#if you wanna get me a birthday present you know where my wishlist is

[polyolefinprince]

24!

[xenteaart]

it's not about the roses

pairing: chan x reader (i wrote it with idol!chan or producer!chan in mind, but despite a brief mention of the studio it can fit any au, really) word count: 1,1k genre/warnings: er, fluff, a hint of angst if you squint but overall just tooth rotting sweetness. reader being kinda vulnerable author's note: inspired by my and @skzms 's channie brain worms, me crying over how boyfie he is in may's dms and her coming up with this little prompt. i'm manifesting a sweet healthy relationship for y'all, never settle for less <3

you were never the one for flowers, really.

it just didn’t seem anything meaningful or special, an occasional cute little bouquet on some first date you had ages ago, meeting someone completely new after mindlessly swiping them right on a dating app. plus, it’s always such a bother to take care for it. disassemble the thing, cut the stems, change the water, maybe cut off the leaves too.

at some point, you began to think of yourself as more of a practical person, taking gift giving to the point where it completely lost symbolism. always getting your friends and family either money or something they specifically asked for.

“at least, they’re actually gonna use it and get some utility out of it. ‘s good, right?” you thought to yourself, ticking a box on one of your friend’s wishlists for their birthday. it is good. no stress of choosing and endlessly pondering whether they’ll like it or not.

or is it avoiding the vulnerability of going down a more symbolic route if they don’t happen to respond to your gift the way you’d like them to after carefully planting hidden meanings and confessions all over a seemingly useless present? yeah, maybe, that’s the one, actually.

it was a regular saturday evening, no work, no plans, no big day or anything to celebrate. so, naturally, you were just spending the time at your place, resting after successfully having done all the house chores in one go.

purposelessly lying on the bed, you wondered what chris was up to. it wasn’t something out of the ordinary for you two to leave each other hanging during the day, keeping each other’s messages unread and waiting for some free time to give a thoughtful, proper reply.

but the little “1” next to your kakaotalk message was starting to feel unfriendly because... honestly? you just missed him. you wanted to know about his day, what he ate for lunch and whether work was okay today (knowing full well the man couldn’t care less about days of the week, coming over at the studio any time he needed or pleased).

distracting yourself with scrolling tiktok for a quick dopamine hit, you end up losing track of time a little. and the thing bringing you back to reality is chan’s short message, popping up on your notifications bar.

“can you come out for a sec? i’m at the door hehe~”

it takes you three times to read to finally understand what it actually means. he doesn’t have keys to your apartment yet, and you mostly hang out at his place anyways, so him coming all the way to the opposite side of the city makes your heart skip a beat.

you rush to the door and open it almost immediately, only to see channie, your channie, standing right in front of you with a nice bouquet of red roses wrapped up in kraft paper. the next thing you notice is chan’s wide smile, so sincere and endearing it makes you wanna cry on the spot.

you were never the one for flowers, really.

red roses always seemed like something either too vulgar or “easy”. something that becomes men’s first pick because they just never care enough to look for anything else and assume every girl loves it by default.

right now, however, it doesn’t feel like either of those.

the way chris is a bit nervous and really excited all at once; his hands gripping at the crunchy paper-wrapped base as he's waiting to give the flowers to you. the way his eyes sparkle and shine with warmth and genuine adoration for you. and you read past the roses, you learn so much more from it.

you learn how he’s been quiet because he was plotting a little surprise for you, trying not to be too obvious.

you see how he thought of you during the entire process, from an idea to carefully picking out the best flowers, making sure they’re fresh and pretty and will stay this way a while.

you can hear his timid little “thank you” to the florist as they exchange their bows and polite smiles.

you imagine the slightly awkward small talk with the taxi driver asking him about the occasion — the traffic and the parking area next to your building are awful, so you’re guessing he did take the taxi. and the drivers sure love to talk on the long drives, this one you had to learn the hard way.

gosh, chan looks so warm and… so soft, his lips making a familiar heartbreaking :] shape.

snapping out of your thoughts, you look into chris’s eyes and swallow down a salty lump in your throat.

“please don’t be alarmed, but i probably will cry a little,” you warn him before your voice gives out and take the roses, holding them close to your chest where the heart is bleeding.

“so pretty,” you stare down at the gentle velvety petals and sniff quietly.

chan looks worried for a moment but quickly pulls you into his embrace, stepping into the apartment and locking the door behind him.

“hey-y, i expected a smile, not your tears, baby. i didn’t upset you, did i?” to which you shake your head to reassure him.

“no, no, ‘course not! what do you mean? they’re so nice. i’m just… really happy? and i missed you. so much,” the last words come out like a weak mouse squeak as you close your eyes and let your emotions roll down your cheeks, staining your skin wet.

chan nods and takes your face into his palms, wiping away the tears and looking at you so lovingly you think you might actually break.

“i missed you too, baby. do you mind if i stay the night? i…- uh. i bought some face masks too, so we can just relax a little before bed and cuddle?”

you squeeze out a little “yeah” in response, headbutting his forehead and putting your arm around him, with another still holding the roses carefully.

“i love you,” you say slightly louder, making sure that he hears it.

maybe, gifts don’t have to be practical all the time. maybe, it’s okay to put sentimental value into simple, useless things sometimes. make them mean something.

“i love you too, baby,” chris hums still a little confused, rubbing soothing circles into your lower back and planting a chaste kiss on the bridge of your nose.

you reach for his plump soft lips and press yours against them. and even though your tastebuds can feel the salt, it’s the sweetest kiss you two have shared so far.

[izukuleeyoung]

Morning! Hey all! News! If you get one of my Pride Wallets? You can get any two stickers free! I'm trying to get rid of all my inventory before I move and it would help a lot. For where to find, they're in the captions! Everything that I make in-house should ship by Friday at the latest. The sticker discount should come off automatically ✨️

If you wanna help me get a birthday present it's either grab something from my site that's closing or you can get something from my wishlist 🖤 Also in the captions. Looking to get bedding supplies and home stuff so if you can look in "Home Things" or "Self Care" that would be awesome!

