#like he's announcing stage 1 and it took him 3 years | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yeonboy · 2 years ago

Text

𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 ♡ choi soobin.

If it was up to you, you would worship the very ground Choi Soobin walks. No, you’re not a simp, he’s just that amazing – the star of your college’s broadcasting club, your role model, the reason why you even have a dream career, and…someone you’d really like to make out with if he’d allow it. But the first ever conversation you have with him has your rose-tinted, star-studded glasses shattering to pieces when he turns out to be a huge jerk. Is this just a misunderstanding or is it the end?

❧ choi soobin x f. reader | 16+ | college!au ♡ strangers to lovers!au ♡ angst ♡ fluff

❧ 10 k words

❧ warnings! inaccuracies wrt broadcasting journalism majors & college broadcasting clubs, profanity, some suggestive language, misunderstandings, allusions to slut-shaming, soobin being an accidental (?) asshole, some heartbreak, some conflict, some yelling, insecurities wrt social standing in college, yn is a certified soob simp™ but goes thru a hater era for half a day </3, stinky cute fluff later on, some cringe, so much blushinG it’ll make u sick, a make out sesh, cameo by yj & his girl from fic 1 bec i love them sm :(

❧ note! set in the same universe as no one but you. i’ve been working on this since marCh, idk why it took me so long to finish? the wc def ran away from me a little whoops! anyways, this gets rough in the middle – soobin might shock u with his behavior but it will all get resolved, i promise!

leave me feedback if you like this! follow for more! (:

❧ masterlist | inbox ⁘

“I’m sorry, the tryouts are closed!”

You blink. Take a step away. Peek at the huge poster stuck on the huger double doors to the auditorium. The notice says the tryouts would run from four to six in the evening – it’s presently five minutes past five. What the heck?

Around you, you notice a number of girls looking as disgruntled as you feel. You approach one. “Uh, hey…did you already do your piece?”

The girl twirls a vibrant purple strand of hair around her finger and rolls her eyes. “Nope. Choi’s bitch ass shut the doors unannounced ’cause he’s pissed off for some reason.”

Choi? Bitch ass? This girl can’t possibly be talking about the Choi Soobin, right? The prince of the university’s broadcasting club who always emcees every single stage performance the university hosts?

No, she can’t be. No one would refer to the Choi Soobin’s glorious behind as ‘bitch ass.’ Besides, you really don’t think he’d sit around judging freshmen entrants to the club when he’s got so many better, so much cooler things on his schedule.

Choi Soobin the Great has been in this club for three years, two of which he has spent as its president. That, in itself, should be pretty explanatory with regards to how skilled he is at the whole announcer, emcee, broadcast business.

His extraordinary talent with the mic is what inspired you to pick broadcast journalism as your major, in fact. You'd entered the university on jittery, scared steps because you didn't believe you would actually find something that interested you enough to make a career out of. You spent a whole academic year fluttering between psych and communication, aimless and despaired.

But then came sophomore year where you volunteered to set things up for the new freshman batch's orientation week – and that is when you saw Choi Soobin, a fellow sophomore, take the stage and blow everyone away. He was so good with his audience of the new admittees, providing them with all the important information without making them feel nervous because he used the perfect amount of jokes as a buffer.

It was love at first sight for you.

Okay, like, not like that. You did end up making an altar for Choi Soobin the Great where you continue to worship on the daily because he's a god on stage, but what you actually fell in love with was the art of emceeing.

So you registered your major in your third semester and began to work on polishing your skills. Now, two semesters later and midway through the junior year, you finally feel confident and prepared enough to enter your God's actual, holy shrine and join his praying circle.

…maybe you should stop with these metaphors before it gets weird.

Anyways.

Case in point – unlike this uninformed rodent of a girl who found it fit to disrespect your role model and gave up on these tryouts in favor of rolling her eyes and complaining in the hallway, you are nothing if not strong-willed.

You are finally ready to do something about your one true passion that you can actually see yourself pursuing professionally after college. Being part of the university's broadcasting club means guaranteed dream job; you've seen it happen with your eyes for two consecutive years. You're finally ready to follow suit; finally ready to join the ranks of the elite and learn from Choi Soobin the Great himself – and you are not about to let a gruff call of "tryouts are closed" from an overworked janitor deter you.

Checking this way and that for any onlookers, you sneak off to the narrow passage to the side that you know connects to this auditorium's back door, and in turn, the cafeteria. You're just gonna casually stroll through it, maybe loiter a bit around the doors until someone from the judges panel steps out so that you can beg them to give you a chance. And if someone catches you? You were just looking for the cafe!

It's the perfect plan.

Until, that is, your loitering ends with the legend himself, Choi Soobin the Great stepping out of the backdoor and freezing you to a statue.

You've seen the man from afar more times than you can count on both hands. You're a true fan, a great admirer, a semi-obsessed devotee (?) of his. But never once have you seen the guy from this up close. Needless to say, your brain's short circuiting a little.

Three things strike you all at one – that the university's emcee prince did, in fact, sit in to judge freshman entrants to the broadcasting club despite his various busy schedules; that the purple haired female auditionee actually did call this great man's glorious behind 'bitch ass' like an uncultured heathen; and finally, that Choi Soobin sporting a combination of dark black hair, bright red lips and stark white t-shirt should be banned because it can cause brain malfunctions in people.

Because while the guy's eyes widen and then squint as he looks at you, and mouth opens as if to say something to you – you stay absolutely frozen, literally turned to stone without a single muscle moving in your body. Including your lungs that are jammed because you're pretty sure you aren't breathing.

"Um… can I help you?"

Oh shit, his dimples…

His dimples!

You realise this is entering borderline creepy territory but you can't help staring at him. He's just so pretty. Though your brain functions are still experiencing a slight lag, you're starting to realize that your crush on the guy is winning over the admiration and respect you have for his talents, at the moment.

He's ethereal. He's unearthly. He's the most beautiful guy you've ever met. You're a simp.

"Excuse me?" Soobin's head tilts to the side in confusion. "Can I help you?"

He definitely can, in more ways than one, but that conversation is for another time.

His impatiently raised eyebrows suddenly push you back into motion, breaking your frozen state, but now you're on an overdrive, very close to hyperventilating in front of him.

"H–hey! I mean, h–hi. I mean, fancy bumping into you here! N–not that we bumped, just, uh—haha, you know? Fancy – fancy seeing you here, how have you been?"

God.

Did all of that just exit your mouth?

You need a shovel because this calls for digging up a hole and burying yourself alive. What the fuck is wrong with you?

Your entire face feels like it's caught on fire, and all the nerve endings in your body are tingling from embarrassment. You feel like you're vibrating. Wait, if you vibrate at a frequency that's outside of the visible range, can you voluntarily make yourself disappear?

The only thing holding you back from combusting into flames is the amused smile that replaces the previously formal tilt on Soobin's lips. "Hi. I'm sorry, where do I know you from? You look very familiar, but I'm just missing it…"

You look familiar? So he does notice you in class! Maybe getting that hair spa last month has worked in your favor, after all. You're getting a little googly eyed, but you do your best to control your reactions as you gauge his.

He looks so darn cute with his dimpled smile that makes his eyes squint, that you're left gaping for a couple of seconds before you're able to notice the hand he is forwarding you. Nodding haphazardly, you forward yours and let him wrap his huge palm around your significantly smaller one. Even though you try to repress it, the warmth his skin emanates sends a shiver running through you.

If Soobin notices the subtle shake your body gives, he doesn't comment on it.

He's being so angelically patient and kind, you need to get it together!

So you clap your hands in front of your face and pull your lips up in a smile, preparing yourself to say your thing without any unnecessary words this time.

"Uh, I'm – I'm in your class? I don't know if you know me, but I know you! I'm, um, I'm here for the broadcasting club. And – and I noticed that the banner said that the tryouts would run from four to six, but I've been told that the gates have been closed when it is barely past five, so I was… w–wondering…" You slowly trail off, stuttering a little when Soobin's facial expressions do a sudden one-eighty.

Gone is the sweet, dimpled, kind guy who was smiling at you with his eyes. Now his lips are pursed and eyebrows furrowed, a clear look of irritation on his face. Well, he's still got a dimple showing, but this one's part of his frowny face so you're not sure if you should be admiring it anymore.

"Wow. You're gutsy." His tone has changed now, too, really stiff with an underlying scoff in words. "Did you follow me here?"

You blink in surprise. "What? Of course not! The – the main doors were closed, so I was looking for another way in and—"

"Good God, please stop talking," he interrupts you with a groan, rolling his eyes as he tilts his head to look skywards – and you're fully paralyzed now, clueless and a little scared because Soobin looks so mean and intimidating with his eyebrows scrunched up like that. "I don't get what you guys' problem is. I'm – I'm trying to do something serious here. Why the hell do you not get it?"

Blinking slowly, you gape at your idol, your icon, the deity of all things broadcasting as he yells at you about something you can make neither head nor tail of.

'You guys'? Who?

You know that you of all people definitely get that he's doing something serious. You're as much, if not more, serious about the club yourself; the reason why you've taken so long to decide to audition for it. Besides, how's he judging you when you've never met before?

Willing your frozen lips to move, you attempt to clear the air. "We've – we've never met before. You don't know me. I'm—"

"Oh, I know you enough." This time there is vitriol in his eyes as he spits the words, and you take an actual, vary step away from Soobin. "I've been through twenty auditions and seen fifty applications in the past hour and every single one of the girls like you is dying to get to interview the hockey team and talk to Yeonjun about his strategy for his final season in college. So I know exactly who you are and exactly what you're after."

He is rolling his eyes again, this time with both his hands braced on his waist.

But his words are very confusing and a little hurtful. Why is he grouping you with whatever 'girls like you' he's seen so far? You've been a fan of Soobin for a while now, but you've never encountered any instance of even a mention of him being anything less than courteous and big hearted.

This attitude from him feels like living a fever dream – and not of the good kind.

"So for the last time – I'm not taking any of you groupies into this club because it is not a means to get into the hockey captain's pants! I need serious people who look at announcing and broadcasting with respect and not as something they can use as cover for their ulterior motives. Oh, and if it means anything to you at all, Yeonjun hyung has a girlfriend now. We probably won't even be covering him at all because his fangirls are always a bit too much."

Your head is spinning a little now.

Did he call you a groupie? Yeonjun's groupie? He thinks you're doing this to get into Yeonjun's… what the hell?

While you're still processing his previous words, Soobin gives a wince. "Look, I'm sorry if all this sounds harsh, but you've left me no choice. Trying to corner me was a really low blow, okay? There's a limit to acting desperate and you're clearly crossing the line, here. If you can't respect me or the club, at least respect yourself."

The pieces have finally fallen in place in your head. You couldn't make sense of it earlier because you didn't really allow yourself to think Soobin would go there. But given his last statement, now you have no doubts.

You don't live under a rock – you really can't afford to when you dream of joining the broadcasting club, of all things – so you obviously know hockey captain Choi Yeonjun and the hype surrounding him. And because you always do your homework well, you also know that he used to be somewhat of a serial dater before he got into a serious relationship with his long time best friend, just last month. All of Yeonjun's fangirls across campus have been disheartened by this development and have been acting desperate ever since.

But why on earth has Soobin pegged you as one of them escapes you. You did not say a word about the hockey team. You didn't get to tell him what your goals actually are. Hell, you didn't even get to tell him your name before he shut you down.

This is a very overwhelming generalization, and you really wanna give Soobin the benefit of the doubt here because going through fifty bullshit applications can be a lot – but he needs to hear you out for you to do that.

"Soobin," you try again, raising both your palms up in an attempt to placate him, "I don't know how you're getting this idea, but I'm not one of – one of Yeonjun's groupies, or whatever, okay? I literally told you I'm in your class."

“Look, I really don’t have time for all these tales,” Soobin interrupts you with a sigh, a huge hand raised up to shut you up – so you do. “You’re dressed… too prettily to be trying out for the broadcasting club, anyways. Is that a cheerleading skirt?”

He's looking down his nose at your miniskirt that you felt very pretty in, annoyance on his face, and now –

Now you're hurt. Now you're hurt beyond giving him the benefit of the doubt. Now you're hurt enough for your eyes to sting with offense.

“Are you trying to pass a judgment on my…clothes?” you ask him in shock, your voice low and a frown creasing your forehead.

He looks a little uncomfortable as he clears his throat. “I’ve seen the way Yeonjun’s fangirls dress, and you kinda… fit the description.”

He really isn’t giving up on the groupie allegations…

In any other scenario, you would honestly take that as a compliment. Because you have seen these girls as well and their appearance is honestly on another level. But this guy in front of you definitely means it as an insult. And he is still scowling, as if you have dressed up to personally offend him.

You’re at a complete loss now. He hasn’t let you talk, you haven’t even told him your name, and he is acting like knows everything about you. His mind seems fully made up too.

What are you supposed to do?

"You know what? Maybe I… I should leave through the front door,” he murmurs in your general direction and then moves to step back through the gates he’d emerged from.

You just stay rooted to your place, offended at his dismissal and still in partial disbelief.

Choi Soobin is nothing like anything you thought he was.

The smiling, giggling, squinty-eyed guy that you always heard being called kind-hearted, warm, understanding and sweet? Cannot be the same guy you just met. Part of the reason why you like him so much has been the overwhelming amount of praises you have heard about him.

At times, you found yourself wondering how such an important and busy guy could muster enough patience to be a sweetheart to everyone. Now you know that it’s all a sham – a character he has created to showcase. It’s all pretend.

This, the version of him you just met, is what the real Choi Soobin is like when no one’s looking.

Not just your crush, but your idol has broken your heart.

How are you gonna move on from this?

"Y/N!"

The sudden shout of your name makes you jump in surprise, wide, watery eyes turning to the end of the hallway. Soobin has stopped in his place as well, a frown on his forehead as he attempts to follow your gaze – but he's a little off center from the curved hallway to be able to locate a bubbly looking Yeji excitedly waving at you.

Oh fuck. Not right now. You don't need your best friend to witness you experiencing the worst moment of your entire life.

But Yeji being the loudass clown she is, doesn't stop speaking at the top of her voice as she marches down the hallway to you. "Where have you been? The janitor says they closed the tryouts? Did you pass? Oh, and a girl told me Choi Soobin was in the judging panel! Did you get to see him?"

Your eyes jump wide, traveling to the said guy involuntarily to witness the way confusion overtakes his face. He isn't moving, though, probably out of intrigue now that he has heard his name, and you're halfway scared to death that Yeji is about to reveal your secret and bathe you in the kind of embarrassment that you will never be able to live down.

"Yeji, I'm just—"

"Babe, why do you look so pale?" she cuts you off, squinting as she nears you, and before you can get another word out, her lips are tilting mischievously and eyebrows are wiggling. "Did Choi find out about your obsessive crush on him? Did he kick you out? Are you hiding from him?"

Yeji is done walking up to you and is now standing with her back to the still open door to the auditorium to look at you with her head tilted and hands braced on her waist. But your gaze is stuck to the person whose face you can easily see over her shoulder.

Soobin's eyes are impossibly wide and mouth is parted to allow his bunny-like front teeth to peek out. There's a subtle flush covering the top of his cheekbones, ears and the bridge of his nose – a sight that would've had you cooing in adoration if you weren’t so distraught, right now.

And then his lips move to form a broken sentence that makes you want to stab Yeji and then yourself: "You… obsessive crush… me?"

To her credit, Yeji seems to recognise the guy's voice and also the context of this ridiculous situation pretty quickly. Her eyes grow wide immediately before a wince overtakes her face as she mouths the word 'sorry' to you, probably mistaking your fallen expressions to be a reaction to the chaos she has caused. Little does she know.

Just as she has stepped aside, Soobin takes a step closer to you, heavy guilt and bewilderment sewn into the lines of his forehead and the twist of his lips. It's so weird that your heart is still skipping a beat when his gaze searches yours.

It's so unfair.

You inhale deeply and shake your head, though, steeling yourself against his deceitful innocent eyes. His dimples are just a facade to hide his arrogance. You know better now.

"Not anymore, don't you worry," you tell him with your chin lifted and eyes narrowed.

And damn, you feel so brave for that one. Especially because the words aren't even true. Getting over him will be a hefty task and you have no idea where to even begin, because your life has pretty much revolved around the guy for over a year.

Soobin frowns at that, looking almost hurt, and you want to laugh in his face at the hypocrisy. But you've had enough of him judging you and you're also ninety-eight percent sure you will end up crying if you tried to laugh, so you choose to just grab onto an embarrassed and confused looking Yeji's wrist and tug her with you to the other end of the hallway, exiting into the college's cafeteria.

"Babe, that was—ow!"

Yeji is cut off by you smacking her upside the head. "You're so fucking stupid, Hwang."

"I know… I'm sorry?"

"Shut up, you’re buying me lunch."

The next day, while you’re supposed to be attending your Media Law class, a mandatory course in your major, you find yourself sitting (read: sulking) in a corner of the library by yourself, staring at the laptop in front of you unseeingly. Your attendance is good enough to save your grades and you can beg Chaewon for notes later in the week.

But you truly don’t have enough mental strength to face the class’ star student after the shitshow that went down, yesterday.

While Yeji bought you lunch yesterday, you filled her in on everything that happened. Your best friend provided you with a shoulder for your tears, some tissues for your snot and four golden words of advice: never meet your heroes. Because now everything is ruined, and you’re beginning to wonder if picking this major was even worth it when the reason why you did has turned out to be a sham himself.

Your phone suddenly pings with a message, breaking your chain of spiraling thoughts.

11:03 | yeji 💘 dood. guess who i bumped into omw to the chem lab and guess what he asked me for

You blink and then squint at your phone. Why is your best friend trying to be so mysterious?

↪ wtf ji…? ↪ who asked u for what? ↪ are u okay?

11:05 | yeji 💘 what? yeah i’m okay choi soobin asked for your number

What?

↪ yeji… ↪ tell me u didn’t give it to him

11:06 | yeji 💘 of course not bestie <3 i told him to talk to you in person he’ll be there in a min good luck! 💋💋💋

You hadn’t even fully inhaled your breath of relief at Yeji’s first text when she cut it short with the next one. In person? In a minute?

Did Yeji tell him where you are?

“Uh, hey… Can we talk?”

She did. Shit.

Even if you don’t lift your gaze from your phone, Soobin’s tall form blocks the incoming light from the window you were seated next to and casts such an obvious shadow on your form that you cannot ignore him without making it weird. So you lick your lips and collect your nerves, preparing yourself to face the guy who single-handedly inspired and then shattered your future plans.

Soobin looks as devastatingly handsome as ever, dressed in a white, collared shirt. His hair is just as black, lips just as red, but there’s an additional pair of thick, black, round-framed glasses sitting on his eyes this time that make your heart beat faster. He just had to look like a runway model in glasses. The universe hates you. Figures.

The expressions on his face scream clear distress and the guilt you saw yesterday. He’s nibbling on his bottom lip, which is a great sign because his bitch ass should be antsy about his audacity of talking to you now when he didn’t wanna listen to you yesterday.

Wow. Maybe that purple haired girl really was onto something, yesterday. Choi Soobin’s derriere is most definitely a rude and a bitch ass.

Looking down at your laptop, you clear your throat and ask him, “What do you wanna talk about?”

You don’t ask him to sit, you do not smile, don’t even wave back in response to his lame ass ‘hey’ – just cut straight to business. You’re proud of the way your voice sounds the right amount of impatient and careless.

“I… I owe you an apology.”

That has you looking at him again. He’s frowning now, looking so conflicted, you almost soften. But then you stop yourself. This is probably not even that heartfelt. He heard about your crush on him and now he pities you. You won’t be a vessel for him to pretend to clear his conscience when he wasn’t even willing to get off his judgemental high horse for you.

“Soobin… don’t.”

He takes the seat opposite yours, ignoring your eyebrows that rise up in shocked outrage. "I have to. Please."

"You really don't—"

"I was horribly out of line, ridiculously ignorant, unprofessional and – and an asshole."

You blink at him in mild surprise. At least he knows; that’s an oddly good start. "You can say that again."

He removes his glasses and rests his elbows on the table, leaning towards you with wide, desperate eyes. "I do not expect you to forgive me, I just need you to – to know that I'm not… I'm not who I was yesterday. That's not – I was under pressure and I felt irritated, insecure and a little jealous? And I said everything I didn't mean. Especially that comment about your dress up! I didn't mean it, I swear! You looked pretty, your skirt was really cute, okay? I – I didn't mean to insult you, I would never stoop to that level."

