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janeyseymour · 10 months ago

Note

Hey if you're up for a prompt I just thought of this Melissa x reader idea. Reader is a teacher at Abbott and all the teachers and the camera crew think the reader is not good when on camera ie. Smart Reader drops down to all of 1 brain cell like a deer in headlights when facing the lense, but it turns out everytime they've been filmed, either interviewed, or knowing they're shooting B-roll, Melissa has been around and Melissa has started getting suspicious of the situation. Love your work, now I'm off to read more of your writing 😘

hi i know this is so late, but... better late than never? I had a LOT of fun with this one- thank you for requesting!

Camera Shy

WC: ~4.2k (exactly!)

You aren’t an idiot. You’d like to make that very, very clear. You have your degree to teach, you have one masters, and you’re in the process of getting another masters. After this degree, you plan to get your doctorate. You have a few years of teaching under your belt at one of the neighboring districts. So, no. You aren’t an idiot. You’re actually quite the opposite.

But put you in front of the camera, and all of the intelligence in that pretty little head of yours? It’s gone. You’re reduced to all of about half of a braincell. You blush profusely, you stumble over your words, you genuinely just feel so awkward.

At least when you know there’s a camera on you. As everyone has seen from the documentary, as long as they are capturing you from a distance and you don’t explicitly know they’re filming you, you’re good. They’ve actually (with your consent) placed a few cameras around your room that are hidden or disguised so they can get more of you just doing what you know how to do. You’re in the comfort of your own classroom with your kids, and no one else is there. They’ve even managed to snag a couple of clips of you talking to your coworkers when they pop their heads into your room, specifically Janine. She tends to come in quite a bit to chat with you when she has a chance.

What people don’t realize from viewing the documentary is that all of your talking heads are done after the ‘scenes’ are shot, and they just gather you all into the hall or a classroom and call you one at a time to do different talking heads about the different situations you teachers have gotten yourselves into this week.

So when you’re doing your interviews, people are watching you from behind the cameramen. That means all of your colleagues are watching you- specifically that redheaded second grade teacher that you are undeniably attracted to. Your eyes flit to her figure constantly during your interviews or during b-roll shoots where they’re just getting shots of you all talking in the lunch room or before a meeting that Ava had organized in the library or gymnasium.

And you’ve caught her watching you too- acting like a deer in the headlights when the lens is on you. She probably thinks you’re an absolute fool. A young teacher who is just trying to get her foot in the door before heading off to another, better district. The only person who really knows of your brains at this school is Ava because she hired you.

The camera crew has come to realize that you don’t handle yourself very well in front of the camera as well.

“Do you want to keep participating in our documentary?” Rich, the head cameraman, asks you one day.

“Yeah,” you smile. “I think it’s really important that people see how teaching can change lives, and that every teacher has a different approach to teaching.”

“Okay, we just want to make sure that you’re still willing to do this for us,” he tells you gently. “If you want out and would rather just be in the background shots, here’s your out.”

“Oh. I don’t mind… most of the people I mingle with here participate, so I guess it makes sense that I would too. Why?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed this about yourself or not,” Rich chuckles. “But you’re terrible in front of the camera. You get all nervous and jittery whenever you know the guys are filming you.”

You turn red. “Yeah. I do. But I didn’t go into this profession to be on camera,” you joke. You can’t confess to him that the only reason you’re terrible in front of the camera is because Melissa is usually lingering around somewhere in sight, and you get distracted and flustered.

“But you know there are cameras in your room with the purpose of capturing you teaching your students or capturing the conversations you have with your coworkers,” Rich reminds you.

“Yeah, but I sometimes forget that they’re… if you guys want to come into my room and film, that’s fine with me,” you tell the head of the documentary. “I’ll be fine.”

And you are fine. Because when they’re filming in your room, Melissa Schemmenti isn’t around you.

But still, when you have to shoot B-roll or do your interviews, you are reduced to stuttering out phrases, half of them don’t even make sense. You’re as red as the second grade teacher’s hair, and you can’t help yourself.

After a bit of time, the shoots from within your classroom where they are panning back and forth and the crew is clearly in the room starts to air. And shockingly to your colleagues, you’re able to conduct lessons with the camera crew in your room.

You’re even able to have conversations in your classroom with your colleagues when Rich and his crew are in your classroom.

But still, during your talking heads and any B-roll with the entire staff present and watching, you are a flustered mess who can’t get a single sentence out without stumbling over your words.

After a bit, Rich comes back up to you.

“Y/N?” he asks.

“What can I do for you?”

“Care to do an interview?”

“About?”

“You,” he laughs. “In your room during your prep. We’ve been getting feedback from viewers that they feel they don’t really know much about you other than you get flustered in front of the camera during talking heads.”

“Oh,” you laugh. “Sure, I can do that.”

“My background?” you ask the cameraman that is sitting with you at your desk as you grade papers. “Sure. I grew up in the area, went to Temple, staying true to my Philly roots. Got my bachelors there, graduated top of my class. Headed to West Chester University to get my masters in reading, and I’m currently working on my masters for applied studies in teaching. After that, who knows. Maybe I’ll get a doctorate?”

The person behind the camera raises a brow.

“I know I can come off as a ditz and a bit air headed, but I do actually have the qualifications to be here,” you chuckle. “And I do love it here at Abbott. I think this place could be my home for quite some time.”

That bit airs about a week later, and the next day, your coworkers stare at you as you enter the faculty room the next morning to put your lunch away.

“Yeah?” you ask as you open the refrigerator door.

“When were you gonna tell us you were that smart?” Melissa asks you. “Smart women are hot.”

Immediately, upon hearing her deep morning voice directed at you, and her calling you hot for your brains (something rarely anyone said), you turn beet red.

“Uh,” you stutter out.

“Sweetheart,” Barbara cuts in. “Forgive us, but most of us thought you were about as ditzy as Janine.”

The woman in question whines a, “Hey!” out, but everybody else besides Gregory nods in agreement.

“It just-“ you glance over at the redhead who is staring at you. “I-it just never came up.”

It’s later that day that you have recess duty while the rest of the teachers are eating in the staff room together. Somehow, you become the topic of choice again.

“It’s just weird,” Jacob notes.

“Maybe she’s just getting more comfortable in front of the camera,” Gregory states. “I know most of us have had some adjustments to get more comfortable with the cameras and the cameramen.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Melissa sighs. “I dunno. It seems like it’s just during B-roll or interviews though now.”

“Well, we’re all there and watching when we have to do those things,” Janine notes. “But I don’t know why that would make her uncomfortable. She talks to most of us just fine individually.”

Melissa frowns. They all talk to you individually? She’s kept her distance for the most part, and any time that she talks to you, you’re reduced to fumbling for your words. Is it her?

The redheaded second grade teacher decides to toy with this thought for the next few days. She’ll make it known that she’s around for your interviews, she’ll make it very clear that she’s going to be somewhere else during your talking heads… and she’ll move around during the b-roll shoots, even if it means that she’s away from Barbara.

“Listen up, slackers,” Ava starts a meeting before the crew pulls you individually. “We’re doing our talking heads, and they’ve been a real drag lately. Liven them up!”

“We’re doing our best, Ava,” Janine jumps in.

“Talk about more! Create more of a storyline!”

Today’s talking head interviews just so happen to be about the scene from where they were interrogating you for having quite a few credentials.

“Y/N?” Janine smiles. “Oh yeah, she’s pretty smart- I just didn’t realize she was… that smart, and I went to Penn. We’re pretty much on the same level. She’s a little quieter than the rest of us, but she fits in well.”

“Oh, Ms. Y/N?” Barbara asks. “Sweet girl. Shy. But I didn’t have the slightest clue she was as bright as she is.”

“Me?” you raise a brow as Rich calls your name to take you to the hall. You nod, stand and head along with him. Melissa follows, making it very apparent that she’s watching you. You turn the brightest shade of red that you ever have.

“So, tell us what you thought about the staff asking you about your credentials,” Rich tells you. Your eyes flit to the redhead behind him, and her eyes narrow slightly as she folds her arms across her chest.

“I- uh, didn’t-“ you swallow harshly. “I didn’t think it was that big of- of a deal? I- I know how to- how to teach.”

“How did you feel about Barbara’s comment about you being ditzy?”

“I-it didn’t bother me,” you shrug. “I’m aware I-I can c-come off like that.”

It’s clear they aren’t going to get much more out of you, so he allows you to go, and you can feel your ears burning as you have to brush past Melissa to get back to the library.

“Schemmenti?” they call her name. “Since you’re here, you wanna?”

You thank God you don’t have to walk back with her. That would just be beyond awkward for you, and you’re not sure you would be able to conduct yourself properly.

Melissa leans up against the wall to do her talking head.

“So, tell us what you think of Y/N,” Rich prompts.

“What do I think of her? She’s cute, sweet when she actually talks- insanely shy. I think she’s a good teacher,” Melissa tells the crew. “I think she’s a bit of a ditz sometimes, but if her degrees say anything, she’s bright. I just don’t quite understand why she gets so flustered during B-roll or talking heads.”

“Interesting,” one of the other crew members hums. “Say more.”

“I mean, youse heard what we were talking about during lunch while she was doing recess duty,” the redhead shrugs. “She’s fine with the staff individually, she can handle you guys in her classroom now… but then whenever we’re all together, she sounds like a mor- please don’t air this. I don’ wanna hurt the kid’s feelings.”

“We won’t,” Rich assures Melissa. “It’s more just for our background knowledge so that maybe we can get some other footage.”

The next day’s talking heads are the same. The second grade teacher makes it very known that she will be watching your interview, and you can’t get anything out. Your eyes are wide, and you look like you just saw a ghost.

The camera crew sees the way that your eyes flit to Melissa, and one of them silently signals for a smaller camera to pan over to the woman watching you. She makes eye contact with one of them before raising an eyebrow. Interesting.

“Y/N?” Mr. Johnson is called for his talking head, but they take him to his mop closet. “Sweet, smart girl. Always tidies up her room before leaving… Oh, and something’s going on between her and Melissa.”

The man behind the camera gives him a curious look. “Can you tell us more about that? We won’t air it, but maybe it can lead us to something… new.”

” Can’t tell if she’s terrified of her, thinks she’s hot, or both,” Mr. Johnson laughs. “I seen the way Y/N’s eyes get all big whenever Melissa walks into a room. Ears turn red. It’s funny.”

With Mr. Johnson’s insights, the crew decides to play with this a little. They don’t know that Melissa is already suspicious of it as well.

They have Melissa pulled away when it’s your turn for your talking head of the day, and you’re able to make it through that interview with no problems.

They seat her next to you during one of the B-roll shoots, and you look absolutely terrified the entire time. Your cheeks are flushed, you nervous play with your necklace, and you fidget the entire time.

Then, they have her pulled from it under the guise of having to do another interview. You’re perfectly fine. You relax almost instantly. You stop fidgeting, and you’re able to listen to everything that Ava is going on about- as much as you wish you weren’t listening to some of it. That woman really is something else.

Melissa notices the way that you tense up when she’s around and seemingly relax when she isn’t. She can’t quite explain how it makes her feel. But soon, those episodes start to air as well. And there is a stark difference between the talking heads that you did in front of her and the ones you did without her presence.

After a few weeks of this game that the crew is playing, along with the game that Melissa is playing, it’s clear to the redhead what is happening. She’s the only one that you rarely interact with. She’s obviously the one who makes you nervous, and she needs to know why.

“Hey, hun,” Melissa comes in with one of the crew members who follows the second grade teacher rather regularly.

“H-hey,” you turn and close your laptop to turn your full attention to the redhead. Your ears turn beet red, as does your face and chest. “H-how can I help you, Miss Schemmenti?” You eye the camera warily.

“What’s goin’ on?” she asks you point blank. “Why’re you weird around me?”

“I’m- I’m not?” you raise a brow at her. “I just- I’m not great with the cameras.”

“That ain’t true, and you know it,” the redhead retorts. “You been so good in front of the camera lately. We’ve all seen it with the new episodes airing.”

You shrug. You really don’t know what you’re supposed to say.

“You don’ like me or somethin’?” she crosses her arms.

“No, M-Melissa,” you stutter out. “It isn’t like that at all.”

“Then what is it? Because you’re only weird when I’m around,” Melissa continues to dig her heels in.

Again, you shrug.

The redhead presses her lips together in a fine line before cocking her head slightly as she makes eye contact with the camera. Then, she turns on her heel and leaves. They follow her as she leaves before cutting back to you- jaw open and confused.

They pull both of you for interviews later that day, and you don’t even know what to say.

“I- I’m not weird around her,” you say. “I rarely talk to her unless she talks to me first, and even then, I don’t know what to say to her.”

“Is there a reason for that?” one of the interviewers asks.

You shrug your shoulders. “She’s part of the crew that I usually hang with, but she’s- you’ve met her. She’s got a tough exterior, and I’m a little intimidated by her- especially with how shy I already am.”

Her talking head isn’t much different. “I don’t know why she’s so weird around me. We don’t even talk that often.”

“Is there a reason for that?”

“She’s part of the crew, but I can be intimidating. I don’ wanna scare the poor thing… I actually do enjoy her presence,” the redhead says, and then her eyes unfocus, and it’s like she’s thinking of something else- you.

Later that day, they find the janitor that wanders the halls. His only comment on the situation is, “Interesting.”

The two of you dance around each other, the way that you have been. Until she starts to go out of her way to talk to you, because “Well, if we hang with the same crew, we might as well become friendly with each other.”

You still turn beet red any time she talks to you. She takes notice.

Finally, she corners you in your room during your prep one day right before school lets out for the year. She’s forgotten about the cameras that are still ‘hidden’ in your room due to the fact that they haven’t used those shots in months- you’ve gotten pretty good in front of the cameramen at this point.

“Oi, Y/N,” Melissa says as she knocks on your door gently and pulls the door so that it’s only open a crack. “We gotta talk.”

Your eyes widen, you bite your lip, and you turn beet red. “Y-yeah. What’s up?”

“Why’d you do that?”

“Do what?” you worry your bottom lip between your teeth.