If there is a wallet you want a pride flag of but it's not on my site, please let me know!

Stickers with pride flags that read "say my Pronouns you coward" should be on the site soon ✨️

Also if you're a subscriber you get a discount!

[chillpills320]

Hard || Corbyn Besson

Summary : kinda based on wdw’s hard (if you haven’t heard the song yet it’s basically Corbyn likes his best friend, but she’s oblivious and is in a relationship, and one day her boyfriend hurts her so she goes to Corbyn for comfort)

Warnings : slight hint of sexual abuse, but other than that it’s just some Corbyn fluff

Word Count : 1.9k

A/n : Yeah so I really like their song hard, I think it’s nice to have someone who got your back, and gives you a shoulder to cry on, plus I’m a new limelight, so I’m like writing this and waiting for their comeback,,,,

Also this kinda involves their cover of Adele’s make you feel my love, because I went to heaven after I heard their cover, and you should really hear it if you haven’t

~~~

November 25th (as you all know) is Corbyn’s birthday.

He was your best friend, and of course you wanted to be the first ever person to wish him happy birthday, so you called him at 11:57pm the night before even though you were dead tired.

“Heyyy Corbone,” you said to the phone when he picked up at the third ring.

“What’s up y/n? Wait.. Aren’t you supposed to be in bed now?” Corbyn asked, he knew that you take part-time jobs at a nearby cafe after school to support your college fees and he knew how exhausted you probably were.

“Whatttt, and miss being the first person to wish you a happy birthday? No thanks,” You teased.

“Really? Aww,” the boy answered, a bit flustered. You could literally hear his smile over the phone.

You chuckled, and you talk about the most random of things until the clock ticked 12:00.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!” You practically screamed to the phone. “You’re 20 now, you dork. Go get a girl or something, don‘t wait till you’re too old for crushes,” you egged him on.

You’ve known Corbyn for your whole life, but have never seen him date any girl. You were the one close friend of him who is a girl, and you were honestly worried about his sexuality as he has not shown any interest to any other girls OR guys, which u concluded after (half) stalking him on the campus, wondering if he was gay, which is honestly super fine if he was, but yeah.

“You say that every yearrr,” Corbyn complained.

“Wait I still haven’t got your birthday present because I don’t know what you want, so just tell me if there’s anything on you wishlist?” you asked.

“Oh, sure thanks,” the blonde boy replied.

“Wait, um do you want to hang out tomorrow?” He continued, crossing his fingers wishing that you’d say yes.

You, on the other hand, oblivious to Corbyn’s wish, rejected politely because you promised that you would spend more time with your boyfriend.

“Sorry Corbs,” you shrugged into the phone. “Right, gotta sleep. See you tomorrow, birthday boy,” you said and hung up.

Corbyn’s heart panged with bitter sweetness. He was touched that you called him to be the first person to wish him a happy birthday, but he also knows that that would probably be the last time he will see you on his birthday, since you two don’t exactly have the same friend group.

You used to hang around with Corbyn a lot, just the two of you, but soon your boyfriend appeared and you had to spend time with your boyfriend too. Plus, college caught up and you were both too busy to spend time with each other.

It wasn’t that Corbyn’s not interested in girls, it’s just that he has fallen for his best friend, who was oblivious to his feelings AND not available. All Corbyn’s ever wanted for his birthday present is you, but who could get him that present?

~~~

The next day, Corbyn hung out with Jonah and Jack. He wasn’t exactly popular in school, unlike the social butterfly you were, making friends here and there.

Right now you were seated at the middle of the cafeteria with a table of friends, your boyfriend’s arm wrapped around your figure. A friend of yours shared something and made you laugh.

“Hey, have you told her yet?” Jonah asked, snapping Corbyn out of his trance.

“W-What?” Corbyn asked.

Jack sighed. “Of course it’s a solid no, or else why wouldn’t y/n be sitting here with him.”

Corbyn blushed at the mention of your name.

“Ugh, I’m just sick of Corbyn always staring at y/n while she doesn’t even notice,” Jonah groaned. “She’s your best friend. How could she be so oblivious?”

“I mean... she has a boyfriend,” Corbyn said, defending you, though his heart sinked a little at the mention of the champion who won your heart.

Jack shook his head in sympathy.

“Hey cheer up, it’s your birthday afterall,” Jonah said, lightening up the mood. “You wanna go to the arcade after school?”

At the mention of Corbyn’s favorite place on Earth, his eyes lit up.