Your cheeks involuntarily heat up at the compliment he tosses at you so casually. "Why say it when you didn't mean it?" you mumble, attempting to hold your ground and stay mad because he's saying all the right things to weaken your resolve and give him an ear.

He hangs his head as if in shame. "Because I'm a moron. None of the stuff I said was aimed at you. As you said, we hadn't even met before, and… I was frustrated and tired and just drew all these wrong conclusions about you and went off like an idiot. I feel so horrible. I'm so fucking sorry..."

Very slowly, you lean back in your chair and shut your laptop. He really knows how to apologize, damn.

You were preparing to knock Choi Soobin off the throne you had him sitting on, mentally, and then crush that very throne to pieces because if he could disappoint you like this, you were determined to never look for another role model. You were preparing yourself to leave Choi Soobin and his arrogance in dust and move on with your life.

But now here he is – apologizing like the decent human being you always thought him to be, saying everything you’d never admit you needed to hear.

He’s climbing back upon the throne that took you a whole day to make up your mind to remove him from.

You’re kinda pathetic, to be honest…

In an attempt to regain some of the dignity your inner monologue has stripped you of, you frown at him. But you are definitely intrigued now because if the kindness and sweetness he shows everyone is a facade, why is he being kind and sweet to you in private?

Could there possibly be… an explanation for his behavior yesterday? He said he was under pressure and frustrated. Although you understand the former, given his position and the auditions yesterday, you don’t really get why he would be frustrated.

When you meet his gaze again, you find Soobin looking at you with those wide eyes of his spilling desperate hope. So you decide to bite.

"You – you keep saying you were frustrated… Why was that? "

He thumps his head against the table with a groan, making you jump a little in surprise, and then looks up with a determined expression on his face. "I'll begin from the beginning. I owe you that much."

"You really don't owe me any—"

"Please, Y/N."

Oh. Did he say your name? Oh.

Wow, this is why crushes are horrible. Now your heart is thumping wildly and your face feels really hot. Honestly, there should be a system where one can run a background check on an individual before they can be deemed safe enough to be crushed on so that one doesn’t end up embarrassing oneself.

You can only hope your face hasn’t heated up to a noticeable degree.

"I… Since the day I was made President of the Broadcasting Club and was given the duty to conduct interviews for the different sports teams our college has, there’s been this – this recurring pattern. Huge throngs of girls that want to join the club for a chance to interview the hockey team and get close to Captain Choi.” He gives a tired exhale and runs a hand down his face. “I’ve seen it repeat every semester. And this time it got really out of hand because I actually decided to sit in for the tryouts…”

You didn’t even notice when you leaned on your elbows to mirror Soobin’s seating position and focused your eyes on his face, so when he looks up to meet your gaze, your breath catches for a moment. And then you see absolute, sheer tiredness reflected by his brown orbs.

He cannot be this good of an actor, can he be? That would mean that he's really been going through something with this whole insincere signing up for the club thing.

"It was really wrong of me to explode on you the way I did," he continues in a softer voice, looking down at the table next to his palms. "I assumed you were one of the girls that had been giving me a hard time and… didn't even let you say your thing. I'm really, terribly sorry for being a jerk to you."

Your jaw drops a little at the sincerity that spills from his apology. He doesn't sound like he's doing this to clear his conscience or out of pity – he sounds really regretful. He almost sounds like he's in pain, in fact.

Does he really feel that guilty?

He would only be feeling so bad about this if… everything he has said so far is the truth and he’s actually not the kind of person he painted himself as, yesterday. You can sense the way your previously drawn conclusions begin to dissipate little by little.

"After you left," Soobin begins again, this time with a slight twinkle in his eyes and a tilt to his lips that makes his dimples pop, "I went looking for your application form and read about your interest in announcing. You… you picked your major because of me?"

Your cheeks are definitely on fire now and there’s no way Soobin can’t see that. Why did you put that in your form, you embarrassing imbecile?

Well. If Soobin has been gusty and virtuous enough to come looking for you and make an attempt to honestly explain himself and apologize, maybe you can be a little honest with him as well.

"You see… the freshman orientation you hosted last year left an impact on me," you reveal, unable to look at him. "And then I saw your sports coverage and realized that I want to be a sports announcer in future."

Soobin says your name, making you look up and meet his soft gaze. "I never thought I would do anything in life that would be worth an inspiration… so this means a lot to me. A lot.” His eyes are shining with sincerity and emotion, and you’re looking into them, spellbound. “I am so sorry I hurt you and I’m ready to try and make it up to you for as long as needed. I don’t really expect you to accept my apology, like I told you, but if you would please give me another chance, I would like to show you who I really am. And maybe initiate you, if you’d like?"

He finishes with a sweet, dimpled smile and maybe that is to be blamed for the way his question bounces right off of you.

"Initiate…me?" You cluelessly blink at him.

"Yeah. Into the club. All the members went through your application and some samples of you emceeing. So it’s not just mine, but everybody’s decision. Insistence, if you will. Request? We – we’d really really like to have you on our team."

Your eyes jump open very wide at that. Join the club of your dreams? He’s finally offering you the spot you thought you’d lost forever?

Wait, did he say samples? Of you emceeing? What?

"I’m sorry, what samples?"

A blush tinges his ears. "I contacted your friend Yeji about this, last evening. Please don’t be mad at her, she just wanted to help you. She told me how much this means to you… and then sent me a couple of clips of you managing a stage during a kids’ talent show in your neighborhood. You were really impressive, Y/N."

Holy fucking hell, you're going to scream.

First at Hwang Yeji for going behind your back and selling you to the enemy, no matter what her motivation might’ve been. And then because your idol just complimented you on something you've learned from him.

"Th–thank you, Soobin." You bite your lip at the stutter in your voice, peering up at him with hesitant eyes. And then you decide to be honest with him again: "Your praise… means a lot to me."

Soobin's eyes sparkle at that, a warm smile pulling at his lips. "And I promise to always remember, respect and honor that. Just one chance?”

You stay like that for the next few moments, looking at him with a soft gaze.

You’ve been polishing your skills to prepare yourself for a spot in this club for a year. If you had gotten the chance to audition normally yesterday, there is no doubt in your mind that you would’ve made the cut. So wouldn’t it be unfair if you give up now?

And then there’s Soobin, of course. It’s going to take you some time to trust him. But if he says he’s willing to work on it, says it with a sincerity in his eyes that gives you goosebumps, you believe it’s worth giving him a chance to correct the misunderstanding he caused yesterday.

You exhale, mind made up, and nod at the guy tentatively. “Promise me you will hear what I have to say before you draw any conclusions?”

He leans closer to you, bringing his face at the same level as yours and nods eagerly. “I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die. Do I take this as a yes to joining the club?”

His eagerness makes you crack a smile, which causes Soobin to scrunch his nose bashfully. You inhale deeply and give him another nod. “Yes, you may.”

Time flies really fast after that day as you attempt to find a stable way of juggling your classes and the club duties.

The work isn’t as much in bulk as it is in the details. Soobin is, as you’d known beforehand, a meticulous perfectionist. Every single activity the club is involved in has to be fully planned in bullet points and a step-wise-step itinerary, and uploaded to the club’s shared Google Drive, days in advance, or Mr. President begins to lose his calm . You, being the newest addition to the bunch of six experienced members, are mostly tasked with assisting the guy on building this very itinerary.

Not that you mind.

The more time you spend next to him, witnessing him in his element up close and actually getting to peer into the creative wonderland that his mind is, the more you find yourself in awe of him. He has been a role model to you for a reason, after all.

With each passing day, you pat yourself on the back for taking a chance by accepting his apology as you slowly begin to see the real him – the version of him that is absolutely nothing like the asshole you met that day. And little by little, your trust in him begins to grow.

Soobin, to his credit, doesn’t leave a single stone unturned to make you feel welcome into the club. He is incredibly patient and delicate with you – always pausing to check whether you have been keeping up with all the new stuff or if you need any guidance.

You’re beginning to understand that it is in his nature to be kind. The word that got around about him has been correct all along – he really is gentle, understanding and sweet. And if he is going an extra mile for you with the intention of appeasing you because he is apologetic? Well… he’s damn well succeeding.

The two of you have quickly fallen into a routine where you attend your 10 am Media Law class together, collect the communication majors Karina and Jongho from their block, and then report to Arin—the only senior in the club and known to be an effortless ace—in the broadcasting room. After a short briefing about the previous days’ tasks and a rundown of the fresh day’s checklist, you and Soobin depart to the library to work on it.

After that you both attend your separate afternoon classes, meet up at the broadcasting room at four in the evening for the college announcements that are alternated between Yunjin and Jongin, sophomores and the final two members of the club, and the lot of you finally take your leave some time around six.

The first week is so exhausting for you that you are barely left with enough strength to feed yourself before you collapse into bed every night, let alone think about your academics. You don’t even text Yeji for three whole days, until she accosts you in the library.

Soobin texts you, that evening, sharing tips on time management, task management as well as a small list of snacks that he munches on to retain energy. To say your heart nearly beats out of your chest at the gesture would be an understatement.

The following weeks are full of you being on the receiving end of more such thoughtful acts by Soobin. Getting you coffee – one that is made exactly the way you like it – before the evening meet-up, walking you to your dorm if you don’t have anyone from your building accompanying you, repeatedly checking in to ensure you’re well-rested and not overwhelmed by the sudden change in your routine.

And then there is that one time, some three weeks later, when you're filling in for an absent Yunjin and make a mistake during the announcement – landing yourself at the receiving end of Arin's ire. You feel really bad about your mistake as it is, and so the addition of a reprimand from the senior you've come to look up to has you immensely low.

"She said it was a mistake, noona."

Your head snaps up at Soobin's firm statement. His eyebrows are furrowed and arms are crossed as he looks at Arin. You, along with three other pairs of eyes, gawk at the rare sight of Soobin getting angry, and the rarer sight of him going against the club's queen.

"She's apologized thrice. What more do you expect?"

Arin looks taken aback at the brusque interruption, but doesn't put up a fight against the president. "She needs to practice her pauses, Soobin."

"And she will. I'll make sure she does." He gives a small nod to her before turning his gaze to you. Put in spot, you stare back at him with wide eyes. "I'll stay with her while she practices."

Flashing you a small smile of reassurance, Soobin turns back to the other girl and pats her shoulder to calm her down. And because no one in powerful enough to maintain a frown when Soobin unleashes the power of his dimples upon them, Arin eventually smiles in defeated acceptance and dismisses the meeting.

But your heart never quite manages to dismiss the way this incident makes you feel.

Because Soobin holds true to the promise he made as well – accompanying you to the college's courtyard whenever you're both free and practicing speech with you. To be really honest, he seems to be wanting to spend all his free time with you. You find yourself having to say no to his texts at times because you have plans with Yeji, or are too tired to function.

You'd be lying if you claimed that having so much of his attention on you doesn't make your heart to somersaults in your chest. Which is why you begin to wonder where his extra mile of apologetic appeasement ends.

The whole apology acceptance thing happened between the two of you awhile ago. He really shouldn't have a reason to continue to dote on you as if he has been hired to take care of you. Last time you checked, you were the one with a gigantic crush on him and not the other way round.

A few explanations pop up in your head, but none of them feel plausible enough for you to even think about. So you do the next best thing – share your dilemma with Yeji on an impromptu girls’ night in, one Saturday.

For a moment, your best friend squints her eyes in the way she does when she’s analyzing some complex situation. And then she shrugs a shoulder, pops a pretzel in her mouth and announces: “Sounds like he’s got a crush.”

You blink, caught so off-guard that you’re stunned into silence. It is only when she looks at you with her eyebrows raised that you manage to cough out a scoff. “What? Don’t be ridiculous.”

This time Yeji’s the one to scoff. “Excuse me? What’s so ridiculous about him liking you?”

“Dude. I…” You vaguely gesture to yourself. “I’m me. And he’s…him. Choi Soobin the Great, the prince, the God, the emcee of the year.”

“Uh, I’m sorry, what’s that supposed to mean? You’re you – the princess, the goddess, the prettiest girl on campus and the best student in our year.” She tosses a pretzel at you, scowling. “You’re amazing, bff. Choi Soobin is one lucky motherfucker to have the privilege to spend so much time with you. Of course he’d fall in love! I’d date you if I was into girls!”

The last part of her sentence makes you giggle. “Stop, no one’s talking about love just yet. Do you really think he could be doing all of that with… I don’t know… the intention to woo me?”

“Of course! He’d be a fool not to!” Yeji sits up from her recline on the couch, nearly aggressively grabbing onto your shoulders to shake you. “Didn’t you hear the part where I told you I would date—hell, Ryujin would date you!”

You gape at your best friend, feeling uplifted, reassured and confused all at once. “Wha—? Does Ryujin like girls?”

“No, but she’d still date you. She’s open minded that way.”

“Yeji, what the f—”

“My point is!” She raises a finger up to silence your protest. “You’re fabulous and amazing and gorgeous – have you seen your eyes? Bff, they’re fucking pretty. Do you know what that makes you? More fucking pretty. He likes you, boo, and he's probably got a list of reasons why.”

Yeji’s love language might be words of affirmation through… aggression, but it is surely effective at reminding you of the fact that you’re lovable.

And so more time goes by, with things staying mostly normal if you don’t count the way your cheeks seem to get extra warmer with every cup of coffee that Soobin hands you, lately. If your locked gazes stay locked for longer than necessary, or if his goodbye hugs linger a little and cause your heart to nearly beat out of your chest – it is no one’s business but your own.

You know, deep in your heart, that you never really got over the guy. He left you heartbroken for a total of 36 hours, while he's spent more than 36 days swirling up a swarm of butterflies in your tummy with every action of his.

It is inevitable for you to fall for him all over again.

You have absolutely no plans of doing anything about it, however, because you have come to really cherish the close friendship you share with Soobin. You like the wheel of routine the two of you constantly spin within and don't wanna change a thing about it.

Although, that is not to say that no change ends up happening.

The wheel of routine makes a detour around a week later, some five weeks after your initiation into the broadcasting club, when you find yourself wrapped in a jacket and still shivering, sitting next to the university’s star athlete on the bleachers in the hockey arena, at six in the morning.

“Is that all? For real?” Choi Yeonjun asks you with his eyes wide in pleasant surprise. “That was quick.”

While you just nod with a chuckle, his girlfriend peers at you from his other side and punches him in the side. “I’ve told you the important questions don’t take that long! Your fangirls just wanna extend the interviews because they wanna ogle you longer.”

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore, I promise,” you tell the girl with a grin, which she returns fully.

“Nah, you don’t even have to tell me because I can see it in your body language,” she mumbles, pressing her cheek into her boyfriend’s shoulder, over which he tips his own head affectionately. “You’re the first ever girl to not view him like a piece of meat. I’m not even kidding.”

“Ah, I’m sorry about that. Your man’s okay, but he’s not my type.”

Yeonjun grins widely at your words, while her girlfriend breaks into laughter because she apparently hasn’t heard anyone use the adjective “okay” for Yeonjun ever before.

Anyone that tries to get between these two must be crazy, you realize, because you’ve sat with them for less than an hour and can already tell how deeply in love they are. And how stinkingly cute they are together.

Well, the general consensus states that Yeonjun is cute, too. Along with being handsome, beautiful, sexy – and a whole plethora of other adjectives that his fans use for him. But it becomes hard for you to agree with the opinion when your heart, instead, chooses to skip a beat for the dimpled cutie seated two steps away from you, smiling at you from behind his camera.

Right as your eyes meet, Soobin waves a hand at you to let you know he has stopped recording. Nodding, you wave goodbye to the couple next to you and leave the spot to walk up to your cameraman.

“If I get hypothermia, you’re footing my hospital bills,” you announce as you settle next to a laughing Soobin, intentionally shifting closer to him to hopefully absorb some of his body heat.

“I told you to bring a jacket, didn’t I?”

“And I did, but it was useless.”

“Because it was denim!” He gives a full belly laugh at that, and the sound is so beautiful to your ears that it becomes hard for you to maintain your scowl of annoyance. “Who brings a denim jacket when asked to carry one?”

“Hey, you texted me at five am!” you whine in complaint. “I could barely open my eyes, my brain wasn’t working!”

“Is that why you didn’t question me?” His tone is a little teasing and so are his raised eyebrows as he smirks at you. “I asked you to come downstairs quickly and you arrived within ten minutes, ready to run away to the mountains with me if I asked. What’s up with that, hm?”

Your cheeks feel on fire at the implication of his words. Clearing your throat, you try to come up with a response, but your heartbeat is too loud in your ears and meeting Soobin’s playful gaze might just make it crash due to the onslaught of overwhelming emotions.

Well. At least you’re feeling a little warmer now.

“You – you said it was a surprise and a huge honor that I’d later thank you for… I got excited,” you mumble, entwining your cold fingers and stuffing your hands beneath your knees to warm them up. “Thanks for thinking of me for this honor but honestly…” You gesture towards Yeonjun with your chin. “I don't really care for athletes. They’re not my type. I prefer brains over brawn. This guy’s taken, anyway, so people should really…”

You trail off when you turn to look at Soobin and find him smiling at you almost knowingly, such unabashed affection in his gaze that your throat closes up with nervousness.

“I… I – I mean—”

“Yeonjun’s not your type?”

Swallowing past your nerves, you very slowly shake your head. “Is that a surprise?”

He shrugs his shoulders, trying to seem nonchalant, but you see the stiffness that enters his spine at the question. “Yeah, kind of. He’s… well, everyone I know either wants him or wants to be him.”

Wants to be him? Oh… Your lips curve up in a small smile as it begins to make sense to you. “Including you?”

His eyes widen in surprise as he looks at you. “He’s the most popular guy at our uni, Y/N. Who wouldn’t wanna be him?”

You should be surprised by his answer but you somehow aren’t. Because this ties up with a number of things you’ve been unable to fully make sense of about Soobin. Most of all, this explains why it would get him so riled up that people would try to use him and his club – one of the most sacred things he holds in his life – just to get close to Yeonjun. It would also explain why he would have felt insecure and jealous about it.

Emotions such as these are hard to navigate. Within the month that you’ve spent working closely with Soobin, you’ve come to know that he cares about his friends a lot – he truly loves them and would go to extreme lengths to help them whenever and wherever. It pains you that he struggles with this burden on the inside.

You need him to know that he shouldn’t. That he doesn’t need to.

Which is why you shuffle closer to him, to the point where your thighs brush together, and look into his wide, bunny eyes to tell him that: “When I first saw you, I was fully convinced you were the most popular guy at the uni. And it stayed with me for months until I began my research into uni related facts and opinions and found out about our hockey team. This is why I could never gather enough courage to approach you, you know? You were this tall, handsome and sweet guy – textbook university crush material. How could you not be the most popular?”

Soobin’s cheeks turn pink, then pinker, then bright red, and by the end of your confession, he’s got a trail of redness climbing up to his ears. His eyes stay glued to yours, even as he bites down on his bottom lip.

When you see the way he exhales shakily, you finally release a giggle at his flustered state. “What? Are you really blushing that hard? How're you so cool as an emcee but your cheeks go red when a girl compliments you, Soobin?”

Soobin huffs out a laugh through his nose and rolls his eyes, pursing his lips to bite back his smile. Then he shakes his head. “Not just any girl.”

This time, you feel a similar blush begin to cover your face. You attempt to joke it away. “I… I’m h–honored, I guess?”

Smirking at your stutters, Soobin simply averts his gaze from yours and goes back to packing up the recording equipment. “Speaking of honors, by the way. This isn't exactly what I was talking about.”

You frown in confusion. “Oh? So what is—wait. Why did you wake me up at five, then?!”

“Woah, easy!” he laughs when you get up and brace your fists on your waist, ready to throw hands. “I brought you here because having your first solo interview with Yeonjun would give you a good boost of publicity for your future with the club.”

“Ow, are we using him for clout?” You scrunch your nose up when Soobin proudly nods.

“Precisely. And also to give you a small rehearsal so that you know what all to focus on when you prepare for the freshman orientation that’s coming up soon.”

You freeze in the middle of a nod.

To prepare you for what?

Your brain refuses to comprehend the words. He couldn’t possibly be talking about the orientation, right?

Eyes wide and jaw dropped, you stare at Soobin while he seamlessly continues to speak.

