#if you haven’t watched downtown abbey you should

[kingly-genderfluid]

Hello.

[moviemunchies]

Alright it’s a bit past Hogswatch but we’re going to talk about the Sky One Hogfather adaptation, ‘kay?

In the wake of the premiere of BBC America’s The Watch it’s good to remember that Sky One did adaptations of Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books and that they actually cared about the original content. The Hogfather is a two-part miniseries that is a faithful retelling of the book. Some might say too faithful--there are scenes which add very little to the Plot, which are in the movie/miniseries because they’re in the book, when specific bits that give them context are not. I imagine if you haven’t read the book, it’s a bit hard to follow. Like, “Why is there a little rodent Grim Reaper?”

Still, it’s made with such care and attention to detail that if you ARE a fan of the book you’re sure to love this movie. No, it doesn’t have the budget of a big Hollywood movie, and it shows at times. But I think it also shows that a big Hollywood budget isn’t always the best way to adapt a book, as I imagine we’d have gotten something more like The Watch if this had been made by a large studio.

So the story goes like this, if you don’t know: in the Discworld, a satire of fantasy worlds, there are beings called the Auditors of Reality and they hire an Assassin to kill the Discworld equivalent of Santa Claus (a being called the Hogfather) in their plan to eradicate humanity because they’re jerks like that. Death, the Grim Reaper, being somewhat fond of humanity, takes it upon himself to fill in for the Hogfather while he’s indisposed. Death’s granddaughter, Susan-- currently working as a governess in Discworld’s most populous city Ankh-Morpork--gets drawn into the Plot and takes it upon herself to go and save Christma--I mean Hogswatch.

What follows is a bright satire of basically all the Christmas specials, stories, and cliches, as well as a surprisingly deep reflection on the nature and purpose of human belief in the supernatural, especially when it comes to children’s stories.

This miniseries is pretty long. On DVD it’s split into two parts, each an hour and a half, which makes it more manageable for me to sit through. But just be aware if you decide to watch it that if you want to try it all in one go, you’re going to be there for about three hours, at least.

Some quick highlights from the cast: 

Michelle Dockery, pre-Downtown Abbey, plays Susan, who is more or less our main character. And I’m not going to lie to you: not all of her acting in this miniseries is on point. I get that she’s going for someone who is very emotionally detached, reacting to the weirdness of the supernatural world with exasperation and cynicism rather than wonder or terror or awe. But having seen this movie a bajillion times there are lines that she delivers with no emotion at all. Not stoically, but like she really doesn’t care what she’s saying, and that kind of bothers me.

Marc Warren plays Jonathan Teatime. He apparently modeled his performance off of Johnny Deep’s Willy Wonka, which is an interesting choice but one that makes sense. He hits all of the creepy vibes and he does a pretty good job. He’s not how I imagined Teatime, but he does a good interpretation that fits with the character and makes him a good villain.

[Also because of this miniseries apparently an alarming number of fans ship Susan and Teatime? No I don’t get it.]

The late Ian Richardson plays Death. Death is Awesome. I don’t know if it’s him in the suit, but regardless, Death’s remarkably expressive considering he’s a skeleton in a robe (and then a Santa costume). Whoever is in the suit, whether it’s Richardson or someone else, should be given a lot of credit, as well as Richardson for imbuing his voice with a personality that feels if not straight out of Terry Pratchett’s work, very close to it indeed. And no, I suppose he doesn’t look like a realistic skeleton, but he still looks really good on screen, like straight out of one of Kidby’s illustrations for the series.

Longtime Discworld fanboy David Jason plays Albert, Death’s butler, who is desperately trying to smoke and can never get to finish rolling his cigarette. He’s one of the best parts of the film, cynically trying to get his boss to be a jolly sentimental icon while maybe (probably) being drunk off his butt.

Joss Ackland is Mustrum Ridcully, the Archchancellor of Unseen University. Head of the wizards, more or less. He is both the sane man among the wizards (if you don’t count Ed Coleman’s Ponder Stibbons, who is actually sane and very good at his role too), and very ridiculous, though I suppose that might in part be the other wizards are pretty silly. He’s a joy to watch too.

And there are other cast members who all look like they’re having fun in this miniseries, but most notably: Terry Pratchett. All of these Sky One adaptations have Terry Pratchett in them at one point or another, and always delivering the final line of dialogue in the film. 

If you’re a Terry Pratchett fan, or are curious about Terry Pratchett’s work, I imagine you’ll probably like this miniseries. If you’re not, I can’t promise you’ll have a good time, but it’s an adaptation made with unwavering love for the source material, and in today’s world that’s sometimes pretty difficult to come by.

[spookymultimedia]

The Kindness of Strangers

One shot of my oc Abbey and @pascalls oc Charlie

 The rain pounded against the window of the overlooked VHS store at a small, forgotten corner of Springfield. It was located somewhere between the bowling alley and downtown. Inside was the employee Abbey Fletcher sitting criss cross in her spin chair with her head rested in her palms. There was hardly anyone in the store on weekdays except maybe the occasional regular who came by. The place had been there since the early 1980s when VHS tapes were all the rage. But now in the late 00s it was starting to lose its popularity. Digital film was now the cutting edge of technology. She was the only employee there at the moment. At the store it was more exciting on weekends. It was painfully boring but at least she got to watch films and got paid for it. As long as she kept the place vacuumed every so often and made sure the movies weren't in disorganized chaos on the shelves. Sometimes she'd find that some punk kid put the horror movie Annabelle next to the Raggedy Ann and Andy movies in the kids section, but those were the exciting days. 

       So it came to her surprise when she had heard a rustling outside the store. The sound of clattering. The sound of claws against cement. Perhaps it was a racoon? She dismissed it for a minute or so and soon forgot about the noise. Until a figure flew into the store dripping wet with a long overcoat and hoodie underneath it. She tensed up at the person standing before her and stared. They stood slightly crouched forward as if they were catching their breath. 

   "Hello?", she asked them. The figure looked up at her. She saw a tuft of ginger hair and a pair of scared eyes. Their gaze was immediately interrupted by a man walking in. They quickly ran behind the counter to hide. A tall spindly man walked in. An old man who looked ghostly in appearance; like he should've been dead years ago but had out ran the devil himself. It was none other than C. Montgomery Burns. Abbey sat still and stared at the man. The stranger huddled under the front desk almost huddled like a scared cat. He slowly looked around the room looking for something. 

         "May I help you?" she asked the elder. He looked back at her aloof, staring as if he hadn't heard the young lady. His eyes were squinted and unfriendly. "Pardon?" He replied nastily.

She cleared her throat and fidgeted her fingers with her hair, "I said: may I help you?"

        He scanned the room before shaking his head in weak frustration and stormed out of the store. She watched him leave into a black car before sitting down. She looked down at the stranger. "He's gone." They crawled out hiding before standing up. A glimpse of a dragon-like tail peaked from his coat. She gasped lightly and blinked in disbelief of what she had seen. The stranger stepped back and re-hid his tail. "Listen. I need to hide. They're after me." He started to shake from the cold draft that came from outside. 

