#luckily this was more of a trend a couple years ago BUT STILL

[lunar-years]

One trend I’ve always loathed is the one where people rewatch nostalgia tv shows/movies and then get on twitter to say some variation of “HOW did I never realize [Friend of the Protagonist who Has Flaws but is still ultimately Likable] is actually the DEVIL and [Antagonist Character Designed to be Awful] did NOTHING wrong!” Like I’m sorry what do you mean you love HSM1 Sharpay Evans but think Lily Moscovitch from the princess diaries needs to be punched in the face 😭 “Movie Villain vs Actual Villain” ENOUGH

[https-harlow]

Fight The Feeling- 4 Do you still love her?

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Summary- Your and Jack's relationship officially goes public, Jack takes care of you when being on a plane makes your morning sickness worse, Jack and Urban have a conversation about your relationship and if he still loves you, and you and Jack share a sweet moment in a hotel after a small disagreement.

Word Count- 3.6k

A/N- I thought this was going to be the couples interview part, but that will be either the next part or the part after, so if you have questions you want me to include, feel free to send them in!

By the morning the pictures and articles from the night before were out and yet again both of your names were trending on Twitter.

Rapper Jack Harlow and Model Y/N make things official.

We have pictures of Jack Harlow and Y/N’s first outing as a rumored couple. The rapper and model were seen leaving a downtown restaurant together last night. The couple seemed to be on a date, Y/N even left the restaurant wearing the jacket that Jack walked in wearing. We reached out to both of their teams for comment on the rumors.

Y/N’s team responded with “The couple would like to ask for privacy while they figure out the newfound publicity surrounding their relationship.” Jack’s team has yet to make a statement.

We have gotten more information from our sources that state the couple is very much in love and are taking things very seriously. Apparently, the couple met at a party a while ago and it was love at first sight. They started dating shortly after meeting, and from what we hear they could be preparing to take the next step in their relationship. Could that mean something as big as an engagement, or moving in together? Our sources didn’t specify what that meant, but we could find out soon especially with their relationship officially confirmed.

The next time you physically saw Jack was about a week and a half later. You had a couple small conversations over text, but Jack had to leave the day after your date and your own schedule conflicted with his so you didn’t have to join him. Part of you was glad you had some time apart. Even though you and Jack were getting along better then you expected, you still hadn’t forgiven him, and you weren’t ready to. Of course, you both had your moments where one of you would make some comment that would piss the other one off, even in your texts, but you hadn’t had any full-blown arguments. For the situation you were in, you took what you could get.

In the last week and a half, Claire and Neelam found time between both of your schedules to schedule a couple’s interview and you were currently meeting Jack at the airport to fly to Los Angeles to film it. Jack and his team got there a few minutes before you and your team. Luckily anyone on your teams knew about everything from your relationship being fake to your pregnancy. As much as Claire and Neelam wanted to keep it with only the four of you knowing, you and Jack managed to convince them to at least tell the people you traveled with all the time. You got out of the car, walking towards the plane with your team. 

“Y/N!” Urban called out, smiling as he saw you.

“Hey Urb!” You smiled back, walking over to him, and hugging him. Over the year you and Jack had dated you and Urban had become quite close. He was one of the only people who knew about your relationship in the first place and even after you and Jack broke up you had continued to talk to Urban. You considered you two to be good friends, especially after Urban told you about Jack’s cheating.

“Hey, why aren’t you that excited to see me?” Jack teased as you pulled away from your hug with Urban.

“Maybe I like him more.” You half teased Jack before turning to him, giving him a side hug, sure everyone you were with knew about your relationship, but you never knew if there were any cameras around or anyone else watching you.

“Something tells me there’s some truth to that.” Jack said underneath his breath, and you shrugged.

“However you want to take that statement, is not up to me.” You told Jack, Urban holding back his laugh at your response. You did like Jack more than Urban, there was the part of you that still loved Jack, but you had no intention of letting Jack know that. Not right now at least.

You turned back to Urban, talking for a few more minutes, before everyone made their way onto their plane. You found a seat next to Jack and across from Urban. You would have sat somewhere else but by the time you sat down there wasn’t many seats left so your options were either to sit next to Claire, who would just want to talk business most of the flight, or next to Jack. Jack was the clear choice. 

You grabbed the blanket you had in your bag, you were always cold on planes, so you learned early on to always bring your own blanket. You pulled your blanket over yourself as you sat back in your seat. 

You continued your conversation with Urban, Jack chiming in occasionally until about 45 minutes in they both noticed how you got quiet. 

“You okay Y/N?” Urban asked and you nodded slightly.

“Yeah, just nauseous. Morning sickness I guess?” You said, you had on and off morning sickness for the past several weeks, but this was the first time you had been on a plane since it started, and you didn’t even think about the fact that it could make it worse.

“Do you want to lay down?” Jack asked you, already starting to move from his seat. You shook your head.

“No, it’s okay, I’ll be fine.” You told him, taking a sip of your water before curling your legs underneath yourself. You laid your head back on the headrest before the conversation went back to whatever you were talking about before.

At some point during the flight, you fell asleep and without realizing it your head fell onto Jack’s shoulder. Jack looked over once he felt you make contact with him, as soon as he saw you were asleep without even thinking about it, he moved you gently, so you were laying down with your head in his lap. Out of habit Jack played with your hair as you slept. 

Urban watched as Jack ran his fingers through your hair, he noticed how Jack didn’t even think twice about doing it. He wasn’t even sure if Jack realized what he was doing.

“Is she asleep?” Urban asked Jack. Jack looked down at you for a second before nodding.

“Yeah why?” Jack asked, looking back at Urban, Urban looked around, seeing everyone was distracted, either involved in their own conversation or their phone or laptop.

“Do you still love her?” Urban asked and Jack sighed softly, thinking to himself for a second.

“I don’t know. I think so.” Jack answered.

“You either do or you don’t.” 

“Part of me does, yes, but I don’t think she’ll ever forgive me anyways, so it doesn’t matter.”

“So, she knows you cheated?” Urban asked and Jack nodded.

“Yeah, I guess she knew when we broke up. She saw texts, that’s all she said.” Jack told Urban. Urban didn’t regret telling you about Jack cheating, but he was also glad you didn’t tell Jack he told you.

“Does she know you still love her?” Jack shook his head.

“No, and I don’t plan on telling her anytime soon.” Jack said.

 “Why not?” Urban asked Jack and he shrugged.

“I don’t see that conversation going well.” Jack said. “Hey, you know I cheated on you, but I still love you.” Jack mocked his own voice. “We’re getting along well for the circumstances we’re in, I’d rather not ruin things again.” 

Jack quickly changed the subject when he felt you shift slightly, looking down at you to see if you were waking up. Once he realized you weren’t and fell back asleep, he sighed softly. He couldn’t help but want you to feel better, but he wasn’t sure what he could do other then let you sleep.

Urban eventually brought the conversation back to you and Jack’s relationship.

“I know you screwed up with your relationship with Y/N, but I also know you really loved her. I can tell you still do.” Urban told Jack who looked at him confused.

“How so?” Jack asked.

“You don’t treat anyone else like you treat her. You didn’t even hesitate to lay her on your lap, you’ve been playing with her hair since she fell asleep.” Urban said before Jack interrupted, shrugging.

“I mean, she doesn’t feel good, I’m not going to be a dick. Especially when I’m technically part of the reason she doesn’t feel good.” Jack explained and Urban rolled his eyes.

“It’s not just that, I see the way you look at her, I’ve never seen you look at someone the way you look at her, it’s different, but different in a good way. Y/N is good for you, I think if you really wanted to, you could get her back.” Urban told Jack who shook his head.

“I really don’t think she would ever take me back.” Jack said.

“I don’t know for sure. I mean, she could have any guy she wanted, she might not want to take back someone who’s stupid enough to cheat on a supermodel, but if it’s something you want then I think you should try.” Urban encouraged Jack.

You woke up a few hours later as the plane was getting ready to land. You sat up from Jack’s lap almost immediately after you woke up.

“Sorry.” You apologized quietly, moving as far from Jack as you could in your seat.

“It’s okay, I didn’t mind. Are you feeling any better?” Jack asked.

“Not really, but hopefully I do once we land.” You answered.

“I’m sorry.” Jack sighed softly. “We’re going to land in about 15 minutes.” Jack told you and you nodded.

“You don’t have to apologize, it’s not your fault.” 

“I mean, it sort of is.” Jack said.

“Half mine, half yours.” You said and Jack laughed softly, handing you another water bottle since you finished your before you fell asleep.

Once the plane landed, everyone made their way off the plane and into the 2 separate cars you had booked. Your managers insisting that you and Jack take the same car just in case anyone sees you once you get to the hotel. 

As you all arrived at the hotel, both Claire and Neelam dealt with checking everyone into their rooms before walking over to where everyone was waiting. 

About 20 minutes later they had everyone checked into their rooms and started to hand out the keys.

“And Jack and Y/N.’” Claire said, handing you both a key.

“Wait what?” You asked. “I’m not sharing a room with him.” You told Claire who gave you a look.

“They booked everything, I couldn’t request 2 separate rooms for you two or it would seem weird.” Claire whispered to you. “If you want to stay with someone else, I don’t care, but I can’t get an extra room. The hotel is completely booked.” Claire told you and you sighed, turning around, walking towards Jack who was having the same conversation with Neelam.

“Where’s Urban?” You asked Jack.

“Already went to his room.” Jack said and you sighed again. You didn’t really know anyone else well enough to want to stay with them over Jack.

“Well, then I guess I’m stuck with you.” You said, the two of you stepping into the elevator together, carrying your bags.

“You’d rather stay with Urban then me?” Jack asked and you shrugged. 

“I don’t know.” You admitted and you both made your way to your room, walking inside, both of you immediately seeing that there was only one bed.

“Of course.” You muttered, pulling your bag into the room, Jack right behind you.

“We’re only here for 4 days? I think we can make it 4 days.” Jack said, even though he wasn’t exactly happy about the situation. 

“I’ll just sleep on the couch.” You said and Jack looked over at you.

“You’re pregnant, I’m not letting you sleep on the couch.” Jack told you.

“Well, it’s not like you’re going to fit on the couch.” You told Jack.

“It’s not my fault I’m tall.” Jack muttered. “It’s not that big of a deal if we sleep in the same bed.” Jack argued.

“Fine, but we’re setting up pillows in-between us.” You said, making Jack laugh softly.

“Really? We’ve done a lot worse than sleep in the same bed. May I remind you again that you’re pregnant? With my child. I think we can sleep in the same bed without setting up barriers like we’re strangers or some shit.” Jack said and you rolled your eyes.

“Yes, we have, but because of that I happen to know how touchy when you sleep. You were always fucking attached to me when we would sleep.” You said, setting a pillow down in the middle of the bed.

“You never complained about it then.” Jack argued.

“Yeah, because I liked it then, but were not together anymore Jack.”

“Do you think we would still be together if I didn’t cheat?” Jack asked randomly.

“I can’t answer that.” You said, turning away from Jack, opening your suitcase.

“You can’t or you just don’t want to?” Jack asked. After his conversation with Urban on the plane he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about his relationship with you.

“I’m not doing this with you tonight, Jack.” You pulled a couple things out of your suitcase as you talked.

“I’m not trying to start a fight, I’m just curious.” Jack defended himself, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Then yes. I do think we would still be together. I’ve told you that I loved you. I’m not the one who ruined things between us.” You said. “I’m going to go shower. Are you going to shower tonight?” You asked him, grabbing a change of clothes and a bag with your shower stuff.

“I’m just going to go to bed, I’ll shower in the morning.” Jack said. “I think some people are going out to find a place to get food if you want to join them when you’re done.” Jack told you, grabbing his own clothes to change into. 

“I’m okay, I’m just going to shower and then go to bed too.” You told Jack and he nodded.

“I’m just going to change really quick before you shower.” Jack told you, walking into the bathroom to get ready for bed quickly.

You sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling on your phone for a few minutes before Jack walked out of the bathroom.

“You sure you don’t want food or something?” Jack asked. “I can order something to the room if you want.” Jack suggested and you shook your head.

“No, I’m okay, I just want to sleep too.” You said, laughing softly. Jack sighed softly but nodded.

“I just worry about you sometimes.” Jack admitted. “I know we aren’t together anymore, and I know you like to be all independent and shit, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to be. I know that there isn’t much I can do, but I’ll do whatever I can, even if it’s just ordering room service.” Jack said and you smiled softly.

“Thank you, I promise I will let you know if I need something, but I genuinely just want to go to sleep. You can order breakfast in the morning if you want, I don’t have my fitting until later in the afternoon, so we have the morning free.” You told Jack, making him look at you confused.

“You have a fitting for this interview? Do I have a fitting? I didn’t think I did, but if you do, why don’t I?” Jack asked.

“Yes, I do. No, you don’t. I have a fitting because I’m pregnant and don’t want anyone to see anything and I don’t think we’re ready to announce it yet, and you don’t have a fitting because, well, you’re not pregnant.” You said, laughing softly and Jack nodded.

“Makes sense, I didn’t think about that.” Jack said, sitting down on the bed as you stood up and walked towards the bathroom as Jack realized what you said. “Wait.” He called out, making you stop and turn back towards him.

“Yes Jack?” You asked.

“You don’t want anyone to see, like you can see the baby now?” Jack asked, letting his eyes fall to your stomach, but you couldn’t see anything with the baggy t-shirt you had on. You smiled softly at him and nodded.

“A little bit, not much. You don’t see anything in the morning, but you can tell at night.” You said. “Do you want to see?” You asked and Jack nodded almost immediately. You could tell he wanted to before you even asked him, but he didn’t know how to ask.

“Of course, I do.” Jack smiled softly. You set your stuff back down before walking over to where Jack was sitting, lifting your shirt slightly and turning to the side.

“It’s small, but you can see it.” You said. Jack smiled as he looked at your belly, it was small, no one would probably notice if they weren’t paying attention, but Jack still knew your body better then he even knew his, plus he knew it was there.

“Can I touch it?” Jack asked, lifting his hand up but not touching you until you nodded, then he laid his hand on top of your belly. “That’s so crazy to think that our baby is in there.” Jack said and you nodded in agreement.

“I know, it is.” You smiled softly, watching as Jack gently ran his thumb over your stomach softly.

“Have you found out if the baby is a boy or girl yet?” Jack asked, looking up at you. You shook your head.

“No, I think I will at my next appointment, you’re welcome to come with me.” You told him and Jack nodded.

“Just let me know when and I’ll be there.” Jack told you and you nodded.

“Though my best friend wants me to not find out and plan a whole gender reveal to surprise us.” You said, Jack laughing softly.

“Madison?” Jack asked and you nodded. Madison has been your best friend ever since you met as kids, she knew about your and Jack’s relationship the first time and knew about your relationship being fake now. She was one of the first people you told about your pregnancy.

“Yeah, I haven’t even told her if I want a gender reveal yet, I was going to talk to you about it, but she’s already planning one.” You laughed.

“It’s up to you, we can do something small, we don’t have to make it a big party if you don’t want to.” Jack told you and you nodded.

“Maybe something small. We need to give Madison a list of people we want invited though. I know her, and if I just tell her small, somehow, she’ll still manage to invite everyone we’ve interacted with since preschool.” You said, laughing, Jack laughing with you.

“I only met her a couple of times, but from what I do know, that sounds accurate.”

You two fell into a silence, at first it was a comfortable silence but the longer you two stayed silent the more uncomfortable it got. You two were both lost in your own thoughts for a minute. 

Something felt so natural between the two of you and something in that moment reminded you of how your relationship with Jack used to be. When no one knew about the two of you and you would sneak off to some random hotel room and just spend time together. A big part of you missed that side of your relationship, but you wouldn’t admit it to Jack. You weren’t going to let yourself fall in love with him again.

Something snapped Jack out of his thoughts, dropping his hand from your stomach which then snapped you out of your thoughts.

“I’m going to shower.” You said, turning from Jack quickly, grabbing your stuff as he nodded even though you couldn’t see. You made your way to the bathroom while Jack got comfortable in bed.

You wanted Jack to be asleep when you got out of the shower so you took your time, making everything take as long as you could. You didn’t want to have to deal with Jack again before you went to sleep. 

You never knew what to expect when it came to your interactions with Jack recently. Was it going to be a fight that made you never want to see him again, or was it going to be some sweet interaction that made you miss your relationship and made you realize there was a chance you could love him again? You weren’t falling back in love with him, you refused. You blamed any feeling of love you had towards Jack on your hormones, only wanting to acknowledge the feelings of anger that you still held towards him.

Luckily you had taken enough time that when you got out of the shower and made your way to the bedroom, Jack was asleep, and already cuddling the pillow you had set out as a makeshift barrier. You rolled your eyes as you turned off the lights.

Once you laid down and got comfortable you felt Jack shift in bed, hoping you didn’t disturb him, and he wasn’t waking up. You felt Jack’s arms wrap around you and pull you closer towards him. As much as you wanted to fight it, you didn’t. Something about Jack still felt safe to you, as much as he stressed you out, he also relaxed you. 

You fell asleep in Jack’s arms for the first time in a couple months, and as much as neither of you would admit it, it was the best either of you had slept since you broke up.

Taglist @jackharloww @harlowcomehome

[interroughbang]

Girl 1 music versus Girl 2 Music

“See You Again (feat. Kali Uchis)” by Tyler the Creator is a great song. Watching people sort gender presentation by the lyrics is less than great.

If those first two sentences seemed absurd, it’s because they are, all things considered, to the average person. The context will not make it much better, but instead dismantle this concept and piece together what happened to make such a thing reality. It’ll be a long walk; stay with me.

We’ll start at the beginning. For hundreds and hundreds and even thousands of years, there has been a concept of “those” people, a disparaged “other”. The evolution of a stratified society and predefined societal roles exacerbated the issue of classifying people as well as it did the issue of classifying those who fail to fulfill a role, or who fulfill a role we particularly dislike.

Unfortunately, a lot of the burden for classified ‘others’(so to speak) has fallen onto women. Certain definitions of proper, traditional femininity are utterly stifling in their restrictions and equally punishing for deviation from said restrictions. There are ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ ways to be feminine. Though this is less restrictive (perhaps just restrictive in a different way)—nowadays, the roots of policing and judging women for how they exist while being women persists. As far back as 1851, editorials warned of women with “an obvious tendency to encroach upon masculine manners, manifested even in trifles, which cannot be too severely rebuked or too speedily repressed”. They were certainly rebuked. Victorian women couldn’t even ride bicycles for a while without being mocked for ‘bicycle face’, or being told that their organs would get jumbled to death if their fragile uterus dare brave the ride of a velocipede. The emerging trend of wearing bloomers (billowy big pants) met harsh criticism as well—how dare women engage in such mannish behavior…like…. pants.  This policing of women’s’ existence has always had its ugly trivial side. On the more extreme side of things, suffragettes fighting for women’s’ right to vote were cast as angry, cruel women that would die alone and unloved for their inability to surrender their lives to men. For a modern equivalent, turn to the more recent ‘snowflake’ trope. It gets its name from the phrase ‘special snowflake’, a phrase borrowed from children’s books that used snow as an analogy for all people being unique, and therefore special, in their own way. The ‘special snowflake’ as a stereotype gained popularity in 2016 and 2017. Women and LGBTQ+ folks who people decided were a little too unique were slapped with this label. Easy bullying. Anything from using they/them pronouns to being visibly queer or even just protesting a misogynist joke would get you thrown in this bin. I myself was, confusingly, labeled a snowflake when I did a class presentation by myself since my groupmates had done nothing. Honestly it made no sense. The snowflake thing by itself didn’t either, though—it was just slapping a target onto the back of people that society could easily deem nonconforming. Such people using the ‘snowflake’ term thought the nonconformist existence of minoritized folks was only acceptable as a punchline. Why else would it be okay to be so strangely un-average? Women had possessed the right to vote for almost 100 years by 2016, but heaven forbid a woman wanted to exist in a way that was noticeable.  

Luckily that trend is long gone. What took it’s place is markedly less of a bully tactic, but still a strange, ambiguous way of categorizing people, and yet another stereotype. Forget the preppy girl, the jock, or the nerd, and make way for the trainwreck that is ‘girls who say hi v.s. girls who say bruh’. I could not make this up. It’s essentially a trend from a couple years ago that made jokes about stereotyping feminine girls (often with the connotation of them being innocent and/or weak) and ‘cool’ girls who are apparently less feminine or something…. essentially a more convoluted ‘type a’ and ‘type b’ for women. As if there wasn’t already enough of that. This is where the music mention from the beginning comes back—the ‘hii’ versus ‘bruh’ girl meme would compare any characteristics from appearance, speech, favorite food, and taste in artistic media between these stereotypes, essentially filing any sort of thing someone could be or enjoy into a category. Hopefully you, reader, can see where this can get messy. Take some real examples:

Already weird and abstract. Back to where we started: “See You Again”. Again, a great song. What happened after the bruh/hi girl thing was that people started to repeat that by categorizing people based on which line of the song’s ending people would sing. “See You Again” ends with Tyler singing “okay okay okay okay” and Kali Uchis harmonizing with some ‘la’s. Literal sounds reappropriated into a ‘type’ of girl. Every action of a woman categorized. In googling examples the first suggestions for ‘okokok lalala girl’ were ‘quiz’ or ‘test’ or ‘difference’—as if one should want to know, to categorize themselves, to fit into being one type of girl or the other and match the media they enjoy and consume to that.

