#man i'm enjoying this show sooooo much already

[op3ra]

hi hello hellooooo love of my life

[lunarcrown]

Hi hi hiiiii so ummm i read the latest htp chapter not too long ago (stayed up all night reading it because is obsessed) it was so good btw. I can't wait to see what happens next. It'd be so funny if Bravo and Timmy just saw Tango and Jimmy appear and they're just like "huh 🧍‍♂️" utterly confused. There's so much I could say and I have so many theories. I really liked that Tango slowly realized that he's loved because my boy my baby boy.. Heart been broken so many tiiiimes. But I'm glad that he's loved, that he gets to experience all this love and appreciation. Anyway, I am also obsessed with your Martyn design. He's sooooo pretty like.. Mmmmmmm pretty man pretty man. There's just something about him I can't describe. He's so gorgeous. So beautiful. Mwah mwah. Giving him forehead kisses. I also love your jimmy too. He has nice tits- I mean nice tits- I mean nice tits- I mean nice face. He has a very nice face. I rambled a lot but I am just excited for the next chapter already.

Firstly thank you for staying up ALL NIGHT TO READ!!! I hope that you got good rest after!!! And I’m so happy u ENJOYED!!

HAHAFG them showing up and it just being four people staring at each other is SO FUNNY DGHD

And YESS TANGO BE LOVED CHALLENGE, the foe?? Himself….

And THANK UUU HAHA martyn’s prettiness and Jimmy’s tiddy-ness make them so fun to DRAWWWW!! So have some big Dawgs!!

[matthewtkachuk]

one day all my love will come back to me

Spending a mid-degree gap year in the guest bedroom of your best friend who you’ve been in love with for ages seems to be a recipe for disaster until a hook up with a player from a visiting team threatens to change your future forever 

pairing: nathan mackinnon x reader; brayden point x reader

warnings: creative liberties taken with the 2021-2022 regular season schedule and the availability/contributions of Brayden Point during the 2022 playoffs, typical angst associated with a love triangle with a hint of unrequited love, sexual themes (not quite smut but more than implied) and the usual (alcohol, swearing, etc.)

word count: 10.9k

a/n: surprise @senditcolton i'm your summer exchange fic writer! i'm so so so sooooo sorry this is late, @wyattjohnston and i were having a hot girl european summer and it's not an excuse but a bit of an explanation. when i saw you had written brayden point twice in your players list, i knew it was time to dust off this fic idea i had last year and do her proper justice. i hope you like it!!! shout out to demi for the many "replace c with C" suggestions on google docs and @thomasschabot for the other suggestions. ok i'll shut up now, enjoy!!

The Avs are up by one with thirty seconds to go and you’re pretty sure you’re going to puke. It’s a good thing everyone is far too focused on the action going on at ice level to question why your gaze keeps bouncing between the good guys and a certain forward on the other team. It’s such a strange feeling—you want with your entire being for your boys to hoist the Cup, but there’s a small part of you that never wants to see the boy on the other team you care for so deeply, so upset. He was right, you both crossed the line past hooking up a long time ago. 

-

“You look hot.” 

In any other circumstance, those words from Nate would have your heart going into overdrive. As it stands, your heart is already pumping at a rate you fear is not healthy while you lie on a trampoline with your niece’s sprinkler set up beneath it. For every bitter complaint you’ve ever had about a Canadian winter, the opposing heat waves might just be slightly worse.

“A/C’s broken,” you say like that explains everything. 

Nate hums in response like maybe it does before pulling himself up beside you. 

Somehow the air around you feels even hotter, precipitation building at your hairline. You fuss for a minute, wiping away the sweat before dramatically slapping your hands down on the trampoline in protest. 

Nate ignores you, choosing to instead cheerfully proclaim “This is nice!”

“What do you want?” you ask in response. There are layers to your grumpiness, but for now you can pretend it’s all related to the unbearable heat.

“Can’t a guy visit his best friend?” 

You can feel his eyes on you, but you keep yours closed. “Not when it's 34 degrees out and humid as hell and he has to leave his air conditioned mansion to do so.”

“I saw your story and I was coming to invite you to my air conditioned mansion.”

“Is Sidney home?” Your tone is so much more nonchalant than you feel. It doesn’t matter that the aforementioned man went from Nate’s childhood hero to mentor to near-brother; it will never not be weird to have but one degree of separation from the man who’s name is on your town’s welcome sign. 

Nate laughs like he can read your mind, but you still don’t glance over at him. You don’t need to, not really. The image of him beside you comes all too easily to your inner mind. His hair’s got a wave from the humidity, his nose tinged red from the hot sun, and his chest golden and chiseled and harlequin romance novel cover-esque— 

“You know one day you’re going to have to get used to being around guys who made it to the show. Hell, I'm a guy who made it to the show.”

Finally you turn to look at him and he’s somehow even more beautiful than you’d just imagined. “That’s different Nate. You’re….you.”

He smiles at you and it’s brighter than the damn sun causing you so many problems today. “And Sid’s just Sid. And the guys in Denver are just the guys in Denver.”

His words have your nose scrunching and you promptly go back to laying flat on your back. “Don’t remind me.” There’s silence for a beat or two and then you continue, “Speaking of, are you sure it’s still okay—“

Nate doesn’t let you finish this time. “Yes, I’m sure it’s okay for you to hang around my apartment in Denver while you take a year off from school to figure out what you want to do.”

“Thanks Nate,” you reply and he hums in response. Abruptly you sit up, sliding a little from the slick trampoline surface. “Your A/C offer still standing too?”

He grins this time and you’re damn near blinded. “For you? Always.”

Sidney—Sid waves at you both from his kitchen when you pull up to Nate’s but that’s as far as it goes. Nate makes a joke about banana bread that you don’t quite get, mood souring considerably when you wonder aloud if he thinks Sidney will bring some over. 

It’s all forgotten when the cold air hits you as you enter the lake house. 

-

The summer passes by quickly without too much incident—just the nagging of your mother about your future and your own tiptoeing around the feelings you have for your friend. 

On one of your and Nate’s last nights before leaving for Denver, your niece pulls him aside and sternly instructs him to bring home the Cup for her. 

He laughs, but there’s something in his eye that says he means it when he says he will. That intensity doesn’t waiver, even as his gaze slides toward you. It has you thinking about a future by his side, celebrating those moments with him in a way so much greater than you do now. 

The thought doesn’t leave you as you kiss your family goodbye, trying desperately to not let any tears shed at the thought of no longer being a small distance away. Nate’s constant near proximity and the promise of more of it takes away the sting a little, but you fall into your sister’s embrace that little bit more all the same. 

Even as you do a final check of your things—two large suitcases, a carry-on and a backpack to house everything you’ll need for the next year—you think about it, of what it would be like to do this every year. What it would be like to pack with the intention of unpacking your things beside Nate’s in his closet. It’s silly, but sometimes you still feel like you’re fifteen years old, realizing you’re in love with your best friend as he goes away to the same hockey school as his idol. 

Two flights full of self doubt and Nate sleeping on your shoulder later you’re convinced spending your impromptu gap year at his place is a bad idea. But then he’s smiling and ‘welcome home’-ing you and you step through the door.

-

Unemployment and a mid-twenties life crisis isn’t so bad from the guest bedroom of a lavish semi-detached in the suburbs of Denver. The bed’s softer than the one in your childhood bedroom. Bigger too. And the closet leading into the attached en-suite has no business being the size it is. 

There are downsides of course. You are still unemployed and in the middle of a life crisis. Nathan is woefully unaware of your feelings and likely to never reciprocate. His teammates look at you like they know, though. And there’s the whole banning of any food that brings any modicum of enjoyment that you’re not entirely sure is serious or not. 

The teammates that come around are kind to you when you’re around them enough to let them be. A small part of it is the intimidation of them being professional hockey players but they’re good guys and you’ve met many of them before. Really, it’s something more akin to the inherent uncomfortability of your predicament. It’s Nate’s house and you’re free-loading. 

Of course he would argue differently if you voiced your thoughts and hang ups but that’s precisely why you don’t. 

Nate may have never caught onto your feelings for him, but he’s not an oblivious person. That’s probably how you end up in the family box, being personally invited to brunch with the Better Halves by the best-half-in-charge herself, Mel Landeskog. 

You find yourself nodding despite the anxiety of the possibility of making new friends, certain it’s less of an invitation and more of a demand. 

She tells you as much, pressing a mimosa into your hand when you arrive at a cute restaurant and a table full of beautiful, predominantly blonde women. If Nate’s teammates were intimidating on a personal level, their wives and girlfriends are a whole other level. Never in your life have you been so surrounded by a group of women so put together—every outfit perfectly on point, every head of hair treated to an expensive blowout, every foundation shade perfectly matched or worse, no makeup needed. 

It has you self-conscious, despite having spent ages picking out something to wear and trying to tame your hair into something presentable. The mimosa helps, and so do the compliments from Ashley Kadri. Little by little you open up, and by the end of brunch you have a killer buzz and a dozen new instagram followers and numbers in your phone. 

When Nate picks you up, the bubbles have gone to your head. You spend the entire ride back to his place with the back of your head pressed to the passenger side window so that you can grin stupidly at his side profile. 

“The girls are great,” you tell him with a silly giggle. His returning smile reeks of satisfaction of a job well done, but you don’t focus on it. “We’re gonna get dinner this week too!”

-

Although Mel takes you under her wing, it’s Heidy, Cale’s girlfriend who you instantly click with. 

She’s every bit as beautiful and kind as the rest of them, but you connect with her on a different level. It’s almost like you’ve known her as long as you’ve known Nate. She shares your love of Taylor Swift and gets your jokes and is more than happy to let you bounce future career plans off her. 

You can tell the girls have questions about your relationship with Nate, and truthfully they can get in line behind you. Sometimes, when you’re not careful, it almost feels like you’re not alone in how you feel. Sometimes it feels like you’re high school sweethearts, playing house on the precipice of a greater future. 

Nate doesn’t help it himself though. It’s you he calls on long road trips, you he pulls into a giant hug outside the locker room before driving you both home after a game. You who is invited to WAG functions as a connection to him—both informally in a social context and more formally and broadly. Things like charity toy drives and the family box at games. A part of you fears the possibility of playoffs—especially with odds so clearly in the Avs favor—and what it would mean to be so publicly claimed as Nate’s while privately remaining the way you always have been. 

It’s Heidy who you confide in. She’s always there to offer her ear, her shoulder, her opinion. And, although she encourages you to share your feelings, she also knows when to back off and let you do it when and if you’re ready. 

You don’t think you’ll ever be ready. 

-

With Christmas comes the Better Halves Christmas Tree Auction. It’s Mel’s favorite charity event of the season, she tells you gleefully. 

“Every event is her favorite,” Suzanna says behind her back later. 

Designated Favorite Human of the Avalanche Children is usually your favorite title, but it means you have one kid hanging off of you when the girls drop the bomb on you. 

“So what are you thinking for your WAG tree?”

It’s an innocent enough question, especially when you think it’s aimed at one of the aforementioned WAGs in the family box. Only when there is no response do you look up and realize it’s meant for you instead. 

“Sorry, what?”

“Your…Tree,” someone says slowly and you shake your head. 

Your tone and words are almost as flustered as you are. “No I heard you. I’m just—What do you—Why are you asking me?”

“Well, Nate said…” 

It all comes clear. Yet again, you’re expected to play the part. At great personal cost, mind you. It’s a mindfuck and a half, having to do all the things that you do for a man you love when it doesn’t mean anything. 

Your thoughts are invaded with a tempestuous mixture of Nate and your relationship or lack thereof and yet another public acknowledgement. 

Truly, you wonder if the others in the box pity you or laugh behind your back. 

“C’mon,” Heidy says later, when the final buzzer sounds, cementing another win. “I’ll drive you home.”

“Nate’s,” you correct weakly. 

She nods and repeats his name, grabbing your arm and leading you away. 

-

You’re stewing in silence when Nate comes home. 

“You okay?” he questions upon finding you in the living room, lit up only by the light filtering in through the large bay window. 

The twitch of your eye is the only indication you’ve heard and recognized his words for a long moment. You can practically hear the gears whirring in his head, can feel the moment he’s about to speak again. 

Not wanting to give him the opportunity, you ask, “Why?” His brows furrow and his head tits and so you continue. “Why did you say I would do your Better Half tree?”

“It’s for charity…You love charity work.” Nate visibly relaxes and you understand why. He’s not wrong, engaging in charity work has been a big part of why you’re not wallowing in self pity, but this isn’t just simple ‘charity work’ and you tell him as much. 

“I love toy drives and helping at the soup kitchen and adoption events at the ASPCA. This is different, this is your WAG tree. It means something. It’s in your name, like I’m—I’m—“ you can’t bring yourself to say it. 

“Everything you mentioned you do in my name.” He doesn’t seem to get it, frustrating you further. 

“It’s not the same, Nate! All those other things I do as part of the larger group. It’s all facilitated by your team and your teammates ‘Better Halves.’ Their wives and girlfriends. They’ve all made me feel welcome, but I'm not one of them. This implies that I am one of them, but I’m not your girlfriend and certainly not your wife.”

“You basically are.” The phrase has your heart jumping into your throat. Of every daydream or fantasy you’ve ever allowed yourself to slip into, you never dreamed this would be how it all went down—“Without actually being my wife or girlfriend.”

“Right.” Your voice is short and clipped, masking the hurt quickly overtaking you. You won’t cry—you’re stronger than that. So strong in fact, that you lay down a firm boundary. “I won’t do it. Get Sidney to do it or something.”

“Okay,” he says slowly, pausing and then asking, “We’re good, right?”

“Yep.” You feign nonchalance and then wish him a good night. 

The pillow holds all your tears and secrets. 

-

The incident sticks with you, despite your many attempts to shake it off. Even Heidy can’t help. She tries anyway. 

You’re not his. 

But you are. You’re his and you have been for years now. Since he was leaving for school. Maybe even many years before that. Regardless of the true beginning, it doesn’t quite matter. What really matters is this: you’re not sure it will ever have an ending, but you’re almost certain if it does, it won’t be the one you want. 

