#maybe jalim

[oblivious-troll]

Quick kiss practice

I'm still learning, that's for sure 😅

[lululandd]

two bros on top of each other -2 feet apart bcause theyre mad gay

[ultrabananapudding]

Has there been any recent HoA week (with ready prompts) or am I just out of the loop..... 🤔

My experience with Until Dawn Secret Santa exchange from last year was very positive so now I'm excited to jump into another one, this time with HoA ‼️

[as-frightened-as-you]

And now to some headcanons and stuff from here about Jason inhaling the fossilized vampire and worried Salim. Nothing super-original, just some things I would love to share. Enjoy 😁

/warning: it gets kinda angsty/

***

As soon as Jason realizes that he might be infected, he makes Salim promise to kill him the moment they see that Jason really is turning into something.

“Even if the others are still alive, not one of them has the balls to end this,” he says. “You’re the only one who can do it. You have to do it.”

He can't help but think about Clarice and Joey. He saw what happened to Joey, he saw the thing moving under the skin of Clarice's throat. He's fucking terrified.

"I don't wanna die, but even less I wanna turn into a fucking vampire," he says. "The last thing I wanna do is rip your head off. Your son is waiting for you."

Salim does try to argue. "They did not bite you," he says, "it might be something else. We will get out, you will get some fresh air, you will feel better."

They both know that's not true.

"Just… promise me, Salim," Jason says. It takes some effort to add: "Please."

Reluctantly, Salim does make that promise.

***

Every time Jason starts coughing, Salim looks at him, worried. At some point, Jason snaps at him, really pissed off, because he is so sure that Salim is worried about the coughing being too loud so the creatures can hear it.

“I can’t fucking keep it down,” he says, “stop looking at me like that! You’re waiting for me to start turning or what?”

Salim looks at him, confused because of his anger. “I’m worried about you,” he says. “That does not sound good.”

Jason stares at him, puzzled. He was almost ready to say something like “fuck off and go in there alone, if I’m dying too fucking loudly for you"; now he feels a bit awkward. He has no idea how to respond to that.

“Oh,” he says and just keeps walking.

***

When Nick joins them like a fucking knight in shining armor, Jason is… not as happy as he thought he would be. Don't get him wrong, he is glad and relieved to see Nicky alive, but… Nick is mentally fucked up already, and some shit has happened today, and Nick has a tendency to overthink stuff. Jason just can't be vulnerable and scared around him; Jason has to be that badass marine, has to be the strong one — confident enough to make Nicky keep it together.

Jason is scared, probably dying and so fucking tired. It was so much easier with Salim alone, when there was no need to pretend he's okay.

All Jason wants is to get Nicky and Salim both to safety. Is that too much to ask?

***

When Salim asks him to tell Zain his last words, Jason almost laughs out loud. That requires some really fucking impressive level of optimism to think that Jason can last long enough to be able to go to Salim’s house after all what happened.

He is absolutely sure he's gonna die. He knows that even if he makes it out of here, no one up there is gonna give a fuck about finding a cure for him. He’s probably going to end up in some laboratories or something and die during some fucked-up experiments.

It doesn't really matter if he dies now or later. He just wants his death to not be in vain.

To go out with a bang, fighting vampires for a vague chance to save Salim — that's not the worst option. He’s okay with that as long as Salim survives.

They both make it to the lift, and that’s a fucking miracle.

***

Jason gets hurt during the fight in the shepherd's hut. He could anticipate that from the beginning: the cough made him throw away his shot, the creature attacked, and he wasn't able to dodge that or to protect himself.

Salim saves him. Of course it's Salim who saves him. Jason has almost got used to seeing this fucking metal stake right in front of his eyes.

Nicky is not that lucky. Nicky is dead, lying on the floor with his eyes gouged out, and there's some sick fucked-up irony in this. Jason gets to survive the fight only to be dead in a couple of days at best, coughing his lungs out, and Nicky is dead.

That's so fucked.

Jason isn't really paying attention to what's going on around him. Salim asks if he can dress Jason's wound, and Jason just nods, not moving away from Nick's body. Salim takes off his backpack and vest, cuts up the sleeve of the T-shirt to get to the wound on his shoulder.

A touch on his skin makes Jason flinch — or rather the sudden realization: he’s vulnerable, he can’t fight, and someone got close to him while he wasn’t paying attention. Salim says sorry, moving a bit away.

Jason is too tired to really care about it — or explain it to Salim, for that matter. He just lets Salim finish patching up his wound.

That doesn’t feel that wrong and uncomfortable, to be honest.

***

Jason doesn’t really think about Salim being an Iraqi soldier of the fucking Republican Guard — until he does. It didn’t really matter down in the temple. Here, on the surface — that's where it becomes a problem.

“You have to go,” he says.

He doesn’t even hesitate. He probably should’ve. That's probably treason.

Jason doesn't give a fuck about treason right now.

“I can’t leave you like that,” Salim says almost angrily, as if Jason insulted him. “You’re hurt. The shepherds may come back. What was that thing you kept saying? Semper Fi?”

“For fuck’s sake, Salim.”

Jason knows he has to make Salim go away. Jason would physically push him out of the hut if not for the wound and blood loss; Jason is too weak and tired to even argue.

Jason wouldn’t go away. How can he expect Salim to do that?

“Just… take my watch,” he says, holding out his hand. “Don’t fuck around for too long and get the fuck outta here before the cavalry arrives. Even if I…”

He doesn’t finish the sentence, coughing.

***

Jason does his best to stay awake, he really does, but the infection and the wound take their toll. His eyes are closing; he struggles to keep them open.

“Stay here,” Salim says.

“Ain’t going nowhere,” Jason mumbles.

He feels like he has to say something. He knows damn well he’ll never see Salim again; even if he will survive somehow, there’s no chance they’ll ever meet.

He’s never been any good at heart-to-heart chit-chats.

“I’m… glad I didn’t shoot you,” he says, causing Salim to smile.

“Well, I’m glad I didn’t shoot you,” Salim answers, chuckling.

Fair enough. Jason shakes hands with him, trying not to start coughing again, and leans back against the wall, trying not to pass out.

***

Jason loses this battle. He is half-awake, half-aware of his surroundings, leaning on Salim’s shoulder, unable to move or to speak or to open his eyes. At first Salim was trying to talk to him, keep him conscious, wake him up; now Salim is just sitting there, muttering something to himself from time to time. Jason can feel the warmth of his body and his hand that is placed on Jason’s back.

