#i'm proud but also i cried while writing this lmao

[crackedpumpkin]

1. GO TO SLEEP I SEE YOU 👁️

2. remember how i said i was gonna request… i forgot and finished my crochet. its a bag now, my brain was too big for the “beanie”

3. THE REQUEST. ITS PINNED IN OUT DMS BUT I’LL COPY PASTE IT HERE AS INSPO AND REFERENCE

y/n knows the guys and casey made a bet that he could get a partner faster then raph (pre mona) and hes (casey) is like ‘fake date me to win a bet, i’ll split the money with you’ but raph made the bet so casey could (FINALLY) get with y/n

and then you added something but i’ll leave that for you to write in, IF IT IS THE PATH YOU CHOOSE TO TRED DOWN.

ok well, thanks, rhonda says goodnight, I SAY GOODNIGHT.

NOW GO TO SLEEP >:(

a/n: Stinky boi for a stinky bitch /jk /love you

also, the way i legit went to bed after seeing No.1 LMAO <333 Also, I've already said this but I'm incredibly proud of you for finishing the pouch :DDDDD it looks gorgeous, sweaty <3

|| ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ��� ʙᴇᴛ || 2ᴋ12! ᴄᴀꜱᴇʏ ᴊᴏɴᴇꜱ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ||

[ 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ]

“How you doin', sweetheart?” 

You turn with a roll of your eyes, already fed up with the familiar voice of Casey Jones constantly teasing you. If not for the slight glimmer of affection you felt for him, you’d have pummelled him to the ground by now.

The cocky boy leans against your locker with a casual grin, holding his hockey stick in one hand while the other props him up. You raise a brow, leaning against the cold metal of your locker door. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” You ask sarcastically, scanning his usual bruised arms and scattered bandaids that litter his face. He clears his throat, eyes darting around to see if anyone else is close enough to hear.

“So, you know that bet Raph and I made a while back?” 

“Uh huh,” You reply dubiously, already not liking how this conversation is going. Casey nibbles on his bottom lip in thought, conflicting emotions on his face as he decides whether or not to tell you what’s on his mind.

“Spit it out, Jones.” You sigh, crossing your arms.

“Well, I was thinking. It’s kinda reaching the end of the deadline for that bet, and maybe we could, like, fake date or something? Just to get the money from Raph. I’ll split it with you, of course!” He offers.

You’re taken aback, eyes wide as you slam shut your locker door. “What?” The disbelief in your voice is apparent, the forceful shut of your locker door causing the others next to it to rattle. Casey loses his balance, almost falling if not steadying himself in time. 

“Wait, y/n! I’m serious!” He cries out, grabbing your wrist tightly. You flinch, ripping it out of his grasp with a doubtful stare. He begins walking alongside you, trying his best to convince you with honey-coated words.

“Look, it’s a serious amount of money. He bet fifty bucks! Imagine the looks on their faces when we show up together. Raph would freak!” He points out, noticing the ghost of a smile on your lips. He tries harder, knowing that you’d fall for his bait. Hook, line, and sinker.

“Plus, you could get back at them for making fun of that date.”

You pause, your footsteps slowing to a halt. That did sound rather appealing. Besides, what could go wrong? It’s just a fake relationship, and you’d score an easy twenty-five bucks on the side. 

You sigh, shoulders sagging in defeat as you nod with a weary smile. “Fine.”

— — — — — — — — —

“Okay, we gotta make this believable.” 

You eye his hand with thinly veiled reluctance, only to accept it and walk into the lair with your best lovey-dovey act. Casey all but drags you to Raph, and you can barely disguise your eye roll as batting your lashes at your fake boyfriend. 

Could this boy be any more obvious?

Raph lets out a low whistle when he spots your entwined hands. You look straight at him with a confident gaze, raising a brow as you silently challenge him to say anything.

He raises his hands in mock surrender, closing his comic book. 

“When did this- How did this- Don’t you two hate each other??” Donnie gestures to your linked hands with a baffled expression. Maybe he’s just seeing things. He rubs his eyes, blinking rapidly as he processes that what he sees is real.

Okay, so maybe he’s not seeing things.

Even still, this is you and Casey. The both of you that’re constantly at each other’s throats fighting every other day, while the days you don’t are thin ice. 

“I don’t believe you.” Leo crosses his arms with a smug smile, waiting for the both of you to admit that it’s all just a prank.

“I dunno, guys, sweetheart and I here are tight! She asked me out first, too.” Casey tugs you closer with your linked hands, his free hand propped on his hip as if daring them to challenge his clearly believable story. 

“Then prove it. Kiss her, or are you two, not a couple? As in, a couple of liars.” Raph snickers, Mikey chuckling at the pun.

You’re taken aback by Raph’s taunt, eyes darting between Jones and Raph. Your hand starts to grow clammy, and you want to rip it away from Casey’s gentle grip. However, his fingers squeeze your hand in an assured gesture as if he’s saying, It’s Okay.

“Well, get ready to eat your words.”

“Wait-”

Before you can finish your protest, Casey’s lips are on yours. They move against your frozen ones with such tenderness, and you’re too stunned to speak. However, your wide eyes slowly close the longer he kisses you, his fingers threading through your hair and leaving a trail of fire across the skin of your neck. 

Your eyes slowly slide shut, starting to kiss back though every fibre in your being screams otherwise. Your hands are on his shoulders, moving closer and linking them behind his neck. 

Casey's lips are warm, tugged up into that cocky smile of his you hate so desperately. You hate how you knew every trace of his skin, his stupid face seared into your memory. Even now, he’s probably not taking this seriously.

He’s so annoying, you think, automatically frowning slightly as he pulls away. You’re panting softly, watching his glazed eyes struggle to register your pink lips. You bite down on your bottom lip, your gaze flickering from his dazed eyes down to his lips.

It’s almost instinct, the way you tug him back in for another kiss with a renewed ferocity that rivals your hatred for the overconfident, carefree boy. He’s surprised, words dying in his chest as you squeeze your eyes shut. He can’t help but smile at your cute bravery, holding you a little closer than before.

Maybe a little longer, too.

Whoops and cheers snap you out of whatever had possessed you, pulling away with hazy eyes and flushed cheeks. You’re breathless, lips swollen before your cheeks bloom with a bright red that rivals Raph’s mask, realizing that you have essentially just made out with your fake boyfriend in front of a crowd. 

Leo has his hands over his eyes, Donnie shielding his and Mikey’s vision from being permanently scarred. On the other hand, Raph eyes you both with an equally disgusted yet impressed gaze. If he had caught on to Casey’s and your ruse, he certainly didn’t show it.

He pulls out a fifty from the pages of his comic book, handing it to Casey, who accepts with a smirk, your eyes automatically following his plump lips from when you had practically sucked each other’s faces off. 

You’re mortified.

You all but rip your hand out of Casey’s, clearing your throat and rubbing your arms. “I gotta go study at home,” You lie, plastering a fake smile on your face. Raph just shrugs, everyone else groaning and encouraging you to leave. 

Casey watches you go with a hint of forlorn in his eyes and heads to the dojo, only to be stopped by Raph’s hand on his chest. “Go after her, stupid.” The turtle scoffs, pushing Casey toward the direction that you’ve just left.

“Wha-”

“You’re a bad actor. And so is she. The kiss wasn’t fake, dummy. I know that much. Now go, and since I’m so nice, I’ll let you keep the fifty for your first date.” 

Casey glances down at the fifty dollar note in his hands, crumpling it and pressing it against Raph’s plastron before turning and running in the direction you’ve just left in.

It’s a while before you hear the footsteps splashing in the cold tunnels, hesitating. You turn your head to see Casey approaching you, heart doing a funny flip in your chest. You grit your teeth, shaking your head. 

No. This isn’t happening. This definitely isn’t happening.

“It was just a bet, Casey.”

“Yeah, I-I mean, no! Not anymore…” He rubs the back of his neck, barely able to look you in the eyes. 

“That’s all it was,” You deny, stepping back from him. He takes another step forward, the both of you caught in a cat-and-mouse game with him gradually cornering you. Your back hits the wall, breath hitching in your chest when he’s right in front of you. 

You can’t look up; you don’t dare meet his gaze. Your hair falls around you, acting as a shield for you to hide behind. However, coarse fingers cup your chin, lifting it up so that you’re now looking straight at him. 

Your cheeks are dusted with pink, eyes stinging with unshed tears. 

Casey wants to kiss you again. Instead, he takes a deep breath, his voice low as he admits what’s on his mind.

“It’s not a bet anymore.

Not to me.”

[crippling-pages]

Episode 10, season two of Lego Friends the Next Chapter... and the end to Ley-La.

SCREAMING AND CRYING

AHHHHHHHH

Olly I love you but if you hadn't apologized (kinda?) I would have punched you.

Paisley was a BOSS stand up for herself. LETS FREAKING GO!!!!!

Thank the gods Olly realized his mistake(s).

"Everyone tries to change you"

He felt that. You could see it on his face he felt that he felt that and that's when he realized that he was subconsciously(?) trying to change Paisley and-

What Andrea said left him having tears down his face. This beach realized what he did and probably hating himself for it right now, but now he knows what he did, because he understood what she was saying. He knows that it sucks, having to change, and now he realizes that he was changing Paisley.

Honestly, Olly going up onto the stage and seemingly canceling Paisley's performance because she didn't want to, was really big of him if you think about it. He built all that, with the slightly forced help of Paisley. He was accepted into society, and he was about to let everyone down, everyone in Heartlake, just for the sake of making it up to Paisley, and after he was so obsessed with the fame, I think this is really big of him.

He should definitely give a direct apology though. I'm actually writing a fic about it now. I feel like after Andera left, he properly apologized. The setting feels right and everything.

Paisley was amazing in this episode, can I just say? We all know it fr. She was a QUEEN for what she did. Especially at the ending; tbh it was a bit weird when Paisley came out to perform, but this time she did it for herself, not Olly.

In a way, as much as Olly hurt Paisley, he also helped her become who she really is. Paisley also helped Olly realize that he needs to focus on others needs too, before it got worse.

PAISLEY IS FREAKING AMAZING AND OLLY IS A BETTER PERSON NOW I AM HEALED

Getting that all out of the way

ANDREAAAAAAAAAA but they're pronouncing her name weird ToT An-dria???? What?????

Liann loves Andrea so much omg ToT Its so cute

AHHH ANDREA AND AUTUMN KNOW EACH OTHER YAYYYYYYY

Liann and Autumn fighting is hilarious omg XDD

OOPSSSSSSS LIANN YELLED INTO THE MIC

LMAO LEO AND AUTUMN'S FACES

Pffft Nova. "Well duh." She's amazing I can't.

The Battle of the Super Stars I cant. Paisley was happy, Olly was happy that Paisley was happy, they were all HAPPY YAYAYAYAYYY

Another thing is how much Olly cries around the end ToT He hate himself for what he did but he's so happy that Paisley is happy and true to herself now and that he finally saw how much he hurt her.

I know Olly did horrible stuff but can we give him some appreciation too? Like.. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!! WOOP WOOP!