You’re his but he’s not yours. 

Part of him is, sure, but you share that part with the other residents of Cole Harbour. The other part with the team and his teammates and their families, with the fans and the haters alike. The part you so desperately want to be yours has belonged to many a woman, but never to you. 

It was a lot easier to live in the space between his childhood best friend and everything more when you were separated the majority of the year. A summer chock full of other things to do and focus your attention on to keep the longing at bay and enough distance for the rest of the year to forget how it feels to have him near without really having him. 

One of Heidy’s distraction schemes involves hitting up downtown Denver a few nights later. 

“But it’s Thursday,” you say when she shows up at Nate’s dressed up like she’s ready to hit the bar. 

“I have tomorrow off and you don’t have a job, so,” she replies. 

You frown, “Ouch.” She throws a look your way as if to not take it so personally and continues perusing your closet. “I’m not really feeling up to going out tonight.”

“Too damn bad,” she replies. “You can’t just sit here and wallow for the rest of your life.”

“Watch me,” you retort but start to get up anyway. 

She smirks and tosses some clothes at you. “Get dressed and do something with your hair. I’ll do your makeup.”

“Where are you guys going all dressed up?” Nate questions when he spots the two of you in the foyer. 

“Out.” Heidy is curt, a consequence of her not only being a good friend to you, but also her own awareness of his behavior. 

His brows knit together but he soldiers on, “Do you want company?”

“Nope!” She’s much more cheerful now that she’s handed you your coat and bundled herself up. “Don’t wait up!”

Heidy drags you out to Cale’s car, where the man himself sits waiting. You instantly feel bad—between your protesting and actual time spent getting ready, he’d been sitting a while. 

“Have you been here the whole time?” you ask as you get in the backseat. He shrugs with a rosy smile as Heidy pushes you in further and takes a seat beside you. After pressing a quick kiss to her boyfriend’s cheek over the center console, of course. 

Cale doesn’t stick around after dropping you both off—a wave, a ‘be safe’, and ‘call me when you’re ready to go home’ and he’s gone. 

You’re terrible company admittedly, mouth set in a deep frown that doesn’t crack even as you sip your drink. Heidy does most of the talking at first, blabbing away about everything and nothing. Until she sighs, slaps her hand down on the bar top and says, “You need to deal with this. Either you need to resolve things with Nate or you need to get over it, distract yourself with something or someone else.”

You nearly choke on the last of your drink. “Gee, Heidy, could you be any more subtle?”

“I’m worried about you.” She’s so earnest it tugs at your heart. 

“I’m sorry. I’ll try. Really.” 

She smiles, relaxing into the seat at the bar top. 

Just then, the bartender sets another drink in front of you. 

“I didn’t order another,” you state politely, attempting to hand back the drink. 

The bartender shakes his head, motioning to the table in the corner as he speaks. “From someone at that table.”

It’s a group of athletic men, but only one is looking your way. He’s all intense eyes framed by intense eyebrows, but the look on his face doesn’t match the intensity. It’s…intriguing to say the least. Soft but confident, and definitely interested. 

It’s not until one of the other men at the table elbows him that you realize they’re the team playing the Avs tomorrow night. 

Quickly you spin back around and whisper to your friend, “Someone from the Tampa Bay Lightning just bought me a drink.”

Her eyes widen and she herself turns around quickly to get a glimpse of your admirer across the bar. You grab at her arm and bring her back to face the bar top. 

“Heidy!” you hiss. 

“Sorry!” she replies, “What are you going to do?”

You think about it for a second before throwing caution to the wind. Putting on your flirtiest smile, you turn around a lot more gracefully this time. Raising the gifted drink, you tilt it in a ‘Cheers’ motion before wrapping your lips around the straw for a sip. He responds with an identical gesture, although with an amber colored beer bottle instead. 

Satisfied, you resume your earlier position while Heidy speaks. 

“When I said you needed a distraction that is not what I meant!”

You roll your eyes. “It’s a drink, not a marriage proposal. Relax.”

She does, until you pull her out to the dance floor with eyes only for the man across the bar. Lucky for you—and less lucky for Heidy’s resting heart rate and blood pressure—he’s got eyes for you, too. 

It only takes half a song for him to approach and introduce himself. “I’m Brayden.”

You smile and reciprocate, waiting a beat for Heidy to speak too, but she just tilts her nose up. An elbow to her side doesn’t get her speaking and so you introduce her, too. 

One of Brayden’s eyebrows raise and you find yourself momentarily mesmerized by the action before quickly explaining, “Big Avalanche fans.”

He nods slowly once, then shrugs. “Maybe I can change that.”

“Doubtful,” she says under her breath, but if you heard it, you imagine Brayden did too. 

She doesn’t thaw any, even as the song changes. Nor does she get the hint to take herself elsewhere and so you rather pointedly ask if she can go get you both another round. 

Heidy isn’t even able to get out whatever she was ready to grumble before Brayden is offering, pausing to ask what Heidy is drinking. She begrudgingly tells him and he disappears. 

“Seriously? You could have any guy here and that’s who you go for?” she asks. 

You shrug, “He’s the one I want.”

She softens at your earnest tone. “Okay.”

“Call Cale,” you tell her. “Go curl up on the couch and watch TV together or whatever you would have done if you weren’t worrying about me.”

“I don’t know…”

“Go. I’ll be fine. And I’ll text you if I need you,” you confirm. 

She sighs. “I’m waiting for my drink first.”

You laugh and pull her into a side hug. “Love you.”

True to her word, she finishes the drink Brayden brings her—even managing a ‘thank you!’—before slipping off into the crowd and, you imagine, into her boyfriend’s car. 

Brayden looks a little concerned at her rapid exit. “Did I do something to make her leave?” 

“Besides playing for the wrong team? Nah.” 

He doesn’t look convinced, but the concern fades when you wrap your arms around his neck. 

It’s all but gone when you press your lips to his. 

You dance for another few songs and another drink before your inhibitions are just low enough to drag him in the direction of the bathrooms. 

The men’s is empty when you enter, and so you flip the lock on the door and press yourself against him. 

He reciprocates, crowding you against the door with his mouth hot on yours. 

Your whole body lights up at his touch, coming alive beneath his fingertips. There are no thoughts of Nate or the predicament you’ve found yourself in, just Brayden. 

His hands are curved around your jaw, and your leg is wrapped around his waist when he pulls away. “Wait...wait.”

“You don’t want…?” You’re not drunk, just a little bit more sensitive to rejection than you usually would be. 

“No that’s—That’s not it at all. I want you, like, really want you.” He kisses you, and as good as his touch feels, being wanted feels that extra bit more. “Not like this. Not here.”

Truthfully, you’ve never been the kind of girl who lets someone hit and quit in a bar bathroom before. Or anywhere really. A part of you that you thought was long buried stirs inside of you and you realize for the first time in a long time you’re feeling something for a man who isn’t your best friend. 

Your best friend. Shit. “I have a kind of odd living situation right now, my place isn’t an option.”

“Your parents?”

You bark out a laugh that he immediately covers with his mouth. “No, they’re back in Canada.”

“Your husband? Your boyfriend?” He’s joking, but you can’t help but get the sense there’s an ounce of worry that he’s right. It’s such an inconceivable notion that Nate could ever be either to you that you laugh again. 

“No, I just live with a friend who probably won’t be understanding about a strange man in their house.” 

Brayden visibly relaxes, pauses, and then says, “I have a hotel room…you’ll have to be quiet though.”

“I can be quiet,” you reply, barely hiding your smirk. 

You try your best, really give it your best effort, but no one has ever touched you like he does. 

Nate doesn’t cross your mind once. 

-

You sneak out early in the morning, determined to not have a semi-public walk of shame in front of an entire hockey team. It’s almost a success until you run into his captain in the lobby. Feeling your face grow hot, you give him a little nod and escape to the waiting Uber. You can only hope he doesn’t get too much shit, telling him as much using the newest number in your phone. 

You’re not nearly as lucky, facing the firing squad that is Nate as you slip into the entryway. It shouldn’t be a surprise to see your best friend awaiting your arrival, if the several messages that popped up when you’d finally opened your phone to send the aforementioned text to Brayden were any indication. 

“Where have you been?” he asks and you have to keep from rolling your eyes. 

“Out,” you say, calling back to Heidy’s response last night but he doesn’t accept it as easily coming from you. 

“All night?” he continues the interrogation. 

“I crashed at Heidy’s last night, what’s with the fifth degree, Dad?”

He looks like he was waiting for this moment as he replies, “No you didn’t, I talked to Cale.”

This time you do roll your eyes. “It’s none of your business, Nate.”

“It is my business if you’re under my roof,” he says, doing his best impression of your father for real this time. 

You know it’s not his intention, but your stomach drops all the same. The old feeling of guilt and shame and failure floods your veins, and you can tell he notices. 

“I’m sorry,” he offers, “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just worried and you didn’t answer my messages.”

“I know,” you say but the words taste bitter in your mouth. “I’m going to go get some more sleep. See you later.”

He repeats the words back at you, but you’re more focused on the buzzing phone in your pocket. 

Safe in Nate’s guest bedroom, you slip into something more comfortable, get beneath the covers and open your messages. 

Bar Guy 💙🤍: Got fined

Bar Guy 💙🤍: Probably going to get chirped for a month

Bar Guy 💙🤍: Worth it though 

You: I would tell you I’m sorry but I’m not 

Bar Guy 💙🤍: Me either

-

If you thought that was the beginning and the end of Brayden you would be sorely mistaken. 

Long distance flirting becomes a long distance hook up becomes him flying you out to see him. Any time you protested the latter, you’d find a non-refundable ticket in your email and a ‘please’ in your text messages. 

Fall fades into Winter and Bar Guy 💙🤍 turns to Brayden turns to B 💙. As your feelings for him grow, you find thoughts of Nate as anything other than someone-you-grew-up-with fade. 

You come clean about the ‘friend you live with’ being Nathan MacKinnon before the first time you fly down to see him, worried that your lie by omission might be a dealbreaker. Brayden only laughs, he figured Heidy’s hostility was more than just motivated by more than sports team loyalty. 

The thing about Brayden is he never makes you feel bad about Nate. He is understanding and gracious, never demanding, never unreasonable. A small part of you sometimes thinks about how if the roles were reversed, you don’t think Nate would be quite the same. 

Initially unsupportive and apprehensive, Heidy comes around, although her persistence turns from telling Nate how you feel to telling Nate about Brayden. You don’t do either, and she keeps your secrets. 

Nate being selected for the All Star Game in Vegas while Brayden isn’t brings a unique opportunity for a week straight in hot, sunny Florida. The chill of Denver isn’t quite as biting as back home, but you’re excited to escape it all the same. 

He doesn’t ask you to join him in Vegas, but you do wonder if he thought he didn’t need to. 

It doesn’t matter either way, when an errant high stick in overtime breaks his nose and dashes his All Star dreams. 

Your first thought upon seeing him bloody and disoriented on the ice is that there is no way you can go to Florida. 

It probably looks much worse than it is, the girls try to reassure you in the box, but you’re not convinced. 

Nate’s reassurances later don’t do much either. Not with his face puffy and bruised and some dried blood on his chin. 

It’s not until he assures you that his mom and sister will be coming down to Denver since they had the time off anyway that you decide for sure you will go. 

The day you leave for the airport, his pathetic form on the couch is almost enough to have you last minute cancelling on Brayden. 

Nate all but demands you don’t miss out on his account, asking that you ‘be safe’ and ‘have fun’. 

In return you hit him with a ‘thanks Dad’ and ‘take it easy’ despite knowing just by virtue of who he is as a person he will be doing the exact opposite.  

Thoughts of Nate, broken and bruised, haunt you the entire journey. They don’t fade until you’re in Brayden’s arms. Even then, it’s a dull ache that you do your best to ignore. 

Evidently you don’t do a very good job of hiding it, or maybe Brayden just knows you better than you think, because he catches on before you’ve even reached his place. 

“You okay?” he asks, gently squeezing your knee where his hand rests. 

Turning to look at his side profile, so earnest and sweet, you don’t even think of lying. 

“I’m worried about Nate.”

“I get that,” he says and you wonder if he truly does. “I’m glad you’re here with me though.”

Smiling at him, you are too, and so you try to push down the guilt and focus your attention on the man you’re with. 

You check on Nate periodically throughout the week, never getting much more than a thumbs up emoji, but at least you know he’s alive. 

Brayden wines and dines and, well, you know the rest of the rhyme. 

By the time the week is up, you don’t want to leave. It’s strange how meeting one person can change things so drastically. Before Brayden, you would never have dreamed of spending a week with another man when Nate was injured and possibly may have needed you. 

It also puts things into perspective for you. 

Really emphasizes how much additional emotional labor you put in—and were expected to—in your relationship with Nate. The lines and boundaries had long since blurred, and it took dedicating your time and energy to another man to see it. 

If Nate notices the way you pull back even further when you return, he doesn’t say anything about it. 

-

Falling for Brayden is easy. It’s a gentle float down to the ground, landing among a field of flowers to catch your fall. A stark contrast to the free fall of being pushed from an airplane at 10,000 feet by Nate. 

Where Nate’s sharp edges have cut you time and time and time again, Brayden’s curves wrap around you and hold you tight. 

When you’re not physically with him, you’re texting and calling, and when you’re not doing that you’re thinking about him. 

Neither of you make any move to define the relationship further, but it doesn’t sting like the years of being strung along by Nate did. It’s probably because while no words have been exchanged to that effect, Brayden lets you feel how much he cares for you. 

-

You’re nearly found out late in the regular season. 

Something about Tampa has started to feel familiar and safe—you try not to think about exactly why that is—and so, despite the knowledge that the boys are in town, too, you’re not as careful as you should be. 

There’s an ice cream spot near Brayden’s that you’ve taken to frequenting. As a consequence, it’s also near the arena. 

