#maybe I should invest in waterproof mascara

[faithfromanewperspective]

’is it tears or just the fucking rain’ except I’m trying to figure out what smudged my mascara

[undreaming-fanfiction]

Eddie hated this and he'd just started.

See, he was so proud when he made it, when he got his first office job. He saw what decades of physical labor did to Wayne's back, his hands, and he wanted to make his uncle proud. So he kept applying and applying and getting ignored and rejected and finally, finally he got a job in a pretty large corporate. Not exactly something prestigious, but hey, it had potential. The experience counted and all that.

He thought maybe workplaces would be different, that the good ol' high school dynamic would fuck off, but no. He was sitting at his desk, trying to fill in paperwork after a taxing phone call, but all he could focus on was whispering from the neighboring cubicle that was ostentatiously loud. He didn't know who sat there yet, the guy had been on vacation for the two weeks Eddie was in the company. From the stuff he was hearing, he was getting introduced anyway and not exactly the way he'd have liked to be.

"Can you believe they actually let him work here?" It was Carol, of course it was, the office gossip and mean girl knockoff. "I mean, he doesn't even look decent! Did you see that hair?" Okay, that hurt. He actually pulled his hair into a neat bun every morning, but you can't please some people. "And he has tattoos, what would our customers think if they actually met him, plus you should have heard the rumors about his past-!"

But just as he was about to slam down the pile of paperwork and either take an extended smoke break or gently ask Carol to go fuck a polar bear, he heard another voice. Bored and wonderfully bitchy.

"That's absolutely fascinating, Carol. Please tell me more, what could this guy possibly have done? It must be something juicy. Did he perhaps fuck his boss during the Christmas party and then lie about it to his boyfriend of five years? Oh wait no. That was you. Silly me."

Eddie had to bite his pencil to stay quiet, but his whole chest hurt by trying to keep the snickering in. And then the offended gasp. "I- you promised you wouldn't-!"

"I didn't promise shit, Carol. You just came to me, cried your eyes out - bad move by the way, invest in some waterproof mascara for god's sake, mascara in wrinkles doesn't good on anyone, and yes, you do have wrinkles - and tried to play the victim. Except I heard your small proposition to the guy before so it didn't really work out. But it's fine, you know," and oooh, the tone was smug, so bored, Eddie loved this guy already, "Tommy saw you as well and had a good time with Nicole to get even. So there's nothing to worry about. Now tell me, what did this horrible Eddie Munson do to summon wrath of such a righteous woman such as yourself?"

Eddie heard a sharp sound as Carol got up from the desk. "Fuck you, Steve Harrington," she spat out and sped past Eddie's seat. He just gave her a small salute.

When the sound of high heels faded, Eddie leaned over the cubicle wall and knocked to draw the guy's attention. And yeah, maybe he was a little bit biased because he'd just obliterated a textbook definition of a shrew, but this Steve was fucking gorgeous, light brown eyes looking at him, a smug smirk tugging at his lips.

"Oh hi," said Steve and offered his hand, shaking Eddie's. "Sorry for that. I'm Steve Harrington and whatever deepest, darkest secrets you're hiding, I don't care, I'm pretty sure I've heard them all. What did you do? Shave your head in school? Join a cult? Cut dolls apart and chant hail Satan?"

That had Eddie laughing again, but he still had an introduction to make. A proper one. "Nice to meet you, Steve. Eddie Munson, and I'm worse than your darkest nightmares. I sometimes wear socks in sandals."

Steve's eyebrow twitched. "Oh, Carol was right, you are a monster!" he muttered. "Speaking of monsters..." His head leaned to the side, towards Carol who was angrily carrying her coffee mug, her mascara running again.

Before he could catch himself, Eddie leaned over the wall and whispered as loudly as he could muster. "Can you believe some people wear dotted dresses with stripes on their stockings? We can't all be born with taste, I guess...tragic."

And again, maybe Eddie was just biased, but Steve's laughter was so pretty that it actually made dealing with Carol's bullshit worth it.

[smootqueen]

~ Between Shadows and Ice: Sylus and Zayne's Battle for Her ~ Ch. 2

Love and Deepspace Unofficial Lore. Love and Deepspace is a mobile game that is NOT owned by me. This is content made for entertainment purposes only and not meant to oppose any means of sponsorship or monetary gain. If you enjoy this content, support Love and Deepspace by following them on social media platforms and downloading their game.

Warning: NSFW Content (TW: forced kissing, sexual references, pinning down)

Zayne vs Sylus x Female M/C Content 🩵🩶

Chapter 2: Encounter

At around 4:30 AM, Zayne’s alarm rang and stirred me awake momentarily. Through glossy eyes, I see him leaning in and feel his hot breath on my cheek as he leans in to kiss it and does the same on my temple.

“Sleep, M/C.” It’s almost as though he commands it in a gentle and subtle way. It causes me to bury my face into the pillow and turn to a comfortable position in his bed. With the warmth and scent of his sheets, I find my mind drifting away in no time and I fall back asleep.

When I open my eyes, it is 9:00 AM on Zayne’s screen that floats lightly above his nightstand. I stretch, feeling my legs sore from Zayne’s weight pressing against them the night before. As I remember the events that unfolded I feel my face hot and recall him kissing me this morning.

He must be at work.

I glance around his bedroom, where his side of the bed is already made. His glasses are missing from the nightstand and his slippers are beside his closet entrance. I climb out of the bed and notice my clothes are missing from the floor. I’m about to text him to accuse him of hiding them, but see a couple of texts I have from him already.

05:00 - I am off to work now. I put your clothes in the washer. They won’t be dry by the time you wake up since they will be finished washing. Feel free to grab something from my closet… or you can stay like that ;). 05:02 - Either way, my home is yours. 07:00 - I forgot to tell you there is some leftover dinner in the fridge for you to eat.  If you do not want that, my card is inside the drawer next to the sink. Use it to order food while you shower. 08:00 - I got called in for surgery. I will be out around 10.

I roll my eyes at the staying nude part, not being able to help but to giggle. I grab one of his white button up shirts and slide my arms, failing to fit in it since he is much bigger than me. I skip the first three buttons on the shirt but button the rest to tiptoe through the rest of his apartment. When I enter his laundry room, which has the scent of fresh jasmine emitting from the detergent, I move the clothes to the dryer, noticing he has a basket of his own clothes unwashed. I place his clothes inside the washer, determined to leave them ready for him by the time he comes home.

I take the time to respond to his texts while the washer and dryer tumble silently.

Dr. Zayne, since you hardly had any non-buttoned shirts, I had to wear one of your white ones. I will give it back once my clothes are finished drying… or maybe I will keep it a souvenir :)

When I make my way to the bathroom, I notice the toothbrush that he bought me is still here. “For when you spend the night” was his justification when he surprised me with it one day. I use it to brush my teeth while glancing in the mirror, noticing my mascara was smudged under my eyes. Even though I had fixed it at Tara’s car while we were on our way to Zayne’s, I guess last night was too much for it to handle.

I should consider investing on waterproof makeup....

I remember him locking my thighs between his biceps while he placed his face between my legs, his determined green-eyed gaze as he locked eyes with me and saying “Come for me.”,

I sigh after spitting the toothbrush into the sink and notice my reflection has a bright pink face. 

“Yes, Sir” I think out loud, giggling to myself as I remove his shirt to hop into his luxurious shower. The shower head is placed directly in the middle of the ceiling, causing a rainfall effect. It is big enough for me to walk into it, almost like it is another room. I sigh with pleasure as the hot water embraces my body. When I open my eyes after letting the water run down my face, I see my products are also still here, in the corner shelf where I had left them last time: untouched and organized as he always keeps everything. I wondered if he thought of me when he saw them in the mornings. 

When I clean my body using an exfoliating glove, I notice his dry semen is still on my chest and abdomen. I scrub it off using a peach scented soap and body wash, making my way down to my toes and emulsifying my body with the foam.

When I exit the shower, I dry myself with his dark gray towel and wrap it around my hair while I slip his shirt back on. I then check my phone to see if he responded and decide to send him a provocative picture on his shirt to follow up on the previous text I sent. 

Tara - 10:01 - How did it go??

Tara’s message pops up on the screen. 

When I start to type if I can call her, she takes the initiative of calling me first. She squeals in delight as I tell her the details of the night before while I get ready for the day. I was able to finish folding his clothes and putting them away while we talked.

“Jeez, M/C…” Tara sighs hopelessly, “You two are something else when you’re together. You should make it official!”

I was doing my side of the bed when she said that. Stopping and shaking my head, an embarrassed smile plays through my lips.

“I think we’re fine like this, Tara. Besides, we’re both always so busy-“

“But it’s so goooooood! And you like him!” She whines.

But I don’t want to hurt him.

I laugh dismissively.

“I’ll think about it, T.”

“Fine. Although I may not be able to make such a captivating story with you, don’t forget we made a deal to meet up tonight.”

“Are you able to pick me up? I can pay for our snacks before and after.”

“I will be at your apartment at around…” Tara pauses, I am guessing she is looking at the time, “9 PM? Or should I get there earlier because of traffic?”

Suddenly, I feel something burning in the back of my neck. When I turn around, I notice a blurred figure passing by the window. Frowning, I check my watch for any fluctuations but nothing is detected. Meanwhile in the background, Tara continues to speak but I am not listening.

This presence…

I squint my eyes slightly outside, to notice a familiar looking crow flying. The moment I notice it, its red eyes dart at me and flash.

Mephisto.

“Tara, pick me up at 9. Also, if I send you a signal within the next 30 minutes, call the Hunters for backup” I say hurriedly as I change, nearly tearing off my clothes and tumbling as I put my combat boots on. Before Tara can ask anything, I hang up and exit Zayne’s apartment in a sprint.

——————————————————————————————————

I ran through the city like a maniac, losing my footing a couple of times as I stumbled against people and sometimes even cars. Everything seemed to be in my way at that time.

Mephisto noticed I was following him and lowered himself to a nearly visible level from me. He would go in between buildings, flapping his electronic wings and occasionally cawing to alert me he would be turning. Eventually I made it to the outskirts of the city, which was surrounded by pure forest. 

The crow had managed to fly above the trees, no longer being visible to me. My lungs burned from running for who knows how long, but I had a good amount of stamina that I had built over the years as a Hunter.

I followed him blindly as the trees surrounding me engulfed me into the forested area, eventually unable to hear or feel him anymore.

No. Come on, come on….

I glanced around me in an intense manner, scanning for signs of the mechanical bird. Everything around me blurred together into a green foresty mess. I was unable to detect where I was when I felt him again.

“Mephi-“ I began to yell, but an all-too-familiar shadow emerged before me from red fragments forming on the ground.

A tall figure appeared before me, wearing a black shirt with a dark gray coat propped on his shoulders only. A silver haired figure I was too familiar with was now standing before me, with his hand stretched out and facing down as Mephisto descended from who knows where and landed at the center of it. He and Sylus’ eyes flashed red at the same time.

“Long time no see, sweetie.” He purred, a smirk almost marking his lips.

Shocked and with my heart racing from running so much, my ears began to ring.

What is he doing here??

“This is HQ connecting to Hunter 1311046. Are you in a safe location?” My watch makes me break my eyes locked on Sylus as I hear a Hunter’s voice go through it. Tara must have called them. Did I chase Mephisto for that long??

Sylus raises an eyebrow in disgust.

“What are you going to say? That the leader of Onychinus himself just arrived to the outskirts of Linkon city and you’re here to face him all alone…?”

I shoot a warning glance at him, feeling a drip of sweat go down the side of my face. 

“Copy, Hunter 1311046?” The watch follows up with a radio like voice.

I place the watch near my mouth, sighing before I respond back.

“I am at a safe location, HQ. I thought I was going to confront an enemy. Copy.”

What the hell am I doing?

“Copy that, Hunter. Stay safe.”

I glance up to see Sylus standing inches from me now, his tall figure hovering over me like the trees surrounding us. By instinct, I reach out to punch him square in the face, but my hand is stopped by his red flares coming from the ground. They grip my arm and hand, causing me to make a “tsk” noise out loud and use my foot to boost myself into a cartwheel. When I land behind him, I stretch my leg out to kick his back, but I am quickly detained by the same flares.

“A little hostile, I see.” His deep voice murmurs as he holds my arm and leg in the air, while I struggle to hold my footing with my free foot. “I guess that’s well deserved.”