“Get all nervous around me,” she says. “I ain’t that scary, am I?”

You shake your head. “No.”

“Then why do you get all red whenever I’m around? Stumble over your words? I’ve noticed it for a while now, so I thought I would try to be nicer to you to show you I really ain’t all that scary, but nothin’s working.”

You scratch the back of your neck before running a hand through your hair nervously. You really don’t think you can tell her that the reason you always get so flustered around her is because you’ve always thought she was very pretty, and you’re actually falling for her now that you’ve actually gotten to know her a little better when she talks to you at lunch or during B-roll shoots.

“C’mon, hun,” she prompts you. “It’s just us. You can talk to me.”

You glance over at one of the cameras on your bookshelf before sighing. “I- I don’t really know how to say this.”

“You got it,” she encourages you.

With a deep breath, you quietly admit, “You intimidate me.”

“I gathered that much, Y/N,” the redhead rolls her eyes playfully as she unfolds her arms and sits on one of the desks near yours. “Why?”

“Be-because,” you blink a few times. “Because I think you’re really pretty.”

“Well,” she laughs. “That’s because I am.”

“And I- I’m attracted to you,” you whisper out.

“You wouldn’t be the first,” she jokes with you, but then she turns serious. “Wait, what?”

“I think- I think you’re really pretty, and you’re funny, and smart, and you’re really good with the kids, and I just think that you’re a really wonderful woman behind that tough leather jacket you like to wear. I just like you, but you scare me, and I’m scared that I like you because you aren’t like anyone else that I’ve ever fallen for before,” the words tumble out of your mouth before you can stop them. Your hands fly to your mouth in shock at yourself. You can’t believe you just admitted that. “Oh… Oh, God. Uh, just forget everything I just-”

You’re cut off by her lips being gently pressed to yours to shut you up. Your eyes widen for a few seconds before your brain starts back up and you kiss her back.

“You wanna know why I avoided you for so long?” she asks you once the two of you break apart for air. She’s looking at you with those glowing green eyes. You just barely nod. “When you walked in the front door on your first day, I couldn’t deny the way I felt about you. But I didn’t wanna scare you off- you’re already so timid. So I just let you be and admired from afar.”

“So… why did you start talking to me?” you ask nervously.

“Admittedly,” she chuckles softly as she tucks a hair of yours behind your ear. “The crew had something to do with that. They were constantly questioning me about you once you got more comfortable around the cameras… they realized you were only getting flustered if I was around, and I kind of noticed it too. So I took matters into my own hands,” she laughs. “I guess it paid off?”

“I’d say so,” you whisper. “Wow,” you sigh to yourself softly. “Is this… are you serious about kissing me just now?”

“I am,” she laughs as she leans in again and pecks your lips. “So… dinner at my house after we leave?”

“I think that’d be nice,” you sigh in content.

What the two of you don’t know is that Mr. Johnson just witnessed the whole thing, and before either of you could even begin to think anyone had heard anything, he’s running down the hall to tell the crew what he had just witnessed and that they have to pull the camera from your room to see it too.

—

You and Melissa, now an item but keeping it on the down low, spend most of the summer at the beach… you only find yourself falling deeper and deeper in love with her the more time you spend with her.

But as it always does, Summer goes by too quickly for either of your liking, and you find yourself back at Abbott. During the break, you kind of forgot that the cameras hidden in your room captured the sweet moment and beginning of the two of you. That is, until Rich pulls the two of you aside on your first day back. He takes the two of you into one of the meeting rooms to do a talking head- different from how they normally conduct these shoots.

“So…” he chuckles. “How was your break?” he asks the two of you during a joint-interview.

“Oh,” you turn red. “It was- it was fine.”

“Spent a lot of time at the beach,” Melissa shrugs, but she doesn’t look at you. You haven’t told the crew about your relationship.

“Uh, me too,” you say nervously, hoping it doesn’t give the two of you away.

“Did you two forget that your whole little love confession happened in front of cameras?” he asks you as he stops rolling and lowers his camera.

Your eyes widen, as do your girlfriend’s. The two of you exchange nervous looks.

“Well, we actually pulled the two of you aside to ask if it’s okay to air,” he tells the two of you. “We both know that you’re two of the more private people at Abbott, but we do think it would be great for ratings. Of course though, if you don’t want it-”

“Y-you can air it, if it’s okay with Melissa,” you say quietly. “I- I don’t mind.”

The redhead looks at you before taking your hand and squeezing it gently. “If Y/N is okay with it, I guess I am too… Can’t hide it forever, especially with loudmouth Janine around.”

—

When the first episode of the new season starts airing, the crew had decided use the first few minutes to do a recap of what had happened last school year, as well as a few things that people had missed. They show what had been aired last season, her confronting you the first time- when the cameramen were with her, where you hadn’t said anything. And then of course, it cuts to the shots from your classroom where the two of you had confessed your feelings for each other are there, and then it cuts to a talking head of Mr. Johnson.

“I knew it,” he chuckles from his mop closet. “I told y’all Y/N had the hots for Schemmenti. Hell yeah!”

The rest of the episode, both of your phones are blowing up from your coworkers in absolute disbelief. You laugh as you put both of your phones on ‘do not disturb’ before you’re curling further into Melissa’s side to watch the rest of the episode, a glass of wine in hand. Occasionally, you peck her cheek, or she dots your hairline with a gentle kiss when the show the two of you together. When the episode is over, you both retire up to her bedroom. She plugs in your phones before the two of you get ready for a good night’s sleep. Neither of you bother to respond to the plethora of texts you’ve both received. You’ll handle your ridiculous coworkers tomorrow.

#melissa schemmenti fanfic #melissa schemmenti x you #melissa schemmenti x reader #melissa schemmenti #abbott elementary fanfic #abbott elementary fanfiction #abbott elementary

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letsgetrowdy43 · 9 months ago

Text

My Love Mine All Mine (Rowan’s version)—

Jack Hughes x Yvette Liu

I listened to “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mistki a few times when I began writing this, so this is written through the lens of that song. It's also around 11K words so strap in cause it's a long one!!

Warnings: Pregnancy, a little fear of pregnancy, alcohol, a lot of tooth-rooting fluff, if there's anything else please lmk!!

Au Masterlist!!

"It's for your own good," Ellen scolded as she parked the car in front of the school, a frown resting on his features as he rolled his eyes at his mother, "I'm being serious Jack, school is important, there is no hockey if you aren't putting up your best efforts in class, and your coaches agree with me."

His mother had put him in tutoring after receiving an email detailing his recent grade in history; a few slip-ups in his assignments led to a failing grade. Everyone was treating it like it was the end of the world, but now that his mom was threatening hockey, he knew that he needed to do anything to get it up as soon as possible.

"Whatever," he unbuckled himself and got out of the car, a frown on his face as he looked at his mother one last time, "this is so embarrassing," he said before slamming the car door shut out of annoyance and heading into the school. He could hear her muffled voice rise through the window of the car followed by a fit of Luke's laughter as she drove off in the direction of the rink where his younger brother's practice was being held.

This was not how he wanted to spend his Saturday morning, he thought to himself as he entered the library he looked around at the tables full of students, laptops and books cluttering the desks as he searched for the girl he believed to be named "Yvette," a tutor that one of the other mom's had recommended to his during a home game a few weeks ago.

He found one girl, sitting in the back of the room, her head down in her textbooks and her curly hair in her face, he warily approached as he searched her table for any little sign that might tell him whether or not this girl was the one he was looking for. "Yvette?" he said quietly, the girl looked up from her book, a smile pulling at her lips as she nodded. "Yes, you must be Jack," she ushered for him to take a seat beside her as she organized the mess of books laid out in front of her. "Yeah I am," he grew shy as he watched her cheeks heat up at their now closer proximity.

His heart was beating in his chest, he couldn't help but feel a mix of nervousness and embarrassment. Yvette seemed friendly enough, she was also the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, but Jack couldn't shake the feeling that this whole tutoring situation was an unwanted intrusion into his life.

"Let's get started, we can go through your history assignments and figure out where you might be struggling if you're comfortable with that?" she smiled sweetly as she flipped her notes open to the pages that highlighted the chapters covered in his assignment. He nodded, words caught in his throat, his hands clammy as he rummaged through his bag for the crumpled-up piece of paper, embarrassment growing in his chest that she would be reading his poor work.

She explained everything with ease, Jack nodded and hummed in agreement every few minutes, still not confident enough not to stumble over his words. His eyes kept leaving the sheet in front of them and landing on her face, he examined the perfect roundness of the apples of her cheeks, his face grew warm as he peered down at the plumpness of her lips, she was the epitome of beautiful, even in the dark and stuffy corner of the library.

By the end of the session, Jack had not only learned and gained a bit more of an understanding, but he was pretty sure he was in love with his tutor.

"I think that's good for today," she whispered and looked at the boy who was lost in space, "how are you feeling now Jack?" she asked as she began to pack up her things. Jack, snapped back to reality, and stammered, "Oh, uh, yeah. I feel... good. I mean, better. Thanks, Yvette." His cheeks turned a shade of red as he realized he had been caught daydreaming.

"It's Eve, by the way, I assume we will be spending a lot of time together, so may as well get you on a nickname basis," she smiled sweetly once again, and Jack was a goner, nearly melting in his seat. "Okay Eve," he said with a grin tugging at his lips, trying to keep his cool. Little did he know she was internally freaking out at the way her name just casually rolled off of his tongue.

"So would next Saturday, same time work for you?" her brows furrowed before he clarified, "For our next session I mean," he laughed, cheeks a bright red as her face broke out in realization. "Oh yes! Of course, it works perfectly" She smiled and opened her planner, writing down a "Jack" in one of the Saturday time slots with a smiley face in pretty pink pen ink causing his heart to leap in his chest. "Perfect, thank you again," he said quickly, shoving everything back into his bag and heading out of the library in search of his mother who was waiting for him in the parking lot.

Ellen grinned as she held up a red Gatorade for him, a nice peace offering as he got into the car, "so how was that, wasn't as bad as you thought?" "I think I just met my future wife," he deadpanned, causing Ellen to go wide-eyed.

★★★★

Jack had been waiting for this game since the beginning of the season.

The Usntdp boys would finally play against Umich, a battle of the oldest Hughes brothers, Jack's first time going against Quinn. It was monumental, it felt like one of the biggest games of the season, it was gonna be everything.

He and Trevor did their pregame rituals, which consisted of a stupid intricate handshake followed by a very dramatic chest bump and then they were ready to take the ice.

His eyes searched the ice after doing a few laps and practicing some shots, Quinn stood next to Josh stick-handling the puck before he looked up to his younger brother and grinned. The two Hughes boys met at center ice, smiles on their faces after not seeing each other for a few months and hugged.

"Ready to get your ass kicked?" Jack teased his older brother as Quinn looked to the stands with a confused look. "Who is with mom?" he asked slyly pointing to the Hughes family, a girl in a USA sweater sat in between Luke and Ellen.

Jack's face immediately warmed as she looked at him, sending him a short wave before being pulled back into conversation with his little brother.

"Oh my god dude, you are as red as a tomato, who is that girl?" Quinn pressed again as he de-gloved in his and poked Jack in the cheek. Jack pushed his hands away, the redness on his face growing by the second, "that my friend, Eve, she tutors like half the team" Quinn's brow raised as he looked back up to the girl who had moved her conversation over to Jim and Ellen who were showing her something on Ellen's phone, "is that the one mom told me about, future Mrs Hughes?" "Shut up."

The whistle blew and alarmed both teams to skate back to their respective benches, Quinn tapped Jack with his stick once again, "Get ready to lose Rowdy," he grinned before skating back in the direction of the boys in Maize.

Jack's eyes found their way back to her in the crowd, her face breaking out into a grin as she looked back to him, her hand pointing to his number on her sleeve and then throwing him a thumbs up. "My god dude, you have heart eyes," Alex startled him as he ran into Jack pulling him back into the game and towards the bench

After the game, Jack couldn't shake the excitement coursing through his veins. The adrenaline from the game blended with the thrill of playing against Quinn and the presence of Eve in the stands had him on some sort of high. He left the locker room with a grin on his face, despite the loss on ice, the thought of spending the drive home with Eve had his heart racing.

He spotted her chatting with his family, his young cousins crowded around her legs as she examined the doll in the little girl's hands, his entire family seemed to have taken a liking to her, and Jack couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth seeing them get along.

Eve looked up and caught Jack's eye. She flashed him another mind-melting smile, and he couldn't help but walk a bit faster to get to her. "Sorry about the loss J, you played amazing though," she said as he pulled her in for a hug, his eyes connecting with Luke who was making kissy faces behind her but was stopped by a glare from Ellen. "It's no big deal, Quinn is never gonna let me live it down though," he pulled away just as Trevor and Cole found their way to the girl.

"Eve!" Trevor yelled out as he pushed Jack out of the way and smothered the girl in his chest, "I didn't know you were gonna be here!" Jack let Trevor's voice fade away as he approached his mother and father, who both congratulated him on the assists.

"You played great sweetheart," Ellen said as Jim hummed in agreeance, Jack smiled as his eyes travelled back to the girl who was now chatting with Spencer, "Eve is a sweetheart, you should ask her over for dinner sometime," she watched as he nodded still staring at the girl. "Yeah Mom maybe," he mumbled as he looked back to Jim who was staring at his son with an amused grin. "Okay go grab Eve, we are gonna say bye to Quinn and then head out, okay?" Jim laid the plan out and Jack nodded as he looked back to the girl, watching as she interacted with the people closest to him.

He was in so deep.

★★★★

A knock on the door startled Eve out of her thoughts, tonight was the night of her date with Jack, the spring formal.

Her mom stood excitedly beside her, camera in her clutches, as the door opened to reveal a smiling Jack. He wore a burgundy suit, it complimented her blush-coloured dress perfectly, his smile wide as he whispered a quiet “hi” and handed her a corsage that matched the flower pinned to the chest of his jacket.