Because it’s so close, you decide to walk there, teasing him the whole way about how one ice cream cone won’t derail his nutrition plan. He’s arguing back, but you know it’s in vain because his sweet tooth and the lilt of your voice will win in the end. 

Your hands naturally brush as a result of your close proximity and you take the opportunity to link your pinkies. He smiles softly and you walk in silence for a minute until he breaks it. 

“You really won’t let me give you my jersey?” It’s a question that has come up before, but every time it does you wonder if it’s a little bit more serious of an ask than the last. 

“I’d rather die. Maybe if you were a better hockey player,” you tease, jumping back to avoid his grasp. 

He gasps playfully, thick eyebrows raising with his wide eyes. “Take that back right now.” He takes a step closer to you but you dodge his advances, sliding to the other side of the bench. 

“Sorry baby, you know I bleed blue and maroon. Wouldn’t be caught dead in traitor blue.” Not to mention you’d never ever hear the end of it from the boys if someone saw you in it. 

He fakes left and you fall for it, giggling madly as he wraps you up in his arms and scrapes his beard against your cheek. “What about just for me?” he asks, kissing your neck once and then nipping at it with his teeth before pulling back to look into your eyes. “In my bed with nothing else on?”

It’s like the already beautiful temperature rises even higher when he presses his mouth to yours. You give in quickly, pressing onto the tips of your toes to get even closer. It turns dirty quickly, his tongue in your mouth and his fingers buried deep in your hair. 

And then a familiar voice calls your name. 

You pull from Brayden like you’ve been burnt, a look of pure panic crossing your face as you realize you know the body attached to the voice. 

It’s JT and he looks like been standing there long enough to figure out what’s going on. 

“JT—“ you start to explain, but pause. There is no easy, simple explanation. There are months and months, hell years and years, of backstory and layers to even get to this point. 

“I thought—“ He appears to change his mind, stopping his thought mid sentence and switching to a question. “What’s going on here?”

“Brayden and I are, well, we’re.” It’s a struggle to explain what you are to one of Nate’s teammates when you haven’t had this conversation in full with the man beside you. Finally, you land on “We’re together.”

You don’t look over at Brayden to see his reaction. 

“How long?” is the natural follow up. 

It’s another tough question, but you decide to go with the first time you met and slept together. “Before Christmas.”

“Does Nate know?” he asks. The wild look in your eyes must give you away because he signs and says your name. “You have to tell him.”

You get that, really you do. But at the same time it’s your business what you do and who you do it with, not Nate’s. At the same time, you know it would be a really shit thing for him to find out through someone who isn’t you. 

Beyond that, you’re pretty sure right before playoffs isn’t the right time to have that conversation and you tell JT as much. “I know, I will. After the season I’ll tell everyone.”

JT looks less than convinced. 

“You know Nate, it wouldn’t do anyone any good while the season is still going on. Please, you can’t tell him.”

JT might be as aware as you are of who Nate is as a person, and he’s certainly more aware of who Nate is as a hockey player and so he agrees despite his clear hesitance. “Promise me, after the season.”

“I promise.”

When he’s gone, Brayden finally speaks up. “You want to go public with us?”

You worry you’ve said the wrong thing, starting to babble about how you’re sorry the conversation didn’t occur privately first, and how you don’t need to go public if it’s not something he wants to do when he silences you with a kiss. 

“I want to tell everyone,” he says earnestly and you kiss him again.  

JT thankfully keeps his word. 

-

Nate doesn’t watch any other team in the playoffs. 

It makes trying to catch Brayden’s games tough, sneaking out to sports bars, watching games on your phone in Nate’s guest room, even flying out to watch a couple home games during the run. 

The only supportive merch you sport is a necklace with his number, and on occasion a little blue and white lacy number under your clothes. You’re not offered a WAG jacket—whether that’s due to Brayden knowing well enough you don’t want to be that public or because your reaction to the style of jacket itself was less than positive. 

In the back of your mind you recognize there’s a chance it could come down to the teams of the boys you care for most; one Eastern Conference, one Western Conference. 

Selfishly, when the first round between the Bolts and the Leafs goes to seven, part of you hopes for it to end right there. Most of you is glad they push through. 

On Colorado’s side of the playoff bracket, they absolutely rip through everyone who stands in their way. 

You are offered a jacket with Nate’s name and number in glitter, but you turn it down in favor of a lucky baseball cap, though you do accept an unpersonalized crop from Madison. 

Some of the girls decide to travel for the away games. You have to turn them down because there are already tickets with your name on them to see Brayden. There’s no way you can—or would—miss any Avs home games, and so instead you end up being one of a handful of supporters in the likes of Toronto, Miami and New York. 

It’s a difficult balancing act as the playoffs progress in both teams’ favor. 

And then your worst nightmare comes true. The quest for the Cup comes down to your… whatever Brayden is to you and to Nate and the team you’ve supported since he was drafted and all the other people who have come to feel like family. 

Whispering to Brayden in the dark of night before the Finals begin, you tell him, “You know I support you, but…”

“It’s okay,” he whispers back, even though he has no reason to match your tone all alone in his home in Tampa. “I get it. As long as you still like me, you can like them a little bit more.”

You giggle, “It’s got nothing to do with liking you, you dolt.” 

“Bolt,” he corrects, and even though you can’t see him you know he’s smiling. 

“Oh my God, shut up.” You don’t mean it literally but he’s quiet for a second too long. “No matter what happens I’m proud of you.”

For two people who have never properly defined nor publicized their relationship, it might be too heavy of a moment, but his quiet thank you is laced with emotion. 

“Go to bed,” you say after another few beats of silence. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The first two games are in Colorado, and the boys take both at home. 

“Ain’t over til it’s over,” is both of your boys’ philosophy after the first two. 

Nate is positively buzzing, especially after so decisively winning the second, but still cautious—very aware of how quickly a 2-0 lead can turn into the end of the line and empty hands. 

Brayden is also cautious, and this isn’t his first or even second rodeo at the Cup final in as many years. You try to kiss it better in a random hallway in the bowels of Ball Arena. 

Finally accepting the Better Halves’ invitation to travel to road games, you have a good seat to Tampa taking back some momentum in game three before promptly handing it back to Colorado. 

You die and come back to life a dozen times in game four as Brayden and his team hold on. 

Game five is to be played back in Tampa, and you spend the night before the game in Brayden’s bed instead of the hotel Nate has paid for. “Good luck,” you whisper against his lips early in the morning before you leave to meet the girls for breakfast. 

“You don’t mean that,” he teases, stretching out in such a way that has you considering skipping breakfast—certain teasing and interrogation be damned. 

“Good luck to you,” you amend, kissing him once more. “Your team can rot.”

His laughter rings in your ears as you leave. 

Mel corners you after breakfast, a familiar offending piece of clothing in her hands. “This could be it,” she explains, offering you the jean jacket. 

If it were any year previous, you might have worn it. If you didn’t have Brayden, you might have worn it. If Nate had offered it to you himself alongside a confession, you might have worn it. 

None of these things are true, and so you decline. “I don’t like the way it makes me feel.”

Her smile has a twinge of sadness and understanding as she replies, “Okay.”

-

Sitting alongside the girls in the box with your cropped sweater hiding the 21 necklace around your neck, you’ve never felt more torn. 

Brayden’s captain nets one early in the first, and you’re not sure you breathe again until Nate’s powerplay evens the score early in the second. There’s an undercurrent of excitement in the box alongside the nervous energy. Midway through the second, Arturri tips it in and Amalie Arena is silent. 

It stays like that for the rest of the period until you excuse yourself to grab a drink at intermission. Standing in the long drink line, you spot a little girl in a Point jersey and your stomach twists as you think about how no matter which way this ends, someone you care for will be hurt. 

That feeling doesn’t leave as you sit through a scoreless third period. The arena gets loud with Bolts fans throughout, celebrating every blocked shot and turnover. That intensity picks up in the dying seconds of the game as Brayden picks off the puck in the defensive zone. 

He rushes up the ice flanked by his linemates, but is momentarily stopped by Cale. 

He gets his stick back on the puck and your nails dig into the leather arm of the box seat. Suzanna grabs your hand, assuming it’s worry for her boyfriend and his teammates and you let her think that and hold your hand. 

Three seconds. 

Two seconds. 

He shoots right as the buzzer sounds and Darcy gloves it down like there was never a question of him stopping it. 

The entire box explodes in a chorus of cheers—there’s shouting, swearing, crying, laughter and you’re right in the middle of them all. Your boys are Stanley Cup Champions. 

Someone grabs you, and then someone else joins in and suddenly you’re in the middle of a dog pile. “They fucking did it!”

You’re so fucking excited, incredibly proud and honestly a little weepy about your favorite people finally getting their hands on their childhood dream. But, a bigger part of the organ in your chest than you want to admit aches for the downturn of Brayden’s head as he skates back to the bench. 

An attendant appears and wrangles the rowdy bunch down to the ice. You’ve got Linnea Landeskog in your arms and a giant grin on your face as your feet touch the ice.

“Down please,” she politely states while trying to wriggle out of your grasp. The second she’s down she’s running at her daddy who sweeps her up in his arms. 

And then Nate’s on you in a way that you used to long for when you were younger. He’s red and sweaty and out of breath but none of these things stop him from hauling you up into his arms and spinning you until you smack at his chest, demanding to be let down much like Linnea only minutes ago. 

He stops spinning but he doesn’t let go, staring up at you with a look he’s never given you before. You’re so caught up in the excitement of it all you barely notice, grabbing his cheeks and shouting in his face, “You fucking did it!”

“We fucking did,” he says like he can’t believe this moment is happening—whether that’s due to you in his arms or the Cup that will now bear his name no one can really say. He kind of looks like he’s about to do something stupid, leaning in ever so slightly, and so you finally succeed at leaving his arms, slipping slightly as you reach the ice once again. Brayden is watching from across the ice, a sad look on his face that you just want to kiss off. You don’t though, just pat Nate on the back once and continue moving, throwing yourself at Cale, then Burky, then Mikko.

It’s a blur of celebrations and photos with the Cup—you even let Linnea convince you to take a photo with her and the Cup, her mom remarking that it looks good on you. When you pull from your photo pose, you give her a questioning look. “A baby and a cup,” she smirks, blatantly looking over at Nate who seems to agree. 

You laugh nervously—last year that was all you wanted, the boys to win and Nate to want you in that way. Now? Now you can picture it still, you just picture it with someone else. 

Finally, you’re able to sneak away and Brayden has the same idea, telling you to meet him in a closet by the locker room. No words are exchanged as he pulls you in by your hips and kisses you like he needs it to breathe. 

“I’m sorry,” you tell him and you mean it. 

A crinkle forms between his eyes. “No you’re not.”

You kiss him again once, “I’m not sorry the boys won tonight, but I am sorry it was against you.”

“There’s always next year.” It’s far more flippant than you had anticipated, really you thought you’d be dealing with an upset Brayden and that might have broken your heart. 

“I thought you’d be more upset.”

“Can’t win ‘em all,” he says and you give him a look to be serious. “So what, we didn’t win the Cup this season. I got you, didn’t I?”

“Fuck off, dont be stupid.” Your cheeks are hot and your eyes are wild. 

“I mean it. I’d take you over the Cup nine times out of ten.”

“What about the other one?” 

“Need to win another one for us to put our future babies in.”

“Awfully presumptuous for a hook up.” 

“This is so much more than a hook up.”

“Yeah,” you admit, sinking deeply into another kiss. 

“Besides,” he pauses, “Already got two rings.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “Okay I gotta go. Will you come get me later?”

He looks at you like you’re stupid to ask, like he’d go into the pits of hell itself for you without hesitation. “Of course. Now go. Celebrate. I’ll see you later.”

You slip out first, making sure the coast is clear and go find the others. A Stanley Cup Champion hat is placed upon your head and a bottle of champagne in your hand. There’s a celebration in the visitor locker room and then the party moves to a local bar. 

Someone shells out the money for a few bottles of vintage Dom Perignon that you indulge in, but mostly you just relish in the happiness of everyone around you. If you’re honest, you spend a fair amount of time avoiding Nate who has a serious look every time you catch him staring. 

Shortly before midnight, you slip out of the bar and into Brayden’s waiting car. The bubbly must have gone to your head, because you forgo any verbal greeting in favor of launching yourself over the center console to press your lips to his. 

He pulls away and very somberly states, “I can’t take you seriously in that sweater.”

Looking down, you spot the Avalanche crop and laugh as you pull it off and toss it in the back. “Better?”

He hums, fingertip tracing the chain around your neck from your clavicle down between your breasts to reveal his number on the pendant. “Much.”

You sink back into another kiss before remembering where you are, who you’re with and what you’re doing meanwhile the bar you just left is crawling with people you’re not quite ready to come clean to just yet. 

“Take me home, Bray,” you say as you relax back into the passenger seat. 

You don’t have the power to bring your lover the Stanley Cup your friends were just drinking out of. All you have to offer is yourself, but he accepts it with as much gratitude as your best friend accepted the Cup earlier. 

Later, he looks like he wants to ask you to stay, and you think you look like you want him to. 

In the end, it doesn’t matter as you fall asleep next to him and somehow make it back to your hotel room in the morning with no one the wiser. 

-

Nate spends a few more weeks in Denver after the win, celebrating with the guys and riding the high of winning it all. You only spend a couple days and then move out of his house and back into your parents. 

You don’t tell him about Brayden, content to let Nate enjoy his successes. 

As a consequence, you don’t see much of him in July or August. Even when you’re both home, he’s busy with all his other friends and his family, and you’re busy with your niece and deciding on what to do in the fall. You’ve determined the best course of action is to finish your degree and then apply to a masters program in order to change your career path. 

The choice, then, is where to do so. You can stay at home, commute an hour each way into the city—supported by your hometown friends and your family. Or you can make the shift to Denver for real, with your found family and with Nate. Or…

The University of Tampa Bay has an excellent program. You know from your time visiting Brayden through the season that the university is right around the corner from Amalie Arena and Brayden’s. It’s awfully presumptuous, but you find yourself daydreaming about the possibility much like you used to daydream about a future in Denver. 