     She stopped him before he could say anything else. "Not here." She walked down along a wall of movies leading to an employee's only area. She opened the handle into a dark back room. The walls were made uo of partly brick and partly drywall, almost as if the room was an afterthought. The carpet was a dark shade of green that didn't match the corny retro carpet of the rest of the store. She tugged on a string that hung from a hanging light. Inside the room where shelves of moves that had been kept in storage. On the floor in front of them were various cardboard boxes with various sharpie labels. There were two bean bags, one red and one blue that sat against the wall of two movie posters that were yellowed at the edges. 

     She shut the door and turned on a heater that made a humming noise. "There." She bit at her lip a bit scared. "Now what's going on?"

      He paused and hesitated on what to say. He wasn't sure what to do or where to start. He felt that she was trustworthy and had good intentions. It was a stupid gamble but he took the risk. He took off his hood revealing the long black ears and dragonesque face that mutation had given him. She gasped and covered her mouth.

"Pleasedontfreakout." He said tense and awkward. He put up his hands to show himself harmless. She stared at him. She was wearing a blue apron, bleach blue jeans, and a purple sweatshirt with Mickey Mouse on it. Her hair was a dirty golden blond and she wore round wire glasses that covered half her face. She slowly moved her hands down from her mouth. A touch of hair was on her chin. She idly touched at it and stared at him. "What are you?" She breathed out.

       The question stung at him more than it should have. It was a loaded question. There was too much that happened and no way to explain it all. "I'm- I- I'm not sure. But my name is Charlie." He managed a polite smile despite his nerves and offered her a handshake. She took his hand and gave it a shake. "I'm Abbey. . . Jeepers, what happened to you?" In hindsight it was a rather rude question but it wasn't everyday you find a half mutant man at the VHS store.

 "Not important, what's important is that he doesn't find me."

              "Why? Did he do something to you?"

He looked down from her tall gaze and nodded quietly. 

           "I'm so sorry." She said and rested a hand on her chest in empathy. She looked around thinking of what she could do. 

                    "I just need a place to hide for the night. At least until the morning." The night was enough time for him to make up a plan of what to do next.

"Well. . .I suppose you could hide out here. I'm the only one who has the keys to this area, and I do have a spare you could borrow." She must've sounded crazy. Letting a strange looking guy hide at her workplace. But she couldn't help but feel sympathy for him. He looked so frightened and alone. He must've been through so much. She was willing to spare him some kindness. 

         "Really?" He said surprised at the charity. She nodded. 

       "Thank you. .I- I'll be as quiet as possible I promise." He nodded and smiled in gratitude. Suddenly after, he hugged at his stomach. Damn. . .when was the last time he ate? 

       "You must be hungry. . ." She said, noticing his pain. "I haven't eaten supper yet either. . . I'll be right back." She stood up and left. 

         He stood in the room and looked around. He gave the shelves a closer look. Dust had gathered against the paper cases of the cassettes. He cleaned off one that read Pink Floyd with a distressed watercolor man on the top of the side. He then sat on a blue bean bag. It took some time to get comfortable with the tail and all. 

       Abbey soon came back with a bag from Burger King, her hair was wet at the tips. His eyes widened and his mouth watered the smell of burgers. She sat cross legged from him and handed him one before pulling out one for herself. After a couple bites he froze, embarrassed by his hastiness. "Thank you. . . for the meal I mean." 

                 "It's no trouble at all. Really." 

They ate in uncomfortable awkward silence before she spoke up. "I hope this is warm enough for you. . .I'm sorry the heaters haven't been touched since the 70s." 

      "No no it's fine. It's warm enough." It was better than a wet alley. Anything was better than a wet alley. 

    "Are you sure?"

He nodded, "I'll be fine, I've slept worse."

"Oh. Well.  . .okay." 

The rest of the meal was quiet, the rain outside had now reduced to light pitterung. She stood up with the trash gathered in one paper bag, "Goodnight Charlie. Be safe. . ."

She left the back room. 

          He managed to make himself a sort of nest out of the two bean bags. It wasn't the most fancy place but it sure was to him. After the light under the door went out so had he into slumber knowing he was safe until morning. Then he would wake, thank the lady once again and make his way into what life brought that lad next. 

[secret-rendezvous1d]

comfy comfort shows & movies u can watch to fill The Void™

hello! i’m from the uk and i’m going back to college next month, for my second year, the first time i won’t be without my boyfriend, so i wanted to offer up some of my favourite things to watch that help fill the void when i miss him, and help me feel more positive. i haven’t left any links to where u can find them as both of these are on british tv or u can find them on youtube, and im sure there’s more things out there, but i don’t have netflix lol. enjoy!! - ariel 😘

• tv shows •

“friends”

“the goldbergs”

“schooled”

“the big bang theory”

“everybody loves raymond”

“fixer upper”

“gordon ramsay’s 24 hours to hell and back”

“barefoot contessa" 

"the pioneer woman”

“brooklyn 99”

“hollyoaks”

“my lottery dream home" 

"shameless us”

“peaky blinders" 

"downtown abbey" 

"gavin & stacey”

• movies •

“pretty woman”

“dirty dancing”

“home alone” (1&2)

“meet the fockers”

“deck the halls”

“bridget jones’ diary”

“bridget jones the edge of reason”

“bridget jones’ baby”

“13 going on 30”

“the holiday”

“love actually”

“mother’s day”

“mamma mia”

“legally blonde”

every single “harry potter” movie

“cheaper by the dozen” (1&2)

“father of the bride” (1&2)

“love, simon”

imma add a few youtubers as well jus bc

+ zoe sugg (her vlogs with mark always make me smile and laugh and hearing her jus chat away is so lovely)

+ dan and phil (these two dweeps, esp they’re gaming vids always make me die laughing)

+ markiplier (my boyfriend n me recently sat and watched a series of his n he holds a v special place w my heart lol) 

anybody can add to this, and I’m sure I’ll find more. I’ll be sure to update if I do! 

hopefully this fills holes for ppl that are stressed and worried n jus need their mind taken off summat or they jus wanna watch summat easy while studying or bathing or jus settling down for the evening 

- ariel 😘

--

This right here is a godsend! 

Thank you for this; I’m always on the lookout for some new stuff so I can imagine others go through the struggle of not being about to find anything new to watch this has is a huge help!

A lot of what you’ve suggested here are some of my absolute favourites and I might just go ahead and add a few of my favourite shows, Youtubers and movies that fill in the gaps of when my lad isn’t here to keep me company, too, if you don’t mind. Since we’re all about sharing and giving each other some good recommendations. A lot are from the UK so I’m not sure if my American followers can access them but if they can then... that’s brilliant and they should really check some classic British TV out;

TV SHOWS - Benidorm  - Doctor Who - The Inbetweeners - Friday Night Dinner - Friends - Modern Family - Skins - Outnumbered - Bad Education - Fresh Meat - Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father - It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia - The Office US - Black Mirror - Stranger Things - Rick And Morty - American Horror Story

MOVIES - The Breakfast Club - American Pie - American Pie 2 - American Pie: The Wedding - American Pie: The Reunion - Fifty Shades of Grey - Fifty Shades Darker - Fifty Shades Freed - Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again - Pitch Perfect (1, 2 and 3) - No Strings Attached - Jurassic Park (1, 2, 3) - Jurassic World - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Shrek (1, 2 and 3) - Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging - Every single Marvel movie.