“You're pretty comfortable with the mic and you actually enjoy interacting with groups. I still remember the clips your friend had shown me. Orientation stage requires the ability to interact well and improvise upon the script efficiently, because you’re tasked with making sure these bunch of seventeen year olds feel welcome into their new surroundings. And you, ma’am, happen to be an ace at both the arts.”

Still in disbelief, you sit next to him again and forward a hand to hold onto his forearm, bringing his focus back on you. “Soobin… are you sure? I’ve – I’ve been here for a month, and—”

“And you were amazing even before you joined us.” He turns to you to take both your palms between his, and says your name. A surge of sparks passes through your nerve endings at the warm contact, but Soobin’s gaze grounds you – it’s so open and honest that it compels you to believe every word he says to you. “You’ve only improved with each day, right? You will be great, I’m absolutely sure.”

Nodding slowly, you begin to smile when he does.

Giving your hands a jerk, Soobin points at the couple seated a few feet away. “Just you wait and see, you’re about to go viral when this bit is released. The one girl that remains unaffected by Choi Yeonjun’s charm? Oh, you’re gonna pull so many admirers within a week. Get ready for fanboys crushing on you and sliding into your DMs. Bet they’ll have a fan page up and running before your next public appearance.”

You break into laughter, craning away from him at his teasing. But Soobin tugs at your hands to pull you back up, this time bringing you closer to him than you were before. The previous traces of playfulness have given way to a small, expectant smile on his face.

"Do I get brownie points for being the first in line?"

What? What? An awkward chuckle leaves you, quickly dwindling when Soobin's smile remains unchanged as he continues to look into your eyes. "What… what are you talking about?"

He tilts his head sweetly, giving your hands a small squeeze as he says your name. "As if I haven't been so obvious… You're the most talented member our group has seen in a while, you know? I can't look away from you when you're working and, like, initially I thought I was being a fan… But then I started to daydream about your bright eyes, gorgeous smiles, your cute giggles, your huge fucking heart that is always so kind to everyone, and…" Soobin pauses with a sigh, cheeks turning red and dimples flashing. "Come on, are you really gonna make me say it?"

Your breath comes in stuttered gasps as you try to gather your thoughts. "Soo–Soobin, I… I… Do you really…?"

"Really like you and really want to go out with you? Yeah, I do.” He smiles at you, bringing your faces close enough to boop your nose with his own. "Is there a problem?"

"You… like me?" You feel terribly confused, somewhat lost, and just a bit scared. If Soobin doesn't mean it with one hundred percent sincerity, you'll never recover from this hurt. So you just try to deflect: "But you barely know me?"

He pulls away with a small scoff of disbelief, eyes widening in surprise. "So it's believable for you to have a crush on me when you'd never even held a conversation with me, but you can't accept that I like you because you're the most beautiful, most intelligent and the most caring person I've ever met in my life?"

Your breath hitches on an exhale – and you're unable to breathe in again for long moments after that.

He thinks you're beautiful, intelligent and caring.

He likes you.

He actually likes you.

Yeji's words of aggressive affirmative circle in your head: He likes you, boo, and he's probably got a list of reasons why.

She was… actually right? Holy shit…

You're so freaking emotional right now, you might cry.

A cross between a chuckle and a sniffle escapes you despite your attempts of stifling it, catching Soobin by surprise. His hands immediately let go of yours to cup your cheeks in concern.

"Hey, hey, what happened? Please don't think too hard about—"

"Soobin," you cut him off with a whisper. "I like you, too. So, so much."

A slow smile begins to curl his lips up, beautifully. "You do?"

"I have for so long. I… don't think I ever stopped."

"Even with the way I hurt you so bad?" His face becomes somber for a moment.

"Yes, even then. You've shown me who you really are, Soobin, and that person is amazing. You've proven to me that I caught you in a moment of weakness, and… I think I understand it now more than ever." You smile when his lashes flutter, eyes gazing at you as if in wonder. "Besides, I think I forgave you when you first got me my correct coffee order with that cute smile of yours."

He blushes again. "Ah, so my smile is cute?"

"The cutest." You solemnly nod, cheeks still held in his palms. "Your whole face is."

"Well then, I hope you're okay with my cute face doing this?"

You know what is coming as you watch him erase the space between your mouth and his, and yet you're not nearly prepared for the way your blood turns electric the moment his plush, heart-shaped lips make contact with yours. Pure fire surges through you, body strung tight one moment and then fallen pliant in his hold the next.

Soobin's thumbs brush against the heated flesh of your cheeks, as if attempting to comfort your loud heartbeat – but it's to no avail. Your heart works faster and faster with every push of his mouth against yours, so full of giddiness that it eventually seems to levitaties up and above your body, leaving you weightless and breathless.

You try to kiss him back to the best of your abilities, but you feel like you've been entranced – held in a dreamlike state that has rendered you completely immobile and turned your brain to goo.

Soobin seems to recognise your condition, somehow, pulling away from the kiss with a chuckle brushed against your slightly parted lips. Lidded eyes look into yours with a smile held in them, his chocolate irises turned to thin rings due to how dilated his pupils are.

"You good?"

His voice comes out all hoarse and breathless, making your stomach clench with desire and you're instantly spurred into motion.

Reaching out with both your hands, you grip onto the back of Soobin's neck and the side of his jaw, and this time pull him in for a proper kiss with equal participation. His breath hitches for a moment, but is released in the form of a small grunt when you open your mouth against his – and that is all you need to absolutely lose yourself into the taste and feel of Choi Soobin.

You would've probably stayed lost for quite a bit too, had a loud whistle not echoed around the arena, making both you and Soobin jump apart with startled gasps. Wide eyed, you look at each other, and then two stairs above you.

Yeonjun's girlfriend is grinning at you with her entire teeth on display, while the guy himself has his arm extended towards the two of you, thumb pointed downwards.

"Her first interview isn't even out yet, dude!" he calls out, booing Soobin with his entire arm. "Literally obliterating her popularity before she could even gather bitches, you're so lame and insecure, Soob, boo hoooo!"

Soobin tosses a random plastic case towards the guy, whining into your ear as he rests his chin on your shoulder grumpily. You giggle at his pout, entwining your hands together to bring them up and press a soft kiss to the back of his.

"Are we going on that date before or after the interview is aired, then?" you tease the guy, wiggling your eyebrows.

Soobin glares at you through playfully narrowed eyes beneath lowered eyebrows, until you're giggling again and he's kissing your smile. "Definitely before."

#txt #txt x you #txt x reader #soobin #choi soobin #soobin fanfic #soobin x you #soobin x reader #txt imagines #soobin imagines #txt fluff #soobin fluff #txt fanfic #txt scenarios #soobin scenarios #txt angst #soobin angst #tomorrow x together

880 notes · View notes

bigmpregnm · 4 days ago

Text

Wrestling the Changes - Part 2

[Story Collection] | [Part 1] [●] [Part 3🔴]

Hayden walked confidently through the empty halls, enjoying the cold wind announcing the impending December snowfall as the soft glow of the setting sun cast long shadows across the campus. Hayden had always loved the cold, even though he grew up in a permanently hot town. He was excited about going home for the holidays in about two weeks, but he had a lot of things to do before enjoying some family time with his parents and little brother.

As he approached the gym for practice, Hayden took a deep breath and smiled, thinking about the events of the last two months. It had been eight weeks since the day he joined the wrestling team and met his teammates. For the first 4 weeks, Hayden went through intense practices in preparation for the regular season, which started in November. He trained with James, Marcus, Jake, Tyler, and Connor six days a week and reached the proper conditioning for the dual meets and open tournaments, setting the stage for the season.

Hayden couldn’t help but inflate his chest with pride as he recalled all the victories he brought for the team, helping them win all the duals and the tournaments and filling the coach with pride. They still had more matches ahead before the holidays and a local championship before the New Year, so they still had work to do. Hayden was very excited about his success with the team, and it also helped him get closer to his teammates, James in particular.

After the wild rounds of sex they had on the day they met, Hayden and James had messed around some more, but not as seriously as the first time. Whenever Hayden performed well in practice or during the duals in November, James rewarded him with secret encounters in the lockers or other random places, to make out. They hadn’t talked about being exclusive or having a relationship, which was good with Hayden. He loved to feel James’ body against his, but neither of them was interested in a serious relationship.

As Hayden thought about James’ magnificent body, remembering a few times when the massive guy rode Hayden’s big dick, he felt his fuck tool harden in his pants, and a grin spread on his face. College life was going better than expected. He had grown accustomed to the rigorous demands, balancing his studies with the grueling wrestling practices that had become a central part of his routine, and on top of it all, he had lots of fun with James and the other teammates.

Fixing his pants to hide his half-hard dick, Hayden pushed the heavy gym doors, expecting to see James and the others already there, but Marcus stood alone in the middle of the mat with his wrestling singlet already on. Marcus turned as he heard the door open, and a welcoming smile spread across his face when he saw Hayden. Even after all those months, Hayden couldn’t help but gasp at Marcus’ towering and imposing frame, making the tall guy smile even more.

“Hey, Hayden,” Marcus greeted Hayden. “It looks like it’s just the two of us tonight.”

Hayden returned the smile as he approached and shook Marcus’ hand. “Hey, Marcus. I guess so. Where’s everyone else?”

“Coach decided to give us the night off, but I didn’t check on my phone on time, and I guess you didn’t either,” Marcus explained as he began stretching. Hayden took his phone from his bag, only to find the messages from the coach. “Since we’re both here, what do you say about a one-on-one to work on a few things?” Marcus asked, and Hayden nodded.

“Sure, let me change, and I’ll be back in a second,” Hayden responded with a smile.

Hayden went to the locker room and quickly removed his thick jacket, sweatpants, and shirt. Standing only in his jockstrap, Hayden glanced at his reflection in the mirror, and a few thoughts crossed his mind. He had noticed a slight change in his physique over the past few weeks. His muscles looked bulgier than ever due to the arduous training but seemed somewhat softer.

He didn’t mind the bulk because it helped him on the mat against the opponents, but he couldn’t help but feel worried about the sudden increase in his weight, most noticeable on his abdomen. His once-chiseled abs now bore the faintest hint of softness and a rounding-out shape that Hayden had always avoided. His ass, already prominent after all his years of training, also looked fuller and jiggled more than ever before. He attributed these changes to the infamous freshman 15, expected during a guy’s transition to college life, but he had already gained 14 pounds in only 9 weeks since joining the wrestling team, so he was still worried.

Snapping out of his trance, Hayden quickly put on his singlet, noticing that the stretchy material only accentuated the changes on his body. The red fabric strained to contain his bulging pecs, stretched taut around his midsection, and barely held his fat ass and big bulge in place. Hayden softly groaned as he adjusted his singlet between his thick thighs, realizing that he would need a bigger singlet if he got any bigger.

As he stepped out of the locker room and approached Marcus, Hayden couldn’t help but marvel at his teammate’s physique again, causing his dick to harden in the pouch of his jockstrap again.

“Ready to get started?” Marcus asked, grinning when he noticed Hayden’s singlet looking ready to burst and his half-hard dick straining the singlet. “You look great, Hayden, but… you’ve put on a bit of weight.” Marcus winked and looked at Hayden’s body up and down.

Hayden shifted uncomfortably, his cheeks flushing as he scratched the back of his head. “Yeah. I’ve noticed it. I think it’s just the freshman 15 catching up with me. I’ve been trying to keep up with my workouts, but I guess I’ve been eating too much lately.”

Marcus nodded as he walked around Hayden, his gaze lingering on his bulging abdomen and glutes. “Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us, man, and you look amazing!” Marcus said, playfully slapping Hayden’s ass to see it jiggle, making the young man gasp. “But we can work on this together. Practice will be just the two of us, so we can focus on specific moves and conditioning for the mid and lower parts of the body.”

Hayden chuckled when Marcus slapped his ass again as they moved to the center of the mat, their bodies poised and ready for action. Marcus took the lead, demonstrating his speed and strength through different moves and techniques. Hayden watched closely and followed Marcus’ instructions.

Then, Marcus said they had to put the techniques into practice, prompting Hayden to attack him, which Hayden immediately did. Marcus’ larger frame seemed to dominate the match as their bodies collided, but Hayden had no intention of giving up without making Marcus sweat. He had improved over the last two months, so Hayden was determined to show the bigger man that he couldn’t easily defeat him.

Both of them groaned while they pushed against each other’s bodies. “Keep your stance low,” Marcus said. “And remember to use your hips. I can tell you have great strength there.” Marcus added, slightly stepping backward and making Hayden lose balance.

Marcus quickly moved and wrapped his arms around Hayden’s torso to reach for the young guy’s back and grab his massive ass. Marcus grinned and loosened his grip enough for Hayden to turn around, attempting to leave. Then, Marcus pulled Hayden tighter against him, feeling the massive ass rub against his bulge and making Hayden pant. Marcus hugged Hayden from behind so tightly that Hayden could feel Marcus’ pecs pushing against his back and his dick stirring to life.

“You’re doing great, Hayden. And this weight gain isn’t bad. You look better than ever,” Marcus whispered into Hayden’s ears as he released him from the hug, but Hayden stayed there, enjoying having Marcus’ muscular body against his.

“Thanks. I guess your dick confirms you like how I look,” Hayden said, pushing his hips backward to feel more of Marcus’ dick against him. “I know what you’re doing, and I’m not against it. You also look great. Maybe you’d like to do a workout focused on the hips.”

Marcus chuckled and firmly grabbed Hayden’s hips. “Sounds perfect.”

Both guys quickly threw their singlets and jockstraps away. Hayden got on all fours on the mat, and Marcus got behind him immediately. Marcus massaged Hayden’s fat ass cheeks, making him moan. Then, Marcus rubbed his 10-inch-long dick against Hayden’s ass, sending shivers down Hayden’s spine.

“Go ahead. Don’t hesitate,” Hayden said, pushing his hips backward and making Marcus smile.

Following Hayden’s instructions, Marcus buried his dick into his teammate’s hole, enjoying the animalistic sounds that escaped his lips. Marcus pushed his entire 10 inches of dick into Hayden in one swift move, loving how the younger guy’s plump ass felt against his body. Marcus leaned forward and covered Hayden’s body with his. Then, his hips started bucking, slowly but hard, and Hayden’s moans grew louder.

“Told… you. We’re... working the... hips,” Hayden managed to say as Marcus sped up his pace, not letting him form words.

“I’ve dreamed about this ass of yours since the day we met, and it feels much better than I ever expected,” Marcus said, bucking his hips as hard and as fast as a jackhammer while Hayden moaned and gasped for air.

Hayden was so lost in pleasure that he didn’t notice his dick was leaking pre-cum onto the mat because he was more interested in the incredible sensation in his guts while Marcus’ pre-cum entered him, making him feel bloated even before the big guy started cumming. Everything about that moment felt incredible. Having Marcus’ body surrounding him felt fantastic; Marcus’ balls hitting his balls with each thrust was surreal, and the massive dick reaching so dick felt fantastic.

“Bro, I’m so close. I’m pulling out now,” Marcus said between groans as his balls prepared to send a big load into Hayden’s guts.

“Don’t. Finish inside, I don’t mind,” Hayden said, flexing his glutes to stroke Marcus’ dick and prevent it from moving out of his hole.

When Hayden flexed his glutes, Marcus moaned loudly, and a massive wave of cum flooded the young guy’s guts. Hayden moaned when he felt Marcus’ thick seed filling him up, resulting in his own dick shooting massive globs of cum onto the mat. Both guys were so high on pleasure while they both came that they didn’t notice they were making a mess.

Then, as Marcus stopped cumming, Hayden felt his abdomen tightening and feeling fuller than before. He groaned loudly and placed his right hand over his distended midsection, which started rounding out under his palm. Hayden moaned and groaned while his belly inched outward, further than a simple bloat. The expansion only lasted a few seconds, and the difference was subtle at first sight, but for Hayden, his belly felt very different. His once flat abdomen had thickened in the last two months and now had a curve that made Hayden smile.

“Are you okay?” Marcus asked while Hayden rubbed his abdomen, heavily panting.

“I am. You were incredible,” Hayden added, looking at the messy mat beneath them. “Sadly, we should clean this up before anyone finds us.”

“Oh, true,” Marcus said, pulling his dick out of Hayden’s hole with a loud pop. “Let me help you up, and I’ll clean this up,” Marcus said, offering his hand to a panting Hayden.

****

Hayden woke up feeling utterly drained the morning after his intense practice with Marcus, still only wearing a jockstrap. As the soft light of dawn entered through the thin curtains of his dorm room, he groggily turned over in bed, feeling his body protest with each movement. A wave of exhaustion washed over him as he rubbed his eyes and tried to shake off the lingering dizziness, but the room seemed to slightly spin as he sat up.

Memories of the previous night’s practice flooded his mind, and a small smile tugged at his lips as he recalled the incredible sensation of Marcus’ dick buried inside him. He absentmindedly placed his hand on his abdomen, feeling the slight bulge that felt more pronounced since Marcus’ cum filled his guts to the brim. His fingers traced the contours of his stomach, smiling as he realized that it was just a reminder of the incredible sex with Marcus.

“I don’t mind the little belly after such a good fuck,” Hayden said while caressing his abdomen.

Then, a sudden wave of nausea hit him like a freight train. His stomach churned violently, and Hayden barely had time to register the sensation before he had to jump out of bed and rush to the bathroom. Kneeling in front of the toilet, he retched several times before vomiting his dinner from the night before. He felt weaker every second, the cold sweat on his forehead making him shiver despite the room’s warmth.

Once he stopped throwing up, Hayden leaned against the bathroom wall, his mind racing with confusion and worry. He couldn’t get sick on the verge of an important championship. Hayden struggled to feel better, splashing cold water on his face and taking deep breaths to steady himself. However, even after he had regained composure, the dizziness lingered, a constant reminder that something was wrong.

Hayden continued with his routine between scheduled dual meets with other teams, and with some pills for nausea, he managed to win all his matches. He tried to hide his sickness from his teammates and the coach, but over the following weeks, his condition only worsened. Nausea became a near-constant companion, striking at the most inconvenient times and leaving him doubled over in pain. The pills helped, but the nausea never disappeared.

His appetite fluctuated wildly. He couldn’t stand the sight of food some days, while on others, he felt ravenous, devouring everything in sight. Despite his efforts to maintain his regular workout routine, he noticed that he was gaining weight at an alarming rate, which he attributed to his constant overeating or stress for finals. His entire body thickened, but most of the additional pounds settled around his midsection, adding to his growing sense of unease.

Once the duals ended by mid-December, knowing that he needed to be healthy for the championship before the New Year, Hayden finally decided to visit the campus health center. He felt apprehension and hope as he walked into the doctor’s office. A nurse ran a quick examination, asking him about the symptoms. Hayden’s anxiety worsened when the doctor came a few minutes later and referred him to another doctor outside of campus because they thought he needed further examinations.

Hayden made an appointment for December 23rd, the day he was supposed to leave campus to spend the holidays with his parents. The second doctor asked even more questions, and the examinations were more extensive, including weighing him. Hayden sighed when the nurse read the numbers on the scale: 218.3 pounds. Almost 20 pounds in less than three months didn’t sound like a lot, but it was unusual since Hayden exercised constantly.

“Good morning, Hayden. I’ve been reading your file, and your symptoms are somewhat strange,” the doctor kindly said as he sat behind his desk in front of Hayden. “You mentioned you feel tired and dizzy, and you’ve been vomiting a lot. Plus, you’ve gained weight—18 pounds. Correct?”

“Yeah. I’ve been feeling really sick lately,” Hayden responded.

“I see. When did you first notice the nausea and the fatigue?” the doctor asked.

“About two weeks ago. It started out of nowhere, and it’s been getting worse.” Hayden said, sighing deeply.

“Noted. The nurse asked you about your diet, exercise routine, and any recent changes in your lifestyle, and I understand you started college a few months ago,” the doctor continued reading through Hayden’s file.

“I did, back in September. I’m part of the wrestling team, so I can’t allow myself to be sick for long,” Hayden said, sighing again.

“I understand that, and considering all the information you provided, I have some theories, and they’re all related to your stomachs or intestines, so I’d like to run a sonogram to get a clearer picture of what’s happening,” the doctor said, and Hayden only nodded.

