#i've watched the videos so many times but they never fail to make me giggle

[xitty]

Natsuki Hanae, Kensho Ono and Takuya Eguchi poking foam.

[snowdropluck204]

Join The Digital Age - Spencer Reid x Streamer! Fem! Reader - Pt 2

So... I haven't been doing these for a while... Been a bit rough recently, been struggling... I know a lot of people wanted to see Spencer reacting to TLAU, as much as I would love to, I've never actually played it! I'm gonna watch some playthroughs and see what I can do! Until then, I'm gonna do some games the I personally have played! Enjoy! Xxx

Pt 2 - Pumpkin Panic

(y/n) pov

Since that first time Spencer had walked in on my stream, he had been more and more interested in technology and video games. Spencer bought a laptop after watching me playing Stardew Valley, after a huge amount of research into the best laptops that could run Stardew, not that he was going to use the laptop for anything else...

I thought it was super cute, and it was nice having something the both of us could do together! After a long stream, you'd think that the last thing I'd want to do is play video games, but more recently, I found myself enjoying my gaming time with Spence, more than when I was playing games for a stream. It was so sweet, trying to teach him the mechanics, the secrets, seeing him reacting to the characters (and trying to profile them), one of his first questions about the game was what the engagement ring in the crafting menu was for. I told him it was so you could marry other players, he blushed bright red.

About a week later, I came home to find that he had been binging the game without me, collecting the materials to make the ring and surprise me. He had enjoyed the game so much, he was questioning taking his laptop to use on the jet, on the way home from cases, so I went and bought him a Nintendo Switch, so he could bring it with him to work, apparently his entire team was shocked.

More recently though, I had been playing smaller indie games that I had found on itch.io, games like Pumpkin Panic. I set up the camera, sitting myself down comfortably in my chair, waving to everyone watching, "Hi everyone! How are we all?" I asked, waiting for people to join the stream, getting a bunch of messages in chat, telling me about people's day, I spent a good forty minutes just talking to people, before mentioning the game I would be playing.

"So, I found a game on itch.io, I think a lot of people have been playing it recently, called Pumpkin Panic." I told the stream, getting a bunch of messages, telling me whether or not my viewers had heard of it, or even played the game. "I'm probably going to be pretty bad at it from the get go, but bare with me, maybe those of you who have played the game can help me out?" I asked, opening the game file.

I smiled at the title menu, "Oh, this is cute! So apparently, this is kind of similar to Stardew, but with a bit more of a horror aspect, it kind of reminds me of Sleepy Hollow..." I mentioned offhandedly. I began playing, giggling at my cute lil character running around. I panicked a little at the random events of the monsters in the game, before one of them killed me.

"Aw! I wasn't doing great but hey!" I whined, "Those clown things are hard!" I leaned back against my chair, I had lasted about ten minutes, the timer taunting me. As I sat talking to my viewers, writing down any helpful tips and tricks, Spencer came through the front door, sighing tired. I turned around to look at him, "Hey baby!" I greeted softly, smiling at him.

Spencer gave me a tired grin, before seeing that I was streaming, "Oh, I'm sorry angel, I didn't know you'd be streaming..." Spencer mumbled. I smiled shaking my head, "It's okay, I'm sure nobody would mind if I wrapped it up early tonight." I told him.

Spencer waved off the comment, "No, you're good," He told me, dragging over a stool from the kitchen to sit behind me, "So what are you playing?" He asked.

I smiled, turning back to my game and explaining, grinning when he said it was like scary Stardew. I finished up the stream, finally managing to beat the game after many failed attempts, Spencer being incredibly helpful throughout, but decided that this wasn't a game he would play for himself...

I hope this was okay, I just wanted to write about this game! If you guys are interested, it's free on Itch.io! Hope you liked this! Xxx

[avalentina]

Valentine 🧸

A/N: Warnings- pure fluff, some mentions of sex (nothing super explicit), swearing

Text Key-

Harry commenting on your Instagram live

Fans commenting on the live

÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷

"Hey Valentines! Missed y'all so so so, so much! Sorry I was off the grid, but when a certain someone in my life calls I go running without a second thought. But, I'm back now, and with a SUPER special surprise for y'all. You're never gonna believe it, I'm joining one of my favorite artist's world tour! You might've heard of him, or maybe you've heard one of his songs, he has sooooooo many good ones after all."

You say into your Instagram live and watch as the comments pour in. Your fans almost demanding you stop teasing them and just spit it out, but you can't do that quite yet.

"You should probably stay, probably stay a couple more days, c'mon let me change your ticket home." You sing into the live, they start spamming the chat with Niall, Louis, and Zayn, but not enough of the guy you want to see.

"Who's that shadow holding me hostage, I've been here for days, who's this whisper telling me that I'm never gonna get away."

They riot chanting Niall because you and Niall are actually good friends. And he is going on tour soon for his new album "The Show". But you're still laughing and someone else is supposed to make a background appearance in your video after making a few comments to see if the fans catch it.

"But if you like causing trouble up in hotel rooms, and if you like having secret little rendezvous, if you like to do the things you know that we shouldn't do, then baby I'm perfect, baby I'm perfect for you."

Harry pops in the comments as you get into the chorus.

"And if you like midnight driving with the windows down and if you like going places we can't even pronounce" you sing

Harry has his first comment typed. And once you start singing it, he posts it.

" If you like to do whatever you've been dreaming about then baby you're perfect, baby you're perfect"

"So let's start right now"

"Yo, was that Harry Styles commenting?"

"OMG IS Y/N JOINING LOT?"

The comment section continues to blow up, and even through Harry sucks at Instagram, you walked him through how to request access to a live.

"So, are you ready for your surprise yet?" You add, smiling cheekily. "He's about to go live with us, Valentines give a huge warm welcome to the Master of Fruits himself," you say, but still haven't gotten Harry's request to join. "Hold on, I'm sure he's just failing at Instagram again," you say to your fans and hit the mute button.

"H!" You holler back to your shared bedroom in his NYC apartment.

You unmute and laugh.

"Harry just texted me Valentines, he is complaining about Instagram not liking him again, Said he can't find the request button. I know, I know, weird right?"

So you mute and go black screen for a minute to "call him back"

You set him up and approve the request so he joins in, but in order to do that, you're the one holding his phone when the video feed pops up for everyone to see. And you hand it back to H.

When you turn your screen back on, the comments have blown up! Like big time!

"HOLY SHIT, ARE Y/N AND HARRY DATING?"

"THEY'RE SLEEPING TOGETHER OMG!"

"MY CELEBRITY SHIP WISH HAS COME TRUE! FINALLY!"

"FUCKING FINALLY!"

You laugh at your own moment of stupidity, and then say screw it. Harry turns his phone off and the two of you give smug smiles to your fans.

"Oops. Well I guess we fucked up that one H." You say to your phone.

Harry can't help but kiss you as you giggle and you push him away playfully.

"SO! We're getting serious again, that was not your super surprise, but I'm sure you enjoyed, and yes we are dating, we have been for almost three years now. BUT, the SUPER DUPER AWESOME SPECIAL SURPRISE IS I'M JOINING HARRY'S LOVE ON TOUR! He got so desperate, he missed me soooo much, that he actually begged and annoyed me about it until I caved."

"Ey, it was a little bit more dignified than that Val."

"Awwwww, he calls her Val!"

"Lawd, why are you two so cute?"

"I want that, I want that relationship right there."

"Y'all are so sweet! And you can catch more of us together during LOT EUROPE!"

"Bye for now Valentines!"

You end the live and Harry just laughs, so are you.

Your laughing quickly turns heated as Harry rolls on top of you and pins you beneath him. Which leads to hot morning sex, after which you glance at your phone.

"H, we're already trending. #VALENTSTYLES"

(A few weeks later)

"Y/N Valentino and Harry Styles: Inseparable OnStage, and Off"

The headline flew and shows were sold out almost immediately, and the best part, you and Harry are free to be out and about together.

(Valentine's Day)

"Oh Valentine!" Harry croons as he wakes you up.

"Are you ever going to be done using that joke?" You ask him, already knowing his answer, (no). You chuck a pillow at him in retaliation but he just catches it.

"Is there anything you can't do?" You ask him just before pulling his lips to yours in a soft warm kiss.

[missamyrisa2]

Now the milking needs to extend to you… a machine that pounds and fucks you while gathering your sweet juices while so many anonymous hands explore your most delicate ticklish areas.. your tush, ribs, breasts and armpits.. allll around and around while you push through the endless orgasms and treatment ❤️

Ahhhhhh whyyy is my askbox filling with theeese you're terribleee and amazing and gosssshh youuu sweeet tickly ❤️

Because as ~mmmh ~ smutty dreams gooo ~ being machine milked in front of a group is like top tier for mee~

I posted a video in that video archive that has this very scenario and it's like eeee sooo amazing ~ and here's how I'm thinking of it right now~

The more I struggle, the more the machine milks, and yet I can never resist it ~ my legs are kicking worthlessly like I'm trying to swim upward ~ the sleeve of silk twirls and dances on my throbbing royal tip, the tube appendage bounces up and down merrily. The chains of the pink sling rattle about as I fight once again ~ my onlookers, captors, teasers, torturers, snicker and chatter through their masks. Though I can't see their faces I can hear the grins and smirks in their voices ~ the glittery eye holes in each mask never fail to make my tummy tremble in gigglish fear ~

Gloved hands wiggle and dance once more, almost artful in how they swirl around the pumping noisy bustling machine, encouraging my body to thrust and buck upwards right into the tube as it merrily milks ~ I've lost my words now, only outputting a stream of squeaking giggling gasps and nonsense chirps ~ their fingers descend wiggling on my nipples and tummy, tracing my ribs and following my booty as it jumps up and down ~ their soft gloves and relentless technique are like insatiable tickle machines ~ maybe they are all bots, sent to destroy me into tickly madness~

I shake my head seeing one of them holding the milker's remote. That wicked masked face nods yes yes yes and turns the dial, sending the bouncing tube into overdrive. For a moment. Then it levels back. I gasp out and slip something that sounds like "giggleeeclusterfuuuuuk!!" in protest. They toy with me, speeding up the milking for a moment making the apparatus suckle my princess part for a moment frantically before slowing. Then back up. Every time I arch and pull at the chains, and those fingers follow taunting my every move, tickling me as punishment for such dramatic reactions ~

The fingers gliding in my armpits become the worst, just like a line of taunts to my princess part. I can't hold on any more, I know I'm going to lose to this relentless machine again ~ I try to seal my lips, try to not give them more silly sounds ~ but they are merciless, the ticklers see my strategy and tsk, flicking fingers on my nipples and rubbing my hips earnestly. I gigglemoan and snickergasp, groaning out madly as my hips buck and stay bucked, the machine speeding up ~ and beeping in confirmation as yet another gigglecum is triggered ~

I'm breathless, soundless save for tiny high pitched giggles as I watch helplessly my giggledrops extracted and sucked away into the milking machine's tube. And before I can even drift into a fuzzy rest, the group snickers down at me, taunting with fleeting tickles on my sides and ribs and thighs ~ the one with the remote starting a new sequence as the machine's secondary module activates ~ revealing a glowing slightly curved pink extension which begins buzzing and thrusting softly ~ aligning as the chains are adjusted to make my legs lift and spread and prepare for the dreaded honeyspot tickles~

[dal22nd]

no rlly, to my twin? soulmate? enemy?

hi baby!!! did ya miss me!!!

yeah, look... i bet ur ass watched the video below first out of curiosity (or not?) but hey!!! i'll try keep it brief and short like a sbar for u, bbg...

i just thought i'd kinda crossover with a tumblr blog, yanno... since we don't rlly aff anymore and so all i could do is fucking make a tumblr blog abruptly to compensate for how stupid i was last year for fucking up ur birthday when U literally make it in time every SINGLE time??? bro... i... am still dwelling over that...

but...

happy 22nd birthday, dalena!!! <3333 ur finally old, like actually old??? and knowing u, i bet ur extremely excited for the new events and challenges to find u, like i bet ur ass is about to explode in excitement like yeah!!! come at me, 22!!! u piece of shit!!! i'm gonna be rich at the age of 22!!@@@@@@!! ok, but in all seriousness, we're spending ur second birthday together!!! <: i'm so glad we made it so far, but i'm also dumbfounded yet pleasantly surprised at how it's ONLY been two years??? it feels like more, but looking back at the memories we made makes it feels like it's too less??? if that makes sense??? replaying our old videos and reminiscing our old photos made me realise how much more i'd love to stick by u and do more dumb yet cute things together??? i want to explore parts of the world with u with laughs and giggles like we always do, and even go on dates with our future boyfies together one day... like there's just so much to accomplish and left to do with u, and i'm so honoured and happy to have somebody to do everything with!!! i think i'm incredibly lucky to just have u come across my mind immediately when i think of wanting to do things, because i know so many people who lack that particular person in their lives,,, sure, it can be their significant other or a member of their family but truly, i believe that a friendship like ours is quite rare and special?? if i could flex something of mine, u would literally be the first thing (yeah, thing) without a doubt,,, <3

i've always shielded myself from judgement by feigning nonchalance most times (as u would know.. or gaslight..) and never really disclosed details about myself or inner feelings to anyone out there, which includes my family, but towards u???? i feel exposed at times to the point it makes me trip over me and my own deep thoughts; but i've always concluded that it's never actually a bad feeling, it's more so a foreign feeling... i would've never chose to do this alone, but it's because u!!! are the person who drew me out to be more true about myself!!! u hold the capability of doing so because you've grown up that way, u observe carefully and ask what's right and know what's right---you're intelligent, u read people and ur confident about urself, hence why ur able to do such magical things---like sure, i don't hold any power to stamp and validate the fact that this is the exact reason why u are the definition of perfection, etcetera, but i strongly think that's the essence to why i'm unknowingly happy to open up towards u, and i'm sure it's not just me who feels this way anyway?? i exaggerate it all the time, but i'm never too fancy with words irl nor am i as expressive irl, i just fucking cry like a mf pussy and call it a day since i'm poor at mustering and conveying my thoughts as whole when i'm put into the situation... idk if anything i said makes sense, but whenever i'm facing an opportunity to be more truthful towards u, that's the first thing i always want to mention (man.. ur gonna see how many times i'm repeating this shit after seeing smth else later..)