Anyways I think that's it! oh wait (some olly bashing)

"Who cares about the treehouse!" uh. YOU did. You were literally RUNNING and SMILING and EXCITED to go to the damn treehouse. And you were SAD and DEPRESSED when you had to leave. Olly ily but what the funnel cake.

Olly I love you but I'm still bashing you just a tiiiny bit<3

...Olly would agree to this I think is the worst part-

Summary: I'm really proud of Paisley and Olly at the ending, I loved this episode, it made me cry tears of pain and some of joy. It was amazing to see Andrea again, and some parts were hilarious while others were angsty. 10/10 episode, I swore Ninjago writers wrote this XD

[prozac-shaped-urn]

Ohhhhohoho, you're not ready!!!!!!!

✨️ 👻 🏷 💕 🐇 🥳 🦋 🌻 🎬 💘 🔎 📚 👑 🔮

You’re right. I wasn’t ready for this lmao (and I’m on my phone so this will be quite the challenge)

✨️ Out of the comments you’ve received on your fics, what are two or three of your favorites?

Someone told me my writing was spellbinding. That put me a creative crisis because huh??? You’re talking about MY writing??? I’ve also had people tell me they cried while reading my fics and I wear those comments with the utmost honor.

👻 What is your wildest headcanon?

The only headcanon that I’ve written about isn’t so much of a headcanon anymore since it happened IN canon. I wrote the Hacks bdsm fic two seasons before anything related to kink was put on a page. Yeah, I’m proud of that.

🏷 Is there a tag you like to search for when looking for fanfics to read?

Nope! I just scroll the pairing until I find one I like.

💕 What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

I have three.

Talismans of Creation

The Hacks BDSM fic (it has a name but the name is a full sentence and it’s easier to just say the Hacks bdsm fic)

LUNCH

🐇 Do you write for yourself, for others, or both?

A mix tbh. First and foremost, I write for myself. But I get inspiration from all over the place. And if a mutual has an idea and I feel like I can provide, then I’ll write a lil sum sum.

🥳 Why did you start writing fanfic?

I have no idea. Probably because I was obsessed with Desperate Housewives and shipping Brynette was my favorite pastime. And on LJ it was just the thing you did, so I did it and ended up loving it.

🦋 Which character is your favorite to write?

Deb Vance, and a recent favorite is Ruby Stern. Are we surprised? I hope not.

🌻 How often do you read your own fics?

Every few months or so I’ll slide through a few favorite chapters just to relive the experience of writing them.

🎬 If a movie or show were based on your fic, which fic would you choose and who would you fancast?

Well, I write fics about TV shows so they’re already cast. But hypothetically, I would choose the Hacks bdsm fic or LUNCH and keep the actors the same. I’m here to push the Deb Vance strap-on agenda ok?

💘 Is it easier to write angst or fluff?

ANGST! I’m terrible at lovey shit. My brain doesn’t do that.

🔎 Does anyone beta read or edit your fics?

Nope

📚 Is there a fanfic or fanfic writer you recommend?

GOD yes!!! Go forth and educate yourselves!

sugar, we're going down swinging - averita

Falling - mouthyhack

Hit Me With a Hot Note and Watch Me Burn - DroughtofApathy

Not Much Reason to Rejoice - DroughtofApathy

i'm ready, i'm willing - dollsome

will haunt you ( was i just a fool? ) - skelegro (this one slammed me into a creative crisis. I didn’t sleep for 32 hours. Be careful reading it. Make sure you’re in a good headspace because wow it’ll make you question some things)

👑 Do you like writing short fics or long fics?

Long fics. I’m verbose and languid in my writing.

🔮 Any advice for writers working through burnout or writer’s block?

Rest. Take a break. Do something other than write. Let the story come to you instead of forcing your way through it.

This was lovely! tysm 🥰

[causenessus]

omg i hate that guy <- not really anymore,, he's a good teacher my grades shot up SO fast (D->A within three months of him teaching) BUT LIKEEEE HES BEEN TEACHING ME SINCE 8TH GRADE AND SAYS LIKE 1 GOOD THING EVERY 6 MONTHS

HE ARRIVED AS SOON AS I READ UR ANSWER

he said i did well today 😎 and if i study properly ill do the same in all my next exams !!1! i have to start a bunch of different coachings eww

ANYWAYS i woke up at like 5 today (us moment) !! idk why because i had online classes that started from 9

sleep early tho!!!!!!! i hate waking up and i hate sleeping i hate everything actually

i conked out at 11:30pm last night (omfg i did not know i could do that)

im doing so good (still high off the grades) but like lowkey panicking bc of the next exams !! my goal is to beat my sister's records <//3 basically she's pike crazy good and got 7 A* and 1 B </3 i alr got an A* in the subject she got a B in, and then i have like 7 more subjects to give exams of :[

but like she is ACTUALLY so good at studies n shit she got the highest grades in her batch in biology in this years board exams (wtf!) and when she gave her 10th grade boards she got like the highest marks in economics in 34 years/basically the whole school history i will cry .

the english teacher i have rn is fucking insane she told us callous and careless are the same thing i almost cried

she also spelled ajar as ajure

NOW YOU MIGHT SAY but lina thats hecking stupid !! its not her first language:( SHE HAS A DEGREE?? AND IS THE HEAD OF THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ??? and she took up four classes (4hrs) just talking about the SYLLABUS not even what we're learning

im aiming for like,, country highest at least in english so having her is a terrifying thought

ALSO A GIRL FROM THE BATCH ABOVE ME GOT WORLD HIGHEST IN HER MATH BOARD EXAM (100%!?!?)

okay anyways ill go erm sorry for yapping.. IM STARTING MY HEALTHY STUDY GIRL ERA AND STUDY NOW!!! honestly im quite proud of myself because like a year and a bit ago my grades were like,, 1 U, 3 Ds, 5 Cs and 1 B like wtf .. anyways the subject i got a U in back then,, i got 90% in boards this year ! and my lowest grade recently was 80% like chat we r eating ts up

IVE TALKED ENOUGH THANKS FOR LISTENING OR WHATEVER NOW I FEEL EMBARRASSED

STAY SAFE AND HYDRATED NESS ILY ILY ILY BYEBYE :)

DON'T FEEL EMBARASSED!!!!! I LOVE TO HEAR YOU TALK <3333 (sorry i got distracted and immediately read the bottom paragraph LET ME READ FROM THE START) LMAO I'M GLAD YOUR TUTOR IS GOOD AT TEACHING!! EVEN IF HE'S NOT NICE 😔😔😔 KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING SO WELL LINA!!! I'LL COMPLIMENT U AND CHEER U ON IF HE WON'T <3

LINA SIDE TAGENT THAT I LOVE YOU SO MUCH i love how energetic your writing is!!! like it's rubbing off on me <33 i was feeling a little sleepy but now that i'm reading your ask i feel more like !!! awake!!!! this is all /pos I JUST WANTED TO SAY I LOVE THE WAY YOU TALK </33 BUT PLEASE 5 AM???? AND YOUR FIRST ONLINE CLASS IS AT 9??? PLEASE BRO WHY IS THAT THE USUAL?? 😭 WHEN MY FIRST CLASSES WERE ONLINE IN HIGH SCHOOL I FR WOKE UP AT LIKE 8 EVERYDAY (bc idk how they were for you but like google meets were once a week and optional bc they'd just record it anyway so i'd watch the recordings at like 2x speed while doomscrolling tumblr or something)

YOU SLEEP EARLY PLEASE!! or like sleep more idk 😭😭 i could never wake up at 5 am willingly you're amazing for that 😭 the "i hate everything actually" is SO real it made me laugh so hard PLEASE 😭

YOUR SISTER SOUNDS CRAZY??? LIKE GOOD LUCK BEATING HER RECORDS IG </3 BUT PLEASE DON'T STRESS YOURSELF OUT OR MAKE IT A BIG DEAL !! YOU DID AMAZING THIS TIME AROUND WITH YOUR EXAMS AND IK YOU'LL DO GREAT AGAIN BUT DEFINITELY DON'T STRESS YOURSELF OUT TOO MUCH PLEASE!! i cannot believe the thing about your sister having the highest grades in ECONOMICS in like 34 years because economics is NOT fun that class made like 0 sense to me like bro if the global market is crashing and economists don't understand it HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO UNDERSTAND IT ?????????

CALLOUS AND CARELESS ARE THE SAME THING????????? HELLO????????????? HOW IS SHE A TEACHER I'M SO SORRY BUT LIKE EVEN IF IT'S NOT HER FIRST LANGUAGE THAT MEANS NOTHING LIKE BEING AN ENGLISH TEACHER IS NOT THE ONLY JOB OUT THERE IF SHE CAN'T TEACH ENGLISH THEN LIKE MAYBE SHE CAN TEACH SOMETHING ELSE??? BC I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'RE LETTING HER TEACH IF SHE'S DOING THINGS LIKE THAT 😭 AND SHE'S THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT AND EVERYTHING??? EVEN CRAZIER???? good luck with your goals though!! i believe in u <3

WHY IS YOUR GRADE BREAKING LIKE ALL THESE RECORDS?????? LIKE I KEEP READING MORE PARAGRAPHS AND WITH EVERY WORD MY CONFIDENCE IN MY OWN SCHOLARLY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IS DEPLETING LMAO 😭😭 I DID NOT BREAK ANY RECORDS BUT GOOD FOR U GUYS!!!

amazing job with the better grades!! and i love your healthy study girl era!! please make sure to take care of yourself and keep your mind and body nourished <333 i hope you're doing alright!! i just saw something on your blog recently that made me want to make sure you're doing alright!!! please know that my dms are always open to you!! <33 take it easy and you're an amazing person <3 you're so sweet and talented please let me know if you need anything!!

[crispy-bonnie]

I hit you with the wombo combo my guy

- Platonic headcanons for Rust and Duke???

- UH, YES PLEASE?????

- So Reader is like, young, like 20-something

- And they're very nice/friendly, and fluffy :>

- They get along well with everyone, including Rust/Duke

- And it's pretty clear Reader thinks of him as a father figure (though they would never say it)

- As in, Duke/Rust are sort of aware of it

- And at one point, the gang are watching a movie very late at night, and Reader falls asleep first

- (You know, if this was a sleepover, Reader would be having brain surgery now)

- Okay anyway, Rust/Duke pick them up and put them to sleep (that sounds threatening)

- Rust/Duke is like 'Goodnight'

- And reader is like 'Gn dad ¦]'

- IDK I JUST NEED A FATHER FIGURE (FROM A GAME) PLEASE

cries in fatherless too also this is my first time writing rust so it’s probably gonna be shitty lol

Fatherly HCs - RUST + DUKE

Rust

Is quite confused on how you saw him of all people to be a father figure but he rolls with it anyway

At first he’s not one to do much? You’d usually be the one initiating and leading conversations with him

But at some point he ends up warming up to you. Specifically the point where you started expressing your interest in his bike/biker fashion

If you’re up for it, he’ll take you on joyrides with him and pass by all the scenic routes of D.C.

Teaches you all the little things about bikes and how to take care of them

At some point, Rust even teaches you how to ride one!