Hayden lay back on an examination table a few minutes later, with his shirt rolled up to his pecs. The doctor prepared the sonogram machine, applying a cool gel to Hayden’s abdomen before pressing the transducer against his skin. The doctor inspected the area around Hayen’s stomach and didn’t find anything wrong. Moving lower, he checked on other vital organs, all seemingly healthy. Then he pulled down the waistband of Hayden’s sweatpants to check on his lower abdomen, his eyes widening in shock as he studied the screen.

“This is… highly unusual,” the doctor said, his professional composure slipping momentarily.

“What? What is it? Am I dying?” Hayden’s voice quivered with fear, his heart pounding in his chest.

The doctor didn’t respond immediately, and Hayden’s anxiety skyrocketed. “Hayden, calm down. I don’t think you’re dying. I would say it’s the opposite.” The doctor was evidently shocked and concerned. “Hayden. It appears that you’re pregnant. I have to double-check, but here you have a womb, and inside that womb, I see six fetuses.”

“A WHAT AND SIX WHAT?!” Hayden shouted, struggling to comprehend the impossible reality. “I’m a man; I can show you! I can’t be pregnant.”

“I know you’re a man; you don’t have to show me. I can tell. And yes, men can’t get pregnant, but you are pregnant. You have six fetuses developing in your womb. You obviously have options since this is unprecedented. However, I’ll need to monitor your condition very closely. Whether you decide to continue with the pregnancy or not,” the doctor said, turning the screen for Hayden to see the tiny shapes of his unborn children.

“What? You mean, an abortion?” Hayden said, evidently confused. “NO! Of course not! But… I can’t be pregnant. I’m a wrestler. What am I going to tell the coach? What am I going to tell my parents?”

Hayden had more questions than answers as he left the doctor’s office. He couldn’t help but think about his wrestling career and how mad his parents would get. Hayden was confused. He stood outside of the clinic and placed his hands on his small belly, realizing that those six kids were the results of his wild sex with James the day they met. He didn’t know how to deal with a pregnancy, and he feared his belly getting even bigger because he would have even more trouble finding clothes to wear, but at the same time, Hayden couldn’t help but smile at the thought that he was carrying James’ babies inside him.

“I guess we’ll have a New Year’s surprise for your dad when we see him during the championship in a few days,” Hayden said with a broad smile, talking to the babies as he thought about telling James the truth about the six little wrestlers they had created.

...

#mpreg #mpreg story

31 notes · View notes

tip-top-cloud-surfer · 2 years ago

Text

Left at the Altar - Hangman (Epilogue)

Pairing: Hangman / Wife!Reader

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: Pregnancy and Kids; Suggestive Content; References to Sex; Second Person POV ("You"), Fem!Reader, No Y/N, No Defined Description of Physical Appearances of Reader; OC Baby is Referred to as Looking like “You”

This work, all of my other works, and my entire blog are 18+ Only.

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

Summary: About three and a half years after you visit Jake in San Diego, you take in the reality of this new stage of your life.

Links: Master List Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

You should have known that you would not be the most important girl in Jake Seresin’s life forever.

Despite the fact that you moved all the way to California for him only three months after he surprised you on your wedding day, married him three months after that, and the two of you just celebrated your three-year wedding anniversary, you were not the most important girl in Jake Seresin’s life.

Not anymore. No, you lost that position about a year and a half ago.

It didn’t matter that the other girl was somewhat bald, constantly crying and napping, unable to feed herself, and drooled constantly; she was undoubtedly the most important girl in Jake’s life. But she was also the most important girl in your life, so you couldn’t be mad at him for that.

The second that Jake saw your daughter he was absolutely enamored with her. And the second that he held her in his arms for the first time, the deal was sealed. Little Rose, or Rosie, Seresin was the most important girl in Jake Seresin’s life.

Rosie just seemed to bring out the best in him by simply being born and existing as she did. He was softer and more understanding with people, especially the personnel under his command. He was more relaxed and smiled a lot more than before. Frankly, he just became more like the Jake you always knew instead of the Hangman persona.

And Jake credited you and your daughter for his promotion because of those changes.

“Dada,” Rosie called, making grabby motions with her hands when Jake walked across the stage.

“Yes, that’s Dada, sweetheart,” you agreed, pressing a kiss to her head. “He’ll be here soon, but you have to stay quiet right now, okay?”

You leaned over and pulled out your daughter’s favorite stuffed animal from your bag to settle her for a little longer. She was so attached to the toy that you literally wrote it on any packing list that you ever made these days. And what stuffed animal was your daughter’s favorite?

A phoenix. Well, it said ‘fire bird’ on the label, but it was a phoenix. It was given to you at your baby shower by Human Phoenix, who became very smug about the fact. Especially when Jake couldn’t soothe your daughter to stop crying but her stuffed phoenix toy did in a second.

He pouted about it for at least five hours before you told him to get over it. The alternative was your daughter crying and while your husband hated losing, especially to Phoenix, he hated his daughter being upset even more. So, he got over it. Phoenix still liked to poke him about it once in a while though.

You handed your daughter her toy and brushed her hair down to soothe her so that you could listen in on the ceremony. When Jake was officially announced as Commander Jacob “Hangman” Seresin, you clapped proudly along with the rest of the crowd.

After the ceremony wrapped up, you slowly stood up and set your daughter on the ground. She happily took off as soon as she spotted her dad walking over. Letting out a squeal that caught quite a few amused looks from the other attendees, Rosie hurried towards Jake. He happily leaned down and scooped her up into his arms.

“Hey, Princess,” Jake greeted her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Placing her on his hip, he fixed the bow in her hair and smiled proudly. “Were you a good girl for Mommy?”

“Yeah,” she stated, grabbing at the bill of his dress white cap.

Jake pulled his hat off and placed it on top og Rosie’s head. It was far too big for her little head, but the giggle that she let out as she tried to see under it was absolutely adorable. You shook your head as Jake purposefully kept covering her eyes with it.

“Really setting a high standard there, Commander,” you teased, causing Jake to turn to you.

“I try, Wife.”

Jake wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you in for a quick peck. You knew that it was just a preamble to the celebrations that you would enjoy later in the safety of your own home, but Jake had to at least try and look like an upstanding commanding officer right now.

“How’s the wizzo doing?” Jake asked, spreading his fingers along your growing bump.

When you brought up the subject of having a second baby, you couldn’t even finish your little speech before Jake just simply started stripping in the middle of the living room. And the man took the job of knocking you up very seriously.

So, here you were: just a few weeks into your second trimester with your second baby.

Jake started referring to your baby as ‘the wizzo’ even though your baby wasn’t quite a backseater. And sometimes the nickname was ‘the BOB’ instead. Either way, there was no shortage of aviation-related jokes in your household.

“They’re fine,” you replied with a small smile. “But they’re not that big yet, so there’s still plenty of time for the Seresin genes to kick in.”

“You say that like Rosie isn’t your mini me,” Jake quipped, gently pulling his hat off of Rosie’s head. He placed it back on top of his own head and pressed another kiss to her cheek. “I mean, look at her. She’s all you. So beautiful.”

And well, Jake wasn’t exaggerating too much. Rosie did look a lot like you did when you were a baby. Your mom provided the evidence by sending you a bunch of old photos. There were a few bits of Jake here and there in Rosie, but the biggest evidence of her Seresin heritage was her attitude. She was a sassy little girl who was not afraid to say what was on her mind.

Jake thought that it was hilarious. You were just waiting until she got a little older.

“Is that how you got this promotion so quickly?” you cooed, cupping your husband’s cheek. “Because you’re such a good kiss up.”

“One of my many talents,” he replied with a wink, pressing a kiss to your palm. “I’d be happy to show you some of my other talents later, Mrs. Seresin.”

“You already knocked me up, Jake.”

“No harm in practicing,” he responded, smirking proudly.

The two of you moved on to greet and chat with all the different people at the ceremony. Rosie was never detached from her dad’s hip and you were rarely further than an arm’s length away from him either. It was like Jake assumed that everyone was here to celebrate how successful he was in his personal life and not his professional one.

But your daughter was only going to happily sit on her dad’s hip for so long.

It always started subtly. She would wiggle more and let out an occasional whine. Then she would get grabby if she wasn’t given attention. Rosie grabbed at Jake’s uniform, his medals, and his hat again. And when Jake patiently pulled her hand away every time, she got more frustrated. Grabbing at his ear and his nose, Rose whined again. Louder this time.

“What’s the matter, Princess?” Jake asked softly, grabbing her hand.

Rosie pouted, tired and cranky, and flopped against her dad dramatically. Burying her face into his shoulder, she whined again and curled up against him. All it took was a quick check of his watch to know that it was past Rosie’s usual nap time.

“It’s alright, sweetheart, I’ll get you home. Just give me a moment, okay?”

Jake rubbed Rose’s back and pressed a kiss to her hair before turning to the other officers that he had been talking with since the ceremony finished up.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go,” Jake apologized, trying to rock Rose a bit.

“We’ve all been there,” an older officer informed Jake with a knowing smile. “Take care.”

Excusing himself from his conversation, Jake walked a few steps over to where you were talking with a few other civilians. Gently calling your name, Jake leaned towards you to speak softly.

“I think that Rosie’s ready to go,” he stated, rubbing your daughter’s back to try and soothe her some more.

You quickly agreed and the two of you said your polite goodbyes before making your way to the car. Jake put Rosie into her car seat and placed her phoenix plushie in her lap to soothe her. Then he walked around to double check on you as you climbed into the passenger seat.

“Jake,” you sighed as he reached around to do your seat belt for you, “I would have gotten it.”

“You’re carrying precious cargo,” Jake insisted, clipping your seatbelt in place.

You gave him a kiss in thanks before he walked around and got into the driver’s seat. The drive back to your home was enough to settle Rosie to sleep, which you were very thankful for.

Jake carried her inside and put her down for her nap before heading into your bedroom. You stood in front of your mirror, wiping the makeup that you put on away.

“She stayed asleep?” you asked, glancing over at your husband.

“She’s asleep,” Jake echoed, placing the baby monitor down on the dresser. He placed his dress hat down as well before walking over to you. “Let me help you out of that.”

You shook your head with amusement as Jake started to undo your dress for you. But despite your show of pretend annoyance, you still helped Jake out with the process. Pulling your arms out of your dress and stepping out of it when it pooled on the ground, you pressed a kiss to your husband’s lips. Jake went and hung up your dress while you fixed your hair. But it wasn’t long before Jake returned and moved to unhook your bra.

“You haven’t even taken your coat off yet,” you huffed, even if you complied.

“You like it when I’m wearing my dress whites,” Jake reminded you, tossing your bra away.

He leaned over and pressed a series of kisses to your neck that quickly muddled your brain. It didn’t help that your pregnancy brain always seemed to short-circuit whenever your husband touched you. And, well, Jake was well-versed in how to get you riled up as evidenced by how confidently his hands moved to those particular spots.

“May I remind you of the night that we spent in that honeymoon suite in Texas?” he mused, nipping at the sensitive skin behind your ear

“Yes,” you breathed out, as Jake’s fingers slipped underneath the band of your underwear.

“You’re a little overdressed for a repeat of that night, Mrs. Seresin. Don’t you think?”

You lightly smacked your husband on the arm for that remark, earning a deep chuckle from your husband.

“You’re annoying, you know that?” you sighed, turning your head to lock eyes with him.

“You love me, Mrs. Seresin,” Jake insisted confidently. He pressed another soft kiss to your lips before smiling proudly. “I know you do.”

“Yeah, I guess I do,” you replied with a genuine smile. “Commander Ser—”

You didn’t even get to finish your sentence before Jake’s lips were back on yours. And that was a good thing because you probably would have risked waking your daughter up with the sound that you made when Jake’s fingers started moving just right.

Well, at least you were already pregnant.

A.N. Thank you to everyone who read this little series! I'm glad that you guys enjoyed it so much!

Master List Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Tag List (First 50 since there's a limit):

@djs8891 @avengers-fixation @dreamsofouterspace @maverick-wingman @rosiahills22 @bethabear12 @laneylovesglen @blue-aconite @mercurio23 @awildewit @caitsymichelle13 @mamaskillerqueen @emorychase @the-romanian-is-bae @novagreen04 @gigisimsonmars @olliepig @laneyspaulding19 @clancycucumber230 @eli2447 @luckyladycreator2 @marantha @ashbatz @emilyoflanternhill @riri-is-agirlie @goslytherin @phantomxoxo @imaginecrushes @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @mizzzpink @miss-i-ship-it @topaz125 @healanette @sarahsmi13s @buckysdollforlife @looneylikesbooks @fighterpilothoe @lunamoonbby @fav-fanficssss @lorilane33 @angelbabyange @swanqueens-blog @ilovewriting06 @linkpk88 @mallerz @sky0401 @lunamooncole @potterheadandsherlocked @rogersbarnesxx @iammirrorball

#top gun maverick #top gun: maverick #jake hangman seresin x reader #hangman top gun #jake hangman seresin #hangman x reader #hangman fanfiction #jake hangman fic #jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x you #jake hangman x you #jake hangman seresin x you #jake hangman x reader #hangman seresin #tgm #tgm fanfiction #tgm fic #top gun

962 notes · View notes

murfpersonalblog · 6 months ago

Text

IWTV S2 Ep8 Musings - Loumand (Spoilers)

This was so effed up, wow; I'm FURIOUS with Armand, even though I've been expecting this from him since Season 1. Cuz the ish he said just never lined up right; the most unreliable narrator's been Armand the whole time! Louis' brain is scrambled, but at least he's SINCERE. But THIS mofo has been deliberately LYING since JUMP.

Longest divorce proceedings ever--took 77 years, dang. Armand said it was the night Madeleine was turned--Mr. They Gave Me A Choice. I Chose. But that's a effing lie, too!

Cuz in Ep6, BEFORE Louis even told Armand he was gonna turn Madz, Santiago was busy committing all those "strange crimes reported;" climbing the Eiffel Tower to wake up Lestat, and breaking into cinemas to steal their color film reels for the Trial's projector.

They threw Sam under the bus as if HE wrote effed up Trial script--but THIS was when they actually started writing it--with ARMAND's input & direction.

But I'm jumping ahead.

WTF is going on here?! O_O Is this a human the Theatre keeps around for the plays, zoned out so they stay alive until they're on stage? So Armand's punishment is the shame of having to feed the "cattle"? And HOW MANY nights was Lou in there? :(

Louis was locked up for over a MONTH!? 😨 While Armand just SAT THERE?!

Lou's not screaming from starvation, MORON--he starved himself for YEARS. His DAUGHTER is DEAD.

The frame of Paul is wild--Louis was ready to end it all. U_U He didn't want to be "rescued"--he wanted his baby girl back. "What was left to endure for?"

Man's a consummate actor--everything you're about to see is FAKE.

A "sacrifice" for the "god" Armand serves, eh? (AMC got my guy out here sucking on rocks, omg. XD I hope they taste like chips or popcorn or something.)

Louis CONSTANTLY shushing people on this show, I love it!

LIES. Lou's WAY too good for Armand; I'd've been like SURPRISE! 🔥 "My rage and madness were asleep--" chile. You loved Armand, and thought he'd cared enough to save you, which is why you were able to swallow that weak AF I Could Not Prevent It excuse from a 500 yr old vamp.

Daniel is on the hunt! I LOVE how they're introducing Raglan like he's just some kindly ole assistant/researcher/editor. Honey, you've got a big storm coming! "Reciprocation"--Daniel's a vampire now, so you KNOW Raglan's gonna start cashing in them I-O-Us from Dan! 💀

77 years later.... 😬

200 years is a mighty long time to maintain a relationship built on death threats, power imbalances, and lies.

Lestat was right--even 77 years was a effing miracle--extra time bought at the price of Louis' memories being oh-so-conveniently erased.

THEY rehearsed it--LIE. There Armand goes, deflecting culpability.

Louis sleeping in Claudia's coffin, stop, my feels. U_U

Omfg Armand; of COURSE you don't remember the last thing y'all said to e/o in Paris b4 y'all left Lestat to travel Egypt--but you can "remember" alllll this other bullcrap, eh?

So they've already done Trinity Gate?

BY ALL MEANS. EXPOSE THEM.

Not Sam being in Daftpunk, y'all need to stop IMMEDIATELY. (But now I know wtf was going on in the Season 3 announcement--I was so confused why they were mentioning Sam!)

ARMAND told the coven to let the audience read Claudia's diaries and VIOLATE her body (of work), omfg 😱

Mr Frankenstein disrespected her at EVERY turn!

I could forgive spitting over "Come to Me" and how Loustat met in NOLA, but I draw the line at spitting at adding the animation of Lestat killing that dear sweet racoon! XD

Armand had the NERVE to look away when they bum-rushed Claudia & Louis with the Mind Gift.

"It's their turn to hurt--" ARMAND said he didn't think Louis would love him for 200 years, so he SOLD THEM TF OUT--to DIE.

They were HOBBLING AROUND WITH GASHED ANKLES, LAUGHED at, and stuffed in RAT BOXES! And ARMAND was in on the whole thing!

This is WILD, AMC, y'all are sick for this, but I love it!

Is DANIEL using Armand's "slave name" and abusing him, y'all? HUH? It's all BULLCRAP--Armand's BEEN in control, with all the real power the WHOLE. EFFING. TIME.

EFF what you call him, or whatever kinky ROLES he PLAYS.

ARMAND decides who lives and dies, as THE coven master--eff who's called Maitre!

Armand was gonna let Lou DIE. "He just took credit for it when the opportunity presented itself." Wow.

He let Louis suffer in that crypt for over a MONTH before he FINALLY had a change of hear/conscience and pulled him out!

And even then he wasn't gonna go WITH Louis--he expected Louis to flee Paris! ALONE.

He stayed with Louis cuz Louis destroyed his whole effing coven! Who else did Armand HAVE but Louis after that? HE CHOSE THE COVEN.

Poor dear; he wasn't held enough between ritualistic fledgling executions. 🙄😒 "We are teachers of one another! Louis, everything that gives you happiness gives me...." WHAT? What does it give you, Armand? (I cannot WAIT for S3 to do more DM, cuz I've been HATING Armand connected in any way to Louis & Claudia. I don't like not liking Armand; he's my fave book character! But AMC's bound & determined to make me spit every time he starts talking.)

Excellent grounds to get the house, the dog, the Farm, Damek, AND Rashid in the divorce! XD

And this gremlin's got the audacity to STILL be lying, even when caught LITERALLY red-handed with his notes to Santiago in the effing margins--meanwhile CLAUDIA was CONDEMNED TO DEATH for premeditating Lestat's death in HER written diaries--which ARMAND had passed around like candy at his carnival of horrors!

"An insignificant detail delivered by an insignificant mortal"--Rolin must hate Armand, he's not giving this dude an INCH. XD And SAM delivered it, not Daniel. SAM snitched on the coven. (WHEN?! And WHY?)

I don't like the whole "you should fear the other one--" only for Raglan to be like SOS GET OUT OF THERE NOW. Didn't Raglan know Armand was lying his arse off? Or was it misdirection--fear Louis' retribution when he busts a cap in Armand's lying arse?

DanLou nation RISE! ^0^

This was beautiful; I'm so happy for them. They started off TERRIBLY, but look at that bond just blossom like a magnolia tree Armand tried to clip and prune and graft and manipulate--only for it to flourish wild and free!

#interview with the vampire #loumand #the vampire armand #iwtv spoilers #iwtv season 2 spoilers #iwtv tvc metas #must see tv #the hype is real

29 notes · View notes

mendesblurb · 2 years ago

Note

Please can I request a fluffy imagine with Shawnn!? Where reader give him some sort of goodluck kiss before the tour show starts?

Goodluck Kiss

Shawn Mendes x female reader

Word Count: ~310

Warning ⚠️: fluff, maybe grammar error and maybe some punctuation errors.

Note: His performance with Ed took me by surprise honestly, hope you guys love this surprise little blurb from me too 🤪

It was the first show back after almost a year and half of no shows, and Shawn was standing backstage in the venue, feeling nauseous and jittery. He always felt this anxious; he hated the nervousness that comes with it.

However, how all the fear would disappear immediately as soon as he entered the stage and sang the first song was still a mystery to him.

“Shawn!” A voice called out, drawing his thought away from him.

“Baby, what are you doing here?”

“My boyfriend is about to perform on his first show after the break, am I allowed to support him?”

Hearing how casually you called him your boyfriend always brought a slight blush to his face, but he always blamed it on the pre-show nervous energy.

“Are you ready?”

