#like what if max had run and checked on joe

[maxwelljacobfriedman]

actually though it's so funny joe faked getting hurt and specifically said, 'tell Max not to go out there,' knowing Max would be stupid and try to fight anyway

[burreauxsss]

nobody has to know

background: y/n goes to a frat party and defies every warning her friends give her about the newest LSU quarterback joe burrow.

(all pics from pinterest, all rights reserved.)

notes: mix of social media/messages and fic writing, short blurb. also why do i lowkey want to go to the masters for the golf? its my dream

word count: 570

warning: implied smut, 18+, not proofread (similar storyline to my lamelo ball x wmba reader series)

As you're in your dorm getting ready for a party, the atmosphere calm as All the Stars by SZA and Kendrick Lamar murmurs in the background with your friend group waiting on you to finish up. Once you did, the group heads to the nearby off campus bar.

Walking into the bar for the party, after a long duration to find a parking spot due to almost being at max compacity, many girls stood around, talked, drinked and other things while the lights flashed. Almost everyone at the event attended LSU, including the athletes.

But you saw a group of people yell as the football players came in one by one, and one locked eyes on you as he walked in. Joe Burrow.

Your friends immediately pulled you to the side right after, like you were a puppy running away from its owner without a leash, as if it were a game. Obviously, you became defensive, but they looked right at you as they grabbed your drink mid-sip.

"Y/N. We're all going to tell you this one time, but Joe's a known player. He's a new quarterback from Ohio State, but he has a girlfriend, and he's just scouting side pieces so he can be pleasured here." Kamryn, your roommate, says as she continues to hold the drink in her hand.

If you deliberately roll your eyes, he wouldn't do that. Plus, if he had a girlfriend, they're probably over because he didn't take the starting quarterback offer somewhere closer you thought.

"Actually, we're not joking. We don't want you to get hurt when he blocks you one day or worse. Just stay away from him, okay?" another one of your friends calmly says as they give you the drink back and they go back to partying with other people.

Just as you start to walk towards him, you feel a hand tap your shoulder. You turn around and its Joe.

"Hey, you dropped your ID back at the bar. I was looking for you," the tall blue-eyed boy says, looking down at you.

"Oh, well thanks."

Keeping it simple as you take the ID out of his hand and you walk up to the bar, he offers to buy you another drink.

"Your outfit is really nice, lemme buy you a drink."

You thought about turning it down, but was this the only chance you'd probably have to talk to him before he goes to someone else? 'Backstabbing' your friends would be horrible, but he seemed nice. So what was the worst that could happen between you two?

After rebuying your drink of choice, somehow you both end up in his car an hour later. Sitting in the passenger seat, talking about why you're both at LSU, what it's like being from Ohio, and the differences in the humidity. You check your phone andsee a message in the group chat from your friends.

Joe saw a small fragment of the messages and immediately smiled. Although on his phone, he saw a text message notification. He ignored it as he turned off his phone, and undid his seatbelt and got into the backseat, then as he let y/n straddle him as he grabbed her shirt, knowing what was about to happen.

The next morning you wake up in your dorm hungover but a sense of satisfaction and soreness coursing through your body, on the other side Joe's phone blows up from his girlfriend Adeline clearly pissed about how shes being ignored per usual.

totallynoty/n

❤️ 2,300 💬 40

Liked by: itskarmyn joeyb_9 journ3y and others

totallynoty/n: we had a TIME last night

itskarmyn: hungover core

username_1: get back on that basketball court girl

journ3y: do we need to talk about what condition your dress is in right now or even where is it? totallynoty/n: nah im good.

username_2: joe liking this.. whats going on

*load more comments*

authors note: something different because im running off of god knows what right now. hope everyone liked this.

[be-ready-when-i-say-go]

Roll for Initiative--Part 7

Joe’s managed to keep the lock down about his limited knowledge on Dungeons & Dragons. He won’t say he learned about it because of you.

It only takes one text message though for the truth to start to unravel. If slaying dragons and BBEGs isn’t the place to confess feelings, where is?

CW: 18+ Content

Joe Burrow x Black Reader.

Series Masterlist

Complete Masterlist

You refuse to believe that when it rains, it pours. 

Things always happen for a reason, always have a purpose behind them. But you’re starting to believe that bad luck does come in strikes of three. Like once the ball starts sliding downhill, the only way for it to stop is to crash. 

It started small, the cat that went missing for a few days and now upwards of three weeks. And though you’d never be able to take care of a cat right now, you do miss the little gray cat, his seemingly beady eyes a watchful gaze. Like maybe it could be your dad, like maybe it could be hope. Now gone. 

Then just last week your SUV needed 1,200 dollars worth of work unexpectedly--a vehicle with just under 50k miles when you bought it and now with another 50k on it, it shouldn’t have shocked you that something would break down eventually. A fuel injector pump is now your mortal nemesis. But still after having the dealership do the oil change, you wonder if the car knew what it was doing or if it’s just shit timing. Either way, last week you still needed to find a way to commute to and from work and get grocery. Thankfully, your mother and Joe were more than willing to accommodate. The residual feeling of being scrambled still lingers with you, now after getting the car back on three days ago. You’re all too aware of your hyper need to be independent and self sufficient. Like somehow your car breaking down is your fault though you know it’s not.   

But now, now you’re staring down at an email that’s unraveling everything. The nail in your coffin that came in earlier today at approximately 1:38 PM as compared to the creeping evening of 9:45 PM. Buried in errands--a exchange to Michaels, dropping a card in the mail for your father’s birthday, promising to meet Bianca for the standing Friday drink date, and a soft pretzel run--pushed your daily practice of checking email back even further than usual. 

Dear residents, 

We understand that this news may be coming to you with great surprise. But with a large portion of you all with leases that will be up for renewal in the summer, we wanted to give you as much notice as we could. 

Our management has decided to sell the property. It is our current understanding that in this acquisition the new owners do not plan to continue renting to current tenants. 

You don’t need to read anything else. Can’t stand to think of what else they could be trying to tell you to soften the damning blow. Though it’s nearing April, your lease is set up to renew in July--which won’t be happening now. The words blur for just a moment on your screen. 

“This cannot be fucking happening,” you state aloud to the electric hum of the fridge and the fluorescent lights. 

It’s a rather smaller property where you live--even if it’s lively, it is only a few buildings, you’d hazard a max of 50 units-- and right on the edges of where major renovations and expansions are happening. The city has built up immensely around you. You’ve watched in the last few years. The rent’s still cheap here comparatively and you kept praying that you could hold out until you found a better job to move inward a little bit. 

But when it fucking rains, it’s fucking pours. And this, this is the third strike of bad luck. 

Another email dings, the notification appearing up in the corner of your screen. You don’t halfway have the heart to open it, eyes watering now as the panic begins to creep up your throat. Where the fuck were you going to go now? You’re less worried about the small emergency savings you had being wiped out and now are more concerned about where you’re going to go next. The city’s already so expensive as it is and you lucked out on this place. 

You’re afraid all your luck is about to run out. 

Just by reading the sender’s email address of the new email, you immediately place it as what you’d been waiting weeks for from Bengals social team. It can’t get much worse than this, you think to yourself. So you click on it, watching the text load. 

Hi! 

I hope you’re doing well. 

We finally are settled and we do apologize for our tardiness in getting back to you. After polling our players, we’ve found that 25 of them expressed high interest in joining the promotional shoot for a one-shot in Dungeons & Dragons led by you!

We thoroughly enjoyed the demonstration and think this is an amazing opportunity for our players. 25 is a lot of people and we understand the challenge that might be. So please know we are happy to work with you to help make final selections. 

Our hope is to shoot in June, before training camps begin. We can start having players ready to meet with you in May. We hope the next five to six weeks is enough time for you to prepare. If not, let us know so that we can help find the best resolution. 

Though you expressed interest in taking on this responsibility on a voluntary basis, we have attached a contract with a competitive day rate for all days that you will be on site with us. We understand that between planning the story, setting up sessions and meetings to help explain the rules, helping the adventures build their characters and actually leading the story are all hefty tasks to take on that should never go without proper gratitude or compensation. 

Please let us know by April 4th if you are still available.

You read the email with blurry eyes--the surge and bubble of happiness and panic mixing in your stomach. If not for your iron cladded innards, you’re sure that you could find yourself knelt in front of your toilet, retching up the egg and sausage bagel you made for dinner for breakfast.

You double click on the attachment, heart soaring. You’re not sure how long you’d been on site with them, if you’d only be for a few days, but depending on how the rate looks, this could turn the tides on your fears about figuring out how to afford new housing even if only for a little bit. 

“I’m reading that wrong.”

You close the tab out with the PDF just to open it up again. It loads in mere seconds. Yet, the number of zeros does not change. It doesn’t even matter to you that this email has come so late in the night. Though you’re praying whoever was tasked with does have a good night. 

Your phone shakes against your dining room table. Burrowed, now coupled with a red heart emoji, flashes on the home screen alongside a preview of the text: Did your check engine light come back on?

Your phone shakes again. Burrowed: Also, check your email, please!

Joe’s supposed to be out with some friends out of state for the weekend, enjoying a bit of warmth down South well before it finally crests up in Ohio. But you know that he’s also a man a little too addicted to work so undoubtedly he’s paused his frolicking to check this email at least once today, if not nice. 

Email checked. I don’t think I’m going to be able to get my jaw off the floor though. You won’t be able to get your chest up either. Because just above the contract and offer from the Bengals sits utter destruction. Light stayed off today. No issues since getting it back. 

Good. I can call you later tonight, if you’re still free. A small celebration for the offer. 

You’d love to celebrate, but everything feels much too daunting right now. A high and a low crashing into each other. As much as you want to tell Joe, you don’t want to ruin his fun. He needs it, the space away to not have worries. The second he finds out about your living situation, you will become a worry. I think I’m going to turn it in early tonight. Long day. 

Sleep is important. Let me know if I can do anything. I hope tomorrow’s easier on you, baby. 

You hope, too, that when you wake in the morning the email from your apartment complex has disappeared. That it was all a bad dream, a sick joke. But it’s still there. In the bright morning light with the birds chirping right outside your window, every email that was there yesterday is still there today. 

The bed holds you warm, and here, you think might be the safest place to be for the morning at least. Your phone shakes buried somewhere between the sheets and the pillows but you don’t look to find it. The curtains are still open from the day before. You didn’t even have the energy to close them, just enough to change and slip in under the sheets. 

This small little apartment has held you for the last few years and to think in just an alarming four months, it won’t be. It won’t be able to hold you anymore. It’s not about the things so much as it’s about the months you’ve spent finding just the right decor, making this place feel like home--from the mattress on the floor to what you have now. It feels like you’d be losing a part of yourself. 

Your phone shakes again, buzzing with the first notification. Then it buzzes again a couple minutes later. But you stare out through the window, frozen in a limbo between wanting to tear it all apart, rip down everything you’ve ever created and grieving it. Nothing has happened. Yet everything has happened. The beginning of the end. And it could all be for something better but right now it all just hurts. 

You don’t know how long you’ve laid there. The sun’s gotten higher than much you can tell but your phone buzzes, and buzzes, and buzzes and you realize now it’s a call. Peeling the sheets away from your body you start to blindly feel for the device, to turn it off or at least silence the call as it vibrates against your mattress. You find it when you slip your hand under the pillow and it shakes now in your palm. 

Burrowed FaceTime. 

He hardly facetimes, opting to text or to audio call most often. Easier to do in the midst of daily life. And you should answer, you should be emailing back to say that you’ll happily accept the offer to run the one-shot. You should be looking for somewhere else to go. But you’re still in bed. 

Bringing your sheet back up to your chin, you swipe your thumb to answer the call. “Oh, whoa, you’re still in bed?” His voice comes through with a bit of lagging static but then the connection stabilizes and his concern is palpable through the screen. “Did you sleep okay? Is everything alright?”

You nod, hair rustling against the satin pillowcase, but don’t speak. 

“Yeah, I’m not buying that. Talk to me. What’s up? You haven’t responded to anything since last night either.”

It’s not uncommon that there’s hours between responses. But you do have a habit of responding first thing in the morning, on your lunch breaks, and after dinner. Even though it’s not constant, it’s consistent. In the top corner of your phone you can see now it’s almost noon. Much too long for you not to have responded to anything even on the weekends. 

“You’re,” the word falls out with a crack and you clear your throat realizing now you haven’t even had water yet today. “You’re supposed to be having fun and I don’t want to ruin that.”

“Are you sick?” Joe probes. 

Sick and tired of being sick and tired but you know that’s not what Joe means. “Not sick.”

“Well, it can’t be about the campaign because that got approved. Is it your mom? Your dad?”

“Joe, I’ll tell you when you get back. I just want you to have fun. You deserve it.”

He hisses, hand rubbing over his chest. “My name, you used my name. You wound me.”

It’s stupid, you know, but you huff out a tuft of laughter and flip to your other side, allowing a bit more light to shine on you. You can see the sadness in your eye though, meaning Joe will see it too. And you wish you could fake it. But you can’t. 

“Baby,” he coos, voice dropping at the sound. He definitely sees it too. “It’s going to worry me more that I don’t know what’s going on now. It will worry me more if I go this whole weekend fretting over this, whatever it is.”

And it’s right there, on your lips, but just the thought of it frustrates you again. A rug pulled out from underneath you. The frustration brings a well of tears to your eyes. “It’s so stupid, because it’s not the end of the world. But it feels like it,” you choke out. 

“Hey, it’s okay if it feels like the end of the world. Some things just feel like that.”

The tears are hot. A bubbling mixture of frustration and grief swirling yet again. You wipe your cheeks, swiping to bring the mail application up. “I’m going to forward the email I got from the company that owns the apartments I rent from. But my lease is up in July and I just don’t know what to do.”

“Okay, yeah, send it to me.”

Just the first few letters of Joe’s email brings up the rest and you tap it to add it to the “To” field. The bar loads at the bottom and then disappears, letting you know it’s sent. “I just forwarded it to you.”

“Okay, let me check. Stay on, alright?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Joe’s deep rumble is just a whisper for a moment. “C’mon, load faster. Got it.” There’s dips and valleys to his voice as he reads, not fully aloud, but not silently the email. “Oh that’s fucked,” Joe huffs. “And this what, came to you yesterday?”

“Yeah. Read that one before the one about the one-shot.”

“You can move in with me.” There’s no hesitancy in his offering, like he doesn’t have to think about it. And for Joe, he probably doesn’t have to think twice about it. 

But that’s way too fast, way too soon, for you. “It’s been three months, Joe.”

“It’s hon,” he corrects. “I take a tiny bit of psychic damage each time you use my name now.”

“First off, it’s still too soon,” you start, but in the back of your mind you think back to the whisper of Robin’s voice in your ear. Know that the second the idea is planted it’s a losing battle against Joe. “And second, I should’ve never mentioned anything to you about D&D. Now I’m going to have to suffer through you just using the lingo unironically. Which is like bludgeoning damage to my ears.”

“Hmm, I would say it’s more like piercing damage.”

“Please spare me.” The corners of your lips quirk into a smile but you fight against it, can’t let Joe know it’s working. 

“I know you want to smile. C’mon, just a little one for me.”

“No.” The edges lift higher, threatening to ruin the whole mirage. But you keep trying, keep forcing the planes of your face to fall flat.

“It’s right there, I can see it.”

“I’m going to hang up now.” You don’t move though just watch as Joe laughs. The sound makes your chest flutter and you finally let yourself smile, an exasperated tuft of laughter falling from your chest. 

“Before you hang up, hear me out, it won’t be three months in July. You’d never have to pay rent. You could adopt that cat when he shows back up. You already have the spare key.”

“But I have all this furniture.” It’s a rather lame excuse. He’s right on all the other things. Not having to pay rent could help you dramatically on your student loan payments. You’d be able to pay off your car faster too. He lives further from your job that you do right now and it would add about ten minutes to your daily commute. That’s a problem easily rectified though. 

“Anything you can’t bear to part with, we’d make space for.”

“Your bachelor pad could use an upgrade,” you tease. In another four months, you’d be seven months into the relationship. But you do worry that’s a move way too fast, too soon. Who would you be if you suddenly didn’t have your own symbols of independence? 

Joe reaches, though he doesn’t seem to notice it, for the chain, running his fingers over it. “You are an upgrade.”

“Let me upgrade ya,” you sing, the song playing inside of your head for a moment. “But I don’t need the BeyHive coming for me, so let me not.”

“Think on it. Living together is a big step, but my vote is that you move in with me. Seems like the most logical solution. Won’t put you in a financial crunch either.”

Of course it seems logical to Joe. There’s not much that changes for him. But, perhaps, you should focus instead on what things would change for you for the better. The dark creep is immediate though, you’d be losing everything. “They really should upgrade your uniform and put a big S around the 9. Since you want to swoop in like Superman.”

His cheeks turn pink, the genuine smile that makes his eyes crinkle lighting up his face. “Only for you, baby.” A few voices float in from the background, asking if Joe is ready to head out. He nods; his thumbs up an added sign to the affirmative. You try not to laugh at how often he uses the signal. “Just one second.” His eyes flicker back down to you. “We’re about to head out for lunch. But I need you to do three things for me.”

“Which are?”

“Respond back that you’re taking the offer for the campaign.” Joe holds up two fingers before he speaks again. “Drink some water and eat. That’s one thing. Don’t get smart with me. And three,” he starts, putting up his ring finger to the collection. “Do one thing that’s going to make you smile. I know that news sucks and is overwhelming. You have my offer and we can look into other ones too when I get back, find what makes the most sense for your situation. There’s still time on the clock, okay?”

“I am not an offensive lineman and this is not a football game,” you retort. But you still smile. You get what he’s saying. Though this is not the news you wanted, you still have options, still have time to figure out your next move. And you don’t have to do it alone. 

“Oh, shut it. But you are my partner and we are a team. So if you’re down in the trenches, so am I.”

You nod, pushing up from the sheets. “I think I can do all those things, even though it’s definitely four. Thank you, hon.”

“Always, baby. And it’s three, I don’t care what you say.”

In the midst of brushing your teeth, you walk through the scenario of moving in with Joe. Not having to pay rent sounds enticing. You like your job and don't think you’d leave it immediately. Yet you know you couldn't stay there forever. You got your degree in Healthcare Administration, thinking maybe you’d make lateral moves into Business to help struggling communities find affordable means to help take care of their elders. A dream that seemed way too big, but you hadn’t given up on it. Just wasn’t sure how’d you get there. 

Maybe this is a way to get there. But you don’t know. You don’t want to make any moves that could place you on your back foot unknowingly. Though you do know you love Joe, you know what your parents taught--to always have your own, should anything ever not work out. But if you’re paying off your car and your student loans faster because of it, then your other goals could come off the back burner. 

Would moving in be giving up some means of your freedom? You’d hate to think so, but can’t help the feeling. If you did move in, though, you’d want to feel like you’re contributing in some way or fashion. Joe would have something to say, you know. Something about why you shouldn’t have to be worried about cooking or cleaning after working all day. But it’s about the principle of the matter, the ability to do something for yourself, to contribute to the household. 