also, not to mention, ur so god damn giving??? is that a fucking word??? generous??? yeah??? humble??? u never fail to amaze me when ur acting upon smth, ur always taking a step ahead of others and never doing anything that makes u look petty whatsoever?? u take initiative and demonstrate what a good deed is, and sometimes i can't help but to feel little when u live up to doing something so generous and nice,,, i think abt how i should repay u and also how i can thank u except ur always going ???wtf u gay ass cockroach??? but really, i never stopped thinking this ever since i met u cus like... who tf buys a total stranger (who could literally be a fucking murderer in disguise) a hoodie, two albums and food at first encounter??? like i tell u now, if i can tell my child about my most shocked moments in life, that'd have to be one... i know u always make urself up to be not the kindest person, but to me ur literally top notch when it comes to consideration and kindness---like how ur always taking a step forward to take care of me in all situations, giving me a listening ear at all times, making sure i'm always safe, accompanying me to places, driving me back home, agreeing to any idea i have and being happy for anything i achieve---you're a bundle of positive energy anyone would love, it's just that the only problem is that no one truly deserves you unless they're fucking godly or smth... (inner thought: am i god?) see.. like ur so fucking nice to the point i occasionally think,,, are we rlly that similar or is she just fucking matching up w me to make it look like we're similar cus she's just that fucking nice??? LIKE GAWD.... i mean... i hope it's not that...

ok, jfc, i feel like i'm actually going to babble all day long so i need to pack my shit up and realise this day isn't going on for the rest of the year... to sum everything up tho, i really really really appreciate you, dalena!!! like so much, and i cherish u a whole lot more than anyone---i can't imagine how boring life would be without u now, and ur literally my ride to die atp... i apologise in advance for thinking of u so highly cus now i feel like u might be like GAWD... there's a fucking parasite on me... how do i cut ties... but yeah, now i need to fucking find a man that's as compatible to me like u are which is gonna be a whole fucking challenge, huh :)))) </3 but REALLY REALLY, i'm not the ***best*** friend nor am i as considerate as u, but i hope i' haven't been too fucking dumb and immature i'm bearable to have around on days u feel like u just want a friend to hang with, hehe... T_T <333 i love love love u, ma angel...

from... ur dad (aru)

[sammy-is-not-smiley]

i saw you were looking for requests and i've had this small idea of reader x steve where reader is a senior in HS and is a cheerleader and she happened to see steve hopelessly flirting with people at family video and finds it so adorable so she starts going more frequently until she finally works up the nerve to talk to him and yeah just very fluffy and wholesome kinda dorky steve <3

Next Aisle Over

Steve Harrington x fem!reader/cheerleader!reader

S4 SPOILER FREE

Summary: By chance, you overhear the former 'King Steve' fail miserably at trying to pick up a girl and it leaves you coming back for more.

Word count: 2.4k

Warnings/tags: Mentions of stalking, mutual pining, fluff, flirting, wholesome, that whole shebang

A/N: Thank you for the request!! You have no idea how much I appreciate it and how excited I got when I saw it!! I hope it's to your liking, it was a bit difficult at first but once I go the ball rolling I got it to flow. Hope you enjoy!

You were walking around Family Video that day just to pass the time. Cheer practice had ended early and you knew you would be bored going straight home from it. Nobody was free to hang out that evening and your parents were working late, so you knew you needed something to do at home other than your homework. With Hawkins being Hawkins, things to do by yourself were pretty slim pickings. Therefore, you figured you would stop by the video store and find yourself something new to watch in the basement that night. 

You knew Robin Buckley worked there, so you weren’t surprised to see her at the front counter when you walked in. You saw her regularly at certain school games with the band and spoke with her occasionally simply by chance. 

However, what you didn’t expect to see was Steve ‘The King’ Harrington to be working with her. You had assumed, along with many from the grade ahead of you, he would be running from Hawkins as soon as he got the chance. Graduating, moving on, going to college, getting married, all the usual milestones. Yet there he was, in the aisle in front of you, having a not-so-smooth conversation with a girl while probably being paid minimum wage. 

“You know, the main character in this movie reminds me a bit of you.”

The girl giggled, making your face contort. That couldn’t be her real laugh, could it? 

“What makes you say that?” She asked sweetly. You took two movies from the shelf to choose between, perking your ear for his response.

“You both have the same eyes I think… You know you have beautiful eyes? You should never close them, not even at night.”

You puffed air out your nose in dry humor as you put one movie back on the shelf. You had to admit, that line wasn’t too bad. A little cheesy but not the cheesiest you’d ever heard. 

Before you could hear the girl's response you began making your way over to the front counter with your tape of choice. Robin caught sight of you from the back and after waving, gave you a ‘one moment’ gesture as she carried a pile of tapes. 

While waiting, your eyes trailed over to Steve still speaking to the girl. You looked just in time to see her turn away, rather annoyed. With a slight breeze, she walked past you towards the romance section, disappearing behind another shelf. 

You chuckled to yourself, wishing you had heard what went so wrong so fast. Looking back at Steve, he had his hand in his hair and cheeks puffed out in a sigh as he looked at the ground. For a moment he glanced at you, then quickly turned away and pretended to adjust the tapes that didn’t need adjusting. Somehow his hair was just as you had remembered it, if not a little more shaggy.

“Hi, sorry about that. Just this tape (y/n)?” Robin said as she approached the counter.

“Yep, that’s it,” You glanced back over at Steve for a moment, then leaned in over the counter. “Does he do that a lot?”

Robin glanced at him as well. “What, mess up the shelves? Yeah, a lot.” 

You smiled as she typed into the computer. “No, I mean flirting with random girls that walk in.” 

“Ohh, yeah,” She nodded her head. “He does that a lot too. It never lands, believe it or not.” She tutted, then asked for your information for the rental. You gave it to her gladly. 

“Funny, didn’t he used to have a lot of game?” You continued the conversation, retrieving your wallet from your bag. The question sounded innocent enough, but you genuinely wondered what suddenly made it so hard for him to swoon a girl. Just a year or two before he was the prince charming of Hawkins High.

“Total is $5.22. And ‘game’? Eh, to be honest with you, I don’t think he really ever had game.” She replied sarcastically, although a smile played on her face.

You snickered with Robin as you paid. When you turned to leave you looked once more at Steve standing in the same aisle, only to already catch him staring at you. Quickly you averted your gaze and focused on your short journey home. 

Only a few days later you returned, planning on trading in your old movie for a new one… And also planning on eavesdropping a bit. Was it so wrong you wanted to witness Steve’s flirting crash and burn again? 

Once again, Robin was at the counter. Quickly you returned the rental, then began to trek through the store, aisle by aisle, until you heard a familiar voice the next aisle over along with a feminine giggle. 

“No wonder it’s all grey and cloudy outside, all the color is in your eyes.”

Your head snaked back in surprise. Did he have an obsession with eyes or something?

There was a short pause before the silence was broken. “It’s… not cloudy outside anymore.” A girl's voice responded warily. 

You bit your tongue to keep from laughing as you shifted yourself to look out the front windows. Sure enough, the sun was out. 

“What? W-... I uh… Really?” Steve stuttered clumsily. “I could’ve sworn it was supposed to be cloudy all day…”

“Look, can you just help me find what I need?” 

Your eyes widened. This was better than you thought it would be. 

You brought your hand to your smirk as Steve gave a dejected ‘yeah’ and the two left the aisle next to yours. Only then did you let out a small laugh, quickly walking out of the store in second-hand embarrassment. 

On the drive home, you couldn’t help but continue to smile to yourself. Since when did Steve’s attempts at flirting get to be so clumsy and adorable? Back in school, you heard stories from other girls of Steve picking them up like his words were sex to their ears. Now though, his words were more like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Unable to get over the pure awkwardness of it, you knew you had to come back for more. 

And that’s what you did after nearly every cheer practice on Mondays and Fridays. Sometimes he wouldn’t be working, but on others, he was there and you heard him try to flirt at least once. Every once in a while he would get the girl's number, but you always heard from Robin at check out that the dates never went anywhere… If he even got a date in the first place. You had to admit, your heart went out to the guy for trying. He was persistent, that was for sure. 

Eventually, you began to feel strange about spying on him like you were. You still tried not to speak to him and only pay for a rental if Robin was working the counter. When you thought about it, you couldn’t recall ever speaking to Steve recently, at least not since he graduated. That led you to wonder if you were truly being as sneaky as you tried to be, dodging his sight as much as you could while still being near him. He hadn’t noticed you yet, right?

Robin quickly began to catch on to your frequent visits and gravitation toward Steve. She tried her best to keep quiet about it to him, but on one closing shift, she couldn’t help herself.

Steve had sighed, banging his head against his locker once after yet another rejection. “Rob, I just hit on the same girl a second time this week because I didn’t fucking remember her.” He whined, banging his head once more. “I think I’ve hit on every girl in town.”

“Eh, not every girl…” She shrugged, stripping off her work blazer. 

He looked at her, a red splotch glowing on his forehead. “You don’t count.”

“Not me, stupid,” She laughed. “You really haven’t noticed her?”

He put his palms out helplessly. “Who?”

“Just like you to not notice,” She mumbled, stuffing the blazer in the locker and slamming it shut. “You have a secret admirer, Stevie.”

The spark in his eyes reignited, however, he crossed his arms with an annoyed expression. “And you’re not going to tell me who it is?”

Robin tilted her head up and shook it proudly. “That’s for you to figure out, I am simply an observer.” Dramatically she put her hands out and bowed, feigning humility. 

After that night, Steve tried his best to pay attention to his surroundings throughout the work days. Eventually, he noticed you came in often, however, if at any point he tried to seek you out, you would magically disappear. That is until you were checking out with Robin at the front. One day while doing so, Robin glanced at Steve on the other side of the store and smiled to herself.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to keep this up much longer, (y/n),” She said, keys clacking as she typed.

“Keep what up?”

“Playing creeper around Harrington,” She shook her head. “What else would I be talking about?” 

Your eyes widened and you leaned over the counter slightly. “Is it that obvious? Does he know?”

“He’s starting to catch on.” 

That scared you away for a while, and you weren’t proud to admit that. You weren’t quite ready to speak to him yet, as frustrated as that made you. Why would you spy on him just to never talk? Wasn’t that what you were working towards?

Eventually, late fees for your recent rental started to come in and rack up in price the longer you stayed away. Robin even encouraged you at school to come back and keep doing what you had been, that it was driving Steve crazy. Your stomach did summersaults over that the rest of that night after hearing that news.

At that point, you had had time to mull over the situation and you made a decision: If you just so happened to run into him, you’d make a move. Silently, though, you also decided that you were also going to try to avoid him. Setting yourself up for failure on purpose felt like the best possible plan.

You decided to go back to Family Video on a Tuesday, out of the usual norm, in an attempt to not look as suspicious. Your silent plan of avoidance was immediately thrown out the window as you walked through the front doors. This time, Steve was the one at the counter. 

He gave you a polite smile and the customary Family Video welcome before you turned and made your way over to the romance section. Then the horror. Then the comedy. At no point did you see Robin and you concluded she must not have been working that day. 

Shit. 

Absentmindedly you began adjusting your ponytail as you went up to the counter and slapped the old movie on the counter. “I need to return.”

“No problem,” Steve nodded, beginning the return process. “You’ve been in a lot recently, right?”

You shrugged, playing with the ends up your jacket sleeves at your sides. “Yeah, a little I guess.” 

“I remember you, you always come in in uniform.”

He remembered you?

“Where’s Robin today?” You blurted, cringing internally at yourself.

“Off for the afternoon.”

“Bet you’re jealous.”

He shrugged and looked at you. “Not right now.” He smiled, then looked back at the computer. Then his brow came together. “Oh… Uh, looks like you have some late fees?” 

“Shit, yeah,” You cursed and fumbled for your wallet. “I was kind of avoiding coming in,” You chuckled nervously. 

He tilted his head. “Yeah, those fees will get you.”

You slapped your wallet on the counter and paused to look at him. “No, not because of the fees. It was because listening to you flirt so much was too nauseating,” You teased. 

He laughed in disbelief and rested a hand on his hip, the other resting at the computer. “Nauseating? No, no, I think what you were feeling were butterflies. It’s a common side effect actually.” He said matter of factly as he grinned. 

You shook your head defiantly. “Pretty sure it was nausea, I know what that feels like.” You dug in your wallet, taking out a twenty and sliding it to him. “Can’t be puking in public.”

He hummed a response, taking the bill and beginning to retrieve your change. As he handed you the coins, you noticed he purposely pushed the weight of his hand down into yours until your hand hit the counter before dropping the coins in your palm. The gesture left your skin feeling like static. 

