#it feels weird to post after being so mia lately but working on this has been such a comfort for me

[daintyduck99]

operation rulie

part two of the sunflower series

Rated: T

Relationships: Luke & Flynn, Flynn & Julie, Luke & Reggie, Julie/Reggie, Flynn/Carrie, Alex/Willie

Tags: Fluff and Humor, Matchmakers Luke and Flynn, Aromantic Luke Patterson, Oblivious Julie Molina, Oblivious Reggie Peters, Mutual Pining, Friendship/Love

Summary:

"Right!" Flynn claps her hands together. "So. Our best friends are oblivious bi disasters who can't stop pining after each other. That's where we come in with Operation Rulie. Between the two of us, I think we can actually get them together."

There's that grin again. Maybe it doesn't distract her, but it does warm her heart.

"Totally," Luke agrees. "We got this. One last thing, though."

"Shoot."

"Really? We're going with Rulie?"

Or: the Luke & Flynn companion piece to sunflower syndrome!

[redclercs]

DELICATE✰ CHARLES LECLERC.

xi.it’s okay we’re the best of friends

— the one where all you do is think about the feelings that you hide.

warnings: guys, my brain was failing during this so not really proofread, also please pretend the dress is the same in both pics lol, alcohol consumption. 2.5k words.

currently playing: drive by halsey!

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softyn FIRST POST SINCE MAY AND MOTHER WANTS US DEAD

ynstars I LOVE YOU SO MUCH SLAY

aid4anfeels ugly bitch

lecsainz516 whose wedding is this, charles and carlos were there too

formulayn did @/charles_leclerc take these?

liked by charles_leclerc

THE COMMENTS FOR THIS POST ARE LIMITED.

August 5th, Madrid, Spain.

WHEN Charles said you needed to make new memories in Spain to replace the bad ones, you didn’t have a wedding in mind. However, with the rollercoaster that is your life as of lately, you don’t swim against the current anymore. Just going with it is not a bad way to live when you’re still trying to reach the surface and get away from the wreckage.

Things aren’t good. Not yet. The press is still having a field day with all that he said, she said merry go round. Aidan and Victoria are fighting to play the victim and Mia Kim is on a mission to paint you as the worst sister-in-law who could have ever existed. Which, to be fair, paints her in a weird Freudian light.

But things are better than they were the last time you were in Spain. And that’s something to be grateful for.

“Are you sure?” You asked Charles on FaceTime for the third time that night two weeks ago, he had just asked you to be his plus one to one of his Ferrari mates’ wedding. “Are you a hundred percent sure they won’t mind?”

The last thing you wanted was to feel like an intruder, and with the type of attention you carry around like a dark cloud over your head, ruining someone’s special day was not an experience you wanted to add to your repertoire.

“Of course they won’t mind, soleil.” Charles assured, he was still in Hungary after the Grand Prix. “Tommaso told me I could bring anyone, and I want to bring you.”

The last time you saw Charles in person was in New York City, almost two months ago. It doesn't mean, of course, that you stopped communicating. Whenever Charles is on his phone, you can be certain you'll receive a text, a picture or a random iMessage drawing. You handle time zones as best you can without sacrificing too much sleep time, especially for the one who has to drive a car at 300 km/hr.

Although he insisted on you coming to any Grand Prix of your choice, you thought it best to stay away from the paddock for a while. Plus, you had some work to do. You didn't love Talk Shows while promoting, most hosts did horrible, unfunny jokes, and you were the butt of a lot of them, but if being in some of them helped you to speak about your situation and dismiss whatever rumor Victoria, Aidan or Mia (or just about half the internet) had going on, you were willing to make the sacrifice.

You were also willing to attend a complete stranger's wedding just to see Charles again, but you didn't want to give that thought the depth it demanded from you. Not in the seven hour flight from New York to Madrid, and not now, as you're getting ready for Charles to pick you up to go to the wedding.

Your blue dress is frankly magnificent, and you are aware of how good you look, but it doesn't hurt that the first thing Charles does when the doors to the lift open, is compliment you. Well, to be fair, the first thing he does is gather his thoughts and try not to feel stupid after basically picking his jaw up from the floor.

"You look gorgeous," Charles says, clearing his throat. His sudden anxiety makes you chuckle, as his Adam's apple bobs up his neck. "I missed you so much, soleil."

You are mildly disappointed when he doesn't hug you the way he did back in New York, and you dismiss the feeling almost as quickly as it appeared. Although his words linger in the air, he missed you, and you did too.

"I don't want to ruin your hair," he explains, as if he's read your mind, and smiles wider.

"Right," you shake your head, it was obvious. "You look pretty good yourself, Charlie," you add, always trying to return the compliment, and only managing to make it awkward.

There is something about men in suits that makes them twice as attractive, and it's unfair when it comes to someone like Charles, who is already way too handsome as it is.

"Thank you," Charles is always nice enough to accept your half-assed, anxiety induced compliments. "Shall we?"

You nod, and when he offers his arm to lead you to the car, you link yours through it taking a breath so deep, it makes your lungs ache.

"Do you like weddings?" Charles asks as the engine of his car roars to life. A red Ferrari is the only way you manage to describe it, afraid of getting details wrong. Although you're certain Charles would patiently explain anything you needed to know about it, you don't ask.

"Everyone likes weddings," you reply, setting both hands on top of your knees. "Right?"

Charles chuckles and shrugs, "I guess so,"

You love weddings, except when you're expected to be the bride.

"Charles," you pat his shoulder and he takes his eyes off the road for the briefest second. "Are you completely sure the bride doesn't mind my presence?"

You don't want to give yourself some sort of importance you don't deserve—the bride has more important things to worry about—but particularly nervous about how your presence will be received at the celebration.

"Seriously, y/n," Charles soothes, his right hand leaves the steering wheel and searches for your own blindly, accidentally landing on your empty lap. He takes his hand back immediately, red creeping up his neck. "It's fine." he resolves, his sight way too focused on the road now.

"Alright," you whisper, smoothing the skirt of your dress. "Alright."

Both of you remain silent the rest of the way as you take in the Spanish landscape and Charles drives like his life depends on it. You promised yourself you'd ask for as much information on the happy couple as you could, but your voice is lost in the pit that opened in your stomach.

And the evening is just beginning.

It's after the ceremony, at cocktail hour that you find everything out about Tommaso and Bárbara thanks to none other than Carlos Sainz, who seems to really have a thing for gossip and also, for making fun of you for crying during the vows.

"Leave me alone, Carlos," you warn for the last time, this time threatening him with your closed fist. "Not my fault you don't have a heart in that big-ass chest."

This makes him laugh harder, and even Charles chuckles against the lip of his whiskey glass.

"I miss you so much around the paddock, y/n!" Carlos sighs, patting the place above his heart. "For real."

You click your tongue. "Sure you do,"

Carlos and you talk a lot less than Charles and you do, of course. But if Charles calls you during whatever free time he has while in the Ferrari Suite, you can trust Carlos to insert himself in the conversation.

"And a lot of the other drivers do too," Carlos' tone is mocking again, and you glower at him.

"Stop picking on me," this time you punch him on the shoulder.

"I'm being serious. Lando has a crush on you,"

You talked to Lando a few times, mostly when he and Carlos were being boys and hitting each other in the balls outside the Ferrari Suite and Lando made small talk as he tried not to touch his private parts. A crush is an exaggeration, Lando just told you he thought you were cool for making movies.

"Why don't we take some pictures?" Charles suggests before downing the rest of his whiskey. You don't miss the look he gives Carlos.

"Why not?" you smile at Charles, shrugging. The place is beautiful and you would love to have a memory of this whole thing that you can go back to.

"I'll catch up with you guys," Carlos calls as you two walk away, uninterested in the impromptu photoshoot.

Charles directs an annoyed look at him again and then makes it go away to return his attention to you.

"What was that?" you ask, taking Charles' arm again for him to lead you to where the rest of the guests are more scattered and won't photobomb your pictures.

"What was what?" Charles lifts an eyebrow, forever the expert at playing dumb. Or, not really.

You shake your head, this is another deep thought you don't want to venture into. There is enough of this weird tension already, and you're not sure if Charles feels it too.

─────────

"Your girlfriend is beautiful," a lady is patting your hand, a gentle smile on her face as she looks at Charles. She's the spouse of another Ferrari team member, and the first thing she did was compliment your dress before even asking for your name.

"Oh, I'm not—"

"We're just friends," Charles clears up, gentle as well. "But y/n really is beautiful."

The woman raises both eyebrows and laughs, an 'oh you kids' snicker that isn't unkind. "Of course, of course."

It's the first time of many during this party that Charles has to say you're not in a relationship, and it seems to get easier every time the words come out of his mouth.

Although it's true, you're not sure why it nags at you.

You cry again during the couple's First Dance and verbally threaten Carlos to leave you alone as you wipe your tears carefully, doing your best to keep your makeup intact. He laughs, but takes your threat seriously and remains quiet. This whole Tom and Jerry thing is amusing but he doesn't want to actually make you angry.

A few songs in, after you're done bickering with Carlos and you have finished your third glass of champagne, Charles asks you to dance with him.

An slowed-down version of Sixpence's 'Kiss Me' plays as you take the dance floor. You blame your giddiness on the fact that you finished that flute of champagne in record time.

"What is it?" Charles questions, smoothly placing one hand on your hip while the other holds your palm. His thumb runs up and down the curve of your wrist.

"What if I step on your foot?" you retort, looking up at him. That's only one thing that makes you nervous, although you know how to dance. You took lessons for both Supercut and Parisian Valentine.

Laughter bubbles from Charles' chest and you join in, although this makes you even more nervous. It would be stupid to say you don't see how handsome he is, even if he's just your friend.

"I won't mind," Charles promises, and his fingers press a little harder against your hip bone.

"Okay, then."

It's obviously not a complicated endeavor to sway around the dance floor with Charles, he lets you set the pace, lacing your fingers together after you spin back to him.

"Thank you for coming with me, soleil," he says in a low voice. You can smell the alcohol in his breath although it's been a while since he stopped drinking, he still has to drive you back to your hotel. "I really missed you these two months."

"I love weddings. Thanks for inviting me," you squeeze his shoulder, the contrast of your manicured nails against his shirt distracts you momentarily from the fact that you can feel his breath against your jaw.

It's the second time today that you miss the chance to tell him you missed him too, and you know he notices it by the way he leans away.

The song ends before your tongue decides to respond to you again and Charles lets go of you. A few seconds feel like an hour as you stare at each other, unable—or unwilling—to say anything of what either of you really want to say.

"Care to dance?" a guy with longish hair and dark eyes is offering you his hand now, as a faster song starts and the lights around the room turn brighter.

You break eye contact with Charles and when you look at him again, he just nods, taking a step back to your assigned table.

"Sure," you tell the guy, a tense smile on your face. "Let's dance."

The ride back to your hotel is silent again, and you're too tired to find a way to fill it.

Charles' energy has shifted and this makes your stomach turn. Your anxiety worsens every time you feel someone is 'off' towards you, and that someone being Charles makes it a hundred times worse.

He takes the elevator to your room with you, placing his hand gently in the middle of your bare back to let you in first.

"We're okay, right?" you whisper, looking at your distorted reflections on the silver wall of the cubicle.

You see Charles' reflection frown and then his face turns to you. "Of course we're okay, y/n. Is something wrong?"

You shake your head, the loose strands of your bun tickle your nape. "I'm just wondering."

Charles is never bothered by your need for reassurance, not even when he needs reassurance himself. That he's not being a complete and absolute moron by wanting the woman all the boys want to dance with, and holding onto that little slither of hope that he might have a chance with her. He's the one standing next to you after the party, still.

"We are okay. Didn't you have fun today?" he asks, pushing those thoughts aside. You're friends. Just friends.

"Of course I did!" you inhale sharply, "I just— nevermind." you take your hand to the back of your head, already tired of the half undone bun that threatens to give you a headache.

"I had fun. I always have fun when I'm with you," Charles follows you out of the elevator and down the hallway to the third door marked with a 3321.

You're still struggling to find the exact hairpin that holds your hairdo together, and Charles pinpoints it almost at the same time as you do, pulling it out swiftly to make your hair fall down your shoulders.

It's a meaningless gesture, Charles hasn't given it a second thought or stopped walking. But a shiver runs down your back as his knuckles graze your nape.

"Thanks, Charlie." You say, swallowing.

"Of course," Charles puts the pin inside the pocket of his trousers with a shrug.

You stand in front of the room for a minute, having a stare down again as you rub the back of your head.

"Thank you again for today, Charles." you're the one to break the silence, keycard already between your fingers. "I had a great time."

"I'm glad, soleil." Charles his dimples appear when he smiles and your breath hitches when he leans towards you. It feels like you've been showered with ice cold water. "Good night, y/n," he says and presses his lips against your cheek.

"Good night, Charlie," you wave him goodbye from the door as he walks back to the lift.

The feeling of his lips against your skin is there, even after you've washed your face and tucked yourself into bed.

─── team principal radio: ❝thank you for reading! surprisingly, i don't have much to say this time other than i really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that I appreciate each one of you dearly!♡❞

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[terminalisms]

caved so quick to the 2nd muse impulse o mein gott......throwing sejoon into the mix with another minimal stats page + round two of rambly character intros 😵‍💫 if u are interested in plotting just like this post or add me on discord!! (tip.toph) 🥰

tw! mentions of terminal illness, death of a parent

only son to 2 anomalies. plain jane working class background

in a past life, dad is still a top tier hardboiled detective who doesn't gotta think about the fact he has a wife and kid at home

in this one, mom is inconveniently out of the picture for......... [vague gestures] reasons and he has to hunker down into single father life fast. ends up opening a restaurant in order to be able to provide

but in spite of all of this his childhood isn't so bad! he and his dad are close despite obvious stark differences in personality, which can be summed up as naive softie vs cynical hardass. even if sejoon's too trusting ways has dad up at night wondering how the hell is this kid gonna survive on his own

also dad: [does the absolute most to keep him shielded and sheltered cause he's Seen Things and as a parent's bare minimum that means letting a kid being a kid. which means shoving things deep under a rug and the default response to any inkling of curiosity being "Don't worry about it"]

until sejoon's anomaly kicks in at 12-13 by making a patron's chair float on accident and his dad's like k. better late than never......

its a little (ok a lot) hard to coach sejoon through controlling his abilities considering dad's own anomaly is not anything remotely close to moving things w his mind (its memory manipulation btw for some hwang fam #trivia) and sejoon is like ): but this is so cool why shouldnt i wanna show it off......

their deeply anti-anomaly district with equally staunchly anti-anomaly neighbors, friends, politicians being a VERY good reason not to: (:

dad: wear this patch thingie. dont ask why just do what i say

(thank god for nullivi huh like seriously)

doesnt stop the bubble bursting with when people realize ur not "human" they treat u different but ykw.........the sun is still shining and the world is much much bigger than their humble slice of daegu for EVERYONE to be that way

sua's open for admissions just around the time sejoon's thinking about higher ed AND broadening his horizons. gets in on arts scholarship and off he goes

baby bird leaving the nest turns fish out of the water. college and seoul are a bit of an adjustment but exciting all the same. and he does thrive! gets involved in the sporting rallies, really developing his artistic vision, has a social life, and gets to be his #true self among fellow anomalies the whole enchilada

things only really go downhill in the last 6 months of his undergrad with 2 wrecking balls: a devastating breakup and (TW: ILLNESS, DEATH) his dad being diagnosed by stage iv lung cancer

its right after graduation that sejoon immediately falls off the face of the earth for 3 years to be his father's sole caretaker until his death (END OF TW) no one i mean no one knows what he was doing or where he is

but hes back now to do his mfa!! let the bella loca where the hell have u been-isms begin

vibe wise hes bright, social, easy to talk to but can also be kind of spacey eccentric and the ultimate pacifist. the type that makes u feel like u guys are sooo close but then when u reflect ur like actually idk if i really know much about him at all (which!! is not totally intentional he just makes for a better listener and is great at making conversation about what YOU have to say). these days that same can do energy is there but it doesnt feel the same if u look too close but its fine!!! everything is fine

plots that are marginally better than the first time around but not by much:

friends who were blindsided by him going mia without warning

friends who are gracious enough (or equally ??????? avoidant? weird even) to pick up where they left off like nothing happened in the first place

people who dont even know who he is so like none of the above for his sob story doesnt even really matter

this is really really limited to one (1) person but somebody who managed to run into him in the three years that he was laying low

will require extensive plotting but the ex......not necessarily endgame but i am in the mood for some bittersweet woulda shoulda coulda's, angst and answering the penultimate question of: why did we break up?

former teammates? i imagine he was part of house samjoko during undergrad

ur a stranger feeling nosy and ur ultimate mission is figuring out where hes been. he lets u speculate

u need someone to do ur graphics. can be contractual pro bono whatevah.......

im running out of steam here but i am open to it all please hmu

[banannabethchase]

A Few Little Love Affairs - also on A03

~

Mox is overwhelmed: he's the best man in Seth and Roman's wedding with a chaotic toddler. He's due to blow off some steam.

~

In honor of the anniversary of my first posted wrestling fic, here have a HangMox! It's an outtake from the Mamma Mia AU of something that happened with Mox when Wheeler was a tiny munchkin. It also fills my second to last bingo square, O2! Title from Lay All Your Love On Me by Abba, of course.

~

Mox is getting ready to check on Seth after a frantic text when he hears the patter of familiar feet running down the hallway of the little apartment he’s rented with Eddie since he was pregnant with Wheeler.

“Daddy, where’s Uncle Seffie?”

Mox turns to see Wheeler peering up at him, brown eyes giant and curious. Eddie, at the very least, got Wheeler out of his pajamas and into clothes presentable enough for the rehearsal dinner in an hour. “Oh, hey, Potato.” He picks Wheeler up and settles him on his hip. “What are you doing out here?”

“Uncle Eddie says he’s having a…” Wheeler pauses and frowns. Mox kisses him on the cheek. “Daddy, what’s a hissy fit?”

Mox rolls his eyes. “Don’t listen to anything Uncle Eddie says,” he tells Wheeler and kisses him on the nose. “And, uh. Well, everything Uncle Sethy does is a hissy fit, basically.”

“It’s being big mad?” Wheeler asks. He snuggles his face into Mox’s shoulder.

“Yeah, exactly,” Mox says, pulling Wheeler in close. He’s glad he’s been working arms lately – the kid is tall for a three year old. “It’s being big mad and extra annoying about it.”

Wheeler sighs, wiggling so Mox is forced to hold him in front of himself.

“Tater tot, I need to go take care of some stuff for Uncle Sethy before dinner,” he says. “You wanna come with or hang out with Eddie?”

“With you,” Wheeler says.

“Please take him with you,” Eddie yells. “I gotta get my ass in a shower.”

Wheeler swings himself to the side. “I go with Daddy,” he says firmly, sounding surprisingly confident for a child who is upside down.

“I can’t carry you like this,” Mox says, laughing. “You want up on my shoulders?”

“Yes, peas!”

“Please,” Mox says. “Add that l in there, kiddo. It’s part of your name.”

“Different l,” Wheeler says as Mox swings him around to sit on his shoulders. “Wheeler l stays, peas l not for Wheelers.”

“I – okay.” Mox chuckles. “Toddler logic is weird.”

“You’re weird.”

“I hate that Eddie taught you that response, but okay.”

They make their way to the elevator, Mox adjusting Wheeler so he doesn’t manage to hit his head on the elevator frame and Wheeler giggles as he points to Mox’s face in the metal reflection, putting his hands over Mox’s eyes and moving them.

“You playing peek-a-boo with yourself?” Mox asks.

“No, Daddy. I playing with you, duh.”

Mox frowns. “Saying ‘duh’ isn’t very nice, Wheels.”

Wheeler goes all big eyed and cute, then drops his head down and hugs Mox’s head, meeting his eyes in the reflection. “Sorry, Dad.”

Mox’s heart does a weird little twist – Wheeler’s called him Dad a few times, and every time it feels more grown up, more adult. “No problem, little man,” he says.

He swings Wheeler down for a moment as they walk through the elevator and toward the door. Wheeler starts playing the drums on his legs as Mox tries to get him into his seatbelt.

“Calm down, Tater,” Mox says. “I don’t want to pinch you.”

Wheeler pauses, his hands in the air. “Daddy, you’re killing my beat.”

Mox snorts. “Eddie teach you to say that?”

Wheeler shakes his head. “Uncle Seth.”

“Course he did.”

When they make their way to the venue, after ten minutes of Wheeler playing the drums to every song that pops up on the radio, and Wheeler decides he wants to be on Mox’s shoulders to walk into the venue. It’s a beautiful farm, with trees lining the area, a barn for the receptions, a small office building and a building that has to be for ceremonies.

“Your Daddy’s never getting married, Tater tot,” Mox says, patting Wheeler’s leg. “Too much work.”

“Okay,” Wheeler says, completing missing the conversation. “Look! Cows!”

When they walk into the barn and through to get to the outside part where the ceremony will be held, Seth is pacing frantically.

“Oh, thank – um.” He pauses, frowning. “Wheeler?”

“He wanted to come with,” Mox says. He reaches up and swings Wheeler down. “Apparently Eddie wasn’t able to keep him under control and take a shower at the same time.”

Wheeler takes that moment to swing upside down and grab Mox’s leg, biting.

“Ow!” Mox says. “Stop that!”

Wheeler giggles and swings back up like it’s nothing.

“You’re still biting, sweet potato?” Seth asks, poking Wheeler in the ribs until he giggles. “I thought you promised you’d stop.”

Wheeler presses his smile into Mox’s chest. “Wasn’t a real bite,” he mutters. “A funny bite! No teeth.”

“Felt like teeth,” Mox mutters. “Anyway. What do you need?”

Seth’s smile immediately drops. “Um.”

“Cold feet?” Mox asks, swinging Wheeler around to his back. “Your mom acting weird? Ro’s mom acting weird?”

“No,” Seth says, pacing. “Yes. I don’t know.” He looks up at Mox. “I should have eloped.”

“Yeah,” Mox says. Wheeler’s begun to climb around him like a little gymnast, and he’s doing his best to stay on his feet without wobbling. “But you want to show off how much you and Roman love each other, right?”

Seth nods. “I do.”

“And,” Mox says, grabbing Wheeler around the waist and holding him up so Seth can see his face, “if you eloped, this tiny maniac wouldn’t be your ring bearer.”

“That’s me!” Wheeler says.

Seth relaxes, beaming and reaching out for Wheeler, letting him snuggle into his shoulder. His hair’s done in a half up bun with the curls perfectly draped down his back, but the rest of him isn’t dressed yet for the rehearsal dinner, so Mox decides it’s safe to let Wheeler hang for a minute.

“You’ll help Uncle Seth if he needs it, right little man?” Seth says, kissing Wheeler’s temple.

“Yeah,” Wheeler says. “Snuggle time? Movie?”

Mox snorts. “Uncle Seth’s a little busy right now, baby.” Wheeler levels him with a giant pout. “Don’t give me that. I’m not saying no because I’m mean, I’m saying no because Seth’s gotta get ready for his special rehearsal dinner.”

Wheeler sighs. “Okay. I guess.” He slides down Seth and then stands on Mox’s feet, dropping his head against Mox’s thigh.

“Are all kids weird or is it just mine?” Mox mutters.

“Oh!” Seth says. “Speaking of weird, the owner of the venue wants you to meet the day of coordinator, Anna,” Seth says. “He’ll be here all night, obviously, but he wants you and Anna to meet before things get started to make sure you know who to talk to.”

Mox fights the urge to make a face. Wheeler grabs at his arm and crawls up his body, clinging to his back.

“Aw, don’t look like that, buddy.” Seth smacks him on the arm. “You and Adam can stay civil for my wedding, or I’ll kill both of you. Simple as that.”

Mox groans. “The fact that you decided to get married in our hometown, on his farm, will never stop being annoying.”

Seth walks Mox from the outdoor reception area to the small office building in the front.

“Hey, Seth, is everything –” Adam’s voice cuts off when he sees Mox. “Oh. Damn.”

“Hi!” Wheeler says, grinning. “I’m Wheeler.”

“Hey, little man,” Adam says, immediately warming. “Are you our ring bearer?”

Wheeler nods and scrambles down Mox’s body. He takes his little legs and walks over to Adam. “I’m Wheeler.”

Adam smiles. “You said that.” He kneels in front of Wheeler and looks up at Mox. “I didn’t know you had a kid.”

Mox shrugs. “You don’t know a lot.”

“You’re lucky your kid is here so I can’t say what I want to say.” He stands, and is about as shocked as Mox is when Wheeler takes his hand. “Rehearsal’s not until another hour. Everything okay?” He looks at Seth. “I didn’t know you were bringing more people here. I would have prepared.”

“I asked him here to help,” Seth says. “I was – nervous.”

“Oh!” Adam says. “Oh, certainly. You let me know what I can do to help.”

Thus begins the longest three hours of Mox’s life. He’s wrangling Wheeler. He’s wrangling Seth. He’s trying not to kill Adam Page, who seems to be giving him death glares at any opportunity. He’s running interference between Seth and his mother, who seems to be insistent on making the wedding her day.

By the time the rehearsal and the dinner is over, Mox is exhausted and Wheeler is whiny and tantruming in his arms.

“I’m sorry, guys,” he says to Roman and Seth. “But we really gotta get back to the house. Wheels is about to go nuclear.”

“This isn’t nuclear?” Seth asks.

“Nuclear is that time we went to the zoo and you dropped his ice cream,” Mox says. Wheeler is weeping into his shoulder. “Be lucky that he didn’t r-u-n off this time.”

Seth winces. “Okay. Fair.” He steps a little closer. “Want a hug?”

“No!” Wheeler yells, tiny fists rubbing at his eyes. Then he bursts into tears again, flailing backward so hard he almost flies out of Mox’s arms.

“And we’re nuclear,” Mox sighs. “Later, guys,” and he takes Wheeler back to the house in the car. Wheeler sobs the whole ten minute ride, incomprehensible but still insistent.

“Please help your nephew calm down,” Mox begs as Wheeler wails his fists on Mox shoulders and pleads for…something. Mox can’t even figure out what he’s asking for at this point.

Eddie stands. “Get over here, tiny man. Stop beating up your father.”

Wheeler stops crying and levels Eddie with a glare. Mox chuckles.

“No,” Wheeler says through a face full of tears, voice shaky. “Want cake.”

“That’s what you’ve been saying!” Mox says. “Oh, my god. Okay. Give me, like, two minutes.” Mox digs through his bags and pulls out the mini cake he’d carefully wrapped when Wheeler had said he didn’t want it at the dinner. “This one, Tater?”

Wheeler’s entire expression changes. “Cake?”