Jason spent hours wearing a vest and a backpack. Now a touch on the back through only a T-shirt feels… weird. Vulnerable.

Comforting.

He manages to cling to reality due to pure stubbornness. Salim is not safe here. Jason has to make sure he gets the fuck out before it’s too late.

There’s nothing he can do about that, really.

It feels like an eternity — definitely not a pleasant one — until something starts to happen around him. Salim gently helps him lie down, head on his backpack; Jason can feel Salim’s hand on his shoulder as Salim says something. Jason doesn’t understand a word of it, but there’s definitely guilt and regret in his voice.

“Just go,” Jason wants to say, but can’t make a sound.

He can hear a quiet “goodbye” and retreating footsteps. Salim’s gone — to his son, to safety. Nothing to worry about anymore; nothing to fight for.

The lights fade.

[sempercry]

No-context Jason screenshots I stumbled across on my computer

[tumbling-rocks-no-danger]

I’ve noticed a tendency among Jalim writers to treat Salim as having already surpassed all expectations of character development, and as a result, he reads VERY flat.

He already isn’t the best written character, and I’ve yet to read a fic that seeks to rectify this.

The other protags have their roles in the story alongside individual emotional arcs. Jason, Eric, Nick, Rachel all have their own motivations, challenges, prejudices, resentments, regrets, hopes. But Salim? All he has is a bitchin’ personality and badassery to end all badassery. His feelings never change or develop. His worldview is never challenged.

That isn’t to say he’s unlikeable, not in the slightest, in fact he is one of my fave characters in supermassive’s history. I simply say this to point out that the fandom takes what they’re given with Salim and…go nowhere with it.

Yes, Salim is already perfect.

Yes, he is the perfect partner.

Yes, he has the right opinions.

No, he doesn’t have ANY flaws.

Is it against the law to write him as a complex person???

What is it we know about him?

He’s not very political.

He’s a single father whose wife left him and Zain many years before canon, and is therefore very protective and devoted to his family.

He speaks at least two languages.

Easy to get along with.

He’s resourceful.

He’s religious.

That is just a few things off the top of my head, but so much can be done with this.

Iraq has a VERY long and complicated history with the west, and has suffered and continues to suffer because of it. Basically any anti-western sentiment in Iraq is met with harsh crackdowns by the west: direct invasion and occupation, regime change, assassination plots, etc. It’s only understandable that many Iraqis would become disillusioned with politics and, as a result, merely focus on keeping their families and communities safe. Maybe this is what happened with Salim. Maybe he was more politically engaged when he was younger, but has since pulled back. Maybe even, on some level, he has fallen for western propaganda and views the American invasion of Iraq as understandable even if he still believes it is ridiculous and unjustifiable.

Why did Salim’s wife leave him? Was there infidelity on either of their parts? Was he a bad husband? Was he a good husband, but his wife simply didn’t love him? Did she want to leave the country while Salim wanted to stay? Was it amicable? How does Salim feel about his ex-wife? How does Zain feel about the divorce? Does he blame his father? What is the dynamic between Salim and Zain in the day to day? How often do they argue? Do they even argue? What are their traditions?

English is an incredibly difficult language to learn, particularly as a second language. Did he learn it at university? Did he go to university? What might he have studied? Does he speak other languages? Does he want to? Does he speak english with Zain?

Who are his friends? How often do they hang out? What do they do when they hang out?

What kind of family was he born into? Were they progressive or more conservative? Does he speak to them? Are they alive? Was he born into wealth? Or poverty? Or somewhere in between? What is his profession outside of the military? Does he like his job? What are his qualifications?

What sect of Islam does Salim follow? How strongly does he identify with it? What holidays does he celebrate? Did he raise Zain to believe the same things as him? Or did he raise him to decide for himself? Does Salim have any sort of religious or spiritual trauma? How does it affect his belief system? Is he ashamed of his attraction to men? Does he even know he’s attracted to men? How does he navigate these discussions with Zain?

These are all very interesting ideas, I think.

[katzenprinz]

Sharing some Say Nothing extra info/lore because I need to get tf off other social media and it’s fun and I wanna talk about our boyssss, so let’s goooo~

In the most recent chapter we shared our playlist for the fic, and the quintisential Jalim song, to us, is “Devils in the Canyon” by The Strike. It is irrevocably tied to them in our hearts.

Of the OC Marines the only one that I have a strong mental picture of is Connor Jones, and it’s because he is heavily influenced from the character Smitty Ryker from Hacksaw Ridge. I rewatched the movie shortly before I decided to throw Jones into the mix, so in my head he looks very similar to Luke Bracey. But I also imagine him and his brother similarly to the Hemsworth brothers. Like, in terms of how I inagine these brothers looking when standing next to each other - Jones the elder would be Chris while Connor would be Liam; both are tall and muscular and imposing but side by side elder Jones appears far larger/stronger in stature than Connor. (You could also imagine Herc and Chuck Hansen from Pacific Rim.)

When we write, we write everything in present-tense, so every week when we edit and post the chapters I am editing everything into past-tense. I do my best to catch everything. 😅

We haven’t shared this yet, but we intend to make Say Nothing a series of sorts. We are going to have a fic for each of the four years that the team are contracted to work for SOCOM. So we REALLY MEAN IT when we say this fic is going to be a long-haul and there is going to be so much of it still to come. We are going to be writing Say Nothing for years. And we have soooo much planned~

That’s all I can think of right now but I’ll try to come up with more!! Or maybe Gabe @thunderwhenhepurrs and I can do a little Q&A type of thing? Would anybody like that?

[kassiekole22]

Josh being in love with an oblivious reader and the twins are alive and trying to create situations to get them together 👉👈👉👈👉👈

Best Day Ever

Picture lightly edited by me.

