#lease-to-own bike

[kiranherbert]

E-Bikes Meet Equity in Upstate New York

[soulmatesinc-if]

A light-hearted interactive fiction game about soulmates, chances and choices, written in ChoiceScript.

|| PLAY HERE || [119k]

|| extra content ||

Here at Soulmates Inc we specialize in chance meetings!

Love happens.

It takes by the storm. It is lucky, it is cruel, it makes no sense, it elevates. It is beautiful, it rears its ugly head, then it is beautiful once again. Now that, humans can manage on their own.

Soulmate-grade connection is an entirely different brand. Enter you. That's your brand. It requires dedicated labor. Whimsical meetings. Nuance.

As a soul-link, you arrange for those destined matches to happen using the powers of glamor at your disposal. An ancient practice, really, though, as with everything, it has evolved and happily marched with the times. You work out of an office, have a phone plan, a lease, and a favorite restaurant. Your boss is not a half-naked man with a bow and arrows but a fashionably dressed man who goes to a gym and drives an electrical Mustang.

It is nice. Modern.

Just one rule. The only rule, in fact. A scripture, if you will: never interact with a soul directly.

Which is precisely why your most recent half-match staring at your confused face is so damn bad. Worse yet, they can see right through your glamor for some reason.

Now what?..

love is all around you but it does not have to be for you: play as aro, ace, bi, gay or straight. Your romantic prospects are three, but each has a story to tell

explore who you are: a firm and enthusiastic believer, a burned-out office worker, or a skeptical soul-link questioning their purpose

use and evolve your soul-link powers: Empathy and Shroud

keep up with your job duties and bring people together while trying to protect your employer from a greater looming threat

someone is throwing around heavy words like 'destiny', but dealing with existential questions is entirely optional!

Amber | Andrew Wyatt Once a high-performer soul-link, they flew too close to the sun and snooped around where one does not snoop around. Having fallen from grace at a company that believes in chances, Wyatt is back on probation, though under your supervision. The light is snuffed out of their eyes, and instead of being a firm believer, Wyatt now drips disillusioned pearls of what they think is wisdom.

A languid redhead who wears sunglasses more often than not.

Samuel | Samantha C. Powell Sam has a steady job, does weekly family visits and always parks the bike properly. How do you learn that? Sam is also your sparkling new charge, a common everyperson, a salt of the earth—nope, not that simple at all! You cannot seem to find their soulmate (never happens) and they can see through your glamor (never happens either). To be fair, Sam is freaked out by it, too.

Your sporty charge in a wrinkle-free T-shirt with a mess of locs held back by a band.

Martin | Mia Romero A hectic ball of energy that is a human person, they are passionate about their distaste for your employer's business and are happy to go in length about it. Romero is messy, yet strangely put together in their belief: a hurricane that may sweep you off your feet if you are not careful enough. They know things, things no human should. You should probably report that to your boss...

A city dweller with hair tied sloppily in a short low ponytail, perfectly matched with dramatic eyebags.

[seat-safety-switch]

Well, it's been a good run, but they've finally done it to me. My home province has, at long last, and after many years of threats, made truck-owning a mandatory part of citizenship. All those impoverished small-car freaks can't vote anymore. Which is good, since they were just voting for things like "bike lanes" and "turns" that were hampering the economic productivity of the right-thinking, truck-owning majority.

At first, I was very upset. After a traumatic formative experience around the Ford Courier, I had sworn off truck ownership forever. When I was searching my backyard, though, I found that I apparently own an old '76 International 150. Don't know where it came from: I'm operating on the assumption that someone was driving by, saw a whole bunch of cars in my yard, and decided I wouldn't get upset if they dumped one in there. Was it used in the commission of a crime? Not with that asthmatic rattletrap V8 under the hood, that's for sure. Or at least not successfully.

Back to it, though: now, with proof of ownership, I could regain my lost citizenship. I could access health care and have running water, again, and even visit the Home Depot, which now has so many trucks in the parking lot that the depreciation curve on their leases can be seen from the International Space Station. Despite the fact that my truck is "small," it still counted as a way to hobnob with the hoi polloi and not be sent directly to a re-education camp, as they had done to all the undesirable "van people." Turns my stomach, the idea that vans are often built on a truck chassis. Disgusting propaganda.

Anyway, as we've learned from so many other economic and political crises, the only solution is to vote our way out of it. When it comes time for the next election, I'll come pick a few of you "regular people" up at a time and drive you to the polling place. That ought to fool the guards. It's going to cost you, sure: hope you have some old Plymouth parts in your garage. All worth it, though, to wrest control of the apparatus from those who would do us harm, and return our country to the way it used to be, where kids could go to school even if their parents only owned a luxury crossover.

[satellitespinner]

dogtooth ; roommate!ellabs

˗ˏˋcollab with my beautiful angel @williamssgirl ´ˎ˗

- inspired by @beforeimdeceased “chaotic roomates” series ! please go support theirs!

reminder !! do not support neil or any of his work !

wc: 2.1k | her ver

⁃ roomate!ellabs who were bsfs w u before and when you needed a place to stay they happily invited you to join them on their lease !

⁃ cooking with them is... chaotic. but some days it was good!

⁃ bumping ur hip with ellie because she sucks and she gets all blushy and flustered

⁃ abby gently grabbing ur hips to get around you

⁃ taking .5s of them ALL THE TIME!! they hate it but you love it

⁃ they have no idea how to use the ring camera you installed, one day they've locked themselves out and are begging you to let them in

⁃ "open the door it's cold out ©" "let us in.... babeeee

⁃ falling asleep while watching a movie like a literal dogpile

⁃ while beforehand yall were arguing for twenty minutes on what movie to watch because you and abby wanted to watch scream and ellie can't handle horror for the LIFE of her

⁃ (so you eventually settle on a romcom)

⁃ abby and ellie playing video games and ur sorta just sitting there staring at their hands watching them play

⁃ "did u win?" "no i died."

⁃ when you do end up playing a game with them it's usually fortnite

⁃ abby is so gentle with you and helping you through the game

⁃ "good job babe!" "show me those bike skills" "want the sniper? i know you said you like those"

⁃ however with ellie....

⁃ "BABE BABE BABE KILL HIM SHOOT HIM SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT" "FUCK HE HAS TO BE A FUCKING
BOT THERES NO WAY" "FUCK YEAH I GOT HIM TAKE THAT"

⁃ ellie putting her hands on urs on the controller when their first teaching you how to play and whenever she gets touchy <3

⁃ sitting on their laps while they play...

⁃ sleepover with them go NUTS

⁃ ellie buys SO MUCH SOUR CANDY

⁃ abby fucking HATES sour candy and you and ellie are trying to trick her into having a warhead

⁃ "no im not putting that vile shit in my mouth" "abby it's literally so sweet trust me" "no eat it it's just candy" "just try!

⁃ pouting to get ur way and she gives in (and immediately spits it out)

⁃ pouting to get ur way works with her no matter what

⁃ abby would be a personal trainer and also work somewhere in analytics

⁃ ellie would be a mechanic and livestream for a living (she acts like it's no big deal but she's gained a surprisingly large following)

⁃ reader owns a bakery that's also a flower shop and always brings in spare treats for them to have!

⁃ "guys i got doughnuts for you!"

⁃ you buy them flowers all !! the !! time !! and you assign really specific meanings to them

⁃ "so the poppy means... and the tulip with the poppy means..."

⁃ they're pretending to listen... (they are listening so intently)

⁃ them ganging up to tickle u at least once a day (you act like you despise it but in reality your devouring it)

⁃ FORCING THEM TO MAKE TIKTOKS WITH YOU

⁃ abby's texting you "Babe wdym I have to take a quiz on what aura I have." "can u just do it?"

⁃ omfg and forcing abby to get tiktok because she refused to get it for so long only for her to be on it more than you

⁃ getting into an argument with one of them is certainly something!

⁃ ur refusing to talk to ellie and ur communicating to her through abby (ellie is speaking to you directly and you are staring at abby "abby tell ellie im not speaking to her rn" and ur being DEAD serious... they're laughing their asses off

⁃ kissing abby in front of ellie to make her jealous when ur fighting

⁃ and whenever ellie and abby are fighting you straight up ignore them until they come to their senses and apologise

⁃ matching tattoos! you have a sun, abby has a moon and ellie has the stars V

⁃ uno and they both have extra cards under the table

⁃ "are you guys cheating" "OH MY GOD NO OF COURSE NOT-" "HOW COULD YOU EVEN SUGGEST THAT?!" "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" "WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO YOU A GAMES A GAME"

⁃ ellie standing up to get water and you yell at her

⁃ abby and ellie pull pranks on eachother all the time!

⁃ and you are constantly getting caught in the middle of it

⁃ and one time you contribute and both of them are arguing on who did what prank having zero clue it was you

⁃ and ur just giggling off to the side

⁃ the two would have such bad jealousy issues

⁃ like they see u GLANCE at another girl and they're dragging you home

⁃ and then they go "we aren't even jealous people! she was practically eye fucking you. that's why we left!"

⁃ like girl she had a whole bf

⁃ imagine covering them in lipstick kissed and taking a picture...

⁃ making them do the lipstick trend

⁃ OR the nail polish eye colour trend!

⁃ u having a hard day and they're RUSHING to comfort you

⁃ girls were STRESSEDDDD like ellie's holding you while abby's rushing to get the bath filled up

⁃ "stupid fucking bathtub isn't filling up!!! hurry up!!!!!" and now they're more stressed than you fo

⁃ the nicknames.

⁃ ellie's pretty basic with it. calling you babe, baby, honey, pretty girl, etc.

⁃ but with abby she likes to be unique with it. calling you princess, darling, etc.

⁃ and u reversing the nicknames on them...

⁃ talking to abby and she's helping u w something and u go "thanks princess!" then kiss her on the cheek like nothing happened

⁃ "she's like "tf??"

⁃ but with ellie she's chasing you around the house and pinning you down till you say she's daddy

⁃ how rewardina it is for them when ther see u aet allblushy and stuff

⁃ they would feel so cocky and proud of the themselves

⁃ abby sending you playlists and ellie showing you drawings

⁃ and the gifts they would get u ! like gift giving isn't their love language but they wanna spoil you

⁃ "oo i like that shirt" abby's already ordered it. in every colour.

⁃ like you sneak a peek at a bracelet and now it's ellie's job to keep you distracted while abby runs in and buys it

⁃ sleeping w a stuffy and being so tired and giving it a kiss on the cheek and bestfriend!ellie is all like

⁃ "where's mine"

⁃ she gets jealous with the amount of plushies u sleep with
"she's the typa girl to joke "hey mamas where's my kiss" after u get home from work and ur just staring at her like
with flour all over you from a failed
recipe

⁃ "no? okay sorry babe"

⁃ goodcop!abby badcop!ellie when u do something bad!

⁃ "babe.... just tell me where u hid my keys and all will be good" "ALL RIGHT LISTEN UP WOMAN..."

⁃ then they end up finding the keys under the couch

⁃ but u lowk hid them there cause you didn't want them to leave..

⁃ abby had a snapchat hey mamas phase and ellie was there to see it

⁃ AND ellie uses it as blackmail in the go

⁃ abby: "Ellie you're so dumb how could you get the directions wrong." "wanna see a magic trick."

⁃ abby backtracks so fast in hopes it'll save her from her fate (it doesn't).

⁃ "and that's the end of my magic show! thank u and goodnight "then ellie disappears because she knows abby will beat her ass

⁃ they have pictures of you in a gallery and you don't know about it

⁃ "is this me sleeping?" "gimme my fuckin phone back-" "you ain't seen NOTHING"

⁃ you would take so many pics of urself on their phones!

⁃ like at dinner and you've managed to sneak one of their phone's under the table and are taking silly selfies

⁃ and you take videos of them snatching their phones back

⁃ the screen is all black and all you can hear is rustling and the faint sound of ellie whining "babe my storageeee" and abby's just laughing

⁃ flipping them off by accident in a photo (both me and aria are victims to this)

⁃ you mean to do 🤘 or 👍 but instead do 🖕

⁃ ellie's feigning hurt and abby's laughing so hard

⁃ abby uses "🤣" and "LOL" but then ellie uses "😭" and "LMAO"

⁃ abby is so literal with her texting

⁃ She types like this. Always uses proper grammar no matter what.

⁃ and ellie... ELLEI TWXTS LIKE THIS

⁃ "babky were is tje Irnon" "ALL CAPS NO PUNCTUSLYIK PJNCTISNTILN"

⁃ ur the only person who can translate ellie's awful texting so you'll occasionally get texts from joel saying stuff like "Kiddo do you know what she was tryna say here?"

