#it’s not actually my bday yet. no early bday wishes necessary.

[bugtistic]

When you email a university museum curator basically just going “hi I’m autistic can I pwetty pwease see ur bugs. Pwease pwease I’m a lil birtbday boy pls lemme see the bugs…”

[ukulelecal]

The Lady In Waiting - Part Two

In which you’re the lady in waiting for the princess, and the mysterious, quiet prince has taken a certain interest in you.

Warnings: none i don’t think

Pairing: Royal!Calum Hood x Reader

A/N: happy fucking birthday to the loml calum t hood! so in honor of his bday this is a shorter boring filler chapter that has no calum action in it at all lmao sorry, its kinda important though, so do still read it! i’m trying to prolong this bc if i gave in to my urges they would literally be in love already so i could get to the action i have planned lol. again, i always appreciate feedback! it lets me know that you guys actually read and care about what i write! 

Series Masterlist

***

The princess, so Y/N had learned since becoming the lady in waiting about a month and a half prior, was a pretty easy royal to serve.

She was independent, never asked for much, and when she did, it was never anything too difficult. Mostly, it was helping her get ready in the mornings or fetching her things when she was too busy to get them herself. She asked for advice sometimes as well. Y/N actually enjoyed the job. The princess was right; the lady in waiting wasn’t like a servant. Assistant, would be a better term to describe it.

Y/N found herself getting closer to the princess over time. They always made small talk, whether it be about the weather or some upcoming event in Vavia, but eventually, the conversations started to get more personal. The princess started asking Y/N more questions about herself, and where she came from, and she eventually worked up the courage to ask questions back. She tended to dance around the topic of her family, never liking to bring up her parents, but she had no problem talking about Aunt Mary - who she had been consistently exchanging letters with, and was pleased to know that there was a designated doctor from the palace taking care of her. They could chat like they had known each other for years.

Y/N didn’t dare say it out loud, to anyone, but she felt like they were becoming friends.

The king and queen, Y/N never saw much of. They were understandably busy, and they had other people who attended them. She only ever saw them in passing, which including Y/N curtsying to them, and then they continued walking after giving a brief nod of recognition. She didn’t mind that she never spoke to them. They were intimidating, and she still felt awkward after the king’s snide comment at dinner.

Then, there was the prince.

She saw him more than she saw the king and queen, but not as much as she saw the princess. Him and his sister worked together a lot when there was business to be taken care of, so she mostly saw him then. He always offered her a small smile, but never said anything. One thing she did notice, was that he always kept his gaze on her for a little longer than necessary, looking like he was thinking. She wasn’t sure what it meant, if anything, and she wasn’t sure how he felt about her, considering what he had said to her on her first day. Was he just being friendly? Did he actually care? It made Y/N’s head hurt, thinking about it at night. She knew she wasn’t supposed to be socializing with the family when she was working, and felt she couldn’t start up the conversation. She also knew the prince was shy.

She wished he would just talk to her.

One morning, just as Y/N was on her way to have breakfast with the other staff, she heard her name being called. Looking around for the source of the voice, she found one of the guards approaching her. She had come to know him; he had asked her to call him Michael, even though nearly everyone else always called him Clifford, his last name. He had said he sometimes forgot he even had a first name.

Him and Y/N talked, when they had their meals together or when their breaks coincided with each other. He was nice, always made her laugh, and even though he was a guard at the royal palace that always kept a blank face on duty, he was a fun guy when she talked to him. He was a good friend, and kept her grounded amongst all the chaos of working for royalty.

“Hey, Michael,” she greeted, grinning. “Headed to breakfast?”

“No, Sargeant wanted me to start early today, so I ate already,” he explained. “Got an order that the princess wants to take breakfast in her room this morning. Said she asked for you to bring it to her.”

Y/N nodded in response.

“Alright, I’ll get on it. Is it in the kitchen?”

“Yep, should be done by now.” He looked around, his training preventing him from keeping his gaze in one place too long. He then turned back to her, shooting her a smile. “I should head back to my post. I’ll see you for dinner, Y/N.”

“See you then.”

The two parted ways, and Y/N changed directions to head towards the kitchen. She had only been there once before, when the princess requested dinner in her room because she wasn’t feeling well, and she hoped she could remember the way there. The palace was massive, and Y/N was still getting her bearings.

As she walked, she questioned to herself exactly why the princess wanted breakfast in her room. She always ate with her family, aside from the one time she was sick. Maybe she was sick again? She had been working very hard lately, so it would make sense that it was starting to take a toll on her.

Y/N got to the kitchen, pushing the doors open and stepping inside. It was warm in there, just like last time, and it smelled delightful.

“Good morning, Lady Y/N,” the chef, who’s name she had yet to learn, greeted.

“Good morning,” she responded politely. “I’ve come to fetch breakfast for the princess?”

He nodded, turning around and grabbing a tray, one with little legs so the princess could have it in bed, off the counter behind him. He handed it over, and Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed as she glanced down at it.

There were two plates prepared. Two sets of silverware, two of everything. Wasn’t it just for the princess?

“Two meals?” She asked curiously, looking up at the chef in confusion. He shrugged, throwing his hands up.

“Don’t ask me,” he sighed. “She requested for two to be made. Didn’t say why.”

The chef turned around again and got back to work, and Y/N slipped out of the kitchen, using her back to push open the door.

She considered the reasons as to why the princess ordered two breakfasts as she made her way to her room, carefully balancing the tray. She doubted she would be so hungry as to order two entire meals, and the only other thing she could think of was that there was someone else there with her. A lover, maybe? Of course, it was none of Y/N’s business, but she wasn’t prepared to handle the awkwardness of walking in on the princess and a stranger.

Once she got to the princess’ room, she managed to knock without dropping the tray. There was some shuffling from inside, then the door opened, revealing the princess still in her nightgown.

“Your Highness,” Y/N greeted, slowly curtsying as to not drop the food.

“Oh, enough with the formalities, Lady Y/N,” she said, stepping aside to let the lady in waiting in. “Please, just call me Mali.”

“Are you sure?” She asked, raising her eyebrows. She never considered calling her anything other than her title. She took a quick glance around the room as she stepped in, not finding anyone else.

Who was the other meal for?

“Yes,” the princess chuckled. “Mali is fine.”

“Alright...Mali,” Y/N responded, the name almost feeling strange on her lips. “You don’t have to call me Lady anymore, then. Just Y/N.”

“If you insist, Y/N,” she teased, sitting cross legged on her bed. She patted the space in front of her, smiling. “Sit. I want to have breakfast with you.”

Y/N stopped in her tracks, staring at Mali incredulously.

“With me?” She queried, voice raised an octave. Mali had never gone so far as to invite her to do something together, privately. It was probably unprofessional, for a princess and her lady in waiting to be casually eating together, but she didn’t seem to care.

“Of course,” she giggled. She patted the space again. “Please, sit.”

Slowly, Y/N balanced the tray on its legs on the bed, and sat down across from Mali. She was stiff, antsy about the situation. She assumed it was a good thing that the princess wanted to eat with her, alone, but it had to go well. Not like the dinner with the family.

“Thank you, Your H-...Mali,” Y/N corrected herself, folding her hands tightly in her lap.

The girl laughed, picking up her silverware and gesturing to the other set.

“Let’s eat,” she announced. She waited until Y/N picked up her fork and knife until she spoke again. “So, how have you been? You’ve adjusted well, yes?”

“I have. Still trying to find my way around,” she responded, both girls laughing.

“I get that. It doesn’t seem so big once you get used to it.”

Y/N took a bite of her eggs, almost humming in pleasure. The food the staff got served was very good, but it wasn’t quite made to the level that the food for the royal family was made at.

“How’s your aunt?”

Y/N shrugged, swallowing down her food before answering.

“Alright, I guess. The doctor said she’s not really getting any better, but at least she’s not getting worse.”

Mali sighed, reaching over to pat the girl on the shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I promise our doctor is giving her the best care possible.”

“I know.”

It was silent for a moment, Y/N fearing she ruined it already by making the conversation sad, but Mali thankfully broke the awkward silence.

“Just out of curiosity...have you talked to my brother at all?”

Y/N froze for a moment. The thought of the prince was confusing, and the fact that Mali was wondering about them made it worse.

“Well, for a few moments after dinner the day I arrived, we spoke,” Y/N explained softly, omitting what the conversation was about.

“What is it about what my father said?” She asked, lowering her voice slightly. “Because he was pretty upset about that.”

Y/N nodded, movements slow. She wasn’t sure why the conversation was making her feel so odd; she only talked to him once. It wasn’t like they had anything going on.

“He, uh...he asked me to tell him if he said anything else like that to me,” Y/N stammered, subconsciously wiping her hands on her napkin.

Mali grinned slyly, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment before letting it slip back out.

“Really? My father has a tendency to say some...rude things to people, and Calum always gets mad about it, but I don’t think he’s ever been that concerned over it,” she replied, still grinning.

“So what does that mean?” Y/N questioned, her own voice lowering. Mali shrugged, taking a bite of her food and swallowing.

“Don’t know. But, I’ve noticed he stares at you a lot. And he asks me about you. He might like you a little.”

The princess’ words made her heart pound in her chest. The prince, like a girl like her? She always imagined she would only ever be with someone of her own class, as that’s what was customary in Vavia. The prince was miles above her.

“That’s impossible,” she breathed. “We hardly even know each other.”

“Get to know him, then,” Mali suggested, her words delicate.

“I can’t just strike up a conversation with him. I mean, isn’t that...improper? Wouldn’t I get in trouble?”

“You won’t get in trouble, I’ll make sure of it,” Mali said with a serious tone. “And forget what anyone might say about it being improper. You’re both people. You can talk to him.”

-

taglist (send me an ask to be added!):

@cosmixcalum @cold-coffee-clifford @depressed-teapot @sick-orca @singt0mecalum @cashtonsicetea @stylessilhouette @bbyboyycal @thepixiedreambitch @emotionalhue @xxsometimestheywinxx @bluevxnus @calssunflower @stupid-gracie @cxddlyash @singledadharrington @rotten-kandy @cthoodsthetic @youngblood199456

[literalloserforhanzo]

Happy Late Birthday ♥

Hanzo x Reader Oneshot  ♥

Short summary: Hanzo is a busy man and misses readers birthday. To make up for it, he plans out something special for her.  WARNING! EXTREME CHEESE AND FLUFF!!!  This fic is dedicated for mah lovely friend Viri <3 (who’s bday was last month lol)

________________________________________

“Mrs (Y/L/N)!”

“Yes Sophia?”

“Did I write this right?”

The little girl handed you her exercise booklet.

Your eyes glided from the top to the bottom of the paper curiously, scanning it for spelling and grammar errors.

“You did a good job for your first essay, I found something though. You got the tenses mixed up here “ you pointed towards a word, “ and here.

Go back to the pages we read together last lesson and correct it before class ends. “

Sophia took her booklet back and nodded, before she turned around and walked back to her seat.

With a sigh you checked your watch and quickly after, you peeked at your phone.

No messages.

Nothing.

The view upset you, but it was no surprise. People wouldn't want to bother you at work and the majority of your friends were at work themselves. Especially the person, whose message you were awaiting the most, would be the last in terms of capability to answer.

He was most likely busy snapping someone's neck or piercing their skull with an arrow.

The thought of that sent a shiver through your spine.

Your best friend was an undercover agent for the government, basically the one, who does the dirtiest work. Everybody thinks, that those who work such jobs are cold hearted monsters, far from human and reckless in any way possible and to someone who'd only get to know him briefly, the description would be spot on, but as someone,who actually means something to him, you have more than enough reasons to negate those accusations.