If you get the hang of riding it, he’ll force his bike repairman to make a bike tailored just for you [favorite color, seat material, even special decorations]

If you don’t, he’ll opt to get you a leather jacket instead with your name and a symbol representing you on it

The two of you don’t talk too much aside from joyrides and other bike riding shit. If you happen to bump into each other in the morning then you’d probably have a chat over some coffee

Now if someone were to hurt you, physically or emotionally, you’ll probably find the perp’s corpse mangled and ran over

He’d just casually say he took care of some personal business

Despite the lack of conversation between you two, he cares for you deeply.

If you do something like fall asleep on the couch or somewhere uncomfy, he’ll carry you to somewhere comfortable and drape a blanket over you like fjwbfhwbdb

He’s pretty chill with you calling him ‘dad’ or ‘pops’. It makes him feel like he’s got something to live for…aside from his bike

Overall, he’s a sweet and chill guy. He won’t say it verbally, but he loves ya /p

Duke

Like Rust, he also finds it confusing because like- he thinks of himself as anything but fit to be a father figure because he's so caught up in all this ancient history shit lmao

He doesn't necessarily warm up to the role, but he also doesn't reject it either. He kinda just accepts it

You and Duke like to have random and long talks about artifacts that he managed to get his hands on or spot somewhere in a museum

He'll be like holding back tears [/pos] if you manage to recite some history facts to him

You'd be ranting on about it to Sydney and Duke in the background would be like "I'm so proud of that kiddo" while trying not to cry lmao

Takes you to the museum often so that you two can check out some cool artifacts, maybe even steal some later during a heist. He also often offers to get you ice cream afterwards so that the two of you can discuss what you saw without disturbing the peace in the museum

He won't express his affection physically nor verbally, but rather through a more protecitve demeanor

If anyone gets a scratch on you, whether it be a teammate, civilian, or cop, he'll be downing whisky and absolutely torching them with dragon's breath rounds

Duke would def be one of those proud father figures tbh. Again, not verbal or physical about it, but it shows.

[dalishthunder]

Happy valentine's! It's me smile anon :]

It's been a really really long while and I planned on replying much sooner but in short: college life and depression. I'm not back to full power yet, but getting there and I absolutely had to leave a message on valentine's day since I missed new years.

I've been around since the GEO days and I've even interacted before, just never left anything that indicated I'm the same person hehe. That fic and universe will always have a special place in my heart. I binged the whole thing in one day when it was one chapter away from being finished and I laughed and I cried and the ending left me warm and satisfied despite not being into cronus at all. I've read that fic entirely for the humor, the emotions, the dynamic between two characters you've beautifully constructed (and made me gain a new appreciation for, cronus-wise. still a goober, but your take really fleshed him out), and for the background characters who got their own depth and interiority that it made the story's universe come alive. It's one fic that really touched me and I think even affected the way I approach my own creative projects. And then I proceeded to scour your blog for every other thing you've written and have been hiding in your (tumblr) backyard, occasionally whispering 'yippie' ever since lol

Anyway back to what we're both here for, GoG:

ABQKDHWLQ2HEOFUALXHXKCHSKXHICIEKSUCIDOLWIEFOIFIFIFSHQKSHXKSHSKXJ

READER GOT TO WEAR A CAPE AND A MASK AND BE COOL AND BE TERRIFIED!!!!!! I N E E D TO DRAW THAT AS SOON AS I'M OVER MY ART BLOCK

READER GOT TO (ATTEMPT) KILLING SOMEONE ("INDIRECTLY") :D!!! I was wondering when it will be coming to this and yup. Here it is. With Ramattra basically going "Point and I'll kill them" as a show of trust/respect lmao. I am really excited to see how this plays out, if there will be any casualties on their side. How that would make them feel. If it would be difficult seeing themself the same way again after asking for something like that even knowing the person they ordered killing wouldn't think twice about the suffering they'd inflicted. I'm also worried about what will happen when Talon figures out their real identity...

This project started as a two parter and look where we are now. I'd leave a longer more in depth comment but my brain is pretty fried rn ashsh. Just wanted to let you know I'm still here finding joy and comfort in your writing, and thank you for sharing it this valentine since we're celebrating the love and all that :3 Hope you have a good day today!

SMILE ANON MY BELOVED!!!!

Happy Valentines Day!!! Oh my god thank you for sticking around so long! And I'm so glad you enjoyed GEO enough to stay for the ride ;u;

writing GEO was honestly such a huge emotional experience for me beginning to end. It's... one of those ones that will probably stay with me in my heart forever because it was the first big thing I wrote in... a good 9-10 years, and it was filled with a lot of heart (not that my other stuff isn't, I do pour my heart and soul into my other works, but GEO was special to me yknow?) So I'm really glad that you enjoyed it so much

And that's so touching to hear that it's kind of changed the way you view your creative endeavors!!!! At least I hope it's in a good way haha ASLDKJFASLKDFASDFSDF

AUUUGHGHGHOOGHGHH IF YOU DRAW THAT I WILL BE FOREVER IN YOUR DEBT OH MY GOD

And yeah baby's first murder... Ramattra is so proud

But in all seriousness there's gonna be a lot of emotions in the next chapter and I'm so fucking pumped for it... (if my hands and brain would cooperate and type)

I hope you also have a wonderful day!

[spaghett-onaplate]

Thanks for the tag Milo!! :D @cozy-fish-crow

15 Questions for 15 Mutuals

1. Are you named after anyone? I was named after my mum's tia, but I didn't name myself after anyone :D (actually that makes me realise idk if my tia (or great aunt I guess,, tia-avó?) knows my new name since I came out lol)

2. When was the last time you cried? Last night

3. Do you have kids? Nope

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Not really?

5. What sports do you play/have you played? Soccer for 2 years when I was younger, ballet for 7 years, plus jazz and tap for the last 2 years of ballet. Soccer was fun but I hated my teammates, dance was less fun. I enjoyed jazz and tap for a while, but despised all the types of dance by the last year at least lmao

6. What's the first thing you notice about people? Their faces? I've found I'm good at memorising faces unless I'm nervous, then I completely blank on features

7. Eye colour? Light brown

8. Scary movies or happy endings? I wouldn't think those are mutually exclusive terms, like Milo said as well. So I guess it depends?

9. Any special talents? None spring to mind

10. Where were you born? Same city I live in

11. What are your hobbies? Reading, writing, currently crocheting, bike riding (though I haven't done it in a while), baking. Though I don't get the chance to bake often, unfortunately

also I'm proud of my crocheting so far, so here's a photo of a daisy granny square I made :D

12. Do you have any pets?

Two cats! KitKat (right) for 6 years, TicTac (left) for a couple of months :)

13. How tall are you?

I can't remember exactly, but I think 166cm?

14. Fave subject in school?

English

15. Dream job?

It's always been author, but now I'm not so sure. Plenty of time to find out, though

Tagging (no pressure ofc): @daylightsimon @heartbreakprincewille @stygianirondiangelo @foxtriestobiteandmaimandkilland @mushroompoet @medicatedreject

[bonesandthebees]

hi bee!

I’ve been reading your fics for almost half a year now and I'm always thinking how much I want to write some big message about all the things I like in your works, but because it's big I'm never able to sit and just. write it down. so here I am to just tell you that your work awesome in a little message just because I feel that I need to say it at least in some way.

I've read all the big fics and a lot of the smaller ones and your work always have like .perfect. balance of interesting plot and characters/emotions-centric stuff. which is like. the most important thing in my opinion when you want to create a story that is able to connect with people. and oh boy it works so well with me. every time I start reading your fic it's like jumping into a hole and I can't get out until I reach the end. (and omg I'm so hyped for the rose!! I'm a big fan of GoT so seeing your fic that is inspired by it and HotD... I'm gonna be honest I've cried a little from happiness)

anyway I hope you like silly random thoughts about your fics because yesterday I've read "starman waiting in the sky" and it was great. I really love the concept of this thing that is terrifying especially because you have no idea what it is and what it wants. but. with this "X" on the Eye I couldn't stop thinking that the Eye is twitter. twitter is watching Wilbur and Tommy. twitter is coming for them. twitter consumes all the town around them.

have a nice day!! <3

I'm sorry I'm so late responding to this I totally forgot but thank you so much!! this made me so happy to read :)

for my longer fics I put a lot of effort into balancing plot and emotions so I'm so glad it works out. I try to tie it all together so that the plot progression directly pushes the emotional progression as well or vice versa, and of course the two have to move independently of each other a lot of the time, but I do my best to keep them on the same track.

(omg I'm so glad to hear you're excited about rose I'm soooo excited to really dive into it. I actually started reading the asoiaf series when I started planning rose as kind of research for how to write this stuff. I'm still only on the first book bc I don't read a lot so I'm just reading like a few chapters once a month or something but it's very fun. also so tempted to rewatch hotd while doing my planning I'm so excited for s2)

LMAO the 'X' in the eye was definitely not tied to twitter bc that fic was written long before elon musk had even bought twitter let alone tried to rebrand it. but I'm so glad you enjoyed the fic I'm still so insanely proud of that one <3

[rainisawriter]

Emoji writing ask game: 🎢🛒😍

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

The fic that comes to mind is Where Are You Now? (Johnny, NCT) I just remember listening to the song for like 3 hours while I wrote without stopping. I cried a few times while writing it and even now, I get teary eyed when I re-read it. It remains as one of the fics that I'm most proud of.

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

Rain, obviously. I love the rain so I always try to add it when I can. The reader/MC usually always likes tacos, pirates of the caribbean, and Dr. pepper lmao

🤩 Who is your favorite character to write?

(I think this is the one you meant? I didn't see a heart eyes emoji but I'm also tired af so lol)

I have a few and they are:

Hitsugaya Toushirou (Bleach)

Ootori Choutarou (The Prince of Tennis)

P (High&Low)

Shibaman (High&Low)

Woozi (Seventeen)

Yamasho (The Rampage) do not come for me tale is2g

Chenle (NCT)

Reo (Generations)

Isane Kotetsu (Bleach)

There's probably more but, again, tired lol

Fanfic Writer Emoji Ask - Send Me Some! 🌮

[misssugarpinkshome]

Author Update!

Hey y'all! Here's the author update. Just posted Chapter 58, I'm so excited since the next chapter will be incredibly challenging for me to write. I hope you guys are excited as I am.

I'm... actually gonna put the update this time under a cut, cause it's A Wee Bit More Serious than normal, lmao.

The TL;DR: this boy can fit a whole lot of trauma in him, and he's kinda tired of it. It's been an incredibly hard month, but I'm also looking at the amount of growth I've done and I'm proud.

Thanks for reading, folks!!

(Big ol' trauma dump below the cut!)

OOOOKAY so like. Yikes!

I got called out by someone I look up to basically telling me I needed to shape up, and while they weren't WRONG, it really fucking hurt. As in, I got so incredibly triggered that I cried for about 48 hours straight.

This also led to me and a friend of mine having a really big falling out, and while it got resolved, oof it was exhausting.

At the end of those 48 hours, I had to deal with a situation in a server I moderate for where someone made some incredibly serious allegations about another server member.

The allegations turned out to be false, so we did not ban the server member who was accused -- which led to a callout post being written about me and the server, with false allegations about me that were incredibly triggering.