All the while you try to remind yourself this isn’t the only option. You could look for another place. But you’re not sure between work and the one-shot, if you’ll have full capacity for that search too. The frustration resurfaces, bubbling up in the back of your mind again but you need to eat, and to email back, so you focus on that. You did agree to those demands. 

Hi, 

I’m thrilled at this opportunity to work with you all and to bring the team an unforgettable experience. 

I am honored to accept this offer and the offered day rate as well. 

What are the next steps from here?

The second you hit send on the email and are sure it’s actually sent you scroll to find Jeremiah’s number in the active threads of your text messages. Hey, sorry I’ve had to be away from the campaign as long as I have. I have this opportunity to build a one-shot and will probably be away from the campaign even longer. In the meantime, I’d love to pick your brain about setting up a quick homebrew. I’m happy to treat you to lunch and pay for your time/expertise. 

His response comes rather promptly, before you’ve had time to gather your face wash and remove the crust from your eyes that’s sat way too long as it is. Free tomorrow? Happy to help any way I can. You don’t need to pay me.

The grass scratches just a little from beneath the blanket, but you settle down and crack open the cover on the book. It’s been sitting on your pile for months now and with Joe’s directive you give yourself the permission to slow down for one day to enjoy yourself, rather than jumping from tasks to tasks, it seems like now is the perfect time to fall back in love with the old hobby. 

A few kids laugh, only a few feet away in their coats, climbing on the metal jungle gym. In the sun it’s warm and you’re thankful for now the grass patch and playground are directly in the path of it. The first few pages are interesting, enough so that you get so engrossed that it’s not until you go in for more grapes and hit nothing by the glass bottom, you’re shocked. The children are on the swings now when you look back up, a solid hour has gone by. The only thing left is your small bag of chips after you finish up the sandwich and grapes. 

The earlier texts from Joe and your mother still sit unanswered, one a good morning text, and the second from your mom letting you know to call when you get a moment. In the bright sunlight, you feel a little bit better. There are options. There are things that you can do. You weren’t backed totally into a corner. You snap a picture, the remnants of your late lunch next to, the book in your lap, you squinting up at the camera but smile on the same. 

Does this count? you draft and ensure to hit send to Joe. 

You return to your book and make a mental note to check in with your mother after the next chapter. When your phone buzzes again, you almost don’t check it a little too engrossed in the story. But you stop at the end of the chapter as promised and spot the reply from Joe, Not going to lie, lost my breath there for a second seeing your smile. That’s what I want to see. And it only counts once you’re actually done eating. I see those Lays look a little too untouched. 

Aye, captain. 

The line rings in your ear and just behind it you hear the crunch of the first handful of the salty potato chips. “Hey there, stranger,” your mother answers. 

“Hi, Mom. How are you?”

“I’m good. Trying and failing to take it easy. How are you?”

“At least when I get older, I’ll know that I came by my ways honestly. But it sounds like you had something you wanted to talk about?”

“It’s about your dad. There’s a real shot of him getting out on probation.”

*************************

It’s a ritual now, Joe grabs you Saturday mornings always with a cup of chai in his hands ready for you. The two of you seemingly find something to do, even if it’s just Joe driving you already for your normal errands, and then usually around lunch time, the two of you tuck up in someone’s house--yours or his. He reclines and browses through the channels and streaming platforms while you busy yourself with digging into your books and notebooks. 

You’ll pose a question to Joe, breaking the relatively easy silence that’s settled in around you two. Joe chews over the questions each time they come up and answers in return. Your response is always the same, a thoughtful hum before you tack on, “Thanks, hon.” The silence settles back in again before you’re buried back into the pages. Sometimes Joe just watches the scratch of the pen, the flip of the pages by your fingers. It shouldn’t be nearly as enthralling as it is, but he is mesmerized. 

Like right now, reclined onto your couch, he’s supposed to be focusing on film, vaguely reading through all his emails to scan which ones need responses and which ones can wait--a light dabbling back into his normal routine as soon, training camps will begin and he’ll be back into a regiment to prepare for the start of the season. But until then, he’s going to soak up these quiet moments, the kind of still that makes Joe lose all sense of time, or desire to keep track of it. He does though, because as the hours tick by, the closer and closer your timeline closes on whether or not you’re going to move in with Joe or find a new place. As the hours tick on, the closer you get to filming. 

In two weeks, the three day crash course begins for the lucky players who will be a part of the one-shot. The click of the keys on your laptop echo as you work on something--a rather meaty sounding sentencing. You’re transferring handwritten notes into a document--a crash course cheatsheet you called it, hoping that before the initial meetings you could at least have it ready for distribution on the first day. Joe, not sure what’s on it, hasn’t really asked too much about it considering he would be a part of the side cast selected to voice non-playable characters that the main party will interact with to help them along on their journey. But he is rather excited to see what you’ve been working on, what you’ve managed to put together. 

The velvet couch is firmer than Joe anticipated, but it’s more comfortable than it looks too. It’s a nice lounge piece, a fun splash of color. The two of you have only briefly talked about your living situation--how you feel like you don’t want to freeloading off Joe, nor do you want to feel like you’re overly relying on him and how Joe doesn’t see it like that, how he thinks it’s just a natural progression of the relationship and providing you an opportunity to not have certain financial stressors in your life. 

The conversation hadn’t seemingly moved the needle for you. But it did help at the very least that the two of you knew what pages you both are on. He shouldn’t push. He knows he shouldn’t. Yet, the idea circles in his head when he’s home, alone, without you and his bed suddenly feels much too big without you in it, as if somehow even for all his height that necessitates the king size bed, it’s incomplete without you. He pictures how the DIY’d bookshelf you did with the wallpaper on the backboards would look in the house. The paint is black, and the wallpaper is dark with pops of oranges, reds, and greens, in the jungle print. Joe likes the idea of it in the foyer. A place to show up various other decor pieces of yours in the cubed off shelves and to bring a bit more life to the house. He likes the way his house is decorated. But it is sleek, it at times feels a little too sterile even to Joe. 

And the couch is an interesting piece to put in the gaming room--a back den that Joe currently has a big slouchy couch in, but doesn’t love because it’s at times hard to get up from and gets a little too hot too fast due to the leather it’s made out of. “We should keep the couch,” Joe comments. 

The rapid tapping of your keys never slows. Your gaze remains locked in on your computer screen. “I know your vote is that I move in with you. But you can’t distract me with compliments about my taste in furniture. I know I have excellent taste.”

Of course, you saw the motive. But Joe laughs, resting his head against the flats of his knuckles  as he watches you still typing away. Joe grew dissatisfied with his work about an hour and a half ago. “It was worth a shot. When do you think you can reach a good stopping point? I’d like to talk about that some more.”

“Uh, this shouldn’t take more than another five minutes? I’m almost done with this description and then I just need to get the graphic on the page, but that can wait.”

“We should also eat something too. It’s almost 7.”

Your fingers pause, eyes lifting a little higher and as the time blares in front of you, your eyes widen. “Have I been really working for 5 hours straight now?”

“Give or take. I do interrupt occasionally for kisses and small conversation.”

You make a couple more taps at the keys and then promptly shut the screen close. “I have left over stew that I really need to finish, if you’re okay with that.”

“Who made it?” Joe’s not going to say no either way, but he misses home cooked meals. The kind of meals that aren’t about being measured out on scales and by grams, like his chef currently does, which is fine. But there’s something about the way you cook, passed down by your mother and your mother’s mother, that’s about the feeling, about how it looks that makes the food taste that much better. 

“My mom.”

Joe pushes off the couch, scoffing as he does. “Why didn’t you lead with that? You better get your bowl first because I’m demolishing whatever’s left.”

“I found the rolls my grandmother uses for Thanksgiving.” 

Joe hears the grin in your voice and urges you up from the dining room table with a wiggle of his fingers behind him as he continues to your kitchen. Your fingers thread through his, even if only for the remaining two to three steps left. “The ones you keep telling me about?” Joe asks. 

“Yes, and there may be a few left in the fridge from when I baked half the package last night.”

The hiss of your fridge reveals both tubs of the BlueBonnet vegetable oil spread that Joe knows, now, is hiding away the last of stew. He’d noticed them earlier when he grabbed a bottle of water, but wasn’t sure if you had something you were baking with it so he left them alone and didn’t ask. He’s learned that repurposing of containers is a staple with you. He’s used the Christmas butter cookie tin becoming the tin to hide away threads and needles, but the mantra, “reduce, reuse, recycle” takes on a new meaning with you. 

There’s enough for a bowl or two left in the top tub but the bottom one has more weight when Joe pulls them out. The container Joe intends to spend most of the evening with after he’s sure you’ve had enough. He’s desperate for the taste of cooking, but not rude about it. Tucked behind them is a small aluminum dish and Joe peels up the corner to reveal rolls, a perfect brown color on top. 

He groans at the sight, knowing all his efforts to wean himself off this offseason freedom is about to be ruined. “Baby, you’re going to ruin me.”

“No, I’m not taking any calls from your coach, so you better tighten up.”

Joe pulls the tray out from the fridge too, slipping them onto the kitchen counter. Your kitchen is tiny--enough so that Joe and you can barely be in at the same time. But the proximity is welcomed, especially when you whisper out, “Behind,” with a light press to his lower back, your palm cradling his spine so gently. 

But Joe doesn’t let the flutter of his heart distract him from long. He takes the bowl you hand out to him and divides out a portion. The bowl isn’t large enough to take what’s left in the mostly empty container but the dregs left behind go into the second bowl that waits for him. “Have you started looking for another place?” The answer feels obvious, given your weekends are filled with D&D whenever Joe’s around. But he’s not sure about every waking second you have. 

“No,” you sigh. 

“Have you thought about my offer?” Joe asks after setting the timer on the microwave and hearing it start up in a whir. 

“I don’t want to take advantage of you, Joe.” His name falls stern from your lips and though he would normally make a joke about it, even he can feel that it’s not the time. You look frustrated, the knitting of your brow wrinkling your forehead. 

“It’s not like you’re a friend who’s struggling and just has been sleeping on my couch for months with no promise of moving out. You’re my partner.”

“But it’s your house. You already have things the way you want, you know? It’s yours and then I feel like I’m slotting in around all those pieces. Like I don’t even know when you have it cleaned or how often. And I don’t want to just move in and then create more work for someone else.”

“If it’s furniture you’re worried about, we can go and pick out stuff together or do whatever it is that would make you feel more comfortable. That doesn’t matter to me. What does matter is that you have a stable roof over your head. And right now, this place isn’t stable anymore.”

“It’s that,” you hiss, pushing off the fridge. The pointed jab never touches Joe, can’t cross the feet between you, but he feels it all the same in his chest. Like you’ve punctured the muscle and flesh, a sharp and aching sting. “It feels like you’re flaunting your money. And I know you’re not. But I make my own money. I have been for a while and it feels like suddenly, I’m making pennies. Like it’s insignificant.”

It would be easy to push back, say it’s not fair that his hard work is being thrown back in his face. Because it doesn’t seem like you’re trying to, as you pace the gap between the kitchen and the dining room table. Joe steels himself with a deep and slow inhale paired with a deep and slow exhale, but stays near the microwave. “I’m not trying to flaunt anything.”

“I know. I know. I just--it’s the noise in my head. Mom’s voice is in my head, telling me to make sure I always have my own, to watch my back. I thought this was mine, thought I’d be okay until I’d paid off my car and I’m not secure here anymore.”

Joe’s lost on what he’s supposed to do. Because he knows he’s not going to let you go. He’s not going to let you not make a decision. But you’re not paid nearly enough at your job to cover all your expenses in a way that could ever let you live comfortably, the way he believes you should live. 

“I’m not asking this to be rude or insensitive. But from a purely mathematical standpoint--how much rent can you actually afford? If we do a 50/30/20 budget, where half of your monthly take home is spent on basic needs, groceries, car, rent, medicinal stuff, how much is that? I mean totaled together for that 50 too.”

The question pauses your pacing and you grip onto the edge of the kitchen island, that separates the two of you. “I’m living on a, like, 70/20/10 split right now, and honestly, it’s probably worse than that.”

“Then you’re moving in with me.” The microwave beeps as the punctuation to Joe’s sentence. He hadn’t realized things were this thin for you. He understands why it might not have come up. But now he wonders how you even managed to pay for the car repair--if you’re using credit cards as your lifeline in this situation. A kind of never ending cycle if you’re not careful.

“Joe, you cannot be serious. I thought it was my say. This is my life.”

The bowl’s warm and Joe finds the drawers with your utensils, right under the cabinet where your bowls, plates, and mugs are, and stirs at the stew to make sure it’s thoroughly warmed up. “It is your life. But you’re barely treading water from the sounds of it. How did you pay for that fuel injector?”

“My mom helped me and what little emergency savings I had.”

“Would you be able to handle another emergency like that right now? Should one pop up?”Joe places the bowl in front of you and slips the second one into the microwave, careful as he closes the door so as to not cut off your response.

“No.” A clipped and firm response. You don’t add anything else, don’t move from your spot either. 

The whirring starts again and Joe and you only stare at each other. There’s a defiant line to your mouth but that matters less that you might be irked with him. “From a purely mathematical standpoint, you’re best bet is--”

“Moving in with you,” you interrupt, “I know. But are you listening to what I’m trying to say?”

“Something’s getting lost in translation, because while I understand that you want independence, I don’t understand why you’re scared to move in with me. It’s me, baby. It’s me.”

“It is you. And what if you get bored? What if you just suddenly decide you're sick of me and my normal people problems one day? Then what?” Your voice cracks on the sentence. Your chin wobbles and Joe can’t stand the sight, the way the tears well up in your eyes and thicken your voice. He takes a step closer and you take a step back. “Then I’m out back, again. Like always. I’m just-I’m tired. I’m tired and I’m fucking terrified. I don’t want that to happen. Again.”

Though it’s killing him, though everything in him tells him to go to you, Joe stays planted. Again. Because it’s happened to you once before, your ex who left seemingly at the first opportunity he could after two years of what appeared to be rather smooth sailing, and not being brave enough to end the relationship himself, made you do it. “I didn’t wait ten years just to throw you to the side like a toy a kid gets bored of. I can’t imagine doing that to you.”

“Just because you can’t right now, doesn’t mean--”

“I’m stopping you right there.” He can’t bear the thought spoken aloud, doesn’t want to give the thought any weight with words. Joe’s not like your ex. Joe’s not a coward like that. Wouldn’t make you do the thing he couldn’t do. But Joe does understand where the nick in your armor is, and why that’s a sore spot. But he deserves the opportunity to prove to you who and what Joe is. “I know neither one of us knows what the future holds for us. I get that. But it feels rather insulting. Do I give up on anything I want?”

“I’m not football, Joe.”

“You’re more important than football, than status, or fame, or the money. I want you. And I don’t give up on the things I want, or the people I love and care about.” The words are out before Joe can stop them. And though he notices them, feels how easy they are to say, he keeps going, keeps trying to bury the confession. “I don’t want to flaunt. I don’t want to make you feel smaller or less than. I just want you to be safe, and happy. And I want that with me.” 

“But I can’t just do nothing. I can’t sit still. I can’t not be doing something.”

“Did I do or say anything to imply that I wanted a trophy partner? That I just want to show you off for the absolute smokeshow you are and have you do nothing else?”

“Don’t,” you scoff, a tiny bit of laughter escaping you. “You can’t live, laugh, love your way through this. I still want to be someone in this relationship.”

He shouldn’t. But he lets the laughter shake his shoulder. “Live, laugh, love my way through, you say?”

“You know what I mean.”

Joe waves you closer, lets you decide if you want to come or not. He hopes you do, prays with his toes curled in his socks you come to him. And you do, the shuffle of your house shoes sliding over the faux wood vinyl flooring of the kitchen. When you press into his chest, sliping your arms around his waist, Joe wipes the tears from your cheeks with both his thumbs over the bones. “I don’t want you to give up who you are just because I’m asking you to move in with me. I want you to be you--funny, lethal with those comebacks, and smart, and kind. I want you to achieve your wildest dreams. I want to cheer you on from the sidelines. Help you when you need it, and only when you need it. And if I ever, and I mean, ever get in the way, start to dim your light, you have my permission to knock me upside the head, okay? Get me back in my place. Have I done that with my offer? Get in the way?”

“It’s just how you say it sometimes. Like it’s so final. I’m not in your head and you’re doing leaps and calculations I can’t see. And that makes it feel like it doesn’t matter what I feel.”

“Thank you, for telling me.” Joe is rather calculated, takes life in a measured approach--one step to get to two steps, and two steps to get to three. There’s emotion--those would always be there. But there’s a time and a place for those. “I apologize for not making it clearer that my intent wasn’t to dismiss your feelings, just to find the most logical solution.”

“Moving in with you does make the most sense, so you are right. It just feels fast and I don’t want to overly rely on you.”

Though Joe would enjoy starting the process of moving you in now, he can’t do that to you. Can’t make you move at his pace. “We can take it slow. Your lease is up in July. Me and a couple guys can help move you out slowly.”

“Oh, what? You don’t want to hire movers?” There’s a sparkle in your eye as you suggest it. One of those lethal comebacks. His chest warms at the sight. 

“Someone said I was flaunting my money. The very least I can do is flaunt my muscles.”

“They are some nice muscles, sir.” The sentence is punctuated by a squeeze at his bicep beneath the pink sweatshirt. “But you’re assuming that I’ve agreed and I have not explicitly done so.”

“You’re right. Let me back this train up then. Do you feel comfortable moving in with me at the end of your lease?”

“If we come up with a solid plan on how I can contribute, yes.”

“You’re not paying me rent. I don’t want money from you.”

“That’s fine, I appreciate that. But I need to contribute--someway. Because without that, it would feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”

“We can figure that out.”

“So, I’m more important than football, huh?” Your tease comes timed with the beep of the microwave. “And you care about me, hmm?”

You don’t say anything about the middle part--the fact that Joe does love you. It may be a bit premature. Even Joe can admit to that. But it’s different now that you’re both here. Now that you’re his, Joe never wants to let that go. He cared about you when you two were just friends. He wanted you to be happy and safe, and wanted to make sure that you were okay in the world. Before it was a general wish into the universe, the kind of feeling that passed in waves, surges when he saw you, and slithered back out to a calm when you were gone.  

Now Joe wants to put that into his own hands. Instead of wishing, Joe wants to do it himself, wants to carve out a space for you. Build safety where they might not have been any. Joe wants to make you feel loved, cared for, protected. There’s no passive hoping, no passive wishing. Just something deep and guttural-the kind of feeling that he couldn’t tame, only temper. 

“You okay, hon?” Your question is soft. 

The words burn the tip of his tongue. He wants to say them. It’s too soon, too fast, even for him. “I really do care about you,” Joe answers, hoping he can convey what he really wants to say with the sentence, the three words that he keeps buried for now. His hold tightens, taking the flesh of your waist into his fingers. “A lot,” he adds on. 

“I care about you too.” The sentence on the surface feels plain, like it’s not meant to say anything other than what it does. But your hands have crept up from his waist to his cheeks, cradling his head and Joe can taste what’s between those five words, an ‘I love you too’ also buried. 

Joe hums into the kiss, the chai he can still taste lingering on your tongue, the way you press into him. He’d press you into his ribs, make you one with him if he could. A weighty and impossible can of want, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting it. You’re so warm in his arms. A steady presence. 