YOUTUBERS - WillNE and S2W - Sidemen, MoreSidemen and SidemenReacts - ImAllexx - James Marriott - Memeulous and Memeuless - Eboys - Lewis Buchan - BambinoBecky and ChildishBambino - Calfreezy - Stephen Tries - Chi With A C - Freya Nightingale - Talia Mar

There is a load more that I could recommend but these are off the top of my head and from my Netflix and Youtube subscriptions. Anyone is free to add on, absolutely! Let’s get some good recommendations going. xx

[chainofclovers]

3, 12, 42

thank you so much!

3. have you ever quit a show before it finished? why?

Lots of times. I’ve consciously, angrily quit a show only once or twice, but there are lots of shows where I just never finished everything. 

I consciously stopped watching Downtown Abbey after Matthew died. The way the show handled Dan Stephen’s departure really bothered me; there were so many alternatives (a shocking divorce, for one, which would have made for an interesting next season for Mary) that would’ve worked better. I know so many people continued to absolutely adore that show, but I lost all trust that the people in charge were invested in telling a story in a way that made sense, so I whatever’d on out of there. 

I loved the first season of Jessica Jones but absolutely could not get through the second. There was so much going on at the plot level but the character notes didn’t seem quite right for anyone, like I was watching familiar versions of characters I’d loved instead of seeing the characters continue their lives in a new season. I don’t think we got more than halfway through that one.

Most times I’ve stopped watching a show haven’t been nearly so dramatic. I was into Call the Midwife but randomly stopped watching and never returned, though perhaps I will at some point. I loved The West Wing in high school but moved out of my parents’ house to go to college and never ended up completing the show. Stuff like that has happened so many times, and I never experience myself as quitting the show. It’s like putting a bookmark in a book and replacing it on the shelf.

12. have you ever watched a show just for a specific actor? did you enjoy it?

I started Happy Valley for Sarah Lancashire! It’s actually one of those shows I quit-without-realizing-I-was-quitting. She’s so brilliant and I should really return to it. *sighs about cop shows*

42. what’s the longest amount of time you’ve ever watched a show in one sitting?

I think it’s probably the 6.5 hours of Grace and Frankie in a single feverish day every time a new season comes out. Not technically a single sitting, but it practically is!

From TV Show Ask Meme!!!

[singanddreamanyway]

I Got You, Babe

Summary: You and Shawn are best friends, celebrating Halloween together. You want more, but does he? Oh, and there’s karaoke too. 

Word Count: 2.5k 

Authors Note: This is the first fic that I am physically letting people see. I figured it’s Halloween; why not scare the shit out of myself by posting something for the first time. So, read with caution. And HUGE shoutout to @harryandmolly for taking the time to read this and say nice things. 

“Hey, hurry up love!” Shawn yells up your condo’s steps. “We have places to be, people to see and booze to drink!”

Tonight was Halloween and you and Shawn were meeting the rest of your friends downtown Toronto for a night out. You and Shawn decided to go all out on costumes this year, dressing as Sonny and Cher.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” you say racing down the stairs and into the living room where Shawn sits waiting. “This wig was not cooperating.” You zip up your white gogo boots and finish off your look. You give Shawn a quick twirl. The fringes on your sleeveless white and gold dress flare out as you spin, but your long black wig stays perfectly in place. “So, what do you think?”

Shawn lets out a whistle. “Damn, you look hot,” Shawn states throwing you a wink.

You feel your cheeks heat up, and your heart beat rises a bit. Shawn and you have been friends since you were eight years old. You have been through it all with each other. Braces, relationships, breakups, his superstardom, you starting your own business;  you’ve done it all, together.

But recently, things have been different. You used to be content watching his hands play piano for hours. Now, you wanted to feel them trace patterns on your back. You wanted to hear his voice, normally used to serenade millions of fans, singing in the shower after gentle morning sex. You wanted to run your hands through his hair, not in the way you used to comb through it trying to braid when you were little, but the way you would do as you pulled in him close for a passionate kiss.

You wanted every part of him. But, you couldn’t have him. He was your best friend, and regardless of how strong your feelings for him were, you never wanted to lose him as a friend. So, over these past few months, as your feelings grew more intense, so did your need to push them down, and never let Shawn know.

“You don’t look half bad yourself Mendes. Even with that mustache.” Shawn had on beige bell-bottoms and a white and gold patterned shirt tucked in. You couldn’t take your eyes off the deep v cut into his shirt as he tossed on his beige suit jacket. His long curls were falling everywhere, and a fake mustache adorned his upper lip. He tugs on his jacket, and does a quick spin.

“Let’s hit it.” You roll your eyes, Shawn grabs his keys, and you head for his jeep.

The bar is crowded, but fortunately Shawn is quick to find our friends. He greets Brian and Mike while you pull Abbey, Mike’s girlfriend, into a hug.

“Abbey, you look amazing!,” you exclaiming while admiring her Lois costume. Glancing over you find Mike in a Clark Kent get-up and chuckle a little to yourself. “Mike really pulls it off.”

Abbey laughs. “Tell me about it. But you - look at you two,” she gestures between you and Shawn. “You look hot as hell and Shawn, Shawn is about the only boy I know who can look good in beige bell bottoms.”

“I know. Isn’t it annoying?”

You both laugh loudly, grabbing the boys attention.

“What’s so funny?” Shawn asks as he throws his arm around your shoulder.

You blush at the closeness and take a deep breath to steady yourself. You decide that if Shawn was going to get close, you were going to take advantage of it. You reach for the hand he has slung over your shoulders and intertwine your fingers with his. Looking up at him you catch his eyes and he smiles. That smile could light the whole world, you think.

“I was just laughing because we have been here ten minutes, and somehow you haven’t gotten me a drink yet,” you say with a wink.

Shawn unwraps his arm from your shoulders and extends it out, keeping your fingers together. “Oh I am so sorry!” His voice is laced with sarcasm, as he pulls you back into him. “I’ll be right back,” he says through his laughter.

Shawn releases your hand and disappears into the crowd and the other boys follow. Your head follows him, straining your neck until you can’t see any part of his gorgeous stature any longer. You turn back towards Abbey who’s staring at you through a side-eye, a sly grin plastered across her face.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“...you like Shawn!”

You open your mouth to protest, but quickly close it.  Denying it to Abbey wasn’t worth it; she knew you too well. You twirled at your wig, eyes trained on the floor. “Please don’t say anything. I don’t - we just,” you let out a long sigh. “I just don’t want it to ruin everything. He’s my best friend.”

Abbey reaches out and squeezes your hand. “I won’t say anything. But, you should. I would bet my life he feels the same way.”

I shake my head, fingers still twisted in my wig. “He doesn’t.”

She grabs my fingers from my wig, shaking both my hands a little. “Talk to him. You’ll never know unless you talk to him.”

You nod and she pulls you in for a hug just as the boys appear, drinks in hand. Shawn raises his eyebrows, as if to ask if you were okay. You nod, pulling away from Abbey and taking your drink.

“God, who decided karaoke on Halloween night would be a good idea? They should be fired,” Brian states as we listen to a couple drunkenly mumble through The Monster Mash complete with terrible zombie- like dance moves. We all nod and agree through laughter.

“I don’t know. I kind of like it,” Shawn pipes up, taking a swig of his beer.

We all stare blankly at him.

“Um, okay I guess it wouldn’t be a terrible idea if any of these people could remotely sing!” You take another sip of your drink.

Shawn laughs and leans close to your face. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I signed us up then!” He bops his finger on my nose.