“Sure!” Corbyn replied enthusiastically.

~~~

After spending the whole day at the arcade, Corbyn went back home.

He scrolled his Instragm feed and smiled when he saw that Jack posted a ridiculous picture of Corbyn as his birthday post. He was typing a comment when he heard a knock at his door.

Few people knew his address and it was quite late at night, so he was a bit confused, but opened the door anyway to reveal you. You, with messy hair, and disheveled clothes that seemed to be put on in a haste.

“Y/n? What are you-“ Corbyn started with wide eyes but was cut off by you breaking down. Corbyn’s eyes softened as his heart swelled at your crying figure.

He immediately pulled you inside and into his warm embrace where your sobs shook his frame. You fell to a million pieces but his hands came up and ran along your back to soothe you while whispering that it’s okay.

When your sobs subsided, he led you to the couch while he went to the kitchen to brew some hot tea.

He came back with two steaming mugs and gave one to you.

“Thanks,” you mumbled, then took a sip of the tea.

He nodded and wrapped his arms around you.

“Better?”

You nodded meekly, tired from all the crying.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” he asked softly.

You opened your mouth, but all that came out was a sob.

Corbyn pulled you in closer. “It’s okay, you can tell me when you’re ready,” he whispered, never prodding you on if you’re uncomfortable.

You sighed into his hoodie. Your tears dampening the fabric yet Corbyn doesn’t seem to mind.

“My boyfriend,” you finally said, avoiding Corbyn’s gaze. “H-He tried to sexually abuse... me.”

Corbyn’s blood ran ice cold. How could anyone hurt such a sweet soul like you? He didn’t understand why anyone would want to make you cry so hard.

Now Corbyn’s blood boiled and his fist tightened. “I’m gonna make that bastard pay,” he said through gritted teeth, and tried to get up from the couch but you stopped him.

“It’s not.. worth the trouble,” you mumbled. “I-I mean I escaped before he began to get into it, but I was just,” you frantically explained. ���I was just sc-scared when he pinned me down, he was so strong, and I couldn’t move.. and- and-“

“And it’s not the first time he’s tried that...” you whispered, broken.

Corbyn’s heart teared apart just as he teared up at your vulnerability.

“I-I’m sorry, you don’t deserve this,” Corbyn whispered as tears began to run down your face again.

He wiped your tears away with the back of his thumb. He was angry at your boyfriend for doing such a thing to you, but he also blamed himself for not seeing it in your boyfriend. All he’s ever wanted to do was to protect you, but he failed even at that.

He also blamed himself that if, he wasn’t such a coward, and had actually confessed his feelings for you, then you might have accepted him and avoided dating your current boyfriend.

“Hey,” you said softly, snapping Corbyn out of his thoughts. “Why do you look even more troubled than me?” you teased a little.

“I just... I wish I could’ve prevented it,” Corbyn mumbled. “I hate seeing you cry,” he added softly.

“Oh Corbs, you being here for me is enough,” you sniffed. “God, you don’t even know how much better you made me.”

Corbyn ran his hand down your silky hair.

“I thought... I thought you had a lot of friends to be here for you,” Corbyn admitted.

You sighed sadly. “Well.. yes, but they’re just a facade. No one but you can truly give me comfort,” you said softly. “And frankly I’d rather be with you.”

Corbyn’s heart fluttered at your words as both of you sat in the comfortable silence.

“Corbyn?” you mumbled. “Can you sing me a song?”

Corbyn smiled and started to sing with his honey sweet voice,

When the rain is blowing in your face

And the whole world is on your case

I could offer you a warm embrace

To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear

And there is no one there to dry your tears

Oh, I hold you for a million years

To make you feel my love

He looked over at his shoulder and saw you sleeping peacefully. He thought you looked perfect, even with messy hair and smudged makeup.

He gently carried you to his bedroom and placed you on the bed, tucking you in. He also used the makeup wipes you left over before to clean your face.

Corbyn sighed as he watched your sleeping figure.

“You know, if i hadn’t been such a coward, maybe you wouldn’t have ended up with him,” he speaked softly to himself.

“Do you know? You look so beautiful when you’re asleep, and I wish I could be the one to tell you that every day, every morning. I wish that I could tell you I get lost in your eyes everytime I look at you, and your laugh is my favourite sound in the world. My heart skips a beat everytime I look at you, but I know that you’re occupied.”

“I never showed any interest in anyone, because you were already in my mind for the longest time.”

“I wish I could be the one to protect you, to love you, to live with you... I wish that I could call you mine, or call you my baby, because that’s- that’s who you are in my mind,” Corbyn confessed, knowing that you wouldn’t hear him.

“Corbyn,” you suddenly spoke up, your eyes fluttering open, for you have been awake for some time now, and heard Corbyn’s confession. “Do you really mean that?” A smile on your face while Corbyn jumped at your voice, cheeks flushing ridiculously red.

“I-I, yeah.. I t-thought you were asleep,” Corbyn stammered, looking anywhere but your eyes.

“You know what, Corbs, I like you too. A lot,” you confessed, cheeks turning pink as well.

“I-I’ve liked you for a long time, but I thought you didn’t show interest in anybody, so I just try to date other people to get you off my mind, but-“ you rambled, but got cut off when Corbyn placed his lips on yours.

Fireworks erupted as both your hearts swelled at the sweetness of the kiss. His lips were softer than you imagined, and his taste- God, you could taste him forever. He pulled away and hid in the crook of your neck, flushed.

You suddenly giggled at a thought.

Corbyn rose up from his position and looked at you with questioning eyes.

“Oh Corbyn, I just realized that the person I’ve spent my whole life looking for, has actually been here beside me this whole time,” you said.

Corbyn smiled as well and kissed you again, this time more passionate than the last.

“I promise to protect you better than all your boyfriends, baby,” Corbyn said, breathless after the kiss.

You smiled so hard at your new pet name.

“Can you say it again?” you requested.

“Baby,” Corbyn replied, smiling at how much happiness he can give you by saying a word.

“Baby, baby, baby, my babygirl...” he continued, kissing your forehead, your nose, your cheeks, all over your face, making you laugh at the love he gives you.

Then Corbyn laughed with you, and thought, best. birthday. ever.