:) This was all right before a very nauseating 14 hour car ride :) Definitely did not fuck up my brain :) Definitely did not cause me to maybe split again :) Oops

My vacation to see my partner's extended family went really well at least? They're really awesome and good family. But I spent all of my free time working on a (currently around 50 page) document detailing all of the bullshit that happened with the allegations. Yes. It was that many pages. That's about a fourth of the bullshit.

Remember how I was on vacation? Well. I lied to my parents about my location. And they found out. And one thing led to another, I called them, they screamed at me, and... I broke my phone. I've made the decision to cut them off, because I just... can't handle this anymore.

Anyways. Cut to the present. I still haven't told them, but they figured as much since they can't reach me through my old number. My mom keeps emailing my workplace trying to contact me. I haven't been able to read them yet. My therapist is helping me compose a letter to my parents and my sister to let them know. My partner and my friends and family-by-association has been really supportive and caring, and it's a lot. Not to mention, school has started again, so now I'm back to being overworked and underpaid (and... actively dealing with some severe harassment from a homophobic student each day at the moment... ugh)

It's been an incredibly fucking hard month. The way I have to look at it, though, is that I am incredibly strong and I have grown so damn much. I have a lot going on, and normally, this would be enough to make me completely self destruct.

But (with the help of friends and my chosen family alike), I managed to help clean the living room. Today I did some dishes. I am ROCKING teaching. And... I'm desperately, hopelessly in love with my fiance, and feel safer than I ever have before.

I've always hated the phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" because of what I've been through. But right now, I'm feeling very strongly a variation of the phrase: "what you survive influences who you are; processing that makes you stronger." I feel like I've grown a lot in the past year alone, and it's only going to get better.

So... yeah! There's a huge big long trauma dump. I'm so so sorry lol I just... I want you guys to know about the person behind the T_T profile picture. It feels good to be seen. <3

[abbysdolly]

ೀ › 15 questions and 15 mutuals 💭 ˎˊ-

Thank you for the tag my sweet @cowgirlcherrie !! I love this little tag games ♡

♡ › were you named after anyone?

Well Saia is a short (and cute) version of Ushuaia which is my name and it's from an Argentinian city ubicated on the archipielago of Tierra de Fuego!

♡ › when was the last time you cried?

On monday because of work:(

♡ › do you have kids?

Nope nope!

♡ › do you use sarcasm?

I do but not very much and I only use it when the person is really close to me or when we both know we're joking

♡ › what's the first thing you notice about people?

At first it would be body language and how they treat other people, I'm very observant. I think seeing how they treat other people can show how they're inside and if they have values.

♡ › what's your eye color?

Black! (Proud member of the bambi eyes club🙊)

♡ › scary movie or happy ending?

I enjoy both tbh! Sometimes when I need comfort I totally go for happy endings lmao but some of my favorites movies just end neutral like real life hehe

♡ › any special talents?

I don't know if this counts as a talent but I love crafting a lot also I paint sometimes (just small things like sanrio characters or little doodles), I receive a lot of compliments when I make food for my family so I think that could be another one and I also receive a lot of compliments for my edits and how I put so much detail on my edits and aesthetic!

♡ › where you were born?

In Mexico!

♡ › what are your hobbies?

As I said before I love crafting, I love painting, editing, writing (digitally and on my journal or letters) and while I do all of that I always always listen music ♡

♡ › do you have pets?

Yes! Two dogs named Lua and Plata

♡ › what sports do you play/have you played?

When I was in highschool I played tennis and ping pong a lot but right now I don't play any (but I should be hehe)

♡ › how tall are you?

4'11" (´-ㅅก`)

♡ › favorite subject in school?

Art, History, Science, English and Theater ♡

♡ › dream job?

Definitely in a museum or a gallery! Being surrounded by art and all the passion, love, hate, fear and lust the artists portrait on their art sounds like total dream for me!

Tags (no pressure!): @abbyandersonbestgirl @little-star-bun @butterflykissiies @angelanderson @lolasimms @porcelainbambi and anyone who want to join! ♡♡

[kithtaehyung]

RYEN!! HELLO HOW ARE YOU? 🥺

I’m so sorry for the inactivity lately but I promise I’ve been here and catching up still! 🥺 I’ve recently just got out of a 3 year toxic relationship and your writings have been such a huge source of comfort for me 🥹❤️ I’ve always been able to relate some of the characters personality, thinking, or relationships so I feel more connected and emotional while reading them 🥺🫶🏼 ( may have read forfeit a billion times and cried on all of them.. kinda scared for myself once ch 10 comes out.. shivers )

It’s always nice to be able to just click on your page and being able to just reread them !! please know I mean every word I said when your writings are masterpieces and filled with love! I not only see you as an author but a friend! the way you interact with your readers is so wholesome it feels like a small community where we’re all respectful of each other and that just makes me so soft to see!! 🥹❤️❤️ I grown comfortable sharing things and I can tell other readers feel the same! speaking of readers, I hope all of them are doing well and staying healthy! 🫶🏼❤️

also.. HSJSJ I MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE YOONGI IN LA !! AHH!! LETS JUST HOPE I GET THE TICKETS FIRST 🥲 AND JIMIN SOLO? JSOSKS I’m incredibly overwhelmed right now but honestly? I’m buckling up and ready for whatever the future brings me!

I hope you’ve been able to rest and enjoy yourself!! make sure to drink water!! ❤️❤️

WITH LOVE,

🍷

WINE BABEEEE oh my goodness, i wanna hug you. very, very proud of you for recognizing that relationship was toxic and had the courage to leave. that takes incredible strength that no one really talks about, so i just wanted to say that i'm glad that you're out of it now❤️

i'm also happy you're able to just come over and either read these stories or just check out what's been happening! making things comfortable here is top priority despite all the filth in the library lmfao. but i digress: you've read forfeit that many times?? i seriously can't wait to get to it on my 3tan reread journey lsdkjf i feel like it's gonna hit different after reading everything before it rather than editing and rereading it to hell while working through it lolol and yeah. get ready for 3tan10 lol. it's not gonna be easy.

you are so incredible, you know that?? i'm sure all the readers here would also consider you a friend and someone cool to hang with! we're all about just having a good time as you know<3 i hope you're all staying safe and healthy, as well❤️

LETS GOOOOO IF UR IN LA WE CAN PROBABLY LINK UP! i plan on stopping by no matter what :D and staying for quite awhile, too. don't talk to me about face bc i'm already planning so many sets LMAO the behaviors are not as healthy as they should be!! but thank you for all the love and i will drink water :'))

[whatisalifeihaveablog]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Ooh I don't mind at all but also this is a very hard question 🤣 I'll make a caveat that this top 10 is not necessarily in order and is subject to change but I love any opportunity to talk about my faves <3. Think of it as list of characters that I love more than a proper top 10

Yuki Sohma (Fruits Basket) - Gotta start with the guy that's been my icon on here for several years now. I read the Fruits Basket manga when I was in 7th grade and I resonated so hard with Yuki's internal struggles. I've always said our life circumstances are very different but our anxieties and personal difficulties are so similar and I had never encountered a character I related to so hard before so I latched on and have not let go to this day

Shigeo Kageyama (Mob Psycho 100) - I'm currently rewatching this series and keep thinking about how if it had come out when I was younger I would have probably latched on to Mob just as much as I did Yuki for how relatable he can be lmao. As an adult I watch it and really root for this kid and feel genuinely proud in every moment of growth he experiences.

Yusuke Urameshi (Yu Yu Hakusho) - A character I was younger than the first time I watched the anime and am currently significantly older than and he has become my anime son. I adore this boy in all of his asshole tough guy posturing and his wit and genuine care for his friends and determination and just all of it. I also want to wrap him in a blanket and give him some delicious hot soup.

Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass) - One thing about me is if a character is pretty and cunning and deadly intelligent and morally grey, they are likely going to be a favorite and Lelouch was an early example of this for me. Code Geass is one of my favorite animes I've ever watched and watching Lelouch scheme and generally be him is so damn delightful every time. He's a character I feel like I could write an entire dissertation on, I honestly could with any of these characters, but I am trying to avoid that for the sake of the length of this post lmao

Wei Wuxian (Mdzs/The Untamed) - How did it take me this long to talk about mdzs? Wei Wuxian is absolutely amazing to watch or read about in every single scene. Complicated and brilliant and cocky and so very tragic. He's another one who hits a LOT of points on the "Who is gonna be Sarah's next favorite character" bingo card. I've scarcely cried for a character as much as I've cried for Wei Wuxian, he is so dear to my heart.

Chuuya Nakahara (Bungo Stray Dogs) - What can I say? I love an angry boy. I'll be honest, a lot of my initial love for Chuuya was aesthetics. His hair and outfit alone had me primed to love him from the start but then he came in with that cocky/angry attitude and honestly fucking sick power and that solidified it lmao. And then the more I learned about him beyond the aesthetics and immediate impressions the more I loved him.

Jiang Cheng (Mdzs/The Untamed) - Definitely gotta mention my favorite angry boy of all my angry boys <3. This man has so many flaws and I honestly do get why it's hard for some people to like him but man I love him so much. His temper, to me, is just another side of his passion which also extends into his ambition and love and he rebuilt his clan from nothing and I'm definitely a person who even when it comes to his more "wrong" decisions/actions I think they're more understandable than the people who hate him say. I feel a strong need to defend him a lot of the time

Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece) - Nothing but respect for my pirate king!!!! Luffy is such a fun character. Like truly one of my favorite shonen protags of all time and that mostly comes down to how hard he makes me smile while reading just constantly. Everything he says and everything he does is so wildly entertaining while also being so earnest and honest and simultaneously laid back. The way he loves his crew and puts everything he has into being their captain. I love him so much lol

Wen Kexing (Word of Honor) - Pretty, cunning, morally grey, do I need to say more? His totally shameless attitude in the beginning was so funny all the time and then the deeper we got into his character the more he went from being the most entertaining person on screen to, well still that, but also a character I feel so many emotions for all the time.

Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist) - Now here's some top tier anime son material. My love for Al has only ever grown with the years and subsequent rewatches of this series. I. Love. This. Boy. He has seen and been through too much and is still so good and loving and steadfast in his goals and values. Literally couldn't find a better boy. 10/10

[yuneu]

Ohhh I think it's ok cuz you still did it!!! Be proud of it, of you, no matter the result!!! <3333

I'm a cinema/theatre major so I've been studying poetics under the lens of scriptwriting strategies/tips, I had a class where we analyzed all Aristotle's Poetics (me being proud cuz I can flex that I don't know how to ball but at least I do, in fact, know Aristotle) and OMG it was challenging but also extremely interesting. I also have Aesthetics in my syllabus because of the whole "education to art" / "what is art? What is beautiful?" thing, and we did talk a lot about the art of poetry writing and just writing and rhetoric and stuff like that from a philosophical perspective. It was interesting both times.