As if it was planned, the DJ’s voice comes over the speaker. “Next Up: Shawn and his surprise guest.Singing “I Got You Babe.”

Your friends hoot and holler as Shawn pulls you towards the stage, but you plant your feet firmly on the ground.

“Shawn no. No, no no.”

He giggles, continuing to pull you to the stage, and you give up resisting. It’s no use anyway. If you didn’t give in, he’d probably just pick you up and carry you on stage. Not that you would object to that, but you’re not trying to make a scene. You reach the stage and he helps you up the stairs and passes you a microphone.

You step close to his face, “I cannot do this. I can not sing in front of all of these people. Especially not with you! You fucking sing for a living!”

Shawn lifts his free hand to your face and strokes your cheek with his thumb. “Yes, you can.”

“Shawn, I- “

“Hey,” he slides his hand down your arm grabbing your free hand giving it a squeeze. “I got you babe.” The music begins and a grin forms on his face. I can’t help but giggle at his corny joke. You smile and roll your eyes at him, and he lets out a chuckle. He nods at you in approval as you begin to sing, and suddenly your nerves are gone. As long as you’re with him, it feels like no one else is in the room.

They say we’re young and we don’t know. We won’t find out until we grow.

Well I don’t know if all that’s true, ‘cause you got me and baby I got you.

The minute the first words leave Shawn’s mouth the entire bar erupts with cheers, everyone to get a free concert from Shawn in any way they can take it. As the song continues, you and Shawn sway to the rhythm, dancing around the stage in a way that almost looks rehearsed.

So let them say your hair’s too long ‘cause I don’t care with you I can’t go wrong

Babe put your little hand in mine, ‘cause there ain’t no hill or mountain we can’t climb

Shawn extends his hand out and you place your hand in his linking your fingers together. He extends his arm out and spins you back into his waist. As your swaying he brings his microphone down and leans in close to your face. You move your microphone between each of you, and your voices fill the air in a unified sound, as you gaze into each other eyes.

I got you to hold my hand. I got you to understand. I got you to walk with me

I got you to talk with me. I got you to kiss goodnight. I got you hold me tight

He spins you back out and twirls you around and the crowd grows louder. You skip around him and Shawn turns slowly as he watches you. The end of the song is drawing near and he grabs your hand pulling you in to face each other.

I got you, babe

You lower the microphone you had both been singing into and you and Shawn both erupt into laughter. The bar is going nuts, but right now your only focus is the beautiful boy in front of you. He pulls you in for a hug and gives you a kiss on the forehead, before grabbing your hand and leading you off the stage.

Your heart is still racing when you get back to Brian, Mike, and Abbey. They greet you with cheers and laughter, and high-fives all around. But, even through the high-fives, you and Shawn keep your hands intertwined.

A couple more hours, and a few more rounds pass, for everyone except Shawn, before he asks if you’re ready to go. You nod quickly. You love spending time with all of your friends, but after tonight, you’re anxious to get home and talk to Shawn. You give the boys quick hugs, and throw your arms around Abbey. Before you pull away she whispers, “tell him.” You pull away giving her a knowing look and nod before exiting the bar with Shawn, arm in arm.

You stare out at the Toronto skyline while Shawn drives through the city. “You’re staying at mine right?” his voice cuts through the air that was filled only with Bruno Major playing in the background.

“If that’s okay with you.”

He gives me a soft smile, and reaches for my hand. “That’s always okay with me.”

Walking into Shawn’s condo, he ditches his mustache immediately, and you both head to his room. You discard your wig and shoes as Shawn throws a shirt and some sweats at you. It’s a routine you’ve done a million times before but it feels different this time; heavier, more permanent.

You head to his bathroom to change, taking off your make-up and throwing your hair up in a messy bun. When you come out Shawn is gone. You walk down the stairs and find him sitting on the kitchen counter, shirtless, black sweats hanging low on his hips, eating leftover mac ‘n cheese.

You step between his legs, and he spreads them a bit for you to fit comfortably. You open your mouth to ask for a bite, and Shawn takes the hint, shoving a fork full of noodles into your mouth.

“Still really good,” you say.

Shawn nods in agreeance.

“Can I ask you something?”

He nods his head, still focused on the food before him.

“We’re always gonna be best friends right? No matter what happens?”

Shawn sets his bowl down looking up. His brows are furrowed and he’s biting his lip. “Yeah, sweetie, of course. What’s up?” He tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

“I just, I have to tell you something, but I don’t want it to ruin our friendship.” Your eyes are  trained on the ground, as you run a finger across his collar bone.

Shawn captures your hand with his. “Nothing could ruin that. Believe me.”

You nod and take a deep breath. You look up at him through your eyelashes and for a second you’re distracted by the chocolate hues staring back at you.

“I like you Shawn,” you blurt out. “I like you a lot, like more than a friend, wayyy more than a friend. And, I know you probably don’t feel the same way, but I had to tell you. I ha-”

Shawn’s lips crash against yours, and your eyes go wide. But before you can even think about it, your eyes are closed and you’re kissing him back. It’s gentle, but it’s filled with longing and love. Your hands find the nape of his neck, and you run your fingers through his hair. He gasps a little into your mouth as his hand comes up to stroke your cheek, while the other pulls you in closer from behind your waist.

You suck on his bottom lip and you’re pretty positive you hear a little moan escape his lips. His tongue traces your lip and you open your mouth slightly letting him in. His hands slide under the loose shirt hanging off your back, and he links his hands together behind your back pulling you in even closer. He releases your lips, before quickly pulling you in for one more peck. You let out a small giggle, and you pull apart, foreheads resting on each other’s.

“I really, really like you too,” Shawn says, his nails drawing against your back.

You don’t say anything. You don’t need to. You and Shawn have never really needed words to communicate. You’re together now, something you’ve both wanted for a long time, and not much needed to be said about it. At least, not in this very moment.

A comfortable silence settles around you, and Shawn presses his lips to your hair before picking up his mac ‘n cheese again. You let out a laugh, and ask for another bite.

Sliding the fork in your mouth, Shawn laughs at you smiling through your chewing. He hops off the counter, “come on, let’s go to bed beautiful.”

You grab his hand as he leads you up the stairs and into his bedroom. You immediately flop onto the mattress, tiredness taking over your body, as  Shawn shuts the lights off. He crawls into bed, sliding behind you and wrapping an arm around your waist pulling you in closer. You can feel the heat radiating off his bare chest as you lean back into him.

He hums sweet melodies into your ear, as his fingers trace patterns onto your hip bones. Running your hands up and down his strong arm a smile grows on your face and you press your lips to his shoulder. You can feel your heart swell in your chest as you think about how much you adore the boy behind you. You feel the hair on your neck rise as a laugh escapes his lips, air hitting your skin.

“What’s so funny mister?”

“Nothing. It’s just - I finally got you..babe.”

[toddsfall]

You’re making a ruin of me

Nursey takes Dex as his fake date to an Andover reunion on his birthday.

Written for day 7 of @nurseyweek (prompt: memories or red) Happy last day guys! This has been so fun to do :D

read on AO3

/////

“Do you think they bought that?” Dex leaned in close so he could whisper in Nursey’s ear. Nursey felt tingles travel down his spine from the tip of his ear, where he could feel the ghost of Dex’s lips, all the way to his toes.

