going on. The F word mention too many times to count. Vanessa and I stood there watching, waiting for them to finish. Zac grabbed Vanessa's waist making her sit on his lap. Not before long my honey did the same thing. Jas even showed me how to play the game. I'm a really bad player but Vanessa knew how to play it really well. She was beating me.

During dinner, Zac went and slided in a cd and then broke out singing along to K-Ci and JoJo's "All My

Life" song. Zac did a funny dance and then pointed to Vanessa and she joined in singing. They both goofed around with each other. Jas ended up joining in with his funny voice and I couldn't stop laughing. I love K-Ci and JoJo and even watched them in concert when they were really popular.

After dinner, I wanted to help Vanessa clean up. She being a good host told me no, but I insisted. While I was working on the dishes Vanessa left for a second to use the restroom. I felt an arm wrapped around my waist and I turned around and Jas wanted to tell me thank you for helping out. Isn't that cute? We stoled a couple of kisses from each other. Zac walked in asking why were doing dishes? He told us to let him do it later, but we did it anyway---then he told us to get a room. We laughed.

Jas decided to help me clean up while Zac walked out to find where Vanessa was. After we finish we went into the living room to see what was on TV. But then we were wondering what Zac and Vanessa were doing? Jas and I walked into one of the rooms and saw Zac and Vanessa cuddling and kissing each other in front of the closet. Jas yelled out, teasing them to get a room! Zac responded by telling Jas "we're already in a room!" I told Jas Aww--burn! We all laughed. I was amazed at how packed the closet was and I told Vanessa that she had a lot of clothes! Zac teased Vanessa by telling Jas and I, that we should go to Vanessa's house, she has ten thousand closets to hold the rest of her entire collection of clothes. Vanessa nudged Zac and said that it wasn't true. Jas asked Zac where his clothes were--- Zac opened the other side of his closet and he also had a lot of clothes.

We were getting ready to leave and call it a night but Zac mentioned that Jas and him hadn't played the other video game yet. Zac told us that we should just stay the night. Jas looked at me and asked me if I wanted to and I told him I didn't even bring clothes to sleep in. Vanessa told me that she'd lend me some sleeping clothes. We settled and Zac and Jas went out to play another video game. What is it with guys and video games?

Vanessa asked if I wanted to watch a movie with her in the room. I told her sure. We looked around the dvds they had and I noticed the HSM concert. I told her I wanted to watch it because I haven't seen it yet. She smiled and said "okay." While watching Vanessa mention to me that if I got bored we could read magazines or do something else. I looked over to the left of me and saw a table with a couple of magazines on the bottom and on the top of the table was a very cute picture of Zac and Vanessa together. The picture frame was engraved "I'll Love You Forever" and it was beautiful. I really wanted one for a wedding gift and asked her where they had got it. She told me that she didn't know and that Zac gave it to her for Christmas last year. She added that she got 2, the other one was at her house.

We ended up reading magazines. I saw a picture of Vanessa on one of them and told her that I loved her  

dress. They had a picture of her and Zac at the after party for Hairspray. More questions I asked her:

Did the whole HSM gang go?

She said: No, not everyone just me, Ash, and Zac

This magazine says Nikki and Zac are going out together---

She laughed and said: Zac gets linked to every one of his co-stars. It's not even believable if you read the article.

Don't you get mad over the rumors?

She said: No, I try to ignore it. Zac use to get upset but he's learned to ignore it too. None of them have been true.

Her nice iphone started ringing, but she didn't pick up. I later saw her texting and she told me it was one of her friends she met while on the set of HSM2, the person was from Utah or Idaho. One of those states, I couldn't remember which. Or maybe she said that they filmed in Utah but the person was from Idaho or the other way around.

Next, she wanted to know if I liked scary movies. I told her only if I am with someone, I get scared. She said there was this good one that I had to watch with her. We put it in and I was under the covers the whole time. The guys joined us in bed in the middle of the movie. We cuddle with our honeys. Then I fell asleep. I woke up next to Zac's back thinking it was Jason. I touched him and he pointed to where Jas was---he was sleeping on the ground next to the bed. The bed was not big enough for the 4 of us. I went down and cuddled with my hubby and we laid there talking quietly. Then we can heard Vanessa ask Zac if we were awake. Jas answered yes. Zac put on the TV and we were watching CNN.

Zac mentioned if we wanted food, but Jas mentioned that we should get going. We gave them hugs and said our thankyou's. Zac told Jas that it was nice seeing him again and also that I was a keeper. I smiled. Jas told Zac the same thing. Then Vanessa mentioned that she should get going too. Zac told her "I thought you said you were spending the day with me." She answered and said, " I thought you were picking me up later?" Jas and I stood there for a second waiting to see if Vanessa needed a ride home. We ended up taking her home. On the way out Zac and Vanessa hugged each other good bye. As we walked towards the door Zac grabbed Vanessa by the waist and teasing her again told her, "where the

heck is my goodbye kiss?" she giggled, give him a kiss and told him she loved him. He did the same back. Zac asked Vanessa to call him when she got home. Jas teased Zac by telling him that we weren't going to kidnap her or anything. Zac smiled and teased Jas by saying, "Dude if you do there might be a pillow on your face tomorrow." It was an inside joke between them. We all laughed.

On the way to Vanessa's house we heard her song on the radio. I knew it was her song because she yell " oh my gosh, that's my song!" I had heard it before but I didn't know she sung it. Now I know. Jas asked her about her second album and she said that it was in the making process. Jas convinced her to share one of her new songs. She sung a verse and we told her she had a great voice. Then she told us she's wasn't sure if the song was going to make it on her album. She mentioned Zac wrote some of it and she wanted to get it on the album, but at this stage she was unsure. She made Jas drop her off the next street over from her house, she wanted to walk the rest home. She didn't want us to experience paparazzi if there were any at her house. We understood and she gave us a hug and said thank you.

Overall, my thoughts about the Teen Hollywood "it" couple--- they are normal, funny, and really sweet.

[theatrelove3000]

Nightmares

I don’t know how many people are actually going to read this, but if you are, Hi! I am a writer that doesn’t post my work publicly. I recently talked to another writer, @thelokiimaginechronicles who was kind enough to take time out of her day to read some of my work and encourage me to post it. I have decided to do so. This is my first time posting my Loki/OC anywhere so I hope whoever is reading it likes it!

This is an established relationship so there isn’t a slow burn or anything like that.

Summary: Noelle has a nightmare and her lover, Loki comforts her. (I got the idea of this fic from a video on youtube of Tom Hiddleston reading poetry. This is the link to that video if you’re interested. Video of Tom reading

Nightmares

3rd Person:

It is dark. Very dark. Noelle’s eyes begin to adjust to the darkness, enough to make out shapes in the gloom. Something moves out of the corner of her eye and she automatically moves to grab the dagger at her hip only to realize that it’s gone. She tries not to panic as she scans the area surrounding her.

“Hello?” She calls into the nothingness, “Hello?”

From the distance, a figure moves forth, coming towards her.

“Who’s there? Where am I?”

She receives no response but the being is getting closer.

Her eyes move about her surroundings. Where is her dagger?

She had only been looking down for a moment when she looked back up to see the advancing figure standing right in front of her. She couldn’t make out a face, for the being was shrouded in a dark cloak that covered it from head to foot. She didn’t know that she was screaming until she bolted upright in bed.

Noelle POV:

“Shit,” I whisper to myself. I pull my knees up to my chest and count my breaths, trying to pull myself back together.

“Goddamn it.” I throw the silky purple sheets of my bed back and pull on a thin cardigan to protect me from the cool night air. Before I know what I’m doing, I am walking through the castle in my nightgown and sweater, barefoot. I don’t really think about where I am going until I get there.

I open the door to the library and go right to Loki’s desk. I knew he was there, he usually is, and sure enough, he turns in his chair, sensing my arrival. He is bent over his desk, reading some large volume he must have pulled off the bookshelves hours ago, as he is halfway through it.

He looks over his shoulder at me with a smirk teasing his lips. I must have looked freaked out because his slight smile turned to a confused look then a frown as he stood and met me halfway to him.

The sight of him made me start picking up my pace until I was running straight into his waiting arms.

“Hush, Noelle, hush. What is the matter? Are you alright?” I didn’t realize I was crying until he pulled away to hold my face, running his thumbs along my cheeks, catching the falling tears.

I just nod then, realizing that I’m clearly not, shake my head and bury my face in his chest. He nods and wraps his arms tightly, almost protectively, around me again.

He picks me up gently and I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck hiding my face in his shoulder. He walks us both over to the sofa in the middle of the Royal Library and sits down, keeping me on his lap.

We hold onto each other tightly as he let’s me cry on his shoulder, stroking my hair and whispering reassurances to me. “It will be alright, love. I’m right here. You are alright.”

I start babbling nonsense about when I remembered from the dream. Dark cloaks and my missing dagger. How dark it was. He sits there patiently, telling me I am safe and he won’t let anything happen to me.

I don’t know how long we sat like this. All I know is I am exhausted. Loki seems to know this and moves me off his lap, laying me down across the sofa with my head in his lap.

“Do you wish to tell me about it?” He asked gently, playing with my hair. I shake my head. I do not want to relive that nightmare.

He nods and continues to play with my hair. He hums quietly, soothing me even more.

“I found a book I think you will enjoy. I can read to you if you would like,” his velvet voice drawls quietly to me. I nod and start to sit up, expecting him to stand up to retrieve the book but he puts a hand on my shoulder, keeping me in my place. I cock an eyebrow at him and he waves his hands theatrically, making the book appear out of thin air.

“Showoff.” I mutter and he chuckles, opening the book, beginning to read quietly.

“The time will come

when, with elation

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror

and each will smile at the other’s welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.”

He pauses for a moment, looking to see if I was awake before continuing,

“Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.”

He finishes the poem and flips a few pages, searching for another one he likes. I watch him. His beautiful face is shaded by candlelight. His cheekbones high and sharp, jawline that could cut someone. Piercing emerald green eyes that melt my soul. He was too beautiful for any Midgardian to see completely. I was lucky enough to be half Asgardian and am able to enjoy his beauty completely.

He finds the next poem and begins again,

“Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove.

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wand'ring bark,

Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.

Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle’s compass come;

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me prov’d,

I never writ, nor no man ever lov’d.”

By the end, I am reciting it with him without even looking at the words. He looks down at me again with a smile and a questioning eyebrow.

“I recognize it. It’s my favorite Sonnet by William Shakespeare. He wrote hundreds of them.” I explain how my father had given me a book of sonnets for Christmas when I was 10, just before he returned to Asgard.

“Interesting,” he says softly,“This is a book of Midgardian poetry so it does not surprise that you know the author. I suppose I wasn’t expecting you to know the Sonnet.”

I smile lightly, feeling more tired listening to him speak, hearing the pages of the book being turned, the heat from the fire a few feet away. I know I won’t last much longer.

Loki POV:

She was falling asleep. I resolve to read her a few more to sooth her. She was very panicked when she got here, but she seems to have calmed down.

I flip through the book again, glancing down at her every now and then to see if she is still awake. She is, just staring into the fire.

Finding another poem that I find entertaining I begin to read aloud,

“may i feel said he

(i’ll squeal said she

just once said he)

it’s fun said she

(may i touch said he

how much said she

a lot said he)

why not said she

(let’s go said he

not too far said she

what’s too far said he

where you are said she)

may i stay said he

which way said she

like this said he

if you kiss said she

may i move said he

is it love said she)

if you’re willing said he

(but you’re killing said she

but it’s life said he

but your wife said she

now said he)

ow said she

(tiptop said he

don’t stop said she

oh no said he)

go slow said she

(cccome?said he

ummm said she)

you’re divine!said he

(you are Mine said she)” I look down again as I finish the piece and see she is still gazing into the fire, though her cheeks have flushed a bit from the words of the poem. That is the result I had hoped for from reading it.