~~~

So hope you guys like this post, and I take requests! So send in some requests if you want to :))

[birthdaysentiment]

hey my bestie,

happy birthday, baby !! or in dutch, gefeliciteerd <3 lol. im not the best with words and long messages like this but just so u know: ur very very nice to talk to and i love screaming with u about rwrb and sobbe fanfics , or about books (i just bought a new book again for no reason at all so i will send u a pic lol) or literary whatever lol. i hope u have a good day today and that u got some of the things u had on ur birthday wishlist (where i also want a vlog of btw <3) or smth else nice. hope to meet u irl some time so i can give u a big real hug. so pls give a scream when ur somewhere near me lol <3 hope u have a nice new year around the sun, i love you

aww fran, franske... bestie <333

you're so sweet, like i can't stop smiling. and you're so good with words, like what do you mean. you're so sweet and very nice to talk to as well, and love screaming about everything and nothing and about fics, because they deserved to be screamed about. and oml, you bought a new book! which one... now i'm curious heheh. and thank you, i had a very lovely day, and you can except some very nice vlogs from me later, and i'll show you my very nice presents too hehe (or whatever you wanna see bestie hihi). anyway... thank you so much for sending this to me! and i hope i'll get to meet you in person too so I can give you a big hug, and maybe get a drink with you at sobbe's bar... like imagine how iconic that would be. so i'll come scream at you when i'm near you hihi. thank you bestie, i love you too! sending lots of hugs and kusjes to you! <333

[hypmicwritingbutbad]

Hi! May I ask for some headcanons about MTC or Matenro celebrating their s/o's birthday? Or just little gifts they would give their s/o? I'd be happy to see one of those variations, no matter what exactly. You can choose whatever you want c: Sorry if it's too messed up, and if there are mistakes in this text :c

There’s nothing wrong with this fluffy request anon!! Hear me out: I’ll be writing this for MTR due to the low amount of requests they usually get, but since a Jakurai birthday one has been done here before, I’ll replace him with Riou who only has ONE request(!!!) in the inbox! I hope ya don’t mind, anon (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

Doppo

Doppo would definitely make a big deal out of your birthday

Heck, he’d plan for it a month in advance

- though most of his ‘planning’ is him actually overthinking your interests, your wishlist, your hobbies and what you’d really like

“Should I get the special edition face masks going on sale right now? They did say they wanted to nourish their skin more… But then again, I could also get them a new hoodie… Or the new book from the author they really like…!”

“Wait, but what if they’ve moved on?? What if they hate it??” “Oh my god, they’d hate ME forever and it’ll be all my fault…!”

A week before, he’d campaign relentlessly to get his balding manager to give him a single day off on the special day

(Even nearly resorting to using his hypnosis mic when his request was almost denied)

On the actual day itself, he’d be a stuttering wreck of nerves and excitement

He’d give you a call in the morning the moment you wake up, bursting into a frantic “Ha-ha-happy birthday!!! I just wanted to tell you that you’re, uh, you’re older now… Wait, no, that’s rude— I’m just, I’m so sorry– AHHHHH—!!”

He’d spend the entire day with you, doing whatever you’d want to do

But since the two of you are tired introverts he’d end up lounging around at home with you, reading, chatting and snuggling against each other

After dinner, he’d disappear for a while into the kitchen— only to reappear with a birthday cake that he tried baking and decorating the day before

Though it may be kind of sunken, there are places where you can tell he ran out of icing and the flavour is a little questionable, you know how much time and effort he put into it

And that’d be the best thing of all

Hifumi

Birthdays are a celebration, and celebrations equal paRTIES

Hifumi would make sure that your birthday will be one to be remembered

He’d stay up for countless days and endless nights making the perfect present by hand:

Sewing clothes cut to your exact measurements with cloth in your favourite colours

Carving little models of the bottled ships you’d both designed together some time ago under dim candlelight in the odd hours of night

On the day itself, he’d bring you for an exquisite time out around Shinjuku’s famous sights

The two of you would mess around cafe-hopping and spoiling yourselves with little pastries, chasing each other around the endless bookshelves in Kinokuniya, and going shopping in chic boutiques (with him immediatly swiping his credit card for anything he sees you really like)

He’d even bring you to his host club, where he’d put on his suit and give you his undivided attention as his ‘extra-special important private VVIP’

The two of you would go home to a special birthday dinner he’d prepared for you of: crisp fresh-baked baguettes, steak drizzled with his special blend of sauce and pan-seared truffles

And dessert would be a cream Mont Blanc and a bottle of golden champagne to be shared and savoured for the rest of the night

If you fall asleep before the night can come to end, Hifumi’d carry you up to bed and tuck you in, pressing his lips against your forehead for a small kiss

“I hope I’ve been able to give you a birthday you’ll remember… I wanna be there for the one to come next year, and for many many years to come…!”

Riou

Riou is a simple man who cares little for material things

(Plus he hardly goes to town often to shop)

But he’d put the utmost care into your gift:

Scavenging the forest for the feathers of a specific bluebird you once said was breathtaking, picking violet wildflowers that only grow under the shade of the forest’s camouflage trees and searching for dazzling stones on the riverbed the colour of your eyes

Then putting them together to make you a necklace strung together by his love (figuratively– physically, he’d use string)

He’d show up at your house at 4AM, ringing your doorbell

And though you’d open the door to greet him groggily through half-awake yawns and teary eyes

He’d jolt you to full attention immediately by scooping you into a bone-crushing embrace

“Happy birthday, my dear. It would be my absolute honour to spend it with you.”

He’d insist on pampering you the entire day

Like by making you an early-morning cup of his special lavender tea for you to drink as he prepares breakfast for you

(Though you’d make a trip to the supermarket with him later in the day to choose ingredients you actually eat for dinner)

You’d spend the rest of the day with him in the kitchen, preparing a special dinner

(But with you two mostly messing around throwing flour at each other, him imitating Gordon Ramsay with a hilariously stoic face, and you screaming and latching onto him when the frying pan goes up in flames)  

At night, he’d bring you to a secret meadow by a little lake just on the outskirts of the city

You’d have a small picnic of a simple chestnut birthday cake he made with you earlier, with more lavender tea and lots of heart-to-heart chit-chat

And once your tummies are full, the two of you would lie on your backs, gazing at the stars with your hands intertwined as time comes to a standstill just for that moment

[chooseywoozy]

Big Sky Country, Chapter One - Country Roads

(NOW PLAYING AS MOSSY)

You’re driving an old sedan down a two-lane highway through the vast expanse of rural Montana. On the horizon, snow-peaked mountains… Behind you, everything you’ve left behind. You glance at the rear-view mirror, catching sight of yourself.