Of course, there’s an entire continent of possibilities, hell an entire world of possibilities, but these are the three most attractive options. 

There are many discussions to be had, and choices to be made. You don’t want to do either until you’ve had a chance to speak to Brayden in person, but just as Nate’s had a busy summer, so too has he. 

He messages you every morning before and after working out while you’re still asleep. Every conversation eventually devolves into some combination of ‘I miss you’ and ‘when can I see you?’ 

You do manage to spend a few days with him in the Rockies mid-July that fly by far too quickly. Every time you leave Brayden it gets harder and the implications of it all have your stomach in knots when the thought crosses your mind. 

-

It all comes to a head spectacularly the day before Nate’s day with the Cup. You’re at Nate’s, helping to prepare for the post-parade celebration when you’re called away by his sister. She wants your help deciding on which photos to display—it’s a mixture of past and present alongside an elementary school assignment two decades old wherein Nate declared his future profession would be ‘Stanley Cup Champion.’

You’re smiling, lost in the memories when Nate comes crashing into the room you’re in. There’s an indiscernible look on his face, but it reads somewhere between anger, frustration and hurt. The look on your face betrays your confusion, and it only deepens when you see your phone in his hands. 

“What are you doing with my phone?” you ask. 

His jaw ticks. “Thought it was mine.”

It doesn’t really do anything for your confusion. If anything, it deepens it. “What’s your problem Nate?”

“This! This is my problem.” He finally cracks, shoving your phone in your face to reveal messages from Brayden—under the contact name of the letter B and a heart—wondering when you plan on making the trip to Calgary to see him. Your stomach drops and your heart feels like it’s at risk of falling right out your chest. It was always going to come out, but especially as you crossed the line between sharing body heat with Brayden and sharing your secrets, hopes and dreams. 

That being said, it is a shit way for your relationship to come to light for sure, but you can’t help but feel your friend is overreacting. Sarah is looking between the two of you, panicked and frozen like she doesn’t know what to do. 

“I think your mom could use some help in the backyard, Sar,” you say gently, and she gladly takes the opportunity to flee. Once she’s gone, you turn on Nate. “I’m sorry that you found out this way, but you had no right to come in here like that. Poor Sarah looked terrified!”

He looks at you incredulously. Now that his sister is out of ear shot, he appears to have allowed himself to lean into his emotions a little more. “I have no right? What about you? Hooking up with some random guy in Calgary? Is that where you’ve been running off to these past few months?”

You know that this is probably the least important part of his rant, but you feel the need to clarify. “He’s not just some guy, Nate. His name is Brayden. And for the record, no. I wasn’t in Calgary, I was in Tampa.

He looks confused in addition to enraged, and so you put the pieces together for him. “I’ve been seeing Brayden Point.”

“You’ve been sleeping with the enemy?”

“Are you joking?” 

This is not your friend Nate. This is some angry being inhabiting the body of your friend Nate. 

He doesn’t back down. “It was between us and them in the final, pretty sure that qualifies as the enemy!” He pauses for a second and then continues, “How long have you been sleeping with him? During the final? Were you rooting for him instead?”

“Nate—“

“No, don’t Nate me. I bet you were, I bet you wanted them to win, him to win. I bet you were sitting there in the family box, using tickets I paid for, against me the whole time.”

“That’s not fair!” you try to interject, despite the tiny grain of truth to his words. It would be untrue to say some small part of you wanted Brayden to succeed, but your loyalties have always been with Nate and his team. 

“Don’t bother. I wouldn’t trust a thing you said right now. Not after this. Not when you know.” 

“Know what?” you question. 

“How I feel! About you. And me.” The blurred edges start to come into focus. He’s been acting like a man scorned, because in his eyes he is one. 

Unable to form any coherent thought, you repeat yourself from earlier. “Are you joking?”

He’s less angry now, slipping further into the hurt brewing under the surface. “It’s always been us. Since we were kids. And now you’re messing around with some guy on another team. I can't believe you!”

The tears start to pool at your waterline, but you’re too stubborn to let them fall. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that? You string me along for years and years and years, expecting me to play the part of your girlfriend without being your girlfriend and to wait around for you to figure it out. I am sorry you found out like this, but I’m not sorry about him. I’m not sorry about Brayden.”

He flinches at the sound of Brayden’s name, the anger clouding his eyes even further. “You want him so bad, why don’t you go to him right now?”

“Nate—“ You’re not sure he knows what he’s saying, what the implications of all he’s said really are. What it would mean if you left for Calgary this afternoon. What it would be like if you weren’t there tomorrow to join in his celebrations.

“Go.” When you don’t move he speaks again. “Get out of here.”

He hasn’t raised his fists or even his voice, but you do as he suggests. Calmly, begging the tears not to fall, you walk right out of his house and get in your car and you drive. 

Brayden picks up when you call while driving, and there’s a ticket in your inbox before you’ve even made it home. 

A short layover in Toronto—and with nothing but the clothes on your back and a small carry- on—later, you’re sinking into Brayden’s arms. 

“I’m sorry,” he says, but you shake your head where it’s buried in his chest. 

“Thank you,” you say, leaving hundreds of words unspoken in your gratitude. 

The kiss he pressed to your lips and the way he says ‘Anything for you’ tells you that he understands. 

He’s got his own place in an affluent suburb of the city, and you’re grateful for the fact that you won’t have to see anyone else with your puffy, bloodshot eyes. 

The last time you’d cried this hard, it had been over the loss of your childhood dog. Nate had been there then, flying in after a late game to hold you while you cried. Maybe you had misunderstood his feelings for you, missed the signs he thought he had laid out so clearly. Maybe that would have mattered a year ago. 

It doesn’t, now. 

Not when Brayden’s arms feel like home. His warm gaze feels like the sun. His kiss and his touch feel like heaven on earth. His love feels like everything you’ve ever wanted. 

Your world nearly stopped in Nate’s living room, but it resumed spinning here in Brayden’s bedroom. 

You’re curled up on his chest while he soothingly runs a hand along your spine when you tell him. “I love you.”

His hand stills on the middle of your back, but you don’t panic. Your mind and heart are clear and in unison. He doesn’t make you wait long, cupping the back of your head and tilting your head back ever so slightly so that your eyes meet. 

“Yeah?” he asks like maybe he needs the validation. 

“Yeah,” you reply, giving it to him. 

The grin on his face might be worth everything you’ve been through. 

You squeal as he flips the both of you, ending in a position where his arms bracket either side of your head in order to keep from crushing you with his full weight. 

“I love you,” he repeats, kissing every inch of your exposed skin. 

Tangling your fingertips in the hair at the nape of his neck, you say it again and again and again. It’s a chant and a ritual, told between sighs and moans and whimpers. He strips you of your clothes, taking you apart piece by piece and then putting them all back together. 

It is intimate and sweet as he takes you to the highest peak, hearts and limbs and minds all intertwined. There is no doubt, no insecurity, no hesitation. All of the love you have to give is reflected back at you. You and Brayden are two sides of the same coin, destiny and fate and all the good forces in the world have brought the two of you together. 

That’s why when, in the dark of his room later, you say yes when he asks you to move in. 

-

Despite the apparent suddenness, your family is more than supportive of you and Brayden. Though that may be because he charmed the pants off all of them the following week when returning to your childhood bedroom to pack your things. 

Your niece is delighted when she learns that Brayden’s “job is hockey!” as she so sweetly declares, requesting he win her a Cup too. 

It reminds you of Nate and how you haven’t heard from him. You don’t reach out either. 

Your time in Calgary is short, punctuated by the bittersweet news that although many of your credits will transfer over, you’re not able to start college classes at the University of Tampa until the second semester. 

“Now you can come with me on all my road games,” Brayden says when you tell him. 

“Fat chance.”

Training camp sneaks up on you both and before you know it, you’re making the permanent move into Brayden’s bedroom and his life, publicly this time. 

The Tampa WAGs are sweet and welcoming, but you find yourself missing the Colorado Better Halves. That’s probably why you agree to dinner with Heidy the first time in the season that the Avs are in town. 

You make plans to meet at a cute spot downtown near the arena. 

The minute you spot Nate waiting outside, you start to turn around. Not so much as an Instagram like since the day before his day with the Cup and now he’s at one of your favorite restaurants in Tampa like everything is okay?

“Wait,” he says and for some reason you do, pausing mid turn. “I’m sorry.”

That’s enough to have you turning back around to look him in the eye as you scold him. “Really? I haven’t heard a word from you in months and that’s what you have to say?”

“I know,” he says. 

“You were really shitty Nate! You knew how I felt and apparently felt the same way, but you just took advantage of me and my feelings for you for years! And then, you made me feel like trash for falling for someone else.”

“I know,” he says again. 

“Can you say literally anything other than I know?” you say exasperatedly. 

“I—“ he starts and stops with the look you give him. “I don’t have a good explanation for the first bit. You’re right, I’ve been taking you for granted for a long time. I don’t know, I guess I was just scared to lose you if we ever crossed that line.”

“I get that,” you reply. “Why do you think I never said anything either? I’m less mad about that and more mad about you being a giant asshole about me meeting someone.”

He nods. “I know. I was jealous and hurt and I lashed out and hurt you too. I never meant for it to get like this, but the longer it took for me to reach out and apologize the harder it seemed. I am really sorry, and I’m happy you found someone who treats you the way you deserve.”

It’s a sincere apology and one you’re certain he means. Beyond that, you just miss your best friend and so you throw yourself at him in a big hug. He’s startled, but very quickly wraps his arms around you too. 

“Things aren’t magically okay, you really hurt me, but you’re my best friend and I’ve missed you so much. There’s been a million times where something happened and I wanted to tell you about it, but couldn’t.”

“You’re my best friend,” he says. 

Nate scores a goal during the second period of the game but it’s not enough for the Avalanche. 

Brayden comes home the clear winner to find you curled up in his bed. First he undresses and then he slips into bed beside you. 

“Glad you made up with Nate,” he says, tucking his head into the crook of your neck and wrapping an arm around your waist. 

“Glad you won,” you reply, feeling the way his lips curve in a smile against your neck and knowing he’s about to say something stupid and cringe. 

“In more ways than one, baby,” he laughs, caging you in with his arm as you struggle to get away from him and his bad jokes. “In more ways than one.”

Despite the way you playfully try to escape his clutches, the truth is you feel like you’re the real winner. 

[aihoshiino]

Man onk is getting so messy and out of place. Movie arc really dissapointed me because it was suppose to be about Ai and I am not even sure if they potrayed the real Ai or not. After Nino-Ai thing it feels as if Ruby doesn't understand Ai. I want more chapters like 137 where we are shown about Ai. It is not only about Ai but other characters too. Also can we please have some Aqua in limelight again?

I'm sorry that this took so long for me to reply but the me from the future hopes you enjoyed OnK 150 very much <3 Aqua, we missed you…!!!

I definitely feel the same way vis-a-vis the Movie Arc, though. It's frustrating, because the bits we did get of Ai were absolutely fantastic - anyone who was just, like, in my general vicinity in the weeks surrounding 131, 136 and 137 knows how completely feral I went for those chapters and how great it was to see the way I'd been reading Ai be validated by the text in such explicit and undeniable terms. But since then, it just kind of… flopped. I can understand zooming us past the parts of the story we already saw in the prologue arc but like… hello??? The rest of the HKAI relationship?? The breakup??? Ai telling Saitou she was pregnant???? AI REALIZING SHE WAS PREGNANT???? There's sooooo much potential in showing us these parts of her story but it starts turning into the Kamiki movie so hard and then wasting time on shit that doesn't matter (melt i love you but you did Not need a whole chapter that went nowhere to yourself) that it's hard not to feel like she got majorly shafted.

I think I said this in one of my recent chapter reviews, but it really feels like Ai is being treated as narratively 'resolved', so to speak, since 137 - like her posthumous character arc is done and doesn't need any further elaboration.This also comes in tandem with weird shit like Ai's role in the twins' lives being massively downplayed/retconned in favor of centering the GRSR dynamic and as someone who honestly probably would not still be reading this series if I didn't care about Ai so deeply, it really bums me out.

[ahappydnp]

okay i'm gonna make seperate posts for the highlights but here are my raw thoughts from my notes app as i watched

dnp 10/19/15

“hello everybody welcome to the show hello everybody welcome to the show” nostalgicccc wahhhh

all these 2015 younow top fans feel like distant relatives at a family reunion 

this is their one day off between shows and they’re doing a liveshow (2015 work schedules at it again but also those younow contracts really made them go live ANYWHERE)

them talking about what they do during their shows and they’ve retired the drawing game and guess the crime rip

if this were current times phil would have just drank out of dan’s bottle without a second thought but i still love that he snatched it so naturally asdsafsgjk

dan asks them how they’re feeling and phil is “interested” in the words

“imagine being ecstatic right now” PHIL ILYSM

“happy 6 year friendaversary” and 6 years of dinof (phil remembered but not dan). they reallyyyy moved past that to focus on dinof lmao

they’re anti spoiler policy and don’t want to talk about it all the time (which is so interesting because you can tell they’ve kept that thinking except promo is important these days, especially for dan during WAD some promo would have massively helped)

dan split his pants and phil bonked his noggin on stage (it’s still them <33) phil has a steel head 😭

phil wants to put a camera in a penny and just see where it goes (he’s so beautiful i love him dearly). do you think you’ve ever used a coin benedict cumberbatch 😭

DAN DO YOU KNOW WHAT YAOI IS

love phil just taking over the liveshow and telling dan they’re going to try and think of a better name when dan just wanted to move past it

pretty odd opinions (phil singing nine in the afternoon changed my brain chemistry jfc)

A level geography + phan 4eva

dan got an A in case you forgot

WAIT WAIT WAIT for the us tour (dnp doing everything themselves is still insane)

“i’m guessing one of you as probably uploaded the video of this already and thank you for doing a service” dan used to be Such an advocate for fan reuploads for accessibility and i genuinely love him for it 

phil likes being remembered :3 the 1975 remembers them 

they like touring <33 try new things!!!!!!!!! “five people die” and you don’t wanna know who adsfdgsfgkj phil stopped the whole bus for a fish and chip shops HE’S SO VALID ILYSM KING 

a fun fact about them seeing derren brown in 2012 is they accidentally left their tickets at home and then had to go all the way back in a taxi to go get them 

OMGGGG DANS NOSE TOUCHED HIS SLEEVE!!!1!

martyn shoutout (remember when IRL was good 😭)

dan coughing in his face is sooooo current dan like that is dan on the gaming channel in 2024 

your enemies didn’t get a good morning (funniest man alive)

bbc breakfast show is like a plain yogurt but nana watches it. the infamous squirrel bite story <33333 phiw

GET OVER IT HE ENJOYS A THEMED DRINK GET OVER IT

dans loubs are on akinator (the time on the internet when you quite literally could not escape dnp was so special)

miss dan’s tv show rants soooo bad waahhhhh pls come back and yell about shit 😭

THE BEST MOMENT IN ANY LIVESHOW EVER phiiiillll 

dan’s face talking about the 3D movies…i fear i love him too much :((( let him watch the movie

them writing that dan’s chair is hiding a huge secret….

genuinely it’s so so incredible how much they loved the book and how much care and effort they put into something they could have very easily just slapped their name on 

dan thinks an apocalypse is going to happen..he was pregnant with WAD here

my favorite thing is the MINUTE they hit that hour mark phil gets “”hungry””” without fail like yes kings get that minimum and dip <33

[vikersund]

Hi! I hope this post won't flop </3

first of all I wanted to finally reveal myself on this platform - many of you know me as Himbeertee_ on tiktok and twitter, Hello! Yes, I'm also here :P

I felt like last few days were like a fever dream - so I decided to write a summary/recap of my journey to Stozice.