I begin looking through the book again, looking for one more. One more and she will be asleep, I tell myself. It is not that I do not like reading out loud, especially to Noelle, I love it, in fact; I am just tired as well and wish to go to bed myself.

“She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that’s best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes;

Thus mellowed to that tender light

Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impaired the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

Or softly lightens o’er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express,

How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent!” I glance down at the beautiful woman in my lap and see she is asleep. I grin a bit at the sight. She looks so peaceful and happy when she sleeps.

It is only then that I think my decision through: allowing her to fall asleep on a sofa in the library, knowing that I either have to carry her to her room or teleport which would be incredibly dangerous. Letting her sleep here in the library is not an option either; what if someone comes in to find her alone here or has another nightmare? No. We cannot have that.

I decide that I could take her to my room, have her sleep there with me where I can be close if she needs me.

I let her sleep for a bit longer to ensure that she is truly asleep before slipping my arm around her back, the other under her knees. I gently move her until she is sitting in my lap the way she was before I began to read to her.

From there I stand up, realizing how tired I was as well. I could feel the weight of the day in my shoulders and legs and resolve to walk to my room rather than teleport. I do not want to injure myself, let alone Noelle.

I begin walking through the empty halls of the castle, Noelle fast asleep in my arms, her own wrapped around my neck instinctively.

My chambers are not far from the library so it was not a long walk. I unlock and open the door with a flicker of my fingers and light some candles with another movement. Magic is very helpful at times like this. I kick the door shut with my heel and make my way over to my large canopy bed. I lay my love down and begin to undress myself, leaving my pants on because I am a gentleman who does not take advantage of women in moments of weakness.

I crawl into bed after her and cover us both with the deep green sheets. I try not to disturb her but when she begins tossing and turning, I pull her to my chest. I roll so that I’m on my back with her tucked under my right arm, her head resting on the place my arm and shoulder connect to the rest of my body. She calms instantly and immediately, her hands move so one covers mine on her waist, almost like she is keeping my there, the other resting on my chest above my heartbeat.

I listen to her breathing, slow and steady and peaceful. It had been a long time since I slept in the same bed as another person and I would being lying if I said that I did not miss it. The soothing sound of her breathing that told me that she was alright, the heat radiating from our bodies warming the bed faster than one could do on their own.

I fall asleep soon after she does, the sound and feel of her comforting all the anxiety that usually keeps me up at night.

[theherothechampiontheinquisitor]

Love, Rhodey

A “Love, Simon” AU

Rated G 

Tony Stark/James Rhodes

Summary: After being outed at school, Rhodey takes his life and potential relationship with his anonymous pen pal, Blue, into his own hands. He tells Blue and the world that he loves him and to meet him on the Ferris Wheel at the winter carnival if he feels the same.

OR

A Love, Simon AU - Where Rhodey is Simon and Tony is Blue.

Read it on AO3

—

The smell of corn dogs, popcorn and funnel cake continued permeating the cool February night air. 

Rhodey sat waiting on the ferris wheel, going around the giant loop for what felt like the hundredth time. Up and down the ferris wheel went, Rhodey’s friends cheering and clapping with every rotation. Their little crowd grew larger as more people probably saw his impulsive tumblr post, declaring his love for someone he had probably never even met before. Most probably came out to gawk and see if he was going to get his heartbroken in public or at the very least get the scoop on who the other gay kid was. 

God. The other gay kid. 

He was still getting used to being out. He had been hiding this part of himself for so long, constantly fearing that he would say something or do something that would give himself away. He didn’t know what that could be, he was still Rhodey afterall and his sexuality didn’t change that. 

He still wanted to go to MIT and eventually join the Air Force. He still put “Africa” by Toto on repeat in the mornings when he picked up his friends to annoy them, drank more coffee than any teenager should and secretly loved trashy daytime talk shows. 

It was like his mother had told him. He could breath now. He was finally able to be more of himself than he had been able to be in the last four years, and he would continue being this way whether Blue showed up tonight or not. But he really, really hoped that he did. 

What could he say? He was in love. 

“He’ll show up,” his little sister Thea told him that morning as she forced him to try her special Blueberry pancakes that he knew were not a coincidence. 

“Yeah, how do you know that?”

She smiled at him and added a couple extra blueberries on top. “Cause you’re the nicest, coolest person around. He’d be an idiot not to show and you wouldn’t love him if he were an idiot.”

Rhodey wished he held her same optimism but he couldn’t deny the warmth that flowed through his body at his sister’s absolute certainty.

So, here he sat, going around for the nth time, the anxiety in his stomach building with every loop that Blue didn’t show. 

Carol, Sam and Natasha still cheered whenever they saw him but even Rhodey could tell that their enthusiasm was waning, their faces growing more concerned as they spoke in harsh whispers as the ride made its way back up. 

The crowd around them had grown more quiet too. The hooting and teasing tapering off until they all looked at him with outright pity.

Maybe Blue didn’t see his post. He had deleted his gmail account, maybe he deleted all of his social media in an effort to continue hiding away, removing all possible traces that could link them back to each other somehow. But EVERYONE had read that blog post. 

When he walked into school this morning, backpack slung across his shoulder he knew there were people looking at him and whispering. He caught snatches of conversation. 

“Do you think he will show up?”

“That was so brave…”

“I wish someone talked about me the way Jim does about Blue.”

So, even if he had willingly ignored all social media, there was no way that he had been able to ignore the entire school talking about it. But what if that had frightened him off further?

Blue was very nervous. He had finally come out to his father over the holidays and he said it went well but Rhodey knew that coming out privately and coming out in a major social setting is an entirely different can of worms. Maybe the attention still was freaking him out and making him hide?

Or worse yet. What if Blue, having found out who he was, was no longer interested in him like that? What if he was disappointed in the guy he had been trading emails with the last six months? 

It was real easy to come up with all kinds of preconceived notions and dispositions over email. Rhodey was even guilty of imagining Blue as some larger than life personalities at the school, anytime someone so much as shared a similar interest or taste as Blue had. He had done it with Tony when he mentioned how much he loved Halloween Oreos, he had done it with Steve when he found out he was going out of town for christmas to “the middle of nowhere,” and he even had done it to poor, quiet Bruce for being interested in showtunes. 

So, what if Blue himself had hyped Rhodey up in his mind and couldn’t stand to reconcile that image with the truth? 

That would hurt more than anything.

Not being good enough.

With everything that they had shared with each other, Rhodey didn’t want to go through that kind of rejection, especially from Blue. He wouldn’t be able to take it. 

Rhodey flinched as the ferris wheel came to a halting stop, his basket rocking back and forth in front of the platform.

“Sorry, kid, that’s the end of the ride. You’re out of tickets.”  The ride operator actually looked at him with pity as he made his way forward to unlock the basket.

The crowd made various disappointing sounds and murmurs, cell phones being put down, no longer recording the spectacle because it was just too pathetic to watch someone get rejected so publicly. 

“WAIT!” A voice shouted and the crowd began to part.

Rhodey felt his heartbeat pick up, pounding in his chest, hoping that this was finally it. That Blue had finally shown up. He was taken aback when he saw Clint push his way through and leaping onto the platform, bent over and panting from the exertion.

“It’s me, Jim. I am Blue and I love you so very much.”

The crowd gasped looking back and forth between each other in shock. Had Clint’s disastrous Homecoming proposal to Natasha all been some kind of weird and twisted front to hide his sexuality?

Rhodey rolled his eyes and sighed. 

“No, you’re not Clint.”

Clint’s face squinted up in pain and he sighed as well. “You’re right, I’m not, but this is just so brutal it makes what I did look like a roaring success.”

“‘Is there a point to this?”

“Oh yeah! Yes! Look, let me pay for one last go. I owe you this at least.”

“The very least,” Rhodey mumbled as Clint turned toward the carnie and handed him a wad of bills.

“That’s enough right? For one last go?” The man nodded his head and Clint turned back to Rhodey and tapped him lightly on the shoulder with his fist. “Go get ‘em tiger!” 

He actually had the audacity to wink at him.

“Don’t touch me, Clint.”

“Oh right,” he laughed sheepishly and faded back into the waiting crowd.

The ride operator rolled his eyes and turned to the group of young people. “Last call for the ferris wheel….”

The crowd had gone deadly silent. In the distance Rhodey could hear the sound of the screams of people on the rollercoaster as it went around a loop. Music was playing somewhere and game masters called out to passerby’s that this might be their lucky night.  

“I can’t watch this. This is too awful,” Sam murmured and hid his face behind his hand.

Natasha shoved his shoulder in annoyance but even she glanced over at Carol with a grimace, wondering what they were going to do if this really was it and Blue didn’t show.

Rhodey huffed and laid his head down on the safety bar. He couldn’t watch this anymore. He should just get up and go home, hide under his blankets and not come out until graduation. Even then he might not. Maybe not until it was time to pack up and move it to Boston in the fall. This will have blown over by then right?

Images flooded his mind of all the memes and sad gifs that would be generated from this night, going viral, following him to Boston, following him to the Air Force. He would never make officer, never be able to pilot a plane without someone taping a picture of his sad face, sitting alone on this stupid carnival ride in the freezing cold. 

“I’d like a ride, if it’s not too late.”

Rhodey’s head shot up and the crowd gasped again, but it was different from when Clint had come bursting his way through in desperation. No, Rhodey knew this voice, and it held the same nervous trepidation to it that always came through whenever he would hide and read his emails. 

Blue.

“Oh my god, it’s Tony!” Rhodey heard Carol gasp to Natasha with a sense of wonderment.

And there he stood at the edge of the platform, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet in nervous anticipation. His hair was mussed where it looked like he had been running his hands through it constantly, his hands shoved into the front pocket of his dark blue hoodie. 

It took a minute for Rhodey’s mouth to catch up with his mind, sitting up fully and scooting over a little bit.

“Um. You know I’m waiting for someone right?”

Tony offered him a small smiled and cocked his head to the side, “Yeah, I know.”

Stunned Rhodey scooted over completely and Tony came and sat in the basket beside him. They were both not very tall or big people but still their thighs brushed against each other in the confined space and Rhodey felt a rush of warmth from where they touched. 

He hazarded a glance back at his friends and they were all wide eyed and smiling.  Carol shooting him a thumbs up and blowing a kiss. Rhodey could feel his cheeks start to burn and turned back to Tony beside him. 

Tony was watching him with a shy intensity from underneath those long lashes. Rhodey met his gaze and they both smiled again as the carnival operator finished locking the basket and moved to start the ride one last time. 

“It’s you,” Rhodey said wondrously. 

“It’s me,” Tony replied softly, a nervous huff of laughter coming out with his confirmation.

Rhodey couldn’t believe that one of his hunches had actually been right. This whole time it had been Tony that he had been baring his soul to.The same Tony that stole french fries off his plate at lunch, and helped everyone with their homework because he was taking all of the advanced placement classes and probably should have been skipped ahead to college long ago, and liked to build robots and gadgets. The same Tony that loved Halloween Oreos and threw big Halloween parties  at his house when his parents were out of town.

The same Tony that had teamed up with him to crush everyone at beer pong that night and sing karaoke with. That he had worked up the courage in the mirror to ask if he was Blue, to come out to him so that he could finally kiss him senseless like he had wanted to the entire party, until he had walked in on him half naked with Pepper that is. 

“But that night at the party?”

Tony ducked his head and Rhodey could see the blush spreading across his face as he smiled and scrunched up his face. God he was adorable.