Mox nods. “If you want your cake, you can have it now. And then we’re going to bed.”

Wheeler takes the cake suspiciously, eyeing Mox until he takes a bite. “My cake,” he says.

“Correct,” Eddie says. “Mox, you go to bed. I’ll put the little hellion to bed.”

“Hell a bad word,” Wheeler says through a mouthful of cake. “That’s what Miss Kris says at school.”

Mox sighs. “Well, yes, but hellion means – whatever. Love you, little man.” Mox leans down and kisses Wheeler on the forehead and nose, like every night. “Goodnight. I love you this much.” He reaches his arms out as far and wide as he can.

Wheeler shoves the rest of the cake in his mouth. “I love you this much!” He reaches his arms out as far and wide as he can.

He dives in and hugs Mox, and Mox hugs back.

“Dad’s gotta shower, Potato,” Mox says, kissing the top of Wheeler’s head. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

~

Mox moves through the next morning in a whirl, getting himself and Wheeler ready while Eddie throws whatever bits and bobs he’s forgotten at them.

“Did you check if he’s wearing socks?” Eddie asks, before Mox heads out the door. “Your kid smells like corn chips if you don’t shove socks on those feet.”

“You are such a douche about the kid you threatened to kill an aunt of mine over,” Mox muses. “Ah. Shit.”

“Bad word, Daddy,” Wheeler says, shaking his head. “No socks. Need socks.”

“Yeah, you do.” Before he can ask Eddie to grab some, he’s pelted in the head. “Thanks, dude.”

“Thanks, Uncle Eddie!”

Eddie comes over and kisses Wheeler all over the face while Mox gets socks and shoes back on tiny feet.

“Alright,” Mox says, pedaling Wheeler’s legs a little. “You ready, short stack?”

Wheeler nods. “Ready, Daddy.”

“I can’t believe you’re putting me on toddler duty for the whole wedding,” Eddie says, taking Wheeler and scooping him into his arms. “Feels unfair since I’m not technically his father.”

“Yeah, well, I’m on Seth duty,” Mox replies, checking his pockets and bags for everything he and Wheeler could possibly need. “I don’t know who’s bound to do more crying.”

They get to the venue around 1pm, but it already feels late. They have a good four hours before things get started, but there’s so much to do that it goes by in seconds. The venue has a small room set aside for the typical bride, but Seth and Roman had arranged it to be storage with a small cot-like thing for Wheeler to take a nap in at 2:00. Like always.

“Thanks for that, man,” Mox says, clapping Seth on the shoulder. He’s watching Wheeler sleep, bunny in his arms and thumb in his mouth. “I – I’m really…” He trails off, the words catching in his mouth. If he lets them out, then the tears will join them.

“Mox,” Seth says gently. “Hey.” He pulls him into a hug, cushy white groom’s robe feeling like a blanket. “You good?”

“Yeah,” Mox says. “Just – long day. The fact that you thought of my little guy in the midst of your own crazy.” He exhales slowly. “Never thought I’d have people like you to take care of me.”

Seth presses his forehead to Mox’s. “Always.”

It’s gone unsaid but known for years that Seth and Roman put off their wedding date, unofficial but discussed, when Mox found out he was pregnant with Wheeler nearly four years before. Mox never knew how to tell them how much it means that they were willing to share that day with him and his kid, let alone put it off to make it work for him.

“Always,” Mox says. “Alright. Don’t make me cry, you douche. I’m not supposed to do that until the actual wedding starts.”

With the human chaos machine napping in the quietest part of the venue, things are easier.

“Hey,” Mox says, running into Adam. “You got any extra blankets? Flower girl found out my kid’s napping and wants some rest time too.”

“Course I do,” Adam says, and he ducks into a little room and comes out with a pair of sleeping bags. “She a Power Puff Girls or Hot Wheels kind of gal?”

“Hot Wheels,” Mox decides, grabbing it. He stares. “This shit clean?”

Adam, to his credit, looks offended. “I wash them after every use. Obviously. What kind of business do you think I’m running here.”

“Just checking,” Mox says, stepping back with his free hand raised. “I don’t know what kind of shit goes down in here.”

Adam rolls his eyes. “And y’all think Seth’s downpayment was ten thousand for bad service?”

Mox trips over a box and falls flat on his ass. “Sorry, what?”

Adam comes over and hauls Mox up with arms that are unfairly strong. “I run a good venue, Moxley,” he says, and his hand is still in Mox’s. “I don’t come cheap.”

He – the fucker winks and walks away. “I gotta take care of some place setting fuck ups, but I’ll be around. Find me if you need…anything.”

Mox nods, and dazedly brings the sleeping bag to the flower girl’s mother.

~

They’re all getting ready – Wheeler’s hair is a disaster after a nap, always, but it’s even harder to get slicked down in the little way that Seth was hoping for all the wedding party with short hair to have – when someone calls, “Half an hour!”

“Fuck,” Mox grumbles. “Come here, Tater. We’ll see if Uncle Seth’s got some of that hair gel in his pocket or something.”

The floorboards, while beautiful, are in a farmhouse built in the late 1800’s, and he’s not used to the rough terrain. He trips on a rogue board and things start to move in slow motion as he plans how to turn to keep Wheeler safe. And then he feels somebody’s hand around his waist, pulling him back to standing before he and Wheeler can fall. Then the hand dips low enough to pull off a graze of his ass. Mox turns.

Adam Page is standing there, grinning. “Sorry, man,” he says, and god, he looks good in that fucking suit. “Couldn’t let the best man and ring bearer fall on their asses.

Mox licks his lips before he can stop himself. “Yeah. Uh. Thanks.”

“I heard you were having some issues with the hair,” Adam says, and he pulls something out of his pocket. “Hair spray. Can I try?”

“Uh.”

“I actually was asking Wheeler, first,” Adam says. Wheeler giggles as Adam zooms the canister around like an airplane. “Are you okay with me fixing your hair?”

“Yeah,” Wheeler says, nodding. “Daddy, yes?”

“Sure,” Mox says. He’s used to his kid being weirdly easy around people, but not going into their arms and letting them mess with his hair without a second thought. Adam works quickly and efficiently, and suddenly Wheeler’s hair looks exactly like the photo Seth sent.

“And back to your dad,” Adam says, shifting Wheeler back into Mox’s arms like he weighed nothing.

“Wow,” Mox says. “Looks great, dude.”

“Yeah, it’s almost like I’m in the wedding industry.” Adam winks, and brushes Mox’s ass again as he leaves behind him.

“Just trying to get by,” he singsongs as he leaves.

Mox wonders if he feels up all the customers, or only the ones who clearly like it.

~

It’s not the only time it happens.

Mox and Wheeler, when they’re getting ready to walk down the aisle before Roman and Seth make their way down together, are in the middle of a discussion about goldfish for god knows what reason, when Mox realizes the pillow with the fake ring on it is gone.

“Wheels,” he says carefully. “Where’s the – ”

He feels a hand graze his lower back, then from behind him comes the pillow.

“Thought you might be looking for this.”

Adam. Fucking. Page.

~

The ceremony goes well. Wheeler is cute as hell as he toddles next to Mox down the aisle and the vows are beautiful, but, to be fair, he misses a lot the first few hours. Wheeler’s demanding Mox take him around to meet all the people in the venue, and it’s wearing on him. By the start of the reception, he’s burnt out.

“Eddie,” he says, somewhere around 7:30, “I’m so tired.”

“You ready to call it a night?” He yawns, stretching.

Mox shakes his head. “Dadding,” he says. “Like, I would do anything to keep Wheels, but everybody else is fucking around and having fun and, well.” He looks down, where Wheeler had just barreled into his shins after the brief respite of him playing with the flower girl and her sisters as they danced to some pop song. “Hey, buddy!”

Wheeler yawns, huge, the frosting stain on his tiny suit jacket almost hidden when he reaches his arms up into the air. “Home, Dad.” He slams his head into Mox’s thighs. “Book.”

“What if I take him?” Eddie asks. “Uncle Eddie and Potato Head time, yeah?”

“Really?” Mox asks. “You – that’s cool?”

“Mox, you haven’t had a night to fu-mess around since one of the nights this little monster popped into our life.” He kneels down and swings Wheeler on his back. “I’ll take your car and you can take mine back.”

“You sure?” Mox asks. He feels guilty, somehow.

“Have fun,” Eddie says, clapping Mox on the shoulder. “Spend time with your friends. Wheels and I will be there when you get home.”

It’s an internal fight, briefly, but then Mox nods. “Yeah. Yeah, Wheels, buddy, you’re gonna head out with Uncle Eddie, okay?”

“Eddie Day!” Wheeler says. He throws himself down to Mox, who curses himself a little bit for how much wrestling and daredevil genes must be in this tiny lunatic of a child. Mox kisses his forehead and nose.

“Love you, little man,” he says, grinning as Wheeler pulls back.

“Love you, Daddy!”

Mox puts his keys into Eddie’s hand and then Eddie’s into his pocket. “Love you, man.”

“Yeah, stop being sappy.” Eddie yanks him in and kisses his forehead. “Love you, too.”

He relaxes, finally, for the first time in nearly four years. He has a lingering cloud of worrying about Wheeler, but that’s par for the course these days.

Things, shift, just a little, when he catches Adam on the phone, looking frustrated, right as the music cue gets messed up. Mox knows for damned sure he was supposed to tell the DJ to shift to Seth’s high school throwbacks at 9:30, but he’s definitely hearing Pour Some Sugar On Me. He goes to speak to the DJ himself, then stalks over to Adam.

“Why are you on the phone during the wedding?” Mox asks over the music. “Aren’t you supposed to be making sure the DJ hits his cues or something?”

“I’m – don’t worry about it,” Adam yells back at him. “It’s fine.”

They’ve been dancing around each other all night, sometimes quite literally, but Mox had always had a toddler at his ankles. He needs to know what the hell this guy is doing – Mox knows he’s with Matt Jackson, has been since they were all in high school together. And if Adam Page is a cheater, Mox is going to tattle.

“Like hell it is,” Mox says. “Was that your boyfriend?”

Adam frowns. “What?”

Mox rolls his eyes. “Whatever.”

“I need to go take care of – something,” Adam says, frown deepening. He walks past, but, rather blatantly, he touches Mox’s waist, just a little bit, as he passes.

“Oh, hell no.” Mox grabs Adam by the lapels of his stupid navy blue suit and throws him into the first room. It’s the kitchen, but it’s empty.

“Dude, what the fuck?” Adam asks, spinning on Mox as he glares.

“What was that?” Mox hisses.

“I – what was what?” Adam asks. But he’s pink in the cheeks. Mox knows he knows what he did.

“You grabbed me around the waist,” Mox says. He walks Adam backward so Adam’s backed against the countertop, so he’s got a leg between Adam’s. “The fuck was that about?”

Adam’s eyes flicker down to Mox’s lips, for just a moment. “Get out.”

“Oh,” Mox says, stepping back. “Oh, I get it. This a thing you do? Cheat on your little boyfriend with groomsmen?”

“We broke up,” Adam says. Mox freezes. “Yeah, hope that feels good. Matt and I haven’t been together for a few months.” He glares at Mox, fire in his eyes. “I was texting his brother to make sure Matt wasn’t off getting himself killed while he fucks his way through half the country.”

Mox pauses. “Fuck.”

“Yeah,” Adam says. “I – sorry. I shouldn’t have touched you.”

Mox is notorious for impulsive decisions. One of his favorite runs of impulsive decisions gave him his son, which is, quite possibly, the best part of his life.

“Why?”

Adam tilts his head to the side, reminding Mox of the golden retriever puppy at the petting zoo he took Wheeler to for his birthday. “Why what?”

“Why are you sorry you touched me?” Mox slides his hands on Adam’s waist, grins at the way Adam’s breathing hitches. “You wanna blow off some steam?”

Adam licks his lips then looks up to meet Mox’s eyes. “Fuck it.” He leans in and crushes his lips to Mox’s, tongue insistent, and Mox grins.

“Knew it,” Mox says. “You handsy little shit. Bet you wish you’d done this back on Debate team.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Adam growls. He presses his lips back, shoving down the sleeves of Mox’s dress shirt. He pauses to grip at Mox’s biceps. “I fucking hate how big your arms are. Fuck you.”

“Yeah?” Mox says. He flexes and Adam rolls his eyes. “Bulked up since high school.”

“I can see that,” Adam says, and he reaches behind to get two handfuls of Mox’s ass. “Like it. Looks good on you.” He leans in and bites at Mox’s neck.

“Course you’re a fucking biter,” Mox snipes. “Jesus.” He shoves at the front of Adam’s jacket, debating ripping it open, but he figures that would be a bit obvious to everybody at the party.

“You can unbutton it,” Adam says.

“Yeah,” Mox says. He works as quickly as his excited and shaky hands can move. He hadn’t hooked up with anybody since – well, since Bryan. After that it was all too complicated.

This, though, as he reaches down to grab Adam’s cock through his dress pants. This feels perfectly simple.

Adam chuckles, shoving Mox against the counter again and gets a leg between Mox’s.

“Uh,” Mox says. “About that. I mean, in case you forgot.”

“That your trans?” Adam asks. “No, I know that. That’s no, like, issue.”

“Rad,” Mox says. “You ever eaten pussy before?” He grins. “I know you’ve been gay since day one.”

“No,” Adam chuckles, “but there’s a first time for everything, right?” He winks.

“Prick,” Mox says, grinning. Adam unbuttons his dress pants with the expertise of a man often donning formal clothing.

“Actually,” Adam says, mouthing along the waistband of Mox’s boxers. “I’ve never fucked anybody but Matt.”

“First time for everything,” Mox echoes, but he quickly loses the ability to speak when Adam drops to his knees and pulls his boxers down.

“What do you like?” Adam asks, looking up at him from the floor. Mox has to force himself to breathe to keep from losing his balance.

“Anything that won’t get me pregnant,” he jokes. “But, uh. Go nuts, newbie. I’ll tell you when you’re fucking up.”

Adam rolls his eyes. “You issuing a challenge or something?”

Mox shrugs. “You could call it that.”

Enthusiastic, is Mox’s word for it. Adam’s inexperience is obvious, but he’s clearly willing to learn. His tongue does most of the work, circling and sucking Mox’s clit with impressive speed. Probably from the fact that the dude never shuts up, he’d guess.

“You can add fingers, you know,” Mox says, gripping the counter with white knuckles. “Like – in – god damn, exactly.”

Adam pulls away for a second with a self-satisfied grin. “The fingers part I’m pretty good at.”

It takes longer than it has in the past, probably because Mox’s experiences lately have been with more mechanical dates, but he feels it building in his belly soon enough.

“Jesus,” Mox mumbles, rolling his hips a little against Adam’s face. “I – okay, it’s different than with dicks, because if you stop doing that I won’t – shit, fuck.”

It slams into him, insistent and stark white and so fucking good it’s almost annoying. He has to shove at Adam with his knee to get him to stop, because he’s oversensitive as fuck and Adam doesn’t seem to know when to quit.

“Good?” Adam asks. He grabs at a clean towel hanging on one of the stoves and wipes his face. “Seemed like it was.”

“Yeah,” Mox says. “Gimme a sec I – it’s been a while and I forgot…” He trails off. “Look, I’m gonna blow you. I just need a second.”

“Hell yeah,” Adam says. He leans back on the stove and yelps. “Fuck! How long’s that been on?” He shakes out his hand.

Mox grabs his hand and sucks a finger into his mouth. He can taste himself on Adam’s fingers, and he drops to his knees before a second thought.

“Before you act like a bitch about anything,” he says, hands undoing Adam’s pants, “it’s been, like, four years since I’ve sucked a dick, so cut me some slack.”

Adam laughs and looks down at him with burning eyes. “It’s been months for me, dude. It’ll be hard to get me to complain.”

Mox snickers. “Yeah. Looks pretty hard to me.”

Sucking a dick, Mox discovers, is like riding a bike. If the bike was built like a brick shithouse and had fingers that grabbed at his jaw and a slightly southern twang from a childhood in Virginia that spews enough filth that Mox feels himself getting wet again.

“Fuckin’ hell, knew that mouth was better for more than just arguing,” Adam grunts. “Should’a done this earlier. Maybe would’a stopped being such assholes to each other.”

Mox looks up at Adam and pulls off his dick enough to flip him off and say, “Nah, pretty sure I’d still think you’re a dick.” And he sinks his mouth back around Adam’s cock and sucks, paying attention to the head.

He likes blow jobs. He’d forgotten he likes this part of it, drawing words and swears out of his partner until they’ve lost the ability to do much but moan.

“Dude,” Adam says, patting at Mox’s neck. “I’m gonna – ”

Mox pulls off. “What, you think you’re gonna come on my face or something? We’re at a wedding, dude. Come in my mouth. God. Have some class.”

Adam laughs when Mox takes him back into his mouth and comes with a shudder that Mox can feel in Adam’s thighs where his fingertips have dug in. To get him back he keeps sucking at Adam’s cock, a little longer than he might if he were being nice, until Adam gets him by the scruff of the neck and pulls him off.

“Wait,” Adam says, panting. Mox is still on his knees.

“You already regretting it?”

“No!” Adam yells. “Just – I think I can do better.” He pulls his pants back up and turns them, shoving Mox against the counter. “We’re even. I can out fuck you.”

“What? How is that you out fucking me?”

Adam grins. “Sit on the counter. I’m getting you off at least one more time so you don’t rank me last on your list of one night stands.”

Mox wouldn’t have said it, but that is where Adam stands right now. Probably, if he ranks it, Bryan, then Regal, then Chuck, Suzuki because he left that giant bite mark on his arm, and then Adam. “Alright. Go for it.”

The enthusiasm, he notes, is key. He’s never fucked anybody bored about it, per se, but he’s fucked people hesitant and people who relied more on their dick than other parts, people so focused on getting in him that he got himself off.

Adam, though. He must have learned how to hold his breath in the past, because there’s no coming up for air. The first time he was hesitant, almost cute about it, but this time he’s insistent and greedy. He slides two fingers into Mox and pumps them with the pace his mouth and lips work, like he’s determined to draw an orgasm from Mox if it kills him.

“Fucking Christ,” Mox pants, gripping the first thing he can grab. His best guess is the water faucet. “Where was this energy last time?”

Adam responds by his mouth moving faster, stronger, and then it hits. Before Mox can do anything, he’s shouting and clenching around Adam’s fingers, bucking against Adam’s face.

“Holy shit,” he says, shivering as he notices Adam’s beard wet and shining. “That was different than the other – holy shit.”

Adam grins. “I ain’t done yet, Moxley.”

He loses count. Mox loses fucking count how many times Adam makes him come, his mouth and hand working together so effectively that Mox is straight up shaking at one point.

“Okay, I’m tapping,” Mox pants, slamming his hand on the counter. “I – nope. I can’t do anymore.”

“Shit,” Adam says, laughing. “Alright, if you’re telling me enough.”

Mox nods. “I literally don’t think I can come anymore,” he gasps. “I think I’m all fucked out.”

“Good.” Adam washes his hands casually. “Messier than with dicks, but more fun, I think.”

Mox laughs. “Yeah?” He exhales and hops off the counter, pulling his boxers and pants back up. They’ll have to bleach the area. “You had a fuckin’ blast, man. Different than the first round.”

With a paper towel he wipes up his beard. He grins as he continues wiping his mouth. “What can I say? I have a steep learning curve. And I like men with pretty eyes and bitchy attitudes.”

“I’m not bitchy,” Mox says, folding his arms across his chest. “Also, fuck you for saying that right after you gave me, like, a thousand orgasms in a row so you know I don’t have a good comeback.”

Adam licks his lips. “There’s a come jokes I could make, but I think we’ve exhausted that line of thought.” He winks. “And you were bitchy. You yelled at me a couple hours ago because the tables were a few inches in the wrong direction.”

“That was on behalf of the groom,” Mox says.

“You still said it like a bitch.”

Mox rolls his eyes as he grabs a paper towel and soap and wipes down the counter. “Well, the groom’s a bitch, so I earned it. Also, you weren’t this confident in high school. Or this…in charge. What happened to you?”

Adam scoffs as he goes to the fridge and pulls out a pitcher of water. Mox takes another towel and dries the counter. “Fuck. Matt Jackson happened to me.” Mox watches as Adam chugs. It should be weird that Adam can look sexy drinking water, but here Mox is. “Was gonna propose to him, you know? Was thinking of making his hotel and my barn a thing, but no.” He shakes his head, a grim little smile on his lips.

“I figured something was wrong in paradise,” Mox says, hopping back up onto the counter. He takes a glass offered by Adam and drinks. “This like senior year?”

Adam rolls his eyes. “No, he hasn’t been that dramatic.” He takes another sip and leans against the stove, avoiding the burner knobs this time. “He’s scared he doesn’t have an identity outside our relationship.” Adam shrugs and meets Mox’s eyes. “I’ve told him if he needs to figure himself out to go and do it, but I’m gonna do the same.” He raises the glass to Mox and sips.

“Oh, that’s what this was?” Mox asks, grinning. “You catch up with one of your high school rivals, fuck him, and use that to decide if you and pretty boy are meant to be?”

“Or I’ve thought you were hot since we were fifteen and you cut your hair and started with that ‘fuck everybody’ attitude,” Adam says.

Mox blinks. “You’re that gay that you could tell I was a dude before I even came out?”

Adam shrugs. “Had a minor sexuality crisis before you told everybody you’re a guy, which John and Alex had to help me out with, but yeah. Once you came out, it made sense. I think I knew…” He offers a smile. “You know?”

“We queers find each other, don’t we,” Mox chuckles, kicking his ankles against the cabinets.

“Yeah, and then you tackled me in gym class later that year because you were mad I beat you at that practice debate and knocked me out.” Adam flicks water in Mox’s face. “If it wasn’t for that, I don’t think Matt would have asked me out.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “So, really, it’s your fault we got together in the first place.”

Mox sits in that for a minute. “Yeah,” he says. “Maybe I can be the reason you two idiots finally suck it up and get married.”

“Hope so,” Adam says quietly. “You’re weirdly chill about this being a one time thing, by the way.”

Mox shrugs. “I’ve had more than one one night stand in my life. At least this one won’t give me a kid.”

Adam laughs, and he’s really pretty when he does. “Yeah. Your kid’s cute, by the way. He at home?"

Mox nods. “I had Eddie pick him up. He was starting to get tired and when he gets tired he gets a little screamy.”

He doesn’t know how much time passes while they catch up. They were never friends in high school – being rivals for the best on the debate team will keep that from happening – but they tolerated each other, and, as adults, Mox is realizing they don’t hate each other as much as he thought they would.

“Shit,” Adam says, pulling out his phone. “That’s the 15 minute alarm.” He nods to the door. “I gotta go let Seth and Roman know they need to start winding down.” He frowns. “I left everybody out there with Anna. Fuck.”

Mox chuckles. “Yeah, she’s a personality. She told Seth’s mom to go fuck herself when she tried to change the ceremony chair arrangements.” Mox sighs. “I think I’m a little in love with her, actually. She single?”

“Yeah, but she’s only into women.” Adam makes his way to the door. “You should see the way she hits on bridesmaids.”

Mox is slammed with some chaotic pop song he’s heard a thousand times but still doesn’t know the name of, and looks around for Seth and Roman.

“They’re over there,” he says, and he points with a hand on Adam’s waist.

“Smooth,” Adam laughs in his face. “Thanks, though.”

Mox watches Adam walk away, eyes locked on his ass in the excessively well-tailored suit pants, and goes to the bar to get a Coke. He sips slowly.

“Hey,” says Anna, coming over to him. “Where have you been?”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re the best man, right?” She plants her hands on her hips. “You were supposed to give me an assist with the shitty family members. Seth’s mom started getting bitchy and I couldn’t find Adam, so I went looking for –” She cuts off, eyes narrowing. “Oh, you absolutely didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?” Mox asks, trying to feign ignorance. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you dare hurt him,” Anna says, waggling a finger in his face. “You hear me? He’s a nice man who deserves kindness. Don’t be a douchebag.”

Mox holds his hands up in front of him. “Jesus, you’re scary. I promise, I’ll let him take the lead.” He smiles at her. “Also, please don’t tell anyone.”

She sighs. “Deal. If you fuck with him, though, I will tell everyone.” She whips out her phone. “Remember I have the email of everyone in this building.”

Mox exhales slowly. She’s his type of woman, but alas. Plus, he’d already gotten laid twice that night, sort of, and doesn’t think he could handle it even if the option were on the table. It’d been since before Wheeler was born than he’d gotten any action at all, and he’s starting to feel the good kind of sore about it.

“I know,” he says. “We’re good.”

He’s in the middle of a conversation with Becky, Seth’s maid of honor, when the grooms stomp over to him. Well, Seth stomps. Roman casually strides.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Seth hisses.

“Did something go wrong?” Mox asks, looking around. “What happened?”

“Roman started dancing,” Seth whines. “Becky told him to go out there and shake his ass and he did.”

Mox shrugs. “It’s his wedding, too. He can dance if he wants to. He can leave his –”

Seth rolls his eyes. “I hate how often you quote that song. God. Fine.”

Mox dances with his friends as the final songs of the night play. Songs from his and Seth’s high school years, from the past year, and ending with the song that he and Seth screamed at the barricade when they saw the band live together, on the evening of Mox’s 22nd birthday.

He’d had no idea what that year would bring him. He’d had no idea that that year would give him the best gift of his life.

Missing Wheeler isn’t something he’s unfamiliar with, but it’s more intense right now than it’s been for a while.

When the lights turn on, he runs at Seth and Roman and grabs them in a hug.

“Holy shit,” he laughs. He steps back. “You two are married.”

Seth beams, wiggling his hand. The engagement and wedding rings gleam. “Hell yeah we are.”

“Someone has forgotten they got into a screaming fight with their mother six hours ago.”

Seth shrugs and smiles and Roman pulls him in and kisses his forehead. “And? It’s my wedding. I can bitch if I want to or however the song goes.”

Mox snorts. “Alright, send me on best man duties. What do I gotta do?”

“You,” Roman says, resting a big hand on Mox’s shoulder, “have done more than enough. Go home and hang with your little dude.” His smile quirks. “Maybe on your wedding day we’ll take him home for you.”

Mox scoffs. “I’m never getting married.”

“Sure you won’t,” Seth says. “Go home. We’ll take it from here.”

Mox steps outside where it’s quieter, out the back door where the other guests couldn’t go, and breathes. The chilly fall air mists around him.

“Hey.”

He turns to see Adam Page at the door to what must be the kitchen. “Hey.”

Adam smiles a little. “Live well, man, okay?” He sighs. “And make it easy.” He rolls his phone in his hand. “You deserve some easy.”

Mox’s first impulse is to shoot back that Adam was easy enough for him, but he settles. “Thanks, man. I hope you and Matt figure out what you need from each other.”