There aren't enough synonyms for lovely and caring, to gather a description of this man you called your best friend.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a group of girls' loud chats and laughter in the corner of the class room, which quickly found an end once you met their gigglish looks with a raised brow and the obnoxiously loud clearing of your throat.

It was one in the afternoon and you just finished writing the homework onto the blackboard for the students to copy, when you realized, that something was off. Usually one or two students were already eager to leave minutes before the end and had their stuff packed to run off, once the bell rang. For some reason, all of them were strangely calm and their items were still spread all over the tables, as if they were still up to something. You washed your hands to get rid of the chalk dust on your fingers and returned back to your table, when suddenly all the children got up and formed a semicircle around you and began singing.

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday Mrs. (Y/L/N),

Happy Birthday to you!”

The children began to cheer and the two class representatives handed you a bouquet of flowers and a small packed gift, you were asked to open right away. You ripped open the paper and your pupils widened instantly. You were holding a set of extremely expensive paint brushes.

“This is so lovely! Thank you all so much! I can't believe you planned this all alone!”

The children looked at each other in joy and with proud expressions due to your praise.

Even though you were a language teacher, your love for art and painting was known amongst both your colleagues and your students.

Thanking your class a few more times, you hugged each student, before they eagerly packed their belongings and made their way out of the class room.

By the time the last student left you were done packing as well. You locked the classroom and walked to your car. With a thud, you closed the door and breathed out, enjoying the sudden silence as the voices of playing children were no longer in your ears.

The brushes were something you always hesitated to buy, since they were really, really pricey but now, they were yours and your mind was already flooded with ideas of what to paint first. It's been a while that you discovered them and toyed around with the thought of a purchase, literally telling everyone about how good they are, hoping to receive them as a present. As always, your genius plan worked as intended.

You couldn't wait to show them to your best friend of to surprise him with a really good painting.

Unfortunately the joy of thinking about said action vanished as fast as it appeared. He wasn't in town. Probably not even in the same country or continent. His work was top secret and he said you would be better off knowing less. You were absolutely clueless, about where he was at the moment or when he would come back, it was common for some of his duties to take longer than expected. You had just wished, that maybe this time he would be back in time. You decided not to linger on sad thoughts and drove to your parents place, who were awaiting you impatiently.

One week later.

Hanzo's POV

It's morning.

“Excellent work like always Mr.Shimada. Just like I expected it from a man like you.”

You got up from your bowing position and looked into the eyes of your boss.

“You honor me!”

“We sent that naïve simpleton our regards, they won't get in our way any time soon.”

You nodded in agreement, not knowing what else to add.

“Well well.... you look tired. The mission is over, you may go home unless you still have anything to say.”

You shook your head. “No, I am finished.”

“There is a limousine waiting to escort you home.”

You bowed down again. “Thank you.”

“You're always so formal. I guess that's a sign that you're parents raised you well.”

Your boss groaned. “Speaking of parents... I totally forgot that I have to call my wife's mother today. I guess it has to be another golden Rolex this year unless I want to hear complaints for months … Every birthday my wife wants something even more extra ordinary for her mother. I just wish she would leave me out of her plans each time.”

Birthday..... Oh god …. Oh no … OH NO!

“Sir , would you please tell me what today's date is?”

Your boss looked at you in confusion.

“It's the xx.xx, why?”

Your pupils tightened. God damn it. How could you forget.

“Sir is it possible,for the driver to bring me to another place?”

“Of course Mr.Shimada, would you first explain to me why though?”

You began explaining.

(Y/N) POV

“Ah dang it, thirteen percent.”

You had forgotten to plug your phone into the charger over night as you had fallen asleep on the couch.

Annoyed, that you couldn't scroll through the latest news as the first thing of the day, you got up and rubbed your eye. Making your way to the charger, you stepped on a piece of paper on the floor.

“Huh?” You picked it up and recognized the flyer of the city's art gallery. You placed it on the kitchen table and turned on the coffee machine while wondering where you left your charger. Ever since your birthday you were very busy with work, so you had barely any time left to look after yourself or your apartment. You decided to take a day off all tasks and catch up with what you had neglected lately.

At the breakfast table you decided to take a look into the flyer before you would drop it into the trash can. There were three exhibitions this month. Two rather boring ones and one that caught your eye, the one about ancient east-asian art. You remembered bringing the flyer home so you wouldn't forget to book the tickets for you and your best friend but the both of you forgot about it in the end and now it was too late, since it was not only the last day but most likely already booked out.

Sighing you dropped the paper into the trash can and took a sip of your coffee.

You missed him and It was becoming annoying. You knew he was good at his job and not all of it was cruel so he enjoyed it aswell. It paid well so he had a life free of worries, you couldn't complain either, as his best friend you out of everyone enjoyed that fact the most. Unfortunately all the gifts and pleasures coming along with his job were no substitute for his constant absence. Missions could take up to two months sometimes. The worst thing was when he suddenly disappeared for three and  a half months, without being able to notify you. It was an emergency and he was called in during another mission. Lucky for the both of you, that never occurred again.  

It was true, you despised his job. It consumed so much of his time one couldn't call it a life. You saw him so little amounts of time, it was ridiculous. You knew him since high school, yet nothing had developed further than a good friendship. Sometimes you would point the finger towards yourself, after all you encouraged him into taking the job offer he received after winning an award for his combat skills. You didn't know it would end up this way. If only you had known.

Unlike your best friend, who had nothing else in mind but studying, to ensure a bright future for himself, you sensed your feelings for him pretty early on but decided to keep them to yourself.

Multiple girls had confessed to him and he turned all of them down, saying he had no time for a relationship because of his studies. You knew better than doing the same mistake, you didn't want to risk losing the friendship you had built up during those three years. You eventually became the person he shared everything with but that was about it. He was very reserved and you were afraid to lose him. Your jobs didn't leave much time for the two of you to spend together. There was no solid ground for a relationship and you started to doubt that there would ever be, no matter how many times your hugs would last for minutes, no matter how often his face would be mere centimetres away from yours while watching movies or going to amusement parks together. No matter how often the two of you would look at each other blushing when you were asked how long you were dating already.  

Louder than necessary, you placed the mug onto the table and closed your eyes. Oh when would he finally come back and be in your arms again, so you could tell him how much you missed him.

Opening your eyes, you remembered your plans for today. You got up from your chair and brought your dishes into the kitchen.

Later that evening.

“Yeah, yeah dad I will call you back later, I need to bring the groceries home and I need both hands for that, love you, byee!”

Sighing you hung up the call and got out of your car. You took your goodies out of the trunk and closed the door.

Your neighbour greeted you at the door and held it open for you, since you had both hands full of bags. You thanked the woman and waited for the elevator to arrive. Inside it you eyed yourself in the mirror. You had lost some weight lately, partly because you planned to in first place and partly because eating alone was just not the same. You looked into your own eyes. It really was overdue for you to take care of yourself again, you hadn't seen yourself this pretty in a while now, just keeping your appearance up as much as necessary.

Bing!

You walked out of the elevator and placed the groceries in front of your door to find your keys, which had fallen to the bottom of your purse. You opened the door and closed it with your leg, quickly took off your shoes and walked into the kitchen to unpack the bags. You were done and decided to take a seat on the sofa and relax in front of the TV for a moment. As you walked into the living room, you immediately realized, that something was off. The chair you had breakfast on today, was missing. Confused you walked around the room, back into the kitchen and suddenly towards your bedroom.

Were you going crazy? You opened the door of your bedroom and your jaw dropped. The chair was there, on it, an enormous plush of your favourite animal. Around it, the words “Happy Birthday”

had been arranged with light strings. Three huge boxes were placed on your bed, wrapped in shiny paper with bows all over. You walked over to your pile of surprises and a card caught your eye.

“Happy Birthday (Y/N)!

I'm sorry for being late, I hope you forgive me.

I'll be picking you up at three, thirty .

Be ready!

Hanzo”

You smiled and shook your head. That's all he had to say after three weeks? This man ….

You wanted to open one of the boxes but then your watch caught your eye. It was already two fifty!

And you still had to shower and dress up! This was going to be a special day after all!

You dropped the present onto your bed and quickly ran towards the bathroom.

Twenty five minutes later you were checking your phone nervously. A last glance into your pocket mirror reassured you, that you were in fact, looking gorgeous. Not knowing what surprise he had in store, you dressed elegant enough to fit a fancy dinner but casual enough, not to stand out if he'd just take you to the cinema.  The doorbell rang and you shot up from your seat, rehearsing your greeting. Something about this was special. It didn't feel like the last times he came back. It was completely different. You opened the door and your heart began beating like crazy. Your eyes locked for a few seconds, the two of you eyeing each other after this long time, before indulging in a very long, tight hug.

“Happy belated birthday.”

“You were gone for way too long.”

“I know.”

“Do you have any idea how much I missed you?”

“I'm sorry.”

“You better are!”

You ended the hug giving him the most ridiculous angry expression, causing the both of you to laugh about it.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, mind telling me where we are going?”

“Hmmm no, you'll have to be patient, birthday girl!”

He took your hand and the both of you walked outside.

In front of your apartment, something had caught a few passengers eye, and yours as well the moment you walked out of the door.

A really beautiful Mercedes was parked in front of the door, shining in the midsts of the regular sized cars.

“You didn't have to ….”

He grinned widely. “But I wanted to.”

The passengers stepped aside as he held the door open for you to step in. You shook your head and took a seat. Hanzo closed the door and walked over to the drivers seat.

“I really don't want to know the price of this car, do I?”

“No, and it's nothing you need to worried about anyway.”

The low buzz of the car began and he started driving.

“How did you like your presents?” He looked over to you and smiled slightly.

“I don't know.” You shrugged,  “I haven't opened them yet.”

Hanzo raised a brow.

“Why not ?”

“I barely had time left when I came home. Besides, I wanted to open them with you there.”

You looked over to him, the corners of his lips slightly rose.

“Alright, we'll open them later then.”

Minutes later, the two of you arrived at a lively part of the city and parked the car.

He opened the door for you and he took your hand to guide you to your destination.

You stopped in front of the art gallery and he looked at you, curiously.

“Why did we stop? What are we gonna do here?”

“What do you think?” He grinned.

“I don't know? All I wanted to see was the east asian art but it's sold o-”

Hanzo waving with two tickets, cut you off mid sentence.

“We should go in, it's the last day and we still have much to see.”

This man....He was full of surprises and mysteries. You had no idea how he managed to get the tickets but you couldn't care less. You were too busy being exited about the exhibition.

Time flew by as you looked at what felt like a never ending collection of ancient art. You were amazed and mesmerized by each one of them, wishing you were allowed to take pictures of all the details and individual paintings.

As you had reached the end of the exhibition you walked into a small room, arranged to be a store.

The post card section magically attracted you like a spell. Scanning the cards for some of the beautiful pieces you saw in the exhibition, a blue card caught your attention.

The blue print was met by a golden dragon, treated with a dark golden fish pattern. It looked extremely pretty and royal and reminded you of your best friends family emblem and the tattoo on his arm. You picked it up and turned around to show it to him, he would love it ! But he was nowhere to be seen. You scanned the entire room, just to be told by the saleswoman, that he got a phone call and walked out already. Sighing you looked at the post card again. Maybe it was too much to be expected but you wished to have him just for yourself, an entire day. It would've been too perfect if that day could be the day, you celebrated your birthday.