Joe just wants to care for you. God, does he want to do that for you. Knows he’d be perfect for it, until you’re both buried next to each other. And maybe even beyond that too. The kisses grow hotter, a needier whine escaping you when Joe slips one hand under your t-shirt. He shouldn’t. There’s stew that needs to be eaten. 

He kisses down your neck anyhow. Drags his thumb over your throat to find a rapid and erratic rhythm. Oh, he’s going to give into every sinful desire he’s ever had and he doesn’t give a damn. “Let me apologize again?” Joe couples the question with the heel of his palm pressed into you, cupping you over your pants, a steady drag of his thumb over the soft material. 

“The food’s going to get cold again,” you whimper out, digging at his shoulders. Undoubtedly a last ditch effort, but Joe’s not going to take it. 

Joe’s not going to save you. He knows it, and judging by the way you arch into his palm, you know it too. “But my dinner’s begging for me,” he whispers against the shell of your ear to the broken moan that fights its way from your lips. 

“Please, hon.”

Joe makes sure that your bowl of stew makes it safely off the island, to rest now on the middle of the stove; that’s all he has the patience for before he’s hoisting you to the flat surface. Your scent invades his nose, makes his head go dizzy, as he peels your pants and under garments from your body. All there is is you, the feeling of your fingers knotted up in his hair, the sweet whine at the work of his tongue.

All there is is you. Joe doesn’t need anything else, just you, the perfect sighs, the clench of your thighs around his head. He could die between your legs, suffocate himself, starve off all his oxygen and it would be an honorable death. The kind of death that he’d pride himself on. All just to hear you whisper out his name, tell him that he’s the only one that can make you feel this way, make you feel this good. 

Joe’s not sure how long he’s down on his knees. Doesn’t care to know really, just can tell by the ache it’s been a while. The slow kind of devouring, where he had to interrupt his own work to apologize over and over again to you. Make you tell him just how much you wanted him to continue his work. 

“Fucking hell,” you heave as you pull him back away from you. “You’re going to be the death of me.” 

It falls with a laugh, but Joe shakes his head and presses a kiss to your exposed stomach. “No, you’re going to be the life of me so I need you alive.”

“Then I think we should stop now. I’m seeing stars. I might see the next closest galaxy if we keep going.”

“I think I like that goal next.”

“I’m sure you do. I think you’d cum your pants if I made a chart and gave you gold stars too.”

Joe winks up at you. His grin splits his cheeks, wide. “What can I say? I’m goal oriented.”

*******************

He looks weathered. The stern pull down of his lips ages him. But it has been fifteen years, a large enough gap that it could mess with anyone’s memory. The beard, or what remains of it, is grayed in patches. You’ve visited only a handful of times and somehow you don’t remember when the warmth of his face melted, solidified now in a scowl you don’t recognize. 

That is until the gates open, a long buzzing sound and the metal bars peel back on their motors. Then he smiles. And he looks like the man you knew back at thirteen. His whole face lights up and your mother’s faster. She pushes up from the front of the car, a couple inches from the opening gates, and waits, a prance in her gait until he fully crosses the invisible line in the gravel. 

“God,” she laughs, arms wrapping around his shoulder. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it,” she cries. 

And you can’t either. Wasn’t sure when you’d see him again, like this, dressed in his own clothes. Their hug is long. His face buried into her shoulder and her face buried into his chest. A hug that rocks them back and forth. 

But when your dad pulls away, his eyes landing on you again, you don’t hesitate. “Dad,” you cry, sliding into his arms. “Holy shit, holy shit, you’re real.”

“Yeah, pudding, I’m real,” he laughs--the same laugh you remember. 

You settle into the backseat of your mom’s SUV but can’t help but lean in, resting your head against the seat your father’s settled into. “Heard you’re out here keeping your head on straight,” your dad offers twenty minutes or so into the drive. “Helping Mom’s out with the appointments and all.”

“I tried my best. And I had help.”

“I’m still proud of you, kid.”

“Thanks.” 

It’s still strange--since the last time he was really around where you were a kid. But you’re relieved. To have him back. To experience life with him in it, not in some letter or on the phone calls again. May 16th is a day etched into your memory. One, that as you journey, closer and closer back to home, you don’t see yourself forgetting. Much of the car ride passes in broken memories, spurts of you, your mother, and father recounting the days together that you had. There’s parts of it too where you fill him in on things that are happening and have happened since he’s sentencing started. 

“Word on the street is that you’re finally dating again.” Your dad offers the comment while the three of you wait in the drive through for breakfast. You’ve already ordered, but haven’t paid yet. 

Joe’s not been a topic of conversation with your dad. Part of you worried that it’ll somehow backfire before it went anywhere. In addition, you don’t really know how he’s going to react. You’ve told your dad about previous partners. But the last one ended roughly, when your ex got a job offer to go out of state but told you that while he did love you, didn’t want to go to a new town tied down and tried to soothe the burn with ‘and I don’t want you to have to upheave your life either, since I know you’re close to your mom. So we can remain together until I leave, if you want.’

It still burned you all the same. He was still too chicken shit to do it themselves, having to hand you the axe he bought, to end the relationship for him. A new fear planted in you from that day forward about getting involved with anyone else. 

Until now.

“Yeah, I am,” you confirm. 

“Your mom won’t tell me who it is. So I gotta be direct here, he’s not affiliated, is he?”

“No, no, he’s not. You know him.”

Your mom snorts. “I mean Joe’s going to have to meet your dad eventually.”

“This better not be a white boy,” your dad laughs. It’s not a serious threat, just the jovial kind of teasing he’s always done. 

“I have bad news and I have bad news,” you return. “Joe is indeed white.”

“So what does he do? He make good money?”

Another round of laughter shakes your mother after she gets her card back and starts towards the second window to collect the food. Clearly she hadn’t provided all the details. “Joe plays football and makes good money,” you answer. 

“Oh, hell no. That’s probably some lie he’s telling you.” His tone isn’t dismissive, though he does sound a little disappointed. The paper bag is loud as your father takes it, passing both your sandwich and side of tatertots to you. 

“He does plays football,” your mother corroborates, “and does make good money.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” 

You don’t fault the reaction, just wish that he had the years like your mother to see Joe, meet him from the beginning. “You already know who it is though,” you laugh. 

Your father’s not a die hard Bengals fan, but he does keep up from the conversations you’ve had over his stint. Prior to this, Joe’s always just been ‘a friend’ to your father--the guy that you had a couple classes with before he got big. And you’re not sure how much of the dynamic you’ve ever discussed with him. Your mom saw more, heard more stories. It’s clearer now that there’s a lot more context missing for your dad. Your dad passes the bagel your mother ordered to her and then slips the straws into the cups after he tears the white wrapping off of them. 

“What’s his last name? I ain’t root for no white boy playing football.”

“Burrow.”

The sip of his orange juice chokes him, a coughing fit that doesn’t stop him from spinning around in the front seat. His eyes are big and you can hear between the coughs the question he’s fighting to get you. “The,” cough, “Joe”, cough, “Burrow?”

“Yeah, I went to OSU with him, remember?”

“Catch your breath there,” your mom commands, easing the car back onto the highway. “You are not fixing to die here in this car after we just got you back.’” The change in the medication has filled out her face like it should be. She’s not gained anything in excess, just back to her usual self. You see it better in her profile now. “Not on my watch.”

Your father’s inhale is deep but his eyes remain locked on you. “Bullshit,” he returns. “Is this a prank?”

You huff, the bite of your sandwich filling your mouth but you slip your phone out of your pocket. I need you to settle an argument with my dad. Are you up yet? 

Yes, was just waiting for you to text me that you guys got back safely before I do too much with my day. What kind of argument am I needed to settle? Joe punctuates the sentence with an emoji who has one brow raised and a straight line as the mouth. 

Are you like at least halfway presentable?

I’ll call you in five. 

You hand the phone out to your dad after turning the ringer on. “Answer that when it rings.”

“Just be sure to hold the phone straight out when you do answer if you see something that says FaceTime at the top,” your mother clarifies as he takes the phone.

��Pudding, I’m being so serious. Are you actually dating Joe Burrow?” your dad asks. The raised brow tells you not to lie, not to drag out whatever game he suspects you and your mother are playing on him. 

You shrug. “He is a white boy that plays football.”

“See, you’re too much like your mother. A lot of mouth and it’s going to get you in trouble one day.” In the midst of the rant, your phone chimes, once. And then a second later, your ringtone erupts in the cabin of the car. “Burrowed? What is that?”

“His contact name, or really my nickname for him from back in college. Now, please answer it. He does think it’s me though.”

It takes two tries for your father to swipe and correctly answer the call. You’re pressed in from behind the front seat and peer up over your father’s shoulder. “Joe,” you call out, “meet my dad. Dad, meet Joe, my boyfriend.”

“Well ain’t that about a bitch,” your father exhales. “You really are dating Joe Burrow.”

Joe laughs, clearly taken aback, but still amused. His eyes are still puffy with sleep, but he’s at least got a shirt on and his hair looks roughly combed back, not perfectly so, but enough from what you can glean on the tiny screen. “Nice to meet you, sir. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Oh, you don’t gotta butter me up, hell. I--well, excuse my earlier comment. I have clearly missed some rather crucial life updates.”

“No, no, it’s all good. Forgive my absence. Didn’t want to intrude on that moment for them. But I’m glad that they have you back in their lives and uh, I look forward to meeting you in person. Once you get settled of course.” 

“Yeah, yeah, that sounds….good. I’m going to hand the phone back, but thank you.”

You don’t fully catch Joe’s response as you take the phone back, but you hear his laughter. “Thanks for settling that.”

“Anytime, baby. Before you go, just want to confirm, you’re still coming over here Monday night after work, right?”

The question catches the attention of both your parents. You can tell by the way they ease in just a little, as if leaning into the middle console. “Oh my god, you two are very obvious. I am almost thirty, so, let’s not worry about me,” you return, watching them ease back away from the middle. 

As you turn back to the screen, Joe’s face is bright with his new round of laughter. “They’re not even being subtle about it either, hon. But yes, I’m headed straight to you after work on Monday. I don’t feel like getting lost again at Paycor.”  

You’d gotten a little turned around when you went for the demonstration considering you’d needed to be at the business entrance but the GPS wanted to drop you off like you were going for a game. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the upcoming week are the three days you have with the players to give them a crash course, help pick which ones will be playing as characters in the party, which ones you’ll be using to voice NPC’s and to help build the basics of their character sheets. An intense three days, but with filming slated for the first full week of June, you know that won’t get too much more time. 

“I got you. I’ll see you on Monday. Text me when you all get back, please.”

“Of course.” 

When the call ends, your father turns around. “He seems like a good guy.”

“He is,” you agree. “A really good guy.”

“But I still want to feel him out. Make sure he’s not full of shit, or got an ego, or anything.”

“Of course, Dad. Joe’s said he’s wanted to learn how to grill.”

“I can teach him a thing or two. But first, you and I, we have some catching up to do. Do you still like wandering around bookstores?”

“For you, Dad, I’d wander in a bookstore any day of the week and twice on Sunday.”

The weekend’s gone too fast, between the time you spend sitting in the coffee shop next to the bookstore, the stack of books resting between you and your dad, and the time you have to take to buckle up on the final edits and additions to the powerpoints and documents, the long weekend is eaten up. Not that you mind it, when your dad asks you questions about what you’re doing as he takes a break from his book, or the texts from Joe to remind you to eat, drink water, and to check your body for any cues that you’ve might have been ignoring for the sake of getting everything perfect. 

Joe popped by on Sunday, the first formal meeting between him and your dad, which turned out much better than either one hoped for. They laughed on your couch, talking football of course, about you, about your dad’s writing. Every hour or so one of them would pause, check on you and then settle back into their conversation. One might pop by and kiss your cheek or the top of your head and place a fresh glass of water next to you. 

More than once Joe peered at the notes, reading through the pieces of the campaign he wasn’t involved with. As the time draws closer, you notice more and more of his resolve to not know breaking. You let him slide on non crucial things, but make sure to keep an eye out for Joe whenever you’re working on the particular juicy part. Joe promises not to spill anything that he does learn. Especially not to Ja’Marr, since that choice was made for you about him making it into the adventuring party. You won’t say it’s because Joe begged for it, but he and you both know the truth. 

“Joe,” you squeaked out, your phone poised in front of your face, the camera rolling. Your cheeks squished gently in the crook of his elbow caused your lips to pucker out. The headlock wasn’t tight by any means. If you wanted, you could pull your head back and just about slip out of the hold yourself. It just looked worse than what it was. The exchange prior to your recording went on for nearly a minute and neither him nor you had much resolve to back away.  It was a petty and meaningless hill for both of you to defend. Yet, you both defended your hills. 

“Say it.”

“Hon, please.”

“Say it,” Joe commanded again.

“Joe,” you laughed, watching him finally catch onto the camera. But it didn’t stop him. 

“Record if you want, but you’re going to say it. Say he gets to be part of the party.”

“We’ve been over this.”

“Say it.”

“This isn’t exactly fair, you know.”

“I am literally holding my partner hostage. Does it look like I care about fairness right now? Now say it.”

“Joe,” you huffed. 

“Please, baby,” he cooed, the hold never dropped, never wavered. 

“Ja’Marr’s going to be part of the party.”

“And who else?”

“Oh, you don’t get to influence two choices. There’s only space for three offensive players and three defensive ones in the party. I’m waiting to meet them before I make my final decision.”

“Fine, but Tee gets lines too, right?”

“Yes, Tee will get lines too.” Almost immediately, the headlock was dropped and Joe pressed several hard and dramatic kisses to your cheek. 

All of that leads to here, walking into Paycor with Joe at your side. Your backpack is thrown over his shoulder while he carries his iPad in one hand, the other threaded through yours. You don’t know who knows about you and Joe, but it doesn’t seem to worry Joe in the slightest. He struts confidently through the doors behind you. 

“Ay yo, look at the happy couple.”

The grin is wide and you recognize Ja’Marr immediately. He pulls you into a hug first before turning to greet Joe, a series of daps and snaps. You’ve met Ja’Marr in passing, said hi when he was on the phone with Joe as just the background voice and presence while Joe was down in Louisiana and now up in Ohio. So it’s not a shock that he knows about you. Though you do hazard a glance around to see who else is listening too. 

There’s not many of the team here yet, but you are early. An arm is slung around your shoulders and you can’t immediately place the weight. Ja’Marr’s grin hasn’t moved an inch when you look up to him. “Sorry I haven’t been by before to properly meet you. Wasn’t trying to roll up on nothing I couldn’t unsee.”

You snort at the tease. “Smart move. I didn’t think you’d put your name down for something like this.”

“He’s talked about your other campaigns or stories or whatever they’re called. It sounded fun. But don’t tell Joe, I said that.”

Joe laughs from behind you both. You nod as you respond, “Secret’s secret with me.”

“I’mma steal your partner here,” Ja’Marr throws back over his shoulder. “We have much to discuss before the meeting starts. If you’re cool with that of course.” The additional check in is directed to you, to which you nod in your agreement. “I just want to make sure Burrow over there is treating you alright. Because I will take his ass to church if he ain’t.”

The ease between you and Ja’Marr is nice. Clearly, mindful but a wiseman. Makes you assume he was maybe a bit of a class clown in school. “Sounds like a lovely time.”

“That took all of four seconds,” another voice adds in. When you risk a glance back to check on Joe, you spot Tee just next to him. You wave back to Tee and he returns it with a quick reach up of his palm. Joe nods at you, to go ahead, and then turns to Tee. 

You and Ja’Marr don’t make it far, only a couple feet from them. But the conversation is easy, a check in on your mother and father now that he’s released. “Look, I know it’s hard for folks to get back to normal after being locked up for that long. If your dad needs any kind of help landing a job or something, just hit me up.” 

“Thanks, Ja’Marr. I appreciate it. It is a federal offense technically, but not a violent charge. Weight and some priors did him in.” You need to be honest, but you don’t want to give away too many details.

“Violent priors?”

“One. He got caught up in a bad scuffle, I think it was over terf. I was too young to really get the specifics. Misdemeanor assault.” You only know that much because your mother finally told you, though she had made you promise not to look up your dad’s prior offenses. And so far, you hadn’t.

“Is he? You know? Still connected?”

You shake your head. “No. He’s out. Clean.”

“Alright, I got ‘im, if he needs anything. And your moms? She good?”

“How much does Joe tell you?” you laugh. 

“He tells me everything, or damn near everything. I just want to make sure you straight. I see how Joe is now as compared to before. This is good for him and damn if I ain’t relieved to see that man happy. If keeping you straight, keeps him straight, then that’s easy. Smoove work out here.”

“Give me your number and if anything comes up, I’ll let you know.” 

“Good idea.” 

Ja’Marr types quickly at the screen, but you find yourself reminded of the security guard during your mother’s surgery. The kind of sight that exists between your community, the kind of people who know without much prompting. You’re glad Joe has people like this in his life too. But you’re equally as relieved that maybe you can have that kind of people in your life too with Ja’Marr. 

“It’s under ‘Uno’ in your phone by the way,” Ja’Marr informs when he hands back your phone. 

“In reference to your number?”

“Because there’s only one number one,” Ja’Marr grins. “And that’s me, baby. That’s me.”

The lobby’s full around you now, the sound of the room raising higher. “Hi, sorry to interrupt. But I need to snag them,” Ashlyn interjects, reaching for you. “We’re going to be ready in like ten. Did you need anything hooked up?”

“Oh, just my laptop. One second.”

Joe’s moved himself to the sides of the crowd. Undoubtedly more and more players slipping in while you were in the midst of conversation with Ja’Marr. You ease your way through, a chain of ‘excuse me’ and ‘pardon me’ leaving your lips. There’s not too many of the players. They’re just sizable, turned into pockets that leaves you slipping in and around them to get to the edges of the group. When you finally get through to the other side, Joe’s gaze is already locked in on you. “You need something?” he asks. 

“My backpack, gotta hook up my laptop.” You take it from Joe’s fingers after he slips it off his shoulder. 

“I’ll be in in a minute if you need help.”

“I think I can handle a projector. Stay out here. Talk to your boys. I literally can’t go anywhere since you drove.”

“But if you need help--”

“I’m fine. Stay here,” you command, 

“Who would’ve thought Burrow could’ve been whipped.”

“Oh, shut the fuck up,” Joe laughs.  “Gesicki, that better not have been your ass.”

As you slither down through the edges of the crowd, following behind Ashlyn, you catch the laughter exploding from the boys, a kind of harmony that can only happen in a moment like that, when it’s all play, when it’s all love. 

You know when the guys have entered, their voices moving closer and closer to the conference room, bodies scattering throughout the elevated seating. Just to leave you at the bottom at the podium. It’s clear the room’s meant to hold more given the emptiness that’s scattered about. And it’s even clearer that they all have an unassigned and unspoken rule as they scatter about, making you wonder if you were to watch them during the season if they’d settle like they did now. 

“Oh, I’d scoot in a little closer if I were y’all. There is a pop quiz at the end and y’all can cheat. I just can’t catch you doing it,” you tease. 