He cleared his throat. “Uhum. Yeah. Uh, yeah that was good. I don’t think they suspect a thing.”

“Good, I’m giving it my all here haha. Guess all those time my sisters made me act out the plays they’d written paid off huh?” Dex laughed.

Of course Dex had to rely on his best acting skills to act like his boyfriend, Nursey thought sourly.

Dex started batting his eyelashes rapidly, in a move that was probably supposed to be sexy but just made him look ridiculous.

Nursey poked him in the nose, which made Dex go cross-eyed for a second. It was stupidly endearing. “Stop acting a fool. You look like I just pepper sprayed you.”

Dex smirked. “Kinky.”

“Oh my god, you’re ridiculous. I’m fake breaking up with you.”

“But then how will you ever show those Andover assholes how well you’re doing now that you’ve moved on?” Dex looked way too pleased with himself. Nursey was just about to hit him over the head for looking so smug when he spotted them.

“Shit, they’re coming back. I thought we scared them off earlier.”

“Yeah, I thought so too. We really went for it! I really thought that was going to work. God, couples who display so much PDA in public usually gross me out. They’re the worst.

Nursey raised his eyebrows at him.

“Right, well. Other couples are the worst. Besides, we’re only a fake couple. That doesn’t count.” He was probably imagining the sad look in Dex’s eyes.

Nursey’s stomach turned. “No, you’re right. It doesn’t. They’re still coming our way though. Maybe we should just go.” He was ready to forget about this entire night.

“Nuh-uh Nurse, I didn’t dress up all fancy schmancy for you to suddenly bail on me. If you want to scare those assholes away, we’re just going to have to step up our game. They’ll get the hint eventually. Trust me, alright?”

Before Nursey could so much as blink, Dex grabbed Nursey by the lapels and kissed him full on the mouth. Nursey couldn’t help it, he melted. He clutched at Dex’s shoulders to avoid grabbing him anywhere else. He didn't want to cross any more lines than he already had tonight.

Dex loosened up on his lips a little and whispered "Follow my lead.".  He went back to kissing him, yanking him even closer. And then he started moaning. Obviously fake, but still. It was kind of turning Nursey on. He felt Dex tug at his hair, egging him on to join him.

God, Dex was going to kill Nursey. Why had he allowed himself to get into this situation?

////

Nursey sighed deeply. It wasn’t trying to get anyone’s attention, he just felt miserable.

“What’s wrong Nursey? You’re sighing an awful lot. I usually run to the kitchen to escape my worries, not create more, hon.” Bitty turned to him, holding his knife up like he was going to personally chop all of Nursey’s troubles in tiny pieces.

“Sorry for bumming you out, Bits. I can go lay on the couch if you want.”

Bitty crinkled his nose. “Now, you know I don’t want that. Spit it out, Nurse. I’ve been told I’m a good listener.” Bitty smiled at him encouragingly.

“Yeah Nursey, tell us.” Lardo chimed in from the other side of the table. He thought she’d been listening to music.

“It’s stupid. There’s this reunion at Andover next week. I RSVP’d a while back, thinking it could be fun. Now it turns out that most of my friends can come, I knew some of my hockey friends have games that night but now apparently my old bestie has to cancel too now. I can’t exactly back out of the event, people have already seen that I will attend on facebook. Before I know it, my mom will be on my case for not socializing enough. Ugh. And now I’m rambling too.” He laid his head on the table, sighing again.

“I’m sorry, hon. I don’t think I’ll ever go to a high school reunion, I’m glad I got away from that place.” Bitty answered sympathetically.

“I’m sorry you feel trapped, bro. I would come with you, but I have a test the next day.” Lardo reached out to put her hand on his shoulder. “Is there really no one there you can hang out with?”

“Nope.” Nursey raised his head. “I didn’t have many friends at that school, and now I’m going to be stuck with those judgmental assholes who liked to passively aggressively chew me out for, well… being me. It’s just going to bring up all these old ugly memories for me.”

Lardo squeezed his shoulder again. “I can help you come up with a better excuse if you want? I used to come up with the most elaborate lies for missing class when I was younger.”

Nursey smiled weakly at her. “That’s sweet Lards, but nah. I’ll just grit my teeth and get through it.”

Suddenly he heard Dex behind him. “What’s the matter Nurse? Someone got coffee on your favorite notepad again?” Sensing the mood in the room, Dex walked closer to Nursey. “Hey, what’s wrong bro? I haven’t seen you this upset since Frank Ocean delayed his album release for the third time.”

“Nursey has to go to an Andover reunion all on his own. Let’s just say there won’t be any friendly faces awaiting him there.” Lardo’s eyes bore into Dex’s, daring him not to make a smart remark for once.

“I’m… sorry man. Uh, can I help? I could go with you for back-up.” He had placed his hand on Nursey’s shoulder, on the spot where Lardo’s had been minutes before.

“Nah, bro. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on a Valentine’s date for me.” Nursey looked down, willing any thoughts of Dex and a potential date out of his head.

“Bro! It’s on your birthday?” Dex said, ignoring Nursey’s statement.

“Uh, yeah? Happy fucking birthday to me.”

“Well, then it’s decided. I’m going with you. As your date. Let’s show those assholes that us 'filthy gays' are not to be messed with.” Dex sneered at the last part. Nursey would have to ask him about that later. Clearly, he had had some issues with bullies in the past too.

Nursey considered it for a moment. Dex. As his date. On Valentine’s day. That might not be such a good idea. “Nah bro, you don’t need to come. It’s okay.”

“What, I’m not good enough to be your fake date Nursey?” Dex teased, the insecurity clear in his voice.

Lardo winked, and said “Yeah Nurse, who wouldn’t want this gorgeous redhead as his Valentine, huh?” The dirty, dirty traitor. She cackled when he tried to kick her under the table.

“Okay. Fine. Let’s do this Poindexter.” He cleared his throat, and tried to arrange his features so he looked solemn as he turned to Dex. “William Joseph Poindexter, will you be my Valentine?”

Dex pretended to swoon. “Why, Derek! I thought you’d never ask.”

Nursey laughed heartily. Then it dawned on him, he was actually going to have to go through with his now. He’d really fucked himself over.

/////

They had finally discouraged the Andover Assholes, as Dex had branded them, from coming over again. They were sitting down with people that Nursey vaguely knew, but luckily not good enough that he felt obliged to make small talk with them.

He felt tired, despite Dex’s best efforts being back at Andover was draining all his energy. They had done the rounds earlier, saying hello to all his favorite old teachers. Also a bunch of people he’d been halfway friendly with, that is to say they had never been outright homophobic or racist in his face. Whatever, he’d shown his face. It had to be enough, his mom would have to understand.

Having Dex around helped more than he would ever be able to express, but it also drained him. It was exhausting having to pretend he had this awesome boyfriend while simultaneously walking the fine line of not acting too convincingly, or Dex would notice that he had real feelings for him. It was, frankly, exhausting. Nursey felt like he was doing a balancing act and he could fall flat on his ass at any time, and everyone would stare and point. Just like old times, then.

He felt Dex nudge his elbow. “Hey Nurse, where’d you go bud?” he asked.

“Nowhere, I was just spacing out a little. I’m getting tired.” He know he sounded snappish and he hated it. Dex had done nothing but be kind to him tonight. He’d gone above and beyond for him.

