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jtl-fics · 2 years ago

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Math Nerd AU

I’ve got quite a few time travel AFTG fics banging around in my head but by far the funniest one is this:

Neil dies in 40s to a drunk driver after a respectable professional Exy career, two olympic golds, a very successful and healthy relationship, a steady post-injury career as Ichirou Moriyama’s preferred accountant (kept himself squeaky clean) and years to get his shit together. He wakes up back early on into his runaway life with his mom and is immediately like “oh no I’m NOT doing this shit again.”

He makes a lot of changes, mostly for Andrew’s benefit but also gets Mary to the Hatfords, and gets himself set up in Ichirou’s confidence again because man he’s gonna play Exy again but Ichirou was actually a very solid boss if you’re competent and Neil is very good at managing finances.

Ichirou had plans for Neil. He’s waiting for his father to pass before he brings Neil fully out in the open as one of his since his father is still demanding that the Wesninski heir be given over to his brother and Ichirou is not about to let the only accountant who has ever gotten him a completely legal tax refund go to the NEST. He’s also not about to let the Butcher near Neil so he puts Neil off in the middle of nowhere with a steady paycheck and orders to graduate highschool. Neil picks Millport.

Hernandez still notices that no one ever comes to Neil’s games and that the kid is driven but doesn’t make any real attachments with his teammates despite Millport becoming the Arizona State Champs the year Neil leads the team. So he sends tapes to Wymack and Kevin. Neil is surprised to see them since he’d planned on never getting anywhere near Andrew after he set things up for the blond. (Killed Drake, paid some people to legally adopt and look after Andrew, got CPS to investigate Tilda properly, paid off the right people so that the couple who took in Andrew took in Aaron too, and paid for them to move out to SC (it’s close to the twins remaining family) and then Tilda managed to die on her own from an OD and the twins got the money without Andrew needing to have any part in it.)

Neil ends up signing for the Foxes despite Ichirou having plans for Neil to start attending University of Texas (Great Accounting Program) in the fall. Neil of course completely fails to tell Ichirou this since Ichirou hadn’t said anything beyond finishing highschool and if he had plans for Neil then he should have told him.

Neil, the utterly self-sufficient adult that he is, proceeds to just be the most bizarre stabilizing force the foxes have ever encountered. He knows all about their shit, their issues, their triggers, and how to help them. The Foxes all kind of crave that stability and Neil can take whatever they say unflinchingly. He’ll give as good as he gets but he also makes team breakfast pretty much every morning after he finishes his absurdly early run. Kevin is in heaven with his Striker pick (Neil in this thing is so incredibly boring and well-adjusted that Andrew just cannot believe that he’s a spy so Kevin and Neil start night practices almost immediately & Neil shows Kevin drills that he and Future!Kevin had made and Kevin is just like “I am so good at picking talent. I am a god.”)

The 3 things that make this so funny (at least to me) is:

1. All the Foxes just like not understanding why the hell Neil is a Fox (They’re glad he’s there but it feels like a clerical error that such a nice well-adjusted guy is on the team) until they see him without a shirt and until immediately after the Kathy Ferdinand show where Ichirou shows up and is like “Palmetto doesn’t even have a nationally ranked accounting program!? Also what if this sport gives you a TBI and you can’t do my taxes anymore????”

2. Andrew is just inexplicably and infuriatingly smitten, enamored, crushing, heart-eyes for this BORING ASS MATH NERD. Neil’s sense of humor was honed against Andrew so he’s got like a direct line to Andrew’s funny bone. He never has never once for even a second confused Aaron and Andrew (and they’re a lot closer in this fic because there’s no Tilda angst and the ‘parents’ handled getting Aaron’s rehabilitation handled off the books so he could have a future in medicine.) Even after the whole mob accountant reveal Andrew is seething because even with that Neil is just incredibly well-adjusted and normal despite all the insane shit going on with him. He propositions Neil when Neil mentions having a past male significant other but Neil has the AUDACITY to get all sad-eyed and say that he can’t be with Andrew because his heart still belongs to some CHUMP in his past. (Cue Current!Andrew having an unknowing bitter hatred / rivalry of Future!Andrew and swearing that he’ll woo Neil away from a guy who’s probably in the mob or shitty because Andrew hasn’t seen any evidence of Neil’s SO reaching out to him but he knows Neil isn’t lying)

3. One of the reasons that Andrew is inexplicably and infuriatingly attracted / smitten to Neil is that Future!Andrew did not really spend a lot of time in the future after Neil died and he’s slowly seeping through until Neil’s confrontation with his dad and then Future!Andrew fully wakes up and he’s PISSED because at least in the original timeline Andrew was inexplicably and infuriatingly attracted to the mysterious freshmen who was hiding his appearance, looked like he was seconds away from running across the country at all times, and had a whole aura of danger around him. Now he’s revealed that he’d have fallen for Neil no matter what because he fell for Neil when he was just a BORING ASS MATH NERD and WORST OF ALL Neil went and made him jealous of HIMSELF because Neil didn’t want to cheat on Andrew with ANDREW. What an asshole. He’s gotta kiss his entire face off and tell him that he’s never allowed to cross a street without Andrew again because if a drunk driver is going to take one of them out then it’s going to take BOTH of them out.

#AFTG #All For The Game #Andreil #AFTG fic #Fic Idea #Neil is so happy that Andrew is here #Andrew has never been more embarrassed in his entire fucking life #He was jealous of HIMSELF #They get together immediately and act like an ancient married couple.#Andrew rocks Neil's entire world the second he's out of the hospital #math nerd au #In a Masterpost #Math Nerd - Initial Plot - 01

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helpmeplease33 · 22 days ago

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Alright. Hi. I know this is kind of a weird thing to see on here. I've been trying to find some help for the past few minutes now. I know this isn't gonna sound believable to some people online—or like it's some made-up story, but I really do need help. I didn't really have a choice but to reach out like this.

Ya see, I work for the government right now. I used to work for the police in my old home town—which was Sedonah, Arizona. I know most of you know that everyone had to evacuate from it years ago 'cuz of the whole radiation thing. I was one of the few who actually got out, while most of everyone else stayed in this shelter that they made cuz it was 'too dangerous' for them to even try to leave.

Now, I can't tell ya why. This town is already a huge danger zone with what happened. But—I had to go back. I was sent on a mission that I can't tell y'all about. Y'know.. top secret stuff. I had a radiation suit on, so I think I'm okay. I ended up finding this.. weird building in the middle of nowhere though. I thought it might have been the shelter, so I went up and knocked. I didn't hear anyone inside. I tried knocking again, but.. no matter how much I did, no one answered. So I tried to open the door myself. Next thing I know, everything goes black, and suddenly—I'm here.