Pairing: Josh Washington X Fem!Reader Description: After a spur of the moment decision, Josh takes you and his sisters to a carnival. Hannah and Beth decide to take this opportunity to push you and Josh together, since Josh has had a massive crush on you for a long time and has been too afraid to make a move... Warnings: Fluff, Maybe A Pinch Of Angst, Kind Of Mutual Pining (But Very Intense On One Side. 👀), Friends Turning Into Beautiful Lovers. Word Count: 4.8k (I haven't written a fic this long in quite a while. 😅) A/N: This took an embarrassing amount of time, I know. I was just in no mind state to write and I wanted it to be perfect, so I decided to wait. And it took even longer because when I was editing it one last time, the final copy got deleted so I had to reedit the whole thing and rewrite the parts I had added in there. @108garys requested a carnival fic for Josh a few days prior to this request, so I got the idea to combine them together. I hope that's ok. 🥺👉🏻👈🏻 This is actually my old Jalim fic, Just For Fun, too. I always wanted to rewrite it because I felt like it could have been better than what it was. So, when I got the opportunity to do this, I decided to finally do it and I am happy with the results. Anon requester and @108garys, I want to thank you for giving me this request. It really made me happy, knowing that people wanted me to write a fic for them, especially when I was so new to the Until Dawn fandom. Anyway, I'll quit my rambling now. I hope you all enjoy. 💖 Josh's MasterList: 🖤 Main MasterList: 🖤 Josh's Angels: @lorebite, @house-of-kolchek, @koexchange, @yesitsloulou, @mistmoose, @jasonexo, @mornandil, @fortune-fool02, and @raven-the-cryptid. (If you want to be added to the taglist, let me know in the comments! 🖤)

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Me, (Y/N), Hannah and Beth were driving from the store one sunny afternoon. We weren't there long; only to grab some microwave popcorn and chips for a movie we were planning to watch. It was a short trip but everybody insisted on going along for the ride. It was nice, having the three most important women in my life with me. Even if it was just something as simple as going to the grocery store, it was memories like these that I cherished the most.

The ride was pretty silent other than a song playing quietly on the radio, but it was nice — it was peaceful. A couple of minutes passed and we drove passed a carnival. That's when I noticed (Y/N) turning her head to look out her window.

"Oh, looks like they set up a carnival for the weekend." I mentioned, just to see how she would react.

"Yeah, I noticed." She said just barely above a whisper whilst still staring out her window. "Haven't been to one in years."

"Jesus, us neither." Beth spoke up in the back.

"Probably since we were sixteen." Hannah recalled quietly.

I sat in silence and pondered for a minute, taking my eyes off of the road for a quick moment to watch (Y/N) whilst chewing on the inside of my cheek. She looked sad — or maybe disappointed. Now that I had thought about it, I hadn't been to a carnival in such a long time. We really weren't in too much of a hurry to get back and I was sure that the movie could wait.

"You wanna go?" I finally asked and she took her eyes off the window to gaze at me with uncertainty.

"W-What? No, we can't. We have groceries in the back seat." She looked down at her hands folded in her lap, her lips turned down into a disappointed frown.

"Oh, fuck yeah!" Beth cheered behind me, startling me and nearly making me jump out of my seat. I shook my head as I let a short chuckle roll passed my lips.

"The groceries can wait. Nothing's gotta go in the fridge." I mused. "It'll be fun."

Before she opened her mouth to protest again, I turned the car around and drove in the direction of the small carnival before us. I pulled into a free parking spot, got out and rounded the side of the car before opening the door for (Y/N) and giving her my hand to help her up. Her eyes lit up with wonder as she studied the crowds and the attractions around her.

"What should we do first?" She asked me as we walked in, hand in hand, to ensure that we would not get separated.

We had done this before but only so we don't get separated in big crowds because (Y/N) hates to be alone. I wish it meant more to her than that. I wish she knew that when I held her hand, it's not just because I don't want to lose her in a big crowd…

"Fuck, I don't know! I'm so excited, I can't think!" Beth said eagerly with nothing but pure excitement in her voice and I chuckled at her enthusiasm. "This is going to be the best day ever!"

"I'm excited too." (Y/N) giggled. "What do you think, Josh?"

"I don't know. We haven't had lunch yet — you wanna get something to eat? My treat." I suggested as I pulled out my wallet and smiled kindly at her.

"Yeah, I am pretty hungry." Hannah expressed and I nodded before grabbing plucking out a twenty. Luckily, I went to an atm before heading to the store and had enough cash on me for the day.

"Yeah, I'd love that." (Y/N) expressed. A look of adoration melted into her soft eyes as she gazed up at me for a moment and I swear, it made my heart stop. I felt heat creep within my cheeks and I looked away quickly, hoping she wouldn't notice.

We went to the nearest food stall and I ordered some burgers, some fries and Pepsis for us all. After, we found a bench close by and sat down with our lunches. (Y/N) took a bite out of her burger and her eyes lit up before closing to appreciate the taste.

"This is amazing!" She took another big bite. "I forgot how good carnival food is!"

I couldn't help but smile at how happy she was over something as simple as a burger. I admired how she enjoyed the small things in life. Even something as small as food could cast the biggest smile on her face.

"Jesus! Ok, Josh! You are taking all three of us to carnivals more often! It's a must!" Beth declared before taking a bite out of her own burger.

"Yeah, you'll have to become that big movie producer fast so you'll have enough money to splurge on us!" I couldn't help but full out laugh at Hannah's comment and, by the looks of it, (Y/N) and Beth couldn't either.

"(Y/N), back in California, we have the biggest fairs and carnivals! Like rollercoasters that could last an hour, I swear to God!" Beth mused once she calmed down from her fit of giggles, wiping a tear from her eye as she did so. (Y/N)'s eyes widened before she turned to look at me for conformation and I nodded as a smile crept upon my lips.

"Shit! Yeah, I have to see that!" She giggled excitedly in agreement.

Beth finished her meal first and waited a minute until (Y/N) was finished before taking her hand and nearly dragging her off the bench.

"We have to go do something really quick." She said and both me and (Y/N) raised a brow in confusion.

"What about me?" Hannah asked, a frown forming where her smile used to be from being left out.

"If you weren't such a slow eater, then you could come too." Beth teased and Hannah's lips turned up into an awkward smile as she adjusted her glasses.

She always did that when she felt nervous.

"Well, Jesus! At least she paces herself — unlike some of us." I said, gesturing to Beth and she scoffed.

"I would watch yourself, big brother." She approached me slowly as a mischievous look formed in her eyes. I clenched what little I had left of my burger in my hands, in fear that I was about to lose it. "You know, I'm shocked — you're usually the fastest eater out of all three of us."

She stopped right in front of me and froze for a moment, making me feel both confused and worried. Before I could even attempt to react, she booped my nose and when I winced, she plucked the remainder of my burger from my hands and pushed it all in her mouth, smiling wickedly at me as her cheeks puffed out as if she was a chipmunk.

She skipped off with (Y/N) and I yelled a threatening, "I'll get you back for this!" Over my shoulder and I just barely caught Beth giving me the finger as she walked away.