It was not my first Joker Out show, last month I was in Żalec and both times I traveled by train and bus, so if anyone wonders how to get to Slovenia from Poland - the cheapest way is by Flixbus, but the fastest is by plane. I spent 5 hours in train and 11 hours in bus and it was only one way ride.

Me and my friend arrived at the arena around 4pm and we were 24/25 in the queue and we ended up at barricade in front of Kris, thanks to long catwalk and very long barricade. (I wanted to be at Kris' side, because duuuh i'm a Kris girlie).

If it comes to new merch - there were new winter beanies, new shirts, hoodies, socks, UM and Demoni CD's, condoms, new notebook (juhuhu hahaha), new tote bags and if you ask me... well.. those shirts didn't look good at least for me, but the rest of it was fine. I bought baby boos socks, because (to the unpopular opinion) I love the name xD

If it comes to the show alone, I will try to describe few songs. As you might have seen on twitter I managed to get the setlist (which was leaked at least day before - and unfortunately i saw some of it so I didnt experience the surprise).

The live-from-backstage intro was so cool, like I had chills, the screen was turning from the backstage to black screen or to joker out sign with the music that made your heart beat to it, it definitely built an atmosphere, we saw Jo getting ready to rock the stage, Kris leading the 5 of them to the stage from backstage, then they finally came from behind drums, which was such a cool entrance!

First song was Sunny Side of London - and now I understand that they picked it as an opener because of the "welcome" at the beginning, but when I first heard it i was kinda sceptical why is this the first song. People from the brass band joined them for the iconic balcan solo (dare I say - Kris outwhored himself during the solo).

Then we screamed for the record and we beat it, but honestly I think that the result should be higher, but because it was such an open space, the device didnt gather the sound as good as in smaller venues.

Then gola and bele sanje - honestly don't remember much of it because I was enjoying myself, maybe a little too much, but the guitar transition from bele sanje to plastika was sooooo good.

Plastika oh plastika! This song is made for concerts, everyone were screaming their lungs off and Bojan was everywhere, including the cat walk.

Proti toku - what can I say other than justice for Proti Toku! Like i dont understand why they abandoned this song at the shows...

As you already know I was at Kris' side and I had the best view on him, let me tell you. This man didn't hold back during dopamin, his moves were electric and there should be another twitter account "Kris shuffles to:"

Padam - Bojan sang the song laying on the catwalk for the entire length of the song and for a moment I was so confused where he went, because I didn't see him at first.

Then after Padam we had a small break, that included screenings of pre-eurovision clips from their vlogs and during that everyone was lying on the stage (not sure about Jure tho).

Then demoni happened and the Iconic scream was... well... demonic xD Bojan ended up almost on all fours in front of 12k audience. You're welcome or something.

Katrina - is another song which was made to being played on stage. I loved the red and white lights especially, bojan was very slutty and we were introduced to releasing fumes from the pyro stuff (not real pyro or fire on their show in Stozice).

ASTP - AMAZING intro played by a dude with trumpet, I had chills, Bojan was sitting on his knees on the stage, listening to it. I'll try to upload it to tiktok later! It is one of my fav songs. Great vocals from Bojan and Kris, the second one was very slutty af during the song (who is surprised at this point?). No Janace ending, Jan ended the song playing at the end of catwalk, nice moment between Nace and Bojan.

Omamljeno Telo - well this is the only JO song that I am not that much a fan of, but they definitely delivered their perfomance, especially when everyone went to the catwalk. We had Kris/Nace moment during the song.

Kot Srce Ki Kri Poganja - will you banish me If I tell you that I have never heard any of their unreleased songs?

Anyway I LOVED THIS SONG, can they release it on new album please? I already knew that Martin will join them because I saw pics from backstage before the show, but I was surprised to see Matic there. This songs slaps and I fell in love with the vibe martin gave while playing the bass. I couldnt stop staring at him, he was magnetic and so happy to play with others. I might cry a little when Nace gave him his bass. I loved how everyone was hugging each other before and after the song. Such a heartwarming moment, even if Martin doesnt play anymore, you could definitely see that he is still part of the family <3

Metulji - amazing perfomance, again they delivered, love the song, also amazing Jan solo at the end of the song, kinda improvised i think? At least I have never heard those sounds before.

Vse Kar Vem - well, you know who I was focused on xD I guess I have a new Vse Kar Vem iconic video for you xD

NGVOT - before the song I was wondering if they will do Tavastia 2.0 with ngvot and the scream i I let out when I saw that Bojan was far from the mic, far enough to be late to start singing the song if he had to, and then I turned to look at Kris and I already knew. This is all I've been asking for. I'm so glad that Kris is more comfortable to sing the first verse, his voice was more relaxed, less shaky than in Tavastia, I loved the way he sang "ti pa barvo las" the way Bojan does. But I still think he has to work a little bit on his voice, because I know he CAN sing (from other videos). I wonder if they will leave this song as a duet for other shows in the future or If it was like one-time thing.

Vem Da Gres - all I remember was Nace on our side and how handsome he looked. I'm not a Nace girlie, but I can definitely see why others are, and his new hair and the outfit... asdfgrew

Ne Bi Smel - this time Jan joined our side and he had a nice moment with Bojan

Ona - Another time when men from brass band joined and it was the song which had changed arrangement. I loved it. the whole vibe of the song stayed the same, but the brass instruments elevated it. (If i think about any fuck ups during the show - it happened here - the mic of the Saxophone guy didnt work at first, I've heard him from the front row, but idk if people in the back have heard him). During this song they also showed me and my friend on the screen and i cant stop thinking about how the hell it happened xD Now i am immortal in joker out stozice lore xD

Tokio - honestly don't remember what was happening - probably I was just screaming and singing.

Umazane Misli - i loved it. I LOVED IT. The way Bojan was demanding the audience who and when should they sing, and then he came down to us and let 2 people sing, and he received the THREE KAKSI ANANAS LONKERO shirt and he loved it so much, he was so smiley and took this shirt with him on the stage.

Novi val - I almost cried. This is my fav song, and thanks to Joker Out Subs and Spela the project came true, the coloful lights flashed beautifully above boy's heads. We and them were touched and it was such a special moment. At the beginning of Novi Val Jure came to our side and we could see his outfit from the closer proximity, and dare I say it was second best after Kris'.

Last but not least - Carpe Diem. After novi val they left the stage, but everyone knew it wasnt over. The break was too long and It just clicked in my head that what if they are changing into their Eurovision clothes. AND THEY DID. I just predicted it seconds before it happened. It was unreal - like i just travelled back in time 5 months.

Overall it was the best night of my life. Everything was perfect. The lights were amazing. The stage was amazing. Clothes - god, the amount of details on each outfit! Personally I think Kris and Jure had the best outfits. I couldnt really see Jan and Nace outfit details, but the looked GOOD. But if I have to complain - not a fan of detachable sleeves on Bojan's shirt.

They all delivered their performances. Not a single mistake - i am so impressed because thats a skill.

We all agree that Kris outdid himself that night. The way he moved, the way he sang, the way he was SO CONFIDENT. Like he was born to be in that exact moment.

I also loved every single interaction between boys, the group ones, or the doubles. Maybe there was no Jan and Nace astp ending but they had few moments. It was so nice to see Jan and Bojan jamming together, Kris and Nace doing their thing, Bojan and Kris' little shenanigans and even Jure and Jan had their moment when Jan ran to him at the beginning of the show.

I also love how they had movie-like credits. Everyone from their crew was credited, every person who worked on the show, team of photographers etc.

Other thing was how nice it was to being supplied with water all the time. The people behind barricade were giving us cups with water all the time, and even at the end of the show we got whole bottles.

Please don't take this post as a proper review - these are just my thoughts of the show <3

[nieded]

Hi! Not an ask, more like a confession. I just really felt compelled to tell you that #RainbowRoad is the absolute best fan-created work i’ve ever engaged with, and i’ve been a fan of many things! You are an amazing storyteller.

I also felt compelled to reach out because my friends & family are perplexed. I am perplexed. Primarily because:

1. I started watching DTS. Excellent. Normal for me to try on a new Netflix show….mostly. But is it really? Sports? Me?

2. I casually check out streaming options for the real deal, because you know, i’m curious, and oh! Would you look at that…it’s almost the end of fall break….

3. I subscribe and what’s this….I am absorbing F1. Like i’ve been starved for a sport to enjoy my whole life. Replays. Free practice. Fuckin Tech Talk.

4. Suddenly, I’ve watched 3 seasons of DTS and a disturbing amount of F1 content and it’s COTA Sunday and i’m on the couch, surrounded by snacks, insisting that we have to watch the WHOLE qualifying session not just the highlights because we need to get a feel for everyone’s headspace going into the race.

5. Post-COTA; We have decided Sainz is our driver to watch. I’m also really intrigued by McLaren rn someone pls help. We’re shouting as we watch live as Ferrari pulls a 1-2 and wow. When’s the next race?

6. Mexico City. MEXICO CITY. Sainz has been our man now for 10 days and forever. I suppose i’ll have to dedicate myself to Williams next season but I feel conflicted about that and WHY do I have an OPINION on that already. Who am I? Also can I watch the whole race again just tuned into Russel’s radio? Did he really ask mid-race for tea on Verstappen’s timeout? You don’t have to answer either of those questions i’m probably going look that up as soon as I finish writing you this manic soliloquy.

I’m not saying that you’re to blame for this complex crisis of identity happening over here, i’m really not. I just….I know the difference by now when i’m transfixed by something that’ll surely pass and…well…when I find something that compels me to sit tight & take hold.

On second thought, yeah. From one internet stranger to another, this is your fault.

And i’m enjoying every second of it. ♥️🏎️♥️

P.S. If there is going to be another #rainbowroad story I will be more excited about that than I am about GO3. This summer has been hard and engaging with your work has made it so much less so. Thank you ♥️🏎️♥️

hello! thank you sooooo much. i'm excited that you've gotten so into f1.

couple of things:

1 - i love carlos. he is my favorite himbo. he is so dumb sometimes. all that boy knows how to do is drive but damn does he drive well! i have felt for a long time that he's a sleeper agent. he just goes under the radar. you should look up the circumstances of his first few podiums. some of his biggest achievements have been afterthoughts, sidelined by other drama in f1. for example, when he did all those crazy overtakes during the sprint race and ended up in p2, nobody was talking about it at all! drove me nuts. it is such a sainz thing to be winning races and still losing his seat at ferrari.

2 - williams is worth being a fan of. they are one of the most historic teams and are wccs! i know that's strange to think if you're coming into the sport now, but there are many, many reasons to love williams. the other cool thing about the team is their principal, james vowles, was part of brawn gp. since you're diving into dts, i highly recommend watching brawn gp on amazon prime. you will also develop a love for jensen button.

also, i'm sorry your summer has been hard, and i am glad i could shine some light for you. my summer also was rough, and i still feel like i am recovering. i do have a story in the pipeline. it's still very much in its early development so i don't know if i will write it, but it does exist in my head!

[loveefulll]

Hit Me With Your Killshot, Baby

Ghostface x Fem!Reader (MDNI)

   TW: Dub-Con, Choking, Slight Knife Play, Orgasm Denial

The way this started isn't a very believable story. If I told you, you'd probably think I'm crazy. The whole thing made ME crazy. The good kind of crazy, you know? Ghostface may not be the ideal guy to hook up with, ESPECIALLY if he just tried to kill me, BUT HEAR ME OUT!

It was a normal Friday night, watching a horror movie by myself and getting drunk with any alcohol I found laying around the house. I couldn't really go out with a serial killer running around the streets. School was shut down and we couldn't do anything but stay inside and hope he doesn't get to us. It was a bit lonely in the house by myself, but it didn't upset me that much.

My legs sprawled out on the couch and my head laid against a pillow. All of a sudden, the telephone on the kitchen counter started to ring. *ring ring*

I found it odd that someone was calling the telephone and not the phone, but went to pick it up anyway.

"Hello?" I spoke, waiting for a reply. It only took a few seconds for me to hear a voice start speaking on the other line.

"Hello there." An unfamiliar voice said in an eerie tone.

"Who is this?" I asked skeptically. They didn't sound like anyone I recognized. "I think you may have the wrong number. Goodbye." I hang up the phone, only for it to ring moments later. After rolling my eyes, I picked it up once again. "What?" I asked in an irritated tone.