⁃ ellie is dyslexic

⁃ and a professional yapper which is why she likes streaming so much

⁃ abby fights the urge to tell her to shut the fuck up

⁃ and sometimes after like a really hard day at work all you wanna do is relax and they just let you

⁃ sending them paragraphs about how much you love them just out of the blue

⁃ ellie's like "??? ru gonna kys"

⁃ abby leaves you on read and smothers you when she's home

⁃ abby chronically leaves people on read

⁃ ellie greets you by slapping or pinching ur ass and abby greets you by giving you a kiss on the side of your face ellie also pretends to fuck you from the back whenever you bend down to pick something up

⁃ the amount of facetimes when you didn't live with them! and the amount you get when your on some sort of work trip

⁃ falling asleep on call and them taking secret screenshots and texting eachother in fear of waking you up

⁃ facetiming you on abby's macbook

⁃ abby uses apple and ellie uses a microsoft laptop

⁃ when ur on a work trip and they're harassing you to call

⁃ "i'm in a meeting" "answer facetime"

⁃ "gimme 5" "5...4...3.2.."

⁃ nobody's home except you and you burn yourself cooking

⁃ they are be RUSHINGGG home

⁃ "guys it's fine i literally barley did anything" "YOUR GONNA DIE"

⁃ "ARE TOU OKAY?!?" "i am literally fine"

⁃ omg the day they actually pay attention to work and your at home and they don’t have a lot of time for you is the day you die

⁃ "i'm in a meeting what's up" "im dynggg.... come back......... zhellipppppp....

⁃ and then you get all bratty and needy

⁃ "come home or i'm gonna fall ill' "YOURE GONNS

⁃ FALL ILL??"

⁃ sitting in abby's lap while she's working from home

⁃ <3

⁃ she's sitting on her chair and ur straddling her with ur face in her shoulder

⁃ biting her arm randomly and she's like "ow wtf?!"

⁃ " biting her for the first time and she's like "?!" girl was alarmed... "are you going feral what is up with you"

⁃ eventually she just gets used to it at some point

⁃ zero reaction to you biting her now

⁃ they go to the gym without you and send gym selfies

⁃ abby LOVESSS to flex

⁃ she'll never admit it but this girl is trying so hard to excentuate her muscles around u

⁃ throws you over her shoulder effortlessly

⁃ annoying her and going "watcha gonna do abby? kidnap me?" and she, in fact, does.

⁃ "let me go!" and she just pats ur ass

⁃ and ellie's always wearing shirts that show her arms off

⁃ making them kiss LOOOLLL

⁃ "awh i think we need a ship name now!" "SHUT UP"

⁃ forcing them to talk to eachother by ignoring them and then they have to talk to eachother on wether or not ur pissed at them or if ur just not in the mood to talk

⁃ them fighting over everything including you

⁃ but or not official with either of them and could go flirt around if u wanted

⁃ them showing up at whatever place u have a date at or something and trolling the poor girl ur out with and then angry dragging u home

⁃ they get SO possessive

⁃ ellie listens to boygenius and you had to beg abby to listen to them and now she loves them

⁃ ellie's got 21 savage, the weeknd, drake, tyler the creator, the neighborhood, chase atlantic, etc on her playlists

⁃ her and abby have similar music tastes with distinct differences

⁃ like abby listens to tyler the creator as well, chase atlantic, HOZIER, frank sinantra, frank ocean.

⁃ all of you love phoebe, mac miller, lorde and childish gambino!

⁃ and you LOVE kali uchis. ur the lalalala to their okokok

⁃ you discovered her when she released telapatia and have been obsessed ever since

⁃ both abby and ellie had a girl in red phase...

⁃ sleeping together in abby's bed bc hers is the biggest

⁃ ur favourite mornings are ones when you can't even get up and out of bed because abby's spooning you and ellie's arm is hung loosely over ur waist

⁃ your situated in the middle with abby on ur right and ellie on ur left

⁃ waking them up with breakfast!
"abby waking up to smelling some delicious food and hugging you from behind with her eyes closed and neck shoved into ur shoulder "smells s' good baby... wanted to spoil us even more after last night huh?" in their raspy morning voice

⁃ all ur in is an oversized tee and some white bow cotton panties (it's one of abby's post workout shirts)

⁃ the only dirt abby has on ellie is the amount of foul photos she has of her sleeping

⁃ ellie drools AND snores

⁃ latching on to you for dear life

⁃ ur shoving the pillow over ur ears in hopes she'll stfu

⁃ and she NEVER does

⁃ sleeping skin to skin with them :)

⁃ "take of your clothes" "why? you wanna..?" "no i just wanna feel u... is that okay?"

⁃ abby has soft skin and ellie has a bunch of random bruises and scars

⁃ abby and ellie are genuinely head over heels for u in all seriousness

⁃ even if they don't like eachother they cope with it for you!

⁃ smooching one of them really hard and like forcing the "MMMMWAH" sound

⁃ ellie has a main insta with zero posts and a spam with 827

⁃ abby has three accounts, one for gains, her main & her stalker (for ur safety obviously)

⁃ meanwhile u just have a main which u post on all the time and a private that nobody knows about for stalking

⁃ ellie shit posts "lol" and it's a photo of a rat smoking a cigarette

⁃ and those stupid memes

⁃ (image)

⁃ sent to abby cause you made a joke about her being breedable in bed 😭

⁃ nsfw!

⁃ ANGRY MAKEUP SEX.

⁃ ellie kisses ur tummy before she eats it

⁃ and abby puts her forearm on ur lower stomach and applies pressure

⁃ abby calls u good girl

⁃ abby comforting you when ellie's going just a little bit too aggressively and manhandling you

[motocorsas]

okay i actually do have a hottake re: marc hater in unhinged confessions. as a marc disliker i think i see where they're coming from but disagree with the delivery. this is gonna be a long one.

they're correct about everything, like from a factual standpoint. marc did win an absurd amount of races in the 2010s, he did push honda to build a bike that favored his style, he did leave for ducati and he does still get tows.

but i think they're overinflating how much those facts affected his career. like, 2013 still happened; that wasn't a bike that favored him and he was riding on tracks he'd never even seen before. he's naturally talented, there's no way around it. and i see how that can be frustrating too -- i started watching motogp in about 2017 and i didn't like marc from the get-go. frankly, no matter how many exciting overtakes or impressive saves there are, if you can predict the outcome of a race before it starts, it's not a very entertaining one, or at least it adds up to a pretty boring season. that's how i felt.

as far as the concept of "overcommitment": this is a very niche term, also called overconformity, used in sports sociology. the idea proposed by some sociologists is that sportsmen subscribe to the ethic of the sport -- the pervasive ideas on what the sport should be, and what it means to be participating in it -- but some take it too far, and it becomes self-sabotage. sociologists jay coakley and robert hughes describe the core tenets of the theory:

overconformity is not just about wanting to win or be superior to other competitors, it's an uncritical belief in the mythology of a given sport.

coakley and hughes' framework was developed to explain deviance, or a deliberate action that breaks the rules or norms of a sport. they use multiple examples, but focus on the use of PEDS.

here's the problem: is marquez deviant?

he's certainly sacrificed his own wellbeing to get ahead. i think this is a functional analysis when looking at marc's injuries, multiple of which have temporarily or permanently disabled him. he internalized the messages of the sport, that winning is the only option and injuries can or even should be sustained to achieve it. but he's not breaking any rules by riding injured, he's doing something glorified as heroic. same thing with hitching tows, which is perhaps closer true deviance; a tactic disliked by many other riders that benefits one participant at the cost of another. a ban on towing would be difficult to enforce, so the practice goes unchecked, even if it is typically outside the boundary of acceptable behaviors. where anon's analysis really falls apart is in his off-track decisions, like choosing to switch from honda to ducati. he made an informed decision to switch manufacturers to improve his performance. that's just the way the game works.

when speaking about the ways he contributed to the development of the modern honda project, my opinions start to get a little messier. because i do think that bike was made with his specific style in mind, and i think that's selfish. but i also think just about every rider is selfish, because that's how the sport works.

there have been outliers, teammates dedicated to the craft, the altruists ready to defend their garage-mate's championship hopes at the price of their own. consider jack miller's defense of pecco bagnaia when they were teammates. but even his opinions changed:

the above quote was published in 2021, just before the misano grand prix, which pecco did end up winning while miller finished fifth. the next year, he had this to say:

not all riders are going to sacrifice their career for another's. that's just not the way it works, especially if, as i discussed above, said rider has fully internalized the sport's ethic. though marc's prowess on the honda did come at the cost of more riders' success than just one teammate -- the independent teams leasing hondas also have to contend with the bike and its quirks, leading to plenty of nasty crashes. marquez himself acknowledges it.

the honda of the mid to late 2010s was the sharpest of the v4s, took a very angular line that required absolutely godlike reflexes in order to turn correctly. you had to know exactly when and where to shift, brake, release the brake, and open the throttle again, and you had to do all of this with milisecond-perfect accuracy. just about only marc was able to make it work. if you disagree, don't listen to me. listen to jorge lorenzo, who said this in an interview with Motorsprint earlier this year:

the exception to this rule was pedrosa, who was able to adapt to the honda build, but still didn't win a championship.

i've spent enough time building my argument. what all of this amounts to is that yes, your honor, marc marquez is guilty of being too good at motorcycle racing. he has sacrificed his body and plenty of other riders' in the name of creating the perfect team, the perfect bike, the perfect career.

it's up to you to choose how to feel about all of this. personally, i don't care for him, but more than that i worry about his safety and his mental state. i think if he sustains another head injury, it may be time to make the executive decision to retire. brain damage is serious, and though he recovered from the vision problems that plagued him in 2021, they have the potential to return if re-injured. i may buy into the villain narrative from time to time, but i recognize that it is just that, a narrative. a story i tell myself to make sense of the sport. we are all in charge of our own interpretations. in summation: marc fans are not "brainless". let's make sure marc doesn't end up that way either.

[drewstcrkey]

Request: Hii! Could you do one where Rafe and Reader are sort of enemies (only because her friends hate him), and one day she's alone and he bumps into her. Then they end up liking each other. Thank you! Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader Word Count: 1.9k Author Note: so this is my first bit of writing in a while so bare with it lol :) but happy to be back a get back to how i was writing again <333

your life had always been pretty normal and then you met the pogues. at first you questioned kiara’s judgment, your own parents' biases had started to take root in your head but as the years went on, you realized it didn’t matter what side of the island you called home: the cut or figure eight, none of that matter. what mattered was who made you feel at home when you were with them. who were the good people in your life? for you that had always been the pogues.

so when they returned from the deserted island, when you found out they were all still alive and well. it felt as if you regained your lease on life.

“ wait, stop, “ you finally called out as the four of them frantically tried to figure out whether to keep waiting for jj and kiara or leave without them. they were once again planning on leaving to go find big john and although you understood the need for them to go save john b’s dad this was your chance to try and get them to stay. stay in the safety of kildare. you had to atleast try.

“ maybe this is, i don’t know, like a sign you guys should stay, “ you shrug, once they’ve all gone silent. each one vigorously shaking their heads.

“ no shot, “ john b says almost immediately. 

“ yeah, no we have to go, “ sarah, pope, and cleo all say nearly in sync. immediately your chest deflates. you don’t get another chance to speak before the revving of a bike catches all of your attention. 

“ you got to be kidding me, “ pope exclaims. “ i thought he wasn’t apart of this, ” john b turns to sarah who shakes her head, a clear look of confusion etched onto her face once it becomes clear the riders are rafe and ward. you keep your mouth shut, a bit shocked to actually see ward after all this time. after all you had believed everyone you were currently on the landing strip with were dead just a week or so ago. it was still all too much to take in sometimes. Only pulling yourself out of your state of shock when rafe gets into john b’s face. 

“ get away from him, “ you yell, pushing rafe away from him. “ go john b, “ you call out to him a nod to silently ask him to stay safe, “ go “. he returns the nod before disappearing into the plane. 

“ you getting sick of them leaving you behind all the time, or what ? “ rafe’s voice pierces your ears and you turn to look at him. the things you would do to smack that nauseating smirk from his face. “ the only thing i’m sick of is you, “ you snap back at him, rolling your eyes as you start in the opposite direction. 

“ what’re you just gonna walk home from here? “ he calls out, a chuckle coming from him. you ready yourself to simply ignore him, when you spot police lights heading in the direction of the strip. “ can’t imagine mrs. and mr. y/l/n will be too happy about you getting dropped off by the  police , “ he continues to prod at you, even with the engine of his bike revving. the mention of your parents is the only thing that makes your steps come to a halt. as annoying as it might have been to admit, he was right. 

“ fine, “ you huff, staring back toward him. “ c’mon , “ a usual impatience lingering in his voice as he hands you over a helmet. hopping on you reluctantly wrap your arms around his torso as he pulls off, getting the two of you out of there much quicker than your legs ever could have. “ hold tight, y/n “ a glance from him shoots back at you for a second. just long enough for you to catch that horrendous smirk of his once again. “ just bring me home, “ you groan, eyes fluttering closed as you continue to hold onto him. feeling his muscles flexing under his shirt with every turn he took. it was hard not to notice but you didn’t let your mind harp on it for too long, he was rafe cameron after all. he’s done so many terrible things to your friends, to his own sister, that one ride home could never make up for.

next morning   

you were set to meet a few friends at the country club, opting out of taking your jeep and taking the walk there instead. clearing your head from everything that had happened in the last week. life was never boring when the pogues were around but when they were gone, you felt as if you fell right back into the way things were meant to be, according to your parents. all the life on the island seemingly felt as if it was sucked out and now the countdown until they returned would start for you, all over again. 