Different iterations of stereotypes persist, of course, it never really ends. Now I often see labels or memes of people’s taste in art as being some sort of nameable, Pinterest-searchable aesthetic—Lana Del Rey is ‘coquette’, Radiohead is ‘femcel’, and with these words go not only music but fashion, speech, body language…sound familiar?

Though definitely strange to process, it isn’t entirely unheard of that this happens. We humans are communal creatures, and undoubtedly finding identifiable communities of shared interest are helpful, but there are caveats to what sort of categorization is helpful and what is a symptom of needing that categorization. I bear no ill will to coquette or femcel or hii or any sort of girl. What I do bear a bit of distaste for is that we live in a world that will try to shove women into a box to make their differences acceptable—one must conform to something.

Let it be known, reader, that no woman—or anyone else for that matter—needs to conform to anything. The very idea of conformity has been fabricated from the start, since ‘woman’ and ‘man’ were conceptualized as separate genders rather than subsets of genetic phenotype. There is nothing to conform to, rules are made up, categories are for fun and magazine quizzes, not the great aggregate mass of human expression.

And “See You Again”, by Tyler the Creator and featuring Kali Uchis, is just a good song. Nothing more. Sing whatever part you want at the end. All it means for who you are is that you decided to sing it.

I send you off with a r/3amthoughts post that highlights the silliness of all this.

Additional citation:

[mlek13]

Fall, Year 8: Meanwhile in a Neighboring Kingdom

I'm going to skip a lot of pictures that I took in my subhood and just mention some highlights. Some of these pictures are from gameplay from almost a year ago that I played early in the season, some are from a week or two ago.

Faith Mace returned home from university with a toddler and twin infants to her already full family home. Her uncle Rex and his wife Amy are also living the family home with two of their older children, twin toddlers, and a new baby on the way.

With 5-6 infants/toddlers in the house at once, I had to do some remodeling to accommodate all of the little ones.

It was hectic. Luckily there were a lot of adults (and a couple of teens) to pitch in.

At the Langerak's, Sitara and Vincent have a baby girl named Vaeda.

They immediately (and I mean immediately) drop the baby in the hands of the butler and set to getting pregnant again. Geez, give your body a second to recover.

They are very devoted parents though. And Lakshmi is a very involved grandmother.

Sitara's oldest daughter becomes a teenager and is discovering boys.

I liked the idea of her and Aldric Cade hitting it off and uniting the two main vampire families, but, despite their chemistry, they did not get along. (Actually, never mind. I realize they are related. They're like first cousins once removed. Almost everyone is related in this neighborhood at this point.)

Leela also finds herself at odds with her stepfather, Vincent.

Lakshmi and Venkat are still going strong. I had to cut them off from having more children, since Lakshmi is a great-great grandmother and Venkat is a great-grandfather. They have to be the oldest sims in the kingdom.

Celeste spends some time in her late mother's potions shoppe. She brings her granddaughter, Cordelia, to lend a hand, but she's not too helpful. Her boyfriend, Drake, is a better worker when he accompanies her the next day.

Ione and Earnest's youngest child, Edgar, becomes a teenager. He looks a little alien.

I'm sad when it's time to say goodbye to Earnest. Ione steps in like she's about to go with him.

Earnest was an interesting character, The second son of peasants Byron and Jenee, he was always getting in fights with other sims, especially his older brother, Jeremiah, and his next youngest sister Madeline. But that seemed to be a trend with all of Byron and Jenee's children. They really disliked their closest in age siblings. With a lot of effort and family fishing trips, Jeremiah and Earnest eventually became close friends.

He lost touch with most of his family and fellow peasants when he met the love his life, Ione King, and moved to the subhood to be with her. As a peasant who fell in love with nobility, he married way above his class. But since Ione was nobility from a neighboring kingdom (and they were cute together) they got away with it.

Earnest is survived by his wife, Ione, their three children Ian, Evangeline, and Edgar, grandchildren Inez Burgos, and Irving Lyndlia, siblings Jeremiah, Madeline, and Patrick. He was preceded in death by his parents, Byron and Jenee, and sister Rebekah. Earnest was 80 simdays old.

[bastart13]

I’ve had a lot of fun recently coming with with female mercenary characters for TF2. I really liked where the concept art was going with making them all individual characters rather than simply “if the characters were women”

The design style is fantastic for distinct simplicity so I tried limiting myself to basic colours and shapes to make these

and I’m pretty confident they pass the silhouette test!

Character names/bios under the cut!

Heavy

Name: Marie Jarrett

Age: Mid 30s-40s

Height: 6’5

Nationality: American (Hawai’i)

Bio: Raised in Hawai’i, growing up she developed more and more drastic measures to fend off the tourists swarming her home. Land mines, electric gates, guard dogs, none could stop them for long until she picked up her trusty minigun to send her message. But even still, she hears the click of cameras in the night.

Eventually, she left her home to explore the world. Enthralled with the image of seeing different wonders across different countries, she’s always disappointed. She’s travelled every continent and still finds nothing that lives up to her expectations. No place, no person. She’s outgoing and open to new experiences, only she usually hates them.

Mercenary life is a great opportunity to earn money, see sights, meet new people and kill them after they don’t meet your expectations. She hates New Mexico and takes every opportunity to destroy the buildings and insult her employer’s tastes. She finds some people she tolerates within the mercenaries as she hasn’t yet visited where they live. However much she hides it, she has a deep, instinctual fear of the Engineer.

  Soldier

Name: Linda Smith

Age: Early 40s

Height: 5’10

Nationality: Canadian

Bio: Canada’s perfect woman… or so she claims. The star of war propaganda posters and clearly decided for the role because of her great tactical assets. She’s there to motivate people into the fight. To spread the glory of Canada and inspire her allies. She believes she has higher orders than anyone else she’s working for (ignoring the fact she hasn’t heard from them for a good few years) and is determined to follow them to the letter. She may have lost the letter but she remembers it good enough.

She represents the ideals of Canada: polite, friendly, apologetic, and pacifistic. None of these are contradicted by how she throws around rockets. That’s not what Canada means. She’s superior to everyone around her and graciously educates them on how to improve through example. She loves her French and British allies and will kindly tell the Americans how to be better.

She’s motivating and actually fairly competent, it’s just that competency might be misdirected. She’s damn good at rocket jumping, shooting her shotgun, and supporting her team, it’s just that you really need to get it in her head when she’s meant to be doing it.

Scout

Name: Patricia “Pat” Herald

Age: 50s-60s

Height: 5’4

Nationality: English

Bio: In her years, Patricia has learnt fear… and she’s learnt to laugh in its face. She wakes up at the crack of dawn, ready to leave at the drop of a hat, boots polished and laced the night before. Her years have taught her that with a gun and Jeremy by her side, she can survive!

The postal route of Appleby-in-Westmorland.

She’s been chased by geese, dogs, cows, elderly ladies, and when her postal route had her delivering post during the war, she developed a taste for blood. Nothing will stop her from delivering her post on time. Every day before 6am, every postbox will have their letters and parcels. One chucked across barbed wire, another house jumped over a river, another house miles into the country with dogs on her heels, she WILL get there and she’ll get there FAST.

But after a couple of decades, she needs a change of scenery, and the Gravels wars are just the holiday she’s needed. With her trusty black and white cat by her side (ignoring the yowling and scratches) she reckons it’ll be great time to enjoy herself.

Quotes: “Oh, hello, Human Jeremy.”

“Bloody fucking Ethel! Building her house out in the country… surrounded by bloody hills and rivers!”

Pyro

Name: Nikephoros Papadopoulos

Age: Late 20s

Height: 5’11

Nationality: Greek

Bio: Survival of the fittest. Nature gives and nature taketh away. If you’re not prepared for that, well, Pyro is more than happy to teach you the lesson. They embody the old values of the Greek gods: f*ck or fire. She indulges her every whim and unfortunately for the people around her it often involves arson.

One year for the Olympic games, she was given the noble title of torchbearer. On complete coincidence, the Olympics shifted to primarily water sports. Underwater sprints became the hot new trend!

She’s merry and chatty, never missing the opportunity to talk to other people about herself and her world view. She can’t wait to spread her gospel to help other people improve themselves (though she always gets a laugh out of those who go out screaming in the flames). She can’t help it if she has a sadistic side.

Engineer

Name: Mikawo Kojima

Age: Early 20s

Height: 5’0

Nationality: Japanese

Bio: Japan’s early-rising industrial revolutions in technology are best exemplified in Mikawo, a young upstart determined to rise to the top, learning everything she can and building the best of the best. Unfortunately, she’s never been the most creative but when you happen upon other people’s blueprints and happen to construct them first, what does it matter who came up with the “concept”?

At first, she appears to be every bit the quiet and demure young woman people expect, only when silk hides steel, that steel is a massive automatic sentry gun. She’s motivated by a distinct contempt for the people who get in her way. Especially those who try to be better than her. She enjoys the flexibility of English, especially the cusses, and she has no reservations about swearing up a storm, even if she still refuses to give a straight rejection, preferring instead to give a small “I’ll think about it.”

Quotes: “This GUN is fair use on your head!”

Demo

Name: Qingzhao Zeng

Age: Late 40s

Height: 5’3

Nationality: Chinese

Bio: The Zeng family has a long-standing family trade in demolitions and explosives, traced down the line all the way to the Song dynasty. Luckily, Qingzhao has sisters so, you know, it’s not all that important. She doesn’t even have to stop smoking and drinking. She hasn’t blown herself up (that much) so clearly, it’s working. Precision is for other people to worry about. She’s apathetic to a T, having seen everything. Measurements come from the heart. A pinch of gunpowder there, a splash of paint there.

Her family has a deep-seated rivalry with the DeGroots. Long ago in ancient China, a Zeng matriarch woke up in a cold sweat, a message from the stars to let them know of their Scottish rivals. Due to being a continent away from each other, the families have actually met each other only a handful of times, but the hatred needs to be kept up because, what if?

Turns out, Qingzhao has met Tavish even before finding employment under the Mann brothers. One drunken night, the two of them had a short, whirlwind friendship, sharing secrets and declaring each other to be their best friends. Luckily for them, they both forgot the night, merrily hating each other as tradition dictates. However, headaches and flashes of this terrible night haunt them both. Could they really get over centuries of hate and become friends?

Absolutely not.

Sniper

Name: Ansa Aaltonen

Age: 27

Height: 6’2

Nationality: Finnish

Bio: Snow. Sugar. Cocaine.  Her life is run by many white powders. Ansa is a professional sniper, with a sharp eye and a steady hand… when she isn’t also high as a kite, lost in the snowy wilderness of Finland and screeching to the sky. When you’re up in the dark and cold, you need something to give you a little pep in your step. It just so happens Ansa liked having a bit more pep than most.

She’s there for a THRILL. There’s nothing better to get your heart pumping at 200 beats per second than a good headshot, embracing the chill, and a hit of sugar. She no longer feels the cold or heat or even pain, shrugging it off until she collapses. It just makes her feel alive. She’s efficient, fast, and determined to get her kicks.

She has an unusual taste, living off fermented fish and tree bark. To most people around the Finnish wilderness, she’s nothing more than an urban legend, but she’s very real and she’s looking for some excitement, happily found in employment in the Gravel wars.

Spy

Name: Yvonne Pleshette [Real name N/A]

Age: 30s

Height: 5’8

Nationality: American (California)

Bio: The silver screen calls to his woman and she’s happy to answer. She trains herself to act in every possible role she can, having a wide range of accents, body languages, and backstories. To truly test herself, she gave up her identity long ago. Lately she’s been going by the name “Yvonne.”

The world of Hollywood is cutthroat and full of backstabbers so she learnt to cut throats and stab backs. While some people tell her the terms are metaphorical, nothing else has given her more roles. Living the mercenary life is simply gathering research for her roles (and earning some much-needed money in the process).

She presents herself as a classic film star, despite being a minor name at best, mostly because she’s always changing it. She has high standards but a cheapskate personality. She’s a bit of a bitch, happily criticising others, especially if they’re working with her. What can she say? She’s a diva.

[Slutshames other spy]

Quotes: “Ugh, actors these days, they know nothing about getting into character. They still have names.”

“’AHHHHH—’ Wait, no. Once more from the top. Scream in agony.”

Medic

Name: Susan Monks

Age: 30-40s

Height: 5’7

Nationality: American (New Jersey)

Bio: The American Healthcare system. Is there a more glorious sight? The exploitation of pain. The money. The debt. The fear it strikes into the entire population it’s designed to help. To Susan, there’s nothing better. She squeezes every last drop from the people she helps, working on a purely transactional lifestyle. She’ll never help someone unless she has all of their insurance information and the payment secure in her bank, and god forbid she ever accept help. It’s not like she can afford her own prices.

She’s very self-aware of her own corruption and proud of it, though she refuses to be exploited in the same way, suspicious of anything “free” but also doing her best not to pay for anything.

That said, she doesn’t much care for how good a job she does. In her eyes, asking for surgery is one thing. Asking for successful surgery is another. She has a variety of skills in both cosmetic and military medicine. She just wishes the license board would stop sending her “malpractice” letters. Ugh, stick to your own business. “Disappearing” all their messengers is becoming a pain.

Quotes: “Why get someone else to do something for you when you can scrounge a way to do it yourself?”

[marycecilyy]

Hey could you do headcanons for the mcl guys (or if not all of them castiel, armin, and kentin) when their S/O is a famous singer? Thank you❤

Oh god this turned out so longer than I expected huahahushaushu

First of all, these are too long to be headcanons, all three of them have more than 1k words each. Also, I changed a bit the prompt. It's more like "Candy has the dream of becoming a famous singer". The rest you'll see... I'll only say that I'm very proud of this one ;)

Castiel, Armin and Kentin with a Candy that wishes to be a famous singer

Castiel

Castiel wasn’t one to be friendly to new students, but he knew you weren’t like any other when you came to him and asked if Winged Skull was one of his favorite bands too. He was shocked to know that there was another person at Sweet Amoris who enjoyed the same bands as him. Yes, bands (in plural). After he answered that, yes, Winged Skull was his favorite band of all times, you started talking about your common interests and discovered that there were many.

He was a very closed off guy, but somehow you managed to break into his skull in a short time and, in a few months, you turned into best friends.

When Debrah came back and that whole situation happened, your fight with Castiel had a lot of impact over you. In your head, you had just lost your best friend forever. Fortunately. Lysander not only helped you recover from the blow and gave you energy to gather your friends and expose Debrah, but also helped you admit to yourself that, you did have feelings for Castiel.

Once she was unmasked and ran away like a coward, things quickly came back to normal. In less than one week, you had restored your reputation, your friends apologized for misjudging you, Castiel and you were once again friends. The only difference was that you knew that you were in love with him.

You didn’t tell him about your feelings right away, you decided to keep your friendship and focus a bit on your lifelong goal: become a music star. You started learning how to sing properly and doubled the days of your guitar lessons. Castiel even helped you get into the music club (they were full when you got into Sweet Amoris, but he found a way to enroll you).

You knew that your chances of actually becoming famous were pretty low, the market was difficult and depended a lot on having the right contacts. That was why, while you tried putting your name out there, your plan was to get a degree in music as soon as you finished high school. Antheros Academy offered a good education and was close, it was your best option.

As you channeled your energies towards your goal, Castiel started to acknowledge his own sentiment towards you. He liked to watch your focused face as you tuned your guitar and your singing voice earned a sweet accent all of the sudden. He always considered you a special girl, but, to his surprise, feelings were starting to develop inside his closed off chest.

That was why, as soon as he won those concert tickets on a raffle, he knew he’d take you there as your first date. Luckily for him, you accepted right away. Castiel had a feeling that night would be something else.

And it really was, as he kissed you, without even thinking it through, when the vocalist sung what he knew was your favorite tune. When you kissed him back, he wrapped his hands over your waist and lifted you up, feeling your warm lips open up for him.

The months that followed were full of bliss. With you and Castiel officially dating, the school had a lot to talk about. Amber pestered you quite a bunch of times, but that didn’t mess with your relationship at all. Everything was perfect, as it was supposed to be.

But that didn’t last long. Right after you finished high school, your dad had to move to another town because of his job and you had no choice but to go too. You were sure that your relationship would survive the distance, after all, you were in love. This situation would be worked out.

Castiel came to your new house a couple of times and you two called frequently, but in the end distance started to grow between the both of you… and it hurt. Knowing that Castiel was sad made you miserable and you decided to break up before it became unbearable.

You lost your count of how many nights you cried thinking about him.

4 years later.

You were zipping your jeans up when you heard a knock on your dressing room’s door. Who could it be? Your parents had already congratulated you over the phone, there was no one supposed to come that night. Did your manager schedule a press interview for after the show?

You put on your shirt and told whoever was on the other side to wait. When you finally opened the door, your jaw almost fell. You couldn’t believe he was there.

He looked exactly like in the magazines, (a bit less photoshopped, but that was to expect. You went through that as well and it sucked). His hair was shoulder-length and he wore a black shirt that showed off the tattoos up to the middle of his arm. He wore some light makeup, most on his skin, which you deduced his manager made him put on. Castiel looked like you expected him to after all those years, but one thing about him surprised you.

His eyes, although more mature and serious, had the same brightness as before.

"Are ya going to keep staring like that?” He asked and you noticed you had just been looking at him for a solid minute.

“Sorry. Come in.” You said and made space for him to enter the room. For your luck, there was nothing private to be seen, you had the habit of leaving your clothes and personal belongings messy and only cleaning up the second you had to go.

Castiel cleared his throat. An awkward silence hung between you. You hadn’t been alone with each other ever since the breakup. You two were two of the biggest stars of nowadays rock music, but you barely had any opportunity to talk. Not that you haven’t tried, it was the opposite. You avoided contact. Your fans knew you had dated in high school (you used to have pictures on your personal instagrams and fans were quick to dig over old accounts to find information about their idols), so they never expected a feat or any kind of collab. Everyone knew that you weren’t on best terms.

You remembered just a couple of days ago, when you were interviewed for one of those talk shows. The host made a lot of personal questions about Castiel and even asked if you would get back with him if you had the chance. You tried to avoid answering, but the public instantly read your unconscious signs: yes, you would.

That was why, you assumed, he was there. To make things clear. After all, because of you yours and his fans started shipping you two and got you on twitter’s trending topics. He probably was pissed. There was also a possibility of him wanting to take advantage of the situation, maybe propose a fake relationship? No, that wasn’t like him. Or was it? You barely knew him anymore.

“So… you probably guessed why I’m here. I saw your interview” You were right, then. “And I want to make things clear.” Ouch. You should prepare for the blow. “Look, we both know time has passed and we’re not the same as before. You broke up to avoid more suffering, and I get that. I really do.”

Castiel crossed his arms and glared at you. You looked back at him with fear, fear of knowing what his next words would be. “But...?” You asked.

“Tsk.” He huffed. This would be more difficult than he thought. “Look, little girl…” You felt a shiver run through your spine at the sound of the old nickname he gave you. You had always loved it, even though you didn’t say it out loud. After what felt like hours, he continued. “I don’t want to be cheesy, that’s not like me. So I’ll just say that if what all of the fans are theorizing is true.... If you do want to try again....”

Castiel took your hand and you jumped in surprise. He turned your palm to him and grabbed a pen from his back pocket. He wrote down a phone number on your hand and let go of it, capped the pen and turned around to go.

"That's my personal number. It’s pretty useful if you wanna call me without having to schedule an appointment with my manager.” You managed to laugh. You knew exactly how these things were annoying.

Inside, you were bursting with excitement. However, you answered playfully “Hm…. I’ll think about it, mr. Rockstar” Castiel chuckled and excused himself, saying that his manager would get pissed at him if he took too long. You smiled.

Maybe it was not over, after all.

Armin

When you told Armin, very early on your friendship, that your dream was to become a famous singer, he got so excited for you. He already knew that you played the guitar and was good at singing, but he had no idea that you wanted to make this your career path.

You couldn’t have chosen a better partner. Being the tech nerd that Armin was, he helped you a lot in recording your covers with the best quality possible considering the amateur camera and microphone you had.

However, the times that his presence most comforted you was when you showed him your new songs. He was always eager to see your composing progress and gave you pure honesty in his feedback, keeping in mind that he was no expert but still wanted to help you.

You always asked him for a way to return his favors, but he always said that it was his duty as your best friend to support you and that it was more than enough having you to talk about all his geek interests.

As time passed, you started to notice that you liked him way more as a friend. Without an idea of what to do, you asked Rosa and Alexy for advice. They were your closest friends apart from your crush (and you couldn’t run to him in that situation, duh)

After a dozen pro tips and date ideas from them, you decided to take Armin to the movies (basic, you knew, but couldn’t go wrong).

When you asked him if he was available Saturday night, you didn’t say properly “Hey, we’re going on a date”. Actually, you didn’t mention the word “date” at all, hoping that he would read between the lines.