“Wow, I know I’m a good kisser but I don’t I’ve ever tired anyone out this fast before.” Dex was trying to distract him.

Nursey smiled at him. “Don’t flatter yourself, William.”

“Oh-kay De-rek, I wouldn't dareee. ” Dex pronounced every syllable carefully, trying and failing to speak with a posh accent. It was a horrible imitation of the accent he had heard when watching Downtown Abbey with Holster. Nursey knew he was trying to sound like Nursey did when he talked with his parents, though.

Nursey shoved at his shoulder, grinning. “Asshole.”

“Ha! I knew my ex-ce-llent posh accent would work. At least I got you to smile.” He poked Nursey’s ribs. “I got something else that might cheer you up!” His eyes lit up like Chowder’s did every time he saw a puppy.

Seemingly out of nowhere, he pulled a present for Nursey. Where had he been hiding that?

“Happy birthday, Derek. I might not always understand what you do, but I always want you to feel free to be yourself.”

Nursey tried his best not to rip open the carefully wrapped present. It was a beautiful deep red notebook with his name embossed on the front. “Woah dude, chill. Thanks.” He smiled brightly.

Dex groaned. “I can’t believe I still haven’t managed to erase that from your vocabulary.”

Nursey smirked. “It’s okay man, I know wasn’t for a lack of trying.”

Dex punched him in the arm, lightly. “You just count yourself lucky that it’s your birthday, Nursey.”

////

He fixed his eyes on Dex. They were sitting on the steps outside, waiting for their cab. As soon as Nursey had called, they had decided they didn’t want to stay with any of those people in the same room for a minute longer than necessary.

“Hey Will? Thanks for coming with me tonight. You, uh, really helped me in there. I know you could probably have found more pleasurable ways to spend your evening. I really appreciate it."

“Oh man, what am I supposed to say to that? You know I’m bad at feelings Nurse. Just pretend I said something heartfelt just now.” Dex blushed, but his gaze softened when he turned to Nursey. “But seriously man, anytime. I probably wouldn’t have found anything better tonight. Spending the night shitting on rich assholes with my best friend is a pretty sweet way to spend my evening.” He bumped Nursey’s shoulder with his own. “The kissing wasn’t half bad either” he added in a rush.

Nursey raised an eyebrow. “Really? Spending time with me is always on the table, you know. I guess we could even find some rich assholes to shit on at Samwell.” He took a steadying breath. “And the kissing, that’s uh… that’s on the table too. If you want.” He added the last part, knowing that he was taking a risk. In that moment, he wanted to to be right so badly, he thought he was going to burst from it.

Instead of answering, Dex reached into his pocket. “There was actually something else that I wanted to give you with your gift. I, uh, wasn’t sure.”

He handed Nursey a bright red card, with a heart and hand-drawn hockey sticks on the front. Inside, it said ‘You don’t have to be all bi yourself tonight. Be mine.’. He looked up, confused. His traitorous heart was beating out of his chest, daring him to hope. Dex was looking at him nervously. He’d been right. His heart sang.

He pulled Dex close by looping his hand around his neck. Dex closed the distance between them and then, finally, they were kissing.

He couldn’t stop himself from saying “I see you put your cards on the table for me.”

Dex groaned. “Shut the fuck up Nurse. Are you going to kiss me, or what?”

Nursey was already leaning back in. Dex deepened the kiss and then did something with his tongue that had Nursey moaning loudly. Normally, this would probably embarrass him but he was too busy being kissed within an inch of his life to care.

This time, it was Dex who pulled away. He smirked and whispered “I knew the way to your heart was with puns.” Nursey kissed the shit-eating grin right off his face.

[yourplasticlittlespastic]

ᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴇʙ ᴏꜰ ʟᴏᴠᴇ – Peter Parker fanfic (6/of many)

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 SERIES

It's Tuesday now, nothing from my dad, my mom is busy running the company, Steve is hiding I think, and even fricking Peter Parker is weird, so secretive...

"and then I threw him lego pieces all over the floor and he stepped on them" Harley proudly nods

"Are you sure you're not a villain?" I reach my locker and see Peter walking through the crowded hallway so I quickly jog to him and touch his back

"Peter!"

"Hey Tannie" he toothily smiles at me "what's up?"

"Just wanted to know if you received my message...?"

"Uh, umm I lost my phone, I was jumping, I mean I was walking pretty fast and I dropped it..." he scratches his head "what was about?"

"mmm.... nothing, just to tell you that Robotics Lab is not the same without you..." I huff

"Hey!" Harley approaches me and Peter "Hi I'm Harley" he nods to Peter

"Hi, I'm Peter! I should go now... see you at English bye" He makes a hasty exit and I spin to my locker

"He seems... anxious..." Harley says to the air and I nod, he even noticed it

Blah, blah, blah, classes. Not to sound pretentious, because I'm not but the syllabus is a little tedious for me and it's only the third week. I waited for Harvey to finish something in his blueprints and then we decide to change the setting and head to the park. Happy was growling all the way saying he wanted to watch Downtown Abbey but I bought him a pretzel. Not a bad day, to be honest, sunny weather, clear sky. We sat on a bench to do our respective homework and then decided to rent a drone and play with it.

Minutes into the game, I turn my back to some workers who are building a little playground for kids. Harley runs to catch the drone and I laugh at how he tries to jump for it. I slowly spin and the craking sound makes me fully turn. I squint my eyes and the yellow crane begins to shake from its base. I look up at the cabin, a worker is shouting and just like that, the crane is breaking apart, workers and people around start running away.

Apart from the metallic crane collapsing, people are panicking. I catch Harley's voice shouting at me but I can't spot him in the crowd. I begin to walk backwards and the spin to run as fast as I can. From the corner of my eye, I see how the top of the crane is begining to fall exactly where I'm running. Faster, Tannie... whoa, whoa... wha... I look down and see how my feet are not touching the ground. I quickly look up and see Spider-Man carrying me away. I gasp at the swinging motion. Wind hitting my face.

"Don't worry! you're definitely safe here!!" with a deep voice he assures me "you're shaking...!"

"Yeah... I was almost crushed by that thing..." I tight my grip around him and lick my lips "don't let me go, please..."

"No way..." then he shoots another string of web and he rocks us to a building

"Here... it's safe" he gently puts me in a roof just beside the park, the cloud of dust making its way to the sky

"Thank you Spider-Man" I smile brushing my clothes and hair

"Yep no problem" he brings his hands to his hips and I quickly scan the suit

"You did all of that?" I point at his onesie

"I tried...I'm not the best at fashion so..." I snort trying to look deeper in his weird glasses

"Well... I don't know how you do what you do, very curious for sure but you're helping people and I believe that you had a choice... to do nothing or to do something and what you chose... says a lot about you" I kindly smile at him who stares at the floor "Now.... can you bring me down there? please"

"Yes of course!!" he approaches me and I hug him, he webs himself and leaves me on the floor, people watching the scene in amusement

I then walk to where Happy is, Harley is at the phone, both pacing back and forth

"Hey!!" I throw my hands in the air, Happy runs to me, checking my arms expecting a cut, Harley lets a sigh of relief

"Any pain?" Happy asks "you feel bad? a concussion?"

"I'm fine... Spider-Man got me just before that thing fall and crushed me, seriously..."

Happy then rubs his face and order us to get to the car. Harley mentioning me that he got out stuff. Once we reach Harvey's house I step out with him.