“ y/n/n! “ is called out by a regrettably familiar voice. heavy sigh falling from you as you turn to face him.

“ what do you want rafe? “ arms falling by your side. 

“ i-i just wanted to talk you real quick, you know…” he shrugs, sending a smile your way. “ yeah, no, not really in the mood right now, “ you roll your eyes, turning around to head into the country club. 

“ hey, “ his hand taking a hold of your shoulder. you quickly pull yourself from his touch, “ don’t touch me, “ your voice raising a few octaves making him look around to assure you hadn’t brought too much attention to the two of you. 

“ i know you hate me, you have every right to, “ he starts, rubbing his hand on his cheek. “ understatement of the century, “ you interject. “ yeah, sure, “ he nods, the annoyance growing in his face. “ you won’t even give me a chance to tell my side though, “ his words pull a shocked look from you. why on earth would you owe him a chance to explain himself, you knew what he did, no explanation needed. 

“ from what i can see, y/n , your precious pogues and my sister aren’t here , so would it kill you to just talk to me for a second ? “ he quizzes , motioning for the two of you to head up to the bar. a twist of your lips as you glance up at the balcony then back over toward rafe. 

“ you have ten minutes, then you leave me alone for good, okay? “ you groan, giving in to that sad puppy dog face he likes to put on. “ okay, okay “ he nods, hands rubbing together as the two of you make your way up. you spot your group of friends off in the corner, both you and rafe giving them a wave and the looks of confusion on their faces become apparent. everyone on the island knew how much you hated rafe, you never shied away from hiding that fact. so seeing you with him at any point was enough to strike a bit of confusion in anyone, even fellow kooks. 

the two of you take a seat, quickly greeted by one of the bartenders, “ ms. y/l/n, mr. cameron, “. you both put in your orders and you shift on your barstool, “ okay time starts now , “ you tell him with a raised brow. 

“ i’m a victim too in all of this, “ his voice low as he starts. you can’t help but to let out a laugh. “ you have to be kidding me right ? “ you scoff, you’d actually given him a chance to speak whatever piece he thought he had to say and this is how he chooses to go about things. it was a joke. “ just listen, please, “ he huffs, holding his hands out to tell you to stop. 

you decide to listen. 

he goes on about his dad, the pressure he feels everyday, and how each and everytime he tries to do the right thing it seemingly gets thrown in his face. before you know it you’re ignoring the timer on your phone reminding you his ten minutes is up. for once you were actually listening to him, not judging him or wondering how anyone would look at you for so much as giving him a second thought and you could feel your heart strings tug for him. the two of you were the same age and he’d been through so much in the last couple of years, albeit he’d also gotten away with literal murder. 

“ you can’t just lash out whenever you feel like someone isn’t treating you the way you deserve, “ you finally tell him, coming to the end of your second drink. rafe’s hand raising to get the bartender’s attention to bring over another round for the two of you. you give him a smile and he smiles back, you can almost see the sense of relief in his face as he realizes you heard him, genuinely heard him.

” can i ask you something ? “ you say breaking the silence that comes over the two of you, hand fiddling with the glass in front of you. “ a-anything, “ rafe nods . 

“ why me ? like, why do you care so much about me hearing you out ? “ it was a genuine question, your eyes searching his for any inkling that he was readying himself to make up some stupid lie. “ i don’t know, “ he shrugs, looking down at his glass before bringing it to his lips. gulping down the liquid before his gaze rises back up to you. 

“ i don’t care what those pogues think of me or my sister, “ he starts, your head tilting from side to side to silently say he’d made that rather clear. “ but i can’t stand you hating me, y/n, i just… “ rafe’s voice becomes more breathy as he closes his eyes to hold his composure for a second, “ i just need you to understand. “ rafe’s voice cracked with his last words and for once you didn’t feel the need to roll your eyes at him or question the motives behind his emotions. 

reaching your hand over the table to take his, smile surfacing on your features. “ hey, look at me, rafe, “ a whispered tone falling from your lips. once he’s fixed his gaze on yours you give his hand a small squeeze. “ i understand, “ you assure him , “ you just want to do right by your dad, that doesn’t make you a bad person, okay? “ you continue, you can’t pinpoint what you’re more shocked by - the words coming out of your mouth or the fact that you meant every word.

standing up from your spot across from him, you make your way around the table, wrapping your arms around him. “ you’re not a bad person rafe, “ you sigh, his head leaning into your chest , “ you hear me ? “

he nods before rising from his seat and wrapping strong arms around you, “ promise me, “ rafe starts, but then pulls away to look you in your eyes. his blue eyes were piercing and you wonder how you never noticed how beautiful they were before today. it feels as if waves are crazy over you as he does, washing away all of the hatred you’d talked yourself into feeling towards him. “ promise me, you won’t just go back to hating me, “ his eyes now searching yours as he awaits, notably impatient for your response.

your head falling as you let out a small laugh , “ i don’t think i could if i wanted to, rafe, “ you admit, a spark of fear flares inside of you when it hits you then when your friends return you could very well have alot of explaining to do.  

it’s crazy the difference one conversation can do.

[lexleif]

rant about my life and how it’s going rn (not good and super long)

so I do have a job but since I’m an esthetician it’s commission based which means I only get paid when I have a client. since its summer it’s been dead I’ve been working here for about 3 weeks now and I could probably count how many clients I’ve had on my 1 hand😭 yeah so really bad. so that also means I’m not getting paid even when I am at work just sitting waiting for someone to book or doing promotion things. my industry is REALLY hard so I did expect it to be slow at first but not this bad! another thing is while wasting gas at my current job I have been actively looking for hourly paying jobs and I’ve had like 2 otp interviews and 1 actual in person interview. I’ve basically applied everywhere I can even jobs I don’t necessarily qualify for. all that with nothing to come of it and I do like everybody else have bills to pay like rent and such. I’ve really just been surving off my dead mom’s life insurance policy money and that’s also hard bc my family doesn’t trust me to have access to it on my own. (There’s a whole story behind this but the distrust really comes from them bc they still think of me as a child and had an issue with me using mary jane until i had to tell them my dead MOM was absolutely fine with it and knew about it!) anyway so every time I need money even just for food I have to ask one of my family members to write me a check and it’s embarrassing bc the literal checks have my OWN NAME on them and she still writes that’s it’s for me on them😭! that’s also an added stress to my life bc I already have a hard time asking for help bc most of the time it comes with some sort of judgement (about my career or anything). so I’m super stressed out now bc my family member just lmk that the funds for my mom life insurance policy are frozen and that’s scary asf! I’m grinding for clients but that doesn’t have a guarantee and it also doesn’t help that my bf lost his job a month ago as well. his car being totaled by a tree in January and his family being of no help or support for that at all😭 (mostly his dad bc he had the title to his car and couldn’t find it for months and chose to get it fucking mailed which takes forever) bc we need to try to sell it. of course my bf has been doing his best with trying to find a job that’s close bc he’ll need a bike at the least to get to and from. also our lease on our apartment that we live in (my bf moved in with me a little before my mom died). it’s just the lease is up in July and we’re both pretty much freaking the fuck out about how we’re going to make it. It’s also very hard for me to even try to explain this to my family (older millennials/boomers) about just how hard it’s been to just try to make it and have enough money for food, gas, rent, etc. so if we can’t make rent for next month we’re both pretty much fucked I’ll have to live with my grandparents and my bf will need to move back in with his dad probably but I know he hates even the thought of that bc they’ve always had a bad relationship and he’s just not a good father in general.

I just needed to rant bc I have no one else of than my bf who I can talk about this with so if anyone can relate in the slightest or just understand what I’m talking about please feel free to message me we all need support :)

[sixlane]

fic authors self rec

when you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at lease five other writers. spread the self-love

thank you @velanavis @ecstarry @carniferous for the tags <3

january finds us here - bartylily | M

She’s been carpooling with Barty to work for a month now. He’d offered to start giving her rides if she didn’t want to keep biking through the sub-zero temperatures in their Upstate New York hometown. He says her house is on the way. She’s not sure how true that is, but she figured she’d take the wins where she could get them. Or, Barty and Lily work a shift at the bowling alley together and Lily can't catch a break.

2. and we keep going - bartylily | E

Now Barty is 19 and he likes to measure his life in stupid decisions. Likes to chase the metallic tang of blood running into his mouth when a fist fits itself perfectly against his nose. Likes to dull the pain with a joint and the heat of another body sliding against his. And that, he tries to convince himself, is what’s going on with him and Lily Evans.

3. you live in me - rosier twins | T

For as long as Pandora can remember, she and Evan have shared all the same clothes. Cut their hair the same length. Slept in the same bed. They would not have it any other way. Sometimes, late at night, if Pandora focuses, she thinks she can feel her brother’s heart beating in her own chest, right where hers should be, but sometimes when she wakes she feels nothing at all.

4. get him back - jegulus | E

Regulus only has eyes for James. He can’t stop staring at him across the room, like maybe James will feel the heat of his gaze across the back of his neck and finally pay attention. He wants James to feel jealous, wants him to finish what he started. Or at least try to. Regulus would love nothing more than to turn him down when he’s begging.

5. i know heaven's a thing (i go there when you touch me) - jegulus | E

Regulus huffs a laugh. “Oh so you do listen when I speak. Could’ve fooled me.” He has no idea that James has been hanging off his every word since the first time they met. Not that James can let him know. This game is how he keeps things fun. Fucking the artistic director of the dance company you’re in becomes much more complicated when things like that are spoken out loud. Or, Regulus gives James a chance to make up for his bad behavior.

open tag because i'm kinda late and i feel like everyone has done this!

[womensworldtour]

O Canada!

In a crash-marred finish that saw several top-tier riders brought down in multiple wet roundabouts inside the last 5km, Canadian national champ Alison Jackson stayed upright and in position to win a reduced sprint. Her American teammate Kristen Faulkner did an impressively long lead-out, allowing Jackson to out-sprint Blanca Vas (SD Worx-Protime) and Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ). Vas will at least have the consolation of taking the GC leader's jersey for tomorrow, thanks to bonus seconds at the finish and sprint points earlier in the stage.

One of Jackson's own teammates was one of the riders that went down, as were Anna Henderson (Visma Lease-a-Bike), Liane Lippert (Movistar), Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek), and many others. Hopefully there weren't severe injuries, and the the 5km rule should bring them back to the same finishing time.

And no one celebrates like Alison Jackson!

[etapereine]

lining’s silver, grass is greener (i’m on my way)

@cycleprompttuesday: “illness”

also on ao3.

“it’s fucked, is what it is.”

christophe is joking, mostly. wout can tell, by the laugh that follows and the way christophe lounges so easily on the chair next to him, face thrown up to catch the sun and one foot resting on his knee.

still, there’s an undercurrent of frustration there, of a sort wout understands all too well. it’s no one’s fault - never is, really, but especially not for christophe, who’d been the first to admit that crashing into the manhole cover was on him and him alone. he’d joked about it on the phone with wout that night and had sent the group chat a stupid meme he’d found. still, it’s frustrating.

“at least you got out before you caught the plague.” wout takes a sip of his coffee, knocking his foot against christophe’s. it’s nice, to sit here in the sun together. there’s been too little of that, this year.

“a fucking miracle that i didn’t, with our luck. the internet thinks we’re all making out with each other on the rest days, did you know that?” christophe breaks off a piece of his pastry and offers it to wout. he can feel the powdered sugar stick to his lip, can see the way christophe’s eyes fix on it and the way his fingers twitch as wout runs his tongue over his lips.

if they weren’t in a very public café on a very public stretch of a very sleepy spanish country road - well.

“i certainly hope you weren’t making out with any of the other guys while you were in italy,” wout tries to keep his voice carefully neutral, but all it takes is one unimpressed look from christophe to have him laughing so hard he can feel tears at the corner of his eye. it feels good to laugh like that, feels even better without the corresponding twinge of pain he’d had for weeks.

christophe smiles at him, and beneath the table he links his foot with wout’s.

“not me,” christophe says, innocent as anything. “although if the opportunity presents itself in france…” he trails off, and when wout doesn’t comment, christophe lets it go. “but for the other guys? well. they may not be half wrong.”

wout thinks of a facetime call with an exasperated, long-suffering robert, stuck on a volcano with what should have been wout’s team and dealing with cian’s increasingly obvious crush on visma lease-a-bike’s star sprinter. oh, to be that young again.

“you think he’ll be there? in france?” christophe doesn’t mention a name, but he doesn’t really have to. when wout looks up from his coffee, christophe is staring out over the valley as though he can see all the way to denmark from here.

they haven’t talked about the tour, really, haven’t talked much about racing at all since christophe turned up at wout’s rental in girona. he uses his own foot to tug on christophe’s under the table, just enough to draw his attention back.