“Fucking bastard!!” I yell angrily, feeling hot tears from adrenaline threatening to spill down my eyes.

“What a mouth.” Sylus turns around in a calm manner, holding my chin with his hand. “You look like you’re not happy to see me.”

“I’m not.” I grit through my teeth, feeling the warmth of his skin.

“I love that defiant look on you.”

“What the hell are you doing here?! You’re supposed to be back at the N-109 Zone with-“

I feel the red and black flares slither around my neck around my mouth, my complaints becoming muffled by his Evol. I struggle under his grip, balancing my body on just one of my legs and having my other arm fully stretched out, feeling helpless and in pain from the stretch. I shoot a nasty glare at him.

He is suddenly behind me, and I feel him lean down as he puts his lips beside my ear. 

“You’re being noisy. I need you to shut up for a second so we can have an actual conversation and you listen to me. Do you think you could to that for me?” When he whispers against me, I wince, feeling myself grow hot at how deep and sexy his voice is.

I begin to shake as I try to move my body, but it is unable to respond as his flares hold me tighter in position.

He releases a small chuckle: “We should’ve tried this back at the N-109 zone. You would’ve loved it with all the things I did to you.”

I recalled meeting Sylus for the first time back in my N-109 Zone mission, which was after Zayne and I had met Dr. Noah to discuss the protocore fragments around my heart. Sylus was the leader of an organized crime organization called Onychinus, which was somehow tied to the explosion that killed grandma and Caleb. Sylus was an arrogant asshole, but he was irresistible and attractive. We had hooked up a couple of times while we were together, and he was good at what he did to me. He and I parted ways when he escorted me after the N-109 Zone, we had made a deal that I would help him if he could escort me our safely. We never really got in touch after that.

As I recall our moments together, the flares suddenly loosen up around my body until I am fully released. When I fall to the ground, I land on my knees and release a cough, my lungs caught by surprise by the sudden change in wind pressure. His hand stretches into my view, and when I glance up at him, he has a coy smile while he keeps his neck straight. His silver hair moved with the wind, as did his hanging coat. I take his hand and grip it tightly to stand up.

“What are you doing here?” I say, releasing his hand and realizing he was still holding mine.

“Why are you not happy to see me?” He leans closer, his face inches from mine as he looks down at me. 

“You’re-“

“I know I’m not supposed to be here.”

“Then why-“

“How is it that our meeting after an entire year is this?” He  quietly sighs sighs seemingly disappointed, “I told you I am here to talk to you. I became here because of you.”

When he says that, my eyes widen. His expression is so serious, I know he is not fucking around.

“Sylus… you can’t be here…” I remind him gently, holding his face with my two hands. When I cup his face, he closes his eyes. Before I know it, he leans into my touch. He takes in deep breaths as if to calm himself.

“Peaches,” he murmurs with his eyes still closed.

I blush as I look at him in disbelief, "It’s dangerous for you to be here. I’m supposed to take you in-“

“And who’s going to stop me? Hm?” He opens his eyes and meets my gaze with a soft look, holding onto my hands tightly. “You?” He challenges.

I attempt to pull back my hands but he grabs them almost aggressively and his red eyes to meet mine when he opens them. He leans in to kiss me but I pull away and manage to release one of my guns from its sling and point it directly at him.

He stares, confidently leaning into the gun to put his forehead against it.

“This isn’t the first time we’ve done this, sweetie.” Through flashbacks I recall the time I shot him in the chest when we had first met. 

“Go ahead. Why hesitate now? I’m at your mercy, am I not? Have I not been this whole time?” he says with a cocky attitude and stares me down with a smirk. “You know what is going to happen if you shoot me sweetheart, and you also know that that isn’t going to stop me. It hasn’t before. just like you being with me, hasn’t stopped you from fucking others before.”

Mortified I realize Mephisto had flown outside of Zayne’s apartment. He knew what we had done. He knew I was with someone else.

“We were never together.” I clarify, “And you’re under arrest, Sylus!” I hiss under my breath, about to pull him in. He quickly becomes a cluster of feathers and reappears in a different angle. Grabbing me, and pulling me in for a deep kiss.

Shocked, I try to pull away, but feel his grip tightening around me as he holds me by the back of the neck. I feel him squeeze my fingers against my gun until they hurt, forcing me to release it. I release a small cry of pain as he continues kissing me. His grip tightens and Sylus lifts me up, pinning me against a tree, and holding me firmly in place. He continues to kiss me, eventually, his tongue making its way into my mouth with a hint of alcohol he had consumed still lingering on his lips.

Sylus continues to kiss me passionately, his lips moving against mine greedily, and his tongue exploring every inch of my mouth as if trying to devour me whole. His hand slowly slides down to grip my ass, and moves down to my thighs, gripping them tightly in his hands as he shifts and presses his body against mine.

“I’m with someone,” I mutter between kisses, “I can’t be with you.”

As I attempt to pull away, he chuckles lightly. His lips now trailing down my neck, leaving feather like kisses on my skin before speaking once more. 

“Yet here you are. In my arms. Kissing me. Tell me, dear, did you think about me while you were with him last night?” His hands slide up my thighs to cup my ass cheeks as he says that, his fingers threatening to trail right between my legs.

“No.” I feel myself craving Sylus, feeling his erection through his slacks and knowing it is pure lust on my end. “I didn’t think about you because what you and I had is long gone. It’s been more than a year-“

He interrupts me with a chuckle, a smug look on his face as he gazes at me, his eyes piercing. “ You say that, yet you’re still easily melting in my arms.” He mutters before kissing me once again on the lips, he leans into my ear and whispers: “do you kiss him the way that you kiss me? Hm?” He asked in low husky tone as he was squeezing me against him even more, causing me to gasp.

“Well, then.” He smirks at my reaction, “Let me let you think of me now.”  

His kisses trail down the junction of my neck, every so often biting the skin with fervor , his hands exploring my curves with the same passion. I can also feel a mixture of desire and lust on his end as he begins to slide thumb down my clit.

I kiss him back, wrapping my arms around his neck. “You know what I enjoy more than this?” I whisper against his kisses, shaking from the sudden pleasure. He stops to gaze down at me with a prideful look, as though he had gotten exactly what he wanted out of me. I smirk playfully, reaching to my watch and using my Evol to cause a burst of energy between us, which forces him to release me and separates our bodies.

"The fact that I get to arrest you!” I proudly say, landing on my feet, about to attack.

Sylus is nowhere in sight when I look around. 

“Oh,” his voice resonates around the forest, “I can’t wait to see how you’ll try, kitten.”

“Come fight me, you stupid bird!” I yell but my voice echoes into nothing. He was gone.

[sammyloomis]

i think tara should have maybe invested in some waterproof mascara between the events of scream 5 and 6. like idk maybe someone shoulda got her some for christmas or her birthday or whatever

[shookethbrooketh]

seven days

day two: part one

summary: dan is stuck in the wrong timeline. one day, he kisses phil goodnight. the next morning, he’s completely alone. he doesn’t even recognize where he wakes up, and little details in the world around him have changed. he has no clue what’s happening or where to go next in an effort to fix it; all he knows is that he has to find phil.

genre: sci-fi, a lil bit of angst, happy ending

warnings: none (for now)

fic word count: 4.3k chapter word count: 2.3k

written for the @phandomreversebang ! inspired by the awesome moodboard/edits by @maybeformepersonally ! beta’d (beginning to end) by @i-might-just-leave-soon !

read it on ao3

Sadly, however, there were a few things Dan didn’t know as he dozed off that evening. He didn’t know about the reminder on the phone he’d neglected all day making sure he, or the him that used to live in this timeline, didn’t forget about his first day on the production of Queer Eye. And he surely didn’t know that while he slept, as the clock struck midnight, the world began to change around him. It was like he slept in a protective bubble, holding him in place as the timeline disassembled and reassembled around his body. At 12:01, his entire universe had changed once again. Dan slept through that night in bliss ignorance until he was woken up and his world turned upside down once again. 

“Daniel!”

“Hmm?” Dan blinked his eyes open, and before he had time to rub the sleep out of them, he spasmed into an upright position, hitting his head on the back of the bed frame. 

He found himself in a hotel room with a man in overly done makeup standing over him. Everything from the day before rushed back to him, and it took all he had not to shout out, “Who the hell are you?” 

“You need to start getting ready for VidCon! Your meetup is today!” the man shouted at him. His voice was loud and shrill, and Dan would have given money to not have to hear it. 

“Okay, okay, give me some space!” he moaned, pushing the man back a little bit. 

“Alright, just be ready in an hour,” the man said, leaving through a door into a conjoined room. 

“An hour? Who needs an hour to get ready?” he asked himself, wandering into the bathroom. “Oh, FUCK!” Dan shouted, taking one good look at his face in the mirror. It was caked in makeup, but it had clearly been a bit smudged by sleep. “Oh, no,” he breathed, fear entering his confused mind. He rushed to find a phone back by the bed and ended up seeing an iPhone XR. “Shit, that’s gotta be expensive,” he said, opening it immediately with facial recognition. Immediately he found and opened YouTube and went to his own channel, something he was more than used to doing in his normal life. What he found was exactly what he feared: he was this timeline’s James Charles. 

Dan groaned, rearing his head back to the ceiling. “I don’t know how to do makeup!” he muttered, dragging himself back into the bathroom. On the sink was a collection of at least 15 different types of makeup. “That explains the one-hour wakeup call.” 

His eyes darted back and forth from blush to mascara to eyeliner to foundation as if looking at them each enough would show him what to do with them. Finally, an idea struck him. Unless YouTube was a completely different beast in this timeline, “Daniel Howell makeup tutorial” would be a fruitful search. It only took him a few seconds to find someone to teach him how to do his own makeup routine, and he was on his way. 

It took Dan about half an hour to do the makeup, and he was quite thankful that the Dan whose body he’d woken up in was wearing makeup already because if he hadn’t it would have taken him twice as long or more. He threw on some actually mildly tasteful clothes and grabbed his VidCon badge; at least he knew how to live this person’s life. 

Ready to go with twenty minutes left, Dan sank back into “his” bed and put his head in his hands. “Why the hell am I in another timeline?” he said, stressing a word every now and then just to exasperate his anger. “I’m never gonna find Phil at this rate.” 

He closed his eyes, attempting to hold back tears. He was sure a rich makeup YouTuber would have waterproof makeup, but he wasn’t willing to take that risk. Thousands of separate thoughts were running through his head, each of them desperate, but one stood out over them all: Dan did not want to go to VidCon. 

VidCon was one of his favorite places; it legitimized all his life choices and made him feel as if he was truly valued by the world. However, he’d never been to a VidCon without Phil in his life, and he didn’t particularly want to. He had fantasies about this VidCon--doing a meetup with Phil with both of them out and proud, hugging their fans tight and supporting them the way they supported the two of them--but now that was all gone, and he was left with a pound of makeup on his face and a bunch of people who didn’t even know him for who he truly was. 

His “friend” and apparently manager, whose name he eventually learned was, ironically, James, retrieved him and led him to the venue. He was lucky for that; he obviously hadn’t been told ahead of time where the meet and greet was, and between his height, his makeup, and his assumed fame, he had a feeling it wouldn’t be wise to mingle with the fans to find directions. 

“Aight, you’ve got a few minutes until the meetup; you can hang out here,” said James, leaving him in a sort of a green room. There was a wall in between them, and he could still hear the screaming fans. He’d never met fans alone before, and he was honestly a bit scared, especially without knowing what sort of fanbase the him of this timeline appealed to. He spent an immeasurable amount of time in his own head, searching aimlessly for something to calm his nerves. If only Phil were there with him…

Suddenly, a thought hit Dan. Maybe Phil was there with him. He’d yet to research the Phil of this timeline, so there was nothing telling him that he wasn’t still a YouTuber or that he wasn’t just halfway across the convention center. Dan whipped out the phone in his pocket and searched “Phil Lester” on Twitter for a second tie, and deja vu struck as he once again came up empty handed. 

“Damnit!” he cried out, but he had no time to mourn, for James had just thrown open the door and informed him that it was time for the meetup. Dan, taken by surprise, threw his phone down and jumped up. “Cool, let’s go!” he responded awkwardly. James furrowed his brow for a moment before eventually deciding to ignore Dan’s odd behavior and simply turning on his heel and leaving. Dan took a deep breath and followed, leaving in the opposite direction in which he came in, and he found himself behind a classic meetup photo background. This, at least, was something he was comfortable with. He put on his performer’s smile and stepped out from behind the curtain. 