“I’m so nervous; it feels like I will throw up at least once. God, I hope I don’t do that.”

“I hope you don’t do that too,” You chuckle while pushing his curls to the side and planting a soft kiss,“You’ll be fine, I promise. I do not doubt that you will do your best to make it a memorable show as always. Ed will love performing with you too.”

Then there was an announcement to make his way into the designated area.

"30 SECONDS PEOPLE," a crew member shouted.

His nerves then got the better of him again, but you kept him grounded, giving his hands a firm squeeze,”They're waiting for you. It’s going to be a fantastic show, babe. You got this!”

Shawn takes a deep breath, calming his nerves, “I’ll do my best!” His voice is a little shaky but manageable.

"And 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.. Go, Shawn," the stage director called as he made his way to the stage.

But then, just as he was walking, you called him out, quickly grabbing him by the arm,” I almost forgot,” You whispered, placing a light kiss on his lips,” For good luck.”

———————————————————————————————

Thank you for reading guys... feel free to like, reblog, follow my account, leave a comment and my chat is always open for random chats or requests... appreciate every single one of you... ❤️

Taglist (open) : @monikamendes @holland-styles @bvttercupbby @lonelyreputation @badreputationlove @shawn-is-my-giant-jellybean @benito-mi-vida @swiftmendeshoran @yournameoneverypage @shawn-is-bruh @mendesbhraanth @perfectlywrongsm @imaginashawnn @smendes-forever @nervousmendes @whenyoureadyholland @shawn-youth @myboyshawn @camilalewiss @camilalewisss @theregoesmyherojd @nanijaac1 @shawnieeboyy @silverswallow @inlovewithmendes-blog @mendeslola-blog @mendesx123 @23kofmendes @jellyloml @chipofmendes @poohmendes @wutheringmendes @shawnmendesbuddy @chocochipcookie305 @socio-kai-path1972 @mendesficsxbombay @mendesmylove

Story Code:19062344

#shawn peter raul mendes #shawn mendes fandom #shawn mendes fanfic #shawn mendes fic #shawn mendes fluff #shawn mendes blurb #shawn mendes x reader #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes #shawn mendes story #shawn mendes x female reader #shawn mendes x you

268 notes · View notes

morty-witch · 10 months ago

Text

Vox x F!PopStar!Reader

A/N: this is part 2 of prologue, because i went over sign limit here.

A/N: Hello! This is my first ever fanfiction on tumblr and first ever fanfiction i wrote fully in english and i went kinda crazy with this prologue and went WAYYY over the signs limit. I will publish it in few parts and i'll link other parts to this one. Ily guys and i hope you enjoy it <3 This story will have few chapters, because i got a lot of ideas for it WARNINGS: Language, cursing, swearing, Valentino being Valentino, emotionally abusive boyfriend, mentions of cult, mentions of d3ath Y/N: YOUR NAME S/N: STAGE NAME

PROLOGUE 2

stop, you're losing me

PROLOGUE PART 1 PROLOGUE PART 3 It took maybe 10 minutes, til music started playing, silent talking of all the sinners, hellborns and other hell residents turned into screams and chanting. And then she appeared in stage. Infamous (S/N), but he knew her as (Y/N). And as soon as she opened her lips and started singing, he felt weird energy all around him. Was this his anxiety? No, definetly not, even though he felt it deep into his stomach, it was not it. After few songs he added 2+2 and understood why they all got those bracelets. She is taking away energy of her listeners. She is an energy vampire. A siren. But also her eyes… bright red. Is she an overlord? How many souls does she own? Vox was quite sure she owns at least as many as he does, because of how strong her energy feels like. Even if he is standing like 50m away from the stage, he still can sense her energy. ”What a mischievious little bitch…” Said Valentino, looking at (Y/N) with that weird smirk on his face. He was not trying to offend her, he was impressed. He also felt her energy, but it was more about her charisma and stage presence. She owned it. Her confidence, her voice, it was no surprise anymore for Vox that she achieved it all. Her listeners are not even noticing she’s draining them from energy, because of how hypnotised they are by her songs. Tech Overlord himself got hypnotised by her and when their looks collided, he almost jumped nervously. Shiver went all over his body. She saw him. SHE FUCKING SAW HIM. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck

Vox screen started glitching in panic and (Y/N) backed off looking at him in shock. She never expected him to go to one of her concerts. Duh! She thought he’d try to cancel her on every single platform since he owns every single platform, that’s why she decided to pursue career under the name of (S/N), so he would not find her and would not destroy her career intentionally. It worked and she thought he won’t ever show up on any of her shows. But he did. He did show up with friends and someone who she should probably call his boyfriend because of how close they were, but Vos has his eyes only for her and was not bothered by anyone or anything. Popstar continued her concert, but her eyes constantly were lying on her ex partner, what have been brought to attention of her dancers. She was anxious. Maybe her voice did not broke nor forgot the steps of choreography, but she was not as bright as usual. At the end of teh concert, she smiled at everyone nervously. Should she announce it here? This way Vox will know she's back. Maybe he won't bother her. ”Thank you all, my lovely demon souls, for coming to tonight’s show” (YN) said, stepping close to the edge of the stage. “As you all may know, because i spoke about it many times, when i first got here, to hell, i spawned in the pride circle in exactly this city” she said, pointing down at the ground and whole crowd cheered. She smiled at them and after a second calmed them with single hand gesture. “This is also place my manager found me in and how my career started. It’s been many years after i moved out, but i’m back in the city and i’m here to stay” after her last words, Vox felt weird, warm feeling in his chest, but also a squeeze in his stomach. She’s staying? She’s moving in? She made her mind before or after she saw him? So many questions appeared in his mind, he started glitching, so Valentino gave him a little slap in the back of his hand, to get him back. ”Also i’m recording a new album. Stay tuned and see you, darlings” she said, smiling and waving at the crowd and going to the backstage. She came back. She came back to HIM. Well, maybe not exactly to him but he hoped so. Velvette looked at Vox and took his hand to drag him to the backstage, but he yanked the hand away. ”What the fuck, flat face?” she asked frowning at his reaction. He is not ready to meet her. Not after seeing how powerful she is and how much she achieved, even after what he told her. It was a mistake. Whatever he would do now also would be a mistake. ”I-I will wait outside, i don’t really need anyone… But you two can go” he stuttered and gave two other Vee’s his broadcast smile, so these two just went with it. He approached the backstage with them, but did not enter it. He could feel the stares of the hellhound bodyguards, eyeing him from head to toe. They knew him. But it was not stressing him out, there was a ton of electricity, he could easily kill them all within seconds. It was (Y/N) who made him feel anxious.

It didn’t took long, maybe 20 minutes for him to being forced to barge in, because he felt loud banging. He walked in just to see his ex, standing on top of Valentino. Her eyes glowing angrily, Valentino being pinned to the ground with shadow-looking chains and shadow figures standing behind her, protecting some young sinner. ”Do not touch my employees without their consent” (Y/N) hissed at moth demon, not taking her eyes off her ‘pray’. ”What the—” Vox stuttered and his screen glitched. ”Valentino harassed that little sinner and tried to force her to become a pornstar. Everyday Val shit” Velvette shrugged and Vox looked at his ex girlfriend in awe. She’s strong. So strong, Valentino couldn't even get up. ”Cullen, take her to her apartment, she’s still in shock” Y/N called a hellhound who silently nodded and obeyed her every word. After girl was out of the sight, singer decided to let go of Valentino. “Sorry for that, guys. I just am slightly overprotective of my people” she says, looking at Velvette with apologizing smile. Vox knows this smile. She used to smile this way at him after every fight and this always softened him. After all those years this soft, innocent smile still holds a grasp on his heart. ”Nah, we are used to it, let’s go back to business” Velvette answered and (Y/N) nodded and opened door to her dressing room. Then sent a look to her ex.

#hazbin x reader #vox x reader #hellaverse #hazbin vox #hazbin hotel theory #vox x you #hazbin hotel fanfiction #hazbin hotel vox #vox hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel x reader

53 notes · View notes

kaledya · 7 months ago

Note

Bonjour. Guess who returned!!

I saw your post on how you can't really draw at the moment because of your back, I hope you'll be back at your thing soon ❤️

But to the questions, mainly about side characters:

1) I am curious about Mammon's daughter's character in further detail. Did you come up with a name yet? You said we could compare her to Charlotte from Princess and the frog in her sassiness and general demeanour, but is she really a bad person like her father or is she actually a good girl? How would she react if she found out (unless she knows) how Mammon treats his employees, mainly Fizzarolli (unless his character history changed in Sinners Symphony), for example Mammon threatening Fizz after announcing he's quitting his job? And lastly, what is her relationship with her "cousins" and "uncles/aunties"?

2) I was thinking about Bee's son, mainly about who's the father? I mean, since Beelzebub is currently dating Tex (unless she isn't dating him in Sinners Symphony), is he his father or not? If he isn't (which, Let's be real, I guess he isn't) what does he view him like, unless he doesn't know about him. What is his relationship with his mother like? Depending on the answer to the previous question, who was his real father and where is he now? What did Bee's son think about this? And lastly, do you have a name for him and again, what is his relationship with his "cousins" and "aunt's/uncles"?

3) What else could Belvedere (my precious favourite side OC of yours) do? We know he's a butler, and a good one for sure, and a teacher/nun for the royal offsprings, but where else his capabilities may lay? I doubt this is all he can do, perhaps he is more like Alfred than we thought?

Is the picture above accurate to reality? (Please be true please be true XD)

I just really want to see more of Hell's Alfred Belvedere in the future

4) Recently we have been revealed that there isn't such a fool that would fight Constantine. But let's say there would be a sinner that would be brave enough (or perhaps have nothing to lose?) to stand up against him for their honest opinion, for example speaking out what they think about his cold logic at the expense of his feelings and lack of empathy, and how they disagree with it (let's say based upon their experience in human life), perhaps even mock it. How would he react?

I just hope you'll get alright, and I will continue to watch your career with great interest.

Have a nice day/night, and may we meet again

Richard

Her name is Monet her nickname is Mone (I hate you Mammon) this name meaning wealty protector.

She's truly her father's girl, but

I can't call him completely bad. So let's look at it this way, she is the daughter of a sin and one of the most noble beings in hell. Why would someone like this treat imps well or respect them? Imps are beings located almost in the lowest layer of hell and have short lives. Monet grew up being taught that she was far superior to them In other words, she does not build the sets for evil, she does not think that what she does is wrong.

And in the scene where Fizz swears at mammon and quits, Monet took her father's side

"How dare that imp insult a Sin, even though my Dad spent his precious time for him!?

Monet even goes on stage and tells Fizz this

"I don't know what you think about your relationship with my uncle, but all you have your worthless body, you'll grow old and die, and all that's left will be my poor, heartbroken uncle."

""If you ask me, if you really loved him, you wouldn't put him through this pain."

Monet is really sassy and outspoken, but technically she's telling the truth here. Sins are immortal beings and 50 or 100 years is a very short time for them.And yes, according to Monet, Fizz is a pet. After all, you love your pet very much, but you know that it will die before you.And here Monet really doesn't want her uncle to be sad or heartbroken.Even though Mammon has a bad relationship with Oz, Monet loves her uncle.

After what Monet said, when Oz talks to Monet, Monet thinks, "Did I say something wrong?"So she doesn't realize that what she says is bad.

____

2-His nickname is Wasp

Wasp's father was a hellhound and died of old age a long time ago.Wasp really loved his father and had a good relationship with him.

Wasp considers his mother's relationship with Vortex normal. Bee had not had a relationship for 150 years, and when she became lovers with Vortex, Wasp was happy for his mother.

He's not on bad terms with Vortex, they're not too close.

Bee and Wasp have a really good relationship. Wasp is already very similar to his mother and likes the same things, so they have a very close bond.

He and Charlie are close, kind of like the Wasp, the fun cousin who loves to party.And they both have the same level of high energy,That's why they get along so well.

Wasp and Monet, they love to spend good time together and have fun. So they're really on good terms.

Constantine does not like Wasp's attitude and finds him irresponsible and childish. Wasp likes to get on Constantine's nerves.

Wasp finds the Satan's daughter very serious and boring, and the Satan's daughter finds him annoying. But still, their relationship is not bad, they get together from time to time and spend time.

3- Belveder is Alfred in every sense

He is a great and very strong warrior and also a very knowledgeable person.Someone who has been loyal and served Lucifer for centuries, even when lucifer was at his worst.

Belvedere is someone who gets his strength directly from Lucifer, so he can fight against most nobles without any difficulty if he wants, and he never loses his gentlemanly air while doing so.

He doesn't have a family himself, but he cares for Constantine and Charlie as if they were his own children.

Even though he is a hell born who is not born as a noble race, he is someone who no one will show the slightest disrespect to, thanks to his current position.

4.It is very rare for Constantin to talk to a sinner. He rarely talks even to overlords. The mere thought that a sinner could talk to him is an insult to him; if that sinner shows even the slightest disrespect, he will die right there.

Constantine is the prince of Hell, but he is disgusted with sinners. How dare a sinner come and criticize him?Just for this reason, that sinner crosses his limits.And he gets punished for it.

But if that sinner speaks logically and Constantine thinks they are right, he will not kill him, he will listen the sinner, and if he thinks the sinner is smart enough to deserve an answer, he will answer. So if you're smart and talk logically, chances of survival are higher.

The reason for Constantine's patience and tolerance towards the sinners in the hotel is Charlie, Charlie's presence protects them, especially Alastor. Constantine may be a loving brother to Charlie, but he is very cruel to others.

Have a good day too!

#hazbin hotel au

47 notes · View notes

ynsimagines · 11 months ago

Text

Things people have gotten mad at Taylor swift for recently

Because this women can’t breathe without triggering people

TW: people who lack critical thinking, talk of stalking, weapons.

1. At the Grammys she won Album of the year and brought Lana del Rey up on stage with her.

- apparently this was rude and snobbish because Lana was also nominated for AOTY and poor Lana had to have the loss shoved in her face even though:

She was featured on the midnights album and its traditional for the artist to bring all the collaborators on stage when they win AOTY.

If Taylor didn’t bring Lana on stage with her people would’ve thought Taylor was “snubbing” her.

It’s up to Lana to be an adult about the whole thing and not a sore loser. You didn’t win an award, your friend did, you were on the album for which she won an award. Suck it up and stand there with a smile on your face.

2. She was rude and ignored Celine Dion.

- except she wasn’t she actually did thank Celine Dion twice we just didn’t see it from the original angle.

- also she took plenty of pics with Celine backstage.

- and the first one to stand up when Celine walked out on stage.

3. It was rude to announce her album at the Grammys.

- this one is a real head scratcher you’re telling me that when Taylor wins an award for her album she can’t announce her new album?

- it didn’t take away from anyone else’s night

- plenty of other people announce albums/projects at award shows.

4. She was also taking away from other artists by standing up/dancing during their performances.

- okay but then everyone was doing the same thing. Because literally so many people were standing up and dancing during all the performances…

5. She was drunk/wasted.

- while this one’s a little harder to squash if you’re not there I really didn’t think she seemed drunk at all she was sipping water all night.

- the bottle she was seen drinking from at the after party was just a glass water bottle.

6. She’s suing Jack Sweeney the kid who has a page tracking celebrities private jet usage.

- actually she’s not suing him her legal team sent a cease and desist letter which means “you better stop talking or further legal action will be taken.”

- it would be one thing if Jack was just posting about her jets carbon emissions but he posts when and where her jet is down to the hour.

- Taylor has stalkers, people who’ve shown up to her houses armed. People try to say this is all public information but she actually pays for the location of her jet to be private. Someone like Jack really has to dig to find its location. So to post the locations/times like that is not only dangerous but to be honest really creepy.

- when Taylor tried to go to her friend jacks wedding fans were lined up outside for almost a mile. It’s because of websites like jacks that people even knew where she was.

- paparazzi is completely legal yet people still find what they do disgusting and despicable. Just think if Jack had a camera and followed Taylor around to then post the time and location people would feel way differently about it…

- also Jack is a hypocrite who claims he cares about the environment when in reality he took the first chance he could to ride Mark Cubans’ private jet.

- I’m not saying Taylor needs to use her jet as often as she does there’s definitely instances where she could drive but apparently she’s not even in the top 30 of all private jet users.

Sorry a lot of you probably don’t even care about Taylor swift. But if you’ve been partaking in the negative rhetoric that’s been surrounding this human lately maybe this will make you think about things differently.

#taylor swift #taylornation #1989 taylor's version #i love you taylor #swifties #grammys #anti swifties #travis kelce #traylor #tayvis

47 notes · View notes

fizzarollitm · 10 months ago

Text

.thinking about a proper loose fizzy timeline now that I've played him more and developed him Note: This is like 50% character study and build for me to better understand Fizz and how I want to interpret him. Everything is adaptable for the sake of threads or hc's!

tw; stalking

1-3: Born in Greed, he has very little memories of his bio-parents. Thinks they were low level in some mob but hard to know for sure. Never reached out (and likely don't even know/recognize Fizzy is their child once he gets famous) in his life.

3: A circus worker found him abandoned by the popcorn stand. While at first people thought it was a case of some couple losing their kid (not the first time nor the last) as announcements became more "Come get your fucking child", it got obvious no one was going to claim him. Cash saw money signs in adding another child (sweet, sweet unpaid labor) to the roster, and that was that. Cash got the name Fizzy from a random clown prop/sign (I just love the idea Fizzarolli is like HHverse of naming your kid Krusty)

5: First glimpse of Mammon; it was one of those blink and you miss it life altering moments: An ad on a TV in a shop window, a millisecond of Mammon performing at some mall before getting shoved out by security, him passing by on a float of money. He saw him and his whole brain flared to life and he saw his future ahead of him. He will be the greatest clown ever!

General childhood notes; Grew up in step with Barbie and Blitz following everything they ever do. He did any stunt they did because they didn't seem scared so why should he. He loved performing for them and making them laugh and that love spilled over into Clowning very easily. If you had asked him what his dream was at this age it was the three of them forming a traveling trio and TAKING OVER THE WORLD

13-15: Light teen fuckery like shoplifting makeup they can't afford and fabric to make costumes. He gets handy with a sewing machine and makes everything for the three of them usually basing it off of whatever Clown Fashion magazine he swiped. He also starts to experiment with his gender around here and comes out as nonbinary in his early teens!

15; Seeing Mammon was the greatest night of life. He still thinks about it as an adult and the whole night gets swept up in this haze that destroys every blemish, in his mind it was the perfect show. Blitz's (right) negative comments bleeding the jealousy filter that comes later. He will be Mammon's protege even if it means leaving the Circus. This was also when the "light" stalking he experienced hit a new high and when Blitzo became his unofficial bodyguard. Cash told him to ignore it and " Take it as a good sign of how popular you are!"

16th [Explosion]: This will be a full hc post by itself one day but tldr he spent most of the after unconscious. Later, he got told the "hero" Cash pulled him from the wreckage before the remains of the tent finished what the fire didn't. He is shocked and hurt made worse by Cash's claims it was Blitz who did it, years of jealousy turning unfortunately deadly. Barbie is in not much better shape and they are alone in the wreckage wracked with betrayal, pain, and medical debt.

16-21: Recovery time. He got fitted with prosthetics and started physical therapy pretty quickly. He focused on his goals and put his head down while also learning ASL for when 1) His voice is too weak to speak from smoke damage 2) Hearing loss in his right ear. Soon he was able to rejoin the Circus (Albeit in a much more stripped down form) and eventually after Barbie's use made her unable to perform, took on most of the performance rolls. He mostly stayed out of guilt with Cash being his "savior".

21: Things hit a boiling point. After Barbie left it was a lot on him as the face of the Circus and he started making demands as such. Cash pushed back again and again until finally he snapped and ended their professional relationship. Out of impulse, he left the Circus for Mammon's stage entering the competition in a thrown together costume and a prayer. And. He. Fucking. Won. After signing on he realized the debt he had with Mammon but shrugged it off as a reality of fame. He moved into greed and took up a small apartment and lived out the year as any other winner. This includes an AI scan to create a robot for LooLooLand.

Nebulous pre-canon I have no set date for:

Mammon announced his wish to start selling robots in his likeness. He felt a little weird about it but went along with it using a more advanced AI based off the LooLoo Land model.

Asmodeus was commissioned to work on them (Fizzbot was made by Mammon hence its...quality) and him and Fizzy gradually grew closer over the project.