“Yeah, I was drunk, and confused. I still thought that this was something that I could change but I can’t force myself to be something that I’m not. Pepper is my best friend and honestly it ended like a few minutes after you saw us.” He shook his head to clear his mind, remembering that evening with some embarrassment. “I couldn’t do it.  It’s not who I am.”

Rhodey understood what Tony was saying. There had been a time when he too thought that he could just will himself to behave and think a certain way so that he could be “normal.” 

“And you’re Jewish too?” Rhodey asked with a grin, remembering his unorthodox Hanukkah excursion with his father when he had come out.

Tony laughed. “Half-Jewish. And barely even that. I think my dad is afraid that Grandma will come back from the grave for him if we don’t at least try to honor tradition during the holidays.”

“And you’re white,” Rhodey joked this time dispelling any of the remaining awkward tension.

“I am,” Tony grinned again and it was contagious. Rhodey found himself wanting nothing more than to press those soft lips to his own.

“Guess you can’t have everything.”

And god there it was that same laugh from that night at the party when they cackled their whole way through “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher. Rhodey’s heart was pounding with anticipation as they reached the top of the ferris wheel and came to a stop.

“I didn’t think you were coming,” Rhodey said softly and brushed the tips of his fingers against where Tony’s rested on his thigh. Tony reciprocated the touch.

“‘I didn’t either. I didn’t know what I was going to do until I started walking towards you. This whole time I finally realized that I have been worrying and focusing so much on how everyone else would react and what everyone else expected of me. I was denying myself the opportunity be who I really am and to have what I really want.”

Tony senses that he has been rambling and tucks his chin in a bit again. Rhodey doesn’t say anything, just takes in everything he can about this amazing guy beside him.

Tony’s voice comes out in a quiet whisper, his dark eyes darting to look anywhere but directly at Rhodey. 

“Are you disappointed that it’s me?”

Rhodey would have laughed in his face if he thought that Tony wouldn’t have immediately taken it the wrong way. How could this perfect man sit here beside him after Rhodey had spilled his guts online and to everyone he knew about how much he was in love with him? And that had been before he knew it was Tony. Knowing who he was now…his heart was close to bursting.

He couldn’t believe that just a few minutes before, Rhodey had been the one worrying that he himself was not good enough.

Rhodey reached his hand out to catch Tony’s cheek. His thumb gently brushed against his jawline where patchy attempt at a beard was trying to come through, Tony’s eyelids fluttering involuntarily beneath the touch.

“How could you ever disappoint me?”

The sincerity in Rhodey’s voice had Tony’s lower lip trembling as he turned his head to the side and started to clear the distance between them. Rhodey’s lips met his halfway and they both smiled into the kiss as the crowd down below let out a whooping cheer. 

Tony pulled back first, his eyes still halfway shut, unable to keep the absolute bliss off of his face.

“I steal clothing. You laugh but I’m serious. Hoodies, shirts, hats. They will all become mine. I drink a ridiculous amount of coffee, I can stay awake for days when I have an idea I want to work on. I only watch cheesy 90’s action movies and B science fiction. There is no in between. AC/DC is my idea of relaxing music. I am entirely over affectionate once you get to know me and I am prone to hyperverbality.” 

Rhodey chuckled lightly to himself at the last one, as if he couldn’t see that here and now for himself but he thought Tony’s ramblings were precious. 

Tony continued to rattle off all of these things, watching Rhodey’s face for any sign of disapproval but all that he seemed to find was careful amusement that grew with each potential flaw he listed.

“Is that supposed to scare me away? If anything it’s honestly making me love you even more.” Rhodey said, cutting off his flow of words.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Rhodey said and cupped Tony’s face in his hands again and brought him back to his lips again. 

The kiss this time was longer, their lips pressed together and Rhodey knew that he would never get over how soft Tony’s lips felt against his. Rhodey moved a hand from Tony’s cheek to curl around the hair at the nape of his neck, soft curls sliding through his fingertips as Tony gripped the front of his t-shirt. He moaned softly against him, pulling back for a breath and then diving in for more, tongue brushing against Rhodey, begging for entrance.

They broke apart when the ferris wheel lurched back to life, grabbing each other’s shoulders in support as the basket rocked with motion. 

The ride operator looked a little red in the face as they made their descent and they both busted out with laughter having almost entirely forgotten where they were and who all could see them.

Rhodey stole one more kiss before the ride reached the bottom and wrapped an arm around Tony’s small shoulders to bring in close to his side. 

Coming out had been incredibly difficult and oftentimes painful, especially having been outed against his will. He didn’t think that he would ever forgive Clint for stealing his voice like that, but after mourning what was and trying to navigate this new world where now everyone knew that he was gay, Rhodey took the control back.

He laid waste to everyone’s gossip and preconceived notions as to who he ought to be and instead, fully embraced who he really was. 

All of that led him to this moment. 

To this night, on this ferris wheel with this man.

Tonight was the first night that Rhodey could say that he was finally  able to sit back and let himself breathe like his mother told him he could.

He ran a hand through Tony’s hair and pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head and felt him sigh against his chest.

This was where he was meant to be and who he was meant to be with, and he couldn’t wait to finally start living the next part of his life without the old fear that had always held him back.

They would navigate this new world together. 

[kazablanka96]

Do you have any pwp stucky fic recs? I've been looking for some on ao3 for a while but I haven't been able to find any good pwp fics with good writing, good mature scenes and development, they're just so corny, like gimme some good plot man! x.x

Hi anon! ❤️

First of all, I wouldn’t describe a fic corny because no matter what, they are someone’s hard work and effort and there’s always something to love in everything. That being said, I understand different people have different tastes, so I searched in my stash of fic and my goal in the end was to find you ones that were more focused on the plot and character development than that on the smut part of the story. Almost all of them are E rated (and too long), so you know the good stuff are coming.

I am so sorry if these weren’t what you were asking for, but you can always send in another ask and I’d be more than happy to do another search with a different criteria in mind. And if anyone knows of a different fic the anon, or anyone really, can benefit from, please drop it in the notes!

 All the fics are under the cut because they are over 50 and that’s a long post.

These Streets ‘verse: The trials and tribulations of Police Officer Steve Rogers and his experiences with the locals in his precinct, as well as his involvement with the stupidly handsome roughneck from the ‘hood, Bucky Barnes.

The Firing Line:  When Steve’s dad is diagnosed with cancer, Steve returns to his childhood home to support his mom – a small town called Gold Cliff, Colorado. Ten years before, he left Gold Cliff behind him, left his no-longer-best-friend Bucky Barnes behind him, with the intention of never seeing him ever again. But Bucky Barnes crash-lands back into his life nonetheless, long-haired and one-armed and haunted, keeping secrets from day one.

Institutions of Love and Incarceration: The Winter Soldier has been sentenced to life without parol. His entire world had been condensed to a hot, cramped cell that he hasn’t seen the outside of in the four years since his apprehension. It’s hell. He has no means of escape, no means of terminating his suffering, and no means of distraction…that is, until he’s assigned a new guard. Steve Rogers is assigned the Winter Soldier as his singular charge.

There Is No Shortage of Blood: The long slow recovery of Bucky Barnes after his escape from HYDRA. (And the longer, slower recovery of his sex life.)

Choices We’re Given: Steve Rogers is a good man and a good agent. There’s really no excuse for the assassin in his bed.

Put It on Repeat, It Stays the Same: Steve and Bucky have a one night stand that turns into a friends with benefits situation. A weekend snowed in at Bucky’s apartment brings to light how much that really doesn’t suit either one of them.

What Gladiators Fight For: A new gladiator is brought to Ludus Stark. Steve Rogers is a disgraced soldier, who refused to fight for Rome.He doesn’t want his actions decided by others anymore, and accepts death until Bucky changes his mind. Steve fights to stop Bucky being sold back to his previous master, and Tony exploits the bond blossoming between them. He makes a bargain with Steve, if he fights and wins, Bucky will spend the night with Steve in his cell.Steve wins every fight, until the finale in the Colosseum. Hes not fighting for Bucky, but his Freedom, but is Freedom worth it without Bucky by his side.

If I Was There: Steve is lonely and the number on his phone-screen is unfamiliar. He’s not the social type, not even close, yet there’s something about the man on the other side that makes him interested. He doesn’t hang up until two hours later.-Wrong number AU in which phone sex is the answer and the question is irrelevant.

the Steve Rogers problem: Bucky doesn’t consider his Steve Rogers problem as a problem so much as the solution he hadn’t realized he was hoping for to help him through the transition from the Bucky Barnes he’d been before his accident to the new, shiny version of himself.No, the problem isn’t with Captain America and The Howling Commandos fandom.The problem is the amount of porn Bucky managed to write and draw about Captain America before finding out that he’s less than one degree of separation away from Steve Rogers. ‘Less than’ as in he’s sitting across the table from him.

Prince Charming: Bucky Barnes leads quite the charmed life. He has a thriving tattoo shop, a son he adores, the world’s best dogs, and a great group of friends — almost all of whom are in relationships. And maybe he’d been the one nudging them towards each other, but there’s nothing wrong with a little match-making. The world could use more romance.As for him personally, well, he doesn’t need anyone for the long haul. Not when every girl he meets is someone who he thinks would be perfect for someone else.But then Steve Rogers comes into his shop looking for some ink, and maybe that’s the problem right there. Maybe what he’s looking for in a relationship isn’t a girl at all.

Heaven and That Other Thing: Bucky Barnes is the owner of a cat sanctuary in Brooklyn, an ordinary guy by the Avengers’ low standards, and a growing problem for America’s favourite captain. Steve Rogers is publicly straight, endlessly bored, and has a habit of not fully thinking through his decisions when Bucky is around.

Keep Your Enemies Close: Pierce was an intelligent man. If the Asset was going to start remembering Rogers, it was best to give him an assignment other than the simple, point and shoot. The Asset’s Mission: Pretend he was James “Bucky” Barnes, best friend to Steve Rogers. He was to evaluate Rogers and see if Rogers could be used by HYDRA…or be put down if the Asset thought otherwise.The Asset now has to pretend to be Bucky Barnes, unknowing that he is in fact the man that Steve has been searching for all along. Pierce instructed the Asset to gain trust, observe, and report. How far is the Asset supposed to go to avoid his cover being blown? He guesses he’s just going to have to find out…

Of Broken Dreams and Mended Hearts: When the House of Barnes is left in massive debt after the death of George Barnes, their oldest son and heir, Bucky, is forced to sacrifice his own hopes and dreams by entering an arranged married to Steve Rogers. Steve seems kind enough, has a prominent job in the government, and was even voted Society’s Best Catch. But the House Rogers is significantly higher in status than Bucky’s family, which means Bucky is marrying up in Society, and marrying up doesn’t only come with rewards, it also comes with certain…expectations and losses–some of which Bucky might be willing to do anything to avoid. And those opportunities might come his way.Unless, of course, he actually starts falling in love with his new husband…

A Myriad of Misdecisions: “My parents thought I was working for an insurance company in New York when really I was joining the CIA so I just sort of never mentioned when I met you on an assassination-gone-wrong and now we’ve been married for five years and they still don’t know you exist, this has gotten wildly out of hand and you won’t stop laughing about it”

Catfish: Steve Rogers is a famous movie star, known for his role as Captain America. Bucky Barnes is a bored law student who drinks too much wine. Bucky gets on match.com to boost his confidence. What he doesn’t expect is a guy using Steve Rogers’ pictures on a dating profile. Bucky decides to mess with the guy. After all, what idiot uses Steve Rogers’ pictures on a dating site?Not like it’s really him, right?

Give ‘Em Hope: Dr. Steve Rogers likes to think that if his patients have hope- their chances of survival will increase. Bucky Barnes has a 20% chance of survival and a desperate yearning to experience life. Against Steve’s better judgment, he develops a relationship with his patient. It’s illegal. It’s wrong. But it’s giving Bucky the hope to keep going, so Steve’s going to keep giving it, because he wants Bucky to survive.He needs him to.