“Shit, don’t gotta tell me twice,” a voice calls from the back and the room shuffles again, closer now but still enough space between them that they’re not on top of each other. 

“That’s better.”

“I have never sat this damn close before. I feel like I’m all up in your space.” You spot B.J. as the voice, as he scoots back just a little from the table. 

“It’s all good. Thankfully, I don’t get claustrophobic,” you laugh. Ashlyn’s introduction of you is rather brief and then she slips away off to the side so that you can take over. “First, thanks for showing interest in this, and showing up on your time off. That means a lot. And thanks to the front office staff here too, in agreeing to this. I know not everyone has the same level of experience with Dungeons and Dragons so today’s going to be a bit of a crash course on a) what it is, b) what you can expect during game play and game mechanics and c) what comes next. I will warn now there are limited slots for who will make a character sheet with me tomorrow but the remaining 19 of you will get roles. There’s only a couple days for us to prepare so I don’t expect y’all to be experts. But do ask questions and I hope y’all have fun too.”

“Wait, that’s only six people making characters. Damn.” 

The comment is soft, but you feel for the worry now starting to bubble in the crowd. “I know. Had to rip the bandaid off first. I can explain why six was our magic number for this group once I start talking about how the game works.”

A hand raises and you nod in the direction. His face is familiar but you cannot recall his name, though you think it might be start with a T, that’s not Tee. The guess feels too hazy so you refrain from any direct guesses. “I have a little experience in this. And they are taking on a lot to pull 6 players. But it’s still a good balance,” he directs to the group and then turns to face you. “If you need an extra set of hands to help with character building, I’m happy to help.”

“Thanks. And remind me of your name?”

“Trey.”

“Thanks, Trey. I appreciate it and will let you know about the help. I think this is as good a time as any to start with introductions, yeah? Tell me a little bit about what you know about the game, if you’ve played at all and then we’ll go from there. Sound good?”

There’s a chorus of yeah’s and nods. You’ve tried to study the roster to be names to faces prior today, but you’ve always been better with faces. As they go around, names and even some listing their positions, you take note of who’s had more experience than others, opting to prioritize those who haven’t played before over those who have. 

You get to the last of the three rows and let Ja’Marr introduce himself though he doesn’t really have too. “I don’t know nothing about this for real,” he continues. “Have heard stories so yeah, now I’m here.”

“Welcome, no experience is just as valuable as a ton,” you return. Though it shouldn’t, your heart flutters just a little to see the attentive gaze of Joe. His smile is faint, just pulls up at the one corner of his mouth. But he sits, straight up in the chair, zeroed in on you. You know not skipping Joe would make it less obvious, but the cat’s already out of the bag and Joe Burrow needs no introduction. You point to Tee next to him. 

“What? You’re just going to skip me,” Joe laughs. “You didn’t skip Ja’Marr.”

“It’s because they like me,” Ja’Marr interjects. “We twins now.”

“I know you, Joe,” you sigh. “QB. One one-shot’s worth of experience. Preference for Paladins and longswords. Is there anything I’m missing?”

“Yes, loving partner to you. That feels quite relevant.”

“Yes, how dare I omit that? Let me create a new column in my notes.” You fake like you’re taking a note about it, but don’t miss the warm smile on Joe’s face. The round of laughter is short about the exchange. 

“And a slayer of cultists, from the demo session,” he adds on and then nods. He wouldn’t be Joe without the deadly serious face, without the silly returns. Even with all your lethal comebacks, Joe takes them in strides and dishes them right back. “That’s all.”

“Thanks, Joe.” Though his pet name threatens to cross your lips, you won’t push that line. Not here, not now. You nod next to Tee. “Tee, you next.”

The hour and a half seems much too short, but you don’t want to eat up their entire days. You’ve managed to explain the majority of the important things. How the game works, how backstory plays a part not just in what the characters do and say but also how that influences the plot. You take your time to go over the mechanics, how to ride the die and how to read character sheets, but know that tomorrow they’ll have more questions. 

You pause around your sip of water and check the time again. You’re in the last five minutes of your window. There’s been good questions, a lot of them scribbling notes down. Your level of sarcasm has yet to fully settle in that there’s really no pop quiz, the room just felt too big with them all spread out. It felt like you might’ve been giving an actual lecture. 

“Alright, I’ve thrown a lot of information at y’all in the last hour or so. So, we’re going to pause here. Is there anything I can answer for you all right now?”

Tee raises his hand and begins to speak when you prompt him. “So, you said that stuff in the background influences the plot. How do you plan on incorporating that information in just, what? Two weeks? How crazy should the ones who get selected get with their backstory?”

“You can get crazy now. This one-shot has a lot of predetermined paths, so there will be some things that if they get brought up to me might not make it into this particular venture. But they’ll be your characters so the more you make up and flesh out the better the experience will be for you. You’ll be able to think less about what you would do and more about what your player would do. And you can also take these characters into other games too, training wheels for now and then if this is fun enough for you, you can reuse bits and pieces for other things too.”

“Aight, cool, cool.”

Chase raises his hand, from the second row, and you prompt him to go with a nod in his direction. “I’m a little confused on the bonuses and stuff. Can you run that one more time for me?”

“Sure.” It takes a few taps of the keyboard to get your powerpoint back to the slide with a filled out character sheet. “Why don’t you take a stab at explaining what you do understand and when you get stuck, I’ll jump in.”

“So like, I get how certain classes and certain races have, like, natural abilities towards like, medicine or strength, right? Those are proficiencies, yeah? But then what’s the modifier again?”

“Okay, I can see where the confusion is coming in. So, your modifier is the number you get to add to rolls. But you’ll have a modifier for each of these core skills,” You move over to the side of the screen where Charisma, Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, Wisdom, and Constitution are. “Think of these six as the pillars to all characters. Everyone’s going to have some level of these six dimensions. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, but how do you figure out that stuff?”

“So, that gets into the part about the races and classes. But, let me start at like character building basics 101. Everyone’s going to have Charisma, Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, Wisdom, and Constitution. You’ll roll a few times and then drop the highest and the lowest from that set of numbers. From there, you get to place the remaining numbers. In this example we have 11, 9, 13, 10, 15, and 8. These are just base numbers that get assigned by you to these six core dimensions. If you want to be stronger than you are intelligent, then you’d take that 15 and add that as your base to Strength. Or you may find that you want to charm your way out of trouble, be a little heartbreaker, so maybe you decide to give Charisma the 13. Those base numbers will influence the smaller numbers at the bottom. The smaller number is your modifier. So if you’re trying to sneak up on someone, I might ask you for a stealth check. Stealth is linked to dexterity. If you gave Dexterity the 11, your modifier is going to be much smaller. So you’ll get a smaller boost on your roll.”

“Oh, oh, so the smaller number is what gets added to the roll which then gives us that total number we give to you?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“And so skills and proficiencies are linked to those six cores. I can see like Religion has--is that Wisdom?”

“Yep, it is. So if you wanted to ask about some magical lore on something. I might ask you to roll a wisdom check. You’d take your d20, roll it, and then add that tiny number under Wisdom. Which would then determine what answer I give to you and your characters.”

“And so like the classes and races, how does that play a part?”

“Bards, as described in the manual, are performers, right? If you decide to play a bard, you might decide to lean into that and give yourself the highest numbers for Charisma. Or you might decide my bard can’t sing for shit and give them the lower numbers and maybe that’s for background reasons that come up in the campaign. When we sit down tomorrow and talk more about the classes and races things will definitely click a bit more.”

“Okay, okay. It’s starting to come together though. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Well, I’ve officially sucked an additional three minutes from your lives that you cannot get back that wasn’t planned for. So, I guess everyone’s getting 100’s on the pop quiz.”

“Man, I had a notebook ready to cheat! It’s all good though.” You can’t place the voice distinctly amongst the group of laughter. 

“Tomorrow the first thing I’m going to do is reveal the final list of party members. But everyone should come prepared tomorrow with some kind of lore. Even those playing like pre-made characters will be able to build a small backstory, give them a little flare. Thanks for your time, guys. On the way out, I suggest grabbing a packet--as a breakdown on types of characters, classes, and races. This information is also just online, but I made it look better.” It was undoubtedly more effort than you needed to do, but you won’t do anything half assed. 

“Oh, shit, let’s see who the lucky ones are come tomorrow.”

The group is slow to leave, lingering to catch up. Almost everyone does take one of the printed packets you leave on the corner of the first row near the door though. You catch mentions of what kind of character they might play should they get chosen. You know you agreed on Ja’Marr and can’t backtrack him but you’ll have plenty to mull over tonight now with your list and the various experience levels they all have. That’s only if a certain quarterback doesn’t attempt to influence your choices. 

“Can I go lock myself in your office for a bit tonight? I need to close ranks and can’t afford distractions,” you poise to Joe now in the passenger seat as you two head back to his place. One of Joe’s hands rests on your knee, a steady stroke over the joint.

“Of course, baby. I’ll unearth you to eat, but I won’t make any more moves to influence your decisions. I hadn’t realized so many of them didn’t have any idea about it but just jumped in because it sounded fun. You did great today. Everyone’s excited. This is going to be good, I can tell.”

“That’s because you keep stealing looks at my notes! But thank you, that means a lot.”

“I have to make sure you’re treating my old wizard well.” 

“I am, I am, don’t get your boxers in a bunch.”

Even though you fret, spend half the evening flip flopping on your decisions, you stick with your gut. When you and Joe walk in the next day, you notice the lot is fuller than yesterday. As if they all agreed to show up early to save themselves from the anticipation. But you and Joe are still twenty minutes early. 

The lobby is crowded but eerily silent when Joe lets you in first. “Who died?” you question. 

“We’re trying to see who made it in,” Tanner laughs. “I don’t think I slept to save my life last night.”

You reach up for the strap of the backpack and Joe hands it over. Their behavior reminds you of when school play parts would be announced, the hallways lined with the theater kids anxious to know their fates. “Give me ten minutes and someone point me in the direction of a printer. I’ve got an idea.”

“Printers smell fear or they want to smell it,” you mutter and then curse the gray machine. Ashlyn laughs next to you, but closes the side panel again. It grunts and whirs before it finally spits out the two pages. One is the list of party members, the second is the list of who plays what pre-made character. But the machine wouldn’t cooperate until after it jammed twice.

“I’ve got the tape,” Ashlyn notes and the two of you head towards the conference room. The crowd of the boys watch from down the hall. You tape the main lists up first, around all four corners and then place a blank sheet on top, held up by one piece of tape. When it’s secure Ashlyn nods and you start down toward the group. 

“Alright boys. The lists are posted. Please know I did take careful consideration on who’s played before and who hasn’t. I thought about how these people would do as a team--cohesive but hopefully enough variety to create tension and interesting sub plots. It was a labor of love to make these selections and I hope, by the end, everyone feels important, because each and every one of you is important to this session, to this one-shot, and to this team. Got me?”

“Got you,” they chorus back--all twenty five of them in unison. An echoing of all their voices ringing in your ears as you step aside and let them down the hall. 

You watch the slightly hurried rush and think it’s Zach who reaches the door first. You can’t tell. Only watch as the two cover sheets are snatched down in unison, leaving only the black ink of the lists. There’s a hushed inhale, the sound of the group sucking in air at the big reveal, as they scan the lists. 

“Poor Burrow didn’t make the player squad.”

“I gave up my spot for you, dumbass,” Joe returns to Ja’Marr’s jab. 

“Why my shit different though?” Tee questions. 

“Where are you?” Ja’Marr asks. 

“It is says narrator, but it’s underlined.”

“Might be a printing error,” Joe offers. But then hums as he studies the list further. “Wait, no, that last what, five, six names are all underlined too.”

“Could it mean something?” Sam questions. He’d ask to join before announcing his departure and was still kept in on the loop. “I didn’t even notice my name was underlined too.”

The group turns to Joe and his hands raised immediately. “Shit, don’t look at me.”

“That’s your partner, though,” Trey cuts in, incredulous. 

“They’ve kept a lot of this tight lipped. I only know about my character really.” The pressure of their gazes thicken. “I’m telling it to you straight. I don’t know why your names are underlined. They were locked away in my office last night so whatever they’ve decided I wasn’t there for.”

You finally move down the hall much closer to the group, having hung back to give them space to read. “They’re keeping me on a strict timer here. Any problems?”

“The underlines, do they mean something?” Tee questions. 

“Huh,” you return, knowing they’re not mistakes. But you had intended to hide them. Or try to find some less obvious way to remind yourself. The printer jamming and the groups eerie early attendance spooked you. But you can’t give it away now. Not just yet. “The printer was being fussy. I tried printing it down twice and each one had something wonky.”

Most of the boys buy it, shrugging as they enter the room. But not Joe, you can feel the suspicion dripping from his gaze. You hold it, his gaze, as steadily as you can. Though you have a decent poker face, you know you’re nowhere as good as Joe. He pulls you back from the doorway, a couple feet. “That’s not a printer issue, is it?”

“Technology hates me,” you quip. 

“No, you hate technology but I don’t think it was a printer issue. What are you planning?”

“Keep showing up and you’ll find out.”

His eyes widen--a pure excitement as he laughs and then slaps a hand over his mouth. The understanding dawns immediate. There is in fact a major reason for their names being underlined. But not one you can share. Something waiting to happen inside of the campaign. But not something you can give away right now.

“Lovebirds, we’re waiting on you!” Ja’Marr hollers. 

“I need Joe Brrr right now,” you threaten in a whisper. “Keep it together. Play it fucking cool. This is 4th quarter, down by 17 with 10 minutes left on the clock level of keep it together. Do you understand me?”

He nods. “I don’t even know what we’re talking about.” The planes of his face are even, but there’s a glimmer in his eyes, amusement and excitement brewing behind the otherwise bored facade. 

“Keep it that way.”

[it-happened-one-fic]

900 Follower Count Playlists: Twisted Wonderland

Thank you so, so much! I wasn't entirely prepared for hitting the 900 Follower Count, so I'm afraid I don't really have an event prepared. But! I still wanted to do something so I compiled this real quick. I guess its sort of like a follow-up to the 500 followers playlist starter pack.

500 follower Count Playlist Starter Pack: Twisted Wonderland Edition

Riddle Rosehearts: 

Queen of Hearts - Juice Newton

Numa Numa - O-Zone

Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash

Two of Hearts - Stacey Q

Trey Clover:

Speechless - Dan + Shay

Chances - Five For Fighting

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John & Kiki Dee

Hurt This Way - Wanderer

Telephone - Lady Gaga & Beyonce

Cater Diamond:

Alone - Halsey

Applause - Lady Gaga

Good Time - Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen

Hiding - Florence and The Machine

Get This Party Started -P!nk

Ace Trappola:

Glad You Came - The Wanted

Check Yes Juliet - We The Kings

Love Don’t Die - The Fray

Nobody - One Republic

Can’t Help - Parachute

Deuce Spade:

I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers

Count On Me - Bruno Mars

Let’s Hear It For The Boy - Denice Williams

Hey Lover! - Wabie

Love Story - Taylor Swift

Leona Kingscholar:

The Lion Sleeps Tonight - The Tokens

I Don’t Care - Fall Out Boy

Get Used To It - Roger Voudouris

Going Crazy - Goo Goo Dolls

Shadow of the Day - Linkin Park

Ruggie Bucchi:

9 to 5 - Dolly Parton

Uptown Girl - Billy Joel

How Your Love Makes Me Feel - Diamond Rio

Run - One Republic

Scalliwag - Gaelic Storm

Jack Howl:

Together Forever- Rick Astley

Would You Go With Me - Josh Turner

One Call Away - Charlie Puth

The Fighter - Keith Urban & Carrie Underwood

Gimmie That Girl - Joe Nichols

Azul Ashengrotto:

December, 1963 (Oh What A Night) - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

Don’t You Give Up On Me - Lissie

Arms - Christina Perri

Ocean Eyes (Billie Eilish Cover) - American Avenue

Kiss Her You Fool - Kids That Fly

Jade Leech:

My Head and My Heart - Ava Max

The Ballad of Mona Lisa - Panic! At The Disco

The Devil is a Gentleman - Merci Raines

Desperate Measures - Marianas Trench

Feeling Good - Michael Buble

Floyd Leech:

Keeps Gettin’ Better - Christina Aguilera

Oh My God - Adele

Last Dance - Donna Summer

Half of My Heart - John Mayer

Cake by the Ocean - DNCE

Kalim Al-Asim:

Laughter in the Rain - Neil Sedaka

Sunkissing - Hailee Steinfeld

Walking on Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves

Everlasting Love - Carl Carlton

Lucky - Lucky Twice

Jamil Viper:

Genie in a Bottle- Christina Aguilera

Wait For It - Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton)

Undercover - Selena Gomez

Don’t Stop the Music - Rihanna

I Wanna Go - Britney Spears

Vil Schoenheit:

Circus - Britney Spears

If I Had You - Adam Lambert

I Never Promised You (A Rose Garden) - Lynn Anderson

The Glamorous Life - Sheila E.

lovely. - Gregory Dillon

Rook Hunt:

Oh l’amour - Erasure

Private Eyes - Daryl Hall and John Oates

Adore - Jasmine Thompson

Cheri Cheri Lady - Modern Talking

What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction

Epel Felmier:

It’s My Life - No Doubt

Mama’s Broken Heart - Miranda Lambert

Gives You Hell - The All-American Rejects

Dude (Looks Like a Lady) - Aerosmith

Idia Shroud:

Digital Love - Daft Punk

Bones - MS MR

The Way I Am - Charlie Puth

Weirdo - WIM

Blue - Eiffel 65

Ortho Shroud:

Intergalactic Bound - Yunosuke, Circus-P, & Hatsune Miku

Malleus Draconia:

Sweet Dreams - Beyonce

Oak & Ash & Thorn - The Longest Johns

If You Leave Me Now - Chicago

Strange Magic - Electric Light Orchestra

Shattered Dreams - Johnny Hates Jazz

Lilia Vanrouge:

Strange Way - Firefall

Americano - Lady Gaga

The Tide is High - Blondie

You’ll Be In My Heart - Phil Collins (from Disney’s Tarzan)

Harpy Hare - Yaelokre

Silver:

Dreams - Cranberries

Blinding - Florence and The Machine

All The King’s Horses - Karmina

Dreams Part 2 - Sarah Skinner & Lost Sky

These Dreams - Heart

Sebek Zigvolt:

Thunder - Imagine Dragons

Can’t Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon

The Lightning Strike (What if this storm ends) - Chasing Cars

For The Dancing and The Dreaming - Composed by John Powell (From Dreamworks How to Train Your Dragon 2)

Bad Habits - Ed Sheeran

[eddie-redmayne-italian-blog]

Review Roundup: CABARET AT THE KIT KAT CLUB Opens on Broadway

Cabaret is now running at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway.

By: Blair IngenthronApr. 21, 2024

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, directed by Rebecca Frecknall, opened tonight, Sunday, April 21st at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway. Cabaret features classic music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Joe Masteroff based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood.