“i don’t know,” he says, honestly. jonas is private and reserved at the best of times, and when he’s hurting he has a tendency to retreat even more. they’ve spoken, over text and phone and even once on video call, the same way wout knows jonas has spoken with christophe, but not about anything more substantial than their shared aches and pains. it’s both too much and not enough, but that’s how it always is during the season.

“if anyone can do it,” christophe says, before trailing off. on the table, his pinky finger brushes the side of wout’s hand absentmindedly. too much, and not enough.

wout thinks of a hotel room in cahors, the startled look in jonas’s eyes when he’d walked in on the two of them and the desire and determination that replaced it. jonas has never been one to back down from a fight, not as long as wout’s known him. it's a different sort of battle, this one, the kind jonas has to fight on his own. there is no wind for wout to take this time, no climb to pace him up - just jonas and his body, and wout knows only too well how lonely of a fight that is.

on the table, two cell phones buzz in unison. wout lets christophe check the message, sees the way his face relaxes into a smile.

"speak of the devil," christophe says, before downing the last of his coffee and standing up to stretch. "ready to head back? i promised marion i'd call this afternoon, while the boys are napping." he reaches out a hand to help wout up.

they clean up their plates and coffee cups and strap on helmets again and then they're off, back down the descent with the sun in their faces and the wind at their backs. later, when christophe has disappeared to call marion and wout has settled into the couch, he finally checks his messages: a photo of his own boys, georges running across the backyard and jerome watching him from a picnic blanket; a series of heart emojis and a we miss you from sarah; some photos from the tour team at altitude camp in the sierra.

and then, the most recent notification:

jonas vingegaard

feeling good today

weather here is shit

want some company in spain?

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

Fell in Love with the Fire Long Ago

The epilogue of A Gentle Kind of Love

Contains: Fluff, smut (oral sex F receiving, fingering, P in V,) discussions of pregnancy.

5.8K words

Comment if you want to be tagged/removed or follow #a gentle kind of love.

“Happily ever after, or even just together ever after, is not cheesy,” Wren said. “It’s the noblest, like, the most courageous thing two people can shoot for.” ― Rainbow Rowell.

Manny's hands were too bruised and swollen to take his bike home so you waved him into the passenger seat of your car and drove off, "you really didn't need to do that, I've heard far worse before."

Manny huffed, "yes, I did. Canche doesn't get to say what he wants because of his hook ups. I didn't mean to scare you."

You shook your head, "I wasn't scared, I just don't want you to get hurt."

Manny smiled and reached over to place his hand on your thigh, "I'm not going to get hurt."

You smiled, "I love you Manny, so much and I think it's very sweet that you want to defend my honour."

Manny chuckled, "you're my girl, I got to make sure everyone knows that."

You thought for a moment before responding, "move in with me. Your lease is up in two months and I own my place outright. The cats won't ever feel like you've abandoned them and we don't have to go back and forth.."

Manny squeezed your leg to quiet you, "there's no need to sell it, I'll call the guys to help me pack my stuff tomorrow."

You snorted, "that's if you're not on probation in the morning."

Manny sucked on his tongue, "nah, old ladies are off limits, anyone would have done the same thing."

You nodded, relaxing as you pulled into your driveway "are you sure? I would never forgive myself if you got into trouble over me."

He leaned across the car and kissed your soft, "I'm sure."

You brushed your hand over his cheek and bumped his nose with yours, "we better go inside, I really need to look at your hands."

Manny chuckled, "lead the way gorgeous."

You got him inside and went to the bathroom to get the first aid kit before stopping by the freezer and grabbing some ice packs. Manny sat down with a sigh as you started to clean his hands, "I don't think anything is broken but you're going to need to give your hands a rest for a few days. I'll take you to and from work until the swelling goes down."

Manny smiled, "I am one lucky man, you know that."

You felt your chest get warm, "I'm the one who's lucky, I never thought I'd find someone as wonderful as you."

Manny pulled his hand from yours and reached up to cup your cheek, "then I guess we're both lucky and I know moving in so soon might seem really fast but I don't think there's anyone else I'd rather be with."

It hit you that it was a bit fast, "maybe we should talk about things before we take that step, what if we have fundamental differences. I mean, do you want kids? Are you an organ donor? How do you feel about…"

Manny cut you off with a kiss, "yes to both. Is that alright with you?"

You smiled, "yes, yes, that's alright with me. I'm sorry."

He chuckled, "it's alright, this is new to me too but we'll work it out."

You pulled back and returned to cleaning his hands, "I love you so much."

The smile on Manny's face was gentle and filled with affection, "I love you too."

You finished his hands and Manny regarded you, "what?"

You smiled and he pulled you into his arms, pressing his face into your hair, "do you want to get married?"

You blinked, you thought you had heard him right, "pardon?"

You felt him inhale, "do you want to get married. There's no one else I can see myself spending my life you, you are the cats and however many children you want to give me feels about as close to a happy ever after a man can ask for. I know it's really sudden and you can take some time…"

You cut him off with a kiss, "yes, yes I'll marry you. But I want a proper wedding, the big white dress, the stupid cake that doesn't taste like anything, the whole nine."

Manny chuckled, "you can have whatever you want, what about a ring?"

You thought for a moment, "I've done enough aid work to know the damage that gemstones can do, I am however, very partial to lab grown sapphires, the bonus is that if you get the gem and design the ring yourself, it's like a third of the price of buy it at the jeweller."

Manny chuckled, "alright, I'm sure someone knows a guy. Hell, Angel's probably going to shove a catalogue in my face when I get there in the morning."

You sighed, "do you want to tell them tomorrow?"

Manny smiled, "I mean, why not. We wouldn't be the first spur of the moment wedding."

You kissed him softly, "no, we wouldn't. I can't believe we're getting married. I have to go dress shopping."

Manny smiled, "take Hope and Lettie, hell Coco and Angel will go along too."

You giggled, "why don't we invite the whole crew and have a say yes to the dress SP addition. I'm sure Marcus will tag along."

Manny grinned, "I love you."

You smiled back, "I love you too."

You dropped Manny off the next day, Manny taking your hand and walking you inside. Angel greeted you with a smile but Bishop was more serious, "what's going on?" 

Bishop managed a smile, "it looks like we'll be heading to Arizona, last night a brick went through the window of the Yuma Clubhouse with a note attached. I was hoping Manny would bring you by so you could tell me your professional opinion." 

He pulled out his phone and showed you the photo, the note was pretty clear.

"Poison begets poison." 

"Thoughts?" Bishop didn't sound worried, he sounded pissed. 

"My guess is that it is what it says. Someone is planning to poison Yuma, I imagine with Fentanyl. The use of language is telling, the person is either well read or trying to be dramatic. The handwriting reflects that, it's simple but cursive so you're looking at someone who learned it in school and the brick through the window is pretty old fashioned. If I was the one doing it, I'd booby trap a car, create a contraption that slips the power everywhere when someone opens the car hood." 

Bishop nodded, "thank you y/n, now I know you have things to do so why are you stopping by?" 

You smiled, "Manny and I are getting married." 

Angel hopped up from the chair and raced over, "did I hear that right, you're getting married?" 

Manny grinned, "yep, we talked about it last night. We're having a proper wedding so it will be next year but when you know you know." 

Angel all but jumped up and down, "fuck yeah. I am the best match maker ever. I stand by what I said, you better name your first kid after me." 

You rolled your eyes, "if you shut up I'll think about it." 

Coco walked in from outside and looked at the scene, "what?" 

Before you could answer, Angel did it for you, "these two are getting married, just like that." He turned back to you, "when are you getting the dress?" 

You shook your head, "I'm going to get an appointment which brings me to my next point. I'd really like it if you guys could come along." 

Coco smiled and wrapped his arms around you, "hell fucking yeah, you want Hope and Lettie there?" 

You nodded, "of course. And I need someone to walk me down the aisle, so do you want to?" 

Coco hugged you again, "fuck yeah. Come on, we have planning to do, I'll get Chucky to help." 

You sighed as he pulled you away, "there goes my plans for the day." 

Manny pecked you before Coco dragged you to the office, "have fun." 

Knock Knock

You, Coco and Chucky were looking over invite templates when Riz knocked on the door, "come in." 

He opened the door with a smile, "Angel told me the good news, congratulations." 

You smiled and got up to hug him, "how many people has Angel told?" 

Riz smiled, "the moment he told me and Creep, he left to call Marcus, he also told Taza to start looking for a venue, I'm pretty sure he's appointed himself as the wedding planner. I was coming to ask you about your dress." 

You sighed, "of course he has. I've got an appointment at the dress shop next month why?" 

Riz shrugged, "I was hoping I could come, I've really love all those sappy shows." 

You nodded, "of course you can come. I need as much help as I'm going to get." 

The week had been a rush, turns out bikers were far more into weddings than you had thought. Between the guys helping Manny move and Manny looking for a place to make a ring and work, you felt like you didn't get a second to stop.

When the weekend rolled along and it was time to leave for Yuma you could sense something was coming. Manny came up behind you while you were feeding the cats and wrapped his arms around your body before resting his head on your shoulder, "you don't have to say yes but can you come with us this weekend? It would be good to have you there."

You sighed, "sure, I think I should be there to stop you from killing Canche anyway. Did anything come of that?"

Manny shook his head, "nah, he would have had to explain why I hit him in the first place."

You spun and kissed him, "I bet it will be strange to be back there?"

Manny nodded, "yeah, it ain't the most enjoyable place to be, but I have you and that's good enough for me."

You smiled and kissed him again, "you are such a dreamboat. What's next, you're going to show up on a white horse and whisp me away?"

Manny smiled, "if that's what you want, I'll have to learn to ride a horse but I'll do it."

You understood what Manny meant when you arrived at the Yuma compound, it just felt gross. Marcus was there, smiling from ear to ear when he saw you had accompanied Santo Padre. He gave you a hug, crushing your ribs with an embrace, "Angel told me the good news, when's the wedding?"

You smiled, "ten months, we're still planning the big bits but we're getting there."

Manny walked up to you and threw his arm over your shoulder, accepting Marcus' congratulations with a warm smile before walking off to deal with Canche, "you doing good?"

He nodded, "yeah, I want to head somewhere later today, Coco said he's keep you company."

You smiled, "of course, is everything ok?"

He nodded, "yeah, I wanted to stop by and see my sister." He sounded so sad.

"That's fine with me, please take as long as you need. I'll be here waiting for you."

He dropped his forehead onto yours and kissed you softly, "thank you."

Manny detached for you with a kiss, and you waved goodbye as he left and you went to sit with Coco, "you good?"

You nodded, "I'm great, everything is great. How did Templo go?"

Coco shrugged, "if there's one more bad cut Yuma is done, the vote went through without much protest, if we're lucky, this is the end of it."

You sighed, "and this threat?"

He gave you an unreadable look, "we'll see."

Manny brought the flower to his face, the little white Heliotrope filling his nose with a gentle scent. He walked up to Clara's gravestone and brushed away the dirt before placing the flowers in the little holder and kneeling down, resting his hand on the cold rock.

"I've meant someone CC and she's so wonderful, you would have loved her. I think, I know, she would have loved you too. We're getting married soon." He stopped, his emotions clogging his throat, "I just wanted to tell you the good news, because I know you would you'd want to be there if you could."

A gentle breeze blew in his face and he swore he could smell her bubblegum shampoo, he knew it was just his mind playing tricks on him but he couldn't help but feel it was his sitter letting him know she was happy for him. He left feeling lighter, the breeze brushing by him one last time as he walked through the gate.

There was something different about Manny when he returned, he sat next to you, Coco Angel and grabbed your hand, "how was your trip?"

He smiled, "it was good, I know she's not really there but it felt good to talk to her again."

The others were lost in their own conversation as you spoke, "I don't know much about that kind of thing but I think she was listening , even it it was just the part of her that you carry."

Manny reached up and brushed your cheek, "I love you so much."

You smiled, "I love you too."

Marcus watched from afar, knowing that something was happening, he allowed a few moments for calm to come over to walk over to you, "I never got the chance to talk about your wedding before I was called away, it's very exciting."

You smiled, "it is, I know is really soon but.."

Marcus waved his hand, "when you know you know. I would have married Izzy the second she said hello to me but I think she would have called me an idiot."

You giggled, "well, you're both invited so I hope you can come."

Marcus smiled, "of course, we wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm very happy for you both."

He offered Manny a hug, "thank you Pardrino."

The conversation between Angel and Coco must have wound down because Angel was butting in, "are we talking weddings? I'm trying to convince them to have it in the national park but y/n is worried about bothering people on public land. I think it would be nice, with all the trees and all."

You sighed, "you know Taza is taking care of it, there's a lovely portion of tribal land that he thinks we'll be able to book."

Angel nodded, "you got an officiant?"

Marcus smiled, "why don't you do it Angel, you can get the licence online, it's the least they can do after everything you've done to get them here."

You blinked and Manny laughed, "I like it, I mean, why not."

You sighed, "alright, but nothing dirty, there'll be kid there."

Angel smiled, "I wouldn't dream of it, it's going to be the best wedding ever."