Your decision to not let that thought drag you down and just enjoy what you have, guided you to the register. You bought the post card together with a notebook and a few other cards. As you were paying the items the woman asked if you also wanted to take a look at the tie pins, since one of them would match your boyfriend so well. You didn't know what you were supposed to ask the lady first, why she thought you two were dating or why the hell the souvenir store would sell tie pins.

“The gold in the tie pin would suit the golden shine in his eyes.” She smiled.

“You are right, the shade also matches his suit perfectly, I'll take it. But …. he's not my boyfriend, what made you think that?”

The woman covered her mouth and then giggled.

“The way he looked at you, it just …. reminded me of the way my father used to look at my mother.  I don't think I've seen more love in somebody's eyes before.” She laughed nervously at your surprised expression before handing you the little paper bag with your newly purchased goods.

“Have a nice day” she said , “and oh, … I don't think my eyes were lying to me when I saw him.“ She winked at you and you smiled brightly as you stepped through the door.

Hanzo dropped his phone in his pocket and rushed towards you, as you walked out of the entrance.

“I'm sorry (Y/N)! It was an urgent call from my boss but everything is alright now.” He smiled.

“So show me what you got!” He tried lurking into the small bag but you quickly hid it behind your back. “Hmm you'll have to wait until later.”

Your playful grin made him raise a brow.

“Anyway, walking for 3 hours straight made me sooo hungry,

can we stop somewhere nearby and grab something to eat?” you asked him, resting a hand on your stomach.

“I know a good place.” He said smiling. “But it's not nearby.”

You huffed in dismay and followed him to the car.

He didn't lie, it really wasn't close by. While you were admiring the view on the highway , his phone started buzzing very loudly next to you. Your body's reaction to the surprising sound and your nosiness were quicker than your will to respect his privacy so you took a glance on the screen of his phone. Your heart twitched slightly as you saw an unknown name of another woman light up on the display. You didn't remember him having any female colleagues or any girl named Rosie in his family. Who was she? Wasn't he always telling you everything? How come you never heard of this new friend of him? The car ride went awkwardly silent from then on. Luckily, you quickly met your destination soon after.

Hanzo stepped out of the car and walked towards your door to open it for you, you decided to use the time to quickly drop the little package with the pin into your purse. The door opened.

“I don't think I've ever been in this part of the town before, where are we?” You asked, as you stepped outside the car, hoping he'd take your hand again.

“I have only been here before once, they just finished building new houses and stores around in this area so it's not quite known yet. That should change soon thought, you'll find out why, once we're inside.”

He gave you a promising look before offering you his hand. You were glad but also surprised, he rarely held your hand , usually he'd only go that far some times when he walked you home at night and creepy people would  pass by you.

Hanzo guided you towards the entrance of what looked like the most fancy restaurant you had seen from up close. The two of you went eating out quiet often but nothing could reach up to this. It was cute of him to go out of his way for you but it was very unusual of him to make things this extravagant.

You entered the restaurant and your jaw dropped. It looked similar to a ball room but with beautifully shaped chairs and tables. The lights at the hight ceiling were surrounded by shiny chandeliers.

After naming himself to the receptionist, Hanzo was greeted with a bow and the two of you were lead to a small stairway at the side of the desk. Your friend asked you to go first and you walked up the stairs quickly, curious of what was awaiting you upstairs.

About halfway there, you realised the slight wind meeting your face and you suspected to be led to the rooftop of the building. Your suspicions were true and you couldn't believe your eyes. It was beautiful. The rooftop was rather small and looked like a very lovely balcony. There was only one table and two chairs were placed around it, facing each other.

The fence was surrounded by garlands of roses and the most powerful source of light, next to the two lanterns at the staircase, was the dark red candle in the middle of the table.

A waiter placed two menus on either side of the table and went downstairs quickly afterwards, leaving an electronic bell behind. Still admiring your surroundings and the marvellous view at the city's shining buildings, the night lights and their reflections in the sea, you took your seat and decided to read the menu as your hunger was at its peak.

“I really can't decide, if I want to settle for a pizza, or if I'd like to try something new. The baked chicken sounds soo tasty.”

“I am really tempted by the chicken aswell” Hanzo sighed. “But the grilled salmon sounds just as good.”

“How about....”

Hanzo's eyes slided from the menu to meet yours. “I choose the chicken and you take the salmon? And we try from each other?”

Hanzo nodded and smiled. “Sounds like a good idea to me.” His sudden smile made you blush and you tried to hide it quickly, by ringing the bell for the waiter and deciding on a beverage.

After giving your orders by the polite man in the suit, the two of you picked up on any news regarding your families and quickly after, you excused yourself, to go to the bathroom.

Leaving your stall, a woman passed by you to the sink next to yours to wash her hands. A moment later you recognized her. She was the wife of some TV celebrity . So this place was more than simply fancy looking? It must be serving very nice food as well, you thought to yourself.

The receptionist guided you to the stairway again and you began walking but stopped right before your head, peeked out of the entrance. Hanzo was speaking to somebody. Probably on the phone. You didn't want to spy on him but your curiosity was taking over you, as you wondered who would be calling him this time of the day.

“Yes , everything went as planned, thank you for everything again, Agasa san!”

Agasa san? That was his boss' name, so it was a work related call? But it sounded less formal...

“I can't thank you enough for your help sir and don't forget to deliver my thanks to Rosie aswell, you were right, your wife really is talented at planning surprises. I don't think I would've managed to gather all the right things in time without her help.”

You smiled brightly.

“Yes, yes, and no that was nothing. It's my job after all. Have a great evening sir.”

“Excuse me m'am, your dinner.”

You turned around in confusion just to meet the slightly uncomfortable waiter standing at the entrance, waiting for you to leave the staircase so he can deliver the dishes.

Embarrassed, you hurried to your seat, pretending not to know anything and enjoying your delicious dinner.

The fifth sip of champagne later, your plates were empty and your bellies filled.

The place was quiet and peaceful and the two of you were simply enjoying the moment of silence before Hanzo's phone gave off a silent buzz, making his eyes expand.

“It is time...” He whispered and turned off his phone.

“Time for what?” You asked , as he got up from his seat and asked you to follow him to the fence.

“There is a festival today, at the beach over there. “

Exited you waited for him to end his sentence. “And if I'm not wrong, there should be a fi-”

Hanzo was cut off by the loud chanting of people counting down from three in unison, before ten rockets shot up in the air, on the other side of the sea, dissolving in bright lights and sparkles in the sky.

You were mesmerized by the beauty of the colours and the lights, you didn't notice Hanzo looking at you the entire time instead, watching the fireworks out of the reflection in your eyes.

The rhythm of the fireworks lost it's steadiness and you looked over to Hanzo, causing him to quickly look away after you caught him staring. This made you remember the words of the woman in the store and the Pin.

“Ah, I've got something to give you.”

You quickly walked to the table and took the pin out of your purse, hiding the package behind your back as you turned around, to watch him take a sip of his champagne nervously.

“Close your eyes!” you requested as you slowly walked towards him.

“Why?” He asked.

Gosh, such a stupid question. He was really nervous all of the sudden, but why?

“Just do it, It's a surprise.”

Hanzo breathed in sharply and closed his eyes.

“Do I need to hold out my hands or anything? “

You were now standing right In front of him, unpacking the pin.

“No, just stand still.”

He swallowed hard as your voice determined, how close you were standing in front of him.

Taking his tie into your hand, you slided the fabric between the two parts of the pin and softened the fabric of his shirt causing his hands to shiver slightly.

“You may open your eyes.”

He opened his eyes and looked down. A smile marked his lips.

“The color of the pin is so beautiful. The gold really shines even thought its a bit dark. I love it! And the pattern ...”

He looked at you. “Where did you get it? I don't think I've ever seen a pin this beautiful anywhere before.”

You grinned. “The store section of the exhibition.”

“Uhm.... you're joking right?”

“No”

“Why would they sell tie pins?”

“I don't know” You laughed. “But hey, I guess that's were you'd find such beautiful tie pins.”

The both of you laughed slightly before you became so silent you heard each other breathe.

“Oh you moved and now it's uneven.”

You rearranged the tie pin and he looked down to watch you do so. Again you flat out the fabric of his shirt but your hands remained on his chest. You didn't want to take your hands off him, ever.

You wished this moment could last forever. Just you and Hanzo. No phones buzzing, bosses calling, other voices interrupting. You didn't notice you were staring at his chest, caught in your thoughts, until you heard Hanzo, call out your name.

His hands slid on top of yours, his thumb brushing over your remarkably smaller hands, his eyes locked onto yours.

“Happy Birthday.”

He smiled at you, hoping he had made up for the time, the two of you lost during his time working.

“Thank you for everything Hanzo, the presents, ... the exhibition, the dinner , …the time with you.”

You smiled and were surprised, that he wasn't anymore.

“I wish I could spend all of my time with you.”

Before you could think of an answer to that, he continued.

“I love you.”

your lips parted as the heavy blush on your cheeks gave off the answer to his proposal.

There were so many emotions going through you at this moment. Your thoughts travelled back to the moment you met him, the first time you spend your afternoon together. Every single time your heart beat fast because of him rushed by your mind, filling your stomach with a million butterflies and your heart with a strong rush of joy and an even bigger rush of relief.

“I want to be with you, (Y/N).”

Softly, you freed your hands from his, travelling up to rest your fingers on his cheeks, closing the gap between your lips, as they met each other , unwilling to ever part. His arms pulled you closer to his, making you able to feel his chest on yours.

Your lips finally distanced for a longer period, allowing you to breathe and look up at him and reply.

“I love you too Hanzo. I want to be with you for ever.”

His eyes closed for a second and a relieved huff left him, causing you to giggle. So that was, what he was nervous about?

Your finger brushed his cheek and his beard, curving his sharp jaw before he came closer to you, to place a kiss on your forehead.

He held onto you very strongly.

“I'm so happy and so ….” He looked away for a moment.

“Relieved?”

“Yes.” He replied, looking back into your eyes.

Your soft lips marked his right cheek with a kiss.

“How could I possibly say no to you, you are all I wanted and more.”

“You're exaggerating.”

“I'm not. You're the loveliest man I know and have ever known. On top of that, you're the best friend one could have and absolute husband material.”

He was startled.

“Hus-”

You cut him off with another kiss, slightly biting his lower lip.

This wasn't the last kiss of it's kind that night. The day began with Hanzo in your mind and ended with him by your side.

Extra :

Hanzo looked at his laptop screen in anger of not finding what he was looking for , before taking a look at the time and hurriedly putting on his clothes. His phone rang and he cursed whoever was calling in that moment of a rush.

“Hey Genji I'm busy , can I call you back later?”

“It's only a small question Hanzo.”

SIGH

“Yes?”

“You're planning to move out of your current apartment? Why? And why into a place so big? Is there anything I need to know?”

“How ...”

“You were still logged in on my PC so your browser history showed up while I was trying to find a website. I can't because the list is full of houses....Now tell me why you want to move into a house so big on your own?”

“Genji I ….

Me and (Y/N) are dating now.”

there was a small moment of silence before his brother bursted out loud cheers.

“FINALLY! Me and mum and everyone else have been waiting forever! Took you long enough to confess. Or her, I doubt it was you.”

Genji laughed and Hanzo snarled annoyed.

“What do you mean mom and the others? And what do you mean forever? Also I should let you know I asked her out after spending a really nice date with her, don't you dare ridicule me like that.”