This is the door to the place, I guess. I think this might be the building, since it looks so much like it did on the outside and all. It's.. really dusty in here though. I don't think the shelters been here that long. It's only been 5 years since the explosion. There's.. a lot of other stuff here too, actually. Weird posters on the walls. There's.. ink everywhere. There's some weird area up ahead. I thought I heard creaking, so I went in, but I just found these weird reels below some kinda sign. I might take a picture of some of the other stuff here, just to.. well, show I'm not lying. I tried calling out to see if anyone was here, but I didn't hear anyone call back. I.. even tried opening the door behind me. But, it.. I.. I dunno. Maybe I should explain in another.. post-thing.

Here's.. another photo I took. It's—me. I figured I'd post one so people from the outside might recognize me, or so someone from my job might see this and come help me out. I dunno. Point is—when I tried calling people, it kept.. just.. going black and closing out of the app. I tried goin' onto other apps or sites. But, this is.. kinda the only one that works.

I dunno how much people on the internet can help. I don't really use it that much. But—all I know is that this is the only way I have. So—if you.. have anything to say, or something that might help, then say somethin'. Anything. Please.

If you read the post long enough, then thanks for reading. If someone that knows me sees this—then.. please, say something. I just.. really need help right now.

#spooky month #spooky month au #john spooky month #batim

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khandedoe · 10 months ago

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If I were to fall

I'd land in a bush of wildflowers

As God intended

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not-ur-boy-toy · 5 months ago

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Hartbreak Ranch Chapter 1

AN: FINALLY Chapter 1 of Hartbreak Ranch, I really hope you enjoy it! (btw I'm bad at explaining plots so apologies :,) )

Plot: Shawn is a famous model on his way to a new photoshoot. However, he finds himself getting stuck in the middle of nowhere. Luck just has it though as he finds himself staying with the Hart family, finding himself being drawn to a certain Bret Hart.

TW: Foul language, Alcohol mentioned

Word count: 3.6K

Next >>>

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Blond hair flowed freely through the wind as the bright, cherry-red Ferrari 308 drove down the desolate Arizona road. Music blared from the car as it raced through the empty route. The driver of it didn’t have a care in the world as he held a phone to his ear, his free hand on the steering wheel.

“Diesel! Trust me here, I’m doin’ fine, I know where I’m going!”, a laugh rang through the car, as the man spoke, his grin large as he kept his eyes on the road.

“I know you know where you’re going, Shawn... But you’re in the middle of nowhere” the other voice rang through the phone before continuing, “You’ve already said you’re taking a ’shortcut’ but I just don’t think It’s a good idea!” the voice argued back, trying to reason with the stubborn man.

Shawn rolled his eyes before a soft huff left his lips, he was used to his bodyguard being overprotective, they always traveled together! Wherever Shawn went, a 6’10, hunk-of-a-man followed him. But not this time. The young 30-year-old man wanted to travel by himself! He knew the area reasonably well… maybe just enough to get him to the closest town and ask for directions. But Diesel didn’t have to know!

“Diesel, Hun, Big Daddy Coolio, I’ll be fine, I’ll be there for Ramon’s photoshoot with what's-his-face…” Shawn hummed to himself, rambling softly to himself as he tried to figure out who he was working with again. Before he could even figure out the guy’s name, Diesel’s deep voice rang through his phone again.

“You’re working with Kid, Ramon’s toyboy or whatever.”

“Riight… That guy, yeah, I won't miss it, anyway, gotta go, phone is gonna die, Byyee!” And just like that, with a small click, Shawn hung up the phone before Diesel could say goodbye. He carefully tossed his phone to the empty passenger seat before adjusting the thick, black sunglasses on his face, humming along to the music on the radio. It had been a glorious drive so far. No traffic, the sun was hot, there were no clouds in the sky… and there was nobody to annoy him- other than Diesel every 15 minutes.

It was definitely a perfect drive, yet there was one small problem. Fuel. Shawn’s trusty lady was running low, and the next gas station was a good 50 miles out, but there was a small town coming up in a few miles. It was a risk to turn off into the town. There was the chance there was no gas station in the town in the middle of nowhere. But there was just a nagging feeling, something that just drew Shawn’s attention to this town. It just seemed to call his name, and who was he to ignore that feeling? Shawn stepped on the gas, dust blowing behind the wheels as he sped up, going way past the speed limit before he reached the town that seemed to hypnotize him.

Shawn wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he drove through the town. He was used to the luxurious life, like main cities from New York to Los Angeles… but this was beyond different. It was small, tiny, barely anything compared to what he was accustomed to. There wasn’t anything branded, no hotels with infinity pools, no Prada stores, nothing! There was barely anything in this town other than small boutiques, a few restaurants and a few small businesses, as well as a few houses.

“There has to be a gas station in this place…” Shawn mumbled to himself, trying to distract himself away from the feeling he had awhile ago.

Driving around aimlessly didn’t seem to get Shawn anywhere, there wasn’t a gas station in sight, and his car didn’t have enough fuel by the sounds of it as it seemed to hiss and moaning from his beloved Ferrari. However, what Shawn didn’t expect though was the sight of smoke appearing from underneath the hood of his car. He hadn’t realized how hot it was in this place.

“Shit, Shit, SHIT!” Shawn gasped out, quickly pulling up to the side, and turning off his car. He scrambled to get out of his car with urgency, slamming the door shut. Shawn quickly moved to the front of the car, lifting the hood with a slight hiss of pain from how hot the metal was and how smokey the engine was. He drafted away most of the dark smoke with a small cough before moving back.

“Son of a bitch!” he hissed out in anger, kicking his car slightly with his black leather boot. Oh, how Diesel was right about taking this shitty shortcut. He could see Diesel’s smug face in his mind, which pissed him off more. He hated being wrong. He couldn’t stand it. Rubbing the stubble on his face in frustration, Shawn paced in circles in front of his car, kicking slightly at the dirt on the floor. What the fuck was he supposed to do? Shawn’s blue eyes glanced around, looking at the almost empty street, seeing a few people staring his way before looking away as he looked at them. They weren’t gonna help, clearly. Shawn grunted slightly before slamming the hood down. He had to figure something out, but calling Diesel was not one of them. He could try to find a mechanic, but it meant he had to leave his sweet, beloved Ferrari behind for now… with a reluctant, annoyed huff, Shawn grabbed what he needed from his car, his phone, wallet and keys, before starting his walk to find a mechanic.