The night wore on and you felt yourself grow tried, Manny hadn't left your side and you tapped him to bring his attention away from the story Hank was telling about the time he found a snake in his bedroll, "yes Mi Amor?"

You smiled, "I'm going to take a few minutes outside, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed."

Manny nodded, "you want me to come?"

You shook your head, "nah, I'm not going to leave the compound."

You headed out and made a beeline for a quiet section of the lot, sitting down on a mild crate and taking a deep breath. Your peace was interrupted when Canche approached you, "what the fuck do you want?"

He raised his hands, his face still bruised, "Marcus has brought to my attention that I've treated you unfairly and I just wanted to apologise."

You snorted, "you want me to thank you, expect an apology for a man that crawled up the ass of a baby raper?" You shook your head, "fuck off man, I have nothing to say to you."

He inhaled, "I'm not expecting you to forgive me, but you're an old lady now and you have to do things for the greater good."

You were ready to rip his intestines out but a figure in a hoody walking towards you at speed pull your attention away, "you know that guy?"

Canche turned around and you saw the shotgun, you moved without thinking and threw Canche to the ground as the shot rang out. Everything moved in slow motion as you stood up, the world coming back into focus with a rush of sound and violence as people came running and a shotgun was levelled at your chest, "move, I don't want to you hurt."

You stayed stuck to the spot, "no, if you want to kill this man you'll have to shoot me too."

There was pain, not anger on the man's face and you shook your head violently as the others arrived with their guns drawn, a look to your side revealed a terrified Manny, his face a mix of rage and fear, "are you here because of the drugs?"

The shotgun lowered slightly, "he's the reason my baby boy is dead, him and his dirty drugs. He deserves to die."

You nodded, "I know, had I had the time to think I would have let you shoot him. But we're here now and it's not that I don't agree with you, it's that I can tell you are suffering and this, what you're about to do won't bring your child back. He has a little boy of his own, we might think he deserves everything he gets but I'm sure you know this, a little boy's first hero is his father. You don't want his son to lose that."

The man looked around, "I came here to end things."

You lowered your hands slowly, "I know, but then these men will kill you and then what happens to the people you leave behind?"

He huffed, "I don't have anyone, Shaun was all I had and now he's gone."

You stepped closer and the gun went up a fraction, "if you die, your son, Shuan, dies with you. There will be no one to keep his memory alive. If you leave here now, I swear nothing will happen to you. No one is going to come after you and Shaun's memory won't be sullied by more pain."

He took in a shaky breath and dropped the shotgun, falling to his knees with his face in his hands, "I miss him so much."

You knelt by him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I can't even imagine what you're going through." You pointed towards Coco, "my friend is going to make sure you leave here safe. Don't come back, I won't be able to save your life a second time."

The moment there was calm, Manny ran up to you and pulled you into his arms, looking over your face with worry, "don't you ever do anything like that again, do you understand me?"

You nodded, "I understand, can we go back inside?" Manny took your hand and you walked back into the Clubhouse, accepting the water that Angel handed you.

"You good?" He kept looking behind you.

"I'm fine, I just want to go back home."

Angel gave you a soft smile, "yeah, we all do."

Someone clearing their throat behind you had you turning around, it was Canche, "what the fuck do you want?"

He swallowed, "you saved my life."

You let out a cynical laugh, "yeah well, it's not like I did it for you. I saw that man's face before he pulled the trigger, he would have regretted it. You are a stain, a pathetic waste of air and if you don't get out of my face, I'm going to shoot you myself."

He walked away, shaking his head and Manny's hand on your back brought your racing heart back down, "you wanna go back to the hotel?"

You nodded, "please."

You could tell that something was wrong the moment to hotel door closed, Manny's eyes filled with emotion as he stared at you, "what the fuck were you thinking, stepping in front of a gun for that piece of shit, if anything had happened…"

His breath caught and you stepped closer to him, cupping his cheek while you ran your thumb over his skin, "nothing was going to happen to me Manny, he wasn't going to be able to pull that trigger and before you say that there's no way I could have known that, this isn't the first time I've had to deal with a parent in that kind of pain."

He blinked away a tear and leaned down to kiss you, "I can't lose you."

In a flash, his fear turned to desperation he and was ripping your clothes off and all but tossing you in the bed. You reached out and pushed his kutte off his shoulders, Manny's lips never leaving yours as you both got naked as fast as you could. You shuffled up and bed and Manny hovered over you, his face filled with love as he rolled you onto your side and threw your leg over his hip.

His hand moved between your legs in a flurry and his fingers slid inside you as his thumb landed on your clit. You moaned into his mouth and Manny's teeth sunk into your lower lip. He pressed his fingertips into your G-spot, his thumb moving faster on your clit, when you were ready enough to take him, he yanked his hand away and used your wetness to slick up his cock, then with a soft please from you, he repositioned his hips and slid inside you slowly.

He let out a grunt and rocked his hips, his hand on your thigh holding you close as you matched his pace. "I love you so much." His tone was almost pained as his hips picked up speed.

He brushed your G-spot as you returned his affection, "I love you too."

He kissed you softly, pulling back just enough to breathe, "tell me you're mine."

His hand moved down to stroke your clit and you gasped, "I'm yours, please I'm yours."

He kissed you again, his lips firmed, "tell me again and I'll let you cum."

His fingers sped up in time with his hips and he brushed your G-spot with each thrust, "I'm yours."

In a flash, he was rolling on top of you and ramming himself inside you with a grunt. You wrapped your legs around his body and pulled him close, burying your face in his neck as he rolled his hip, placing his finger back on your clit while pressing soft kisses to any body part he could reach.

The peak came hard and fast, Manny moaning as you clenched around him, he followed you into bliss soon after, his lips pressing to yours as his hips slowed.

He rolled off you with one last kiss and caught his breath, "you good?"

You sighed, "I'm great. I love you."

Manny grinned, "I love you too, let me clean you up yeah, then we'll order room service."

You looked over the menu while we waited for Manny to return, a smile on his face as he cleaned you up and threw the damp towel in a pile, "anything look good?"

You nodded, "yep Tostones, I could eat my weight in them."

Manny shook his head, "Tostones is it then." You ordered while Manny held you, a soft smile on his face as he ran his hands over your body.

His hand slowly made it's way to your lower stomach, his fingers moving in a gentle brush, "how many kids do you want?"

You shrugged, "more than one, less than four. How many do you want?"

Manny kissed your temple, "however many you'll give me."

You sighed, "marriage first, then a baby."

He smiled softly, "I'm going to buy the lot behind you house."

You blinked, "why?"

His hand moved to squeeze your hip, "because we need a nice place to live so I was thinking we expand the home we already have and that way, you don't need to move and you can have a huge garden. I was even thinking the cats could have a little outside catio so they can spend time outside without risking them getting away and hurting birds."

You smiled, "I think that's great."

Manny kissed your temple, "so that's settled, I buy the lot, we get married and then I give you a baby or two."

You pecked his cheek, "that sounds great."

Ten Months Later

"You ready?" Coco came up behind you and did the last button of your dress, a simple flowy, lace dress, the skirt with only a little fullness and the sleeves sheer and coming to your mid upper arm, Riz had called it bohemian and went on about how it was the best style on the market right now.

You spun and gave him a smile, "yes, yes I'm so ready."

Coco stuck out his arm and Penelope ran outside to signal the music to start, the soft sound of the piano coming through the small white tent you were getting ready in. You began to walk, catching sight of Manny as you got closer to the top of the aisle. When he saw you, his eyes filled with tears, a huge smile coming over his face as you stood next to him.

"Hi." You reached up a wiped a tear from his cheek.

"Hey Mi Amor, you look really pretty."

You giggled, "everyone helped."

Beside you, Angel cleared his troat, "can we get to this? Al this mush is going to make me cry and I don't think that's professional."

You snorted, "you got your licence online, I'm pretty sure we might not even be legally married after this."

Angel ignored you, "dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of two people, y/n and Emmanuel Ramírez. Are you here of your own free will, with no influence for other?"

You couldn't say yes fast enough, "I'm told you have your own vows?"

You took a deep breath and started first, "I'm normally really good with words but I sat down to write this and had no idea how to put my feelings onto the page. I love you and I have from the moment I laid my eyes on you and while it took a little while for me to say it," the crowd gave a laugh, "I promise that you will always now I love you and cherish you, support and encourage you, I will be there through every storm and every day of sunshine."

Manny had tears running down his face and a quick glance at the crowd showed you that others were in a similar state, Angel wiped his face and sniffed, "holy shit dude, that was deep."

You giggled and Manny started, "you are the best thing that's ever happened to me and I wake up every day grateful that you are the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see before I go to bed. I will spend every day of the rest of our lives telling you how much and in all the ways that I love you. I will make sure you always feel safe, and warm and loved."

You both turned to Angel how took a deep breath, "if anyone has any objections speak now or forever hold your peace. If any one says anything I will shoot you myself." He looked around, "no? Alright, do you y/n take Emmanuel Ramírez be your."

You cut him off, "yes."

Angel huffed "and do you."

Manny didn't even let him get that far, "yes."

Angel sighed and shook his head, "by the power invested in me by the state of Califonia and a shady internet website, I now pronounce you husband and wife you may now.."

You wrapped your arms around Manny and he kissed you before Angel could finish, and he threw his hands up in the air, "I give up." The crowd erupted in cheers as Manny deepened the kiss, dipping you like a prince in a fairy tale.

You pulled away and Manny smiled at you, pecking you one last time before letting you up, "I love you."

You smiled back, "I love you too."

Angel gave a loud clap, "time to party."

Manny had his hand in yours as the speeches started. Angel went first, stepping up to the platform with a smile, he had a pile of papers with him that had you worried and he banged them on the wood before tapping the mic, "all I wanted to say was that I was right." Everyone burst out in laughter and Coco slapped his arm as they swapped places.

Coco took a deep breath before he started, "when y/n and Manny met, I knew something was there, I had never seen y/n smile so wide and I had never heard Manny stutter when he was talking about a woman until her. I can go on and on about how happy I am for them and that I know that they have a long and happy life ahead of them but we all already know that. So all I'm going to say is that I love you both and I'm happy you found each other because you both deserve happiness."

Bishop went next, his face a mix of joy and satisfaction, "getting here has aged in twenty years, if I had a dollar for every time I had to tell one of my brothers to shut up about these two getting together, I would be rich. But we're here now and there's nothing better than being with someone you love. Let's hope it's doesn't take them as long to have a baby because I want a niece or nephew and I can't take the fuckers I'm in charge of bitching about how they haven't made any cute babies yet."

Marcus went last, his speech full of kind sentiments, love for his wife and affection for you and Manny. After he stepped down, Angel clinked his glass and gained everyone's attention, "alright everyone, now to the main reason we're all here. Let's eat."

You walked into your newly renovated home and said hello to the cats before walking to the bedroom hand in hand with Manny. You stood in the middle of the room and Manny took your hands, looking you up and down with a soft smile on his face, "hello wife."

You smiled back, "hello husband, will you help me out of my dress?"

His smile turned into a grin, "hell yeah."

You spun and he unbuttoned the dress, letting it fall to the floor and pool at your feet. You spun back around and Manny looked you over again before leaning down and kissing you softly, "shall we ring in the rest of our lives?"

He bit his lower lip, "hell yeah." He took your face in his hands, bumping your nose with his then kissed you as you sat back on the end of the bed. He raised a single finger to brush the strap of your bra off your shoulders, "I love this set, the white suits you."

You shook your head, "thank you, I picked something I knew you would like."

He smirked, "you picked well." He ran his fingers over the delicate lace flowers, "fuck, I am a lucky man."

You reached up and removed his kutte, Manny's hands going to the buttons of his shirt while his eyes raked over your skin, you went to reach back to unlatch your bra but he stopped you, "let me do that Mi Amor." He knelt on the bed and reached behind you, pressing his lips to your shoulder as the item came free.

You pushed yourself up the bed and Manny caught your panties on the way up, pulling them down your legs and pressing his lips to your claves as he made his way up your body. He kissed your knee, one then swapping to the other before repeating the pattern all the way up to your core.

He kissed the crease of your thigh then lifted your legs over his shoulders, he looked up at you, smiling softy before diving in like a man starved. You placed your hands on his head and stroked his scalp, Manny moaning as your nails gently scratched his skin.

He removed one hand from your leg and used two fingers to circle your entrance before sliding them inside you and pressing his fingertips to your G-spot. He pulled you closer, his lips wrapping around your clit as he moaned against your skin.

You bucked your hips as you got closer and Manny made no move to stop you, his fingers picking up speed and he doubled his efforts with his tongue. You didn't have the chance to warn him before you were arching off the bed and squeezing his fingers for dear life. He chuckled and pulled away, wiping his face with the back of his hand, "that was easy."

You rolled your eyes and tapped him with your foot, "you're smug." You sat up and ran your hands down his body to his cock, wrapping your hand around him and stroking him slowly, "you turn?"