His face was a bright red as well as hers, but the quiet moment was ruined by a loud, “No hello Trevor? I see how it is!” which snapped her right out of her thoughts and into reality where she saw Trevor looking at her with glaring eyes. Her mom watched equally as confused as her daughter as Trevor rambled on about being late, and the rest of the boys waiting in the car.

And that's when it clicked, Jack thought she asked him out as friends.

“Can my mom just take one photo,” she asked quietly, pointing to her mom who was silently waiting with a camera still in her hands and a warm smile on her face. “I won't take too much time,” her mother said quietly as she pushed the three of them together. Trevor found his way in between them and wrapped his arms over their shoulders to push them all closer together.

Eve heard the clicks of the camera followed by a “Perfect, have fun!” to which her mother shooed them out the door and towards Jack's beat-up car.

Trevor ran as fast as he could and hopped in the passenger seat, a loud “Z, Eve gets front seat, remember,” followed as Jack ran to the driver side of the car. Trevor hit the lock button on the door and stared at the girl through the window, a grin growing on his face as she looked to the back seat to see Alex giving her an apologetic look.

“She's wearing a dress dude, she needs the legroom,” Cole said looking at her dress and giving her a thumbs-up as Trevor let out a loud groan. “Fine!” She said a short “sorry” as he got out and held the door open for her as she got in the car. “I'm only playing with you Eve,” he shut her door and squeezed himself into the back seat.

Jack looked over at her with apologetic eyes before his eyes lingered back down to her dress, “you look pretty,” he said with a sweet smile. Her heart hammered in her chest as Jack's eyes found hers once again, "you look very handsome, I like the suit," she whispered, cheeks a bright red as Trevor started to blast Mr. Brightside over the radio.

She looked back at Alex and Trevor who danced around in the back seat, Cole taking a Snapchat video while laughing along.

This was going to be a long night.

And it was very long, but in the best way possible. A night full of laughter and dancing, shared smiles, and creating memories.

A slow song played over the speaker, which made all the couples make their way to the gym floor, the lights dim and the strobe lights bouncing off the walls and the decorations as people swayed along with the music. The group stood awkwardly, everyone other than Cole, who was off with some girl he had been talking to at the time, were staring at their feet waiting for the song to end.

Alex made eyes at Jack, catching his attention, looking from the boy to the girl who stared out at the couples on the dance floor. Jack's eyes went wide as he watched Alex motion for him to make a move, his heart starting to beat faster as he somehow convinced himself to walk over to her. "Wanna dance?" his hands awkwardly shoved themselves in his pants pockets as she wordlessly agreed with a slight nod.

He took her hand and led her to the edge of the dance floor, his hands resting on her hips as hers found his shoulders. It was tense and awkward, but it was so sweet, his laughter sounding through the entire gym as he continued to fuck up his steps, her smile bright under the dim lights.

It was perfect.

"You wanna know something funny?" she whispered as she looked him in the eyes, he nodded, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as he swayed her back and forth along with the music. "When I asked you to the dance, I meant it as a date, not just as friends," she watched his face fall as he stopped their movements. "Obviously you don't see me that way, which is fine, but I-" "You wanted this to be a date?" he cut her off, his face growing into a grin as her lips formed a straight line, "I'm so stupid," he mumbled as he ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit of his.

Eve couldn't help but feel a mix of embarrassment and relief at his reaction. "No, Jack, you're not stupid. It's just... I thought you knew. The corsage, the suit, I mean, it all seemed pretty obvious." "No Eve I just ruined this, I wanted it to be a date so bad, but I thought you meant as friends so I took the boys 'cause I didn't think you saw me like that!"

"Take a deep breath J, It's okay, you can just make it up to me," her fingers played with the hair at the back of his neck to calm him down as they began to sway once again. "Yeah?" "Maybe dinner? Soon, hopefully?" "Yeah, dinner, maybe a movie?" she nodded sweetly.

Her eyes dipped down to his lips as the song came to an end, she leaned in but was stopped as he pulled slightly away, "I can't kiss you, not now, I want it to be perfect when I do, and romantic," he whispered as she shook her head at his stupid antics. She pressed a kiss to the high point of his cheek, on her tiptoes, hands on his shoulders to better balance herself, "You're such a dork, Jack," she whispered as he looked over to his friends all collectively giving him a thumbs up behind her back.

It was perfect.

★★★★

Summer was beautiful on her, her hair unruly with the most perfect curls, and her cheeks were dusted with freckles. He didn't know she could get prettier, but she continued to amaze him every time he saw her.

They sat in his car, her hand in his as they drove along the coast of the beach, her attention was on the sun that was beginning to set along the lake. The water is like glass, the reflection of the sky dancing on the gentle ripples of the water.

"You know what would be good," he lowered the volume of the music. She looked at him, mesmerized by the way the tan on his cheeks made his eyes an even deeper blue, "what?" she asked, her eyes bouncing around his face, admiring his side profile as his eyes landed back on the road. "Ice cream," he shrugged as she hummed in agreement, her hand squeezing his as he turned into the small student-run ice cream parlor next to the beach.

They stood in the short line, her hand still in his as he ordered their cones, him ignoring her as she offered to pay, and then finally, they found themselves situated on a picnic table. Watching the couples strolling along the sandy beach, dogs running around, and others soaking in the last few moments of sun before it was too late.

"That's an abomination to ice cream flavours," he said as she ate her mint chocolate chip ice cream right off the cone, her head leaned against his shoulder as she looked up at him with furrowed brows, "it's like toothpaste and chocolate flavoured, you're a freak for liking it!" She sat up straight and scoffed, "Says you, you're eating Vanilla!" "What's wrong with Vanilla!" "Face it, you're so boring baby," the nickname rolled off her tongue so naturally as she watched his lips pull into a grin.

One second they were staring at one another and the next his lips captured her in an all-consuming type of kiss. Sloppy, and a little rushed, but so perfect. She scooted closer to him with her free hand finding his bicep as she slightly moaned into his mouth as he nipped at her bottom lip.

The ice cream fell right out of her hand and onto the grass which pulled her away from their previous activities and had her staring at the melting scoop on the ground.

"Shit," she looked at Jack who was laughing at the unfortunate fate of her ice cream. "See, even your own body rejected it!" she shook her head at his stupidity, her hand finding the back of his neck, "shut up dork," she mumbled before kissing him once again, this time much slower and a little gentler as he smiled into her lips.

★★★★

Ellen sat in the driver's seat of the family van, Jack to her right as they drove to his morning practice. It was a little past eight in the morning, and for some reason, his chest felt funny, the pit of his stomach was tense, like he was expecting something bad to happen.

"Oh shit!" Luke said from the back of the car, pulling Jack's attention from his phone to the road. "Watch your language!" Ellen scolded as she looked in the rearview mirror to glare at her youngest.

Jack's eyes focused on the blue Volkswagon being loaded up onto a big tow truck, the passenger side of the car concave in, and his heart was in his stomach as he realized how familiar the car was. The crochet steering wheel cover made his ears begin to ring as he noticed the distinctive sticker on the bumper.

It was Eve's car.

His knee began to bounce as he dialed her number, the phone rang in his ear as tears blurred his vision as they passed by the car, his eyes not leaving the aftermath of the accident and following it long after they passed it.

The ringing stopped, no answer.

He called again

He couldn't breathe, his chest heaving slightly as his hand pulled at his hair as he continued to look at the car.

"God, I hope whoever it is, they're okay," Ellen looked in her rearview to look at the state of the car once again. "That's Eve's car," Jack mumbled as he was met with the dial tone once again, so he called for a third time. "What was that honey? You're being quiet this morning." "That was Eve's car," he said a little louder, which had Ellen gasping as she looked at her son who looked on the brink of tears.

Finally, Eve's phone picked up.

"Jack?" Eve's mother's voice came through the phone, sounding very calm, almost too calm in comparison to how Jack was feeling. "Is Eve okay, I just saw her car, I-" "She's okay, she was on the way to the school and someone ran a light, but she is okay, just getting some tests done, but nothing too bad"

A weight lifted off of his chest as the words left her mother's mouth, she could hear his shaky breaths over the phone, "If it will help your nerves you can come down to the hospital and come see for yourself that she is okay." Jack took a moment to compose himself, grateful for the offer. "Yeah, we'll head to the hospital, thank you" he looked to Ellen who nodded her head and switched into the lane en route to the hospital.

The car was tense as they drove to the hospital, the initial shock and worry began to subside, but the thoughts of 'what ifs' began to bounce around in the back of his mind. The image of Eve's damaged car lingered in his mind, a stark reminder of the fragility of life.

Ellen pulled into a parking spot and parked the car, her arm reaching out to stop her son before he got out in a panic. "J, you need to take a breath, she's okay, you can't go in there freaking out, she is gonna be a little shaken so you need to calm down," she squeezed his hand as he nodded along with his mom, wiping the dried tears from his cheek as she pressed a kiss to the side of his head, "We'll find her, and everything will be okay. Let's go."

As they entered the hospital, the atmosphere was sterile and busy. Jack's mind raced with worry, but he focused on the idea that Eve was alive and in good hands. He approached the reception desk, and Jack hesitantly asked, "I'm here for Yvette Liu," his voice was slightly shaky as the receptionist's face broke out into a soft smile "You must be Jack," the receptionist checked her computer and nodded, "her mom said you'd be here soon, she's in Room 123. You can head up there," she pointed to the hallway.

Jack's steps quickened as he followed the signs to the room. The anticipation built with each step, and when he reached the door, he took another deep breath before entering.

Inside, Eve was sitting on the hospital bed, looking a bit tired but otherwise unharmed. Her mother was in a chair beside her, engrossed in her phone. When Eve saw Jack, a smile brightened her face, and she held out her hand for him.

"Hey, J," Eve said, her voice soothing as she looked to Ellen behind him and waved, her mother saw the older woman and stood up to go and speak to Ellen and give the two a second to themselves. Eve patted the bed beside her, her hand grabbing his as he took his spot beside her, "I'm okay, just a minor concussion, but no broken bones!" she tiredly rejoiced as he leaned forward to brush her hair from her face. Jack nodded, swallowing hard to push back the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. "I was so scared, Eve. When I saw your car like that, fuck, I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to you." Eve gave him a warm, reassuring smile, "I know, J. But I'm here, and I'm okay, just a little shaken up," she raised his hand to her lips and pressed a kiss to his knuckles He couldn't help but let out a shaky laugh, relief aiding his nerves as he ran his thumb over the back of her hand, thanking the universe that she was okay.

"Thank you for being here J, for caring so much" He leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, "Always, Eve," he almost held it back but a gentle "I love you," rolled off of his tongue which took her back a little, cheeks a pink shade as she smiled at his confession. "I love you too," she replied, her eyes sparkling with affection.

As they shared a quiet moment, Ellen and Eve's mother hovered, their conversation seemingly deep as they peered through the hospital room window at the intimate moment their children were sharing. Eve pulled back slightly, looking at Jack with a playful smirk. "Looks like our moms are conspiring over there. Probably planning our wedding already," she joked, which had Jack's face a bright shade of red as he looked up at the women who now pretended to look anywhere but at the young couple.

Jack chuckled, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. "Wouldn't put it past them," he squeezed her hand.

The room filled with a sense of love, as Eve ushered him to lay down on the bed next to her, her head leaning against Jack's shoulder, the two took comfort in each other's presence, grateful for the moment of calm after the storm.

★★★★

"It's here!" she said over the phone, her voice filled with excitement.

Her Rutgers letter was in her hands, and her phone pressed up against her ear as Jack's excited voice sounded on the other end.

"Do you need me to come over and open it with you?" "No! Cause if I don't get in I'll cry, and I don't want you to see me like that," she said in a joking tone, but she wasn't joking at all, if this letter started with a simple 'we are sorry to inform you' she was pretty sure she'd have a breakdown.

"You are so down on yourself pretty girl, you are gonna get in, cause you are the smartest person I know," his words were so genuine that it made her heart skip a beat, "you're gonna get that degree, and be the cutest elementary school teacher there has ever been." "God you're a flirt," she whispered as her thumb ran over her name and address. Jack chuckled on the other end of the line. "Well, if it works, then I'll keep doing it. But seriously, Eve, you've got this. You've worked so hard, and I believe in you."

She took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety. "Okay, I'm going to open it now. Wish me luck!" Eve carefully tore open the envelope, careful of the latter on the inside, her hands shaking slightly. Her eyes quickly scanned the contents, and a gasp escaped her lips, "holy shit J, I'm in, I got in!" Jack's cheers echoed through the phone. "I told you, I'm so proud of you, Eve!"

Once she calmed down she grinned, "You know what this means, we will both be in Jersey in a few months," she whispered, a lingering thought that had been in the back of her mind since the order of the draft had been determined a few days prior. Jack laughed on the other end, "That's only if I go first." "And if you don't you'll be second and in New York, so really either works for me," she teased as she listened to the melodic sound of his laughter on the other end.

"You really have everything planned out?" "Can't a girl dream? I just wanna think about being in school and pursuing a degree, and my hot superstar boyfriend being in the same city as me," she teased as she held her acceptance letter up against her chest as she leaned back on her bed. Jack chuckled, "Well, you're in luck because your superstar boyfriend is all for making your dreams come true. New York, New Jersey or wherever I end up, we'll figure it out."

The silence settled over them for a second, the realization that they were growing up, and growing together dawned on them as they let the news sink in.

"Okay enough about the future, right now I'm going over there to celebrate with you and we are gonna grab dinner or something," he said hopping off of his couch in search of his keys. "Okay, drive safe, love you!" "Love you too pretty girl, so proud of you," and with that he hung up, leaving her a blushing mess as she sat up and headed to the living room to share the news with her family.

★★★★

"Are you nervous?" she whispered, the two of them hidden away in the bathroom of their hotel suite, his tie in her hands as she helped him get in. "Yeah I am," he said slowly, his eyes flicking between her and the door, the cameras and the stress of today already starting to add pressure. Her eyes left the tie hung around his neck and looked up at him, her hands cupping his cheeks, "Where ever you end up you're gonna do amazing, and I'm so proud of you, whether you're first or last, you're everything me and you hope you know that," she stood up on her tip-toes and pressed a kiss to his lips.