“You took her out on a fancy date? Are you really my nerdy brother who only knows work and studies?”

“Yes and I am gonna be late to my next fancy date with her if you don't answer my questions and make it quick!”

“I can't believe you didn't know, that we were all waiting for the two of you to finally find each other. I always wanted to drop hints and lecture you about how to finally approach her, back in high school but mother told me to let it happen naturally. She probably cursed herself secretly when she saw, how nothing happened over the many years.” Genji laughed again.

“Well congratulations, you two wanted me to engage romantically with my best friend, now what is it about the others?”

“Oh not just us two, the entire class felt like you guys would marry one day. Or do you think it was a coincidence, that you were supposed to play the main roles in the play in eleventh grade?! You didn't get the role for your honourable acting skills brother.“

Embarrassed, Hanzo walked past his wardrobe as he forgot his watch on his desk, stopping at your high school graduation picture.

“Hanzo ? H e l l o ?”

“Yes, yes sorry, I  got to go now, I'll call you tomorrow alright?”

“Yes, I'll be waiting, ….gosh I can't wait to tell mum, she will probably cry. Bye Brother!”

“Bye.”

[lanamemories]

lockwood nye | chatzy

SUMMARY: literally everyone kissed everyone. metaphorical blood was shed. lives were lost. no-one will ever be the same. jude ashed on gabe’s muffin and he ate it anyway. lana sucked imogen’s finger and caused all penises within a five mile radius to hoist their flagpole and sing the national anthem. jude and venus made out. twice. chloe grit her teeth at the anarchy and uttered the yikes that everyone else was thinking. magnolia and blake canoodled like an old married couple sat on the porch of a country ranch. a three way kiss stirred tensions. teddy and imogen locked lips and started a forest fire using the tension as kindling. hearts were broken. drinks were drank. ragrets were had. a lockwood new year’s eve for the ages.

magnolia: Maggie walked into the party, bright red cowboy hat on her head as she carried a similar blue one, popping it onto Gabe's head. "Happy Birthday Country Boy, I lurrve you!" She called out, before walking on in search of a drink with no further comment.

gabe: "Yeehaw," Gabe chimed in rather monotonously, tipping his hat to no one in particular as he watched Magnolia walk away.

blake: Anxiety making his chest feel tight, Blake's legs jiggled in rhythm with the music. He watched the party from a couch spot he'd snagged early in the night, his form well imprinted into the cushion now.

jude: "Booooooy!" Jude declared suddenly, pointing a finger repeatedly down at Blake's legs as they jiggled like noodle strands in front of a high power fan. "Look at them go."

blake: Blake tilted his head up at Jude, eyes narrowing slightly. "I didn't even notice. Ass," he mumbled into his red solo cup, clearing his throat as he placed the empty one down and reached over to grab the flask he'd been nursing all night, almost done too. "You look like a majestic creature...person from a period film. Fuck off."

magnolia: The girl finished making her rum and coke, heading back over to Gabe. "How does it feel to be an old man? Have you acquired a taste for lunchtime buffets yet?" She asked, poking his stomach like he was the Pillsbury Doughboy.

lana: Donning a star spangled pair of novelty glasses spelling out '2018' over both eyes, Lana practically pranced into the party like a fairy on acid, flashing Gabe a fiendish grin as she finally reached his side. "Gabriel! You're a stinky old man just like the rest of us sorry fools now. Anything to say on record?" she asked, pretending to hold up a tape recorder to his mouth.

arryn: She had already done a bit of pre-gaming before she went to the party, so when she arrived, she would instantly start having fun. Arryn entered through the door, bottle in hand. She took her time walking through the mass of attendees

gabe: Gabe jumped at the poke of his stomach, easily ticklish. He looked between Magnolia and Lana and tried to hold in his laughter. "Good evening, MTV, and welcome to my crib," he flashed his teeth at Lana's fake tape recorder. "I'm 21 now and quire frankly, I want to die slightly less than I did yesterday!"

arryn: and drank from the bottle as she drug along. Arryn finally made it to the one place she loved most, the booze table.

jude: "Quire frankly? Is that a relative of yours, perhaps?" Jude piped up after overhearing the conversation, flashing a politician's smile before redirecting his focus back to Blake. "You didn't even notice my ass? That's harsh, Blake. I polished it especially for this event."

magnolia: Maggie laughed as the unfamiliar girl held the tape recorder up to Gabe's face. "I'll leave you with your fans. Just wanted to wish you an official Happy Birthday," she told him, heading off in the direction to find more friends. She settled into the couch next to Blake, flashing a drunk grin at the two boys and tipping her hat. "Howdy, Cowboys!"

lana: "I don't know about you but I totally feel like that one gif of that woman screaming as she removes her wig. Like, that's just... the vibe for tonight, you know?" Lana nodded along, eyeing the dwindling contents of her cup before peering back at Gabe again. "You know it's, um... Aly! It's Aly's birthday tonight, too. Is this a joint bday bash?"

blake: "Is this event mandatory?" he called out to the party, not really expecting an answer. Blake sighed at Jude, shaking his head. "I'm glad you cleaned your ass, Jude. But that should be a regular thing," he said, glancing up just as Magnolia arrived. "Hey, nice outfit."

jude: "Don't be such a Negative Norman, Blake," Jude criticised halfheartedly, taking a swig from the beer in his cup before he raised it in a toast-like greeting over Maggie's arrival. "Alright, goblin? Gnash on the toes of any particularly lanky ghouls yet? I have my third eye on one named Margaret."

gabe: "Is it?" he raised his eyebrows at Lana. "I think she mentioned it was her birthday too but we aren't every close. Assumed she'd have her own party?" He shrugged. "The event is mandatory, you belligerent goblin," he called back at Gabe. "Invite me to you and Mags' wedding!"

magnolia: "Gentleman," she greeted them, raising her drink, her voice formal. "I had my eyes on a particularly thicc with two c's spector, be he ran off before I could astral project into his plane," she told Jude. Her cheeks grew bright red at Gabe's comment yelled across the room. "We're not getting married until ghouls have the right to wed too!" She called back lamely.

blake: Blake reached over the table to retrieve a chip from one of the food bowls, nipping off the end before deciding against eating and tossing it back on the table. Blake winced slightly as Gabe called out to him, sighing heavily. "Sorry about my friend, his mouth smells of feet because they're always in his mouth," he said to no one.

gabe: "I heard that!"

jude: "Shame. They're always scuttling these days. Ghouls just can't be trusted," Jude sighed so solemnly, it was as if he was recounting the death of an old friend. It was only at Gabe's comment that his playful demeanour wavered slightly, scoff parting his lips after a second long delay. "Stop it, Blake. You know Gabe has a thing for feet... He'll get hard a hundred miles and hour and poke a poor girl's eye out."

blake: Blake was in the middle of taking a swig from his vodka when he nearly spat the contents out, wiping a bit of the alcohol from his skin. "Jesus Chroist."

gabe: "Bold claim from someone who gave a girl thrush because he fingered her the wrong way," Gabe grinned at Jude. "Who do you think I am? Quentin Tarantino?"

lana: "Gabe! You have to be a gracious host. Just... Promise you'll offer her some chips and dip if she turns up. It's her birthday, I feel bad. She won't even get a celebratory spank from Frankie like I do every year. That's a crime," she sighed loudly, aimlessly dusting a bit of imaginary lint from Gabe's shoulder. "God. Tramp."

magnolia: Maggie flung her feet up on the arm of the couch, leaning her head back to drain the contents of her glass. She gasped as Blake spat out the contents of his glass. "Guys! Blake is so bored he would actually rather choke. Help the poor sweet summer child."

jude: "Fuck off, cretin! That was just a rumour," Jude refuted, reaching over and slapping at Gabe's ass like a parent might with a miscreant child. "Enough of that backchat, young man."

gabe: "You make it sound like we're a married couple and we're hosting our annual New Years dinner party. I'm not Gatsby," he sighed, pouring a mixture of alcohol into his red solo cup. "I'll find her and we can... pop bottles of champagne together like old men did in the 1950s. Here's to 2018, fuckers!"

blake: "We should..." he glanced over to Magnolia. "You're right, we should play a game or something."

jude: "He's wasting away," Jude solemnly announced, clapping a hand down onto Blake's shoulder with a furrowed brow. "Somebody should've had more breast milk as a baby... Brittle boned. Weak."

gabe: "Oh, daddy," he retaliated towards Jude. "Please, spank me harder. I'm the birthday boy, after all."

blake: "I'm gonna fucking punch him," Blake mumbled under his breath, mostly to himself. "What's your problem?" he asked, brows furrowed as he glanced over to Jude.

lana: Involuntary flush creeping up into her cheeks, Lana pressed the cool side of her cup against her throat, rolling it there absently in a fit of boredom. "Do you really have a foot kink, Gabe? Look into my eyes and tell the truth. Don't be a coward."

jude: Eyebrows knitting slightly, he offered Blake a bewildered expression, lowering his voice a notch. "What? The breast milk thing was a joke, man," came as he patted his shoulder a hint harder than necessary, moving his hand away after. "We're good."

magnolia: Maggie sat up, fingers nervously clutching the cup in her hand as her other hand drifted towards Blake's arm before she thought better of it. "Who wants a shot?" She declared, voice wavering.

gabe: "I don't have a fucking foot kink," Gabe pleaded, smile plastered on his face as he took another gulp from his cup. He kicked Lana with the side of his sneaker gently. "Why? Do you? Do YOU have something you'd like to tell me?"

blake: "I'll -- I'll take a shot," Blake said, cut off just before he could finish the sentence with the slap against his back. "Alright! We're good. Fantastic," he replied, not entirely believing it, but knowing he'd only get heated if he persisted.

lana: "Once I had a wet dream about one of the thumb men from Spy Kids," Lana sighed honestly, thumb smoothing along the rim of her red cup. "I won't even lie, it was pretty hot. I don't regret it. Also, me! I'll do a shot. I'm like a dehydrated camel in the outback. Rasping for mercy."

chloe: Chloe walked into the party, and immediately began the search for a drink or someone she knew— she wasn't terribly picky about the order. Not too far away was Gabe, the birthday boy, surrounded by a few more friendly faces. "Happy birthday!" she said as she arrived, ruffling Gabe's hair. "What'd I miss?"

magnolia: "Cool. Awesome," she said hurriedly, getting up off the couch and taking off towards the drink table with Blake in tow, meeting up with Lana along the way. She poured drinks for all of them, plus a few more for anyone else that wanted one. "Look me in the eyes when you clink or it's bad head for ten years!"

gabe: "That's... the most the disgusting thing I've heard all night besides Tripp admitting he's into bestiality," Gabe said, grabbing a handle of Smirnoff from the fridge. "And after that, I need a shot."

jude: Flopping down onto one of the adjacent couches, Jude popped open his tin of rolling papers and started thumbing through the contents, setting about fixing himself a joint. "Fuck. Anyone got any filters?"

gabe: "Chloe!" Gabe beamed, bringing the brunette into an awkward side-hug. "Thanks. You didn't miss much. Collectively? We're on our way to getting fucked up. Emotionally? I sense a tension in the air. Not like I haven't experienced that on any other of my birthdays though."

lana: "Whoa. I totally thought you said look me in the eyes when you twink for a second there. Mindfuck. I was spinning my head around like the Mr. Krabs meme looking for the nearest toyboy," Lana scoffed, plucking up the shot and reaching out to knock glasses before she tossed it back.