Newfound confidence jumped in your chest as you stuffed the change into your wallet. “Anyone ever given you butterflies?”

His breath hitched in his throat at the question. “Uh, well… once or twice.” Right fucking now, he thought. 

You looked up and gave him a sweet smile. “That’s nice.”

You stared at each other for a moment. Over the weeks before you had been avoiding him as much as you could. Now though you found yourself not wanting to leave. The jingle of the front door broke the tie between you two as another customer walked in. 

Steve’s eyes darted as he tried to think of something to say. “You… want another movie?”

You sighed, putting your wallet away. “I don’t know, those fees drained me pretty dry.”

He shook his head. “Go pick one out. It’s on the house.”

“What?” You paused, your hand on the zipper of your bag. “Why?”

He smiled knowingly and leaned over the counter on his elbows. “Gives you a reason to come back and stalk me again.” 

This close, you could smell what you assumed to be the product he used in his hair. 

Your mouth dropped open. “I… That’s not-... I was not stalking you,” You tried to play off cooly, but it was an obvious failure. 

He shrugged, pulling away. “Whatever, if you don’t want the free movie that’s fine by me.”

“Wait, hang on,” You piped, your pitch higher than usual. Only when he turned and you saw his expression did you realize you just fell hook line and sinker for his ploy. Your shoulders sagged.. “Oh, ha ha, I get it,” You deadpanned and rolled your eyes. “You’re a real tool, you know that?”

He put his hands up, his mouth tilting to the side. “So I’ve been told.” He leaned on the counter again. “But I’ve never once been a stalker.”

Shaking your head, you whirled around and called to him over your shoulder. “See you around, Harrington.”

“I bet you will, secret agent-... Wait, hey! I don’t know your name-”

You didn’t stick around to tell him.

[cherryonigiri]

nanami kento [evenings with you]

nanami kento x reader || cw: descriptions of blood/injuries, light angst

a/n: this is just self-indulgent writing for me but i'm v stressed about school rn and this is the result. just imagine that y/n is a bio/medical phd candidate lol.

Nanami can tell that you're stressed. Usually you savor the nights he's not on overtime, asking him about work and refusing to leave his side for most of the evening. He's used to you being attentive, so the fact that you've asked him the same question twice within the last ten minutes is already setting alarm bells ringing in his head. You're constantly fiddling with something, or flashing furtive glances towards the bedroom when you think he's not paying attention.

It only gets worse after dinner. You insist on washing up, something about how you want him to 'enjoy his night off.' Nanami compromises, silently grabbing a towel and drying the dishes. It's clear that your mind is elsewhere. Your hands scrub the porcelain on autopilot, and he can hear you muttering under your breath.

Every now and then you'll mutter a list of tasks under your breath. Nanami remembers you mentioning that things were hectic in lab. You're almost always still working when gets home from work, even when it's well past when you eat your dinner. It's clear that you've had a busy day-- the apartment is far more cluttered than it usually is. There are post-it and pieces of scrap paper stuck to every single surface, and a forgotten pile of folded laundry rests on the couch.

An intense burning sensation across your palm causes you cry out. "Shit!" You drop the knife you were washing in favor of cradling your already bleeding hand. Nanami is instantly by your side, firmly pressing the dishcloth against your cut. There is a worrying amount of red seeping into the fabric, so he silently ushers you to the bathroom.

It's a strange reversal of roles. He's used to being the one leaning leaning against the counter while you bandage his wounds. Instead, it's you who is perched on the marble surface, wincing as he dabs an antiseptic soaked cotton ball against your injury. "Sorry, I'm almost done," he says when you let out a loud hiss.

"It's fine," you reply, sheepishly looking away. "I should have been paying more attention."

Nanami chooses to only respond with a nonchalant hum, focusing on cleaning your palm. The two of you sit there in comfortable silence while he applies ointment to the cut, adding gauze once he's finished. It's only when he reaches for the bandages that he decides to ask. "What's stressing you out?"

Your eyes widen as you realize you've been caught. Nanami is rarely home early these days, especially since he's been mentoring Itadori on behalf of Gojo. (Not that you mind - in the few times you've met Itadori through video call with Nanami, the pink-haired student's sunny disposition has never failed to cheer you up.) When he'd texted you saying he'd be home by dinner, you'd jumped at the opportunity to spend some much needed time with him. You'd pulled out the stops, cooking something a little fancier, and intent on spending the earlier part of the evening cuddling with him. Secretly, you had planned to sneak out of bed after he'd fallen asleep (he always goes to bed early on days like these) and finish preparing for the gauntlet of meetings and presentations you had tomorrow. It was your fault for putting off the tasks, and you didn't want to let your own bad habits get in the way of some quality time with your boyfriend.

"It's nothing, I just have a lot on my plate tomorrow." You do your best to laugh it off, but quickly trail off once when you catch Nanami's deadpan expression. He's always been too good at seeing through your white lies. "I put off some work..." A raised eyebrow from him prompts you to continue, "And I was planning on doing it after you went to bed..." You can't help it when your face scrunches into a pout. After all, now your carefully-laid deception has been revealed.

When Nanami bursts into amused chuckles, you're momentarily surprised, but quickly go back to sulking. "Stop laughing at me Ken!" you whine, "I'm a--"

"Self-aware procrastinator," he finishes your sentence with an amused grin. "I know love, I know. I've seen you write far too many papers within 24-hours of a deadline to be surprised." He presses an affectionate kiss against your wrist.

You scowl at your boyfriend, snatching your bandaged hand away from his grasp. "I'm glad that my suffering is entertaining for at least one person." You stomp back to the bedroom in faux-anger, smiling when you hear Nanami's footsteps not far behind you.

When he steps into the bedroom Nanami drapes his frame over your shoulders, his warm torso nestled against your back. "It is one of your more...endearing traits," he murmurs into your ear before pressing a kiss into the crook of your neck. You can feel your cheeks and ears tingle at his words of affection.

"Sometimes you can be such a sweet talker," you mumble to yourself while you change into your pajamas. This week it's been an old Jujutsu tech hoodie and a pair of well-worn athletic shorts.

"Only for you," Nanami replies while he undoes the buttons of his outfit, chucking his tan pants and blue button up into the laundry basket in the corner. He dons a pair of sweatpants before returning your side to recapture you in another affectionate hug. It's a well kept secret of the Kento-Y/N household that Nanami Kento likes to lounge around shirtless in the privacy of his apartment. (You've been sworn to secrecy, but only because your boyfriend claims that Gojo and the students would have a field day teasing him if this information were to be made public amongst the jujutsu sorcerer community.)

Turning around, you wrap your arms around his waist, burying your nose against his torso and taking in his comforting scent. It's been so long since the two of you have had a moment to yourselves, and for once your hectic thoughts are silenced in favor of sharing a moment of calm bliss with Nanami. He hums in appreciation, thumbs rubbing soothing circles against your hips.

"Do you want to watch anything tonight?" you ask after a few seconds of silence.

"No," he replies. "I was actually planning on reading the briefing Ichiji just sent me. Gojo apparently has another scheme up his sleeve." You giggle when your boyfriend lets out a pained sigh. On more than one occasion, your boyfriend has ranted to you about Gojo's unorthodox approach to exorcism. "I swear that idiot shaves a year off my lifespan every time I go on a mission with him," Nanami complains. "He's taking away the years I could spend in Malaysia."

You hum thoughtfully before responding, "Then do you mind--"

Once again, Nanami already knows what you're going to say. "Just remember to bring your laptop charger, I know you have a thousand tabs open on your computer right now," he says while exiting to the living room. After a few moments you join him, overburdened laptop and charger in hand. You both take your usual spots in the living room, him resting comfortably in the center of the loveseat and you sitting on a floor cushion, nestled between his legs. Soon you've fallen into a groove, fingers steadily typing on the keyboard. The warmth of Nanami's presence next to you brings a sense of calm, giving you the grounding focus you need to finish off the last of your tasks.

As he thumbs through the printouts Ichiji gave him, Nanami can't help but let his eyes drift towards you every now and then. You look so adorable when you work. From the way your brow furrows whenever you reread a line, to the way you unconsciously chew on your lip when you scrutinize your draft for any errors. Every now and then he'll gently run his fingers through your hair, relishing the content sighs you let out in response.

It only takes about another hour before you're (finally) closing all your tabs (he still doesn't know why your laptop hasn't crashed yet). As you scroll through social media, your head begins to droop. Soon enough you've fallen asleep, breaths coming in soft and even puffs as you rest against his thigh. Smiling to himself, he puts down his papers and gently lifts your body from the floor. He's careful not to wake you as he slowly makes his way back to the bedroom.

Setting you on the bed, he tucks you under the blankets before lying beside you. The moonlight coming through your window softly illuminates your relaxed features, and he softly traces the outline of your face with his thumb. As he continues to caress your cheek, his eyes are drawn to the dark circles under your eyes. He rarely falls asleep after you these days - between his physically demanding occupation and the ever growing number of things you are responsible for at work- he's often the first to fall asleep from sheer exhaustion while you work well into the night. Not to mention that he's had to spend an increasing number of nights away from you, either on challenging missions or accompanying Gojo's students. And while he knows most of your stress comes from being a student, he can't help but feel guilty about all the additional distress his status as a jujutsu sorcerer has caused you.

When you started dating him, you insisted that Shoko teach you how to suture. He hates how much your stitches have improved since then. The neatness of your stitches is a constant reminder of how much you've endured because of him. When he hears you trying to muffle your sobs into a pillow, he swears he can feel his heart crack in his chest, hurting more than any kind of physical wound from battle. Those nights end with him holding you tightly to his bandaged chest, murmuring reassurances and affection into the crown of your head until you've calmed down enough to fall into a fitful sleep. Even when you're unconscious he'll still continue, words morphing into apologies for the sadness he's inflicted upon your shoulders.

Feeling his eyelids being to droop, Nanami presses one last kiss against your forehead before laying down. He wraps his arms around your waist, surrounding you with warmth, hoping that his presence will be enough to keep your nightmares away, at least for tonight. I love you, y/n is the last thought he has before he drifts away, ready to dream of a tropical sunset and a peaceful future with you by his side.

[dreamiesdotcom]

you've been fooled! | p.js

Summary: There's something about coffee, breathless moments, and watching memories of the many April 1st you've shared that makes it so hard to resist.

Word Count: 2.1k

You've always been fine with being alone. Being alone afforded you silence, and that's all that you need to have the illusion of peace of mind. That's why months before entering this school, you considered it your mission to not get too much attention on you — if possible, none at all.

Only that it fails the moment you step in, an angel-faced boy asking you if God sent you to this school to guide him.

'No, my parents are the one who sent me here and it's so that I can get an education, not babysit kids.' You politely said, and now you can't even count how many people keep on praising you for doing that! How rare is it to see someone tell others to leave them alone? You swore that one more person trying to talk to you when you're trying to have a sandwich and you're —

"New kid?" a voice rings from behind you, and you turn your head back a little so you could see who's speaking. He grimaces a bit. "Oh, Y/N from the rival school, huh. I've heard fun things about you."

...perfect. Now, you can forget your mission and die.

Your day instantly glooms, and you turn back to your meal. All your plans of starting fresh has just been washed away, and you take an angry bite off your sandwich before someone completely ruins lunch for you.

"If it's about that video, leave me alone."

Silence.

"Donghyuck! Oh God, I'm so sorry..." suddenly comes another boy, slightly panting as he pats the mean one's shoulder a little too harshly. His eye-smile makes it a little better.

"Hyuck's not trying to be mean, he just speaks like that. 'm so sorry!!!"

You squint at him, skeptical.

"Oh, I meant when you told Jaemin to back off when he tried to flirt with you on the hallways." Ah, that. What a fresh start, huh?

Said Donghyuck scratches his nape, looking sheepish as he takes the seat beside you. "Did I sound like I was picking a fight again?"

You chuckle to yourself. That probably explains the cut on his lips pretty well.

"Yeah, you kinda did. Sorry, bro, but I would've slapped you."

"What a way to spend your first day, then." He rolls his eyes, motions for his friends to move tables, who does with little hesitation, "Welcome to this hell hole! It's not the best, but it's as good as Satan's den could be."

You laugh, but you quickly notice curious stares directed at you. The person in front of you smiles shyly and looks away when you meet gazes, and honestly, you don't know how you went from there to a year later, Park Jisung shamelessly holding out a drink at your direction.

"Just drink it, it's iced chocolate! I made it myself!"

"That's nice, Sung... but I only drink coffee." you warily smile, "I don't like sweet things."

The sly smirk Renjun sends you from the other side of the table only encourages your little act, and it takes you all the self-control you could muster to not crack up then and there. Of course, you know what day it is. Of course, you're not gonna fall for his antics, nor the kicked-puppy expression he wears as he insists, "Liar! You live for sweets!"

But, you must admit that it did make you waver.

"No? I like strongly flavored stuff, Sungie," you point out with a grimace. Just for show, you point to Jaemin's cup beside you. "Like this: Nana's coffee, really bitter and strong. This is what I like."

Chenle holds in his laughter. "Since you made it yourself, why don't you just drink it?"

Jisung's eyes widen, "What? No!"

"Drink, Sungie!" comes in chants, alongside multiple repeated versions of 'Jisung! Jisung!' seems to hit something much like his pride, and he lifts it with an expression not suitable for the situation; he looked way too afraid of the chocolate drink. Everyone's holding in their giggles as they watch Jisung grimace and take a gulp out of the cup, trying to play cool even though he chokes not even moments later. Your smile widens.