He shook his head, "nah, we have all out lives for you to suck my dick." You laid back down and Manny went with you, holding himself up on his elbows as you reached up and pulled him closer, Manny's lips finding yours as you wrapped your legs around his body.

He kissed the tip of your nose and you giggled then he was reaching down and taking his cock in his hands before rubbing it up and down your slit. You gasped as he pushed inside you, your nails biting into his shoulders as he bottomed out. He rocked his hips slowly while he buried his face in your neck, the hand that was on his cock moving to rub your clit as his hips picked up speed.

He kissed his way from your neck to your face, his lips landing on yours. You pulled him closer and rocked your hips, matching his speed as he pushed your closer to the edge, "Manny please."

He kissed you, his nose brushing yours as he hit his stride, "you don't need to beg me for anything Tesoro." His fingers sped up and he pushed you over the edge as you whimpered into his mouth. He smiled against your lips as he followed you, grunting like an animal while his hand moved from your clit to grip your hip.

His hips slowed and he pulled away, rolling over and taking you with him. You rested your head on his chest and Manny reached up to stroke your cheek, "I love you."

You turned your head and kissed his palm, "I love you too. When do you want to open all out wedding presents?"

Manny chuckled, "why don't we open them tomorrow before we head off on our honeymoon?"

You sighed, "that sounds great."

He placed his hand on your cheek and turned your face towards his, "I love you, more than anything."

You kissed him softly, "I love you too."

The End

Song inspo for the title is Hozier - Would That I

[dkaufmandevelopment]

“America’s First Car-Free Community”: A Blueprint for Urban Living

In the heart of the Arizona desert, a groundbreaking experiment in urban living is unfolding. Culdesac, just 15 miles from downtown Phoenix, bills itself as “America’s First Car-Free Community.” Built “from scratch,” this innovative development challenges the status quo and offers a glimpse into a future where cars take a back seat.

The Vision

In 2023, nearly 140 residents made their homes in Culdesac, and ambitious plans are underway to expand to accommodate 1,000 residents across 760 apartments on 17 acres by 2025. But what sets this community apart?

Car-Free Living: A Paradigm Shift

No Car, No Problem

At Culdesac, car ownership is optional. Rentals range from $1,500 to $2,280 per month for one- or two-bedroom apartments, with renter incentives that can bring costs down to approximately $1,200 a month. Short-term, fully furnished rentals are also available. Residents enjoy multiple auto-free travel options, including:

Light Rail: A convenient stop right at the neighborhood corner.

E-Bikes: Pedal power for short trips.

Car-Share Station: Stocked with brand-new Chevy Bolt EVs.

Fitness and Freedom

Living without a car has unexpected benefits. No gas or insurance expenses, and it encourages physical activity. Culdesac’s well-designed layout features courtyards, gardens, and an exceptional on-site gym—an amenity that rivals any apartment complex.

Community Connection

Culdesac embodies a people-first philosophy. Social interactions are “built in,” fostering neighborly connections. Movie nights, farmers markets, and friendly bump-ins create a vibrant community spirit. Nate Dicochea, the leasing manager, sums it up: “There’s always something to do and some place to go.”

College Student Appeal

Culdesac resonates with college students who often don’t own cars. The convenience of nearby amenities and the absence of parking hassles make it an ideal choice.

The Road Ahead

Culdesac’s success prompts questions: Could car-free living catch on? The community eyes expansion into Mesa, AZ, and Atlanta. Realtor.com economist Ralph McLaughlin observes, “The emergence of car-free built environments will be an interesting trend to follow.” As America rethinks its car-centric culture, Culdesac leads the way toward a more connected, sustainable future.

Note: Culdesac’s innovative approach challenges traditional norms, but whether it becomes a widespread trend remains to be seen. Stay tuned. 🚶‍♂️🏢🌿

[alpinelogy]

halloooo,,, it's me againnn

would you mind explaining what a time trial is? from what I understand it's similar to quali in motorsport where u try to set the fastest time??? correct me if I'm wrong pls

alsoooooo aren't these races really grueling on the body, like how can pogacar go from giro d Italia straight to the tour aren't you supposed to rest or whtv?

Nonnie... nonnie you have no idea what you just unleashed (op considers time trials the best type of stages in stage races). This is probably a bit more rambly than my earlier answers just cause there are so many thoughts and I am genuinely not sure how much you know adsfgh

Anyway yes you're mostly right with what time trials are, they are usually much shorter stages where instead of all the competing riders starting in one big group (the peloton) they go individually on their own (individual time trial -> ITT) or in their teams (team time trial -> TTT) and they try to set the fastest time possible.

I will skip over TTTs in this since they are rare and I don't know that much about them. For reference the most recent one at Tour de France seems to be in 2019, at any Grand Tour there was actually one last year at Vuelta (Vuelta actually seems to be partial to TTTs anyway from the looks of it lol). Meanwhile there is at least one ITT in each Grand Tour and it is not rare to have multiple of them. This year we have two at Tour de France.

In ITTs, each riders rides for themselves and tries to set the best time possible, just like in quali, except they do not have the help from their teammates. They ride in predetermined order, usually a descending order from the rider with the highest total time to the lowest total time and have only one shot at setting a time.

Re the teammate thing: you see the thing with cycling is that we have made it into a team sport. Somehow. The way most teams act is that the riders ride one after another, with the riders behind catching slipstream from the ones in front so that they use less energy, with the leader in the back so he can use his spare energy at the very end (this behavior of conserving energy through a slipstream is not exclusive to teams and if there is a group of riders in front if the main group (a breakaway) they will most likely do this and it is slightly more complicated because of terrain, stage types, etc but essentially this is the barebones idea).

ITTs essentially neutralize that, and the time each rider set is purely from their own efforts, no slipstreams, no help, no nothing. Which means that if they have an off day it can have catastrophic results (see Tour de France 2020 stage 20. Roglič is not a bad time trialist but he had an off day and it cost him the entire race) and if they have a good day it can be wonderful for the entire race.

Also while it does not directly relate to your question, I need to mention it for the laughs. There are actually specific bikes and helmets for time trials and they... they tend to look rather silly

The infamous Visma Lease a Bike time trial helmet... aerodynamics I suppose

So yes, they are sort of like quali. However the riders get only one shot at setting the time and the conditions on the course can also change, so doing your best is really important.

And yeah. These races are hard. There is about a month between end of Giro and beginning of Tour. No, no one knows how Pogačar manages. Also hes doing the Olympics this year as well.

[cryoculus]

— reparations 01 ⟢

a man walks into a bar— no, smashes his bike into your shop: what do you do?

★ FEATURING; arataki itto x gn!reader

★ WORD COUNT; 5.3k words

★ TAGS; modern au, flower shop au, slow burn, idiots to lovers, tooth-rotting fluff, mutual pining, no smut, sfw

★ NOTABLE CHARACTERS; arataki itto, kuki shinobu, thoma, kaedehara kazuha

★ WARNINGS; motorcycle accidents, blood imagery, hospital visits, but nothing too gory or violent

★ MASTERLIST . AO3 ★

“Thank you for your patronage!”

The elderly woman, who’s also your first customer for the day, grins as she receives the bouquet from your grasp. “No, thank you, dear. Your arrangements are always so lovely.”

You managed a soft laugh, the ping of the cash register resounding in the air. “You flatter me too much, Amane-san! I’m just like any other florist out there.”

“Any other florist wouldn’t dare put up shop in this part of town, though,” she chuckles, gentle fingers caressing a patch of baby’s breath rather fondly. “Though you make it much easier to bring flowers to my husband, aren’t you afraid? You know who runs this district, don’t you?”

“Sure do,” you say, tearing off the receipt printed out by the register before handing it to her. “They’re the ones who own this complex after all.”

Amane nods, smile not faltering. “Then you’ll be just fine. Most folks from the city are quick to judge little Arataki’s gang. Bunch of troublemakers, they said, but what they don’t know is that they’re the ones who keep Hanamizaka the way it is… Oh, never mind me! This is just an old lady’s rambling.”

“Not at all.” You shook your head. “I don’t think the, uh, Arataki Gang’s all that bad. At least their secretary isn’t. Oh, here she comes now.”

The chimes on the front door tinkle softly at the entrance of a new customer that you receive with a kind smile. Kuki Shinobu is not your everyday right-hand woman to Hanamizaka’s band of thugs. For someone managing a rather…unorthodox organization, she seems a bit more put-together than you would otherwise assume gangsters should be. When Shinobu walks into your flower shop, she looks like any other straight-laced college student you’ve come across in the city—looking around as if she didn’t drop by every morning.

“Oh, Shi-chan!” Amane gushes. “I didn’t know you were looking after our newcomer here. The boys didn’t cause any trouble, I hope?”

Shinobu sighs. “The last tenant packed his bags and left because they scared away all his customers. I explicitly told them not to bother the next one that tenders a lease with us.” Turning to you, she spares a small smile. “Speaking of which, good morning.”

“Good morning to you, too, Shinobu,” you chirp. “Is it gonna be the usual for today?”

“Yeah. Oh, wait, no. Do you have anything more fragrant? Specifically something that calms the nerves?” she asks, reaching into her backpack to hand you an ornate vase that seems more expensive than it looks. “Our boss has been feeling off-kilter for the past two days, and his mood swings aren’t doing anyone favors.”

“How about you fix her up with some silk flowers, dear?” Amane suggests, gesturing to the bouquet in her hands. “My husband adored them, and we always ordered some seeds from the old flower shop in the city back in the day. I’m sure little Arataki will snap out of it once he gets a whiff of them in that cramped office of his.”

“Does that work for you?” you ask Shinobu, and she nods. “Alright, give me…fifteen minutes to prep, and we’ll be all set!”

This is how your mornings usually turn out.

For a quick backstory: after living in the capital of Inazuma City for the past twenty-four years, you decided to move out of your old childhood home and live independently. It was a decision that neither of your parents were happy to agree with at first, but you managed to meet the conditions they’d set once you graduated from college. Those being: 1.) Have a stable source of income; and 2.) Don’t move too far away. 

It took you a couple of months to survey whether a flower shop would flourish in the neighboring district of Hanamizaka. But once you’ve confirmed that the business opportunity was too good to pass up—the elderly living in this area seriously had a green thumb or two—you decided to hunt for a good apartment and commercial space as soon as you could. That’s how you ended up meeting Shinobu, the secretary (or was it deputy?) of the so-called Arataki Gang. Apart from their supposed claim over this district, they also owned a two-floor building that they rented out for extra revenue. 

You’ve only heard about the gang in passing during your college days, when one of your friends accidentally waltzed into their territory once. They took his presence as a threat, apparently, and the boss was quick to issue a challenge in the streets of Hanamizaka. Needless to say, the tall tale only made you more curious with the things that go on outside the city. Now here you are, about three weeks into your new lease in a place legally owned by the Arataki Gang. 

But…despite all the stories told by Amane and some of your other customers, you haven’t seen any members lingering around. It’s mostly just Shinobu that gives your shop the time of day, and if you did happen to spot anyone that resembles a gangster, they were quick to scat. As if they’d been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. 

And with all the countless complaints you’ve heard about the boss from Shinobu (“Little Arataki”, as Amane liked to address him), you’re yet to meet the man in the flesh.

It’s not like you want to be introduced to someone who can potentially be a yakuza, but… 

“Meow.”

As you clean up the leftover stems on your work table, your tabby, Mikan, hops onto the counter behind you, tail swishing with imminent curiosity. You toss the plastic bag containing the disposed remains of Shinobu’s most recent purchase into the bin, clapping the residue off your hands. When you reach out to scratch under her ears, Mikan purrs out a delightful little sound.

“It’s about time we ate some brunch, yeah?”

The next morning, you open up shop like usual. Checking up on plants that need supplementing, calling in for another order of clay pots (your stock is rapidly depleting), and entertaining orders from customers that step inside the store. The clear glass of the display windows makes it fairly easy to spot anyone that might harbor an interest in all things botanical, so you always manage to greet everyone with a sunny disposition. 

Well, almost everyone.

“So when do you plan on telling her again?” Your eye twitches as you put together a very extravagant sweet flower bouquet. “We’ve been friends since freshman year, and you’ve liked her since freshman year. That was, what? Six years ago? And you still haven’t told her?”

Thoma pouts at you. “Hey, you talk like admitting your feelings for someone is a walk in the park.”

“It’s not, but keeping quiet for six years is so uncool, Thoma!”

“Not like I’m trying to be cool,” he mumbles. “Oh, do you have any of those cherry blossom designs, by the way? Do you think they’ll look nice with the bouquet?” 

You shoot him one last condescending look before rummaging through the cabinets near the windows. Each level contains different flower-arranging paraphernalia. From scented wrapping paper to customized wicker baskets—everything you need to fashion one creative bouquet to another is readily available; artificial embellishments like the one Thoma wants included.

… if they’re in stock, that is.

“Hate to break it to you, but I forgot someone placed an order that used up all my cherry blossom stems last week,” you sigh. “I think I can get my hands on some new stock later in the day, though. I’ll just have someone deliver it to your place or something… Unless you’re finally going to confess to Ayaka for real. I can definitely improvise if that’s the case.”