A Love I Never Had: Detective Steve Rogers is not a cop if he’s dead. A Modern Frankenstein AU; or, the Modern Prometheus

After Hours: Steve wishes Bucky wouldn’t look at him the way he does – a deliberate gaze, subtly digging his top teeth into that pouty bottom lip; following his every move like a lion watches a gazelle. It’s been going on for months, perhaps longer… Steve talks, and Bucky listens. Well, that’s the point – Bucky’s supposed to be listening. Steve’s just doing his job, after all… No harm in that.The problem is that it’s no innocent gesture, the way Bucky will have the top of his pen tracing the outline of his mouth… It’s also not innocent at all when Steve turns to look out at the sea of heads while he’s speaking and catches the quickest glimpse of the brunet sneaking a peek at his ass. And Bucky doesn’t even pretend to be bashful about it. He just meets Steve’s eyes and smirks – just the tiniest hint of a thing.

The Match Game: Steve meets and promptly falls for Bucky Barnes, new resident in his apartment building. The one who makes him feel like he only wants to be with one person, forever. He just doesn’t know how to make that happen. Lucky for him, he has friends who… tease him mercilessly. And then help. A lot. Steve gets a lot of opportunities to get to know his new neighbor and thinks everything is going great, until Bucky reveals to him his own long-term relationship ended badly, and he doesn’t want another…but he might be up for a friends-with-benefits deal. 

G.I. Joes and 2AM Diners: They look nothing like what they used to. Time and life have completely changed them. But as they sit there in silence, eating two halves of one cupcake, letting Brooklyn remind there where they came from, and enjoying a sky full of stars… They are those same little boys, somewhere deep down. For just a second, you’d be able to see them again.And Bucky thinks to himself that maybe it’s little moments like these – fleeting as they may be – that remind him why life is still worth living.

Screaming Words (Left Unspoken): Living as a fugitive is hard. Living as a man who has to wake the love of his life from cryo is harder. Why? The codes in Bucky’s brain don’t have a fix yet, but Steve has worse news to deliver. Bucky’s dying slowly from self-destruct protocols inside him. Now, it’s a race against time to save Bucky once and for all.And maybe finally tell Bucky that Steve’s been in love with him since he was a sixteen-year-old kid in Brooklyn. Oh and not get extradited by the UN from Wakanda. That’d also be great.

Winter Gorgon: For as long as Steve could remember, all he ever wanted to do was what was right. So when he hears about his father’s old regiment being held as POW’s by the Nazis, he’s determined to put what Doctor Erskine gave him to good use and goes AWOL to rescue them.But the 107th isn’t all he finds there. Deep in the labs is a very unusual prisoner; one with snakes in his hair and a mask nailed to his face. Despite the man’s monstrous visage, Steve can’t in good conscience leave him to the enemy. That one act of mercy will change his life, the course of the war, and even the future of the world.

That Would Be Enough: Bucky Barnes, a Columbia University graduate with a Masters Degree in Education, is in his fourth year of teaching AP US History at Shield Academy, a private school in the very heart of the Connecticut valley in the bucolic town of Barkstead. He also helps run the Russian Club with his colleague and best friend, Natasha Romanov. He’s got amazing friends, three nephews he adores, and a beautiful little apartment. The only thing Bucky would change about his life? His luck in love. It’s been two years since Bucky ended an emotionally abusive relationship and he’s just now starting to feel that his heart has healed enough to try dating again. Then, a new Art History and English teacher arrives with tattoos he doesn’t like talking about, a body like a Greek god, and some secrets of his own, and Bucky knows he’s done for. Cue pining, sass, and a ton of Hamilton references.

Heat of the Night: Steve is a cop. Bucky is the kept boyfriend of the super rich bad guy. Bucky doesn’t really have any information because his sole job is to look good when they go out. But he gets Steve’s card and he calls him and Steve meets him for lunch and coffee and dinner and Steve knows this could be a bad thing. He knows Bucky could be a trap. But the way he talks, how he smiles at Steve, laughs like it’s a sound he’s not used to making…Steve thinks he could be worth it. Steve thinks he could be worth everything

The North Star: “You got plans to retire, Cap? Find a nice little beach in the Indies and a good supply of rum? Couple of pretty girls in grass skirts to dance for you.”.“Sam,” Steve mumbles, covering his face with his hand.“I’m sorry, a couple of pretty boys?” Sam grins wickedly.“Sam!” Steve looks scandalised, which gets him nothing but laughter from his Quartermaster. “You’re fired. Go throw yourself overboard this instant.”

Lemon Meringue Lies: Being a server at a high-end restaurant is working out well for Steve. All he has to do now is convince Bucky he’s good enough to work as chef in the same restaurant. Meanwhile, Bucky has his own issues to deal with. Namely: trying his damndest to dig them out of poverty, make sure Steve’s health is on the up and up, and not acknowledging his very longstanding desire for his best friend that is slowly eating him up inside.

Steve Rogers. Cheerfully Slutty: Steve Rogers. Cheerfully Slutty. But not going to take your shit about it. Bucky Barnes. Voted most likely to fall in love first.

Sorry, Not Sorry: All Steve Rogers ever wanted was to do what’s right. So when he drops in to volunteer at the Brooklyn VA Outpatient Center, he’s surprised to learn some veterans actually resent Captain America and everything he represents. One veteran in particular is determined to make sure Steve understands just how much he dislikes him.

Lucky Seven: Captain America trashes his motorcycle a lot. Tony says he’ll fix it, then never gets around to it and just buys him a new one. Steve, the Depression-era kid, can’t stand the waste and goes looking for somewhere near him in Brooklyn where he can get his bike fixed. That’s how he finds Red Star Bike Repair, and the hot Russian-immigrant bike racer who runs it: all long hair and muscles and tattoos. And for the first time since he woke from the ice, Steve feels a connection to someone; a comfort in the other man’s silences and his space, an attraction in his sheer skill at racing. But James Barnes isn’t exactly who he seems…

Above the Rain and Roses: But tonight, Steve is visiting The Armory. An exclusive club where unattached Doms can go and enjoy themselves with a good sub for the night. Not exactly the place Steve expects to find his one true love.Then again, fate might have other plans, and one sub might get in way over his head making assumptions about this Dom.

A Marriage of Ice and Fire: Steve Rogers hates James Barnes. The feeling’s mutual; their families have been at war for longer than they’ve been alive. But King Odin has had enough. He orders the two of them wed to end the fighting.It’s not enough that they have to look at each other’s faces without spitting; the King has declared the year’s tournament in their honor. They’ll have to lead the events together. They’ll be wed in front of everyone.

The Commander’s Omega: Steve Rogers is struck by a persistent headache as the dawn rises over DC.So are—simultaneously—Natasha Romanov in the Muscovite night, James Barnes in the dull grey of a Berlin afternoon, Tony Stark stumbling out of his Afghan cave, Bruce Banner in the crushing heat of the Nevada desert, Clint Barton squinting up at the Vegas lights, Loki Laufeyson under the Scandinavian sun, and Prince T'Challa amidst the West African rainforest.Surely it’s nothing but an odd coincidence.

Oh Can’t You See, You Belong To Me: Bucky Barnes has recently moved to New York and things are looking up. He’s got a great new job working for Tony Stark, he has a nice apartment, and his boyfriend Peter is fun. He just needs some friends. Unfortunately Steve Rogers doesn’t seem to want to be just friends.

Echoes In Our Minds: Steve Rogers is struck by a persistent headache as the dawn rises over DC.So are—simultaneously—Natasha Romanov in the Muscovite night, James Barnes in the dull grey of a Berlin afternoon, Tony Stark stumbling out of his Afghan cave, Bruce Banner in the crushing heat of the Nevada desert, Clint Barton squinting up at the Vegas lights, Loki Laufeyson under the Scandinavian sun, and Prince T'Challa amidst the West African rainforest.Surely it’s nothing but an odd coincidence.

Leg Day: The one where Sam is Bucky’s long-suffering roommate, Bucky is a hot mess of a millennial, and Hot Steve spends far too much time on the Lat Pull-Down machine.

Give a Little, Take a Little: Bucky’s nearly thirty and has never been spanked. For most people, this wouldn’t be a pressing concern. Bucky is not most people.

Trained on You: Bucky Barnes is disabled veteran who’s trying to learn how to live his life now without his left arm. His best friend Natasha pushes him to build up the strength and confidence he’d lost along with his limb at the Rally Health and Wellness Center with the help of top notch trainer/physical therapist Sam Wilson.Bucky knew it’d be hard work. What he didn’t realize was just how difficult it’d be to concentrate on his own rehabilitation at the innocuous, easygoing gym. But after he first lays eyes on new trainer and walking wet dream Steve Rogers, it’s all he can do not to fall face first on the treadmill.Working out had never gotten Bucky so worked up before. Go hard or go home? Yeah, he’s definitely going home hard.

Where There’s Smoke: Steve is a Brooklyn firefighter who is about to be saddled with a new, rookie crewmate. James Barnes is that rookie, just looking for a fresh start at a new station. Steve’s friends think they know what’s best for him…start dating his new crewmate. Steve thinks they’re crazy…or possibly right. But events from James’s recent past may pose a threat to any designs they have on each other.

Under the Bridges of Fame: For better or for worse (usually worse), Steve Rogers has been the most famous guy in the room for a while. And though newsreels have given way to YouTube, people’s reactions haven’t changed much in seventy-some years. Steve’s become an expert at keeping his head down and getting on with his life.A head-on collision on a busy street sends books flying and sweeps Steve off his feet. The point of impact has a name: James. A charming mess of long hair, thick glasses, and a crooked, not-quite-smile. If he recognizes Steve, he chooses not to comment, placing him firmly in Steve’s good graces. As far as Steve can tell, they might be Bogie and Bacall all over again, save for the group of idiots with selfie sticks who surround them. But for once, the request isn’t for Steve.Which begs the question: if James is James, then who the hell is Bucky?

Keep Making Trouble ‘Till You Find What You Love:  “No no no, hear me out,” Bucky says. “You wanna get back at them, right? Imagine the following: We date, fall madly in love, then have the most horrendous breakup in history and make them deal with that. They’ll feel terrible because they set us up, and we get to eat free ice cream and see their faces when we eventually tell them we pulled one over them,” Bucky finishes with a smug grin. “That’s a terrible plan,” Steve says.

Trust Enough: So they exchange numbers, and then Steve says he should go, and Bucky agrees, and they kind of stare at each other for a bit more, then Steve actually does go, but not before taking Bucky’s hand and squeezing it warmly in a way that makes Bucky want to shiver all over. Then Steve is gone, and Bucky is standing alone in the alley, grinning to himself. Right up until the moment he remembers that Steve thinks Bucky is an escort he’s just hired. Well fuck.

Took my love, took it down: The problem, Bucky thinks now that he has most of his memories back, is that his whole entire world has always revolved around Steve Rogers. Steve has been always been half of Bucky’s identity. Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers’ best friend. Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers’ wingman. Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers’ teammate. And now, well, now Steve had other people to fill those positions.

These underdog hearts: It starts in October: the sun is shining, the leaves are falling, and Steve Rogers is Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Push It Real Good: The way Steve had to steel himself to ask the question made Bucky a little wary. “Will you be my partner for a Lamaze class?“For a few long moments, Bucky just blinked at him, not knowing which question to ask first. Finally he went with the biggest question on his mind. “What?”

I just met you (and this is crazy): After Steve gets outed by a grainy cell phone picture, it takes the media less than 24 hours to discover Captain America’s secret relationship with James Barnes: classical musician, teen heartthrob, and son of a former president.The only problem? Steve has never met James Barnes in his life.