Jack's tension seemed to ease a bit with Eve's words and the comforting touch of her hands on his cheeks, he looked into her eyes, grateful for her unwavering support. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, Eve."

Her lips curved into a small smile as he leaned into her touch. "I love you, you know that?" "I do," he replied, his eyes filled with affection. "And I love you too."

The draft was a blur, from sitting with Luke on the bus to watching Jack walk the red carpet, it was overwhelming, she didn't know how he was handling the stress and pressure of it all so well. Finally, they found their spots in the stands, his mother and brother sitting beside him, and her only a few chairs away.

The tension in the air was noticeable as they waited for the commissioner to walk up onto the stage. Eve's eyes never left Jack, observing the subtle changes in his expression as he talked to his family members and the occasional draftees and friends that came up to him in anticipation for their names to be called– the nervous twitches, the deep breaths, and the occasional glances toward where she sat, he was stressing.

With the opening speech concluding and New Jersey on the clock, the Hughes family grew tense as the organization made their way to the stage. She held her breath the entire minute of them organizing themselves before the general manager stepped forward and found himself in front of the mic. And then, finally, the moment arrived. Jack's name echoed through the arena, and the crowd erupted into cheers.

Luke and Eve hopped to their feet, hugging each other as they looked at the boy who made his way down the row of his family members, hugging and thanking all of them before he landed in front of her. She pressed a short kiss to his cheek as he pulled her in for a hug, "so proud superstar," she whispered, eyes filling with tears as he swayed her back and forth. "You know what this means," he pulled away to press another kiss to her temple, "we are both gonna be in Jersey, it's happening," he said as she nodded and sent him on his way to the stage, occasionally being stopped by friends and former teammates to congratulate him on his way up to the stage.

The cameras flashed, and the crowd's cheers intensified as he was presented with his new team's jersey, he was a devil now. She caught Jack's gaze from across the room, and in that moment, the world seemed to slow down. He pointed towards her, a wide grin on his face, before the first draft pick headed into the media room.

★★★★

Ellen squeezed the young girl’s hand as the announcer called out Jack’s name for his rookie lap.

The couple had both made their moves to Jersey, she resided about forty minutes away at university, and he lived with some veteran on the team as he waited to figure out his rooming situation. It had been smooth sailing for both of them thus far, she made it through orientation and frosh week, and he survived training camp, the two of them flourishing as they settled into their newfound independence.

“He looks so good out there,” Eve whispered as she watched him skate around the ice. “Imagine if he fell,” Luke laughed but was met with a glare from his father.

The Jack chants lasted a few more seconds before the light came back on for the rest of the players to be welcomed onto the ice for warmups.

“Did you meet any of his teammates?” Luke asked as he watched Jack talking with other players. Eve nodded, “Only briefly, Nico and Jesper were nice, PK took me and Jack out for dinner.” “That's sick!”

Eve looked at Ellen with a smile, nerves radiating off of her, "it’s a good group here," Eve commented, Ellen looked at her with soft eyes, "It feels like a big family." The woman nodded, thankful for the young girl’s words as she squeezed her hands and continued to watch the boys down on the ice.

After the game the entire Hughes family waited for Jack in the family lounge, the family buzzed with excitement to get their hands on the rookie, excited to celebrate his big moment. Jack was the first one out of the locker room, a grin on his face as he saw his mother and father chatting with a few other wives and parents who were also in attendance, then he saw a shy Eve a little away from the rest of the group her eyes staring at the floor. She looked up at her boyfriend, a grin on her face as he walked over to her and pulled her into his arms.

“You did amazing,” her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she squeezed him tightly, “sorry about the loss,” she mumbled as he pulled away, the smile still very apparent on his face. “It was only one game, and it was pretty close,” she was a little taken aback by this new found attitude, but she summed it up to the adrenaline of his first ever professional game, “It's a long season, and we'll bounce back. Besides, having you here makes everything better," Jack replied, giving her a quick peck on the forehead before he headed in the direction of his family.

As they left the arena, Jack slipped his hand into Eve's, a content smile on his face as it dawned on him that this was his life from now on, hockey, Eve, and Jersey, and if he was being honest there was no place he would rather be. Eve felt his grip tighten a little, and she looked up at him with a knowing smile.

★★★★

Eve sat on the arm of the couch next to her boyfriend, a grin on her face as she looked at the TV, the 2021 NHL draft was underway, virtually due to the pandemic, and the Hughes family and co. were huddled around the couch waiting to hear Luke’s name called.

Fourth was the dream.

If Luke went fourth overall it meant that he and Jack would be together in Jersey, a possible childhood dream come true.

Eve absentmindedly played with the bracelets on Jack's wrist, a habit she had developed over the years. Each bracelet held a story, a memory, and they had become a familiar and comforting presence to both of them.

As they waited for Luke's name to be announced, she glanced at Jack, finding a mix of nerves and excitement in his eyes.

“You excited?” she whispered as the Sabres called Owen Power’s name, the air tensing a little more. “Is it selfish of me to want him to go a fourth?” he asked, looking from the screen to his loving girlfriend who just shook her head with a smile. She pointed to the youngest of the Hughes brothers, his fingers tracing the Devil’s logo on the hats in front of him, “I think he wants it just as bad as you,” she whispered as she leaned toward him, pressing a kiss to his hairline as the Kraken announced their pick, being Matty Beniers.

With every passing pick the room grew a little quieter and a little more tense, by the time the third went and the ducks announced Mason Mctavish’s name the entire household was silent.

Devs on the clock.

Jack squeezed his girlfriend’s hand as the camera flashed to the Devils organization standing on a stage in front of their adoring fans, “Luke” and “Hughes II” signs lining the crowd as the general manager approached the mic.

And with that, Luke’s name was called, and the entire house erupted in screams, Jack being the first to his feet, vibrating with excitement as he pulled his brother in for a hug, Quinn’s smile never wider as Luke hugged everyone in his family before pulling one of Jack’s jerseys over his head and placed the Devils cap on his head.

Luke maneuvered his way around his family members to hug his, basically, sister-in-law. “I’m so proud Lu,” she squeezed him as he swayed them back and forth, “I can’t wait to see you and Jack on the ice together." Luke grinned, excitement in his eyes. "It feels like a dream,” he pulled away to watch her face break out into a smile, “having Jack there too, it's just amazing." “Well it’s not a dream, and we can’t wait to have you in Jersey,” she watched as his grin grew even wider before he pulled her back into his chest.

Eve watched as the Hughes family celebrated, their cheers and laughter filling the room. Jack, still buzzing with excitement, made his way back to Eve, pulling her into a tight hug, "I can't believe it," Jack exclaimed, his eyes shining with elation. Eve grinned into his chest as her arms wrapped around him, her heart swelling with happiness for both Jack and Luke.

As the draft celebration continued, Luke made his way back to Jack, a Devils jersey proudly displayed over his shoulders. The Hughes brothers shared a moment, exchanging words that went beyond the reach of the buzzing cameras and the cheers of the crowd.

★★★★

The smile had not left her face since her education degree was placed in her hands, from dinner to drinks, surrounded by family and friends celebrating the end of her education journey as she began to venture out into the adult world.

By the end of the day, her cheeks hurt from the seemingly never-ending smiles and her eyes were heavy with exhaustion. Jack’s chest had been full of pride and excitement the entirety of the day, loving the night of celebrating the girl he loved most.

As they finally found a quiet moment together in the solace of their shared apartment, Jack gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a warm embrace. “I'm so proud of you," Jack whispered into her ear, his voice filled with genuine admiration as she pressed a kiss to his jaw.

The two of them migrated to their room, he helped her slip out of her dress, his hands resting on the soft skin of her hips as he pressed a kiss to her shoulder, then her neck, and then on her lips. She smiled into his lips as her hands wrapped around his neck, as he helped slip her bra off and slipped one of his oversized t-shirts over her head, pulling away for just a second to get the shirt over her head and then kissing her once again.

“I really wanna continue this,” she mumbled against his lips as her hand cupped his face, “but I'm so tired,” she whispered as he smiled into her skin, face dipping down to the rest of her shoulder as he nodded along with her. “Let’s go to bed then,” he whispered against her skin before stripping himself of his dress pants and shirt and slipping on a pair of sweats.

She crawled under the covers, her entire body sinking into the soft mattress as the stress and bustle of the day left her body. Her head found comfort on his chest, hands intertwining with his, resting against his abdomen. She smiled at the gentle rise and fall of his chest, she could hear the faint thrum of his heart, she let out soft breaths as she felt his thumb begin to draw little patterns on the exposed skin of the small of her back.

With a tender gaze, Jack looked down at the woman he loved, her eyes reflecting the fatigue of the day but also the undeniable joy that lingered. The soft lighting in the room accentuated the warmth of the moment, the lights outside the window peeked through the curtains and illuminated her face as Jack examined how perfect she looked in that moment.

“I’ve been thinking about the future a lot today, our future,” she whispered as her hand squeezed his, “and I can’t imagine a future or even life without you in mine,” she pressed a kiss to his chest. A warmth spread through Jack's chest as he absorbed her sentiments, “would it be crazy if I said that I want to marry you?” "Crazy? No" Jack replied, his voice filled with genuine happiness as he sat up a little to reach into his bedside table.

"I was gonna give this to you this summer at the Lakehouse,” he sat up a little more, her sitting up as well and facing him with tears in her eyes, “I went to your parent’s house a few weeks ago and asked for permission to, cause I wanted to do it right.” “Yes I’ll marry you,” she wiped away her tears as he laughed at her quick response. “You didn’t even let me ask you,” he whispered as he opened the tiny velvet box in his hands.

She gasped at the sight of the delicate gold ring in the box, an amber gemstone adorned the band, her hand flew up to her mouth, the silence her gasps and tears as she looked back up at Jack. “Will you marry me?” She didn’t respond this time, rather she reached out to gently cup his face to capture his lips with hers.

“You didn’t answer me this time,” he mumbled against her lips as she laughed at how all over the place she was. “Of course I’ll marry you J,” She pulled away to see him just as tear-eyed as her, and with a smile that reflected the promise of a shared future, Jack took the ring and delicately slid it onto her finger.

The room, now filled with the glow of their shared happiness as they whispered short words about how much they loved one another before falling asleep in one another’s arms.

★★★★

Jack stood in the classroom doorway, a shy smile on his face as he watched her in her element, children surrounded her on the rainbow carpet as she read aloud to the thirty-something students who all listened attentively.

“Can I help you,” her educational assistant stood in front of the dopey-smiled man who held a lunch bag in his grasp. “Yes sorry, I’m her fiance, she left her lunch at home,” he said with a nervous grin as the woman nodded and let him in.

Their eyes met across the room as she gave him a soft smile but turned back to the pages of the book, pride filled his chest as he watched her from afar, talking so gently to all the little ears listening to her every word.

It was great to see her living out her dream

“You must be Jack, a hockey player right?” he nodded, “she talks about you all the time, it’s very cute,” she grinned as Jack’s face broke out into a deep shade of red. “She should only be a few more minutes, they have outdoor recess in about five minutes,” the woman added before continuing with sorting through the kid’s work from the day. He nodded thankfully as Eve wrapped up her book and instructed the kids to go out in the hall to get their jackets on in time for the bell.

Eve re-entered the class alone this time, a smile on her face as she looked to Jack who was leaning up against her desk, “You forgot your lunch, and I took a maintenance day so I thought I’d stop by and see your class” he smiled and placed the bag in her hands as she stood up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Thank you,” his hands fell to her hips as he smiled at her cute little outfit, a band t-shirt from the first concert they went to together, tucked into the waistband of her midi skirt that hugged her curves in the prettiest ways.

“I met your co-worker, and she was telling me about how much you talk about me,” he teased, watching as her cheeks reddened just slightly as she shrugged. Her hands moved up to fix the messy unkept curls on his head that she had been begging him to cut, “that’s just Emma, she likes to gossip,” she smiled widely as he nodded. “Still, you like to talk about me,” he squeezed her hips as she pulled away to sit at her desk and start eating her lunch.

Jack grew distracted as he looked around the room, the toys, the little shoes, all the colours, his mind wandered to her with the kids, she seemed to glow with passion as she read to the little ones on the couch.

“What are you thinking about?” she poked his thigh as she began to unwrap her sandwich, offering him half. He took it and looked back at her, “just about you, and kids,” he confessed as she looked at him with wide eyes. “Like me teaching, or me with a baby?” “Both I guess, you just look so in your element when you are with kids, it’s cute,” he shrugged as he bit into the corner of the sandwich.

Eve stared at him wide-eyed, “Do you, do you want kids now?” she whispered, almost as if it was a secret just between them as if they weren’t the only people in the room. “Not now per se, you just started working and we’re busy, but I wouldn’t hate to have kids at a younger age,” she nodded as he looked at her with hopeful eyes, “only if you want to though, I’ll have kids whenever you want kids.” “I wasn’t aware you wanted kids,” she smiled, “not that that is a bad thing, I love kids, and I want to have so many babies with you. Just maybe in a few years,” she said which gained a nod from him.

Jack leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips, “whenever you’re ready I’m ready,” he grinned as she pulled away a little breathless from the surprise of his lips on hers, “okay now what other snacks did you pack with you?” he asked as he began to dig through her lunch bag. A gasp left her lips as she watched him steal the bag of pretzels, “You’re such a mooch!” “But you love me,” he said in a sing-song voice as she laughed at how cheesy he was.

★★★★

She stared at the pregnancy test on the counter, face down as she leaned against the counter, fingers massaging her temples. This couldn’t be happening right now.

With the playoffs just on the cusp of starting and the stress of getting Luke moved in and settled she completely lost track of herself, and now she was staring at a face-down pregnancy test on her counter.

She had just gotten her life together. The couple had decided on a longer engagement because of their lack of time to plan, she only had a steady teaching job for a little under a year, too much was going on in their lives, and she was not ready for this type of responsibility

A minute remained on the timer, and her heart had never been beating so hard in her entire life as she watched the seconds pass by.