Dan had certainly endured screaming teenage girls before; after all, he’d done two tours full of them. But this was a completely different animal entirely. It took all of his strength to smile and wave rather than double over with his hands over his ears. At this point, Dan was losing hope that his otherworldly counterpart wasn’t involved in some ridiculous controversy. 

At that moment, it dawned on the theatre kid still dwelling inside him that he probably should have researched his role before stepping out onstage. He was meant to put on a face and pretend to be someone else, and he hadn’t even a clue who he was to be. 

Before he even had enough time to think, the first fans were stepping up to meet him. Now, Dan had done over a hundred meetups, and even on his worst days, he’d always been attentive to each fan and been careful to make each one’s time the best thirty seconds to a minute they’d ever had. This time, however, was a bit different. 

Sure, he tried his best to act normal, but he quite simply wasn’t. He felt as if he was a fraud, given that technically he sort of was. No matter how much effort he put forth, these people were getting cheated out of meeting their idol. Well, hopefully they’d never know the difference. 

As a general rule of thumb, Dan had decided to go through the meetup emotionless. This was a bit difficult, as he and Phil had planned to, in their VidCon meetup, connect more emotionally to their fans, especially their LGBT+ fans, than ever before. But these people weren’t really his fans, and it was difficult for him to emotionally invest himself in speaking to people who didn’t really love HIS videos. Besides, he needed to keep his eyes on the prize: get through this meetup, then go back to looking for Phil. 

As the queue moved closer, he noticed one black-haired head sticking out above the others. His eyes widened, and his eyes focused on the back of a head facing someone else in the line. “Hi!” someone shouted, and his attention was forced back to the fans meeting him at that particular moment. Suddenly it became even more difficult for him to focus on the fans; he had to see the tall, Phil-like man’s face, but every time he looked up the man was facing the other direction. He felt as if the world refused to let them near each other, even though the chances that it was actually Phil were little to none.

Finally, he reached the front of the line, and the girl he’d been engrossed with conversation in poked him. “It’s your turn!” she whisper-screamed, and he jumped. 

“Oh!” he exclaimed, absentmindedly turning forward, and Dan’s heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, the face looking back at him was the face he’d fallen asleep beside every night for nearly nine years. The only difference: the man on the other side was none the wiser. 

“Oh my goodness, hi!” he squealed through a broad smile. Dan was almost taken aback by it; the Phil he knew wasn’t exactly a squealer, and he definitely didn’t have an American accent. He was quite the different Phil, but he certainly was Phil; there was no doubting it. Phil started speaking again, his words slurring together with nerves. “Iknow it’s sorta odd for youta meet afan who’sactually older thanyou but I hope you don’t find me tooweird…” he trailed off, clearly absolutely terrified to be speaking to Dan.

At this point, time seemed to completely stop. Dan had seen Phil like this, sure, but never for something as simple as a meetup. It completely blew his mind to watch Phil absolutely lose it over the chance to meet him. Phil, the man who he’d known for ten years. Phil, the man who he’d kissed countless times. Phil, who was supposed to be standing beside him on the other side of the meetup, was instead sweating through his clothes because he loved Dan so much. Inside his head, Dan chuckled. He had no idea. 

And Dan had no idea how to respond. There was no response to the person you love more than anyone or anything else in the world completely forgetting you. He wasn’t really sure what to do except for what he always did. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I promise,” he said, wrapping his arms around Phil. This wasn’t abnormal, as he’d done it for every fan thus far, but this time, it lingered a little longer, and it started much sooner than it should have. Still, he kept Phil close for more reasons than he could even begin to identify. Just having Phil there comforted his woes from the last day and a half, filled him with the love he’d always felt from Phil, and encited pure fear in him that he’d never see Phil again, all at one time. Finally, after what felt like only a millisecond but was clearly too long to be appropriate for a creator meeting a fan, Dan released Phil, and he was relieved to find that he was smiling. 

“Thanks,” Phil said, taking a deep breath. “I’m Phil, by the way.” It wasn’t until then that Dan really took Phil in; he was wearing his glasses, which brought a grin to Dan’s face; every universe’s Phil should wear his glasses constantly. It’s what everyone who encounters him deserves. He wore an outfit that reminded Dan of something he’d wear to their own meetup. It was interesting, Dan thought, how some fundamental things about Phil refused to change, even in an alternate universe. 

“Do you have something you’d like me to sign?” he asked. Phil nodded and handed over a pride flag. A burst of relief shot through Dan; Phil was still the same Phil. “I-I’d like to give you this, too,” he said, shakily handing over what appeared to be a drawing. As soon as Dan finished signing the flag, he snatched the drawing as if it were the Holy Grail and examined it; it was a picture of Dan, with every intricate detail drawn out. His dimples were deep, and every curl on his head was intentionally placed. He wore science-themed makeup, and Dan wasn’t even exaggerating when he said it was the best fanart he’d ever seen. “I’m a scientist, so…” 

It was like he was falling in love all over again. “Wow, Phil...This is amazing. Absolutely amazing. I had no idea you could draw like this!” 

“Well…” he stammered, “I don’t think you really know me at all.” 

“Oh, yeah, right,” Dan let out, disappointment evident in his voice. At this point, even Phil’s radiating awkwardness had dissipated into pure confusion. Dan had to think fast, and, through some miracle, he did. “Did you post this online? I’d love to show it some love.”

“Oh, yeah!” Phil said, confusion immediately being replaced by excitement. He was clearly still a bit nervous, but he seemed much more comfortable around Dan. That was a start. “I’m on Twitter @AmazingPhil.” Dan almost winced. How dumb could he be? He made a mental note: next time, search the name AND the handle.

“I’ll definitely check that out,” Dan said, beaming. “Thank you for this.” 

“You’re welcome,” Phil said, and the VidCon employees were ushering him on. Dan wanted to yell at them, to keep him there forever, but there was only so much he could do. 

“Have a great day!” Dan shouted as he watched the love of his life walk out of it clueless. He sighed, and muttered under his breath, “I love you.” 

[looselucy]

July

Two noises awoke me on the Sunday morning of the festival. The first was noise of heavy rain crashing down on my fabric roof. The second was the sound of my tent opening. Neither was a good noise.