"Don't hang up on me just yet. I just want to talk to you." The man on the other line said in a somewhat eerie tone.

"What could you possibly want to talk about?" At this point, he was starting to piss me off.

"Don't try showing attitude to me now, doll." This guy kept seeming sketchier by the moment."I can see you from here. You look sooooo pretty." After hearing that, I frantically looked around. "Hahah. You look so cute." The phone rang, signaling that the other line hung up.

My heart rate sped up. Suddenly, I hear a voice behind me. "Found you." I went to turn around, but was pushed against the counter before I could do so. In front of me was a tall figure with a white ghost mask. He had both his hands next to my sides, trapping me between him. I spotted a knife in one of his hands and began to panic.

"Don't worry, doll. I'm not gonna hurt you." He spoke slowly, dragging the knife lightly against my arm. The fact that THE Ghostface was in front of me wasn't making it any better. He lifted his mask a bit and pressed his lips against mine. My eyes widened in shock. I felt hands grab my thighs and lift me up, onto the counter.

Everything happened so fast. Before I know it, his lips make its way to my neck. I let out a moan as he started to bite on my neck, most likely leaving marks. He let out a chuckle and started to remove my shirt. I don't know why I didn't push him away. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn't completely sober. Maybe it was the fact that I liked it.

    He placed his lips back against mine and proceeded to slip off my skirt along with my panties. Soon after, he unclipped my bra and threw it on the ground. I gasped as he inserted a gloved finger in my pussy. I hear him chuckle as he started sucking on my collarbone. I then let out soft whimpers as he inserted another finger and moved them in and out.

"Are you enjoying this?" He asked with an amused tone. I could only nod my head as a response. "Of course you are." He smirked. He took out his fingers and sucked on them, proceeding to lower his head afterwards. I let out a surprised moan as his tongue came into contact with my clit. Keeping in my moans wasn't something I could do as he ate me out. He brought his fingers up to stimulate my clit, making my legs shake even more than they were already.

    "Fuckk I'm gonna-" I was cut off.

    "Shush. You don't get to cum yet." His voice was stern and demanding. "You only get to cum when I tell you to." He then lifted his head back up and started to take off his cloak and unzip his pants, pulling them down along with his boxers. I took a moment to take in his image. His muscles and his lengthy, flush cock.

    Soon enough, he aligned with my entrance, ready to push in. I let out a loud moan as he lifted my leg and pushed all of his length inside me. My eyes rolled back as his other hand wrapped around my neck, choking me slightly.

    "You like that, don't you my little slut? You like daddy's hands wrapping around your throat choking you like this? It must feel soo good with my cock rearranging your insides like this." My moans got louder as he sped up his pace.

    "Please- Oh fuck. Please let me cum already!" Tears started to stream down my face from the pleasure.

    "Not yet. Just a bit longer, baby." He grunted as he went faster. I could feel his cock twitching inside me. "You want my cum inside you, baby? Hm? You want me to fill you up? Want daddy to make you so full that you can't sleep without dreaming of my cum in your tight fucking hole?" I could only whimper and nod as a response. To that, he laughed cockily.

   "Now you can cum baby. Cum on my cock. C'mon." Hearing that I finally came, releasing on his cock. Not too long after, he released inside of me, filling me up. We both panted, coming down from our high. Cum started to leak out from inside me, and he fucked it back into me.

   "Hah. Looks like I'll have to come break into your house more often, huh?" I laughed as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

   "Maybe you should come through my bedroom window next time."

[softhairedhotch]

no, thank YOUUUU <3333 and it's okay HEHE remember to take it easy!!! 🫶 i can tell u for sure i will be here ready to absorb and consume n love anything that u create <3333 ive already read ur new fic Too Many Times . it struck sooo many chords like . I WOULD REALLY DO ALL THAT 😭😭 n ya fr there's too many good ideas out there to explore n there's only so much you can do at One moment. i personally have this long standing problem of starting sooo many things that i cannot finish bc i'm a master procastinator... so the only way i function is with looming deadlines ☠️ wish i was getting paid to just sit down n think about aaron bc man... i'd be a millionaire by now 🗿

TEHEEHHEE OMGGG PLEASEEE PHONE SEX . another big weakness of mine . idk how many times ive said smth is my weakness BUT like there's just some tropes that NEVER GETS OLD ... also sometimes i focus so much on aaron n how he makes you feel that i don't think about how HE would be so affected by everything about you GOSSHHHHHH please . like you're captivated by him but he's literally also soooo smitten and down bad for you to that he has to fight his urges to just give into anything that u want 😭😭 but unfortunately he can't always magically teleport to wherever you are so he just talks you through it and gives you such clear instructions BRRRR IMAGINE IF HE USES HIS WORK VOICE BC HE WANTS YOU TO LISTEN TO HIM EXACTLY STEP BY STEP . like my god i can't believe how i can giggle n kick my feet whenever cm has a scene of aaron giving instructions n delegating work to the team... like it's just so hot . n when he shows off his intelligence WOWOWWEEWW major turn on . n wooooof.

AND??!?$$;&; him sending pictures of himself 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 🧎‍♂️🧎‍♂️🧎‍♂️🧎‍♂️🧎‍♂️ also i love the idea of aaron being away from u but being soo pent up that he takes the initiative to surprise you with a special video of him jerking off or using a toy <333 and u BET he knows to send it with sound so you can hear all the sounds he's making <333 bc what is nut videos without SOUND 😤😤😤

omg.. i luv daddy kinks BRRRR n sometimes it just especially HITS SO HARD . like omfg got me actively looking for those daddy asmr porn audios 😭😭😭😵‍💫😵‍💫 sometimes it takes awhile to find a good one but when i strike gold... Wow . GODDD i know aaron would say such filthy things that are downright insulting n degrading... BUT HE DOES IT IN THE SOFT AFFECTIONATE VOICE sparkled with some praises... AGRGRHRHHH .

omg REALLLL he's SOOO the type to make you say what you want directly in words. he isn't going to budge if you're just whining n hoping he'd take the hint bc he himself also loves to hear such filthy things come out of your mouth <3333 "you know daddy really loves to give you whatever you want... but not if you don't use your words. come on, does your pretty little mouth only function as daddy's cocksleeve?" HARGRHRHEHEJE i am Dead . n STOPPPP ENCOURAGING MEEEE ure gna make the can of worms EXPLODE ABOUT ALL THE FILTHY THOUGHTS ABT AARON'S CUM PLSSSS (not actually complaining ! i am Egged)

also omg... TEEHEE... i will tell u more abt my lovely male oc soon!!!! omfg im SO EXCITED . bc i literally have never talked about it to anyone even though i've thought abt it in such detail LMFAOOOO its just hard out there to find someone who shares the same brain ... damn 😭 i'm really glad i happened to stumble across ur page n decided to send an ask <333 bc i rly enjoy talking to u too!!!!! <3

-🤲

you're so sweet bless <3 hehe i'm glad you liked my new fic!! and YEAH I GETCHA omg that used to be me, like i couldn't do stuff without deadlines, AND NOW I CAN'T EVEN DO THINGS WITH DEADLINES LMAO. sometimes i can, but if i set it myself then you best believe it ain't getting done. i procrastinate sooooo much it's painful. like i could sit here and write for most of the day because rn i currently do NOTHING ELSE in my life (rip, i'm working on it lol) but do i??? no!! i mean that's just a lot of effort innit lol, writing constantly sounds exhausting even tho it's all i wanna do

phone sex my beloved <3 and awwww yeahhh he'd be sooo so so in love with you and he'd wanna do anything and everything you ask :') but GOD YEAH him using his work voice?? all stern and professional and demanding?? goddd i need that so bad. and YESSS when he shows of his intelligence it's soooo hot, like that one scene where he does the maths and penelope goes "is this reid?" and he goes "what, you impressed?" YES I AM BABE I LOVE YOU SM

i loooooove the idea of his sending pics <333 that's why i love looking at nsfw stuff sm bc sometimes i strike GOLDDDDD and its like the most aaron pic ever and it makes me lose my mind. once i found one that was so him i fully forgot to breathe and was blushing like mad (this one i think!). it was... a lot LMFAO. but god god GOD him sending a video of him jerking off when on a case??? i need that soooo so so much. and yes FR there needs to be sound in nut videos. once was sent one from a guy WITHOUT SOUND like babe? dude? what are you doing? where's the fun in that? i mean it was hot don't get me wrong but i was like "buddy wheres the sound at 🤨" LMAOOO

YESS I KNEW YOU WOULD BE INTO DADDY KINKS LMFAOOOO. and omg real, they're sometimes so good and for what. or any video of someone with daddy vibes,, godddddd sometimes it just HITS FR. YESS HIS VOICE WOULD BE SO SWEET AND GENLTE AND LOVING BUT ALSO DOMINATING AND THE STUFF THAT COMES OUT OF HIS MOUTH IS SOOOO FILTHY N HOT

yessssssss he'd looove to hear you say what you need. "come on, little one, let daddy know what you want, hm? i need to hear you say how much you want my cock" and "you want me to ride you, sweetheart? want daddy to ride you until you can't cum anymore? hm? let me hear you say those words, baby, i need to hear you say it."

and yayyy i'm so excited to hear about your oc!! i can't WAIT it's gonna be soooo good i just kNOW IT. i'm also really glad you stumbled across my page too <33 thanks for sending me all these asks!!!!

[destinyc1020]

Moving on 😬

Girl heres the time to say yr confessions if you got any lol

😅🤣

Okay.... Let's see.....

MY Confessions:

After watching the Golden Globes and seeing the SAG Award nominations, I kind of feel like I already sort of know how this year's awards season is going to go, so I almost kind of feel a little "blah" about it this year 🥴

I'm SO glad that we as Tomdaya shippers got the final LAST LAUGH, especially after being gaslit and bullied for years. Y'all Tomdaya newbies just don't know the struggle us OG's had to endure! 😩😭

I was SUPER happy that Z showed off her engagement ring at the Golden Globe awards last Sunday, but kinda sad that more people were talking about her engagement than the fact that she was nominated for "Challengers", her first lead role in a major motion picture film. 😔

I'm SOOOOO happy that Austin and Kaia finally broke up lol...but you all already knew that lol 😜 I just didn't think they were right for each other.

I'm SOO glad that Tom's career is taking a major turn for the better! I was never worried about him and his career, but I was getting tired of people (especially his own fans) having such anxieties and doubts about him and his career path. I feel really EXCITED about his new projects coming up, and it seems like Tom had a talk with James hahaha. 😅

The songs in the "Mufasa: The Lion King" film are decent (I enjoyed some of them), but nothing can compare to the OG film's iconic songs. 👀 I feel bad saying that since I really do truly love Lin-Manuel Miranda. 🙈

I find it kind of interesting how Timothee Chalamet's Bob Dylan biopic film isn't getting half as much scrutiny and hate as Austin's Elvis biopic film did. I'm just curious why that is.🤔 And I'm talking about from people who were hating on the film and didn't even SEE it.

I'm SO glad Halle Bailey dropped Duck Duck Goose and is a FREE woman. That man was dragging her DOWN!! 😒 He seemed jealous of her and her success too. We don't need that type of man in our life lol. 😅 He was dead weight. And not even that cute! 👀

I don't care if Euphoria Season 3 EVER gets made. 👀

[le-panda-chocovore]

Hello, can I ask from this ask game :

https://www.tumblr.com/threecheersforinking/677824836625694720/anime-ask-game?source=share

For fandom : Haikyuu, BNHA, ATLA, and Jujutsu Kaisen.

Thanks 🌻

Sorry I took time but lists and ranking are difficult to me lol, and I had 4 different asks about making a TOP 5 so I kinda lost myself into it 😅

Oh my god there's so many fandoms, you're really trying to kill me damn-

Okay okay Imma try not to write to much (<- will probably fail)

HAIKYUU

Favorite Character: (I absolutely HATE that question, why do I have to choose ?!?) I'd say Bokuto Koutarou but I also have 5 others in mind lol

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: The Tokyo Stage during S2 is my fave because my favorite characters get many screentime together, we see so many different people interact, and it's so fun to enjoy matches without the stress of the competition. I get to support anyone and not feel guilty about it !! Also there's Tsukki's character development, and there's my favorite scene in the anime (the Oya Oya Oya), and they all learn and work on new techniques and it's so cool !! (<- already rambling too much)

Character I Think is Underrated: Maybe Gosshiki ? He's such a baby I love him. I believe Tendou is very much loved so not underrated. Tanaka too. I know people love him but I think he deserves so much more. That man participated in EVERY MATCH, he NEVER got replaced and he doesn't have an ultra special attack and he's not the ace but he's sooooo reliable and cool. He's a caring sempai and a good player and an amazing friend and the only straight ally in a gay world lmaooo We don't appreciate him enough.

Character I Think is Overrated: When I'm not rewatching Haikyuu I think that Hinata and Atsumu are kinda overrated because yeah they're cool but they're not the bests and their characters (I know they're different) aren't the ones I love the most and also I think they're selfish. Then when I rewatches the episode for fun I4m so invested in everything and I just cannot not love them. So, no one is overrated actually.

Favorite Ship/Pairing: HAHA I won't answer that- Alright I will but keep it short. Let's say any popular ship that involves Tsukki, Kuroo, Bokuto, Akaashi and Kenma. Yes even the polyships. Yes. Any popular ship.

Something I Love About the Show/Movie: Everything. (<- only short answer I4m able to give)

BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA

Oh it's been a while since I've been in that fandom. I lost my hyperfixation 3 years ago and I don't even read the scans anymore. Let's do it anyway, maybe it'd wake some sparkle in me and I'd be able to finish my fanfictions !

Favorite Character: I used to say Present Mic or Bakugo and I'm not sure now. I think Aizawa-sensei is someone safe to say, he'd never not be in my Top 3.

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: It's been so long, I don't really know

Character I Think is Underrated: Hatsune Mei. I love her and I rarely see people talking about her (or maybe I'm not on the good side of the fandom). And Mina (I know she's loved but not enough)

Character I Think is Overrated: All Might, I don't really like him. Mineta of course, he deserves Hell.