blake: Sighing and running his hand over the back of his neck, he glanced over the Jude and mouthed a simple 'What the fuck?' in his direction. "Yeah, I got some," he said, leaning forward to pry them out of his back pocket, tossing the pack onto the coffee table.

chloe: "Oh, excellent," she laughed, scooting into an empty seat. "I'm trying to look God in the eyes by the end of tonight. Fuck me up."

gabe: "You could look God in the eyes if you just got on your knees... and prayed. With a bible," Gabe stammered, in horror of the awkwardness that just ensued from his mouth. "Welcome to Bible study, we're all children of Jesus!" He looked over to Magnolia, who was downing shots already. "Kumbaya... my lord..."

magnolia: "God. I just had a flashback to that dude in the leather suit from American Horror Story," she told Lana. "Tonight I drink to forget Michael Scott bending Evan Peters over and spanking him on The Office."

jude: "Noice," Jude emphasised like his accent had suddenly warped into that of an Australian crocodile wrangler, reaching forwards to snatch up the filters and pry one from the rest. Plucking a rolling paper free, he slithered it onto Blake's lap in pitiful means of a half-assed apology.

venus: "I've arrived, Thots!" Venus shouted at the bustling crowd, particularly to the few faces she recognized immediately. Her fur coat and sparkly dress screamed New York socialite, and her brain was screaming for a drink. "What's all the hubbub, boys?"

blake: "I'm good, man. Already on enough," he said to Jude, laughing with the admittance. "Where did Maggie go with our shots, though? The real question."

lana: "DON'T mention spanking and Evan Peters in the same sentence. My frail heart can't take it. I was one of the abominable thots that wanted to take a ride on the Langdon express. It was a dark time," she exhaled mournfully, coughing slightly to escape the bitter taste of vodka in the back of her throat. "Gross. I feel like I just sucked on Satan's teat."

chloe: "Ah, so I guess you want a church girl that go to church.... and read her Biiiible," Chloe said, expression unchanging but her voice shifting to imitate the Vine. "We love Bible study!" she yelped, taking a shot.

jude: "Think she left with Lana or, uh... Dunno," Jude offered along with a shrug, licking a stripe along his paper before he smoothed it together. "Vanished into the abyss. Dicks out for Magambe."

magnolia: "He was a hunk-a-thon, I'll give you that," Maggie said, her voice suddenly warping into a Valley Girl accent. "Shit! I forgot that the gentlemen and I scheduled a very important business meeting. Gotta bring the materials," she told Lana, gathering up a few shots and bringing them back over to Blake and Jude. "Boys, i've brought the third quarter numbers."

gabe: "Don't-" Gabe stuttered as Chloe took the shot, wrinkling his nose at thought of consuming the mixture. "God, that was... the equivalent of isopropyl alcohol. I don't even know what mixture was in that Smirnoff bottle, but it wasn't Smirnoff. Please don't sue."

teddy.: Walking through the threshold into the BKE living room, Teddy managed to juggle three chocolate chip muffins in one hand and a red solo cup in the other. Mouth already half full, Teddy approached Jude and Blake with all the seriousness of a businessman looking to close a deal. "Have you guys been in the washroom lately? I found, like, twenty muffins there. Want one? I can grab more. They're so good. I hope they weren't meant for Gabe cause I already ate two."

imogen: Walking in, eyes red and squinted from the few joints she had enjoyed on the walk over, Imogen entered the party, in an unusual attired of plain black jeans and a hoodie. Entering the house, she immediately found her way towards the messy table of crumpled chips and began munching.

blake: Blake laughed, feeling a little more at ease now that Jude had seemed to calm down from whatever had peeved him off earlier. A sigh of relief escaped when Magnolia returned, sitting up straighter. "Thank god, I was about to zamboni the table." As Teddy approached, Blake relaxed even more, smile on his face. "Can't say I have, Who put muffins in the washroom?"

venus: "Whose birthday is it?" Venus asked towards no one in particular. She spotted a kind-looking girl on the couch and plopped down next to her. "I see Jude's up to his wild antics again. Lana, right?"

jude: "Anyone got a light?" Jude called out aimlessly, flailing his head around like a child long lost in a convenience store. "Blease... Halp... I'm just a little baby boy!" Discontinuing his absurd cries once Teddy arrived, Jude lazily flung a leg out, poking at his friend's shin in means of fond greeting. "Hello, my son. What the fuck is a muffin--" he stuttered into silence, wedging his joint in place. "A muffin doing in a washroom, anyway?"

gabe: "Why are there muffins in the washroom?" Gabe asked, snatching one from Teddy's hand. "I don't see a cake anywhere so I'm hoping this is for me. Anyone got a singular candle I can put on this?"

magnolia: Maggie handed Blake a shot, trying not to spill any of it, sitting on the arm of the couch. She knocked back the vodka, wincing as she did so. "Nope, I just got zamboni-ed. Petition to use zamboni more in every day conversation. Shit. I'm drunk."

teddy.: "No, Gabe!" Teddy protested, voice taking on the whiny tone of a two year old who doesn't get their way. "Those were for my less fortunate friends! We can't all have birthdays today, y'know."

imogen: Answering to the calls of a frantic Jude, Imogen pulled the tiny bic out of her jean pocket and held it out, walking towards them. "I'm no hero, I put on my pants one leg at a time like everyone else, only I remember to bring a lighter"

lana: "Hi!" Lana greeted as earnestly as a golden retriever introduced to a new owner, corners of her red lips tweaking. "Yeah, Lana. Venus, right? Or, I guess... Weenus, according to Jude. He's a mongrel, ignore him. I try to."

blake: Lowering down his vodka as Maggie did, he sighed in relief, though it burned his throat. "You alright?" he asked Magnolia in a mumbled, glancing over to her on the end of the sofa.

chloe: Chloe's face crumpled after downing the contents of her cup, mouth puckered in disgust. "Oh, man," she groaned. "That is diabolical. Who's trying to kill you on your birthday?"

jude: Plucking the Bic off Imogen, Jude offered a wise smile like Gatsby overlooking his crowd of party guests in means of thanks, sparking up and sucking in a long drag before reaching over to ash on Gabe's muffin. "Bone app the titty." Turning back to Imogen after, he patted the space besides him. "Sit. You've earned a place besides the king -- I'm not calling myself that, by the way. Blake said it was fitting earlier."

venus: "Or better yet... penis!" Venus flashed a ruby red smile, raising an eyebrow as her gaze followed towards Jude's presence. "Looks like someone's getting... laid?" She watched as a brunette stumbled upon Jude flickering a lighter. "Oh, god. Is she trying to set him on fire?"

gabe: Gabe giggled at Chloe's crumpled face as it matched his own, a good amount of the strange tonic already inside his system. "Some sadist who's never been to bartender school apparently," he replied, pulling out a bottle of Spite from the counter and pouring the contents into the remainder of the cup. "Here. A chaser will make it better. I mixed mine with a bunch of a juice and I'm more off the rails than a thirteen year old boy at 3 am off a Four Loko."

magnolia: She nodded her head, giving him a smile. "Peachy. Living my diddly darn best life,"she said, trying to shake off the nervous feeling that accompanied her at parties. "Your hair smells good tonight. Like shampoo or something," she stated, fingers combing through it before dropping them nervously.

lana: "God! He'll probably cry out a lyric from The Smiths when he climaxes. To DIE by YoUr SiDe," she wailed out unevenly, eyes rolling back into her head as she reached around like a blind person for dramatic effect. "Terrible. I hope Imogen's prepared. Also... Huh. You know what we should play? Truth or dare."

venus: "True!" Venus emphasized, pointing her finger at Lana as if she made a breakthrough discovery. "Last time I played that I got someone to streak outside in the dead of winter. I can make anyone a victim tonight."

blake: "Shampoo would likely be it," he said, quiet laugh parting his lips for only a moment. It was strange being here, outside of his room on the worst night of Blake's year. But the company was nice, as long as things stayed civil. "Lana. Yes. A game. Please," he said, reaching up to hook his pinky into Magnolia's to draw her hand back to his head.

imogen: A proud look beamed across Imogen's face as she plopped next to Jude. "You can be the king all you want, at the end of the day things did not end well for Macbeth" she replied, snatching the joint from his fingers and dangling it off her lip, inhaling the smoke smoothly.

jude: Catching a glimpse of Maggie and Blake from the corner of his eye, Jude reached up to itch far more furiously than necessary at his tear duct, eye squeaking in protest. "Whoa. Stuart Little, uh, crying for mercy, there. Wild," he chuckled under his breath, focusing on Imogen once more. "Macbeth was just like Chicken Little. Dumb and he's a coward. You can't just come over here... Reap my harvest," he gestured at his joint in her mouth, "and PISS on the rest of my metaphorical crops. I'm distraught."

venus: Venus made her way through the crowd, stumbling in the dimness as she tripped over someone's foot and half-landed on someone's lap. "Fuck! You absolute gremlins!" she called out towards no one in particular. She looked over and found herself resting on top of Judas' knee as her eyes lit up, giving him a peck between his hairline and his forehead. "Judas! You're like a blessing dressed as a grungy band member. How is the evening treating you? Have you killed Jesus yet?"

magnolia: She continued playing with his hair gently, nodding her head as someone mentioned truth or dare. "Yes! I'm gonna find out who everyone has a crush on tonight." She glimpsed Jude talking to a girl she didn't know out of the corner of her eye, whipping her haze away sharply.

gabe: "Lana, do you have a candle? Or a fucking joint so I can blow out something anyway? This crowd's got me stressed," Gabe stumbled over, nearly knocking over the petite girl. "I feel like Jude and Blake are gonna tussle."

jude: "Whoa! Fuckin' hell, all aboard, I guess," Jude strained out as he shuffled beneath Venus' flailing limbs to get comfortable, looking every bit like Patrick Star mid coma as his arms fanned out around her. Eventually, he settled for steadying her gently by the waist, offering Imogen a sheepish smile. "Full house. It's like a nineties sitcom."

lana: "A CANDLE?!" Lana quoted like he'd just garbled out a sentence in ancient Latin, eyes bugging out of her head like the meme of the fish in Spongebob holding a glass of juice. "Who do you think I am, Gabe? A Bed, Bath and Beyond store? Disgusting! I just spat."

blake: Lowering down the rest of his vodka, Blake tossed the flask on the table. "Jude! Truth or dare."

venus: Venus looked up, surprised at the sight of the other girl. "Oh, fuck, I'm such a tramp aren't I?" she turned her back towards Jude again, narrowing her eyes. "You've got your arms around my waist while this woman is trying to fuck you?" she nearly hissed. "Am I cockblocking or can I join?"

jude: "Hey, whoa," Jude blustered hastily, glancing between the pair of them with a face of vague distress. "I'm just a little boy..." he trailed off vaguely, hoping that excuse, enough, would suffice, before realising he probably had to say more for himself. "Everything's fine. Make love, not war. We're all human beings."

imogen: Imogen handed the joint back to Jude and laughed at Venus' comment. "No, I'm not- no worries. I'm too high for this right now anyway. I think I'm gonna grab something to drink" she replied. pushing herself off the couch and walking away from the couch.

gabe: "You're all for birthdays aren't you? What am else am I going to blow?" Gabe answered frantically. "Wait, don't answer that." He took nearly inhaled the muffin in his hands regardless, squinting at Lana as he swallowed. "Oh... these are? Edibles? Suddenly I'm exiting this plane of existence."