Sex robots come shortly after and he just keeps saying yes because its Mammon! His Idol! ...wooh. Also the echo of Crash's words about the stalking not helping much either.

As Mammon shifted focus to the Fizzy Bots, the stage became less a focus and he started working in Ozzies. Moving to Lust as his work moved out of Greed just made sense.

#[ooc] 「backstage pass」#[musings] 「froggy flips」#stalking tw #ok im going 2 bed

7 notes · View notes

redlegumes · 1 year ago

Text

Dec 1st: Open Mic Night

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles

Summary: Eddie is captivated by an singer on a holiday themed karaoke night at his favorite bar.

₊˚｡⋆❆⋆｡˚₊

Eddie had bundled up and headed to his regular, small, queer friendly spot that evening. The place mostly did open mics and community anchored birthdays. It didn't have a huge presence in the city which was fine by Eddie, just dingy and dark enough that it felt home-y. Even on karaoke night.

He chatted with his buddy Gareth who was also there to take in the holiday singing spectacle. Neither of them were going to perform, they did that enough part time with their band, but Eddie watched a spirited Mariah and then some Wham!

Just as the bar was at it's fullest (for this kind of event anyway), a gorgeous boy in a dark green sweater and light wash jeans stepped up on stage. The sound booth guy announced him as Steve, and the lights on the back half of the shallow stage flicked on. Eddie recognized the piano that lived back there even if he didn't recognize the performer. Visiting one of the locals maybe?

More after the cut

Steve had voluminous hair, styled to look like effortless. His cheeks were pink, and Eddie couldn't help but imagine that blush that spread over his skin probably sported a deeper tan in the summer months. Steve began picking out a tune on the piano, and Eddie's eyes shot to Steve's even sweeter pink lips as he began to sing.

♫ Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let your heart be light Next year all our troubles, will be out of sight ♫

The bar had slowly quieted; the live piano drew in everyone's attention.

♫ Have yourself a merry little Christmas Make the Yuletide gay ♫

Steve winked at the brazenly at the audience, drawing laughs and a smattering of cheers. Shit. He knows he's cute.

♫ Next year all our troubles, will be miles away ♫

As quickly as he'd smiled, Steve's lips pressed tightly there. No troubles next year? Wouldn't that be something, Eddie thought in sarcastic agreement with the sentiment on Steve's face.

The crowd began to sing along with the last two verses, a sway settling over the mismatched queers gathered their to celebrate the season with cheap drinks and other outcasts. Steve sang the last lines wistfully. Eddie supposed they all did.

♫ Someday soon we all will be together If the fates allow Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow So have yourself a merry little Christmas now ♫

His chest ached when Steve finished while the whole bar seemed to applaud. Eddie wasn't ready for Steve's voice to stop filling his ears. He worked his way toward the edge of the stage without a plan, and waited for Steve, holding out hand to help him down. Steve took it and met Eddie's gaze with the warm eyes of a man Eddie wanted nothing more than to muddle through with.

2023 RedLegumes Steddiemas 1 2 3 4 5 6 10 SteddieHolidayDrabbles 1 2 3 4 6 8 9 10

#open mic #karaoke #queer bar #holiday season #Christmas #steddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #i write things #steddieholidaydrabbles #have yourself a merry little christmas #make the yuletide gay

12 notes · View notes

erin-gilberts · 7 months ago

Note

Getting to know you asks 🤗....

1. What's your go-to treat/snack (coffee/tea, cake/ muffins/cookies, etc)?

2. Would you rather hang out with friends indoors (shopping, arcade, hanging out at home, etc) or outdoors (goof off at the park, take a hike and chat, go to flea markets, etc)?

3. What are 5 of your favorite movies?

4. What are some artists you can listen to on repeat?

5. What's a fun/interesting fact about you?

Sincerely that drive-in mutual 😌👻🚫🎟

Hello @wanderingnelipot! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to answer your lovely ask. It's been a particularly rough couple of months, but I would still love to chat and get to know you better if you're interested!

1. My go-to treat is an iced latte! I used to have a pretty regular routine that on Fridays, I would always go to a local cafe after spin class and have an iced latte and an avocado toast. Cookies are always a good cozy snack for me, and I'm also partial to niche baked goods...whatever a cafe or restaurant considers their specialty and is really proud to be known for. I'm back in my hometown now and my favorite lil place currently has some phenomenal seven-layer bars.

2. I'm down for all kinds but I definitely love adventures. This week, I had a friend over and we made friendship bracelets while marathoning the Ghostbusters movies, which was lovely but a little more stationary than I usually am on my own. Wandering the woods and chatting, exploring a flea market, or goofing off at the park all provide a great opportunity to leave the house and have new experiences in new settings.

It's why I was delighted to see Frozen Empire for the first time in a place far from home - it felt like an adventure!

3. Ghostbusters Answer the Call

Jurassic Park

Bridesmaids

Titanic

Both of the live-action Scooby Doo movies - I think they're such a spiritual ancestor of Answer the Call 😂 I love them unironically; they are so goofy and were so panned but so much fun.

4. I'd most accurately describe my style of music as "crooning lesbians" lol. MUNA has been a staple in my playlist for years. I also associate a fair lot of Taylor Swift's songs with Erin Gilbert / ATC so she gets replayed often, too!

Best introduction to MUNA: "What I Want," "Home by Now," "Everything"

Most Erin songs by Taylor Swift: "Antihero," "All Too Well," "Cassandra"

5. I'm a pretty bold person who has a storied history of doing super wild things to really meaningful ends.

As a young hate crime survivor, I decided to unlearn my fear of the woods and the violence that happens to women within it by making an emotional trek 15 miles into the mountains to the site where another lesbian hate crime victim was killed.

The next year, I drove 12 hours to Toronto to see a 15 minute short film at its premiere. The short film was about the above woman's ^ story, following her partner who survived the attack, and I gambled that the director would be present. He was - his crew actually found the cairn of stones I left at the site. He was moved as hell that I came so far to see the film, and called me out on stage.

In 2022, Paul Feig was launching his cocktail book in the barely post-pandemic landscape, and on about three weeks notice, I impulsively booked a trip to NYC to attend his talk. Again, it was a gamble I'd get to meet him - they weren't announcing he'd be signing books; I just assumed and took the chance. He was! And I got to emphasize to him exactly how much GB: ATC meant to women and queer people, and he was so absolutely moved and chuffed that I brought a copy of Erin and Abby's book for him to sign.

He's since followed my friends and I as we went on a big trip tracing the footsteps of where all they filmed ATC and now recognizes our wee group by name.

So I'm 100% impulsive as hell, but I think it's always to some pretty incredible ends. 🥰

I'm going to leave you some questions in return xx

#erin is talking

4 notes · View notes

f-ngrl · 2 years ago

Text

kid milli x yanghongwon x jjangyou x dnopf x ???

ok lets go. first about my day, if you don't wanna know you can scroll down :D

so i had to book my train ticket for a train at 6:30 am bc they announced the concert super late and everything was expensive already. i cried abt it to friends for days bc i never leave the house this early, but then as i started to travel there were commuters everywhere just doing their regular thing. and like it's not that big of a deal xD

i arrived in paris at 10 am, successfully queued in the right queue to obtain my metro tickets, did so and successfully took the metro to the neighborhood of the concert (last time i took the metro alone i couldn't find the way out and when i finally got out i had to walk super far anyway and the ride wasn't worth it :D).

i dropped my bag and thought i could have breakfast somewhere but nothing seemed inviting and i had eaten some breadbuns on the train and wasn't hungry so whatevs. went to a park and walked around, it was nice. so many ppl working out here! decided i should eat sth for lunch but was overwhelmed with finding a restaurant that offered veggie food with good ratings and close by and is open and is affordable. also i learned i'm really not confident to go to restaurants or even cafés alone. so i got some prepackaged food at a supermarket but it was meh :D walked past the venue and there were a few people waiting at 2 pm. got bubble tea i love that stuff. then there was nothing more to do and i didn't wanna use up my energy so i went to the place where i'm staying and read a book. ate the rest of the lunch.

went to the venue! i thought, but it turned out i walked into the wrong entrance into the wrong event. i was already confused about the other people xD

then i found the right entrance and was confused again bc there was no queue at all. general admission was at 7:30 and it was like 7:32. there were 2 guys entering at the same time as me and one said to the other (in english) "yeah i played here 4 years ago" and i didn't think anything about it.

i got in and the club was SO SMALL!! even though i hadn't queued i got a good spot to see. after a short time, the dj, dnopf, started. and it turned out he was the guy from the entrance!! i felt sry for not recognizing him. he played only khh and krnb and i cannot explain how much i loved that. that's my dream like. having someone who knows khh really well rec khh to me? there were songs i didn't know but sounded good. a lot of jay park and coogie. a lot of aomg/h1ghr but no ambition or daytona at all. dnopf's tshirt said

I ❤️ PARIS

hilton

i thought that was funny.

then jjangyou started right away (no waiting times, it was awesome). i'm not really into his music but wow he can make the party go crazy like himself. he even walked around in the crowd and was really close to where i was! he said he was sick and had a cold so we should cheer more to give him energy. poor guy, i felt bad ':D but this was a great performance, he was the most energetic artist by far.

then hongwon came on aaaah! he played 2 old songs and then only unreleased songs, 1 or so of which i didn't know. he introduced himself as "young b yanghongwon" and said when he returns to korea he will release an ep. (it has to he noted he's promised albums often so it's not really reliable but i'll still be hoping every time :D). slowmo is the album's name. his performance was wonderful ofc, he did all the raps properly as we know of him <3 idk what to say u know he's my fav artist rn it's just yeah.

and then kid milli. his show was also great of course! he's very professional, with carefully chosen song order etc so you know it will definitely be good. he showered the crowd in compliments (a bit cheesy for me but whatever :D). i felt bad abt knowing so few of his songs. he wore a hat (beanie style) and hoodie for the whole show idk how he didn't melt but he stayed strong :D

during kid milli's performance, suddenly hwimin jumped on stage for 1 second, yes you read right and i didn't see wrong bc kid milli confirmed it :D he said "do you like hwimin? we brought a representative for area, it's gemini!" so gemini came out and performed 3 songs and the crowd went crazy for him. i don't like him thaat much so i was a bit ?? but i guess it was the surprise effect, he said he'll be back next time with his own tour. parisians are lucky that so many khh ppl (esp former fa members and area members) seem to love paris so much, i don't see this for any other place except maybe japan.

after that, kid milli performed some songs with less action and then at the end as an encore some songs with jjangyou and hongwon together. they performed indigo last, with good guy kid milli rapping all of justhis' part <3

the show ended around 10:15? maybe. kid milli left the stage early but jjangyou and hongwon stayed around for a long time, gave signatures and talked to fans from the stage. that was so nice!

when i got out, it was still a little bright outside. not where i live! this was surprising but it's almost the longest day of the year after all. the neighborhood was still full of people enjoying the evening and sunset, good mood.

i was gonna post photos but will do that separately. tumblr app is broken and uploads different photos or replaces my uploads with different photos from my phone no thx

good night!! 💕💖💕

#khh #khiphop #kid milli #jjangyou #yanghongwon #dnopf #hwimin #lil moshpit #gemini #concert

12 notes · View notes

kincoo · 2 years ago

Text

Ok so I was procrastinaing as always, and decided to ask ChatGPT to write Milex fanfiction and it came up with some interesting results. The link to the website can be found here.

#1 "Rockstar Reunion"

Alex Turner and Miles Kane were two of the biggest rockstars of their generation. They had met in their early twenties, when their respective bands, the Arctic Monkeys and the Last Shadow Puppets, were just starting to make a name for themselves in the music industry.

They quickly became friends, bonding over their love for music and their shared ambition to make it big. But as their careers took off, they lost touch and went their separate ways.

Years passed, and both Alex and Miles had achieved massive success in their own right. But as they reached the peak of their fame, they both found themselves feeling empty and alone.

One day, while flipping through an old photo album, Alex came across a picture of him and Miles from their early days. It was then that he realized how much he missed his friend and decided to reach out to him.

To his surprise, Miles felt the same way and they decided to reconnect. They scheduled a meeting and when they saw each other again, it was like no time had passed.

During their meeting, they decided to collaborate on a new project. They started writing songs together and found that their chemistry was just as strong as it was before.

The project turned out to be a huge success, and it brought them even more fame and recognition. But more importantly, it brought them back the friendship that they had lost.

As they took the stage for the final concert of their tour, Alex and Miles shared a knowing look and a smile. They knew that this was just the beginning of their rockstar reunion.

They had both found what they were missing in each other, and together they were unstoppable.

#2 "Backstage Blues"

Alex Turner and Miles Kane had been friends and bandmates for years, but as their fame grew, so did the tension between them. They had always been fiercely competitive, but now it seemed like they couldn't even be in the same room without getting into a fight.

It all came to a head on the night of a major concert. As they were getting ready to take the stage, Miles snapped at Alex for no reason, causing Alex to storm off in anger.

The concert was a disaster. Alex's mind was preoccupied with the argument and he couldn't seem to get into the performance. Miles, on the other hand, gave it his all, but the audience could feel the tension between them and it took away from the show.

Afterwards, back in the dressing room, they got into a heated argument that ended with Alex storming out of the venue and Miles left alone.

Feeling guilty, Miles decided to try and make amends. He went to Alex's hotel room, but Alex refused to answer the door. Miles didn't give up and he stayed outside, apologizing and begging for forgiveness.

After a while, Alex opened the door and they talked it out. They realized that the reason for their argument was not only the fame, but also the pressure and stress they were under. They decided to take a break and to focus on their friendship and mental health.

They came back stronger, and with a renewed appreciation for each other. They made a promise to always communicate and to support each other no matter what.

Their next concert was one of the best they had ever played, and their friendship was stronger than ever. They knew that no matter what, they had each other's back.

#3 "Rivalry to Romance"

Alex Turner and Miles Kane had been rivals for as long as they could remember. They had always been in competition for the same gigs, the same awards, and the same fans. But as they grew older, their rivalry began to turn into something more.

It all started when they were both nominated for the same award at a major music festival. As they sat next to each other, waiting for the winner to be announced, they couldn't help but feel a spark between them.

But they both brushed it off, thinking it was just their competitive nature getting the best of them.

However, as they continued to cross paths, the chemistry between them only grew stronger. They couldn't help but be drawn to each other, despite their rivalry.

Finally, they decided to give in to their feelings and give a relationship a chance. They kept it a secret at first, not wanting to ruin their image or cause drama in the music industry.

But as their love grew, they couldn't keep it hidden for long. And to their surprise, their fans and colleagues were supportive of their relationship.

They found that being together only made them better musicians and better people. And as they stood on stage, holding hands and looking into each other's eyes, they knew that they were meant to be.

Their love had turned their rivalry into something beautiful and they couldn't be happier. They knew that together, they could conquer anything.

#milex #miles kane #alex turner #fanfiction #chatgpt

7 notes · View notes

liamhaydn-blog · 2 years ago

Text

Lionel Messi at the 2022 World Cup

The first ever winter World Cup appeared perfectly timed for Lionel Messi. The previous season, his first in the colours of Paris Saint-Germain, had been the toughest of his career to date. The flawless finishing we had witnessed for well over a dozen years momentarily deserted him and was replaced with efforts suddenly being denied by posts, crossbars and goalkeepers, more often than they were finding the net. For the first time since his teenage years, Messi failed to reach double figures in the league, scoring just six goals in 26 appearances, and 11 in all competitions. Those who saw this and declared Messi’s glory years over would quickly be proven wrong however as just a few months into his second campaign with PSG and his difficulties in the previous season were already nothing but a rapidly fading memory.

By the time club football took a winter break for the mid-season World Cup, Messi had already outperformed last season’s goal haul, with 7 in the league and 12 in all competitions. On top of this he also added 14 assists in the 19 games he featured. The numbers and performances showed us Messi was coming into the World Cup bang on form, and given his age of 35, playing this tournament mid-season rather than at the end of another long 50+ game season, was likely to be more of a help than a hindrance.

The Argentina side he would be captaining at the finals were unbeaten since they suffered a loss to Brazil at the 2019 Copa America, their 5th tournament in 6 years where they had been unable to end a trophy drought which stretched back to 1993. Messi may have dragged his nation to three major finals in as many years but falling short in all of them led him to announce a short-lived retirement. He was back playing for the Albiceleste shortly after but the 2018 World Cup in Russia looked like something akin to torture for him. Rarely if ever did he seem to exhibit the same joy and freedom in Argentina’s colours as when playing for Barcelona.

That was until the 2021 Copa America in Brazil, when at his 10th major tournament, Argentina finally assembled the right supporting cast around Messi, and with it Leo dazzled scoring 4 and assisting 5 as he led Argentina to the final. In the final he wasn’t at his best, a result of an extremely physical semi-final against Colombia, but for this new Argentina they could find a way to win without relying solely on their talismanic captain. Di Maria scored the goal which won them the cup at the Maracanã against hosts Brazil and suddenly Argentina who had been so poor at the 2018 World Cup were now one of the top favourites for the next World Cup which would take place the following year in Qatar.

Argentina only strengthened their credentials with a run of 36 games unbeaten going into the World Cup. This run took in their Copa America triumph and aswell included a 3-0 win over European Champions Italy and on the very eve of the tournament a 5-0 win over UAE. In that game Messi notched his 18th goal for Argentina in his last 22 appearances, it was with real belief he and his teammates would begin Group C. Assigned to a favourable looking group alongside Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland, it would be the Saudis first up for Argentina.

v.s Saudi Arabia 1:2- Group C

Saudi Arabia are regular World Cup qualifiers, Brazil in 2014 being the only finals they haven’t reached since first qualifying in 1994. They are not however regular World Cup winners, having won just one game since they reached the knockout stages for the one and only time at their first World Cup. They appear to be the perfect opponent for Argentina to lay down a statement of intent with an emphatic victory.

It takes just 94 seconds for Messi to have his first shot on target, forcing Al Owais into an early save. A few minutes later and holding in the box as Saudi Arabia attempted to defend a corner drew the attention of VAR, who alerted the referee to have a look at a possible penalty. The referee decided it went beyond the acceptable level of grappling and pointed to the spot, giving Messi and Argentina the chance to make the perfect start. The chance was taken as Argentina’s number 10 calmly rolled the ball into the net for 1-0.

Messi appeared to have his and Argentina’s second in the 22nd minute when a long ball over the top left him baring down on goal and he calmly slotted home. However the linesman’s flag was then immediately raised. Five minutes later there was an even tighter call after Lautaro Martinez had gone clear and lifted the ball over the onrushing Al Owais. This time it was VAR who intervened to rule it out, judging Lautaro’s shoulder to be offside. Remarkably 7 minutes later Argentina had the ball in the net for a fourth time, and for the third time it was disallowed for offside. This was the clearest offside of the lot, though Lautaro’s composed step-over and finish after Messi had put him through displayed Argentina’s supreme confidence and the control in which they exerted over the match.

Despite Argentina’s dominance in the first half, they had just one goal to show for it. And the frailty of that lead was exposed just three minutes into the second half when Alshehri expertly shot through the legs of a sliding Christian Romero and from a tight angle the ball bobbled into the bottom corner past Emiliano Martinez. The goal had come from a simple ball straight down the middle after Messi had been dispossessed in midfield. Just 5 minutes later, things went from bad to worse for Argentina as Nicolas Otamendi’s failure to get distance on a clearance eventually led to the ball finding Aldawsari who made room for the shot by cutting inside and then let fly from just inside the area. Martinez got a hand to the ball, but the power beat him and suddenly Argentina were behind against Saudi Arabia.

Argentina almost respond immediately when Messi is found in the box, but just as he is about to shoot a potentially goal-saving tackle flies in on him from Abdulhamid, who celebrates this tackle like a goal, and he isn’t the last Saudi player to do so. The Albiceleste come closer still when Lisandro Martinez’s close-range shot deflects off the knee of Tagliafico from even closer, but Al Owais’ reflexes are up to the task.

Following these chances, you could see the panic start to set in for Argentina as the reality of what defeat here could mean began to dawn on them. They began to fall back into their old habits of relying on Messi to rescue them. Since the last World Cup, Argentina had ended their long wait for silverware and were on the verge of equalling Italy’s world-record of 37 matches unbeaten. However as the clock ran down on them here, they could have been mistaken for the Argentina of 4 years ago who had toiled against Iceland and Nigeria.