Favorite Ship/Pairing: EraserMic. I didn't write 3 fanfics about those dumbass gay teachers to not put them here.

Something I Love About the Show/Movie: The theme is good : how should we build a society where almost everyone has a superpower ? How do you regulate that ? How do you classify people as heroes, vigilantes and villains ? How do childhood trauma and socioeconomic differences, and traditional cultures play on the development of the superpower and the life of a person ?

AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER

This one is easier because I've already did a fan card about it!

Favorite Character: Zuko. Also Toph.

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: The Boiling Rock episodes.

Character I Think is Underrated: I don't think there's one ? I just think Avatar Kyoshi is a bit misinterpreted because the fans love exaggerating, but nothing actually bad.

Character I Think is Overrated: Jet maybe. I just feel nothing about him outside the context of him

Favorite Ship/Pairing: Zukka Nation

Something I Love About the Show/Movie : It's just perfect ? Perfect representation of everything ? It shows so many delicate subjects (people -kids- involved in war, sexism, racism, denial, terrorism, propaganda, redemption, trauma) and it's just GOOD. Zuko returns to his abusive family and makes more mistakes. Sokka looks down on women despite living years of his life surrounded by them. Katara steals something because her ego is hurt. Aang hides something to his friends because he has abandonment issues. Toph is.... Toph. And it's so well written and perfect and good.

JUJUTSU KAISEN

I've done this one too but it's still hard to me lmaooo

Favorite Character: Geto Suguru and Gojo Satoru and Choso and Itadori Yuuji and-

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: Hidden Inventory Arc. The story should have stopped here. We don't need anything more come on it's fine. Everyone's happy and it's fine (episodes 4 and 5 don't exist)

Character I Think is Underrated: Ino Takuma. Protect him.

Character I Think is Overrated: That fucking Naoya Bitch. I learned his in the TOP 20 popularity poll ??? HOW THE FUCK ??????? I literally cannot see his face, it gives me nausea. I hate him so sincerely, I don't even want to think about him.

Favorite Ship/Pairing: You know, I know, we know. The strongest. The one and only. The curse me a little at the end. They're known by many names. Satosugu, Gego, Sugusato, Goge, SaltSugar, whatever you want.

Something I Love About the Show/Movie: It's literally a story about love. It is not a romance anime, but it is about love. The theme comes back so often. Suguru loved his friends and it doomed him. Satoru loved Suguru and became a teacher. Yuuta loved Rika and cursed her. Geto's family loved him. It's all about love and no one could convince me otherwise.

[dreamsandstars24]

Lawyered up - Chapter 1

Hiyooo, this is my first try at writing a fanfiction.

Well, writing it here, because in Wattpad I have 7.6k readers. Yes, this is me showing off because even though it's fanfiction, it takes a lot of work.

Sooooo, some inside into this:

It says chapter 1 because I will be posting more, obviously.

My first language is not English, so you'll have to be patient and kindly let me know if there is any mistake so I can fix it.

This is not a Hotch x Female MC. Even though I love daddy Hotch, I just never imagined him as the sexy daddy version, more like the dad-daddy version. Yeah.

I am busy like crazy with University and a job, so posts may be slow.

I really hope you enjoy this.

Anyway, enjoy.

I'm never drinking coffee again.

I'm banning coffee from my life, I will never drink it again and somebody should slap me if I ever drink coffee again. Please and thank you.

And even better, I will never drink coffee again before one of the most important final-stage interviews of my life. That should probably be something they ask at coffee shops, "Do you have any life altering things that will happen today?" and if you say yes, then you are not allowed to buy coffee.

Is not that I have something against coffee, God forbid, but I just get extremely hyper when I have coffee and based on what Professor Sukhan has said, I'm already hyper enough as it is.

So, why did I drink coffee today? Because I thought that staying up until two AM reading the longest, toe curling, smuttiest fanfiction ever was a good way to spend my time. Was it worth it? Yes it was, but that doesn't mean I don't regret it now that I'm shaking like a freaking chihuahua.

"Deep breaths, Liliana. And keep your hands under your legs." Professor Sukhan whispers softly, his eyes on his newspaper but I know he is anxious too. He is risking his professionalism creating this opportunity for me, and I really hope he doesn't regrets it.

It wasn't easy to make it, but I did it. I managed to get into the final stage of interviews in the FBI, and to be more specific, in the BAU.

I studied near death to graduate from law school, and I really really really want to get this job/internship. It took Professor Sukhan months to prove that allowing me to have an internship would be really beneficial for both the bureau and for me, sometimes I feel he sold my abilities for more of what they actually are but I know I will do my best to ensure I surpass expectations.

Hopefully.

"Liliana Madrigal." My eyes shoot up and find the blue eyed man that is staring at me. "We are ready for you." He is white.

Not that him being white is bad, is actually good, unless he is racist which would really hinder my process and my ability to maintain the facade of being a nice, obedient and sweet girl and--

"Liliana, please go and behave." Professor Sukhan mumbles bringing me out of my stupor. This is why he came, because he knew I was going to be so nervous this would be chaotic.

I clear my throat and stand up, nodding to the professor and making my way to the man who is now looking at his phone with a frown. When he realizes that I am standing right in front of him, he turns around and walks me through the doors where my future self may be walking.

I look around when the door closes behind me and barely have time to register the chaos this place is when the blue eye man mumbles "Keep up" and practically sprints down the hallway.

Swallowing down my fear, I run after him.

Freaking tall people think my little legs can keep up with them. I can barely reach the shower head and I'm expected to run after this tall guy and--

"Here. Go inside, sit down, and wait until they come."

I frown while my feet stop. "They who is-?" He ignores me, turns around and leaves.

Well, so much for being nice.

I stare at the black door and decide that they will not bring me to meet a serial killer in my last interview, I think. I hope.

Right?

"Okay Liliana, those who don't risk, don't win." I nod and take a deep breath, "You can do it. Please don't let it be a serial killer and please don't let me do anything stupid, amen." And I open the door.

A normal looking office says hello to me.

My eyes blink rapidly as a relieved laugh escapes my mouth. I don't know what I was expecting but an office that looks like the office of my psychology professor was not it. But this is good, this is nice, this is acceptable-

"Are you going inside or are you coming outside?" The deep voice behind me says and my soul goes to heaven to meet with its creator because I just died. Thank you and goodbye.

I turn around and find two men looking at me. The first man, I immediately recognized like Jason Gideon because he went to my criminology class and his lecture gave me nightmares, but the second man who is staring at me undisturbed has never been seen by my eyes. He is handsome, he is grace, he is mister United States-

"Pardon me?" I mumble because I just saw his lips move but I didn't hear a thing. He blinks.

"I asked if you are the girl I am supposed to be interviewing." He repeats calmly. His voice could narrate an audio book where he tells me how he is going to kill me in the most gruesome way and I would hundred percent say thank you.

"I certainly hope so because I was just dumped here with barely any instruction." Gideon smiles a little at that and a part of my soul rejoices because I just made Jason Gideon smile.

"What's your name?" He asks, and his voice is a soft baritone that has me feeling cozy inside.

"Liliana Madrigal, a pleasure." My hand stretches out; once again, I'm too late to realize my actions because I forgot my hands were shaking which is obvious now. Both men stare at my hand and then Gideon shakes it and lets go.

"I'm Jason Gideon and this is SSA Aaron Hotchner, we are on the behavioral analysis unit and we will be directing your interview." I nod and nod again and both stare at me. Agent Gideon gives me another soft smile. "We should go in the office."

"Oh! Of course, come in. Make yourself at home." I step to the side allowing them both to come in and then I notice the name at the door.

Aaron Hotchner. I just gave him permission to go into his own office. Amazing.

"Miss Madrigal, will you come in and close the door behind you please?" Agent Hotchner asks. I follow the orders and then walk to the chair in front of his desk. He is sitting on the chair while Gideon leans on the wall beside the window.

My hands fidget on my lap and then I remember how I'm supposed to keep them under my legs and take a deep breath. I do that and count to ten while the men look at what I'm assuming is my file.

"Miss Madrigal, your file says that you graduated at fourteen from high school." Agent Hotchner mumbles, scanning the page with his eyes.

"Yes, sir." He looks at me and the way his eyes are so dark make me very nervous.

"Is there any reason as to why that happened? Because your IQ is slightly elevated but not that much." I nod and then consider what to say.

They may notice the confusion on my face because Gideon speaks. "Just tell us the truth without sugar coating it."

Well, if he says so.

"I was bored, sir." They both stare at me.

"Bored?" Agent Hotchner repeats, I nod again. "Could you elaborate?"

I take a deep breath. "I didn't want to spend more time in school than necessary so I forced myself to graduate faster to study what I really wanted to study."

"Which was criminal law," Gideon says, my head shakes.

"No sir, I wanted to become a taxidermist." Both men stare at me and I can tell I managed to surprise them.

"Why didn't you then?" Agent Hotchner asks.

I shrug, "My mother said that if I became a taxidermist, I would sleep with the carcasses and see how that suited me." With secret joy, I notice how the corner of agent Hotchner's mouth twitches upwards.

I MADE HIM SMILE!

"So you didn't become a taxidermist, and decided to study law, correct?"

"With some little disruption to my plans, but yes sir." Agent Hotchner moves his hand in a rolling motion and I understand he is asking me to expand. "After the fiasco with taxidermy, I decided to explore my passions in the business world."

"You studied business, then?" Gideon mumbles, reading through my file.

"No, sir. I became a runner for a local gang in my neighbourhood." I think I actually managed to surprise them this time.

Both look at my file, their silence making me more nervous. Did I just messed up? Did a hot nice cup of coffee messed up the opportunity of a lifetime? Did I just ended my career choice?

"Why not a courthouse? You could have made a fine prosecutor with your grades and the success of your practicum." Gideon points out, I shake my head no.

"I thought about it and did two weeks as an assistant for a prosecutor and I am positive about not choosing prosecution."

"What about defense? You could have been good at that."

"I'm not fond of lying."

"So why the FBI? In this job, you need to keep a lot of secrets and maintain a low profile." I press my lips together considering what I have to say.

Two choices in here: Either lick their boots or be honest.

"As I was looking for career choices, I realized that the BAU gets sued continuously over every procedure that they endure-"

"How did you got that information?" Agent Hotchner asks, serious.

"One of my teachers worked as a legal advisor and one of the people that came to her was a lawyer who was helping someone sue the BAU for incorrect management of a case. Anyway, I kept my ears open and realized that this team is the one that gets sued the most and that caught my attention so I started researching why and I reached a conclusion," My hands intertwine as I smile at them. "And the conclusion was that in order for this team to be getting sued so often, then it may be doing something right."

Agent Hotchner closes my file and leans back in his chair, the look of calm suits him and then he turns to Gideon and a whole conversation takes place without them even talking. This is crazy.

While they have their strange staring contest, I think about the possibility of accepting the CIA offer. It came as a surprise, to be honest, but the terms are good; professor Sukhan would be a little dissapointed because the original plan has alway been the FBI but I don't think he'll mind that much.

I mean, is either CIA or going back to being a Runner and I think which option is better for my criminal record.

"You start on Monday." Agent Hotchner speaks and I nod.

"What time?"

"I need you here at five AM. We'll go over some information and I'll show you your office, if we have the time, I'll introduce you to the team." I nod and get up when he does. His hand stretches towards me and I shake it firmly. "Welcome to the team." I smile at him and then turn to Gideon, we shake hands and I take a deep breath because my hand is shaking more now.

"Welcome, Agent Madrigal." He murmurs warmly, I nod at him.

"Thank you, I will do my best." I walk to the door with them behind me and I know they are walking me to where professor Sukhan is. When we reach the door, I turn to them and smile. "Thank you, again." They both nod and I cross the doors, noticing how professor Sukhan stands up and stares at me.

We both stare at each other and he smiles when tears pool in my eyes.

"You did it." He mumbles coming closer.

"I start on Monday at five AM." He laughs, wrapping me in his arms which makes me sob.

"Are you crying?" He laughs, rocking me back and forth.

"I just don't want to wake up at five AM every morning." I sob in his shoulder. He laughs and pulls me closer.

"You did it," He whispers, patting my head. "I knew you would."

***

Hotch felt himself smile when he realized how the girl he had just hired was crying while holding the Hindi man. He wasn't sure what the relationship was, but he knew that the man had sold the girl at such a high price it tempted the bureau to meet her in person. And he wasn't disappointed.

Even though her psych results tilted her towards OCD regarding her job, and her getting obsessed in some cases, her results were so good he had to double-check every case she had participated in because she was practically a genius when giving criminal charges.

Eighteen charges, she had given eighteen charges to a child abuser and Hotch had been so surprised because he hadn't even thought about those charges. She was a genius, and she was merciless in court. That's why seeing the clumsy girl surprised him because she showed a completely different side of herself.

"Seems like we got another girl to babysit." Morgan rumbled beside him, slurping his coffee while staring at the girl with a smirk. Hotch hummed agreeing. "You think she'll give us a run for our money?"

"She is smart," Gideon mumbled, "she'll be okay."

With a smile, Hotch saw how the girl now had the man in a choke hold while she jumped excited. It was adorable.

"She'll fit right in." He whispered softly.

[galvanizedfriend]

I already left a massive paragraph on ao3 about how I feel about that last chapter but I thought I’d come on here and do the same.

I feel as if I’m running out of words on how enchanting, mind blowing and damn right beautiful this story is (even with the amount of angst and crying I’ve done on this series 😂) this series is one rare gem in a sea of rocks. Where everything just comes together, where nothing feels forced. While I know that this series is just a rewritten version of ‘The Originals’ the way you have given this series life, given it more depth is just mind blowing to me. Without even going into klaroline and how that is just in a field of its own the way you have given Klaus, Elijah, Marcel and even Camille more character, more growth is just… beautiful to read.

I can’t talk about klaroline without getting sappy over how you’ve written them. They are soulmates and deserve their happy ending together. Their love is just written beautifully in this series. I literally hear their voices through your writing because you’ve done such an excellent job in keeping the core of who they were from the show and bringing it into your own world!