MIRRORBALLS yes we are !!! I'm always saying I'm a social chameleon :)

Yes I'm jumping from one topic to the other here LMAOOO

OMG are you from France??? Anywayy I'm so happy for you that you got to experience that!!!! Oh wow it must've been so fucking awesome!!!! The classic heart hands is always so sweet and tender 😭🫶 and ofc I do believe that Shake It Off felt this way!!! It makes 100% sense. And the lady with the golden balloons I WOULDVE SOBBED 🥺😭

Unfortunately I couldn't attend :( but I was there through livestreams every night and it has a special place in my heart, what a tour, right? My fav tradition would be the 1 2 3 LGB and the double handclap of ybwm, they always bring my serotonin level up to the moon in the most relieving way I LOVE THAT

BUT if I have to confess, I am the weakest person alive when Taylor sings Marjorie and the crowds waste 50% of their phone batteries to light the stadium. It has me in tears every damn time. This, alongside with exile by Taylor ft. Crowd. Which I'm not sure is a tradition but whatever. It's magical.

AND I HAVE ONE MORE. This one isn't actually coming from swifties, as it is from Taylor's side LMAO but I'm always mesmerized by Kam!!! I love his solos and I LOVE the wanegbt "like, ever!!" moment, especially when they toured outside of the US!!!

This ask is so long OMG I'm sorryyyyy here's my next question for you. Kinda changing subject here. But what is/are your fav holiday(s)?

- Your Deer Santa 🦌🎅☃️

ooh interesting! we read aristotle at the beginning of the semester as well! in france (where i'm from, yes haha) we have to study philosophy in high school and since he's a philosophical institution i was already familiar with his work so it made it more enjoyable + easier to understand! though the main author we studied for the rest of the class was gérard genette and other structuralists. i guess poetics has a slightly different meaning in french than in english because it mostly means the "rules" that govern a certain literary medium (be it poetry, novels, theater, etc...), not so much purely studying the philosophy of art. (i did have an entire chapter on 'what is art' in high school philosophy though!)

i loooove 123 lgb! it was so much fun to scream at wembley!! so wild to think i was already on this website when a random tumblr swiftie started it during rep tour and now i got to scream it at taylor in 2024 lmaoooo

the phone light thing was SOOOO cute!! i used it to make the balloon look like a lantern while i cried my entire heart out during marjorie oof, it was really sweet and i felt really connected to taylor and everyone else in that moment <3

kam LMAO taylor and him are such a fun duo. it's giving tiffany doing the "cause SHE DEAD" part during rep tour

it's okay i love long asks!!!!!

i'm gonna be basic but my favorite holiday is probably christmas!! i love deciding what to give to my loved ones as presents and the general warm atmosphere even in the cold of winter (which i generally HATEEE). though it'd probably be halloween if it was more of a thing in france. i bet it must be so much fun to be american during october LOL

[sometimesanalice]

Let's pretend it didn't take me X amount of months to respond to your truly lovely reblog because I did that thing where I hoarded it for too long.

I'm a taurus, it's not my fault! (but also I got more beads and will happily bribe you for your forgiveness with another custom friendship bracelet, lmaooo)

you, however, are an absolute gem and I'm so truly touched by the time and effort you put into your comments! they mean the world to me!

so more for youuuuu!

i could read a novel about bradley and sweet girl like i could read about them running errands and taking duck (“like quack!”) to the dog park and bradley taking her car to work.-- me being me would probably accidentally write you a full length one. "I can write this in under 5k" is code for "this will be 50k now"

i cried the first time i’m being so serious 💕-- stooooopppppppppp

And on the rare rainy days you got in San Diego, Bradley was asking to borrow your car rather than risk the interior of his big blue baby. - sweet girl getting the last laugh on this one-- she really is, lolol. Just imagine her all smug while he's fighting with the lever in her car trying to adjust the seat for his long legs, and she's just like getting comfy as the passenger princess reveling in her victory. He's all huffy like "not a word" 🤭

He’d promised to make it worth your while, and while you would have done it for him anyways, a little extra incentive was always nice. - this is so cute, i’m smiling so big (also man has a MENU and he needs his french bread 🫡 oui oui bitch)-- the YES CHEF of it all! Of course that cheeky man means in more ways than oneeee!

and Bradley Bradshaw wearing some 5-inch inseam swim trunks with his thick thighs on display in the golden sunlight. - thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthank - IT IS THE MENTAL IMAGE WE DESERVEEEEE!! you're the captain of the 5-inch inseam agenda, and Im just here to support the cause! lol

It had been so nice to see your parents and to visit the sights of your childhood growing up together. - i love every time you mention her parents! especially knowing about her mom’s wedding 🤭🤭 like bradley’s her kid too!-- it's such a crime I'd have to write that fic, because I want to read it too, lmao. Sometimes I feel like I mention them too much and it's repetitive, but I just really like how much history is there not just between them as individuals but with each of their families.

For as much as Bradley grumbled about being woken up early on the weekends by the black and white ball of fluff, you’ve caught him on more than one occasion cooing at the dog and slipping him treats. The sweet, goofy little dog was the perfect addition to your dynamic duo. - DUCK LIKE QUACK 🦆 i love this dog so much and i can picture bradley making silly faces at him and getting him all worked out-- DUCK LIKE QUACK! endlessly amused that he never had a name change, one SG heard it she was SOLD. Like "it's FATE, bradley!" He'd be so proud to show him off to SG when he finally teaches him how to shake, like banging on about how their dog is a genius, lol

It’s a good think your hands are full or you’d be collecting even more photos of your sweet boy in addition to the hundreds you already had on your phone. - YOUR SWEET BOY 🤭 i love this dog and his cute little name so much i want snugs with him and bradley (sweet girl’s two sweet boys)-- HER BEST BOYS! you just know bradley grins so wide when she comes home and is like "where are my best boys" when she gets home late from the office!

You step around the island and over to him, wrapping your arms around his waist from behind him. He’s always been the right kind of warm, the kind that makes you want to melt into him. You press your face against his back, his shirt soft against your cheek. - this has me absolutely swooning 🤭 this is so sweet and tender and they’re so soooo into each other. also he is a human furnace--they're so smitten! And like SG would be the first to admit that she totally has a crush on her boyfriend, lol. They're both each other's safe places, so I think getting to come home knowing the other is waiting for them is one of their favorite parts of the day. like AH YOU FINALLY

The mental image of Bradley recording a video of your puppy being cute and playing in the park in the same way a proud dad would film his kid’s little league game makes you feel more than a little weak in the knees. - and that he specifically took them FOR HER has me feeling weak in the knees! THAT’S THEIR SON!!-- he knows she'd want to see it!! I love folding in moments that show just how much the other is on their mind, in that "i thought of you" way that shows how much they know and care about the other. But also you know seeing him like that sets her ovaries off and then she has to be like "chill, we haven't even been together a year yet" but also is excited about a future where one day they'd get to have that!

“Yeah? It’s been awhile since I’ve channeled my inner Stanly Tucci, so I thought some homemade spaghetti and meatballs sounded good.” - i know they love his show and i know they should be planning a trip to italy asap. and he can make real homemade meatballs with me since i don’t eat the tj’s ones anymore 💁🏼‍♀️💁🏼‍♀️--they take that trip to italy right after they swap some rings and promises of forever! 🤭🤭🤭

He could more than hold his own in the kitchen, and the competent way he handled a chef knife in his big hands was endlessly attractive to you. - makes me swoon, he’s so pretty in so many ways-- it's the competency kink in us! hahahahahah

“Yes, chef,” you purr as you spin on your heel taking off in the other direction. - 😮🤭 and then he slaps her ass!!!- HE IS SO CHEEKY! Just when she thinks she has the upper hand, he'll give it right back to her!

The things that always felt mundane on their own had become some of the things you most looked forward to during the week. It’s not that you need to be around him, but you always want to be around him. - this is one of my favorite parts about these two 🤭 ‘and bradley has the best personality”-- they're each other's favorite!

“That so, huh?” he sounds amused by your enthusiasm, “Is there something else you wanted to talk to me about?” - cheeky boy! i like that he doesn’t let this slide 😉-- he's such a tease for this, I love that he's like building up to it. I think he was originally waiting for her to bring it up, but then when he realizes that she doesn't realize what kind of sampler it actually is he is fully amused and leaning into it. He likes to tease her, but also that man is mentally like "one less thing for us to have to plan and one step closer to wife-ing her up"

Your face is still hidden behind your hands when you feel Bradley gather you into his arms, running a warm hand up and down your back. - i just love this visual so much? there’s something about it that gives me butterflies-- she's so easily flustered! and he is so good about knowing when to tease and when to put her at ease. we know she's a bit of an overthinker too, so she's like running back the interaction with that and just cringing and embarrassed.

At this point you really do just have to laugh at yourself. It’s such a silly thing to get worked up about, especially since you know you’re probably more ruffled about Bradley potentially thinking that you’re trying to drop a not-so-subtle hint with it. - this would totally get me too like i don’t want him to thinking i’m pushing him towards something? especially if they haven’t talked about it too much?-- He is so SURE about them, and she is too but when it comes to those big feelings she has about him she gets shy about how very real it is for her and just how much she wants forever with him. But she doesn't want to make him think that she isn't happy where they're at, and while she's always trying to be logical/practical with the timeline of their romantic relationship, she also wants to get to the part where she gets to be his wife.

“Hey, just so you know, I can’t wait to eat wedding cake with you later,” he says as he continues to slice up the baguette. - okay i took later as ONE DAY not later that night 🤭-- BOTH HE MEANS BOTH!! it's just the perfect cover for him to actually be talking about their wedding day (but only he knows just how soon he hopes that gets to be 🤭)

while Bradley takes his chances and eats one slice at a time before moving on to the next one. It’s truly unhinged behavior - oh it is absolutely deranged- A MENACE! He has a system like a wine tasting, starting with the lightest more mild flavor and working up to the richest so that the flavors don't get lost. BUT STILL

He says it so easily like there’s not a doubt in his mind that it’ll be you and him facing each other at the end of an aisle as vows about forever are exchanged. - i giggled 🤭 like it is so sweet and reassuring especially with the verbal confirmation in a bit that they’re on the same wavelength-- he just KNOWS where as she HOPES, and he forgets that he needs to give a girl more than a hint sometimes. They're both dreaming about the same future they see with the other, but their approach is different. But I loved that chat where they reaffirm how in it they are!

He’s been in your life for almost three decades now. You’d known the boy, the teen, and you more than liked the man he’d become. You had absolutely no intention of ever letting him go. He was yours. Forever and always. - what’s another 6 decades for these two? “you more than liked” oh i love love love it-- SHE LIKES HIM AND SHE LOVES HIM! FAVORITES!

“But just so we’re on the same page, that wasn’t an official proposal. More like a declaration of intention.” - HELP!?! this is so sweet but so cheeky and everything i’d also want-- he's so ??!! like "Heads up sweet girl it's gonna be you and me", this man!! And for her, to know that she is WANTED by him like that! Especially after her past relationships, where she was always the one to give more of herself than she got in return, to have Bradley who cherishes her!

“Tell me we can have carrot cake at our wedding, sweet girl,” he murmurs against your lips. - OUR WEDDING!!! i’m kicking my feet-- SWOOOONINGGGGGGG!! OUR WEDDING!!! I love how he just STATES it, like it's a fact.