The salt must be a nice twist.

What a classic, huh? Donghyuck grins, Cheshire and smug, and then he claps.

"Happy April Fool's day, everyone! Park Jisung has fooled himself!"

###

No way in the world are the only words circulating in your head as you pace around, and it's not at all helping. You heave a big sigh only to hiss at him, "What do you mean 'no pranks this year'?"

He shrugs and flops down his bed, "You know we're running out of ideas since Christmas."

"Oh," you widen your eyes, dropping down next to him with your palms covering your face in disappointment. You peek through your fingers, "This is bad."

The plastic stars you've plastered on his ceiling together with Renjun look sickly green at the moment and everything feels out of place. After all, what is April 1st without pranks? What's gonna happen now? You thrash around the bed. You muffle a scream and just hope that he'd open his mouth and come up with something.

"Hey, what about we go on a date as a prank?"

And as usual, his mouth is better off closed.

"Is this your way of flirting, or is this your way of asking me out?"

Jisung makes a confused sound, "What? It's gonna make them freak out, what do you mean?"

"Are you acting out on your feelings or do you actually think that's a good idea?" you take your hands off your face, sitting up and then shrugging at him, "Lines blurred."

"Err. Could be a prank, I guess..." he follows suit, sitting cross-legged in front of you. He smiles, "Unless... you want it to be a real date?'

"Dude, I don't know. When did you get this confidence? Years ago you were stuttering around me." You huff, not knowing where this conversation is going, but a flush creeps on your cheeks. You look down on your fingers as you mumble out the next words, "But if it is... well, sure. I'll go on a real date with you."

You didn't know what falling in love felt like, but in the middle of his room, something felt way too raw and surreal. What is it that says so much about him? Is it the plastic stars? The globe laying on his desk? The map taped at the side of the room? The way dull blue paints his walls, or the way constellations speckle his eyes? Maybe it's the yellow hoodie he's wearing? You don't know which, but right now, something feels strange — something in the scent of cinnamon and cocoa and shades of yellows and blues just feels unabashedly Jisung, and somehow, you just thought that it must be like this.

It should be legal to feel this good.

"Ha! You're kissing, aren't you— oh..."

You both startle to look at where the door swings open, everyone in your friend group standing behind an accusing Jaemin, each one of them looking at him with the eyes of murder. You crack up a laugh, falling over the bed laughing; alone is slightly less entertaining of a thought when you have friends.

"Aish, Na Jaemin —" Jisung groans, standing up while clapping at the older. "Happy April Fool's,  you've fooled yourself."

###

Knees pressed together, head down low, eyes closed, mind empty. Anguished and cold.

"But I've tried my best...." you dejectedly whisper, holding the paper in your hands that said 'Second' in silver delicate swirls. You look up to her with hopeful eyes, "All I need is a chance, mom. You see, Renjun's really good at that subject, he could help me—"

"Those friends again! 'You see', this is why you didn't make it as top of your class!"

"It's... it's one subject, mom. If I try harder, I can —"  you scramble to explain, chasing after her as she moves up the stairs. "You're... mom, you're not taking me away, aren't you?"

The despair in your tone doesn't even shake her. "One day. Go have your fun, and then we'll leave. I'll ask your brother to focus on you more."

"Mom, no! We said that if I study well here, I won't have to leave!"  you reason out. "I really like it here, and I have important people here, and I'm trying hard. We agreed that I'd get to stay if I don't cause trouble, and mom— mom, no, listen!"

"That's my choice. It's for the betterment of your academics—"

"But what about the betterment of my life? What about my choice, mom?"  you hate the way you feel so weak and your voice cracks, but through the blur of fears and your unshed tears, you croak out, "What about me?"

Anguished and cold. So cold, freezing. So loved and all on your own.

"Last time you made a choice, you shamed yourself and this family. You don't deserve your freedom, Y/N." She grimaces. The memory fills your gut with guilt, "And look at you, answering back at your own mother! It's those friends, isn't? They've ruined you more than you've already ruined yourself!"

Quickly enough, the remorse is gone and anger floods you. How dare she?! You look up to her in disbelief, "This is about you ruining my trust, mother. Not them."

"The boy, then." she muses, and it's where you decide that there's no changing her mind. "Love, Y/N, will get you nowhere at the moment."

But it's what kept me alive until now.

You inhale sharply at your thoughts. How does one make forever out of a day?

Maybe you can walk every street, every corner. That date you and Jisung never got to go to, you could do that too because heaven knows how much you wanted that. Maybe you can go take them anywhere, somewhere, and waste away. Maybe you could fall asleep staring at the stars, sharing your dreams, and maybe, just maybe, time wouldn't matter. Better yet, maybe you can change your mother's mind.

Maybe if you just try again, this time much fiercer although you've always been the fiercest, it might be possi—it's impossible. You realize it's impossible as you look out the car windows, watching the city change landscapes in blurs.

Maybe it's really just a different kind of heartbreak to be doing all that you could and still not get the results you wanted. More than it proved that now is not your time again, it also made you feel like a failure. Like you're lacking, insufficient. Never enough.

But you really, really thought you could stay. You hoped.

"Happy April Fool's..." you whispered to no one but yourself, meeting your mother's gaze as she smiles at you through the rearview mirror. You lean your head to the glass, eyes closed and mumbling under your breath, smiling on your own, "I've fooled myself."

And just like that, you were alone again.

###

"Good Morning, may I take your order?"

You press your lips in a thin line as you hear the muffled voice, phone in between your shoulders and ear as you search for your pouch somewhere around your bag. Hurriedly, you muster up your words, "Oh, yes, good Morning too! Just one Iced Americano, please—"

That voice... who?

Looking up, your heartbeat halts, and you try not to look so stunned, something you miserably failed. At least, that's what you read in his amused expression. You stay in silence as you wait for him to finish up your drink, carefully pushing your card towards him as you take your drink from his hold.

"I... I see you're still helping Yongie, huh?" you smile softly, hesitant. "Thank you, Jisung."

Flashbacks, sweet smiles, children at play every day of the year no matter how old — free. When was the last time you've missed such freedom?

He returns the favor, that saccharine expression, and you drag yourself out of the place before you decide to do something stupid. Why is it so easy to see the past years when you're watching it flash by through his eyes?

Standing outside the Cafe wistfully, you look at your cup, tracing over his messy handwriting of your name, basking on the nostalgia of seeing the same hastily written letters that somewhere in time occupied most of your cards, notebooks, and journals. A fond chuckle leaves your lips as you read the post-it note attached.

Happy April Fool's day!

I thought I'd give you hell once you come back for leaving, but well, Park Jisung's fooled himself, huh? My number's still the same. Let's talk sometime soon.

I missed you.

[gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights]

Rating: G

Summary:  An offhand curiosity leads to Ladybug and Chat Noir riding his baton up as high as it can go. Or, as high as it can go before they get distracted. (It's just nerves about the height that has Ladybug's stomach in knots, she swears.) Ladynoir oneshot for @lovesquarefluffweek, dedicated to @rosekasa who made me a ladynoir stan

Word Count: 3511

XXX

Marinette rested her hands on her hips, watching in amusement as her partner finished wedging his staff in the crack in the dilapidated rooftop.

“This is a horrible idea,” she said idly.

His tongue stuck out as he tried wiggling the stick, ensuring that it was secured fast.  “Come on, Bugaboo, none of your ideas have ever been horrible.”

Strictly speaking, this wasn’t her idea. She’d only wondered how far Chat’s baron could extend, if its length was as infinite as her yo-yo’s string.  It was her ridiculous, adrenaline-junkie partner who wanted to ride the baton up as far as it could go.  

Not that it was that dangerous, really.  They’d done it a few times to scout for some akuma or another during attacks.  Besides, it would be nice to see the city from such a height without a threat looming over them—or below them.

“It wasn’t an idea. It was a question,” she still said on principle. “I didn’t think you were actually going to test it.”  

He rested his chin on the top of the baton and grinned.  “How long have you known me? I’m not majoring in Physics for nothing.” 

“You’re not majoring in Physics.”  She leaned in to flick his nose, which only made him grin wider.  “Not for another two months, and not ever if you become a pancake by pulling some stupid stunt before then.”  

“How could I hurt myself?  I’ll have my amazing partner right there to catch me if I fall.”  He winked.

Her stomach twisted like pretzel dough—from nerves about the height, that was all.

“Don’t go treating me like a parachute, kitty.  I’ll be more likely to rip my arm out of its socket if I have to yo-yo us out of this.”  

Or she’d have to use Lucky Charm and hope for an actual parachute, but it probably wouldn’t come to that.  Silly as her kitty could be, he never let her down when it mattered.

“Don’t worry.  I’ll be extra careful, I Pawmise.”  He crossed his heart with one claw, still grinning like he was already on top of the world.  

Ridiculous or not, this idea was worth it just to see him so excited.  He’d been bouncing all night since she’d agreed.  

“You’d better,” she warned, though her voice was warm.  

His grin reached Cheshire proportions as he wrapped one arm securely around the metal staff and extended the other to her.  “One catapult, going up.”

“Oh no.”  She laughed.  “Points for the pun, but please don’t tell me you’re going to launch us.” 

“I already said I’ll be careful.  Don’t tell me the fearless Ladybug is actually scared?”

“Pffff, you wish.  You just want me to hold on tighter.”  Her fingers threaded through his teasingly before slipping out just as he tried to kiss her knuckles.  

His lips pursed in a pout.  “You know me too well, my Lady.  ...But seriously, please hold on. I know you can catch yourself if you have to, but I’d really rather not drop you in the first place.”

“That makes two of us.”

She wrapped one arm around his waist and secured the other at his shoulder.  His feet lifted off the ground to brace against the staff, leaving his thigh as a comfortable seat.  

Enjoying this, huh?  She almost expected him to tease as she snuggled closer—because she did want to be safe.  It was almost disappointing when he neglected to quip though.  Maybe she wasn’t clinging tightly enough after all.

“So high do you think we’ll go?”  He asked, holding her by the waist as she finished getting settled.  “Think we’ll be dodging planes tonight?”

“I doubt it.  Even if we technically could go that high, we shouldn’t.  It’ll be freezing up there.”  

“What, afraid I won’t be able to keep you warm?”  He teased with a gentle nuzzle to the size of her head.

Had it always been this difficult to keep from leaning into his touch?  Not that she couldn’t, but, well—if she gave into his jokes, he’d have no reason to continue.

“Why don’t you just focus on getting us up there at all.”  She kept her voice flat, hiding any trace of that brief thought.

“Whatever you say, Bugaboo.”

For all his earlier joking, their ascent started fairly slow, more like an elevator than a catapult.  It gave her plenty of time to take in the sights below—the warm lights flickering from windows, divided by the dark swath of the Seine.  Streets radiating out from the Arc de Triomphe like spokes on a wheel, cars inching their way down them like little lightningbugs.  And of course, the Eiffel Tower, sparkling in the distance, a homing beacon that never failed to bring a smile to her lips.

Paris.  Their city.

“Pretty amazing, huh,” Chat breathed beside her. With their arms around each other and the glittering lights below, it was easy to pretend they were rulers surveying their kingdom.

...Chat had must have been calling Marinette Princess too much.  Or else his My Lady’s were going to her head.

Royal daydreams or not, though, there was no one she’d rather have beside her—no one else she could have beside her. And not just because it was his baton that held them aloft, his embrace that made her feel as secure as if she stood on solid ground.  She would have been crushed under the weight of her superhero mantle if he weren’t there to share it.  Staring down at just how many people depended on them, it was impossible to forget that.

“Does it ever feel like too much?”  She whispered the doubt that had been nagging at her more and more lately. She tried to stay strong for the team’s morale, but when it was just her partner and the hushed sky, her necessary barriers wore thin.  

“Does what feel like too much?”  He replied just as quietly.  His face turned to hers, emerald irises glinting in the moonlight, closer than she’d prepared herself to handle.

The pretzel twist in her stomach made a reappearance, but she was hardly thinking about the height.

“You know.  All of this.”  She couldn’t let go to gesture to the glowing city beneath them, but he seemed to understand anyway.  “We’re the only ones standing between all of them and two adult supervillains. And even after all these years, we still haven’t found them.”

Her voice cracked a little on that last sentence. The uncomfortable truth they’d been dancing around for the last few months—longer, really, but it became more and more urgent as lycee ended and they prepared to go to University. Most of their team of miraculous wielders (not Chat, of course) would be leaving Paris. This was the last summer they would be together, and the last summer they could be kids, only they hadn’t really been kids for four years now thanks to Hawkmoth and Mayura—

And maybe that was why she agreed to this crazy idea.  Because they were kids, dang it, and she deserved to do something silly and dumb with the one person she trusted more than anyone in the world.  She wanted to spend time with him outside of taking down Hawkmoth’s villain of the day.  She wanted them to just be together.

Wait.  Not together, together—just, like, as friends.  Who could spend time together without wearing magical suits and masks.  She wanted to sew them matching shirts, and text him cat memes at two a.m., and kick his butt at video games.  Which she could do as Marinette, but—she wanted him to know it was her, too.

The sheer force of that longing took her by surprise, and only multiplied her hatred for Hawkmoth a hundredfold.