And he did, because as soon as you sat and the film started, Armin grabbed your hand that was resting in the armrest and entwined your fingers. You couldn’t pay attention to what was going on screen at all and your attention was completely drawn from the movie when the boy grabbed your chin and brought your lips to his.

You only stopped kissing when the lights went on and the credits started scrolling.

“Hey…” You asked as soon as you two left the place, holding hands with him. “What was the movie about again?”

Armin laughed out loud. He teased you about it a lot before you made him confess that he didn’t know either.

A few days later, it was him who asked you out. You kept going on dates for the next week, all of them simple but interesting at the same time. However, you two weren’t dating. The whole school knew there was something going on between you two by the chuckles and timid kisses when you thought nobody saw them, but you didn’t make things official… yet. But that was about to change.

It was friday and you invited Armin over to “study” (he was sure that the afternoon would be spent between videogames and kisses, but if you wanted to call it a study session, it was okay for him).

As he comfortably sat on your bed as if it were his own, you told him to wait as you brought him some juice. When you came back, he was already grabbing his nintendo switch from his bag.

“What makes you think that we’re here to game?” You teased, handing him the glass.

“Come on, Candy, we both know that none of us are interested in learning orbital hybridization…”

“Maybe I am. I really need a good grade on those tests.” You approached him and held his jaw up so your foreheads touched. With a trailed voice, you continued. “Unless you have something more interesting to do in mind...”

Armin opened up that playful smile of his. “Oh, I do, actually.” In a quick movement that caught you off guard, he threw you in bed and started pampering you with kisses all over your face. You couldn’t stop laughing from how his hands tickled your belly, but you managed to stop him. “W-Wait, Armin!”

He looked at you, confused. “What?”

As you caught your breath, you explained that there was something you wanted to show him first. You got off the bed and went to grab your guitar that was hung up on the free wall of your bedroom.

“Did you compose a new song?” Armin deducted as you sat in front of him again, this time with your guitar in hands.

“You’ll see.” You tuned your instrument under his curious gaze. When you felt satisfied with the sound, you looked back at him. Armin didn’t miss the blush that coloured your cheeks. “I know you’d never do it, but I have to ask even so: promise you won’t laugh.”

You started playing the first chords of the song you had finished composing just a few days before. Usually, you composed simple songs that anyone could identify with, songs about friendship, inspiration, changing the world. You never wrote about your personal feelings. The notes never made you cry.

This song was special, though, because it was about him.

The day it hit you that you had feelings for him, you had the idea of writing random verses that could one day fit into a new song. After your first date, you felt so overwhelmed that, looking at the words, you decided to turn them into a song. You didn’t think it would turn into something so personal and emotional. Every note, every word, everything was clearly about him, that dorky geek you had fallen in love with.

Falling deeper every time

I can’t help but think, oh my

I’m through, but I don’t mind

Would you trade you 2D girls

For this hopeless lover

That just wants your heart?

I’ll just say that he got the message very clearly and, as soon as you finished playing, he practically jumped on you, kissing your lips with such tenderness that you almost teared up.

Of course, he asked you to be his girlfriend XD

Kentin

The first time he heard about your dream, he was still little Ken. It was one of your first days at Sweet Amoris and you two were eating cookies in the staircase. You were ranting about how sad you were that the music club was already full and you couldn’t join. Ken asked you the reason why you were so upset.

“Well… There weren’t those kind of classes in our old school. Learning how to play an instrument and sing, even during extra classes would be so cool! If I went well, maybe I’d be able to convince my dad to pay me for some private classes and then I’d be one step closer to my dream!”

“Your dream?” Ken muttered.

“Yeah! I want to become a famous singer in the future! I know that it’s impossible and even kinda silly, but-”

“No, Candy! It’s not silly at all!” Ken said. Learning more about you made him happy and he didn’t want you to think for even a second that your dream was worthless. “You shouldn't be ashamed of dreaming big. You’ll have a long, difficult path to walk through, but when you get there - and you have my word on that - I’ll be cheering for you!”

“Ken... “ You flashed your best smile at him. It meant a lot to you to have his support, he was a kind person and a very good friend (he did cross a few limits with his adoration for you, but you weren’t bothered by it). You liked being around him a lot.

-x-

“Kentin!” You threw yourself in his arms and gave him a tender kiss. “Good morning.”

Your boyfriend chuckled and held your hand, walking with you through the hallway. You talked about how your weekend had been and, between light smiles and sweet kisses, you thought of how quickly things changed between you two.

When he came back from military school, a lot of things had changed in him, including his nickname. You were facing a new person and it had been a challenge discovering Kentin and building a new relationship with him.

Even though he was a different person from before, one thing didn’t change at all and you noticed it clearly: he still liked you. Obviously he was no longer that guy who professed his feelings to everyone and followed you everywhere, he had found new ways to show you his love. You enjoyed that more mature version of him, but wished he had the opportunity to grow into a man without all the trauma he went through. You knew that most of his growth had been through suffering, and that upset you.

You didn’t know when, but somewhere into your friendship you started to grow feelings for him too. After some coaxing from Rosa and Alexy, you managed to ask him out on an official date.

The whole school already knew that Kentin was head over heels for you, but everyone was shocked to know that you loved him back as your relationship became official.

“Hey, love.”

“What?” You asked your boyfriend back as soon as you got in front of your lockers. You started looking for your books, checking that day’s classes.

“I really liked that video you posted on youtube yesterday. I never heard that song before, did you compose it yourself?”

The book you held in your hand fell to the ground. “What video?” You whispered, eyes wide.

“What do you mean, babe? That video of you singing and playing the guitar. You uploaded it yesterday night. I saw right away, you know I have my notifications turned on to all your videos. I got surprised that you decided to finally show your face and sing something of your own and- Candy? Is everything okay?”

Kentin noticed your face and got worried for you. You looked absolutely terrified.

“That video… How did you see it? I posted it as private”

“No, you didn't. It was public.” Kentin was starting to understand why you were so surprised. He put one hand on your back as you blushed and hid your face on his chest in embarrassment.

“Oh god, I can’t believe I did that! I’m so stupid! The first time I record something like that, I accidentally post it for everyone to see! Dumb, dumb Candy! Dang, now everyone’s gonna know I’m bad!”

“First of all.” Your boyfriend frowned, bringing you close to him. “You’re not dumb, you just made a mistake. And it’s okay, probably just a few people saw it. Last time I checked was before I went to sleep and it only had 20 views. But why are you so upset, Candy? Didn’t you tell me a few days ago that you were finally ready to show your face along with the covers. Did something happen to change your mind?”

“Well, I was not ready to show right away, especially not in a video that I looked terrible in. And it’s not just that. It was my first original song. I never showed it to anyone, what if it sucks?”

Kentin held your chin up and looked you in the eyes. “Candy, it doesn’t suck and you look great in the video!” You closed your eyes and snuggled close to him. “But I understand your concerns. Luckily, that can be solved if you delete the video. You’ll have other opportunities to get famous, and with better videos.”

“Yeah, I can do that.” You reached for your phone and went to your youtube page. “Fu... No way…!”

Your hands trembled. Kentin was right, the video had few views (which was good). Only 50 people had seen it, but the problem wasn’t that. For your bad luck, one of those people had been Amber. You knew that because she had left three comments on your video.

AmberOfficial: lmaooooo

AmberOfficial: Thank you for the laughs. That’s hilarious

AmberOfficial: Just give up already, looser

“That girl....” Kentin grunted, looking at your phone screen. “I swear to you, Candy, I’ll make her regret this. I’ll-”

“You don’t need to, I’m fine.”

You untangled your arms from his torso and started walking away, trying your best to hide how upset you really were. Amber was right, your music sucked. You should give up on your dream of becoming a famous singer, not only because you were bad, but also because you could barely show your face to a few people without feeling like shit. You wouldn’t be able to deal with fame.

Kentin tried to call you, but you didn’t answer. He figured you needed some time alone. He could use that time to think of something to support you and get back at Amber.

-x-

You walked out of the bathroom, your eyes red and swollen from crying. You had already deleted the video, but you couldn’t stop feeling stupid for getting so upset by a few bad comments. And feeling stupid made you even more upset.

When you got to the hallway, it was empty due to classes having already started. You probably spent half an hour locked up, but at least no one would mess with you.

You went to the garden to get some fresh air and wait until the next class started. You sat at the bench, breathed in and finally calmed down a bit.

“Candy.”

You turned around, surprised to see your boyfriend. “Kentin! What are you doing here? Classes have already started.”

He just waved his hand in a “don’t worry about that” way and sat beside you. He kissed your cheek and took your hand, checking how you were. Seeing that you seemed to be more calm, he smiled lightly at you. “So… I talked to Armin. He already found out Amber’s password and he’ll hack into Amber’s youtube account. He’ll just mess with it for a bit, delete some videos and upload some random stuff. Nothing too bad, I promise, just some memes and rickrolls.”

“Hmm…” You muttered, thinking about what he said. It wasn’t right, for sure, but you didn’t feel like stopping them. You were still hurt. “Okay. Just promise you two won’t do something serious, okay?”

He agreed. You felt a bit better, but that wasn’t enough to lift your mood and Kentin knew that. That was why he also had something else prepared. "That 's not all. I did some quick search for places where you could record that music of yours with its deserved quality. You are a good composer, Candy, believe it. Your talent doesn’t have to stay hidden in a dark room with only you, a guitar and your cellphone recording it.”

“Kentin…”

“If you want to, I’ll help you rent a studio and record your song. That would be very useful for your portfolio. I know that’s expensive, but we can find ways to-” You cut him off with a kiss. He cared about you so much, to the point of skipping classes to think of ways to make you feel better. You loved your boyfriend so much…

Lucky. You felt lucky to have him.

“I love you. Thank you for taking care of me... “ You kissed his cheek, happy to have his support. That was more than enough at that moment, Amber’s words were far behind you. All that mattered was that you could go through this.

You had Kentin, and when you had him, you had your whole world holding you so you wouldn’t fall.

[avenging-fandoms]

Pumpkin Eater

*requested by anonymous *hey bebs 💕 could you write something where chris cheated on the reader and he sees her with sebastian and gets jealous 🥺 *in which y/n and chris were engaged to be married in 7 months, but she caught him cheating. leaving her homeless, her friend sebastian let her stay with him. *warning: angst, cheating, mentions of sex, drinking, fluff *PLEASE send me requests!!!!! i can do whoever :)

MASTERLIST

this is going to be a series!!

“oh my fucking god” you breathed and dropped your bags, the door hitting the wall catching the attention of chris and the girl on top of him. “you’ve got to be fucking kidding me” they both scrambled and she got her clothes on fast, running out the door.

chris wrapped himself in the blanket, shaking his head and putting his hand up. "yn, i promise, this wasn't supposed to happen"

"oh bullshit, chris! did you think i wouldn't find out? my god, chris, we're fucking engaged!" you ran your fingers through your hair, chris still tightening the blanket around his waist. "4 years. 4 years down the drain, for what? for some fun?" your lip quivered and you shook your head.

"yn, please, i can explain" you scoff, running your tongue over your lips as you shift your weight to one leg with your arms across your chest as you looked at him.

"you can explain what? you cheated! there's no fucking excuse!" you exclaim, grabbing a bag from the closet and shoving random articles of clothes in it, as well as the ones you just bought.

"where are you going? no, please don't leave" chris begged and grabbed your wrist, and you chuckle as you ripped it out of his grip.

"if you don't want me to leave, you shouldn't have cheated and had some random girl riding your dick. i'm calling off the wedding" you threw the ring at his chest and slammed the bedroom door behind you. you shoved the bag into the back of your car, starting your car and gripping the steering wheel. you squeezed your eyes shut and leaned your forehead onto the wheel, your shoulders shaking as you sob.

your phone started to ring and you took a deep breath, sniffling and taking a few breaths before answering it. your elbow leaned against the door, eyes closed with your fingers against your forehead. "hey yn!" sebastian beamed over the phone and you smile softly, feeling a little better to hear how happy he sounded.

"you called at literally the best time. is it alright if i come over?"

"sure! door's unlocked, i've got drinks in the fridge, i'll see you soon then!" you said your goodbyes and hung up the phone, putting it away and blasting music as you drove off to sebastian's.

-

30 minutes later you pulled into sebastian's driveway and turned down the music before shutting off your car. you grabbed your bag and took a breath before sulking over to his door. you knocked softly and tapped your toes together as you waited for sebastian to open the door. you heard his footsteps and the door swung open, your puffy eyes meeting his sweet, bright smile.

"hey doll! oh no, why are you sad?" your lip quivered after the question and you let out a sob, sebastian catching you as you fell into him, he scrunches his eyebrows confused and wraps his arms around you.

"i-i caught him in bed-" sebastian shushed you softly and held your head, bringing you and your bag inside his house.

"you don't have to tell me anything until you're ready, okay? i'll be here to listen. for now, i'll just hold you until you have no more tears" he smiled and kissed your head, the both of you sitting on the couch. he put your legs over his lap, comforting you. you hiccuped once you stopped crying, playing with the hem of sebastian's shirt.

"he was in bed.. with that bitch i asked about a couple months ago" you sighed and sebastian scoffed, shaking his head.

"what did he say before? when you asked about her before" sebastian rubbed your arm and you laughed.

"an old hometown friend who moved to california. and i believed it, even though i met all his friends from home"

"what an asshole, you don't deserve that" sebastian whispered and kissed your forehead, making you smile.

"and.. with me being over here now, if it's not any incon-"

"yes, you are more than welcome to stay. my guest bedroom is finally finished" you smile and hug him tightly, sebastian rubbing your back. "love you yn"

"love you more, seb, thank you" you whisper and snuggle your cheek into his shoulder.

the next day sebastian helped you pack your things from the house you and chris shared. you guys put some boxes in storage and some boxes to sebastian's house. chris came back to the house as you closed the trunk of your car.

"yn? hey, please listen to me" chris begged and and you clicked your seatbelt in the passenger seat.

"she's not talking to you right now. you hurt her, very bad, chris" sebastian glared, backing up and getting into the driver's seat. chris yelled things about you getting with sebastian as payback but it was muffled. sebastian reached over and grabbed your thigh and you shook your head as you placed your hand on top of his.

"i told myself i wouldn't cry about it anymore.. but i can't help it" you sniffled and at a red light, sebastian wiped the tears from your cheeks.

"you're allowed to be sad, yn. it's your choice how long you want to be sad, no one else's, okay?" he whispered and you nodded, kissing his palm and you widened your eyes.

"sebastian, i didn't mean to do that" you rambled on and he chuckled, holding your wrists and kissing each knuckle and your palms. "oh" you sighed, dropping your shoulders and sebastian looked up at you through his eyelashes.

"see? don't be sorry, it's comforting" he smiled and you nodded slowly, licking your lips. "you want to go somewhere to eat?" you nodded and he sat the right way again. luckily there was no one behind you two because you sat through a green light. the light turned green again and he took off, heading to the place you wanted to eat before heading to his house.

sebastian pulled into his driveway and opened your door for you. you think him as he takes your hand into the house. "are there any.. house rules?"

"uhm.. food is free reign, bathroom upstairs, the guest room is right across from- what's wrong?" you rubbed your arm and shrugged, looking around the house then meeting sebastian's eyes.

"i didn't mean to make your life any more crazy" you apologize to him and stare at your toes.

"hey, look at me" sebastian said but you refused. he held your chin softly and tilted your face up to look at him. "you could never be a burden to me, i promise. i've always wanted a roommate who wasn't crazy"

"well.. i'm pretty crazy now" you smiled and he laughed, shaking his head.

"no, definitely not. chris is crazy for cheating on an amazing, smart, sexy girl like you" he grinned and your cheeks felt hot. "there's that shy smile"

"you think i'm sexy?" i whisper, stepping a little closer to sebastian.

"who wouldn't?" he whispered back, his mouth inches from yours. "goodnight yn"

"goodnight seb" he kissed your forehead and headed to his room. you sighed contently with a smile on your face, heading to the guest room. it was still scattered with some boxes, the closet half filled with clothes and the dresser topped with a mirror and a tv.

you got ready for bed and cuddled tight under the sheets, deleting the new texts you got from chris about the cheating, about sebastian, about everything. you went on social media, which is a bad idea after a break up. 'chris evans' was trending, and it was filled with thousand of tweets about the break up. your chest felt heavy and it felt like your throat was closing. "seb..seb.." you ripped the blankets off of you and you knocked on his door frantically.

"come in" you swung the door open and he dropped his clothes in his hamper. "what's wrong, doll?"

"they're a-all talking about it" you cried in choppy breaths, sebastian's eyebrows furrowing. you handed him your phone and he scrolled through the tweets, shaking his head and putting your phone next to his on the nightstand. "h..how did they find out?! i didn't post anything, remove any pictures, or say anything about you. how is it out?!"

"apparently he let it slip in an interview. plus i guess he confided in the wrong person and they told the press" sebastian rubbed your back and you let out a soft cry, falling into him. "you're going on a social media detox. i'm going to take your phone for a couple days and we're going to enjoy the world, okay?" you nod and sniffle, nodding and wiping your cheeks with his thumbs.

"i'm sorry for dumping all of this on you" you said softly and you looked up at him.

"never apologize for your feelings" he whisper and i nodded, leaning forward and kissing his chest.

"thank you seb" your tone was soft as you leaned back against his bed. sebastian was still processing the kiss to his chest you left, a soft smirk playing on his lips. it didn't take long for you to fall asleep, and sebastian didn't want to move you. he pulled the blankets over the two of you, kissing your forehead before shutting off the side lamp and falling asleep with an arm draped over you.

-

you woke up the next day with your arms wrapped around sebastian's arm. your eyes felt heavy and puffy, but you didn't want to move out of your very comfortable spot. you watched sebastian chest rise up and down slowly with every breath he took, his arm tucked under his head with his face turned away from yours.

you never really looked at sebastian, but you were glad you were getting the chance to right now. he shifted and you panicked, closing your eyes again to pretend you were sleeping. you heard him sigh and felt his bicep flex, and it was so hard to bite back your smile and grip it in your hands.

sebastian slowly pulled his arm away from your grip and pushed your hair out of your face before he got out of bed. sebastian headed into his bathroom and locked the door, your eyes shooting open. your arms pushed up the soft sheets as you stretched your limbs. you reached over for your phone, seeing a lot of missed calls, texts and notifications from almost every social media app you had.

sebastian's phone vibrated and you jumped when you heard the water turn on in the shower, sebastian badly singing as he showered. you sighed and peeked at his screen, seeing a lot of texts from chris.

"this is crazy" you sighed, placing a pillow over your face and wanting to scream. you had almost fallen asleep again before you heard the water shut off. you took the pillow off of your face and pretended to just be waking up as he came out of the bathroom.

"well, good morning roomie" sebastian smiled and you sat up, gasping softly with wide eyes as you noticed sebastian dripping in water with his towel loosely tied around his waist.

“good morning. i didn’t mean to take up your bed last night. all that crying just really took it out of me"

“no problem, i understand. my bed is big enough for the both of us. no bother” he smiled and took another towel to dry his hair. you brushed your hair out of your face and sighed.

"uhm, i'm gonna go shower. probably unpack too. you can come help if you want" you started to walk towards his door but you heard him whistle. you tighten your face and turn around slowly, sebastian's hand on his hip with the other out palm facing up.

"i seem to remember there were 2 phones on my nightstand, and now there's only one. give it here" you grunt and slightly stomp as you slapped the phone in his hand. "this is for your own sake, it's to better you and your mind!" sebastian smiled and you rolled your eyes, trying to pretend that you were mad at sebastian but you couldn't help the corners of your mouth curling up.

"yeah, yeah. whatever" you push his shoulder and he laughs. "i'll be in my room, then i'm gonna shower"

"okay. and hey," you turned around in his door frame, your hand on the wood as you looked over your shoulder to sebastian. "you and me"

you smile, nodding softly. "you and me, seb"

[cuddlesslut]

Live my Life Ch.1

Kuroo x fem reader

Summary: sometimes life is full of making the wrong choices and not knowing till it’s to late.

A/N: this is chapter one of my new story. I’m still writing the Home series I must really wanted to start this story as well. I hope you guys like this one.

Warning: Angst, Smut, Drunk Sex, Underage drinking, toxic behavior

You found yourself sitting in this dingy bar nursing a drink you weren’t supposed to have. This had become part of your routine. It all started about three weeks ago. Your friend Kana, or well you suppose she could be called a friend she was more of a friend of a friend. She seemed nice enough kind of the free spirit type of girl always into the new big trend, not really what you would describe yourself as, more of what you wanted to be. You weren’t exactly some shy shut in but still your anxieties held you back from charging head first into in life and taking the bull by the horns. That’s why you surprised even yourself when you offered to be Kana’s bar buddy.

Kana is bartender at this whole in the wall bar with dim lighting. It got fairly good business but not enough to warrant more than one bartender at a time. That being the case Kana would often be there by herself well late into the night, the neighborhood wasn’t horrible but it still was unsettling sometimes. So as her bar buddy you would come at some point in her shift and find a free seat at the bar hopefully far enough distance from any other patrons. You’d order some fries or whatever greasy snack food you craved and waited there with her while she worked until she was ready to lock up. It was pretty easy you’d just sit there offering her someone to talk when she was bored or when she need to escape some overbearing customers. She’d make her way over too you and pretend to make you a drink. Although she offered you a drink you usually turn her down for the clear fact that you were underage when it came to drinking. It was perfectly fine for you to sit in the establishment since it also served food but at the age of 18 drinking was still prohibited. Being the laid back girl and bartender she was Kana didn’t care about bending that rule for a friend.