You wanted to wear his ring on your finger just as much as you wanted to see him wearing one of his own one day. You liked your last name, but there was nothing more you wanted than to be Mrs. Bradshaw. It would be another thing you and Carole could share. A name and the everlasting love for her son. - GET OUTTE OF HERE WITH ALL OF THIS!?!!!? this is really too much and then knowing the story with the ring!?!-- LITTLE DOES SHE KNOWWWW!! She just wants him! But that there are things that she gets to share with carole (even the things she doesn't know about yet) mean that much more to her because of the special relationship they had!

He hadn’t been able to control the nervous bounce of his leg or his sweaty palms when he’d ask your mom’s permission for your hand in marriage. It hadn’t been any easier the second time, when he’d had to do it all over again with your dad that sunny day at the golf course. - BRADLEY!!! SO NERVOUS!! LIKE THEYD SAY NO!!! ugh he loves her so much and i love that he already asked them way before this lil incident!-- he's a planner! He wasn't going to miss his moment to ask them in person (when they haven't even seasoned together yet, lmao) He knows he doesn't need to do it, that they'd be happy for them regardless, but he respects and appreciates them so much that he wants that blessing and thumbs up.

The two of you had always been perfectly right on time in your own way. - LIKE GIVE ME YOUR HAND HERE IS MY HEART!!!-- it is! it is! it is such a central theme for them!

They were both equally were important to him, he wanted to get it right. - and this being why he goes with the ring is so sweet and perfect and i KNOW sweet girl probably sobs when he tells her the background-- just imagine him stewing over this for weeks! that little furrow in between his eyebrows during his down time trying to figure out what to do when a second diamond falls in his lap! it being so representative of THEM with the how they came to be and wrapped up with the reason they even became friends is just SO MUCH!

In the kitchen earlier that night, he might have bent the truth about his day just a little bit. The final design had been sent to his email that morning. And it was more perfect than he could have imagined. - my eyes filled with TEARS the first time i read this. i always love that even though i’m in the loop on so many things you still ALWAYS surprise me!!-- I think I was also surprised with this! There wasn't supposed to be a Bradley POV originally! But it just felt like having this peek into what is going on in his brain and in the background was just the little bow that was needed for this story! And I love it because there's been lines in other stories from SG's perspective where she says things about how Bradley always means what he says, but then we get to also see the ACTIONS he is taking behind the scenes too. Like his words MEAN MORE when we learn how serious he is about what he wants with her!

anywayssssssss, what new bracelet do you want for my fauxpas? lololol (thank you for this reblog, I loved it so much I didn't want to reply right away and then not have a reason to reread it, lololol)

Sweetest Devotion

Summary: Loving Bradley is the easiest thing you've ever done, and coming home to him is always the best part of your day. Especially when you come home with cake. But a slight mixup at the bakery leads to the sweetest of promises.

Pairing: Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x Female Reader

Length: 5k

Warnings: So much fluff (side effects may include giggling and kicking your feet)

(Author’s Note: this fic was written for my one year celebration of the ‘Like I Can’ series, but it can be read on its own!)

After a long week, there was no place you’d rather be than at home with Bradley.

The two of you have been living together for a couple of months now, but seeing his Bronco parked in the driveway of the condo you shared knowing the empty spot next to it is meant for your own still made your heart flutter out of sheer giddiness.

Even if he still teased you about your practical Honda Civic’s lack of street cred. But it did have a spacious backseat with its own set of doors and an actual trunk, unlike the Bronco.

And on the rare rainy days you got in San Diego, Bradley was asking to borrow your car rather than risk the interior of his big blue baby. Those days you just got to preen as you handed over your car keys to him. Sure, you could be the one to drop him off, but it was funnier watching the way he valiantly attempted to hold back his grimace as he tried to adjust the driver’s seat to comfortably fit his bulk.

As you pull into your spot, you’re hit with that same gust of summer breeze warmth you always are as you. It was a feeling you didn’t expect to go away any time soon.

It takes a bit of finesse getting the front door open with your work tote and purse slung over one shoulder while you cradled the paper bags of bread and box of treats you’d stopped for on the way home in the other.

Bradley had texted you to let you know that he was making dinner earlier, but had forgotten the bread during his grocery run and had asked if you didn’t mind making a quick stop to grab some. He’d promised to make it worth your while, and while you would have done it for him anyways, a little extra incentive was always nice.

Especially after the way he had teased you in the shower this morning.

You picked up the baguette that he’d requested along with a couple loaves of fresh bread for sandwiches that you were planning to stick in the freezer for later. At the checkout, they’d had a few fun pink bakery boxes packed with six individually wrapped cake slices in different flavors. It seemed like more fun than the basic red velvet cupcakes you had been debating as you waited for your turn to pay, so you’d picked up one of those boxes too. Since it was Friday, you figured a little treat was very much deserved after such a long week.

The two of you had just gotten back from a little trip back home not too long ago, but you were already dying for another vacation. Ideally one that involved creamy blended beverages served in coconuts and Bradley Bradshaw wearing some 5-inch inseam swim trunks with his thick thighs on display in the golden sunlight.

It had been so nice to see your parents and to visit the sights of your childhood growing up together. You’ve always gone home for holidays, but it had been years since he’d been there with you. Some things had stayed the same like the ice cream shop where Bradley had had his first job. And some things had changed with the times like the empty parking lot where he’d first taught you how to drive was now the site of an upscale organic grocery store. Now that you and Bradley were you and Bradley, the nostalgia of your younger years felt extra sweet as you’d strolled with his hand tucked yours.

It’s a miracle you get through the door without dropping anything.

You’re waiting to hear the scamper of little paws against the laminate floor headed your way as you kick off your heels, Duck was usually the first one to greet you when you got home.

The puppy was growing all too quick for your liking. For as much as Bradley grumbled about being woken up early on the weekends by the black and white ball of fluff, you’ve caught him on more than one occasion cooing at the dog and slipping him treats. The sweet, goofy little dog was the perfect addition to your dynamic duo.

Even if Bradley still got huffy about the name and how Duck had come to be in your life.

On the occasional night when Bob’s friend Casey from the animal shelter- the man you’d been on exactly half of a date with once close to a year ago- was invited to come hang out, your boyfriend always was finding reasons to stand a little closer to you or leave his hands lingering a little longer on your hips. Those nights usually end with the two of you sweaty and out of breath, tangled in the sheets of your canopy bed.

You can hear Bradley singing along with one of his playlists in the kitchen and the sounds of drawers opening and closing as you tuck your purse and tote under the side table at the entrance. You smile to yourself as you drop your car keys into the bowl where his are already resting, the keychain on the keys to his Bronco was the same one you’d given him when you were teens when Mav had gotten him the Montero for his 16th birthday.

Taking the bread and box of cake slices with you, you pass through the living room you see Duck passed out belly up on his Sherpa lined dog bed. His ears flopped out to the side and his little paws twitching as he dreams about chasing balls or squirrels. It’s a good think your hands are full or you’d be collecting even more photos of your sweet boy in addition to the hundreds you already had on your phone.

“I’m home,” you greet, rounding the corner to the kitchen, the savory smell of onions and garlic growing stronger the closer you get, “And I come bearing a baguette.”

Standing in front of the stove is Bradley with a checkered kitchen towel slung over his shoulder. His curls look a little damp, still drying from the shower he must have taken earlier. The soft looking shirt he’s wearing is pulled taut across his back, and the sweatpants he has on are hugging the curve of his ass in the best way. He looks so at ease and comfortable, none of the tense strain in his body that he sometimes comes home with.

Bradley looks over his shoulder towards you with a grin on his face, “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” His pretty brown eyes rake over you in a way that has you wondering about just how he is planning on thanking you for picking up the baguette you’d stopped for. He lets out a low whistle, “Damn, I love that skirt on you.”

“I’m glad you clarified,” you say, sending him a wink and setting your bakery haul down on the island counter, “I wasn’t sure if you were talking to me or the armload of freshly baked carbs.”

He leans his hip on the side of the counter, “A little yeast and flour have got nothing on you, kid.”

“Now you know you can’t go around saying things like that an expect me not to fall in love with you,” you tease, opening the freezer to put the sandwich bread away.

“I’m failing to see a problem with that- oh shit,” he curses, hastily turning back to the stove to adjust the range knob as something spits and sizzles on the top of the convection cooktop.

You step around the island and over to him, wrapping your arms around his waist from behind him. He’s always been the right kind of warm, the kind that makes you want to melt into him. You press your face against his back, his shirt soft against your cheek. Under the woodsy smell of his body wash there’s still a faint lingering scent of jet fuel. It’s your favorite smell.

“Hi, sweet girl,” he says, settling his big hand over yours, still stirring the sauce with the other. And you can almost see the easy, contented smile on his face just from the gentle tone of his voice.

“Hi, Bradley,” you hum, happy to be home.

“How was your day?”

“I’m glad it’s the weekend,” you say with a sigh, “The beach day tomorrow with everyone is going to be much needed.” A sympathetic sound rumbles from his chest as his thumb runs over the back of your hand. You were looking forward to sitting under the shade of the stripped umbrella and feeling the sand between your toes as you sip on an icy cold beer. “How was yours?”

“Not too bad, I took Seresin out and now he owes me $200. So overall, it’s been a pretty good day,” he says, clearly pleased with himself. “Cyclone let us out early, so I was productive. Did some errands, got the groceries. Well, most of them. I even took Duck to the dog park and let him run around for a bit. He made friends with a Great Dane, I took a few videos of them playing on my phone for you.”

The mental image of Bradley recording a video of your puppy being cute and playing in the park in the same way a proud dad would film his kid’s little league game makes you feel more than a little weak in the knees.

Pressing up on your toes, you skim a kiss against the side of his neck and prop your chin on his shoulder to peer at what he’s cooking up.

“It smells really good in here,” you tell him, taking in the pot of sauce simmering away on the stove. Off to the side there’s a cutting board with some fresh basil chopped up and a pile of papery vegetable scraps and a couple empty cans of tomato sauce.

“Yeah? It’s been awhile since I’ve channeled my inner Stanly Tucci, so I thought some homemade spaghetti and meatballs sounded good.”

Your eyebrows raise on their own, the surprise evident in your voice, “Homemade meatballs?”

“Ok, maybe those came from Trader Joe’s,” Bradley admits, “But the sauce is all me. I even put the red pepper flakes in it the way you like it.” He reaches over for a handful of basil and adds it into the pot.

You send your thanks up to Carole for making sure her son at least had known the basics of cooking. He could more than hold his own in the kitchen, and the competent way he handled a chef knife in his big hands was endlessly attractive to you.

“‘Semi-homemade with Bradley Bradshaw’ has a nice ring to it, want me to pitch it as a reboot to the Food Network?” You feel the way he chuckles under your palms, the muscles of his stomach contracting and releasing.

“I don’t think I’d make it out with my liver intact. That woman loved her cocktails strong, I’m pretty sure her sangria recipe would send me to the floor,” he jokes, “No wonder why our moms were always watching her.”

“A woman after my own heart,” you sing, “I’m so glad I inherited such good taste from them.”

Bradley shakes his head amused, “The good news for you is that there’s a bottle of red open and waiting for you, funny girl.”

The promise of wine perks you up immediately. Pasta, wine, cake, and Bradley. What more could a girl need?