Instantly, Shawn knew he was out of place as he walked down the street. He was dolled up in his finest clothes, that being a white, open-shirt bought from Polo Ralph Lauren, khaki brown pants from the same place, his favorite Gucci belt in black and gold and finally his favorite pair of black leather boots, ones with a small heel. Of course, he had a few accessories, like a gold watch and matching earrings. He wouldn’t leave the house without them! This was one of his more ‘casual’ outfits, something he would wear to go shopping in New York. But being in this town? It looked like he was overdressed and everyone walking by gave him a second look. Now, Shawn loved the attention. He loved having people’s eyes on him. People would even say he craved it, but the looks he was being given now, it was more looks of judgment. Shawn mindlessly messed with his shirt, trying to flatten down invisible creases, trying to distract himself from the looks. A mechanic couldn’t be too far away.

A few minutes' walk eventually turned into a 15-minute walk into the town. He had passed more small shops including a bakery (which looked heavenly, from the strawberry cakes that looked freshly made to the croissants that Shawn would have loved to buy), a few cafes, a general store and even a liquor store which he kept in mind. Luckily, he had eventually found the town's repair shop. It looked like an older building, the corners of the building being rusted, yet a new sign in black and neon pink stood out on the building, reading out ‘Hart & Co. Auto Repair’. Loud country music was blasting, and the smell of oil and rubber burnt Shawn’s nose slightly, something he definitely wasn’t used to. As he entered the small shop, he noticed a pair of blue overall cover legs underneath a truck and humming coming from the person. He glanced around the shop, trying to spot anyone else in there, but no one else was in the small space, not even a customer. Shawn cleared his throat, trying to get the person’s attention, but it didn’t seem to catch the guy's attention.

“Excuse me? Hey” Shawn spoke up, moving closer, yet there was still no response. “Hey!” he continued in a louder tone, which seemed to catch the person’s attention.

“Shoot, hold on!” The mechanic yelled out from under the truck, finally rolling out from under the truck. The man who rolled out was quite young-looking, younger than Shawn, and had a baby face. He had blonde hair up to his shoulders and bright blue eyes. Of course, his sun-kissed skin was dotted with some splotches of oil and some sort of grime, and the blue jumpsuit he wore was covered in oil and dirt. Shawn looked at the name tag the other wore, barely seeing the name ‘Owen’ under an oil splotch.

Owen carefully stood up, wiping his hands on a cloth he had in his pocket before smiling at the man in his shop and holding a hand to him.

“Hi! Sorry about that. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long. I’m Owen. What can I help you with?” Owen asked, his voice surprisingly soft and surprisingly, not an Arizona accent either.

Shawn eyed up Owen’s hand beneath his sunglasses before looking back at the man’s face before taking off the shades. He gave Owen one of his charming smiles before speaking.

“No, not at all, just got here actually,” he began, licking his lips slightly before continuing, “I need help with my car- Obviously-, It broke down a few streets back, smokin’ and all… and no fuel” Shawn explained as he watched Owen lower his hand.

Owen looked slightly hurt about the man not shaking his hand, a pout on his face slightly. He hummed slightly before grinning and nodding.

“Should be easy! Luckily, it’s been a slow day, so let me put my truck down and we can go grab your car and tow it with the truck,” the mechanic agreed eagerly after his slow day.

By the time Owen and Shawn had towed the cherry-red car back to the shop, Owen had realized it wasn’t exactly the easiest job… It was a newer car, one he had seen no one in the town drive before… but he wasn’t gonna let this new customer down! Owen had lifted the hood of the car, already knowing it would take a few days to fix from the parts he could see, knowing it would take a few days to order parts… and then a few additional days to actually fix it.

“So… How long are you here for, Mr?...”

“Michaels, Shawn Michaels… and I was only coming here to fuel up. "

Now that was an issue. Owen pulled a face, wincing at the thought that he’d have to give this guy bad news.

“Well, Mr. Michaels, I… I uh, suggest you plan your stay here for a few days, I don’t have parts for a car like this,” the mechanic explained, as he glanced over to Shawn who stood nearby with his arms crossed.

“A few days? You have to be kidding me, right? Fuck… Diesel is gonna kill me!” Shawn groaned out, pacing around. “Shit, there’s a decent hotel nearby… right?” he asked, raising a brow as he looked over to Owen.

Owen winced again. Even more bad news to give the guy…

“Well… There’s a motel nearby… but it is a good 45-minute drive from town.”

Shawn ran a hand through his long, wavy locks in frustration. His day couldn’t get any worse. First, his car breaks, and now the closest place to stay is too far away for him! Diesel appeared in his mind again. That annoying, smug face. Shit, he needed a drink… or something stronger.

Owen could see the annoyance on the guy's face. He truly felt for him. He had a soft heart and couldn’t stand to see a customer disappointed.

“But! If it helps, you could stay at my family ranch for a few days? I can keep you updated on your car and you won’t need to worry about how you’d get back to my shop!” Owen offered. The family ranch had enough space to help the guy out for a few days.

At the sound of the ranch, Shawn instantly hated the idea. He imagined the place being muddy and just plain dirty! However, it meant he would have somewhere to sleep, and he wouldn’t have to worry about trying to get back to this hellhole, which was now his nightmare. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm his annoyance.

“I… I suppose it isn’t a bad idea…” He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, “... Yeah, fine. I’ll stay at this ranch of yours.”

“Let me close up and we can be on our way then!”.

It was common sense to not take a stranger's offer to stay at their house, but what was there for Shawn to lose? He could simply tell a small lie to Diesel, just saying that he’s spending the night at a hotel… And the day after say he was stuck in traffic and then tell him his car has broken down, just to calm the man's nerves. That and Owen just seemed so… sweet. His personality was so genuine and that was so rare to see in Shawn’s life. Yeah, he had a social life as a model, but most of the people he had met never seemed genuine. The only ones he got that feeling from were Hunter, Chyna and Diesel. Shawn truly felt as if Owen did want to help him out.

Owen hadn’t taken too long to finish locking up. It did leave plenty of time for Shawn to have a quick look around the place. He quickly noticed that Owen was clearly a family kind of guy. There were plenty of pictures scattered around the workroom of Owen with different people, some he assumed to be his parents, others he assumed were probably his brothers and sisters, and maybe even some aunts and uncles. There were even a few pictures of a few kids- one that looked like a younger version of Owen- In some snow. But either way, it was a big family.

The ride to this ranch was rather quiet. Yeah, there was some small talk, such as where they were both from which Shawn found out that the man was actually from Canada, which was ironic. Another question had arisen as well, the question of Shawn’s job.

“So… You’re a model? I would have thought you were an actor or something,” Owen chuckled.

“That’s sweet of you, I did want to be one, but modeling? Being all dolled up, partying… It’s the life!” Shawn grinned out, not mentioning the bad side of the job.

“Ah, so you get paid to be pretty and to party… I wish life was that easy” Owen joked. He knew his older brother, Bret, hated that lifestyle. He was always talking about working hard for a good life, which Owen had to agree with. But the thought of partying every so often sounded like a great time. When was the last time he, Jeff Jarrett, Davey and Brian went out for drinks… It had been too long.