Mossy: I gotta say, for a week on the road, I’m looking pretty good.

You peek over at the passenger seat, where your precious potted cactus is held securely in place by the seatbelt.

Mossy: You’ve been so quiet on this trip, Spike. Everything okay over there?

Spike gives his usual answer… total silence.

Mossy: Okay good. I wouldn’t want you to get car sick.

Suddenly, the gas pedal goes soft under your foot! You press down harder, but the car continues to slow.

Mossy: What the…?

Your car jerks back and forth as steam billows out of the engine!

Mossy: No no no!

You pull over to the side of the road. The car shudders one last time before the engine quits altogether.

Mossy: Oh, crap.

You get out of the car, and everything is quiet. There are no cars on the road in either direction.

Mossy: Okay, this is officially the middle of freakin’ nowhere. AKA, the worst place in the world to break down.

You check your phone hopefully.

Mossy: No service. Now what?

You sit down on the rear bumper and look out over the horizon… Off in the distance, a small figure catches your eye… You eagerly lean forward to get a better glimpse.

Mossy: Is that a man… on a horse? Maybe there’s hope for a rescue, yet.

The figure draws closer and closer, until…

Cowboy: Howdy, there.

You get a good look at the cowboy as he stops his horse in front of you. He’s got a grin as wide as the horizon and dusky brown eyes.

Mossy: Uh… Hi! My name’s Mossy! You wouldn’t happen to know anything about cars, would you?

Cowboy: Just that I prefer Dolly here to them.

He pats his horse affectionately, and she nickers in response.

Dolly: Nnnghh!

Mossy: Dolly, as in… Dolly Parton?

Cowboy: The one and only. The name’s Sawyer, by the way.

Sawyer rides up to the front of your car and bumps it with his boot. The hood pops open with a hiss of steam.

Sawyer: Looks like you’ve got a blown head gasket. You’ll have to call Larry’s repair shop in town for a replacement.

Mossy: I was worried it might be something like that. Do you have a cell phone I could borrow?

Sawyer: Naw, I don’t bother with cell phones. Signal’s terrible out here. But I’m happy to give you a ride to the nearest landline.

Mossy: You can take me anywhere, cowboy.

You eye him appreciatively, and he chuckles.

Sawyer: Why do I feel like I just rode into some sort of cheesy romance novel?

Mossy: Would that be so bad? I’m pretty sure that would make you the handsome hero.

Sawyer: I was always more of a spies and shootouts kinda guy, but I suppose i could get used to a romance novel.

Sawyer offers you his hand. You take it, and he easily pulls you up onto his horse behind him. He spurs Dolly on, and you pitch forward as the horse starts to walk.

Dolly: Neeeiigh.

Mossy: (Whoa…)

You lean forward and wrap your arms around his toned stomach, appreciating the way his muscles ripple beneath his shirt…

Sawyer: You settled back there?

Mossy: Yup! I’m all good.

The two of you ride in silence for a minute, swaying together with the motion of the horse…

Mossy: So, uh, where exactly are you taking me?

Sawyer: To the ole homestead. Luckily, you broke down right on the edge of our ranch.

Mossy: So all this land is yours?

Sawyer: My family’s, yeah.

You look around the landscape as Dolly rides across a vast meadow.

Sawyer: It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?

Mossy: Yeah… it really is.

Sawyer shifts in his saddle before looking at you over his shoulder.

Sawyer: So tell me, Mossy, what do you do? Besides, you know, breaking down on the side of the road.

Mossy: Recently, I’ve mostly just been trying to figure my life out.

Sawyer: Any luck?

Mossy: Not even close. So far, all I’ve got is moving from Boston to California. Montana is just one of many stops along the scenic route.

Sawyer: What prompted the big move?

Mossy: The last six months in Boston… weren’t the greatest. This relationship I’d been in for two years ended badly. My apartment got infested with rats, and my landlord jacked up the rent. And this job I really wanted, my dream job, totally fell apart at the last minute.

Sawyer: Sorry to hear it. What was the job, if you don’t mind me asking?

Mossy: I was going to be a programmer.

Sawyer: Oh yeah?

Mossy: Yeah. I ha a gig lined up at this really big tech company. A place I’d wanted to work at ever since I was a kid. And then the week before I was supposed to start, their shareholders made them fire half the staff. Including me.

Sawyer: Ouch.

Mossy: Yeah. Ouch is putting it mildly. More like three weeks lying around in my apartment, drinking wine and feeling sorry for myself.

Sawyer: Lying around your apartment… that was infested with rats.

Mossy: Yup.

Sawyer: Well… I see why you’re going to California then. Probably a lot of coding gigs there. You could live that Silicon Valley life. Make a startup, drive a Tesla, launch a rocket to Mars.

Mossy: I really don’t think that’s the typical Silicon Valley life.

Sawyer: So that’s what this is about? Getting a new job?

Mossy: Sort of. I guess I wanted to start a new life. California seems like as good a place as anywhere for a new start, but…

Sawyer: But what?

Mossy: I don’t know. Maybe I could just as easily start somewhere else. Sorry, I’m sure that sounds silly.

Sawyer: No, it doesn’t. Not to me.

You lean forward, and notice a long scar on the back of his right arm, and a small tattoo on the back of his neck that says ‘Lindy’.

Mossy: Sawyer, can I ask you something personal?

Sawyer: Hmmm… awful forward, aren’t you?

Mossy: I just told you, like, three super personal details!

Sawyer: Fine, fine. What do you wanna know?

Mossy: Where’s that scar from?

Sawyer: This? Oh, it’s just a birthday present from a bull named Thunder Road.

Mossy: Something tells me that scar wasn’t on your wishlist.

Sawyer: Definitely not. But I deserved it for being such a little brat. I was a Youth Rodeo champion as a kid, convinced I had the magic touch despite having only ridden baby calves and the like. The day I turned fifteen, I signed up for a full-on rodeo event. I didn’t even bother to practice!