Adam nods.

Mox gets into the car, and thinks he may keep this one to himself.

~

“Potato!”

“Shh!” Eddie hisses, hand on Wheeler’s back. “Wheels is asleep. Don’t wake him up.”

“Gonna,” Mox says. “Hey, baby.”

Wheeler blinks his eyes open. “Daddy?” he murmurs. “Daddy hi!”

Mox picks him up and holds him close as Wheeler wraps skinny little arms around his neck and immediately begins snoring again.

“See?” Mox says in a hushed tone to Eddie. “He always falls back asleep once he sees me.”

“That says you’ve ever been away from him for more than a couple’a hours,” Eddie says, but he pats the couch next to him. “Come on. Let’s watch the game.”

They keep the volume low, just in case Wheeler’s snuggled up sleep is more fragile than Mox knows it is, until Eddie shuffles.

“Thirsty,” he says. “Gonna grab a Coke. Want anything?”

“Water,” Mox says.

Eddie pats his thigh, then pauses. “Mox,” he says. “Mox, did you fuck somebody tonight?”

“What?” Mox is frozen. “What? No. Wait, screw denial. How the fuck did you figure that out?”

“Your pockets are all crumpled inside your pants,” Eddie says. “Only way you’d let that happen is if you’d had to pull ‘em up quick.” He stares at Mox. “Who was it?”

“Oh, my god. Leave me alone, Mom.”

“I ain’t your mother,” Eddie says. “I’m much worse. Who’d you fuck?”

“Nobody!” Mox hisses. “And would you please stop saying fuck when my son is literally right here?”

“He’s heard worse,” Eddie says, rolling his eyes. “He’s your kid. Who was it?”

Mox groans and drops his head back against the couch. “Eddie…”

“Did you use protection?” Eddie asks. “Because T ain’t birth control and you know that.”

“Fuckin’ Christ, Eddie,” Mox mutters. “Hold on. If you’re gonna force me to have this conversation, I’m putting Wheeler to bed.”

Wheels wiggles and fusses a little as he’s lowered into his little toddler bed, but he settles when Mox puts his favorite stuffed bunny in his arms. Mox watches for a minute and sees Wheeler’s whole life flash before his eyes, landing on this perfect moment.

“Every mistake,” Mox murmurs, “brought me you, Tater Tot. I’d do it all again.”

Before he can reminisce further, though, there’s a hand on the collar of his suit jacket and he’s being yanked backwards.

“Jesus fucking – Eddie!” Mox says, barely catching himself before he fell over. “Let me have a moment with my kid!”

“Do I need to go get you plan B?” Eddie says. He’s running his hand over his head, eyes panicked. “Fuck, how’s that even work with T? Is that gonna with your top surgery? I gotta do some research –”

“Eddie,” Mox says, putting his hands on Eddie’s shoulder. “We didn’t – he went down on me and I blew him. I don’t think it’s possible for me to get pregnant.” He fights a smile. “I mean, unless coming in my mouth’ll knock me up.”

Eddie slaps him away, looking disgusted. “Jesus Christ, Moxie. I asked if you were gonna need medication, not if you were gonna need a tooth brush.” He frowns. “You’re disgusting.”

“Yeah, and you still love me.”

Eddie sighs and scrubs his hands over his face. “Yeah. Why the fuck do I do that, by the way?”

Mox shrugs and pulls off his shirt, making his way to the bedroom he shares with Wheeler, chucking the shirt in the laundry. “Because you know, deep down, we’re platonic soulmates.”

“Oh, go fuck yourself.” But Eddie smiles at him, and Mox feels warm. He curls up in bed, reaching out a hand to rest on Wheeler’s leg, and falls asleep with a smile.

[alarrytale]

Hey Marte, I don’t want to sound dramatic but I really questioning if hl are still together. It’s not typical of me, I’m a larrie since 2018 and I always had a strong believe that they are together and soulmates. There was always a pattern with them balancing work and being mia at the same time, I remember some blogs even made posts how obvious their schedules were. Since they both started touring of course they had to break that pattern but it’s very confusing why after 3 months of touring and non stop work they are not running to each other. Sure Louis might be now also in Italy but it’s so weird that Harry is still seen ‘vacationing’ with Jeff and Xanders family who he sees more often than Louis and papped there almost every day; it’s just doesn’t look like it would be some quality time with your partner. Before HL always were able to be totally mia for a week or two between their busy schedules. Do you also have a weird feeling about this Italian vacation? Do you feel there are any changes in hl relationships?

Hi, anon.

I'm pretty sure Louis is with Harry right now. Harry is currently MIA and so is Louis. Louis was last seen four days ago. These latest pics of Harry could have been taken at any time in the last two weeks. The two other rounds we've gotten i believe was taken days before or the day after his last show. The lates ones were certainly not taken within the last four days. Also you have to remember that Harry and his team (and Louis for that matter) are trying their best to make it seem like they are not currently spending time together. If Harry has to get papped with his merry band of hanger ons for an hour during lunch, while Louis is suntanning back at the house/hotel so be it. Louis missed Lotties birthday party, so where is he, what is more important than missing that?

Louis still got a couple of weeks off until his next show. If it turns out Louis hasn't been with Harry these last few days, maybe it was too obvious they'd run to each other straight away and they're going to meet up in the coming days. (Maybe L have to stunt in LA for a few days, time will tell). So give it time, anon.

Harry's got all the time in the world now (allegedly) so he can follow Louis around. Some of the european dates are also a short flight back for Louis if Harry is back home in London. He can easily go back and forth between the tour dates.

So no, i don't think anything's changed. Other than them choosing to prioritise their careers for now, which i have expanded on before.

[jazy3]

Thoughts on Grey’s Anatomy: 18X01

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

I was really excited for the Premiere and I have never been so disappointed in my life. It took me a few days to write this review because I’m just so unimpressed. I feel like the only interesting parts of the Season 18 Premiere were the Meredith and Hayes FaceTime call, Levi in that outfit and Jo with that hair, and the interviews. That's it. I mean Teddy and Owen’s two weddings were interesting if you’re a Teddy and Owen shipper, but I never have been so that didn’t really do anything for me.

The pacing of the episode was super slow and it was just altogether boring. There were also just so many inconsistencies. For example, Teddy and Owen originally planned to get married at the park with just Megan, Farouk, Evelyn, Leo, and Allison which doesn’t make sense because prior to their break up they were talking about planning their dream wedding. Now they finally get married and Richard didn’t even know about it? They asked Megan to fly in, but they didn’t tell their friends at the hospital after they just all attended Maggie and Winston’s wedding two weeks earlier?

It’s also not clear if Meredith knows that they got married which is weird because she’s the main character of the show and was an integral part of Owen’s previous two weddings one of which was held at her house. Also, Amelia and Link weren’t there and it’s not clear if they even knew about the wedding which is weird because Meredith, Amelia, and Link were all present when Owen proposed to Teddy at Christmas at Meredith’s house and they are all co-parenting Leo together.

While I appreciated the shift to a lighter tone and that they chose to have this season exist in a post-COVID alternative universe where we can see the actors faces again without the PPE and return to escapism the Premiere didn't pack the punch I was expecting. The premieres are usually super shocking and action packed and this one just wasn't. It was just boring and all of the most interesting stuff happened off camera during the two weeks between the Season 17 Finale and the Season 18 Premiere which is just stupid.

I saw the priest getting hit by one of the cyclists coming a few minutes before it happened based on the promo and the context of the scene and there wasn't a big shocking event like there usually is. The pace of the Premiere really felt off to me. My friend Amy who I watch with every week described it as the pacing you usually associate with a nice stroll through a moonlit garden. Fine for episode two or three or a connecting episode but not the Premiere. I feel like they really misjudged what fans were looking for and I’m hoping that they do the work and course correct now that the Premiere has aired and the completely dismal fan reaction as come out.

One of the few bright spots for me was the introduction of Peter Gallagher as Dr. David Hamilton. I love him as an actor! He's great! His recent roles in Grace and Frankie and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist were fantastic! I was super excited when I heard he was coming to Grey's. I like Dr. Hamilton so far and I'm interested to see how his relationship with Ellis and Meredith having dreams about her mother following her battle with COVID will play into the story this season. While it would be interesting to see Meredith work in Minnesota temporarily like Cristina did back in Season 9, I don't want her there permanently. Seattle is as much a character in the show as any of the main characters we've come to love, and something would be missing for me if she moved.

To be perfectly honest, it doesn't make much sense to me for Meredith to move to Minnesota permanently when she only knows a few people there. Who would watch her kids? If she's going to move to me, it makes more sense for her to move to Kansas where Alex is or Switzerland where Cristina is. Her kids have already lost their father and so many other caregivers and Meredith has stuck it out in Seattle for so long after everything that's happened that her moving to Minnesota for me would be bonkers.

Also, where were her kids in the Premiere? All of the interviews that came out prior to the Premiere talked about how Meredith’s focus at the beginning of the season would be on her work and her kids, but they were nowhere to be found in the Premiere and it’s not clear whose watching them while Meredith is in Minnesota. The interviews also made it seem like Meredith and Hayes would still be circling each other at the start of the season with quotes about how timing hadn’t been on their side, that they still needed to have an official drink and go out on a date, and that while Meredith wasn’t looking for a relationship one might find her.

That had literally nothing to do with the Premiere we saw whatsoever! The kids were MIA and it turned out that Meredith and Hayes started dating off screen following Maggie and Winston’s wedding and we didn’t get to see ANY of the firsts they talked about so much over the last two seasons. So stupid. The Premiere was a total rip off. I hate that Nick Marsh is back and I’ve never gone from liking a character and an actor to hating them in such a short period of time ever. My God. I’m so pissed off about this. What the hell were they thinking? Why did they think we would want this at all?

Don’t get me wrong, I loved Nick Marsh as a character and Scott Speedman's portrayal of him when he first showed up in Season 14. I was all ready for him to be Meredith's next great love and I was on board. But then he disappeared and was never heard from again and it was reported that Speedman wanted to take a break from TV for a while so I mourned the loss of what could have been and moved on. I sat through the out of character nonsense that was the DeLuca storyline in the belief that eventually that storyline would end, and Meredith would get a real proper love interest that made sense and would be her post-Derek endgame.

So, I was really excited when they introduced Hayes and I have really come to love his character and his budding relationship with Meredith. I feel like I've been waiting forever to finally see them go on a date and I am super pissed off that we didn't get to see it. I would have loved this storyline with Nick if they had introduced it at any previous point in time, but now after they've spent so much time setting up Meredith and Hayes it's just infuriating. I feel immense rage over how they handled Meredith and Hayes and Meredith and Nick’s storylines in the Premiere. I'm so angry. The whole thing just made no sense. That Premiere should never have aired. It never should have gotten past the draft stage. It was that bad. The first date and all of the firsts that come with a new relationship are the most exciting parts of a romantic storyline for me and I love seeing all of that on screen. They hyped Meredith and Hayes’ relationship up so much and even had the two of them talk about 'firsts' and dating after death so for their first date to happen off screen along with Austin's panic attacks and bad reaction to his Dad starting to date again is just such a rip off.

I have stuck with this show through thick and thin and for them to reward that loyalty by having the most interesting parts of that storyline happen off screen while showing a bunch of stuff on screen with other characters that they could have just told us about? So ridiculous. I was so excited for this season and now I'm just angry. I'm hoping that they are building to a big mid-season finale where Meredith is going to return to Seattle and by that time Bailey will have helped Hayes out with Austin and the two of them will finally get together on screen but I'm starting to feel like every time I get invested in one of the Meredith's new love interests, they pull the rug out from under me and I'm getting really fed up.

In other news, I'm not too surprised that Megan and Riggs broke up off screen only because Virgin River, which I love, just got picked up for two more seasons and I imagine Martin Henderson is busy filming that and it looks like Megan is going to be around for a while and they had to explain it somehow. I loved Meredith and Riggs together and I hated how they ended that storyline so I'm not sad about them breaking up off screen.

The Premiere also broke my heart over Amelia and Link’s storyline. It’s just so stupid. It’s drama for drama’s sake that’s all it is and it’s tired. When did marriage become so important to Link? In the span of a few months, he went from being totally fine with not getting married and checking in with Amelia every few weeks on how she felt to convincing himself that Amelia wanted him to propose so he did so at her sister's wedding and used her dead brother's children to do it. Amelia's right the whole thing was super messed up and manipulative and she was right to say no.

Link decided marriage was important to him and that fostering Luna would be totally fine without ever talking to Amelia. Yes, Amelia should have shared her thoughts with him too, but he also should have paid attention. Now their otherwise healthy relationship is over because she doesn't want to participate in an archaic ritual that involves signing a contract and exchanging vows? That's just stupid. I hope they find a way to work it out and get back together because I really like them as a couple.

I like Dr. Michelle Lin the new Head of Plastic of Surgery that Bailey and Richard are looking to hire. I thought for sure after that photo of the other guy made the rounds on social media that he was going to be the new Head of Plastics, but then he said that he doesn't do "free" and I knew he was out. I'm excited for there to be another female surgeon of colour on the show as the gender and racial balance on the show has been more white and male as of late and I think Grey's is at its best when you have a roughly equal number of women and men and as many different races being represented as possible.

I think it makes the storylines more interesting and authentic and personally gives me more characters that I can identify with. This new doctor seems driven, determined, and could have a potentially interesting dynamic with Richard and Bailey. She’s also giving me some Cristina Yang vibes and I’m all for that. I love Cristina. Always have. Always will. That being said, I'm a bit confused as to where they are going with Jo's storyline as I thought for sure the new Head of Plastics would be a guy and her new love interest. But Bailey did say they still needed to hire a new general surgeon and a new neurosurgeon so maybe one of them will be for her?

I can't really say that there was anything I loved about the Premiere which is disappointing. Jo's parenting hair dye mishap was funny, Levi's outfit cracked me up, and I liked that Bailey agreed to help Hayes out, but that's about it. The thing I was most excited for coming into this season was Meredith finally being back on her feet and seeing the romantic storyline between her and Hayes finally come to fruition.

Finding out that she's going to be in Minnesota for the foreseeable future, she and Hayes started dating off screen but had to call it quits because seeing his Dad date someone new caused Austin to have panic attacks, and finding out that Nick Marsh is back? I hated it. I don't understand how the same person who wrote the Season 16 masterpiece “Snowblind” with that amazing snow scene between Meredith and Hayes wrote the Premiere. I just don't understand. I really hope they're not going to do a love triangle with Meredith, Hayes, and Nick because that would just be so stupid.

She's a forty something award-winning surgeon who's a widowed single mother of three. Love triangles made sense when she was young intern, but at this point it's just dumb. I also didn't feel the chemistry this time around between Meredith and Nick like I did the first time. It felt forced and flat. I like Maggie and Winston together, but I didn't find their storyline in the Premiere particularly engaging. I'm glad that Amelia stayed true to herself, but I hate that Link has decided marriage is the only way forward and that they're still fighting.

The only moment that really made me laugh out of the hour was when Jo opened the door and Levi was in that ridiculous outfit. I loved the FaceTime call between Meredith and Hayes, but I hated the context. Honestly, I'm not really excited about any upcoming storyline this season which makes me really sad. I'm usually super positive and hopeful when it comes to this show, but this episode just stomped all over my dreams. All I can hope for now is that they pull a twist and everything I was hoping for happens in the mid-season finale otherwise I don't think I'm going to like this season very much.

Until next time!

[izzabeean]

Chapter 18 : Awakening

SUMMARY

There's a lot to unpack.

pairing : ushjima x f!reader / oikawa x f!reader / iwaizumi x f!reader

genre : angst + fluff

word count : 3,446

content : profanity

tags :  alternate universe - college/university, post-break up, friends to lovers, pining, slow burn

a/n : a/n: I'm sorry this took too long, I've been needing a mental health break with how busy life has become. This chapter is a bit rushed just because I wanted to post it before next week since I've been MIA for so long.

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Slowly turning the key, your head starts to spin as you push the front door open to an empty apartment and a mixture of emotions surge through you. Relief that the repairs for your apartment are finally complete and you can move back to the comfort of your own home. Yet sadness swells in your chest at the realization you’ll be alone.

It’s weird. The natural response would be to get out of Oikawa’s apartment as soon as possible, sick of his antics and constant harassment. But for some incoherent reason, a part of you feels hesitant.

This heavy sensation in your chest drags you down as you walk into your apartment -- it seems so much more burdensome than when you left. Everything still feels fresh.

An agonizing pain mixed with confusion emanates off the walls flashing you back to the night Ushijima ending things. Your anxiety grows stronger as you picture his piercing hazel eyes glowering down at you after asking for you back. It's seemingly getting more and more difficult to make a decision as each moment passes and you're feeling inexplicably hopeless.  It's a terrible idea to get back together with him -- just remembering that night makes you sick. We need to talk still haunts you accompanied with his unbothered, stoic expression... Your heart starts to race trying to make sense of what you’re feeling.

Why is everything suddenly so difficult?

You clench your fists so tightly your knuckles turn white. Why does he even want you back? This isn’t something that he should take so lightly, he hurt you. Though you strongly feel anger festering within, a voice keeps whispering in your ear to take him back. You can’t tell if it’s what you truly want or it’s just the fear of disappointing your parents even more.

“How’s it looking?”

Your manic thoughts are pushed away with Oikawa as he walks further into the apartment to take a look around.

The flood -- you’d forgotten about that morning until this moment. Your heart starts beating faster as the memory rushes to the forefront, not just from the panic and frustration of waking up to a submerged apartment, but to the moment of the warmth under the covers with Oikawa’s firm body pressed up behind you. Had Oikawa been holding back the entire night you spent together? Of course, you didn’t know how long he’s had feelings for you, so surely if he did at the time, it must have been absolutely tempting to make a move on you. But why didn’t he? Truthfully, if the situation was switched then you would’ve taken the opportunity to…

“Not bad,” you answer, trying to force an honest smile, but Oikawa sees right through you.

“Why do you do that?” Oikawa says, his voice is tight on the cusp of irritation.

“Do what?” you respond quickly, hoping that he will just let this one go. But he doesn’t.

“Force yourself to smile like that,” he grunts. “You’re not good at hiding when you’re upset.”

“I’m not--”

“Bullshit,” he retorts with a harsh tone.

You bite your tongue, even more conflicted on what to say.

Oikawa sees that as he analyzes you, he knows it’s not easy for you to talk to him about stuff.  “Is something on your mind?” he asks softly, drawing his frustration back.

It’s hard to process, you’ve felt this heavy feeling for so long, you thought it was normal. The only time you’ve felt any reassurance is in Oikawa’s presence, yet for some reason, today the aching is much more prominent.  Everything feels so nerve wracking. You know he likes you and yet, it makes your heart throb.

“My parents,” you start with your voice a little shaky. “They think they know what’s best for me...”

“For the internship?”

“Yeah,” you reply quietly, eyes fixed on the ground. They also think they know it’s best for you to be with Ushijima, but you couldn’t tell Oikawa that. “Everything’s all set up and it could make me successful but…”

You turn away from him so your face is out of his view. The silence stretches between you for a moment. You feel oddly vulnerable, like the slightest touch will shatter you into pieces. If only it was easier to explain the constant pressure you receive from them, you might've tried to laugh about it upon telling him, just to make things a bit lighter. But, it wasn’t something you were ready to dig into.

“Then what do you want?” Oikawa asks, breaking the quietness.

The age old question that’s been going through your head this entire time. Truthfully, some answers seem so vivid now. You don’t want that internship… It’s not something that will excite you in any form. You want to work to achieve something and this feels like it’s just being handed to you because of your parents. There’s no drive for it.

But as for Ushijima, well...

“I don’t know,” you utter, shaking your head. “I don’t know if I ever will.”

“You’ll figure it out, I know you will,” Oikawa hums, before walking up to ruffle your hair.

Even as he pulls his hand away, his touch is still lingering, forcing you to catch your breath at the sudden surprise. His words are warm and caring as if he truly believes everything will fall into place. You want to believe him. Even the warmth in his eyes almost sways your skepticism, you can feel affection in them, but you can’t seem to grasp onto the hope he has. At this point you’re too stunned to even say a word as you allow your emotions to control you.

“When are you moving back in?” he asks, bringing you back to reality.

“Probably in the next couple days,” you breathe then pause staring at him for a bit while feeling your entire face burn up. An undeniable tension floats in the air and you're struggling to understand if it’s just your mind racing or it’s actually there. The way he manages to get your heart racing out of nowhere, the look he gives you when his chocolate eyes gaze at you, makes you want to melt… “Can you help?”

“Of course.”

------

Now that Iwaizumi is gone, it’s only standard for you to sleep in the guest bedroom. You’re not sure why a room down the hallway was more uncomfortable, but here you were tossing and turning unable to fall asleep. Of course you have other causes to your insomnia, like the pressure of deciding whether or not you should move forward with the internship and whether or not you should get back together with Ushijima. But at the very moment, your head can’t seem to wrap around the idea that Oikawa is just down the hall.

You’ve been living with him for awhile and now you decide to be nervous about it, you think.

Tucking your head under the covers, you take a deep breath inhaling the soft scents of softener and linen, a deep contrast to the sweet scent of citrus mixed with a tinge of oak in Oikawa’s room -- which you’d noticed shortly after is the essence of Oikawa. You clench your jaw, y our brain is all messed up from everything going on. Not to mention it's strange, the way Oikawa’s been so generous lately -- sweet without being boastful or bothersome, completely unlike himself. You’re not sure what you were expecting after your “fight”, but it probably wasn’t this.

You won't be sleeping anytime soon, so you get up and grab your coat, hoping an evening walk will put your mind at ease.

The night is dark and calm as you walk down the street, sidewalk lit by a streetlamp every few steps. Though quiet, your thoughts are louder than ever, pounding at your head hounding you to make a decision. As the cool air picks up and nips at your face, you quickly shove your hands in your pockets full of tissues and a cartridge. Pulling it out, you’re reminded of the evening you first bought the pack of smokes, how your agony ripped you apart to the point you had to turn to a bad habit. The recollection of relief pulsing through your body after inhaling the rich smoke tempted you as you open the pack and take out a stale cigarette that’s a bit crumpled.

The emptiness sets in and your eyes begin to gloss over as you think of what you should do next. For a moment the stress of your future can temporarily disappear with one breath, but how disappointed would Oikawa be if you did so.

That evening, when he called you in the midst of your smoke, he didn’t even know what had happened, but he was still there in a way. His voice echoes your head as he slurs that he hopes Ushijima makes you happy… It makes you hot and flustered. Oikawa always just wants what is best for you. Even if it didn’t benefit him…

You crush the cigarette into your palm and with that a shiver went down your spine. The heavy feeling in your chest seemed to lift itself a little and you almost thought you were standing a bit taller.

------

Fiddling with your pen, you look up once again at the time; class is almost over. Oikawa sits beside you, seemingly locked in on the professor's lecture. It feels unfamiliar to see him taking notes, attentively listening -- his concentration is normally as lacking as yours. Today your attention span is the worst it’s ever been trying to hone in on the dull monotone voice that booms across the class.

Then an idea sparks.

Quickly you try to grab the pen that Oikawa is writing with, but his reflexes are too swift for you as he jerks it away from your reach. A loud obnoxious screech from your chair lurching forward interrupts your professor in the middle of his lesson.

“Y/N, is everything alright?” the professor asks, while everyone’s eyes turn to you.

It’s awkward as you scoff under your breath, but sit up and readjust your seat.

“Y--yes, everything is good,” you say before having the professor return back to his stale lecture.

You let out a sigh while your face gets all flushed. The taste of desperation coats your mouth and it’s so overwhelming that you had to go to uncomfortable lengths just to feel the slightest bit of normalcy between the two of you. There’s just something about the way his irritation spikes through his tight-lipped smile and balling of fists while his eyes glare at you. You missed it.

Suddenly, a quiet snicker sounds beside you. In the corner of your eye, you can see a softness in Oikawa’s appearance and he's slightly smirking. You try not to make it obvious that you notice, but it makes your heart melt a little.

The remainder of the lesson, you continue to replay the way Oikawa’s lips almost turned up to a smile. You wish you got more of a reaction out of him, but it was enough to reassure things.  When the professor gives his final dismissal, Oikawa pops up to pack up his belongings. There’s this longing of wishing you could sit beside him longer as you slowly collect your things.

“Ushiwaka is here,”  Oikawa says, gesturing to the doorway.

You glance at the doorway noticing a familiar figure poking his head in. His eyes survey the classroom and before meeting yours, you quickly dart them away.

“Are you kidding?” you say under your breath, quickly zipping up your bag, feeling a flash of irritation course through your veins. “I’ll be right back.”

Oikawa raises his brow as he watches you speed towards Ushijima. He knew something like this was going to happen. It was only a matter of time.

But you weren’t pleased with Ushijima’s appearance.

"What are you doing?” you fume, you were quite pissed off as you pout your lips in petulant annoyance.

“I wanted to walk you to your next class,” Ushijima admits so nonchalantly it grinds your teeth.

"N--no," you reply, losing your focus to Oikawa walking by. “No, I don’t need--”

“I need to make up for the time we’ve lost together,” Ushijima adds, eyes locked on to yours that are wandering past him looking at Oikawa who’s getting further and further away.

"I-- I can’t. Please just… I need more space,” you sputter before swallowing hard your body leading to Oikawa’s direction.

"Take whatever time you need, I'll be waiting,” is what you think you heard from him as you catch up to Oikawa, but you don’t really care because your heart feels like everything you did in the moment was unlawful. You didn’t want Oikawa to get the wrong idea, and you feel like he might have, it makes you sick. Just when things started to repair with him, Ushijima just had to sweep in.

“What did he want?” Oikawa asks, his gaze ahead. “Did you finally accept his proposal?”

“What? No," you answer, trying to catch your breath.

“You’re really taking your time with this aren’t you,” he mumbles. “You better figure it out quick, he’s not going to wait for you forever.”

“He can wait,” you say to which Oikawa glances at you.

You get to a fork in the hallway that branches off to your next class or leads to outside the building. Oikawa raises his hand to bid farewell, but you stop planting your feet and take a deep breath.

“Toru.”

He stops and looks over at you…

“Can you come with me…. to my parents?” you breathe. “I don’t want to do the internship. I just don’t want to go alone to tell them.”

Hesitant of his answer, you wait for his response.

“I’d be happy to.”

----

“I don’t know if I’m ready,” you whine, abruptly stopping on the sidewalk in front of your parents house. The sun hides behind the dark clouds, almost seeming like a sigh that you shouldn’t move forward with your plan, but gently touches your back.

“It will be alright,” Oikawa says softly as you try to push away the heat of his touch.