“I wish it was that easy,” the model started, “Strict diets, working with people you might not like with… The list is long, but the positives do outdo the negatives in my eyes”. The downfalls of being a model were clearly a touchy subject as Shawn’s grin seemed to disappear. The excited glint in his eyes after the compliment disappeared. Owen knew not to push further on that.

Owen hummed in response, nodding his head slightly, “Well, we’re almost here”.

Seeing a rather rustic house in the distance after seeing cactus after cactus was rather refreshing. The place looked rather peaceful in Shawn’s eyes. It had its own charm to it. The wooden fences that seemed to carry on for ages were cared for, the wood seemed almost new, even if grass tangled and vined itself around the posts. A sign soon came up as they drove along the side of the property. Shawn eyed it up, raising a brow as he saw the name ‘Hart Ranch’. Very creative.

Entering the beginning of the ranch, Shawn could already see a few animals around in different pastures. There were a few horses, even cows… It reminded Shawn of an old photoshoot he did, one which he enjoyed a lot. He got to dress up like he was a cowboy, the hat, boots and even chaps, the whole shebang! Hunter and Chyna were there as well and they looked amazing in their getup… even if Hunter’s horse he had to ride kept stealing his hat. A small, reminiscent smile graced his face.

The house seemed to grow as they traveled down the long, dirt road. From a while back it looked tiny, something that an old couple would live in. Yet now being so close to it, he noticed how huge it was. It must have been handbuilt, there were uneven grooves in the woods of the walls and fences in front of the house, something that showed how much hard work was put into it. There were even some stone bricks that decorated the oak wood. Bright, fresh vines climbed through the maze of bricks in the house, adding more color to the home. This must have been built years ago, even before Shawn was born.

Owen and Shawn exited the truck. Owen helped his guest by grabbing the large bag that they had lugged into the truck before they left.

“I’m not too sure who will be in… I know my Ma will be in, my dad will probably be working with Bret, my older brother, somewhere on the ranch… probably fixing something” Owen laughed, “and my sister Diana will be probably looking after the horses… So it should be luckily quiet for you, just for now at least”.

Quietly, Shawn followed Owen up the steps to the patio before opening the screen door, which had a beautiful panel at the bottom that had been engraved by hand into a tree, and entering the rather cool home, the door closing with a soft bang. The home was decorated with even more pictures than what was at the auto repair home, some that were in black and gray, their corners torn and frayed from age which confirmed Shawn’s thought of the place being handbuilt, while others were newer and fresher. There were a few shoes scattered around by the front door being in different sizes and styles, some being boots, some were flats and even a few heels. Owen placed down Shawn’s bag by the oak stairs that stood in front of them before moving into the large, spacious room to the right of them which Shawn slowly followed after.

“Ma! I’m home! I have a guest!” Owen hollered out into the rather silent home, the only noise he could hear after was the sound of the cicadas that buzzed louder. Owen continued to walk towards the kitchen, which Shawn assumed it was.

Instead of following the young man, Shawn looked around the cozy looking living room. There were a few brown leather couches that surrounded a fireplace, a few blankets were carefully and almost lovingly lined up over the top. Handmade throw pillows laid untouched in the corners by the arms of the couches, embroidery were neatly laced throughout the rather soft looking material which had quotes such as ‘Home Sweet Home’ and ‘Welcome to our happy place’. It was rather sickeningly sweet to see, yet it seemed to suit the home rather well. A large, thick cow rug of brown, black and white laid underneath an oak table, a mug left on a coaster, clearly left and forgotten by accident in the clean house. Bookcases lined the back walls of the living room, full of leather bound books of different colors and sizes before more newer kids books littered between well used and loved books. Finally, Shawn noticed more family pictures, one of a whole family that was framed above the fireplace in front of a different house.

Shawn wasn’t the type to get homesick. He had a pretty close relationship with his mom, but that was it. He’d phone her every so often. But even in his parents home, there were barely any photos of them as a family, as Shawn grew up, the pictures dwindled down until there was nothing new. Seeing these pictures though, it tugged at Shawn’s heart, the feeling of homesickness being more apparent. He quickly shook his head, trying not to get sentimental.

The perfect distraction eventually came, pulling Shawn out of his thoughts as he heard the front door open again. Shawn glanced over his shoulder, his eyes landing on a taller man. Now, Shawn may not have been the type to be homesick, but he was the type to be a hopeless romantic, and when this guy walked into the house? Shawn could feel blood rush to his cheeks.

The guy had curly, deep brown hair that reached his shoulders. His skin was tanned much like a god, the sheen of sweat clung to the man's brows and neck. His eyes were a dark, melted chocolate color that held warmth in them. And his outfit? Shawn was loving it. A black cowboy hat sat upon his head like a halo, his blue, checkered shirt hugged around his strong, muscular chest perfectly, his jeans hugged oh-so-perfectly around his legs. This man was something Shawn wanted and needed.

Silence filled the room as the man stared down Shawn, staring down his outfit before looking around the living room. It was an awkward silence, one that Shawn could tell that this guy was trying to figure out who Shawn was and why he was just standing there.

Before Shawn could even speak, the mans low voice filled the room, “Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my home?”.

#wwe #wwf #90s wwf #wwf attitude #90s wrestling #world wrestling federation #shawn michaels #hbk #the heartbreak kid #heartbreak kid #bret the hitman hart #bret hart #hartbreak #shawn x bret #shawnbret #Hartbreak Ranch #wwe fanfiction #wwe fanfic

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upat4amwiththemoon · 2 years ago

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Could I please have an imagine where the reader moves to Seattle. She starts out as a pediatrician at grey loan. Around this time she realizes she's pregnant. With Carina DeLuca as her ob-gyn and coworker the two fall for each other. Carina did not expect to fall for a pregnant woman but realized she knows what she wants. So she asks you out and you say yes around the time you are halfway through the pregnancy. by the end of the pregnancy, it becomes clear you much you and your baby mean to her. When you go into labor she freaks out and comments that “My girlfriend is having our baby!” (you hear her say that but say nothing due to the pain). When the baby is born she is in awe of the tiny human but kinda keeps to the side for a few minutes until you say “come meet OUR son.” Carina tries to apologize for calling him hers but the reader says that Carina is his mother too. Just like a cute family thing please?

Our baby

Summary: The world is full of unconventional families.

Pairing: Carina Deluca x female!reader

Warnings: i have no real knowledge of pregnancy or other medical things, cursing

Word count: 2944

a/n: Carina Deluca please give me a chance🙏🏻

masterlists | guidelines

Arizona Robbins shows Y/N around the hospital, introducing her to the kids staying there for a longer period of time and some of the other doctors there. She just moved to Seattle and decided to continue working as a pediatrician at the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, having heard a lot of good about it.