“Hey, Little Bug,” Chat said softly.  His arm tightening around her dissolved the complicated web of her thoughts.  “We’re going to find him.  And it’s not just us anymore.  Pegasus is analyzing all the data Rena’s collected, remember?  And we’ve got her and Carapace alternating patrols with Ryuuko and Viperion.  We can even call in Queen Bee or Bunnyx or King Monkey if we need to.  We’ve never been closer to taking Hawkmoth down.”

He was right.  They weren’t alone.  They never would’ve survived the combined powers of Hawkmoth and Mayura if it weren’t for their team, especially since sentimonsters started regularly joining the fray two years ago.

Still, there was something about sitting with Chat among the pinprick stars that brought her back to before then.  When it was just the two of them against the world.

Was it weird that she sometimes missed that?

“I know,” she murmured.  Her forehead leaned against his chest, where the steady thump-thump of his heart calmed her own.  “Sorry, Chat.  I shouldn’t worry.”

“I don’t think anyone could stop you from worrying.”  His chin rested on her head, his warmth and familiar scent cocooning her.  Roses and leather and cheese, juxtaposed in a way that was so uniquely him.  “I doubt Paris would still be standing if you didn’t worry.  But it’s going to be okay.  I promise.”

The rational part of her brain wanted to ask how he could say that.  The newspapers cried out against them at every mistake, at every day that drew them closer to the fifth anniversary of Hawkmoth’s appearance.

But the other part of her brain, the part that had worked in tandem with him long enough that trusting him was second nature, calmed at his reassurance.  

“Who knows,” he continued.  “Maybe we’ll kick Hawkmoth’s butt before summer ends, and then we can throw a party before everyone splits for University.  The whole team can show up.  We’ll get Multimouse to bring the pastries.  Carapace can blast us some sick tunes.  I’m sure Queen Bee can get us a venue…”

Marinette giggled at the thought of all the miraculous wielders, unmasked and just hanging out like normal friends, no more worries than what they were going to do in University.  Alix and Kim would probably (definitely) end up in some kind of competition, powered by their miraculouses or not.  Luka would serenade Kagami with his guitar instead of Viperion’s lyre.  Speaking of which, Marinette wondered if Adrien’s brief stint as Aspik would mean he would be there… and how he would get along with Chat Noir.  For some reason, she had a feeling it would be odd to see them together.

Regardless, it was a dream worth fighting for.  A dream worth hoping for.

“I’m sure Multimouse would love that,” she said, hiding her smirk against his collarbone.  By the time such a party could happen, Chat would know the truth about her dual identity, anyway.  “I know I would.”

“There’s only one thing that would make it better.”  Chat’s voice turned teasing.

“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

He didn’t answer as they passed through a cloud, the dampness much colder and all around wetter than she was prepared for.  She shivered and sneezed, feeling her pigtails cling to the back of her neck.  Chat chuckled and brushed them aside.  His claws lingered for the briefest of moments on the sliver of skin between her suit and hairline.

“A private party,” he said softly.  “Just the two of us, before everyone else.”

She pulled back just enough to see his eyes again, intending to tease him about what kind of party he was asking for—but the sincerity and softness in his features stopped her short.

“Y-yeah?”

“Yeah.  So we can… I mean, I know I want…” he swallowed for a moment before quietly finishing, “I want you to be the first one to know who I am.”

They didn’t talk about revealing their identities often—mostly because she made it clear that they couldn’t, and she already thought about it enough without tempting either of them by saying it out loud.  He was Chat Noir, her partner and best friend, no matter who he was under the mask.

But maybe they should talk about it more, if he thought she would want anything else.

“Of course, Kitty.”  Carefully, since they were hundreds of kilometers in the air, she moved the arm at his waist to wrap around the back of his neck instead.  A few of his damp locks tickled her fingers even though the suit.  “I’ve always wanted you to be the first, too.”

His smile could’ve powered the whole city below.  “Then it’s settled. Pegasus finds Hawkbutt next week.  We storm the castle, Queen Bee Venoms him and Mayura, you rip their miraculouses off, we pound it, and we throw the biggest party Paris has ever seen.”

His optimism, if unrealistic, was contagious.  She felt the hope untangling knots in her chest as she laughed again.

“I should’ve left the planning to you, Chaton.  Maybe then we’d have beaten Hawkmoth already.”

“Nah, we all know you’re the brains of the operation, Bugaboo.  I’m just here to look pretty.”  He flipped his soggy hair, and his bangs hit his forehead with a fwap.  

She couldn’t help the laugh that burst from her.  “You’re such a dork.  I love you.”

He froze solid as one of Style Queen’s statues.  She half expected him to turn to gold, for his warmth to bleed out like the color currently draining from her face.

She said— 

She’d said she loved him.  

She’d said she loved him, and the words had come out as easy as breathing, as sure as the pounding of her heart.  How—why?  She didn’t love him, not like that, she couldn’t couldn’t she’d told herself that long ago—

But any denials caught in her lungs, trapped like the dark butterflies snared by her yo-yo.  Only when the words were fully purified were they released again.

“I—I love you,” she whispered.  

She hadn’t meant to say it once, much less twice—but with the repetition the truth of it snapped firmly into place.  She didn’t know when her kitty had snuck past her defenses, slipped past her blinding crush on Adrien, dodged all the logical reasons she had for not falling for him.  

But he had.

She loved Chat Noir.  Of course she did.

“You—but you—is there an akuma?”  He stammered, eyes wide and disbelieving.  She’d been turning down his off-and-on (mostly on) flirting for four years now; of course he wouldn’t assume she was serious.

“No, Kitty.”  Her laugh felt suffocating.  After all this time she’d been trying to confess to Adrien, and now, when her target was her Kitty, her mouth didn’t give her a choice.

Maybe that was for the best.  She would always have a special place in her heart for Adrien, but Chat—Chat was her home.  Her partner, her friend, her everything.  

The twisting in her stomach finally unwound, swelling into something that she could hardly contain.  His face was so close, his lips still parted from the three words she’d dropped on him.  It would be so easy to lean in and kiss the shock from his face, until he melted in her arms, until they both believed this was real.

But Chat had always respected her boundaries, and she would do the same for him.  Besides, what if he didn’t feel the same anymore, if his flirting was just habit?  And she’d just blurted out her feelings before even she realized them—what if she ruined the comfortable companionship they shared?

No.  No, she knew better than that.  Even if he didn’t feel the same, nothing could tear the two of them apart. 

“I know I’m late, but—if you still want me—”

“My Lady.”  She felt more than heard the tremor of emotion in his voice.  “I’ll always want you.  I always have.”

Was this real?  How had she gone from flirting with her partner to baring her heart to him?  The liquid moonlight washed aside her walls. His golden hair was spun silver in its glow, and her hands ran through it involuntarily.  She was lucky Chat had returned his grip to her waist, because otherwise she might have accidentally slipped off him.

As much as his words made her feel like she could fly, it was best not to test that theory.

“Thanks for waiting for me, Chaton.”  She rested her forehead against his, still shaking with the realization and love and longing and—how had she ignored this feeling?  How long had she wanted him to kiss her senseless before her mind would admit it?

It didn’t matter.  She knew now, and the electricity that sparked between them wouldn’t let her forget anytime soon.

“You know I’d wait forever for you.  I love you.”  His breath fanned across her cheeks, soft and hot and everything she hoped his lips would be.  “I love you so so much, Ladybug, I—”

He might be willing to wait forever, but she wasn’t.  Her lips consumed whatever it was he was going to say next— 

And all she knew was that he tasted like coming home.

He matched her passion with a surprising sweetness.  It wasn’t the intense kiss she was expecting, but maybe that was for the best.  He was the only thing keeping them from plummeting to the ground far below, and distracting him probably wasn’t the best idea, but frankly after that first touch of lips she was so gone they could’ve fallen and she wouldn’t have noticed— 

He yelped against her mouth.  Had she done something wrong?  She hadn’t kissed a boy since Luka two years ago, but she couldn’t be that bad— 

Oh.  She hadn’t noticed.

Gravity really wasn’t supposed to be tugging in that direction.  And the wind wasn’t supposed to be blowing up.

And Chat’s baton wasn’t supposed to be slipping through his fingers.

Gah!  She barely had time to think as his arms tightened around her middle so he was hugging her from below.  What was he thinking?  Did he expect to cushion her fall?

Jolting out of oh-my-gosh-I’m-kissing-Chat mode, she threw her yo-yo from her hip and lassoed the still-upright baton.  Only miraculous magic could be holding it steady, especially when she yanked them towards it—

And in a jumble of limbs and string, she promptly tangled them against the metal length.

She heard a sharp crack, followed by a dizzy groan. 

“Chat, oh my gosh, are you okay?” The world was still spinning; she couldn’t turn to see him. Mostly because her back was pressed flush against his chest.

“Purrfectly fine, my Lady.” His laugh sounded near her ear. “I always knew you’d sweep me off my feet.”

She rolled her eyes, unsure if she wanted to laugh or groan.  She was so stupid.  Making out with Chat with nothing but a pole holding them up?  Yes, that sounded like something from her romantic fantasies (which she wasn’t supposed to have with him, but—shh), but she should’ve known better in real life!

“You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?” She muttered.

He hummed thoughtfully. That sound should not have made her shiver, she was just—it was just cold. Even though his body was hot against her back.

Yeah, she wasn’t kidding anyone.

“I could be purrsuaded to forget,” he said to her surprise.

“Oh, yeah?” 

“Mm-hmm.” His chin rested on her shoulder. “For the low price of fifty more kisses.”

“Fifty?” She choked, face heating. Fifty brushes of his lips on hers, of his laugh filling her lungs— “I—I don’t know. Actually, you’re the one who let go of the staff. I might’ve kissed you first, but you’re the one who should be getting teased.”

“Fair enough. A hundred kisses, then. Fifty for me to forget, and fifty for you to forgive me for dropping you.”

“Bold words from a guy who couldn’t even handle kissing me once.” She would’ve flicked his bell if her arms weren’t trapped over his around her middle.

“Ah, it just means I need more practice!”

She twisted her head just enough to stick her tongue out at him. “You won’t get any practice if you don’t get us down from here.”

“Oh. Uh. About that… I can’t reach the button.” He laughed awkwardly. “You mind untangling us?”

The magical properties of her yo-yo meant she could still retract the string even tangled as it was, but it would take a minute to lasso them back to the baton properly this time.

“Only if you don’t mind falling again.” 

“For you? Never,” he said with a quick kiss to her cheek.

She shook her head.  She refused to be distracted by him this time, even if his smell was everywhere, more dizzying than their brief fall through the clouds.

“You’re such a dork.”

“But you love me,” he practically sang.

Despite the fact that they were hanging in an awkward position hundreds of meters in the air, her nerves vanished completely.

“Yeah, Kitty. I do.”

(That truth was far more important than learning how far Chat’s baton could extend, anyway.)

[And then next week they beat hawkbutt and ship him and nathalie off to jail and everyone in the whole team comforts Adrien and he and marinette live happily ever after with a hamster]

[singular-braincells]

hey y'all thank you so much for all the follows and reposts 💖💖💖 currently on a bus ride to San Antonio for marching band so I'll try and get something out before I'm sucked into the vortex.

midoriya izuku drabble

You slam your head in your desk and sigh in frustration. You've been working on assignments for hours now and your list of assignments isn't getting any shorter.

"God, I need a break..." You get up from your desk and stretch for a bit. This past week has been rather stressful with the support class and midterms coming up. You've pulled at least 2 all nighters in the week and have consumed many energy drinks (rather unhealthy amount at that) staying up for midterm studying.

You take one last stretch before finally going back to your desk and sluggishly pull out your physics textbook. You sigh as you flip to the assigned reading pages and start to skim them. Around 20 minutes later you hear a faint buzz from your cell phone. You had turned do not disturb so you didn't get any notifications from social media while doing work, but only certain people could call you even if do not disturb was turned on. Midoriya was one of those people.

"Hello? Midoriya-san?" You croak out while rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. "Christ Midoriya, it's 3 am. Why are you calling me at this time?" You blurt out while glancing at your alarm clock. "Ah I noticed your lamp lights were on so I wanted to check in on you." Midoriya was your neighbor who happen to live next to you. Your mom and his mom met when you first moved into the neighborhood.

"Oh, thank you Midoriya but I'm okay don't worry. You should probably go back to bed." You twirl your pen in your fingers skillfully. "I have a lot to study and read for the tests we have this week so it'll take me a while." You sigh and look at your stack of books. "Ah before you go, can we just talk? Take a break before going back to your homework." You nod you head even though you know he wouldn't see you. "Of course. So how has your week been? I heard you got one of the highest scores on the lastest English exam and I've been meaning to congratulate you."

You and Midoriya for the next half hour were sending each other online images and videos and cracking each other up. "The poor cat." Midoriya laughs and you stiffle a laugh. "But the cat is not hurt! Just being really cute and funny." You giggle as you watch the video of a cat meowing under water again. "Awww poor thing." You sigh and calm down before you woke your siblings up. You glanced over at the clock and saw that 30 minutes have passed.

"Midoriya-san, I should be getting back to work, but thank you for the good laughs and the break." You pick your pen and open the physics textbook back up. "Of course (l/n)-san. I'll see you in the morning?" He asked with a familiar and warm tone. "Yup, as always." You two spoke a quick goodbye and hung up. Midoriya Izuku was a god send from heaven into your life who could never fail to make you feel at peace with the world.