I stayed seated on the bench with Hannah and watched all the children playing before us. I began imagining what it would be like taking my children to the carnival, watching their excited expressions as they went on all the rides and ate as many sweets as they could while (Y/N) is scolding me for giving them too many. Aw hell, who was I kidding? (Y/N) was just as much of a push over as I was. We would all probably spend the night with stomach aches. I was so deep in thought about my future that I failed to notice the small smile on my lips as I watched the children play.

"You can't fool me." I heard Hannah speak up beside me as she nudged my shoulder with her own. She had closed the little distance between us so she was sitting by my side now, finishing up her food as she watched the children play as well. "You can put on that "player" act all you want, but I know the real you. I see the way you look at (Y/N). Face it Joshy — you're smitten."

"What? Nah!" I scoffed with a roll of my eyes and Hannah rolled hers as well. Why do siblings gotta be so good at reading each other?

"You are with her every day, you talk about her constantly during the times you aren't and you can't tell me that you wouldn't do absolutely anything for her." She accused. "And you also can't tell me that you weren't just imagining those kids over there as your own."

I stayed silent for a moment, realizing that my sister was right. She knew that that front I always put up was a lie. I had always wanted a family of my own, and I think I had finally found the girl that I wanted to start it with — if only I had the fucking balls to tell her how I felt.

"Well, lil sis — I think you might just be right." I muttered, mind only half in reality as I pondered actually telling her that I had feelings for her.

"Look what I got!" Beth sang behind us and I jumped, hoping that her and (Y/N) did not just hear my confession. I turned to see them both holding cotton candies and, judging by their facial expressions, they didn't hear a thing. They handed me and Hannah ours before sitting down beside us on the bench.

"It's so sweet." (Y/N) said as she licked her lips. My eyes lingered on them for a second, admiring how soft they looked before I noticed Beth smirking at me out of the corner of my eye.

"Sure is!" I agreed, turning my attention back to (Y/N). "But, not as sweet as you."

She giggled at my comment and Hannah and Beth made gagging sounds. After we finished eating our cotton candy, we decided to go on some rides. Can't go to a carnival and not go on the rides, right? After all, it's good to get the heart racing every now and then.

After walking around for awhile and trying to agree on what we would all go on first, my eyes met the one that I was definitely not going to skip. I pointed at the Drop Tower, "Yes! We're doing that!" I demanded as I pulled on (Y/N)'s arm.

"I don't know, Josh…" She looked up at it reluctantly and then looked at me, a worried expression on her now pale face. Hannah and Beth walked up beside us and looked up at the tower as well. Hannah looked so pale that I already knew her answer, and Beth looked so excited that I thought she'd for sure join us. But then that excitement in her eyes turned into mischief as she peered over at me and (Y/N).

'What is she up to?' I thought to myself as I glanced at my sister out of the corner of my eye.

"I think I'll sit this one out. (Y/N), why don't you try it? Josh will be there to protect you." She nudged my shoulder and I glared back at her. I couldn't believe she was going to do this — she was going to leave us alone to push us together.

"But Beth, you love these kinds of rides." I said through gritted teeth, giving my sister the 'don't you fucking dare' look. She just smirked at me and then turned her attention back to (Y/N).

"Come on! It'll be fun! Please? I just know you'll love it!" She begged her like a bratty little child.

(Y/N) heaved a sighed. "Fine."

We got strapped in and before we knew it, the ride started to go up. (Y/N) closed his eyes as tightly as she could while her fingers clenched the safety bars and I couldn't help but feel bad for getting her in this situation that she very clearly didn't want to be in.

We got strapped in and before we knew it, the ride started to go up. (Y/N) closed his eyes as tightly as she could while her fingers clenched the safety bars.

We were finally at the top and I never felt more alive. The adrenaline felt better than any drug I have ever taken. I wanted to throw my hands in the air and scream it to the world.

"This is awesome!" I yelled with a laugh following my words. (Y/N), however, did not look like she shared my enthusiasm. Her eyes were still clenched shut and she now was shaking like a leaf! Now, I could have been my usual cocky self and acted all brave in front of her, as I usually did. But seeing her this scared hurt my heart.

So, instead of acting like 'the big man', I decided to look down and scream at the top of my lungs, "FUCK! SHIT! OH, HELL NO!"

She bursted out laughing at my reaction and just by looking at the sweet smile on her beautiful face, I knew that all the teasing I was going to get from Hannah and Beth was worth it. The ride dropped down and I screamed again but more dramatic and dragged out compared to the last time.

I got off of the ride first, staggering a bit to make (Y/N) giggle before giving her my hand to help her down. Then we headed back into the crowd of people to find my sisters.

"That was fun!" (Y/N) smiled up at me and I felt my heart swell.

"Hey, big brother! Have any vocal cords left after that big performance you gave the whole park up there?" Beth teased with her famous cocky smirk plastered on her face and I literally bit my tongue to hold back my bitter reply that was practically pushing through the seam of my lips.

"Yeah, you sounded like you were being chased by some blood-thirsty monster or something!" Hannah laughed and I rolled my eyes. But (Y/N) giggled as well and I remembered that it was worth all the torture just to hear it.

'Remember her smile. Just remember her fucking smile.' I thought to repress the urge to give my sisters nice Indian burns on each of their arms.

"How about some games?" I attempted to change the subject as I pointed over at the game booths. The girls snickered as they followed me, reminding me that although I was able to change the subject now, it didn't change the fact that I would be getting the worse of it later.

We walked up to a target shooting game and I slammed a few dollars down on the counter.

"This is gonna be too easy." I smirked. The carny took the money and handed me the gun.

"You get three tries. If you get three out of three, you get a big prize. If you get two, you get a medium prize. You get one, you get a small prize." The carny explained and I nodded.

I aimed the gun at the target and after a few moments of making sure the tip of my gun was perfectly aligned with the target and Beth nagging at me from behind, I fired… And missed. I felt my cheeks heat up from extreme embarrassment because I could hear the giggling of three girls behind me. I fired again and missed, letting out a frustrated grunt and cursing under my breath.

"Need me to show ya how it's done?" Beth teased as she patted my shoulder and I glared at her. She put her hands up in defense as she let out a chuckle. But I could see in her eyes that she regretted nothing. After letting my eyes linger on (Y/N) for a moment, I looked back at the target.

I really needed to focus this time. I aimed for the target one last time, fired, and missed again.

"Fuck!" I slammed my hand down on the counter. Being a perfectionist, this was frustrating as all fucking hell.

And it was even more frustrating because I knew my way around a gun. Growing up, I spent a lot of time fucking around at the shooting range at our lodge, so I was a pretty sharp shooter. But (Y/N)'s gaze heavy on my back was making me nervous as all fuck.