Most nights you’d pull out some school work on your tablet that your carried with you or just read some stories on your phone. Usually trying your best to avoid conversation with the regulars. That didn’t work as well as you hoped and soon enough you were quickly learning all of the local gossip and being included in the group known as the regulars. Which is what you were since you found yourself here four nights out of you week. You didn’t mind spending so much of your time here with Kana it was kind of nice to stray from your comfort zone plus you and Kana were steadily getting closer as friends too. Everything was smooth sailing until you met him.

It was a usual Thursday night you got dressed in your causal but sleek outfit. Wearing a comfortable pair of Jeans that hugged your body nicely not too tight but still showed your curves. You paired it with a black blouse and black ankle boots. You freshened up your make up of the day not needing to try to hard seeing as you weren’t going there to impress anyone. In fact you preferred to not draw any attention. Your brushed through your hair finally heading out of your home and too the dingy bar. Things seemed a little off tonight some felt different but still you took your usual seat as you scanned the bar. It was fairly empty only two other customers sitting all the way at the other end of the counter. Kana wasn’t anywhere to be found, she’s probably just grabbing something back you reasoned. And sure enough you could hear a clang in the back of the establishment that was hidden from the public eye. Although it wasn’t Kana that popped around the corner. Instead stood a tall and extremely handsome guy. He was wild black hair that was strewn in a chaotic fashion but it suited him. You could tell by his physique that he was fit , not too overly muscular but when he reached up to put the box he was carrying on the top shelf you could see a peak of a very well defined v line on his tanned skin. This man was the definition of tall, dark ,and handsome. And that wasn’t even mentioning his intense honey eyes that felt like they pierced your soul with just one look. He wore a black pair of fitted jeans and a red button up with strange print on it. You could inspect the odd design more intensely as he approached you with a smirk plastered on his face. Ah they were little black cats that littered his print. The style screamed I’m stylish but quirky.

“Well hello there sweetheart how can I help you?” You could tell he was using his customer service persona. Ah he goes for the smooth talkng flirt, he probably does very well with middle aged woman, you think.

“Um yeah,” you state giving the room one more look “ do you know where Kana is?” You questioned.

His perked at the mention of your friend. You could see him relax a little as he released some tension rolling his shoulders back. “Ahh you must be YN,” he smiled placing his hands on the bar leaning forward. His voice was a notch higher no longer Using his deep Casanova tone, this one was more natural. You eyes widened at the sound of your name leaving his lips.

“Yeah,” you replied hesitant.

“I’m Kuroo Tetsurou,” he presented his hand offering a firm shake to which you awkwardly accepted. “I’m guessing Kana forgot to inform you that id becoming back to work my usual Thursday shift today did she?” He let out a small chuckle.

Damn it Kana you cursed inside your mind. You could have been cozy in bed right now. “Ha nope she did not,” you let out a sigh. “I didn’t realize she was just covering these last few weeks” you respond.

“She just had my Thursday shift Mondays and Wednesdays are still her regular days.” He grinned “she was nice enough to take my shift while I was out with some family stuff.”

“Ahh I see, well I’ll should probably get out of your hair,” you stated starting to slide off the stool.

“Hey wait you came all the way out here let me get you a drink,” he offered.

You froze in your seat for a moment kind of embarrassed. You felt heat creep to your face as you respond “ oh umm I’m not actually old enough I’m only 18,” your eye locked on the surface in front of you.

He let out a chuckle “let me see your ID.”

Your face scrunched in confusion “but-” you start but he cuts you off.

“Shh just hand it over,” he smiles. You raise your eyebrow as you reach into your handbag fishing out your ID and handing it over. He backs upmholding it as though it was valid. “Well look at that! Sure enough you’re 20,” he gives a cheeky smile “so what can I get you to drink?”

You take back your card placing it back safely in your bag a look of shock present on your youthful features. You lean forward whispering “won’t you get in trouble!” Not wanting to have someone risk their job. He lets out a haughty laugh. “My dads the owner so I’m not too worried.” He stated cockily. “So again what are you drinking sweetheart?” Again he flashed that stupid smirk that sent your stomach doing flips.

After two drinks and some idle chit chat in his free time you decided it probably be best if you headed out. He was quick to stop you. “Ahh come on dont leave so soon I was hoping you’d be my bar buddy too,” he pouted. You rolled your eyes at his teasing. It was enough to keep you there though ordering another drink to nurse. It felt nice chatting and casually flirting with this attractive stranger.

This too became part of your routine. You still went to the bar during Kana’s shift to keep her company but you kept going on Thursday and spending you night talking to Kuroo. The both of you spending most of the night getting to know each other. It was just surface things like school, you found out he was two years older than you going to a university near by studying chemical engineering,and your taste in music which was something you had a lot in common. The conversation focused mainly on you. He always directed the flow of the conversation he was so out going and smooth, always asking questions about your day liked hearing about your day as if being a 3rd year in high school was the most exciting thing. You’d sit there for hours with him trying new drinks sometimes finding yourself leaving the bar at three am as if you didn’t have class in four hours. But you didn’t care it was exhilarating this was the most rebellious thing you had ever done. The flirting was harmless never going to far. And although you wouldn’t admit you were getting a crush on the raven haired bartender.

It was just another Wednesday night but today something inside of you told you to dress up more than you’d usually go for. Tonight you wore a simple black dress with a deep neckline that really showed your figure without being to flashy. Your period had recently finished so knowing you were securely dried up you decided to go for a pair of your fancy red lace panties and a matching bra that always boosted your confidence. Not that anyone would be seeing them. You checked yourself one last time before heading out to the bar and damn did you look hot.

When you entered the bar you were surprised to it was rather busy with customers all over the place, luckily you find a seat at the bar. You noticed that Kenma was also behind the bar. Kenma was the other bartender that worked the shifts opposite of Kana and Kuroo. He was also Kuroo’s best friend. You’ve only met him a couple times when he’d come to the bar to see Kuroo while he was on shift. It must be really busy if they called him in to work the bar with Kana.

Kana gave a sigh of relief and smiled as she saw you sitting at the bar. “Oh my god girl hey,” smiled “do you see how hectic it is?” She laughed. She took a moment to fully look you over her eyes wide.

“Damn girl you look fucking hot!” You felt some pride grow in you hearing your friend complement you. She always looked amazing so hearing that she thought you looked great felt like high praise.

“You want a drink babe?” She asked although it was more a of statement as she was already whipping together a drink before you were finished nodding. She handed you a strong yet sweet drink before she was whisked away by some needy patrons.

You sipped on your drink watching Kana handle the crowd. You and Kenmas eyes would lock every now and then but it’s very short and awkward. You don’t know him very well. Part of your anxieties had you convinced he didn’t like you. But you tried not to read into it to much. Kuroo had told you once that it was just that he wasn’t much of a people person only working at the bar as a favor to Kuroo and his father. You sit there silently observing the world around you not noticing someone taking the seat next to you.

“Boo,” a husky voiced whispered into your ear sending shivers down your spine. Kuroo cackled as you jumped turning around clutching your chest.

“What the hell Kuroo!” You gasped trying to steady your breathing. “They call you in too?” You ask referring to the booming business you sat in.

“Nah it’s my day off and I wanted to come have a drink and bug Kenma,” he rose his hand singling said man for a drink. “But looks like I lucked out now I get to bother you all night,” he smirked.

“Oh really and who said I want to have you around I deal with you enough on Thursdays,” you smiled back with a sly look.

He feigned a look of hurt. “Ouch YN you wound me, I thought we were friends,” giving you look that definitely didn’t come off as just friendly. You just roll your eyes trying to hide your intrigue. “Well it seems I need to prove my friendship to you let me by you a drink.” He rested his hand on yours as he signaled for a refill on your drink.

You should have seen it coming but you acted surprised when after several drinks and a couple rounds of shots you found yourself in the back seat of his car. Your red panties tossed to the side somewhere in the vehicle. You were laying back as he dove under the hem your dress. Kuroo looked up to your face his lips barley an inch away from your heat. He had a devious look on his face as he watched your face flush with need. Your lips were swollen from the heated make out sessions you had outside the bar. He quirked his eyebrow teasingly his heavy breath tickling you. He was waiting. It was almost tortuous but you knew what he wanted.

You pouted your chest rising and falling from your hard breathing. “Please!” You begged. He smiled content with hearing your pleas before diving into you his tongue lapping at your wet folds. Your head fell back in pleasure as he ate you out like a man starved. Your moans filled the car as he worked his skilled tongue in and out of you. He could feel how close you were as he felt you clench around his fingers as he worked you loose. Relief flooded your body as you came on his face. Lust still flooding you as you watched him lick up all your juices. He moved up your body sealing your lips into a searing kiss you could taste your essence on his lips.

Your hands reached down his body grabbing at his bulge. He let out a groan in your ear before picking you up and placing you on his lap. He attacked you neck nippping and sucking harsh purple marks into your skin. He pulled the collar of your dress down pulling your breast out . Moving your bra down he latched his lips around your swollen nipple rolling it between his teeth. You let out a pained moan as you rolled you hips into his lap. He finally hit limit. He lifted you up as he pulled his pants and boxers down before lining his achingly hard length with your wet cunt before pulling you down on it. Both of your groans filled the space as you felt him fill you whole. You hid your face in his neck as you panted while he let you adjust to the intrusion. You could feel his hands roaming your ass pushing the skirt of your dress up. A sudden smack came to your ass. You let out a hiss. He rubbed the mark he left on your soft skin.

“Go ahead sweetheart ride my cock,” he demanded. His dirty words sent shivers over body. You did just as he said starting to move your hips up and down rotating on his dick as it reached deep inside of you. Your body was already on edge from your earlier release so it took no time to have you clenching tightly around him you next orgasm fastly approaching.

“Fuck you’re so god damn tight,” he groaned. Lust took over as he grabbed your hips holding you still as he drilled up into your pliant body. Your moans egged him on as he chased both of your climaxes. He loved the feeling of your pussy clamping down on him. Feeling you milk his cock drained him of his will and of his semen as he came deep into you.

You both sat there for a moment both coming down from your highs. Bodies worn from the intense session you had just had. He groaned throughing his head back, “fuck I didn’t wear a condom,” he cursed.

“I’m on birth control” you breathed moving off his lap. You searched for your panties sliding them on quickly trying to contain the mess between your legs.

“Good, that’s good,” he breathed a sigh of relief he looked around both of you. It seemed no one notice dyour little drunken romp in the parking lot. There was a slight awkward pause neither knowing what to say.

“Well that was great,” he offered, “uhh do you need a ride home?” He questioned.

You shook your head, “no I’ll just grab a quick Uber home,” you respond pulling your phone out to do just that.

He nodded seeming to like that idea not wanting you to walk home. “I’ll probably head back in and sober up a little before heading home. I definitely can’t drive right now. I’m not even sure my legs will get me back inside,” he laughed. You giggled as well. A chime rang from your phone, your ride would be pulling up soon.

“Hey give me your number and message me when you get phone safe.” He said taking the phone to send a message to himself successfully trading numbers. He gave you one more deep kiss before you left to catch your Uber.

That night your body passed out exhausted. You knew you were going to regret drinking so much tomorrow morning when you have to wake up for class.

And damn was your body sore. Your head was ponding from all the alcohol and the rest was sore from the wild sex you had. Still you woke up bright and early making sure to shower off any evidence from your delinquent activities. You made sure to take some Advil before leaving for school opting to skip breakfast since your stomach was still unstable from the liquor. Your morning classes were relatively easy not but extremely boring. You found yourself daydreaming through most of your history class thinking back to your night with Kuroo. Little fantasys of dates, and more long talks at the bar, even some naughty ideas popped into your head. It was almost like you willed him into existence because not two seconds later your phone vibrated. Your heart skipped a beat seeing his name pop up in your notifications. You laughed at the way he saved his number last night. Oh my god he texted me you thought you were so giddy. That was until you read the messages.

Kuroo 🥵: Hey YN.

Kuroo 🥵: Last night was a Mistake. Look I have a girlfriend and I love her so I think it’s best we pretend last night never happened. Sorry.

Ouch. That hurt.

General Taglist: @diesinspanishbcimhispanic @graykageyama

Taglist: @captain-janeway @elianetsantana

[parkjess]

Hi! I’m back! Sorry if I’m getting annoying but you are kinda the only person I know of who does Astro reactions😅! But anyways I was wondering if you can do one with all the members when their s/o is also an idol and their relationship gets outed by the media? Thanks🤗!

Thank you for requesting!🥰

Don’t ever feel annoying for requesting🥺 I love it.

Myungjun:

You sat in front of you laptop at your place, staring at whatever site it was, becoming pale within seconds as your eyes flow over the words of the article you just clicked on with the speed of light.

The topic was your boyfriend, Myungjun, and the name that was attached to his, as only you and him used to see together, was yours.

Without leaving your eye sight from the bright screen, you dialed Myungjun’s number on the phone you didn’t even take a look at.

“Baby... did you see what they posted?” Your words come out as if you just saw a ghost. Your relationship wasn’t supposed to be published and both you and him always wear a mask and hat when you’re outside. Your voice became shaky as tears approached, yet your heart somehow felt a bit relieved that you don’t need to hide anymore from cameras.

-“Calm down baby, tell me what’s wrong? I’m coming over.” You heard him grabbing his car keys and heading to his car while listening to you on the other side of the phone.

“Myungjun, they saw us yesterday at the restaurant!” You freak out and try to relax at the same time, what doesn’t seem to be working. -“Oh...” was all he said, driving away the parking lot, luckily you lived only couple of minutes away. “What do you mean-“ the tone of your voice got higher and you nearly yell at him, don’t get how he can be this calm.

-“I’ll be there in 2 minutes, okay baby?” He says and hangs up because he was still driving.

Finally arriving at your place, he welcomed you with a hug. Neither one of you want this relationship to be publicly known, because you know how toxic people can be and make this end, no matter how powerful the love is.

-“Baby... you know that no matter what the internet people will say, or do, I won’t ever leave you. Okay?” He cups your face while looking straight into your eyes, you just nod at his words. -“Now, lets go get some fresh air at the park, you’ll like it, and don’t worry, paparazzi don’t go out this late at night.” He smiles at you and takes your hand.

Jinwoo:

It was a regular December evening you spent with Jinwoo at fantagio building, teaching him English because he was asking for help. Although you tried to focus on helping him, the news you got from your best friend a few days ago, couldn’t leave your mind.

The korean kpop sites collapsed in a while after they announced Park Jinwoo has been seen lately with a girl, which was you.

No matter how much time he spend on trying to get you out of the bubble these news created in your head, he couldn’t, but that’s not what he thinks.

“Baby? What are you staring at?” He finished marking all the words he didn’t understand in the book you bought him as a gift and lifted his head only to meet your focused stare. He snaps his fingers in your face to wake you up from the daydream, and you apologize quietly.

-“Ah sorry, what were you saying?” You ask and pull the book closer to you. “Oh come on, I know that face, you’re thinking about it again aren’t you?”

-“I’m sorry, it doesn’t leave my mind...”

“You don’t need to worry as long as I’m here with you, the fans won’t hurt you, nobody will.” He placed his hand on yours and caressed the back of it, while only staring in your eyes.

It was comforting.

Dongmin:

You told your manager you want to take a break from having schedule in the next two weeks, your mental health wasn’t the best you knew since you started getting hate comments on social media because you’re dating Cha eunwoo.

Your manager totally accepted it and luckily understood your condition, but he also told that to your boyfriend, which you didn’t want to happen.

This afternoon you got a phone call from Dongmin, “Baby is that true? I’m coming over right after I’m done here.” He decides, not even listening to your answer. He was busy filming his new drama and you barely saw him lately. -“Uhm... yeah you can come over.” You replied, not even in the mood to talk, but you guess it can’t be bad if he comes, you needed any kind of help right now. He hangs up without saying anything more.

“Babe it’s me.” He knocks at the door after half an hour since you last talked.

-“Hey...” you open the door to see your boyfriend standing there with your favorite box of chocolate. He pulls you immediately for a hug before you say anything else, his bear hug felt like you haven’t seen each other for years.

Pushing the door behind him with one hand and then caressing your head softly and gently, kissing the top of your forehead.

“I missed you hon’.” He confesses, you only mumble, -“Me too...” as a reply against his chest and tears fill your eyes.

“I’m not leaving you, okay? I’m here. We’ll take care of everything baby.” He pulls away and cups your face, then placing a peck on your nose.

Moonbin:

Bin won’t look at the exposure of your relationship as an issue, he even thinks it’s even better now that you don’t need to hide in public, and doesn’t care what other people think about it.

As much as he loves his fans and yours, you always come first so he asked his fans to stop spreading hate and toxic at both of you. The high confidence he had about the news, because he knows how powerful the love you two share, made you feel less scared about how people will react or what they will do when you two go outside together.

He hired a van to stay in for the weekend in the woods, since you love camping together but hate sleeping on the ground.

It’s your second anniversary as a couple, and he decided to cook your fave meal which was also the first meal you ate together back then. “Binnie...” you call him with soft voice, while your eyes are reading what’s on your phone screen- the article about him dating, it’s now trending all over the internet.

-“Yes, dear (jagiya😉)?” He takes a quick look at you and back on the oven, watching the food that was almost ready.

“Take a look at this please.” You hand him over the phone, and he sighs. -“Ah, this. I talked to my manager already.” He says, feeling too comfortable with the topic you find as an issue.

“And... you didn’t mean to tell me everyone know about us?” You ask him, slightly pissed off. -“Hey~ and bother you with things you don’t need to worry about?” He holds both your shoulders, looking into the stars in your eyes.

Minhyuk:

Minhyuk was busy with his schedule in the studio, working on a new song, while you were scrolling down Instagram, suddenly your eyes meeting his name on the top of one article, attached to ‘dating’. It was one of the things you were scared to be known by your fans, since you didn’t want to disappoint them, but also was scared of their reaction.

You thought about this a lot and had a short anxiety attack every time it passed through your mind, but he was there always to calm you down, but now.

Knowing he was working and probably recording his new song, you decided to not call him but go physically to his studio as your heart started to beat faster and your blood felt like it was boiling.

-“Minhyuk? It’s me...” you knock 3 quick knocks on the studio’s door, leaning in to try and hear if he was singing.

“Oh? Baby, why didn’t you call me? Did something happen?” He opens the door and you don’t even hug or kiss him as you usually do when you meet him after hours you haven’t seen him. Walking straight into the darker room, as he closes the door and slow downs his voice at you strange behavior, you are playing with the charms of your bracelet.

“Baby, chill, are you okay? Are you hurt?” He asks worriedly, trying to hug you but you push him away slightly, ready to almost burst into tears. -“Did you see this?” You quickly show him the articles that were added to the social media since you first saw that one.

“Oh... oh my god.” He takes your phone and his other hand is holding yours. -“What are we gonna do?” The warm tears slowly stream down your face, as he pulls you into a hug, comforting you with little taps on your back.

“Please don’t worry, we are gonna go through this together, okay?” He cups your face and kisses your lips slowly, you try to pull away but there was pure comfort in the taste of his lips, so you tried to enjoy it as much as you could.

-“You promise?” You ask and pull your pinky up, waiting for his to intertwine his pinky, “Only if you let me kiss you again.”

Aish~

Sanha:

In this case I see him freaking out more than you.

You were both eating lunch at fantagio building since he just made a comeback, this is the place where you could hang out most of the time nowadays.

He took a mouthful of hot, spicy ramen, then back to scrolling down Instagram.

“Oh-mygahd...” he murmured unclear words you tried to understand, when he just turns his phone to you. Your eyes widen at the title that includes both your names.

-“Who the hell publish-“ you grabbed his phone and yours in your other hand, calling your manager as fast as you could, but it was too late since you saw the amount of comments the article already has. “Y/n what are we gonna do?” Sanha asks, trying to calm his senses which doesn’t seem to be working.

After talking with your manager, it looks like she knew they were going to announce it this week, and the company didn’t want neither of you to be hurt because it might affect your performance.

-“I’m even more pissed now because she didn’t tell me earlier...” you said, furrowing your brows after pushing the food plate away from you and leaning back on the chair.

At this point he couldn’t show you how angry and nervous he felt, so he tried his best cheering you up. “Ya~ you know they love us, right?” He leans forward, reaching out his arm for you, mentioning the fans. You nod your head slightly at your boyfriend but barely look at him. “C’mon, what can I do to cheer you?” He thinks out loud and sticks two fries up his teeth, making that cute monster voice he does that makes you laugh usually.

-“Ugh, shut up.” You burst out laughing and hit his arm playfully. “That’s the y/n I want for the rest of the day. And life.” His warm words approach your heart and make you smile eventually.