[jongdality]

me thinkin' about how i've grown up with exo and watched as they lived and learned and developed as professionals and humans, overcoming the struggles of a poor debut concept and scandal after scandal with their tenacity and love for each other

Then thinkin' about how Kyungsoo, a somewhat aloof, awkward and weird boy who decided to be bold and try out for SM after old people at karaoke competitions told him to and he made 8 brothers for life who love him dearly and support him and his antics and his acting career and call him cute no matter how much he says he isn't good at anything and that he's boring and Manly and how he has starred in a full-ass movie and is partially credited as breaking the "idol-actor" stereotype and writes love songs with chanyeol on the DL that chanyeol reveals on his lives and wrote the lyrics to a lovely, comforting song for us before leaving to join the military so he can become an even bigger star in multiple films once he gets out

Then thinkin' about how bbh, an outgoing boy who flicked lights on and off to make his friends giggle, met a friend for life, kjd, on the very same day they both were to audition to get into a group that was about to debut, how he worked hard to break down barriers in the group and became the moodmaker, and how people thought he was bad at dancing because he hadn't had time to train but actually every solo dance he's been given he's slayed to the point that he became the CENTER FOR CBX, how he worked hard to learn piano in a very short amount of time to play The Answer for his EXO-Ls, how even after an early scandal in which is privacy was invaded he still looks at us with such love and protection and is NOW an amazing solo artist who texts the exo group chat saying he misses them so much

Then thinkin' about Suho. Kim frickin' Joonmyeon. The underdog of the entire group. Born rich, charismatic and well-educated, could have been ANYTHING but CHOSE to train for SEVEN YEARS due to his love of music. You guys. When Baek and another member got into trouble for cussing while playing video games sometime in 2012-2013 and a sasaeng threatened to reveal the voice clips of them cussing purportedly to apink members, joonmyeon texted her personally, so cold, so professional, "are you blackmailing us? If you release the clip you won't be forgiven" big fuckin dad energy, worked so hard on his singing and dancing yet still asks not to be given too many lines or placed center too often, gives up his seats for his members ALWAYS, accepted their first awards show win alone stoic and professional as the boys broke down in the back room after the news of kris leaving broke, now has multiple solo songs and acts and is literally set to be higher-level management at SM due to all his hard work, definitely puts out that goofy mom energy but is actually extremely intelligent, protective and the go-to guy for all the members and this para has no point i just think kim joonmyun deserves everything

Remembering that chanyeol has a famous sister and is a multitalented instrumentalist that didn't actually need to become an idol, but he did because he wanted "brothers", how he skyrocketed an entire foot from debut til now, how he's all teeth and ears and big anime eyes and legs and he's confident and happy after years of struggling w his weight and self-image, makin music and writing lyrics and modeling for tommy hilfiger and riding scooters in paris and despite the fact that he can't dance he tries, despite the fact that he didn't audition to be a rapper he became one of korea's best, how he turns into a little kid every time he's around any small animal and just tries to cuddle and feed it as he coos in his Low Man Voice, his tough raps but then his soft exo station song SSFW, and now exo-sc with his bestie and ACTING!!!

Thinkin' about Xiumin. Xiumin who came in as a vocalist and ended up being one of the best dancers in the group (even tho he hits the highest notes!!!). Xiumin who is the oldest and wisest but is still willing to throw that ass back to havana to make cbx laugh. Xiumin who is korea's pick, who kids and ahjummas alike fall for. Xiumin who is beautiful and quiet and humble and supports his brothers from the sidelines, who is so loving and caring, who released an adorable solo that matches him so well and is now winning fckn awards in military training for being so goddamn amazing. Xiumin who attends TVXQ concerts and supports all of his fellow celebrities. Mark's dad. Amazing man. Says he has no friends outside of exo but literally everyone loves him. Dedicated his formative years to the group even when he wasn't spotlighted like he deserves to be and-

Lay. That's it. That's the paragraph. He came in not speaking Korean and is now one of the top-grossing musicians in all of China. Breaking barriers. Learning languages in a matter of months. Solo albums out the wazoo that he composed. Coming back to wish Kyungsoo goodbye even though he hasn't been on a stage with them in years. Didn't leave, although I'm sure he was mistreated just as much as the members who did. All of exo loves him so fucking much.

Kai. Kai who could have been a professional ballet dancer, could have been a full-time model, debuts as the SCREAMO BOY in mama. Gets made fun of for his skin complexion. Is shy and embarrassed for the first 2 or 3 years of exo interviews, and is still pretty shy and introverted. But boy became the fucking IDOL'S IDOL. FANCAMS GOING VIRAL LEFT AND RIGHT. SUSTAINING INJURIES, CRYING WHEN HE MESSES UP AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT DANCE ROUTINE TO "I SEE YOU". Is such a perfectionist to the point of pushing himself into constant injury, and besides that has had his personal life broadcasted all over the news MULTIPLE times even though he's so shy and withdrawn irl. People cry to meet him, now. Front and center of every exo dance. A dancing god and the reason half of NCT auditioned. I cannot emphasize how proud I am of Kai, who is only a few months older than sehun yet has had to grow up so fast as the face of the group. Solo during the olympics with plantar fasciitis. Model who stuns at every Gucci show in new and experimental designs.

Sehun. Oh fuckin' Sehun. Ran away from recruiters because his mom told him not to talk to strangers, and now he's modelling for every major fashion campaign, is on the cover of vogue, has his dream dog and certifiably has the biggest dick of all exo members. Became a main dancer through hard work and practice even though nobody ever talks about how hard osh works bc he's sort of overshadowed by kai. Insecure about his singing voice but makes crowds go wild every time he even croons out one beautiful, dulcet line. Babied by junmyeon, kissed and coddled by all the exo members, still has Big Baby Energy but is debuting in a group with his fellow chaotic neutral yeol and looking all sexy with his swooped back hair and his 0 follows on insta. Sings in We Young and raps his little heart out. His solo during concerts still shake my very uterus and im pretty sure he's gay. That's how powerful ohs is, and he can only go up from here.

And finally my baby boy kim jongdae. Chanyeol once said Jongdae is so nice that he comes off as stupid and that is absolutely positively true. Boy is the manifestation of the john mulaney quote "you could pour soup on my lap and id apologize to you". Is a ray of fucking sunshine whose only goal as he was singing in that video from high school was to "become a singer". It's his passion. It's the reason he LIVES. He prays to jesus before every concert but worships music. One of THE best vocalists in the game with the cleanest and most controlled voice, sings in the shower, sings in the car, sings while walking to pet some deer, sings because he loves it and now he's a soloist with his own album out and another in the works, and not only that, he dances his feet on fire in CBX and exo routines and remains steady to hit those high notes. Duets abound because everyone loves him. Will tell a bitch to back off when talking about his private life bc he's probably a husband with 6 happy, healthy children at home. Started out as the nervous boy chasing a dream on that fateful day with bbh and became the nation's pick, sings CONSTANTLY, yet is still so humble he opens up a yt channel just to cover other artists' songs. MCs for Baekhyun's solo and shows up to all his performances to monitor. Heart of gold. Smiles when he's hurting. Deserves this solo career and deserves the happiest life this world can provide him.

Words aren't enough to express how grateful I am for these men, how proud I am and how much I just want them to know that we know how hard they've worked to get as far as they have. Compare them to any other group, even other SM groups, and it's clear that their passion, drive, skill and professionalism is unrivaled. They are all born artists and musicians down to their core, and with that, they're all kind, sweet people who are who they are because they debuted as 18, 19, 20, etc year old men 7 years ago and have grown up together, suffered together, celebrated together and loved together. They've switched up sounds, concepts, gone experimental, have created some of the most beautiful ballads and harmonies music has ever seen, and they strive for nothing but the best. ALWAYS. They have never disappointed me, and they never fail to inspire me every time they show the fruits of all their labor (as well as multiple creative people and teams that come together to create EXO) onstage as one.

Exo we are one, saranghaja.

[dontreadthistrashgarbage]

Pt. 4

A.C.E had been armed with their self cams and set free to roam with Minseok, Charlie and Guerin. Charlie was in her uniform and acted as the guide. Throughout the tour of the zoo a few Choice recognized A.C.E and got selfies but nothing of note happened besides Seyoon attempting to communicate telepathically with a Gambian pouched rat after Guerin compared the two visually. He failed and settled for a selfie instead.

Minseok drove all of them back to Beat Interactive in the company van. They spent the drive looking through the selfies and videos that had been taken.

"Jun, I don't remember you taking this picture." Guerin said innocuously, "You look so good though." She handed the phone to Donghun next to her.

"You've never looked better." Donghun grinned, passing the phone along to Chan as Byeongkwan peered from behind with Charlie. The three just laughed before handing the phone to Seyoon. A broad smile erupted across his face as Jun leaned over, confused.

A toadhead lizard on the screen gazed back from the photo. Jun's expression blanked and he turned to stare out of the window as Guerin finally lost her cool and guffawed loudly with Donghun from in front.

"I can see the resemblance." Charlie giggled. Jun's head whipped around to stare in disbelief, "No no in a good way, it's cute!" She defended, covering her face to hide the smile that wouldn't leave.

Jun's head lolled back onto the headrest and he groaned as the van came to a stop. Minseok turned back from the drivers seat, ignoring the chaos of the seven adults and rolled his eyes.

"I've got to grab some work so if you guys want a ride back to the dorm just hang out a bit. Charlie, Guerin, you two are good from here?" He asked.

"Hyung!" Jun's head popped up, "You'd make women walk home on their own?"

"Normally I'd be worried but considering certain company," Minseok gestured obviously toward Guerin, "I'm not sure what help I would be."

Guerin laughed, "We'll be fine, I can take Charlie home and go from there."

"Don't you live in opposite directions?" Chan asked, concerned.

"Yeah but-" Guerin was interrupted.

"That's silly, Jun why don't you walk Charlie home." Donghun suggested.

"Seyoon, you should walk Guerin. We have some work to do but let's just meet up back at the dorm." Byeongkwan added with a shrug. Guerin froze, not wanting to protest since she knew Charlie would love being walked home by Jun but for some reason nervous about being alone with Seyoon. [For some reason, maybe cause he is too attractive for you to function] her evil inner voice called her out.

"That sounds fine." Jun had perked up, looking at Charlie with a smile, who smiled back at him for a moment before looking shyly to the ground. Guerin glanced at Seyoon who was watching Byeongkwan with an indecipherable blank expression. Minseok rolled his eyes again, "Whatever you want, just cover up and call if there's trouble."

Everyone traipsed out of the van and went their separate ways. Guerin had gone with a natural makeup look to avoid standing out again, sticking with a plain black mask and ball cap. Seyoon was still made up from the filming but had slid on a hooded jacket and wore the usual mask.

It was only a fifteen minute bus ride and walk back to Guerin's apartment and it was busy enough that they blended in easily with the crowds of other commuters. They passed the time talking about the zoo with Guerin sharing insights from her past experience with the field. Seyoon was curious but didn't ask for more details.

As they approached her apartment building Guerin glanced up and froze, Seyoon one step slower, looked back at her. She was squinting at the entranceway of a figure leaning against her building next to the door. Seyoon followed her gaze, eyes landing on the still form, head down and hands in pockets. Instinctively he stepped in front of Guerin until he heard her speak.

"Seungbin?" She asked in disbelief. Hearing his name the boy looked up from under his hat, eyes red and puffy. Guerin moved past Seyoon who followed her automatically. As soon as Seungbin looked at Guerin his eyes filled with tears and he walked quickly to meet her, hugging her tightly and crying.

"Noonaaaa." He whimpered through tears. Guerin hugged him back for a moment before pulling back and looking around quickly.

"Oh little one let's get inside so we can talk okay?" She asked, a slight edge of concern to her voice. Seyoon didn't even consider leaving and the three of them went inside. Guerin settled her guests in the living room, brought over bottles of water for everyone then sat down next to the youngest member of HEET. Seyoon was still watching impassively as Guerin put her arm around the hiccuping Seungbin.

"Honey what are you doing here? Are you okay?" She asked him, dabbing at his face with tissues she had brought over. Seungbin tucked his face into her shoulder.

"I missed you Noona. We haven't seen you since the police station." His eyes continued to leak tears onto her shirt and she gave up on the tissue just hugging him and looking a bit misty eyed herself.

"Oh sweetie I know. That was really scary wasn't it?" He nodded into her shoulder, sniffling again. "And you've probably heard of some of the stuff people have been saying haven't you?" She leaned her head against the top of his, making eye contact with Seyoon and wincing. He gestured to show he was okay.

Seungbin pulled back from Guerin, "Those people aren't right! They're spreading lies! And the company won't let us say anything, they're just letting them say those bad things about you!" He said, frustrated and teary. Guerin was touched that he was so moved on her behalf, and also kicking herself for not predicting how much the boys would be by the sudden changes, especially with a lack of information. She turned to face him, crossing her legs under her and taking his hands.

"You're the sweetest, Seungbinnie. I'm so sorry you weren't given more information." She bounced his hands, "I don't know how much I can tell you as far as details go, but I do think I can tell you we aren't doing nothing. For legal reasons we can't share too many details until the prosecution is done with their investigation and we wrap up the case." Seungbin looked up cautiously.

"Does that mean when everything is done you can be our manager again?"

"As of right now me not being a manager is only supposed to be temporary." Guerin said with a small smile and nod. "But part of the reason that I can't be your manager right now is we are concerned someone might try to target me in a misdirected attempt to protect HEET." Seungbin looked upset and opened his mouth to speak but Guerin shook her head, "The most important thing to me is that you boys are safe and taken care of, even if it means I can't be the one to do it."