We Never Had a Choice (But I Choose You): When Bucky Barnes is abducted by political activists, the circumstances are simple enough. Desperation breeds all sorts of terrible decisions, after all, and Bucky’s captor is clearly woefully out of his depth. Maybe, just maybe, he can talk his way to freedom, but the more Bucky learns about the circumstances of his capture, the more complicated things seem to get. On the run and forced to trust the man who abducted him, Bucky comes to realize that kidnapping is the least of his worries.

Someone To Watch Over Me: One cold, winter’s night, Steve Rogers, retired Special Forces operative, finds an unconscious young man in the woods surrounding his property. In the morning, the stranger wakes up and Steve is left with plenty of questions about the beautiful young man with guileless eyes and a sheepish smile, who speaks with self-deprecating humor as though there isn’t a bruise on his face and restraint marks on his wrist.

A Hatemance For The Ages: This is what happens when you find your soulmate… and instead of birds singing and roses blooming, you discover they’re an insufferable jerk. But an insufferable jerk that you low-key really want to bang, if nothing else because MAYBE THEN THEY WOULD SHUT UP.

Home Is Wherever I’m With You: This is what happens when you buy a house to flip having only seen the online images: you get more than you bargained for. Bucky Barnes brings all the tools to handle a dilapidated home, but he’s hardly prepared for a smart-mouthed child (with poor aim), a crying baby, and the hottest dad he’s ever seen in his life living right next door.

Sugar Sweet: College Student Bucky finds himself immediately attracted to Steve. He knows that Steve’s a bit older than him, and that Steve himself is put off by the age difference… But that doesn’t stop Bucky from wanting to climb him like a tree. AKA a Sugar Daddy AU that no one was asking for.

Parallels: At the end of “Captain America: Winter Soldier,” Steve fell from the helicarrier into the water. He wakes up, however, in an alternate universe where he and Bucky are dating.

Parallels 2: Bucky wakes up from cryo in a parallel universe - in which he works at a coffeeshop and Steve is his favorite customer.

… and I know the ask clearly asked for E rated fics, but those are some PG-13 ones with some solid plot and development, or at least for me, that I think worth mentioning:

It’s No Coincidence: The kids immediately scream, “Trick-or-Treat” before they see who opens the door.The strange resident looks between the two kids, then at the adults, and his eyes widen in horror.“It’s October already? “Okay, Bucky thinks.This guy is probably high.

A Working Romance: Eddie just wants to make a good documentary about good, normal people. Tony Stark just wants to manage his branch and make his dad proud. Bucky Barnes just wants to sell paper without pining over the receptionist. Steve Rogers just wants to draw superheroes and marry Peggy Carter. Sam Wilson just wants Bucky and Steve to get their act together.AKA The Office AU no one asked for.

Leave Me On The Mountain:  Bucky is certain that he’s about to die, cold and lost in this mountain forest. But just as he thinks that the wolves have him, someone finds him and takes him in.

Thawing: Heroin. It’s a helluva drug.

The Necrofloranomicon: Bucky didn’t want much. Just to keep his head down, to sell his scavenged flowers in peace, and to stay off Shield’s radar. His life would have been a lot easier if his flowers weren’t dead and if being a necromancer wasn’t illegal, but easy or not, he was getting by. Steve didn’t want much, either. He was happy working for Shield, he had good friends, and overall his life was going just about the way he wanted it. Problem was, being happy with your life was generally an invitation for fate to throw a spanner in the works—and in Steve’s specific case, it was going to be a spanner named Bucky.(A love story about flowers, trust, and magic and the choices we make about doing what’s right.)

… aaaand that’s it folks! Sorry for the long post, and again, if anyone has a fic or seven to rec, please write it in the notes for us all to enjoy! 

[rheyninwrites]

The Photographer’s Assistant Part 5

As Arthur made his way to the Hotel Grand, he thought about the stack of letters he had tucked away in his trunk. He started keeping them there, away from prying eyes, after he’d seen John eyeballing one he’d accidentally left on his table, his eyes wide. Thankfully, he’d had the decency to not tease him about it. At least, not publicly. Every now and then, he’d find a way to work a comment into conversation about ‘the things you read nowadays’, or how some people can make reading ‘real exciting’, and Arthur would feel a hot blush creeping up his neck. He’d have to make an excuse to be somewhere else until it went away.

The fact was, the two of you had been writing each other for a few months now, and some of your letters had gotten rather . . . steamy. It had started innocently enough, with comments about how beautiful your lips were, or how safe you felt against his broad chest, but before long you’d both gotten a lot bolder. Even Sadie had stopped bothering to read them, claiming they made her feel downright filthy, and that was before things had gotten so intense. Arthur learned quickly it was best not to read them in company, or too close to sleeping. On one particularly memorable occasion, he remembered describing in vivid detail the exact things he wanted to do to ‘that beautiful ass of yours’, and it still made him blush, though not as much as the lines you’d written about all of the places you wanted to put your mouth.

As soon as you let him know you were in Saint Denis, he’d taken off to see you. The gang had moved a time or two since the last time you’d seen each other at Emerald Ranch, and by fortuitous circumstances, they were now at a place called Shady Belle, right outside of the city. That meant Arthur could see you as often as he wanted, and he fully intended to take advantage of it. Though he hated the city, it offered plenty of diversions, and he was more thrilled than he liked to admit at the possibility of taking you on a real date. He’d even put on his best shirt and nicest pants, slicking his hair out of his face with a bit of pomade.

As he approached the hotel desk, he took off his hat, nervously running his fingers over the brim. Licking his lips, he drew in a deep breath to ask for you, and was interrupted by a bright voice at his side.

“Mr Morgan! How nice to see you again!”

Arthur smiled. “Hello Albert. Is- uh- is your cousin around?”

“Yes, of course.” He gave Arthur a wide smile, along with a knowing wink. “They’ll be down in just a moment. I was just about to head out to another meeting with one of the mayor’s representatives, to discuss the finalities of the project. They were going to come along, but, now . . . well, I guess I will just have to do without!”

Arthur chuckled along with Albert somewhat mindlessly, as he’d been distracted by your appearance at the top of the stairs. As soon as you saw him, your eyes grew wide and a large grin broke out on your face. You fairly flew down the stairs, leaping into his arms. He caught you readily, twirling you into an enormous hug, before letting go of you and bowing to kiss your hand. You giggled as he looked into your eyes, your palm still resting in his.

“My dearest. Would you do me the pleasure of accompanying me to a show this afternoon?”

You straightened your face, doing your best to match his formal tone, spotting the playful look in his eyes. “Why, Mr Morgan, it would be my absolute pleasure.” You slipped your arm through his, your hand resting on his forearm, and allowed him to lead you out of the door, Albert watching on in mild amusement.

As you walked to the theater, you both talked about the minor things going on in your lives, the things you’d left out of your letters in favor of romantic promises and suggestive prose. Though Arthur still wouldn’t tell you exactly what his “jobs” entailed, he told you about Bill being an idiot here, or how Sadie had been brave there, and that they’d had to leave the last few places he’d called home because they’d been chased out, giving you the distinct impression that, whatever his “job” was, it wasn’t exactly the most legal thing in the world.

That feeling was further confirmed a few days later, when you and Arthur were taking a walk through the city. As you passed by the tailor, you heard someone calling Arthur’s name. When the both of you turned, you saw a man in a ridiculously expensive looking suit and top hat walking towards Arthur, waving. At first, he didn’t seem to notice you at all, but as he approached, you saw him glance in your direction, his eyes following down to where your arm was hooked over Arthur’s.

“Hello, dear boy,” After a cursory nod to Arthur, he reached out to take your fingers gingerly in his, bowing to press his lips against them lightly. “And who, may I ask, is this charming creature here?”

“Hello, Trelawny.” Arthur wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you to him possessively. As he introduced you, his words were brusque, his voice a low growl. While you were the kind of person who thought that no one could or should attempt to own another, there was something about the way he seemed to be claiming you, marking you as off limits, that made you feel suddenly hot in the pit of your stomach.

After a short an somewhat cryptic conversation about another lucrative “job” that involved two other men, a ferry, and Arthur in a suit (which you would have paid to see), Trelawny let the two of you go on your way, but not without a couple of suggestive comments tossed your way that made Arthur clench his jaw so hard you thought his teeth might break. Judging by Trelawny’s amused smirk, that had been exactly the point, but Arthur didn’t seem to find it very entertaining. The entire walk back to the hotel, he didn’t say a word, only gripping your hand tightly in his, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

When you arrived, Albert met the two of you just outside. He invited Arthur to join you for dinner, but he declined, saying he had something back at camp he had to get to. He turned to leave, not offering you so much as a kiss or goodbye, until you stopped him. Turning him to face you, you put your hands on the back of his neck, ducking under his head as it hung down so that you could look him in the eyes.

“Arthur?” He looked at you, a soft sadness in his eyes. “Are You okay?”

After a few seconds, he nodded, looking up and wrapping his arms around your waist. “I guess sometimes I still wonder just why someone as good as you might wanna be with someone like me. I ain’t exactly a prize.”

You reached up to stroke his cheek, smiling at him. “You are to me,” you said, pressing your lips to his and making him smile a little as he mounted his horse.

When he got back to camp, Trelawny was there, talking to Dutch about the ferry job, and who might be the best to take along. As Arthur approached, Trelawny looked at him, raising his hand in greeting and getting only a nod in return.

“Dear boy, you’re not angry about earlier in town, are you? I assure you, I was merely being friendly.”

Arthur only grunted at him, while Dutch looked between the two, confused.

“What happened in town?” Trelawny looked to Arthur, trying to give him a chance to explain the situation, but Arthur just glared at him. Finally Dutch spoke again. “Look, is somebody gonna tell me just what the hell is going on here?”

Arthur swallowed hard, and Trelawny sighed, turning to Dutch. “It appears I have inadvertently offended Mr Morgan here. I was simply out about town today, when I saw him, strolling with his sweetheart-“

“Sweetheart?!?!” Dutch bellowed, half laughing. “That one you’ve been getting letters from?”

Arthur clenched his hands by his side, knowing what was coming next. It was part of the reason that, while he hadn’t exactly kept your relationship a secret, he hadn’t been overly obvious about it, either.

“One should never laugh at romance, Dutch. They make quite the couple.”Trelawny said, wishing he’d never spoken at all. He’d only wanted to apologize to Arthur for his thoughtlessness, not cause a family rift.

“Oh, I’m sure they do, Mr Trelawny, I’m sure they do. But, son” Dutch turned to Arthur now “do you really think something like this is going to work out? Do you remember what happened with Mary? Eliza? Son, you are a killer. A thief. You have a responsibility to your family, Arthur.” Dutch’s voice was getting louder now, attracting the attention of more and more of the camp. “You have a commitment. Do you really think someone else is going to understand that? Accept it? They will always, always come second. It will only end in heartbreak, do you hear me?”

Arthur’s head was hanging down, no fight in him anymore. Trelawny looked on sadly, wanting to say something, but unsure of what, and knowing it wouldn’t do any good anyway.

“Course, Dutch,” Arthur mumbled, heading to his room. He suddenly felt like going to bed, and he didn’t think he’d be awake that early tomorrow.

It had been nearly a week since you’d last seen Arthur, that day you ran into Trelawny, and you were starting to get worried. He always let you know if he was going to be busy and unable to see you again, even leaving a letter for you at the post office nearest you, if he had to, but when you checked earlier that day, there had been nothing. Given the nature of his talk with Trelawny, along with your growing suspicion, you were genuinely afraid he’d gotten himself into trouble somewhere along the line, but had no idea how to find out. It didn’t seem like a good idea to waltz into the police station and ask to see the recent arrests.