You’re sure that because Oikawa is here with you, you can go through with it. Even if you’re on the verge of retreating, it’s in fact, much more relieving to have him support you on the sidelines.

Every ounce of you pushes your body forward towards the front door. The ominous illusion of a stone cold castle looms over you as you press your finger to the doorbell.  The anxiety starts to build up as you look back to Oikawa. He gives you a smile and your face is hot, worried about what's to come from this conversation.

The door unlatches and slowly opens.

“Oh, hello,” your mom says, eyes wide yet narrow glaring down at you. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“Hi,” you respond shyly. You wanted to grab Oikawa’s body to shield you from your mom’s unpleasant aura, but of course you plant your feet. “This is Toru Oikawa.”

Looking back at him to check in and see if he too is incapacitated from her energy. But he isn’t.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he says with a bow.

“How charming, come in!” she greets.

Oikawa straightens up, smoothing out his shirt before fixing his hair. Your eyes widen in awe - his calm confidence is visionary. You didn’t remotely feel comfortable around your mother and Oikawa is smooth and endearing. You're definitely always bringing him with you when you have to see your parents.

Your poorly hidden anxiety is noted on Oikawa’s behalf as he raises an eyebrow and flicks you on the forehead.

“Don’t stress!” Oikawa smiles.

Entering into the house, you two take off your shoes and make your way into the dining area where your mom awaits you. The rooms feel remarkably lifeless and empty.

“Where’s dad?” you ask, taking a seat at the dining table as Oikawa follows suit, sitting next to you.

“Oh working again, doesn’t know when to stop,” your mom sighs. Her eyes trail to Oikawa and her gaze feels so much softer compared to the daggers she throws at you. “Would you like some tea? Water?”

Her gaze lingers as she patiently waits for an answer.

“Thank you, but I’m alright,” he replies.

She turns to you and your heart leaps out of your chest, her stare feels like it could drag your soul out of your body.

“No, I’m fine,” you say, voice shaky as you swallow hard, forcing the next couple words out of your mouth. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about the internship.”

Your mom’s intimidating demeanor drops immediately, her eyes twinkling with excitement while taking a seat across from you.

“Oh they’re so delighted to have you,” she croons. “They’ve even made you a care package in anticipation of your arrival!”

“See, the thing is…”

Your mom’s blissful face cuts.

“What’s wrong,” she says, making the question more of a blank statement.

“Nothing’s wrong, I just--”

“You think a mother wouldn’t know her own daughter.”

“It’s just--”

“Spit it out.”

You hold your breath, not sure how to present it. Looking at Oikawa, his eyes are full of affection and reassurance, you’ve come this far and you can’t back out of it now.

“Are you quitting?” she murmurs, gazing at you with a stern, cold look on her face.

“I’m sorry,” you say, trying to cushion the blow. But her eyes grow with more displeasure.

“Excuse me,” she hisses.

The air cuts thin. You’re quiet upon hearing the disappointment in her voice, and can understand why she’d be absolutely mortified.

“All that your father and I have done for you,” she barks. “This is how you repay us?”

I knew this was going to happen, you think to yourself as the worst case scenario seems to be on track with her reaction.

“I want to find somewhere else to intern,” you breathe, scared your words are just going to start a war. Her eyes have blaze in them won’t go out. There’s so much passion to make you like her, but even more successful, despite you going against her wishes. Something in her aura makes you want to run, but running is all you’ve ever done. It’s time to face your fears. “Please, let me explain.”

She doesn’t speak, her scowl says everything as she leans back in her chair, arms crossed against her chest.

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot, ever since I first went in for the interview,” you begin trembling. “Everyone was so welcoming and so excited to have me, but something just doesn’t feel right.”

“So you’re going to be selfish and only think about yourself?” she argues.

You recognize your anxiety from earlier stirring in your stomach. Your mom isn’t the easiest person to speak to, especially when her face radiates failure and suffering, this is quite possibly the most horrified you’ve seen her.

“It’s not what I want to do with my degree. I want to look somewhere else that will make me feel more fulfilled.”

“What you want is a mistake,” she thunders.

Her words are like knives digging into your heart. She just seems so distraught, and obviously cares about your future, but you can’t do this anymore.

You stand up from the table and bow deeply. “Will you please trust me? That’s all I ask.”

The room is silent as tension fills the air, you don’t really know what to expect as you shut your eyes tight waiting for a reaction. You’re expecting to be yelled at-- not to mention a shock wave of embarrassment protruding through you in front of Oikawa. The moment is painful and you don’t know what to do. You remain in the deep bow waiting.

“Alright. You don’t need to be so ridiculous, bowing...” she mumbles. You stand up and she has her hand clasp to her forehead. “You’re father’s going to kill me, but alright.”

Your heart rate increases, uncertain what she means by that, because you thought you’d misheard her.

“I guess it’s about time you’ve made your own decisions,” she says. “I was beginning to believe you’d continue to go along with it, but you’re your own person now.”

Shock and confusion washes over you, mixed with hope and excitement. You press your palm to your heart wondering if it’s about to beat out of your chest.

“Just don’t come crying when nothing goes your way,” she adds.

Letting out a huge breath, your lips upturn to a smile.

“Thank you,” you say. And it’s genuine.

[mercurysstars]

The Shadow Thief (part 3)

Summary: What happens when Peter has to work with the girl he hates to possibly save the world.

Word Count: 2.8k

Warnings: Swearing, Blood, Violence.

A/n: Sorry it took me so long to post again! I’ve wrote like 3 different versions of this chapter because I didn’t know what direction to go in just yet.

_

"Woah, dude. Did you see this?" Y/n held out Peter's phone shoving it in his face.

Y/n had gone over to Peters house early that morning to get the last finishing touches on their project done. So they both reluctantly decided to walk together to school.

Peter snatched his phone out of Y/n's hands as they crossed the street. "How did you even get my phone? It was in my hands." She shrugged and pointed back at the article.

Peter scrolled down the page. Incoming reports say Avengers went on a mission and since gone MIA. How didn't he know about this? And why didn't the Avengers at least tell him they were going to be gone. Peter was confused, to say the least. Were they in trouble? No, they couldn't be they are the earth's mightiest heroes. Right?

"They probably just had to extend their mission and forgot to report back in." Or at least he hoped. He didn't want to think of the latter. He decided after school he would go to the compound and make sure everything was alright.

"If you say so." They walked up the stairs to the second floor of the school.  Peter opened the door and they both walked into English. Y/n took her seat next to Mj and Peter next to Ned.

The thought of the Avengers missing did worry Y/n a bit. She wasn't a big fan of superheroes but she also was not, not a fan. It was complicated. Sure she liked the security of having someone to save the day. But she hated that they pretended to be better than everyone else. They judge criminals as they themselves have never done anything wrong. They tend to blame everything on everyone else and never take responsibility.

Y/n felt a nudge to her arm. She turned her head to face Mj. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"No, no it's alright I'm just thinking," Y/n said. She pulled out her laptop and opened her and Peter's presentation to have it ready just in case they had to go first.

Their opening slide was a picture of Anne Frank surrounded by a pretty border and Anne Frank’s name in cursive in the middle. Peter insisted their project had to look nice and not like some shitty last-minute one like she had originally done. Y/n had teased Peter relentlessly about it saying maybe he should be a graphic designer instead of Spider-Man. And he of course huffed and pretended to ignore her.

"Well, you just looked worried. Anyways tell me if you need any help." Y/n gave Mj a grateful smile. Y/n knew Mj could have this cold, hard exterior but she knew she secretly cared.

The bell rang signaling the first period started. The teacher stood up from her desk and walked to the front of the room clasping her hands together. "Good morning class. Today is the first official day for our presentations. We'll be picking who goes first by random. Any questions?"

One girl toward the front of the classroom stuck up her hand "Yes, Betty."

"Did you see the news? About the avengers?" The class erupted within hushed conversation everyone stating their theories of what happened and their worries.

"Alright, class settle down. I did see but we will continue like normal." She said. It kind of seemed like to Y/n she didn't care at all but she didn't really think anything of it.

The phone rang and the teacher quickly excused herself. Y/n picked at her fingers mindlessly. The teacher muttered a few words into the phone and hung up "Y/n, Peter." Her eyes snapped up at the sound of her name "They want you down in the office. And bring your things."

Y/n furrowed her brows. Her eyes met Peters "What did you do?" He mouthed just as confused as her.

What did she do? What the hell did he do. She hasn't done anything wrong. Well, at least nothing she gotten caught for.  "Dude if anyone did anything it was you! I've only been here for like 3 weeks." She whispered-yelled back.

He put his hands up defensively. Y/n shoved all of her things in her bag and zipped it up. Mj raised an eyebrow at her and Y/n just shrugged with a clueless look on her face.

Y/n walked over to the door opening it with her free hand while her chrome book was in the other.  Peter followed not too far behind. They step out and began to walk down the hallway shoulder to shoulder not a word muttered between them.

The hall was empty. No teacher, no janitor, no late students, not even the common lost freshman. It was strange to Y/n. She turned to Peter "This is weird. It's almost like it's too."

"Quiet." He finished for her. Peter felt off. His spidey sense wasn't alarming him with anything but it was almost like a gut feeling you'd get when some strange guy came up to you at a party being a little too friendly.

"Yeah." Exactly. They continued down the hall both on high alert. When they passed a window Y/n could see two men dressed in suits around the corner through the reflection.

"I think they're following us." She whispered to Peter. Y/n has picked up a thing or two of trying not to be noticed but the men behind them didn't seem like they cared much for subtlety. They had their eyes set on Y/n and Peter taking wide quick steps.

This time his spidey sense went off. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Peter reached for his web-shooters "We need to get out of here."

"You think?" Y/n back said in an aggravated tone. The next time they passed by a window she could see them screw something together slowly by their side.

Y/n glanced down to get a better look, it was a gun. All she could hear was the beating of her heart thumping loudly in her ears. Thinking quickly Y/n shoved Peter into a locker. A bullet whizzed past where his head once was and made a tiny thump when it hit the wall.

His eyes went wide momentarily stunned before he sprung into action. He shot out a web, grabbed the gun out of the man's hand, and flung it across the hall, making sure he couldn't get to it.

The men paused for a minute before muttering something to each other end breaking into a spring toward them. Well mostly at Peter luckily for her but still in her direction. Peter began to fight the one whose gun he had stolen hand to hand. The man got in a punch to Peter's face. Peter tripped him and tied him up with his webs.

The second man was coming toward her. Before she could second guess herself Y/n took her chrome book and slapped the man across the face with it. The man was momentarily shocked and Y/n opened an unlocked locker hitting him in the face. She watched him slide down the lockers unconscious.

More men turned the corner and came down the hallway. Y/n kicked a waist-length garbage can with wheels toward them as a small distraction. Peter grabbed Y/n pulling her into an empty classroom.

Y/n locked the door before she grabbed Peter and dragged him further into the classroom into a supply closet. They both crouched behind a mop bucket leaving the door cracked for a tiny bit of light.

"Would you like to tell me why there's someone outside this classroom trying to blow my brain out!" She huffed.

"Don't ask me. For all, we know they could be after you!" They both flinched as they heard the door handle shake.

"They were attacking you. Shooting at you. And you'd have a bullet in the back of your head if I didn't push you out of the way if I might add." She poked him in the chest.

The men began to start kicking at the door trying to break it down "Maybe if we figure out who they are we can get out of this."

"You know what I have an idea." Y/n reached back and grabbed the gun out of the waistband of her pants. Y/n started not to care much for introductions when they tried to assassinate her. Her motto was to shoot first ask questions later because she was not going down without a fight.

"What the hell Y/n! Where did you even get a gun?" Peter tried to put some distance between them but failed and ended up bumping into a shelf.

"Calm down bug boy I'm not going to shoot you." She rolled her eyes "I grabbed it off the guy while I smashed my laptop over his head."

"You are not shooting anyone!" He exclaimed. He was going to die with a psychopath. A literal psychopath. What would his uncle Ben say if he could see him right now?

"Fine whatever. How many webs do you have left?"

"Only one." He muttered.

"Only one! How the hell do you only have only one web left?" Oh lord. She was going to die in a janitor's closet with an idiot.

"Oh well, I'm sorry I didn't know I would have someone trying to paint the walls with my organs. I must have forgotten to mark it on my calendar!"

"Oh god, Okay." Y/n rubbed her forehead with her free hand.

She took the clip out of her gun and counted the bullets she had. Two. Okay, she could work with that, Somehow. She just had to live long enough to beat Peter up for almost getting them killed.

She turned back to Peter "Alright here's the plan so we are going to jump out of the window and see just how far that web can exactly get us." She could hear the pounds on the door getting more frequent and if she was being honest she was surprised it held this long.

"Are you crazy! You going to get us both killed." He didn't need the answer because he already knew she was. He swore he could see the shadows swirl around her for a moment but as quickly as it was there it was gone.

"Do you have any better ideas because I'm all ears, Parker?" He didn't say anything and just ran a hand through his hair letting out a frustrated sigh.

"That's what I thought." Y/n knew there was a good chance that they get hit by incoming traffic like a bug on a windshield but it was either that or the SWAT team outside.

"Let's get this over with." Said Y/n. They both stepped outside of the closet. The men outside the room gave the door one last kick and it broke off of the hinges. "Go." That was all Peter said.

Y/n shot the window with the two bullets she had. Peter ran over to Y/n and grabbed onto her tightly. They jumped through the window shattering it. Peter shoots out his last web hooking onto a nearby tree. At the peak of the swing, Peter let go of the web. They flew over the traffic narrowly avoiding the cars.

When they finally reached the ground they hit it hard. Peter took most of the impact but Y/n still hit her head. They continued to hold tightly onto each other as they rolled through the grass from the momentum of the swing.

They came to a slow stop and Y/n landed on top of Peter. She slumped off to the side of him and sat up. Peter did the same but with a groan feeling all of the bones in his body.

He noticed blood began to trickle out of Y/n's nose. "You got something." He pointed to her nose.

She wiped under her nostrils with her fingers and then again with the bottom of her shirt without a second thought "Oh, Thanks."

Peter rested his head on his knees. What was he going to do? As much as he didn't like Y/n he felt bad for dragging her into this. "We need to get going they are going to come looking for us soon."

"Where are we going to go?" The light was starting to become too much so Y/n put her hand over her eyes to shield her from the sun. She was starting to get a headache and just wanted to lay down. Peter stood up and dusted off his shirt and pants.

"Avengers compound." He held out a hand to her. She took it and he pulls her up onto her feet. They began to walk toward the street.

"I just don't know how we are going to get there." He added. They made it onto the sidewalk. Y/n was stumbling around so Peter kept his pace slow so she could keep up with him.

Y/n stopped walking "What do you think of this car?" She nodded to a 1997 Honda Accord.

"It's cool I guess." He said confused the car was a little old but he didn't say anything.

"Alright good. Now hand me your web-shooters." She held out her hand toward him.

"Okay?" He didn't really know what she was trying to get at. Peter just assumed she hit her head too hard but he complied anyway.

Y/n crouched down facing the car. She broke his web-shooters over her knee taking out two long curved metal pieces. She handed him back the rest of his broken web-shooters. Peter stared at her wide-eyed as she stuck the two metal pieces into the lock of the car.

"What are you doing." He hissed. Peter walked closer to Y/n trying to cover her as she picked the lock to the car.

"I just gave our problem a solution." She said without looking. She continued to twist the pieces around until she heard a little click. She gave a little cheer and opened the door.

"Yeah by stealing someone's car. Need I remind you is illegal."

" I like to think of it as borrowing. Besides I will happily leave you if you wish." She rolled her eyes. God, her head was throbbing.

Y/n took the plastic cover off of the steering column. There were three sets of wires and she grabbed the middle one. Y/n cut the red and blue wire. She touched the wires together until she heard the car start. She smiled to herself and lastly twisted the wires together.

She turned to Peter "Are you getting in or what?"

Peter looked around and then sighed "Fine, but I'm driving."

"What? No way, you don't even look old enough to drive." She crossed her arms.

"You have a concussion so I'm our best bet at not dying." He gave Y/n a sarcastic smile.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes but got out of the driver's seat.

"You know if you keep rolling your eyes they are going to get stuck like that." She flicked him off and he laughed.

Y/n basically collapsed into the passengers seat. Peter closed his door and started the car. He pulled into the street and Y/n rested her head against the window. The cool glass felt nice against her forehead. She notice a bruise on Peter's pale cheek from when he got hit earlier.

Every now and again he would glance at Y/n to see how she was doing. He figured she must not feel the best because she hasn't said one witty remark since they got into the car.

He hoped by now the Avengers were back at the compound and could Tell them what's going on and who was following them.

He looked over to her again and she had her eyes close. He jabbed her with his elbow "Hey, don't fall sleep. You might not wake back up."

"Hmm Okay." She said but didn't budge.

"I'm serious Y/n, open your eyes." Peter was starting to get worried. It wasn't that he cared about her. But he didn't know what to do with a dead body. Or at least that's what he told himself.

"Don't get your panties into a bunch, my eyes are open."

They pulled into the road of the compound. When it came into view Y/n suddenly sat up wide eyed "Holy shit."

"What?" Peter took his eyes off of Y/n and followed her line of sight.

"What the fu-"

Part 4

Taglist

@fandom-strumpet • @ginger-swag-rapunzel • @libraries-and-coffee

[babygirlizz]

izzie’s favorite movies and tv shows of 2020 (aka the worst year ever)

another year, another movie and tv show review. this year has, to put it simply, sucked. 2020 has been so terribly awful that sometimes the only light you can see are the absolute bangers of movies and tv shows that came out this year. with that being said, some of the movies and tv shows didn't come out in 2020. if the are mentioned in this post it is because they either: had a season come out this year, i found them this year, or they became popular this year.

SPOILERS: it may not come as a surprise but just in case you didn't realize, there will be many spoilers ahead, read at your own risk.

tw // death, suicide, drug use, mild adult language. if any of these things might trigger you, i strongly urge you not to read this post.

there is no specific order of these shows and movies, i'm just writing as they come to mind. if you enjoy any of these movies or tv shows, or if you have any suggestions for me, please let me know!

TV SHOWS

1) Santa Clarita Diet

Okay, so I know this show doesn't have anything to do with 2020. But, I found this show in 2020. I put it off for a while, thinking it wasn't my style of a show, but boy was I wrong. I loved this show. Sheila Hammond (Drew Barrymore) is a normal suburban wife and mom. She is a real estate agent with her husband Joel (Timothy Olyphant). She struggles with the fact that she isn't very adventurous. This all changes when she throws up an insane amount at a house showing. She then finds herself craving adventure, and craving human flesh. Yeah, she's a zombie. Not only is this show super hilarious, but it also shows the growth that they have with their characters and their family. I'm also team Abby (Liv Hewson) and Eric (Skyler Gisondo).

2) Outer Banks

So, I'm from NC. And, watching this show at first bothered me because I can very obviously tell this show isn't actually filmed in the obx, and the geography isn't exact, but once I got past that, I loved it. John B (Chase Stokes) is a teenager that lives in the poor side of the outer banks. He has a friend group called the Pogues which consists of JJ (Rudy Pankow), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), and Kie (Madison Bailey). They absolutely hate the Kooks, which are the rich kids. A while after John B's dad gets lost at sea, presumed dead, the group finds some evidence that may solve the mystery, and make them rich. In the process, John B falls in love with a Kook names Sarah (Madelyn Cline) whose father Ward (Charles Esten) may have a little more to do with the mystery than he let on. Through friendship, murder, and secrets, the gang may just figure out what happened to John B's dad.

3) Love, Victor

Alright. I loved loved loved Love, Simon. I also really loved the book "Simon vs. the Homosapien Agenda." So, when I heard about this show, I was so excited. Victor (Michael Cimino) is a teenage boy that moved to Creekwood with his family. He meets Felix (Anthony Turpel) who lives in his building. He also meets Mia (Rachel Hilson) and they begin dating. But, he also meets Benji (George Sear). While trying to get used to a new school, new friends, and a new relationship, Victor finds himself questioning his sexuality. With the help of Simon (Nick Robinson) and his friends, Victor finds it in himself to finally come out, and he admits his feelings, for Benji. This is such a good show, but I was so upset when season 1 ended on a cliff-hanger.

4) The Haunting of Bly Manor

The sequel to The Haunting of Hill House. Now listen, haunting of hill house was an absolute banger. When I saw that Bly came out I nearly died. I was so excited. But, I was alone in my apartment and also a lil bitch. So, I had to wait a week until I was home with my family to watch it. Now, I was so excited to be scared, and there were a few jump scares and ominous moments, but this season was more centered around the story line of Dani Clayton (Victoria Pedretti) and her new life in a foreign country. When seeing an ad for a live in job as an au pair. When she gets there, she meets the two young children she’ll be looking out for and the other workers of the house, including the gardener, Jamie (Amelia Eve). Throughout her stay at Bly she begins to notice weird behaviors from both children and by the end of the series she sacrifices herself for the children. Sadly, this story is being told by Jamie who Dani had fallen in love with during her stay at Bly. Now I was somewhat upset about the lack of horror, but was still very intrigued and drawn in by this series.

5) Julie and the Phantoms

Alright, at first I was not gonna watch this show. I thought it looked a little too young and childish for me, but everyone was talking about it on twitter so I had to. I. Love. This. Show. This show centers around Julie (Madison Reyes). Julie is a teenage girl who, sadly, lost her mother. The one major thing she shared with her mom, was their love for music. Since her mothers passing, she gave up music. This is until, dead musicians from the 90′s show up in her garage. Luke (Charlie Gillespie), Alex (Owen Joyner), and Reggie (Jeremy Shada) all tragically passed away in the 90′s after eating bad street hotdogs. When Julie finds their CD in her garage, she decides to play it and they come back in ghost form. But, only she can see them. With their help, she finds her confidence to play music again. Also, she has to find away for them to stay because they’re slowly disappearing. 

6) Derry Girls

Bitch. I love this show. And yeah it didn’t come out in 2020. Shut up. I found this show recently after watching the cast on the holiday special of the Great British Baking Show. I loved the actors so I had to watch the show. This show focuses on Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) a 16 year old girl that lives in Derry, Northern Ireland in the 90′s. Alongside her is her cousin Orla (Louisa Harland), her two friends Clare (Nicola Coughlan) and Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), and Michelle’s English cousin James (Dylan Llewellyn). During these years, a lot of people in Ireland struggled, especially because it was during wartime. Even thought this show isn’t focused heavily around the war, it’s amazing to see these teens live a fulfilling life while struggling with the state of their country, and the lack of money that their families have. 

7) Elite

HA. This show did have a season in 2020 so leave me alone. But bro, I love this show. At first, I didn’t watch it because I thought I could only watch the dubbed version in English, which I hate. I hate dubbed shows they look so weird. But, once I found out I could watch this show in Spanish, I fell in love. But, sadly, theres too damn much to talk about in one little post. It’s crazy. But basically it just follows the lives of teens in high school that are trying to survive. And no, not in the “I’m surviving high school,” sense. No, people be getting murdered. 

MOVIES (tbh i didn’t find a lot of movies good this year lmk which movies u liked this year and maybe i’ll like them!)

1) All the Bright Places

After the death of her sister, Violet (Elle Fanning) is devastated. She closes herself off, and has her parents get her out of doing school work that involves working with others. But, as time goes on, they realize she may need to start to move on. Violet then meets Finch (Justice Smith) who is enamored by Violet. He suggests they do a project together. While finding and visiting some of the smallest wonders of their state, they begin to fall for each other. While you are focusing on Violet and her mental health, you tend to miss some of the signs that Finch’s mental health isn’t great either, but by the time you do, it could be too late. 

2) Dangerous Lies

Hmm. This was weird for me. I had only ever seen Camila Mendes in Riverdale, and honestly, not a fan. So, Katie (Camila Mendes) and her husband Adam (Jessie T. Usher) are struggling with money. Katie decides to take a job working for an elderly man, and eventually gets her husband hired there as well. Unfortunately, he dies, but for some odd reason, leaves the house and all of his fortune, to Katie. As they get comfortable in the house, they begin to uncover some very weird and dangerous lies. 

3) The Devil All the Time

Ok. Iconic. You got so many hot men in this movie. Bill Skarsgård, Sebastian Stan, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson. C’mon now. That’s crazy. But, this story is so long and in depth that I wouldn’t even know where to begin. This movie is a bit disturbing. It involves murder, sexual assault, killing of animals, and so much more so if that’s an issue for you please do not watch this movie. It was also quite long, but it was still good.

4) After We Collided

Okay just listen. I was that teenager. I read wattpad stories and was, embarrassingly, addicted to After. This was not a great movie per say, but it was After. This is a sequel to the movie After. This movie centers around Tessa (Josephine Langford) and her recovery after her breakup with Hardin (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). Theres sex, alcohol, bad acting. The whole nine-yards. But c’mon, they’re so cute together.

5) To All the Boys p.s. I Still Love You

Okay it was a good movie. I enjoyed it. This movie focuses on Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and her boyfriend Peter (Noah Centineo) and their relationship post the first movie. But of course relationships aren’t super steady, and John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Fisher) shows up. Yeah, John Ambrose, from her letter. They become closer and Lara Jean has to decide who she wants to be with. Spoiler, it’s Peter. BOOOOOOO justice for John Ambrose McClaren, he deserved better. 

[sohoharlem]

[I included the blinds in this one if you want to post this one instead.]


I’d just like to add as a side note that before this, in early 2020, Sebastian had become more active again for the first time since around 2018, after drama went down with his ex. It had appeared that he was making a turn around for the fandom and becoming himself again, or at least attempting to.


Late March - June of 2020 


TFATWS stops filming. Sebastian starts looking rough through quarantine. 


March 25th he does a podcast with Don Saladino where he critiques people who travel during the pandemic, calling them dumb fucks and that it pisses him off.


April 29th Seb does solo pap walk with latex gloves.


May 3rd Seb does solo pap walk with mask and latex gloves, he even waterfalls his water bottle.


May 13 he posts a picture of NYC saying “Happy Days will come again” and puts a praying emoji.


May 15th he posts beautiful pictures he took of his city NYC during the pandemic and tags it “I love New York. We’ll be back.” (talking about pandemic being over.)


He appears in his friend’s Aaron’s video wearing a mask and looking at people without a mask and looking disappointed in them for not wearing one.
He does a few other interviews, including one with Variety, where he talks passionately about thanking healthcare workers and how he claps everyday at 7PM out his window to thank them.

 
It is evident he takes the quarantine and COVID very seriously.


Mid-Late May


He starts looking rough and it becomes evident to his fans that the quarantine is not doing him well. 


After his May 15th posts he stops posting.


May 22nd 2020 Sebastian Stan is signed with CAA.


*where things get weird*


Fans start wondering if he is doing okay and begin to grow concerned, especially after his most recent story showing him singing that he can’t wait for this year to end.
 