“God, you’re the man of my dreams.”

“I sure hope so,” he says, squeezing your hand.

“Oh, you are so getting lucky tonight, Lieutenant.” You take advantage of the way he leans his head back and laughs to press a quick kiss to his cheek.

You slide your arms back from around his waist, only managing to take one step towards the bottle of your favorite Cabernet Sauvignon that’s breathing over near the sink with one of your wine glasses set out next to it before you’re being stopped with a gentle hand on your wrist.

“Hold up, where do you think you’re going, kid?” Bradley asks, tugging you back to him with a grin.

He doesn’t wait for your response before he is leaning in to properly kiss you for the first time since he left for work this morning.

At the press of his lips against yours, you feel every ounce of strain you’d been carrying from the day dissolve like melted sugar. A satisfied hum escapes you and you feel the way the corner of Bradley’s mouth ticks up at your reaction to him. His hands cup your face, tilting you head until it was at the perfect angle for him to deepen the kiss. You don’t even notice he’s back you up against the island until the countertop is digging into your lower back, too distracted by the way the coarse hairs of his mustache scrape along your upper lip.

If it weren’t for the sound of the timer going off the two of you might have almost would have forgotten about dinner entirely, it wouldn’t have been the first time it’s happened.

“Is there anything I can help with?” you ask, smoothing out the wrinkles of his shirt from the way you’d had it clutched in your fists just moments ago before letting go of him so that he can silence the beeping coming from the oven.

“You want to make us a salad to go with it?”

“Yes, chef,” you purr as you spin on your heel taking off in the other direction.

And really you should have expected the cheeky way his hand connects with your ass in a quick, sharp slap. You shoot him a glare over your shoulder, but he’s already facing the stove and stirring the sauce again as he adjusts the seasoning with a smirk.

You take a moment to pour yourself a glass of the wine Bradley had opened for you and take a sip. The bold, juicy flavor dancing across your tongue as you set about gathering the things to make a simple salad to go with the dinner he’s made for the two of you.

This is your favorite part of the day, when it’s just the two of you together.

The back and forth has always been easy with him. Whether it’s making dinner or running errands or doing laundry together. The things that always felt mundane on their own had become some of the things you most looked forward to during the week. It’s not that you need to be around him, but you always want to be around him.

When Bradley declares the sauce to be perfect, he comes and joins you at the island. Grabbing a cutting board of his own he starts slicing up the fresh baguette you’d picked up, offering you the end to snack on.

“Oh, what’s this?” he asks, picking up the box of assorted cake slices.

You continue chopping the cucumber in front of you, “Isn’t that fun? They had a stack of those at the checkout. I think they must have made too many cakes this week on accident, but it’s so smart of them so sell them that way. Why get one flavor when you can have six? Best of both worlds for everyone.”

“That so, huh?” he sounds amused by your enthusiasm, “Is there something else you wanted to talk to me about?”

It hadn’t been a particularly noteworthy visit, other than you’d been able to score a parking spot in front of the building, “Uh, not that I can think of?”

“You sure?” Bradley prods.

“No?... Oh! I was going to pick up that marbled rye you like while I was there getting the baguette, but they were already sold out. So I got a loaf of the multigrain brown bread and some sourdough instead.”

“Mmm, interesting.”

Stopping your salad prep, you look up at him skeptically, “Ok, why are you mmm-ing me, Bradshaw?”

Bradley’s eyes are alight with playful mischief as he slides the box of the cake slices towards you and pointedly double taps on the sticker on the upper right corner of the pink box with his finger.

You hadn’t stopped to read the shiny gold label when you’d grabbed it at the bakery, the tempting layers of cake and frosting and fillings had immediately sold you on it, but you couldn’t unsee what the curly scripted font said now.

Wedding Cake Sampler

“So, when’s the wedding? I’m assuming I’ll be invited,” he grins.

You feel your face get hot as you realize your mistake. It wasn’t just a sample box, but a very specific type of sample box. A very specific type of sample box for a very specific occasion.

Suddenly the interaction with the bakery employee as you were paying makes so much more sense now.

“Oh my god, the girl at the checkout said ‘Congratulations’ and I said ‘Happy Fri-yay’ back to her,” you groan, covering your eyes with your hands, “I thought she meant it like ‘Congrats on making it to Friday’ thing.”

He laughs, “Sweet girl, that’s about the damn cutest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Happy Fri-yay, Bradley! She was congratulating me on our- I mean- the nonexistent impending nuptials she thought I had and I reply to her that? We need to find a new bakery, I can’t go there ever again,” you lament. It’s truly a tragedy, since they have the best sticky pecan rolls in the area.

“And you call me a drama queen,” Bradley lightly teases, “She probably thought it was funny.”

You groan again, louder this time. If he was going to call you a drama queen, you’d at least try out your best Mariah Carey impersonation.

Your face is still hidden behind your hands when you feel Bradley gather you into his arms, running a warm hand up and down your back. “C’mon, it’s not even that bad. I’m sure I did at least three things more embarrassing than that today.”

“Yeah, I bet you did too,” you grumble into his chest without heat. The way he chuckles at your surliness lets you know he doesn’t take it personally. Not only is he getting laid, but you decide you’re definitely going to give him head too for being the sweetest man alive.

He takes your wrists in his hands and pulls the away from your face, “I gotta tell you, I’m glad it was just a little mix up. It would have sucked to find out my girlfriend had a fiancé I didn’t know about.”

You can see every shade of brown in his eyes as he looks into yours, the affection and amusement rippling there the same way the light catches the surface of a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning.

At this point you really do just have to laugh at yourself. It’s such a silly thing to get worked up about, especially since you know you’re probably more ruffled about Bradley potentially thinking that you’re trying to drop a not-so-subtle hint with it. And fact of the matter is that you still probably would have picked it up anyways, you just might have peeled off the incriminating sticker off in the car before bringing it in.

“You’ve got nothing to worry about, Bradshaw. I’ve got my hands more than full enough with you.”

“Yeah, you do,” he boasts, the insinuation is not lost on you.

You snort a laugh and shove at his chest lightly. He drops a kiss to the side of your head and makes his way back to the other side of the kitchen island as you get back to your salad making duties.

“Hey, just so you know, I can’t wait to eat wedding cake with you later,” he says as he continues to slice up the baguette.

You playfully toss a cucumber at him for his teasing and he pops in mouth with a grin.

A little later, when you have your steaming bowls of pasta in front of you at the dinner table, he raises his glass of wine to you, “Happy Fri-yay, sweet girl.”

And your laugh is as crystalline as the clink of your glass meeting his in cheers.

After the leftovers are put away and the dishes cleaned, the two of you are cozied up watching the new romcom that was just added on Netflix.

You’re stretched out across the couch with your feet in Bradley’s lap eating the cake you’d picked up. You try a bit of each flavor deciding which one you like the most to save it for the end, while Bradley takes his chances and eats one slice at a time before moving on to the next one. It’s truly unhinged behavior and you couldn’t help but tease him about it when you’d noticed his cake tasting methodology.

Bradley moans around a forkful of cake and you know he’s just found the carrot cake- his favorite.

He’s always been a bit of a pseudo health nut with questionable logic. “It’s got carrots and walnuts, it’s basically a superfood” he’s claimed on multiple occasions, while purposefully excluding the part about the pound of butter and cream cheese that goes into the frosting.

“I’d clear my schedule in heartbeat and take you to City Hall any day of the week as long as we get to have this carrot cake when we get married,” he says right before he licks the frosting off of his fork.

Your breath catches in your throat.

When, not if.

He says it so easily like there’s not a doubt in his mind that it’ll be you and him facing each other at the end of an aisle as vows about forever are exchanged.

He says it like a fact.

He says it like he knows.

“I didn’t realize I missed the part where you asked me,” you say, setting your plate on the coffee table in front of you, too full of the hope of it all to keep eating.

“And here I was waiting on you, kid,” he says playfully, taking another bite.

He’s teasing, you know he is. Bradley isn’t the type of man who would lead you on or play games with your heart.

“Bradley.” It’s an almost whine the way his name comes out of your mouth as you nudge his thigh with your foot. You turn your head to bury your face in the cushion of the couch, suddenly feeling very bashful.

The two of you have never talked about it, at least not like this before. Only in casual passing comments like getting a place with a bigger backyard for Duck or about setting up a joint banking account. A hypothetical future.

“Hey, c’mon. Look at me,” he coaxes, squeezing your foot. When you peek at him, the look on his face is all open sincerity, “You’re my forever girl. I love you and I’m planning on spending the rest of my life with you. That is, if you’re ok with that.”

A rush butterflies happily swoop and swirl around in your stomach.

He’s been in your life for almost three decades now. You’d known the boy, the teen, and you more than liked the man he’d become. You had absolutely no intention of ever letting him go. He was yours. Forever and always.

“That’d be ok with me,” you tell him freely. You watch as his smile gets wider and broader until it’s taking up his whole face, his eyes crinkling around the edges. “I think I could handle quite a few more decades with you, Bradley Bradshaw.”

“Is that so?” he drawls, his fingers skimming up and down the top of your calf.

“Oh, definitely. You’re stuck with me,” you grin.

“Good.”

He tugs your ankle, pulling you until your back is flat against the couch. You squeal in delight as he pins you down on the cushions, your arms and legs wrap around him on their own drawing him in even closer. Then he’s kissing every inch of your face that he can reach as you laugh in delight.

If it weren’t for Bradley’s sturdy bulk on top of you, you’re pretty sure you might have just floated away. You’ve never felt this incandescently light in your whole life.

He brushes one more quick kiss to the top of your nose before he pulls away, “But just so we’re on the same page, that wasn’t an official proposal. More like a declaration of intention.”

“I don’t know,” you muse, stroking his pink cheek, “Sounds like you’re desperate to wife me up, Bradley. Practically begging for me to take you to the courthouse.”

His hands go straight for curve of your waist, attacking that ticklish spot that’s always made you giggle and squirm. Only taking mercy on you once you’re out of breath. You’re almost positive that the smile on your face might be there permanently.

You don’t miss the intensity in Bradley’s eyes as they trace over your face as he settles himself more fully on you, “You don’t know the half of it, kid. But I’m letting you know now, I’m not going to make either one of us wait long for it.”

And then his mouth is on yours.

You feel the promise he’s making to you in his kiss. The caress of his hands along your body feels like a vow. You feel every ounce of just how much he loves and cherishes you. The cake was sweet, but his honeyed kiss tastes even sweeter.

“Tell me we can have carrot cake at our wedding, sweet girl,” he murmurs against your lips.

Our wedding.

The thought of it made you giddy.

You wanted to wear his ring on your finger just as much as you wanted to see him wearing one of his own one day. You liked your last name, but there was nothing more you wanted than to be Mrs. Bradshaw. It would be another thing you and Carole could share. A name and the everlasting love for her son.

“Ok, we can have carrot cake at our wedding,” you agree, wholeheartedly, “It’s basically a superfood, after all.”

“Damn right it is,” he beams.

The cake is quickly forgotten in favor of pulling your shirt over your head.

You might not have a ring. Yet.