I pulled my sleeping bag over my head and groaned loudly, not sure which one of the lads had chosen to climb into my tent, and not fussed to see any of them. The only thing that made me move my cover, was the thought that maybe it was a stranger who had stumbled into my home. It was Mike. “Pippa, do you know what time it is?” He asked. “No.” “Do you want to know?” “No.” “Are you rough.” “No.” “Liar.” He chuckled. Obviously, I was lying. I was rough as hell, and not in any state to get out bed quite yet. I needed a little time to recover. Only the day before, I had been gloating about not having hangovers at festivals, and yet there I was, rough as rats. I moved my hand out of the sheets and stroked my thumb over Mikes forehead. “You caught the sun.” I sulked at his bright red skin. “Not gunna happen today though, is it?” He tutted up to the sky. The sound of rain was always amplified in a tent, but I could still tell that it was genuinely pissing it down outside. All the more reason to stay in my tent. “Where are the lads?” I asked, waking. “Louis stole a gazebo, so we’re sorted. He’s already drunk.” He grinned. “We miss you though. We want you to join the fun.” I missed them too, if that was physically possible. The sleep I’d had was obviously needed, but the more I stared at Mikes adorable little burnt face, the more I was regretting staying in my tent. “Okay.” I sighed. “Go on. Tell me. What time is it?” “It’s three.” “THREE?” I cried. “Three.” He repeated through a smile. “Shit. I need to get up.” “Yeah, ya do.” He nodded. “I’ll leave you to it. But if you’re not out in five minutes, I’m coming back to bother you.” He kissed my forehead and then shuffled uneasily out of the tent. My tent was small even for me, never mind Mike the giant. I sat myself upright, shivering in my tent as I grabbed a thick jumper and started pulling it over my head and piecing together the evening before. All I could think about was how wonderful my evening with Harry had been. How for a few hours, it was like I had completely forgotten the wreck of a situation I was in when it came to him. How for just a while, I spent time with him, and everything was normal and everything was nice and I could just be with him without over-thinking it. I hated that it all fell apart before we ended the night. The evening was going to be absolutely perfect, and the worst part was, I wasn’t sure the evening had unravelled just because I had looked into it too much, just because my damn brain was in a whir. I grabbed my little compact mirror to see my face, and in my frenzy the evening before, I had obviously forgotten to take off my makeup. I had mascara stained down my cheeks. I cursed to myself, hating the thought that Mike had obviously just seen that and could possibly be mentioning to the boys. He was more than likely out there telling them all that he thought I had been crying, and then they would start asking why. I cursed to myself again. I rushed to put my hair in a ponytail and wipe the black stains from my face and got out of the tent as quickly as I could, in the hope I had escaped before they had chance to talk about me. But as I stood up straight outside my tent, the boys were all staring at me, sympathetic little smiles on their faces, none the of them saying a thing in their stupid little chairs, beers in their hands. Why has no one ever taught the male species about faking a conversation to save someone’s face and feelings? I bent down to grab a can from my crate, rolling my eyes at the lot of them when they couldn’t see, and then sat in my chair, keeping my head down. “I stole a gazebo.” Louis pointed to the green thing sheltering us from the rain. “You’re my hero.” I replied, grateful he had started a conversation. “We’re refusing to let the rain get us down.” “How you feeling?” Zayn asked me, trying to cover the concern in his voice. “Yeah, I’m fine.” I shrugged. “I just- I’m gunna go grab some food before I start drinking, does anyone want anything?” I couldn’t stand them all looking at me like I was a lost puppy, and I figured if I just gave them five minutes to push past it whilst I went a grabbed a burger from the nearest food van, by the time I got back they would all be fine. Even Harry, who looked just as rough as I did. They all mumbled a no, except Louis, who leaped straight up to his feet. “I’ll come with you.” He chirped. “Alright.” We began darting through tents until we found ourselves on the footpath, the rain belting down on us as Louis zipped up his waterproof jacket and I put up my hood. “Mike mentioned the mascara.” He began pretty quickly. “What? No way! I couldn’t tell at all!” I groaned sarcastically. “What?” “You were all looking at me with these sad fucking eyes. Bloody hell. Made me feel like an idiot.” “Were you crying over Harry? You should never cry over boys. Boys like Harry secretly thrive off that shit. Gives them power.” “I cried over you!” I shot. “That’s because I’m a bastard, and I still feel shit about that!” He pointed out. Harry had admitted to me himself that he had issues with power, so what Louis was saying made complete sense, I just hated the thought of Harry feeling smug about my tears. I didn’t want to think it was true, but I wouldn’t put it past him. “Promise I’ll never cry over you again.” I smiled. “Promise to never make you cry again.” The nearest food van was lit up in the near distance like a lighthouse at the end of a perilous journey overseas. The yellow lights illuminated the mud around the area, warm, welcoming, and the geniuses had even invested on clear gazebos to cover the wooden tables they had outside. “You want anything?” I asked. “Nah. I’ll go sit down and wait for ya.” I realised as I ordered my food, that the place was still alive, in spite of the rain, The true heroes were still out of their tents, music on, dancing and thriving off the thunder that growled through the clouds. The ground was slippery and dangerous beneath my feet, the sky grey, but still the atmosphere and mood of the place refused to shift anywhere other than magnificent. I thanked the van-man for my food and then dashed over and sat across from Louis, who still had a beer in hand and a lazy smile on his face. “I can’t believe you’ve been drunk since before I even managed to wake up.” I said, before taking a bite. “It’s what I do. I went to my first festival last year, and I was out of control. I planned on keeping it up this year, and I have fucking nailed it!” He really had. I wasn’t sure if I had seen him sober once all weekend. I wasn’t even sure he was sober when he arrived. Louis was making the most of the whole festival thing, and how it was acceptable to be drunk at any hour of the day “You had a good time?” I chuckled. “Amazing. Have you?” “So good. Reality seems very unappealing right now.” He nodded, agreeing with me and silently eyeing me across the table, before he hesitantly approached the topic, like I knew he would. “So, why were you crying?” I knew he was going to ask, even though he knew it was about Harry. But I guess what he was really questioning, was what exactly had happened that had brought me to tears. I could barely answer. “I don’t really know.” I sighed. “I had a really nice night with him, and everything was fine and I felt fine, but… then I think it just hit me how much I like him. I’m not even sure, I was fucked. So, I cried, like I always fucking do. Have you ever known someone who cries as much as me?” “Probably not.” He laughed. “Exactly. So maybe you shouldn’t read into my tears too much. Those puppy dog eyes are really condescending.” “Apologies.” He held his hands up. I took another big bite of my burger and playfully stuck my middle finger up at Louis, which he gladly returned. I still couldn’t quite believe that it was Louis who I had decided to talk to about this, but as he sat there across from me, drunk and cheery, he seemed like the ideal guy to unleash my misery on. + + + The weather got worse before it got better, and we all ended up huddled in Mikes bigger tent once the wind began blowing the raindrops under our cover. I lay between Zayn’s legs with my head on his chest, the choice of music mine as I opted for Blur, which got a nod of approval from everyone. Louis kept checking outside the tent in the hope we could retreat relatively soon. “It hasn’t been raining as much for like, ten minutes.” He said hopefully. “LOUIS DO YOU MIND? I’M TELLING A STORY!” Mike cried. “Sorry, man. Go on.” “So I said to him, excuse me sir, I ordered a pint, and this is not full to the top, and he said, well, it wasn’t even me who served you. And that’s when I realised we were in a completely different pub, and that was a completely different pint. I went home after that because I was too drunk.” It had reached the stage where we all genuinely found Mikes terrible stories funny, because it was his thing. If Mike ever told a funny story, I think none of us would laugh, we would be too confused, but it was thanks to the lack humour in every tale that he told, that we often ended up in stitches. My head was bobbing up and down like crazy thanks to Zayn laughing. “You should write a book.” Harry told him through chuckles. “A book?” “A book of stories. Just your little anecdotes.” He grinned. Mike was flattered, probably because Mike obviously thought his stories were great, but that was for different reasons than we did. “You think?” His eyes were wide. “What would I call it?” “Talking Shit. A professional guide. By Mike Jones.” Mikes face absolutely dropped and we all laughed even more, Harry seeming very proud of himself for getting such a good reaction from his crowd, taking up an entire side of the tent as he lay on his side and stretched across, his arm propping up his head, and one knee pointed to the sky, like someone was bloody sketching him. “Harsh, man. Harsh.” Mike nodded. “Fuck. I really don’t wanna go home.” Zayn smacked a kiss on the top of my head. “I don’t miss my bed or anything.” I sighed. “I just want to be here forever. It’s like another world.” “Fuck, guys, I forgot to tell you!” Louis cried. “I heard some people talking last night, and apparently there’s a secret stage somewhere.” “That shit is a fucking legend.” Zayn snorted. “I’ve heard that for the past sixteen years of my life. I’ve never found it. It’s not real.” “No no no, man, I heard!” Louis argued. “I heard them talking about it because they’d been there! We gotta find it.” “There’s nothing to find.” “I heard them saying that there’s a tunnel! I’m telling you, it’s real.” “A tunnel?” Zayn scoffed. “Can we go find it? Please? We need to at least look.” Zayn tutted and sighed, but Louis had these glistening eyes that were definitely hard to say no to. On top of that, Zayn really loved Louis. “Alright. Does everyone want to waste their time looking for the non-existent, secret stage?” We all cried our replies at exactly the same time. Though they did vary. “I’d love to!” I beamed. “I’m down for that.” Harry shrugged. “Fuck yes, bitch, let’s do it!” Mike cried. I sat upright in an attempt to go and put on some more acceptable clothes, since it had been dry-ish for quite a while now, and I was ready to get back into the arena and enjoy our final evening, but I was brought to a halt. “Guys, there’s just one thing, before we go.” Zayn spoke. “What?” I quizzed. “Every year on the last night, everyone puts on loads of bright makeup and glitter and stuff. S’a bit of a tradition.” “You want me to wear makeup?” Harry scowled. For what felt like the millionth time, I rolled my eyes at Harry’s protection over his dear masculinity. It just made me want to plaster foundation all over his face and constantly be following him and littering him with glitter, dancing around him and singing Spice Girls songs. He needed to take a leaf out of Zayn’s book. “Honestly, mate, you’ll look more out of place if you don’t put makeup on.” Zayn said to him. “I think I’m okay with that.” “Well, you won’t be seen with us then.” Mike tutted. “Fun-sponge.” “Pip, will you do my makeup for me?” Louis grinned. “Of course.” I laughed back. “I’ll do everyone’s makeup.” All our heads turned slowly to Harry, wondering if he could drop his bravado for just one night and join in the fun with the rest of us. Though he seemed reluctant, he finally agreed. “Fine. I’ll wear fucking makeup.” He fumed. + + + There weren’t many occasions where I had been so close to Harry’s face, and the gap between us hadn’t been closed. There had never been a time I was so close to Harry, applying glitter to his face. I doubted he ever wanted it to happen again. I had done my own makeup after getting changed, then I did the other three boys, who were outside enjoying the dry atmosphere whilst it lasted, drinking and singing away, and then it was just me and Harry in Mikes tent, Harry unwillingly opting for minimal makeup. I was putting silver glitter on his temples, shaping his eyes beautifully. “Would you cheer up!” I chuckled and whined. “I look like an idiot.” He groaned. “You don’t look like an idiot, you’re just acting like one.” He was looking deep into my eyes as I shaped the lines of his face, putting light traces of the glitter beneath his cheek bones, looking anywhere but actually at him, wishing I could get through the entire process with my eyes closed. “Easy for you to say.” He huffed. “Just ‘cause you look idiotically beautiful with glitter all over your face.” It wasn’t quite a flinch, because Harry wouldn’t have ever let himself, but it was like an alarmed look on his face, like he hadn’t meant to say it, it just slipped out. The glitter was, thankfully, hiding my pink cheeks. “Don’t try and butter me up.” I tried to brush past it. “I’ll just end up putting more glitter on.” “I wasn’t trying to butter you up.” He sighed. “You need to learn how to accept a compliment.” “Hey! I know how to accept a compliment.” “Then let me say something, and just say thank you.” He said, so I nodded. “You are fucking beautiful.” It was like he knew he had been close to flinching and he just needed to change that by repeating the statement in a more confident manner, so I wouldn’t know he was human and he faltered sometimes. I looked down to the floor, not able to look at his face for another second, but Harry didn’t let me escape that easily. He took his finger and his thumb, pinched them between my chin, and lifted my face so I was staring into the headlights again. He nodded, prompting me to talk. “Thank you.” I did as I was told. “You’re welcome. Now are we done?” He grinned. “Yeah. We’re done.” “Thanks, Pip-Squeak. You’ve made me look terrible, and I’m grateful. You ready to go?” “Mhm.” I wasn’t ready to go. At all. I was very concerned that if I tried to stand up I would just go toppling back to the ground like a damsel in distress. That was genuinely how I felt. I was genuinely distressed by the whole thing. Harry scuttled out of the tent, and was greeted by the boy’s whey-ing and cheering the fact he had some kind of decoration on his face, much to his dismay, and I sat on my knees in Mikes tent just trying to control my breathing so I wouldn’t pass out. Harry had said nice things to me previously, complimented me, flattered me, made me blush, but he had never said anything that had gotten to me quite like that. It was that whole thing; how I could just tell he couldn’t help himself. That he had just told me that so honestly. It was one of the first times in my life that I felt truly beautiful, and I was too shook up to appreciate it. Then on top of that, I just started getting annoyed with myself, for only feeling beautiful because a boy had told me I was. But it was Harry. Harry had told me he thought I was beautiful, and suddenly my feelings felt more delightful than they did daunting. “Pull yourself together.” I seethed to myself. I practically ran out of the tent and re-joined the boys, because the longer I stayed on my own, the longer I gave myself to reflect over and evaluate what it meant, which was never good. Especially for me. I could overthink a cough if I wanted to. I blamed those lectures studying people and body languages, but it was something I had done for years. I guess, maybe, it was down to having a sibling. A childhood with an older brother consisted mainly of dirty looks and sly remarks and hidden messages. All those things, on top of being a pretty typical female, had made me one of those people who couldn’t just forget things. Everything needed to be looked into and investigated. I clambered out of the tent as soon as I could. As soon as the fresh air hit me, so did a can of beer. “Sorry!” Mike laughed. He had obviously predicted that I would have a speedy reaction when he chucked the drink to me, but quick reaction skills weren’t something I could claim. That’s why it hit me in the face. I bent down and picked up my can, clicking it open and looking at the boys. Zayn looked mesmerizing. He had gone for glitter on his eyelids, thin, long, striking; making every look he gave seem as though he was mid-photoshoot. Like he was a model and we were all just basking in his presence. He also had glitter all over his lips, marking how plump they were. Louis was all cheekbones, thick stripes against the already striking structure of his face, another thick stripe down the centre of his forehead. Of course, Mikes glitter was all over the place. He had requested a dot on his chin, one on his forehead, a love heart on one cheek and a star on the other. “You all look fantastic.” I smiled, and took a swig. “Yeah yeah, we know. Now c’mon, let’s go.” Louis whined. “I think I might know where this secret stage is.” “I know exactly where it is.” Zayn chortled. “In your head.” In protest, Louis began marching towards the entrance gates, shaking his head, truly believing, and also very excited, about this secret stage he had heard so little about but held all faith in. We all began following, not quite as excited, but people say it’s about the journey, not the destination, and that worked well here; because even if this secret stage didn’t exist, I was definitely excited to look for it. “You think we’ll find anything?” I asked Zayn hopefully. “I genuinely don’t. I’ve looked for it for years, and never had any luck.” “Well if it’s been a rumour for years, don’t you think it’s true?” “People have believed in the Loch Ness Monster for years, and that’s definitely not real.” “Have you explored the depths of Loch Ness?” I grinned. “I don’t bloody need to!” “No, mate, I’m serious, here’s the thing.” Mike began. “My mates mate has a cousin with a mate, who lives in Scotland, and he said he’s seen in ten times!” “Fuck sake.” Zayn groaned. “He just said he respects its privacy.” He concluded. Zayn was running the risk of ruining his makeup by stroking over his eyes with great dismay as Harry was trying very hard not to choke on his beer. Louis was well ahead of us. “With Louis’ determination and Mikes madness, we’ll find this secret stage in ten minutes.” I chuckled. But that was not that case. Hours of searching, literal hours. We stopped occasionally, to get a bit of food or to dance a little more, to buy drinks and to soak up the atmosphere of each different arena, but Louis refused to give in, and for hours and hours, we chased our tails, looking for a place that I too, was beginning to believe was just an urban myth. A few minutes before midnight, we all sat down against one of the stages that shut a little earlier in the night, all pretty tipsy, having still had a good evening regardless of our failure, and decided to relax a little bit. I’d never seen Louis look so disheartened. “I officially give up.” Harry sighed. “We’re gunna have to. It shuts at two on the Sunday night.” Zayn told us. “These are our last two hours officially at the festival, and I refuse to waste them.” “So where’d you wanna go?” Harry asked him. “It’s your call.” “I dunno, man. I like the tree arena.” “Treena.” Mike said to himself. “Okay, let’s go there.” Harry smiled. “Does anyone else need more beers?” “I’ll go see if the band left any backstage.” Mike grinned. He began crawling round from the front of the stage right to the back as we all absorbed where we were for the final few hours, so beyond content it was almost uncomfortable. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the feet that had danced and jumped on the very spot I was on, the bands that had performed their music on the very stage I was resting my head on. “Can we come back next year?” I asked. “We’re doing this every year now until we die.” Zayn smirked. “I’m totally cool with that.” Harry breathed. “I’m stuck with you guys til I die?” Louis baffled. “Meh. Alright.” “HOLY SHIT!” We heard from behind us. I bolted my head around in a bit of a frenzy, because the thought of Mike being hurt or in any kind of trouble made my heart stop. “MIKE? Are you okay?” I cried. “GUYS THERE’S A FUCKING TUNNEL.” Louis came alive. He went from slouching to being the stiffest person ever, his eyes so wide he could have convinced anyone he was on acid, which wouldn’t have been too much of a surprise at that festival. Zayn still wasn’t getting excited. “DON’T FUCK WITH ME, MAN!” Louis whelped. “I’M BEING SERIOUS! GET YOUR ARSES BACK HERE. HOLY SHIT!” Louis ran round before any of us even thought Mike was being serious, because I was expecting Louis to get to the back of the stage/tent and begin shouting at Mike and calling him a prick for leading him on. That wasn’t what we heard. “GUYS HE’S NOT LYING!” Suddenly we were all on our feet, darting around to the back of the stage, standing over all the wires and technical crap that hadn’t been packed up quite yet, and seeing that dead centre, in the back of the tent, was a small, round tunnel, leading to the unknown. Mike turned his head to us slowly. “The secret stage.” He whispered. + + + The secret stage didn’t close at 2am. When it got to 3am, I wasn’t sure it would ever close. The daunting thought of having to up and leave early in the morning, was not a thought that crossed any of our minds at any point in the evening. The lights at the secret stage were just pinks and purples, too transfixing and consuming to ever want to leave. We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of people who had managed to find the stage, because it was busy, but not too busy. Loud, but not too loud. It was perfect. We couldn’t have ended the evening any better than being in there. We were on top of the world, so much so, we weren’t really sure when to quit, when to call it a night. I guess our only signal, was that around half an hour before, Mike had been placed on a seat right next to the DJ, and he had fallen asleep. “Maybe it’s time to get him back.” Zayn shrugged. I had to agree. None of us wanted to outdo ourselves, and it turned out you couldn’t actually buy any drinks in the secret arena, so we were all actually relatively sober (bar Mike, I don’t know how he managed it) but it was good. It was like Zayn had said on the Friday morning. It felt good to be aware. It felt good to be fully in that moment, to be conscious and in the right frame of mind, to fully understand how wonderful the festival was. It couldn’t have gotten better. Crawling through that pitch black, dirty, smelly tunnel, had definitely been worth it. Crawling back through it, and trying to get Mike through it, was not quite as rewarding. Especially since a lot of the time, this being one of them, boys don’t have that maternal instinct and need to look after their friends. It ended up being me who had to drag Mike through the tunnel. “C’mon, Mike. You can do it.” “I could just sleep here.” He mulled drunkenly. “You’re in a tunnel.” “You’re in a tunnel.” He retorted. “I am indeed, Mike. I’m also ready to get out of the tunnel so, c’mon, take my hand.” “HURRY UP!” I heard Harry from behind us. “SHUT THE FUCK UP, STYLES! I’M WORKING ON IT.” I held my hand out in the darkness, hoping Mike would reach for me, and he did. I shuffled backwards out of the tunnel, thankful to get out, and then helped Mike up to his feet as soon as we were free, still the only one helping him stand upright as the rest of the lads started walking back to camp. “I love you, Pip.” He groaned. “I love you too, Mike. Now c’mon. Bed time.” I took hold of his hand, and we walked back to camp with each other, not able to catch up with the others, as Mike began listing off things that he loved. He loved me. He loved pineapples. He loved cups of tea. He loved the colour pink, but don’t tell the lads. He loved The Killers and he really loved Atomic Kitten. This list would have been fine if it hadn’t started raining again whilst we had been at the secret stage, and by the time we were finally back at camp, the rest of the lads had already retrieved to their tents, and I looked like a drowned rat. “GOODNIGHT, BOYS!” Mike screamed as he fell into his tent, Louis practically waiting with open arms. “Goodnight!” I added. They all said their goodnights, having to be extra loud over the rain as I quickly got in my tent and zipped it up tight. I took off my wet clothes immediately, and shoved them into my backpack, proud that I had been organized enough earlier in the day to pack everything away, leaving my tent almost empty. All there was, once I shoved my bag into the foot area of my tent, was me, and my sleeping bag. I tucked myself up and began thinking over my weekend, the ups and downs of my emotions, but how, even after all that, including the tears, I probably wouldn’t have changed a second of it. Nothing needed to be changed. The whole place was magical, and I hoped to take some of the fairy dust that was sprinkled on those fields, and on our faces, and bring it into my real life. I was completely still. Completely content. Then I heard a voice. “Oi. Pip-Squeak.” “Harry?” My tent started to unzip, and within a matter of seconds again, it was closed, and Harry was inside with me, shivering. “My tents raining in.” He sighed, sleeping bag tucked under his arm. “Do you mind if I kip in here?” I wanted to say no. That stupid pink tent was so tiny, having that proximity with him again had the ability to kill me off. So, of course, I decided to make a joke. “You sure you can stand sleeping in my pink tent?” I sulked sarcastically. “I’ll survive, I’m sure.” He rolled his eyes. He unravelled his sleeping bag and lay it out on my spare side and I tucked into my own a little more, very aware I was only in my tiny bra and knickers, then purposefully laying on my side so I could see him. He settled in pretty quickly. “Does your sleeping bag have a built-in pillow?” I beamed. “Yeah!” “That’s amazing!” “I know!” He nodded, deadly serious. “Can you believe the bloody technology we have these days?” “Do sleeping bags count as technology?” I quizzed, grinning. “They do when they have pillows built into them.” “Ahh. Okay.” I chuckled and closed my eyes, and it surprised me that this was the most comfortable I had been all weekend. I thought being that close with him would put me on edge, but it relaxed me. It made me so comfortable, having him there with me. It was familiar, something I hadn’t even realised I was missing. I was suddenly overwhelmed with appreciation that Harry’s tent was so rubbish.The only thing I wished, was that I had a sleeping bag big enough for two. “I’m sorry for being mean about the little pink tent.” He spoke. “The little pink tent is currently saving you from drowning.” I smirked. “I think you should thank the little pink tent.” “Thanks, little pink tent.” He obliged. “She says you’re welcome?” I giggled. “She?” Harry grimaced. “Well, this is the first time I’ve been inside a woman for quite a while.” “HARRY!” I cried. I pulled my arm out of the sleeping bag and hit him hard, which he probably expected/wanted as he sniggered, very impressed with his own quick wit, and how he was making me squeal. “That’s disgusting.” I concluded. “I aim to please.” He shrugged. As I lay there, trying to control my titters, staring at him, all I wanted to do was tell him how grateful I was that he was there with me. My weekend would have ended on a high even if I was in that tent on my own. Just having him there with me, making inappropriate jokes and looking smug, was making me so happy. “I don’t want to go home.” I whispered. “This should be a week-long thing.” He said, turning so he was facing the sky. “Hm. Yeah. I might want to go home if it was a week. Three days just isn’t long enough.” “I know, as well, that I’m going to get home tomorrow and just want to crash, and my dad’s will just be dying and screaming and asking me if I had a nice time.” “And what will you tell them?” I asked. “I won’t tell them anything. I’ll be asleep.” “Well, what will you tell them when you wake up?” “That I had the best weekend ever.” I wondered how the second year of uni would play out. I wondered if I would still be staring at him with the same longing eyes, admiring every single word he said, or if things would change, my feelings would pass and he could go back to being just Harry rather than Harry. It was just under two months, and I would be living with him, and Zayn. I couldn’t contain my excitement. I was practically wishing away those months. I just wanted to get all my things in that grotty little house, and start my new life with the two of them. I guess, in my head, it seemed like a fresh start. I was hoping I would have a fresh look on things, too. “It’s been a beautiful escape from reality.” I mulled. He turned back to face me, and shuffled towards me slightly, taking a deep breath in and seeming to calm. I felt like sleeping was crawling towards us. “It’s like a different world, isn’t it?” “Mm.” I agreed. “It’s like… nothing is real here. Almost like there’s… no guidelines. No... consequences to your actions. It’s just... a fantasy. Fiction. Like we can do whatever we want.” I definitely couldn’t do whatever I wanted. Because doing whatever I wanted would involve getting out of my sleeping bag and kissing him until my lips were stinging, until they were swollen and ugly, until there wasn’t a single chance any other girl would ever cross his mind again. That’s what I would do, if I could do whatever I wanted. I closed my eyes and looked down, trying to think of anything other than his lips. “Pip.” He whispered for my attention. As soon as I looked back up, Harry proved his desires ran alongside mine, as he threw himself at me, and kissed me. It was hard, rushed, racy. His arm captured around my back automatically so that he could pull me closer to him, practically dragging the top of my body out of the sleeping bag as I snaked my arms around his neck and moaned into his mouth. I was in heaven. His hands were stroking down my spine, his tongue was gracing its way into my mouth, my moans were real and alive as I made sure I was as close to him as I could physically be. I needed him. I kicked my sleeping bag off my body, and as soon as Harry had done the same thing, I leaped so that I was on top of him, straddling his beautiful hips and pulling his t-shirt off his body. His skin was surprisingly warm under my itching fingertips, so soft and silken. I felt like it was made to blend with mine, like only my hands could touch his skin and feel it for exactly what it was. I moved to kiss him again, running my fingers through the curls either side of his head, grinding my core against him, feeling him harden beneath me whilst he grunted into my mouth like an animal. “Fuck.” I panted. He flipped us so that I was on my back again, and without saying anything, he started to remove his jeans. That’s when I knew it was going to happen. That’s when it sunk in, that this wasn’t just going to be like the other times. This time, we were going to cross the line, we were going to explore a realm that had only been fictional before, because we were in a fictional world and we could! We finally felt as though the consequences of our actions couldn’t hold us back. Within seconds, he was totally nude, and climbing back over to me. He didn’t need to ask, but I could tell he wanted to. I decided to answer his question before he even had the chance to voice it, by dipping my fingers into the sides of my knickers, and taking them off, slowly, watching him watch me. He looked me deep in the eyes once they were off, and I just nodded. He knew. We both knew. He smothered the top of my body with his as he moved between my legs, kissing me so deeply I felt like I was going to pass out. All I could hear was the rain beating down on my tent, and our heavy breathing, and for once in my life it was all I needed. I just needed us, I just needed to be there. Suddenly, he slowed the kiss down, and pulled away, looking into my eyes like he could read every single word I had never told him. That’s when he gently took hold of himself, and slowly, pushed into me. I wanted to roll my head back, amazed by the feeling in my stomach, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. I had to look into those green lightbulbs to really let the moment sink in. Despite everything, I was finally feeling him fully. He began to move, calm and filled with ease and grace, still looking me in the eyes, his breathing all over the place, but I wasn’t sure I was breathing at all. I bit my bottom lip, and finally cracked my neck, letting out a moan of approval, and that’s when he seemed to calm down, and he really started to move. He began kissing at my jaw as he thrust his hips into me, picking up speed as his hands gripped at my waist. Suddenly he was harsh, quick, and with every peak he hit, he grunted, or groaned, or made any kind of noise that that sent my senses soaring. “I’ve needed you for so long.” He whispered. He began rolling himself into me as I pushed back up against him, gripping at the hair on the back of his head and pulling him so his lips met mine, licking his bottom lip as he granted me access again, one of his paws moving to my breast and the other gripping at one of my cheeks. He was kissing me like he had never kissed me before. I could feel his passion oozing from his mouth and seeping into me, filling me up right from my toes to the top of my head. We were so fucking close with one another, I couldn’t tell where his body ended and mine began. I’d never been like that with someone before. I’d never been so involved, so pleasured. I trailed my fingers down sweetly over his spine, enjoying the feel of his thrusting rushing through his back, the thought of how being with me was taking over his whole body and mind. He was completely mine. Once I had trailed down his whole back, I gripped at his bum cheek, my nails digging into the delicate skin, and it made him work even harder, beating into me and biting my bottom lip, before cursing to himself. “Fuck. Fuck, Pip. I need- I’m gunna- Fuck.” I knew we weren’t going to last long. It somehow felt as though we’d been taking part in months of foreplay. He moved his hand down to my clit, not losing stamina for even a split second as he began rubbing two fingers quickly against me, sending sparks of rapture shooting through my veins as I panted and moaned and writhed underneath him, losing my mind as soon as he was touching me there. “Please… Harry, I’m so close.” I cried. “C’mon.” He rambled through gritted teeth. “I need to feel you. I’ve waited so long to feel you-” He pushed deep into me, tongue buried into my mouth but never stinting the gorgeous noises that our intercourse pulled from him. He felt so good, so fucking incredible that I wanted to stay within that moment, right there in the initial stages of my orgasm, with his tongue tender and tough with mine. His fingers dipped a little lower, practically cupping some of my wet desire before he lift them back up, and rubbed those juice against my clit. I came with no more warning than that. I had been almost sure he could make me reach my peak just through certain looks, never mind when he was fucking me like I’d never been fucked before. Harry was shaking, just feeling me release myself on him like that was sending him into a state of sexual hysteria, thrusting even harder, his hand dragging up to me until his fingers wound into my loose hair and gripped onto it so tightly I cried out in both pleasure and pain. I watched the dull lights from outside light up the glitter on his face as he looked down to me, and he was just so consuming. He had pulled me into him and I wasn’t sure I would ever breathe real air again. In that moment, I didn’t want to. “Kiss me.” I called. So he did. Once our lips were in contact again, I could feel Harry faltering, I could feel him nearing his end, the way his lips were shaking, the way his thrusts were slower but quicker all at the same time. Then, when it was happening, I could feel him inside me, I could feel his body shaking as his lips stopped moving and he just stopped breathing, completely stopped. I kissed his bottom lip, and tightened my legs against his hips, watching him as his orgasm hit because of me. I just watched him, totally in awe. It was almost like a relief, when he started breathing again. It felt like it had been so long. He looked back down to me, his chest vibrating, then he nuzzled his nose against mine. I couldn’t help but show the joy that tugged upwards on the corners of my lips. He flopped down to the side after a short while, his chest still heaving after the workout, as was mine, but I felt fully unwound as I turned my head to the side and just watched him for a while, totally silent, just admiring the profile of his face, the way his jaw looked like it could cut diamonds. He was astonishing. Bewildering. “Unzip your sleeping bag.” He huffed after some time. “What?” I was still out of my head. “You think after that, I’m just going to get into my own sleeping bag and you’ll get in yours? No way. I’m staying on another planet with you.” “Okay.” I hushed. So I did what I was told. I grabbed my sleeping bag from the bottom of the tent, and completely unzipped it so that it was like a duvet, and spread it across the two of us. As soon as that was done, I turned to face away from him, hoping he would slot against my back and put his arms around me. But that wasn’t what he wanted. “Turn around.” He whispered. I groaned, but conformed, grinning because it felt so obvious, for the first time, how much he wanted me. I was willing to do whatever he requested. He ushered me into his arms, and we settled together, one of my legs draped over his hip, his butterfly against my stomach, my breasts against his chest, and his lips on my head. We lay in silence for a while, consuming our closeness, and what had just happened. I knew it might have been stupid, in the long run, but I didn’t regret what had happened for a second. I kissed his chest, silently concerned that Harry would feel differently. He soon proved I had nothing to be worried about. “This is perfect.” He gulped, holding me a little tighter. “You’re perfect.” I said accidentally. But I didn’t regret saying it, because the two of us were so caught up in the moment, I knew I could have said anything, really, and nothing could truly shock him. Then, on top of that, he was perfect. There was no denying that. “Goodnight, Pip.” He mumbled. “Goodnight, Harry.” We fell asleep like that, the rain still pelting down over our heads, the wind shaking our walls, and my feelings shaking my heart.