She listened as the boys entered the apartment, Jack yelled out a loud “Honey we’re home,” which immediately added pressure onto the pile of stress that was building in her chest.

“Oh god,” she whispered as she flipped over the test to reveal a second line, one of her hands covering her mouth to silence the quiet cries leaving her lips as she felt the stinging of tears staring. She blinked them away, her mind going a million miles an hour as she tried to calm herself down, comforting thoughts of Jack and his excitement to have kids flashed through her mind as she stared at the stick.

A quiet knock startled her out of her thoughts, “you okay in there?” “I don’t really know,” she said weakly. “What can I do to help you?” he asked softly from the other end.

She opened the door to reveal her shocked state, the pregnancy test in her hands as she looked to Jack who just looked at it with wide eyes, “You’re pregnant?” She nodded and walked into his arms, his chest quieting her cries as he just held her, “I'm so scared,” she whispered as he pressed a kiss to her temple. “What are you scared of?” She dried her tears and opened her mouth to answer, instead becoming choked up by the tears in the back of her throat. Let's sit down and just talk about it,” he said, pulling away to go and shut their bedroom door so Luke couldn't hear the topic of conversation.

They sat on the edge of the bed, she pressed the test into the palm of his hand, Jack couldn’t help but smile softly at the thought of having a little Eve running around.

“I don’t know, I feel scared. This is a huge responsibility, and our lives are already so hectic, and I just finally got my shit together–” “Hey," Jack interrupted gently, "we got this, okay? We're a team. And no matter what, we're in this together,” she took a deep breath and nodded, “that being said we can go see your doctor and figure out our options if this isn’t something you wanna do yet,” he felt her nod, his hands ran through her curls, gently massaging her shoulder as he pressed a kiss to the side of her face.

They were in the doctor’s office at the next available date, Jack sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair of the doctor’s office as the women squeezed a generous amount of gel on Eve’s bare stomach. The young girl’s hand held his as they watched the tiny image appear on the screen. The doctor spoke very calmly as she informed them of all the things taking place during the early stages of pregnancy.

“Would you like to hear the heartbeat? If you’re comfortable of course,” the woman asked as she looked at the young couple, Jack looked to his fiance for the answer to which she softly nodded her head. The heartbeat was fast, it had Jack grinning as he looked up to see the tears in Eve’s eyes, a little smile adorning her face as she watched the screen with soft intensity.

The doctors stepped out for a second to give the couple some space, “we are gonna be parents,” Eve whispered, her eyes still on the screen. “Yeah?” “Yeah, you're gonna be a dad,” she whispered, her tone a little more sure as she finally looked Jack in the eyes, the two of them in tears as he squeezed her hands, he stood up and leaned over the bed to press a kiss to her hairline. “You're gonna be the best mom ever Eve, you are amazing,” he whispered as she wiped away his tears and looked back at the screen.

They got home that night and spent the entirety of the rest of their day talking about the future, sharing their fears, hopes, and what all of this meant for the years to come. Jack reassured her, promising to be there every step of the way. As they talked, the initial shock transformed into a soft understanding of what their life together was growing into, to embrace the unexpected with open hearts. The fear didn't disappear completely, but it was replaced with a growing sense of excitement and eagerness to face whatever lay ahead.

★★★★

The summer came slowly, the devils exited the playoffs in the second round after a good run, and everyone headed back to their hometowns for the off-season.

Luke flew back to Michigan for the summer, Quinn was off doing his own thing for a few weeks, and Jack and Eve stayed in Jersey for her to finish out the school year all while getting an early start on getting the apartment ready for the baby being welcomed into the family around the new year.

Come to the end of June the entire Hughes family now found themselves back at the Lakehouse, summer was in the air once again, and everyone was ready for the next two weeks of relaxing before summer training started up once again.

Eve had it all planned out, hiding the baby was starting to get hard as she began to show and the boys continued to point out her lack of drinking over her first week off. She made dinner for the Hughes family, Jim and Ellen drove up for the first weekend, all of their babies were in the same household for the first time in nearly a year, and everyone was ready for a weekend of good quality family time.

Eve had a stack of sonograms packed away in her suitcase, each in a little envelope for each member of the Hughes family.

Ellen rounded up all of the boys into the dining room and helped serve each of them, all of them were starved after a day of golfing at the country club just across the lake, so they had no issues finding their way to the table and digging in as soon as their plates were placed in front of them. Conversations flowed as they talked about their summers so far, they attempted to talk hockey, but Ellen shut that down, pulling the no hockey at the dinner table rule that she had when they were still living under her roof.

Jack held Eve’s hand over the table, the two of them a little nervous but so excited to share the news of baby Hughes.

“You’re quiet today,” Quinn looked to his sister-in-law as she just shrugged and continued to sip off her water. “We actually have something to give you all,” Jack picked the envelopes from the ground beside his chair and handed them out to his family members.

The second the envelope landed in his mother’s hands she knew exactly what was inside, “you’re kidding,” she ripped the paper envelope and revealed little scans from their ten-week appointment, “oh my god, is this real?” Eve nodded which elicited a chorus of surprised and excited exclamations from the Hughes family.

Quinn stared at the sonogram for a moment, his eyes widening in realization. "Wait, seriously?" he asked, looking between Jack and Eve. Jack beamed with pride, nodding. "Yeah, Quinn. We're having a baby” Quinn's expression shifted from shock to a wide grin, “holy shit that's incredible!" he exclaimed, reaching over to give Eve a gentle hug, "congratulations!"

Each family member opened their envelope and saw the sonogram, each reaction a mix of surprise, happiness, and love. Ellen wiped away a few tears as she hugged Eve tightly.

Jim Hughes, typically a man of few words, looked at the sonogram, then at Jack and Eve, and just nodded which for some reason felt a bit like a stab, but the couple just shook off his lack of reaction.

Luke, who had been the last to open his envelope, stared at the sonogram in his hands with wide eyes before breaking and looking up at his brother, and the woman who had become his older sister, “you guys, I’m almost in tears,” he got up from his spot at the table to hug his brother and sister-in-law, “I'm going to be an uncle!" he declared, hugging his brother and sister-in-law.

Later that night Jim walked outside to see Eve curled up with a book in her hand, snuggled under a blanket on one of the patio couches, her mind not focused on the book but rather the way the sunset looked on the lake. He took a seat beside her startling her from her peace, she jumped a little and looked at the man who gave her an apologetic look.

They stared at each other for a second, it was always a little tense between them, not for any particular reason, just simply because they were both rather reserved individuals. “I’ve always thought of you as a daughter, I hope you know that,” he said lowly, she was a little taken aback by the vulnerability, “I know I don’t show it, but you mean a lot to my son and family, and I’m really glad that you and Jack found each other.” Eve smiled, eyes lined with tears as she nodded along with his words, “You guys are gonna make really good parents.” “Thank you Jim, and thank you for raising such an amazing son,” she whispered as he motioned for her to come over and hug him.

They stood there for a second, awkwardly embraced, Jack and Ellen stood inside on the other end of the kitchen window with wide eyes.

“I think he felt bad he didn’t say anything at dinner,” she whispered as Jack’s attention remained on his fiance and father who sat back down and continued their conversation, “he cares about you two, and he is really proud, he just doesn’t know how to express it,” and with that Ellen pressed a kiss to her son’s cheek and headed in the direction of the living room.

Jack stayed there watching, eyes welled with tears as he witnessed the quiet, heartfelt moment between Eve and his father.

★★★★

Eve laid in bed, her face broken out in a smile as she felt her baby girl kick, “Jack,” she whispered, waking him up from his nap, his hand in her grasp as she pressed his palm to her stomach. “Did you feel that,” she whispered as Jack’s eyes fluttered open. "Yeah, I felt it," Jack mumbled, a mix of awe and sleepiness in his voice. He rubbed his eyes and focused on the gentle movements beneath his hand.

Their baby girl seemed to have a mind of her own, making her presence known in the quiet moments. Jack smiled, a deep sense of connection settling in as he felt the kicks beneath his palm.

"She's active today, huh?" he said, his voice filled with tenderness. Eve nodded, her eyes fixed on Jack's face as he experienced the magic of the moment. "She's going to be a little hockey player, just like her dad." “She can be whatever she wants, as long as she's happy and healthy,” he whispered and propped himself on his elbow to gently place a kiss on Eve's bump.

Eve watched him with adoration; the anticipation for their daughter's arrival filled her chest as Jack's hand remained on Eve's stomach.

“Can I ask you a question?” he looked up from her belly to her eyes, looking at him with so much love as she nodded, “is it bad that i'm a little scared to be a dad?” Eves smiled softened as her hand traveled down to caress his cheek, “it's not bad at all, I'm so nervous about all of it, but we are a team, and we're gonna figure it out together,” she answered honestly, her hand moving from his cheek to running through his messy bed head. Jack's gaze met hers, and he took a deep breath. "I just want to be the best dad for her, you know? I want to make sure I’m the best for her." Eve nodded, her thumb back to tracing comforting circles on his cheek, "and you will, Jack. You already love her so much, and that's the most important thing.”

Jack nodded at her words, chest feeling a little lighter from the vulnerability, his hand moving from her bump to hold hers, pressing light kisses to her knuckles, “I’m the luckiest guy ever, you’re perfect,” he whispered as he leaned over to kiss her on the lips. They lingered in the quiet afterglow of their shared vulnerability, surrounded by the anticipation of their growing family.

★★★★

“She’s so little,” Jack whispered as the nurse placed baby Mei in his arms for some skin-on-skin contact, his voice full of emotion as he stared at his daughter who looks like a spotting image of her mother.

Eve watched her fiance through tired eyes, “she's perfect,” she smiled as Jack looked up at her on the verge of tears. “You did this,” he whispered, amazed, filling his tone as he looked baby down at the cooing baby in his arms, marveling at the tiny fingers and the soft, peaceful expression on her face. The weight of responsibility and the beauty of the moment seemed to collide for him, and he felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

“You should try and get some rest.” Eve shook her head and continued to watch Jack and Mei’s first real interactions, “how am i meant to sleep when you have your shirt off like a slut and you're holding our baby,” she teased which made him smirk at her forwardness. “You think I look hot like this?”Jack chuckled, as he heard a hum of agreement. Eve grinned, feeling a surge of warmth at the playful banter despite the tiredness, "you're certainly rocking the dad look right now.” Jack rolled his eyes in mock offense. "You love it." "I do," Eve admitted with a soft laugh. "I love everything about this," she motioned to his current state.

Eve fell asleep soon after, the stress of the night and exhaustion taking over caused her to drift off just after Mei’s first feeding.

Jack sat quietly in the corner of the room, Mei in the bassinet provided by the hospital, his hand bed gently stroking his daughter's cheek as she quietly cooed at the feeling of her father’s touch. “You look just like your mama,” he whispered, her face following the sound of his voice, as if she recognized him which made his heart leap in his chest. “My baby Mei, there is not a thing in the world i wouldn't do to protect you, or give you,” he picked her up and gently placed her back on his chest.

Jack's voice softened as he continued to speak to his newborn daughter, "I never thought I could feel so much love for someone I just met," Jack whispered, his gaze fixed on Mei's delicate features. "Your mom and I, we're going to give you the best life."

As Mei nestled against Jack's chest, he marvelled at the tiny human, a creation of his and Eve’s love. The weight of responsibility blended seamlessly with the joy of fatherhood, filling his whole being as he continued to watch his baby.

In the dimly lit hospital room, a new family was born – a family bound by love and the shared journey of raising their beloved daughter

#keeperofmyheartau!!#jack hughes #jack hughes fluff #jack hughes imagine #jack hughes fic #jack hughes blurb

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malk1ns · 1 year ago

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A prompt if this sings to you... established relationship mid-30s sidgeno taking in a rookie to live with them? Maybe a Russian? Maybe not! Maybe it's ABO and the baby alpha is overwhelmed by milfy Sid/baby omega is overwhelmed by dilfy Geno? Maybe not! IDK I just want to see an awkward 18 year old being completely rabbit in the headlights witnessing these two icons and heroes being dorky and frisky and middle-aged at home.

Ooooh I love this!

This isn't my best work, but I haven't written in ages and I'm rusty, so—you get what you get, haha. But this is such a fun concept and I had a lot of fun thinking about it!!! That's part of why it's so disjointed I think, I had so many ideas about how this could look and what it could involve and I wanted to cram everything in. Maybe I'll revisit this when I can actually properly use the English language again and clean it up!

Mack doesn't get a choice about where he lives his rookie year.

Not a lot of guys do, really—if they're bouncing between the A and the big club, they get real familiar with a few specific hotels, and if they make the show right away the team usually encourages them to look for something in a particular neighborhood—but Mack, after the excitement of the draft was over and the contract negotiations began in earnest, didn't even get that much leeway.

He's a first overall pick. He's an omega. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Of course he'll be living with Sidney Crosby and his mate.

Crosby—call me Sid he'd said, backstage after Mack stumbled his way onstage and held up his jersey and smiled so hard his face hurt—sends him and his parents an email in late summer, offering up a suite in his house in one of Pittsburgh's suburbs. He'll have a bedroom, a bathroom, and a living area to himself, along with a small fridge, and Sid says he'll help Mack get a car, too, if he doesn't already have one.

Mack's agent is copied on the email, along with four names from the Penguins organization that Mack doesn't recognize. It's not really an offer, after all.

Mack's parents are overjoyed. They're both betas, and when Mack presented his mom had practically lost her mind trying to figure out how to parent him appropriately, and they'd both been desperately worried about him living on his own. As if that had been an option; every interview at the combine included some discussion about where he'd stay, and it seemed like every team had a plan, no input from Mack required.

His dad's more focused on what he'll get out of living with Hall of Famers. "Watch how they spend their time off," he says to Mack as they're standing at Pittsburgh International. They'd all driven down in Mack's new car together, and spent the last two days getting him settled in and seeing the sights, and now his parents are flying back to Vancouver. "You're never going to have a better example than Malkin and Crosby. Pay attention to them, and you'll be fine."

Mack's not sure that this is quite what his parents had in mind.