"It's ok, Josh. You're probably still lightheaded from the ride." (Y/N) spoke softly beside me as she placed her hand gently on my tense shoulder.

"How's this; I'll give you one last chance — if you hit the smallest target, I'll give you the big prize." The carny offered while smiling kindly at me and I nodded in agreement.

I aimed for the smallest target, took a moment to make sure I was perfectly aligned with it, and took a deep breath. I had to get it this time. I closed my eyes, carefully squeezed the trigger and the gun went off with a loud bang one last time. I opened my eyes and my heart jumped into my throat.

"Fuck, Yes!" I yelled excitedly.

I fucking got it.

I hugged (Y/N), who had been clapping beside me to cheer on my victory. The carny handed me a big, fluffy, black teddy bear with a red bow around it's neck and a big red heart between it's paws that said, 'love'. I didn't hesitate to give it to (Y/N).

"—For you." I declared proudly. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell agape.

"Really?" She looked unsure for a moment as she hesitantly took the bear from my hands.

"Of course! I have to give you the prize, since you're my biggest cheerleader." I nudged her shoulder playfully and she blushed as she hugged the bear while smiling up at me.

"Hey, love birds!" Beth called out to us and I mentally face palmed at her ruining our moment.

'Dammit, Beth!' For all I knew, it could have turned into our first kiss.

"Don't mind her." Hannah rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "We were wondering if you guys wanted to continue going on some other rides?"

"Sure! Why not?" I agreed before following my sisters to their next ride of choice.

We decided to go on some calmer rides, since Hannah had a weak stomach. The Carousel was Hannah's first choice because she loved the horses. When I went to sit on the horse beside Beth's, Hannah pushed passed me and jumped on it before signaling behind her. I looked behind me to see (Y/N) already on her horse and the one beside her empty. I glared at my sisters, seeing right through their little plan and went to sit beside (Y/N). Not that I'm complaining though — we had a good time and it was pretty fun.

And then, after that, we tried the Bumper Cars. Me and Beth got a little too competitive there, ending in a couple of cars getting a bit damaged. After awhile, Hannah and (Y/N) stayed parked on the sidelines and watched the shitshow of a war that me and Beth created in the middle. She will never admit it, but I clearly won that round.

And we also tried the darts game, where (Y/N) won a small, light brown puppy plushy that had really big and buggy sad eyes.

"Ha! It looks just like you! It's got those big—" Beth couldn't finish, because I interrupted her quickly, trying to avoid being embarrassed for the— however many times it's been today.

"DON'T!" I growled as my eye shot daggers towards my sister.

"But you didn't let me finish, big brother." She smiled innocently and I looked over to Hannah and (Y/N), who also looked weary of Beth's attitude as well.

"Fine… Go ahead…" I sighed, defeated and finally accepting my fate.

"It's got those big bug-eyes, just like yours!" She reached up and patted me on the head and I clenched my teeth. I glared at Beth and Hannah held the toy up beside my face.

"It's uncanny!" Hannah laughed and I just about ripped the toy right out of her grasp.

"No need to be a smart-ass!" I grumbled as I folded my arms across my chest.

"Oh, but it's cute." (Y/N) chuckled as she took the small toy from Hannah. I felt a familiar heat creep upon my cheeks as she spoke and turned to look at me with a softness in her eyes that could bring light to any dark heart.

"Really?" I said, barely above a whisper after swallowing thickly.

"Yeah." Her voice was so soft, it almost made me cry.

"Uhhhhh— W–Why don't we try the haunted house?! That should be fun, r–right?" I attempted to change the subject as I tore my eyes away from hers. The girls agreed and we headed towards the ride.

Of course — as I expected — Hannah and Beth ditched me and (Y/N) for their own cart, leaving me alone with her YET AGAIN! I didn't know how much more I could take. I loved being around her — don't get me wrong — but for the last month, my little crush on her had been growing stronger and being alone with her was painfully awkward, especially since she didn't even realize that I had feelings for her. Nope! After all the regular compliments I gave her, she still hadn't figured it out! Well — to be fair — I make comments towards lots of girls but those are different. Those are just dumb sex jokes I make to be funny and sometimes weird people out. With her, it's different — it means something. I just wish she knew that.

Maybe I shouldn't be so annoyed with Hannah and Beth trying to put me in these awkward situations. They just want me to be happy. But what people don't know is that I'm a lot more insecure than I let on. Yup! That's right! Mr. Bone Zone isn't so confident after all! So shocking, right? So, being alone with a girl as pretty as (Y/N) is basically fucking torture for me.

Our cart began to move towards the entrance to the ride and I sneakily put my arm around (Y/N). It was a bold move but I had to do something! I felt her tense and for a minute, I thought it was because of my arm and I went to pull away before realizing that it wasn't my arm at all, it was because she was scared.

As our cart moved throughout the ride, I noticed her getting more and more tense. I then shuffled closer to her and she — I am assuming subconsciously — leaned into my body, as if she was hoping for my protection. I instinctively wrapped my arms around her and began explaining how each prop was made and every gory and ghostly illusion was done. It seemed to calm her and she eventually relaxed into my embrace — just another perk to having a father in the film industry.

Once the ride began to slow — or as I like to say: the calm before the storm — she began to melt into my arms and rested her head on my chest. Trying so hard to keep it cool, I rested my head on top of her's and closed my eyes, enjoying the moment of peace we had.

"Thank you, Josh." She whispered and I felt my heart stammer a little, until— "You're a good friend."

'Fuck! You're kidding, right?!'

I felt my heart drop at her words and squeezed my eyes shut as hard as I could, trying to ignore the disappointment and small bit of heartbreak I was enduring. The ride eventually came to an end and we were greeted by Beth and a very pale Hannah, who looked as if she was about to vomit. Laughing and trying to ignore what had just happened, I wrapped my arm around my little sister to give her a comforting side-hug before we continued on to do something new.

A few hours later, we all decided to go on the Ferris Wheel before finally going home. Again, Hannah and Beth insisted on going on their own cart, leaving me and (Y/N) alone for what I was hoping was the last time today. After being taken to the worst zone of all — the 'friend zone' — I really didn't want to be left alone with her any longer.

We reached the top and (Y/N) leaned into my side and I subconsciously wrapped my arm around her shoulders. It was dark out now and the park was lit up by all the lights from the rides and the games. It was a breathtaking view and judging by the smile on (Y/N)'s face, she thought so as well. She rested her head on my shoulder and I froze, not knowing what to do.