“All the kids already love you.” Arizona gushes, excited to have a new coworker. “I think you’ll be just fine.”

Y/N laughs. “That’s great to hear, I was really nervous to relocate here, you all seem so close.” She smiles, having seen how the doctors interact with each other.

“We are! We have gone through a lot together, so, we’ve gotten close. But don’t worry, you’ll fit right in. Doctor Deluca!” She stops another doctor. “This is Doctor Y/N Y/L/N, new to PEDS. And this is Doctor Carina Deluca, our OB-GYN.”

“Nice to meet you.” Y/N gives her hand out to shake, which Carina does.

“Nice to meet you too.” Carina looks at her up and down. “You’re not from here?”

“No, I moved from Boston.”

“That’s a long way.” Arizona comments. “I’m guessing the reason wasn’t just change of scenery?” Shaking her head, Y/N smiles. “I’ll learn about that later, I’m sure.”

“Sure thing.” Y/N laughs.

Carina glances at her pager. “Well, I’ll see you two later. I have a baby to deliver.” She gives them one last smile before walking away.

“Well, lets start the real work then. You’ll shadow me for a couple of days, so you learn where everything is and so on.” Arizona starts walking again, Y/N following right behind her. “I know you’re not a beginner, but you can still ask me anything you’d like.”

“Thank you, Dr Robbins. It’ll be a pleasure working alongside you.”

“Oh, please, call me Arizona.”

After a week of great work shifts, Y/N has started getting nauseous out of nowhere, especially in the morning and the middle of her shifts. Although, it’s very unusual for her, she hasn’t paid much attention to it. She has a hectic work after all, it must be the nerves.

Y/N writes down information to the kid’s chart on the tablet. “You’ll be just fine, Jules.” She assures, turning to the parents. “She’ll just get her some medicine and after making sure she reacts to it well, you can go home.”

“Thank you so much, Doctor Y/L/N.” The mother cries out in relief, grabbing Y/N’s hand.

“Of course. A nurse will bring the medication over soon.” She turns to the said nurse. “Make sure Jules doesn’t get any nausea-“ taking in a deep breath, she pauses, feeling increasingly nauseous herself, “or rashes. If everything is fine in thirty minutes, they can leave.”

“Got it, Doctor Y/L/N.” The nurse smiles and grabs the tablet out of Y/N’s hands.

With a nod and a smile, Y/N leaves the room, holding her stomach lightly. The sick feeling in her stomach is getting worse quickly. She walks into the break room to get some water from the fridge.

“Hey, Y/N.” Carina greets as she walks in.

Eyes wide, Y/N coughs, getting some water in her windpipe. “Hi.”

“Everything okay?” Carina laughs.

“Mhm.” Screwing the cap back to the bottle, Y/N grimaces. The water didn’t help the nausea. “Uhm, how are you?” Her voice comes out a bit strained, but she does her best to hide the sickness.

“I’m alright.” She stares at her. “Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t look too good.”

Taking few deep breaths, Y/N nods. She grips her scrubs tightly, as if it would lessen the pain she’s feeling. “Listen, I-“ Suddenly, Y/N runs into the bathroom. She drops down to her knees and starts vomiting.

“You’re definitely not okay.” Carina mumbles as she kneels next to Y/N. She rubs her back with one hand, while the other holds her hair out of the way. “When was your last period?”

Y/N heaves over the toilet, keeping her eyes closed. Vomiting was always difficult for her. “You’re not saying what I think you’re saying?” She turns to look at Carina, who can only offer her a hopefully comforting smile.

After the vomiting stops, Carina takes Y/N to a examination room, so she can draw her blood. Now, Y/N is waiting on the bed for Carina to come back. Her mind is a jumbled mess. She isn’t sure what to think.

Carina steps inside the room. Y/N looks up at her expectantly. She sits down to a chair right next to Y/N. “You’re six weeks pregnant.”

“Oh, fuck.” Y/N holds her stomach with a shocked expression.

“Can I ask if this is a wanted pregnancy? Is the father in the picture?”

“Is this a- I don’t, I don’t know.” She gasps, feeling like the air is getting thinner. “The father is the sole reason I left Boston.”

“Okay, hey, I need you to calm down your breathing.” Carina grabs her hand. “Take some deep breaths.”

Y/N breathes in and out, following Carina’s lead. “I’ve always wanted kids.” She starts once her breathing is more stable. “I love them, that’s why I went into PEDS. But alone? I don’t know if I could do that.”

“You still have time to think, but, I think if anyone could do this, it’s you.” Carina rubs rubs the back of her hand with her thumb. “I am here for you every step of the way, whatever you decide to do.”

“Thank you, Carina.” Her voice wobbles a bit. “Are the hormones supposed to be all over the place yet.” She lets out a teary laugh.

“Yes,” Carina stands up. “They are going to be a mess through it all.”

Y/N stands up with a groan. “How fun.” She huffs and put her doctor’s jacket back on. “Well, thank you, Dr Deluca. I suppose I’ll be seeing you a lot.”

“You will, lucky me.” She smiles, opening the door for her. “See you later, Y/N.”

“See ya.” Y/N waves as she walks back into her shift, like nothing happened.

After three weeks, Y/N has her first official appointment with Doctor Deluca. She has made her decision and is ready to confirm it with her OB-GYN. “Ready for your first ultrasound?” Carina sets up the machine while Y/N climbs up to the examination bed.

Nodding, Y/N stares at Carina. “Everything will be okay, right? There’s not going to be anything bad in there.” Carina raises her brows while listening to her ramblings. “I’m totally feeding into the doctor’s are the worst patients stereotype, aren’t I?”

“Hmm, just a little bit. May I?” Carina takes hold of the hem of Y/N’s shirt, lifting it only when she gives her permission to do so. “This is going to be a little cold.” The gel feels chilly against her stomach, which makes her flinch. “Now, I’m going to press this to your abdomen and move it around bit to see everything.” Once the probe presses against her stomach, Carina starts studying the ultrasound image.

The longer she stays quiet, the more worried Y/N gets. She tries to see the screen, but it’s angles just out of her sight. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes!” Y/N lets out a sigh of relief. Turning the screen to face her, Carina shows Y/N where the embryo is. “It is around 22 millimeters long right now, there’s its head and limbs.” She points around the screen. “Its tiny muscles are starting to develop at this tome. Want to see if we can hear the heart?”

“Can we? This early on.”

“We can with a Doppler monitor.” Carina puts the ultrasound machine to the side and cleans the gel from Y/N’s stomach, before putting gel on the probe of the monitor. After that, she presses the head of the probe against Y/N’s abdomen, moving it around to find the right spot. “Can you hear that?”