Mossy: Oh, no…

Sawyer: Oh, yes. Thunder Road slammed me into the gate before we even got into the ring. Taught me a lesson right quick. But it was the best thing that could’ve happened, you know? I had no business riding that bull. And he let me know it.

Mossy: Do you still ride in rodeos?

Sawyer: … Naw. Not so much.

Smiling, you lean back, and that’s when you notice a young woman on a horse in the distance, watching you curiously.

Mossy: Who’s that?

Sawyer: Juliette Mendoza. Her family owns our neighbouring ranch. There’s a whole complicated… thing.

Mossy: Complicated like… she’s your ex?

Sawyer: Ha, no! Juliette’s great, but we’re just friends. Naw, it’s our families that’re the issues.

Mossy: Oh?

Sawyer: Would you believe me if I told you it was a feud going back 150 years?

Mossy: … Wow.

Sawyer: That’s Montana for you.

You glance back the the girl. She waves and smiles.

Mossy: She seems okay…

Sawyer: Yeah. She’s the nice one. Now hang on tight. It gets a little bumpy here.

The two of you ride on, and a little while later, you reach a wooden gate framing a long driveway. There’s a hanging sign that reads…

Mossy: ‘Oakley Ranch.’

Dolly perks up her ears and walks a little quicker as you turn up the road.

Sawyer: Here it is. Home, sweet home.

Dolly leads you up a grand entrance lined with tall trees and a wooden three-rail fence… On either side is green pastureland dotted with cows. To the left, a big red barn. Aead on the right, the ranch house. It’s a beautiful spread, although clearly past its prime. The fence needs mending, and the red paint on the barn is peeling… But Sawyer surveys the place like it’s heaven on earth.

Sawyer: What do you think?

Mossy: It’s charming. You never see anything like this back home.

Sawyer: Maybe you need to get out to the country more often.

Mossy: Yeah, maybe I do….

You cast a sidelong glance at Sawyer…

Mossy: I can tell this place is really special to you.

Sawyer: It is… Although sometimes it seems like my dad and I are the only ones who appreciate it.

Mossy: What about the rest of your family?

Sawyer: It’s just my older brother, but he’s not around much anymore. He sorta… comes and goes.

Mossy: Oh, I’m sorry…

Sawyer: It’s a good thing, trust me. There’s some bad blood and… well, it doesn’t matter. He’s out of town now, thankfully, and will be for a while.

The two of you fall quiet as Sawyer guides Dolly up to the front of the ranch house. He hops down and reaches up to help you off the horse.

Sawyer: Sorry, I didn’t mean to be such a downer back there. It’s just…

Mossy: It’s fine. I get it. There’s nothing to explain.

Sawyer smiles, grateful for the out.

Sawyer: I gotta put Dolly away. You can go on in and use the phone to call Larry, the town mechanic.

Mossy: Thanks.

As Sawyer leads the horse into the barn, you hear a rustling sound from around the side of the yard…

Mossy: Hello? Is someone there?

Calf: mmmoooo?

Mossy: Oh, you’re adorable…

You reach out to scratch behind the calf’s shaggy ears, and it looks up at you with huge, molten brown eyes.

Calf: Mmmmmoooo…

The calf hums with appreciation as you keep scratching its head.

Mossy: I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship…

Suddenly, you hear a loud, low moooooo behind you… You turn around to see a large mama cow coming right for you!

Mossy: Aaah!

You back away from the calf, but the mama cow doesn’t stop!

Mossy: Sorry! I’m not trying to take your baby, I swear!

The cow barrels toward you until…

Cowboy: Whoa there, mama!

A rugged cowboy dives forward, tackling you out of the way just as the cow rushes past!

Mossy: Th-thank you…

Without a word, the guy pulls himself up and dusts himself off.

Cowboy: You okay, girl?

Mossy: I think so…

Cowboy: Wasn’t talking to you.

He leans down to gently pet the calf. The mama cow nudges her baby with her nose.

Cowboy: Go on now, mama, go home…

The man calmly herd the cows back through the gate, then closes it behind them. The calf snorts as if to say goodbye. Finally, the cowboy turns to look at you.

Mossy: So, are you a cow whisperer or something? That was seriously impressive. I swear, I saw my life flash before my eyes!

The cowboy shrugs.

Cowboy: You just gotta know how to handle them.

Mossy: Still. I’m very impressed. I’m Mossy, by the way.

You hold out your hand. He looks at it, but makes no move to shake it.

Dallas: I’m Dallas. You visiting?

Mossy: Not exactly. I just came to use the phone. My car broke down not far from here.

Dallas: The house is that way. Stay clear of the livestock, you hear?

With that, Dallas disappears into the barn.

Mossy: I guess I’d better head inside to call the mechanic.

You make your way toward the main house… You’re almost to the porch when the door flies open and an old man bursts out, brandishing a shotgun!

Old Man: Who the hell are you, and what the hell are you doing on my property?!

Mossy: Aaah!

Old Man: You’re not from the bank, are you?

Mossy: The… bank?

Old Man: Well, are you? Or ain’t you?

Mossy: No!

Old Man: I don’t believe you!

Mossy: Please! Hear me out! My name’s Mossy. I’m not from the bank! Sawyer just said I could use the phone?

The old man narrows his eyes at you.

Old Man: How do I know this isn’t some newfangled banker trick?!

Mossy: Because that’s not a thing!

Just then, Sawyer returns from the barn. He jumps in between the two of you, forcing the old man to lower his gun.

Sawyer: Dad, we’ve talked about this! You can’t go around pointing your shotgun at people.

Old Man: She’s on my property!

Sawyer: Mossy’s car broke down on the highway, and I said it was okay to use our phone to call Larry. Remember that good old-fashioned hospitality you instilled in me at a young age?

Sawyer’s dad grumbles, but finally looks at you.