[bastardnev]

Do-Over

i said i would upload this fic after paige returned and would you look at that, she’s back!! also paige/eva is a Good Ship and it deserves to be talked about more

tagging @briankendrick @dr-goggles and @rivela!!

(link to ao3)

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: World Wrestling Entertainment, Professional Wrestling Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Eva Marie/Paige | Britani Knight Characters: Eva Marie (Professional Wrestling), Paige | Britani Knight Additional Tags: Internalized Misogyny, Alternate Universe - Boarding School, real fancy schmancy, Pre-Relationship, sorta?? idk that's mainly why paige doesn't like eva, Post-Break Up, what is it with me and writing fics where dolph is an asshole and breaks someone's heart, this is the second time this has happened now im scrmeaigjkfdfg, sorry dolph, Dialogue Heavy Summary: Everyone seemed to be talking about it -- the seemingly happy couple that had crumbled right before their very eyes. How could this have happened? Did one cheat on the other? No one knew for sure, and the uncertainty was driving them all mad.

Eva was being driven mad too, though that had less to do with the drama and more to do with the fact that no one in this damn school knew how to shut up for five minutes.

Eva grumbled to herself as she stormed down the dorm halls, high heels clicking loudly on the tiled floors as she made her way towards the exit. Well, this is just fan-fucking-tastic. There’s nothing in the whole world that she loves more than having her plans for a quiet evening in her room ruined by someone else’s bullshit relationship problems.

It turned out that there was trouble in paradise between Paige (otherwise known as the one girl at this school that she simply could not fucking stand ) and her boyfriend, Dolph. The two of them had apparently gotten into a pretty nasty argument earlier in the evening, and as a result Paige had gone running out of the dorms and out into the rose garden. None of the other students had heard from her in awhile, and they were all worried sick.

Naturally, Eva was prepared to just let them continue to argue and spend her time doing more important things, but her fellow classmates weren’t content with letting her have some peace and quiet. Everyone seemed to be talking about it -- the seemingly happy couple that had crumbled right before their very eyes. How could this have happened? Did one cheat on the other? No one knew for sure, and the uncertainty was driving them all mad.

Eva was being driven mad too, though that had less to do with the drama and more to do with the fact that no one in this damn school knew how to shut the fuck up for five minutes.

Seeing as it meant things would finally quiet down, Eva made the decision to look for Paige and get the full story. Then, after working her trademark Eva Magic, everything would be fixed and she could get to her relaxing. How bad could it have been? This is probably all because of some bullshit miscommunication or something...

Eva arrived at the front door a few moments later, stepping outside and taking in the sight of the beautiful garden spread out in front of her. She could stand here and take in this view all day… except she really couldn’t because it was about to start pouring rain soon. Christ, did Paige really have to run out when the weather was  this bad? (And so soon after Eva finished doing her hair, too…)

“Paige!” Eva called out, the wind whipping around her gradually growing stronger. “Where are you?” There wasn’t a soul in sight. Where the hell could she have run off too? There were only so many places to hide.

Eva bit her lip as she looked up at the dark clouds looming overhead, thinking over her next move. Did she have enough time to search around the garden for Paige and bring her back to the dorms before the rain started? Not only that, but -- and this was perhaps the biggest question of them all -- if she were to get caught in a downpour, would her makeup be salvageable? So many questions, so little time.

Preparing herself for the worst, Eva darted out from under the protective cover of the entryway. He head was swiveling back and forth as she weaved her way through the roses. Wherever the hell Paige was, she would be pretty easy to spot; her all-black get up would clash with the elegant red of the flowers. Still, the redhead was having a tough time actually finding her. Could she be in the nearby woods? Or maybe behind the garden shed? Possible hiding spots flitted through Eva’s mind as she rounded a corner.

“There she is…” Eva breathed out when she finally spotted Paige. She was sitting in the arbor, her head down on the table. She had really gone all the way out here just because she didn’t want anyone to see her upset. Paige could be a bit of a nuisance sometimes, though Eva supposed she wasn’t in any place to judge, seeing as she would most likely do the same exact thing in this situation. “Hey!” She called out.

She watched as her classmate slowly lifted her head, registering that it was Eva fucking Marie standing in front of her and hastily wiping at her cheeks. “What are you doing here?” She asked with a shaky voice as Eva approached, her accent thick.

No hello? Paige just goes straight into arguing? Christ, Eva should have just stayed in her room… “I came looking for you,” Eva replied with an annoyed expression, hands on her hips as she stepped into the arbor. “You’ve got everyone worried.”

“I don’t know what they’re so worried about.” Paige crossed her arms, her whole body tense. Eva knew that she was at the top of Paige’s list of people who she didn’t want to see her cry. It made sense that she was so apprehensive. “I’m completely fine.”

“Fine?” Eva snorted. “How can you say that you’re fine when your eye makeup is all smudged like that?”

“What? Are you serious?!”

“Look for yourself, raccoon girl.” Eva reached into her pocket with a smirk, pulling out her compact and handing it over. Paige snatched it away from her, looking at herself in the small mirror.

“Oh my God…” She sighed, running a hand through her hair as she got a look at just how messed up her makeup had gotten.

“Next time, invest in some waterproof mascara. Funny, I figured a goth of all people would own a tube.”

A sudden bolt of lightning caused the two of them to jump. Before they had a chance to react any further, the rain began to come down in buckets. “Shit…” Eva muttered. Now she and Paige were trapped in the arbor together until it lightened up. There was no way she could go out when the weather was this bad. It would totally ruin her outfit.

Eva took a seat across from Paige -- who looked less than thrilled by her company -- clicking her tongue as she resigned herself to her fate. She knew she should’ve just waited for Paige to come back on her own… Leave it to her and her bright fucking ideas to land her in an awful situation.

“I guess we’re stuck here now.” Paige said with a soft voice as she rested her head in her hands, gazing out at the rain. For awhile, both of them were quiet, but there was no peace. Not even the sound of the rain drumming on the roof of the arbor was enough to eradicate their animosity towards each other.

“... So…” Eva finally spoke up, deciding that she might as well say something , otherwise risk losing her mind from the uncomfortable silence. “I heard about what happened earlier. Y’know, with you and Dolph.” She noticed Paige wince at the mention of her (ex?) boyfriend’s name, and an eyebrow quirked up.

“Who hasn’t heard at this point?” Paige’s gaze was fixed on a point off in the distance, her voice wavering.

“What exactly happened? Like, what was the fight over?”

“What do you care? Since when have you actually given a shit about anything that’s happened to me?”

“Hey, I was just trying to start conversation. No need to get snippy.” Eva raised her hands defensively. She understood that it was a touchy subject, but it was literally the entire reason why she was out here in the first place. She might as well address it.

“Well, if you wanna know what happened so badly, then I’ll tell you.” Paige started as she finally looked at the girl sitting across from her, a mixture of rage and sadness in her eyes. “Bullshit, that’s what happened.”

“How was it bullshit?”

“Well…” Paige took a deep breath. “It’s just that… lately Dolph has had these… suspicions about me.”

“Suspicions about…?”

“I’m getting to that. Let me talk, would you? Apparently I’m overly-affectionate with all of my friends, and he thought that I was cheating on him with one of them. He’d see me hug Emma, or Bayley, or Sasha, or literally any of the other girls and would get the impression that there was something more there.”

“You know that hugging a friend isn’t cheating, right?” Eva asked. “A hug is just a hug.” If giving someone a hug meant that she was unfaithful, then Eva had cheated on every single partner she’d ever had.

“I know that, but… He saw it differently. We’d reached the point where I was worried that I couldn’t even talk about meeting with my friends because I thought he’d get jealous or angry. I tried confronting him about it, but that didn’t work out at all.” Paige took another deep breath before continuing. “It started out as a talk, then it escalated into a full blown argument. He accused me of cheating with one of my friends, I argued that I was innocent, and…” Paige stopped herself there, and she looked away from Eva and stared back out into the garden.

“And?” Eva urged her to continue.

“And I got my fucking heart broken, okay?!” Paige blurted out, burying her face in her hands as she was unable to stop the tears that were now rolling down her cheeks. She had clearly stopped giving a shit about whether or not Eva would judge her over her vulnerability.

“Jesus Christ…” Eva muttered, processing what she had just been told. Dolph dumped Paige all because she had the audacity to be a decent friend. He broke her heart over something like that . “What a goddamn idiot !” She slammed her hands down on the table suddenly, shocking Paige in the process.

“Eva, what the hell--”

“You… You didn’t deserve that…” Eva said after mulling over what she should say.

“You… really think so?”

“Yes, of course I do! No one deserves to have their heart broken, especially over such bullshit! Breaking up with you because he thought you were cheating on him with a friend? Christ, what garbage !! And here I was thinking that he was smarter than that.”

“Well, I mean…” Paige looked confused, her brow scrunching. “Don’t you think he has a point, though? I mean, cheating is always a valid concern in a relationship…”

“Paige, were you cheating on Dolph with anybody? Be honest with me. Did you kiss anybody else when you were with him? Or did you hook up with someone else? Did you do anything that even remotely resembles cheating?”

“No! God, no. I would never do that.”

“Then you’re innocent! You haven’t done a damn thing wrong! He’s the one that’s in the wrong here. He had no right breaking up with you over something that he had no proof of. What’s his proof? The fact that you have a lot of close friends? That’s disgusting!”

With her rant for the day over, Eva heaved a big sigh, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms. She could see that Paige now had an alarmed look on her face. She knew that it was because of her sudden outburst -- hell, Eva even surprised herself with it -- but she still decided to ask anyway. “What the hell are you looking at me like that for?”

“I just… never thought that you cared about me that much.” Paige said.

“Paige, listen,” Eva began, “You and I… We’re not friends. At all. It’s just that I... have very strong feelings on this subject due to personal experience. I hate seeing other women being put through terrible shit all because of men.”