He is MIA during the George Floyd and BLM movement and fans begin leaving comments on his instagram interrogating him for not speaking about BLM and for his silence.


Fans begin leaving comments such as “Silence is an answer” on his Instagram and talk about his past start to arise on Twitter. (About his ex who used the N-word, and his assistant that he fired because she was Islamophobic. 


Other fans are still worried for his sudden silence during a time where most celebrities are being extremely vocal about BLM. 

While they are upset, they are still concerned.
On the news, his neighborhood is one of the areas in NYC shown on TV for being looted and attacked by vandalism. 

He is still silent.


May 31st he posts a NYTOpinion video about race, hash tagging it #justiceforGeorgeFloyd .


In the screen record for his video the names of his assistants come up on his phone. 
Sebastian does not say anything else for about three weeks when he then posts another charity on June 12th, one supporting Anthony Mackie.


JUNE 2020 


June 15th he posts another charity: one for conscious kid and one for Rayshard Brooks. He uses tag #blacklivesmatter .


Sebastian goes silent again. We don’t hear from him all month and fans grow even more worried now. 


He is silent for the rest of the month.


July


July 2nd/3rd He is seen on his friend’s Luke’s instagram in IBIZA for his manager’s birthday. Camera pans to Seb briefly and he looks unamused, almost trying to hide his face.


Fandom is in hysteria, and mostly confusion, because him being across the ocean during the pandemic went against everything he spoke about. 


Fandom is very upset with him. Especially since he is unmasked.


July 2nd/3rd, paparazzi pictures are released of him on a yacht laughing and kissing AO. Fandom is a mixture of confused, upset, but also happy for him because he looks like he is having a good time.


Fans on twitter start to aim ‘cancel culture’ and Sebastian Stan is Over trends for a few hours.


Paul H makes tweet defending his friend.


After July 4th and that week, fans uncover AO’s cultural ap. photos.

 
Some fans began interrogating her on her instagram. During this time we hear nothing directly from Seb.


He is silent on IG. 


July 3rd She posts Jet-ski picture without tagging him. 


Sometime this week they go to a very crowded strip/dance club of some sort. A friend records them and AO is seen sitting next to Seb and dancing against him.


July 7th AO does photoshoot in Madrid. New pap photo. Seb looks strikingly unhappy compared to pictures from July 3rd on the Yacht.


July 7th 2020 blind item, blind Item #11: “He might live in the US full time and be a naturalized US citizen, but this alliterate foreign born A list most movie actor used the passport he has from his birth country to take a vacation in Europe.”


Mid July to late July


Jul 8th - 12th silence. We assume they are still in Spain together, but we are not sure. We know she is.


July 12th, Ale posts first picture that we catch for being a throwback. It’s her on a beach, but we find out it’s old. We still don’t know where Seb is confirmed to be.


Silence again until the 14th when both Seb and Ale are called out for blocking fans on instagram that are attacking them. 


July 27th, Ale posts picture of the Netflix show she was on.


August


Nothing until August 11 when she tags her friend in a post saying she misses her. 


August 13th Seb posts his mother on his Birthday and also a The Devil All The Time clip.


LOOPHOLE TO USA.


August 14th she posts from Bermuda.


We soon make the connection that she uses this as loophole to get into the United States during Corona Virus. 


She posts several stories from there, including a boomerang of her throwing a towel at the camera. 


August 16th Seb posts another charity event that he did in Spain for a children’s hospital and school. 

His teams says it was planned many months in advance after fans question his reckless action.


We still don’t know where Seb is. 
There are no pap pictures during this time.
August 20th she posts Bermuda again.


August 21st their 3rd pap walk in the United States in NYC. Both masked and holding hands.


August 23rd he posts another Charity.


August 25th AO posts Bermuda again. Assumed throwback. 


August 25th another Pap walk outside his front door. Fans are shocked since he is so private. They both look very off guard even though it’s labeled Backgrid, meaning paps were called. This could’ve been taken the 24th but I don’t have access to byline to confirm.


It is assumed by many fans that around this time is when they see private information about his loft being rented. let me know if you would like me to leave this part out, but I feel it might be important.


August 27th he posts a Bucky throwback.


I don’t remember the exact date, but sometime between August 28th and 31st, Seb is supposedly spotted by a random fan at LAX.


August 31st AO post’s a video from Jersey City, NJ.


At this point in time we are aware that The Falcon and Winter Soldier will resume filming in Atlanta in mid September. Article states that crew and cast are to mandatory quarantine prior.


We don’t know where they both are at this point.


September


September 4th, AO posts another picture from the Netflix show she was on.


September 11th Seb posts a 9/11 picture that he took of the city and labels it “Thinking of NYC today”
September 11th, Ale posts a photoshoot picture of herself.


September 12th, Margarita unfollows Seb.


I don’t remember exactly when, but at a certain point, Ale starts posting videos and pictures of herself in what appears to be maybe Atlanta. Before this, she posts a picture of Sushi. 
She baits with picture of a script and also a book that she could possibly audition for.


September 14th Seb posts another Bucky picture.


September 15th, Seb posts another charity.
TFATWS commences shooting around this time.


September 15th 2020, Blind Item #11: “This studio really wanted to film their new streaming show for their own stream. They want nothing to shut it down so are covering up positive COVID tests of the cast and crew. Not Netflix. Not amazon. Revealed: Falcon and The Winter Soldier”


AO continues to bait fans with pictures and videos of food and a TV watching movies.


September 18th AO posts a hiking picture that fans quickly find out is a (very very plausible) throwback from Costa Rica.


September 19th Seb posts a very strange video of himself watching gossip girl in an apartment that fans see looks very different from where Ale was “baiting”. 

Some fans claim maybe he’s just in a different room. In the video he is drinking wine and even pans the camera to his ex girlfriend on tv and then back to himself when he swallows huge gulps of wine.


September 22nd he posts a VOTE picture with Mackie. Another “Link in my Bio”. 5th one in the last few months?


September 25th she posts from what we later find out is an Inn in Atlanta where they stayed before going to Prague.


September 30th 2020, Blind Item #9: “This foreign born alliterate A/A- list mostly movie actor has brought a new escort stripper on set everyday he has been shooting. Revealed: Sebastian Stan.“


October 

*this is when Seb’s health starts to worry us


October 5th she posts a picture of Seb and her jumping in front of a bonfire at the Inn. Seb’s face is blurred out and she does not tag him.


October 6th, Seb posts video promoting his move 355. 


October 8th Seb posts the Charity water video from Atlanta.
A little after this time, AO’s location changes over to Spain. 

We are unaware of how long she is there for.


Her baiting stops for a bit.

October 14th 2020, Blind Item #7: ”This alliterate foreign born A list mostly movie actor brought in an Easter European porn star to have sex with he saw online. The whole fake girlfriend thing is not believed by anyone, so just give up.“


October 16th and 18th AO posts old photoshoot photos and tags her team

.
** Fans grow concern as AO continues to post work related content and we hear nothing about Seb.


** Seb is rumored to be in Prague, but no sighting or baiting is every mentioned. It is not confirmed they ever interacted while in Prague. 


** AO’s location finally changes to Prague and she posts pictures with someone that shocks fans - her manager. 


** AO posts fake pictures of what looks like a play she might audition for and we realize is just printed out photos. Videos of her holding fake play is recorded in a hotel lobby with her manager.


** A foreign online article that follows shooting in Prague follows AO and mentions her in their story as Seb’s GF.


October 21st,  AO posts picture of Prague with her mother

.
** Seb is still MIA and fans are still confused as to where he is and why he is suddenly so quiet.


** Rumors of that there might be covering something happening behind the scenes start to come out. Fans are worried it might be his health or something worst.


I think after this her Location changed back to Spain. 


October 24th AO posts old photoshoot photo.


October 26th 2020, Blind item #2: ”Not to be outdone by his alliterate foreign born co-star, this A/A- list actor has several women each day visit him on set. That was the same reason why he got divorced a few years back. Revealed: Anthony Mackie/Sebastian Stan“


October 27th we finally hear from Seb and it’s a picture from a bridge in Prague.


LOOPHOLE TO USA.


Ale posts that she’s jet lagged on her story with her Macbook Pro. Bait.


Silence. (I think. Someone fill me in if I missed something here.)
October 30th, Seb posts a video of an alien documentary. We later find out this is from a hotel in Mexico. Tulum.


October 31st Seb posts fans Halloween costumes of Bucky.


November


November 1st, Deuxmoi posts that he was spotted in Tulum reading a script. 


AO posts video from similar hotel room where his Alien video was. Bait.


November 7th a very suspicious influencer (who we later find out works for PR) takes a video of Seb and Ale walking on the beach in Mexico. Seb is walking about 30 feet way from her and she looks awkward following behind. Another video where she appears topless and he almost looks like he’s looking directly at the influencer’s camera.
We hear of (another?) influence who is recording them. She takes pictures of them laying in a bungalow. There is a video she records of them kissing but video is never seen by the public.


November 7th Seb posts his congrats to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. 

AO does the same on a story.
November 9th 2020, Blind Item #7: ”The foreign born alliterate A list actor who likes to often cheat on his sketchy girlfriend is being called out for yet again traveling to a foreign country for a vacation. Third or fourth one in the past few months. Besides realizing he was busted on video for not following the same rules he advocates, he is also vacationing in countries from which his girlfriend is allowed to get back into the US.“


November 9th we get the pap pics of them in Mexico and they appear very planned. Seb also appears skinny. Seb is talking on the phone, strips just his shirt as AO waits for him in water. They kiss briefly in awkward embraces, only once on lips, she gets hit by wave and he leaves her in water.


*** Around here is when Seb starts posting throwbacks and he starts looking sick 


November 12th, Seb posts a throwback to when he was on set on Endings Beginings.


November 15th he posts a throwback video for Charity on set of TFATWS with Anthony.

He makes a post for another Charity (same is bulletin prior) and he looks sick and tired. His hair is also very thin but some fans say it’s just sea water. Others are still worried about his health and think something is wrong. His left eyelid is a little swollen.


LOOPHOLE TO USA


Around this time is when AO starts posting the same sushi from around September. (possibly same.)
We make conclusion she is in LA when she then posts story with LA in background. 


November 18th she posts pictures in LA.


November 19th Seb posts a Bucky picture.


December 6th 2020, Blind Item #5: ”This foreign born alliterate A- list superhero did a video supporting a charity, Great. The thing is though, he used the opportunity to call out everyone who has called him out and said that he is great because he is taking the time to make a charity video. Probably not the video the charity had in mind. Revealed: Sebastian Stan.“


We assume he is in LA with AO. 

Rumors of them moving in together start to come up as she later continues to post pictures of a Christmas tree in a house.
Seb’s friends are in LA for thanksgiving. This is when drama with Toby happens and he changes his picture of where he posted Seb to say “throwback.”


AO continues to prove she is in LA. Bait.


November 30th/31st AO posts a picture tagging Chanel. *sorry I had to laugh at this one*
December
He does another charity which he forgets to promote this time on his IG. 


December 7th AO posts a shadow picture in LA tagging Seb. He does not approve this original photo into his tags.


December 7th Seb posts a quarantine video from his NYC apartment “Thank you for the love, thank you for the hate. Be safe.”


After fans start to speculate that he is in NYC again, on December 8th, Seb posts a Christmas tree and says “First tree in 20 years…” it’s a selfie and second picture is same tree Ale posted but cropped to find entire IG post. Background is blurred out.
AO continues to show LA house. Bait.


December 10th new pap walk admits rumors of TFATWS trailer dropping soon.


Seb is holding keys for car place that rents cars for PR purposes and there is a lot of distance between him and AO.


December 10th, Seb posts TFATWS trailer that drops and the poster later that night.
AO continues to post things about herself.


Seb continues to allow memes making fun of her and their rs to come through his tag.


She posts a video of a dog.


December 13th Seb posts a video of himself and a cat, but house looks different than LA house. He also looks very different from that pap walk, with a full beard. It is speculated his video is old but unconfirmed. 


AO posts TIFF movies and Seb does the same.


December 16th, Lily James and Seb project is announced. 


December 16th AO posts LA picture.


December 17th AO posts picture in grains yard of LA house.


December 18th AO posts another script in English and Italian.


December 18th Seb posts Charity post.
this is up to today’s date. 

If I missed anything let me know.

Mod: I haven't had the chance to read through it all, but it looks fine, doesn’t look like opinions but more fact type of thing so I'll keep it up. Thanks for taking time do that, this is crazy lol

[stay-tinystars]

The Storyteller

Ship: non idol Yunho x fem OC (Mia)

Mostly fluff, slight angst bookstore au. ---Word count: 9.1k. ---Warnings: mentions of cheating (not main pairing), one mention of sex (non explicit), self doubt, depression, unsure of other warnings. ---- A/N: due to the lovely 250 word block limit these paragraphs run on, and for that I am sorry. I am posting this in Honor of Yunho's birthday. Though it's slightly late.

This year the summer seemed warmer than usual. Yunho noticed more heat coming through his apartment window as he worked. Writing and composing songs as he overlooked the city. He was in a rut with writing, they had asked him to write another love song. How could he write about something that broke him last year? How could he write about something that seemed so far out of reach. All his experiences with love he'd already written, and at this point he felt like if he wrote another song about his ex, he might scream. The blinking cursor on the blank screen of his laptop seemed to mock him. He got up and decided to call his brother, maybe he could help him with some ideas. "So, I got a promotion,and part of that promotion is I get to go on a cruise with the CEO and other leaders in the company." His brother said excitedly over the phone, as Yunho paced the floor in his living room.

"That's awesome," Yunho responded, maybe he shouldn't have asked his brother how work was going.

"Problem is, it's only a cruise for two, and it would help me get to know the higher ups better," his brother continued. Yunho's stomach sank, as his brother started to ramble.

"Why do I feel this means I need to watch the twins." Yunho sighed as he opened the door to his small balcony, stepping outside.

"Yunho, it would be the biggest help if you could watch them. It's only for a week, and being as you work from home, I was hoping you could just reconvene to my house for the week. We will buy all the food for the three of you. If you do this I'll also buy your groceries for the next month!" How could he say no to that. His brother had been working so hard and diligently for years. Two 6 year olds shouldn't be too hard right?

Yunho had never been so wrong. Was free food worth this? The twins were driving him crazy. Never a second of rest, and they always wanted to play, eat, or do something that meant Yunho couldn't focus at all. He hadn't gotten anything done for work in three days. He needed a break. How his brother and wife cared for these two tornadoes 24/7 was bewildering. After the twins came back in from playing in the backyard complaining that Yunho didn't do anything with them, Yunho wanted to scream. As a last resort he searched online for something to do with kids. He found a small ad on social media from a nearby bookstore, something called, 'Story time adventures' that happens every Thursday during the summer at 1pm. Recommended age was 4-10, and it was free. He sighed in relief, today was Thursday, and he could have a small break. Maybe he would get just a few minutes of peace while the twins attended. Yunho packed up the kids, and promised to go to the park after the story time, if they behaved. The twins eagerly obliged. Once they arrived at the bookstore he saw a small area set up near the back of the store, with a bean bag chair and lots of small pillows placed on the floor in front of it, a few children already sat on some of the pillows. He urged Kai, and Nami to go join, with a small nudge. Yunho took a deep breath, feeling a small sense of relief as he started to let the atmosphere of the small store put him at ease.  As he started to browse, he found himself in the fantasy section he picked a book and started to read the insert, it didn't seem interesting to him, so he placed it back upon the shelf. As he continued to wander around the store he could hear the children giggling as someone read. He turned down another isle, and could hear her voice.

"Who are you?” said the Caterpillar.

This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, Sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”

Yunho was enthralled. The storyteller's voice timbre changing slightly with every character. Her narration voice was calming. He found himself looking around the shelfs towards where the story time was happening. That's when he first saw her. She looked small in the bean bag. Her white jeans, and powder blue blouse, made her match the character of Alice. A white plush rabbit sat next to her on the bean bag. A children's picture book of Alice in Wonderland was in her hands as she read so the children could see the pictures. Only after someone cleared their throat did Yunho realize he was currently blocking the main aisle way. He quietly bowed and muttered an apology and moved off to the side.  She looked so at ease around the 15 or so children who sat in front of her. Each one clinging onto her every word. Her eyes sparkled as she read about the tea party, her mischievous grin matched that of the Cheshire cat as he disappeared. She made the whole bookstore become Wonderland. As she read and placed Alice back into her rightful world, Yunho found himself leaning on the bookshelf behind her. Admiring her attention to the little details. She had a small top hat clipped in her hair, a blue butterfly sat atop. Her earrings were pocket watches. 

"Now how did you all enjoy Wonderland?" Her natural voice was joyful, still drawing him in. He listened to the discussion about the book she had with the children. Some asked about if food could really make you grow, others commenting on the mad hatter.

"How did you do so many voices?" Kai asked, obviously intrigued. She laughed. If Yunho could describe the sound he would, but he couldn't pinpoint any words, it just sounded happy to him.

"I like to make sure every character has their own personality, it makes reading even more fun!" She responded, and clasped her hands together. 

"Ok, unfortunately that's all the time for today." Her words were met with groans. "I hope you all come next week, we are going to Neverland!" Her smile widened as she lifted a children's picture book of Peter Pan.

Yunho shook his head bringing him back to reality. He wanted to return next week. Kai and Nami ran towards him. "We were good, can we go to the park now?" Nami pleaded, as she tugged on his hand.

"Of course, I might even treat you guys to ice cream" Yunho smiled, as the twins cheered.

----

Yunho found himself daydreaming about the story teller. The way she made the story come alive, made him want to go back, and listen to her again. But now that his brother was back home, which he was grateful for, he couldn't go. Or could he?

"Hey, so I was hoping to take the twins tomorrow for a few hours around lunch" he heard his brother choke on air through the phone, as he sat on a chair on his small balcony.

"I thought you couldn't be happier to be rid of them. Isn't that what you said on Sunday?" His brother's voice bewildered.

"I've had a change of heart." Yunho leaned back putting his feet up on the small metal table. 

"Yunho, you aren't trying to pick up single mothers at the park are you?" His brother's voice teased

"No, why would I do that?"

"It's the only explanation for you actually wanting to watch them. After being stuck with them for a week. I know what little monsters they can be."

"No, I just thought they might enjoy going to story time again." Yunho's voice faded as he played with the hem of his shirt.

"Oh so you're wanting to see the storyteller again? Hmm?? The kids said they enjoyed that, and that you gave them ice cream afterwards." Yunho could hear the teasing tone continue,  as his brother spoke.

"Why do you always have to bug me about seeing someone new? Can't I just enjoy the stories with the kids."

"Well you can, but I know you're not going for the stories. You're going because you want a girlfriend."

Yunho wanted to retort his brother's statement, but he knew it would just lead to more teasing. "Look, can I just take the kids to story time tomorrow?" He sighed.

"If you end up meeting someone, that means my children make great wingmen!"

"You're so weird"

"You're the one wanting to borrow my children"

----

He knew nothing about her, but her voice haunted his dreams, both awake and asleep. His only thought was to try to find a seat in the small book shop to listen to her. He got there early, and sent Kai and Nami to sit, as he found a seat off to the side, grabbing a book and pretending to read. Yunho laughed as he noticed Kai taking the front center pillow, his sister following suit, Kai was just as intrigued as he was. He watched as other children filed in, their parents starting to browse the store. Suddenly a sound of tinkling bells came from the aisle next to Yunho. He watched as she appeared, dressed in a Peter pan inspired outfit, green jeans a matching top tucked in, she even had a Peter pan hat complete with feather. Her phone making the sounds.

"Are you guys ready to go to Neverland? Does anyone know how to get there?" She inquired as she approached the bean bag.

"Second star to the right!" Nami practically screamed. Her response was met with laughter from around the store.

"That's right, and straight on til morning! Now all we need is pixie dust, and happy thoughts then away we go!" She reached into her pocket withdrawing a hand full of tiny shimmering clear glitter. She tossed it, sprinkling it over the children, who giggled in response. He watched as she sat on the beanbag, lifted the book.

"Peter Pan" she started, as she opened the book. Yunho never opened the book he had grabbed, he listened, being sucked into the story as much as the children. She even crowed like Peter, while reenacting the fight between Peter and Hook with one hand as she read the story from the bean bag. She was having just as much fun doing this, as the kids were. He rode the back of the wind with the children, until the storyteller placed Wendy, John and Michael back in London. He had to get to know her, at least her name. The discussion time for the book started and ended quicker than Yunho wanted, he hadn't caught what book she was doing next week, nor any of the questions asked. He was caught up in his head. He usually had such confidence with these situations, but he didn't know how to approach this talented young woman. It had been a while since he tried dating. Luckily for him Kai wouldn't leave the poor girl alone, he was talking her ear off. As Yunho approached, he heard Kai asking every question that popped into his head.

"What's your favorite color" Kai's voice excitedly said.

"Purple" she laughed, Kai looked between the storyteller and his uncle and smirked.

"When was the last date you went on?" Kai's smirk grew, along with Yunho's eyes. What had gotten into this kid?

"Umm, I haven't been on a date in a while" she responded looking at the young boy with a raised eyebrow.

"So you don't have a boyfriend?" Kai asked.

"No Kai, I don't have a boyfriend" she chuckled, placing her hands on her hips.

"Can I be your boyfriend?" The 6 year old asked, looking up at her with big eyes. She smiled warmly, and softly shook her head.

"I'm sorry Kai, but you are far too young to be my boyfriend. You are sweet for asking." She tried to let the kid down easy.

"What about my uncle Yunho?" Kai grabbed his uncle's shirt. Yunho's ears turned red as he looked bewildered at his nephew.

"Well, I will have to see," she laughed, as she looked at the tall panicked man.

"He's been lonely since his girlfriend left last year," Nami added as she grabbed onto Yunho's pant leg. What had he gotten himself into? Yunho wanted to hide.

"Well that wasn't very nice of her was it." She responded, looking between the two twins. Then looking at Yunho. "Kids say the darndest things" she held back her laughter as best as possible. "I'm Mia" she extended her hand.

"Yunho" he shook it, and did a small bow. She smiled warmly.

"Well these two are sweet. It's nice of you to bring them."

"He asked to bring us today, so he could hear another story." Kai smiled mischievously. The kid definitely took after his father. Yunho wished he was anywhere but here.

"Is that so?" Her eyes twinkled as she lifted her eyebrow at Yunho and winked.

"Yeah he called dad last night." Nami added, excitedly. Yunho wished he could disappear, like the cat from last week's story.

"So Uncle Yunho, are you employing kids to be your wingmen?" Her eyes full of mischief, as she smirked, he was sure his face was redder than a tomato.

"I, uh, I swear it's not what it seems. I just, uh, like your stories" he mentally slapped himself, though his panicked response made her laugh.

"Well, that's a shame because you're kind of cute." She joked, winked again, then walked away towards the front of the store. Yunho watched her for a moment, shocked at her bold statement.

"Wait, Mia! " he said following her, grabbing each of the twins hands in his.

"How can I help you," she smiled, as she went behind the counter.

"Wait, you work here?" Yunho questioned. She laughed again.

"What did you think I was doing here?" her response floating along her slight laughter.

"Well I thought you only came to read to the kids. I truthfully thought you were a voice actress." his voice faded as he looked at the counter, setting his hands on top of it.

"Well that would be an interesting career. I actually pitched the summer storytime idea. I read a book to a little kid to help calm him down after he lost his mom at the spring festival earlier this year. By the time I finished reading I had a group around me." she smiled as she stared at Yunho's hands resting on the counter. "I've always enjoyed books, so if I can help kids enjoy the stories, and start reading themselves I want to do it."

Yunho felt his heart soften. This young woman in front of him seemed to have a heart of gold. He barely knew her, but he wanted to get to know her better. He just wasn't sure if he had the courage to ask her out quite yet. His heart still fragile from its harsh break last year.

"Miss Mia" Nami peeked her head over the counter.

"Yes, Nami" Mia leaned on the counter making eye contact with the small girl.

"Will you come to the park with us?" The little girl asked. Mia laughed softly.

"Well, I still have work." She placed her head in her hands.

"For how much longer?" The small girl questioned. Mia looked at her watch.

"About a half hour"

"We can wait!" Kai didn't wait for either of the adults to respond, he just pulled Yunho back into the book store. They browsed the shelfs of the entire store until each of them found a book that interested them. He walked back up to the counter with the twins in tow, each of them setting their choices on the counter.

" 'The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon', good choice Kai. I think you will really enjoy it, and the way it describes the colors. Oh, and Nami you chose 'Planting the Wild Garden' it's a great book about how seeds actually work." She then paused with a smile gracing her lips, as she picked up Yunho's choice, her eyes sparkled with nostalgia. " 'Spinning Starlight' is one of my favorites. It's actually a retelling of 'The Wild Swans', but this book captivated me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did Yunho." Her hands gently placed the books into a paper bag stamped with the store's logo.

"You know a lot about these books," Yunho said, handing her his card.

"Well I do work at a bookstore, plus you guys happened to pick books I have read and enjoyed." laughter traced her every word, as Yunho traced her features in his mind. The way her eyes crinkled as she laughed, the small imperfections in her skin bringing beauty to the world around him, the way her lips sat so perfectly, she was imperfectly perfect, and he was transfixed. He was starting to realize he was head over heels for this girl, that he barely knew. The trio stepped outside and sat on the small bench waiting for Mia, as she clocked out and grabbed her things.

"I don't get invited to go to the park very often. What's the first thing we should do?" Mia asked as she looked between the twins a small smile on her face.

The four of them played on the playground equipment, the younger two creating their own world, and directing the older pair at what to do. Which resulted in side aches from laughing so hard. "What?" Yunho asked as Mia laughed at him, as he laid the full length of the child size slide.

"You are bigger than the slide" Mia giggled as she leaned on the side of the slide looking at him. Yunho smiled as they looked at each other.

"Thanks for coming to the park, you didn't have to." Yunho sat up, then stood from the slide.

"Well I haven't been asked to go to the park in a while, plus I didn't have anything going after work today, and some sunshine would be good for me." Mia said as she walked towards the empty bench off to the side of the playground. Yunho started to follow only to be called by Kai. Yunho ran over and looked up at the young boy through the railing of the playtoy.

"Have you asked her out yet?" Kai inquired as he played with the ship wheel in front of him mindlessly.

"It's not that easy Kai, I barely know her" Yunho responded as he gazed in her direction. She was sitting on the bench now, leaning her head back, eyes closed enjoying the sunlight on her face. She seemed to glow in the midday sun.

"Well, I think she likes you. I can't wait to tell dad I'm a good wingman!" Kai smiled to himself, bringing Yunho's attention back to the twins.

"Did your dad put you up to this?"