jude: "Oh, Christ. It's Armageddon," Jude mumbled solemnly into Venus' hair, accidentally getting a strand in his mouth and spluttering helplessly in the aftermath. "Fuckin' hell. Look what you did, Venus. She practically took off on all fours. Imogen!" he called lazily around Venus, flailing a rogue arm. "Bring back rations!"

magnolia: Maggie scooted closer towards Blake's side, brushing her hair out of her face as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Judas! You were asked a question. Truth or dare?"

lana: Sucking in such a frantic gust of air at his statement that she nearly choked on it, she wildly flung a hand out to grab his shoulder for support, coughing into his shirt sleeve before composing herself. "Didn't Jude just ash on that earlier? Gross."

venus: Mouth agape, Venus pushed herself towards the end of the couch so only her legs rested on Jude's lap. "Oh, no! I totally fucked everything up for you! I'm sorry!" she pleaded, taking a gulp of her wine bottle. "So no threesome?" She glanced back at the rest of the room, realizing they were suddenly in the middle of a game. "Ah! It's time for the moment of truth!"

jude: "Hm ha hmhmhm ha?" Jude responded in reference to the iconic Yoda parody, wiping absently at a crumb that had somehow pinged and wound up on his eyelash before meeting Maggie's gaze. "What question? Oh... Uh. Dare, I guess. And don't worry, Weenus," came as he tapped sympathetically at her shins, nodding once over. "I forgive you."

gabe: "He WHAT?" Gabe blurted, catching Lana has she nearly fell into his arms. "What the fuck? I've eaten an edible that Judas ashed on. Incredible. I better see God right in his fucking face in the next twenty minutes."

lana: Slouching in Gabe's arms even after she'd steadied her composure, Lana peered up at him, neck retracted in on itself to impersonate a bleary eyed infant. "I look totally like baby Moses like this. It's kind of erotic, actually. If--... Wait, are dares starting?" she perked up from Gabe's limp hold, peering around like a meerkat.

blake: "I dare you..." he started, before gesturing toward Venus, "to make out with her." Considering she was easily accessible, he figured it was doable. "Then rate it from 1 to 10.

chloe: Chloe found her way back to the group, the front of her shirt soaked with an unidentifiable alcohol. "Someone just fuckin spilled their entire drink on me," she huffed to no one in particular, slipping into the circle to watch the game.

imogen: Mixing herself a concoction of whatever kind of liquor was on the table closest to her, Imogen smelled the red solo cup before wincing and taking a swig. Before returning to the couch, this time taking a seat on the arm of the sofa. Hearing the dare, the girl picked herself off the spot she had just settled in and went to sit next to chloe to avoid being in the splash zone.

gabe: "Daaaaares," Gabe murmured, more crossfaded than the time he was seventeen and inadvertently pissed on the neighbors lawn. He yanked on Lana's hand towards the circle in the living room. "Chloe! We're playing Saw Four! Mags over here is that Jigsaw fellow and she's gonna make us do tricks!"

chloe: "Amazing," Chloe replied, laughing at Gabe's inebriated state. "I want to see the tricks!"

jude: "Rate it? Jesus Christ," Jude huffed out along with a light laugh, rubbing at the scruff of his jaw before he shifted a glance towards Venus. "Well... alright, then," came along with a shrug, hand slipping easily to steady her thigh so that his other could catch her by the jaw and tug her promptly closer. It was a performance fit for a glimpse through a peep show that he put on, knuckles inadvertently bunching beneath the hem of Venus' skirt as he tasted the remnants of rum on her lips, nearly smiling against them at just how soft they felt. Pulling back and imitating an Italian chef kissing his fingers and throwing them outwards, Jude hastily retracted his hand from her leg. "Jesus. Sorry. Feral. I'd, uh... I'd rate it a sophisticated seven. Thanks and goodnight, New York."

magnolia: She picked up another one of the shots she had brought over earlier, choking it back as she watched Jude and Venus make out. "Great. Fucking showstopping, Pornhub will give you good ratings," Maggie said, forcing a laugh. "Who wants to go next?"

venus: Venus couldn't help but burst into laughter when she pulled back, her hair frizzier than an early morning fuck and her lipstick smudged. She wiped the side of her mouth to clean up. "No one asked me but it was a good six. Would've been a seven had he not nearly eaten my face!"

blake: Blake shifted somewhat uncomfortably at the display, nearly regretting his decision to dare him that immediately. Once Jude had finished with the kiss, he laughed, raising his brows. "Just a seven? Jesus," he said, clearing his throat. Glancing up to Magnolia, her reaction was rather transparent, but Blake said nothing. Instead, he chewed at his nail and squeezing Maggie's hand with the other. "Who's going next, then?"

jude: Clearing his throat casually, Jude held a hand out towards Imogen post kiss, wiggling his fingers like he was hinting she pass him a cookie. "Did you... Wait. You got my smoke?"

magnolia: "I'll go," she told everyone. "I'll do dare."

teddy: Slowly taking a sip of his drink while glancing between Magnolia, Jude, and Venus in turn, Teddy finally made eye contact with Jude over his cup, giving him an over exaggerated thumbs up and a wink, mouthing the word "Noice" at him like they were back in grade ten and Jude had just had his first kiss ever.

jude: Shooting Teddy a total of three winks back, he entered into a sort of Morse code battle via eye, throwing him the odd one every so often when the feeling struck. "Dare! Mags chose dare. Uh... Huh. Anyone got one?"

lana: "I dare Mag--... Maggie? Maglin," Lana announced before clearing her throat, cup raised to her mouth like a microphone, "to kiss the prettiest boy in the room."

imogen: "I thought I gave it back to you" Imogen replied to Jude, a look of paranoia on her face now as she, stupidly, checked her pockets. "Maybe you inhaled it" she offered, plopping down with a shrug.

jude: "Ah, tits. She's gone, boys!" Jude called out to no-one in particular, clasping at his cheeks like the screaming man from Edvard Munch's painting. "Fucking R.I.P. It's cool, I'll roll another, I guess."

gabe: "Judas," Gabe started with a deadpan voice. "Why did you ash on my weed muffin? On my twenty-first? The audacity. Do you know how blurry my vision is right now?"

teddy: Making his way over to Jude, Teddy clapped him on the shoulder before nudging Imogen to the side, "Scoot, Im, best friend coming through." He mumbled, throwing his legs over Imogen's once he'd sat. "That kiss is going into my spank bank for later tonight, just so you know."

imogen: Imogen reached into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a pink plastic cigarette case. Dipping her fingers into it, she retrieved a tightly rolled joint and leaned over to hand it to Jude. "Peace offering" she said, smiling also at Venus.

imogen: Throwing her hands over Teddy's shins, Imogen nodded. "Mine too"

jude: "Pranked! You've been pranked," Jude declared suddenly, whipping his joint into view right around the same time Imogen gave him a fresh one. "Oh, fuck. Overflowing. I'm drowning... So many. Too many men..."

venus: Hair strewn across the end of the couch, Venus' head shot up at the acknowledgement of another person. "Oh, you're a doll!" she gushed at Imogen, taking her joint gladly. "Though I'm not sure what you mean. Are we fighting? Baby, what have I done? I'll get on my knees and everything."

magnolia: Maggie looked like a deer caught in the headlights as Lana announced her dare. She finished off a sip of vodka that was left in her shot glass. "Shit. Okay, fine." She stood up, making her way over to Gabe who still had Lana in his arms. "Make way for Thomas the Train engine," she told Lana, extracting the boy from underneath her as she sat down on the couch. She pulled him in by his shirt for a kiss, hesitant at first with all the eyes on her, but her hands wandering up to tangle in his hair as the kiss deepened. "Wow," she said in the voice of the kid from Vine as they separated.

lana: "Begone, thot!" Lana exclaimed with a prominent wrinkle of her nose, swatting at the prying hands of a frat boy leering in from behind her around the circle. It was only then that she whipped around to clock Maggie, a quick hop seeing her clear the path. "It's like a hundred mile an hour moshpit in here. Cold and afraid... Hope diminishing."

teddy: "What the hell was the prank? Not your best work, Jude." Teddy mumbled, grabbing the joint Jude was currently brandishing. Lifting it to his mouth to take a drag, Teddy stopped halfway to the destination, mouth agape at the scene Maggie and Gabe put on for them, "HOOTY HOO!" He shouted, practically right in Jude's ear.

venus: Hands entangled in Maggie's hair, Gabe nearly fell backward as the girl was on top of him, lips locked. As she pulled back, his face was amused in bewilderment, considering he barely heard what the last dare was. "Happy birthday to me?" he mumbled, looking around like a puppy to the rest of the room. "That was... fun."

jude: "Shut your wretched little mouth, boy," Jude grit out like he was a medieval lord from Game of Thrones, jest clear in his tone before he clocked the make out across the circle. Lips pressed into a thin line as Teddy bellowed, Jude pushed his cheek away from his ear a little harder than necessary. "Oh. Sorry."

imogen: Imogen shook her head, "No need to get on your knees. My apologies. I shouldn't have been so hasty about the threesome" she replied, before her sight darted towards Magnolia and Gabe.

lana: Eyeing Gabe at the side of her like the human manifestation of a disgruntled moon emoji, Lana slurped rather obnoxiously from her cup, rattling the dwindling contents after to distract a niggling thought at the back of her brain. "Who's next! I'll go. I'm feeling spicy."

venus: Venus widened her eyes, flailing her legs as she straightened herself on the couch and nearly kicking Jude's face in the process. "Judas! Did you hear that? Immy wants a threesome!" She buried her hands in hair as if he was a new golden retriever. "God. Amazing."

teddy: "Ow! You fuckin' Thot. Was your first makeout not satisfactory enough?" Teddy whined, rubbing at his cheek like Jude had winded back and personally tried to hit Teddy as hard as he could.

blake: On a normal night, Blake would have likely been jealous, but only in a subtle way. However, tonight, he felt rather numb to most things and couldn't help but think the birthday boy was, in fact, deserving of a kiss. And he looked the part. Laughing softly, he raised one of the shot glasses. "To the birthday boy, you've been deflowered in front of us all."

magnolia: "Sorry for the ambush," she said with a small laugh, grabbing the cowboy hat that had fallen off her head and settling back into her position next to Blake, bringing her knees under her arms. "It's his birthday He deserves to be pretty."

blake: "He is pretty, I agree," Blake said, laughing softly as he nudged Magnolia. "Someone give Lana a truth or dare, she's weeping over there."

gabe: "Are you saying I'm not pretty on a normal basis?" Gabe replied in mock disgust. "These curls? Bounce naturally, for your information."

jude: "Who's Emmy?" Jude blinked in sheer confusion, only piecing together what she'd actually said moments later. "Oh, fuck. Oh... Fuck. What? What's... going on? He needs some milk..." he mumbled under his breath, faking a frantic massage at his own temples.

imogen: "Which is it Lana, truth or dare?" Imogen called out from the couch.

magnolia: "Lana I... Dare you to give a lap dance to the person of your choosing."

lana: Tossing back the last of her punch, Lana defiantly hopped up to her feet, going the extra mile of crushing up her cup and throwing it to the floor purely for the dramatics. "I feel like a great white shark looking for the fattest swimmer to chomp on. Kind of arousing, honestly," she stated coolly as she eyed the circle, eventually pausing in her slow stride around it once she reached Imogen. "You. You look kind of like a dusty little choir boy, I dig it," came as she slipped onto her lap without warning, thighs hitched up to delicately straddle her. Snatching up her hand, she ground her hips easily with the oncoming dips of bass, a brief kiss pressed against the tops of her knuckles before she boldly slipped a first finger into her mouth and sucked on it. Lips tweaking as she pulled her hand back with a pop, Lana leaned in and pressed a scarlet kiss to Imogen's forehead like a sinful baptism, rising up to her feet after a few more tortuous shifts. "Bone app the teet! She tasted kind of like beef jerky. 5/10, do not recommend."