"I'm so happy you're alive" He gives me a quick hug  "I lost you at the crowd..."

"Well, I'm ok... I still have some adrenaline, heart's beating too fast but I'm fine" I let out a sigh

"See you tomorrow then..." he again hugs me but before breaking the hug he steps in and kisses me in the corner of my mouth letting me in shock, he opens his door without turning to see me and I quickly go to the car, Happy is focused on his pretzel... what just happened?

Happy drops me at my new home and leaves when I enter. I hear someone talking in the kitchen so I quietly go upstairs

"I wish to understand it. The more I do, the less it controls me. One day . . . who knows? I may even control it...." Vision says and then looks at me "Hello Tannie"

"Hey Vision, Wanda"  I wave at her "cooking again?"

"It seems is the only thing to do here" she huffs "but I don't know what's in this but it is not paprika. I'm gonna go to the store. I'll be back in 20 minutes, want something T?" I shake my head she walks away but Vision quickly blocks her way

"Alternatively, we could order a pizza? what do you say, Tannie" he says gazing at Wanda's eyes

"sounds cool" I shrug

"Vision, are you not letting me leave?" Wanda quietly speaks to him, I look to the side unsure to go away or stay

"It is a question of safety,"

Bad move, Vision.

"I can protect myself" she blurts to Vision challenging him with her eyes

he holds her arm "Not yours. Mr. Stark would like to avoid the possibility of another public incident. Until the Accords are on a . . . more secured foundation"

I give one step backwards trying to discreetly leave the scene

"And what do you want?" they are inches away reminding me of what happened earlier

"For people to see you . . . as I do" he finally says and she touches her head in frustration and storms off to her room

What an awkward situation... I look at vision who seems disappointed, he tries to follow her but just like he stopped her, I stop him.

"Trust me on this one... give her some time" I whisper to him

"Yes, you're right, maybe in an hour right?" he innocently asks me

"Yeah probably but use the door, not walls" I advise him

He goes away and I see that the thing they were cooking was still on,  I ended up eating that even though that pizza suggestion was good. My phone starts ringing and I see it's my dad, I quickly answer.

"Dad!!! Oh my god, you never texted me back! are you ok?!"  no answer just noises "dad??"

"Hey, you wanna see something cool?" I hear my dad talking his voice sounds far away so he's not talking to me, he probably speed-dialed me by accident "I pulled something from Dad's archives. Felt timely"

What is he talking about? I plug my earphones to listen better.

"FDR signed the Lend-Lease bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the Allies when they needed it most" my dad explains

"Some would say it brought our country closer to war" Steve's voice pops through the line and I sigh in relief he's alive and with my dad

"See? If not for these, you wouldn't be here. I'm trying to . . . what do you call it? That's an olive branch. Is that what you call it?"

why an olive branch?

"Is Pepper here? I didn't see her..."

"We're kinda . . . well, not kinda..." my dad pauses and I pay more attention to this part

"Pregnant?"

What?

"No. Definitely not." Good! I think "We're taking a break. It's nobody's fault"

WHAT??!! that's why these days I haven't seen them together? what?

"I'm so sorry, Tony. I didn't know. What about Tannie?"

"She's fine, I know how family relationships can destroy someone, won't tell her"

Seriously dad?

"A few years ago, I almost lost her and my own child, so I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to mop up HYDRA . . . and then Ultron. My fault. And then, and then, and then, I never stopped. Because the truth is I don't wanna stop. I don't wanna lose my girls. I thought maybe the Accords could split the difference"

I hear some interference so I stand up and walk next to the windows

"In her defense, I'm a handful. Yet, Dad was a pain in the ass, but he and Mom always made it work" he finally adds

"You know, I'm glad Howard got married. I only knew him when he was young and single. I would've loved to tell him that he would have a granddaughter...-"  Steve says, for a minute I get confused but the remembered the timelapse

"Oh, really? You two knew each other? He never mentioned that. Maybe only a thousand times. God, I hated you"

"I don't mean to make things difficult."

What things Steve?

"I know because you're a very polite person"

"If I see a situation pointed south . . . I can't ignore it. Sometimes I wish I could"

"No, you don't" my dad quickly adds

"No, I don't. Sometimes..."

-Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth. But I don't wanna see you gone. We need you, Cap. So far, nothing's happened that can't be undone, if you sign. We can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych-center . . . instead of a Wakandan prison"

Who's Barnes? the "old frozen buddy" my dad talked about?

"I'm not saying it's impossible, but there would have to be safeguards" Steve sighs

"Sure. Once we put out the PR fire, those documents can be amended. I'd file a motion to have you and Wanda reinstated"

"Wanda? What about Wanda?" when Steves mentions her name I turn quickly to see if she's near but no

"She's fine. She's confined to the compound, currently. Vision's keeping her company"

Not the best idea dad...

"Oh God, Tony! Every time. Every time I think you see things the right way" Steve raises his voice making me jump a little

"What? It's a 100 acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There are worse ways to protect people"

There's a lap pool? Happy never showed me that

"Protection? Is that how you see this? This is protection? It's internment, Tony"

"She's not a US citizen," my dad says

"Oh, come on, Tony" angry Steve is new

"And they don't grant visas to weapons of mass destruction"

Oh, dad, you didn't

"She's a kid!" Steves shouts again

"GIVE ME A BREAK! I'm doing what has to be done . . . to stave off something worse" I flinch at his shouts, this is new for me

"You keep telling yourself that... Hate to break up the set" I hear a door opening

What I do know, I should probably hang up, I mean I listen to that but... ok I'm overthinking. I hang up and start analyzing the situation but I don't have a lot to work with.

"Friday?" I call and move to the living room

"Hello T" a voice comes in the middle of the chessboard "as you can see Mr. Stark also moved me here"

"Great! because I need you... search for files of a man named Barnes, please"

"Just a second... I have a match at the files Mrs. Romanoff freed from SHIELD, would you want to see them?"

"yes!"

Friday then displays a whole bunch of holograms with too much information, videos, and pictures.

"looks that I have a lot of homework..."

I spent the end of the day reading everything I could about Barnes, his recent activity and his imprisonment exactly at the Terrorist Centre my dad is in. I reach to the point of exhaustion, my mind can't take anything more and it looks is already night. Don't overthink just sleep. I just hope everyone is ok.

-----------

I wake up and try to find the gym, much to my laziness I try to walk at the treadmill, I quickly grab a granola bar and juice and prepare myself for another day of school while my dad is fighting with Steve. A knock at my door appears.

"Come in!!" I finally put a sweater on and see it's my mom and all I want to tell her is that I know about her and dad but maybe it's not the best option "oh, Mom!"

"Baby come here!" she hugs me "Oh I'm so happy that you're here! how was the moving?" she gently touches my hair

"Quite simple actually, but now I need to unpack every box here" I point at the boxes "I haven't seen you in a while mom"

"I... I know baby. I regret that trust me but I have an important thing to tell you... you know that there's a working wing here?"

I nod "yeah Happy showed me"

"well... now, most of the things I do as the CEO now I'll do them here! we'll be closer" She shrieks and I sigh

"That's all I want mom... for all to be closer," I say feeling a pressure in my chest

"I should go now, Happy is already in front, have a good day T, love you" she leaves me and a red light starts flashing in one of my walls

"T, I just got new information about James Barnes seconds ago, the database has been updated" Friday appears

"Show me" I say

A news channel projected in the hologram shows the facility where my dad was, I start feeling nervous.