"It's beautiful." She whispered as her beautiful eyes lit up from the lights of the park and I couldn't help but notice how they illuminated her face just right, showing off her best features.

"Just like you." I murmured without a second thought. But her body tensing up and the sudden movement of her pulling away from me made me snap out of whatever fucking trance I was in at the moment.

"W–What?" She stuttered her question as nothing but pure shock painted over her calm expression that her face held only second ago.

"Oh— Uh— I was just saying— You know, like I always do?" I tried to brush it off but the look on her face told me she didn't believe me.

"You never said it quite like that before." Her voice was barely above a whisper. And in that moment, I knew I couldn't keep it from her any longer.

"(Y/N)… There is something I have to tell you…" I admitted as I looked down at my shoes, terrified to meet her gaze. "I like you — a lot. Hell, I might even love you! I'm sorry, but I can't hold back my feelings any longer."

After a few seconds of silence that felt like hours, I decided to glance up — only to see her staring at me with an even more shocked expression. Her eyes were wide, mouth agape, pale; she looked like she had just come out of a horror movie!

"I–I had no idea, Josh…" She whispered as she looked down at her hands that were now folded in her lap as she picked at her nails nervously. I fucking knew it was coming to a rejection. I wasn't too familiar with the whole thing. Babes would go with me even if they didn't like me, just because I had money. But I knew (Y/N) was better than that. And I knew that because of that, I was going to lose her.

"I'm sorry if this has ruined things between us." I look away from her, mentally kicking myself for being so dumb. But then I felt two soft hands over my own. I hesitantly peered back at her to see her staring at me with warmth in her eyes that no fire could create and a smile that could bring me back to life if I had died.

"I never said that it did. I like you too, Josh — a lot, actually. I just didn't think that you liked me back." She explained and my eyes widened in shock.

"Y–You like me too?"

"Yeah!"

"Holy shit!" I yelled excitedly, standing up but then remembering that I was hundreds of feet in the air, so I quickly sat back down, making her giggle. "S–So, you'll be my girlfriend then?"

"Of course, silly!" She chuckled and with that being said, I placed a gentle kiss upon her soft lips. Finally, I have gotten what I have truly desired for so long.

'I'll have to thank Hannah and Beth for this later.' I made a mental note after we broke away from the kiss after a minute or two. She rested her head on my shoulder and I rested mine on top of hers as we enjoyed the rest of the ride.

Driving home, we were all exhausted from the day we had. I looked in the rear view mirror to see Hannah and Beth, completely knocked out from exhaustion and I just chuckled to myself — it was the first time Beth had been quiet that day.

Then I looked over to (Y/N) — who was fast asleep in the passenger seat while cuddling her bear with a big smile on her face. My heart felt so warm at the sight of how happy my girl was.

And nothing has ever made me happier.

It truly was the best day ever.

》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《

[best-supermassive-character]

Jason Kolchek x Salim Othman (Jalim)

1. i love how Jason can improve his personality and defend Salim after they got arrested, my respect man

2. Enemies to lovers 🥰

3. They have amazing chemistry with each other, are the epitome of enemies-to-lovers and the best duo Supermassive has ever created, have funny and flirtatious interactions and some of the best scenes in the game. What's more to say? ;D

4. Enemies to friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes, plus seeing Salim manage to wedge his way through the walls and biases Jason had/has melts my heart

5. Do I really need to say more?!

6. I love the fact that they helped each other grow, specifically in the case of Jason, who at the start of the game desperately needed some character development

Sam Giddings x Hannah Washington

1. Best friends to lovers dynamic? perfect. Sam was the only one (except for Beth) who was nice to Hannah in the prologue. And their relationship stats are very high. Sam would be very protective gf for Hannah

2. In your "Nothing bad ever happened ever" AUs, you've got some classic best friends (even childhood friends) to lovers. In canon, though, the tragedy of it all makes you want to chew through wood. Thinking about Sam having been in love with Hannah all that time when she was pining for some guy, and then losing her tragically because she couldn't find her in time to stop the prank. Also, right at the end of the game, as Sam makes a break for the light switch, you could easily assume that Hannah is lunging for her and ended up tackling a miner in the process, but a better idea, a *gayer* idea is that deep down, Hannah recognised Sam, and wanted to save her when it all came down to it. It's tragic. It's heartbreaking. It's kinda beautiful, to think, even in that altered state, Hannah loved Sam too, but only came to realise it at the last possible moment, and used that clarity to save her friend. Maybe she loved her that whole time, before the prank, but latched onto Mike as a way to seem 'normal'. Heteronormativity is the real villain in this game and that's that on that

[hopesallwegotleft]

Heyo! I've a question: do you know the scene where (in HoA) they're climbing the ropes and Clarice attacks; and how if she takes Salim with her, Jason will climb down the rope and mourn (and possibly what looks like crying) like he doesn't with anyone else?? And also, if maybe you could make a GIF of that someday? Thank you for wonderful blog, Jalim on!!

Hi Anon,

No, I didn't know that scene, but it sure sounded like fuel for my little Jalim shipping heart. Because of your ask I spent 3 hours replaying old saves of the game to meet all the right criteria to get it.

Sadly, Jason's face is in shadow most of the time, so you can't see many details, but the way his hand moves does make it look like he's wiping away a tear. And as always, Paul Zinno does wonderful things with his voice acting. Even though he only says one word.

Gifset here. <3

Thank you for the sweet comment, Anon! Hope you have a lovely evening.

[oblivious-troll]

Finally finished designs for my Angel Salim and Devil Jason Au :)

(They kiss after they argue)

Close ups under the cut because Salim’s wings take up over half the picture, lmao

I'm doing some writing for this Au as well, might post it after or randomly between 'Twisted Love' now that I'm posting less frequently!

[kimbap-r0ll]

You know how Ramshackle dorm's all worn down and dirty, bet there would be an ungoldy manifestation of insects crawling around, maybe reader convinces all the twst ch to help them(which they agree because they're crushing hard), let's say kalim's messing around and crashes into a wall breaking it, before jalim can scold him he screams because a huge swarm of bugs comes crawling out, when they try to leave they see that the door is stuck so they're all stuck in the dorm with the swarm.

Omg the utter chaos it would be to have all of those students trying to help you out

I feel like the only people that actually know how to help you would be Riddle, Vil, Azul, and maybe Sebek. The three of them are trying really hard to get others coordinated but there's always gotta be a group of students doing the exact opposite. Does Vil want to touch bugs? No. But is he willing to kill them? Yes.