“Personal experience?” Paige sniffled. “Has this happened to you before? What’s your story?”

Eva bit her lip, looking down at her hands. She’d never told anybody about her past experiences with love before. The fact that she was about to reveal something so intimate about herself to someone that she didn’t even like was surprising. “Honestly, I feel like this always happens with me.” Eva laughed a bit self derisively. “I meet a guy who I think isn’t gonna fuck me over, and he ends up doing it anyway. Every fucking time…”

“Jinder never did that to you, did he?” Paige recalled how earlier in the year Eva was in a brief relationship with another student, although the two were now only friends.

“Obviously not if he’s still breathing. He’s probably the only guy I’ve been with that wasn’t a complete jackass. All the others took complete advantage of me and treated me like I was some kind of joke. I hated putting up with that shit, and I hate seeing other girls being treated the same way. We deserve better than that.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “And you deserved better than what Dolph gave you.”

It took Paige a moment to respond, staring down at the table and beginning to trace a finger over a crack in the glass.. “I just… trusted Dolph, y’know?” She made eye contact with Eva again. “I trusted him not to break my heart. He was a pretty good boyfriend, all things considered. Things just got so… messy in the end. I really wish that things could’ve ended differently.”

“Honestly, I wish that things had ended differently for you guys too,” Eva admitted. “And I’m not just saying that because the way you broke up got us stuck out here.”

“Yeah, right.” Paige laughed softly, finally cracking a smile for the first time since Eva had arrived.

“I’m serious! I really wish that things had gone better for you.” Eva took a deep breath before continuing. “You didn’t deserve to have your heart ripped out. You’re… actually a really nice girl. You’re always treating the other students so kindly, and you always look out for all of your friends. People would kill to get to know someone like you.”

“How can you sit there and say that I treat everyone kindly when I get into fights with you every damn day?”

“Because I deserve your hatred.” Eva shrugged nonchalantly. “Let’s face it, I’m an asshole. I deserve to be insulted by you.”

“You’re not being an asshole right now, though.” Paige pointed out. “I mean, you’re sitting here giving me compliments when you really don’t have to.” It wasn't even like there were other people around and Eva was trying to maintain an image. The two girls were alone, and no one else was around to hear what Eva had to say. She was genuinely complimenting her.

“Yeah, but… I’m still an asshole. I mean, come on. I’ve been giving you shit all this time because you dress in black. I pick on you for something like that. How can I be anything else but a jackass?”

“Well, it’s not like I’ve been the nicest to you either.” Paige noted. “I mean, I’m always calling you a slut behind your back.”

“ Slut ?” For some reason, Eva was surprised to hear that, although her feelings weren’t hurt. In fact, she even smiled. “Paige, is that the best you’ve got? That’s hardly even an insult to me anymore. If you’re gonna say something so weak, you may as well just say it to my face. I could always use a good laugh.”

“I don’t want to, though!” Paige smiled back at her. “You don’t deserve to be called that. You’re not evil or anything. You’re actually… really sweet.”

“Okay, enough bullshit. You’re just flattering me now.”

“You came out to talk to me -- someone you’re not even friends with -- when no one else did. You didn’t even have to come and find me, yet you did anyway. I think that’s pretty sweet of you.”

“I only came out here because everyone else was obsessing over where you were. I wanted them to shut up.”

“Bull shit !” Paige reached over, playfully hitting her in the arm. “You came out here because you secretly like me.”

“Oh yeah?” Eva decided to fight back. “And you only stayed out here because you wanted to hang out with me! Don’t try and use the rain as an excuse, girl. If you were really that upset, then you wouldn’t have cared what the weather was like!”

“Maybe I--” Paige stopped herself from continuing.

“What? Tell me!”

“Maybe I do like you.” Paige looked down towards the table, trying to avoid Eva’s gaze. “Maybe I did want to hang out with you.”

“I knew it!” Eva clapped her hands together, proud of herself for getting something right. However, she wasn’t able to deny that what Paige said had made her pretty happy. “You want to be my friend, don’t you?”

“Only if you want to be my friend.” Paige shifted her gaze back up to Eva, a small smile on her face.

“I do.” Eva assured, reaching over and grabbing one of Paige’s hands. “I really want to start over from the beginning -- a do-over. Like, completely reintroduce myself. I’m Eva, by the way.”

“And I’m Paige. Nice to meet you, stranger! So glad we’ve never met before just now.” Paige shook the hand that was holding hers. “Oh, hey.” Paige was looking back outside again, and she’d noticed that the rain had stopped, at least for the time being. “We should probably be heading back to the dorms. Don’t want to worry everyone else.”

“Yeah.” Eva quickly stood up, both girls leaving the safety of the arbor and making the trek back to the building.

“... Hey, Eva?” Paige spoke up as they passed by the roses. “Would you, uh… like to come back to my room? Y’know, to hang out?”

“You seriously wanna hang out with me?” Eva was still getting used to the whole ‘friends’ thing.

“I don’t want our conversation to end just because we have to leave. I wanna keep talking to you.”

“Well, if you really want to be with me so badly,” Eva began, trying to cover up her embarrassment (excitement?), “then sure. I’ll come hang out for awhile. Just let me stop by my room quickly so that I can get out of this outfit.”

“No problem.” Paige replied as the two of them went up the few steps in front of the building. “Stop by whenever you’re ready, okay?”

“Okay.” Eva grinned, watching as Paige went inside first. What did she have planned? Bad movie marathon? More shit talking?

In a shocking turn of events, Eva Marie actually found herself excited to get to know Paige.

[celebritylikelashes-blog]

Myth or Truth: Will Lash Extensions Ruin Your Natural Lashes?

Extra-long, voluminous, and complete with the ideal curl–what’s not to adore about eyelash extensions? There is something so amazingly alluring about not needing to get my lash for months on end, particularly considering I enjoy’em thickly coated, so that it requires several swipes of my lashes from the root to the suggestion for the desired result. Having falsies on saves about a few moments in my getting-ready routine. I have also felt compelled to leave my flat free of makeup on. I have gone full weeks in the office with not a stitch of makeup on my head, and this is a really new thing for me personally.

It might be because I eventually stumbled upon the ideal skincare regimen, but I believe waking up with mechanically dressed-up lashes plays a very significant role in that. If you can not already tell, I’m head-over-heels in love with my Eyelash Extension Supplies–such as, smack-dab at the honeymoon period. I receive compliments on them all the time, plus they literally take my cosmetics into another level when I do choose to really go all out. However, for as many times as I’ve been complimented, I’ve been advised to be careful of them because there is a possibility they could damage my natural lashes. I have had them for approximately four months right, and I’ve been too in love to consider the effect they are having in my natural lashes.

The horror stories I’ve heard have legit thrown a wrench in my heart. Do eyelash extensions hurt your lashes? I consulted a bunch of girls I knew would give it to me directly: none apart from Team Byrdie. You could always rely on actual girls who happen to be beauty professionals for information. It is lash-extension narrative time.

What Happened When 5 Real Women Tried Lash Extensions

ROSDIANA CIARAVOLO/GETTY IMAGES

“I had lash extensions for a year and was promised that they wouldn’t damage my natural lashes. However, when I finally decided to give my lashes a ‘break’ and get them off, my natural lashes were the shortest, stubbiest things I’d ever seen. It was horrifying. They were so short I could barely curl them with a lash curler. I was so horrified I immediately told my lash technician I had changed my mind and wanted a full set of extensions again. It was a dark time. Finally, however, I started using a lash-growth serum and seeing some results, and I weaned myself off them.

Maybe it was the quality of the lashes I was getting, and the lighter ones don’t damage your lashes as much, but all I know is that I’m extremely wary when it comes to extensions. (Luckily I’ve found an amazing solution in Lashify! Story coming shortly.)” — Faith, editorial manager “I tried lash extensions once because I was curious–and because the idea of full, thick, inky-black lashes 24 hours a day is undoubtedly dreamy. The process took an hour and a half (which is normal, I’m told), and I left with a natural-looking set of fluttery lashes. I was in love with them. They looked incredible. Plus, they made my morning routine so much easier (no mascara, no more removing little bits of mascara I’d inevitably smudge elsewhere on my face). However, the bliss lasted for about two weeks.

After that, the lashes began to crisscross and look sparse. I’d brush them, keep them dry, and do everything in my power to maintain them. But the fact that I couldn’t properly wash my face and slather on eye cream began to weigh on me, and I ended up taking them off not soon after that. Once they were gone, I was relieved, but my eyelashes looked bald. They were definitely shorter and more brittle than before, but I continually conditioned and moisturized them until they were back to normal (it probably took a week or two). I’m not against lash extensions by any means; I just think they’re not for me. I still dream about them sometimes, though, so who knows? Maybe I’ll dip my toe back in the fluttery lash pond again at some point.” — Hallie, senior editor “When I let my lash extensions fall out, I definitely notice that the natural lashes left behind are shorter and stubbier. So if I’m not planning on refilling, my eyelids look pretty bald for a week or two. Which, of course, isn’t ideal. But once those lashes fall out and the next set grows in, they look totally normal! In my experience, lash extensions don’t cause any permanent damage or harm to my lash growth in general. It’s just temporary right after all the extensions fall out.” — Amanda, attributes editor

“So I’m not really sure why I felt compelled to get lash extensions in the first place, as I naturally have long, dark lashes. That being said, whenever I see someone with extensions, I always instantly admire them and think they look really romantic and feminine. Plus, the idea of never having to apply mascara or curl my natural set was appealing. (Plus, for better or for worse–usually worse–I love to experiment.) Anyway, the first (and only) time I ever got extensions was a few summers ago, and I almost instantly regretted the decision. Not only did my eyes always feel slightly irritated and itchy, but I found myself constantly paranoid that I would get some kind of eye infection or wouldn’t be able to keep the follicles of my natural hairs clean. (Thanks to the extensions, I couldn’t remove the makeup around my eyes the same way as I was used to.) Therefore I was pretty much paralyzed with a fear that my eyes would get infected, my precious hair follicles would crust over (sorry for the visual), and my eyelashes would all fall out never to come back again. Of course, this didn’t actually happen, and I know I was being overly paranoid, but ultimately I ended up going back to the lash studio and getting them removed after only a few weeks. After they were removed, I was 100% convinced my lashes were shorter and more sparse, but honestly, in retrospect, I think that was just because I had quickly gotten used to the longer, plusher length of the extensions. All in all, they just weren’t for me.” — Erin, assistant editor

Lash-Extension Tips From the Pros

IMAXTREE

The verdict: Everyone’s encounter with lash extensions is totally different. Whether it is the uncomfortable sense of wearing them, the lack of care, or the simple fact your natural lashes are delicate and briefer after wearing themmany factors are involved. There is no definitive or solid fact that lash extensions will in reality harm your lashes. But it is your choice to take every precaution to maintain your lashes in tiptop shape when you really do have them to prevent any mishaps. We called on star lash expert and creator of Envious Lashes Clementina Richardson, together with lash pro Alexis Weisenburger in Bella Lash, to discuss all there is to learn about falsies. To put it differently, screenshot the under lash guide if you are considering giving them a whirl.

MEET THE EXPERT

Clementina Richardson is a star lash artist as well as the creator of Envious Lashes Salon in New York, NY. With more than ten Decades of expertise, Richardson was featured in Teen Vogue and InStyle and counts girls like Mary J Blige and Naomi Campbell as acquaintances.

Lash Tips to understand

1″ Avoid steam and wetting your lashes for the first 48 hours,” urges Richardson. “You can of course wash your face and take a shower, just make sure that no water touches your lashes.”

” You need to avoid rubbing your eyes, using oil-based products and heavy creams around eyes, plus avoid playing with, picking, and excessive touching of your lashes,” says Richardson. “Lashes do need to be brushed every so often with a spoolie brush, just don’t overdo it when you brush.”

3″ I also recommend not wearing mascara, as it’s hard to remove and will cause the bond to break,” says Richardson. “If you need to wear mascara on your lower lashes, avoid waterproof mascaras. Never use a mechanical eyelash curler. If your extensions are starting to fall, use a heated eyelash curler ($30) to gently lift them.”

” Be sure to go to a certified lash artist who knows how to do lashes correctly,” states Weisenburger. “A properly trained and experienced eyelash extension artist will not damage your lashes. You can find a list of certified and fully vetted eyelash extension artists at BellaLash.com.”