"Friday, translate, please"

"James Barnes, the suspect in the UN Vienna bombing escaped custody today. Also missing Avenger Captain Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson"

Oh no, they split ways...

A/N: Hope you liked it! Also available in Wattpad! https://my.w.tt/sw2CZNdCv1

[thesportinglife]

TA04/29/2017 Anthony Joshua vs Vladimir Klitschko

Nick goes abroad!!!! Now this was a trip that took a hold of me, turned me upside down, spun me around, and threw me back up. Yeah, it felt like that. Visiting London and traveling to the UK has always been a dream. Attending Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko provided me the opportunity. It was a stressful decision to purchase a roundtrip flight from Oakland to Gatwick, mostly due to nerves. I was experiencing the same nerves I felt on my first trip to New York City that kickstarted my sporting lifestyle in 2011. Welcome back old friend, it’s been awhile!

My flight was scheduled to leave Oakland headed to Gatwick in the evening, which gave me time to pack and get ready for my flight. Since I was flying Norwegian, I was limited to packing a small carry on. Fortunately, I have a bag that can fit all the necessary essentials. Boarding my flight, I was praying to the travel gods, hoping they would bless me with an aisle seat. They answered my prayers! As I stuffed my bag under the seat in front of me, I could of brought a duffle bag rather than a backpack. Note to self moment. The flight took off and I remembered my first lesson learned on international flights; order the vegetarian or vegan meal. With the flight scheduled to land at mid-day, I had hopes of catching the weigh in’s. While waiting to deboard, I saw a gentleman wearing an Andre Ward shirt. I struck up the conversation about Joshua vs Klitschko and turned out he was going to the fight. It made me happy to know I wasn’t the only boxing fan in the San Francisco Bay Area willing to make the journey across the pound. Our dreams of attending the weigh in’s were crushed once we hit customs. I should of known it wouldn’t be a walk through. We eventually ended up waiting a little over an hour. By the time I exited the airport, the event was already over. Feeling the jet lag, I decided to head to the hotel to first drop off my bag and then head to downtown London. I jumped on the train headed towards my hotel. I arrived at my stop and looking around, I determined I was lost. Great! I haven’t even been in the UK for more than a few hours and I was lost. My hotel was about a 30 minute walk so for whatever reason I decided to walk. 10 minutes in, I had enough. As I ordered the uber, my phone dies. The order went through and the driver picked me up ten minutes later. He dropped me off in front of the Queens hotel, which was nested in a residential neighborhood. Checking into the hotel, I could feel the jet lag kick it even more. I opened the door and decided to nap rather than explore. I figured a two hour nap would do me some good. But, that two hours, turned into four, then six. I fell asleep around 2:30pm local time and didn’t get ready till about 9:00pm. I slept like I haven’t slept before. I’m not use to having so much time on my hands. Usually my trips last a day and have to hit the ground running. The first stop was going to be the lobby bar for food and beers. Just my luck, the kitchen closed while I was showering, but had 30 minutes to enjoy a few beers before they closed. While drinking my second beer, BT Sports 1 had special on the Joshua vs Klitschko fight. You could feel it! The energy was coming off the television. I couldn’t help but smile. With my excitement levels high, I decided to see what’s around my hotel. To my surprise, there’s a downtown part of Finsbury Park. I found a nice pub called The Blackstock, where I enjoyed another three more beers. After enjoying some live music and a Jimi Hendrix cover song, I was done for the night. The crowd was nice, but didn’t have the chance to chat with anyone. Maybe tomorrow on fight day! I laid in bed and before I go to sleep, I received a message from a pub called The Green Man Hotel. They replied to one of my tweets, inviting me to pregame at their place. I found it odd, but saw it more of a sign. That’s where I am headed on fight night! 

Since I took full advantage of my bed, I had one day to conquer London. It was doable especially since I’m use to daycations. I headed for the door and off we were to the Finsbury train station. Day 2 and I am excited to give the train another shot; this time it was a success! The first stop was the Tower of London and to my surprise, a medieval festival was taking place in front of it. It seemed very fitting! I soaked in the sights and sounds, ready for the second stop. Arriving at the Westminster station, I was able to see Big Ben, Palace of Westminster, and Westminster Abbey. It was absolutely beautiful and perfectly preserved. With lunch approaching, it was time for my fish & chips. The first pub I went to was packed with tourists. I decided to look for another location and after heading the opposite direction for about 15 minutes, I found a place called Two Chairmen Public House. It was low-key hidden and located next to the Chile Embassy. I walked in and the place was empty. I sat down, put in my order, and watched the local news. A gentleman walks in and see’s me watching the television and asks what’s going on. I could not answer his question because I wasn’t able to understand what policy or reform they were discussing. The gentleman looks at me and asks if I’m American. I reply and we begin to talk about the political situation in the UK and USA. It was nice to be able to hear a different perspective and point of view. Once, my fish and chips, we said our goodbye’s and i began to devour my meal. It was heavenly! With a full stomach and a few beers in me, it’s about that time! I jumped back on the train headed to Wembley arena. Once I arrived, you could feel the energy. Fans were everywhere! Purchasing beers, shirts, trying to find tickets, and etc. It was what I anticipated from a boxing loving country. From the train station to the Green Man Hotel was about a 20 minute walk, but with time to spare, I made the journey. I was not ready for what was waiting for me. IT’S A PARTY! The pub is packed and the patio area is overflowing. You even had a waitress walking around selling Jager shots on the lawn. After seeing the party outside, I needed to head inside to charge my phone. I found an outlet next to these two guys who were chatting. Casually standing their for a few moments, I joined in the conversation. We talked about boxing and soccer. They were taken back by boxing knowledge.  I guess they are use to American fight fans, but I was different; I gained their approval and respect. Time flew by and it was time to make our way to Wembley. We met a few more fans on the way and kept the conversation about boxing going. We hung out in the concourse drinking beers and making plans after the fight. They were even nice enough to buy me a beer. I knew the UK fans loved boxing, but to see it first hand was unforgettable. I broke off from the group and made my way to my seat on the floor. Everyone in my section was standing on the chairs; YAAAAS! That’s the type of fans I like to see. When Joshua and Klitschko were introduced you can hear the 90,000 fans. It moves through you! I can close my eyes and still hear the roar of the crowd. Both fighters were dropped in the 5th and 6th rounds, which turned up the atmosphere up another notch. For 11 rounds, the fight was the center of the universe; nothing else mattered. Once the announcement and results were made, the attention shifted to the HBO broadcast booth, which featured Deontay Wilder, the WBC heavyweight champion of the world. Besides Canelo vs GGG, Joshua vs Wilder is the next super fight to make. I paid my respects to the bronze bomber and headed to the train station. I had to hurry because I wasn’t sure what time the station closed. As I got to about half way, I was waiting to transfer and the operator makes an announcement that the train has already left and the station is now closed. O GREAT! With my travel phone dead, my only option was to turn on my Verizon phone and use that international calling, which is NOT cheap. I called an uber and twenty minutes later, I was back at the Queens Hotel. With the trip damn near over, I packed my bags and set my alarms. I was headed home and to work on the following Monday.

“How are you able to watch BT Sports or Sky Sports in America?”