You turned, rubbing the chill away from your arms through your thin nightclothes. Just as you were about to get into bed, you heard a gentle tapping at the balcony doors. She you looked, you saw Arthur’s face peeking through the window, water dripping down his face. You ran over quickly, opening the door and expecting to see rain, but there wasn’t a cloud in sight, despite the fact that Arthur stood before you, dripping wet. In what had once been a nice suit. With a clean shave and nice haircut. Slowly the pieces clicked into place for you. The ferry job? Lots of money?

You pushed those thoughts aside as you noticed Arthur was bleeding from a spot near his bicep. As you reached out to him, he stumbled back a bit.

“I’m sorry to bother you so late. It’s just-“ he hesitated, then took a deep breath, but before he could speak, you put your finger to his lips, shushing him.

“Let me take care of this first.” You gestured to the spot on his arm.

He nodded, looking down at you as you wordlessly started peeling off his soaking jacket and vest, tossing them into a chair. Slowly, you started unbuttoning his shirt, your fingers brushing across the skin of his chest in a way that made his breath hitch every time. He nearly groaned, closing his eyes as your hands slid the shirt off of his shoulders and down his arms, sweeping lightly against his back. You worked deftly on his arm, his eyes never leaving your face as you cleaned and bandaged his wound.

When you’d finished, you let your eyes meet his, holding his gaze as you traced your fingers over the tender skin of his chest. When you found the line of a scar, you brought your mouth down, kissing it. He gasped softly, stroking the back of your head before cupping your face in his hands to make you look at him.

“Darlin’, there’s something I gotta tell you . . . .”

He told you everything. About Blackwater, the Pinkertons, the life he’d been living. What Dutch had said after he got back to camp that day you ran into Trelawny. He told you about the job he’d pulled that night, and how it had gone wrong, and how he’d found himself heading to your hotel instead of back to camp. When he was done, he brushed some of your hair out of your face and let you go, looking down.

“I ain’t a good man, and I damn sure ain’t a man good enough for you. I know that. I know Dutch is right, and I’m a damn fool for ever thinking anything different. But I just want you to know that, while this lasted, it was the best damn thing I’ve ever had in my life.”

You looked up at him, then wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head against his chest, not caring how wet your nightclothes got.

“You are a damn fool, Arthur Morgan. You’re a damn fool for thinking there was anything in the world that could make me stop loving you.”

Arthur stiffened, pulling away just enough to look down at you. “You love me?”

You laughed, moving a hand up to the back of his neck. “Of course I do.” Then you pulled him down into a kiss. At first, Arthur was too stunned to do anything but stand there, but as your hands skimmed across his back, he found himself sinking deeper into the kiss, sliding his tongue into your mouth and pulling you against him by the hips.

The sudden cold of his wet pants caught you off guard, making you gasp and jump back suddenly, looking down. The effects of your skin against his and the kiss you shared were unavoidably obvious, and you looked up at him, cocking your eyebrow suggestively.

“You know, Arthur,” you said as you reached for the front of his pants, “ you really shouldn’t be hanging around in these wet clothes. You might catch a cold.”

“Is that right?” He said, giving you a look of his own. “Reckon I’d better get them off, then.”

You smiled, darkening the room and heading to the bed.

When you woke the following morning, your body was sore, but fully relaxed, thanks to the pleasures of the previous night. You groaned happily, reaching out to the spot beside you in bed where Arthur should have been, but instead of feeling the warmth of his skin, you only found a folded piece of paper. Heart in your throat, you opened it and began to read.

“I’m sorry that I could not be there to see your face as you woke this morning, as I’m sure it would probably have been one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Though the feeling of waking with my head on your chest, your heartbeat ringing in my ear, was enough to tempt me to stay, I unfortunately have things that I have to make right before I can let myself drift into that dream. I hope that you will understand. More than anything, I hope you will know that I love you too, though I could not seem to find the words to tell you last night. I will continue to write to you as often as I can. I promise you, I will see you again, hopefully sooner instead of later.

Know always that I am yours, whatever else shall happen.

-A.M.”

[hyakunana]

Day 7: Free Day!

Did I ever mention about a fic draft I had since October? Because about that... 8)

Kisses

Summary: The first was an accident, the second an experiment, the third a challenge, and he kept track of all of them.

Words: 2345

Notes:

Special thanks to @nemirutami for editing this fic! <3 

I wanted to post it on ao3 too, but I don’t have an account and my email is on queue to get an invitation, so I’ll be late there. orz

I hope you like it!

Their first kiss was an accident.

Tuesday was supposed to be just another afternoon exploring Mementos. It had become routine already, no big threats, a lot of bumps, a few treasure chests, some requests to fulfill, shadows blocking their way… just another day.

Until a badly executed curve abruptly threw everyone to one side of the car. And the two guys in the backseat just happened to be facing each other in that one instant.

It had almost gone by unnoticed, since the girls were too busy complaining about the driver and Mona to mind them. But for some cursed reason, their minds decided to register the very moment their lips clashed.

It was too fast to process any taste, too light because their masks were in the way - and it hurt -, but the mortified expression from the punk was printed in the painter’s memory, and that touch alone would disturb the both of them for the following nights to come.

*

Their second kiss was an experiment.

What happens in Hawaii stays in Hawaii. Or so they say.

It was with that thought that the blond invited his eccentric friend for a walk around the city. No one they knew was around. Everybody seemed too excited to make the last day on beach count, since it was unlikely for another chance like this one to appear.

Perhaps the fact that the boys were so different and distant, yet managed to become teammates and friends, was what allowed them to trust each other enough to conceal their doubts and curiosity. 

That wouldn’t be their first time together.

The kiss was chaste, but now, deliberated. Their moist lips pressed lightly against the other, chilly on their flushed skin and warm breaths. Gawky fingers mindlessly brushed against tender palms, looking for some small ounce of support. It only took a second, but the turmoil they had been feeling inside was dissolved, like butterflies fluttering away.

They promised to not talk about it again and forget what happened. But the smile the vulgar boy had on his lips proved impossible to ignore.

That promise was doomed to be broken.

*

Their third kiss was a challenge.

It was like a silent, secretive game the two teens were playing, and the reward was the jolts of satisfaction whenever they exchanged affection without anyone else noticing. Every glance was a calling for the other, each time the troublemaker bit his lower lip, he meant “wait a minute, I’m coming.”, and in reply, the taller brushed his dark hair behind the ear, “I am waiting.”.

They stood next to each other more frequently, and the closer they got, the more they teased. A hand hovered on the other, a leg leaned against another under the table, shoulders nudged for attention, wishing for some contact, and small murmurs were exchanged in whispers.

It happened in Mementos again - a moment of distraction when the group found a locked treasure chest - when Skull tugged Fox’s sleeve and took a chance. It was as fast as they expected it to be; more like a face clumsily pushing against another as quickly as possible, and it wasn’t enough to cease their desires.

But it was something Ryuji was proud of stealing.

* Their fourth kiss was an answer.

The two friends could keep pretending they didn’t know the meaning behind their caressing exchanges, feeding their needs with small hidden touches and excuses to stay close, fooling themselves that what they did was nothing more than curiosity and self-satisfaction. It was a fun game for them, and a somewhat comfortable one.

But they would never learn how it felt to have more than that.

Instead, Yusuke found himself holding Ryuji’s hand, leaning against the diner’s narrow corridor wall as they watched a sudden storm strike down right when they were about to leave.

They still agreed on keeping their exchanges a secret from others to avoid unnecessary attention, but when a cold wind blew into the corridor, the idea of being discreet escaped their minds. The athlete instinctively jumped in front of him, using his free arm to block the rain. Drops of water ran down Ryuji’s trembling chin as he laughed and looked up at his boyfriend to close the distance, humming.

“Not the ideal first date, huh?”

* Their seventh kiss was a step forward.

They hadn’t been alone like that since the diner, and the safety of Ryuji’s home gave them the freedom to experiment to their heart's content. It was just a matter of time until little teases and caresses became more intimate. They took it slow, letting lips meet again, relaxing as their touches became more familiar, and tasting the flavor of the beverages they both had just minutes ago. Warm tea coated lips brushed softly against cool coke coated ones, pecking them a few times while Yusuke’s slender fingers stroked the blond’s face, and then slipped behind his head to pull him closer and kiss him even deeper.

Soon, lips weren’t enough, and they pulled each other into embraces and new stirring touches. Naughty hands slid down their bodies, exploring the other’s skin and tracing muscles, provoking gasps and more kisses. Noses and teeth got in the way, and the teens laughed when it happened. But they kept going, and they got better.

Their kiss couldn’t go on forever though. At some point, both had to pull back to catch their breath. It was only then that Ryuji realized the current situation: He was lying on the couch, with Yusuke straddling on his lap. The mangas they were reading before were scattered on the floor, the sketchbook that was carefully placed on the couch’s arm got kicked away…

and he heard his mother arriving home.

*

“Ah! Sorry! I didn’t mean to stare.” Haru squeaked when she caught their twelfth kiss.

Maybe they really should stop trying their luck, now that the group got bigger. Just maybe.

At least she kept it secret from the rest.

As if the others had never noticed it.

*

Their twenty-sixth kiss was a lull.

Yusuke sensed distress in his partner. He was even louder than usual. He tapped his foot and shrugged more often, he leaned against his chair so much he almost fell down twice, he read the same manga page three times over before proceeding, he made up excuses to just touch his boyfriend even more even if his hands were sweating cold.

He kissed Ryuji to shut him up, caressing his cheek to calm him down, and held his hand to give him some reassurance. It took a while to feel the torment inside the other slowly subside, his tense lips finally relaxing and his face tilting against Yusuke’s soft palm. When their lips parted, he gently leaned on the shorter’s forehead to confess one thing.

“I’m scared as well.”

*

Their thirty-seventh kiss was eager.

Tomorrow was the big day. Their target had been called out publicly, thus there was no turning back - not that they’d ever do it. However, as much as they prepared for it, no confidence could calm down their anxiety.

They could feel it in every touch, how rough hands quivered, grabbing the other fiercely to steady them, how Yusuke wrapped tight his arms and legs around the toned body, seeking safety, how Ryuji swore more often and louder under his breath, and how he instantly relaxed after humming his lover’s name.

The smell of the rainy breeze mixed with their steamy puffs, and the drops hitting the window didn’t match the sound of hearts drumming in their chests. Desirous lips smacked ferociously, getting side tracked to trail smooches across the jaw and neck to recover some air.

Their presence gave them some peace of mind, but restlessness only became stronger.

At some point, Yusuke broke the kiss again for another breath, and took this moment to gaze at Ryuji, admiring the way the dim light from the city illuminated his partner - he wanted to memorize everything, his short messy hair, the glossy brown eyes, the red spots on his neck down to collarbone, his flushed smile, and how his lips moved to form the phrase the artist heard for the first time.

“I love you, Yusuke.”

*

Their thirty-ninth kiss tasted like salt and fear.

Yusuke could feel his teammates around, shouting worried and powerless. One voice called out Ryuji’s stupidity and recklessness. A quiet mumble regretted the decision of going this far, another yelled in frustration, blaming and cursing their target, while someone else called an emergency. He also could feel a hand stroking his back, an attempt to soothe his mind, in vain.

The painter couldn’t focus on anything except his lover’s unconscious body. Faltering arms enveloped and carefully pulled Ryuji closer, nesting the blond head on his chest, and hoping for this to be just some cognition or a bad taste prank. He pecked his forehead, cheeks, lips, ear, whispered comfort, love words, asking to wake up and not abandon him, that they all needed him, anything to get some reaction.

But there was nothing.