[purplesurveys]

1248

Your ex taps you on the shoulder and says, “I still love you.” You say?  I feel like I’ve answered a similar situation recently, but I would assume it was a drunk text or wrong text, inform them about it, and move on.

Do you play video games?  Nah. I do feel a sort of connection of video games since I grew up surrounded by them, though; but I’m more of a watcher than anything. I like watching playthroughs of video games I’ll never play. Do you spend a lot of time with family?  No. We used to, back when the quarantine was still a relatively new thing – we hung out in the living room all the time. But now that we’ve settled in this new normal, we’re back to our normal routines and I usually like staying in my room.

Is your house more than two stories tall?  Technically, yes. We have a rooftop that serves as the ‘third’ floor.

Have you ever hit your significant other? Has he/she ever hit you?  My ex and I never hit one another; that’s a gigantic red flag even I would notice, considering I ignored most of the ones I saw hahaha.

What makes you an attractive person? (Talk about your personality too!)  I’m not sure if I’ll be able to answer this question directly, but I like my generosity. I’m not sure if I can call it attractive, though. But if we were focusing on physical features, I like my smile.

What color is your hairbrush/comb?  Pink.

What snacks do you have available in your household atm?  My dad splurged on chips in his last grocery run so we actually have quite a lot of junk food in the pantry at the moment. He also bought several packs of cookie sandwiches, wafers, sunflower seeds, and garlic-flavored peanuts.

Has anyone recently told you that they like you, or find you attractive?  Neither.

Are you attracted to the last person you Facebook messaged?  No, she’s just a good friend of mine.

Do you care about anyone that doesn’t care about you?  I guess I don’t, because I’m not even aware of them.

Was your last Facebook friend requests from a male or female?  Guy. It was another reporter, so I just ignored it and luckily he didn’t PM me just to ask to add him back, which others have already done. I really hate when work people try to make their way into my personal accounts.

Which one of your relatives is most likely to embarrass you?  My parents, especially when they are rude to service crew. Gen X-ers are impeccably talented at that, apparently.

When was the last time you ate a bar of chocolate?  Around two or three weeks ago when I had dinner at Angela’s. Her dad gave me a bar of Crunch so I can have something sweet after our meal.

Do you play any games on Facebook?  No, I never did hop on that trend.

What would you like to get a degree in?  I wanted a degree in journalism, and graduated with such. At the end of my college stint I didn’t want to pursue it anymore, but I pushed through with it anyway because it was too much of a hassle to shift and start all over.

Do you wake up a lot in the middle of the night? Technically not, because I stay up until the middle of the night anyway. It’s been a while since I fell asleep anywhere between 8 to 10 PM.

Would you prefer to read a book, watch a movie or TV show, or play a video game?  Watch a show.

Do you usually get popcorn or soda at the movie theater?  I don’t like either; I get fries instead.

What genre of films do you like the best?  Drama.

How many bank accounts do you have?  Two but I haven’t been using the other one in months. That was the bank account I initially opened when I first started ~adulting~ but when I got employed I was required to enroll in this other specific bank, so that’s what I mainly use now.

Have you ever had the flu?  Not really. I just get the occasional fever that pop out of nowhere.

What is your goal for the next few months?  Start saving FOR REAL, and also prioritizing furniture over merch for a while so I can finally fix up my room, which is quickly starting to look and feel like just a warehouse and not very homey at all.

Have you ever had some kind of sleep-disorder? How did it affect your life?  Nope.

Have you ever had food poisoning before? Describe the experience.  Yeah, it was from barbecue that apparently went bad, even though it tasted nothing of the sort. I woke up at 3 AM sweating profusely and with the most excruciating stomachache; I was feeling hot, cold, and nauseous all at the same time, and it probably lasted for like an hour or so.

What are two things that you have no problem paying full price for?  Sealed albums and my pets’ vet expenses.

Funny, charming, cute, romantic, smart - choose only 2 for the opposite sex.  Charming and smart.

Have you ever let somebody use you? Why did you do it?  It felt nice to help people.

You can go back in time & change something in your mom’s past - what is it? Good question; I’ve never encountered this before. I would let her live a more comfortable, privileged life, where she didn’t have to staple her shoes to keep them closed or have to choose between eating at a fast food restaurant or being able to commute back home.

Do you know anybody who is around the exact same size as you? Who? I’m not sure, actually. Everyone’s always slightly taller than me.

Ever been to a haunted house? How scared were you?  I haven’t.

Been on any websites today you wouldn’t want your parents to see?  Tumblr, I guess? My survey blog isn’t for any irls to see.

Which is worse: dusting or mopping?  I don’t really do either often, but I’ll go with mopping.

Would you marry somebody who was intensely religious?  Not for me.

Did you pull a senior prank?  No, that’s not a thing here. Did you graduate?  Yeah, elementary, high school, and college.

Have you ever been unfaithful in a serious relationship?  Nope.

What was the last song you listened to?  It’s a song called Epiphany.

Are you one of those lucky people with 20/20 vision?  Not ever since I was like 9 lol.

Is fashion one of your interests?  I’m way more interested in it now for sure, mostly because the celebrities I’m into these days put a lot of effort when it comes to their style; so it makes me more aware of the trends that come and go, as well.

Do you think you’ll eventually find that special someone?  I’m keeping it as a possibility, but it’s not a priority for me now.

Do you care what people think?  To an extent, I would say. My life doesn’t depend on it, though.

Is acting something you enjoy?  Never been.

What was the last thing you broke/sprained?  Do you mean a thing or a body part? Anyway, I’ll answer both. The last thing I broke was my BTS Mic Drop pen of V looooooooooool the figurine came off the pen :(( It was pretty cheap though so I’m fine with it; I can always get another one. Last body part I sprained was my ankle, when I had a bad fall a couple of years ago.

Have you ever fought with a friend because of their boyfriend/girlfriend? Because of yours?  Either hasn’t happened.

Has a stranger ever yelled at you for your language?  I don’t think so.

Whose house, other than yours and your families', are you most comfortable at?  Angela’s. Also JM’s, just because their family doesn’t hover and that vibe can sometimes be nice whenever I’m at someone else’s place.

Has any of your friends’ family ever yelled at you?  Never.

Did you ever play a sport as a little kid? Did you enjoy it? Not as a very young kid, but I took up table tennis starting when I was 12. Did you ever watch the show Full House?  Nope.

Is there a celebrity you are just DETERMINED to marry?  Now that’s just delusional haha. I’m pretty obsessed with some celebrities, that much I can admit; but thinking of them in the context of marriage is so many steps overboard.

Have you ever burned someone’s picture?  No. I could, but I am scared of fire and will probably just think of other ways to express my anger, like tearing up the photograph. What’s the longest hike you’ve ever been on?  Total length was probably like 3 hours. I haven’t gone too far when it comes to hiking.

Would you ever get a lip tattoo?  Not interested.

Who is the first person of the opposite sex that pops into your head? Hans.

Do your parents smoke cigarettes?  My mom tried it once in her life, I think. My dad has never smoked.

What does one of your T-shirts have written on it?  “Hope right here!”

Name a pet you definitely wouldn’t want.  Anything that’s supposed to roam freely in the wild, like squirrels.

Would you prefer your partner smaller or taller?  Taller, since I’m already quite pint-sized to begin with lol.

Do you enjoy going through old pictures? Sometimes. Other times, it's too painful. It also depends on the era of the pictures. < Agree, especially with the eras. Childhood photos are always fun to look at, but I have had to delete a CHUNK of photos from years ranging from 2014 to 2020 because I’ve lost a handful of friends from that period.

Do you believe people when they say they don’t judge people?  It’s hard to for the most part, but I’ve noticed very few people people really don’t. Most of the time it’s bullshit though.

What did you love the most about the town you grew up in?  That it’s pretty close to the metro.

What’s a movie that you laughed the hardest during?  Hmm, I prefer TV shows if I’m craving comedy.

What’s a movie you cried the hardest during?  Life Is Beautiful.

What’s your favorite restaurant?  Omakase for my sushi fix; School Tteokbokki if I want Korean; Yabu if I’m looking for a generous rice meal.

Is there a dessert you don’t like?  Anything with fruits.

Favorite album?  After Laughter by Paramore.

What’s a book that you read because everyone else was reading it?  I can name authors instead of books – John Green and Haruki Murakami.

Underwater or outer space?  Outer space.

Dogs or cats?  Dogs.

Kittens or puppies?  Puppies.

Bird watching or whale watching?  Whale watching. I don’t get to be in the water as much, so I would jump at the opportunity.

What is your spirit animal?  I dunno if I have one but let’s just go with dog and elephant, I guess? They’re my favorites.

What was your best subject in school?  History.

What was your worst subject in school?  Chemistry.

What is one thing you wish you knew in high school?  Don’t waste your time.

Who is your fashion icon?  Audrey Hepburn.

Diamonds or pearls?  Diamonds.

What color dress did you wear to prom?  For my own prom it was cream-colored/beige. When I went to Mike’s ball, I went with a royal blue gown.

What’s your favorite plot-twist?  I don’t think I’ve found my favorite yet.

Honestly, are you jealous of someone right now?  Not actively.

Honestly, what’s the worst thing you’ve done when you were mad?  I dunno...road rage, maybe?

Honestly, ever made anyone cry when you were mad?  It’s very likely.

Honestly, when was the last time you REALLY cried your heart out?  Sometime in the last week.

Ever pop someone else’s pimple? No thanks.

Do you need to return anyone’s phone call?  Nope.

Who are you closest to?  Angela.

Have you ever had a bad concert experience?  No, all the ones I’ve been to have been amazing experiences.

Are you currently sad about anything?  Not really. I can’t complain.

Have you had any form of exercise today?  Nah.

Can you handle blood?  Nope, I will feel faint if I see it 100%.

Has any place hired you underage for a job?  No.

Have you ever carried a concealed weapon?  I haven’t.

Are you currently searching for a job?  No, I like the one I have.

Does eating breakfast make you sick?  No?

[thatringboy]

The Day Before Halloween - Supernerds

I had some people ask me how Matrix became a superhero so I decided to write out part of his origin story! Also, last name reveals for Oliver and Matty

Word Count: 2,306

Warnings: Blood mention

Matthew Oeste was a superhero, but not a usual one.

He had no flashy powers, striking physique, booming voice, nothing that would make him stand out. He learned from a young age that firewalls on the internet didn’t apply to him. Passwords? Nonexistent. He had the entire digital world at his fingertips and he could control it all with a thought.

Matthew didn’t ever plan on becoming a hero. He kept his head down, helped his parents around their bodega, got good grades and lived a normal life. He refused to cut his hair when it started growing down his back, went to prom with a pretty girl, got a scholarship for a two year degree at a local university and floated through life without many problems. With his powers, Matthew could easily rise to the top of the advertising and marketing world, being able to monitor trends all across the globe at once.

His parents always told him that the hardest part was not changing things. It was a cheesy line that they had stolen from some superhero movie, but Matthew thought about it often. Every time he checked his phone, he could feel his mind wanting to slip within the cyberspace and roam around, so he learned not to. Even if the digital world was usually much more interesting than his real life.

For the most part, Matthew’s life was also superhero-free. Sure, there was the resident team of superhumans that lived in the city, but the young man was never swept up in a battle that flattened city blocks, he didn’t participate in online forums about which hero was the coolest, he didn’t pay attention to which villains got arrested and which escaped prison. For the most part.

There was one incident in his childhood that always popped up in the back of his mind from time to time. He was either nine or ten, it was October 30th, he had just walked home from fourth grade and was thinking about how Mama and Papai had saved up enough money to get him a brand new superhero costume for Halloween. This year, little Matthew was going as “Cyclone”, the resident leader of the city’s heroes who enforced justice with his magnificent wind powers.

He had skipped into the Oeste’s corner shop with such a wide smile, happy to show his parents how well he had drawn himself in his costume. It was a very excellent stick figure, his teacher had said, the best she had ever seen. He was a little worried about telling his parents about how he broke two hair ties during recess, but he had also found two whole dollars on the street that could go towards paying for more. He was a big boy, a freaking fourth grader already! He could pay for his own dang hair ties!

Matthew had waved to the young cashier who’s name he could never remember and immediately went to the backroom so that he could pull out his drawing and get it ready for presentation.

While he worked on smoothing out the paper on the small plastic table he often did his homework on, Matthew heard a noise from the alleyway outside, the only thing separating him from where the dumpsters sat and the bodega’s backroom being a door that was only locked at night. Matthew got up and balled his small fists before stepping over to the door. He had superpowers, he could fight off whatever raccoon or rat was digging around in the trash no problem! 

Would you want to fight a fourth grader who could change the tv channel with a thought? I didn’t think so.

Matthew slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open before jumping out of the doorway with the scariest face he could put on.

Sitting on the street, curled up next to the dumpster was a boy only a couple years older than Matthew, unkempt hair falling in his face and arms wrapped around his frail form. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in over a week.

The younger boy dropped the hero act and ran to his side with a worried face. “Hey, are you okay?”

The older boy flinched and tried to scoot away from the child approaching him, but just pressed further into the dumpster. His clothing smelled of sewage and he had a blood stain on his cheek. Whether it was his blood or someone else's, Matthew couldn’t tell.

The younger boy thought for a second before digging the two dollars out of his pocket. “Wait here!”

He ran back inside and slapped the crumpled bills onto the bodega counter. “How much food can I buy with this?”

The teenager working the cash register gave the little boy a smile before pointing to a bag of chips on one of the shelves. “Two bucks can get ya one of those.”

It would have to do. Matthew grabbed the back and ran back to the backroom before locating a towel and wetting it in the backroom’s sink. He jogged back outside to see the older boy hadn’t moved at all, his breathing was slow and labored.

“I got you some chips! I would have gotten you some clothes, but mine are all too small for you. Sorry.” He offered the bag to the starving boy.

The older boy snatched it from Matthew’s fingers and tore it open before shoveling the bbq potato chips into his mouth with such ferocity that Matthew was impressed that he didn’t hurt himself.

As he ate, Matthew got a chance to rub the damp towel across his cheek like his own Mama would when he scraped his skin if he fell. The blood came away and luckily, it wasn’t from a wound. Well, lucky for the boy, not for whoever the blood belonged to.

“I’m Matthew, what’s your name? Do you go to school around here? Do you need my Papai to call your’s?”

The older boy didn’t answer him, opting to dig his fingertips into the chip bag to scoop up the crumbs. As Matthew worked, he ended up shifting the old jacket the older boy wore and noticed that he wore a faded orange uniform underneath it. Printed on his breast pocket was a single word and some numbers that Matthew didn’t understand.

[CHAVEZ #10824006]

“Is your name ‘Chavez’? That’s a funny name, my substitute teacher was named Mr. Chavez today, but you two don’t look alike.” Matthew continued to wipe the blood away. He had watched enough Fast N Furious movies with his parents to know that the uniform belonged to a prison, but why would a little boy be wearing one?

Chavez crumbled up the bag and tossed it aside before slowly getting to his feet, his worn sneakers digging into the pavement. He was over a head taller than Matthew when he stood up straight.

“Thank you.” He whispered to Matthew.

The younger boy opened his mouth to say something, but he heard his mother call his name from inside the bodega. 

He spun around and cupped his mouth with his hands. “I’m out here, Mama!”

She appeared in the doorway and looked around the alleyway behind her son. “Meu filho, were you feeding the street animals again?”

“Huh?” Matthew turned around and the older boy was gone, the balled up chip bag discarded on the ground.

Matthew still went trick-or-treating in his new costume after that, but he threw his drawing away and never wore the costume again. For the next week, the little boy had nightmares about the boy named Chavez in the dirty prison uniform, but he could never figure out why. After that day, Matthew stopped paying attention to superhero news, stopped drawing himself as a hero and stopped making up scenarios in his head where he used his powers to throw bad guys in jail. If locking up kids like Chavez was part of the heroing job, then he wanted no part of it.

It wasn’t until he was all grown up, almost twelve full years later, that Matty looked into what happened to Chavez after that fateful meeting behind his bodega. 

He was lounging in bed with Oliver after working out together and neither had the energy to do anything else for the day after they had showered. Oliver was reading a book with half of his body laying against Matty’s, his head leaning against the younger’s shoulder like he was a human pillow.

Matty had his phone in one hand and the other was tangled in Oliver’s hair, slowly petting the supervillain like he was a large dog lying on him.

“Hey, Ollie?”

“Hmm?” Oliver shifted so he could turn his head and look at his lover, setting his book down on his chest.

“What’s your last name?”

The supervillain pressed a small kiss to Matty’s jaw. “Why d’ya need to know?”

“You wanted help in finding what tribe you’re from, right? If I plug your family name into a database then the search could be easier.”

“Aight,” Oliver went back to his original position and pulled his book back up. “Chavez, Oliver Chavez.”

A common name, but it was a start. Matty gripped his phone and shut his eyes, his head falling back onto the pillow as he let his mind sink into the small device. He couldn’t actually see anything in this mode, but Matty could visualize a keyboard and a search engine appearing before him.

He didn’t have to move a muscle before his lover’s name appeared in the search bar and his mind dove deeper into the internet. But before he could move to plant the name into an ancestry tracking site, a news article from twelve years ago caught his interest. Matty willed the article forward to read the title.

NATIVE AMERICAN SUPERHUMAN FOUND GUILTY OF CITY-WIDE BLACKOUT & DEATH OF MAYOR

Oliver Chavez, an undocumented superhuman from the Docks District, has been charged with the murder of the late Mayor Murbenks on Tuesday, October 21st.

The image the article used of Oliver Chavez was hidden under several paragraphs describing how a superhuman with electric powers caused a city-wide power outage during when the old mayor was getting his heart operated on. The picture of the superhuman in question showed that Oliver Chavez was a young boy wearing a scared expression on his eerily familiar face.

The memory of the day behind the bodega flooded into Matty’s mind and jerked him back into his body, the feeling of his lover reading on his chest grounding him when his heart beat faster with the rage boiling inside of him.

Not once did the article mention the boy’s age. All the article spoke about was how the boy used his powers to overload the circuits in the power plants and caused power to go out in the entire city. Oliver Chavez was thirteen and all the article spoke about was that he was a Native American who grew up in the foster system and was from a poorer district of the city.

Matty opened his eyes and leaned over to press a kiss to Oliver’s hair, causing the older man to hum softly as he turned the page of his book. “That was quick, what'd ya find?”

“Found out that I was hungry, that’s what. Mind moving, big guy?”

Oliver grunted and groaned as he sat up, his muscles sore from his work out, but happy to let his partner slide out of bed and make his way to the door.

Matty took his time walking to the lair cafeteria and picking up two backs of bbq potato chips before heading back to Oliver’s bedroom and sliding back into his original spot, smiling when Oliver sat back up to let him back in.

The ex-hero dropped one of the bags onto Oliver’s chest and pulled open his own. “There ya go, Chavez.”

Oliver frowned and moved the bag out of his line of sight. “I didn’t ask for anything.”

Matty sighed and popped a chip into his mouth. “Funny, you didn’t ask for anything the first time I gave you some chips either. You just said ‘thank you’ like a polite little boy.”

The supervillain closed his book and set it aside, sitting up and twisting to make a confused face at his lover. “When did this happen? Am I forgetting something?”

The ex-hero snorted and gave his boyfriend a loving smile. “You don’t remember? Day before Halloween, a little over a decade ago, Chavez No.10824006? A little Portuguese kid giving you some food and cleaning you off?”

Matty watched as Oliver clearly raked his mind for the memory and how his eyes slowly widened in realization. “Holy shit, the little fucker in the stupid jacket was you?!”

“Hey, my Mama got me that jacket!” Matty pouted.

He let out a noise as Oliver’s large arms wrapped around him and he felt the weight of his lover fall on his chest. “Damn, I guess you’ve really been saving me since day fucking one.”

Matty hummed and kissed the top of Oliver’s head again with another smile. “I guess I am. But truth be told, your last name is kinda boring.”

Oliver lifted his head up with a cocked eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

“Mhm, I think you’d do much better with mine instead.”

It took the supervillain a hot minute to run what Matty had said through his brain. When he did, Matty relished in the way his face burned and how he pushed his face into the ex-hero’s chest with a whine. “Matty-y-y-y, you fucking ughmmnm, that was smooth as hell.”

“I know.” He kissed Oliver’s hair again and attempted to pull his arm out of the embrace so he could grab his chips and pop them into his mouth with a satisfying crunch.

[thenamesseven]

Warnings: A bit of swearing but surprisingly, nothing more!

Word count: 5.0k....Yuuup, long update!

A/N:  Uuh so yeah, this is literal proof that I’m kind of a sucker for soft Chan xD

“Here” 

Still with your eyes closed you frowned, the voice reaching your ears wasn’t Jeonghan’s anymore. It sounded more gentle, softer and definitely not threatening like his had been. Did you finally die? If not, who was here with you then?

“Oh God there is so much blood” Wait. Blood? You weren’t dead for sure then. Suddenly, the pain of somebody pressing down onto a recent wound shocked your body, stealing a scream from your throat. “Shit, shit, I’m sorry” The stranger apologized, pressing onto it softer and instead of using his own hands, he used some kind of cloth which definitely was better than before. “(Y/N)? (Y/N)?”

You were about to respond to him when everything turned black once again.