Thoma laughs, but the sound is a bit dry. “It’s just a little congratulations for securing a partnership with Watatsumi University. You know how serious she is about her job, right?”

Kamisato Ayaka is, indeed, the overachiever in your old college friend group. After graduation, she was offered a distinguished position in the Faculty of International Relations & Culture—something everyone agreed she deserved and more. You haven’t been able to keep in touch with Ayaka since you moved out of your parents’ house, but Thoma is thankfully here to update you about their goings-on.

“Fine, fine. Just have it delivered,” Thoma tells you, pulling out his wallet only to inevitably frown at it. You heave another sigh. “Uh, put it on my tab for next time?”

“This is a flower shop, not a bar, asshole,” you mumble, and when you return back to the counter, Mikan chooses that exact same moment to pop her head out—mewling in delight when she sees Thoma. 

“Oh, Mikan, if only your owner is as kind to me as you are,” he fake-sobs, carrying your cat in his arms as she snuggles into his grasp. Damn traitor. “I promise I’ll pay you once I get this week’s payroll. But I’ll be taking my leave now because you know that being here gives me the jitters.”

Right. The friend that got challenged into a duel by the Arataki Gang? That was Thoma.

Once he steps out of the shop, you sink into your little swiveling chair behind the counter—head tilted listlessly towards the ceiling. The greens growing on your plant hangers are looking a little dull, and you wonder if you should move the rack closer to the windows. But despite your attempt at distracting yourself, the exasperation from Thoma’s inability to be honest eventually catches up to you. Mikan hops onto your lap in the next second, as if sensing your distress, and you run a hand across her orange fur with a sigh. 

“When I get a boyfriend, I want him to be as straightforward as a man can get.”

“Mrow.”

“If he ever skirts around his true feelings, I’m never going to accept him.”

“Mrow.”

You let out a soft chuckle, lifting her by the waist as she flashes you a disgruntled look. But before she can let out any mewls in complaint, you pull her closer to your chest with a long breath.

“You’re the only one who gets me, Mikan. Even if you like Thoma more than me sometimes.”

“Meow.”

“...Did you just agree with me?”

“Mrow~”

Half an hour before closing time, your usual delivery boy arrives on the dot to receive the order. Kazuha greets you warmly when he walks into the shop, and of course, Mikan bounds into his arms just like she does with everyone but you, it seems. 

“Someone’s looking quite chipper today,” he comments before setting your tabby back onto the floor. “Where am I delivering your package again?”

You hand Kazuha the neatly wrapped bouquet—complete with Thoma’s requested specifications—and check the virtual map of the city from your phone at the same time. “Um, the apartment complex right next to Uyuu Restaurant. I texted you the exact floor and unit.” 

“Got it.” 

Forgetting that you’re supposed to pay him for his services, you hobble back to the counter to retrieve enough mora to cover the delivery costs. Kazuha thanks you kindly when you hand over the payment, and he drops the money into the cute little fanny pack he wears all the time. 

“The app is going to let you know once the delivery is complete as usual,” he tells you, already halfway out of the shop. “Thank you again for trusting our services.”

“I wouldn’t dream of switching couriers at all,” you chuckle. 

Kazuha humors you with a soft laugh, but just when you thought he’s going to end the exchange right there—

“Oh, you best be careful, by the way.”

Your brow quirks. “Pardon?”

He sighs, casting a worried look your way. “I heard that the tensions have been a bit high between the Arataki Gang and another organization I’m not familiar with. It seems that the dispute has been stirring things up not just in Hanamizaka, but the capital as well.”

It takes you a moment to fully absorb Kazuha’s words, but when you do, your curiosity only festers. Is that why Shinobu’s boss has been on edge lately? Because of the dispute? 

“You don’t need to worry about me,” you reassure him with a smile—picking Mikan off the floor as you set her down on the counter. “I live on the second floor anyways, so there’s no reason to go out unless I need to get some groceries. Or visit my parents.”

“Wouldn’t hurt to be more cautious, right?” Kazuha laughs. “Well, see you soon.”

Closing time isn’t as really as lonely as you thought it would be. Despite Mikan’s indecipherable habits, she often helps clean up because the faster you can take care of things in the shop, the faster she can eat dinner. You don’t blame her for the strange source of motivation, though. If anything, you’re feeling a bit famished yourself, too.

“Hmm… I wonder what I should cook for dinner,” you wonder aloud, resting your chin on top of your broom. “Tonkatsu sounds really neat right now, but it’s kind of a pain to make the batter and everything. Ugh…” 

Eventually, you continue sweeping the floor just to get your hands moving. You make sure to check your phone every now and again for some texts from your parents, as well. They did like asking if you’ve already eaten dinner at this hour. But ten minutes into your final clean-up, you notice that Mikan has gone stock-still on the counter—green eyes wide and staring out like she saw a mouse scuttling across the windowsill. You make a puzzled face before glancing over your shoulder, but the only thing that greets your sight is the early evening traffic of Hanamizaka.

“Anything the matter?” you ask, but Mikan doesn’t even mewl in response. Your usually hyperactive tabby is just transfixed on the bustling nightlife in a way you haven’t seen before. But you read somewhere that animals often have bouts of odd silence every now and again, so you decide to brush it off.

Just when you're climbing up the stairwell that leads to your actual apartment, Mikan doesn't follow you even if you’re about to switch off the lights. She remains seated on the counter, tail swaying rhythmically like she’s waiting for something to happen.

“Mikan, come on.” You cross your arms. “Don’t you want dinner?” 

What is up with this cat today?

However, the next second, an ear-splitting roar shatters the silence of the evening—cleaving through you like an axe through sturdy bark. The sound rattles you enough that you nearly fall off the stairwell, but when you spot a speck of blinding light in the distance, speeding closer and closer in a way that seems like they have no intention of stopping—

“Mikan!” 

You know very well that cats have the most graceful reflexes out there; that Mikan can jump out of the way of imminent danger the moment it strikes. But she’s been by your side for a good few years now, so you guess it’s natural for you to develop a strange maternal instinct, of sorts. 

Without putting another thought into it, you sprint off the stairwell and leap in front of the counter. An unknown vehicle smashes through the windows a split second later—sending shrapnels of glass flying everywhere. The screech of an engine makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you squeeze your eyes shut, shielding Mikan as you turn your back towards the commotion. In the back of your mind, it clicks to you that whatever dickhead ran their ride into your shop, they probably ended up destroying the Sumerian dracaenas you put up on display. But you’ll give them an earful for that later. 

You only realize your heart is threatening to break out of your ribcage once Mikan starts mewling in your arms—pawing at your shirt. A shuddering sigh flees your lips as you hug her closer to your chest. 

“Thank gods you’re alright,” you murmur, patting down her fur. 

But the next thing you take notice of is the feel of the warm, evening breeze drifting into the shop. When you turn around to survey the situation, you take note of several things at once: the gaping hole in your shop, the passers-by stopping to take a look, the huge, extensively modified motorcycle lying on its side next to a ruined shelf, and—

“Shit.” You immediately let Mikan hop out of your arms as you shakily stand up—mortified at the crimson liquid pooling beneath the head of an unfamiliar man. Under the fluorescent lighting of your shop, you can safely assume that this is definitely blood.

For a moment, you panic—unsure of the protocol for when a reckless driver crashes his bike into your shop. You can’t exactly yell at him for doing that, since he was obviously out cold. So, the next thing you try to take into account is the state of his motorcycle.

It’s one of those variants with lowered seats and longer handles. The kind that you imagine the local thugs use to show off in groups. And just beneath the single, jewel-encrusted headlight is a golden sigil that slightly resembles a…dragon? A demon? You’re not entirely sure, but you’ve watched enough action movies with Thoma back in the day to know that you should switch off the engine to avoid further casualties. 

As you step over the large man lying unconscious on the floor of your shop, you twist the key in the ignition slot, taking it out with a bated breath. You notice that it’s attached to a crocheted plush of a tanuki, and that makes you stare at the man in disbelief. 

This time, you’re able to get a better look at him.

It occurs to you a bit too late that the huge motorcycle is just appropriate for a guy that’s both ridiculously tall and has the broadest shoulder-span you’ve ever seen. His shaggy, ivory hair is sprawled all over the place, and some of it’s getting dyed in the bright red of his own blood. Grotesque details aside, he’s wearing nothing but a purple patterned haori— giving you an eyeful of the strange red tattoos inked into his impressive chest. But you have enough decency not to ogle someone who’s passed out, so once you pocketed his keys, you crouch down to lightly pat his face.

“Sir?” you call out. “Are you conscious? I’m going to call an ambulance, okay?”

That seems to make him stir. 

He opens his eyes—squinting at the bright lights of the shop. From the way his blood red irises keep drifting in and out of focus, you assume that he definitely has a concussion. But before you can even get up to look for your phone, the reckless driver tugs you back down by the wrist. You cry out in surprise but you’re reflexive enough to plant your palms on the ground before you fall into the man’s chest. 

Your breath hitches when you find yourself staring deep into the red of his eyes, and you can’t even flinch away when he raises a large, calloused hand to cup the side of your face.

“You’re so pretty.”

And that's the last thing he says before slumping back to the floor. 

You don’t really remember the last time you stepped inside Inazuma General Hospital, but each one only left a bitter taste in your mouth. Today’s visit to the emergency room is no different.

You fidget with your phone—chewing the inside of your cheek as you try not to let the scent of disinfectant get to your nerves. There aren’t a lot of people inside the waiting lounge with you, and you aren’t really in the mood to strike up conversation with anyone at the moment. So it’s just you and the messy haywire of thoughts currently fogging up your brain. You can’t even bring yourself to give Kazuha’s usual 5-star rating once he completed your delivery earlier because you feel that antsy. 

To be fair, you’re not really bothered by the prospect of bringing an injured man to receive the medical care he direly needs. Even if he destroyed plants and display cases worth over a hundred thousand mora, you’re not so heartless that you’ll leave him to bleed to death in your shop out of spite. You even left Mikan and your shop in the care of your next-door neighbor out of the urgency to bring that guy to the hospital. 

But the thing that’s unnerving you the most right now is…the man’s identity.  

On the ambulance ride here, the paramedics managed to procure some ID from a wallet he kept in the trunk of the motorcycle. Lo and behold, you’re finally given a name to the careless prick who gave you a hassle and a half as a present for your first meeting. 

Arataki Itto.

You tried not to jump to conclusions at first (maybe this is a different Arataki). But the paramedics seemed familiar enough with the guy that when they loaded him inside the ambulance, you could tell that this might not be the first time they brought this specific person to the hospital under the same degree of injury. 

The sound of your name being called from the entrance snaps you out of your musing.

“It’s good that you brought him in as soon as you could,” says one of the doctors that oversaw Arataki’s first aid and treatment. “He seems to have suffered blunt head trauma, and I’m assuming it occurred before Arataki-san crashed into your shop. Is that right? The nurses get the stories mixed up sometimes.” 

Blunt head trauma? So he ran your shop over because he was already injured beforehand?

“Y-Yeah,” you stutter. “Um, is he going to be okay?”

He nods. “We’ve administered the medication he requires right now, and he should be out cold for the next few hours. I also had the folks from the front desk reach out to his emergency contact. You’ve done enough, so we’ll be taking Arataki-san’s situation out of your hands now.”

Unable to contain your own curiosity, you decide to ask, “...Does this happen often? You guys seem awfully relaxed about having to deal with a gangster.”

“Oh, once you’ve spent enough time tending to those boys, you’ll come to realize they aren’t as bad as people make them out to be,” the doctor laughs as he goes over the clipboard in his hands. You wonder if he’s talking about the rest of the Arataki Gang. “Arataki-san frequents this hospital a lot—not as a patient, but as a companion. When one of his gang members gets into a violent squabble, he patiently sits in this same waiting room until they’re all patched up.” 

The information makes your lips part in equal parts disbelief and admiration. You never would’ve imagined a big, hulking man like him showing an ounce of compassion for the men he’s in charge of. But when you recall how gently he caressed your face earlier—red eyes shining with honest sincerity as he says, You’re so pretty—

“Shinya-sensei,” a nurse calls out from the hall, effectively yanking you back to reality. “Kuki-san just arrived. She wishes to talk to the one who brought Arataki-san in.”

Oh, right. It would make sense for Shinobu to be Arataki’s emergency contact. When Doctor Shinya glances at you for your confirmation, you nod at him and follow the nurse out of the room.

You find Shinobu with a chair pulled up next to an unconscious Arataki’s bed in the emergency wards—staring resentfully into space until she catches wind of your arrival. Her eyes widen with disbelief as she gets back to her feet.

“It’s you,” Shinobu murmurs before groaning into her hands. “Why did it have to be you…?”  

You feel a prick of offense at that. “I’m sorry?”

She sighs, and you realize that Shinobu’s backpack is lying at the foot of her chair. Did she rush from school to the hospital immediately after hearing the news? 

“No, no. I’m grateful that you brought in our boss,” she explains, pinching the bridge of her nose. “It’s just that… Gods, Master is going to kill us.”