chloe: "Oh my god, she said beef jerky," Chloe gasped, finding the whole thing unbelievably funny. "Who's next?"

venus: Venus raised her hand. "I've got a lying Pinocchio shooting straight out of my skirt, to say the least. Lana, please me, next!"

teddy: Chuckling as Lana sauntered over to Imogen, all humour vanished the moment Lana staddled Imogen, jaw dropping and red solo cup contorting in his tight grip the moment Lana slipped Imogen's finger into her mouth. "Christ. I have to go to church." He blurted out, placing the cup in between his legs and bursting into applause. "Phenom. An excellent show."

magnolia: "Oh my god," Maggie said in the slow drawl of the guy from the "and they were roommates" vine. She burst into laughter. "It's Jason Fucking Bourne! Look at her move. God I don't think anyone can top that."

blake: Blake was shocked by the turn of events, eyes wide as he watched with fake lack of interest. Staying silent as Blake had no desire to actually take a turn, he watched as Lana left with an insult. "Fuck... Man down," he mumbled under his breath.

lana: "Thank you," Lana nodded solemnly, imitating a small curtsy before she flopped back into the space besides Gabe once more. "I was thinking of Nigel the whole time. Thornberry, that is."

imogen: Sitting completely still, Imogen watched with amusement as Lana put on a show for her. "Fuck, there's no un-creepy way to receive a lap dance" she finally muttered, going along with the finger sucking and forehead kissing, bursting into a loud applause when she was finished.

teddy: "Nigel Thornberry? A hunk, to say the least." Teddy stated, sitting up slightly straighter and flashing Lana a thumbs up after she sat down. "Alright, sluts, my turn! Dare me."

gabe: Gabe clapped a thunder of applause. "Your best work, Jameson!" he called out. "Someone do a dare for me. I thought my face would be in a cake by now."

teddy: Taking the last gulp from his cup, Teddy threw the empty plastic at Gabe's head, pointing an accusing finger. "Wait your turn, cretin! We don't have to conform to society's ways because it's your birthday!"

lana: Letting out an unearthly shriek as the cup rebounded and landed on Lana's lap, she picked at it like you might a soggy piece of food while washing the dishes. "Abomination! Teddy is disqualified on grounds of treason."

teddy: "What?! No! You're all in cahoots! Gimme my cup back, I wanna toss it at someone else now."

magnolia: "Boo!" Magnolia shouted at Teddy, throwing one of her collection of red cups at the boy.

jude: "I," Jude started out of nowhere, having been stuck in silence for the past minute or so -- apparently he needed a moment to compose after witnessing Imogen's finger getting sucked. "I say... Gabe kisses someone. Some-ONES, actually. Plural. A threeway kiss."

imogen: "I didn't think college kids were all actually this horny, you guys know about the internet, right?" the brunette asked, sipping at the drink she was holding.

magnolia: "Blake, I'm terrified. Hold me. I feel as if I'm about to witness the Dan, Vanessa, Olivia threeway all over again," Maggie said nervously, chewing on one of her nails as she grasped at his hand dramatically.

jude: Jude whipped around to look at Imogen like she'd just harshly backhanded him. "Wow... tell us how you really feel, Imogen. Thottimus Prime. I want my friendship bracelet back."

gabe: "Let the games begin," he sighed, looking to his right. Lana was staring at him with big eyes, and he was too inebriated to make good judgement on the repercussions of what would happen if his lips met hers. Itching his way to kneel between Lana and Teddy, he pushed their heads together like a sandwich so their cheeks touched and inched towards the two of them. Meeting his mouth with Lana's, and then Teddy's, the three were in sync as if they were one entity as the rest of the room cheered them on.

blake: Blake was already drunk enough to give into any inhibitions, a laugh escaping him following Magnolia's words. Tugging her closer to him, he made a space for her between the arm of the couch and his lap, barely large enough to fit her but it worked in the moment. "Truth or dare is uncomfortable," he mumbled, vodka-scented breath brushing against the back of her neck.

imogen: "I'm just saying, if you want to kiss someone you should just kiss them- who needs a game to make a move" Imogen muttered towards Jude, before looking at the trio with a smile on her face. "Like Gabe."

lana: Expression painted like a kid on Christmas morning when Gabe glanced her way, Lana abandoned her absentminded fiddling with the crumpled cup on her lap completely. Fingers creeping up to hook inside the neckline of Gabe's shirt, she bundled the fabric up inside an earnest fist as she pressed a kiss to his lips, lingering there perhaps far longer than necessary before drawing back and only remembering last minute to give Teddy a quick one, too. Drawing back after, she thumbed at the corner of her lips with a sheepish smile. "Wrow! Spicy. I need a refill."

magnolia: "I'm terrified," she mumbled back, throwing her legs up over his lab and she scooted down into the small space on the couch. She normally wouldn't have been as brazen as this, but the shots were catching up with her. "Oh my god, I think she swallowed him! He's GAN!"

teddy: Bursting into laughter when Gabe smushed his face into Lana's, Teddy's laughter quickly died when he watched the two of them kiss. Jealousy beginning to eat at his stomach and turn it into a pit, Teddy barely reciprocated when both Gabe and Lana gave him a quick kiss after, awkwardly twiddling his thumbs. "Yeah, Maggie, we get it." He mumbled, standing up quickly. "Shots? I want shots. I need more alcohol. Someone come with me. Blake. Come with me."

blake: "Oh boy," was mumbled under Blake's breath, unsure if his legs would even work anymore. "I'll be... right back," he assured Maggie, lifting himself up from underneath her and following behind Teddy toward the drinks. "Teddy, it's just a game. Don't get worked up. Everyone's fucking...wasted." He almost started laughing, but thought better of it.

jude: "Hungy harna hingini dana squashed banana," Jude crooned out the infamous tree shaking Vine in an attempt to diffuse the tension, sucking on his joint quickly before he threw Teddy a concerned glance. Whipping out his phone, the most comforting thing he could think to do in a moment like this was send him a lone kissing emoji via text.

gabe: Watching Blake and Teddy slip away from the rest of them, Gabe peered over to Lana with a look of questioning. "Fuck. What?" he mouthed at her, nodding towards Teddy's back getting farther away from them.

jude: "Fuck!" he suddenly exclaimed, grasping at his chest. Quickly sending Teddy another text, he wrote: "bad choice. that was my lips on you. oh this sounds like a sext. sorry. love u" and locked his phone with a sigh.

lana: Eyeing Teddy as he hastily retreated, Lana shrank back against the sofa like a wilting flower. "God. Ground control to major Tom..." she trailed off into solemn silence, sheepishly trading a glance at Gabe before shrugging slightly. "I, um... don't know. It's fine," she lied with a soft nod, gnawing at her bottom lip after. "He probably just needs... a shit."

teddy: Pressing his lips together as Blake attempted to calm him down, Teddy scoffed, biting his lip and nodding. "Yeah. True. A real Enlarged Emotion there." He mumbled, opening up a vodka of tequila and moving to pour some into the new cup Maggie had given him before deciding the better of it and just taking a shot right from the bottle. "Jesus Christ," Teddy spat, checking his phone as it continued to vibrate again his leg before narrowing his eyes at his phone then up at Jude. "Thank you, Jude. Fucking weirdo." He called to the other from the kitchen.

gabe / venus: "Welp, the drama queen has gone to shit himself," Venus sighed, downing the rest of her wine. "Y'all were a thing, I take it?" She sat up properly. "Do me, next! I'll break the streak. Challenge me and my pathological lies."

chloe: Chloe winced at the palpable tension in the room and made eye contact with Lana from across the room, putting 2 and 2 together. Raising her eyebrows, she took another sip of her drink. "Yikes."

blake: "Ah man," Blake said, running his hands over his face as he clumsily poured himself another drink. Alcohol didn't mix well with his medication, making him rather uncoordinated. "Gabe is... not a threat to you and Lana, if that's what you're worried about. He's... they're not on the same like -- fuck... what was I even saying? Goddamn it."

lana: Placing a hand over her eyes like Lady Gaga pulling her hat down to evade the paparazzi, Lana sighed loudly enough to draw the attention of anyone within a five mile radius. "Listen. I'm a big, raging whore. Now let's move swiftly on."

magnolia: "Everybody please look away, there's nothing to see here," Maggie echoed, latching onto the celebrity bit, putting her cowboy hat on Lana's head. "No further comments, blease."

jude: Smiling to himself as if his work was done, Jude patted his phone as he slid it into his pocket, nodding soulfully before he sucked on his joint again. "Who's next? Oh, wait. Uh... Venus? You pick dare?"

venus: "Whatever, was gonna break the streak but I'd assume you'd find a loophole to get me to strip anyway," Venus yawned. "Dare. Hit me with your best."

teddy: "It's fine." Teddy said, sounding distinctly Not Fine. "It's cool. Sorry for dragging you away. Let's just..." Without saying anything else, Teddy swiftly moved back into the living room, plastering a giant smile onto his face as if that would convince everyone that he hadn't just had a toddler like temper tantrum. Sitting beside Jude, he plucked his friends joint out of his grasp and took a long pull, nudging him with his elbow. "Jude next time you hit me with an accidental sext can't you at least make it a bit more obvious?" He asked, giving the other a weary smile.

imogen: Finding a spot besides Teddy, Imogen rested her head on his shoulder, tucking her hand under his bicep. "If a thot's heart breaks and no ones around to hear it, then it doesn't really break or something helpful" she muttered to the other, in an effort to make Teddy feel somewhat comforted.

jude: Instantly narrowing her eyes after tugging her hands down, Lana flung her hand out in childish impulse, swatting at the edge of Imogen's thigh without thinking about it. "Oh! God... Um. Nasty... bug!" she added in a stammer, dusting at the area after before casually leaning back against Gabe's shoulder. "There was... a bug."

magnolia: "Wait, shit, is it the New Year yet?" Maggie asked to know one in particular.

teddy: Grinning at Imogen, Teddy rolled his eyes fondly as she jokingly tried to make him feel better, leaning over and kissing her on the top of her head. "Me? Heartbroken? Never. You've got me confused with an emotional thot, Immy!" Teddy proclaimed. Glancing over when Lana smacked at Imogen's thigh, he raised a questioning eyebrow at her excuse, "Really? I didn't see anything. Did you?" He mumbled bluntly, turning back to Imogen.

gabe: "There's a bug on me now," Gabe whispered at Lana, who was already leaning on him again. "Yes! My balls are dropping. I'm 21 now, after all. Time to count down, everyone!"

lana: "It was a beetle, if you must know. A muscly one with a dimple chin like John Travolta," Lana mumbled halfheartedly, eyebrows knitting slightly before she straightened in her place at the arrival of the countdown, throwing Gabe's hand mid air like an Olympic victor. "He's finally a man!"

imogen: Spitefully glaring over at Lana, Imogen waited for the countdown before leaning closer towards Teddy's lips, her hand resting on the side of his face as she pulled him in for a lingering kiss. Pulling away she gave the boy a playful smirk as her hand continued to caress his face. "New Years resolution is going to be to ask for permission before I kiss people, sorry"

venus: "THE BALL IS DROPPING!" Venus pulled Jude in for another kiss as the countdown went to zero on the television. Pulling away, her jaw dropped at the sight of Teddy and Imogen as she took in the sheer chaos of it all. "We've just been nuked, folks!"

jude: Dramatically pulling her over his lap like he was bowing her mid ballroom waltz, Jude cradled her head afterwards like you might a newborn baby, pad of his index crossing down her forehead like a holy blessing after. "Holy father, hallowed by thy name... Please exorcise the demons from this thot."

teddy: Blinking in confusion at Lana's description of the so called beetle on Imogen's leg, Teddy didn't even have a moment to realize Imogen was going to kiss him until the very moment it happened. Hardly thinking twice about it, he kissed Imogen back, grin on his face when she pulled back. "No one actually follows resolution's anyway." He pointed out, laughing slightly at the scenario, before leaning in and pressing another, more chaste kiss to her lips. "HAPPY NEW YEARS THOTS!"

venus: "Well, considering all the tension in the room right now," Venus offered. "How about we ring in 2018 with a Wet Hot American Orgy? Then no one's angry with each other!"

lana: Jaw hanging open all the way down to her knees, Lana straightened to press a quick kiss against Gabe's cheek for the sake of leaving him a parting birthday wish, quickly mumbled "Catch you later!" in his ear seeing her straighten to her feet after and storm off without a glance Teddy's way.

imogen: Imogen pushed herself off the couch and brushed off her pants, speaking a quick "Happy New Years. No Ragrets" to her peers before waltzing toward the door and exiting the party house.