Hours later, Chan was starting to doze off on his armchair, he had placed you down onto his bed and covered your naked body with some bed sheets so nobody would disrespect your intimacy if one of his brothers decided to walk into his room without knocking first. The wound Jeonghan had made onto your neck had stopped bleeding, it would definitely leave a scar but it wouldn’t turn into something you wouldn’t be able to hide without make up. Your figure looked weak yet delicate laying there, totally defenseless if he wasn’t there watching you, Chan sighed to himself truly confused with his own feelings.

He knew, deep down, that this wasn't your fault. You weren’t the one who turned them into the monsters they turned thanks to the curse but some of his brothers were right when they said controlling their most animalistic instincts with you around was way too difficult, almost impossible. He could feel it, how the simple act of you laying there on his bed, would get onto his nerves if he stopped resisting. He needed to be careful, the moment he relaxed you could be in great danger.

“This is tiring” He muttered quietly, rubbing his own eyes. Vampires didn’t need to sleep as much as humans did but he definitely felt sleepy since he was bored out of his mind. 

Boredom quickly slipped away when you stirred awake under his covers.

Truly disoriented, not even knowing if you were alive anymore, you opened your eyes and looked around the room. It looked similar to yours but the dark blue walls gave away that the room you were in didn’t belong to you. However, all visual exploring came to an end when your eyes landed on the young man sitting on the armchair across the room. Chan, wasn’t it? If you remember correctly he was the youngest one out of the thirteen brothers.

You attempted to sit up and move back onto the bed, willing to put as much space as you could from him but your plan failed when you realized you were totally naked under the covers. Your eyes went up to look at him and then back down to the blanket you so tightly kept pressed against your chest, hiding some of your decency.

Chan observed you quietly in awe, feeling the strongest deja vu ever. It was as if he had managed to travel back in time to that night.

After managing to escape out of the cabin without somebody noticing, Chan had made his way into her room, crawling through the slightly opened window. He appreciated it because it was kind of an easy way in but it also made him frown, it wouldn’t be safe for her to sleep like that, if he could make his way into the room then somebody else could do the same for sure.

Despite him willing to surprise her, Chan was the one who ended up being surprised when he saw her naked back uncovered by the bed sheets. Did she sleep naked? His cheeks heated up incredibly as he purposefully started to clear his throat and make some noise in order to wake her up. He was simply too shy to approach her if she was naked under those covers.

She, not expecting any visits that night, jumped startled from the bed as soon as she heard some noise, ready to attack whoever thought it would be a great idea to break into her room while she was sleeping but, as soon as her eyes landed on her boyfriend, her hands flew back onto the bed and grabbed a blanket to cover herself.

The situation wasn’t the same of course. Chan knew that happened hundreds of years ago and that you and her weren’t the same person but it was the way your cheeks turned red as soon as his eyes landed on your naked form, the way you had looked so young and innocent that had made Chan think he was back with his lover once again.

You had her youth, he could feel it and that was definitely making the curse be a little stronger.

“I mean no harm” He voiced out, breaking the silence between the two of you as he raised his hands up in surrender. “And Jeonghan is under control now, I apologize for that”

You didn’t know what to do at this point. Your head was spinning with confusion and fear because now, after what had happened with Jeonghan you didn’t know if it would be wise to take the risk with another brother. Chan didn’t look life threatening but you never knew what this guys hid under their sleeves. 

Not even feeling brave enough to speak, you simply shrugged at his words not breaking the eye contact so he would know you were listening to him.

“Uhm” Chan was visibly uncomfortable by your choice of silent treatment. He understood you were probably fed up with all of them but he would seriously have some struggles to deal with this situation if you wouldn’t even speak to him. “I also took care of the wound on your neck, you lost a lot of blood so” Standing up, he saw you tensing a little by the corner of his eyes, probably getting ready to try to leave if he decided to attack you “Jihoon prepared some food after hearing what happened, Seungkwan gave me some clean clothes you would probably like to use”

“Jihoon and Seungkwan?” Your voice slipped past your lips before you could stop it, Chan couldn’t help but smile a little when he heard the surprise in your tone.

“I know, I was as surprised as you when they came to help” He muttered, picking up the tray that held a plate of soup, some bread and a cup of water “But I guess their conscience is eating them alive and they somehow want to make amends with you without facing the real problem”

“Good luck with that” You scoffed, eyeing suspiciously the tray he placed at the end of the bed before coming back to his armchair.

“That’s what I said” Chan replied shrugging, looking at you from his spot.

You kind of appreciated the fact that he was keeping his distance in order to not make you feel uncomfortable, Minghao had also done the same when the two of you spent some time together and luckily Chan seemed to have learnt a couple of useful things from his older brother.

“So Chan, huh?” You asked, reaching out to get the glass of water and have a sip. He nodded at the sound of his name “What’s it going to be now? Burn me to death? Choke me? Obviously after biting me, that seems to be a trend here that I wasn’t informed of”

“I’m not here to kill you” Chan sighed, he saw it in your eyes how you’ve listened to the same words before finding out it was a mere lie, words without a real meaning “I’ll try not to kill you” He added. Now his choice of words only made your curiosity stronger.

“Try?” You asked arching one of your eyebrows, genuinely confused as to why he would say that. Just what had you done to him that he would dislike you enough to kill you?

“It’s the curse thing, I irrationally have this need to kill you even when you’ve done nothing bad to me” Chan explained, believing somebody else had took the time and went through the trouble of explaining everything from the very beginning to you. “I can control myself though, it is hard and tiring but I won’t lose control like others”

“Dude what?”

Chan and you looked into each other’s eyes for some brief seconds, realization dawning onto him that none of his brothers, at least the ones you’ve met so far, had explain everything to you. His body tensed up a little and eye contact was quickly broken as he started fidgeting with his hoodie.

“Uh, I think you should eat before it gets cold” He said, changing the subject before you could ask any more questions about it “You should also put on some clothes” Chan stood up and turned around, giving you the privacy you needed to change.

After that it was just silence, not the awkward one that made everybody feel uncomfortable but that comfortable silence that relaxed your nerves and allowed you to enjoy a warm plate of soup. Jihoon turned out to be a surprisingly good cook, or at least, he was good at cooking soup.

Apart from murdering people. Duh.

The silence might not have been uncomfortable for you but when two hours passed and the only thing you’ve done was sit there and look down at your hands as they fidgeted with the bed sheets, Chan started getting slightly nervous. He wasn’t a huge fan of silent interactions and the situation was slowly creeping onto his nerves. 

“Want to get some fresh air? The garden looks kind of nice at this time”

You looked at him surprised by the sudden offert, torn between believing he would truly take you to the garden or not knowing if he simply wanted to mess around with you. After all, this could be one of his tricks to take you to God knows where so he could torture you and finally end your life. 

At this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Chan turned out to be the most aggressive of them all.

“I mean, you can stay in the room if you don’t feel like it” Chan muttered softly, seeing you really were struggling to believe him “I wouldn’t recommend wandering around alone though since Jeonghan is still trying to…” He cleared his throat, moving his eyes away from yours for some brief seconds “He is still trying to relax” Looking back at you, he stood up from his chair once again “But I thought you might want to get some fresh air, I’m sure you didn’t have the chance to get some after all this….Happened”  

You didn’t want to take the risk of Jeonghan getting out of control and finding you in this room all by yourself, you didn’t even know if Chan would be strong enough to protect you if he came back or if he would even try to protect you if that happened but being little genuine you, you decided to give the poor guy a break and give him a chance.

“I did hung out with Minghao at the garden before” You muttered standing up from the bed, seeing the way the corners of his lips tilted up a little when you agreed to go with him.

“But it looks way better at night, come on, I’ll show you”

Chan was acting on pure instinct right in that moment and he had reached a point where it was too hard to distinguish the past from the present. You obviously weren’t the girl he fell in love with and this wasn’t the most ideal situation for stupidly cute dates but when Chan spotted you in the corridor with Minghao that day, the butterflies he once felt when he was still human came back taming any negative feelings the curse might make him feel. That’s when he knew Minghao was right, hatred could be defeated even if it was only for the little time he would spend besides you before one of the other brothers snatched you away but even when that happens, he would still linger around to make sure you’re okay.

You were precious. 

Someone who could make him feel human again.

Someone to cherish.

Unconsciously, he reached out and grabbed your hand gently, pulling it softly to guide you all the way back to the hall. You don’t know why but, despite you not wanting to be touched by them anymore, you found yourself unable to move your hand away from his. Maybe it was the way his smile didn’t seem to leave his lips since you had agreed to go on this little adventure with him, maybe it was because Chan looked innocent and not someone who had bad intentions...Whatever it was, it definitely worked on you and you could only watch his back as he guided you out of his room.

You were about to say something when he turned around and as his cute giggle reached your ears, you watched how he placed one of his fingers onto his closed lips in order to silently tell you to keep quiet.

“I could get in big trouble if they found out I took you outside” He whispered with a small smile, seeing your confused expression “You know, since you want to escape and all that” He added chuckling.

Surprisingly, you smiled too. Chan’s happiness was contagious and that was a huge problem for you, how could you keep yourself all mad and serious when your company was so...Cute and young? Could vampires be cute? You didn’t know Chan’s exact age but by the way he was behaving you could guess he was around those teenage years in which we all think we’re extremely cool and mighty, those years when we all do stuff behind our parents back and sneak to places where we shouldn’t be. This guy had that giddiness, that innocent adrenaline that despite your horrible situation, was managing to steal smile after smile from your lips.

“How do you know I won’t escape?” You asked as quietly as you could when he started guiding you down the hall still with your hand in his.

Chan stopped walking for a second and your smile couldn’t help but get bigger when you realized he hadn’t thought about it. He stood there silently before he turned around to face you “I decided to trust you since you decided to trust me”

“Fair enough”

“Besides, the guys would kill me if I let you escape” Chan said with a sarcastic scoff “And you’ve seen how aggressive some of the can be”

Not only you’ve seen it but you’ve also experienced it which was way worse but you decided to keep your words to yourself since he kept pulling your hand around, taking different turns here and there in order to avoid any possible encounter with one of his brothers. Honestly, you were kind of amazed by how big the house seemed to be and unfortunately, you’ve not encountered any door that could lead outside, Chan was probably avoiding it, sure he was being all nice and sweet but he wasn’t stupid and he probably didn’t want to get in trouble.

“Then-”

Unexpectedly, Chan pulled your hand back so strong that you thought you would hit the wall again but with his supernatural speed he positioned himself between the wall and you to trap you in his arms. You lowkey started panicking, already trying to wiggle your way out of his hold but Chan raised his head to look into your eyes seriously, shaking his head. For some reason, you obeyed him, standing still in his arms before new voices got closer.

“Thanks god Jeonghan didn’t do it, the poor girl doesn’t deserve this” Somebody said, steps getting closer to Chan and you.

“Well you know how things are Joshua, we all have struggles” Another voice joined in, Chan pressed you harder against him in order to hide you.

“I can’t wait to meet her myself though!”

“Let’s just hope you don’t overwhelm her with your excitement Soonyoung”

You stopped focusing on the conversation when your eyes landed on Chan’s again. He wasn’t listening to his brothers, he had gotten lost in your eyes the moment he pressed your soft and delicate body against his and felt your heart beating. The young vampire’s breathing faltered when your heart sped up, you didn’t look terrified in his arms so he was guessing you were feeling the same pull as he did.

“I’m so glad you’re alive…” He whispered, hand unconsciously reaching out to brush some strands of your hair away from your face “God, I missed this so much” 

There was no point in trying to distinguish what happened in the past from what was happening right now, you weren’t the same girl but you were obviously his second chance at love and that made him feel so….Furious. As soon as Chan was starting to realize his feelings the curse kicked in and what felt like butterflies and fluffiness felt now as cold as painful as it could, it could get dreadful, it could get so awful that he would get the need to kill you in order to stop it.

Chan moved away from you as if you had burnt him. You found yourself frowning, almost willing to reach out to him to bring him back, his presence had felt so warm and comforting for a second that you didn’t want it to end. Little did you know that he had moved away for your own good, Chan was fighting the inevitable, he really did want to show everybody they would be able to have you around without killing you.

“Let’s go” He said, sounding strained, hoarse “The garden is over there”

If he would have looked at you, the sight of red eyes and pointy fangs would have met you but Chan kept his back to you the rest of the way to the garden. He had gotten awfully quiet, the giggly guy that had sneaked his way out of the house with you was nowhere to be found, you wanted to ask if he was okay, if you had done something that had offended him but you didn’t want to overstep.

He seemed to want some space and that’s what you would give him.

You were quickly distracted with the view of theplace at night,it was exactly as Minghao and you left it and fortunately there was nobody else outside so Chan and you could be there without having to worry about anything. Since Chan didn’t seem to be too interested in interacting with you anymore, you took your time to check your surroundings, breathing in the so welcome fresh air the night brought to you.

Flowers surrounded you, some of there were closed since the sun wasn’t up anymore but some of them had beautifully bloomed as soon as the moon made her appearance. The scent of each flower had mixed into this floral soft perfume that got just a little stronger whenever the soft breeze blew, the only light source you two had outside were the moon and the stars, nothing else and it honestly made everything so perfect, so ethereal that you thought you were dreaming about this for a moment. Chan was definitely right, the garden at night had nothing to do with the garden you saw with Minghao when the sun was still up. 

Willing to enjoy this moment, you sat down on the grass, shivering softly when your hands touched the cold herb which also was slightly wet since the air was a bit humid but that was no problem at all, you’ve spent so much time locked in that house, running from one room to another, that the least of your problems was catching a cold.

“Will my blood taste different if I get sick?” 

Your question caught Chan totally off guard, he had been staring at some Moonflowers, calming himself down so he could get closer to you once again.  He quickly guessed what you were thinking about and the smile you had been weirdly missing all this time, came back up to his lips as he took one of the flowers and handed it to you.

“Nope, you’ll still smell and taste as delicious as you do right now” He replied honestly, there was no way in wording this differently. You were stunning and smelled delicious, Chan could slightly understand why Jeonghan could have lost his mind as soon as he tasted your blood.

“Thanks, I guess?” You said a bit unsure of how to react to that

“Are you cold though?” He was taking his jacket off before you could say no and Chan placed it on your shoulders before you could complain about it “I don’t get cold, I just wear this because you know...The outfit” He admitted feeling kind of shy, taking a seat besides you.

You smiled at his shyness before replying to his question “I just have this small headache, it probably is because I didn’t get too much rest since I got here” 

“If it gets worse just ask one of us, we’ll give you some blood” Chan realized what he said before he shook his own head, looking down at his own hands “You probably don’t want that, it’s just what we’re used to”

“Yeah I’ll decline it for now but thanks though” You said politely, not willing to be rude with him. After all Chan was one of the most decent people you’ve encountered here.

The two of you stayed silent but this time Chan didn’t feel uncomfortable anymore. He found your presence comforting, warm...You were giving him something his brothers could never give him by only sitting besides him and he truly appreciated that. His eyes curiously followed your figure as you laid down onto the grass, eyes glued to the sky even when you felt his eyes on you the whole time, you were guessing he didn’t know it was making you slightly shy since he probably didn’t have the chance to have many vampire-human interactions.

“Did you want to kill me before?” You asked removing your eyes from the stars to watch him.

Chan looked visibly guilty at your question, you knew the answer before he spoke “Yes” He voiced out quietly, afraid it would make you run away.

“But you didn’t” You thought out loud

“Why would I do it?” He asked laying on his side, head kept up by his hand so he could keep looking down at you. The proximity was making your heart beat faster, Chand could hear it and if he would have still been alive, his heart would have been beating as fast as yours. Or even faster.

“I don’t know, ask your brothers” You shrugged feeling slightly frustrated and depressed, nobody seemed to really get what you were going through and it was all becoming really tiring.

“They really didn’t mean to do that, trust me when I say this” He reached down and grabbed one of your hands “Nobody in their right mind would want to hurt you” Maybe it was the soft tone in his voice or because he was looking at you as if you were the best thing that had ever happened to him but tears started filling your eyes, inevitably rolling down your cheeks.

“I guess most of the people in this house are crazy” You replied shrugging, looking away from him.

Chan reached out gently and turned your head again so you would be making eye contact with him “We are crazy but it’s all because of you (Y/N)” His thumb brushed your cheek, getting rid of some salty tears that were making their way down to your neck. “Who wouldn’t lose their head over someone so beautiful?” He asked, hearing how your heart skipped a beat “So precious?” Chan’s thumb moved again but this time he brushed it over your lips, making your breath become a little shaky “So youthful (Y/N)...”

You were totally speechless at this point, you could feel yourself being more and more hypnotized by Chan’s low tone and gentle touch, you’ve been craving non aggressive interaction so much that you could never push him away from you.

“Stop me if you don’t want this” His forehead was against yours, his breath fanning your lips as you looked into each other’s eyes. “God I’m so lucky to have you here right now...You don’t realize it” He whispered again, taking your silence as permission.

Chan leaned closer to you, pressing a soft kiss against your lips. Your heart could literally explode at this point, you could feel it pounding against your ribcage while he kept himself as close to you as he could without making you feel uncomfortable. When you didn’t push him away, Chan moved his lips against yours once again and you, surprisingly, found yourself returning the kiss.

Oh, he’s never been happier.

Tempting his luck, Chan tilted his head in order to deepen the kiss and he’s dead heart fluttered when you sweetly returned the kiss once again. 

But all good things come to an end and right when you were about to wrap your arms around him, Chan felt the pang of pain in his chest. He froze in his spot, eyes closing tightly as he groaned in pain.

“Chan?” You asked, instantly moving your hands away from him, thinking you had hurt him somehow “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” You asked looking at him concerned

“We can’t...I need to stop” He was physically in pain from resisting the urge to choke you underneath him or to suck you dry until there wasn’t any blood left for your heart to pump. Chan wanted to show everyone else he could fight it, they needed to fight it.

“I-It’s fine, I….Is there anything I can do for you?” You asked worried, watching how his eyes had turned red when he attempted to blink.

“Fuck this hurts” Chan whispered, he seemed to be in so much pain that it hurt you, he was going through this because of you and for a second, you started to blame yourself for everything. What if they were right? What if the reason of their behaviour was truly you?

“Bite me”

He gasped, throat closing in a mix of surprise and need. Chan wanted to bite you, god he had been willing to sunk his fangs into you as soon as he saw you but he wasn’t sure if he would truly be able to control himself once your blood touched his tongue.

“I can’t” He denied, nose buried in your neck.

“Chan bite me” You said again, hands on his back to caress his tense muscles “It’ll be okay, I trust you”

Chan didn’t need anymore words.

After leaving a gentle kiss on your neck, he tried to bite you as softly as he could to avoid as much pain as possible. The feeling still sting and the sound of your skin breaking under his fangs still made you kind of dizzy but he was being gentle and you couldn’t help but appreciate that.

With your eyes closed, you heard him groan in satisfaction as soon as your blood started coming out of your body to his mouth, his body instantly relaxing in your arms. You started praying to whatever God was up there that he would stop, that he wouldn’t break your trust like most of the brothers had done so far.

And God himself must had heard you, because as soon as Chan felt the pain vanish he pulled away from you.

He was breathless, the need to keep sucking was still there in the back of his mind because everyone was right, you were delicious, a masterpiece and that’s why he had to be extra careful. The need to protect you and care for you came back stronger than ever though and Chan found himself licking the wound to heal it and leaving soft caring kisses on your neck to show you some appreciation.

“Thank you” He whispered, body flat on yours, lowkey crushing you under his weight “That was...That meant a lot to me”

“Are you feeling better?” You didn’t know where all this irrational worry was coming from but your heart ache at the thought of seeing Chan in so much pain again.

“So selfless” He whispered leaning back enough to look into your eyes “So God damn beautiful” Chan couldn’t help but smile when he saw a faint blush forming on your cheeks, he had managed to make his way into your heart and he couldn’t be more proud of himself at the moment “Are you alright? You look a bit pale” He asked caressing your cheek.

“Just a little dizzy” You admitted with a small smile, in fact, you were incredibly dizzy and weak, probably because of how much blood you’ve lost so far but you couldn’t just worry him more.

“Let’s take care of you” He muttered standing up and picking you up in his arms, keeping your body close to his chest “Let’s get some food for you and take you to my bed, I’ll make sure you get the rest you need”

And after leaving the softest, most gentle kiss on your forehead Chan walked back into the mansion with you in his arms.

But something had changed tonight. You could feel it.

Changes were coming your way.

Really big changes.

[unmanageable-day]

By your side | 07

previously ➺ 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | intermezzo 01 - 02 | 06 | intermezzo |

Jung Jaehyun was not always seen as a confident guy. He can only be cocky when he was with his circle of friends, which you were clearly not excluded. Yet. This was the perfect time for Jungkook and Sia to prove their loyalty to their dear friend in need. To boost the best friend's confidence, Jungkook and Sia were actively brainstorming to find the most effective way in the most natural state possible to be integrated in Jaehyun's effort to get closer to you. This had been mainly his strategy as well—after intensely consulting with Minhyuk and Naeun and basically following their advice; start from being friends. More like, very close friends. Jaehyun knew he couldn't do it alone. That was why he kind of begged Jungkook to help him, which he and Sia gladly agreed to do so. And actually this couple had more ideas way than Jaehyun did.