The production stars Eddie Redmayne as the 'Emcee', Gayle Rankin as 'Sally Bowles', Bebe Neuwirth as 'Fraulein Schneider, Ato Blankson-Wood as ‘Clifford Bradshaw,’ Steven Skybell as ‘Herr Schultz,’ Henry Gottfried as ‘Ernst Ludwig,’ and Natascia Diaz as ‘

The cast of Cabaret also includes Gabi Campo as ‘Frenchie,’ Ayla Ciccone-Burton as ‘Helga,’ Colin Cunliffe as ‘Hans,’ Marty Lauter as ‘Victor,’ Loren Lester as‘Herman/Max,’ David Merino as ‘Lulu,’ Julian Ramos as ‘Bobby,’ MiMi Scardulla as ‘Texas,’ and Paige Smallwood as ‘Rosie.’ Swings include Hannah Florence, Pedro Garza, Christian Kidd, Corinne Munsch, Chloé Nadon-Enriquez, and Karl Skyler Urban.

The Prologue Company, the dancers and musicians that welcome audiences to the club, feature dancers Alaïa, Iron Bryan, Will Ervin Jr., Sun Kim, Deja McNair and swings Ida Saki and Spencer James Weidie. The musicians of the Prologue are Brian Russell Carey (piano & bass), Francesca Dawis (violin), Keiji Ishiguri (dedicated substitute), Maeve Stier (accordion), and Michael Winograd (clarinet).

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club also features club, scenic, and costume design by Tom Scutt, and choreography by Julia Cheng.

Let's see what the critics had to say!

Check the link for full aricle about good and bed reviews!

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-CABARET-AT-THE-KIT-KAT-CLUB-Opens-on-Broadway-Updating-Live-20240421

My opinion:

I've read all the reviews, I'm just an Eddie fan blogger, so I absolutely can't give a technical opinion, but I know and know the enormous effort that goes into a show. Critics are critical as they should be, so let's not be influenced by the negative ones. I haven't seen the show in New York and I don't know if I 'll be able to see it, but I saw the one in London which completely enveloped me and immersed me in the 1930s like a vortex. If you go to see the show pls, don't think about the criticism, but listen to your feelings, which are worth much more!

[omegawhiskers]

COLLISION 14/10/23

Setting foundations

Collision opens with Adam Copeland who is here to address Christian's comments. Before the Rated R Superstar can speak, security make their way to the ring followed by Christian Cage. There is one enhanced talent in a brown suit. He looked important but didn't do anything noteworthy. Christian is still the best heel as he continues to be a real bastard. Bryan Danielson, Big Bill, Ricky Starks and the former champs, FTR come to the ring as everyone is ready to brawl. Starks and Adam take some fun shots at each other while Danielson demands the match for the TNT Championship right now. Of course, that doesn't happen because wrestlers should not have the power to demand such things. This was a criticism I had with Smackdown this past week. The commentators inform us that the main event will remain the main event. This was an enjoyable segment as it featured some of AEW top stars

SEQUE!!!

Due to the Israel-Hamas war there was some controversy last week when Juice Robinson threatened to hit MJF with a roll of quarters. I didn’t find this segment to be offensive. MJF being pelted with quarters has been a part of this character’s history. I merely saw this as Robinson taking a shot at a weak point in Max's life. Wrestling is also art, and art always reflects the climate we're in. AEW addressed this controversial segment where MJF and other leaders in sport met up to send a positive message regarding antisemitism. This showcased the real side of Max which was refreshing to see during this babyface run.

Samoa Joe defended his TV title against Willie Mack. I have no idea who Willie Mack is, but I liked what I saw. The match up was great as Joe and Mack are similar in size. At one point Mack leaped over the top rope and almost took out the announce table. Willie also gave us the unforgiving nipple twisters. There was also a point where Joe powerslammed Mack and it looked real rough. This was a bout worth checking out.

CJ Perry is backstage once again. She makes it clear she wants to manage. Action Andretti steps up and requests Perry's services. Perry doesn’t say yes or no, but giggles after he leaves. The excitement she emoted is that of a schoolgirl who finds out her crush likes her back. Later, Miro appears as he tosses Andretti's corpse to the side. He says, "I am willing to destroy every man to protect the one woman." which is weird. Didn't he want nothing to do with CJ? But at the same time, he doesn't want her to manage anyone. I find the whole thing strange, but it will be interesting to see who she lands with.

The Fallen Angel makes an appearance in gods knows how long. Man, I remember when he was featured with Kazarian and Scorpio Sky during the early days of AEW…any who, he is up against Juice Robinson. It was an okay match that added more heat onto Juice who promises to win the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale so he can face MJF and take the ring. There was a mention of the man in the devil mask but no follow up from the people who attacked Jay yet.

Skye Blue is now a heel since she’s been sprayed by mist from Julia Hart. Blue took on Kris Statlander is a decent match. I’m always impressed by Statlander's strength. Of course, the TBS champion would retain, but I think it was important that Blue gets some character progression and there seems to be more to the story as Willow Nightingale came to the ring post-match to care of Blue as she told Statlander to leave.

Another good match was the Bryan Danielson versus Christian Cage for the TNT Championship in what felt like a real main event match. Danielson stretched Christian in horrific ways while the champ worked on Bryan's right arm. Ultimately Christian retained due to Big Bill and Ricky Starks getting involved. Also, due to the injured right arm, the LeBell Lock could not be used to its full effect.

There was so much going on in this show that I don’t have time to reflect on, but a lot of it was to build storylines. AEW needed to rework its foundation and start to mould it's show in a clear direction. It's just a matter of sticking with what they are presenting and follow through.

[manifold-updates]

Jack posted an advert on his Instagram story!

!!! CONTENT WARNING: Loud noises (shouting & screaming) !!!

[VIDEO ID]

An advert filmed by Jack Manifold where he is talking to the camera advertising ‘Alienware’.

The first clip is of Jack stood in front of a bus.

Jack: I’m on tour!

The next clip is of Jack speaking to the camera.

Jack: That’s been me for the past three weeks, but now I’m finally back, and the first thing I want to tell you about is the thing that got me through it all.

Jack: So it turns out tour buses actually have very little to do in terms of entertainment, and being on there for almost a month, I was genuinely worried that I’d die of boredom before I got back and, y’know, had anything to do.

Jack: But thankfully, like a beautiful star above, a gleaming ray of hope came in and saved me.

Jack: You see the very kind people over at Alienware were kind enough to send me their brand new X16 gaming laptop, and let me tell ya, this thing is the only reason I survived three weeks on a bus with TommyInnit.

Jack: This is by far the best gaming laptop I’ve ever had the pleasure of using, I was able to play S-

The video changes to show footage from the game ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’.

Jack: -Miles Morales, like a very high end new game at absolutely max settings, like 180fps-

The video changes back to show Jack talking.

Jack: -on a laptop, I’ve never heard of that happening before.

Jack: I mean just look at this!

The video changes to show Jack playing on the advertised laptop whilst speaking in the voiceover.

Jack: It’s absolutely stunning and it’s all being done on something that I can fit in a backpack, this thing has a brand new-

The video changes back to show Jack’s face.

Jack: -invidia 80 card, plenty of RAM, and of course, beautiful, stunning RGB lights, so you know it’s made for training.

Jack: This thing is perfect and you seriously couldn’t drag me away from it.

What follows is a skit of Jack playing a game on the laptop, BigComedyJoe runs in holding a bunch of clothes and shouting.

!! Shouting starts here !!

Joe: Jack! You’re meant to be on stage, what are you doing playing games? I know you wannna play games, it’s no time for ‘Spider-Man’s! You may have this amazing gaming laptop, but now’s the time to entertain the millions!

Joe starts grabbing at Jack and picking him up and starts screaming whilst Jack tries to talk over him.

!! Screaming starts here !!

Joe: Come on, just come on! Come on! Come on! You’re on stage! You’re on stage! You’re on staaaa-

Jack: But Joe, it’s extremely portable, it has a million? technology Joe! Million? technology!

! Shouting and screaming ends !

The skit ends and the video goes back to just Jack talking to the camera.

Jack: Alright, that’s a slight dramatisation, but you get the point, this thing is incredible.

Jack: If any of this interests you or sounds like it’s for you in the slightest, click the link there to read up more, and hey, if you do decide to buy it, then please do buy it through this link, because at the end of the day you’re gonna snag yourself a deal whilst supporting me very greatly in the process, so I would greatly appreciate it, and I’m sure the people at Alienware would as well.

Jack: All that being said, I seriously do hope you check this out, and of course, thank you to the people at Alienware for sending me this laptop and helping me survive the hardest three weeks of my life.

[END ID]

[the-firebird69]

Ellie Goulding - Lights (Official Video)

This is awful this song is awful it's really Becca and she's singing about it it was afterwards the song came out after 2013 and it's his February 13 days and really he was born that day that's what it said but his papa would not let him die and this guy's going to prove that they were remove from the grave by reviving someone or a creature and for Christ's sake we got to get the f*** on this this guy is a serious competitor of his own people his own clan that is Jesus Christ that's who one of them and their damn deadly and they escaped and Charlton Heston is a Mac proper but I will tell you something he's playing them and just like Sean Connery they had him do it they're very very very arrogant but what they do kind of matches it put the xenomorph Queen on Antarctica and the King's down there somewhere had enough of those two making fun of it since why don't you do the the one with this idiot and xenomorph down there in Antarctica probably was done already and like what's the mail doing he's not chained up. The little laughter at the grocery store this guy's running around messing around and having a big babies or is stuck this is a dumbest show on Earth okay his kids give me his kids are going to be here I'm going to be huge she says yeah just wait till I'm off the Prilosec I got I kind of get what's happened here

That was Mac Daddy okay this is Rebecca after the funeral for Arnie which we think he skipped somehow there was no casket there's no showing there's no ceremony it's kind of Chuck a bag of ashes and people say that they can't find it Jason is missing is Jason Fitzpatrick and he is a son of trump more so Sarah and her brother of Terry C and the guy who had to throw the ashes was actually Terry see no that was Trump he's a trump and says weird s*** and people thought that Terry C died and they found out who's missing. Now people think that he died and some of them were there I mean they're a bunch of jerks they plan to remove him inside of statue we can look young and some life-size and it they are messed up and lost track of it and that's what happened and the story ended there in New Hampshire we think we thought and yeah people have to check it for Christ's sake how are you going to check that he says you see this big hole where it was you a hole and yet he's talking to me and mac daddy.. and that was him and he said the whole thing except that hardware captures software George knew about it and he's grabbing as much as he could using Arnie and then several others and he has them running it he can't do it without it and people did not get near the spheres like they said and Joe watts is the last one to get there Jesus Christ okay he got activation codes and people know it in the max know I didn't grab some of the computers okay a bunch of them not all of them and this big war over it now it's like this guy is out to lunch. They're going to go to Concord Massachusetts our son and daughter think it will be a little before but mostly after they lose up north they'll come down with a stop and true and we know where and why it is soon conquered Lexington that's after they fail and it's after the 15th and he gets kicked out of office the hard way okay

Thor Freya

Olympus

[postgamecontent]

Nintendo Switch Weekly Round-Up for the Week Ending November 23rd, 2024

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the Nintendo Switch Weekly Round-Up for the week ending November 23rd, 2024. A pretty rough week this time around, but I suppose that's to be expected as we make our way into the last weeks of the year. Still, there are a few reasonably well-known games in the lot, and a few interesting oddballs. Let's check out this week in the world of Switch!

Featured New Releases

Stray ($29.99)

Annapurna's stylish tale of a stray cat exploring a very unusual city makes its way to the Switch with a clear but acceptable visual downgrade. This game got quite a lot of attention on other platforms, and if you haven't had the chance to check it out elsewhere yet, you could certainly do that here. Be the cat. Knock stuff off high shelves. Cat stuff.

MySims: Cozy Bundle ($39.99)

I've been saying for years that EA should bring The Sims to the Switch, and… well, close enough. The MySims games were hybrids of The Sims and Animal Crossing aimed at the Nintendo audience. There are two here: MySims and MySims Kingdom, both ports of the Wii versions. These games certainly had their fans back in the day, and I'm sure they'll pick up some new fans here.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure ($49.99)

Here's the latest in the Life is Strange series, this time bringing back Max from the original game. Her friend has been murdered, and Max attempts to use the powers of time reversal to fix things. She instead ends up shifting into a parallel universe where her friend is alive, but still at risk. You'll have to jump between realities to try to set things right for everyone. Opinions have run the gamut on this one, so it's really hard to say how well you'll like it.

Divine Dynamo Flamefrit ($6.99)

A person might be inclined to ask why such a nice-looking Inti-Creates game would debut at such a low price. Well, hypothetical person, I'll be the one to satisfy your curiosity. Divine Dynamo Flamefrit is a pretty solid combination of top-down action and first-person mech battles. But it is quite short, and I suspect most will finish it in an evening. Is that bad? Well, I suppose it depends what you're after. But that's probably why it's so affordable.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra ($24.99)

After the success of Shredder's Revenge, pretty much every 1980s pop culture IP that could be made into a cartoony beat 'em up has been pulled out of its grave and put into service. Here's G.I. Joe's take on the idea, and all things considered this isn't the biggest stretch for the property. Choose from several Joes and battle the evil forces of Cobra to thwart their plot to steal the world's landmarks. Yes, even that part was borrowed from TMNT. This isn't a terribly good example of the genre, but it isn't awful either. It's not like G.I. Joe fans are feasting on video games these days, so it might be good enough.

Touhou Spell Carnival ($49.99)

Most of the Touhou games tend to mash up bullet hell with some other genre, and that's the case here as well. This time, it's a bullet hell strategy RPG. Alright. The familiar characters are here, and fans will likely enjoy what it has to offer. As Touhou Project games go, it's not bad. Certainly unique, if nothing else.

Zero to Dance Hero ($49.99)

This is a fitness dancing game from the folks at Imagineer, who also developed the Fitness Boxing games. I'm sure it's as well-made as it could be, but I can't imagine any world where someone picks this over the similar Just Dance given that the latter has tons of recognizable tunes and this has nothing of the sort. Still, it's here if you want it.

Shinjuku Soumei ($29.99)

A visual novel set in the slum of Kabukicho, it follows the life of a man who is immortal and unable to leave Shinjuku. An intriguing premise, but I'd caution against picking this game up. The localization is absolutely dreadful, and I would not be even remotely surprised to find out it was a machine translation. I feel if you're charging this much for your visual novel, you can at least get a decent English script in there. Oh well.

Sanya ($14.99)

A little narrative adventure game set in a town in 1990s post-Soviet Russia. You play as a kid and are just hanging out enjoying your summer. Help people out, run around on fetch quests, and take care of a dog. It has a chill vibe to it, but for some reason decides to be a bad platformer at a certain point in the game. I could imagine some people getting a lot out of it, though.

Kuukiyomi 4: Consider It ($7.99)

The fourth in this wacky series about trying to find common sense in nonsensical situations really just offers up another plate of the same. You get one hundred new tests of your ability to consider others, each of which amounts to a micro-game where you have to manipulate whatever the red object or person is and find the right action. Kind of a variant on the Wario Ware idea. I've enjoyed this series so far, and I like this one too.

Spirit Mancer ($19.99)

This game combines action platforming with creature collecting and some light deckbuilding stuff. It's fine. Not something you'll run around telling everyone about after playing it, but you likely won't have a terrible time with it. Some solid background music, I suppose. Not much more I can say about it.

Super Bunny Man ($14.99)

Sure, why not a co-op physics platformer about weird guys in bunny suits? Fifty levels. A party mode. It's a thing you can play. It's stupid, it's funny, and it's definitely best enjoyed with friends so that you can mess with each other along the way. If you're in the right mood, you'll really have a good time with this nonsense.

Arcade Archives Final Blow ($7.99)

This week's Arcade Archives pick is Taito's 1989 boxing game that is probably best known for its Genesis port under the name Buster Douglas Knock-Out Boxing. It's more spectacle than anything else, and that spectacle is understandably less spectacular in the present day. It's certainly a change of pace within the Arcade Archives line, but just be warned that it's not and never has been anywhere near as good as Punch-Out.

EGGCONSOLE Guardic MSX ($6.49)

Ah, another EGGCONSOLE release that you can actually play without knowing Japanese. These are fairly uncommon. This is a single-screen shooter from Compile that has a slightly puzzle-ish component to its mechanics. If you remember The Guardian Legend on the NES, that was an in-name-only successor to this game. They aren't similar games at all, but that's fun trivia. Bust it out at parties to be the coolest person in the room.

Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe ($10.99)

You know, it's one of those games where you're rolling a ball through various courses. You've got sixty to get through here. You can customize your little ball hero's look if you want. And you might as well. Adds a little needed texture to the whole thing. I've played better games like this, but I know some folks out there can't get enough of them. Maybe that's you?

Arida: Backland's Awakening ($10.99)

This is a survival game set in the 19th century in the backlands of Brazil, which is a rather cool setting for this kind of thing. Gather your equipment, look for resources, craft things, and follow the story. It's relatively short, and you probably shouldn't expect too much depth from the survival mechanics. This has been out for a while on other platforms, and the general response has been lukewarm. But you know, not cold. So that's something. Do what you will with it.

Servonauts ($14.99)

We don't get as many Overcooked take-offs as we used to, so it's nice to see one pop up. In this couch co-op game, you're running a gas station. It's not a normal gas station, because you actually have to make the requested gas. Which, you know, makes it work out a lot like Overcooked. Something to play with the friends or family on a gaming night, at least.

Loco Motive ($17.99)

This is a comedic point-and-click style adventure game where you have to solve a murder mystery on board a steam train. There are three playable characters, and you'll have to swap between them to do what needs to be done. There are lots of strange characters to meet, and plenty of puzzles to solve. If you like this genre, you'll probably have a great time with this excellent game. Very well done.

Eraser VS Ruler ($7.00)

Truly a battle for the ages. This is another SAT-BOX joint, but you can only play solo offline. Online, you can engage in battles between four players. That might be a bit more interesting. I don't know, I bounced off this publisher's games ages ago. I suppose I could see a kid having fun with the building aspect, at least.

Bridges & Docks ($4.99)

A chill game about building islands and decorating them. You'll be given goals to complete, and as you do you'll unlock more parts you can use on your island. I know, bridges and docks seem like a lot to ask for at five dollars. But it's true, both are here.

Time Walker: Dark World ($6.99)

A fairly straightforward auto-battler roguelite, one that reminds me a bit of Battleheart. Remember Battleheart? There was that Guardians of the Galaxy game that just slapped a skin on Battleheart that was only around for a few months, too. Anyway, this isn't as good as Battleheart. But it's not bad on the whole. There's a demo so you can give it a shot and see for yourself how much you like it.

Idle Devils ($11.99)

If you're up for an idle game, here's one of those. A bit lewd, so make your own call on that. I know I'm saying this a lot today, but this is neither particularly good nor particularly bad. Surely there are better things to spend your money and time on than something that gets only a shrug from the ol' Shaunster? Well, do as you will.

Ichima-san ($10.99)

This is… pretty nifty. You've been transformed into a traditional Japanese doll and need to explore the house to try to find a way to turn back. You need to be careful around humans, because they will freak out if they see you. A little stealth, a few supernatural tricks, and a lot of wandering around checking things out. There's a whiff of Chibi Robo to this, albeit through a very different lens.

Samuza ($9.99)

Some kind of weird platformer. You can play with another person in a split-screen mode. It has weird physics and likes to throw out obstacles that could have been pulled from that TV show Wipeout. Not the awesome Psygnosis game Wipeout. Rail guns and platforming are rare bedfellows.