[beet-rootesoupevodkabanya]

Post-apocalypse military AU.

The beginning of the end XD. Of course nobody died for real. As a true fairytale it’ll end up fine. Actually it’s still raw... FML. I never stayed up at night even for exames or anything... Snow King can be proud. For his bday I do. X3

Sound of shooting stops accidentally. But now tinkling silence isn't an evidence of the end of the battle or at least of a break. It means only that one more line is over. Nothing to hope on. They are locked here. Not so many. Less the 200 people. Last examples of experienced fighters. Of the 1st breed. Ones who still remember and realize the world before the catastrophe. Enemies could never do it by themselves. But... No connection to other Bases or Safe Zones. Blocked channels. Blocked information supports for using air armor. Emergency ways to escape locked from outside... It's too obvious. Safe Zone thrown them away. To die and let the piece agreement happen. Снежный Король sits on the windowsill. Video security system allows to watch what's going on on other floors. He clicks the lighter and inhales the smoke. The stream of death... General widens the picture. Koshey team. All dead. Through blurred monitor it's still rather obvious. They all did as decided on a short urgent meeting in the beginning of this fight. Killed as many attackers as they could until ran out of cartridges. And left 4 bullets. One for every teammate. Nobody here is going to get captured anyway. Red cloud on the floor. She tried to grow up her hair because her lover always had long and was curious. Now it's almost beautiful. They lay on the floor hugging each other. Bloody carpet is a continuation of Mila's locks. The 4 of them are tangled in her red cloak. The Black Shark could be enough to win even in this unpleasant situation. But it was found broken badly. Traitors weren't able to make it work. This weird thing was unspeakably moody. And could literally kill anyone but Sara who ever tried to drive it. So they simply torn away and took with them some parts. All vans and other heavy technique were out of patrol.

[Good work, fucking piecemakers. Now wait until they invade and ruin that fragile illusion that U call stable daily life.]

Yuuri rushes in. Stupidly giggling and shrugging the blood away from his sword. The ceremonial weapon that isn't supposed to be used in battles... Shere Khan smirks licking the blade of the knife. What are they so agitated about?.. It wasn't even necessary to get into this (meaningless according to the situation) close combat. Werewolf (actually werebear if to be exact) reads his usual cards on the table. No, not tactical. Tarot cards. He frowns and raises eyes on commander. In normally calm beastly depth burns silent panic. It's not a fear of things that happen here. It's about something he reads on the desk. - Sir... They can't say anything. Or better to admit - they can but... I'm unable to read it. I see... But don't understand. - And I don't understand this... - the voice of Snow King is quiet. He wipes the wall with a white bandage. The air around is gloomy because of terminal fire and explosions. The bandage stays clean. General's statement could seem inopportune. But his subordinate knows too well they both are talking about the same phenomenon. - Ask them... - General closes eyes for a moment in strange hopeless hope. - Is it possible we all are dead or something... And the world around us is an illusion. Lieutenant Altyin looks at cards and bitterly waves his head. - Then only one explanation... The physical characteristics of our world had changed. I mean globally. In planetary measures. Or even more... Well... I guess it's better to die without seeing what other gameplays the ecosystem prepared for us... - Victor shrugs shoulders, smiling with a kind of lost expression. He has not enough reasons for this theory. But he feels it, knows by blood and cells. Like he knew where to step and when to shoot in a battle. The knowledge that became sharper day by day. Yuuri leans to his Snow King from behind. His blood-stained hands sneak under the t-shirt. He doesn't ask questions but the black, half-blind abyss of his eyes radiates excitement. As if he is in hurry to share as much happiness with his Yuki no Kami as it's possible for the rest short time. - Sir... - Werewolf's intonations are almost begging. - Sir, promise me... Promise us. U will be...careful... - Eh?! Something funny about our old man there? - Major Plisetsky sits near, wrapping an arm on Beka's shoulders. He snorts but they all know he is worried. Capitan looks in green eyes, intertwining their fingers. Then turns to commander: - Cards say U are surrounded by the love. U're loved, admired... U're the chosen one always. And in our situation this is the last thing that is logical to appear in a prediction. But damn it... I don't even see the death in your future... I see the throne of the world. And I understand nothing... Yuuri sneaks under commander's arm, clinging to him with a puppy-like sound. He doesn't say anything but Snow King knows his sudden fear too well. He caresses boy's lips with a thumb: - We will die together. Today. Here. He explains it reassuringly and a bit tiredly. As an adult talking a child not to be scared of the thunderstorm. Yuuri nods and nuzzles Snow King's shoulder giggling.

The explosion chain is very close.

Снежный leaves the monitor. It's not important anymore. The four of them are the last experienced martials able to go on line. But whatever will happen to the Safe Zone isn't their problem now. He smiles at his teammates. Shortly and bitterly: - Time to go... General takes out the glock. The only one that keeps 4 sacred bullets. No right for a mistake. He nods to Angry Kitty. It's like a selfi. One click and a moment will be kept for the eternity. No time to say a lot to each other. And no need to. Deep inside they all know. Shere Khan grins and winks to Snow King while Beka is suddenly distracted with something on his cards left on the table. (Is it even important what's said there?) Grabs his collar and pulls his friend and partner for a kiss. First real one for them both. Оборотень falls into thin but unexpectedly strong arms staring in green ponds and trying to say something through the tight lean of warm lips.

Bang.

Bang.

Snow King drops the hand with the gun. - Always in vanguard... Шустрый засранец. / Fast little shit. - He mutters it with a short snort. These two had no time to fall on the floor. Yuuri catches them both and puts on the sofa. (He is fast. He became faster during years here.) They lay the way they often did. The way nobody would believe if to say or show a domestic picture. Beka laying on Yurio's shoulder. Kitty always was more a protective and Beka - a supportive one in their tandem. Snow King often laughed at Yurio that they're kicked out from an another fairytale - Beauty and the Beast. And the Beast here is of course Shere Khan. Kitty fizzed and hissed but obviously liked the idea until Оборотень began to mutter that he isn't a decent Beauty even if he is ready to wear a golden dress for his precious Beast. "But it will cause blood from your eyes, believe me..." And Yurio bit and kicked him and yelled: "U are beautiful, fuck my life! I fucking know better." Beka himself mostly laughed that they are more like a forest Witch and Ivan-tsarevich who was tamed by her. Victor often corrected: "Not just tsarevich. More like Иван-дурак/Ivan the dumb..." And Kitty yelled and sniffed until one day he finally resoluted: - Yes, tsarevich, because the son of the King. Yes, дурак, потому что весь в мать/ because like mother, like son." Yuuri fell on the floor laughing first. After some time Beka began to giggle. And only in the evening the realization hit their King too. And he set on the balcony with a cigarette muttering: - Сообразил бля, пизденыш... / What an idea, little shit...

Bullets went through heads but the blood streams down from the wounds, soaking the coach. It's not obvious yet. And seems as if they can wake up any moment. Снежный gets up, walks close and touches the pulse. It's not necessary, but he can't leave it unchecked. Even if everything is obvious. Yurio seems aggressively glad even in his death. He is still short and thin like a girl. He always cursed and promised to grow taller then his commander. He won't. They won't get to know if he would grow tall for real or would stay being this tiny grace. Yuuri cups General's face and smiles. Gently and possessively. Like noone but him ever could: - We'll keep up with them. Snow King sloppily nods pulling his boy closer. The unclear thought is tossing somewhere deep into the brain. But all that hurry, explosions and endless shit don't leave it a chance to be formed. Is it something Beka wanted to say? Anyway there's no time to think about it anymore. He caresses Yuuri's cheek, looks into black abyss and forgets everything. They have less then a couple of minutes. - I'm sorry, малыш... What else to say?... The boy clings to his General with a happy laugh. Rises head looking from beneath and smiles. Mischievously. And playfully. He wants to say he was happy for all these years with him. He was overwhelmed with love to this man since early childhood. Since the first time he saw this the most beautiful face ever. He admired the winter seeing him in every snowflake. Снежный Король filled his entire existence with the meaning and multiple colors even if for others it seemed to the monotonous white. Kay knows better than anyone: only the white keeps all other spectrums and shades. Only in arms of his King and in the middle of the winter desert he felt on the right place. Of course the boy has no time or even suitable words to express it. But Snow King will understand. He always reads it through touches. Yuuri hungrily leans to these soft and tender lips: - I love U. I always wanted to die with U and from your hand. What's more can I wish for? - Stupid kid... - sighs General. It's not obvious from the side but this patronizing tone is flirty. Yuuri, his shy, anxious, naive berserk always was weirdly protective. But not of that annoying type of countless fans who dreamed to see him broken to have a chance to pity him. No. It always was a different protectiveness. Reliable and loyal like walls of your own home. He became the Ivory Tower locking his Sow King in a trap he would rather die then leave. The boy clings closer and deepens the kiss, sneaking under the t-shirt. Sly sparkles in a black abyss become only brighter: - What I really regret - that we don't have time to make love now. I'd be happy to die like this. Victor smiles, digging fingers into dark silk and bites his lip. Yuuri moans, scratching his back under black fabric. Splinters of the northern sky are sad. But tender: - I love U, Kay. Cold steel touches boy's temple. Yuuri smiles leaning to it with that very euphoric expression he always had melting in Snow King's caress.

Frosted finger slowly presses the trigger.

So familiar, so loved body turns into a heavy doll falling into arms of it's master. Victor slowly lays his boy on the floor near the windowsill. They often set there in winter hugging each other and sharing one cigarette in a stupid hope the smoke will be blown away into the open window. Legs are heavy... Too heavy to go with Yuuri to the better place. And... It's fine like this. The entire world drowns into a crimson mist. It begins from boy's temple and wraps his King and everything around into the tightest embrace without a way to set yourself free. But he never ever wanted to get out of it anyway. General Snow King checks up the heartbeat in Yuuri's chest. Silent. He leans to still warm but motionless lips, blindly turns on the final countdown on a self-destruction system. And presses the trigger, aiming into silver locks. Snow King falls on the chest of his Kay. Blood stained lips of the boy still keep a shadow of a smile.