For a period in the second half Saudi Arabia correctly identified that if they could stop Messi, they could stop Argentina as the nerves and pressure began to get to his teammates. With 10 minutes of normal time left, Messi won a free kick in a promising position for a strike at goal, but his shot sailed harmlessly over the bar. He was closer a few minutes later when he was found in the box by Di Maria, but the floated ball didn’t allow Messi to generate enough power on his header to seriously trouble the keeper.

As they neared closer to a historic victory, the Saudi’s gave full commitment to every sprint and tackle, it was going to take something special to snatch victory from them. They time-wasted, they took yellow cards and did everything they could to see the game out. Due to the timewasting, there was in the end an extra 13 minutes of additional time played for them to defend for their lives. But it seemed not to matter if the board had showed 30 minutes, Saudi Arabia were not going to be denied 3 points on this day.

Having turned the game completely on its head in 5 mad minutes, they refused to squander their new-found lead through any fault of their own. There would be no shortage of desire, nor intense concentration in order to maintain their advantage and in the end it was enough to ensure one of the World Cups big upsets. And we were left wondering whether Argentina were just cursed in World Cups, having reached the Semi-Finals just once since 1990. But after this result the immediate worry was now just to ensure they got out of the groups.

v.s. Mexico 2:0- Group C

In the lead-up to what was now a do-or-die game against Mexico, Messi spoke to the media: “In five minutes of mistakes that we made, we went 2-1 down and then it was really tough, we lost organisation and started punting the ball. It's up to us to fix what we did wrong and get back to the basics of who we are. We're OK, obviously hurt by the result, very bitter. But people must trust that this team will not let them down and we are going to go for it in the next two games.” It was strong words from the skipper and Argentina were also aided by results going their way in the other group games. First Mexico and Poland played out a 0-0 draw with Robert Lewandowski missing a penalty, then Poland beat Saudi Arabia 2-0. These results helped ensure Argentina’s destiny remained in their own hands.

However as the game began it was clear these results had done little to settle Argentina’s nerves, nor had the 5 changes Lionel Scaloni made to the starting 11, including 3 in the defence. Though you regularly see both Argentina and Mexico in the knockout stages of the World Cup, the first-half here was more befitting of a League 2 match. The match was scrappy and extremely low on quality, littered with fouls which forced the game into a stop, start nature. The first sight of goal for either team didn’t arrive until the 40th minute when Lautaro’s header cleared the crossbar after being found by Angel Di Maria. Mexico’s one moment came in the 45th minute when a Vega free-kick forced Martinez into action.

The most concerning sight in the first half for Messi and Argentina fans had been where the number 10 constantly received the ball and the movement, rather the lack of it around him. Argentina’s forward movement was very static, the player in possession left short on options so even Messi with having difficulty in progressing his team up the pitch when receiving it around the half-way line, where nearly all of his touches were. The first half had been in many ways, even more troubling than the second half against Saudi.

At half-time in the ITV studio, Gary Neville said: “Players aren’t fearful of Lionel Messi anymore. They are taking the ball off him easily.” Joe Cole bizarrely put Messi’s struggles in the first-half down to the fact that “It's tough to get out of bed and get your roadwork done at 5am when you're sleeping in silk pyjamas." Neville and fellow pundit Roy Keane then found time to criticise Di Maria, with Neville saying “He’s got no heart.” to which Keane responded: “He’d break your heart, I’m not sure he’s got one.” Based on these words, Argentina may aswell not have bothered coming out for the second half.

They did, but nothing appeared to have changed from the first. 5 minutes into the half and Messi won a free-kick in a dangerous position. Due to the lack of clear-cut chances this presented as good a chance as any for him to find the target. But his effort never threatened to harm the Mexico goal, flying high over the bar. It just about summed the game up so far for him and Argentina.

Messi disappeared from the game once more, Argentina now had less than half an hour to find a goal that was looking increasingly unlikely. They were on the verge of having just one point from their opening two games, when Messi picked the ball up in the same kind of unthreatening position he had all game. He played a simple pass forward then continued his move toward the penalty area. Mexico’s midfield all then turned their attention to the ball and ignored Messi’s positioning. Di Maria however noticed exactly where he was and found Messi in a pocket of space. With one touch he set it out his feet and with the second he arrowed the ball into the bottom corner.

Afrer scoring the vital opener, Messi shouted to the players: "Come on, look at the scoreboard. Now that's in front of you, look at it. 88,000 spectators are looking at you and 45 million Argentines are behind us watching. We won't let them down today, guys. Defend it like savage hyenas. Focus and never miss a ball." De Paul who had been struggling in the game conceding the ball cheaply was told in no uncertain terms by Messi that if he lost another ball, he didn’t want to see his face after the match. The midfielder responded to this by playing a lot better for the remainder.

Mexico never looked like possessing the quality to equalise but the 3 points weren’t secure until the 87th minute when Enzo Fernandez doubled Argentina’s lead. With a step-over he bought room for the shot, and he didn’t waste it by bending it in past Ochoa. Messi played the pass for the goal to become the first man to register an assist at 5 World Cups. With the full-time whistle Argentina could breathe a huge sigh of relief. They were off the mark at the 2022 World Cup, thanks in large part to their captain whose wonderful goal came at a time when he and Argentina were clinging on to their dreams of glory.

“Well they haven’t got much, but they have got him!”- Sam Matterface as Lionel Messi opens the scoring against Mexico

“One more Messi moment and Argentina are alive!”- Peter Drury

v.s Poland 2:0- Group C

Going into the final matchday Argentina knew that a win over Poland would near certainly be enough to see them secure top spot in the group. This was due to them having a positive Goal Difference, and Saudi Arabia having a negative one. Poland though would be mathematically certain of topping the group if they beat Argentina. Finishing 1st was vitally important as 2nd place in the group would meet France. Having faced France at the same stage 4 years ago, Argentina would be keen to avoid a repeat, with memories of an 18-year old Kylian Mbappe sprinting through the middle of their defence still raw enough to know if you get the chance to avoid him, you should take it.

However from the offset Poland had only the draw they needed for qualification in mind. They lacked the belief to try and obtain the win to ensure they topped the group and instead sat back, inviting Argentina (wearing their purple away jersey for the one and only time in the tournament) to dominate possession which they duly did. Unsurprisingly it was Messi who had the best chances of the first half. Running into the box he was faced with a tight angle, but the power generated in the shot forced Szczesny into a smart save down low at his near-post.

A golden opportunity would arrive in the 36th minute when a cross from Julian Alvarez was missed by the Polish keeper and reached by Messi though his header ended high over the bar. However, Szczesny caught Messi in the face when attempting to reach the ball, and as it was Messi who made contact with the ball, the Polish number 1 was judged to have committed a foul after the referee watched the incident back on VAR. Though Szczesny was to redeem himself with an outstanding penalty save, guessing the right way and getting a strong hand to Messi’s kick. The penalty was struck with power, but Szczesny’s hand remained firm and palmed it to safety.

It seemed like nothing could go straightforward for Messi and Argentina at the World Cup. Given the chance to turn all their pressure and domination into a goal from the spot, they’d been unable to convert it. Was it going to be another one of those awful days for them? Such fears were quickly dismissed as they broke the deadlock in the very first minute of the second half. Molina’s cross into the box was fired into the feet of Alexis Mac Allister who opted against needing a touch and instead just stroked it into the bottom corner, hitting the inside of the post on the way in.

Despite now trailing, Poland were unwilling to alter their game plan and it was Argentina doing all the searching for the game’s second goal. Messi took the ball from well inside his own half and dribbled it all the way into the Poland box before scuffing the shot well wide. In the 67th minute the Albiceleste made sure of top spot, after Enzo Fernandez had threaded the ball into Julian Alvarez who took two exquisite touches to make room for a shot that flew into the back of the Polish net.

With Mexico leading Saudi Arabia 2-0, Poland were currently only progressing through by virtue of having fewer yellow cards than the Mexicans. Rather than pushing for a goal themselves, they seemed to be relying on Argentina not getting another. This plan appeared flawed however, as Messi looked like he was starting to enjoy the World Cup stage, spraying passes with ease and dribbling past bodies at will. The pick of the passes came in the 74th minute when from the half-way line he instantly spotted the run of Alvarez, and weighted it perfectly into his path. Mercifully for Poland, he could only find the side-netting. The match finished as one of the most one-sided of the tournament with Argentina managing 12 shots on target to Poland’s 0.

It would however, be Poland joining Argentina in the last 16, a 95th minute goal for Saudi Arabia confirming it beyond doubt. After the game Rio Ferdinand said: “he wasn’t even at his best today but the best 3 or 4 dribbles in the game was Messi, the best 3 or 4 passes in the game was Messi and the best player on the pitch was Messi.” Poland were poor opposition and therefore did not provide much of a test, but Argentina were growing in confidence. For the first time in the tournament they started the midfield three of Enzo Fernandez, De Paul and Mac Allister. Julian Alvarez also made his first start after Lautaro had struggled against Mexico, and he had not wasted his chance. This was a significant game for Argentina as from this point on those four players would start every game together.

They had lost the first game but still topped the group just like Spain did before going onto win it in 2010. There was also the curious statistic that Mario Kempes missed a penalty in Argentina’s third World Cup game in 1978 as did Maradona in game three of 1986. On those occasions, Argentina went on to lift the World Cup, with Messi missing on matchday three this time, would history repeat?

v.s Australia 2:1- Round of 16

Australia would be Argentina’s Round of 16 opponents, and also the opposition for Lionel Messi’s 1,000th official senior game. It would also be Messi’s 100th match as captain of Argentina, so the stage was set for something special and expectation was high. Australia like Argentina had lost their opening game and then won their next two. They had recovered impressively from a 4-1 loss to France by notching back-to-back 1-0 wins over Tunisia and Denmark.

For 34 minutes, not a lot happened. Argentina controlled the ball but they struggled to find space in dangerous areas against a well-drilled Aussie side full of tall, strong players keen to impose their impressive physicality on the contest. It would be who else but the smallest player on the pitch to spring the game into life. Messi whipped in a free-kick from the right-hand side which was headed out by Souttar only as far as Papu Gomez who recycled the ball back to Messi for him to lay into Mac Allister before moving inside, Mac Allister’s pass found Otamendi who played it back to Messi now inside the penalty area. Messi took a touch then stroked it firmly into the net, through the legs of the stretching Australian defenders and past the outstretched glove of Matt Ryan. 1,000 games, 100 as Argentina captain and a very 1st goal in the knockout rounds of a World Cup.

“He’s only gone and done it again! A Thousand games and still he excels! They’ll never be another like him! Enjoy him while he’s here.”- Peter Drury

Argentina doubled their advantage 12 minutes into the second half as the result of an excellent press from Rodrigo De Paul, who sprinted at the Australian defence forcing them to play it back to keeper Matt Ryan. De Paul didn’t stop there and chased all the way back to the keeper who tried to take the ball past him with his second touch and tempt him into a foul. This proved a costly error as De Paul didn’t take the bait and instead let him past, as Alvarez was also on the hunt for the ball and picked the keepers pocket, before simply rolling it into the empty net.

For the rest of the second half it was absolutely vintage Messi. Receiving the ball inside his own half, he turned away from one Australian midfielder, then dribbled through a gap of another three, leaving them trailing in his wake and looking statuesque, with seemingly none of them willing to be the one to draw the short straw and attempt to tackle him. Before they could make up their mind what to do, the 35-year old had left them in the dust. Advancing onto the defence, the ball ricocheted to Alvarez who played it back to Messi who beat one challenge in the penalty area before finally being stopped by a second defender who gratefully conceded the corner.

There is a sting in the tail however when an only half-cleared cross lands at the feet of substitute Craig Goodwin, whose powerful but wayward first-time shot changes direction in the air after cannoning off Enzo Fernandez and leaves Emiliano Martinez flat-footed and rooted to the spot as the ball diverts into the back of his net. A few minutes later and Australia almost completed the comeback, their full-back Behich embarked on an incredible driving run which saw him beat 4 Argentine shirts before finally being denied by Lisandro Martinez just as he prepared to take his short, it was a vital intervention.

Though right back in the game, Australia could do nothing to disrupt Lionel Messi’s rhythm. He wasn’t feeling the pressure, he was playing the match as though a testimonial. He controlled the tempo and pace of Argentina’s play, if he wanted to slow things down the Australians could not find a way to rush him, if he wanted to speed things up he would subtly switch the gears and drive Argentina forward. Which ever one he opted for, the ball was always safe in his possession, and thankfully for Argentina he was seeing plenty of it. There was a chance to make the game completely safe in the 89th minute when a run from Messi enabled him to occupy all 4 Australian defenders and drag them away from Lautaro Martinez who was left in acres of room, at the perfect time Messi rolled it across to him but now lacking confidence he got under the ball and lifted a horrible shot well away from goal.

Moments later Messi found Martinez for a second time, this time the striker was able to hit the target but Ryan was equal to it. The number 10 is doing everything to put the game to bed, beating another 2 men he finds himself in the box, faced with 3 opposition players he is still able to get a good shot away, he looks for the top corner and the keeper is well beaten, but it’s a fraction too high. As the 7 minutes of injury time run down, it’s Argentina and Messi who are pushing for the game’s 4th goal. He finds Martinez for his third shot on goal, but his deflected shot is saved by Ryan and Messi is not ready when the save rebounds at his feet, dragging his shot wide.

Then suddenly with 30 seconds left on the clock, Goodwin’s cross finds Kuol who is able to spin his marker, luckily for Argentina Emiliano Martinez was ready and immediately sprinted off his goalline, narrowing the angle and the shot was blocked by his left arm which took the sting from the shot and allowed him to collect the ball and collapse onto it in relief. He was joined on the floor by a couple of his teammates, no doubt thanking him for getting them out of trouble.

It had been an interesting night for all 3 of Argentina’s Martinez’s, Emiliano and Lisandro had made fantastic blocks to deny equalisers, whereas it had been a bad night for Lautaro, wasting opportunities that would have made the win certain. But overall, the game was the story of Messi. In his 1,000th game, he had produced his greatest World Cup performance to date, a performance described by Rio Ferdinand as “the best individual performance we’ve seen at this World Cup so far, by a mile.”

v.s Netherlands 2:2 (4-3 on penalties)- Quarter-Finals

Argentina vs The Netherlands was to be the mouth-watering Quarter-Final clash. To the surprise of everyone, the winner would not go on to face tournament favourites Brazil as earlier that day they had been dumped out on penalties by plucky Croatia. Given the history of this fixture which had been the final of the 1978 edition, the semi-final when Messi reached his first World Cup final in 2014 and produced one of the most memorable Quarter-Finals ever the last time they met at this stage in 1998, it was a game that scarcely needed spicing up. But it seemingly got it anyway, with comments made by Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal that “you would see his plan to stop Lionel Messi on Friday night” taken to be disrespectful and arrogant by the Argentine side.

Scaloni decided to match up with Netherlands’ 3-5-2 by playing the same formation, dropping a forward out for defender Lisandro Martinez. This decision was made easier by an injury to Angel Di Maria who was only fit enough for the bench.

After a tight opening which was just about shaded by Argentina, Messi was the orchestrator of the game’s first goal in the 35th minute, the exact same minute he’d scored the games opener in the previous match against Australia. This time he was to be the provider however, with a body swerve and a drop of the shoulder Messi found the angle he wanted to thread a through ball between the legs of Nathan Ake and into the path of Molina, the weight of the pass was too perfect for Daley Blind to intercept, he was taken out of the game and Molina was left with just the keeper to beat which he duly did.

With a couple of minutes left in the half we were given a sign of what was to come as Lahoz’s fussy style of refereeing began to lose control of the match. The Spanish ref flashed 4 yellow cards in moments to Argentina coach Walter Sammuel, aswell as Dutch substitute Wout Weghorst who was yet to enter the game. More significant was the yellow card shown to Acuna, which would rule him out of the semi-final. In the second half Messi went close with a free-kick which was just too high and found only the side-netting, before an even better dead-ball opportunity presented itself when Dumfries brought down Acuna in the box giving the referee little alternative but to point to the spot.

Faced with the 6 foot 6 inch goalkeeper Noppert, Messi stroked the penalty home with Noppert choosing to stay down the middle. With his celebration, Messi paid tribute to Juan Roman Riquelme’s trademark goal celebration, Riquelme whom it was noted famously clashed with Van Gaal when the two were together at Barcelona. Also noted was the fact Messi did the celebration with his eyes firmly set on the Dutch bench.

The Netherlands had barely threatened all game, so the two-goal cushion was thought to have killed the contest and put Argentina safely through to the final 4. However with time running out and nothing left to lose, Van Gaal decided to throw the kitchen sink at it by taking off his more technical forwards and bringing on less gifted players who would be more of a threat in the air where they could use their height advantage. This strategy quickly paid dividends as the Dutch pulled one back with 7 minutes of normal time remaining, Weghorst directing his header past Martinez.

With a minute of normal time left, the bad tempered game which had been simmering along finally reached its boiling point when Parades clattered into Nathan Ake and then blasted the ball into the Dutch bench. Luckily it didn’t hit anyone, if it did he may not have escaped with just a yellow card. The melee that followed saw all of the Dutch substitutes storm onto the pitch in fury, though it was Van Dijk who got to Paredes first and bumped him to the ground, for which he avoided punishment.

The referee had frustrated both teams with his fussiness, which saw him constantly blowing his whistle to signal free-kicks for every minor and sometimes non-existent infringement. This led to 11 minutes of stoppage time being awarded and it was in the final of those added minutes when the Dutch equalised. From a free-kick, Koopmeiners, instead of shooting, worked a routine straight off the training ground by instead passing it past the wall and through to Weghorst who managed to hold off his marker and fire it past Martinez. It was the substitutes second of the game and the assist came from a fellow substitute, it had proved a tactical masterclass from Van Gaal.

The first half of extra-time passed without notable incident, both teams looking to catch their breath. Netherlands seemed relieved to just still be in the competition, Argentina concentrated on re-composing themselves and looking to regain control of a game that had momentarily got away from them.

All the big second half chances went Argentina’s way, they continued to probe for a winner, coming closest in added time at the end of extra-time when Fernandez let fly from outside the box and beat the goalkeeper only to be denied by the post. Like their encounter 8 years previously, the two sides would be separated by a penalty shoot-out when the referee finally called time on a game which had included 48 fouls, with 30 from the Netherlands.

As in their 2014 World Cup shootout, the Dutch were first up. Again it would be a centre-back, then it was Ron Vlaar, now Van Dijk. Different names but the outcome remained the same, the player missed. Although more accurately, Martinez saved by diving correctly to his right and getting both hands to the ball. Next Messi faced Noppert from the spot for a second time, and the result was the same. He waited for the keeper to commit to his dive then just rolled it the other side.

Berghuis then stepped up for the Netherlands, and he was also denied by Martinez who again guessed right, this time going left and making another outstanding penalty save. Noppert then guessed right for Parades’ kick but still couldn’t get anywhere near it due to perfect placement. Martinez stays in the middle for Netherlands third penalty and Koopmeiners blasts it into the far corner. Next up goes Montiel and he makes it 3 from 3 for Argentina sending the keeper the wrong way.

Weghorst keeps the Dutch alive in the shootout but if Fernandez scores its all over. As he makes his way towards the spot, Dumfries is booked for gamesmanship as he goes with Fernandez, attempting to break his concentration. It seems to work as the midfielder fired wide, keeping alive slim Dutch hopes. De Jong then levels the shootout but Argentina have one kick remaining. It’s Lautaro Martinez who steps up, who had been enduring a difficult World Cup. Noppert hands him the ball and begins talking to him, begins the mind games. Martinez appears completely unruffled and he demonstrates this by sending the keeper the wrong way and his team through to the semi-finals.

The drama still wasn’t over as quickly Argentina’s joyful celebrations were replaced with players and coaches from opposing sides coming face-to-face once more in angry confrontations. Messi became embroiled in a heating conversation with both Louis Van Gaal and assistant coach Edgar Davids. Messi’s hand gesture making plain what his issue with them was, the talking the Dutch camp had done in the build-up to the match.