Jade is probably helping you calm down if you're freaking out, lowkey teasing you about being scared of bugs if you are, but anyways he's pretty chill with the whole situation too.

Jamil will not step foot into your dorm no matter what. He would rather see you blowtorch the whole building (honestly so would the rest of them but that would mean you would be dorm-less)

Ace might chase you around with one if he finds out you're scared of them :/. So will Floyd (he will throw one if he's feeling extra mean jkjk he would do that to Jamil)

Kalim was the one to rope everyone into helping you out because he really just wanted to help a friend. The students will have to find a potion or some magic spell to disinfect the whole building if it's really bad

If like you said, anyone of them get stuck with a swarm of bugs, let's hope it's not Vil or Riddle because they will burn your dorm (temporary house) down

Malleus may be the last resort (he wasn't found anywhere until the last minute) and he tells you that next time this happens you should just contact him instead of calling everyone haha

To make sure this doesn't happen again, Vil, Jamil, Riddle will have you go through some cleaning classes or at least help you figure out potions or spells to help you out

Where is Idia and Ortho in all of this mess? Maybe they'll help out (Ortho's more willing), but Idia literally doesn't mind bugs as much as others so he'll probably stick to what Deuce and Kalim are doing (more normal infestation prevention methods)

The Savanaclaw students and Rook are pretty chill about the whole ordeal too

[hauntedcheesecakewizard]

God I have sooo many ideas for House of ashes fics.

Jason x Clarice: What if Clarice got the UV light used on her and lived? I need this because there's barely any Jason and Clarice fics.

Rachel x Eric x Nick: When a love triangle turns into polyamory. Maybe a bit of Jalim in there, too.

Zain AU inspired by @ywix : Zain goes down into the temple. Still deciding if Salim should go with him or not. Salim would probably be more likely to lash out in order to protect Zain from the Americans.

Joey x Merwin: Joey and Merwin live because I said so.

Eric x Nick, no Rachel: Eric and Rachel switch places. Eric is cheating on Rachel with Nick, he gets thrown into the bloody pit, and he gets infected. Also, there is a bit of Rachel x Clarice for drama because I can.

Jason x Salim: Flower shop AU. Salim owns a flower shop directly across from a tattoo parlour that Jason works at. J: "How do I passive aggressively say fuck you with flowers?" S: *has been waiting for this moment since he started working* "Right this way >:)"

Coffee shop AU: Everybody works in the same coffee shop together. Slice of life drama ensues. Set in 2006. The Americans are ex-military as is Salim, but they only met now.

Modern-day AU inspired by @ultrabananapudding : set in modern times, and they all have different jobs. A bunch of ships.

I'll probably get through them all, but one at a time, my ADHD can't handle multitasking, lol.

[scho17]

Jalim DBH AU

Jason, a battle bot who's become just a little too conscious about what he's been told do - the woman with the groceries - he doesn't shoot - they flag him down as possibly faulty and then after that they're just looking for any reason to shoot Jason down into a junkyard. Maybe they send him on an op, practically a suicide run for anyone else and damnit its suicide for him too even if he don't completely realize it.

He gets damaged. Not no easy fix, not no little scratch he's - well fuck, he's busted. Some part of him in a near constant short circuit. Fried. It makes him forgetful of what he's done and why he's done it. They don't attenpt to fix him or his memory problem, they dont even wipe it out, they ain't got to. He won't be their problem much longer. They pop his back plate open and slip out his power core. They didn't even have the decency to tell him.

Jason gets discharged. Retired. However they wanna spin it but all the same they boot him to the curb.

They sell him as is. Auctioning him off and if Jason could understand what the hell he was feeling maybe he'd call it relief. Or maybe its betrayal. He doesn't really know yet.

Anyhow, he ends up on Salim's slab. Salim is a tinkerer of sorts, does repairs for a living and Jason seems intriguing. Military models are never really available for the public market and most are just destroyed or are too damaged to take on. Some wealthy folk like to keep fixed up ones as body guards and with any luck the model Salim's just bought will be a bang for his buck.

yada yada yada, that doesnt really happen. The second Jason comes online again with the help of a new power core its like waking from a nightmare and if he were anything alive his hackles would raise, sweat sticking his hair to his forehead and his breath would leave his chest heaving. But he isn't. All the same fight or flight gets activated. He's practically snarling like a wild dog, he's in a unfamiliar layout in a new place with what ought to be a graveyard of android parts.

and Salim really does his best to help - to explain. Which maybe this is weirder on his end cause 'good god this android is actually reacting and oh god am I going to die here? stupid auction'. it's kinda funny from an outside view and also kinda not.

Jason calms down enough and then boom 'nother short circuit. It makes him draw a blank. Forgets what happened in the past 5 to 15 minutes. Salim really didn't anticipate this. How could he? They go through the motions again, introductions, some part of Jason has realized that Salim isn't a threat, so at least this time they're meetings not as hostile.

Salim wants to understand Jason - he's some type of conscious and he's got his issues. they end up as some sorta flatmates. idk maybe we get a whole domestic Jason w memory issues arc. its kinda cute, really sad sometimes because he doesnt understand whats happening to him or why. Just that the very reason for his lifes purpose ain't in his grasp no more. He feels kind of pathetic somedays, becomes more of a homemaker than a soldier. Salim says it isn't bad. it's- it's not.

Maybe he picks up hobbies, starts reading, learning of the world he's missed out on. How the moral ideals of the masses clash with the values that were instilled in him. fucking cable TV. its kinda funny, kinda not.

Salim fixes him up. The memories come back in nightmares while he's booted down. Memory files drawn to the front of his mind all corrupted. It takes a long while for Jason to be alright. Salim worrys, notices him - of all things - stress baking. Jason talks about Nana Kolchek and her recipies and they both know she don't really exist. That it's part of the program they built into Jason to help him seem more human, more relatable to other soldiers. They don't talk about that aspect of it.

At some point Jason realizes Salim is going to sell him. Or at least intended to when he was bought at the auction. It hits him like a humvee going 80. Has a whole "was any of it ever real?" moment.

Jason has a little crisis and still somehow can't really unconvince himself that it won't happen. So he rips the bandaid off and flat out asks. Salim looks at him with that kind of expression people save for kicked puppies and the like. Some type of emotion in his eyes that Jason just doesn't know how to understand. It's too much. Jason looks away with a frown.