Sid's amazing, of course. He knows what it's like to be an omega in the league—for all there are more now than when Sid was drafted, they're still an extreme minority, and going first overall, over all the alphas eligible, has only happened twice. Well, three times now. He walks Mack through the accommodations at the rink, connects him with the dynamics counselors and heat coordinators, and he spends a lot of time just listening to Mack, sharing his own experiences and talking him through his panic and nerves. Mack's lucky, and all the guys from BU are jealous as hell, constantly blowing up the GC with questions that Mack's not gonna answer in a million years.

Geno, though?

Mack's been around alphas his whole life. Sports at a higher level are riddled with them, obviously, and omegas aren't cloistered away anymore—he's not required to cross the street if he approaches an alpha, and North America has been totally integrated for decades.

There's getting in board battles with alphas his own age, though, or interacting with random people out in the world, and living with an alpha in his 30s, in the space he's marked as his.

Geno's not nervous around him. Which, obviously, why would he be, but Mack's used to the guys his age being a little on edge, a little anxious, a little fumbling in the presence of Mack's pheromones. Geno's a whole-ass adult, though, and he's been mated to Sid for as long as Mack can remember, so of course he wouldn't give a shit about some 18-year-old kid.

The whole house smells like Geno, a mix of coconut and snow and citrus. It's comforting; Mack's never slept so well in his life, and it just feels safe, knowing that there's an alpha around all the time. Sid's left his mark too, of course, but there's no escaping that an alpha lives in this house, an alpha who's strong, and confident, and sure of himself.

It takes Mack two whole weeks before he can talk to Geno without turning bright red and stuttering. He'd feel more embarrassed by his behavior, the way he reacts to Geno's scent, if he thought Geno noticed for one single second.

Because the thing is, what Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin seem to spend most of their off-hours doing is...each other.

Mack's never walked in on them—they're too thoughtful, and he's seen the way Geno stares down other alphas who look a little too closely at Sid, he's not interested in anyone seeing Sid that way—but he can smell them, all over the house. Geno's got a hand on Sid constantly; at his waist as they move around each other in the kitchen, on his legs when they sit on the couch, cupping the bond-bite on Sid's neck when they think they're alone. He smells like he wants Sid all the time.

And Sid absolutely reciprocates.

Mack can't blame him. If he had an alpha like that— He doesn't let himself go too far down that path, because he has to live with them, and he's too young anyway, he wants to focus on his career for a while, but there's something about how happy Sid looks, the way he teases Geno until they're both pink and smiling, the way he gets this look in his eye when he watches Geno putter around in the kitchen, that makes something in Mack's gut twinge with longing. He wants this, someday—a mate, a home, someone who makes him that happy.

He just wishes they'd do a bit more to hide when they're going off to fuck, though. Mack's cycle is still irregular, and being this close to a mated pair who are having sex practically every night—Mack is shocked they can still do it that much at their age—is gonna push him into early heat one of these days, and then he'll have to ask for a ride to the facilities, and Geno will know, Geno will smell it on him, and they'll both be so nice and understanding and go out of their way to assure him it's normal and make sure he has what he needs, and it will just be the worst, most mortifying thing that's ever happened to him.

Anyway, yeah. Mack's pretty sure his dad had something else in mind, when he was talking about what Mack could pick up from living with Crosby and Malkin.

It's going to be a long year.

#sidgeno #hockey rpf #a/b/o #my fic #my writing #macklin celebrini YOU are a pittsburgh penguin #rookie houseguest

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evelmiina · 1 year ago

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Love your work! I wanted to ask what your process is like when it comes to coming up with a design/composition to a piece? Do you have any specific methods you use or it is more improvised:)? Thanks!

I'd say both - method and improvisation. To me all pictures are basically shapes organized in a pleasing way. Even when I draw lines I think more about overall shapes together and how I feel about them. There's a lot to consider about design and composition, some pretty smart books on the subject are Marcus Mateu-Mestre: Framed Ink and Hans Bacher: Vision - color and composition for film. I'm still learning all the time and I make mistakes but I think method to making composition comes down to: readability and narrative intention, moving from simplicity to complex. But it's also fun and important to play around and see what works, that's why my process is not always the same and I can show some examples. Here are the sketches and final I did for my Magic card illustration:

This is my go-to method when I want to rely on tried and true process and I know I won't get lost once I start drawing/painting because I can rely on my steps. I don't always do things this way, but for paid work I want the client to have as clear idea of my intention as possible. The reasoning why 3 worked the best is because it's more dynamic and dimensional than 2, but more readable than 1. It also best showcases how the tower is supposed to be huge, something that was important for the design.

This on the other hand was personal work and I approached it in more relaxed way just to see where it goes. Still I think what made me want to finish it is I liked the variety of shapes and rhythm of the room, like how the screens lead towards the doorway, lot of rectangles but varied in their size and angle. If it was client work I probably would've been called out in the sketch, because the focal point is this empty wall that makes no sense. I came up with the idea of shadow of a window while making it and in the end it worked, but it was an example how I made a big design problem for myself that I was gambling on to figure out.

This one had very specifically just one photo reference, but I did the sketch to put down the essentials of what I was seeing in the photo. In the end I referenced dog's face and pose more from the photo so it looks more natural, which was also funnier than my own initial interpretation

Sometimes the initial comp just doesn't pan out exactly. I did the sketch for this Unicorn fanart and I even drew the interior at some point, but it just Did Not Work for me, I also discarded the idea of medieval dragon in the statue for same reason. So it sat in my folder for a while until I could look at it again and after taking a break, I still liked the statue and the general idea, but decided to make the surroundings easier to look at so that the statue stands out better.

When I did the sketch for this dragon I wanted it to feel big and heavy, like lifting its head from the ground. But I didn't want to do vertical picture which lead me to painting over digitally and extending the picture, then painting the whole thing traditionally anyway.

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phoenixblaze1412 · 1 year ago

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Hi!!!! can I get a fluff oneshot with Akademiya Dottore/Zandik and a shy gn reader where ur both outcasts and like eachother a lot, and one day when ur both out researching together he tries his luck at at flirting with reader (he sucks at it) - 🐓

Warning: Zandik is adorkable.

Mute.

That was all the other Dasturs of your class would call you due to your shy nature. Even the sages started to doubt your abilities as a scholar due to your meek and timid self. They would always tell you that no scholar as shy as you should continue studying in the Akademiya. For them, being shy is an insignificant personality that doesn't deserve attention or praise.

You let out a sigh, another day in the Akademiya, another day to get outcasted by the Dasturs and the sages. Still you kept going, ignoring the insults and proceeding with your studies. You weren't the only one in this situation. Your friend Zandik also received the same treatment from the Akademiya but that didn't stop him from his research.

You really liked Zandik ever since you met him during one of your classes. You had to swallow your own nervousness just to approach and talk to him, you didn't believe in the rumors about him being a weird one. He was rude to you at first but he slowly began to accept your presence and considered you as an acquaintance friend. Others would call you both as 'the weirdo and the mute', the outcast duo.

What you didn't know is that Zandik liked you as well. Your knowledge and intellect fascinates him and he finds your shy and timid nature to be adorable too. There's not a single day that goes by where you don't come up in his thoughts.

Zandik decided to invite you for a field research, using the excuse of needing to find another ruin guard for research purposes just to be able to spend time with you.

You both walked south of Vimara Village, the presence of each other bringing you both comfort. You looked around the area in search of a ruin guard, Zandik on the other hand was too busy trying to come up with something to say to you. You saw a pair of rishboland tigers passing by, you watched in awe at how the tigers interacted with one another. Zandik watched as you looked at the rishboland tigers, liking the way your eyes lit up from seeing the creatures of nature itself. Without a second thought, Zandik cleared his throat and said something that came to his mind.

“If we were ever cats, I'd spend all of my nine lives with you.”

You stared at Zandik in surprise, the male looking back at you with wide eyes, even shocked at himself for saying such a thing to you.

“Wait no, I mean I would never donate my organs to others but I would always give you my heart.”

Zandik could only mentally facepalm at himself for what he said as he felt his face flush red. He would want nothing more than run away from you and hide in his closet. Embarrassing himself in front of the person he likes was not on the scenarios he thought of last night. He swore it sounded much better when he was only thinking about it.

Oh, Archons you were looking at him as if he had grown two heads. Your doe-like eyes staring at his reddened face. Zandik gulped down his nervousness before facing your figure and looking at you.

"(y/n), as you can see from my failure of trying to flirt with you, what I'm trying to say is.. I like you."

Your eyes widened in surprise as Zandik held your hand in his, a blush spreading across your cheeks.

"I was wondering if I can ask you out on a date, to make it official. You can say no if you don't reciprocate my feelings. Someone as extraordinary as you shouldn't even be hanging out with an outcast like me."

What Zandik didn't expect was you leaning in close to him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. You let out a small giggle as you watched him erupt into a blushing mess, him letting go of your hand just to hide his red face.

"I like you too, Zandik. You can take me out on a date."

You were confused when Zandik's flushed face started to scowl at you. He grabbed your arm before pulling you close to him, your body pressed up against his. You let out a small squeak as you stared at the male, not knowing what to do.

"Aren't you a sly little bunny? Kissing me on the cheek just to get me caught off guard. I thought you were just a shy little scholar. Seems like there's more to you than meets the eye.. but I'm not one to back down."

You were about to ask what Zandik meant when he suddenly held your chin between his fingers before pressing his lips against yours. You squeaked out in surprise before kissing back, not caring if anyone sees either of you in this situation.

An unlikely pair of outcasts. But they love each other nonetheless. And nothing in Teyvat can ever separate them from each other.

#dottore x reader #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #dottore #zandik x reader #gender neutral reader

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familyabolisher · 1 year ago

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Apologies if you've answered this before, but I've been following you for a while and the way you approach literary analysis is so interesting, and your takes have made me reflect on and reconsider the way I approach a text and how to respond to it! So I wanted to ask: when you read other people's takes/analysis for a particular piece of media, how do you determine if it's good or not? And not in a way where you decide it's "good" in the sense that the person you're reading has uncovered the One True Interpretation you could get out of that piece of media, but in the sense where you feel like it was worth your time, and hit the spots that you're looking for in particular when it comes to media analysis.

I'm asking because I've taken to reading more media analysis and commentary online a lot more nowadays, and sometimes I'll read something I'm not quite satisfied with but can't exactly articulate why I feel that way. I never know if it's in the particular language used or in the length, or in the details, because frequently I find that at the end of my reading I don't even disagree with the take or its premise, which makes my dissatisfaction all the more confusing. So I do like hearing about how other people approach things to try and figure things out for myself, and I respect a lot of your positions, so. How do you do it?

Thank you! I feel like “good/bad” is a very broad framework to be using here; I wonder if it might be more helpful to come to conclusions about analytical work based on how useful you found it. There’s a lot of critical work that I consider to be completely useless to me, but that doesn’t necessarily make it ‘bad’ or even ‘wrong’; it’s just not doing what I want it to be doing. Some questions you might want to ask could include:

Is this elucidating? Does this explain what it purports to explain, does it answer the questions it wants to answer and/or pose new questions that weren’t immediately legible in the text? Has it developed an idea clearly? Has it given you some new angles from which you can think about the text? In short: did you get something from reading it?

Is the argument followed to its furthest possible conclusion? What I mean by this is like, media analysis is often a process of asking a lot of “why” questions: why is X like this? Why is this significant? Why X and not Y?—over and over until you run out of questions to ask. I think the big thing to watch out for here is whether or not a piece of analysis lays out its observations as though events, characterisation, relationships, etc., are phenomena emerging organically (as though it were “real life”) rather than being narrative choices made with intention (and some impetus towards figuring out what that intention is). Saying that X character is like Y is far less compelling than saying X character is like Y because Z when Z is an argument that extends beyond the boundaries of the narrative itself. Narratives are a series of deliberate choices; we want to know why those choices were made and whether we agree with them.

To give an example: let’s say we’re talking about the significance of Shiv’s pregnancy in the final episode of Succession. Following it through to its conclusion might look like this:

I start out by saying, “Tom being favoured over Kendall as CEO of Waystar is in part due to Shiv’s pregnancy reaffirming the Roy family bloodline, something that Roman establishes Kendall as being functionally incapable of doing.” The first question we should ask here is: why is reaffirming the bloodline significant?

From here we can say, well, we know it’s significant because Roman uses the word ‘bloodline’ to mark Tom/Shiv as favourable, and this tells us that there is a logic of eugenics running through Logan’s empire. This is good, but we’re still operating in wholly diegetic territory ie. the only terms we’re setting for our argument are those of describing conditions internal to the narrative. The next question we’re asking is: why are the Succession writers bringing this question of eugenics and bloodlines into play here?

From here, we can go in a bunch of different directions—for argument’s sake, we can think about Succession’s relationship to imperial/monarchic narratives of dynastic succession crises and how the show generates tension in part by transposing those narratives onto an American capitalist media empire in order to suggest that networks of capitalist hegemony and the means by which such a hegemony is sustained can be discursively linked back to such dynastic interplay. We might then point to eg. Caroline and the British aristocracy and this question of blood purity that Logan’s relationship with her + his discarding of Connor introduces; can we think about the British imperial aristocracy as a crutch on which American capitalism rests, or are we being asked to consider how these imperial superpowers are a) functionally interchangeable and b) mutually sustaining, or? We can look at the fact that Sophie Roy is brown and Iverson is implied to be autistic (and obviously the fact that neither is biologically related to Kendall and the suggestion that social ‘inferiority’ is therefore hereditary) to identify whose bloodline a practice of eugenics within hegemony seeks to retain and who it seeks to dispossess, and how this links back to the willingness on the part of the siblings to collude with (or even openly support) a fascist when it becomes in their best interest to do so. We can ask questions about reproduction of the bloodline as a means of reaping the rewards of hegemony (Shiv) or punishment within the borders of said hegemony for impotence and sexual deviance (Kendall and Roman). All of these lead us from arguments about the internal conditions of the Roy family towards conditions of the ruling class articulated through the family structure. All of this is compelling, but it begs the question of: why are we able to extrapolate all of these conclusions from the narrative configuration of the Roy family? Where in the text is it evinced that this kind of metonymic reading is coherent?