She let go of his hands, wiping his tears with her thumbs then fixing his hair and pinching his cheeks, which he made an unconvincing effort to pull away from. She giggled and tickled his neck which made him laugh and cringe away, but after a moment he frowned again.

"Noona, does that really mean we can't see you at all? I know all of us miss you, even if they don't all say it like me."

"I don't know. But why don't you let me ask Han Jisoo if maybe we can meet up sometimes inside the company? Would that be okay?" Guerin suggested. Seungbin looked thoughtful then nodded slowly. "Good boy." She patted his head adoringly and he leaned into it with a small smile. "Now I dont know how you got here but let me call the company and get your manager to pick you up okay?"

Seumgbin scowled "Temporary manager." He said with a pout.

"Hey, be nice. Woojin is nice and trying his best. It's not his fault, okay?" Guerin said, tapping his forehead lightly. Seungbin sighed and nodded again.

"Alright, I'll be right back." Guerin excused herself and left to make the call, leaving Seyoon and Seungbin alone. Seungbin took a drink from his water bottle and looked at the still quiet Seyoon who was focusing silently on the coffee table in front of him as he pondered what he had just witnessed. Guerin had looked... well when she was being reassuring and playful it had made his heart race. She was very good at her job and took good care of those around her. He was impressed. Well, maybe not just impressed...

Before he could travel down that train of thought much longer Seungbin spoke up, "Sorry Hyung... did I... interrupt... were you two on a date?"

Seyoon jumped, eyes wide he looked at Seungbin. "Oh, no! A.C.E had a schedule at the zoo with Charlie and Guerin tagged along."

Seungbin frowned, "I'm jealous. You get to spend time with Noona." He paused and crunched the bottle, "You're not trying to steal her as a manager are you? I think I'd prefer if you were dating."

Seyoon choked on the sip of water he had taken and coughed, trying to think of a response. He was saved by Guerin returning.

"Seyoon please don't die in my apartment, I don't think that would look good for my record." She joked, patting him on the back lightly before moving back to Seungbin.

"Young man, you didn't tell anyone you were leaving." Seungbin looked chastised.

"I knew they would try and stop me."

"Everyone was very worried, with everything that's gone on. I told Woojin I'd scold you." She raised her eyebrows, "I don't think the adults are blameless here but will you promise me that in the future you'll tell someone you trust where you are?" Seungbin nodded quietly.

"Okay, I trust you to be safer next time." She ruffled his hair lovingly. "Woojin is coming to pick you up. He also said that for now you can all use his phone to contact me when you want to chat okay? So please don't give him a hard time anymore, he is doing his best and he wants you all to do well."

The three of them spent the time talking about the trip to the zoo, Seungbin making Guerin promise to take them too, before Woojin came to the door for Seungbin. He hugged Guerin tightly before leaving and she kissed the top of his head affectionately before ushering him out. He stopped one more time looking back at Seyoon as though he wanted to say something, then looked to Guerin, sighed, said goodbye and left with his frazzled looking new manager.

"Did you two fight?" Guerin asked, closing the door behind them.

Seyoon shrugged sheepishly, "He's worried about losing you, and you got the spend the day with A.C.E." he selectively shared.

"I see." She nodded, unusually quiet now that Seungbin was gone. She headed back to the living room and collapsed on the couch with a sigh. Seyoon followed awkwardly, not sure if he was also expected to leave and very aware that it was just the two of them in Guerin's apartment. Sitting on the couch next to her he pressed his fingertips together and leaned forward before speaking.

"So... are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." She replied automatically.

"Noona..." Seyoon said disbelievingly, turning his head to look at her with an expression matching his tone.

Guerin smiled wanly, "Sorry, it's a habit." She sighed and sat up a bit straighter, "I know I can share it's just... gaaaah." She kicked her legs in frustration, "It's hard." Her eyes met Seyoons again and the unconvincing smile returned, "I'm sad." Her eyed welled with tears and she put her arm across her eyes, "I'm so sad. I feel so bad. I was so caught up in everything that I didn't realize how HEET must feel too. I actually agreed that it would be better for them to not know the details of everything."

As Guerin spoke Seyoon tentatively reached his hand to hers, hesitated, then took it gently, soothingly giving it a squeeze and rubbing his thumb against her skin. She twitched at the contact but then squeezed his hand back, "It's so dumb, I know they go on their fan cafe, the vlive and official sns to check comments. I should have known they'd be bothered and upset."

He waited a moment to make sure she was done, grabbed a couple tissues with his free hand, then tugged lightly on her hand, "Sit up."

Guerin peeked at him from under her arm, eyes red and face streaked with tears. She pulled her mask back up then went along with him. He raised an eyebrow and gave a classic Seyoon smirk before pulling it down right away, when she started to protest he just put the tissue in her mouth and reached for another.

"No d- pppbbbtt! what the hell?" She laughed in shock, pulling the tissue out of her mouth.

"You don't have to hide your face." He responded simply, turning back to her to Dan her face, "I can't wipe your tears if it's all covered anyway."

She stared at him in disbelief before laughing again, shoving his hand away and taking the tissue from him, swiping at her own face, "You're such a weirdo."

"You're the one eating tissues." He countered with a mischievous grin.

"Oh you little-" she grabbed the box of tissues and moved as if to hit him with it. He laughed and raised his hands to block her, finally dropping his hold on her since he had reached out. She tsked at him and dropped the box, "I can't hurt you, you need your pretty face to make a living."

He shot finger hearts at her and she fell back, clutching her heart, "No stop, it's too cute! Aaahhh..."

"I win." He stated proudly with a wink.

"Enough enough, I'm weak and fragile right now." Guerin protested, sitting up again straining as though she was out of energy.

"Noona..." Seyoon began, pausing to take her hand again. She looked down at it and back up at him, surprised and confused. What was he doing this for? This prolonged contact with him was pleasant but torturous at the same time. Was he just being comforting, is this what he is like with everyone? Her thoughts raced right along with her heartrate.

"You did your best. Even if things didn't turn out perfect, they'll be okay now. And next time you have more information to make a better decision. Don't be so hard on yourself. You did good." He squeezed her hand once more then reached up to pet her head reassuringly. She flinched when he reached up initially but as his hand lingered for a moment she leaned her head into the affectionate pat, eyes closed with a satisfied smile.

"Thanks Seyoonie." She mumbled. As her eyes opened their gazes met again and the intimacy of the contact struck them like an embarrassing memory from a decade ago while you're trying to sleep. Guerin sat up straighter and pulled away while Seyoon dropped his hand and faced forward again.

"Ah, I've kept you late. You probably need to head back." Guerin stood up abruptly.

"Oh... oh yeah, probably." Seyoon said sounding noncommittal. He stood more slowly and Guerin led the way to the door.

"Thanks for walking me home, and... thanks for hearing me out again." She smiled, embarrassed, looking down as she opened the door and leaned against it.

"You can talk to me any time." He shrugged. "Unless it's about your weird tissue eating habit I dont want to hear about that." Guerin let out a scoff at the wrong moment as he managed to poke another tissue into her mouth, "Bye!" He turned and trotted down the stairs quickly as she spat the tissue out again.

"WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS!" she laugh yelled after him before remembering neighbors existed and shut up, closing her door quietly.

"You've never been to karaoke?" Jun asked Charlie in disbelief.

She shrugged as they walked next to each other toward her apartment, "I'm no singer, and it's different in the states. Most places are just in front of a whole bar and not private rooms..." she trailed off.

"You should try it though! It's fun! Even people that aren't good at singing can have fun with karaoke with the right friends." Jun turned so he was walking sideways to face her.

"Easy for you to say, you have an incredible voice." She protested.

"You think I'm a good singer?" He beamed from under his mask proudly, now walking backwards slightly in front of her.

"You're a professional singer of course you sound amazing. And dancing-" she stopped herself, not wanting to admit to perusing a few fancams she had watched since they had met.

"Dancing?" His eyebrows raised and his eyes glinted, "You've seen me dancing? When?"

"I- yeah. I mean... yeah there's... you just had a comeback and I liked your music so-" Charlie stammered as she cast around for the words that wouldn't be awkward, but his focused gaze on her and his smile even when it was hidden had her distracted. Fortunately an obstacle gave her the subject change she needed.

"Watch out!" She cried out in English, grabbing his arm and yanking him toward her. By walking backwards he had almost backed into a streetlight. His startled expression was easy to see as he recovered from the sudden interruption. He looked at the offending street lamp, then down to Charlie and decided that given the proximity between them her rescue had significantly decreased, maybe it wasn't so offensive afterall.

Her eyes met his for a moment before she blushed and looked away, "Sorry... you should watch where you're going though."

"You saved me!" He cooed and moved to stand next to her, closer than before.

"Yeah and I shouldn't have to, you're a grown man." She tsked at him, trying to play it cool but very aware at how his closeness as they walked meant their hands kept idly bumping each others.

"That's true. I am a grown man." He said simply. The implication of his statement made her pulse race and her blush linger and she could only hope he didn't notice.

He did notice. But he was nice enough to not say anything about it.

"Sooo... My members and I were thinking of going to karaoke later this week. You should come experience it." He tried for casual, "Maybe Guerin can come too if it would make you feel better." He added as she hesitated.

"...Yeah. It could be fun." She agreed, trying not to give away how eager she was to be making future plans with him. She giggled as he bounced happily beside her, a big grin on his face, "But I am not going to promise to sing, I'll just listen to you professionals."

"I won't make you do anything you don't want to!" He promised, grinning. Their hands brushed against each others again.

[kukvlkan]

Josie I'm sorry I haven't written a comment on your yt au, I read it this morning before work and it was a great day to start the day, too bad I was quite busy to give you my thoughts but here I am!

This is now one of my favorite fexi au fics, full of fluff and just so cute overall. I really liked how you described all of their backgrounds, not only for fexi but also ash, rue, and even Faye. They all felt like a family since the nye scene.

The thought of fez watching lexis videos and trying to bake her recipes had me all blushing and giggling.

I really loved the fic, but if I had to choose something that loved the most it's probably ash and fez interactions, they do act like brothers and ash giving him shit for watching lexis pride and prejudice review was golden and the whole "I was talking to God last night, and he said to stop being a lil’ bitch face and ask her out alread" favorite line hands down!!! I laughed out loud with that scene, I find that writing comedy/funny parts is always the hardest but you nailed it here. ASH IS HILARIOUS what are you talking about fez?

And you also gave us jealous lexi, one of my favorite tropes tbh, it was small but I loved that fez reassured her immediately that he wouldn't be flirting with her if he had a gf💜💜

Lexi and Faye is also something that we don't get enough on fics, it just made me so happy having them together in her vlogs, maybe a collab in the future for them too?

And the ending, everyone together having dinner, and ash calling lexi her sis, it was just so wholesome.

Ok I'll stop now but thanks for sharing your writing with the fexi hive!!! I'll be patiently waiting for your next fic 👀👀

oh my god cel you don't know how much this means to me. omg pls never apologize! life is busy!! i'm just glad i was able to help with having a good start to your day!! it's an honor. not gonna lie i've read this msg like three times since you sent it earlier just to make myself push through work. it was such a shit day today and just reading ur kind words really help me make it to the end of the day. if i had to hide in the bathroom and cry over this for a lil thats our secret!!

thank you so much !!! ahhh to be one of ur faves fexi au's means so much to me. i really love found family fics where its not just the boys and lexi but also rue and faye. they honestly warm my heart so i'm glad you liked this as much as i loved writing this.

pls !! both ash and fez tried to make her recipes and failed. i know they set off the fire alarm once or twice.

i have a really close relationship with my siblings! like probably closer than some people just bc we basically had to raise each other like fez and ash have so i'm really glad they come across as true brothers. unfortunately i'm not as funny as ash BUT that's actually something my brother has said, recently he's been all about "talking to god." and the first time he said it i knew i would have to sneak it into a fic. i truly did not think so many people would love it but i'm glad you did !!!

honestly ??? maybe controversial opinion?? i def think lexi has a bit of a jealous streak in her?? like yeah she's really sweet and forgiving and everything BUT she has been living in her sister's shadow and even rue's. i feel like she would definitely be jealous before she liked forced herself not to be.

FAYE! i love her so much?? her friendship with lexi in this fic basically wrote itself. faye probably hasn't had very positive female friendships in her life and i really wanted lexi to be that for her. i wish i had added more of them in the fic but i had been working on it for around two weeks already and anything more felt like i was really pushing it ?? idk my brain is weird! if a second chapter ever pops on that fic tho, don't be surprised. i have an idea to maybe add a chapter or two of just lexi basically doing videos with her friend. no plot just vibes. as an avid reader myself i really wanted her to read a book with faye and have them review it. i was thinking maybe it ends with us by coho bc it deals with spouse abuse, domestic abuse, emotional abuse and i feel like custer was a shit boyfriend and faye would def benefit from like reading a book like that and talking it out with lexi ??? idk i have ideas but no time!!

ahhhh you don't have to stop! we could talk about these babies for as long as you want!! thank you for sending me this lovely msg you have no idea how much it means to me. you already know what i’m working on next!! i just hope you like it as much as this one !!! so SO sorry to be so long winded with my reply. thank you so much fr!! ily.

[joonbug95]

Coffee Cup 2

NamjoonxReader

Short One Shot Story

You were never much of a coffee drinker til your eyes meet with the new barista at the cafe near your house. Will you be his caramel macchiato or will things turn bittersweet?