That's all for this week, friends. We'll be back next Saturday with another Round-Up as we finish out November. We might see a few more decent games next week, but most of the heavy ammo has been spent for this year. As ever, I will plug both my Patreon (where you can find lots of cool exclusive articles) and my Ko-Fi (tips help me run this blog). There, plugged. I hope you have a super Saturday, and as always, thanks for reading!

[sweet-villain]

It's Been Awhile~ Joseph Quinn

Requested? Yes

Author's Note : I had to use this picture because my god when I saw it, I giggled to the max. I know you did too, don't lie.

Anonymous asked:

Hey!! I was wondering if you could do a Joe Quinn x reader where both you and Jamie walk out on stage at fanexpo. And while Finn say hi to Jamie, Joe runs to you before Grace even has the chance to say hello. He also doesnt let you go to your seat, he just holds you with him for a while. You and Joe have always been just a little bit more then friends (you’ve never admitted it to each other, but you both feel it) and you’ve also havent seen each other in a few months due to work, so its just a really cute reunion and you can decide how you end it :)) just a really cute, intimate moment between the reader and Joe! Thank you so much xxx

You were heading to Canada for FanExpo to meet fans and do some panels on a new show you were casted on. You knew that your close friend Joseph would be there, you were so proud of him and his role as Eddie Munson on Stranger Things.

Jamie was traveling with you, he was a good friend of yours and he told you that he needed your opinion on something and then told you to just come with him to FanExpo.

" You look nervous" Jamie mutters turning in his seat, taking off his headphone. He saw that your knee was bouncing and wanted to make sure you were okay.

" Yeah, just nervous to see Joe again. It's been so long since I've last seen him" Jamie waved his hand like "pfft."

" You both will be reunited soon" Jamie smirked knowing full aware that you Joseph were a little closer than friends. Joe had gushed to him about how beautiful, sweet, what a big heart you had and that the spark he felt was there. Joseph ended up telling Jamie he has a huge crush on you and wanted to tell you but he is shy and nervous.

" I know it's just-" Jamie cuts you off with a laugh, " you worry too much, darling. It's just Joseph"

You nod licking your chapped lips and looked out the window at the sky.

Joseph and you would always flirt with each other even through text and phone calls. You'd make him laugh and smile, but you both got busy with work and there were less phone calls, texts, face time calls and flirting.

He would check in on you once in awhile and wishing you the best as he was proud of your work too, he had been watching the show you were on and loving your character.

-

You couldn't believe the line you had that so many fans would want to meet you, take pictures with you and gush to you how much they love you.

A little girl was wearing the exact same outfit your character wore and it brought you to almost tears seeing it. She was only ten years old and she gushed how much your character just was helping her be positive in school

" Stay beautiful" you tell her, pocking her nose. Her mom told you how much she appreciates the time and how much her daughter loves you. You appreciate everyone and appreciate the love, feeling overwhelmed.

You knew Joseph was in the same building and your heart felt like it out jump out of your chest.

Some of the fans have asked you if you seen Joseph yet knowing of the friendship you had with him.

" Not yet, I might surprise him with Jamie at the panel with Finn and Grace" you told him but held a finger to your lips not wanting to ruin it.

They beamed with happiness and telling you they couldn't wait to see Joe's reaction.

- " Breathe" Jamie whispered into your ear as your eyes caught on Joe who was sitting on the one of the chair with his foot crossed as he talked into the mic.

" I'm breathing, thank you very much" he laughed shaking his head.

" He's just your close friend, your really good close friend" your eyebrows scrunched at what he meant but before he did, he walked out to the crowd screaming with happiness and you followed right after.

Joe's mouth dropped open at the sight of you, Grace was about to greet you but Joe was bouncing on his feet seeing you after so long. As Finn was saying hi to Jamie, Joe literally jumped almost knocking you over as he hold you.

" I can't believe you're here, sweetheart" he whispers into your ear as he buries his nose into your hair. He had missed you so much. The crowd is going nuts at your reunion, they know how close you two are as friends.

" It's so good to see you" he pulls away from you, taking a hold of your hand and bringing you to the chair but not before Jamie latches onto him as they have their bromance. They do it for the fans that love every minute of their friendship.

" I might have to share you with Y/N" he says into the mic, making everyone laugh. You wave hi to Grace and Finn, settling in your chair.

" Maybe I don't wanna share" you say into the mic, looking at Jamie. Jamie smirks knowing full fact what you mean, " Darling, he's not yours to share"

Your eyes go wide as Jamie says this, slouching in your chair hearing his tease.

" He's kidding, sweetheart" Joseph squeezes your knee as he pulls his chair closer to yours. You stuck your tongue out at Jamie, who puts a hand on his heart as you wounded him.

He keeps his hand there for a bit, squeezing your thigh and keeping his gaze on you.

You were asked about your role in the show you were playing at, and briefly mentioning you were talking to the Duffer brothers which the crowd got insane for.

Finn, Jamie, Grace and Joseph were all shocked hearing the news not really knowing if you'll join the show.

" I can't tell you much, but there is talk" you shrugged, giggling into the mic.

" How does it feel to be reunited with Joseph over here? You two are close friends from what I heard" you nodded.

"We are, but its been a long time since we hung out and did something outside of work. We both got busy and life got in the way, I missed him so much, it's so wonderful to see him after all this time. I'm super proud of him, he deserves the world"

Joseph put his hand on his heart, his little pout coming out as he listens to you before he reaches over taking your hand and kissing on top of it. This catches a wild reaction from the crowd as they gush over the two of you.

" You're such a sweetheart Y/N, thank you for the words and honestly you are a treasure in this world and I'm so glad to have you here, today"

" You both need to kiss already" Jamie says into the mic. All heads turn to him, as your eyes go wide and Joseph's mouth drops hearing his friend.

Finn and Grace giggle together, agreeing with Jamie.

" You both are crushing on each other, you both talk about each other and missing each other when the other isn't around. You both adore each other, so tell each other how you feel and kiss. Stop wasting time"

" Jamie" you gasped. He shrugged, " Just telling the truth, darling"

You look down at your lap feeling your cheeks beet read when a finger lifts up your chin and those brown eyes are looking at you.

" Do you have feelings for me?" He doesn't say this into the mic but to you, he is close enough that you can hear him.

" I do, I was just scared to tell you to lose you"

" Sweetheart, you'll never lose me. Never and I have feelings for you too. I have since the first time you greeted me and pulled me into a hug"

" Kiss, god damit!" Jamie screamed into the mic throwing his hands up.

You stuck your tongue at him and he rolled his eyes.

Joseph got off his chair and cupped your face with both his hands before leaning in and brushing his lips against yours not caring who was watching.

All that mattered was you and him.

You tugged on his shirt pulling him, kissing him as the crowd goes wild.

" Finally!" Jamie says.

[brinleyparke]

Hawaii Five-0 Fic Ideas

H/C:

Pre-series hurt!Steve h/c

See my post sick!Steve fic ideas

Steve is stressed and/or sore; Kono gives him a massage (can be SFW or NSFW). See my post about McKono Fics

Post pilot – Kono goes to Steve's house to check on him.

Post 2x22 – Kono ends things with Adam after he almost killed Steve. See massage idea above.

Post 3x07 – h/c for Steve. Can be McKono, McRollins, or Gen.

Maybe Doris and/or Mary notices the roadrash on Steve's back.

Maybe Max comes over for some reason.

Or maybe Chin came over to thank Steve for what he did for Kono and Steve has his shirt off (bc when does he wear a shirt).

Maybe it's an AU and Malia is still alive and when Chin notices the wounds he calls Malia.

Maybe Kono comes over to thank Steve and to check on him. (Chin made her see paramedics.)

Maybe Catherine is over, and she takes Steve's shirt off and notices the injury.

4x08 – hurt/comfort; what if it wasn't just a graze?

Post season 7 finale – Steve has one of his spells during a meeting with the governor.

Alicia finds out about Steve's radiation poisoning.

Based on 8x24 – John is worried when he finds out Steve was hurt. He's also grateful to Joe for saving his son and making sure he got out of there...alive.

Pre-series: how Steve gets the purple heart or his gold star. There's a flashback in 8x24 of Steve getting injured in the field. He would have received an award for that. They didn't specify which one, though.

Steve gets sunburned really bad on his back. (McRollins or McKono) (ik this is a cliché; sorry, not sorry)

Maybe Steve was on his morning run and overheard an old lady in his neighborhood on the phone with a landscaping company to hire someone to mow her lawn. Steve doesn't want her to have to pay a bunch of money just for someone to cut her grass, so he offers to do it for free. She gratefully accepts. It's very hot out – like over 100°F. (Another cliché, ik)

Maybe later that night, right when Steve is about to go to bed (on his stomach), or in the middle of the night, he gets a case.

Emotional H/C:

Danny goes too far in his ranting or his insults; Kono tells him off and defends Steve and comforts Steve.

Steve has abandonment issues.

Post pilot – Kono goes to Steve's house to check on him.

Post 2x09 – Steve tells Joe what happened with Nick Taylor. Joe tells him it wasn't his fault.

3x08 – Steve is upset that his team didn't trust him

Post 5x18 – Steve feels guilty that he wasn't the one to get Chin out and that he had to choose between Chin and Danny. Steve goes to apologize to Chin. Chin assures him there's no hard feelings and that he understands why he had to get Danny first (Danny was an American cop in a Colombian prison, while Chin was in America).

Post 6x19 – Steve tells Lou about his mom faking her death and his dad sending him and Mary away.

7x16 – Insecure!Steve based on the scene where Steve mentions his crow's feet

Veteran's Day or Memorial Day

Maybe Grace or one of Grace's teachers or her principal asks Steve or asks Grace or Danny to ask Steve to give a speech for Veteran's Day. Or Memorial Day.

Maybe Steve went to his Dad's grave and/or the Pearl Harbor Memorial and/or had to attend a ceremony. Without realizing what day it is and/or where Steve was, Danny starts ranting and teasing about Steve being late to work or for the speech/presentation at Grace's/Charlie's school.

Maybe at Grace's school students had to write letters to veterans; Grace writes hers to Uncle Steve.

Anniversary of attack on Pearl Harbor

Maybe Danny makes some comment without thinking and doesn't realize what day it is, and Steve gets pissed. Chin scolds Danny and tells him what day it is. Danny wants to go find Steve and apologize, but Chin tells him to let Steve cool off. Going after him now will only result in Steve retreating further behind his walls. Instead, Chin offers to go check on him later.

Chin and Steve talk about how Steve isn't sleeping.

Steve has self-worth issues.

[mrs-gucci]

Mr. Handsy {Clyde Logan x wife!Reader}

@icarusinthesea :

Okay, okay. I think I've thought of something. Eh, it's a mediocre idea, but it does it for me. Fighting with Clyde followed by sweet, hot, nasty make up sex. I can not think of anything else. But whatever you write I'll love. 🥰

author’s notes: hello, hello! writers block has been hitting HARDCORE as of late, which is kind of a bummer, but luckily I’m feeling a bit better now! @icarusinthesea​ thank you for this request!! I hope it was worth the (very long) wait, and I send love to you, friend <3 <3

warnings: fluff. smut. club brawls. violence against an asshole. protectiveness. dom!Clyde. oral sex (m receiving). rough sex. unprotected sex/creampie.

(possible) tw’s: non-con touching (not by Clyde). physical conflict. sex in a public restroom.

word count: 1.9k

my general taglist peeps! @safarigirlsp @babbushka @mrs-zimmerman @dirtytissuebox @thepalaceofmelanie @einmal-im-traum @charliesahottie​ @gotham-city-uber-driver​ @gildedstarlight​ @slytheriin2002 clyde’s taglist peeps! @goddessofsprings​ @icarusinthesea​ @lumdelacour​ @readingreaver​ @eagerforhoney​ @trubluepensfan​ @beachwoodmonet​ if you’d like to be added to any of my taglists, the sign up is linked here and can also be found in my description :)

You had a bad feeling about this place from the very beginning, from the moment you stepped into this stupid sleazy club for your co-worker’s birthday.

Clyde decided to tag along, mainly to hang out with the other poor guys whose wives dragged them along tonight.

The bass pulses your eardrums as you make your way over to the booth that they’d claimed, saying some very loud ‘hi’s’ and ‘hello’s’ to everyone before taking a seat on Clyde’s lap.

Your outfit certainly matches the locale of tonight’s party, sexy and risqué while maintaining at least some coverage and dignity for your larger areas. Clyde’s been having some trouble keeping his eyes, and now that he can, his hands, off you.

His calloused flesh hand runs over your thigh and hip in a soothing manner, mindless in its movements over your exposed skin.

Soon, a good dancing song comes on and no matter how much you try to beg Clyde to join you on the crowded floor, he refuses, insisting that you go have some fun with your friends.

His eyes keep a close watch on you, knowing that unfortunately, it’s highly likely that some bonehead Joe will come along and think he can touch without permission.

He finds himself in a sort of entranced state, watching the way your hips move when you dance, watches your skin bounce and jiggle with each motion, sees the way the multicolored lights bounce off the sequins on your dress…

Sure enough, said bonehead Joe dances his way over to you, not-so-subtly checking you out from a bit of a distance before making his approach.

Clyde almost instantly leaps into action when his hand touches your hip and he slides in behind you. Thinking that the man behind you is Clyde, you start grinding against him a bit more, smirking.

But, only after a second or two, his motions and touch begin to feel awfully foreign. You’ve just truly begun to doubt your dancing partner’s identity when he leans down to whisper in your ear.

“Keep dancing like this and I’ll just have to take you home, babygirl.”

Goosebumps form on your skin in disgust the moment you hear an unfamiliar voice, yanking away from his grubby grip.

“How dar—“

“Hey, you!���

Your eyes widen and you look around the man to see a very angry-looking Clyde storming his way over to where you’re standing.

He turns the handsy man around with a hand on his shoulder, then gives him a shove. “Can’t ya see she’s married, asshole? Don’t you ever think ya can just go ‘round here, touchin’ what ain’t yours.”

“Cly—“

“Don’t ya even start with me right now, Y/N. I can’t believe ya didn’t stop ‘im, can’t believe ye kept grindin’ against ‘im.”

Your eyes widen. “Clyde, p-please, it’s not like tha—“

“I thought I told ya t’ can it, Y/N.”

You shudder at his commanding and harsh tone, immediately backing down and biting your lip as the tears swell in your eyes.

The man wears a small smirk, giving Clyde an equally rough shove backwards. “And what, you’re telling me she’s yours? Bullshit she is. Who’d ever wanna marry a one-armed redneck like you?”

Big mistake. Clyde used to just stand down and shut off whenever someone made fun of his disability, but usually now, he just gets fucking pissed.

Sure enough, his jaw clenches and he quickly lunges at Mr. Handsy, forcefully knocking him to the scuffed dance floor. Often times, mostly due to his kind and gentle demeanor, you forget that Clyde’s a veteran. A special ops veteran, at that.

You can’t deny that bearing witness to his unbridled anger and dominance isn’t at least a little bit sexy, even if you do feel incredibly guilty about not realizing sooner that it wasn’t Clyde.

Like the coward he truly is, and that many men like him are, he flees the scene quickly when he looks up and sees the anger in Clyde’s eyes.

Meanwhile, you instantly rush up to him, apologizing repeatedly. “Clyde, I’m so sorry, I thought it was you and I didn’t mean to—“

He snatches your wrist, bending down so that his hot, slightly strained breath wafts across your face. “You’d better yer slutty ass into the restroom right fuckin’ now.” He growls, letting you go.

You nod, whimpering under your breath as you scurry off into the bathroom.

He follows after you, pushing you into the single stall before reaching around to lock the door.

“Clyde, please, I’m so sorry. I promise that I didn’t know it wasn’t you until he spoke and I pulled away right after that. I would never…”

He holds a hand up and you trail off, then crosses it back over his chest along with the other. When you look up at him, ready to apologize further, he gives you a subtle head shake and a faint smile.

“Get m’ cock out.”

You know, then, that he’s not mad, and you know exactly what he wants from you. You step up to him with a small smirk and pop the button on his Levi’s, pulling the zipper down before reaching in to fish out his half-hard length.

“Now stroke it. You know how I like it.”

Your hand holds a steady grip around the protrusion, starting off slow but quickening randomly, just as he likes it.

His head tilts back onto the cheap tiled wall, nostrils flaring as he exhales shakily. “Thaaaaat’s m’ girl, just like that.”

You speed up just a bit, focusing your pressure and ministrations on the upper half of his shaft, moving the little bit of excess skin up and down his shiny pink head.

“Mmmmffhhh.” He groans through pursed lips, hips rutting forward into your touch.

Suddenly, he pushes your hand away, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment to cope with the sudden loss of stimulation on his pulsing arousal.

“Knees.”

You get onto your knees, using his shoes as cushioning.

“Mouth open.”

Your jaw falls open and he wastes no time in moving himself into proper position, sheathing himself fully in your mouth.

“Ghhhohhh, s-shit.”

You’re choking right off the bat, shoulders shaking with each violent cough.

“Yeah, take it. Gon’ make ye choke on me, shove m’ cock down yer lil throat ‘till ya can’t breathe no more.”

You somehow manage to moan around him in between your gags and coughs, lungs panicked for the rough cutoff of airflow by Clyde’s length. Tears begin to swell in your eyes, soon running down your cheeks.

His eyebrows are tightly knitted in the center of his forehead, skin glistening with the beginnings of sweat as his hips rut into your cavern even quicker and rougher now.

Clyde has to physically pull himself away from your mouth, shuddering as his cock bobs and throbs angrily at the loss of friction. His hand splays out on the wall, chest heaving as he takes a moment to re-gain composure.

Then, he looks down at you, gaze sizzling your very skin.

“Up. Turn yerself ‘round n’ bend over, ass out n’ legs spread nicely.”

You put yourself into the position, wiggling your ass just a bit for play after pushing your jean shorts down, earning you a harsh smack across your newly-exposed skin. He smirks when you squeal softly, giving himself a few lazy strokes as he steps up behind you, lips instantly attacking your neck.

“Yer gon’ walk outta ‘ere with all o’ my marks on your neck, hickeys n’ bite marks. Maybe then everyone’ll understand who it is ya belong t’."

His chin digs into your shoulder, then he’s thrusting forward, filling you up and stretching you out to the max. You gasp, eyelids fluttering as your eyes roll into the back of your skull.

“Ohhhhh.”

He groans into your ear, chin digging into your shoulder as he begins fucking you fast and hard. There’s nothing gentle or romantic about this union; it’s hunger and wanting, it’s pure carnal lust.

Tears quickly swell up in your eyes at the sweet pleasure currently surging through your body, tickling every nerve ending and igniting every pleasure center. 

It’s humid in the club, the bathroom no exception and already, a sheen of sweat has formed on the surface of your skin. Clyde’s good hand takes an even firmer hold on the meat of your hips, hips thrusting at an impossibly fast pace.

“G’damnit, wrapped ‘round m-me so tight, fffuck Y/N. Such a lil’ cccunt, love shovin’ m’ b-big cock in ya, ssssplittin’ ya right in half--christ.”