Finally, we link this back to Succession by understanding the Roy family as effectively metonymic for the ruling class as a united body (and why it’s effective for a family unit to take on such a metonymic role! What does this tell us about the relationship between the cluster of kinship relations we call the “family” and hegemony?) as is pretty transparently evinced throughout the show, and which is what gives meaning to this series of observations and allows us to extract an argument towards thematic significance out of what was initially just a set of observations about what was ‘happening’ on-screen.

I hope this is a clear example—I just went with it because most people on this website are at least passably fluent in Succession by now, lmao. The point is, you keep asking questions until you’ve followed the throughline through as far as it can be followed. In evaluating a piece of critical writing, you always want to be asking: why is this there? Why is this important? A weaker piece of critical writing will often avoid or else seem not to consider these sorts of questions. As a general rule of thumb, the more a work of critical writing seems to take for granted, the weaker it tends to be.

How well does the argument match the expectations you might have? Is this line of interrogation something that you’ve considered before, and what conclusions did you draw? Does the argument fall in line with your conclusions; does it challenge or develop them by introducing something you hadn’t considered, or do you think that your understanding identified something that the argument missed? If you were asked the question that the piece purports to respond to, how would you respond?

What are the blind spots of the argument? This is similar to the above, but is specifically concerned with asking what the piece might have missed or what assumptions might be limiting its scope. This means looking for the assumptions upon which the argument rests and trying to unpack and challenge them in order to understand how they took the form that they did. An example of this might be the kind of “female rage”/“teenage girl ferality” arguments you often see circling about Yellowjackets: what narrative does this idea of girls’ youthful ‘rage’ implicitly exonerated from harm contribute to? What do we do when we reify the idea of ‘teenage girlhood’ as a unique, impenetrable state that affords those who ‘experience’ it a uniquely elevated condition, or when we flatten these characters into the apparently equalised category of ‘teenage girl’? How do these arguments elide questions of race in Yellowjackets as regarding eg. Lottie or Taissa, and how can we follow them through to think about blind spots not only in the argument but in the show itself? No argument can feasibly encompass every possible nuance and perspective that one could bring to a text, obviously, but a stronger piece of critical writing will try to get into these underlying assumptions with depth and thoughtfulness and try to put some work into showing why they came to the conclusions that they came to; again, it’s about what gets taken for granted, what the writer presumes can go unspoken, and whether we ought to drag it to the surface and take a better look at it.

How well is the argument substantiated? Here I would expect reference to the source material—how well are these references selected? Are they consistent? Is there some cherry-picking happening—can you think of a point in the text where the claims being made might be challenged or contradicted? Does the argument impose stasis or unilaterialism onto something that in the text is in fact depicted as dynamic or otherwise in development? How well does this hold up with your interpretation of these moments—can you interpret them differently? What do you make of that ambiguity?

Can you place a value judgement on the argument made? In other words: do you agree? This is basically just about synthesising your responses to all the other questions and evaluating how on the mark you think the argument is; how you would respond to it, how you might develop it, how it might have developed your understanding of the work or else can be applied to other parts of the text (or indeed, other texts).

Ultimately I think the best thing you can do here is develop your own positions on texts to the best of your ability—I find that writing my arguments out helps me to get to grips with them better—and engaging with analytical work relative to that, ie. going in with your own solid sense of understanding from which your response can be crafted; I have an older post here on some of the questions you can start asking when you’re looking to do so. Obviously this means keeping an open mind towards arguments that contradict your own or that you may not have thought of before, but knowing what you think and why you think it will make it a lot easier to notice what might be missing or contradictory in someone else’s work (or, again, what you yourself might have missed). Critical work is (imo) best thought of as a dialogue rather than a straightforward imparting of knowledge; how someone else’s analysis informs your own, and how yours informs theirs, without flattening this dynamic into a deference of superior authority on either end, is the clearest and most productive way to think about it all.

I hope this is helpful!

#ask #long post

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jinisnuggets · 12 days ago

Text

✧ ˚ · . ɢɨʀʟ ʏօʊ'ʀɛ ֆօ ʄɨʀɛ

PAIRINGS | Model! Mafia! Member Junkyu x Model! Fem! Reader

GENRE | Suspense, Mafia Au, MILDLY Suggestive (mdni)

WORD COUNT | 1.3k

SYNOPSIS | Kim Junkyu lives a life of luxury, being a famous model with millions of fans, but maybe that is only the side the screens show…

WARNINGS | Small hints of murder, strong(ish) mafia themes, Junkyu is a little bit of a brat, manipulation topics, swear words, overall it's kinda wholesome.

NETWORK(S) | @starlit-network @k-library @blossomnet

A/N | HI! This fic is mainly in Junkyu's point of view because I wanted to try a new format of writing, overall, I hope you enjoy reading and I am very sorry and not uploading ;)... I've been a little inactive lately, but I'm going to try to comeback. Yes, I will be continuing my series (atz yh) but keep in mind that I only posted the first chapter to see how it went, not to continue it for the moment, so yes I'll continue writing it and will post the remaining chapters when they're ready :)!

“If you expect that raise, then you best bring me the best information you can find,” he demanded.

Junkyu sighed, placing his hands behind his back as a form of respect.

“I'm already one of the biggest celebrities in Seoul; I'm sure however much money it'll be I wouldn't need it.…” he muttered, watching his boss turn around as he lowered himself.

Sometimes he couldn't hold back his form of speech.

“It'll be lots of money, so I recommend reconsidering those words.” He scolded, figuring Junkyu wouldn't pay much more of his attention as he simply nodded and made his way back towards the door, bowing on his way out.

He exited through the back, entering the vehicle through the Limo’s door as his bodyguard drove away.

Though he was still processing his bosses words, he couldn't help but recall them so vividly every time they recurred in his mind.

The more he thought the more he noticed that everything he did for the organization was practically useless, but what more could he expect from being a member of a mafia.

He'd done countless of unexplainable things, but it was all for a good cause, and that was something others couldn't understand.

Maybe if he had just quit the moment he began his career as a model, it would all be normal. But then again, maybe it was simply the fear of stalkers finding out that secret that had been long buried, exposing him to the public for millions of people to misunderstand; or possibly it was the thought of them blackmailing him with it.

He preferred not to think about it.

The car’s door opened as he was greeted by screaming crowds and millions of paparazzis speaking over each other and invading personal space as they pushed their mics up to his face.

Politely, he declined the interview attempts and chuckled while making his way inside the modeling agency.

“Look who's here.” A female voice teased from ahead as he waved goodbye to the fans positioned outside.

He smirked in a teasing manner, deciding to add more fuel to the fire by approaching her with that same mocking demeanor.

“I wasn't expecting to see you here my lady.” He finally spoke, beginning to walk in the direction of his stylists room.

“There was a change of plans.” She shrugged.

He nodded in understanding; a sense of satisfaction washing over him as she wasn't known for frequent schedules. Encountering her brought him some sense of genuine joy.

“L/n Y/n!” A voice echoed from the distance causing her to glance back towards the source of her name. There stood her manager, a considerable distance away with a puzzled expression.

Finally, he began walking up to her, politely greeting the familiar face which had been all over recent magazines and TV commercials.

“What are you doing? Your turn is coming up." he asked, prompting her to nod in acknowledgment as she looked back at her friend.

“I need to head out, my shoot is up soon.” She chuckled, and he nodded, observing her walk away peacefully with her manager into her stylists room.

He turned around, not needing to turn his head to become aware of the coming presence.

“Junkyu.” A voice lingered in the air. Junkyu turned his head and there stood the person he had mostly anticipated.

Park Jihoon, a model from a big agency with a huge fanbase. Not only that but he also seemed to release banger music.

Jihoon also happened to be one of the main sources to the mafia's disposal. There was nothing he wasn't good at.

“Did they give you your next investigation to carry out?” He questioned, a look of prolepsis crossing his eyes as the words exited his mouth, almost as if he knew what was coming.

“L/n Y/n is a girl who keeps many dark secrets, one being her history with her parents. I need you to collect as much as you can about her and her family history due to this being a case of importance.”

“L/n Y/n and her family history.” He muttered to which Jihoon sighed.

“I asked them to give it to someone else, guess they never listened to me.” He chuckled awkwardly, causing Junkyu to glance back at him in confusion.

“Pardon me?” He asked.

Jihoon looked back, thinking for a moment until he glanced around, making direct eye contact with a security camera as he watched it shut off.

“They mentioned they'd give you her case, but I urged them not to as she's someone you're close with. I guess that's what they're looking for however.”

They walked into the stadium, forgetting about their shoots and simply deciding to just watch the other models and their shoots.

Watanabe Haruto was up: someone Junkyu always admired for his insane visuals and incredible acting abilities. He'd been trying different poses over a white background wall. Many other famous models and celebrities sat around them as they watched their colleagues in awe.

Jihoon and Junkyu picked their own table, a safe distance away from any other guest.

“It's alright, afterall, I'm sure she'll be relieved once her family’s out of the picture.” He sighed, looking up at an already shut off camera.

He looked back at the famous young star, smiling as his expressions changed depending on the mood his supervisors were aiming for.

You were up next, and he was left impatiently waiting for your familiar face to come up, smirking the moment it finally did.

“Seeing her here is only making things easier for me in a matter of fact.”

***

‘L/n Y/n is dating Kim Junkyu?’

‘Are L/n Y/n and Kim Junkyu a couple?’

‘Alleged leaked photos caught L/n Y/n and Kim Junkyu kissing.’

It was all over social media and he knew it. It was also likely the cause for why he was called up to his bosses office so suddenly one morning.

After multiple deep breaths, he finally opened the door to see his boss holding multiple files worth of informational papers, slamming them flat onto his arms the moment he approached his desk.

“What the hell are you thinking Kim Junkyu!?” He scolded.

Junkyu rolled his eyes very lightly, looking back at his boss with eyes of acknowledgement.

“I can't control what fans think-”

“But you can control what you do!” He once again yelled, making Junkyu flinch ever so slightly. He knew he was right.

Multiple moments of silence passed with no one saying a word.

“Alright. I'll shut down the rumors later today. We have another shooting event in the evening, where I believe L/n will be attending.”

His boss stared in intimidation, ultimately nodding to his apology and accepting it, shooing him away shortly after.

Junkyu didn't have an exact plan on how to do so, but he knew that it was all simply a lie. The main regulation of this organization was the strictly prohibited lovers rule.

But he was their most crucial piece.

And you, were his lady ever darling.

“Junkyu!” You called from afar, once more approaching him as he stared at you, smiling while doing so.

“I'm glad you made it.” He teased as you shook your head in playful annoyance, rolling your eyes in the process.

“I don't miss every event.” You defended, making him nod.

“I'm aware, my lady.”

You didn't realize when he dragged you into that secluded room, gripping your arms with an undeniable strength as he pinned you up against the wall.

Staring in utter confusion, you watched him move closer to you, constantly bringing your faces closer and closer together.

He smirked seeing your flustered expression.

“What do you say we put an end to these rumors my lady?” He asked.

You gulped, face burning as your cheeks turned a light red color.

“I.. I agree, it'll get in the way of our careers.” You assured, attempting to get out of the entire situation.

“Then shall we do so? What do you say we put an end to them by making them a reality?”

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itsclydebitches · 2 years ago

Note

Any tips for new grad students? I'm about to start in the fall and I'm curious how it'll be different/hopefully better than undergrad!

Congratulations, anon!!!

Let's see... some alphabetical tips based on my own experience:

Ask for help. You'll likely have a million questions and, unfortunately, the designated people who can answer them are often crazy busy and may take a while to get back to you, or forget entirely. So don't be afraid to ask for help from whoever might even feasibly know the answer -- including tumblr blogs! You're off to a great start lol

Be on the lookout for advisors early. Whether you're just in need of a singular advisory for a thesis, or if you'll be putting a whole committee together, approach every new instructor with the question, "Would I want them to mentor me through my research?" in the back of your mind. Pay attention to not just their specialties and teaching methods, but who they are as a person. Do you like them? Are you comfortable with them? Do they treat you respectfully? Do they seem to have everything well in hand? I loved my advisor dearly as a person, but he was often waaaaaay behind on his work. Looking back, I would have at least considered choosing someone with better organization/time management skills.

Get good at writing emails. Can you write a succinct, professional sounding email? Great! Get comfortable doing that throughout the whole day. Feeling a little iffy? Practice over the summer. There are a lot of templates online that can help, but you'll want to ensure you're not going into grad school still writing "k thx" from your iPhone at 3:00am. (For the record, your professors may do this, the students should not lol).

Have designated, scheduled downtime. Literally if you don't plan to take a break... you won't be taking a break. Not until your body decides to take one for you, anyway. Friday nights were always my couch potato time. Absolutely no work allowed and no strenuous activity unless it was something I was legitimately excited about (so no getting pressured into outings I didn't actually want to attend). Friday nights were sacred, a time for takeout and only whatever else I felt like doing, usually TV, video games, and vegging out with my cat.

Imposter Syndrome is a BITCH. Luckily, pretty much everyone's got it to a greater or lesser extent, we all just need to acknowledge it more. You know those boards some schools have celebrating places where students have gotten in and other achievements? Yeah, we put one up for failures in our department. Literally a giant, glittery, "CONGRATS YOU DIDN'T GET IT!" board where we hung proposal rejections, grant rejections, school rejections, scholarship rejections, job rejections, and on one memorable occasion a date rejection. I highly recommend it. Nothing lessens the sting quite as much as seeing that you're a part of a sea of similar disappointments and remembering that you're all in the same, often luck-based boat.

Pick a non-academic hobby. Your mental health will thank you, trust me. Like the designated downtime, you need to be doing something that's not reading/writing/researching 24/7. Pick a hobby that in no way relates to academics or your chosen field, preferably something hands-on and creative. Grad school is when I picked up crocheting alongside knitting.