Chapter 1

I sigh as today was yet another failed attempt to see him. I'm beginning to think he was a figment of my imagination. I sit by the window looking out into the busy streets. People buzz with excitement as they move throughout the crowd. This is what I love most about the city, it comes alive with a music only a few can hear. I grab my small notepad and scribble a couple of words while humming my favorite tune. "Nice to see you're in a good mood today." I look up and see Jimin sauntering past me, "Just writing," "Oooh it's been a while since you've done that." Quickly he grabs my notebook and I squeak in protest, "Give it back!" "Whaaat I'm just looking." "That's the problem!" He successfully holds me away while looking at my terrible handwriting, "Awe that's so cute...you still haven't found him I'm guessing." I rip the book out of his hand and stuff it in my bag, "No." He sighs, "Except for his eyes, do you remember anything else?" He sits across from me smiling mischievously. "He has dimples...." Jimin suddenly bursts into giggles and I can't help but feel silly, "WHAT?!" “If you would've said that yesterday I could've told you who that was." He laughs and his eyes almost disappears behind his bright smile, "Thankfully, we only have one worker with dimples. Easy on the eyes but good gosh he's clumsy. I'm still trying to figure out how he got a job here. I think the manager is going soft with age." My heart races as I lean across the table "What's his name??" I'm practically on the edge of my seat.

 "His name is Namjoon. Instead of coming in the afternoon, try in the morning time. You'll have much more luck that way." Jimin winks before heading back to work. I didn't even get a chance to tell him thank you.....I'll just make sure to tip him extra good the next time I see him.  My head is buzzing with so many different emotions, I can finally get to see him again....but oh gosh what if he doesn't particularly care for me? What if he's already taken? Oh no, why didn't I think of this in the first place??? I breath in and out slowly to calm my racing thoughts. No no no!  No doubting yourself, you need to try. There's nothing wrong with at least meeting. Heck if anything you might become the best of friends....but I suck at making friends though. I'm so awkward and I have a terrible time knowing what words to say. First things first, I need finish my paperwork for Mr. Kim and then I can focus on making sure I look good for tomorrow. I scroll on my phone for possible shops near by I can stop at on my way home. One look at my bank account and that thought quickly went out the window. All this coffee drinking has it going on strike, I can feel my mother nagging on how low it’s getting. Fine I’ll just look through my closet and hope for the best. I head home with an extra skip in my step. I can feel good things about tonight!

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

Ugh....I didn't sleep a wink. I kept tossing and turning thinking about how today would turn out. What was supposed to be a mini spa night turned into a walking ball of anxiety and doubt. Granted my skin is healthy and glowy due to my skincare routine, but my eyes scream a deer trapped in headlights. I saw a gorgeous curling wand video last night on youtube that I really wanted to try cause why not? Well, I look like I should be telling a little boy that he is a wizard. I swear this can't get any worse. I'm really tempted to call the whole thing off and just stay home. I want to cry so bad...I just wanted to look pretty. Even if it was all in vain at least I couldn't say it was because of how I looked. I grumble as I walk towards my closet hoping for a sign of redemption. I'm not the most fashionable person but there's got to be at least something decent from my random thrift shop hunts. My closet was essentially segregated by business or home clothes. I really didn’t have a need for fancy items or anything too outlandish. I end up settling on a light blue long sleeve and paired it an oversized cream colored cardigan vest. Now...what to do bottom wise? After some searching, I find a cute denim skirt  "I really need to get better clothes.", I mutter as I lace my converses up. Now to fix this bird’s nest of a mess on my head. After some analyzing, I pull it into a loose bun and try to have some of the curls fall perfectly around my face. Looks less wizardy and more like I just woke up out of bed. I can work with that.  I keep it simple with my makeup and just add a bit of eyeliner, lip tint, and mascara to call it a day. I look tired but at least it’s pretty tired. Now, let’s do this.

Oooof course it's extra busy in the morning. The amount of people in here is nerve wrecking...will I even have a chance to talk to him? I eventually make it to the counter, "One caffe latte please." My debit card screams in protest as I hand it over, I hope it's worth it. As I walk towards the pickup counter, my heart jumps as I see him from the corner of my eye. He is standing near the coffee machine concentrating hard. He almost towers over it as he works on a different order from mine. I can't help but stare at him and bite my lip. Just watching him work with his jaw jutting out a little bit is so mesmerizing. He doesn't pay attention and accidentally knocks over a cup. The crash is heard through out the cafe and I hear the cashier sigh. I'm guessing it's become a normal occurrence from how the cashier keeps a broom near him and sweeps it away while Namjoon apologizes frantically. I can't help but giggle and I feel my nervousness melt away. While I wait for him to call my name, I sit by the windowsill away from the other customers just watching the city move. I wish I would've brought my book so I could scribble some more poems. I grab my phone and write in my notes so I can just transfer them later. "Y/N?" I jump at hearing my name and hurriedly make my way to the counter. When he sees me his eyes grow wide and he almost drops my drink. "Oh wow! I mean-it's you! I've been waiting for you!"

[diversionexcursion]

Slowly transitioning back to the real world...

Our final 2 days of the trip were harsh but necessary. My "hold my beer" husband wanted to ride his bike up to the summit of Pike's Peak. We got into Manitou Springs on a Sunday. Knowing that everyone was out enjoying the local attractions and needing a day to prepare for the ride, we decided to find a campground in town and settle in.

Tim found a highly rated, family owned campground just a few miles from the base of PP - Lone Duck. This type of camping was our only option because dispersed camping is really hard to come by right outside big cities. In all honesty, it was a needed transition back to the real world.

Being in Colorado Springs was such a shock to the senses. We've driven through cities and towns on this trip, but they've only served as places to get food/fuel or gateways to another destination. The only outdoorsy thing we did was do a little pedaling on the Colorado Springs Greenway. I applaud any city that builds multi use trail systems into their community. People need a safe and relaxing means of exercising. This trail was okay but not up to par compared to others we've been on before. Lots of people were biking and running. There were parks here and there, and it wound through UofC campus, which is beautiful. I was a bit disappointed, though, because it felt like less like a chance to enjoy the natural beauty of the area and more typical of a place where people are starting to take their gifts for granted. We passed discarded trash here and there and even saw a giant heap of garbage. One man's trash is another man's treasure - someone was on a treasure hunt. 😞

It was just a snapshot of what to expect as we leave isolation and get back to the normal world.

The campground. Oh lordy. Culture shock but it was all good. We could only giggle as we drove though looking for our camping spot. There were cabins, RVs, tents, and I'm not sure what else because we were on top of each other. At first glance, you think "omg - are we at Six Flags or Walmart on black Friday?" After getting settled and taking a few hours to just sit and observe, it wasn't so crazy. People were having fun. There was a heated pool, a fishing pond with poles to rent, a playground, and a video arcade.

I'm so used to using a camping spot as a place to leave all of our crap while we go explore that I forget that it can also be a destination. Most of these people were using the facilities and enjoying time with family. Yes, there was some good people watching and speculation about the family dynamics of certain groups. Again, though we met some really great people. Our really close camping neighbors were a nice family from a town outside of Denver. The teen son and his friend are going to be juniors in HS - so polite and willing to talk to middle aged strangers. The dog, Bob (Bobert when he's in trouble) just wandered back and forth between our sites. He was LARGE, old, and slobbery. ♥️

The parents were down to earth and even invited us to come watch a movie on the big screen in the back of their Forerunner. The dad totally reminded me of the dad from The Goldbergs - so funny!

We got a decent night of sleep despite people letting their kids run amuck till pretty late. I'd probably be okay, too, with my kids running around while I take a moment to chill by the fire.

Monday morning we had a power breakfast of blueberry pancakes so Tim could make it to the top of Pike's Peak. I also needed good fueling to take the shuttle to the top and brave the line of people waiting to buy donuts.

Tim rocked the climb, of course. It took him about 3 hours to climb from mile 6 to mile 20 and get back down again. I waited for him at the summit with a bag of donuts and a congratulatory hug. Then, he beat me back down to the parking lot where we started. Lol

Tim never fails to amaze me. Riding a bike to the summit of 14er is no joke. I knew he could do it but was worried about all of the things that could (and didn't) go wrong. It was just a regular ride for him. He's amazing and can accomplish pretty much anything he sets his mind to. I wish I had that confidence and mental toughness!

The trip was officially over at that point. Going home is bittersweet. I've really missed my people and my bed and my shower. Leaving behind mountains, desert, Aspens, dirt, rocks, and flowing waters always stings. We have these things back home, but they get overshadowed by technology, noise, and evidence that many people don't appreciate what they have.

I'm not looking forward to having life thrust into my face when we get back. I've been trying to reflect on the amazing things we experienced these last 3 weeks. We went where the wind blew us, literally. We didn't stay in a hotel one time. I need a little TLC - loooonnnng shower and clean clothes and Corrie/Buddy love. I am also trying to prepare myself for all that's waiting when we leave vacation mode. I just don't know if I'm ready for it but I'm working on a plan.

Until next year....

[the-psychedelic-hobo]

3. Education, isolation, perseverance, fail and try, fail and try, Language deprivation

So if you're wondering by now what "mainstreamed" means. It means you were deaf, most likely was steered away from ASL [American Sign Language], and sent to a regular school instead of a Deaf school. I was forced to talk, given stressful speech therapy, devices that went with my hearing aides that the teacher would wear so I could hear her voice [most guy teachers refused to do this, especially P.E. coaches]. It was bad enough that my inefficient, staticky hearing aides drew me negative attention, now the whole class giggled at the sight of this even more inefficient device with mangled wires wrapped around the teacher.

I learned to adapt. Some ways positive, most ways negative. The negative adaptations I picked up was the "deaf nod". Having said yes to questions many times that werent yes or no questions, having the teacher making me the example of the classroom of the "kid who's not paying attention". Even though I made straight As by reading... yes reading. I didnt have to hear the teacher at all as long as i picked up context clues and read. Public school is that fucked up. Unfortunately this was the reason i was never given the Deaf route. "Oh they have done so well here, why isolate them at a Deaf school?" They would say

Truth was. Being deaf in a hearing school was the real isolation. I became pedantic with words, an overcompensating speaker, I had to because I didnt want to say the wrong things, the wrong way. My language was great on paper, but with conversational language logic, I struggled with confusion every day. It wasnt until high school when teachers started testing on things that werent written on the board or highlighted in the book that would stop a bullet with many parts we were told to ignore.

I think you'll notice that some of the problems I've had in a mainstream school aren't just exclusive to deaf kids btw....

My parents divorced when I was 5 right after my sister died. My older half sister moved out when I was 7 and so from age 8-18 it was just me and my mom. And she worked from 8am to sometimes 11pm depending on the day. At home by myself, I watched tv. Had to do alot of guesswork as to what was happening but dvds thankfully had subtitles. [I'm a proud dirty fucking slut for subtitles]. I mostly played outside in the woods. I loved to read but could have been encouraged to do so more. School kinda got in the way of recreational reading but hey at least I know [jk I forgot] the chemical processes of photosynthesis.

I had very little friends. And as a proud Millennial, mySpace IM was huge in 8th grade so I began to make one of the best friends who I am still best friends with today. For that I'm thankful. We were so different socially. He was hearing and more cooool😎😎😎 about not getting attached, and I? Oh I had 13 years of conversations to catch up on!! I typed like hell lmao. We would just hang out on IM [instant messaging] send youtube videos to each other and talk about music.

AND FOR THE LOVE OF GAWD WE DEAF LOVE MUSIC QUIT ASKING US HOW LOOK UP BEETHOVEN AND VIBRATIONS U THICK SKULLED PEOPLE WHO DONT THINK DEAF PEOPLE CAN ENJOY AND EVEN CREATE MUSIC

Anyways... I have played piano since I was 4, guitar since 12 yo, harmonica since 8 yrs old, mandolin, banjo, and fiddle since 15

And I've always loved singing..

Youd think with all these qualities I'd have no problems making friends. But if you cant communicate well with people it's hard. I tried and failed so many times but I really never fully gave up.

Had teachers play the "what?" Game with me.

Lord do I hate this game. I ask what because I cant hear and students and teachers say what back to mock me.

Or the whispered "losers say what" to which I would say what bc I cant hear and the preppy future serial rapist jocks would roar in laughter.

In my teens to compound onto my severe to profound deafness, I started having major tinnitus problems that last to hmm yes while I'm typing this. Never goes away. Compounded onto that is psychosis, paranoia, mood swings, and depression which leads to my early adulthood mental breakdowns and a diagnosis of both paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar.

To be continued...

MY [not all] experiences as a mainstreamed deaf adult

1. Birth, "condition", minute heritage

Let's start with my birth. Me and my twin sister were born with a type of deafness that deals specifically with the "hairs or fibers" in everyone's ears that pick up vibrations of sounds that then later go further to the ear drums then the brain. [Or so it has been explained to me. I am NOT an audiologist].

Basically those hairs or fibers in me and my twin sister's [Barbara RIP] ears were weak? Short? Genetically unfit to pick up sounds efficiently? Again I am not an audiologist. And it was genetic. My parents were hearing; my paternal grandfather [Granddaddy happy & 90 this year!] is also deaf or hard of hearing. His identity is for him to disclose. But he was also born with a very similar hearing loss [is it a loss if you never had it?] to mine. He is not culturally deaf. He grew up in the hearing world and really never got into the deaf world which is his choice. However, we share values, beliefs, and traditions outside ASL [which he has never learned] that are very similar to Deaf culture. [I do not believe in gatekeeping, take it elsewhere, etc, plz & thx].

To be continued...