"Well he said if we helped you get her number, he would give us ice cream everyday for a week!" Nami said excitedly, as she took control of the wheel from her brother.

"Your dad bribed you guys to get me on a date?"

"He said someone needed to help you, ever since Yuni left you've been sad. Dad just wants you to be happy." Nami looked at her uncle with concern on her face.

"I am happy," Yunho countered softly, as he looked towards Mia again. Was he really just putting on a front? His brother surely saw through everything. Could everyone see how lonely he'd felt? How would that affect the small spark he felt with Mia. He looked back to the twins, who were staring at him. He sighed they were right. He wasn't happy.

"So I'm thinking we should go get some ice cream, how does that sound?" Mia suggested as she approached the trio. Squeals of approval came from the twins as they raced to get down to them.

"Can I have strawberry!" Nami asked as they approached the ice cream stand.

"I want chocolate!" Kai added.

"Can I get one Strawberry, one chocolate, one cookies and cream and whatever the lady here orders" Yunho said at the window.

"I can pay for myself," Mia said, opening her wallet.

"No It's on me. You came to the park, and you didn't have to" Yunho insisted, handing his card to the worker before she could do anything else. Mia shook her head and sighed.

"Um, I will also take cookies and cream," she said softly. The worker nodded and swiped Yunho's card.  Soon enough the four of them were eating ice cream at a small table in the shade.

"Thanks for joining us today Mia, it was fun!" Nami said as she devoured the last of her ice cream.

"Well thank you for the invite. I'm sure Chen hasn't missed me too much." Mia thought aloud.

"I thought you said you didn't have a boyfriend," Kai accused, pointing his chocolate smudged finger at Mia. She laughed.

"I don't, I have a hedgehog," she paused to look at her watch, "who is probably upset I'm not feeding him yet"

"You have a hedgehog!" Kai yelled, sending small droplets of chocolate all over the table.

"Yes," she chuckled. "And he is three this year" She was proud, like a mother would be of her child. "Do you guys want to see a picture of Chen?" She asked, unlocking her phone.

"Yes!" Nami scrambled from her seat, climbing atop the table to see the phone better. There on the screen was a small light brown almost cream colored hedgehog, sitting on a small blue towel

"Chen is a blonde hedgehog, I rescued him from the shelter almost two years ago"

"They have hedgehogs at the animal shelter? I thought they only had cats and dogs" Kai asked as he got closer to the screen. The two small faces stared intently at the screen. Their noses only a few centimeters away.

"The shelter actually has all sorts of pets, most people just go for the dogs and cats. But my apartment doesn't allow animals bigger than Chen." Yunho just watched as Mia showed the twins more photos of Chen. He hated to say he believed in love at first sight, it always seemed to be a stupid thing to him. Until now, ever since he first saw Mia he couldn't get her out of his brain. The more he saw her, the more intrigued he became. He wanted to learn everything about her. "Sorry Yunho, you probably couldn't see him over these two" she laughed as she handed him her phone. There was the small hedgehog, she had placed a small bowtie on him. "This is when I celebrated his first 'gotcha' day"

"He is a cute little guy, he looks like he'd fit in just the palm of my hand." Yunho smiled, handing back her phone.

"Why don't you ask Mia if you can meet him, then you can see" Kai, again, was making Yunho want to disappear. Mia was gently shaking her head, her expression was no longer peaceful. She looked slightly panicked, and Yunho's mind started reeling. What had he done wrong?

"Maybe someday" she responded, getting up from the small table. "But I should go and take care of Chen. It was a lovely afternoon, and thank you for the ice cream" she gave a smile as well as a soft bow and wave, and quickly walked away.

-----

Yunho went to the small bookstore on his own that Saturday, hoping to see Mia and apologize for whatever had happened. Mia was wearing jeans and a graphic t, nothing abnormal, yet Yunho couldn't stop staring. "How can I help you today, Yunho?" She said sternly as he approached the counter.

"I wanted to apologize for Thursday." His large hand swept through his hair, still trying to figure out what he did.

"You did nothing wrong." she seemed to brush off the subject, as she walked away with a pile of books in hand.

"I feel like something happened. Was it the twins? I'm sorry if something they said was inappropriate." Yunho said following her.

"No. They also were fine." Her answer was abrupt.

"Can I help you put those away?" Yunho gestured towards the books, as he fell in step with her.

"I'm alright, I can do this on my own." She kept walking further into the store. She seemed so warm on Thursday, but now she seemed to be turning a cold shoulder on him.

"I-" Yunho's own words caught in this throat, his feet stopping at the end of an aisle. "I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone." his soft words barely reaching her as she stopped.

"Yunho." She sighed, and motioned him to come closer with her head. As he approached she lost her own words. "It's not you." She whispered as she started to put books on the shelf.

"It has to be me. That's the only explanation I can come up with" he said, stepping behind her taking the book she was trying to place on the top shelf from her hand, and placing it where she was trying to place it.

"The explanation is me." She kept her eyes on the shelf in front of her, he could hear the slight tremor in her voice. He placed a hand softly on top of the one she had resting on the shelf. He could feel her body shake slightly as she started to sob. Yunho started to search for words. He was concerned, he wanted to comfort her. Would a hug be too much? I mean he was practically caging her in right now. Was that what was making her cry? He lifted his hand and moved backwards slightly, not wanting her to feel trapped. She dropped to her knees shaking, propping herself up against the bookcase. Mia was finally letting it all out. It was too late to stop her emotions now. Without getting closer Yunho just sat down next to her. Sometimes silence answered more than words. Today that was the case. Mia noted Yunho's presence, currently it felt like the only thing anchoring her to a safe harbor. She had been building this shell for so long, that when it broke it let a dam of emotions loose. The grief and betrayal from last winter. The constant mask she bravely put on everyday though she was broken. Mia found herself placing a hand on Yunho's knee as he went to move, she needed her anchor. Yunho placed his hand on hers.

"I never meant to make you cry." Yunho's words barely above a whisper, as he took his other hand and softly wiped her tears from her cheek.

"It isn't you." Mia rested her head against his hand. She wanted to trust him, to tell him everything, but her mind fought against it. He'll be just like Jay, he will make you believe him then he will lie to you over and over again. She shook her head. No, Yunho was different. But is he, or are his good looks deceiving you. Mia wanted to scream at the doubting voice in her mind. She looked up into Yunho's eyes. They were pure, almost puppy like. "Can you promise me something, even though I barely know you."

"Yeah" Yunho nodded, as he dropped his hands. He was now staring at her intently.

"Can you promise me that you'll be honest with me?" Her question puzzled him.

"Of course." 

"No, I need to know you're going to be honest. That you won't lie, even if it's to cover up my pain." Mia wasn't sure exactly why she was demanding this from the man she barely knew, in the bookstore after she just cried in front of him. Yunho wasn't sure either, but he nodded anyway.

"I promise I'll be honest." He looked at her, a small grin turning up the corner of his mouth. "To prove that. Can I say my butt is really starting to hurt, can we stand up now?"

She laughed, and got up. Wiping her damp cheeks with the back of her wrist "I want to explain some things." She paused as she took a deep breath. "I get off at 6. Would you be willing to meet me at the diner two doors down, about 6:15? I'll pay for dinner." Mia inquired as the two of them headed towards the front of the store. Yunho smiled and nodded.

"I will see you at 6:15"

-----

"Are you two ready to order?" The waiter smiled as he pulled a pencil from behind his ear, looking at Mia.

"I'll have #2 with over hard eggs, and bacon" Mia said, handing the waiter the menu.

"I'll have the #7 scrambled with extra bacon" Yunho smiled at Mia, as the waiter scribbled down their orders.

"I'll get those put in" the waiter nodded as he walked away.

Mia looked at her hands and as she played with her fingers nervously. How could she even start.

"I saw your boss pull you aside as I was leaving. You didn't get in trouble did you?" Yunho asked,  only to get a breathy chuckle from Mia.

"No, fortunately or unfortunately she pulled me off to the side to make sure I was OK. This isn't the first time I've broken down at work." Mia let another breathy chuckle as she played with the ring on her pointer finger. "I hope it's the last though. I feel embarrassed that you saw me like that."

"Don't feel embarrassed, I can be a shoulder to cry on." Yunho then looked at her tentatively. "Do you mind if I ask if you're ok?"

"I'm getting there." She avoided looking at him like the plague.

"Is there anything I can do to help, or make you feel better?" His words, sincere. He was truly concerned, he hadn't seen someone else break down like that in a long time.

"It is sweet of you to ask but I don't know. I don't know how to explain any of it properly, at least not without having another meltdown" her gaze found a drop of water on the table. She put her finger in it, and started to doodle with the water. She would take any distraction from her emotions right now.

"You don't have to explain anything then. I can wait until you are ready." Yunho cocked his head to the side, and bent over to try to look into her eyes.

"What if I'm never ready" she finally looked at him, her pained look met his soft caring eyes.

"I will still wait. I can be a constant in your life. Like an anchor in the storm."

-----

The next Thursday he took the twins to listen to Mia again. This time Mia was dressed in all blue as she told the tale of Pinocchio. Yunho smiled when he realized she made herself the blue fairy. The true narrator of the tale. He watched from the seat he had chosen the week before. He laughed as Pinocchio's nose grew. When the mischief started Yunho could feel the tension of the story. It amazed him to hear her read the stories, she painted the pictures so marvelously with her words, that when Pinocchio was stuck in the water just before he got swallowed by the whale he wanted to hold his breath.  He felt joy as the blue fairy gave Jiminy his good conscience badge, and when Pinocchio became a real boy he had to hold in his cheers. Everytime she told a story it was as if it was the first time he heard it, though he knew all the stories well.

"So how did you guys enjoy Pinocchio?" Mia asked as she set down the book.

"I liked the cricket. Though I don't like bugs" one of the girls said, as she pulled a face. Mia giggled.

"I like him too. So, do you guys think Jiminy was a good conscience?" She asked the group.

"I think he was. Pinocchio just didn't always listen." One of the older boys said.

"But Jiminy was supposed to keep Pinocchio from doing the bad stuff. So didn't I don't think he did very good." One of the girls piped up.

"That is a good point Sumin. He didn't always stop him, But do we always listen to our parents?" Mia asked the little girl, who blushed slightly as she looked down.

"No, I guess we don't."

"But that doesn't mean we have to give up if something bad happens. Sometimes we have to be brave and do things that scare us. Maybe we can do our best to be brave and fix our mistakes like Pinocchio did." Mia said, making eye contact with Yunho. She nodded at him slightly as she returned her attention to the group.

"Then we can become real boys!" One of the smallest in the group said excitedly, which resulted in giggles from around the area.

"Yes, then we can also become real like Pinocchio. Remember life isn't about being perfect, it's about doing your best, and apologizing if you do make mistakes." Mia smiled. "Now remember next week is our last week for this summer so come ready to listen."

"What are you going to read?" Nami asked excitedly.

"It's a surprise! But, I'm going to dress as a princess." She loudly whispered with an exaggerated wink to the group.

"Can I dress up too?" A voice called.

"Of course. We'll give special treats to the princes and princesses who come." Mia's response was greeted with cheers.

"It was a good story today," Yunho said, approaching her.

"I've always enjoyed the little wooden boy." She smiled, as she cleaned the small area up a bit.

"I was wondering if you could maybe give a real boy a chance." Yunho looked at her, his eyes pleading. She looked at her feet then back at him.

"I can try" her voice soft, as she nodded.

"Yes!!" The twins shouted, making the older pair jump slightly. Yunho actually forgot he had brought them for a minute. Mia just started to laugh as the twins started telling Yunho which ice creams they were going to make their dad buy.

"Are you available Saturday?"

-----

"Hi Mia, Are you ready to go?" Yunho leaned on her door frame as Mia answered the door.

"I believe so" she smiled as she grabbed her purse.

"You look nice," he said, admiring her jeans and brown peasant blouse.

"Thank you, you look nice as well. I like your shirt" she noted looking at his dark gray short sleeved button up. Her smile lit up the hallway as she locked her apartment. "So where are we going"

"Well, I wanted to do something a little different" He smiled. "I hope you're ready for an adventure."

As they entered the building Mia did her best not to laugh. She had never been to a place where you could fish indoors before. Let alone one that had a pirate ship that people could fish from. "I would've never expected this." Mia giggled as Yunho took her hand gently.

"Well I haven't stopped thinking about this place since you read Peter Pan. I haven't been here in years, but I thought fishing would be fun. Plus we can pretend to be pirates while we fish." he smiled as he paid.

"I've always thought of myself more as a lost boy than a pirate," she laughed, as they followed the employee to their reserved spots on the ship.

"Pirates have more fun." he wiggled his eyebrows, as they started baiting their hooks.

The next hour was full of small talk, to get to know one another. She found out that Yunho Majored in music, he had a love for writing and composing music. He also loved to dance, he loved the way he could portray his emotions and the words in the song by moving his body. He found out she had been studying environmental science, that she wanted to help be the solution instead of the problem. She said she had to take an unexpected break from school last year, and that she was hoping to start again in the spring. Their conversation lulled to a comfortable silence, until her fishing pole started going nuts. She stood, trying to hold onto the pole. "Oh my gosh! Yunho help!" Mia yelled as she tried to reel in whatever had taken her bait. He quickly stood behind her wrapping his arms around her holding the pole with her. When she finally got the fish out of the water they heard music come over the loudspeaker.

"Someone has caught the largest fish in the tank!" The voice echoed around them. As an employee came over and helped them, weigh and take care of the fish Mia ended up winning the grand prize of the day, which was two gift certificates for more fishing, as well as two free ice creams from the ice cream parlor next door. The prizes from Yunho's small catches was a small plush seal, and some jellies.

"Yunho that was so much fun. Thank you." Mia placed her hand on Yunho's elbow as they stepped outside.

"You're welcome, but the night is still young. If you are okay with it, I'd love to treat you to dinner." He smiled as he gently set his hand on top of hers, as they strolled down the busy street.

"I think that sounds wonderful, what do you have in mind?" A content sigh left Mia's lips as she enjoyed the warmth from the sun.

"Well," he started. "What if I told you it's a surprise"

"Usually I would question more, but I am getting hungry" she said, her stomach growling as if on queue.

"Well lucky for you, and your stomach, it's just a few minutes walk from here." Yunho teased, as he guided her to a pizza place, with outdoor seating on the second floor.

"Yunho!" A few employees cheered as they entered the busy restaurant. "We have your usual table ready for you." The Host smiled as he guided the two of you up the stairs, out onto the patio. "Here you are."

"So, you come here a lot?" Mia asked as she sat down.

"Yeah, a good friend of mine works here as a chef. So I started coming here to support him, but I actually really like their pizza." Yunho sat and sighed contently as he looked across the street. "Plus I really like the view of the park from here, it makes me feel a little closer to nature even though we are in the city."

Mia followed his gaze and could see what he meant. It was beautiful here. She watched as two squirrels fought around a tree. Just taking it all in.  Yunho was lost in his thoughts as he watched Mia. The view was spectacular, the sun was hitting her at a perfect angle making her glow slightly as it pitched towards the horizon. The waiter soon brought them some waters, and informed them that the chef prepared something for them, so they had no need to order. Soon they were talking about how lovely the weather had been this week.

"Yunho! I made something special for tonight!" A man with dark hair, sharp looks, and a mole under his eye came over. Carrying a full tray of food.

"Hi, Wooyoung. This is Mia." Yunho gestured, as Wooyoung set the food on the table.

"So this is the storyteller. You were right she's cute" Wooyoung took her hand and kissed it. Mia could feel her cheeks flush.

"Wooyoung, stop. She's my date, not yours." Yunho rolled his eyes.

"What, I can't appreciate beauty?" He scoffed. "I don't know what you see in this." Wooyoung jabbed his thumb towards Yunho.

"I see potential" Mia smiled looking at Yunho, whose ears were tinged pink. Wooyoung just rolled his eyes.

"Well, I prepared Yunho's favorite pizza, as well as avocado salad, and for dessert I have brownies baking." Wooyoung smiled as he rubbed his hands on his black apron.

"Thank you Wooyoung." Mia responded with a slight bow.

"I expect feedback the brownies are a new recipe I'm trying on you two" 

"That worries me" Yunho joked, as his friend smacked his shoulder. 

----

"Yunho tonight has been just perfect" Mia said as she wiped her mouth with a napkin, to get off any sauce from the slice of pizza she had just finished.

"I've had an enjoyable time as well," Yunho said, before taking another bite.

"I want to tell you something" Mia looked over towards the park, the sun was starting to set, sending golden tones over the trees.

"Anything"

"I'm going to tell you a story, you can't interrupt it ok" she looked towards him, concern painting her face along with the gold of the sunset. Yunho nodded in response.

Mia spun a tale of a young woman who had just moved to a new city. She was full of wonder and hope. She started college and met a man who swept her off her feet. His name was Jay. Everything Jay said was perfect, she felt like she was living in a fairytale. Until she went to surprise him at work one day. Only to find out he had been fired two weeks previously. When she called him, he shrugged it off. Saying he got let go for a stupid reason, and that he hadn't wanted her to worry so he hadn't told her. She asked if he had another job, and he said he did. He had told fanciful tales of what life could be like together, so when her lease was up she asked to move in with him. He seemed tentative until she said she would pay half the rent. Jay agreed, only to have the landlord kick them out two months later, due to overdue rent he never told her about. After they got kicked out, she found another place, and Jay was full of promises again. She told him not until he could be honest and pay bills on time. So he moved in with a friend to help prove he could be better.  After a few months Jay had convinced her he had changed. So she let him move in. When she asked him for his portion of the rent he would say his work hadn't paid him yet, or that he had to help pay for something for his parents. Mia started to see his pattern, she wondered if he really ever had a job, or if he was just using her to have a place to live and food to eat. She was starting to wonder what he had done with the money she had given him previously for rent. She never expected to come home early from work one day to find Jay on their couch, having sex with a complete stranger, money scattered on the coffee table beside them. That's when she had enough. She started yelling, scaring them both, and kicking them both out of her apartment without letting them get dressed. She shoved them out the door and locked it. She then gathered everything of Jay's into garbage bags and set them next to the trash bins outside.

Mia took a deep breath as silence took over the area. She looked at the brownies that had been placed in front of them.

"That is why I tried pushing you away. You came in being charming, and after I started to feel something towards you I panicked. I can't go through another Jay." Mia said quietly as she picked up a brownie placing it on the napkin in front of her and picked at the edges.

"I can promise you that I will never do those things to you." Yunho reached across the table for her hand. "I will be honest, like I promised. Jay was a fool for doing those things to you."

"Can I be honest with you?" Mia asked looking up shyly.

"Of course, I would love for you to always be able to tell me things honestly" his hand felt warm around hers.

"I'm scared. I barely know you, and those I have known have hurt me. I don't trust anymore. I need time with so many things. Honestly I have enjoyed this so much, but I have so many problems. I don't want you wasting your time with me. I'm broken beyond repair" tears threatened to fall with her every breath.

"What are you saying?" Yunho inquired.

"I'm saying you deserve someone who you don't have to wait on. Someone who can love you like you deserve. Someone who you don't have to worry about. Someone who isn't me. You deserve someone better." Her voice shook as she stood up.

"Mia, I like you-" he followed her actions.

"I know, but you shouldn't. You need to find someone who isn't broken." She said as he stepped closer to her, Yunho's arms wrapped around her as they stood next to their table. He remained silent for a moment.

"Can I tell you a story?" He asked. She nodded as she rested her head on his chest. "Once upon a time I fell in love with a girl I thought I would marry. Yuni had all the things I thought I was looking for. She moved in with me, I believed it was going well. The night I was going to propose I came home to find her standing with luggage in hand, all of her things packed. She told me she couldn't handle me anymore. She hated the life she was living, she had been cheating on me with a childhood friend. She was sick of the lies. Sick of the constant music. She told me that I was nothing.  She left me heartbroken in the middle of my apartment, the ring in my pocket seemed to weigh me down. She had destroyed most of my friendships. I sat in my apartment that night realizing that now I had nothing beside my brother and his kids. I was lucky enough to have some forgiving friends who welcomed me back, after I explained how caught up in her I had been.  So I am just as broken as you. I'm still not sure how to love again without getting hurt. But with you I feel like giving it a shot. Maybe we can help each other realize we don't have to be whole to be loved." He was holding her as close as he could. His shirt was wrinking from her tears, but he couldn't care less. He was holding her, he wanted to be her protector. Her arms were locked around his waist, she wouldn't be letting go anytime soon. They were both broken, trying to hold themselves together. Yet in that moment they each felt small pieces of themselves start mending. They held each other as the night grew darker.

"So love birds, did you enjoy the brownies?" They heard Wooyoung say as he stepped outside. They quickly separated, and looked at the table where the brownies had yet to be touched, her eyes grew wide, as Yunho smirked.

"We only ate what we liked," Yunho laughed as Wooyoung's face grew angry. Which made Yunho laugh harder.

"Sorry we haven't tried them yet. We got a little- preoccupied" Mia said as she reached over and picked up her brownie. She took a bite and groaned at the delectable taste. "Holy crap these are delicious!"

Yunho picked up a brownie himself. "Wooyoung this is delicious. Rich, but not over the top, I also like the chunks of chocolate."

"Only one thing would make it better," Mia said, taking another bite.

"What's that?" the chef asked.

"Ice Cream. Make it ala mode" she said covering her mouth as she spoke.

Wooyoung nodded a small smirk on his lips. "I knew I would like you. Yunho this one is a keeper." Wooyoung commented as he walked back into the restaurant.

"Seriously though, can we take the rest of these brownies to go? They are delicious" Mia said, turning to Yunho.

"Of course, but they are coming home with me!" Yunho teased.

"I guess that means I'll be coming over for brownies" Mia smirked as she shrugged.

"I'd like that." Yunho said, stepping forward and enveloping her in his arms once more.

Thursday came quickly, and Yunho picked up Kai and Nami. Kai was dressed in his prince costume from the previous Halloween. It was a bit short but the white outfit with the red sash and cummerbund made him look very sharp. Nami was wearing a perfectly blue Cinderella style dress with her plastic glass slippers of course.

"You dressed up too!!" Nami squealed as she ran into Yunho's arms.

"Of course. There need to be more princes and knights in this world" 

"I wish mine looked as cool as yours!" Kai grumbled, as he compared his white outfit, to Yunho's black one. Yunho's slacks paired great with the black straight neck jacket. Gold filigree adorned the shoulders and cuffs, complete with gold trim. Yunho did feel princely, aside from his crown.

"Hey yours looks great little man! I wish mine was red, plus you have a real crown. Mine is paper." Yunho gestured to the paper crown from a fast food place. "Now your majesties, your carriage awaits."

When they got to the bookstore they discovered a cardboard castle leaning against the bookshelves in the story area, and a cardboard throne placed over a chair instead of the beanbag. Yunho smiled as he saw the children all dressed up as princes and princesses. He sat in a hidden corner of the shop, wanting to surprise Mia. Mia entered wearing a full Renaissance dress, the cream bodice was paired nicely with the forest green kirtle which was corseted with green ribbon. The long sleeves flowed behind her with embellishments around the elbows on the sleeve. A small circlet crown of silver leaves sat across the top of her forehead. Yunho felt she looked like she stepped out of one of the many fantasy novels surrounding him. She truly looked like a princess. "Hello" she smiled as she sat upon her small throne. "It is like the royalty from around the world has joined me today, you all look fantastic." She looked overjoyed, as she smiled at each child around her.

"What princess are you?" One of the girls dressed as Snow white asked.

"I am my own princess today. Because I want to read you guys a book my mom used to read to me." She lifted the small book. "The Princess and the Pea." She started reading the tale of a prince who couldn't find a suitable princess. He would find them lacking in princess ways. Until one night a terrible storm came through the land, and a young woman claiming to be a princess sought refuge. The queen was leery of the newcomer and set a pea under many mattresses. The queen did this because surely a princess could tell. When the girl awoke the next day she claimed pain from something in the bed, that made her not sleep well. When the prince saw she noticed such a small thing he decided to marry her. As Mia finished the short story she smiled. "Can someone tell me why I wanted to read that story today?"

"Because you found your prince!" Nami said excitedly.

"Well, I might've." Mia winked as she felt her cheeks flush. "I wanted to read that to you guys, because I feel you can all be princes and princesses."

"But why? Do you want us to sleep on peas?" A small prince asked.

"No. I don't want you to sleep on peas" she laughed. "I feel you can all notice the small things. To me being a true prince or princess is noticing something small, and being willing to change it. You can all do something, it doesn't have to be big. A small change can make a big difference." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke. Yunho could see her passion in her eyes.

"How can I do something though. I'm not big" a girl in a beautiful green gown said.

"A pea isn't very big, but it changed a lot of life's. Maybe start doing something good, like picking up trash when you go for walks. Being kind to a sibling, or even just giving a hug to a parent. Small things make big changes. Like a ripple in a pool. Remember that as the school year starts. Be kind, have courage, and make a difference" Mia's small speech seemed to spark something within the kids. They seemed excited. "OK princes and princesses, we've got a cupcake for each of you. So make sure to grab one before you leave. They are up at the front counter. "

That is when Yunho it was time to surprise Mia. She was watching the kids converse as she stood next to her throne. "Princess, from an admirer" Yunho lifted a small bouquet of cream colored tulips, as she turned to look at him. Her eyes grew big, as she looked him over.

"Yunho, you dressed up!" Mia's eyes shone as she took the flowers with a courtesy. "You make a lovely prince"

"Thank you. So, I heard Nami ask if you found your prince." He smirked, as he pushed his hair back from his forehead. Knocking his paper crown to the ground. "She did." Mia smiled as she set the tulips on the chair. "Well have you found him" he asked as he softly wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close.

"I think I have. Though his crown might need an upgrade." She chuckled as she looked toward the ground. "I think that can be arranged." Yunho lifted her head to look into her eyes.

"I hope so" she lifted her arms to his shoulders, pulling him down slightly. His eyes closed as her lips met his.

[itsoneofthemuses]

Okay I’m not on the discord about Chenford and the intimacy but can you share some of your head cannons about some/any of those qs??

Yes, for sure! Okay, let's see what I remember...  FYI, it’s a very long post and it gets M rated, 18+, R, whatever system you use.  It’s for adult reading.  P.S. If you want an invite to the chenford discord, just ask.

1) Lucy - bra advocate or freedom fighter?

I think everyone mostly agreed that Lucy generally prefers to go without a bra. In public, she wears them when she has to, no question but it's certainly not her preference.

2) What’s the context for their first time? Seriously. Does Lucy wait three dates? Are they angry? Is it super romantic? Do they wait on the kinky stuff until later?