*

On the following days, their kisses tasted like paper and memories.

*

The last kiss was followed by a goodbye.

It was a simple, fast, but tender touch, enough to recall all the sensations that it brought back. The taste of his skin, the breath against his cheek, the smacking sound of their lips parting, the soft squeeze in his hand, the butterflies fluttering in his stomach…

Yusuke missed it. He missed it so much, he missed him too much. The thought of losing someone again was too dreadful, and no one could guess the kind of damage his mind had suffered, or if it left any brain damage.

But Ryuji was here, looking up with the most loving gaze and his always cheerful smile. A vision the painter wished to witness forever. “See you tomorrow, babe.”

And for now, that was all that mattered.

*

*

*

“Is this for me…?” Ryuji held his present with a care, something that was rare coming from him.

“Yes. I want you to have it.” Yusuke explained, gently. “It’s not much. Most of them are quick sketches, but I drew them thinking of you.”

“What do you mean ‘not much’!? You filled the whole notebook!!”

“Not entirely. I ripped out the pages I was unsatisfied with.”

“Oh, so there was MORE!?”

The punk flushed as he leafed through the sketchbook, noticing that all of them were indeed scribbled. He could see himself clearly in some pages, smiling, posing or fighting, and recognize places they’d visited together before. Leblanc, the Diner, Okiburo, his house, even Mementos appeared a couple of times. A few of them depicted only hands touching in different ways, others depicted… things, like a curious sketch of a cup of tea and a glass of coke.

As much as he loved Yusuke, understanding his artistic views was a challenge. Still, even in the most confusing sketches, he could sense some familiarity, as if they were tickling his memories and making him giggle. Perhaps it was just the fact the artist mentioned before that those sketches were all done thinking of him.

Another page made him stop and burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha!!! What!? Damn! Is this Haru!? Why is she here!? Did she see it!?”

“Yes, she did.” The companion chuckled, amused by his reaction. “I drew this on the day she caught us. You could say it’s a small token of appreciation for not calling us out.”

“Hahaha! Yeah, true. That’s a good one, thou-” a sudden realization crossed his mind. “Wait a minute. These sketches… did you draw all of these since we started dating…?”

“I believe even before that.” Yusuke rubbed his shoulder, averting his eyes. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you since our first incident in Mementos. It was bothersome.” He didn’t hear his boyfriend wowing, offended. “So I began to draw it to relieve my mind, and I found myself enjoying picturing you. You have an energy and passion that I wanted to replicate in my art, and a distinct beauty that is… hard to see at first glance. But once I opened my eyes and accepted it, I was captivated. In no time, I had fallen for you.”

The bedridden lost his words, cheeks flushing even redder than before, and soon he was laughing again. They had been dating for just a few months, but the way the painter’s thoughts were spoken was so charming and honest that it always struck him by surprise.

Ryuji flipped back to the first page again, this time, imagining a flustered Yusuke sketching it, probably fighting against his own heart rather than the shadows, and creating that chaotic first piece. Yes, that was definitely Mementos. Is that a skull silhouette?

“T-That’s effin’ cheesy, man!”

“You don’t like it…?”

“I loved it!! Hahahahahahaha!!”

In a certain way, the troublemaker related with those feelings. He remembered how disturbing those nights after the Mementos incident were, when his dreams only recalled that kiss and reimagined how it could be if they kept going. The more he tried to avoid thinking about it, the worse his dreams became. Little did his past self know how far they would go, and how happy they were because of it.

His laugh slowly fades, and brown eyes rest on his lover again, contemplating the present. His body didn’t have a notion of how long he slept, but it felt like an eternity. 

“You know… Thanks…” the blond offered his hand to Yusuke, who gently took it so he could place a kiss on his knuckles. “Anyway, I’m guessin’ you got a fresh new sketchbook, now that you’re givin’ me this?”

“You guessed right. I just bought it before coming here.”

Ryuji brushed Yusuke's hair back behind his ear, hands caressing his face on their way down his cheek. A cheeky grin was drawn on his pale, pink lips.

“So… Do you wanna start fillin’ it in now?”

[cvmillesoo-blog]

so i realized that 1) i’m a mess without having plot ideas posted and 2) i actually skipped a Lot with cami. damn 2am brain forgot some kinda necessary add-ons, so consider this a 2 in 1, a part 2 of my intro while i make the rounds to my dms !

MISSED EXTRAS

she’s a loyal bitch through and through, so expect her to call you out on your shit when you’re in the wrong but stick by you all the same

also means if you fuck her over, she’s gonna be Pissed.. but more upset than that tbh ?? because she definitely wouldn’t do that to you if she values you

doesn’t like to be a burden on others with her own issues, so she bottles shit up pretty well unless she Knows you’re cool with sitting through some sad ass story time sfgdjlkgdf

also has a journal for venting in situations where she just. will Not talk about it bc she’s learning that internalizing shit isn’t fun ! DFGFGS

i also just realized that she’s the oldest muse here so. expect her to be the occasional mom friend who’s a fucking HYPOCRITE bc she’s downing 10am mimosas like a champ after telling someone else to slow down

kind of a glutton ? like, not surprising in a way but it still has to be said GSDKJD

i’m painting her to be generally a sweet person i’m sure, but she’s definitely more on the teasing side than anything in this kind of environment

i just can’t play sunmi as a wholly pure-hearted gem, a little bit of snark is bound to come through DFSGKJGDF

i don’t think she’s dated much tbh ?? like she’s seen people and has hooked up with people on occasion, but she’s the type who won’t compromise on her standards just bc she wants love — not that they’re very high to begin with, but we Still don’t trust a lot of men in 2019 and the dumb bitch can’t always pick up on cues from women so ! she’s stumped !

mentioned it a little further down but, she’s the type to catch feelings ( not.. quickly i wouldn’t say, it just Happens gffjdsk ) and lose them if she’s not sure that it’s Worth it, if they’re actually compatible where it Counts for her, etc. she takes matters of the heart VERY seriously long-term, as you can see GFLKJSGDF

i didn’t see her getting a full ride to ucla, more like she got a few smaller scholarships from her involvement in extracurriculars at school and her generally good grades ?? figured i’d mention that since i said like. Nothing about that part of her being there sgjkdgf

also didn’t expand on why she picked up a film minor.. or how it related to her major

like i made it obvious that the interest was always there, but camille — even during her days in the drama club — found the elements of a production, especially the writing, really compelling and given her love of film ?? something about being involved in something that could open up someone’s imagination visually just made her wish the odds were in her favour ( back then ) to pursue it

come her second year at ucla After taking that year off, she decided to take on a film class as an elective and ! she was Sold !

she wants to be involved in the writing process, though directing is something she wants to look into at some point

born in toronto, lived in ottawa after age 10 bc her dad was a new mp-turned-minister for a couple of terms and it’s probably the Only reason why she’s able to go to school in cali without having to pick up a loan or two

also don’t. bring up politics around her. she’ll fucking Die DGKFJSD

PLOT IDEAS

bad influence, aka the person who’s gonna enable her to drink far more than she anticipates some nights, tell her to throw caution to the wind with uhh, Many things gsjdkg

maybe an ex ?? it would’ve been kinda serious knowing Her, or at least on her end she would’ve thought it was, so how she’d be towards them is up in the air considering it’d have to be talked about ! but bc she doesn’t like to necessarily burn those bridges without good reason, they’re probably on good terms Publicly, regardless of how it really is behind the scenes

fwb.. probably something the bad influence talked her into keeping up if i’m being honest FLDKGSFD like there’s no awkwardness to it Now, if it’s been happening for a bit, but there DEFINITELY was at some point. i will say that she’s the type to catch feelings quickly, but also the type to ignore them to rid herself of them for whatever reason, so whether that happened in the past but wasn’t addressed, might happen or won’t at all ( though a touch of angst or tension is always fun sgfdlkdgf ) depends, of course

ex-hookups or ex-crushes, kinda self explanatory

her Best party friend, someone she knows she’ll have a good time with and will endure the hellish aftermath with her — if possible dglskgdf

there’s always gonna be Someone you aren’t particularly fond of..... i was gonna say “within or close to your friend group” but i felt that was a little bold of me SDGKJDSFKL but these two are Not Great together for whatever reason, be it just a natural personality/moral clash or some longtime drama/something kinda major which led to the dynamic they have now. and while cami doesn’t really like to indulge it bc she’s not one for pointless conflict, she’d have a hard time completely turning away from it all the same

just give her some cute f/f friendships too ?? bc as far as her connections per her skeleton are concerned, she Needs it LFKDSGJGSFDL

opposites attract where she scolds them for certain behaviours, they.. idk, she seems kinda boring and soft at times so they can make fun of her for that JDFGSKJLDF but they’re pretty Solid ! i’m weak for these dynamics so don’t think it’s limited to just one muse

people who help her out with the events and groups she’s involved in, whether she ropes them into it bc she has her hands full or — for open mic gkfsjd — she needs an extra act or two, or they’re already involved and it just. keeps happening JDFGSK

[richmeganews]

Joe Biden’s Campaign-in-Waiting Isn’t Ready for #MeToo Accusations

Politics abhors a vacuum, and Joe Biden has left one for months. So it’s getting filled without him—and not in a way that is likely to help if he decides to run for president.

Biden has teased and toyed with the idea, in public and in private. He’s talked about how close he is to getting in by percentages, slowly ratcheting it up. A few aides have gone further, saying he’s as certain as 95 percent, calling up donors and trying to nudge them into early commitments and spots on what would be his finance committee.  

But still, nothing. He says his family wants him to run. Some close supporters have been told in recent weeks that, after his aides had telegraphed that he’d wait until the first week or two of April to announce a decision so that he could slip just past the March 31 first-quarter fundraising deadline, now he might wait until after Easter. That’s April 21. Three more weeks. At least.

So, observers ask: Is there some scandal that he’s afraid will pop? Is he afraid to lose? Does he not really have the fire in the belly to do it? Is he demonstrating how his age and mentality might not be the right fit for either a presidential campaign or the presidency? All those questions are going around. One prominent elected official told me about simultaneously assuming that Biden’s about to make the leap based on the public reporting and still feeling completely confused by the apparent delays.

People who assume they’d work on a Biden campaign have been stuck wondering whether they will in fact be offered jobs, what those jobs might be, when they’d be expected to start, and how much they’d be paid, not knowing when or whether they’re going to have to uproot their lives.

It’s obvious now that the work they’re not doing is taking a toll.

Friday afternoon, New York magazine published a bombshell: a first-person account from Lucy Flores, who said that at an event in 2014, when she was running for lieutenant governor of Nevada, she felt Biden “get closer to me from behind. He leaned further in and inhaled my hair. I was mortified … He proceeded to plant a big slow kiss on the back of my head.”

Biden supporters were a mix of exasperated and expecting it. Biden has a long-established reputation for his touchy-feely ways. There are supercuts online of him at the ceremonial swearings-in of senators, rubbing shoulders, nuzzling, making comments to teenage girls about how they can’t date until they’re 30. Even if the behavior is not intended to be sexual, it can come off as creepy—especially in the context of the larger cultural shift under way in America—particularly to people who want it to come off creepy, and not, as one defender put it to me, as the actions of a man who is a “human golden retriever.”

That’s not an argument that the Biden campaign was making proactively, because there is no Biden campaign to make an argument proactively—even as everyone else in the race and every reporter covering the race treats him like it’s only a matter of time until everyone gets on the Amtrak to Delaware to see him declare.

The risks of Biden’s campaignlessness are evident in other ways, too. Friday morning, The New York Times ran a story pointing out Biden’s inconsistent record on abortion, and his public struggles earlier in his career to reconcile his Catholicism with being pro-choice. Biden, of course, hasn’t been talking much about his record on abortion rights because that would require campaigning, which he won’t do.