A quiet, but clear galloping sound can be heard through the monitor. Y/N hums with a nod, biting her lips as she can feel herself get emotional.

“Sounds like a perfectly strong heart.” Carina smiles at the look on Y/N’s face. Even though she has done the same thing multiple times, this feels just a bit more special compared to the other ones. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel…” Y/N sighs deeply. “I don’t even know how to word it. I’m tired and so scared, but I feel amazing. I feel like I’m going crazy.”

There’s a permanent grin on Carina’s face as she listens to Y/N talk. She likes to listen to her talk, even if it’s just nervous rambling.

“Is that normal?”

“To feel like you’re going crazy? Yes, it is, you have nothing to worry about.” She sets her hand on her leg, rubbing it in a comforting manner. The actions makes Y/N’s cheeks warm and stomach flip.

“Thanks.” She breathes out, clearing her throat. “My shift starts in twenty.”

“I’ll let you go get ready then.” Carina wipes any remaining gel off of Y/N’s stomach and pulls her shirt back to normal. “I’l see you around?”

“Yes.” Y/N hops off the bed.

Opening the door, Carina sets her hand on Y/N arm to stop her from walking out. “Will I ever see you outside of the hospital?”

A shy smile grows to her face. “Definitely.”

“Heyy,” Carina lifts her hands up in celebration, “look at that bump! We’re halfway there.” Y/N laughs, closing the exam room door. “Today is a very important ultrasound, are you ready to know the gender of your baby?”

“I am more than ready.” She lays down to the bed, lifting up her shirt and lowering her pants so her stomach is visible.

“What are you hoping for?” Carina sets everything ready for the ultrasound, it all being normal for Y/N now. She puts of the gel as Y/N says she doesn’t have a preference. With a smile, Carina puts the probe to her abdomen and starts moving it around. “Everything is looking good.” She mumbles, trying to find an angle where she could see the baby’s sex. “I can see all ten fingers and ten toes.” Suddenly she starts grinning. “Do you want to know your baby’s gender?”

“Yes.” Her voice comes out quietly. She bites her lip as she stares at Carina.

“It’s a baby boy!”

Y/N laughs, excited to know something about her future baby. She opens her arms when Carina leans down to hug her. “I have to start thinking about names.” She whispers.

Carina pulls away from the hug to put the ultrasound machine away. “Don’t have options yet?” She asks while wiping away the gel.

“No. I’ve been too stressed and tired to think about anything.” She lets out and airy laugh, pulling her clothes back to normal. “But knowing he is alright in there, maybe I can give myself some rest.”

“Please do. Have you felt him kicking yet?” Y/N nods with an excited grin. “May I?” She sets her hand under Y/N’s shirt once she gets her permission. They wait in silence, nothing happening, but after a while, a small kick can be felt. Carina cheers and rubs Y/N’s stomach.

“It still feels so unreal.”

They stare at each other with wide smiles and shiny eyes. The two have been going out for months now, but they still haven’t made anything exactly official, mostly because Y/N is worried about her pregnancy getting in the way of their relationship. But it just feels so right, like it’s meant to be. Every time Carina touches her, whether is for medical or other reasons, Y/N gets such a high from it.

“You know I want this, right?” Carina lets her hand stay on Y/N’s stomach. “I want you and everything that comes with it.”

Y/N bites her lip, setting her hand on top of Carina’s. “You’re sure?”

“One hundred percent.”

“You aren’t going to back down once you realize how insanely the hormones are affecting me? We’re only half way there.”

Rolling her eyes, Carina nods. “I’m not backing down. I want to be there for you, not only as your OB-GYN, but as your partner.”

“Okay. I’d like that.”

“Yeah.” Carina leans closer, waiting for Y/N to say anything against what she’s doing in case she isn’t feeling it, but when she just nods, Carina presses her lips to Y/N’s.

One of Y/N’s hands goes up to Carina’s hair, combing though it. Carina pulls away, but stays close enough to feel each others breaths. “I might start crying unless I leave, like right now.” Y/N whispers, feeling her emotions taking over.

With a chuckle, Carina fully pulls away, giving Y/N some space to stand up. “I’ll see you at your apartment after my shift?”

“Yes.” Kissing Carina’s cheek, Y/N leaves right after.

Humming a song quietly to herself, Y/N is going through the patients’ charts. Her shift is almost at the end, so she likes to make sure everything is where it’s supposed to be.

“Bambina.” She smiles at the sound of Carina’s voice, even when it sounds disapproving. “You should be resting.”

“I’m fine, Carina.” Y/N smiles at her, pecking her lips. “Besides, my shift ends any second now.”

“You’re about to give birth any second.” Her brows are raised as she sets her hand on Y/N’s stomach. It’s true, Y/N is a few days over her due date, but she wants to help out as long as she can.

Y/N’s smile somehow widens from the mention of giving birth soon. She’s absolutely terrified, but also so excited to meet her son. “I know,” she grins, “but there still kids that need me.”

“Sometimes you should just stop the day.” Carina states, which makes Y/N furrow her brows. “Make it a day?”

“Call it a day.”

“Yes.”

Y/N laughs, setting the tablet down. “I know, but I’m still feeling gr-“ She gasps, taking hold of her stomach.

Carina goes into worry mode immediately. She takes hold of Y/N. “What? What happened? Are you okay?”

Taking few deep breaths, Y/N looks down at the floor that’s now wet. “My water just broke.” She mumbles. Straight away, Carina goes to grab a wheel chair for her, helping her down to it. Y/N pushes air out of her mouth. “It hurts.”

“Everything will be okay, Y/N. Everything will be okay.” The last sentence is mostly to herself, as Carina is starting to feel terrified by the situation. Her girlfriend is about to give birth right now. “We need an OB!” She shouts as they arrive to the right floor. “She’s about to give birth.”

A group of nurses jog over to them, they bring Y/N to a bed and start getting everything they need ready. “Aren’t you her OB?” One of the nurses asks.

“My girlfriend is having our baby! I can’t deliver him.” She panics.

The nurse nods, paging another OB-GYN to their location. Y/N cries out in pain, not able to pay attention to anything happening around her. The doctor arrives fast and starts doing her thing right away. Carina stays in the room, but in the sidelines, giving them space to work.

“Hey there, Doctor Y/L/N.” The OB smiles, putting on gloves. “This is your first baby, right?” She sets Y/N’s legs to a correct position so she can see everything.

“Yes.” Y/N’s breathing is getting faster from the pain. “Can I start pushing?” She gasp when the pain increases.

“Yes you can.” The OB glances at Carina. “Does Doctor Deluca want to come over here and hold Y/N’s hand?”

Carina snaps out of her panic and drags a chair next to Y/N’s bed. She sits down and grabs Y/N’s hand. “You’re doing so good.”