But you did have a lifetime with Bradley and a carrot cake to look forward to. And that was more than enough for you.

Bradley was pretty sure that there was nothing better on this Earth than having you draped across his chest as you slept soundly in his arms. Your breathing had softened and evened out ages ago, but his mind was whirling with thoughts of his bright future with you.

He’d meant it when he’d told you he wasn’t going to make you wait long. Bradley didn’t know how much longer he could go on calling you his girlfriend when all he really wanted to call you his wife. He’s imagined you in a white dress walking towards him more times than he could count.

When he’d planned the surprised trip back to your shared hometown as a gift for your six-month anniversary, he might have had some ulterior motives. While it was nice to see the place you’d both grown up in again as adults, there had been a more pressing issue on his mind the whole time.

He hadn’t been able to control the nervous bounce of his leg or his sweaty palms when he’d ask your mom’s permission for your hand in marriage. It hadn’t been any easier the second time, when he’d had to do it all over again with you dad that sunny day at the golf course.

Bradley knew it was a bit of an antiquated tradition, but he’d never proposed to anyone before and he wanted to get it right. He wanted you and your parents to know just how serious he was about his intentions to love you for the rest of his life. He’d even asked Mav for his blessing too, just to make sure he had his bases covered.

It had thrown him through a loop when at the end of the trip you mom had slipped him the ring she’d worn while she was married to your dad. She’d told him there was no expectations or pressure to use it, she just wanted him to have it just in case.

The engagement ring his mom had worn had been tucked in the back corner of his nightstand for almost four months now. Bradley had pulled it out of storage sometime around the third month of officially dating you. It would be too soon for anyone else, but he’s already had decades with you. And he’d never been more sure about anything in his life as he was about knowing you were the one for him.

The two of you had always been perfectly right on time in your own way.

He’d dwelled on it for weeks trying to figure out if he should give them both to you at once. Or if he should propose to you with one and save the other to you during another monumental moment, like when the two of you started a family. He’d heard about push presents. He figured could turn one into a necklace or something for you.

Bradley could feel the presence of both rings every time he walked into the bedroom. They were both equally were important to him, he wanted to get it right.

His mom had known and loved you, he knew that she’d have been so excited to see her ring on your finger. And after his mom had passed, yours had helped him during those rough days in ways he didn’t think he could ever properly thank her for. Even though your parents’ marriage hadn’t worked out, they were the reason that you were here and he couldn’t imagine his life without you.

It wasn’t until Natasha had shown him the Toi et Moi style ring that things locked into place in a way that made his heart race at the very idea of it.

The right ring for the right girl.

He lets his fingers trail up and down your back gently as you slept soundly against him.

In the kitchen earlier that night, he might have bent the truth about his day just a little bit.

The final design had been sent to his email that morning. And it was more perfect than he could have imagined.

He did win $200 from Jake and had gone to the dog park with Duck, but he’d also stopped by the jewelers across town to give them both of the family heirlooms because he didn’t want to waste a single minute.

Two diamonds, one ring. The start of you and him. A story of your beginnings to be worn on the finger that would tie him to you with a golden thread for the rest of your lives together.

He’d even paid extra to have it engraved.

My sweet girl. My forever girl.

I genuinely thought I was one and done after I wrote my first fic in December of last year. And then came these two. 'Like I Can' was meant to be a oneshot that turned into a 3-part series that turned into half of my masterlist. I adore this couple with my whole heart. Thank you for reading along and celebrating with me!

Elle (@callsignspark) thank you for sending me the TikTok that inspired the headcanon about the wedding cake sampler, I'm showering you with shiny 'thank you' shaped confetti! And another big thank you to Jordan (@gretagerwigsmuse) for getting as giddy about these two as I do and for always enthusiastically reading the snippets I send you! You both are the best!

If you enjoyed these two, you can read their story from the start here!

You can read my other stories here!

Taglist:

@gretagerwigsmuse @sehnsuchts-trunken @notroosterbradshaw @tongue-like-a-razor @laracrofted @bradshawsbitch @starryeyedstories @top-hhun-main @startrekfangirl2233 @callsign-viper @teacupsandtopgun @shanimallina87 @angelbabyange @oneelleandaneye @mizzzpink @cornishkat @alana4610 @20th-centu-fairy-girl @pono-pura-vida @donttouchmycarrots @eg-dr3amer3 @whaledots-blog @a-beaverhausen @hangmanscoming @mandolin22 @theweekndhistorybook @lilpeekabooze @high-bi-imgonnacry @ahintofkiwistrawberry @ruewrote @spiderman-stilinski @jayniebop @my-soulmate-is-mycroft @imaginecrushes @keyrani @chicomonks @artemissunn @mayempress @eddiemunsonreader

[empressdrega27]

Bad Ending AU (not canon)

Soooooo @24hourshipping wrote a similar fic and I figured I would write the bad end for my universe as well! It’s exceptionally sad lmao

Please don’t read if you’re prone to depressive episodes as a result of angst, it’s under a cut for those that don’t want the sad~

Elizabeth sobbed, paying no attention to the ache in her ribs or the searing pain in her chest. She had better things to worry about after all. The man of her dreams was dying, and there was nothing she could do. Lancelot refused to hand over the tablet, it seemed he was determined to end his life, as well as the lives of all the exhibits.

“You monster!! Why can’t you just grow a pair and give me the tablet?!”, Eliz shrieked, her voice hoarse from crying, “Why can’t you just leave us alone? They’ve done nothing to you and you’re killing them!!”

“This is not a life worth living, creature!”, Lancelot spat bitterly, “To be nothing but a wax figure, ogled and ridiculed by lesser folk, I shan’t have it! You should thank me, I’m giving all these poor souls the rest they deserve.”

“NO!! YOU’RE A COWARD, AFRAID TO LIVE WHEN YOU KNOW YOUR EXISTENCE IS A LIE!! YOU WERE NEVER REAL, AND YOU CAN’T DEAL WITH THAT!! YOU’RE NO KNIGHT, YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A GOOD FOR NOTHING FAKE!! YOU DON’T DESERVE TO BEAR THE NAME LANCELOT, BECAUSE I’VE MET HIM AND YOU’RE A POOR IMITATION!!”, Eliz’s voice shook the building and Lance’s eyes widened, perhaps in indignation, perhaps in fear, but Elizabeth didn’t care.

All she cared about was Ahk, and he wasn’t doing well at all. It was horrible, more awful than she could have possibly imagined. Ahk was decomposing, slowly transforming back to a mummy, and all Eliz could do was watch. He raised a hand and shakily tried to push her face so that she was facing away from him, but he was so weak he could barely manage even that.

“Please…… look away……. I…… I don’t want you…….to see me…...like this”, he rasped.

Eliz’s eyes shone with tears and she grabbed his hand and kissed it.

“No, I want to look at you, cuz you’re beautiful no matter what, and I want to see you, I want to look at you forever. I love you”.

The pharaoh blinked a tear from his eyes and smiled at her, “Even when I look like this…… you are still so kind to me. My……… goddess.”

Eliz’s eyes widened as his body continued to wither away and his soul began to slip from his body.

“N-no…. No! You can’t leave me!! Please!! Please don’t go!! I can’t…..”, her voice broke, “I don’t know what I’ll do without you!!!”

She turned sharply and watched as Lancelot froze, the tablet slipping from his hands. As if in slow motion, Eliz saw the tablet fall and hit the concrete, and in a single horrible moment…..

It shattered into a million pieces.

The dragoness screamed, watching as all the exhibits returned to their frozen and inanimate forms, and she returned her gaze to Ahk. A ragged sob tore from her chest as she looked at the mummy that only hours ago was her mate. He was near unrecognizable, and even his clothes looked worn and ancient, his crown tarnished as the tablet had been.

Eliz sobbed, her anguished cries echoing throughout the night air. She suddenly stood and limped to the remains of the tablet, shouting a spell though her tears. It had no effect. She screamed it over and over again but nothing happened, and Eliz screamed again.

Her breathing became ragged and she spun to where Lancelot’s wax figure stood, it’s face still wide eyed. Eliz snarled and drew a breath before exhaling sharply, a jet of white-blue fire bursting forth from her open maw and completely decimating the wax figure. Not even ashes remained of Lancelot now.

Eliz turned and with a wave of her hands a few portals opened, closing gently around each exhibit and transporting them back to their home, back to the museum. Larry and Nicky followed through another portal, and when they arrived they stood together silently, watching their friend with sad expressions.

As quiet as a ghost, Eliz placed every exhibit in their rightful place, but she couldn’t change their pained expressions, nor could she fix their poses. It didn’t matter though. Lastly, Eliz picked up Ahk, and her heart ached at how light his body felt. She walked silently to his tomb, sliding open his sarcophagus and placing him gently inside. On the lid were sticky notes with doodles she had drawn for him, and a nightlight shaped like a smiling cat. There was a pillow that he had found, full of microbeads but strangely not enough so that the pillow was always too squishy. He had loved it though, because it was purple, like her.

She tried to take the items that were laid in his sarcophagus, but she couldn’t bring herself too. Something about taking them felt wrong, and she wanted the things he loved to remain there with him. Instead she took the one thing that she knew he would want her to have; his cloak.

She replaced it with a copy, one she had made long ago in case his real one went missing. That seemed like such a faraway time now. Eliz put the cloak over her shoulders, and she looked down one final time. It was then that her legs gave out and she collapsed beside him.

“Why? Why does everyone I love die? Why does everything that makes me happy get taken away from me? Why did you have to take him?! WHY COULDN’T YOU HAVE TAKEN ME INSTEAD?! HE DIDN’T DESERVE THIS!! HE WAS GOOD AND KIND AND I LOVED HIM!!!”, her voice died to a mere whisper, “I loved him so much”.

There was so much she wanted to say to him, the man she had loved so deeply. So many words that were yet to be spoken, and would now never be said. Eliz pulled the lid closed and set the heavy slab of stone on top. She then looked at the wall where the tablet would be, and she wondered what to put in it’s place.

An idea struck her and she held her hand out, a beam of magical energy carving a message into the wall. It was written in runes that couldn’t be read by mortal beings and it could never be removed or covered. And with that, Elizabeth walked out of the tomb and down the stairs and through the doors of the museum for the last time.

Larry and Nicky never saw her again.

That day the city was in an uproar of the theft of the Tablet of Ahkmenrah and the strange message that the thief supposedly left. No one ever figured out what it said.

Only the dragoness who wrote it knew, for the words were seared into her forever;

‘Here lies the man I love,

Taken from me by a cowardly wretch,

I return him here to be amongst his family,

For they were killed as well,

And here I also leave my heart,

For it belongs to him,

And I have no more use for it anyways.’

Signed, The Fallen Goddess

Drega was rarely seen, for she seldom left her home anymore. Her soul had been shattered as surely as the tablet was, and there was nothing that could repair it. And no matter how much she wanted to, the dragoness was cursed to never die, so she would live forever with a broken heart.

But she was far more clever than that.

It is said that she went to the realm between realms, that she went to the void of worlds and closed her eyes to reality. Casting herself and her responsibilities away.

The universe saw her and granted her the rest she desired, but still her soul could not reach his.

It seems that this story has no happy ending.