As Messi then gave a post-match interview to Argentine broadcasters he was distracted by Weghorst who was stood close by looking at him and apparently waiting for him. With the microphone still in front of his face, Messi snapped at Weghorst: “Qué mirás, bobo? Qué mirás, bobo? Andá para allá.” which translates roughly to “What are you looking at you fool? Go away.” When giving an interview to FIFA, Messi again didn’t hold back saying “It’s very frustrating. We were scared before the game because we knew what this was. I think FIFA must think about it, they cannot put a referee like that for these important games, for such a pivotal game — a referee who isn’t up to the task.” The Argentine public loved seeing this side of Messi, usually so shy and reserved. He seemed to be channelling his inner Diego Maradona as he angrily went at the Dutch coaches, Weghorst and the referee. This side of him showed just how much this World Cup meant to him and his desperation to win.

v.s Croatia 3:0- Semi-Finals

4 years prior when Argentina met Croatia in the World Cup group stages, during the national anthem, Messi had anxiously rubbed his forehead, looking like the loneliest man in the world, carrying a load too heavy for his weary shoulders, they went on to lose the game 3-0. Now as he prepared to face Croatia in the World Cup semi-finals, as the national anthem played, he stood with his chest puffed out singing from the top of his lungs. Just as much as the match to follow, this emphasised the transformation that had taken place within Messi and in the national side he represents.

For the Semi-Final, Scaloni made another tactical adjustment. Seeing how strong Croatia were in possession and how their centre midfielders could dictate a game, Scaloni started four centre-midfielders against the Croatian three of Kovacic, Brozovic and Modric. Particular importance would be put on limiting the latter’s time on the ball, such was his role in the Croatian side. Despite this Croatia were still able to shade the opening half an hour, showcasing their impressive ability to keep the ball. The game changed in the 31st minute when a scooped through ball from Fernandez put Alvarez in on goal, his contact on the ball was not enough to find the net however goalkeeper Livakovic had taken him out and the referee pointed to the spot.

Croatia had reached the semis by virtue of winning 2 shootouts, Livakovic had thus far faced 8 penalties, and had only been beaten by 3. However he was given no chance by Messi, his emphatic penalty was absolutely unsavable blasted right into the top corner. This goal made Messi Argentina’s all-time top goal scorer at World Cups, his 11th moving him ahead of Gabriel Batistuta.

Argentina who had struggled to get into the game now had all the confidence and momentum. 5 minutes after Messi had given them the lead they doubled it. Messi was able to launch a counter attack by just about getting his foot to the ball after Argentina had cleared it from their area and this touch allowed them to spring an attack with Julian Alvarez driving forward with the ball at his feet. He met little resistance until reaching the box when the attempt to tackle him only ricocheted back to him, another failed Croatian clearance allowed the ball to set up nicely for him to strike after bouncing off his chest. The Croatian defenders had not covered themselves in glory but Alvarez had brilliantly profited with his perseverance.

Just shy of the hour mark, Messi gave us a little pre-cursor of what was to come when he received the ball around 40 yards from goal and dribbled to the edge of the box, all the while escaping the attentions of Josko Gvrdiol by holding him off and then playing a one-two with Fernandez to get into the box. Once there he made room for the shot but saw it saved by Livakovic from a narrow angle.

A little over 10 minutes later and Messi was beating Gvrdiol again, only this time in even more astonishing fashion. Leo takes possession after a throw-in is touched into his path off the thigh of Alvarez, Messi is tight to the touchline but with two touches is away from Gvrdiol and driving into open space in the direction of the penalty area. Messi then slows down allowing the defender to catch up, accelerates again before checking back, all the while always keeping his body between Gvrdiol and the ball. He fakes to turn back inside with a body-swerve which sells the defender and Messi then sets off in the opposite direction towards the byline, he gets there and plays a pass into the unmarked Alvarez for a simple tap-in.

The 20-year old Gvrdiol had been one of the standout performers of the tournament, but the man 15 years his senior had toyed with him. Messi had taken the ball in a harmless position, just inside the Croatian half and next to the touchline and had laid on a certain goal using just 15 touches of the ball. It was a masterclass in making every single touch count and placing the ball exactly where you needed it to set up your next move, no touch was wasted or less than perfect.

It made certain Argentina’s progression into Sunday’s final and they saw out the remaining 20-plus minutes in comfort. They allowed Croatia plenty of possession but they could not land a meaningful glove on Argentina, whose attack of Messi and Alvarez had delivered a devastating one-two combination to knock them out. In the end it had been as straightforward as you could ever hope a World Cup Semi-Final to be and Messi was going to get one more chance to lift the trophy he had always dreamed about.

v.s France 3:3 (4:2 on penalties)- Final

The final was almost certainly going to be less straightforward. Argentina would be facing France after they had defeated Africa’s first ever World Cup Semi-Finalists in Morocco. France would be looking to become the first side to retain the World Cup since Brazil exactly 60 years before and just like Argentina were looking to lift the trophy for a third time. Aswell as the World Cup, the smaller matter of the Golden Boot would be decided with Messi and Mbappe currently tied for 1st with 5 each, and their team’s strikers Alvarez and Giroud also tied on 4. Messi and Mbappe had been the two best players of the World Cup and the question was would Messi show the young pretender to his crown that he was not yet ready to exit his throne, or would Mbappe signal the start of a new era, his era.

Scaloni brought Di Maria back into the starting line-up which raised some eyebrows given the winger had not started since the group stages and had only featured in one knockout game. This decision quickly proved to be an inspired one as Di Maria and co started the game very much on the front foot, playing with an intensity and hunger France simply could not match. They constantly hounded France out of possession, swarming them, first to every ball.

However they could not transmit their superiority onto the scoreboard in the opening 20 minutes, but the chance came in the 21st minute when trickery from Di Maria took him past Dembele and into the box, whilst assessing his options he felt the slightest of touches from behind and hit the floor. There seemed to be relatively little in it, but the referee felt he’d seen enough contact to award the penalty and VAR did not flag it as a clear or obvious error. It was soft and contentious, but the little flick of Dembele’s foot into the back of Di Maria was judged to be enough. Up stepped Lionel Messi for the most important kick of a football in his entire career. He coolly sent Lloris in the wrong direction and gave his nation the start they desperately wanted.

The goal did little to wake France from there stupor, instead it was Argentina who played all the football, and their finest bit of football came 13 minutes after taking the lead when Mac Allister flicked the ball into Messi’s path. Just inside his own half with two touches he knocked it around the corner into Alvarez who played it first time for Mac Allister who had continued his run forward, the midfielder knew he had Di Maria for company and picked out an inch perfect pass for the winger to strike first time past Lloris. The counter-attack was the best team goal of the whole tournament, and one of the more memorable World Cup final goals with quick, incisive passing and movement that brutally exposed the disorganisation in the French team with defenders way out of position.

The 2-0 lead was richly deserved and forced Deschamps into making 2 substitutions before half-time had even been reached, sacrificing Giroud and Dembele. The second half continued in the same vein, Argentina making all the chances, simply battering France and comfortably outplaying them. Things began to subtly shift when Di Maria who had been the man of the match up to that point, a constant thorn in the French side was taken off for full-back Acuna. This seemed to signify to Argentina’s players that they should start to be contented with the lead they already had and begin slowing the game down and trying to see it out. Rather than hungrily going for the third as they had in the opening 18 minutes of the half with Di Maria on the pitch, they now looked to just pass the ball around. This subtle change of tact appeared unlikely to be taken advantage of by France, emphasised by Varane who under no pressure passed the ball straight into touch, nowhere near any teammate. It was a pass that just about epitomised the French performance.

Their way back into the game appeared out of the blue. A heavy touch forward from Mbappe seemed to allow Otamendi time to clear his lines but he paused for too long and substitute Kolo Muani stole in to get goal-side of him. Otamendi panicked and brought him down once the forward had already strode into the box and from nowhere France had been gifted the chance to half their deficit. Kylian Mbappe gratefully took that chance, despite Martinez guessing the right way the power was too much.

This gave France 10 more minutes of normal time to force an equaliser, in actuality they needed just 1. Messi was caught in possession by substitute Coman who then picked out Rabiot. His flighted ball to Mbappe was headed to Thuram who returned it instantly for the forward to strike on the volley, and strike it he did, hard and low past Martinez. After being outplayed for 79 minutes, in 2 minutes France had wiped away Argentina’s 2-goal cushion and made it all square.

From that point, it was Argentina hanging in and France the ones searching for the winner, until the 7th added minute of a scheduled 8 when Messi let fly from outside the box with what may have gone down as the most iconic goal in football history, but Lloris was able to palm it up and over the bar. Messi was going to have to go at least another 30 minutes to secure a World Cup title.

The first big chance of extra-time came in the 15th minute and it went Argentina’s way, when Messi found substitute Lautaro Martinez in the box after interchanging with Mac Allister in a brilliant one-two. Martinez wanted time to take a first touch, but he didn’t have it and after taking the touch his shot was charged down. That wasn’t even to be his last chance of the half, Acuna put him through on goal but under the joint pressure of being closed down by Upamecano and Lloris he shot wide of the target.

3 minutes into the second half of extra-time and a ball from Montiel was controlled into Messi’s path by Lautaro Martinez, the number 10 found Fernandez with one touch who with a single touch of his own gave it back to Lautaro who touched and shot, Lloris got one big, strong hand on it but the ball fell at the feet of Messi mere yards from the goal line, he bundled it over the line and chaos ensued. Argentina’s substitutes swarmed across the pitch to celebrate with Messi and co. right on the other touchline. But with the referee giving the goal, the linesman’s flag shot up for offside seconds after the ball was in. Messi celebrated with jubilant teammates, but concern was still visible on his face, is it definitely a goal? VAR put an end to his uncertainty by confirming Lautaro was onside and the goal stood, and then and only then did Messi fully give way to full delight.

His and Argentina’s joy would still be cut short however when Mbappe’s shot from just outside the box was charged down by the arm of Montiel, very much inside it. The referee pointed to the spot for a third time in the game, and mere minutes away from victory Argentina threatened to be denied again. Mbappe kept his considerable cool and sent Martinez the wrong way, he and France were level once more as the Frenchman became the first man to score a World Cup final hattrick since Geoff Hurst in 1966.

In the 120th minute, a near inch-perfect cross from Mbappe had Kolo Muani straining his neck muscles, given the pace on the ball any contact on it may have been enough to leave Martinez with no chance but he was just short of reaching the ball with his attempted header and Argentina could breathe a big sigh of relief. Not for long. With less than 20 seconds left of the final 3 minutes added on to the end of Extra-Time, a forward ball from Konate was missed by Otamendi as he failed to make any connection with his attempted slide clearance, this miss put Kolo Muani through clear of the defence with just the keeper to beat, the ball set up perfectly to smash on the half-volley and the strike was a good one, but Martinez pulled out perhaps the save of the tournament right when he and his nation needed it most.

In one of the most exciting minutes in World Cup history, Argentina went right back up the other end and attempted to steal the game for themselves. The head of Lautaro Martinez was picked out from a cross, he had a free header but got it all wrong. Right in front of goal he only needed to hit the target, but he mis-directed his attempt and got it horribly wrong sending it way wide. And that was that, the final chance of an enthralling game. And for just the third time the destination of the World Cup trophy would be decided by a penalty shoot-out.

France were to go first and Mbappe stepped up for his 3rd penalty in little more than an hour. Remarkably, for a third time he was able to beat Martinez, for the second time Martinez guessed right but the power and placement was too good. After France’s talisman number 10 came Argentina’s to take his second penalty of the night. Messi passed the ball into the net, with the kind of ease that felt out of place in a World Cup final penalty shootout. It shouldn’t be that simple. Coman took France’s second penalty, his kick was missed by the gloves of Martinez, but the ball went between his gloves and firmly into his chest. He had guessed right and kept it out with a tremendous save. Dybala had been brought on for the sole purpose of taking a penalty, and that proved a good decision from Scaloni as his firmly struck penalty went straight down the middle in the space the diving Lloris had vacated.

Tchouameni took and subsequently missed France’s third penalty, shooting wide of the post. Martinez celebratory shimmy demonstrated the confidence Argentina now felt, they were close. Parades took them yet closer when he made it 3-1. Kolo Muani had to score to keep France in it and he did, blasting it home. This meant the chance fell to Gonzalo Montiel. The substitute could have been the villain of the piece after his handball with minutes of injury time to play saw Argentina lose their lead for a second time. Now he had the chance to be the hero. He sent Lloris the wrong way and Lionel Messi and Argentina were Champions of the World.

Argentina Campeones Del Mundo

Argentina were finally ‘Campeones del Mundo’ for the first time in 36 long years and Messi had equalled the achievements of Mario Kempes and Diego Maradona. Like Kempes he scored two in the final, and like Maradona he had captained his side to glory. Mbappe’s hattrick may have meant that Leo missed out on the Golden Boot, but he did win the Golden Ball for the tournament’s best player, in doing so becoming the first player to win the award twice.

In 4 glorious weeks Messi had answered any criticisms that could ever be levelled at him. He struggled at World Cup’s under the intense pressure and scrutiny they said, referencing him only having 6 World Cup goals in his first 4 tournaments, and being without a goal in the knockout stage. After this World Cup he had 13, more than the great Pele and the joint 4th most in history. He had become the first player ever to score in all 4 knockout stage rounds at the same World Cup, netting 5 times in 4 games. They said he wasn’t a great leader and captain, now he had led his nation to the greatest prize on earth. Even the claim that he wasn’t a great penalty taker was answered, in 3 matches he scored 5 penalties including the shoot-outs, with the highest pressure and on the grandest stage imaginable, he kept his cool 5 times with unflappable penalty kicks.

Though this wasn’t just the triumph of one man, this was the triumph of a whole team. Scaloni had been the best manager of the World Cup, his tactical tweaks against Netherlands, Croatia and France had all worked brilliantly. Bringing Di Maria back into the side when he had rather struggled in the group stage and the team had played better in the knockout rounds without him was a big call, but this allowed Argentina to stretch the pitch wide and gave Messi more room to operate in the middle, France couldn’t crowd him as they now had another dribbling creator on the flanks.

Argentina hadn’t started the World Cup with a team good enough to win it, but Scaloni found it. An injury on the eve of the tournament to the important Lo Celso left him trying to find the best way to plug that gap. 19 different players started for Argentina at the finals, and only three outfield players in Otamendi, De Paul and Messi started every game. The turning point came in game three against Poland when the midfield of Fernandez, Mac Allister and De Paul proved Argentina’s most effective combination to date and they got better and better as the tournament progressed, peaking in the final where all three were absolutely outstanding. Also in that Poland game came the decision to drop the mis-firing Lautaro for the young, hungry Julian Alvarez who performed exemplary adding 4 goals to Argentina’s tally.

Not to be forgotten for their role in Argentina’s success were the fans who covered each stadium with a sea of blue and white jerseys and were the wonderful soundtrack to Albiceleste glory. Less demand for tickets at this Qatar World Cup saw more tickets than usual land in the hands of regular supporters, the real hardcore and this was one of the best things about a controversial World Cup which came with many downsides. Also not to be forgotten were the heroics of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, he provided the platform in the shootouts for Argentina to go and get the victories with his psychological warfare against opposition takers forcing 4 misses. Argentina scored 7 of the 8 shootout penalties they took, emphasising how every player including the sparingly used Dybala played their part in achieving the ultimate glory.

Rating the 16 Argentina players who started at least 2 games:

Emiliano Martinez- 10

Made vital late saves against Australia and France, the latter being maybe the most iconic ever World Cup final save. Was the difference maker in Argentina’s two shoot-outs, dominating them with early saves to give his team the momentum.

Nicolas Molina- 7

Started all but the Mexico game and performed solidly, Argentina were rarely troubled down the flanks. Going forward he took his goal against Netherlands with great composure.

Christian Romero- 8

Like Molina, Romero started every match bar Mexico and for the majority of the tournament he looked extremely solid.

Nicolas Otamendi- 6

Performed well at times, and did momentarily silenced his critics and doubters. However, it always felt like he had a mistake in him, and if a costly error was going to come from the Argentina defence, he always seemed most likely to be the culprit. This was proven when he foolishly conceded a penalty in the final which made lifting the trophy much harder work for his team.

Lisandro Martinez- 8

Started against Mexico and was then brought back in for the Quarter-Final against Netherlands. Hardly put a foot wrong and made a crucial intervention off the bench against Australia to keep his side in front. A surprise he wasn’t given more minutes as when he did play he looked more solid than the calamity-prone Otamendi.

Marcos Acuña- 7

Like Molina wasn’t troubled often defensively and got into good attacking positions regularly. His end product could be somewhat disappointing, but he always proved a useful foil.

Nicolás Tagliafico- 7

Started the opening game and was broke back into the side for the semi-final when filling in for the suspended Acuna, he did a solid job and kept his place for the final.

Rodrigo De Paul- 9

Struggled against Saudi Arabia and especially in the first half vs Mexico, but Scaloni kept faith in him and De Paul rewarded that faith, he got better and better as the tournament progressed. His tireless running was essential to the success of Argentina’s campaign.

Enzo Fernandez- 9

Wasn’t chosen to start until the final group game. However once in the team, Enzo made the position his. He was involved in most things good in Argentina’s play, always neat and tidy but never overly cautious in possession. Deserved winner of the tournament’s best young player award.

Alexis Mac Allister- 9

Going into the tournament we knew the Brighton midfielder was good, I’m not sure we knew he was this good. Scored the vital goal against Poland to break the deadlock, but his finest moment came in the final where he was one of the best players on the pitch, France just could not get to grips with him.

Leandro Paredes- 7

He started the opening defeat to Saudi Arabia and didn’t start again until the semi-finals against Croatia, where he came in and did a solid job. Converted both his shoot-out penalties including one in the final shootout to give Argentina a commanding 3-1 lead.

Angel Di Maria- 8

Wasn’t at his best in the group stages, however he more than made up for it with his final performance. He deserved his goal which gave Argentina a 2-0 lead, he terrorised Kounde and had the beating of him time and time again.

Papu Gomez- 5

Started the opener against Saudi Arabia and was brought back in for the round of 16 game against Australia. However he was largely anonymous in both games.

Lionel Messi- 10

Scored one of the best and most important goals when his country needed him most as they toiled vs Mexico. He and his teammates never looked back from there. He was sensational against Australia and inspirational in the final against France. Between that he produced the two best assists of the tournament against Netherlands and Croatia. 7 goals, 3 assists, 5 converted penalties in a row, the 35-year old really could not have done much more.

Julian Alvarez- 9

Got his chance to start against Poland and was never in danger of losing his starting place. His energy, intelligence and lethal finishing were key components in the success of his nation. He led Argentina’s attack at the World Cup in ways much more experienced forwards such as Higuain, Aguero and Lautaro Martinez had been unable to do.

Lautaro Martinez- 5

His bad luck began when he had two goals ruled out for offside in the opener with Saudi Arabia. How different his tournament may have gone if one of them had counted as he finished both brilliantly. After that though, he couldn’t get into the game vs Mexico and lost his place to Alvarez. His one great moment came when he converted the winning penalty in the shoot-out v Netherlands. However he was very wasteful against Australia and again in the final, missing 3 good chances which could have proven costly.

The Greatest of All Time

With 7 goals and 3 assists, Messi had matched the exact number of goal contributions Pele and Maradona had when they were victorious in 1970 and 1986 respectively. This brought Messi’s total to 21 goal contributions at the World Cup, which is the most of any player since the record books began counting assists in 1966. It took Messi’s goal tally in major international tournaments to 26, which is more than any other player in South American football history, and his 7 here helped win him his second major trophy with Argentina after the Copa America the previous year.

Messi had long since surpassed Pele and Maradona at club level with an unquestionable collection of goals and honours, both team and individual. His lack of international success was always levelled at him when debating his position among the all-time greats, but now having peaked at international level in his mid-30′s, scoring more in tournaments than he ever has before, Messi has put that argument to bed. Never before had so many people around the world wanted one man to lift one trophy, Messi’s immense contribution to football had many feeling he deserved to win its showpiece event after a magnificent career spanning 17 years. People got their wish and at the 5th time of asking, Lionel Messi achieved a life-long dream formed in boyhood, he had lifted the World Cup for his beloved Argentina.

“Unparalleled. There will of course always be those who argue, always be those who debate. And the debate can rage on, if you like. But as he falls in love with the object in the world that his heart most desired, it is hard to escape the supposition that he has rendered himself today, The Greatest of All Time.”- Peter Drury

#worldcup #fifaworldcup #worldcup2022 #argentina #worldchampions #leomessi #messi #messi10 #lionelmessi #vamosargentina

4 notes · View notes