You love how his accent gets thicker and thicker at times like this, so much so that sometimes you can’t even make sense of what he’s saying. It’s adorable.

“Mmm, C-Clyde! Please baby, please mmmake me cum!”

His lips latch onto the side of your neck, sucking as hard as they possibly can while he reaches around to rub your clit with the cool metal digits of his prosthetic. 

Your hips instantly grind down on him, a shaky gasp leaving your lips. “Ohh god, mmmmmfffuck--right there! Yes, yes, Clyde!”

“Say y-yer mine.” He growls into your ear, panting. “Tell everyone who ya bbbelong to. Scream ma name w-when ya cum.”

“Y-Yours, all yours, Clyde. I’m yours!” You whimper. 

Clyde fucks you with everything he’s got, biting into your skin and sucking more of the flesh until you’re littered with marks. It’s not long before you’re tumbling over the edge, body trembling as you release all over his shaft with a shout of his name.

“Clyde! C-Clyde, fuck!”

Not long after you, Clyde falls over the edge, desperately rutting and fucking each drop of his hot load deep into your spasming cunt.

“Y/N, g’damnit...fuuuckin’ s-shit!”

Both of you are rendered breathless as you come down from your respective highs. His lips and tongue gently soothe the harsh bites and bruises that have been left behind in his wake. 

He sighs softly when he pulls out, helping you pull your shorts back up before tucking himself back into his pants. When you turn around, he crashes his lips into yours, hands resting gently on your hips. 

“‘m real sorry fer that, Y/N; dunno what got int’ me. I didn’t hurt ya, did I?”

You smile, cradling his face in your hands. “Clyde, there is no need to apologize or feel bad for that. You know if I was uncomfortable, I would’ve stopped you or said something. I loved it, more than I probably should have, and I love you.”

His lips tug up into a soft, lopsided smile, relief flooding across his expression.

“I love ya too, Y/N, so, so much. Thank ya fer puttin’ up with me n’ bein’ mine.”

“No ‘thank you’ necessary, baby. I’m yours, always yours.”

Clyde grins, pulling you in for a hug as he repeats your words out loud.

“All mine.”

[chocolate1721]

Hello chocolatiers here is a new idea, and this is one of my altime favorites so far.

Ok so, Marinette and Jason are siblings who got separated. Jason is adopted by Bruce and Marinette is adopted by Tom and Sabine. Jason becomes Robin and dies. Marinette is informed of his death but isn’t able/allowed to attend the funeral. She never meets Bruce. Marinette is bullied by Chloe and then Lila and the class. She becomes ladybug and chat is useless.

Even though things in class are tough. Marinette makes a fabulous class trip. She has them set to go to New York (with tours of Stark Industries, and New York Times along with Broadway production tickets), then they are to go to Starling City (where they get to tour Queen industry, and their parks), next they go to Central City (they have some basic tours of some museums and stuff), finally they will end in Gotham (tour Wayne Enterprise and the gardens).

Marinette had a good time in New York, Lila lies all day every day, but she ignored it. They had a fligh to Starling City and Marinette had to use the restroom or something before they left, but when she got back to the gate the plane was gone, and so was her class. She had no clothes (those were on the plane) and she didn’t have a lot of money. She was having a hard time breathing when all of a sudden Tony f*cking Stark struts his way over to her and helps her breath again (couldn’t decide if she has a panic or anxiety attack).

Tony and Peter were coming back from Wakanda. Peter knoticed Marinette and points her out to Tony, making some joke of if she is a lost Stark or something. Tony looks at Marinette and immediately knows she is having an attack, he knows how that feels, so he immediately goes over to her and helps her through it. He finds out that Marinette got left behind by her class and this pisses Tony off. He then tells her he can/will help her out. All three of them then head to the Avenger’s Tower.

[[More]]

She meets the Avengers, and she is totally normal. No stuttering, spasming, tripping, or anything but treating them like they are normal. This intrigues the Avengers. They invite her to watch some of them train while Tony looks into getting her back to her class. While she watches them train she ends up handing Steve his shield (like it was a piece of paper), and Thor his hammer (like it was nothing), this shocks everyone.

Steve: Hey Thor, does this mean this kid is now the new ruler of Asgard?

Thor: . . . . . I must introduce her to the Allfather. Come child of earth.

Tony: *runs into the room, body slamming the door on his way in* DONT GO WITH HIM!!!!!!! IM ADOPTING HER!

Pepper: *appears from nowhere* no you’re not

Peter and Marinette become close friends. The hulk also meets Marinette. The team is worried, but Hulk just kinda picks her up and says “Baby” and tries to burp her. . . . . . . . Tony gets plenty of pictures of this. Marinette is a grumpy sunshine child, and she threatens Tony and Peter if they post any of those pictures.

Tony tells Marinette that he has a friend in town that lives in Starling City and he has agreed to take her with him when he returns home. Marinette will be getting picked up in a few hours, so Tony, Peter, Steve, Thor, and Pepper take Marinette out to get some clothes. This ends in chaos, mayhem, emotional trauma, and the Avengers learn how truly terrifying teenager girls are. Pepper is now wanting to adopt Marinette.

Later that evening Oliver Queen and Roy Harper show up at Avenger tower to pick Marinette up. Roy thinks she will be like all the other girls he knows, shallow and a gold digger or a super hero. He isn’t prepared for the absolute angel that is Marinette. He is love struck, and he becomes the gentleman that Oliver has tried to teach him to be. The only thing Oliver is thinking is “did Bruce get another one?”

Marinette and Roy hit it off very well (roynette is endgame people) they talk for hours. They exchange numbers. Oliver finds out that no, she isn’t adopted by Bruce <not yet anyway>. But she was born in Gotham, she had an older brother who died when she was younger. Oliver found out she is MDC and immediately wanted to commission a suit. She agreed and they were talking suit styles and colors until they arrived in front of her hotel in Starling City. They told her not to hesitate if she needed anything.

Her class didn’t even knotice she was missing. She got her room key and went to sleep. The next morning she was the first one up and downstairs. The breakfast pasteries were gross so she went to the kitchen and taught the staff how to make a good crossaint. She was putting a fresh batch out in the buffet area when her classmates arrived. Lila pauses when she saw her. How had Marinette gotten here? She made sure to destroy her plane ticket. Anyway Lila lies the entire trip as well. She convinces Max to hack into Marinette’s phone and change her alarms. On the day they head to Central City, Marinette’s alarm goes off 30 minutes after the bus leaves.

Marinette sighs and calls Roy. Roy is pissed that her teacher left her behind AGAIN. So he calls up Barry Alan (I watch the Flash tv show so those are the characters I will be using). Roy tells him about how the teacher is incompetent and left a student behind. Roy arrives to pick Marinette up, only to see two guys hitting on her. Roy stops that sh*t real quick. Then they head to Central City. They swing by Star Labs and Marinette meets Barry and his friends. They fall in love with Marinette. She is sweet and kind and adorable. Barry sees her as an innocent sister who must be protected. They take her to her class. He convinced the chief to let the class come visit the precinct. Lila is taking credit for everything, while Marinette gives out pasteries that she made at Star Labs. The officers love Marinette, especially Joe. He sees his daughter in Marinette. Some of the officers offered to teach the class some self defense, in case they were in trouble, and they refused to say how scared they were when Marinette took them down. It was way too easy for her to take them down. The tall kid with frosted tips didn’t do half as well as she did. Roy and Barry only seen that level of skill on hero’s or black belts. Lila started gushing about how she trained with some famous martial artist but had to stop due to her arthritis. The class got held hostage by Captain Cold. Marinette distracts him long enough for the hostages to escape, and the police and hero’s to arrive. She talked about everything from how he could make more money by hiring himself out as a ice machine to people in third world countries to his lack of fashion. By the time the hero’s arrived she was redesigning his entire wardrobe. He was just confused. The officers that arrived on the scene recognized Marinette and were horrified that her class left her in the hands of a criminal. Marinette just brushed it off as no big deal, she was used to it. This had them in near tears. The Flash helped her get back to the hotel. Barry was freaking pissed, so he took a couple pictures with Marinette, took her to get ice cream, and then took her back to her hotel; all before the class arrived.

When the class did arrive at the hotel they started accusing Marinette of working with Cold, but then they saw the Flash. Alya immediately started interviewing him. Only for him to snatch her phone out of her hand and delete the video. She wasnt happy about that, but Barry didn’t care. He stalked over to Bustier and started tearing her apart for abandoning a student. He then went to the police chief and let him know what happened.

Joe finds out what happened and knows that the class’s next stop is Gotham. He calls an old friend, Gordon, and tells him what’s going on and to keep an eye out for Marinette. Gordon agreed but doesn’t think that any teacher can be that stupid.

.

.

.

He is proven wrong when he goes to greet the class only to find that Bustier left Marinette behind. Gordon is dumbfounded, then furious when she said that Marinette can handle herself. Gordon then calls for a manhunt for this child. 15 minutes later he gets a call from Bruce that he has Marinette in his custody. He has permission from her parents to take care of her while she is in Gotham. Gordon starts compiling evidence of criminal neglect to send to the French Board of Education.

Roy was woken up to a call from Marinette. She got left behind again. He calls his friend Jason and tells him about what’s going on and if it’s ok if he stays with him until Marinette goes back to France. Jason,doesn’t know this is his sister, says yes. Roy and Marinette become an official couple on the way to Gotham. Bruce is trying to get everything ready for a non hero to come to their house, even if only for a few hours.

What no one expected was, when Alfred led them into the house. For Marinette and Jason to lock eyes, and for Mari to body check Jason. They also didn’t expect for Marinette and Jason to start crying, or for them to be siblings. Marinette slapped Jason a few times for making her think he died.

Roy pales when he realizes that Jason is her brother. Jason is furious at Roy for dating his sister. Marinette tried to keep her brother from killing her boyfriend, which is a struggle. She tells Bruce what happened with her class and he excused himself to go call her parents and inform them of what has happened. They give him permission to take care of their daughter while she is in Gotham. He also sets up future visits for Marinette to come to Gotham.

While Bruce is away, Damian arrives, sees a new dark haired minor, and immediately concludes his father has adopted another. He then proceeds to attack her, but Marinette takes a sword from a nearby knight and parries him. She barley keeps him at bay, when he realizes that she has some very basic knowledge of swordsmanship. He stops attacking her and starts teaching her. Thus an impenetrable sibling bond has formed. She cookes with Alfred. Dick teaches her how to trapieze. She gives Tim her illegal coffee recipe. Her and Jason talk for hours.

She also finds the Batcave. Only because she went to the library and tried getting a book, that happened to be the hidden enterance. She chews Bruce out for not dealing with the Joker in time to save her brother. She was just letting out her frustrations and everyone knew it. She met Louis and Clark, who she pulled to the side and told him to find a better disguise because it is obvious he is superman. She pats his shoulder and walks away. Louis slips Bruce $10.

Bruce invites the class to the Wayne Gala and provides clothes for them to wear. Marinette refuses the offer and makes her own dress. She also makes gifts for the Batfam.

Marinette is finally able to see Lila’s lies fall apart, at the Gala, and she refuses to forgive the class. What they did is not something that she can get over that easily. All of the abuse, the lack of loyalty, the manipulation, and demand for her time, energy, and supplies to give them what they want. She. Is. Done. She burned those bridges.

When the class is heading back to Paris their notifications go off. They are getting tagged in pictures of Marinette with the Avengers, Oliver Queen and Roy Harper, of the Central City Police force, with the Flash, with the Wayne’s, and Louis and Clark. They were shocked. How could Marinette get the opportunity to meet all of these people when she was with them the entire time. That’s when they realized, she wasn’t with them. The only time they remember seeing her is when they were on tours or she suddenly appeared in the places they were heading to. She was never with them when they left.

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression Ep 60 - Complaints about TV eating contest. 

K: Hi, this is Dir en grey's Kaoru, with this week's episode of The Freedom of Expression. Joe, Tasai, welcome. Uh, do remember YG who came on the show before, whose whole band caught Covid?

J: Yes

T: Yeh yeh

K: There's a rumor going around that he is going to run for election to the House of Representatives.

T: But, yeah...

J: His hairstyle was unique.

K: Yeah, haha

T: This is true, Kaoru. Its the truth.

J: Tokyo Sports have investigated?

T: We checked. He will run in the next House of Representatives election for Hiroshima Ward 3..

J: The by-election, right?

T: Yeah, the by-election ...He will be supported by the NHK party (The Party That Teaches People How Not To Pay The NHK Licence Fee). Hahaha

J: Incredible! Eh? You're laughing?!

K: Hahaha

T: Im just wondering whether he will get in, haha. Well, he has policies..he says that there is ¥1300 trillion worth of underground resources in the sea off Okinawa, and that it should be dug up and used for Japan.

J: Ehh?

T: And he'a using this policy to run in the election.

Kami: ¥1300 trillion, thats incredible, right?

J: Yes, Kami, it is, isn't it?

T: Yes, it is, Kami.

Kami: How much would we get out of ¥1300 trillion?

J: Well, ¥1300trillion? He's working for ¥1000 per hour, so he can't comprehend these big numbers.

K: He always takes the bait when it comes to money.

J: He really does.

Kami: Does it seem like we would get ¥1300 trillion?

J: It doesn't means we, ourselves would get it!

Kami: The guy who say's he'll give out ¥100,000, will definitely give out ¥100,000 right? *1

K: Give out ¥100,000? Haha

T: Like, the guy who gave it out*1...I wonder? Im curious to know how seriously he is thinking about it.

J: Yeh, me too. But, it is a unique policy.

T: Well, its a good thing to shine a light on issues from different viewpoints.

J: Well, since he appeared on this show, we'll have to keep watch and see what happens.

T: Yeah, keep an eye on it.

Kami: Its tough for his senpais too. Working under the same company, and having this happen.

K: I don't know what you are talking about.

T: Haha, right.

K: I just want him to do well.

Kami: Well, if he gets in, use your senpai status to tell him to give out the money.

J, T: Hahaha

T: Well, Tokyo Sports will report on it.

J: Yes please.

K: Ok, Joe...lets have this week's..

J: Yes, this week's news. This time its 'Complaints about eating contest on TV' - Broadcast on March 10th on TV Tokyo, the content of the variety show 'Uchimura no Tsuboru Douga/内村のツボる動画' has attracted criticism. The material broadcast contained a plan for Max Suzuki and others in the big eaters club, to challenge themselves to eat giant food. The plan caused suffering to this group of well-practiced big eaters. The place offering the food this time was sushi chain 'Kappa Sushi', who executed a plan to baffle the competitors with giant sushi, using the acronym TDMO (tabenikui demo meccha oishii/Difficult to eat but really delicious). They are said to have done a lot of research into this before filming. The food that appeared exceeded the viewers' already high expectations of what was to come. Dishes introduced included a tuna nigiri with 1kilo of rice and a giant slice of tuna on top, a three layered sushi with 500g each of sea urchin and salmon roe, and a 1kg salmon and avacado sushi with a huge amount of mayonnaise. Up until this point all the dishes had been evolved from the regular menu, but next to be seen was a sushi with 1 kilo of steak on top of 1 kilo of egg. Cries of 'Thats not sushi!', and, 'This isn't fair!' were heard from the big eaters themselves, and also from Uchumura Teruyoshi and gang, who were in the studio. After this sushi rolls were brought out with a gross weight of 7kg. A really tricky-to-eat squid and whole cucumber roll, as well as one filled with deep-fried items which nearly defeated the eaters in the end. The menu provided only just stayed within the rules. Viewers' concerns were also raised, such as, 'Thats not fair', 'I feel sorry for them with that fried stuff at the end', 'I thought they should have cooked the whole cucumber', and, 'They are showing the food no love'. In the end, it was probably the staff of 'Tsuboru Douga' who instructed the plan, Kappa Sushi merely provided the ingredients. It has been said Kappa Sushi have just been caught up in this. There were apparently a large number viewers who wanted this sushi chain challenge to be about simple, basic sushi, not meat or fried food.....Ah, there is a lot of eating challenge shows, isn't there?

K: Yeah, there is recently. Whenever you turn on the TV its either eating challenge or spicy food challenge.

T: Oh, there are a lot of spicy challenges, yeah.

J: I wonder if that means these kind of shows pull in viewer numbers?

T: It appears they do, when you ask anyone in the TV sector.

J: Really?

T: Yeah, they say shows about pets or food pull in the most views.

J: Ahh, yeh. Pets are interesting, but is it actually fun watching someone eat?

T: Well, I end up watching this kind of thing quite a bit.

J: Oh, do you?

T: It has an impact, a huge load of food.

K: Well, yeh.

T: And even these competitive eaters, if they look like they are suffering while eating, they feel it more. But if they make themselves look happy eating, its like the eaters themselves are evolving.

J: Oh, if you look happy eating, you can eat more?

K: TV channels and stuff used to be dirtier.  Like.. *imitates stuffing food forcefully into his mouth*

J: Haha, yeh. So that kind of style of eating challenge is disappearing?

T: Its quite different now. Like you just said, um, do you remember the competitive eater Akasaka (Takako) san?

K: Oh, yeahhh.

T: She was eating ramen with her glasses on, and her glasses fell off into the ramen soup, but she carried on.

J: Hahaha

T: In the past, people used to like watching that kind of real angle. But now, its all about eating a lot and enjoying it.

J: Ehhh? Really?

T: Joe, have you ever done an eating challenge?

J: I think I ate wanko soba a long time ago...but I can't really eat a lot.

K: Yeh.

J: To eat and eat just one type of food, its hard isn't it? If I had a lot of things to choose from it might be ok, but just continuously eating one food...like, wanko soba was difficult...and in this case, its like giant food...its not appetizing to begin with.

T: Hahaha

J: At my age I just wanna eat a little amount of delicious food.

T: Yeah

J: I'm over 52 years old...What about you Kaoru? Can you eat a lot?

K: Err..no.

J: Right?

K: Yeh, I can't eat that much.

J: Well though, if pets and food pull in the viewers...shouldn't we do an eating challenge on here?

K: Hahaha

T: We were lacking that idea.

K: But you and I have just said we can't eat a lot!

J: Kaoru, you have to eat with a smile on your face!

K: Haha

J: You can eat more if you smile.

T: Either that or we could get a cute cat in here to stroke

K:??? *2

J: Or, do an eating challenge while stroking cats!

K: Oh, incidentally, don't we have plans to go on location?

J: Oh yeah!

K: Well, it might be tough to do an eating challenge at that place though.

J: Ah, yeah. ???*3

K: We can't do it unless they are offering it.

J: But if we told them about it first..

T: I think there are quite a lot of places that do this though...like tempura challenges and stuff.

J: Oh no, fried food?!

K: Thats the kind of thing it is!

J: Well, yeah, haha.

T: Or stuff like dam curry, with a big load of curry, or tonnes of tonkatsu..

J: Uaghh.

K: I don't think we'll be able to eat that much.

J: Right?

K: We could manage a medium eating challenge.

T, J: Hahaha

T: Medium eating challenge?

J: Yeah, cause we naturally don't eat a lot.

K: We could just try one extra large portion of a certain thing or something?

J: That would be enough, yeah.

K: We could test ourselves to see if we could finish an extra large portion of one thing off the regular menu.