Old Man: I’m sorry. I s’pose I overreacted a touch.

Mossy: I’ll say!

Sawyer: Mossy, this is my dad, Cliff. He’s got a mean bark, but he’s mostly harmless.

Sawyer drops his voice to a whisper…

Sawyer: He won’t admit it, but those shells are full of rock salt. Stings like the devil, but won’t do you real harm. My old man just wants to seem tough.

Cliff: Eh? What was that? You talkin’ about me, boy?

Sawyer: No, sir!

Cliff heads inside, and you and Sawyer take a seat on the front steps of the porch.

Sawyer: Sorry, I should’ve warned you ‘bout my dad.

Mossy: Between shotguns and angry cows, this place is more dangerous than it looks!

Sawyer: Then we’d better make sure you get outta here in one piece. I’ll call up larry and see when he can get here with his tow truck.

Mossy: I’d better wait outside, give your dad some time to cool off.

Sawyer: Good thinkin’.

Ten minutes later… Sawyer comes back outside and offers you a glass of iced tea.

Sawyer: So, the good news is, Larry said he’ll come get your car and take a look at it.

Mossy: That’s great!

Sawyer: yeah… ‘cept it’ll be at least a couple hours before he can get out to the ranch. But you’re welcome to wait here as long as you need. In fact… I was planning to go to the orchard to do some apple pickin’ this afternoon. Seeing as you’ve gotta wait to hear about the car anyway, do you wanna come with?

Mossy: Apple-picking, huh? Is that what you do with all the girls who stop by your ranch?

Sawyer: Just the ones I like.

Mossy: I can’t so ‘no’ to some good old-fashioned apple pickin’! Let’s go.

Sawyer drives you out in a tractor to an orchard full of top-heavy apple trees.

Mossy: What happened to all the other apples?

Sawyer: We let some kids pick ‘em the other day, and they pretty much took everything below six feet.

Mossy: So how do we reach the top apples? Slingshots? Stilts? Magic?

Sawyer: If only. We can either climb the trees…

Mossy: Or…?

Sawyer: Or you can sit on my shoulders.

You eye his strong muscles flexing beneath his shirt… then look back at the tall apple trees.

Mossy: I’ll sit on your shoulders.

Sawyer: The hands-on approach. I like it.

He crouches next to a tree stump and holds a hand out to you.

Sawyer: Hop on up.

You take his hand and carefully climb onto his shoulders.

Sawyer: Hang on now!

Sawyer slowly stands up…

Mossy: Whoa! Why didn’t I notice how tall you are before?

Sawyer: Mmm, you must’ve been distracted by my handsome face.

Mossy: No, I don’t think that’s it…

Sawyer: Oh yeah? Bold words for someone whose life is in my hands.

Sawyer dips and sways precariously…

Mossy: Stop, stop, you’re going to drop me!

Sawyer steadies you with his strong hands.

Sawyer: I’d never drop such precious cargo. Now, let’s pick some apples.

He maneuvers you under a tree, but as you reach for the fruit, he steps back and you grab a handful of air!

Mossy: Hey!

Sawyer: Oh, sorry. Were you trying to get that?

You poke him, and he laughs.

Mossy: Ha ha. Now, be a good ladder and don’t move.

With Sawyer stable beneath you, you pick up all the apples from the tree before moving on to the next… Five trees and ten baskets later… you and Sawyer step back to admire your handiwork.

Mossy: Do you think we got enough?

Sawyer: Definitely. We’ll be able to make enough cider for the whole town with this haul.

You take a deep breath, reveling in the feeling of accomplishment.

Sawyer: What’s that look for?

Mossy: Nothing. It’s just… this is the most fun I’ve had in ages.

Sawyer: You’re welcome to pick our apples any time. We never turn down free labor.

Mossy: Ha ha.

Sawyer: I’m serious. It gets boring doing this all alone!

Mossy: Don’t you have someone special in your life?

Sawyer: Nope. I’m currently very single.

Mossy: Very?

Sawyer: Let’s just say the dating pool out here is pretty shallow.

You look around at the empty orchard.

Mossy: Yeah. I can see that.

Sawyer: I love the solitude and peace that comes with living out on the ranch… but I can’t deny that it’d be nice to share it with someone.

Mossy: Oh?

Sawyer: not that I have much time to date. With my dad getting older, I’ve pretty much taken over most of the duties around the property.

Mossy: So you’re all about the hashtag-ranch life?

Sawyer laughs.

Sawyer: Yeah, something like that. But I don’t mind. I love it here.

Mossy: Would you ever want to do anything else?

Sawyer: Naw. It’s all ranching and riding for me. Oh! And cooking.

Mossy: Cooking? Really?

Sawyer: Yeah. I’m all about those cooking shows.

Mossy: Do you just watch, or do you cook too?

Sawyer: Hell yeah, I cook! But I can’t get too fancy, or my dad gets cranky.

Mossy: I’ve only known him for a few minutes, but I can already tell that’s extremely on brand.

After a moment, Sawyer bends down to pick up a basket.

Sawyer: We’d better load up these apples and get back to the ranch. But first…

He plucks an apple out of the basket and holds it up to you.

Sawyer: Trust me. Everything tastes better in the country.

Grinning, you lean forward and take a bite. It’s juicy and sweet, the best damn apple you’ve ever had.

Mossy: Mmm. You’re not kidding.

Sawyer: And you’ve got some apple on your chin.

Sawyer leans forward, his hand gently grazing your chin. He smiles, his eyes crinkling ever so slightly in the corners… You feel yourself drawn to him… Sawyer leans in, until his lips are just a breath away from yours… And then you pull away, suddenly shy.

Mossy: We… should probably head back.

Sawyer: Yeah. Of course. Hang on now, and don’t let those apples spill!

Mossy: I won’t!