For all the hours he’s spent talking to allies about the polling data he has that shows a path for him right down the middle of the party and the country, Biden hasn’t spent the time doing the required diligence with many of the advocates and activists who want to hear from him. And that left the NARAL Pro-Choice America president Ilyse Hogue matter-of-factly telling the Times about his being sufficiently pro-choice, “I can’t tell you if he’s there or not,” because she hasn’t heard from him about running, or where he stands. On Wednesday night, in a speech in New York, he said “I wish I could have done something” to help Anita Hill, and was immediately mocked by many who pointed out that he was at the time chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and had control of the hearings. For other stories about Biden’s record on the 1994 crime bill or his opposing school busing, the same general approach has applied. “Part of the issue here of only having an ongoing campaign-in-waiting is that there’s no infrastructure to adequately respond to a negative story. No political apparatus. No surrogates,” a sympathetic Democratic strategist told me on Saturday afternoon.

Here’s how an incident such as the Flores story might have played out, had there been a Biden campaign in place, in ways that are standard in presidential politics though rarely discussed publicly: Potentially even before the story ran but certainly as soon as it did, reporters covering the campaign closely would have heard from an aide, offering rebuttals and context. Maybe the aide would have pointed out that Flores was a prominent Bernie Sanders supporter in 2016, and a board member of his allied group Our Revolution until resigning last year, or that she spent Saturday morning in El Paso at the kickoff rally for Beto O’Rourke. Maybe the aide would have helped connect reporters with people who were also there that day at the Latino Victory Project event in Las Vegas, several of whom have been talking with one another since the story ran and questioning whether what Flores wrote could be true, because she was never alone with Biden, according to one of the people who’s been in the discussions.

(Flores knocked back both of these arguments when we texted on Saturday. “My piece does not say I was alone with him. It clearly says Eva [Longoria] was in front of me, Biden was behind me, as we were lined up and waiting to be called on stage. Of course no one says I was alone with him because I never was alone with him and I have never claimed to have been alone with him,” she said, adding, “I have also stated many times on the record that I am not supporting any candidate right now and I am listening and evaluating all the candidates just like everyone else. I’m allowed to go to a candidate rally.”)

Or maybe a Biden campaign would have fought the publication of the essay in the first place, arguing that it was obviously radioactive politically but impossible to fact-check. Or it might have pointed to pictures that exist online of Biden with his face in Longoria’s hair at that same event, and insisted that this was proof he is just a well-meaning nonstop nuzzler.

The response was a written statement after Flores’s piece ran. “Neither then, or in the years since, did he or his staff with him at the time have an inkling that Ms. Flores had been at any time uncomfortable, nor do they recall what she describes,” read the statement from the Biden spokesman Bill Russo. “But Vice President Biden believes that Ms. Flores has every right to share her own recollection and reflections, and that it is a change for better in our society that she has every opportunity to do so.”

Most importantly, if Biden were running already, he and his campaign would probably be on the campaign trail, talking about whatever they wanted to talk about, and taking up at least some of the attention and coverage for themselves. But Biden’s not in Iowa or New Hampshire or South Carolina this weekend. He’s out of the public eye entirely, and all the stories are out there, generating secondary and tertiary stories of their own.

Meanwhile, Biden has left the political world confused about why he’s hesitating. It’s now been two full weeks since he appeared at the state Democratic Party dinner in Delaware and seemed to let slip that he’d made up his mind—“I have the most progressive record of anybody running,” he said, to a standing ovation in response to what seemed like an announcement. “I didn’t mean it—of anybody who would run.”

There’s a sense of inevitability among Biden supporters about the Flores allegations, and other criticisms of his long record—but there’s also a sense that none of it measures up to the seriousness of what is facing the country, or shakes their conviction that he’d be by far the strongest candidate against Trump. But the other Democratic campaigns aren’t waiting for him to make up his mind to start piling on. “I believe Lucy Flores,” Elizabeth Warren said when asked in Iowa on Friday night. “And Joe Biden needs to give an answer.”

“Democratic voters are tuned in whether he’s ready or not,” said an operative on one of those other campaigns. “Waiting in the wings means others get to define the first act of his campaign and he doesn’t have the operation to prepare or fight back.” Russo, the Biden spokesman, didn’t get back to me when I asked about the downsides of not having an operation in place to respond, or whether this really is going to stretch on past Easter.

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[dawnaelguera]

The Five Respect Needs of Men

Sometime you come across something that is just so great that you want to share it with all your friends.....and the world!!

I am always sharing with the women in my world how important it is to respect your dear hubbies!! But unless you have someone break it down, it's not always easy to understand how to respect your husband. Sometimes women say, "I respect my husband." and then in the same breath, turn around and tear him down in public. Honestly sometimes we don't even realize we are doing it!! I believe that is takes time and really takes an honest look at ourselves and realize that we can all do better!! We must honestly listen to ourselves to recognize what areas we still need to grow.

Here are 5 great areas where all of us ladies can and should work harder at respecting our husbands. We'll be glad we did!!!

1. Respect his judgment

The men were really touchy about this. A man deeply needs the woman in his life to respect his knowledge, opinions, and decisions—what I would call his judgment. No one wanted a silent wallflower (not would I advocate that!), but many men wished their mate wouldn’t question their knowledge or argue with their decisions all the time. It’s a touchy (and difficult) thing in these liberated days, but what it rea3lly comes down it is their need for us to defer to them sometimes.

Several men confessed that they felt like their opinions and decisions were actively valued in every area of their lives except at home. Some men felt that their comrades at work trusted their judgment more than their own wives did. Also, while a man’s partners or colleagues will rarely tell him what to do (they ask him or collaborate on the decision instead), more than one wife has made the mistake of ordering her husband around like one of the kids.

2. Respect his abilities

Another strong theme that emerged was that men want—even need—to figure things out for themselves. And if they can, they feel like they have conquered something and are affirmed as men. For some reason, spending hours figuring out how to put together the new DVD player is fun. Problem is, we want to help them—and guess how they interpret that? You got it: distrust. (It’s a wonder any relationships work and that the human race didn’t die out millennia ago!) And, of course, our attention is not all benign. Sometimes we truly don’t have confidence that our man can figure something out on his own.

The little things equal one big clue We don’t realize that the act of forcing ourselves to trust our men in little things means so much to them, but it does. It’s not a big deal to us, so we don’t get that it’s a big deal to them. We don’t get that our responses to these little choices to trust or not trust—or at least act like we do!—are interpreted as signs of our overall trust and respect for them as men.

A man might think of it like this: If she doesn’t trust me in something as small as finding my way along a road, why would she trust me in something important, like being a good breadwinner or a good father? If she doesn’t respect me in this small thing, she probably doesn’t really respect me at all.

The next time your husband stubbornly drives in circles, ask yourself what is more important: being on time to the party or his feeling trusted. No contest.

3. Respect in communication

Women hold an incredible power in the way we communicate with our men (both husbands and sons) to build them up or to tear them down, to encourage or to exasperate. Some things just push a man’s buttons. This goes beyond what we say—such as questioning a man’s judgment or his abilities—and into how we say it (and where we say it, which is the subject of the next section).

The disconnect In my interviews, a large number of men said something like this: “When my wife says something disrespectful, I often think, I can’t believe she doesn’t know how that makes me feel!” I had to reassure these men over and over that their wives probably didn’t mean to disrespect them and were likely just clueless.

Let me give you several common examples of how a man might hear something negative where the woman never intended it.

Hearing disrespect Not long ago, I was asking Jeff and one of his married colleagues about the dynamic of men wanting to do things for themselves. This man said, “Something, if something breaks in the house, I want to try to take a crack at it before I call an expert. If my wife says, ‘Well, you’re really not a fix-it-type person,’ I feel so insulted. She’s not rude about it or anything, but it’s like she doesn’t respect me enough to believe that I can figure it out if I put my mind to it, even if it takes me a while.”

Hearing disappointment In a survey—as in life—a sizable minority of men read something negative into a simple female reminder. I asked men what would go through their minds if their wife or significant other reminded them that the kitchen wall was damaged and it still had to be fixed. More than one-third of these men took that reminder as nagging or as an accusation of laziness or mistrust.

Crank up that filtering system No matter what we think we are saying, in the end, what matters is what the guy is hearing. Obviously, some people can be overly sensitive, and we can’t walk on eggshells all the time. Nor do we want to pass up all opportunities to help them understand our communication writing.

After all, don’t we want our husbands to adjust to our sensitivities? Do you want your husband to publicly tease you about gaining ten pounds? It’s all about loving each other the way the other persons needs to be loved. Even as we help our husbands understand that we have a learning curve on this, we should make every effort to filter our words through a “disrespect meter” before they pass our lips.

4. Respect in public

Now we come to one of the most important points of the book. There appears to be an epidemic of public disrespect for men, and the biggest culprit is not the television, movies, or other media, but the women who are supposed to love their men most.

The most fragile thing on the planet Dozens of men told me how painful it is when their wives criticize them in public, put them down, or even question their judgment in front of others. One man on the survey said that they one thing he wished he could tell his wife was that “at a minimum, she should be supportive of me in public.” That wish was repeated dozens of times on the survey—it was one of the strongest themes that emerged.

Consider this statement, which I have heard (in essence) from many men: “My wife says things about me in public that she considers teasing. I consider them torture.”

Be respectful even when he’s absent Having seen how important public respect is to men (it is almost impossible to overstate), I have become incredibly sensitive to how often we might talk negatively about them behind their backs. The effects are much the same even when a man isn’t present: The women’s disrespect of her husband becomes even more deeply embedded as she harps on it, and those in listening range may begin to feel the same!

Showing public respect goes a long way Just as your man will be hurt and angry if you disrespect him in public, he will think you are the most wonderful woman in the world if you publicly build him up.

Trust me—from the men I’ve talked to, that will be the equivalent of his coming home to you with a dozen roses and a surprised date night without the kids. He will feel adored.

5. Respect in our assumptions

Unfortunately, in one area men have every right to read something into what we say—and that is when we have jumped to negative conclusions about them. When we really examine our communication, we’ll be astounded at how often is assumes something bad about the man we love. See if any of these assumptions ring a bell.

We assume, “He needs to be reminded” To us, repeatedly asking “Have you done it yet?” is probably not a big deal. But inherent in the question is our assumption that the guy needs the reminder—that he is either incapeable of remembering on his own or that he remembers just fine but needs our prodding to do the job. What they are accurately hearing is “I don’t trust you.”

Just realize that his reason for not doing it may be different from yours. Remember, half the men on the survey indicated that sometimes they just have different priorities. OR they could just be unable to handle one more thing. One man with a stressful job noted that he sometimes feels like a computer that will crash if he tries to load one more thing onto it. For him, procrastinating on something his wife wants him to do at home is his warning sign that he will emotionally crash is he tries it.

We assume, “He’s choosing not to help” One experienced female marriage counselor gave me this example: “If my husband doesn’t help with the kids or the cleaning, I shouldn’t assume that he sees it and is choosing not to help. I should start with the assumption that he doesn’t see it.”

We assume, “It’s because of him” Finally, sometimes something is not his fault—it’s ours. Sometimes we assign unloving motives to our men that could actually be traced back to something we have inadvertently said or done. For example, a wife who is constantly critical of her husband may spur him to withdraw emotionally to protect himself, thereby becoming unloving where he wasn’t before. “Men are not stupid,” says Dr. Eggerichs. “They are not Neanderthals. Sometimes these behaviors that appear to be unloving are not unloving at all. They are reacting that way because they interpret something as disrespect. Even if something they shouldn’t.”

I told you this was good!!!

Thank you to iMom for this post!!

~~~Dawna ♥