I can’t count how many times I’ve re-read this series back to back because I never want to leave this universe, to leave these characters.

While I’m excited to begin this new season, to be a part of these characters lives for longer I’m also emotional over the fact that, hopefully for you 😂, we will possibly say goodbye to them before the end of this year (and I am not prepared for that)

I can’t wait to see your growth this year in your writing (don’t know how it can be any better than it already is mind you!) you should be immensely proud of this series and what you’ve accomplished.

Can’t wait to see that notification for the next chapter, be it 2 weeks, 2 months or a year! ❤️

(So sorry for the emotional spillage 😂😂😂)

(Also need the klaroline wedding asap. Please give us a wedding your honour!)

I hope you're proud of yourself, because you just made me cry 😭😭😭 Hoooow are you so nice??? I want to print this out and put it on my wall for when I'm feeling like crap and can't write. 🥹

This is so kind and so nice of you, I don't even know what to say. I don't know how to take a compliment tbh, but I'm really emotional. I've read this at least three times already. 🥹 Thank you so much for saying all that. ❤️ There have been sooooo many times throughout the years where I questioned the point of writing this, and each and every time I had someone tell me they were finally enjoying The Originals or liking characters they had previously hated, I felt a little bit more at peace ❤️

The response to this chapter has been so nice, everyone has been so lovely about it and so kind to take time to write some awesome reviews and then this. 🥲 I don't know, man, I just don't know. I don't know what I've done to deserve such awesome readers who make me feel like I'm not screaming into the void after all these years, but thank you very, very much! 🥹 Thank you so, so much for this. You have made my entire week. 😭

[dashielldeveron]

😅so. I did end up drawing some of the soulmate glimpses that were in midoriyas route and u know I had to draw the multi dimensional bf FIRST. I feel guilty after putting him through 8 routes of pining so he gets special privileges lolol( I will reread ur route soon shinsou I PROMISEEEEE💔💔💔). Talked about how he breaks my heart every time he shows up last ask so I will spare u the details on it this time. But omg (proceeds to not spare any details) .. the guilt I feel knowing he feels the EXACT . SAME . WAY . EVERY ROUTE makes his presence in the fic like the stereotypical dead wife that appears at the beginning of the movie that the main character spends the entire film trying to heal and move on so they can get with the love interest. He really is like The Boyfriend TM.

anywayyyyy. I did really like drawing him , he just comes so easily to draw for me + a great experience because I love drawing shinsou with messy hair, one of life’s many treats !! He has all that hair for a reason………………. Also wanted to practice more with a close up angle so that the more explicit details are like, merely implied lolol(started drawing bkgs and I have to leave like,, the implied imprint of legs around his head it’s HARD 💔💔💔) but hopefully it’s tastefully vague enough!

I really do love him so so much. Like anytime he appears in any route he is just. So kind. So attentive. Good lord. The man that u r soulmate troupe shinsou…..I hope you enjoy him !!! and his wet rag expression (+ the neito snippet in the corner!)

(Also will I redraw that one image I sent you of the penguins of Madagascar with bkg/reader/midoriya? Maybe? maybe……lolol )

oh he is loverboy loverboy!!! he's sooooo pathetic!!! he's sooooo dreamy!!! our boyfriend!!! our ulitimate boyfriend!!!! his hair looks soooooo soft and yankable, wow. the HAIR the BLUSH the TEARDROP the SADNESS ohhhh what a perfect little guy. gosh if someone muttered that into my neck like he does, i'd fucking explode. i wouldn't be able to proceed with the social interaction. [also lol i love that reader's back is to us, bc that lets us imagine our individual boob sizes lololol. masterful.] and yeah this is vague enough to be tasteful!!! i'd love it even if it weren't tasteful lol, but i think you achieved what you were going for!!!!! he's my favourite dead wife :)

and neito is already looking goooooood 👀👀👀 and lololol feel no pressure to redraw the meme if you don't want to!!!! but it would be really funny lol i LOVE them..... and goshhhhhh i love your art soooo much; it really makes me think about silly little details i put in in a different light, so it adds another element of fun for me :) GOSH you're so cool and talented and, again, very VERY kind. i love this so much!!! i'm never getting over it or him!!!!! thank youuuuuuuuuu!!!!! xx.

[papsiguesss]

⭐️⭐️

Thanks for the ask! (ask game post)

Okay so... star meant I got to pick myself... I thought for a while and decided I'd pick out a scene from Swap!AU since that AU is closest to my heart! <3 Going with a scene from the very first chapter, which is Lawrence dying/turning (edited some slight things for easier reading):

***

The exhausted vampire hunter struck the wooden stake with his hammer, using his last remaining strength. He was expecting the undead’s ghastly screams to fill his ears, but he would get to hear no such noises. The vampire simply looked at him as the life slowly faded from its eyes, a malicious grin on its face. Blood trickled down its chin as its corpse fell down to the ground.

(In my mind, Van Helsing never enjoys killing a vampire. I didn't put that much emphasis on it in this passage but I did try to get it across with the word choices)

As soon as he saw that he had been successful, Lawrence Van Helsing slumped down against the wall, breathing heavily as he held his hand near his throat. The pain coming from the two small puncture wounds on his neck was getting worse as each second passed. He had been too careless. He should not have let his guard down. He had been subjected to the vampire’s bite. Now, he was going to have to suffer because of his own foolishness. He felt himself starting to get dizzy as he was losing more and more blood. He had to act fast. He had to do something. If not, his soul would be damned for all eternity.

(I think this fic was mostly me whumping the everliving SHIT out of Van Helsing and honestly... yeah it already showed in the first chapter lmfao. Gotta do despicable things to that man and break his psyche.)

With trembling hands, he reached for a small flask in his suit pocket. Falling down onto his knees, he leaned against the wall, trying to use it to support himself. He pulled the cap away from the small bottle of holy water he was holding and slowly raised it up to his neck, uttering a prayer to himself. He had no idea if this was going to work, but this was his best chance.

He took a deep breath. This was it. He was going to save himself… or he was going to discover the fact that he was doomed. “My lord… I beg of you… please, save my soul”, the vampire hunter muttered as he tilted the bottle and let the last remaining drops of holy water fall down onto his skin.

As soon as it came into contact with his bite marks though, a searing pain shot through his entire body. It felt as if something had set him on fire. He let out a gruesome, inhuman wail, which echoed through the halls of the deserted castle he had found himself in. There was not a single person present to hear his horrendous screams. Maybe it was better that way. If someone had heard his shrieks, they would have been haunted by them forever.

The vampire hunter started to shake as he looked at his hands, starting to realise what had just occurred. The infection had spread too much already. His god had just forsaken him. Nothing could save him now. He was going to die here, and no one would be there to notice it. But it would not be an end for him. It would only be a beginning to a new existence. One of torment. “H-help…”, he stammered, trying to get up and walk away from the dead body next to him. “Anyone… please…”

Okay sooooo this was mostly the part I wanted to talk about!

I'm not sure how clearly it got across, but yes this is a Brides of Dracula reference! I always think scars are a really interesting thing for a character to have and I uh... may or may not have been a bit salty at the fact that Lawrence's burn scar after using his bite first aid strategy just instantly faded because HOLY WATER. Lawrence first only has the burn mark on his neck in the Swap!AU, but this scar later gets worse because someone presses a crucifix against his skin there (FUCK that guy. seriously). Pics underneath for reference. I hope that Lawrence's burn mark is clear enough on the drawing of him I made??

I also thought going with the base premise of the Brides bite scene would make sense since this is also Lawrence dealing with the consequences of getting bitten but of course in this AU he's the vampire and Dracula's the human so... it ends less fortunately for him this time.

Honestly I could rant about this AU the entire day because I have lots of blorbo thoughts about these guys but I'll keep my infodump to this for now haha unless people would like to know more ofc!

[jedidragonwarriorqueen]

Not so much a question as it is a request, but if you don’t mind, could you take us through how you write action scenes? :) love your work!

First of all, I am sooooo sorry, this has been sitting in my inbox for literal AGES :'''') Partly because of spoons, partly because I would routinely forget for long stretches of time, but mostly because I wasn't really sure how to format a helpful response '^^ Hopefully you're still in a place on your creative writing journey where this might be helpful, ehehehe

I ended up just jotting down a list of tips that I've internalized over time to help my action scenes flow, and added some examples from my own writing. These aren't hard and fast rules that I always follow, but I definitely try to stick to them a majority of the time.

(Also, thank you so much, I'm so happy you enjoy my fics!!! <3)

Know the end goal.

This seems obvious, but I mean specific end goal. Now, if you're a pantser who tends to figure this shit out as they write the scene, then you do you, boo <3 But for me, if I don't know exactly where I want my characters to be at the end of the fight, I get stuck.

Instead of just, "Soren and Rayla fight initially before realizing they're ultimately on the same side," I need "Soren steals the safe back and knocks Rayla into the stream." Instead of just, "Roy breaks free from the soldiers and gets Briggs' attention somehow" I need "Roy breaks free and makes the transport explode." Otherwise, I'm just gonna end up with Soren and Rayla looking at each other awkwardly or Roy sitting by himself in the snow, and a blinking cursor.

Have the setting well planned out.

I mean this in two ways: first, have it planned out in your head and then use it when plotting out how the action goes down. Then when actually writing, introduce the setting before the action starts, so that you're not bogged down in those details and can keep the pace up.

For example, when Callum and Rayla have a showdown with Claudia in the second chapter of and finding answers (is forgetting all of the questions we called home), before Claudia shows up the scene opens with Callum and Rayla chatting together by themselves. I sprinkled in setting details during their conversation so that by the time Claudia shows up and shit hits the fan, the readers already know that Callum and Rayla are cornered at the top of a tall hill with a steep cliff at their backs.

Use short sentences, or short clauses

I've seen it recommended that sentences in action scenes should be short and snappy, to keep the action moving and the tension up. (Though it's a good idea to include a few medium and long ones so it doesn't seem too stilted.) When I'm reading, this has the desired effect on me! However, when I'm writing, I must admit to tending toward the purple-prosy side of things and writing longggg sentences '^^ A method I've found that works for me is keeping clauses shorter even if my sentences stay long. Commas and to some extent conjunctions make my eyes pause just as much as a period does. Here's an example of what I mean from and when you can't rise (i'll crawl with you on hands and knees), with shorter clauses in red and long ones in green:

The other soldiers all gag at their next inhale, eyes flying wide, dropping their weapons in panicked instinct. Riza elbows the one on her right in the throat and grabs his gun as he doubles over in his seat, shooting first the locks on Hausner’s door and the door to her right before turning the weapon on its owner and his comrade. At that point Roy has reached past Hausner, opens the door and tackles the man out of the vehicle. He comes into a crouch, securing the colonel in a headlock, and exhales the breath he’d been holding before taking in the clean northern air. Relief floods him as his captain slides out the rear passenger door, new pistol at the ready, but it vanishes just as quickly when he reaches one-handed for his ignition gloves and they’re not there.

Most of the first half of the paragraph is red, where most of the action happens. I do have a longer clause in there for some variety. By the end of the paragraph, there's more green, but at this point there's a pause in the action as the bad guys have been momentarily dealt with, so the longer clauses can reflect the characters "taking a breath" so to speak.

Strong verbs vs. adverbs

I'm not one of those people who thinks you should never use adverbs, but if you're trying to cut down on sentence/clause length, for me adverbs are the easiest to ditch. Then, if you swap out more generic verbs for really strong, descriptive ones, it paints a more raw and vivid picture. In long live all the mountains we moved (i had the time of my life fighting dragons with you), I especially used this trick, as I was trying hard for an emotionally-charged, desperate vibe:

With a word and a gesture, a gale knocks over flattens a line of corrupted creatures from the outcrop to the edge of the plateau. A rune pops slashes into existence and a cyclone passes rips through the ranks of zombies, leaving a no-man’s land behind. Hailstones the size of eyeballs fall rain down on the humans and elves foolish or desperate enough to fight for the disgraced Startouch elf. In the distance, a black tail slashes across the sky, and with a blistering scream Domina Profundis falls plummets, angling toward the coast. The other dragons retreat, wary, and the corrupted star serpent flies twists towards the rocky outcrop . . . the serpent moves corkscrews through the sky, outpacing the surprised dragons behind. It snarls, mouth bristling with needle teeth the size of spears, smoky tendrils trailing in tainting the atmosphere in its wake.

Engage all the senses...

Stay out of the character's heads (during the heavy action).

Time passes quickly in a fight, too quickly for characters to do much thinking or registering everything that's happening. Plus, interjecting a character's train of thought tends to slow down an otherwise fast-paced paragraph, which can be a bit jarring. I like to save that until after the fight, or during a pause in the action. For example, from we took the step, oh we took the leap (and we'll take what comes):

Coming around the bend of the tunnel, the creatures behind them thundered into view . . . She leapt to meet the beasts head on, but to her dismay, her swords—easily capable of slicing through metal, stone, and bone—deflected off their hides. Duse sithspawned creatures. After taking a nasty swipe to her shoulder that sheared straight through her armor, drawing blood, Rayla backed away. “I can’t stop them,” she called back to her companions. “My beskade bounce right off their armour!” She pulled a pistol from a holster at her back and fired off several shots in quick succession, but the advancing beasts didn’t even flinch. “Haar’chak. Blaster’s no good, either.” Rayla’s thoughts raced as she tried to come up with a plan. She couldn’t win here, probably—but she could maybe hold the tuk’ata off long enough for the boys to escape—but she didn’t know if she could occupy them both at once for the boys to sneak past—

Here, while Rayla does call out a few observations that her weapons don't work (which i mostly included since this is an AU rewrite of a canon scene, and it's based on actual dialogue), she doesn't stop to think about other options until she's taken a step back from fighting for a moment. While she's actually fighting the hounds, I focused on her actions, to keep the pace up.

I hope you find some of these tips helpful, and maybe even worth the wait, ehehe. Stay well, friend!!