J: Ahh, yeh, that sounds good.

K: You'd end up leaving a a lot otherwise, right? 

J: Yeh, its a waste if lots is left over, so..

T: I remember one bentō store which did like an extra large bentō, a meat bentō or something. I can't remember what it was called now.

J: It'll be good though, 'Medium eating challenge!'.

T: Haha

J: I can't tell whether its great or terrible. haha With 'Big eating challenge' you get the sense they are really trying hard, but with 'Medium eating challenge' ...its like 'what..?' haha.

K: Isn't there anyone among us who can eat a lot?

J: Can't you, Tasai?

T: No, I can't eat that much either, well, when I was in high school though..there's Mcdonalds, right? We all bought about 35 cheesebrgers between us once, and I ate 20 of them *4

J: Really?!

T: But I was 18 then.

J: No, you can still do it, you are in good shape!

K: You could manage 10 though, right?

T: I might be able to manage 10.

K: Incredible.

J: Yeah.

T: I've never tried an eating challenge , maybe I should.

J: Ok, lets do it..we'll watch you, we could do it live.

T: I don't know if I could enjoy it though.

K: We would cheer you on.

J: Yeah, like 'You can do it!'

T: Really?

J: And then, I'm not sure, but we could have a woman in a bikini standing over here..

T: Ah, really?! Haha

J: Yeah.

T: What are you talking about...'a woman in a bikini'? hahaha

J: I don't know, haha. So you'd try to keep looking cool while eating...or something like that.

K: Hm, a food project..?

J: Yeah.

K: I wanna try it though.

J: Yeah, lets do it...Well, we're going on location first...but an eating challenge..

T: Like, if we do a live broadcast, I could be eating with you two chatting in the meantime. I won't talk, just eat.

K: Like, simultaneously?

T: Yeah, yeah, haha.

J: That sounda like it could work.

T: I'd just carry on eating, haha.

J: Ahh, but its tough on your health though. Still, I think we should try it, all of us.

K: Well, yeah

T: Yeah, lets try.

J: On the Freedom of Expression.

K: I think we can do it. Well, lets finish here for this week. Thank you very much.

*1,4 Not 100% sure im right.

*2,3 Couldn't catch/figure out.

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[wernerherzogs]

the old guard; yusuf x nicolo

a/n the order of these is random! i made myself stick to max per two works per author, but if you liked any of them, please make sure to check out the author’s other fics, and to leave kudos and/or comments!

Old Olives by aeli_kindara (21.274 words)

They kill each other once. Again. The third time, Nicolo stands and watches Yusuf heal before he pulls him to his feet. “Come. I will be gentle this time.”

Yusuf laughs at him. “You won’t have a choice.”

Fever of Light by mytimehaspassed (5.013 words) + a companion piece All Our Deeds Sure Find Their Ways by mytimehaspassed (5.109 words)

Yusuf, he says, as he kills him.

Again.

Warmth When I Shiver In Cold by moodlighting (3.257 words)

All Nicolò knew was that as heaven and earth so moved, he would not be parted from this man.

But Here I Blur Into You by moodlighting (1.672 words)

Joe had his disagreements with Plato, but perhaps the man had uncovered a greater truth of the universe when he wrote of the original nature of humans, created with a single head made of two faces, split apart by jealous gods in fear of their wholeness.

though it was not my task to watch by kaydeefalls (9.633 words)

"Death always matters. It is not a game, it is not casual, it is real and it is painful and it is not a thing to be chased, not ever!"

After Merrick, Nicky can't stand seeing any of them die. It takes Joe a while to put it together.

The Other Matter by Survivah (15.046 words)

He wants Yusuf to hold his hand again. Grab his ankle. Flick his ear. Thrust his sword into his chest and breathe into his mouth.

life is very long by kaydeefalls (7.193 words)

Andromache tells him: "The Greeks used to have seven different words for love. Well. More, probably. But I remember seven." She shrugs. "There are many ways to love one another, and life is long. We've time enough for them all. It's the only thing that makes it worthwhile."

Until the Sky Runs Out by aeli_kindara (4.778 words)

Joe waits a minute, in case she wants to continue. Then he offers, “You’re talking about retirement.”

Gift to Me by Good0mens (4.716 words)

Nicolo wishes he had the words to reach out and envelop around Yusuf, to drape him in compassion, in apology, in regret.

Ways To Go by deanniker (13.770 words)

“Don’t -” Nicolo begins, but has no idea what should come next. He has no idea what he needs the man not to do. He only knows what he wants the man to do, and that is to lay hands upon him again.

heaven keep the lonely by eurythmix (6.666 words)

Nicolò, from Jerusalem to Giza, and the things he picks up along the way: a book of poetry, a new language, and a reason to live with his guilt.

born under calico skies by Anonymous (14.455 words)

Yusuf and Nicolo kill each other, learn each other, and long for each other, kind of in that order.

The Subtle Approach by Survivah (15.581 words)

Yusuf, you villain.

Never have I known such a cruel and unjust man as the likes of you.

greater love has no one than this by Jack_R (5.756 words) + a sequel with great patience and careful instruction by Jack_R (6.179 words)

Niccolò was, Yusuf liked to think, a sort of an acquired taste.

the profession of my fingers by mellyflori (24.977 words)

It feels as if his heart is thrown open like the shuttered window of their room, laid bare to Yusuf's gaze. As if the answer to every mystery is in the heat where their hips meet, the low rumble of pleasure in Yusuf’s voice, and the damp silk of Yusuf’s hair clutched in Nicolò’s hands.

on the brink of something close by magneticwave (9.379 words)

It takes Nile an embarrassingly long time to realize that her thesis advisor is, like, legitimately evil.

with rome below us by whimsicule (13.856 words)

And last but not least: Prof. al-Kaysani got married last week! And while he has explicitly asked for no fuss to be made, we have organised a small gift and a card that you are all welcome to sign. It will be on my desk until September 7th. Best, Dr. Quynh Pham

Help Me Remember by EllaWorm11 (1.973 words)

Joe finds Booker earlier than either of them were expecting.

what thou and I did, till we loved by clockworkmoon (7.245 words)

Nicolo and Yusuf spend over two years trying to kill each other.

And then, Jerusalem falls.

as an ancient city by stonecarved (figure8) (2.606 words)

This is a language no one else in the world is fluent in: the glint in Nicky’s eye, the unbearable gentleness with which he pushes Yusuf flat against the bed.

while we're young by Hyb (2.250 words)

He knows what Genoa does to Nicky.

The Extraordinarily Complex Task of Condensing a 920-Year-Old Romance into a 145-Word Speech (While Being Abducted) by Liketheriver (47.393 words)

The stories behind the speech in the van.

When The Cherries White With Blossoms, Be Ready & Be Brave by chapstickaddict (17.567 words)

“What are you doing?” he mouthed into Nicky’s thigh.

“Watching you sleep.”

“What else are you doing?”

“Rewriting King Lear,” Nicky said.

[contrabandhothead]

Hi! I have a request for Band of Brothers. How Easy company would treat the reader when this person is sick. I hope this works! I love everything you have written, thank you!

in sickness and health - band of brothers

- [ BUCK COMPTON ]

PANICS

this man smothers you with attention

he’s waiting on you hand and foot every single second of the day, and he does not care if he gets sick

he’s literally so sweet, even though he still tries to kiss you

like Buck, no, it’s probably contagious

holds your hand while you wait for the medic

tells the medic all of your symptoms for you while you sleep on his shoulder

he actually learned how to cook just so he could make you some food when you got the flu once

he tells you he needs you to get better so he can take you out on dates and spoil you Buck, we’re in the middle of a war

he acts like he doesn’t spoil you already

- [ CHUCK GRANT ]

will beat your ass if you’re not in bed

don’t even try to resist him taking care of you, he will not be having it

actually super soft as long as you don’t fight him about taking some time off the line

chews people out for being too loud while you’re trying to sleep

brings all of your meals to your room and eats with you, making sure you finish every part of your meal

LOTS OF CUDDLES

he’s quite careful not to get sick though

don’t ever try and deny that you’re sick, seriously

“fine? FINE? baby, i just saw you throw up.”

constantly checks your forehead to make sure you’re not burning up

- [ BILL GUARNERE ]

he has a lot of siblings, he knows what he’s doing

i feel like he’s less aggressive about it than some of the other men, but he’s gonna tell you you’re dumb for getting sick at least 2 times

he genuinely tries to be super sweet when you’re not feeling well, so give him a break

cooks you lots of his mom’s family recipes (how’d he find the ingredients?? we don’t know how, but he did)

you’re gonna eat every meal he makes you or you’re gonna get force-fed

carries you everywhere, even if you don’t ask him to

SO MUCH HAIR STROKING

he loves to pet your head until you fall asleep

expect lots of sleepy cuddles

definitely contracts whatever you had, so expect to get a whiny Bill that wants you to take care of him

- [ BABE HEFFRON ]

PANICS LIKE BUCK BUT EVEN WORSE

constantly has Roe checking on you, making sure that you’re getting better

will indeed rub your back while you throw up, and even hold your hair back if necessary

he’s constantly moping because he wants cuddles and kisses, but he knows he can’t have any until you’re not sick anymore

he’s surprisingly calm on the outside, but on the inside he’s panicking because he’s so worried

brings you tonssss of extra blankets that he collected from the other replacements

this man brings in the whole battalion to help you get better, he’s out here begging everyone for supplies

even though you’re sick, he’s still gonna hold your hand

sorry, but he needs at least a little affection

get ready to be absolutely smothered when you’re no longer sick

- [ JOE LIEBGOTT ]

he’s not as aggressive about it as he would be if you got hurt, but expect lots of teasing

he’s gonna call you a dumbass at least once, okay?

will NOT leave you alone for a single SECOND

he’s worried that you’re gonna start throwing up when he leaves the room and then choke to death on your own vomit

gives you all of his food, even if you don’t want it

don’t try and act like you’re not sick, he will yell at you (he’s not playing around)

gets so frustrated with you when you won’t take your medicine, so he has to have Roe give it to you

he doesn’t like being super soft in front of the guys, but if you have the chills, he will not hesitate to cuddle you

he’ll literally let you get away with ANYTHING if you’re sick

like i’m not even joking, he’d literally let you use his shirt as a tissue if you needed to

- [ CARWOOD LIPTON ]

SO SOFT

yells at the guys to be quiet so that you can get more sleep

if a trooper isn’t whispering while you’re trying to sleep, no one will ever find that man’s body

LOTSSS of forehead kisses

will not let you do anything

not even if you bring up the time that he got a pneumonia (he just glares at you until you yield)

he makes sure that everyone treats you with extra caution, especially if it’s hard for you to walk

he gets soooo worried if you have a coughing fit

he just panics whenever it happens while rubbing your back and offering you water

lets you burrow into his chest while you rest

- [ GEORGE LUZ ]

tries to make jokes so that he can help you feel better

i feel like George has absolutely no idea what the hell he’s doing

asks Roe a million questions about what he should do to help you

if this isn’t your first time being sick around him, then he’s already gonna have a set plan on how to help you get better

steals a lot of extra food for you, especially hershey bars

whines that he doesn’t get any kisses now that you’re sick

he thinks it’s his job to take care of you, so he feels really bad that there’s not much he can do

he does get supplies from replacements, but unlike Babe, he steals them

will kiss you regardless of if you’re contagious or not

now you have to take care of him while he whines and complains about how stuffy his nose is

- [ DONALD MALARKEY ]

so SOFT UGHHHHH

he takes over your duties as well as his own just so that you get enough time to recover

brings lots of blankets, the softest ones he could find in the whole entire town

holds your hand a lotttt

he spoons you (which is rare because Don Malarkey = little spoon) when your sleep schedules match up, and he buries his head between your shoulders

omg if you have something bad like a pneumonia he’s literally so scared that you might die

like you wake up to him sobbing into your back, and when you turn around he just tells you to go back to sleep

but you just pull his face close, and tell him you aren’t going anywhere and that you’ll never leave him

he feels a lot better after that, and he does his best when taking care of you

he’s literally so happy once you’ve fully recovered that he picks you up and twirls you around

- [ JOHNNY MARTIN ]

acts like he’s annoyed that you got sick, but he’s secretly very concerned

he makes some very passive aggressive comments at first, but once he realizes how awful you look, he feels really bad

starts treating you like a princess after that

he keeps you slightly isolated from the rest of the men, as he doesn’t want you to accidentally give them whatever you have

brings you anything you could ever need, you’ll never have to take a step out of bed

checking to make sure your fever is gone

he restrains himself from PDA during this time, so expect absolutely no kisses until you get better

he tells you that it’s your “punishment” for getting sick

if you tell him you’re sore or something aches, expect a massage

give him a kiss for all his efforts afterwards, you’ll see a rare smile cross his face

- [ SKIP MUCK ]

like George, he tells you jokes to help you get better

unlike George, however, he tells you shitty ones so that you’ll get better faster because absolutely no one wants to listen to them

not gonna lie to you, this little bastard is not very helpful

Malarkey and Penkala tell Roe about it once Skip finally realizes how bad your illness is getting

he feels really awful later on because he realizes if he told Eugene sooner then you wouldn’t be lying in bed, coughing your lungs out

spoils you after that because of how bad he feels

he won’t give you his own food, but he will steal extra meals for you

honestly he’s more mad that you’re sick than you are, he wants you to get better IMMEDIATELY

tells you about his day immediately after you’ve woken up from your nap

expect cuddles, kisses, hugs, and other physical affection he should not be giving you while you’re ill

- [ LEWIS NIXON ]

literally offers you alcohol at the beginning of your sickness

the man can’t even take care of himself, how the hell is he gonna take care of you

asks Winters a lot of questions, to the point where it’s basically Richard taking care of you

it’s fine, they come as a pair

lets you sleep in his office while he does whatever he has to do

gives you his most expensive blanket to keep warm

is actually very worried even though he puts on quite the humorous facade

he just wants you to be okay

he eventually calms down though, he knows a virus wont take you away from him

not even a war or an entire ocean could, so what’s the flu gonna do?

- [ FRANK PERCONTE ]

he probably thinks you’re sick because you forgot to brush your teeth ONE TIME after you were drunk

germaphobe to the MAX

sorry, but you’re not gonna see this man until you are in 100% healthy condition

he feels bad about it, but he doesn’t want whatever you have

he doesn’t believe Doc when he says it’s not contagious, which is stupid because Roe is literally a MEDIC-

i’m not even joking, this man will literally have Luz deliver you the hershey bars he wanted to give you

he’s basically quarantined you and there’s nothing you can do about it

everyone’s like: .... bruh... isn’t this a little too far???

but he’s just like: i have no idea what you’re talking about

it’s fine, he makes it up to you by literally smothering you once you’re all better

- [ SHIFTY POWERS ]

KING OF CODDLING

practically waits on you hand and foot for an entire week

blows on your soup to cool it down before feeding it to you

he’s scared you’re gonna burn your tongue, then you’ll be sick AND have a burnt tongue

lets you clutch on to his hand when your chills get worse

probably thinks you’re dying, which just makes him FREAK OUT

brushes your hair off your face when your fever is running high

always has a wet washcloth to place on your forehead

lets you burrow into his coat after your fever goes away

he rests his head on top of yours when you’re bundled up in his coat

- [ EUGENE ROE ]

HOVERS LIKE A GODDAMN MOTHER HEN

constantly taking your temperature, giving you more blankets, feeding you, making sure you stay hydrated, etc.

OH AND YOU BETTER STAY HYDRATED

throws a hissy fit that you got sick because he needs you to take better care of yourself

not extremely touchy because he doesn’t want to catch whatever you have, which is like actually painful for him

constantly giving you tea & other hot beverages to drink

spoon feeds you because he doesn’t want you to lift a single finger

will tie you to the bed to make sure that you rest

don’t test him, he’s serious about your speedy recovery

“mon amour, you need to rest or else i won’t be able to give you kisses”

- [ BULL RANDLEMAN ]

gentle giant

makes sure you’re eating lots of healthy food (or the healthiest you can get) & staying hydrated

does tasks like cleaning your bayonet and your gun so you can go to bed earlier

lots of forehead kisses when you wake up from sick naps

instructs all of the replacements on how to take care of you while he’s away

they’re actually very helpful and you treat them all like your kids

when Bull comes back and sees this, he thinks it’s adorable

but then he realizes that you’re sick and they might catch the same thing you have if they get to close

spends a lot of time shooing people out of your room

rubs your knuckles to lull you to sleep

- [ RONALD SPEIRS ]

oh god, he tries to act like it’s all good but he’s falling apart because you just look so fucking tired

SUPER SOFT with you

carries you to bed, even though you try to tell him you’re fine

steals a tonnnn of supplies for you, especially the finest quality cough drops he could find

whispers to you how much he cares about you when he thinks you’re asleep

spoiler alert: you’re not, but the stuff he says makes you feel so warm and fuzzy inside that you don’t want him to stop

thinks he has a superior immune system and that he won’t get sick, so it doesn’t matter if he kisses you or not

oh and he DEMANDS kisses even though you’re sick, he just can’t live without ‘em

he didn’t get sick, and you’re still bitter about it

he’s so doting, it’s the only time you’ll ever see him this soft

- [ FLOYD TALBERT ]

he’s so smug that you’re sick and he’s not

it’s genuinely annoying, but you get back at him by revoking his kisses because you’re sick

he is super bitter and will not talk to you for the first few days

around the third day, he’ll start to cave in, and he’ll be spending every waking moment at your side

it’s mostly him whining that you won’t give him any smooches, but he’s actually quite helpful when you ask him to get you things

finds only the BEST materials for his baby to get better

he will settle for nothing less

he has Trigger stay with you when he’s gone, just so that he knows you’re safe

when you’re finally better, he will not stop kissing you on the lips

the other men keep telling you two to get a room, but he genuinely does not care... he just tells them they’re all jealous

- [ JOE TOYE ]

the most surprisingly doting out of all the men

constantly asking you “are you okay? can i get you anything?”

will beat up anyone that tries to take your extra food or blankets

very wholesome, spoons you when you sleep

lots of neck and shoulder kisses because he cannot kiss you on the lips

constantly making sure you’re comfortable

not at all opposed to giving you piggyback rides so that you can get to places faster

plus, it’s a good opportunity for him to show off his muscles and strength to you

gives you all of his chocolate

kisses your nose because it’s red

- [ RICHARD WINTERS ]

tucks your blanket around you so that you are all cozy when you sleep

tries to dote on you as much as possible, but it’s very hard with his busy schedule sometimes

also lets you sleep in his office, you just have a big pile of blankets and pillows

no one else comes in there anyways so like... who cares?

does basic things that you don’t feel like doing (ex: brushing your hair) for you

assigns a paratrooper to look over you when he’s gone

it’s usually Tab, but sometimes it’s someone else

the only person he doesn’t assign is Nix, and that’s because Nix is a human train wreck

anyways, he wants lots of snuggles in your pile of blankets

i hate the way this turned out, but i’m not gonna beat myself up over it because i tried. i hope you liked this at least, sorry i’m a little slow with my requests right now. there’s a lot going on, but i’m trying my best. i should be posting a lot more in the next couple days! thank you for your patience and for your request 💕