“Doesn’t feel like it.” Y/N screams as she pushes. Her grip on Carina’s hand tightens every time the pain gets stronger. “How long is this going to take?” She cries out.

An hour and a half later, the baby’s cries can be finally heard. Y/N slumps down to the bed, laughing and crying in relief. “Can I see him? Can I see my baby?” Her eyes are half closed, finally feeling everything.

A nurse cleans the baby down, before bringing him over to Y/N. She smiles widely as she takes hold of him. “He’s so beautiful.” Y/N whispers, caressing his head gently. She turns to look at Carina, who has moved back to the side. She looks amazed by everything that just happened. “Come meet our son.”

Carina’s eyes widen, she thought Y/N hadn’t heard her. “I- I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called him mine, he is your son.” She starts apologizing.

“Shut up.” Y/N laughs quietly, stretching her hand towards Carina. “He is our son. You said no backing down, remember?”

Carina’s eyes tear up as she takes Y/N’s hand and sits back down next to her. “Hello, my angioletto.” She whispers, grabbing his extremely small hand with her free hand. Looking at Y/N, she mover her hand to rub her cheek. “You did such a good job, bella.”

Y/N smiles, kissing her palm. “We have a son.”

“We have a son.” Carina laughs, looking over her family.

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namelessprayers · 1 month ago

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in a scalding heatwave of 1980s arizona, sua slaved away behind a counter of a dreary diner somewhere out in the middle of who knows where. she minimally swept the tiled the floors and unenthusiastically took cheques from equally unenthused customers, likely driving from nowhere to nowhere on long and wide dirt roads.

eventually, the hue of the sand and the sun would meld together in their eyes; thus, the point of the dingy little pit stop which sua was condemned to work at. it was made just a bit more unbearable by the high temperature on this specifically irksome dayshift she regretted accepting.

"pink hair with blue end's yours." luka said.

for being their manager, he wasn't particularly invested in ever actually doing things. he only ever served the pair of brown haired siblings who came in few and far enough times for sua to not remember their names. another weird thing about luka was the fact that he largely identified people by their haircut and colour. "ivan's still entertaining the red haired one, so, you better get on that."

"right." sua responded dryly, propping her broom back in its designated corner. she stopped herself from letting out a huff of frustration, instead resigned to plaster on a forced smile and comply to luka's orders. "it would be my pleasure."

======

so it turns out that pink hair is a weirdo, despite all things considered, like the fact that they're in the middle of nowhere and by that logic everyone is already pretty weird. somehow, she manages to be weirder.

okay, so maybe there isn't anything wrong with being weird, or wrong with the pink haired girl. still. she's strange, and the way she keeps staring at sua is off putting to say the least.

then again, a lot of people stare at sua. luka says she should lighten up and take it as a compliment, while ivan often laughs over it by telling sua that it's not every day you meet someone like her. though she brushes the words off, she still mulls about the connotations of what ivan insinuates, even if he mostly spouts pointless information.

he can be pretty observant, him and luka both, even if it's uncanny and unnerving in sua's opinion; she supposes it's helpful if there's merit to the observations, and there might be in this situation, as pink hair is earnestly eyeing sua with big bright eyes that might as well be cleaving into her soul.

no, pink hair is definitely weirder than the standard of their clientele.

several times after ordering a singular strawberry milkshake, she calls sua back to get another straw since she chewed on hers too hard or to get a new napkin because she shredded the old one into shreds.

it only feels right when she hangs around for all the rest of sua's shift, to the point that sua can't help glaring in the direction of pink hair as she folds up her apron to leave. when she finishes depositing the necessary things in the storage room, she exits to be greeted by ivan, who's smiling with a tad too much glee as he always does when till is going to be on the next shift within the next hour.

"what do you want?" flatly asks sua, direct as she always is so that she can leave faster and hopefully escape the oppressing heat of the poorly aired diner sooner. like always, ivan grins in the face of sua's bluntness with an edge of irritating amusement. she clenches her jaw, stifling an annoyed sigh but not her frown.

"when did you get a girlfriend?"

"a girlfriend?" echoes sua, both incredulous and skeptical, as well as awed at either the notion or ivan's sheer gall. "i don't have a girlfriend."

"really?" says ivan, tilting his head in a way that flashes his snaggletooth out the corner of his smile. it's smug, like he knows something sua doesn't. immediately, she wonders how much she needs to bribe ivan with so he doesn't go blabbing to luka about her supposed girlfriend. "then what's the pink haired girl at the counter doing waiting around for you?"

"did she say that, or are you just assuming?" sua replies defensively, but also more confidently than she feels, as both answers to her question are going to prove to be a problem.

"she said she's here to pick you up," continues ivan, ignorant to the dilemma it sparks in sua, "did you schedule a hang out and forget or something?" his brows crease ever so slightly as his gaze seems to narrow in on where sua bites the inside of her cheek. "were you planning on brushing her off? because that's kind of a douchey thing to do. honestly, sua, i didn't take you for that kind of person."

"i'm not." she barely manages to grit out in a flimsy rebuttal. "plus, isn't till the one who never shows up on time to- like -everything?"

"yeah," answers ivan with ease and a certain wistfulness in his expression, "but he's allowed to do that." since she's pretty sure the disgust shows on her face, sua walks past ivan and chooses not to dignify his unwavering affliction towards till with a response.

======

the scene has a filmy overlay to it, as though it was put in the oven and hasn't come out, roasting and cooking steadily.

sua chalks up her discomfort to the heat and ties up her hair for good measure, cursing the fact that she hasn't yet gotten around to cutting it. of course, the insane climate isn't the craziest thing sua's got to tend to at the moment, as the pink haired girl was and is still being insistent in... well, in being an interesting sort of nuisance.

"you're saying you've been looking for a long time across parallel dimensions. specifically, looking for me." surmises sua in the most saccharine tone she can muster. then, with an air of added wonderment, "for me?"

"uh huh. who else?" asks pink hair, genuinely pondering in the question that sua doesn't get; it should be more like literally anyone else but her. somehow, pink hair doesn't seem to agree. "in every universe, no matter the circumstance, i meet you and you change my life. that's just the way it is sua, i don't know how else to explain."

"wait, how do you know my name?" says sua, managing to wrap her thoughts around approximately half of what impossible narrative this stranger is giving to her.

"the alternate dimension travel, obviously." comes the immediate statement which sua only gives a disbelieving a stare to. pink hair raises her free hand and drink with wide disarming eyes. "i'm not lying. i really have been looking, and for a very long time. see, in every universe, we've already met and there's no room for me. i'm just an extra. the entire scheme of existence doesn't really have a place for me to be. so, i thought, maybe if i found a sua without a mizi, there'd be an empty space that i could fill."