He revs the engine, and soon the two of you are flying over the grassy meadows and rolling hills toward the ranch. Back at the house, the two of you are unloading baskets… when your stomach rumbles loudly.

Sawyer: Hungry?

You blush slightly…

Mossy: Sorry. I guess picking apples worked up more of an appetite than I expected.

Sawyer: You know, you are welcome to stay for dinner. I’m making Hunter’s Stew and fresh apple cider. Maybe a pie too, if I have enough time.

Mossy: That sounds delicious, but I don’t want to impose…

Suddenly, a sleek blue Mustang comes roaring up the long driveway! The two of you spring apart as Cliff hurries out of the house.

Cliff: Hot damn! They’re here early!

Sawyer: Oh, you have got to be kidding me…

The car door swings open, and a husky man gets out, glowering.

Sawyer: Dammit.

Mossy: Sawyer? What’s going on? Who is that?

Sawyer: The one person guaranteed to ruin my day… My brother.

Thoughts on the episode:

So far I’m not that impressed. It’s the first episode, I know, so it’s more about setting the scene. But uh… nothing’s really happening and Sawyer is neither extraordinarily hot or extraordinarily interesting. I know it’s supposed to be a cheesy romance book, but it’s hard to pull me in with a book in this format without some sort of plot.

I was seriously hoping that Sawyer’s brother would be a love interest and that would be a part of the plot - pick between two brothers, ooooooh. But one look at the brother tells me that is definitely not the case. He did not win the genetic lottery, that one was purely for Sawyer.

Juliette is hot - I hope we get to see more of her very soon. Not that fussed about Dallas. I assume Pixelberry were going for the strong, brooding, mysterious type with him but he just came across like a dick. Maybe he’ll win me over in future chapters, but for now, not a winner.

Fave Character of the Chapter: Spike

Least Fave Character of the Chapter: Dallas

[marychronicles]

Saturday Currently

Hello guys!! I’m one day ahead for this currently post but only today because I have a party to attend tonight & my weekend is just as hectic as I sound right now. I’ve been out and about since yesterday to celebrate my hubby’s birthday and shop for last minute outfit and bond with my little girl of course 😊 this will be so quick because I need to get ready and I still need to practice my song for tonight hehee ✌🏻

CURRENTLY

Writing

- Saturday Currently

- “Thoughts on VLOG”

- Husband Appreciation post ❤️

Reading

- Lang Leav’s tweets & writings on her Tumblog

- news on the internet

Listening

- “A Very She & Him Christmas” by She and Him on Spotify. I am basically listening to Christmas songs this week because hell yeah.. Christmas is in the air! 🎄

- Taylor Swift’s “reputation” album. My fave is “Gorgeous” & “So It Goes”

- Hillsong United playlist. My day wouldn’t be complete without this one these days.

- “Perfect Duet” by Ed Sheeran & Beyoncé. It’s amazing, I love the combination of their voices!

- “Dancing in the Moonlight” by Toploader

- “Sundo” by Imago. Only because this is what I’m going to sing tonight and I miss listening to OPM anyways.

- “Closing Time” by Semisonic. This is our final song for tonight. Thank God this is one of my all time faves, kabisado ko to! 😂

Eating

- burgers, croissants, muffins, pasta, sushi, some grilled Korean/Japanese food the whole week. Most of my friends would say, “you’re still so thin, it really looks like you haven’t got pregnant or even gave birth” oh well, it runs in our blood. I’m not surprised hehe

Wanting

- to escape the city before 2017 ends. I’m thinking La Union or Antipolo are the best places to be where I can reflect and at the same time enjoy some Family time.

Needing

- to let go, and let God.

- to kill old habits for good.

Loving

- the bohemian outfit that I’m about to wear tonight. Don’t worry guys, I will make an outfit post (but only if myself allow me to, cos sometimes I’m too lazy to take pictures esp during parties hehe)

- the Christmas breeze 💚

- Spotify’s 2017 Wrapped playlist they made just for me.

- Nature Republic’s auto/retractable eyebrow pencil

Watching

- Gossip Girl S3. 4 more episodes til I finish it and I’m on Season 4 na! Kahit napanuod ko na lahat, it still feels like I haven’t watched them haha this is basically what I get to watch these days. I refuse to watch anything on TV. Sorry! I know GG has been on my previous currently posts, I can’t help it. Favorite ko kasi talaga ✌🏻

Hoping

- to have the Sunnies Agenda 2018 planner. Or the Mommy Planner from Mommy Mundo. But I guess I prefer the Sunnies Agenda more. I will get it soon! :)

- to get the exact present tonight at our party; Harry Potter & the Curse Child, it’s been on my wishlist since last year. I’m hoping I’ll get it tonight! #excitedaf

Thinking

- about my family in Bulacan. Thinking of my stepmom, who just gave birth last week. I’m loving the fact that we have a new baby sister & that we’re going to spend our Christmas with them this year. P.S. my baby sister’s name was supposedly “Andrea Bliss” my stepmom really liked it but then my Dad wanted her to have the name “Mary” just like me and my sister Grace. So I came up with “Mary Andrea”. So that makes us “Tres Marias” in the family. I’m so excited to see them all 2 weeks from now!

- or more like, daydreaming about far away places like Greece or London. Gosh I really wanna travel but I’m kinda broke 🤦🏻‍♀️

- about my 2018 plans and goals. What is it gonna be like next year?

Feeling

- blessed & happy. Happy because I have the time to write and blog unlike last year; and also because there is so much more to be happy about than to feel like you’re shit and all that. Picking up myself from hitting the rock bottom wasn’t so easy, in fact I’m still on the process. And I know I’ll get through this. I’m just so glad that writing & blogging made it lighter for me along the way.

Well, I am so excited to see my colleagues tonight. It’s my first Christmas party with Kuppa, so yeah I’m pretty much like this since it’s the first time hihi y’all have a great weekend ahead my lollies!! xo’s, Mary :)