Prepare to hold down two jobs. This really only applies if you're going to be teaching while you get your degree (or if you have an outside job for the paycheck), but I was pretty blindsided by what it took to be a full-time student and a half-time instructor. I don't really have good advice beyond "Figure out your time management skills now" and "Don't pour all your energy into one or the other because the one you've neglected WILL come back to bite you in the ass," but even just being aware of how difficult it is going to be would have staved off the initial shock.

Read strategically. Perhaps this is different for someone not in the Humanities, but you will be reading a LOT in grad school. Like, an absolutely stupid amount. There simply will not be time to cover everything from title to footnotes (I know, it hurts), so get comfortable with reading abstracts, chapter summaries, skimming, and otherwise summarizing lengthy works to figure out what you should prioritize. Unless a whole article is assigned for class, figure out what you need from any given text -- or what you think you may need -- and hone in on that. You can always return to read more if you have the time.

SAVE EVERYTHING. Do not delete emails. Get copies of everything even remotely official. Print everything out. Buy yourself a couple of cheap file boxes, stick them under your bed, and keep it all just in case. What kind of things have I unexpectedly needed to dredge up weeks, months, or even years later? The printed paper with hand-written comments to justify a grade I gave. An ancient email from a committee member proving that they did in fact sign off on a certain chapter choice. A copy of the publication forms I signed for a book collection after those got lost on their end (somehow). Seriously, save everything. You'll never know when you may need proof of some communication you've had.

Take naps. That's it. That's the advice. Someone gives you shit for being "lazy" or tries to make you feel bad for "wasting" a sunny afternoon? Make them step on a Lego and then both of you take your nap outside. Naps are beautiful and sacred and life-saving. Just set a good alarm for whenever your next class/meeting is.

Work at making friends. Unlike high school or even college where you'll be spending the day with a core group of people, in graduate school (unless your school is really small) the students are a lot more spread out and there aren't as many built-in opportunities to socialize. So plan to put in more effort at connecting with others because you will want that camaraderie, both for practical help and your sanity. I didn't realize how much more I needed to do to get to know my peers until I was nearly finished my Master's. Luckily, my PhD threw me into an office with seven other grads, so I didn't have a choice about getting to know them lol

You're responsible for your own learning. You've gotten a taste of this in college, but grad school cranks it up to 11. You're an adult (not an "adult" adult like a college student) and you've committed to putting forth 2-7 additional years towards your education. The expectation is that you want to be here and will showcase the necessary effort without outside influence (unless you require accommodations, of course). Be prepared for your instructors to treat you like a peer, both when it comes to the fun stuff - intense debates about your field! - and the responsibilities they expect you to follow through on. In some ways grad school is nothing like college because you are now focused on one subject, you are working collaboratively with people who were once solely authority figures, and 95% of the work will occur outside the classroom via self-teaching. You're a professional now. Still being mentored, but well on your way to that equal standing. The sooner you realize that you are responsible for your own education and future career -- not your teachers, your parents, your BFF, your roommate, etc. -- the better.

Most importantly:

#school #teaching #grad school

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sanjis-moulinrouge · 11 months ago

Text

Calling you in dreams

Zoro x Sanji | +18

Summary: The blond approached… “is he okay?” he looked at Zoro with a worried expression on his face.

"San-ji ssh-"

In his dreams, did he call him by his name? Why only in those moments? Sanji was overthinking...

(Sanji gets a surprise when he hears Zoro's unconscious thoughts).

a/n: smut + cuteness.

AO3

“Oi Marimo don’t fall asleep, you need to go up to the crow’s nest” Sanji said while organizing the pantry

Zoro had settled on the couch in front of the kitchen. He could see Sanji's figure moving harmoniously. Finally, the ship was quiet.

“Mosshead, did you get it? Go outside”

“I heard you stupid, just leave me a little longer” He stretched his body along the couch. “Wake me up when you go to sleep, you have a lot of things to sort out…”

“Argh, how annoying.” Despite adding that, Sanji felt good when one of his nakamas was around. Especially late at night, he loved silence, but sometimes some memories disturbed his mind, and when it was too much, he knew he could say some meaningless nonsense to Zoro to distract himself.

“Mmm, he doesn't look that demonic and silly when he sleeps,” Sanji thought as he stopped to light a cigarette. His eyes looked carefully at every inch of Zoro's body, the swords were a short distance away. His guard was down, his breathing was calm. The cook stared closely at Zoro's profile, his eyebrows were arched as always, frowning.

“I wonder if he's really resting… What if I get a blanket for him? Is he warm enough?” “I could replace him outside.” Suddenly the cook realized he was too worried. “Sometimes I wish this stupid marimo would notice me, but why am I thinking so much shit?” Putting out the cigarette, he returned to the pantry.

The swordsman was beginning to fall into a deep sleep, he only felt Sanji's faint footsteps and the smell of tobacco that was floating around. He suddenly felt a weight on top of him and hands that slowly caressed his torso and reached his head. Fingers trailed through his hair. A leg pressed against his crotch. When he opened his eyes... he saw the cook approaching his face. Unable to say a word, he thought a lot about how good his entire body felt, the heat, lips seeking him, he felt his abruptness and reacted instinctively, he responded with the kiss. His lips were slowly experiencing the taste of the blond, the delicate kisses became desperate. His tongues burned and exchanged saliva. He felt Sanji’s legs straddle his sides as a weight settled on his lap.

What was the cook thinking?! Why would he do such a thing? His nakamas could catch them, it wasn't something Zoro really cared about, but had the blond lost control or was it something else? Whatever it was, it felt so good.

“Fuck curly, I wanted you like this” Zoro gasped.

“I'm gonna make you pay for falling asleep”

Feeling Sanji's breathing caused a rush of heat all over his body and in his pants. Feeling that tension in his crotch only made the swordsman want him frantically. Zoro had a slight idea that the blond was a good kisser, as he confirmed it for himself, he didn't want him to let go. His tongue felt so good inside his mouth.

Zoro was fascinated by the sight of Sanji's erection pressing against his pants as his hips moved. The blonde was mesmerizing. A warm hand around the back of his neck made him look up. Sanji stared at him, moving closer with his lips parted until their noses touched, hips still moving.

“Don't stop cook” Zoro whined “I want you to be only mine”

“I'm yours mossy, but since I'm a little upset, I don't want to please you so quickly”

Zoro was surprised at the cook's nerve and at the challenging tone in his voice.

"But you love me, don't you? you want this?" Sanji groaned as he rocked his hips harder. It felt like the cook was determined to make him come. Zoro felt shivers while hearing Sanji’s panting and moaning, which didn't help at all. His heart raced and now his breathing became shallower.

“Oh, I see” The blond stood up, observing the slightly desperate expression on Zoro's face.

Sanji took off his pants. “Touch me and hold this,” he guided Zoro’s hand toward his erection.

“Jerk me off” he commanded, gasping.

Zoro sat down fast on the couch, Sanji sat in front of him with his legs spread.

“I want you to do it while staring at me.”

The swordsman began to give slow strokes, holding Sanji's thigh firmly with his free hand. Seeing Sanji's aroused face turned him on.

“Faster Marimo”

The blonde squirmed and his face heated up every time he noticed Zoro’s fixed gaze on him.

Suddenly, Zoro put his dick inside his mouth, sipping the tip. It was so warm and wet that it was difficult for Sanji to cope with the sensations, he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “Marimo, no...no… you're enjoying this.”

“SHH, Cook, you’re closer… don’t fucking lie” Zoro repplied as he released him before making him reach his limit.

“But, you know what, got me hard” Zoro took off his clothes and Sanji watched his cock convulse.

“Kiss me” Sanji sighed. Long, wet kisses spread over their bodies. Zoro was fascinated by running his tongue down Sanji's neck because he could smell all of his scent. He always smelled good even though his perfume was mixed with tobacco.

The blonde kissed Zoro's shoulders and chest, alternating using his tongue along his torso, down to his navel. He felt so pleased and complete. He had been waiting for the cook for so long, he felt like his body was going to explode, adrenaline at its peak, he wanted more. Finally, Sanji reached his schaft, wetting his hand he began to give the swordsman slow but constant strokes while he kissed and sucked his head.

After going out to make sure everything was in order, Sanji returned to the kitchen. He began to hear Zoro's breathing hitched along with soft groans.

Sanji gave a sidelong glance and continued with the chores.

“Hmm F-fuck” he heard.

“What the hell this idiot”

The blond approached… “is he okay?” he looked at Zoro with a worried expression on his face.

"San-ji ssh-"

In his dreams, did he call him by his name? Why only in those moments? Sanji was overthinking, while at a short distance, he noticed that Zoro's bulge had grown...

“there…

Sanji”

What he was hearing was not a nightmare.

“Shit… what should I do… should I wake him up?” Zoro's body was twitching a little... "he's fucking face is... gorgeous" he thought. Sanji knew that if he continued seeing the swordsman in that state, it could have repercussions on him. To himself, Zoro looked extremely exquisite, he felt helpless.

"What kind of things did Zoro really think about him?" the blond was panicking. “If I just… no no, i can’t” The blonde took a little distance and felt the electricity running through his body.

“I'm not supposed to feel like this now.” Sanji desired Zoro, he wanted to experiment the most twisted things with him… but also there were romantic thoughts. He melted with the idea of sharing a kiss and then a bed, but he didn't feel able to do anything. This was the secret that he desperately tried not to project when they had to interact, his impulsive reactions and his heart eyes when ladies were around were pointless because the love and desire for the mosshead were clear on his mind. He really tried hard to think again about the women present in his life, but deep inside… nothing could compare to the anxiety and jumble of emotions that the swordsman provoked in him.

“Mmm… cook make me c-” his voice was sweet. When Sanji heard that he backed away, tripping over a box.

“Ah fuck this!!! That's just what I needed!”

Despite the mess, Zoro was still in his dream, Sanji longed to know what was happening in that world.

“Ohh… I'm c-close…”

“I'm gonna get the shit out of here.” Sanji mouthed as he walked out awkwardly, trying to breathe normally. He felt an overwhelming heat, he leaned on the railing of the upper deck and stretched his body, looking at his pants to make sure that his crotch was not accusing him of something. His body was shaking. “How am I going to look at him in the face tomorrow?” If the situation wasn’t so fucked up, he would probably have laughed out loud. But he was dizzy, he wanted to scream. Frustration had completely taken over him.

Zoro woke up with a start, his pants were wet and warm. As he sat down, he noticed Sanji's figure moving outside.

“Shit, shit, shit” he thought to himself. He came out acting relaxed, as opened the door, he could tell that something had shocked Sanji so much, his eyes were wide open, as if he had seen a sea king or something extremely paralyzing.

“Love cook, something happened?”

Sanji didn’t answer.

Zoro got closer “I asked you something”. Sanji's heart was beating uncontrollably.

“I should ask that, you were having one of those dreams apparently” he replied as he clears his throat.

“What do you mean?” Zoro yelled back.

“OH for gods sake… forget it… please go to bed. I'm gonna be here”

Zoro stared at him until their eyes met.

“Marimo, gooo” Sanji roared as he hid his face from him.

“Curly, why are you blushing?”

Sanji’s eyes narrow.

“Enough!”

There was a tense silence.

“Was it a good dream?” Sanji softly inquired.

Oh, god. He could never tell Sanji the truth. “I, uh, I… I… don’t actually…”

“remember?” Sanji muttered to complete the sentence.

Zoro couldn't tolerate the tension any longer.

“You know what” Sanji regained his tone and strength.

“I’m interested in knowing cause you fucking called me by my name… a thing you haven’t done since we met… at least you haven’t addressed me like that personally, so… you should remember” he half-smiled with a sarcastic tone.

The blonde's blood was boiling, so he quickly decided to confront Zoro.

The muscles in Zoro's face tightened. He let out a sharp exhale as he resisted the urge to do anything impulsive, Sanji had grown serious again.

“Can’t say,” Zoro stubbornly shook his head.

Sanji turned towards him. His eyebrows showed an expression of concern and curiosity at the same time. He got closer to Zoro, like the many times when they are about to argue over something stupid, defying him.

“Again, why were you calling ME in your freaking dream?”

Zoro put a hand on Sanji's waist.

“You’re shameless,” the blond whispered.

“This is it” The swordsman approached Sanji, giving him an affectionate peck on his lips.

Sanji sighed as he wrapped his arms around Zoro's shoulders.

Nuzzling and kissing, the blond asked “why did this take you so much time?”

The swordsman grabbed him to caress his back, his big hands were warm.

Sanji's lips were softer than in his dreams, and yes, he was an excellent kisser.

The cook trembled, part of this whole silly moment felt unreal. Zoro held his face between his huge hands, the blond looked so innocent and soft, the opposite to the chaos he projected some minutes ago.

Silence made them desperate.

“you… were preparing to go up, right love cook?”

“Say what you want, silly”

“I want to spend the night with you”

Sanji blushed.

They climbed up and stayed still for a while, opposing each other. Their eyes met, Zoro's eyes roaming over Sanji from head to toe, while the cook just smiled.

Sanji broke the distance to hug Zoro. They sat down and cuddled. Kisses continued, the blonde didn't want to release Zoro’s lips, who was already struggling to control his feverish needs. The blond’s hands were delicate and his skin was smooth.

The cook was aching to feel Zoro’s hands over him, that night meant the world to him, it was totally unexpected yet it was what he always wanted. At the same time, he didn’t feel that ready to go beyond mainly because he was physically exhausted. His body was always craving for physical contact with Zoro, but he didn’t want to be perceived as weak or something.

“Tell me what do you want and I wou-”

“Curly, this is fine.” Zoro noticed that Sanji was already tired, not only with what had come up, but with everything he had been doing in the kitchen.

“Let’s stay warm like this” the swordsman moved his leg so that Sanji settled into his torso.The blonde felt all of Zoro's heat on his back, which was soothing.

“Would you tell me what the dream was about?” Sanji urged while Zoro covered both with a blanket.

“you already know… but there was something else that we could try… later”

The cook's body started to feel heavier and more relaxed. Sanji fell asleep on his arms, as Zoro kissed his neck softly.

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