5″ As with your hair, using a silk pillowcase will do the least damage to your lashes and extensions. Chances are at some point during the night you will end up sleeping on your face. Invest in a silk pillowcase, as this type of material will do the least amount of damage to your eyelashes and extensions.”

Lash Don’ts

Richardson recommends paying attention to this under to prevent potential harm:

“Extensions should only be attached to the natural lash, not the skin, and be applied one strand at a time.”

“Applying extensions that are too heavy for the natural lash will result in premature shedding.”

“Rubbing your eyes will result in immediate breakage. This is actually the worst thing you can do. Try to be as gentle as you can with your eyes.”

Weisenburger suggests preventing the under:

“Don’t wash your eyes or shower within 24 hours of application.”

“Don’t remove extensions yourself.”

Should You Give Your Natural Lashes a Break Between Extensions? “It’s not necessary to give your lashes a break since your natural hair growth cycle occurs every six to eight weeks,” says Richardson. ” To keep your lashes looking their best, you should get refills every three to four weeks. The stylist should pay close attention to your natural lashes. For instance, if the client’s lashes have changed in texture or fullness, steps should be taken to adjust your styling accordingly. Simply changing the type of lash extensions being used can make a big difference. A change to the length or the width of the extensions, such as going with a thinner or shorter extension might be needed during the refill process.”

Weisenburger is in accord: “There’s no need for a break in between eyelash extensions if they’re applied correctly,” she says. “Your eyelash extensions should not make your natural lashes fall out any faster than they would on their own. Like all hairs on the body, your lashes follow a growth cycle. Most people don’t notice their natural lashes shedding, because lashes are so small and fine. With eyelash extensions, it’s easier to notice since they’re much larger than natural lashes.”

The Absolute Best Way to Maintain HealthyLash Extensions

“Conditioning serums are great to use while wearing lash extensions and also for people who just want to get their natural lashes in better shape,” says Richardson. “This conditioner contains a unique blend of natural and botanical ingredients to help your lashes reach their full potential, creating both density and length.”

“Aftercare is the best way to maintain your lashes and keep them healthy,” Weisenburger echoes. ” Make sure your aftercare products are oil-free and contain safe ingredients. One of the most effective types of aftercare is cleansing your eyelashes with a product created specifically for eyelash extensions. There are also different types of eyelash extension cleansers.” Bella Lash provides several choices.

[muachronicle]

Surviving Allergy Season

Hands up if you are being personally victimized by seasonal allergies. When our nose starts running and eyes water up more than when we watch Leo drown in Titanic for the millionth time (spoiler alert) then we know that SPRING IS HERE.

In our last post, we welcomed the newest cosmetics collections to the season. “Okay, that’s nice but what if I can’t wear any of them because my face holes are dripping more than Niagara Falls?” We got you! We’ve compiled some master tips, tricks, and tech for you to be able to survive allergy season and the wreckage it leaves behind.

The Air Purifier

One of the worst ways to wake up during allergy season is with the dreaded “crust face”. It’s gross, we get it, but we have to talk about it. We produce an increased amount of fluids to flush out the irritants from our noses and eyes during allergy season. This means that when pollen tries to roundhouse kick you in the face, you become snotty and teary to fight it off. Basically, pollen is the villain in a Rush Hour movie and our mucus is the Chris Tucker - not always neat but gets the job done.

As we sleep, we’re not wiping away our fluids and they dry up. That’s why, in the morning, we wake up with crusty residue in our eye cracks and nostrils. One of the greatest ways to help lessen these effects are by getting an air purifier. This means that the pollen in your bedroom is already being filtered out by a tool before it hits your face. This helps your immune system have to fight off less aggressors.

TBH, everyone should have one of these in their bedroom year round because springtime isn’t the only time that we are getting assaulted by microscopic enemies that can cause allergies, asthma, or other issues. That’s why we love the Dyson Pure Cool Link Tower ($499). Sure it’s pricey but it’s an investment that will payoff time and time again, just like that Louis bag.

Pro tip: every morning wash your face with cool water or keep a cucumber water soaked towel in the fridge to use as a compress. This will help with any facial swelling that allergies can cause you to wake up with.

The Moisturizer

One of the biggest issues with our faces during allergy season, in addition to all the others we’ve listed above, is that all the rubbing and irritation will cause our face to look red. Maybe you’re constantly blowing your nose and your nostrils look flaming and angry. Perhaps you are having a strong reaction to the blooms overall and your whole face is splotchy and angry. We got you, babe.

Grab a lightweight moisturizer that will have soothing properties to quell your redness. We love DR. JART+ Cicapair ™ Color Correcting Treatment ($52) for its ability to neutralize redness while giving a light tinted coverage. It also provides a layer to protect against UV rays and pollution. The treatment will softness and firm skin while helping calm redness and have you looking fresh faced all spring and beyond.

Another favorite that we keep coming back to is IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness Skin Relief ($48) due to its ability to also color correct some of that redness you might be experiencing overall. The founder of It Cosmetics, Jamie Kern Lima, created the line when there was nothing on the market to help with her rosacea. Double whammy with Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage ($35) for more coverage in those areas where you need it without the flaking and creasing you might be experiencing from always wiping your nose.

BONUS: Grab some super soft tissues to help with nostril dryness or use some Neutrogena Naturals Cleansing Toilettes ($8) to blow your nose instead.

The Eye Makeup

Well, here you go. We bet this was the part of the post you’ve been most eager to read. We’ve all been there before: allergens slap us in the face and, before we know it, our eyes are watering and every sneeze gives us panda eyes. Mascara is all over the place, eyeliner is running down one or both cheeks. Well fuck.

Luckily, Tom Ford knows that we cry during allergy season (or maybe all the time) and launched a new product line just in time. The Emotionproof Mascara ($46) and corresponding Eyeliner ($43) are exactly what we need to prevent smudging and running while pollen violates our faces and the last season of Game of Thrones airs.

If you’re looking for a product with a little more drama and power, let us introduce (or re-introduce for the fans) the Lancôme Hypnose Drama Waterproof mascara ($27). The curved wand helps deposit product from root to tip and lift the lashes. The hardcore waterproof formula also makes sure that your lashes hold a curl in addition to being infallible during allergy season. Pair it with the brand’s Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover ($30) for a gentle but effective cleanse at the end of your day.

For those that don’t want to compromise their creativity while protecting their faces from sliding off, we will always vouch for Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil ($22). The pencils come in 12 shades and go on super creamy. Don’t dawdle because these sharpshooters will set so budgeproof that you will need to work fast. Once it’s on, this eyeliner is not coming off until you decide. You’ll survive allergy season and an all night rave with these in your beauty arsenal.

The Meds (OTC and Holistic)

Maybe this is the less glamorous side of beauty but medicinal maintenance is part of the magic, baby. We swear my some Flonase ($14) to help us decongest and not have those strings of snot (sorry for the visual) while making an important pitch in a meeting. Some of the nasal sprays on the market are 18+ to buy so be aware that they may live behind the counter and you’ll need to follow the directions of use to the T. We couple that with some Claritin-D ($19) for 24 hour protection again the sneezing and itching. Honestly, before you take any medication you really should be talking to a doctor to make sure it’s what’s best for you. We’re not judging, we’re just lookin’ out bb.

If you’re here for a less pharmaceutical approach, may we introduce you to the Neti-Pot ($14). While this apparatus is commonly recommended for colds we also love it to flush out the congestion and allergens that affect our noses in the spring. It takes some getting used to before you stop feeling like you’re drowning but once you get the hang of it you’ll be a convert. A Neti-Pothead? No? That won’t be a thing. With this, you also want to read the instructions to make sure you are using the right kind of water and cleaning your new pet properly.

Love honey? Start eating some raw honey for a natural way to fight off your allergies. The bee pollen in raw honey has anti-inflammatory characteristics that can help calm the allergic response you’re having to the beautiful but annoying AF trees and flowers. Ingesting it regularly, will help quell the allergic response by building up resistance to the allergens in your body. Grandly, there isn’t a lot of science behind this so def talk to your doc about the feasibility of this as a treatment.

[rainlamb]

maybe i should invest in waterproof mascara if this is going to become a trend

[teresasbigo]

I’ve been home from my most recent round of travels for a few days and I’m already packing to leave town again. This time I’m going home for the holidays; Christmas is something I look forward to all year, and the only thing that sucks about it this year is that Dan has to come back to Albany before the actual holiday.

Anyway, since I’m packing again, I thought we should talk about my travel skin and hair care.

Because you know I’m not using hotel/parental products. I love my mom but she’s not nearly as bougie as I am about my hair and skin. Homegirl is still using Neutrogena face wash.

Hair stuff

I don’t bring a ton of hair stuff when I travel, but there are a couple of products.

Shampoo/Conditioner – I’m planning to be pretty lazy while I’m home, so I’m only bringing DevaCurl No-Poo Original Zero Lather Conditioning Cleanser. My hair and scalp get pretty dry and weird in the winter, especially when it’s cold and snowy like it’s supposed to be while I’m home so I won’t want to wash and condition like normal.

Styling – If I’m feeling really ambitious, I’ll slap some Living Proof PHD Styling Treatment in my hair and blow dry. Not pictured – my ridiculous hair dryer. Yeah, it’s pretty serious, but it also cuts my drying time severely and gives my fine ass hair a little volume. Bonus: it dries and styles in one step so it’s less damaging. Score!

Skin stuff

Anyone who’s been reading this blog for a while knows that skin care is my jam. I love it, and I’m always trying new stuff. So I’m taking some new stuff home with me, along with some stuff I know I like.

Cleansing

I like sticks. It’s particularly helpful when I can find beauty products in stick form because they’re easy to travel with and aren’t subject to the dreaded TSA liquids rule. For the last month or so I’ve been using the St. Ives Matcha Green Tea & Ginger Cleansing Stick and… I don’t know how I feel about it. It smells really good. It’s convenient. It’s relatively cheap. It seems to be lasting a long time. I’m just not sure how much my skin likes it. I’ve had some zits, my skin feels a bit dull, but I’m not sure if it’s because of stress or travel or what. While I was in Ft. Lauderdale my sister-in-law used it and it made her skin really red and irritated looking, and we have similar skin types, so maybe it’s not the best for my face. Also, there’s coconut oil in it, so it takes an extra minute to rinse it off.

You know what else isn’t subject to liquid rules? Cleansing balms! I love cleansing balms in general, but Clinique Take the Day Off is a classic and if you haven’t tried it I highly recommend it. I tend to wear long-wearing makeup and waterproof mascara, and this stuff takes it off without any issue. No scrubbing, no tugging; it’s the balm.

Get it?!

Moisturize

You know I’m an oily bitch, and my moisturizers vary based on where I’m going and what I’m doing. Since I’ll be in winter, I need some moisture.

Smashbox Photofinish Primerizer – for days I’m wearing base makeup. It gives me just enough moisture to feel like my skin is hydrated, but it’s not so heavy that makeup slides off my face.

Fresh Vitamin Nectar Moisture Cream – for when I’m going barefaced. Lovely, light moisturizer but isn’t a light as the Primerizer. I really like this brand, and this stuff feels really luxe and smells awesome.

Baby Bright Aloe Vera & Fresh Collagen Eye Roller Serum – I picked this up from Hush last year, but alas, it doesn’t look like they carry it anymore. It’s a huge bummer because I LOVE this thing. It’s so cooling and feels so good when I roll it under my eyes. I have no idea whether or not it’s actually doing anything, but it just feels. So. Damn. Good.

Coola Classic Sport Face SPF50 White Tea – I got this in… Boxycharm? FabFitFun?… over the summer and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s a little heavy for me, but I keep it in my travel stuff because you never know when you’ll need a sunscreen. Best to be prepared y’all.

Masks

I always bring masks when I travel, especially if there’s a plane involved. My skin just gets icky when I’m away from home.

Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Mattifying sheet mask – I have a pile of these from various trial and subscription boxes, so there’s generally at least one in my travel bag.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Overnight Mask – I’m currently out of this but it’s awesome and I fully intend to grab one on the way home. It comes in this cool pod thing so it’s ideal for travel. One pod usually gets me through two nights, but it all depends on how thick you slather it on and how parched your skin is.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask – do I need to say anything about this? It’s so fucking good. It keeps my lips from getting crusty so Dan still wants to smooch me.

What hair and skin care do you travel with? Any holy grails I need to invest in?

  Travel hair and skin care I've been home from my most recent round of travels for a few days and I'm already packing to leave town again.