"a mizi." mulls sua aloud. "so that's your name." she affirms, more to herself than to the other, but mizi gets the memo and flushes bright red anyways.

"shoot, i did kind of forget to introduce myself, didn't i? well, no time like the present to do it. i'm mizi." she amends, extending a hand sheepishly for sua to shake. the miracle is that their fingers and palms don't feel all that sweaty when they touch. if anything, sua supposes it seems kind of right. a correction of her life.

"i'm sua. but you already knew that."

======

bizarre as their first meeting was, sua is glad for it. mizi doesn't mention much upon the subject of why she had to traverse such lengths just to find sua, but it doesn't matter so much, now that they have each other and can stay that way for as long as existence allows.

instead, mizi likes to go over the many universes and ways they fell in love. they're officially girlfriends now, although ivan and everyone else is under the impression that sua had just been keeping a secret girlfriend from them for the last five years of working at their quaint diner in the middle of nowhere.

which is to say that everyone else are idiots, but sua doesn't mind when she finishes shifts and locks up to be greeted by mizi's sincere smiles and bubbly laughter. sua doesn't know if mizi was lying about the parallel dimensions and hopping through realities where they were always together, but she thinks there's truth to it, even if it was a largely fabricated thing to get sua's attention.

then again, she doesn't think mizi's capable of being anything but honest. it's one of the things she loves most about her; the ability to be realistically optimistic, against all odds.

======

"how do you deal with it, being here where no one is anybody and we're all nobodies? isn't it... sad? don't you wish you were in any other universe since you've seen them all?"

"i can deal with it because of you. i don't feel like a nobody with you; and if we were actually somebodies in other timelines or worlds, i don't think i need much in this universe. maybe, this is just a respite, and maybe that's enough. yeah, it's sad, but it's not lonely. there's no other place i'd rather be than right here next to you."

sua thinks they might be cosmically intwined, or something like that.

#alien stage #alienstage #alnst #relationship study #mizisua #in every universe #alien stage mizi #alnst mizi #alien stage sua #alnst sua #alnst luka #alnst ivan #alnst till #love #prose #writing #a 'we're in love' by boygenius sort of love

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mopillow · 6 months ago

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He Cheng Week 2024

Wait… wait a damn second that’s next week, this is just a preview because I don’t have the time, by the way if you guys are in Florida see you this weekend in… the middle of nowhere, thankful for my job just hoping one of this days they could send me to a nice place, anyway oh yes the preview

So 10 years ago Q looked like this

and He Cheng was close to this

No idea how old is He Tian in this picture but he could be between 3 and 6… He Cheng doesn’t look as muscular as Q he also looks younger…

If you guys live in NY, Arizona and Georgia see you soon, oh Cesena see you next year, I don’t think I know anyone in nowhere but if you guys see me just say hi, I would love to have some coffee with you

#19 days #He Cheng week 2024 #preview #if only they could send me to that place where there’s a cat #and then this person who I adore #now that i think about it this sounds like a tour #pillow tour 2024

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freetobeeyouandme · 1 month ago

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So very excited to finally be able to post my @aftgsecretsnowflake gift for the wonderful @sturmdunkel! I'm incredibly in love with this AU I came up with for your robot prompt, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it <3

Tags: T, Andrew/Neil, Alternative Universe – Sci Fi, Sci Fi AU, Robots and Androids, Robot AU, Aftg Secret Snowflake

Length: 10k

Summary:

Andrew Minyard has drawn his lot in life. Working a boring job as a gas station attendant by day and earning some extra cash fixing up whatever cyborgs and androids pass through the small town of Millport, Arizona was never his dream, but then men like Andrew don't have dreams. The money's good, and that's all that matters because he has a brother racking up student debt in med school. It also means that when a runaway android from the nation's most notorious tech company stumbles into his store, Andrew is forced to help him out to protect the investments he's already made. Or something like that. - Or, an Andreil Robot AU

Excerpt:

The smile turned into a grimace. “Right, right. Well, you see, my bike’s battery died, so I’ll need one of these...uh, can you recommend any?”

And Andrew should probably let him leave it at that. It wasn’t his business what his customers got up to, especially not the lying kind. But before Andrew could think better of it he asked: “How far out?”

“Some miles. Not too bad. An okay walk without the bike.” He shrugged.

And Andrew really should just let it be. Except this was the middle of nowhere in Arizona. The gas station’s address was nominally listed as Millport, but it was several miles out from the town that was really a few streets clustered around a church and a general store, it’s existence only excused by the fact that it sat along a major highway and the occasional passersby needed gas, food or a roof over their head. Dozens of miles of barren wasteland accompanied the highway to both sides of the gas station, offering no shade with which to protect against the aggressive, early summer sun.

Even inside the air conditioned shop Andrew could feel the heat press in, sweat collecting underneath the black armbands he wore with his T-shirt. In a few weeks it would be unbearable – yet there was no perspiration on the man’s pale skin. Or sunburn. His sluggish, odd behavior could be heatstroke. Andrew had seen that before, and the symptoms weren’t off. But his professional guess was a different one.

Without a word he stepped past the man, heading towards the coolers that lined the front of the shop. The man followed, then paused by the last row of shelves before the gap of the aisle, holding onto them for balance. His expression was confused, but Andrew delivered him an answer before he had time to ask. Grabbing a bottle of water, he tossed it at the man and then watched it bounce of his chest and drop to the floor. The man blinked, only understanding after the fact, and bent down carefully to pick it up.

It was supposed to be a simple test to prove Andrew’s theory correct: All commercial androids lacked an esophagus and the appropriate organs to imbibe and digest food and drink. After all, there was no point in such vanities, when the space inside the faux-human body could instead be used for more storage and better ventilation to help the machine exist. That the man wasn’t human Andrew had really no doubt about: He’d seen enough of them in his life to be able to tell the small differences in the way the machines moved and perceived the world, compared to humans.

But after slowly deciphering the label, the android made no excuse for itself. It simply uncapped the bottle and downed the entire thing in three large gulps.

Andrew let the freezer door fall shut, unable to tear his eyes away from the way the android’s throat moved as it drank. A shiver ran down his spine, and it had nothing to do with the cold that had escaped from the coolers: There was only one android manufacturer in the world whose machines could have passed this little test, and that meant this one was trouble. Not the kind they had been expecting, perhaps, but this million dollar investment in its filthy rags was broken. Andrew doubted it would make it out of the desert even with a solar charger to substitute for its busted battery, and if its body was found along the highway that would lead the wrong people right to Millport – and Kevin.

It was a risk Andrew couldn’t afford.

[read on Ao3]

#aftg #all for the game #andreil #andrew minyard #neil josten #aftg secret snowflake #my fic

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