So there was actually a ton of disagreement about this! I honestly can't tell you exactly what their first time would be like because it changes in my head but I don't think either of them has hard and fast rules (or didn't used to, anyway) about third dates, etc. I can totally see them just going HAM that first time. And yes, kink comes (to some degree) as they get more comfortable with each other.

3) Who is most likely to accidentally walk in on them? Tamara? Jackson? Angela? Wesley?

Okay, for reference, we developed an entire joke about Wesley/Angela and Lucy/Tim having a sex competition... So, basically, the answer is that everyone is likely to walk in on them. Not because they do it at the station or anything, but because there's a lack of boundaries sometimes (Jackson and Lucy), Angela has a key to his house and he's been MIA for 36 hours, Tamara's habit is to knock and then enter without waiting for a response, and when they slip away for a little afternoon delight at the Evers family home, it's Wesley who gets sent to find them.  Nolan does it so often, by accident and sheer bad luck, that he starts volunteering to be the one to go looking for them if they disappear because why must everyone suffer?

4) Period sex? Yay or nay?

People were torn on this. I lean yes. Not like, as a rule, but I don't think they'd shy away from it if they were both in the mood. It just involves some time (have to factor in the post-sex shower for both of them) and effort (laying a towel down ahead of time, just in case).

5) If they’re “taking care” of themselves (they were both single, although Tim only technically, for a while) what do they use? And yes, I’m asking about their porn/personal toy preferences.

Tim's an old fashioned guy in this regard. His hand and lube, some mental pictures, that video Lucy sent him when she was dogsitting Kojo at his house that one time... Lucy, on the other hand, has tried a wide variety of toys and materials. She believes in ethical consumption of pornography so she pays for it, thanks.

6) Their favourite times - morning sex? Afternoon delight? Under the cover of night? In that one hour they get together when she’s on nights and he’s on days?

All of it. No, but really, all of it. Tim's more of a morning person than Lucy is so he's happy to do most of the work while Lucy is sleepy and loose-limbed underneath him, or when they're both itching for something to do but it's rainy out and that weird time before dinner but after lunch and they have no plans and they can take their time, or late in the evening when Tim is flagging but Lucy is forging ahead full steam ahead and she's delighted to make Tim the focus of her singular attention and passion. Also, they perfect quickies and getting right down to business or just taking the edge off when they're working opposite shifts.

7) By the way, their personal feelings on sleep sex? Obvs assuming they’ve discussed it beforehand?

This is complicated because whether the show remembers on a consistent basis or not, Lucy went through a pretty intense trauma where she was drugged and abducted and, in general, it's a sad and scary fact that her NOT being sexually assaulted was the biggest surprise so... All this to say, it might come over time, but really, Lucy has become something of a light sleeper so it doesn't really pan out. And Tim, well, he's been on two tours and a police officer for 12 years, so he's not exactly the guy who knocks out with no awareness either.  I don’t think they’d be opposed, but it just doesn’t really happen.

8) Who’s the initiator? Do they have basically similar sex drives?

They initiate equally. Or, relatively so. It's not like they keep track. They have high stress, adrenalin-fueled jobs, and they're both like, really, really, really good looking.  And please note, Lucy is basically in her prime right now so she is down.

9) Who is the one more likely to talk about sex in general? With each other? With friends? With their kids?

Lucy isn't shy. It's not like she tells her friends intimate details but it's fun to share that you have a healthy and satisfying sex life over mimosas at brunch, okay? So she has no problem talking about sex but she doesn't provide details, especially knowing how private Tim is. Tim will talk about sex when he needs to ("I'm clean, asphyxiation is a hard no") but he tends to stay quiet if it comes up. He let's the shit-eating smug grin on his face do the talking for him. P.S. Lucy talks to all of the kids about sex but she makes him show them how to use a condom.

10) What’s one sure sign or thing they do to let the other know they’re down? Like, I imagine Lucy showers, shaves, and leaves her intended underwear out on the bed

Tim knows if he sees Lucy’s pjs out on the bed, or lack thereof, that she is interested and he is typically happy to reciprocate that interest right back.  Lucy, on the other hand, knows that when Tim shave after work, not before, that she is in for it.

11) Preferred PJ’s. Don’t cop out (ha!) and saying they go to bed nude.

I think this depends, and changes, for both of them.  Lucy is usually in a tanktop and short or pj bottoms, during heatwaves and because she sleeps beside a furnace, it eventually becomes just a tanktop or one of Tim’s old t-shirts.  Tim typically sticks to boxers or basketball shorts or sweats, depending.  Once the kids start climbing into bed with them, and he discovered the hard way that someone had to keep track of when the kids need their nails cut, he occasionally starts pulling on t-shirts.

12) What’s the frequency? I guess this goes back to sex drive. But they’re busy, high stress professionals. Do they have down periods?

Of course, yes, absolutely.  High stress careers, family, regular real life normal stress...  That all hits for them too.  If we’re talking fanfic Tim and Lucy, then no, they are always golden and down to bone, but real life Tim and Lucy?  Yeah, sometimes when two of the kids are both throwing up, and they’re both still working 12 hour shifts on opposite timetables, they aren’t interested in having sex.  That’s normal and it’s okay and when they do reconnect, it’s...  Great.  Really great.

13) How many of their kids are accidents because Tim has super sperm according to fanon? (or just how many kids?)

This caused so much debate!  For some reason, I headcanon three kids and two of them are accidents.  Tim gets snipped after pregnancy number three because he’s not having kids after 50 and Lucy flat out told him if he put another baby in her, she was going to give him a vasectomy herself.  Tim’s been hurt worse by the kids when they were throwing a tantrum.  In case you were wondering...  Numbers 1 and 3 were accidents-ish.  Lucy had the appointment for her IUD to be replaced booked and anyway...  That ended up cancelled.  And number three was antibiotics and the flu that transitioned into morning sickness, so.  Vasectomy.  We did discuss in chat whether they ended up with twins on the third pregnancy and the vote was basically 50/50.

14) Who do they (individually or together) walk in on? Also, who cockblocks who in this group?

The resounding answer was Angela and Wesley.  That’s their main couple friend.  And when they need a babysitter, they’re not discreet about why.  They walked in on Jackson a few time when he and Lucy were still living together.  Tim silently vows to make extra noise and to do his best to make Lucy extra shouty on those occasions.  They are all cockblocks in their own way.  Nolan is usually accidental, but on occasion, he delights in it simply because he’s been subjected to their canoodling so often through no fault of his own.  

15) How do they feel about PDA? At the station, it’s obviously a no-no but otherwise?

They vary on this.  Lucy is just generally an affectionate person - a hand on the arm, leaning on someone’s shoulder, hugs for comfort.  In a relationship, that doesn’t really change.  She’s happy to hold hands or exchange an occasional kiss but the desire to show everyone how cool she is by making out with her hot boyfriend was left behind in undergrad.  Tim, surprisingly, is a touchy guy.  He likes holding hands, he puts an arm around her chair, he plays with her hair, has a hand on her leg...  And yeah, the occasional kiss.  But he’s a cop and being distracted or unaware in public, which is what happens when he’s kissing Lucy, is not something he enjoys.  Hilariously, surrounded by their friends is where they both feel safest being the most PDA-ish and it’s also where they can least enjoy it thanks to the truly insane level of heckling they face.  Harper once rated their technique.

16) What’s the turn on for each of them? Like, if Lucy wears green? Tim wears Hugo Boss cologne?

There was no real consensus on this.  Except that everything the other does in a turn on.

17) What makes them feel sexy? Is Tim really feeling himself right after a workout? Does Lucy have a ‘felt cute might delete later’ after she gets waxed?

Tim isn’t...  Super vain, but yeah, you know what, sometimes he’s feeling pretty good after he’s hit the gym and gotten in a run.  It’s the just endorphins probably, but he feels good about himself, about what his body can do, and then he starts thinking about what his body can do to Lucy’s body...  He assumes that Lucy thinks similarly because she always looks like she wants to lick him from head to toe when he gets home, but actually, a sweaty, confident Tim Bradford just does it for her.  Lucy, on the other hand, is always feeling pretty good after she gets her hair done.  It always feels vaguely like a whole new Lucy and new Lucy likes to try new things which...  Tim is not unhappy about.  

18) Going back to consent… Drunk sex? Is weed legal in California?

Someone mentioned that police officers aren’t allowed to use weed in the LAPD, anyway.  So that’s moot.  And maybe, initially, they’re both more hesitant about initiating (or more likely, finishing what the other starts) if there’s alcohol involved but they have those conversations when sober and Lucy is a handsy, horny drunk and Tim is happy to oblige as best he can, drunk or sober.

19) What could they watch the other do all day? Now or in future? (do we leave Dadford out of it because it’s too obvious?)

Okay, but Dadford.  When they have kids, Lucy could watch him be a dad all day everyday.  She had to break down walls and sneak into his heart and, even now, years later, she sometimes has to cajole the words out of TIm.  She doesn’t begrudge him that - she’s an adult, they know each other, and she never doubts his love for her.  But he’s just so easy, and open, and unfailingly loving with their kids (it’s how they got numbers 2 and 3) that she’s glad he voluntarily got a vasectomy or they’d one of those couples with 1000 offspring.  Before they have kids, though, she could watch him play hockey or watch him watch sports.  His passion, his joy, just emanated from him and there is nothing that’s more of a turn on than a happy Tim.  For Tim, he could watch Lucy meditate which sounds weird, but she’s always such a bundle of energy and movement and watching her be peaceful and still is...  It’s like watching an ember glow.  He could also watch her do yoga all day but um, that’s for an entirely different reason.

20) Love languages… How do they like to receive/give love typically?

Ooh..  Lucy gives love through touch and likes words of affirmation.  Tim gives love through acts of service and likes to receive it through quality time.  Which seems like a mismatch at first glance but really just means that they care enough to learn these things about each other and go out of their way to meet each other’s needs.  Besides, it’s not like they weren’t doing everything they could to communicate their love to each other regardless.

21) What’s a shared activity that gets them mutually going? Is cooking super sensual for them? I don’t know.

They like going paintballing together or to the gun range.  Adrenalin and being kick ass?  Yeah, that’s hot.  Dancing together is also intimate in a way that just seems to lead to making out which leads to bed or the closest surface, anyway.

22) How much does this group know about each other’s sex lives? Whether they talk about it or whether they just glean info from knowing each other.

Look.  Look.  You hang out together, you live together, you work together, you save each other, you build friendships and family together..?  You’re going to learn some shit.  So, yeah, Harper knows Lucy is a screamer and she is never going to let her live that down just like she will never mention this knowledge to Tim because she will not inflate that ego anymore.  Tim is aware that Lopez occasionally enjoys some light spanking and god knows he wishes he didn’t, but that’s what happens when your best friend texts you an SOS and forgets about it.  It’s just shit that happens.  

23) Do they have any fantasies they’d never act on? (like gangbang or something because they don’t share)

I mean...  I guess?  But not really.  Like most straight dudes, Tim has occasionally thought about threesomes but he’s man enough to admit that he thinks it’s hotter in his head than it would be in real life.  Lucy used to think it might be sort of hot to have a handsome stranger take her back to his place and have his way with her.  Then Caleb happened and if Emmett had thought it was weird that they never had the lights off, he never said anything.  

24) What’s an intimate, but not necessarily sexual, activity they do or enjoy together?

They start sparring and the trust that requires is immense; Tim has about 100lbs, 9 inches, and a much longer reach, 12 years on the force, and military training under his belt.  Beyond that, she drags him to a spa with a hot spring and steam room and other amenities and while it’s not Tim’s typical speed, there is something about slowing down and just being with Lucy that is so intimate that he is the one who books it for their anniversary the following year.

25) Who is on their celebrity hook up list? Their free pass. You know Tim argues she already used hers on Nolan.

Lucy had posed the question casually and Tim had insisted it was stupid and refused to engage.  But that just piques Lucy’s interest even more because, obviously, there’s no such thing as a real and true free pass.  Lucy assures him she and Jackson have a pact to help each other commit murder in very specific and extreme situations and that’s one of them.  Tim blinks at her and wonders if she knows what she’s admitting to A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.  Lucy just rolls her eyes.  Tim finally relents and mumbles something about Lucy Liu, Eva Longoria, and Lisa Turtle.  He insists he doesn’t want to know hers because they live in LA and if it’s even a remote possibility...  She assures him that at least three of them are well out of her reach and he’s got them beat anyway...  He’s even hotter being a dad than Chris Hemsworth, his eyes are bluer than Chris Pine, and he is her hero in a way that Captain America couldn’t even compare to.  He loses on all fronts to Idris, but then so does every man and Tim can live with that.

26) Speaking of comfort, what’s like… A comfort sex thing? Or not even sex. Just a physical comfort thing they do for/to each other?

Lucy is a surprisingly good masseuse and Tim appreciates that like you wouldn’t believe.  Lucy just likes to be held sometimes.  Yeah, she processes things by talking them out and Tim is her favourite person to do that with but sometimes...  Sometimes she just needs him to ground her and be physically there and Tim is so willing to do that whenever he is able.  As for comfort sex...  Sometimes they’re not in it to win it, it’s just really nice to be naked and touching.  Or even just making out.

27) Let’s get the basics out of the way - boxers or briefs? Underwire or sports bra? Sleeping touching but apart or all over each other?

Tim wears briefs to work because it’s a physical job and you know what, that fucking uniform shows everything, or maybe the store the LAPD uses just tailors things funny but he could swear his shirt sleeves have gotten tighter over the years.  Anyway.  But he owns and appreciates boxers, especially for bed.  Lucy steals them half the time though so.  Lucy owns both underwire and sports bras and bralettes and...  She’s tried them all and they all have their place, if she has to wear a bra at all.  As for sleeping, yeah, it’s a mix.  Lucy always gravitates toward whatever is radiating warmth unless it’s in the middle of a heatwave because Tim keeps the house cold.  But it’s usually just an arm or a hand touching here and there.  When they have kids, they’re lucky if most of their body makes it fully on the bed at opposite ends.

28) Tell me about their sex noises. No, but for real. Is it just panting? Talking? Lucy seems like a talker. Do they laugh when it’s not super rough? Are there a lot of body noises? Is one of them super sweaty? Let’s get real detailed here.

Just an FYI, so much disagreement here!  Personally, I think it depends on where, and where, and how, and why.  They are both talkers.  Lucy has a filthy mouth sometimes and Tim is into it.  Sometimes he can’t help but encourage her, spur her on with vague hints of T.O. but the sounds that gets in response are worth it.  They aren’t adult performers but yeah, sometimes it gets noisy.  One of the first times Lucy stays over, she goes to let Kojo out into the yard the next morning and Tim’s neighbour that she’s never met or seen before, greets her by name. She and Tim (who is rather private) are still new so she doubts he mentioned it.  She smiles and nods back and when she tells Tim he furrows his brow, wondering, when they both hear Kojo’s barks loud and clear through the open bedroom window and now neither of them can ever make eye contact with the neighbours ever again.

[hermannsthumb]

"newt isn’t sleazy and is also too busy wrestling with the ethics of hitting on his hot TA if the guy is 5 months older than him to even notice" pleeeease write this

Anonymous asked: "When I Kissed the Teacher" AU ft professor newt and his hot 5-month-older TA hermann

and coincidentally, this older one

Anonymous asked: i just rewatched mamma mia 2 and was wondering if i could request a "when i kissed the teacher" newmann fic?? love your writing!!!!!!

Ask And Ye Shall Receive. sorry ive been MIA 😔 concept from this post I made earlier this month. idk what class newt teaches that hermann would be qualified to TA for but just like, decide for yourselves

---------------------

Newt’s never been a list-making kind of guy, or--for that matter--even really a planning ahead kind of guy, but certain circumstances have thrown his life more out of wack than usual lately, and he kind of needs the stability the like of things like lists offer. Desperate times and everything. Or, at the very least, Newt is desperate. 

So Newt plans, and plots, and deliberates, and he even agonizes a little, but most of all, he makes a list.

On one half of the page, he writes pros. On the other, he writes cons. On top, he writes--what else?--Hermann.

The problem started in late August. Newt knew for months he was going to be assigned a teaching assistant come that semester--it was him, after all, who’d suggested it to the dean in the first place--but the Hermann Gottlieb of extensive, impressive, overachieving CV and overly-former cover letter was a far cry from Hermann Gottlieb in the flesh. Newt expected a dork, frankly. Someone too socially awkward to feel brave enough to thank someone for holding a door open for him. He expected a PhD student so eager to please he’d cater to Newt’s every whim, whether it was grading horrendous freshman lab reports or fetching him a sandwich from the commissary between class sections. 

They met for the first time at the campus coffee shop. Hermann was dressed in an oversized pair of slacks, a threadbare green sweatervest, and honest-to-God saddle shoes; the buttons of his Oxford were done up all the way, from the collar to the cuffs, and an ornate cane was settled against his thigh. His haircut was tragic. “Dr. Geiszler,” he said, all clipped and English, and held his hand out to Newt. “Hermann Gottlieb. It is a great pleasure to meet you. I’m an admirer of your work.”

"Sup,” Newt said, and tried to bump their fists together.

Newt knew he was in deep shit then. It wasn’t just because Hermann was gorgeous (which he was, in a sort of weird, frumpy, ripped-outta-1945 way), or that the scowl he proceeded to level Newt with made his soul wither and his heart race a little bit too fast, but both of those things in conjunction with a big one: Newt was, and is, so fucking love-starved. It’s an unfortunate byproduct of being made a professor when he was as young as he was and completing a PhD before he completed puberty. His early twenties should’ve been spent dyeing his hair terrible colors and adding to his already impressive tattoo collection and having questionable hookups with other young twentysomethings; unfortunately, the only young twentysomethings Newt ever seems to come across are his students, and he has a very strict code of ethics. Not to mention it wasn’t like he was getting any action before that as a weird, gangly teenager with peers several years his senior. He was bound to latch onto the first genius hottie who crossed his path who wasn’t trying to flirt their way into bumping that B- to a B+. And better yet, Hermann is five whole months his senior!

The shit only got deeper when the semester started. No, Hermann was not the sort to fetch Newt sandwiches, or coffee, or Aspirin from his office, nor was he the sort to handle the dreaded lab reports (at least not unless Newt handled them with him), and he definitely wasn’t eager to please. Newt, anyway. If anything the opposite was true: he seemed to actively derive enjoyment from undermining Newt at every turn.

“Wrong,” he’d mutter during class if Newt screwed something up in a lecture, or “No, Geiszler, you’re doing it wrong again,” or “How in the blazes did you get three bloody PhDs when you can’t even do simple addition?” and snatch Newt’s dry erase marker away to scrawl his own answers on the whiteboard. It was less like having a TA and more like having...well, a bitchy, annoying co-teacher. Or, God help Newt, a colleague. And boy, did he wave those five months over Newt’s head like a fucking flag. Newt was immature; inexperienced; clearly not as serious about his studies--his completed studies--as Hermann. Meanwhile Newt’s class (bright young twenty somethings, taller than Newt, cooler than Newt, with more friends than Newt) would giggle and snicker, and Hermann would look smug.

It drove Newt fucking batty.

It also made him, like, super turned on.

The two can co-exist. Apparently. Hermann Gottlieb is already helping Newt discover new and existing concepts; what a fucking excellent TA he is. Someone give that man a raise.

So Newt draws up a list, and he writes Pros, and he writes Cons, and he writes Hermann. The pros are regrettably easy to come up with, because Hermann is Hermann, and (bitchiness and undermining of Newt aside) it’s unfair how many he has. Hot. Stupid sexy accent. Stupidly smart. This is crossed out and replaced with so smart he makes me feel stupid (in a good way), because it seems like an important distinction. Glasses on chain. Mysterious. (In a tall, dark, and handsome way. Sort of. Average height--which is tall to Newt, pale, and handsome. He still scowls more than he talks, which makes him feel mysterious. In a Bronte sort of way. Newt can picture Hermann drawing a billowing cloak around his shoulders and stalking some desolate moor in the moonlight, though in this case maybe’s more of a puffy parka than a cloak.) In tiniest font of all is makes me laugh, because Hermann does, goddamn it, with his snide asides and cutting remarks and sarcasm, often not even directed at Newt when it’s just the two of them alone in Newt’s office at night.

The placement of “is my TA” on the chart is acting as a particular annoyance to Newt, entirely on account of the fact that he can think of several pros and cons for that as well, and he’s not sure whether to nestle it between dark eyelashes and once called me a moron in front of my class and I got a hard-on or beneath sweaters smell like sweat and mothballs, has annoying tic of clearing throat when lost in thought, and the dick wins 86% of our arguments. Sexy forbidden fling. Abuse of power. Is older than me so it's not as weird as it could be? I’m his boss. The school’s paying Hermann though, not Newt, and it’s not like he’s going to scurry off to the dean and demand Hermann’s funding slashed if Hermann turns him down (which he’d most likely do). But it still feels like a breach of ethics.

On the other hand, Hermann is exactly the sort of guy he’d try to pick up at a bar if he still did things like that. (Tenure, rather than giving Newt breathing space to kick back and relax a little, has only increased his obsession with his work, and now when he gets a Friday night free to himself he mostly switches crap on the TV and falls asleep with his cat on the couch.) It’s about the experience, the impossible task of seducing someone who--by all accounts--is too straight-laced and tight-buttoned to indulge in something that debase. They were always the best in bed. Tension, Newt knows, has to snap at some point.

He’d like to wrap Hermann’s personal piano wire around his thumb and bang away at the keys until it snaps, too. Ethics, Newt thinks (folding up the list and stuffing it out of sight), his ass.

Newt sacrifices a Friday night with his cat and Unsolved Mysteries in favor of working on a solution to his Hermann Problem. Swamped with work, he tells Hermann over the phone, it fucking sucks, dude, I could really use your help in my office, and Hermann grumbles, and snaps that Newt should learn to be better prepared for his own damn classes, but declares he’ll be on campus in half an hour and that Newt will be ordering him takeaway for dinner as an apology.

The door swings open at half past five. Hermann is bundled in that heavy parka and scarf (which, even for a Boston November, still looks a little too warm), and his hair is damp. “Is it raining?” Newt says, perhaps stupidly, because there’s not a single droplet of water anywhere else on Hermann’s body.

Hermann makes a face at him and pushes the door shut with his cane. “No,” he says, tersely.

“Then why...” Newt touches his own hair.

“I was taking a bloody bath,” Hermann snaps. “I don’t work on Fridays, as you well know, Newton.”

The use of his full first name stings Newt oddly even as the notion of Hermann luxuriating in a bathtub excites him. “That’s Dr. Geiszler,” Newt snaps back, because goddamn it, he’s Hermann’s boss, he deserves respect, and then mentally adds a small, depressing tally to the Cons half of the board. Ethics, ethics. 

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry, Dr. Geiszler,” Hermann says. He throws his scarf and coat viciously at the small couch in the corner of Newt’s office, then takes his usual seat across from Newt. “Well? Where are those papers it’s so crucial we grade?”

Hermann in a bathtub, Newt thinks. Hermann naked. Papers, Newt thinks. “Papers,” Newt says, and he shoves a stack at Hermann with twice as much force as he means to, causing several to flutter to the ground. “We need...to grade them,” he says. Hermann naked, in a bathtub, maybe some candles lit around him, some nice music on, daydreaming about that wretched professor he works for. Damn it. “I have a pen,” he says. “To grade.”

“What on earth are you saying?” Hermann says. “Be quiet. I can’t concentrate with your abominable prattling on.” Then he mumbles something that sounds like incessant, rips the top paper off the stack, and begins to slash at it in red ink. He doesn’t bother gathering the two from the ground.

Why did Newt invite him here, again?

Oh, right. He pushes his glasses up his nose and feigns casualness, pulling out another paper for himself to grade. “A bath,” he says. “Just to, uh, relax? Or...?”

Hermann narrows his eyes. “Or?”

Newt shrugs. “It’s Friday. Were you getting ready for a date or something?”

This time, Hermann’s mouth twists down into a frown. Almost suspicious. “Why do you care?” he says.

“I don’t,” Newt says quickly. “Just making small talk.” God, he could picture some stud of a computer science PhD candidate winning Hermann over with techno babble--or maybe one of his fellow students, ugh, maybe they made a study group together that meets Friday nights, and Hermann was getting all gussied up, goddamn handsome astrophysics grad students--

“I was relaxing,” Hermann says. “You must be aware at this point you cause me a great deal of stress, Dr. Geiszler, on a daily basis.”

“Oh,” Newt says.

He gives up on the small talk after that. Hermann’s promised takeout arrives--a small carton of pad thai--as does Newt’s--a large carton of the spiciest thing they had on the menu--and they eat in silence. They have about three-quarters of the papers to go when Hermann suddenly sits back in his seat with a groan and rubs at his eyes under his granny glasses. “Bugger,” he says. “I can’t fathom this one for the life of me. I’m too tired.”

“It’s getting kinda late,” Newt agrees. “Maybe we should--”

“It’s not that,” Hermann says. “I had a glass of wine earlier, and--oh, it doesn’t matter. Your students need to learn how to write in a way that’s actually bloody legible--it’s like chicken scratch.”

Newt hops up and leans over his shoulder, squinting down at the page. Hermann’s hair smells nice, like something floral, and his skin has a small hint of what could almost be cologne. Why is Hermann wearing cologne? “Okay, let me see it,” Newt says, struggling to keep from getting lightheaded at the close proximity to Hermann. “I’m used to that kind of shit.”

“No,” Hermann says, drawing the paper close to his chest. “I am perfectly capable of managing it on my own.”

“Dude,” Newt says, “let me look at it, seriously. Hermann--”

He manages to tug it away from him. The handwriting is pretty bad, but the math seems to be worse. “Didn’t they do the readings?” Newt mutters under his breath. “That’s not even the right equation for the diameter. I gave them a cheat sheet, man.” They’re junior year engineering students--they should know this shit.

“I know what the equation is,” Hermann snaps. “I can grade it on my own. Give it back.”

“I didn’t say you didn’t know,” Newt says, “I said this kid--”

“It’s the radius squared--”

“Hermann, dude,” Newt says, “I know you’re--”

And that’s when Hermann grabs him by his skinny tie and kisses him, hard. 

They stare at each other afterwards. Hermann’s eyes are as wide as saucers; his mouth is hanging open. Newt’s tie slips from his fingers, which then fall limp to his lap. “Holy shit,” Newt squeaks.

Hermann is gone with a swish of his parka and a loud clack of his cane. And with a stack of papers Newt still has to somehow get through. Figures.

Their next few classes together are subdued. Hermann doesn’t interject any of his biting commentary or corrections, or even offer critiques of Newt’s lack of professionalism (when in the past his skinny jeans were such an easy target), and when the period is over, he practically sprints from the classroom before he and Newt can be alone together for even a second. It’s fine by Newt. Whatever. Maybe Hermann can get over it over Thanksgiving break, and Newt can try to get over the memory of Hermann’s strong fingers tugging him down, Hermann’s floral shampoo, Hermann’s chapped, wide lips against his, the little grunt of shock Hermann made as he did it, like he couldn’t believe his own audacity...