Today was an example, which Jungkook successfully dragged you out to accompany him having brunch with a lame excuse saying Sia had some errands to run and would join later. Sia never came. Instead, there were Jaehyun and some dudes called Yugyeom and Mingyu joining them.

"Dude, you don't need me anymore. You have your dudes here," you snapped at Jungkook, not really care about your image anymore.

"My dudes are your dudes too, you know?" He innocently grinned, looking at you and your squinting eyes.

Jaehyun smiled at you and Jungkook bickering non-stop, practically ignoring the other 3 guys. He liked this side of you. It felt more natural, genuine, and strangely it exuded a warm personality. There was definitely summer inside covered by a windy, cold winter.

"Jaehyun, I'm craving fried chicken in your neighborhood. Let's go to your house and have it delivered there. Haechan is not home yet, right?" Mingyu suggested.

You became more alert when the guys started planning something else. This should be your chance to escape and go back to your house, having your sleeping beauty moment.

"Ah, right. I left my jacket too," Jungkook added. "Yeoreum, come with us."

Your eyebrows curled as you couldn't comprehend your bestfriend's mind. "I think it should be 'Yeoreum, do you want to come with us?'"

"You will say no." He knew you better, indeed. "But I'll still take you with me though."

You blinked in confusion.

"Please, do come with us," the house owner spoke up, making you turn to face him. The dimples were on full display. His eyes were actually quivering when you made eye contact. So he kind of looked everywhere. Att you, at his friends. "We're just gonna chill a bit. I promise we'll be quiet. The chicken tastes great, you know? You won't regret it."

Did he just lure me with a freaking fried chicken?

"Yeoreum, come on. We don't take no as an answer." Jungkook stood up as his hand gripped your upper arm, dragging you again for the second time on that day.

Now there you were, sitting on the passenger seat in Jungkook's car with the other 3 giant guys, feeling lost and confused. The trip to Jaehyun's house was mostly filled with this Mingyu guy talking non-stop, while the others responded to him with relatively short answers. At least he was not loud. But still, how can one talks so much? Sometimes you were reminded of Johnny, who you finally could tolerate after weeks of him trying to get close to you. You smiled a little reminiscing those old days.

"What's funny?" asked Jungkook suddenly. He must have caught you smiling like an idiot. "Don't tell me you find Mingyu hilarious."

"What? No. Nothing." You cleared your throat.

Jungkook had to drag you again to enter Jaehyun's house. He sat you on the sofa, turned the TV on for you, and even provided you a pillow to hold. Meanwhile, the guys were all over the fridge checking out what was available. When you thought they will join you in the living room, the plot twist that Jungkook never planned just happened. This was when Yugyeom decided to pass because he got an important call, and Mingyu who was the one suggesting to go to Jaehyun's house had to leave early just when they arrived at the house, leaving the three of you. You didn't even say a proper good bye to Yugyeom and Mingyu.

Jaehyun and Jungkook silently exchanged looks. 'You got this!' Jungkook mouthed to his dude when you were not looking.

You were sitting awkwardly alone on the sofa, trying to not fidget too much.  It was the second time you visited his house. The first time was when Jungkook and Sia, as usual, kidnapped you for a late night movie with Jaehyun too and the other dudes, and ended up in Jaehyun's house, playing games all night long.

"Yeoreum, I'm sorry I have to go. Sia just called."

You abruptly got up. "I'll go with you. You can drop me off at the bus shelter."

"Why don't you stay longer and accompany Jaehyun? He will take you home."

"What? No, I..."

"That would be nice." Jaehyun quickly responded as he locked his eyes on you. "To have a company. I mean until my roommate comes back home," he continued as his sheepish smile appeared.

Jungkook firmly nodded at his same age friend. He pat you on the shoulder before really leaving. You couldn't believe your friend who left you in a man's house all by yourself.

"Just think of this house like the cafe you usually go to on weekends. Unfortunately I don't have tea or cake in this house, except coffee." Jaehyun began to break the silence. At this rate, he was so going to talk about whatever comes to mind. "Chilling at home is still the best, right? I mean, for a homebody like you. Well, it's not your house though. But still, a house instead of cafe, or restaurant, or even shopping center."

"You know, if you never mentioned that you're friends with Jungkook in our first meeting, I wouldn't trust you this much."

He chuckled. You've got a point though.

"I thought you can't stand staying at home and would prefer going out, shopping and everything."

Jaehyun chuckled again as he invited you to sit on the high chairs in the pantry instead of the sofa in the living room. "Yes, you're right actually. But since you're here, I'm good, I guess." He wished his reddening ears were not too obvious. "Let's see what we've got here beside coffee and cola," he sang as he opened the fridge and started scanning the whole compartment. "Lucky you, I've got milk and ice cream."

You were frustrated looking at Jaehyun being lost in the kitchen, trying to find anything else that goes well with milk and ice cream. He was running out of snack yet didn't want to bother going out to the convenience store. Eventually you just had to push him away. After asking for permission, then it was your turn to scan the fridge. Luckily, you found some strawberries and decided to make the hot trend of strawberry milk.

"I saw that in Youtube," he commented with his eyes fixed on the pouring milk onto the glass filled with your homemade strawberry jam.

Before you could respond, a loud, high-pitched voice was heard from the front door, making Jaehyun flinched from his seat. "Jaehyun hyung, I'm home," the younger guy sang, calling 'hyung' non-stop until he found Jaehyun and you in the kitchen. His doe eyes instantly filled with sparks and curiosity, along with his mischievous smile.

"Oh, Haechan, welcome home," Jaehyun greeted him.

"Who is this pretty Noona?" he asked with his cheerful tone, stomping approaching you.

Blushing, you laughed at the way he said pretty noona.

"Haechan, Yeoreum." Jaehyun's hands gestured pointing at you and the pudu-like boy back and forth. "Yeoreum, this cutie is my roommate, Haechan."

"Hi, nice to meet you." You were already being affectionate knowing that he was younger and ready to be babied.

"Wow, our names match very well, Noona. Full sun and summer. How's that?"

You chuckled at how vocal he was. Your eyes can't stop following whatever he did, particularly when he stood in front of the opened fridge, like he was pausing himself to find something he could eat right away. You just had to offer the freshly made strawberry milk, which he joyfully accepted.

"Hyung, can I have a friend come over?"

"Sure." He turned at you. "That's okay with you?"

You shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

"Is he the one from the dance academy?"

"Yes. Oh he's already here."

Soon, Haechan's voice was met by a contrast of a deeper yet firm and fruity voice. You could hear Haechan's friend nagging him over a group chat matter. Both you and Jaehyun smiled listening to their conversation simply because you found them adorable. Their voices got closer to the pantry, so you started preparing another glass of strawberry milk you made for Haechan's friend. Beside you, Jaehyun was being helpful as he cleaned up everything yet still kept you company and talked to you.

"If you're uncomfortable, I can take you home now." He looked concerned. It was supposed to be a chill, quiet, and perhaps a bit romantic home date just the two of you. Earlier that day, he should have ensured that Haechan didn't go home this early.

"It's okay. I think he's nice. His friend should be nice too." You smiled, reassuring him.

"Meet my roommate." You heard Haechan coming. But the one who he was with was definitely a surprise.

"Summer noona, why... what are you doing here?" His face was as shocked as you were.

"Oh, you two know each other?" Haechan asked.

"Sort of.." Mark answered in hesitation, his eyes were still on you.

"Interesting. What kind of mutual relationship do we have here?" Haechan sang innocently. Meanwhile Mark kept glancing at you and Jaehyun, and the little interaction you kept having with him. Jaehyun had been more quiet as it just came to his mind that Mark was one of Johnny's close friends. Of course you would know Mark.

"Jaehyun hyung, remember me? I'm a friend of Johnny, your partner for that night radio program 2 years ago," Mark initiated speaking.

The dimply man showed off his dimples again. He had to control his perfect smile to disguise his sudden insecurity. "Of course."

"How do you know guys know each other?" Mark asked, cautiously looking at you. He tried to read your expression but he failed. He can't tell anything from the signature poker face you were wearing, along with that practiced smiley expression.

"I'm a friend of her bestfriend," Jaehyun answered for you. He noticed you being silent suddenly as Johnny's name was mentioned.

"So now you guys are... friends?" Haechan spoke very brightly. "Or, is it more than friends?" he teased Jaehyun.

"It can't be decided yet," Jaehyun managed to throw a joke to melt the intense microexpression of yours. He also glimpsed at Mark who was staring at you, waiting for your response. "Despite the things we share in common, we still disagree about many things. For example, she's against gopchang which I like the most. How can I be friends with someone who doesn't understand the delicacy of this country?"

"It is disgusting to eat blood," you defended yourself. Jaehyun was finally relieved to have the usual you back.

While you and Jaehyun argued over little teeny tiny things, it was an unfamiliar sight to see for Mark. It was his first time to see you very lively and being vocal to speak your mind even if it was only simple stuff like milk-based drink was better than coffee. Beside him, Haechan kept throwing questions that kept rising a heated yet fun discussion between you and Jaehyun. This time about 16 personalities which you got ISTP and Jaehyun got ESTP. Mark had been silently observing how you and Jaehyun agreed and disagreed about one stuff and another. This Jaehyun guy seemed... compatible for you, he thought. It was interesting for him to see this side of you. To see a new side that probably would never emerge to the surface if you were still with Johnny. Basically you would let Johnny decide everything, making him dominant yet in the sweetest way possible in your relationship. When you were the girlfriend of Johnny Seo, Mark saw you as a calm and graceful, quite reserved, but you still knew how to have fun.

"It's great to see you today, Noona," Mark said before departing. He glimpsed at Jaehyun who was busy washing the dish in the kitchen. "Anyway, I know it's none of my business. But... does Johnny know?"

"About?"

"You and Jaehyun hyung."

You let out a chuckle. "What's with me and Jaehyun?"

"You guys definitely have something."

"Really?” You smiled, pretending to be oblivious. “Well, I believe this is something that I'm not obliged to tell him. Or maybe Mark could tell him for me?"

He quickly shook his head. "I'll let you guys figure things out."

[brieannakeogh]

Dog Days of Summer- Ch 14

Dog Days of Summer- Chris Evans X plus sized reader. Dog days of summer are usually defined as the hottest of the year, some define it as lazy days. This year ‘hottest’ has nothing to do with the outside temp. You meet Chris and Dodger Evans while taking your own dog to the park.

Previous Chapter / Master List

Warnings: No warnings

Chapter 14

It had been a week since Chris left Boston. You had gotten the job you interviewed for and were supposed to start the following week. Life had gone back to what it was before, except for the fact that he did end up video calling you a lot. Always in the morning and at night, sometimes on set when he was bored between scenes. Introduced you to the other actors he was working with, when they inevitably asked him who he called all the time. Your heart still beat wildly when you would hear him say his girlfriend. 

Week two you had started work so he couldn’t call you in the middle of the day. He still texted random thoughts to you, which you responded to on your breaks and at lunch. You thought it would be really hard, but it wasn’t bad. You did your thing, he did his and you met in the middle through smart phone or the computer. Still, you missed his physical presence, but then he would text you a snarky remark to something you sent him or a funny meme and it would be ok again. 

Week three the tabloid hit the shelf. It was quickly picked up by Buzzfeed and forwarded to you by a well meaning coworker, asking if that was you kissing Chris Evans. Quickly going on break, you run to the bathroom and pull out your phone, where you see he had already messaged you about it. A picture of the original tabloid with the caption: “I’m so sorry.”, came in forty-five minutes before. Clicking on the little picture by his name, you wait for the ringing to be answered on the other end. 

“Chris?” You ask when the line was picked up but no one said anything. 

“I...I…” Right away you knew his anxiety was getting to him.

“Chris, it’s ok. Just take a deep breath.” You take a couple of breaths with him. “Are you ok?” 

“Shouldn’t I be asking that of you?” 

“I’m fine. We’ve already talked about this, although I hadn’t seen the response online. I just saw it a few minutes ago and called you.” 

“It’s not bad right now, mostly supportive. I was really worried about how you would react.” He confesses. 

“Don’t worry about me. You’ll still be coming home this weekend won’t you?” 

“Yeah that hasn’t changed.”

“Good. Just do what you have to to finish up and then you can take a break and we’ll come up with a game plan. I’m sure twitter has been bugging you for a response.” 

He chuckles. “I don’t dare get on twitter right now.” 

“We will see each other in a few days and we’ll just play dumb until then, that work?” 

“Ok.” 

“You sound like you feel better.” 

“I do. When you didn’t text me back for almost an hour I just knew it wasn’t going to be good. I really thought you would be freaking out more about this.” 

“Oh I probably will, but being able to focus on you and getting you to calm down helped me to calm down.” You laugh. “I’ll keep my phone turned on vibrate and on my desk so I can see it. That way I won’t miss it if you need me for something.” 

“Sweetheart, you’re just as busy as I am, I don’t want to get you in trouble. Now that I know you’re not freaking out, I’m good.” 

“Still gonna do it. You’re too far away to stop me.” The smirk in your voice coming through. 

“Not for long. I’ll be home soon.” 

“Can’t wait.” 

You say your goodbyes and go back to your desk, ignoring the coworker that sent you the link. Tentatively you type in ‘Chris Evan’s girlfriend’. Images of you and he kissing in front of the car and holding hands assault you. It was more than just the one photo that was linked on Buzzfeed and he had sent you. Different angles, none of them flattering, showing you and he being close and coupley. Clicking on the first link, an online version of the tabloid, you read the short caption. “Chris Evans spotted kissing unknown woman outside of his apartment the morning he left for LA. Couple looked close and more than just a hook-up. Sources say they’ve been seen around the Boston area for weeks, holding hands and looking lovey-dovey. Does Cap have a new girl in his life?” 

That particular site didn’t have a comment section, so you moved on. Hesitating over the Twitter link, you knew it was the best place to look, but also was going to be the most toxic. Steeling yourself you make the most dramatic click of your life and see a few different hashtags trending. Luckily, the most popular hashtag, that was about you, still wasn’t first on the list and it was just a basic #chrisevansgirlfriend. That was fine, that was normal. A few rows down you see one that turns your stomach, #chrischubbychaserevans. You have the perverse urge to click it and spiral into the toxic waste dump that is Twitter on a bad day, but you hold off when you see not far below it, #sizedontmatter. That one you do click. 

It brings up threads full of people, strangers, defending you, defending his choice. Congratulating him since he looks so happy. It’s full of support and love. You tell yourself that you won’t cry, set it as a mantra in your head, but it doesn’t work the more you scroll through. Closing the page out so you don’t break down in the middle of the office, you try your best to continue on like any other normal day. By the time you get home, you are mentally exhausted. Not only did you have to dodge coworkers questions but at some point someone got a hold of your phone number. You had several reporters call to see if you would like to comment and if it was really you in the picture. Hanging up on the people didn’t deter them. 

You made a high pitched growling, squealing noise when the phone rang again, effectively scaring Popcorn from the room. Your thumb automatically going to the cancel swipe before you noticed it was Chris. 

“Thank god it’s you! I was about to chuck the phone out the window!” You told him dramatically, a large sigh escaping you. 

“Don’t tell me they got your phone number?” 

“Yep. Just the reporters at least. No threatening fan calls or anything.” 

“I’m sorry baby. I’ll call my manager and have him set up a new private phone number for you as soon as he can.” 

“That would be very much appreciated. It’s not so bad though. I got on Twitter today.” 

“Braver than I am. Been avoiding it all day. How bad was it?” 

“It was definitely a mixed bag of reactions. There were a number of supporters, but also your haters just labeled you as a chubby chaser, and you became the posterboy for plus sized acceptance.” You laughed. 

“They’re just jealous. How could I get a girl as hot as you?” 

“Pfft yeah ok. I’m totally the hot one in the relationship.” Sarcasm dripping from your voice. 

“Seriously, it will blow over soon.”

“I know, some other scandal will hit the interwebs and soon I’ll be a distant memory.” 

“You might pop back up in the news when I drag you to award shows this season.” You sit on your couch gaping like a fish. “Hello? Still there? Did you die?” 

“But you never take anyone to those things, except family.” 

“Maybe it’s time to change that.” He said quietly. “We don’t have to worry about that now. I just can’t wait to see you for a couple of days this weekend!” He talked excitedly about what he wanted to do and seamlessly shifted the conversation in that direction. 

You both stopped talking about the public pictures of the two of you and went back to normal conversations. Deciding that the most important part of your relationship was seeing each other in just a few days. The weekend seemed to be coming quickly and after only a couple more days of work, you left a little early so you could go to his place. 

He luckily had given you the arrival time that morning and your boss was fine with you taking an hour off early. The fact you were fake coughing had nothing to do with your time off, or at least you didn’t particularly say you were sick at the time. The public bus stop wasn’t far from your place when you went to work, but his area was more converted to not having a bus stop near it, since it was even more expensive than your area. Granted it wasn’t an issue, only being a few blocks that you had to walk. Picking up Popcorn from the house first, since you knew he would love to see Dodger. It took you a little off the time frame you were needing, so you assumed he was in the apartment, putting his items away and getting settled. The fact that your phone started ringing, with his dogs name coming up, worried you a bit since you were now behind the time he was supposed to get back. 

“Hey.” Trying the hardest to answer him in a neutral voice. 

“Where are you? I came to your office but your boss said that you went home sick. I didn’t know you didn’t feel good. Then I came down here and you’re not at home.” You can’t help but laugh at the fact that he went to your job and your home, trying to surprise you, just like you had him. “Why are you laughing?” 

He actually sounded worried so you wanted to calm him down. “Because I’m right in front of your own apartment. I had asked for a little time off early, while having a cough that may have been acting I committed, so I could come on down to you. The bus just took forever to drop me off is all. I’m surprised you came down to the office.” 

“Well I did come in a little early and got unpacked and tired of sitting around. Thought you would enjoy me picking you up.” 

“That would have been very pleasurable. How about we walk to each other and meet in the middle? What about the dog park?” 

“Dodger would love that...you got Popcorn with you?” 

“I do in fact.” 

“See you in a few minutes.” 

You quickly hang up the phone and grab the dog so that you are power walking down the sidewalk instead of going slow. “What do you think Popcorn? Should I tell him I love him, even with the tabloid notice coming out about us or wait? Should I also quit now and go with him to the set?” Popcorn starts to shake because of how quickly you are walking. “Yeah I’m not sure either.” You kiss the dog on the top of his head and speed up even more. 

Next Chapter

I did it! I finished this chapter! I know it’s been a while and thank ya’ll so much for understanding. It’ll still be a while on the next chapter too but maybe I’ll be able to get to it lol. Let me know what you think of the last 500 words b/c I wrote that while still healing and probably a little mental off with a brain tumor, but oh well. That should be away soon until it gets bad. 

@spidey-babe-parker,  @stevieang, @albinotigerpython, @paintballkid711, @katykyll, @avengersrulez1536, @ultrafreespirit, @wantingtobekorra,   @i-had-a-life-once,  @ghostssss, @babybeluuga, @bodhi-black,  @kanupps06, @hatterripper31, @grandloser, @reniescarlett, @kjidhzyx, @normanreedus5150, @ilovethings-somuch, @spiderman-2013, @bloodyvalentine93, @xx-raven, @passionghost, @prettybubblesintheair, @averyrogers83,  @ria132love, @patzammit, @whom-the-fack, @pooslie, @3dsaunt, @kristiedwyer, @janeyboo, @theonelittleone, @aslandia726, @itsmysticalmystery, @stanclub, @geminimoonbeamx, @lookwhatyoumademequeue, @eyesfixedonthesun22, @mrsalh32611, @whatmakesmebeme-tblr, @isaxhorror, @kateelyse96, @hidden-treasures21, @aubreystilinski, @tnupsweetpie, @mikaelasingswritesloves, @webcraft4eveh, @fanfictionandjunk, @elizabeth-marie-moon, @linesal, @cjmyerhaan, @cevansgirl, @collinsstanharbour, @i-was-petmanger, @bononoh, @justlistenlovelife

[mattzerella-sticks]

Two Left Feet by mattzerella_sticks

After so long in the family business, you need to carve out your own moments to relax. And what better time than immediately after freeing a ghost from its tether to the mortal plane. Especially after nearly dying from its hands.

Although if the ghost didn't kill him, Dean is sure Cas will. Asking him to dance was a tempting offer, one Dean knows would draw him close enough to the sun that his wings might melt. He happily takes Cas up on his offer.

Will the free fall be worth it?

Dean drops onto the floor, spectered hands around his neck dissolving into wispy dust. He stutters a gasp while trying to calm his rapid heart beat, vision slowly becoming more defined. Enough that he can see the outline of the bulbs hanging overhead and not confuse them for strange, indoor stars.

A hand jumps into view, flexed and waiting. Sam arches a brow at him, “Are you gonna stare at it or…?”

“Give me a break,” Dean sighs, grabbing Sam’s hand. His brother hauls him upwards, Dean wobbling momentarily. “You weren’t the one nearly choked out by the kinky ghost.”

“You’d prefer he attack in a bedroom or something?”