Salim pulls his hand into Jason's and squeezes once, cold metal against warm skin. Salim isn't selling Jason.

Heart to Heart.

Eventually Jason meets Zain. Zain looks at him quizzically, like he's just tryna wrap his head around something and he just dont quite get it. Zain says that his dad talks about him a lot, that he seems happier, less lonely, gives Jason the shovel talk. The works. Which Jason thinks is bizzare because he isn't even romantically involved with Salim.

and then he thinks,

thinks on it real hard and

oh,

oh.

He might be.

Right then and there, it dawns on Jason that, yes, they've been practically dating for a long while now. He cooks, cleans, asks Salim about his day, nags when he leaves his shoes crowded and piled in the door way, notes his likes and dislikes, holds him when he needs it, takes care of him and vice versa, they hook their legs together underneath the dinner table, they even do that looking into eachothers eyes lovingly thing and he just didn't realize thats what it was.

Zain is delighted with Jason's new found revelation. He helps Jason get flowers and chocolates, even gets a little card, it's real cute.

And Jason for as much as you'd think him as level headed really isn't too good at keeping a cool on it. He's flustered. Hands over the sweets, flowers and card like a kid with his first crush and shit, yeah, in a way yes, thats exactly what this is. a little bit. its kinda funny. kinda. There's even music on in the background because Jason just doesn't know how to miss.

They kiss. Salim tastes like chocolate.

[myshiptrashcan]

Thinking about this and sharing it before going to bed. I suppose it's Nsfw

Thinking about how if Eric is a bit of a dick and Nick asks Jason what he thinks of the guy, and Jason says, "He's a hard ass and he wants us to know it. I like it actually." Like .... Jason.

As amazing of a leader Jason is, how he tries to keep conflict between soldiers down and takes such natural command of the situation even if he isn't technically the one in charge. I think in bed he would really like being commanded, or you know, dominated.

For him to be so comfortable, and of course I'm thinking of Jalim here, but for him to trust enough to even allow it to happen in bed. He doesn't have to worry, or think much for that matter. He can just let himself enjoy and be taken care of in the best way possible for him. Take a load off from being in charge and responsible.

Which honestly works great for my other headcannon that Salim is just a beast in bed. Well, when he feels comfortable enough to be, (can't imagine he was too comfortable with his wife, that's just HC though) this kind gentle man is a lover yes, but we've seen he's capable of fighting when he needs to.

No one really listens to him, I can imagine that's frustrating. But Jason listens. It's always the nice ones isn't it? It's the way his voice rumbles. Jason loves it when Salim does that. And of course Salim Is looking out for Jason. Making sure he's safe and enjoying himself. Even still, Salim can't help but say Jason's endless praises and affection he has for him, that sort of thing flusters Jason but he loves it just as much as the rough treatment.

And maybe Salim thinks Jason is a little too cocky in his normal day to day, too much of a smart ass, that having him like this in bed is a funny sort of satisfaction for Salim. As bratty as Jason can be sometimes, he's certainly well behaved in bed for Salim.

For Jason it's probably the best surprise he could get, that Salim is a bit of a Sadist in bed and a Saint outside of it.

Idk. I just really love my head cannons for these two. It makes me happy. What do you think?

[writtenjewels]

Gym Bro

[okay so this came across my dash and made me think of Jalim, so of course I couldn't resist]

It was early morning, so not many people were using the gym. Jason put his stuff away and headed into the main room. He would do some stretches first before going into his routine. Just as he was starting his sets, he noticed another man moving toward the weights. Jason gave a casual glance and felt a weird flip in his stomach. What the hell?

He thought maybe it was a reaction to a familiar face so he took a longer look. The man had short, curly dark hair and a slightly rounded face. The more Jason stared the more weirdly nervous he felt. But he didn't recognize the guy at all, so the reaction didn't make any sense. Jason was hardly shy so why the hell would he be nervous around a stranger?

Jason shook himself out of the feeling and decided to go over and say hello. The stranger looked up on Jason's approach and greeted him with a friendly smile. That made Jason's insides flip yet again. Again he ignored the sensation.

“Howdy,” Jason greeted. “I'm Jason.”

“Hello,” the other responded in a warm tone. “My name is Salim.”

“I come to the gym a lot but I haven't seen you around before,” Jason continued. Salim responded with a sheepish smile.

“I thought it was time I try to get myself back into shape. I got winded going up some stairs a while ago; it was embarrassing.” He concluded with a chuckle that had Jason smiling, too.

“I was just about to do some sets,” Jason mentioned. “I could use a spotter.”

“I would be glad to,” Salim nodded, “as long as you don't mind keeping me company on the treadmill. Having someone young to keep up with may be a good motivator.”

“What do you mean?” Jason raised an eyebrow, his eyes sweeping over Salim. “You ain't old.”

“I turned forty this year.”

“Well, I'm gonna be thirty-one this year,” Jason informed him, “so you still ain't that old.” That made Salim smile, and Jason's insides did that weird flip again. He shook off the feeling and started sliding on weights so he could begin bench presses. He stepped back when he was satisfied with the weight and Salim let out a whistle.

“You can lift that much?” Their eyes met and Jason gave a little shrug, smirking. “This I have to see,” Salim remarked. That spurred Jason into action. He stretched out on the bench and lifted the bar. “Wow,” Salim awed as Jason started to do his reps, “that's impressive. How many can you do?”

“Well,” Jason grunted, “if someone was keepin' count like he was supposed to...”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Salim looked sheepish again. Jason chuckled a little and continued on.

Eventually they moved on to the treadmills. Salim set his at a brisk walk with Jason matching him. They chatted a bit more as they walked. Jason liked talking to the guy: he was friendly and charming.

“Would you like to hear a joke?” Salim asked at one point. Jason nodded; he couldn't help smiling at the glitter in Salim's eyes. “Why is water so clumsy?” Jason never heard this joke before so he waited for the answer. “Because water falls.”

“Wow.” Jason let out a snort. “That was really fuckin' bad.”

“Why didn't the baker ever spend his money? To get a rise out of the dough.” Jason laughed this time and Salim beamed at him. The weird sensation he got from looking at the guy hadn't gone away but it was easier to ignore with the burn of muscles and the pumping of his heart.

They both concluded their work-outs for the day. It was probably the best time Jason ever spent at the gym.

“I come here about twice a week,” he mentioned as they shook hands. “Maybe I'll see ya?”

“I'd like that,” Salim confirmed. Jason's insides responded with yet another flip. He was happy to make a new friend he could hang with at the gym. That was all it was.