It’s not likely.

It’s December, the last week before finals, and Newt’s in his office bundled up in a sweatshirt (because the heat never seems to fucking work in here), revising a draft of an exam, and dreading the thought of trudging home in the snow, when there’s suddenly a knock at his door. Anticipating some overeager freshman here outside of office hours, he doesn’t look up as he says “Come in.”

A familiar clearing of a throat.

Newt shoots straight up to his feet. He knocks a mug of coffee to the floor in the process. “Hermann,” he says. “Uh. Hi. What--what are you doing here?”

Hermann shuts the door behind him, then takes a careful step forward. He’s back in his big dumb coat and big long scarf. “I thought I ought to tell you myself first,” he says, primly. “I’ve submitted a request to the dean to be reassigned to another professor next semester. Our research interests are far more in line, and I don’t imagine our personalities shall clash as much.”

“Oh,” Newt says, pretending his heart isn't sinking in his chest like a hunk of lead. Was he that bad of a kisser? He feels like he deserves a second shot at it--he wasn’t ready last time, you know, he bets he’d really wow Hermann if he had a fair heads up. “Are.. are those the only reasons why?”

“No,” Hermann admits. “They’re not.”

He crosses the room, and corners Newt against his desk before Newt even realizes what’s happening. “They’re not,” he says again, then adds in a murmur (lifting one hand to brush his fingers against Newt’s hair), “Dr. Geiszler.”

Neither of them talk much, after that.

[thelittleredheadedmusician]

First Lines

So @klaineharmony @wordshakerofgallifrey and @radioactivepigeons ​all tagged me to do this so uh here it is. This is NOT including academic stuff. But it IS including original work. 

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag some lovely people!

Hitch Hiker - my book:

It’s raining, hard enough to hit the windshield in fat drops though he can still clearly see the wet road ahead. Oliver isn’t speeding, in high school he would’ve flown around the curves out of town. But now? Coming home and in bad weather? He manages to stay just below the speed limit. And a good thing too.

I don’t want to linger any longer - DCU, Batman, Green Arrow:

Alfred was leery of the summer camp. Bruce went to public school partially because of Martha's pointed remarks regarding democracy and public education, partly because of her pointed remarks regarding Thomas's own time at boarding schools and prep schools surrounded by equally rich and entitled boys. Alfred never said anything at the time, it wasn't his place, and would never say anything now but, he whole heartedly believed both. Especially after his own childhood in private schools, even if the times and the British and American systems were very different. Regardless, Bruce was remaining in public school with all the trials it entailed. Including the socializing problem.

untitled post final chapter short for Hitch Hiker:

“I’m so glad I get to be here for this,” Eve practically flung herself onto the couch, bouncing slightly before settling. She’d just gotten dropped off after rehearsal and was miraculously still teeming with energy.

Give Me the Stars - an original short story:

Morgan leaned closer to the mirror, shifting her hair so she could examine the new growth near her scalp. It was a dark, almost dull brown and the scalp itself didn’t seem red or irritated. She half combed her fingers through it while she shook her hand loose of the strands. Where the few centimeters of brown ended, a shifting cascade of colors began. A swirl or wave or reflection of green and blue and purple with notes of black and pink and sometimes silver. Like an oil slick made tangible. Except, after two months it’d lost its glimmer, its shine. Which didn’t really matter since Morgan spent about seventy percent of the time tucking it up under one hat or another.

glitter and gold - DCU:

She hadn’t been expecting the second explosion. None of them had been expecting the second explosion. Luckily, they were all clear of the debris but Steph’s ears were ringing. A gut feeling said her comm had been knocked out but it’s not like she’d be able to tell right now anyway. She swayed, unsteady. But Batgirl had to worry about the people around her, not herself. A cursory glance looked as though the block’s residents had gotten back far enough before the blast hit. Leaving them covered in dust but unharmed.

five phones on the table - DCU, Titans:

The long table with its numerous chairs was, by proximity to the kitchen, a dining table but due to the nature of the building it occupied doubled as a meeting and strategy table. The small net, paddles, and light plastic balls stored in an innocuous box in the kitchen meant it tripled as a ping pong table.

Adulting Fail - DCU, Titans, Nightwing:

“RICHARD JOHN GRAYSON,” Donna says and for an instant he wonders how a woman who has never met his mother can sound exactly like her. But then again, Donna has always been and will always be his older sister, never mind the fact neither are sure if it’s by three months or three thousand years.

Seventh Floor Walkup - DCU, Titans, Nightwing:

Dick may slightly regret asking his friends to help him move. See, he didn’t have the funds for real movers but had promised pizza if they helped. Except Roy and Garth could each eat a whole pizza, Donna could eat two, and Wally half a baker’s dozen. Which left Dick carrying eleven boxes of pizza to his seventh-floor walkup.

Et tu Brute - DCU, Flash, Batman:

“What the-?” Barry shifted his momentum with ease, turning from where he’d been running towards the Batcomputer and Bruce waiting there for him to instead run towards the metallic object low to the ground and glowing a dull green he’d spotted out of the corner of his eye.

you were shunned and burned your cradle - Newsies:

Being a changeling in New York City hurts. It makes his skin itch and his lungs burn and his eyes water. From the iron that surrounds him, fills the very air along with the smoke. If he’s not careful when he reaches out or brushes against something his skin comes away with a sharp, searing scar.

The Devil Wears What? - DCU, Hellblazer, Zatanna:

“What is this?” John slurred, arm flopping towards the television screen.

The Hattrick - DCU, Green Arrow, Hellblazer:

There is a strong possibility that Mia is in hell. It’d be vaguely poetic and certainly fitting if her personal hell were an empty warehouse. The fact John Constantine is here definitely sells the idea.

Inhouse House Party - Les Miserables: 

“I thought we agreed that we weren’t doing Halloween this year?” Enjolras half grumbled, half called up the steps. “In light of the fact that there is a global pandemic and we’ve been responsibly quarantining and social distancing this whole time.” Despite his complaints, he still fixed the ridiculous headband he wore as part of his costume. The halved wiffle ball glued onto it made pretty decent looking fly eyes, but the weight was weird and the whole thing kept slipping as a result.

Second Time is Coincidence - DCU, Green Arrow, Hellblazer:

“Oh c’mon,” Mia groaned, slumping against the bonds that currently had her suspended from the warehouse ceiling. “Not you again!”

Three Musketeers - DCU, Batfam:

Bristol was technically in Gotham City limits. Though the gilted mansions and private woods with pastures and stables seemed like a whole other world in comparison. The residents liked to think so too, especially because – despite Gotham’s robust public transportation system – it was almost impossible to reach the rich suburb from the city proper. It was because they lived in this separate world that Bristol’s wealthy residents often fought to receive special treatment or even secede from the city all together.

Deal? Deal. - DCU, Hellblazer, Zatanna:

“No,” John whined, drawing it out into about six syllables. He stretched his arm out, nearly falling off the couch in the process, but Zatanna just pushed the half-empty glass of whiskey further away from the edge of the coffee table and out of his reach.

Pumpkin Guts - Les Miserables:

There had been strange noises coming from the kitchen all afternoon. Combeferre was staunchly ignoring them because he’s trying to finish reading this journal article before anyone else came home. Having Courfeyrac in the vague direction of behind him and doing who knew what all is more than enough of a distraction. Besides, Ferre can fairly well ignore the sounds coupled with Courf’s slightly off-key humming of Nightmare Before Christmas.

Sunrise Shadows - DCU, Batgirl, Starman:

It was late, or early depending on your perspective, and Steph was that bone deep tired that came after a fight to save the fate of the world. Which was fine, they’d won, but she didn’t really know where in the world she was and Steph really just wanted to crawl into bed. Maybe take her suit off first. Possibly slap some Neosporin on her cuts and scrapes. But mostly sleep.

The Good Stuff - Newsies:

Kath pulled her favorite armchair into the doorway of her apartment. The antique wingback her friends had helped her liberate from a thrift store in Queens and then clean and reupholster. It was, undeniably, too heavy to be shoved across the hardwood like that but Kath wanted to be comfy. And there were the little felt things on the legs to protect her floor.

Salt and Iron - DCU, Batgirl: 

Steph pried her bedroom window open before slipping in and closing it firmly behind herself. Then locked it for good measure. Sure, she’d seen some weirdness since first putting on a mask, and just a few months into her time as Batgirl she’d even fought off some Segway riding vampires with Kara. But this was different. For one, they weren’t real vampires but Dracula from an old film brought to life. For another, it looked like literal hell had overtaken Gotham.

Well, I either have really long opening lines or my understanding of what constitutes opening “lines” is skewed. Also my formatting didn’t always past so poo on tumblr for that. Hmm, this is mostly Halloween fics but also fairly indicative of what I write which is nice. I like that I start with dialogue so often, it’s weirdly fitting for me as a person. The cold open musing on Gotham’s social, political, economic structure at Three Musketeers isn’t my favorite but I am obsessed with it. I think Second Time is Coincidence is my favorite because Mia’s response to John is the only response anyone should ever have to John Constantine. 

All of my friends have already been tagged~ 

[winterreader-nowwriter]

Sick

Okay guys, I finally am posting a One Chicago (Chicago Fire) fic. I said I was going to write for both and I finally did!

Details: Lawyer/Attorney Reader x Kelly Severide Sickfic

I wake up to my throat dry and achy. I sigh knowing, but not wanting to admit I knew why. The sigh sets off a round of coughing. I ignore it and I get dressed for work, putting on a black pantsuit with a royal blue long sleeve shirt and flats. I walk out to the kitchen and see a note on the counter:

Babe, 

I had to leave early. You got home late so I didn’t want to wake you. 

Love, Kelly

I frown, normally I’m an extremely light sleeper so it’s weird that I slept through him getting ready. I make a cup of tea deciding my throat hurts too much for breakfast and head to work. 

On the way there, I start feeling worse. A headache and dizziness forming. Once I finally make it to work, I’m exhausted. I head up to my office and close the door. Just the walk from my car to my office was enough to leave me lightheaded and exhausted. I close my eyes and put my head in my hands while taking a few deep breaths. As I’m doing this, my assistant, Mia comes in, “Sorry to bother you, but Jane Doe’s autopsy report came in. Homicide is narrowing the suspects down now.” She pauses and I look up, “Are you alright?”

I start to nod, but that makes the dizziness worse, so I stop with a wince, “I’m fine. Can I have the autopsy report?” 

My voice sounds hoarse and awful even to my ears so I’m not surprised when Mia doesn’t look convinced. She gives me a worried look before handing me the file. “Thank you.” 

Those two words launch me into another coughing fit. She gives me a small smile before leaving. I look at the file and the post-it with my name brings a smile to my face: Assistant District Attorney Y/N Severide. One I just got married to Kelly Severide and two because even though I’ve been an ADA for two years, it has always been my dream job and I’m so happy with it. I open the file but I’m so sick the words don’t make sense. My door opens and I look up, surprised. My husband walks in with a worried frown on his face. I croak out, “What are you doing here?” 

Which leads to more coughing. He closes the door and leans against it, “Mia called. You’re sick and should be resting.”

I shake my head which only makes the dizziness worse. I lean back in my chair and close my eyes, “I’m fine.”

Kelly laughs, “Yeah I don’t think that’s true. How about if you can walk over here without falling over or coughing, I’ll go along with it.”

I push myself up and lean heavily against my desk. My legs buckle, but I keep a tight grip on the desk. Kelly arches an eyebrow, but I ignore him. I take my hands slowly off the desk and make it halfway before black spots cover my vision and everything goes black. Familiar hands catch me as I fall.

I wake up on the floor of my office. Kelly looks down at me, “Relax, it’s just been a few seconds.” He pauses, “I know you’re too stubborn to let me carry you so we’ll take it easy, I know you’re not feeling well.”

He helps me up. He puts my arm around his shoulders and puts one of his arms around my waist, taking most of my weight. We go slow and once we reach the elevator I lean heavily into him. He rubs soothing circles on my back, “Almost to the car, then you can rest.”

As the elevator opens, I take a step and my legs buckle. Kelly picks me up and I’m too tired to protest. I fall asleep when he puts me down in the passenger’s seat.

I wake up to a hand shaking my shoulder. I groan and try and go back to sleep. Kelly says, “Baby, you need to eat something and take some meds before you go back to sleep.”

I open my eyes and look around. I’m on the couch in our apartment. I sit up slowly and Kelly hands me a bowl of soup, “I know you don’t want to eat, but you’ll feel better.”

After I finish the soup and take Delsym, I stand up slowly, leaning on Kelly, and head to our bedroom. I change into pajamas before laying down. I face Kelly, “Sorry you had to go to my work and deal with me being sick.”

He shakes his head, “When we got married we took the vows, ‘In sickness and in health’. Don’t worry about work, officially, I’m taking an early lunch break. And since it’s an early shift, I’ll be home when you’re waking up.”

“Thank you anyway. I love you.”

Kelly kisses the top of my head, “I love you too. Now get some sleep.”

[nimmy22]

A Mistake: Chapter 10

Rick was disposed of on Friday. He has been dead for three days.

Raccoon High school ~ 8:00 AM Monday

Heading to her locker, Cara found her friend already waiting for her. Claire stood leaning against the locker, bouncing a ball back and forth. She had a far-away look, chewing her bottom lip. she didn't notice Cara approach. Her mind occupied elsewhere.

Hiding behind a pillar, she spent a few minutes preparing herself for the act before the filming started. There were no second takes in real life. She had only one chance, and that was it. It was now or never. Blowing her bangs out of her face, she gripped her bag tighter and approached Claire.

Feeling cold sweat trickle down her neck, Cara tried to calm her breathing. she resisted the all-powerful urge to run in the opposite direction. She wondered if Claire figured out the truth about what her most trusted friend had done to Rick in the Arkley mountains. Claire looked bothered, and the likelihood of Rick being the reason was high.

"Hi," Cara called out with a smile that Claire matched with her own.

"I was starting to think you weren't gonna show your face around here." Cara's heart fell. She gripped her books tighter to keep them from slipping through her clammy hands. Alarms went off in her head. Did Claire know? Rick wasn't yet reported missing by his mom as she had eaten the lie up for now.

"What? Why wouldn't I?" Cara hid her grimacing face in her locker, pretending to look for something. She struggled to swallow the thickness at the back of her throat.

"Mr. Augustine is subbing in for the first period. That fucker is notorious. No one is setting foot in that class while he's in there." Claire growled, throwing her ball extra hard into the lockers across from them. The sound drew several sleep-deprived eyes for a few seconds.

The tension left Cara's shoulders, and she exhaled slowly. "I could use some normalcy in my life right now. Bad teachers are normal." Cara mumbled without thinking.

Giving her the side-eye, Claire stepped closer, caging her friend against the lockers. "Something you’re not telling me? Something definitely happened." Claire tilted her head, narrowing her eyes as she regarded her friend.

Cara's mouth went slack for a moment. She racked her brain for a way out of these questions. It was hard to think through the alarms blasting in her head.

"Is it bad for me wanting things to be back to the same dull routine? Routine is safe, but what's happening around here recently isn't. Bank robbers taking hostages. And before that, the kid who drove his car into a tree and burned to death. And lastly, my runaway almost-boyfriend. I would like a week where nothing bad happens."

Cara couldn't bring herself to mention her missing parents, getting assaulted in the woods, killing someone, and the endlessly piling bills. How could she possibly say anything without digging herself a depthless hole?

"Oh yeah, Rick. So weird what happened with him. No one just up and leaves like that. Apparently, he wrote this note about going to his dad's place and left. But his mom can't get in contact with her ex-husband either." just like that, Claire backed off, and Cara was thankful.

"Maybe he got fed up with this town."

"Or maybe you smashed his heart with a nasty rejection, and all he could think of was getting the hell outta here. Shame though, you could've gotten yourself a man."

"Hey! he didn't make a move while we were alone together. Maybe you just read all the signs wrong. he was not interested in me from the start."

'Lies. Lies. Lies.' Cara screamed in her head, but on the outside, she maintained a playful expression.

"Impossible! I'm good at reading people. Like, wasn't I right about that one guy who was sniffing around my bike? He was saying he was just checking it out, but I knew he would try to steal it. Guess who ends up sitting at the back of my brother's cruiser? the view he's got now doesn't include a sky."

"That was one time," Cara scoffed, making her way to her first class.

"Your point is?" Claire raised an eyebrow, hands resting on her hips.

"My point is, your ability doesn't seem to delve deeper than surface stuff because you missed some real shit about Rick," Cara said bitterly.

"What do you mean?" Claire watched her friend with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open.

"Oh, you forgot to mention how funny and adorable Rick was- is. When I saw him at the trails, I was immediately hit in the head with how handsome he was. Please, keep hooking me up with great guys like that, and I'll bleed them dry with my rocking charm. They'll never know what hit em."

"don't worry, I'll find you a nice hunk to make up for our runaway boy. I'll make sure you got a date for that fundraising party they're gonna have at the station. My brother got us invites."

"That's cool. I... can’t wait," Cara said as she stood in front of the classroom.

"Are you actually going in?" Claire grabbed her friend's arm.

"Yeah, why not? one bad teacher isn't the end of the world."

"Goddammit, fine, I'm coming with you. You’re such a bad influence on me,"

"Only the best." Cara giggled but remembered the problem at hand. One of many. She turned to her friend. "Hey, Claire,"

"Yeah," Claire answered as she dug into her backpack for a pencil.

"Do you think I could stay with you for a few days?" Cara said in a low voice, her finger fiddling with a hole in her jeans.

"Fuck yes! We haven't been able to hang out for a while. In fact, Chris will really appreciate somebody staying over with me. He's been gone a lot these days, especially at night. Work isn't as clear-cut anymore. what's up though?"

"My parents are out of town. I'm scared someone might break in while I'm alone." Cara lied, grimacing internally with every word. she hated lying to her friend. Still, there was no way she could tell Claire that she is being evicted.

The rent was already late. Late for months. The landlord was already fed up and refused to give her more time. She couldn't come up with even a quarter of what was owed, and an eviction notice was posted to her door last night. With her parents still MIA, she couldn't save her home. While it wasn't the happiest place on earth, she grew up there and had some fond memories amongst all the bad ones. The staircase was her favorite place to play as a child. She would meet up with the other kids there, and they would play for hours while their giggles and shouts echoed floors below. It was a time of innocence, moments of joy away from their abusive homes.

"Girl, I'll protect you. Come on over whenever. You don't even need to ask." Claire giggled, balancing the pencil on her nose and crossing her eyes. "Claire bear will take good care of you."

"Thanks, Claire, you the best," Cara meant every word. This was the only truthful thing she had said in this conversation.

----------------------------- 4 PM

On her way to the bus stop, Cara made a mental list of all the things she should pack from home. This was likely the last time she will be setting foot there. Obviously, she couldn't take any furniture, not that anything was worth more than curbside pickups.

Just as Cara reached the bus stop, a light drizzle of rain began. It reminded her of that night. The night she had the misfortune of meeting the infamous captain of the STARS. While she had seen and experienced some horrible things since meeting him, nothing was directly his doing. Those hitmen would have tried to kidnap Sherry, Rick would have tried to rape her, and her parents would have left whether or not she had met him. He helped her several times, and she had to acknowledge that he may be an ally she could trust. But he still had control over her life which frustrates her.

Stepping into the bus shelter, an advertisement caught her attention. Cara approached the poster, her eyes skimming over the print with increasing interest.

Participants wanted for clinical trials at Raccoon General Hospital to test the efficacy of a new drug. Each participant will be paid a starting amount of 900$ at the beginning of the study if selected. More details will be provided after the extensive selection process. All interested parties must complete an application and submit it to the secretary of Dr. Sandford on the third floor of Raccoon general hospital, room 312.

The money stood out to Cara, so much so that she walked out into the rain with a destination in mind. The money wasn't much, but it could help her get by for at least a month or so. she needed a little booster until she could sort out a job. She couldn't survive just on babysitting, especially since the Birkins hadn't called her at all this week. They've been too quiet, and she was starting to miss Sherry.

---------------

With dripping hair and drenched clothes sticking to her like a second skin, Cara finished filling in her details while the clipboard rested on her thighs. Using the number of the phone Wesker had given her, she filled out her contact information.

The rain had not let up, only coming down harder. It was soothing to hear the rain periodically hitting the windows. She was the only person in Dr. Sandford's waiting room until the secretary sauntered back in and rolled her caked eyes at Cara.

"Still here? Oh, take your time its not like I enjoy staying back past my shift. You must be something desperate. Why don't you visit one of them shelters, you know, the ones for troubled runaway teens." she said through loud, open-mouthed gum chewing. A generous amount of red lipstick coated her front teeth. It was a wonder how she did not taste it.

"All done!" Cara chirped, skipping to the secretary's desk. She slid the clipboard over the counter with a big smile earning her another eye-roll. she could almost feel the cash already in her hands, and nothing could dampen her mood. Making her way to the door, Cara hoped she would be selected for the study.

"Oh? so you do have a home. But on that side of town. It might as well be a cardboard box in a back alley." the secretary snickered as she looked over Cara's application, twirling her Coiffured hair. She held the form carelessly, pulling out the piece of gum in her mouth and sticking it on the corner of the paper.

All Cara wanted to do was walk up to the older woman's face and smack the smug look off her face while screaming every profanity she could think of. Instead, she grabbed the bottom of her shirt and gave a generous squeeze. Water spilled all over the polished white floors. "Sorry, I can't afford to catch a cold."

----------------------------

Cara sat curled up on a couch next to Claire, a cozy blanket laid over them. The only light in the room was the flashing of the T.V as shots were fired. Half the popcorn in the bowl was on the floor as they kept tossing the kernels in each other's mouths and missing every single time.

"I gotta go pee, be right back," Claire declared before hopping over the back of the couch and jogging to the bathroom. Pausing the movie, Cara stood up to stretch.

As Cara started clearing the popcorn mess, her phone rang. She knew it could only be Wesker or Dr. Sandford calling. Without wasting time, she stumbled off the couch to grab her phone off the coffee table. in her hast, she ended up sending it sliding beneath the couch. "Fuck!" she hissed.

Peeking below, she couldn't see it. Using all her strength, she flipped the couch over to reveal her phone sitting in a pile of dust. She didn't recognize the caller's number and squealed. Taking a deep breath, she answered the call.

"Hello?" her voice shook, hands clammy. Short of breath, she had to remind herself to breathe.

"This is the FBI. We are calling regarding an arrest warrant made for you." A young boy spoke. He couldn't be older than her.

"Oh yeah?" Cara clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes. These little fuckers chose the worst time to mess with her.

"Have no worries, Miss. We can have all the charges withdrawn from your record. But first, we need you to confirm your social insurance number for us."

"Oh, sure. It begins with....1234 go fuck yourself," hanging up, Cara covered her face with her hands. she felt stupid for worrying over something that turned out to be a prank call.

While she enjoyed hanging out with her best friend, the wait was slowly killing her. She wanted to do something about her situation ASAP but was stuck watching the rented movie Claire nagged about all day. What calmed her nerves a little was that Claire had agreed to go job hunting with her the next day.

Cara fixed the couch and threw herself on it with a sigh, tossing the phone beside her. Leaning back, Cara rested her head and closed her eyes.

Her eyes flew open as the phone rang again, with another unknown number. With an eye roll, Cara answered. "Listen, you little shits. Find someone else to-"

"I guess your mother was too busy snorting drugs to teach you any respect. I suppose you weren't desperate for the money after all," Cara recognized the secretary's haughty voice, her eyes widening like saucers. She mouthed a half dozen curses before collecting herself.

"I am so sorry, mam! someone was prank calling-"

"Did I ask? Despite you being such a low grad choice, you've been selected. I have no idea what low standards the doctor has that he will take just about anyone. Come to the same place Wednesday at 6 PM sharp and don't be late."

"Thank you. Thank you!" Cara cried, bouncing on the couch.

"It's only 900$," With a click of her tongue, the secretary hung up.

Claire came back from the bathroom and watched with raised brows as her friend bounced around. Not knowing what her friend was happy about, Claire joined her in jumping on the couch. Together they broke into a fit of hysterical giggling. She was glad to see her friend less troubled.

-----------------------------

Cara sat in a small crowd of twelve selected participants around a meeting room at the hospital. She was the first to arrive, eager to remedy her situation as soon as possible with the soon-to-be easy cash in her hands.

"During the experiment, you will be required to stay in an assigned room. Contact with the outside is strictly prohibited. Until we state otherwise. Many competitors out there will do anything to steal our research. As such, actions will be taken to prevent any and all data leaks. My team of researchers will monitor all medication's administration, and You may not refuse any doses given." Cara and several others scoffed at the scientist, Dr. Stanford.

Grey-haired, tall, and plump with dark skin, this man was the definition of sketchy. His ambitious eyes were calculating as they hardly spent time on each individual. His clothes and lab coat were immaculate, crisply pressed.

"Hey, I am not trying to be a lab rat for big pharma here," A man yelled, spittle flying out of his mouth. His clothes were worn, hair disheveled and dirty.

"You will receive your initial payment of 900$ now and then $2000 at the conclusion of the study. Any questions?" No one else spoke up. No complaints. Everyone's eyes gleamed with the prospect of additional money in their pockets. Cara couldn't deny how lucrative the amount was despite the sketchy situation.

The study would last only three days. Three days of absolutely no contact with the outside. Three days and she would have $2900 in her hands. It was good to be true.

---------------------

30 min earlier.

Wesker stood at the loading area behind the hospital, leaning against the wall. Behind his shades, he watched as the two men loaded his cruiser with boxes of donated medical supplies. Once they were finished, the men returned inside.

Under the guise of checking over the contents of the boxes, Wesker peered inside to locate the reason he was here in the first place, A yellow folder of classified information about the newest test subjects. The job was clear. He would wipe any traces left by the research project and prevent any future missing person cases from being fruitful. Without opening the folder, he placed it back in the box and closed the trunk. Trust Umbrella to begin the cleanup operation before the first injection was administered. They like to cover all their bases.

With his hand on the door handle, Wesker paused. Something felt wrong, but he couldn't figure it out. Taking cover behind the car, he took out his gun, surveying the rooftops for a sniper. He waited several minutes, yet nothing happened.

Seeing no danger to himself, he lowered his gun back to its holster. There was no visible threat, yet he couldn't shake off the sense of danger. Frowning, Wesker wondered if Umbrella's paranoia was getting to him.

Making his way into the hospital, he began a search but didn't know what he was looking for.

Something was very wrong.