“Master?” 

“It’s nothing!” Shinobu insists, and you startle a little because she’s always been a bit soft-spoken. Right now, she’s the epitome of a stressed college student that has more pressing problems outside of her bachelor’s degree. “Forgive me, my thoughts are just…all over the place. I was consulting some revisions for my thesis when I got the call and—ugh! Why does Itto have to go overboard every. Single. Time?!” 

You can see the nurse that came with you scuttling out of the scene when Shinobu starts to complain aloud, and you understand the sentiment. You aren’t sure what to make of the outburst she’s laying off on you at the moment, but you decide not to comment on it. Being a college senior and the deputy for a gang are two very different things. It’s amazing that Shinobu can even handle them both at the same time.

“Hey,” you call out, rubbing a hand on her shoulder. “If you need to sort out your stuff with that thesis of yours, I could always just watch over him for the night.”

Shinobu’s face falls. “What? But your shop got trashed by this guy, right? The nurse told me so.”

“Well, yeah, but Shinobu, you look like you’re about to short-circuit any second,” you point out. “I had my neighbor watch over the shop and my cat earlier, so it shouldn’t be a big deal. Even though someone could rob the cash register and I might end up bankrupt.”

You punctuate the words with an uneasy laugh that makes you realize that you really did just leave your incredibly vulnerable shop in the hands of a neighbor that you haven’t known all that long. Shinobu is quick to pick up on your split-second epiphany though, and fishes out her cell phone from the pocket of her jeans.

“I’ll have some of the boys watch over your place in the meantime,” she sighs, tapping away at the screen. “If someone tries to rob you, they’ll have to answer to the Arataki Gang— What’s so funny?” 

You hide your soft chuckles with the back of your hand. “Nothing. It’s just that you’re so quick to do a complete one-eighty degrees. Earlier you’re a lamenting college senior and now you’re back to deputy-of-the-Arataki-Gang mode.”

“It’s important to keep these aspects of my life separate from the other,” Shinobu sighs before bowing in front of you. This shocks you a little, because no one in modern day Inazuma still does that right? “I’m terribly sorry for the inconveniences our boss has caused, and for calling in a favor from you at such short notice. Rest assured, the Arataki Gang will make up for it however we can.”

“Uh…” you draw out dryly, unsure of how you’re supposed to respond. “It’s really not an inconvenience, Shinobu. I’ll be more worried about you if you end up missing deadlines because you had to look after your boss.”

Shinobu rises back to her full height, tears glistening in her eyes. Um…

“Thank you so much,” she nearly sobs, throwing her arms around you in a hug. “I promise I’ll rush back here first thing tomorrow and discuss the reparations with you and our idiot boss.”

You relax into her arms, patting her head affectionately. “Take your time. I won’t go anywhere.”

When Shinobu takes her tearful leave, you end up staring at your impromptu patient with a desolate sigh. True to Doctor Shinya’s words, Arataki is out cold—the only indication that he’s alive being the steady rise and fall of his broad chest. They managed to change him into a loose hospital gown, but you can still see the heavy outline of his tattoos under the thin fabric. 

You decide to take a seat in the same chair Shinobu was just having a midlife crisis in earlier, checking your back pocket for your wallet. Thankfully, it was still there, and you can at least afford to buy yourself some convenience store sandwiches and a coffee. Archons know you can’t exactly stomach a full meal after everything that transpired tonight. But you decide to linger for a while longer before heading out to grab something to eat.

The circumference of Arataki’s head is wrapped in a sterile white gauze that makes his hair look more cream-colored than ivory, and you notice that his arm is hooked up to an IV at the other side of his bed. Your forehead creases with how hard you’re thinking about what must’ve happened for him to end up in this state. If Kazuha’s earlier warnings had any real weight to them, you’re willing to wager that it has something to do with his gang’s current disputes. But Doctor Shinya also mentioned that Arataki rarely comes into the hospital as a patient, so why…?

Your phone buzzes in your lap, startling you out of your reverie.

Thoma [21:15]: Got the flowers! Heading over to Ayaka’s rn

You roll your eyes, the dread from your earlier musing immediately dissipating from a single text from Thoma.

Me [21:15]: Confess or ten years bad luck.

Thoma [21:16]:

Me [21:18]: I’m not even trying to make you reblog shit! Just confess!!!!!!!

Thoma [21:19]: Maybe next time 😌

“Ow, fuck.”

Once again, you jolt in surprise when another distraction greets your vision in the form of a very conscious Arataki trying to pull the needle out of his arm. Your eyes widen and you immediately shoot back to your feet, pinning his meaty arms to his sides with your hands. You try not to pay attrention to how the girth of his muscle dwarves your fingers. When the hell did he even wake up?!

“Hm?” Arataki stares at you, just as baffled. “As much as I like a lady that can hold me down, I gotta get outta here, nee-chan. Can’t you help me out or something?” 

“Shinobu asked me to watch over you for the night,” you tell him through gritted teeth—not liking how he’s not even struggling to shake off your grip. “So please don’t cause her any more trouble than you already have. Just stay here and let yourself recover like a good little gang boss.”

Arataki’s eyes widen slightly. “Whoa, I’m totally not discovering inappropriate things about myself in the most inappropriate times.”

“Just go back to sleep!” you groan. “If you rip out that IV, I’m calling the nurses.”

“Jeez, alright, alright,” he surrenders, even making a show of lying back down on his pillows. “Who are you anyway? The last time I had a lady fuss over me this much was when I…”

You don’t know why, but the fact that he just forgot who you are kind of stings a little. The realization makes you want to slap yourself. This is the man who ran his bike into your shop. He deserves no form of sulking on your end! Who cares if he forgot that he called you pretty in a post-concussion delirium?!

“Whatever,” you tell him, bringing your hands back to your sides with a huff. “I’m going to grab something to eat. You better not pull an escape act while I’m gone.”

“Nee-chan, the more you discourage me, the more I’m inclined to do it,” Arataki points out as he rests his chin on his free hand. You then notice that he painted his nails stark black. “But fine. Can you bring me some yakisoba bread when you come back though? Oh, and a Pocari, too? Hospital food tastes like ass.”

You gape at him. Is he serious? Is he really this shameless?

“Whatever!” you repeat more firmly before stepping out of the ward—not caring how many times Arataki calls out for you.

It wasn’t obvious at the time, but if you intended to lead a quiet, independent life, the last thing you should’ve done is to get involved with the Oni King of Hanamizaka. 

next →

★ UPDATE SCHED; every thurs & sat (12 nn gmt+8)

© cryoculus | kaientai ✧ all rights reserved. do not repost or translate my work on other platforms without permission.

[museaway]

the sequel to firehouse coffee!

Keith/Shiro (established relationship). 1,200 words. Rated G. Written for @bangsheith's #sheithonvacation

Context if you need it: Kuro and Shiro are twins who only met a couple of years ago. Kuro managed Keith’s coffee shop while Keith and Shiro were in space. They’ve just come home, and the three of them are on a much-needed vacation. 

Read Firehouse Coffee on Drive right over here

Eighteen months sounded like a long time, but the months slipped by one after another, and before Kuro knew it, Keith and Shiro had returned to Earth. 

They’d kept in touch during the mission. Kuro had sent regular updates about the coffee shop that he’d kept running with the help of Keith’s father—Tex, he’d said to call him. Keith’s old apartment building had been renovated, so Kuro had signed a one-year lease to test it out, and when it came time for renewal, hadn’t hesitated to extend it. The summers here were brutal, but he’d taken Shiro’s advice and stayed indoors during the heat of the day, and explored the city after sundown.

And now . . . he was in Hawai’i with a pina colada in hand and the blue Pacific stretched to the horizon. 

“Can’t believe how gorgeous it is here.”

Keith. Kuro had left him and Shiro snoozing by the pool and gone for a walk that had taken him past the pool bar.

“Shiro still sleeping?” he asked.

“Yeah, he’s out cold. What are you drinking?”

“Pina colada.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be right back.”

Ten minutes later, Keith settled on the adjacent lounge chair with his own cocktail and a plate of nachos that he held out to Kuro. “Shiro would yell if he saw me eating this,” he said. “We’ve gotta hide the evidence.”

“But you're on vacation.”

“Right? That's what I said.”

Kuro held out his glass. “Cheers.”

Laughing, Keith tapped their glasses together. “Seriously, how much did you hate the last two years?”

“I did think about quitting the first time the temperature went above a hundred, but your dad talked me out of it.”

“I'm glad the two of you get along. He can be pig-headed.”

“He told me that he and Shiro didn’t get along when they first met?”

“They did not,” Keith said with emphasis. “My pop thought he was too showy. Shiro was on the news a lot back then. He tried his damnedest to impress him, but my dad's real stubborn.”

“What changed?”

Keith took a long sip of his drink. “A few years ago I crashed my bike pretty good. Wrist was out of commission, so I couldn’t work. Shiro was working full-time on the base, but any time he wasn't there, he was in the shop helping my dad. Actually learned to make a decent cup by the time my brace came off. I’m not sure he actually slept that month. Anyway, my pop’s gone easier on him since then.”

Behind his sunglasses, Kuro widened his eyes. “I can’t imagine anyone not liking him. He’s got one of those personalities everyone seems drawn to.”

“I don’t get it either, although when we first started talking—this is when he first came into the shop, so seven years ago—I figured it was just because he’s nice to everyone. Kind of makes you jealous.”

“So did you ask him out?”

“Hell no. Like I said, I didn’t even realize he was interested. He came in with flowers on my birthday and I was so shocked, I spilled coffee all over the counter. He was embarrassed, turned bright red. Even his ears. That’s when I knew he was serious. So I kissed him and, uh, well.” Keith rubbed his neck. “We’ve been together ever since.”

“Except when you ditch him to drink with me before noon.”

“We are on vacation,” Keith echoed.

“Surprised you wanted to come along. Are you sure you don’t want me to make myself scarce to the two of you can have some time together? I won’t be offended.”

Keith removed his sunglasses and cleared his throat as he met Kuro’s eyes. “Let me ask you something. Have you ever lived on board a spacecraft with someone for eighteen months?”

“That bad, huh?”

“Microscopic. I could touch both walls if I held my arms out. I’d dive in front of a car for him, but trust me, we logged enough together time for the next year. You sure we’re not getting in the way of your work?”

“Nah. I appreciate having willing models.”

“Cool.” Keith put his sunglasses back on and lay back on his chair.

A while later, Shiro found the two of them. He was wearing a god-awful patterned shirt he’d bought in the hotel’s gift shop and sat on Keith's chair, pulling his feet onto his lap. 

“I should have guessed he’d be with you. He left his towel by the pool.”

“I don’t think he meant to sleep,” Kuro said. “You look a little pink.”

“Already? Then I’d better get out of the sun for a while.”

Kuro motioned to the tethered umbrella between their chairs. “I’ve got sunscreen in my bag.”

Without disturbing Keith, Shiro unfastened the strap and cranked the umbrella open. He accepted the sunscreen Kuro held out and stole a drink from the cocktail Keith had set aside.

“That's not half bad,” he said.

“There’s beach service,” Kuro said. “We can get you your own drink, though I’m not sure about another chair.”

“Keith and I can fit. You should have seen the bed on board the ship.”

“He mentioned the cabin was small.”

“I’m lucky he didn’t divorce me,” Shiro said with a wry laugh. 

“He loves the hell out of you,” Kuro said. “Anyone who looks at you two can see it.”

“So I don’t have to worry about him running off with you?”

“I’m straight. Sorry.”

Shiro flagged down a waiter and ordered another round of drinks. He laughed at the surprise look on Kuro’s face. “I do know how to relax,” he said. “So. What are your plans when we get back?”

Kuro knew his brother wasn't asking about his work schedule. This was Future Talk. 

“Why,” he said with a grin to lighten the mood. “You want your apartment back?”

“I'd really love it if you stay.” Shiro frowned. “I realize that’s selfish of me to say, especially since I've been off world for almost two years, but I’d really love it if we lived close by.”

Kuro cleared his throat. “Tex has been talking about a place for sale out by him and Krolia. It’s small, just one bedroom, and it needs some work, but it’s got good light. If you don’t think it’s a bad idea, I thought I might set up an appointment to see it.”

“Careful,” Keith mumbled. “My pop comes in without knocking. He’ll probably drink all your beer.”

Shiro’s head whipped to the side. “How long have you been awake?”

“Long enough to know you're not worried that I’ll leave you for your brother.” 

Keith sat up and yawned. A cheerful server arrived with their next round of drinks, and Keith accepted his refill with a grin that he pressed to Shiro’s cheek.

“Thanks, baby.”

As Kuro watched, Shiro’s face turned red.

“See what I mean?” Keith said. “Even the ears.”

Kuro laughed into his own drink. He was already feeling better about the whole property ownership thing. When he traveled for work, he certainly wouldn’t lack house sitters. Did this mean he’d finally get to see the inside of an Ikea? Of course, he’d have to live with the oppressive Arizona heat—but, well, there was always air conditioning.