“Shut up…” He pokes at his neck, wincing. Their ghost left its mark on Dean in a way he won’t forget for a couple of weeks. Dean hopes they can stop by a pharmacy on their way to the motel, otherwise he’ll need to invest in some turtlenecks.

It was supposed to be a simple salt ‘n’ burn. A break after all the resurrected hijinks Chuck dumped on their doorsteps. Something easy they could handle if their hands were tied or they were blindfolded. Sam showed them the article three days ago about people choking on their food in this restaurant. While not unusual, five people choking in the span of two hours meant the case fell into the hunters' jurisdiction. Sam pressed their suits, Dean readied their I.D.s, and Cas loaded the fresh pound of salt they bought into Baby’s trunk.

Not even a day in Lubbock Sam figured out who their ghost was. The owner’s daughter was talking to them a few feet away from where Dean stood now, telling them about her father. How he started Sweet Ray’s Home Foods to bring people together and have them care about what they eat. And that in his twilight years he felt all the work he did went nowhere. People don’t care about food today - all they want is ambience and presentation. Because Sweet Ray’s was losing more than they were making Ann Marie fed the belly of the trend beast.

“Every time I look at the portrait of Daddy I feel like he’s disappointed in me,” she said, frowning at the kind smile on the older man’s face. Hand poised on his hat as if caught mid-tip.

“Felt like people were disrespecting his food,” Sam whispered to him, “all the people who choked were known food bloggers in the area…” Clearing his throat, he asked, “I’m sure he’s proud of you for staying with the family business… a lot of people are. Local place, been in the area for years… His burial must’ve been well attended?”

She screwed her face tight, considering the question. Dean worried she wouldn’t answer. Deem it too invasive and not important for the case. Luckily she said, “Wasn’t any burial. Came into this world as dust and that’s how we’re gonna go out…”

With their graveyard plan turning to ash he was worried they’d have to do more detective work. Risk tripping over a sore nerve and being cast off from the restaurant before finding the haunted object. But Cas came in with the most important observation. He stared up at the portrait long after the rest of them had their fill. “Your father’s hat,” he asks, “It’s remarkable.”

“It is, isn’t it?” she asked, glancing at it again, “Custom made. Anniversary present from momma - wore it all the time. Wanted it to be cremated with him but I… I couldn’t part with it. So I have it sitting where he always had it, on a bust of Clint in my office.”

Tether found they quickly wrapped up the interview. As Sam left their contact info with Ann Marie, Dean pulled Cas to the side. “Good job pinning the hat. What made you think of it?”

“I honestly didn’t think the hat would be so important,” Cas said, “I only wanted to know if they sold others like it. Thought it might look nice on you…”

Cas walked away, leaving Dean with a flushed face and a mind stuck in an endless loop searching for the correct response. Neither mentioned it again for the rest of the day. Not when they had all the time to kill in the late afternoon where they filled the silence with local news and bad reruns of shows they haven’t seen. Nor as Dean went to grab the hat from the office, touch lingering while he handed his lighter over.

Except he passed a mirror, and Cas’s words returned with full force. He wondered what he might look like in it as well. Dean only had a second to admire it, though, as popping up behind his reflection was the ghost they were hunting. It flung him out of the office and into the dining area, disturbing many of the tables and chairs. Then, without letting up, Ray appeared above him and clung to his neck like a stubborn tie.

It was supposed to be a simple salt ‘n’ burn, but Dean guesses he might be too old for even those anymore.

Cas enters from the kitchen, beers in hand. “I know it’s not a substitute for angel mojo, but,” he offers one to Dean, “it’ll make you feel better?” His neck burns from the weight of Cas’s stare. Thinking about times when all he needed was to brush up against Dean to fully heal him. Except when Chuck left he took all the power with him, meaning Cas was as human as everyone else. A thrilling but terrifying thought.

Dean thanks him with a weak smile, half his face barely finding the energy to twitch. Accepting the bottle, he takes a healthy sip from it and collapses onto a nearby chair that wasn’t overturned.

Sam joined, sitting across from him. Cas opted to lean against the nearby bar.

“Hat burn nicely?”

“Still smoldering when I left it,” Sam said, “Cas?”

“It’s gone,” he told them, “I kept the remains in the skillet, though. Along with a note apologizing to Ann Marie. Hopefully she can add it to her father’s ashes.” Cas glanced away from them, sipping at his beer.

“As long as you didn’t sign off on it then that’s fine…” Dean trails off as Cas pushes off the bar and over to the nearby jukebox. He fiddled with it silently while his backside faced the brothers. Meeting Sam’s curious gaze for a beat, Dean returned to staring at his friend’s rumpled trench coat. “Whatcha doing there, Cas?”

“It’s too quiet in here,” Cas says, “Since we exorcised her father and burnt her hat, I’m sure Ann Marie won’t mind us listening to a song or two.”

“Or drink a few of her beers,” Sam chuckles, sipping from his own bottle.

“That too.” He turns around and smiles, “Any recommendations?”

Dean waves his drink, “Whatever you want… as long as you got the change, that is.”

Cas digs in his pocket for a quarter, refocusing on the records inside the jukebox. Finding a loose coin, Cas slips it into the slot and chooses. A soft melody strums through the speakers as slow and sweet as molasses. He sways on the spot to the music.

It’s an enchanting song, the singer crooning in a deep twang to accompany his guitar playing. Cas twirls, his trench coat fanning behind him. He peeks one eye open at them and frowns. “This isn’t right.”

“Don’t know about that,” Dean says, “looks pretty right to me.”

“No I meant,” he sighs, advancing towards their table. “I shouldn’t be dancing alone. It’s so… awkward . One of you should come dance with me.”

Dean’s grip on the bottle’s neck tightens. He swallows around the bundle of nerves in his throat, made tougher by how the ghost squeezed it. Cas keeps his eyes trained on Dean’s as he steps closer. Only at the last minute he switches over to stand by Sam. “Would you care to join me, Sam?”

Sam schools his features to hide how amused he is. He shakes his head, “Sorry, Cas, I wouldn’t be any good. Was born with two left feet.”

“Shame,” Cas hums, returning his attention to Dean, “Were you, then?”

The haze Dean’s trapped him blocks out most of his hearing. Fluttering his lashes he asks, “Was I what?”

“Born with two left feet?”

Thrown, Dean answers honestly with a meek ‘no’.

“Good,” Cas grins, teeth unfurling like the bright, white banner of Dean’s surrender, “Then come dance with me.”

Disagreement bubbles within him, burst by the sharp blue of Cas’s gaze. He sighs and finishes off his drink. “You know I can’t say no to you, angel.”

Tensing, Dean waits for Cas to pull away from him. Except he never does. Never rages or cries or leaves like he expects him to, like he thinks he should. The first time Dean used that nickname was one tiresome night after putting down some ghouls. They gathered in the kitchen, too exhausted to find their rooms. Barely conscious he asked his friend, “Angel could you put on the coffee?”

No caffeine could compare to the adrenaline shooting through him after saying that. He bit his lip and glanced over at Cas, hoping he hadn’t heard him. But Cas nodded and dug inside the cabinets for the K-cups.

Dean tried apologizing between sips of his coffee. Cas wouldn’t accept it, telling him it was okay. “I might not be an angel anymore,” he sighed, running his thumb against the rim of his mug, “yet I’m glad I can be… your angel.”

He sealed that tender moment in the walk-in freezer of his mind so he wouldn’t have to deal with it, along with every other uncomfortable thought Dean has about Cas. If Dean didn’t focus too much on those feelings than he wouldn’t have to deal with the disappointment that would surely follow.

“Dean?” Cas disturbs him from his trance, “Before the song ends?”

Rolling his eyes, Dean pulls himself forward and into his friend’s space. “C’mere,” he says, dragging him closer with a hand at his back. His other hand tangles with Cas as they sway into the makeshift dance floor the ghost created.

Cas’s hand rests at his lower back. Even if he is human now it still burns like Cas pours all his grace through this point of connection. His head drifts close to Dean’s in a way that forces every nerve to spark and ready for the inevitable. While they share orbits and their breaths mingle, Cas never gets close enough to press skin against skin. Instead leaning away to sway onto his heels.

It’d be easy for Dean to leap first. Their fingers are already tangled together, fit so perfectly Dean can’t believe he’s actually allowed to hold Cas in such a way. His face pinches with the forced tightness he inflicts on his expression. If he let it slip he might scare Cas with the pure fire and delight wanting to break free. If their cheeks did happen to brush or Cas’s eyelashes tickled his nose Dean might burst. Lose all consciousness and only awake after doing something he would regret never being able to remember.

The song starts trailing off and Cas’s expression falters. Like he wants another minute of dancing, to spend more time with him. Dean would trade anything for the song to never end, so he and Cas could dance around each other into eternity. Unable to do that he tries to make the last few chords special and twirls Cas around.

“Hey!” Sam calls, “You want me to throw you a rose?”

Immediately remembering their audience, Dean’s face flushes a bright pink. Dean steps away from Cas and strides towards the exit. “Should probably be getting out of here anyway…”

Dean has his hand on Baby’s door when he realizes finding his keys is impossible. Because Cas never let go of his hand. Or, more embarrassingly, Dean won’t let him leave.

“Uh, sorry there, Cas,” Dean starts, fingers twitching in his hold, “didn’t mean to… leave with you like that.”

“I didn’t mind, Dean,” Cas says, smiling at him like how the sun parts through clouds,“It is rather late, isn’t it? At least we managed to have one dance…”

“Half a dance,” he corrects him, cringing.

“Half a dance…” Cas repeats, expression never faltering, “then we should finish it at some point, don’t you think?”

“What?”

“Might I confess something?” he continues, mouth dipping close to the shell of his ear. Dean’s thoughts stretch and thin until finally his sanity snaps. He nods, not trusting his voice to crack like he was a teenager all over again. Cas chuckles, breath ghosting and leaving goosebumps in its wake. “Seeing the ghost mark you up like that… makes me sad that I cannot remove those bruises like I used to. But I have a solution that would… satisfy both of us.”

His hand not caught in Dean’s slowly rubs at Dean’s neck. There’s no mistaking the subtext, a heady stare following his electric touch hammering the point home.

Dean’s lips stretch wide in a bright grin. “I’d like that.”

Sam barges in, shotgun in one hand and the bag of salt tucked under his arm. “Thanks for helping me clean up, guys,” he says, “Really appreciate it.”

Usually whenever Sam clumsily knocks into one of his and Cas’s moments Dean flings himself away faster than a bullet. Except he can’t find any reason to tear himself from Cas’s side, rooted to the ground happily.

“Catch,” he says after a quick dip into his pocket.

Sam panics, nearly dropping the salt to keep the keys from falling to the ground. “What? Want me to drive?”

“I got choked out by the ghost, it’s the least you can do,” Dean smirks, stepping in time with Cas to the backseat, “Besides… my hands are gonna be pretty busy.”

“Gross. I better not catch you two getting heavy in the rearview mirror.”

“Then don’t be a perv, Sammy.”

Sam sighs and drops the argument, bypassing them to go towards the trunk. Dean opens the door and tumbles into Baby clutching Cas. They giggle like they don’t have the weight of the world on their shoulders. As light and free as smoke off a freshly lit cigarette, rising above the cinders they’ve left in their wake.

“Hey, angel?”

“Yes Dean?”

“Thanks for asking me to dance.”

“Thank you for dancing with me.”

“I can’t say no to you, angel,” Dean whispers, “not now… not ever.” They kiss, a simple touch of their lips against each other. It’s over faster than he can blink. But it’s okay. Dean knows there are more kisses waiting for him. More kisses, more dancing, and more of his angel.

[kellanved-ammanas]

SpyDad Birthday

A request from @nibs-stuff (it won’t let me tag them :/) Happy Birthday!

*

Spy’s birthday was a week away and Scout still hadn’t figured out what to get him. Last year, unsure of what Spy liked, he’d gotten him a fancy looking knife sharpener. It was practical since he had so many knives that probably needed sharpening sometimes. But purely practical gifts were only acceptable for people who weren’t close friends or family. This year he had to get him something personal. Coming up with a good idea for that that Spy would also be happy to receive was a lot harder than it seemed it should be.

Spy wasn’t the kind of person who liked sporting events or concerts so tickets for one or both of those things wouldn’t do. He liked books and reading but the books he liked were all big fancy ones, novels and such, most of them were in French too. Scout’s tendency to mix up words and letters made shopping for books difficult and stressful and also meant he’d have a hard time figuring out what kind of novels Spy liked which made it even harder to pick out a book for him. So that was essentially off the table as well.

Scout could draw him a picture like he did for his mom every year on her birthday. But as he sat at his desk in his room staring at the blank piece of paper laid out before him, he was faced with essentially the same problem; what kind of picture would Spy enjoy receiving as a gift? He was already an artist in his own right, a painter, what could Scout possibly draw him that he couldn’t just paint for himself?

With a groan, Scout put his pencil down before he chewed through the eraser and stood up to leave his room. His mind tended to work a bit better when he was out running or just walking around. So he’d go for a wonder around the base in hopes of enlightenment striking him even if that was unlikely.

Normally when faced with a problem he didn’t know the answer to, he asked Spy – he’d done that even before finding out Spy was his dad because Spy was the oldest on the team and therefore the wisest – that wasn’t an option here though. Well, technically it was, but asking someone what they wanted for their birthday and then getting them that exact thing, ruined the surprise. While a lot of people didn’t care about the surprise, Scout did, a gift meant more to a person when they weren’t expecting it/didn’t know what it would be beforehand.

Maybe he could just bake Spy a birthday cake? But… his baking skills were less than good and he’d only just gotten back his rights to use the oven again after almost burning it down a few months ago in a failed attempt at making a casserole recipe one of his brothers had sent him. So yet another dead end. Ugh, why did Spy have to be so difficult to get gifts for?

Scout wondered into the kitchen to get a snack. Engie was in there, making coffee despite the fact it was in the middle of the afternoon. It was perfect timing though, he was also wise and knowledgeable about lots of stuff, right?

“Yo Engie,” Scout said loud enough to make Engie jump and turn around. “You have or have had a dad, right? What kind of gifts did you or do you get him for his birthday?”

Engie let out a breath as he relaxed. “My dad’s dead, even before then we kind of lost touch for a while. Back when I did get him gifts though, it was always something I made, little machines that did various things.”

“Oh.” That didn’t help at all. If anything, that made it harder. Scout had already considered drawing something which would be a good gift if he had even an inkling of an idea on what to draw.

“I take it you’re having trouble deciding what to get Spy for his birthday, right?”

“Yeah. Got any ideas?”

“Nope, sorry.” Engie shrugged. “Demo somehow convinced me and Medic to get him some butt-ugly sweaters we came across in town a couple days ago. I doubt you want to get him something like that.”

“Yeah, no.” Scout would normally be all for getting Spy a joke gift but that wouldn’t feel right when this was the first of Spy’s birthdays that Scout knew he was his dad. Also, only getting him a joke gift would be rude, he’d have to get him a real one too, putting him back at square one regardless.

“I’m sure whatever you end up getting him, he’ll like. So, don’t worry about it too much, kay?” Engie patted Scout on the arm.

“I’ll try not to.” But how could Scout not worry about something so important?

-

In the end, he almost ended up calling his mom to ask her what to get Spy. But she wasn’t even aware yet that he’d found his dad – he hadn’t found a good opportunity to tell her, it was a bit of a difficult topic – and while the topic didn’t ever come up everything Scout had gathered about the situation pointed heavily to Spy and her no longer being together. So, she might not be too pleased to be asked such a question.

But considering making such a call did give him an idea. It maybe wasn’t a good idea but he was out of time to buy anything or work on anything else. So he just decided to go with it and hope Engie was right when he’d said Spy would like it no matter what. Because of how late he was in deciding he ended up staying up late into the night working on it and his hand was cramped up by the time he’d finished drawing it. Luckily, it was the weekend, meaning there was no battle the next day.

Despite having stayed up past midnight, Scout still woke up at the same time. Leaving him feeling sleepy but not in a way that meant he could go back to sleep any time soon. So he flopped out of bed and looked over his drawing again.

It was a portrait of Spy and Scout, Spy standing behind Scout with his hands on his shoulders similar to lots of pictures Scout had seen of his friends or brothers with their fathers. Scout had made no strong attempt at making it look realistic, embracing an almost cartoony style. He’d drawn his mom a similar portrait of her some years back when he’d been struggling on what to get her for her birthday – it had started the trend of him drawing her something every year – and she’d loved it. She’d had it framed and hung it up on her wall even.

Would Spy like it though? Scout had drawn him looking happy, maybe even proud. If it wasn’t for the ski mask they’d have looked like a perfectly normal and happy father/son duo. How would Spy react to that? The longer Scout stared at it the surer he became that Spy would be displeased by it. But… it was too late to draw or do anything else. So with a grimace he picked it up and put it between two cardboard pieces to keep it from bending before quickly wrapping it. If Spy didn’t like it, he’d just… claim it was a joke about how they weren’t a normal loving family, and that there was no way he actually wanted that to be a reality.

He ended up delaying and dilly-dallying around, even avoiding Spy, until it was evening and well, if he stalled any longer it’d be too late. So, telling himself to man up and get through it already, he got the gift from his room and went to Spy’s door. He didn’t let himself hesitate before knocking.

Spy answered it a few seconds later. “Good afternoon Scout,” he said as he let Scout enter, closing and locking the door behind him.

“Hey Dad,” Scout replied with a grin even though he didn’t really feel like grinning right now. “Happy Birthday!”

Spy sighed as he settled back in his chair. “I was hoping you’d forgotten.”

“What? Why?” Scout forced himself to sit on the other side of the tea table.

“Just because.”

“Well uh… I didn’t forget and I got you a gift.” He held it out towards Spy as if he were nothing but proud of it.

“Well, it can’t possibly be worse than those hideous pathetic excuses for sweaters some of the others got me. Thank you.” He accepted it with his usual snobby grace that was more comical these days than anything else.

Scout forced himself to sit still and not fidget as Spy opened it. Spy tossed the wad of wrapping paper expertly into the trashcan before using his knife to cut the tape holding the cardboard pieces together. He placed the top one on the table and picked up the paper, flipping it around so he could see the picture on it.

He went rigid as he looked down at it. His mask combined with the angle of his face made his expression impossible to read. Meaning Scout had no way of knowing if he was pleased or insulted by the drawing. And he wasn’t looking up or saying anything so…

“You like it?” Scout asked, going for a neutral tone and posture as if Spy’s opinion didn’t matter to him one way or the other. It did though, more than he wanted to admit even to himself.

Spy looked up at him. “Yes, I like it very much Jeremy, thank you.” The use of Scout’s real name meant he was being completely honest and serious.

Scout almost let out a sigh of relief. “Good uh… I worked real hard on it and stuff you know.” He’d put more of himself into it than he’d initially intended to. “So is my gift your favourite or did someone else get you something better?” That was one way of asking how much he’d liked it. “I need to know if I should step my game up for next year or not.”

Spy rolled his eyes but he was smiling. “Your gift is my favourite.”

“Sweet.” Scout lifted a fist in victory. Why had he even been so worried?

Spy looked down at the picture again and ran his hand lightly over it. “Honestly, this kind of thing was the last thing I’d expect from you.”

“What? I’ve never gotten you a joke gift for your birthday. It’s only on Christmas that I do that. I do have some morals.” Birthdays were individual and special; prank gifts were allowed but only if there was also a real gift too.

Spy frowned at him. “That jack-in-a-box you got me two years ago wasn’t a joke gift? Really?”

“The little guy in it had ski mask and a little suit, it was like a mini version of you. It even had a little knife.” A butcher’s knife since it was supposed to be scary but still close enough. “So yes, I still stand by it being a well thought out gift.” They’d only known each other for a short time back then too so Scout hadn’t known Spy would find it annoying, he had suspected though but that didn’t need to be said. “I had nothing but good intentions when giving it to you, I know if there was a jack-in-the-box with a mini me in it, I’d love to receive it as a gift.”

“Well, I know what to get you for your birthday then.”

“Good.” Scout would honestly be pleased with that. “You still have that jack-in-the-box though? Or did you throw it out?” Probably the latter if Scout had to guess.

“I still have it.” Spy admitted with a sigh, sounding as if he were admitting to something shameful instead of heartwarming. He’d kept a gift Scout had given him even though he hadn’t liked it. “But…” Spy looked down at the picture Scout had drawn of them again. “This not being a joke gift wasn’t what I meant.”

“What did you mean then?”

“I meant I didn’t know you… saw me like this.” He gestured to the paper in his hand.

“What? Like… as my dad? ‘Cause like you are and stuff. We’re not a normal family but… we’re still family.” Perhaps even a loving family. Saying that out loud would be tantamount to walking through a brick wall though. “So, that’s how I drew us. I drew Mom a similar picture once a while ago and she loved it so… I thought maybe you’d like it to.” He shrugged as if it weren’t a big deal.

“Yeah, she would like something like this.” Spy sighed sadly before looking at Scout again. “Thank you, really, I… appreciate this.”

“Well… you’re very welcome. I worked hard on it.” And was proud of it, especially considering the reaction it had got. It was the perfect gift, he’d done a good job on it.